Santa Clara County supervisors approved an additional $800,000
to pay a Sonoma-based architect overseeing the construction of the
Morgan Hill County Courthouse and Justice Center, an official said
Tuesday.
Santa Clara County supervisors approved an additional $800,000 to pay a Sonoma-based architect overseeing the construction of the Morgan Hill County Courthouse and Justice Center, an official said Tuesday.
Larry Jinkins, director of the county’s Facilities and Fleet Department insisted the courthouse isn’t over its budget, and that the funds – as well as extension of the contract with RossDrulisCusenberry – was to give the firm enough time to gather documents about the project to submit to the supervisors.
“They have to do that in order for us to recover the money that we think we’re owed,” said Supervisor Don Gage.
Gage added that that figure includes a “contingency for overruns,” and it wouldn’t be until first quarter of 2009 that county officials would learn how much that overrun – if any – is.
The county has thus far paid the architect about $4.3 million, Jinkins said. The additional $800,000 sets the ceiling for how much the county is willing to spend at about $5.13 million, which will come out of the $52.6 million set aside for the project. The $800,000 represents the fourth such payment and was approved by the supervisors without discussion as part of the consent agenda. The new contract runs through Feb. 6, 2009.
County officials have approved expenditure on the courthouse in phases, beginning in 2001. The project’s currently in the fourth, and final phase, officials said.
The complex includes the courthouse and adjacent building on Butterfield Avenue in downtown Morgan Hill in combined 90,000 square feet.
A message left on the voice mail of Chuck Drulis, partner in RossDrulisCusenberry, wasn’t immediately returned.
County officials have been prudent with the capital funds because they wanted “to be careful so we don’t give all the money up front,” Jinkins said.
The architect was retained because the firm specializes in courthouses, Jinkins said, although it isn’t actively involved in any other county projects. As the so-called “architect of record” on the project, it’s the firm’s responsibility to deliver a report to the supervisors detailing how much was spent and on what – overall. The courthouse is on schedule to open sometime this fall, Jinkins said.
“At the end they’ll compile all the records of how the building was constructed,” Jinkins said. The firm also conducts building inspections, and any changes to design plans, he said.
The recent rains have delayed paving, the “next big phase” at the courthouse, according to Jinkins. Cabinet installation and the ventilation system will be installed as well during this phase, he said.
Once the new courthouse is complete, judges, prosecutors and other staff will relocate from the current location in San Martin. There, offices are housed in temporary trailers in the wake of the closing of the main building due to mold problems that made employees sick.
