Permits are issued through the Ellis County Department of Development located at 109 S. Jackson St., Waxahachie, TX 75165.
Development Permit: • Any activity on property requires a permit. (i.e.; pool, shed, pond, tank, shop, barn, carport….etc.)
• Cost: $75.00 (check, cash, or money order) Fee may be waived on structures 300 square feet or less.
• Bring: Deed, Survey, Driver’s License
• Requirements: Minimum lot size is one (1) acre, 150 feet of County or State road frontage
Septic Permit (For questions or complaints relating to septic systems, please call the Department of Development at 972-825-5200) • Cost: $425.00 – Aerobic, $325.00 – Other (check, cash, or money order)
Aerobic: • Bring: Ellis County Application Form, Results from Soil Analysis, Drawing of proposed system, Notarized and filed affidavit, Two-year service contract
Other (Conventional, Low Pressure Dosing, E.T. Drainfield): • Bring: Ellis County Application Form, Results from Soil Analysis, Drawing of proposed system
All crimes must be reported to the police departments or the Sheriff’s office that has jurisdiction over the city or county where the crime occurred. Contact Sheriff
All court dates are scheduled by the court coordinator for each court. It is the defendant's responsibility to inform the court of any address changes for notification of court dates. 40th Judicial District Court Coordinator
If a person failed to appear at the original court date contact the District Attorney’s Office at (972) 825-5035 and ask for the Bond Forfeiture Clerk. Additional paperwork will have to be executed prior to any reimbursement of funds
The fee assessed by a bond company is for the “service” of getting a person out of jail. Because of this, it does not matter what the verdict is. The surety is entitled to the fee agreed on at the time of release.
To be eligible for voter resgistration, applicants must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of the county, 18 years of age by election day (you may register at age 17 years, 10 months), not a convicted felon (unless a person's sentence is completed including any probation or parole), and not declared mentally incompetent by a court of law. Completed voter registration applications may be submitted to the Elections Department either in-person or by mail. Completed applications must be received or clearly postmarked by the 30th day before Election Day. If the 30th day before Election Day falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline moves forward to the next regular business day.
Texas law permits anyone who is registered to vote the option of voting early for any reason. The Elections Department establishes and staffs early voting locations throughout Ellis County. Early voting begins either 17 or 12 days prior to a scheduled election (depending on the type of election).
Voters may vote early by mail if they are age 65 or older, disables, in jail and not convicted of a felony or expect to be out of the county during the early voting period and on Election Day. Applications for a ballot by mail must be submitted to the Elections Department on or after the 60th day before Election Day and before the close of business on the 7th day before Election Day. If the 7th day before Election Day falls on a weekend, the last day to submit an application is the preceding Friday.
If you are physically unable to enter the polling place, you may ask that an election officer bring a ballot to you at the entrance of the polling place or to your car at curbside. After you mark the ballot, give it to the election officer who will put it in the ballot box. Or, at your request, a companion may hand you a ballot and deposit it for you. Tip: If you plan to go alone to vote curbside, it is wise to call ahead so election officials will expect you. Generally speaking, you may vote curbside during the early voting period (the 17th day before Election Day until the 4th day before Election Day) or on Election Day.
Seasonal flu viruses have been circulating in human populations for several seasons, allowing people to build up immunities to them. Most people do not yet have immunity to the H1N1 flu. A vaccine is available to prevent seasonal flu. A vaccine for novel H1N1 flu has been developed and is currently being distributed.
Novel H1N1 flu is a respiratory illness thought to spread in the same way that seasonal flu is spread, which is through people infected with the virus who are coughing or sneezing. It can be spread by touching something with flu viruses on it, such as a tissue or a door knob, and then touching your mouth, eyes, or nose.
You can protect yourself from the H1N1 flu by washing your hands frequently with soap and warm water. You also can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. You should also avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Stay away from people who are sick (especially if they have fever, cough and a sore throat). Get plenty of sleep, exercise regularly, manage stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious foods.
Almost all people in Texas with confirmed novel H1N1 flu have had a sudden onset of fever (half having a temperature greater than 102.5oF) and cough. Most have had a sore throat. Other symptoms may include runny nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue.
Adults •Difficulty breathing •Purple or blue discoloration of the lips •Vomiting and unable to keep liquids down •Signs of dehydration such as dizziness when standing, absence of urination, or in infants, a lack of tears when they cry •Seizures or uncontrolled convulsions •Loss of consciousness •Alteration in thinking
Children •Fast breathing or trouble breathing •Bluish or gray skin color •Not drinking enough fluids •Not waking up or not interacting •Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held •Flu-like symptoms that improve then return with fever and worse cough •Fever with a rash
IF SEVERE SYMPTOMS DEVELOP, CALL YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER. IF THE HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IS NOT AVAILABLE, GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM.
Stay home if you get sick and limit close contact with others. Remain at home until your fever has been gone for 24 hours without taking fever-reducing medications. If you work in a hospital or other healthcare setting around people at high risk of complications from flu, stay home for 7 days after symptoms began or until your symptoms are gone, whichever is longer.
If you are at risk for complications of influenza, call your health care provider. Follow your provider’s advice.
If you have mild symptoms, do not call your health care provider or visit the hospital emergency room. Get plenty of rest, drink fluids, take fever reducing medications if needed. WARNING. DO NOT give aspirin or aspirin-containing medications to children and youth 18 years and younger.
•Children younger than 5 years old (under 2 years are especially vulnerable) •Pregnant women •People with certain chronic medical conditions including chronic lung problems such as asthma, heart, liver, blood, nervous system, muscular, or metabolic disorders such as diabetes •People who have immunodeficiency or immuno-suppression, including that caused by medications such as corticosteroids and chemotherapy, or diseases such as HIV/AIDS •Children ages 6 months to 18 years who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy and who might be at risk for experiencing Reye syndrome after influenza virus infection •Persons 50 years old or older, particularly 65 years or older •People who live in settings such as nursing homes, residential schools, and jails.
Your health care provider will make the decision as to whether you should be tested. Most people do not need to be tested as it will not make a difference in how you are treated.
A vaccine for H1N1 flu has been developed and is currently being distributed. The seasonal flu vaccine does not provide protection against H1N1 flu but is important in protecting you from other flu viruses that can make you as sick or sicker. It is currently available. This year you need to get vaccinated for both seasonal flu and H1N1 flu.
DSHS recommends that the novel H1N1 flu vaccine be made available first to the following groups which are most likely to get the flu, have complications from flu, and/or play a key role in caring for people with flu (order of target groups does not indicate priority). •Pregnant women •Household contacts and caregivers for children younger than six months of age •Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel •All peoples six months through 24 years of age •Persons aged 25 to 64 years of age who have health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from influenza disease
Call your health care provider about the need for medication. People at risk of complications from flu may be prescribed antiviral medication. Antibiotics are not effective against viruses and should not be requested. Most people will need only fever-reducing medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen. WARNING. DO NOT give aspirin or aspirin-containing medications to children and youth 18 years and younger.
If you are sick, stay home unless you have a doctor’s appointment. Avoid being around other people because you can give the illness to others. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and then throw the tissue away. Or cough and sneeze into your sleeve. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or use hand sanitizer. Be sure to do this after coughing or sneezing.
When providing care to a household member who is sick with influenza, protect yourself and others by. •Keeping the sick person away from other people as much as possible •Reminding the sick person to cover their coughs, and clean their hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub often, especially after coughing and/or sneezing. •Reminding everyone in the household to clean their hands often, using soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub •Asking your healthcare provider if household contacts of the sick person – particularly those contacts who may have chronic health conditions – should take antiviral medications such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu®) or zanamivir (Relenza®) to prevent the flu.
The CDC has announced that they are no longer recommending that schools close. If the situation changes, local independent school districts will notify parents, students, and teachers through the local news media, just as they do for weather closures.
Students should not be around each other when schools are closed or they may catch the flu from their friends.
Anyone with symptoms of a respiratory illness should stay home and avoid close contact with others. Consult your employer for employment specific policy.
Contact your supervisor or department head first. If there is still a question or problem, your department head will contact Human Services for resolution.
The first step is to fill out a paper application. You can pick one up in the basement of the Courthouse in downtown Waxahachie, or at the sub-courthouse in Ennis.
If you have a qualifying event, such as your spouse starting a new job where insurance is offered, you can make that change. Otherwise, you will need to wait until open enrollment, which is usually in September. Information about open enrollment will be sent to you in plenty of time.