County hears pitch from architect; commissioners move to designate firm for planning

Jeff Foster introduced himself to the court and described a two-part approach for county facility planning: an up-front assessment and master plan created by a multi-department project team, followed by negotiated construction contracts only if the court decides to proceed. "I'm gonna propose a 2 part contract where you don't pay me a big fee on First Face," Foster said, adding that planning would include input from auditors, the clerk's office and other users and would produce 5‑ and 10‑year needs assessments.

Foster emphasized transparency and regular updates: he said he would assemble a schedule, meet with county staff (including Cliff, the grant writer), and send group emails with replies directed only to him "so it's not considered ruling court." Asked about timing, he said the July 1 start date was unrealistic because planning, advertising for asbestos abatement and construction management and the estimating process take several weeks; "I would say that by August, you should be under construction," he said, while cautioning the timeline could move.

During the discussion a commissioner moved that the court approve "Southwest architect for the planning and development of the new accessibility" project. The chair asked for a second; the meeting record shows the court asked Foster to prepare a draft contract and return to the court for a future decision rather than documenting a completed vote in this segment. No formal vote tally was recorded in the provided transcript.

The court directed staff to continue coordination with the grant writer and to bring a draft contract back for consideration.