30 Oct Bee County commissioners approve Jim Wells jail contract and new alert system, take no action on Skidmore lot

Bee County commissioners approved a jail-housing agreement with Jim Wells County, a switch to a new emergency alert provider and fee waivers for community events, and took no action on a request to convey a county-owned lot in Skidmore, at a special called meeting Monday.

Jail agreement: The agreement sets a rate of $76.45 a day for each inmate Jim Wells County sends to the Bee County jail. Sheriff Randy Aguirre said San Patricio, Jim Wells and Karnes counties are dealing with crowding, and that the fees will go into the county’s general fund and not to the sheriff’s office. He said the county can decline inmates with serious medical problems and send inmates back if its own jail fills. County Judge Trace Morrill said the jail was built larger than the old one so it could be fully staffed and earn revenue. The agreement runs through Dec. 31, 2027, and takes effect only after Jim Wells County’s commissioners approve it and each county’s auditor certifies funds.

Emergency alerts: The court approved a nonrenewal notice to its current provider, I-INFO/Alliance for Community Solutions, effective Nov. 30, and a three-year, $7,700 subscription to Regroup Mass Notification System. Emergency Manager Ryan Garza said the change was driven mainly by cost and newer technology, and that Regroup costs about half of what the county pays now. He said officials can send warnings from a phone, which “gives us a better opportunity to warn the public, especially after hours.” To be on the safe side, a commissioner asked whether the county could sign the three-year Regroup contract and cancel early if unhappy; the court took a short break while deputy emergency manager Rob Reyes called the vendor, who said there would be no penalty. The vote was then unanimous.

Skidmore lot: Commissioners voted 3-1 to take no action on the Rev. Anna Marie Salinas’ request for a deed without warranty to a small county-owned parcel in Skidmore. Morrill, who put the item back on the agenda, said the county owns a leftover strip of a lot at the entrance to Skidmore-Tynan Elementary School, reduced when U.S. 181 was widened, and that it sits between Salinas’ property and the highway. He said state law allows a county to convey land to an abutting owner without the usual notice and bidding, but the court would have to set a fair price. Commissioners disagreed over the parcel’s size and whether the county could document ownership. Morrill told Salinas’ attorney, Frank Warner, that he could keep working with the court toward a solution.

Court at law: Bee County approved a renewed agreement with Live Oak and McMullen counties to share the costs of the 2nd Multicounty Court at Law office, with Bee County covering 56%, Live Oak County 33% and McMullen County 11%. Morrill said the state pays the judge’s salary, so the local share covers only staff and operating costs. The court also adopted its annual resolution for the Texas Indigent Defense Commission formula grant program, which Morrill said helps the state cover about two-thirds of the regional public defender’s office funding.

Events: Commissioners waived Expo Center rental fees for the Western Week Pageant on Sept. 23, 2027, and Western Week from Sept. 26 through Oct. 3, 2027. Anna Marie Silvas, the event’s executive director, said the carnival will return despite a rain shutdown this year that left it about $40,000 behind last year’s $85,000. About 2,700 people attended. Commissioners also waived the auditorium fee for the Beeville Ladies Night Out Bingo for Bags fundraiser on Feb. 9, 2027, and approved the Beeville Garden Club’s use of the courthouse grounds for a Nov. 11 Veterans Day ceremony honoring women who served.

Other approvals: The court approved language access guidelines, the district attorney’s request to use the county credit card for fiscal 2027 expenses, and the routine administrative items on a single vote. Those included departmental reports, travel requests, bills and personnel changes. There was no executive session.

Commissioner Dennis DeWitt read a prepared “retrospective” of the court’s work into the record, covering projects such as an emergency management center and courthouse repairs. He closed by wishing the “incoming court” well, and Morrill thanked him for his service.