McCulloch County reports 350,000 cubic yards of debris removed, outlines road, facility and downtown project timelines

The McCulloch County Commissioners Court on Jan. 12 said county crews and contractors have removed about 350,000 cubic yards of debris and 10,285 cubic yards of silt as part of post-event recovery, and outlined several road, facility and downtown projects the court said will affect local operations and events.

Commissioner Carol Anderson told the court the cleanup tally to date and said ongoing operational issues include dust control and parking at the county barn. She said donated materials will be distributed on County Road 128 North to help improve local road conditions and that Farm-to-Market and Lateral Road Fund money can be transferred to the county’s FEMA line item to avoid a negative FEMA-related balance.

Judge Frank Trull said he has requested surplus materials from the Texas Department of Transportation for 2026 and reported an internet outage in late December; he said the county is working with Snider IT on a backup Internet solution. Trull also described a property-boundary issue involving Rochelle Independent School District’s East Sweden School, where a survey shows school property extends into County Roads 412 and 414; County Attorney Greg Torres is negotiating with involved parties, the court was told.

Anderson said she met with Rufus Beam about a ceiling replacement at the McCulloch County AgriLife Extension Building; that project is scheduled to begin the second week of February. She also said she is assisting Tax Assessor-Collector Sylvia Campos on a fiber-optic project to support Department of Motor Vehicles technology upgrades and invited commissioners and road department personnel to a heavy-equipment training in Junction.

Judge Trull and Anderson reported a separate meeting with TxDOT Engineer Greg Cedillo and City of Brady staff about a downtown-square rehabilitation project. Trull said the north intersection will be repaired first, followed by the west side, with construction scheduled from April through September; he warned the Fourth of July parade and the planned opening of a time capsule will likely be affected or postponed.

The court also reviewed prior outreach: Dan Byfield previously presented on forming a Chapter 391 Commission, and Trull reminded the court that action is needed soon if the body wants to proceed. Trull additionally noted that DRS — a firm providing FEMA grant-administration services — was omitted from the agenda in error and that DRS is arranging outreach with neighboring counties.

Next steps the court identified include obtaining additional contractor estimates for Justice of the Peace office work, finalizing TxDOT material relocation plans for U.S. Highways 87 South and 377, and confirming dates for the AgriLife ceiling work and downtown-square construction.