Tax Assessor/Collector Jan Parrish and County Clerk Sandra Roblez meet with Commissioners Court
The Commissioners Court met in regular session on Monday, November 7, where they addressed their regular agenda in a session that consumed more than an hour and a half.
The two main items that took up the majority of the time was a discussion of setting fees for road crossing permits. They also listened to Denny Walker of North American Analytical Laboratories proposal of becoming the consultant for Yoakum County (and Denver City) for asbestos abatement and project manager for the demolition of the Civic Center building in Denver City.
In discussing setting fees for road crossing permits, Precinct 3 Commissioner Ty Earl Powell was very adamant that he did not want additional fees placed on Yoakum County tax payers. “We already tax them enough, I am very much against this proposal,” Powell said.
County Judge Jim Barron noted he felt like since the Court approves so many of these request to bore lines under county roads or in some cases to dig ditches to lay pipe lines a fee should be administered.
Commissioner Tim Addison noted these companies are paying $100 a rod (a unit of measurement equivalent to 5 ½ yards or 16 ½ feet) and after calculating a right of way, which he said could be up to 80 feet, the land owner would receive approximately $484.
The entire Commissioners court agreed that there would be no digging of ditches across any paved road in the county. “There is no way that road would ever be the same after repairs if a ditch was dug across it,” Commissioner Woody Lindsey said. Commissioner Ray Marion echoed those sentiments and added, “Even caliche roads are not the same.”
After more discussions took place a motion was made by Addison that with the approval of the Precinct Commissioner a fee of $250 would be levied on a line that was bored and a fee of $500 would be levied on a ditch through a right of way. The motion was approved with Powell casting the lone negative vote.
The effective date would be November 7, 2016, which was the day it was approved. The Court also said after paper work would be picked up in the County Judge’s office and the fee would be paid to the office of County Treasurer Barbara Wright before any work could proceed.
Moving on to the discussion of the abatement and demolition of the Civic Center building Walker spent a considerable amount of time discussing his ideas about the abatement as well as his company being the consultant for the project.
Walker told the Court the County and the City needed a consultant to look over bids for both the abatement and demolition before awarding those bids and proceeding with the project. Commissioner Lindsey told Walker he has received four bids for both the abatement and demolition, three bids for just the demolition, and one bid for just the abatement.
Walker also noted a company that he had worked with in previous demolition projects had looked over the facility in Denver City and noted the work could be completed in 30 days, 35 days for sure. Commissioner Addison asked if 40 days would be possible, giving the company an extra 5 to 10 days, “Absolutely!” Walker said.
County Auditor Darinda D. McWhirter informed the Court they didn’t need to go out for bids when selecting a consultants.
Walker said his fee would be $650 a day. Bids in the range of $250,000 are expected to be approved during the November 14 meeting.
The Court informed him they wanted to get the project started as soon as possible. Commissioners Lindsey and Marion took this information to the City Council meeting later that day.
Both the County and the City of Denver City have joined ownership of the former elementary building which was turned into the Civic Center building that formerly housed many county offices as well as the Denver City Museum. Each entity has set aside funds in their annual budget for the abatement and demolition of the facility.
The former TG&Y building on the corner of Main and 2nd street in Denver City was renovated and is now used to house those same county offices. The City constructed a new museum on the corner of Avenue B and 2nd street to house the City’s artifacts.
Yoakum County Agrilife Agent Bubba Lamolinare was in attendance once again and presented a Memorandum of Understanding between Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service and Yoakum County for a two year period. Judge Barron said this Memorandum was presented each year and basically outlined the responsibilities of each party.
Lamolinare also informed the Court that the 4H Gold Star Banquet would be held in Lubbock on November 21. He went on to say Brian Welch of Denver City had been nominated as an outstanding family worker and would be receiving an award at the banquet.
The Court also unanimously approved a petition to Oxy to bore, lay, construct, install, occupy, use, operate, maintain, repair, replace or remove pipeline under County Road 315. This is in Precinct #1.
The Court also accepted a memorial for Patricia Monnett and Lela Warren from Dolores Davis to the Plains Library.
Tax Assessor/Collector Jan Parrish was in attendance where she presented the delinquent tax roll. According to her report the Yoakum County’s Delinquent Tax Roll Total is $112,573 and the Yoakum County FC&LR Delinquent Tax Roll Total is $18,121.
The Yoakum County tax levy for the year of 2016 is $13,180,454 and the Yoakum County FC&LR tax levy for the same year is $2,603,340 was a total of all entities $42,116,575. Parrish informed the Court the County collects just over 99% of the total taxes due.
District Clerk Sandra Roblez was also in attendance to request a $3,000 increase in Part-Time Salary from contingency fund. This request was unanimously approved.
There were no request for the disposal of county equipment, 13 line item transfers, and no Soil Conservation request.
Commissioner Marion noted the pad for the new Denver City Community has been raised about 3 inches and the footings should be poured as soon as the grounds dried up from the recent rain falls.
And in the last item Yoakum County Librarian Pat McNabb was present to give a report on the Denver City Cecil Bickley Library (see adjoining article).
The Court then audited and settled all accounts against the County and directed their payment.
Commissioners Woody Lindsey, Ray Marion, Ty Earl Powell, and Tim Addison along with Judge Jim Barron were all in attendance.
The next meeting will be held on Monday, November 14, in the County Courthouse starting at 10 am.
