Rockwall County commissioners approve annex and courthouse changes, hire outside counsel in MUD 10 appeal; strategic plan and website redesign advance

Rockwall County Commissioners Court met Feb. 25 and approved a series of construction change orders for the county annex and courthouse projects, authorized outside counsel for an appeal tied to Municipal Utility District No. 10, and moved ahead on the county's Strategic Plan and website redesign.

The court met at 9 a.m. and took votes on multiple agenda items after updates from county staff and outside consultants. Most motions passed unanimously; one vote on hiring outside appellate counsel carried 4-1.

The annex project and related change orders

Commissioners approved several change orders and budget reallocations connected to the Rockwall County Annex project. Construction representative Nico Parks of Brous and Associates told the court the annex work is on schedule, that framing, most ductwork and in-wall plumbing are largely complete, and that the contractor had a recent passed inspection for in-wall plumbing. Parks described a proposed design option for an internal lobby and how the layout would affect circulation and storage in the developmental services area.

The court approved a proposed change order labeled PCO 20 to the Hill & Wilkinson contract relating to redesign work in the annex, including funds for design services (estimated at $36,500) and a process to return an exact construction price to the court. The motion to approve PCO 20 passed 5-0. Parks said the $36,500 figure represented an estimate to complete the design work and that a firm construction price would return to the court for approval.

The court also approved PCO 28, a $10,000 adjustment for saw-cutting and reconfiguring a control joint in existing pavement that became visible when fire-lane cuts were made. County staff said cutting back to the original control joint would prevent a future maintenance problem and improve long-term appearance.

Court members additionally approved revised accounting allocations for previously authorized PCOs (PCO 18, 19, and 21 through 27), moving amounts from an earlier "buyout savings" line into construction and owner contingencies so the contractor pay apps and project accounting aligned with audited numbers. County staff said the votes were bookkeeping re-allocations that do not increase the total approved project budget. The motion passed 5-0.

Courthouse third-floor corridor redesign around Treasurer's Office

The court approved a design change to reroute a planned corridor around the Treasurer's Office rather than cutting through the front of that office. The architectural redesign by HDR was approved at a…