Ellis Co. putting finishing touches on remodeled courthouse

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

The Ellis County Courthouse will open for business this week.

After spending more than a year at the former NEW building, court staff completed the move last week back into the courthouse, and court services will begin at the newly remodeled courthouse this week.

At Monday’s commission meeting, Chair Dean Haselhorst said the court is 100-percent complete and was ready to open Tuesday but because of the winter storm it will open later this week.

Haselhorst thanked all the personnel for their help during the move.

The company contracted to finish the jail floor is expected to begin work later this week. It is scheduled to take about a week according to Haselhorst. After talking about the bids at a prior meeting, the commission officially accepted a bid with Treadwell for $38,972.

Haselhorst told the commission the contractors already had been scheduled to begin the project on Thursday.

The Public Building Commission approved three change orders for the courthouse construction. Haselhorst, the construction liaison, said all three are credits back to the county. Haselhorst said there have been 70 proposed change orders on the jail/courthouse project, and they have only approved 47.

The commission approved the Public Works Department to hire four new employees. Three of the positions will be for truck drivers with the possibility of a fourth truck driver or an equipment operator.

Fire Chief Darin Myers asked the commission to weigh in on the department’s facial hair policy. Myers said in the past one person was forced to retire because he would not shave his beard. Myers said the policy he wants enforced is that facial hair cannot impede an air mask.

Commissioners Haselhorst and Marcy McClelland agreed they need to enforce the policy currently in place.

A representative from the Munjor Church asked the county to look into reopening the street between the school and the church for parking. The representative and Interim Public Works Director Curt Hoffman will talk about the possibility of opening the road.

Appraiser Lisa Ree informed the commission the county received the 2016 oil price for county valuation. Ree said this year’s oil valuation will be between $24 and $27. Last year’s oil price was $34 to $38.