Cape Girardeau County commissioners Thursday approved a new $500 per day mandatory deposit, effective immediately, for use of bathrooms by approved organizations in the mainly vacant 1908 county courthouse in uptown Jackson.

"We've had several occasions in which the restrooms were left pretty dirty," said Second District associate commissioner Charlie Herbst.

"We're looking for the bathrooms to be taken care of in a suitable fashion when events are held nearby," added First District associate commissioner Paul Koeper, who pointed out the deposit may be completely refundable. "We want to put more responsibility on the user."

Future use

The historic courthouse has been largely empty since the new county courthouse at 203 N. High St. opened two years ago.

"A request for qualifications (RFQ) is expected to go out in the next two weeks," Herbst said, for design-build teams interested in renovating the pre-World War I structure for future use.

"Once we examine the RFQs, we'll whittle the number of teams down to two or three -- and those firms will be sent a multi-page scope of work," Herbst said Friday, noting those companies will bring back proposals from which commissioners will choose one to award the work.

"I anticipate, barring possible supply chain problems, that old courthouse renovation work could begin in October or November," he added.

Previous action

• October 14: commissioners voted unanimously to award a $6,670 contract to St. Louis-based Sitex for environmental assessment, specifically checking for possible presence of lead and asbestos.
• July 22: commissioners agreed to a $208,670 contract with Navigate Building Solutions of St. Louis for a facility study.

"Navigate is, among other things, looking at a 2013 facility needs study for the county and will project out what it thinks we'll need 25 years from now," Herbst said last summer.