Committee reviews courthouse grant, Courtroom 5C bids and parking-lot RFP

County staff updated the General Operations committee on multiple capital and facilities projects, including an upcoming RFQ for the Brown House, recent bid openings for Courtroom 5C construction, and a grant application for old courthouse repairs.

The chairman said the Brown House RFQ will open next Thursday. He also reported a bid opening for construction work on Courtroom 5C; the low bids exceeded the original budget estimate, which led staff to split the project into two phases so some work could be completed in the current budget year and some in the next.

On the vacant Gallatin Square courthouse, staff described a grant application due this Friday. If awarded, Phase 1 would cover mold remediation, encapsulation of the basement and drainage repairs. Phase 2 would prepare tenant spaces; staff said a potential subcommittee could be formed to plan tenant fit-out and tenanting strategies if the grant is awarded.

The committee also discussed a parking-lot repaving approach: rather than rebidding many small projects, staff intend to issue one consolidated RFP to cover several county parking lots to reduce procurement overhead, with a bid opening anticipated on Nov. 6 for one specific parking project.

Commissioners asked for a follow-up briefing on cost estimates and phasing for Courtroom 5C and the courthouse renovation; staff said they will invite department representatives to the next meeting to explain the scope breakdown and to clarify which tasks county highway crews will perform versus private contractors.

No formal votes were taken on these informational items during the meeting; staff will return with more detailed budgets and procurement documents.