Courtroom HVAC issues being addressed

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Ongoing air quality issues in two Montgomery County courtrooms is being addressed.

Montgomery Superior Court Judge Heather Barajas reached out to the Board of Commissioners after discovering mold on the American flag in the witness stand next to her bench. Court staff had already been running an air purifier around-the-clock when court was out of session.

Across the hall in Montgomery Superior Court 2, a dehumidifier has been used to reduce the moisture in that courtroom.

“Before I was on the bench — whenever I would appear in her court — she runs I think a dehumidifier in her courtroom all the time. And they so they have to shut it off when they go on record,” Barajas said. “So they shut off a dehumidifier, we shut off an air purifier because they’re loud, but it’s just doing our best to try make the situation workable so we can use the rooms.”

HVAC experts brought in by county building commissioner Marc Bonwell recommended adding dehumidification into the ductwork to reduce the moisture.

Commissioners voted Monday to authorize Bonwell to accept a $5,200 quote from Crawfordsville-based Hay-Bush Mechanical to begin the work in both courtrooms.

“We tried many things on a smaller scale and it doesn’t seem to fix our problem,” commission president
Jim Fulwider said.

County attorney Dan Taylor recommended that commissioners declare an emergency due to the risk of mold.

In other business, Montgomery County Emergency Management Director Shari Harrington reported the agency has finished preparing the latest crisis management plan.

The plan, which is presented every other year, guides the county’s response to emergency declarations, such as a travel warning or the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s a framework, basically, that all the other plans fall under,” Harrington said.

The agency will present updated debris management and hazardous material plans later this year.


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