By John Estridge
Franklin County Courthouse’s historic belfry is scheduled to be taken down Wednesday, Nov. 4.
That is unless Tropical Storm Zeta, currently Hurricane Zeta, doesn’t take it down Thursday, October 29.
Franklin County Commission President Tom Linkel told county council members Tuesday night, October 27, of the plans.
The current belfry/cupola is leaning precariously and is in need of replacement.
Council put aside $250,000 of a recent $1.1 million bond floated earlier this year for the replacement. Earlier, commissioners talked about their plan for the removal of the belfry and its replacement. It was planned to be a three-stage process. At that time, the first step was the removal of a large number of bats from the top of the courthouse. The $26,939 quote was awarded to Advance Wildlife Management.
However, on Tuesday night, Linkel said the bat removal does not have to come before the belfry removal. Thus, the removal can occur next week.
Linkel said Lykins Contracting Co., of Sunman, will take about a half day to set up its equipment. It will take three cranes to remove the belfry. One of the three cranes will be set up on U.S. 52, necessitating the closure of the state highway.
Once Lykins is set up, the courthouse will be closed and courthouse employees will be allowed to go home for the day. Linkel said the courthouse will not be closed for the entire day.
Once the belfry is removed, Lykins will put in a new rubber roof in that location. However, once the belfry is removed, it may be determined some of the wood in that area will need to be replaced so that part of the contract may take more time and money. The current quote from Lykins is $126,300. That quote may increase if there needs to be substantial replacement in the wood and supports after the cupola is removed.
Also, county officials have not received the design for the new metal cupola. That is being done by Campbellsville Industries Inc., of Campbellsville, Ky. Linkel said the design is needed so county officials can determine if anything needs changed to support and anchor the new cupola.
The cost of the new cupola is $64,878; however, the county will have to supply the needed crane for that procedure. It is thought the replacement will take place in the Spring of 2021.
With the bats, it is Linkel’s understanding the plan is not to capture or eradicate the bats but to disperse the bats. Linkel said he was told by the contractor a bat can get through a three-eighths-inch hole. The contractor plans to plug all the small holes in the area where the bats are, leaving one small opening with a one-way bat trap much like an ant trap. Once the bats go through the trap to the outside, they cannot get back on the inside. Once all the bats are gone, then they are going to remove the bat feces, which is called guano and is considered toxic waste.
Part of council’s meeting Tuesday night was devoted to how to disperse the $1.1 million bond. It was decided $250,000 – a quarter of a million dollars – will go to the belfry replacement. Currently, Linkel said the three contracts total $219,000. If the county needs more than $250,000 for the project, the money will be taken out of what has been designated for the county highway department.
Council member Scott McDonough, a member of council’s finance committee, said the finance committee – McDonough, council president Jeff Koch and council member Rebecca Oglesby – allocated $592,000 for highway equipment.
Though no vote was taken, council members approved of the finance committee recommendations on how to spend the $1.1 million bond.
They are:
- $15,000 to update the software for the Area Plan Department;
- $22,000 for resurfacing roads at the county park;
- $12,000 for updating 10 computers;
- $8,000 for WiFi stations;
- $38,000 for a phone system for the sheriff’s department;
- $250,000 for belfry;
- $3,000 for recorder’s office equipment;
- $5,000 for body armor for the sheriff’s department;
- $125,000 for the first year of a three-year lease for a new control board to be used at the Franklin County Security Center. The total cost of the lease is $310,375. The second payment has been budgeted into the 2021 budget. Koch said it is hoped some of the money for the lease can come out of COVID-19 CARES Act;
- $30,000 for EMA computers;
- $592,000 for county highway;
Koch stressed that if there is more money needed for the bell tower or for any other equipment, then the cost would have to come out of some of the other appropriations mentioned before as there is a finite amount of money, $1.1 million, council is working with.