Jefferson County is looking to tighten up the regulation of game rooms in unincorporated areas.

The Jefferson County will take up the matter at their regular meeting at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 29 at the courthouse, 1149 Pearl St. in Beaumont.

The commissioners will consider for approval a resolution to support the regulation of game rooms.

The resolution read the Texas Legislature granted some counties legislative authority to regulate game rooms. However, Jefferson County does not currently qualify as a county with authority to regulate game rooms, but many counties in close proximity such as Harris County, Galveston County and Chambers County, do qualify under the statute.

Illegal game rooms move across county lines away from counties that are regulating them to unregulated areas.

“Illegal game room operations in Jefferson County have dramatically increased since 2015 when the Legislature amended the statute to allow most counties adjacent to Harris County to regulate game rooms,” it read.

Unregulated game rooms in unincorporated areas of Jefferson County violate state gambling laws, generally operate behind locked doors and are not open to the public, generate large amounts of income that are not taxed, and are epicenters for many other criminal activities including, but not limited to capital murder, armed robbery, prostitution, other personal and property crimes, weapon offenses, illicit drug use and drug trafficking, money laundering, fraud, organized crime and public corruption.

Unregulated game rooms operated illegally constitute public and private nuisances that adversely impact surrounding property owners and occupants and the community as a whole.

To circumvent undercover investigations, operators have changed their business models by restricting access to allow only members or known referrals, thereby preventing law enforcement agencies from gaining access to shut down illegal activities.

“Jefferson County desires to reduce the adverse secondary effects of illicit game rooms and find that it is in the best interest of and for the protection of Jefferson County citizens that game room activity be strictly regulated that such game room operators be required to secure a permit to conduct business within the unincorporated areas of Jefferson County; and that Jefferson County be authorized to pursue violators both civilly and criminally,” it read.

Also up for consideration is authorizing County Judge Jeff Branick to execute the registration form 2020 Local Update of Census Addresses operation.

The commissioners talked about supplying the Census with addresses in unincorporated areas that last two weeks. They said they were concerned about the short time frame to get everything in, lack of personnel and if the cities would participate.

The creation of a Southeast Texas Disaster Recovery Team will be considered and appointing three members to the executive board also considered.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency estimates a number of homes were not insured for flood damage from Tropical Storm Harvey.

“Many survivors of Hurricane Harvey will have unmet needs that can only be fulfilled through private contributions of money, manpower and materials which would exclusively come to our area through a reputable long term recovery group,” the resolution read.

The counties of Jefferson, Hardin and Orange Counties have been working toward the formation of a regional long-term recovery group that will be managed by three executive board and nine members with each commissioners court appointing three members to the board.

The three executive board members will serve until Dec. 31, 2019: the Rev. Randy Vaughn, Autumn Brown and a person to be named later.

Lastly, the court will deliberate on a renewal with the U.S. Naval Museum Loan Agreement for the MK 16MOD 7 torpedo on display at the Veterans Memorial Park.

The loan will be for a period of five years with the possibility of extensions if the county meets outgoing loan policy standards. The torpedo remains the property of the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Naval Undersea Museum.