Court reallocates ARPA funds for sheriff remodel, advances annex and courthouse change orders

The Rockwall County Commissioner's Court on May 13 approved a package of project and budget actions that advance the county annex work and move ARPA-funded dollars into the Rockwall County Sheriff’s Office renovation project.

ARPA reallocation to sheriff renovation: The court approved Addendum 1 to the memorandum of understanding between Rockwall County and the Rockwall County Sheriff’s Office to increase SLFRF funding for the sheriff renovation project to $3,109,313.03. The addendum is contingent on the de-obligation of $915,900 in unspent ARPA funds from the Rockwall County Annex project; the court recorded a 5-0 vote in favor of the addendum.

Annex and courthouse change orders: The court also approved several construction change orders and credit items tied to the courthouse third-floor infill and annex projects. Key actions included:

- Approval of proposed change order (deductive alternate) removing or simplifying bid millwork for a credit of $166,200; approved 5-0. - Approval of a proposed change order to increase existing fire-suppression piping to service the new courtroom in the third-floor infill for $32,474.85, to be paid from owner’s contingency (net contingency impact noted in record); approved 5-0. - Approval of proposed change order 41 for the annex project (credit for switching from motorized to manual blinds) for a credit of $9,461.07; approved 5-0. - The court approved official change order number 5 (which incorporated previously approved proposed change orders) to release $915,900 from the annex contingency to the sheriff’s project; recorded as passing 4-0 (the record notes one commissioner absent at the vote).

Architect and construction services: The court approved Amendment 1 to the professional services agreement with Park Hill to add construction-phase services for the sheriff remodel (a $74,450 contract amendment); the vote recorded as 4-0. Commissioners said the scope includes submittal review, responses to RFIs and site observation during construction.

Why it matters: The actions move previously budgeted but unspent ARPA funds from the annex project into a county priority — the sheriff’s office renovation — while preserving contingency controls on the annex project. Commissioners said the annex remains on schedule and with expected savings from earlier deductive alternates; they also said some contingency savings are expected later when elevator programming and finalation occurs.

Project status: Court staff reported the annex is approximately 80–85% complete, procurement is largely finished, and furniture deliveries were being scheduled. On the courthouse courtroom addition, staff said an originally bid millwork alternate was removed from the base scope as a contingency credit, and a fire-suppression upgrade was necessary after pressure testing.

Ending: Commissioners approved the package of actions to reallocate ARPA funds and progress construction services by majority votes (addendum and credits passed unanimously; the official change order to release annex contingency passed 4-0). County staff will track contingency balances and return with further reporting as the projects proceed.