Donley County Commissioners selected the architecture firm most familiar with the 1890 Courthouse to lead repairs to the building during a special called meeting Monday.
Commissioners considered the qualifications of three firms from across the state but scored Hutson Gallagher of Austin as the top choice because of their team’s knowledge and previous work on the building.
Firm members Chris Hutson and Tracy Hirschman Hutson performed the architectural work leading up to the 2003 restoration of the courthouse and have maintained a reputation in historic preservation work.
Panhandle Regional Planning Commission Local Government Services Director Dustin Meyer will lead negotiations with Hutson Gallagher to produce a contract for the county to sign on August 9. The architects will then prepare specifications to repair damage to the historic building from a winter storm in February.
The Texas Historical Commission will have final approval over the architects’ specifications before the county can take bids on the work.
County officials are hopeful that, in addition to repairing storm-related damage with insurance funds, the county might also be able to obtain grant funds from the THC to address stone spalling around the base of the courthouse. The stone has been an issue for decades, but the funds were not sufficient to address that issue during the original restoration work.
In other county news, commissioners considered three proposals Monday for IT services and network security and listened to two of those proposals in person from representatives of two firms. Commissioners will select an IT proposal at their next regular meeting on August 9.
The commissioners’ court approved paying back vacation pay to former deputy Sonny Marasco, totaling $2,783.32.
The court also delved into personnel policy issues with Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn and adopted revisions in the areas of holiday pay, vacation pay, work schedule and work week, and overtime for law enforcement personnel, including deputies and dispatchers.
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