Lock Project Will Be

Key To ETH Security

By Steve Bigham

Clark Kathan figures he has more than 60 keys that he carries around with him during the day. The Edmond Town hall maintenance head uses the keys to open the assortment of doors and locks throughout the 70-year-old building.

By February, however, he hopes to have his 60 or so keys reduced to one or two. The building is scheduled for a complete “re-keying” – the first of its kind since the building opened back in 1931.

“One key will open almost every lock in the building,” Mr Kathan explained.

Many of the town hall’s original locks have worn out over the years and town employees have had to resort to “tricks” in order to get them open. Mr Kathan figures he has had to replace as many as 25 locks over the past three years, including one last week in the first selectman’s office.

The “re-keying” project will also provide added security to the building. Under the new keying system, each department head will be issued a single key, which will only open one designated outside door and the door to his or her office.

“We’re going to tighten down the hatches to make things a little more secure. We’re controlling the way people enter and leave the building,” Mr Kathan said, pointing out that there may be former employees who still possess keys to the building. “We don’t know what keys are out there.”

The new “non-duplicating” keys will ensure that no one can make copies. The keys will be specially made so that no hardware store or locksmith can reproduce them. Mr Kathan will be the only person authorized to have made new keys made up.

“That building hasn’t been re-keyed since it was built,” noted Edgar Beres, chairman of the Board of Managers.

The “re-keying” project will be done by Accurate Lock of Monroe. The estimated cost of the job is $4,150.