Lack of fire suppression in Oakland County courthouse puts thousands of vital records at risk

By Max Bryan, Medianews Group

If the Oakland County courthouse had been to have a fireplace, 1000’s of important knowledge may very well be misplaced.

That’s as a result of the province has not digitized all its beginning, marriage and loss of life certificates that date from 1827. Data which were launched in years earlier than computer systems had been typically used are saved as an alternative in about 100 giant books saved within the County Clerk’s workplace in Pontiac, which has no fireplace suppressing system.

On the finish of final week, this actuality got here to a funds listening to for the Board of Oakland County Board, when County Clerk Lisa Brown requested $ 200,000 from the province to digitize the province’s very important register system.

“I ask you – I urge you – to guard our knowledge, our staff, our clients and the historical past of our province,” Brown mentioned within the committee’s funds committee on Thursday.

Commissioner Gwen Markham, chairman of the Monetary Committee of the Supervisory Board, mentioned that the request would in all probability be included within the tax annual funds of the Province 2026 after Brown’s request. As soon as the funds has been accepted, it begins on October 1.

Brown is without doubt one of the many officers who made funds requests final week from the district commissioners for his or her departments and places of work. The funds of $ 1.08 billion with a steadiness of $ 291.7 million fund was proposed by County Government Dave Coulter to the County Commissioners July 17.

The funds will likely be accomplished on September 19, mentioned Markham.

Brown mentioned that she brings the shortage of a hearth suppressing system from her workplace to the provincial commissioners yearly when the funds is mentioned. This yr she put ahead the very important knowledge in an try to “take a special tactic” in case fireplace suppression has not been accepted, she mentioned.

The prices for scanning the very important knowledge are a fraction of the total scanning prices in all workplace knowledge of the clerk, which is greater than $ 1 million, Brown mentioned. This consists of “many extra” information of the County’s Register of Deeds Workplace, she mentioned.

“I perceive that this isn’t simply an ISKanner and an internship -pumping papers in day after day,” mentioned Markham in the course of the listening to.

Brown’s deputy Fred Miller mentioned it’s too early to say when the clerk’s workplace would digitize the recordsdata as a result of the funds request has not but been accepted.

“Value adjustments, the buying means of Oakland County and the provision of contractors, amongst different issues, would all play a job in figuring out the timeline,” mentioned Miller in an e -mail Monday.

Spokesperson Invoice Mullan of the province didn’t touch upon Friday on Brown’s requests, besides that she and others have the chance to current their priorities in the course of the funds course of.

“It’s then as much as the Supervisory Board to guage these requests and to find out how the taxpayer {dollars} can greatest be allotted within the context of the final wants and duties of the province,” Mullan mentioned.

County officers say that scanning the very important knowledge is a a lot quicker resolution than putting in a fireplace suppressing system. Fee President Dave Woodward mentioned that assuming such a venture would require financing after a funds of the tax yr.

A evaluation of Capital Neising 2022 outlined practically $ 500 million in required enhancements in services of the province.

“As buildings become older, buildings want upkeep and enchancment. And a part of the upkeep and enchancment that ought to have occurred tens of years in the past, not,” mentioned Woodward.

Woodward mentioned that the evaluation of capital enchancment was dated due to the inflation and charges which have occurred because it was revealed.

Whatever the prices, Woodward mentioned that including fireplace suppression to the clerk can be ‘an enormous development venture’.

“(It is about) opening the partitions, sanitary services, all these sorts of issues that needs to be completed,” mentioned Woodward.

Furthermore, the a part of the clerk’s workplace that shops the very important information couldn’t have a sprinkler system, a minimum of in the intervening time. That is as a result of it could harm the large books by which they’re saved, mentioned Brown.

“We are able to use gasoline in a single division and the sprinklers in one other,” she mentioned.

Brown mentioned that putting in the proper kind of fireside suppressing system for maintaining information can be costly. She mentioned it prices $ 200,000 to get a pump on the fog system to provide fog.

Within the meantime, Brown hopes that her considerations will likely be tackled by digitizing the information.

“I’m a constitutional workplace. It’s my job to guard the information, and I want their assist to do this. I can not try this – they’re accountable for the funds, so I hope I can get the help I want,” mentioned Brown.

Initially revealed: August 12, 2025 at 12:03 pm Edt