Brazos County commissioners at an April 7 meeting approved a $660,000 engineering services contract related to ongoing planning for the county’s future courthouse annex construction project.
What you need to know
The agreement with local company Dudley Engineering was unanimously approved as part of the county’s capital improvement planning process.
County officials said the contract covers engineering and evaluation work needed before construction on the annex begins. The services are expected to total about $525,000, with a 25% contingency added to bring the contract value to $660,000.
About the contract
Dudley Engineering will be testing construction materials and land before ground breaks.
Precinct 2 Commissioner Fred Brown raised concerns about separating preliminary engineering work from full construction services, saying the county would be paying consultants “to look at dirt and concrete and things like that.”
County Purchasing Agent Charles Wendt explained that the work is necessary to ensure design quality and proper planning ahead of construction.
“This is to guarantee that we’re getting the quality that we’re expecting,” he said. “The engineers, the architects, all of them specify what tests need to be passed, and then this material testing firm goes in and verifies, if you will, a third-party agent goes in and verifies that everything being installed complies with that.”
Brown also questioned the scope of the agreement during the discussion, noting he did not recall prior bidding for the contract and asked staff to provide clearer documentation of those solicitations in the future. Wendt responded to Brown, assuring him that the services were competitively solicited and Dudley Engineering was selected through that process.
Precinct 2 Commissioner Chuck Konderla clarified how including the contingency amount ensures adequate funding is available as planning moves forward. This was a sentiment supported by Precinct 4 Commissioner Wanda Watson.
What’s next
In a presentation at the March 24 Commissioners Court meeting, Project Manager Trevor Lansdown said ground will break on the courthouse annex April 21. Timelines suggest it will take roughly two years to complete.
Also on the Agenda
The meeting included mostly routine approvals, all of which passed unanimously, including:
- Multiple subdivision plats and utility permits
- Participation in grant and purchasing programs
- Budget amendments and personnel changes
Commissioners also approved Comcast utility work in the Winding Creek Estates subdivision, with Watson praising cleanup efforts following installation projects.
