COLDSPRING – San Jacinto County Commissioners’ Court discussed issues surrounding the construction and remodeling of the county jail last week during a regular meeting.

Jail contractors went through a long list of items not foreseen or originally planned that could generate additional costs to the county to complete. Also discussed were concerns the court has with work being done on the facility. One concern drawing attention is the roof where the new construction ties into the old construction. Contractors assured the court that tests will be made and if anything is not acceptable it will be replaced. Additional drywall not anticipated in the original costs was discussed, along with electrical and plumbing changes not anticipated. On inspection of the construction recently, the State Jail Commission requested that an area be added for inmate property storage and the addition of a window in an inmate dorm. Those costs are also additional.

Construction and remodeling of the jail is ahead of schedule and should be completed in about two months.

“I’m pleased with the progress that’s being made,” San Jacinto County Judge Fritz Faulkner said.

About $4.6 million was budgeted for remodeling and construction of the county jail. When completed the jail will be capable of housing 144 inmates.

“We hope to secure agreements with other counties to house their inmates and offset some of the cost,” Faulkner said.

Faulkner said the court is trying to do all they can to save money on the project, including using inmate labor when they can.

In other business, commissioners approved a motion to accept bids on rehabbing and overlaying an area from FM 1514 to the first bridge over Rocky Creek going into Coldspring Terrace at a cost of over $23,000. Also approved was a motion to accept a bid to overlay only a roadway between the new bridge and Coldspring Terrace at a cost of over $29,000.

It was on the agenda to approve rehabbing the roadway from FM 1514 to the entrance of Coldspring Terrace; however, San Jacinto County Pct. 1 Commissioner Michael Griffith said he did not have the money in his budget to do that part of the project.

The court approved the purchase of a computer anti-virus license from Shepherd Computing at $18.88 per computer for a total of 60 computers.

Commissioners approved the use of the Precinct 1 parking lot as a rest area for an upcoming bike training ride on Feb. 2 in the county.