WASHINGTON CO. COMMISSIONERS APPROVE SWITCHING NEGOTIATIONS TO NEW FIRM FOR COURTHOUSE LANDSCAPING PROJECT

  

Washington County Commissioners agreed today (Tuesday) to go in a different direction with negotiations regarding the courthouse landscaping project.

The court chose to end talks with Studio 16:19 and proceed instead with discussions with Terralab Landscape Architects for landscape architecture services.  The project is to tackle exterior courthouse aesthetic and drainage issues.

Commissioner Candice Bullock explained there have been back-and-forth negotiations for several months, but the project committee feels the county will not be able to get a “palatable” price for design services with the initial firm, so it recommended moving forward with Terralab, the firm that scored second-highest during the request for qualification (RFQ) process.

Bullock said the county is using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for this project, but it is still trying to be “good stewards” of that money.  She said, “If we have sticker shock, we would expect our constituency to have the same reaction.”

Update @ 8:45 a.m. Wednesday: Bullock told KWHI that five firms submitted for the project: Circle V Landscape, Studio 16:19, Talley Landscape, Washington County Landscape and Terralab Landscape. Several other local firms were notified about the RFQ but chose not to submit.

Terralab has a remote office in Brenham, and its co-owner, Pete Simpson, owns Floyd's Lounge in downtown Brenham.

Bullock noted that RFQs are required for professional services, which landscape architecture falls under. She said price may be considered, but emphasis is placed on experience, work performance and the capacity to perform.

Also at today’s meeting, commissioners received the E-911 Department’s quarterly report.  E-911 Operations Manager Shannon Selden broke down the department’s continued efforts to reduce call processing time, the amount of time from when emergency dispatchers receive a call to when first responders are sent out.  She credited the increased efficiency to extra staffing and additional staff training, while Commissioner Kirk Hanath pointed out the department’s prioritization of emergency calls as a key factor.

In other business, commissioners:

• Approved an addendum to the district attorney’s office contract with Local Government Solutions (LGS) for additional software licenses, support services and maintenance.  District Attorney Julie Renken explained that there are new employees in her office who need the licenses for the database.  The total cost is $11,590.  Renken said $6,359 will be split between the district attorney’s office’s hot check, asset forfeiture and bond commission funds.  The remaining $5,231 in unbudgeted funds will come from contingency fees.
• Tabled a request for application for county depository and subdepository.  The vote to table was to allow commissioners and finance committee members more time to review the item.
• Approved changing the start time of the commissioners court meeting on February 13^th from 9 to 9:30 a.m.  The change is to allow members of the court to attend the Washington County Chamber of Commerce’s “Meet the Candidates” event that morning at the Margaret E. Blizzard Senior Activity Center.
• Designated the Expo Center for District Court Day on February 15^th.
• Renewed annual bond for reserve deputy sheriffs Damon Wegner, Justin Knuppel, Ruben Fuentes and William Scott Atwood.