Marshall Democrat-News: News : Saline County Courthouse renovation 2009-2010

Saline County Courthouse renovation 2009-2010

Contractor, worker recall courthouse project four decades ago (09/22/10)
Editor's note: The ceremony marking the completion of the $3.2 million Saline County Courthouse renovation project will take place at 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24, with an open house lasting until 4 p.m. This story takes a look at a previous courthouse project through the memories of two local men who worked it....

Courthouse renovation project nears completion (07/28/10)
Although the statement came with the requisite qualifier -- depending on weather -- construction manager Jeff Harrelson said the Saline County Courthouse renovation work is "within a matter of days" of completion.

Courthouse renovation project nears completion | Masonry painting project slowed by wet weather (06/10/10)
Painters seized the opportunity Wednesday, June 9, and Thursday, June 10, to work on the gable above the north entrance to Saline County Courthouse. The gable over the south entrance was painted earlier. But workers have not been able to make headway on two other remaining projects in the courthouse renovation project -- foundation cornerstones and masonry painting...

Commissioner provides renovation update (06/09/10)
The Saline County Commission met Wednesday and discussed progress on the courthouse restoration. Southern Commissioner Richard "Dick" Hassler said the contractors were keeping dust contained to the area in which they were working. The commission approved renewal of liquor licenses for MFA Breaktime locations in Sweet Springs and on state Highway 240 and for Los Tres Amigos restaurant...

County to save more than $3,000 on courthouse restoration (05/26/10)
The Saline County Commission met Wednesday, May 26, with Judge Hugh Harvey sitting in as an ex-officio commissioner; also present was Southern Commissioner Richard "Dick" Hassler. In a brief meeting, Hassler voted to accept a change in the restoration budget allowing the County to receive $3,000 credited back because the Courthouse Restoration Committee choose to reuse the current doorknobs instead of replacing them...

County commissioners discuss road conditions, courthouse restoration (04/21/10)
At their meeting Wednesday morning, April 21, Saline County Commissioners discussed the condition of county roads. "Roads are in pretty good shape right now," Southern District Commissioner Richard "Dick" Hassler said. But, "There are still a lot of soft spots in the roads."...

County commission awards window-cleaning bid, makes bond payment (03/31/10)
At their meeting Wednesday morning, March 31, Saline County Commissioners approved a bid for window cleaning on the courthouse. Presiding Commissioner Becky Plattner said the cleaning will be done soon, to benefit from the scaffolding erected as part of the restoration work...

Preservation committee discusses how to spend possible surplus (02/24/10)
It's possible that, when the Saline County Courthouse restoration work is completed in April, there may be some project funds remaining. What to do with that money, potentially about $100,000, was discussed at the Courthouse Preservation Committee meeting Tuesday evening, Feb. 23...

School facility future: Marshall district seeks input on renovation option (01/20/10)
After the failure of the school building bond last fall, Marshall school district officials decided to seek input from voters about whether they would prefer renovating existing buildings rather than building new ones. The district asked its construction management firm, Titan Construction, to study the four existing elementary schools and provide an estimate of what it would cost to completely renovate them.

Let's give a hand to the courthouse clock (12/17/09)
Saline County Buildings and Grounds Supervisor reattached the hands to the clockfaces on the Saline County Courthouse tower Thursday afternoon, Dec. 17. The hands were taken down prior to the start of the courthouse renovation project. More information to follow...

County Commission gets update on courthouse project (10/27/09)
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."...

Commission makes first payment on courthouse renovation bond (09/24/09)
At their meeting Thursday morning, Sept. 24, Saline County Commissioners approved two large financial transactions. First, commissioners transferred funds in order to make the first payment, of $299,996, on the courthouse renovation bond. Commissioners also approved the disbursement of $211,740.84, collected from fines and forfeitures, to county schools. This is an annual transaction...

County Commissioners increase funds for courthouse restoration (09/17/09)
At their meeting Thursday morning, Sept. 17, Saline County Commissioners approved additional funds for the courthouse restoration project. In May, asbestos was removed from pipes on the second floor, at a cost of $5,900. Now, these pipes must be rewrapped and insulated, for $4,364.50...

Farmers Market open Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon (08/29/09)
Marshall Market on the square is open on this cool and sunny final Saturday in August, with a full complement of fresh vegetables, eggs and baked goods. Grab a market tote for $5 and fill it with shiny purple eggplant, heirloom tomatoes, new potatoes, green beans, peppers in all colors, cucumbers, yellow squash and zucchini and fresh onions. ...

Preservation committee gets courthouse project update (08/19/09)
"Work is in full swing on the project and there are many activities currently underway." That's how Construction Manager Jeff Harrelson summed up the state of progress on the courthouse renovation project. Harrelson met with members of the courthouse preservation group Tuesday, Aug. 18...

Commissioners review auditor's budget recommendations (08/18/09)
At their meeting Tuesday, Aug. 18, Saline County Commissioners reviewed recommendations from County Auditor Tara Vogelsmeier concerning the county budget. Vogelsmeier suggested that revenues be decreased in the budget by a total of $207,400. Of that, $46,000 is a decrease in the county justice facility revenues and $30,000 is the courthouse renovation revenues. Both these funds are raised by sales taxes: a 3/8-cent tax and a 1/4-cent tax, respectively...

Courthouse renovation work picks up momentum (08/12/09)

County official: Long-delayed courthouse scaffolding may be installed soon (07/28/09)
Saline County Commissioners said Tuesday, July 28, that they are hopeful the long-awaited scaffolding for the courthouse renovation project will be installed within the week. Bill Sleeper, county buildings and grounds supervisor, said work on the scaffolding could begin as early as Wednesday. ...

Saline County Courthouse Renovation: Scaffolding delay continues, other work proceeding well (06/24/09)
Although the scaffold has still not been built for restoration work on the Saline County Courthouse -- it is about two months behind schedule but might be installed next week -- other aspects of the renovation are proceeding nicely. At a meeting Tuesday evening, June 23, Saline County Commissioners and Courthouse Preservation Committee members heard updates on courthouse renovation work from project manager Jeff Harrelson...

Courthouse renovation proceeds (06/05/09)
When Saline County Commissioners met Thursday, June 4, it was business as usual. Commissioners approved a payment schedule, and Southern District Commissioner Richard "Dick" Hassler spoke briefly about courthouse renovations. Hassler said contractors are hoping to begin constructing the scaffolding next week, after revising some of the technicalities of the structure. Hassler pointed out that the scaffolding is seven weeks behind schedule so far...

Newscope: North entrance to courthouse closed for construction work (05/26/09)
The north entrance of the Saline County Courthouse will be closed beginning today, Tuesday, May 26, due to masonry work on the building, Saline County Commissioners announced at their meeting. The restoration work, which is part of the larger courthouse renovation project, is likely to take several days, so the entrance is closed indefinitely, commissioners said...

County commissioners approve additional courthouse restoration funds (05/20/09)
Saline County Commissioners approved additional funding for courthouse renovation work at their meeting Wednesday morning, May 20. Southern District Commissioner Richard "Dick" Hassler said the $17,239 would go toward four new fan coils for the courthouse's HVAC system that were not included in the original bid...

County commissioners report on tax collections, hear proposal from Knights of Columbus (05/13/09)
At their meeting Wednesday morning, May 13, Saline County Commissioners reported on tax collections for the month. A total of $66,196.16 was collected in May 2009, which is up compared to $63,878.63 in May 2008. Collections are still down by almost $15,000 for the year, but Northern District Commissioner Norvelle "Brownie" Brown said things are "looking better."...

State of Saline County: Local success stories show how adversity can be opportunity (04/24/09)
The theme of the fifth State of Saline County symposium Thursday, April 23, was "Revitalization and Recession," but it might well have borrowed a line from Douglas Adams' "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" -- "Don't panic!" National economic news in recent months has been dominated by reports of economic doom and gloom, but the message from speakers at the meeting was that Saline County hasn't been hit nearly as hard as other places by the recession, and even if it gets worse, hard times present new opportunities.. ...

Courthouse renovation: Preliminary work begins (04/14/09)
Workers from Mid-Continent Restoration Co. began preliminary paint and stain removal work on the Saline County Courthouse Tuesday, April 14. One worker said the paint stripper was being applied in order to get a sense of how thick the paint is. Another worker was applying a spray stripper to remove water stains from bricks on the northeast side of the building...

County Commissioners report on tax collections, courthouse renovations (04/10/09)
Saline County Commissioners announced April sales tax collections of $82,325.04 in their meeting Thursday morning, April 9. Although the number is down about $4,000 from last year, "We're still not in too bad a shape," Northern District Commissioner Norvelle "Brownie" Brown said...

Marshall plans to waive shelter fee to discourage dumping pets: Courthouse renovation tops construction projects; police to get different uniforms (04/07/09)
A few changes are coming to Marshall's animal shelter, Mayor Connie Latimer reported at the Marshall City Council meeting Monday evening, April 6. The city does not want bad economic times to affect people's relationships with their animals, which might be their only comfort right now, she said...

Courthouse renovation contracts approved (04/06/09)
In their meeting Thursday, April 2, Saline County Commissioners officially approved all contracts for work during the courthouse renovation project. When commissioners met the day before, they approved the purchase of a new John Deere excavator from Martin Tri-State Construction Equipment Company in Ashland...

County officials briefed Tuesday on courthouse renovation details (04/01/09)
Saline County Commissioners attended two meetings Tuesday, March 31, concerning the courthouse renovation project. In the afternoon, commissioners and representatives from Septagon Construction Company met with contractors to discuss the construction schedule and other job site issues...

County Commissioners accept land gift to enable road relocation (03/31/09)
A change in the entrance of County Road 424 onto State Highway 127 near Malta Bend is one step closer to happening. At their meeting Tuesday, March 31, Saline County Commissioners approved the gift of approximately one acre of land to the county, which will enable the moving of a small part of 424...

Area job losses, courthouse renovation are subjects at county commission meeting (03/26/09)
At the Saline County Commission meeting Thursday, March 26, Southern District Commissioner Richard "Dick" Hassler reported on a workforce development meeting he attended in Sedalia. From Feb. 5 to March 16, the region lost 343 jobs, including 20 at Slater's GE plant, Hassler said...

Event organizers adjust to effects of courthouse renovation project (03/26/09)
As previously reported in The Marshall Democrat-News, several Saline County traditions will be disrupted this summer because of renovations on the county courthouse. After some investigation, it seems that all the activities are still happening, just with a few differences in location...

County Commission approves $2.2 million in courthouse renovation bids (03/12/09)
During session Thursday morning, March 12, Saline County Commissioners met with representatives from Septagon Construction Company and approved bids for the courthouse restoration project. In approving the project, commissioners followed the recommendations of the Courthouse Preservation Committee...

Courthouse preservation committee discusses restoration details (03/11/09)
Saline County Commissioners met with representatives from Septagon Construction Company and the Courthouse Preservation Committee Tuesday evening, March 10, to discuss bids received for the restoration project slated to begin this spring. When Dennis Paul and Jeff Harrelson of Septagon last presented the project cost, it was $3,652,300; but after some negotiations with contractors and recalculations, the base cost of the project is $2,940,622, which is below the project budget of $3,090,000...

County commissioners attend area meetings (03/11/09)
At their meeting Wednesday, March 11, Saline County Commissioners reported on area meetings. Presiding Commissioner Becky Plattner, who was absent from the meeting, had provided copies of grant applications submitted to the Solid Waste District Region F board, of which she is a member. Only one of the applications was from Saline County, and it was granted. The city of Slater will receive $6,480 to purchase 12 park benches made of recycled materials...

Saline County assessor's office inundated with 911-related address change requests (03/10/09)
Saline County Assessor Margaret Pond made a special request at the Saline County Commission meeting Tuesday morning, March 10. Pond said her office has been inundated with phone calls from county residents whose addresses have been changed because of the new 911 system...

39 bids received for courthouse renovation project (03/03/09)
Saline County Commissioners met with representatives from Septagon Construction Company on Tuesday, March 3, to discuss bids received for the Saline County courthouse renovation project. Bids were turned in Thursday, Feb. 26, and 39 were received for nine of the 10 work projects: asbestos abatement; concrete, steel and carpentry; masonry restoration; roofing and sheet metal; ceilings; painting; plumbing; HVAC; and electrical...

Area contractors congregate for county courthouse renovation pre-bid meeting (02/12/09)
On Wednesday, Feb. 11, the community room at Marshall's Wood & Huston Bank was overflowing with contractors at the pre-bid meeting for the renovation of the Saline County Courthouse. Jeff Harrelson of Septagon Construction Company ran the meeting and reviewed the nine work packages up for bid: concrete and steel carpentry, masonry, roofing and sheet metal, ceilings, flooring, painting, plumbing, HVAC and electrical. Harrelson said a 10th package concerning asbestos removal is being developed...

County sales tax receipts remain low (02/10/09)
Sales tax revenues in February 2009 were considerably lower than in previous years -- $68,304.67 compared with $76,828.18 in 2008 and $77,987.19 in 2007 -- Saline County Commissioners reported at their meeting Tuesday, Feb. 10. Presiding Commissioner Becky Plattner reminded those present of the pre-bid hearing for courthouse restoration at Wood & Huston Bank community room Wednesday, Feb. 11, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m...

Courthouse renovation to displace traditional events on Marshall square (02/03/09)
It's going to be a weird summer in downtown Marshall. There will be plenty of activity, but it will consist mostly of construction work as the courthouse renovation project proceeds. Most events that traditionally occur on the courthouse grounds -- in some cases for half a century -- will have to relocate their 2009 editions...

Courthouse restoration project: The Rotunda floor (01/28/09)

Saline County Commission reports CART fund revenues at lowest rate since 1997 (01/22/09)
Saline County Commissioners reported C.A.R.T. fund collections of $54,250.93 for January, the lowest figure recorded since 1997. Southern District Commissioner Richard "Dick" Hassler pointed to the low number as an indication that county resident are "staying home and shopping locally in these economically hard times."...

Old photos key to historic restoration aspect of Saline County Courthouse renovation (01/05/09)
The Saline County Courthouse doesn't look the same as it did when it was built in 1882. That's no surprise. Any building that lasts for more than a century will have a long history of renovations large and small, and each of those projects is an opportunity for changes to be introduced...

Agreement reached on road project near APAC quarry south of Marshall (12/17/08)
At the regular commission meeting Wednesday, Dec. 17, Saline County Presiding Commissioner Becky Plattner announced the completion of an agreement between Saline County and APAC, the final step required for work on the intersection of U.S. Highway 65 and County Road 339, near the junction with County Road UU...

Crawford reports to commission on Century Farm event, new 4-H specialist (11/28/08)
Saline County Commissioners met Wednesday, Nov. 26, to approve a regular payment schedule and to hear from Extension Program Director Cynthia Crawford. Crawford thanked commissioners for their support of the Century Farms celebration earlier in the month, and said she had received "only good feedback" from participants...

Good news for county: Courthouse crack repair less costly than thought (10/28/08)
At the commission's regular meeting Tuesday, Oct. 28, Southern District Commissioner Richard "Dick" Hassler reported on progress with the courthouse renovation project. Hassler said members of the Saline County Preservation Board heard from Architect Tim Wilson of the Kansas City firm of Stark, Wilson and Duncan at their regular monthly meeting Monday, Oct. 27...

County commission reaches rights-of-way agreements with property owners near bridge (10/03/08)
At their regular meeting Thursday, Oct. 2, Saline County Commissioners announced an agreement has been reached between the county and two area landowners regarding rights-of-way on the land immediately surrounding the bridge over Salt Fork Creek on County Road 427...

County tax collections continue downward trend (09/16/08)
At their regular meeting Tuesday, Sept. 16, Saline County Commissioners noted a continuing decline in sales tax collections. For September, C.A.R.T. funds collections totaled $106,181.68, a decline of just under 20 percent over the September 2007 amount of $132,593.29...

County commission approves resolution on courthouse renovation expenditures (09/10/08)
At their regular meeting Tuesday, Sept. 9, Saline County Commissioners approved a resolution to reimburse itself for an amount not to exceed $3.5 million for capital expenditures associated with courthouse renovation and rehabilitation. The routine resolution allows the commission to pay obligations associated with the courthouse project as tax funds approved by voters in April are received...

County tax levy hearing set for Aug. 28 (08/21/08)
Presiding Commissioner Becky Plattner announced a public hearing on the tax levy will be held Thursday, Aug. 28, at 9:05 a.m., in the commission office. Plattner also said members of the Saline County Preservation Board will tour the courthouse Wednesday, Aug. 27, beginning at 3 p.m., as agreed at the board's meeting on Monday, Aug. 18. A representative of an architectural firm the board is considering for courthouse renovation will accompany the group...

Commissioners: County CART fund revenues down $50,000 so far this year (08/20/08)
At their regular meeting Wednesday, Aug. 20, Saline County Commissioners reported a decline in County Aid Road Trust fund receipts of more than $51,000 for the current year compared to last year in the same period. CART funds are a portion of Missouri's 17-cent gas tax. Detailed information about the funds and how they're distributed can be found at the Web site noted at the end of this story...

Courthouse preservation committee continues process of selecting architect (08/19/08)
Members of the Saline County Preservation Board met Monday, Aug. 18, to continue discussion of selection of an architect for the courthouse renovation project. The process of selecting an architect has slowed progress for the group in recent weeks. Collection of taxes for the project does not begin until October 1; actual funds will likely not be available until late in the year or early in 2009...

County sees drop in C.A.R.T. fund revenue (07/22/08)
Saline County Commissioners reported a continuing decline in C.A.R.T. funds receipts at their meeting Tuesday, July 22. July collections came in at $61,888.60, a sharp drop from last year's collections in the same period of $68,099.58. For the year, C.A.R.T. funds are down about $45,000...

Commission hires renovation project manager (06/05/08)
Saline County Commissioners approved a liquor license renewal for Bee Line Snack Shop in Marshall and signed a contract with Septagon for construction manager services during the upcoming courthouse renovation at their meeting Thursday, June 5. At the Thursday meeting, Lighthouse Shelter Executive Director Debbie Wallace announced an increase of $532 in an annual grant from the state's Emergency Shelter grant program, bringing the total contribution to $9,532 for 2008...

County commission approves truck purchase (05/21/08)
At its regular meeting, Wednesday, May 21, Saline County Commissioners unanimously approved the purchase of a 2001 AT9500 Sterling Daycab Truck from Midway Truck Center, Kansas City. Bids for the truck were opened Tuesday, May 20. Justin Cowart, supervisor of the county's road and bridge department, reviewed the bids and selected the Sterling AT9500, which will be purchased at a cost of $28,927...

County commission declines state loan (05/14/08)
At the request of City Administrator Charles Tryban, Saline County Commissioners approved use of the courthouse lawn and driveway for the annual band concert series beginning May 29 and ending in August at their regular meeting Wednesday, May 14. In other business, the commission unanimously voted to decline the offer of a loan of $30,000 from Missouri Department of Natural Resources' low-interest loan program. ...

Commissioners open bid for courthouse project (05/13/08)
Saline County Commissioners held their regular meeting Tuesday, May 13, approving a payroll schedule and routine transfers of funds. Only one bid was received for the position of construction manager for the courthouse renovation project scheduled to begin early in 2009. The commission tabled acceptance of the bid for further study...

1 bid received for construction manager on courthouse renovation (05/13/08)
County Commissioners held their regular meeting Tuesday, May 13, approving a payroll schedule and routine transfers of funds. Only one bid was received for the position of construction manager for the courthouse renovation project scheduled to begin early in 2009. The commission tabled acceptance of the bid for further study...

April election/Courthouse renovation tax gets nod from voters (04/09/08)
Editor's note: All vote totals below are unofficial preliminary tallies as of 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 9. The 1/4-cent sales tax to finance a major renovation of the Saline County Courthouse won handily in the local election Tuesday, April 8...

Commissioners make the case for courthouse renovation sales tax at Marshall Rotary meeting (03/14/08)
Two Saline County Commissioners were the guest speakers Thursday, March 13, at the Marshall Rotary Club meeting. Northern District Commissioner Norvelle "Brownie" Brown gave a presentation on why the 1/4-cent sales tax should be passed to preserve the 125-year-old courthouse...

County sales tax revenues take a dive in March (03/12/08)
The Saline County Commission released sales tax figures this week, and the numbers were underwhelming. In fact, the general sales tax revenues for March -- $90,363 -- were the lowest since the decade began, according to the report. The next lowest figure was $93,817 in March 2002. In March 2007, receipts were $106,173, and that was below the peak of $113,132 in March 2006...

Kinder presents Saline County Commission with $90,000 check for courthouse roof renovation (03/07/08)
The renovation of the Saline County Courthouse got its first big financial boost Thursday, March 6, when Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder visited to present the county commission with a $90,000 check. The money, which was rewarded through the Missouri Heritage Properties Program, is being used to partially fund a roof replacement for the 125-year-old building...

Election 2008/Who will vote, work the polls?/New generation of election workers gets a chance to help at polling places (02/05/08)
At least in the early part of the day Tuesday, Feb. 5, voter turnout locally was looking pretty good. Ed Richards, head election judge at Covenant Presbyterian Church's polling location said, "There have been more voters than I expected this early in the day."...

Commissioners: Courthouse renovation moving forward, Marshall Junction project stalled (01/14/08)
The citizens of Blackburn held a ham dinner Friday, Jan. 11, to honor the Saline County commissioners for their hard work and dedication. The event gave people a chance to ask commissioners about county business, and the two projects that dominated the conversation were the development of Marshall Junction and the courthouse renovation project...

Holiday concert Dec. 30 to feature Abdon, local singers and musicians (12/27/07)
The community is invited to attend a holiday concert at First Presbyterian Church (the "Rock" church) at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 30, that will include performances by a number of the community's musical standouts. Dan Abdon, son of Mary Ann Abdon, and 1983 graduate of Marshall High School, will be the featured soloist...

Courthouse preservation project takes another step forward (12/26/07)
"We are moving forward." Those were the words of Presiding Commissioner Becky Plattner, as the Saline County Commission approved a request from Saline County Preservation Committee Chairman Lucy Fletcher to make arrangements for placing the courthouse restoration issue on the April 2008 ballot...

Courthouse committee begins sifting through details of fix-up plan (11/28/07)
Members of the Saline County Courthouse Preservation Committee spent almost two hours Tuesday evening, Nov. 27, reviewing and discussing the details and complexities of the April 2007 feasibility report from Susan Richards Johnson & Associates of Kansas City (SRJ), with few firm decisions about how much or how little of the work should be done...

Commission OKs consultant for courthouse renovation (05/16/06)
During its regular session Tuesday morning, May 16, the Saline County Commission approved a consulting services proposal for renovation of the courthouse on the Marshall square and approved a request to add a part-time employee for the public administrator's office...

No proposals received for courthouse work (04/26/06)
One item anticipated by the Saline County Commission arrived Tuesday, April 25, and one did not. A used tractor from a Kansas dealer arrived for use by the county's Common Road District but no proposals regarding a planned courthouse renovation were received from architectural firms the commissioners had contacted...

2005 in review: Ethanol plant opens to spur county events during year (12/28/05)
Editor's note: This is the second of four articles looking back at 2005 in Saline County. The second quarter of 2005 in Saline County featured the grand opening of Mid-Missouri Energy's ethanol plant and a debate in the state General Assembly over funding for public school districts that promised a significant impact for schools across the county...

Commission exploring possibility of grants for courthouse renovation (05/26/05)
Saline County Commis-sion members announced on Wednesday morning that their meeting on Tuesday evening with Jo Ann Radetic, a certified local government coordinator with the state historic preservation commission, was extremely productive. The commission met with Radetic in an effort to have the Saline County Courthouse on the Marshall square certified as an official historic site. ...

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