The details
Contract negotiations were ongoing as of Oct. 27.
“DRG Architects is the firm that was hired by Bastrop County in 2006 to complete the jail expansion design, and the two architects that worked on this 2006 design are still employed at DRG Architects,” Leon Scaife, a purchasing agent with Bastrop County, said in a staff report.
Both architects that worked on the 2006 design would be involved in the 2026 redesign, according to county documents.
Zooming in
A steering committee that Bastrop County Commissioners Court authorized during a meeting Aug. 11 would help guide DRG Architects in designing the jail expansion project.
Bastrop County staff members on the steering committee include:
- Scaife
- Jennifer Pacheco, county auditor
- Maurice Cook, sheriff
Some context
The jail—located in the Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office at 200 Jackson St. in Bastrop—was originally built in 1990 and operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“Presently these facilities accommodate a sheriff's office staff that exceeds 200 personnel and an average daily inmate population of 300,” according to a Capital Improvement Plan.
The facility, which can absorb inmate overflow from neighboring counties, had an addition in 2008.
“The addition ... not only increased the capacity for the jail population, but addressed the deficiencies in the kitchen, medical and laundry facilities,” according to the Capital Improvement Plan.
Also of note
A jail expansion is one of several projects Bastrop County is working on to enhance services for a growing population.
The outlook
If contract negotiations with DRG Architects are successful, Bastrop County Commissioners Court will consider a service agreement at a future meeting.
The design phase of the jail expansion project will be financed with Capital Improvement Plan funds and certificates of obligation, according to county documents.
