The Greene County Board has a number of renovations to consider at their upcoming February board meeting.
Greene County Sheriff Rob McMillen updated the board on the current issues surrounding the courthouse elevator earlier this month. The Greene Prairie Press reports that there is nothing currently wrong with the elevator, but it’s currently obsolete and the company that manufactured it has gone out of business. McMillen had previously reported that maintenance costs and the ability to obtain parts for the elevator were getting more difficult.
McMillen reported at the most recent meeting that company that bought the defunct elevator business is placing a proposal to replace the current elevator through the State of Illinois bidding process. McMillen said once they come up with a price to replace the elevator, it would be 17-20 weeks to get the parts and then, the courthouse would be without an elevator for 4-6 weeks during construction. In that down time, McMillen says that the courthouse will have to find a temporary way to remain ADA compliant.
The board is also discussing options for the former Whitworth-Horn-Goetten Insurance building, located at 526 North Main Street. The county purchased the building with American Rescue Plan Act funds late last year. The Journal Courier reports that the county board is currently mulling over renovation plans for the building to house the Probation Office and the Public Defender’s Office.
Greene County Public Defender Tom Piper is currently operating out of his White Hall private office, which he intends to close and move into the new building if it’s authorized by the board. The former insurance building will need internal renovations and also need to be made ADA compliant before county offices could move there.