Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Facility Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hood County commissioners weigh short- and long-term options to relocate DPS driver’s license office
Summary
County leaders discussed moving the DPS driver’s license office and consolidating county departments, weighing a modular building at Road Ops as a near-term fix against renovating the Weatherford College building or buying a 377-area property as long-term solutions; staff were asked to return with cost estimates and options.
Hood County commissioners spent a special workshop exploring options to address pressing facility needs, centering on where to relocate the DPS driver’s license office and how to free sufficient space for Elections, Environmental Health and Development.
Commissioner Andrews opened the March workshop by framing the problem: the DPS lease at its current location is ending in late summer and the county must find an interim and a long-term solution. "The long-term plan is the county shouldn't be subsidizing the state's responsibility," she said, adding that the county expects DPS to ultimately pay for office space and staffing if it occupies county facilities.
The discussion divided into short-term and long-term approaches. For the near term, commissioners discussed moving county staff (including returning an employee, Clint, to NX3) to free an existing suite for DPS; officials described a workable short-term layout that would provide about 1,100 square feet and one bathroom as a stopgap until a larger option is in place. Commissioners also raised a modular-building option on county-owned Road Ops property as a faster remedy, with a cited example of a 4,000-square-foot modular unit costing roughly $100 per square foot and a six-month lead time.
Elections staff urged that any consolidation preserve year-round access to a secure storage and testing area. "We have to test all the equipment; that takes up two, three days because we don't have the space to set everything up all in one day," said an elections staff member, noting shared meeting-room and kitchen conflicts that interrupt their work and risk missing upgrade deadlines.
For a longer-term, county staff and commissioners discussed the Weatherford College building — an approximately 20,000-square-foot facility the county has toured — as a consolidation hub for audit, purchasing, treasurer, elections, HR, development and environmental services. A renovation estimate cited in the discussion was about $3.15 million, but at least one commissioner said those numbers should be independently verified before taking action.
Other private-property alternatives were mentioned, including a roughly five-acre shell building near 377 listed at about $2 million that could offer room to expand. Commissioners debated centrality for voter access versus space to grow; election staff emphasized the need for a central county location for early-voting sites and storage.
Facility maintenance and immediate building health issues also surfaced: staff reported ongoing roof leaks that damaged historical books and recurring sewer odors after heavy rain. Insurance adjusters were conducting core samples and two roofing contractors (Paragon Roofing and Prestige) were standing by with replacement or repair bids.
No formal motions or votes were taken. Commissioners directed staff to gather cost estimates for a 3,500–4,000-square-foot modular building, to verify and update the Weatherford College renovation figures, and to return with procurement options and timelines. The item will be placed on a future agenda or workshop for decision-making.
The workshop concluded with a plan to collect more detailed pricing and to reconvene; no firm timeline for a final decision was set by the court.
