Local wastewater company and neighbors protest Grimes County heavy-haul permitting on Clark Road

Operators of a private wastewater treatment plant on Clark Road told the court that heavy-haul permit signs and a new permit fee regime have sharply reduced business and are concentrated near their facility.

Jimmy Thornton and a partner representing the plant said truck traffic to their business dropped about 30% since permit signs appeared near the plant. They said the county placed signs only at the two approaches adjacent to their site and that the permit fee structure would cost their company about $10,000 a year under the current schedule. Thornton said he had expected permit funds to go toward road repair but learned from county materials that permit fees are intended to cover administration and enforcement costs, not direct road repair.

John Stiber, Grimes County Engineer, responded that permit fees are designed to recover county costs for staff time spent investigating and managing damage reports and permit enforcement; he said $160 a year per permit was estimated at roughly 10% of the county's per-incident administrative cost. Stiber said the county had installed signs at both ends of Clark Road (at Clark & Cedar and at the Waller County line) and that additional signage will be placed on other county roads as needed.

Stiber also said a bond requirement in the permit order mirrors standard public-practice bonds used elsewhere to cover damage from work in rights-of-way and that the county can help companies identify bonding options; he noted the bond language in the 2017 order and that staff could assist applicants in working with bonding companies. Stiber said permit receipts still contribute to the county's overall road-and-bridge budget.

Witnesses and operators raised practical concerns: (1) that insurance or bond claims would be difficult to win because a bonding company would investigate preexisting road conditions where many county roads are already degraded, (2) that the signs felt targeted because other heavy-truck origins in the county did not have immediate signage, and (3) that some haulers have stopped servicing local customers because drivers fear being ticketed or added as additional insured on the county's policy.

Stiber said Clark Road's narrow right-of-way, eroding shoulders and close-passing conflicts are known safety problems; he confirmed planning is underway for improvements and that the county is preparing projects that may address safety and shoulder issues on Clark Road during the year. He encouraged truck operators to work with county staff on bond or insurance questions and noted that violations could be challenged in justice court if operators wished to contest tickets.

Commissioners did not repeal or change the permitting order at the meeting; they asked staff to follow up with applicants about bond requirements, ticketing complaints, signage placement and any possible short-term relief while permit education and outreach continue.