Wood County Commissioners Court
Short Meeting on June 15th handles several items
BY Sheilah Pepper

Wood County Commissioners dispatched June 15th their agenda quickly in a meeting that lasted just over 15 minutes. Pct. 3 Commissioner Roger Pace chaired the session in the absence of County Judge Bryan Jeanes.

The commissioners voted to reappoint Ed Baker to a second term on the Wood County Industrial Commission, at the request of Hawkins Mayor Sam Bradley. Baker’s term was expiring in August.
 

County resident Ron Walenta thanked the commissioners for their prompt action on “a public safety issue on a road. Within three days they had 30 mile speed limit signs up.” The road is CR 2234.
 

Commissioners heard a brief presentation from Jalayne Robinson of the Wood County District Attorney’s Office with regard to the VINE program. VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) is a program that provides basic information on jailed suspects/offenders and their scheduled court events. It notifies registered users of changes in jail status and court events. This is a free service for crime victims and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week in English or Spanish. The commissioners voted to renew the VINE annual grant for fiscal 2008.
 

The commissioners also voted to approve the creation of a Board of Adjustment for the Wood County Airport. This board will put in place an appeals process with regard to any disagreement about structures at and around the airport area that might be affecting citizens, according to Wood County Economic Development Director Gary McKinley, and Wood County Airport President Wayne Collins. The board members are Joe Parrish, Alice Tomerlin, E.F. ‘Bo’ Whitus, Bill Power and Tim Jackson.
 

The court also approved the payment of overtime from JAG to the Wood County Sheriff’s Office in the amount of $1,785.54. Sheriff Dwaine Daugherty told the commissioners that the hours are the result of overtime incurred during holiday periods involving the volume of incidents of vandalism and drugs, particularly in the Lake Fork area.
 

Commissioners also set July 27th as the date to hold a public hearing to discuss and take action on the closing of a portion of CR 1950. Pct. 1 Commissioner Roy Don Shipp said he had “no problem” with the closing of 654 feet of the road.
 

Commissioners also heard the following personnel actions: Thomas Homer Hickman, recycle tech, Upper Sabine Valley SWMD - separation for failure to report to work or call in; Olice Cleo McLain, new hire as recycle tech for the above position; Perry Donald Miller and Tommy Alvin Snow, and Leon Jimmy Musick, hired as a temporary seasonal workers at $9/hour, road & bridge for Pct. 3.
 

In other business, the commissioners approved a payroll of $245,382.58. They also approved claims of $134,301.25 for health insurance, $53,679.52 claims paid, and $284,029.74 account payable; approved copier contracts for the sheriff’s department and the county clerk’s office; approved a donation to the sheriff’s department for two K-9 bulletproof vests for the drug-sniffing dogs in the amount of $2,069.60; approved an interlocal agreement with the Yantis ISD for improvements to the school grounds and approved a non-financial cooperative agreement with the East Texas Workforce Center.