The rain that fell over the past several weeks remains insufficient to eliminate the danger of wildfires in the county.

Tuesday morning, the commissioners court extended a complete burn ban for an additional 30 days.

“In the 14-day outlook, the exceptional drought is moving from south back up,” said Sheldon Wiginton, chief deputy.

The ban has been in effect since November; however, Judge Rene Mascorro said a miscommunication exists. Wiginton said that a restricted ban allows trash to be burned as long as a metal grate is used on the barrel during burning.

A complete burn ban restricts all burning, Wiginton said.

Commissioner Stanley Tuttle said “they’re not supposed to be (burning in barrels) anyway.”

Under the complete burn ban, no outdoor burning is allowed except scheduled, controlled burns that require licensed operators.

Airport

Commissioner Ann Lopez requested that the court appoint a new airport advisory committee so the county is eligible to use FAA grant funding allocated to the county.

“We do not have an active airport advisory committee,” she said.

The county has turned more than $800,000 of FAA money over to TxDOT because the county did not have the airport zoned. With zoning completed, the county still requires a master plan in order to access FAA funding or grant money turned over to TxDOT.

Lopez said the county should be getting another $150,000 which will also be turned over to TxDOT in June should the county fail to put a plan in place. The previous committee has been inactive, according to Lopez.

“Whoever was on the committee has never met,” Lopez said.

Mascorro asked that each commissioner provide one representative for the committee.

Commissioner Gary Bourland suggested the court discuss guidelines for selecting individuals. He asked the court several questions: “Who should be on this committee... how much aviation experience should they have... anyone who has a plane out there... in what walk of life do people on this committee need to be.”

Lopez said a workshop may be required to work through the details.

The judge tabled the item, saying he would bring back the item at a later date.

Jury pay

Residents who serve on a jury will continue to get $40 a day even though the state will reimburse the county for only $28. The county will pick up the difference.

District Clerk Ruby Garcia said the state began to reimburse the county $34 per juror five years ago; however, this year, the amount was decreased to $28.

Anticipating the decrease, Garcia said the new figure was budgeted.

Office upgrades

Justice Lorraine Lopez received a thumbs up from the court for a request for $3,700 for a computer workstation for a part-time clerk; $600 for for training for the new clerk; and $3,000 for workstation furniture for the clerk.

The money will come out of the technology fund, which currently has approximately $88,000.

Historical commission

County Historical Commission President Rosemary Kelley reported the commission will erect metal sculptures on the garden/mound on U.S. 77 near the high school. Kelley said the sculptures will depict Refugio County’s history of ranching and oil.

In the coming year, the commission will refurbish the Civil War Monument and move it to Heritage Park where other war memorials are now located.

County library

County librarian Tina McGuill informed the court that a grant may replace the five- and six-year-old computers currently used in the library.

The grant, which does not require a match by the county, will provide six refurbished computers at $270 each plus a software upgrade for $1,878.