TipSheet: Travis County, 3.01.16

The Travis County Commissioners Court meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday. In the interest of space, we’ve decided not to post the entire agenda here. The County Clerk’s office hosts a copy at its website.

7. Receive update on the proposed sobriety center for Travis County. (Commissioner Daugherty & Commissioner Gómez)

Monitor’s Take: The committee exploring the possibility of operating a sobriety center (a term of art for what is otherwise called a drunk tank) to alleviate pressure on the county’s Central Booking Unit is set to provide its latest findings to the Court. When the issue was last before the commissioners, they voted to explore converting the soon-to-be-vacated Medical Examiner’s Office building on Sabine Street into the sobriety center.

10. Consider and take appropriate action regarding Court appointee to the Housing Authority of Travis County and Strategic Housing Finance Corporation Boards. (Judge Eckhardt)

Monitor’s Take: As we reported last week, the Court will consider whether to revoke its appointment of Melvin Wrenn to the board of the Housing Authority of Travis County in the wake of a less-than-flattering County Auditor’s report that found Wrenn owed thousands of dollars in travel-related expenses. Wrenn could make an appearance and plead his case, and he could likely find support from Commissioner Ron Davis, who effectively lobbied the Court to put off the decision at last week’s meeting.

16. Consider and take appropriate action on an internal TCSO property damage claim at the Del Valle Correctional Complex. (Commissioner Daugherty & Commissioner Gómez)

Monitor’s Take: An illustration here of the thinking behind the Correctional Complex Master Plan that will bring sweeping upgrades to the county’s aging jail in Del Valle. According to the backup material, a water line burst in November causing extensive damage at three buildings. The total price tag to replace three heating boilers is estimated to be as high as $250,000, although the county will only be on the hook for a $50,000 deductible.

21. Receive and accept briefing on RFP No. P1511-005-KR, Development Proposal for Mixed-Use 3-Acre Site at Travis County’s North Campus (Judge Eckhardt)

Monitor’s Take: County planners have selected three firms to pitch more detailed proposals for the redevelopment of county-owned land at 5325 Airport Boulevard. DMA Development Company, The NRP Group, and ITEX Development will now have until June — should the Court rubberstamp this item — to sketch out their plans to build a new office facility that could end up having some type of housing component on the same three-acre site.