The Hill County Commissioners Court met in a regular session Tuesday, March 26, and opted not to implement a burn ban, which had been considered due to the number of expected campers in the area for the solar eclipse.
At the court’s last meeting, Hill County Emergency Management Coordinator Tom Hemrick said that conditions would be evaluated prior to the visitors’ arrival, but County Judge Justin Lewis said Tuesday that he didn’t believe a ban was justified with the recent rainfall, and he has no intention of declaring a disaster because there is no disaster in the county and the action wouldn’t provide any additional resources.
The judge said that planning has been underway for about two years, and he praised Hemrick and Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator Chris Jackson for their work on preparing for the eclipse.
“We have developed so many different plans for so many different things,” he said. “I think we’re just going to have a good time. We’re going to have a lot of people here.”
Lewis said that estimates received from other areas that have had eclipse crowds indicated that population increased up to five to 10 times on the day of the eclipse. For Hillsboro, that could mean 50,000 to 100,000 people. “Part of me thinks we probably won’t get that many folks here, but we’ve got plans in case we do,” the judge said.
Lewis encouraged all commissioners to provide a designated individual who could be called over the weekend if assistance is needed. He said that the county has barricades and road cones ready in case they are needed, particularly if there is rain that causes traffic issues as travelers exit Interstate 35 seeking alternate routes.
In open forum, a resident of Cedar Way in the Whitney area spoke about his concerns with trash in the area and speeding. He asked for stop signs and said he has also approached the Texas Department of Transportation about the dangerous intersection at farm roads 1713 and 933.
Emergency Services District (ESD) 1 Commissioner David Hasselbrock spoke to the court and said that ESD 1 supports the county’s decision not to implement a burn ban with the recent rainfall. He also said that volunteer fire departments will have staff at fire stations on the day of the eclipse for quick response if needed.
Hasselbrock also said that with Malone Volunteer Fire Department disbanding, the department’s equipment now becomes property of the ESD under state statute. He said that ESD 1 has taken possession of the inventory and will be evaluating it and developing a plan for distribution to other departments that cover the area.
The court accepted annual bids for county supplies and services to go into effect April 1. Commissioners are required by law to seek bids on any goods or services they plan to spend more than $50,000 on in a year’s time. Bids were requested in several categories, including fuel and road materials.
The following bids were received and accepted based on quantity, quality and availability: bridges and box culverts – Yoder Construction; corrugated steel culverts – Wilson’s Culverts and Advanced Drainage Systems; material hauling – Janek & Whitten Construction; emulsions – P2 Emulsions, Ergon Asphalt, Cleveland Asphalt, Texas Materials Group and Wright Asphalt; road base – Monarch Mountain Aggregates, Rattler Rock, Conners Crushed Stone, Vulcan Materials and Janek & Whitten Construction.
Janek & Whitten Construction submitted the lone bid for hauling services, which was approved.
The court also accepted bids for onsite fuel at county barns and offsite fuel, with the following bids accepted: Precinct 1 – Scott Oil for both onsite and offsite fuel; Precinct 2 – Dixie LP for onsite and offsite fuel; Precinct 3 – Dixie LP for onsite fuel; Precinct 4 – Itasca Co-op for offsite fuel. The county will seek bids again for offsite fuel in Precinct 3.
The annual lake patrol contract was approved between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the sheriff’s office to provide law enforcement patrols of parks during peak use times.
The court approved road and bridge job descriptions after a recent workshop was held to clarify job duties for positions in the county.
The court convened in executive session for legal consultation and voted when open session resumed to pursue imminent domain proceedings for a property located next to the Covington Annex to clear the title to the property.
The court was scheduled to meet in a special session at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 2, to consider several agenda items, including additional bids for road materials and fuel, contracts for foundation repairs at the Cell Block Museum and roof replacement at the Support Services Building, and a Texas Department of Public Safety grant for traffic enforcement programs. An executive session was also on the agenda for attorney consultation regarding contemplated or expected litigation.
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