Render of the proposed Hall County Courthouse, (Davis Design, Courtesy)
GRAND ISLAND – A motion to build a stand-alone addition to the Hall County Courthouse failed again Tuesday by a 2-4 vote.
Hall County Commissioners Gary Quandt and Karen Bredthauer voted for the motion. Commissioners Jane Richardson, Pam Lancaster, Ron Peterson, and Scott Sorensen voted against the motion. Commissioner Butch Hurst was absent Tuesday.
“My intent is not to disrupt the process we have now,” Commissioner Gary Quandt.
He proposed a stand-alone addition of 75,000 square feet that would cost $31 million and have four county courtrooms and four district courtrooms. Chairman Ron Peterson said that an attached addition to the Hall County Courthouse would cost $35 to $40 million dollars. He said that that county would have a more exact cost within the next 30 to 60 days. Commissioner Pam Lancaster said that a construction manager at risk would help the county maintain the overall cost, so that the county is spending “up to” a specific number.
Quandt said with a stand-alone building, “we would be building something for the next 50 years.” The building would be large enough to house probation offices and drug court. The stand-alone building could be completed by 2025, compared to 2027 completion date for the attached addition to the courthouse. Construction of the stand-alone building would have less noise traveling to the existing courtrooms, so work could possibly be done at the same time that courts are in session. If construction is completed with the attached building, that construction probably will need to be done when courts are not in session because of the construction noise generated.
Quandt said all that he was asking was to have two to three commissioners meet with Stave Severson with Davis Design architecture firm of Lincoln to investigate the possibility of a stand-alone courthouse addition.
Commissioners have published a request for proposals to get bids for a construction manager at risk for an attached addition to the courthouse. Hall County Facility Director Doone Humphrey said he has given tours of the courthouse to six construction companies.
In other business:
*Commissioners recognized three employees of the Hall County Attorney’s Office for their years of service working in the office. They are: Sherry Campbell (30 years), Dave Medlin (15 years), and Amy Consbruck (10 years).
*Approved keno grant requests from Clean Community Systems ($5,000), Veterans Park ($10,000), Crisis Center, ($9,500), Hope Harbor ($4,500), and Salvation Army ($14,000) for a total of $43,000. This passed as a consent agenda item by a 6-0 vote.
*Approved a request from the Grand Island Area Economic Development Corporation for $40,000 to support the organization as a consent agenda item.
*Approved a request from Heartland CASA for $50,000 to support its budget as a consent agenda item.