Dimmit County court approves $250,000 meal‑delivery grant; tables battery project and hears proposal for large AI data center

Dimmit County Commissioners Court met Sept. 22 and took formal steps to certify a county grant that will allow a local provider to apply for Texas Department of Agriculture home‑delivered meals funds, considered enforcement and conservation options for a popular county pond, tabled action on a proposed battery energy storage (BESS) project while scheduling site inspections, and heard an initial pitch for a major private proposal to build an AI data center on a 5,200‑acre ranch.

Why it matters: The decisions and discussions affect services for homebound elderly residents, local public‑safety and natural‑resource enforcement at a county lake, the siting and community review of energy projects that bring questions about safety and grid impacts, and a proposed development with long‑term implications for jobs, water use and county tax revenues.

County certifies grant application for home‑delivered meals

The court unanimously approved a resolution certifying a county grant of $250,000 to permit Community Service Agencies of South Texas (named in the resolution) to apply to the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Home Delivered Meal Grant Program for program year 2026. The resolution states the county certifies that the organization provides home‑delivered meals to homebound persons who are elderly or have a disability and that the county has approved the organization’s accounting system or fiscal agent per the Texas Comptroller’s grant management rules. County Judge Arthur Lucia Fonce introduced the resolution; a motion to adopt carried without recorded opposition.

Game warden clarifies state jurisdiction, court weighs fish‑management options

Texas Parks and Wildlife game warden Macy told the court her office considers the county pond a listed state water body and that wardens have authority there. She said, “I am 100% able to go write tickets there or enforce the law,” and offered to increase patrols and provide fisheries data to the court. Commissioners discussed whether to adopt a local ordinance (for example, stricter size limits or catch‑and‑release rules) or to rely on enforcement of state size limits and targeted patrols. The court decided to “hold off” on adopting a catch‑and‑release ordinance immediately and to monitor enforcement results and fisheries survey data first; no formal regulatory change was adopted.

Battery storage company asks to proceed with 1‑megawatt site; court tables permit pending visits

Representatives of NW Group (Clay Gilmore, account manager; Kevin Gomar; and Jocelyn Morales) requested approval to obtain an electrical permit for a 1‑megawatt battery energy storage project located outside Carrizo Springs on private…