County approves fee increase for funeral home rotations
Funeral homes on the Grimes County’s rotation list for unattended deaths will soon receive much needed financial relief, thanks to Grimes County commissioners. At the Oct.20 Regular Meeting commissioners approved an increase and standardization of the fees the County will pay. Justice of the Peace Pct. 3 Mark Laughlin said he was approached by the funeral homes on the rotation list because the cost of supplies and fuel has risen “dramatically in the last couple of months,” and the County’s discounted fees haven’t changed in years.
Items pertaining to Rotation First Call and Removal as well as the Transport Fee to the various forensics centers was bumped up $25-$50. Collaborating with the Grimes County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) dispatch, the county’s JPs will call the funeral home after completion of their work at the scene which will reduce wait-time costs.
In addition, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the County and the participating funeral homes will be drafted and fees will be reviewed annually during the budget process. Indigent cremations will also be included in the MOU and that fee increased from $1,400 to $1,600.
Laughlin also discussed the difficulty getting autopsies performed in a timely manner. With the Montgomery County medical examiner’s office continuously full, the County is using Lockhart.
He said, “At this time, I have probably 10-12 pending a final autopsy result at that facility. They are inundated but as a courtesy, they’re still taking us.”
Responding to Commissioner Barbara Walker’s inquiry about covid deaths and FEMA reimbursement, Nobles Funeral Home director Jeffrey Nobles said, “When we get the death certificates back, if it says anywhere on cause of death Covid-related, we immediately walk the family through the FEMA process on how to get reimbursed for funeral expenses.”
According to Commissioners Phillip Cox and Walker, the Brazos Valley Council of Governments and Texas A&M are exploring establishing a medical examiner’s office in Bryan-College Station using American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Jail to house Coryell County inmates, add video visitation, debit card
Commissioners approved a request from Jail Administrator Lt. Davis Use to approve an Interlocal Agreement with Coryell County to house their overflow inmates. GCSO will be reimbursed $55 per inmate per day. Inmates will be covid-tested before transport and housed separately from Grimes inmates. Coryell County will pay for hospital, dental, mental health and prescription drug costs.
Commissioners also approved amending the existing NCIC inmate phone agreement to add video visitation, at no additional cost to the County.
Lt. Use said, “With the onset of Covid-19, right now we’re shut down for in-person visitation. We’re on month-to-month approval through Texas Commission on Jail Standards for that alteration to their policy.”
Lt. Use hinted at a future request to the Texas legislature to be allowed to do video visitation only, saying, “We anticipate that video visitation will cut back on the desire for in-person visitation because it’s a lot easier to stay home and do it on the computer rather than get dressed up, drive an hour and half for a 20-minute visit and drive an hour and a half back.”
Video would work both ways, allowing inmates the opportunity to “tell their kids goodnight.”
Commissioners then approved the addition of a debit card release program to the inmate trust fund account. According to both Lt. Use and Auditor Jessi Murphy, there is $8,000 outstanding since 2009 from uncashed checks paid to inmates from trust funds.
The former inmates will have 15 days to use the funds on the debit card but other options are available such as transferring the money to a bank account, a PayPal account or reloading money to the card. There is no cost to the County for this service.
Commissioners court may be viewed in its entirety at www.facebook.com/GrimesCounty-CourtHouse.
Other court action:
•Approved Consent Agenda items which included the treasurer’s list of claims and bills, payroll, and budget amendments and/or line-item transfers.
•Recognized Road and Bridge employees Dennis Wehmeyer, Robert Becker and Kyle Burzynski each for five years of service.
•Received the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office quarterly report.
•Approved auctioning 47 surplus items from the IT Department.
•Approved the American Fire Protection Inspection Agreement for the Law Enforcement Center at a cost of $2,650 annually for the next five years.
•Approved an adjustment to Grade 10 on the Grimes County Salary Structure.
•Renewed the Cummins Planned Maintenance Agreement in the amount of $836 for generators at the GCSO.
•Approved the Donation of Real Property form which allows the donation of a county-owned building at 10802 Spur 234 to the Whitehall Volunteer Fire Department for a controlled burn training exercise.
•After a public hearing at 8:45 with no comments against, approved a replat of a portion of Blocks 25 and 26 in the Town of Stoneham into two parcels. The County will keep the 0.865-acre parcel and auction the 1.715-acre parcel.
•Approved the Brazos Ridge plat west of Roans Prairie in Pct. 2 consisting of a 3.757-acre parcel and a 2.752-acre parcel.
•Authorized Road and Bridge to trade in a 2007 model Broce Broom at a trade-in price of $9,500.
•Received the Road and Bridge report from Engineer Harry Walker.
•Tabled action regarding an opioid settlement for further review of information from the Governor’s office.
Burn Ban: The burn ban remains lifted.