Brown County Commissioners set a new speed zone Monday during Commissioners’ Court for part of Stephen F. Austin Drive.
A portion of Stephen F. Austin, which previously has not had a posted speed limit, now has a 40 mph speed zone which will be posted and enforced in the near future. Commissioner Precinct 1 Gary Worley brought the matter before the court after receiving several requests to have speed limit signs posted in the portions of Stephen F. Austin which are outside of the Brownwood city limits.
According to Worley, approximately one mile of Stephen F. Austin is in the county, which travels from Custer Road to just beyond Ledsome Welding.
Worley described nearby speed limits on Morris Sheppard, which is near Brownwood Middle School and parallel to the county portion of Stephen F. Austin, as being 40 mph up to Custer Road and that Crockett Drive, just before Hwy 377 is 30 mph.
The speed limit on Stephen F. Austin within the city limits of Brownwood is 35 mph according to Worley.
When speed limits were posted on three county roads during an October meeting of the court, Worley explained when a speed limit is not posted on a county road, the speed limit is 60 mph. On the county portion of Stephen F. Austin there are rough railroad crossings in this area which should slow most vehicles down.
No public comment was offered and commissioners approved placing a 40 mph speed zone on the county portion of Stephen F. Austin.
In other matters on Monday’s agenda:
*Commissioners did not set a burn ban.
*Commissioners granted Commissioner Precinct 2 Joel Kelton authority to negotiate a possible purchase of a lot adjacent to the barn of Precinct 2. A legal description was not available at Monday’s meeting of the court; however, Kelton described the lot as being a property north and west of the precinct barn. This purchase, Kelton explained, will be to provide room for expansion of a “new and improved septic system” for the barn. If an agreement is reached and before the purchase is made, the negotiated offer will be brought before the court for approval according to Kelton.
*Brown County Jail Administrator Becky Caffey received approval of recent employee changes in two jailer positions. According to Caffey, Dennis Essary, a previous employee at the jail, will replace John Holmes. Essary left the jail approximately 3-4 months ago after moving out of the county and has returned to Brown County. Caffey asked that he be hired at the salary he had previously earned during his previous hiring. The second change was due to Sgt. Teresa Hodge retiring. She will be replaced by Charles Lawson, who will be promoted to Sgt. according to Caffey.
*Land owner Bill Gressett received approval for replatting a lot in Phase 1 of Feather Bay. According to Gressett a 0.13 ac portion of an abandoned roadway was deeded to him. This roadway had been previously called Mallard Loop. This replatting of the property allows Gressett to now be in ownership of two lots and according to Gressett, he plans to build a house on the property in the coming year.
