County staff used the July 14 budget workshop to review capital, facilities and facility‑operations items that will affect the coming fiscal year.

Construction and annex: Sandra said the county is issuing pay applications and retainage related to courthouse construction and anticipated a final reimbursement from the Texas Historical Commission to offset retainage. She said staff expect the general contractor’s GMP (guaranteed maximum price) for the annex “this week,” which will clarify timing and budget needs for the annex scope and security items.

Security cameras, access control and barns: Staff discussed adding security cameras and access control for courthouse, annex and county barn locations. Sandra said the county is now able to consider Internet‑connected cameras at barn locations, which would improve security for high‑value portable equipment stored at those yards. A vendor‑sourced cleaning service estimate for courthouse cleaning was cited at roughly $2,500 per month for weekly cleaning with one deep clean per month.

Geothermal tax credit and furnishings: Sandra told the court that guidance from the county’s tax‑credit vendor indicates the federal energy tax credit for the county’s geothermal system remains available despite recent federal tax changes; the county’s initial calculation estimated the credit could be worth about $500,000 to the county once the system is commissioned and vendor certification occurs. The county has received historic‑furniture deliveries and is issuing invoices for furnishings stored in the annex.

ARPA and other funds: Sandra said the county has committed ARPA funds and reported approximately $532,004 remaining in its ARPA account to spend; designated ARPA projects must be spent by federal deadlines and have committed allocations.

Why it matters: These capital and facility costs are a mix of one‑time expenses (construction, furniture, cameras) and ongoing operating costs (cleaning, utilities). Capital decisions affect short‑term cash flow and long‑term debt and maintenance obligations.

Next steps: Staff will continue to reconcile construction pay apps, receive the annex GMP and refine capital line items for the August budget workshop.