Smith County commissioners adopt public‑health and county‑government proclamations, approve fraud‑policy, replats and payments

Smith County Commissioners Court on Tuesday adopted two proclamations, approved a fraud, waste and abuse policy required by grants, authorized three subdivision replats and approved several payments and a facilities transfer during a meeting that lasted about 15 minutes.

The court adopted a resolution proclaiming April 7–13, 2025, as National Public Health Week in Smith County and a second resolution proclaiming April 2025 as National County Government Month. Both resolutions were read into the record and carried by voice vote.

The county also adopted a formal fraud, waste and abuse policy that county staff said is required by one of the county's grant programs. "This is actually requested by one of the grants that we have, and more and more, we're finding that grants are requesting formal policies," said Ms. Wilson, a county staff member who introduced the policy. Commissioner Carraway moved to adopt the policy; Commissioner Gruey seconded the motion, and the court approved it by voice vote.

The court authorized the county judge to sign three replats: the Cumberland Ridge Subdivision Unit 6 replat (a private replat consolidating three lots into one in Precinct 1); the Black Creek Subdivision replat (a replat of one lot into three on County Road 295 in Precinct 2); and the Garden Valley Addition Lot 3 replat (a replat of one lot into three in Precinct 4). "All these items meet the requirements [of] the subdivision regulations and we recommend approval," said Mr. Davis, a county planning staff member who presented the items. Commissioner Carraway moved to authorize the judge to sign the replats; Commissioner Moore seconded the motion and the court approved it by voice vote.

The court approved monthly departmental reports and authorized payments, bills, payroll transfers, amendments and health claims. The clerk reported a payment from Fund 10 in the amount of $20,144.88 and other line items; staff also moved $24,000 from contingency to ordinary repairs in the facility services budget to fund needed repairs. The court approved the payments and transfers by voice vote; other specific line‑item amounts discussed in the clerk's reading were not fully specified in the public transcript.

The court recognized Jason Boyd, founder of the Smith County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), for receiving a regional "Citizen of the Year" award from the East Texas Council of Governments. Brandon Moore, a county staff member who helped stand up the CERT program, said the CERT organization is a community program offering free training and noted that the team recently graduated its second team with four more groups lined up. "CERT is probably one of the better community programs that the government offers just because of its free training and the servant heart," Jason Boyd said. The court paused for photos.

Judge Franklin and the commissioners signed the proclamations that were read into the record. All formal motions reported in the transcript were approved by voice votes with no recorded dissents.

The meeting opened at 9:30 a.m. and was adjourned at about 9:45 a.m.