Votes at a glance: McLennan County approves routine contracts, budget moves and authorizes eminent domain
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Summary
The county approved a slate of consent and contract items — from purchasing cameras and approving event plans to engineering invoices, ARPA pay apps and a JAG grant application — and authorized eminent domain to acquire 0.984 acres along Bullhide Creek Road for road mitigation; a proposed battery storage road‑use agreement was deferred.
McLennan County commissioners approved multiple routine and substantive items during the session, including procurement, service agreements, budget adjustments and grants, and they authorized the initiation of eminent domain proceedings for a road project.
Key approvals and actions: • Proclamations recognizing Belinda Summers’ 32 years of service, April as Child Abuse Awareness Month and the Week of the Young Child were entered into the minutes (approved by court vote). • Personnel: the court approved the sheriff’s request to fill the chief deputy position (position 384), effective May 4. • Procurement & contracts: the court approved purchase of two mugshot cameras from CDWG for $4,560.38 (paid from the jail commissary fund); a $1,520 report‑writing quote for Tyler Technologies (to be paid from federal forfeiture funds); a cash bond payment processing participation agreement (no cost to county); authorization to borrow an MPO speed trailer for Spiegelville Road; and approval of event action and inclement weather plans for the Waco Rowing Center championship at Trading House Lake Park. • Facilities & capital: court approved a Lockwood Andrews & Newnham professional services invoice for water consulting ($6,630.59), ARPA project pay apps and change orders (including an ARPA Fern Valley Road deduction of $7,026.75), a small jail‑remodel invoice, and a facilities extension agreement with Encore Electric for a transformer at the records building (final cost cited at roughly $12,008.91). • Grants: the sheriff’s office was authorized to apply as a subgrantee with the Waco Police Department for the FY25 Edward Byrne Memorial JAG award, with an anticipated award of $31,787 and no local match required; the court approved related interlocal documents. • Tax policy: after review of options, the court voted to keep existing homestead exemption levels on the 2026 tax roll (general county homestead at the statutory maximum cited in the packet). • Right of way / eminent domain: the court authorized initiation and prosecution of eminent domain to acquire approximately 0.984 acres along Bullhide Creek Road to move the road and mitigate bank erosion after offers and an appraisal were rejected.
Several items passed on motion and voice vote after brief presentations from staff; where discussion was limited the court moved to approve as recommended. The battery energy storage road‑use agreement with Elowin Neutron Storage LLC (G‑5) was discussed in depth and deferred for a company briefing before further action.
The court recessed for a short break and announced it would go into executive session for personnel and economic development matters under the cited Texas Government Code sections.
