BEAUMONT — Citing a spate of crimes at Ford Park, County Commissioners on Monday approved a $21,980 expenditure for the purchase of a security camera surveillance system at the event entertainment complex, and responded to travelers' request to have high speed Internet access at the Southeast Texas Regional Airport.

The security system was the recommendation of Renty Rollins, Ford Park interim general manager, said Everette “Bo” Alfred, Jefferson County Precinct 4 commissioner.

In a memo sent to Alfred, Rollins cited a recent surge of sexual predators, thefts, burglaries and the November 2007 kidnapping of the center’s box office manager as reasons to install the security system.

In Nov. 2007, the Ford Park box office manager reported that an armed, masked gunman kicked in the door of her Beaumont home. The gunman demanded information to gain access to the box’s office’s safe, and forced her into the trunk of a rental car she was driving. The box office manager reported she was able to escape and call for help. At the time, police investigators determined that someone had entered the box office but were unsuccessful in at getting into the vault.

In late October 2006, thieves broke into a storage building at the complex and took more than $40,000 worth of lawn equipment used to maintain the ballpark field.

The added security would be monitored on a 24-hour basis, and would be in addition to Jefferson County Sheriff’s officers who work security during events.

“It is obvious we have to have security out there,” said County Judge Ron Walker. “We have to do something to assure that people attending the park don’t have to spend their quality time worrying about their property.”

Commissioners also approved a $14,000 expenditure for the installation of Wi-Fi high speed Internet access at the Southeast Texas Regional Airport.

According to Airport General Manager Hal Ross, the Wi-Fi system will be installed at the new passenger terminal, which is scheduled to open sometime this summer.

“We are providing a response to travelers’ requests,” Ross said. “People that go through the airport expect to have access to their e-mails.”

Commissioners also approved a $99,500 expenditure to ward off saltwater intrusion at Keith Lake Fish Pass.

“Hopefully, this will be the end of what has been a long drawn out procedure,” Waymon D. Hallmark, Precinct 3 commissioner.

The money, which is the county’s match portion to federal Army Corp of Engineer funds, will be used to install baffles at the pass.

Hallmark said before the city of Beaumont installed a permanent saltwater barrier on the Neches River, Dam B and Sam Rayburn lakes were required to discharge fresh water. The lakes water would eventually flow into the Neches.

Construction of the barrier stopped the saltwater intrusion in the Neches, eliminating the need for the Lakes water, Hallmark said.

As a by-product of Beaumont’s salt water barrier’s success, less fresh water is entering places like Keith Lake, where the water was already brackish, Hallmark said.

Installation of the baffles should slow down the intrusion of salt water into Keith Lake, he said.

“They have a lot of alligators, ducks, geese and frogs, and all the things that live in fresh water,” Hallmark said. “By slowing this salt water intrusion, that will keep vegetation from dying and keep Keith Lake from becoming one big old saltwater lake.”

Also approved was an estimated $180 per diem cost for Jefferson County Emergency Management Director Greg Fountain to attend the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla. on March 27.

Fountain is one of seven people selected from Texas to attend the national conference.

“We’ll be studying anything from terminology to weather patterns, steering currents, or how to track a storm. Hurricane 101 is what they call this course,” Fountain said.

Fountain will represent the Sabine Study Area which includes Jefferson and Orange County.

Contact this reporter at skoonce@panews.com