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Glasscock County News
Maintainer Sparks Spirited Discussion
The Glasscock County Commissioners’ Court met July 9 in the community center due to a custody hearing in the courthouse courtroom, and engaged in a spirited discussion of whether to buy a fourth maintainer. Several years ago, Commissioner Mark Halfmann wanted, and after some time, ultimately got, a reduction of equipment from the traditional four maintainers to three. At the time, Halfmann said he thought the four precincts could share three machines, given all the road paving which was in place, and thereby save the large dollars necessary for a fourth maintainer and driver. Now, however, Halfmann says the sharing has not gone as well as he had hoped, and he often finds himself without a maintainer to service his precinct. He said he is way behind with road shoulder and maintenance work because he can’t get access to a maintainer. He said unless the commissioners can resolve the problems with sharing equipment, or find another solution, he has to have a maintainer. Halfmann and Commissioner Marck Schafer both said they would like to explore contracting some road shoulder work and maintenance, which Schafer said is necessary only two or three times a year. Commissioner Jimmy Strube said contracting would be cost-prohibitive, and said “…it is evident that [Halfmann] needs a maintainer, maybe a smaller one.” Commissioner Michael Hoch also said he thinks Halfmann needs a maintainer in his precinct. Schafer said his precinct’s maintainer is one and a half years newer than Strube’s, but has more hours on it. He said Strube’s isn’t run as much because most of Strube’s precinct’s roads are paved. Schafer estimated Strube’s unpaved roads at 8 or 9 miles, compared to his 23 unpaved miles. Strube countered that he has more traffic on his roads than all the other precincts combined. Halfmann said if a new maintainer is bought, the county will also need to add a driver, and said he doesn’t want to be “hung out to dry this time,” with a machine and no drlver. He said he wants the driver issue settled before a machine is purchased. Strube said the county employs only 9 full-time road workers, plus 3 part-time, which is down from past years. He said three of the workers are considering retirement. Ultimately, the commissioners voted 3-1 to take bids on maintainers of two different sizes. Halfmann said he doesn’t want to buy an additional machine, but voted for taking bids, because he is “…between a rock and a hard spot.” Schafer voted against taking bids on a new machine, saying, ”I think there are better solutions to the problem.” Asking for bids doesn’t mean that a machine will be purchased, but that the court is looking at the prices involved. If a machine is purchased, it would be paid for from monies allocated in next year’s budget.
Briefly
• Welcome Dinner for All American Bowl Players and Benefit for Linda Cypert. A hamburger meal will be served July 24 at 6:30 p. m. at the Glasscock County Community Center sponsored by the Garden City Lions Club and EMT volunteers. Proceeds from the benefit will help Linda Cypert defray medical expenses due to complications of multiple surgeries. The meal will be followed by a benefit auction and homerun derby, as well as the introduction of players from the All American team. Additional donations can be sent to the Garden City Lions Club, P. O. Box 237, Garden City, TX 79739.
• Glasscock County Senior Citizens will meet July 17. This is snack and finger-food night. The meeting Aug. 7 will feature a fish fry, so bring a salad, veggie or dessert. Glasscock County EMT’s will attend the Aug. 7 meeting to update Seniors’ records, which include any medicines they are taking. It is very IMPORTANT to have these records updated. If you should need to use the EMT’s services, it is much safer for you if they have current records. So Seniors, please bring a list of all medications you take and their dosages. EMT’s will also check blood pressure at this meeting. Pass the word around and, if you are unable to attend, get in touch with a Glasscock County EMT to update your records.
• The Rocking JC Vacation Bible School will be held at the First Baptist Church in Garden City July 25 from 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. We welcome all children. Come and have a great day with us. Call Anita Calverley, 354-2378, if you have questions.
• The GCISD school board voted June 25 in a special meeting (Kevin Hirt and Andy Wheeler absent) to hire Misty Kinnibrugh as Curriculum/Testing Coordinator. She will be paid on an eleven-month teacher’s contract, according to Kathy Wheat in the superintendent’s office. The board postponed its July 9 meeting and it has been rescheduled for July 16.
• Six Glasscock County 4-H members attended the 2007 Teen Leadership Lab held June 18 - 20 at the Texas 4-H Conference Center at Brownwood Lake. They were: Marcus Cook, Amber Halfmann, Blaine Walker, Whitney Kellermeier, Kevin Hillger and Halie Schaefer. Whitney was elected vice-president of the 2007-2008 District Six 4-H Council and Kevin was elected public relations chair. Whitney will also serve on the state 4-H council.
• August 1 is the deadline for nominations to the FSA county committee. The seat up for election represents Local Administrative Area (LAA) #2, which is the area located south of County Road 110 and west of County Road Coop and FM 3093 (the LAA boundary map is posted at the FSA office). For more information or nomination forms, call the local FSA office or visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/publications/elections.
• GCHS varsity cheerleaders invite all children ages four and older to attend a mini cheer camp Aug. 13 – 15 from 6 to 8 p.m. The fee of $20 per child includes t-shirt, snacks and spirit award. Sign-up for the camp will be July 28 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the football stadium. Fees must be paid at this time and shirt sizes will be taken. For more information, call Lyza at 213-0642.
• Reminder: County Commissioner Mark Halfmann asks farmers to remember that they, or their workers, should not turn equipment onto county roads.
• Former GCHS science teacher (1965-’67) Glenn Phillips would like to hear from his students. He lives in Vernon, TX and may be contacted by phone at 940/553-1216 or by email at mrphillips7207@sbcglobal.net.
• Glasscock County Little League Indians won second place at the Martin County Invitational Major's Baseball Tournament June 12-16. The team consisted of: Colton Belew, Kellan Kirkland, Jose Zuniga, Bryson Batla, Peyton Schaefer, Justin McMaster, Cody Halfmann, Chapman Royall, Angel Zuniga and Brandon Gartman. Coaches were Richard Batla, Bart Belew and Doyle Schaefer.
• Correction: In the June issue of the Glasscock County News, we stated that the county is required to maintain a minimum monthly average of $50,000 on deposit in the First National Bank of Sterling City, Glasscock County Branch, its official depository. In fact, that minimum amount is $500,000. Thanks to Glasscock County Treasurer Alan Dierschke for calling the error to our attention.
County to Expand Fire Station
Alan Dierschke approached the county commissioners court at its meeting July 9 with a plan for expansion of the Garden City fire station. Citing the need for more storage space for trucks and equipment, he presented two options, and the commissioners voted for the first, which will add a 40 – 50 foot extension to the west end of the metal fire department building. Dierschke said the adjacent concrete block building has been found to be very structurally sound but it needs a new roof. Renovation of that building will include a roof, plus painting to match the other building. The court agreed to advertise for bids on the construction project. Details of the proposal are available in the county treasurer’s office in the courthouse. Commissioner Marck Schafer said he wants the old Forest Service pumper truck “…to disappear,” before anything is done about the fire station buildings. Commissioner Halfmann said no one knows how to operate it, and there is no time to train volunteers (who he said are already stretched too thin). He said maybe the school could use the truck. Schafer said he had mentioned it to Superintendent Steve Long two times. County Judge Wilburn Bednar has said repeatedly, over several years, that if the truck is not going to be used, it should be returned to the Forest Service.
Homeland Security, Haz-Mat Issues Bednar, the county’s contact for Homeland Security (HS) issues, mentioned receipt of an HS letter regarding an emergency management plan. Bednar voiced his general displeasure with the agency, saying they issue regulations that are the same for Harris County as for Glasscock County. He cited a request for 26 volunteers for a particular HS project and said he told the HS person that he might be able to assemble 26 volunteers in two years. Bednar and the commissioners do not want the liability of stocking vaccines in case of a pandemic, and have rejected HS overtures in that regard before. Commissioners had not read the HS letter or the emergency plan and Michael Hoch said he wanted to review it before the court acts in the matter. There was discussion of a 20-foot hazardous materials (Haz-Mat) trailer that has been in the St. Lawrence VFD building for about a year. Until recently, none of the commissioners knew about the trailer, and no one present could explain its origin or purpose.
Court Again Discusses WTRCA Issue The court revisited the matter of contributing $100,000 to West Texas Rural Counties Association, so the organization can pay less in reinsurance premiums. The organization needs to raise at least $1 million from its member counties to realize reinsurance savings. The item had been tabled at the county court’s June 11 meeting. After discussion July 9, the court again made no decision. Schafer was the only commissioner to voice an opinion on the matter, saying he thinks the savings don’t justify the risk. The court appointed the same slate of election judges as the last few years: Helen Glass, Maritha Blalock, Jo Ann Turner and Ann Hoelscher. In other action, the court again voted against adding any fees to vehicle licensing in the county and agreed to update its property listings for insurance purposes. Bednar asked that some round, thick tabletops and a white, decorative pedestal be removed from a community center closet so the drivers’ license person can store equipment there. Dierschke said the materials were donated to the county; no one seemed to know what the county would do with them, nor where they should be stored. The commissioners’ court will meet in special session at 10 a.m. July 16.
County Grants Tax Abatement
The Glasscock County Commissioners’ Court (Marck Schafer and Michael Hoch absent), meeting in special session June 18, created a reinvestment zone and granted a tax abatement to Wind Plus. The company plans a wind turbine project that will require capital expenditures of approximately $750 million. The county agrees to abate 70 percent of ad valorem taxes assessed against the real property by virtue of the improvements placed on it (wind turbine generators, roads, crane pads, foundations, collection system, substation, transmission line, electrical grid interconnection, operations and maintenance building and meteorological towers) for a period of 10 years. No taxes will be abated which are not a direct result of the improvements. Wind Plus agrees they will not discourage or prevent any other wind generation company from conducting business in Glasscock County, and will annually contribute to the county’s volunteer organizations. The entire tax abatement contract is on file as public record in the county clerk’s office. At the same meeting, the court again discussed whether to allocate $500 for a flagpole at Garden City’s Little League park. Donald Hanson of Hanson Telecommunications, who was at the meeting, said his company would donate the money for the flagpole.
Next Issue Date and Deadline
The next issue of the Glasscock County News will be Aug. 15. The deadline for that issue is Aug. 13, but earlier material is helpful. Send information to: P.O. Box 98, Garden City, TX 79739; phone or fax: 432/354-2221; e-mail: gcnews201@aol.com. The Glasscock County News is published by Joe Melanie Calverley, P. O. Box 98, Garden City, TX, 79739. Phone or fax: 432/354-2221; e-mail: gcnews201@aol.com; web site: glasscockcountynews.com
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