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Bullock County commissioners urged to fix courthouse elevator, craft a preservation plan
Summary
Residents and preservation advocates told the Bullock County Commission the historic courthouse shows signs of neglect — frequent elevator failures, peeling paint, missing handrails — and urged a funded maintenance plan and use of available preservation grants; commissioners agreed to schedule a planning session but took no immediate action.
Residents and preservation advocates pressed the Bullock County Commission on April 14 to prioritize repairs and a maintenance plan for the county’s historic courthouse, citing repeated elevator failures, peeling paint and safety risks for court users and staff.
“I don’t ride that elevator. I take those steps,” a resident said during public comment, describing repeated problems with the building’s vertical circulation and urging the commission to act. Architect speakers and commissioners said the courthouse is on the National Register and subject to preservation easements that complicate some repairs but do not remove the obligation to maintain life‑safety features.
The public commenter noted prior outreach from former Secretary of State John Merrill and said the county lacks a written maintenance plan and has missed opportunities to apply for preservation grants because of limited administrative capacity. An architect who spoke to the board said “making sure we have that vertical circulation is critical because you don’t want to have someone stuck in an elevator,” and offered to convene a planning session to develop a prioritized list of work.
Commissioners acknowledged past contracts and grant efforts that were not followed through. They directed staff to set up a follow‑up meeting with the architect, the (county) facilities contact and local court officials to develop a formal plan and a shopping list of priorities. No funding vote or contract award was taken at the meeting.
The commission’s next steps, as stated at the meeting, are to schedule the facility‑planning session, collect outstanding contract and grant records, and return with clearer scopes and cost estimates for elevator work and other urgent repairs.
