THURSDAY October 1, 2026|
Photo – Carbon County Courthouse – Bigfoot99 file photo
Repairs to the county’s elevators are progressing slowly.
The 6th Penny Specific Purpose Tax‑funded renovations to the Carbon County Courthouse and Carbon Building were completed in early 2023. Not long after the work was finished, the elevators in both buildings began to malfunction.
County officials contacted several elevator repair companies, but none could respond in a timely manner, leaving both the Courthouse and Carbon Building with unreliable elevators.
Speaking during the September 15th Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting in Baggs, Buildings and Grounds Manager Frank Trujillo announced that the Courthouse elevator is now operational, with repairs to the Carbon Building elevator expected to begin next week.
Trujillo added that he did not know how long the Carbon Building repairs would take.
The county is working to secure a service contract with KONE Elevator, one of only two companies that serve Carbon County. For a set fee, KONE would be obligated to respond to the county’s service calls. At the September 15th meeting, the Board asked for an update on the negotiations. Deputy Attorney Ashley Davis said KONE representatives have not responded to her inquiries.
The Courthouse and Carbon Building are not the only places in Carbon County experiencing elevator‑related difficulties. In June, Memorial Hospital of Carbon County CEO Kerry Ashment reported that all four elevators in the 54‑year‑old building were failing. Last November, the Office of State Lands and Investments approved a $500,000 Mineral Royalties Grant for repairs and improvements to the hospital’s elevators, with the county providing the required 50 percent match of $250,000. However, much like the Courthouse and Carbon Building, local elevator repair companies have been slow to respond to Memorial Hospital’s service requests.
