The human resources position for the county has undergone significant changes, and will now answer directly to the Erath County Commissioners Court.
In the Monday, Sept. 26 Commissioners Court meeting, the court unanimously approved the moving of all human resource and payroll functions from the county treasurer’s office and assigned them to a payroll officer that will be under the court’s direct supervision for the new fiscal year starting Oct. 1.
A job description was also approved with a salary range of $48,000 to $60,000 dependent on experience and will include benefits. The court approved action to begin seeking applications immediately and also approved the ability to temporarily assign a human resources and payroll officer since the position will not be filled by Oct. 1 Job descriptions were updated for two full-time legal assistants in the county attorney’s office along with a part-time clerk. The job descriptions hadn’t been updated in about 15 years and this move was to bring them in line with the current employee’s jobs, County Attorney Lisa Pence explained.
Salaries were set by District Judge Cashon for the auditor, auditor’s staff and district court reporter for FY 202223. The auditor position will make $132,000 annually, senior assistant auditor position $56,650, two assistant auditor positions will make $37,100 and another assistant auditor position will make $47,000. The court reporter position will make $97,000.
Re-plat revisions, variances Several re-plats and variances were approved at the meeting. As part of the re-plat process, the court unanimously moved to stop placing legal notices in the newspaper per Texas Local Government Code 232.0095 on re-plats and revision of plats. This legal process allows the process to speed up since the neighbors surrounding the property are sent letters directly instead of waiting for a public notice to appear.
The court approved a replat on two lots to become one on the Bailiff Property part of Mountain Lakes.
A revised re-plat was approved for Trinity Ridge to include an additional lot, contingent upon getting a new tax certificate.
A revised pre-application meeting for Phase 3 of 100 X Cabins was held.
A re-plat of two lots to move a property line in Buffalo Ridge was approved and a re-plat was approved to square up two large lots.
A variance was granted for Comanche Moon, a 2,000acre planned development north of Stephenville off State Highway 108 with large ranches. Most of the lots range in size from 50 to 100-acre tracts.
“These streets have to be longer and then have a culde- sac,” Commissioner Jim Buck said. “Our subdivision ordinance is written for 2-acre lots or smaller.”
A variance was also requested for cul-de-sac lengths and a 500 feet visibility on subdivided tracts on the Comanche Moon project. The preliminary plat for the project was approved.
In a different agenda item, a notification of filing an affidavit of exemptions from Erath County Rural Development rules from Ben Doskocil Senior was discussed. Doskocil was the owner of part of the land where Comanche Moon is being built and is retaining 1,000 acres for family use only.
Since it is for family use only, though it will have multiple cabin-like structures on it, Doskocil is not subject to the rural development rules.
Commissioners also approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the county and Fletcher Animal Clinic P.C, a old RV park located on County Road 380.
According to information discussed in the meeting, Mr. Fletcher has been fined three times a year by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
“They haven’t gotten anywhere,” Commissioner Albert Ray said. “The site has been there for 30 years with septic being an ongoing concern.”
The state recommended the MOU since it would require Fletcher to follow through and follow the plans set forth by the state to resolve the situation. There were four options presented to bring him into compliance.
Treasurer’s report Treasurer Kimberly Barrier presented the treasurer reports for July and August, due to her being out with COVID.
“While reviewing and preparing the treasurer’s report going through July I noticed we have issues with our books, again,” she said.
The ending balance from the June pooled cash report is different from the beginning of the July pooled cash report and the numbers should match. Barrier used the approved June pooled cash report to show the balance differences in the meeting.
County Auditor Kent Reeves said at the meeting that their office was aware that those balances had changed some and it occurred when they had a consultant, Mr. Kaiser, come in and help.
Reeves emphasized in a phone call with the newspaper that there was nothing missing and that accounts would realign after reconciliations were complete.
“There is nothing wrong,” he said.
After the meeting, Barrier met with Mr. Kaiser and they were able to determine there was an entry done incorrectly accounting for the misappropriate funds in the accounts. They are working to fix it so that September’s report will be correct.
In other business the county:
• Approved juvenile probation contracts for budget year 2023
• Approved Erath County fire contract agreements with Carlton, Huckabay, Harbin, Lingleville, Seldon, Morgan Mill, Desdemona, Bluff Dale and Hico VFDs.
• Approved payroll and overtime
• Approved a transportation contract with Pecan Valley Center (MHMR) in regard to the sheriff’s office