Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Facility Maintenance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rankin County board authorizes administrator to seek architect for Justice Center roof and HVAC upgrades
Summary
The Rankin County Board of Supervisors voted to give the county administrator authority to negotiate with an architect to design roof replacement and HVAC upgrades for the Justice Center; board members discussed using bond proceeds and whether firm JH&H would be automatically assigned to the work.
The Rankin County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 30 authorized County Administrator Caroline Gilbert to enter conversations with a specific architect and develop design specifications and a bid package to replace the roof and upgrade HVAC systems at the Justice Center and Circuit Building.
County staff told the board that one option is to hire an architect to prepare specifications and that the board has previously worked with JH&H on bond projects. Caroline Gilbert said JH&H has been “very familiar with the Justice Center” from past work but cautioned that, “They are only working on bond projects that are assigned to them, and the Justice Center is not one of those. So if y’all decide you want to go in that direction and you wanna use bond proceeds, we would have to have that conversation with JH&H. It would not be automatic.”
The supervisors debated adding the item as additional business. An initial motion to add the item to the agenda failed after at least one member abstained; the board then reconsidered and later approved adding the item. The board subsequently approved a motion granting the county administrator authority to conduct negotiations with the architect, including developing specifications and a bid package for roof and HVAC work.
Officials discussed funding options. Board members said they were “kind of leaning towards using bond proceeds” to pay for the upgrades, but Gilbert and other staff emphasized that assignment of JH&H to the project would require a separate conversation and was not automatic.
Staff also said a mechanical engineer would be engaged to prepare specifications and that the county would negotiate the architect’s fee after bringing a proposed professional services agreement back for board approval. No final vendor contract or dollar amount for design or construction was approved at the meeting.
The board’s action was limited to authorizing the county administrator to pursue conversations and negotiations; any contract award or use of bond proceeds will require subsequent board approval.
The discussion on the Justice Center followed other routine business on the Sept. 30 agenda and was recorded under additional business before the board recessed for an executive-session discussion of litigation.
