The Walker County Commission has approved for $12,000 of plumbing and tree work to be done at the Walker County Probate Office, which will result in repairing and replacing a broken sewer drain line and plumbing the Probate Office and the archives building being renovated next door.
The action was taken at the council’s organizational session on Wednesday, Nov. 13, after commissioners were sworn in for the new term.
Probate Judge A. Lee Tucker said about 10 days earlier problems occurred in the basement as cast-iron pipes rusted through, causing the pipes to burst. Several inches of water had to be pumped out over the weekend.
“The roof drains to a sump in the basement of the building and then it gets pumped back out into the sewer line, so there is no place for the water to go,” he said.
The plumbing was “archaic” and in a small space, and maintenance supervisor Shannon Whitehead got it working but then discovered a blockage was occurring further down the line.
“It appears there may have been some plumbing work done by another business back there which could have an effect,” he said. “We’re going to have to have all new line and duct where the city sewer connects.”
In the old back side of the building, there is no water and restrooms, although there is water on the other side.
“This will cover looking at both sides of that building, because there are two buildings together, but also while we are in the middle of that, running (lines) so that it runs up to the archive building where we are going to be because it is not going to be much more expense to be able to do everything at one time.”
Also in the back where there is air conditioning and electrical equipment, a large tree has grown up over the years. It will have to be cut so plumbing lines can be run so roots don’t go back into the lines.
Davis Tree Service, which has done other work for the county, gave an estimate of $2,500, which will also remove the stump. That is in addition to the $9,500 in plumbing work proposed by Joey’s Plumbing, which has also done work for the county.
Tucker said the tree is in the way of power lines for the Probate Office and the old Black Rock Cafe building.
He said while the work is being done, other lines in the area of the courtroom will also be investigated.
“So it is going to modernize everything, so we shouldn’t have any more problems,” he said. Otherwise, he said there would be continuous problems.
Chairman Steve Miller said the money for the work will come out of capital improvement funds.
In other action at the Nov. 13 meeting, the commission:
⢠heard County Administrator Amy Frederickson say the county was concluding its United Way drive that week.
⢠heard County Engineer Glenn Peek say several paving jobs were underway at Mt. View Road, Boldo Road and Knight Road, and also on Tubbs Hill Road.
