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Kootenai County commissioners hear $29M justice building update; staff to pursue lower-cost lobby seating
Summary
County staff updated commissioners on the justice building budget, contingencies and furniture package and were directed to pursue lower-cost beam-style lobby seating over wooden pews; final FF&E contract to be presented for approval at a special meeting.
Kootenai County commissioners on Tuesday received an update on the justice building construction budget and the county’s planned furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) purchases, and provided direction to staff on courtroom lobby seating.
The project’s current total — the guaranteed maximum price plus contingencies — stands at about $29,000,000, county project consultant David Mendez said. Mendez said the design contingency has been 69% spent, leaving about $271,000, and the construction contingency is about 34% used, leaving about $542,000. He warned that some contingency will be used as punch-list items and city reviews generate change requests.
The FF&E package from Contract Design, presented by Director Vohler, carries a bottom-line price of roughly $392,000 including installation. Vohler said that earlier proposals were trimmed by roughly $260,000 after substituting less-expensive desk lines and that quantity discounts reduced the price further. The packet includes quantities and samples for task chairs, guest chairs, judges’ chambers furniture, attorney seating and conference tables. Vohler said five chairs for the Board of County Commissioners were included at the board’s request and that the clerk’s office will bring several existing desks and receive privacy screens and low credenzas.
Why it matters: The commissioners will sign the FF&E contract at a special meeting and a 50% deposit invoice will be required to place orders; choices now affect long-lead time items and budget contingencies.
Commissioners and staff also discussed seating for the public areas outside courtrooms. Staff presented three options: solid wood pews (the most durable and historically consistent option, priced in staff materials at about $32,000–$33,000), a wood base with padded seat (midrange option), and beam-style (airport-style) seating (about half the cost of pews, roughly $16,000). Bailiffs and staff expressed a preference for a durable, easy-to-clean product. After discussion the board gave direction to pursue the less-expensive beam-style seating as the preferred option; staff will proceed to include that seating option in the final FF&E package to be brought to the board for approval at the upcoming special meeting.
Several smaller FF&E clarifications were noted: courtroom attorney tables are being priced as a match to the courtroom benches, whiteboards in conference rooms were changed from glass to standard whiteboards to reduce glare and allow projection, and some additional spare chairs were proposed as an optional add-on.
No formal motion to purchase furniture was made in the discussion; the formal contract and a 50% deposit request will be presented at the special meeting for board approval. Staff also noted outstanding items that could affect the FF&E or soft-cost budgets, including courtroom electronic equipment with an unclear state funding commitment and small appliance purchases (refrigerators, microwaves).
Additional context: Project documents in the meeting packet show the original GMP was about $28,000,000 and earlier contingency estimates were roughly $30,000,004.40 before adjustments. Mendez cautioned the bottom-line project number will continue to shift as punch-list and site-review items arise.
