No architecture contract yet for law enforcement center, courthouse updates

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com 

Floyd County supervisors stopped short Monday of agreeing to a contract with an architect for the new law enforcement center and courthouse updates, saying they want to clarify additional parts of the document.

The county board is working with Prochaska & Associates of Omaha, Nebraska, to design a new law enforcement center with a jail and courthouse updates that were approved by voters in a bond special election May 1.

Prochaska provided much of the preliminary design work and guidance leading up to the successful vote, and supervisors have indicated their desire to stick with that firm for the construction designs.

Supervisor Chairwoman Linda Tjaden said she would have liked to be able to approve the contract Monday, and had set what would usually have been a planning session as a special meeting so the board could take action if it decided to do so.

But there were still sections of the contract that raised questions, she said.

Floyd County Assistant Attorney Randall Tilton, who has been looking over the contract, said at the meeting Monday that “there seems to be a low threshold in some parts of the contract for when extra charges would kick in.”

Some of the things listed as costing extra “weren’t really out of the ordinary, in regards to such things as the number of copies provided, number of meetings with such-and-such a person, etc., so I just called that to the board’s attention.”

Some changes have already been made in the contract at the request of the county, he said, but he suggested a number of additional changes to give the board better control over costs.

Tjaden agreed that “it’s important to challenge some of the sections” in the contract and said she would work with Prochaska this week, with a contract possibly being ready to approve at the board’s next regular meeting Tuesday, June 12.

County voters approved selling up to $13.5 million in general obligation bonds to construct a new law enforcement center next to the courthouse, with an atrium joining the two buildings.

The new jail that will be part of the law enforcement center was the prime motivator for the project, as the current county jail on the top floor of the courthouse has been labeled inadequate, inefficient and unsafe for detainees and jail employees.

Courthouse updates will include new windows, new heating and air conditioning, and some remodeling of office space to accommodate access between the buildings and to move some departments up to the top floor where the jail and Sheriff’s Office are now.