Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

JPs Approve Funds For Courthouse Work

Clark County's 1899 Courthouse was the subject of a special called meeting of the Clark County Quorum Court Monday, June 29.

The court approved one ordinance to appropriate money to pay the contractor, Harrington Construction Co., for work already done. The justices of the peace had nothing more to say about this than give their approval.

From there, the court heard from architect Jerry Simmons on how the plans are coming along for the annexation.

Simmons said the plans should be ready by the July 13 meeting of the court to see if they meet the court's approval. Once the plans are approved, they will be let for bid.

Clark County Judge Grady Runyan said Simmons is a month behind in getting the plans to the court.

Simmons said advertising for the bids can be cut to three weeks, which would be close to the first of August for bids to be examined and approved.

He told the court he had to go back and do additional measuring for a door to the second floor of the existing building to the new structure to be built. "I don't think we're behind on the old courthouse yet," he said.

With no weather problems, he said, the old courthouse should be completely in the dry in the next few weeks, then work will move faster. The cap on the tower won't slow work down at all.

In fact, while work is being done on the cap, work can also be done on the inside of the facility. A structural engineer was on hand when the top was torn off the cap. He recommended brick work be repaired.

Simmons said tension cable will most likely have to be used to keep everything in place.

There is also the possibility steel rings will have to be used around the clock face to keep the bricks where they belong. Some of the bricks, Simmons said, are loose. However, he added, this may turn out to be no problem or a very little one.

"There shouldn't be any more surprises," Simmons told the court. All the roofs, though, are being torn out because of the damage.

The flat part of the roof has been repaired, but lightning strikes, it was pointed out, could be a problem for the caps.

Simmons said a lightning rod could be connected to the cap area to help prevent any problems in this area.

There is no reason, he told the court, the construction can't be completed by its deadline of Nov. 30.

The problems experienced so far are not unusual for such a rehabilitation job.

So far, $60,000 has been spent from the courthouse contingency fund on the project, with $50,000 left in the budget. This doesn't include funds for a new clock, but such money has been set aside in the amount of $12,000.

The door replacement, Simmons said, will cost about $1,500 per pair, but this doesn't include framework. With framework included, he said, it will run about $2,500 per pair, and there are three pairs.

Runyan informed the county's governing body the county had received a grant for $150,000 from the Arkansas Historical Society for the courthouse.