Commissioners move $2 million for courthouse roof, LED lighting and generator upgrades

The Lawrence County Board of Commissioners approved a $2 million transfer on June 2 to finance several county facility projects.

County finance staff described the breakdown: approximately $1.4 million to replace the original roof on the government center, roughly $400,000 to install LED lighting throughout the government center and courthouse for energy savings, and an estimated $200,000 to replace and relocate the old courthouse generator to meet current code and to ensure elevators and other critical systems operate during outages.

Officials said the government center is nearly five decades old and the roof has outlived its useful life. The lighting retrofit is expected to deliver energy-cost savings in future utility bills; the generator work includes moving equipment outdoors to comply with code and maintain elevator function for public safety and courthouse operations.

Commissioner Kennedy said contractors expect lighting work to be done by July and the roof by August or early September. Commissioner Sonado and the board approved Resolution 116 by roll call (Sonado — yes; Kennedy — yes; Vogler — yes).