Commissioners approve change orders for sheriff's office remodel; staff to provide contingency-percent reporting

The Rockwall County Commissioners Court approved prime contract change orders 12, 14 and 15 to the SCI Construction agreement for the sheriff's office renovation and directed staff to provide a contingency usage percentage report before the next court meeting.

Commissioner Stacy summarized the three change orders: PCO 12 for $53,895 (charged to construction contingency for 09:11 dispatch work), PCO 14 covering fire-alarm scope changes and door hardware (funded from hardware allowances and permitting), and PCO 15 for additional door work (about $20,000 from hardware allowances). Project staff said allowances outside the CMAR could replenish contingency if needed.

Project lead Nico said the renovation is "progressing very well" and that the project remains under budget; he reported long-lead items have been ordered and that furniture orders (which drive phase sequencing) have not yet been placed. Commissioners discussed the difficulty of predicting remodel contingencies and asked the auditor and project staff for a report showing percent of contingency used versus percent of work complete. Staff agreed to prepare the percentage report before the next court session.

The court approved the three change orders by a unanimous 5-0 vote.

Why it matters: The change orders and contingency discussion affect scheduling and the county's ability to keep critical services, like dispatch, operational during phased renovations. Commissioners emphasized transparency and requested a clearer, percentage-based contingency update to track risk as remaining door and dispatch work progresses.