The Edgartown courthouse closed Monday and will remain shuttered for the rest of the week due to a broken boiler, court officials said.
An announcement on the state trial court website cited issues with a failed heating system. “Opening will be determined once contractors assess the extent of the repairs required,” the statement said.
County manager Martina Thornton said the boiler stopped working on Saturday, leaving the building without sufficient heat.
The building hosts the district court, superior court, probate court and registry of deeds.
District court clerk-magistrate Liza Williamson said the court made the decision to shutter the courthouse and offices on Sunday afternoon with no firm reopening date shortly after being notified of the boiler problem. “It was obvious at that time that the building would not be able to open this week,” she said.
An Island contractor who inspected the building Saturday determined that the boiler must be replaced, Ms. Thornton said.
The county is now awaiting an estimate, she said.
The county, which owns the building, will foot the bill for repairs, Ms. Thornton said, but the state will reimburse the county for 87 per cent of the cost, according to its lease.
The courthouse closed for a week in 2018 due to problems with its heating system. Since then the county has made improvements, but the boiler remains a central problem, Ms. Thornton said.
“We have improved the heating system over the last couple of years. We have new valves and new circulating pumps, but as part of [an engineer’s] recommendation, there was no such thing as replacing the boiler,” she said.
Ms. Williamson said court dates and hearings scheduled for this week will either be rescheduled once the building reopens, or held over Zoom. The court will decide how to proceed in the next few days, she said.
Emergency orders can still be issued through local police departments, Ms. Williamson said. “I want it to be clear to people that there are still resources available to obtain emergency orders,” she said.
— Maia Coleman
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