Lee County may get courthouse assessment

LEE COUNTY – Lee County Supervisors will discuss a proposal from Carl A. Nelson to provide an assessment of the South Lee County Courthouse as to whether or not the facility would be capable of supporting all Lee County courthouse services should the North Lee Courthouse be closed.
The South Lee courthouse was built in 1888 as a federal courthouse and post office and was renovated in 1992 with minimal upgrades until 2019 when the county spent about a million on upgrades to the exterior, boilers, and the clock tower.
In 2024, the county pushed the Iowa legislature to change a law that required Lee County, the only county in the state, to provide court services in Keokuk and in Fort Madison. That law was abolished in 2025 and the county is free to move to just one facility where judicial services are provided.
Carl A. Nelson & Co. proposed to provide a facility assessment report and develop a high-level plan for three different strategies. The county would still need architectural and engineering design services before they could procure bids for the work.
Nelson would provide the following: an existing building review; a full floor plan remodel and cost estimate of changes to make the building compatible with recommendations from the state judiciary; a rehabilitation floor plan with a focus on maximizing space; a new construction analysis, and an review from Alliant on benefits of energy remodeling in all the options.

They are projecting to finish the assessments before summer of this year at a cost to the county of $46,000.
In other action, Supervisors received three bids on the former Lee County EMS property in Fort Madison.
The board will consider the bids and possibly accept one at Tuesday morning’s regular meeting at the Lee County Administration Offices Board room at 10 a.m.
The top bid was for $60,000 from Tina Taeger to use the residential structure and adjoining metal fabricated garages for commercial retail space. The other two bids came from William Spiekermeier for $28,282.82 and Daniel Horn for $30,000. Both offers were to restore the facilities for storage space.
Supervisors will also consider a letter of support for the City of Fort Madison’s BUILD Funding project to redo two sections of one-way traffic on 18th and 20th streets, as part of the city’s ongoing Business 61 rehabilitation project. In addition, FM Fire Chief Chad Hannum will be giving an update to the board on the current status and future planning of the countywide Lee County Hazardous Materials Team.