Long-term facilities, strategic plan set in motion last week

ELLIS COUNTY – The Ellis County Commissioners’ Court met last week to hold a Special Public Hearing to discuss a long-term facilities-needs assessment in Ellis County.

  Ellis County Judge Todd Little’s office stated in a news release the meeting was intended to allow for public comment and participation in Ellis County’s 30-year strategic plan.

“I can remember when it was a Saturday morning road trip to take my pick-up truck from the farm in Red Oak down to the Lawson Brothers Hardware in Downtown Midlothian some 35 years ago,” said Little after the meeting.

“It’s not that way anymore, our cities have grown together, and development is rapidly approaching.”

Little stated Ellis County is one of the fastest growing counties in Texas, “and we have to plan now.”

Anticipated population growth in Ellis County will stem a need for physical space within county government facilities, including space for justice system enhancements and general government services.

To that end, about 18 months ago the county hired a professional design firm – Kitchell – to survey the need for physical space among the county’s elected officials, department heads, courts, offices, and other facilities.

Research results were laid out at last week’s public hearing with a look at Kitchell’s completed long-term facilities-needs assessment and strategic plan.

Next steps will be to release this information to the public to continue further planning.

“If you think about the time it takes to build county facilities for essential government services and administration, we have to start planning now,” Little concluded.