Fire trucks, 42nd St. bids on county agenda

Ector County Commissioners will convene at 10 a.m. Thursday to discuss a number of items including the purchase of brush fire trucks and command trucks using ARPA funds for the West Odessa Volunteer Fire Department.

Commissioners will meet at the Annex and Ector County Judge Dustin Fawcett said another agenda item is a critical need for Ector County.

“The West 42nd Street bid for repairs had to change a bit on the specs,” Fawcett said Tuesday.

He added that he drove the road recently and is hopeful that the project can start as early as June. He said there were concerns about the quality of the base of the road and that commissioners also want to bolster the subgrade. “We went back to the drawing board and now are excited and hopeful it starts in June,” adding that the busy street is a major artery in Odessa.

Fawcett said agenda items dealing with ARPA funds for use for the the new trucks are part of funds that were actually allocated last year of about $2 million for the West Odessa Volunteer Fire Department.

Other items on the agenda include:

• Consider a donation of a new Disc Tractor Implement from Bob Steakley for the Ector County Coliseum Horse Arena.
• Consider allowing the Low Riders Against Bullying Car Show & Events to use Ector County Courthouse parking lot.
• Consider bid specifications for West 42nd Street Improvements II.
• Consider the Ector County Library’s application for State Library System Accreditation.
• Consider allowing the West Texas Radio Tacos and Tequila 2023 Event to use the Ector County Health Department parking lot.
• To consider approving the extension of Auctioneer Services Online.
• Consider using the ARPA Funds to put an $80,000 down payment on Two Brush Trucks for West Odessa Volunteer Fire Department.
• Consider using $199,254 in ARPA funds for command units for WOVFD. “These trucks will allow volunteers to quickly get to locations and put out smaller fire,” Fawcett said of the command units.
• Consider amending the substance abuse policy.
• Consider accepting a road donation at Hillmont Estates.