Commissioners table architectural amendment for Denton County civil courts expansion amid schedule and change-order concerns

Denton County Commissioners Court on May 19 tabled action on Amendment 7 (ASR7) to architectural services for the Denton County civil courts building expansion after staff and the architect said revised documents were not ready for final approval.

Commissioner Falconer described several design changes—most notably the addition of an elevator to increase judicial security—and said some changes may reduce overall construction costs. He asked to table the item to the June 2 meeting so the architect can resubmit ASR7 with updated construction documents.

Commissioners and project staff then engaged in an extended discussion about project governance. One commissioner proposed giving the commissioner overseeing the project discretionary authority over a modest contingency “bucket” to allow small changes without returning to court; others objected, saying all spending decisions must come back to the full court and emphasizing the need for improved communication instead of unilateral authority.

Project staff said the design and procurement work had been a moving target over recent weeks and pledged to improve communications with commissioners. The court voted to table the ASR7 amendment until staff receives the architect’s resubmission and can present updated documents for review.

The item was tabled; no contract amendment was executed at the meeting. Commissioners asked staff to provide clearer, regular updates so members can make informed votes when the amendment returns to the agenda.