WASHINGTON CO. ENTERS INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT FOR DPS CRIME LAB SERVICES

  

Washington County is teaming up with three area counties to improve the rate at which they receive drug results from the DPS Crime Laboratory.

Washington County Commissioners voted unanimously this (Tuesday) morning to approve an interlocal agreement with DPS for crime lab services.  The agreement pays for the salary and benefits of a dedicated forensic scientist at the Austin crime lab, who will be assigned to the analysis of drugs in Washington, Austin, Fayette and Lee counties.

Washington County District Attorney Julie Renken said the agreement guarantees a 30-day return on drug results, a substantial decrease from the county’s current wait time of up to two years.

 

Renken said Washington County’s agreement with DPS has been in the works for two years.  Originally, Burleson County was to be a part of Washington County’s joint agreement, but Renken said they decided against doing so.  She said Brazos and Williamson counties are also utilizing agreements with DPS, as they are big enough to each have their own dedicated drug analyst.

The agreement covers up to 70 case tests a month.  Renken said out of the participating counties, there were only two months over a year’s time that cast tests went over 70, and it was found that Austin County had submitted two months’ worth of drug tests for a single month.

Washington County will be billed once a year over the course of four years for the agreement, and will be reimbursed by the other participating counties.  Each county will pay the percentage of costs equaling the average of their number of cases sent to the DPS lab over the prior three years.  Renken said the four counties will revisit that percentage each May, and the amount that they each contribute will change based on that.

The total cost of the contract is $353,026, including $92,059 for the first year.  Renken said Washington County’s share of that cost for year one will be $29,000, with $25,000 coming from her budget.  She said she will use discretionary funds if necessary to pay the remaining $4,000, but noted that some local law enforcement agencies, like the Blinn College Police Department, have reached out to offer to make up those funds.

Renken said the agreement will now go back to DPS for their signature, and the four counties will meet to determine a start date.  Commissioner Joy Fuchs called the agreement a “no-brainer”, while Commissioner Candice Bullock said it will have a much bigger impact than how it sounds at face value.

Also at today’s meeting, commissioners:

• Held executive session discussion with an attorney regarding Chappell Hill Sausage Company v. La Llanura Properties, LLC and Washington County, Cause No. 36689.
• Received a presentation honoring the late Eddie Harrison, former Buffalo Soldier, City of Brenham Municipal Court Judge and heritage preservationist.
• Accepted the donation of a flag pole and flags from the local chapter of Woodmen Life for the Washington County Engineering and Development Services facility. The court also accepted the donation of the services of Styers Concrete and Construction, Inc. to install the flag pole at the facility.
• Approved the engineer’s recommendation to accept a seal coating bid for a contract period beginning Tuesday and ending April 30, 2023.
• Approved resolutions to designate authorized signatories for the 2021 Texas CDBG program and adopt required CDBG civil rights policies. The court also proclaimed April as Fair Housing Month to help fulfill fair housing activity obligations as required by the grant.
• Approved a final plat for a land development fronting FM 1371, creating a residential subdivision of six lots, Chappell Ranchette Estates in Precinct 2.
• Accepted formal notice from Industry Telephone Company for a road bore on Koether Road for the underground placement of buried ducts and handholes in Precinct 4.
• Approved a 60-day extension of 17.5 excess vacation hours for Edward Ortega with the sheriff’s office.