Commissioners set May 1 for completion of offices

Monday, the members of the Smith County Commissioners Court joined unanimously with Pct. #2 Commissioner Bill McGinnis in moving forward with the final touches on the Justice of the Peace and Constable complex in Troup.

Commissioner McGinnis triggered the final phase of the project with a motion to set a May 1, 2008 deadline for the removal of the former J.P. and Constable office building that is now being utilized for storage.

The building, located adjacent to the present office building, is portable and Commissioner McGinnis suggested that it could be moved to the Road and Bridge materials storage facility and used for an office building at that site or sold at public auction. Following the removal of the building, the space it occupied will be paved to increase the size of the J.P. and Constable office parking lot.

McGinnis stressed in his motion for the paving project that none of the existing trees on the property will be removed.

"I have been very adamant about keeping the trees," said McGinnis. "They have been there a very long time and I am making sure that they will be there for a long time to come."

McGinnis added that the parking lot project will include a relocation of the entrance to the complex to Bradford Street which will result in safer entrance and exit from the lot.

"The current driveway will be permanently closed," he said. "Instead of stopping right past the corner to turn into our facility risking a rear end collision, people will continue to the end of the block and left at the intersection to enter off of Bradford Street. This should make it much easier and safer to enter and exit our facility."

McGinnis said interior work continues on the facility to renovate the former Justice of the Peace offices for use by the constable and as a Commissioner Pct. #2 satellite office. The work is being performed by the Smith County Maintenance Department.