VALLEY, AL (WTVM) -
Valley municipal leaders say they have an expensive and hazardous mess on their hands. Mold and lots of it has been discovered in both City Hall as well as the police and EMS buildings.
The clean up could cost up to $1 million and force city services, police and EMS to relocate to other buildings for 8 months.
Valley Mayor Arnold Leak points to speckles of black mold and peeled paint on the ceiling of the council chambers in City Hall. Leak says he first started suspecting mold in City Hall about two years ago, when some employees complained of allergies. He says faulty air units and damaged insulation is to blame for the mold found all over City Hall and the police and EMS building.
"They did find mold and we do have to mitigate it and the project is going to take up to 8 months and that is just terrible," Leak said.
A terrible logistics nightmare, as police and EMS prepare to move everything out of the building by next March, uprooting the 911 call center, booking, holding cells, administration and investigative offices and City Court into the Public Works building.
City Hall will move to Langdale Mill while the massive and expensive clean up process begins. Leak says the city will probably use emergency and general funds to pay for the one million dollar project.
"If you find it you have to do something about it. If you ignore it you are negligent and exposing people to something they should not have to be exposed to," Leak told News Leader 9.
The $1 million price tag only includes cleaning up the mold, reconstruction in the two buildings and new heating and air units.
The cost of relocating the Valley Police Department, EMS and Valley City Hall has not been factored in yet. Mayor Leak says the goal is to make sure services are not interrupted to the public.
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