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Wednesday, March 29, 2006
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Remodeling projects could spark shortfall CROW WING COUNTY BOARD Senior Reporter Remodeling both the historic Crow Wing County Courthouse and the newly named Courthouse Annex (formerly the Service Building) could generate a $1 million shortfall and most of the work will be unseen.
Crow Wing County commissioners heard Tuesday the preliminary estimates for the heating, ventilation and cooling work, mechanical and electrical upgrades likely will be more than anticipated. Examinations of the building found significant portions of the courthouse without fresh air duct work. But no one will know the final price tag for sure until the county goes out for bids.
Board options include renovating one of the buildings and not both. Michael Kearns, facilities and parks director, said of the two the courthouse is in worse shape in terms of mechanical systems. If the courthouse is remodeled, the county has an obligation to meet current codes. Kearns said that means adding duct work, which in turn means replacing air handling units to meet the additional duct work load on the courthouse's second and third floors. Replacing the air handling units was an unexpected expense, Kearns said.
Building update
The Judicial Building, which will house Crow Wing County's courtrooms, court administration, county attorney and community corrections, is expected to open to the public in early May.
The jail is expected to open in May 2007.
The Community Services Building is open and is home to social services, veterans services, RSVP, public health and the WorkForce Center.
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Money spent on the courthouse to date, about $400,000, has gone toward a new elevator, connections to the central heat plant and waterproofing the tunnel connection to the Courthouse Annex. Tuesday the board renamed the former Service Building christening it the Courthouse Annex. The renaming has long been anticipated after many of the building's occupants relocated to the new Community Services Building.
Remodeling both buildings could cost $2.6 million. Kearns said the county's building fund, which is expected to have a $1.2 million fund balance at the end of 2006, could support the shortfall. Commissioners agreed to seek the bids and then see where they stand in terms of spending.
Change orders for the county's campus building project added $100,000 for the entire multibuilding construction project. The change orders do not count the additional $317,436 to finish a courtroom and two judges chambers in the new Judicial Center along Laurel Street in Brainerd. That addition meant the county will have five completed courtrooms and one as a shell to be fully equipped at a later date. Revenues above expectations in timber and land sales were expected to offset the courtroom and judicial chamber costs.
Commissioners listened to a presentation by Tierney Brothers Inc., Minneapolis, for technology needs for the courtrooms and potentially the future board room. The proposal included a wall-mounted projector and hookups for the five courtrooms, two sets of video conferencing equipment and four mobile carts with DVD/VCR and a switcher allowing for hookup and projector display from equipment such as a laptop or document camera. The plan is to have a setup so jurors can see evidence presented.
The board approved buying one document camera, which can be used to project plain paper documents or photographs via the wall-mounted projector. The camera eliminates the need for transparencies. The courtrooms have identical hookups and the mobile cart and equipment can move between courtrooms as needed.
There are additional options for televising meetings.
Commissioners weren't put off by the technology but had a longer discussion on the $102,227 price tag. Jim Eder, information systems director, presented a second option with reduced equipment of outfitting three courtrooms with projectors and having three mobile carts. Eder suggested delaying the hiring of a geographic information system coordinator until 2007 would save $56,700, meaning the optional equipment package would be mostly funded and would only be $8,170 short. County Auditor Deborah Erickson agreed to reassign two office staff members to a greater GIS workload to help in the interim and fill a record tech's position, budgeted for three years but not filled. The county does not save money by buying multiple pieces of equipment at one time, although equipment prices could vary between purchase times.
In the end, commissioners decided to go with the full equipment purchase of the $102,227 and look at funding options at a later date.
The county is paying about $25,000 for new phones for the Judicial Center. The county is obligated to provide phones for court administration and the judges. Eder is seeking credit with the vendor for hundreds of old phones.
RENEE RICHARDSON can be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.
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