Trinity County News 2

Write a comment

TONY FARKAS | TCNS County officials, area residents and representatives of child agencies release balloons on Thursday to commemorate Child Abuse Prevention Month in April.

Area agencies show support during Child Abuse Prevention Month

 

By Tony Farkas

GROVETON — Children are the country’s most valuable resource, and deserve all the support and protection they can get.

Representatives from Kalin’s Center, the Groveton Police Department, the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office, CASA and numerous county officers marked the occasion on Thursday with information, a flag raising, and a balloon launch.

Kalin’s Center Executive Director Angela Cross said that across Houston and Trinity counties, there are more than 260 children in foster care for reasons dealing with sexual and physical abuse and neglectful supervision.

Cross said it takes a team to deal with child abuse.

“It starts with law enforcement, which usually gets the calls and do the investigations; Child Protective Services investigates, places children and does follow-up care,” she said. “The school usually make the initial reports, so thank a teacher.”

Team members also include Kalin’s Center, which works with all agencies to make sure no child falls through the cracks; therapists who work with the children to help them deal with the trauma; medical staff who take care of physical maladies; prosecutors and judges make decision and punish offenders; CASA sees children through the courts as their advocates; Child Welfare boards provide for the children in foster care; foster families who care for children; and the community for its support of all these agencies.

“We need to pray for our children,” she said. “It’s important for them in this day and time.”

Write a comment

FILE PHOTO Trinity County seal

Concern about contract for vehicles results in argument, no action

By Tony Farkas

GROVETON — Concerns raised by the Trinity County Treasurer over a contract for Sheriff’s Office vehicles with Enterprise Fleet two weeks ago led to a battle between elected officials on March 23.

It also led to Sheriff Woody Wallace asserting his sole authority over the Sheriff’s Office, saying he was the only one to decide what vehicles he and his deputies will drive, and that the Commissioners Court’s only responsibilities were to provide vehicle replacements and approve finances.

He also said the court has been less than supportive in the matter.

Wallace also cautioned Treasurer Bob Dockens about meddling in areas that are not of his concern, saying that according to the State Constitution, that was a crime.

“These people in this room, they elected me sheriff,” Wallace said before a packed courtroom. “They did not elect Bob (Dockens) sheriff. It’s my job as sheriff to operate this department.

“My authority is granted by the constitution as to what I can and cannot do. when one elected official interferes with another elected official he has committed a crime for trying to influence another office. You cannot do it.

Commissioner Neal Smith said he put the item on the agenda today because questions have been raised over the last month regarding the contract, and that Wallace brought the contract forward because no one could not buy vehicles as the manufacturers had shut down production.

He also said there is no one on the court more supportive of the department; he said that everything Wallace has asked for he has gotten, and that day’s discussion, and another item to purchase vehicles outright, should indicate that.

Addressing the meeting, which was moved to the grand courtroom because of the crowd, Dockens said that at a Commissioners Court meeting two weeks ago, he brought up concerns after he was asked by the auditor to take a look at the contract, basically regarding the interest rate being charged and actual vehicle ownership.

Dockens also said he was told by Wallace at the last meeting that if he could find some vehicles, he should; Wallace interrupted, saying he was being facetious.

However, Dockens said he talked with several dealers in the area that had vehicles ready to go.

“All I was doing was exploring if there were other places that had vehicles ready, because if we can buy them then let’s do that,” Dockens said.

Wallace disputed that account, saying the information he received from the same dealers was the vehicles were 90 days out. He also was adamant about being the only one to run his department; saying the Sheriff decides what the Sheriff’s Department drives.

Dockens said he only got involved because he was asked to look into it and because his office is in charge of risk management.

“I have a problem with one man getting you to cancel a contract that we’ve already signed,” Wallace said. “I have a problem with anyone getting involved; this is between me and this court.

“The commissioners can only tell me what I can spend,” Wallace said. “They cannot tell me what I can or cannot drive. The people of the county deserve officers that operate in safe vehicles that are not worn out or subject to crash. It’s a known fact that in the automotive world that vehicles wear out at 150,000 miles. We operate vehicles at 120 mph every day.”

County Attorney Colton Hay said he was asked to review the contract by Dockens, and to “get ahead of” some misinformation provided by Dockens, he did the review.

Hay said he thought the contract was standard and a good deal, and since the contract has been signed, work has been done by Enterprise.

“If we back out of this contract because Dockens has cold feet, even though he was not in on the contract from the beginning, that could potentially cost us everything they’ve spent without any of the benefits,” Hay said. “I urge you to remember you agreed to it, and nothing’s changed except one person got involved that wasn’t in on it at the beginning and didn’t understand it all because it was not his department.

“I don’t think this is too good to be true,” Hay said.

Commissioner Tommy Park, a former law enforcement officer, said he took things upon himself to find answers for the questions the court and treasurer had, and then relayed those answers to everyone concerned.

Smith said that no action was needed on his agenda item as he withdrew his objections; however, he said that in the future, there will be no votes whatsoever until everything is understood by the court.

Write a comment

FILE PHOTO Groveton ISD logo

By Tony Farkas

GROVETON — the Groveton ISD School Board intends to leave well enough alone by keeping masking requirements in place through the end of the school year.

At the board’s regular meeting on March 22, the board took no action regarding Gov. Greg Abbott’s order removing any restrictions connected with the coronavirus pandemic.

Superintendent Don Hamilton said the state gave schools an option regarding masks only, making it a school board decision.

“(A handout from the state) shows that as boards consider their mask policies, one thing to be aware of is the risk for litigation and grievances for COVID-19-related claims,” Hamilton said. “This is a hot topic — half the people want to do away with it, half the people want to keep it.”

Hamilton said he spoke with School Nurse Virginia Redden, who pointed out the district was nine weeks away from school being out, and that the students and teachers have done too well to change.

Board President Mark Folds said he could go either way, but since the district has been doing so well, he did not see a reason to change, and the board could take up the matter at a later date.

In other business, the board:

• •approved the purchase of a new school bus from Longhorn Bus Sales;
• •approved changes to school policy based on recommendations from the Texas Association of School Boards;
• •approved the school calendar for the 2021-22 school year;
• •approved keeping the District of Innovation description, and appointed a planning committee; and
• •discussed contracts for teachers.

Write a comment

FILE PHOTO Trinity County Seal

By Tony Farkas

GROVETON — Trinity County Commissioners’ Court on March 23 heard threats of lawsuits regarding decisions on pay raises.

County Clerk Shasta Bergman told the court that there is a pay disparity between the employees of female elected officials and that of male elected officials, and she, by submitting several requests for raises, was addressing the problem.

Of the four requests that were submitted, three were for Bergman’s employees; one for an additional $2.78 on a salary of $10.92 per hour, one for an additional $3.22 on the chief deputy’s salary of $11.20 per hour, and the last for an additional $1 on a salary of $10.50 per hour.

Bergman told the funds for the raises would be taken from her department’s Records Management account, and not from the general fund, which would not affect county income or tax dollars because the funds came from fees charged for record-keeping.

She also said those funds can only be used in her office, and mostly for salaries.

However, Commissioner Mike Loftin said during the budget season last year that the court decided there would be no raises, as the county needed to be frugal, despite being told by Bergman that the raises will not affect the county budget.

Commissioner Neal Smith said that the county attempted to look at all departments equally, and had the pay scales within pennies of each other.

“You can’t starve people out of a job,” Bergman said. “You are setting yourself up for trouble.”

Sheriff Woody Wallace said the county needed to be mindful of the legal ramifications of its decisions, saying also that he was “sick and tired” of his deputies having to work second jobs to feed their children.

“We need to look at this before we find ourselves in a class action lawsuit,” he said.

Loftin insisted that he understands the plight of the employees, but said the idea was to wait until this year’s budget season to determine what money was available; Bergman again said that the funds came from a different source than tax dollars.

Commissioner Steven Truss said that if the court approved the raises, then all departments will be seeking raises.

Commissioner Tommy Park made the motion to approve the raises, which had to be seconded by County Judge Doug Page. The end result, though, was that Smith, Loftin and Truss voted against the raises.

Bergman told commissioners then that she will present the raises in the same manner until they are approved, or they are handled through legal means.

In other business, the county:

• approved the appointment of Stacye Tullos as Trinity County Extension Agent-Ag and Natural Resources;
• proclaimed the month of April as Child Abuse Prevention Month;
• discussed billing from Groveton EMS regarding visits to inmates; and
• recognized the county’s constables for taking training regarding the state Open Meetings and Public Information acts.