After several years and studies completed, the Greene County Supervisors pulled the trigger to start doing their “punch list” of improvements to the over 100-year-old courthouse.

A decision was made at the Supervisors’ most recent meeting Monday to have Brooks, Borg and Skiles do a design layout of the courthouse to phase in a new boiler and chiller system. The Board had a concern that due to the age of the current steam boiler system, they didn’t want it to break in the middle of winter and the courthouse be without heat. The steam boiler would be replaced with a hot water boiler.

Currently, there is no cooling system throughout the century-old building, just window air conditioner units and fans. Brooks, Borg and Skiles recommended installing a chiller unit, that would require extra piping in the building and a unit that would be about as big as a semi-trailer. Plus, each system would work independently of each other and could be adjusted per room in the courthouse, instead of the entire building having to be set to the same temperature.

Plans were originally done in 2014 by the same architect firm and based off of those cost estimates, it will cost over $1 million, with about two to three-percent per year adjustment for increasing construction and material costs. Supervisor Chair John Muir says the Board sets aside money every year for projects.

“Every year in our budget, there’s $400,000 set aside, eartagged for courthouse improvements. That’s why, for me, the phasing it in, we can balance that with the interruption of day-to-day work we have done in the courthouse and the cost (of the project).”

Muir adds that they are wanting to do projects like this now to keep the courthouse functional for the future.

“We need to keep it a functional building besides keeping it’s integrity of historical and just the beauty of it and the way it was built. They don’t build buildings like this anymore. If we’re going to continue to have it there, we need to have it so we can utilize it and keep it secure.”

Brooks, Borg and Skiles told the Board they would have a design and bid proposals ready for review within the next two weeks.