Renovating probation offices will be costly
Upgrading Medina County Courthouse basement could cost $1.5 million
Probation Officer Stephanie Theus works in a cramped office in which her chair and desk compete for space with filing cabinets. Photo by GLENN WOJCIAK
MEDINA – The 20 people who staff Medina County’s Adult Probation Department remain crammed into a warren of makeshift offices in the basement of the courthouse while county officials struggle to find a solution to their office needs.
Chief Probation Officer Veronica Perry brought the matter to the attention of county commissioners last June when she told them her growing department is overcrowded and unsafe.
Since then, commissioners proposed moving the department into a commercial office building near the courthouse, but a five-year lease agreement was withdrawn by the owner who had second thoughts about safety in the building.
Furthermore, Medina City Council balked at giving the county a waiver to move personnel out of the courthouse. The county had pledged not to move departments away when the city built the parking deck behind the building.
Commissioners are now considering renovating the current offices but the construction estimate came in even higher than anticipated in preliminary talks.
Architect Thomas Potts presented County Commissioners with a feasibility report on the project that estimated the construction cost at $1.2 million. County Administrator Scott Miller said the cost would probably be closer to $1.5 million when new furnishings and the cost to move into temporary offices during construction were factored in.
It’s an expense the county may not be prepared to pay now and Miller said the renovation work would probably not move forward without an influx of new revenue, perhaps from an increase in the county sales tax which county commissioners are considering asking voters to approve in November.
The scope of the work proposed by Potts includes demolishing walls and ceilings, removing hazardous materials, new hydraulic lifts to accommodate provisions in the Americans with Disabilities Act, a new heating and air conditioning system as well as a separate air handling system to meet ventilation requirements which currently violate building codes, installation of a fire suppression system, and new electrical service and light fixtures.
Potts said low ceiling heights and thick masonry walls increase the challenges of the project and said it would be much easier and cheaper to move the department to the second floor of the courthouse as was originally envisioned when Silling Architects designed a $13 million expansion and renovation of the entire building in 2008.
County Commissioner Adam Friedrick said a modified expansion of the courthouse could cost up to $20 million today and would not happen without the $6.5 million in additional revenue the county would receive if the sales tax was increased by 0.25 percent.
Friedrick said the $1.5 million renovation project proposed by Potts could be a viable option for the county in lieu of the bigger courthouse expansion project.
“We have to do something,” Friedrick said. “That $1.5 million sounds better than $20 million.”
Perry believes the commissioners should move forward with a renovation plan sooner, rather than later.
“The potential liability issues we’re facing should be reason enough to fix things,” she said.
The conditions in the department have been called abysmal because of safety and confidentiality issues since probation officers often must conduct interviews in earshot of other officers or probationers.
Chief Probation Officer Veronica Perry brought the matter to the attention of county commissioners last June when she told them her growing department is overcrowded and unsafe.
Since then, commissioners proposed moving the department into a commercial office building near the courthouse, but a five-year lease agreement was withdrawn by the owner who had second thoughts about safety in the building.
Furthermore, Medina City Council balked at giving the county a waiver to move personnel out of the courthouse. The county had pledged not to move departments away when the city built the parking deck behind the building.
Commissioners are now considering renovating the current offices but the construction estimate came in even higher than anticipated in preliminary talks.
Architect Thomas Potts presented County Commissioners with a feasibility report on the project that estimated the construction cost at $1.2 million. County Administrator Scott Miller said the cost would probably be closer to $1.5 million when new furnishings and the cost to move into temporary offices during construction were factored in.
It’s an expense the county may not be prepared to pay now and Miller said the renovation work would probably not move forward without an influx of new revenue, perhaps from an increase in the county sales tax which county commissioners are considering asking voters to approve in November.
The scope of the work proposed by Potts includes demolishing walls and ceilings, removing hazardous materials, new hydraulic lifts to accommodate provisions in the Americans with Disabilities Act, a new heating and air conditioning system as well as a separate air handling system to meet ventilation requirements which currently violate building codes, installation of a fire suppression system, and new electrical service and light fixtures.
Potts said low ceiling heights and thick masonry walls increase the challenges of the project and said it would be much easier and cheaper to move the department to the second floor of the courthouse as was originally envisioned when Silling Architects designed a $13 million expansion and renovation of the entire building in 2008.
County Commissioner Adam Friedrick said a modified expansion of the courthouse could cost up to $20 million today and would not happen without the $6.5 million in additional revenue the county would receive if the sales tax was increased by 0.25 percent.
Friedrick said the $1.5 million renovation project proposed by Potts could be a viable option for the county in lieu of the bigger courthouse expansion project.
“We have to do something,” Friedrick said. “That $1.5 million sounds better than $20 million.”
Perry believes the commissioners should move forward with a renovation plan sooner, rather than later.
“The potential liability issues we’re facing should be reason enough to fix things,” she said.
The conditions in the department have been called abysmal because of safety and confidentiality issues since probation officers often must conduct interviews in earshot of other officers or probationers.