Burn ban, Coliseum policy up for discussion

Ector County Commissioners will discuss what to do about Ector County’s burn ban, a hot topic on the agenda once again.

Commissioners previously voted 3-2 Jan. 23 to keep the ban in place despite a record-setting snowfall for the area.

The Keetch-Byram Drought Index, used to determine how much moisture is in the ground and used to determine forest fire potential on a scale from 0 to 800, stated Ector County was at 591 on Jan. 23. Counties over 575 usually set a burn ban. As of Friday, the index stated the county was at 574.

Another factor keeping the burn ban on the agenda is the amount of rain the county received in January.

Meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Midland said the area received about one inch of rain last month. Total rainfall in January 2011 was reported at 0.04 of an inch.

Commissioners will also look at a request from Fiesta West Texas to change an Ector County Coliseum policy.

Event organizer Richard Esparza is asking commissioners to change the time outdoor concerts must end from 11 p.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Esparza said the event has worked to lower the noise of concerts and the extra hour would be beneficial to vendors at the event.

Ector County Coliseum Director Don Thorn said the event can continue till midnight if the music was moved inside the coliseum itself.

The policy was introduced in 2009 after several noise complaints were filed by both city and county residents about the noise coming from the festival, County Judge Susan Redford said.

Commissioners will also:

• Receive a presentation from MOTOR MPO on the status of the Highway 191 Corridor study.
• Consider an approval regarding the polling places for the 2012 primary election.
• Consider approval or the remaining appointees to the Ector County Anti-Discrimination and Harassment Policy Executive Committee.
• Accept a donation of $18,817.01 from the Rochester family for the remodeling of the Rotary room at the Ector County Library.
• Accept a $100 donation for the Ector County Sheriff’s Office new K-9.
• Take action regarding the transfer of title for a sheriff’s office vehicle to an insurance company.
• Take action regarding out-of-state travel for Octavio Carrillo and Charlie Pierce to attend Non Emergency Medical Transportation conference in Baltimore, Md.
• Take action regarding the disposition of a 2005 Volvo motorgrader.
• Take action regarding carpet at the Ector County library.
• Take action regarding bid specifications for liquid asphalt emulsion, asphalt patching material, grade-based material, seal coat aggregate and water.
• Take action regarding the invitation to bid document for the lease of oil and gas development at Odessa-Schlemeyer field.
• Take action regarding the annual archiving projects for Ector County.
• Take action regarding a resolution authorizing a grant application with the Permian Basin Regional Planning Commission for funds for the Ector County Environmental Agency.
• Take action regarding the 2012-2013 Victims of Crime Act grant application for the District Attorney’s Office.
• Take action to apply for a community development block grant for a project at the Salvador M. Guerrero Southside Senior Center.
• Consider requiring all new hires to have direct deposit and request current employees who receive printed checks to convert to direct deposit.
• Consider selling the property at 213 Hudson Ave., for $3,400.
• Consider selling the property at 1016 Jefferson Ave., for $4,000.
• Consider selling the property at 1020 Jefferson Ave., for $4,000.
• Consider two transfers of $47,950 total from the Bad Boy Blast funds to the sheriff’s office Departmental Furniture and Equipment for laptops in department vehicles.

@OAgovernment