Commissioners approve advertising for criteria architect for county facilities master plan phase 2

County facilities staff updated the Warren County Board of Commissioners on the county facilities master plan and obtained approval to advertise for a criteria architect to scope phase 2 projects.

Trevor (county facilities staff) said phase 1 work is “in the home stretch,” including demolition of the old jail, sheriff’s office and SWAT garage, and the recently completed County Court Building into which courts moved about a month earlier. Site work for the criminal suppression headquarters is also underway.

Nut graf: Staff told commissioners that phase 2 planning would focus on siting a new Facilities Management building (to free space) and a new Health and Human Services building sited where the old jail had been, in order to use a contiguous parking area estimated at about 700 spaces. Staff asked permission to advertise for a criteria architect, a state code requirement for design‑build projects, to define scope and produce budget estimates for the projects.

Budget and procurement: County staff said budget authority for the criteria architect was included in this year’s budget. A resolution to advertise a request for qualifications for criteria architect services for County Master Plan Phase 2 projects was read and moved. Roll call votes recorded Commissioner Gressman: yes; Commissioner Jones: yes. The resolution was called and moved; staff said advertising would proceed if commissioners wished.

Other discussion: Commissioner Jones asked whether the county is maximizing use of existing building space before pursuing new construction; Trevor acknowledged vacant space exists in the current building and agreed to factor capacity review into phase 2 planning.

Ending: Staff said the criteria architect would prepare scope and budget options for commissioner review; the county has not committed to final construction and will present findings for a future decision.