Tulare County Superior Courthouse Closed for Rest of the Week Due to Power Failure

February 2, 2011

The Tulare County Superior Courthouse in Visalia will be closed for the rest of the week to the public and County and State employees due to a power failure. County officials say power to the courthouse will be restored by Monday, February 7, 2011.

Tulare County officials said a power failure at the Tulare County Main Jail and Courthouse was reported sometime after midnight. Emergency generators at the main jail were activated and there was no lapse in power coverage. A maintenance call was placed to check power at the courthouse.

It was determined that the cause of the failure was a short circuit, which created a major power failure in the main electrical feed in an exterior vault outside of the courthouse. The power outage is isolated to the courthouse and main jail. Surrounding areas were not affected.

Tulare County officials advise the public there will be no services available at the courthouse in Visalia for the rest of the week. Employees working in the courthouse were notified via AlertTC, an emergency notification system. More than 550 County employees work in the courthouse.

“We understand that this power failure has created a major inconvenience for both the public and employees,” said Kristin Bennett, Assistant County Administrative Officer. “To avoid public safety and workflow issues, it’s important that the courthouse be vacated for the remainder of the week.”

Bennett said there will be costs associated with repairing the main electrical feed and cleanup inside of the courthouse. It is too early to provide an estimated cost.

Impacted County departments include:

Assessor/Clerk-Recorder
Auditor/Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector
District Attorney
Information Technology
Law Library
Probation
Property Tax Services
Public Defender
Purchasing

Depending on County department and assignments, employees should contact their supervisors for more information regarding alternate work locations.