 Courthouse
Damage and Repairs
Bricks Exposed in
Commissioners' Room
Constitution Tribune,
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
C-T Photo/Catherine Stortz
Ripley
CAPTION:
The bricks of one wall in the
commissioners' room at the Livingston County Courthouse are exposed and eventually will be plastered over as a result of damage which occurred more than two weeks ago when a leak in the building’s heating and cooling system flooded much of the courthouse. Water from the leak destroyed the previous wall in the commissioners’ room and caused significant damage throughout the building.
Drying Out
Constitution
Tribune, Thursday, June 24, 2010
 CAPTION:
Livingston County Presiding Commissioner Eva Danner Horton grabs some papers from her desk in the Commission Room this
morning, while multiple fans blow air onto a wall that received water damage from the weekend’s HVAC leak. The courthouse is currently open, but people are asked to avoid doing business at the courthouse until next week unless absolutely necessary.
C-T Photo/Laura
Schuler
 Associate Circuit Court held at City Hall
Constitution
Tribune, Wednesday, June 23, 2010
C-T Photo/Laura
Schuler
CAPTION:
Prisoners scheduled to go before Livingston County Associate Circuit Court Judge James Valbracht file into City Hall this
morning. Because of the extensive water clean-up effort currently underway at the Livingston County Courthouse following a massive weekend leak in the historic building’s HVAC system, court hearings were moved to City Hall today and tomorrow.
A Temporary Fix
Constitution
Tribune, Wednesday, June 23, 2010
C-T Photo/Amanda McKay
CAPTION: The Livingston County Courthouse has been closed this week after a major water leak in the building’s HVAC system was discovered Sunday morning which caused flooding on all floors of the courthouse. The county’s insurance company approved an air conditioning unit that arrived this morning
to be used temporarily while the building’s existing cooling unit is repaired.
Water
Damage at Courthouse
Constitution
Tribune, June 20, 2010 
C-T Photo / Catherine Stortz
Ripley
Several elected county officials and county employees as well as some of the Chillicothe Mudcats baseball players and local contractors spent much of Father's Day cleaning up water damage which had occurred at the Livingston County Courthouse. The excessive water was discovered Sunday morning and was caused by a heating/cooling unit malfunction. Standing water was found on all three floors and in the basement. Cleanup efforts began immediately, however, the Livingston County Commission has ordered the county courthouse offices to be closed on Monday while cleanup efforts continue. The child support docket, under Judge James Valbracht, will still take place on the second floor of the courthouse as scheduled, according to Presiding Commissioner Eva Danner. C-T Photos / Catherine Stortz
Ripley
Leak Soaks
Courthouse
Mechanical HVAC failure causes flooding on all floors; county offices closed Monday
Constitution
Tribune, June 21, 2010 
C-T Photo / Catherine Stortz
Ripley
CAPTION:
A member of the Chillicothe Mudcats helps remove items from a storage area on the first floor of the Livingston County Courthouse Sunday after a mechanical failure in the heating/cooling system caused a leak which flooded areas on all floors of the courthouse. 
C-T Photo / Catherine Stortz
Ripley
CAPTION:
West District Commissioner Todd
Rodenberg hauls out a water-drenched box of papers from the
commissioner's room on the second floor. The leak began on the third floor. Most of the government offices housed at the Livingston County Courthouse were closed today (Monday) after the
building's heating and cooling unit malfunctioned during the weekend and caused significant flooding throughout the building.
Areas on all three floors, the elevator shaft and the basement had standing water in them Sunday morning when the problem was discovered. The building may be closed more than just today while cleanup efforts are in full force and repairs are made, according to Livingston County Presiding Commissioner Eva Danner Horton. Today's child support docket, under Judge James Valbracht, was still to take place on the second floor of the courthouse as scheduled. Circuit Court Judge Brent Elliott said other court proceedings will resume as normal Tuesday. The flooding was caused due to a leak in a fitting in the HVAC console unit in the circuit
clerk's office on the third floor. Water leaked down into the
recorder's office directly below and then into the assessor's office on the first floor. Additionally, water leaked into the third floor courtroom which has a sloped floor and then down into the
commissioner's room on the second floor. Trudy Hines, an employee with the county
treasurer's office who also does custodial work for the county, discovered the water problem around 9 a.m. Sunday. She notified East District Commissioner Ken Lauhoff who, in turn, contacted Presiding Commissioner Eva Danner Horton. West District Commissioner Todd Rodenberg was soon notified and all were quickly at the scene. Aven Newkirk, of Newkirk Cleaning, of Chillicothe, was soon on site removing water from throughout the building. Local contractor Jody Case, who was involved with installing the courthouse elevator years ago, was called in to pump out water from the elevator pit before the water could reach the controls. Many of the
courthouse's elected officials as well as some employees, and a cleanup crew spent most of Sunday at the courthouse addressing the water issues. Additionally, members of the Chillicothe Mudcats collegiate baseball team provided manpower to help move furniture and boxes so that the drying-out process could begin. Newkirk has arranged for equipment to arrive today that is capable of pulling out the humidity from the air. |
