In a brief county commissioners court meeting Monday, Feb. 13, 23 agenda items were discussed.
Several variances for families dealing with property were approved by commissioners included a variance for Lori and Jay McConathy on Hwy. 377, the Spurlen family in Dublin and Kenneth and Peggy Robinson in Dublin.
In public comments, citizen Vince Parro presented County Judge Brandon Huckabee a framed copy of his first signed Commissioners Court Agenda as Erath County Judge, wishing him well.
Election contracts between the county and both Stephenville ISD and Dublin ISD were unanimously approved for the upcoming May elections.
The opening of sealed bids for a 2006 Large Chevy Brush Truck Unit 806 from the county took place at the meeting and the bid was award to Huckabay VFD for the amount of $25,000. Lingleville VFD also submitted a bid for $21,500.07 but the highest bid won out.
Commissioners approved a 36-month contract with Vyve for internet and phones for the new county annex. The contract, County Information Technology Director Colby Reynolds explained, is 36-months in order to bring the contract in line with the remaining county contracts. At the end of that period, then the annex can be grouped in with the rest of the buildings for a new contract.
The county will be paying $2,400 a month for Vyve services for the new annex.
Huckabee will now be serving on the board of the North Central Texas Emergency Communications District (NCT9-1-1) taking the place of Sheriff Matt Coates. Coates expressed his gratitude to the judge for taking this item off his plate.
Commissioners also approved the appointment of Wendell Hollingsworth to serve on the board of directors for Erath County Development District No. 1, a position that has been vacant for some time.
Commissioner Albert Ray updated the court on two pick-ups that he has been needing to purchase. A bid for the trucks was previously rejected due to too high of a cost and a delay getting the vehicle.
Ray informed the court that he had recently purchased a 1-ton chassis that a customer did not need but had ordered through Bayer Comanche. He had also found a ¾ ton vehicle he was seeking elsewhere but had not yet purchased it.
Ray explained he was updating the court just to keep the item public with the expenditure of funds.
The court approved zero valuing items from the Sheriff’s office and the sheriff presented his official racial profiling report.
This report is available online through the county’s website.
A request for proposal for county audit work for the year ending in Sept. 30, 2022 was approved. Essentially the county will be on a three year rotation for audits, potentially seeking a new external audit firm every three years.
County Auditor Kent Reeves presented the 2022 4th quarter investment report.
“We are blessed to be in a good place financially,” Huckabee said.