A new truck to replace one that burned, a new maintenance position and routine budget amendments were among the items Hopkins County Commissioners were asked to consider approving at their Monday meeting. County Treasurer/Veterans Service Office Danny Davis gave an update on services helped procure for veterans in 2018. Brad Johnson with Northeast Texas Farmers Co-op presented a resolution to the court regarding future rail accessibility.
New position
Commissioners approved adding another full time building maintenance position, a person who would be “floater” going among county buildings as needed for maintenance tasks. The position would be filled at by Bobby Woodard.
The maintenance person will work under the direction of the sheriff, who will assign him to various projects as needed. He has worked with Tom Glosup. He is next slated to build a fence around the new district attorney’s office building on Rosemont Street.
The position required commissioners to amend the county budget, moving $15,476 from the general fund to the building maintenance fund. That amount will cover his salary, Social security, retirement and workman’s comp through the end of the current year, plus 1 month of insurance, as he won’t be eligible for it for 3 months, according to Walker.
Veterans Services
County Treasurer/Veterans Officer Danny Davis reported there were more than 2,300 veterans serviced in 2018 by the Veterans Administration either through compensation and pension or education and certifications, work permits, medical care and insurances.
Budget Amendments, Line Transfers
The tax office was given approval for a $5,000 change from postage into the operating portion of that budget to cover additional expenses of the voter program.
The treasurer’s office is moving $697 into other line items within the office’s budget, with $537 going toward operations and $160 toward schools and training,
“We’ll have a lot of these come this time of year because everybody is cleaning their lines up,” County Auditor Shannah Walker told commissioners.
In the Precinct 2 budget, $72,000 is being moved from road building into machinery and equipment line item in the budget for purchase of equipment and vehicles that were needed.
The insurance company considered a county truck that caught on fire a total loss, and awarded the county $9,165 in insurance proceeds. That amount will be moved into the Precinct 2 machinery and equipment fund to help with cost of replacing the vehicle.
Contracts
A bid from Brian Toliver Ford for a Ford F250 pickup was approved for Precinct 2 for the truck. The Ford dealership was the only company to submit bids for a 3/4-ton 4×4 pickup. Toliver Ford submitted bids for three different trucks. Precinct 3 Commissioner Wade Bartley picked the least expensive of the three bids, for $33,999.45, Walker told the commissioners.
The pickup and two pieces of equipment, which are being purchased through BuyBoard, which will be financed together, with funds coming out of the Precinct 4 road and bridge fund balance until the county receives the money from the bank for the equipment, the auditor said.
Citizens Comments
During the citizen comments portion of Monday’s commissioners court meeting, Brad Johnson read a resolution adopted April 30 by Northeast Texas Farmers Co-Op Board of Directors and management regarding future Union Pacific rail accessibility.
Johnson prefaced the resolution by expressing confidence and appreciation to the commissioners courts for what they do. He noted the resolution (below) will be presented to Hunt County officials as well NETEX.
Precinct 1 Commissioner Mickey Barker thanked Johnson for bringing the proclamation before Hopkins County Commissioner Court and said while he can’t speak for all the commissioners in the group, as a newly appointed NETEX Board member, he is “100 percent committed to your endeavors.”
Judge Robert Newsom said economic development depends on the railroad. The court stands committed taking whatever action necessary to to see to its success for the good of Hopkins County and the Northeast Texas area, the judge noted.
Utility requests
The commissioners court approved requests from Farmers Electric Cooperative Inc. to construct electrical power distribution facilities across two county roads.
Precinct 2 Commissioner Greg Anglin said he and Barker had looked at the request and area and had no objects for electric facilities to cross County Road 2474, south of County Road 2473, and County Road 1153, south of County Road 1152.
Recognition
The commissioners court recognized Kristy Springfield for successfully completing the FEMA’s advanced professional series curriculum, a commitment to standard of excellence in disaster operations skills held by the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
