JUDGE: Making progress for the future in Milam County
When 2023 started and the new Commissioners Court took office, there were many items on our campaign list that we are dedicated to working hard on to prepare for the growth in the county. This week is exciting as we are moving on the completion of several of them and making some real progress on the infrastructure plans that will bring Milam County up to par with surrounding counties and help guide us in the future.
Working in the oil field in other counties over the years, concepts like New Driveway Applications, Temporary Water Line Permits, and CDL programs for county employees have been normal parts of doing business in those counties, but not in Milam County – Until Now.
The Application for Entrance on a County Road, aka Driveway Application, has been in place for a few months and has greatly helped the commissioners better plan the road work they need to do, allow for better water drainage off the roadways, and has also helped several folks keep their new driveways from being placed in unsafe locations. We are also adding a provision to help ensure that residents have their driveways marked well so that emergency services can find their locations.
The Temporary Water Line Permit is an application usually related to oil field operations, but also some construction operations. It allows these companies to lay temporary water lines in the county road rights-of-way and to cross the county roads ensuring that these companies and their service companies are safely laying the lines. It generates funds for the precinct road and bridge department by charging a fee for the use of the right-of-way as well as the crossing of the county roads and it will also provide a set of conditions and rules to regulate the usage of the right-of-way thereby helping to protect the use of county roads for us all.
Finding CDL qualified Drivers is an issue, not only in Milam County, but in other counties and in the private sector as well. The new CDL Program will allow us to take some of our current and future county road and bridge personnel and get them qualified. With the lack of qualified CDL drivers available, the Commissioners Court felt it necessary for the county to create a means that will pay for qualified employees to attain the CDL License. After they acquire the license, they will be required to work for the county for a specific time period. This program should work in helping Milam County to add to the number of qualified drivers for the county and will help our county employees become more productive for our community.
We have other items we are working on, but these three items are already having a positive effect on our future and our roadways. The safety and security of our folks are the first priority of county government, and the Milam County Commissioners Court take that responsibility very serious. These programs will help create a structure that allows our county commissioners to better plan their road work, handle water movement along the rights-of-way, control erosion issues, manage road crossings, and have more flexibility with a greater number of qualified crewmen that will greatly enhance the commissioners’ ability to keep our roadways as safe and secure as possible.
It is definitely a work in progress, but we are dedicated to making that progress for the betterment of us all.