County seeks to save water

Conserving water on was among the topics discussed at last Monday’s meeting of the Donley County Commissioners’ Court.

County Judge John Howard said commissioners are interested in saving money on watering, and the county is studying the water it puts on the lawn around the courthouse.

The watering schedule has been cut back to two days per week, and county officials are making sure that the sprinkler system is set to run in the most efficient way possible.

A substantial water leak was discovered recently in the water system where a line had been broken. Howard hopes fixing that and making other changes to the sprinkler system will help the county reduce its usage substantially.

If water usage cannot be curtailed sufficiently, the county will consider installing a well for landscape purposes, Howard said.

In other county business, officials set aside the idea moving the flagpole currently located near the Courthouse Annex and opted instead to trim the Liberty Tree to keep the branches out of the flags.

Commissioners also discussed apparent vandalism going on in restrooms of either the Annex or the Courthouse where someone has been flushing paper towels down the toilet.

The court also considered adjusting the operating hours of the county trash transfer station to allow employee Mark Shearer more time for courthouse maintenance, and discussed the need to replace the mower at the trash station.

Howard also said commissioners are considering the possibility of having to reallocate some funds later in the fiscal year. Unbudgeted juvenile expenses could reach $50,000 this year, the judge said.