[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6699965,"mediaKeyId","2157796-9dc170298f3329d933c0e2b6b7f22dae","parentId",2157796,"title","Votes at a glance: Kaufman County Commissioners Court approves routine business, appointments, procurement and claims","audioSeconds",212,"startMs",1206000,"endMs",1418000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2157796-9dc170298f3329d933c0e2b6b7f22dae&start=1206&end=1418","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2157796-9dc170298f3329d933c0e2b6b7f22dae/thumbnail_1206000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6699965/Kaufman-County/Texas/Votes-at-a-glance-Kaufman-County-Commissioners-Court-approves-routine-business-appointments-procurement-and-claims","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6699965-b853316dce5974ed84dbcfd0aea5b390/orig.mp4?Expires=1771135434&Signature=I7W6Is9NYSFC99zOzOq-MeS3hYQilOlENqssGZjpvNhH61XIpU0Ho3XNp6JDj8Kq9OX0-rJjQgog8b1GKIKFjd6VXInUS~jAp9CvWY4V0yFJQvsaeFdA-Da3-~ZLv4cAyYMbVwsqNUC0~wiaJCmRkY8AUIUr2x3yHbvN4YJWmQ~sLI~gTo8K6zm8eVggpnD2UZB5i-9R8JdKcRXeJkA5FpArhHhhMcMG3Wnj6DfGqGfu29PfznVS2Rk-NrD1HI2lQ9qo56Pr75XPGMBmSqX2~HNhlVzS-xseq9i4P7iNks47uHt93wHOFsvltLUn6prjqnhIkGpjgNJ6589TM0Odhw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Kaufman","date","2025-01-28T00:00:00Z","article","At its regular weekly meeting, the Kaufman County Commissioners Court approved a series of routine and substantive items including appointments, interlocal agreements, procurement requests and payment of county claims totaling $886,042.64.

Key votes and outcomes

- Consent agenda: Approved by voice vote.
- ESD No. 5 board: Accepted the resignation of Marvin Cates and appointed Stewart Andress to the Emergency Services District No. 5 board; motion carried by voice vote.
- ETJ interlocal agreement: Approved an extraterritorial-jurisdiction interlocal agreement between Cobham County and the City of Portree (described in the meeting as the same agreement as previously used); approved by voice vote.
- TACEO appointment: Approved appointing Tammy Smith to the Texas Association of County Elections Officials (TACEO) legislative subcommittee to monitor and analyze election-related bills and regulations; approved by voice vote.
- Road/bridge procurement: Approved ordering a concrete box cover for Road Bridge Precinct 4 using Kaufman County Bid 2414; approved by voice vote.
- Sole‑source procurement and sheriff equipment: Declared Custom Signals a sole‑source provider and approved purchases of in‑car and body‑worn camera systems for the sheriff’s department (see separate story for details); approved by voice vote.
- Department credit cards: Approved issuing assigned credit cards to 3–4 frequent‑user departments to streamline purchases and improve accountability; approved by voice vote. Auditors confirmed the internal control and receipt procedures will continue.
- Showgrounds contract: The court postponed final action on a contract for showgrounds rental and related facilities until next week to clarify whether specific buildings (including a small exhibition/rabbit barn) are included; motion to pass until next week carried.
- Line‑item transfers: Approved routine line‑item transfers as presented by the auditor; approved by voice vote.
- Claims and payments: Approved payment of accounts payable invoices totaling $881,642.64 and jury checks totaling $4,400 for a total payout of $886,042.64; the auditor said most costs were for road materials, culverts and inmate medical expenses.
- Executive session and follow-up: The court recessed into executive session under Texas Government Code §551.071 to consult with counsel on pending litigation matters and returned to open session. Following the closed session, the court authorized staff to enter contract negotiations with a law firm (referenced in the meeting as “Calhoun, Bellas in sequence”) to serve as lead counsel in the Justice Center construction litigation; motion carried by voice vote, with Judge Allen participating by phone.

How the votes were taken

Most items were approved by voice vote with commissioners saying “aye” when prompted; no recorded roll-call tallies were provided in the public meeting for routine items. Several motions were moved and seconded from the bench; where the transcript records a specific mover/second, that information is included in the underlying meeting record.

What was not disclosed

The court did not disclose contract terms, purchase prices for the camera systems, or a fee arrangement for the outside counsel during the public session. The showgrounds contract was postponed for clarification. County staff said they will return with contract details and procurement paperwork as appropriate.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Kaufman - Commissioners Court - Jan 28, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Commissioners Court approved the consent agenda, an ESD board appointment, interlocal agreement, grant‑funded purchases, credit‑card assignments for departments, line‑item transfers and claims totaling $886,042.64; it also entered executive session and authorized contract negotiations for Justice Center litigation.","taxTitle","Kaufman County, Texas","taxId",20433,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6699970,"Kaufman County approves sole‑source declaration and purchases for sheriff’s in‑car and body cameras",149,569000,718000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2157796-9dc170298f3329d933c0e2b6b7f22dae&start=569&end=718","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2157796-9dc170298f3329d933c0e2b6b7f22dae/thumbnail_569000.jpg","/articles/6699970/Kaufman-County/Texas/Kaufman-County-approves-solesource-declaration-and-purchases-for-sheriffs-incar-and-body-cameras","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6699970-f1cd1847cff9564ae5e757142ac3ea76/orig.mp4?Expires=1771135434&Signature=ZmqMc4ATE55dnDjmbsmTRGayLAT10rpTjXkFaAvEuOibblFCfoY7k69359luBijIEn7pNsGTCWdqm7JOZAi8-KYNyCzSo5aUf74KCIZ06CWl3N~lmHA6oVQOyfMw~5zhpdukUdz4j5KW0CiOhOduOMnxgKlPvBfxwzqvvaIMM1LcGiB8b6XCsMn~vtQjJYLf0wSfczz6o~LRouZ8Q3AC1xoT9HdQ6BDF5XmJdkEcIIDJXHYHONxfPV0-t4WoBeVPrDPDSkl2rcCNWOl0Tbs61OrAFOQBhJEilBccdQQDpskbsvwDonhQKokEl4jlEmtrnAUPmZvvQWstuu4IhnGStQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kaufman County Commissioners Court on Wednesday declared Custom Signals a sole‑source vendor and approved purchases of in‑car video and body‑worn camera systems for the county sheriff’s department.

Procurement staff asked the court to declare Custom Signals a sole‑source provider and presented an exclusivity letter required by statute. The court approved a resolution declaring the vendor sole source and signed the associated court order.

Following the declaration, the court approved multiple purchases: a first set of in‑car video and data systems using SB 22 grant funds and a second set of in‑car video and data systems using Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) funds. The court also approved a separate purchase of body‑worn camera equipment and software (quote 00012262) for the sheriff’s department; a related in‑car system quote (0009551) appeared in the meeting record. County staff said the purchases meet procurement specifications and that the sole‑source vendor provided the required exclusivity documentation.

No dollar amounts for the camera purchases were disclosed in open court. County staff identified the specific grants (SB 22 and JAG) as the funding sources for the vehicle-video systems. Commissioners approved the items by voice vote; no member cast a recorded dissent in the public meeting.

County officials said the sole‑source declaration followed the county’s procurement requirements and that they will move forward with ordering equipment under the approved quotes and grant funding.","The Commissioners Court declared Custom Signals a sole‑source vendor and approved purchases of in‑car and body‑worn camera systems for the sheriff’s department, to be funded in part by SB 22 and JAG grants.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":46,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6699974,"Kaufman County authorizes contract negotiations for outside counsel in Justice Center construction dispute",150,1268000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2157796-9dc170298f3329d933c0e2b6b7f22dae&start=1268&end=1418","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2157796-9dc170298f3329d933c0e2b6b7f22dae/thumbnail_1268000.jpg","/articles/6699974/Kaufman-County/Texas/Kaufman-County-authorizes-contract-negotiations-for-outside-counsel-in-Justice-Center-construction-dispute","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6699974-dc85e5153b786a547a32991e2ba6ee17/orig.mp4?Expires=1771135434&Signature=DffC~BFhUDzcpPpeayFYw-wBHpfMh8Fbi-n6qpubWmQfD4fmZFVcuZrUG2qz8ry7H7oSRM4ZOu365WblgGU8VfP-dYgZW9cspnl7zyEf8nxoWpBmGExbZONRZlX9rQpDaZwm9Ln0bP6caxXtFyCeI4a~0Zwz0GF2MEs~H8QZJE2sfaJWbn9ZgP7jAs3kyqzaWr0cvncwE4mRKRJ7J4VMvKQIp5Uv-wqJATfgsQ7EBqEFJGePk5or-5~~HDzQg7kecAfGrFqeyxJe1FoqWXt~Utrc~eGLwWNkGn987t3dWJjTYuCyAHBbIchilVkq-HcF67TU1Yktr6wRbqrpLRsKWg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kaufman County Commissioners Court on Wednesday authorized county staff to enter contract negotiations with an outside law firm to serve as lead counsel in litigation involving the county Justice Center construction.

The court moved into executive session under Texas Government Code §551.071 to consult with counsel about pending litigation and returned to open session to make a public motion authorizing contract negotiations. The motion specified engaging a law firm identified in the meeting transcript as “Calhoun, Bellas in sequence” to serve as lead counsel for the county’s construction-related case. The motion was seconded and passed by voice vote; the court recorded that Judge Allen participated by phone and voted in favor.

The executive-session notice listed several pending or threatened matters: Price and White; Toombs and Kaufman County; Kaufman County and Texas General Mechanical; construction and renovation of county buildings; and potential claims involving the EEOC. No contract terms, fees or an explicit scope of work for the outside counsel were discussed during the public portion of the meeting.

County officials did not disclose the proposed fee arrangement or the timeline for negotiations in open court. County attorneys and commissioners said the action authorizes negotiations to begin; no final contract was presented or approved at the meeting.

The action follows the court’s closed-session review of litigation options. Commissioners said the next steps are to finalize terms with the selected firm and return to the court with a proposed agreement for approval if negotiations succeed.

A motion to adjourn followed later in the meeting.","The Kaufman County Commissioners Court voted to negotiate a contract with an outside law firm to serve as lead counsel in litigation related to construction of the county Justice Center after an executive session held under Texas Government Code §551.071.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Kaufman County Commissioners Court approves routine business, appointments, procurement and claims

Kaufman County approves sole‑source declaration and purchases for sheriff’s in‑car and body cameras

Kaufman County authorizes contract negotiations for outside counsel in Justice Center construction dispute