<font color="red">UPDATE: </font>Commissioners move ahead with new office plans

<b>By Libby Cluett</b><br><a href="mailto:lcluett@mineralwellsindex.com">lcluett@mineralwellsindex.com</a>

PALO PINTO – In a workshop session Monday, Palo Pinto County Commissioners designated the Palo Pinto Annex – the historic stone building catty corner from the courthouse – for their new offices.

Commissioners presently have offices on the third floor of the courthouse, which was once the county jail. Before they move from the third floor of the courthouse the Palo Pinto Annex building’s interior needs reconfiguring.

Architect Charlie Kearns, a principal with Wiginton Hooker Jeffry Architects, told commissioners the building would be large enough for four offices, measuring roughly 10 by 9 feet, a small conference area and a break room.

Also in the third floor of the courthouse are the offices for the district attorney and the county auditor. Moving the commissioners out would potentially offer more space for either of these remaining offices.

In their current set up, two commissioners share two offices and cannot have a conversation if another commissioner walks in, making three commissioners – a quorum – present. Precinct 1 Commissioner Beth Ray said having separate offices would allow commissioners to “be legal.”

Kearns said he took measurements and this lays out well in the historic building. He said this meant the restrooms would need to be reworked to deal with some compliance issues and the building would need a couple of handicapped parking places.

In a discussion about whether to go with a construction manager at-risk or a construction manager agent, Kearns recommended the at-risk method and said this was the method they were using with Bell County. He said the construction manager at-risk is bonded and would be liable for a predetermined dollar amount for the project, the guaranteed maximum price. He explained that the at-risk construction manager would be competing with the fee up front. Kearns also added that, with the at-risk method, all the information is an open record.

County Auditor Sharon Allen and County Attorney Phil Garrett addressed two previous construction projects with county buildings and issues the county had in an audit related to one of the projects. Allen added that the construction manager agent “worked far better” when comparing these two previous projects.

Both Garrett and Allen suggested checking with the county’s auditor and becoming more educated before deciding on a construction method.

Commissioners approved, in one motion, moving forward with designating the annex as the commissioners court offices and proceeding with the construction manager at risk option.

“With this action, the architect will prepare the necessary description of work and other documents so that we will be ready to authorize requests for proposals soon, maybe at the next meeting,” stated Smiddy.

In other business, commissioners approved and Judge Mike Smiddy read a resolution of congratulations to the 2009 Strawn Greyhounds football team.

Smiddy said that although they did not win, on Dec. 12 in Abilene, Texas, the team “finished their season with integrity and pride at the State Championship, Division 1, Six Man Football.

“Whereas, the achievement by these young men and women, their coaches and sponsors is a high honor and serves as an example for all of the youth of Palo Pinto County,” Smiddy read, “and now … be it unanimously resolved that the Commissioners Court of Palo Pinto County, Texas, hereby commends and congratulates the 2009 Strawn Greyhounds Football Team on their outstanding achievements.”

Commissioners also approved:

• December reports from officials. These included Sheriff Ira Mercer’s report that his department issued 54 civil papers and 37 citations, made 532 calls for service and 86 arrests, drove 45,275 miles and booked 178 inmates.

County Auditor Sharon Allen reported the county had $1.88 million in revenues and $2.86 million in expenses.

Fire Marshal Barry Gill reported responding to six fires in December, including five structure fires – three within Mineral Wells and one within Strawn city limits.

“I called a lot of people in on that,” Gill said of the Strawn House of Flowers fire, which had 15 fire departments respond as well as investigators. He reported that an insurance investigator examined the building last week and he has called in another inspector, who will examine the structure fire before he can officially report the cause.

“It’s looking like it’s electrical,” he told commissioners, adding that the fire started in the center of the building – a portion that was not part of the store. He additionally reported, “Two million gallons of water went through the [Strawn city water] meter.” When city water was low, fire crews installed a temporary retention pool. Tanker trucks emptied their water, mostly collected from nearby ponds and water sources, into the pools and fire fighters drew from his pool to battle the blaze and keep it from jumping to a nearby building.

• September – end-of-fiscal-year 2009 – fund balance report. The report, given by Allen stated that the county dipped into the general fund reserves by $471,531, which left an unreserved fund balance for the general fund of $4.95 million. The discrepancy can largely be attributed to anticipated revenue coming in under budget projections. This includes roughly $140,000 in actual sales tax, $100,000 in actual interest income and $300,000 in actual fines all under budget projections.

Road and Bridge unreserved fund balances by precinct are as follows: Precinct 1 – $380,602; Precinct 2 – $481,392; Precinct 3 – $599,802; Precinct 4 – $387,602.

• Easements for bridge construction in Precinct 2 at Old Christian Road and Cook Road.

• Placing stop signs on Miller Road and Simpson Road, where the roads intersect South Keller Road. According to Precinct 1 Commissioner Beth Ray, residents complained about the trash truck backing through the intersection without stopping.

• A request to re-plat The Sportsman’s World Subdivision, Section 1, Block 1, Lots 62, 63 and 64.

• The purchase of Netbook computers and equipment for use at polling places. Tax Collector-Assessor Linda Tuggle reported that the expense of four computers would come from Help America Vote Act grant and county funds. She said the county has just over $4,000 of HAVA funds to use or lose.

The computers would help speed up lines at polling sites and could use a bar code scanner; provide each site with entire voter rolls, which would allow election judges to look up a voter’s voting location if they show up at the wrong site; and election judges could print out labels to place on the roll and show an individual has voted.

• Rescinding the court’s previous action – contracting with Allison, Bass & Associates, L.L.P. – on professional services agreement for redistricting project relative to 2010 census.

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