County orders outdoor burning ban

By Larry Tucker
editor@wood.cm
Posted 6/30/22

Wood County commissioners voted unanimously to approve an order to prohibit outdoor burning in unincorporated areas of the county for 90 days from Tuesday’s date.

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County orders outdoor burning ban

Posted

Wood County commissioners voted unanimously to approve an order to prohibit outdoor burning in unincorporated areas of the county for 90 days from Tuesday’s date.
Burn restrictions can be terminated earlier than the 90 days on a determination made by the Texas Forest Service that drought conditions no longer exist or by commissioners based on the determination that the circumstances requiring the order no long exist.
Pct. 4 Commissioner Russell Acker presented the order to the court.
“Part of the county is in good shape and part of the county is not. The fire marshal said we could do the burn ban and still have fireworks on the Fourth,” Acker noted. “This includes open trash piles, any type of leaves in piles or anything that is not contained.”
Judge Lucy Hebron and the commissioners made it clear it was safe to enjoy regular July 4th activities, such as cook-outs and fireworks.
“It is noted here that the order does not prohibit outdoor burning activities related to public health and safety and that would be firefighter training; public utility, natural gas pipeline or mining operations; planting or harvesting of agricultural crops; and burns that are conducted by a prescribed burn manager,” Hebron said.
Since there has been a resurgence of COVID cases at the courthouse, the COVID policy was updated for the coming year.
The court did not act on a resolution to adopt guidelines and criteria for granting tax abatement within a reinvestment zone for commercial and industrial tax abatement in Wood County. The district attorney’s office will take a closer look at resolution and commissioners will take it up again at a future meeting.
A public hearing date of Aug. 9 at 9 a.m. was set for a revision of lots at Holly Lake Ranch. Another public hearing for the same date will be held for the revision of Lodges of Lake Fork, Block C, at Holiday Villages of Fork subdivision.
Commissioners approved the revision of lots 359, 360, and 361, Section 2, at Holly Lake Ranch Subdivision.
They approved the appointment of Tax Assessor/Collector Carol Taylor to calculate the no-new revenue tax rate and voter approval tax rate.
Claims approved by commissioners were: health and dental, $48,979; payroll $408,463; and accounts payable $445,874.
In the public comments section members of Wood County Concerned Citizens spoke on behalf of implementing paper ballot voting in Wood County. The group had people posted at the west entrance to the courthouse and another person on the east side to gather signatures on a petition in support of paper ballots.
Scott McDonald of Mineola addressed the commissioner’s court. “We are here today because we feel it is very important that a hand-marked paper ballot system be in place for the 2023 Constitutional election which will be November of 2023,” McDonald said. “In this way there will be time for Wood County citizens to get familiar with the equipment before the 2024 presidential elections.”