The Hill County Commissioners Court met in a regular session Tuesday, March 11, and voted to advertise for bids for inmate healthcare and the county’s tourism website.
The county is issuing a request for proposals from healthcare providers to provide necessary medical care in the county jail. Proposals will be due by Tuesday, March 25, at 2 p.m. The contract will be for a five-year term with the right to automatically extend the term of the contract for additional one-year terms, provided the extensions are in the best interests of both parties.
The county will also seek bids for management of the TexasGetawayVacation.com website, which is a tourism website owned by the county and funded with hotel occupancy taxes. The county can only use hotel occupancy taxes on initiatives that drive tourism in the area.
The court also discussed the need to seek proposals from hotel and motel operators in the county about how they would like the tax revenue spent. A request for proposals will be discussed at a future meeting.
Commissioners voted to purchase a crypt from Hillcrest Garden of Memory for the indigent burial program. If a decedent is identified but no family can be located, the county has them cremated. Burial is required if the body cannot be identified, but County Judge Justin Lewis said that this is not a common occurrence.
Having the crypt will give the county a place to properly store the remains of those cremated under the indigent burial program. The cost is $3,343, and Lewis said that the site should provide adequate space for years.
Two minor plats were approved, including the division of one lot on Fort Graham Road in Whitney, where a house and outbuildings will be sold, and the subdivision of three lots on HCR 1425 in Covington.
In other action, the court observed and recorded the county’s quarterly investment report, declared a boom mower surplus material to be auctioned in Precinct 4, formalized a uniform policy for Hill County Emergency Management and accepted a $200 donation as compensation for rock taken from HCR 2431.
Lewis updated commissioners on his transition to district judge, saying that he expects Senate confirmation by the end of the month. He said that he is continuing to handle county business as usual until the confirmation.
The Lakelander 