Commissioners Court - Regular Meeting

Okay, I'd like to welcome everyone to our regular Commissioner's Court meeting. Here it is, July the 14th, and we're in the annex as usual. We're going to begin with our invocation and our pledges. If you would, join me in standing, please. Let's pray.

Lord, thank you for such a beautiful day. We pray for some more rain in certain areas. Lord, watch over us in court today. Watch over all our Comfort County employees and our first responders. Help us have a beautiful and wonderful afternoon. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you. You're welcome.

Okay, I have a couple of routine correspondence things. Let's see. We have the 18th, the 40 Lions Club, grill and splash bash. I'm sure Skeet will be out there in his swim trunks on that one. Is that... Did I get that right? No. Okay.

You're going to be right beside me, right?

No, I'm not. And then this Saturday is the Texas, I mean the Crawford County Aggie Auction and Scholarship Dinner at the Civic Center. It starts at 530. And that's all we have on the agenda for this week. Does anyone have anything else? Okay.

Actually, can I throw something in there? Yeah. I'll give all their details, but I just want to throw a little shout-out to the Cordova family in Prairieville because we had a large tree fall in the road, and sometimes the citizens help us, and they actually cut that tree up and moved it to the side. Sometimes we get calls of a limb in the road, and they want us to come pick it up, but this family always helps us out in storms and moves the stuff. So thank you to the Cordova family.

All right. Need more of that. That's for sure. Okay, we'll move on to our consent agenda. We have several items there. Am I going to read them all? You've all had time to look at them. Any discussions on any item that's listed? No, I'll make a motion for you. Motion to approve, to have a second. I'll second. Mr. Crowe makes a motion to, I mean a second to approve. All in favor say aye. Aye. Motion carries. Okay, Mr. David Asbill, he wants to give us the Children's Shelter quality report. Morning, David.

Good morning. I appreciate your time.

Thank you, sir.

So I just want to give you an update on the children's shelter. I appreciate your time. For the last quarter, like I said, all the data is on there. I wasn't sure exactly how you wanted it broke down, but we took care of 27 kids and provided 1,033 days of care for those kids during that quarter. What I didn't put on there, the longest one kid was here, 103 days, and then we had the shortest time length was 10 days. So like I said, because of being the emergency shelter in those cases and situations, we never know exactly how long they're going to be there or whatever. The state mandate is that after 90 days, there has to be a plan in place through the court system and everything. And so like I said, they'll give us a little extension if there's a plan in place. you know, that it will move them and then move them again in, you know, two or three days. So that's why one group of three siblings stayed 103 days is because there was a plan in place. It just needed a little bit of extension. Okay. But anyway. I broke down the statistics. Y'all can see there the kids we take and the counties we serve. And... I see you see all the numbers there. And currently we have eight kids, but I just accepted two right before I came here, so we'll get two more today, this afternoon. Let's see, I'm letting you all look at the notes there, too. A lot of things that are going on with the state right now and with us, this year it started in January of 1. It didn't go into effect until September of this year because they gave everybody a transition period. But they're kind of moving what used to be minimum standards is what all the rules and regulations you have to follow to be a licensed child care entity. They've changed that to what's called T3C. And that's Texas Child-Centered Care. And they just renamed it and have kind of reorganized things and made different criteria and everything. And like I said, they gave everybody from January to September, you know, transition to get into and make the changes you need to meet those criteria. And so we're in that process right now. And we've had to hire a couple more part-time staff there again to meet those criteria because they lowered the number of kids that each caregiver can be watching. And that's what's called their ratio. So that made some changes that we've had to meet. But I will say we're very blessed to have donors. And like I say, summertime, you know, the kids could be bored. You know, they just need stuff to do. So that's why I put down there that list of activity, things we've been able to take the kids to and them participate in and do in the summer. So I listed that. Any questions from you guys?

The other day you mentioned about the ages of kids, children, not kids, children, from two to five you had to have more Support for that My question is do you have to accept those? Because I saw in your budget where it runs the cost up so high because the additional Personnel you have to have so how do you manage that or do you manage that or what's the answer?

so If I don't have it's any kid under the age of five Yep, they count as two right which? Increases your ratio So the actual physical bodies there aren't more, but the ratio is. And then it has to be one per eight for staffing. Now, the point to that is, so if you had more than eight kids, you have to have two. But if they were under the age of five and you had two or three of them, well, that's going to be four or six.

Well, our question is, do you have to take the children at that age? The board has said yes. So it's not a state, it's our board.

Yes. Okay. But I'm limiting it to just... like two max, because there again, it really puts our staff ratio. So I've limited it to two under the age of five. There again, only because of staffing issues. Well, that was my question, because when you mentioned that the other day in the course, I thought, well, wait a minute. Yeah, it's the budget. Okay.

Yeah.

I got it. I get that.

Okay. Good. Any questions for David? Thank you. Well, you can't go.

You can't go yet. Because I have one more very special important thing that I don't want you to forget about. Our fundraiser is coming up. And, you know, I'm sure some of you have paid attention to and know and kept up with us. Yeah, I always have to keep Tommy in place. So I want him to make sure and know that we need his help because he's such a good man. Anyway, I did want to share that our annual fundraiser is August the 15th. And I know you'll be bored and need something to do, so please come out and help us. It would be greatly appreciated. Oh, and we're always appreciative to Chef Beavers because he's very helpful. Yeah.

He's got to wrangle you around while you're there. I've seen that. He does.

He does. He keeps me in line.

Yes. Okay. All right. Thank you all very much.

Thank you, David.

Appreciate all the work that you all do out there. Thank you.

If y'all are ever bored, I will have y'all out to see our facilities. Over the last three years, we've remodeled the whole entire building. So y'all need to come and look at it. We'll do that. Y'all need to come and see it someday. We'll do it. Thank you. Okay.

We'll see. Okay. Commissioner Lane discussed considering approved Precinct 3, 2019 road bond funding transfer in the amount of $457,000. $941.49. Yes, sir.

These are four that were Bonrose, Colquitt, and Samuels, and we had this discretionary left over, so we're going to put it back on there for they're in bad shape, and we'll add a little bit to it and see if we can get it done. Okay.

I'll make a motion. I'll have a motion by Commissioner Lane. Do I have a second? I'll second. Commissioner will make a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Motion carries. Commissioner Lane once again discussed, considered, and approved the interlocal contract. with a town of Portree for road repairs to cap 1,000 feet and pothole repair costing $8,100.

Yeah, just with Portree helping them out a little bit on the road standard. Okay. I'll make a motion. You have a motion by Commissioner Lane.

Do I have a second? I'll second. Commissioner Will makes a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Motion carries. Ms. Lorena, discuss and consider and approve the purchase of a Farm Oil 110A With Alamo SAM 22 Boom Moore for Precinct 3 Road and Bridge, utilizing by-board contract 788-25. Yes, ma'am.

Good morning, Judge and Commissioners. So this meets all purchasing requirements and specification. The price tag on this is $167,107, and it's being financed through Welch Bank.

Welch Bank. This is for Commissioner Lane. Okay. All right, I'll make a motion. I have a motion by Commissioner Lane to have a second. I'll second. Mr. Crowe makes a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Motion carries. Next one is mine. Discuss, consider, exit regular meeting and enter into a public hearing. It is, what time is it?

Oh, about 12 after 9.

9-12. So I need a motion to do that.

I'll make a motion.

I have a motion for Commissioner Phillips to have a second. I'll second. Mr. Crowe makes a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Motion carries. All right, number eight, to receive input regarding within Precinct 4, Road and Bridge 4083 utilizing State Highway 34 and FM 2451 as an alternate route pursuant to Texas Transportation Code 251.1575. There's no one here to speak on this that I can see since we're just all employees here. So, and then B is not allowing through trucks, placing no through truck signs on the following county roads in Precinct 4, County Road 4084, utilizing State Highway 34 and FM 2451 as alternate route pursuant to Texas Transportation Code 251.1575. Anyone here to speak on this issue? And there is not. So I need a motion to go back into our regular meeting. I'll make a motion. It's 9-13. I have a second.

I'll second.

Commissioner will make a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Motion carries. Number 10, discuss, consider, and approve. A, not allowing through trucks. Place no through truck signs on the following county roads in Precinct 4. County Road 4083. utilizing State Highway 34 and FM 2451 as an alternate route pursuant to Texas Transportation Code 251.1575, and B, not allowing through trucks and placing no through truck signs on the following county roads in Precinct 4, County Road 4084, and using Highway 34 and FM 2451 as alternate routes Pursuant to Texas Transportation Code 251.1575. Do I have a motion? I'll make the motion. Commissioner Moore makes the motion. Do I have a second? I'll second. Commissioner Lane makes a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Motion carries. Ms. Archer, discuss line item transfers.

This week we just have line item transfers for routine expenditures, and we asked for the court's approval to process those.

You all got these last Thursday to look at? Any questions?

No.

Need a motion to approve? I'll make a motion. He beats you to it.

I'll second.

Mr. Lane makes a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Motion carries. Mr. Auditor, once again, claims for payment.

This week we have accounts payable invoices mainly made up of medical health expenditures, and then we also have jury payments, and we ask for the court's approval to pay those.

Again, you all got these last Thursday. Any questions? Need a motion to approve. I'll make the motion. Mr. Moore makes the motion. Do I have a second? I'll second. Mr. Crow makes a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Motion carries. I'll make a motion to adjourn the meeting. We have a motion for Commissioner Phelps to adjourn. Do I have a second? I'll second. Mr. Crow makes a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Motion carries. We will start our budget hearing at 10 o'clock. So we will take a break until then.