Volusia County says odor in tag office isn't mold, it's people

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Volusia County says odor in tag office isn't mold, it's people

The DeLand-Deltona Beacon - DeLand,FL*

By rose Ministeri and Barb Shepherd

BEACON STAFF WRITER

http://www.beacononlinenews.com/news/daily/1033

No mold here — Volusia County officials say the odor in this tag

office in Downtown DeLand isn't mold, it's simply the product of

1,000 visitors a day from all walks of life.

It's just the smell of people.

" We get over 1,000 people a day in and out of that office, " said

Fred Schwenck, facilities manager for Volusia County. " There's no

mold problem; it's a stinky-people problem. "

To Connie Hopkins, it smelled like mold.

Hopkins, of DeLand, and her grown grandson visited the Tax, Tag and

Title office Aug. 4 to renew an automobile tag. She said after 10

minutes in the building, her eyes were watering, and her grandson

felt sick.

Hopkins said she is familiar with the smell of mold, after an

incident at home with an air-conditioning unit that leaked onto a

carpet and caused mold before it was discovered.

That's what she smelled in the tag office, she said.

" It was so strong that my eyes were watering, and my grandson's

stomach was half sick, " Hopkins said.

Schwenck's department has been energetic in its response to

complaints about the odor in the office.

He has changed the ceiling tiles, replaced office furniture and

disinfected the entire office, to no avail, he said.

Schwenck also complimented the tag-office employees, who he said

work hard to keep a clean house.

Volusia County spokesman Dave Byron said he is unaware of any

workers'-compensation claims filed by employees concerned about

health problems related to the strange odor.

He confirmed the Facilities Department has found no indications of a

mold problem.

" I know that the odor problem has been a recurring subject over

there, " Byron said.

He agrees with Schwenck's assessment.

" There's just a good number of people from all walks of life that

come in that building, " Byron said.

The C. Administration Center at 123 W. Indiana Ave. in

Downtown DeLand was opened in 1988; for the first time since then,

Byron said, the air handler for the building is scheduled for

replacement, which may help with odor problems.

Byron noted the Tax, Tag and Title office is not the only space in

the building with a " distinctive odor. "

Volusia County government has experience with moldy and sick

buildings. For years, there were claims that employees of the Clerk

of the Circuit Court, who worked in the Volusia County Historic

Courthouse, were being sickened by mold.

Eventually, the Clerk's Office moved to the new courthouse, and the

Historic Courthouse was completely renovated.

There have also been mold, odor and dirt problems with Volusia

County Sheriff's Office district offices in Deltona and South

DeLand, Byron said.

These experiences have taught the county a lesson, he added.

" The county would certainly never allow employees to work where

there is mold, " Byron said. " It's a health hazard. "

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