Coroner says crowded facility and permitting errors require quotes, commissioners ask for bids

April, the county coroner, told commissioners the office is cramped and that a previously approved 12-by-32-foot addition was not properly permitted, leaving the work stalled and the office short on cooler space and storage.

"I'm a coroner, not a builder," April said, describing repeated back-and-forth with the state fire marshal and a quoted $9,500 engineering fee to finish the permitting process. She said the original plan had been funded from ARPA dollars that were later transferred to county general and that she was not asking for county money at this meeting but wanted guidance and options.

Commissioners discussed alternatives ranging from completing the previously approved 12-by-32 addition to building a new, properly permitted structure (examples cited in discussion included a 40-by-46 building that would cost substantially more). Several commissioners urged April to obtain three updated quotes for both permitting/engineering and construction so the board could evaluate current costs before committing additional funds. The board noted earlier estimates for the prior addition and cooler (roughly $47,912 for the addition and about $22,000–$23,000 for a cooler when those figures were first discussed) and asked staff to reconfirm those numbers.

Commissioner Howard Bailey and others emphasized a need to honor the ARPA obligation while also ensuring up-to-date pricing and vendor availability. The board agreed to request bids and to have April provide written quotes and documentation by email so they could consider the funding and timing at a future meeting.

The coroner said families currently must view decedents in cramped conditions and that the office sometimes lacks adequate cooler capacity; commissioners agreed that the situation needs action and voted to move forward with the bid collection process.