WASHINGTON CO. COMMISSIONERS TO CONSIDER AGREEMENT FOR EXTERIOR COURTHOUSE RENOVATIONS

  

Washington County Commissioners will vote Tuesday on an agreement for renovation of the courthouse grounds.

Commissioners will look to enter into an agreement with Terralab Landscape Architects for professional design services and consultation.  The county is proceeding with a project to renovate the exterior of the courthouse, including hardscape, monumentation, landscape, grading/drainage, planting, and accessibility improvements. 

The estimated project budget for the proposal is $1,021,125, with the general contractor’s estimated scope of work coming out to $966,125 and the remaining $55,000 being performed by county maintenance and the Engineering and Development Services Department.

Also on Tuesday, the court will hear a request from the sheriff’s office to allow retiring Sheriff Otto Hanak to purchase his duty weapon as a reward for his contributions and service to citizens.  Hanak has served in law enforcement in Washington County for the past 27 years as a Texas Ranger, 21^st Judicial District Attorney’s investigator, and as sheriff since 2013. 

The county cannot gift the firearm to Hanak, as state law does not allow government entities to gift items of value to individuals.  However, the sheriff’s office is asking the court to permit Hanak to purchase his duty weapon for a cost of $1, the same cost that Sheriff J.W. Jankowski paid for his weapon upon retirement in 2012.

The court will then act upon a deed of gift to the county from Joyce Moore for four ledger books from Wiede and Son Store dated from the early 1900s.  Moore wishes to gift the ledgers to the county clerk’s office so that they can be preserved and viewed by the public.

A workshop will follow the court’s regular session.  Topics to be covered include the jail kitchen, file storage, EMS Lake Somerville station, courthouse landscaping and strategic planning projects. 

In other business, commissioners will:

• Act on a policy establishing guidelines for the recognition of Washington County retirees.
• Consider authorization for the Engineering and Development Services Department to seek bids for 2025 annual bid items: contract mowing, culverts, drive bridge piling, fuel, oil/asphalt/emulsion, road construction materials, tires, steel products, contract hauling, and emergency debris and tree/limb removal.  Bids will be due to the county December 5^th at 10 a.m. and will be reviewed by the court on December 17^th at 9 a.m.
• Discuss a formal notice from Industry Telephone Company for fiber installation along the county right-of-way of Koether Road in Precinct 4.

Commissioners will meet Tuesday at 9 a.m. at the Washington County Courthouse.