~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
The cost of the decades-overdue update of the HVAC system at the courthouse has more than doubled since the county supervisors agreed by consensus in 2018 to move ahead with the project.
No action was taken in 2018, but American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, the Covid-19 pandemic’s silver lining, made the project finally look possible.
That was until BBS Architects provided the 2022 cost.
“I’m disappointed. The project costs for the courthouse HVAC and restroom renovations have gone way out of reach,” supervisor Dawn Rudolph told the supervisors at the May 31 meeting.
“The costs are nowhere near figures we’ve seen previously,” she said. “This has been discussed for years and I’ve made it a personal goal to get it accomplished.”
The board discussed a meeting department heads had last week with representatives of BBS in which an estimate for updating the HVAC and restrooms was given at $3.4 million. Many associated costs were reportedly not included in that estimate.
The cost estimate in 2015 was $1.4 million. The supervisors were told in 2018 to expect an increase of 6-8 percent from that earlier estimate, or about $1.5 million.
The board earlier this year planned to use ARPA funds for the project. This funding to Greene County totals nearly $1.73 million, half of which is now in county coffers. The supervisors have previously said they did not want to go into debt for the project but would authorize spending the entire ARPA funding for it.
Board chair John Muir at the Tuesday meeting said, “We’ll have to take smaller steps, consider priorities like whether a new jail is a necessity.”
“We can survive without (new) air conditioning, but we have to make improvements,” Rudolph said, citing a discussion she and engineer Wade Weiss had about the courthouse boiler being at its “end of life.”
Weiss recommended another meeting with BBS representatives and Rudolph recommended prioritizing needs.
In other business, the board unanimously approved an agreement with ISG for architectural services for a new Greene County jail. The minutes did not name the amount to be paid for the services nor the scope of services, and there was no discussion of the agreement during the meeting. County auditor Jane Heun told GCNO she was not provided the amount, and that the supervisors had seen the agreement last fall but not acted on it.
Sheriff Jack Williams told GCNO the amount in the agreement is $17,000. IGS will perform site due diligence and provide a conceptual site plan, a visualization plan, and pre-referendum support.
The board received a $22,041.50 quote from Unplugged Wireless for a new outdoor storm siren system to be installed at Spring Lake.
Williams told the board all county systems have been done through Unplugged Wireless and a new storm siren for Spring Lake would be connected to the county emergency alert system.
Williams said the new alert could be set off from dispatch at the Law Enforcement Center.
The board discussed funding for the system and Williams offered to apply any funds remaining in his budget at the end of the current fiscal year on June 30 to the storm alert system.
No action was taken.
The board unanimously approved an agreement between Greene County Medical Center public health and the Sheriff’s office for public health nurse services for inmates. Details of the agreement were not discussed and were not provided in the minutes.
Supervisor Rudolph reported she and county attorney Thomas Laehn had attended a meeting with Central Iowa Community Services where Laehn’s recommendations for changes in the 28E agreement between CICS and member counties were reviewed. Laehn has previously explained these changes to the supervisors.
“The group was receptive to the changes,” Laehn said.
“Thomas will work with the region’s attorney to take out parts not needed,” Rudolph said. “There could be possible approval in July.”
Chair Muir asked about the recodification of ordinances project and whether existing amendments could be combined.
“We have ordinances that are not followed,” Muir said.
“The fewer ordinances, the better,” Laehn said, “We should get all ordinances into a standardized format.”
Laehn has previously explained recodification as a re-boot where any ordinance not included is automatically repealed.
Supervisor Pete Bardole reported to the board on changes the Bell Tower Foundation has made to the daily live concerts played on the bells by Mahanay Maestros during previous summer concert seasons.
The concerts were from 12:15 pm to 12:30 pm each afternoon with Maestros choosing their own music.
Bardole said the plan is to record music played by the Maestros so it can be stored and played at other times.
Peg Raney, music director for the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower, spoke to the board to explain.
“It’s difficult to get people to play every day. The Chews Jefferson concerts on Wednesdays were popular with the focus group so we’re changing the focus to only have concerts on Wednesdays,” Raney said.
The Chews Jefferson concert promotion asks residents and visitors to purchase to-go meals at local restaurants to eat downtown during the live bell music 12:15 to 12:30.
Raney said the electronic system in the bell tower provides for recording bell music as it is played. Bill Monroe is the long-time director of electronic music for the tower.
“We will ask Maestros to play and record songs in 18 categories and that will give us more options,” Raney said. “Maestros can choose their own songs.”
The board adjourned to a drainage district meeting to amend the 2022 drainage district assessments schedule approved at the meeting May 23.
Drain clerk Michelle Fields explained the wrong branch of DD102 had been listed in the previous schedule.
The board unanimously approved the new 2022 assessments schedule.
