A Madison firm is first in line to design a law enforcement center for Oconto County.
The Law Enforcement/Judiciary and Public Property committees on Wednesday selected Potter Lawson as its top choice, over Venture Architects, of Milwaukee.
The committees interviewed both firms last month and will recommend the county sign a contract with Potter Lawson.
The County Board is scheduled to act on the committee’s recommendation June 19.
Potter Lawson submitted a bid of $1,275,700 for the design work, just under the $1.3 million budgeted by the county.
The law enforcement center will be built on a 5-acre block north of the courthouse and will replace an outdated facility in the courthouse complex that needs major repairs and has limited capacity. Construction of the $25 million center is scheduled to begin in 2015.
According to Administrative Coordinator Kevin Hamann, the center will take about a year to design.
Sheriff Mike Jansen said he liked the more casual, “T-shirt and blue jeans-type relationship” presented by Potter Lawson, compared with the “suit and tie” relationship of Venture Architects.
“I don’t think we’d be wrong with either one, but my gut feeling is I’d lean toward Potter Lawson,” he said.
He liked the concept of Potter Lawson spending more time talking with staff members about design proposals, based on the company’s quote of $37,000 for programming, compared to a $12,000 quote from Venture Architects.
Kurt Berner, vice president of The Samuels Group Inc., the county’s consultant for the project, also recommended Potter Lawson.
“I think both of them are more than capable of building your building … but I think Potter Lawson is a better fit personalitywise,” he said.
Berner reported that both firms earned high marks from those who worked with them recently.
“All of them in general said yes, they would hire them again,” he said.
Hamann said he received a positive reference for Potter Lawson from Green Lake County.
The company was responsive to Green Lake County’s concerns, explained things in common terms and interacted well with the County Board, he reported.
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