Tommy Sims

DUNLAP, Tenn. — A vacant Dunlap RV dealership isn’t home for the Sequatchie County Highway Department, but it’ll do until a building destroyed by fire is replaced, officials said.

“It’s sort of inconvenient for the men,” Road Supervisor Tommy Sims said. “It’s sort of tight on space for everybody, but it’ll do until we get something better.”

Mr. Sims said the department needs only “necessities” until the replacement building is erected.

The department building on State Street burned Oct. 27.

Mechanic Briggs Lasater was injured in the blaze and some of his tools were damaged or destroyed.

Mr. Sims said the tools were being refurbished or replaced, and he’ll be glad to have the mechanic back from rehabilitation.

“Briggs is my righthand man,” he said. “He’s got to get back.”

The department lost a tractor, two salt spreaders and 80 years’ worth of tools, parts and miscellaneous items not missed until they’re needed, he said.

Mr. Sims said insurance has paid between $150,000 to $200,000 for the loss of the 1920s-era building. But officials await more estimates and continue to add to the list of items lost in the fire.

Construction on a new building could begin in February or March, “as soon as we can get the drawings,” he said.

“We’re going to try to build back a little bigger and wider,” Mr. Sims said.

Mayme Phillips and Jean Cookston, who work in the office, said the quick transition following the fire was a challenge.

Paperwork, computers and records “all went up in smoke,” said Ms. Phillips, who has worked at the department for 26 years. “But I had a backup diskette that had all but two weeks’ worth (of computer data) on it.”

Officials bought a new computer and had systems running well enough to make payroll for all 20 employees the week of the fire, she said. Officials from the county trustee’s office and County Technical Assistance Service helped with bank records and road data, she said.

“We got things back together better than I thought it’d be,” she said. “It seems to be going fairly well.”

Ms. Cookston said it was easy for workers to quickly set up shop, but the temporary office wasn’t as quiet as the department’s State Street home.

County Executive Michael Hudson said he and Mr. Sims believe it’s important to weigh costs of the replacement building against future needs.

“We need to grow,” Mr. Hudson said, “but we need to be financially aware, especially with the current state of the economy.

“We’re going to sit down in the next few days and decide what course of action to take.”