The Hill County Commissioners Court adopted a plan to be submitted to the state outlining how the county selects residents for jury duty during a meeting held Tuesday, October 24.
Due to recent legislative changes, the state is requiring counties to approve and submit plans laying out the logistics of the jury selection process if they use electronic or mechanical equipment.
The potential juror pool includes the names of Hill County residents on the voter registration list, those with a Texas driver license and those who hold a personal identification card or certificate issued by the Department of Public Safety. This does not include any register of individuals who are exempt from jury service.
The plan states that the district clerk is the officer in charge of the jury selection process, which is completed by electronic means in a fair, impartial and objective manner.
The district clerk will summons by first-class mail anyone selected at least 10 days prior to their jury service.
Jurors who are summoned can respond through the online jury portal or contact the district clerk’s office.
Commissioners also discussed the county’s burn ban, which expired the previous day.
“We ask every citizen of Hill County to use common sense when you burn,” said County Judge Justin Lewis. Residents were encouraged to take into consideration wind conditions, the condition of their property and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) rules, such as not burning at night.
The public should also call the sheriff’s office non-emergency number prior to burning to avoid an unnecessary response from firefighters.
In public forum, a resident of a county road off of Farm Road 1713 in the Whitney area spoke to the court about issues with the public speeding in the area and asked the county to consider speed limit signs. She said that the area is becoming increasingly dangerous.
The court discussed similar issues throughout the county, noting that speed limit signs must be placed on county roads individually instead of setting a county-wide speed limit, and state law only allows the court to set speed limits as low as 30 miles per hour. Even then, it is a challenge keeping the signs up as they are frequently stolen, and enforcement is also important. Lewis said that the county’s traffic statistics are starting to show the impact of many of the state’s Department of Public Safety troopers being sent to work at the border.
With the issue being brought up in the public forum, no action could be taken on the citizen’s speed limit request, but she was encouraged to talk to her commissioner.
In other action, the court held a public hearing on a proposal to add a no thru trucks sign on HCR 2124 to address an issue with large trucks using the road as a cut-through. Commissioner Larry Crumpton said that the road is not designed to handle this truck traffic. There was no public comment, and the sign was approved.
A communications agreement was approved with Hill Regional Hospital, which is the same agreement that other entities signing on to use the county’s new public safety radio system have signed.
The court approved a final plat for the Grandview Heights subdivision, which involves five lots on HCR 4415, and a replat for Fruitland Acres, which involves changing the dimensions of three lots.
The court also approved a a financing agreement with Government Capital for previously approved vehicles for constables, approved the purchase of a cell phone for the county’s maintenance director, approved a contract with Xerox for a copier in the elections office and observed and recorded the Hill County Child Protective Services Board treasurer’s report.
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