Riley County to ask consultants to study courthouse, health department and other facilities; county counselor suggests reviewing prior church study

Riley County commissioners on March 20 directed staff to prepare draft request-for-qualifications (RFQs) for a series of space-needs studies covering the courthouse, the health department, community corrections, the county attorney's office and other facilities.

County Counselor Bridal Parker told the commission staff and an identified colleague, "John," already had draft RFQs and that the goal was to keep the solicitations concise so consultants would provide focused responses. Parker said the RFQs will be kept to about 10 pages to avoid unnecessary burdens on respondents.

Parker recommended the RFQ scope include separate studies for each building so each consultant could focus on the specific needs of that site. "We're gonna have separate RFPs or separate consultants for each building," a commissioner agreed in discussion. Commissioners also discussed whether to combine certain workstreams when it made financial or logistical sense, such as using a consultant who already studied one health department site to continue into design work if selected.

A substantial part of the discussion centered on whether the county's space-needs study should ask consultants to revisit a previously completed evaluation of a nearby historic Christian church property that had been considered as a courthouse site in the past. Parker said the church is listed (i.e., subject to historic-preservation constraints) and that the earlier study had concluded the building was not feasible in its then-present state. Parker suggested the new consultant could review that prior study to determine whether its conclusions still apply given the county's current needs.

"It might make sense to include in our space needs study an evaluation of whether the church could be used for the courts," Parker said, adding that any such evaluation should proceed assuming the building remains subject to historic restrictions and that a consultant would not need to "reinvent the wheel" but could check whether prior findings remain applicable.

Commissioners and staff discussed the utility of having department-level and staff-only meetings before meeting with the governing body to consolidate feedback and limit long full-commission sessions. Parker said staff will circulate draft RFQs for review and suggested the consultants' review of the prior church assessment could support any future documentation the county may need to present to the State Historic Preservation Office.

No formal vote was taken on policy direction at the March 20 meeting; staff were asked to prepare the RFQs and to include, by commission direction, the option to have a consultant review the prior church study.

Why it matters: The county is considering multiple facility changes that could affect how and where county services are delivered, how courtroom space is provided, and whether an historic building previously discussed as a courthouse remains a viable option. A consultant review could also affect future communications with the State Historic Preservation Office or any decisions that require a public record of alternatives considered.

What happens next: Staff will finalize RFQ language and circulate drafts to the commission for comment before issuing the solicitations. Commissioners said they expect separate RFQs for the courts, the health department and other facilities but left open where certain efficiencies (for example, design continuation) could reduce overall costs.