County renovations to ‘open up’ courtroom

By Erik Onstott

The Orange Leader

Orange County Commissioners on Monday approved the remodeling of the Orange County Commissioners’ Courtroom.

Mark Wimberley, a supervisor in the Orange County Operations and Maintenance Department, informed commissioners that the department was looking at putting the bench — at which the commissioners sit — on the courtroom’s eastern wall; the bench currently sits on the north wall. In response to a question from Precinct 2 Commissioner Owen Burton, Wimberley said there would be room for 12 more seats than the courtroom currently has.

Also, as part of the renovation, the wall on the courtroom’s east side will be torn out.

“It will really open (the room) up,” Wimberley said of the renovation. He added the work would take place during the week when the court was not in session and that it would take 2-3 weeks to complete. Wimberley did not have an estimate of the cost of the renovation, which also includes a new bench for the courtroom. He also said it would still be a little bit longer before the renovation began.

“We’re still waiting on materials, and still waiting on a price quote,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it was another month before it started.”

Commissioners also approved the donation of two trucks from the county surplus, a 1994 Ford F-250 and a 1985 GMC, to the city of Bridge City. In response to a question from Precinct 2 Commissioner Owen Burton, county purchasing agent Janell Duchamp said no other county entity was aware the vehicles were being donated; however, Precinct 3 Commissioner Beamon Minton said he had been in contact with Vidor ISD about the trucks, so they were aware the assets were about to be donated.

“Next time it would be fair if all the entities were aware,” Burton said.

In other action, commissioners sent the contract to supply the county’s road signs back out for bid. The portion of the contract sent back out for bid was for laminate, or plastic, road signs, which Precinct 3 Commissioner John Dubose said comprised about half the county’s road signs.

“With the aluminum road signs, sometimes they get stolen, cut up and sold as scrap. The thefts slowed with the plastic signs,” Dubose said. “Part of the reason for going back out for bid is to be able to replace the signs for 911, and that sort of thing.”

Dubose said there had been instances in the past in which medical responders had trouble finding houses due to lack of road signs, but he knew of no recent instances.

“It can happen,” he said. “Some people don’t think about that, and it could be somebody’s life (at stake).”

Also, during the weekly reports after the main meeting, Patrick Beebe with Orange County Mosquito Control informed commissioners that the aircraft acquired by Mosquito Control did not yet have a pilot; Beebe told the commissioners the candidates he had interviewed so far did not meet the minimum requirements for the position or were unwilling to fulfill certain contract requirements. The county has $56,000 budgeted for the annual salary for the position of pilot/mechanic for the plane. Dubose recommended Beebe look for someone to fill the position on a full-time basis; however, no formal action was taken.

“We had concerns about off-time,” Dubose said about finding a pilot. “It would be really good to find a pilot and mechanic, because they could work on the plane. Beebe doesn’t need to come back to us, as the salary was budgeted for a full-time position; we just wanted to try hiring someone on a contract basis,” he said. “However, it didn’t seem to be working.”

Reach this reporter at 409-883-3571, Ext. 2616 or eonstott@orangeleader.com