By Misty Shultz/Staff Writer
Johnson County commissioners Monday discussed removing the parking meters around the square in downtown Cleburne and decided County Judge Roger Harmon and Precinct 1 Commissioner R.C. McFall should meet with city officials to gain additional information.
According to documentation provided by the Texas Historical Commission, Johnson County owns the land surrounding the courthouse, including the streets around the square and the sidewalks in front of the businesses on the square.
Donna Jackson, Cleburne’s director of development and downtown redevelopment, presented commissioners with a draft plan that will be presented Tuesday to the Cleburne City Council. The draft would require county employees to park in designated parking so courthouse visitors will have ample parking.
The draft also suggests that a two-hour limit be placed on all spaces, which will be monitored by either city or county law officers.
Commissioners questioned where business peoplewho work adjacent to the courthouse would park.
“This is why I’m coming to you,” Jackson said. “I need your ideas.”
Either the parking meters can remain intact or be taken down and the poles left so the Cleburne Rotary Club can continue to place flags on the poles, she said.
Sandy Sims, Harmon’s administrative assistant, said new light poles are going to be installed on the square.
“The flags can be attached to the light poles,” Sims said.
Jackson said other options would be to remove the parking meter poles and leave holes in the ground for the flags or to leave the parking meters for historical reasons without charging fees for parking.
Jackson said meters elsewhere downtown — which the city owns — would remain and parking would be monitored under the two-hour limit.
Harmon said he will seek additional information and the county will be happy to work with the city on this project.
At the meeting, Sims also gave commissioners an update about the courthouse renovation project.
“The new flag pole on the top of the courthouse is working well, but we are trying to get a larger flag,” Sims said.
She also said the third floor of the courthouse is almost completely painted and its stained glass is once again intact.
“Right now, the courthouse is about 70 percent finished,” Harmon said. “They [construction supervisors] are still saying they will be finished by the end of August, and we hope to move in mid-September.”
Volunteers in Johnson County’s Texas Cooperative Extension programs presented a check to the county for $236,784.72 collected from several fundraisers and other sources. Commissioners thanked the volunteers for their contribution to Johnson County.
Commissioners also proclaimed June 2007 A Family Emergency Preparedness Month at the request of former Cleburne Mayor Katherine P. Raines. Raines said families in the community need to be prepared for tragedies. Gerald Mohr, Johnson County emergency management coordinator, presented commissioners with a DVD that will train county officials to handle terrorism, severe weather, personal safety and several other emergencies.
Misty Shultz can be reached at 817+645-2441, ext. 2336, or reporter2@trcle.com.
