HENDERSON COUNTY–Commissioners’ Court of Henderson County voted Sept. 20 to enter private property and remove brush and dirt on the edge of its right-of-way on Welch Lane in Gun Barrel City for construction of a 20-by-20-foot bridge within the county’s jurisdiction.
“The area that we’re going to be taking out is the trees that are there on the edge of the right-of-way,” Precinct 2 Commissioner Scott Tuley said. The commissioner explained there’s a water source that drains via a county culvert that goes underneath a private road, going further underground to connect to Cedar Creek Lake.
“We’ve had some bubbling areas in there, so to take it all out, we felt it would be better to install a bridge here,” added Tuley, who said he believes the concrete culverts have split underground, causing flooding. During construction, the county will build a temporary road on the west side of the road, according to Tuley.
“We believe this 20 by 20 bridge is going to be a great addition to help drain a lot of water off of these three additions: Oak Harbor, Tanglewood and Beautiful Shores,” Tuley said.
The court also approved a notice of election to be held Nov. 8. County Election Administrator Paula Ludtke said voting is moving to Beacon Church of Christ in Gun Barrel City, located behind Gun Barrel City Hall, because the city hall “is a little congested, I think it’s going to be a little bit busier.” Ludtke said the church has plenty of parking, also.
“It should be a very easy transition,” stated Ludtke, who said there would be extra signage to direct voters to the correct polling place. The City of Gun Barrel City also will assist in efforts to direct voters to the church, which is situated just north of city hall.
Also as part of the above notice of election action, the voting site at Murchison ISD was moved from the library to the cafeteria, according to Ludtke.
The court also approved a first amended order of election to be held Nov. 8. Ludtke told the court another early voting location was added, located in Brownsboro ISD (at Faith Baptist Church).
Further approved were interlocal agreements for the county to conduct elections for Malakoff, Brownsboro, Cross Roads, LaPoynor and Trinidad ISDs, the cities of Athens, Coffee City, Murchison, Tool and Trinidad along with Lake View Management and Development District (the Long Cove subdivision north of Malakoff).
In other business, the court:
• Approved an interlocal agreement between Henderson County and Smith County for the East Texas Auto Theft Task Force, which Sheriff Botie Hillhouse said would cost almost $15,000 for Henderson County’s portion for an investigator.
• Approved a contract with the Office of the Attorney General for the fiscal year 2023 Statewide Automated Victim Notification Service (SAVNS) Grant Award.
• Approved a contract with APPRISS for the maintenance of fiscal year 2023 SAVNS data, with the fee covered by the aforementioned grant award.
• Heard from the new Athens Clinic Director of the Andrews Center, Allison Booth Treadwell.
• Approved a contract with Integrated Prescription Management to help manage indigent pharmacy management services, at no cost to the county.
• Approved a right-of-way permit for Bethel-Ash Water Supply Corp. to bore under Valley View Drive, in Precinct 3.
• Approved a right-of-way permit for Leagueville Water Supply Corp. to bore under County Road 4330, in Precinct 4.
• Approved a replat of lots in Sand Ratch Estates, in Precinct 1.
• Approved the final plat for Cornerstone Estates, in Precinct 3.
• Approved the payment of August sales tax bills in the amount of $1,469.13.
• Approved the payment of fiscal year 2022 bills in the amount of $185,870.21.