January 15, 2025 - The Shelby County Commissioners put the brakes on a cooperative road agreement between the county and USDA during their meeting held January 15, 2025.
The commissioners discussed the cooperative road agreement between Shelby County and USDA, Forest Service National Forest and Grasslands in Texas.
Shelby County Judge Allison Harbison explained the proposed agreement is for five years and before entering into an agreement some explanation over the agreement is merited from the USDA.
“We have not gotten any in lieu of taxes since before [20]23,” said Judge Harbison. “We’re trying to get them to re-adopt the agreement with the US Government, and it was nearly there and then they had the Speaker’s race mess.”
The Senate has passed the agreement, but the Representatives have not yet passed it explained Harbison. According to Judge Harbison, Sabine County Judge Milton agrees with her and will not be signing their agreement until the agreement has been passed.
“Every couple of years they do give us some funds to get rock, or they give us rock, this is something totally different,” said Judge Harbison. “This is us saying, ‘we’re going to take care of all of your forest service roads.’”
Stevie Smith, Commissioner Precinct 3, commented John Price had some concerns over the agreement as well.
Judge Harbison stated she would like to see the item tabled and have someone from the US Forest Service be present at a meeting to explain the agreement.
Judge Harbison moved to table the item and a second was heard by Commissioner Tom Bellmyer. The motion carried.
“The bill most greatly affects precinct two and precinct three. But, y’all are still going to make sure people can get to their homes through the Forest Service Roads,” said Judge Harbison. “When I grew up, because I had to go on two or three miles of County Road, and then I had a two-and-a-half mile road to go down to the Forest Service. The County Road was always a little shaky, but you never got stuck on the Forest Service Road and then they just dumped them all off on the counties.”
At the January meeting of the Shelly County Commissioners it was approved to advertise for bids on a new haul truck for Precinct 3.
Judge Harbison presented the commissioners with the option to set a bid procurement period and public opening date for precinct three haul truck.
Ann Blackwell, County Treasurer, said the court failed to do that last week for the public record.
“For the sake of time I'm going to email the specs to previous bidders that we had hits from on the truck, but I'm also going to list it on buyboard. The bids will be due at three o'clock next week, which I believe is the point to be opened public,” said Blackwell.
The bids will be due Tuesday, January 21, by 3pm in the County Treasurer’s office.
A motion by Commissioner Smith was seconded by Commissioner Bellmyer and the motion carried.
During the Commissioner Court reports Judge Harbison shared about a trip that she recently took to Austin, “We made a fast and furious trip to Austin to the legislative reception and we saw both of our senator and our State Rep and had a really good meeting on Tuesday morning with the Texas Judges and Commissioners.”
She said she also visited with Jim Allison, who is a legal counsel for the Judges and Commissioners Association.
The meeting went into a closed executive session at 9:46am with Sheriff Gerald Corbell and returned to open session at 10:15am.
Upon returning from closed executive session, Commissioner Roscoe McSwain moved to revert back to FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) guidelines, all non law enforcement personnel will receive overtime after 40 hours. The motion received a second from Commissioner Bellmyer and it carried.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:15.
Agenda items approved during the meeting include: 1. Pay weekly expenses. 2. Pay current payroll. 3. Record the filing to the Vehicle Inventory Tax Fund audit for January 2025. 4. Set bid procurement period and public opening date of January 21, 2025 for Pct. #3 Haul Truck. 5. Revert back to FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) guidelines, all non law enforcement personnel will receive overtime after 40 hours. Agenda items tabled during the meeting include: 1. Cooperative Road Agreement between Shelby County and USDA, Forest Service National Forest and Grasslands in Texas.
