County picks courts facility designers

Contract negotiation next

BENTONVILLE — Benton County plans to work with the Rogers firm of Hight-Jackson Associates to design a new courts facility. County Judge Barry Moehring told the Quorum Court’s Committee of the Whole on Tuesday he has chosen to proceed with Hight-Jackson after reviewing the proposals from the two finalists considered for the design work. The county also interviewed the Bates+Cromwell and Dewberry group as part of the requests for qualifications process. Moehring will now negotiate a contract with Hight-Jackson Associates. Moehring said both firms were qualified and said a handful of factors weighted his decision toward Hight-Jackson Associates. “We had two finalists,” Moehring said. “I called probably 12 to 15 references and got feedback from the stakeholders.” Moehring said Hight-Jackson Associates is a local firm, which he considered to be in their favor. He said they’re familiar with the project, having co-authored a study on the courts’ facility done in 2015. He also said Hight-Jackson will partner with the

“We had two finalists. I called probably 12 to 15 references and got feedback from the stakeholders.” — Barry Moehring, county judge

National Center for State Courts, from Colorado, as they did for the earlier study.

“NCSC is, by far and away, the expert in this area,” Moehring said.

Moehring also said the fee structure submitted by Hight- Jackson was lower than the Bates+ Cromwell and Dewberry structure. He said Hight- Jackson indicated their cost will be 6 to 7 percent of the project cost while Bates+Cromwell and Dewberry said their costs would be from 7 to 9.5 percent.

As a local firm, he said, Hight-Jackson will have no travel costs and their experience with local contractors should also be a factor in the project cost. Moehring also said working with Hight-Jackson will have an economic benefit for the county.

“The fees for architectural services will be in excess of seven figures,” Moehring said. “If at all possible I would rather keep those taxpayer dollars right here in Benton County than send them elsewhere.”

County officials have discussed a new building for the circuit judges, their courtrooms and related offices for the past few years. The Quorum Court earlier this year voted to narrow the project’s scope and keep the courts in downtown Bentonville. Property on Northeast Second Street has been identified as the building site.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the justices of the peace were briefed on the status of the roads and bridges in the aftermath of the April 29 storm and flooding. Jay Frazier, public services administrator and head of the Road Department, said the county will pursue several sources of assistance, in addition to state and federal assistance normally available.

Frazier told the justice of the peace the county is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency on disaster assistance, in the event a presidential disaster declaration is made.

Gov Asa Hutchinson requested a federal declaration last week and Frazier said the county and the state are awaiting word on the request. Frazier said the county may be able to obtain money from the federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the state Department of Emergency Management for some repair work and mitigation work to reduce the likelihood of damage in future flooding. He said the USDA and ADEM money doesn’t require a federal disaster declaration, while others do.

Brenda Guenther, comptroller, told the committee the county has about $1.6 million in the Road Department’s 2017 budget for storm damage costs and the money should cover any matching money the county may be required to provide.

“If at all possible I would rather keep those taxpayer dollars right here in Benton County than send them elsewhere.”

— Barry Moehring, county judge