East Bernard EMS trying again for ESD
By BARRY HALVORSON bhalvorson@journal-spectator.com

The East Bernard EMS Department will try a second time Monday to present the Wharton County Commissioners Court with a petition requesting an election to create a new county emergency district to fund the department.

Monday's commissioners meeting is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. in the county courthouse annex, 309 E. Milam. The petition item is the first action item on the agenda.

The EBEMS was originally scheduled to present the petition requesting a May 10 election on WCED No. 2 at the commissioners' Jan. 14 meeting. At the meeting, the department had to report they had collected the petitions but had lost the originals and requested an extension. Wharton County Judge John Murrile said the only action the court can take on Monday is to accept the document.

"We can't do anything else," he said. "The petitions will have to be verified for names, addresses and voter status of those who signed before we can take any action in regards to approving an election or setting an election date."

In other agenda items, the commissioners are scheduled to take any "appropriate action" regarding the county's final payment to Stoddard Construction for the company's work on the courthouse restoration project. The county is currently holding the fi- nal payment of $159,000.

"I'm going to recommend we release $100,000 so they can pay some of their sub-contractors," Murrile said. "But there are still several items outstanding that they need to correct, in particular a door panel to the district courtroom and some of the door knobs. We're also looking at negotiating some rebates on the work. So we're holding back that last part of the payment as an incentive to get the work done."

The judge will also pass along two requests he's received to permit wedding portraits to be taken inside the courthouse after hours.

"We have guidelines regarding the use of the outside grounds, but nothing regarding the inside of the building," Murrile said. "So I'm passing along the request so the court can take action."

The commissioners will also address a request from Precinct 1 Commissioner Mickey Reynolds regarding allowing temporary employees to work nine months.