Flooding knocks out Hamilton County Courthouse elevator

Jill Coons stopped in to deal with other issues at the Hamilton County Courthouse Saturday after heavy rains hit Webster City. There were about 2 inches of water on the basement floor, she explained, which includes the conference room where most public meetings are held, several offices and document storage. The elevator shaft, which sits below the basement floor, was completely filled with water.
The Hamilton County Board of Supervisors meeting was relocated to the Supervisors’ office Tuesday because the basement of the Hamilton County Courthouse, where the meeting is typically held, flooded over the weekend.
The water was discovered when Jill Coons, maintenance director, stopped in to deal with other issues at the courthouse about 7 p.m. on Saturday after heavy rains hit Webster City. Coons said when she arrived at the courthouse there were large ponds of water which she had never seen before, and she decided to look further.
There were about 2 inches of water on the basement floor, she explained, which includes the conference room where most public meetings are held, several offices and document storage.
The elevator shaft, which sits below the basement floor, was completely filled with water. Schumacher Elevator Service, of Fort Dodge, and Servicemaster were brought in that evening to assist with clearing the water and removing any items that were damaged.
The worst damage appears to be the elevator.
“It’s pretty extensive repairs,” Coons said. “It’s going to take at least two to three weeks before the elevator is working. Possibly a month.”
Supervisors Mary Clausen and Rick Young joined other department heads who expressed their thanks to Coons, who handled the situation with the assistance of her husband, Patrick; her daughter, Madison; County Auditor Kim Schaa and Paul Tolle until about 1 a.m. Sunday morning.
Coons said both submersible pumps were working when she arrived Saturday.
She said they are not certain where the water entered the building, but insurance adjusters will be coming to investigate.
People who need to access the courthouse for business should enter the building at the level of the offices they need to reach.