It’s understandable that some county commissioners don’t want to take their courthouse discussions off on another tangent.

Friday, June 01, 2001

It’s understandable that some county commissioners don’t want to take their courthouse discussions off on another tangent. After years of talking, they’re ready to make some decisions.

That’s good for the county, but they must make sure that they don’t replace inaction with excessive haste.

The Stevens Hardware building is one area where it seems the board would best serve the county by taking a little extra time to conduct a study, and find out once and for all whether the building is a viable option for new courthouse facilities.

The historical significance of the building is one argument for finding a use for it, but in the end, most county residents won’t support the idea unless it saves the county money or at least doesn’t cost anything extra.

Some comissioners say the building could be turned into a judicial center at a bargain price; others say it could cost too much and wouldn’t last the county as long as a new facility.

The only way to settle it is to conduct a study on the structure to determine what it would cost to turn the building into one that’s as good as new.

But once the study is completed – and this is the key – it has to be considered the final answer on the Stevens building. The courthouse process cannot afford to be bogged down in this discussion for too long. If the building would be affordable to fix, it makes sense to include it among the county’s options. If it’s not affordable, or not practical in the long run, it should be discounted, and every member of the board should move on to finding another way.

It isn’t a crime for commissioners to slow down and take a closer look when it’s warranted. It becomes a problem, however, when the discussion continues longer than it has to.