Commissioners Court - Regular Meeting

to the, I'm going to call this meeting to order of the Wilson County Commissioners Court. Welcome. Today's date is Monday, August 24th, 2026. It is nine o'clock a.m. As we normally do, we'll have our prayer by Elder Brown and then followed by our pledge of leave.

Okay, we're going to move to agenda item number three. We have public comments, but before we go into that, I need to find out, I need to read through these and find out which agenda items are, because I suppose that you're going to want to talk public comments to that agenda item. Is that correct? Or nobody wants to talk? Okay, very good. All right. Six. We have a number of them for six and 10. I'm gonna mark those down so that I'll be ready to ask for those. We have a number of speakers. We have a limited amount of time, 30 minutes, so folks, I'd ask you to please try to get your comments to

It's not. Here's the problem. Ladies and gentlemen, here's the problem. Our form says it has not been corrected, and it says comment on an issue not on today's agenda. Until this is corrected, we're going to do this.

OK, the other comments will be reserved for those agenda items when they come up. Are certificates of completion awards and bond continuations? Training and cybersecurity awareness training for Dawn Barnett, Angelica Cuellar, Jennifer and Texas Association of County Cyber Awareness Training for Commissioner John Scott Aiken, bond continuations for Rachel Gonzalez, Administrative Assistant to the County Judge, and Liliana Lopez, Deputy County Clerk. Those enter into the minutes. agenda item number five we have christian lavis county auditor nine o'clock a.m discuss and it says discuss take acti

or is there anybody from the public would like to come up and speak on this agenda item okay hearing none we move to agenda item b discuss and take action to propose to propose a tax rate by a record vote the proposed tax rate is 0.424932 per 100 dollars of value taxable value

Well, considering that with our preliminary budget, we have a lot more to ask.

What would that number mean, Commissioner, so we can have it for the record? Well, I made a motion.

Oh, OK. That's my discretion. We have a second. Second.

Motion made by Commissioner Martin. Second. Seconded by Commissioner Aitken. Is there any other discussion regarding agenda item number 58? Hearing none, call for the vote. All those in favor say aye. Aye. All those against, nay. Ayes have it. Motion passes. 5C, discuss and take action to set tax rate hearing date.

Motion made by Commissioner Aiken, seconded by Commissioner Morton. Any other discussion regarding this action item number 5C? Hearing none, I'll call for the vote. All those in favor say aye. Aye. All those against? Ayes have it. Motion passes. All right, we move to agenda item number six. Now I'm going to save the public comments, so I'm going to be calling your name right now before we go to that, and that will be the Fullerfield Peanut Festival Association. And I'm going to read... I want to read through the whole thing, because this is the whole agenda. Discuss and take action on the Ford

So that's all I'm asking. I think that if they use any of our properties, they're liable for it. Is this anybody correct?

Well, let's work on that. And I want to work on it. Okay. All right. Thank you. Is there anybody from the peanut pistol here? Good morning.

I just want to make sure that we coordinate with our task force or director of officers on the back to pay their bills, and sometimes Carnival gets a little ahead of their time and washes things off. We make sure there's coordination. We'll just warn Ed on that. It because it comes up every year every year they come in a little early and which is fine but they need to coordinate with her office so that she has smooth services for our citizens it's more than last last year it shut down basically all of her operations by Thursday and that's one of the items I want to talk about that's got to sto

And we're going to stick to that MOU, and if that MOU gets violated, it's going to get shut down. It's ridiculous. It's gotten out of control and out of hand. People can't get in here to conduct their business. You're interrupting operations in the county, and we can't have that. That, along with Mr. Ray's comments about using that building, I don't know what space there is.

See, using Cornell's parking for the carnival from 5 o'clock Friday, does it coincide with... Yeah, the tax office parking lot is 3 o'clock Wednesday, so something seems to be... wrong here because that can't happen. You can't have the tax office parking lot until the time you closed on six.

You can't use that area until after five to give on Thursday.

He came to the conference on that Thursday, and it was a mess. Nobody could get in and out of our office. So we've got to figure out how to do that better. I mean, it's up to you if you want to allow them to use your office. I mean, obviously, if they do, then they're going to have to pay for whatever security

judge my office is closed Thursday we can't operate so okay well you can if you've got space to operate and they're not in your parking lot and they're not blocking anything past where they're supposed to is that correct I know that's why we're bringing it up that it started to squeeze in and circle that office it didn't used to be that way so it's causing a problem

But see what happened was last year not only was all that around our office but the street was also blocked off. So we've got to have better coordination with the city to not close that street so that people can get in and out of there. With the reason for that is to create a bigger footprint to get the festivals understood but we we've got operators sir we've got people that drive up and they want to know why is the tax office closed they don't expect it to be closed they can't get there some of them are elderly so they have trouble navigating

are you sure that happens okay very good all right thank you thank you very much all right commissioners I'll entertain a motion on agenda item number eight I'll make a motion to table approval until the county attorney's office can prepare the hey there's a motion to table by Commissioner Morgan second by Commissioner King all those in favor say aye aye all those against okay the motion is table thank you In item number seven, we have Michelle King Children's Alliance of Texas Children's Agents. Agents could be centered, discussed, take action to use. 1105 railroad street for cast annual Trum

I believe precinct one and two have you there yeah okay all right very good okay the question is how many do you need definitely two All right, I'll ask for a vote.

Who makes the motion? I'll make the motion to allow CAC, Children's Alliance of South Texas, CAC, to use 1105, the parking lot across the street from 1105 Railroad Street. Thank you.

We have another discussion on regarding agenda item number seven. Hearing none, I'll call for the vote. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed, against? Aye's have it. Motion passes.

Thank you. Agenda item number eight. Hey, discuss and take action to approve cooperative sharing agreement Alamo area radio interoperability network between Alamo area council governments and Wilson County. Do we have anybody from EST here that wants to talk on that? Well, Chief Wilkerson's here. I think that was supposed to be Bobby Blankenship sent that in. It's on the take action on the approved cooperative sharing agreement between Alamo Area Radio Interoperability Network between the Alamo Area Council of Governments and Wilson County.

Okay. Let's just discuss and take action. that at any time?

Do we need to do something eventually or not?

Well, I think we should take action. We don't know if there's an agreement for signing. We haven't seen it. Not to my knowledge.

Alright, I'm going to recommend we table both A and B until we get somebody from is table move the agenda item number nine discuss and take action on approach does take action to appropriate action concerning the present presentation of wilson county local match commitment requirement of communal reality community service of fiscal year 2027. anybody from yes good morning good morning we do have some packets that we'd like to distribute Let's make sure we identify ourselves for the record. Thank you.

Mr. Brown, I have one question you can help me out with. They've had an interlocal agreement with us. We do this every year. The interlocal agreement was signed in 2001. Do we need to re-visit that and have a firm one? It should.

Aye. Here now, I'll call for the vote. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Those against? We'll just have that motion passes. Thank you, and thank you for what you do for the community. We move to agenda item number 10. We have Gary Horn, Committee to Proceed 1, 10A, discuss and approve the review of the amended tax abatement application submitted by Moonstone Solar Scout Energy for completeness under the Wilson County policies and guidelines and determination of whether to proceed with diligence in the proposed project, including consideration of a reinvestment zone in a future meeting. We have

No, not till we get to 60. I think so. And I'll call you back up. OK. Thank you. Mr. John Doyle.

Well, okay, so I just said that earlier, Commissioner. We have not changed this form, and this form does not say that. It says comment on an issue not on today's agenda. Can we change this form? Well, if we're going to do that, then we should be able to do it. Go ahead, sir.

Boy, I'm having trouble reading this. Gabriel? Last name, please? I. Come on up, sir. Thank you for helping with that. I read that right.

OK, that's all the public comments. That agenda item now invites somebody from the Project Loon solar, scout energy, and they want to come up and address the court. Judge, I have a point of order. I'd like to go to 31A for just a second.

You do what now? You'd go to 31A for just one moment. That's our point of order.

I'm going to break the rules, but we'll suspend the rules. I need a motion. I'm going to take a motion to suspend the rules and go to 31A. Second. Motion made by Commissioner Martin, seconded by Commissioner Akins. All those in favor, say aye. I'll move again. The rules have been suspended to go to 2.

Yeah, so I can't remember how many court sessions ago we had this discussion. And I know there's a whole bunch of new people here today. So I want to address the data center portion of it because it's important that you all understand that this court does not have the statutory authority to stop the data center, period. End of story. We do not. We have been advised by legal counsel not to initiate anything that would be called a moratorium against a data center. helping Commissioner Aiken with the Rockwall County or some county up north. Which one? Hood, yeah, Hood County. In North Texas, decl

All right we're going to go back to it number 10. You know I don't know you wouldn't do your presentation first or are you going to do it or that's up to you if you want to hear yeah let's go through the presentation because I think you might be a little bit surprised miss pb just talked about she doesn't know what's in the amended application so that let's do that because that's in the Ms. Blakely Fernandez, Fernandez Law Firm.

You're going to have to come to the microphone and repeat the question.

Will? This is not a public hearing, OK? We're going to have to stay with the quorum, I'm sorry. I do have a question though, is this all this acreage is privately owned or there are leases in this?

The leases would be . Okay. The land is leased. It's leased. They don't know that.

Yeah, that would be fine. Let's move along.

I'll ask a question again. Yes, sir. You know what it is. So if we don't give you an abatement, are you still going to build it?

Yeah. So, if your risk averse, us Negotiating this would make an agreement, get you the guarantees that you want, get you bill of order usage, get you the best deal you can get on setbacks, those kind of things to make it visibly appealing. There's a lot of things that we haven't discussed that would be discussed at the public hearing in a few weeks. And so you have to ask yourself, I guess if there are only truly, I think, 1,400 acres is what you're truly putting in solar panels and power lines, right? Something like that? Yes, sir. So if we take 1,400 acres, and worst case scenario is four l

That's their loaded salary. I mean, who's bought a new truck lately? Well, I know somebody has because I parked next to it out there. But y'all know what a new truck costs? I bought one seven years ago and I paid less than $50,000 for it. That same truck today is about $70,000. $74,000. It might be down to half the price. I'm not going to get into it. But thanks for being here and making the presentation. This is not public. You can go to the clerk's office and get their PowerPoint. At the public hearing next time, next time there will be a public hearing. Not yet. We have a tentative date. It

That's what we're doing. We're taking one steady step at a time.

All right, commissioners, I'll entertain a motion on agenda item 10A.

There is none. We agree that it's complete, right, Ms. Fernandez? Procedurally, you want to address that?

Does anybody have one? I'll make a motion to... consider a development agreement for reimbursement of county expenses only with Moonstone Solar slash GAL 31.

I said to develop an agreement for reimbursement of county expenses only with Moonstone Solar and GAL 31.

I'll go back to it. I make a motion to declare the amended application submitted by bloomstone solar classical energy for purposes under the wilson county policies and procedures guidelines. And to proceed with diligence on the project, including consideration of a reinvestment fund at a future meeting. Got it?

Motion made by Commissioner Martin, do I have a second? Hold for a second again, is there a second? There's no second, motion dies for lack of a second.

In item number 11, we have Commissioner Warren proceed one that's supposed to take action to declare Volvo L70 loader as surplus and to authorize the sale of the loader on the GovNeil app function.

All right so yeah so basically I received my new loader last week so I'm ready to declare this just in surplus and sell it I'll make a motion to also your loader a surplus and operate authorized the sale of the loader all right second by Commissioner case Commissioner did everything get signed you sent me an email last week the county attorney said all that this bleeding is All right. We have a motion and a second. Is there any other discussion regarding the agenda item number 11? If there's none, I'll call for the vote. All those in favor say aye. Aye. All those against? Ayes have it. Motion

Judge, I gave this a lot of thought and I didn't have a good answer. I'm going to improve these, but I still don't have a good answer. But I know there's probably a lot of people that would like to have a floating holiday. I know the ones over in Stockdale would probably like to be off on Stockdale Water Mill. Do you believe we take, as a county, we take, you know, So I don't know if I don't know if we can do it. Do make this one this year a flex holiday. This looks like how much stirring up probably that we can't go as far as on payrolls standpoint.

Yeah. No problems. You know, I kind of look at it, Commissioner, the same way we do our volunteer community work with the food bank, and we let them go on duty. I don't have any problem with letting an employee go vote while they're working for the county. They're either going to be gone for a long time.

Well, that's not the point. The point is they want to take off for their birthday. Or, you know, they may be getting a little weaker. I don't know. So what day would you want to vote? I think, I mean, we'll need to write a policy for it, I guess. But, I mean, I would just say, you know, if you're going to take it in January, then you would change it for January 1. or give you word for it as your floating holiday and just right on there, January 8th or whatever.

So they can choose the day of inspiration, day off, and year of inspiration.

So I guess thinking about it again, we'll submit the statement.

Okay. So as it stands down, I'll, as it stands down corrected, I'll entertain a motion on agenda item number two.

Motion made by Commissioner Akin, seconded by Commissioner Keene. We have a discussion regarding agenda item number 12. Hearing none, I'll call for the vote. All in favor say aye. Aye. Who's against? Ayes have it. Motion passes. In item 13, we have Genevieve Martinez, county clerk, discuss take action on setting sheriffs and constables

Okay, so you have two on there. The old one and the new one. Oh, I don't know. I...

We're good here. All right, we'll entertain a motion to attend item number 13.

Motion made by Commissioner Aitken, seconded by Commissioner Pericola. Any other discussion regarding to attend item 13? If there's none, I call for the vote. All those in favor say aye. Aye. All those against? We've had it. Motion passes. And item number 14, we have Jason Causey, Director of Information Technology, discuss and take action on the TaxIRA website migration and hosting contract approval. Mr. Causey, your roll.

And the annual fee would be, the hosting fee would be approximately $13,000 per year.

I mean, that's what's next on it. I would like to approve it today, just so I can get it done before the first of the year.

Correct. Mr. President, we want to make sure it's within your budget currently. Oh, you're asking, okay, I meant to factor in for 2027 budget.

It's not been factored in for this budget.

That's totally out there. But, well, he said as long as he gets it done by the end of the year. Are you talking about this current fiscal year or the end of the calendar year? The end of the calendar year. I'm sorry. And that price from TAP is still good for next fiscal year? I think that's what we were trying to, well, that's what I'm saying. It would be done in the calendar year. I don't know. What's the location there for slides?

If it's within today's budget, will we get it? How soon will we know he has a fund so that we can decide on a budget?

Are there any suggestions on how you want to proceed?

Entertain a motion there's no reason not for freedom do you think there's money for this budget I know that's another question but I mean it might require a small budget amendment for 13 000 right now and then 18 5 on the next side yes But I guess, so do they pay their annual fees? Are they for the fiscal year or the calendar year? They're for the fiscal year. For the fiscal year, okay. So then that means that if we approve the migration for the $13,000, we should be good there. And then we need to put $18,000 in next year's budget for that item. And that will be a reoccurring cost that will p

The reoccurring cost would be $13,000 approximately. Oh, is that the way everyone would make money?

Well, I would say to try to do them, you know, because we want them to start working on the migration right now so that it's done. And the others wouldn't be due until October or sometime thereafter whenever they bill us for that annual fee. So the motion could be to pay... For the website update 18 000 right down right it's been put the 13th question you making a motion no I'm not okay I'm just saying that everybody

You want us to table it, and you return next time after we get all the information, whether we can do the amendment, that would be good? Yes, sir. Motion to table, gentlemen. Motion to table. Second. Motion made by Commissioner Keene, seconded by Commissioner Aitken. The table, all those in favor say aye. Aye. All those against? I have a motion that the table 14 is in effect. So we'll re-table it. We've got to come back and wait. All right, y'all, you understand where that puts my budget? Okay, very good. Right. What your budget is. Yeah. So we can get, we got two weeks to get that.

And then we can get all that. No, we're having a budget meeting this afternoon. We've got to decide what we're going to do. Okay, then you might report it. Yes, report it.

All right. Okay, great. Thank you. Gen item number 15, discuss and take action on the request for commissioners for the view of past sister collector under tax code 33.001 regarding LLC. Let me ask, do we have any of the Kirchhoff family here? Okay, very good. Okay, so thank you. All right, kind of educate us on this. What's the deal here?

Do you want me to go over everything? Yes, please. I mean, it's an action item that we could possibly take, so I'd like...

That's correct. Going forward, I think we're in great shape.

I'll let this one come up with pressure from a lot more, but then I'll have some questions. I'm sure all of us will. OK, all right now.

How did, okay, so how did he get the wrong zip code?

so here's the other question I'm asking how did this happen all of a sudden he's been paying all these years how did it just now happen so with that being said the he sent in a trailer renewal to my office for the farm

So let me ask you this question, Mr. Kirchhoff. So you had been, prior to this discrepancy, your election, you had been paying taxes on that property, Kirk? So would it have come to thought, like, why am I not getting a notice on this property?

I'm not trying to say whatever, giving you some thought, like, why am I not getting something on this property to pay my taxes? You paid it before. But then those notices weren't coming in again.

That was handed to Kirchhoff Family Farm LLC. So this $5,130.25, this is a late fee of some sort, correct? This is not what they actually- Correct, those are penalty expenses. Okay.

Are we sure this is not gonna happen again to these folks? Have they got the right address, everything's good?

Do you know of the other taxing entities? Who would they be?

All right, we'll take a minute and I'd like some advice from our legal team members to have a motion to table. I'll make a motion to table. Second. Who was the second? I'm sorry. Was it you, Commissioner? Motion made by Commissioner King, seconded by Commissioner Perdue, with a table, agenda item number 15. All right, all in favor say aye.

Let me get those out and they will bring you.

Browning very boring period don't want me to tell him yeah you're all right before yes sir yeah I was in

Yeah, I don't mean to shut you down, though. If we have to stick to the rules, I may have to stick to three minutes. I'll do the same thing. Okay. Unless you want to come back with the other people that are doing the development that they are on in your location, I think they're going to talk to you about that.

Vice-Chancellor, do you have any other questions for Mr. Talley or the WCDC? Okay, before I go to this agenda, gentlemen and ladies, you all have done a fantastic job. Everybody wants to know where it was an idea that I sat down with Mr Talley when I took office and I'll tell you why there was more people that met with me that are in this room that said we have to do something for this county because our children are not coming back and that was one commitment I made to my constituents I got elected we're going to do everything we can to bring business to this community so that our children ca

All right, Mr. We either take action or no action or having 16 a. I think we have around. Have you seen the revised contract?

I'll entertain a motion on 16 days. All right, I'm gonna ask the end. Is there a motion on Sandy, I think? Okay, all right. Let's see what we can research from this. This is directed to the UDC. I think if y'all would have brought this 10 months ago and talked to the public like this, it would be way different than what we are today. I've asked several times for this to come to the board, have a meeting with them for it, so people and all of our residents can understand what exactly is going on. Because when we don't communicate this stuff, this is what happens, right? I appreciate bringing th

So my suggestion, and I never got a chance to talk to Evelyn about why she wants to leave the compensation at a fixed number. So if you look at paragraph E9, page 3, It says that who may submit their annual work plan, one of the things they're gonna do is provide us with a budget request for a new one. Which means that they would make an ask for whatever it is that they feel they need for that year. Now, this contract fixes it at $100,000. And it also says that we shall pay. And I don't think that's what we want we want the ability to change something happens if we have a budget shortfall reve

You're talking about this contract. That's one thing I have a problem with. Sure.

That's the whole point of changing the clause. Because we did budget $100,000 for next year. But we didn't really get a clause in there, I don't think, that just kind of says how it's determined what's going to be put in there next year. I understand what you're saying. That might be a special ask. But I think in terms of a, I guess, forever contract at my home, it needs to be a little more discreet of what's up, what's budgeted. Now, there's never, remember, we're a county government, so we're not bound to pay anybody. Our budget has to change to do something else, and we can do that. Now, I

Also, just to the, we did add the section four, indemnity A. Yes. I'm reading it right now. Okay.

He's writing this and all of it, but we ought to let you forget it. Come up here. If you can read this by the end of the year. But you guys, all right. So the sentence now reads, the county shall pay

Okay, so are you wanting to put that into motion?

A and C are two different contracts. A is 25, 26. That's correct.

Well, I mean, because what this agreement does is, again, as I pointed out, it's going to be in their annual work plan. Which is going to be the submit to us. One of the things that they need to do is give us a budget request from them. That was the whole point of making that work plan. If we were to update from them, we'd get their budget request, because that's what the budget is.