Commissioners Court News Briefs

Young County Commissioners approved the purchase of a used bulldozer from Kirby-Smith Machinery Inc. in Fort Worth at a cost of $217,220 at their Feb. 13 meeting. The County will store the bulldozer at the Precinct 1 barn and will use it to cut fire lines, among other tasks, Precinct 1 Commissioner Stacy Creswell said.

The Commissioners accepted a donation of landscaping and maintenance at the Young County Courthouse from Andrew Bryant of Goin’ Green Lawn & Landscape. Mr. Bryant proposed a redesign of the flower beds in the front of the courthouse, between the main sidewalks and surrounding the gazebo. He also will maintain the beds free of charge.

County Judge Win Graham set a 10 a.m. public hearing on March 27 for the mass gathering permit request from the Graham Convention and Visitors Bureau for the 2023 Crawfish and Cannons event at Fort Belknap on April 8. The hearing will be held at the Young County Courthouse.

The Commissioners approved spending $42,935 to upgrade the Courthouse’s wiring. The last upgrade was approved in the 1990s, Precinct 4 Commissioner Jimmy Wiley said.

The Commissioners approved a new 50-year lease of the Young County Arena with the City of Graham. The new lease reorganizes the structure of the Arena board to give the County more influence over the use of the facility, Judge Graham said. The new board will consist of three members appointed by the City of Graham, which manages the facility, three members appointed by Young County, and a seventh member appointed by the Arena board, he said.

The County received grant funds for FEMA-approved storm shelters that will reimburse Young County residents up to $3,000 for the purchase of a shelter, Judge Graham said.