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Willacy County approves amendment to courthouse restoration agreement, reallocates leftover grant funds
Summary
Willacy County Commissioners approved an amendment to the professional services agreement for the full courthouse restoration, reallocating consultant/architect fees while keeping projected construction cost unchanged; commissioners said roughly $2.2 million and a smaller $9,000 balance from prior grants will be transferred into the restoration project.
Willacy County’s Commissioners Court on Nov. 13 approved an amendment to the county’s professional services agreement with Landbacher Godfrey (architects) for the full restoration of the county courthouse.
County officials said the amendment does not increase the overall construction estimate — a projected figure the judge described as about $17.5 million — but redistributes the “soft money” portion of the contract among consultants, engineers and architects as the work uncovers additional conditions in the existing building. The motion to approve the contract adjustment was moved and seconded and carried by voice vote.
During the discussion the judge informed the court that leftover funds from earlier grants would be redirected into the restoration project: about $9,000 from an emergency grant and “$2,200,000 and change” from a prior planning grant. Officials said total construction costs remain projections until formal bids are received later in the procurement process.
County staff said the amendment is administrative in effect — reallocating previously approved consultant dollars within the same overall grant-funded budget — and that bids for construction will be solicited in mid-December to late January. No vote tallies by name were recorded in the public transcript; commissioners approved the amendment by voice vote.
The court also approved an additional Amendment No. 1 to the services agreement that reassigns specific consultant tasks as discoveries are made in the existing courthouse structure. The county judge said auctioned and grant-tracking steps will continue as previously outlined.
Next steps: staff will proceed with procurement of construction bids and provide updates to the commissioners as the project moves from design to solicitation.
