Hardin County Commissioners pass routine financial, contract and procurement items; set subdivision-variance public hearing

Hardin County Commissioners Court on March 11 approved a slate of routine financial and procurement actions, adopted a proclamation declaring March 2025 American Red Cross Month and set a public hearing on a subdivision-variance request for March 25.

Votes at a glance - Approve minutes of the Feb. 25, 2025 meeting (motion by Commissioner Cook; second by Commissioner Kirkendall). Motion carried. - Treasurer Deborah McWilliams: release liability of $1,430,791.28 and accept cash statement showing a total cash fund of $29,707,009.63 (motion by Commissioner Young; second by Commissioner Cooper). Motion carried. - Approve payment of county bills and transfers (auditor Angela Gore): total expenditures and transfers $1,651,763.72; gross payroll $653,166.24 (motion presented; carried). - Approve transfers to FY24 budget adjustments as presented (motion by Commissioner Kuyendahl; second by Commissioner Young). Motion carried. - Adopt Resolution 9-25 proclaiming March 2025 as American Red Cross Month (moved by Commissioner Cooper; second by Commissioner Cook). Motion carried. - Authorize county judge to execute a venue contract between Hardin County WIC Division and Foundry Venue LLC for a community baby shower funded with grant funds (moved by Commissioner Young; second by Commissioner Cook). Motion carried. - Authorize county judge to execute terms-of-service agreement with VaxCare Corporation to allow the county immunization clinic to bill insurance for some vaccines and to continue providing state-supplied vaccines to uninsured or Medicaid/CHIP patients (moved by Commissioner Young; second by Commissioner Cooper). Motion carried. Meeting discussion clarified insured patients' vaccinations would be billed to insurance; uninsured patients could receive state-supplied vaccines or pay a small fee as applicable. - Approve Amendment No. 1 with Public Management Incorporated, increasing that contract by $62,836 for specialized environmental services required by the GLO CDBG Med Mod contract number 24-065-065-E596; funds will be transferred within the grant budget with no additional county cost (motion carried). - Authorize submission of the USDA FY2025 Community Wildfire Defense Grant (see separate article for detailed discussion); motion carried. - Authorize purchasing agent to sell a surplus utility trailer with no VIN or serial number by bill of sale (staff said this is legal for sale; motion carried). - Authorize solicitation of bids for Saratoga Road improvements under remaining GLO CDBG Disaster Recovery (Harvey) infrastructure funds (motion carried). - Authorize solicitation of proposals for grant-administration services for remaining GLO CDBG Disaster Recovery (Harvey) Saratoga Road project and appoint evaluation committee (Commissioner Young, Aaron Tucker, and Clay Woodward named to committee). Motion carried. - Authorize county judge to execute contract with LZ Services LLC for Cooks Lake Road drainage crossing repair (motion by Commissioner Cook; second by Commissioner Cooper). Motion carried. - Reject single proposal received for emergency-debris monitoring (Thompson Consulting Services) and direct staff to re-solicit to ensure competition (motion carried). - Accept bid results and award multiple vendors for materials and emulsions for roads and bridges (detailed bid tabulation presented by purchasing staff; motion carried). Vendors and sample prices presented included Vulcan Materials, Texas Materials, Martin Marietta, Waller County Asphalt and others for aggregate, hot-mix asphalt and emulsified asphalts; full tabulation is in purchasing records. - Authorize county judge to execute Exhibit A order form agreement with Flock Group Incorporated for $20,000 using Project Safe Neighborhood grant funds for surveillance-camera monitoring software (motion by Commissioner Cook; second by Commissioner Young). Motion carried. - Set a public hearing for March 25 at 9:45 a.m. to consider a variance request by Calvin Guilquier of S and C Builders LLC for lot-side setbacks in the Woodcrest Subdivision (motion carried).

Several agenda items included brief staff explanations from the treasurer, auditor, purchasing staff and department heads; most motions passed with no recorded dissent in the transcript. The court received updates about upcoming parking-lot work, roofing and planned demolition of the old hospital.

Key financial and procurement figures presented at the meeting included the treasurer's cash balances (total cash fund $29,707,009.63), preapproved expenditures and payroll totals, and the $62,836 amendment for environmental services under a GLO CDBG contract.

The court adjourned after the items were completed.