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Bond performance team says procurement moving; county to post project signage and expand public dashboard
Summary
County staff and the bond performance team reported progress on voter-approved bond projects, outlined procurement schedules including a CMAR for the Office of Medical Examiners and upcoming cooperative procurements for parks, and previewed public signage and an online dashboard for transparency.
El Paso County staff reported Thursday that procurement and project-management activity for voter-approved bond projects is advancing and that the county will expand public-facing information on project status.
County Purchasing Agent Karen Davidson said the county plans to advertise a construction-manager-at-risk (CMAR) request for proposals for a new Office of Medical Examiners, with a target to post the solicitation in early July and return an award recommendation in mid-January 2026. Davidson said the CMAR approach will allow contractors to provide constructability input earlier in design and then establish a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) to accelerate schedule and control cost.
Davidson said the sports-field lighting replacement project was on a fast track and would be an early award (mid-July), followed by cooperative procurements for several park projects (Reisinger, Ala Dulce, Westway) and design awards for Ruben Estrella Park and Sparks Walking Trail. County attorneys said existing AIA templates and tailored cooperative agreements will be used while ensuring county protections for co-op contracts.
Public Works and bond team staff described efforts to centralize program information on a public dashboard and to install standardized signage at project sites with QR codes linking to the dashboard. Communications staff showed a draft “drive-by” sign and a walk-up sign with a QR code; commissioners requested that the signs more prominently display project name, estimated cost and an estimated completion date.
Project updates included design progress on Escarate Park elements (design refinements for the lake and trail), survey and lease work for Veterans Park and progress on Sparks Park, Ruben Estrella and Westway parks. For the large-scale Office of the Medical Examiners and animal shelter projects, staff said they are targeting early contractor engagement on design and community engagement phases and that some projects will require state approvals and review (for example TCJS standards for custody-related facilities).
Why it matters: Voter-approved capital projects are large county investments; the procurement approach, early contractor involvement and public transparency measures will influence project schedules, costs and community trust.
