The Johnson County Commissioners Court on Monday voted to authorize a $15,000 grant payment to the Children’s Advocacy Center of Johnson County. Commissioners initially authorized the grant payment as part of the county’s 2012 budget, but the funds were not paid because of a procedural glitch.
Once the commissioners approved the grant, advocacy center officials were required to formally request that the county pay them. That didn’t happen.
Advocacy center Executive Director Tammy King said that because the center is “outside the county agency, we don’t get any written correspondence” regarding the proper procedures to follow in the grant process.
“When we found out we had gotten the grant, I sent out thank-you letters. I didn’t know I had to formally request the payment before the money would be paid to us,” King said. “We’ve now put measures in place to keep this from happening again. Last time, I replied with thank-yous when I should have replied in a different way. I am here today because I just want to go through the proper procedures.”
King called the oversight her fault, adding that, “The advocacy center is not upset at all with anyone at the county. We are very appreciative of what the county does for us. We just didn’t have anything in writing before explaining to us what we needed to do.”
Calling the situation “just an oversight,” Precinct 1 Commissioner Rick Bailey made the motion to re-authorize the $15,000 grant payment. The vote to do so was unanimous, with Precinct 4 Commissioner Don Beeson abstaining because his wife is on the advocacy center board.
In other business, commissioners:
• Approved Harmon’s appointment of Al Archer Jr. of Cleburne to the Johnson County Economic Development Commission Board.
• Approved Precinct 1 Constable Mickey R. Kimbrow’s request to hire a reserve deputy constable.
• Appointed Judge Jerry Webber to the Johnson County Bail Bond Board and approved Maralyn Wheeler as Webber’s designee to the board.
• Approved the Downtown Cleburne Association’s request to use some county-owned property for Springfest on April 27-28, contingent on the association securing proper insurance, and excluding Market Square since commissioners are unsure whether construction on Market Square would be complete in time for Springfest.
• Voted to renew contracts with vendors for road materials and also to renew contracts with vendors for asphalts and emulsions for the county through Sept. 30 to bring those contract lengths into sync with the county’s fiscal-year schedule.
• Approved interlocal agreements for the county, through Precinct 4, to provide road repair material to the city of Grandview. Grandview officials have already approved the agreements.
• Approved an interlocal agreement with the city of Cleburne for road construction to realign 1,000 feet of CR 1123 at U.S. 67. Cleburne city officials were to meet Tuesday night to consider approving the agreement on their end.
