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County moves forward in hiring owner’s rep for annex project
Putnam County took a tangible step toward the construction of a new courthouse annex on Monday when the Putnam County Commissioners approved hiring an owner’s representative for the upcoming construction project.
On the recommendation of the annex committee that has been examining the matter for several months, the three commissioners unanimously approved hiring Envoy Companies of Fishers to assist the county through the process.
“I’m excited that we finally got this annex train rolling down the tracks because it’s been a lot of years that we’ve been working on this,” Commissioner Rick Woodall said. “We have a beautiful building that’s getting older and older every day. It’s time to do something different.”
The construction of an annex will not mean the replacement of the 119-year-old courthouse. Officials are hopeful, rather, to preserve it through the move of a number of departments to the new structure, which will sit at the corner of Madison and Liberty street, the site of the old Jones School.
Jones served as the courthouse annex for 10 years from 2001-2011, until maintenance issues became too much and the departments housed there were moved elsewhere. The building was finally razed in 2023.
Perhaps most importantly for the aging courthouse, many of the records stored in the old building will be moved to the new building. The departments moved will be several not directly tied to the courts, which will remain in the old structure.
Woodall briefly highlighted the work of the committee, which includes himself, Putnam County Council members Stephanie Campbell and Phil Gick, County Auditor Kristina Berish and County Attorney Jim Ensley.
“We decided an owner’s rep was the best route because we haven’t done a project in this county for many years,” Woodall said.
Woodall noted that the companies submitting proposals also included Veritas and DW. He said all three were capable of the job, but the committee ultimately recommended Envoy to the commissioners for final approval.“I trust the judgment of the committee because you’ve been working on this for six months,” Commissioner David Berry said.
With that, Woodall made the motion for approval, with a second from Berry. With an additional vote from Tom Helmer, the decision was unanimous.
“I would tell the other two companies that if there are any other services that you offer, please feel free to reach out throughout this process,” Woodall said.
Berry asked about next steps, which Woodall said included meeting with Envoy for discussions in the next week or so. The annex committee will continue to meet.
“We’ll get a list of things we need to do,” Woodall said. “We’re not 100 percent sure what those are. That’s what these companies are for in these types of projects.”
He did note that the goal, which may be aggressive, is to get a response for proposals put together later this year so the project can be bid out to construction companies this winter.
The county has also hired Ice Miller as legal counsel for the process, as well as talking to four local banks to see about financing.
“We’ll get this thing moving,” Woodall said. “It’s exciting, it’s scary, all at the same time.”
The contract with Envoy includes $64,000 in up-front costs, then $187,500 over the life of the project, with added fees if the project takes more than 24 months.
In other business, the commissioners:
• Approved more than $30,000 to be used from the cumulative courthouse fund for audio improvements to the Putnam Superior Courtroom.
The most pressing cost is for new microphone equipment in the witness stand at a cost of $1,378.61.
However, a number of other improvements were also recommended, including wireless microphones for attorneys, an assisted audio device for the hard of hearing and other microphone improvements. This comes at a cost of $29,151.46.
Both expenditures were approved unanimously.
• Approved a data use agreement of county GIS (geographic information system) data with the City of Greencastle as it works to update its comprehensive plan.
• Heard several updates from County Engineer Jim Peck on county road matters.
Peck noted that the fiscal year began on Monday, so the county should be getting a purchase order and check from the Indiana Department of Transportation for its $1,491,280.61 portion of the $1,988,374.15 project that will repave approximately 16 miles of roads.
Peck also reported that county crews are finishing up the repaving of about two miles of County Road 800 South.
He is also still waiting on bids for replacing guardrails on Bridge 288 over CSX Railroad in Marion Township.
• Acknowledged a letter noting that all nine covered bridges in the county have been accepted into the National Register of Historic Places. Woodall will receive certificates for the nine bridges during a ceremony at the Indiana State Fair.
Gick, also in attendance in his capacity as a representative of Heritage Preservation Society of Putnam County, also noted that Pine Bluff Bridge has been recommended as a National Historic Landmark.
Asked why Pine Bluff was recommended over the others, Gick wondered if the setting, nestled in woods high over Big Walnut Creek, might have as much to do with it as anything.
Being denoted as a landmark is an elevated status, one which no location in Putnam County has currently attained.
The county will move forward with the application process.
• Appointed Wendell Underwood to the Putnam County Hospital Board.
The commissioners already appointed Underwood once before being informed they had not gone through the proper process. After reviewing the resumes of Underwood and other candidates, they again chose him to serve out the remainder of a term for Denny O’Hair, who stepped down earlier this year.
The next Putnam County Commissioners meeting is set for 9 a.m. on Monday, July 15 in the Commissioners Room of the Putnam County Courthouse.