San Marcos company asked to explain project
Concerns about the subdividing of lots and water usage at a development on Concrete- Edgar Road drew the attention of DeWitt County Commissioners during their regular meeting on June 23, prompting an official request for a presentation by the company.
The court also heard from Gulf Bend CEO Nicole Way about their matching grant request and mental health services. Other items included increased rent at JP2 offices and employee health insurance.
On the development issue, a constituent in Precinct 2 has expressed concerns about the small size of the subdivided lots owned by Rancho Chula Vista LLC of San Marcos, according County Judge Daryl Fowler.
NICOLE W AY
Another concern was a report that four lot owners would share one water well.
“That's never been done here before that I'm aware of,” Fowler said.
Fowler talked with a company official and requested a description of the development and the lots in order to determine if it fell under the subdivision regulations adopted by the county in 2021.
The Court decided to request a presentation from the company at their July 14 meeting.
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Nicole Way, Gulf Bend Center CEO, reviewed the services provided for mental health and intellectual disability and requested a 2026 budget match in the amount of $37,198.
Way said Gulf Bend, which serves DeWitt and six other counties, provides case management services in the schools and in the homes to children and their families as well as adult case management.
“We also provide crisis services, which is something that we provide 24-hours a day, seven days a week,” she said. She said individuals do not have to be enrolled in Gulf Bend to be eligible for these services.
She described a community response program that has been in place for seven years where the Victoria County Sheriff’s Office has mental health deputies teamed up with Gulf Bend case managers who can respond to individuals in crisis.
“We've seen a lot of success with that program,” Way said. “It has really helped with diverting people out of the emergency room, diverting people out of the county jail and converting to patient psychiatric care.”
Fowler credited Gulf Bend with helping an individual in apparent crisis who came to the courthouse for help.
Since there is no inpatient facility in the region, the center contracts with four private hospitals for individuals in crisis. However, a new 60-bed facility is in development.
Way said there used to be group homes in Victoria for individuals with intellectual disabilities, but those have been phased out. She said those individuals’ needs are still met by Gulf Bend.
Other items covered by the court included increased rent at the Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace building, a budget request from Gulf Bend Center and renewal of employee health insurance plans.
While a new building called the Western Annex Justice Center in Yorktown has been approved and is proceeding in development, the current office on Main Street is facing a $400 rent increase in the next fiscal year, from $1,600 a month to $2,000.
Fowler said he was willing “to explore a counter offer on this and see where that goes.” He will report back on the results at the next meeting.
In regard to the employee health insurance, the court considered options provided through Texas Association of Counties Health and Employee Benefits Pool.
A question came up about the waiting period for coverage of appointed and elected officials. Some wound up paying a full month’s premium for less than a month’s coverage.
The court approved coverage from the date of hire.
In other business, the court approved documentation to apply for mitigation grant monies, the completion of repairs at the DeWitt County Historical Museum as well as air conditioning issues at the courthouse.
The next regular meeting of the County Commissioners will be July 14 at 9 a.m.
