Commissioners vote to reorganize Environmental Enforcement Unit

LPR staff
Caldwell County Commissioners voted this week to take steps to reorganize the county’s Environmental Enforcement Unit (EEU). The unit, has experienced attrition lately with former administrative staff making moves to other departments and law enforcement personnel taking new jobs elsewhere.  The action was taken Tuesday morning during Commissioners Court.
However, the department could see further changes when the county completes its search for a new salaried planner who would manage the county code enforcement officer. Commissioners voted to divide the department’s duties and assets between the Unit Road Department and the county’s four Constables’ offices.  
A truck previously used by the EEU will be transferred to the Unit Road Department to use for cleaning up illegal dump sites, and the county will hire two additional unit road workers who will be tasked with cleanup calls. 
Meanwhile, the four constables’ offices will investigate illegal dump sites, with each one responding to calls in its precinct. Commissioners voted to pay a $1,200 stipend to each office for one month to account for the extra workload. After a month, commissioners said they would have a better idea of how much to budget for each office.  
“I think about 70 percent of the cost comes from Precinct 4,” Judge Hoppy Haden said. “Lytton Springs and Dale have the most problems (with illegal dumping sites).”
The EEU department budget also covers the cost of an employee in the district attorney’s office tasked with prosecuting cases. 
In other business:

• A self-proclaimed “busy body,” Lytton Springs Methodist Church Pastor Jodi Fischer addressed Caldwell County Commissioners Court Tuesday morning with a different agenda than she said she had two years earlier.
  In 2023, Fischer said she was upset with response times by law enforcement in the area, but this time around she said things had improved.
  Fischer praised Caldwell County Constables and Sheriff Mike Lane, and also thanked Judge Yvette Mireles and Commissioner Dyral Thomas for their support.
• Andrew McLish again addressed Commissioners regarding what he deems as unnecessary stop signs in his area of Prairie Lea.
  McLish said there were some pressing safety concerns regarding vehicles not stopping for stop signs in Prairie Lea, where he said he recently observed 119 vehicles, and only 44 of those came to a complete stop.
  “Commissioners decided not to take traffic engineers’ suggestions to remove the stop signs,” McLish said. “There were eight stop signs, but now there are 16. Unwarranted stop signs gave a false sense of security to people.”
• Judge Haden read an order prohibiting thru traffic on designated county roads. Commissioner Rusty Horne noted some of his constituents had expressed concerns of large trucks going over old bridges that could give out. The order was approved unanimously, 5-0.
• Caldwell County Emergency Management Chief Hector Rangel recommended to keep the burn ban on, saying there had been no significant rain in the last couple of weeks and there was no significant rain was in the forecast.
• The Caldwell County Courthouse sidewalk and curb repairs began earlier this week and will run through Friday, April 25. Repairs will be performed in five phases. Fewer parking spaces by the courthouse will be available during the repairs, but traffic flow will be unaffected.
  Repair schedule
  •March 24-28: S. Main Street side
  •March 31-April 4: S. Commerce Street side
  •April 7-April 11: E. San Antonio Street side
  •April 14-April 18: E. San Antonio/S. Commerce streets curb
  •April 21-25: S. Main and E. San Antonio streets curb
• Peter Reinecke was reappointed as Vice President and Board of Director, to a four-year term on the Plum Creek Conservation District Board of Directors.
• Lucy Knight was reappointed as Treasurer-Secretary, to a four-year term on the Plum Creek Conservation District Board of Directors.
• Commissioners also approved the following:
  -The Preliminary Plat for Mineral Springs Ranch, consisting of 17 lots on approximately 166.18 acres located on Mineral Springs Road and State Highway 183.
  -An amended Preliminary Plat for Cotton Gateway Subdivision consisting of 1,519 lots (increased from 1,280) on approximately 390.68 acres located East of Highway 21 and William Pettus Road.
  -An amended Preliminary Plat for Schulle Farms, consisting of 941 residential lots (increased from 845) on approximately 180.89 acres located at Highway 142 and Misty Lane.
  -The Final Plat for Lytton Creek Ranch, Phase 1, consisting of 16 residential lots on approximately 23.89 acres located on Hidden Path Road.