A huge undertaking

Jun. 23—Commission meeting in different location

In what will be its last meeting in the Barton County Courthouse for at least a year, the County Commission will meet Wednesday morning, June 28, in the Courthouse first floor conference room, Room 101, instead of its chamber. The meeting will start at 9 a.m.

In July, the commission will begin meeting on Tuesdays, with the start time remaining at 9 a.m. The first meeting next month will be July 11 due to the Fourth of July holiday.

The meetings will also move to the former JC Penney building at 1500 Kansas Ave., which will house county offices during the year-long Courthouse HVAC replacement project. The temporary chamber will be on the first floor, and the public must enter through the east doors of the building.

Imaging moving to a new house.

Now, imagine if the house you are moving from is a massive, historic 100-year-old structure that contains over a century's worth of Barton County's history, as well as the offices of most of the employees who keep the county humming.

That move is now underway. Harried county personnel packed up furniture, records, files, family photos and office knickknacks as they moved from the Barton County Courthouse to the former JC Penney building at 1500 Kansas Ave.

The move is necessitated by the $4.2 million yearlong project to replace the courthouse's HVAC system, slated to begin July 15.

"We were a little nervous about meeting that July 12 deadline for being out of here," said County Administrator Matt Patzner Friday morning as he rushed to box up the last of items in his office. "It is a little overwhelming."

But, they are getting there, he said.

In addition to leasing the JC Penney building, the county also leased the building at 1709 Main that now houses the Barton County District Court and building at 1520 Main that now houses the Barton County Attorney's Office. These locations have been up and running for a while now.

This fact provides some solace for Patzner. He realizes this moving process will work after all.

A big mess

The cavernous former department store has piles of boxes, stacks of desks, and rows of chairs and cabinets scattered about. Strands of blue cabling dangle from the ceiling.

Throughout the days, staff members wheel in dollies with more items. But the large space seems to absorb it all.

"This is a lot of stuff," said one county employee Thursday afternoon. She stood amidst the trappings of what will become the County Clerk's Office.

Indeed it is a lot of stuff, including crates of office supplies, odds-and-ends, and outdated printer cartridges. County staff members, sweating in the sultry building Friday, said they plan to use this opportunity to "purge" before moving back into the Courthouse next year.

A big move

Moving out of the Courthouse into an abandoned building for an entire year is a massive undertaking, even if that building is just across the street. There are tons of records and files, filing cabinets furniture and other materials needed to keep the county running smoothly.

Then, there is the technology — the computers, security systems and telephones. County Information Technology Director Dereck Hollingshead was crouched behind a desk in what will be the County Commission chamber Thursday afternoon.

He and his team looked frazzled as they strung wires and installed equipment, but were confident they would be done in time.

Midwest Movers of Great Bend will be doing a lot of the heavy lifting Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday, Patzner said. "After that, we're kind of playing it by ear."

But, he said the Road and Bridge Department has been helping all along, and all the county personnel have moved many of their own items to the new site.

Even after this, there will be some large items that will remain in the Courthouse, he said. Among these are a large desk in a jury room and some huge, old obsolete file cases (which could be jettison through an open window into a dumpster).

After the move

When the new location opens to the public, the only public entrance will be on the east side of the building, facing the parking lot. The south and west doors will be for employee access.

Offices from the first two floors of the courthouse will set up shop on the ground floor at the new location, County Administrator Matt Patzner said. This includes such departments as Treasurer, Clerk, Register of Deeds and Appraisal.

Background

On Feb., 8, the commission approved a bid from Kruse Corporation of Wichita for a base bid of $4,182,000 to replace the HVAC system. Orazem & Scalora Engineering of Wichita is handling the engineering for the effort.

In addition to the HVAC, the project includes new LED lighting and fixtures, a new ceiling, a new fire alarm system and a new two-way emergency communications system with access at each elevator door. An interior facelift, including new carpet and paint, is also on the list.