SWEETWATER COUNTY — The elevator project at the Sweetwater County Courthouse will be postponed until 2027 following the approval of a change order Tuesday.

The Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners approved a change order for an elevator modernization project following a determination that the initial project timeline wasn’t feasible. Public Works Director Gene Legerski told the commissioners that he had to guess at the timeline when he originally sent the Request For Quote out, saying he had never been involved with an elevator project before. The project aims to modernize the elevator equipment at the courthouse, which dates back to the building’s original construction. 

Legerski said by the time the project was bidded out and the new equipment was procured, the construction timeline would have started during voting season, which Legerski said is important for the courthouse’s operation. Additionally, he said KONE Inc., is the third largest elevator company in the world but still has staffing issues they’re dealing with. 

As such, Legerski said his office and KONE decided to “punt it off” until after the start of 2027. The change order now lists the substantial completion date as March 26, 2027 and a final completion date of April 28, 2027, though Legerski said there’s a chance the work will be completed before then. 

The commissioners also approved a request to apply for a Wyoming Department of Transportation grant to apply magnesium chloride to nine county roads. Krisina Marshal, the county’s grants coordinator, said the roads identified in the grant were selected by a committee within the county’s road and bridge and public works. She said they look at the roads and prioritize them based on need.  Magnesium chloride is a chemical used to mitigate dust on dirt and gravel roads. The grant would give the county $400,000 if awarded, with the county being required to provide $100,000.