Wichita County — The Wichita County Commissioners Court voted unanimously on Nov. 10 to approve a $108,384 change order, with a 20% contingency of $21,676.80, to install reheat coils and hot‑water plumbing to control relative humidity in the 30th District courtroom and prepare plumbing infrastructure for future courthouse projects.

County staff told the court that extreme swings in humidity during the summer had risked damage to decorative woodwork in the courtroom and that reheat coils using hot water were the most efficient way to manage moisture without overcooling the space. “The best way to address that is to put reheat coils in the line…we want to do it with hot water instead of electric because it’s more efficient,” a county project lead said during the discussion.

Commissioners reviewed multiple bids and questioned large variances between estimates. An early document referenced $151,859 for the combined work; staff clarified that the proposal before the court is $108,384 with an available contingency and a possible additional night-work allowance that could push costs higher only if approved. County staff said they had returned $122,000 in unused contingency from earlier courthouse work and intend to draw from existing contingency funds rather than seek new appropriations for this project.

Scheduling and court disruption were central concerns. Commissioners asked staff to schedule heavy work during periods when courtrooms are closed to minimize the impact on hearings. “We don’t want construction stopping proceedings,” the presiding official said, urging coordination with judges and contractors.

The motion to approve the project at $108,384 with a 20% contingency and to authorize signatures to draw from contingency for amounts under $5,000 passed 5-0. County staff said plumbing work would be run to a logical dead‑end so future projects (referred to in discussion as the 78th area) can tie into the infrastructure without full rework.

What’s next: County facilities staff will coordinate a construction schedule with the courts to reduce operational disruption and will return contractor authorization paperwork as required for contingency draws above the administrative threshold.

Votes: Motion carried 5-0.