Lavaca County approves grants administrator, accepts school‑safety gifts and moves forward on public‑safety tech and building plans

Lavaca County commissioners on June 8 approved a mix of staffing, technology, grant‑seeking and donor‑funding actions aimed at strengthening the county’s ability to win outside funding and support public‑safety and school‑safety work.

The court unanimously voted to add a full‑time grants administrator position effective Oct. 1, 2026, with a proposed salary range of $60,000–$100,000. James Ree, speaking for the court advisory council, told commissioners the county frequently misses opportunities because department staff must both find and administer grants: “Money is always a constraint,” he said, arguing a dedicated administrator could both write applications and manage reporting and reimbursements.

The court approved using a hiring committee to develop the job description, search for candidates and return to the court with funding details. Commissioners cited examples in neighboring counties where dedicated grant staff brought in millions of dollars, a key part of the pitch for the new position.

The meeting also focused on school safety. Sheriff Greenwell and school‑safety liaison Neilie Yako described a county initiative to equip schools with breaching tools and ballistic shields required by House Bill 33. Yako said the county estimates roughly $86,100 is needed to equip schools (not counting additional equipment the sheriff’s office would require).

Two private donors committed funds: Bedker Plastics (Marvin and Kathy Bedker) gave $25,000, and the Don Casper Foundation pledged $10,000 for the Lavaca County Strong school‑safety initiative. The court formally recognized both donations.

Public‑health and agriculture concerns featured as well. County staff member Shannon briefed the court on the northward spread of New World screworm and a separate pasture pest first noted in 2025. Shannon urged producers to contact the Texas Animal Health Commission’s 24/7 hotline for suspected cases, avoid moving suspect animals and follow local veterinary protocols. She warned against premature, widespread insecticide use that could reduce long‑term effectiveness and advised sanitation of hay equipment to slow spread of the pasture pest.

On law‑enforcement matters, the court approved a supplemental interlocal agreement to allow smaller, one‑to‑one mutual‑aid operations to operate under the Operation Lone Star banner. The court also approved a software agreement with a vendor (listed in the agenda as Intella Choice/Tele Choice DBA E‑Force Software) for a web‑based records/operations platform. According to county staff, the vendor agreed to accept two payments; the court approved paying the first half from reserve funds and scheduling the second payment for October.

Sheriff Greenwell also asked to convert a temporary part‑time administrative assistant—who is digitizing more than 16,000 hard‑copy jail records—to a full‑time role; the court approved the conversion and agreed funds would be shifted from deputies’ line items for the interim period.

The county auditor recommended adopting Paylocity as the county’s new payroll, human‑resources and accounts‑payable platform to replace the current Tyler time and attendance system. After demonstrations and a legal review, the court approved implementation with a projected go‑live date of Oct. 1.

In executive session the court reviewed county building needs. Afterward it approved pursuing a $400,000 Texas Historical Commission grant for a courthouse basement project, seeking engineered drawings for an annex parking/sidewalk/drainage project, and developing conceptual plans for a joint emergency operations center attached to the sheriff’s complex to house EMS, fire and law‑enforcement functions. The court also directed staff to explore a full renovation of Medic 5 in Moulton if the county secures control of the property.

Votes at a glance

- Add full‑time grants administrator (effective Oct. 1, 2026; salary range $60,000–$100,000): motion made by Precinct 3, second Precinct 4 — approved (unanimous).
- Recognize Bedker Plastics donation ($25,000) to school‑safety initiative: approved (unanimous).
- Recognize Don Casper Foundation donation ($10,000) to school‑safety initiative: approved (unanimous).
- Acknowledge Governor Greg Abbott’s proclamation on New World screworm (state of disaster): approved (unanimous).
- Approve supplemental Operation Lone Star interlocal agreement: approved (unanimous).
- Approve E‑Force software agreement and pay half from reserves now, half in October: approved (unanimous).
- Convert sheriff’s temporary part‑time administrative assistant to full‑time: approved (unanimous).
- Approve implementation of Paylocity for payroll/HR/AP: approved (unanimous).
- Approve certificate of exemption from subdivision requirements for a 31‑acre tract (Jonas/Nascora): approved (unanimous).
- Approve moving forward on building plans and grant pursuits (courthouse grant, annex design, EMS/EOC concepts, potential Medic 5 rehab): approved (unanimous).

What’s next

County staff will return with job‑description and funding details for the grants administrator and with design drawings, bids or additional budget requests for the building projects. County officials asked residents and producers with animal‑health concerns to contact the Texas Animal Health Commission and local veterinarians rather than moving suspect animals.

(Reporting notes: quotes and actions are drawn from the June 8, 2026 meeting transcript. Where the transcript gave inconsistent spellings for donor and staff names, article uses spellings as presented at the meeting.)