An Indianapolis engineering firm will start to take a closer look at the exterior of the Montgomery County Courthouse.
On Monday, county commissioners accepted a professional design services agreement with DLZ for exterior improvements on the 147-year-old structure. As part of the agreement, the county will pay DLZ up to $132,000 for its services.
DLZ will work with county elected officials and staff to develop plans to improve all four facades of the courthouse, make roof repairs, clean the war memorials and add landscaping. DLZ plans to coordinate with Midland Engineering concerning their completed roof study.
DLZ will create drawings and specifications for the construction work, prepare bid documents and construction contracts and offer construction estimates for the project, which currently is estimated at $1.5 million to $2 million.
The county previously employed DLZ to prepare an initial study of the site.
Although the courthouse is not on the National Register of Historic Places, it is a part of the Crawfordsville Commercial Historic District, and DLZ plans to meet with the Indiana Landmarks Wester Regional Office and other historic preservation groups to discuss the scope of the work.
In other business, commissioners:
• Entered into an agreement with Deckard Engineering for survey work for the Purple Heart Parkway extension project. The company will provide a topographic survey, location control route survey and final drawings within 30 days at a cost of $17,500. This is a joint project between the city and county.
• Awarded Traffic Control Specialists Inc. of Knox, Indiana, a bid in the amount of $42,723 for lane striping in the following areas: Ladoga Road between C.R. 150S and Ladoga; C.R. 700E; C.R. 475W between C.R. 950S and C.R. 1200S; C.R. 400S between State Road 47 and C.R. 275W; Nucor Road between State Road 32 and Ladoga Road; C.R. 550N between U.S. 231 and C.R. 275E; C.R. 275E between C.R. 550N and C.R. 500N; C.R. 500N between C.R. 275E and Darlington town limits; and C.R. 650N between 100W and Old State Road 55.
• Issued notice to bidders for three bridge deck replacements projects in Brown and Franklin townships. Two of the bridges are on C.R. 950S between State Road 47 and C.R. 625W. The other is located on C.R. 700N between C.R. 950E and C.R. 900E. Sealed bids are due July 22 and will be opened July 25.
• Signed a memorandum of understanding between the county and the city of Crawfordsville in regards to the landfill cap stabilization project. Dirt stored at Random House will be moved to the landfill to fill in low areas as identified by Butler Fairman & Seifert. A ditch to convey water to a retention area will be re-established. The county and city will equally share the project costs. Commissioners also approved the authorization to seek bids for the project. Bids will be opened July 11 and awarded July 18 in a special commissioners’ meeting.
• Approved a professional services agreement for the county assessor’s office to have Schneider Geospatial LLC add county-generated documents to its website www.beacon.schneidercorp.com. The annual hosting fee is $672. This fulfills a state requirement.
• Approved, on final reading, an ordinance amending the county’s road stop schedule to have current yield sign on Old Oak Hill Road changed to a stop sign.
• Approved, on final reading, an ordinance creating the 2022-23 Drug Free Montgomery County Coalition Grant Fund. The fund will administer six mini-grants totaling $15,330 that was received for the county probation department.
• Approved a resolution declaring several pieces of office furniture as surplus following the relocation of offices from the first floor of the courthouse, the South Boulevard office and 308 W. Market St. to the new government center.
• Will submit the annual covered bridge certification to the state as required.