Cooke County commissioners approve routine finance items, close Old Hood Road and clear final plat; decline state property

The Cooke County Commissioners Court met in regular session beginning at 10:00 a.m. and approved a package of routine and planning actions, including treasurer reports, a road closure in Precinct 4 and a final plat in Precinct 2. The court declined an offer to purchase state-owned property from the Texas Department of Transportation and approved a personnel salary adjustment and an EMS subscription to digitize medical protocols.

The meeting’s most immediate financial actions were approvals of the treasurer’s monthly reports for August and September 2025 and the treasurer’s quarterly report for July through September 2025; each passed on unanimous votes. The court also approved the consent agenda after pulling one item for separate consideration, and removed asset tag number 2732 — a 2016 Tahoe — from the surplus list so the sheriff’s office could retain it for use by other county departments.

Those routine finance votes were followed by several land-use and operational items. The court approved a motion to close Old Hood Road in Precinct 4 after a presenter said the roadway had not been used as a public road in “over 50 years” and adjacent property owners had reached a settlement to cleanly divide the old right-of-way. The court approved the final plat for the Lone Oak addition in Precinct 2, which county staff said will consolidate lots near a gas station damaged by a tornado so the site can be reconstructed. Both measures passed unanimously.

In operations and technology actions, the court approved a subscription agreement to move the county EMS medical protocols to an electronic format, a change the department’s training captain said will allow paramedics to access a more than 200-page protocol on phones and onboard devices and reduce printing burdens. The county also approved the Texas Association of Counties (TAC) 1095-C distribution option that avoids paying TAC to print individual employee tax forms, with staff retaining the ability to print forms on request.

The court unanimously declined to accept a parcel of state-owned property offered by TxDOT, a decision the judge characterized as a formal refusal to proceed so the property can be offered to other potential buyers. The commissioners also approved a salary increase for a subdivision employee, raising the position’s pay to $46,709, and designated the court’s FY26 meeting schedule to continue on the second and fourth Mondays at 10:00 a.m.

Votes at a glance - Approve consent agenda (less item DD): approved, vote 5–0. Motion to approve consent agenda less item DD (mover: Commissioner Snuggs). The consent agenda contained routine items; item DD was pulled for separate action. - Remove asset tag 2732 (2016 Tahoe) from surplus list: approved, vote 5–0. Motion to remove asset tag 2732 (mover: Commissioner Hollowell; second: Commissioner Snuggs). - Treasurer’s monthly report, August 2025: approved, vote 5–0. - Treasurer’s monthly report, September 2025: approved, vote 5–0. - Treasurer’s quarterly report, July–September 2025: approved, vote 5–0. - Close Old Hood Road (Precinct 4): approved, vote 5–0. Motion to approve closing (mover: Commissioner Sikking; second: Commissioner Hallowell). - Approve final plat for Lone Oak addition (Precinct 2): approved, vote 5–0. Motion to approve final plat (mover: Commissioner Snuggs; second: Commissioner Arndt). - TAC 1095‑C distribution form selection (no county printing fee): approved, vote 5–0. Motion to approve (mover: Commissioner Hollowell; second: Commissioner Sikking). - Approve subscription agreement to digitize EMS medical protocols (Asset Remap LLC): approved, vote 5–0. County will maintain one hard copy per ambulance; digital copies will be available to employees and updated by the vendor. - Designate FY26 commissioners court meeting day (second and fourth Mondays at 10:00 a.m.): approved, vote 5–0. - Decline purchase of state-owned property offered by TxDOT: approved (decline), vote 5–0. Motion to decline proceeding with purchase (mover: Commissioner Sikking; second: Commissioner Snuggs). - Salary increase for subdivision employee to $46,709: approved, vote 5–0. Motion to increase salary (mover: Commissioner Sikking; second: Commissioner Arndt).

The court recessed to an executive session later in the meeting and reconvened to approve the personnel matter noted above before adjourning at 12:35 p.m.