WASHINGTON CO. COMMISSIONERS AGREE TO SUBMIT GRANT REQUEST FOR SURVEILLANCE TRAILER

  

Washington County Commissioners approved the submission of a grant application for a mobile video surveillance trailer at their meeting today (Tuesday).

The grant is through the Homeland Security Grant Program, and amounts to just under $63,000. Emergency Management Coordinator Bryan Ruemke said these are leftover Homeland Security funds from 2016.

Ruemke said the trailer is designed for use in large public events, like the Washington County Fair and Bluebonnet Festival, and can also be used in emergency situations or at disaster scenes. The trailer has a retractable tower with mounted surveillance cameras that record video, which can be viewed remotely from a computer with proper access credentials.

Commissioner Kirk Hanath said he understands the public concerns, admitting he himself gets jumpy whenever he hears the word “surveillance”. He said he doesn’t want people to think the county is purchasing things to go spying into people’s bedrooms.  He reassured this trailer would just be used for security and safety purposes.

Also in session, commissioners held a quiet public hearing on the updated Hazard Mitigation Plan, which was then adopted. Ruemke said the plan expired last November, but the county began work on updating the plan last February.

Ruemke reiterated that this is not a completely new plan, just an update.  Hazards and demographics have been updated, as well as the mitigation actions for each local entity in the plan.  Those entities include the Cities of Brenham and Burton, Washington County, and Blinn College.

Ruemke said the updated plan was submitted to the state in September 2018, and to the Federal Emergency Management Agency in October 2018. He said on February 20^th, FEMA came back and dictated the plan was good for approval pending the county’s adoption.

Commissioner Joy Fuchs thanked everyone who was involved with the plan update. County Judge John Durrenberger added to that, saying they have done “very diligent work”.

Commissioners also issued a pair of proclamations. The court declared the month of April at Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month, and April 8-12 as Boys and Girls Club Week.

CPS Foster Adoption Worker Christi Yackel spoke after the Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention proclamation, saying 66 pinwheels would be placed out on the courthouse lawn in remembrance of 2018’s victims of child abuse or neglect in Washington County. She added that currently there are only two foster homes in the county.

Commissioners also:

• Approved mass gathering and right-of-way permits for the Chappell Hill Historical Society’s Bluebonnet Festival next weekend.  In addition, commissioners approved the closures of several roads from 8 a.m. April 13^th through 6 p.m. April 14^th.  These include: East Cedar Street, from FM 1155 approximately 200 yards to the Chappell Hill Historical Society's Circulating Library; West Sycamore Street, from FM 1155 to FM 2447; East Poplar Street, from FM 1155 to Church Street; Providence Street would allow for traffic flow north in a one-way direction as the access route.
• Approved a memorandum of understanding between Washington County EMS and Patricia Carothers for 200 feet of roadway repair. EMS will use $1,000 from donation funds for repairs in the area, which is private property.
• Tabled action on formal notice for a road bore at 1011 Happy Hollow Road in Precinct 3 by PGMS-Central Washington County Water Supply Corporation.
• Approved a subdivision variance request for a land division on Christian Cemetery Road in Precinct 4.
• Agreed to appoint Traci Bilski and Billy Sutherland to the Brazos Valley Council of Governments Criminal Justice Planning Committee. Durrenberger thanked the outgoing committee members, Jodi Schultz and Reverend Randy Wells, for their service.