Commissioners approve the courthouse renovation, but the council disagrees

A joint session with the Pulaski County commissioners and council to discuss the renovations of the courthouse had the two groups in disagreement. 
The session began with those in the audience who wanted to speak having a chance to voice their concerns. At the time some held their tongues because they weren’t going to comment until they knew how the commissioners and council were going to vote. 
What they ended up hearing was a review of the project and some of the project options plus the different costs. Those in the audience were also given some insight as to how the commissioners and the council feel about the project. 
Maintenance supervisor Jeff Johnston addressed the council, asking the council for direction in regards to the courthouse renovation and addition. The council and commissioners have been talking about the courthouse structure problems for about a year and a half. Johnston said he has been working on the project for about three years. 
He then gave a recap of the project for those in the audience including the different options and costs. While he was speaking about the project, some in the audience asked questions. 
Johnston said the most costly part of the project is the courthouse renovations, not the proposed courthouse addition. The proposed courthouse project includes renovation to the current building and an addition for a cost of about $8.5 million. The repairs to the current building are estimated to be $1.1 million. Johnston said the majority of that cost is the exterior of the building. The interior work on the courthouse is estimated to be $2.5 million. The addition is estimated to be $2.8 million. 
He estimated that a new building that is 9,625 square feet would cost about $2.4 million. That cost would not include repairs to the courthouse. If those costs were taken into consideration it would be about $6 million. That option is about $500,000 short of the current proposed courthouse renovation and addition. With the soft costs he estimated the project to be about $8 million. 
Building a new building that is equivalent to the current courthouse space of 22,000 square feet will cost about $5.5 million. Johnston said that price does not include the price of the property or the price of a parking lot. “We would still have to repair the courthouse because it is still a public building,” he said. With the soft costs he estimated the project to be about $9 million. 
Johnston said they also looked into moving the courtroom in the courthouse to the justice center. Again the costs to renovate the justice center and still repair the courthouse would be about the same in costs as the other projects. 
Several people agreed that the building needs to be ADA compliant, but many questioned putting more money into the courthouse building because it is a relic. 
Commissioner Larry Brady made a motion to move forward with the renovation and addition of the courthouse and for it to be started as soon as possible so that the next county officials cannot stop the project. Commissioner Terry Young seconded the motion and it passed with opposition from commissioner Bud Krohn Jr.  
Councilman Mike Tiede questioned if it was illegal for the commissioners to spend money without the approval of the council. Brady made an amendment to the motion stating that the project move forward, “ pending the council approval.” His motion passed with the commissioners, but with opposition from Krohn Jr. 
Tiede made a motion to not fund the project because of the controversy surrounding the project and because there will be new elected officials taking office in January. The motion was seconded by Roth. The motion was approved. Alex Haschel abstained from the vote because she came into the meeting late.