$15K grant funding up for Child Protective Board

The Hays County Commissioners Court will vote on accepting $15,500 in grant contributions and donations on behalf of the Hays County Child Protective Board in Tuesday’s meeting. 

The grant funding was received from the City of San Marcos and Bob and Mary Fulton and it 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 will also vote on utilizing donated funds for the remodel of the Hays County Child Protective Board (HCCPB) Rainbow Room located on Broadway Street in San Marcos. The Rainbow Room is where the board stores and displays goods needed by children and families and takes care of children.

The HCCPB has received additional donated funds to be used for phase 3 of the Rainbow Room remodel project. The fending will be done by Sullivan Contracting for $6.9K and the parking lot will be done by Hays County Transportation Department for $9.4K.

In other business, the commissioners will vote on submitting 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 preliminary application outlines the project, which will provide safety infrastructure for pedestrian and bicyclist access to local businesses. The project includes construction of a six foot wide 0.84 mile long ADA compliant sidewalk along the west side of Carney Lane from Danforth Junior High where it will eventually widen to eight feet. It will connect to an existing sidewalk for access to the HEB Grocery store. The total project cost is $1.05 million and a 20% match will be required.

The commissioners will vote on authorizing 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 restores lost history.

There will also be a discussion about authorizing the Office of Emergency Services to purchase one new Ford F250 4x4 vehicle, that was found necessary after the recent winter storm. 

“Due to recent road conditions and the need for hauling emergency equipment, the department is in need of a vehicle with four wheel drive functionality," the agenda stated.

The commissioners will later vote on accepting 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 will also consider the release of several maintenance bonds and acceptance of the roads into the county road maintenance system for the Shadow Creek subdivision and the Parten Ranch subdivision.

Tuesday’s meeting will be held March 2 at 9 a.m. at the Hays County Courthouse, Room 301 in San Marcos. Residents wishing to participate in citizen comment can submit a public participation/witness form to the county clerk prior to the meeting.