[StBernard] Courthouse blues

[Westley Annis]

Ok, as of now, it is to your attention, Bob.

On the ground floor across the lobby from the eatery, outside the clerk's
office (as mentioned). As I've noticed, the men's bathroom had NO water
running. I tried all 4 spigots and either they were "frozen" to its turning
or had no water running at all. As mentioned, I noticed pipes missing from
the bottom of the lavatory sink, and the basins themselves are not exactly
pristine by any definition of the imagination. 

If there are missing services to the public, perhaps there should be signs
placed on the door, "Lavoratory 'half-a$$ed working because of funding,
management or neglect". 

I say this because it is atrocious to those becoming aware that after the
usage of the toilet or urinal there is no cleansing basin for hygiene/ The
board of health/its inspectors wouldn't find it acceptable and neither
should I. Having a courthouse with "dirty gas station standards" are
appalling. All of us have seen roadside conditions that are prevalent in
those highway establishments, so we know.

If the regular maintenance person assigned to the laboratories, and have
brought it to the attention for correction, he's either not funded for the
repairs, the backlog is beyond imagination or the standard is laxed for
search of a better reason.

If this bathroom (I'm not aware that conditions are similar or not elsewhere
in the building) is not prepared for an inspection by any means, it
will/should be closed to the public as it has failed me. I will make a
unannounced visit, perhaps, to determine if all is well. I surmise that if
the building's management/responsible parties are cited for failure to meet
the inspection, food served and perhaps the court proceedings would be
further backlogged until the premise passes suitable inspection. It's not a
smiling matter by any means. If I wanted viruses to be passed to me or the
family, I would consider stopping at a dirty petrol station for all it
encompasses.

Whether the lavatory gets a general facelift is optional to me as I simply
want to wash my hands properly so that I don't have to wipe them on my
cloths or eat perhaps knowing what's been transferred over to my grilled
cheese sandwich.

Thanks for responding to my supplication, Bob.  At least the situation is in
the hands of someone who can remedy this call to action.

--jer--


-----------------------------------------------------
Jer:
       After reading of your tale of woe at the courthouse I immediately
went to check the bathrooms.  There are five public bathrooms within the
courthouse.  There is a men's bathroom and women's bathroom on the first and
second
floors and a single bathroom on the third floor.  While each of the
bathrooms have two sinks in them I found only 1 faucet working in one of the
men's bathrooms.  It is not normal for there to be no working faucet in a
bathroom and that would not be tolerated.  The missing pipes are for hot
water which had not been connected for a number of years prior to Katrina.
Since Katrina there have been occasional problems with the plumbing but
these were resolved quickly.
       The courthouse is a public building owned and maintained by the
Parish Counsel.  Aside from repairing the damage from Katrina flooding, the
biggest problem we faced was that small leaks in the roof had gotten much
worse.  The prior administration contracted and the roof has been repaired.
Under Craig's administration a regular maintenance person has been assigned
to the courthouse which has been helpful in resolving day to day problems as
they arise.  Additionally Mike Ginart who heads the Courthouse committee has
met with all interested parties to identify our most pressing needs.  All
agree updating the bathrooms is the most urgent task and the repairs are
already being planned.  Hopefully at your next visit you will be able to see
some improvement.
          In the future if you encounter any such problem please bring it to
the attention of myself or one of the other Judges who may be able to
rectify it.
                                                 Judge Bob Buckley