The Greene County Courthouse may have to make some necessary internal improvements to stay in compliance with federal public access laws.
The Greene Prairie Press reports that officials are mulling over changes to the courthouse’s elevator.
The elevator was installed in the over 130-year old structure in 1994 to be in compliance with the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act.
Since then, the elevator is used daily for bringing shackled prisoners to the second-floor courtroom and also acts as a second entryway to the courthouse. The elevator, according to officials, wasn’t originally designed for everyday use.
Greene County Sheriff Rob McMillen notified the the Greene County Judiciary Committee at their meeting this month that the elevator is due for an inspection this coming Spring.
According to the report, the elevator maintenance on the 30-year old machine is becoming too difficult and in some ways too costly as the elevator is currently obsolete. McMillen told the committee that parts for the elevator are no longer manufactured and the elevator company has older parts in their inventory to keep the elevator running if and when it breaks down. McMillen says that the company is coming to the courthouse at some point this month to draft a proposal for replacement.
McMillen told the committee that he believes that some of the county’s remaining American Rescue Plan Act funding could be used to fund the replacement.
McMillen believes a proposal for replacement of the elevator will be able to be given to the Greene County Board and Judiciary Committee some time next month.