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December 18, 2024 - The Shelby County Commissioners were presented with the list of board members for the Shelby County Historical Commission (SCHC) for 2025-2026 for consideration and they approved the new list December 18, 2024.
“We had a meeting yesterday afternoon at the historic courthouse and these have to be submitted to the State Historic Commission,” said County Judge Allison Harbison.
The list of board members includes: Kaylin Burleson, David Chadwick, Alease Copelin, Rayford Copelin, Vanessa Davis, Allison Harbison, Laura Harris, Teddy Hopkins, Stacy Wilson Gee, Vickie Martin, Betty Mooney, Tem Morrison, Tim Perkins, and Susan Snider.
A motion was made to approve the list of members, it was seconded and the motion carried.
Next the commissioners considered the Financial Intelligence License agreement for a new cloud based financial system software.
Clint Porterfield, County Auditor, reminded the court of a previous discussion over the software and he stated he and County Attorney John Price reviewed the contract.
The per month cost of the software to the county will be $2,675 per month.
A motion to approve the agreement was made and received a second, and the motion carried.
During the Commissioners’ Court Reports portion of the meeting, Judge Harbison explained that the new date for courtroom furniture to arrive for the second floor courtroom will be January 9, 2025, and apparently there was a measurement discrepancy of 3/4 of an inch on the courtroom bench.
Judge Harbison encouraged the commissioners to invite their staff to the county employee luncheon on Friday, December 20.
“Again, apologize for the county’s offices being closed for an hour-and-a-half, but it’s better than being closed for a half a day,” said Judge Harbison.
Commissioner Tom Bellmyer reminded the court of TxDOT bridge projects that has been discussed for a long period of time that is now starting at the end of 2024.
“We’ve talked about it over the last 18-24 months TxDOT on building some bridges,” said Commissioner Bellmyer. “I think they started on Mr. Smith’s bridge this week. My bridge, the demo will start on Christmas Eve. The schedule is that I think that both bridges are scheduled complete about the middle of March and I’ve got a second bridge that will start below Lake Timpson at that very time and I think complete by middle of June.”
County Attorney John Price commented on easements for a bridge in Commissioner Roscoe McSwain’s precinct have been turned in as of the meeting day and working on resolving matters with Commissioner Smith at this time.
“I just want to thank Mr. Price personally for getting these easements done, because TxDOT gave them to me December 1 or 2 and said we have to have them by December 31,” said Commissioner McSwain. “I do appreciate him getting it done so fast, because my bridge will be bid in March.”
Ann Blackwell asked if there have been any updates on the Huber well and Commissioner Bellmyer said the last update he heard was a week previous to the meeting when they were waiting on TCEQ’s report on a sample well.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:51am.
Agenda items approved during the meeting include:
1. Weekly expenses. 2. Payroll. 3. Board members for the County Historical Commission for 2025-2026. 4. Financial Intelligence License Agreement for new cloud based financial system software. 5. Adjourn.
December 17, 2024 - The Shelby County Commissioners saw the swearing in of Shannon Metcalf to the office of Commissioner Precinct 2 and were updated that all $4.9 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding had been obligated during their meeting held December 11, 2024.
During the meeting Shannon Metcalf was the newly appointed Commissioner Precinct 2 to fill out the remaining term of Jimmy Lout who recently passed away and who was the Precinct 2 Commissioner for 22 years.
Judge Harbison administered the oath of office to Metcalf and the then took his seat with the other commissioners.
Ann Blackwell, County Treasurer, provided a financial report to the commissioners and she indicated all of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds had been allocated for specific purposes as was required by the act.
“We had another payment out of the American Rescue Plan is $160,066.25 that has a the cash balance of $747,319.78,” said Blackwell.
There are trailers which the commissioners have purchased she said she believed to be close to being ready. She also said the Huber Well Project is ongoing and then she gave an ARPA report.
“We have fully expended our ARPA grant, $4,909,178 with some pending payments, we have $747,319.78 pending. But, everything has been obligated, which is waiting for some equipment to come in and then we have one more administrative payment to GrantWorks,” said Blackwell.
Roscoe McSwain, Commissioner Precinct 1, moved to approved the officer’s report from Blackwell and a second was received by Stevie Smith, Commissioner 3.
Judge Harbison announced the county offices will be closing on Friday, December 20 for an hour-and-a-half between 12-noon and 1:30 for their annual county Christmas luncheon.
“The commissioners and I for five or six years, we do a barbecue luncheon over at the AgriLife for our officers and our employees and they really enjoy it so we're going to do that on the Friday before Christmas just to let y'all know we'll have it on the sign and in the public and everything,” said Judge Harbison.
The commissioners approved accepting a donation of concrete debris for Precinct 4 during the meeting and Tom Bellmyer, Commissioner Precinct 4, gave some background explanation of the origin of the donation.
“Had a local business that's done quite a renovation and expansion to their business, and part of it they did a quite a bit of demolition to an existing foundation. They reached out to me and asked me if I would like to have that because we use that material in a lot of washouts and debris and that type of thing.
Bellmyer elaborated that he informed the business that he would meet with the court and work to get it approved to accept that donation. He explained his crew would load the donated debris, and haul it to their stock yard and move it away from the business location.
Commissioner Bellmyer moved to accept the donation and a second was received from Commissioner McSwain.
The court considered changing the commissioner's court meeting dates of Wednesday, December the 25 and Wednesday, January 1, which are county holidays.
“Mr. Bellmyer and I went to some training last Wednesday and we discussed it and since we're off on Christmas Eve also we kind of thought about not even having a meeting on that week and then having our next meeting on the 31st,” said Judge Harbison.
In discussion it was determined they would have no meeting on Christmas week and have the last meeting of the year on New Year’s Eve.
Commissioner McSwain moved to cancel the Christmas week meeting and change it to December 31, and a second to his motion was given by Commissioner Metcalf.
During the Commissioners’ Court Reports portion of the meeting Judge Harbison announced the arrival of the furniture for the courtroom would be arriving the day after the meeting and she asked if the commissioners could assist when the furniture was delivered.
Sheriff’s Deputy Chief Chad Hooper was also present and agreed there were trustys at the jail who would be able to help.
Commissioner McSwain stated he and Commissioner Bellmyer were in Lufkin at the Mack truck dealership to finalize them the day before the meeting and one trailer had arrived while the others were expected very soon after that. Once the final trailer arrives, he said that bill could be paid and put behind them.
Commissioner Bellmyer remarked at how quickly the new apron for the driveway into the Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 office was completed and how much easier it is now to get in and out of the driveway.
“I thought that was a coordination that worked out well,” said Commissioner Bellmyer.
Commissioner McSwain added, “That was a very good move for the county to invest that, it was a very good investment, because we have the sidewalk back like it was supposed to be,” said Commissioner McSwain. “There’s no way we could have done that with our equipment with oil sand or asphalt. It was very professional and a very good investment.”
The meeting was adjourned at 9:51am.
Agenda items approved during the meeting include:
1. Minutes of the following meetings. November 6, 2024 Special Meeting; November 13, 2024 Regular Meeting; November 20, 2024 Special Meeting; November 27, 2024 Special Meeting. 2. Weekly Expenses. 3. Officers Report. 4. Donation of concrete construction debris for Precinct 4. 5. Commissioner’s Court meeting date of Wednesday, December 25, 2024 to Tuesday, December 31, 2024. 6. Adjourn.
Related Article: Metcalf Sworn-in as Commissioner Precinct 2
New law eliminates most vehicle safety inspections
December 17, 2024 - Beginning January 1, 2025, Texas vehicle owners will no longer need to obtain a safety inspection prior to vehicle registration. House Bill 3297, passed during the 88th Legislature in 2023, eliminates the safety inspection program for non-commercial vehicles.
The new law maintains the annual $7.50 safety inspection fee collected at the time of vehicle registration. Texans will see this fee labeled as the Inspection Program Replacement Fee on their registration renewal notice. Owners registering a new vehicle will pay a $16.75 Inspection Program Replacement Fee to cover the first two years of registration.
State law will still require obtaining a passing vehicle emissions inspection in the following 17 counties prior to vehicle registration: Brazoria County, Fort Bend County, Parker County, Collin County, Galveston County, Rockwall County, Dallas County, Harris County, Tarrant County, Denton County, Johnson County, Travis County, El Paso County, Kaufman County, Williamson County, Ellis County, and Montgomery County
Informational Links
- Vehicle Registration (Texas Department of Motor Vehicles)
- Vehicle Safety Inspection (Texas Department of Public Safety)
- Vehicle Emissions Inspection (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality)
- House Bill 3297 (88th Legislature)
Editor's Note:
The fee funds State programs and operations: (construction and expansion of state highways)
- Texas Mobility Fund: $3.50
- State General Fund: $2
- Clean Air Account: $2
December 16, 2024 - Tom Bellmyer, Commissioner Precinct 4, announces TxDOT is doing a bridge replacement work County Road 4054 on Bear Bayou. The bridge is between FM 1645 and CR 4020.
Residents should be prepared for a Wednesday, December 18, 2024, closure and for the roadway to remain closed until further notice for four months.
December 16, 2024 - Stevie Smith, Commissioner Precinct 3, reports that TxDOT has closed CR 3012 on December 16, 2024, and construction has begun this morning to replace a bridge.
This roadway is going to remain closed until the project is completed.
December 11, 2024 - A swearing in ceremony for Shannon Metcalf, to the office of Commissioner Precinct 2 was held during the Shelby County Commissioners’ Court meeting on Wednesday, December 11, 2024.
Due to the passing of Jimmy Lout, Commissioner Precinct 2, Metcalf has been appointed to finish the unexpired term of the late Commissioner Lout. (Click here for Commissioner Jimmy Lout obituary)
Shelby County Judge Allison Harbison administered the oath of office to Metcalf and during his swearing in he was flanked by the commissioners of the other precincts.
The ceremony was well attended by an audience of friends, and family in support of Metcalf.
Metcalf has been working for Precinct 2 for 29 years and was Lout’s foreman for the 22 years that he was in office.
December 6, 2024 - I am pleased to announce the appointment of Shannon Metcalf to finish the unexpired term of the late Commissioner Jimmy Lout.
Mr. Metcalf has been working for Precinct 2 for 29 years and was Commissioner Lout’s foreman for all 22 years of his tenure. I have faith in his ability to perform the duties of the office and I believe he will continue the legacy of Commissioner Lout. He has been assisting Commissioner Lout during his recent health issues with all aspects of the office including working with grants and budgets. Mr. Metcalf knows the citizens of Precinct 2 and I have had an overwhelming number of citizens from different communities support his appointment.
His Oath of Office will be administered at the next Commissioner's Court Meeting on Wednesday, December 11, 2024 at 9:30am in the 2nd Floor Commissioner’s Courtroom. Everyone is invited.
December 6, 2024 - The Shelby County Commissioners approved a road use and repair agreement during their December 4, 2024 meeting between Shelby County and BTA ETG Gathering LLC, a Texas limited liability company, for repair of road damage in Precinct 3 and for acceptance of funds to be held in trust.
John Price, County Attorney, gave some description of the needs in play and the agreement presented to the commissioners.
“Essentially, what the agreement is, BTA is agreeing to place in trust with us the funds to cover the costs to replace or repair the roads at the conclusion of the work that's going to be performed here by this particular company,” said Price. “Those funds, the amount of those funds has been agreeable with Commissioner Smith, subject to approval of the commission. I think it more than adequately covers the amount of materials that would be required as determined by Commissioner Smith to do these repairs. These repairs, obviously, which will also include a certain number of loads of oil sand will have to be done later on in next year in the spring or early summer. Obviously, the oil sand can't be utilized until then anyway.
Price explained that the contract further provides in the interim that there will be ongoing road repairs performed by the company. Precinct 3 Commissioner Smith will make what were referred to as temporary repairs, such as moving materials in, and filling potholes to keep the road in as good a shape as possible until work is completed and the final repair can be done.
To Price’s understanding the work that will be done by BTA will require the use of a number of loads of cement which will all be done at one time and then there will be a very large heavy load compressor being brought in.
According to Price, there are provisions in addition to the amount of money that Commissioner Smith has determined would be necessary to obtain and use materials that are instrumental to do the repair and to possibly repair any additional damage done to a specific culvert crossing that might occur.
“Frankly, we don't anticipate anything occurring but the company has agreed to deposit additional funds bringing the estimate of what will definitely be agreed upon with a little over $43,000 for the materials, including the oil sand up to $50,000,” said Price. “The additional sum being deposited, just in case there's any damage to the culvert, in speaking to Commissioner Smith, and he has done his due diligence and work determining that the amount that's being deposited will be more than sufficient, even if there is a necessity to replace that culvert so we feel like it's a good contract. The money will be in our hands available to be utilized as soon as completion of the project takes place.”
Troy Bergeron, with Enterprise Products, the sole owner of BTA ETG Gathering LLC addressed the court, “We did have damage out there. We do want to make good on that, so we’ve brought two checks for you for that. And then in the interim, we do have more work anticipated over the next three or four months. So, you know, we do want to make sure that precinct three is taken care of and the roads are taken care of. So we brought a roller on site, so that we can constantly roll the road to keep the roads passable. And at the end of the project, we'll meet Mr. Stevie again and, you know, make sure that this covered it. If it didn't, we'll work out something with you on any more.”
Commissioner Stevie Smith stated it was not a situation of negligence on the part of Enterprise Products, rather a tremendous project that the county roads couldn’t sustain.
Commissioner Smith moved to approve the road use a repair agreement and it was met with a second by Commissioner Bellmyer and the motion carried.
Earlier in the meeting when the commissioners approved the weekly expenses Ann Blackwell, County Treasurer, indicated the final payment toward the pugmill in the amount of $127,122.25 plus shipping cost of $3,500 split among the four precincts had been paid.
During the Commissioner Court Reports portion of the meeting, County Judge Allison Harbison shared that the furniture for the Commissioners’ courtroom is now ready and the hope is the furniture will arrive in one to two weeks.
Blackwell noted for the court that the Courthouse Annex is switched over to ETEX fiber as of the meeting day.
Commissioner McSwain referenced an expense for the Pugmill that was $3,500 and he went forward with it because he thought the price was very reasonable as he was expecting a cost of $5,000 to $6,000.
Commissioner Bellmyer referenced several bills that Jim Allison, General Counsel of the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas, has indicated are what he calls “good bills.”
Out of the over 2,000 bills that have been submitted for the legislature to consider, the bills mentioned specifically by Bellmyer included SB 854, HB 1367, HB 790, HB 1109, and HB 1461.
“One that I think is really interesting to us is HB790 by representative Spiller increases the bid limit from $50,000 to $200,000,” said Commissioner Bellmyer. ”So last legislative session, they tried to get it from $50,[000] to $100,[000]. So now they're making another run of it and they actually increased it to $200,000.”
Another one that has returned which Commissioner Bellmyer said the court has discussed before was HB 1109 to exempt counties from state motor fuel tax.
HB 1461 also seeks to reimburse counties for some expenses they otherwise haven’t been able to recover.
“HB 1461 by Representative Frank, requires the state to reimburse the counties for mental patients, juveniles, and parole violators. So those are big ones,” said Commissioner Bellmyer.
In reference to being reimbursed and parole violators, Judge Harbison mentioned that Panola County no longer is housing any Shelby County inmates as of the meeting and that there are “50-something” inmates in the jail.
The meeting adjourned into executive session at 9:55am and returned to open session at 10:33am.
Judge Harbison stated that during executive session they discussed the jail now being in compliance, there are no prisoners outside of the county now. There was no action to be taken on those items. She said they spoke of some other things and that those would be added to the agenda in the coming week
The meeting was adjourned at 10:33am.
Agenda items approved during the meeting include:
1. Pay weekly expenses. 2. Pay current Payroll. 3. Road use and repair agreement to be entered into between Shelby County, Texas and BTA ETG Gathering LLC, a Texas limited liability company, for repair of road damage in PCT 3 and for acceptance of funds to be held in trust. 4. Adjourn.
December 5, 2024 - Emergency responders were dispatched to a major two-vehicle crash in the 1100 block of U.S. Highway 59 South outside of Timpson at around 2:42pm on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, which proved fatal to one driver.
In addition to law enforcement, Timpson Volunteer Fire Department personnel were requested to the scene to assist with an entrapment of one driver involved.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Troopers are investigating the fatal crash and a silver Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck driven by Kristen Lee, 26, of Timpson was traveling north, while a white Freightliner box truck driven by Iso Isoev, 31, of New York was traveling south. It is reported that during a period of heavy rain, the Ram hydroplaned and traveled into the oncoming lane where it was struck by the Freightliner.
Kristen Lee of Timpson, was pronounced deceased on scene by Tracy Broadway, Justice of the Peace for Precinct 5.
Isoev was transported to Nacogdoches Medical Center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
According to DPS, this is an ongoing investigation and no further information is available.
December 4, 2024 - The Shelby County Commissioners moved forward with a new cloud based financial software system during their meeting held November 20, 2024.
Clint Porterfield, County Auditor, then enlightened the commissioners on a written proposal from Financial Intelligence for new cloud based financial system software.
“We've had a good run for 25 years. Shelby County has used Hill Country software financial system going on 25 years. In 2018, local government solutions, LGS (Local Government Solutions) purchased all of the software rights and clientele of Hill Country Software,” said Porterfield. “In 2019, myself, the assistant treasurer, the treasurer and the assistant operator went to College Station for a meeting concerning the acquisition and the new software system that was forthcoming and there were a lot of questions at that time about this company and their software system that had purchased your country.”
Porterfield continued explaining that during the past six years, LGS has taken their software system called Financial Intelligence (FI), and they've added to it some of the nice features of Hill Country that the county has grown accustomed to and, through a blending of the two programs, have created a financial system that caters to small counties, and small to mid-sized counties.
“We were notified in October the first when we started our new year that LGS Financial Intelligence is now trying to convert the rest of the counties that they haven't converted in the last six years. We are at the end of the list. We've kind of held out and hoping we'd all get debugged before it got to us,” said Porterfield.
He explained that the intent of LGS is to have Shelby County systems converted over sometime in the summer of 2025. Porterfield said the county has been fortunate in that it has paid $4,000 a year to Hill Country for their software for 25 years. The new proposal is for $2,675 a month at a total cost of $32,000 a year.
I'm actually very pleased that's all it is, $32,000 a year. I know that we have some friends and counties around us who have gone with other software systems that cost six figures. But I will tell you that I am very confident with the FI program, even though I haven't seen the technical workings of it. I have looked at some of their reporting. I talked to Trinity County just this week. Trinity County just converted within the last three months,” said Porterfield.
Commissioner Bellmyer moved to follow the request by the auditor to move forward with the software and Commissioner Smith seconded the motion. It carried
Porterfield addressed the commissioners to talk with them about an annual expense they were presented with in their expenses regarding the 10th Administrative Judicial Region.
"We are in a judicial region with 32 other counties, and in that judicial region there are judges and those judges prepare a budget and the 32 counties share the budget of the 10th Judicial District for their actions in court and their administrative cause,” said Porterfield. “So Shelby County pays, of that $165,000 budget, Shelby County pays about 1.6% to $2,700 and that's been the same price for many years.”
A motion to pay the weekly expenses was made by Commissioner Tom Bellmyer and was seconded by Commissioner Stevie Smith.
The commissioners considered the payroll presented to them and then Commissioner Smith moved to pay the payroll, which was seconded by Commissioner Bellmyer.
A sponsorship of the Deep East Texas Legislative Reception in Austin in January was considered by the commissioners, and Commissioner Roscoe McSwain stated that normally $500 is donated and he recalled attending the event two years previous to the meeting.
“I guess it's just a partial sponsorship because I was looking at the sponsorship levels and that's below the levels. But yet, according to Lonnie, that typically what we always contribute is the $500,” said Bellmyer.
McSwain continued, “That says in the documentation here, if you have highlighted $500 here, we will receive all the benefits offered to our gold level sponsors.”
Commissioner Bellmyer moved to continue sponsorship of DETCOG at that legislative session, and a second was heard by Commissioner Smith. The motion carried.
Taylor Fanguy, Constable Precinct 4, addressed the commissioners about purchasing a radar for the Precinct 4 patrol vehicle. Constable Fanguy stated the radar he has ceased to function after being moved to his new unit and the company that manufactured it no longer provides support for the unit.
The radar Constable Fanguy was seeking to purchase was a newer version of the same model radar.
Commissioner Bellmyer was surprised with the unit being over 10 years old that it still functioned.
Porterfield recommended paying for the new unit out of Constable Fanguy’s budget and then any future adjustment could be made via a line-item transfer at the end of the budget year.
Commissioner Bellmyer made a motion to move forward with the purchase of the radar and charge it to the constable budget as-is, Commissioner Smith seconded the motion and it carried.
During Commissioner’s Court Reports portion of the meeting, Commissioner Bellmyer commented that Deborah Chadwick, Chamber of Commerce President, brought Leadership Class members to court for the meeting an he thanked them for their presence.
Commissioner McSwain brought up the driveway into the Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 office and preparations for work to be done.
“As the court’s aware, we've been discussing for six months to a year now. Fixing the driveway down at the Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 office. We talked about doing it in-house and the ball kind of got pushed in my corner lately,” said McSwain. “I come up with the idea last week to seek an estimate of what it would cost to have an outside contractor come in.”
Commissioner McSwain said they reached out to Cornerstone Construction and received an estimate of $10,645 from them.
With the project being a repair and just over $10,000 he said they would move forward with the project and pay for it out of Courthouse Repairs.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:29am.
Agenda items approved during the meeting include: 1. Weekly expenses. 2. Payroll. 3. Sponsor the Deep East Texas Legislative Reception in Austin in January. 4. Financial Intelligence written proposal for new cloud based financial system software. 5. Request from Precinct 4 Constable Taylor Fanguy to purchase a Radar for the Precinct patrol vehicle. 6. Adjourn.
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