The Dukes County Courthouse, which shuttered due to a failed boiler, is expected to be operational next week, according to Christine Todd, chair of the Dukes County commissioners.
“We feel pretty confident that the courthouse should be able to open by Tuesday,” Todd told The Times. Monday is Presidents Day, a federal holiday when courthouses and government offices are already closed.
County manager Martina Thornton said she expects the boiler work to be done later this week. Todd said that the electrical work on a replacement boiler may be completed Tuesday, Feb.9. Then, Todd said, it’s a question of when the work can be inspected. County officials approved $50,000 to replace the boiler at an emergency meeting last week.
The commonwealth, the primary occupant of the courthouse, will eventually reimburse the county for 87 percent of the project cost. The other 13 percent would come from the county. The county tenant of the courthouse is the registry of deeds, which remains operational. The district, superior, and probate courts are closed. However, Edgartown District Court Clerk Magistrate Liza Williamson noted attorneys can still file papers online, and people who need restraining orders can obtain them from their local police departments.
