By Jerrie Whiteley
Herald Democrat
Grayson County folks who like to shoot off fireworks will be happy to know county commissioners have set aside several dates for the legal sale of the celebratory pyrotechnics. Tuesday morning commissioners approved several dates for the sale of fireworks. It was one of three things the court did on Tuesday.
1. Fireworks sales
State law allows county commissioners to consider how many days fireworks will be legally sold in the county. By law the county must allow sales periods each year but they have the option of adding more sales periods.
The two dates the state requires the county allow sales are for the Independence Day holiday from June 24 to midnight on July 4 and the New Year’s Eve holiday from December 20 through January 1, 2026. In addition, the court approved Texas Independence Day, February 25 through midnight on March 2; San Jacinto Day, April 16, through midnight on April 21; Memorial Day, May 21 through midnight on May 25 and Diwali, October 18 through midnight on October 22.
Grayson County Fire Marshall John Weda told commissioners even if they decided not to allow sales on the extra days counties surrounding Grayson have allowed those sales so county residents would still have access to fireworks for those periods. Weda also told commissioners that next year the court could consider making the sale of fireworks on the above dates a continuing rule and not have to deal with it every year.
None of the commissioners voted against the additional fireworks sales periods.
2. Memorandum of understanding for lab testing
This memorandum of understanding is between Grayson County Health Department, located at 515 N. Walnut St. Sherman and the Tarrant County Public Health North Texas Regional Laboratory located at 110 South Main Street, Fort Worth.
Grayson County Health Department Director Amanda Ortez said this document allows Grayson County to send its lab work to Tarrant County to be analyzed and have it paid for with the grant money Tarrant County gets to offer the services.
All of the commissioners supported this memorandum of understanding.
3. Contract for testing materials for the jail renovation
County Purchasing Agent Jodi Platt told commissioners she was in favor of authorizing County Judge Bruce Dawsey to sign the continuing agreement for construction materials testing services with Geotex Engineering, LLC for the jail expansion project.
In November, commissioners approved a guaranteed maximum price for the project of $30,872,639. That amount did not include soft costs like furnishings.
County leaders expect that all in all the project will come in around $39.8 million for the 166-bed expansion that will be about 34,660 square feet and made out of steel. The price per bed for the project was listed at $142,595.
The project is estimated to cost $682.94 per square foot. Twenty-two of those beds are expected to be separation cells.
