Shawnee County restarts process to choose company to clean, repair courthouse

Shawnee County commissioners directed a county committee Thursday to restart its process of choosing a company to carry out exterior cleaning and repairs at the county courthouse, 200 S.E. 7th.

The county’s professional services selection committee had recommended the county enter into contract negotiations with Western Specialty Contractors.

But Commissioners Bob Archer, Bill Riphahn and Kevin Cook voted 3-0 Thursday to approve Archer’s motion calling for the committee to start over.

Archer said he had received additional information the committee didn’t have, though he didn’t share any further details. He said he saw no harm in having the committee begin again, considering the work doesn’t need to be done right away.

Cook asked that the committee also look at issues the county experienced during its last courthouse cleaning and repair project in 2007 to “make sure we don’t have a repeat.”

The county had to bring in companies later to fix leaks after that work was done, Cook said.