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September 1, 2021
Commissioners Court Briefings
By Jessica Nohealapa’ahi
The Bandera Prophet
Bandera County commissioners unanimously approved the sale of the former EMS barn, at 1106 Main Street. The lone bidder, Colby Joseph Miller, offered $467,000 for the building - the minimum bid was set at $450,000.
In other business, commissioners began discussing how they plan to fill the fire marshal’s position in John Stith’s stead, whose resignation became effective yesterday. Stith is a commissioned peace officer and arson investigator, and the court has yet to decide whether it will seek an equally certified applicant to take his place.
“We cannot advertise until we know what we’re advertising for,” County Judge Richard Evans said, adding commissioners would finalize the fire marshal’s job description revisions when they meet on Thursday, Sept. 9.
“Starting next week, everyone in Texas can open carry,” Pct. 2 Commissioner Bobby Harris said Thursday, in reference to whether the future fire marshal should be a commissioned peace officer. “I would hate to send the fire marshal to a scene without a gun.”
“He can carry, too,” Evans said. “He isn’t exempt.
In his monthly report, Sheriff Dan Butts said the Sheriff’s Office responded to 543 calls in July. Deputies traveled 24,404 miles and the average tone to on scene time was 14.39 minutes - a slight increase from normal, he said, due to several people out for worker’s compensation or Covid.
Also during July, deputies made 32 arrests (11 felony and 21 misdemeanor), and investigated 30 property crimes. Dispatchers answered 1,656 incoming 911 calls.
“That keeps going up,” Butts said.
Animal control picked up 38 dogs and six cats. The average dog population was 21; the average cat population was five.
Sixty-five people were booked into the Bandera County jail, and the average inmate population was 65, including eight contract inmates.
Butts said the new boiler and new tanks are in, and he is waiting for the final wiring and plumbing.
“It’s a good choice we made to replace the tanks,” Butts said. “They had been leaking and the whole top of the tank was rusted.”
EMS Director Calvin Plummer said EMS responded to 234 calls and EMTs traveled 12,609 miles in July. The average tone to response time was 1.03 minutes, and the average tone to on scene time was 9.5 minutes. Plummer said EMS has received 2,058 calls thus far year to date, and he speculated that number would rise to 2,800 once the August numbers are tallied.
In other business, commissioners began discussing how they plan to fill the fire marshal’s position in John Stith’s stead, whose resignation became effective yesterday. Stith is a commissioned peace officer and arson investigator, and the court has yet to decide whether it will seek an equally certified applicant to take his place.
“We cannot advertise until we know what we’re advertising for,” County Judge Richard Evans said, adding commissioners would finalize the fire marshal’s job description revisions when they meet on Thursday, Sept. 9.
“Starting next week, everyone in Texas can open carry,” Pct. 2 Commissioner Bobby Harris said Thursday, in reference to whether the future fire marshal should be a commissioned peace officer. “I would hate to send the fire marshal to a scene without a gun.”
“He can carry, too,” Evans said. “He isn’t exempt.
In his monthly report, Sheriff Dan Butts said the Sheriff’s Office responded to 543 calls in July. Deputies traveled 24,404 miles and the average tone to on scene time was 14.39 minutes - a slight increase from normal, he said, due to several people out for worker’s compensation or Covid.
Also during July, deputies made 32 arrests (11 felony and 21 misdemeanor), and investigated 30 property crimes. Dispatchers answered 1,656 incoming 911 calls.
“That keeps going up,” Butts said.
Animal control picked up 38 dogs and six cats. The average dog population was 21; the average cat population was five.
Sixty-five people were booked into the Bandera County jail, and the average inmate population was 65, including eight contract inmates.
Butts said the new boiler and new tanks are in, and he is waiting for the final wiring and plumbing.
“It’s a good choice we made to replace the tanks,” Butts said. “They had been leaking and the whole top of the tank was rusted.”
EMS Director Calvin Plummer said EMS responded to 234 calls and EMTs traveled 12,609 miles in July. The average tone to response time was 1.03 minutes, and the average tone to on scene time was 9.5 minutes. Plummer said EMS has received 2,058 calls thus far year to date, and he speculated that number would rise to 2,800 once the August numbers are tallied.