By RANDY BARTLEY
Staff writer
Courtroom Number One at the Clarion County Courthouse is in for a facelift this summer.
The Clarion County Board of Commissioners on April 27 unanimously accepted the sole bid for the renovations from Sauder Courtroom Furniture of Ohio in the amount of $94,187.
“We have been working with Sauder for the past several months,” said Clarion County Judge of Common Pleas Sara Seidle-Patton. “They have helped us make decisions to ensure that this project will really last. This is something that is really needed.”
The project includes the construction and installation of new seating, jury box, and witness stand for the main courtroom.
“People had to step up into it and it was narrow. I was concerned people would fall. The new one will be lower and wider,” Seidle-Patton said.
Clarion County Commissioner Ted Tharan said there would also be a railing between the benches and the attorneys.
Funding for the project will come from the county’s general fund and court finds.
“This is a great example of the court and the county working together,” said commissioner Wayne Brosius.
In January the commissioners approved a contract with Meley Engineering Corporation for the design of Courtroom One in the Clarion County Courthouse.
Additional improvements to the courthouse are planned. The telecommunications system will be enhanced and the sound system in the courtroom improved. A woman’s restroom will also be installed and the current men’s room moved. The new restrooms will be to the right and left of the courtroom entrance. The current men’s room will be used for storage.
The project is set to begin in August. New carpet and painting will be finished before the installation of the new furniture will begin.