County to build conference room

County to build conference room

Renovations, upgrades continue at courthouse

news@theeveningtimes.com

Now that the County Clerk’s office is finished, Crittenden County is continuing its efforts to renovate the county courthouse. Justice Joe Marotti, who chairs the county’s buildings committee, said they plan to next renovate a space for a conference room.

“We have another project coming up,” Marotti said.

“What we are planning on doing is creating a conference room for Judge Wheeless right next to his office.”

The room is located where the postage machine currently is to the right of the judge’s office.

Marotti said County Treasurer Charlie Suiter, who is also a contractor, is working on a budget for the project.

Judge Woody Wheeless said it is a much needed project.

“I definitely need it because any time I have more than two people in my office we have to try and find some place to meet,” Wheeless said. “And the Quorum Court room isn’t always available. If it’s not, we struggle. I have had them standing up in my office because we don’t have any place to sit down. I’m always embarrassed when somebody comes and we don’t have any place to meet. I’ve even taken them several times next door to Judge Fogleman’s building and used their small conference room.” Wheeless said the project is likely to cost less than $10,000.

“There are three and a half walls already up,” Wheeless said. “Just a small partition will have to go up. I have a closet between the wall where the conference room is going to go. We will knock that closet out and that way we won’t have to break through the concrete. We can go right through that area.”

Wheeless expects construction to begin on the conference room within the next 30 days.

“It shouldn’t even be a two week project,” Wheeless said.

The county recently completed phase two of the renovations to the county clerk’s office. The county spent about $18,000 to modernize the space directly across from the county clerk’s office, and about $26,000 to give the main clerk’s office a much needed facelift. Contractors removed the old, dated paneling, put in drywall, painted the walls, and installed new ceiling tile and flooring.

“The courthouse looks very nice,” Wheeless said.

“I am very pleased with the way it is looking.”

By Mark Randall