[{"_1":2,"_97":-5,"_98":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":56,"_68":69,"_70":56,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6209665,"mediaKeyId","3734177-ed6daed56143ba2053dfff44456ab10a","parentId",3734177,"title","Commissioners approve interlocal amendment, clear path to hire engineer for Concho stormwater project","audioSeconds",927,"startMs",1781000,"endMs",2708000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3734177-ed6daed56143ba2053dfff44456ab10a&start=1781&end=2708","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3734177-ed6daed56143ba2053dfff44456ab10a/thumbnail_1781000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6209665/Aransas-County/Texas/Commissioners-approve-interlocal-amendment-clear-path-to-hire-engineer-for-Concho-stormwater-project","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6209665-fc5f4581caab80a0b20fc55dd66ec042/orig.mp4?Expires=1775571029&Signature=QT1vrDfvdnZUwgt7exoNJpDDatEfRHT9C9OEYIxaHebOyKC1rZmH4KzKPPDfemwhpCu4go1INtdiuXkm8Ounj3jn3yESPYjulfBP4UxodxUiTIPmD3wnrbCuJeC9Wg8cIURoBLw5w-gIp0A-ELdUyPF8OfQgd3yY6SETRyZcKDZ2SQ4JR9UnwGbX4Bs7L2BiXxtG~iukLC6PVwVvSAqmc796bfPdY1S~ypWhqThvbh-Gpyf~euMc0qBY4te9HJwRseIMz~jjm-k--UBLBls5lVZnEprqBfBkiMIq-hh753-DgdA~psKr11J~rx-Epiv7lhmBDXsnw~gJIGBHXTdvgA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Aransas County, Texas","date","2025-06-10T08:28:59.497Z","article","Aransas County Commissioners Court on a unanimous vote approved an amendment to an April interlocal agreement with the City of Rockport and the Aransas County Navigation District that clarifies how the three parties will select and contract engineers and share cooperative-purchasing resources for a stormwater management project around the Fort Harvey/Concho area. The court then accepted the stormwater technical committee’s recommendation and authorized hiring the top-ranked engineering firm to complete the design phase of the Concho stormwater drainage project.

Why it matters: The action clears an administrative hurdle county staff said was necessary to move from planning into engineering design before the June engineering deadline. County and Nav District officials said completing design work is the next step before any construction commitments or grant-funded purchases are made.

The court debated whether approving the amendment now exposes the county to risk if the other parties later change terms or decline to proceed. Tim Tuggie, attorney for the Aransas County Navigation District, urged approval to keep the project on schedule and said the April interlocal already provides some authority; the amendment mainly expands and clarifies engineering provisions. “I would urge you to go ahead and approve this,” Tuggie told the court. Judy Velasic, who represents Precinct 1A on the Navigation District, said the item has been discussed for years and urged moving forward on the engineering portion: “We do need to move forward with the engineering portion of it…we need to get going on something like this.”

County staff explained the amendment shortens procurement time by allowing use of the county’s general engineering pool and cooperative purchasing accounts so the parties can meet a 60-day target to engage a firm. Commissioners pressed for assurance that selecting an engineer now commits the county only to the design phase; staff and counsel said any construction decision would return to each governing body for separate approval. “As a practical matter, if you approve this right now, all you’re doing really is committing to the design piece of that engineering engagement,” the Nav District’s counsel said.

Following presentations from the stormwater technical committee, the court voted to accept the committee’s top-ranked firm (recorded in the meeting as “half” engineers) and then approved a related hiring resolution to authorize the firm contract. The record shows the selection and related hiring resolution passed unanimously.

What’s next: With the design firm engaged, the commissioners, city and nav district will receive preliminary designs and cost estimates; any decision to proceed to construction or to accept grant-funded purchases will require separate approvals by the parties. County staff noted a mutual deadline for the engineer engagement and asked the court to approve now so work can begin on items tied to the engineer’s scope.

Votes at a glance
- Motion to approve amendment to interlocal cooperative agreement with City of Rockport and Aransas County Navigation District (to clarify engineering selection, cooperative purchasing and support for grant applications): approved, unanimous (Commissioners Cheney, Castorlein, Russo, Dupnik and County Judge voted Aye).
- Motion to accept the stormwater technical committee recommendation and select the top-ranked engineering firm for professional engineering services associated with the Concho stormwater drainage project: approved, unanimous.
- Motion to approve hiring resolution to authorize contracting with the selected engineering firm: approved, unanimous.

Speakers who spoke on this topic included Tim Tuggie (attorney for the Aransas County Navigation District), Judy Velasic (Navigation District commissioner, Precinct 1A), Jack Wright (citizen), county engineering staff and members of the stormwater technical committee. The court’s county engineer and the Nav District’s attorney explained procurement and next steps, and multiple commissioners voiced support contingent on returning for construction approvals.

Ending note: County staff and the Nav District said any outstanding amendment language not related to the engineering provisions can be renegotiated and brought back to the court, and that the immediate objective is to secure the engineering work required to advance grants and planning work for the Concho/Fort Harvey drainage improvements.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Regular Commissioners Court - 06/09/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Aransas County Commissioners Court on a unanimous vote approved an amendment to an April interlocal agreement with the City of Rockport and the Aransas County Navigation District and authorized hiring the top-ranked engineering firm to begin design work for the Concho stormwater drainage project.","taxTitle","taxId",28922,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":56,"_68":69,"_70":56,"_71":72,"_73":72},6209657,"Commissioners adopt DBE program to qualify airport for BIL funding, designate auditor for administrative reconsideration",627,661000,1288000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3734177-ed6daed56143ba2053dfff44456ab10a&start=661&end=1288","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3734177-ed6daed56143ba2053dfff44456ab10a/thumbnail_661000.jpg","/articles/6209657/Aransas-County/Texas/Commissioners-adopt-DBE-program-to-qualify-airport-for-BIL-funding-designate-auditor-for-administrative-reconsideration","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6209657-c6456e08fe427f070379c730fd95ae7c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775571029&Signature=WMWupnynnw9kJbiz5ogXe8aMnmJ2OcxeMCQyxCDPK12wpuxXcUXz3FsFElrFeq3oEC7KDtfbJxa8ILyts~LQYvOgiI5p8Mm1cyAJXNdTYePO08~xixAcllRx5EdG58~PmXeqFjFqGpgFg8IvGWk-Rw6QrHQJRb3cqOQ-Kn9VAidL-J2FjvMPtNspVz0xIkjXQ9q57Uo9dDIzNHkW8z0pkw6QQUgn45Mxe5E0C6LAHlCHoBK2iOluSh0EEq7FR9l4GSNhIc~uz1kBkS-WDem1Az0zJsYlwXm0e1LuKVtSEi~Q5uuUOrjXSUEaGbT1T8qe8PMUAIhAq~RcOYqMlKoS3Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Aransas County Commissioners unanimously approved a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program prepared by the Selco Group (recorded in the meeting as Selco/Soko) to satisfy U.S. Department of Transportation requirements and qualify the county airport for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) grant funding. The court also designated the county contracts procurement specialist as the DBE liaison officer and amended the administrative-reconsideration officer from a county-attorney-office representative to the county auditor’s office (recorded as a position rather than a specific name).

Why it matters: The DBE program is a precondition for certain federal aviation grants; county staff said they have programmed approximately $1.3 million in BIL funds for airport projects over five years and indicated an immediate target is replacement/relocation of the airport fuel farm.

Discussion and clarifications
County staff and the consultant described the DBE liaison officer (DBLO) role and the administrative-reconsideration process. Kelvin (identified in the record as Kelvin Selco/Soko of the Selco Group) outlined duties: “the DBE liaison officer is, of course, the primary overseer of all the women, and minority owned firm activities, progress, etcetera, etcetera.” He explained the administrative-reconsideration person is a second-level contact a firm can use if an issue with the DBLO is not resolved, using as an example payment disputes.

Commissioners raised points about where the DBLO should report and whether the administrative-reconsideration function should sit in the auditor’s office or county attorney’s office. The draft document mistakenly listed the City of Rockport mayor as the DBE liaison’s direct contact; staff corrected that to the county judge. The court amended the program to record the administrative-reconsideration officer as the county auditor (position), and staff agreed to provide the auditor’s contact information to the consultant.

Action taken
The court voted to authorize the county judge to sign the DBE program, designate the county contracts procurement specialist as DBLO, and record the county auditor as the administrative-reconsideration officer (position). The vote was unanimous.

Ending: County staff said the DBE program is flexible and can be revised later if personnel change; staff will proceed to register the project and DBE plan in TxDOT and federal grant portals.
","The court approved a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program required by federal regulations to make the county-owned airport eligible for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grants, assigned the DBE liaison role to the county contracts procurement specialist and designated the county auditor’s office as the administrative-reconsideration point.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":79,"_47":91,"_49":92,"_51":93,"_53":94,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":95,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":96,"_67":56,"_68":69,"_70":56,"_71":72,"_73":72},6209660,"Aransas County Commissioners approve emergency screwworm resolution, tax exemption increase and multiple routine items",1032,256000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3734177-ed6daed56143ba2053dfff44456ab10a&start=256&end=1288","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3734177-ed6daed56143ba2053dfff44456ab10a/thumbnail_256000.jpg","/articles/6209660/Aransas-County/Texas/Aransas-County-Commissioners-approve-emergency-screwworm-resolution-tax-exemption-increase-and-multiple-routine-items","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6209660-3b984ef53f401965c588c6347297ec5f/orig.mp4?Expires=1775571029&Signature=Upb~OfuJRawCRN3VWmtEofSrr8zBJvtIQJWdCJSDpyGB~b3J9gN-GvcxO9NEItyQSz0vYTpDha0wGiOQRyQEefsO2xD0Lc8IxT-mIL~e5~-5e2tIonG1G9XOjfl5y3dkO0kesroLg2VryJXF5J5lcn5b2nakwELzEqs4f1c7EihJz7yJgy3sSQ1VJAwx-D-XfWjiMPA24VKlIJLZecrclT8R7CV6Ec~CMYk-HAQ4Adku8WPZ6Z29DAukX6Kv9gfU5x~omfeHTBbJ0m97KIWwO9oKxhuL-XJQ0dEKR0lmzzyb0Ic8G7k0RhNesn8taSUNdfjpgyrrj6uiRWgCZuUBTg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Aransas County Commissioners Court on a series of unanimous votes approved a resolution asking federal and state authorities to act on the New World screwworm threat, adopted a higher residential homestead exemption, authorized contracts and routine administrative actions, and tabled one personnel-policy update.

Resolution on New World screwworm
The court adopted Resolution R-22-2025, which the record describes as “requesting that the state of Texas and the federal government take immediate action to combat the spread of an invasive insect known in the record as the New World screwworm.” The resolution, read into the record, calls on the president and federal agencies to expedite production and distribution of ivermectin dry premix, to convert federal facilities to breed sterile screwworm flies, and to urge USDA and FDA emergency authorization for certain feed premix. The motion passed unanimously; Commissioners Cheney, Castorlein, Russo, Dupnik and County Judge voted Aye.

Other votes and approvals
- Order O-06-2025: Abandon and vacate a 20-foot platted alleyway in Block 269, the Manning Addition — approved, unanimous.
- Contract for architectural services for the aquarium project with Garza Bomburger and Associates; county judge authorized to execute documents — approved, unanimous.
- (Item 5 covered in separate article) Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program required for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) airport grants — the court authorized the county judge to sign the DBE program and designated the county contracts procurement specialist as the DBE liaison officer; the court amended the administrative-reconsideration officer to be the county auditor’s office (recorded as a position, not a specific name) — approved, unanimous. (See separate article for full discussion.)
- Order No. 0072025: Adopt additional homestead exemption pursuant to Texas Tax Code §11.13; commissioners amended the motion to set the exemption at 5% and approved it unanimously. County staff said raising the exemption to 5% would reduce the county’s taxable value by about $100,000,000 under current appraisals and that the no-new-revenue tax rate process will absorb the change.
- Memorandum of understanding with the City of Rockport to place a city drop box on county property (city to procure and install box; city responsible for installation costs) — approved, unanimous. County staff and city representatives discussed timing relative to acceptance of the community center project and urged coordination on signage and transfer procedures for misdirected items.
- Items 8–10 (stormwater interlocal and engineering selection) — approved (covered in separate article).
- Indigent Health Care report for May 2025 (presented by the treasurer/indigent health staff): accepted, unanimous. Staff said indigent-health reimbursements from Medicaid contributed modestly to the fund and that year-to-date spending remains within budgeted levels.
- Personnel and administrative matters: approved a new job description for a court manager position (to give a path for promotion), approved a two-step pay increase for the court manager upon completion of a certified court manager program, approved an updated hazard communication policy (with minor edits requested), tabled proposed updates to the county employee handbook to allow additional review, and approved holiday schedules for county offices and the transfer station for 2026 — all votes recorded as unanimous where taken.
- Finance: The court approved the May auditors’ monthly report, accepted payroll and accounts-payable items presented, and approved the accounts/payroll/payroll-liability list; commissioners also approved listed budget line items (no new items presented at time of vote). Several invoices of note were discussed during accounts-payable review (outside counsel invoices and capital-project invoices for ongoing capital work).

What was not approved or deferred
- The item to update the county employee handbook was tabled at the request of a commissioner to allow more review time; the motion to table passed unanimously.

Ending: The court closed with routine reports and then recessed to a closed session on a separate real-property negotiation item; no public action on that closed-session item was recorded when the court returned and adjourned.","At its regular meeting the Aransas County Commissioners Court unanimously approved a resolution urging federal action on the New World screwworm, increased the county homestead exemption to 5%, approved an aquarium architecture contract and several routine administrative items; the court also tabled an employee handbook update.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commissioners approve interlocal amendment, clear path to hire engineer for Concho stormwater project

Commissioners adopt DBE program to qualify airport for BIL funding, designate auditor for administrative reconsideration

Aransas County Commissioners approve emergency screwworm resolution, tax exemption increase and multiple routine items