North & East Texas
Angelina County received $5,000 in federal funds to supplement its emergency food and shelter programs. The county also refinanced bonds dating back to 2001 used to build a jail and sheriff’s office to save $1.9 million.
Bowie County Commissioners Court approved agreements with volunteer fire departments in New Boston, Wake Village, Redwater and Simms, making them eligible to apply for and receive grants.
Collin County Commissioners Court approved new economic incentives to attract businesses to the county, including grants in a tax incentive plan, tax abatements, and a tax increment reinvestment zone. “It sends a positive message,” Commissioner Joe Jaynes told the Farmersville Times. “It’s a good program. It was the judge’s (Keith Self) idea. I have to give him a lot of credit.”
Franklin County was awarded $3.1 million by the Texas Historical Commission for interior restoration of the 1912 courthouse.
Henderson County Commissioners Court approved annual contracts with volunteer fire departments in the county, including a new VFD for Shady Oaks. Each VFD receives a base grant of $7,221 for expenses in 2012, according to the Athens Daily Review.
Jasper County Commissioners Court approved a contract with Goodwin-Lasiter Inc. of Lufkin for generators at several locations to increase preparedness during disaster events.
Johnson County Commissioners Court approved an agreement with Omni First Integrated Systems of Burleson to provide a fire alarm and monitoring system for the emergency operations center.
Kaufman County Commissioners Court approved a contract with NADC Architects of Forney for $32,215 to plan renovations of the second floor of the county annex building in Kaufman.
McLennan County Commissioners Court approved a contract of $20,000 with Edoc Technologies of Waco for computer software for the employee payroll. McLennan will pay $31,500 for maintenance costs for seven years. Also, the county has started posting audio recordings of commissioners court meetings on its website.
Milam County Commissioners Court authorized the installation of computer software by ACS to make the county clerk’s land records available online.
Nacogdoches County received a grant from the Texas Forest Service of about $10,000 as one of only 16 Texas counties to complete a community wildfire protection plan. Students from S.F. Austin State University aided in the project. Also, commissioners renewed the county’s contract with Stalker Radar to lease equipment for the sheriff’s office.
Navarro County was named recipient of a grant from the Texas Historical Commission for restoration of its historic courthouse, a project estimated to cost $6 million.
Polk County Commissioners Court voted to use $46,782 in drug forfeiture funds to purchase mobile data information software for law enforcement patrol officers. Commissioners also approved an oil and gas lease on 1,984 acres of Polk County school lands, including a bonus payment of $2.4 million for drilling rights to be shared by the county’s school districts.
Rusk County expects to complete a $350,000 project in 2012 with Church Hill Water Supply Corp. to provide water to about 50 families who have been using well water. The Henderson Daily News said a state grant funded the program.
Somervell County Commissioners Court voted to purchase the remainder of a contract with Dooley Management to operate the expo center and Texas Amphitheatre and shift oversight to a facility manager who is a county employee.
Upshur County Judge Dean Fowler was elected chairman of the 14-county East Texas Council of Governments.
Van Zandt County has an interim commissioner for Precinct 1. Bill W. Rowton of Grand Saline, a retired hospital administrator, was appointed to complete the term of Ricky LaPrade, who resigned. Also, the Grand Saline Sun reported that Sheriff Pat Burnett was interviewed by National Public Radio about the county’s problem of stray donkeys.
South Texas
Bexar County Commissioners Court approved 10-year tax abatements for a $29 million mixed-use development of nearly 1,000 apartments near downtown. “We’re excited about the development in the inner city,” Judge Nelson Wolff told the San Antonio Express-News.
Calhoun County Commissioners Court approved tax abatements for Formosa Plastics Corp., which plans to build a $150 million plant at Point Comfort. The Port Lavaca Wave reported that Formosa will construct and donate to the county a large covered arena at the fairgrounds. The county also purchased for $3.5 million Green Lake and adjacent land to allow public access to coastal waterways.
Colorado County has been awarded $3.2 million from the Texas Historical Commission for interior restoration of the courthouse, a project the Weimar Mercury said will cost about $6 million.
Fayette County Commissioners Court approved an additional $42,000 for volunteer fire departments for upgrades of radio systems.
Hays County Commissioners Court passed a reimbursement resolution to allocate $1.4 million to fund OpenSky digital radio technology in a partnership with the Lower Colorado River Authority.
Karnes County Commissioners Court approved an emergency amendment of $531,684 to the sheriff’s budget for annual salaries for six deputies and the purchase of vehicles, radios, fuel and other equipment to address population and traffic increases because of Eagle Ford Shale oil and gas exploration and production.
Kleberg County Commissioners Court reinstated an annual grant of $22,500 to the Greater Kingsville Economic Development Council.
Lavaca County received a donation of five U.S. flags from Woodmen of the World to be flown at county offices.
McMullen County Commissioners Court became the first governing body in the county to approve regulations for sexually oriented businesses. The Three Rivers Progress said the businesses are “a growing concern as the Eagle Ford Shale brings a huge increase in population.”
San Patricio County was host for government officials from Algeria, Croatia, Egypt, India, Iraq, Maldive Islands and Zimbabwe on a tour sponsored by the U.S. Department of State to study and observe U.S. local governments.
Travis County Commissioners Court hired Ernst & Young for $425,000 as consultants for a new civil and family courthouse of more than 500,000 square feet.
Uvalde County for the 15th consecutive year received a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association. Commissioners honored Auditor Alice Chapman and Treasurer Joni Deorsam.
Val Verde County Commissioners Court voted to prohibit hunting with bows and arrows on property of two acres or less outside the Del Rio city limits. The Del Rio News Herald reported that “the issue has become a public safety problem in county subdivisions.”
Williamson County Commissioners Court authorized refunds of up to $250 million in bonds over the next year to take advantage of lower interest rates. The Austin American Statesman reported that the county, which expects to save about $9.4 million, has hundreds of millions of dollars in bonds to pay for major projects. Also, construction started on the county’s new $12 million building for emergency response agencies.
West Texas
Brown County Judge Ray West appointed rancher Bob Clark, a former Rising Star school board member, to serve the unexpired term of Precinct 1 Commissioner Steve Adams, who resigned.
Eastland County Commissioners Court approved a contract with Air-Tite Windows for $36,392 to replace windows on the second floor of the courthouse.
Ector County Commissioners Court accepted $1,750 in donations to help purchase a new K-9 named Mermal to replace Kazoe, a 4-year-old German Shepherd killed during a chase last year.
El Paso County Commissioners Court approved two new programs in the veterans court. They are the Veteran’s Treatment and Intervention Program for misdemeanor cases and the Veteran’s Court Program for felony cases. The El Paso Times reported, “Participants are typically those whose conduct was affected by mental health issues.” Commissioners also approved $600,000 in improvements at Ascarate Park.
Gray County Commissioners Court approved the design of a new $600,000 terminal building at Perry Lefors Airport to be funded by $300,000 grants from the Texas Department of Transportation and Pampa Economic Development Corp.
Hale County Commissioners Court approved an agreement with Securus Technologies for jail inmate telephone service.
Hardeman County was awarded $3.1 million from the Texas Historical Commission for interior restoration of the courthouse.
Jones County Commissioners Court approved the issuance of $6.9 million in tax-backed certificates of obligation for the purchase of an existing 96-bed facility to be used as a county jail and law enforcement center. The Abilene Reporter-News said the facility has been empty since construction was completed in 2010.
Kerr County Commissioners Court approved a license agreement with Pictometry International Corp. for aerial mapping. The results will be shared among the county, the 9-1-1 emergency network, and the central appraisal district.
Lampasas County Commissioners Court voted to contribute 30 percent or up to $400,000 for construction of a new two-story, $1.2 million fire station in Lampasas.
Mitchell County Commissioners Court selected Fort Worth-based SEDALCO as construction manager at risk for a new jail.
Nolan County Commissioners Court hired Dallas-based Wiginton Hooker Jeffry Architects for design of a new jail and courthouse improvements.
Oldham County Judge Don Allred was named president-elect of the Texas Association of Counties. He will serve as president in 2014-15.
Potter County is finishing a $17 million restoration of its courthouse in Amarillo. The project by Journeyman Construction of Austin included a $4 million grant from the Texas Historical Commission.
Randall County Commissioners Court approved guidelines for granting tax abatements and established a 90-acre revitalization zone in south Amarillo that will include a $10 million senior community of 86 units.
Tarrant County Commissioners Court approved 10-year tax abatements for a $235 million headquarters building and training academy for Bell Helicopter, which the Fort Worth Star-Telegram said employs 6,000 people in the county.
Taylor County Commissioners Court voted to reduce the number of the county’s AT&T phone lines from 392 to 315 to save about $12,000 a year.
Tom Green County Commissioners Court granted permission to the public housing authority to extend assistance throughout the county instead of only within a five-mile radius of San Angelo. H – Compiled by Garner Roberts