photo by: Journal-World

The west side of the Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St.

The Douglas County Commission at its Wednesday meeting will hear a request to approve waterproofing work in the Douglas County Courthouse basement.

The waterproofing work would correct an issue dating back to when the historic courthouse was built. The building opened in 1904, when it was common practice to not waterproof below stone building foundation walls. That has contributed to ongoing maintenance issues, according to county staff.

The report doesn’t specify a cost for the project beyond $8,000 for pre-design services with Hernly & Associates Inc., a Lawrence-based architectural design firm. It does note, however, that funding for the project will come from the Capital Improvement Project fund’s dedicated budget of more than $4 million for work on the courthouse, and that staff doesn’t anticipate construction will require the use of all the available funding dollars. The county will also receive a $90,000 Heritage Trust Fund grant to apply toward the project.

The commission also will hear an update from the Heritage Conservation Council during a work session Wednesday. The update will cover the completion of historical survey work across unincorporated Douglas County; collaborative efforts to develop an Open Space Plan; and a forthcoming archaeological survey, among other topics like the council’s Natural and Cultural Grant program and upcoming educational programs.

Wednesday’s work session will begin at 4 p.m., and the regular business meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St. The meeting also will be available by Zoom. For meeting information, visit the county’s website: dgcoks.org/commissionmeetings.