County talks dogs, tickets & dollars

<b>By Libby Cluett</b><br><a href="mailto:lcluett@mineralwellsindex.com">lcluett@mineralwellsindex.com</a>

PALO PINTO – In the first year of an agreement between the City of Mineral Wells and Palo Pinto County, the city reported that 18.5 percent of the animals Mineral Wells Animal Shelter handled came from the county.

The county entered into an agreement with the city last year so that county residents could drop off stray animals, mostly dogs, at the city shelter.

The letter, issued to Palo Pinto County Judge Mike Smiddy, related that of the total 2,466 animals handled by the shelter, 457 came from the county. The note also requested Palo Pinto County pay $15,173 for the county's share of shelter operating expenses.

Prior to the agreement, which started in October, county residents had no options and dogs were abandoned in areas throughout the county.

“Mike, I believe that this has been an arrangement which has been beneficial to both the city and the county and I see no reason why this cannot continue into future years,” wrote City Manager Lance Howerton in his allocation letter.

In other business:

Commissioners heard monthly reports for October. Sheriff Ira Mercer reported issuing 61 civil papers and one ticket, making 615 calls for service and 80 arrests, driving 44,151 miles and booking 172 inmates. Mercer attributed the low number of tickets to a new law requiring state law enforcement departments to use a new ticket book, which they do not have. He explained that the new tickets have a check box for “Middle Eastern” and requires officers to check a box if they identified the person's race before stopping them. He added that there is a complaint form on the back of the new tickets.

When commissioners asked how the Kiwanis Crazy Kicker bike ride went, since most of the ride is along Palo Pinto County roads, Mercer replied, “All right as far as I know. There were two bike rides [this] month; as far as I know everything went fine.”

County Auditor Sharon Allen reported October revenues, to date, are $14,518 and expenses are $799,457. She explained that there are several factors to account for the difference, including no tax revenue has come in yet and department fees and fines have not yet been reported.

Emergency Management Director Barry Gill reported no county fires. He recently attended a wilderness search and rescue training in Fort Davis and was a wildland search and rescue instructor at the Mineral Wells Fire School. Precinct 1 Commissioner Beth Ray told Gill she received “good comments on the school.”

Gill also reported that he attended a Texas Department of State Health Services meeting on the H1N1 flu. When asked when state vaccines would come to this area, Gill said the county is “way down on the list.”

The court rescinded and revised the allocation of electric cooperative funds to include Palo Pinto County Child Welfare Board. This means that the PPCCWB, Court Appointed Special Advocates and Hope Inc. will split the funds so that each will receive $2,016 from the county.

Smiddy said that PPCCWB is also an organization that deals with abused and neglected children. He said leaving them out of the funding loop was an accident, but added, “it's fixable. I'm glad we can fix it.”

Commissioners approved a resolution to the Texas Department of Agriculture Home-Delivered Meal Grant Program that certifies that Palo Pinto County has made a grant of $5,000 to Meals on Wheels of Palo Pinto County. The county grant is part of the “Texans Feeding Texans” program and makes MOWPPC eligible to receive TDA grant funds.

Finally, the court approved paying for a rate increase in the County Choice Silver Medicare Supplement program for retired employees. Allen reported that the rates will rise 12 percent this January. The insurance program is offered through the Texas Association of Counties and the county pays 35 percent of retiree's premiums, which would equate to an additional $5 per month for approximately eight employees.

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