From a juror writing "clean me" on a bathroom mirror, to dust collecting on walls and trash that is not being emptied, Warren County employees say they have had enough. The employees' frustration with the lack of cleaning inside county buildings rose to the boiling point last Tuesday when they met with the county commission and voiced their disapproval on the day-to-day conditions. The employees said it is humiliating to hear comments from visitors regarding the filth. "This is the filthiest building I have ever been in," court clerk Weymouth Brown said. "We tore down our original courthouse because it was never maintained. I think we are doing the same thing now. And we have a projected new building. This one is in horrible shape. The cleaning is atrocious. It's embarrassing." Many employees have resorted to cleaning their own departments, they said. They also said there have been instances when courthouse visitors have declined to use the bathroom due to it not being clean. Last week's session with the commission was attended by numerous county employees. They commented that the commission should be held accountable and argued that their concerns weren't being addressed in a timely manner. They also questioned why a mold cleaner was sprayed in the courthouse's ventilation system last month while employees were present and alleged it led to health concerns. In response, the commission expressed difficulty in finding a suitable cleaning crew. The county previously contracted with a St. Charles cleaning company last year only to decide it wasn't happy with the results. At the start of the year the county moved to hire multiple part-timers to clean the buildings on a daily basis. According to Presiding Commissioner Arden Engelage, the county has been down to one part-time employee working 30 hours a week who is responsible for cleaning the courthouse and annex buildings. He said a second employee quit after one day and two individuals hired through the Missouri Career Center also didn't pan out following a short stint. He said that has left the commission struggling to get more staff hired. "We know this building is in drastic need of a good cleaning," Engelage said. "We know that. We had problems with the old service and we're having problems getting enough help to cover it now." In a letter dated Jan. 19 to the commission, one week prior to formally voting to approve the 2010 budget, Sheriff Kevin Harrison asked to amend his budget request to use some of his money to hire a cleaning service for his department. He wrote that he could better manage his portion of the courthouse. The request was denied. "The jail is the cleanest part in the courthouse," Harrison said. "The jail that serves 100 inmates everyday. It smells clean and looks clean. It's just a matter of maintenance of somebody doing it every day." Assessor Wendy Nordwald also commented that the annex building where her department is has been largely ignored. She said employees are forced to take out their trash and vacuum the carpet. An employee in the juvenile office located across the street also complained that building is neglected and the bathroom is never cleaned sufficiently. "There is no reason with the foot traffic in this building that it shouldn't be up to the par of Wal-Mart, the school districts, the Montgomery County Courthouse as far as cleanliness," said John Cornell, who works in the prosecutor's office. Since meeting with employees last week, commissioners said a company may be hired to conduct a "deep cleaning" of county offices on the weekends until the situation gets better. The company will do a walk-through of the facilities Feb. 11 before a contract is finalized. The commissioners also are looking to contract with an inspection service to have mold and air quality tests performed at the courthouse, and most specifically, in the court clerk's office. According to court clerk Gail Wesley, she believed that mold was present in the office, and began further investigating the issue after several employees evacuated the courthouse Jan. 15 due to the presence of an unfamiliar smell that left people "gasping for air." Later that afternoon, Northern District Commissioner Dan Hampson informed the clerks Sporicidin, a mold cleaner, was sprayed in the ventilation system and copies of the material safety data sheet were provided to them. The mold concerns were raised after a water leak caused by the courthouse's heating system, located on the roof above the court clerk's office, on Jan. 5. On Jan. 12, Servepro then conducted a moisture test of the ceilings and ventilation system. Under the advisement of Hampson, it was decided to pretreat the area due to mold concerns by having the Sporicidin sprayed. Employees believe the mold cleaner led to health issues, including vomiting and diarrhea. Wesley later learned a test conducted Dec. 12, 2008, showed the mold level to be 120 in the court clerk's office. No other office in the courthouse rated higher than a 53. According to the report, a rating less than 150 is low and indicates a low probability of spores originating inside. A rating between 150 and 250 indicates a moderate likelihood of indoor fungal growth. "There is mold somewhere," Circuit Clerk Jerri Jordan remarked. "We need something else done. We need to see results." As part of a statement read to the commissioners last week, the court clerks demanded a written apology from the commission for not informing them of the decision to spray Sporicidin without alerting the employees. They also wanted an apology from Hampson. In addition, the employees wanted to know that any future health needs related to the exposure of mold or Sporicidin will be met by the county. Wesley said the county's workers' compensation agency has been contacted regarding the incident. Engelage defended the county's action to have Sporicidin sprayed. He said it made sense to treat for the possibility of mold on Jan. 15 rather than have a moisture test conducted that may have taken a couple of weeks to schedule. "We just decided to treat it to take care of any thoughts if there was mold there," Engelage said. "They (Servepro) didn't find any moisture so there wouldn't be any mold, but we treated it anyway." According to a material safety data sheet provided by Servepro on Jan. 15, the effects of inhaling Sporicidin include possible irritation of the respiratory tract and stinging sensations in the eyes, nose and throat. If the symptoms persist, the safety manual advised individuals to get fresh air. "I made a mistake," Hampson said. "I was doing what I thought was right. I was trying to help."