Jul 23, 2024 Commissioners Court FY2025 Budget Workshop Agenda

WE'LL JUST RESCHEDULE THAT ONE.

MOVE

[I.B. Discussion/Presentation on Departments 461 and 462 Justice of the Peace Precincts #1 and #2 budget requests. (Judge Miles / Judge Green / Judge Deen)]

TO ITEM B ON DISCUSSION.

PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENT'S 4 61, UH, JUDGE MILES.

OKAY, WHAT WE'RE WE'RE ASKING FOR IS, UH, CERTIFICATION PAY AND BILINGUAL PAY FOR JUSTICE COURT PERSONNEL FOR OUR CLERKS.

AND, UH, THE, UH, CERTIFICATION PAY IS, UH, AMOUNT OF $7,200 AND BILINGUAL PAY IS 600.

IS THAT GREEN LIGHT ON ON YOUR SPEAKER? YES, BECAUSE IT DON'T SOUND LIKE IT.

ALRIGHT, HOW ABOUT THERE? WELL, NOW IS IT BETTER? YEAH.

YOU WANT ME TO START OVER? NO, .

AND, UH, WE'RE ALSO ASKING FOR A, UH, UNIFORM LINE REQUEST OF $600, UH, FOR THE WHOLE STAFF, NOT JUST, UH, PER EACH.

AND THAT IS TO BE FOR DAYS WHEN THEY WORK OUT, UH, OUTSIDE INTO THE STORAGE UNITS THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE FOR THE FILING SYSTEM.

AND IT WOULDN'T BE FOR COURT DAYS, IT'D BE SOMETHING THAT THEY WOULD HAVE, UH, AND HAVE THE COUNTY EMBLEMS ON.

AND, UH, THEN WE'RE ASKING FOR IT, NON-CAPITAL, UH, PER IT, UH, ASK US TO HAVE TWO, TWO DESKTOPS.

ONE LAPTOP AND ONE SCANNER.

SO, JUDGE MILES, WHAT'S, UM, I KNOW LAST YEAR YOU ASKED FOR SOME, WELL, WE ACTUALLY TRIED TO JUST DO SOME RENOVATIONS IN YOUR FACILITY.

WHAT'S THE CONDITION OF YOUR FACILITY THAT YOU HAVE NOW? IS IT, HAVE WE DONE ANYTHING TO IT TO IMPROVE IT OR, UH, UH, AS FAR AS THE, UH, REMODEL? YEAH.

THEY, THEY DID REMODEL.

EVERYTHING'S THEY DID.

YEAH, I MEAN, THE ONLY PROBLEM WE HAVE, AND EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT IS THE, IS THE AMOUNT OF SPACE THAT WE HAVE, WHICH, OKAY.

UNDERSTOOD.

ALL RIGHT.

ANY QUESTIONS? UM, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANNA ADD? NO.

NO QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU, JUDGE MILES.

WE WILL MOVE ALSO TO ITEM, UH, ON THE DEPARTMENT.

4 62, I BELIEVE.

JUDGE GREEN.

TRAINING SCHOOL WINE ITEM? YES, SIR.

WELL, IN THE, UM, INTEREST OF CONSISTENCY, I THINK THAT OUR REQUESTS ARE PRETTY MUCH GONNA MIRROR EVERYONE ELSE'S.

UH, WE ALL GET, WE TRY TO KEEP EVERYTHING THE SAME, SO THERE'S NOT A LOT OF DISPARITY BETWEEN THE OFFICES.

I THINK THE ONLY BIG DIFFERENCE IS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE BASED ON THE WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE OFFICE AT THAT TIME.

WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANY ADDITIONAL HELP THIS YEAR.

WE'RE JUST GONNA WAIT AND SEE HOW THINGS GO THIS YEAR AND SEE IF WE NEED TO NEXT YEAR.

UH, AGAIN, WE'VE ALSO MADE THE SAME REQUEST FOR THE UNIFORM ALLOWANCE AND FOR THE CERTIFICATE PAY.

UM, WE'RE ASKING FOR SOME ADDITIONAL MONEY IN OUR TRAVEL LINE, UH, THAT COVERS SOME OF THE COSTS OF TRAVEL.

EVERYTHING'S GOING UP ALSO, UH, WEEKEND JAIL, WEEKEND WARRANTS, THINGS LIKE THAT.

I HAVEN'T BEEN PUTTING THAT MILEAGE IN, BUT IT'S STARTING TO BECOME A REAL, IT'S BECOMING AN ISSUE BECAUSE THE GAS IS GOING UP SO MUCH AND YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GONNA GET CALLED OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TO DO STUFF.

UM, IS THAT IN REGARDS TO THE

[00:05:01]

AND OF COURSE, TRAVEL'S GOING UP, GAS IS GOING UP, COST OF THE SCHOOLS GOES UP, EVERYTHING, BUT WE'RE JUST ASKING FOR THE ADDITIONAL 1750 TO THE TRAVEL LINE AT THIS POINT.

UH, AGAIN, THAT WE'RE JUST, SAME THING HE BROUGHT UP ABOUT THE CERTIFICATE PAY AND THE BILINGUAL PAY.

I THINK IT'S, UM, A NECESSARY RECOGNITION TO KEEP OUR, OUR GOOD EMPLOYEES HERE AT PARKER COUNTY.

YOU KNOW, IT'S TO THE POINT WE BECOME A TRAINING GROUND FOR OTHER COUNTIES AND WE GET FOLKS THAT ARE CERTIFIED AND TRAINED, AND THEN THEY WANT TO GO ON TO A DIFFERENT COUNTY WHERE THE PAYS A LITTLE BETTER.

AND WE'RE JUST TRYING TO DO SOMETHING TO ENCOURAGE THAT TRAINING.

UH, ALSO WHEN THE, THE CERTIFICATES WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AREN'T NOT SOMETHING YOU JUST GO ONLINE AND SELF-PACE.

THESE ARE PROCTORED TESTS.

THESE TAKE YEARS TO STUDY FOR.

UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU GET UP TO MASTER CLERK LEVEL.

UH, THEN THESE TESTS ARE PROCTORED BY THE JUDICIAL TRAINING CENTER.

UH, THEY HAVE TO GO TO EITHER AUSTIN OR TO ONE OF THE TRAINING SESSIONS THAT ARE OFFERING THE TESTING.

AND MOST FOLKS DON'T PASS IT THE FIRST TIME.

THESE ARE STRENUOUS TESTS.

BUT ONCE THEY'RE ABLE TO REACH THAT LEVEL OF EDUCATION TO GET THAT CERTIFICATE, THEY'RE CERTAINLY A MUCH MORE WELL-ROUNDED EMPLOYEE AND ABLE TO HANDLE THINGS IN THE OFFICE MORE EFFICIENTLY.

I THINK THAT'S, IS THERE ANYTHING I HAVEN'T COVERED THAT YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ON? WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO KEEP IT SIMPLE THIS YEAR.

C ON DISCUSSING DISCUSSION PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENTS.

ANY QUESTIONS FOR JUDGE GREEN? THANK YOU, JUDGE.

THANK Y'ALL.

WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM

[I.C. Discussion/Presentation on Departments 463 and 464 Justice of the Peace Precincts #3 and #4 budget requests. (Judge Grissom / Judge Mendolia / Judge Deen)]

UH, WE'LL START WITH 4 63, UH, JUDGE GRISSOM.

GOOD MORNING, GENTLEMEN.

AND LADIES, I, THE, THE BIG, THE BIG DEAL FOR MY OFFICE TODAY, AND I THINK IT'S THE OTHER TWO THAT'S SPOKEN ALREADY, IS THE CERTIFICATION PAY.

AND I WANT TO HAND THE COURT COPY OF THE SURVEY.

IT'S A SPACE UTILIZATION NEEDS ANALYSIS THAT WAS DONE IN 2006.

SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR THAT WE JUST HAD DONE, UH, OVER THE COURTS BUILDING, FUTURE COURTS BUILDING HERE.

AND DID I GIVE ONE OF YOU? NO, HERE, IT'S, THIS WAS DONE IN 2006, JUST AS THE PEACE PRECINCT THREE, JUDGE SUSIE MERKLEY WHEN SHE WAS IN OFFICE.

AND IF YOU'LL GO TO THE SECOND PAGE, IT'S GOT A STAFFING, THE HISTORICAL, AND THEN PROJECTED.

AND IF YOU'LL LOOK THROUGH THOSE COLUMNS, IN 2006, THE JUSTICE COURT PRECINCT THREE WAS STAFFED AT THE LEVEL OF FOUR.

IS TECHNOLOGY AND TRAINING.

AND THEN WHAT HAPPENED IN 2007, THE LEGISLATION CHANGED AND PUT MORE MONEY REQUIREMENTS AS FAR AS THE JUDICIAL MONEY AMOUNTS WE CAN HAVE IN OUR COURT.

ON A HEARING, A LAWSUIT WENT TO 10,000.

SO AS YOU SEE IN 2007, THEY JUMPED UP IN STAFFING PERSONNEL.

IF YOU GO TO 2010, IT JUMPED UP.

ANOTHER PERSON IN 2015, IT JUMPED UP ANOTHER PERSON.

SO NOW THEY'RE AT, WHAT, NINE, 2020? THEY'RE AT 10.

AND THE REASON I'M BRINGING THIS TO YOUR POINT, TO, TO Y'ALL'S ATTENTION IS THAT IN, IN MY COURT, MY STAFFING'S STILL AT SIX.

AND THE PROJECTION BACK IN 2006 MOVING FORWARD WAS THAT WE SHOULD BE AT 10 PERSONNEL.

NOW IN 20, 24 YEARS AGO, THE STATE LAW CHANGED AGAIN.

THE LEGISLATION CHANGED AND THEY PUT OUR JUDICIAL LIMIT FROM 10,000 UP TO 20,000.

SO IT WAS A HUNDRED PERCENT INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF CASES WE COULD HEAR AS FAR AS MONEY AMOUNTS IN OUR COURT.

AGAIN, WE'RE STILL AT SIX PERSONNEL.

THE ONLY TWO THINGS THAT BECOME FACTORS IN WHY WE HAVE NOT HAD TO INCREASE PERSONNEL

[00:10:01]

THE COUNTY'S PRETTY GOOD AT SPENDING THE MONEY TO GET US NEW SOFTWARE.

'CAUSE WE'VE HAD TO, TO KEEP UP WITH TIMES.

TYLER TECHNOLOGY'S KIND OF SOMEWHAT PUT THAT IN PLACE TO WHERE WE'VE HAD TO DO THAT.

AND NOW WE'RE WITH NAVIGATOR, WHICH I'M ASSUMING COSTS THE COUNTY A TON OF MONEY.

BUT THE PERSONNEL HAS NOT CHANGED.

THE ONLY THING THAT HAS CHANGED IS THE ABILITY FOR THEM TO GET TRAINING, WHICH THE COUNTY'S GOOD AT HELPING THAT.

BUT THE EMPLOYEES THEMSELVES, OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKET, HAS HAD TO GO GET, IF THEY WANT TO GET HIGHER LEVELS OF TRAINING, WHICH IS NOTHING BUT A BENEFIT TO THE COUNTY IN MY OFFICE, THEY HAVE TO GO TAKE THESE TESTS.

THE CERT TEST, CERTIFICATION TEST, I WAS A 24 YEAR PEACE OFFICER IN PARKER COUNTY, AND I WAS A RECIPIENT FROM THE LAW ENFORCEMENT SIDE OF CERTIFICATION PAY.

AND I MAXED OUT AS A MASTER, WE SHOULD BE DOING THIS SAME THING FOR OUR COURT PERSONNEL BECAUSE THEY'RE THE SECOND PART OF IT.

THEY'RE RIGHT BEHIND THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AS THE NEXT LINK IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.

AND WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THEM.

IF THEY HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO GET THIS CERTIFICATION, THEN WE SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THEM.

AND WE SHOULD, UH, YOU KNOW, PROMOTE EDUCATION AND REWARD EDUCATION.

AS FAR AS I KNOW, THE JUSTICE COURT CLERKS ARE THE ONLY CLERKS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM THAT ACTUALLY CAN GET THIS CERTIFICATION LEVEL.

AND AGAIN, IT IS A PROCTOR TEST.

IT'S PUT ON BY THE TEXAS JUSTICE COURT TRAINING CENTER, WHO IS BACKED BY THE TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY.

SO THEY MONITOR ALL THIS.

SO THIS, AGAIN, LIKE JUDGE GREEN SAID, THIS IS JUST NOT SOMETHING WHERE YOU GO AND YOU DO AN ONLINE TEST TYPE DEAL.

THIS IS PROCTORED SO THAT IT HAS TO BE IN THE KNOWLEDGE AMOUNT THAT IS REQUIRED FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THESE CERTIFICATION TESTS IS IT'S, I'M VERY IMPRESSED.

IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT 'CAUSE.

IT'S YOUR TYPICAL STATE TEST THAT FOR ANYTHING WE ARE LOOKING AT FOR THE CLERK ONE LEVEL ONE CRIMINAL CLERK, WE'RE LOOKING TO INCREASE THEM ON THEIR CERTIFICATION PAID TO $1,200 A YEAR.

THE MASTER CLERK, WHICH IS AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TEST.

AND THE AMOUNT OF KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY HAVE TO KNOW, UH, IS EXTREMELY A LARGE AMOUNT.

WE'RE LOOKING TO MOVE THAT TO 1800 FOR CERTIFICATION PAY.

AND THEN THE BILINGUAL PAY IS 600.

UH, WE DO, WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO BE SOMEWHERE AROUND THIS YEAR, AT THE END OF THE YEAR, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 30 604,000 CASES IN MY COURT.

I FIGURE PROBABLY SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 500 AND A THOUSAND OF THAT IS HISPANIC SPEAKING PEOPLE ONLY, WHETHER THEY'RE COMING IN TO PAY TICKETS, IF THEY'RE COMING IN FOR TRUANCY CASES, THEY'RE COMING IN FOR PARENT CONTRIBUTING.

AND WE SEE A LOT OF PARENT CONTRIBUTING CASES THAT ARE HISPANIC SPEAKING ONLY.

SO OUR PERSON THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COURT THAT'S BILINGUAL, IS WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO OUR JOB WITHOUT HER BOTTOM LINE.

AND I BELIEVE SHE NEEDS TO BE REWARDED FOR THAT BECAUSE IF WE HAVE TO GO OUTSIDE AND HIRE A TRANSLATOR TO COME IN TO TRANSLATE FOR THESE PEOPLE, WHICH WE HAVE TO BY STATUTE, IF THEY ASK FOR IT, WE HAVE TO DO THAT.

IT'S AT A COST OF TWO TO $300 PER TIME A TRANSLATOR SHOWS UP.

SO WE WOULD BE RUNNING INTO THE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AT THE COUNTY'S EXPENSE WITHOUT HAVING THESE BILINGUAL PEOPLE, EMPLOYEES WORKING IN OUR OFFICES.

SO THEY'RE A ASSET TO OUR OFFICE.

WE CANNOT DO OUR JOB WITHOUT 'EM.

SO, AND THAT NEEDS TO BE REWARDED.

I CAN ALSO TELL YOU, AFTER GOING TO JUDGE SCHOOLS AND TALKING WITH OTHER JUDGES AROUND THE STATE, MORE AND MORE COUNTIES ALL THE TIME ARE RECOGNIZING THIS CERTIFICATION PAY IN THIS, THESE BILINGUAL POSITIONS BECAUSE THE AMOUNT OF SPANISH SPEAKING ONLY PEOPLE, WE HAVE CITIZENS WE HAVE NOW.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF COUNTIES THAT ARE MOVING FORWARD AND HAVE CURRENTLY BEEN DOING THIS, ISSUING THIS CERTIFICATION PAY FOR THESE CLERKS.

IT'S WELL DESERVED, IT'S HARD TO ACHIEVE.

AND AGAIN, THEY'RE DOING THIS AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE JUST TO GET TO THIS LEVEL.

SO THAT TELLS ME THEY'RE PROUD TO WORK FOR PARKER COUNTY AND THEY'RE PROUD OF THE POSITIONS THAT THEY'RE IN, AND THEY'RE TOP NOTCH EMPLOYEES THAT WANT TO DO THE JOB AND DO IT WELL.

OKAY, THE SECOND PART THAT, THAT I'M SEEKING TODAY IS BECAUSE I HAVE SIX CLERKS, WE'VE GOT AN EXTREMELY HEAVY CASELOAD.

WE HANDLE MORE CASES IN JUSTICE COURT PRECINCT THREE THAN ANY COURT IN PARKER COUNTY.

[00:15:01]

UH, I'M LOOKING TO PUT IN AN ASSISTANT COURT COORDINATOR POSITION.

THIS IS NOT AN ADDED PERSON.

THIS IS A PROMOTION FROM AN EXISTING CLERK THAT I ALREADY HAVE TO MIRROR WHAT IS ALREADY BEING DONE IN THE DISTRICT CLERK AND COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE IS FOR THIS COURT COORDINATOR POSITION, ASSISTANT COURT COORDINATOR POSITION.

WE'RE LOOKING TO TAKE THAT PAY SCALE TO $69,474 A YEAR.

THAT'S A $13,813 INCREASE WITHOUT PRIOR TO THE BENEFITS.

SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BENEFITS SIDE OF THAT'S GONNA BE AS FAR AS AN ADDITIONAL INCREASE TO THE COUNTY, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA BE A WHOLE LOT.

I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW THAT'S BECKY'S FORTE IN AREA TO DO THAT.

BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE DISTRICT CLERK HAS THREE PEOPLE IN A POSITION THAT CAN BE A, THEY'RE CALLING 'EM CHIEF DEPUTIES AS THE SECOND ASSISTANT, A THIRD ASSISTANT AND A FIRST ASSISTANT.

AND THEY HAVE THESE INDIVIDUALS FOR EVER FIVE PEOPLE.

THE COUNTY CLERK, THEY HAVE THAT SAME PAY SCALE FOR ASSISTANT DEPUTIES, OFFICE MANAGERS, LEAD DEPUTIES, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE.

AND AGAIN, IT'S AT EVER FIVE PEOPLE.

THEY HAVE THAT SECOND SUPERVISOR POSITION.

UH, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR WHAT, HOW MUCH, WHAT THEIR WORKLOAD AND WHAT THEY HANDLE, BUT IT'S A SNAPSHOT.

AND I KNOW Y'ALL DON'T PROBABLY REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE JUSTICE COURT DOES, BUT I'M JUST GONNA GIVE YOU A SNAPSHOT OF THE TYPE OF CASES AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE KNOWLEDGE AND THE ABILITY TO HAVE, UH, THIS SECOND PERSON TO HELP MANAGE THE OFFICE IN A FLUENT MANNER.

WE HAD, WE DO SMALL CLAIMS CASES, DEBT CLAIM CASES, TRUANCY CASES, PARENT CONTRIBUTING CASES, DANGEROUS ANIMALS, CLASS C, CRIMINAL CASES, EVICTIONS, OCCUPATIONAL LICENSE, DRIVER'S LICENSE DISPUTES, GUN LICENSE DISPUTES, MENTAL HEARINGS, UH, BOND HEARINGS.

WE DO CLASS C DRIVER'S LICENSE, UH, TICKETS AND STUFF.

WE DO CDL OC, WE DO OCCUPATIONAL HEARINGS.

WE DO MAGISTRATION RITZ AND REPAIR AND REMEDY.

AND THAT'S 17.

AND I'M SURE THERE'S A WHOLE LOT MORE THAT I MISSED.

THAT'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT KNOWLEDGE, UH, IN DIFFERENT AREAS THAT YOU GOTTA HAVE BECAUSE EVERY ONE OF THEM THINKS IS DIFFERENT.

SO, UH, I'M JUST TRYING TO GIVE Y'ALL A SNAPSHOT TODAY OF WHAT THESE JUSTICE COURTS, WHAT WE HANDLE.

AGAIN, OUR JURISDICTIONAL LIMITS NOW ARE AT 20,000, WHICH WAS CHANGED IN 2022.

UM, AND AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THAT SURVEY FROM 2006, WE ARE DOING VERY WELL WITH THE STAFFING THAT WE HAVE.

AND AGAIN, IT'S BECAUSE OF THE TECHNOLOGY CAPABILITIES WE HAVE NOWADAYS AND THE TRAINING OF THE EMPLOYEES.

UH, AND IN THE JUSTICE COURT SITUATION, IT IS, UH, IT'S A REQUIREMENT ALMOST.

I MEAN, IT'S A NEEDED, IT HAS TO BE, YOU CAN PUT ANYBODY IN A SEAT, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE GONNA DO THE JOB.

SO THE ONES THAT WE HAVE, UH, IN OUR COURTS ARE TOPNOTCH.

UH, AS JUDGE GREEN SAYS, WE DON'T NEED TO BE A TRAINING GROUND FOR THESE PEOPLE.

WE'VE ALREADY HAD ONE CLERK IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM THAT HAS LEFT AND GONE, WAS HIRED OUT BASICALLY TO ANOTHER FACILITY.

SHE WAS A KEY ASSET AND IT'S A SHAME THAT WE LOST HER, BUT IT, IT HAPPENED THAT WAY.

UH, THERE'S NOT A ONE OF MY CLERKS I WANT GONE, NOT ONE.

I WOULD, YOU CANNOT PAY ME ENOUGH FOR THE CLERKS THAT I HAVE.

THEY'RE TOPNOTCH AND I BRAG ABOUT 'EM ALL THE TIME.

UH, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DO.

UH, IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

AND, UH, THAT'S ENOUGH ON THAT.

I THINK WE DO HAVE, WE, THE CLOTHING ALLOWANCE LINE, I BELIEVE JOLIE WAS THE 600.

IT'S THE SAME THING, UH, WITH A NICE, NICE SHIRT WITH A NICE LOGO ON IT OF THE COUNTY COURT'S LOGO AND UH, UH, JUST TO HAVE IN THE OFFICE ON CERTAIN DAYS.

UM, I THINK IT GIVES RECOGNITION.

YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M AN ELECTED OFFICIAL JUST LIKE YOU ARE.

AND I HAVE VOTERS THAT I HAVE TO ANSWER TO AS WELL.

AND THEY, THERE'S A, A CERTAIN REQUIREMENT THAT MY VOTERS HAVE ON ME TO DO A JOB AND RUN AN OFFICE JUST LIKE Y'ALL DO.

AND SO, UH, I ASK YOU TODAY TO, UH, CONSIDER THIS STUFF AND, UH, GRANT, GRANT THIS SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND CONTINUE DOING THE JOB THAT WE DO.

AND WE KNOW THAT THE COURT INCREASE THE LOAD ON THE COURT'S ONLY GOING TO INCREASE AS POPULATION GROWTH COMES.

WE'VE SEEN, UH, A STAGGERING NUMBER OF INCREASES

[00:20:01]

ALREADY.

AND, UH, WE'RE STILL HANDLING THAT.

UM, UH, STARTING JANUARY ONE, THE, THE LEGISLATURE AND THEIR KNOWLEDGE DECIDED TO PUT ON THE JUSTICE COURTS A JUVENILE DIVERSION PROGRAM.

WE DON'T KNOW AT THIS POINT WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE, BUT FROM OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS ARE GONNA START DUMPING A LOT OF THEIR CASES ON US TO WHERE THEY'RE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH CHILDREN INTO THIS DI DIVERSION PROGRAM.

AGAIN, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS IS GONNA LOOK LIKE AT THIS POINT.

IT'S ALL BRAND NEW.

UH, WE'RE HAVING TO ESTABLISH A A, A JUDI JUVENILE DIVERSION COORDINATOR IN OUR OFFICE TO MANAGE ALL THESE CASES IN A, IN A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT THAT IS, IS ANY JUVENILE OR SOMEONE UNDER THE AGE OF 17 YEAR, 10 TO 17 YEARS OF AGE, IF THEY GET IN TROUBLE ON A CLASS C OFFENSE.

IT COULD BE FIGHTING, IT CAN BE GRAFFITI, IT CAN BE TOBACCO.

IT CAN BE ALCOHOL.

I MEAN, THERE'S JUST A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT FALL UNDER THAT CATEGORY IS, UH, THEY'RE GONNA SEND 'EM TO OUR COURT AS WELL AS LAW ENFORCEMENT.

AND THE STATE WANTS US TO DIVERT THEM SO THEY DON'T HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD.

SO THERE WILL NOT BE A CRIMINAL OFFENSE ON THEIR RECORD.

SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PROGRAM, UH, UH, TEEN COURT OR, AND THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO REESTABLISH, UH, IS TEEN COURT MOVING FORWARD.

SO THAT'S GONNA BE MORE TIME ON THE PERSONNEL.

'CAUSE THE CITY OF WEATHERFORD STOPPED THE TEEN COURT A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO.

SO THERE'S NOT A TEEN COURT OTHER THAN I THINK JUDGE MILES HAS ONE UP NORTH.

AND I BELIEVE, UH, JUDGE MENDOLIA MAY BE PUTTING ONE IN PLACE, BUT I THINK ME AND GREEN JUDGE GREEN MAY, UH, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT GETTING TOGETHER AND HAVE ONE MORE LOCALLY HERE IN WEATHERFORD.

UH, BUT THAT'S GONNA BE A BIG PART OF THE DIVERSION PROGRAM.

OUTSIDE COUNSELING, UH, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

AGAIN, THIS IS ANOTHER ANIMAL THAT WE DON'T EVEN REALLY KNOW AT THIS POINT WHAT IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE.

BUT WE ARE REQUIRED TO START THIS JANUARY ONE OF THIS COMING YEAR.

UM, SO IT'S JUST GONNA REQUIRE A LOT MORE EFFORT ON THE COURTS AND, AND UH, STUFF.

SO, DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS TO ME? I GOT A QUESTION.

YOU, YOU HAD MENTIONED THE IT MM-HMM, .

IS THERE IT SOFTWARE THAT HELPS IN YOUR COURTROOM WITH THE TRANSLATION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF.

I MEAN, THERE'S SOME ONLINE STUFF, BUT WHEN YOU'RE SITTING THERE TALKING TO SOMEBODY YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I WAS REFERRING TO.

THAT'S NOT REALLY WORKABLE.

YOU KNOW, WHEN I'M AT THE JAIL MAGISTRATE AND WE HAVE A LOT OF SPANISH SPEAKING INDIVIDUALS IN THERE, WE MM-HMM.

ARE SUPPOSED TO USE THE LANGUAGE HOTLINE OR SOMETIMES WE GET LUCKY AND THERE'S A JAILER THAT CAN TRANSLATE.

AND I ABSOLUTELY HATE THAT LANGUAGE HOTLINE.

IT, IT IS DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH 'CAUSE YOU'RE HAVING TO REPEAT EVERYTHING AND THEY'RE REPEATING IT BACK AND FORTH.

SO IT'S JUST REALLY A GOOD ASSET TO HAVE SOMEBODY RIGHT THERE, YOU KNOW, IN YOUR OFFICE THAT CAN COMMUNICATE WITH THEM, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S IN A COURT SETTING.

NO, I UNDERSTAND.

OR ACTUALLY IN A TRIAL.

I UNDERSTAND.

THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING IF THERE WAS TECHNOLOGY LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE UTILIZE BIG SCREENS ALL THE TIME AND THERE WAS AN ACTIVE TRANSLATOR, KINDA LIKE WHEN YOU'RE WATCHING TV WITH CC ON THERE.

I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS STUFF LIKE THAT THAT WAS .

I, I DON'T KNOW.

SOMETIMES I THINK, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE LAW IS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE TO FOLLOW EITHER.

YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT YOU GOTTA FOLLOW LAWS WITH INTERPRETERS AND STUFF, SO THAT'S GREAT.

THAT'S WHY I THOUGHT I'D ASK ABOUT THE IT, IF THERE WAS A, IF THERE WAS ANY IT IN THAT DEPARTMENT.

I'M SURE WITH TECHNOLOGY THERE'S STUFF OUT THERE NOW, WHETHER IT SUITS THE PURPOSE FOR WHAT WE NEED IT FOR AND IT'S EXPEDIENT.

'CAUSE OUR, OUR DEAL IS A LOT OF TIMES IS GETTING PEOPLE FROM THE, ESPECIALLY FROM THAT FRONT COUNTER, GETTING THEM IN AND OUTTA THE WAY BECAUSE OUR SPACE IS LIMITED AND WE GOT PEOPLE LINING UP.

I UNDERSTAND.

UH, SO SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF CASES YOU'RE ROLLING THROUGH THERE EVERY WEEK.

SO I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING THROUGH OUR COURTS.

LOTS OF PEOPLE, WHICH, I MEAN, BOTTOM LINE IS IT'S REVENUE TO THE COUNTY THOUGH, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY AND THE STATE.

THERE'S REVENUE THAT COMES OFF EVERY ONE OF THEM TICKETS AND THE FILING FEES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

MM-HMM.

SO I CAN'T TELL YOU RIGHT NOW WHAT THAT AMOUNT IS.

UH, IT'S A, IT'S AT A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY THOUGH, I CAN TELL YOU THAT.

SO IT'S IN A, IN A NUTSHELL FOR WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR AND NEEDING.

IT'S JUST A DROP IN THE BUCKET.

SO.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU JUDGE CHRIS, THANK YOU.

DEPARTMENT 4 64, JUDGE MENDOLIA PRECINCT FOUR.

UH, I'M JUST MAINLY HERE TO REITERATE WHAT, UM, THE OTHER THREE JPS ARE ASKING FOR AND THAT'S THE CERTIFICATION

[00:25:01]

PAY.

IT'S, IN MY OPINION, IT'S GREATLY NEEDED.

WE LOST A CLERK AS WELL THIS YEAR TO A HIGHER PAYING JOB.

SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT DOES IS IT COSTS THE COUNTY AND HAVING TO RETRAIN THE NEW PERSON, YOU KNOW, AND GET THEM BACK UP TO SPEED.

AND, YOU KNOW, ALL THIS BOILS DOWN TO, I'M NOT GONNA RE REITERATE BECAUSE I THINK, UM, JUDGE GRISHAM DID A GREAT JOB OF GOING INTO NEED.

UM, ONE THING THAT HADN'T BEEN TOUCHED ON IS THIS IS GOES BOTTOM LINE TO CUSTOMER SERVICE.

THE MORE, UM, TRAINED OUR PEOPLE ARE, THE QUICK, THE EASIER THEY ARE IN DEALING WITH ISSUES AT THE WINDOWS AND GOING TO THE BILINGUAL PART THAT, UM, COMMISSIONER HALE YOU WERE ASKING ABOUT, IT'S NOT FUNCTIONABLE.

WE DO USE, WHEN WE MAGISTRATE AT THE, UM, JAIL, WE DO USE AN ONLINE, A PHONE SYSTEM HOTLINE THAT WE CAN CALL, CALL THE ONE THAT IS REFERRING TO THAT.

YEAH, YEAH.

FRUSTRATING.

AND IT, IT'S A STRUGGLE, BUT IT, IT GETS THE JOB DONE.

USUALLY THERE'S A JAILER THERE THAT CAN, THAT CAN SPEAK, UM, YOU KNOW, TRANSLATE FOR US.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I'VE RECENTLY HAD SWAHILI, SO I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANYBODY HERE IN PARKER COUNTY THAT SPEAKS SWAHILI AND, UM, THEY DID ON THE HOTLINE.

SO THAT WAS PRETTY AMAZING.

BUT, UM, BUT THAT'S NOT FUNCTIONABLE AT, AT OUR WINDOWS.

UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S THE MAIN THING THAT, THAT I THINK WHERE THE BILINGUAL COMES IN IS IF THERE'S A, AND WE GET IT ALL THE TIME.

THEY COME UP AND THEY CAN'T SPEAK ENGLISH, THEY'RE AT THE WINDOW.

YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T WORK THAT PHONE SYSTEM THROUGH THE WINDOW.

IT'S TIME CONSUMING.

IT TAKES A WHILE TO GET PEOPLE ON THE LINE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND GET IT ALL CONNECTED.

THEN YOU'RE HAVING TO, YOU KNOW, SPEAK INTO THE PHONE AND THEN THEY'RE SPEAKING TO THE PEOPLE AND THEN IT'S BEING TRANSLATED BACK TO YOU.

IT'S JUST NOT FUNCTIONABLE AT THE WINDOW.

GOT IT.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY THE NEED AS FAR AS THE BILINGUAL, WE HAVE ONE IN OUR OFFICE AND, AND YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY A HUGE TIME SAVER AND A CUSTOMER SERVICE.

'CAUSE THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE WAITING IN LINE GENERALLY.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA MOVE EVERYBODY ALONG AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

I THINK WE'RE RIGHT BEHIND JUDGE GRISHAM AS FAR AS THE NUMBER OF CASES WE'RE DEALING WITH A LOT OF CASES.

AND RIGHT NOW WITH, UM, THE BORDER SITUATION, OUR CASES ON THE CRIMINAL SIDE ARE DOWN 40%.

UM, NOT GREAT FOR THE BUDGET, BUT EVENTUALLY, GOD WILLING, JANUARY ONE, WE HAVE A NEW, UH, PRESIDENT IN PLACE AND AT THAT POINT THAT BORDER SITUATION'S GONNA CHANGE.

WE'RE NOT GONNA BE SENDING ALL THE DPS DOWN TO, UM, TAKE CARE OF THE BORDER.

WELL THAT MEANS OUR TICKETS ARE GONNA RISE.

SO THEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A 40% BACK TO WHERE IT WAS TICKET WISE.

WELL, THAT'S AN INCREASE ON TOP OF ALL THE OTHER CIVIL WITH THE PEOPLE MOVING IN THAT WE'RE HAVING.

SO IT'S GONNA GET BUSY REALLY QUICK ON TOP OF JUST THE REGULAR GROWTH THAT WE'RE SEEING IN EASTERN PARKER COUNTY.

SO, YOU KNOW, CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RETAINING OUR, OUR CLERKS, I TOO HAVE ZERO COMPLAINTS.

MY STEP IS, IS FANTASTIC.

AND I THINK WE'RE, I THINK WE ARE DOING, AS JUDGE GRISSOM POINTED OUT, WHAT WOULD PROBABLY TAKE MORE PEOPLE TO DO.

AND I THINK PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE ALL OF OUR PEOPLE ARE TRAINED.

WE HAVE ONE NEW HIRE THAT DOESN'T HAVE TRAINING, BUT ALL THE OTHERS HAVE CERTIFICATIONS.

YOU KNOW, THAT'S FOUR CLERKS IN OUR OFFICE, INCLUDING OUR COORDINATOR THAT ALL HAVE CERTIFICATIONS.

UM, AND I, I DO DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT ON OUR REQUEST, WE, WE DIDN'T PUT THE RIGHT NUMBERS IN.

THEY SHOULD MATCH WHAT THE OTHER, UM, JPS HAVE DONE.

I BELIEVE WE ARE $600 SHORT ON EACH ONE OF OUR CERTIFICATION REQUESTS EXCEPT THE BILINGUAL.

SO THOSE WOULD BE INCREASED INSTEAD OF 600 TO 1200 INSTEAD OF 1200 TO 1800.

UM, BUT I DO THINK THAT AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S EXTREMELY, IT'S, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO KEEP OUR EMPLOYEES.

UM, WE DON'T WANNA LOSE ANYMORE.

UM, THE ONLY OTHER REQUEST THAT I HAVE ON THERE IS CELL PHONE ALLOWANCE FOR MYSELF.

I'M THE ONLY JP IN PARKER COUNTY THAT, UM, DOES DWI BLOOD DRAW WARRANTS.

AND IT'S BECAUSE I'M AN ATTORNEY.

SO FIVE MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR, I'M ON 24 HOUR CALL.

UM, HAD AS MANY AS 15 WARRANTS IN A MONTH.

USUALLY AVERAGES ABOUT 10 WARRANTS A MONTH, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT I'M CALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.

HAVE TO GET UP.

NOW, WE HAVE NOW INSTITUTED, UM, WHERE I DON'T HAVE TO DRIVE TO THE HOSPITAL TO SIGN THOSE WARRANTS.

UM, SOME OF THE JUDGES STILL WISH TO DO THAT.

I CAN DO IT ALL ON MY CELL PHONE.

I CAN RECEIVE THE CALL, I CAN RECEIVE THE WARRANT, I CAN UM, OR RECEIVE THE REQUEST, THE PROBABLE CAUSE AFFIDAVIT.

I CAN SEND THE WARRANT AND THE ORDER BACK ALL THROUGH MY PHONE.

BUT I DO THAT ON MY PERSONAL PHONE.

UM, LIKE I SAID, IT'S FIVE MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR THAT IT'S 24 7 CALL.

SO, UM, THAT'S THE REASON FOR THAT REQUEST.

BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S THE ONLY CHANGES THAT I'VE REQUESTED.

[00:30:02]

D ON DISCUSSION, PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENT FOUR 90 ELECTIONS BUDGET REQUEST.

ANY QUESTIONS FOR JUDGE MENDOLIA? THANK YOU, SIR.

[I.D. Discussion/Presentation on Department 490 Elections budget requests. (Crickett Miller / Judge Deen)]

RICKETT.

EVERY YEAR I'VE COME, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M LOOKING AT COMPARED TO WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT THIS YEAR.

I PUT IT ON A POWERPOINT SO WE CAN ALL BE LOOKING AT THE SAME THING.

YOU OKAY? SORRY.

SO WE START WITH, UH, CONTRACT SERVICES AND AGREEMENTS.

THE ONLY THING THAT HAS CHANGED HERE IS OUR PULL PADS, ADDING THOSE TO LEASING.

UM, ALSO I ADDED SCODEL, WHICH IS ELECTION NIGHT REPORTING.

AND I'M GONNA SHOW YOU HERE IN A LITTLE BIT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

BUT IT'S $6,700, UH, DUES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS.

I HAVE NO CHANGES THERE.

TRAINING AND TRAVEL, IT'S $8,455 AND OUR ACTUAL REQUEST, IT'S 9,000 JUST IN CASE THERE'S A INCREASE ON MILEAGE OR THE HOTELS, THINGS LIKE THAT.

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT.

AND Y'ALL ARE GONNA BE VERY EXCITED.

I'M NOT ASKING FOR ANY ADDITIONAL VOTING EQUIPMENT THIS YEAR, BUT NEXT YEAR IS A 2020.

THE NEXT CYCLE WILL BE 2026, WHICH WILL BE ANOTHER GOVERNOR'S ELECTION.

UM, ALSO LEGISLATION.

THEY'RE WANTING TO CHANGE US FROM COUNTYWIDE VOTING TO PRECINCT VOTING.

IF THAT DOES OCCUR, THAT COULD CAUSE ISSUES WITH OUR MACHINES.

WE HAVE ENOUGH MACHINES AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

WE HAVE 45 VOTING PRECINCTS TO DO THREE MACHINES AT EVERY LOCATION.

YOU CAN ONLY HAVE A MAXIMUM NUMBER OF 5,000 REGISTERED VOTERS AT EACH VOTING PRECINCT.

SO LET'S SAY WE ARE OVER AT ALITO THOUGH, AND WE'RE AT THAT PRECINCT, 70% OF THE PEOPLE SHOW UP.

THAT'S 3,500 PEOPLE.

YOU GOT THREE MACHINES.

IF THEY AVERAGE ANYWHERE FROM THREE TO SEVEN MINUTES, YOU'RE TALKING NEARLY 400 HOURS OF VOTING.

YOU CAN'T GET THAT DONE IN ONE DAY, .

SO WE GOT TO THINK ABOUT IT AND BE PREPARED IN CASE THEY DO CHANGE US BACK TO PRECINCT VOTING.

UM, SOME OF THE LOCATIONS ARE NOT GONNA HAVE 5,000 RETRO VOTER.

WE HAVE SOME OF THEM THAT ONLY HAVE THREE OR 400 NOW.

SO WE MAY HAVE TO DO A LITTLE, UH, THE N******G ON OUR PRECINCT LINES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

IF THIS COMES IN EFFECT, I DO NOT KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN OUR LEGISL LEGISLATIVE CYCLE.

BUT NEXT YEAR I WILL BE TALKING TO YOU ABOUT ADDING SOME MACHINES.

DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW LIKE TURNAROUND TIME FOR THOSE MACHINES IF YOU HAVE TO ORDER SOME? UM, THEY WERE WANTING ME TO ORDER 'EM IN APRIL.

IF WE WERE GONNA USE 'EM IN NOVEMBER THIS YEAR.

SO ABOUT THAT 5, 5, 6 MONTHS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

DO IT IN HOUSE, BUT IT IS AN UPGRADE TO THE MACHINES.

NON-CAPITAL ITEMS. THIS IS JUST OFFICE CHAIRS A LAMINATOR THAT WORKS VERY WELL.

THE OTHER ISSUE THOUGH IS VDR.

SO EVERY ONE OF OUR VOTING MACHINES, THE SCANNERS AND THE, UH, CONTROLLER USE A VDRIVE.

A VDRIVE IS A FLASH DRIVE TO ME AND YOU.

UM, BUT THEY HAVE TO BE BOUGHT BY HEART AND THEY'RE $66 A PIECE.

Y'ALL PURCHASED THE EQUIPMENT IN 2019.

WE'VE NOT PURCHASED ANY NEW V DRIVES.

YES, THEY'RE ONLY USED MAYBE TWO TO THREE TIMES A YEAR, WHICH IS VERY POOR.

BUT WHAT IF ONE OF THEM QUITS WORKING AND HARD IS RECOMMENDING START CHANGING THOSE OUT.

SO IF WE COULD DO A HUNDRED MINIMUM THIS YEAR, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

I'VE ASKED FOR 200 BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE NEED, BUT WE'VE GOT, I MEAN, THIS IS AN ESSENTIAL PIECE THAT WE'VE GOT TO GET DONE.

UM, BECAUSE YOU JUST DON'T WANT YOUR V DRIVES TO FAIL AFTER A WHILE.

YOU DON'T HAVE ANY V DRIVES.

WE CAN'T JUST PULL A V DRIVE FROM STAPLES TO WORK.

HAVE YOU HAD ANY FAIL YET? I I THINK WE'RE GONNA BE JUST FINE FOR NOVEMBER, BUT NEXT YEAR WE REALLY NEED TO START.

WHAT'S THE LIFE OF THEM? DID THEY MAIN THEY REALLY DIDN'T SAY.

THEY JUST, WHEN WE TALK EVERY YEAR, THEY SAID THIS YEAR THEY SAID YOU'VE GOT TO START DOING SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR VDR.

UM, ALSO IN 2025, THEY HAVE AN UPDATE THAT IS COMING TO ALL THE VOTING EQUIPMENT.

SO I WILL BRING THAT BACK TO COMMISSIONER'S COURT.

THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO IN HOUSE.

THEY'LL SEND US ALL OF THE SUPPLIES.

[00:35:01]

WE ARE NOT GONNA DO THAT PRIOR TO THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

AND THEN I HAVE IT NON-CAPITAL ITEMS. ALL OF THIS WILL BE COMING THROUGH JAMES'S BUDGET NOW, BUT WE NEED NEWER SCANNERS.

THE SCANNERS WE USE ARE OLDER AND A COUPLE OF THEM DON'T WORK WITH WINDOWS ANYMORE.

UM, THE ADOBE PRO, WE JUST HAVE TWO OF THOSE IN OFFICE THAT WE LIKE TO USE.

NOW.

ELECTION NIGHT REPORTING.

SEVERAL YEARS AGO WE DID USE ELECTION NIGHT REPORTING.

UM, THESE ARE COUNTIES THAT ARE AROUND US THAT USE ELECTION NIGHT REPORTING RIGHT NOW.

UM, ROCKWALL USES IT AND THIS IS WHAT IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE.

WE'LL SEE IF IT WORKS FOR ME.

IF YOU'VE EVER LOOKED AT THE RESULTS, WHENEVER YOUR VOTE, WHENEVER YOU'VE ARE A CANDIDATE AND YOU'RE WANTING TO SEE WHO'S WINNING AND ALL THIS, THIS IS WHERE YOU WOULD COME.

AND IT, AND IT WORKS MUCH BETTER ON YOUR PHONES.

IF YOU'RE LOOKING ON YOUR PHONE, EVERYTHING'S GOING SLOW.

UM, THE REPUBLICAN PARTY ASKED ME IF WE WOULD GET THIS.

UM, I ASKED THEM IF THEY WOULD SEND ME A EMAIL OR SOMETHING REINSTATING THAT AND I DIDN TO GET A RESPONSE.

BUT IT, ALL IT IS IS IS THAT IT IS.

I WONDER WHY IT DOESN'T WORK.

MR. IT, SORRY.

HOW CAN I GET THAT TO SHOW UP THERE? I THINK IT'S, OH, OKAY.

WHAT IT IS THOUGH IS ALL IT IS IS A REPORTING.

IT'S SOMETHING PRETTY FOR EVERYBODY TO LOOK AT WHEN THEY GO TO LOOK AT IT.

RIGHT NOW WHAT WE DO IS JUST A PDF.

SO IT'S, SO IF IT'S 52 PAGES, YOU'VE GOTTA GO THROUGH EACH AND EVERY SINGLE PAGE TO FIND WHATEVER RACE IT'S YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.

THERE YOU GO.

THANK YOU SIR.

AND ON THIS ONE, THERE'S ALL DIFFERENT THINGS.

YOU CAN ACTUALLY PUT YOUR FAVORITES.

SO IT'S ONLY CERTAIN RACES THAT YOU'RE WANTING TO LOOK AT IT, UH, ALL SORTS OF DETAILS OVER HERE FOR THE OPEN RECORDS, FOR PEOPLE THAT LOVE ALL THOSE REPORTS, THEY CAN GET THOSE DONE THERE.

OURS, WHAT WE USE NOW IS JUST A PDF.

BUT ANYWAY, HOOD, DENTON, ROCK WALL, TARRANT COUNTY ALL USE THIS RIGHT NOW AROUND US.

WELL, YOU CALLED IT PURDY.

UH, HOW MUCH DOES THIS PURDY COST US? $6,700 A YEAR.

6,700? YES SIR.

YEAH, FOR SOME PURDY STUFF.

I, I I MEAN I JUST, I'M THROWING IT OUT THERE TO YOU.

YEP.

IS THIS THE ONE THE STATE USES? IT'S SIMILAR.

LOOKS SIMILAR.

IT'S VERY SIMILAR.

IT'S, IT LOOKS, LOOKS SIMILAR.

IT'S NOT THE SAME COMPANY I DON'T THINK.

UM, OURS IS ALL JUST PDF, GREG COUNTY.

COLLIN COUNTY.

I MEAN, STILL SOME OF YOUR LARGER COUNTIES USE JUST A PDF.

UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT IS JUST THE FACT THAT SOMETIMES IT HELPS.

I DON'T KNOW.

IT IS JUST SOMETHING I HAVE FOR AN IDEA.

UM, I LIKE IT.

BUT IF IT CAME OUTTA MY PERSONAL $6,700, I DON'T KNOW THAT I WOULD SPEND IT.

BUT IT IS SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT DOING.

IT'S VERY ACCESSIBLE ON YOUR PHONE, WHICH HELPS PEOPLE.

UM, WE DON'T GIVE OUT RESULTS ON ELECTION NIGHT, WHICH, UH, EVERYBODY'S REALLY DONE VERY GOOD AT TAKING IT AND UNDERSTANDING THAT.

AND, UM, USED TWO PEOPLE DID WATCH PARTIES AT DIFFERENT PLACES AND THEY USED THIS BECAUSE IT WOULD TELL YOU WHEN IT WAS UPDATED AND ALL THAT INFORMATION.

I WOULD SAY THAT IF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY REALLY WANTS THIS, IT SURE WOULD BE NICE TO HEAR THAT FROM THEM.

YES, I UNDERSTAND.

I SENT HIM AN EMAIL, BUT I DIDN'T GET A RESPONSE.

Y'ALL HAVE DOZERS TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE TREES OUT IF Y'ALL CAN LEVEL LAND.

YEAH, IT'D BE NICE TOO IF THEY JUST SENT US A CHECK TOO, WOULDN'T IT? FOR $6,700, THAT'D BE GREAT.

THERE YOU GO.

UM, MAIN THING I WANNA TELL, TALK TO YOU ABOUT TOO IS, UH, THE BUILDING, THE, AS WE HAD A MEETING THE OTHER DAY AT Y'ALL'S COMMISSIONER'S COURT ABOUT, WE'RE PROGRESSING WITH THE PROCESS.

UH, WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANY BIDS BACK YET FROM THEM TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, A COST ESTIMATE OF THE FINAL THINGS.

UM, THEY HAVEN'T TALKED TO ME ANYMORE ABOUT THE PARKING LOT, BUT WE DO NEED TO BRING UP THAT DURING THIS BUDGET PROCESS SO THAT WE DO KNOW WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.

UM, I HAD THE IDEA THAT YOU FOUR GENTLEMEN HAVE PRECINCTS.

CAN YOUR OFFICES DO THE PARKING LOT? I KNOW THAT MR. HALE DOES SOME PAVING.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHER OFFICES, WHAT PART, IF

[00:40:01]

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S ANYTHING THAT COUNTY'S EVER DONE.

GENERAL FUND WOULD HAVE TO REIMBURSE THEM FOR ANY MATERIAL TIME AND EQUIPMENT.

JUST BECAUSE IT, THAT WOULD BE A GENERAL FUND STATE.

SO THE WORK THAT WAS PERFORMED IN THE PARKING LOT OVER HERE.

THE, THE MAIN DIFFERENCE IS ASPHALT CONCRETE.

THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE WITH WHAT WE DEAL WITH ON A DAILY BASIS.

GENERALLY DOESN'T UTILIZE, IS THAT NOT BLACKTOP? THE ONE THAT WE DID AT THE EAST ANNEX IS BLACKTOP.

THE, THE NEW BUILDING ON SANTA FE.

THE UPPER PART IS BLACK TOP, ISN'T IT? ON THE FRONT? I DON'T, BUT THEN DOWN BELOW BY THE PARK IS CONCRETE, I BELIEVE.

YOU'RE PROBABLY RIGHT.

I, NOW I'M STARTING TO QUESTION.

I THOUGHT IT WAS ALL CONCRETE, BUT I'M NOT SURE.

WELL, I JUST WANNA PUT THAT IN Y'ALL'S MINDS TO REMEMBER THAT BEFORE YOU GET FINISHED WITH THE PROCESS OF BUDGETING, UH, THAT WE NEED TO, I WOULD ECHO COMMISSIONER HALE THAT YOU PROBABLY DON'T WANT OUR GUYS DOING CONCRETE.

WE DON'T, WE DON'T DO THAT A WHOLE LOT.

OKAY, WELL MAYBE Y'ALL COULD CLEAR IT OFF.

GET IT READY FOR THE CONCRETE GUYS.

WELL WE'RE GONNA, WE CAN TEAR IT UP, THAT'S FOR SURE.

THERE YOU GO.

WE GOT THAT DONE THEN .

WELL WE CAN, PLENTY OF US.

THEY CAN DO THAT.

IF I, IF I WOULD ASK JUST KIND OF, I'M, I'M TRYING TO KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD.

WE DO HAVE A COMMITTEE THAT WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT AND BRINGING BACK OPTIONS TO THE COURT AND SO WE'LL HAVE A MORE EDUCATED SET OF INFORMATION, UH, TO GIVE AND GO ON.

JUST DON'T WANT US TO FORGET.

I DON'T THINK THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.

UM, I ALSO RAN THE NUMBERS THIS MORNING.

WE HAVE 124,595 REGISTERED VOTERS AS OF TODAY.

SO WE WILL HAVE OVER 125,000 BY THE TIME WE GET TO OCTOBER THE SEVENTH LAST DAY TO REGISTERED ABOUT 124 WHAT? A HUNDRED TWENTY FOUR FIVE NINE FIVE FIVE NINE FIVE.

YES SIR.

THAT CHANGES DAILY, DOESN'T IT? YES SIR.

AND ESPECIALLY WITH, UH, I HEARD FROM SOMEBODY THAT 22 PEOPLE MOVED TO PARKER COUNTY A DAY CLOSER TO 30.

SEE? YES.

ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME TODAY? THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

DISCUSSION PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENT 4 99.

MOVE TO ITEM ME ON

[I.E. Discussion/Presentation on Department 499 Tax Assessor-Collector budget requests. (Jenny Gentry / Judge Deen)]

TAX ACCESSOR COLLECTOR BUDGET REQUEST.

UM, THE MAJORITY OF THE STUFF I ASK FOR IS PRETTY ROUTINE.

OUR CONTRACT MAINTENANCE, THE INCREASE IS BECAUSE QUICKBOOKS ONLINE HAS GONE UP SOME AND WE'RE MOVING OUR QUENCH TO THIS LINE.

WE WERE PREVIOUSLY PAYING FOR IT OUTTA SUPPLIES.

SO WE REDUCE THAT LINE AND INCREASE THE CONTRACT SERVICES.

UM, DUES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS IS NORMAL.

THAT'S OUR MEMBERSHIP DUES FOR TACA CONFERENCE.

WE, I REQUESTED A HUNDRED DOLLARS INCREASE AND IT'S JUST BECAUSE CONFERENCES ARE COSTING MORE THAN THEY HAVE IN THE PAST.

BUILDING AND GROUNDS.

SO OFFICE MAINTENANCE, MAINTENANCE, I DON'T HAVE A NUMBER, BUT WE ARE ASKING FOR A REMODEL OR AN EXPANSION TO THE SPRINGTOWN OFFICE.

THE ANNEX BUILDING, NOT JUST MINE BUT THE ENTIRE ANNEX BUILDING.

UH, THE SAME THING FOR THE WEATHERFORD ANNEX AND TO ADD SOME ACOUSTIC PANELS TO THE SPRINGTOWN LOBBY.

WE REQUESTED THAT LAST YEAR.

I THOUGHT IT WAS APPROVED.

I DON'T THINK IT WAS ACTUALLY APPROVED BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN INSTALLED.

OUR SPRINGTOWN ANNEX HAS ZERO ROOM FOR ANY KIND OF ADDITIONAL STAFF OR STORAGE AND THAT'S FOR EVERY OFFICE IN THE BUILDING.

I THINK RAY ROCK MAY HAVE DISCUSSED THAT WITH SOME OF Y'ALL.

HE CAME TO SEE ME ABOUT IT.

THE REQUEST I DID FOR A NEW EMPLOYEE IS ONE OF THE REASONS WE ALSO NEED ADDITIONAL SPACE.

BUT OUR DMV COUNTY LIAISON CONDUCTED ANOTHER ANALYSIS OF OUR WORKLOAD AND IT SHOWS THAT WE SHOULD HAVE 28 FULL-TIME WORKSTATIONS.

I HAVE 20 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES, TWO OF WHICH DO NOT DO THAT.

ONE'S A BOOKKEEPER AND ONE'S A CHIEF DEPUTY.

SO THAT PUTS ME AT 18.

AND THEN WE HAVE TWO PART-TIME.

[00:45:01]

I WOULD SAY WE HAVE 19 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.

SO MY OFFICE IS CURRENTLY NINE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES SHORT.

I DID AND WHAT I GAVE TO Y'ALL SINCE I CAME INTO OFFICE AS TAX ASSESSOR IN 2017, WE'VE HAD A 79.6% INCREASE IN TRANSACTIONS.

THAT IS A VERY LARGE INCREASE.

THAT DOES NOT COUNT STUFF THAT'S NOT TRACKABLE BY DMV.

THAT'S JUST PURELY THROUGH STATE COMPUTERS.

BECAUSE OF THAT, WE REALLY NEED TO INCREASE OUR STAFF, BUT WE HAVE NO ROOM AT ALL.

IF ELECTIONS WERE TO MOVE OUT, , MAYBE WE COULD EXPAND TO THE KITCHEN AREA.

AND I KNOW THE JP WOULD LIKE SOME SPACE TOO.

WE COULD ADD MORE CLERKS THAT WAY.

UM, THE SPRINGTOWN OFFICE, THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING TO TAKE FROM ANYWHERE.

IT WOULD TRULY HAVE TO BE A FULL ON EXPANSION OR A NEW BUILDING.

I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT THE BEST SCENARIO IS FOR THE SPRINGTOWN OFFICE, BUT, UM, IT COULD USE A DRIVE THROUGH OR IT COULD USE AN ADDITIONAL CLERK, BUT THEY JUST, THERE'S NOWHERE ELSE TO PUT ANYBODY.

I PHYSICALLY HAVE NO WALL SPACE TO ADD ANOTHER WINDOW FOR SOMEONE TO BE ABLE TO COME UP TO.

ANOTHER OPTION FOR WEATHERFORD, IF WE CAN'T EXPAND WOULD BE TO GET US A SECONDARY LOCATION.

IT WOULD HELP ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE PARKING ISSUES IN THE SANTA FE LOCATION IF WE HAD TWO LOCATIONS THAT PEOPLE COULD GO TO.

I AGAIN, DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'D DO THAT, BUT IT'S AN OPTION.

UM, I, I JUST REALLY HOPE THAT Y'ALL CONSIDER THE GROWTH THAT NOT ONLY Y'ALL ARE SEEING, BUT ALL THE OFFICES ARE SEEING AND THAT OUR OFFICE ALONE, I MEAN AT ALMOST 80% INCREASE, WE DEFINITELY NEED MORE STAFF.

UM, THE ONLY OTHER, I HAD REQUESTED THREE LAPTOPS, WHICH I KNOW IS GONNA BE IN THE BUDGET AND THAT'S BECAUSE JAMES SAID MINE ARE OLD AND I SHOULD HAVE DONE IT LAST YEAR.

I DIDN'T.

AND TO REPLACE ONE OFFICE CHAIR OTHER THAN THAT ONE, IT'S EASY.

I DO HAVE ONE REQUEST THAT I HAD PUT IN OUR BUDGET FOR OUR POSTAGE AT 8,500.

BUT DUE TO RECENT CHANGES IN OUR POSTAL COST AND SOME REQUESTS THAT THE STATE HAS ASKED US TO DO, I'M GONNA ASK THAT Y'ALL INCREASE THAT TO 9,100 INSTEAD OF BELIEVING AT 8 85.

'CAUSE WE WON'T MAKE IT THROUGH THE WHOLE YEAR.

OTHER THAN THAT.

DO Y'ALL HAVE QUESTIONS FOR ME? YOU SAY YOU'RE NINE EMPLOYEES SHORT, NINE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES SHORT.

WE, WE HAVE NO PLACE TO PUT 'EM.

I, I DON'T HAVE ANY PLACE.

I HAVE TWO CLERKS IN MY STORAGE ROOM.

I KNOW THAT'S AWFUL.

ON SANTA FE.

ON SANTA FE THERE'S NOT ANY SPACE AT ALL IN SPRINGTOWN.

WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A STORAGE ROOM.

OUR STORAGE IS IN THE OFFICE WITH THE GIRLS.

THERE'S JUST NOT A PLACE TO PUT.

WHAT ABOUT THE EAST ANNEX? YOU CAN PUT SOMEONE THERE THAT I DON'T HAVE ANYBODY GOING THERE, BUT THERE'S NO NEED FOR THAT AT THIS POINT.

CORRECT? YEAH, IT DOES HAVE THE SPACE.

LIKE I COULD ADD A FULL-TIME PERSON, WHICH IS WHAT I'M GONNA DO IF Y'ALL GRANT THE ONE AND THEY'LL GO THERE AND THEY'LL HAVE TO DO DEALER WORK ONLINE.

SO ALL DEALERS HAVE TO GO TO ONLINE SUBMISSION COME JULY.

SO, OKAY, SO THE ONE YOU'RE ASKING IS GOING TO THE EAST ANNEX 'CAUSE I CAN'T PUT HER ANYWHERE ELSE.

BUT THE DEPLOYMENT OF THESE NINE IS ON A MORE OF A STRATEGIC WHERE, WHERE THEY'RE NEEDED AND THEN IN SOME OF THOSE YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE THE SPACE.

THEY REALLY NEED, I REALLY NEED TO PUT TWO IN SPRINGTOWN AND THE REST IN WEATHERFORD, BUT I, I HAVE NO PLACE TO PUT THEM.

ALRIGHT.

ANY QUESTIONS FOR JENNY? THANK YOU JENNY.

PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENT 4, 7, 5.

GOOD.

ITEM

[I.F. Discussion/Presentation on Department 475 County Attorney budget requests. (John Forrest / Judge Deen)]

F ON DISCUSSION.

THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S BUDGET REQUEST.

Y'ALL TRACKING WHERE I AM ON THAT? ON THE CONTRACT SERVICES? YEAH.

MORNING.

SO I THINK, I THINK I CAN GET THROUGH THIS PRETTY QUICKLY.

AND SO SPECIFICALLY TO THE CHANGES FROM LAST YEAR'S BUDGET, UM, WE HAVE SOME CONTRACT SERVICES THAT WOULD BE NEW AND THE REQUEST ON THOSE ARE CAMERAS FOR OUR INVESTIGATORS.

THEY GO OUT ON ASSAULT AND VIOLENCE AND CURRENTLY DEPUTIES HAVE THOSE.

UH, THEY UTILIZE THAT VIDEO FOOTAGE IN CASES.

UM, WE SERVE THE PROTECTIVE ORDERS.

I APOLOGIZE, DO Y'ALL NEED TO,

[00:50:01]

AND THEN IT HAD RECOMMENDED SOME SCANNERS AND SO BASED ON THEIR RECOMMENDATION THAT WAS GONNA ADD ABOUT $4,500 IN A NEW ELECTRONICS.

SO THAT'S THE REQUEST FOR 14,315 AND SPECIFICALLY LIKE STATED, UH, THAT'D BE UTILIZED FOR CASES JUST LIKE THE DEPUTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, ALL THE PDS UTILIZE, UH, WHEN WE DO GO OUT FOR EITHER A CPS CASE OR FOR ASSAULTING VIOLENCE, UH, A LOT OF THAT INFORMATION THAT WE CAN GATHER ON THE SCENE WOULD BE BENEFICIAL IF WE HAD A VIDEO.

AND IT ALSO PROTECTS THE COUNTY AS FAR AS LIABILITIES, DUES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS, WHICH WOULD BE THE NEXT ONE.

THERE ARE NO CHANGES IN THAT TRAINING AND TRAVEL REQUEST.

UH, THE ONE THAT, UH, ASSAULTING VIOLENCE HAVE A BOARD CERTIFIED ATTORNEY AND SO THERE IS A FEE, UH, FOR THAT BOARD CERTIFICATION, UM, WOULD REQUEST THAT FUNDING UH, BE ADDED IN AND THAT'S 3,500 OFFICE MAINTENANCE, REPAIR AND REMODEL REQUEST.

UM, WE DID HAVE ON THERE FROM PREVIOUS YEARS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT ON HOLD WOULD BE THE, THE CARPET WITHIN THE BUILDING AND WE'VE BEEN MANAGING WITH THAT.

BUT IF, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE ANY TYPE OF REMODEL, I THINK THEY HAD THE SQUARES AT ONE POINT THE CARPET.

I'D HAVE TO VISIT WITH MARK TO TO DETERMINE THAT.

BUT I THINK HE DID HAVE THAT ALREADY AVAILABLE IN HIS INVENTORY.

SO WE'RE JUST ASKING FOR THAT.

THE OTHER THINGS THAT WOULD BE NEW THAT WE SEMI HAD ON THERE WOULD BE INSTALL UV SCREENS ON THE WINDOWS THAT WOULD CUT DOWN ON THE ELECTRICAL COSTS.

SO I BELIEVE WE'D RECOVER THAT MONEY IF THAT WAS PERFORMED IN THE OFFICES THAT THAT'S BEEN DONE.

IT HAS DROPPED DOWN THE TEMPERATURES IN THOSE PARTICULAR OFFICES.

UM, THERE'S SOME CURTAINS IN THAT AREA THAT'S A LITTLE BIT HIGHER IN THAT BUILDING REQUIRES A LIFT TO GET UP THERE AND CLEAN AND IF POSSIBLE WE'D LIKE TO GET THAT DONE AS WELL ON THE OFFICE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR ON SALARY RECLASSIFICATIONS.

UM, LAST YEAR WE HAD SENATE BILL 22 THAT PAID FOR ONE OF MY CPS ATTORNEYS.

UH, WE'RE TRYING TO GET THAT FUNDED THIS YEAR AND THAT IS AN AMOUNT OF 108,320.

SO THAT WOULD BE A NEW SALARY LINE.

I THINK LAST YEAR WE WERE GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET THAT APPROVED.

THAT WOULD STILL LEAVE ME WITH THREE CPS ATTORNEYS, WHICH AT THIS TIME I BELIEVE IS ADEQUATE, UM, TO COVER THE CASES THAT WE HAVE.

YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY AS WE GROW AND EVERYBODY'S DEALING WITH THAT, EVERY DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW OBVIOUSLY YOU KNOW THOSE ARE GONNA BE FUTURE CONCERNS.

BUT WITH CPS, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY IT'S ONE OF THOSE TYPE OF CASES THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED THOROUGHLY.

UH, CAN'T FLY BY THE SEAT OF YOUR PANTS.

YOU HAVE TO REALLY GET IN, DIVE INTO THE INFORMATION AND THE EVIDENCE AND WORK WITH THESE FAMILIES.

SO, UM, THAT WOULD BE ONE THAT I WOULD STRONGLY UH, REQUEST.

AS FAR AS THE SALARY, NEW POSITIONS, NOT ASKING FOR ANY NEW POSITIONS AT THIS TIME.

UM, IT REQUEST, WE HAD FUNDED OUR COMPUTERS LAST YEAR.

I THINK JAMES HAD ALREADY ORDERED THOSE.

SO THAT SHOULD COME OUT OF THIS FISCAL YEAR.

UH, AND WOULDN'T ROLL OVER.

SO THERE MAY BE SOME SAVINGS THAT WE CAN TURN BACK TO THE COUNTY ON THAT.

AND IT WOULD BE AROUND 35,000 IF, IF WE DO HAVE THOSE BUDGETED.

AND I BELIEVE, AND SINCE JAMES HERE I MIGHT BE ABLE TO ASK YOU OF THIS YEAR.

SO WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO REMOVE THAT OUT OF THE BUDGET SINCE WE WERE ABLE TO GET THOSE FUNDED THIS YEAR.

THEY WERE APPROVED LAST YEAR.

WE WEREN'T SURE IF WE'RE GONNA GET THOSE ORDERED.

SO THOSE SHOULD BE, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO REMOVE THOSE.

UH, AS FAR AS VEHICLES, WE HAVE PUT A REQUEST IN FOR TWO VEHICLES.

UH, WE HAD A MALIBU, THERE WAS A 2009.

UM, WE'VE SENT IT IN FOR REPAIRS.

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD NEVER GO OFF.

WE COULDN'T GET IT PASSED FOR INSPECTION.

AND SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THAT ONE'S ALREADY BEEN SENT TO SURPLUS.

SO, UH, WE'RE ASKING FOR TWO NEW VEHICLES.

WE HAVE THE MALIBU, WHICH WAS 2009.

IT HAD LOW MILEAGE BUT IT WAS JUST AN OLDER VEHICLE THAT WAS ONE OF THOSE, THOSE NEW ELECTRICS.

AND WE GOT IT ON A GRANT ORIGINALLY.

SO THERE WASN'T ANY COST WHENEVER WE ORIGINALLY GOT THAT ONE.

UM, BUT THEN WE ARE ASKING FOR A NEW VEHICLE FOR A REPLACEMENT ON THE CHARGER AND IT HAS 160,000 MILES ON IT AND IT IS A 2014 AND WE'RE JUST TRYING TO ROLL NEW VEHICLES IN TO KIND OF KEEP AHEAD OF THE CURVE ON THAT.

THESE NEW VEHICLES, THEY'RE FOR THE INVESTIGATORS? THEY ARE.

THEY ARE.

[00:55:01]

AS FAR AS SALARIES, I DIDN'T KNOW IF WE WERE DISCUSSING THOSE TODAY.

SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS, IS I'D LOOKED AT SEVERAL COUNTIES THAT SURROUND THE METROPLEX.

IT'S NOT FAIR TO COMPARE TO THE METROPLEX 'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NEVER GONNA BE COMPETITIVE WITH THEM, BUT KAUFMAN COUNTY, ROCKWALL, LIBERTY, KAMAL ELLIS, YOU KNOW, THOSE HAVE SIMILAR POPULATIONS TO WHAT PARKER COUNTY HAS.

AND THEN THEY'RE ALSO SIMILARLY LOCATED TO THE METROPLEX THAT ARE COMPETING.

SO YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE SALARIES WE CURRENTLY HAVE, WE'RE PRETTY COMPETITIVE.

WE MAY BE A LITTLE BIT BEHIND, BUT AS FAR AS MY SECRETARIES, I'D LIKE TO TO LOOK AT THAT AND LOOK AT THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE COUNTY AND TRY TO KEEP THEM AS EQUAL AS POSSIBLE.

SO WE DON'T HAVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE SOMETIMES IN THE PAST IF YOU HAD DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN SALARIES DOING BASICALLY THE SAME, SAME JOB, SAME FUNCTION, YOU MIGHT HAVE SOMEONE MOVE FROM ONE DEPARTMENT TO ANOTHER.

UH, PRIME EXAMPLE, LARRY WALDEN STOLE ONE OF MY EMPLOYEES A WHILE BACK.

GREAT EMPLOYEE , BUT THAT'S BEEN A LONG TIME AGO.

SO THAT WAS BEFORE ME.

SORRY.

WELL HE KEPT HER BY THE WAY.

SO, BUT JUST WANTED TO LOOK AT THOSE SALARIES FOR SECRETARIAL POSITIONS AND MAYBE GET THEM WITHIN THE BALLPARK OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE COUNTY.

I THINK AS FAR AS LOOKING AT THE COUNTIES THAT SURROUND US AND SURROUND METROPLEX, WE'RE PROBABLY PRETTY COMPETITIVE.

BUT JUST GOING AHEAD AND LOOKING AT WHAT WE HAVE INTERNALLY, YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S VERY COMPARATIVE FROM ONE DEPARTMENT TO THE NEXT.

SO I THINK WE'RE A LITTLE BEHIND ON SOME OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, SO I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT THAT.

UM, INVESTIGATORS ANOTHER ONE THAT I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT AND IF WE'RE FUNDED WITH THE CPS, JUST FOR FULL TRANSPARENCY, IF WE'RE FUNDED WITH THE UM, CPS UH, POSITION THAT WE HAD LAST YEAR, THE 1 0 8, I'LL BE ABLE TO UTILIZE SOME OF THAT SENATE BILL 22 MONEY TO BRING MY ATTORNEYS UP WHERE THEY SHOULD BE IN COMPARISON WITH THESE COUNTIES.

'CAUSE WE ARE FAR BEHIND ON THOSE.

BUT ALL BUT THE REASON WE ARE IS THOSE OTHER COUNTIES WERE ABLE TO UTILIZE THAT SENATE BILL MONEY TO BRING THEIR ATTORNEYS UP IN SALARY INSTEAD OF CREATING ANOTHER POSITION.

AND SO I WOULD UTILIZE THAT MONEY TO GO AHEAD AND BRING THEIR SALARIES UP AS OPPOSED TO FUNDING A FULL POSITION.

THAT'S ABOUT ALL I HAVE.

ANY QUESTIONS FOR JOHN? OKAY.

DID I SKIP OVER THAT? RIGHT? I DID SKIP THAT ONE.

AND THEN I HAVE A QUESTION.

ARE THERE ANY, UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT SALARY COMPARISONS BETWEEN THE SECRETARIES, WHAT ABOUT BETWEEN INVESTIGATORS AND THINGS LIKE THAT? ARE THERE ANY ISSUES LIKE THAT THAT NEED TO BE DISCUSSED? AND AND I DID MENTION THAT WITH INVESTIGATORS THERE'S A PRETTY LARGE GAP BETWEEN MM-HMM.

, OUR OFFICE AND THE DA'S OFFICE.

YOU KNOW, I'M NOT TRYING TO COMPLETELY CLOSE THAT GAP.

IT MAY BE BRING THEM UP WHERE IT'S AT LEAST COMPETITIVE WITH THAT OTHER DEPARTMENT.

AS LONG AS YOU LEAVE BRANSON OUT OF THAT, THAT'S FINE.

, WHAT'S THE PERCENT GAP, JOHN? UM, BALLPARK.

JUST, I MEAN JUST, IS IT PRETTY LARGE THE DIFFERENCE? PROBABLY ABOUT 10 TO 15,000 PER EMPLOYEE PER INVESTIGATOR IN INVESTIGATOR POSITIONS.

YES.

AND I'M NOT TRYING TO CLOSE THAT GAP COMPLETELY.

JUST TRYING TO CHIP AWAY AT IT A LITTLE BIT.

THEY'LL BE GRATEFUL FOR ANYTHING THEY CAN RECEIVE AND, AND THESE ARE GUYS THAT ARE CARRYING A FIREARM AND GOING INTO DANGEROUS SITUATIONS SOMETIMES.

SO, YOU KNOW, AND ONE OF THE, THE SCARIEST THINGS IS SENDING THEM OUT ON PROTECTIVE ORDERS.

BECAUSE WE KNOW IN ASSAULTING VIOLENCE, THAT'S WHERE MOST INJURIES OCCUR FOR POLICE OFFICERS.

WHOEVER'S RECEIVING THAT'S NOT WANTING IT AND IT'S, IT'S BASICALLY AN ORDER TELLING THEM TO STAY AWAY FROM THE INDIVIDUAL THEY'VE BEEN ABUSING AND SO THAT IT'S NOT RECEIVED WELL EVER.

AND YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST A VOLATILE SITUATION WHEN YOU COME UP ON A HOUSE AND THERE'S A FIGHT BETWEEN A HUSBAND AND A SPOUSE OR HUSBAND AND WIFE, WIFE AND HUSBAND.

AND SO THOSE ARE VOLATILE AND THAT'S WHY THE OTHER THING, WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE CAMERAS YEAH.

UH, FOR OUR OFFICERS SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING'S DOCUMENTED.

I THINK THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT POSITION.

SO I'D LIKE US TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THAT AS WE WORK THROUGH POSITION.

WELL IT'S A GOOD POINT BECAUSE THE, UM, THE RISK IS THE SAME WHETHER IT'S THE DA'S OFFICE OR YOUR OFFICE WHEN IT'S A DOMESTIC SITUATION, RIGHT? YEAH.

SO, AND THAT, AND THAT'S WHAT I WORRY ABOUT MY GUYS THE MOST WHEN THEY'RE OUT THERE SERVING THOSE PROTECTIVE ORDERS BECAUSE

[01:00:01]

GOOD.

ANYTHING ELSE? UM, THE PLATTING OFFICE, WE DID LOOK AT THAT AND I THINK THOSE WERE THE TWO RE CLASSIFICATIONS THAT WE HAD WAS THE ASSISTANT PLANNER IN THE COUNTY PLANNER ON THE PLATTING.

AND SO JUST WANNA RECLASSIFY THOSE AND THAT WOULD BRING THEIR SALARIES UP THAT WOULD BE COMPARABLE TO THE OTHER COUNTIES THAT WE LOOKED AT.

AND IT'S KIND OF INTERESTING GOING THROUGH AND LOOKING AT THE DIFFERENT, UM, POSITIONS AND HOW THEY'RE PAID IN OTHER COUNTIES BECAUSE ULTIMATELY WE'RE NOT COMPETING WITH TARRANT COUNTY 'CAUSE WE JUST CAN'T.

BUT WE ARE COMPETING WITH THE, THE ELLIS COUNTIES, THE JOHNSON COUNTIES, YOU KNOW, THOSE TYPE OF COUNTIES THAT HAVE SIMILAR POPULATIONS, SIMILAR TAX BASE.

SO THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE REALLY WANNA FOCUS ON.

I EXPECT ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.

HOW MANY INVESTIGATORS DO YOU HAVE? I HAVE THREE OR FOUR RIGHT NOW.

IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE AFTER 10 O'CLOCK.

UM, I DON'T WANNA MAKE YOU WAIT OVER THERE JAMES, BUT UH, UH, ARE Y'ALL OPEN TO A, ABOUT A 10 MINUTE BREAK? IT'D BE BREAK.

AND MOVE TO ITEM G ON DISCUSSION PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENT 5 82.

UM, RECORD SHOW.

WE WILL TAKE A RECESS AT 10 0 3 AND COME BACK AND JUST ROUND IT OUT AT 10 15.

ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA RETURN FROM RECESS AT 10 20 AND REOPEN THE, THE WORKSHOP

[I.G. Discussion/Presentation on Department 582 IT budget requests. (James Caywood / Judge Deen)]

IT BUDGET REQUEST.

JAMES, WELCOME.

SORRY TO MAKE YOU WAIT.

UH, JAMES KAYWOOD, IT DIRECTOR FOR PARK COUNTY.

I WILL BE PRESENTING THE, UH, WHERE IT INFORMATION FOR DEPARTMENT 5 8 2 INFORMATION, UH, BEFORE, UH, HANDED YOU OUT.

UH, NEW INFORMATION, WHAT WE'RE UPDATING THESE LINES, UH, ALMOST HOURLY RIGHT NOW.

THE MORE INFORMATION I SEE.

SO BEFORE YOU RUN ME OUTTA THE COURT, LET ME EXPLAIN THESE NUMBERS AND WHAT THEY'RE REFLECTING AS FAR AS THE OVERALL IT BUDGET.

UH, WE'VE MADE SOME GREAT GAINS IN REDUCING ACTUAL CAP, NON CAP LINES, UH, SERVICING THE COUNTY, BUT YOU'RE GONNA SEE SOME BUMPS IN RADIO PROJECTS, UH, GOING FORWARD.

SO, UH, AS FAR AS IT IS CONCERNED, UH, SOME OF MY INFORMATION IN THE BUMPS, YOU'RE GONNA SEE CONTRACT SERVICES.

WE HAD A BIG BUMP IN OUR, UH, EXCHANGE LICENSES THIS YEAR.

UH, MICROSOFT 365 IS PUSHING FOR A HARDER NEW AUTHENTICATION METHOD FOR MFA TO ACCESS AND THAT'S GONNA BE BUMPING FROM ABOUT $30,000 TO, YOU SEE ABOUT 141,000.

I WASN'T HAPPY WITH THAT.

I FOUGHT 'EM.

THEY KIND OF OWN THE WORLD AND THEY'RE PUSHING US, UH, THAT ROUTE.

SO, UH, YOU'LL SEE A HUGE INCREASE THERE.

YOU ALSO SEE AN INCREASE IN SOME OF OUR FORTINET SUPPORT, UH, FROM THE UPGRADE, THE ENTIRE CORE FORTINET NETWORK, ALL THE LICENSES WAS INCLUDED FOR THREE YEARS AND THAT IS UP.

AND SO NOW IT'S GONNA BE AN ANNUAL BUMP IN FORTINET SECURITY FOR OUR MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT AND ALL OF OUR CORE NETWORK, UH, UH, MOVING FORWARD.

SO THOSE ARE TWO BUMPS IN CONTRACT SERVICES.

A LITTLE HIGHER THAN OVER LAST YEAR.

UH, COUPLE ITEMS. I AM ASKING FOR AN IT, I AM ASKING FOR ANOTHER FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE IF APPROVED.

THIS WILL BE A, UH, NETWORK, UH, SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR, UH, HELPING US GO FORWARD WITH ALL THE GROWTH, UH, WITH THE COUNTIES DOING, HELPING ME AND MY TEAM, UH, MENTOR AND MOVE FORWARD THIS COUNTY, UH, WITH THE GROWTH, UH, INCLUDING THE RADIO PROJECT, UH, HEAVILY NETWORK STUFF COMING ONLINE, UH, HELP US MOVE FORWARD.

I'M ALSO ASKING FOR A VEHICLE FOR IT DEPARTMENT, UH, WORKING.

IT IS THE, UH, CHEVY TRACKX, I BELIEVE.

UH, LITTLE LESS MONEY THAN A JUST A TRUCK.

UH, BUT I'M HOPING ALL THE DEPARTMENTS WILL ENTER, EVEN PRECINCT BARNES THAT WHEN YOU NEED HELP IT TICKET, ONE OF MY GUYS ARE GONNA SHOW UP IF WE GOT WALK THERE OR WE DRIVE THERE.

HOPEFULLY EVERY DEPARTMENT IN THIS COUNTY WILL TELL YOU WE SHOW UP AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

UH, AND THAT DOES MEAN,

[01:05:01]

UH, WE HAVE TO DRIVE, UH, AROUND THE ENTIRE COUNTY AT TIMES.

SO A COUPLE OF OUR VEHICLES ARE SHOWING AGE.

UH, WE WERE DONATED ONE FROM, UH, UH, CONSTABLE OFFICE TWO HERE LAST YEAR.

SO WE DIDN'T ASK FOR ONE.

BUT, UH, WE WILL MAINTAIN THAT AND ADD ANOTHER VEHICLE TO OUR FLEET.

HOW MANY, UH, EMPLOYEES DO YOU HAVE? UH, CURRENT? I'M NOT COUNTING YOU, UH, CURRENTLY, UH, FIVE.

FIVE, UH, OUTSIDE OF ME.

FIVE FULL-TIME, CORRECT? YES.

AND I HAVE TWO PART-TIME, CURRENTLY.

FIVE FULL TWO PARTS.

YOU'LL ALSO SEE THE BUMP IN MY PART-TIME LINE.

UH, THE ONE INDIVIDUAL WE HIRED, UH, FOR THE RADIO PROJECT, UH, THAT BUMP IS TO KEEP HIM GOING FOR ANOTHER YEAR OR TWO, UH, TO HELP US, UH, WITH THAT PROJECT.

SO THAT INCURS THE, UH, MY PART TIMELINE INCREASE TO HELP WITH THAT.

UH, NOW YOU'LL SEE THE INCREASES, UH, IN, UH, UH, THE NON CAP LINE IS A CONTINGENCY FOR RADIO AND CONTINGENCY, UH, FOR CAP AND NON CAP.

CURRENTLY, THESE NUMBERS MIGHT MOVE.

THEY'RE ABOUT $400,000 TOTAL.

SO I'VE GOT 200 IN, IN CAP AND 200 IN NON CAP FOR THE RADIO PROJECT, UH, UPGRADE.

WE'RE, WE'RE GOING THROUGH, UH, I AM WORKING WITH THE VENDOR, UH, OUR RADIO COMMITTEE, SEE WHERE THOSE NUMBERS ARE ACTUALLY GONNA FALL, UH, AND REPORT BACK, GIVE Y'ALL THE LATEST NUMBERS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

UM, BUT RIGHT NOW, THAT'S THE NUMBER I'M PUTTING IN THERE TO HELP US GET OVER THE FINISH LINE FOR THAT.

ANY QUESTIONS THAT, THAT'S COMING UP, UH, YOU'LL SEE ALSO IN OUR NON CAP, UH, SPECIAL PROJECTS OUT OUTSIDE OF, UH, IT THIS YEAR THAT WE'VE KIND OF HELPED WITH.

WE HAVE TWO OF THEM.

WE, WE HAVE THE, UH, CAMERA PROJECT, AND I'M ALSO INCLUDING ACCESS CONTROL PROJECT IN THAT YOU'LL SEE THAT NUMBER HERE.

THIS IS, UH, INCURRING THE, UH, THIS IS WHAT THE DERIVATIVE COME FROM THE COURTHOUSE SECURITY COMMITTEE, UH, COURTHOUSE SECURITY MOVING FORWARD TO COVER ALL COUNTY VEHICLE, UH, UH, UH, SORRY, EXCUSE ME.

ALL COUNTY, UH, BUILDINGS WITHIN THE COUNTY, INCLUDING PRECINCT BARNS, UH, RADIO TOWER SITES.

UH, THIS IS EVERY BUILDING, UH, PRECINCT OWNS MAINTAINS IS GONNA BE AVAILABLE WITH, UH, THESE CAMERAS.

UH, SOME PRETTY GOOD, UH, AI FEATURES, UH, UH, VIEWABLE AT DISPATCH BY LOCATION.

AND WE'RE ALSO INCLUDING A COUPLE OF ISDS THAT ARE USING ONBOARDING.

THE SAME SYSTEM RIGHT NOW COULD BE ACCESSED RIGHT THERE IN DISPATCH WITH A HUNDRED INCH SCREEN.

UH, AS WE'RE DISPATCHING, UH, WE GET ALERTS NOW.

WE, WE HAVE THE MAIN AND ANNEX AND THE EXTERIOR DISTRICT COURTHOUSE RIGHT NOW COVERED.

UH, AND WE DO GET ALERTS LIVE.

UH, IF SOMEONE IS ENTERING THAT BUILDING AFTER HOURS OR ON THE WEEKEND, UH, DISPATCH GETS THOSE, WE GET 'EM.

UH, WE CAN ACTUALLY ALERT PEOPLE.

UH, HEY, SOMEONE'S ENTERING THE CLERK'S OFFICE.

NOT TYPICAL, UH, DEPARTMENT HEAD REACH BACK.

I'M ALSO ASKING WITHIN THAT PROJECT, SAME SYSTEM, UH, FOR AN ENTIRE NEW REVAMP OF OUR ACCESS CONTROL.

UH, ORIGINALLY I'M DOING THAT.

UH, WE'VE HAD ISSUES HERE AT THE MAIN COURTHOUSE.

WE STILL HAVE ISSUES AT THE, UH, MAIN ANNEX WHERE WE STILL HAVE A DOOR OFFLINE, NOT BEING FINISHED.

COMPANY'S JUST NOT KEEPING UP.

UH, APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.

UH, SO THIS INTEGRATES WITH THE, THE SAME KIT, UH, SYSTEM WHERE WE CAN USE BLUETOOTH.

UH, UH, WE CAN DO, UH, INTERCOM SYSTEMS. THE GOAL IS AT THE PRECINCT, BARNES INTERCOM, UH, OUR RADIO SITES, ANY BUILDING THAT NEEDS IT, UH, YOU CAN OPEN THE DOOR, RELEASE IT FROM YOUR PHONE.

UH, YOU HAVE YOUR, UH, LOCATIONS THERE, AVAILABLE MOTION DETECTION.

UH, IT'S REALLY UTILIZED AND BEEN HELPFUL FOR COURTHOUSE SECURITY.

I'VE HAD 'EM PUSH IT, USE IT.

THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE VEHICLES, UH, TOWED, KNOWING EXACTLY WHEN IT WAS THERE, WHO WAS IN IT, HOW LONG THEY'VE BEEN THERE.

IT'S BEEN VERY HELPFUL.

I WILL, YES, SIR.

SO THIS IS ACTUALLY A QUESTION MORE FOR KIM.

WITH ALL OF THESE SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'RE DOING, CAMERAS, ET CETERA, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE THAT AGAINST FOR PROPERTY INSURANCE? BECAUSE IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE MONITORING THESE LOCATIONS MORE CONSISTENTLY, LIKE MEASURING TEMPERATURE, ET CETERA, CAN WE TAKE THAT BACK TO OUR PROPERTY INSURANCE CARRIER AND SAY, HEY, GIVE US 3%, GIVE US 5%.

I, I CAN ASK, BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE TO THINK THAT THAT WOULD MITIGATE SOME DEGREE OF FIRE RISK, ET CETERA.

IF WE HAVE VISUAL LOCK IN ON THIS STUFF WAY MORE FREQUENTLY, IT IS

[01:10:03]

THE RISK.

I KNOW WE'RE NOT A SINGLE BUYER, SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT IF YOU DON'T MIND ASKING.

YEAH, I'LL WORK WITH YOU.

I WILL.

UH, THE SENSORS THAT I'VE SHOWN THE OTHER DAY, I MEAN, WE'RE MONITORING WITH LIVE ALERTS, UH, NOT JUST ME IN DISPATCH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THE 24 HOUR OPERATION.

THAT'S GOTTA BE SOME TYPE OF COMPELLING ARGUMENT TO THE UNDERWRITER, I THINK.

HUMIDITY, UH, TEMPERATURE, WATER, UH, ANYTHING YOU STARTS GOING AROUND SMOKING, ALL THAT MOLD, UH, THE AIR QUALITY, ALL THOSE ARE GONNA BE STARTING TO BE MONITORED.

I WILL ADMIT, UH, THE DOLLAR AMOUNT, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GOING FOR THE LOWEST BIDDER, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING FOR THE HIGHEST, UH, HIGH EITHER.

I'M JUST SAYING, LET, LET'S DO SOMETHING.

WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE PUSHING FORWARD.

THAT HELPS.

KEEPS UP WITH THE TIMES WE CAN MOVE IT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STAYING AWAY FROM THE CHINESE, UH, TYPE ARCHITECTURE BEHIND IT.

AND IT WILL, UH, HELP US LEAD IN A DIRECTION FOR SECURITY.

UH, YOU'LL SEE THE CONTINGENCY.

UH, AND THEN THE OTHER SPECIAL PROJECT IS THE JUVENILE PROBATION, UH, PANIC BUTTON SYSTEM.

AND THAT'S THE ACTUAL JP OFFICE OVER HERE.

UH, I'VE INCURRED THAT TO GET THEM PANIC BUTTONS IN THERE, HELPING THEM OUT.

AND THEY'VE GONE AHEAD AND, AND PUSHING FORWARD FOR THE EXACT SAME CAMERA SYSTEM, UH, OUT OF THE J-J-A-E-P, UH, IS BEING INSTALLED BEFORE OCTOBER.

UH, SO THEIR BUDGET'S TAKEN CARE OF THAT.

SO WE CAN ACTUALLY MONITOR, ARTICULATE DISPATCH FOR ANY ISSUES THAT MIGHT ARISE THERE.

SAME SYSTEM.

UH, THAT'S ABOUT ALL I HAVE TO UPDATE ON IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

I WAS GONNA MENTION, UM, ALL THE AMOUNTS THAT ARE UP HERE.

I'M WORKING WITH JAMES 'CAUSE CURRENTLY, UM, THE MOTOROLA MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT, ALL THE TOWER LEASES, UM, ANY OTHER THING.

I THINK THERE'S LIKE A COUPLE OTHER, UM, CONTRACT SERVICES RELATED TO THE RADIO.

NO, SIR.

ARE WE MOVING THOSE TO IT? AND I'VE GROUPED THOSE DOWN AT THE BOTTOM.

MOVE TO ITEM H ON THE DISCUSSION PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENT 4 0 2 ON THE COUNTY JUDGE BUDGET REQUEST.

KAYLEE WAS GOOD AT GROUPING THEM DOWN IN THE BOTTOM OF THE, EACH ONE OF THOSE LINES.

SO WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER TO, BASICALLY THOSE WERE BUDGETED IN 4 0 6 AND 5 43.

SO TO MOVE ALL OF THOSE TO IT AND THEN MAKE SURE THE AMOUNTS THAT ARE BUDGETED ARE APPROPRIATE.

I THINK THE INTENTION WAS YES, THAT SINCE JAMES IS SO HANDS ON ON IT, UM, IT MAKES THE MOST SENSE SINCE HE'S GONNA HAVE THE BEST LEVERAGE AS WELL ON PRICING, ET CETERA.

SO WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER TO MOVE THOSE EXPENSES.

SO LIKE WHEN WE GO OVER, YOU KNOW, 4 0 6 AND 5 43, IT INCLUDES ALL THOSE EXPENSES.

UM, AND SO THEY'LL BE GETTING MOVED.

SO WE'LL WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT BOTH BUDGETS ARE CORRECT WITH THAT.

ALRIGHT.

TWO, UH, GOOD THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT.

UH, Y'ALL DID ALLOW ME TO APPLY FOR, UH, FEDERAL FUNDING FOR, UH, CYBERSECURITY, CYBERSECURITY FUNDS FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS.

UH, CURRENTLY THAT'S AT $74,250.

IT'S STILL IN APPROVAL STATUS.

I'M HOPING AROUND NINE ONE, WE'LL HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING IF THAT GETS APPROVED.

THAT WILL ACTUALLY, UH, COME DOWN ON OUR CONTRACT SERVICES, UH, THAT AMOUNT.

AND THEN I'M ALSO WORKING WITH AN AREA, MOTOROLA, CURRENTLY WHERE WE CAN DROP THE CONTRACT SERVICES FOR THE RADIO PROJECT AROUND 91,000.

SO I'M HOPING AROUND THAT THIS WEEK, NEXT WEEK, I'LL HAVE THOSE NUMBERS.

SO A TOTAL OF 165,250, UH, WILL PROBABLY BE, UH, REDUCED HERE PRETTY SOON.

[I.H. Discussion/Presentation on Department 402 County Judge budget requests. (Judge Deen)]

UM, YEAH, I'LL GIVE 'EM A SUNGLASSES.

I THOUGHT YOU JUST GAVE THOSE OUT.

BE SURE TO LOOK AT IT.

SORRY, I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE OTHER ONE.

UH, I'M GONNA SPEAK TO THIS JUST FROM HERE.

UH, 'CAUSE I DON'T, I DON'T NEED TO GET UP THERE.

THERE'S NO PRESENTATION.

I DON'T KNOW.

IT'S A DISCUSSION THAT, UM, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT IN THE PAST.

AND I THINK WHEN, UH, WE, WHEN I WAS FIRST SWORN IN AND WE, I THINK IT WAS GOING INTO, UH, THE BUDGET HAD JUST BEEN PASSED, THEN WE THEN, UH, WE BROUGHT BRIANNA ON.

AND, UH, EVER SINCE THAT WE'VE HAD BRIANNA HERE.

UH, WE'VE WORKED

[01:15:01]

TOGETHER ON THE BUDGET AND, AND EVERY YEAR THAT, UH, WE'VE HAD THE DISCUSSION THAT, UH, THERE'S CERTAIN ROLES AND, UM, RESPONSIBILITIES THAT I THINK SHE'S TAKEN ON IN HER DEPARTMENT THAT HAS, IS BEEN REALLY THE REQUIREMENT OF THE COUNTY JUDGE'S OFFICE AND HAS BEEN THE, THE ROLE OF THE COUNTY JUDGE'S OFFICE.

UM, WE'RE NO LONGER THE, THE SAME COUNTY THAT WE WERE FIVE YEARS AGO.

AND IF YOU PULL UP WHERE THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE IS, UH, THE COUNTY JUDGE IS BUDGET OFFICER.

THE COUNTY JUDGE SERVES AS A BUDGET OFFICER FOR THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT OF THE COUNTY.

HISTORICALLY, FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS, UM, BRIANNA'S OFFICE HAS DONE THE BULK OF THE BUDGET.

AND, UM, BUT AGAIN, I, I THINK THE DYNAMICS HAVE CHANGED IN THIS COUNTY WHERE, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT THE SAME COUNTY.

UH, THERE'S BEEN DRAMATIC GROWTH IN, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS WITH PROBATE, GUARDIANSHIPS, MENTAL COMPETENCY HEARINGS, WHICH I THINK IN THE FIRST YEAR WE, I HAVE ONE MENTAL COMPETENCY, AND NOW WE'RE HAVING AT LEAST FIVE TO SIX A WEEK.

UM, BUT THERE'S BEEN AN INCREASE IN THE JUDICIARY RESPONSIBILITY OF THAT EXCEEDING 50% OF MY TIME.

UH, THEN NOW YOU HAVE TRANSPORTATION, WHICH HAS NOW EXCEEDED, UM, IS A LOT OF WHAT WE DO.

BUT I THINK BRIANNA AND I HAVE REALLY HAD THIS CONVERSATION JUST ABOUT EVERY YEAR, AND YOU AND I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS MORE AND MORE, UH, THE COMPLEXITIES OF, OF WHAT, UH, THE BUDGET IS, UH, NOW VERSUS WHAT IT USED TO BE.

UH, WE CAN NO LONGER CONTINUE TO DO THIS.

AND BRIANNA, I'M GONNA LET YOU SPEAK ON THIS JUST A LITTLE BIT TOO, JUST IF YOU WOULD COME UP AND, UH, TALK ABOUT, BECAUSE WE, HISTORICALLY, WHAT WE'VE DONE IS PROVIDED SUPPORT TO YOUR DEPARTMENT, WHICH HAS THEN PRESENTED THE PROPOSED BUDGET, WHICH IS A ROLE THAT THE COUNTY JUDGE'S OFFICE IS SUPPOSED TO DO.

WITH BOTH WORKING WITH BRIANNA AND WORKING WITH US AND, AND, AND TAKING THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT WE STATUTORILY REQUIRE TO MEET.

SO, UM, OVER, WE'VE KIND OF CHANGED IT OVER THE YEARS, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY ALL THE POSTINGS IN THE NEWSPAPER, WORKING ON THE CALENDAR, SENDING THE INVITES, THAT SORT OF THING, KIND OF COORDINATING THE BUDGET, UM, HAS BEEN HANDLED BY THE COUNTY JUDGE'S OFFICE.

BUT, UM, I WOULD SAY ANY SORT OF CHANGES TO THE BUDGET, UM, TRACKING ALL THE SCHEDULES, I GIVE YOU ALL THE ANALYSIS YEAR OVER YEAR COMPARISONS, ALL OF THAT IS BEING HANDLED BY ME.

UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD SOME ASSISTANCE JUST IN MY OFFICE, BUT I DON'T REALLY HAVE THE RESOURCES TO, YOU KNOW, PUSH SOME OF THAT WHERE IT'S ME DOING IT.

AND ALSO AS WE'RE COMING TO THE END OF THE YEAR, WE HAVE CERTAIN REPORTS AND EVERY, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT THINGS.

AND IT'S BECOMING, UM, MORE AND MORE ON MY PLATE, UM, ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE, YOU KNOW, IMPLEMENTING A NEW ACCOUNTING SYSTEM AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

AND SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS OF THE AUDITOR, THE AUDITOR IS TO PROJECT REVENUES AND ASSIST THE COUNTY JUDGE.

BUT THE COUNTY JUDGE IS THE BUDGET OFFICER.

HOWEVER, I AM THE ONE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, UPDATING THE BUDGET AND KEEPING TRACK OF EVERYTHING.

AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE REALLY SHOULD BE THAT SEPARATION WHERE THE JUDGE'S OFFICE IS DOING A LOT OF WHAT, WHAT I'M DOING WELL, AND, AND TWO I I, THIS IS NO KNOCK ON CYNTHIA, WHO PROVIDES A GREAT DEAL OF SUPPORT AND, AND PROVIDES A LOT OF THE, THE SUPPORTING MATERIAL.

UH, BUT THE COMPETENCIES OF THIS IS TO HAVE SOMEBODY IN THERE THAT CAN WORK CLOSELY WITH BRIANNA AND MYSELF, UM, BETWEEN THE BOTH OF US AND WORKING TOGETHER WITH THAT.

UM, IT OBVIOUSLY WOULD BE, UH, IT'S NOT SEASONAL BECAUSE PRETTY MUCH IT'S, IT'S YEAR ROUND WORKING WITH THE BUDGET AND WORKING WITH THESE NUMBERS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE COMPLYING.

BUT ALSO TO TIE IN WITH THIS POSITION AS YOU LOOK AT THE JOB DESCRIPTION AND READ THROUGH THAT, UH, IT WOULD ALSO, AND IN FACT THE RTC HAS EVEN ADDED TO THIS SITUATION TO WHERE, UH, AND WE LOOKED AT, AND I THINK, UH, SEAN HUGHES BEFORE HE LEFT, HAD THIS IN HIS POSITION.

BUT THAT'S MORE OF A LOCAL, THIS WOULD BE MORE GLOBALLY FOR THE COUNTYWIDE FOR IT TO ADD IN GRANTS AND HAVE THIS, UH, FINANCIAL PERSON BE RESPONSIBLE FOR GRANT WRITING FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY.

AND THE POSITION WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SEEKING OUT AVAILABLE FUNDS FOR ALL AREAS OF THE COUNTY IN RESPECT TO DEPARTMENTS THAT SHOULD PAY FOR ITSELF ALONG THE WAY, JUST ALONE, JUST WITH THE RTC, WITH AVAILABLE FUNDS THAT WE'VE, THEY'VE NOW MADE AVAILABLE FOR US.

IF WE HAD SOMEBODY CHASING THOSE, THEN THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

WE DON'T HAVE THAT CURRENTLY.

UH, WE DON'T HAVE THE, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO DO THAT, UH, BECAUSE CYNTHIA NOT ONLY IS THE COUNTY RELATIONS OFFICER, BUT SHE DOES ALSO FROM THE BUDGETARY STANDPOINT PROVIDE SUPPORT, BUT DOES NOT HAVE THE TIME TO DO THAT.

SO WE REALLY DON'T HAVE ANYONE AND THAT WOULD FILL THAT NEED AS WELL AS THE BUDGET OFFICER.

BUT THIS IS A CRITICAL, CRITICAL POSITION AS WE GROW BECAUSE THE COMPLEXITIES, AS I'VE MENTIONED BEFORE, WITHOUT BEATING A DEAD HORSE IS CRITICAL BECAUSE THIS BUDGET IS NO LONGER THE SAME AS WHAT IT USED TO BE BECAUSE OF THE GROWTH IN OUR ACCOUNTING, THE GROWTH IN THE BUDGET AND, AND COMPLYING

[01:20:01]

UH, BUT I DO NOT HAVE THE TIME WITH WHAT I HAVE WITH THE JUDICIAL SIDE OF THE BUSINESS, MY INCREASED ROLE WITH THE RTC, UH, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT WITH EXPECT TO GET ON THE COG BOARD.

UM, THERE'S JUST NO WAY WE IS, AGAIN, IT'S A PART OF GROWTH.

I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE.

AND IF YOU'RE NOT FINANCIALLY HEALTHY, THEN UH, IT'S GONNA BE, IT'S GONNA BE DIFFICULT.

BUT, BUT WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO HAVE THE AUDITOR OFFICE DO THE BUDGET, SUBMIT THE BUDGET, AND ESSENTIALLY THAT'S WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING.

WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION YEAR ONE, AND, AND SO HERE WE ARE IN, IN, I THINK I'VE BEEN HERE SIX YEARS AND GOING ON SEVEN THAT, UM, AT THIS POINT NOW THAT, THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE DONE, RIGHT.

AND IT NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING THAT BNA, BRIANNA AND I WORK TOGETHER CLOSELY ON WITH THE AUDITOR AND THE JUDGE'S OFFICE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SUBMITTING YOU THE BEST PRODUCT POSSIBLE AND BEING FOCUSED ON WHAT IS THE BEST FINANCIAL HEALTH OF THIS COUNTY.

SO, AND I'LL ECHO ON THE GRANT SIDE.

YOU KNOW, WHEN A JUDGE DEAN DISCUSSED HAVING A BUDGET COORDINATOR, YOU KNOW, UM, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS IS, WELL, WHAT IS THIS PERSON GONNA DO RIGHT THE REST OF THE YEAR WHEN WE'RE NOT HEAVY IN BUDGET AND THAT SORT OF THING.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST CREATING A ROLE TO HAVE A FULL-TIME POSITION, BUT IT'S LOOKING AT WHAT NEEDS, YOU KNOW, ARE MAYBE NOT MET WHERE YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, HAVE THIS, UM, POSITION FILL, YOU KNOW, A, A NEED THAT WE HAVE AND KIND OF TYING THOSE GAPS TOGETHER.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE DID TALK ABOUT THAT IT, IT WOULD BE A GOOD THING FOR THAT PERSON TO ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, HELP WITH THE GRANT COORDINATION.

UM, SO THERE WAS A GRANT WRITER, UM, THAT WAS HIRED YEARS AGO THAT WAS UNDER THE COUNTY JUDGE'S OFFICE AND THEN MOVED INTO EOC.

AND SO, UM, PART OF THAT POSITION WAS, UM, CRI, WHICH WAS COVERED BY A GRANT.

AND THEN THE OTHER WAS, YOU KNOW, GRANT.

UM, BUT AS ADDITIONAL GRANTS CAME ON AND, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH THAT DEPARTMENT, IT WAS ALWAYS, WELL, WHY ARE WE HANDLING ALL THESE OTHER GRANTS AND NOT JUST EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT? AND SO I WOULD SAY WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING IS THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE IS HANDLING THE BULK OF ALL OF THAT WITH THE GRANTS, UM, WHERE WE REALLY SHOULD BE AUDITING THOSE THINGS.

UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN THERE'S REPORTING, THAT DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE PREPARING THE REPORT AND WE'RE REVIEWING IT.

AND SOMETIMES IT'S MORE US KIND OF DRIVING THAT.

UM, AND ALSO JUST FROM THE STANDPOINT AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW AND WE HAVE MORE AND MORE GRANTS, EVERY GRANT HAS, YOU KNOW, GRANT REQUIREMENTS AND WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.

AND SO REALLY HAVING SOMEONE, WHICH I WOULD SAY WE'VE BEEN DOING, UM, IS, YOU KNOW, TRACKING THOSE GRANT AGREEMENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, FOLLOWING UP WITH THE DEPARTMENTS OF, HEY, YOU SHOULD BE DOING X, Y, AND Z.

UM, ALL OF THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.

SO IF YOU HAD ONE PERSON THAT'S REALLY COORDINATING WITH THE DEPARTMENTS AND THEN PROVIDING US WITH THAT INFORMATION, AND THEN WE'RE AUDITING TO MAKE SURE WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE AND OF COURSE THERE TO ASSIST, BUT NOT BASICALLY TAKING ON THE ROLE OF GRANT MANAGEMENT IN OUR OFFICE.

COULD THAT, COULD THAT PERSON.

AND I'M, UM, COMMISSIONER WALDEN.

I'M THINKING ABOUT YOUR LEADERSHIP, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH THE UT GCD GRANT AND THEN WITH THE, UM, REMIND ME OF THE ACRONYM FOR THE, UH, VEHICLES THAT YOU GOT.

YEAH, TURP.

TURP, THANK YOU.

ERP.

SO IT SOUNDED LIKE YOUR, YOUR OFFICE, UM, YOU, YOU BRAGGED ON KIM.

I BELIEVE THAT SHE SPENT A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME AND DID AN EXCELLENT JOB WORKING ON THAT.

IS THIS PERSON SOMEONE THAT COULD DO THAT FOR THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS IF NEEDED? LIKE IS, ARE WE TALKING GRANTS FOR THE COUNTYWIDE? 'CAUSE IT'S NOT THAT MY OFFICE CAN'T DO THAT, IT'S THAT IF WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO COULD DO THAT, THEN MY OFFICE CAN FOCUS ON, YOU KNOW, THE THINGS THAT WE'RE ALREADY FOCUSED ON ROADS, AND, AND THAT'S PART OF IT IS TO, YOU KNOW, ASSIST THE DEPARTMENTS AND THERE ARE, THERE'S GRANT FUNDS AVAILABLE, BUT YOU KNOW, EVERYONE'S, WELL, IT'S FREE MONEY.

WELL, IT'S NOT FREE MONEY, RIGHT? I MEAN, THERE'S THE ADMINISTRATION OF IT AND YOU KNOW, ON SOME OF 'EM JUST THE REPORTING AND TRACKING AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS CAN BE REALLY, BECAUSE THAT SIDE OF ITS APPEALING, BURDENSOME, BE FRANKLY, BECAUSE WE HAVE EVERY INTENTION OF PURSUING THOSE SAME THINGS THAT COMMISSIONER WALDEN DID.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IF WE HAVE A POSITION IN THE COUNTY THAT CAN DO THAT AND WE CAN FOCUS MORE ON THE DAY-TO-DAY ROADS AND DRAINAGE COMPLAINTS, ET CETERA, THEN THAT WOULD BE APPEALING TO ME.

I THINK, YEAH, IT REALLY DOES NEED TO BE CENTRALIZED.

UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, YOU KNOW, GOING AND APPLYING FOR, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, ONE, AND I'VE SAID THIS, WE DEFINITELY NEED, YOU KNOW, A GRANT POLICY AND THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT MAYBE, YOU KNOW, WE COULD WORK WITH THAT POSITION OF, YOU KNOW, KIND OF PUTTING THAT BEFORE THE COURT.

[01:25:01]

UM, BUT AGAIN, BEFORE, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING'S EVEN BROUGHT TO COURT, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT, IT COULD BE BROUGHT TO THIS GRANT COORDINATOR TO LOOK AT WHAT ARE THE COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS, WHAT ARE THE MATCHING REQUIREMENTS? SO THAT WAY WHEN IT'S PRESENTED TO THE COURT, YOU HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED.

AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING THAT TO US FROM THE STANDPOINT, DO WE NEED TO, UM, HOW WE SET IT UP, IF THERE'S LIKE A, WHICH WE SAW THAT, LIKE AN INTEREST TRACKING REQUIREMENT, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA TRACK BY A FUND? YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING WITH BECKY ON, UM, ONE OF 'EM WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY OPENING A SEPARATE INVESTMENT ACCOUNT BECAUSE IT'S REQUIRED TO, UM, REPORT MONTHLY WHAT THE INTEREST RATE IS ON THAT INVESTMENT.

WELL, WE POOL ALL OF 'EM.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE DECIDED IT'S EASIER TO, YOU KNOW, MOVE IT.

BUT AGAIN, IT'S SOMEONE BRINGING ALL THOSE PIECES TOGETHER, OF COURSE, WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENTS ON IT AND THEN WORKING WITH MY DEPARTMENT.

SO WE'RE JUST MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING THAT SHOULD BE HAPPENING IS HAPPENING RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S US TRACKING EVERYTHING DOWN AND, YOU KNOW, SENDING THE REMINDERS TO DEPARTMENTS AND ALL OF THAT.

BUT THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, THIS PERSON WOULD HELP WITH THAT AND THEN PROVIDE US THAT INFORMATION AND THEN MAKE SURE THAT YES, CHECKING THAT WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE.

THIS IS NOT A, THIS IS NOT A QUESTION FOR YOU, BUT IT'S KIND OF A TOSS UP QUESTION THAT WOULD INCLUDE, EXCUSE ME, OTHERS IN THE ROOM.

BUT IT WAS OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT, THAT WE HAD A PERSON THAT WOULD BE DOING THAT TYPE OF WORK, AT LEAST PART OF THEIR TIME OR MAYBE MOST OF THEIR TIME THAT WORKED AT THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE.

YEAH, THAT WAS MY QUESTION.

AND SO I, I THINK IN, IN LOOKING AT THIS, WE MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT THE STAFFING THERE AND SEE WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT POSITION AND UM, PERHAPS IN THE BIG SCHEME OF THINGS HERE, UH, MAKE SOME CHANGES THERE.

WELL, IN THAT DIDN'T, DIDN'T YOU, YOU MENTIONED THAT POSITION A SECOND AGO.

YES.

AND I WAS GONNA ASK IF YOU COULD EXPAND A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE LIKE COMMISSIONER WALDEN JUST SAID, I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THAT WAS THEIR JOB AND IT WASN'T JUST FOR THE EOC, IT WAS FOR CORRECT.

DEPARTMENT WITHIN MY OFFICE THAT WOULD SUBMIT THAT PROPOSED BUDGET IN COORDINATION WITH EACH OF YOU.

AND THAT WAS, UM, SO WHAT HAP YEAH, IN DEPTH DISCUSSIONS THAT I HAD HAD WITH THE PREVIOUS DEPARTMENT HEAD BECAUSE IT WOULD BE COMING TO MY OFFICE OF, WELL THIS DEPARTMENT'S ASKING, YOU KNOW, FOR, TO ASSIST WITH THE GRANT, YOU KNOW, OR WHY ARE WE APPLYING FOR THIS GRANT? UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THOSE DISCUSSIONS OF, WELL, THIS, WHEN THAT POSITION WAS CREATED, THAT WAS THE ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THAT POSITION.

NOW THAT POSITION MOVED FROM THE COUNTY JUDGE'S OFFICE INTO EOC.

I SAID, BUT AS FAR AS I KNOW, THOSE DUTIES WERE NEVER DELEGATED TO ANOTHER DEPARTMENT.

SO UNTIL THAT IS BROUGHT BEFORE THE COURT, THAT THAT IS DELEGATED TO SOMEONE ELSE, IT'S STILL IN THERE, YOU KNOW, AND THERE WERE SEVERAL WHERE I FEEL LIKE MY DEPARTMENT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF, WELL, WE WANT THIS.

THEY'RE NOT DOING IT.

AND KIND OF BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS.

AND I MADE IT CLEAR THAT I DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO TELL ANY DEPARTMENT WHAT THEY SHOULD BE DOING OR, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEIR PEOPLE ARE DOING OR THEIR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

THAT'S, I AM CLEAR THAT THAT IS NOT MY ARENA.

AND SO I SAID, IF THERE IS AN ISSUE, THEN I WOULD BRING IT BEFORE THE COURT TO DISCUSS HOW IT SHOULD BE HANDLED.

I HAVE THE SAME CONCERNS THAT THESE COMMISSIONERS HAVE BECAUSE WE DID HAVE SOMEBODY THAT WE THOUGHT WAS DOING THAT.

BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S NOT WORKING THE WAY THAT IT'S SET UP.

I KNOW THAT I'VE NEVER BEEN APPROACHED OF, HEY, WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU? MY THOUGHTS ARE, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE? UM, OR, OR I GUESS I'M SAYING IN AN IDEAL SITUATION, THERE IS SOME TYPE OF GRANT PERSON WHO IS NOT BURIED IN A DEPARTMENT SOMEWHERE, BUT INSTEAD REPORTS DIRECTLY TO THE COURT WHERE THEY GIVE US UPDATES ON A MONTHLY OR BI-MONTHLY BASIS OF HERE'S THE STATUS OF THE GRANTS.

'CAUSE IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT TYPE OF REGULAR TRANSPARENCY AND TRACKING HERE YEAH.

THEN IT'S JUST GONNA GET LOST WHAT YOU'RE WANTING.

SO JUDGE, I WAS GONNA ASK IF WE COULD EXAMINE THAT OR, OR SURE.

IF YOU COULD BRING US BACK INFORMATION ABSOLUTELY.

UH, REGARDING THAT SO THAT WE COULD, YOU KNOW, MAKE A MORE INFORMED DECISION.

NO, NO, ABSOLUTELY.

AND I WANNA BE REALLY CLEAR WITH THIS IS THAT, UM, THIS POSITION WOULD INTERACT REAL CLOSELY WITH THE AUDITOR'S DEPARTMENT ON, UH, SOME OF THE, THE BUDGETARY PROCEDURES, BUT ALSO WITH THE COMMISSIONERS ON THE GRANT ROUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AND, AND BEING THAT PERSON THAT, UH, TO KIND OF FREE YOU UP AS TO, BUT MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A GLOBAL PICTURE OF WHAT THE NEEDS ARE OF THE COUNTY AND THE FUNDS AVAILABLE.

THE RTC IS AGAIN, A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT, THAT THINGS HAVE CHANGED NOW TO WHERE THERE'S SO MUCH MONEY AVAILABLE THAT ARE WE CHASING THAT, DO WE HAVE THE TIME TO CHASE IT? AND I THINK THIS POSITION WOULD PUT REALLY PAY FOR ITSELF, BUT IT WOULD BE LIAISON WITH Y'ALL, UH, AS COMMISSIONERS WITH THE AUDITOR'S

[01:30:01]

THAT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE, WE RECOGNIZE THAT.

I HAD ONE QUESTION NOT RELATED TO GRANTS, RELATED TO SOMETHING THAT YOU SAID EARLIER, BRIANNA, YOU'VE, I'VE, I'VE ALWAYS HAD A LOT OF RESPECT FOR HOW CAREFUL YOU'VE BEEN WITH YOUR WORDS, TO NOT EXTEND PAST WHAT YOU FELT LIKE WAS YOUR KIND OF, UM, STATUTORILY DEFINED ROLE.

BUT YOU, IF I HEARD YOU RIGHT, AND MAYBE IT'S KIND OF A GRAY AREA, UM, I DON'T WANT TO USE WORDS THAT ARE TOO STRONG, BUT THERE'S SOME DEGREE OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST.

IT SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE NOT FORMALLY, BUT AT LEAST IT'S NOT SUPER BLACK AND WHITE, THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE THE AUDITOR IS ALSO PUTTING TOGETHER THE BUDGET TO A DEGREE.

I MEAN, IS THAT IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE NOT IN, MAYBE, MAYBE THE BEST WAY TO PUT IT'S, YOU DON'T SEEM VERY COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, AND THAT CONCERNS ME THAT WE'RE PUTTING YOU IN A POSITION WHERE YOU'RE HAVING TO PUT TOGETHER A BUDGET THAT YOU'RE THEN AUDITING.

AND I, AND I THINK IT, YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH OTHER COUNTIES AND IT, I MEAN, RIGHT, THERE'S, IT VARIES BETWEEN COUNTY AND COUNTY.

AND OBVIOUSLY WITH POPULATION SIZE, WHEN YOU MOVE INTO A DESIGNATED BUDGET OFFICER OR WHERE IT'S DESIGNATED THAT THE AUDITOR IS THE BUDGET OFFICER.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AT THIS LEVEL WHERE THE COUNTY JUDGE IS THE BUDGET OFFICER, YOU KNOW, I SPOKE TO ONE, UM, AND THEY SAID THEY LITERALLY PROVIDE THE REVENUE PROJECTIONS, AND THAT IS ALL THAT THEY DO.

THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING ELSE.

THEY DON'T UPDATE THE BUDGET, THEY DON'T PRESENT ANYTHING.

IT IS, HERE'S THIS, THERE'S OTHERS THAT YES, THEY'RE MORE, YOU KNOW, UM, PROBABLY MORE OF A ROLE, UM, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING STUFF SIMILAR TO WHAT I'M DOING.

UM, THERE'S SOME WHERE THEY HAVE A BUDGET PERSON WITHIN THE COUNTY JUDGE'S OFFICE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S HANDLING, YOU KNOW, UPDATES AND CHANGES TO THE BUDGET AND THAT, THAT SORT OF THING.

SO REALLY IT VARIES.

I MEAN, IT'S NOT THAT THERE'S, I WOULDN'T SAY NECESSARILY A CONFLICT.

IS IT BETTER TO PROBABLY HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, SEPARATION OR CHECKS AND BALANCES AND EVERYTHING? YES.

I MEAN, IT, IT BASICALLY SAYS, YOU KNOW, THE AUDITOR'S STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS IS TO PROVIDE THE REVENUES AND THEN TO ASSIST THE COUNTY JUDGE AT THIS, UM, POPULATION SIZE.

SO AGAIN, ASSIST CAN BE .

FOR SEVEN TO 10 YEARS, IS WHAT THE, THE TREND IS, IS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT ON THE RTC.

DO YOU FEEL, DO YOU FEEL LIKE WE'RE IN BETTER COMPLIANCE WITH THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS IF WE DO HAVE A BUDGET PERSON IN THE JUDGE'S OFFICE THAT'S TAKING A MORE ACTIVE ROLE? I MEAN, I THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER.

AND AGAIN, IT GOES BACK TO, YOU KNOW, MY RESOURCES AND STAFFING IN MY OFFICE AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN I AM SPENDING, ESPECIALLY THIS TIME, SO MUCH TIME ON THIS WHERE I HAVE LOTS OF OTHER, YOU KNOW, UM, REQUIREMENTS WITH WHEN WITHIN MY DEPARTMENT, ESPECIALLY GOING TO, YOU KNOW, URINE AND WE HAVE REPORTS AND, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT THINGS THAT I, I ALSO NEED TO BE FOCUSING ON.

IT'S DIFFICULT TO BALANCE AND AND MANAGE ALL OF THAT.

IF THIS GRANT PERSON CAN DO BOTH, THAT WOULD BE EXCELLENT, YOU KNOW? YEAH.

AND, AND, AND AGAIN, WOULD BE BOTH.

IT'S LOOKING AT, OKAY, WELL, NOT JUST, OKAY, WHAT DO WE NEED TO HAVE, RIGHT? THIS BUDGET PERSON BEING A FULL-TIME POSITION, WE HAD THAT.

BUT IT'S LIKE, OKAY, WELL WHAT NEEDS DO WE THINK THAT WE COULD FEEL THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR THIS PERSON TO HAVE? AND SO OBVIOUSLY IF THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, IN THE NUMBERS AND THE BUDGET AND UNDERSTANDING FROM THE STANDPOINT OF GRANT FUNDING AND, YOU KNOW, MATCHING AND JUST KIND OF ALL OF IT, IT REALLY KIND OF TIES THOSE THINGS TOGETHER.

AND I, I MEAN, HAVING A CENTRALIZED GRANT PERSON AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, FROM, AS WE SAW, I MEAN, ON, ON OUR AUDIT, YES, WE, UM, WE DID HAVE A, YOU KNOW, COMPLIANCE FINDING.

UM, WE'VE, WE'VE FIXED THAT.

BUT YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WITH TRANSPORTATION WHERE WE'RE GETTING MORE AND MORE AND IT'S LIKE, OKAY, WELL IT'S A PASS THROUGH.

WELL, NO, REALLY IT'S ON SOME OF THESE IT'S NOT.

AND UM, YOU KNOW, JUST HAVING THAT SECOND SET OF EYES, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OF ALL OF OUR LISTING AND TRACKING, BUT SOMETIMES IF WE'RE NOT PRIVY TO THE INFORMATION, IF WE DON'T KNOW OR WE'RE GETTING SOMETHING LATE, IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO MANAGE SOMETHING THAT YOU DON'T HAVE.

AND SO, AGAIN, WHERE BEFORE IT'S EVEN BEING BROUGHT BEFORE THE COURT TO CONSIDER A GRANT THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS PERSON'S LOOKING ALL THAT AND THEN HAVING THE CONVERSATIONS WITH, YOU KNOW, MY OFFICE OR WHATEVER OF, UM, LETTING US KNOW.

SO, YOU KNOW, AT THOSE BEGINNING STAGES, WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT GRANT'S REQUIREMENTS ARE.

SO WE'RE ALSO PREPARED IN OUR OFFICE.

AND THEN AGAIN, WHOEVER IS GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPORTING AND TRACKING AND THAT SORT OF THING, WHETHER IT'S THE DEPARTMENT WORKING WITH THEM AND THEN WITH US, OR, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING WHERE THAT PERSON WOULD BE DOING THE REPORTING.

UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH MY OFFICE TO REVIEW BEFORE IT'S SUBMITTED.

TO BE CLEAR, TO BE CLEAR WITH THIS, ALSO UNDER CHAPTER ONE 11, UNDER THE COUNTY BUDGET, OUR POPULATION CURRENTLY IS, IS BETWEEN ONE 60 AND ONE 70 ROUGHLY.

AND, UM, THIS IS, UM, WHAT THE STATUTE IS, IS FOR THOSE COUNTIES WITH POPULATIONS OF 2 25 OR LESS.

AND SO WE PROBABLY WON'T HIT THE 2 25

[01:35:02]

AND SO ONCE WE HIT THAT, THAT 2 25, THEN THAT TRIGGERS A DIFFERENT, THE WAY WE CAN DO THINGS.

BUT THIS IS THE, THE STATUTE RIGHT NOW WITH, WITH THAT PARTICULAR POPULATION THAT WE HAVE, UH, THEN THAT'S HOW THIS READS AS IS THAT, THAT THE COUNTY JUDGE IS THE BUDGET OFFICER.

AND THEN THAT WOULD THEN DEFER THAT OUT.

LIKE OBVIOUSLY WITH TARRANT COUNTY, UH, THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT SITUATION WHERE THE COUNTY JUDGE IS NOT THE BUDGET OFFICER AND THEY HAVE A, A SEPARATE OFFICE FOR THAT.

AND WE WOULD EVOLVE INTO THAT.

BUT THIS IS CURRENTLY WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW WITH, WITH OUR POPULATION.

BUT THAT'S GONNA CHANGE AND WE'LL BLINK AN EYE AND IT'LL BE, WE'LL, WE'LL BE AT 2 25 AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE.

YOU KNOW? AND ONE OTHER THING THAT THIS PERSON, YOU KNOW, I KNOW, I MEAN OUR BUDGET, WE, WHAT WE PROVIDE ONLINE, RIGHT? WHAT WE PUBLISH FOR, UM, THE PUBLIC, I'LL JUST COME OUT AND SAY, IT'S NOT VERY USER FRIENDLY.

IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND IT, RIGHT? IT'S, WE'RE MEETING THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS BY ANY, YOU KNOW, MEANS WE'RE DOING ALL THE REQUIRED POSTINGS, ALL OF THAT.

SO IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE NOT PROVIDING SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE, BUT IT COULD BE BETTER.

UM, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S SOMETHING, AGAIN, I KNOW THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS OUT THERE WITH OUR NEW SYSTEM.

WE PROBABLY HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, CHARTS AND REPORTS THAT WE COULD HAVE AS PART OF THE BUDGET.

BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I HAVE TIME FOR QUITE, YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, I MEAN, AGAIN, IT'S NOT REALLY MY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT COULD BE MORE TRANSPARENT OR USER FRIENDLY FOR THE PUBLIC, AND ESPECIALLY AS OUR BUDGET GOES TO SEE REALLY WHERE THOSE, YOU KNOW, TAX DOLLARS ARE AND UM, THAT THAT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS PERSON CAN PUT TOGETHER.

'CAUSE A LOT OF, I MEAN, I'VE DONE SOME OF THE DEMOS AND STUFF ON CERTAIN BUDGET BOOKS AND, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES SOME, SOME WORK ON THE FRONT END, BUT THEN THERE'S, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE JUST UPDATED EVERY YEAR THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, COULD BE VERY, I THINK, USEFUL FOR THE PUBLIC IF THEY'RE LOOKING AT OUR BUDGET.

SO IN Y'ALL'S, NOT SURE WHO THIS MIGHT HAVE, IT MIGHT BE MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE POSITIONS, BUT IN THESE TRAININGS THAT YOU GO TO OR SOME OF THESE CONVENTIONS AND YOU'RE SPEAKING TO THESE FOLKS OR THE OTHER COUNTIES THAT MAY HAVE PERSON THAT'S RESPONSIBLE, HAVE YOU GOTTEN ANY FEEDBACK ON KIND OF SUCCESS AND THE TYPES OF GRANTS THAT ARE OUT THERE AND WHAT THEY'RE ABLE TO, HAVE YOU HEARD ANY SUCCESS STORIES OR THEY HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT'S REALISTIC FOR A, THE AVERAGE OR ABOVE AVERAGE GETTING AS FAR AS IN THIS TYPE OF POSITION? GETTING AS FAR AS LIKE GETTING, AS FAR AS FINDING GRANT MONEY? YES, MA'AM.

UM, I MEAN, I THINK IT JUST VARIES FROM COUNTY TO COUNTY WHAT THEY, WHAT THEY HAVE.

I DIDN'T IF YOU HAD ANY KIND OF FIRST PERSON EXPERIENCE OR FEEDBACK ON IT.

'CAUSE YOU KNOW, LIKE THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS HERE, I THOUGHT WE HAD SOMEBODY THAT WAS DOING IT AND WE JUST WEREN'T GETTING SEEING MUCH, YOU KNOW, BENEFIT FROM IT.

SO I WAS WONDERING IF ANYBODY HAD ANY EXPERIENCE ON THAT.

I CAN SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THAT.

THE INTERACTION WE HAVE ADDED, THE, THE TRAINING THAT I'VE GONE ON, IT JUST DEPENDS ON EACH COUNTY THAT THEY WILL NARROW AND ZERO IN LIKE ON TRANSPORTATION OR ZERO IN ON EOC OR, OR WHATEVER AND, AND DIFFERENT, BUT THERE ARE GRANTS OUT THERE THAT ARE AVAILABLE THAT WE DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT.

COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND THESE THINGS, AND KIND OF HOW THAT WORKS FOR THEM.

THAT THEY HAVE FOUND AND FOUND THAT NICHE AND JUST TAPPED IN ON IT.

I MEAN, OF COURSE LIKE ON OUR LISTSERV IT'LL BE, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A, I WOULD SAY PROBABLY SOME OF THE LARGER, YOU KNOW, GRANTS OR, I MEAN LIKE SB 22 OF COURSE EVERYONE KNEW ABOUT IT AND ALL THE DIFFERENT TRAININGS.

AND SO USUALLY THAT'S WHAT IT IS, IS, YOU KNOW, EITHER, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER COUNTY'S GETTING IT AND ASKING QUESTIONS OR YOU KNOW, UM, SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, WE WILL JUST GET SOME SORT OF NOTIFICATION OR EVEN JUST ON LIKE THE TAC UM, LISTERV YEAH.

LIST SERVER, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THAT COMES OUT.

IT'LL JUST KIND OF GIVE YOU GRANT FUNDING.

BUT AGAIN, IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE SEE IT OR SOMETIMES WE'LL SAY, HEY, I, I SAW THIS.

I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S HELPFUL.

UM, BUT I THINK SO CHANGED THE POSITION AND YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF IT BEING MORE LIKE A COUNTY PERSON, IT WAS MORE OF A LAW ENFORCEMENT GRANT PERSON AND EVERYBODY.

SO NOW IT KIND OF SEEMED LIKE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO MAYBE, YOU KNOW, PUT TWO THINGS TOGETHER IF SOMEBODY'S JUST GONNA BUDGET OR WORK ON THE BUDGET

[01:40:03]

THAT WAS SOME OF THE FEEDBACK I GOT.

MM-HMM.

, IS THAT IT? HIGH DOLLAR SALARY, THREE MONTHS THE YEAR, YOU KNOW.

AND SO OF COURSE YOU KNOW, THERE'S PEOPLE THAT MAYBE HAD ATTITUDE ABOUT THAT POSITION AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THESE ARE VERY LARGE.

SURE.

BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, AND I KIND OF SAW THESE REQUESTS, YOU KNOW, WE WERE LIKE, HEY, HE HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET, BUT FOR THE EOCS BUDGET, THEY'RE ASKING FOR A SPECIFIC GRANT WRITER WHEN THEY ALREADY HAVE A POSITION THAT REQUEST HOW WE KIND OF MERGE THEM TOGETHER.

TOGETHER.

AND THAT WAS A QUESTION THAT I DID ASK THAT WAS SUBMITTED IS, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION YOU'RE GONNA GET IS THEY WERE, WERE, YOU KNOW, UNDER THE RIGHT, THE COURT, UM, THAT THIS PERSON WAS DOING THAT.

SO NOW YOU'RE ASKING FOR THIS GRANT POSITION.

AND SO THAT WAS SOMETHING I SAID, I WOULD BE PREPARED TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

WHAT IS THIS PERSON DOING NOW? DO THEY NOT HAVE THE, YOU KNOW, CAPACITY TO BE DOING THIS BECAUSE OF THE ADDITIONAL ROLES THAT YOU HAVE? AND SO I SAID I WOULD JUST BE PREPARED TO, YOU KNOW, DISCUSS THAT.

AND THEN AGAIN, I SAID, WOULD THIS FROM THE UM, GRANT PERSON, I SAID, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE A FULL-TIME POSITION THAT YOU FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, WOULD SUPPORT THE REQUEST? AND SO THAT KIND YEAH.

AND THEN WE HAD THE CONVERSATION AND YOU KNOW, KIND OF LOOKING AT BOTH OF THESE AS LIKE, OKAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, ON BOTH OF 'EM, ARE THEY FULL-TIME POSITIONS? RIGHT.

IT, IT'S SOMETHING NEW WE DON'T KNOW.

BUT IF YOU COMBINE THEM, AND I THINK IT MAKES SENSE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT JUST MESSAGING TWO RIGHT.

VERY DIFFERENT THINGS.

BUT I THINK IT CAN ALL THEY TIE TIE GO TOGETHER.

TIE TOGETHER.

AND ALSO JUST TO ADD TO THAT, WHEN I WAS AT THE RTC AND I TALKED TO MORE MIKE MORRIS AND SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF COG THAT WAS THERE, 'CAUSE THAT WAS A PACKED HOUSE LAST TIME, AND I MENTIONED THE FACT THAT THERE WAS A LOT MORE GRANTS, UH, THAT SEEM TO BE THE CASE NOW.

AND HE SAID, WELL, HE SAID THAT THAT REALLY DOES TIE INTO WHO YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU'RE AT.

SOME OF THE GROWTH LIKE YOURSELF, THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE THAT, THAT TIE IN WITH THAT TO HELP YOU WITH THE GROWTH.

AND ALSO SOME OF THESE THAT, THAT ARE STAGNANT THAT DON, SO THERE'S GRANTS FOR EACH KIND OF COUNTY THAT THEY'RE, WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO IS MEET THE NEEDS OF, OF ALL THE COUNTIES IN THE STATE.

AND ONE OF THOSE IS, IS REALLY MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE HIGH GROWTH AREAS.

AND SO, UH, GROWTH IS NOT EASY AND IT'S NOT FREE.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST NOT SITTING HERE REAPING THE BENEFITS OF A GROWING ECONOMY.

WE HAVE AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF EXPENSES AND THAT CREATES DEMANDS FOR SAY, A JUSTICE CENTER OR WHATEVER.

AND SO THERE WERE GRANTS OUT THERE THAT WE DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT THAT I, THEY WERE MENTIONED TO ME, UH, DUE TO THAT GROWTH AND THAT'S WHAT LED THAT TO THE RTC.

MM-HMM.

UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I THINK WE'VE TALKED QUITE A BIT ABOUT THAT.

UM, HEY, CYNTHIA, EMERGENCY

[I.I. Discussion/Presentation on Department 406 Emergency Management budget requests. (Judge Deen)]

MANAGEMENT HERE.

ARE THEY COMING? ARE WE GONNA, OR OH, IT'S YOU.

IT'S GIVING IT, I MEAN OKAY.

YOU'RE UP AGAIN.

JUST WE HAVE THE INFORMATION CORRECT.

WE, WE HAVE THE INFORMATION, THIS IS IT FOR 4 0 6 FOR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

UM, AGAIN, THE TALKS ARE THAT THE RADIO CONTRACT IS MOVING TO IT, SO THIS PROBABLY WOULDN'T APPLY.

THEY CAN'T REALLY TALK MUCH ABOUT WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN THERE.

THAT WAS THE BIGGEST ASK FOR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WAS THE RADIAL CONTRACT.

WHICH WE'VE GOT A HANDLE ON THAT.

YES.

MR. CAWOOD IS GONNA BE GIVING YOU MORE DETAILS ON THAT.

FIRE MARSHAL, THESE WERE THE ASKS THAT WERE SUBMITTED DURING THE BUDGET SUBMISSION.

ONCE HE HAD THAT.

AND FOR THE

[I.J. Discussion/Presentation on Department 543 Fire Marshal budget requests. (Judge Deen)]

UM, AND AGAIN, WE'RE GOING BY THE FORMER, UH, DEPARTMENT HEAD AT THE TIME THAT REQUESTED ALL THIS.

UM, WE WILL GO THROUGH IT AGAIN.

I THINK ON THIS ONE IT'S THE TOWER.

IT'S THE TOWER CONTRACT THAT'S GONNA BE A, A TRANSFER TO IT AS WELL.

SO THERE'S GONNA BE SOME NUMBERS THAT WILL BE MOVING, SOME PIECES THAT WILL BE MOVING.

I THINK THERE'LL BE A LOT OF, THAT'S GONNA BE DIFFERENT FROM THE FIRE MARK.

SO REALLY I CAN'T, THIS IS JUST WHAT WAS SUBMITTED TO US.

WE STILL HAVE TO GO AND DO A LOT OF YEAH, WE, WE GOT MORE GO BY WHAT HE PUT OUT.

WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA,

[01:45:01]

WE DRILL INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE AND EOC AND SO WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION.

SO THERE'S REALLY NOT JUST, OTHER THAN JUST PROVIDE US THIS, THIS DATA, THERE'S REALLY NOT MUCH MORE THAT YOU CAN SPEAK TO.

I DID HAVE A QUESTION ON THIS.

IT SAYS, DUE TO THE LOSS OF THE PREVIOUS CAR FOR THE 105,000, WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THERE? I'M GLAD YOU, I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP.

BOY HAD AN ACCIDENT.

I BELIEVE THERE WAS.

SO I THINK THE LAST, UH, FIRE MARSHAL OR THE PERSON THAT WAS IN THAT POSITION WAS KIT AND SHE DROVE A VEHICLE AND THAT VEHICLE WAS TOTALED BY THE NEW EMPLOYEE THAT TOOK OVER HER POSITION AND NOW ASKING FOR A NEW VEHICLE.

AND, AND THEY'RE ASKING, YOU'RE CORRECT, YOU'RE CORRECT.

ARE THERE INSURANCE PROCEEDS FOR THAT OR AM NO, NO INSURANCE FOR THAT, AS I UNDERSTAND BECAUSE OF THE AGE OF THE CAR.

SO THE YEAR THE 10 WAS SUCH OLD VEHICLE, IT WASN'T, I GOT, IT WASN'T INSURED OFF.

DO WE, WHAT DO WE DO? A FIVE YEAR? NINE 11 WAS, YEAH.

DO WE DO A FIVE YEAR ROLLING WHERE WE CAN WE KEEP EXCEPT LARGE EQUIPMENT FOR LARGE EQUIPMENT? UH, WE ALL LARGE EQUIPMENT.

IT'S 10 YEARS APART.

OH.

SO THIS VEHICLE IS OLDER THAN 10 YEARS.

IT GOT TOWED.

IT, IT'S PARKED OUT AT BETHEL IF YOU WANNA LOOK AT IT.

THAT COULD BE YOUR DIDN'T TAKE MUCH.

IT SAYS, THE ONE SAYS FIRE MARSHAL ON IT STILL.

IT WAS TOLD NO FUNCTION.

SO, UM, WE WILL BRING A LOT MORE DETAIL BACK TO YOU ALL.

WE'VE GOT SOME WORK TO DO IN THAT DEPARTMENT, OBVIOUSLY WHEN WE PRESENT THE PROPOSED BUDGET.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

SOUNDS LIKE IT'S BRIANNA'S TIRING AGAIN.

AND THAT'S ITEM

[I.K. Discussion/Presentation on General Budget updates. (Brianna Fowler / Judge Deen)]

AND ON THE GENERAL BUDGET UPDATES YOU COMING UP? OH, FROM WHAT? YEAH, YOU'RE ON.

I DON'T HAVE, I'M SORRY.

NO, NO UPDATES.

WHEN, WHEN ARE WE EXPECTING THE APPRAISAL NUMBERS? OH, WE RECEIVED CERTIFIED VALUES, UM, ON FRIDAY, BUT WE KNOW WHAT CALCULATION DONE.

PROBABLY END OF THE FIRST LAW.

I MAKE A MOTION WE ADJOURN, BUT I HAVEN'T OPENED THAT ITEM YET.

RECORD SHOW THAT WE'LL, WE'LL, UH, ADJOURN AT 1106.