Focus Shifts To Repairs At Courthouse
Yalobusha County Tax Assessor/Collector Michael Walton reported his tax office in the Water Valley courthouse reopened Monday after a week of drying. Almost everything in the office was saturated with water including boxes of vehicle license tags. All of the computers in the office will have to be replaced.
WATER VALLEY – The response to a massive flooding incident at the Water Valley courthouse has shifted from cleanup to making repairs. After a week of using heaters, dehumidifiers and fans to remove water and moisture from the building, the focus is now on fixing portions of the building that were damaged. The flooding occurred late on July 4 or during the early morning hours on July 5 when a second-floor waterline detached from a fitting, dumping thousands of gallons of water into the historic building.
County supervisors discussed the obstacles ahead during an emergency meeting on July 10 as Water Valley City Hall and the Multi-purpose Building in Coffeeville were designated as alternate locations for justice court while the second-floor courtroom at the courthouse is out of commission. Discussion continued in a subsequent meeting Monday morning as supervisors decided to solicit bids for repairs that include sheetrock and plaster repairs, trim work, electrical, flooring work.
Board President Cayce Washington noted that the scope of damage continues to be evaluated and it is likely that some issues may not be identified for weeks or longer. Washington added that an insurance claims adjuster noted that repairs not immediately listed can be added to the claim. The county contracts with the Mississippi Association of Supervisors Insurance Trust (MASIT) for insurance coverage, and the policy is expected to cover the cost of repairs and replacement cost for equipment damaged by water, minus a $15,000 deductible.
The tax collector’s office in the courthouse was hardest hit with the flooding as all the computers were damaged and the entire contents of the office soaked. Tax Assessor/Collector Michael Walton was still working at presstime Tuesday to get the office fully operational, an effort that includes resuming vehicle license tag sales and renewals at both courthouses. The flooding caused a series of problems with the computer server in the Water Valley courthouse, disrupting some services in the Coffeeville courthouse including the tax office. The disruption triggered a broader discussion about how to ensure problems at one courthouse do not interfere with services at the other courthouse.
“These offices need to be independent of each other, I have been saying that since I was elected,” District 4 Supervisor Eddie Harris stressed during the emergency meeting.
The flooding also prompted dialogue about plans already in motion to replace the HVAC systems in the Water Valley and Coffeeville courthouses. The geothermal systems were installed in both courthouses during renovations over two decades ago and both systems have reached the end of their life expectancy. There are almost a dozen different heating and cooling units in the Water Valley courthouse, and water is circulated to each unit using a network of water lines. Washington noted that one of those water lines popped off a fitting at a unit, causing the flooding.
“The guy who repaired it slid it back on and tightened it. There were not new hoses, there were no new clamps. That is how they fixed it,” Washington said about a minor problem that caused major damage. “We really need to evaluate if this geothermal system with all of these water lines flowing throughout this entire building makes sense for us.”
Earlier in the year, Washington provided figures that repairs to the HVAC systems at the courthouses have cost the county a half-million dollars during the last five years.
Information in Monday’s meeting included input from officials with Upchurch Services, LLC about different replacement options for HVAC systems at both courthouses that will not utilize water-cooled units.
The geothermal units were installed to minimize changes to the outward appearance of the courthouses as the HVAC systems do not utilize outdoor units. Both buildings are designated as Mississippi Landmarks, the highest form of recognition bestowed on properties by the State of Mississippi. The designation protects the buildings from changes that may alter the property’s historic character.
Ironically, Washington shared that officials with the Mississippi Department of Archives of History (MDAH) traveled to Water Valley last Wednesday on another matter. Washington noted that approval from MDAH is required before changes can be made the HVAC systems at the courthouses.
“I asked Archives and History (officials) what they are going to allow us to do. They are open to other ideas, they fully understand that water can create a lot of problems to a historical building. I thought we had a really good meeting,” Washington said about the visit. “It could have been so much worse if the leak had gone unnoticed an entire weekend. The second floor could have come down on the first floor.”
All offices in the Water Valley courthouse were open Monday morning. Supervisors were working on the list of repairs late Monday and are expected to reach out to different contractors to solicit bids this week. A timeline has not been established for the work.
