TAMU AgriLife Extension provides quarterly update
ANDERSON — The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension office of Grimes County provided county commissioners with a quarterly update in the regularly scheduled meeting Wednesday, March 27.
Allen Homann and Carla Hayes provided updates and made commissioners aware of upcoming events. Hayes reminded citizens of the ongoing car seat fitting happening at the Extension office, 203 Memorial Drive, Navasota. Hayes said the service ensures car seats are correctly fitted and installed.
“Car seats actually have an expiration date,” explained Hayes.
Parents with car seats not meeting safety standards or those in need of car seats or booster seats are urged to contact the office 936-873-3907.
Upcoming events
•April 6, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Food Show and Food Challenge Workshop at Grimes County Fairgrounds.
•April 25, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. New and Small Landowner Series (bees and pest, Army Worms). The session will focus on beekeeping management practices and damage caused by Army Worms and prevention methods. The class is $15 and will be at the Waller County Community Center, 21274 FM 1098, Prairie View.
•May 9, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. five-hour pesticide applicator recertification program. The program will be $60 in advance and $75 at the door and will include lunch. The class will be held at Navasota Livestock Auction.
•April 26, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. The annual 4-H Spaghetti Scholarship lunch, dinner delivery within Grimes County with a five-plate minimum. Plates will be $8 and a sit down dinner will be at the American Legion Hall in Anderson; plates are also available for pickup.
•April 11, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Feral Hog Program. The event will be at 10365 Summer Lane in Richards. Advanced registration is $15 and $25 at the door.
Electronic Recording
Commissioners approved the e-recording contract with Avenue Insights and Analytics.
“This is an agreement with Avenue to e-record documents,” explained Grimes County Clerk Vanessa Burzynski. “What that entails are title companies and other companies wishing to file documents with our office could do so electronically over the internet. We would receive the document electronically, certify it electronically and return it back to them electronically. Technically, they could receive the document in the same day.”
Grimes County Attorney Jon C. Fultz said upon review of the contract his major concern was electronically notarizing documents.
“You can’t stop progress and its probably just a case of an old dog and I’m probably just concerned about nothing. I don’t know how you sign electronically and also notarize electronically and then record electronically,” explained Fultz. “It seems to me If those things can be done just by typing your name and typing in the notaries name its going to be susceptible to fraud.”
Fultz said that his concern is if someone wanted to sign the deed, giving away property with everything being electronic couldn’t the same person signing the deed, also sign their name as the notary.
“I’m sure there are ways to verify, it is just a concern that I had and wanted to make sure Mrs. Burzynski is aware,” said Fultz.
Burzynski stated that she recently attended a conference on electronically notarizing and that it is plausible.
A separate agenda item for the district clerk’s office to contract with Avenue to digitize records such as birth and death announcements was tabled for more clarification.
It was the understanding of Burzynski that Avenue was on the buyers’ board, which automatically sends the contract for services out for competitive bidding. A call to the buyers’ board by the Grimes County Auditor’s Office indicated that the board had no record of Avenue being on the board.
Burzynski agreed to investigate the matter and submit the contract of service for competitive bids if necessary.
Road and Bridge
Commissioners approved the following contracts for road and bridge:
•special road use agreement for Apache Corporation;
•awarded an asphalt and emulsions contract to Martin Asphalt Company. The contract is a semiannual contract and Martin bid the lowest price in all categories with four companies participating in the bidding process. Road and Bridge Engineer Harry Walker said they’ve never used Martin but didn’t have any concerns. The asphalt will be used in the counties chip seal process;
•approved second renewal of Strike (Magellan Pipelines) special road use and indemnity agreement. Walker said that he and Pct. 4 Commissioner Phillip Cox spoke with Magellan to voice some concerns they had. Both Walker and Cox said they were satisfied with the progress of the meeting and had no issues awarding the road usage agreement; and
•approved engineering services agreement with Gessner Engineering for the General Land Office GLO-CDBG Hurricane Harvey Infrastructure Project.
Homeland security
The county fire departments requested to have a voice on the Brazos Valley Homeland Security Advisory Committee (HSAC). Commissioners approved to appoint Dan Sharron with Shiro VFD to the HSAC.
Despite spurts of dryer weather, the burn ban remained lifted.