More Superior Courtroom repair work needed

With a decision still pending on how to refurbish the chair the Putnam County Superior Courtroom, Judge Denny Bridges was in front of the county commissioners Monday evening with another problem to the décor of the room.

Problems with a leaky roof over the years caused water damage to some internal walls, including damage to the mural on the wall of the courtroom.

In researching a solution to the problem, Bridge contacted the Indianapolis Museum of Art, which put him in contact with a restoration company from northern Indiana.

The estimate for repairs -- including cleaning, restoration and painting -- was in the $86,000-$88,000 range.

Although no motion was made on the issues, the commissioners did say the leaks that were the root cause of the problem have been repaired.

A number of courthouse repair projects remain at a standstill, including the superior court chairs and raising the height of second-, third- and fourth-floor railings.

In addition to the estimates on the chairs that came in earlier this month, County Planner Kim Hyten said a local contractor is looking into the repairs.

Citing the safety issues involved, Bridges encouraged the commissioners to give precedence to the railings.

"In my opinion, it's way more important to get those done than the shackles in my courtroom," Bridges said.

Prosecutor Tim Bookwalter also came before the commissioners for approval of an ordinance regarding use of the pretrial diversion fund. While the money is already used to fund a number of projects throughout the community, the State Board of Accounts is now requiring counties to draft ordinances regarding the use of the diversion money.

The ordinance, which the commissioners appr-oved unanimously, causes no change in the current use of diversion money.