A visit from the state fire marshal has spurred the move of the Pulaski County Assessor’s Office, as the county commissioners last night passed a motion to move the assessor into the office in the courthouse currently held by the county surveyor, who would be relocated to the county highway garage. The commissioners also approved a motion to seek estimates on constructing an office in the highway garage, which currently has a lot of space but no unoccupied offices.
Assessor Holly VanDerAa told the commissioners that the fire marshal visited her office and advised her that the tables located in the hallway were unacceptable and that the office’s counter is also infringing on the distance to the hallway. Because the office is so cramped, VanDerAa said they have had to use the tables in the hallway in order to deal with taxpayers. The county commissioners have been aware of the problem for quite some time and have considered various solutions, including shifting offices into the annex building and purchasing and renovating a building across the street.
The commissioners expect to review the estimates at their next meeting before the move takes place.