Liberty County Commissioners Court met Aug. 12 to address a wide range of county business, including updates on the county jail, annex construction, IT infrastructure, land purchases, and other matters.
Sheriff Bobby Rader reported that progress is being made on repairs at the Liberty County Jail, which remains under scrutiny by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.
“The Jail Commission had the jail for 12 deficiencies. We have it down to four,” Rader said.
According to the sheriff, maintenance crews have been working seven days a week alongside vendors to install new intercoms. The showers and a busted water line have been repaired, and food was temporarily moved to the Hartel Building after the jail’s freezer failed. A replacement part was expected last week. Contractors are also reviewing deficiencies on the fire panel, with smoke detection upgrades expected to clear additional issues. Commissioners accepted the report without further action.
Jim Snyder of White Construction updated commissioners on the new Northwest Annex in Colony Ridge, which will house the sheriff’s office, permits department, and Pct. 6 Constable’s Office. The facility, set to open Sept. 9, will feature a secure garage for law enforcement to conduct vehicle investigations.
The Liberty County Law Enforcement Center, also built by White Construction and completed in 2023, is facing issues where cooling failures in the server rooms have forced IT staff to use box fans and open doors to keep systems running. IT Director Nick Dennis said room temperatures have exceeded 100 degrees, creating risks of data loss. The proposed solution is a $39,760 mini split air conditioning system. Commissioners voted to seek bids for the project, which will likely be funded in the next budget year beginning Oct. 1, 2025.
Commissioners also approved County Judge Jay Knight’s signature on tribal letters for a drainage improvement project downstream of Martin Luther King Jr. Road and near FM 160 in Liberty. Water Control Improvement District 5 is paying for the work, and the letters are precautionary in case Native American artifacts are discovered during the ditch-cleaning project.
In other business, commissioners approved a $72,000 agreement to purchase land in Liberty between the old Tarver Abstract building and the former KSHN Radio building. Both buildings are now owned by Liberty County. Pct. 1 Commissioner Bruce Karbowski said the land could be used for future parking at both sites.
They also approved a road use agreement with Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America, a Kinder-Morgan subsidiary, for pipeline replacement work in Pct. 3 and Pct. 4.
Commissioners approved construction and drainage plans from Frontier Waste Solutions for its headquarters on FM 1960, where the company plans to build an office, shop, and additional parking space.
They also accepted a $1,500 donation from St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Liberty to the Liberty County Office of Emergency Management, which will use the funds to provide food and supplies for first responders during local emergencies.
A fire restoration quote for damages at the Liberty County Jail caused during recent riots was tabled after commissioners noted a discrepancy between the repair bid and the statement of loss from insurance adjustors.
Finally, commissioners authorized the purchase of two new Chevy Tahoes for the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office at a total cost of $105,510. The vehicles will be purchased through Lake Country Chevrolet.