Schemmer Associates hired to design municipal building
Monday, November 23, 2009 - 1:43 pm
The City Council voted Wednesday night to hire Schemmer Associates Inc. of Lincoln as the engineering and architectural firm to design a municipal building which would house the city offices and the police department.The vote was 5-0, with Councilman Gary Smith absent.
Other companies submitting proposals were Gilmore and Associates of Columbus, Prochaska and Associates of Omaha and Olsson Associates of Lincoln.
City Attorney Jim Egr said he also serves as the city attorney for Ft. Calhoun, which has been working with Schemmer Associates for several years on the design of a wastewater treatment system and a pipeline to haul wastewater to the treatment plant in Blair.
"I would reference them as a good company," Egr said.
City Administrator Joe Johnson said that
The building committee consisted of Council members Bill Yindrick and Gary Smith, Police Chief Steve Sunday, City Clerk Joan Kovar, Johnson, and volunteers Tony Novak and Don Naiberk. The committee recommended Schemmer after the firm scored the highest on an evaluation.
The preliminary plan drawn up by Olsson Associates is a 74-by-66-foot building. The police department would have roughly a quarter of the main floor, while the city offices, restrooms and break room would occupy about half. Another corner - about 900 square feet, would be the City Council chambers, with a half circle panel for the Council to sit and face the public during meetings.
Approval of Schemmer as the city's representative opens the process of negotiating on a contract price.
In October, citizens asked the City Council to consider the Wolfe Building at Fourth and E streets to house city offices. The local Knights of Columbus is offering the building for sale. Current estimates of the cost of the new building are at $400,000. The city sold the police station at 475 N. Third Street to Henningsen Foods so the company can develop offices there. The company has offered to share the building while a new city office is built.
