A preservation and maintenance plan for the Douglas County Courthouse could soon be in place.

Douglas County Commissioners will consider a $48,480 proposal tonight to hire Treanor Architects and DGM Consultants to perform a condition assessment on the building, which is more than 100 years old, and develop a multiyear preservation plan.

“The courthouse is a unique and historic building, and we should do everything we can to maintain it,” said Commissioner Bob Johnson. “No one wants to see taxes increase, but I think more people want to see or would like to see us preserve the courthouse for future generations.”

Commissioners agreed almost a year ago to find a consultant to develop a preservation plan for the courthouse, 1100 Mass.

Commissioner Jere McElhaney said preserving the courthouse was something he was interested in but wanted to know more details about what would be included in the assessment and the plan. Johnson also said he wanted more information. Commission Chairman Charles Jones couldn’t be reached for comment.

About two years ago, the county spent $60,000 cleaning the building’s stone exterior and painting the window frames. A $159,999 fire-sprinkler system was installed in 2002, and money also was spent to overhaul offices and put up new drapes.

Commissioners will consider the proposal when they meet at 6:35 p.m. today in the commission chambers, 1100 Mass.

Commissioners also will:

• Consider approving the final plat for the Red Tail Ridge subdivision. Located west of East 1200 Road, east of East 1100 Road and south of North 1000 Road, the proposed 12-lot single-family rural residential subdivision includes about 65 acres of land.
• Conduct a public hearing and consider approving a resolution to establish the Hesper Charter Road Improvement District. People in the Hesper community, which includes the Hesper Friends Church, want area roads to be paved because of dust and the growing population in the area. The Hesper community is about a mile and a half southeast of Eudora.
• Consider a petition to create a sewer benefit district for about 80 acres of land northwest of the Sixth Street and South Lawrence Trafficway intersection and about 18 acres on the east side of the SLT north of Sixth Street, which also is U.S. Highway 40.
• Commissioners also will discuss management audit possibilities of county departments. However, commissioners may table the item because of the heavy agenda.