Court accepts permits director's retirement, authorizes PE recruitment for replacement and adopts rules for court decorum and agenda procedures

The Liberty County Commissioners Court on June 9 accepted the retirement notice of Permits & Inspections director Melinda Salday, effective June 30, 2026, and thanked her for eight years of service.

Following that acceptance, the court authorized an interview committee to recruit and recommend a permanent administrator for the Permits & Inspections Department. Commissioners and staff recommended the candidate be a licensed professional engineer (PE) to provide in‑house technical review capacity for plan stamps and complex engineering items, though staff acknowledged that hiring a PE carries salary and budget implications. County Attorney Matthew Banker and staff noted legal and procedural steps required for a county engineer role and emphasized that such a hire would not necessarily supplant existing consulting contracts but could streamline some reviews.

Separately, commissioners debated a proposal to create a standalone Elections Administrator position. Staff described current election‑related mandates, added workload, and the legal steps and calendar implications required to create a county official. After discussion—citing fiscal constraints and timing—the court voted to take no action and fold the question into upcoming budget deliberations.

The court also approved revised Commissioners Court rules for decorum and procedure, which set deadlines for agenda submissions, require a standardized agenda‑request form with a checklist (auditor and purchasing sign‑offs where applicable), formalize three‑minute public‑comment rules with conduct expectations, and adopt a recording policy that requires video recording of formal court meetings (not live streaming) and posting recordings with minutes. The rules also set a 20‑foot media area and preserved the judge’s long‑standing practice of refraining from voting unless needed for a quorum or to break a tie.

In one other personnel action, the court appointed Dr. Jesse Adam as Liberty County’s Local State Health Authority, accepting Dr. Adam’s agreement to serve.

The court asked staff to prepare job descriptions and budget estimates for any future position and to return with formal recommendations during the budget process.