As Odessa Arts Executive Director and Chair of the Ector County Library Committee Randy Ham walked out of commissioners’ court on Tuesday morning, he expressed loudly “Let’s go shopping.”
The Ector County Commissioners’ Court unanimously approved using $250,000 in ARPA funds for architectural services for discovery, cost analysis, design and construction of a new library.
Ham told commissioners on Tuesday morning there are multiple firms that plan to bid on the project.
“We are ready to put rubber to the road,” Ham said during the meeting. “We’ve done our due-diligence. We’ve done the public input. Now we need to know the questions the commissioners have been asking since day one: where is it going to go, how many stories is it going to be, how many square feet, how much is it going to cost and what is it going to look like.”
Ector County Judge Debi Hays on Monday said the funds will come from the $10 million the county set aside for lost revenue.
The architectural services for discovery, cost analysis, design and construction of a new library would allow the commissioners’ court to answer many questions: Where will it go? What will it look like? How much will it cost?
Greg Simmons, the commissioner for Precinct 2, said plans have slowly been moving in this direction and he’s eager to find out what those answers are going to be.
“It’s good to see that is progressing even though it’s going a lot slower than people would like,” Simmons said. “… It’s good to be moving forward.”
Armando Rodriguez, the commissioner for Precinct 4, expressed the importance of keeping the library in downtown.
He also said he has received calls from his constituents telling him about the progress the library has made under new Director Howard Marks. Ham also said during his presentation to the commissioners the library has the right leadership to continue to move forward.
“(Marks) is 90 days in and there a lot of changes already,” Rodriguez said after the meeting. “I’ve been getting a lot of calls that are complementing the library.”
The commissioners also approved to decrease the Ad Valorem Tax Rate from .365 to .350. The required hearing for the rate change will take place at 6 p.m. Sept. 6 at the Ector County Administration Building Annex located in Room 120 at 1010 E. Eighth St. in Odessa. The rate will still bring in more revenue than the previous year due to rising valuations.
The commissioners approved the Ector County Sheriff’s Office to have an Interlocal Agreement between the City of Odessa and Ector County for the 2022 Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program Award.
According to the Bureau of Justice Assistance website, the joint allocations for the City of Odessa and Ector County this fiscal year was a little more than $87,000. That is nearly triple what the City of Midland and Midland County received ($30,063) and the City of San Angelo and Tom Green County received ($29,646).
Commissioners approved a request for two cell phones and uniforms for the newly formed Planning and Development Department, however, it will be paid out of the current budget.
The agenda item of considering, discussing, and taking any necessary action on the 2022-2023 Budget for the Emergency Communication District of Ector County was tabled.
The commissioners ended the meeting in about 20 minutes as they didn’t have any items for executive session.
The court also:
>> Approved the Ector County Clerk’s Archive Plan for FY 2022 – 2023.
>> Approved out of state travel for the 161st District Judge in October 2022.
>> Approved the FY 2023 budget for Area Agency on Aging.
>> Approved Ector County’s participation in the Revised Request for Proposal for Electrical Power Supply being issued by Public Power Pool (P3).
>> Approved a new Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Lending Reimbursement agreement for 2022 from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
>> Approved to hire a Contract Tracer at Step 3 beginning September 5, 2022 due to experience.
>> Consider, discuss, and take any necessary action on Poppy Court Estates a Subdivision of 11.80 acres in Section 7, Block 41, T-1-S, T&P RY. Co. Survey, Ector County, Texas and authorize the County Judge to sign.
>> Approved Montoya Addition a Subdivision in Ector County being 2.00 acres in Section 33, Block 43, T-2-S, T&P RWY. Co. Survey, Ector County, Texas.
>> Approved TTF Ranch Estates 3rd Filing 10.00 acres in Block 2, TTF Ranch Estates, located in Section 26, Block 44, T-2-S, T&P RR Co. Survey, Ector County, Texas.
>> Approved Iron Estates a Subdivision of 19.98 acres being a replat of a portion of Block 3, TTF Ranch Estates, situated in Section 26, Block 44, T-2-S, T & P, RR. Co. Survey Ector County, Texas.
>> Approved a proposed MHRC Development to serve 4130 Comanche Road 1.0 acre located in Faith Subdivision Block 1 Lot 1, (Prec. 1) Ector County, Texas.
>> Approved proposed Consent Agenda: A. Approved a line item transfer on General Fund, Commissioner Precinct 3, Office Supplies, 001-023-5171 from Educational Travel, 001-023-5161 for $107. B. Approved a line item transfer to General Fund, Emergency Management, Educational Travel, 001-890-5161 from Office Supplies, 001-890-5171 for $101. C. Approved a line item transfer to General Fund, IT, Subscriptions, 001-310-5207 from Non Departmental, Other General Expense, 001-950-5402 for $31,366.
>> Approved a budget amendment to 2017 Jail Expansion Fund, Special Department Equipment, 047-420-5507 from Unreserved Fund Balance, 047-3310 for $13,125.
>> Approved a budget amendment to Law Library Fund, New Books, 003-700-5201 from Unreserved Fund Balance, 003-3310 for $5,944.
>> Approved the Ector County Monthly Treasurer’s Reports for June 2022 and July 2022.
>> Approved the Accounts Payable Fund Requirements Report for August 23, 2022 to review County financial statements and reports.
