Commission approves funding for DWI programs

The Curry County Commission held a regular meeting Tuesday.

Items passed:

• A permit was approved to place a culvert under Curry Road 12.

• A bid was approved from Bee Equipment for a lease of two pneumatic rollers at $3,750 each for use in construction of roads leading to the Southwest Cheese Plant. The money will come from the cheese plant budget.

• Commissioners agreed to enter into negotiations with Lydick Engineers for engineering services for Curry County roads.

• The Commission approved funding applications for the continuation of DWI programs. The distribution applications, which are based on alcohol sales in the county, is for $120,007. The grant application is for $180,000. That money is used to fund youth programs, DWI checkpoints and saturation patrols, among others.

• The Commission appointed the following people to the 2005 board of registration for the county: Republicans Edith A. Bradley and Kendale K. Burch and Democrat Angie Sena. Alternates are Democrat Max Joe Chavez and Republican Glinda G. Roberts. The board assists in removing from the roll any voters who have died, moved out of county or not voted in the previous four general elections, said County Clerk Mario Trujillo.

Items not passed: (None)

Items tabled: (None)

Items discussed with no action:

• Jail Administrator Don Burdine announced inmates were less than 300 for the first time in several months. There are 290 total inmates with 180 being held in county; 87 in Dickens County, Texas; 12 in Parmer County; and the remaining are on furlough and house arrest.

• Burdine said the construction of the jail annex is ahead of schedule and could begin housing prisoners in March. He plans to hire six employees to work at the facility.

• The city/county luncheon will be held Feb. 15.

• The water truck for the Curry County Fairgrounds has been purchased and delivered. Funding for the $28,000 truck was approved at the Jan. 19 meeting.

By the numbers: $1,126,866.92, amount commissioners voted to pay Plains Regional Medical Center for the upcoming fiscal year. The money funds county indigent clients. The county will pay about $288,000 with a state 3-to-1 match.

Quotable: “You know boys with new toys, we had to try it out,” Curry County Road Superintendent Danny Davis on testing the new water truck purchased by the county.

Next meeting: 9 a.m., Feb. 15, at the Curry County Courthouse, Main Street.