Hall County Commissioners, (Carol Bryant, Central Nebraska Today)
GRAND ISLAND — The Hall County Board of Commissioners voted 5-2 Tuesday to move ahead with getting the latest set of architects’ plans to build an addition to the Hall County Courthouse and forward them to the Nebraska State Supreme Court for approval.
The Supreme Court approval is required for modifications to courthouses. Commissioners Gary Quandt and Karen Bredthauer voted against the motion, made by Commissioner Jane Richardson. Richardson said after the meeting that the latest cost estimate for the courthouse project was between $35 million and $41 million.
The commissioners are working with Davis Design, based in Lincoln. Steve Severson, an architect with Davis Design, attended Tuesday’s meeting.
Hall County District Judge Andrew Butler and County Court Judge Art Wetzel attended Tuesday’s meeting to express their concern about the lack of progress on the project.
Wetzel noted that it’s been a year since commissioners hired an architect.
“I am disgusted by the way this has been handled,” Wetzel said. “The architects have been hired for over a year, and we don’t even have a plan.”
Commissioner Gary Quandt has described the proposed courthouse plan a “Taj Mahal.” Wetzel said he disagreed with that description.
After the architectural plans have been completed, they have to be submitted to the State Supreme Court for approval. Corey Steel is the State Court Administrator and appeared by a Zoom connection at Tuesday’s meeting. Steel said after the meeting that the architectural plans are submitted to him, then go to the State Supreme Court for review. He said that review should take less than one month.
At the start of the courthouse discussion, Board Chairman Ron Peterson said that after considering various alternatives, the Board needed to move ahead with an addition to the existing courthouse.
Wetzel was visibly upset at Tuesday’s meeting.
“This board voted two months ago to proceed with an addition,” Wetzel said. He said he was “disgusted” with the progress. “We need to move on with this addition. Let’s get this done. Let’s move on.”
Butler asked the Commissioners to “get a plan decided and move forward.”
Commissioner Jane Richardson said the courthouse project has been “frustrating.”
Commissioner Karen Bredthauer said, “This is a big undertaking of the taxpayer.” She said a 20-year bond would be needed to finance the project.
Bredthauer gave examples of how Hall County residents are struggling financially and wants to see the least expensive option for the courthouse addition selected.
“We are working for the people. Families are suffering,” she said. Bredthauer noted that she is 100 percent behind building a courthouse addition.
Commissioners Quandt and Bredthauer gave examples of courtroom sizes in other counties such as in Broken Bow for Custer County.
Wetzel said, ‘We’ve got to get something put together. …Here we sit.”
Commissioner Pam Lancaster said the $40 million cost was just an estimate, and the actual cost would not be known until commissioners received bids.
“We’re looking for the best value,” Lancaster said. She noted that all of the commissioners are concerned about the cost effect on taxpayers.
Quandt gave statistics to illustrate courtroom usage, such as number of jury trials.
Judge Butler said, “We’re booked solid.”
Wetzel said he knew that the project was a difficult one for commissioners.
“It’s not going to get cheaper the longer we go,” he said.
In another matter, commissioners voted 7-0 to pay Hall County Veteran Service Officer Don Shuda $3,000 a year for his work on the Nebraska Veterans Cemetery project. Commissioner Gary Quandt brought the matter forward, noting the amount of time that Shuda is spending on the project. Quandt suggested that Shuda be paid $500 a month, but other commissioners thought that amount was too high. During the public comment portion of the meeting, former Grand Island Mayor Jay Vavricek appeared to support having Shuda be a local supervisor/coordinator of the project.
In other action, the Board voted 7-0 to award a bid for box culverts to Heartland for $99,397.
The Board voted 7-0 to add a paralegal position to the Hall County Attorney’s Office. County Attorney Marty Klein said his office was “short” four deputy county attorneys.
