A group of supporters stand with the Smith County Commissioners Court as they adopt a resolution to rename a portion of FM 2493 in honor of fallen firefighters Capt. Kevin Williams and Firefighter Austin Cheek. (Contributed Photo)

The Smith County Commissioners Court renamed a portion of FM 2493 in honor of two fallen firefighters, approved grant funds for a drone and settled a claim for a law enforcement vehicle, among other actions taken during their meeting Tuesday.

Precinct 1 Commissioner Christina Drewry read the resolution to support renaming a portion of Farm-to-Market Road 2493 in honor of Capt. Kevin Williams, 42, and Firefighter Austin Cheek, 19, two firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Williams and Cheek were members of the Noonday Volunteer Fire Department and died while battling a house fire off FM 2493 in Flint on Aug. 3, 2007.

The resolution supports an effort led by the Flint-Gresham Volunteer Fire Department and the office of Texas Senator Bryan Hughes to designate the section of roadway, known as Old Jacksonville Highway, between Church Street in Flint and County Road 150 as the “Captain Kevin Williams and Firefighter Austin Cheek Memorial Highway.”

Emergency Management Coordinator Brandon Moore explained that the grant, which was voted on several months ago, was finalized after discussions with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

The court has accepted a grant of up to $23,000 through the Local Emergency Planning Committee, which will be used to purchase a drone to enhance local emergency response and environmental monitoring efforts.

“The [drone] we’ve selected is used by all the military branches, the Department of Justice, and most United Nations countries. It has thermal capabilities and 32 times zoom,” Moore said.

The court approved a settlement from the Texas Association of Counties (TAC) Risk Management Pool for a total loss claim involving a Smith County Sheriff’s Office K-9 vehicle.

The settlement follows a crash in which the adverse driver was found at fault.

TAC has agreed to cover both the vehicle and its permanently attached equipment. The 2019 Chevrolet Tahoe resulted in a net settlement of $19,622.46. The replacement cost for the equipment with depreciation deduction was $21,014.00.

The court approved the resale of property after a full bid was offered by the East Texas Municipal Utility District. The property contains a water well owned by East Texas MUD.

“It seems obvious. I think this is the right way to go,” County Judge Neal Franklin said.

The court approved an online auction to dispose of various surplus or salvage county-owned vehicles and equipment items. The auction will take place from Feb. 12 to Feb. 26, through GovDeals.

Items up for auction include three Ford Taurus sedans, 16 Chevrolet Tahoes, one Chevrolet Impala, one Ford F-150, one Ford Explorer, two GMC Sierras, one John Deere tractor, three Brush Hog mower decks and two lots of tires.

Those interested in looking at the items in person may do so from 1 to 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 17 and Feb. 21 at 1700 W. Claude Street in Tyler.

Visit the online auction at www.govdeals.com/smithcounty .

In other business:

• The court approved tax refunds exceeding $2,500.

• The court accepted nearly $70,000 in State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) funds from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The funds, designated for correctional purposes, will support the county’s ongoing efforts in managing incarcerated individuals who meet the program’s criteria.

• The court approved a contract with Rusty W. Drake for indigent criminal defense services for the 7th District Court. This agreement will ensure the provision of legal defense services to individuals who are unable to afford private counsel in criminal cases.

• The court approved the sale of fireworks for Texas Independence Day. Retail fireworks permit holders can sell to the public from Feb. 25 through midnight on March 2.