Jasper County Commissioners Court
The Jasper County Commissioners Court met in a Regular Session on Monday, July 8th, 2024, but during the Court meeting the City of Jasper and some of the unincorporated areas of Jasper County were struck with a tornado, high winds and torrential rainfall from Hurricane Beryl.
This resulted in many homes in Jasper County being severely damaged or destroyed. We ask that all of our citizens keep the victims of this storm in your prayers as many currently may have to completely rebuild in the aftermath of this devastation.
Many thanks to the Jasper County and City of Jasper elected officials and employees for their swift response to the area of the tornado path, as well as the volunteer fire department personnel and the Team 409 Search & Rescue crew who responded to conduct search and rescue operations and clear paths through the downed trees in order to account for every citizen. Additionally, many thanks to the electrical service employees with the Jasper-Newton Electric Cooperative and the City of Jasper for their ongoing operation to repair and energize the power lines and homes affected by Hurricane Beryl.
As always, our people come together to respond to major disaster events and the response to this nearly 9-mile trail of devastation was no different.
An American Red Cross Shelter has been established at the Nehemiah Family Life Center on Pollard Street in the City of Jasper for those families whose homes were totally destroyed or rendered uninhabitable. Additionally, the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Team has responded, along with saw teams ordered through the Texas Department of Emergency Management to assist with cutting trees and large limbs away from homes and clearing roads and driveway entrances to allow emergency vehicles and other traffic access to and from roadways.
Currently, my office and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick have issued disaster declarations and are waiting for federal approval so that we can work together to get assistance for those affected by Hurricane Beryl. We will be releasing information on a regular basis regarding the status of our request. Meanwhile, anybody that received damage from Hurricane Beryl should report damages on the Texas Department of Emergency Management’s iSTAT reporting portal at iSTAT Damage Surveys (texas.gov) to properly log damage for possible assistance.
As mentioned earlier, the Commissioners Court held their regularly scheduled meeting and covered the following agenda items:
First, I presented District Clerk Rosa Norsworthy’s criminal and civil fee reports on her behalf due to her attending state-mandated training.
The Court then heard from JEDCO Director Eddie Hopkins, who requested that the Court accept a donation of $7,400.00 from JEDCO and the Jasper Lion’s Club for the purchase of an aerial drone to be transferred to Emergency Services District #4 and the Beech Grove Volunteer Fire Department for fire response and search and rescue operations.
After hearing the presentation, the Court accepted the donation purchase and approved the asset transfer to ESD #4 and the Beech Grove VFD.
Next, the Court heard from Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Jason Hollyfield, who provided the monthly Jail report, advising that the Sheriff’s Office had invoiced a total of $42,795.00 for housing inmates from Nacogdoches, Newton and Tyler Counties in the month of June, 2024.
Next, the Court heard from County Clerk Holly Thomas who presented the contracts between Jasper County and the other entities inside the county for performing joint election services on their behalf during the November 5, 2024 General Election, which the Court approved.
Mrs. Thomas then requested that the Court move Voting Box 8 to the Iglesia Pentecostal Unida International Church on Texas Highway 63 in Jasper and Voting Box 15 to the Buna United Pentecostal Church on County Road 833 in Buna. The Court voted to approve the moves, noting that with increased voting, the existing locations were creating a traffic hazard and were too small to handle larger numbers of citizens voting and the moves had become necessary.
The Court then also voted to set the remaining satellite voting locations, dates and times for early voting for the November 5, 2024 General Election. Mrs. Thomas will be publishing this information with local media as the election date draws near.
Finalizing election matters, the Court voted to appoint the Election Judges and alternate Election Judges for the upcoming annual term.
Concluding County Clerk business, Mrs. Thomas presented her 2025 Records Archival Plan to the Court for approval, noting that she had contracted with a private firm to do mass scanning of records to help bolster her ability to post records for access and online purchasing.
In grant related matters, the Court voted to publish for bids on the City of Kirbyville Water Tower Project construction, utilizing a portion of the $13.254 million grant allocation that Jasper County received from the Texas General Land Office. Several months prior, the Court opted to assist the City of Kirbyville and the Evadale Water Control & Improvement District #1 with making major infrastructure repairs and improvements to their water supply operations.
In the case of the City of Kirbyville, this will involve Jasper County assisting them with constructing a new water tower and improving their infrastructure to better serve their citizens and businesses.
Next, the Court voted to set the annual Sheriff’s and Constable’s fees for FY2025 for serving and executing civil process, and opting to keep the same fees that were established for FY2024.
In other business, the Court voted to renew Jasper County’s employee health insurance, opting to raise deductibles and medical copayments to mitigate the rising healthcare premium costs.
The Court then voted to designate Tax Assessor/Collector Joe Hawthorn as the tax rate calculation authority for Jasper County.
The Court then held a budget workshop for FY2025, with no offices making any requests at this time.
Concluding business, the Court voted to publish for construction bids on a road repair and improvement project on Beech Wood Drive in Commissioner Precinct 1.
That covers it for this Court meeting. Please keep the families that were affected by Hurricane Beryl in your prayers, and as always, feel free to call me if you need anything my way.
Mark Allen, County Judge
Jasper County, Texas
