courthouse ramp removal: County buildings getting needed repairs
Times photo/Jessi Dreckman The Ozark County Courthouse’s west entrance looks a bit different after last week’s removal of the long ramp that led into the courthouse. The ramp was removed after an engineering firm released a report that said the ramp was dangerous and non-ADA compliant. The stairs and walkways on the east and west doors will also be removed and rebuilt later this fall.
Ray Grisham, pictured in the above photo, and his son Wyatt Grisham, in photo below, worked to remove the ramp at the Ozark County Courthouse last week. The county voted to remove the ramp after an engineering firm ruled that the ramp had several dangerous elements and was not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. After the report was received, the ramp was immediately closed, and plans to remove it were underway. The stairs and entrances on the east and west sides of the courthouse will be removed and rebuilt this fall by Simpson Concrete. Work will be done in sections so the courthouse is accessible during that time. Times photos/Jenny Yarger and Sue Ann Jones
The crumbling handicap ramp on the west side of the Ozark County Courthouse is gone, and Presiding County Commissioner Terry Newton said the county is moving forward with redoing the courthouse entrances to make them more accessible and more attractive.
The ramp, which was deteriorating and dangerous, was removed on July 19, and grass seed was planted where the ramp once stood.
Engineers had released a report to the commissioners, deeming the ramp dangerous and non-compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act guidelines. After receiving the report, the ramp was immediately closed for safety and liability reasons.
“There wasn’t a choice. When we got that designation from the engineers, we had to close the ramp immediately,” Newton said during this week’s commissioners meeting.
They opened bids Monday to redo the three entrances to the courthouse. Simpson Concrete of Howards Ridge was the only company to submit a bid. Simpson bid the project at $63,515, which includes demolition and rebuilding the stairs, walkways and sidewalks on the east and west sides of the courthouse and hauling everything off. The bid was accepted unanimously. Work is expected to begin in October.
Commissioners voted recently to make the basement entrance on the southeast side of the courthouse the main handicap entrance. The entrance is flat and wheelchair-accessible. A sensor on a post near the door allows those in wheelchairs or with other disabilities to wave their hand in front of the sensor to open the door. The entrance leads to the courthouse elevator, which can reach the second and third floors.
Newton said the county was able to salvage the railing from the old handicap ramp and may use the railing in a future project or multiple projects.
Updating other Ozark County property
Since taking office in January, Newton has pushed for county-owned building improvements and regular maintenance.
Newton implemented regular inspections of county property and has a list of current needs and planned maintenance and improvements.
The commissioners have made substantial improvements to the courthouse and the sheriff’s department building, where the jail is getting a new pitched roof, new windows, paint and plumbing and electrical improvements.
Among the improvements to the courthouse are HVAC units, new ceiling tiles, fascia and guttering, elevator upgrades and new paint and trim.
Newton said the county is also planning upgrades to the county’s emergency radios, and improvements and upgrades at the recycling center, road and bridge building and the prosecutor’s office are also in the works.
Nearly all of the improvements are being paid for by money the county obtained from the federal government’s covid relief, the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA). Ozark County received nearly $2 million.
Ozark County had originally promised $1 million of that money to White River Valley Electric Cooperative for a high-speed fiber optic internet project, but when Newton was sworn in as presiding commissioner in January, he immediately began questioning giving that much money toward the project.
In March of this year, commissioners announced they had cut the amount they were giving to the internet project to $200,000 and they planned to use the other $800,000 for much needed county property maintenance and improvements and to bolster a struggling sheriff’s department.
Ozark County Sheriff Cass Martin laid off much of the sheriff’s department staff last year and cut back patrols due to a financial crisis.
Ozark County voters have since passed a law enforcement sales tax to help remedy the financial shortcomings in the sheriff’s department; however the Missouri Department of Finance and Administration struck down the tax and ruled it unconstitutional. The tax is still in limbo as state legislators are working on solutions. Those “fixes” will likely be handled when the legislature reconvenes this fall.
In the meantime, Martin said the sheriff’s department is plugging along the best they can.
“Our budget this year certainly looks better than it did last year,” Martin told the Times. “We are still down several positions, but we are at least able to maintain what is required for the bare minimum coverage.”
Martin said he’s hopeful legislators can find a soluation.
“I hope they can solve it,” the sheriff said. “That extra money would make a huge difference in Ozark County.”