Commissioners eye TCSO overtime hours
Trinity Standard , October 2007

GROVETON – Trinity County Sheriff Steven Jones drew praise Monday for working to reduce his department’s overtime pay obligation.
During their monthly meeting in Groveton, county commissioners reviewed the final monthly report for the 2007 fiscal year, which ended on Sept. 30.
County Judge Mark Evans noted that the county “did okay” financially during the 12-month period but “took some pretty big hits” in terms of overtime pay in the sheriff’s office.
According to the September financial statement, the county overspent its salary budget for deputy sheriffs by more than $101,000 during FY 2006 due to accumulated overtime.
Under the 2006 budget, the county had allocated $161,673 to cover the salaries of the chief deputy and six patrol deputies. Actual cost during the year totaled $262,751 which represented 162.5 percent of the budget.
County Auditor Sheila Johnson noted that since being appointed to office in April, Jones has been working to reduce the amount of overtime hours that have been accumulated by deputies.
“He is covering some of the shifts himself, especially on weekends, and that is allowing him to reduce the number of overtime hours on the books,” Johnson told commissioners.
Unlike deputies, the sheriff is not entitled to overtime pay.
Overtime accumulated by deputies can be reduced by giving them paid time off. However, under the law, all accumulated overtime must be paid should the deputy leave the department.
Evans noted that the accumulated overtime is an unfunded liability faced by the county which, if not brought under control, could create severe budgetary problems in the future.
 “The sheriff has been doing a good job trying to get those hours down,” he said.

APS seeks help
In other business Monday, Tommye Phillips presented a request for assistance to commissioners.
Phillips, the vice president of the Trinity County Adult Protective Services’ Advisory Board, asked commissioners to assist them in locating senior citizens in need of help.
“As commissioners you get around and meet people and have an opportunity to visit with them,” she said. “You’re out and about and talk to everybody.
“That should give you a chance to see and report any cases to us that need to be investigated,” she said.
She noted that the Adult Protective Service (APS) has a staff of state investigators trained to assist senior citizens who have been the victims of abuse, neglect, exploitation or isolation.
“We are in the process of rebuilding our local volunteer organization and are raising money to provide services to those who need it,” she told the commissioners.
She noted that the advisory board, which is composed of volunteers, has obtained a storage room for items often needed by senior citizens and is seeking donations.
“Items that we will need include adult diapers, non-perishable food, fans, clothes, pillows and bedding,” she said.

Road hearings
During the meetings, the commissioners also held three brief public hearings regarding speed limits and stop sign placement.
No member of the public appeared to comment on any of the proposed road issues.
Commissioners gave formal approval to setting a 30 mile per hour speed limit on Old Highway 19. The county road is located on the east side of the railroad tracks south of Trinity and was the former route of a part of Highway 19 between Riverside and Trinity.
Also approved was the placement of a stop sign at the intersection of Doug Bell Road and Old Highway 19.
County Attorney Joe Bell noted that a stop sign already is located at that intersection but commissioners had never formally approved an order authorizing it.
Commissioners also approved a request from the Trinity Cove Subdivision’s Property Owner’s Association to reduce the speed limits on all subdivision roads from 30 to 25 mph.

Bridge program
During the meeting, commissioners also approved a resolution authorizing the county to participate in the Federal Off System Bridge Program operated through the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).
Under the program, old wooden bridges on county roads can be replaced with concrete and steel structures like those used on the state’s Farm to Market highways.
Local bridges approved for the program Monday included the North Creek Bridge on Helmic Road, located in Precinct 4, and the Piney Creek Bridge on the Lacy 4 Road, which forms a part of the boundary between Precincts 1 and 4.
Commissioners have noted that the Lacy 4 Road bridge has been on the list for a number of years. The existing bridge has been designated as an historical landmark by the Texas Historical Commission and cannot be torn down.
Because a new bridge must be built in a new location, additional right-of-way has to be obtained, which in the past has created problems because all of the land around the old bridge is owned by the U.S. Forest Service.
In their September meeting, commissioners were told that the problems faced in the past in obtaining the needed right-of-way may now be solved so they are hopeful that the replacement bridge can be built in the near future.

Other business
During the meeting, commissioners also:
• Learned that the county’s tax statements were mailed on Oct. 1. Evans said that Tax Assessor-Collector Kathy McCarty reported that this was the earliest date in memory that the statements had been ready to mail. “She said everything just feel into place this year,” Evans told commissioners.
• Met with Susanne Waller, curator of the Trinity County Museum. Waller invited commissioners to an Oct. 26 dedication program for the museum’s new Genealogical and Historical Research Center (See related story on page one).
• Approved a resolution declaring October as “Czech Heritage Month.”
• Approved a resolution declaring November as “Home Care and Hospice Month.”
• Approved a request from County Treasurer Jo Bitner-Bartee to add the state’s Victims of Crime Compensation Fund to the county’s juror donation list. The treasurer explained jury members are allowed to directly donate all or part of their jury pay to agencies on the county’s list.