Commissioners discuss future of HOP service in county
Milam County Commissioners continued talks on finding a way to keep HOP services in the county during a meeting on Monday.
Commissioners elected to table an agenda item that would provide additional funding to the Hill Country Transit or HOP service.
The HOP started in the 1960s as a volunteer transit service that now serves Milam County as part of a nine county service area.
Commissioner Henry Hubnik, who serves as the county representative on the HOP Board, said it was learned that Milam County residents are by far the largest user of the service.
The HOP is fast running out of the grant money that provides the service and the board is seeking additional funding. Part of the amount being sought will be covered by Bell County, but another $75,000 is being sought from Milam County.
Commissioners decided to table the topic and keep discussions open while they further investigate how to pay for the service as divided between the cities and school district.
Commissioners also chose a bid from Grantworks regarding their General Land Office Mitigation Grant and approved sending out a request for proposals for the Grant Application Process on the Hazard Mitigation Plan for Milam County and the five incorporated cities.
They also voted to participate in Safe Streets and Roads For All grant through the Central Texas Council of Governments.
The CTCOG sought funding for their entire coverage area, including $200,000 for Milam County. This will come with a 20 percent match, though much of that is likely to be taken care of through in-kind work.
The funding will help to look for infrastructure issues in the county and will thus open the county to grant opportunities to pay for fixing those issues.
In other business commissioners also: accepted the Opioid Settlement; signed a proclamation for Search and Rescue Week; approved the purchase of security cameras in the Precinct 4 Annex; and re-appointed Virgie Hardeman to a two-year term on the Central Counties Services Board.