Site work on the county’s new administration building resumed last week, one day after a lawsuit was filed by the county commission against the city of Warrenton. The commissioners contend that since excavation and grading was delayed over a dispute involving construction permits, the project is at least two weeks behind schedule since a contractor had to leave the job site and remobilize. The county is building a 36,670-square-foot, two-story building on 3 acres the commission purchased last year on South Highway 47 and Mockingbird Lane in Warrenton. The new facility will house all non-court related county offices. The project is expected to take 16 to 18 months to complete. Though they are protesting the city’s permit procedure, the county commission applied and received separate land disturbance and stormwater permits to allow site work to resume last Thursday. So far, the county has paid $675 to the city for the permits, of which $500 is a deposit to have the design plans reviewed by the city’s contracted engineer, George Butler and Associates. The county will receive whatever money is left over from the city’s payment to the engineer, according to Warrenton Building Commissioner Jim Daly. A building permit, if needed, would cost the county $26,781.40, Daly said. On Tuesday, a groundbreaking ceremony was held to celebrate the project’s controversial start. In attendance were elected county officials Prosecutor Mike Wright and Clerk Barb Daly, former commissioner Ken McLaughlin, Truesdale Mayor Murray Bruer, a member of U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer’s staff and representatives from the Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce. Also present were contractors and companies involved in the project including Septagon, Treanor Architects, Cochran Engineering, and Higgins Electric. No Warrenton city officials were in attendance. During the brief gathering, Southern District Commissioner Hubie Kluesner applauded previous commissions who helped build up capital improvement fund reserves to be used for the administration building. “This is like a journey,” he said. “It wasn’t us three that started that journey. It was prior commissioners who had the foresight to save the money to be able to do this. A lot of them aren’t here, a lot of them aren’t with us anymore, but I think they need to be recognized and thanked publicly for their ability to save the money so we could do the project.” The commission has said the new facility would help alleviate crowding in the existing courthouse. “We have to realize this county is still growing as we stand here,” Northern District Commissioner Dan Hampson said. “There is a lot going on and will be going on in this county. Once the boom breaks loose, this building is set up for the next 20 or 30 years, but yet we have enough room to expand it for many more years to come. Hopefully it will serve the needs of the county.” The cost to construct the new county facility is $5,245,940, while the overall project is estimated to be $6,533,339. The commissioners remain optimistic the project will finish around the $6 million budgeted amount, in large part to $227,745 in grant money that will pay and outfit the emergency management agency portion. The lawsuit, filed in Warren County Circuit Court on Oct. 20, contends that under state law the county is not required to obtain and pay for city building permits. The suit requests that the court decide the permit issue and require the city to return the money the county paid under protest. It also seeks the withdrawal of all municipal ordinance violation citations issued in connection with the controversy and as well as attorney fees and damages for the construction delay. The lawsuit was filed after the city posted a stop work order at the job site Oct. 15 and later issued a summons to an employee of T.S. Banze Construction after he continued performing grading work. The county commissioners said they told the contractor to continue working. City officials dispute the county’s interpretation of the law and maintain the county is in violation of city building codes by not obtaining and paying for the construction permits. No court date has been scheduled to hear the case.