All commissioners present
Address Commissioners Court:
Sam Cobos
Eddie Pallarez
Kiki Aguirre
Sam Cobos:
Says that water wells at golf course are used by road and bridge and that regardless of any agreement for golf course land county needs to retain access. Same goes for futu impound yard behind roping area.
Ruben Carrasco: says that water wells are used for road and bridge and need to retain access for the road and bridge department. As head of road and bridge dept please consider that when negotiating a contract for golf course lands. Also access for facilities dept and 4H.
Aranda advocates for checking out what we have out there. Ruben says that some wells are not in service but exist and we need to keep them..
Kiki Aguirre: says that he wants help on Antelope Hills Rd. Dust is unbearable, people fly by and road is in bad shape. Road has been bladed twice and not packed down.
Also, David Beebe talks about Rabbit Rd being fenced off. There is no Rabbit Rd, just Antelope Hills Rd, all you have to do is open twelve foot gates and access. Gates are there due to livestock. Access is there.
Ruben Carrasco says that there are plans to continue maintenance on Antelope Hills Rd. He placed two speed limit signs. One has been removed recently. People drive fast. People need to understand that dirt roads are damaged by driving fast. This is a problem for all the dirt roads in the County. Speed bumps listed as a potential option. White says that is the only thing that would work. There is no way to post a deputy out there at all those times to enforce speeds.
Ruben says that the traffic flow on so of these county roads has increased.
Eddie Pallarez: advocates for golf course group. Wants to know why there is an executive session. Also wants to have transparency, have item in open session. Jim Allison, atty for County in this matter replies that he is required by State Bar to give advice in a confidential matter. Client can waive that after initial executive session.
This is required.
Item 5: announcements from County Judge.
Judge says that she is asking that Dec 6th will be for training for all elected officials and dept heads. Training for emergency management. Disaster accounting training. T-600 course. Conduct analysis of finance departments during a disaster by analyzing finance systems. Finance departments and Sheriff should be there. TCLEOSE credit for taking course.
Judge is concerned about winter weather emergency possibilities.
Predicted to be a warm, dry winter but fire risk in spring will be elevated.
Eight hour training session. Second training is for Jan 9th.
Workshop in San Angelo for South Orient rail rebuild was very exciting. Many leaders attended and are excited. Strategic plan presentation was presented. Judge has materials if anyone interested.
Courthouse cleaning employee Maria had her husband pass away. We took a small collection, more appreciated. She is 73 and now alone.
Ruben Carrasco and Judge talked about helping City of a Marfa patch roads, like County already does with City of Presidio. Will talk with TXDOT about materials.
Commissioners Court no longer has to approve minutes in open session, a clerk just has to have them as part of open permanent record. White says that we should still look at them since it is part of the permanent record. Judge says we can still do this as an agenda item each meeting. More eyes on it is better, agrees Aranda.
Judge says that new Presidio County extension agent interviews are ongoing. Four applicants so far. Will hire one soon, and will inform County.
Judge asks to hear from Jim Allison now since he has to leave. Item 6- judge says that commissioners will move to another room rather than leave everyone else cold.
Hernandez says that he would like to compliment Virgie Pallarez on a job well done running the elections. Judge agrees.
Item 6- executive session re lease of golf course area County lands. Also facilities management personnel matter. Convene into executive session at 10:04 AM.
Reconvene into regular meeting at 11:45 AM.
Attorney Jim Allison presents.
(Lost this part of notes- computer died and notes unsaved. Will reconstruct from memory)
Donnell lands- 12,000 feet of road replaced with approx 6800 feet of road. Judge says she thinks the new road areas are very steep. Wants to be sure specifications are followed. This will be very expensive for Donnell lands. Culverts engineered, everything will have to be approved by County.
Aranda wants to know if Donnell lands have gotten permission from neighbors for approval of new road. Saunders says that other than Meador ranch access nobody is affected.
Jim Allison says that transportation code says t hat if you are shortening the distance of a road you do not need approval of people adjacent to the road. Public hearing is required. Ruben Carrasco's involvement is greatly helpful.
Vasquez asks about culverts. Allison recommends a contract to repair any road design defects/modifications, especially for drainage issues. Eventually this will be under the County maintenance system regardless. Need to be careful.
Hernandez asks about a contract. Who writes it? Allison says that it needs to protect the County and needs to be mutually beneficial, meaning each side needs to have representation.
Vasquez wants to know if County needs permission in writing to use the old road if necessary. Allison says that can be part of a contract, but that unmaintained it will likely not be usable after some period. County has the authority to use private land in the event of an Emergency Disaster declaration as it is.
Fowlkes wants to know how many culverts there will be. Saunders says between 12 and 15 culverts. Says that country is not kind to culverts, and there is maybe one on that road at this time. He is concerned about washouts of culverts. It is a concern of many, has been brought to his attention.
Aranda says there needs to be a guarantee of culvert stability in. Any contract. The whole reason the current horseshoe is there is because of the potential for washouts. Hills are too high, how are they going to be able to do this and make it work? That's the concern of the people in Casa Piedra.
Information item only. End of discussion.
Five minute recess at 12:11 PM
Reconvene at 12:23. Break for lunch until 1:30
Reconvene at 1:35 PM
Item 8: contract with outside legal firm for legal rep re Trans Pecos petition for legal condemnation.
Atty Fowlkes went over this contract and did not see any problems.
County land to be condemned. White recommends enlisting Allison Bass. Judge says County never received a settlement offer. County gave a response.county is being sued for condemnation. White moves to approve. Seconded by Hernandez. Unanimous.
Skip to Item 16- Big Bend Telephone is present.
Patty Roach, auditor, is not here today.
Request for proposal process. Katie Sanchez says since it is more than $50,000 public bid process is required. White motions to approve this process. Seconded by Hernandez. Unanimous.
Item 17- approve RFP for broadband. White moves to a pet. Hernandez seconds. Unanimous. Big Bend Telephone says they have no new info but plan to submit a sealed proposal for RFP. Asks that county ask for specific info in RFP. Hosted vice solution is what BBT provides. Want to be sure that RFP ask for exactly what County wants.
Item 6B: facilities manager position executive session. Convene into executive session at 1:44 PM.
Reconvene into regular session at 2:18 PM
Item 20: action for pay scale for north maintenance position.
Motion to take no action by Hernandez, seconded by Aranda, unanimous
Item 10: Sale of Kleinman addition property in City of Presidio. $3.751.00
Martin Lujan from Perdue Law to present. Bid amount is same amount as appraised value. Recommend approval.
Aranda wants to know where it is. Two lots. Street address is 11400 Kleinman, Presidio.
Ruben Carrasco says property is in town. Judge wants to table this until Ruben can look at it and take pictures, etc. white says that Presidio expansion with bridge project may make this land more valuable.
Judge motions to table. Unanimous
Item 11: plans and specs for water system improvement plan for Redford project.
(Computer is on the fritz- lost notes on water plant grant)
County can fix leaks easily so leaks are now listed as an add on to project. Contractor should do water system improvements first and then if no money left over County can do leaks on our own since we are able to do that. Recommendation as per Ramon Carrasco.
TDA grant includes repairs to leaks as integral, not add on. Judge wants to know if grant needs to be amended.
Ramon also recommends authorizing any other changes needed so that item does not need to go back to commissioners court.
Judge says she is still going to check with TDA regarding wording.
2:43 five minute break.
At 2:52 I left this meeting due to obligations in my office and an arrest warrant that needed to be reviewed and acted upon. DB
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