Commissioners working on number of projects

Over the last month or so, Jack County Commissioners have been looking into a number of projects, including restoring roads and renovating the district courtroom at the courthouse.

Judge Keith Umphress said the county will begin using its CTIF funds to upgrade roads throughout the county due to flooding.The county received some grant monies less than four years ago to work on some roads.

These monies are for more than $900,000 and will be used over the next four years. CTIF funds are so important to handle correctly, a person has been hired exclusively to distribute them out of the auditors office.

“We're to the start going to see commissioners like James Brock who hopes to do some chip sealing around Perrin and Wizard Wells,” Umphress said.

More of the work will be done where the folks are moving in from the Fort Worth area.

“WE’ll be doing work on the south side of State Highway (199) east of Perrin as well,” Umphress said. “We’ve got land speculators, dividers, developers, and realtors coming out here. Supposedly we got Amazon bring jobs to their development east of Springtown.”

That will bring an “explosion” in the eyes of Umphress of single family homes into Wise, Parker and Jack County. With Jack County having lower taxes than the other two counties, the housing onslaught could be bigger here, Umphress explained.

He and the commissioners want the growth but at a controlled rate which is the reason they’re working on sewer policies that developers must follow to be approved.

Work is also expected to begin soon on the district courtroom. Umphress said they want to keep it in historical form by making it the focalpoina and cleaning up she of the water damage done years ago and adding some panels.”

“It’s gonna kind of be the same, but we also want to kind of give a modern facelift or a makeover,” Umphress said. “We’re considering replacing the windows and help with the economy for sound along with the heating and cooling.”

One of the projects the county, in working with the City of Jacksboro, the Vision Group is developing the northeast corner of the square, including the construction of a bandshell. The Vision Group recently donated $10,000 for development of plans from an architect. Concerts, performances could be done with local groups.

Umphress said there is also interest in something to do with the Davis Building. Umphress said getting people out again, which things like the Farmer’s Market and recent ChiliFest have shown residents are tired of being cooped up.

“People are looking for something to do. They’re bored.They want to be outside,” Umphress said.