by North Forty News Staff | NorthFortyNews.com
Commissioners move forward with construction proposal process as debate continues over project structure and Home Rule limits
WELD COUNTY, Colo. – The Weld County Board of Commissioners has directed county staff to move forward with a Request for Proposal process for a Construction Manager/General Contractor as planning continues for a new downtown Greeley justice center.
The selected contractor will work alongside Fentress Studios, the design firm approved by the board earlier this month to provide full design and engineering services for the project.
The board’s direction passed with support from Commissioners Ross, Buck, and Peppler, while Commissioners Maxey and James opposed the move forward. County officials emphasized that all five commissioners agree on several key points surrounding the proposed justice center.
According to Weld County, all commissioners support building a new justice center in downtown Greeley, oppose pursuing a tax increase or bond measure for the project, and agree that the county must comply with Weld County’s Home Rule Charter requirements.
A major point of disagreement centers on how the project is legally defined under Section 14-8 of the Home Rule Charter. County officials said the charter allows a capital expenditure on any single project using taxpayer funds if the amount remains below the equivalent of a three-mill levy over three years, estimated at approximately $177 million.
Following months of discussion, the board voted 3-2 to direct staff to move forward with three separate project components: a parking garage, the building’s core and shell, and tenant finish work.
Commissioners opposed to that interpretation argue that the justice center should be legally considered a single project rather than three separate projects under the charter language.
County officials said the board is also working to schedule a public work session with the Weld County Council to further discuss the justice center plans and legal interpretations surrounding the project structure.
More information about the Weld County Justice Center project is available at Weld County Justice Center Project Information.
Make North Forty News part of your morning. Get Northern Colorado’s top stories, weather, and events every day at 5 a.m. in our Daily Update.
Attribution: Weld County Government