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A clarification from Comanche County
Sheriff Jeff Lambert regarding the procedures for deputies to work
within the DeLeon city limits was one of the things addressed at the
most recent meeting of the DeLeon City Council, Thursday, October 11.
All council members -- Mayor Danny Owen,
Howard Gifford, Norma Locke, Roy Dale Freeman and Gayle Stroud -- were
present for the 6 p.m. meeting. Also present were City Secretary Karen
Wilkerson, Police Chief Ralph Dickey, and Emergency Management
Coordinator Ray Helberg. City Attorney Lois Rockefeller arrived
mid-way through the meeting.
There were no participants in the
“Citizen’s Presentations” portion of the meeting.
Sheriff Lambert began his statements by
saying that after reading the report on the discussion at the last
Council meeting, between the council and Chief Dickey (regarding the
Sheriff’s office providing coverage for DeLeon), that he wanted to try
and clarify things.
“To start off,” Sheriff Lambert said. “I
will tell you we have an excellent working relationship with the City
of DeLeon, and the City of Comanche, and we want to keep it that way.
That’s what I’m doing here. Part of what Chief Dickey told you about
using off-duty deputies for shifts, and you’ll have to pay them
overtime, that is true. But the reason for that is, like tonight,
there’s one deputy on for the entire county. And I have enough people
that I can keep the entire county covered, but I don’t have anybody I
can dedicate just to one particular spot. And to accomplish that, I
have to pay them overtime. Now, like when Chief Dickey and his staff
went to school, I sent somebody over to cover, and that was four or
five hours, and we can handle some of that. But when you go to talking
about several days worth of overtime, we’re not budgeted for it, that
would kill our budget.”
Sheriff Lambert then said that a couple
of years ago, the City of Comanche found themselves in a similar
situation, and the Sheriff’s deputies had to be compensated by the
city.
That’s how we helped them,” he said. “We
had to use off-duty personnel, and they had to volunteer to do it. We
couldn’t make them.”
The Sheriff then said one of his
correctional officers was taking his state exam that night, in
Abilene.
“And whenever he passes that,” Sheriff
Lambert said, “I’m going to hire him and put him on the street, and in
four to six months, whenever we get him trained, I’ll be able to have
two people out, nearly every night, to cover the county. You’re still
talking about only two people to cover 940 square miles. We’re facing
the same personnel problems that DeLeon is.”
Sheriff Lambert then asked if anyone had
any questions, adding, “I hope it clears things up.”
“We appreciate you giving us this
information,” Mayor Owen said. “Being strapped for personnel, if
someone gets sick or injured, then that even adds more stress to the
system.
“But you know, if we’re here, and they
(DeLeon officers) get tied up on a call, and they get another call, my
guys know to take the call,” Lambert said.
Councilwoman Norma Locke said that she
appreciated Sheriff Lambert and thought he was doing a good job.
Mayor Owen said he appreciated the
Sheriff coming to the meeting.
Next up on the agenda, was a request for
a building expansion for Cross Timbers Health Clinics, Inc.
Both Karol Wilhelm, Cross Timbers CEO;
and Dale Hyles, Cross Timbers CFO, attended the meeting. “First, I
want to apologize for our contractor not making it to the last
meeting,” Wilhelm said. “He was supposed to be, and did not let us
know that he would not be here.”
Mayor Owen told Wilhelm that the
contractor had called him the next day and explained.
“For general information, which direction
will the expansion go?” Owen asked Wilhelm.
“To the north,” (towards the Senior
Citizens Center), Wilhelm said. Further questioning revealed that the
expansion would be 50 feet (to the north) and 4,800 sq. feet total.
“Is there anything we can do to help
y’all,” Mayor Owen said, “as far as additional sewer lines or
anything?”
Hyles said there was a water line in that
vicinity, and that he’d talked to Rob (Duncan, DeLeon Public Works
Adminstrator) and he said that it would have to be moved.
“I asked him if he wanted for y’all to
move it,” Hyles said, “or to see if our contractor could move it, and
Rob said he’d get in touch with the contractor, and for us to get a
price as well, and just kind of play that by ear.”
“Do you know if that expense is included
in the grant?” Owen asked.
Hyles said that the grant did not cover
it, and that they would have to cover that expense “out of our
pocket.”
Councilwoman Stroud inquired as to what
the expansion would house.
“We’ve been out of space for several
years,” Wilhelm said, “so we’re moving the administrative offices
there.”
It was noted that the expansion would
still leave plenty of parking for the Senior Citizens Center.
At a question by Karen Wilkerson as to
the specifics of the lease, Wilhelm noted that the City sold the
building to Cross Timbers, for a nominal fee, with the stipulation
that if the administrative offices were ever moved away from that
building, ownership would revert to the City.
Mayor Owen said that they would hold off
on making a decision on who would move the water pipe until costs were
determined.
After a brief discussion, council members
voted unanimously to approve the expansion.
In other business, Council members:
• Approved the minutes from the September
27, 2007 regular meeting.
• Approved the September 2007 tax
statement.
• Approved the “Year End Report” from the
local tax office, for fiscal year 2006-07. “It’s just her yearly
report on what was brought in,” Wilkerson said. “It says total
collection was $311,175.09.”
• Tabled a proposed first reading of
Resolution #010-07; appointing someone to the Comanche Co. Appraisal
District Board. Mayor Owen noted that he really hated to nominate
someone until it was determined that they were willing to serve in
that capacity. After a brief discussion, a motion was made to table
the item pending further investigation as to those willing to serve.
• Voted to take no action on the Atmos
rate increase request. Wilkerson noted that the council had three
options: an ordinance to approve the increase, a resolution to suspend
it for 90 days, which would give you more time to gather information,
or you can take no action, and it will go to the railroad commission
and they’ll make a decision on the increase.
• Approved payroll.
• Approved accounts payable.
• Tabled the first reading of Ordinance #
015-07, vacating and abandoning portions of an alley in block 1, of
the Bender subdivision in the City of DeLeon, due to one of the
adjacent property owners, Bob Menzel, wishing to consult with an
attorney first. In addition to Menzel, other adjacent propery owners
were present at the meeting, including Charlene and Clifford Babbitt
and Arlene and Carlos Lopez. This particular property issue has
appeared on the council agenda several times in the past few years. It
is expected to be back on the agenda in November. |
