The Cole County Commission entered into a contract to do improvements to two county buildings in the 200 block of Adams Street.
During its Tuesday meeting, commissioners awarded the work to GBH Builders for $191,733.
The only other company to send in a quote for the work was Stark Construction; its bid was for $266,140.
The county had sought bids for the work, but had received none. Facilities Manager Greg Camp collected the quotes from the two companies after doing walk-throughs of both buildings with representatives of both companies.
At 209 Adams St., which is the former Missouri River Regional Library annex, the work will include adding two walls and two doors and taking down old duct work as well as installing new lighting. For now, the commission has said the building will house Camp's office and supplies his staff uses. Commissioners have said it could be used for other purposes in the future.
At 210 Adams St., the Carnegie Building where the county assessor's and public defenders' offices are located, the work will focus on the basement of the building where newly hired public defenders will have offices. Work there will include replacing HVAC units, installing new lighting and new flooring, along with painting and patching walls.
Camp said work could start next week after the contract is signed.
Western District Commissioner Harry Otto noted the county still had $1,680 to collect from GBH for its work on the courthouse lawn project that was completed last year.
"When all the final numbers were tabulated, right at the end there were a couple of things that were not needed, such as some excavation work, so the county overpaid GBH," Otto said.
"I'm OK with awarding them this work because that was a different project," Presiding Commissioner Sam Bushman said. "We need to get moving on this project because we have the public defenders needing that space."
Otto and Eastern District Commissioner Jeff Hoelscher agreed with Bushman, but added as part of that award, GBH settles their amount on the lawn project with the county.