Commissioners updated on Building & Grounds projects

Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at 2:00 AM

By Kathy Bottorff

Billy Schoff, Superintendent of the county’s Building & Grounds, gave the County Commissioners an update on projects at their meeting last week.

In the courthouse, two boilers have been fixed and are now operational. The judge’s office for Superior Court I was painted, and the restroom was remodeled. Judge Bowen had never had any improvements made, so it's been a couple of decades. They also replaced part of the circulation pump for the heating and cooling system, and the first of three sections of the courthouse was completed.

In the County Building, two large carpet cleaning projects have been completed, and an issue with the cooling system was corrected.

Schoff said the overhead door at the County Morgue had damage to two panels, and they were replaced.

At the County Highway Garage, the maintenance department fixed one of the overhead doors, installed exterior lights at the old EMA building, removed light poles along the side of the EMA building, relocated a spotlight closer to the gas pumps, and installed a couple of exterior lights on the side of the highway building.

In the County Museum in downtown Plymouth, they replaced the furnace and AC condenser for the Train and Transportation Rooms.

Building and Grounds also removed a tree that fell at the Chief Menominee memorial during one of the storms and did some cleanup at the front of the Memorial Forest on State Road 17.

President of the Commissioners, Stan Klotz said the controls in the County Building need to be replaced. Initially, it was thought they might not be able to wait, but maintenance was able to make some repairs to get the building through this year. Klotz said the cost estimate is $200,000, and they will budget it in the 2026 Building & Grounds budget.