Moving Child Support office will help two county problems

Talks of raising courthouse banisters have been on hold in recent months, and the Putnam County Courthouse faces an ongoing crowding problem since the closure of the courthouse annex in November.

In this climate, the Putnam County Commissioners and Council welcomed the news this week that the Title IV D Child Support office will be moving from the courthouse across the street to 26 W. Washington St.

"We can't shoehorn anybody else in there," Prosecutor Tim Bookwalter told the commissioners Monday. "The fourth-floor railing is shorter than other railings (on lower floors). We have all the children up there in child support cases. We had kids hanging over banisters."

The move to the old Central National Bank building will not only free space, but it will give the child support office the room it needs.

Office manager Beth Ross explained to the council on Tuesday that not only is it more office space, but more storage space. Many county files continue to be stored in the gym at the old annex, but Title IV D needed a special arrangement, as its records must be kept behind two locked doors.

There is not permanent cost to the county for the lease or utilities for the new location, but the county must front the lease money. The funds will then be reimbursed 100 percent by the state.

The council tentatively approved spending the money, pending the advertisement of the matter and the approval of the 2012 county budget by the Department of Local Government Finance.

Ross told the Banner Graphic she expects the move to happen around mid-April.