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Hood County court weighs new countywide radio network, recesses to executive session
Summary
At a special Sept. 15 meeting, Hood County Commissioners' Court heard two speakers urging cooperation with the city before proceeding on a new countywide radio network; the court recessed into an executive session under Texas Government Code 551.089 and took no public vote.
Hood County Commissioners' Court on Sept. 15 heard calls for cooperation with the city and for a careful review of options before the county commits to purchasing a new countywide radio network.
At a special called meeting in the Central Jury Room of the Ralph H. Walton Jr. Justice Center, Chief Matt Hohon told the court he was "in a really unique position" and asked commissioners to "take the time to actually consider all your options" before moving forward on a radio project. Hohon said his position gave him a perspective he wanted the court to consider as it weighed alternatives.
Richard Hayes, a local resident who addressed the court, urged the county and the city to work together on the issue rather than letting the project become "a wedge issue." Hayes listed several overlapping concerns — road projects, Highway 377 widening, zoning and school growth — and offered to volunteer to help the city and county find middle ground before the county starts what he called a "multi-year, multimillion dollar project." "I hate to see this as a wedge issue," Hayes said.
Presiding Judge (name not given) announced the single agenda item as a review of options related to purchasing a new countywide radio network and said the court might convene into executive session pursuant to Texas Government Code 551.089. The court recessed into executive session at 9:12 a.m.; the transcript does not record any public action or vote taken during that closed session.
When the court returned to public session around 11:00 a.m., an unidentified commissioner reiterated a focus on serving county taxpayers, saying the county is responsible for roughly 72,000 residents while the city accounts for about 11,000. The commissioner said the court must "do what's in the best interest of the taxpayers of this county related to these radio situation" and expressed a commitment to seek a solution that works for both the county and the city.
No procurement decisions, motions to award a contract, or formal votes on a radio purchase were recorded in the public transcript. The court's discussion emphasized intergovernmental cooperation and further study; the record shows the court convened in executive session but does not show the outcome of those closed deliberations.
