MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — Tuesday, Baldwin County leaders and Georgia state officials met to inspect some buildings at the old Central State Hospital grounds to see if they're safe. It's all part of an effort to try to resolve a lawsuit over fire protection there.
Last year, Baldwin County sued the state for breach of contract when the state abruptly stopped paying for fire services at the Central State Hospital.
Brandon Palmer is a lawyer for Baldwin County.
"The state has not maintained the buildings on the Central State Hospital campus to the standards that the state has put in place itself,” he says.
The media was not allowed inside the buildings due to dangerous conditions, but the inspection team could be seen wearing safety equipment like hardhats, mold respirators, and disposable gloves.
Now the county argues that more than 10 buildings are in bad shape and dangerous to enter. Some don't even have a roof.
Baldwin County Commission Chairman Henry Craig says the state money is necessary to pay for the fire services to keep the campus safe. A fire set by someone on grounds earlier in the day is a perfect example.
“Nobody was in danger, but the fire department responded in minutes,” he says.
The old grounds receive many visitors year round which sometimes results in illegal and dangerous activity. Fire services are there to keep the grounds and people safe, but Craig says if their fire station closes, protection for Central State's many old buildings will suffer.
“If we were to leave, then it would be the requirement of the City of Milledgeville to provide service from their facilities, which are miles from here,” he says. “They do not have the personnel or trained to provide the services we do.”
The inspection will continue into the next couple days. According to Baldwin County Manager Carlos Tobar, a little over $1 million is due to the county since March 2020.