Jasper County offices may get a picnic table added to grounds

Employees at the Jasper County Administration Building may receive an outdoor picnic table to sit on during breaks sometime in the near future.

Jasper County Treasurer Doug Bishop publicly requested the board of supervisors on March 23 to consider putting a picnic table outside the building. Bishop said he contacted the county’s maintenance director and asked him to give him reasons why there wasn’t a picnic table or two at the courthouse.

In addition to being difficult to mow around, Bishop was told that people would congregate around the table and throw trash everywhere. But Bishop said he showed maintenance director Adam Sparks a potential space for the table between the generator and the gas cage that is on mulch rather than grass.

“There’d be no troubles with mowing and it would be a nicer place for everybody in the building to maybe sit outside a bit on their breaks or lunches or things like that,” Bishop said. “Just wanted to throw that idea by you guys. If you’re OK with it, I’ll continue to talk to Adam.”

Jasper County Supervisor Brandon Talsma said he did not have a problem with the idea. Fellow supervisor Doug Cupples also did not have a problem with it but asked if the area should be blocked off at nighttime to prevent people from using it at night. Bishop was not sure what the draw would be.

“I don’t think it would be an issue,” Bishop said. “Adam was alright with it. It won’t be an issue with mowing. Shouldn’t be an issue with a high population area because it’s actually back behind all the main entrances. It would basically be the folks that work in the facility.”

Bishop was given the go-ahead by supervisors to work with Sparks to get something together.