The government complex is getting a good cleaning and the countyis saving some money in the process.

Chancery Clerk Tillmon Bishop updated supervisors Monday onefforts to remove dirt and grime from the exterior of thegovernment complex. He said the work, which is being done byseveral county jail inmates, began last week.

“They’re making good progress,” Bishop said.

Bishop said the county earlier had sought bids for the work, butthose came in at over $100,000.

“We had put it off because of the expense,” Bishop said.

However, Bishop said a group of inmates skilled in window workand in cleaning buildings will allow the county to save aconsiderable amount on the project.

“The only costs involved will be renting the materials to get itdone, which should be around $5,000,” Bishop said.

Inmates Ben Joe Williams, Bo Hutson and Michael Sebren were busyon the job Monday afternoon. Williams said they had cleaned aroundthe bottom of the building and were now using scaffolds to reachthe upper portion of the facility.

“It beats sitting in a cell,” Williams said about the work.

Bishop said the crew started on the old jail and will then focuson the main courthouse building. He said he has already seenimprovement.

“It looks 100 times better so far,” Bishop said.

Several windows will be recaulked and mold will be removed fromthe over 20-year-old building, Bishop said. He indicated the moldand algae are responsible for the black streaks on thebuilding.

“When it rains, it gets worse and is even blacker,” Bishopsaid.

Bishop expects the project to take about a month. He saidcitizens could encounter some minor inconveniences as the crewworks its way around the courthouse.

“There may be the closing of an entrance to the courthouse,”Bishop said. “But that will be temporary, maybe a day.”

In other business during a routine board meeting, supervisorsapproved several some travel requests for county officials toattend training or association meetings, handled some solid wastematters and authorized the sheriff to auction off guns seizedduring arrest activity.