Sheriff’s Department Gets New Pickups
In the second split vote in a matter of weeks, the Glasscock County Commissioner’s Court voted Sept. 13 to buy two Ford F150 Super Crew pickups for the sheriff’s office at a total cost of $45,000. The vote was 3 – 2, with commissioners Mark Halfmann and Hugh Schafer voting for, Michael Hoch and Jimmy Strube voting against, and County Judge Wilburn Bednar breaking the tie with a vote for the purchase. Hoch and Strube wanted to buy Dodge diesel pickups. The sheriff’s office had asked for one Ford F150 Super Crew and one Ford Crown Victoria sedan. Commissioners seemed to agree on just one thing in the matter: that another Crown Victoria would not be a in the county’s best interest, since that car’s trade-in value is so little.
Hoch and Strube said Dodge pickups would be worth more at trading time than Ford pickups would be, either as trade-ins, or as additions to the county’s road crew vehicle line-up. Halfmann and Schafer disagreed. Bednar said he was voting for the Fords in the tie-break because they were what the sheriff’s department preferred.
One price for each make was available: $23,873 per vehicle for the Dodges and $22,398 per vehicle for the Fords.
The sheriff’s department’s three vehicles and the extension service’s one vehicle are on a rotation schedule, which should replace the oldest vehicle each year. However, replacing an engine now in Deputy Keith Burnett’s Crown Victoria, which was not in line for replacement until next year, was going to cost over $7,000. Commissioners decided it wasn’t a good idea to spend that much money on a car that was to be kept only one more year, and that buying two new vehicles at one time made more sense.
Central Air, Heat for Courthouse
The court voted to accept Greenwood’s Eddie Quine’s bid of $24,579 for putting central air and heat into the courthouse. He will install two Rheem five-ton units with heat pumps. The only other bid was from Closon and Parker of San Angelo for $26,700 for four and three-ton Bryant units. Electrical work was included in both bids.
A bill from Nancy Hillger for 105 hours worth of cleaning in the sheriff’s/tax offices from January to September was a matter of some discussion, when commissioners said they were unaware that she had been doing the work. Bednar said Sheriff Pruit had mentioned the arrangement to him months ago, and he thought he had mentioned it to the court. Commissioners discussed that at one time, the jail custodian cleaned those offices as part of his duties. They agreed that the courthouse custodian, Diane Havlak, should do that cleaning now. At the meeting’s end, the court had apparently not authorized payment of the Hillger invoice.
Victims’ Services Organization
The court approved payment of $2,500 annually to Victims Services, a five-county organization that serves as a liaison for law enforcement. Each county in the service area is being asked for the same money. Shan Thomas, the organization’s director, met with the court and explained that, if not for the group effort, each county would be required to have its own victims’ service person. She said the organization has been in existence since 1984, and until recent cuts in state funding, has not had to ask individual counties for money. Of the organization’s $200,000 budget, Thomas said $115,000 comes from the state, $50,000 from an unnamed Howard County foundation, and the organization is a United Way agency. In addition, she said Howard County pays $6,000 and Big Spring puts in another $5,000.
The group, headquartered in Big Spring, has a full-time staff of four, plus 11 volunteers. They have three nurses who are trained to take evidence in sexual assault cases and are qualified to testify in trials. She said Glasscock County has an average of four victims per year. Bednar said he thought the money paid by counties should be based on population.
Deputy Burnett said the victims’ services group is “awesome, a great program.” He said they are here quickly when called, and are great with victims, often meeting in private with women and children.
Charlene Belew reported on extension activities, including a possible senior citizens’ meals on wheels program, which would involve high school students delivering meals provided by the school cafeteria. She asked the court to consider providing the agents with a county Visa or MasterCard to use when they travel. The court later discussed the matter, and seemed not to favor the cards, since the agents have several gas cards at their disposal.
Again -- Warning Siren for Garden City?
Bednar reported that Curtis Palmer, who operates the county’s dump ground and landfill, wants the county to repair and improve the plumbing at the shelters he uses at both facilities. The court also discussed a pump for taking water out of the landfill pit, but took no action. Commissioner Hugh Schafer said a new pit would be needed within six months.
An emergency warning siren for Garden City was mentioned once again. Bednar is to get information and prices on such equipment, which could be used for weather warnings, plus alerts for local fire or medical personnel.
In other action, the court agreed to continue having its regular meetings on the second Monday of each month at 9 a.m. in the courthouse. It also decided to maintain the current 125 percent funding of the county’s retirement system by which the county puts in $1.25 for each $1.00 contributed by the employee. The other choices are 100 or 150 percent funding.