Construction on schedule

Staff writer

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Williamson Restoration workers remove a large portion of the old ventilation system Saturday morning at the Roosevelt County Courthouse. County officials said the new HVAC system is currently being installed and will directly impact three floors of the building.

Construction at the Roosevelt County Courthouse is running smoothly and on schedule, according to County Manager Amber Hamilton.

The overhaul of the building’s heating and cooling system began in August with the removal of eight types of mold found by a private lab consultant, including a toxic strain of black mold.

Hamilton said Williamson Renovations has started the installation of the new HVAC system after removing the old one Saturday morning.

She said the installation is a time-consuming task because of the size of the building.

“Three floors are directly impacted by the installation. That includes electrical, duct work, and other components of the system,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton said that while construction has gone smoothly up until this point, old electrical wiring could pose a problem as the workers install the HVAC system’s components.

She said the old wiring may not meet the state’s building code because of the building’s age. State inspectors will be looking at the wiring in the coming weeks to determine if it is safe to be used for the electrical loads the new system will put on it.

Hamilton said the building was constructed in 1938.

According to a Sept. 18 report, the project will be completed about mid-June.

Courthouse staff are eager for the project to be finished and are counting the days until they can re-enter their offices.

Treasury clerk Layle Sanchez said she misses the space the courthouse offices provided in comparison to the cubicles that are set up in the temporary offices in the courthouse parking lot.

“I’ll be very excited to get back,” Sanchez said.

County Treasurer Nancy Belcher said she also has a hard time dealing with the lack of space available in the temporary offices.

“This hasn’t been bad,” Belcher said. “But I miss the room and the space.”

Belcher, who has worked at the courthouse for 14 years, said she is excited for the building’s new heating and cooling system.

She said temperatures in the summer could become unbearable in the building when they reached above 80 degrees outside.

“I’ll be glad when it’s done for the convenience of it, for taxpayers and customers,” Belcher said.