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| County Board Approves Stair-lift For Courthouse |
After the Knox County Building Committee gave the okay to begin installing a stair-lift in the Knox County Courthouse, the item came to the full County Board Wednesday night.
The Courthouse will be undergoing some elevator work in the near future and the County, by law, must have a way to get residents to the different levels inside the building.
One board member said it seemed like a waste of money, but from the discussion at Wednesday night's Knox County board meeting, the County is out of options.
District One Republican Rollie Paulsgrove says he tried to get the Sheriff's Deputies to volunteer to take people up the stairs in a wheel chair.
"I thought it was made pretty clear from the judges to the County that it's our job to get people up to the courthouses," says Paulsgrove. "That's from the lower level, from the basement and I think Sheriff Clague looked at every possible way and tried to get it the best he could as far as a way to get them up there."
While the item was still in committee, Sheriff David Clague spoke with building committee members to express frustration with the speed of the project. Clague explained to the board members at Wednesday night's meeting that it will be a process until the elevator repairs are complete.
"We will follow them up to the platform in between levels and assist them into a wheelchair and take them to the next lift to go up the next phase of steps," says Clague.
Once the project is finished, the stair-lift will stay in the Courthouse.
Several board members showed concerns about individuals without physical disabilities riding the stairlift. District One Democrat Cheryl Nache asked if only those with physical ailments would be allowed to use the lift.
"I see some people's concerns because the elevator can hold four people or whatever," says Nache. "Is this just going to be used for the handicapped only? Or the people that normally ride the elevator, are they going to want to ride it also?"
County Board Chair Greg Bacon says the County will play that situation by ear. The item passed by a vote of 13-1. |
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| 02 27 13 by Newsroom |
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