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COMANCHE -- Sometimes, it seems that no
good deed goes unpunished. At least that was the impression in the
County Courthouse when a county road that had recently been resurfaced
with road base material was the subject of complaints by an area
resident.
The Comanche County Commissioners Court
met with all current members present on Monday, July 24, to consider a
relatively light agenda.
The business part of the meeting opened
with a presentation by Thomas Hall, a resident on CR 454, northeast of
DeLeon. Hall noted that traffic on the roadway in front of his house
had speeded up considerably since the roadway had been improved with
caliche to keep the roadway passable during wet weather. Now that the
road is not as rutted and rubboarded as previously, the faster traffic
and dry weather have combined to create a bad dusting problem.
Hall said, "It's just covering us up in
dust. My wife and I are both having allergies in our eyes. If you are
meeting someone driving fast (on the road), you have to stop, because
you can't see." He later stated, "Everything we've got is white,
inside and out."
Hall noted that there are dust
suppressants such as magnesium chloride that are used in other areas
to control dust and requested the County to look into using such
products on the road near his home. He also suggested that the
application of asphalt millings might be another alternative dust
suppression technique.
Hall also suggested that the County
should post speed limits on the roadway, since some drive "50, 60, 70
miles per hour out there." He suggested a 35 mph speed limit would be
appropriate.
Commissioner Bobby Schuman noted that
what was put down on the roads out there was road base material. He
stated that the asphalt shavings were being used for roadway patching
on holes, and that there was not enough material stockpiled for
extensive use on road surfaces.
Schuman said that every county road was
dusty right now due to the general dryness. He said, "I'm sorry you
have that problem, but we can't do anything about the dust. We don't
have the money to put what you are talking about down. Every road
we've got is that way." Schuman said that a speed limit sign could be
posted, but that no one would pay any attention to it.
Hall noted that even though it was dry as
a bone, that the County maintainers had recently run over the road in
front of his home, creating even more dust. Schuman responded that
there had been complaints about rubboard conditions in the area and
that road maintainer work had been performed.
Commissioner Garry Steele commented that
they were in "kind've a Catch-22" situation when things are dry in
that rubboards keep coming back and getting bad and need to be bladed
back down. He added after further discussion, "Let us check into it
and see if we can work something out that would help you to some
degree. Of course, a rain would help a whole lot everywhere."
Hall asked if the Commissioners could
petition the state for a grant to help in the matter. He added, "I
know in Colorado the EPA (the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
requires it. I don't want to have to go to the EPA, although I'll
assure y'all, something's going to have to be done."
Bobby Schuman said he had a hundred miles
or more of caliche road in his precinct and they've been like that
forever and there was no way he could afford to put something on all
of them.
After further discussion Garry Steele
said, "Let us see what we can do, and if we can't get this problem
resolved to some degree, well come back to us and we will go from
there."
Hall seemed satisfied with that plan,
expressed his appreciation and left the courtroom.
In other matters the Commissioners:
• Approved a list of events planned by
the Comanche Chamber of Commerce that involved the Courthouse square
to some degree or another.
• Approved the application by County
Emergency Services Coordinator Ray Helberg to the Texas Forest Service
for a tanker truck that would serve the entire County. Helberg said he
had been notified that a military surplus 5 ton tanker had been
located and that he needed the Commissioners' approval. The tanker
truck, which could hold around 6-7,000 gallons of water, would be
based in Comanche. Chris Biggs advised Helberg that he would provide
logistical and mechanical assistance when it was time to go pick up
the truck.
• Approved the continuation of the total
ban on outdoor burning that had been declared on an emergency basis by
the County Judge in the prior week. In response to questions from the
audience, Garry Steele said that the ban was on all outdoor burning,
including trash burning. The only exceptions would be for continuously
attended cooking fires. He further stated that all outdoor welding
should only be done with a fire spotter and water present.
• Appointed County Judge James Arthur to
replace the deceased Commissioner Clyde Brinson on the County Child
Welfare Board.
• Considered whether to adopt an optional
$1.50 Child Safety Fund Fee on all vehicle registrations before
tabling the matter for further research.
• Voted to give 30 days notice of
termination of the County's contract for 9-1-1 addressing services
with Jedco Design, Inc.
• Voted to approve a proposal by the West
Central Texas Council of Governments for 9-1-1 addressing maintenance.
• Heard a report on the Sheriff's Office
by Chief Deputy for Enforcement Chris Pounds, that Chief Deputy for
Corrections Becky Caffey had turned in her resignation to accept
similar employment with Brown County. Pounds noted that Sheriff
Lambert would be advertising for applicants for the Chief Jailer
position, but that it would not be filled until the start of the next
fiscal year in October.
Pounds also noted that the Sheriff's fuel
budget had been exhausted and that some type of budget amendment would
be needed. Bobby Schuman and Garry Steele both told Pounds to order
more fuel when needed and that the budget would be amended. Pounds
stated that the SO was trying to conserve fuel.
Pounds noted that the Environmental
Deputy grant had been provisionally approved and discussed the portion
of the expense that the County and the grantor would bear. Bobby
Schuman noted that fees from the County Dump that Precinct 3
maintained could possibly be used for the County's portion of the
Environmental Deputy expense. Pounds said the new Deputy was to begin
service in September.
Garry Steele noted that Becky Caffey had
done a great job for the County. Bobby Schuman suggested that a plaque
be ordered noting her years of service, and also one for former
Commissioner Clyde Brinson's family. |
