Published: June 10, 2008 11:05 pm            

Firm to repair courthouse dome selected

Commissioners express concerns about contract clause but vote to move forward

A scheduling conflict moved the Henderson County Commissioners Court into the cozy confines of Justice of the Peace Pct. 6 Milton Adams’ courtroom Tuesday.

There, commissioners approved hiring Wharry Engineering to design repairs to the copper roof on the Henderson County Courthouse and oversee the construction project.

Wharry will provide the service at a cost of $16,100, which includes selecting the contractor to do the repair work.

“I read somewhere in this contract that they would be the go-between, between us and the contractor,” Pct. 3 Commissioner Ronny Lawrence said. “We’re not going to have any say-so about who repairs it. But under the heading ‘specific exclusions,’ it says if there’s any lack of performance (by the contractor), Wharry’s not responsible for it.”

The other commissioners were also concerned about the wording of the specific exclusions clause, but believed it was important that the county act on the proposal to get the project under way. Commissioners voted to approve the proposal 3-1, with Lawrence opposed. County Judge David Holstein, who was attending a civil trial involving the county, was not present.

Wharry representatives inspected the dome on Feb. 25 and March 12, looking at its interior and exterior, as well as the courthouse attic. In April, the company presented commissioners three possible plans for repairs.

Commissioners chose the least expensive route at an estimated cost of $68,000, anticipating that a full refurbishing of the dome would be done whenever the county performs a historical restoration of the entire courthouse. The vote was 4-1, with Lawrence opposed.

In other action Tuesday, commissioners accepted the resignations of Mike Whorton and Charles Powell from the Emergency Services District No. 4 board.

ESD No. 4 serves the city of Tool and the surrounding area.

Commissioners then appointed Tamra Brickey to serve the unexpired term ending Dec. 31, 2008, and Monty Pennel for a term ending December 31, 2009.

Pct. 1 Commissioner Joe Hall said Wharton resigned for personal reasons. Powell resigned to avoid a possible conflict of interest. His son-in-law has been hired to build a fire station in the district.

“They both have done a great job,” Hall said of Whorton and Powell.

Commissioners also:

• approved a five-year renewal of a lease agreement between the county and the Public Library Fund for the land where the Henderson County Clint W. Murchison Library is located, at a cost of $1 per year;

• approved renewing the rental agreement with Applied Concepts for radar equipment used by the Department of Public Safety;

• accepted a reimbursement of $4,146.64 from the city of Trinidad for road materials used in repairs done in the city;

• approved an interlocal agreement between the Athens Independent School District and the county for the lease of election equipment for the May 10 school board and bond election; and

• approved payment of bills in the amount of $268,294.06.

        

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