With County Judge Susan Redford and Precinct 1 Commissioner Freddie Gardner away on county business, Ector County commissioners went through Monday's meeting at a city council-like pace.

Gavel to gavel, the meeting lasted 15 minutes.

"I'll let the judge know we are very efficient without her," Precinct 2 Commissioner Greg Simmons said, as he laughingly adjourned the meeting.

The meeting had no closed executive session, and a potentially contentious discussion about selecting a company to handle redistricting of commissioners precincts was tabled.

The most discussion at the meeting came in regard to accepting an increase in a tobacco cessation grant from the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Gino Solla, director of the Ector County Health Department, said the state found additional money to give the Tobacco Community Coalition, a joint venture between Ector and Midland counties. Commissioners approved an increase in the grant from $163,000 to $245,801.

The grant has an "in kind" match, in which the county pays for Solla's time spent working on the project.

The grant pays for nicotine patches and services for smokers with financial hardships, Solla said.

"This is a collaboration to go out and provide people who want to stop smoking an avenue to do so," he said.

After tabling a decision at their Feb. 9 meeting, commissioners approved a sole source list of vendors Monday. Commissioners can hire companies on the list without going through the bid process.

Simmons had asked for a review to determine if any money could be saved by "shopping around" instead of making companies exempt from bidding.

"They had gone through and did remove a couple," he said.

But Simmons said the county found companies like Caterpillar with exclusive dealer arrangements preventing others from selling in the market. So they were kept on the sole source list.

In other action, commissioners approved:

>> Accepting $5,200 in donations for construction of the West Side Senior Center.

>> Out-of-state travel for O.C. Carrillo and Alonzo Acosta to the NFMT Conference in Baltimore.

>> Lamp and ballasts bid.

>> Bid specifications on traffic paint, a Gardendale Park tennis court-resurfacing project, vending machine services and a security camera and recorder system in the Administration Annex Building.

>> An amendment to a contract between the county and the Office of the Rural Community Affairs.

>> A Qualified Replacement Benefit Arrangement and Adoption Agreement with the Texas County and Retirement System.

>> Selling property in the Midway Country Estates Subdivision in Gardendale for $230,000 and property at 1301 S. Texas Ave. for $2,750, both of which are less than market value.

>> Line item transfers in the medical examiner's office.