HOLLIDAYSBURG — Blair County plans to use $23,441 from a court-ordered supervision-fee fund to cover the cost of repairing the original black public seating benches in its 1906 courtroom.

The county is also going to spend almost $10,000 to buy 16 wooden juror chairs, to be softened by cushions, for the 1875 courtroom that’s been undergoing renovations.

Commissioners voted Tuesday morning to order repairs of the 1906 benches after hearing Judge Daniel J. Milliron announce on behalf of President Judge Elizabeth Doyle that the supervision-fee fund can cover the $23,441 cost. The fund receives revenue from those convicted of crimes who are ordered to pay a monthly supervision fee typically used to defray parole and probation expenses.

The fund’s revenue, by law, must be kept separate from the county’s general fund. The discretion for spending is assigned to the president judge.

Doyle wasn’t available to attend Tuesday’s commissioners meeting where Milliron offered assurance to commissioners that the judges “share your fiscal awareness.” But they also desire, he said, to see the courtroom’s functionality restored.

County Director of Public Works Rocky Greenland said that when benches in the 1906 courtroom were moved to make way for scaffolding to repair the large wall mural, the splitting and cracking within the wooden benches became very noticeable.

“They were in pretty bad shape,” Greenland said. “They have to be repaired, somehow, for appropriate use.”

Commissioner Terry Tomassetti, who previously lined up the state Department of Correctional Industries — also known as Big House Products — to restore the 1875 courtroom public seating pews, said Tuesday that the department’s earlier quote to repair the 1906 courtroom public seating benches remains valid.

The department’s price, reflecting state prison inmate labor, was based on refinishing and repairing 14 benches, including 12 that are almost 12 feet long and two measuring 5 feet long. The $23,441 price included transportation, removal and reinstallation.

“The price is much, much lower than we would get from the private industry,” Tomassetti said.

Fellow commissioners Bruce Erb and Ted Beam Jr. readily endorsed the plan.

Commissioners also voted to buy 14 solid-oak, wooden-seat arm chairs that can bolted to the floor in the 1875 courtroom’s jury box. Two additional chairs with legs will be purchased for use in the jury box, with the option of removal to accommodate a juror using a wheelchair.

Commissioners agreed that they were not interested in upholstered seats, which would be subject to wear and damage.

Commissioners agreed to make the purchase from Petersen Furniture Inc., which provided the lower of two prices, $9,961, for the juror chairs and offered a warranty. Quality Church Furnishings offered a price of $10,640.

The Pennsylvania Correctional Industries, which devotes its effort to teaching inmates to restore furniture, did not respond to the county’s request for prices on jury chairs. But Pennsylvania Correctional Industries will be supplying the cushions, Tomassetti said.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 946-7456.