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Fannin County Judge Newt Cunningham introduced Pct. 1 Commissioner-elect Troy Waggoner in the audience.
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In public forum, Judge Cunningham said he was disturbed to hear that people have been tearing up campaign signs.
"We don't need to do that in Fannin County," Cunningham cautioned, and he urged a respectful, collegial approach to elections.
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Fannin County Commissioners Court approved payment of bills totaling $373,846.25; payroll was $333,542.61.
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Discussion, consideration and action items
Commissioners court approved the purchase of a 2019 Kenworth T800 for $109,871.30 from VT Trucking for Precinct 3.
The county went out for bids and received six proposals.
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Fannin County Commissioners Court approved going out for bid for janitorial services for county buildings.
The last time the county went out for bids for this service was 2021.
This bid will include janitorial services at the Windom building.
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By a 4-1 vote, commissioners court approved marketing five acres of county-owned property located on FM 897.
The county owns five acres near a boat launch on Bois d'Arc Lake that is currently zoned for agriculture and on the tax rolls at more than $400,000.
"We probably need to consider re-zoning the lot before marketing it," Judge Cunningham suggested, adding that he believes once the property is zoned for commercial use the county can push for a seven-figure deal.
Cunningham said the primary reason he wants to put this property on the market is to ensure that the county doesn't have to borrow any more money. The county is awaiting a final estimate for the justice center project.
In previous discussions, the court had considered this property as a possible site for the precinct 4 barn, but the consensus seems to be that this location makes the property highly marketable.
Pct. 1 Commissioner Dale McQueen, Pct. 2 Commissioner A.J. Self, Pct. 3 Commissioner Jerry Magness and Judge Cunningham voted in favor of marketing the property, while Pct. 4 Commissioner Doug Kopf cast the opposing vote.
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Commissioners court approved the installation of fiber optic cable to the Tax Assessor-Collector Office.
The next step will be a site review to determine details.
The state advises this needs to be completed before October 2024.
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Open discussion items
(Open discussion items will be passed on unless discussion requested by a member of the court or a citizen.)
No estimate was available regarding the cost of the justice center project.
Judge Cunningham repeated his goal of not having to borrow any more money for the project. Cunningham said he wants to consolidate county offices and sell properties once they are vacated.
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The court discussed Fannin County Water Supply Agency, an organization that has the ability to buy water from North Texas Municipal Water District, but has been plagued by the lack of a quorum at past meetings.
The county judge said he has been looking at the agency's bylaws and underlying statutes, however state law may have to eventually be applied to remedy the situation.
Fannin County Water Supply Agency Board Members are urged to attend meetings. If members are no longer interested in attending, they are asked to attend a meeting in order to vote themselves off the board.
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Discussion items
In a discussion regarding recreational vehicle parks, Judge Cunningham said he is hearing rumors of possible lawsuits and developers grumbling about the county's regulations for RV parks.
"Our laws and regulations need to be constitutional and defensible in court," Cunningham stated. "I was a litigator so lawsuits don't bother me...kind of like a duck in the rain."
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Fannin County Commissioners Court entered into executive session at 9:40 a.m. to consult with their attorney, and to discuss personnel issues.
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Commissioners court reconvened in regular session at 10:02 a.m. to announce that no action was taken in executive session.
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Pct. 2 Commissioner A.J. Self said he had the pleasure of being one of the judges for the Second Annual Steaks on Main Ribeye Cook-off and he complimented Fannin Agricultural Association, Inc. for hosting the highly successful family-friendly event. Watching kids play on the courthouse lawn and seeing neighbors have a chance to visit was rewarding, Commissioner Self remarked.
Fannin Agricultural Association, Inc. sold all 1,100 tickets and downtown Bonham was a beehive of activity all day Saturday.
"I'd like to see more events like that," Self stated.
