Published: November 28, 2007 12:20 am            

Anderson County approved for Homeland Security grant money

PALESTINE — Anderson County will receive more than $225,000 in Homeland Security grant monies — most of which will be spent to purchase communications equipment — according to a representative of the county’s emergency management office.

During a special meeting of the Anderson County commissioners’ court Monday morning, Schelby Wells, assistant with the county’s Emergency Management office, said the county had been approved to receive a Homeland Security Grant for a total of $225,367.

Following her presentation, commissioners voted, 5-0, to approve receipt of the grant funds.

Wells said the grant funds would be utilized to purchase three new repeaters for the county, in addition to a ACU-1000 which can interconnect up to 24 devices and simultaneously cross-connect different radio networks.

The ACU-1000 — which carries a price tag of approximately $40,000 according to Wells — can connect radio networks to telephone systems. Its main purpose is to provide interconnections between different communciations systems.

The county will also receive eight radios — two of which will be digital, she added.

Anderson County Judge Linda Bostick Ray asked if the county would incur any costs in accepting the grant.

“The only expense the county would be out would be some licensing fees,” Wells explained. “The licensing fees would be for the repeaters. The grants do not cover licensing fees.”

Wells estimated the total cost of the fees to be approximately $1,000.

Items included in Anderson County’s grant application were developed through talks with representatives of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office and other local law enforcement agencies, Wells told commissioners.

“The only restrictions (associated with the grant) are we purchase the equipment listed in the grant proposal,” Wells said.

Of the 14 counties comprising the East Texas Council of Governments, Wells indicated only Gregg County received a larger Homeland Security grant than Anderson County during this funding cycle.

After a motion by Ray and a second by Precinct 1 Commissioner Joe Chaffin, the court voted, 5-0, to accept the grant.

In other business Monday, the court:

• APPROVED budget amendments.

• APPROVED bills.

• AUTHORIZED the county auditor to obtain bids for office supplies, gasoline and diesel, paving county roads, railroad tank car culverts, road oil, cracked fuel oil, corrugated metal culvert pipe, septic rock and base stone, asphalt treated road material, bituminous cold patch material and asphalt concrete hot mix for 2008.

• APPROVED the Precinct 2 road & bridge department to do dirt work at the Anderson County Jail.

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Paul Stone may be contacted via e-mail at pstone@palestineherald.com

        

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