Grant change causes county concern

COLDSPRING — A request to modify a resolution for a building grant was tabled over questions about the scope of the project and the amount of the county’s match.

At the June 8 meeting of the San Jacinto County Commissioners Court, commissioners were concerned about a $250,000 county match for a General Land Office disaster recovery grant, while County Judge Fritz Faulkner question the scope of the project.

Faulkner pointed out that initially, a grant was being sought for a 5,000 square foot office building for the Sheriff’s Office, but the new resolution showed the building to be 10,000 square feet, and the grant was to be $5 million, which would require a $250,000 match.

Commissioners were initially under the impression that the county was to pony up its funds regardless of the grant amount; however, any county match is typically only 5 percent of the total grant amount. After some discussion, it was brought out that the grant was filed for the full $5 million.

Faulkner also was concerned that the size of the office building doubled.

In the end, though, the matter was tabled until actual details can be worked out.

In other business, the county:

• approved adding a new user to the Local Government Solutions system;
• approved the appointment of election judges, which is done annually;
• approved the preliminary plat for the Maddie Meadows section 1 subdivision, with Faulkner voting against the measure due to questions about flooding and land elevation;
• approved a lot split in the Jose Maria de la Garza Tract;
• approved bond renewals for Elections Administrator Cheri Walker, Justice of the Peace Randy Ellisor, the Precinct 4 JP clerk, and Faulkner;
• approved the purchase of a transport van and two data terminals for the Sheriff’s Office, the money to come from an insurance settlement for wrecked cruisers; and
• approved a bid for roadwork in Precincts 2 and referred roadwork bids for Precincts 1 and 4 to the grant administrators for review.