Sherrod Road Speed Limit Lowered
At its Nov. 13 meeting, the county commissioners’ court lowered the speed limit on Sherrod Road to 55 mph at Commissioner Marck Schafer’s request.
The court agreed to pay Triple T Plumbing $8,400 to connect three septic tanks which serve the tax office, jail and deputy’s apartment to the community center drain field. The present drain field (located under the south courthouse lawn west of the apartment) is inadequate, and the tanks have to be pumped out weekly at a cost of between $600 and $700.
Daniel Kujawski reported that construction on the north landfill office is complete, and he will begin work on the west dump ground office in a couple of weeks.
The court tabled two agenda items until a Nov. 16 meeting: a letter from John Mills proposing speed bumps and a 20 mph speed limit on CR 220, and appointing two members to the county tax appraisal board.
Deputy Keith Burnet said the county collected $11,000 from Howard County in October for housing jail inmates, for a total so far this year nearing $30,000.
The court agreed to enter into a seven-month fixed-rate contract with TXU Energy that will reduce the county’s electrical costs 9.7 percent. At the end of the seven months, the county will decide whether to continue, discontinue, or lengthen the contract.
At an earlier meeting, County Treasurer Alan Dierschke was asked to research Charlene Belew’s salary increases. He reported Nov. 13 that the county paid her $11,500 when she began work here in January 2003. He said she got a $600 increase, along with all county employees, in October of ’03, and a $2,400 increase in March of 2004 when there was no ag agent on staff. [County monies are supplements to the salaries extension agents are paid by the state.]