The Hill County Commissioners Court implemented a fee for culvert installation permits during a regular meeting held Tuesday, November 12.
The court voted to charge $75 for culvert permits after a culvert setting policy was approved in October with the goal of streamlining the process throughout the county and protecting county roads. Hill County Judge Justin Lewis said that keeping water off of a road is essential to keeping rock in place, and many of the county’s culverts are stopped up, undersized or in the wrong place.
The policy outlines minimum requirements and states that plans must be approved by the appropriate commissioner. The commissioner will return to the property for an inspection after the work is done to ensure the culvert is installed correctly.
The court opted to leave the county’s burn ban in place and let it expire Thursday, November 21, in accordance with the original 30-day ban.
The ban was implemented October 22, after Governor Greg Abbott included Hill County in a wildfire disaster proclamation due to elevated fire weather conditions. Hill County volunteer firefighters had responded to over 30 grass fires in October by that date.
Hill County Emergency Services District (ESD) 1 President Ken Goins told the court last week that the county remains susceptible to fire due to dying vegetation and lack of rainfall, and he recommended that the ban not be rescinded early.
The court approved a letter of participation with Sysco, providing another option for inmate food procurement at the jail. Jail administration reported that Johnson County has saved about 20% on food by utilizing Sysco.
Commissioners finalized an agreement with the City of Whitney for repairs to the city’s portion of HCR 1240, which serves the high school and middle school campuses. The city will pay for the materials, with the county performing the labor.
The two-part solution will involve a quicker fix for the remainder of this school year involving blading and shaping shoulders to effectively widen the road and filling potholes. When temperatures are better suited for the work and school is out in 2025, the county will pour asphalt on the road for a long-term fix at the same time the rest of the county road is repaired.
Commissioners approved closing HCR 4352 South at the request of a landowner who owns all of the surrounding property. There were no comments during a public hearing on the proposal.
The court approved expenditures for Sheriff-Elect Hunter Barnes that will cover necessary training prior to the new sheriff taking office in January.
The annual resolution outlining the county’s participation in the Texas Department of Agriculture’s (TDA’s) Texans Feeding Texans grant was approved. The county budgets $10,000 to the program annually, which allows Meals on Wheels to receive additional money from TDA to serve meals to Hill County seniors.
Commissioners also approved a resolution authorizing an application for Texas Indigent Defense Commission grant funds.
The court approved a preliminary plat for the Puttrich Addition, involving the division of a 10-acre property on HCR 2205 in the Aquilla area.
Multiple contracts and interagency agreements were approved at the request of Chief Juvenile Probation Officer Tina Lincoln. The agreements provide backup residential placement options for juvenile offenders.
The court approved the installation of an access control system at the Support Services Building, where county records are retained. Christian Cabling was approved as the lowest bidder with a $10,037 proposal.
In other action, commissioners approved the purchase of four replacement ballistic vests for the sheriff’s office, approved an interlocal agreement with Whitney Independent School District outlining how the county and school will work together in an emergency and approved the submission of Chapter 59 reports on property forfeiture to the Office of the Attorney General.
In open forum, Crady Johnson of Fort Worth spoke to the court about the date for the unveiling of the Bragg Williams historical marker, asking that it be in place and ready to reveal on January 20.
That date marks 106 years since the lynching of her uncle, an intellectually disabled Hill County man, on the courthouse square.
Lewis said that he received an email about the requirements from the Hill County Historical Commission and believes the county will have the pole for the marker set by the end of the year. The marker should then be ready to be placed by January 20.
The court convened in executive session for economic development discussions, but no action was taken when open session resumed.
Commissioners met again in a special session Friday, November 15, to canvass the results of the November 5 election. Elections Administrator Aaron Torres reported that the election went smoothly, and Lewis said that he received no complaints during early voting or on Election Day. The judge thanked elections staff for working extended hours to accommodate voters.
The court also approved the purchase of a used maintainer at the end of a lease-purchase agreement in Precinct 1, along with a lease-purchase agreement for a new maintainer in the same precinct.
The Lakelander 