June 8, 2023 Hood County Special Called Workshop

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Hood County held a special called workshop on June 8, 2023, featuring County Judge Keith Lutz from Medina County as guest speaker to share lessons learned from six construction projects completed since 2016, with emphasis on a jail expansion and courthouse annex. Judge Lutz detailed the projects' timelines, financing through Certificates of Obligation, construction management approach with guaranteed maximum pricing, and the jail project's substantial completion in May 2023 after approximately three years. Key themes addressed included the critical importance of rigorous planning, dedicated county project leadership with full user department engagement, detailed stakeholder involvement in spatial and systems design, and the integration of IT infrastructure as a central operational focus. Judge Lutz also discussed specific construction challenges and solutions including access control systems, security camera placement, HVAC efficiency, generator specifications, and emphasized that thorough 3D conflict resolution modeling and plan finalization before bidding are essential to minimize costly change orders.

• Call to order and opening remarksThe Hood County workshop was called to order with invocation and pledges, followed by an introduction of County Judge Keith Lutz from Medina County as a guest speaker on jail project management.
• Judge Lutz background and project overviewJudge Lutz provided context on his experience and explained the purpose of his presentation as sharing common-sense lessons from six construction projects overseen since 2016, with focus on two major projects: a jail expansion and courthouse annex.
• Project timeline and dual construction approachJudge Lutz outlined the timeline of planning and construction for both the annex and jail projects, noting that concurrent work added approximately one year of delay to the jail project start.
• Owner's representative and architect selectionJudge Lutz hired Gary McClure, a retired general contractor, as consultant and owner's representative to guide the project through construction, and selected separate architect firms for the two projects.
• Construction financing and bondingMedina County financed the projects through a tax anticipation note for planning expenses and $24 million in Certificates of Obligation (COs) with favorable terms.
• Teal Construction contract and guaranteed maximum priceTeal Construction was selected as construction manager at risk in January 2019, with formal contract approval in May 2019 establishing a guaranteed maximum price method after final design and pricing.
• Jail project timeline and current statusThe jail housing portion broke ground in June 2020 and was substantially completed by May 2023, with approximately 90 days remaining for remodeling and reconfiguring of old facilities; approximately 2 years and 11 months total timeline.
• Jail addition scope of workThe scope encompassed 96-bed housing, visitation areas, multi-purpose spaces, support functions, and significant infrastructure upgrades including mechanical, IT, and control systems.
• New law enforcement support spaces and systemsThe project included new patrol and dispatch areas, enhanced technology infrastructure, and integrated control systems for operations spanning the entire facility.
• Access control integration and IT infrastructureIntegration of administrative access control with jail control systems enabled card-reader automation for employee areas while maintaining security on jail doors and cells.
• Old facility renovations and repurposingMedina County converted existing spaces to improve functionality and expand storage capacity for records and evidence.
• Planning as critical foundation for project successJudge Lutz emphasized that rigorous, detailed planning from project inception is essential to minimize change orders and achieve desired facility operations without surprises.
• County project leadership and team engagementJudge Lutz advocated for dedicated county personnel to champion the project, supported by professionals including architects and owner's representatives, with full participation from all user departments.
• Detailed user engagement in spatial and systems planningJudge Lutz detailed his hands-on approach of requiring all stakeholders to physically walk spaces, mark equipment placements, and verify installations matched intended layouts.
• 24/7 operational demands and infrastructure standardsFacilities operating continuously require highest-quality infrastructure and systems to avoid operational disruption and provide best tools for staff, as modifications and upgrades are severely constrained by constant occupancy.
• Information Technology as central facility focusJudge Lutz emphasized IT as the central operational focus and detailed specific technology considerations for jail design including access control, cameras, commissary, television, and visitation systems.
• Jail construction—concrete demolition and inmate management systemsDiscussion of concrete block wall demolition and hardware selection for inmate well-being checks and security systems.
• Access Control integration across facilityAccess Control projects that began eight years ago were naturally brought into the new construction planning process.
• IT infrastructure and communications integrationData drop locations and communications pass-throughs added to reduce traffic in critical control areas.
• Security camera placement and coverageExpert security and camera placement planning required careful analysis to prevent blind spots and inefficient coverage.
• Wi-Fi and cell service boostersWi-Fi and cell phone boosters were considered for administrative areas due to poor cell reception in jails.
• Counter surfaces and work durabilityHard counter surfaces required for jail work environments that operate 24/7 without maintenance stops.
• Jail control room ergonomic redesignTraditional control room layout with screens above eye level is ergonomically poor and should be reconsidered.
• Solid plank ceiling design and attic access pathwaysSolid plank construction in new sections eliminates gaps and creates safe walkways above cells for maintenance access.
• Maintenance accessibility and future cost controlSolid floors and maintained walkways reduce long-term maintenance costs and prevent disruption to jail operations.
• Building Information Modeling and conflict resolutionBuilding Information Modeling (BIM) or 3D conflict resolution modeling was not performed on the jail but was attempted on the annex.
• Civil site planning and property considerationsCivil site planning requires attention to property lines, replanting, finish floor elevation, and drainage.
• Sidewalk and pedestrian pathway accessibilityADA paths and sidewalk connections must balance code compliance with practical pedestrian flow.
• Architectural matching and addition aestheticsAttempting to exactly match older building finishes is difficult and usually unsuccessful; complementary design is preferable.
• Architect role and comprehensive planning requirementsArchitects require complete input on all operational and design considerations to deliver a successful end product.
• Plan finalization before biddingProjects must not be bid until all stakeholders are completely satisfied with every aspect of the plans.
• Generator system specifications and capacityGenerator system provides 100 percent backup power supply; specifications and runtime capacity to be provided.
• Comments on renovation versus replacement strategyRenovation of obsolete buildings is ineffective; replacement is cheaper and more effective long-term.
• Future technology and video visitation systemsArtificial intelligence and video visitation systems should be planned as integral building features.
• Camera placement regrets and 3D modeling valueDetailed planning with 3D models prevents expensive corrections after installation.
• Change order impact on billion-dollar projectChange orders on large construction projects can reach millions of dollars across multiple subcontractors.
• Access control system vendor concernsCertain access control vendors lock facilities into proprietary systems with rising costs and irreplaceability.
• Hospital construction 3D modeling adoptionLarge hospital construction firms have adopted full 3D computer-based systems for conflict detection.
• Renovation versus new-build comparison gapCourt evaluation of renovation versus new construction lacks critical cost comparison: square footage needed for full 400-bed capacity.
• HVAC dehumidification system implementationVariable Frequency Drive (VFR) systems provide efficient individual zone control with dehumidification built into units.
• High humidity and moisture management challengesExisting facility struggles with high humidity and lacks automated dehumidification or rooftop AC control systems.
• Site visit and facility comparison opportunityBoth facilities invited to exchange tours and direct observations of operational challenges and design solutions.
• Building obsolescence and renovation limitationsAging facility exhibits widespread wear requiring nearly complete replacement of systems and components.
• Utility provider informationFacility is served by City of Hondo utility system with CPS as wholesale provider.
• Construction oversight committee compositionDiscussion of how the committee assisting with construction was selected and constituted.
• Workshop adjournmentThe meeting concluded with appreciation for attendance and remarks on content for consideration.