Pulaski County Assessor’s Office May Soon Expand

Pulaski County Commissioners Tracey Shorter, Kenneth Boswell, Michael Tiede

The Pulaski County Assessor’s office may soon undergo some modifications as Assessor Holly VanDerAa told the commissioners this week that Maintenance Director Morry DeMarco has offered to make adjustments to the boiler room, enlarging it, to allow her office to expand into that room. DeMarco explained he would have to enlarge a doorway, removing a section of wall, but the commissioners were uncomfortable with allowing that to happen without first having an engineer check the integrity of the building.

DeMarco explained that this would be the most cost-effective plan because the assessor would not have to move her office, but would rather enlarge it. Fire safety exits and other safety requirements will be unaffected, and he estimated that the overall cost would be less than $1000.

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Pulaski County Commissioners Discuss Maintenance Items

Pulaski County Commissioners Tracey Shorter, Kenneth Boswell, Michael Tiede

The Pulaski County Commissioners this week discussed a number of maintenance items for the county with Maintenance Director Morry Demarco. According to Demarco, the old county highway garage is in need of being cleaned out and boarded up, but a number of gas heaters remain in the building. He asked the commissioners if they would like the heaters to be moved to other county buildings where they could be used.

Commissioner Michael Tiede told Demarco to ask the new county garage if they have any need for the heaters, and if not, he told Demarco to try to sell the heaters.

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Pulaski County Courthouse Sidewalk To Be Replaced

Pulaski County Commissioners Tracey Shorter, Kenneth Boswell, Michael Tiede

The steps around the Pulaski County Courthouse will soon be a bit safer, thanks to a motion by the Pulaski County Commissioners to replace 420 square feet of sidewalk at a cost of $3345.

County Maintenance Director Morry Demarco presented the commissioners this week with three bids to replace the approaches around the courthouse. He had contacted five contractors requesting bids for the work, but only three returned bids. He says the work is necessary because the sidewalk and steps are not level, creating a tripping hazard for visitors. In fact, the steps are so hazardous in the winter, that Demarco says he had to block some entrances last winter to prevent people from tripping.

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Ramp May Soon Be Installed Near Pulaski County EMA Garage

Pulaski County Commissioners Tracey Shorter, Kenneth Boswell, Michael Tiede

In an effort to make it easier on their vehicles, Pulaski County EMA Director Larry Hoover requested a ramp be installed in front of the museum garage in which they park their equipment.

County Maintenance Director Morry Demarco told the commissioners this week that Hoover approached him and asked about the possibility of installing the ramp, and Demarco said his department could handle the effort but would require permission from the commissioners to proceed. Demarco said a pipe would need to be installed beneath the ramp to allow water to flow through, but the installation of the ramp would allow vehicles to park in the garage without having to climb over an eight-inch curb.

Commissioner Mike Tiede asked if Demarco could use bridge planks instead of concrete to save money, and Demarco said he will check into it. He also said he will look into the possibility of dumping rock near the curb and coating it in asphalt as an easier solution.

Pulaski County Bell Tower Worsens With Each Toll Of The Bell

Mortar has crumbled in the Pulaski County Courthouse bell and clock tower

Pulaski County Maintenance Director Morry Demarco told the commissioners this week that with each toll of the Pulaski County Courthouse bell, mortar crumbles from between the bricks, and he is anxious to get the bell tower fixed.

Demarco says that he’d like to get the bid awarded and have the tower fixed as soon as possible to prevent any further damage, but because of a large variance in the prices of the bids presented, the commissioners requested that he speak with the bidders to ensure they understand the scope of work.

The bid prices ranged from as low as $7000 to as high as $16,000, and Demarco said that he will speak to the bidders and have them break down their prices. He says it’s very important that the work be done right. Because of the age of the structure, the mortar must be replaced with a similar mix to prevent any damage to the delicate bricks.

Pulaski County Bell Tower in Need of Repair

Mortar has crumbled in the Pulaski County Courthouse bell and clock tower

Pulaski County Maintenance Director Morry Demarco told the Commissioners this week that the bell and clock tower atop the courthouse is in pretty rough shape. According to Demarco, the tower is in need of being re-tuckpointed to reapply mortar between the bricks with an estimated repair time of up to four weeks.

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Man Damages Pulaski County Justice Center Doors

Pulaski County Commissioners Tracey Shorter, Kenneth Boswell, Michael Tiede

The Pulaski County Commissioners this week received some disturbing news: according to Maintenance Director Morry Demarco, someone had gotten very upset at the justice center and slammed the doors hard enough to cause some extensive damage.

“They slammed the doors open real hard, both sets of doors, and twisted the one door frame and bent three hinges on it. So the hinges had to be taken off and replaced and straightened, and the door frame had to be straightened on one door, but they’re in good working order now,” said DeMarco.

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