Willacy County approves labor invoice to finish tech infrastructure at Wellness and Heritage Center

Willacy County Commissioners Court voted June 8 to approve payment for labor to install and configure technology at the county's new Wellness and Heritage Center, to be paid from ARPA Fund 114 interest upon receipt of invoices.

Commissioners heard that the construction contract covered cabling but not the specialized testing, cabinet configuration, switch and router setup, firewall configuration, audiovisual installation and end-to-end testing needed to bring the center online. Presenters noted that equipment previously approved by the court is already ordered; the invoice before the court covered the labor to install and test that equipment. The work itemized during discussion included multiple network switches, routers, a firewall, several video displays and about 15 wireless access points.

Commissioners requested a more detailed invoice to assist the auditor's office in documenting what work was performed and to support payment. A motion to approve the labor invoice was made and seconded; the court voted in favor and the motion carried. Payment will be made from ARPA interest when invoices are received and verified by county staff and the auditor.

The county's next steps, as discussed on the record, are to obtain the requested itemized invoice and supporting documentation for the auditor, complete the installation and perform final testing as part of the project close-out. No contractor change to the construction contract was reported at the meeting.