A 90-day burn ban with welding restrictions is now in place for Erath County.
The commissioners court enacted the burn ban Monday, Aug. 10 after recommendations from County Fire Marshal Tommy Shelton who provided the county judge and commissioners a daily update on the drought index along with monitoring fire sizes and movement throughout the county.
On Monday, Shelton reported the drought index had risen to 560 out of a possible 800.
Where welding must be performed in the field, the following efforts will be in force until the burn ban order has expired: a. Allareaswherewelding, cutting or grinding operations are being performed will be free of vegetation for at least 25 feet in all directions; b. Surface around welding area will be wet down; c. Windspeedsmust be no more than 20 mph while performing welding, cutting or grinding operations outside of barriers or enclosures; d. A dedicated fire watch person will attend each welder, cutter, grinder and any activity that causes a spark; e. A minimum of 1 water pressure fire extinguisher per fire watch person is required f. Aminimumof25 gallons of water on site is required; g. Each site will have cellular telephone communications for emergency response, h. Allwelding,cutting and grinding operations may be performed in a total welding enclosure, or welding box, that is sufficiently high enough to control sparks and including a fire-retardant cover over the top. Wind speeds must not exceed 30 mph while utilizing an enclosure; Where welding (above ground and sub-surface) is required in an area where there is potential for a hazardous atmosphere, barriers will be substituted for total enclosures (e.g. wind walls) to prevent sparks from coming in contact with any combustible materials; a. The barriers will be installed to allow ventilation of the worked area and ingress and egress to the work area for personnel safety; b. Sub-surface, or “hell hole”, welding and grinding operations within approved excavations are allowed if all other mitigation efforts are included.
The court also approved a slew of land development items during court.
Two items regarding the Mountain Lakes subdivision were unanimously approved allowing property owners to combine lots in order to have more space for their homes.
Work was done for Rafter T Ranch Estates located in Precinct 3 where a warranty bond was accepted for roads.
Land Development Director Jason Gardner stated if the contractor damages a road, the bond can be used to fix the road, if needed. Currently, he said the roads are up to the county’s required standards.
The final plat for the 32-lot subdivision was approved and was filed with Gardner and the county engineer. The county also approved accepting the roads for maintenance.
“The inspector looked at the roads and we shouldn’t need to do maintenance for a while,” Precinct 3 Commissioner Sherman Edwards said.
The same series of items was also approved for Pinnacle Estates, a 16lot subdivision located in Precinct 4.
Commissioner Jim Buck abstained from the vote due to a conflict of interest.
Discussion occurred regarding a newly formed driveway permit.
A rough draft was presented to the court which would require a $15 permitting fee and approval for all driveways being put into homes in the county.
A $500 fee can also be utilized for the county to put in culverts associated with the driveways.
After discussion, County Judge Brandon Huckabee asked the commissioners to provide Gardner with the necessary specifications they would like to see included, such as grade. Meanwhile, County Attorney Bethany Espinosa will be working on an accompanying enforcement guideline.
The item is expected to be brought back to court at a later date.
The court unanimously approved Precinct 4 to do dirt work in Patillo in order to help Lipan VFD.
Commissioner Buck explained Lipan VFD use to house a truck in Patillo, however, when the personnel were no longer available, they moved the truck a number of years ago. Now that fire personnel are available, Lipan VFD would like to station a truck in Patillo again.
“I think this is great. It would help with fire prevention efforts in the county,” Buck said.
The county will be shredding the grass and putting a little base on the area to provide a safe parking and driving spot for the truck.
A new food supply agreement with Victus Food Service at the Erath County Jail was approved, at a similar cost, but better quality and quantity, according to Jail Captain Danny Clayton.
In the 5-year contract, it is $1.85 per tray, and $2.49 for trays that are kosher.
Espinosa said she normally would not be in favor of the county approving a 5-year contract; however, this contract does not allow the company to go up on food costs during that timeframe.
The court also approved the updating Law Zone polygons for law enforcement to be able to communicate with each other with the new CAD system for dispatch.
The county also received and opened group insurance proposals from the following entities: The Hartford, Texas Legal, LegalShield/IDShield, Met Life, CBA, Sidecar Health, Gravre, Curative and TAC. The plans will be analyzed and information will be brought back for the court to decide on.
In other business the court: ■ Waived the Erath County OSSF portion of the permit fee for the Selden VFD
■ Approved the paying of monthly bills
■ Approved the renewal of Dr. Reginald Hall’s term as trustee for Pecan Valley Centers for Behavioral and Development Healthcare
■ Approved all precincts to source road base materials from Noble Materials LLC as an alternate vendor due to supply fulfillment constraints with the primary awarded bid vendor