Washington County commissioners approve proclamation, contracts, policy updates and payments

Washington County Commissioners Court on March 4, 2025, approved a series of routine items including a proclamation recognizing Faith Mission’s 40th anniversary and a set of contracts, policy updates and payments that county officials said support ongoing operations.

The court unanimously approved a proclamation honoring Faith Mission’s four decades of emergency services and community health partnerships. County officials then approved three Washington County Expo rental contracts, a property access agreement to support drainage work in Precinct 4, and the declaration of miscellaneous county items as surplus with authorization to sell them through the GovDeals online auction service.

Why it matters: the votes formalize short-term contracts and permissions that allow county construction and facility work to proceed, confirm procurement policy guidance, and allocate payment of the county’s regular bills.

Votes at a glance

- Proclamation: Approved a proclamation declaring Feb. 25, 2025, as Faith Mission and Help Center 40th Anniversary Recognition Day in Washington County. Motion to approve the proclamation was made and seconded; the court voice-voted “aye” and the motion carried. County Judge (name not specified) praised Faith Mission’s disaster response and partnership with the county.

- Washington County Expo rental contracts: Approved three rental agreements for upcoming events at the county expo facility (Texas Carnival Glass event, an 80th birthday event, and a livestock-related event). Motion made and seconded; court voice-voted “aye” and the motion carried.

- Property access agreement (Lomax/Harmon Road, Precinct 4): Approved a property access agreement with the property owner to allow county work tied to a drainage project and bridge/culvert transition work. Motion made and seconded; court voice-voted “aye” and the motion carried.

- Surplus property declaration and sale via GovDeals: Declared miscellaneous items surplus (sofas, computers/hard drives, TV monitors, office furniture, four Tahoe vehicles from the sheriff’s fleet, medical stretchers/boards, filing cabinets and shelving) and authorized sale via GovDeals under Texas Local Government Code 263.152. Motion made and seconded; court voice-voted “aye” and the motion carried.

- SGR (Strategic Government Resources, Inc.) contract: Approved retaining SGR for executive search consulting and related services using the TechShare master services agreement (MSA No. 2024-019). Motion made and seconded; court voice-voted “aye” and the motion carried.

- Washington County purchasing policy: Approved a new county purchasing policy that consolidates bidding guidelines, RFQ procedures and statutory references for county purchases. Motion made and seconded; court voice-voted “aye” and the motion carried.

- Accounts payable: Approved payment of $415,478.58 in county bills. Motion made and seconded; court voice-voted “aye” and the motion carried.

Discussion and context

During the Faith Mission proclamation item, County Judge (name not specified) described Faith Mission as consistently responsive in emergencies and thanked the organization for partnering with the county on telehealth and the community health center. Faith Mission representatives and board members came forward for recognition; Reverend Wells and Deacon Al Prescott of Saint Mary’s Church spoke briefly during the recognition.

Officials described the expo rental approvals and the property access agreement as routine authorizations that permit scheduled events and needed drainage work to continue. The surplus property vote followed a staff presentation listing many items to be auctioned, including four high-mileage sheriff’s Tahoes and EMS equipment no longer in service; county staff noted some shelving would be reallocated for records storage prior to sale.

County staff summarized the SGR proposal as procured via the TechShare MSA, allowing the county to purchase executive-search services from a competitively bid contract. The new purchasing policy was described as a consolidated guide to county procurement limits and bidding procedures with statute references included in an appendix.

Ending

Court business concluded with the routine motions approved by voice vote and an adjournment. Several presenters and community guests were acknowledged during the meeting, and no contested votes or roll-call tallies were recorded in the public transcript.