* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [Call to Order] [00:00:03] AND WE'LL MOVE TO THE, LET RECORDS SHOW THAT UH, IT IS TUESDAY, JULY 22ND, 2025 AT 9:00 AM AND WE DO HAVE A QUORUM WITH THE COUNTY CLERK AND THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE PRESENT. MOVE TO ITEM ONE ON ITEM A, DISCUSS [I.A. Discussion/Presentation on Department 439 County Court at Law #2 budget requests. (Judge Johnson / Judge Deen) (Part 1 of 2)] PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENT 4 39. COUNTY CLERK AT LAW NUMBER TWO, BUDGET REQUEST. UH, JUDGE JOHNSON'S GONNA BE LATE, ISN'T SHE? SHE'S NOT HERE, SO, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO ITEM B [I.В. Discussion/Presentation on Department 499 Tax Assessor-Collector budget requests. (Jenny Gentry / Judge Deen)] DISCUSSION PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENT 4 9 9. TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR BUDGET REQUEST. JENNY, GOOD MORNING. THE ONLY THING TO DISCUSS OR MINE IS I DID REQUEST ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR TWO FULL-TIME AND MONEY TO GO INTO MY PART-TIME LINE. WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO PROPERLY, UM, STAFF BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF THE OFFICE, BUT NOW THAT WE HAVE THE RENOVATION COMPLETED, WE HAVE PLENTY OF SEATS THAT WE COULD FILL. I WAS WORKING WITH OUR COUNTY SUPPORT LIAISON WITH THE STATE AND SHE SAID WE SHOULD HAVE 31 WORKSTATIONS. WE CURRENTLY HAVE 22 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES AND THAT INCLUDES MY BOOKKEEPER AND CHIEF DEPUTY, WHICH DON'T WORK THE FRONT COUNTER AND TWO PART-TIME. SO WE ARE SHORT NINE. SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO REQUEST IS TWO FULL-TIME AND SOME MONEY FOR PART-TIME. AND I'LL HAPPILY TAKE ANYTHING YOU GIVE ME. YOU'LL WHAT? I'LL TAKE ANYTHING YOU GIVE ME. I THINK SHE SAID YOU WOULD HAPPILY, THAT'S A LOADED QUESTION. I'LL HAPPILY TAKE ANYTHING YOU GIVE ME. WE WANNA TAKE ONE. WE HAD HOUSE BILL SEVEN 18 CHANGE HOW DEALERS SUBMIT THEIR TRANSACTIONS. NOW THEY HAVE TO SUBMIT 'EM ELECTRONICALLY INSTEAD OF WALKING THEM IN. AND FOR MY SPRINGTOWN OFFICE, THERE'S NO MORE SPACE. SO CURRENTLY PRIOR TO THIS HOUSE BILL, ONE OF THE GIRLS HAD TO CLOSE HER STATION TO WORK SPRINGTOWN DEALERS TITLE TRANSACTIONS. WHILE THE OTHER TWO WORKED THE COUNTER. WE DON'T HAVE SPACE TO ADD A DEALER CLERK, SO I'D LIKE TO ADD A FULL-TIME POSITION TO WEATHERFORD TO SOLELY WORK ALL OF OUR SPRINGTOWN DEALERS. OKAY. VERY WELL. ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? SO THE DEALERS, THE DEALERS FROM SPRINGTOWN WOULD THEN HAVE TO COME TO WEATHERFORD? NO. SO THEY SUBMIT EVERYTHING ONLINE. WE'LL PROCESS AND THEN WE'LL SEND THE STICKERS TO THE SPRINGTOWN OFFICE. SO THEY STILL DON'T HAVE TO COME TO WEATHERFORD. OKAY. BUT IT WOULD ALLOW THE THREE CLERKS TO WAIT ON ALL THE WALK-INS INSTEAD OF SHUTTING A WINDOW. THAT'S RIGHT. AND SPRINGTOWN STILL JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THEY HAVE NO, THEY GET TO STAY THERE. YEAH. OKAY. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. MS. GENTRY. WE, UH, AS YOU PROBABLY HEARD, WE'VE STARTED A BUDGET COMMITTEE THIS YEAR THAT IS REVIEWING ALL REQUESTS YES. FROM THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS OF THE COUNTY. AND THE IDEA IS IN BUDGET WORKSHOPS WE HEAR FROM EVERYBODY ALL AT ONCE AND RIGHT. Y'ALL CAN PROBABLY TELL OUR S START TO GLAZE OVER AFTER A LITTLE WHILE. YES. UM, SO THE IDEA OF THIS COMMITTEE IS WE CAN LOOK AT ALL THE REQUESTS FOR NEW PEOPLE AND NEW CAPITAL ALL AT ONCE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS BACK TO THE COURT ON TRYING TO MEET THE NEEDS AS BEST WE CAN. AS COMMISSIONER WALDEN SAYS, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THINGS WE'VE JUST GOTTA HAVE, THERE'S THINGS WE NEED AND THEN THERE'S THINGS WE WANT. AND SO ANYWAY, UM, YOU'RE GONNA GET AN EMAIL FROM ME AFTER TODAY'S MEETING OKAY. KIND OF OUTLINING SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE, THAT ARE TYPICAL FOR WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOLKS ASKING FOR NEW PERSONNEL. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HOW MANY PART-TIME EMPLOYEES DO YOU HAVE NOW? TWO. I HAVE TWO PART-TIME CURRENTLY. OKAY. YEAH. WE HAVE ONE THAT WORKS THREE FULL DAYS, MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY. AND ANOTHER ONE WORKS 11 TO THREE EVERY DAY. SO SHE COVERS THROUGH OUR LUNCHES SO THAT WE'RE NOT SHORTHANDED DURING LUNCHES. OKAY. THANK YOU. YOU, SO THAT RECOMMENDATION FROM THE STATE IN THAT GAP, IS THAT FOR ALL LOCATIONS? YES. OKAY. MM-HMM . AND WE DON'T NEED ADDITIONAL IN ALITO RIGHT NOW. THAT OFFICE HAS NOT REALLY PICKED UP. I MEAN IT HAS SINCE IT OPENED, BUT WEATHERFORD IS OUR BUSIEST LOCATION. SPRINGTOWN IS VERY BUSY, BUT THERE'S NO WAY TO ADD A STAFF OUT THERE RIGHT NOW 'CAUSE OF SPACE. YES. WE PHYSICALLY DON'T HAVE ANY MORE WALL SPACE THAT A CUSTOMER CAN BREACH. THAT'S 'CAUSE OF THE CONSTABLE'S TAKING UP ALL THE ROOM OUT THERE. YEAH. ALRIGHT. SO I'M SURE EVERYONE'S GONNA TELL YOU. I MEAN, THE GROWTH IN THE COUNTY'S INSANE. WE HAVE OVER 1,490 TRANSACTIONS MORE A MONTH THIS YEAR THAN WE DID IN 2024. SO THE GROWTH IS NOT SLOWED DOWN AT ALL. THAT'S UNBELIEVABLE. YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MOVE TO ITEM C ON [I.C. Discussion/Presentation on Department 551 Constable Precinct #1 budget requests. Wright/ Judge Deen)] DISCUSS PRESENTATION DEPARTMENT 5 51 CONSTABLE PRECINCT. ONE BUDGET REQUEST. YOU CAN NOW REBUTTING ON ALL THAT SPACE YOU'RE TAKEN UP. YES SIR. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK SOME MORE IF THAT'S POSSIBLE. COMMISSIONER. JUST, JUST SAYING MORNING AND GENTLEMEN, I'VE GOT VERY LITTLE TO PUT ON. I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU SOME, UH, NUMBERS, UH, SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY [00:05:01] I'M LOOKING AT SOME OF THESE THINGS. UH, IN THE, WE SERVED WITH 600 PAPERS IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, CIVIL PAPERS. AND THAT ALSO COME 1,350 ATTEMPTS TO GET THOSE PAPERS SERVED. WE SPENT A LOT MORE TIME ATTEMPTING PAPERS THAN WE DO ACTUALLY SERVING THEM TO CATCH PEOPLE. AND WE'VE DONE 25 RITZ POSSESSION IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS, WHICH THAT'S WHEN WE ACTUALLY GO DO MOVE OUTS OUTTA THE HOMES. AND THAT ALWAYS TAKES TWO OFFICERS MINIMUM. AND WE'RE THERE FROM TWO HOURS TO MAYBE FOUR OR FIVE, SIX HOURS SOMETIMES. NORMALLY THE TWO HOUR CATCHES MOST OF IT. UH, SO WE STAY PRETTY BUSY ON THAT AND WE'RE ALWAYS, UH, NOT MAKING PEOPLE HAPPY. EVERYBODY WE GO TO DON'T REALLY LIKE US BEING THERE. WE'RE NOT THERE TO GIVE 'EM GOOD NEWS ON ANYTHING. WE GO TO DO. UH, SOME OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL STATS, UM, WE'VE HAD 195 TOTAL ENVIRONMENTAL CASES. UH, 137 OF THOSE IS OUT OF PRECINCT ONE. UH, 58 OF 'EM IS OUT OF PRECINCT FOUR. UH, WE HAVE, UH, 37 CITATIONS ISSUED. WE HAD 69 COMPLY AND GOT 'EM DISMISSED BY COMPLIANCE. UH, WE ACTUALLY HAD 31 FELONY CASES AND A HUNDRED, THE 58 PUBLIC NUISANCE. WE HAD HOLD 98 CASES STILL PENDING. SO THAT'S KIND OF THE STATS OF WHAT WE DO ON THE DUR GREEN GUNNING. UH, FIRST THING I'D LIKE TO MENTION TO YOU IS I'VE ASKED FOR RADIOS, CAR RADIOS. WE'VE BEEN OPERATING WITH HANDHELDS AND ADAPTERS IN OUR TRUCKS. THEY'RE JUST NOT WORKING. WE'VE GOT A LOT OF DEAD SPOTS WHERE WE'RE NOT ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH DISPATCH AND SUCH, LIKE LEAVING OFFICERS IN A PRETTY BAD POSITION SOMETIMES YOU DON'T HAVE CAR RADIOS IN ANY VEHICLE. THEY'RE, THEY'VE GOT THE CAR ADAPTERS IN THE CARS WITH THE HANDHELD RADIOS. THE ADAPTER FOR THE HANDHELD, THEY'RE HANDHELDS AND ADAPTERS. YES, SIR. BUT THAT WAS NOT WORKING OUT. NO, SIR. WE DIDN'T JUST THIS LAST, UH, TWO WEEKS AGO, HAD ONE TRY TO CHECK OUT AND THEY FINALLY GOT CHECKED OUT AND THE DISPATCHER COULD GET HIM BACK 'CAUSE HE DIDN'T HAVE NO SERVICE. NOT ON, NOT ON, AT NORTHEAST SIDE OF PARKER COUNTY'S JUST NOT GOOD. SO, OR THE WHOLE EAST SIDE. SO, AND SIR, YOU MAY KNOW THIS, AND THIS MAY BE A QUESTION FOR JAMES, BUT WHY WOULD THE RADIOS THAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR WORK BETTER THAN THE RADIOS THAT YOU HAVE VIA THE CAR ADAPTER? BECAUSE THEY'RE TRUE MOBILE RADIOS. THEY ARE MADE TO PUT IN CARS. GOTCHA. WE TRIED TO DO IT THE CHEAP WAY AND IT JUST DIDN'T WORK. WE, I KNOW NEED HANDHELDS ANYWAYS TO BE ON THE BODY, SO IT'S NOT A LOSS THERE. IT JUST, IT JUST MAKES IT BETTER WHEN THE CAR HAVE REGULAR CAR RADIO. THANK YOU. AND HOW MANY, IT DOESN'T SAY HERE HOW MANY, THERE'D BE FIVE OF 'EM. FIVE ONE FOR EACH VEHICLE? YES, SIR. AND THAT WAS TOTAL COST. 41,000 FOR THE SEVEN AND I'M ASSUMING FIVE TASERS. YES, SIR. UH, AND THE QUOTE THAT WE GOT ON THE TASERS IN THE OTHER, THE BODY CAMS AND SUCH, LIKE, UH, IS FOR SIX, BUT SOMEHOW WE GOT SIX AND UP THAT WILL BE, WE'RE WORKING ON GETTING A NEW QUOTE, UH, WITH THE FIVE THAT WE'RE REQUESTING, UM, ON THE TASERS AND THE BODY CAMS, UH, AS WELL. AND, UH, WE'RE ALSO, UH, WITH ALL THE ENVIRONMENTAL PARTICULARLY WE'RE LOOKING AT IN THESE RICH POSSESSION WHERE AGAIN, UH, LIKE WE'RE ASKING FOR A DRONE THAT WE CAN SEND IN AND LOOK AT THESE PROPERTIES, UH, INSTEAD OF HAVING TO PUT BOOTS ON THE GROUND IN THESE AREAS TO LOOK AT SOME OF THIS STUFF. IS THAT ONE DRONE THAT MUCH MONEY? YES, SIR. I'LL LET, UH, I'LL LET LANNY EXPLAIN THAT. HE'S THE ONE THAT PUTS THIS PACKAGE TOGETHER. I WAS OUT WITH MY WIFE IN THE HOSPITAL WHEN HE WAS GETTING THESE. I DIDN'T THINK THOSE THINGS WERE THAT HIGH. OH YEAH, THEY'RE THEY'RE PRETTY DARN EXPENSIVE RIGHT NOW. THEY'RE ONE OF THE HOTTEST THING IN, IN LAW ENFORCEMENT UP AND COMING. UH, ABOUT 12 YEARS AGO WE GOT A DRUG ONE AT THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE. WE WERE WORKING ON IT THEN. WE HAD ENVIRONMENTAL GRANT POSITION WHEN I WAS WITH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. WE BOUGHT A DRONE, UH, ARLINGTON WEATHERFORD, UH, JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY AROUND US IS USING DRONES. UH, THEY'RE OFFICER SAFETY. THEY HELP BUILD THE CASE EVIDENCE. UH, THEY'RE JUST, UH, A, A SAFER WAY TO GO PRIOR TO PUTTING BOOTS ON THE GROUND. SO, WELL, I COULD SEE THAT BEING A BENEFIT FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL STUFF AND ABSOLUTELY. THE OTHER STUFF, WELL, EVEN EVEN CIVIL PROCESS, THERE'S A LOT OF TIMES WE NEED TO LOOK AT PROPERTY THAT WE ARE CLOSED GATES. WE CAN SEND IT UP AND PROBABLY IDENTIFY, UH, A TRAILER OR A HOUSE OR A VEHICLE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO WHEN YOU SEND A DRONE INTO SOMEBODY'S PROPERTY, CAN THEY LEGALLY SHOOT THAT THING DOWN? NO. NO. WE CANNOT. [00:10:02] IT'S NOT GONNA STOP 'EM. HUH. SO WE WOULDN'T STOP 'EM. BUT THEY, WELL, LEGALLY THEY COULDN'T STOP 'EM. BUT I DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WAS LEGAL TO FLAG ON THERE. ACTUALLY, THERE'S, UH, OVER THEIR PROPERTY ARTICLES. UH, I BELIEVE, UH, MONTGOMERY COUNTY, UH, HAS A DRONE, UH, PROGRAM AND THEY HAD SET ONE UP AND, UH, THEY WERE LOOKING FOR A, UH, UH, TRIED TO IDENTIFY A VEHICLE SOMETHING AND A GUY SHOT DOWN AND HE WAS JAILED. SO I CAN SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE SHOOTING THEM DOWN. YEAH. NOT OUT IN PRECINCT ONE. 'CAUSE EVERYBODY LOVES EVERYBODY OUT THERE. YEAH, NO, THEY'RE ALL COMPLIANT THERE. SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT. AND, AND, YOU KNOW, IT GOES BACK INTO SAFETY ISSUE. UH, YESTERDAY ON A ENVIRONMENTAL CASELOAD WAS WORKING ON, WE ACTUALLY DISCOVERED A STOLEN CAR OFF THE PROPERTY AT CARS IS A PROBLEM. WE GOT CHECKING 'EM AND ONE OF 'EM IS ACTUALLY STOLEN, WHICH WE TURNED THAT OVER TO THE AUTO TASK FORCE TO WORK ON THAT. IT'S AMAZING WHAT YOU CAN SEE WITH THOSE GROUND. YES SIR. YES SIR. ABSOLUTELY. AND SO, LIKE I SAY, UH, ON THIS, IN THE QUOTE ON THE QUOTE, I'VE GOT ON THE, UH, BODY CAMS, THE TASERS, UH, WE DID SIX, WHICH WAS A MISTAKE. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIVE. SO THE AMOUNT WILL BE LESS THAN QUOTED. WE'RE WORKING ON GETTING A NEW QUOTE BEFORE WE GETTING MUCH FURTHER. BUT IT LOOKS LIKE EVER, EVER CONSTABLE DEPARTMENT'S ASKING FOR A DRONE, IT LOOKS LIKE. YES, SIR. UH, IT IS JUST ONE OF THOSE DEALS. IF YOU NEED IT, YOU NEED IT. AND IF YOU DO, YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO SIT AROUND AND WAIT FOR SOMEBODY TO YEAH. GET THROUGH OR BRING IT TO YOU. LAST MONTH WE HAVE, UH, ENOUGH ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, CASES THAT WE COULD HAVE SENT A GROWN UP EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS. WE'RE JUST BUSY NEARLY A HUNDRED THOUSAND BUCKS FOR. YEAH. AND LIKE I SAID, THIS IS WITH THE AXON DEAL, UH, WHICH THIS IS A PAYOUT OVER FIVE YEARS, KIM. IS THAT THE WAY THAT WORKS? IT'S A FIVE YEAR DEAL. SO IT IS NOT A PLOT FORCE. WHEN YOU GET THAT DRONE, THEN DO YOU HAVE TO HAVE ACCESSORIES TO GO WITH IT? OR IS THAT THE ONLY THING YOU COMES, COMES, THIS COMES WITH ABSOLUTELY EVERY, EVERYTHING INCLUSIVE. SO, AND IT, AND IT COMES RECORDING OUR EVIDENCE PACKAGE. IT'S A, GOT A MAINTENANCE, UH, BATTERY BACKUP. IT'S COME WITH, UH, TRAINING VOUCHERS. UH, THERE'S JUST A BIG LIST OF OKAY. USUALLY THERE'S, ONCE YOU GET ONE THING, THEN YOU GOTTA HAVE 10 MORE THINGS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. AND THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT WE'VE DONE THERE. MY BIG MAIN PART OF THE BUDGET, I WENT UP MAYBE 10% ON STUFF LIKE HOSTAGE AND THINGS LIKE THAT OF THE INCREASE. AND THAT'S, THAT'S ALL WE'RE ASKING FOR. CAN YOU EXPLAIN, UH, JUST GO OVER THE AUTOMOBILE, UM, AUTOMOBILES CATEGORY? IS THERE ANY I HAVE NO ALLOW BILLS THIS YEAR. NONE. OKAY. NO SIR. ALRIGHT. RADIOS AND DRONES. THE BIG TICKET ITEMS THIS YEAR. OKAY. ALL NEEDED VERY WELL. SO WHAT, WHAT, UH, COMM HOLT WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER IS WE'VE GOT A COMMITTEE FORM THAT'S, THAT'S TAKING ALL THE REQUESTS AND, UH, HE MAY SEND YOU AN EMAIL FOR JUSTIFICATION. OKAY. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WHICH WOULD BE AN UPDATED BID OKAY. OR QUOTE THAT YOU HAVE. OKAY. UH, AND ALL WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS, IS COME IN INSTEAD OF, UH, APPROVING ONE, AND THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER ONE AND THEN ANOTHER ONE OVER HERE. WE'RE TRYING TO GATHER ALL THAT STUFF TOGETHER AND WE ACTUALLY, UH, HAVE A SCORING SYSTEM THAT WE'RE USING TO, TO, TO WORK ON, UH, THE, UH, PRIORITY LIST FOR THE COUNTY. 'CAUSE WE CAN'T PAY FOR EVERYTHING. YES, SIR. I UNDERSTAND. SO WE WORK ON THE PRIORITIES AND, AND AT SOME POINT WE MIGHT COME BACK TO YOU AND SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO ASK FOR THESE THINGS IN YOUR PRIORITY LEVEL, WHAT'S THE, WHAT DO YOU NEED THE MOST? BECAUSE AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO DRAW A LINE. OKAY. AND WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO DO THAT TO, TO COMMISSIONER CONLEY'S POINT THERE, RATHER THAN SAYING, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA APPROVE THIS, UH, THIS NEW EXPENDITURE HERE, AND THEN THE, THEN THE FOLLOWING COURT, WE SAY, WELL, SINCE YOU APPROVED THAT, NOW WE NEED THE, THE TIRES AND WHEELS FOR THAT VEHICLE. THAT'S THE KIND OF THINGS THAT WE'VE GOTTEN IN THE PAST AND WE'RE TRYING TO ELIMINATE IT. AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEN WE WANT TO COME BACK AND SAY, WELL, SOMEBODY'S GOTTA DECIDE, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE ARE ON A PRIORITY LIST. AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS. SO THAT'S WHAT THAT EMAIL'S GOING TO BE THAT YOU GET FROM THE COMMITTEE. SO, OKAY. NO, NO. UH, YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT'S GETTING ONE. HOW ABOUT THAT? EVERYBODY IS SO, AND WE'RE HAVING TO PLAY A LITTLE BIT OF DEVIL'S ADVOCATE. SO THERE MAY BE SOME QUESTIONS THAT SEEM TO HAVE A COMMON SENSE ANSWER. WE'RE NOT TRYING TO BE DUMB WHEN WE ASK THE QUESTIONS. WE'RE JUST DOTTING OUR I'S AND CROSSING OUR T'S. I UNDERSTAND, SIR. THANK YOU, SIR. I GOT A QUICK QUESTION. YES, SIR. SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU IF YOU WERE GOING. NO. UM, LOOKING AT MAINTENANCE AND PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE ON THESE AUTOS. YES SIR. DO Y'ALL, SIR, HOW DO YOU HANDLE IT? HOW ARE YOU HANDLING THAT? WE DO OUR ROPE, OUR CAR VEHICLES ARE [00:15:01] OIL CHANGED, UH, EVERY 5,000 MILES. UM, AND THEY'RE GOING OVER. BUT JC AND OUR PRECINCT ONE TAKE CARE OF OUR VEHICLES ARE Y'ALL TIRES ARE ROTATED EVERY TIME WHERE THERE'S MISSING, YOU TRY TO DO IT EVERY TIME WE CHANGE OIL OR EVERY OTHER TIME OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. YEAH. I'D ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO CHECK TIRE PRESSURES PRETTY REGULAR AS YOU CAN. YES, WE DO. YEAH. ALL THEIR MAINTENANCE IS DONE AT PRECINCT ONE, WHICH SAVES THE COUNTY A LOT OF MONEY. YES, SIR. TO GOING OUT TO INDIVIDUAL MECHANICS. SAME. DO. YES SIR. WE DID. LIKE I SAY, WE, I, I CAN'T, I'VE NEVER HOOKED IT OUTSIDE TO, FOR ANOTHER MECHANIC, UH, PRECINCT ONE'S DONE MINE EVER SINCE I'VE BEEN IN OFFICE. THANK YOU, SIR. YES, SIR. THANK Y'ALL. THANK YOU. MOVE [I.D. Discussion/Presentation on Department 553 Constable Precinct #3 budget requests. (Glen Praytor / Judge Deen)] TO ITEM D ON DISCUSSION, PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENT 5 53 CONSTABLE PRECINCT. THREE, BUDGET REQUEST. GOOD MORNING. MORNING. YOU ONLY HAVE 30 MINUTES NOW, . OKAY. I'LL TRY TO BE BRIEF. I HAVE FURNISHED ALL OF Y'ALL WITH A COPY OF THIS, UH, AND THE REASONING BEHIND WHAT WE WANT AND THE JUSTIFICATION FOR IT. UM, JUST A QUICK NOTE. WE HAD ALSO PUT IN FOR SOME DRONES YOU CAN CANCEL THAT. WE WERE ABLE TO DO A BUDGET AMENDMENT AND REPLACE WHAT WE NEEDED TO WITH THIS YEAR'S MONEY ON THE DRONES. SO WE'RE GOOD WITH THAT. HOW MANY DRONES DO YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW? DO YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW? BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK. . WE HAVE TWO HIGH FLYING DRONES, AND THEN WE HAVE TWO DRONES THAT ARE ACTUALLY WHAT WE CALL ENTRY, UH, DRONES, WHICH, LIKE IF WE GO INTO A HOUSE TO EXECUTE A, A WRIT OF A POSSESSION AND, UH, WELL JUST LIKE THE ONE DOWN IN LAKE COUNTRY ACRES THAT THERE WAS A TRIPLE HOMICIDE ON, UH, A LOT OF TIMES WE WILL FLY ONE OF THEM IN THERE BEFORE WE ACTUALLY MAKE ENTRANCE TO MAKE SURE THERE'S NO THREAT, NO BAD DOGS OR ANYBODY LEAKING AROUND THE CORNER, YOU KNOW. SO YOU HAVE FOUR, TWO LITTLE ONES. YES, SIR. WE HAVE TWO LOW FLYING DRONES, WHICH THEY CALL 'EM ENTRY DRONES. AND THEN WE HAVE TWO THAT ACTUALLY FLIES WAY UP WITH ONE OF 'EM HAVING THERMO, WHICH IS A GOOD FIRE ENVIRONMENT. PERSONALLY OWNED OR DID, DID THE COUNTY BUY ALL FOUR OF THOSE? UH, THE COUNTY BOUGHT ALL FOUR OF 'EM. WE WERE ABLE TO, LIKE I SAY, SAVE SOME MONEY LAST YEAR WHEN WE BOUGHT OUR VEHICLE AND, UH, WHAT HAVE YOU TO DO A BUDGET AMENDMENT TO ACTUALLY GET OUR DRONES, THE THE ENTRY DRONES. THEM DRONES THE SAME AS WHAT PRECINCT ONE JUST SAID? WELL, I DON'T KNOW. I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT. UH, LANNY HAD VISITED WITH UH, UH, MY DRONE PILOT. YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO SEND THEM TO SCHOOL AND BECOME A CERTIFIED DRONE PILOT. NOW THE ENTRY ONES, ANYBODY CAN FLY ONE AS LONG AS YOU HAVE AN EXPERIENCE TEACHER. RIGHT. BUT THE ONES THAT ACTUALLY GO UP IN THE AIR, UH, IN VIDEO, THEY REQUIRE A LICENSE. BUT, UH, YEAH, WE HAVE VISITED WITH 'EM A LITTLE BIT. UH, OUR SETUP IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT. WE HAVE A, A MONITOR MOUNTED IN THE BACK OF OUR TAHOES THAT'S A TELEVISION SCREEN. OTHERWISE THE MONITORS THAT IT COMES WITH IS LIKE A LITTLE BITTY EIGHT BY 10 MAYBE AT THE MOST. SO IT CAN'T REALLY, ESPECIALLY THE THERMAL WON'T PICK UP IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A PERSON, UH, AS WELL AS THE BIG MONITOR. BUT, UH, THAT MY CHIEF DEPUTY IS, UH, UH, BEEN FLYING DRONES FOR YEARS AND HE IS VERY, UH, POLISHED AND ALL THAT. AND, UH, I WAS TRULY SURPRISED, UH, THAT THEY WERE SUCH AN ASSET TO THE COUNTY BECAUSE I MEAN, WE CAN ASSIST ANYBODY THAT NEEDS ANYTHING AS FAR AS FINDING PEOPLE, UH, THE ENVIRONMENTAL, IT'S REALLY HELPED A LOT OF AREAS WE CAN'T ACTUALLY WALK THROUGH AND FILM, BUT WE CAN FLY OVER AND THEY'RE A HUGE BENEFIT. THEY'RE JUST REALLY EXPENSIVE. IN FACT, WE'VE ASSISTED RAY AND, UH, THEM, UH, SEVERAL TIMES ON VIDEO AND SOME STUFF UP IN [00:20:01] PRECINCT ONE. YEAH, GOOD. BUT YEAH, THEY'RE A, THEY'RE A GOOD TOOL. YEAH. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE? UH, NO SIR. JUST, UH, IT'S PRETTY WELL OUTLINED IN MY DESCRIPTION HERE AND I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE THINGS TO WORK WITH, UH, WITHIN Y'ALL'S BUDGET, JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY DOES. BUT WE'D APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S CONSIDERATION AND, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN, THAT'D BE GREAT. YOU GOT ROOM FOR ANOTHER FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE? WELL, I'M ASKING FOR ONE. YES, SIR. I'M KIND OF LIKE RAY, OUR ENVIRONMENTALIST. I MEAN, IT'S LIKE WE'VE HAD SEVERAL FELONY CASES WE HAVE FILED AS WELL. UH, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, A LOT OF 'EM KIND OF COME TO A STOPPING POINT, BUT WE'RE FIXING TO FILE ANOTHER ONE FROM HORSESHOE BIN. BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ONLY WRITE SO MANY TICKETS AND THEY CAN ONLY SPEND SO MANY DAYS IN JAIL UNTIL YOU START ENHANCING IT MORE. AND FINALLY YOU GET THEIR ATTENTION. YOU KNOW, BUT IT REQUIRES AN INVESTIGATOR TO ALMOST WRITE A REPORT TO GET TO THE POINT THAT YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, DO SOMETHING STRONG ENOUGH THAT'LL GET THEIR ATTENTION. AND, UH, I, I THINK WE HAVE ON SEVERAL OF 'EM ALREADY. COMMON FOLKS, MOST OF THE TIME THEY GET A TICKET. THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY ABIDE BY IT AND TRY TO CLEAN UP AND, AND WE WORK WITH 'EM TOO. YOU KNOW, WE GO BY LIKE ON WEEKLY OR SOMETIME MONTHLY BASIS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE PROGRESS TO CLEAN UP. AND IF THEY DON'T, WE WRITE 'EM ANOTHER TICKET. DO THEY NORMALLY PAY THOSE TICKETS? YES, SIR. AS A RULE. YEAH. WE'VE HAD SOME THAT DIDN'T, BUT AS A RULE, MOST OF 'EM WILL. BUT THE FINE IS A MISDEMEANOR, WHICH IS VERY MINIMAL ON THE, YOU KNOW, FIRST TICKETS. YEAH. WE, WE TRY TO GIVE 'EM THE OPPORTUNITY TO CLEAN UP IS WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY TRYING TO ACHIEVE. BUT SOMETIMES WE HAVE A LOT OF JUNKY PLACES OUT THERE. YES SIR. SIR. OR ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ME? OR HOW MANY VEHICLE? YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD OUR SPEECH? YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD OUR SPEECH. OKAY. YEAH. THANK YOU. LUCK. DIDN'T. HOW MANY VEHICLE MIKE'S HAVE QUESTIONS? HOW MANY VEHICLES ARE Y'ALL OPERATING? UH, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE FOUR ON THE ROAD ALL THE TIME. MM-HMM . WELL, AND I, WHEN I SAY ON THE ROAD, I MEAN THAT'S USABLE. I DO HAVE A 2018 THAT'S GOT LOTS OF MILES ON IT THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. YOU CAN SEE IN MY PAPERWORK THAT I'M ASKING FOR A REPLACEMENT FOR IT. YES SIR. OF COURSE, IF Y'ALL, IF WE DO GET ANOTHER DEPUTY, I WOULD NEED ANOTHER VEHICLE FOR THEM. MOST LIKELY. THE, THE 2018 IS THE ONE WE PRIMARILY USE FOR RESERVE OFFICERS THAT COME IN AND WORK MM-HMM. AND VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE CARE OF THE COMMUNITY. SO IS THAT, IS THAT 2018 PART OF THE FOUR THAT YOU WERE SAYING THAT WERE ON THE ROAD OR IS IT A SEPARATE ONE? SEPARATE. IT'S, IT IS MORE OR LESS A SPARE VEHICLE. SO YOU HAVE FIVE FIVE TOTAL, CORRECT? YEAH. YES SIR. SO YOU'RE TRYING TO REPLACE THE 2018 AND THEN POSSIBLY GET A NEW ONE IF THE NEW POSITION IS APPROVED? EXACTLY. THANK YOU, SIR. I THANK YOU. GLEN, WHO DOES MOST THE MAINTENANCE AND PRECINCT? ONE. ONE. OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH, WE HAVE NO, NO PROBLEM WITH THEM. THEY'RE, THEY TAKE CARE OF US. GOOD DEAL. THANK YOU. YES SIR. THANK Y'ALL BEING HERE. MOVE TO BY MOVE TO BY MAP ON THE DISCUSSION PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENT 4 0 6, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT BUDGET REQUEST. UH, IS JASON HERE? HE'S NOT. HE'S NOT. OKAY. MOVE TO ITEM G. DISCUSS PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENT 5 82. IT BUDGET REQUEST. HE IS HERE. HE JUST STEPPED OUT. YEAH. WELL, MR. LONG IS HERE. BRING HIM ON THE, YEAH, GIVE HIM A MINUTE. YEAH. NOT OUT HERE. OKAY. ALRIGHT, WE GONNA MOVE TO H ITEM [I.H. Discussion/Presentation on Departments 510 and 513 Building & Grounds and Southside Convenience Center budget requests. (Mark Long/ Judge Deen)] [00:25:01] H WE'LL DISCUSS PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENT FIVE 10 AND FIVE 13 BUILDING AND GROUNDS IN SOUTH SIDE CONVENIENCE CENTER BUDGET REQUEST. MARK. GOOD MORNING. UH, OUR PROPOSED BUDGET'S NOT REALLY INCREASED FOR 2026, BUT THERE'S A FEW ITEMS THAT WE ARE WANTING TO GET. UH, TWO OF THOSE ARE EITHER A NEW OR SLIGHTLY USED SUV COMPACT FOR THE CLEANING LADIES TO DRIVE. THE TWO VEHICLES THEY'RE DRIVING NOW ARE LIKE A 2005 AND A 2008. AND WE DO HAVE A 2000 MODEL THAT WE USE AS WELL. UM, WE'RE ASKING FOR A NEW FULL-TIME CUSTODIAL SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE, UH, ADDITION OF THE ELECTIONS BUILDING. UM, EVERY YEAR I'VE ASKED FOR AN ADDITIONAL FUNDINGS FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS. THIS YEAR IT'S TO, UH, UH, 250,000 VERSUS THE FIVE BEFORE. AND THAT'S MAINLY TO BRING ON THE EAST ANNEX, THE ELECTIONS BUILDING AND UPDATES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS FOR THE HVAC SYSTEMS IN THESE BUILDINGS. UM, AS FAR AS THE, UH, SOUTH SIDE CONVENIENCE, UH, LET'S SEE. YEAH, WE'RE ASKING FOR 120 K FOR TO GRIND THE BRUSH UP IN EACH YEAR, SO THAT'LL COME UP , BUT THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY SIMPLE ABOUT WHAT WE'VE GOT. ANY QUESTIONS? OH, WE DO OUR OWN IN OUR MAINTENANCE IN-HOUSE COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU EVERETT. WE CHANGE THE OIL, THE, YOU KNOW, AND AIR FILTERS, STUFF LIKE THAT. ANY TIRE STUFF. WE TAKE IT THE GOOD YEAR THERE, UH, ON PAL PINTO AND LIKE, WE HAVE A TRUCK NOW IN SPRINGTOWN THAT'S GOT A BAD TRANSMISSION THAT WE DO DON'T BELIEVE IT'S WORTH FIXING. SO, AND WE HAVE, UH, COMMANDEERED TO, UH, ONE OF THE ANIMAL CONTROL TRUCKS THAT THE SHERIFF, UH, HAD RETIRED. SO THAT'S ABOUT IT REALLY. QUESTIONS MR. LONG, YOU'VE HEARD THE SPIEL. WE'LL BE SENDING YOU AN EMAIL, TALKING, ASKING YOU SOME QUESTIONS. SOME OF THE QUESTIONS ARE GONNA BE KIND OF AROUND SHEDDING SOME LIGHT ON HOW YOU ROTATE PEOPLE FROM PLACE TO PLACE. ARE THERE ANY ABILITIES TO SHARE LOCATIONS MORE? SOME THINGS LIKE THAT. AND AGAIN, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO GET INTO YOUR BUSINESS. WE'RE NOT TRYING TO TELL YOU HOW TO DO YOUR JOB MORE. JUST MAKING SURE WE'RE ASKING THE QUESTIONS THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ASKING TO MAKE SURE THAT TAXPAYER DOLLARS ARE SPENT AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE. SURE. AND SOMETIMES THAT MEANS WE GOTTA ASK QUESTIONS THAT MIGHT BE OBVIOUS. YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, COME ON, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M DOING. BUT THAT'S WHERE THAT'S COMING FROM. UH, ON THE FLEET INFORMATION, SINCE YOU ARE ASKING FOR NEW VEHICLES, WE WILL BE ASKING JUST FOR TOTAL BREAKDOWN OF YOUR FLEET INFO. SURE. STUFF LIKE YEAR, MAKE, MILEAGE, WHO THE PRIMARY DRIVER IS, PRIMARY PURPOSE, WHAT LOCATION IT'S GOING TO, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. I, ONE, ONE OTHER THING, UH, COMMISSIONER HOLT HAD ASKED US ABOUT MONEY TO MAINTAIN THE OUTSIDE OF THE COURTHOUSE HERE. SYLVIA, MY OFFICE MANAGER'S IN CONTACT WITH THE THC, THEY'RE GOING BACK AND FORTH ON THAT. AND I BELIEVE, UH, UH, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE IN THE RESTORATION AND THE MAINTENANCE OF THE BUILDINGS. THERE'S MONEY IN THERE FOR MAINTENANCE. AND I, I MAY BE MISTAKEN, I DON'T THINK I AM. BUT ANYWAY, WE'RE WORKING ON TO GET THAT MONEY TO, TO UH, RESTORE LIKE THE WOOD AROUND THE WINDOWS AND STUFF LIKE THAT. 'CAUSE THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, ESPECIALLY ON YOUR SOUTH AND WEST SIDE. IT'S ABOUT EVERY THREE YEARS OR YOU'RE GONNA RUN INTO WHERE WE'RE AT NOW. THANK YOU, MARK. OKAY. AND ARE THERE ANY ONE, THE DEPARTMENT REQUEST THAT ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS SUBMITTED? OH, THE LIST. THAT LIST WE, SYLVIA HAD THAT SYLVIA HAD ASKED FOR ALL THAT, BUT NOT ALL COME IN FROM SOME OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENT HEADS. I THINK AFTER BUDGET DEPARTMENTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SOMETIMES YOU GO AHEAD AND READ IT OFF AND THEN WE HAVE TO PRIORITIZE THAT . [00:30:02] SO WE DIDN'T GET VERY MANY RESPONSES TO OUR EMAIL REGARDING SENDING WHAT PROJECTS THEY WANTED FOR THE YEAR. UH, NOT THE TOTAL THAT THEY REQUESTED WAS 142,500. AND WE FIGURE THAT MIGHT BE ABLE JUST TO COME OUT OF OUR NORMAL BUDGET. IS THAT INCLUDED IN YOUR BUDGET? YES SIR. YOU HAVE THAT INCLUDED IN YOUR BUDGET ALREADY, MAG. I UNDERSTAND, BUT YOU HAVE THAT ACCOUNTED FOR IN YOUR BUDGET. MM-HMM . I'M SURE. OKAY. OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE? 'CAUSE I GOT ANOTHER COMMENT. I WANT TO APOLOGIES IF YOU JUST SAID THIS. I WAS LOOKING DOWN AT HERE, BUT THE 120,000 FOR BRUSH GRINDING, UH, HE WAS CONFUSED. 120,000 IS WHAT WE'VE COLLECTED IN FEES RIGHT? AS OF JULY. OKAY. UH, YEAH. I IT DOWN. WE ASKED FOR AN INCREASE. I HAD, UH, CHOSE 62,000 'CAUSE WE WERE GOING ON LAST YEAR, BUT OUR BRUSH HAS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. SO WE CHANGED THAT TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND FOR UH, SERVICE CONTRACTS. SERVICE CONTRACTS. THANK YOU. AND THAT'D BE UNDER THE SOUTH CONVENIENCE CENTER, CORRECT? THAT'S NOT INCLUDED WITH WHAT YOU HAVE. THEY SUBMITTED THAT AFTER. CORRECT. IT'S 60 62 2000. YEAH, THAT'S A PROBLEM. WE DIDN'T SEE IT. WE DIDN'T SEE IT IN THE PAPERWORK. HERE'S WHY WE WERE QUESTIONING. BUT DOES THAT, THAT REQUEST THAT YOU HAVE THIS YEAR, IT MATCHES WHAT YOU DID LAST YEAR? THE GROSS DRIVING, THE, THE 62,000 THAT I HAD ORIGINALLY REQUESTED INCLUDED WHAT WE DID THIS YEAR. MM-HMM . BUT IT HAS INCREASED AND WE NEED TO GO OUT AGAIN. SO WE INCREASED IT, THE TOTAL FOR SERVICE CONTRACTS TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND. AND THAT SHOULD INCLUDE EVERYTHING. PERFECT. THANK YOU. NOW, THE BRUSH THAT WE DID GRIND THIS YEAR, WE TOOK THAT MONEY OUT OF MAINTENANCE LINE TO GRIND THAT. AND A LOT OF THE, A LOT OF THE BRUSH IS COMING FROM PRECINCT THREE . I THOUGHT IT WAS THE, I THOUGHT IT WAS OUR CONVENIENCE CENTER. LOCATED IN PRECINCT THREE. I HAD TO DO THAT. I GOT A QUESTION FOR YOU ABOUT THE PARKING LOT AT THE ANNEX. WE PASSED THE DEAL AT THE LAST COURT TO CHANGE UP THE PARKING LOT. YES. ARE WE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO THAT WITH THIS YEAR'S MONEY? OR IS IT GONNA HAVE TO COME OUT OF NEXT YEAR'S? IT'LL HAVE TO COME OUT OF NEXT YEAR, BUT I WANT YOU TO CONSIDER THIS, UH, EVER SINCE THAT EMAIL, UH, THE, UH, PARKING ON THE NORTH SIDE AND THE FRONT HAS, I MEAN, THERE'S AN ABUNDANCE OF SPACES NOW. AND MY THOUGHT IS WHY SPEND THAT MONEY IF WE DON'T NEED TO? SO NOW YOU THINK WE DON'T NEED TO DO IT? I DON'T THINK SO. BUT IF THE COURT WISHES WE'LL SEE. WELL, WE CAN, NO, WE DON'T WANNA SPEND MONEY. WE DON'T NEED TO. WE, LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS. MM-HMM . IT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO DO. OKAY. I WANT TO, UM, GET COMFORTABLE FOR A SECOND. I I WANNA BRING UP SOMETHING HERE THAT, UM, HAS BEEN KICKED DOWN THE ROAD A LITTLE BIT. UM, WHILE THE JUVENILE BOARD IS GOING TO, I'M SURE PRESENT THEIR OWN BUDGET, THE BUILDING THAT THEY OCCUPY CONTINUES TO BE AN ISSUE. I'M ON THE JUVENILE BOARD. YES IT IS. I GO THERE ONCE A MONTH. AND, UH, THERE IT'S AT A DECLINING RATE WHERE THINGS ARE SHUTTING DOWN. AS YOU KNOW, ELECTRICAL, THERE'S THINGS THAT ARE NOT FUNCTIONING, BUT THEY CANNOT WORK ON 'EM BECAUSE THE MOMENT YOU DO THAT, THEN YOU OPEN PANDORA'S BOX TO THE ENVIRONMENT THAT THE EMPLOYEES ARE WORKING IN. SO THIS WOULD BE UNDER THE BUILDING GROUNDS BUDGET WOULD, WOULD THAT BE CORRECT, MARK? UNDER THE JUVENILE BOARD BUILDING THAT THEY'RE IN, IS THAT A BUILDING ROUTE? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE THRIFT MARK BUILDING YOU TALKING ABOUT? NO, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE JUVENILE BOARD BUILDING THAT WE OCCUPY CURRENTLY THAT'S OWNED BY THE USDA BUILDING ON NORTH MAIN. YEAH. AND IT, AND THEY CAN DRILL HOLES IN THE WALL. 'CAUSE THE ASBESTOS ISSUED, UH, THEY HAVE NO CAMERAS BECAUSE OF THAT ISSUE THERE. UM, THEY, UH, THE, I SPOKE WITH ASHLEY AND THE, HOW DO I PUT THIS? THEY NEED WINDOWS CUT IN THEIR, UH, DOORS OF THEIR COUNSELORS SO PEOPLE CAN SEE IN BECAUSE OF THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE PAST. CORRECT. AND WE'RE GONNA GET THAT DONE PRETTY QUICKLY. BUT, UH, AS FAR AS WORKING ON THE BUILDING, WE REALLY CAN'T TOUCH IT WITH THE ASBESTOS. WELL, AND THE, AND THE CHALLENGE THAT WE FACE HERE THAT THIS COURT NEEDS TO BE AWARE OF IS THAT THAT BUILDING IS DECLINING BECAUSE THERE'S ELECTORAL OUTLETS. THERE'S THINGS THAT ARE NO, ALL, ALL THE ELECTRICAL'S WORKING PROPERLY. YEAH. THE LAST TIME THE MASS THEN THIS HAS BEEN DONE RECENTLY. HAS IT NOT? YEAH, I SPOKE WITH HER. OKAY. YESTERDAY. I THINK BECAUSE THE, THE CONCERN THAT WE HAVE IS, IS THAT'S GOING TO [00:35:01] CONTINUE TO BE A CHALLENGE WITH INFRASTRUCTURE ON IT. THAT'S GONNA HAVE TO PENETRATE INTO THE WALL. AND THEN ONCE YOU DO THAT, THEN THAT OPENS UP PANDORA'S BOX. UH, IT NEEDS TO BE A, A CONSIDERATION LOOKING INTO THE LONGEVITY OF THAT BUILDING, THE SAFETY OF THE EMPLOYEES AND MAKING SURE THAT, UH, AGAIN, I'M ON THE JUVENILE BOARD EVERY TIME I'M WALK IN THE BUILDING, MY EYES WATER. AND, AND SO I, THAT'S JUST ME. BUT, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE AIR QUALITY WHEN THAT WAS DONE RECENTLY. BUT THAT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO BE AN ISSUE IN KEEPING THOSE EMPLOYEES IN A SITUATION THAT WE'RE JUST KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD. I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT. AND I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT THIS YEAR, UH, WITH WHATEVER THE COST IS. BECAUSE NUMBER ONE PERSON PRIORITY IS THE SAFETY OF THOSE EMPLOYEES. AND I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT AND CONSIDERED. AND THEN LOOK AT THE, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE TRYING TO BE AS CONSERVATIVE AS WE CAN, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT PUTTING THE SAFETY OF THOSE EMPLOYEES IN RISK BECAUSE WE HAVE A BUILDING YOU CANNOT TOUCH AND LEAVE IT COMPLETELY ON, WHETHER IT'S ELECTRICAL DECLINING OR WHATEVER'S HAPPENING THERE. THERE'S GONNA BE INDEED AT SOME POINT HAVE TO GO ONTO THE WALL AND DO SOMETHING. AND SO WE HAVE TO TAKE THAT IN CONSIDERATION. I THINK IT REC I RECOMMEND THAT THAT BE LOOKED AT, MAKE A DETERMINATION ON WHAT A PLAN COULD BE HERE TO SOLVE THAT ISSUE. BUT WE KEEP KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD ON THIS THING. IT JUST NEEDS TO BE TORN DOWN. IT DOES. WHAT'S, WHAT SOLVES THAT ISSUE? TEARING IT DOWN TO GET IT DOWN? WELL, AGAIN, THAT'S ONE OPTION. WELL THEN WE GOTTA FIND ANOTHER PLACE FOR 'EM. THAT'S THOSE APPROXIMATE SQUARE FOOTAGE I THINK ABOUT. I'M GOING TO GUESS HOW MUCH IS IT? SO HOW MANY SQUARE FEET IS THE JJAP AND HOW MANY IS THIS BUILDING? UH, FOUR FOR ALL THOSE, THAT'S FOR ALL THOSE STUDENTS IN THERE. YEAH. ALL OF THAT. THAT'S MY POINT. AND THAT, AND THIS BUILDING IS APPROXIMATELY THREE, I WOULD GUESS. KIM, WHAT'D YOU SAY? THE ONE ON NORTH MAIN IS 38. 38. 38. ARE THEY UTILIZING ALL OF IT? YES. THEY'RE UTILIZING ALL THE 3,800 SQUARE FEET. YES. THEY NORTH MAIN, YES, THEY'RE UTILIZING ALL OF THAT. BUT, UH, YEAH, THE J THE SCHOOL, I THINK THEY HAVE SIX STUDENTS NOW THAT MANY MM-HMM . HOW MANY EMPLOYEES ARE IN THERE, IN THE SCHOOL? IN THAT FACILITY? THIS ONE THERE? YEAH. NOT THE JJ. P 2 4, 6, 8, 10 TO 12. I BELIEVE IT'S 12 COUNSEL. I BELIEVE IT'S COUNSEL. THEY HAVE THEIR OWN LITTLE OFFICES. THEY DEAL WITH THE, UH, JUVENILES AND THE PARENTS. SO THEY HAVE GUESTS THAT COME IN AND INTERVIEW AND CONDUCT WITH THEIR JUVENILES ALONG WITH THE PARENTS. YES. AGAIN, THEY'RE EXPOSED TO THE SAME SITUATION. I JUST THINK IT NEEDS TO BE OPTIONS LOOKED AT. AND I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT AND BRING BACK RECOMMENDATIONS. WHAT THE MOST FEASIBLE, BEST SOLUTION FOR US TO DEAL WITH, UH, ON THE JUVENILE BOARD. I'M TALKING IN INFRASTRUCTURE. THEY'RE GONNA PRESENT THEIR OWN BUDGET, BUT THIS FALLS UNDER THE BUILDING AND GROUND SIDE OF IT. AND THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT AS TO WHERE A POSSIBLE HOME COULD GO. BECAUSE I THINK THAT BUILDING NEEDS TO COME DOWN. ASHLEY HAS TOLD ME THAT SHE'S LOOKED DILIGENTLY FOR ANOTHER BUILDING, BUT SHE HASN'T FOUND ANYTHING. THE JJ LOCATION. . I WILL POINT OUT THOUGH THAT THERE WAS SOME LEGISLATIVE CHANGE WITH THAT, THAT UM, WITH THE, THE RECENT RULE OF THE WAY STUDENTS ARE ADMITTED INTO THE JJP IS BASED ON INCIDENTS OCCURRING ON CAMPUS. THE LEGISLATURE JUST CHANGED THAT TO NOW WHERE AN A A STUDENT THAT HAPPENS, SOMETHING AT HOME OFF CAMPUS, THEN QUALIFIES TO BE ADMITTED INTO JJP, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE THOSE NUMBERS SOME. SO WHETHER THERE'S AN OCCUPANCY OF SO MUCH OF THAT CAPACITY OF THAT BUILDING BEING TAKEN, WE NEED TO EXPECT GROWTH IN THAT AREA. WHETHER THERE'S SIX STUDENTS TODAY, WE EXPECT THAT NUMBER TO GROW AS WHAT ALL OF THOSE ACROSS THE STATE HAS CONTINUED TO DO. SO I DON'T KNOW IF JJP IS AN OPTION OR NOT. IT COULD BE AN INTERIM, BUT WE NEED TO LOOK AT SOLUTIONS AND TRYING TO DETERMINE A HOME FOR THE JUVENILE CENTER. JUDGE. I, I, UH, REGARDING THE JJAP, ARE WE GOING TO HAVE A BUDGET REQUEST FROM THEM? WILL THAT BE A PART OF YES, [00:40:01] SIR. THAT, THAT WILL COME IN HERE? BECAUSE, UH, I, AGAIN, I I BELIEVE THE, FOR THE MAJORITY OF THIS YEAR, WE'VE HAD ONE MANDATORY STUDENT THERE. THE OTHERS HAVE ALL BEEN DISCRETIONARY PLACEMENTS. THAT IS CORRECT, SIR. ONE SO THAT MANDATORY AND DISCRETIONARY IS WHAT I WAS, WAS WANTING TO ADDRESS. NOW, AS YOU WERE SPEAKING JUDGE, AND WITH THE NEW LEGISLATION THAT YOU REFERENCED, IS THAT DISCRETIONARY OR IS THAT MANDATORY? AND THAT'S, I MEAN, THAT'S A VERY, THAT'S A BIG DEAL ON THIS OPERATION. IT WHAT'S ALLOCATED IT IS EXPENSE AND COST BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BE UNDER DISCRETIONARY COMMISSIONER WITHOUT, FROM A BUILDING STANDPOINT, YEAH. NOTHING ELSE BUT FOR ME. IS THE ONE ON NORTH MAIN HERE, IS EVERY SQUARE INCH OF THAT THING IS UTILIZED? YES. RIGHT NOW? YES SIR. OKAY. IT IS. AND THAT'S 4,300 APPROXIMATELY SQUARE FEET? NO, KIM SAID IT WAS 3,800 I THINK. NO, THEIR CURRENT LOCATION. YEAH. YES MA'AM. 38. 38 8. OKAY. AND THEN THE OTHER 23 MINUTES? YEAH. OH, OKAY. JUST THAT, YOU KNOW, COMBINE THOSE TWO AND DOESN'T MEAN IT'S ABOUT 8,000 SQUARE FOOT COMBINED, BUT I THINK YOU COULD DO IT. WELL IT, NOT COUNTING FUTURE GROWTH, BUT THE NORTH MAIN, LIKE I SAID, IS UTILIZED VERY WELL. YES, SIR. OKAY. THE SCHOOL, THERE'S A LOT OF WASTED SPACE. YES, SIR. IN MY OPINION. AND THAT'S JUST FROM A BUILDING STANDPOINT. NOTHING ELSE. I UNDERSTAND. BRIANNA, YOU HAVE SOMETHING? YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA MENTION ON THE DISCRETIONARY, THERE ARE CONTRACTS WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, SO IF THEY ACCEPT THOSE, UM, DISCRETIONARY STUDENTS, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS DO PAY FOR THOSE STUDENTS. SO WHAT'S THE BUDGET FOR THAT PROGRAM? ENTIRELY IN ITS ENTIRETY THOUGH. I, I DON'T HAVE THE TOTAL, UM, THAT WILL COME AGAIN, IT'LL JUST BE, ONCE IT'S APPROVED BY THE JUVENILE BOARD, IT'LL BE PROVIDED TO COMMISSIONER'S COURT, UM, TO PROVIDE THE LEVEL OF FUNDING FOR THAT, WHAT'S APPROVED. THAT COMES TO COMMISSIONER'S COURT. AND WE CAN EITHER APPROVE THAT OR REJECT IT. YES. IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT TELLING US IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT COMES TO US AND EITHER IT CAN BE ACCEPTED IN, IN ITS ENTIRETY OR IT CAN BE REJECTED BY THE CORRECT. AND IF YOU REJECT IT, BASICALLY YOU HAVE TO SHOW THAT THE BOARD HAS WHAT'S THERE'S SPECIFIC WORDING IN THERE, BUT BASICALLY, UM, I CAN'T THINK OF THE WORDING OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD OF WHAT IT IS, BUT YEAH, THE, I MEAN, IT'S BEING PROVIDED, IT'S APPROVED BY THE BOARD, IT'S BEING PROVIDED TO THE COURT, SO YOU KNOW, THE LEVEL OF FUNDING, UM, TO PROVIDE IT. BUT LINE ITEMS, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T PULL OUT LINE ITEMS LIKE THAT. IT'S NOT LINE ITEMS LIKE THAT. IT'S ENTIRETY. IT'S EITHER ACCEPTED OR REJECTED IN ITS ENTIRETY. RIGHT. THERE'S CERTAIN, LIKE I SAID, I CAN LOOK AT WHAT IT IS OF CRITERIA IF YOU WERE REJECTED MM-HMM . OF GROUNDS AS TO WHY YOU REJECT IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CAN I ASK ONE MORE QUESTION, JUDGE, DO YOU KNOW ON THE, ON THE NEW LEGISLATION, WOULD THE INCIDENTS AT HOME, WOULD THOSE DISCRETIONARY INCIDENTS AT HOME BE FUNDED BY THE SCHOOL AT THAT STUDENT IS ENROLLED IN? DO YOU KNOW? OR MAYBE WE CAN FIND OUT. IT'D BE A GOOD QUESTION TO ASK. YEAH, WE NEED TO FIND OUT THE ANSWER TO THAT. YEAH, LET'S FOLLOW UP. OKAY. BECAUSE THAT NUMBER IS EXPECTED TO GO UP DRASTIC. YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I WAS HEARING. YES. SO THANK YOU. YES. OKAY. UM, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT, ALLOWING ME TO GO THROUGH THAT. UM, I SEE THAT JUST JASON IS HERE. UM, WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO ITEM F ON DISCUSSION, [I.F. Discussion/Presentation on Department 406 Emergency Management budget requests. (Jason Lane / Judge Deen)] PRESENTATION AND DEPARTMENT 4 0 6, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT BUDGET REQUEST. JASON LANE, MY APOLOGIES, Y'ALL ARE MOVING A LITTLE FASTER, UM, UH, THROUGH THOSE. UH, NO WORRIES, NO WORRIES. WE'RE JUST EFFICIENT. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT. UM, I APPRECIATE THE TIME TO COME, UH, TALK TO Y'ALL ABOUT MY BUDGET REQUEST. UM, IT'S, IT'S FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD. UM, I'VE BEEN HERE EIGHT MONTHS NOW AND I THINK I'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET MY ARMS AROUND ALL THE WORKLOAD THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE SO THAT WE ARE PREPARED FOR EMERGENCIES AND DISASTERS. AND THE BIGGEST NEED FOR ME, UH, BUDGET WISE IS, UH, ANOTHER POSITION. AND, UH, AND THE REASONING FOR THAT IS, IS BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF PLANS THAT WE NEED TO WORK ON AND UPDATE PRIMARILY. BUT ALSO, UH, I'M A ONE PERSON SHOP, SO WHEN WE DO HAVE FOUR OR FIVE TORNADOES LIKE WE'VE HAD SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, WHILE I DON'T MIND PUTTING IN PLENTY OF HOURS, UH, TO, TO DO THE JOB, THERE'S ONLY ONE OF ME. AND IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO HAVE A BACKUP. UM, [00:45:01] ESPECIALLY DURING THE SPRING STORM SEASON, WHICH WAS PRETTY HECTIC THIS YEAR. AND WITH ALL THE RAIN, WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA HAVE A LOT OF FUEL. WE HAVE A LOT OF FUEL OUT THERE. WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA HAVE A BUSY, UH, BURN SEASON THIS YEAR TOO. SO, UM, IN LIGHT OF THAT POSITION REQUEST, I DO RECEIVE SOME FUNDING FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES FOR THE CITY READINESS INITIATIVE GRANT. THAT'S, UH, ABOUT $46,000 A YEAR. AND THAT GRANT CAN BE USED, UH, FOR SALARY COSTS. SO WHAT I WOULD PROPOSE IS TO USE THE BULK OF THAT FUNDING TO OFFSET, UH, OF POSITION COST TO PARKER COUNTY. SO, AND I'VE, IT, ALL MY DOCUMENTS I SUBMITTED, UH, I THINK THAT'S ALL SPELLED OUT IN THERE, BUT I WANTED TO KIND OF GIVE THAT AS AN OVERVIEW. UM, BUT IN THE INTEREST OF, OF TRYING TO MINIMIZE MY IMPACT TO THE BUDGET AS BEST I CAN, I THINK IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE TO, TO TRY TO LEVERAGE THAT GRANT FUNDING TO, TO OFFSET THE BULK OF, OF A POSITION, A NEW POSITION EXPENSE. UM, A COUPLE OF THE OTHER, UH, THINGS IN MY BUDGET. I HAVE A LITTLE OVER $2,000 IN THERE FOR SOME MAPPING SOFTWARE. AND I'M PLANNING TO DO A PRESENTATION ON THAT HERE AT AN UPCOMING COMMISSIONER'S COURT MEETING. ALL THESE PLANS I NEED TO WRITE, UM, I NEED MAPS, UH, MAPS OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE MAPS, MAPS OF EVACUATION AREAS, FLOOD INUNDATION, MAPS, ALL OF THAT STUFF I NEED IN THOSE PLANS. SO IN ORDER TO, TO ROUTE THE BEST PLANS I CAN, I NEED SOME MAPPING SOFTWARE. THAT'S, THAT'S, HEY, JASON, ON THAT REAL QUICK. YES, SIR. WHEN YOU AND I DISCUSSED THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I BELIEVE CAN BE INTEGRATED IN WITH IWORK THAT WE DO, WHERE EVENTUALLY DOWN THE ROAD IF WE WANTED TO, FOLKS COULD DROP A PIN WHERE THEY SAW A POTHOLE OR WHATEVER, INSTEAD OF CALLING IT IN AND SAYING, WELL, IT WAS SOMEWHERE ON THIS ROAD. YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S SOME OF THE FEATURES THAT CAN BE TIED TOGETHER WITH THE GIS MAPPING HE'S TALKING ABOUT. YEAH. SOME OF THE OTHER, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, CARRYOVER THAT I THINK WOULD BENEFIT, UM, THE COUNTY AS A WHOLE AND, AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN GENERAL. UM, WE HAD TALKED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT MAPPING LOW WATER CROSSINGS, BRIDGES, UM, TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE, ALL OF THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. SO I THINK THERE'S SOME MERIT TO IT. I I'LL BRING THAT TO COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND, AND GIVE A MORE IN DEPTH OVERVIEW OF THAT. BUT IT'S, UH, ABOUT $2,100. UM, I DID REQUEST, I'VE DONE SOME UP, I'M TRYING TO GET THE, UH, OUR MOBILE COMMAND POST SQUARED AWAY. IT'S 22, 23 YEARS OLD. AND I WAS ABLE TO USE SOME EXISTING FUNDING TO GET SOME AIR CONDITIONING IN IT SO THAT THEY COULD, IT COULD BE USED AT THE, AT THE RODEO, UH, AT THE, FOR THE SHERIFF'S POSSE, WHICH WAS VERY HELPFUL. UH, 'CAUSE AS YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS HOT, UH, DURING RODEO TIME. UM, UH, BUT, UH, ONE THING THAT WE ARE LACKING IS, UH, SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS. WE'VE GOT AREAS IN THE COUNTY, ESPECIALLY IF WE HAVE TO DEPLOY FOR WILDLAND FIRES OR CERTAIN AREAS OF THE COUNTY, AS Y'ALL WELL KNOW, UM, RADIO COVERAGE, UH, WE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE THAT CAPABILITY. SO THE ABILITY TO CONNECT TO SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS AND, UH, DATA TO, TO RUN OPERATIONS OUT THERE WOULD BE INTEGRAL. IN THE PAST, WE'VE LEVERAGED, UM, UH, DDPS CONTRACT. IF WE HAD, UH, A MAJOR INCIDENT, DPS WOULD JUST FLIP ON A SWITCH AND WE COULD TAP INTO THEIR SATELLITE BANDWIDTH. UM, BUT, UH, DPS HAS DONE AWAY WITH THAT, SO WE CAN'T DO THAT ANYMORE. SO I'VE GOT, UH, UH, SOME COSTS IN THERE TO, TO ADD A STAR LINK UNIT TO THE COMMAND POST SO WE CAN MAINTAIN COMMS AND DATA ON THAT COMMAND POST. THE OTHER, THE OTHER, UH, ITEM IN THE BUDGET, UH, I REQUESTED, UH, A TRUCK. CURRENTLY I'M DRIVING A, UH, POLICE TAHOE, WHICH IS OVERKILL FOR WHAT I DO. UM, SO I WAS, UH, UH, ONE OF THE CONSTABLES, UH, JOE HAD, HAD TALKED TO ME ABOUT POSSIBLY DOING SOME SORT OF SWAP WITH THAT BECAUSE HE NEEDS ONE. I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF IRONS IN THE FIRE FLEET WISE THAT Y'ALL ARE GONNA BE LOOKING AT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER UP THIS TAHOE. IF IT CAN BE USED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT, THAT'D BE A MUCH MORE EFFICIENT USE OF, OF THIS PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAN THAN ME DRIVING IT AROUND. UM, I'M MUCH MORE LIKELY TO NEED TO PULL A TRAILER OR HAUL WATER TO A SCHOOL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO A, A TRUCK WOULD BE A LOT MORE BENEFICIAL FOR WHAT I'M DOING, AND IT'S A LITTLE OVERKILL. SO THAT'S KIND OF AN UNUSUAL THING IN MY BUDGET, BUT I WANTED TO SPELL THAT OUT FOR Y'ALL SO THAT YOU UNDERSTOOD MY REASONING THERE. UM, WHY I'M ASKING FOR A NEW TRUCK WHEN I HAVE A PERFECTLY GOOD ONE SITTING THERE. UM, I THINK [00:50:01] THE, IT WOULD BE BETTER USED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT THAN, THAN ME. SO, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR MY BUDGET. SO, UM, Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? SO YOU WOULDN'T NEED A NEW TRUCK IF YOU'RE SWAPPING, IS THAT CORRECT? I WOULD, OR YOU STILL NEED A NEW TRUCK? I WOULD, I I'LL NEED SOMETHING TO DRIVE. YES, SIR. RIGHT? YES, SIR. PREFERABLY A PICKUP. I THINK THE SWAP THAT HE'S DE DESCRIBING IS KIND OF A ONE-WAY SWAP. IT GOES TO , IT GOES OVER HERE, AND THEN HE HAS TO BUY A NEW ONE. I DON'T THINK THE, I DON'T THINK THAT, DON'T THINK IT'S AN EVEN SWAP. I THINK IT'S JUST A, I'LL TAKE THAT OFF YOUR HANDS KIND OF A DEAL. SO, WELL, I, WHICH IS, HEY, I, I'LL TELL YOU THE, THE, BEEN SITTING HERE A LONG TIME, UM, MOST OF THE TIME PEOPLE COME IN HERE WITH, WITH PROBLEMS AND NEEDS, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE SOMEBODY THAT COMES IN HERE WITH A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO IT. HEY, I NEED SOMEBODY, HERE'S HOW WE CAN PAR PAY, PARTIALLY PAY FOR IT. USUALLY WE JUST GET THE PROBLEM. SO I, I, I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE YOU WORKING THROUGH THIS AND, AND, UH, UH, AFTER, YOU KNOW, VISITING WITH JASON FOR A, A LITTLE WHILE, WE, WE DETERMINED THAT WE SHARE SOMETHING IN COMMON. WE'RE BOTH CHEAP, AND WE'RE BOTH LOOKING FOR WAYS TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO PAY FOR SOMETHING OTHER THAN JUST SAY, GIMME THE MONEY OVER HERE. AND, AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT AND I APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO BRING THOSE THINGS FORWARD TO US. SO THANK YOU. A NEW, A NEW TAHOE'S, ABOUT 120,000 AND, UM, WE CAN SAVE SOME MONEY AND, AND SOMEBODY CAN USE THAT FOR SEVERAL MORE YEARS. UH, IT JUST MAKES A LOT OF SENSE TO ME. NOW, CHIEF WAS THE WORD THAT YOU USED. I PREFER FRUGAL, JUST SO YOU KNOW. WELL, THAT'S ACCURATE. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. MR. LANE. UH, YES SIR. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HEARD OUR SPI EARLIER, BUT WE CREATED A BUDGET COMMITTEE THIS YEAR THAT IS REVIEWING ALL NEW PERSONNEL AND CAPITAL REQUESTS. SO THERE WILL BE SOME QUESTIONS AS A FOLLOW UP. SURE. UH, FROM ME TO YOU, THE INTENT THERE IS NOT TO GET INTO YOUR BUSINESS, BUT IT'S JUST TO DOT ALL THE I'S AND CROSS ALL THE T'S ASK THE HARD QUESTIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ADEQUATELY ALLOCATING TAXPAYER MONEY. YES, SIR. UNDERSTOOD. ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, JASON. THANK YOU. THANK Y'ALL. THANK YOU. MOVE TO ITEM G [I.G. Discussion/Presentation on Department 582 IT budget requests. (James Caywood / Judge Deen)] ON DISCUSS PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENT 5 82. IT BUDGET REQUEST. JAMES, IF YOU WOULD COME UP, I KNEW THERE WAS A REASON HE WORE A TIE . SO GET UP THERE AND, OH LORD, HOW MUCH MONEY IS HE ASKING FOR? HE'S ASKING FOR SOMETHING. UH, MORNING COURT, UH, GO OVER THE IT BUDGET. UH, IT IS COMPRISED OF TWO AREAS, THE IT AND THE, THE RADIO PROJECT. SO I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS IT FIRST IF WE COULD HOPEFULLY HIGHLIGHT SOME GOOD THINGS THIS YEAR. UH, DO YOU, DO YOU NEED THESE UP HERE? NO, NO. UH, I'M JUST GONNA READ OVER IT. SO IF WE'RE PERTAINING JUST IT BUDGET, UH, HOPE WE GOT EVERYTHING SUBMITTED. AS FAR AS THAT SIDE. WE'RE WORKING WITH FEW THING ON THE RADIO, BUT, UH, WE HAVE A DE, UH, DE, UH, DECREASE OVERALL OF ONE $1.1 MILLION IN IT BUDGET, UH, THIS YEAR GOING FORWARD. UH, HOPEFULLY ONE AREA, IF Y'ALL NOTICED, Y'ALL DON'T HAVE THE LIST OF THE HUGE NON CAP LIST OF COMPUTERS THIS, THAT NEEDED. UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING, UH, HAD TO GET A LOT OF REPLACED. THIS IS MY FOURTH YEAR WITH THE COUNTY. AND, UH, WE GOT ABOUT ALL THAT REPLACED, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH DEPARTMENTS NOW TOWARDS THE YEAR. UH, WHAT MAKES SENSE MOVING FORWARD AND WAS TAKING CARE OF EVERYTHING THIS YEAR. SO THAT LIST HAS BEEN DONE. UH, WE'VE DECREASED A LOT OF, UH, NO CAP, UH, AS FAR AS SERVERS AND EVERYTHING. UH, WE GOT THAT DONE WORKING WITH CDW THIS YEAR. UH, TWO NEW SERVERS COMING IN. SO OVERALL IT, WE HAVE A REDUCTION OF THAT. UH, ONE OTHER ITEM I'M WORKING ON, I KNOW THE IT FUND SEEMS TO BE GROWING AND GROWING AND WHAT THIS, WE'RE WORKING ON A GRANT TO OFFSET A LITTLE BIT OF A CONTRACT SERVICES IF THAT GETS APPROVED. UH, MINUS THE MATCH IS ABOUT $200,000. IT'S TWO 50, 20% MATCH. UH, AND ONE LINE ITEM I HAVE IN CONTRACT SERVICES, IF WE LOOK AT IS THE STELLAR CYBER, WHICH IS $127,000, 6 53. UH, IF WE DO NOT GET THE GRANT, THAT LINE WILL BE REMOVED. UH, THAT'S A NEW XDR SERVICE. I'M TRYING TO ADD. UH, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO PUSH MONEY INTO, UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, UH, TO HELP WITH THE CYBERSECURITY. 'CAUSE IF YOU SLAP CYBERSECURITY ON IT, UH, THE FEES, UH, JUST GROW FOR WHATEVER REASON. SO THAT'LL BE WHAT WILL YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT GRANT? WELL, I, LAST YEAR THEY KEPT EXTENDING IT AND EXTENDING IT. WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM NOW DILIGENTLY. UH, I, I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN ANSWER THAT. [00:55:01] UH, I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH BRIANNA, IF WE GET IT PAID. UH, UH, I, I DON'T KNOW. I, I CAN'T ANSWER THAT. WE'RE WORKING CURRENTLY ON THIS YEAR'S. UM, ONE THING THAT WE HAD DISCUSSED, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, IF WE DON'T GET THE GRANT, THEN WE'RE NOT GONNA PURSUE THE PROJECT, THEN WHAT WE CAN DO IS, UM, THAT MATCH COMPONENT COULD JUST COME FROM CONTINGENCY. SO WE'LL JUST MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S ENOUGH THERE. SO IF WE DON'T GET THE GRANT, YOU'RE NOT GONNA ASK. I'M NOT GONNA ASK. RIGHT. AND SO IF, YOU KNOW, WE AWARDED THAT GRANT, I COULD CERTIFY THAT GRANT REVENUE, AND THEN AT THAT POINT WE CAN MOVE THE MATCH FUNDS, UM, FROM CONTINGENCY INTO IT'S BUDGET SO THAT WAY IT'S NOT, UM, JUST INCLUDED IN THE CONTRACT SERVICES. OKAY. UM, AGAIN, SOMETIMES WHAT HAPPENED THIS LAST YEAR IS WHEN THEY APPLIED FOR THE GRANT, UM, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AWARDED OR SUPPOSED TO START, UM, SEPTEMBER 1ST. UM, WE WERE AWARDED THAT GRANT, BUT THEN THEY CHANGED THE GRANT PERIOD TO NOVEMBER. SO THAT HAS KIND OF, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN HOPEFULLY STILL UTILIZE THOSE FUNDS THIS YEAR. BUT AGAIN, UM, I THINK PART OF IT IS BECAUSE IT WAS COMING FROM FEDERAL FUNDING AND IT SLOWED DOWN, AND SO THEY DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE AWAY TWO MONTHS FOR OTHER PEOPLE THAT WERE AWARDED IT TO BE ABLE TO DO THEIR PROJECTS. BUT AGAIN, THEN IT KIND OF, UM, CAN CHANGE THINGS FOR US OF HOW WE'RE WORKING WITH IT. SO, UM, WE ARE ACTUALLY WAITING FOR A RESPONSE FROM THEM TODAY ON SOME THINGS. SO, OKAY. WE WILL UPDATE. BUT I GUESS TO GO BACK TO THE INITIAL QUESTION, WE MAY NOT KNOW BY THE TIME WE APPROVE THE BUDGET, BUT I THINK THAT'S WHY I ASKED THE QUESTION IS YEAH, SO ARE WE GONNA THROW THAT AT US? SO I THINK THE BEST THING TO DO WOULD BE, UM, HAVE ENOUGH FUNDS AND CONTINGENCY THAT IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S AWARDED AND THE COURT WOULD LIKE TO PURSUE IT, THEN AT THAT TIME WE WOULD MOVE THOSE FUNDS, UM, FOR THE MATCH. AND THEN I COULD CERTIFY THAT REVENUE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT PROJECT. THANK YOU. AND THIS WOULD CONTINUE ON AS LONG AS THAT GRANT, UH, THAT THEY KEEP TO BE, SEEM TO BE PUTTING MORE FUNDS EVERY YEAR INTO THIS. UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT ABOUT 80,000 LAST YEAR. WE'RE GOING FOR 250, UH, THIS YEAR. AND, UH, SO THAT LINE WILL STAY IN THERE AS LONG AS WE CAN, UH, PAY FOR IT WITH THOSE FEDERAL FUNDS. SO THOSE ARE HOMELAND SECURITY FEDERAL FUNDS COMING INTO THE LOCAL STATES TO HELP WITH, UH, CYBERSECURITY INITIATIVES. UH, SO THAT WOULD REDUCE IF WE DON'T GET IT. UH, AND THAT THAT WILL ALSO REDUCE THE, A COUPLE OTHER LINES, UH, IN OUR, UH, CONTRACT SERVICES. UH, AS FAR AS CYBERSECURITY INITIATIVES. UH, ANOTHER THING IN IT IS I'M ASKING TO, UH, GIVE UP A FULL-TIME POSITION. I'VE HAD A, A AVAILABLE POSITION FIRST OF THE YEAR. I HAVE NOT FILLED IT. UH, WE'VE BEEN ANALYZING, LOOKING AND SEE HOW EFFICIENT WE COULD GO, UH, GET, AND WE'VE DONE PRETTY GOOD MAINTAINING. SO I'M ASKING TO GIVE UP A FULL-TIME POSITION THIS YEAR. UH, COUPLE ITEMS, UH, AS BECKY TALKS LATER ON, I'M LOOKING FOR A LITTLE BIT OF RAISE FOR, MY GUYS BEEN DOING AMAZING. SO I'D LIKE TO GET THAT POSITION UP TO HELP OFFSET THAT AND MAYBE SOME OF THE INCREASES IN, UH, THE RADIO PROJECT. SO DO YOU STILL, UM, BRING ON THOSE FROM COLLEGE STUDENTS? I DO. YEAH. WE HAVE ABOUT FOUR THIS YEAR HELPING OUT. UH, I'VE ACTUALLY BROUGHT TWO IN PART-TIME, UH, DOING PHENOMENAL. UH, ONE OF THE REASONS HELPING WITH THIS GRANT IS WE DO, UH, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH WEATHERFORD COLLEGE, ONBOARDING THE, THE, THE NEXT GENERATION, UH, TRYING TO SHOW, UH, YOU KNOW, POSITIVE GOOD IT. AND THE, THE HARDEST THING IS YOU CAN TEACH ANYONE TECH, BUT IT'S HARD TO THAT INTERPERSONAL SKILLS WHERE YOU'RE, YOU'RE COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY, UH, AND NOT TALKING DOWN TO PEOPLE OR, OR JUST HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, UH, MOVING FORWARD. SO YES, I DO UTILIZE THAT AND, UH, WE WILL CONTINUE THAT GOING FORWARD. UH, ANY QUESTIONS? UH, UH, AS FAR AS IT, WE, WE APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR THE COUNTY. WELL, WHEN WE FIRST HIRED YOU TO, TO WHERE WE'RE AT NOW. I, I AGREE AND I AGREE. YOU KNOW, YOUR, IT CAN GROW EXPONENTIALLY. YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN THERE AND SO I DO TRY TO FIND WAYS TO SAVE MONEY, RIGHT? UH, I DO DILIGENTLY, UH, UH, I WORK WITH OUR VENDORS WHENEVER WE BUDGET SOMETHING, I DO CUT THAT PL AND I'M LIKE, WHAT KIND OF SAVINGS CAN WE GET RIGHT NOW AT THIS POINT IN TIME THAT WE CAN USE FORWARD? UH, SOME OF THE INCREASES, UH, WE DO HAVE, I HAVE IN CONTRACT SERVICES OF ABOUT 290,000 OVER LAST YEAR. IS ONE, IS THE, THE STELLAR CYBERSECURITY ONE IS OUR 365 LICENSES ARE GOING UP A LITTLE BIT FOR MFA AND SOME OF THE, UH, NEW, UH, AI CAPABILITIES. UH, WE'RE ONBOARDING FOR SOME OF THE EMPLOYEES, UH, TRYING TO KEEP IT SECURE, UH, AS FAR AS THAT. AND SOME OF OUR, UH, CAMERA LICENSES, UH, MAKES UP FOR THAT INCREASE. I'M ALSO INCREASING OUR TELCO LINE. UH, OUR, OUR SPECTRUM CIRCUIT GOING FROM 500 MEG TO [01:00:01] A GIGABIT CIRCUIT AND TWO 50 TO 500 JUST KIND OF HELP AS WE GROW A LOT OF CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURE COMING ONLINE. UH, SO WE MAINTAIN BANDWIDTH GOING FORWARD. UH, SO A FEW INCREASES THERE, BUT OVERALL, UH, PRETTY GOOD DECREASE. PRETTY HAPPY WITH, UH, HOPE TO CONTINUE THAT. UH, NOW ON THE RADIO, UH, SIDE OF THINGS, UH, WE HAVE A TOTAL INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR OF, UH, 270,215 AND 91 CENTS OVER LAST YEAR'S BUDGET. UH, INCURRING IN THAT A COUPLE LINE ITEMS TO HELP WITH THE SMITH TOWER. WE NEED A LITTLE HELP ON THE ENCLOSURE, ELECTRICAL FENCE, UH, UH, UH, GROUNDING, UH, SO THEY CAN DO THEIR EQUIPMENT AND STUFF IN THAT. UH, WE HAVE SOME AC WORK I NEED TO DO THERE AND AT MAIN, UH, AND A LITTLE BUMP IN THEIR, UH, CONTRACT SERVICES LINE FOR MAINTENANCE. THEY'RE INCLUDING A LITTLE MDR CYBERSECURITY, UH, UH, OPTION IN THERE TO HELP WITH THE, THE NETWORKING FOR MANAGED DETECTION AND RESPONSE ON THE RADIO CORE NETWORK SIDE. SO THAT'S WHAT THOSE INCREASES ARE. YOU HAD MENTIONED, UH, THE CLOUD STORAGE. YES, SIR. ARE YOU SEEING, I MEAN, ARE WE NEED, WE'RE NEEDING, I WOULD IMAGINE THAT WE'RE NEEDING MORE AND MORE CAPACITY BANDWIDTH. YES, SIR. BANDWIDTH. YEAH. YEAH. SO CURRENTLY ARE YOU MANAGING THAT? DO YOU HAVE A BUDGET FOR THAT? WE DO IN OUR TELCO LINE. THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING. WASN'T A HUGE INCREASE. UH, I FORGOT WHAT THE DIFFERENCE WAS, BUT IT WASN'T REALLY BAD GOING TO A GIG CIRCUIT, AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE THREE CIRCUITS WE UTILIZE FOR THE COUNTY ALL, AND WE UTILIZE 'EM TOGETHER, SO WE SDWAN 'EM, SO ALL THE PACKETS CAN GO OUT ALL THREE AS ONE. SO ALL IN ALL, WE'LL HAVE ABOUT 2.5 GIGS, UH, OF, UH, INTERNET THAT THE COUNTY USES FOR ALL THE REMOTE USERS YEAH. AND INTERNAL CLOUD SERVICES. OKAY. SO WE DO TRY TO, UH, KEEP AHEAD. WE WATCH IT, UH, ON WHAT THE GATEWAY LOOKS LIKE AND LIKE, HEY, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO THIS YEAR IN ANTICIPATION OF SOME OF THE SOFTWARE IF THEY GET APPROVED. AND, UH, I KNOW THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A LIMITING FACTOR IN THE PAST, AND I THINK WE TRY GOING FORWARD, MOST DEPARTMENTS ARE GOING THAT DIRECTION. YES, SIR. SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TRY TO ASK QUESTIONS AND MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING THAT ADDRESS. HOPEFULLY EVERYONE CAN SAY, UH, MOST OF THE, UH, NETWORK. WE'RE TRYING TO DO A COUPLE COOL THINGS AT, UH, PRECINCT THREE, UH, GET OFF OF, UH, SOME OF THE ISPS Y'ALL ARE CURRENTLY ON NOW. AND, UH, TRYING TO STAY, UH, GOING FORWARD. UH, CONNECTIVITY, EVERYTHING IS RUN BY TECHNOLOGY AND, UH, THE INTERNET NOW, SO DOING OUR BEST. SO THAT'S ONE LITTLE INCREASE. AND UH, UH, THAT'S ABOUT ALL I GOT IS A SMITH TOWER. IS IT A, WHAT IS IT? CAPITAL? SORRY. WELL, UH, I DIDN'T KNOW IF WE TALKED ABOUT THAT OR PRESENT IT AFTER. OKAY. WELL, IN THE, THE TOWER, I DID DO ONE CAP LINE, SORRY, UH, FOR, UH, UH, TWO TOWERS, UH, FOR THE COUNTY. UH, UH, I APOLOGIZE. UH, UH, A SMALL OVERSIGHT. NO. WELL, I DIDN'T KNOW IF I WAS WAITING ON Y'ALL'S COMMENT BACK OR NOT, LATER ON, BUT YES, I DID PRESENT. THAT'S WHY YOU PUT TIE A CAP LINE. YES. , I'M SORRY. WELL, I DIDN'T KNOW, I DIDN'T KNOW IF THEY WERE GONNA, WHAT SUPPOSED THE AMOUNT ON THOSE TOWERS I MISSED, I MISSED THE, THE AMOUNT WAS, UH, $3.7 MILLION FOR TWO 400 FOOT, UH, RADIO TOWERS FOR THE COUNTY. UH, I DID PRESENT THAT TO THE BUDGET, UH, COMMITTEE. UH, I APOLOGIZE. I WAS WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM THEM. UH, REASON WE'LL DO THAT IS, IS TWOFOLD. THAT'S WHY I WAS TRYING TO SAVE SOME MONEY. UH, DOING MY BEST TO JUSTIFY THAT AREA IS JUST LIKE A CONSTABLE. THERE'S AREAS WHERE RADIO IS STILL NOT REACHING. UH, I HEAR IT ON THE RADIO. I ACTUALLY GO OUT TO THOSE SPOTS MYSELF, UH, SEE THE DEPUTIES WORKING IT. UH, I'LL USE, UH, MY WAVE APP OR WHAT TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO. AND WE'RE PLOTTING THOSE AREAS. UH, THE NEXT THING IS KNOW WE HAD ONE INCREASE IN THE, UH, TELCO LINE OR, OR, UH, RADIO PROJECT FOR OUR LEASE FEES HAS GONE UP TO ABOUT $300,000 A YEAR LEASING THE EXISTING TOWERS WE HAVE. SO I'M THINKING STRATEGICALLY, HOW DO WE OFFSET THAT AS YOU, IF YOU WANT TO COURT APPROVES, WE HAVE TO BUILD TOWERS THAT WE OWN TO REDUCE THAT AND ALSO LOOK AT BRINGING FUNDING IN. SO WE LEASE THOSE, UH, TO OTHER AGENCIES. BUT FOR THE CAPACITY OF A RADIO AROUND THE COUNTY, I AM ASKING FOR TWO TOWERS, UH, THIS YEAR, WHICH IS $3.7 MILLION FOR TWO 400 FOOT RADIO TOWERS THAT WE OWN. WERE Y'ALL ABLE TO LOOK FOR ANY TYPE OF FEDERAL GRANTS OR ANY TYPE OF I [01:05:01] DID. AND ACTUALLY THE, THE ONE COMMUNICATION GRANT THAT'S OUT GOT USED FOR THE SIRI INTEGRATION TO THE FORT WORTH. I'M GONNA KEEP LOOKING. IT SEEMS TO ALTERNATE EVERY TWO YEARS FOR COMMUNICATION GRANTS. SO I AM WATCHING THAT. YES, SIR. WHAT ABOUT IF IT DOESN'T GET APPROVED? I I WILL CONTINUE TO, UH, KEEP LOOKING FOR FUNDS AND WAYS. YES, SIR. WHAT ABOUT NEW TECHNOLOGIES? AND IF WE, IF WE INVEST INTO THOSE TOWERS, IN YOUR ASSESSMENT OF UNDERSTANDING YOUR, YOUR FIELD, IS THERE A RISK OF ANY NEW TECHNOLOGIES COMING OUT THAT COULD MAKE THOSE TOWERS OBSOLETE? WHAT'S THE RISK OF THAT? NO, UH, I, I TRY TO INCLUDE, UH, SOME NEW TECHNOLOGY, BUT YOUR PATROL DEPUTY ON THE GROUND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S HIS ONE LIFELINE THAT HE NEEDS. IT. IT'S HARD TO SAY, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE DUDE, UH, I'M DOING FOR SOME OF THE CONSTABLES, UH, AT THEY'RE TRAVELING AROUND OR, OR, OR TRANSPORT TO GOING OUTTA STATE. IT, IT'S HARD TO SAY FOR HIM TO, HEY, PULL OUT YOUR CELL PHONE AND, AND TRY TO OPEN AN APP TO GET ON. UH, IT'S THE COMMUNICATION SIDE OF THE MOTOROLA, THAT'S YOUR RADIO NETWORK. HOPEFULLY WITH 700 DONE NEXT, UH, SUMMER HELP A LITTLE. BUT, UH, JUST THE, THE GROWTH WE'RE HAVING, THE NEW BUILDING MATERIALS THAT ARE BEING, UH, FOR DENSITY INTO INSIDE THE NEW SCHOOLS, UH, BIG BUILDINGS. UH, IT, IT TAKES THE RADIO COVERAGE. I, I'M NOT SURE I'M EVEN GONNA BE ABLE TO COVER THIS, BUT WHEN YOU AND I WERE MEETING IN MY OFFICE AND YOU WERE TALKING TO SOMEBODY FROM ENGLAND WITH A RADIO, CAN YOU CO CAN YOU COVER THAT JUST BRIEFLY? WELL, THAT WAS WITH THE CORE. WE HAVE THE LTE SERVICE SIDE. UH, SO WE CAN USE WHAT THEY CALL THE WAVE APP ON OUR CELL PHONES. I ACTUALLY GOT A LITTLE BLUETOOTH DEVICE, UH, CONSTABLE TWO USE THEM FOR ME, UH, TO HELP A, AS THEY GO OUT OF AREAS OUTSIDE, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTING A DIFFERENT STATE OUT OUTSIDE THE, UH, PARKER COUNTY, THEY STILL HAVE CONNECTIVITY, SO WE'RE TRYING TO INCLUDE IT, BUT THAT'S REALLY HARD TO DO. YOUR LIFESAVING DEPUTIES ON THE GROUND PATROLLING TO PULL AT YOUR CELL PHONE. SO I DO INCLUDE IT IN OTHER AREAS WHERE YOU MIGHT NOT NEED TO BUY A RADIO. UH, AND IT MIGHT MAKE SENSE. YOU COULD WORK OFF YOUR PHONE MAJORITY OF THE TIME. SO, BUT, UM, TWO COMMISSIONER COURTS AGO, I BELIEVE MAYBE IT WAS LAST ONE, WE AGREED AS COMMISSIONERS TO HAVE A NEW POLICY GOING FORWARD REGARDING CONTINGENCY FUNDS. YES, SIR. AND THAT ALL CONTINGENCY FUNDS WOULD BE REMOVED OUT OF INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS. AND THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN THE AVAILABLE FUND BALANCE THAT CAN ONLY BE USED IN VERY SPECIFIC CRITERIA, BUT INSTEAD THERE'S A COUNTY CONTINGENCY UNDER ANYTHING FUNDED BY FUND 10, THE GENERAL FUND. OKAY. SO YOUR RADIO TOWER CONTINGENCY OF 250,000, AND THEN THE IT CONTINGENCY OF 40,000, MY GUESS IS THAT THE, IT, IT CONTINGENCY WOULD BE AFFECTED BY THAT. BUT IS THE RADIO TOWER IN A SEPARATE BUDGET ITEM? OR BRIANNA, HOW DOES THAT WORK? I THINK IT'S THE SAME FOR THE RADIO TOWER CONTINGENCY OF TWO 50. IS THAT FUNDED BY FUND 10 OR IS THAT IN A SEPARATE FUND? NO, IT'S FUND 10. YEAH. OKAY. AND THIS YEAR, THAT'S HOW IT WAS. IT'S BASICALLY WHEN THE CON, AND THAT'S WHAT WE WERE KIND OF TALKING ABOUT THE OTHER DAY IN COURT, IS THAT WAS ACTUALLY PUT INTO THE RADIO CAP OR NON CAP LINE. SO IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DO IT THAT WAY, WE WOULD JUST ADD IT TO THE OVERALL CONTINGENCY, THEN IF NEEDED, THEN DO A BUDGET ADJUSTMENT TO THOSE LINES. BUT FOR THIS LAST YEAR, IT WAS JUST PUT INTO EITHER A CAP OR NON CAP. SO IF IT WAS NEEDED, THEN AT THAT TIME, BECAUSE JAMES, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS, AS PART OF THE BUDGET COMMITTEE, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GOOD STEWARDS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS. YES, SIR. I UNDERSTOOD. AND SO SOMETHING, AND IT HADN'T GOTTEN OUT OF HAND, BUT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET OUTTA HAND, WAS IF EVERY DEPARTMENT HAD A CONTINGENCY AND JUST KEPT INCREASING THAT AMOUNT, PRETTY SOON THAT CONTROL AND THAT OVERSIGHT TENDS TO GET LOST. AND SO WE HAD MADE THE RULE ACROSS THE BOARD, ANYTHING FUNDED BY FUND 10 WOULD NOT HAVE A CONTINGENCY, THERE WOULD BE A COUNTYWIDE. SO IS THIS SOMETHING WHERE WE NEED TO ADD THAT 290,000 TO THAT, WITH IT BEING EARMARKED? OR BRIANNA, HOW WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THAT IF Y'ALL, IT DOESN'T MAKE YOU ANY DIFFERENCE THAT IT'S, IT'S STILL GOING TO BE USABLE. UH, YOU JUST HAVE TO HAVE COURT APPROVAL. AND THE ONLY GOAL, HOPEFULLY THAT GOES AWAY. I, I WON'T NEED CONTINGENCY FUNDS. WHEN COMES SUMMERTIME, WE GET THE UPGRADE DONE. YEP. UH, IT WAS THE, UH, 700 UPGRADE THAT JUST, THEY DIDN'T PLAN FOR VERY WELL WITH THESE SITES. SO, UH, WE GET THAT UPGRADE DONE, THAT SHOULD GO AWAY AND DISSIPATE. SO WOULD IT BE BETTER TO PUT THAT IN A SERVICE CONTRACT LINE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? OR CONTRACT SERVICES LINE? BRIAN, HONOR, IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT THEY'RE DOING. SOME OF IT'S EQUIPMENT, I, I DON'T, IT, IT PROBABLY STILL STILL NEEDS TO BE A CONTINGENCY. IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE, SO THIS COULD BE, YOU HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO USE IT WHERE YOU NEED. YEAH. I'LL JUST, JUST GOT A REQUIRE [01:10:01] COURT APPROVAL. YEAH. UNDERSTOOD. SO I WANT, I WANNA COMPLIMENT YOU ON THE GOOD JOB THAT YOU HAVE DONE IN THE RADIO, PARTICULARLY IN THE RADIO AREA, BUT, UH, EVERYBODY DIDN'T HEAR THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD PREVIOUSLY. SO I, I'M GONNA SHARE THAT. AND THAT THAT IS THAT, UH, IN THE, UH, I THINK IT'S AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN MONEY THAT WE GOT. WE SPENT $9 MILLION, UH, APPROXIMATELY ONE THIRD OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT THAT WE WERE ALLOCATED FOR A A A FOR RADIOS. AND I THINK WE HAD, UH, REPRESENTATIVES FROM, UH, MOTOROLA STAND RIGHT, WHERE JAMES IS STANDING RIGHT THERE AND TELL US, UH, AS WELL AS THE PERSON WHO PREVIOUSLY WAS IN CHARGE OF THE RADIOS FOR THE COUNTY, TELL US THAT THAT WOULD, THAT WAS ALL THAT WE NEEDED. AND THAT THAT WOULD COVER ALL THE AREAS THAT, YOU KNOW, NEEDED TO BE COVERED AND THAT IT WOULD TAKE CARE OF RADIO NEEDS FOR A LONG TIME. THAT LONG TIME, I GUESS TURNED OUT TO BE ABOUT A YEAR OR YEAR AND A HALF, BECAUSE MAYBE NOT EVEN THAT LONG. 'CAUSE AS, AS WE FINALLY GET THAT IN NOW, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE NOW BEING TOLD, UH, VERY ACCURATELY, UH, BY OUR IT DIRECTOR THAT WE NEED ADDITIONAL TOWERS TO, FOR THE COVERAGE IN THE COUNTY. BECAUSE SPECIFICALLY WE ASK, WILL THIS TAKE CARE OF THE NEEDS SPECIFICALLY? WE ASK, WILL THIS TAKE CARE OF THE RADIO PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE INSIDE OF BUILDINGS, SPECIFICALLY SCHOOLS? AND WE WERE TOLD THAT THE 700, UH, PROJECT WOULD TAKE CARE OF ALL THAT, AND IT DIDN'T. AND WE WERE GIVEN BAD INFORMATION, BAD INFORMATION FROM MOTOROLA. AND I'M, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY WHEN THEY'RE HERE STANDING WHERE JAMES IS NOW, SO WE CAN ASK SOME PERTINENT QUESTIONS REGARDING THOSE ISSUES THAT WE'RE HAVING AND CONTINUE TO HAVE. YES, SIR. AND I, AND I CAN HAVE 'EM HERE. YEAH. YES, SIR. I WANT TO, I WANT TO SECOND THAT IN THE COURT. I THINK IT'S THE SENTIMENT OF THE COURT, HOW, HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE THE JOB YOU'VE DONE. YEAH. AND I APPRECIATE IT PERSONALLY AND WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR PRECINCT FOUR AS WELL. SO THANK YOU, JAMES. YEAH, YOU'RE YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB. BUT IT IS, IT'S JUST A, A KIND OF A, A PEEVE THAT I HAVE THAT WE HAD ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED TO ADDITIONAL RADIO PROJECTS BUT WEREN'T YEAH. BECAUSE WE WERE TOLD THAT THE 9 MILLION WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND IT DID NOT. ONE MORE QUESTION I HAD, WOULD THE TOWERS THAT, THE TYPE OF TOWERS THAT THIS FUNDING WOULD PROVIDE, WOULD WE HAVE THE ADDITIONAL CAPACITY TO LEASE SPACE OR HAVE REVENUE GENERATORS? YES, SIR. ON THOSE TOWERS UP TO TWO, UH, CELL PROVIDERS AND, AND ALSO IN ONE OF THE AREAS WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, WE'RE WITH THE INTEGRATION WITH TARRANT COUNTY, UH, WE HAVE, UH, DISCUSSIONS THEY WOULD LIKE TO GET ON IF WE BUILD A TOWER THEY WANT TO GET ON AND, AND BE A, A LEASE OF IT. SO, UH, I JUST WANTED TO, TO, NO, I'M WORKING, THAT WAS CONSIDERED AND I'M ACTUALLY WORKING, UH, WITH VERIZON CURRENTLY, UH, OUT AT THE PRECINCT THREE, UH, TOWER CURRENTLY. GREAT. THAT'S A REAL SLOW PROCESS, BUT I, I'M, WE'RE WE'RE, YES. YES SIR. THESE TOWERS ARE A LITTLE BIT TALLER, SO THEY GIVE BETTER MM-HMM . COVERAGE FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE ON THAT. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THEY'RE DESIGNED HEAVY DUTY ENOUGH THAT WE YEAH, WE COULD MAYBE YES, SIR. GET SOME REVENUE STREAM OFF OF THAT, THAT, THAT WAS THE GOAL. GREAT. JAMES, ARE ARE WE WHERE WE CAN SHOW SOME OF THE DIFFERENCES IN COVERAGE MAPS FROM THE, FOR THE PERSPECTIVE LOCATIONS? YES, SIR. I DIDN'T BRING 'EM WITH ME, BUT NO, I KNOW YOU DIDN'T, BUT WE CAN TO THE, I I KNOW WE WERE WORKING ON THAT. YES. YOU AND MICHAEL, WE HAVE THOSE WORKING ON THAT ON THE BACK END. I JUST DIDN'T KNOW THE STATUS OF THAT. YES. PERFECT. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE HARD WORK THAT YOU PUT IN EVERY DAY. UNDERSTOOD. UH, I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. OKAY, WE'RE GONNA MOVE BACK [I.A. Discussion/Presentation on Department 439 County Court at Law #2 budget requests. (Judge Johnson / Judge Deen) (Part 2 of 2)] TO ITEM ONE A ON DISCUSSION PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENT 4 39 COUNTY COURT OF LAW TWO BUDGET REQUEST. JUDGE JOHNSON. THANK YOU. IT'S NICE TO COME BETWEEN, UM, THE ME'S OFFICE AND THE IT DEPARTMENT. SO, UM, I'M NOT THE ME, UM, MY, UH, THERE'S NOT REALLY MUCH DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LAST YEAR'S AND THIS YEAR'S. THERE'S JUST SLIGHT INCREASES JUST BASED UPON WHAT WE ANTICIPATE OUR COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH. INCREASE IN THE AMOUNTS OF SUPPLIES OR THE INCREASE IN WHATEVER OTHER COSTS THAT AMAZON MAY PASS ON TO US BECAUSE OF WHATEVER TARIFFS MIGHT BE ATTACHED TO ANY CHINESE PRODUCTS WE MIGHT NEED TO ORDER FOR OUR DEPARTMENT. I SAY THAT A LITTLE FACETIOUSLY, BUT WE JUST, WE JUST ADDED SOME ADDITIONAL COSTS FOR POSTAGE SUPPLIES, OFFICE EQUIPMENT, ET CETERA, JUST BASED UPON WHAT WE UNDERSTAND THE INCREASE IN COST TO BE. WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT JUDGES' SALARIES WILL BE INCREASING SO THAT VISITING JUDGE ALIGN IS INCREASED SOMEWHAT. UH, COMPETENCY EVALUATIONS VARY [01:15:01] DEPENDING UPON THE YEAR. APPARENTLY THIS YEAR IT WAS RATHER LOW. OTHER YEARS WE KIND OF TOOK A LOOK BACK TO SEE WHERE WE WERE IN TERMS OF, OF NEED. IN CERTAIN YEARS WE'VE NEEDED MORE MONEY IN COMPETENCY, SO THERE'S REALLY NOT MUCH HERE. MY BOND ITEMS ARE GONNA GO AWAY, WHICH IS THE LAST ITEM BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE TO PAY THE BOND THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE PAID IT LAST YEAR. SO THAT'S PRETTY SIMPLE. I DID WANNA BRING UP THE FACT THAT, UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF BRIANNA TALKED ABOUT SALARIES. JUDGES ARE PAID, JUDGES' SALARIES ARE SET BY STATUTE, UH, AFTER A, AFTER A 10 YEAR HIATUS, THE LEGISLATURE, UH, APPROVED AND A INCREASE IN JUDGES' SALARIES. AND SO I'LL BE ASKING OBVIOUSLY THAT YOU COMPLY WITH THE STATUTE AND THAT I GET A SALARY INCREASE BASED UPON THAT. AND I THINK BRIANNA WILL GO OVER THAT WITH YOU BASED UPON MY YEARS OF SERVICE AND WHATNOT. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND, UM, ANY MINE'S SIMPLE? ANY QUESTIONS? YES, MA'AM. GOOD. WE, UH, WE, WE FORMED A BUDGET COMMITTEE AS I'M NOT, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU ARE. YEAH, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT. NO, BUT THAT'S FINE. SO WE'RE JUST MAKING SURE WE'RE DOTTING I AND CROSSING T SURE. AND BEING EFFICIENT. ABSOLUTELY. ONE OF THE THINGS, AND IT'S NOT A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT THOSE OF US ON THE BUDGET COMMITTEE RECOLLECT IT SEEMING TO BE AN ONGOING ISSUE IS WITH THE AUDIO VISUAL SYSTEM. OH, IT'S AWFUL. AND SO WHAT WE WERE GOING TO ASK YEAH. AT THIS SESSION IS EITHER, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT JAMES COULD LOOK AT GIVEN HE DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH ON HIS PLATE ALREADY? NO. IT'S, OR CAN WE HAVE THE VENDOR COME HERE AND BASICALLY US AS COMMISSIONERS SAY, WHY THE HECK IS THIS A CONTINUING ISSUE? UM, 'CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR QUITE A WHILE AND YOU JUST CAN'T GET SITUATED. NO. WELL, LET, LET, LET, LET ME, LET ME EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT. SO WE, I LOVE THE IT DEPARTMENT'S EXTRAORDINARY AND THEY DO WHAT THEY CAN. UM, THE, THE AV SYSTEM WAS INSTALLED BY COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS. WE WENT OVER THAT A FEW YEARS AGO. WE DID THE REMODELING, THE, AND, AND THAT'S SOMETHING I, IT CAN'T DO. WE TRIED TO UTILIZE IT WHEN THE COURT OF APPEALS CAME TO OUR COURTROOM THIS SPRING TO DO THEIR ORAL ARGUMENT. AND IT WAS QUITE AN EVENT WITH, YOU KNOW, WEATHERFORD HIGH SCHOOL ATTENDEES AND DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE. BUT IT WAS QUITE AN HONOR FOR US AS A COUNTY AND AS A COURT TO BE ABLE TO HOST THAT FORT WORTH COURT OF APPEALS. WE HAD TO SPEND ABOUT 10 GRAND TO UPGRADE OUR AV SYSTEM IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE THE THREE JUDGE PANEL AS WELL AS THE QUESTIONS. BUT ALL THE UPGRADES THAT WE DID WERE, AS A RESULT OF AN INCREASE IN, UM, WELL, IN A NEED THAT WE HAVE IN THE COURTROOM. IT'S, WE'VE MADE ACCOMMODATIONS, UM, SINCE THAT AV SYSTEM WAS INSTALLED. LIKE WE ADDED THE MAGNETIC INSERTS INTO THE WINDOWS. WE DID ACOUSTIC, UH, SEAT CUSHION, WE DID SEAT CUSHIONS, WE DID ACOUSTIC PANELS IN THE BACK. BUT IT IS A BIG VACANT SPACE THAT JUST SUCKS THE SOUND. AND THE MORE PEOPLE YOU GET IN THERE, THE WORSE IT IS TO HEAR, THE WORSE IT IS TO DO ALL KINDS OF THINGS. WE CAN'T PUT, UM, WE CAN'T PUT TVS ON WALLS. WE CAN'T DO A LOT OF THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO IN A MODERN COURTROOM. AND SO WE HAVE DEAD ZONES THROUGHOUT OUR COURTROOM SPACE, AND WE'RE STILL TRYING TO NAVIGATE SOME OF THOSE DEAD ZONES. AND WHAT THAT MONEY DID FOR US WHEN WE HAD THE FORT WORTH COURT OF APPEALS IS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO ADD SPEAKERS AND WE FOUND NEW DEAD ZONES AND WE WERE ABLE TO ADD ADDITIONAL MICS AND SPEAKERS IN THOSE PLACES SO THAT THE PEOPLE THAT WOULD ATTEND, UH, FOR COURT AND OTHERWISE WOULD BE ABLE TO HEAR FROM ALL SIDES OF THE COURTROOM. SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A DIFFICULT QUESTION TO ANSWER. THEY'LL DO WHAT THEY CAN, BUT THE SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE, THE AV SYSTEM CAN ONLY ACCOMMODATE SO MANY PORTALS WITHOUT US HAVING TO DO A COMPLETE UPGRADE. AND I THINK THE LAST TIME WE INVESTED IN THE MONEY, IT WAS LIKE AN $80,000 PRICE TAG. THEY, THEY DO ADD NEW SOFTWARE, BUT EVERY TIME THAT YOU ADD A NEW SOMETHING TO IT, YOU HAVE TO, UM, IT LIMITS SOMETHING ELSE. OR WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO A WHOLE NEW SYSTEM, WHICH I DON'T REALLY WANNA SPEND THE MONEY. SO I DO, I'VE GOT SOMETHING IN MY BUDGET BECAUSE, AND THAT'S GENERALLY GONNA BE FOR SERVICE CALLS WHEN THINGS DON'T WORK. LIKE WE HAD TO GET A NEW IPAD 'CAUSE IT WENT DOWN. WE ADDED, UM, WE ADDED A NEW SPEAKER SO THE COURT REPORTER CAN HEAR BETTER BECAUSE HER SYSTEM THAT SHE HAD BOUGHT HERSELF WAS INTERFERING THE SYSTEM WAS INTERFERING WITH HER ABILITY TO HEAR. AND IF SHE DOESN'T HEAR, THERE'S NO RECORD. MY CLERKS WHO STOOD BEHIND ME WEREN'T, WERE HAVING PROBLEMS HEARING SO THAT WE ADDED SPEAKERS TO THAT AREA. RIGHT NOW, WHAT I'VE GOTTA HANDLE IS THE, I HAVE TO ACCOMMODATE THE DEAD ZONE THAT'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY BENCH. AND THAT'S THE NEXT PROBLEM I HAVE TO TACKLE. BECAUSE WHEN PEOPLE COME UP TO THE PODIUM AND THEY'RE DOING [01:20:01] THEIR, EITHER THEIR PROVE UPS OR THEY'RE DOING PLEAS, I'VE GOT A DEAD ZONE THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIX. AND SO THAT'S MY NEXT CHALLENGE. SO THAT THE DEAD ZONE IS THEY CAN'T HEAR ME AND I'M STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF 'EM. YOU TURN THE SPEAKERS AROUND AND IT LIMITS, THERE'S STILL A DEAD ZONE. IT MAKES ZERO SENSE TO ME. BUT THE WAY IT'S SET UP, I CAN PROJECT, YOU CAN HEAR ME TO THE BACK OF THE ROOM, BUT YOU CAN'T HEAR ME RIGHT THERE. SO WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT. THAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH BEING IN A BUILDING THAT'S OVER 125 YEARS OLD. AND THE HISTORICAL COMMISSION LIMITS WHAT WE CAN DO. IT WILL DO WHAT IT CAN. AND IT HAS, AND THEY'RE EXTRAORDINARY, BUT THEY'RE LIMITED. THEY CAN'T HANDLE THE AB SYSTEM AND AREN'T, AREN'T SO COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS. ANYTIME WE BRING 'EM OUT, IT'S AT LEAST A $400 PRICE TAG. WE JUST ADDED SPEAKERS THAT WAS A $2,500 PRICE TAG. WE MOVED MONEY AROUND AND I'M GONNA ASK THEM TO COME BACK OUT AND FIX THAT DEAD ZONE. SO IF I'M UNDERSTANDING YOU CORRECTLY, IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE YOU THINK THE FAULT LIES AT ALL REALLY WITH THE VENDOR. IT'S JUST THE FACT THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH A VERY OLD BUILDING. WELL, IT IS, AND THE, THE TECHNOLOGY HAS IMPROVED SOMEWHAT, LIKE SPEAKERS HAVE IMPROVED SO THAT WHEN THEY CAME BACK OUT FOR THE FORT WORTH COURT OF APPEALS, THEY HAD SOME, THEY HAD SOME NUANCED TECHNOLOGY THAT THEY WERE TO, THEY WERE ABLE TO HELP US WITH AND IMPROVE WHAT WE HAD. UM, BUT THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH YOU CAN DO. LIKE MICS HAVE TO BE DIRECTIONAL. I MEAN, YOU GET A LOT OF FEEDBACK. SO YOU CAN'T OVERCOME THAT SPACE WITH TOO MANY SPEAKERS. YOU GET FEEDBACK IN OUR SYSTEM. AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF TWEAKING THAT REALLY ONLY SOMEBODY IN THAT AREA WHO'S SPECIALIZED CAN DO. AND THEY'RE LIMITED BY WHAT THEY CAN DO BY HOW THE SYSTEM IS SET UP WITHOUT REWIRING EVERYTHING. SO DO I THINK THE VENDORS, I MEAN, THEY DID A GREAT JOB FOR US AT THE FORT WORTH COURT OF APPEALS. I WAS VERY IMPRESSED. SO, AND UM, ANYWAY, I DON'T THINK I'VE, I THINK I'VE ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION. YEAH, YOU HAVE. THANK YOU. I MEAN, I THINK IT'S A DIFFERENT STORY FOR D DEALING WITH A MODERN BUILDING, BUT WE ARE LIMITED. SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH, I, I JUST, PERFECT. IT'S REALLY NOT A QUESTION, BUT, UH, PART OF OUR JOB IS TO IS TO MAKE PEOPLE AWARE OF, YOU KNOW, WHERE MONEY COMES FROM AND WHERE IT GOES. OH, I KNOW WHERE IT COMES FROM. I PAY IT EVERY YEAR. NO, NO, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT . I'M TALKING ABOUT, UH, THINGS THAT ARE, THAT ARE WITHIN YOUR BUDGET. YEAH. THAT, THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC WOULD NOT BE AWARE OF THAT ARE REQUIREMENTS FOR YOU. AND I, I, UH, SO I LOOK AT A LINE HERE THAT SAYS ATTORNEY FEES. OH YEAH. THREE, $375,000. JUST BRIEFLY GIVE SOMEBODY THAT MIGHT BE WATCHING OR LISTENING TO, TO WHERE THAT MONEY GOES. WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE, WHY THERE'S $375,000 IN YOUR BUDGET FOR ATTORNEY FEES. THERE'S ACTUALLY, THERE'S ACTUALLY PROBABLY A SECOND LINE ITEM SOMEWHERE ELSE THERE. YEAH, THERE IS. IT'S DOWN AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT HERE. IT'S TIDC. YEAH. 175,000. AND SO IT'S SEPARATED BY CRIMINAL AND CPS. SO THE LAST LINE ITEM YOU SEE FOR IS FOR INDIGENT DEFENDANTS THAT HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH CLASS A, CLASS B MISDEMEANORS. AND THAT'S, AND BY LAW, IF THEY, UH, UNDER THE PARKER COUNTY INDIGENCY PLAN, IF THEY CANNOT AFFORD A LAWYER AND THEY'RE CONSIDERED INDIGENT, WE MUST APPOINT A LAWYER FOR THEM. MM-HMM . AND THAT LAWYER'S PAID FOR BY TAXPAYER DOLLARS. WE CAN GET A GRANT OFTENTIMES FROM THE STATE TO, UM, OFFSET SOME OF THAT COST. BUT AS FOR THE SAME, THE LEGISLATURE CHANGED A LOT OF THE LAWS PERTAINING TO CASES INVOLVING CPS. SO IT'S NOT JUST, UH, WHEN TERMINATION IS A, A POSSIBILITY. AND THAT WOULD BE TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS. BUT IT'S ALSO IF THE DEPARTMENT CHOOSES TO INVESTIGATE A FAMILY OR REQUIRES THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN SERVICES SO THEIR CHILDREN AREN'T REMOVED, IF THEY'RE CONSIDERED INDIGENT, AND MOST OF THEM ARE, UH, THEY HAVE TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION TO DETERMINE INDIGENCY STATUS. THEY FILL OUT THEIR INCOME, THEIR EXPENSES, THE, YOU HAVE TO APPOINT A LAWYER FOR THEM REGARDLESS OF INDIGENCY FOR SOME OF THESE PROCEEDINGS. THAT'S BY STATE LAW IN OTHER PROCEEDINGS WE'RE INVOLVING TERMINATION. THEY HAVE TO FILL OUT THE APPLICATION. AND THE COURT MAKES AN AS AN ASSESSMENT AFTER THE INITIAL ADVERSARY HEARING, UH, WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE INDIGENT. IF THEY ARE INDIGENT, THE COURT MUST APPOINT AN ATTORNEY TO REPRESENT THEM. AND SO SINCE THESE CASES, REMOVAL CASES CAN LAST ANYWHERE UP TO TWO YEARS, HAVING COURT APPOINTED ATTORNEYS, UH, CAN BE COSTLY. WE ALSO PAY THE COST OF AN ATTORNEY AD LITEM, WHICH IS REQUIRED TO BE APPOINTED IN EACH OF THESE CASES. NOT ONLY TERMINATION, BUT PARTICIPATION IN SERVICES AS WELL AS ORDERS TO INVESTIGATE. UM, IN ORDER TO INVESTIGATE IS WHEN SOMEBODY BELIEVES THAT A CHILD HAS BEEN MISTREATED, ABUSED, NEGLECTED, AND THE COURT ISSUES AN ORDER REQUIRING THE DEPARTMENT TO GO INVESTIGATE WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S TRUE. AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS ORDER TO PARTICIPATE. AND THAT'S WHEN THERE IS EVIDENCE OF NEGLECT OR [01:25:01] ABUSE AND THE COURT ORDERS THE FAMILY TO PARTICIPATE IN SERVICES SO THAT CHILD CAN REMAIN IN THE HOME. I WAS JUST LOOKING FOR THE STATE MAKES US DO IT. AND I, THAT'S WHAT I, I'M TRYING, SO THE OTHER LINE, IT'S COMPLICATED. THE OTHER LINE ITEM, THE THE 375,000 LINE, THAT'S THE CPS IS THE CPS LINE. SO I, I JUST WANT THE YEAH. FOLKS TO BE AWARE OF WHEN, WHEN THEY ASK ME WHERE OUR TAX DOLLARS GO, THESE ARE SOME OF THOSE THAT PROBABLY, UH, WE SHOULD GET SOME STATE FUNDING FOR SOMEHOW OR ANOTHER. BUT WE DON'T. WE DON'T. SO IT COMES OUT OF OUR LOCAL, UH, BUDGET RIGHT HERE. 375. 175 OH RIGHT HERE. YEAH. WE GET, WE ONLY GET SOME ON THE CRIMINAL SIDE, BUT ABOUT 80,000, EVEN THOUGH OUR FEES HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, OUR ATTORNEY FEES HAVE INCREASED, THAT GRANT HAS GONE DOWN. THEY'VE NOW REQUIRE US, UM, OR TIDC TO REPORT CPS FUNDING. I DON'T RECALL IN THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION IF THEY PASSED ANYTHING WHERE WE WOULD GET SOME OF THAT. UM, BUT THAT IS THE HOPE OF WHY WE ARE PRESENTING, UM, IN THE REPORT THAT WE HAVE TO DO FOR CPS ATTORNEY'S FEES IS TO HOPEFULLY AT SOME POINT GET SOME FUNDING. AGAIN, IT'S VERY MINIMAL IN COMPARISON TO IT, BUT I WAS ACTUALLY GETTING UP HERE TO TALK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AND I'LL WORK WITH JUDGE JOHNSON, BUT WE ACTUALLY MAY NEED TO INCREASE SOME OF THOSE ATTORNEY FEES A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THE LAST TWO FISCAL YEARS, UM, THE WHOLE DEPARTMENT'S GONE OVER BUDGET AND IT'S SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO CPS ATTORNEY'S FEES. MM-HMM . AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, TOWARDS THE END OF WHICH WE'LL DO THAT SOON, UM, WE'LL SEND IT, MY OFFICE WILL SEND AN EMAIL OUT, UM, TO THE COURTS ASKING THEM FOR, YOU KNOW, OPEN CPS OR CRIMINAL CASES TO PLEASE, UM, PROVIDE INTERIM BILLING FOR WHAT THEY SERVICES PERFORM THROUGH THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR. AND SO WE PAY THOSE BILLS BACK, UM, BASED ON SERVICE DATES THROUGH, UM, USUALLY THE END OF NOVEMBER. SO BY THE TIME, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALREADY INTO THE BUDGET AND THEN WE'RE OVER THAT. AND SO I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING WHERE I COULD SEE AN INCREASE THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT MORE THAN WHAT IS, WHAT IS IN HERE. SO, UM, THANKS FOR THOSE GOOD WORDS. I MIGHT, I MIGHT CORRECT YOU A LITTLE BIT. OKAY. 'CAUSE UM, THE LEGISLATURE CHANGED SOME OF THE GROUNDS FOR REMOVAL. SO WE'RE ACTUALLY SEEING FEWER REMOVE REMOVAL CASES. OKAY. BECAUSE I WAS, UM, MORE FROM THE FUNDING. YEAH, NO, I, I WAS JUST GONNA, I MEAN, THESE CASES GO FOR UP TO TWO YEARS. I HAVE ONE CASE THAT'S GONE FOR 10 BECAUSE, UM, THE PARENTS' RIGHTS WERE TERMINATED, BUT THE CHILD'S STILL IN CARE. SO YOU DON'T HAVE, YOU WAIT TILL THEY AGE OUT AND SOMETIMES THAT'S AT 21. AND SO YOU STILL ARE PAYING AN ATTORNEY AD LITEM FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THAT CASE. SO, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE DO WHEN WE TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AS A COURT FOR, FOR THAT CHILD. THAT'S OUR JOB. SO THAT'S WHY I GAVE YOU THE AD NAUSEUM EXPLANATION ABOUT WHAT CPS DOES AND WHY IT'S EXPENSIVE AND WHAT ALL WE DO AND THE LAWYERS THAT WORK REALLY HARD TO REPRESENT PARENTS AND CHILDREN IN THOSE CASES. AND SO IT CAN BE QUITE LENGTHY. BUT THANK YOU MR. WAL FOR GIVING ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN THAT LINE ITEM. LITTLE TIME LIMIT THOUGH. WELL, THERE IS . I'M SURE YOU'D RATHER GO TO THE ME NOW. UM, ANYTHING ELSE, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT YOU'D CARE FOR ME TO ANSWER? THANKS FOR BEING HERE TODAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU JUDGE. YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT DAY. THANK YOU JUDGE. WHAT WOULD BE THE POSSIBILITY OF TAKING A SHORT BREAK AT 10 30? AM A GOOD ONE? GOOD. , WE'RE GONNA TAKE A RECESS AT 10 29. RECORDS SHOW AT 10 39. [I.I. Discussion/Presentation on Department 474 Medical Examiner budget requests. (Traci Bennett/ Judge Deen)] MOVE TO ITEM I DISCUSS PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENT 4 7 4 MEDICAL EXAMINER BUDGET REQUEST. TRACY, GOOD MORNING. YOU BROUGHT THE WHOLE CREW HERE. SUE, YOU BROUGHT THE WHOLE CREW. WELL ACTUALLY, UH, WOULD YOU INTRODUCE THEM? YES. OVER HERE IS TRACY DOHERTY, CASSIDY BOSTON. SHE'S OUR NEWEST GIRL. THIS IS BRENDA PIPKIN. WE HAVE ONE THAT'S, UH, SHE'S OFF TODAY. WELL, THE OTHER TWO ARE OFF TODAY TOO. CASSIE'S ON DUTY, BUT WE'RE HAVING A MEETING AFTER THIS. SO, UM, THANK Y'ALL FOR WHAT YOU DO. THEY'VE NEVER BEEN TO COMMISSIONER'S COURT EXCEPT FOR TRACY AND THEY WANTED TO SEE WHAT IT WAS LIKE. SO, UM, THANK YOU GUYS. UH, COMMISSIONERS AND EVERYONE. I JUST WANTED TO GO OVER OUR BUDGET A LITTLE BIT, UM, ON THE AUTOMOBILES. OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANY NEW VEHICLES THIS YEAR. I MET WITH JC FROM PRECINCT ONE. THE TWO OLDEST VEHICLES WE HAVE ARE THE TAHOES THAT WE GOT A FEW YEARS AGO FROM THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE HIGH MILEAGE ON 'EM. UH, LAST YEAR WE HAD ONE TAHOE THAT I THINK WE PULLED OUT A CONTINGENCY TO HAVE A TRANSMISSION REPLACED. UH, AND THEN WE HAD THE OTHER ONE LOOKED AT TODAY, OR NOT TODAY, I'M SORRY, JUST A COUPLE MONTHS AGO ON [01:30:01] THE TRANSMISSION ON THAT. AND JC SAID IT WAS PRETTY MUCH GOOD FOR RIGHT NOW, BUT HE CAN'T PREDICT IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE ISSUES WITH IT. SO WE DID DO SOME PROJECTS ON IT TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING'S RUNNING LIKE THE TIRES AND EVERYTHING. UM, SO NO NEW VEHICLES THIS YEAR. AND THEN ON THE DUES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS, WE'VE, WE HAVE SOME THINGS THAT WE WERE DOING, BUT WE'RE GETTING AWAY FROM THAT. SO IT WAS GONNA BE ZERO, BUT I GUESS IT WAS ABOUT A MONTH OR SO AGO I GOT A CALL FROM PAM IN THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE. BACK WHEN I WAS UNDER THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. I HAD ACCESS TO TLO, WHICH IS A PROGRAM THAT I USE, UM, IN OUR OFFICE TO HELP LOCATE NEXT TO KINS, UH, TO TRY TO PREVENT INDIGENT CASES. 'CAUSE WHEN WE'RE ON SCENE AND IT'S NOT GONNA BE A MEDICAL EXAMINER'S CASE WHERE IT GOES OVER TO TARRANT COUNTY, WE HAVE TO FIND AN NEXT AKIN TO LET US KNOW WHERE DO THEY WANT THE BODY TO GO, WHAT FUNERAL HOME OR CREMATION OR WHEREVER. 'CAUSE WE CAN'T MAKE THAT DECISION. AND IF NOBODY COMES FORWARD, OR IN CASES WHERE WE HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS THAT TELL US THEY DON'T WANNA DEAL WITH THE BODY, WE HAVE TO FIND SOMEBODY THAT WILL CLAIM THE BODY OR THEY TURN INTO AN INDIGENT. SO TLO IS A PROGRAM WE USE AND SINCE I WAS UNDER THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND HAD ACCESS TO IT, AND NOW THAT WE HAVE OUR OWN DEPARTMENT, UH, PAM AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS AND I REALLY NEED TO HAVE THAT UNDER MY DEPARTMENT. UH, YOU KNOW, A CONTRACT WITH TLO. AND I MET WITH, UH, OR SPOKE WITH STEPHANIE, UH, SLA, WHO TOLD ME THAT ROUGHLY IT WOULD BE RUN AROUND $2,280 A YEAR FOR OUR DEPARTMENT TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE CLO TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE LOOKING UP FOR NEXT TO CANS. UM, THE MEDICAL EXAMINER CONTRACT, I MET WITH, UH, CHANDLER AND HELEN AND ASKED THEM IF THEY COULD GIMME WHAT THEY PROJECT OUR COST IS GONNA BE. WE FIGURED IT'D GO UP AND IT IS GONNA GO UP BY AN INCREASE OF 7%. AND THEY SAID IT WAS AN ESTIMATE. SO LAST BUDGET IT WAS 459,898. AND IT'S GOING TO, THEY'RE, WE'RE GONNA RAISE IT UP TO 4 98 0 3. SO THERE'S AN INCREASE ON THAT. AND THEN THE CONTRACT SERVICES WE HAVE FOR THE TRANSPORT SERVICE, I'VE MET WITH MARK SMILEY, WHO'S, UH, THE OWNER OF FORT WORTH FUNERAL HOMES AND CREMATIONS IN CARE ONE. UM, WITH THE NUMBER OF POPULATION AND THE GROWTH IN PARKER COUNTY, WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD MORE DEATHS. UH, WE'RE PROJECTED TO PROBABLY HIT OVER A THOUSAND DEATHS THIS YEAR, UH, IN 2025. AND SO WITH THAT, THEY, THEY CHARGED 2 95 A PICKUP FOR EACH BODY. THEY'RE GONNA RAISE IT TO 3 95 NOW, WHICH IS STILL CHEAPER. JOHNSON COUNTY PAYS 5 65. AND SO, UM, BUT THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT COMPANY. IT'S A FUNERAL HOME. AND SO WITH THE NUMBER OF BODIES PROJECTED THAT WE MAY HAVE NEXT YEAR, WE'RE LOOKING AT LIKE 190 BODIES TIMES THE 3 9 5. SO THAT AMOUNT WOULD GO FROM 52,000 TO 75,000 FOR THAT CONTRACT. UM, I, I HAD TRIED TO CUT COSTS IN AREAS BECAUSE WE WERE SO GRACIOUSLY GIVEN NEWER VEHICLES. WE'VE CUT DOWN THE, UH, TIRE DOWN BY A THOUSAND, UM, EQUIPMENT REPAIR. UM, AGAIN, BECAUSE OF NEWER VEHICLES THAT WE'RE GETTING, WE'RE NOT HAVING THE ISSUES. AND SO THAT'S GONNA GO DOWN AS WELL. IS THAT Y'ALL? YEAH. UH, AUTOMOBILE EQUIPMENT. UM, ONE THING I TRY TO DO TO SAVE MONEY IS WHEN YOU OUTFIT A VEHICLE, I'VE, YOU KNOW, MET WITH, YOU KNOW, PRECINCT TWO, UM, I'M SORRY, NOT PRECINCT TWO, BUT CONSTABLE TWO. AND THEN EVEN TALKING TO THE FIRE MARSHALS, THEY'RE SAYING, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE $15,000. AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS KIND OF RIDICULOUS FOR US. WE JUST NEEDED SOMETHING, A BARE BONE MINIMUM OF LIGHTS FOR SAFETY REASONS. LIKE WHEN WE'RE MARKETING A MOTOR VEHICLE COLLISION ON I 20 IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, WE NEED SOME KINDA LIGHTS. SO, UM, I SPOKE WITH KIM REBUS AND TO SEE IF WHAT I COULD DO IS JUST MAYBE BUY THE LIGHTS ON AMAZON. AND I SPOKE WITH JC WITH PRECINCT ONE WHO SAID HE'D BE WILLING AND PAY FOR THAT AS WELL. DO IT AT A LOWER COST. I MEAN MAYBE 1200 TO $1,500. AND I ONLY HAVE TWO VEHICLES RIGHT NOW THAT NEED TO BE DONE WHEN HE HAS TIME. BUT THAT IS, SO THAT COST IS GONNA GO DOWN AS WELL. UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME LIGHTS, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD WORK FOR Y'ALL, ESPECIALLY SINCE YOU'RE ON THE INTERSTATE, BUT I ACTUALLY HAVE SOME LIGHTS OFF OF AMAZON THAT ARE THEY PLUG INTO THE CIGARETTE LADDER? YES, SIR. AND YOU JUST SET IT ON YOUR DASHBOARD, BUT I'D, I'D PROBABLY WANT SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT MORE THAT, THAT WORKS ON ALL COUNTRY ROADS. I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WOULD WORK. WELL, I DID ORDER SOME ALREADY. THEY'RE IN OUR OFFICE. YEAH, WE'RE WAITING TO GET WITH JC AND THEY, THEY ARE ACTUALLY GONNA BE HARDWIRED. I TALKED WITH JC AND KIND OF FIND OUT WHAT, YOU KNOW, I ACTUALLY NEED. SO WE DO HAVE IT FOR THE TWO VEHICLES THAT WE NEED RIGHT NOW. UH, AND I DON'T REMEMBER RIGHT OFF HAND, BUT IT WAS LIKE MAYBE A COUPLE HUNDRED DOLLARS I, I SPENT FOR THE LIGHTS [01:35:01] AND THEN WHATEVER IT'S GONNA COST FROM JC. BUT I JUST DIDN'T SEE THE NEED TO SPENDING, BECAUSE WE DON'T NEED AN OUTFIT LIKE THAT. WE JUST NEED BARE BONE MINIMUM FOR SAFETY REASONS. AND THAT'S WHY I DID IT THAT WAY. UM, AND LET'S SEE, I THINK, AND THEN WE DON'T HAVE ANY, I'M NOT ASKING FOR ANY NEW EMPLOYEES. UH, I'M STILL MAINTAINING A PART-TIME CLERK, WHICH WE CAN GET BY WITH. UH, WE DO HAVE FOUR FULL-TIME INVESTIGATORS. UM, I KNOW THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT ARE GONNA CHANGE, UH, IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, BUT IN, OF COURSE WITH THE POPULATION GROWTH, WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT. I DID SOME PROJECTIONS, UM, I KNOW FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, I THINK THE WAY I LOOKED AT IT, PARKER COUNTY'S POPULATION'S PROJECTED TO BE SOMEWHERE AROUND 237,000. UM, AS FAR AS THE POPULATION GROWS, WE'RE GONNA NEED EVENTUALLY, BUT I DON'T SEE ANYTHING IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO. I THINK WE CAN SUFFICE WITH WHAT WE HAVE THE GIRLS DO 24 HOUR SHIFTS, UM, THE ALL THE INVESTIGATORS DO. SO WE'RE TRYING TO MAINTAIN ALL THAT RIGHT NOW AS BEST WE CAN AND STILL MAKE SURE WE COVER THE, THE COUNTY 24 7. UM, LIKE I SAID, WE ARE PROJECTED THIS YEAR TO BE WELL OVER A THOUSAND CASES, SO THAT'S ABOUT 250 CASES PER INVESTIGATOR THAT THEY'RE WORKING. SO, BUT I HOW DID YOU HAVE IN 24? WE HAD 977. 9 77. YES SIR. WE HAD 977 CASES. I WASN'T FAR OFF FROM ABOUT NO SIR. IT'S, IT'S, WE'RE FAR OFF FROM, BUT I MEAN YOU CAN'T PREDICT WHEN SOMEBODY'S GONNA PASS. BUT I MEAN, IT'S JUST WITH THE POPULATION GROWTH AND EVERYBODY MOVING IN HERE, WE'RE SEEING AN UPTICK ON A LOT OF CASES. I MEAN, AND WE COVER ALL DEATHS, SO, AND WE COVER THE 910 SQUARE MILES. RIGHT. SO WE'RE READILY AVAILABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY'S TAKEN CARE OF. BUT AS FAR AS CUTTING EVERYTHING ELSE DOWN, THE ONLY OTHER THING I WAS GOING TO ASK FOR, UM, I LOOKED INTO IT. UM, WE ARE NECK AND NECK WITH JOHNSON COUNTY. UH, WE, THEY HAVE LESS AREA TO COVER THAN WE DO, BUT THEY HAVE A HIGHER POPULATION. UM, BUT HIM AND I PRETTY MUCH ARE NECK AND NECK WITH EVERYTHING AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES WE DO, I HAVE A FEW MORE RESPONSIBILITIES THAN HE DOES. UM, AND SO AS FAR AS SALARY GOES, I WAS GONNA ASK FOR A RACE THIS YEAR TO KIND OF BUMP IT UP TO CLOSE TO WHAT HE MAKES. UM, I MEAN I CAN'T REALLY COMPARE MYSELF TO DENTON OR TART 'CAUSE THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, OVER 2 MILLION PEOPLE. SO, UM, BUT THAT'S THE ONLY THINGS I WAS GONNA ASK FOR. SO REALLY AS FAR AS ASKING FOR A THING, IT WAS JUST GONNA BE A RAISE THIS YEAR. I TRIED TO CUT COSTS IN EVERYTHING ELSE THAT I COULD THOUGH. I GOT A QUESTION FOR YOU ON YES SIR. THE EQUIPMENT REPAIR, UH, ON THE 2025 AMENDED BUDGETS 12,065, WHAT EQUIPMENT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? OKAY, SO I'M, I'M NOT SURE I'M LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS HERE 'CAUSE I WAS TALKING TO BRIANNA. SOME OF THESE IS NOT CORRECT ON THIS, BUT, UM, I THINK THAT WAS MAYBE BECAUSE OF, WE HAD THE TWO OLDER VEHICLES IN CASE SOMETHING HAPPENED. LIKE I KNOW WE HAD TO PULL FROM THE CONTINGENCY MONEY LAST YEAR OR FOR THE, THE, IT WAS OVER $5,000 FOR THE TRANSMISSION. SO IT SHOULDN'T BE THAT MUCH THIS YEAR. I MEAN, AS FAR AS THAT, UM, IT'S, IT'S DOWN TO 8,250. OKAY. I, I WAS JUST CURIOUS AS TO IS THERE EQUIPMENT WE NEED TO REPLACE OR IS IT, WELL EVENTUALLY WE WILL NEED TO REPLACE THE TWO OLDER TAHOES. LIKE I SAID, I WANTED TO TRY TO GO ANOTHER YEAR, POSSIBLY IF MORE IF WE CAN. UH, THEY ALL BOTH HAVE HIGH MILEAGE, BUT THE ONE, THE, THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND WE DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY LAST YEAR IN OUR BUDGET, SO THAT'S PROBABLY WHY IT WAS, YOU KNOW, WENT UP A LITTLE BIT. UM, AND THEN WE HAVE THIS OTHER TAHOE THAT RIGHT NOW, ACCORDING TO JC, HE CAN'T PREDICT, BUT SO FAR SO GOOD. BUT WE'RE, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, GO EASY ON THE DRIVING, WHICH, YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T HAVE TO, WE DON'T, BUT, UH, WE MAKE SURE THE TIRES ARE GOOD AND EVERYTHING ELSE. I THINK HE'S ASKING, WE HAVE AUTOMOBILE EQUIPMENT AND THEN IT SAYS JUST EQUIPMENT IS WHAT HE'S ASKING. WHAT, WHAT IS EQUIPMENT? WASN'T THERE A TRAILER THAT HAD TO BE OUTFITTED OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE? NO, WE DID ASK FOR A, A TRAILER. OKAY. BUT WE, WE DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE, WE HAVE IT, IT'S UP ON THE HILL. WE WERE GONNA OUTFIT IT, BUT NOW WE'RE NOT GOING TO, BECAUSE I'VE MET WITH JAMES WHO HAS ACTUALLY GONE ON CALLS WITH, UH, WITH US A MOTOR VEHICLE COLLISION WITH HIS MOBILE RESPONSE UNIT. WE ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN USING THAT SO I CAN ACTUALLY GIVE THAT TRAILER TO SOMEBODY ELSE IF THEY NEED IT. UM, OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM WAS LIKE WHEN WE WORKED THAT PLANE CRASH, WE WERE OUT THERE FOR LIKE 16 HOURS IN NEGATIVE DEGREE WEATHER. WE HAD NOTHING TO GET OUT OF THE ELEMENTS OF THE, YOU KNOW, OF THE, THE WEATHER AND EVERYTHING ELSE. SO NOW WITH WHAT JAMES HAS DONE, AND HIM AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING CLOSE TOGETHER ON THIS, HE'S BROUGHT IT OUT. WE EVEN TOOK IT OUT TO THE SITE WHERE THE PLANE CRASH WAS BECAUSE WE HAD NO CELL SERVICE WHEN WE WORKED IT. WE HAD NO, WE COULDN'T GET OUT TO TERRY COUNTY [01:40:01] OR TO, YOU KNOW, UH, ANYBODY THAT WE NEEDED TO. AND WE WENT OUT THERE AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET OUT THERE. SO WE DON'T NEED THE, THE BOX TRAILER NOW BECAUSE JAMES HAD SAID WE COULD USE THAT ONE IF NEED BE. SO IT'S GONNA HELP OUR DEPARTMENT. AND WE DID GO ON A MOTOR VEHICLE COLLISION. WE WERE TRYING TO WORK ON, I THINK, WHAT WAS IT, THE, UM, DISPATCH SHELL HEAD AND THAT WE HAD THAT TO SEE IF IT WAS WORKING AND EVERYTHING. BUT, UM, THE CAPABILITIES HE HAS IN THAT VEHICLE'S GONNA ALSO BENEFIT OUR DEPARTMENT ON THINGS. SO WE DON'T NEED THE BOX TRAILER, WE DON'T HAVE TO OUTFIT IT FOR ANYTHING BECAUSE HE'S GOT EVERYTHING WE NEED. OKAY. THERE WON'T BE THE COST TO PUT INTO THAT. SO OUTTA QUESTION ABOUT THE, UH, MEDICAL EXAMINER CONTRACT, WHEN ARE WE GONNA HAVE A NUMBER THAT WE CAN RELY ON FOR THAT? BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE SITTING HERE, YOU KNOW, HAVING TO COME UP WITH A BUDGET AND, AND WE ALSO NEED I GUESS A NUMBER FOR CONTRACT SERVICES THAT WE CAN RELY ON TOO, WHICH IS NOT INCLUDED HERE. RIGHT, RIGHT. SO THE ESTIMATE THAT YOU GOT WAS 4 98 0 3 7. YES. AND, AND I REACHED OUT BACK IN MAY TO CHANDLER OVER, HE'S THE CITY MANAGER OVER FOR TARRANT COUNTY AND OF COURSE HE SAID, WELL, WE CAN'T GET TO RIGHT NOW. WE'LL GET TO AS SOON AS WE CAN. AND HE INCLUDED SOMEBODY IN THE EMAIL AND, UH, I HAVE THAT EMAIL AND I CAN PULL IT UP IF YOU WANT TO, BUT SHE FINALLY GOT BACK WITH ME AND TOLD ME THAT NUMBER, THE 4 98 0 3, SHE SAID THAT WAS ROUGHLY AN ESTIMATE AND IT WOULD BE A 7% INCREASE BECAUSE I, I TOLD HER MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT WE'D ALREADY DONE THAT THREE YEAR PERIOD WHERE WE'D ALREADY CAUGHT UP AND I'M LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHEN'S THIS GONNA STOP? YOU KNOW, SO THEY JUST GIVE ME THIS NUMBER. OKAY. SO, BUT WE, WE JUST NEED TO BE ABLE TO PLUG THAT $31,000 INCREASE INTO OUR FINAL NUMBERS HERE. YES. WHAT ABOUT THE ONE FOR THE CONTRACT SERVICES ABOVE THAT? THAT, OKAY, SO, UH, THAT'S THE ONE THAT PICKED, THAT'S THE TRANSPORT SERVICE. MM-HMM . HE'S NOT RAISED IT IN OVER THE, WELL, THE WHOLE TIME THAT HE'S BEEN WITH US, HE'S NOT RAISED IT AT ALL, BUT BECAUSE OF THE INCREASE OF EVERYTHING AND HE, THEY ALSO HAVE A CONTRACT WITH TARRANT COUNTY. SO, UM, AND THAT'S KIND OF PART OF OUR ISSUE IS THAT THIS COMPANY DOES TARRANT COUNTY AND OUR COUNTY. SO SOMETIMES THE WAIT TIME ON SCENE IS, CAN BE ANYWHERE FROM THREE TO FOUR HOURS BEFORE WE CAN GET SOMEBODY TO PICK UP A BODY. BUT BECAUSE OF THAT, UH, THEY'RE INCREASING OUR OURS FROM 2 95 A BODY TO 3 95 A BODY. SO WHAT SHOULD THAT NUMBER BE OTHER THAN THE 52,000 THAT WE HAVE? IT PROBABLY AROUND 75,000 BECAUSE IF YOU TAKE 190 ESTIMATED OF, FOR THIS NEXT BUDGET YEAR, 190 BODIES, THAT'S, WE WE'RE ESTIMATING IT 190 BODIES. NOW THAT'S JUST A BODY THAT'S PICKED UP AND TAKEN TO THE MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE IN TARRANT COUNTY. RIGHT. THAT'S A ME CASE, NOT A, NOT A JURISDICTION TERMINATED CASE. SO THAT'S AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 190 BODIES TIMES 395. WELL, I THINK IT WAS LIKE, WELL THE ADDITIONAL IS ABOUT A HUNDRED. SO IF YOU AVERAGE 200 BODIES IS AN ADDITIONAL A HUNDRED OF FEES. RIGHT? YES SIR. SO ANOTHER 20. SO I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T GO OVER. YES, MA'AM. SO SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE OUT OF QUESTIONS, JUDGE. WELL, AND THEN LIKE THE TRAINING SCHOOLS, I JUST WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW ON THAT WE KIND OF DIMINISHED THAT AS WELL. SO, UM, WE'RE TRYING TO JUST DO EVERYTHING EITHER ONLINE OR IN-HOUSE BECAUSE OUR JOB IS REALLY AN ON THE JOB TRAINING. THAT'S HOW YOU GET IT. YOU CAN'T JUST GO READ A TEXTBOOK OR, I MEAN, THERE'S CONFERENCES LIKE THERE'S ONE GOING ON RIGHT NOW IN VEGAS, BUT IN SIX YEARS I'VE NEVER SENT ANY OF US TO THE CONFERENCE. I'VE, I'VE TRIED TO MAINTAIN WHERE IT'S ALL DONE, EVEN THOUGH WE GET REIMBURSED FOR THAT. I, I JUST, WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE MANPOWER RIGHT NOW TO, UM, HAVE SOMEBODY GO OVER THERE TO VEGAS FOR A WEEK. SO I JUST DO EVERYTHING I CAN INHOUSE TRACY, YOU'LL, UH, I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HEARD THE SPIEL EARLIER, BUT WE ESTABLISHED A BUDGET COMMITTEE YES, SIR. THIS YEAR. SO YOU'LL BE GETTING SOME QUESTIONS FROM ME. UM, AND IT'S, IT'S NOT INTENDED TO BE CONFRONTATIONAL, IT'S JUST INTENDED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOTTING OUR I'S AND CROSSING OUR T'S AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE. YES, SIR. NO PROBLEM. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ANYTHING ELSE? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THAT'LL BE SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE, I KNOW THAT TAKES US TO [I.J. Discussion/Presentation on Department 402 County Judge budget requests. (Judge Deen)] ITEM J ON DISCUSSING PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENT 4 0 2 COUNTY JUDGE BUDGET REQUEST. WE'RE GONNA TAKE NO ACTION ON THAT. MOVES TO ITEM K ON [I.K. Discussion/Presentation of FY 2026 County Budget. (Judge Deen)] DISCUSSION PRESENTATION ABOUT 5 20 26 COUNTY BUDGET. UH, BRI DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ON THAT? OKAY. TEXAS. PARDON ME, [I.E. Discussion/Presentation on Department 554 Constable Precinct #4 budget requests. (Scott Jones / Judge Deen)] JUDGE, DID WE, IS THE CONSTABLE, DID I MISS THAT CONSTABLE FOR PRECINCT FOUR? IS HE NOT COMING? UH, YOU WANNA ADDRESS THAT? WE'RE HE HAD [01:45:01] A DOCTOR'S DEAL THIS MORNING, SO WE'RE GONNA WE'RE GONNA PUT ON MUDDY. YEAH, HE'S GONNA BE ON MONDAY'S AGENDA, SO, OKAY. AND THAT TAKES THIS ITEM TWO ON ADJOURNMENT OF THIS MEETING, WE A MOTION A SECOND. THE RECORD SHOW THAT WE'LL ADJOURN AT 10 56 ON THIS MEETING. AND WE DO HAVE A COMMISSIONER'S COURT SPECIAL AGENDA AT 1130, UH, FOR AN ITEM ON THAT. AND SO THAT LEAVES US 35 MINUTES. UH, TO THAT, MY APOLOGIES ON THAT, THAT, UH, IT'S NOT SYNCHRONOUS TOGETHER. UH, WE HAVE 35 MINUTES ON THAT. SO I WILL ADJOURN THIS MEETING. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.