Napoleon workers moved for building fix

2/28/2006

NAPOLEON - A Henry County building housing about 50 government employees in downtown Napoleon may reopen tomorrow after inspections of a cracked beam in a roof truss that has been temporarily stabilized.

Yesterday, employees of six government services in the Hahn Center, a late 1800s building at Perry and Washington streets, were working elsewhere.

Job and Family Services, the Community Improvement Corp., and the county planning department moved to the county commissioners' offices in Oakwood Plaza.

And employees of the county's Ohio State University Extension Service, emergency medical services, and the Northwest Ohio Educational Service Center were working from other area offices or from home, County Commissioner Steve Baden said.

He and Commissioner Rita Franz closed the building early Friday afternoon.

The commissioner's president, Richard Bennett, who has missed several recent meetings, was unavailable, Mr. Baden said.

It was unknown how long the beam has been cracked, Mr. Baden said. The crack was discovered after an employee noticed drooping ceiling tiles. A construction crew was called in Saturday and the commissioners initially hoped to reopen the building yesterday.

Mr. Baden said he didn't know what the work would cost.

But he said the Community Improvement Corp. and the planning department likely will remain in the commissioners' offices for a couple weeks while more work is under way because their offices in the Hahn Center are directly below the cracked beam.