Ector County Commissioners will meet at 10 a.m. Tuesday in the County Annex to consider a number of items including hiring an outside agency to help with transporting prisoners and also plans for an employee appreciation event.
Ector County Judge Dustin Fawcett said hiring an outside agency to transport prisoners from the Ector County Detention Centers to other areas of the state and nation could aid the county as transport is “killing us right now.” He said using deputies is not as cost effective as hiring an outside firm.
The county has struggled to find enough jailers for the jail and, like all law enforcement agencies, it’s difficult to keep enough deputies and jailers. Fawcett has also previously said that during coming budget talks for next year it is imperative to raise pay for law enforcement staffing.
Meetings begin next week and Fawcett said they are bringing back department heads and elected officials meeting with one commissioner and Fawcett prior to public hearings to hash out the details and needs for the coming year.
The commissioners will also accept a donation from T-Mobile for $4,600 for an employee summer party on July 14.
“This came out of our employee action meetings,” Fawcett said. “We need to show appreciation for employees and this should be a great event for everyone.”
Fawcett is also excited about another agenda item — a presentation from CGI Digital pertaining to a free video opportunity for Ector County. He said the free videos will be on the county’s homepage and will “showcase what is going on in Odessa and it’s free. We got selected and only a few in Texas did for this program.”
He said it will go a long way to showing what is positive in the community. He said folks who want to see an example of the work that CGI does can go to Hidalgo County’s website and take a look.
Commissioners will also:
- Consider approving an application for fiscal year 2023-2024 with the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) for the purpose of providing immunization services in Ector County. The annual grant renewal from September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2024 for Immunization Services, and the level of funding for fiscal year 2023-2024 is $191,873.00.
- Consider approving a contract for mental health deputy services between PermiaCare and Ector County.
- Discuss approving the purchase of an Etnyre ECS250 Trailer Mounted Crack Sealer for the Odessa-Schlemeyer County Airport through a Buyboard Cooperative Purchasing Contract in the amount of $68,000.00 from Airport Fund, Special Departmental Equipment, 042-870-5507.
Fawcett said many taxiways and runways have a lot of cracks in the pavement and that this item is the beginning of improvements to Schlemeyer Airport.
- Consider approving a 4-year contract with Peacemaker Technologies and to designate Peacemaker Technologies as a Sole Source Vendor and exempt the purchase from County bidding requirements.
- Consider approving an agreement with Verizon Connect to provide GPS Services to the units in the Medical Examiner’s vehicles through the Sourcewell Cooperative Purchasing Contract.
- Consider a County street lighting service agreement contract with Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC.
- Consider approving a contract with EM3 Networks for internet services at the Ector County Library.
