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Thursday, January 10, 2008
Ind. Courts - Franklin County courthouse without heat this winter
John Estridge reports today in the Brookville American-Democrat in a story that begins:
Franklin County courthouse employees are wearing a few more layers of clothes than most people in Franklin County.That is because they are working without heat. And it has been that way all winter.
Franklin County is currently remodeling the courthouse, and a decision was made early in the process to leave most of the employees in the structure while the remodeling was ongoing.
Franklin Circuit Court employees, including the probation department, moved to the courthouse annex immediately north of the courthouse during remodeling. But the employees in the prosecutor's office and the clerk's office have been left to deal with ongoing construction.
That has included: dust, noise, fumes, sewer smells and temperature issues.
With the temperature Thursday and Friday mornings in the single digits, the employees were faced with 40-degree temperatures in their workplaces. Thursday, the highest the temperature got in the courthouse was 54.
Diane Singer and Phyllis Schwegman, working in the prosecutor's child support division, wear gloves with the finger tips cut out, long sleeve sweaters, scarves and coats. “It's hard to work in these temperatures,” Schwegman said. “We are constantly trying to keep warm, and there's a bad draft from the windows.
Some employees have individual heaters, but the number of those is limited due to electrical problems. If they plug in too many, breakers go and the computers quit.
“It's hard to go get a file,” Schwegman said. “You're at least a little warmer at your desk.”
Posted by Marcia Oddi on January 10, 2008 04:14 PM
Posted to Indiana Courts