There's a lot of work that needs to be done to the interior of the Kosciusko County Courthouse - heating, lighting and plumbing.

And if the county decides to have all the proposed work done, the cost will be nearly $3 million.

Representatives of A. Hattersley & Sons gave a presentation to the county council Thursday on what they found during their investigation of the historic building.

Hattersley account executive Steve Nutt said they met with county administrator Ron Robinson in the fall, then with county commissioner Ron Truex about the project. A renovation committee was formed, which the company used to help them steer through the preliminary process. The company looked at all the information the county had on the building and held internal meetings.

The proposed project will be done under performance contracting. In performance contracting, a partnership is formed to provide improvements to aging facilities, such as a school or courthouse, and energy savings and performance are guaranteed. In 1995, Indiana Senate Bill 351 became law and lets counties take advantage of performance contracting. Since then, more than 150 projects have been implemented in Indiana. It involves third-party leasing and the maximum term to pay for it is 10 years.

Under performance contracting, Nutt said, customer benefits include an improvement to the building's systems and infrastructure immediately. No up-front funds are needed and there are no fees for the study. There is an alternative lease option for the facility improvements. Guaranteed savings help fund improvements and the work is guaranteed with no change orders.

The work the county courthouse needs, according to the Hattersley representatives, includes an improvement of the quality and quantity of the lighting, heating and cooling system, boiler, chiller, temperature control and ventilation, installation of ceiling fans, new drop ceiling in the basement, electrical/technology, telephone system, back-up power, domestic water piping, security system, retrofit of the elevator, masonry repairs, additional speakers in the court room area and plaster repair and painting.

Greg Reader, Hattersley director/vice president of electrical design, said the courthouse is a beautiful building, but it's time to update the infrastructure.

Nutt said the preliminary project cost according to their estimates is $2.885 million. With a lease pay for 10 years at 4.3 percent interest, the cost is $358,003 per year. The county could see a preliminary savings under the performance contracting of $375,000 per year.

The proposed timeline is to request proposals this month, with the proposals for work due in March. A provider would be selected in April and work could begin in May. By January, a substantial amount of the work should be completed.

Harold Jones, county council president, said in the next phase of the project, the cost of each project will be broken down so the county can decide which parts they want to do. There are pros and cons to doing the project in whole or in parts.

After the presentation was made, the county council unanimously voted to go forward with the project.

A. Hattersley and Sons was formed in 1856 as a mechanical contractor. They have offices in Fort Wayne, LaPorte and Indianapolis. Some of their past performance contracting included work at Whitko and Tippecanoe Valley schools. [[In-content Ad]]