Caldwell County Commissioners discussed the burn ban, the PHI CARES medical transport program, and declared October Manufacturing Month in Caldwell County.
(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)
Commissioners reinstate burn ban
Caldwell County Commissioners voted to reinstate the burn ban due to deteriorating ground conditions and little chance of significant rain in the forecast. The average Keetch Byram Drought Index (KBDI) reading is at 609 for Caldwell County, above the scale's drought threshold (575). Please refrain from outdoor burning at this time
October declared Manufacturing Month
Caldwell County Commissioners issued a proclamation declaring October as Manufacturing Month. Businesses that specialize in manufacturing items and materials for a variety of industries — several of which either located in or relocated to Caldwell County over the past decade — provide jobs for Caldwell County businesses and tax revenue that help fund local governments.
Rachel Sotelo, a career coach with Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area, works with schools in Caldwell County to help students write resumes, interview for jobs and learn about career paths. She said she would ramp up efforts in October to teach students about manufacturing job options in their county.
"I'm going to be coordinating with the school districts in the county to give students opportunities to tour various manufacturing facilities so that they know what is available to them," Sotelo said.
PHI CARES Program Renewed
Commissioners voted to renew the county’s agreement with PHI Air Medical and approved an order that exempts the agreement from competitive bidding requirements. The company’s PHI Cares Program provides air medical transport benefits for all residents of Caldwell County when they are transported by a PHI Air Medical aircraft in the region.
Membership in the program costs the county $85,847 annually.
Per the terms of the agreement, Caldwell County residents are not required to pay any additional out-of-pocket expense for their emergency air medical transportation when a PHI Air Medical aircraft in the region transports them from Caldwell County or a surrounding county, including Bastrop, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Hays, Travis and Fayette counties.
The renewal takes effect on Oct. 1.
-
- Approved an order permitting the sale of fireworks in unincorporated areas of Caldwell County during the DIwali holiday period. The order prohibits the use of fireworks with sticks or fins.
- Approved a resolution regarding a memorandum of understanding between the county and TxDOT for the placement of Flock cameras, which read license plates and can help with capturing suspects wanted by law enforcement.
- Approved an interlocal cooperation contract between the county and Texas State University for the 2024-2025 tobacco enforcement program, which provides money for sting operations to prevent sales of tobacco products to minors.
- Listen as several Caldwell County residents addressed the court regarding a declaration of disaster regarding individuals entering the United States illegally via the Texas-Mexico border approved by commissioners in 2022.