Item seven of Monday’s commissioner’s court meeting centered on funding alternatives for roads and public safety facilities within the Austin County Area.  The commissioners continue to get complaints concerning the roads in Austin County but, the solutions to that problem are not as easy as some people think.  Commissioner Reese Turner was the main person expressing his sentiment of how more money was needed if the needs of Austin County were going to be met in relation to the Sheriff’s Office, the EMS but, primarily the roads.

Judge Tim Lapham reiterated to Turner, what evidently they had discussed at a previous time, that in round numbers Turner had called for nine million dollars of additional money to be raised in some way.  That breakdown was seven million for Roads, one million to build the new EMS station in Sealy and one million for the sheriff’s office expansion. 

Commissioner Doug King then interjected that it might be a good idea for the county to take a survey of how much is being spent on upkeep for all the buildings the county utilizes.  He pointed out that the cost of maintenance and upkeep of these structures, some of which are 60 years old, might be more than many realize.  He postulated that if the county is going to go into debt for twenty years on bond payments that buildings would last much longer than roads and be a better investment for the county. 

Commissioner Randy Reichardt stated that “paving every road in the county is not a fix because in ten years you’re not going to have any money to fix those roads.”  He pointed out, citing research and in-services he and Commissioner “Bobby” Rinn had attended, that unless you fix the roads to the standards to accommodate the actual weights of the vehicles that they are bearing, you’re basically wasting money.  King then added that another problem is poor drainage, that if a road is not properly draining and sits in water it will deteriorate that much faster.  This is a problem they are currently trying to address in precinct four.  He also brought up the issue of pipeline companies installing pipelines in the county as a problem that he has been facing.  The companies utilize large trucks to bring in heavy equipment and other materials and that these heavy loads can completely destroy a road.  Compounding that problem is that the companies will not discuss reimbursement or fixing the road until their job is complete.

The item was tabled with the bottom line being that the lack of funds necessary to maintain the amount of roads for the county is just not there.  Please watch the discussion at commissioner’s court to have the full picture of the discussion: