HENDERSON COUNTY–Commissioners’ Court of Henderson County voted July 12 to accept a petition for creation of Emergency Services District (ESD) 13 and to set an Aug. 9 public hearing on the matter.
Those steps come before the county can put the ESD’s creation before the voters, Precinct 1 Commissioner Wendy Spivey said. County Election Administrator Paula Ludtke told the court that the county has verified signatures of registered voters.
The Texas Health and Safety Code states the petition must be signed by at least 100 qualified voters who own taxable real property in the proposed district. The election, which would be limited to voters within the ESD’s proposed boundaries, would also authorize the imposition of a tax, according to the code.
Log Cabin Fire Department Chief Cory Abbe told the court that the ESD is fully encompassed within Precinct 1, abuts other ESDs and borders the city limits of Malakoff and Caney City.
Abbe said the estimated budget for the ESD has not been completed, that petition signatures were recorded in the Clearwater Bay and Point La Vista subdivisions and also shared plans for the ESD, if the issue passes.
“We want to look into doing some compensated volunteerism for recruitment and retention,” Abbe said. “Basically it’s we train our firemen up to a specific level. Also, our firemen will actually go through the state commission training academy where they would receive their state license and then they would be compensated for their time at the station. So if they picked up, say, a 24-hour shift, we would compensate them a certain amount of money to be decided with the ESD board.”
In other business, the court:
• Approved accepting the Henderson County 911 District financial statement of income and expenditures for the fiscal year ending April 30, for filing purposes only.
• Approved an exemption for ESD 11’s annual financial statement under state law, for filing purposes only.
• Approved an interlocal cooperation contract with the Texas Department of Public Safety for county-provided personnel, which Precinct 3 Commissioner Chuck McHam said entailed a new position.
• Approved a memorandum of understanding with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission for use of county-owned facility space at 101 W. Baker St. in Athens, which McHam said is done every five years.
• Approved moving into contract negotiations with Sydaptic Inc. of Waco for surveillance equipment for the Henderson County Jail.
• Approved accepting a bid for cold mix from Texas Bid.
• Approved accepting a road materials transport bid from S&S Trucking of Athens for $165 per hour or $1,200 per day.
• Approved a right-of-way permit for Crescent Heights Water Supply Co. for its repair work on Pecan Circle, located in Shady Oaks in Precinct 1.
• Approved a replat of two lots into one within the Park Harbor subdivision, located in Precinct 2.
• Approved a final plat of the Morgan’s Funky Do Ranch, located in Precinct 4.
• Approved the payment of fiscal year 2022 bills in the amount of $393,687.53.