North and East Texas
Anderson County Commissioners Court approved the purchase of 20 Dell computers for the sheriff’s office and tax office for $8,833.
Bosque County Commissioners Court accepted the donation of an armored car for the sheriff’s office from the Frisco Police Department.
Collin County Commissioners Court approved $2.1 million in parks and open space bonds and about $28 million in transportation bonds in a $56 million project that includes matching funds and partnerships with several cities.
Freestone County Commissioners Court approved an agreement with Heart of Texas Council of Governments for an emergency communications tower in Fairfield completed with a grant of $235,718 from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Grayson County Commissioners Court approved the purchase of a new fire truck from Martin Apparatus of Denton for $403,840 with a FEMA grant and county funds of $20,600.
Harrison County Commissioners Court approved $600,000 in budget amendments for the new jail, including $50,000 for construction, $134,000 for salaries for seven new jailers, $75,000 for utilities, and $160,000 for housing inmates out of the county.
Houston County Judge Lonnie Hunt has been elected to a two-year term as president of the Deep East Texas Council of Governments.
Jasper County Judge Mark Allen has been elected to a two-year term as first vice president of the Deep East Texas Council of Governments.
Jefferson County Commissioners Court approved an agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the General Land Office to spend $3.75 million to restore beach dunes, including the McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge, destroyed by Hurricane Ike in 2008.
Johnson County Commissioners Court allocated $39,800 for security upgrades at Guinn Justice Center in Cleburne, including $10,730 for stairwell cameras.
Limestone County officially opened its new $340,000 airport terminal of 2,300 square feet. “Executives are flying in on corporate jets,” Judge Daniel Burkeen told the Groesbeck Journal, “and this airport meets their needs. A good airport is a vital part of rural infrastructure.”
McLennan County Commissioners Court awarded a contract of $768,460 to CCC Group of San Antonio to replace locks and controls on doors in the downtown jail. Commissioners also awarded an economic development grant of $1.4 million to Allergan, an eye-care production company planning a $10 million expansion with 100 new research jobs.
Nacogdoches County Commissioners Court approved a contract of $5.38 million with J.E. Kingham Construction Co. for a new emergency shelter adjoining the expo center. Goodwin-Lassiter of Lufkin is architect.
Navarro County Commissioners Court selected Public Management to administer its HOME program grants from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs for victims of floods in June 2010.
San Augustine County received a grant of $30,000 from EnCana Oil and Gas Co. for vocational education for students and underemployed residents.
Smith County held the official opening of its new sheriff’s administration building, which includes an addition and remodeling totaling 23,252 square feet at a cost of $1.2 million.
Trinity County held a rededication ceremony June 11 after a $5.25 million restoration of its 97-year-old courthouse with a $5 million grant from the Texas Historical Commission.
Walker County Commissioners Court noted the receipt of a FEMA grant of $147,000 for the New Waverly Fire Department for 28 new replacement air packs and a $190,000 grant for the Crabbs Prairie VFD for a tanker truck (with 5 percent county matching funds for both projects).
South Texas
Brazoria County Commissioners Court approved seven-year tax abatements of $37.8 million for Schlumberger Technology Corp. for expansion of an oilfield services manufacturing plant near Rosharon. Commissioners also approved a cost increase of 12 percent for fleet mowing of 900 miles of county roads to $167.66 per mile and for aerial mowing of tree limbs to $59.80 per hour.
Burleson County Commissioners Court approved a contract of $232,469 with McDonald Electric of Houston for an emergency generator for the city of Caldwell.
Chambers County Commissioners Court approved seven-year tax abatements for Prime Flexible Products of Houston, which plans to build a $104 million pipe plant near Cedar Bayou for up to 130 employees with an average annual salary of $72,000.
Comal County Commissioners Court approved an agreement with the city of New Braunfels to contribute $6 million each for improvements to FM 306. Federal and state funds will complete the $55 million project to be built by the Texas Department of Transportation.
Gillespie County Commissioners Court awarded a grant of $20,000 to the Good Samaritan, a non-profit medical and dental clinic for low-income families. “They are doing such a good job,” Judge Mark Stroeher told the Fredericksburg Standard, “and we feel like the center is helping keep the number of people on our indigent health records down.”
Guadalupe County Commissioners Court awarded grants for installation of septic facilities to 10 of 30 applicants in Redwood and Rancho Vista. Their new systems will be funded with Texas Community Development Grants.
Hays County Commissioner Will Conley has been elected chairman of the executive committee of the Capital Area Council of Governments.
Medina County Commissioners Court approved a $448,400 project to stabilize the foundation of the courthouse before considering repairs to the roof and interior walls. Commissioners also selected Clean Harbors for household hazardous waste collection and tire disposal.
Orange County Commissioners Court named G&G Enterprises of Orange as general contractor for a $10.5 million community disaster recovery shelter, including $8.1 million from the Texas Department of Rural Affairs.
San Patricio County accepted a state grant of $135,000 for its sheriff’s department to aid in enforcement of border security.
Uvalde County Commissioners Court approved a contract with Krueger Construction Co. for $2.5 million for a new multipurpose building and $207,632 to renovate a pavilion in its $25 million fairplex project.
Wharton County plans to provide first-time sewer service to 26 homes in the Vallejo area south of El Campo in 2011 with a Texas Community Development Grant, more than double the original estimate of 10 homes.
West Texas
Andrews County Commissioners Court approved the purchase for $10,000 of two, 2.5-ton, six-wheel military trucks from federal surplus for its volunteer fire department to use in fighting fires in sandy terrain. Commissioner Randy Rowe told the Andrews County News, “You basically have to stay on the road until the fire gets to you.”
Coleman County Commissioners Court received a grant from Going Green Energy Co. to help add energy-efficient windows, doors and an air-conditioning system for $40,303 to a building in which to relocate the county clerk’s office.
Comanche County received a grant from the aviation division of the Texas Department of Transportation to cover 75 percent of the cost of an automated weather system. The airport board and economic development board will pay the remaining 25 percent.
Crockett County Commissioners Court approved a budget amendment to move funds from sanitation to the sheriff’s department for an animal control officer.
Dawson County Commissioners Court awarded $190,000 to the Lamesa fire department for a new pumper truck and $12,000 to the Welch VFD for equipment to use in fighting wildland fires.
Gaines County Commissioners Court voted to purchase for $190,961 a new heavy-duty International fire truck for the Seminole VFD intended to fight fires in rough terrain.
Hall County Commissioners Court awarded a contract of $66,475 to Adams Construction Co. of Iowa Park for improvements to Brice-Lesley Water System.
Hudspeth County Commissioners Court voted to contract with First Choice Drug Screen Co. to administer random drug testing on county employees at $23 each.
Kimble County is completing improvements at its airport, including upgrades to runways and taxiways, the drainage system and approach lighting. Federal funds covered 90 percent of the project that cost $741,810.
Lamb County Commissioners Court approved a contract of $11,250 with Caprock Alarm for a new fire alarm in the jail.
Lampasas County Commissioners Court approved the refinancing through Compass Bank of $3.94 million in limited tax refunding bonds originally approved in 2008 with a 2021 maturity date. Refinancing will save about $106,000 a year.
Moore County received a grant of $14,770 from Xcel Energy for an energy efficiency project on county buildings, including windows and lighting.
Ochiltree County Commissioners Court approved a request to purchase cemetery management computer software for $3,695.
Randall County Commissioners Court voted to give relief to owners of property damaged or destroyed by wildfires through reappraisals of valuation. The Canyon News reported it could reduce 2011 tax revenue by about $10,000.
Wilbarger County Commissioners Court voted to purchase for $112,000 a jet refueling truck for the airport from Garsite of Kansas City, Kansas.
Wise County Commissioners Court approved a maximum price of $19.6 million for construction of a Wise County campus of Weatherford College with VLK Architects and Steele and Freeman Construction Co.
Yoakum County received a donation of $400,000 from ConocoPhillips to fund a project with Scantiva of Irving to convert more than 725,000 pages of deeds and oil and gas records to electronic format. – Compiled by Garner Roberts