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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Commissioners ok new RCDC hiring
By Rosie Flores
PECOS, July 24, 1995 - Reeves County Commissioners voted 4-0
to approve hiring additional staff for the Reeves County
Detention Center during this morning's regular
commissioner's court meeting.
"The new additions has been completed and has been
inspected, there will be a few minor changes that need to be
done," said RCDC Warden Joe Trujillo."But it's ready to be
used."
"We're just waiting for the written approval, we've received
oral approval to go ahead and use the new addition,"
Trujillo added.
The plan was to not add additional staff until the last
quarter of the year, said County Judge Jimmy G. Galindo.
"All the work has been delayed because of the bidding
process and now the question is whether or not we want the
additional staff now," said Galindo. "Do we open the
facility and bring in inmates to full capacity or do we
leave it alone until the bidding process has ended?"
Commissioners were told last month part of the facility's
construction project had to be re-bid in order to meet U.S.
Bureau of Prisons requirements. The changes involve life
safety guidelines at the prison.
Galindo said, prior to the vote, it will require budget
amendments if commissioners did not opt to open the new
96-bed additions during the third quarter and add the
required staff.
"My idea was to increase the inmate population to 600 and
stay at that number," said Trujillo.
He asked the court to consider adding 11 new correction
officers, one case manager coordinator and one assistant
medical individual.
"I wanted to ask for 10 additional officers to take care of
the extra population increase at the prison," said Trujillo.
Because of the increase in population an increase in case
management, food services and medical services would be
needed. Three new positions would be required there,
according to Trujillo.
"I would like for us to have a foreign medical student in
the infirmary," said Trujillo.
The Big Spring prison currently has such an individual and
Trujillo said he feels sure the U.S. Bureau of Prisons would
approve one here.
"They're really foreign medical graduates of physician's
assistants," said Trujillo.
The coordinator would oversee the case manager, plus take on
cases. "That individual would be in charge of all case
managers along with carrying some of the cases, and I would
like for them to have a degree or experience," said Trujillo.
The 11 new officer positions would start out at $15,000;
case manager coordinator at $25,000 and medical assistant at
$21,000.
Commissioners also unanimously agreed to upgrade a current
Sergeant-level employee at the RCDC who has resumed kitchen
responsibilities to Lieutenant. They also voted to downgrade
the current Kitchen Supervisor from a Sergeant level to a
Level III Correctional Officer.
Galindo noted that the two title changes offset each other
financially, as the newly appointed Lieutenant position
requires an additional $2,000.
In other business this morning, supplemental waste disposal
in Reeves County's rural areas was dealt with by
commissioners.
Ramon Sotelo of Fort Stockton will be providing additional
waste disposal services to rural residents.
West Texas Disposal Service manager Dan Springfield was on
hand to outline the current contract the company holds with
Reeves County.
"The concern has been that the cost to families for this
service," said Galindo. "There seems to be a gap in the
service.
"We want to stop illegal dumping, and if there's a way that
we can make it more affordable so that we don't have that
problem, we'd like to do that," said Galindo.
"We've had a lot of problems with people disposing of waste
on county roads because they can't afford the service," said
Commissioner Precinct 3 Herman Tarin.
"Do you think this new rate will make a difference?" asked
County Attorney Bill Weinacht.
"Yes I do, it's more affordable and people will be able to
pay this price," said Tarin.
Another problem, Galindo said, is when families share a
container and the only one who pays is the person who has
the container on their property.
"The only ones paying are them and then if the other
families don't pay they end up losing this service," he said.
Some changes will be made in the Sotelo contract to coincide
with that of West Texas Waste Disposal Service. Insurance
coverage modifications will be equal to those of the
existing contract along with a few other minor
modifications, according to Weinacht.
"I don't think Mr. Sotelo is trying to take your business
away, he's just trying to fill in the gap," Tarin told
Springfield.
"We need to let Mr. Sotelo know if we are going to put
limitations or just let him seek out and acquire as much
business as he can," said Weinacht.
"I don't think we should put any limitations on him,
competition is healthy," said Precinct 2 Commissioner W.J.
Bang.
Weinacht stairs down' builder over $10,000
By Rosie Flores
PECOS, July 24, 1995 - Reeves County Attorney Bill Weinacht
was able to save the county $10,000 this morning by invoking
a clause in a modified contract with R&R Construction
Company and owner Ron Lackey.
The modified contract was in regard to the uneven stairs
between the first and second floors of the courthouse, which
has yet to be completed.
Lackey had a contract with the country to replace the stairs
and the elevator at the Reeves County Courthouse, but the
height of the first stair between the new and old steps is
wider than the others, causing people unfamiliar with the
problem to trip and fall.
"The modified contract stated that all the work would be
complete to commissioners' satisfaction by 9:30 this morning
or we wouldn't owe them anything," said Weinacht.
"Lackey should have finished the stairs this morning or he
forfeits the money," said Weinacht. "the county still owed
him $19,960."
Lackey lost $10,000 of what was owed him under the terms of
the new contract.
"He did not comply with the terms so therefore we don't owe
him anything," said Weinacht.
"We need to put this on the agenda for next time and see if
we owe him anything of the $9,600 which is left," he added.
In the contract Lackey agreed that the county should be
compensated for the delays and inconvenience it has suffered.
"My suggestion is that we go ahead and negotiate for some of
the $9,600, said Weinacht.
Pecos Enterprise
Mac McKinnon, Publisher
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
e-mail news@pecos.net
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