Morgan County Executive Summary

The Morgan County courthouse was built in 1905. It has two stories and a basement that is below the flood plain. The courthouse has brick exterior walls on a stone and concrete foundation. The foundation has numerous, major cracks in the foundation. The courthouse is connected to the annex by overhead walkways. The courthouse site is preparing for a major renovation that will enclose all of the buildings on the site.

The brick walls of the courthouse should be cleaned and any cracks repaired. The roof, flashings, and the gutters need repaired. The windows are original to the building and are single paned with wooden sashes. They are in poor condition. We recommend replacing the windows with historic profiles.

The building does not contain a fire alarm system. We recommend installing a fire alarm system with strobes, a sprinkler system, and emergency lighting throughout the building. The electrical system in the building needs to be upgraded and rewired. Additional ground fault receptacles should be added. Except for the courtroom, the building is cooled by window units. We recommend installing an air conditioning system for the rest of the building.

To address security concerns, the following measures should be taken in all of the buildings: Install a security system for each building; Install an X-ray machine, a card access system, a CCTV system, a security console, entry controls, and alarmed exit doors. Public access should be restricted to one secure entry point.

We recommend installing an ADA compliant restroom for the courtroom area and updating the current restroom to ADA compliance. We recommend installing an elevator to replace chair lift access, installing lever handles and ADA signage throughout the building, and installing a lift to the judge’s bench and witness stand.

The jail was constructed in 1938. We recommend that it be renovated for storage once the prisoners are relocated to the regional jail. During the renovation, concerns can be addressed, such as cleaning the outside of the building, installing new windows, installing a fire alarm system, enclosing stairs with fire rated doors and walls, installing a sprinkler system, updating to ADA compliance, replacing existing electrical service, and installing a new HVAC system.

The Tax Office Building has a water leakage problem in the foundation. We recommend that the foundation be water-proofed to prevent infiltration. The building also needs a fire alarm and sprinkler system, new entrance doors, emergency lighting, a second stairwell, an accessible entrance ramp, an accessible restroom, and elevator access to all public areas. We recommend that the electrical service be updated and the HVAC system updated to eliminate the oil-fired boiler. The overall recommendation is to renovate the building as needed to provide office and storage space.

The old, one story post office building has been purchased by the county and there are plans to renovate it for office space. Any concerns with the building should be addressed during the renovation.

The courthouse complex is under renovation. We recommend providing an additional 10,000 square feet of office and storage space for the county. Total cost of all building needs is approximately $3,406,068.

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