Hunt County Commissioners approve senior milk funding, contracts, budget calendar and multiple plats; deny proposed Quinlan‑area solar zoning without prejudice

Hunt County Commissioners Court approved a series of budget, contract and land‑use actions during its March 25 regular session while declining a zoning change for a proposed solar farm near Lake Tawakoni.

The court voted unanimously on multiple agenda items: it approved a proclamation designating April 2025 as National Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month, accepted the treasurer’s monthly report for January 2025, renewed immunization grant agreements for the county health department, approved vendor contracts for elections and jail commissary services, and authorized a change of financial adviser for the county’s housing finance activities.

A request from the county’s senior‑services provider for a one‑time allocation of $19,500 to buy milk for home‑delivered‑meal recipients for three months was approved. The provider told commissioners the agency has seen state and federal funding fall from roughly $1,400,000 to $545,000 and that the milk distribution program ended in January 2025. The court approved moving funds from contingency/capital improvement lines and the auditor will process an invoice for payment.

On land‑use matters, commissioners denied, without prejudice, a zoning‑change application to convert 22.03 acres on FM 276 in the Quinlan area from single‑family residential (SF‑20) to C‑1 (light commercial) for a proposed solar farm; the denial allows the applicant to return with additional engineering and a specific‑use permit. The court approved a separate zoning change that would allow an RV park near FM 751.

Other actions included: - Appointment of David Monroe to the Quinlan Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) board. - Approval of the treasurer’s month‑end balance of $69,837,775.03 (cash and invested funds) and note that about $50 million is invested. - Approval of a professional‑services contract with Allison, Bass & McGee LLP for assistance on precinct and vote‑tabulation district work related to precinct sizes and redistricting compliance. - Approval of a renewal/approval of the Keefe Commissary Network LLC contract for inmate commissary services. - Approval to end the county’s financial‑advisory relationship with Hilltop Securities Asset Management LLC and enter a new agreement with Specialized Public Finance, Inc.; county attorneys advised a 30‑day notice is standard to terminate the existing agreement, and the court approved a procurement exemption under Texas Local Government Code §262 to retain the new adviser. - Conditional and final approvals for multiple plats and replats (Amending replat of Lot 4R‑A and Lot 5R‑A Allen Farms; final plat of Hughes Acres with a fire‑lane/hammerhead condition; Cedar Grove Baptist Church final plat with cemetery protections; Brandy Kirby Acres final plat). - Approval of several right‑of‑way and temporary utility permits and a small parking project at Heritage Garden estimated at approximately $16,600. - Approval of indigent burial assistance (up to $4,000) with a direction to allow liaison with next of kin about cremation as a lower‑cost option.

Votes on routine consent items and many action items were unanimous. Where the record shows the court’s voice vote and the meeting roll‑call that opened the session (Judge Bobby Stovall and Commissioners Hutchins, Monroe, Smith and Harrison were present), the court recorded motions as carried.

Votes at a glance - Proclamation: April 2025 Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month — approved (5‑0) - Senior milk allocation: $19,500 from contingency/capital improvement — approved (5‑0) - Treasurer’s monthly report (Jan. 31, 2025): month‑end balance $69,837,775.03 — accepted (5‑0) - Appointment: David Monroe to Quinlan TIRZ board — approved (5‑0) - Renewal: 2025–26 immunization/local grants for Hunt County Health Department — approved (5‑0) - Professional services: Allison Bass & McGee LLP for precinct/voting work — approved (5‑0) - Commissary services: Keefe Commissary Network LLC — approved (5‑0) - Financial adviser: terminate Hilltop Securities; enter agreement with Specialized Public Finance, Inc.; exemption under Texas Local Government Code §262 — approved (5‑0) - Budget calendar (FY 2025–26) with added June workshops including Commissioners Court — approved (5‑0) - Heritage Garden parking project (estimate $16,600) — approved (5‑0) - Temporary construction water and electrical permits (multiple county roads) — approved (5‑0) - Zoning: 22.03 acres on FM 276 (SF‑20 → C‑1) for solar farm — denied without prejudice (5‑0) - Zoning: Lot 2, Rawhide Ranchos (E2 → C1) for RV park — approved (5‑0) - Multiple plats and replats — approved (unanimous; see minutes for specifics) - Indigent burial assistance (up to $4,000) — approved (5‑0)

What it means: The court used its authority over county spending, appointments and land‑use approvals to make targeted, mostly unanimous decisions at the March meeting. Several items — notably the request about county fire services and the denied solar‑farm zoning change — were continued or rejected without prejudice to allow more technical work or investigation. The court also approved a change in financial advisor after raising concerns about the incumbent advisor’s communications with the county’s housing finance activities.