Commissioners approves three items for Gonzales County Sheriff’s Office

The Gonzales County Commissioners met for its regularly scheduled meeting Monday, Jan. 22 at the Gonzales County Courthouse.

Gonzales County Sheriff Keith Schmidt requested the commissioners approve several agenda items: applying for a Rifle-Resistant Body Armor grant, applying for State Homeland Security Program, and approving a lease agreement with between Gonzales County Sheriffs Office with the Golden Crescent Regional Planning Commission.

Body Armor Grant

The grant will allow GCSO to replace old aging vests that they currently have. The sheriff’s office would like to apply for this grant and would to take those funds to buy new vests if awarded, Schmidt said.

The commissioners then approved the sheriff’s office applying for the for the Rifle-Resistant Body Armor Grant program for fiscal year 2025.

State Homeland Security Program

Schmidt requested the commissioners apply for a State Homeland Security program grant for a mobile command center and mobile camera system.

Schmidt said GCSO has had to borrow different equipment, including borrowing a mobile command center from Victoria County and a mobile camera system from Guadalupe County.

“This would be one of the deals where we would like to apply for the grant. I don’t know if we’ll get any, but if we could, it would just be something that we would own. And then it'd be available for anybody to use, but only if we get awarded the grant,” Schmidt said.

The commissioners approved the sheriff’s office to apply for the State Homeland Security Program-Regular Projects federal for Fiscal Year 2024.

Lease agreement between GCSO, Golden Crescent Regional Planning Commission

Schmidt said that the Golden Crescent Regional Planning Commission (GCRPC) has a program that buys camera systems like the county has been using to monitor for illegal dumping.

Schmidt added the GCRPC will let them use the cameras, but when GSCO is using them in the county, they have to pay a use fee.

“We’ve been working with the constable’s office. We know we need some of those cameras. But what Golden Crescent says we're responsible for is a monthly fee, which $20 or $30 a month, but it's only during the time that we have the cameras deployed in our county,” Schmidt said.

The commissioner approved the lease agreement between GCSO and the Golden Crescent Regional Planning Commission.

In other business, the commissioners approved the following agenda items:

--approved appointing John Lambert and John Everrett back to the Emergency Services District Number 2 Board.

--approved a variance to the Gonzales County Subdivision Rules-Precinct 4 (Raeke)

--approved an exception to Gonzales County Subdivision Rules-Precinct 1 (Talley)

--approved a preliminary plat for Mayspring Gonzales Subdivision-Precinct 3

--approved resolution for the participation waived project for County Road 278 over Mule Creek

--approved resolution for the participation waived project for County Road 462 over Sandy Fork

--approved to receive the notification and pending application for  a plat in Precinct 3.

--approved to declare an in-car camera system, serial #047294, as surplus and authorize to trade towards the purchase of a new in-car camera system from Watchguard c/o MotorolaSolutions Video Manufacturing Inc.-Constable Precinct 4

--approved sole source justifcation purchase of one 2024 Ford F350, in the amount of $60,839.45

from Caraway Ford-Gonzales-Road & Bridge Precinct 2.

--approved the Engagement Letter with Braun & Gresham, PLLC regarding the new development ordinance.

--approved to put election equipment in a secure/locked area.