A $294,000 change order with L3 Harris for a communications project was approved after height complications arose with the new tower.
According to information presented by Erath County Emergency Management Coordinator Chris Brooks, additional equipment is needed for the tower at the Sheriff’s Office because of height constraints placed on the new tower at the joint dispatch center. The new tower was only permitted to be 175 feet high so as not to obscure the skyline near the courthouse. The sheriff’s office tower is 215 feet, allowing better reach.
“The Texas Historical Commission wouldn’t allow it to go higher,” Brooks said.
Auditor Kent Reeves explained that the change order could be paid with the interest secured from the ARPA grant funds— it just had to be designated by the court.
By investing the interest earned from ARPA funds, the county currently has $780,000 available to cover any overages in the joint dispatch project.
Also associated with the joint dispatch project one battery backup instead of three will be purchased for the new facility saving about $20,000 on the project.
The county also accepted a $5,000 reimbursement for stolen county road materials.
Precinct 3 Commissioner Sherman Edwards stated after the meeting an individual had been allegedly stealing gravel, for a number of years with previous permission granted by a former county commissioner.
A county employee saw them coming from the yard with gravel, called Edwards who called the sheriff’s office, he said.
Instead of prosecuting them, a reimbursement was made because there was no clear way to determine how much was stolen in the past.
“We followed all the proper protocols when we were notified and it was resolved with the acceptance of the reimbursement payment,” County Judge Brandon Huckabee said.
The individual was also criminally trespassed from the property.
The motion passed 3 to 1, with Commissioner Albert Ray in opposition.
“There is right and there is wrong, and in my books this is wrong,” Ray said after the meeting in regards to his vote against the motion. “They should have been arrested.”
The court also approved two memorandum of agreements for both the jail and the sheriff’s office in regards to immigration and customs enforcement (ICE).
For the jail, Jail Captain Danny Clayton explained it was almost exactly what they already did in the jail, simply added an additional page with questions.
For the sheriff’s office, it would provide more training on what to ask on traffic stops and come with a $15,000 grant - $7,500 for equipment and $7,500 for IT.
If further action was needed, then the individual would be transported to the sheriff’s office for homeland security or ICE.
The motions passed unanimously.
Approval was also given to zero value all Erath County Sheriff’s Honor Guard uniforms and allow the Honor Guard members to keep their uniforms for display purposes.
Captain David Southerland explained the office no longer had the manpower to do it, and the uniforms are special order so it made sense for the participants to keep them.
The court also approved the new redistricting of the Erath County EMS map which only had a few changes.
In other business the court:
■ Approved election services contract with Stephenville ISD, Dublin ISD and city of Stephenville for the May local elections
■ Approved Democrat and Republican election judge appointments
■ Approved a $200 sponsorship for Leon Bosque RC& D Council
■ Recognized students involved with 4-H through the AgriLife Extension Office
■ Approved a proclamation for Cross Timbers Family Services for Stop the Silence Heard a presentation from NCTCOG aging program services
■ Approved precinct 1 on private property to clear a fence row off CR 182
■ Allowed precinct 2 on private property to clear the fence row off CR 398
■ Approved Judge Huckabee as a signature authority for Erath County with the Department of Family and Protective Services
■ Gave approval for a $1,500 expense related to the yearly United Electronic Recycling Event with the city of Stephenville. Each entity will pay the amount to split the event cost in half. The event is set for October.
■ Awarded road material bids
■ Received and opened bid for precinct 2 fence project and building project