Erath County Commissioners moved through a brief agenda at the Monday, Oct. 28 meeting including approval to apply for a grant aiding in updating the county’s hazard mitigation plan.
Emergency Management Coordinator Chris Brooks addressed the court for approval to apply for the CDBG-MIT Local Hazard Mitigation Plans program.
Brooks explained previous Council of Governments would take care of applying for this and would handle it all, then present the documents back to the county, but that process stopped a few years ago.
The project is estimated to cost about $80,000, which the county will pay upfront and then be reimbursed by the grant, County Judge Brandon Huckabee said. The grant is for up to $100,000.
“They’ve made it so complicated it’s not something we can do in house,” Huckabee said.
Brooks explained it was the biggest emergency plan the county has and one of the first things FEMA looks at after a disaster occurs.
“FEMA is a great organization, but they have very specific requirements,” Brooks added.
The plan will take about four months to update and submit and the county’s current plan expires May 18, 2026 and was last updated in 2021.
Thomas Boyle with Erath County Extension Agency/4H received approval to travel to the Arizona National Livestock Judging Contest and College Recruiting Event.
“It’s a great way for them to compete on a national level which they are more than capable of,” Boyle said.
“This is what 4H is all about. It’s a no brainer,” Commissioner Dee Stephens said.
The funds for the trip are already there, Boyle explained.
Commissioners gave approval for the purchase of a chassis for a mechanic truck for Precinct 1.
Stephens explained that the money was already in the budget and he had found a brand new 2023 sitting on the lot.
“It’s under $50,000, which is what we would have to go out for bids on,” Stephens explained, and added that the cost was a savings to the county.
The court also declared an asphalt distributer truck surplus.
“I have no idea how long it has set there without use,” Commissioner Albert Ray said.
The city of Dublin has expressed an interest in purchasing the truck, Ray explained.
“We will move forward with the process of finding a new home for that,” Huckabee said.