By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
All five members of Val Verde County Commissioners Court were present.
Here’s what happened at the meeting:
Court authorizes judge to meet with city on hiring state and federal lobbyists
County commissioners court members voted 5-0 to authorize County Judge Lewis G.
Owens Jr. to meet with city of Del Rio administrators and staff to review and possibly
recommend the hiring of a state and federal lobbying and advocacy service. Owens said
Assistant City Manager Manuel Chavez had sent him an email offering to partner with
the county and the San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District to hire a
lobbying or advocacy service to represent city, county and school district interests in
Austin and Washington, D.C. The county and city have paid for these types of services in
the past. Owens told the court he would meet with the city and any decision on hiring a
lobbying firm would have to come back before the court.
Court authorizes application for courthouse preservation planning grant
County commissioners court members voted 5-0 to authorize County Judge Lewis G.
Owens Jr. to apply for a grant from the state to seek a firm to evaluate the county’s
historic courthouse. Commissioner Pct. 4 Gustavo “Gus” Flores asked if the county’s
grant writer, Carl Esser of the Uvalde firm Esser & Co., could assist the county in
applying for the grant, and Owens replied that Esser is assisting with the initial grant.
According to the grant application, applicants “must have prepared a master plan for
preserving and maintaining their historic county courthouse.” The application also noted
that “hiring a professional preservation architect to assist in this process will help county
representatives evaluate the current state of the courthouse and set priorities for
rehabilitating and maintaining the building.”
Court authorizes application for ambulance grant
County commissioners court members voted 5-0 to authorize submitting an application to
the state for funds to purchase an ambulance under the Rural Ambulance Service Grant
Program through the Texas Comptroller’s Office. County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. told
the court if the county is awarded the $350,000 grant and purchases the ambulance, it
could be presented to Val Verde Regional Medical Center.
Court authorizes purchase of emergency supplies for election polling locations
County commissioners court members voted 5-0 to approve the expenditure of about
$14,000 from contingency funds for the purchase of automated external defibrillators
(AEDs), first aid/tourniquet kits and Narcan (used for opioid overdoses) for five polling
locations for the county elections that will be held in May and November.
Court authorizes funding for car seats and smoke detectors
County commissioners court members voted 5-0 to approve $27,500 from the Family
Protection Fund for the purchase of 30 child safety seats and 30 battery-operated smoke
and carbon monoxide detectors for each of the county’s four precincts. County Judge
Lewis G. Owens Jr. said 30 child safety seats would also be left at the county courthouse
in case there was immediate need for one or more. County Attorney David Martinez
reminded the court that representatives of the Health and Human Services Department
came before the court last year to say they were available to teach people how to
correctly install the child safety seats.
Court okays installation of solar radar speed signs
County commissioners court members voted 5-0 to authorize Commissioner Pct. 2 Juan
Carlos Vazquez to install a SafePace 650 solar radar speed sign on Packsaddle Circle
inside the Quail Run Subdivision. Vazquez said the sign was purchased several years ago
using AARPA monies and is intended to remind motorists in the area to follow the posted
speed limit.
Court approves installation and maintenance of LED lights near mailboxes
County commissioners court members voted 5-0 to approve the installation and
maintenance of solar LED lighting in the Quail Run Subdivision to illuminate community
mailbox areas at the entrance of Chisholm Trail from Highway 90 West and at the
entrance of Quail Run from Highway 90 West. Commissioner Pct. 2 Juan Carlos Vazquez
noted areas of his precinct have had issues with criminals breaking into and vandalizing
mailboxes. “Hopefully, this will be a preventative measure to keep this from happening
again,” Vazquez told the court. Owens asked the other members of the court to put
together a list of areas in their precincts that may need similar lighting and to bring those
lists back to the court.
Court approves agreement with AEP for light installation
County commissioners court members voted 5-0 to approve Val Verde County entering
into an agreement with AEP for the installation of one LED light near 1041 Hold Up Pass
in the amount of $813.97, to be paid for from the Precinct 3 operating budget and to
authorize County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. to sign the agreement.
Court authorizes County Court-At-Law to apply for state monies for drug treatment
courts
County commissioners court members voted 5-0 to authorize the Val Verde County
Court-At-Law to apply for state grant monies relating to the Val Verde County Court-At-
Law Adult Drug Treatment Court and the Val Verde County Court-At-Law Juvenile Drug
Treatment Court for the 2025-2026 Fiscal Year.
Court hears report on Colonia Self-Help Center
County commissioners court voted 5-0 to approve two actions dealing with Equity
CDC/Val Verde Self-Help Center. The first was approval of draw request #2 under
Colonia Self-Help Center Contract CSH24-0167 and to authorize County Judge Lewis G.
Owens Jr. and County Auditor Matthew Weingardt to sign the draw form and checklists,
and the second was to approve the quarterly report for the fourth quarter of 2025 for each
of the two current Self-Help Center contracts and authorize the county judge to sign.
After the votes, Owens asked Robb Stevenson, Equity CDC/Val Verde Self-Help Center
director, to speak to the court about his program. Stevenson said on the newest contract,
his agency bid out four manufactured housing units and has already installed three of the
four. “On the older contract, we’ve exceeded expectations; we were required to do five or
six house reconstructions, and five or six rehabs, and we’re exceeding that by one or two
each,” Stevenson said.
Court approves asbestos abatement proposal
County commissioners court members voted 5-0 to approve an asbestos abatement
proposal from Argus Environmental Consultants, LLC to provide asbestos abatement for
Building 11 at 402 Aguirre St., in the amount of $34,600. County Judge Lewis G. Owens
Jr. noted the building is part of the Judge Antonio “Tony” Faz County Annex. Owens said
payment for the asbestos abatement will be split between Precinct 2’s operating budget
and the county general fund. He noted that at some point soon the county will also have
to address a building on Brodbent Avenue. Owens said that building is also one that was
given to the county by the local public school district.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com
