Poe Engineering’s Brian Johnson told the Boyle County Fiscal Court the courthouse clock‑tower framing shows significant stress and that the timber queen‑post elements are not adequate for the load the tower now places on the structure.

"If I turn it into a little bit of a truss like that, I can repair each of the four that are beyond that," Johnson said, summarizing structural fixes, but he warned the framing supporting the tower is overloaded and that a renovation will likely expose or remove courtroom finishes. He recommended hiring a preservation architect to lead design work, or a design‑build structural engineer if speed is a priority.

Court discussion focused on scope and sequencing: whether to remove the tower and rebuild offsite, reinforce in place with steel channels 'sistered' to timber members, and whether the bell needs removal during work. Johnson said he prefers to reinforce and retain historic appearance where possible but that substantial shoring will be required. He also noted historic preservation tax credits could offset a portion of costs.

The court directed staff to pursue an architect/structural consultant for next steps and to prepare cost estimates to inform budgeting and potential grant/tax‑credit applications. Johnson cautioned that work could render the upstairs courtroom temporarily unusable during construction.