commissionercourtarticlepicBrown County Commissioners met in their weekly meeting on Monday morning at the Brown County Courthouse taking action on several items.

Commissioners approved appointments made by County Judge Ray West to the Local Data Advisory Board as required by state law.

Texas HB 2730 (known as the Department of Public Safety (DPS) Sunset bill) now requires a county with an average disposition completeness percentage (percentage of arrest charges reported to DPS for which a disposition has been subsequently reported) of less than 90 percent establish a local data advisory board which would be responsible for preparing a data reporting improvement plan. The plan must describe how the county intends to improve its criminal history reporting to DPS and include a comprehensive strategy by which the county will permanently maintain its disposition completeness percentage at or above 90 percent.

The county is required to establish this Advisory Board by November 1st, 2009 and submit the plan to DPS by June 1, 2010.

Those appointed to this board are as follows:

  • County Clerk’s Office – Sharon Ferguson
  • District Clerk’s Office – Jan Brown
  • Sheriff’s Office – Les Karnes
  • Brownwood Police Department – Roger Sparks
  • County Attorney’s Office – Shane Britton
  • District Attorney’s Office – Sam Moss
  • NetData group – Debbie Reynolds

In other action taken at the commissioner’s meeting:

-Commissioners ratified an action taken many years ago to quit claim a deed for an abandon county road behind Higginbothams in Early.  The road easement will be quit claimed to the adjoining property owners.

-Commissioners approved a request by Suzy Young from the elections office for a seasonal worker to help with post-election work coming up.  The timeframe for this position will be from November 4th to February 15th.

-Commissioners approved employee changes for Sheriff Bobby Grubbs having deputy Kelly Marsh move over to courthouse security.  The Sheriff said that they are still seeking applicants for an open deputy position.

-Commissioners approved a request from County Judge Ray West for purchase of a new desk.  The cost is estimated to be $2000.

-No action was taken regarding the Westlaw data program that is a library of law cases and statutes.  Jim Cavanaugh is seeking access to this system, but commissioners are verifying information before taking action.