Courthouse open to public again
By Donnie A. Lucas
The county commissioners court voted Monday to open the doors to the courthouse to the public again, ending a limited access policy that was in force for several weeks due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.
The court also specified a number of county-maintained roads to be considered for a proposed speed limit pending a public hearing set for the next regular meeting on Monday, May 11 at 8:30 a.m.
After considering comments from interested citizens of the county, the court will convene in regular session at 9:00 a.m. to formally vote on the matter.
County Roads Specified
Three of the four commissioners, all except Pct. 2 commissioner Steve Riley, added county roadways to the list.
“I don’t know how we’d regulate and enforce a speed limit on county roads, so I’m not doing any,” Riley said.
One of the primary areas for limiting speed is adjacent to the City of Albany on Griffin Road. The county is proposing to continue the 20 MPH limit in effect in front of Nancy Smith Elementary, starting at the corner of North 10th and continuing past the Little League ballpark to the intersection with Browning Lane.
The speed limit would be raised to 40 MPH from Browning Lane for the rest of Griffin Road to the entrance to the Casey Ranch.
McComas Lane, which borders Weaver Heights to the north and the Albany Cemetery will also have a 40 MPH limit.
Precinct commissioner Lanham Martin agreed that regulating the speed on county roads would be difficult, but voiced concern about possible accidents resulting from excessive speeds.
He added several county roads to the list including CR 144, CR 122, CR 126, and CR 213, suggesting that a portion of CR 213 that fronts several residential homes be reduced further to 30 mph.
Precinct Commissioner Cody Jordan added the largest number of roads to the proposal, including CR 151, CR 155, CR 150, CR 152, CR 243, CR 153, CR 154, and CR 156, all in the Hamby area, as well as CR 163 and CR 177 north of Lueders.
Based on action at a previous meeting, the county will advertise the public hearing by public notice in the newspaper this week. Anyone wanting to speak about the proposed speed limits can address the commissioners at the May 11 hearing.
The court plans to take action on the matter during the regular meeting of the court that follows.
Handicap Ramp
The commissioners continued discussion concerning pavement of the parking lot at the courthouse, along with building a handicap ramp at the entrance of the JP office located in the former jail building.
County Judge Robert Skelton reported that Charlie Kearns of Komatsu Architecture, the firm hired to complete several updates to the 137-year old courthouse, recommended hiring a professional engineer to draw up plans for the parking lot renovation and the ramp construction.
“I think that a professional engineer would garner more favor with the Texas Historical Commission, who we have to get to sign off,” Skelton said. “It would also help in seeking contributions to fund the project.”
The judge said that he had received rough estimates of the cost of the parking lot surfacing at $90,000 to $95,000, with the ramp estimated at $20,000 to $25,000.
“I don’t know if we can do both projects in the next year with the economy being what it is,” Riley said. “I do agree that using an engineer to design the project is the right way to do it to make sure we are using our money the best way possible.”
The commissioners agreed that the handicap ramp for the JP office was the top priority of the two projects.
After discussion, the court voted to seek bids from Enprotec Hibbs and Todd of Abilene for the design plans on a motion by Jordan.
Martin suggested that the commissioners invite Keith Holcomb to the next meeting to discuss the proposed projects.
Other Business
•The county opted to not enact a burn ban at this time.
•Skelton asked commissioners to submit their annual road reports to be used in a County Transportation Infrastructure Fund matching grant application due by May 27. Martin turned in the Pct. 3 report.
•Commissioner Jordan was granted permission to purchase a used backhoe from Yellowhouse Machinery at a cost of $69,343. The item is being sold on the state’s Buy Board, allowing purchases over $50,000 without taking bids.
•Martin’s motion carried to enter into a lease with Yellowhouse Machinery for a new motor grader at a cost of $2,238.71 monthly. The grader will replace one that has been under lease for the last five years, raising the monthly payment by $400.
•Judge Skelton reported that county attorney Colton Johnson recommends maintaining a retainer agreement with David Brooks, a statewide expert on county law in Texas, as a resource for the county.
