As life gets adjusted to in the new Grimes County Justice Center, some final tweaks and purchases are still being made.
At Wednesday’s meeting of Commissioner’s Court, Building Maintenance Manager Rodney Floyd presented 3 options for purchasing additional seating in he secured hallway of the Justice Center.
Commissioner Phillip Cox explained why this item is a priority on the agenda.
“I got called for Jury Duty, and had to come up here not too long ago. Did not get selected, but, in that process, it is up and down in the courtroom, going in and out of the courtroom,” said Cox. “As potential jurors go into the hallway, a lot are having to stand, because there is not enough seating…and it could be five minutes, or it could be an hour.”
Floyd presented three options for different seating, which ranged from mesh chairs, which one local judge said could be used as a weapon, to replicating the current style of benches present.
Prices ranged from $7,000 to $18,000 between the three options. The most popular one, though, was the purchasing of benches from the Texas Department of Criminal Industries for around $7,500 without cushions.
The addition of cushions would push the price to over $10,000, something which Commissioner David Dobyanski says is unnecessary.
“Maybe we can find those cushions, in that color, somewhere else later. A seat is a seat, with a cushion or without. If you are standing out here, and need a seat, I do not think they will complain about the design of them,” said Dobyanski.
Commissioner’s approved the purchase of benches from TDC for $7,800.
No timetable was presented on when hey would be installed.