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Todd County to seek bids for courthouse cupola, trim and window repairs after historic‑preservation review
Summary
Facilities staff recommended and the board agreed to take the courthouse exterior historic‑trim and cupola restoration to bid; consultant estimated a high‑end cost near $483,000 and staff identified the county building‑improvement fund as the likely source.
Todd County facilities staff recommended the county put the courthouse exterior historic‑trim and cupola restoration out to bid after a March 18 work session in which staff summarized design constraints imposed by historic‑preservation review and the difficulty of accessing the upper features.
Why it matters: the courthouse is on the historic registry, so materials and methods must meet state historic‑preservation standards; that raises costs and limits which contractors can perform the work.
Staff told the board consulting firm Winseth estimated a high‑end project cost at about $483,000. That estimate reflects substantial scaffold and access costs for the cupola and custom replacement material for historic trim, soffits and windows. Staff explained that custom reproductions and scaffold mobilization make partial repairs expensive because fabricators often require minimum production runs.
Funding: staff reviewed the county’s building‑improvement fund balance. Materials provided to the board listed an end‑of‑year 2024 balance of $1,577,424.73 and showed the county budgeted additional 2025 deposits; staff said the running balance before starting a historic repair project was approximately $1.63 million (materials cited $1,627,209.69, described as the pre‑project balance after other committed building expenses).
Board decision: after discussion about scope and procurement options, staff recommended and the board directed staff to go out for competitive bids for the full restoration scope and return after the bid opening with firm prices and a recommended contract award. Commissioners noted bids could be rejected if prices exceeded the county’s comfort level; staff said the board could choose not to proceed after seeing actual bids.
Ending: staff will proceed to solicit bids under the county’s procurement process and report back with bid results and a recommendation on award and funding sources. The board did not approve construction work at this meeting; it only approved moving to formal bidding.
