County Hires Road Engineer
At a special meeting May 21, the Glasscock County Commissioners’ Court voted to hire Don Bonifay as a road engineering consultant. According to the terms of his contract, his fee will not exceed $20,000 per year and will be in effect until either party chooses to terminate it. As part of his services, Bonifay will prepare plans and specifications for seal-coating/paving each year; prepare ads for bids and contact prospective bidders; review bids and recommend award of same; prepare contract between selected bidder and county and assist with its execution; inspect construction work on the projects and certify satisfactory completion of work and advise and consult on other road maintenance issues as necessary. He will begin work immediately with commissioners to determine what is to be included in this year’s seal-coating/paving project. He said if a choice must be made, seal-coating should almost always take precedent over new paving, in order to protect the investment of work already done.
Previously, the county contracted with engineer Dan Glass to oversee its roadwork. In 2006, he was paid $11,000, five percent of the paving bid, according to Treasurer Alan Dierschke.
The court also accepted the only bid for the county’s depository bank, from First National Bank of Sterling City, Glasscock County Branch. The bid was for the 90-day T-bill ask rate minus .50 points (one-half percentage point), which is less than the bank’s current rate of the 90-day T-bill minus .25 points. The bid requires a minimum monthly average of $50,000 for all accounts combined. Monies above that average may be kept at another bank or otherwise invested.
Dierschke said most counties are getting a minimum of the 90-day T-bill plus .25 points, and that rate was what he had asked for in the bid specs. Representing the bank, Roger Williams said the lower rate was necessary due to three years of inverted interest rates, meaning that short-term rates are higher than long-term (2 – 5 years). Commissioners calculated that the lower rate would cost the county $1250 annually in lower interest on the minimum investment required.
Williams said the county’s investment account for the past year averaged $1.6 million per month. Currently, Dierschke said there is $2.3 million in the account.
Problems with Extension Pickup
County Judge Wilburn Bednar reported problems with County Extension Agent Rebel Royall’s 2004 pickup, which has more than 100,000 miles. Dierschke said the vehicle is in line for replacement in the county’s rotation system in the next budget. The pickup was later repaired for $2,500.
The court briefly discussed a letter from Lynn Glass protesting an easement along Sherrod Road, which the county has given to a wind energy company. Glass maintains that the county has no deed for the road and any easement will have to come from the owners. The court decided it needed legal counsel in the matter. Bednar said he would do some investigating into the situation, which would include checking with the law firm of Allison-Bass, who did the work on the recently adopted County Road Maintenance Map. Bednar reported on June 11 that the company is allowed to use the road’s right of way like a public utility by virtue of the fact that it transmits electricity for public use.
The court also discussed a request for a flagpole at the Little League park in Garden City. A commercial-grade pole would cost $500. Commissioner Marck Schafer asked whether the organization has a fund of its own, and said the county has already spent “quite a bit” on the ballpark. No action was taken.
Commissioner Mark Halfmann commended the work done by jail inmates on the concession stand at the ballpark.
Commissioner Michael Hoch said he would like to check with TXDOT to see whether the 55 mph speed sign just east of the post office in Garden City could be moved further east to the edge of Lacy Draw.