Willacy County in Texas has agreed to enter mediation with Hale-Mills Construction over accusations that the company’s poor workmanship led to a roof leak at a county-operated prison that cost $620,000 to repair.  County Judge John F. Gonzales Jr. announced the mediation more than a month after the initial filing of the lawsuit.

Hale-Mills Construction built Willacy County Jail at a cost of $7.5 million as well as a larger prison intended for use by the U.S. Marshals Service and a prison composed of tent-shaped domes at an additional cost of $126 million.  The prison intended for the U.S. Marshals service quickly developed roof leaks, and the county commissioners blame the leaks on poor construction of the brand-new prison facility.  The U.S. Marshals Service, which rents the prison from the county, threatened to move its operations elsewhere over the problems.

Hale-Mills began repairs in 2012, but did not complete them, prompting the county to hire a competing company to finish the work.  They filed suit in March 2014 to recover the cost of the repairs from Hale Mills.  A spokesperson for the construction company released a statement saying that the company was confident a “peaceful resolution” could be reached between the two sides.