At today’s meeting of the Brown County Commissioners Court, four new members were approved for the Brown County Child Welfare Board.  Board Chairman Lisa Caldwell proposed new members Tammy Fisher, Danielle Howard, Casi Stewart, and Christina Jackson.  All four were approved by the Commissioners.

The Commissioners heard a report from County Health Coordinator Amanda Bundick.  The County’s health care plan, from Blue Cross Blue Shield, is part of a group plan through the Texas Association of Counties (TAC).  The plan includes an exercise challenge for the County employees.  Based on the amount of exercise reported by Brown County employees in 2024, TAC issued an Employee Rewards Check in the amount of $3,100 to the County.  The County’s “Healthy County Committee” decides how to spend the money, usually on items and equipment to promote a healthy environment at the Courthouse.

The Commissioners also held a long discussion with Dean Clements and Mike McCoy concerning County Road 310.  This road has two unconnected segments.  Clements and McCoy own land on the east segment, along with an absentee land owner.  This segment serves only the three land owners and has no through traffic.  But because it is a “dead-end road” it has become a place where many persons dump trash, garbage, and other unwanted items, such as refrigerators, and is a maintenance problem.  Clements said he has been requesting for over seven years for the County to “abandon” the road, allowing it to be absorbed by the surrounding land owners, whereby they could close the road and solve the dumping problem.  County Judge Shane Britton said the County has made many attempts to contact the third, absentee land owner for his approval of the proposal, but has received no response.  The Commissioners agreed to send one more certified letter to the absentee land owner.  If no response is received, the County will proceed to abandon the road.

In other business:

*** Commissioners approved a request by Flock Safety, in partnership with the Bangs Police Department, for the installation of a license plate reader camera in the County right-of-way on County Road 180.

*** Commissioners approved a purchase of a 2020 CTS Belly Dump Trailer from Southwest Truck and Trailer Inc. in the amount of $36,500.

*** Commissioners approved a purchase of a 2018 Freightliner CA125 Cascadia truck from Lonestar Truck Group in the amount of $32, 266.23.

*** Commissioners approved the 2024 Year End Financial Statement, as presented by the County Auditor’s Office.

*** Commissioners agreed to keep the current Burn Ban ON.