Commissioners approve consent agenda, auditors' report, MOU with National Park Service and several administrative items; burn ban extended

Hutchinson County commissioners approved a bundle of consent and administrative actions, and voted to continue an emergency burn ban. Several items were informational or were referred for later action.

Among the votes the court approved at the meeting were: - Approval of the consent agenda (motion made and seconded; outcome approved). - Acceptance of the monthly auditors report for the month ending Feb. 28, 2025 (motion made; outcome approved). Alicia, the county auditor, had explained that some budget percentages appear high because certain departments operate on different fiscal calendars and because encumbrances (purchase orders) can show 100% usage earlier in the year. - Issuance of a county credit card with a $1,500 limit for the district court judge (motion made; outcome approved). The request followed an earlier decision not to provide a card when county cards were first distributed. - Approval of out-of-state travel for Judge Mosley to attend the National Council of Family and Juvenile Court Judges conference in Chicago, Illinois (motion made; outcome approved). - Approval of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the National Park Service; the MOU carries no cost to the county and was reviewed by the county attorney (motion made; outcome approved). - Approval of a monthly cell-phone allowance of up to $50 for the new maintenance supervisor (motion made; outcome approved). - Approval of a monthly cell-phone allowance of up to $100 for the new IT director, Richard Hein (motion made; outcome approved). Court members noted Hein started his position that day. - Approval of a resolution in support of Senate Bill 1377 and House Bill 3000, intended to provide funding for rural emergency medical services; the County Judge Commissioners Association requested courts pass supportive resolutions for delivery to legislators (motion made; outcome approved). The judge noted that the bill’s language as currently written would allocate $350,000 for a county of Hutchinson’s size under this proposal. - Approval of line-item changes, transfers or budget amendments presented on the agenda (motion made; outcome approved). - A continuation of the local burn ban: the court voted to continue the current burn ban rather than let it lapse, with the understanding that the county monitors the Texas Forest Service indices (the county’s local index was reported as below the Forest Service trigger and the court reserved authority to re-implement a disaster declaration if forecast wind events required it).

Items noted but not finalized included the county disaster declaration: court members agreed to take no action at this meeting and let the declaration expire unless staff and the judge decide to reissue a disaster declaration later. A struck-off tax property (Lot 95, Unit 2, Double Diamond, AV Lane) and an offer of $250 were tabled for further investigation.

The court also heard updates on ARP grant projects, including work at the sheriff’s office entryway, and a report on the Purple Wave auction of county items. The court adjourned at the end of the agenda.

Where the transcript records motions but does not name the mover or seconder, the minutes show the motion was made and seconded but do not identify the individuals in the audio. Vote tallies were not read aloud for the recorded motions and are not specified in the transcript.