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New Delta County representative Paul Burt (left) and Hopkins County representative Neal Barker discuss the Northeast Texas Rural Rail Transportation District executive director position at the latest board meeting. Staff photo by Taylor Nye
After the Northeast Texas Rural Rail Transportation District (NETEX) March regular meeting, the group elected new officers, among other items of business.
REGULAR BUSINESS
After convening at 1:30 p.m. with an opening prayer, no citizens offered comment during public comments, and no board members offered comment during board and staff comments.
The board unanimously approved their meeting minutes from their regular February meeting.
Treasurer Hopkins County representative Neal Barker delivered the treasurer’s report, wherein he told the group that approximately $3,000 in attorney’s fees from the Surface Transportation Board (STB) had run above their budgeted amount. Collin County representative Cheryl Williams clarified that this amount would not be covered by the group’s insurance, and Barker stated it would not. The group unanimously approved the expenditure.
The group then discussed the Delta County appointment of Paul Burt. (See related story online at ssnewstelegram. com or in the Saturday, March 7 edition of the News-Telegram.)
The group unanimously approved a measure to offer the city of Lavon $1,250 annually for mowing the NETEX right-of-way within Lavon’s city limits.
The group unanimously approved $12,500 for the payment of a three-year audit with Rutherford, Taylor and Co. of Greenville.
The group unanimously approved the sale of 20 acres of land currently owned by NETEX adjacent to the Sulphur Springs airport for the total price of $20,000.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
After confirming Burt’s appointment by a vote of 5-3, the group found it necessary to select new presiding officers. Dr. Jason Lee Davis, the previous Delta County representative replaced by Burt, was elected last month to serve as secretary. With Davis gone, the secretary’s slot was now open. In addition, the previous month the group voted to install Hunt County representative Greg Sims as vice chair, but Sims, who was not in attendance at the time, later told the group he did not want to fill the role.
The group unanimously elected Williams to serve as vice chair.
Franklin County representative Sam Young nominated Titus County representative Nate Priefert to serve as secretary, and the nomination failed 3-5. Neal Barker nominated Burt to serve as secretary, and the nomination succeeded 5-3.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Board chairman Franklin County Representative Brian Lee told the group he was finding it difficult “to do business in between these meetings… because I don’t know this business.” However, said Lee, NETEX has not found any money to maintain the salary of current executive director Phil Davila.
Davila, an at-will employee, is currently paid $125 an hour plus reimbursement for meals, mileage and lodging. From the time the group passed their budget in September to their meeting in March, the group had already paid Davila the $70,000 they budgeted for him in fiscal year 2020. When Davila initially created a line item budget for himself, he budgeted his yearly salary for fiscal year 2020 at $100,000, according to budget documents.
“I’d be willing to look at limited use,” Williams stated. “I think our meetings go more smoothly when Phil [Davila] is not here… mainly because he acts more like a board member than an employee of the board.”
“I’d agree, although I’ve butted heads with him [Davila],” Collin County representative Duncan Webb stated. “On a limited basis, he does bring a knowledge base, giving what we’re getting ready to go into. I’m getting nervous just cutting loose.”
Sims suggested implementing former Delta county representative Dr. Jason Lee Davis as an executive, as he “knows everything…; he knows all our history.”
“I would beseech anyone to speak up on his [Davila’s] behalf and say anything good he’s done for us,” Hopkins County representative Neal Barker said. “I know we have said ‘I butt heads with him, but he sure was good.’ We brought him in to find money, and he didn’t; he lost us several thousands of dollars over five years. He got us side ways with an operator we were friends with for over 15 years.”
Sims called Neal Barker’s statements “character assassination.”
Williams suggested looking at Davila’s invoices and accounting for what time was spent on lawsuit items and clerical work to get a better estimate of what the group might need Davila for.
“I will say, he has biases, and if he could just leave those biases at the door… that’s my biggest complaint. He inserts himself,” Williams stated.
“We’re about to go through some technical stuff, and we need somebody who can ask the right questions,” Lee stated.
The group resolved to talk to both Davis and Davila about their availabilities and interest in working for NETEX and unanimously tabled the item.
Davila further had an outstanding balance for $279.90 remaining to be paid from his previous work, according to Neal Barker.
Neal Barker expressed his consternation that Davila had not submitted any invoices for January or February and that he had “asked him many times to submit his invoices, so we can pay him his money.”
“I think there’s an easy way to solve that, and we don’t pay him for anything he hasn’t submitted,” Williams said.
The group voted 8-1 to pay Davila his outstanding balance with Neal Barker voting against paying Davila.
The next meeting of NETEX will be Thursday, April 2.