Oklahoma auditor’s office moves during repairs

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BY MICHAEL MCNUTT

Published: January 8, 2009

Citing fire and health concerns, the state auditor and inspector’s office has moved out of its first-floor office in the state Capitol.

Operations have moved to a satellite office at Shepherd Mall.

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Work to improve the safety of an electronic circuit box and telephone computer switches as well as replacing paneling and torn carpeting should take about six weeks, said Terri Watkins, a spokeswoman for state Auditor and Inspector Steve Burrage.

The work is estimated to cost $300,000, she said. About $200,000 will come from the auditor’s office, mostly as a result of salaries not paid for unfilled positions this fiscal year. The rest will come from the Central Services Department from money set aside for energy efficiency projects and money left from an old bond issue for Capitol improvements.

Watkins said the auditor’s office staff had been working for about a year with the state architect on fire and safety concerns before Burrage was appointed auditor and before the economic downturn.

Paneling for most of the offices was installed about 40 years ago and is considered a high fire risk, Watkins said. A circuit box that controls the office’s electrical outlets and fixtures is mounted in the open near a paneled wall.

Outdated lighting will be replaced with an energy-efficient system, Watkins said.

"It’s old, and you get concerned about its usage that could be a problem,” Watkins said. "If there’s an opportunity to correct a safety issue for your employees, then you take it.”

Exposed adhesive caused by peeling paneling and wall trim are health concerns, she said. Areas of torn carpeting are a risk for staff to trip and fall.

Old light fixtures and telephone outlets will be replaced, and the paneling will be replaced with wallboard, Watkins said.

Related Topics: Nature and the Environment, Energy Efficiency and Conservation