A new fee is being added January 1st to all non-court related documents received by the Brown County Clerk’s office for filing or recording after commissioners approved a $5 increase in the archive fund fee Monday morning.
County Clerk Sharon Ferguson stated that this increase will apply to records not related to court cases, such as civil, probate, and real property documents. Ferguson stated that funds raised from the fees will help pay for document archival of county records. According to Ferguson, her office has the largest number of records in the courthouse.
Ferguson explained that this archival fee has been in place since September 1, 2003 at a cost of $5. The 83rd legislative session approved the $5 increase for six years. The archival fee will increase to $10 on January 1, 2014 with this vote and remain at that rate until September 1, 2019 when it will revert back to $5 according to amendments in the Government Code during this recent legislative session, she said.
This fee is one out of many to increase at the state level; however it is the only one that has to be approved by the Commissioners’ Court of each county if increased, Ferguson explained.
In other matters on Monday’s Brown County Commissioners’ Court agenda:
*Commissioners did not enact a burn ban.
*Sherry Clark, Chairman of the Brown County Child Welfare Board received approval for three new members: Jennifer Pruitt, Stephanie Barnes, and Linda Gossett. According to Clark, there will be three additional vacancies on the board to fill soon.
*Commissioner Precinct 1 Gary Worley received approval for closing roads and alleyways in the town of Brookesmith. According to Worley, these closings include portions of roads that were in the original plat from June 1931 and have not been used and most of which are over grown. One alleyway also has a structure built upon it, said Worley. The closed streets include Maggie Street Block 3, lot 10 and Block 4, lot 1; Ione Street Block 4, lot 10 and Block 5 lot 1; May Street Block 5 lot 10 and the west ½ of lot 6; and the southernmost alley of the subdivision, from Pearl Street to Vernon Street. County Judge Ray West stated that abutting property owners to these closed roads will get first right of refusal to purchase the portion of land adjacent to their properties. No action was taken to convey this land at Monday’s meeting of the court because an opinion of value that was ordered had not been finished at the time.
*Becky Caffey, Brown County Jail Administrator, received approval of two employees. Larry Saxton will replace Jason Bastardo and Hester Lopez will replace Daniel McCombs. Caffey also reported the jail count was at 151 as of Monday morning.
*Precinct 3 Commissioner Wayne Shaw received approval to purchase two motor graders through the Buy Board Contract. According to Shaw, it will be good to have the equipment to complete the roadwork which will be paid from recently passed tax notes for infrastructure improvements. The equipment is not being purchased through funds from these notes, he clarified.
*County Tax Assessor Collector Cheryl Nelson received approval to hire a replacement full time employee. Amanda Ashby was hired with a start date of August 7, 2013. According to Ferguson, who presented the matter in Nelson’s absence, this position was recently approved by the court in a prior meeting.
*Judge West received approval of juvenile detention renewal contracts (interlocal contracts) between Brown County and the following:
- Andrew County Juvenile Probation Department & 4M Granbury Youth Services, Inc. dba Granbury Regional Juvenile Justice Center
- County of Eastland
- 33rd Judicial District, Burnet/Gillespie County
- 220th Judicial District, Hamilton, Comanche and Bosque Counties
- County of Mason
- County of McCullough
- County of Kimble
- County of Menard
*County Auditor Nina Cox reported that the $1.55 million tax notes closed on Thursday August 8, 2013.
