Smiley seeks help with law enforcement

Gonzales County commissioners recently discussed implementing an inter-local agreement with the city of Smiley that would help the town enforce its laws and ordinances.

The problem, according to Smiley city officials, is that just because people are given citations doesn’t mean they are willing to show up for their court date.

Smiley currently has a city ordinance that prohibits dog owners from allowing their dogs to run loose in the community, and Smiley Mayor Ellis Villasana says that was a large part of the citation problem.

But not all of it.

There are other issues like traffic violations that contribute to the problem as well. Villasana initially elaborated on the animal control issue.

“We thought about starting our own police department, but that would cost way too much,” he said. “The county constable lives in Smiley, and the sheriff’s deputies drive through Smiley every day. But we’d appreciate more help with enforcement of citations to appear in court.

“We have an animal control guy, but he gives them citations and they fail to appear,” Villasana said. “If we could enter into an inter-local agreement, could we have Constable John Moreno or even a deputy help with enforcement?”

Gonzales county attorney Paul Watkins said he didn’t know the answer off the top of his head, and that he would have to do some research to determine protocol.

“We don’t enforce any city ordinances,” Sheriff Glen Sachtleben said of his department. “We can only enforce county and state issues.”

Moreno, who also attended the meeting, said that he would issue the citation if an animal was loose, and the animal control officer and the owner would be responsible for any dogs involved in the citations.

“Do you have a municipal court?” Bird asked Villasana.

“I can get one,” Villasana replied. “I’ve got two guys who want to be judge, and one of them is local. “

Villasana added that a police department for the city of Smiley would cost upwards of $100,000, just for one officer and a patrol car.

Bird said he and the commissioners would get together a list of steps needed to establish the inter-local agreement, and hand it over to Watkins for review.

“We can talk it over again in two weeks,” Bird said. “Hopefully we can have something ready.”

Anyone who is issued a citation of any kind in the Smiley area is ordered to appear before Justice of the Peace Don Setliff, whose office is in Nixon. But apparently, many people simply don’t bother with it.

“In theory, we should be just like the bigger cities,” said Smiley city secretary Eloise Estes. “If you get a citation and you don’t go to get it taken care of, you will have to deal with the consequences. We have people speeding through our town all the time. Although DPS and sheriff’s department patrol out here, we really need someone here all the time to enforce our laws and ordinances.”

Also during the meeting, commissioners approved 22 new members to a two-year term on the Gonzales County Historical Commission. The Commission, on which Glenda Gordon serves as chairman, includes Bradley Avant, Ronald Bragg, Cindy Cole, Ann Covert, Rew Covert, Richard Crozier, Kimberly Fairchild, Wayne Fairchild, Norma Billings Fink, Barbara Hand, Bill Holmes, Nancy Holmes, Donald Hoffman, Sandra Miller, Ken Mosher, Pat Mosher, Cindy Munson, Dennis Richter, Glen Sachtleben, Debbie Tieken, Robert “Bubba” Wolff and Sandra Wolff.