The Commissioners Court met Tuesday for the first time since the Republican Primary which caused the cancellation of last week’s meeting of the Court. The primary saw all three incumbents re-elected since none of them will face a Democrat opponent in the November general election.
The Court received updates on recovery from Tropical Storms Imelda and Harvey. Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator Leon George spoke for Emergency Management Coordinator Joel Ardoin who was attending emergency management classes. George informed the Commissioners that the cleanup of the Orange County landfill will take an extended period of dry weather to repair the area where debris was accumulated during the cleanup following Imelda.
Michelle Tubbleville with Orange County Disaster Rebuild announced that Orange County has been approved for four projects by the Texas Department of Emergency Management. The four projects will be funded for $7,055,352.
The Elevation Project, the Acquisition Project of twenty properties, the Critical Facilities Retrofit, and the Four Oaks River Banks Stabilization Project were the four programs approved for the county to undertake. Tubbleville stated this is just the first step, and Orange County has not received the money yet to do the projects.
The Commissioners approved submission of a Homeland Security Grant for the Orange County Office of Emergency Management Interoperable Communications project. George said the annual grant will be used this year to purchase seven new radios to help other emergency services offices in the county.
Approval was also given to the revised Article of Incorporation and Bylaws of the eight-county regional flood control district in southeast Texas created in December 2019. County Judge John Gothia explained some language needed to be added to the original documents requiring the action by the Commissioners Court on Tuesday.
Road and Bridge Engineer Clark Slacum gave his monthly update on his department. Slacum reminded the Orange County Landfill is now open only three days a week, Tuesdays, Thursday, and Saturdays, and once again is collecting fees from citizens who are dumping items there.
Three new tractors have been acquired by the Road and Bridge Department according to Slacum. The tractors are John Deere with extendable boom mowers.
Maintenance Director Kurt Guidry provided an update that the work is proceeding on the renovation of the county office in Mauriceville which will be used by Commissioner Theresa Beauchamp. Remodeling of the office for Human Resources has started in the Administration Building.
Some bad news shared by Guidry was the compressor went out at the Records Management Office. Another unit will be needed to replace the condenser for the building and the cost of the compressor will run about $750 which will take a couple of days to receive.
No action was taken by the Court on a request by the AgriLife Department to purchase a vehicle for use by their personnel. Commissioner Kirk Roccaforte who owned his own auto repair business drove the current vehicle a 2009 Crown Victoria used by the AgriLife Department. The vehicle performed well for the commissioner.
Roccaforte believes an oil change done on the vehicle may have caused it to run poorly. The Ford dealership did some subsequent work on the vehicle which has it running much better. Roccaforte requested the mechanics in the Road and Bridge Department do a checkup on the vehicle to see if it can continue to be used.
Reluctantly, the Commissioners Court received the exit inventory for Purchasing Agent Connie Cassidy. She is retiring effective March 20, 2020. Cassidy has worked almost 19 years for the county. The Court presented Cassidy with a plaque and their thanks for her great service to the county.
The meeting began with the Court recognizing March as Intellectual and Developmental Disability Awareness Month. A proclamation was given to Lane Fortenberry with the Spindletop Center in Beaumont for that agencies work with individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disability.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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