Jackson County officials working to identify a permanent drainage solution for the Jackson County Library to prevent recurring flooding caused by water runoff from a nearby hill.
Jackson County Mayor Brian Lee said the facility is situated in a low spot that collects water during heavy torrential rains. Lee said the building has sustained damage over time due to these weather events.
“You know, that’s the big issue,” Lee said, “We obviously want to protect our library and try to keep that from happening, and so that’s what we’re looking for solutions for to try to get that fixed.”
Lee said the library board and county commissioners will review the engineering suggestions to determine the best course of action. Lee said the county is also waiting for ongoing construction at a building located below the library to conclude before starting the drainage project.
“I think everyone on the commission would I mean that’s a county building, it houses our library and so we want to get it fixed,” Lee said. “It’s just again a matter of finding out what that fix is that doesn’t impact other buildings coming on down.”
Lee said the library previously had to close for a period of time to allow for cleanup after water entered the building. He said an engineer has already visited the site to evaluate the terrain and provide potential repair options.
“If we divert that, then there’s an chance that it comes down into another building and we’ve not really solved the problem, we’ve just moved the problem,” Lee said.
Lee said the project would likely be funded through county building funds, though the final cost has not yet been determined. Lee said the county is focused on ensuring the plan is effective so the work does not have to be repeated.
“I know sometimes it seems local government moves slower than a private business or so forth and so we just trying to be cognizant of taxpayer dollars, making sure we have the right plan,” Lee said.
Lee said the county commission meets toward the end of the month, but he does not anticipate formal discussions on the library drainage occurring during that specific meeting.
