Whatever Happened at the Citrus County Sheriff's Operations Center

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http://www.sptimes.com/Citrus/31898/Relentless_rains_spur.html

Relentless rains spur repairs in county office

By JAMAL THALJI

© St. sburg Times, published March 18, 1998

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INVERNESS -- Employees at the Citrus County Sheriff's Operations Center

reported for work early one Monday morning in February and were greeted with

the sight of sopping-wet chunks of the building's ceiling lying on the

floor.

Ceiling tiles throughout the building on S Park Avenue had been soaked by

the constant winter thundershowers that drenched Florida. Was El Nino again

responsible for more damage in Citrus County?

" El Nino certainly did not help us, let's put it that way, " said Dan

Tvenstrup of the Department of Public Works.

But the weather damage didn't end there; the collapsed ceiling also led to

the discovery of buildups of mold under wallpaper and inside the drywall.

Water damage had thoroughly penetrated some areas of the building.

Now, the 1984-era building is scheduled to undergo a long overdue series of

repairs that will cost the county an estimated $114,300. Some of the work

has been done, while bids and proposals are being accepted for the rest.

" I'm interested more in the best solution than the best price, " said County

Architect Tom Williford. " A crummy solution at a good price doesn't do

anyone any good. "

The discovery of mold inside the building has not led to any serious health

complaints yet, officials said. But no one is taking any chances, especially

because the building's failing environmental controls have already led

county engineers to criticize the building for its " poor indoor air

quality, " according to a county repair proposal.

" In a commercial facility, 15 years is a long time to go sticking with

original equipment, " Williford said, " especially with the advances in

technology. If it was working right, then great, but if not, then it can

probably use some TLC. "

But that tender loving care might involve knocking out some walls. It will

definitely include the replacement of contaminated drywall and the

building's outdated and outmoded heating, ventilation and air conditioning

system.

" We're going to address any of the deficiencies in that system, " Williford

said, " and we're going to upgrade the equipment. "

No one in the building has suffered any serious health problems, officials

said. " We're not wearing air packs, " said Sheriff's Cmdr. Blume,

" let's put it that way. "

But, Blume said, several desks and sensitive equipment have been moved

because of the threat from falling ceiling tiles.

The preliminary timetable calls for work to begin March 27 and end June 10.

In high-traffic areas of the building, some work will have to be done at

night and on weekends.

The largest costs will be to replace the HVAC system, an estimated $30,000,

and to replace the building's carpeting, an estimated $25,000.

Replacing the damaged ceiling tiles, which appear to be missing from all

over the building, including Sheriff Jeff Dawsy's office, will cost an

estimated $15,000.

The repair of the roof is " 90 percent " complete and should come in $400

under estimates at $4,550, according to Tvenstrup. Blume confirmed that only

a few leaks remain in the building.

Two large patches were placed on the building's roof, and workers have

almost finished sealing the rest of the roof to protect against more water

damage.

After that, workers will work to reseal and waterproof the rest of the

building, including doors, windows and exterior panels.

That work is necessary before repairs inside can begin.

" If we go ahead and repair the inside stuff and water can still intrude, "

Tvenstrup said, " it would be a waste of time. Water would still be able to

get in and ruin whatever work we do.

" With the roof and exterior fixed, then we can fix the rest of the

building. "

That includes tearing off all of the interior wallpaper to check for mold

(ordinances have since been changed to exclude wallpaper from county

buildings) and even tearing up some drywall.

" It's like going in to remodel a house, " Tvenstrup said. " You tear out a

wall, and you see termites, and now you have to deal with that, too. We

won't know what we've got until we look. "