WASHINGTON CO. COMMISSIONERS SIGN OFF ON CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT FOR ATS FACILITY
Washington County Commissioners moved today (Tuesday) to accept a contract for the construction of a new Archives, Technology and Services facility.
The county will be working with Chappell Hill Construction on the project, which involves converting the site of the old ATS Irrigation building on Highway 105 into a record storage facility.
The contract is for $1,982,885 and includes contingencies and alternates. Chappell Hill Construction was the highest-ranking of four offerors for the project, and was also the lowest bidder.
Commissioner Kirk Hanath said the county will have multiple major projects happening at the same time, with the ATS facility set to coincide with the restoration of the courthouse exterior, the renovations to the county jail kitchen – which are also being handled by Chappell Hill Construction – and eventually the EMS station at Lake Somerville. He said the new storage space coming as part of the ATS facility is very much needed.
Hanath said work on the jail kitchen has been moving along on schedule and asked when the company planned on starting up at the ATS facility. Chappell Hill Construction Project Manager Ray Andrejczak said a pre-construction meeting is being planned for September 2nd, and he anticipates that once insurance and other items are addressed, they should be able to get going within around two weeks.
In other business, commissioners received a slate of monthly reports. During Sheriff Trey Holleway’s report for activity during the month of July, he stated that the sheriff’s office responded to 50 traffic accidents, a total that, while not surpassing this year’s high mark of 54 in April, nearly doubles the 26 accidents seen in June. Holleway said based off of his research of estimates from AAA and the National Highway Institute, July may have been the heaviest-traveled month on record.
Also at today’s meeting, the court:
- Appointed Commissioner Kirk Hanath to begin negotiations with Phoenix I Restoration and Construction, the highest-ranking of four offerors for the second phase of the exterior restoration project at the courthouse. Phoenix I was hired to perform the first phase of the project.
- Accepted the 2025 Washington County Fair trail ride right-of-way permit application.
- Approved a modified bond requirement for judges in statutory county courts and county courts that preside over guardianship and probate proceedings in Texas from $100,000 to $500,000. The change comes from the passage of Senate Bill 387 in the 89th Legislature.