COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OPEN SCHOOL LAND LEASE BIDS
Washington County Commissioners opened the bids this morning for the lease of school lands in Tom Green County. The bids were due to be opened on August 29th, but the itemed was tabled because postal service had been suspended due to the flooding from Hurricane Harvey. Commissioners opened each envelope this morning making sure it was postmarked before August 29th. Because there were separate bids for each of the four tracks of school lands and the bidders offered to make different improvements, commissioners decided to study the offers this week and award the bids at their September 19th meeting.
Commissioners did award the bid for a new detention control system for the county jail. That item had been tabled at the August 15th meeting to allow the bidding companies to quote systems that included cameras at the entry points to the jail. The project was awarded this morning to Montgomery Technology Systems for $115,900. The new system will replace the original detention control system that has become unreliable.
In other action, commissioners accepted three more Public Assistance Subgrants from the Texas Division of Emergency Management. The grants totaling $225,000 are for the repair of roadway damage from the May 2016 flooding. So far, the county has received just over $500,000 in reimbursements for repairs. The county has approved $3.2 million in repairs from the flooding.
Commissioners approved several agreements during their meeting this (Tuesday) morning. They approved an amendment to allow Grimes County into the Brazos Valley Wide Area Communications System. They also approved an agreement between the Capital Area Trauma Regional Advisory Council and Washington County EMS for the coordination of EMS Task Force disaster management. Commissioners also renewed the interlocal agreement with Lubbock County for participating in the Regional Public Defender for Capital Cases program. County Judge John Brieden explained that the program was like and insurance policy and has worked out well for Washington County in previous Capital trials.