HOLLIDAYSBURG — Blair County will start paying a monthly $500 fee for historic preservation consultant work to local conservator John Rita, who has been assisting the county at no charge with courthouse repairs and improvements.

Commissioners Bruce Erb and Terry Tomassetti voted Tuesday in favor of the payment, not to exceed $6,000, while Commissioner Ted Beam Jr. voted against it.

“Mr. Rita is very, very good at what he does,” Beam said. “And the work he recommends is well-needed from a conservator’s viewpoint. But I don’t know that we can afford to keep paying for work to make this courthouse look like it did when it was built.”

In 2015 and 2016, the county devoted time and money to stop water from leaking into the courthouse and to repair exterior conditions and interior damage caused by leaks.

As part of those efforts, the county also initiated some repairs to the large vertical windows in Courtroom 2 bordering Allegheny and Union streets. But more window work remains to be done, with the latest interior improvements estimated to cost almost $60,000.

Beam said he will vote in favor of the window restoration work because the windows were in bad shape.

“But I’m afraid this is part of a job we’re not going to be able to afford down the road,” Beam said.

Commissioners set aside $2.6 million in a 2014 bond issue for courthouse repairs and restoration work to cover two major contracts approved in 2016, totaling just more than $1 million for masonry and roofing work, and for lesser project-related expenses.

Tomassetti said Tuesday that he will pinpoint how much money remains in the bond issue for additional work to be considered this year.

In addition to window repairs, county leaders have spoken of the need to replace the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system above Courtroom 2, the possibility of replacing roofs or portions of roofs and the need for some repairs to the clock tower.

Tomassetti praised Rita’s guidance to the county, which helped save money by limiting how much of the courthouse exterior was cleaned and repointed. Rita also recommended installation of moisture monitors to provide a heads-up on developing issues, Tomassetti added.

Erb also endorsed the monthly payment to retain Rita’s services and praised his input.

“To date, he has volunteered countless hours and provided invaluable guidance,” Erb said.

As for the price, Tomassetti and Erb said the amount is far less than the county would pay to anyone with Rita’s level of expertise, which includes restoration work at the state Capitol.

“We’ve gotten more than $6,000 worth of services already,” Erb said. “I think it’s a small price to pay.”

Tomassetti initially abstained from the vote to pay Rita, explaining that he provides legal counsel to Rita.

But after Erb voted yes and Beam voted no, county solicitor Nathan Karn advised that the law allows a tie vote to be broken by the person who abstained, after announcing the conflict that led to abstaining.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 946-7456.