McLennan County commissioners create DA investigator post, approve technology changes, large ARPA payment and grant applications

The McLennan County Commissioners Court on Nov. 21 authorized the formal creation of a grant-funded district attorney investigator position, approved a package of technology and construction payments, and voted to apply for a state grant to outfit patrol vehicles with bullet‑resistant components.

The court approved the district attorney investigator position as presented, recording the job title as "district attorney investigator," pay grade LE 06, with a stated annual salary of $82,836. The presenter told the court HR sees the need for the position and that, because it is grant-funded, the county would have to decide whether to continue funding if the grant is not renewed.

The action matters because the role is grant-dependent. As the presenter told the court, "as with any grant funded position ... they serve at the pleasure of the governor" and would end if the grant funding ceased. The court made the creation of the position a formal vote and approved it without extended discussion.

Technology and procurement items included approval of a server maintenance renewal ($2,551.70) and a change in the county's backup system from Veeam to Commvault, quoted at $45,991 for the year. IT staff said the change is tied to server replacements and will produce substantial savings on VMware licensing—described in the meeting as roughly a six‑figure reduction—so the county expects a net budgetary benefit. The court approved both IT items.

The court also approved a membership with the Center for Internet Security's Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) at a budgeted cost of $7,996 after staff noted federal changes in support for the service.

On procurement, the court rejected all proposals submitted in response to RFP 25-015 for sheriff's office recruitment services, after staff recommended a different approach than a full-scale contract. The court voted to reject all proposals and consider alternative, smaller engagements.

Contracts and interlocal items approved included a vendor referral agreement with Oceans Behavioral Health for inpatient acute behavioral health services for specialty courts and ratification of a memorandum of understanding with the Texas Division of Emergency Management to participate in the Texas Emergency Management Assistance Teams program; staff said the MOU required quick action and had already been signed, so the court ratified it.

Capital and project payments approved included: an STV professional services invoice of $3,876.83 for a Justice of the Peace precinct office project; an engineering/survey invoice for the Chapel Road improvements (staff reported the majority of paving is complete and contingency money was used for additional paving); a final invoice for the Old Springfield Road waterline project; and two invoices for the downtown jail remodel totaling $121,169.45 (invoice 31) and $36,915.80 (invoice 32). The court approved all of the listed project invoices.

Budget amendments for FY25 and FY26 were approved as a batch. Finance staff presented a set of line‑item adjustments and transfers covering donations accepted in memory of a judge to support specialty courts, countywide road and bridge increases ($12,675 noted for FY25), constable travel reimbursements, district attorney professional development, indigent defense line cleanups, jury postage reallocation, courthouse maintenance costs for moisture remediation, and small increases for capital projects including camera and audiovisual upgrades. The court approved the combined package.

ARPA-related items: the court approved a $3,934.79 invoice to Orvis Mazars for ARPA grant-management services and approved a pay application of $704,328.07 to Larkridge Priest for the McLennan County ARPA HVAC renovation project; staff said the remaining balance to finish that project is roughly $1.4 million.

Grants and public safety: the court authorized submission of the Bureau of Justice Assistance Bulletproof Vest Partnership application for FY25 and, after recess, authorized the sheriff's office to apply for the Office of the Governor's grant program created by House Bill 2217 (codified in Government Code §772.013) to outfit county patrol vehicles with bullet‑resistant components. Major David Ives presented details, noting the program's maximum funding is $5,000,000 and that no local match is required. Major Ives advised the court that side windows are clip-in and easier to remove and re‑use, while front windshields are glued in and are more likely to crack when removed, which affects reusability and lifecycle.

A number of smaller administrative actions were approved: a split reimbursement for waterline repair with Shiloh Baptist Church (county share recorded during the meeting as approximately $2,437.50), acceptance and disposal of property donated by Community Supervision and Corrections (state funds rules require donation then county acceptance before disposal), casting the county's 831 votes on the Central Appraisal District board ballot for Commissioner Smith, participation in the Food for Families drive on Nov. 21, 2025, and approval of a small polling-location ADA invoice ($259) submitted by STV. The court also approved authorization to submit the FY25 Bureau of Justice Assistance grant application (deadline Dec. 19).

The court handled these items mainly by motion and voice vote with limited debate; several items were described by staff as routine or already budgeted. The court deferred an item regarding the Expo Center operation/management lease for further discussion with fair staff.

Quotes and attributions in this report come from court statements and staff presentations recorded in the meeting transcript. Acceptance of any grant award discussed would return to the court for a separate acceptance vote if needed.