Commissioners asked to form “391 Commission” against I-69/TTC

Though some may believe the I-69 Trans Texas Corridor will not be constructed, due to overwhelming opposition and various remarks by TxDOT representatives, a newly formed local group called “Grimes County Get Organized” asked Commissioners on Monday to consider forming a Commission group based on Local Government Code 391; to ensure the currently proposed construction plan through the county is officially stopped.

The idea to form the commission came from a recent informational meeting about how to stop the corridor held in Lufkin, Texas and hosted by Holland Mayor Mae Smith. According to the informational handouts, the East Central Texas Sub-Regional Group formed by Mayor Smith, Mayor Arthur White of Bartlett, Mayor Ronnie White of Little-River Academy and Mayor Billy Crow of Rogers formed the commission in July 2007 and have already had several private meetings regarding I-35/TTC with TxDOT and the Environmental Protection Agency.

This is due to the fact that Government Code 391 stipulates that federal agencies must work with the group that consists of elected officials representing local communities, and ensures they have equal standing on issues, such as how the construction of the proposed corridor might affect the local economy, response times by emergency services, etc.

County Judge Betty Shiflett thanked citizens for the information they provided on the matter, and said it would be researched further prior to any decision.

The Houston Chronicle quoted Smith as saying, “They wouldn't be coming to us if they didn't have to and if a law wasn't on the books saying they had to.”

Upon the recommendation of Fire Association President Joan Teer, the Commissioners did not implement a burn ban. However, residents who plan to burn large piles should contact their local fire department and ask that they have a fire engine on site, just in case the fire gets out of control.

Judge Shiflett relayed that Plantersville Fire Chief Legge voiced concerns about recent fires. Chief Legge told The Examiner that he believes the county needs a burn ban in place, as there have been approximately 5 county fires reported since last Thursday. The Texas Forest Service was called for assistance regarding 2 of the fires; one was under control before they arrived for assistance.

“All of the county fire departments are volunteer - except for Navasota's. We don't have the man power to tie up a truck if someone calls and says they are burning a large pile, and stay until it's safely out,” said Legge.

According to County Engineer Bobby Lys, the county continues to have issues with overweight trucks on our roads. CR 215 East is a prime example of the destruction that over weight trucks can do to a roadway. There have been at least 9 oil or gas well drilled in the area by at least 6 different operators. The bulk of the traffic uses CR 215 East as access to and from the drilling sites. This road has not been constructed to handle loads that have been traveling over it.

“We have been patching and attempting to keep the roadway as best we can. Parts of the paved roadway are now 50-50 rock and pavement. We are making plans for repaving this roadway one the drilling operations have been completed,” said Lys.

Lys added that he is working on the contract with the Land Acquisition Agent. “Once this contract is completed and signed, she will begin working with the Bridges on CR 180 and CR 403. She will then move to expedite the right-of-way documents on CR 172 so that we can move this project forward,” he said.

The Commissioners signed a proclamation designating the month of April as “Child Abuse Prevention Month”, following a presentation by Domestic Violence Task Force Member, Cori Utley Mooney. According to Mooney, 200,000 cases of child abuse/neglect are reported annually.

“Grimes County Get Organized”, A Grimes County Organization

Fighting the I-69/TTC

The Grimes County Get Organized group is in the process of recruiting willing participants who would like to join the organization in fighting the I-69-TTC. The group's mission is to keep landowners and citizens informed of any updates concerning the I-69-TTC, as many residents of Grimes County are reportedly unaware of the proposed corridor.

Grimes County Get Organized is currently under the guidance of Coordinator Joyce Floyd, along with Edna Keasling, Reuben Grassl, Mary Lois Boatman, Carrie Jobe, Joan Stutts Escamilla, Leanne Floyd, Marie Kampbell, and Vanessa Burzynski.

At the present time an email address, grimescountygo@hotmail.com, has been established for the group so that participants will be able to receive email updates on the I-69-TTC and any other information that the organization deems necessary to share with its affiliates concerning the Texas-Trans Corridor. Please include your name, mailing address and your telephone numbers.

If you would like to join the Grimes County Get Organized group, please respond to the email address requesting that you be included in future emails. Please include your mailing address and telephone contact numbers, and let us know how you would like to participate.

For those who do not have access to the Internet and would like to join the group, please send you name, mailing address and telephone numbers to: Grimes County Get Organized, P. O. Box 64, Roans Prairie, TX 77875.

Additionally, a Web site for Grimes County Get Organized has been constructed to broaden the impact of the organization. You may visit the Web site at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/grimescountygo/ and participate on their message board at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/grimescountygo/.

Concerned citizens will be able to connect to the Web site for additional information and Web site links concerning the Trans Texas Corridor.

Similar organizations have been formed in neighboring counties and throughout the U.S. fighting the corridor battle. Here are a few Web sites that you may visit to keep yourself informed: http://www.texasturf.org, http://www.corridorwatch.org, http://www.keeptexasmoving.com, http://www.texastollparty.com, http://www.workingforaccountablegovernment.org.

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