The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

With the Shelter of Last Resort now 65 percent completed in the construction process, Orange County Commissioners can start thinking what to do when the project is completed.

Jeff Kelley, emergency management coordinator, reported on the status of the structure being built on FM 1442 at the Monday afternoon meeting of the Orange County Commissioners' Court.

"It will be important to know what to call the building when its completed. We're specking for a sign for the building. Maybe we can call it the Orange County Building and Expo Center," Kelley said.

County Judge Carl Thibodeaux said his office has already received phone calls to use the facility. Half of the structure will contain county offices and the other half will be a meeting and convention room. The state's share for the shelter is $1.1 million while the county's share is $215,000.

He added the facility will be in constant use and operated by the county. Rules and regulations also need to be developed.

Precinct 3 Commissioner John Dubose said he attended an event at the facility in Brazos County and he was impressed. He thinks Orange County should contact them on how they operate their facility.

Thibodeaux, likewise, believes Montgomery County has an excellent website Orange County could utilize for how they run their facility.

Precinct 2 Commissioner Owen Burton asked Kelley if an emergency situation arises, such as a hurricane, would that supersede any events held at the facility. Kelley said it would.

Another concern Kelley reported to the court was wildfire season in Texas is beginning to "kick up."

In other county business, commissioners approved entering into an Inter-local Agreement with Jefferson and Chambers County to contract Carroll & Blackman, Inc. for work required for new Texas Commission on Environmental Quality compliance. Pesticide General Permit Implementation Services provided by Carroll & Blackman will be divided equally between participating entities and cost each entity $13,618.67 for 2012.

Patrick Beebe, director of the mosquito control district, said his department will be using the pesticides while the Road and Bridge and Maintenance Departments will be using the herbicides. Each of the entities share will be $9,300 per year for the services.

Beebe further reported for the month of May, the Orange County Mosquito Control District had 22 service calls. Adult mosquito activity levels were low, to moderate, to high in areas of the county during the course of the month. Activity levels varied according to location.

No mosquito disease activity has been found to date in areas checked.

Larval development is low to normal. The highest concentrations were found in the area roadside septic ditch locations checked for 500 larvae per dip on the east side of the county.

There were 104 ground treatments, yielding a total of 86,563 acres treated, there were 20 larviciding treatments for abatement of mosquito concentrations found developing in roadside septic and gray water ditches and nine aerial sprays, yielding a total of 20,480 acres treated.

Beebe requested from the court the approval of $100,000 for aerial spray, $2,500 to rent a forklift and $6,000 to pay for employees' overtime pay to last the department until the end of the fiscal year. He added the department had to work in the usually inactive months of December, January and February.

Precinct 4 Commissioner Jody Crump asked Beebe when his department would run out of aerial spray. He answered going beyond two weeks from Monday may become a problem.

Dubose suggested a front-end loader may work for the mosquito district rather than the expense of renting a forklift. The commissioners will take up the matter at a later date.

The commissioners also approved entering into an Inter-local agreement with the city of Bridge City to complete water system work as part of the Coastal Impact Assistance Program Grant in that area of the county.