Members of the Texas County Commission met Aug. 14-15 and took action on several items.
Commissioners:
•Accepted a bid from Rees Propane LLC for propane.
•Will continue to study its copier needs. Presiding Commissioner Scott Long will gather additional information from Ricoh and another company.
•Reviewed information from Gold Mechanical, Springfield, regarding engineers for a new required HVAC unit for the Texas County Justice Center.
•Met with representatives of the South Central Council of Governments, U.S. Forest Service and Boone Township concerning a bridge on Paddy Creek Road that needs to be upgraded after several floods. Some grant funding might be available. A design will be determined. An additional planning meeting will be held.
•Heard from Dan Cavender of Barker Phillips Jackson in Springfield regarding carriers for county property and casualty needs. A quote from Trident was approved.
•Discussed services, telephones and website with Scott Jones of Liberty Technical Solutions of Marshfield.
•Received an update on the activities of Texas County University Extension, including the use of a high tunnel greenhouse at the justice center, where inmates are harvesting vegetables for use in the jail kitchen.
•Reviewed a bill of sale for a body cooler from Coroner Marie Lasater.
•Set the county tax levy at .045 cents per $100 assessed valuation, up slightly from last year’s .0425. Long voted no. An earlier vote that would have set the levy at .0450 failed with Long voting no and Commissioner Doyle Heiney abstaining. A public hearing was to have been held Aug. 28.
•Heard Assessor Debbie James discuss the purchase of a newer vehicle for her department. She will check state surplus and other avenues.
•Heard from Collector-Treasurer Tammy Cantrell regarding the annual land tax sale and office space changes. A construction bid has been received, and another one is expected.