(Spirit Lake)– The Dickinson county board of supervisors Tuesday voted unanimously to hire a structural engineer to study the integrity of the 1892 portion of the courthouse.
They took the action after hearing from fellow supervisor Paul Johnson, who said he had contacted three highly qualified firms recommended to him by Iowa State University. Johnson said none of the three have any local ties that could lead to a biased report.
Johnson added he’s heard from some constituents saying the supervisors should select a firm, not a committee. The board then voted five-to-nothing to hire Shuck-Britson, Incorporated of Des Moines to conduct the first of what could become a two-phased study. The first phase will consist of a visual inspection of the building at a cost of 3,320-dollars to be completed by April 1st, complete with a report to the supervisors.
Johnson says a second phase of the study would consist of an invasive investigation…such as taking a wall apart. The cost of that second phase isn’t known.
Johnson says Shuck-Britson is well-qualified for the job, having done studies on other buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Iowa Statehouse.
