Leesburg City to see if annex is unhealthy

February 17, 2002

City to see if annex is unhealthy

02/16/02

By RICK REED

Daily Commercial Staff Writer

LEESBURG Mold and exposed asbestos could be causing some city employees

working in the City Hall Annex Building to get sick more often than usual.

That's why the Leesburg City Commission voted 4-1 during Monday's meeting to

hire Central Testing Laboratory for $9,500 to conduct necessary

environmental testing of the annex. Commissioner Puckett voted no.

" We've had reported illnesses by employees, " City Manager Ron Stock told

commissioners on Monday. " There are two areas of concern. "

Those areas were asbestos and mold. But city officials are also concerned

that peeling paint in a restroom sometimes used by the public, including

little children, may contain lead.

" I can tell you as old as the building is, if you go down deep enough, there

will be lead paint, " Mayor Lovell said.

The annex at 600 Orange Ave. is about 70 years old. It was originally built

in the early 1930s as the Leesburg Post Office. And it also has a basement.

The city bought it and converted the structure into the city library. When

the library moved two blocks away in 1984 the building became home to the

city's building, engineering, planning and house departments.

It is still being used by the Housing and Engineering departments.

Central Testing Laboratory officials already conducted a site inspection and

pointed out an area within an occupied office where previously covered

asbestos, used to insulate a vertical pipe, has become exposed. They

temporarily taped the pipe but permanent work needs to be done.

The inspection will include testing indoor/outdoor air quality; air and

surface sampling and testing for fungi, bacteria, spores and dust mite

allergens; sampling and testing for lead analyses in restrooms and outside

hand rails; and testing for asbestos.

" I don't think we should spend $10,000 of public money for something we

already know, " Commissioner Ben said. " Will we get more information? "

Stock admitted the cost for testing was a significant dollar amount. But he

pointed out that non-government agencies would be required to perform the

testing.

" It seems that as a government, we ought to follow the same sort of steps, "

he said. " We will have the best available information how to proceed if we

are to keep using the buildings. "

Recommended Posts