Shelby County Today

March 27, 2019 - The Shelby County Commissioners were addressed by Lori Oliver, Shelby County District Clerk, during their 9:30am March 20, 2019 meeting regarding the need of an additional staff member in her office due to many challenges the office currently is facing. 

The case load on the District Court level has increased greatly over time and two current employees are out of the office due to illness and injury, one being out for several months and the other more recently absent.

"We're down man power 40%. That's helpful, but I really think that's not even a true depiction of where it is because two of those people that are working are brand spankin' new," said Oliver.

Oliver explained, with the other two staff members out, the most experienced employee working for her currently has only been working for her for two years. 

Another issue, according to Oliver, proving difficult is dealing with efile which is a state mandated method to file court cases. She explained on some days the influx of customers and constant phone calls into her office have at times caused delays of other duties.

Staff members are also handling searches for state agencies like the Department of Public Safety and other governmental agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation so applicants can receive their concealed handgun licenses.

To attempt to gain additional time, Oliver described how she and staff members looked at what they could cut back on doing to free up time. In conjunction with this effort, one particular service offered by the District Clerk's office was no longer going to be able to be available.

"There's a lot of people upset with me over the passport things. Let me tell you about the passport, it's not like we just came in one day and said 'we're not going to do that anymore.' We got stopped and suspended from doing it because we didn't have time to go do the updated training. 

According to Oliver the training to be able to provide passport services is required every year. Until the training is completed, an agency can't provide the service.

Oliver says she realizes this has created a hardship for Shelby county residents; however, they will eventually be able to go to the post office to get the service.

"I'm not saying we won't ever start it back up, but unless something changes I don't know when it would be," said Oliver.

Allison Harbison, County Judge, elaborated on issues not being limited to Shelby County, and are statewide.

"This is just not Shelby County, this is happening all over the state through the District Clerk's offices, and the County Clerk's offices," said Harbison.

"The problem with Texas Efile, we didn't have similar to this when we were not integrated," said Oliver.

She described how an integrated system has caused a whole lot more difficulties for her office.

"They wanted us to be with an integrated program, that's why we came to y'all that time and had you sign the contract, because we were integrated so they could get copies, money to us and all that."

According to Oliver, Texas Efile has a problem carrying information forward to iDocket. This has resulted in attorneys being disturbed because their filings aren't appearing in the system as quickly as expected.

Judge Harbison and Oliver concurred Efiling has made it so attorneys can file at will rather than during just normal business hours. Oliver stated there are filings that show up at 2am and without the limitation of tangible documents they are filing sometimes the equivalent of reams (500 pages) of paper at a time.

Oliver stated her office is willing to do whatever it takes to make everything they have to do work. While they are getting the job done, Oliver explained they are having a hard time.

A motion carried to hire a person, at the advice from the auditor, as a part-time employee with a review time allowing for the District Clerk to return in 90 days to give the commissioners an update on the progress with the new employee and the employees which have been out on medical leave.

The meeting adjourned at 10:15am.

Sheriff Willis Blackwell told the commissioners during their March 13, 2019 meeting he spoke with Clint Porterfield, County Auditor, about using an additional officer on a seasonal basis as needed rather than on a part-time as was previously discussed in commissioners' court.

Sheriff Blackwell suggested he could use this person to monitor inmates as they mow from April until September, as needed. 
  
"In the winter there's just not that much we need the inmates out for to do anything. You know, every now and then, but the deputies can handle that," said Blackwell.

Jimmy Lout, Precinct 2 Commissioner, asked Blackwell if there would be time for inmates to pick up trash along the roadways. Sheriff Blackwell said they could; however, he said the Justice of the Peace for Precinct 2 is giving community service to people in that precinct.

"I don't know where they're doing their community service, but they can sure pick up trash," said Blackwell.

Lout said he was suggesting the possibility in all precincts, not just Precinct 2. Sheriff Blackwell stated such individuals in any of the precincts aren't required to be supervised.

Tom Bellmyer, Precinct 4 Commissioner, asked Sheriff Blackwell if he would have the funding in his budget to support hiring another officer for seasonal work.

"I think we probably do out of what we usually save every year on different items," said Blackwell. "Especially like, we haven't been using any of our budget on housing prisoners outside [the county], because the courts and I have worked together to make sure the population stays down low where we don't have to go to Carthage at $50 a day."

The subject of the possibility of hiring an officer was first addressed in the March 6, 2019 Commissioners' Court meeting. At that time the possibility of inmates picking up trash was brought up and Blackwell agreed he would consider that if the inmates weren't working on another project at that time, they could pick up trash, because no one else is.

"When I called the highway department, they said they'll get to it when they need to," said Blackwell.

Bellmyer asked if the constables could be used to monitor the inmates doing work out in the county. 

"Well you could, but you'd have a lot of trouble getting them to come up here [to the courthouse], except a couple of them," said Blackwell.

Judge Harbison explained there has been some difficulty getting assistance with courthouse security from constables on busy court days.

"We've just had a couple that agreed to help and then you know they're working over in there section and it's just hard sometimes, but we could always ask," said Judge Harbison.

Blackwell agreed with Bellmyer if it were able to be coordinated with a constable on a particular day in their precinct, that could possibly work.

Sheriff Blackwell also stated he had two deputy positions currently open.

A motion carried to approve allowing Sheriff Blackwell to hire a single employee at beginning deputy pay on a seasonal trial basis.

Jennifer Fountain, Shelby County Clerk, informed the commissioners her office contains around 300 plats of which some are fading.

"They're not copying well, they're hard to see and a lot of the plats are huge," said Fountain.

Having to contend with very large plats means if someone comes into her office needing a copy of a large plat results in a job that has the potential to last for two hours.  

If the plats are digitized they can be uploaded into the county clerk's computer file software making it more easily accessible and more able to be printed quickly, as well as emailed. 

A motion carried to approve digitizing the plat records.

The Joaquin Volunteer Fire Department has made plans to build a satellite station west of Joaquin on State Highway 7. 

Charles Barr, Precinct 3 Commissioner, said the fire department was donated some property and they will be needing to do some dirt work on the area to prepare for the new building.
 
Barr indicated the property is in between the Lone Cedar Community and Joaquin.

"What they were asking for was some assistance in helping haul the dirt into the foundation and that sort of thing," said Barr.

Barr said he inquired with the county attorney and a law firm who have all stated as long as the work is being done for the good of the public the county can assist in the project.

Jeremy Boyett, representing the Joaquin Volunteer Fire Department, spoke during the meeting and stated he needs 24 loads of dirt hauled for the pad and nine loads of iron ore for a driveway for the building. 

Boyett explained the new station has the potential to help insurance rates for those who have homes within five miles distance of the station.

"We have our ISO rating coming up in two or three years for the city and we're a six inside the city and an eight outside, but nine's the worst you can get," said Boyett. "So, we're trying to better the outside because we're working on this one and then we're working on maybe another one, [FM] 139 later on."

Boyett described the new station is expected to have a tanker truck, pumper truck and a set of Jaws of Life. The building will sit on two acres, allowing for a 50'x50' building and additional room for a training field.

A motion carried for Barr to assist the fire department when they are ready to move the dirt.

The meeting adjourned at 10:54am.

Agenda items approved during the March 6 meeting include:
1. Pay weekly expenses.
2. Current Payroll.
3. Adjourn at 10:46am.

Agenda items tabled include:
1. Approve Sheriff’s office to hire a part time Deputy to supervise and stay with any trustee while work is done at Courthouse, Sheriff’s office, and other County offices. (3 days a week)

Agenda items approved during the March 13 meeting include:
1. Approve the minutes of the February 6, 2019 Special meeting, the February 13, 2019 Regular meeting, and the February 27, 2019 Special meeting of the Shelby County Commissioners' Court.
2. Pay weekly expenses.
3. Officers report.
4. Digitization of the Plat Records for the County Clerk's office, with funds from the County Clerk's Records Archive Budget.
5. Take sealed bids for a used Front End Loader for Commissioners Pct. 3 and Pct. 4. Bids to be opened on April 3.
6. Discuss and possibly approve Sheriffs office to hire a part time Deputy to supervise and stay with any trustee while work is done at Courthouse, Sheriff's office, and other County offices. (3 days a week)
7. Provide assistance to the Joaquin Fire Department by providing in-kind work for their new fire department building. 
8. Adjourned at 10:54am.

Agenda items approved during the March 20 meeting include:
1. Pay weekly expenses.
2. Pay current payroll.
3. Approve hiring a person for the District Clerks Office, at the advice from the auditor, as a part-time employee with a review time allowing for the District Clerk to return in 90 days to give the commissioners an update on the progress with the new employee and the employees which have been out on medical leave.
4. Adjourned at 10:15am.