By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
All five members of commissioners court were present.
Here’s what happened at the meeting:
County judge asks for moment of silence for recent deaths
• County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. asked members of county commissioners court, county elected officials, county administrators and employees, as well as members of the commissioners court meeting audience, to join him in observing a moment of silence for the victims of the July 4 flash floods in the Texas Hill Country, as well as for the recent deaths of the father of U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph Cordova and of former county employee Sunny Faz.
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Residents asks court to address dam concerns, commercial use
• County resident Lori Reyes spoke during the “citizen comments” portion of the meeting and again voiced her concerns about Amistad Dam, noting the court had an item later on its agenda to discuss “disaster protocol.” Reyes also spoke about another item on the court’s agenda, the consideration of allowing commercial/non-conforming use on a residential property in the Lake Ridge area. Reyes urged the court not to allow the commercial use in a residential neighborhood.
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Court discusses disaster protocols
• County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. said all four commissioners had contacted him following the deadly July 4 floods in the Kerrville area, saying they wanted to take their crews and equipment there to assist however they could. Owens said he contacted the Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) and officials with the council of governments in that area and offered Val Verde County’s assistance. He said officials there will call him if they need help at some later date and said the county needs to work out a protocol so that any commissioner who takes his crew out of the county will be able to use the county’s credit cards.
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Court appoints members to Sexual Assault Response Team
• Commissioners court voted 5-0 to appoint a slate of members to the county’s Sexual Assault Response Team (SART). Members include the BCFS Health and Human Service regional director or her designee, the Wintergarden Women’s Shelter Inc. chief administrator or her designee, 63 rd Judicial District Attorney Suzanne West or her designee, Del Rio Police Department Chief Frank Ramirez or his designee; Val Verde County Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez or his designee; Val Verde Regional Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Jorge Jurado or his designee, a sexual assault nurse examiner or forensic examiner from Val Verde Regional Medical Center, a position currently vacant; County Attorney David Martinez or his designee and Laughlin Air Force Base sexual assault response coordinator or her designee.
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Court ratifies resolution for target range project
• Commissioners court voted 5-0 to ratify a resolution for the target range construction grant and authorize County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. to sign all necessary paperwork. The resolution reads that the county will enter into an agreement with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for the target range project, with the state providing 90 percent of the funding for the construction and the county providing 10 percent through in-kind services, such as clearing of the land. The target range will be constructed adjacent to the Precinct 3 maintenance yard off U.S. Highway 277 north of the Del Rio city limits.
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Court will seek November referendum on city’s second bridge
• Commissioners court voted 5-0 to begin work toward placing a two-part referendum regarding the city of Del Rio’s plans for a second international bridge on the November election ballot. County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. said the deadline to place an item on the November ballot is in August, and he said he would like to place two issues before county voters. First, Owens said he would like county voters to be asked whether or not they believe a second international bridge is necessary, and second, voters will be asked if a second bridge should be sited north or south of the existing international bridge. Owens said the results of the election would be binding on commissioners court, but not on the city of Del Rio.
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County judge discusses plans for presenting FY 2025-2026 budget
• County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. reviewed the process by which he plans to present the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 county budget to commissioners court. Owens said the county will likely review and vote on the proposed county ad valorem tax rate at its Aug. 13 meeting, adding he planned to schedule budget workshops during the court’s meetings in August, but was open to calling additional meetings, should members of the court feel they are needed. Owens said he will file his proposed county budget in mid-August, noting that the budget he will submit will likely contain about $3.2 million more in expenditures than in revenues. He said he is proposing to make up that amount from the county’s existing fund balance. He said he will likely have a draft of the budget to present to commissioners by the end of the month.
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Court to move against mechanic shop in Lake Ridge neighborhood
• Commissioners court voted 5-0 to hand-deliver a “cease and desist” letter to a resident of the Lake Ridge neighborhood off U.S. Highway 90 northwest of Del Rio. The letter, which will be drafted by County Attorney David Martinez and delivered by Precinct 3 Constable Michael Wancho, will give the resident 30 days to close a mechanic shop he is operating on his property. The court also agreed that if the resident does not comply, the county will file action against him in state district court and could fine the resident $1,000 a day for every day he does not comply with the court’s order. County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. noted the county typically does not have zoning authority, but the Lake Ridge area is located in the Amistad Land Use and Zone Area, and the county does have zoning authority there.
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Court authorizes health fair at Antonio Fax Annex
• Commissioners court voted 5-0 to authorize Serving Adults and Children in Need (SCAN) Inc. to host a Summer Community Health Fair from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Friday, July 25, at the Antonio Faz County Annex, 315 E. Chapoy St. The health fair will offer free blood pressure and glucose screenings, substance abuse screenings, mental health screenings and information on community resources and services.
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Court authorizes back to school fair at county community center
• Commissioners court voted 5-0 to partner with the Brown Plaza Association, a local non-profit organization, to host a back to school fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 8, at the Val Verde County Community Center, 1690 Cienegas Road. Commissioner Pct. 4 Gustavo “Gus” Flores urged county residents to call him or members of the Brown Plaza Association to donate funds or materials for the event, which is free and open to the public.
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Court approves amending plat on county judge’s development
• Commissioners court voted 4-0-1, with County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. abstaining, to approve an amended plat of lots 29 and 30, Block 2, in Los Patos Ranch Subdivision, as shown on the plat recorded in Slide 37, Side B, of the map records of Val Verde County. After reading the agenda heading, Owens told the court he would abstain from voting because he is the property owner.
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Court approves purchase of vehicles for sheriff’s office
• Commissioners court voted 5-0 to approve the purchase of a 2024 Ford Transit T-350 van, a 2025 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 Crew Cab pickup and a 2025 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew 4×4 pickup, for a total price of $173,310, from Olathe Fleet, for the sheriff’s office. The vehicles will be purchased using state Operation Lone Star grant funds.
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Court approves vehicle purchase, trade-in
• Commissioners court voted 5-0 to approve the trade-in of a 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe for $1,000, to be used toward the purchase of a 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe with “police package” from Caldwell Country Chevrolet for the amount of $53,030. The vehicle will used by the adult probation department and will be paid for using state Operation Lone Star grant funds. Commissioner Pct. 3 Fernando Garcia asked if the vehicle being traded in could be purchased by Precinct 3 Constable Michael Wancho for $1,000 to be used by the constable’s office, and county officials said they would investigate the possibility.
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Court approves purchase of two reefer trailers
• Commissioners court voted 5-0 to approve the purchase of a 2012 Utility Reefer trailer from Deep Blue Commercial Sales for $10,500, to be funded by the Precinct 1 commissioner’s budget. The court also voted 5-0 to approve the purchase of a 2013 Utility Reefer trailer from Deep Blue Commercial Sales for $11,000, to be funded by the Precinct 4 commissioner’s budget.
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Court authorizes county judge to negotiate contract for event center
• Commissioners court voted 5-0 to award a bid to JESS Contracting of Del Rio for the construction of a pad and hauling for the new event center to be located at the Val Verde County Fairgrounds and authorized County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. to negotiate the contract price with the company. The project will be funded from insurance funds.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com
