The Pulaski County Justice Center expansion project has taken another step forward.
The county council voted five-to-two last week to issue up to almost $5.6 million in general obligation bonds, while the county commissioners approved a resolution to move forward with the project by a vote of two-to-one. The project would add a total of 7,300 square feet to the building, while part of the existing structure would be renovated.
One point of debate was whether roof repairs could be done sooner if they were pulled out of the project. The building has continued to experience issues after a previous $65,000 repair attempt, and efforts to get the company to honor its warranty have been largely unsuccessful. Part of the problem, according to County Attorney Kevin Tankersley, is that the agreement was less of an actual contract and more like a flier that both parties signed.
Project liaison Nathan Origer said roof replacement is included as part of the base bid but could be reduced to patching, if necessary. That work could start in early June. But some county officials didn’t want to wait for the bond process and felt it could be done sooner. Others weren’t so sure, and Origer wanted to double check on whether it could legally be removed from the advertised project scope.
The addition of a work release center in the building’s basement is also included as an alternate. The cost estimate for that work is currently about $130,000, a significant reduction from previous numbers.
