Maverick County commissioners adopt new agenda process, accept energy bids and approve several OLS-funded positions and grants

Maverick County Commissioners Court adopted a new, formal agenda-submission process, opened review of two proposals for electricity service, accepted a state cybersecurity grant and approved several personnel and grant-funded positions during its Jan. 13 meeting, the court said.

The court voted to require submission of agenda items by 10 a.m. on the Wednesday before a commissioners meeting. County staff said submitted items and supporting documents will be posted in PDF by Friday afternoon to give elected officials time to review before meetings. The court voted unanimously to adopt the new procedure.

The court also acknowledged receipt of two timely proposals in response to a county request for proposals for electricity service provider contracts and opened the packets for review. County staff said the bids were submitted on Dec. 12; commissioners voted to accept and review the proposals so that a recommendation can be prepared before the next meeting.

In grant and budget actions, the court accepted a State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program award and authorized creation of a bank account for the grant program. County staff amended the agenda item to reflect the award amount of $331,200 (with an anticipated county match of about $38,030.82 noted in staff paperwork); the court approved the amended item unanimously.

The court approved several Operation Lone Star (OLS) grant actions and related personnel items. Among those votes, commissioners approved a new OLS-funded district attorney investigator position (salary and fringe funded entirely by the grant) and authorized other new OLS-funded positions for precinct constables and county attorney support, all described by staff as fully covered by grant funds and voted unanimously.

Other personnel and routine items approved without extended debate included: the appointment and hiring of multiple court and county employees (court clerks, deputies and supervisors), salary adjustments where staff indicated budget amendments would be filed as necessary, and payment authorizations for vendor invoices and event rental charges. The court also approved renewal of a lease for the district attorney’s office building with the landlord and accepted routine quarterly requests (including a request to submit for fourth-quarter jury payment reimbursement to the Texas Comptroller). Abatement orders for two properties and the award of a hot-mix asphalt contract were approved as well.

Several agenda items were deferred for legal review or discussion in executive session. County counsel and staff notified the court they would consult the attorney on a proposed technology-services contract; the court listed multiple attorney-consultation items and an investigation involving an alleged overpayment for handling in executive session later in the meeting.

Why it matters: the court’s new agenda timeline changes when commissioners and the public can expect to see full backup for agenda items and gives staff a formal posting window; approval of grant-funded positions and acceptance of the cybersecurity award commit grant resources that will fund county IT upgrades and new personnel without general-fund impact, according to staff.

Details and context

- Agenda-submission process: The court set a formal deadline of 10 a.m. Wednesday for agenda-item email submissions; staff said backups will be posted as PDFs by Friday afternoon to allow review. Commissioners discussed whether a later deadline (noon) would be preferable but agreed to the 10 a.m. deadline after brief debate.

- Electricity RFPs: County clerks confirmed two identical proposal packets were received on Dec. 12 from energy vendors (staff identified them in the meeting record). Commissioners opened the packets for review; staff said they expect a recommendation at a future meeting.

- Cybersecurity grant: The court accepted the SLCGP governance and planning award and authorized creation of a separate bank account for grant funds. Staff said the award will fund domain updates, staff training and equipment for the county IT department; the item was amended on the floor to reflect the correct award amount and approved unanimously.

- Operation Lone Star positions and DA lease: Commissioners approved creation of grant-funded positions (a DA OLS investigator and a county attorney OLS legal assistant, among others), and they approved renewal of the DA office lease for 9/1/2024–8/31/2025 with costs apportioned among grants and the DA’s office as staff requested. Staff repeatedly emphasized these positions are funded entirely by OLS or other grant sources and will not cost county taxpayers directly.

- Personnel actions and payments: The court approved a number of hiring, promotion and salary items across county offices (tax office chief deputy, part-time civil clerk for a judicial district court, promotions in court coordinator roles, and temporary hires to cover leave). Staff indicated budget amendments will be brought forward where line-item transfers are required.

- Deferred/legal-review items: Commissioners directed legal review under Government Code provisions for consultation with county counsel on a technology-services (AE comp) contract and listed several other items to be discussed in executive session, including an investigation of an alleged $16,805 overpayment tied to a former employee in the county attorney’s office.

What’s next: Staff said recommendations and supplemental documents will be posted ahead of the next meeting and that legal review or executive-session discussions will be scheduled for the matters the court identified for attorney consultation.

Ending: Commissioners closed the open portion of the meeting after voting on the listed items and announcing the executive-session items to follow; no citizen-comment forms were recorded at the meeting’s start.

Quotes (selected)

- “We want to make sure that y’all will be able to have that…we will have them already received in PDF format and available for you by Friday afternoon,” said Dana Tanna, the county judge’s chief of staff, describing the new agenda-backup timeline.

- “These new positions are in accordance with the Operation Lone Star grant and will be covered fully by the grant at no additional cost to the citizens of Maverick County,” a county grant representative said during discussion of new grant-funded positions.

(Quotations attributed to speakers in the meeting transcript.)