County presents floor plans for new administrative building
Commissioner hopes move completed by December

By Michael Moore
Commissioner Robert Jones said last week county officials are "looking forward" to upcoming renovations at the future site of the Pickens County administrative building.
The new offices will be located at the former Mountainside Hospital building on East Church Street. Jones said pre-construction conferences with contractors are expected to take place this week, and he hopes to have most county offices, minus judicial services, moved in by December of this year.
"That's a busy time of year for the tax department, so we may wait a little longer to move them over there," said Jones.
County tax and tag offices are currently in the Landrum building, which also contains the 911 center and emergency services offices. That building will eventually be emptied of all county personnel which will re-locate to the new headquarters.
Jones said consolidating all county offices into the new, thirty-three thousand square foot location will make doing public business easier on the taxpayers.
"This will allow us to get all our administrative services into one building, so people won't have to drive all over the city of Jasper to pay their taxes and bills," Jones said. Other offices to move to the new administrative building are the commissioner's office, planning and development, economic development, human resources, accounting services, elections and registration, Red Cross and environmental health services. Moving the latter of these will allow the county health department to open up space for more offices or better service in its building.

 The Certified Literate Community Program (CLCP) will also have an office at the new site, Jones said.
County offices are currently scattered throughout different buildings in Jasper.
Architectural plans prepared by Hiscutt and Associates show the main floor of the county office building will have more than enough room to accommodate all the offices and personnel, with more room for storage and expansion. Floor plans are available for public viewing at the commissioner's office, now located in the courthouse annex.
Also shown on the floor plans are long-needed meeting space for public meetings, and a smaller conference room. At present, the commissioner and planning commission have to schedule the annex courtroom and conduct meetings between court sessions.
Another advantage of the new site is a smaller, fifty-four hundred square foot building which will house a "secure" location for the 911 center, Jones said.
Furthermore, the new administrative headquarters will be next door to the Thrift Store, Good Samaritan Center, Food Pantry, and the Health Department, allowing better service for those who utilize those services, Jones said.
After the county moves out of its current office in the courthouse and annex, those buildings will contain only judicial services. The annex, according to county auditor Mechelle Champion, will be remodeled to accommodate a third courtroom on the top floor, where the planning office is now situated.