Anderson County approves $5.05 million emergency budget for flood-damaged roads, accepts Watkins Construction donation

Anderson County commissioners on June 30 approved an emergency budget amendment of $5,050,000 to pay for repairs to roads and bridges washed out by recent flooding and accepted a donation of labor and materials from Watkins Construction to speed repairs.

The action, approved under Texas Local Government Code §111.07(b), was presented by the presiding official and moved by Commissioner Wilbanks with a second from Commissioner Chapin; the court voted to approve the amendment. The court also voted to accept Watkins Construction’s offer of labor, materials and equipment to help clear debris and install culverts on Anderson County Road 2608, and separately authorized replacement of two culverts on County Road 2608 and a culvert replacement on County Road 2902 as emergency repairs.

Why it matters: the county described several washouts and structural failures from heavy rainfall three weeks earlier, including a complete loss of a bridge on County Road 2608 and wing-wall failures on nearby crossings. Commissioners said restoring access quickly is critical for oilfield traffic, emergency responders and local farms.

Commissioner, Precinct 2 described the damage and the county’s immediate response, saying, “There was about, three weeks ago, we had some major flooding coming in. And during that flooding, 2608 completely washed out.” The commissioner said temporary grading allowed continued access for prison and farm operations pending full repairs.

Tommy Martin, a representative of Watkins Construction Company of Corsicana, told the court his company volunteered to bring heavy equipment to remove debris, place backfill material and assist in setting culverts. “What I volunteered us for Watkins to help take care of was to bring a track over there and load up all the debris and put it in one of our dump trucks,” Martin said. He added Watkins would help compact backfill and set culverts to expedite reopening the road.

County officials described the donated package as labor, material and equipment; the county asked Watkins and precinct staff to track donated expenses so the value of the donation is recorded. The presiding official said some oilfield companies in the area would coordinate directly with Watkins if out-of-pocket expenses arise.

Details and next steps: the court’s agenda item lists this action as emergency budget amendment number 60. Commissioners approved acceptance of Watkins’ donation and directed staff to proceed with ordering and installing the required culverts; the court noted the culverts had already been ordered. The county described the new culverts as roughly 8-by-8 foot units (the transcript references “2 eight by eights”) intended to increase flow capacity and widen the roadway where heavy truck traffic is frequent.

Timeline and procedural posture: the emergency amendment and donation acceptance were approved during the June 30 session. The court approved replacement of the two culverts on County Road 2608 and authorized a separate emergency repair to replace a culvert on County Road 2902. The meeting adjourned after the votes.

Authorities and legal basis: the court cited Texas Local Government Code §111.07(b) as authorizing emergency repairs and replacement of roads and bridges covered by an emergency disaster declaration.

What the record does and does not show: the transcript records that Commissioner Gill was absent; the roll-call style vote details (individual votes beyond the recorded "aye" responses) were not specified in the record. Cost-tracking for donated labor and equipment was requested so the county can document the donation’s value. The county estimated repairs could be completed as quickly as about two months, but that timeline was offered as an estimate, not a firm schedule.

The court approved the measures and adjourned.