The Hays County Commissioners Court recognized Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 Judge Scott Cary for his service and was provided updates from the county’s new mobile vaccine dispensing team at its meeting on Feb. 23. 
After 12 years of service, Cary announced his retirement effective on Feb. 28. Cary thanked his staff for its help throughout the years and commemorated the new Justice of the Peace Lucinda Doyle.
Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra later opened the floor to receive highlights regarding the county’s Local Disaster Declaration and COVID-19 updates.
Emergency Services Office Director Mike Jones says second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will be distributed to those who received their initial vaccine at San Marcos High School from 12-8 p.m. on Feb. 25. 
Jones also announced that Emergency Services has partnered with First Med Response to form a mobile dispensing team. The team distributed vaccines at The Huntington senior community in Buda on Feb. 22. 
“[The team is] already working on a pre-registration list and already have made the calls but, of course, at the senior living center we’re taking care of the [residents] too,” Jones says. “This would be what I call the roadshow, where we go to all the senior living centers throughout the county and facilitate where some people are somewhat mobility challenged. We also have a plan to hit folks that are…in the same neighborhoods that are mobility challenged as well.”
On the vaccine waiting list, Jones says there are about 24,000 individuals who are categorized in Tier 1B and 6,000 who are Tier 1A.
The court also adopted a proclamation acknowledging Feb. 22, 2021, as President George Washington Day and declared February as Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month. These announcements were delayed from last week’s meeting due to inclement weather. 
By proclaiming February as Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, the court hopes to provide “teens and young adults with education about healthy relationships” and aims to prevent dating violence.
Barbara Thompson, from the Greater San Marcos Partnership, gave a presentation regarding the completion of the Emergency Cash Assistance Program (ECAP). The program began in August 2020 and was made to financially assist small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic throughout Hays County and Kyle. The program successfully awarded $600 to 92 establishments, equaling $500,000 collected from Hays County and $100,000 from Kyle. 
During the presentation, Thompson proposed additional webinars and resources by the Greater San Marcos Partnership later this spring for those small businesses.
“Our small business population, particularly those that reached out to apply, desperately need instruction on how to manage and record their finances,” Thompson says. “We recommend that it would be valuable to follow up with this program, with free instruction for this population to prevent potential problems with their business.”
Another presentation was held regarding the Hays County 2016 Road Bond Program State Highway 21 Corridor Preservation Study Project which discussed studies made to find supplementary methods to increase safer traffic from Highway 80 to the intersection of State Highway 130. The presentation provided information on the number of delays in traffic, accident history and traffic concerns.
As of now, due to traffic and anticipated city growth, the Corridor Preservation Study Project is considering turning the bypass to Interstate Highway 21 into a freeway. Some of the commissioners say there is not a “united front” on this recommendation.
Hays County Auditor Marisol Villarreal-Alonzo presented to the court the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting that was awarded to the Hays County Auditor’s Office and the Award of Financial Reporting Achievement to the Hays County auditor from the Government Finance Officers Association.
The court also approved and confirmed the appointments of Daniel Clay Law and Albert Perez as regular full-time deputy constables in the Hays County Constable Precinct 1 Office. The positions went into effect on Feb. 23.
The Hays County Commissioners Court meets every Tuesday at 9 a.m. For more information visit its website.