~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
Reminiscent of a Hitchcock thriller, the Greene County board of supervisors heard about birds attacking the courthouse roof at their meeting on Sept. 27. Gary Goodwin of Goodwin and Son Painting, Jefferson, said the layer of foam on the courthouse roof is attractive to crows.
“Crows are attracted to sound and water,” Goodwin said. “The bell tower and people provide the noise. The water pools on the roof promote insects which attracts the crows.”
“Crows have been pecking holes in the roof,” Goodwin said. “There’s a patching material shortage. It will cost $3,000 to $5,000 to patch the damage.”
Goodwin said most of the damage is in the southwest corner.
Board chair John Muir said, “We need to repair it to get us through the winter.”
Goodwin suggested various strategies to prevent crow damage in the future including mixing gravel in the roof treatment, installing large plastic owls to make the crows think there are predators on the roof, obtaining the services of actual falcons to be a presence in the area, installing air cannons on the roof to provide noise and air movement, and treating the roof with peppermint oil or pepper.
In other business, the board unanimously approved a construction agreement with Realwood Productions to renovate the new magistrate courtroom on the third floor of the courthouse. The cost of the project is $26,231.42.
The board also unanimously approved a service agreement between the Greene County sheriff’s office and TK Elevator to provide elevator services at the new Law Enforcement Center. The agreement approval is subject to review and approval by the county attorney and sheriff.
The board unanimously approved a Class C beer permit for Paton Pit Stop.
A resolution to hire JPD officer Jamie Brenner as an as-needed ambulance driver at $10 per hour while driving and $4 per hour when on-call was unanimously approved by the board.
