Orange County can begin moving forward to hire a subcontractor to do oversee the repairs to the marble and stone work on the front of the Orange County Courthouse. The Commissioners Court approved the scope of work to be done on the Courthouse during its meeting Tuesday.
Assistant County Attorney Denise Gremillion the legal counsel for the Commissioner Court reviewed the agreement with architect Dohn LaBiche from Beaumont. Gremillion said reading the contract she determined LaBiche is not licensed to subcontract the work. “They will cooperate with us, but we will ultimately be going out to obtain that contractor,” Gremillion stated.
The estimated cost of the repairs to the marble and other work to be done is $150,000, with another $50,000 for contingency, and $20,000 as a consulting fee for LaBiche.
The Commissioners tabled until their next meeting a resolution supporting the City of Vidor’s request presented by Mayor Robert Viator (above) to the Texas General Land Office to remove the requirement to choose either the Buyout or the Acquisition program. Vidor and several other cities as well as Orange County have said they would like to be able offer both programs to their citizens and not be limited to just one option. Gremillion was asked to prepare a resolution supporting the City of Vidor’s resolution for the Commissioners’ meeting next Tuesday.
Sheriff Keith Merritt was authorized to hire contract dispatchers as necessary to handle the volume of calls to his department. One dispatcher at the Sheriff’s Office has left and a second one only recently decided to stay with the Sheriff. The action by the Commissioners Court will allow Sheriff Merritt to contract with dispatchers from other agencies to work part-time for the Sheriff’s Office when needed at a rate of $15 an hour.
The Commissioners Court authorized paying a $350 application fee for a contract to cover an easement at the East Roundbunch swing bridge which is being repaired by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). The easement over Cow Bayou is with the General Land Office. County Engineer Clark Slacum said the application fee is a one-time payment.
Slacum informed the Commissioners that the TxDOT work on the bridge is about 78 percent complete, but is behind schedule. Slacum estimated the swing bridge could be opened to traffic by mid-February of next year with completion of the project by the end that month.
Approval was given to continued participation for the County Choice Silver Program for Orange County Retirees over 65 years old. The Plan F with United Healthcare for retiree medical benefits for 2019 was renewed.
November 30 is the deadline for accepting Community Development Block Grant funds allocated by the Texas General Land Office (GLO). Emergency Management Coordinator Joel Ardoin said the City of Pinehurst has requested a six-month extension and recommended Orange County do the same. The Commissioners Court approved Ardoin’s suggestion.
Three hundred families in the county are still living in temporary housings. The housing was issued by FEMA through the GLO. Citizens can purchase those temporary buildings as long as it is not located within a Special Flood Hazard Area. The Commissioners Court approved the purchases where allowed in the unincorporated areas of the county. Municipalities oversee the temporary housing within their city limits.
Special Project Coordinator Michelle Tubbleville introduced Julius Knolley to the Court. Knolley was hired by the county as a volunteer coordinator to work with outside agencies to recruit volunteers to help with post Tropical Storm Harvey recovery.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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