Initial report: Monroe County clerk’s office closed due to condensation into light fixtures

The Monroe County clerk’s office inside the Charlotte T. Zietlow Justice Center was closed late Monday morning (Aug. 17) after water started coming through the ceiling, flooding light fixtures.

The county commissioners office told The B Square that the liquid was due to “condensation from unwrapped pipes.” Reports from people inside the building also described the source of the water as condensation associated with the HVAC system.

There was some speculation that the source of water was a leak in the roof. There was a heavy downpour in the early morning hours on Monday. But the sheriff’s office confirmed to The B Square that the jail, located on the top two floors of the building, did not see any leaks from the building roof.

Several people inside the building also reported hearing popping sounds from light fixtures as the water came through the ceiling.

The closure started around 11 a.m. The rest of the justice center, at 7th Street and College Avenue, remained open. As of around 1:45 p.m. the clerk’s office was still closed.

As noon approached, the commissioners office did not have an estimate for when the clerk’s office would reopen. A sign posted at the office said: “Sorry for the inconvenience, the Clerk’s Office is closed. We will reopen soon.”

Federal workplace-safety rules address the combination of moisture and electrical equipment. An Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulation says light fixtures installed in wet or damp locations must be designed for that purpose and installed so that water cannot enter or accumulate in electrical components. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has documented arcing as a fire hazard in fluorescent fixtures in other circumstances.

Monday’s episode is the latest in a series of problems involving water, plumbing and air quality at the aging justice center.

On July 24, a bag containing e-cigarettes was flushed down a jail toilet, blocking a sewer line and sending wastewater from the jail through ceilings into offices below. The justice building was closed for four working days while damaged carpet and drywall were removed and affected areas were cleaned, sanitized and dried. The building reopened July 31.

Just a few days after the building reopened, on Aug. 4, a liquid drain cleaner used by jail maintenance workers produced a strong rotten-egg odor throughout the building. At least two employees vomited, while others reported nausea, headaches and watery eyes. Some employees went outside or left work. The smell was consistent with the production of hydrogen sulfide gas after a sulfuric-acid-based drain cleaner is used.

The July sewage incident also prompted several employee complaints to the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration. IOSHA inspectors visited the building on Aug. 11. . An IOSHA complaint in 2025 involved condensation, mold and mildew on the building’s second floor.

Last Thursday (Aug. 13), county commissioners approved or ratified about $118,000 in work at the justice center related to carpet replacement and building controls. That included $35,363 to replace carpet tile throughout the clerk’s office and $59,100 for another phase of an ongoing building-controls project involving three air-handling units.

Commissioners took the meeting as an occasion to defend their handling of the various building problems Commissioner Julie Thomas said during that meeting that the building is in “terrible shape,” citing structural, HVAC and functional problems.

Videos: Monroe County clerk’s office (Aug. 17, 2026)

The videos below were sent to The B Square by employees who work inside the justice building.