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County to change land records
system
By Pearl Cantrell
Monitor Staff Writer
ATHENS–Henderson County Commissioners are reviewing a contract with a
new vendor to provide a land records management system.
Though the county has been using ASC for years, the company’s weakening
condition with layoffs and being up for sale has been effecting the
quality of its service to the county, County Clerk Gwen Moffeit told
commissioners Tuesday.
“There have been errors being made that shouldn’t be made. And my office
is doing half their work for them and we’re paying them,” Moffeit said.
Land records dating back to June, 1967, are indexed and available on
five viewers in the county basement through ASC.
The proposed new vendor is Eagle Software through Tyler Technologies.
Based in Colorado, Eagle sent a representative some weeks back to go
over the features of its system, which includes a cashiering ability to
ease service to title companies, Moffeit said.
IT manager Betty Spence and the IT committee have worked closely with
Moffeit over the last two months to procure a suitable replacement for
ACS.
“Van Zandt and Hunt counties are the latest to also switch to Eagle,”
Moffeit said.
Commissioners carefully questioned Moffeit and Spencer on the proposed
change because the county’s land records are a very valuable resource to
all its citizens.
The current three-year contract with ASC expires Dec. 6, when the court
will meet next to vote on the contract.
“I just don’t feel comfortable with this. I haven’t had time to review
it and I have lots of questions,” Precinct 1 Commissioner Joe Hall said.
Precinct 3 Commissioner Ronny Lawrence agreed. “I’ve only now gotten a
chance to review the contract,” he said.
County Judge David Holstein reminded commissioners that the contract is
backed with the recommendation of the IT committee, and was passed
through the county attorney with approval.
Though it will be cutting it close, the commissioners tabled the item to
the Dec. 6 meeting.
“Van Zandt’s county clerk said the transition to the new system was
rough in the beginning, but they are happy they made the change,”
Moffeit said.
In other business, commissioners:
• reappointed Larry Moran and Tamra Brickey to two-year terms ending
Dec. 31, 2010, on the Emergency Services District No. 4.
• designated $17,377 in grant money from the State Criminal Alien
Assistance Program to training of correctional officers, as recommended
by Deputy Chief Kevin Haynes.
• authorized giving 8,000 square feet of roofing material removed from
the fair grounds arena to precincts 1 and 2, totaling 16,000 square feet
in all.
• announced their intent to appoint a member to the Andrews Center Board
of Trustees. Those interested in the opportunity to serve should call
their commissioner or county judge.
• accepted bids for two lots in private subdivision Lake Shadows in Gun
Barrel City for $1,023 and a bid for a lot in Oak Harbor for $500.
• paid bills totalling $147,122.61.
Malakoff man dies in wreck
Monitor Staff Reports
BROWNSBORO–A one-car rollover just outside Brownsboro early Nov. 22
resulted in the death of the driver.
Joseph Andrew Perez, 21, of Malakoff was pronounced dead at the scene
soon after 5 a.m.
According to a Department of Public Safety reports, Perez was driving
toward Brownsboro on State Highway 31 about a mile and a half from the
city when his pickup truck veered off the road. Perez then overcorrected
and lost control. The pickup rolled over several times before coming to
rest.
Perez was a 2005 Malakoff High School graduate who participated in track
and field, football and rodeo.
Restaurant damaged in fire
Monitor Staff Reports
GUN BARREL CITY–A late night fire Monday heavily damaged La Hacienda
Restaurant on East Main Street in Gun Barrel City.
Shortly after closing, police working a car accident at the intersection
saw smoke and alerted the fire department, fire chief Joey Lindaman told
The Monitor.
“The building had been there a while and had been added on to, so we
knew we had our work cut out for us,” Lindaman said.
Besides Gun Barrel City, units from Mabank and Payne Springs also
responded.
Between 35 and 40 firefighters participated with eight pieces of
equipment.
Most of the fire was out by midnight, though the scene wasn’t cleared
until 3 a.m. following mopping-up operations.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, but no foul play was
indicated from preliminary findings, Lindaman reported. |