Staff Report
Cooke County —
Cooke County commissioners approved a special courthouse display during Monday’s regular meeting.
During April, representatives of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) will keep a display posted on the courthouse lawn in recognition of “Child Abuse Awareness Month.”
The month of April received the same designation during 2012. County Judge John Roane read a proclamation in honor of the month with members of CASA and Child Protective Services (CPS) on hand.
During that meeting, CASA Executive Director Vicki Robertson thanked county officials for the proclamation and gave credit to the CPS and law enforcement officers who help local youth before CASA begins its own process, which involves helping those minors find their way into proper care after time spent in abusive or broken homes.
“We’re all here because of the kids,” Robertson said in 2012, adding that during 2011, 92 children found foster care following the efforts of CASA and other local agencies. “And one didn’t live to make it into foster care. And we remember them, and we thank you for remembering them.”
Other meeting highlights:
• Commissioners approved these consent agenda items: fiscal year 2013 budget amendments; monthly bills; payroll and all related expenses; an employee health fair tentatively set for April 29; sheriff’s office bonds; a contract with Grayson Petroleum Company for the installation of a water line on County Road 220; a contract with Woodbine Water Supply for the installation of four water lines on county roads 217, 293 and 243; a memorandum of understanding between the Cooke County Sheriff’s Office and the Children’s Advocacy Center in Denton County; the salvage of two non-working vacuum cleaners and a non-working microwave removed from the Cooke County Sheriff’s Office; the surplus by auction or salvage of 10 twin box springs and eight mattresses removed from the Cooke County EMS stations; the filing of quarterly internal audits for Adult Probation, Constable, Pct. 1, District Attorney, County Clerk, and Tax Assessor Collector; the service agreement between Cooke County EMS and Impact Instrumentation Inc. for the service of ventilator equipment for a 60-month term beginning March 1, 2013, through Feb. 28, 2018; the service agreement between Cooke County EMS and Stryker for the maintenance of Stryker medical equipment for a period of one year beginning March 1, 2013, through Feb. 28, 2014; the surplus of four “Life Pack 12” defibrillators, which will be used as trade-in on new defibrillator units; a voting machine rental agreement between Gainesville ISD and Cooke County for the May 11, 2013 election; a voting machine rental agreement between the City of Gainesville and Cooke County for the May 11, 2013, election; the indigent cremation of Charles E. Spann; acceptance of an insurance settlement on the Justice of the Peace Pct. 4 building due to water damage in the amount of $1,525.11; constable Precinct 4’s racial profiling report; out-of-state travel for Jennifer Johnson-Spence, library director, so that she may attend the Association of Rural and Small Libraries Conference in Omaha, Neb., from September 24-28, 2013; an anonymous donation in the amount of $10 to the Cooke County Library; allowing the Cooke County Library to be closed March 28 for inventory; and the Texas Department of Public Safety 2010 Homeland Security Grant adjustment.
