Commissioners discuss emergency management

Milam County Judge Bill Whitmire said the county will remain under a burn ban until further notice during Tuesday’s Commissioners Court meeting. There was not enough rain last week to remove the ban.

Whitmire also said during judge’s comments that the county is looking into fixing issues with Code Red in the county after the system issued an alert to the whole county during an active shooter issue last week in Cameron.

Commissiners held five interviews for Emergency Services District Board on Nov. 12 and 13 to select two new board members.

The big topic of the meeting was emergency management.

Commissioners discussed issues with emergency management and how to deal with funding radios and dispatch communications in the county.

The county has been working to get all first responders on the same communications and fund new radios for fire, police and sheriff’s office. 

“I am concerned about the money. We really don’t know what entity is responsible for what. We need it, but we all need to be on the same page if we are going to do it,” Precinct 4 Commissioner Wesley Payne said. 

Whitmire said that right now each entity has a different idea of what needs to be done and everyone needs to be on the same page. 

The cost of each radio will be between $8,000 and $10,000.

Commissioners voted to table the discussion until a workshop can be held with city officials and fire chiefs to determine how to fund the new radios.

They also tabled the hiring of a Fire Marshall for the county until they could sort out which department the office should be housed under.

In other business commissioners also: approved a final plat for Shallow Creek Ranches subdivision; approved the purchase of Board Book software to use for creating Commissioners Court agendas; approved permission and entry and waiver of claims for Troy Lightfoot on CR 215, Agnes Kostroun on CR 147 and Thomas Kostroun on CR 147; approved going out for bids on concrete low water crossings at various locations in Precinct 1; approved MOUs between Milam County and each of the five ISD’s in the county as presented by Emergency Management; tabled an amendment to the tax abatement agreement between Milam County and Sandow Lakes Ranch Solar.