Commissioners target repairs around county during latest meeting

HANCOCK COUNTY — Work associated with repairs within the county’s jurisdiction is piling up for facilities manager Cory Taylor.

Taylor asked the Hancock County Commissioners for permission to move forward with several repair projects costing over $114,000 during the most recent commissioners meeting.

Taylor had a long list of projects, costing several thousand dollars, that need to be addressed right away, he said during the April 18 commissioners meeting at the Hancock County Annex building. From revamping the Purdue Extension building to fixing the fountain in front of the annex building, there is plenty of work to get done this spring and summer.

Taylor asked for the $53,195 needed for the construction work at the Purdue Extension building, 972 E. Park Ave., Greenfield. Taylor said it took nearly a year to get a solid quote from a contractor, Interior Construction Services, which is why he was anxious for the project to move forward with approval. The remodel will include redoing the entire floor, except in the kitchen, repainting, removing an old shower in one of the restrooms to create more storage area, as well as door repair.

“This is one where I’ve tried to reach out to others contractors, but I’m having no luck when it comes to this kind of stuff,” Taylor said.

Taylor noted the plan is to also make the building Americans with Disabilities (ADA) accessible, which will be done through another contractor.

“That should only be a few hundred bucks,” Taylor said.

The commissioners, President Bill Spalding, Vice President Gary McDaniel and Commissioner John Jessup, approved the work via a 3-0 vote, saying the funding would come from the 2022 General Obligation (GO) Bond.

While reading from a list of the construction work to be done, McDaniel noted that the cost includes demolition work needed before the renovation work can start.

In other work, Taylor also asked for over $20,000 in funding for an interior cab renovation project for the elevator at the annex building. He received three proposals from various businesses, and the commissioners settled on the cheapest bid of $22,012 to be paid from the 2021 GO Bond.

The commissioners also voted to start the process to terminate their contract with Mid America Elevator Co. after Taylor noted he was not happy with their work and asked for the termination of the contract.

“They’re not living up to the expectations,” Taylor said. “I suggest we look somewhere else.”

Another area needing attention is getting a new fire suppression system unit for the file storage data room at the annex building, switching the system from a water to a dry agent system.

“It is currently a water system, which is not ideal when you’ve got a lot of computer equipment,” Taylor said.

The Commissioners approved spending $26,250 to be paid from the 2022 GO Bond for the new fire suppression system.

One of the other big projects Taylor asked the commissioners to address was the water fountain in front of the annex building. He wants to get it working, but noted there was a hefty cost to do so — nearly $13,000.

Taylor received one bid from a water fountain specialist in New Palestine, Wood Works Landscapes and Water Features, to fix the fountain. The work is to include cleaning the debris, acid washing the structure, repairing the concrete, trouble shooting the electrical work and adding a dark finish, as well as fixing and replacing the LED lights.

“This gentleman does all kinds of this type of work, including things in Vegas,” Taylor said. “But, again this gentleman was the only one after I had called five or six different places trying to find someone who does specific fountains.”

The commissioners ended up approving approximately $12,777 and said the money to get the work done can come from the Landscape, Building and Maintenance fund.