Over 25,000 Hays County residents have received COVID-19 vaccine

Hays County Emergency Services Director Mike Jones announced in Tuesday’s commissioners court meeting that 25,334 Hays County residents have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Of the 25,334, 15,000 were vaccinated by Hays County. The remainder were vaccinated by registering in other counties. 

Hays County’s vaccine clinic has continued to distribute second doses; around 829 each day this week at their clinic in Wimberley. Next week they will head back to the Performing Arts Center in Kyle. 

The commissioners moved to set aside $15,000 from contingencies for expenses related to vaccine programs including feeding volunteers and additional supplies of syringes, needles and band-aids. The county has received some such supplies from the state, but Director of Countywide Operations Tammy Crumley said sometimes they are not receiving enough supplies or they are not adequate. 

In other business, the discussion about purchasing or leasing a new Ford F250 4x4 vehicle, after it was found necessary in the recent winter storm, will be brought back to court next week with more information about the leasing option. 

“One of the reasons we asked for this vehicle a while back was because of its hauling capacity,” said Jones. “And this winter storm emphasized that we are limited to our partners to assist us.

“We were somewhat hamstrung in that we didn't have the capacity to go out there on the roads. I didn't really think we needed a 4x4 until this winter storm, it was also emphasized to me from a Fire Marshal standpoint that if he has to go out there to a location that requires 4X4 he is somewhat limited too.”

Jones said he did not want this vehicle to be limited to the Office of Emergency Services, but for other offices that may need it in case of disaster or emergency as well. 

The commissioners later voted to accepting $15,500 in grant contributions and donations on behalf of the Hays County Child Protective Board, received from the City of San Marcos and Bob and Mary Fulton. 

The funds will be utilized for basic clothing, to pay for participation in extracurricular school activities and scholastic achievements, equipment and services to encourage and assist academic success and improve graduation rates, recognition of significant milestones, to provide for physical and mental health services not covered by governmental programs, to provide support for CPS case workers participation in professional training and to increase public awareness of child abuse.  

The commissioners approved utilizing donated funds for the remodel of the Hays County Child Protective Board (HCCPB) Rainbow Room located on Broadway Street in San Marcos, where the  board stores and displays goods needed by children and families and takes care of children.

The additional donated funds will cover phase three of the remodel project; the fencing will be done by Sullivan Contracting for $6.9K and the parking lot will be done by Hays County Transportation Department for $9.4K.

The commissioners also voted to submit an application to the Texas Department of Transportation for the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program for the FM 2325 Pedestrian Safety Access Improvement Project. 

This project will provide safety infrastructure for pedestrian and bicyclist access to local businesses, including construction of a six foot wide 0.84 mile long ADA compliant sidewalk along the west side of Carney Lane from Danforth Junior High in Wimberley where it will eventually widen to 8 feet. It will connect to an existing sidewalk for access to the H-E-B Grocery store. The total project cost is $1.05 million and a 20% match is required.

The commissioners authorized the county judge to utilize $1,500 of his available Community Program funds to support the Indigenous Cultures Institute for informative programming about the Native people and restoring lost history.

They also voted to accept the 2020 Racial Profiling Report from Hays County Constable Offices for Precincts 1, 2 and 3 as well as for the Hays County Sheriff’s Office.

They voted to release several maintenance bonds and accept the roads into the county road maintenance system for the Shadow Creek subdivision and the Parten Ranch subdivision.