County hires developer for courthouse annex

A Putnam County Courthouse Annex came one step closer to fruition with the hiring of a developer for the project.

Garmong Construction Services will oversee the project to build a courthouse annex on the old Jones School site at the corner of Madison and Liberty streets.

The old school actually served as the annex from 2001 through 2011 before the county moved out due to the deteriorating condition of the roof.

The building was finally demolished in the spring of 2023.

Having hired Envoy as the county owner’s representative earlier this year, the county has moved forward further in hiring Garmong, which will oversee the project from design through construction.

The county chose Garmong from among five proposals, of which Shields Sexton also rose to the top for the annex committee comprised of Commissioner Rick Woodall, County Council members Phil Gick and Stephanie Campbell and Auditor Kristina Berish.

“I truly thank everyone,” Woodall said. “I thank the five companies that presented. I think it was great we had that many options to choose from.”

Woodall noted that the coming months will move quickly with decisions being made regarding the building.

“This is a huge undertaking that this county has not done in a lot of years,” he said.

A couple of buildings in Russellville will be going in the opposite direction, as they have been deemed unsafe and will be torn down.

County Planner Lisa Zeiner reported that the Board of Zoning Appeals recently issued an order that the building at 202 S. Harrison St. be torn down.

This is in addition to a prior order that 200 S. Harrison be razed.

The structure at 200 S. Harrison St. began to crumble in early August, with the county issuing an order on it in September. However, further investigation has revealed the adjacent structure will also be compromised.

While the owners of the buildings have been ordered to have the buildings demolished, the county will be asking for estimates on getting the work done should the demolition not take place by Nov. 12.

“We’ll have those proposals and move forward should they not take them down,” Zeiner said.

In other business, the commissioners:

• Approved a $24,183.93 proposal to purchase a Can-Am Defender side-by side for Putnam County EMS.

Chief Kelly Russ noted that the vehicle will be used at events such as the Monon Bell Classic and the Putnam County Fair, giving the department access to areas that ambulances cannot reach.

On a more day-to-day basis, the vehicle will also be available for calls on rougher terrain or in snowbound situations.

While the model in question is only a two-door, it will also be equipped with a cot for patients with an attached seat for a medic.

• Simplified the county’s time off structure by approving a transition from vacation, sick days and personal days to simply paid time off (PTO).

“If you’ve earned time off, it doesn’t matter if it’s personal, if it’s vacation, if it’s sick. It’s time you’ve earned regardless,” Woodall said.

The Putnam County Auditor’s Office has verified that the change will greatly simplify bookkeeping.

• Appointed Mike Nesbitt to the Walnut Creek Fire Protection District board.

The seat was vacant due to the death of Charlie Boller earlier this year.

Nesbitt was in the audience and thanked the commissioners for their unanimous approval.

“I’m just looking forward to helping out the community, and I feel I could be a great asset to the community,” Nesbitt said.

Woodall was joined for the hour-long meeting by fellow commissioners David Berry and Tom Helmer, as well as Deputy Auditor Evelyn Williams and County Attorney Jim Ensley.