Seal Coating Cut Due to Paving Costs
At its May 10 meeting, the Glasscock County Commissioners’ Court accepted Jones Brothers $212,000 bid for paving slightly more than 6 miles of roads but dropped 3 miles of seal coating which would have cost another $46,000. The bids were: Reese Albert, $260,067 for the paving and $54,000 for seal coating; Jones Bros., $211,858 for paving and $46,426 for seal coating. Commissioners had budgeted $200,000 for paving and seal coating combined for this fiscal year,
Paving will be on 3.67 miles of County Road 270 from RM Highway 33 east to road’s end; one-half mile of Sherrod Road and 1.96 miles of CR495 from CR 490 north to the Martin County line.
County Judge Wilburn Bednar reported he has been notified that the county has received a grant award agreement from the state of Texas to help implement the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). The grant is in addition to one received in September 2004, and the two total $67,000. According to County Clerk Becky Batla, the county will be required to have five approved electronic voting machines by January 2006. The machines must be of a type than a blind or otherwise handicapped person can use. She said the machines will cost approximately $67,000 plus $1,500 per election for programming and $1,500 per year for maintenance. Accepting the grant requires that Bednar sign some paper work.
Batla said if the county doesn’t accept the grant monies now, it will have to pay for the machines by itself later. Commissioners voted to accept the state grants.
Constable Remains Animal and Rabies Control Person
The commissioners reaffirmed that animal control and rabies control authority (both required by the state) would remain part of the county constable’s job, as they have been in the past. There had been some question about whether Leroy Hoelscher would be paid to continue in that capacity. Commissioners said Constable Mark Frysak might have to take courses and be certified for these duties. The county will pay for such training and for cages or other equipment as needed.
After much discussion of the need for improved mowing equipment for use along county roads, commissioners decided to try getting by with just one mowing rig before buying two tractors for that purpose. They decided to lease one tractor ($2,000 per month) now with an option to buy and to check on trading an old mowing tractor in on a second new one. There was discussion of hiring college kids to mow until the county road crew can complete preparations for paving, but no action was taken.
First National Bank of Sterling City, Glasscock County Branch was again selected as the county’s depository for two years. There were no other bids.
County Treasurer Alan Dierschke said an attorney has reviewed changes to the county’s personnel manual. He said the main changes were in doing away with family medical leave, adding overtime for hourly employees and doing away with compensatory time, and changing the road crew’s lunch break from an hour to 30 minutes, to be taken at the job site.
In an earlier meeting, County Judge Wilburn Bednar noted that two fire trucks are still not in a shelter. Commissioner Michael Hoch said the school needs their bus barn space in the summer, so it will not be available for fire truck shelter. Commissioner Marck Schafer said one truck could be put under the shed at the county barn. Hoch said the county’s ambulance barn was built so it can be added on to at the west end and could accommodate two or three more bays.