MIAMI COUNTY — Miami County Commissioners approved a contract agreement with Garmann Miller of Minster for design and engineering services for the exterior work on the Miami County Courthouse.

The contract is not to exceed $50,000 for the design fees. Garmann Miller engineers and associates will evaluate the facility, recommend maintenance or improvements and provide recommendations on proposed projects as part of the contract. Director of Operations and Facilities Chris Johnson said an estimate of $350,000 had been proposed to repair masonry damage, including damage found in the attic of the courthouse last fall, as part of the exterior work.

Commissioner Greg Simmons said the project may be “quite expensive.”

Johnson said he believes it may be higher from the initial quote six months ago, but the engineers and architect will help in the evaluation of the damage and the cost of repairs.

Commissioner Ted Mercer said the contract is just the start of the work to come on the exterior of the courthouse.

“This is just a start of trying to do maintenance restoration to the current courthouse structure. The plaza is done and now it’s time to do a phased plan over the years,” Mercer said.

Johnson said the stone patch project will “button up” the exterior since the roofing, waterproofing, foundation, and dome work has been completed.

“When we get this done this year, 2022-2023 we can start to move to the interior finishes and furnishings,” Johnson said.

Johnson, along with Mercer and Commissioner Administrator Leigh Williams, reviewed all the proposals before selecting Garmann-Miller.

In other action items:

• Approved purchase of a 50-foot articulating lift from Ohio CAT for $38,360 for facilities maintenance projects.

• Approved a contract with Maxim Roofing for $5,690 to repair water issues impacting the interior of the Incarceration Facility.

• List two metal detectors for sale online at GovDeals. The detectors are no longer meant for high-security facilities, but could be used for other purposes and will have that noted in the listing, Johnson said.

• Approved to purchase three sets of WatchGuard in-car camera systems for $14,865 for the Miami County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicles. The sets are part of its regular replacement program.