Ho. Co. Commissioners Hear About Illegal Dumping

By Will Johnson

Messenger Reporter

HOUSTON COUNTY – Illegal dumping has become a problem throughout the East Texas area and on Tuesday, Jan. 10, the Houston County Commissioners Court was given a report about the problem in the oldest county in Texas.

The meeting was called to order by Precinct Two Commissioner Willie Kitchen who facilitated the court session in the absence of County Judge Jim Lovell. Kitchen explained the judge and Precinct One Commissioner Gary Lovell were in Austin attending a class for newly elected or appointed members of county commissioners’ courts.

Once routine matters had been dispensed of by the court, Precinct One Constable Morris Luker provided the court with the county’s environmental report.

“We are getting inundated with tires. It is my desire and decision to go to three different tire recyclers – one in Baytown, one in Cleveland and one in the Houston area – to see what they will charge us to come pick up these tires. I have a major tire dump in Commissioner Kitchen’s precinct that TCEQ (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) and I are working on,” the constable said.

“I have a felony illegal dump in Commissioner Pat Perry’s precinct where I have to go to Walker County and interrogate a suspect,” Luker continued. “There are also three or four misdemeanor offenses I have to take care of, including being bitten by a dog. Other than that, I’m just trying to get some of these dumps cleaned up.”

Luker added he was starting a program in the spring where he planned to use a mixture of bleach and water on tires at the county barns to help cut down on mosquito populations.

“That is a problem we have started to discuss with the environmental folks. It is getting to be a state wide problem. I have been talking with DETCOG (Deep East Texas Council on Governments) about getting rid of some of these tires like some of the other COGs do but I have yet to be called to discuss this.” Luker said.

As the meeting continued, a resolution was adopted to oppose a web portal known as Search TX. Houston County Clerk Bridgett Lamb explained the Office of Court Administration and the (Texas) Supreme Court had proposed allowing a private vendor to sell copies of all legal documents stored in the electronic filing system.

“In turn, this revenue would be given to the private vendors which would take away from county income. We will still have to maintain and secure the records, but with reduced money,” she said.

A motion was made and unanimously passed by the court.

In other matters brought before the court:

• The commissioners approved the minutes from previous meetings.
• The payment of bills and expenses incurred by the county were approved.
• The court approved the salaries for new employees comprised of a full-time Houston County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) deputy and a part-time HCSO jailer.
• A contract with Unifirst Uniforms was approved by the court to provide uniforms for Precinct Two road hands and county barn service.
• The commissioners gave their approval to a copier lease renewal with Texas Imaging Systems.
• Approval was given for construction and a hangar lease at the Houston County Airport.
• The renewal of the 2017 Emergency Management Performance Grant was approved.

Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].