The Superior Express -

When I think of Nelson, two landmarks come to mind, the mansion on the hill and the courthouse. Both of which are in need of some love. The courthouse stands tall on the hill, dwarfing everything around it. The 133-year-old building is a beautiful landmark, especially when all the flags have been placed in the yard.

As beautiful as it is, none of us make it to that age without a few wrinkles, and a little wear and tear. It is the second oldest operating courthouse in the state with the least amount of upkeep. Unfortunately, our beloved building has some issues, and it’s costing us a pretty penny as it sits. Our county officials are now looking into cost-effective options to keep our county government up and running in the years to come. Unfortunately, it won’t be a quick and easy decision, and no matter what it’s going to cost some money.

I gave myself a little tour of the courthouse basement last week and here is what I saw. Radon reduction units and dehumidifies, cracks in the foundation, interior walls bulging, mold not only on the brick walls but on the paneling, woodwork and ceiling tiles. It was enough to make even this money-pit-loving, crazy lady want to run and hide. Foundation work is costly, when done right, and even more costly when done wrong.

Back in the day, I can remember going to the basement of the courthouse to pick up all the necessary paperwork and books needed for various 4-H projects. I hated going down into that dank, dark basement. The extension office, the county road department and emergency management were located down there until it was deemed unsafe for employees and those offices were then moved to new locations.

Another thing I’ve noticed in my weekly visits to the courthouse is they seem to run a lot of things off one circuit. Such as a space heater, air purifier and computer, among other things on one power strip. Entire offices are run on a power strip. You have to do what you have to do but that seems a little dangerous to me.

That big beautiful building is cold in the winter, and hot in the summer. The “new” ceiling-mounted air conditioning units are failing and leaking condensation onto floors and furniture causing further damage. Just after the units were installed, the company that sold them went bankrupt and was bought out by another who agreed to uphold the warranty, but parts are nearly impossible to get ahold of. It’s to the point where window units were purchased for several of the offices. The heat, well I don’t have enough information to give much on, just that they don’t work when they need to.

If all that isn’t enough to make you cry, there are bats in the attic, along with lots of bat feces. The little cuties will make random appearances in the offices and courtroom.

Plaster has been falling from the ceiling, onto, and through the dropped ceiling tiles; thankful no one has been injured yet. In the last 10 years, more than a million dollars have been spent on repairs, upgrades to comply with ADA guidelines, and attempting to get rid of mold and bats, among other various repairs.

That number doesn’t include the monthly cost of the utilities and other regular bills for the courthouse. I urge you to read the minutes of the Oct. 2, 2023, county commissioners meeting. It is an eye-opener. The powers that be definitely have a tough decision ahead of them. Do we continue on with the current building, fixing what we can, when we can? Do we temporarily move the offices, so the building can be repaired and restored? Do we build new? Like I said, it’s going to be a tough decision, and I am confident our officials will come up with a solution, that protects our assets, government employees, and all of the irreplaceable documents held in our courthouse.