The Levelland County Commissioners’ Court presented the Texas Association of Counties Risk Management Pool for zero lost time concerning the Workers’ Compensation Program certificate; approved Subdivision Participation and Release Forms concerning opioid settlements with CVS, Allergan, Walmart and Walgreens; and heard the Sheriff’s department 2022 Racial Profiling Report.
Hockley County earned the Zero Lost Time Safety Award from Texas Association of Counties Risk Management Pool (TAC RMP) for its record of no lost workdays during the 2022 coverage year.
Judge Sharla Baldridge presented the award to the Commissioners’ Court.
“It’s just to let us know that our county is doing exceptional in the aspect of zero accidents in the worker’s compensation area,” Baldridge said. “It shows that our departments, employees, department heads, elected officials are taking care of business and making sure everybody’s safe.”
A press release from the Texas Association of Counties states the commitment to safe practices among county employees works to reduce employee injuries and obtain substantial savings for taxpayers by minimizing workers’ compensation costs.
“We’re trying to save as many tax dollars as we can by not having any accidents,” Baldridge said. “So, it’s simply an acknowledgment that we had an exceptional year in 2022 by having zero loss time.”
The Court discussed and approved with a four to zero vote to consent to participation in the opioid settlements with CVS, Allergan, Walmart and Walgreens. Judge Baldridge explained she was told even though Hockley County does not have a Walgreens, there is still a chance that someone bought the opioids from Walgreens and brought them across county lines. A federal court found that actions taken by CVS, Allergan, Walmart and Walgreens contributed with creating an oversupply of opioid pills.
According to the Texas Attorney Generals website, the funding must be used to support the strategies combating the opioid crisis.
Sheriff Ray Scifres presented the 2022 Racial Profiling report related to motor vehicle stops. According to Scifres, 713 traffic stops were conducted during 2022. Out of 713, 60 searches were completed on vehicles.
“In some way, some of those related to consent searches but a lot of those were related to probable cause searches,” Scifres said. “Which is something where they either saw contraband in plain view or we had people voluntarily hand them contraband.”
Scifres showed the Court a breakdown of the traffic stops based on race and ethnicity. He explained the population breakdown of the report was pretty consistent with the Hockley County census.
“What it shows is we are being equal across the board in our application of traffic contact, being responsible with the searches and no one is being specifically targeted,” Scifres said.
Scifres also presented the action of using inmate phone funds to purchase four new laptops for Levelland Sheriff’s department use. The Court approved the purchase of the four new laptops for the Hockley County Sheriff’s department with a four to zero decision.
The money spent by inmates to purchase phone minutes goes to the county. The Sheriff’s department has access to these funds through county approval.
“It’s out of the proceeds from the inmate phone cards,” Scifres explained. “It goes back to the general fund that y’all have allocated out and kind-of earmarked for our use in events like this.”
The laptops that are being used are not able to support the software updates needed. Scifres explained that the laptop he uses is nine years old. The three other machines would be used by CID for investigators.
The funding being used to purchase the new machines does not impact the commissary fund used for direct inmate benefit. The commissary fund is used for things like educational programs and materials used by inmates. This motion was approved with a four to zero vote.
The Court voted to approve a motion granting the elections office the funds to purchase an electronic card swipe system on rooms storing election equipment and documents with a four to zero vote.
“This is to install a card swipe system on the storage room that stores election equipment and election documents and to install a card swipe system in a new storage room we are going to be utilizing,” Jody Rose, elections administrator said.
According to Rose, the State of Texas is now requiring election equipment to be stored in a secure location with a electronic card lock system.
“This stems from requirements from the Secretary of States office and the state on new security guidelines that basically require we that have all of our election equipment and election documents of any kind to be stored behind locked doors and needs to be a system where we can print a report each month showing who went in and out of that room,” Rose said.
The electronic card door lock system is expected to be in place before the May elections are held. The Court heard the monthly assistance report given by Hockley County administrator Cara Phelan.
South Plains Community Action will only be assisting new people and those on social security. Those that have received financial aid from SPCAA will no longer be eligible for assistance. The county is now referring individuals to the Salvation Army.
“They have a social worker now that comes here twice a month and they will pay if they have a disconnect notice or an eviction notice,” Phelan said.
The county had 13 approved public assistance applications, 10 unapproved and roughly 10 more that did not finish the application.
“When it shows that they’re not gonna be able to come up with their part we do not pay our part, because it’s just a waste because it’s going to be disconnected,” Phelan said.
Hockley County residents that meet the requirements are able to receive $75 three times a year in public assistance.
A motion to approve the contract to buy a lot was approved by the Court to a vote of four to zero.
The court received and approved one bid for a 2022 or newer two-ton dump truck for $76,537.84. The dump truck will be used in Precinct four.