Visitors to the Carter County Courthouse this week may hear the sounds of hammers and see desks sitting in hallways as renovations started Monday morning.
The Clerk and Master’s Office is getting a face-lift in the form of fresh paint, new flooring and some much-needed repairs. But don’t let all the remodeling work fool you; the office is still open and conducting business as usual.
“We’re all setting up in different places,” Clerk and Master Melissa Moreland said. “We are having a regular session of court on Thursday.”
On Monday morning, Moreland could be seen sitting at a desk in the hallway outside her office sorting mail and doing a variety of other tasks. Other staff members in the office worked at makeshift desks in corners or in borrowed space across the hall.
“The Clerk and Master’s Office, like so many offices in the courthouse, is in need of updating and repairs,” County Mayor Leon Humphrey said. “The flooring, in particular, is in the worst condition in that office.”
While a contractor has been hired to install new flooring, Humphrey said the county is utilizing inmate labor to complete the painting and prep work in an effort to save money.
An inmate work crew was in the office Monday morning removing a damaged plaster wall to clear the way for a new plaster wall to be installed. Humphrey said leaks had caused the plaster to crack and separate from the wall in places.
The work to remodel the Clerk and Master’s Office is just part of a long process to update and repair the offices in the courthouse, Humphrey said. “Finally we are in a position to begin working on some of these projects,” he said.
One of the main repairs needed at the courthouse is to the flooring, Humphrey said. In many places, the tile was installed directly to the wood floors underneath which has created several issues and failures, he added.
“My goal ultimately is to address the flooring in all the offices,” Humphrey said.
The remodeling at the Clerk and Master’s Office is expected to take a week, Humphrey said.
“We apologize for any inconvenience the public has in coming into the courthouse while this is going on,” he said.