A brief commissioners court led to action and conversation regarding the Dinosaur-Longshore Transmission line.
Two elected officials, County Judge Brandon Huckabee and Precinct 1 Commissioner Dee Stephens, were appointed at the Monday, Feb. 23 meeting to the Erath Somervell County Sub Regional Planning Commission (ESSPRC).
Huckabee was absent from the meeting, and the agenda was presided over by Stephens.
This commission, otherwise known as a Chapter 391 Commission, will require the Public Utility Commission of Texas have meetings with both counties and the public about the proposed Dinosaur-Longshore 765 KV Transmission line.
“One of the things we are allowed to do by state law is form a Chapter 391 with a government entity that is within our main Council of Governments [NCTCOG],” Huckabee previously explained during the January meeting. The forming of the sub-regional planning commission is not forming another governmental body and the purpose of the entity has a limited scope.
Another agenda item for a citizen to be appointed to the commission was pulled from the agenda.
During public comment, Erath County resident and environmental activist Joanna Friebele spoke to the commission and residents who had received information from Oncor if they were along one of the proposed routes. That information can also be found inside this week’s newspaper in sections C and D.
“I appreciate the commissioners voting on the 391 commission,” she said. “This will help protect us against Oncor, basically.”
Friebele said many people in the county received a packet but not everyone wanted to hire an attorney or could afford to hire an attorney, but everyone needed to be an intervenor.
“Everyone needs to have a voice. If anyone needs help on how to start the process, they can come to me and I can assist them,” she said. “They have picked preferred meets. That won’t be where the line goes at the end of the day. It’s whoever makes the most noise, it will move off their line and go to someone else. If they don’t make some noise it’s going to be on their land. That’s how this works. Oncor is not your friend. They are here to take your land off you and make money.”
The commissioners also received a presentation from Texas Health Resources on its Community Impact Grant, which is funding a free soccer camp with food and booths in Dublin on March 21. The camp is open to kids Pre-K through 8th grade, and there is no charge.
The initiative focuses on addressing health disparities and socio economic hardships by investing in local organizations that work collaboratively to tackle these challenges.
The initiative has already invested over $23 million in grants since 2019.
The grant program known as Community Connection Cohorts, is a collaboration between CASA for the Cross Timbers Area (lead grantee); Choices Clinic & Life Resource Center; Cross Timbers Fine Arts Council; Dr. Kate Jones, a Tarleton State University College of Education instructor; Erath County Wholistic Investment Network (WIN); Erath County United Way/Erath County Community Bridges and Morning Star Ranch.
During the fall, a Family Fun Day was held at Morning Star Ranch allowing families to have fun out at the ranch, get family photos taken, help paint a mural with Cross Timbers Fine Arts Council and receive information from a variety of vendors.
In other business the court:
■ Approved budget adjustments
■ Approved invoices to pay regular and reoccurring bills
■ Heard the January treasurer’s report
■ Received the first quarter FY 2026 investment report
■ Approved lease and maintenance agreement for a copier in the GIS/911 addressing office
■ Opened bids for the Mountain Lakes Overlay Project
■ Took no action on the burn ban