State recognizes JC Historical Commission

Jul. 11—Johnson County Judge Chris Boedeker commended members of the Johnson County Historical Commission on their recent Distinguished Service Award from the state. Johnson County commissioners also enacted a burn ban.

The Texas Historical Commission recently awarded the 2022 Distinguished Service Award to the JCHC.

"I just want to say what a pleasure it has been to work with all of you," Boedeker told JCHC present during Monday's meeting of the Johnson County Commissioners Court. "Not to mention the fact that you've been recognized by the state."

Boedeker went on to praise the efforts of JCHC volunteers.

"Getting our historical records to the online portal where they can be preserved permanently," Boedeker said. "As well as all the other work and projects you all carry out everyday."

The JCHC also received the 2021 Distinguished Service Award both of which, Boedeker and JCHC Chairwoman Sandra Neeley characterized as major accomplishments.

"The award we received last year for the 2021 year was the first one the JCHC had received since sometime prior to 2005," Neeley said. "I know we received one somewhere back when Dan Leach was still chairman, but that's been a while ago."

The Texas Historical Commission's award recognizes the JCHC's "active and well-balanced preservation program."

"The submission required a fairly involved process of submitting records of our projects, events, finances and other details," Neeley said. "We've also been told that the JCHC will be featured in some form of the Texas Historical Commission's media in the near future but haven't received the details of when or where that will be yet."

In addition to operating a museum in the Johnson County Courthouse, JCHC volunteers work to identify and preserve historical resources of Johnson County and its member cities.

"We have many projects underway," Neeley said. "But we could not do what we do without support from the commissioners and other county officials."

To learn more about the JCHC, visit, johnsoncountytx.org/departments/museum/historical-commission.

Exercise caution

Commissioners, citing dry and high-heat conditions, enacted a burn ban prohibiting outdoor burning until further notice.

Commissioner Rick Bailey also reminded residents to exercise caution while driving.

"We're getting into our chip sealing and road repair season," Bailey said. "So we're going to have workers out on the roads. Just be mindful of that and slow down."

Bailey's comments followed a vote of approval on commissioner's parts to authorize use of American Rescue Plan Act money for repairs to Luisa Lane in Precinct 3.

"That's a very busy road in need of repair with 15 roads coming off of it," Commissioner Mike White said. "We wanted to use federally distributed ARPA money to hire a crew for that because we don't have the manpower to take that on in addition to our other road projects."

Although the project has yet to go to bid, White estimated the cost at about $950,000.

More used-tire collection events may be upcoming, Bailey said.

Commissioners recently hosted such events at each of their precincts, events all four said exceeded expectations.

"[Cleburne Environmental Coordinator Julie Winchell] secured grant funding through [the North Central Texas Council of Governments] for a collection event in Cleburne," Bailey said. "There was enough money in the grant that she was able to in turn offer the ability for us commissioners to hold similar collections throughout the county as well."

Illegal tire dumping poses an ongoing challenge, commissioners said.

"The good thing about the collection events was that, when people bring old tires in, as opposed to dumping them on roads, they don't end up in landfills but they get recycled," Bailey said. "There's also no cost to residents other than getting the tires out the to collection sites. Because of the grant money we were able to absorb the disposal fees."

Additional regional grant funding remains available through NCTCOG, Bailey said.

"We're hoping to access that funding for more collection events soon," Bailey said. "Right now we're still working out the details and scope of those events."

Running free

Commissioners grudgingly approved an order repealing the county's juvenile curfew.

A conference Boedeker recently attended on legislative law changes inspired the appeal.

"One of the new surprises we got was that our ability to have a juvenile curfew has been repealed," Boedeker said.

White and two fellow commissioners voiced dissatisfaction but voted to repeal all the same.

"I don't agree with this," White said. "It's been a useful tool for us for years. But, if the state says we can't, we can't."

The state knows best, Boedeker joked.

"Haven't you heard?" Boedeker said. "The state knows more than we do."

Commissioner Larry Woolley offered a solution for residents concerned over youth running amok after hours.

"I would suggest that complaints on that now need to be directed to Austin, Texas," Woolley said.

Bailey motioned to deny the repeal but his motion died for lack of a second with one commissioner joking that, "We're not going there."

"I don't know why we're not going there," Bailey said. "The state go there everyday."

In the end, all but Bailey voted to approve the repeal.