Perching pigeons and their droppings pose a problem at Clinton County Courthouse

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WILMINGTON — Clinton County commissioners wondered this week what to do about pigeons that regularly perch or settle above the entrance to the county courthouse and leave droppings.

“I noticed right around the main entryway, a lot of bird droppings. We can see evidence of them all over the building again,” said Clinton County Commissioners President Kerry R. Steed.

Clinton County Commissioner Patrick Haley said it’s a sanitary issue that needs addressed, and that has been talked about before. It’s tough to know what to do that’s effective, he added.

Clinton County Maintenance Director Jeff Williams said it seems the pigeons congregate above the main entrance, rather than any of the other three sides of the venerable 99-year-old example of Second Renaissance Revival architecture.

Steed suggested installing some sort of bird deterrent such as bird control spikes, plastic owls, or a small sound device.

Clinton County Administrator Mary Ann Foland responded that the general consensus is that nuisance birds get used to owls, and if the deterrent is put on a balcony, the birds move to the top of the building.

She said she is for spikes or netting, especially around the area in question.

No decision was made during the commissioners’ Monday session about which tactic to try.

Williams was before the commissioners to talk about upcoming projects needed at county-owned facilities. Among the bigger projects are roof jobs: a half of the County Annex Building’s roof on South Nelson Street, the roof at the Corrections Center (county jail) on Davids Drive, and possibly the roofs of the county dog warden’s office and dog shelter on Fife Avenue.

An existing parking lot at the county prosecutor’s office on East Main Street is another of the bigger projects.

On the same topic of county facilities, Haley brought up a prospect discussed previously — lighting that would make the courthouse exterior more distinct at night.

He added the lighting could be strategically placed, perhaps on the dome “just to kind of magnify the courthouse a little bit.”

Williams responded he thinks the dome itself is the darkest part of the entire courthouse “which really is one of the neatest parts from the outside.”

There has been extensive work to upgrade and restore the courthouse during the past year or so, but much of the work is not really visible such as a new HVAC (heating, venting and air conditioning) system and work to the roof to prevent leaking.

“When we talked about this before [lighting up the courthouse exterior], we mentioned how so much of the work we’re doing is not visible to the public, and we felt with landscaping and with some reasonable lighting that it would set it off and the public could see some of the results of the efforts,” Haley said to Clinton County Commissioner Brenda K. Woods who is in her first year as commissioner.

Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768.

These pigeons are right outside a commissioners office window at the county courthouse Monday morning. Might they be listening in on a discussion by commissioners about what to do with them?
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2017/06/web1_pigeons_p_f.jpgThese pigeons are right outside a commissioners office window at the county courthouse Monday morning. Might they be listening in on a discussion by commissioners about what to do with them? Gary Huffenberger | News Journal

Facilities were a focus of Monday’s regularly scheduled session of the Clinton County commissioners. From left are Clinton County Commissioners Kerry R. Steed and Patrick Haley.
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2017/06/web1_two_guys_p_f.jpgFacilities were a focus of Monday’s regularly scheduled session of the Clinton County commissioners. From left are Clinton County Commissioners Kerry R. Steed and Patrick Haley. Gary Huffenberger | News Journal

By Gary Huffenberger

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