Mold Forces Relocation of Inola Town Hall, Police Offices

Mold is forcing a Green Country community to move its town hall and police department offices. 

Inola will turn its school administration building into the town hall and police department while a restoration service works to remove the mold.

Plastic is sectioning off parts of Inola's town hall and police department.

Machines have been set up to help scrub the air, Vice Mayor Darlene Shear says.

All of this after a city worker discovered a leak in a storage area that uncovered a bigger problem.

A maintenance crew came to repair the leak and they found mold, Shear says.

The inspection report showed there is mold in the building, but it says the air quality is still safe enough that employees could continue working inside.

"We don't want to take any chances," Shear says.

The town's board of trustees decided that, for the health and safety of both employees and citizens, it would be best to find a temporary home for the town hall and the police department.

The school superintendent offered up the district's administration building.

"That's a small town -- when one needs help, we all kick in and do it," Shear says.

Shear says it's not a long-term solution, but one that will allow restoration crews to do their jobs while city workers continue doing theirs. 

"We don't know how long it's gonna take, but we want to get it taken care of," Shear says.

Town hall and the police department will move here as soon as the phone lines are transferred.

Shear isn't sure how long it'll take to get rid of the mold, but says it'll like be several weeks.