Commissioners May Still Hire Jail Construction Consultant

SAN ANGELO, TX -- Tom Green County Commissioners on Tuesday postponed ending negotiations with McClure Consulting, LLC, which leaves the door open for hiring Gary McClure to oversee completion of the new jail project.  

As we reported earlier, the county began negotiations with McClure, LLC in June to oversee the project.  McClure is the former president of Templeton Construction and has been involved with many public and private facilities in San Angelo.  

The agenda item called for the court to, “Consider ending negotiations with McClure Consulting, LLC. for RFSQ17-013 “Construction Consulting Services” and reject all bids.”  The item was tabled without comment and could be brought up at a later date.  

Commissioners also were updated on construction at the new jail site on U.S. 67/277 North near the Roy K. Robb center.  Maintenance Director Don Killam said 60 percent of the concrete slab work has been completed and the contractors are beginning to pour concrete for the tilt walls.  The concrete walls are poured flat on the ground then raised and placed by construction cranes.  Killam told commissioners the first pour would be 12,000 square feet and would amount to about one tenth of the walls for the new jail.  Tilt wall construction should be complete some time in March 2018.  

The new jail is expected to be completed by the spring of 2019.

In other business, commissioners took no action on the burn ban anticipating precipitation from the snow predicted for later this week.  Commissioners also approved allowing the Sheriff’s Department to apply for the 2019 STEP grant program which pays overtime for deputies to enforce Driving While Intoxicated patrols.  The grant provides approximately $50,000 for overtime pay.