The Drainage Hotline for Orange County has become active and citizens can call it to help identify drainage problems. Lisa Reeves the director of Management Information Systems with the county made the announcement at Tuesday’s Commissioners Court meeting.
Reeves has been working with Clark Slacum of the Road and Bridge Department to get the phone line available for use by the public. The hotline phone number (409) 745-9730 can be called by citizens to report ditches, streets, canals, or any other area that is having drainage issues. The hotline will then be able to contact the appropriate government entity that has jurisdiction over the area having the problem to handle remedying the issue.
The Orange County Road and Bridge Department announced at Tuesday’s Commissioners Court meeting the five sandbag filling machines purchased by the county with a grant do not work with wet sand. The county is taking steps to provide shelters for the sand to keep it dry at various locations in the county such as the precinct maintenance barns.
Another problem brought to the Commissioners Court’s attention dealt with the new voting machines purchased by the county. Elections Administrator Tina Barrow told the Court there is a software problem with the poll books used with the voting machines that will prevent her office from using the new machines in November’s general election. The election will be conducted using the previous equipment. Barrow is hopeful the software problem will be fixed in time for elections to be held using the new voting machines in March of 2019.
Emergency Management Coordinator Joel Ardoin updated the Commissioners on reimbursement projects for the county. Ardoin informed that the project for removing debris in the county totaling $2.8 million is now in Phase 4 of the reimbursement process. He expects the county could receive those funds in October. Another reimbursement project for extra labor used during Harvey is in Phase 2 of the federal review cycle.
The Commissioners Court approved renewing a contract to use Doctors Gordon and Parker to provide health and medical services to inmates at the Orange County Jail. Sheriff Keith Merritt said his department is very pleased with the services provided by the two doctors in the years they have worked at the jail. The contract will cover the period October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019.
The Commissioners tabled the application for a grant with the Routine Airport Maintenance Program or RAMP Grant to allow the Court’s attorney Denise Gremillion to review the contract more completely. The grant includes a 50 percent match by the county. It should be on a future agenda for the Commissioners Court approval.
September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Mental health and suicide prevention have been key issues with the Spindletop Center in Beaumont during the year following the flooding from Tropical Storm Harvey. The Commissioners Court presented a proclamation to representatives of the Spindletop Center recognizing the significance of suicide prevention this month and always in Orange County.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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