Posted 4:23 am Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Commissioners Court Approves 'Pay-as-you-go' Facility Improvements
By ADAM RUSSELL
Staff Writer
Smith County Commissioners Court discussed ongoing "pay-as-you-go" projects before commissioners unanimously approved moving forward with specific facility improvements with available funding.
Staff Writer
Smith County Commissioners Court discussed ongoing "pay-as-you-go" projects before commissioners unanimously approved moving forward with specific facility improvements with available funding.
The county will move forward with plans to add lighting to the courthouse exterior, replace first and second floor windows with ballistic glass and reflective window tinting to those windows and upgrade security monitoring equipment within the courthouse.
Estimates and timelines for all of the improvement projects have not been finalized but commissioners agree that security additions at the courthouse are needed.
Commissioners approved a $20,000 double-door to keep both civilians and vehicles from entering the courthouse sally-port.
"That is something that is long overdue," Commissioner Bill McGinnis said. "This is a problem I have noticed for years, some of the folks you run into (in the sally-port area) don't belong there, they just wandered in."
McGinnis said addressing basic security needs with gates, doors, lighting, monitoring devices and bulletproof glass will be taken seriously by the court.
Physical Plant Director Steve Christian said he would produce a timeline for the upcoming projects during next Monday's regular meeting.
Commissioner Bobby Van Ness said staffers should move forward with establishing timelines, budgets and any other needs that might be addressed to begin the suggested projects soon.
Other projects include cleaning the exterior of the courthouse, adding windows to the sixth floor and other exterior improvements, removing and replacing courthouse landscaping due to security recommendations by the U.S. Marshal Service, and exterior and interior improvements to the Cottonbelt building.
County Judge Joel Baker said the commitment has been made by the court to facilitate improvements without increasing the tax rate and that pay-as-you-go projects have addressed and will continue to address county facility needs.
"We are committed to renovating and rejuvenating old buildings in this area, but these buildings will be essentially new buildings upon completion with new roofs, energy-efficient mechanical equipment and new interiors," he said.
Commissioner JoAnn Hampton said the public has responded well to the court's decision to move forward with projects in an orderly and cost effective manner.
"We are trying to use taxpayer money wisely," she said. "We have established that we are working through these projects one right after the other on a pay-as-you-go basis, and that is a good thing."
Commissioners also approved setting monthly long range facility planning meetings after 5 p.m. so parties involved in further planning could be present for additional comment.
Other items approved by commissioners Monday include:
Commissioners entered into executive session for legal advice regarding and approved the following after returning to public session:
Commissioners tabled the following items:
Contract negotiations, revision, policies, and available options relevant to assumption of 9-1-1 dispatch service contracts with local entities;
There was no action taken in regard to a petition by the residents of County Road 1272 in Precinct 1. Commissioner JoAnn Fleming said she could not set a precedent to improve or upgrade roadways based solely on the values of homes in neighborhoods. She said she personally inspected the roadway in question and found that the Road & Bridge Department's job was well done.
Van Ness and Baker visited the sight with R&B Administrator Doug Nicholson to inspect the road surface and found that the job was completed up to specs. Van Ness said once the surface packs and hardens there should be no doubt about the quality of the road.
