Fears that the Cass County annex had become infested with mold turned out to be “spore-ious” at best, according to a recent survey of the building.

County Maintenance Director Dave Dickey delivered the results of an air sample quality report to the board of commissioners during its meeting Thursday in Cassopolis, which cleared the county building, located on Broadway Street in the village, of any mold infestations.

The study was conducted last month by ACM Engineering and Environmental Services, which analyzed air samples taken from 16 locations in the annex — eight on the lower level and eight on the second floor — comparing them with a sample taken from outside the structure, with all tests coming back with acceptable readings, Dickey said.

The air analysis was prompted after several county employees expressed concerns that they may have been getting ill from the building, Dickey said.

“We wanted to put all that to rest,” he said.

The county building is located adjacent to the former county courthouse building, constructed in 1899, which has suffered from mold damage since its closing in 2003. That structure has since been sealed off, and could potentially be renovated for future reuse, although mold removal has yet to take place inside.

Initial readings conducted by ACM found one first-floor room, Room 190 or the “Kincheloe Room,” with a mold reading that was higher than the accepted level, Dickey said. However, the sample was taken while the room was occupied by election officials doing canvassing work following the election, which the firm believed caused the unusual reading.

“They believe that it was foreign materials that were brought in that caused that reading,” Dickey said.

A follow-up sample taken later in the month found the room to have an acceptable level, he said.

The firm also discovered suspected physical traces of mold located on the top wooden panel of some shelving in storage closet on the second floor, the maintenance director said.

“It was caused because the wooden shelving had gotten damp at some point, whether it was us bringing in from outside or something else,” Dickey said. “We cleaned it as they recommended.”

The commissioners also approved several pay raises during Thursday’s meeting, following the recommendations of the board’s ad hoc compensation committee.

Their recommendations were as follows:

• Members of the board of commissioners will receive a 4 percent pay raise, spread out over the next two years. The board chair will receive a salary of $12,457 in 2017 and of $12,704 in 2018; the vice chair will receive a salary of $11,457 in 2017 and $11,704 in 2018; and the other commissioners will receive a salary of $10,957 in 2017 and $11,204 in 2018. Per diem will also increase by $34 in 2017.

• Other elected officials will receive a 2.25 percent increase in 2017. The treasurer will have a salary of $63,312; clerk/register of deeds will have a salary of $64,862; sheriff will have a salary of $81,713; drain commissioners will have a salary of $53,437; and prosecutor will have a salary of $95,608.

• Nonunion employees will also receive a 2.25 percent salary increase beginning Jan. 1, 2017.

Thursday served as the last scheduled meeting of this version of the board. Next month, recently elected Terry Ausra, District 1, and Michael Grice, District 6, join the commissioners, replacing current members Robert Wagel and Bernie Williamson on the seven-person board, respectively.