Madison County says third‑party abatement testing contract to be executed; courthouse work on track

A commissioner told the Madison County Board of Commissioners’ work session that the county has secured a third‑party abatement testing contract and expects to execute it the next day, allowing courthouse abatement to proceed.

"We got our third party testing contract for execution tomorrow," the commissioner said, adding that once sections clear they can move to the next phase. The commissioner described the project as "on track," but said, "I don't wanna be overly confident because that's how things go poorly."

Staff members and commissioners reported that recent walkthroughs and planning have helped the schedule. A staff member said the walkthroughs went "overall well" but acknowledged there will be adjustments to sequencing and demo work based on clearances.

Commissioners also noted outstanding project tasks. One commissioner said the county still needs to secure an archaeologist before digging begins, and staff agreed to pursue candidates. The commissioner who reported on the contract emphasized that clearance must be confirmed for each section before further work.

The discussion was procedural and focused on sequencing: testing and clearance, followed by demolition and subsequent construction. No formal motion or vote was recorded during the remarks. The county did not provide a firm completion date; officials said timing is contingent on clearances and testing results.

The board moved on without a public comment period during this segment; commissioners said they will continue scheduling and updates in subsequent meetings.