County appoints health officer and adopts home program
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The county commissioners appointed a new health officer, gave a thumbs up Tuesday to GrandWorks to apply for a grant to construct five site-built homes targeted for low-income residents, and adopted a policy to pick up prescription drugs out of town for elderly and disabled residents.
The home program is targeted for residents who own and occupy their homes but cannot afford to make major repairs. Application for the grant will be made to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Three homes are currently being built in Bayside under the program by that community.
Donna Johnson, representing GrantWorks, said residents on Social Security and SSI are the more likely candidates for the program.
“Anyone can apply for the program that meets the income and ownership limits,” Johnson said. “Income limits knock out a lot of people.”
Under the guidelines, the residents take out loans which are forgiven in one-year increments.
In the prescription drug program, elderly services, acting through Bee Action Agency, will pick up prescription drugs from H-E-B and WalMart under their reduced-price drug programs for elderly and disabled residents. The residents will reimburse the county upon receipt of the drugs.
The county also appointed Dr. Stefan Walker as the new county health officer. As health officer, Walker will not be tasked with property inspections or food service inspections. Currently, all the food providers outside the town of Refugio are under the guidelines of the state and receive periodic inspections.
Commissioner Stanley Tuttle called attention to the lack of inspections in Refugio which has been without a food service inspector since Dr. Peter Coldwell left last year. Tuttle, who owns a restaurant in Woodsboro, says he pays fees to the state each year plus annual renewal fees for his food handlers in addition to the fees for school to become certified.
Tuttle said he discussed the inequality between restaurants that pay the fees in Woodsboro for inspections and certifications with Refugio’s restaurants which are not inspected because of the town’s ordinance giving them jurisdiction over inspections.
“How is it right for me to pay fees and go through their process and five miles away, (the restaurants) don’t have to do anything,” Tuttle said. “I don’t think the city of Refugio realizes the liability they have. I don’t think they understand the scope of the liability.”
Tuttle said Woodsboro has no ordinance precluding them from state inspections.
The commissioners also:
• Acknowledged status change for Jason Andrade in the sheriff’s department from certified jailer to sergeant jailer effective Feb. 1 with a change in salary from $26,528 to $28,806.
• Drew seven names from the jury wheel for the salary grievance committee including John Koliba, Nancy VanNess, Derek Lewis, Florence Toliver, Elizabeth Anderson, JoAnn Moya and Christine Johnson.
• Approved leases pending receipt of insurance information to J.H. Klaeger Jr., Refugio Soaring Circle, Hans and Ruth Vandervlugt, Danny R. Blain and Bob Dillard.
The home program is targeted for residents who own and occupy their homes but cannot afford to make major repairs. Application for the grant will be made to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Three homes are currently being built in Bayside under the program by that community.
Donna Johnson, representing GrantWorks, said residents on Social Security and SSI are the more likely candidates for the program.
“Anyone can apply for the program that meets the income and ownership limits,” Johnson said. “Income limits knock out a lot of people.”
Under the guidelines, the residents take out loans which are forgiven in one-year increments.
In the prescription drug program, elderly services, acting through Bee Action Agency, will pick up prescription drugs from H-E-B and WalMart under their reduced-price drug programs for elderly and disabled residents. The residents will reimburse the county upon receipt of the drugs.
The county also appointed Dr. Stefan Walker as the new county health officer. As health officer, Walker will not be tasked with property inspections or food service inspections. Currently, all the food providers outside the town of Refugio are under the guidelines of the state and receive periodic inspections.
Commissioner Stanley Tuttle called attention to the lack of inspections in Refugio which has been without a food service inspector since Dr. Peter Coldwell left last year. Tuttle, who owns a restaurant in Woodsboro, says he pays fees to the state each year plus annual renewal fees for his food handlers in addition to the fees for school to become certified.
Tuttle said he discussed the inequality between restaurants that pay the fees in Woodsboro for inspections and certifications with Refugio’s restaurants which are not inspected because of the town’s ordinance giving them jurisdiction over inspections.
“How is it right for me to pay fees and go through their process and five miles away, (the restaurants) don’t have to do anything,” Tuttle said. “I don’t think the city of Refugio realizes the liability they have. I don’t think they understand the scope of the liability.”
Tuttle said Woodsboro has no ordinance precluding them from state inspections.
The commissioners also:
• Acknowledged status change for Jason Andrade in the sheriff’s department from certified jailer to sergeant jailer effective Feb. 1 with a change in salary from $26,528 to $28,806.
• Drew seven names from the jury wheel for the salary grievance committee including John Koliba, Nancy VanNess, Derek Lewis, Florence Toliver, Elizabeth Anderson, JoAnn Moya and Christine Johnson.
• Approved leases pending receipt of insurance information to J.H. Klaeger Jr., Refugio Soaring Circle, Hans and Ruth Vandervlugt, Danny R. Blain and Bob Dillard.
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