County to update obsolete elevator
The elevator in the Ozark County Courthouse may soon be getting a major update, as county commissioners are expected to open bids to update the elevator, which has become all but obsolete. The need to update the elevator has been amplified since the handicap ramp on the west side of the courthouse was discovered to be in a crumbling state recently.
County commissioners met with representatives from Kone Elevators and Escalators of Springfield last week about the condition and future of the elevator in the courthouse.
Commissioners had previously been told that the elevator was obsolete and, if something broke on it, they couldn’t get parts for it any longer.
Presiding County Commissioner Terry Newton told the Times that the county is going to explore updating the elevator, which would include a new electronic board and other improvements.
“They said they could update it, and it may not be as big of a deal as what we originally thought,” Newton said.
Commissioners have turned full focus on the elevator since they discovered a couple months ago that the handicap ramp on the west side of the courthouse was crumbling and needs major repair or needs to be replaced.
Newton said the concrete ramp is not ADA compliant due to how steep the ramp is.
Commissioners plan to advertise for bids to update the elevator, and hope to open bids on May 30.
Commissioners also plan to replace the HVAC systems at the courthouse and the sheriff’s department.
On Tuesday morning, the temperature on the second floor of the courthouse was warmer than normal.
“I don’t think it’s working,” Layne Nance, western district commissioner said of the air conditioning system.
County commissioners meet every Monday at 9 a.m. on the second floor of the Ozark County Courthouse. The meetings are open to the public.