County makes plans to replace stairs at courthouse entrances

Visitors to the Vernon County Courthouse will be greeted with new signs and sturdier stairs in the near future.

At the April 17 county board meeting, Vernon County Board supervisors approved a resolution, which included spending $60,000 repairing the stairs at the south and east entrances of the courthouse, as well as installing new signs at the courthouse and Banta Building.

The signs were budgeted by the county to cost no more than $10,000 for both buildings and will help direct visitors to county offices and the Vernon County Circuit Court, housed within both buildings.

The courthouse basement will also be painted, but first the basement has to be tested for asbestos and mold.

The countys buildings and facilities committee approved $1,481 for the cost of the tests at its May 3 meeting.

We want to make sure the white fuzzy stuff coming out of out of the cracks isnt mold, its just some calcification or something, Carter Arndt, of MSA Professional Services Inc., said.

The tests will cover the basement and where the stairs at the south entrance of the courthouse will be replaced.

Committee chairman Jerry Cade asked Arndt about testing for asbestos and mold in the countys other buildings.

We can do specific point assessments of areas of concern, Arndt said. Secondarily, if the county wanted to institute a countywide asbestos management plan we know other consultants school districts for an example do this, it is a requirement of state law so there are firms actually out there who will do a management plan and basically help you manage your asbestos.

But if we have to end up doing some remodeling over there [at the Erlandson Building], weve got to check this out ahead of time, so if you can come back with a price for that, Cade said.

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County makes plans to replace stairs at courthouse entrances