Commissioners Approve Proto-Town Agreement

By Anthony Collins

LPR Editor                            

        The Caldwell County Commissioners Court met Tuesday, August 26, acting on a range of issues from fire safety to economic development.

    Despite forecasted rain later in the week, commissioners voted to extend the county-wide burn ban for another two weeks at the recommendation of Chief Emergency Management Coordinator Hector Rangel.

Rangel reported that firefighters had responded to “a few fires” since the court’s previous meeting on August 12, noting that conditions remain dry. The county’s Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) stood at 565 Tuesday morning, just 10 points shy of the 575 threshold that indicates drought conditions. As a result, all outdoor burning remains prohibited in Caldwell County.

    In a move expected to have long-term economic impact, commissioners approved a development agreement with Earthship Corporation and Greenwood Ventures Group for the creation of Proto-Town Lockhart. The agreement covers 538 acres south of Lockhart.

    Proto-Town is pitched as an “Innovation Hub” for hardware and tech manufacturing start-ups, offering a space for entrepreneurs to build and test tangible technologies. Plans for the site include demonstration buildings, research facilities, robotics and energy prototypes, and temporary living quarters for researchers.

     The project has been described as a “manufacturing and hardware city” where innovators can pursue projects, such as rocket engine static fires and flight tests, in an environment less constrained by software-focused regulations.

Development agreements serve as legally binding contracts outlining responsibilities for infrastructure, land use, and public benefits.

Other Actions

Commissioners also took up a variety of other items, including:

•Approved elected officials’ salaries for Fiscal Year 2025–2026.

•Approved sheriff’s and constables’ fee schedules for FY 2025–2026.

•Authorized grant applications to the Texas Comptroller’s Rural Law Enforcement Grant Program. The Sheriff’s Office can seek up to $350,000, while the District Attorney’s Office is eligible for up to $175,000. Both departments plan to use the funds for stipends to boost employee pay.

•Raised the county’s competitive procurement threshold from $50,000 to $100,000 through an amendment to the purchasing policy.

•Approved purchase of license plate reading cameras from Flock Group for the Pct. 2 Constable’s Office.

•Accepted a $37,988 grant from the Texas Indigent Defense Commission to help cover indigent defense costs.

•Declared September as Suicide Prevention Month and as CAPCOG Preparedness Month.

•Approved the final plat for Dewberry Point Subdivision, which will bring 74 new lots on 96.8 acres at FM 1854 and Seminole Trail.