Giant icicles could be found from the top of the Carroll County Courthouse to the bottom following the recent ice melt.
Unfortunately those icicles were actually the building's downspouts, encased in ice.
Commissioner Tom Wheaton reported Feb. 25 the board has contacted its insurance agent regarding the damage caused by the broken and frozen downspounts. Some of the building's plastic downspouts came crashing to the ground. A company was called in to clear the gutters and downspouts of ice in an effort to eliminate some of the problem.
Not all the damage is exterior. The frozen downspouts caused water to enter the building. In the Clerk of Courts Office, the office's original plaster ceiling crashed through the drop ceiling and ceiling grid. The interior walls were also damaged by water.
There was also a water leak in the Auditor's Office that damaged the walls. Auditor E. Leroy VanHorne noted dehumidifiers are running in the different offices to eliminate the moisture and to combat a musty smell. VanHorne explained the smell is caused by damp dirt that was used during construction of the courthouse's walls.
VanHorne reminds residents who may have had buildings damaged by the heavy snow to contact the Auditor's Office. The damaged building, even if partially damaged, can be taken off the property owner's taxes immediately. He said the repaired or replaced building would not be placed back onto the taxes until 2012.
"This should really help people out when they have enough problems," VanHorne said.
According to VanHorne, the program to assist taxpayers is statewide. Property owners need to contact the auditor's office of their county.