Caldwell County Commissioners discussed the burn ban, environmental enforcement and the constable security program at Lockhart ISD at their regular meeting on April 22.

(Pictured l-r: Pct. 1 Commissioner B.J. Westmoreland, Pct. 2 Commissioner Rusty Horne, County Judge Hoppy Haden, Pct. 3 Commissioner Ed Theriot, Pct. 4 Commissioner Dyral Thomas)

Next meeting

Tuesday, May 13

Commissioners reorganize constable security program

Pct. 4 Constable Art Villareal will coordinate law enforcement services for Lockhart ISD following action taken Tuesday in Commissioners Court. While Constable Villareal will serve as the administrator of the joint Lockhart ISD/Caldwell County constable security program created in 2022, reserve deputies from all precincts will continue to be available for duty.

Commissioners made the move to reorder operations to address budget concerns that were brought forward by one of the precincts.

Constable Villareal commended the job reserve deputies were doing at the schools and emphasized that his office would continue to keep the school district involved in crucial conversations about campus security. Neither the amount of on-campus constable deputy presence nor the level of service will change under the new setup, Caldwell County Judge Hoppy Haden said.

Judge commends constables for environmental enforcement

The new model for environmental cleanup and enforcement that combines a team effort from the constables’ offices, the Unit Road Department and the District Attorney’s Office has been productive, with deputies responding to more than 100 calls across all four precincts.

The highest volume of illegal dumping and environmental cleanup calls and complaints came from Pct. 2 and 4, according to reports from the four constables’ precinct offices.

“I want to commend the officers for their detailed reports describing the cases [they handled],” Judge Haden said. “I wanted to publicly say you did a fantastic job this past month.”

Constables created Facebook pages to interact with the public and said they had been effective tools at raising awareness and educating the public. Pct. 4 Constable Villareal noted that people in his precinct had begun to clean up their properties before officers could respond to reports from the public.

Each department currently gets a $1,200 stipend distributed to its personnel, and that will continue, Judge Haden said. Commissioners voted unanimously to continue paying the constables’ offices stipends at the current level and to move forward with continuous collection of data through all four precincts to consider potentially adding additional positions in the next budget cycle.

Other Action

Commissioners:

• Approved a preliminary plat for Gristmill at Prairie Lea subdivision consisting of 1,206 lots on approximately 346 acres on Highway 80 and Plant Road.
• Approved the final plat for Sage Hills Estates, which includes 12 lots on approximately 14 acres at Tower Road and Black Ankle Road.
• Approved an MOU with the GBRA for construction, permits and fees within the county. It has two fairly significant projects brining into Caldwell County for water supply. Volume of lots approved, much needed. Put together an MOU to make sure our expenses are covered regarding regulating permits and review, but waiving some of the fees associated with it.
• Approved a proclamation recognizing April 2025 as National County Government Month.
• Approved a proclamation designating May 5-9 as Air Quality Awareness Week.
• Approved the appointment of Nancy Perryman of Luling to the ESD #5 Board.
• Approved the appointment of Stephen Cure of Red Rock as an additional member to the Caldwell County Historical Commission for the current 2025-2026 term.
• Voted to leave the burn ban off.
• Approved an order authorizing the sale of fireworks from May 21 through May 26 for Memorial Day. The order prohibits aerial fireworks with sticks or fins. The order expires on the final day or when drought conditions are determined to be present.
• Accepted the GLO CDBG grant award of approximately $3.5 million to be used to help fund continuing work on the Caldwell County Emergency Shelter project.