Jim Wells County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Jim Wells County, TX public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
State Grant Funding for New County Ambulance
Jim Wells County received a $350,000 state grant to purchase a brand-new ambulance, which will be added to the county rotation and operated by Allegiance to improve emergency response times.
Animal Control Order Update
The court will consider adopting a new animal control order for unincorporated areas, replacing the 2018 rules.
Jail Prisoner Detention and Medical Costs
Sheriff Guy Baker requested five additional correctional officer positions to safely house more inmates locally and cut down on expensive out-of-county housing costs. Commissioners tabled the request to review numbers during upcoming budget workshops.
Local Disaster Declarations for Drought and Screwworms
The court extended its disaster declaration for the New World screwworm threat to livestock and wildlife, and readopted a disaster declaration for severe drought conditions impacting public water supplies.
Food Insecurity and Hunger Action Month
The court recognized September as Hunger Action Month, highlighting local food pantry efforts by REAL and the high demand for food assistance across Jim Wells County.
Home-Delivered Meals and Veteran Assistance Programs
Community Action Corporation of South Texas provided updates on home-delivered meals and new veteran housing assistance programs funded through county grants.
Public Health and Safety Services
The county updated its agreement with Allegiance Ambulance Service to include mandatory state clauses required by a $350,000 Comptroller grant used to purchase a new county ambulance.
Emergency Warning Siren Relocation
Jim Wells County’s 911 system recently faced a major internet outage, but the good news is that the backup protocols kicked in immediately. You can rest easy knowing that your emergency calls are safe even when the tech hits a snag.
Emergency Radio Communication System Upgrade
Jim Wells County is partnering with the City of Alice to fund a gateway communication system that connects county emergency services to a modern 800 MHz regional network. This upgrade fixes dead zones across the county and improves responder safety and inter-agency communication.
Cybersecurity Infrastructure
The county IT department and cybersecurity provider Core Recon secured approval to purchase Cisco Splunk SIEM software to meet mandatory state criminal justice information security standards and protect against cyberattacks.
New World Screwworm Disaster Declaration
Jim Wells County and Alice have officially declared a disaster after last Thursday's storms wrecked the area. This move is basically a green light to get state and federal cash flowing so we can fix the power grid and clear out the debris.
Sheriff's Office Operations and Nuisance Abatement
The county sheriff provided an informational update clarifying the legal scope and procedures of nuisance abatement enforcement and mandatory jail transport expenditures.