The Commissioners Court approved another two-week extension of certificate pay for Sheriff’s Deputies during Tuesday night’s meeting. County Judge Brint Carlton made the motion to extend until June 4 the bonus pay for deputies who receive additional training. Judge Carlton shared with the Commissioners that his optimism for the collective bargaining talks with the Sheriff’s deputies’ union had diminished since the last couple of bargaining sessions.
The county will advertise for bids on group medical health insurance proposals. Commissioner Johnny Trahan was named as one of the nine members on a committee to review the insurance proposals as a possible replacement of the current insurance coverage provided by the Texas Association of Counties (TAC). Trahan said the committee’s duty is to review other insurance packages for county employees since TAC’s offer may not be the best option.
The Commissioners Court also approved offering future retirees from the county a monthly stipend as an optional benefit for a Medicare supplement. The amount was not set at Tuesday night’s meeting, but the Court can establish the amount later which then can be adjusted at another meeting.
Constable Chris Humble from Precinct 1 addressed the Commissioners Court Tuesday night concerning the use of his personal vehicle to perform his duties as constable. Humble told the Commissioners he has been forced to retire his previous personal vehicle after eight years as constable. He asked if the Commissioner Court could provide vehicles for him as well as the other county constables.
The Commissioners approved assigning Humble the 2008 Ford Escape that they approved being transferred to the County Judge’s pool car inventory last week. The Court requested Sheriff Keith Merritt to check any vehicles in his department that were going to be auctioned to see if any are suitable enough be transferred to the constables. The county is also considering a contract to lease a fleet of vehicles possibly from Enterprise. This fleet of leased vehicles could include ones for all the constables and their deputy constables.
The meeting began with Lieutenant Joey Jacobs of the Sheriff’s Office making a special request of the Commissioners Court to recognize the late Captain Tom Ray. Jacobs asked that May 15, 2017 be proclaimed “Captain Tom Ray Day” in Orange County to honor the former sheriff’s deputy who passed away in October 2016 after over 20 years of serving the county and the citizens with honor and integrity. A proclamation was approved unanimously granting the request followed by a round of applause from all those in attendance. May 15 is significant since it was designated in 1962 with a law signed by President John F. Kennedy as Peace Officer Memorial Day in the United States.
Proclamations were also approved Tuesday recognizing May 8-13 as “Economic Development Week” and May as “Elder Abuse Prevention Awareness Month” in Orange County. Cecilio Lopez and Shakira Jacobs with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services accepted the second proclamation.
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