Hunt County approves on-demand translation contract pending billing details

Hunt County Commissioners Court voted June 10 to approve a contract with Genie Enterprises for on‑demand translation services, contingent on resolving billing logistics and leaving account setup to the county auditor and treasurer.

The approval covers use by county courts, the county attorney and district attorney offices, the sheriff’s office and constables, and any other county departments the commissioners authorize. County Judge Bobby W. Stovall moved the approval with the billing contingency; the motion carried without recorded opposition.

County staff raised questions about the vendor’s stated billing methods and any minimum‑use commitments. Judge Stovall framed the approval condition: “The billing being worked out and leave it up to the auditor and treasurer to determine the account set it up.” Joel, the vendor contact at the meeting, confirmed he had not reviewed the contract’s billing language and could not answer specifics at the table. County staff said the county’s existing accounts‑payable process uses checks and that the county receives provider statements in arrears and has 30 days to pay.

Joel described how the service would be administered: a county‑level administrator would create logins and grant access to departmental users so usage and minutes would be tracked on the vendor platform. That tracking, staff said, would allow the county to run reports by department to see who used the service and for how long.

Commissioners also discussed whether the contract carried any minimum‑use requirement. One commissioner said the vendor’s enterprise plan listed a 2,000‑minute minimum on the public website, but Joel said that minimum did not appear in the contract packet the county received.

Judge Stovall said the county would appoint Amanda Henderson as the administrator for account setup and access. The court’s motion authorized the contract contingent on clarifying billing methods and left the auditor and treasurer responsible for configuring accounts and billing allocation. The motion was approved by voice vote.

The contract approval allows the county to deploy on‑demand interpretation for court proceedings, law enforcement encounters and other county interactions at the discretion of the commissioners. Staff said the vendor bills monthly in arrears and the county would receive statements showing usage by login if administration is set up as described.

Next steps listed at the meeting: clarify whether the vendor accepts checks instead of only ACH/wire transfers, confirm there is no contractual 2,000‑minute minimum, formalize Amanda Henderson as the county administrator for the account, and have the auditor and treasurer configure internal billing and reporting.

The contract approval was recorded during the regular session; no additional public comment was made on the item.