by April Scheinoha
Reporter
The third floor of the Pennington County Government Center (formerly known as the courthouse) has been a ghost town since court administration moved to the Justice Center. The Pennington County Board has now started moving forward on plans for that area.
At their meeting Tuesday, Nov. 23, commissioners agreed to work with Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. on the potential project. The two groups will meet sometime in the future to formally discuss possible plans and the cost. BKV Group and Foss Architecture & Interiors also provided their qualifications.
Commissioner Darryl Tveitbakk recommended SEH since the firm is already working on the new hangar at the Thief River Falls Regional Airport. He said he has been more satisfied with its work and responsiveness compared to BKV Group, which provided architectural design services for the Justice Center.
For years, commissioners have talked about the desire to move the remainder of the Human Services Department to the third floor of the Government Center. Currently, the Child Support Division works on the second floor and others work at the PCHS building along Knight Avenue. Commissioners have briefly discussed selling the Knight Avenue building if PCHS’ operations are consolidated at the Government Center.
However, commissioners are keeping an open mind, especially since they also realize that County Assessor’s Office staff are cramped in their office on the second floor of the Government Center.
“We need more discussion and as many ideas as possible,” said Commissioner Bruce Lawrence, who noted there was also the possibility of the county leasing space to another government entity similar to its agreement with probation.
No matter what commissioners decide regarding the Knight Avenue building, one thing is certain: The HVAC system needs to be replaced. The building is served by two units cobbled together from two separate buildings, Tveitbakk said. The larger unit, which is at least 20 years old, has broken down and replacement parts are no longer available. Employees have been plugging in space heaters under their desks until county leaders have decided how they wish to proceed.
American Rescue Plan Act funding can be used for the HVAC project. Commissioners tasked the Building Committee with researching the cost and design of a new HVAC system at the Knight Avenue building. Committee members were also encouraged to consult with SEH for that project.
Commissioners finalized the Challenger Elementary School roundabout. The roundabout cost $2,866,295.54. They gave County Engineer Mike Flaagan permission to hold onto the final check until Zavoral & Sons has cleaned up a nearby gravel pile to his liking.
The CES roundabout was part of a larger project, which also included the County State Aid Highway 8 bridge and Highway 32 roundabout. The bridge, which connects CSAH 8 near the school with a section of what was then known as Mark Boulevard, cost $4,733,417.40. The Highway 32 roundabout, which is located near Sanford Health, cost $2,661,800.96.
The county received $3 million in grants for the entire project. The remainder was covered by state aid and the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
County Board reappointed Dale Nelson to the Red Lake Watershed District Board. Nelson was reappointed to a three-year term.
Commissioners removed term limits for Pennington County appointees to the Inter-County Nursing Service Board. In the past, appointees could serve up to four consecutive two-year terms and then they were required to step down for a year before they could serve on the board again.
Red Lake County also appoints board members and has removed term limits since it is sometimes difficult to find individuals to serve on the board.
County Board reappointed Caron Alten and Lorna Peterson to the Inter-County Nursing Service Board. They were reappointed to two-year terms.
The next County Board meeting will be held Tuesday, Dec. 14 at 5 p.m. at the Justice Center.