Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 124, No. 75, Ed. 1 Sunday, September 17, 2006 Page: 1 of 24
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Volume 124 Number 75
Polk County
ENTERPRISE
The Dominant News and Advertising Source in Polk County_
UPS 437-340 Price: 50 cents
Facility study group addressed
Courthouse security cited
ENTERPRISE PHOTO BY GORDON LvBARRON
An employee under contract to Eastex Telephone prepares to feed a
FIBER OPTIC CINE
2,000-foot section of fiber optic line through an underground tube using compressed air. Crews
have spent the past two months replacing cable along U.S. 59.
By EMILY B. WOOTEN
News Editor
LIVINGSTON Polk County
Assistant District Attorney Lee
Hon, County Court at Law Judge
Stephen Phillips and Precinct 1
Court Clerk Mickey Stafford ad-
dressed members of the Polk
County Facility Study Group re-
cently to address space-related
needs faced by the local criminal
justice system.
"Our priority would be to have
our staff united. It would help with
inter-office communications and
resources,” Hon said, explaining
that currently the misdemeanor and
felony divisions are on separate
floors of the courthouse. “It’s a
case of the right hand not knowing
what the left is doing.
“Security is also a concern,” Hon
said, adding that a common entry
for the public would be desirable.
"We haven’t had any major secu-
rity issues, but still believe we’re
living on borrowed time.
“A conference room would be
nice that we could convene the
grand jury in. We don’t currently
have a grand jury room,” he said.
There are currently 14 employees
in the Polk County District Attor-
ney’s Office, including six prosecu-
tors, three investigators, three sec-
retaries, one receptionist and one
crime victim’s advocate.
Indicating that the office will
probably need an additional prose-
cutor, investigator and receptionist
within the next five years. Hon
Public hearing tops USD agenda
LIVINGSTON - A public hear-
ing on the Financial Integrity Rat-
ing System of Texas (FIRST) re-
port for the school district tops the
agenda for Monday’s regular meet-
ing of the Livingston Independent
School District Board of Trustees.
The meeting will begin at 6 p.m.
in the L1SD Administration Office,
1412 S. Houston Ave.
Texas law requires each school
district in the state to prepare an
annual financial accountability re-
port, effective no later than Sept. 1
of each year. The report being re-
viewed Monday night is for the
2004-2005 fiscal year, which is the
fourth year the rating system has
been in place. Livingston ISD has
held the rating of “superior
achievement" for four consecutive
years.
Moving into regular business, the
school board will recognize this
month’s Apple Corps award recipi-
ents and review police/intervention
officer reports and tax and delin-
quent tax reports.
Trustees are also expected to ap-
prove a personal property donation,
Construction topic at Big Sandy
DALLARDSV1LLE - The Board
of Trustees of the Big Sandy Inde-
pendent School District will con-
sider action on the employment of a
construction manager at risk during
its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m.
Monday.
The board reviewed proposals
submitted by J.E. Kingham Con-
struction Company and Daniels
Building and Construction Inc.
during a special called meeting
Thursday.
An adjunct faculty agreement
with the Polk County extension
agents will be considered for ap-
proval.
The board will also consider ac-
tion on a tax refund for Lawrence
Gilstrap and Jimmy Dunham.
An executive session is on the
agenda at which time the board will
deliberate personnel.
Superintendent Kenneth Graham
will report on tax collections,
transportation, facilities and the
Lone Star Investment Pool.
The principals will report on en-
rollment, attendance, activities and
academics.
Other items on the agenda in-
clude approval of the expenditures
for September and the minutes of
the previous meeting.
a $150 donation from the Polk
County Mission Center; a budget
amendment reflecting the purchase
by the Drama Student Activity
Fund of a white cyclorama curtain
and bids received on the purchase
of 71 and 24-passenger buses.
The board will also consider ap-
proval of a resolution to the Polk
Central Appraisal District in sup-
port of an alternative method of
allocating costs of operating the
appraisal district and consider bids
received on the sale of properties
seized for delinquent taxes.
Trustees will also receive notifi-
cation of auxiliary personnel
changes and consider resignations
and hiring of professional person-
nel and hiring of substitute teach-
called those "conservative” num-
bers.
"I would hope that you’d con-
sider visiting some other court-
houses and seeing what they have,”
Hon said.
Phillips told the committee that
there are three people on his staff
and that he doesn’t anticipate need-
ing more.
"We have perfectly adequate
space, although poorly laid out,”
Phillips said. “What we need is a
conference room or office that can
accommodate approximately 12
people.
Other needs Phillips cited include
one secure access for the public and
common areas, such as conference
rooms and a common vestibule
with common entry.
"Four of the five courts on any
given day could have 100 people,”
Phillips said, reminding the com-
mittee of the number of courts that
meet in the courthouse two dis-
trict courts, county court at law,
commissioners’ court, two JP
courts, AG court and cluster court.
“We need a courtroom to ac-
commodate a 12-man jury and 100
people,” he said.
Phillips also touched on an often
unaddressed issue - health.
“There are lots of people who are
sick and we don’t have adequate
ventilation,” he said.
Precinct I Court Clerk Mickey
See SECURITY pg. 4A
Beer, wine sales
have mixed impact
LIVINGSTON - Huh? That was
the general reaction when officials
with the City of Livingston re-
ceived notice of this month’s sales
tax allocation.
Most were expecting a jump in
sales tax revenue due to the sale of
beer and wine authorized by Polk
County voters in May. Many of
those sales began in July. This
month’s sales tax allocation from
the State Comptroller’s Office
represents taxes collected in July
and reported to the comptroller in
August.
The City of Livingston’s share of
the sales tax was up, but less than
usual. Normally in double digits,
this month’s increase, compared to
the same month last year, was only
3.10 percent, about $6,425 more
than that received in September of
2005. Every other month this year,
the rebate has been up by as little as
$ 13,279 to as much as $69,705.
Livingston’s numbers make it
difficult to determine how much
impact expanded alcohol sales are
having in other areas of the county.
Polk County saw a 48.16 percent
increase in sales tax revenue this
month when compared to the same
month last year.
The City of Onalaska, where al-
cohol sales have been legal for dec-
ades, may already be feeling the
loss of some beer and wine sales.
Onalaska’s sales tax allocation was
10.72 percent ($2,361) less than
that received in September of last
year. Seven Oaks’ figures were also
down this month.
Corrigan and Goodrich reported
sales revenue gains ir September.
September’s mixed numbers
aside, year-to-date sales tax reve-
nue totals are up across-the-board
in Polk County when compared to
amount received through the first
nine months of 2005.
Polk County received $153,597
this month, 48.16 percent more
than the $103,663.51 received in
September of last year. Through the
first nine months of 2006, the
county has received $1,221,871.26,
up 20.11 percent from the
$1,017,243.72 received through the
same date last year.
The City of Livingston received
$213,487 in September, 3.10 per-
cent more than the $207,062 re-
ceived during the same month last
year. The September payment
brings sales tax revenue received in
2006 to $2,176,982, 15.60 percent
more than the $1,883,150 received
through the first nine months of
2005.
This month, Onalaska received
$19,645, 10.72 percent less than the
$22,006 received during the same
month last year. Payments to date
for 2006 are up 2.53 percent, with
$232,499 received during the first
nine months of this year compared
to $226,741 during the same period
last year.
See SALES pg. 2A
OISD to host public hearing
ONALASKA - A public hearing
to distribute and discuss the Finan-
cial Integrity Rating System of
Texas financial management report
issued by the Texas Education
Agency is on the agenda for a spe-
cial called meeting of the Board of
Trustees of the Onalaska Independ-
ent School District at 6:30 p.m.
Monday. The district received a
rating of “superior.”
The rating will be considered for
approval when the board recon-
venes in regular session at 6:35
p.m.
Following a discussion, possible
action will be taken to declare an
acute shortage of teachers in the
following areas: math, science,
special education, languages other
than English and technology appli-
cation.
An adjunct faculty agreement
with the Texas Cooperative Exten-
sion for extracurricular activities
and 4-H eligibility issues will be
discussed and considered for ac-
tion.
The board will consider action on
a resolution adopting the method of
allocation for the Polk Central Ap-
praisal District’s budget.
In policy matters, possible action
will be considered on the second
reading of Localized Policy Manual
Update No. 78 and the annual re-
view of the district investment pol-
icy CDA (Local).
The board will consider action
awarding bids for the sale of five
school buses.
The board will consider moving
its Dec. 18 meeting to Dec. 11 and
its Jan. 15 meeting to Jan. 16.
An executive session is on the
agenda at which time the board is
slated to deliberate personnel.
Superintendent David Kennedy
is slated to report on current en-
rollment as compared to this time
last year and the Texas Association
of School Boards Conference Oct.
6-8 in Houston.
Principals Troy Parton and Keith
Smith are expected to report on
enrollment, attendance and school
happenings.
Other items on the agenda in-
clude approval of the tax report,
budget amendment, annual invest-
ment report and minutes of the
Aug. 21 and Aug. 31 meetings.
ENTERPRISE PHOTO RY GORDON LcBARRON
BACKHOE BURNS - Livingston firefighters extinguish a blaze that destroyed this backhoe
off FM 2457 Friday afternoon. Two truclcs and nine firefighters from the LVFD responded to
the alarm which came in at approximately 3:30 p.m.
i
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White, Barbara. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 124, No. 75, Ed. 1 Sunday, September 17, 2006, newspaper, September 17, 2006; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth787934/m1/1/: accessed July 9, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.