Subdivision regulations adopted
By Melinda L. Lucas
About a dozen citizens attended an advertised public hearing Monday morning regarding proposed subdivision regulations for the unincorporated portions of Shackelford County.
County judge Robert Skelton opened the hearing by stating that commissioners had no underlying intentions in their plan to put the regulations in place.
“They are not designed to restrict anyone’s use of their own land, and they are not a target on any specific subdivision,” said Skelton. “They are meant to ensure that the health and safety of residents is adequate when someone divides their land for residential purposes.”
He went on to say that single-family plats that are 10 acres or more do not fall under the guidelines of the regulations.
“When someone brings a plat to us, we’ll look at the design, making sure that roads are designed properly and utilities are adequate – not much more than that,” said Skelton.
He added that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality would be the enforcement arm for sewer issues.
After a few questions, the citizens seemed satisfied with the plan, and after the hearing was closed, Cody Jordan made a motion to accept the regulations, which passed unanimously.
In a separate motion, also approved, it was made clear that the county is not responsible for building or maintaining roads within a subdivision.
Other Business
•The court passed a resolution regarding driveway culvert installation on county roads, specifying that culvert size has to be determined by a registered professional and that installation is the responsibility of the property owner or developer.
•Commissioners voted to employ Walcott Industries to “rehab” the wooden shutters in the Courthouse. A bid of $3,048 included labor and materials for 62 windows, but elected officials added the four windows in the bell tower to the project.
•A couple of agenda items were tabled until more information is obtained, including professional cleaning of the Courthouse rugs and discussion with a company that will serve as an intermediary with AT&T.
•The February treasurer’s report was accepted.
