Employees at the Lauderdale County Courthouse should be moved out of the aging building as soon as possible, grand jurors recommended in a report issued on Friday.

“We, the Grand Jury, recommend that the Board of Supervisors should take immediate action regarding the relocation of the employees working in the courthouse and continue to work diligently toward a permanent solution to the construction of a new courthouse or renovation of the existing courthouse,” the report said, adding, “security for the employees, judges, courtrooms and the general public is inadequate.”

Other issues needing immediate attention include lighting, peeling paint, leaks in the building, broken windows, elevators, stairwells and fire exits, the report says.

“The health of the employees and general public are a concern of the Grand Jury members under the current conditions of the courthouse,” the report states.

“Janitorial service is inadequate…the courthouse should always be clean,” the report continues. “The appearance of the courthouse is unacceptable (and) mold and mildew issues need immediate attention. The conditions of the courthouse have been addressed by previous grand jury members, but the conditions have not improved and continue to deteriorate. The current conditions should be immediately improved while final plans are still being discussed regarding the courthouse and its future location and/or renovation.”

Concerning the Lauderdale County Jail, jurors recommended the county build a new facility outside of downtown.

“The new jail needs to be increased in capacity as to allow the employees adequate space to perform their duties,” the report states. “Security needs to be updated so that inmates can be seen at all times. The new jail needs to have additional cells to hold mentally ill patients while they are awaiting transport to another facility or hospital.”

Friday’s report wasn’t the first time a grand jury has criticized the courthouse’s condition. In August 2013, jurors said the building was in such bad shape that it should be bulldozed. The next month, jurors called conditions in parts of the courthouse “deplorable.”

Over the past year, the board of supervisors have looked at several options regarding the courthouse, a 30,000-square-foot building constructed in 1905.

The board in December 2017 approved a plan to temporarily relocate courthouse workers to the vacant J.C. Penney space at Bonita Lakes Mall by March 1. Another possibility is using the federal courthouse, now the location of the U.S. Post Office. Tentative plans would allow the county use of the courthouse facilities in the building in conjunction with the newly renovated county courthouse.

Lauderdale County Administrator Chris Lafferty said the county valued the jurors’ opinion, adding, “The board is working through all the possible options and hopefully we’ll have a decision soon.”

Jim Brock contributed to this report.