Court to take action on garbage blocking county right-of-ways

The Lavaca County Commissioners’ Court in a regular meeting Tuesday, March 25 and addressed a long list of agenda items.

The meeting was held on Tuesday due to the commissioners’ courtroom being utilized on the normal Monday meeting date.

The court discussed a problem the commissioners’ have been facing regarding large metal garbage bins being placed at county right-of-ways and are causing damage to county roads as well as the drainage ditches.

“We are starting to get a few who are putting these big metal dumpsters into the right-of-ways,” Commissioner Dennis W. Kocian said. “It’s basically a safety and liability to the landowners and some of the places are tearing up the roads and ditches.

Kocian said the county roads do not have right-of-ways wide enough and he feels the dumpsters should be placed on the owner’s property.

“I feel we need to nip this in the bud,” Kocian said.

Commissioner Kenny Siegel added to Kocian’s concerns saying he contacted two of the companies, who conduct trash pickup.

“One seems like they want the dumpsters serial number and location on the county road, while the other wants to know the landowner’s name and I’m not going there. I think we just need to confiscate them and take them to the sheriff’s department.

Kocian said this matter basically starts with the garbage company and their trucks used to empty the bins are affecting the drainage and damaging the county roads.

“I think that if they (garbage company) do not have a proper location to place the dumpster on the landowner’s property, then they should not put them out,” Siegel said.

The court voted to have Judge Keith Mudd write a letter to the companies explaining to them to vacate the right-of-ways with any type of dumpster, or face further action.

Proclamations

The court approved three proclamations with one declaring April as Child Abuse Prevention Month, a second designating April as Autism Acceptance Month and the third declaring week of April 13 through 19 as National Telecommunicators Week in Lavaca County.

Burn Ban Status

On March 18, County Judge Keith Mudd, through executive order, declared a burn ban for the county.

At Monday’s meeting, the court approved ratifying the order and voted to continue with a burn ban.

Lavaca County EMS assistant chief Tim Decker reported as of the Tuesday meeting the KBDI average for Lavaca County was at 551.

Road Materials

The court awarded bids to Prihoda Gravel of Altair, Fred’s Contractor Services of Yoakum and Mills Materials of Gonzales regarding the purchase road materials.

In addition to road materials, the board approved advertising for bids of seal coating a resealing for Lavaca County roads.

Bidders should have their sealed bids received by Lavaca County auditor Shana Opela, by 10:30 a.m., Friday April 11.

The bids will be opened by Judge Mudd, or his designee, in the Commissioners’ courtroom on Friday, April 11 at 10:45 a.m. They will be discussed and/or awarded at the Commissioners’ Court meeting on Monday, April 14 at 10 a.m.

In other action taken by the court:

• Approved a Bemrose subdivision plat.

• Approved a telecommunications update.

• Approved a resolution of SB 1377 and HB 3000 to provide critical funding for rural emergency medical services.

• Approved a resolution declaring March 17 as Lavaca County Day at the State Capital.

• Approved bonds for Robert Baker, part-time deputy and Jennifer Wright, investigator, both with the Lavaca County Sheriff’s Office.

• Accepted payment from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts in the amount of $5,236.73 for the training of Lavaca County law enforcement officers.

• Declared a 2007 JD Diamond brush cutter as surplus property from Pct. 3.

• Approved road plan and paving updates of county roads.

• Approved Lavaca County road bonus from lessee EOG Resources Inc. to include .77 acres of land on CR 328 in the amount of $770.

• Approve division order between Hurd Enterprises LTD and Lavaca County.

• Approved a resolution authorizing the county auditor to be assigned the role of payment processor in the TDA -GO grant management system for 2025-26 Texas CDBG project grant.

• Approved renewal of 2025-26 property/contents coverage with the TAC Risk Management Pool.

• Approved the transfer of obsolete and non-working IT related equipment from the county tax assessor-collector’s office to the IT department.

• Declared items from the county tax assessor-collector’s office as surplus property.

• Heard a presentation from representatives of the Higgenbothem Insurance company.

• Heard a presentation from a representative of the Yoakum EDC.

County judge Keith Mudd presided over the meeting with commissioners Edward Pustka, Wayne Faircloth, Kenny Siegel and Dennis W. Kocian present for the meeting.