Boren Roofing will start replacing the roof on the Allen County Critical Response Center, 410 N. State, Monday.
Allen County commissioners were told Tuesday morning that and other improvements, with 60 percent state funding through a Kansas Energy Office grant, were starting to unfold.
All told, nearly $250,000 worth of work will be done. The county’s share will be 40 percent, or just under $100,000. A Lawrence firm, 360 Energy Solutions, made arrangements for the grant, solicited bids and will provide overall management. Local contractors other than Boren are involved.
Aaron Etzkorn, of 360, said the roofing work would take a minimum of two weeks, and “we’re allowed three weeks. When we took core samples we found the roof had a lot more layers than anyone thought.”
Other projects on tap are a new 4,000-pound cooling tower for the courthouse, piping upgrades and state-of-the-art energy management controls.
Etzkorn said when compatible weather arrived, work would quicken.
COMMISSIONERS told Alfred Link to provide them with drawings of how Veterans Committee members wanted to expand the Veterans Wall on the south courthouse lawn.
Link said efforts to raise money for additional panels on either end would start soon.
Commissioner Dick Works suggested panels not quite as high as those in place. Maybe a couple of feet lower would be better, he said, noting a concern that the wall was a visual barrier for the courthouse. Commissioners Gary McIntosh and Rob Francis agreed.
They also instructed County Counselor Alan Weber to look into whether oil tanks and dilapidated structures at Vincentville Corner, nine miles east of Humboldt on the Humboldt-to-Elsmore road, were a nuisance.
Bill King, director of Public Works, said he thought their removal would make the intersection safer.
As with municipalities, the county has authority to condemn properties that are considered unsafe or a public nuisance.
