The Commissioners Court held its second meeting of the month Tuesday. The meeting was held in the Commissioners Courtroom and attendance was limited to ten people at a time.
The Commissioners were expected to approve a Memorandum Of Understanding with Texas General Land Office and the United States Army Corps of Engineers concerning the Sabine Pass to Galveston Bay Coastal Storm Risk Management Project, often referred to as the Coastal Spine. Apparently, the Corps had some questions on the wording of the memorandum and requested a change in the agreement.
The Court as a result took no action Tuesday, but County Judge John Gothia is confident Orange County will have its share of the 26-mile project paid for by the Texas General Land Office. “Because we can’t afford to pay it,” Gothia said.
Tax Assessor-Collector Karen Fisher requested approval of the 2020 local option residence homestead exemptions. The Court approved no changes in the current exemptions.
The Homestead Exemption will remain $20,000. The Senior Citizens and Disabled Citizens Exemptions remained at 25 percent.
Fisher presented the collections made by her Tax Office for the month of March. Fisher reported $3,627,320 collected through March. This represents 94.58 percent of the taxes due in the county. Fisher added that this is a normal percentage for this time of the year, and especially good with the stay-at-home policy currently in effect in Orange County.
A renewal of the agreement was approved with Five Star Correctional Services to provide the labor, supplies, and food for the inmates in the Orange County Jail. The current term was due to expire on May 31. Sheriff Keith Merritt said he is very pleased with the service provided by Five Star at the jail.
The sheriff reminded that this is the final renewal term under the current contract. The county will need to go out for bids for a food service contract in the Orange County Jail next year which will be new sheriff Lane Mooney’s first year on the job.
The salary recommended by the district judges in the county for the county’s new purchasing agent Tim Funchess was accepted. Funchess who was hired as the county purchasing agent in March will make $64,084 annually. He replaced Connie Cassidy who retired in March.
Funchess recommended the Commissioners Court authorize him to go out for bids on National Flood Insurance Program to cover county owned buildings. Last year exhausted all the renewals for the contract between Orange County and the Matt Purgahn Insurance. The current contract will expire on June 1, and Funchess believes he should have a bid on new flood insurance coverage before that date.
A five-person committee was appointed to review the proposals when the bids are received. Commissioners Johnny Trahan and Kirk Roccaforte will serve with Emergency Management Coordinator Joel Ardoin, Insurance Coordinator Missy Pillsbury, and Funchess on the committee.
Traylor and Associates were approved to serve as administrators for four grant programs the county is expected to receive. Two of the grants are Community Development Block Grants and the other two are for Mitigation Grants.
The meeting began with an update from the Triangle AIDS Network (TAN). Dena Gray Hughes and Lester Daigle said their agency TAN has been modified and covers more diseases than just HIV. Currently, they say the main efforts for the Triangle AIDS Network are dealing with the healthcare services regarding COVID-19 response and funding sources. The Commissioners Court pledged to support those efforts.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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