The Dallas County Treasurer’s office and Recorder’s office are ready to move from the second floor of the Dallas County Courthouse to the first floor as remodeling work nears completion by the Des Moines-based Trinity Construction Group.
Trinity has worked steadily since January, first on remodeling the second-floor rooms for the Dallas County Clerk of Court and now the offices on the first floor of the 117-year-old edifice.
Dallas County Treasurer Mitch Hambleton and Recorder Chad Airhart, who together were instrumental in bringing about the new arrangements, said they are eager to see their long-anticipated move to the first floor completed.
Work is nearly done on the west side of the first floor, formerly occupied by Juvenile Court Services, and on the east half, formerly filled by the Dallas County Clerk of Court. The Dallas County Information Services Department vacated the northwest corner of the first floor in 2016.
About three-fourths of the first floor will be occupied by the Dallas County Treasurer.
The Dallas County Board of Supervisors approved Trinity Construction’s $359,000 bid for the remodeling project at its Dec. 11, 2018, meeting. The contractor has so far been paid $22,486 for work completed in January, $48,260 for work in February, $22,990 for March work and $110,485 for April.
The county’s contract with Trinity obligated the company to finish the work by May 20, according to Dallas County Operations Director Rob Tietz. Each day beyond the original completion date costs Trinity $250 in liquidated damages, which as of Tuesday, June 18 was $7,250.
The supervisors approved in February a $90,288 bid from All Makes Office Equipment Co. to furnish the remodeled courthouse offices. In March the supervisors approved the treasurer’s spending $37,772.59 on a Qmatic queuing system for the motor vehicle department. Supervisor Kim Chapman voted against the purchase.
Once work on the first floor is complete, the only remaining construction in the courthouse will be a new courtroom planned for the west side of the second floor, to be paid for by the Iowa Department of Correction’s Fifth Judicial District.
