Lavaca County commissioners approve routine consent agenda, authorize CDBG application and discuss election backup plans

Lavaca County Commissioners met Oct. 16, 2024, and approved a series of routine consent items, authorized county staff to pursue a Texas Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application and discussed preparedness steps to ensure voting operations during power outages.

The court read and approved a proclamation declaring Chamber of Commerce Week for the city identified in the meeting packet; chamber representatives joined the meeting for recognition. The court then moved through consent items that passed by voice vote, including certificates of exemption from subdivision requirements for Josephine Camarillo and Holly Pashofsky, declaration of two county laptops as surplus for reassignment to Precinct 2, and renewal of the bond for Records Management Officer Lisa Lowe.

Commissioners approved several equipment purchases for road operations: a new 2024 Armorlite 40-foot bottom dump trailer for Precinct 2 and a 2022 Bomag BW28 pneumatic roller (board contract #685-22) for $175,000 for Precinct 3. The auditor’s office presented the local public agency real estate acquisition report for 9/1/2023–8/31/2024, which the court approved as a zero-dollar report (no purchases during the period).

On grant work, the court approved a resolution to award GrantWorks as the administrative/project delivery service provider for a potential 2025–26 CDBG project. A county consultant advised commissioners that applying successfully will require identifying a low- to moderate-income target area and assembling engineering and project materials; he said the county would need to provide a local match. The county approved submitting a CDBG application to the Texas Department of Agriculture and committed $15,000 in matching funds toward application activities. The consultant described the application as a two-phase process and said the county has not previously been awarded this CDBG funding.

Regarding energy and land agreements, the court approved a $795 bonus payment from lessee Baytex Energy for 0.53 acres of surface rights tied to a county tract (William Chase survey A‑9) and discussed the county’s role as surface-owner in lease accounting.

Elections preparedness was a standing discussion: commissioners reviewed a plan to identify backup generators for each voting location (11 total) so that electronic voting equipment could continue functioning during outages. The presiding official said the county must demonstrate a plan to the Secretary of State and suggested each commissioner arrange local standby power sources on election day.

During the meeting, Warner Huittwall, an agent with Globe Life Liberty National, presented the company’s worksite advantage program, describing voluntary, employee-paid insurance options and stating the program would be “all at no cost to the county.”

The court recessed to a closed executive session at 10:47 a.m. to seek attorney advice and discuss personal matters, returned at 11:17 a.m., and adjourned; the next regular commissioners court is scheduled for Oct. 28 at 10:00 a.m.

Quotes used in this report are drawn directly from meeting remarks. Paul Yammer said, “March 17 is gonna be our second annual Lavaca County Day at the Capitol,” when announcing the county day event. Globe Life agent Warner Huittwall described the insurance offer as “all at no cost to the county.”

The meeting packet and agenda list additional supporting details for each item, including the CDBG match amount ($15,000) and the Baytex bonus payment ($795). Where the transcript contained inconsistent spellings for some local place names, this article uses the county’s verified name, Lavaca County, for clarity.