The Seminole County Board of Commissioners spent much of their Sept. 7 meeting considering proposed options for a potential courthouse project.

The first item on these options was a presentation from Architect James Howard of LWPB Architecture, which has offices in Oklahoma City and Norman. Howard explained they have been in business for over 60 years. A brief overview of their past projects included everything from schools to facilities for the federal government. Howard stated that LWPB recently passed the bond issue for the Wewoka Middle School and are now working on the design. He has personally done some pro bono work designing new ball fields in Wewoka, and they are also exploring options with the City of Wewoka on public space. He expressed his personal attachment to the community and Seminole County and would look forward to working on the courthouse.

Howard continued to stress the experience of his firm and some of the advantages they offer, including Revit 3D modeling, which provides a virtual 3D vision of what it would be like to walk through the spaces they design while also detecting any design clashes that might cause change orders later on. They also have an architect on staff that lives it Atwood that would be easily available if needed.

Howard concluded by stating he is aware there is a lot that goes into selecting an architect to work with. He pointed out that they do NOT put a clause in their contract that if they fail to pass a bond the first time they automatically guarantee to help run the bond again a second time. He explained that they believe, if a client likes their work, they will choose to continue working with them. The commissioners are

The commissioners are currently working with Principal Design on a feasibility study to determine if it would be wiser to invest in renovating the current courthouse or consider constructing a new one. During the September 7 Principal Design presented the commissioners with a standard form of agreement to continue work on whatever project the commissioners decide. Ben Smith of Principal Design explained that the agreement was drafted by the American Institute of Architects and basically outlines the steps of service, including schematic design, design development, construction documents, bidding and negotiation, and construction negotiation. Smith added that it also basically outlines what needs to be done each step of the way before moving to the next phase. The commissioners spent

The commissioners spent considerable time reviewing the thick document. District Three Commissioner Clifton Taylor suggested that Seminole Assistant District Attorney Candice Irby look through the document before they commit to the agreement. District Two Commissioner Tim Porter agreed, stating that, although it may be fairly standard stuff, this isn’t the kind of document that they are used to looking at every day. After making this decision, Smith welcomed the commissioners to, in the meantime, join him on a tour to inspect some of the similar projects Principal Design has been involved in, including the Pontotoc County courthouse in Ada and the Washita County courthouse in Cordell.

Another item on the September 7 agenda was to consider a legal services agreement in connection with the anticipated issuance of bonds, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness for a potential courthouse project. Jeff Raley of Floyd Law Firm, P.C. from Norman explained they are bond lawyers, and the way they fit into the scheme of things is they look at the project and then suggest the best way to fund it. He explained they have been in business since 1968 and expressed his doubt anyone has done more or this type of work than they have. Recent examples include courthouse project in Pontotoc County, Pittsburg County, Caddo County, and LeFlore County. They are currently working in Kay County, where they had an annex project in 2020 and are now starting on the main courthouse.

Raley stated that he believes it is best if they are involved early on in the process so they can communicate with the design and architect people and suggest, from their experience, what they think is possible. He explained that they work on a contingency basis. This means that the county won’t get a bill from them. If they issue debt, they’ll be paid out of bond proceeds. Raley stated a major advantage of using Floyd Law Firm is, because of the volume of business they do, they have access to all of the markets that are available, which provides more competition and results in better rates. He also noted that interest rates are currently low, so it is a good time to be doing a project.

The commissioners were familiar with projects the firm has done in the area in the past and believe it would be an advantage to be working with them going forward. The legal agreement was approved.