Fourteen months into the construction of the new Warren County administration building, the $6.5 million project has stayed within budget. After reviewing financial numbers on the project during Monday's monthly project update meeting, the county commission remains confident the project will continue to stay on track now that only 30 percent of the project is unpaid. According to the latest requisition summary totals for the project, the balance the county still has to pay is $1,945,167.13. At of the end of November, the county had $2,226,350.25 remaining in the capital improvement fund, which is comprised of funds generated annually through a half-cent sales tax. Commissioners also are projecting to receive $1,230,000 in sales tax revenue in 2012, of which 30 percent, or $369,000, will be allocated for capital improvements and available for the project if needed. The remaining 70 percent is earmarked for road maintenance. The county commission has budgeted $6,571,730 for the new facility, which is being funded entirely from the county's capital improvement fund. Some of the project expense is being offset by two grants totaling $227,745 to construct and outfit the emergency management agency portion of the new county facility. Also included in the project's cost is approximately $78,000 in contingency funds that have been unused so far. "We're sitting where we need to be, which is good," Presiding Commissioner Arden Engelage said. The administration building project remains on schedule to be completed by April. Construction has been ongoing since October 2010. The new county facility, located along South Highway 47 and Mockingbird Lane in Warrenton, will house all non-court related offices. Prior to construction beginning over a year ago, the county spent several years reserving funds for the project after voters approved the half-cent sales tax. At the time the county commission was considering constructing a new administration building, many county residents questioned and criticized the plan to spend millions on a new county building and to move offices from the downtown area. Commissioners, meanwhile, said the new facility was necessary to alleviate crowding at the courthouse and to provide space for a third courtroom. The county commission credited the daily presence of Septagon, the project's construction manager, for keeping the project within budget. "They have done a wonderful job for us," Southern District Commissioner Hubie Kluesner said. The county is expected to proceed with renovating the maintenance room in the current courthouse into a 10-bed jail dorm in 2012, according to the commission. A preliminary design of a project has been completed by Treanor Architects, the same firm that designed the new administration building. The jail dorm renovation is tentatively expected to be bidded out in the early part of the year, with construction expected to begin once the new county facility opens and offices are relocated there. The dorm is likely to be used for work release inmates. It is needed to help free up space in the jail and also reduce attempts to bring contraband into the regular jail housing population. Project Update Inclement weather has prevented much of the exterior concrete work from progressing as planned on the administration building project, but progress is being made inside the new structure. According to Ian Hagan, of Septagon, contractors have started painting on the second floor and drywall is being hung on the main level. Next week, crews will be able to start hanging drywall on the lower level. After Christmas, contractors are scheduled to begin installing the ceiling grid. Once work on the ceiling grid is completed, plumbing, HVAC, electrical and fire protection contractors will wrap up work on the second level. Hagan also indicated that flooring and cabinetry contractors are scheduled to begin their work onsite in the middle of January. Also at Monday's project status update meeting, the county commission approved two change orders totaling $2,544. One of the change orders covers the expense to remove an installed door frame in the collector's office and to extend the wall to the new door frame. That change will cost an additional $1,236. The other change order was in the amount of $1,308 to Meyer Construction Services included installing an extra layer of drywall where a steel structure penetrated the fire walls near some stairs, and installing grid ceilings in three rooms. The county also received a $425 credit for removing a partition from the north wall of the commission chambers. -recnews@centurytel.net