Randall County Commissioners' Court reinstates burn ban
The Randall County Commissioners' Court voted unanimously to reinstate a 90-day burn ban for the county on Tuesday due to precipitation rates for the region being at a much lower rate than average.
In May, the court lifted its previous burn ban that came as a result of drought-like conditions. This new ban follows the lead of other Texas Panhandle counties. Multiple counties within the region have issued burn bans recently, including Armstrong, Carson and Oldham.
"This order will prohibit any and all outdoor burning of trash, debris and brush in the unincorporated areas of the county for 90 days from the date of adoption of this Order, unless the restrictions are terminated earlier by the Commissioners' Court based on a determination that the circumstances that require the Order no longer exist," according to a news release from the Randall County Fire Department.
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According to the order, no outdoor burning is allowed in the county until the ban is lifted. Individuals may still use outdoor grills, but officials are asking them to "be cautious when doing so." Violation of this order is a class C misdemeanor and punishable by a fine not to exceed $500.
In other business, the court unanimously approved its redistricting plan that had been previously discussed. The plan shifts some parts of the county from Precinct 2 into Precinct 4 to bring more balance to the precincts since both had the most change in population.
The court also approved the canvass of the votes from the Nov. 2 election. This motion was an approval of the official tally of votes. The purpose of the canvass is to account for every ballot cast and ensure that every valid vote cast is included in the election total. Officiates stated that the election had a turnout of 13% of registered voters for the amendment-only ballot.
In addition, Precinct 4 Commissioner Buddy Deford made an announcement to open the meeting that he would not be seeking reelection for the district past his current term.
"At this time, I will not be closing one chapter of my life and begin another," Deford said.
The court also approved the reappointment of Amy Hord to the Texas Panhandle Centers board of trustees, and Judi Smith and Brenda Adams to the Amarillo Area Public Health Board for a three-year term.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Randall County reinstates burn ban
