Hall County Commissioner Gary Quandt wants Hall County to proceed with building a stand-alone “judicial center” rather than proceed with an addition to the Hall County Courthouse, (Carol Bryant, Central Nebraska Today)
GRAND ISLAND — Instead of building an addition to the Hall County Courthouse, Hall County Commissioner Gary Quandt suggested at the April 23 Board meeting that a stand-alone building be constructed that would house eight courtrooms.
Quandt’s suggestion drew criticism from other commissioners, who were prepared instead to discuss an agenda item about a request for proposals for hiring a construction manager at risk for the courthouse addition project.
Quandt said that a two-story building could be constructed east of the courthouse with four courtrooms on the first floor and four courtrooms on the second floor. It would be a $37.5 million building with 75,000 square feet.
In the floor plan for the courthouse addition, there would be three county courtrooms and three district courtrooms.
“We need more courtrooms,” Quandt said. A new building “would last us 50 years in the future,” he said. Quandt said construction of the new building could begin by the fall, and the new building could be completed by the end of next year, as compared to the courthouse addition, which is projected to be completed by September 2027.
Quandt noted that in the floor plans in the courthouse addition project, part of the existing courthouse would be used for storage.
“That courthouse wasn’t built for storage,” Quandt said. “We’ve got to put a little common sense into the courthouse.” Quandt said he was willing to go forward with a new building. He was not in favor of a courthouse addition plan that would “gut” part of the existing courthouse.
Hall County Court Judge Arthur Wetzel spoke in favor of moving ahead with the courthouse addition.
‘We told you this day was coming, but you did nothing,” Wetzel said. Commissioners had architect’s plans prepared in 2014 concerning the courthouse but did not proceed further with the project. He said if the county had proceeded with plans in 2014, construction costs would have been 40 percent less.
“You want to try to get this to a vote of the people,” Wetzel said, referring to Quandt.
“I know we want to build this out of cardboard, sticks and mud, but it doesn’t work that way,” Wetzel said.
The judge said that the courthouse addition would serve the county’s needs for the next 10 to 20 years. Wetzel said the courthouse addition may not be as large as county officials would like, but the project cost affects the decision.
“Please stop wasting our time with these new plans,” Commissioner Jane Richardson said. She pointed out that State Court Administrator Corey Steel had approved the courthouse addition plans.
Commissioner Karen Bredthauer said, “We need to look to the future.” She does not believe the courthouse addition project will serve the county’s needs very far into the future, because it only has three county courtrooms and three district courtrooms.
Quandt and Bredthauer are the two commissioners who voted against hiring a construction manager at risk, which means moving ahead with an addition to the courthouse.
Bredthauer said that she has received calls from older women who have to go to the food pantry to help make ends meet. She is concerned about how county residents can afford to pay the cost of the courthouse addition.
After the commissioners’ discussion had ended, Hall County Attorney Marty Klein went to where Quandt was seated and told him he needed to stop suggesting that a stand-alone building be constructed.
