April 18, 2000: First contract for the Juvenile Justice Center is signed.
Fall 2000: Williamson County auditor raises questions about the contract — concerned that it was written under procurement practices not yet incorporated into Texas law and that it incorrectly combined elements of two different contract types — and the contract is renegotiated.
Feb. 12, 2001: The second contract for the Juvenile Justice Center is signed. The center is slated for completion in May 2002, but the completion date is postponed to July 2002 when ground-water problems require a foundation redesign.
May 14, 2002: First contract signed for construction of the East Williamson County Special Events Center.
July 2002: The deadline is missed for the Juvenile Justice Center project completion, and FT Woods begins receiving $37,422.06 per month in late fees.
November 2002: Austin-based painting subcontractor Nemesio Sanchez is scheduled to apply epoxy sealant to the Juvenile Justice Center’s concrete floors. Sanchez says he informed representatives of FT Woods of his concern that high moisture readings required postponing the process — but that he completed the job at FT Woods’ direction.
December 2002: The Juvenile Justice Center’s epoxy-sealed floors begin bubbling.
February 2003: FT Woods begins receiving $3,000 per month for preconstruction-phase late payments for the East Williamson County Special Events Center.
May 2003: Commissioners vote to hire a subcontractor to remove the epoxy from the sealed concrete and replace it with a combination of carpet and tile.
June 17, 2003: Commissioners are scheduled to approve construction on the East Williamson County Special Events Center, but the vote is delayed when the county auditor questions a contract provision that would give FT Woods $25,833 per month if the project is not completed on time.
June 24, 2003: The late-payment provision is deleted, and commissioners give FT Woods approval for Special Events Center construction.
July 2003: Commissioners award a subcontract for the Juvenile Justice Center floor repair to “The Invironmentalist” company. County Attorney Gene Taylor says the county is waiting for the result of tests done to assign cause for the Juvenile Justice Center’s flooring problems.
This article appears in August 15 • 2003.