WASHINGTON CO. COMMISSIONERS APPROVE SEEKING BIDS FOR PHASE II OF EXTERIOR COURTHOUSE RESTORATION

  

Washington County Commissioners agreed today (Tuesday) to go out for bids for the second phase of a project to restore the exterior of the courthouse.

The bids will be due by Thursday, August 7^th in the county clerk’s office.  The county is using a mix of local funds and Texas Historical Commission (THC) grant funds to work on the project, which has seen adjustments to scope and cost following emergency safety repairs that were needed earlier this year.  The first phase of the project was to remove loose granite slates on the outside of the courthouse that had deteriorated to the point where one panel fell off.

Commissioner Kirk Hanath said the total estimated cost for the exterior restoration has jumped from $3.55 million to $4.04 million, after crews discovered other items that needed to be addressed when they began their work.   The county’s amount to pay is increasing from the 30 percent share previously expected to close to 50 percent, but Hanath said the county will have an opportunity in December to apply for additional THC grant funding and bring the county’s cost share back down.

The full amount to be paid by the county will depend on what the county selects in the final bid package, as Hanath said some pieces of the project could be listed as alternate bids, which – if the commissioners court elects to include the alternates – would mean the county’s percentage to pay goes up. 

Also at today’s meeting, commissioners received a quarterly report from the Washington County Extension Office.  The office, through its collaboration with the Prairie View A&M Cooperative Extension Service, now has a Community and Economic Development (CED) agent position, held by Dr. Tina Henderson.  The CED unit provides general assistance to entrepreneurs, small business owners, agribusinesses and land owners on topics such as financial resources, business planning and development, marketing, budgeting and efficient practices.  The position’s salary and equipment are covered by Prairie View A&M University. 

The report also featured comments from four recent graduates who, through their involvement with Washington County 4-H, were awarded a total of $33,000 in Texas 4-H Opportunity Scholarships: Logan Mason, Audrey Schmidt, Corbin Janner and Haylie Niemeyer.