Commission to pursue improvements to courtroom
By WARREN SCOTT, Staff writerWELLSBURG - Brooke County commissioners, on Tuesday, agreed to apply for a state grant to improve the courtroom of the Brooke County Courthouse.
The commissioners announced they will seek an $80,000 grant from the state Courthouse Improvement Authority to renovate the courtroom, which has suffered from a leaking roof for many years.
This summer, a chunk of debris fell from the ceiling near the courtroom's northeast corner onto the floor during a hearing. Circuit Court Judge Ronald Wilson, who was presiding over the hearing, asked the commission to bring in an independent consultant to assess the building's structural integrity.
John L. Suthrie, an engineer with McKinley and Associates of Wheeling, said the falling debris was inadvertently spurred by recent repairs to the building's roof.
During a $106,000 roof repair project pursued by the commission this summer, four chimneys were removed to prevent rain from entering the building, where it had stained and cracked areas of the courtroom's walls.
"The cause of the falling debris in the courtroom was a buildup of rubble behind the metal crown molding from the chimney demolition and roof repair that fell through a rusted section of the molding when the load became too much for a previous patch to support," Suthrie told the commission.
He said, while in the attic above the courtroom's ceiling, he found pieces of wood and debris on the ceiling in the area where the roof had been repaired and the chimney opening covered.
Suthrie said the roof was in generally good condition but he recommended a more detailed inspection of a truss that appeared to be rotting at one end. He suggested the end should be reinforced with steel plates.
Bernie Kazienko, commission president, said if approved the grant will be used to address the truss as well as make other improvements to security and acoustics.
He said measures being explored at this time include creating an entrance to the judge's chambers directly accessible from the benches for the judge, court clerk and witness' stand; lowering the ceiling; and applying a gunite surface to the courtroom's walls.
Kazienko acknowledged Roy Givens for his efforts in preparing the application for the grant, which calls for a 20 percent match from the county. Givens had been serving as a volunteer special projects coordinator for the commission prior to being selected as one of the final candidates for the House of Delegates in May.
Kazienko said because costs to renovate the courtroom are expected to exceed the grant, which may not be awarded in full or at all, it's expected that part of the project will be funded from a $300,000 10-year loan taken by the county's building commission.
To offset costs for the renovations, Commissioner Marty Bartz suggested vocational students from Brooke High School could be recruited to strip and refinish the benches used for spectators.
Another project expected to be funded from the building commission's loan is the demolition of the former Emig Building. The building housed the county's probation department for a time, but after being flooded it has been vacant for years. It was declared structurally unsound by building inspectors with the city of Wellsburg, which ordered the building to be repaired or removed.
The commission received three bids for the project: $49,000 from Jim Kluge Excavating Inc. of Proctor, W.Va.; $49,749 from Keith Yost Excavating of Wellsburg; and $47,190 from Braun Enterprises Inc. of Weirton.
Kazienko said the commission will have to table selecting a contractor for the job until it determines whether the foundation should be filled with sand or brick.
(Scott can be contacted at wscott@heraldstaronline.com)
