The Orange County Commissioners Court will change venues for the second time in two years next week. Tuesday the Court approved holding its meeting next Tuesday at the Vidor City Hall instead of the Commissioners Courtroom in the Administration Building of the Courthouse in Orange. Last March the Commissioners met for what is believed the first time ever in Vidor, and Robert Viator the Mayor of Vidor is glad to have them return. “We enjoy doing it. This will be the second year that we’ve done it. Our citizens enjoy it, the last time they came there was pretty well a full house that’s well received and we hope for the same the thing again.” Viator said.
The retirement of an Orange County Jail employee has caused a change in the preparation of food for jail inmates. Sheriff Keith Merritt says because of the terms of the county’s agreement with Five Star Correctional Services the price of the meals prepared by Five Star will go up, but the county will actually save money because of the retirement of a jail cook employed by Orange County. Merritt indicated the price Five Star charges for a meal will increase by 12 cents for an increase of roughly $22,000 a year. The county will not replace the retired employee whose annual salary was over $43,000. Five Star will hire their own employee to replace the cook. Merritt says the change will result in about $21,000 of savings for Orange County which he believes is a positive for everyone involved.
Commissioners approved two line item transfers Tuesday. Sheriff Merritt will be allowed to purchase an X-caliber dart gun for tranquilizing animals that need to be caught in hard to reach places. He will also purchase eight encrypted radios that will be used by the Sheriff’s Office during special operations and with other law enforcement agencies.
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