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Hardin County tables decision on hurricane safe room after contractor flags cost shortfall
Summary
Commissioners heard that the Hurricane Safe Room project has an unbudgeted shortfall and delayed issuing a notice to proceed while seeking final approval of a FEMA/TDEM cost increase; the court agreed to revisit the item at the first meeting in May.
Hardin County Commissioners Court on April 8 tabled action on issuing a notice to proceed for construction of a hurricane safe room after the contractor notified the county of a substantial cost shortfall and the county’s grant administrator said approval from the Texas Division of Emergency Management and FEMA was still pending.
The county’s emergency management coordinator, Aaron Tupper, told the court the bid was awarded in 2024 but that the project had been budgeted several years earlier. He said there is a funding shortfall the county has asked TDEM/FEMA to approve as a cost adjustment and that the contractor requires a notice to proceed to hold the bid: "The contractors asked us to either issue a notice to proceed or they can't guarantee the bid," Tupper said.
Grant administrator Melinda Smith told commissioners the county has…
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