Platte County Commission approves two ARPA-funded change orders for courthouse repairs

The Platte County Commission on May 5 approved two change orders using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to continue renovation and exterior repair work at the county courthouse and an adjacent juvenile administration building. The commission voted 3-0 to approve both items during a special meeting called to manage ARPA-funded projects.

County Administrator Wes Minder told commissioners that Straub Construction is handling the interior courthouse renovation and that the third change order for that contract is about $55,000, covering added doors requested by staff, repairs to clogged sanitary lines and structural restoration where old openings in interior brick walls had caused cracking. "The project is still on target to be complete this September," Minder said. He said the county had budgeted "approximately $500,000 as a contingency" for the overall project and that "with this change order, we'll have approximately $56,000 left of that $500,000." The commission approved the change order (agenda item 2025CO004) by roll call, with Commissioners Berger, Baker and Rivera voting yes.

Minder also presented a third change order (agenda item 2025CO005) with Access Construction to complete exterior soffit repairs on the courthouse and to apply similar restoration work to the juvenile administration building. He said three of the courthouse's four exterior sides were finished and that the amendment includes restoring an outside barrier on the 1970s expansion that had not been in the original scope. "When we're complete, the entire wood exterior of the courthouse will be restored and protected," Minder said. The commission approved that change order 3-0 as well.

Both items were handled as business action items during the special meeting called to manage ARPA projects; the transcript contains presentations and brief descriptions by the county administrator followed by motions and unanimous roll-call approval. The record does not specify individual motion or second makers by name beyond the roll-call votes. No additional budget allocations, amendments to the contingency figure beyond the amounts Minder stated, or implementation deadlines beyond the September completion target for the courthouse renovation were specified in the discussion.

The change orders cover contractor work with Straub Construction and Access Construction and are part of a phased renovation that has completed Phase 1 (lower-level work and Division 5 courtroom renovation) and is in Phase 2 (second-floor work including a new courtroom on the south side, expansion of Division 2, reconstruction of open office security space and an ADA-compliant restroom). The commission adjourned at 10:29 a.m.