| How do I report a pothole or other road problem? |
| You have several options. Feel free to give us a call at the office - 817-790-5333. Our hours of operation are Mon-Thu from 7:00am until 5:30pm but if we are closed you can leave a message. You can also contact us through the "Work Request" page on this website. If it's an emergency situation and our office is closed, contact the Sheriff's Office by phone at 817-556-6060, or by calling 911 (exteme emergencies only). |
| How do I find out what precinct I live in? |
| The easiest way is to refer to your voter registration card. Remember, though, that polling areas and commissioner's areas are both referred to as "precincts" although the boundaries are much different. As a last resort, give us a call at our office and we will help you out. Our number is 817-790-5333. |
| I understand that I can get free dirt. How do I do that? |
| During certain times of the year, usually late fall, winter, and early spring, we do clean out ditches and give the dirt away to anyone who wants it. We don't stockpile it in our yard, so we won't have it available unless we are cleaning ditches. Please realize, though, that the dirt is usually mixed with various weeds, gravel, trash, etc., which makes it less than desireable for putting on some yards. There is a form that must be signed giving us permission to dump the dirt on your property and it can be downloaded from the "Forms" page of this website. |
| I need a culvert installed. What do I do? |
| The county will install a culvert for you, however, you must purchase your own culvert that matches county specifications. Installation charges are $10.00 per linear foot of culvert, and that covers the cost of road base material, equipment usage, and equipment operators. There is a downloadable form with more information on the "Forms" page of this website. |
| I have a water drainage problem. Can the county fix it? |
| That depends. State law will not allow public funds to be spent for any work done on private property, even if that work solves a drainage problem for a group of people such as a neighborhood. As a general rule, we can only work on water drainage issues that occur in the ditches on either side of the roadway of county roads. Give us a call and we can discuss your unique situation. |
| Do you have any job openings? |
| The best place to look for employment openings anywhere in Johnson County is to check out the county website at www.johnsoncountytx.org and click on the "Employment Opportunities" link. |
| The gas well near my house is very loud. Can the county regulate this? |
| While cities and towns have legal authority to regulate a lot of issues dealing with the public, county law is based on state constitutional law, and the authority given to them by the state legislature. As a result, county government does not have the authority to deal with many issues that arise. Control of the oil and gas industry is one area where county government has very little control and we cannot regulate them. Sorry! |
| Why doesn't the county rebuild the roads with hot mix asphalt instead of sprayed on oil and spread rock? |
| This is a question that we hear a lot. While it would be nice to have our roads resurfaced with hot mix asphalt, the fact is that it boils down to the county budget. Based on material costs during the summer of 2009, the approximate cost to resurface a 20' wide county road with oil and rock is approximately $19,014.00 per mile. The same mile of roadway resurfaced with hot mix laydown would cost taxpayers approximately $92,016. Considering that Precinct #3 has approximately 271 miles of county road to be maintained, and that our yearly Road Repair Materials budget is only $500,000.00, it's easy to see why we must use the oil and rock instead of the hot asphalt. |
| Why are the roads OK some days but have a layer of oil on them on other days? |
The condition that you are referring to is called “bleeding” and it occurs when the summer heat softens the asphalt emulsion to the point that it comes to the top of the road. This is a common occurrence with roads that have been chip-sealed, and roads all over the county (and in other counties) experience this during summer months. Many years ago this was not as much of a problem because the oil emulsion used then was much better. Over the years the industry has diluted it to be environmentally friendly and the result is what we must use today. We would prefer to build and repair our roads using other methods, however, considering the budget funds available and the amount of roads that must be maintained, the chip-seal process is the most cost effective, despite the problems it brings.
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| I think a particular intersection needs an additional stop sign. How do we get one put up? |
| Give us a call so we can discuss it. Depending on the intersection and traffic patterns it may be a good idea. If an extra sign is necessary we must hold a public hearing during one of the Commissioners Court meetings and then the Court must approve the request. |
| I just drove down a new road and some of the oil got on my car. What do I need to do? |
| This is another call that we get a lot. The best solution is prevention. Avoiding the road with oil on it is the best solution but when that is not possible, drive very slowly over the oil and you shouldn't have much problem getting oil on your vehicle. Our crew drives white pickup trucks and we rarely have a problem with oil. But if you DO end up with oil on your car, don't panic. Get a gallon of diesel fuel or a can of WD-40 and a rag and it should wipe right off. These products will not hurt the paint on your vehicle but after using them it would be a good idea to wash it and put on a good coat of wax. Please note that the county does not pay for cleaning of cars. |
| Large trucks are tearing up our road. What can be done about it? |
| This is a problem throughout Johnson County. Texas county government is very restricted in its authority to regulate large trucks. State law takes precedence and there are several lawful exemptions that companies can use that allow the trucks to be on the roads. Short of filing a lawsuit against the companies owning or leasing the trucks, there is very little that can be done to force companies to pay for the ongoing damage, but that does not mean that nothing is done. For the most part, companies who routinely drive large trucks realize the damage that they are causing and are willing to make monetary contributions to the county precincts to assist them in repairing the roads. Also, at Precinct #3 we have constructed a Commercial Vehicle Weigh Station in our front yard that HIghway Patrol officers and Sheriffs Department Commercial Vehicle Deputies can utilize 24 hours a day to weigh trucks to make sure that they are within limits of the law. Drivers who are not in compliance receive citations and must pay fines. This has been successful in keeping many of the overweight trucks off of the roads. |
| My culvert is clogged. Does the county clean them out? |
| When a landowner needs a culvert they must purchase it themselves from a private vendor. The county will install it but charges a fee of $10.00 per foot of culvert to cover the cost of the materials and equipment usage. Since the culvert is owned by the landowner, it is their responsibility to maintain it, which includes cleaning it out. |
| When you work on a road, why is it so dusty for so long? |
| We get a lot of calls about this. If the road has failed areas in it, we will probably grind up the failed areas (called "reclaiming") which takes that portion of the road back to a stage similar to new construction. If the road is in really bad shape, we may reclaim the entire roadway. In either case, the white dirt is the road base which must be packed solidly to keep the road from coming apart later. Even after we wet and roll it, it's good to let it set for awhile to let everyday traffic pack it even more, before we put the final oil and rock surface on the top. Even t hough it seems like we have forgotten about it, please understand that we have not, and will be back later to finish it. We ask for your patience! |
