Several items regarding first responders were addressed at the Monday, Aug. 22 Erath County Commissioners Court meeting amidst 41 agenda items.
The county continued discussions on radio towers for emergency personnel, adding towers to improve coverage.
Erath County Emergency Management Coordinator Cyndi Smith presented information about the project along with Motorola. Preliminary costs for the project are an estimated $1.9 million and could potentially come from ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds.
Research on the project will be continuing as the county commissioners continue budget preparations.
An increase in inmate medical charges for the Erath County Jail was approved by the court, allowing additional funds to be recouped.
“We don’t profit from medical care, it goes back into the indigent health care fund for the county,” Jail Captain Danny Clayton said.
Currently, it is only $20 for a trip to the ER for an inmate.
County Judge Alfonso Campos inquired who they recovered the funds from. Clayton explained they were taken from inmates accounts and that currently inmates were spending about $3,000 a week on commissary items.
Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jeremy Woodruff presented information on several items including some changes in dispatch.
The court approved changing a title in dispatch from dispatch supervisor to simply dispatcher since the position no longer exists and dispatch is being overseen by a lieutenant.
The court took no action on spreading the remaining dispatcher supervisor salary – about $14,000 – between the dispatchers since the county is so close to budget discussions for the next fiscal year.
“Would that establish a new salary level for them?” Campos asked.
The court decided it made more sense to simply wait until the next budget cycle and possibly include the money with raises.
Two K9 officers were sold after approval from the commissioners.
K9 Jax was deemed surplus and sold to Global Training Academy for $1,800 and K9 Joop was deemed surplus and sold to his handler who is an Erath county employee for $700.
Commissioners also approved assistance for a couple of property owners whose land suffered damage as the result of a fire.
Several citizens spoke out against the aid at the beginning of the meeting in public comments because of the precedence it would set in regard to the county spending money for fire damage on individual property.
“How are these three instances more important?” Kevin Russell, a citizen, asked in the public comments.
Later in the meeting, the court approved three items including a request by Commissioner Dee Stephens to repair Nat Wolford’s driveway that was damaged by firetruck during a fire on CR 454.
“I totally get what you all are saying about a precedent,” Stephens said.
The commissioner explained the weight of the truck had made some indentations on the driveway and a quick patch and chip seal should fix the issue, totaling about 15 minutes of work.
Smith said she could look into a hazmat clause that could potentially allow the county to recover some of the costs from those who are responsible for the fire. In the three instances the court voted on, none of the property owners were responsible for the fires – they started on nearby land and highways.
Stephens also asked to use a maintainer to level back out a roll of dirt and debris from drawing a fire line on Wendy Lou Classic Game Reserve after a wildfire occurred south of Alexander a couple of weeks ago.
He explained in an effort to stop the fire, the county had used the maintainer to cut a fire line and rolled up a two foot section of dirt and grass. He explained it would take about an hour and it wasn’t fair for the property owner to have to deal with the “rolled up” land.
Commissioner Albert Ray asked the court for permission to clean a fence row and ditch for a resident on CR 242 and CR 376 after a fire burned fence posts and killed trees along the roadway.
“We do clean fence rows regardless of the fire damage,” he said. “The dead trees will fall.”
A special- called commissioners court meeting for budget talks is expected next week.
For more commissioners court news, see next week’s edition of The Dublin Citizen.