Erath County no longer has CodeRed but instead will now be using Everbridge (Nixel) to notify its citizenry of emergency alerts.
Nixel is already utilized by Stephenville and several surrounding counties, County Judge Brandon Huckabee said.
At the Monday, Nov. 24 Erath County Commissioners Court, a unanimous motion was made to terminate the county’s contract with CodeRed due to not having service for more than three weeks.
“The county attorney recommended that it was a good time to terminate the contract if we wanted to do so,” Huckabee said.
“No one got notified of the storm this morning like they normally would,” Erath County Emergency Management Coordinator Chris Brooks said.
This termination comes on the heels of a reported cyber security attack for CodeRed.
All information including usernames and passwords have been securely transferred to the county’s new emergency alert system, Everbridge (Nixel) and is in the process of going live for the county.
“The contacts were loaded, we made sure it was good to go so no one would have to reregister,” Huckabee said.
The service is the same cost as CodeRed.
“Good work,” Huckabee said to Brooks.
Erath County will announce on its website and through alerts when Nixel goes live for the county.
Officially, the county is no longer in a burn ban. Fire Marshal Tommy Shelton said it would have to go back on in the future, but currently the whole state of Texas is green and not in a drought of any kind.
Over the weekend, the burn ban was temporarily lifted and 80 controlled burns were called in to dispatch.
“A couple got out of control but nothing big,” Shelton said.
Please remember to call into the nonemergency dispatch line (254-965-3318) to report burning before you do so.
The county also approved the usage of HealthPlan Freedom, a program that aids inmates in Erath County Jail to sign up for insurance through the Affordable Healthcare Act.
The open enrollment period will be now through the beginning of the year, Huckabee said.
“The max out of pocket for the county will be $1,200 per inmate,” he said. “We spent $370,000 last year in medical costs at the jail.”
Huckabee said in the future there may be open enrollment all of the time in the future for those incarcerated since it is a major life event.
Insurance can go with them at least for that year when they leave and it would only be for those in the Erath County Jail since the state has its own program.
“This will help with indigent care,” Commissioner Sherman Edwards said.
The county awarded the RFP for hosted VoIP Service and Advanced Endpoint Protection with Vyve Broadband, the company the county already uses.
The county received five proposals through its request for proposals (RFP) and Vyve was determined to be the best company for the county.
In land development, a two-part process was approved for Cee Bar Ranch. A variance for setback requirements was approved when a lot was broken into two parcels. Rules require 60 foot of frontage, however, a 40 foot variance was approved due to a power pole and a well complicating the setback.
“There will be a plat note in there if these lots are ever developed by someone other than family, they would have to come back and get that 60 feet requirement,” Land Development Director Jason Gardner said.
A replat of the altered parcels was also approved.
In the Walking Horse subdivision, on PR 1317, a replat was approved making three lots into two lots in order to make them larger.
Gardner stated the replat had already been signed off on by the county’s engineer.
The final plat for Faith Marie Estates was also approved.
Approval was given to Precinct 1 Commissioner Dee Stephens to do work to aid CR 223.
A portion of the roadway is paved and then turns into a dirt surface because it is so narrow it cannot be paved.
Property owners have given the county permission to remove and level part of the roadway, and to move the dirt onto their property.
“They are giving the county extra yardage so we can widen the road and pave it eventually,” Stephens said.
InPrecinct2,Commissioner Albert Ray was granted permission to go onto private property off CR 336 to clear a fence row and help with dead trees to improve drainage and pooling water on the roadway.
The county also accepted for the Erath County Sheriff’s Office a fume hood, an evidence tool, from Dublin PD’s Detective Nanci Wilson.
Sheriff Matt Coates said the device would aid the department and since it was brand new, would save the county approximately $2,800.
“We just want to say thank you to Dublin PD and Nanci Wilson for all they do. She does a lot of great things,” Huckabee said.