Editor's note: This story has been updated to include comments from Montgomery County Commissioner Precinct 4's projects coordinator.
Montgomery County commissioners held a commissioners court meeting Feb. 22. Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack was unavailable due to an unspecified training. Here are some items discussed and acted on.
Reimbursement grants for pandemic, winter storm
Commissioners approved a motion allowing Montgomery County's Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security to apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency grants reimbursing expenses from Winter Storm Uri and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 grant covers expenses related to emergency personnel salaries and tents for county COVID-19 vaccination centers, according to Emergency Management Director Jason Millsaps. Court documents said the county has approximately $2.2 million in expenses that qualify for the grant.
The winter storm grant, named Texas Winter Storm DR-4586-TX, covers emergency personnel salaries as well as construction expenses incurred during storm preparations, according to Millsaps. Court documents said the county has approximately $178,000 in qualifying expenses.
Commissioners approved the grant applications with a 4-0 vote.
Save America rally food funded from payroll
Commissioners also discussed funding food for first responders at a Jan. 29 Save America rally featuring former President Donald Trump in Conroe.
Millsaps said expenses came to $4,310.79, including event signage. Precinct 1 Commissioner Robert Walker asked if the item could be deferred when Noack returned to court, but Millsaps said the county would incur interest on the outstanding payment if it was not approved at the Feb. 22 session.
County Budget Officer Amanda Carter said the county can draw from $100 million approved at a Jan. 26 commissioners court session for overtime payroll. Carter said approximately $88,000 had been spent following the rally.
Commissioners approved funding the food expenses from the overtime payroll with a 4-0 vote.
Eminent domain approved for Precinct 4 projects
Commissioners approved three items relating to the Ford Road expansion project in Precinct 4—represented by Commissioner James Metts—including two eminent domain authorizations.
The items were approved in the consent agenda, meaning there was no discussion. The Ford Road expansion project completed its preliminary engineering phase in 2019, Community Impact Newspaper previously reported. The project will expand the two-lane road between Hwy. 59 and Loop 494 by 10 feet to add wider shoulders for vehicles, while the road between Loop 494 and West Lake Houston Parkway will be expanded from two to four lanes.
Eminent domain proceedings were approved for parcels held by Peter and Tina Holmes and Trinity Forest I Ltd. The combined acreage of the parcels, which were labeled parcels 6 and 37, respectively, is 0.2 acres, according to the court documents.
According to the county clerk’s office, an appraiser was hired to determine a fair value for both parcels, but neither party was willing to accept the county’s valuation, leading to eminent domain proceedings.
Hugo Sanchez, Precinct 4's projects and logistics coordinator, said in a statement to Community Impact Newspaper that the precinct was "65% done" with acquiring right-of-ways for the project, but could not provide a concrete timeline for the project. Sanchez said the county plans to finish right-of-way acquisitions by spring 2022 and begin construction in the summer following approval from the Texas Department of Transportation.
