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Court approves $12,074 elevator change order, debates $100,000 tree-grate claim at courthouse project
Summary
Commissioners approved a $12,073.60 change order to add power supplies and a relay to meet elevator/fire-safety requirements and accepted a credit for the tree grate amid dispute over contractor pricing.
Aransas County commissioners voted unanimously to approve construction change requests tied to the county courthouse project, including a roughly $12,073.60 change order to add power supplies and a fire-alarm relay for the elevators and a credit related to a planned tree grate.
Aaron Wint, owner of Wint Electrical Services, told the court the elevator inspector required a power-supply/shunt‑trip arrangement so the fire alarm can trip the breaker and return elevators to the first floor in case of smoke detection. "They didn't show power supplies on the plans," Wint said, explaining the change order was needed to meet the elevator inspector’s requirement. County staff described the $12,073.60 total as comprising an electrical subcontractor portion (approximately $9,052), work for the fire-alarm system (about $1,900) and consultant/coordination fees (about $1,100).
The court also wrestled with a dispute over the tree grate that sits between the community center and courthouse. Contractors reportedly quoted a charge near $2,867.52 as a credit for removing the tree grate from the contract; county staff said the contractor later asserted the cost to install a steel tree grate could be as high as $100,000. Judge Garza and commissioners discussed alternatives such as bark or rock cover but left the decision to the court. The combined motions (credit for the tree grate and the elevator change order) passed on a 5–0 vote.
Why it matters: the elevator change is a safety and code-related modification required for final inspection and occupancy; the tree-grate debate touches on project cost control and preservation of a mature tree on site.
What the motion did: the court approved Construction Change Request No. 111 (credit related to the tree grate) and Construction Change Order No. 112 (power supplies/relay for elevator/fire-system) and authorized payment/credit adjustments as documented in the change-order package.
Votes: Commissioners Cheney, Castorlein, Russo, Dupek and County Judge Sam Garza voted aye; the motion passed 5–0.
Implementation: county staff said the county will proceed with the electrical and fire-alarm work to satisfy the elevator inspector’s mandate and will record the agreed credit for the tree grate. Staff will continue to explore options for protecting the tree while avoiding large additional expense.
