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Rockwall County approves Fries and Nichols contract for master thoroughfare plan
Summary
The Rockwall County Commissioners Court unanimously approved a professional services agreement with Fries and Nichols Inc. to prepare a master thoroughfare plan. The contract is about $408,775 with an additional apportionment item of roughly $91,000 and is tied to TRIP 21 bond funding with a termination option if bonds are not issued.
The Rockwall County Commissioners Court voted 5–0 on Dec. 17 to approve a professional services agreement with Fries and Nichols Inc. for preparation of a master thoroughfare plan.
Commissioner Lichty, who led the discussion, said the county circulated a revised agreement to multiple reviewers and worked through changes requested by county staff, the auditor, the road consultant, ITS and the district attorney’s office. “I’m recommending we approve this and get going with it,” Lichty said.
The contract fee is roughly $408,775, Lichty said, and the agreement includes about $91,000 for the county’s road apportionment program. The agreement also contains a provision stating the study will be funded with TRIP 21 bond proceeds and gives the county the option to terminate the contract if bond funding does not materialize, a protection Lichty described as a contingency rather than an expectation of failure.
Why it matters: a master thoroughfare plan guides long-term road planning and project prioritization across the county. Tying the study to bond proceeds means the county’s ability to proceed will depend on the success and timing of the TRIP 21 bond issuance.
During discussion the County Judge asked whether the apportionment program must wait until phase 2; Lichty said it “can run concurrently but probably not immediately.” Commissioners also confirmed the consultant recommendation and that ITS and other county reviewers had input on scope and cost.
Lichty noted the contract document shows the contractor’s signature date as Jan. 2, 2025, and asked staff to correct the circulation date if approved. The court then approved the motion to execute the professional services agreement; the motion was seconded and carried 5–0.
Next steps: staff will circulate the finalized agreement with the corrected date if approved and proceed with consultant onboarding; the study’s start and continued work remain contingent on TRIP 21 bond funding and related scheduling decisions.
