The planning stages for a project to renovate the Guernsey County Juvenile Probation Department at the county courthouse in Cambridge have been placed on hold while officials seek a legal opinion regarding projects requiring a public bidding process.
During a meeting Thursday hosted by county commissioners, Jennifer Zaayer of the county prosecuting attorney’s office said she would research the issue prior to Ron Van Wey of V2 Architects completing the final plan drawings for the renovations.
Those in attendance including county construction and IT leaders, juvenile probation and court officials, Van Wey and commissioners, agreed to return on April 14 to hear the opinion of the county’s legal team based on the Ohio Revised Code.
Commissioner Jack Marlin said the county maintenance and IT departments seek to do as much of the renovation work as possible in place of outside contractors, but they will still need the architectural background of Van Wey and contractors for some of the work.
“What we need is some architectural drawings and the HVAC, electrical and the flooring are going to probably have to be bid out,” said Marlin. “The bottom line is we’re trying to save the county money. If we can do some of this in house…the right way…that’s what we want to do.”
The issue centers around a $50,000 project cap set by Ohio law to determine if public bidding is required, and if that cap applies to work done by the county construction or IT crews.
If the project exceeds the cap and requires a public bidding process, that would increase the overall cost due to legal requirements for wages and other items.
“We are on the same page,” agreed Van Wey, who advised his company would create the plans and obtain the necessary permits for the project when officials determine how they want to proceed with the renovations.
Van Wey previously pledged to help the county “streamline” the project.
More:County looking to streamline costs for juvenile probation renovations
If allowed to complete the work, Maintenance Director Todd Carpenter said his crews would handle the demolition of the existing walls and ceiling grid before installing the new framing, drywall and ceiling.
Demolition and construction of the floor would be handled by an outside contractor along with heating, air conditioning and electrical work.
IT Manager Kenny Mathews said his department will handle installing telephone and computer lines.
Once the construction plans are finalized, estimates by the various departments and bids submitted by outside contractors will determine the final project cost.
At a previous meeting, county officials discussed using juveniles on probation to assist with some of the work including demolition. The group opted Thursday to eliminate such work by juveniles, but agreed with approval from Judge David Bennett that they could be used to help move items from the building prior to construction.
The group also discussed the necessary work to temporarily relocate probation department staff to a building occupied by the Guernsey County Title Department and prosecutor’s office at the corner of Wheeling Avenue and North Fourth Street.
Carpenter said he expects to have that work completed by the end of April or early in May, and Mathews committed to having the IT services available for a June move.
Once the move is complete, demolition work will begin at the courthouse. The project is estimated to take 60 to 90 days to complete based on the availability of materials and contractors.
In other business, commissioners approved:
- A $128,290.42 quote by Mid Ohio Valley Integrated Systems of Marietta to repair door indicators on the PLC touchscreen systems at the Guernsey County Jail. The quote includes new locks, door position switches and miscellaneous items needed to complete the repairs. The cost will be paid from the County Building Fund.
- Ascent Resources of Cambridge to lay, maintain, operate, repair and replace, if necessary, temporary, above-ground temporary waterlines in a 30-foot wide strip of land on parcel #44-00734.00. The five-year agreement is for the purpose of transporting fresh water to and from water impoundment facilities and/or well pads.
Guernsey County commissioners meet each Tuesday and Thursday in the County Administration Building at 627 Wheeling Ave. Call the office, 740-432-9200, for more information or to be placed on the schedule to meet with commissioners.