An outdoor burn ban was approved by the Wood County Commissioners Court during a regular session on Aug. 30, and will remain in effect for 90 days.

County Fire Marshal Randy Selman appeared before the court to discuss the details of the burn ban. Selman said he spoke to firefighters from cities throughout the county, who gave their support for the ban. The county's drought index is well above the level required to initiate a burn ban, Selman said. Those who don't comply could be fined up to $500. The court voted unanimously to approve the ban.

The commissioners reviewed a three-year service agreement contract from Precinct 2 Constable Ed Shadbolt. The contract involved software, called "COPsync." Shadbolt said the software would save time and money by making certain processes more efficient: for example, officers could use it to print traffic citations and other documents, rather than making a trip back to the office to do so.

The software also includes a special feature that could protect officers. Shadbolt said that if an officer steps out of the car, after a certain period of time, a distress signal is sent to the five nearest patrol units. This feature could be useful if an officer encounters trouble when he or she steps out of the car and is unable to call for help. Pct. 2 Commissioner Jerry Gaskill expressed concerns about the length of the contract. He said he would prefer the contract to expire after one year, as opposed to three. Selman said he would look into reducing the length of the contract. The commissioners voted to table their decision until their next regular meeting.

However, the court voted unanimously to approve the renewal of three annual contracts: one with the Upper Sabine Valley Solid Waste Management District for county-provided services; a technology services contract between the Wood County Information Technology Department and the Wood County Community Supervision and Corrections Department, and one from the Title IV-E County Child Services Welfare Services.

The court also unanimously voted to approve a certification that helps the county comply with the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act.

In other action:

A list of election judges and alternates for the county were unanimously approved. For a complete list of the judges and their alternates, see

The court unanimously approved three personnel actions: Ana Flores was hired part-time with the Wood County Tax Assessor/Collector's Office; Carolina Landaverde was also hired part-time with the Wood County Tax Assessor/Collector's Office, and Joe B. Travland's position as a dispatcher with the Wood County Sheriff's Office was terminated.

Payroll in the amount of $281,781.85 was unanimously approved.

The court unanimously approved a number of claims: health, dental and insurance claims in the amount of $79,304.32, and accounts payable claims in the amount of $317,983.50.

Three line-item transfers totaling $5,585 were unanimously approved.

The meeting lasted 14 minutes and 32 seconds.