Commissioners Court ·
Caldwell County Commissioners discussed the burn ban, the Capital Improvement Plan, awarding a contract for hazard mitigation plan development services, and discussed uses for funding received from the American Rescue Plan Act. (Pictured l-r: Pct. 1 Commissioner B.J. Westmoreland…
Caldwell County Commissioners discussed the burn ban, the Capital Improvement Plan, awarding a contract for hazard mitigation plan development services, and discussed uses for funding received from the American Rescue Plan Act.
(Pictured l-r: Pct. 1 Commissioner B.J. Westmoreland, Pct. 2 Commissioner Rusty Horne, County Judge Hoppy Haden, Pct. 3 Commissioner Ed Theriot, Pct. 4 Commissioner Dyral Thomas)
Upcoming meetings
Tuesday, July 23
Tuesday, Aug. 13
Tuesday, Aug. 27
Burn Ban remains off
Hector Rangel, Chief EMC for the Caldwell County Office of Emergency Management, said there have been four structure fires since the June 28 regular meeting. While there isn’t much rain in the 10-day forecast and conditions are drying out, the Keetch-Byrum Drought Index still averages 416 for Caldwell County, meaning it’s well under the 575 that indicates drought conditions are present. Commissioners approved a motion to leave the burn ban off for another two weeks.
Capital Improvement Plan Update
A total of seventy-two people recently attended open houses in Lockhart and Luling to learn more about the county’s Capital Improvement Plan, which provides a roadmap for making improvements to critical county infrastructure that include roads, bridges and areas prone to flooding that will be important to address as the county continues along its projected growth path. Current estimates predict Caldwell County’s population will grow by 243% in the next 20 years. More than 2,000 people have also taken an online survey seeking feedback on the county’s transportation infrastructure needs. A majority of respondents indicated they would be amenable to the idea of a slight property tax increase to make improvements rather than taking a wait-and-see approach. Most respondents who favored a tax increase said they would support paying about $5 per month more for county property taxes.
Caldwell County has until Aug. 19 to call a November election to ask voters whether they support a tax increase. Commissioners directed staff to review a list of potential road projects and rank them by priority. Commissioners will discuss the priority list at a future workshop and at the July 23 meeting.
Learn more about the Capital Improvement plan at caldwellcountycip.com.
Other Action
Commissioners also:
- Approved using a portion of American Rescue Act Plan Funds to purchase new desktop computers and laptops. The county’s plans include purchasing 39 desktop computers, 39 monitors and 6 laptops to replace computers that cannot support a necessary Windows 11 update. Commissioners voted to make $50,000 available for the equipment upgrades. Of the remaining funds, approximately $450,000 will go toward purchasing new Unit Road equipment, $300,000 will go toward building a new centralized 9-1-1 communications center at the Caldwell County Justice Center, and approximately $500,000 will be used to support planning and engineering costs for potential new county office space that would be located near the Justice Center.
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Awarded the contract for hazard plan development services to Langford Community Management Services. Hazard mitigation plans are prepared and adopted by communities primarily to identify, assessing, and reducing the long-term risk to life and property from hazard events. Adopting a current hazard mitigation plan is also necessary for eligibility to receive funding from FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. A committee comprised of county officials ranked Langford highest among four companies that submitted proposals after the county issued an RFP.
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Approved the Short Form Plat for De Jesus Subdivision consisting of three residential lots on approximately 10 acres located on Plant Road and Horseshoe Bend Drive.
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Approved the Short Form Plat for Mule Creek Estates consisting of two residential lots on approximately 6 acres located on Mule Creek Road.
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Approved the Final Plat for Spanish Oak Acres, Phase 2 consisting of 12 residential lots on approximately 20 acres located on Old Colony Line Road and Spanish Oak Road.
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Approved the Short Form Plat for Pettytown Subdivision consisting of four residential lots on approximately 13 acres located on Pettytown Road.
- Approved a request for a six-month extension for the approved plat of Maxwell Farms on approximately 80 acres located on Farmers Road.