by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

    Several employees of the Uvalde County Clerk’s office located inside the Uvalde County Courthouse reported feeling ill with symptoms of dizziness and headaches resulting in the office closure 30 minutes early On Wednesday, January 17th, according to information the Uvalde Hesperian obtained from an elected official who asked not to be named.  On Friday, Jan 19th, a sign was posted the Uvalde County Clerk’s office door indicated the office was once again closed. Uvalde County Clerk Donna Williams told the Uvalde Hesperian the office is now open for business again. 

  Additionally it was reported that one employee who works at the Courthouse went to the hospital to get checked out for possible exposure to carbon monoxide. A source, who asked to remain anonymous said carbon monoxide monitors sounded inside the Courthouse on Wednesday

  The Uvalde Hesperian spoke with Uvalde County Judge Bill Mitchell who said the alarms were likely triggered by a malfunctioning boiler which is used to centrally heat the 97 year old Uvalde County Courthouse.

  According to Judge Mitchell, he stated the out outside service company has been called in to inspect and repair the boiler and the issue is currently being addressed.  Mitchell stated the building is safe and discounted any reports of carbon monoxide inside the Courthouse indicating the alarms were likely false alarms.

   The Uvalde Hesperian spoke to City of Uvalde Fire Martial Juan Hernandez who said he came to the Courthouse and spoke with Uvalde County Judge Mitchell who informed him the boiler was being inspected and repaired. When asked if an air test had been done at the Uvalde County Courthouse he said, “No”.

As a precaution,  a carbon monoxide detector has been installed in the Uvalde County Clerk’s office.  Currently the Courthouse remains open for business. 

  According to Mitchell, the boiler was not turned on Thursday.

 

The proceedings can be viewed on the Uvalde County Judge’s Livestream on YouTube.

by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

  County Auditor Alice Chapman presented the highlights of the proposed 2023-2024 Uvalde County budget this morning at the Uvalde County Commissioner’s Court meeting, Monday September 11th, 2023.

  She stated that the Uvalde County Judge is required by law to meet with department heads and according to Chapman Judge Mitchell meets that requirement.
$46,431,242.05. is the total budget amount which was approved at this morning’s meeting.

3% COLA is included: Chapman stated that employees elected, appointed or hired,  If you worked for 5 years, you are eligible for $16 longevity compensation which was passed 15 years ago as part of Texas Law.

Chapman also referred to  the County’s incarceration inmate expenses. Paying for inmate Medical care is an unfunded mandate. Chapman recommended a $100,000 increase in that fund in the new budget.

Moving on to the County’s Nutrition Program, Chapman stated that it continues to be a difficult program to fund. According to Chapman costs are high, food costs are high and we continue to feed citizens who qualify age wise for this program. However the law does not require we ( the county ) feed those over 65.$15K was  budgeted.

The Uvalde County Appraisal District or UCAD budget has gone up considerably and requires the county, city and schools to pay more to function.

Overtime was brought up.

Inmate food costs have increased. According to Chapman we use a vendor that meets the state’s requirements.

“Jailers, especially those working overnight, are hard to keep,” Chapman said .

Education and increase in certification of existing Law Enforcement officers referring to the certification fee the County covers.

“Another unfunded state mandate indigent defense is an unfunded mandate by the state,” said Chapman.

The movement of the Uvalde County Emergency Management Center or UCEMC moved from Airport Road to South Getty, Chapman said.

-795, 095 less money or 5.7% decrease from last year $200, 095 projected to be resided from new property.

Diana Olvedo-Karau addressed the court as part of citizen comments: “What items chosen fund and not to fund should be up for discussion. How you choose to spend the money it’s a matter of priorities. I implore you to table the budget.”

In the end, County Commissioners unanimously voted to approve the proposed tax rate for 2023- 2024 year.

.5872 proposed tax rate for 2023-2023 and proposed a public hearing in September.
County Commissioners vote to approve the proposed tax rate unanimously approved

Commissioners Court Agenda PacMonday, March 27, 2023 at 10am 1

County Commissioner Mariano Pargas proposed to the Uvalde County Commissioners Court this morning the Court consider and act upon the concept creating a county animal control division.

“What I’d like to do today is to get the approval to start the process to get more information on what is required to create one,” Pargas said

Pargas continued by saying he had reached out to Heather Stunkel and Judge Kimble with the Humane Society. He also stated that Medina and Atascosa Counties have built new animal shelters.

“It’s become a big problem. I think a lot of times we calls about the animals We have no authority right now to pick up strays,” Pargas said. He went onto say he wanted to bring the issue up as the new budget is coming up.”

“There definitely is a stray dog problem in Uvalde County especially in Uvalde Estates,” Diana Olvedo-Karau said to the court as she addressed the court.

“Our animals need help. It is a health and safety issue,” Karau said.

Heather Stunkel was invited to speak by Judge Mitchell. “I’m current vice president of BARK formerly HSU,” she said.

“This has been an ongoing issue and it is going to be a huge undertaking. “We are overwhelmed with calls every from the County,” she said.

“On September 22, 2022, my daughter was attacked by two unrestrained dogs,” Knippa resident Monica Martinez told the Court. “There is no control of the pet population.  Dogs also get dumped.” she said.

“There is only so much we can do as residents,” Martinez said.

According to Pargas, he would serve on the newly created committee along with Heather Stunkel, Judge Kelley Kimble and Sheriff Ruben Nolasco.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  A small group of about 24 people gathered outside of the Uvalde Leader-News offices at about 7:00 PM. Early votes and mail-in ballots were the first to be posted providing an indication of where each race stood.  As the time progressed to almost 9 PM the crowd grew to approximately 50 to 70 people. 

   Uvalde County Judge Bill Mitchell was reelected for another term as Uvalde County Judge won with 4664 votes to Republican challenger Patrick McGrew’s 3182 votes. 

   Another closely watched race was the Uvalde County Clerk’s race between Republican Donna Williams and Democratic incumbent candidate Valarie Del Toro Romero. With early votes and mail-in ballots already posted, Williams trailed Romero by approximately 80 votes but as the precinct results came in Williams ended up winning the race with 4221 votes to Romero’s 3664 votes.

   County Commissioner of Precinct 2 incumbent Mariano Pargas won reelection  with 584 votes against write-in candidates  Julio Valdez with 440 votes and Javier Cazares with 205 votes and Dianna-Olvedo Karau with  57 votes. 

  Ronald “Ronnie” Garza won reelection to the Uvalde County Commissioners Precinct 4 seat with 1067 votes to Challenger Jose Suarez with 889 votes. 

  Other winners include Neto Luna with 916 votes  winning the Justice of the Peace Precinct 6 race against Robert Moss with 603 votes. 

  Steven Kennedy was the winner of the race for Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 with 2138 votes to his challenger  Tina Ann Quintanilla-Taylor, a write-in candidate who collected  140 votes. 

  In the Knippa School Board Race, Nyland Falkenberg with 226 votes defeated challenger Sindy Ortiz  who had  70 votes.

  For the second contested Knippa ISD school board seat, Ted Sanderlin won reelection with 176 votes to candidate Justin Lands who had 123 votes. 

“I’ve hoped you all have heard the great news in that Chip and Jill Briscoe and their family donated 1.5 million dollars to the Humane Society towards building a new shelter. That is going to happen.”

 We already own an acre of land located on North Camp street that was donated by Louis Capt. about 6 years ago,” Kelley Kimble said.

“I visited with Sheriff Nolasco last week and he reminded me that anytime we start talking about animal control in the county it’s like this giant Pandora’s Box with 14 different rabbits. I do not intend to open that box today,” Kimble said. 

  Kimble discussed the Flights to Forever Program where stray animals are transported to New York.  She stated in 2021, 772 animals were transported to New York with 470 being from Uvalde County outside of the Uvalde City limits. In 2022 through the end of October, of the 669 stray animals taken to New York, 425 came from Uvalde County. “You have a stray dog problem,” Kimble said.

  Construction Briscoe Animal Resource Center of Uvalde will be located on North Camp Street. Ground breaking to occur Spring 2023. The planned facility will include space for the City of Uvalde Animal Control, Office Space, and HSU shelter space as well as expansion bays. Kimble told the Commissioners the plans were not set in stone. 

  She also added that HSU was planning on changing its organization’s name to the Briscoe Animal Resource Center Of Uvalde or BARC. 

  She referenced a conversation she had with Sheriff Nolasco and stated the Sheriff’s Department gets daily calls about stray dogs.”

  If someone from the county calls the Sheriff’s department saying ‘I have an injured animal in my front yard. What can I do?’ We don’t have an answer.” I think I do,” Kimble said.

 We could offer those 18 kennels to you for two things: The first is a per diem basis for the County’s use. 

 On the second item, Kimble stated the County currently allocated $2500 a year towards spay/neuter vouchers through the Humane Society of Uvalde. She implied more that can be done.

 Kimble also asked the court to consider enacting a new county ordinance that would provide that Humane Society of Uvalde and the Flights to Forever 1o days for the animal’s owner to claim the lost animal. Currently under common law an owner of an animal has 6 months to claim a lost animal. 

 In responding to County Judge Bill Mitchell, Kimble said, “I’m asking for help.”

   Nicole Cody spoke on behalf of the St. Jude Ranch for Children  (SJRC-Texas ) about the new Community-Based Care approach adopted by the Texas State Legislature.  According to Cole, Texas legislators have changed the previous statewide approach to foster care to the community based care model. Under the new system children in the state foster care system would be kept within local regions of Texas as designated by the Texas Department of Families and Protective Services.  Funding for the new system changed from 100% state funding to 60% state funding / 40% through fundraising. 

  Cole stated under the new system, foster care would rely more on the community with children in foster care being placed closer to home.  “There are 3 foster homes in Uvalde County.” Cole said. 

   We need more foster homes in our area.” She said. 

   Cole explained that “The Long” located in Val Verde Texas was awarded a contract through the State Legislature and SJRC-Texas will switch from being a state based form to community-based.

  Cole went on to say she was asking the County for a place where safe visits for children could take place. 

  According to the SJRC-Texas website it states: ” SJRC Texas, formerly known as St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, cares for children and families who have been affected by trauma, abuse and neglect, and have been removed from their homes by the Department of Family and Protective Services. We are their safe haven and offer help and hope to begin the journey of healing. Our Mission is to offer healing and hope to children and families affected by abuse, abandonment or neglect. Our Vision is that abused and neglected children will be empowered to grow up to be happy, productive and caring adults.”

                                                                             Department of Families and Protective Services website provides the following overview of Community-Based Care:

  “Community-Based Care (CBC) is a new way to provide services than traditional foster care because it gives local communities the flexibility to draw on local strengths and resources and find innovative ways to meet the unique and individual needs of children and their families. CBC includes many of the services that Child Protective Services (CPS) normally provides. This includes foster care, case management, kinship, and reunification services.

A single contractor in each designated geographic area creates a network of services, foster homes, and other living arrangements and, when ready, provides case management for each child as well. CPS works with each contractor (Single Source Continuum Contractor or SSCC) to carefully manage the transition from traditional foster care to community care so that children are not affected negatively:”

 

   Uvalde County Fairplex Director Wendy Speer announced to the Uvalde County Commissioner’s Court the county was awarded a Walmart Community Grant totalling $4,500. 

   According to information about the Walmart Community Grants program on the Walmart.org website, it states: 

  “Our local community grants are awarded through an open application process and provide funding directly from Walmart and Sam’s Club facilities to local organizations in the U.S.”

   Additionally, the website  states “The Local Community grants range from a minimum of $250 to a maximum of $5,000 and Eligible nonprofit organizations must operate on the local level (or be an affiliate/chapter of a larger organization that operates locally) and directly benefit the service area of the facility from which they are requesting funding.”

  Those organizations eligible to receive the Walmart Community Grant can be “a recognized government entity: state, county or city agency, including law enforcement or fire departments, that are requesting funds exclusively for public purposes and CyberGrants FrontDoor verified.: according to the Walmart Community Grant website.”

  According to Speer, the $4,500 awarded. $2000 came from the Walmart store based in Uvalde with additional $500 amounts from Walmart stores located in Del Rio, Hondo, Laredo, and the Bob Bullock and Highway 83 South Walmart stores.