Posts to be installed to protect Courthouse West

As landscaping is finished at the Courthouse West building (formerly the Blue Building), bollards will be installed in the parking lot near the building’s main door on the east side.

Last week, the county’s maintenance supervisor told the commissioners that after a driver ran into the building’s doors a couple of weeks ago, he determined some protection was in order.

Jed Fisher said the parking lot improvements are pegged to be completed within the next couple of months and the installation of bollards (short vertical posts) will become part of that work. New doors have been ordered to replace the damaged doors on the recently remodeled building, Fisher said.

No one was injured in the incident, he said, in which an elderly driver accidentally hit the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal in her car.

A few minor construction-related issues have arisen at Courthouse West, Fisher said, including some tiles popping up and a few doors not opening and closing properly. The contractor, Meredith Construction, “has been great and fixed them right away,” he said. The building is under a one-year construction warranty.

Fisher praised the remodeling work that currently is in progress at the original courthouse building.

“What a quality product we’re going to get out of this group,” Fisher said. “Martel Construction has done great work. It’s twice the building it was and will last another 100 years.”

The final walk-through of the county’s new records storage building was last Friday, Fisher reported. Personnel with the county clerk and recorder’s office told commissioners Monday they are ready to begin taking materials to the new site for permanent storage.

They gave the new property an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

Reporter Shelley Ridenour may be reached at 758-4439 or by email at sridenour@dailyinterlake.com.