Commissioners agree to share
Pooling equipment, employees may save money
By Barbara Gartman
Monitor Staff Writer
KAUFMAN–In an effort to find additional savings, Kaufman County Commissioners have decided to try sharing.
“Commissioner (Precinct 3 J.C.) Jackson needs a sweeper, and instead of buying a $70,000 machine, I told him he can borrow mine,” Precinct 2 Commissioner Ray Clark said.
Commissioners all agreed and Clark furthered the idea by adding that he was not planning to hire replacements for employees who have left.
“You guys will have to help me. I will need to borrow a couple of employees when I do chip and seal,” Clark said. “I have already told my secretary she is going to be my flagger when we do our work.”
“We need to try and help each other,” Jackson agreed.
The county is looking at a large projected budget shortfall and every department is trying to come up with money-saving ideas.
Though the county’s finances rated an “unqualified” audit approval from Smith Lambright & Associates, representative Jeff Geese identified a nearly $1.6 million shortfall.
“This is still a little better than the $1.8 million we expected,” county judge Bruce Wood said.
Where the departments can, they will use attrition to keep down payroll and other costs.
Even new needed programs are getting close scrutiny from commissioners.
One such program is the curbing of overweight trucks traveling through the county, especially on State Highway 34.
Sheriff David Byrnes has offered to pay for scales with money from his department.
Commissioners agreed to fund training of at least eight constables and officers on how to use weight scales.
“It’s not a new position and it’s not a raise,” Precinct 4 Commissioner Tom Manning said.
In other business, commissioners:
• approved a request from city of Terrell for county support for a grant application seeking between $2.5 million to $4.5 million to repair the dam on the Terrell city lake, also known as Elmo Lake.
The lake was built in 1955 as a source of drinking water, but in 2007, Terrell switched to another supplier.
A study in 2010 showed some serious problems, and the dam was declared a “high hazard” dam, due to the number of structures downstream.
The deadline to submit a request for the 35 percent matching grant was Friday.
• heard IT director George York report on a software program that may be useful to commissioners.
He said he would have a recommendation in the near future.
• approved a WiFi program for the county at a cost of $1,869.83, to be paid from Law Library funds.
• heard taxes collected for the current year total 90 percent, a full 1 percent higher than the same period last year.
• accepted the treasurer’s report for February as presented by Johnny Countryman.
• approved travel arrangements for County Clerk Laura Hughes to attend the Tyler Connect User conference.
Most of the costs will be covered, as the county is a 2010 Tyler Public Sector Excellence Award winner.
• approved the appointments of board members for Emergency Service District No. 1.
Two-year term members are Don Becker, David Cluck and Gene McKinney; one-year term members are George Mayfield and Steve Robertson.
• allowed a contract with Linebarger, Groggin, Blair and Sampson LLP for collection of fines and fees to continue through Sept. 30, with a preview in August.
At that time, the current contract, which has been in force since June, 2005, will be examined and commissioners will decide whether to go out for bids.
• approved a four-year bond for Hughes.
• paid bills totaling $779,902.42.

Kemp supervisor takes Kerens Postmaster job
By Sam Epps
Monitor Staff Writer
KERENS–The Kerens Post Office got a new postmaster recently.
Nate Witcher has taken the helm at the Kerens Post Office, after spending the past four years as a supervisor at the Kemp Post Office.
Witcher has been with the United States Postal Service for 15 years, beginning in Lancaster, where he was a carrier for nine years.
He then moved into management, and eventually moved to a South Dallas office, before transferring to Kemp.
He is 49 years old, married and has five children.
Witcher seeks to work his way up the ranks to become a district supervisor, preferably in this district.
He arrived at Kerens knowing he had his work cut out for him.
“I was expecting to start off doing remodeling and cleaning and upgrading of the post office here,” Witcher said.
“(Former postmaster) Wanda (Curry) took care of that before I got here,” he added, noting that she really made his job that much easier.
The Kerens Post Office recently got a significant makeover, including a new coat of paint on the walls, cleaned and buffed floors, obsolete equipment was moved out to make room for updated items and most of the ceiling tiles were replaced in the work area.
In addition to the superficial improvements that make the office look better and feel more “professional,” Curry also made sure the electrical system got revamped and updated, and the air conditioning system was repaired and upgraded as well.
Witcher’s immediate goals in Kerens also include cross-training the employees “to help them advance and get ahead,” he said.

Three police officers dismissed
Bubba Powell submits resignation from Seven Points city council
By Barbara Gartman
Monitor Staff Writer
SEVEN POINTS–Following an unspecified meeting Tuesday in the Seven Points council chambers, two police officers, Raymond Wennerstrom and Wayne Nutt, Jr., and dispatcher Kathleen Barker were dismissed.
Wennerstrom was suspended on Nov. 1, 2010, during a controversial dress code confrontation.
With the dismissal of the three, plus one more mystery position, the city now has four openings to be filled.
A dispatcher who just completed police academy training resigned and will be taking a position with the Payne Springs Police Department, Police Chief Curt Koger explained.
He said he will need to replace that man and he needs one more to replace Barker.
But Mayor Joe Dobbs said he is not concerned over the shortage.
“We have a stack full of applications from people who want to join our police department,” he said.
Lieutenant Mike Tayem is still on administrative leave pending a federal and state investigation and Dobbs said he couldn’t comment on the pending disposition, so the question remains whether Tayem could be the fourth opening or not.
Koger explained he is allowed nine fulltime paid positions, including himself.
“The loss of two officers leaves me with seven and with Mike (Tayem) out, I am down to six,” Koger said.
However, he said he still is able to cover all neighborhoods.
Koger also added that by state law he still has seven days to make the dismissals final.
Dobbs emphasized that he is concerned citizens have a police department they can trust.
“I want officers who will treat our citizens fairly. I want them to treat everybody the same until given a cause to do otherwise,” he explained.
Koger is in charge of the hiring and interviewing, Dobbs said.
“I have complete confidence in my chief to run the department in a professional manner,” he added.
Dobbs made another announcement.
“Bubba Powell turned in his resignation on the city council earlier this week,” he said.
“But I’m not sure how he chose to resign from a position that he has already vacated,” Dobbs said.

 

 

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