County keeps the heat off jail

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  County 4-H Extension Agent Candace Williams, center, speaks to the Commissioner’s Court on July 12, sharing the special honor presented to Amanda Cowey, right, at the State 4-H Roundup. Cowey received the Salute to Excellence for her many years of 4-H volunteer service, including the Cuero Livestock Show concession stand that brings in more than $10,000 in four days. At left is 4-H Queen Kassidy Cowey. STAFF PHOTO

  County 4-H Extension Agent Candace Williams, center, speaks to the Commissioner’s Court on July 12, sharing the special honor presented to Amanda Cowey, right, at the State 4-H Roundup. Cowey received the Salute to Excellence for her many years of 4-H volunteer service, including the Cuero Livestock Show concession stand that brings in more than $10,000 in four days. At left is 4-H Queen Kassidy Cowey. STAFF PHOTO

Commissioners approved requests from the sheriff’s office for jail operations and received budget requests from foster care agencies at the rescheduled meeting of the DeWitt County Commissioner’s Court, The regular meeting on July 12 was originally scheduled for Monday, July 8, but was postponed because of Hurricane Beryl’s imminent landfall.

In regard to jail operations, the contract with Keefe Commissary Network was under consideration for re-approval. Sheriff Carl Bowen described the commissary system, which provides items that are not supplied but available for purchase. He said the basic necessities are provided to inmates, but if they want a name brand toothpaste or more phone time, etc., they can order it through a kiosk system in their cells.

An inmate’s family deposits money in the kiosk system in the visitation room. Then the inmate can access it with his or her pin number on the kiosk, the sheriff said.

County Judge Daryl Fowler commented that in the 1990s, the DeWitt County Sheriff was indicted for commissary irregularities, which led to him losing the following election.

“Absolutely,” Sheriff Bowen agreed. “The quickest way for our mission to get into trouble is with money, so the best way to handle it is to NOT handle it.”

The agreement with Keefe Commissary was approved.

Also, in regard to jail operations, commissioners considered an Interlocal Cooperative Agreement for Housing Inmates with Gonzales County for $59 per day.

Sheriff Bowen said if inmates are perceived at risk in one jail, if space allows in other jails with an interlocal agreement, they can be transferred. The per diem does not include medical care, which if it turns out is substantial, the inmate will be returned to the original county jail.

Commissioners approved the interlocal agreement with Gonzales County.

The last jail operation considered was an exemption from formal procurement procedures with regard to the air conditioning system in the DeWitt County Law Enforcement Center. Normally, any purchase over $50,000 is required to go before the commissioners court and to go through competitive bidding procedures.

Sheriff Bowen described we have an air conditioning problem, we are required to report this to jail standards.”

If the temperature gets above 85 degrees, he said, the inmates must be removed until the repairs are complete.

“There are potentially very expensive issues if we do not take immediate action a common scenario where a sealed room in the jail holds 32-35 people. He said the A/C system is double redundant and one unit is down. The backup system is sending in air, but the temperature in that room is 85 degrees.

“When we have issues like this it's imperative to get that resolved immediately,” Bowen said, “because what happens is once

on some of these items,” Bowen said. Upon further questions from Judge Fowler, the sheriff stated “It could result in decertification.”

The commissioners approved a court order granting discretionary exemption for purchase of HVAC equipment in the De-Witt County Law Enforcement Center.

In regard to the county’s foster children, CASA’s Golden Crescent Program Director Diana Sneed described the volunteer advocate status of county’s 24 children in foster care. She requested $10,000 for the coming budget year, which the commissioners formally received.

Katie Klores spoke for both the DeWitt County Child Welfare Board and the Friends of DeWitt County Children. The Child Welfare Board is the governmental agency that oversees assistance to the county’s vulnerable children, while Friends of De-Witt County Children is the foundation that helps vulnerable children in need if they fall outside of governmental regulations. Funds from the Child Welfare Board can go to organizations that serve the vulnerable children in the county.

Other business items included: ratifying the rescinded burn ban; approving a legal services engagement with the law firm of Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta LLP of Austin, regarding county election administration matters; authorizing the advertisement of Requests for Proposals and Statement of Qualifications for hazard mitigation plan development and grant management services and a selection review committee for the proposals.

Commissioners also received a division order from Hurd Enterprises Ltd. (HB2521) for the Boedeker #4 Unit oil well. Judge Fowler commented that the 1/10th of 1 percent monies from the well contributed $100,000 to the county budget.