The Commissioners Court signed the new Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Sheriff’s Office Employee Association during its meeting Tuesday. The contract was signed previously by the representatives of the Employee Association and by Sheriff Lane Mooney.
The agreement concluded several months of negotiations and replaces the old contract which had been renewed with an “evergreen clause” in it since 2009. The new contract will be for two-years from December 8, 2021 through September 30, 2023 with a two-year grace period for future contract negotiations to renew it.
Sheriff Mooney was unable to attend the Court meeting on Tuesday because he was having surgery. Several members of the Sheriff’s Office did attend the proceedings.
Updates were given by Maintenance Director Kurt Guidry on repairs to various county properties for damage from Hurricane Laura. Emergency Management Coordinator Joel Ardoin reported that Orange County remains in Phase 4 of the reimbursement process from FEMA. Phase 5 is when FEMA actually disperses funds for disasters.
County Judge John Gothia attended the Sabine Neches Chiefs Association which handles emergency management in southeast Texas. Gothia and other area county judges were presented awards for their services and their work throughout the COVID pandemic.
Gothia thanked Ardoin and the employees in his department for their outstanding efforts to prepare Orange County citizens to battle the Coronavirus. Gothia promised the plaque received by him will be prominently displayed in the Administration Building at the Courthouse so everyone can be aware of the great service provided by Emergency Management.
Ardoin indicated there were 45 new cases of COVID-19 in the county and none of the individuals had been vaccinated. Three of them were hospitalized with one requiring a ventilator.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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