Sheriff's Department to Get New Vehicle; Purchase Building for Precinct 5 JP

March 27, 2015 - A new Tahoe for the Sheriff's Department was approved by the Shelby County Commissioners Court following a presentation by Shad Sparks, Chief Deputy. The commissioners also decided to purchase a new building for Mike Crouch's Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 office.

Allison Harbison, County Judge, went on to discuss the Sheriff's Department Chevrolet Tahoe and her understanding is there are two remaining Ford Crown Victorias in use by the department which are in failing condition. One of those cars are expected to need a great deal of repair ranging from $7,000-$8,000.

Chief Deputy Sparks addressed the commissioners to discuss the purchase of the new vehicle and the current state of repair on the Crown Victorias in use. He stated the department is down to one Crown Victoria on patrol because the other one is in the shop receiveing head repair. The results of that repair won't be known until next week.

Two other vehicles have been parted to sustain the active patrol units and there is a courthouse vehicle which the bailiff drives and keeps in front of the courthouse. That vehicle is also used at night on patrol and it currently has 187,000 miles on its odometer.

"The other two Crown Vics that we are using, one has to be parked at the office due to the light bars, the light bars run in excess of over $2,000 and you're putting a $2,000 light bar on a $900 Crown Vic. It has right at 200,000 miles on it also, and the other one the light bar, half of it's out."

Sparks informed Judge Harbison two of the vehicles are 2008 year model vehicles and one is a 2005. He said they are to the point of getting a new vehicle or are they going to spend $5,000-$6,000 on a $900 vehicle which has the potential for more problems.

Judge Harbison stated the Sheriff's current budget looks pretty good with 55% remaining at this time, and suggested moving forward with what finances are in the current Sheriff's Department budget and if they end up in the red, make up the difference out of the contingency fund. A motion was carried for the Sheriff's Department to purchase the Tahoe.

Shad Sparks, Shelby County Sheriff Chief Deputy, is seen speaking to Allison Harbison, County Judge, about the prospect of buying a new patrol vehicle for the Sheriff's Department.The commissioners approved the purchase of a new building for the Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 office in the amount of $19,878 out of the contingency fund. Although Mike Crouch, Justice of the Peace Precinct 5, felt a portable building would be a downgrade to his current facilities, Judge Harbison's opinion was to the contrary as she stated the new building would be very much like a mobile home and that utility bills would be much less than they are currently. The city council of Timpson approved a motion on placement on the building and they are going to try to find the best and most accessible place which will have the best parking. It was stated the utilities will likely have to be paid out of the contingency fund as well.

Judge Harbison recognized the certificate of compliance from the Texas Department of Jail Standards for the Shelby County Jail, "So excited to get a good report on the jail, I would like to commend Chief Deputy Shad Sparks is here and the Jail Administrator William Cox is here. I personally just want to thank you guys for all your hard work and I went over there to talk to the gentleman that was inspecting, really nice guy, had really great things to say about the staff and the jail."

An item tabled during the meeting was resuming maintenance of a portion of County Road 4670. Don McGuffin is one of the landowners requesting it be maintained once again and he addressed the commissioners about his request, "What we have is property that has been in my immediate family for several generations. The road that's in question has always been our legal ingress egress. I do know that there are no other legal access methods to get to this property other than this road."

McGuffin described the road as having been a grated and drained road according to a map from 1961. According to McGuffin, it was not depicted as the same as a county road, but at that time was depicted as a drained and grated roadway. At this time the roadway is described as being in well maintained shape; however, this maintenance is not performed by the county.

Anne Blackwell, Shelby County Treasurer, is seen describing the need for a dividing wall in her office.Bradley Allen, Commissioner Precinct 4, informed the court he traveled the area with a man who has worked in Precinct 4 for the county for 30 years and during that time he does not recall the roadway having been maintained.

Travis Rodgers, Commissioners Precinct 3, asked Gary Rholes, County Attorney, how long a road has to stay unmaintained for it to turn to the landowner, "I have not seen a case where there's a period where that happens, unless the road is under fence at this point in 20 years," stated Gary Rholes, County Attorney. Judge Harbison interjected, "Unless it's been closed through court," to which Rholes agreed. "But just on maintenance, I've not found anything that says it takes a county road out of the status of a county road," said Rholes.

Bradley Allen, Commissioner Precinct 4, seemed reluctant to resume maintenance of the roadway at this time and made a motion to table the item to look into it a little more and at the next meeting to have it on the agenda to make a decision.

During the meeting the commissioners also considered the possibility of allowing Tri County to use the Old Elementary School gym and assume responsibility for the utility payments and liability insurance, removing this responsibility from the county. Rodgers stated he would like to see the building vacated and used for county office space. The commissioners decided to table the item until the next meeting.

Agenda items receiving approval include:

1) Pay monthly expenses.
2) Reimbursement of utility cost to Mike Crouch, Justice of the Peace Precinct 5, in the amount of $790.33.
3) Purchase of new building in the amount of $19,878 for Justice of the Peace, Precinct 5.
4) Payment of utilities for the present office of Justice of the Peace, Precinct 5.
5) New automobile for the Sheriff Department at a cost of $30,857.57.
6) Appoint Allison Harbison and David Chadwick to the Deep East Texas Rural Transportation Planning Organization.
7) Appoint Florencio Singson M.D. as the Local Health Authority for Shelby County.
8) Recognize income received from sale of seized vehicles and adjust the Constable Precinct 4 forfeiture budget for increase in income and proposed expenses in the amount of $1,655.
9) Change locks on Old Elementary school gym.
10) Ann Blackwell’s request for funding to have a dividing wall placed in the Treasurer’s office.
11) Adjournment at 10:30am.

Agenda items tabled during the meeting include:

1) Resuming the maintenance on a portion of CR 4670.
2) Action on allowing Tri County to use the gym and assume responsibility for utility payments and liability insurance.
3) Rental of old Elementary School gym to Denetra Slaughter and Celia Aguilar for one year.