County Commission gets update on courthouse project

Just after their regular meeting Tuesday morning, Oct. 27, Saline County Commissioners met with Dennis Paul and Jeff Harrelson of Septagon Construction Company to discuss the courthouse renovation project.

In his construction manager's report, Harrelson wrote, "Progress has been pretty good on the project over the past month."

Work on the south entrance of the courthouse is nearing completion, Harrelson said, with just handrail installation and some carpentry work above the doorway remaining to be done.

The masonry contractor has finished installing the flat replacement sandstones located on the sides of the courthouse, Harrelson said, and is waiting for the corner sandstones to arrive.

Roof work and painting on the courthouse dome and tower is complete as well, Harrelson said.

Harrelson presented three items requiring action to commissioners, which will then be discussed at the Courthouse Preservation Committee meeting Tuesday evening at 6 p.m.

The first action item involves payment to Marshall Electrical Contracting for work on power and thermostat wiring on exterior condensing units. This work has already been approved, and the cost is $14,447.06.

Another action item involves Imhoff Construction Company's work on the courthouse ceilings. The contractor has installed new ceilings in five of the offices on the third floor, including the law library and the jury room. There are also new ceilings on the second-floor corridors at the east and west sides of the rotunda.

This work was done at no extra cost, completed with funds previously set aside for split-system air conditioning units, which were later removed from the renovation project scope, Harrelson said. The action required is that a change order be issued for the work.

The third action item to be approved is the payment of $22,611.82 to Marshall Electrical Contracting for relocation, refeeding and rewiring in relation to the installation of new fan coil units.

If the committee approves these action items and other change orders totaling $170,455.44, and then commissioners approve the payments in session Wednesday, Oct. 28, the remaining contingency budget is $57,918.60.

The renovation project began with a contingency of $228,374.04.

As far as the overall budget, Harrelson said, "We're setting right at 50 percent complete."

Paul noted that, though only half the project has been paid, really about two-thirds of the restoration work has been completed.

But, he said, "It's hard to get anything done because it's raining two-thirds of the time."

Harrelson agreed and said, "The weather hasn't been kind to us for the past month."

In other business, preservation committee members will discuss and confirm the paint color for the courthouse rotunda.

Contact Sydney Stonner at marshallbusiness@socket.net