WASHINGTON CO. COMMISSIONERS DISCUSS ARPA PROJECTS, LAKE SOMERVILLE EMS STATION, MORE IN WORKSHOP

  

Washington County Commissioners went through several workshop items at a lengthy meeting this (Tuesday) morning.

Among the topics of discussion were projects the county intends to fund with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars.  Commissioner Candice Bullock said the county has spent just under $900,000 in ARPA funding and still has about $6 million left.  Projects that are being considered a priority by the court are a storage facility for county records and upgrades to the jail kitchen. 

County Judge John Durrenberger encouraged the court to keep in mind with ARPA funds that expenses should be kept to one-time and not recurring, and they should serve as an investment into the future.  He also said the county has two years to identify which projects it wants to use this money on and two years to spend the money, something to note for any larger projects it wants to pursue. 

Another item brought up in workshop was the planned EMS Station No. 6 at Lake Somerville.  The court viewed the design of the proposed station and some of its functions.  The station will not be built with tax dollars, instead being funded with Texas Ambulance Supplemental Payment (TASP) dollars, donations, or a combination of the two.  Commissioner Kirk Hanath said drawings for the station have been presented to architects.

Commissioners also discussed potentially new or reshuffled office space assignments for some county officials and departments, including a proposal to move emergency management into the courthouse annex building.  They then went over revised committee appointments for members of the court, a new quarterly reporting cycle for county departments at commissioners meetings, and a schedule to hold a workshop and hear committee reports at every second Tuesday of the month’s meeting.

During regular session, the court received a presentation on the Community Development Block Grant program and a Texas Department of Agriculture form regarding goals and concepts.  GrantWorks Project Manager Mac Bruce told commissioners that the county is receiving a grant award of $350,000 to rehabilitate just over a mile of road surface on Old Plantation Road. 

Bruce said as per the grant award, the county has agreed to comply with Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968.  This means that, to the greatest extent possible, the county must direct economic opportunities generated by these funds to low- and very low-income persons. 

Also in court today, commissioners:

• Approved the purchase of an F450 ambulance chassis for the EMS Department using $47,756 in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) funding.
• Approved a hiring salary increase for the Human Resources generalist position.  Human Resources Director Angela Mlcak said her department will still be under budget for salaries with this increase.
• Approved annual revisions to the EMS supplement to the county manual, as well as the EMS billing rate schedule for Fiscal Year 2023.
• Approved annual renewal of enrolling county employees in a certified cybersecurity training through the Texas Association of Counties.