The county will ask the city to reconsider its decision not to share the cost for reinforcing drainage pipes, which is necessary for construction of the county’s new criminal justice center.

A four-foot high horse-shoe shaped brick pipe and 12-inch pipe, used for sewer and storm water, runs underneath Pearl Street, on top of which part of the new courthouse complex will sit. Though the construction would not touch the pipes, they still need to be reinforced to sustain the weight of the building that will fill about half of the street between Broadway and Newton avenues, according to County Administrator Ron Gabrielsen.

The reinforcement will entail coating the inside of the pipes with a fiberglass material, and will cost around $156,000. The project would be complete in a couple of weeks, but it has to be done before the foundation work will start.

The city council refused to pay for the cost. But Gabrielsen emphasized that the city is responsible for the maintenance of sewer pipes and the old pipes need to be either replaced or renovated in the coming years anyway.

The cost for sewer pipe reinforcement is not included in the $26 million bonding. If the county were bear the cost, it would need to account for the expense in the 2003 budget that will be finalized next month.

Gabrielsen defended the county’s position, mentioning its commitment to keep the courthouse downtown. &uot;We could move away, but decided to stay for downtown Albert Lea. It was a moral to obligation to stay here,&uot; he said. The city council will put the subject on the agenda for its next meeting.