In the spring of 2015, county commissioners approved a bid for $48,685 from Iola-based Superior Builders to paint — and apply other minor surface improvements to — the Allen County courthouse. On Tuesday, Superior’s Danny Ware appeared before the commission to provide an update on the work, and to appeal for more resources.
A recent round of power washing, Ware explained, revealed problems with the building’s surface that were not previously legible to the naked eye. In short, patches of paint are dropping off under the pressure wash, giving the building — especially nearest the north entrance — a depressing, brindled complexion.
Ware’s contention was that the best course of repair would be to retexture the approximately 7,000 feet of surface with a primer similar to the cement-flecked substance used, years ago, during the last courthouse refurbishment. Ware estimated that the retexturing work — including materials, equipment rental and labor costs — would require an extra $13,738.
“Now, I don’t want you to think that I’ve got you over a barrel and I’m trying to vaccinate you,” promised Ware. “But, in all honesty, I had no idea, and I don’t think anybody else that bid on this job figured that that much paint would fall off.”
In the end, nobody needed to be vaccinated. The commission unanimously approved Ware’s request for additional money.
IN OTHER NEWS, commissioners:
— Agreed to pay Rodney Burns, of Schlotterbeck & Burns, Chanute, $1,300 to help prepare the county’s budget for 2018.
— Unanimously accepted the recommendations of the planning and zoning board regarding: 1) Bill McAdams’ request to have land on the eastern edge of Iola, near U.S. 169, rezoned for commercial purposes; and 2) Feuerborn Family Funeral Service’s rezoning of land east of Iola, which smooths the path for moving the funeral home from its current in-town mansion to the ranch-style church that lies on U.S. 54 near Gas.
