Reno County selects Landmark Architects to design health department renovation

The Reno County Commission voted unanimously to hire Landmark Architects to design renovations of the Reno County Health Department, commissioners said during a regular meeting.

Commissioners Parks, Vincent, Winger, Hurst and Boebner voted to approve the selection after a review panel interviewed eight firms and recommended Landmark Architects as the top choice. The commission’s motion to designate Landmark as the design firm passed without further amendment and staff said a formal contract will be presented to the commission at a later meeting.

County staff told commissioners the selection followed a request for qualifications process intended to prioritize professional qualifications over price. A panel that included Commissioner Parks, Commissioner Winger, Kyle (facilities director), Carla (health department director), an intern and county staff interviewed all eight firms and narrowed the list before recommending Landmark Architects. Randy (staff member) told the commission the panel’s recommendation emphasized keeping the work local where feasible.

Commissioners and staff said the project will address several facility issues identified by the health department, including the lack of an ADA-compliant public entrance, improving internal flow for clients and adding exam rooms, conference space and storage. County staff said the health department building is a collection of structures dating to 1982 and that renovations are intended to update the facility for long-term use.

Officials said design work is expected to proceed this year, with construction targeted to begin next year after a planned relocation of EMS operations. Staff described the funding source as the county’s health capital outlay fund, which currently holds “a little over a million dollars,” and said the county performs year-end transfers into that reserve; staff did not specify a final project budget at the meeting.

Commissioners discussed the advantage of using a local architect to reduce travel costs and improve on-site oversight during design and construction. Commissioners and staff also noted that, because the county used a qualifications-based selection, final fees will be negotiated in the coming contract; if negotiations do not match the county’s internal budget, the county may reopen selection.

The commission was told the next step is to return with a formal agreement for Landmark Architects on a future consent agenda. No legal statutes or ordinance numbers were cited during the discussion.

Votes at a glance: - Motion: Accept consent agenda as proposed. Outcome: Approved (5–0). No additional details on consent items were discussed during the meeting. - Motion: Approve Landmark Architects as the firm to provide design services for the health department. Outcome: Approved (5–0). A contract will be presented to the commission for approval at a later meeting.

The commission did not provide a project construction budget at the meeting, and staff said specific contractor fees and the final contract amount will be determined through negotiations and later presented to the commission.