The Facilities and Properties committee of the quorum court met Thursday afternoon to consider some repairs needed at the Eastern District courthouse in Berryville.
The southwest corner of the building, where the courtroom is located, has been slowly sinking. Justice of the Peace Chuck Olson said he had received several bids, all in a range of $10,000 to $11,000.
Contractors all proposed similar plans, to dig alongside the footing and add concrete to keep the floor from sinking further. Olson said jacking the floor back up closer to its original position would cause secondary problems, and the committee members agreed on stabilizing the floor in its present location.
The committee considered a lower bid, but that bid included more contingency prices, for large roots or other unexpected problems. Olson said he thought a turnkey price would serve the county better. County Judge Sam Barr agreed, and approved the recommendation from the committee to select RamJack, headquartered in Ada, Okla. RamJack entered a bid of $10,600.
No one on the committee had dealt with any of the contractors, but Olson had researched the companies on the Internet, and RamJack had high marks. He also mentioned that two of the bidders “got out and just glanced at it,” but the RamJack representative took time to assess the project. “They brought in a laser level, and they impressed me as the most technical,” he said. RamJack will guarantee its repairs for the life of the building.
JP Jack Deaton pointed out that two of the bidders required half of the payment in advance, and Barr said he did not know if the county could pay before completion of a project.
The project may threaten a tree in front of the courthouse that provides shade for benches where smokers congregate while waiting their turn in court. Olson asked Barr if removing the tree would create problems, and Barr laughed as he said, “I’ll be more than happy to tell the people that Chuck wanted that tree removed.”
Olson said the line item for maintenance currently does not have sufficient funds, but by the time an invoice comes in, the quorum court will have an opportunity to transfer more money.
Before a contractor begins work, Barr said he would check the schedule for circuit court, to make sure that the project, which should take only a few days, does not disrupt court proceedings.
The committee briefly discussed other areas of attention on the building. Guttering would help protect foundations, and would also keep rainwater off walls and windowsills. Surface excavation would also help move water away from the foundation.
“We’re stuck with this building for a long time,” Deaton said. “It’s going to get worse if we don’t do something about it.”