Shelby County Today

Ashton Hill Fire

March 4, 2024 - Over the week of February 25th through March 2nd the Joaquin Volunteer Fire Department had 5 calls. Here’s a summary of the week’s events. 

Sunday evening at 5:43pm a call came in for a woods fire on FM 139 at Ashton Hill. The JVFD responded with three brush trucks and two tankers for extra water. DeSoto Fire District 1 also brought a few trucks for support. The JVFD was on scene for several hours keeping the fire away from the road and out of Ashton Cemetery. The Forest Service took care of fighting the fire deeper into the woods. The JVFD would return to Ashton Hill on Monday to put out a few places that had rekindled overnight.

Ashton Hill Fire

During the Ashton Hill fire a second call came in for a vehicle fire on County Road 3341. One of the JVFD brush trucks and a DFD1 tanker broke off to respond. After a while on scene the fire was put out and the responding units returned to Ashton Hill.

Monday at 6:23pm a page was received for a man that had fallen from the roof of a chicken house on Highway 7 East. The JVFD responded with Allegiance EMS to render aid, and the man was later airlifted from the baseball field to a hospital.

Saturday at 2:30pm a call came in for an elderly woman who had passed out on a boat. The JVFD and Allegiance EMS responded to a boat ramp on Highway 84 East to help the patient.

Saturday night at 9:30pm the JVFD would respond to a single vehicle accident on FM 139. The driver of a pickup rolled his vehicle multiple times after rounding a curve, and was later pronounced deceased on the scene. The JVFD and law enforcement shut down one lane of the road and provided traffic control until the wreck could be cleared.

With that, this edition of the report will come to a close. The Joaquin Volunteer Fire Department hopes everyone has a great and safe week ahead.

Ashton Hill Fire

March 1, 2024 - Officials with the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas, Angelina Sabine Ranger District will be conducting a controlled burn today, March 1. Ignition time is 10am in the area of East Hamilton North of Shelby County and will be hand and air ignitions.

Winds are out of the northeast and drift smoke may be noticeable in Shelbyville and Patroon.

The burn area is Sabine, East Hamilton North, Compartments 48, 49, Blocks A&B, 1741 ACRES.

The estimated completion time is 6pm.

Smoke will impact areas around the prescribed burn, and long-range drift smoke may be present during and after ignition operations.

Please drive with caution. Ground personnel will be operating in the area and smoke may impact visibility on local roads and highways near the burn unit.

U.S. Forest Service Prescribed Burn Tracker: Southern Region Prescribed Burn Accomplishment Tracker (arcgis.com)

February 29, 2024 - The Shelby County Commissioners revisited the quote for additional emergency lighting for the county courthouse that was not included in the original quote for lighting in the courthouse during their February 28, 2024 meeting, and Judge Allison Harbison provided some updated information for the court to consider. 

Judge Harbison reviewed her discussion with 4C Electric and $852.72 was subtracted from the previously paid amount for lights installed in the courthouse, after a 12-inch ceiling mount LED was delivered and didn’t appear to be well made.

That $852.72 was then applied to the new quote which reduced it to $11,075.26.

“The big difference is the emergency lighting is a lot more expensive than just regular LED lighting,” said Judge Harbison.

As of the meeting, the emergency lighting is nonfunctional and has been in need of replacement.

Clint Porterfield, County Auditor, asked if the question of last week’s meeting is being answered, “Why can we do a whole courthouse for $26,000 and now we're looking at a handful of lights for $11,000 and do these other fixtures warrant that type of increase in pay?”

Porterfield continued, “This proposal is 42% of what we did for the whole courthouse, three floors and do these extra cost and fixtures warrant that kind of increase? That's the question.” 

Judge Harbison stated that $8,000 of the quoted expense is fixtures alone, and she suggested the possibility of taking out a light at the entrance to the building that is $3,000. She clarified for Porterfield that some of the difference in cost with the emergency lighting is the battery backup that is part of the light, so it can stay on in the event the courthouse loses power.

Commissioner Tom Bellmyer questioned, “Would it warrant asking 4C to make us a copy of the data sheet for every one of these fixtures?” 

He described how valuable it can be in gaining an understanding when the technical information is available to understand the function of what they’re considering.

“I'm just trying to say if people want some clarity, the easiest way to do is get a copy of the data sheets on all the fixtures and have Scooter [Clark] come in and explain to us from a technical point of view,” said Commissioner Bellmyer.

Commissioner Bellmyer moved to table the decision on the quote and request that 4C give the data sheets for these fixtures, so that data sheets can be reviewed before the next meeting.

During the meeting, the RFP for the renovation and the second floor of the community room was opened and only one bid by Hagler Painting and Remodeling was received in the amount of $87,320.

“We've met several times with him, Tom [Bellmyer], and I have,” said Judge Harbison. “This is renovation of the community room of the second floor of the county courthouse.”

The project area is approximately 1680 square feet, includes new flooring, carpet in the offices, courtroom, new flooring, laminate in the kitchen and dining room, the wall between the courtroom and the offices, a large double door into the courtroom, wainscoting the courtroom, removal of wallpaper, painting walls, building three offices, replacing ceiling tile, kitchen demo, demo the bar, cabinets, ovens and cooktop.

Judge Harbison said they would be utilizing the cooktop that they already have and the county will get an oven at cost from one of the local appliance companies. 

Also included is moving the refrigerator to the back wall, installation of the stove, moving the vending machine to the kitchen area, new cabinets and countertops, because Judge Harbison says  it would be more cost effective to install new than to redo what is there. New wall between the conference area the kitchen area, move the door to the kitchen to the left side of the kitchen, all texture walls and put on two coats of paint.

Wainscoting for the courtroom, prime sanded, caulked and two coats of paint. Approximately five new stained doors, replace all the window trim with stained window trim. 

Judge Harbison asked Auditor Porterfield and Treasurer Blackwell how much money is in the LATCF and Porterfield stated it seems the only thing pending in LATCF fund would be the other two payments for the historical plan, which is $45,000, and he estimated there to be $150,000 at this point. 

Commissioner Bellmyer made a motion to accept the bid and move forward with a remodel of the second floor and Commissioner Roscoe McSwain seconded the motion, and it carried.

The commissioners approved the payment of the invoice for the Emergency Watershed Project, between the Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) and Shelby County.

It was confirmed with Porterfield the county has 30 days from the receipt of the invoice to make payment and the invoice was received on February 8.

Commissioner Stevie Smith confirmed with John Price, County Attorney, that the contract between the county and NRCS didn’t provide any recourse for the phone line damage which was discussed at the previous meeting held February 21. 

Without any remedy in the contract, Commissioner Smith didn’t feel there was any reason to hold off on paying the invoice. Ann Blackwell, County Treasurer, learned they can’t wire the payment and a check will have to be mailed.

Commissioner Roscoe McSwain moved to go ahead and cut the check and Commissioner Smith seconded the motion, and it carried.

Judge Harbison commented the completed work is quite good and she hopes people get the opportunity to take a look now that it’s finished.

Repairs for the parking lot of the Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 office was approved by the commissioners and Donna Hughes, Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace, was present for the discussion.

“I spoke to Tom before we started about where that dead oak tree was at because that's what's really delayed us this last six or eight months,” said Judge Hughes. “I think it was gonna be done but that tree died so we had to get that out of the way. But where the lump is, where the tree was, it would be really nice if we could actually get a parking spot out of there as well.” 

Judge Hughes said it’s possible at times for there to be up to 15 cars in the lot, with a number of them facing the backside of the Shelby County Jail. She expressed her appreciation to the commissioners for looking at the parking lot.

“I've placed this on the agenda because we've had it under discussion amongst us for some time, and of course, Judge Hughes and I have talked about it. And really, my hope was that it would give us an opportunity to talk about it and actually come up and schedule when we want to do this work,” said Commissioner Bellmyer.

He explained that with the changing of seasons, he knows the commissioners will all be getting really busy in the next 60 to 90 days and he would hate for them to lose the opportunity again to come up with a game.

“It is by far the worst parking lot of all the county buildings so and it's the busiest JP office that we have and I just think that it gives us a chance to put together a game plan and talk about how we can do it together,” said Bellmyer.

The commissioners agreed there needs to be a good entrance to the parking lot and Judge Hughes agreed there is a large piece of concrete there that’s pretty rough. 

“Between us, I think we can share a little bit of equipment, and I guess for me is the labor and the equipment is one thing. We're going to, I assume, purchase some material to do the parking lot in,” said Bellmyer. “So that part of the discussion I want to have is, so if we had a game plan up and we had a window of time to do the work we would know how to buy the material to actually do the lay down for the parking lot and what material we're going to use.” 

A motion was by Commissioner Bellmyer to get together with other commissioners and make a plan and schedule with Judge Hughes, the motion was seconded by Commissioner Jimmy Lout and the motion carried.

The commissioners decided to renew an interlocal agreement with the Texas Department of Public Safety for the failure to appear program.

Judge Harbison explained that this is a program that's been in place and there have been some new changes in the 88th legislative session and they want a new contract.

John Price, County Attorney, stated the county has an existing interlocal agreement with DPS and this new contract incorporates some changes that this last legislature put in effect.

A motion by Commissioner Smith to approve the new interlocal agreement with DPS for the FTA program was seconded by Commissioner Lout, and the motion carried.

Joe Szewczyk, with TAC (Texas Association of Counties) Risk Control Consultant, discussed with the Commissioners’ Court about the services he can provide at no cost to the County.

“You get consultant services from myself. I do the safety stuff. Kenny Lemons is your law enforcement consultant. He's gonna work with the Sheriff's Office, Chief Deputy, whomever. He does training that gives him TCole hours. Hailey Beaver, she's our HR consultant. She also provides some hours, continuing education hours,” said Szewczyk.

He explained that most of what he does is safety related and there's no continuing education associated with it, but he focuses on things like claims reviews.

Some of what he does includes looking at claims that come from the county, what could be done to mitigate risk. Through training, and policies, Szewczyk says they provide various sample policies to the county.

Szewczyk elaborated extensively on the many things he can do to help the county, and let them know he is available.

Agenda items approved during the meeting include:

1. Pay weekly expenses.

2. Current Payroll.

3. Move forward with fixing the JP 1 parking lot.

4. Interlocal with the Department of Public Safety for the Failure to Appear Program.

5. Award the RFP for the renovation of the 2nd floor community room to Hagler Painting and Remodeling.

6. Pay the invoice for the Emergency Watershed Project, between the Natural Resources Conservation Services and Shelby County.

7. Record Racial Profiling Report for Shelby County Constable Pct 1.

8. Record Racial Profiling Report for Shelby County Constable Pct 2.

9. Record Racial Profiling Report for Shelby County Constable Pct 5.

10. Adjourn.

Agenda items tabled during the meeting include:

1. Commissioner Pct. 4, Tom Bellmyer to discuss the purchase and financing of a truck as authorized under Local Government Code 262.0225, subsection D and Local Government Code 262.0245.

2. Additional and emergency lighting for the County Courthouse that was not included in the original quote.

February 27, 2024 - (Update: 3:37pm) The Sheriff's Office reports Yount has been found and is safe. Additional details have not been provided relating to where he was located.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the whereabouts of Jerry Yount, 69, of Joaquin. Yount is described as a white male, 5’9, 225 pounds, with green eyes. Yount was last seen February 16, 2024 on Marshall Street in Joaquin.

Yount is believed to be driving a white 2018 Kia Forte, bearing Texas plate LBF 0411. It was reported to the SCSO that Yount suffers from dementia.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Yount is urged to contact the SCSO immediately at 936-598-5601.