County staff report office heating and water problems, consider alternate site; Crossroads GIS to digitize fire dispatch box alarms

County department heads told the Clinton County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 4 that ongoing building issues — cold interior temperatures during a recent cold snap, a space-heater cord failure and rainwater intrusion in a back room — have prompted staff to look for an alternate office location.

One staff member said the group has identified a commercial property (described in the meeting as between Old Stoney and Napa and Sycamore, previously used for public-health purposes) whose owner is willing to sell or rent; staff said they will pursue rental options and noted county project income could be used for a purchase if needed. Commissioners asked staff to bring cost and lease/purchase options back for review.

In a related facilities/operations update, a county representative reported that Crossroads GIS — a contracted mapping/vendor service — will digitize the county’s fire dispatch box alarms at no additional cost. The county currently stores box alarms in hard-copy binders; once digitized, dispatchers will be able to click a map location and retrieve the appropriate box alarm details instantly. Staff said they had contacted local fire chiefs to update some outdated box-alarm pages and will provide corrected materials to Crossroads GIS for digitization.

Ending: Staff will pursue options for an alternate office lease or purchase and return detailed proposals to the board. Crossroads GIS will proceed with digitizing box alarms after receiving updated box-alarm materials from fire chiefs.