Radio Tower grant August 3, 2015
Orange County will receive a grant from the Department of Homeland Security to build a radio tower which should help fill a gap in radio coverage for emergency responders. County Judge Brint Carlton gives credit to the county’s new Emergency Management Director Ryan Peabody for the county receiving the grant. The $1.4 million dollar grant will be used to build a 450-foot tower near the Vidor Police Department. Signals from the tower will extend to Pine Forest, to Bridge City, and to neighboring waterways. Radios in patrol cars will also be able to pickup signals from the tower. Peabody who organizes disaster response in the county believes the new radio tower will greatly improve radio communication among first responders on the ground during an emergency. Construction of the tower is expected to begin after the funding is received by the county in September.
Road and Bridge fee August 3, 2015
The optional $10 Road and Bridge fee for registering your vehicle in Orange County will continue to be added. The Commissioners Court approved Monday continuing to collect the fee, but Commissioner John Banken wanted to make sure that those funds are used only for what they were designed to help, road and bridge maintenance. Banken admitted the fee is really a hidden tax and that his main concern is that the funds from the fee would be used for something other than just road and bridge work. The Commissioners decide to pass on the optional Child Safety fee which is used to pay for school crossing guards. Commissioners approved the employees’ health and benefit pool program offered by the Texas Association of Counties. The health plan will be covered by the county for employees at 100 percent and for covered dependents at 40 percent.
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