ROBERTSDALE, Ala. — A new facility for the county coroner should take shape soon along County Road 54 behind the BRATS building and the Sheriffs Office.

Baldwin County Commissioner Wayne Gruenloh and Coroner James L. “Jim” Small presented the need for a coroner’s office at that location to the Robertsdale City Council Monday night. All council members present at the meeting.

“We are trying to find Jim a home,” said Gruenloh to the council.

Currently, Gruenloh explained, the county coroner has offices in the Health Department’s office in the Central Annex on Palmer Street and does his work from two “coolers” in the garage of a funeral home leased from a previous coroner, Huey Mack. The county will own and maintain the property, which will match the facade of the next-door BRATS building and the Sheriff’s office.

“We have been trying to find a place for two years,” said Charles "Skip" Gruber, County Commissioner for District 4

The city had already deeded over the land to the county for various government offices, but because the use of a coroner’s office was not set forward in the deed, Small, Gruber and Gruenloh wanted that matter clarified by the council.

“When we looked at the deed, we saw there were some restrictions,” said Gruber. Because a coroner’s office was not specifically mentioned in the deed, the commission wanted written council approval.

“We have looked around the county, and this seems the best place,” said Gruenloh, adding that other places the Commission looked at would require costly repairs before the coroner could move in.

Small and Gruenloh explained that having the workplace and offices separate from each other was not efficient.

“We want to get the morgue and the office together,” said Small. “We want a nice place for people to ID loved ones. This seems to be the best alternative to all the locations.”

Small added that as the county has expanded, the duties of the coroner’s office have increased as well.

“We are averaging about one case per day,” said Small, who said he envisioned a 1,750 square-foot building, big enough to hold offices, and the morgue.

The council unanimously voted to approve the facility.

In other matters, the city council learned from Gruenloh that the traffic light at the intersection of CR 104 and Palmer Street, the main entrance to the Baldwin County Annex, should be operational soon.

“We sent the check at the end of April,” said Mayor Charles Murphy.

Expansion of the Robertsdale police station on North Chicago Street also came up Monday night. Police Chief Bradley Kendrick explained that an 8,500 foot expansion would allow the municipal court and the police station to be housed in the same building. Currently, court is held at City Hall.

“We have had to start court earlier,” said Kendrick, “and it interrupts the work at City Hall.”

Kendrick explained that the addition, which will be connected to the jail, would house offices for court officials, storage, and a larger courtroom. The new building would also have the potential to shelter city workers during a hurricane, and showers would be built into the facility for that purpose. Putting the jail and court facilities together would save time and gas transporting prisoners to the courthouse, and would be more efficient.

The expansion will be paid for with fines, Kendrick added.

“Currently we have about $180,000 for jail use, and about $8,000 to 12,000 per month goes into this account,” said Kendrick. He added that a portion of fines paid in municipal court are dedicated to jail use.

Kendrick added that he would probably return to the council in the fall to get authorization to have plans for the new facility drawn up.

Murphy added that the town might consider adding temporary employees, such as a construction manager to keep watch over the construction process and keep costs down. He estimated the new building could be constructed for about $100-110 per square foot.

In other business the council:

— Approved the use of one of the city’s days at the Robertsdale Coliseum so the Central Baldwin Chamber of Commerce could hold “Flavors of the South,” a food and wine sampling Aug. 21. The city has 10 days per year at the coliseum, and this would be the fourth day used.

“It’s a summertime food and wine showcase,” said CBCC Executive Director Marian Mason, who added that the event would also earn money for the Chamber’s educational foundation.

— Approved payment of $38,000 in construction costs for the new CBCC office.

— Approved the purchase of a Daewoo DX3000LC-V excavator for about $102,000. The city is currently leasing the excavator to build “clarifiers” for the water system, and expects to use the machine for several more months. Robertsdale has been offered the excavator with a full one-year warranty. The mayor explained that purchasing the excavator would save the city money in the long run.

— City Council member Sue Cooper received congratulations from other council members on the occasion of her 50th wedding anniversary last week. She is married to James Cooper.