The Jefferson County Courthouse has, over the years, seen many unsavory visitors – murderers, rapists and domestic abusers.
Those who work in the Courthouse will tell you that dealing with those people is part of the work required to prosecute crimes, preside over court cases and maintain the judiciary’s records.
What they say should not be part of the job, though, is putting up with two very unwelcome visitors – mold and, more recently, bats.
Katherine Hardy Senkel, Div. 13 associate circuit judge, said a clerk in her office recently discovered a live bat underneath her desk.
“She was understandably scared,” Senkel said. “It could have bitten her. And then what would have happened?”
Div. 6 Circuit Judge Troy Cardona said judges and other Courthouse employees have traded tales about bats.
“There have also been numerous posts on Facebook of photos of both live and dead bats found in courtroom areas, in clerks’ offices and other parts of the building,” Cardona said. “We have problems here. Why don’t we fix them?”
The Jefferson County Courthouse, 300 Main St., was built in 1863 and has had several updates and additions over the decades. For most of its life, the building housed most county government departments and offices, but now, it primarily provides space for the 23rd Circuit Court operations, including courtrooms, the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the Circuit Clerk’s Office.
Public Works Director Jason Jonas, whose department maintains 300,000 square feet of county buildings, including the 74,000-square-foot Courthouse, said the county’s doing what it can.
“We were notified about bats being in the Courthouse, and we contacted our on-call pest control specialist (Rottler Pest Solutions),” he said. “They came out, assessed the situation, and put out bat traps that were humane for bats, kind of like tubes. They caught quite a few, some alive, some dead. We have asked people at the Courthouse to contact us if they find any dead bats, because we’d like to have them tested by the Jefferson County Health Department. I haven’t gotten any reports lately.
“We’ve checked the rafters for spaces that bats could enter the building, and put screening on those spaces. We’re seeing if that’s going to keep the bats at bay. Most of the reports of bats were probably 2 to 2 1/2 weeks ago or so,” Jonas said on Aug. 11. “I haven’t heard of any reports in the last week or so. So we’re hopeful that we’re done with the bats.”
Cardona acknowledged that efforts have been made to batten down the Courthouse’s hatches, but he’s worried about what the bats may have left behind.
“There are photos of HVAC vents with disgusting substances or stains,” he said. “I have no knowledge of any testing to make sure that continued cohabitation with the creatures is currently safe or unhealthy for the people who work daily in the building, and for the litigants and lawyers who come to court each day.”
County Executive Dennis Gannon said if such tests are deemed necessary, the county will order them.
“We certainly want to make it safe for the people who go to the Courthouse, as well as those who work there,” he said. “If a particular area needs to be studied, that’s something we’ll do,” he said.
What’s that black gunk?
Mold is another pervasive problem in the Courthouse, according to those who work there.
Jonas said the county has other on-call contractors to address those issues as they are reported.
“This is an old building, and mold is going to happen,” he said. “A lot of the times, it grows around vents. When cold air hits warm air, condensation is going to happen. If it happens enough, you get mold. We address and remediate those issues as they are reported to us.”
Cardona said what he’s seen and heard is that the contractors cover up the problem areas.
“Yes, they do remediation, but they don’t solve the problem,” he said. “They come in and they put Kilz (a paint primer that can contain mold- and mildew-resistant ingredients) around the vent.”
Div. 2 Circuit Judge Edward Page said he had asked for a blackboard to be removed from his courtroom after his suitcoat was snagged on a corner.
“When they removed it, what was underneath was all this black mold,” Page said. “They painted over it. I guess that’s OK, but I worry about what’s on the other side.”
Gannon said he thinks the mold problem is being handled properly.
“I don’t think we’re just painting and putting Kilz over the problems. We’re handling them in the most professional manner that the industry standards call for.”
“We try to stay on top of the mold problem as best as we can,” Jonas said. “We have two contractors on call, and as soon as we are notified of a problem, they come and they give us a game plan to address it, and we do that as expeditiously, efficiently and professionally as possible.”
Gannon said the county recently had tuckpointing completed on the front part of the building, which is the oldest part, in an effort to address the mold problem.
“That has solved some of the problems. We will consider any solutions that will make sure the building is safe to work in,” he said.
Court clerk Lynn Wideman filed a lawsuit against the county in 2021 alleging that the county was negligent when abating a mold problem in the building and she suffered health issues as a result. That suit has been assigned to Circuit Judge Michael K. Mullen of St. Louis, but a court date has not been set.
Cardona said he’d like to see the county order a comprehensive environmental study of the complete Courthouse to determine whether it is safe for habitation.
Gannon said such a wide-ranging study is not likely to happen.
“While such studies of specific areas are warranted, what we won’t likely do is a study of the complete Courthouse,” he said. “We’ve done study after study and they all come to the same conclusion – the building needs to be replaced.”
Replace the Courthouse, but when?
Estimates on building a new Courthouse and jail range from $150 million to $200 million.
Last year, Gannon discussed the possibility of placing a bond issue on the August ballot to finance the construction of both facilities, but later dropped the discussion in the face of a social media backlash against additional taxes.
“People have certainly spoken about taxes,” he said. “I would hope they would look more favorably upon a bond issue for a new Courthouse and jail. And a bond issue is definitely necessary. We don’t have money in our budget to pay for them without one.”
Gannon said borrowing $150 million over 20 years at 4 percent interest would result in an annual payment of $11 million a year.
“Those are rough figures, but when people suggest that we can pay for it ourselves, it’s just not possible,” he said.
The county has purchased a 15.24-acre lot at Business 21 and Goldfinch Lane south of Hwy. A in Hillsboro as the possible site for a new jail, and officials have proposed building a new Courthouse on the parking lot just south of the current facility.
When a bond issue to pay for those buildings might be placed before voters, Gannon said, has yet to be determined.
“I can’t give you any timeline on that,” he said. “When this first came up, I said that we all – the administration and the County Council – need to be on board and work together to pass it. We really haven’t had a lot of that lately.
“With all the new members coming on the Council (three new members were elected on Aug. 2, and a replacement is needed for Councilwoman Renee Reuter, who is running unopposed in November for the District 112 seat in the Missouri House of Representatives), there will be some team building with the Council needed (before placing a tax issue on the ballot). I have to work on building relationships and make sure the new members trust me. We will definitely need to work together to be successful.”
But a new Courthouse is needed sooner rather than later, said Cardona, echoing several other county officials over the last few years.
“What are they waiting for?” Cardona said. “A federal lawsuit that will force them to build a new Courthouse and jail? I don’t think any of us wants it to come to that. The community of judges who work in this building hope the health and well-being of both the people who work in the building and the public will prevail. What could be more important than that?
“But I am optimistic that – one way or another – our county government leaders will do the right thing.”