County EA to train youth election workers

Grimes County Commissioners Court took steps to prepare the next generation of election workers at its Sept. 21 Regular Meeting. Commissioners approved the request of Election Administrator Lucy Ybarra to employ young adult workers within the Grimes County Elections and Voter Registration departments through school-approved programs. The participants ages 16-18 would be solicited from all four Grimes County school districts - Anderson-Shiro, Iola, Navasota and Richards.

Ybarra said, “The goal here is to establish people and young adults that are interested in elections and establish more workers in our community that will stay and participate and work for longer periods of time. We know that a lot of our workers are aging out and we’re having a hard time filling those polls.”

She continued, “This also gets our kids involved. It gets them interested in economics and local things going on and makes them buy in a little more.” According to Ybarra, the first school they will partner with is Iola ISD which already has an organized group, the Young Republicans, but she confirmed the youth worker program is not party-specific. Ybarra added that she has been approached by the Democrat party about a similar group.

Youth workers will have to meet the county’s I-9 requirements and will be paid $10 per hour. She plans to employ them during the upcoming early voting and on Election Day.

Ybarra said, “Internships have proven time and again to either start kids on a career pathway or give them the skills to get into something fulltime. I think as a local government this is a good way for us to give back and get new workers. It’s a plus on both sides.”

VFD contracts

Commissioners approved the 2022-2023 firefighting service contracts with the volunteer fire departments in Anderson, Bedias, Iola, Plantersville, Richards, Shiro, Todd Mission and Whitehall. The only change is the amount of the quarterly stipend which increased the maximum $37,500 to $40,000. According to County Judge Joe Fauth, six of the eight VFDs are at the Tier 4 level and will receive $40,000 paid quarterly. Payments are issued at the beginning of the quarter based on the tier level at the beginning of the quarter. The run stipend for tone-outs is $50,000 and will be divided among the seven VFDs based on the runs by each VFD and paid at the end of the fiscal year.

Other court action:

•Approved Consent Agenda items which included a waterline installation permit for Wickson Creek SUD on CR 179, the Treasurer’s list of claims and bills, payroll and budget amendments and/or line-item transfers.

•Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Agent Kyla Moeller presented a 4-H Proclamation recognizing Oct. 2-8 as 4-H Week in Texas.

•Approved Amendment #2 to the Health Services Agreement with Southern Health Partners, Inc. and rate increase, as requested by GCSO Deputy Chief Todd Greene, and authorize the county judge as signatory.

•Awarded the Grimes County Justice and Business Center Water and Sewer Line Expansion contract to Cervantes Construction in the amount of $70,500.

•Approved renewal of the American Fire Protection Inspection Agreement.

•Rescheduled the 2022-23 contract with Grimes County Emergency Medical First Responders, Inc. to Oct. 5.

•Approved the 2023 GCSO and Constables Fees, adding Writ of Execution for $100 and Writ of Possession for $150.

•After a public hearing with no comments against, approved the replat of King Oaks Sect. 3, Lots 416 and 417 into one 2-acre lot.

•Approved the plat of the Brushy Oaks Subdivision on Bogota Drive off FM 244 from one 10-acre lot to two 5-acre lots.

•Approved extension of the Heise Trucking, LLC hauling contract for one year.

•Rescinded the Aug. 29 approved funding source for the county clerk’s storage shelves to pay from restricted funds.

•Approved the Subrecipient Agreement with Brazos Valley Area on Aging for home delivered meals at $9.81 each.

•Approved the 2023 contract for SAVNS (Statewide Automated Victims Notification Services) with Appriss Insight, LLC, now TALX Corporation, and authorize the county judge as signatory.

•Approved the restructuring of the Fairgrounds Manager position related to delegation of duties and responsibilities by the Maintenance Department.

•Scheduled anARPA(America Rescue Plan Act) workshop for Oct. 26.

•Approved amending payment for portable curbside voting machines from ARPA funds to $16,999 to cover $525 invoiced above the previously approved cost.

•Approved extending ARPA overrun for completion of the 2021-2022 paving project to 2022-2023.

•R&B Engineer Harry Walker suggested discussion was needed regarding the future of county buildings in downtown Anderson.

•After meeting in Executive Session pursuant to Texas Local Government Code 242.001 about the City of College Station’s request about an agreement regarding the regulation of subdivisions in the portion of its extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) within Grimes County, the court took no action.

•After meeting in Executive Session pursuant to Texas Local Government Code 242.001, commissioners approved an Interlocal Agreement with the City of Plantersville regarding the regulation of subdivisions within its municipal boundaries and/ or its ETJ and approved an Interlocal Agreement with the City of Plantersville and any other municipality excluding the City of Navasota and for those municipalities to apply for Grimes County Subdivision Rules and Regulations for the ETJ only and must not be within the actual city limits of that municipality.

Public comments:

•Shiro Volunteer Fire Department Fire Chief Dan Sharron expressed concern about the status of water lines and hydrants for fire suppression between Tenaska and Bedias.

Burn Ban: The burn ban remains lifted.