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Hernando Today

County To Evaluate Judicial Proposals

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By MICHAEL D. BATES

Hernando Today

Published: September 30, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - Look at it as eliminating the middleman, says County Commissioner Dave Russell.
County commissioners have decided to save an estimated $109,600 by not contracting with a private firm, the DLR Group, to write up requests for proposals for a new judicial center.
Why spend that much money when the county can do the evaluating in-house, Russell asked?
Instead, Assistant County Engineer Gregg Sutton and Purchasing-Contracts Director James Gantt will write up the requests and put them out on the street, probably in October.
The specifics for the judicial center – including square footage and number of courtrooms – will be included in the requests.
Private firms will respond and include financing proposals. An eight-member committee, set up last week by the county, will then evaluate the proposals.
Russell, one of those committee members, said doing this in-house will save taxpayers money and generate much interest.
"We're looking for ideas from the private sector and we're looking for some creative solutions for space needs for our judiciary," he said. "There are a lot of hungry companies out there right now looking for work."
Russell said the committee members have a broad background in financing, engineering and contracting and have the expertise to evaluate proposals.
Although there have been no clear indications of where the new center would be built, commissioners and others have stressed they would like it somewhere near downtown Brooksville.
Two possible locations have been proposed: at the Hernando County Fairgrounds, south of Brookville on U.S. 41, or at the bottom of the hill at the parking lot of the current government center at 20 North Main Street.
Russell said he would like to see a judicial complex adjacent to the current government center, about 50 feet east into the parking lot. There would be a connecting bridge for people to walk to both buildings.
It would also be large enough so county departments, some of which are already leasing space elsewhere, could move back under one roof, he said.
Russell said the proposals that come back to the committee do not lock the county into a binding contract. The commissioners will ultimately determine costs based on current budgetary needs, he said.
Commissioner Jeff Stabins said the county has about $19 million in the general fund earmarked for the judicial center. That money came in part from the sale of the old Brooksville Regional Hospital, he said.
He stressed that the county has been dealing with the judicial center for 10 years.
"We need to get moving on this," he said.
In July, the county administrator's office presented a rough cost estimate capital plan that included a new 125,000-square-foot judicial complex at a projected cost of $49 million, which covered the cost of site acquisition, design, construction and outfitting.
Deputy County Administrator Larry Jennings said that proposal was meant to get discussions started.
He believes the decision to let the committee evaluate the proposals makes better sense than spending it on the DLR Group.
"We felt the price was more than it was worth," Jennings said.

The committee members include Chief Circuit Judge Daniel Merritt Sr., Deputy County Administrator Larry Jennings, Finance Director Amy Gillis, Utilities Director Joseph Stapf, Facilities Senior Project Manager Al Toler, Assistant County Engineer Gregg Sutton, Purchasing and Contracts Director James Gantt and County Commissioner Dave Russell.

Reporter Michael D. Bates can be reached at 352-544-5290 or mbates@hernandotoday.com.

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