OC Commissioners approve OCEDC staffing contract

David Ball - For The Record

The Orange County Commissioners Court agreed to stick with a staffing agreement between the Orange County Economic Development Corporation and the county through Dec. 31, 2015 when they held their meeting on the afternoon of September 28.

County Judge Brint Carlton and Precinct 3 Commissioner John Banken were absent from the meeting.

Douglas Manning, assistant county attorney, said he looked at a number of different things in researching the matter. He said the contract is based on the employee, OCEDC director Bobby Fillyaw, performed certain services that were beneficial for both Orange County and the OCEDC.

Manning said the motion approved by the commissioners at their July 27 meeting was to withhold their contribution of $68,000 and to not renew their participation in the OCEDC, not to terminate the staff and purchasing agreement. He said there were three options open to the court they could take:

1. Keep the current agreement effective through December 31, 2015.

2. Come up with a new agreement to provide and fill the gap now and until the end of the year.

3. Terminate the relationship with the OCEDC and pay Fillyaw directly.

Barry Burton, Precinct 2 commissioner, proposed keeping the current staffing agreement in place until December 2015. The funding will come through the current OCEDC funds.

The court also approved acceptance of the Orange County grant funds for a radio tower.

Ryan Peabody, emergency management coordinator, said the funds came in last week. The federal grant portion is $1,676,780 with matching funds of $355,594 from the Texas Department of Public Safety and 9-1-1 services. There is not match from Orange County.

Projects for the 2016 Routine Airport Maintenance (RAMP) Grant for the Orange County Airport were approved.

A separate designation for the transportation department's bus drivers in the Orange County Employee Policy Manual was approved.

Lastly, Hughie Allan, Laura Floyd, Tim Andrews, Tim Schossow, and Lynda Gunstream were nominated as candidates for the Board of Directors of the Orange County Appraisal District.