The Sanpete County Commission must decide whether to make nearly $350,000 worth of suggested improvements to the courthouse.
A 10-person study committee appointed by the commission has submitted its list of courthouse needs and problems. And a Salt Lake architectural firm presented its recommendations of improvements to solve those problems.Estimated cost for the total program: $349,625.
"We're going to have to sound out the public, study funding approaches and do a lot of home work before reaching a decision," Commission Chairman Robert Bessey said.
The committee decided that the clerk's office and the sheriff's department need more office and vault space.
The space shortfall is a result of growth, the presence of the state regional prison at Gunnison, the expansion of communication and fire protection service, the consolidation of the justice court system at the courthouse and the creation of the new building inspection and zoning office, according to the committee report.
The workload at the courthouse has increased gradually but heavily, the committee said.
The committee pointed out that the justice court is now quartered in what is essentially an overgrown closet. The limited space is inadequate for such functions as interviewing and record keeping, the committee said.
The basement of the courthouse has a water problem. This results in an unpleasant odor and causes mildew damage to hundreds of volumes of records, the committee said.
The Extension Service is housed in the basement. The space is adequate, but the location is poor for public access and other functions.
After reviewing the committee's problems and needs list and making an in-site study of the courthouse situation, the architects made these recommendations.
- A trench should be dug around the entire basement perimeter of the building and a sealant applied to solve the water problem.
- A three-story wing should be added to the north side of the courthouse, with the bottom floor occupied by the Building Inspection and Zoning office, the main floor providing additional space for the clerk's and sheriff's department and the third floor occupied by the justice court.
The addition would also provide for future growth, the architects said.