County to ax contract with vendor
Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia plans to end a contract with the vendor who runs the historic Sylvan Beach Pavilion to make repairs to the facility, a spokeswoman said Monday.
An item on Tuesday’s Commissioners Court agenda would terminate the agreement with Party and Reception Services Inc., which since 2013 has operated the pavilion, for decades a popular venue in east Harris County. Garcia spokeswoman Frida Villalobos said the county would work to write a new, longer-term vendor contract and ensure the building meets code requirements, including those set by the Americans With Disabilities Act.
“We are also reviewing measures that will bring the facility into compliance and review future plans to ensure the facility remains an asset the community can enjoy,” Villalobos said in a statement.
Precinct 2 Purchasing Director Jose Jimenez said needed fixes include better accessibility for the disabled and improvements to bathrooms, air conditioning and the hall’s expansive deck.
Raj Shafaii, president of Party and Reception Services, says repairs are unnecessary and he will be forced to cancel dozens of events.
“People are calling us wondering, ‘Are we going to have my daughter’s quinceañera there? Am I going to get my wedding there? Am I going to get my deposit back?’” Shafaii said.
Jimenez said Shafaii should not have booked events more than six months in the future, since the contract states Harris County must honor bookings only 180 days after the agreement is canceled. She added the county would try to make arrangements with guests who are affected. Shafaii said he is confused why that provision would be enforced, as the county itself has reserved the venue for several events beyond next May.
Harris County should have rebid the contract after its final renewal period ended in 2018, Jimenez said. Precinct 2 has yet to decide whether to re-bid the contract or run the facility in-house, he added.
The pavilion, built in 1956 on the shoreline of Galveston Bay, was damaged by Hurricane Ike in 2008. Harris County used federal recovery funds from that storm to complete a $4.9 million restoration of the facility five years later. Former Precinct 2 commissioner Jack Morman, whom Garcia defeated in 2018, said he does not see a reason the building would need extensive repairs since reopening in 2013.
“We rebuilt to some pretty exacting specifications, and we exceeded any and all minimum requirements,” Morman said.
Ted Powell, president of the nonprofit Friends of Sylvan Beach, helped secure recognition for the pavilion by the National Historic Registry and as a Recorded Texas Historical Landmark. He also questioned what fixes are necessary.
“As far as being code compliant, they need to show us what is needed,” he said.
Powell said he is also concerned the pavilion will need to temporarily close next spring, either for the repairs or because the county has failed to hire a new vendor. Shafaii told the Houston Chronicle on Friday that county staff informed him the pavilion would need to close for a period of time, which Jimenez
disputed.
Villabos on Friday initially said Precinct 2 has had “no discussions of a permanent closure” and that the vendor was misinforming the community. She later said, “we … will determine when and if we need to close temporarily” based on needed repairs.
Jimenez said Monday Precinct 2 hopes to keep the pavilion open while completing work.
Several members of the public, including Powell and Shafaii, have signed up to speak on the issue at Tuesday’s Commissioners Court meeting. Shafaii said he hopes to again win the county’s business if Commissioners Count puts a new contract out to bid, though he said he would assist with transitioning to a new vendor if needed.