SE Illinois News

White County Board Building Committee met April 9.

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

A building committee meeting of the White County Board begun and holden this 9th day of April , 2024 in the Courtroom of the White County Courthouse in the City of Carmi.

Chairman Pigg started the meeting with roll call. Cannon, Allen, Webb, Neal, Weiss, and Pigg were all present, with South, Marsh, and Fulkerson counted as absent.

Chairman Pigg stated that the first item on the agenda was discussion and approval of building plans. Chairman Pigg asked the committee what all would be in the Times Building. Mr. Webb told the committee that Probation and would be in the Times Building and they voiced that they would like to be close to the Courtrooms. Chairman Pigg asked how much square footage that the Probation Office would need. Sheriff Weiss stated that they had a conference room, bathroom, 5 offices and a lobby area. Sheriff Weiss asked if he could still have the concrete room for his evidence room. The committee also asked if there was room in the Times Building for ROE. There should be plenty of room to accommodate them as well. Lacey with Architechniques joined the meeting by Zoom. She stated that she started with the number of square footages requested and what is required by law to be in the Court House. She stated that this was just like a base 1 floor plan to get input and feedback on each space and if a basement or second floor is needed. Judge Webb asked about an additional bathroom for the employees. Lacey stated that if the size of the building is on scale with what they want then they can make changes to the break room to add employee bathrooms. Lacey stated that the mechanical room size is based on the size of the building, but they have learned from past experiences that sometimes with mechanical rooms you will run into the room not being big enough. Judge Webb stated that the research room is too large and makes the room smaller and her office bigger. They talked about moving the rooms around in the Circuit Clerk Office to make her personal office viewable to the main office. There was discussion about a door placement around the jury room. Judge Webb wanted to be able to shut the area off, so jurors don’t encounter Attorneys or witnesses. Lacey informed the committee that when adding secure doors that she needs to make sure that she is not violating any codes for fire and exiting a building. Judge Webb asked about cutting the middle Judges chamber in half and putting a bathroom in the chamber next to it. Lacey asked the committee if the basement is necessary. The committee questioned if a basement was necessary for storage when storage is available in the Times Building. Mr. Allen asked if there would be an entry way into the Times Building. The committee asked if they could kind of courtyard between the Court House and Times Building. Chairman Pigg stated that no matter how you attached the buildings you would be pushing through someone’s office. The committee discussed moving/mirroring the floor plans to make an easier access point to the Times Building. The committee then discussed the potential of closing the alley. There were questions about the door that the inmates enter through. Mr. Neal asked if the hallway would be big enough to put benches in for people waiting. Lacey informed the people that the hallway was 9 feet wide. Mrs. Cannon stated that they needed to get definitive square footage on the Times Building. Lacey told the committee that she was going to make the changes that were discussed and that the committee needing to think about parking and what would be a deal breaker. The committee agreed that the parking would not be a deal breaker. Mrs. Cannon asked what the steps were from here. Lacey stated that she would make changes to the plan and then once it is approved then she will draft an early budget number. Then she will do some interior and exterior rendering to show the public what they are working on and after that it would be another meeting. Then after all that is approved then the County would need to move forward on how to hand the financial side. Lacey went on to further explain the process as heading forward. Mrs. Cannon asked that a design be drawn up for the Carmi Times Building along with a price for that renovation.

The next meeting was scheduled for April 17, 2024 at 1:00 PM.

Chairman Pigg called for a motion to adjourn. Judge Webb made the motion, seconded by Cannon. Motion carried on a roll call vote.

https://www.whitecounty-il.gov/minutes