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County gets Courthouse updates from TLM and Agee Designs
WILLIAM NORTHCUTT
Staff Reporter
The Dyer County Building Committee met on October 3 with members of TLM, the architectural company heading the Courthouse renovation project, and with Jessi Agee Designs, the interior design company responsible for interior furnishings in offices, courtrooms, and conference rooms.
Building members attending included Chair Hunter Jackson, Debra Roberson, Steve Sartin, and Doug Singleteary; Bradley Gray and Dob Johnson were absent. Dyer County Mayor Quick and Administrative Assistant Beverly Ellington attended as did Judge Tony Childress, Judge Mark Hayes, Dyer County Chancery Court Clerk Cindy Rose, Dyer County Circuit Court Clerk Tom “T.J.” Jones,” Dyer County Register of Deeds Danny Fowlkes. Attending from TLM was Architectural Designer Christi Boone. From MSB Construction were Jake Straka and Steve Weingardener, and from Hunter Industrial, Greg Hunter. There to discuss furniture orders was Jessi Agee of Jessi Agee Designs.
Jackson told committee members that the new Bogota fire department building will need an incoming 4” water line of 1,200 linear feet and that the cost will total $15,958. Roberson made a motion to approve, Sartin seconded, and the motion carried.
Exterior update
An update was given on the date of completion. Jackson noted that because of the restoration and coating of the stairs on each side of the courthouse, contractors would need an additional 30 days. Singleteary motioned to approve, and Roberson seconded.
Jackson asked whether he could make that deadline, and Weingardener confirmed that the work would be completed. He said, We’re getting to the nitty gritty now.” He pointed out that the areas were chipped and needed more repair.
Quick said, “I’m not as concerned about a timeline as quality.” Hunter said, “We’re going to make sure that’s what we’re doing.” He continued that when his crew got to the brick, “There were things you can’t see [from below] that needed removing.” Quick noted some light color on some of the bricks, but Hunter told him that it is the “nature of the brick.” He said, “We’re talking about a 150 [sic] year old building, but,” he continued, “if it’s possible to fix, we’ll fix it.”
Boone then discussed the RFP (request for proposal) changes. She noted RFP 4 contains a downspout, a leader box, and a bird screen for a total of $5,065. RFP 5 A would replace five worn fabric awnings with five new ones at a cost of $7,490 or metal ones, RFP 5 B, at $16,190.
Jackson noted that the frames for the awnings were still in good shape. He asked, “ Can we get a bronze fabric?” Straka replied that they could.
Quick asked whether local contractors could be used. He added that he liked the fabric.
Boone said, “Fabric gives a more welcoming look.” She remarked that fabric was more in line with the tradition of the courthouse and would prefer it to the more modern look of the metal awnings.
RFP 4 and 5 A would total $12,554, whereas RFP 4 and 5 B, with the metal awnings, would total around $20,000.
Boone noted that if any of the work comes under the amounts, the money would go back to the county.
Singleteary made a motion to accept RFP 4 and 5 A. Roberson seconded. Singleteary asked for confirmation that November 4 would still be deadline. Strake replied that it would take 4-6 weeks.
Quick mentioned to Straka that some of the construction duties had resulted in broken bricks on the walkways, but Straka told him that his company would replace the bricks. Weingardener noted that the crews had put down mats and taken precautions.
Interior update
Weingardener told the committee, “The millwork won’t be ready until December 6.” He also noted that the new windows should all be installed by the middle of the week (October 7-11). He said that then that the goal is to complete Rose and Fowlkes’s offices by the first week of November. He added that they are working on the chancery court but are waiting for the millwork to be completed.
Boone noted that RFP 3, doors and hardware, total $14,435, and RFP 5R2, to adjust corridor doors to meet the seven-foot height requirement, which would “maintain integrity” in the building. These would total $2,563, which would leave around $4,061 in contingency funds. Singleteary remarked that with only 40% of the work complete, they are left with only $4,000 in that continency plan. “But,” he concluded, “I don’t see that we have any choice.” He made a motion to approve, and Sartin seconded.
Jones had some concerns about the entrance door to his office, specifically being too accessible to courthouse visitors. He was assured that the door would be in a secured location.
Agee’s furnishing plans
Agee presented a full furniture package to the committee. She showed those at the meeting a placement plan as well as photos and illustrations various chairs and benches for offices, conference areas, and the courtrooms. Commissioners mildly disagreed about the choice of plastic seated/metal framed chairs for courtroom visitors. Agee noted that they had wanted to save as much money as possible without sacrificing quality. Jackson agreed and said that the chairs would be “more sanitary, easier to clean.”
Roberson stated that stack chairs “look awful” and expressed concern about the overall look of them in the historic building. However, she said she would accept those chairs if the other members of the committee wanted them.
Discussing juror seating in the courtroom, Hayes requested chairs that would tilt back, citing the long days jurors undergo during trials. Sartin asked that the tables used for the CLB meetings be 36” across instead of the proposed 30” tables, saying that the smaller tables would not give enough workspace to the commissioners.
The original limit of expenditures sat at $200,000, but Agee noted that the total was now $156,000. Changes would bring the cost to $165,000. Singleteary made a motion to approve. Sartin seconded, and the motion carried. Agee said that she plans to make the order with the Omni company by October 25. She remarked that the fee for installation equaled $15,000 but that the price might get reduced.