April 18, 2024 - The Shelby County Commissioners were presented with a request during their April 10, 2024 meeting for an increase to Shelby County’s yearly contribution to the Shelby Soil and Water Conservation District (SSWCD) #449 from $7,000 to $9,000 or $10,000.
Terry Allen, Vice-Chairman of the SSWCD board, submitted a request by letter and Judge Harbison offered the court the opportunity to hear directly from the SSWCD at a future meeting. Commissioner Bellmyer said he would like SSWCD to attend court to provide a presentation on the duties they perform.
Commissioner Bellmyer moved to table the item until a presentation can be made and the commissioners can provide a more educated decision. The motion was seconded by Commissioner McSwain and the motion carried.
The commissioners discussed a purchase Contract between Shelby County and Darin Borders for pugmill sand.
Judge Harbison stated Commissioner McSwain and John Price, County Attorney, worked on preparing a contract for the arrangement.
“I have drafted the contract as a one-year contract,” said Price. “My understanding is that the amount of sand that would be purchased would be well below $50,000 in that year period of time. There would be no way that much would be used, and I think the contract meets the requirements for the county, as well as it's good contract to propose to Mr. Borders.”
Commissioner McSwain made a motion to move forward with the contract, and Commissioner Lout gave a second to the motion, and it carried.
The commissioners considered the weekly expenses presented to them for consideration and Ann Blackwell, County Treasurer, highlighted some of those expenses.
The court was extremely vague on one particular bill for the Sheriff’s Department, and Blackwell said she had to look it up to find out that it was a monitoring program utilized by the Sheriff’s Department.
The bill was for an annual payment of $2,089 to Law Enforcement Technologies Corporation.
Stevie Smith, Commissioner Precinct 3, asked about two other bills, which Blackwell explained were for tuition for Kilgore College to train jailers. She said it was for two jailers.
The cost for jailer tuition was $300 each.
Judge Allison Harbison stated for the court, the jail had recently “lost” two jailers.
Roscoe McSwain, Commissioner Precinct 1, stated it would be nice to have representation from the Sheriff’s Department at court to explain what the training achieved for the jailers and if it was to get them certified.
Blackwell estimated the time indicated on the bills was for three weeks and Commissioner McSwain said that was how long [former Chief Deputy Ruth Gonzales] said it would take for someone to become certified. He also said that until someone achieved certification, they would always need a certified jailer supervising them.
Judge Harbison asked if the county has always paid for jailer certifications and Blackwell responded the county has paid for a lot of them.
Treasurer Blackwell referenced a bill in the amount of $13,500 to HRTC Services toward the Master Plan, bringing the total payments to 90% for the project.
“We got at 90% on the master plan for the historic courthouse, so that’s where we are,” said Blackwell.
She expected the final $9,000 payment would be upon receipt of the plan.
Judge Harbison said she has the plan, and it’s around 300 pages long and HRTC Services would be going over the plan with the commissioners at the next meeting.
A motion by Tom Bellmyer, Commissioner Precinct 4, to pay the weekly expenses as presented was seconded by Jimmy Lout, Commissioner Precinct 2, and the motion carried.
One bid for janitorial services was received and opened; however, there was not an actual bid amount included. The janitorial services issue was tabled.
With Commissioner Bellmyer moving to table, and a second on the motion offered by Commissioner Smith. The motion carried.
A motion carried by the commissioners to rescind the action taken in Commissioners Court on March 27, 2024, to go out for bids to replace the roof and gutters on the Courthouse Annex. Judge Harbison said Blackwell had reminded her of the process the county followed to get a roof for the Shelby County Jail through the TIPS-USA Purchasing System.
A motion was made by Commissioner McSwain to rescind the action to go out for bids, and it was seconded by Commissioner Lout. The motion carried.
Commissioner McSwain then moved to utilize the TIPS-USA Purchasing System to receive bids for the replacement of the roof and gutters on the Courthouse Annex. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Bellmyer and the motion carried.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:06am.
Agenda items approved during the meeting include: 1. Minutes of March 6, 2024 Special meeting, March 13, 2024 Regular meeting, March 13, 2024 Special meeting, March 20, 2024 Special meeting, March 27, 2024 Special meeting of the Shelby County Commissioner’s Court. 2. Pay weekly expenses. 3. Pay current Payroll. 4. Officers Report. 5. Rescind the action taken in Commissioners Court on March 27, 2024, to go out for bids to replace the roof and gutters on the Courthouse Annex. 6. Utilize the TIPS-USA Purchasing System to receive bids for the replacement of the roof and gutters on the Courthouse Annex. 7. Purchase Contract between Shelby County and Darin Borders for pugmill sand. 8. Adjourn. Agenda items tabled during the meeting include: 1. Open quotes for Janitorial Services. 2. Discuss and possibly approve an increase in the County’s yearly contribution of $7,000.00 to the Shelby County Soil and Conservation District #449.
