County accepts west-hall repairs, advances new jail planning with architect payment

The Liberty County Commissioners Court on March 10 accepted the sheriff's report that restoration work in the jail's west hall is substantially complete and approved moving forward with planning payments for a proposed new county jail.

Sheriff reported that "the restoration in the west hall is complete except for the two doors that we have on order," and that phase one of a new camera system (about 70 cameras), expanded metal work and HVAC repairs are complete. The sheriff said vendors would complete remaining fire-alarm work and the county could then request inspection by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards to begin returning inmates to the west hall.

Separately, the court approved a $21,600 invoice to DRG Architects, a third payment toward contracted basic services for the new jail RFQ 2512. Staff described the payment as completing the pre-planning phase (5% of the contract) and said the next phases will involve design work and coordinating with construction managers at risk.

Why it matters: The repairs address immediate operational capacity and safety at the county jail; payment to the architect marks continued progress toward a larger capital project to replace or expand jail capacity. Commissioners asked staff about construction methods, financing and the opportunity to visit facilities designed by the architect to inform design choices.

What the court decided: The court voted to accept the sheriff's update and to approve the DRG Architects invoice; commissioners instructed staff to coordinate facility visits and keep the court informed of design and cost options.

Next steps: Final fire-alarm work to be completed and the Texas Commission on Jail Standards inspection scheduled; architect will proceed to design phase and county staff will review construction-manager proposals.