Mayor Sarno Issues Statement on Continued Deplorable Conditions at Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno states, “After consultation with City Solicitor Judge John Payne, who is very knowledgeable with the continued environmental issues at the Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse, and Health and Human Services Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris, the City of Springfield does not have any jurisdiction or authority over this state building and Trial Court matter, which has thoroughly frustrated and aggravated myself, Solicitor Payne and Commissioner Caulton-Harris by the Trial Courts lax and time sensitive in-action. My administration has meet twice with First Justice Kevin Maltby and Clerk Magistrate John Gay to discuss how we swiftly addressed the COVID-19 pandemic by retrofitting all our city and school buildings. Parks, Buildings and Recreational Management (PBRM) Director Patrick Sullivan, Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris, Industrial Hygienist Bob Kirchherr from O’Reilly, Talbot and Okun Associates and myself discussed with First Justice Maltby and Clerk Magistrate Gay on how our retrofitting’s of our municipal buildings went above and beyond the ASHRAE standards to protect the health of our city workforce and the public with continued routine preventative upkeep maintenance being the key! My administration will continue to take the ‘bull by the horns’ by offering to work with the Trial Court officials with my Chief Development Officer Tim Sheehan to assist them to facilitate finding temporary public and/or private space to relocate their court operations in downtown Springfield ASAP. Bottom line here is the more and more information brought to my attention about the situation at the Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse, it is abundantly evident short term action must be undertaken immediately, not in 2024 ,and that a new state-of-the-art courthouse needs to be built ASAP right here in the downtown Springfield vicinity.”