Possible new device policy tabled

By Melinda L. Lucas

A lengthy discussion on Monday morning to possibly adopt a local policy in connection with Texas Senate Bill 944, which updated laws around public information and retention, was tabled until the next meeting of the Shackelford County commissioners.

The SB 944 changes would allow the public to request business-related texts, emails, and social media activity generated on both personal and county-owned devices, explained county judge Robert Skelton, who added that any county business conducted on personal cell phones should be documented in some way in order to comply with the bill. 

The elected officials will continue to look into options for compliance.

Concrete Bid

Skelton informed the court that a second bid for concrete work on CR 122 had been misdirected and was received after the submission deadline.

The bidder, Morales Concrete, had mailed the sealed bid to Courthouse’s physical address rather than the mailing address stipulated in the bid notice, then delivered it in person, unsealed, last week.

A $53,600 bid from Little Manufacturing was accepted for the creek crossing during the Jan. 25 meeting.

“I feel we have to honor the bid we’ve already awarded, especially since this one came unsealed,” said commissioner Steve Riley.

A motion passed that the Morales bid could not be accepted because it was delivered unsealed.

Other Business

•A motion passed for all county employees with a county email address to complete cybersecurity training by June 14.

•The commissioners voted to purchase a new laptop that will be adequate for county attorney Rollin Rauschl to conduct remote hearings.

•Sheriff Ed Miller presented the annual racial profiling report, with nothing unusual documented.