Visitors to the Ellsworth County Courthouse and Ellsworth City Hall might just want to bundle up before heading inside.

For the second time since 2005 both buildings’ boilers are currently out of service.

County Clerk Shelly Vopat said the county was made aware that the courthouse boiler was on its last legs over the summer. During a June 3 meeting of the County Commission, Brad Moxter of American Boiler & Mechanical presented two quotes for new boilers to commissioners, priced between $85,000 to a little more than $100,000.

“They signed a contract with him but nobody thought to check that he never gave us a time it would be in by,” Vopat said. “Over the summer, they came and took our old one out. I knew they were here to do that, but assumed they were putting in the new one at the same time.”

When she realized the boiler had not been installed, Vopat called Moxter to find out what the time frame was. At that point, the goal was to have everything back in working order by Oct. 15.

“The boiler is something that has to be made special for the courthouse and they haven’t gotten it in yet, so it hasn’t been installed,” Vopat said. “We’ve been on them about it, and all they’ll tell us is that they will call us as soon as they know when the boiler is going to be in.”

In the meantime, the courthouse is relying on 23 space heaters to keep warm.

“If it wasn’t drafty, I would say it would be a lot more comfortable,” Vopat said.“When you’re using space heaters, it’s always so drafty.”

City Clerk Patti Booher said City Hall’s boiler failed around the same time as the courthouse boiler, due to age and clogged valves. City Council opted to purchase a new unit from American Boiler & Mechanical, with a price tag not to exceed $100,000, when insurance declined to cover the cost of repairs.

Initially, the city expected to have its boiler replaced by mid-November, but delays with the county’s order have pushed the city’s build back into the new year.

“They got in line ahead of us this time,” Booher said. “Last time our boiler went out in 2005, ours went out before theirs, so they had to wait on us. We heard that they are running at least a month behind on the county’s, so that would put us at least a month behind.”

Booher said, so far, it hasn’t gotten too uncomfortable in the City Hall offices thanks to several strategicallypositioned infrared space heaters. Smaller portable heaters have been placed in bathrooms and locker rooms on the far side of the gymnasium.

Spectators and council members wore coats and hoodies to the Nov. 12 meeting. A special meeting this week was moved to the 900 Room at the golf course. Updates to location changes are posted on the city’s Facebook page.

“We’ve got one little space heater sitting in our lobby, but that’s pretty much what we’re doing,” Booher said. “It’s that time of year where the sun will come across from the south, and that’s where our windows face, so it will get nice and toasty in the afternoons. We’re going to try to tough it out.”