Commissioners meet Monday

An emergency management proposal and a report on the nearly complete Courthouse repair project were among the most discussed items on the Shackelford County commissioners court agenda for a Monday morning, July 9 meeting.

The elected officials also opted to leave the county-wide burn ban active, especially in light of recent lightning strikes and area wildfires.

Emergency Management

Jones County emergency management coordinator Buddy Pope asked the commissioners to consider joining with other surrounding counties to form a regional coalition.

“I would update your emergency plans for, write for grants, and teach some classes here,” said Pope. “All your emergency departments do an awesome job, but I could help get them all on the same page.”

Pope asked for a commitment of $6,000 a year, with Jones County reimbursing half of that with the receipt of a 50-50 match grant.

Although the item will be placed on the next agenda, the commissioners indicated that they were satisfied with the job being done by Ed Miller, who serves as Shackelford County’s coordinator.

Courthouse Repairs

Allen Odom of Premier Metalwerks and Charlie Kearns of Komatsu Architecture updated the court on Courthouse repairs, with plans to be completely finished sometime during August.

Except for the installation of the clock chime speakers, which are now available and have been ordered, the only major item still pending is the interior stair repair.

Kearns said that he has gotten a verbal okay from the Texas Historical Commission to inject adhesive to stabilize the balusters, but he is waiting for written approval before getting started.

Other Business

•Treasurer Tammy Brown reported that she has developed a system to bill Callahan County for the contracted 10 beds at the jail, even if the beds are not occupied.

•The commissioners voted to allow the Fort Griffin SUD to work through the county for a new infrastructure grant application.