Commissioners approve GCSO salary changes
The Grimes County Commissioners Court held a Regular Meeting Wednesday, Jan. 8, and approved a request from the Grimes County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) for salary adjustments resulting from restructuring and reallocation of job duties.
According to Chief Deputy Todd Greene, a restructuring plan to increase the patrol division would eliminate the Administrative Lieutenant position and replace it with a patrol deputy.
Greene said, “There is a difference of roughly $12,000 in salary. Those duties of the administrative lieutenant are going to be divided up between myself, Capt. Rutledge, Lt. Caswell, our admin in Evidence/Sex Offender Registration, Chrystal Lege and our admin assistant, Lisa Bates. We’re going to assume all those duties the admin lieutenant was doing so we can put an extra patrol person on the road. The sheriff would like to submit raises for the people that are involved.”
Greene added that with three School Resource Officers who are getting more specialized, the request included sergeant’s pay for Deputy Martha Smith who was being promoted to Sergeant to coordinate school issues and tips. The changes totaled $9,243, leaving $2,800.
Greene said, “It is still the same money we’re budgeted for. It’s just being dispersed differently.”
Commissioners Phillip Cox and Barbara Walker expressed their concerns about overworking staff and future requests for salary or staff adjustments. Greene responded that while the reallocating of duties wasn’t a long-term fix, it would add a patrol position on the street now and was something agreed upon by those assuming the additional duties.
Anderson interlocal
approved
Commissioners approved an Interlocal Agreement with the Town of Anderson to provide labor and equipment for drainage and street improvements and named Judge Joe Fauth as signatory.
The agreement is predicated upon the Town of Anderson receiving grant funding for Hurricane Harvey Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) from the General Land Office.
VINE agreement renewed
Commissioners voted unanimously to continue the Texas VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) agreement.
According to the agreement, VINE allows victims and concerned citizens to obtain timely information about criminal cases as well as the custody status of offenders held in local jails or state prisons. In addition, VINE Courts is an automated system that keeps crime victims and criminal justice professionals informed on the progress of their court case. It can be accessed 24/7 toll-free by telephone, or online.
Other court action:
•Approved consent agenda items that included the Treasurer’s list of claims and bills, payroll and budget amendments/line item transfers.
•Approved Maintenance Manager Al Peeler’s request to auction items of little or no value salvaged from the courthouse complex.
•Tabled to the Jan. 22 court meeting, were the Primary Contracts/Joint Resolution between Grimes County and the Democrat and Republican parties for the March 3, 2020, Primary Election.
•Tabled to the Jan. 22 court meeting was action to approval a proposal to preserve four original Grimes County deed books.
•Approved a waterline installation permit for Wickson Creek SUD on CR 157.
•Received a Road and Bridge report from engineer Harry Walker regarding maintenance, hauling, patching, ditch work and issues arising from the recent rain. The report included information about the FM 2445 maintenance barn, subdivision activity as well as SH 249, 2016 GLO-CDGB and Mid-South Synergy projects.
•Tabled to the Jan. 22 court meeting was action to determine project construction options for the new justice and business center.
•A Strategic Plan workshop is scheduled for Jan. 22 following the regularly scheduled commissioner court meeting.
Burn ban: The burn ban remains lifted.