[00:00:04]
AND CALL THIS, UH, PARKER COUNTY COMMISSION'S COURT FY 2027 BUDGET WORKSHOP AGENDA ORDER RECORD SHOW.
IT IS 9:00 AM ON TUESDAY, JULY 14TH, 2026.
IT'S GONNA JUST CONSIDER, DISCUSS, AND ACT UPON THE FOLLOWING AGENDA ITEMS UNDER ITEM ONE APPROVAL AND
[I.A. Discussion/Presentation on Department 490 Elections budget requests. (Crickett Miller / Judge Deen)]
UNDER ITEM A DISCUSSION PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENT FOUR 90 ELECTIONS BUDGET REQUEST.UH, KIRK MILLER HERE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME UP? DO YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION? YES.
WE'RE GONNA START WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE REQUESTED.
UM, I'VE DECREASED OUR TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES, THAT'S OUR ELECTION WORKERS, AND THEN I DECREASED SUPPLIES.
AND OUR, UM, MIFIS MAY BE A LITTLE BIT CHEAPER THIS YEAR BECAUSE, UH, WE'RE GONNA DO SOME AT AND T NOT ALL VERIZON THIS TIME.
AND THEN I HAVE INCREASED, UH, MAINLY IT'S TRAVEL AND THAT'S DUE TO MILEAGE GOING UP.
OUR CONFERENCES ARE GOING UP, THE, WHAT THEY ACTUALLY CHARGE US AND OUR HOTELS HAVE GONE UP, AND THAT'S THE REASON FOR THAT.
AND DUES ARE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.
OUR ASSOCIATION DUES HAVE GONE UP.
AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO TALK ABOUT FOR THERE.
UM, I DO
AND THEN IN MAY, OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE MICHAEL KOTS OFFICE AND SENATOR PHIL KING'S OFFICE HAD A MEETING WITH THE ELECTIONS DIRECTOR FOR SECRETARY OF STATE CHRISTINA ATKINS, AND TALKED ABOUT OUR TEAM SYSTEM.
UM, THIS IS OUR VOTER REGISTRATION SYSTEM.
WE ARE AN OFFLINE COUNTY, WHICH MEANS THAT EVERYTHING WE DO, WE'RE AN ONLINE COUNTY, I'M SORRY, WE DO EVERYTHING WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE.
SO ALL OF OUR VOTER REGISTRATION GOES THROUGH THERE.
WE BUILD OUR ELECTIONS THROUGH THERE.
WE SEND OUT OUR BALLOT BY MAILS.
EVERYTHING IS THROUGH THAT SYSTEM.
THEY STARTED A NEW SYSTEM IN JULY AND SINCE THEN WE HAVE HAD DIFFERENT TYPES AND KINDS OF ISSUES.
UM, WE ARE ONE YEAR INTO THIS AND IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING, UH, IN OUR OFFICE, UM, BECAUSE WE DO SOMETHING ONE DAY.
THEY DID SOMETHING AT THE STATE AND IT ERASED EVERYTHING THAT WE DID.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH CHRISTINA.
UM, SHE ASSURED MR. KOTT AND MR. KING'S OFFICE THAT SHE WAS ON IT AND WOULD BE GETTING IT FIXED.
UM, BUT I WANNA LET Y'ALL KNOW ABOUT THIS AND THAT THERE ARE OFFLINE COUNTIES, BUT THEY'RE HAVING THE EXACT SAME ISSUES THAT WE'RE HAVING EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE OFFLINE.
SO GOING OFFLINE DOES NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
IF WE DO GO OFFLINE, AN ESTIMATE OF THE COST WOULD BE A THOUSAND.
I MEAN, A DOLLAR PER VOTER, WE HAVE 131,000 VOTERS.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT A, A SIGNIFICANT COST EACH YEAR TO THE COUNTY TO DO AN ONLINE OFFLINE VOTER REGISTRATION SYSTEM.
UM, ALSO THE SECRETARY OF STATE RESIGNED.
UH, HER LAST DAY IS JULY THE 17TH, WHICH IS THIS FRIDAY.
THERE'S NOT BEEN ANYBODY APPOINTED AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
UM, WE HAVE SENATE BILL 27 53 SITTING OUT THERE THAT CAN GO INTO EFFECT AS SOON AS THE SECRETARY OF STATE MAKES A REPORT.
IT HAS TO BE DONE FOR THIS ELECTION BY AUGUST THE 18TH.
IF IT'S NOT DONE BY THEN, THEN IT WILL NOT AFFECT THIS NOVEMBER ELECTION.
DEPENDING ON WHO THEY APPOINT, IT COULD GO INTO EFFECT.
UM, THIS IS TOTALLY GONNA CHANGE THE WAY ELECTIONS OCCUR.
WE WOULDN'T HAVE EARLY VOTE AND ELECTION DAY.
WE WOULD START ON A THURSDAY FOR EARLY VOTING, WHICH WOULD BE THE ELECTION PERIOD.
OUR SEVEN POLLING SITES THAT WE HAVE NOW WOULD ALSO BE ON ELECTION DAY.
IT WOULD BE CONTINUOUS VOTING ALL THE WAY THROUGH TILL TUESDAY NIGHT AT 7:00 PM UM, SO THAT MEANS FOR THE PRECINCT GUYS, THEY WOULD STILL BE PICKING UP ON THAT MONDAY BEFORE ELECTION DAY.
BUT WE WOULD ALSO BE VOTING ON THAT DAY.
SO, WHICH MAKES, WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA HAVE TO HAVE EXTRA STAFF TO HANDLE SOME OF 'EM BEING IN THE FRONT WORKING AND SOME OF 'EM BEING IN THE BACK, HELPING THE GUYS GET LOADED UP.
[00:05:01]
THAT'S GONNA CHANGE.ALSO REPORTING AS A CANDIDATE, YOU'RE NOT GONNA AT 7:00 PM OR SEVEN 15 KNOW WHO WON EARLY VOTE BECAUSE IT'S ALL ONE CONTINUOUS VOTING PERIOD.
SO NOT UNTIL ALITO ISD OR SPRINGTOWN COMES IN AT 8 30, 9 30 AT NIGHT, WILL WE KNOW THOSE RESULTS.
SO THIS ARE JUST THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO BE AWARE OF THAT COULD HAPPEN.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE GONNA HAPPEN.
I DON'T KNOW WHO THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S GONNA BE.
SO JUST GIVING YOU SOME HEADS UP ON THAT INFORMATION.
UM, ALSO THE EAC, YOU KNOW, UH, MR. TRUMP HAS, UH, RELEASED THEM OF THEIR DUTIES.
SO IT IS STILL A FUNCTIONING AGENCY, BUT THE HEAD PEOPLE ARE NO LONGER THERE.
SO THEY CAN STILL, THEY'RE HEAD, THEY'RE IN CHARGE OF OUR VOTER REGISTRATION FORM.
THEY'RE ALSO IN CHARGE OF, EVERY VOTING SYSTEM HAS TO BE CERTIFIED.
THEY'RE STILL SUPPOSEDLY CERTIFYING MACHINES, BUT IT COULD SLOW THINGS UP IF WE WERE BUYING NEW, BUT WE'RE NOT.
SO, UM, THE NEXT THING I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS OUR PARKING LOT.
UM, WE WHAT WHAT PARKING LOT, RIGHT? CORRECT.
SO WE DID GET THE HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE, UH, DOORS IN, WHICH ARE WONDERFUL.
UM, THAT HAS BEEN A HUGE ASSET.
UM, THEY CAN SMASH THE BUTTON, THE DOORS OPEN, EVERYBODY WITH A, A WHEELCHAIR OR WALKERS CAN GET IN.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF THE HANDICAPPED ACTUAL PARKING SIGNS THOUGH, IN OUR THREE HANDICAPPED SPOTS.
SO I'VE BEEN TALKING WITH MARK AND SYLVIA AND HOPEFULLY WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO GET THAT FIXED UP.
UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR PARKING LOT TOO, YOU, IT IS NOT EASY TO TELL WHERE THE HANDICAPPED SPOTS ARE.
UM, SO THAT'S WHY I THINK IF WE GOT THE BIG SIGNS, IT WOULD HELP DESIGNATE THOSE.
UM, ALSO, IT'S JUST, IT'S DARK.
IT'S HARD TO SEE WHERE YOU SHOULD OR SHOULDN'T PARK.
WE HAVE 13 REGULAR SPOTS AND THREE HANDICAP ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
AND THEN THERE ARE 45 REGULAR SPOTS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
THIS IS JUST SOME STATISTICS FOR US.
WE HAVE EIGHT WORKERS ON ELECTION DAY NORMALLY.
SO THOSE EIGHT ELECTION WORKERS, AND THAT'S NOT MY STAFF, THEY FILL UP HALF SOME OF THOSE PARKING SPOTS.
SO NOW YOU'RE LOOKING AT 36 SITES THAT PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY PARK AT ON THAT NORTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
WHAT MOST WE'VE HAD SO FAR IS 6,100 PEOPLE VOTE DURING EARLY VOTING THERE.
NOVEMBER OF 2022 AT THE ANNEX, WE HAD 11,961 PEOPLE COME IN AND VOTE.
THAT WAS ON THE SAME TYPE OF ELECTION.
WE'RE FIXING A HOLD IN NOVEMBER.
SO THAT'S NEARLY DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WE HAD.
AND IT WAS A NIGHTMARE AT TIMES.
THAT'S 94 PEOPLE AN HOUR COMING IN TO VOTE.
IF EVERYBODY'S COMING IN FROM SEVEN TO SEVEN, AS YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GET UP AND MOVE SLOWLY.
SO THEY'RE NOT GETTING UP TO GO VOTE TILL ABOUT 10 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
SO FROM NINE, SEVEN TO 10 WOULD BE A GREAT TIME FOR PEOPLE TO COME VOTE, BECAUSE THERE'S NOT THAT MANY PEOPLE.
BUT FROM SEVEN O'CLOCK TILL FIVE O'CLOCK, WE HAVE THE MAX NUMBER OF PEOPLE AND IT IS GETTING HARDER AND HARDER TO MOVE PEOPLE IN AND OUT.
UM, THIS IS JUST STATISTICS OF EVERY DAY IN THAT NOVEMBER, 2022, HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY SHOWED UP TO VOTE.
SO IF YOU JUST TAKE THE LAST FIVE DAYS WITH THE 12 HOUR DAYS, UM, IT'S 94 PEOPLE.
WE ALSO HAVE A 13% INCREASE IN REGISTERED VOTERS.
SO WE HAD 115,000 BACK IN NOVEMBER OF 2022.
DID YOU SAY 94? DID YOU MEAN PER HOUR? PER HOUR, YES SIR.
AND YOU HAVE ON AVERAGE 36 SPOTS OPEN, 36 PLUS THE 13 ON THE TOP.
IT WOULD BE 50 TOTAL THAT WE WOULD HAVE OPEN THAT PEOPLE COULD ACTUALLY GET INTO.
BUT QUITE A FEW OF THESE PEOPLE PROBABLY ARE NOT RUNNING A TEN SECOND A HUNDRED METER DASH, NO SIR.
AND IT IS A HUNDRED FEET FROM EACH PARKING LOT TO THE FRONT DOOR MINIMUM.
AND THAT, THAT MEANS LIKE THE EDGE OF THE SIDEWALK TO THE FRONT DOOR.
THAT'S NOT IF YOU PARK DOWN UNDER A TREE OR YOU PARKED CLOSER TO THE PARK.
THE PEOPLE THAT ARE VERY ACCESSIBLE CAN PARK AT THE PARK AND WALK.
UM, BUT THAT IS A LONGER DISTANCE.
WE'RE HAVING MORE TROUBLE PEOPLE COMING IN OFF THE SANTA FE BECAUSE ONCE YOU GET IN THAT PARKING LOT, IF SOMEBODY'S COMING IN, YOU'VE GOTTA EITHER LET THEM COME ALL THE WAY IN.
IT IS JUST STOPPING TRAFFIC UP ON SANTA FE.
HOW MANY MACHINES DO YOU HAVE AT THAT LOCATION? WE, WE USE 20 TO 24.
THERE'S WHAT? THERE'S QUEUING NORMALLY THERE'S, THERE'S A QUEUE, THERE'S A LINE USUALLY.
THAT'S FEW TIMES, WHICH MEANS IT'S MORE LIKELY THOSE SPOTS
[00:10:01]
FILL UP, WHICH MEANS THE PROBLEM COMPOUNDS.UM, THIS, OKAY, THIS IS THE PROPOSED PARKING LOT THAT JACOB MARTIN HAD GIVEN TO US TO ADD.
IT WILL ADD US 13, 15 REGULAR SPOTS AND FOUR HANDICAP.
HE ALSO ESTIMATED IN BACK IN 2025 AT $179,500.
AND I DO NOT THINK THAT WE CAN GET THAT DONE FOR THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY TODAY.
UM, WE ROLLED IT OVER IN 2025.
IF WE'RE NOT GONNA GET IT DONE THIS YEAR, WE NEED TO ROLL IT OVER IN 2026.
UM, I'VE TALKED TO SOME PEOPLE, THEY'RE TALKING CLOSER TO 300,000 TO GET IT DONE OR OVER 300,000.
BUT IT ALSO GIVES PEOPLE TO COME FROM SANTA FE A WAY TO GO OUT.
AND THAT BOTTLENECK THAT WE'RE HAVING COMING OFF OF SANTA FE IS MASSIVE.
UM, BECAUSE THERE'S NOWHERE FOR THEM TO GO.
UM, I IMAGINE Y'ALL GOT CALLS DURING EARLY VOTING AND ELECTION DAY.
IT'S JUST A CONTINUOUS, CONTINUOUS COMPLAINT.
UM, WE REALLY GOT TO DO SOMETHING.
WELL, WELCOME TO OUR WORLD ABOUT CONTINUOUS COMPLAINTS.
I WANT TO, I WANT TO ADD JUST A, I MEAN, I, I SPENT QUITE A BIT OF TIME DOWN THERE, UH, TALK ABOUT THE, THE WEIGHT THAT WE HAD.
I, I, I DELIBERATELY GOT INTO AND DELAYED VOTING TO SEE HOW THAT WOULD GO.
AND THERE WAS, I WAS IN A, A VERY LENGTHY LINE THAT WENT VERY QUICK.
I MEAN, IT, IT, YOU, YOU GOT PEOPLE IN AND OUT OF THERE I THINK TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE DID WRONG OR WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
WHEN YOU GOING INTO THIS, THE PARKING LOT NEEDED TO BE REDONE.
BUT THE THING THAT IMPRESSED ME ABOUT THIS WAS YOU'VE GOT TWO ENTRANCES COMING IN AND THEY WERE BOTH USED VERY FREQUENTLY.
'CAUSE I WOULD GO BACK AND FORTH, BUT YOU, YOU GOT THOSE PEOPLE IN AND OUT OUT OF THERE QUICKLY WITH A VERY LENGTHY LINE.
AND THAT WAS AN EFFICIENCY OF, OF OBVIOUSLY YOUR LEADERSHIP OF WHAT IN THOSE PEOPLE, KNOWING WHAT TO DO, GETTING IT DONE.
AND, UH, THERE WAS NO GLITCHES AT ALL THE PARKING LOT.
UM, I THINK WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, OBVIOUSLY THE DECLINE OF THAT.
I MEAN, FOR PEOPLE THAT, UH, ARE JUST HANDICAPPED PEOPLE, ELDERLY OR WHATEVER, THAT'S, THAT'S A CHALLENGE BECAUSE OF THE DECLINE ON THE NORTH SIDE, THAT'S A DECLINE OF THAT PARKING LOT.
THAT'S A PROBLEM GETTING IN THERE.
AND THAT, TO GO THAT FAR, THEN ADDING A HUNDRED FEET TO THAT, YOU'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT 200 FEET ON THE AVERAGE THERE, I WOULD THINK.
WE TALKED ABOUT GOING AROUND AND, AND DOING SOME THINGS TO EXTEND THAT, UH, HANDICAP TO, TO ALLOW THEM LESS THAN A HUNDRED FEET TO GET IN.
AND THAT HAS, HAS THERE BEEN ANY DISCUSSION MORE ABOUT THAT? HAS THERE ANY BEEN ANY CHANGE IN WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST OF WHAT THE PLANS WERE TO DO THIS? WELL, THE, THE THREE HANDICAP THAT WE HAVE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING MM-HMM
THE MAIN THING IS, IS IF VOTERS HAVE ALREADY BEEN THERE, THEY KNOW THAT THEY'RE ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
BUT THE ONES THAT COME IN THAT PARK ON THE NORTH SIDE DON'T KNOW THERE'S HANDICAP ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
AND THEY'RE USUALLY ALREADY PARKED.
AND, UH, WE HAVE NUMEROUS ONES.
WE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE COULD MOVE YOU.
AND THEY'RE LIKE, NOPE, I'M ALREADY OUT.
WE COULD PROBABLY PUT SOME SPOTS OVER THERE TOO, ON THE NORTH SIDE, RIGHT IN THAT CORNER.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE MORE OF OUR ELECTIONEERING PEOPLE THAT PARK THERE
SO THAT IS A PROBLEM 'CAUSE THERE'S NO DESIGNATION OF WHAT IT IS.
AND IF WE DID TURN THOSE INTO HANDICAP, THAT AT LEAST WOULD PUT THOSE PEOPLE SOMEWHERE ELSE BECAUSE THEY PARKED THEIR VEHICLES THERE AND GET THEIR LITERATURE OUT.
UM, ANOTHER THING IS IS WITH THE PARKING LOT BEING SO BAD, I TALKED TO Y'ALL APPROVED SOMEBODY TO BE ABLE TO DO STRIPING ON THE PARKING LOTS YESTERDAY IN COURT.
AND I TALKED TO THEM AND THEY SAID ABOUT $1,064 IN ORDER TO STRIPE ALL THE PARKING LOT.
DOES THAT INCLUDE HANDICAP? YES, IT INCLUDES THE THREE HANDICAP.
IT JUST INCLUDES OUR PARKING LOT THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
BECAUSE IF WE BUILT A NEW PARKING LOT, YOU WOULD HOPE THAT CAME WITH THE DEAL.
AND IS THERE ANY, UM, PAVEMENT, ARROWS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT THAT'S NEEDED? NO.
UM, NOT SINCE WE DON'T HAVE THE, ALL THE WAY AROUND THE RIGHT.
I MEAN, 'CAUSE YOU CAN'T TELL PEOPLE TO GO STRAIGHT WHEN THEY TURN IN OFF SANTA FE BECAUSE THERE IS THE PARKING LOT RIGHT THERE.
IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED WHEN WE PUT SOME IN THE FRONT, WE STILL NEED TO PUT SOME OVER THERE ON THAT SIDE.
HAVE 'EM ON BOTH SIDES AND IN THE FRONT.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.
THAT TOP, THAT TOP LEFT OF THE PICTURE THERE.
I WAS JUST LOOKING ON THE SIGN LIGHT IMAGE AND I BET WE COULD ADD ANOTHER 15 TO 20 SPACES ALONE RIGHT THERE WHERE
[00:15:01]
THOSE TREES ARE.I MEAN THAT'S WHAT YOU WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT.
15 SPACES AND LET DRIVE THROUGH IN THE FRONT.
AND THEN I COUNT IT UP AT THE PARK.
IT LOOKS LIKE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 35 AND 40 SPOTS THERE.
IF THE WORKERS WANT TO PARK, FORGET SOME OF THAT.
I I I, IT'D BE NICE TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO I DID IF WE'RE
UM, YEAH, I I'LL PUT THAT BACK OUT THERE TO THEM TOO TO DO THAT BECAUSE, UH, UM, IF, IF WE'RE NOT GONNA DO IT WITHIN COUNTY, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE ENOUGH FUNDS THOUGH.
SO YOU NEED TO ALLOW TO EITHER ADD MORE FUNDS TO WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
THE 179,000 SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE.
I DON'T IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
[I.B. Discussion/Presentation on Department 499 Tax Assessor-Collector budget requests. (Jenny Gentry / Judge Deen)]
B ON DISCUSSION, PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENT 4 99 TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR BUDGET REQUEST.UH, MY REGULAR BUDGET REQUEST ARE PRETTY SIMPLE.
I ALREADY HAD TO COME BACK TO COURT THIS YEAR.
UNFUNDED MANDATES REQUIRED US TO SPEND MORE IN POSTAGE AND IN SUPPLIES.
SO I AM ASKING THAT WE INCREASE THOSE LINES GOING NEXT YEAR SINCE I'VE ALREADY COME TO THE COURT THIS YEAR WITH NOT ENOUGH FUNDS.
THE OTHER ITEMS I HAD REQUESTED WERE, UH, ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEES.
AND THAT IS STRICTLY FOR SPACING OUT IN SPRINGTOWN.
IF WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT BUILDING.
I'VE MET WITH JUDGE MILES AND OUR CONSTABLE RAY WRIGHT MULTIPLE TIMES.
WE'VE DISCUSSED WHAT TO DO AND RAY HAD DISCUSSED ADDING A MODULAR BUILDING AND MOVING HIM OUT.
AND THE MORE WE DISCUSSED THAT, THE LESS WE FELT LIKE THAT WAS THE BEST SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM.
WHEN YOU SAY WE, WHO WAS DISCUSSING THAT? THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE AND, AND THE JUDGE'S OFFICE AND THE JUDGE.
AND WE DID MEET WITH, UM, COMMISSIONER HOLT ALSO.
WHEN WAS THAT GUILTY? JUST YESTERDAY.
CAN I CALL JUST TIME OUT JUST IN A MINUTE.
WE'RE GONNA, I'M, I LEFT THE BUILDING AND THERE WAS AN ASSEMBLY OF PEOPLE COMING AND JUDGE MILES CAME.
I THINK WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WHAT, WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE? WHAT MEETING ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH THE SPRINGTOWN ANNEX BECAUSE WE'VE OUTGROWN THE SPACE.
SO THIS WAS JUST A, SO WHY WASN'T I IN THAT MEETING? I DIDN'T, THIS IS SOMETHING I DIDN'T, THE MEETING HAD MET.
WHAT? WHO SCHEDULED THEM? WHO SCHEDULED THE MEETING? I DID.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I HAD MET WITH THESE FOLKS LAST WEEK.
I HAD GIVEN YOU A CALL ABOUT THAT, SIR.
AND YEAH, RAY INVITED YOU OVER TO LOOK AT THE BUILDING.
AND, UM, AFTER MEETING WITH THEM, IT SEEMED LIKE EVERYBODY WANTED BASICALLY THE SAME THING, BUT THEY WERE LOOKING AT IT FROM SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT ANGLES.
SO I THOUGHT, SHOOT, LET'S JUST GET TOGETHER AND SEE IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT SOMETHING THAT WOULD PUT US ALL ON THE SAME PAGE FOR THAT.
BUT YOU LEFT ME OFF THAT LIST AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
IT WAS JUST A SPUR OF THE MOMENT, HEY, LET'S MEET ON THIS TIME RIGHT AFTER COURT AND GO FROM THERE.
THERE'S, I'VE BEEN IN SITUATIONS WHERE, UM, IN DIFFERENT CITIES HAVE CALLED AND WANTED, A GOOD EXAMPLE IS RENO, THEY CALLED WANTED ANNEX A PROPERTY AND HAD NOT GONE THROUGH, UH, IN THIS CASE IT WAS PRECINCT ONE.
WE IMMEDIATELY SHUT THAT CONVERSATION DOWN BECAUSE WITHOUT THAT COMMISSIONER THERE, WE FELT LIKE WE DID NOT NEED TO DO BUSINESS WITH ANY PRECINCT ONE ISSUES WITHOUT THAT COMMISSIONER THERE.
UM, THAT, THAT'S A CONCERN TO ME BECAUSE IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT'S DONE IN A PRECINCT, I, I THINK THAT PRECINCT RESPECTED PRECINCT COMMISSIONER NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT.
I MEAN, I'M JUST, AGAIN, THAT'S A, THAT'S A GOLDEN RULE.
I MEAN, WE GOTTA FOLLOW THAT AND, AND I'LL TAKE FULL OWNERSHIP FOR THAT.
THIS LOCATION THERE IN SPRINGTOWN, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PRECINCT TWO RESIDENTS THAT COULD GO USE THAT FACILITY BECAUSE IT IS PRECINCT TWO JUDSON PRETTY DARN CLOSE UP THERE BY JE WOODY.
UM, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED YOU ON.
I DID NOT, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
[00:20:01]
WHEN I HEARD ABOUT THAT, I WAS, UH, VERY UPSET.YOU KNOW, IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO INCLUDE ME IN THE NEXT MEETING THAT Y'ALL HAD? I, I DIDN'T SCHEDULE IT.
I DIDN'T SCHEDULE ANY MEETING.
WHO SCHEDULED THE MEETING? I DID.
I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T DO ANY OF THIS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S JUST NOT VERY PROFESSIONAL TO I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT, YOU KNOW, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE AND, AND I'LL, I'LL CHAT WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE AFTERWARDS ALRIGHT.
AND KIND OF GIVE YOU SOME OF MY THOUGHTS ON IT.
WELL, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU, YOU, YOU BUTT RIGHT UP AGAINST, YOU KNOW, PRECINCT ONE THERE IN SPRINGTOWN, BUT STILL IT'S PRECINCT ONE.
YEAH, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE.
SO ME AND RAY HAD BEEN TALKING FOR OFF AND ON FOR A FEW MONTHS ABOUT WHAT TO DO AND INCREASE THE LOBBY SIZE BECAUSE IT IS A VERY SMALL LOBBY TO HAVE TWO BUSY OFFICES IN.
AND WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT, WE DECIDED THAT IT MADE MORE SENSE TO MOVE ME OUT AND KEEP THE CONSTABLE WITH THE JP SINCE THEY WORK TOGETHER.
THEN IT WOULD BE TO MOVE THE CONSTABLE OUT.
SO HE HAD GOTTEN A QUOTE JUST ON A MODULAR BUILDING TRYING TO DECIDE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE FUNDING WOULD COST FOR THAT AND THEN DOING A REMODEL.
BUT, UM, SECONDLY WE LOOKED AT JUST PUTTING A SEPARATE BUILDING OUT THERE FOR US.
MOVE US OUT OF THE SPACE SO THAT THE JP COULD HAVE MORE SPACE, THE CONSTABLE WOULD HAVE MORE SPACE AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE OUR OWN SPACE AND LOBBY.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHY I WAS REQUESTING AN ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEE BECAUSE WE NEED TO ADD SPACE AND AN AN EMPLOYEE TO HELP COVER THE WORKLOAD FOR THE SPRINGTIME.
YOU ONLY NEED AN AN ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEE IF WE CAN GET AN EXPANSION OUT THERE.
I CAN'T PUT 'EM ANYWHERE ELSE.
I PHYSICALLY ONLY HAVE SO MANY SQUARE FEET FOR THE LOBBY ACCESS RIGHT NOW.
AND I CAN'T ADD ANOTHER PERSON.
THE CLERKS OUT THERE ARE DOING ABOUT 500 TRANSACTIONS MORE A MONTH EACH THAN EVEN THE WEATHERFORD OFFICE.
WE HAVE FORWARDED THEIR PHONES TO WEATHERFORD SO WE CAN ANSWER MOST OF THEIR PHONE CALLS.
ALL THE DEALER WORK'S DONE IN WEATHERFORD TO HELP WITH THAT.
WE ARE TAKING OVER PART OF THEIR ADMINISTRATIVE STUFF BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE TIME TO FINISH.
UM, AT THE POINT NOW, I MEAN, THERE'S NOTHING ELSE I CAN DO TO SPRINGTOWN UNLESS WE ADD SPACE.
AND THOSE, THOSE RESIDENTS DESERVE THAT.
SO, I MEAN, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST YEAR AND FROM A RENOVATION STANDPOINT, JUST GIVEN THE CONDITIONS OF THAT BUILDING.
SO WE HAVE AN ISSUE OF ONE, THE CONDITION OF IT, UH, THAT NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED.
BUT NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A WHOLE NEW BUILDING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
SO IF I MAY, UM, AND I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHO HERE HAS BEEN IN THAT BUILDING WITHIN RECENT, UM, TIMES WHEN YOU WALK IN THE LOBBY, IT'S VERY CONSTRAINED.
THE, THE, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SERVING AUTO REGISTRATION FROM BEHIND THE WINDOW JUDGE ARE SITTING AS CLOSE AS ME TO YOU AS THE PEOPLE WHO WERE TALKING TO THE JP I'VE, I'VE BEEN IN THERE.
AND SO IT'S VERY CHAOTIC FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.
THE LOBBY ITSELF IS VERY SMALL.
THAT'S NOT GREAT FOR JURY STUFF.
WHAT THE IDEA THAT SEEMED TO CHECK A LOT OF THE BOXES WAS BUILD A METAL BUILDING NEXT DOOR AS AT AS LOW OF A COST AS POSSIBLE THAT WOULD BE ADJACENT TO THIS.
AND THAT WOULD ALLOW AUTO REGISTRATION TO MOVE OVER THERE, WHICH WOULD GIVE JP ONE AND THE CONSTABLE QUITE A BIT MORE ROOM.
HAVE YOU DRAWED UP ANYTHING ON ANOTHER BUILDING THAT WOULD HOLD JUST Y'ALL? YEAH, I DID A SKETCH TO OF WHAT I THOUGHT WE COULD DO.
WHERE'S THAT SKETCH AT? ARE YOU GONNA MAKE FUN OF IT? I THINK HIM JUST BEING AWARE OF IT AND UNDERSTANDING IT AND SEEING IT WOULD BE GOOD.
HOW LONG, HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD THIS SKETCH LAST WEEK? WHY DIDN'T YOU WELL, I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WITH THIS BECAUSE WE, THEY WERE GONNA MOVE FORWARD MOST LIKELY.
THAT WAS LIKE, WELL YOU COULD HAVE CALLED ME AND SAID, HEY, MAYBE THIS WILL WORK BETTER.
DID YOU SURE DO THAT TO ANYBODY? THANK YOU.
DID YOU CALL MR. HOLT? WE TALKED ABOUT YESTERDAY.
[00:25:09]
SO IF WE BUILD SOME KIND OF BUILDING UP TO THIS SIZE, THIS IS HOW YOU WOULD SET EVERYTHING UP? YEAH.AND AND MIND YOU, LIKE IT ADDED, I FOR THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND SECURITY, I PUT AN OFFICE IN THE SPACE OF THAT CAN BE REARRANGED, THE WATER CLOSET CAN BE ARRANGED.
I MEAN ALL THAT CAN BE RESIZED.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ALL NEED.
I TRIED TO GIVE AS MUCH SPACE AS POSSIBLE AND STILL DO A SMALL BUILDING THAT WOULD ACCOMMODATE FIVE CLERKS FOR THE GROWTH OF SPRINGTOWN.
AND THIS IS NOT A MODULAR, THIS IS A REGULAR BUILT YES.
AND YOU, YOU THINK IT JUST A REGULAR METAL BUILDING? METAL BUILDING.
BUT THEN YOU GOTTA DO ALL THE WORK INSIDE.
WELL, FOR US, LIKE THERE'S, THERE'S NO BUILT IN CABINETS.
THERE'S NO, THE DESK, I HAVE THE FUNDING TO PAY FOR THE DESK.
THERE'S NO COMPUTER COST TO THE COUNTY.
SO IT WOULD BE THE INSTALLATION OF TWO BATHROOMS, THE WALL FOR STORAGE.
I ALREADY HAVE THE CABINETS THAT GO IN THERE, SO THERE'S NO FEE TO THAT.
UM, AND THEN I GUESS THE LITTLE SECURITY STATION MIGHT BE THE ONLY INSIDE COSTS BESIDES WALLS.
I WANT TO ADD SOMETHING HERE REAL QUICK.
'CAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT MOVING JUVENILE BOARD, WHICH I'M, I'M ON TRYING TO GET THEM IN A BETTER ENVIRONMENT.
AND WE'RE, AND THAT'S MOVING VERY WELL OVER AT THE BUILDING WE PURCHASED AND MOVING JU THE JUVENILE BOARD OVER THERE, UM, HAS BUILDING THE GROUNDS, LOOKED AT THIS AT ALL.
AND, AND YOU HAVE ANY INPUT ON THIS? 'CAUSE WHAT WOULD, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY NO ONE HAS, WE CAN HELP WITH A LOT OF THAT IN INTERNALLY.
ANYBODY LOOKED AT IT? NOBODY'S LOOKED AT THIS.
THIS IS BRAND NEW FOR Y'ALL TODAY.
DID YOU HAVE THIS YESTERDAY? AT THAT MEETING? YES.
WELL, YESTERDAY I HAD IT YESTERDAY.
I I HONESTLY DIDN'T THINK THE COST OF IT WAS GONNA BE COMPARABLE.
SO WE, I, WE JUST FRIDAY I MADE CALLS TO BUILDERS THAT I KNOW, JUST TRYING TO GET AN ESTIMATE.
AND IT'S GONNA BE SIMILAR IN COST TO THE MODULAR BUILDING PLUS RENOVATIONS VERSUS JUST PUTTING IN A PERMANENT BUILDING MINUS THE SEPTIC.
'CAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS NO, YOU CAN'T HOOK UP TO CITY THERE.
THERE'S NOT A CITY SEWER THERE, RIGHT? NO, THERE IS NOT.
THIS IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED TO FIRM UP THE NUMBERS ON YES.
BUT I THINK CONCEPTUALLY, IN MY OPINION, IT'S SOMETHING WORTH EXPLORING.
WELL, I THINK MORE THAN THAT, I THINK NUMBER ONE, COMMISSIONER CONLEY, UM, LEAD THESE MEETINGS WITH, UH, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE INVOLVED WITH THAT, WORKING WITH THE JUDGE AND THE, THE JP JUDGE IN THIS CASE TO, UH, DETERMINE AND IDENTIFY WHAT THOSE NEEDS ARE AND, AND COORDINATE THAT DOUBT THROUGH HIS, TO HIS PRECINCT.
WELL, I DOUBT THAT I CAN WORK WITH HIM ON ANYTHING, BUT WE'LL TRY.
I JUST THINK WE NEED TO BE A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT ON YOUR PART, ON THE JUDGE, ON THE NEEDS OF THAT BUILDING EITHER THROUGH, AND THEN ALSO IN, IN MAKING SURE THAT, AND HAVING COMMISSIONER CONY LEAD THESE MEETINGS THROUGH HIS PRECINCT.
I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR ANY PRECINCT.
AND I, AGAIN, I DON'T WANNA HARP ON THIS, BUT COMMISSIONER CONLEY IS CERTAINLY WELL AWARE OF THE, THE NEEDS OF THAT COUNTY AND, AND I I, I SUPPORTED LAST YEAR, I SUPPORTED AGAIN THIS YEAR TO, TO RENOVATE THAT BUILDING, GET IT UP TO STANDARD WHERE IT CAN ACCOMMODATE THE GROWTH THAT'S IN, IN SPRINGTOWN IS JUST BEHIND PRECINCT FOUR.
WHICH IS BY FAR THE FASTEST GROWING PRECINCT.
BUT I MEAN, THE LAST I HEARD IT WAS OVER A HUNDRED SUBDIVISIONS GOING IN IN SPRINGTOWN.
SO WE OBVIOUSLY NEED TO ADDRESS THAT GROWTH.
AND I THINK A NEW BUILDING IS A GOOD CONCEPT TO LOOK AT.
WE JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND AND GET A, GET A GRASP ON THIS AND, AND HAVE THESE MEETINGS THAT ARE OPEN AND HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THOSE MEETINGS.
AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO INCLUDE COMMISSIONER CONLEY TO, TO LEAD THESE MEETINGS.
AND YOU AND I TALKED A YEAR AND A HALF AGO OR TWO ABOUT WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO GET THE JUSTICE CENTER.
I WAS TRYING TO GET MONEY FOR SPRINGTOWN YES.
TO PUT ANOTHER BUILDING OUT THERE AND, AND IT WOULD GIVE PRECINCT ONE SOMETHING TO VOTE FOR OTHER THAN JUST THE JUSTICE CENTER BEING OVER HERE.
NOW WE GOTTA DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU, SIR.
UH, I, I WANNA JUST KEEP IN MIND AGAIN, WHETHER WE'RE FOUR OR FIVE OR THREE OR IN THE TOP 10 COUNTIES IN THE NATION IN GROWTH, WE HAVE NEEDS, UH, THIS IS CLEARLY ONE, IT WAS ONE LAST YEAR.
AND I THINK THE, THE CONCEPT OF LOOKING AT ANOTHER BUILDING VERSUS WHAT THAT BUILDING IS TODAY, I, I THINK WOULD BE A GOOD STARTING POINT, UH, TO, TO LOOK AT.
[00:30:01]
OPEN AND I, I, FROM MY STANDPOINT, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.WE JUST NEED TO GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE INVOLVED WITH BUILDING THE GROUNDS AND, AND GET A PLAN GOING TO BRING BACK TO THE COURT DURING THIS BUDGET PROCESS.
WHEN RAY APPROACHED ME TO, TO BRING IT UP THIS YEAR, I WAS, I MEAN, ALL FOUR.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THE BUDGET LOOKS OR IF THAT'S EVEN CON EVEN IF A RENOVATION WAS GONNA BE CONSIDERED.
WELL, AND KEEP IN MIND TOO, I I THINK FROM A NON TRANSPORTATION, UM, FROM A STANDPOINT OF THE FINANCIALS OF THE COUNTY, A NON TRANSPORTATION DEBT OF THE COUNTY, WE WOULD BE DEBT FREE IN 2027.
AND SO, UH, WE'RE PO WE'RE POSITIONED.
WELL, THIS COURT HAS DONE A VERY GOOD JOB IN BEING CONSERVATIVE AND POSITIONED US FOR THE GROWTH AHEAD.
WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE A NEED FOR THIS AND WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE A NEED FOR A JUSTICE CENTER, WHICH WE'RE LOOKING AT AND WE'RE EXPLORING THAT.
BUT THIS IS A CRITICAL NEED WITH THE GROWTH THAT'S GOING ON.
AND, AND I, I COMMEND YOU FOR THAT, PUTTING THAT CONCEPT OUT.
UH, WE JUST NEED TO LOOK AT THIS AND, AND GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND DETERMINE WHAT THE IMPACT WOULD BE TO THE BUDGET.
'CAUSE THE, THE GOAL OF THIS IS, IS WE'VE DONE SIX OF THE, OR ACTUALLY SEVEN OF THE LAST EIGHT YEARS IS ONLY INCREASE THE BOND, INCREASED OUR TAXES ONCE, AND THAT WAS THROUGH A VOTER APPROVED TRANSPORTATION BOND.
SO WE'RE VERY CONSERVATIVE WITH WHAT WE DO HERE.
AND VERY CAUTIOUS, I THINK, TO LOOK AT THIS TO SEE.
I THINK THIS IS A JUSTIFIABLE THING THAT THE COURT SHOULD LOOK AT.
WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL START WORKING ON THIS AND TRY TO GET A PRICE TO HAVE THIS BUILT AND THEN REMODEL THE BUILDING THAT'S THERE.
I, WHEN THEY WERE LOOKING AT IT YESTERDAY, THE, IF WE MOVE OUT THE REMODEL, ISS GONNA BE AS SIMPLE AS MOVING, REMOVING ONE WALL AND THE SECURITY.
I MEAN, IT'S VERY MINIMAL VERSUS IF THEY MOVE US ACROSS THE HALL, THEY WOULD BE REMOVING FOUR WALLS AND PUTTING UP A NEW ONE IN ANOTHER OFFICE.
I MEAN, IF THERE WAS MORE TO IT.
I GOT A COUPLE QUESTIONS PLEASE, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
UM, 80% GROWTH IN 10 YEARS IS A LOT.
DO YOU KNOW, HAS, I WOULD IMAGINE WITH TECHNOLOGY IT'S CHANGED Y'ALL'S INTERACTION, LIKE IN PERSON VERSUS ONLINE.
Y'ALL HAVE AN ONLINE YEAH, WE'VE HAD ONLINE THE ENTIRE TIME.
I, I'M JUST ASKING KIND OF SIMPLE.
AND THEN YOU MENTIONED TELEPHONE CALLS.
DO YOU KNOW KIND OF CASELOAD HOW MANY WE GET A DAY? HOW, LIKE IN PERSON VERSUS ONLINE? JUST INTERACTION WITH OUR, I WOULD SAY 8% OF OUR TRANSACTIONS ARE ONLINE.
PEOPLE JUST DON'T USE IT AS MUCH.
UM, IT'S SPRINGTOWN OR PERIOD EVERYWHERE.
IT DOESN'T BREAK OUT ONLINE BY LOCATION.
IT DOES BREAK OUT TRANSACTIONS BY LOCATION, BUT NOT ONLINE STUFF.
WHAT ABOUT LIKE VIA TELEPHONE? IS THAT JUST SERVICE AND QUESTIONS AND WHERE DO YOU YOU GO SERVICING QUESTIONS? NOTHING IS DONE BY PHONE.
THAT'S WHY I WAS, YEAH, WHEN YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT AND BEING TRANSFERRED MM-HMM
UM, SO WITH THE, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU BREAK IT DOWN.
I'M KIND OF A PERCENTAGES GUY.
THAT'S WHY I LIKED YOUR 80%, BUT KIND OF CASE OR LOADS CASE LOAD PER PERSON, YOU KNOW, DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF LIKE OVER WHAT THEY DO? TRANSACTIONS IN PRECINCT FOUR.
SO IT'S INCREASED OVER THERE, BUT THE ALITO LOCATION HAS NOT PICKED UP THE SAME AS SPRINGTOWN.
IT'S STILL THE LOWEST OF THE TRANSACTION COUNT.
THAT'S WHY I WAS WONDERING HOW PER PERSON, HOW IT WORKS PER PERSON.
SAY AT THE EAST ANNEX OVER HERE AT THE NX.
SO SAY IN A MONTH THEY DO 2,500.
THE SPRINGTOWN OFFICE, THEY AVERAGE ABOUT 4,500 A PIECE.
AND THEN OUR OFFICE, DEPENDING ON, I'M SURPRISED AT THAT NUMBER.
IT'S SLOWER, MUCH SLOWER THAN SPRINGTOWN.
I KNOW I'M SET UP TO ADD, I COULD ADD THREE MORE CLERKS OUT THERE, BUT THEY THREE, THREE CLERKS FUNCTION PERFECTLY FINE OUT THERE.
THEY HAVE DAYS WHERE THEY COULD USE SOME HELP, BUT THE SPRINGTOWN OFFICE JUST NEEDS HELP.
I MEAN, THEY, THAT'S ALL THERE IS TO IT.
IT JUST GONNA DO WAY MORE, MORE.
AND I COMPARE 'CAUSE EVERYBODY SAYS, OH, COMPARE YOURSELF TO ANOTHER COUNTY TO THE SAME POPULATION.
THAT DOESN'T WORK FOR AUTO REGISTRATION.
I COMPARED US TO HOW MANY COUNTIES ARE SIMILAR TO THE SAME AMOUNT OF VEHICLES REGISTERED AND THERE ARE ONLY 28 COUNTIES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS WITH MORE VEHICLES REGISTERED THAN US.
BUT TO PUT US IN A GROUP SIMILAR, THOSE COUNTIES ARE LIKE JEFFERSON, THEY HAVE 254,000 POPULATION.
THEY DO SIMILAR TRANSACTIONS TO US.
THE LOWEST ONE WOULD'VE BEEN HECTOR COUNTY AND THEY'RE ABOUT 10,000 LESS IN POPULATION.
AND THEY DO ABOUT 5,000 MORE REGISTERED VEHICLES THAN US.
[00:35:01]
BUT ALL THE COUNTY, THEY'RE ALL VERY LARGE COUNTIES.WE DO MORE TRANSACTIONS THAN THEY DO.
WE HAVE MORE REGISTERED VEHICLES THAN THEY DO FROM IN 2025.
WE REGISTERED AN ADDITIONAL, OUR TOTALS WENT UP.
OVER 11,000 MORE VEHICLES ARE REGISTERED IN PARKER COUNTY.
AND THAT'S NOT COUNTING ALL THE OTHER TRANSACTIONS YOU DO THAT AREN'T A REGISTERED VEHICLE.
I KNOW NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR THE WORD GROWTH, BUT WE ARE GROWING CONTINUOUSLY.
SO I DIDN'T QUITE CATCH THE NUMBER THAT YOU HAD SAID.
EAST ANNEX AND SPRINGTOWN ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIKE 2,304.
NO, I MEAN, YOU WERE GONNA SAY I THINK THE NUMBER OF TRANSACTIONS ON AVERAGE OH, IN WEATHERFORD? YES MA'AM.
SO DEPENDING ON HOW SHORT STAFFED I AM.
BUT OVERALL WE DO, WE DO LIKE A FOURTH MORE.
WE DO ABOUT 25% MORE AT OUR LOCATION.
WE ALSO HAVE, WE'RE MUCH BIGGER LOCATION YEAH.
BUT WE DO DOUBLE ALITO EASILY.
IF YOU MEASURE THE CLERKS ABOUT 25% MORE MM-HMM
UM, I JUST, I I REALLY WAS INTERESTED IN TECHNOLOGY IF WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT OR WEIRD STEER PEOPLE TOWARDS IT.
'CAUSE WE'RE WORKING ON, ON OUR, UH, COMPLETE REVAMP OF OUR WEBSITE FOR THE COUNTY.
AND THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT COMPONENT, I BELIEVE, FOR COMMUNICATION.
AND, AND, UH, I'M IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY.
AND WHEN WE'RE CHARGED WITH ALLOCATING REAL ESTATE, IT CAN GET REAL EXPENSIVE.
UH, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S BEEN, I KNOW YOU'VE DONE A GOOD JOB, BUT THE TECHNOLOGY I THOUGHT WAS WORTH MENTIONING AND ASKING ABOUT AND ENCOURAGING THAT REALLY ALL OF US LOOK FOR WAYS TO UTILIZE THAT TO HELP CONTROL COSTS.
ANYTHING ELSE? YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? NO, I WAS JUST, MY, MY POINT TO ALL OF THAT WAS IF WE DON'T DO SPACE, I DON'T NEED THE ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEES.
YOU'RE GONNA, EVENTUALLY YOU'RE GONNA NEED IT.
EVENTUALLY YOU'RE GONNA HAVE IT.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE MORE TURNOVER THAN NECESSARY BECAUSE OF IT.
IT WOULD M AFRAID OF WITH THAT.
[I.D. Discussion/Presentation on Department 464 Justice of the Peace Precinct #4 budget requests. (Judge Mendolia / Judge Deen)]
TO ITEM D ON DISCUSSION PRESENTATION.ON PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENTS 4 6 4 J JUDGE, THE PEACE PRECINCT FOUR BUDGET REQUESTS.
UM, SO AS FAR AS OUR BUDGET'S CONCERNED, WE HAVE, UM, I BELIEVE TWO, ONLY TWO LINE ITEM INCREASES WITHIN OUR BUDGET.
ONE WAS ACTUALLY REQUESTED, I BELIEVE, BY PURCHASING, WHICH IS A 5% INCREASE IN OUR TRAVEL.
UM, SO THAT WASN'T EVEN OUR DOING.
UM, IT WAS REQUESTED THAT WE ADD THAT TO IT, WHICH WE HAVE.
UM, THE OTHER IS OBVIOUSLY THE, THE BIG ONE, WHICH IS, UM, RAISES, UM, FOR THE JUSTICE OF THE PEACE.
AND IT'S, IT'S FOR ALL FOUR OF US ACTUALLY.
UM, I PROVIDED YOU GUYS WITH A, UM, DETAILED OUTLINE OF, OF OUR REASONING BEHIND OUR REQUEST.
UM, I GUESS I CAN START FIRST AND FOREMOST.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OFF OF THAT DOCUMENT? WELL, IF YOU WOULD GO AHEAD AND GO THROUGH THAT JUST FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE PEOPLE HERE AND TRANSPARENCY OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
'CAUSE WE HAVE READ YOUR, WE HAVE READ THAT, AND THEN WE CAN COME WITH THE QUESTIONS IF THAT'S OKAY WITH THE COURT.
UM, SO BOTTOM LINE, LAST, LAST YEAR, THERE WERE MARKET RATE ADJUSTMENTS FOR, UM, COUNTY CLERK DISTRICT KIRK AT 27%, WHICH WAS A $34,527 RAISE.
THE COMMISSIONERS GOT A 20% RAISE OR 30,000 7 0 3, 7 0 3.
I KNOW SOME TOOK IT, SOME DIDN'T.
UM, THE SHERIFF GOT AN 11% RAISE.
THE TREASURER AND TAX ASSESSOR GOT A 13% RAISE THE CONSTABLES GOT A 15% RAISE.
UM, LEAVING THE ONLY ELECTED OFFICIAL POSITION, UM, THAT ON, YOU KNOW, GOT WHAT THE REST OF THE COUNTY GOT, WHICH WAS JUST A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT OF 5%.
UM, SO WE'RE HERE ASKING FOR THAT DISPARITY TO BE REMEDIED.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I WENT THROUGH IN MY DEAL, I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE NUMBER ONE, I KNOW THE CONSTABLES WERE GIVEN A RAISE TO EQUAL WHAT THE JUSTICE OF THE PIECES, UM, WERE MAKING.
UM, THAT WAS THEIR 15% RAISE OR $15,372.
THE ISSUE WITH THAT IS THAT THEY HAVE A VEHICLE, UM, WHICH THE
[00:40:01]
JPS DO NOT.THAT BENEFIT HAS BEEN MONETIZED BY THE TWO, 2022, 2003, UM, AUTO ALLOWANCE THAT WAS GIVEN TO COUNTY JUDGE AND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF $20,800.
UM, IT WAS AGAIN THEN REITERATED IN 24 25 FOR THE SHERIFF.
SO, I MEAN, BOTTOM LINE AT THIS POINT, THE CONSTABLES ARE MAKING $20,800 MORE THAN THE JUSTICE OF THE PIECES.
UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT IN THAT, UM, PRECINCT, UM, BOTTOM LINE, THE CONSTABLES ARE THE LAW ENFORCEMENT ARM OF THE JUSTICE OF THE PEACE, UM, WE'RE EQUALS IN THAT REGARD.
YET THEY'RE MAKING NOW $20,800 MORE PER YEAR.
IF YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT A SIX YEAR COMPARISON OF THE RAISES THAT HAVE OCCURRED FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS HERE IN PARKER COUNTY.
UM, BACK IN 2019, 2020, DISTRICT CLERK, COUNTY CLERK, TAX ASSESSOR, TREASURER JPS WERE ALL CONSIDERED AT THE SAME PAY LEVEL, WHICH WAS $88,240.
CHANGE BEGAN IN 21, 22, WHERE THAT, UM, LEVEL BEGAN TO CHANGE.
FOR WHATEVER REASON, I, I WASN'T INVOLVED BACK THEN.
I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T, UM, KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS ARE ON THE COURT NOW, BUT AT THAT POINT, THE DISTRICT AND COUNTY CLERK'S, TAX ASSESSOR AND THE TREASURERS WERE GRANTED A $10,558 SALARY INCREASE.
THE JPS WERE GIVEN 4,012, UH, 4,412.
SO THAT'S WHERE THE DISPARITY BEGAN.
UM, 2022, 2023, AGAIN, THE DISTRICT CLERK'S TAX ASSESSOR TREASURER RECEIVED $13,740 INCREASE.
SO THE CON THE DISPARITY CONTINUED.
UM, IT'S CONTINUED SINCE THEN.
OBVIOUSLY WITH THE LAST ONE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE BIG ONE LAST YEAR.
SO OVER THAT SIX YEAR PERIOD, DISTRICT AND COUNTY CLERKS HAVE HAD A 46% INCREASE, UM, IN THEIR PAY.
UM, TREASURER TAX ASSESSORS HAVE HAD A 40% INCREASE, JPS 24% INCREASE.
AGAIN, THERE'S A COMPLETE DISPARITY, UM, IN THOSE.
AND IF YOU, IF YOU, I'VE HEARD THAT PART OF IT WAS THESE ARE COUNTY, SUPPOSEDLY COUNTYWIDE POSITIONS VERSUS PRECINCT POSITIONS.
AND THAT'S SIMPLY, UM, INCORRECT.
UM, THE PURSUANT TO STATE LAW, UM, JPS ARE CONSIDERED, UM, COUNTYWIDE, UM, PER CASE LAW.
UM, WHICH INTERPRETS SECTION FIVE, I'M SORRY, ARTICLE FIVE, SECTION 18 OF THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION, INCLUDING JUSTICE OF THE PEACE AMONG COUNTY OFFICERS, NOT SIMPLY PRECINCT OFFICERS.
ALSO THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE TREATS JUSTICE OF THE PIECES COUNTY OFFICERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF REMOVAL AND VACANCY, UM, ISSUES AS FAR AS HOW THEY'RE REPLACED BY THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
SO I'VE CITED ALL OF THOSE THAT SAY THAT THE LAW SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT, UM, JPS ARE COUNTYWIDE POSITIONS.
AS FAR AS WHAT WE DO TODAY, I CAN POINT THAT OUT.
JPS ARE ON CALL 24 7, 365 FOR WARRANTS FOR ALL DISTRICT AND COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTS.
UM, WE GET CALLS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
WE'RE WRITING WARRANTS NOT FOR SIMPLY OUR COURTS.
WE'RE WRITING WARRANTS FOR FELONIES, COUNTYWIDE FELONIES, UM, COUNTYWIDE MISDEMEANORS.
UM, WE ALSO MAGISTRATE THE, THE CONSTABLES ARE, UM, OVER 50% OF THE MAGISTRATION DONE IN THE COUNTY IS DONE BY THE FOUR CONSTABLES IN THE, IN THE COUNTY.
UM, THE MAGISTRATION IS FOR ALL CASES AS JUDGE DEAN KNOWS, HE'S ON THE LIST AS WELL.
WE MAGISTRATE FIRST DEGREE FELONIES.
WE MAGISTRATE EVERYTHING THAT WAS ARRESTED THE DAY BEFORE.
WHERE MAGISTRATE, THAT'S COUNTYWIDE.
THAT'S NOT SIMPLY, I WAS THERE, I WAS THERE TWO IT THE MORNING.
THANK GOD IT'S NOT THE WEEKEND.
AND, AND THAT GOES INTO, WE ALSO DO, WE EVERYBODY, EACH CONSTABLE HAS THEIR OWN DAY OF THE WEEK.
AND THEN JUDGE, JUDGE JP, YOU KEEP SAYING CONSTABLE.
UM, ALL THE JUSTICE OF THE PIECES HAVE THEIR OWN DAY OF THE WEEK.
SO WE'RE DOING IT EVERY DAY OF, UM, ONCE A WEEK.
WE ALSO HAVE PERIODICALLY PROBABLY FOUR TO FIVE WEEKENDS THAT WE DO IT AS WELL, UM, PER THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
'CAUSE THAT'S ON A ROTATING BASIS.
[00:45:01]
THAT'S ALL COUNTYWIDE.UM, WE HAVE CRIMINAL DOCKETS THAT, UM, INCLUDE MORE THAN JUST OUR PRECINCT AS WELL.
WE HEAR TRUANCY CASES, MENTAL HEALTH HEARINGS, ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS, OCCUPATIONAL LICENSE HEARINGS, ALL COUNTYWIDE.
NOT JUST, THEY DON'T, THEY'RE, THE JURISDICTION IS NOT JUST WITHIN OUR PRECINCT.
JPS SIT FOR OTHER CIVIL CASES WHEN CONFLICTS ARISE.
AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, ALL THE JPS KNOW PEOPLE WITHIN THEIR PRECINCT.
SO IF SOMEONE COMES IN AND THEY KNOW A PARTY AND FEEL THAT THERE'S A CONFLICT OR THEY'VE BEEN ASKED TO RECUSE, ONE OF THE OTHER JPS GOES AND SITS IN THOSE COURTS.
AGAIN, COUNTYWIDE FUNCTION, TEEN COURT, COUNTYWIDE FUNCTION.
I MYSELF, BEING A LICENSED ATTORNEY, I'M THE ONLY JP THAT I DO BLOOD WARRANTS.
I'M ON CALL 24 7 365 AND SPECIFICALLY FOUR TO FIVE MONTHS OUTTA THE YEAR, I'M THE PRIMARY, UM, CALL.
SO I'VE HAD MONTHS WHERE I'VE DONE UP TO, I THINK THE MOST IS 25 WARRANTS.
THOSE WARRANT CALLS COME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
OBVIOUSLY MOST OF THE TIME FOR DWIS.
I'VE HAD NIGHTS WHERE I'VE ANSWERED FOUR WARRANT CALLS IN ONE NIGHT.
UM, LUCKILY WE HAVE NOW SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE BENCH, I HELPED INSTITUTE WHERE WE CAN DO THAT THROUGH OUR CELL PHONE, UM, AND DOCUSIGN AND WE DON'T HAVE TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL TO SIGN THESE WARRANTS.
PRIOR TO ME BEING ON THE BENCH, EVERY JUDGE WOULD GO TO THE HOSPITAL ON THOSE CALLS.
SO IF YOU HAD FOUR A NIGHT, YOU ARE GOING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN YOUR HOME AND THE HOSPITAL ALL NIGHT LONG.
OKAY, NOW WE CAN DO IT ON A CELL PHONE, IT'S MUCH EASIER.
BUT IT'S STILL A TWENTY FOUR SEVEN CALL THAT WE'RE ON CALL AND IT'S ON A ROTATING BASIS WITH THE COUNTY COURT AT LAW JUDGES AND THE DISTRICT JUDGES.
BUT THAT'S STILL A 24 HOUR CALL SITUATION.
I'VE ALSO, UM, COMPARED, THEY SAY COMPARED TO OTHER COUNTIES, UM, I'VE DONE THAT AS WELL.
I FIRST ATTEMPTED TO, OR WE AS A GROUP FIRST ATTEMPTED TO LOOK AT COUNTIES WITHIN CLOSE PROXIMITY.
UM, THAT FAILED SIMPLY BECAUSE THE COUNTYWIDE SALARIES COMMISSIONERS, UM, DISTRICT CLERK, CONSTABLE COUNTY JUDGE, ARE ALL MUCH HIGHER IN PARKER COUNTY THAN THEY ARE LOCAL.
UM, WITHIN THE COUNTY'S CONTIGUOUS TO PARKER COUNTY.
UM, I THEN WENT TO POPULATION SIZE.
AGAIN, THAT FAILED BECAUSE MOST COUNTIES WITH THE POPULATION THAT PARKER COUNTY DOES, ALL OF THE SALARIES, COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, UM, TREASURER, TAX ASSESSORS, SHERIFF CONSTABLES, JPS, ALL WERE MUCH HIGHER THAN THOSE SIMILAR POPULATION COUNTIES.
UM, SO THEN I SAID, OKAY, WELL LET'S LOOK AT, LOOK FOR OTHER, UM, SALARY EQUAL IN SALARY COUNTIES.
UM, THE TWO THAT I CAME UP WITH THAT ARE CLOSE, DENTON COUNTY AND COLLIN COUNTY, UM, I'VE OUTLINED IN THERE, IN THE DOCUMENT THAT YOU HAVE, AND I FOUND ALL THIS THROUGH THE, UH, UM, TAC, THEY DO A SALARY SURVEY EVERY YEAR.
UM, AND SO I USE THAT TO FIND COUNTY JUDGE, COUNTY COMMISSIONER, SHERIFF, DISTRICT CLERK, COUNTY CLERK, TAX ASSESSOR, TREASURER, AND JPS FROM THOSE COUNTIES COMPARING THOSE TWO, PARKER COUNTY.
UM, PARKER COUNTY IS IN LINE ACTUALLY ABOVE ON 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 OF THE SEVEN AGAINST THOSE TWO COUNTIES.
UM, THE COUNTY JUDGE, COUNTY COMMISSIONER, UH, DISTRICT CLERK, COUNTY CLERK, TREASURER, ALL MAKE MORE THAN THOSE TWO COUNTIES DO.
I THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD, UM, COMPARISON, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY COLLIN COUNTY, DENTON COUNTY ARE SOME OF THOSE SIMILAR COUNTIES THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THE GROWTH LIKE WE ARE.
JUDGE? YES, I'M, I'M NOT, I DON'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT CAN YOU RESTATE WHAT YOU JUST SAID? 'CAUSE I WAS FOLLOWING ALONG.
ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU LOOKED AT SEVEN COUNTIES AND WERE HIGHER THAN TWO OF THEM? NO, I'M, I'M COMPARING RIGHT.
NO, YOU COULD LOOK AT SEVEN DIFFERENT POSITIONS TO SEVEN POSITIONS.
HOW MANY COUNTIES? I'M COMPARING DENTON, COLLIN, AND PARKER CAN, I ALSO WILL ADD ONE THING TOO IS WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, UM, THE, THE SALARIES, UH, LIKE THE, THE COUNTY THERE, THERE'S SOME JUDGES GET SUB STATE SUBSIDIES THAT COME INTO PLAY, LIKE ON THE JUVENILE BOARD, MAGISTRATE PROBATE, UH, WHERE THE COUNTY DOESN'T PAY, IT DOESN'T COST THE COUNTY A PENNY.
LIKE IN MY SITUATION, UH, THERE'S A SUBSIDY THAT COMES WITH THAT, UH, THAT DOESN'T FACTOR IN, BUT THOSE JUDICIAL RESPONSIBILITIES THAT ARE PAID THROUGH THE STATE, UH, DID YOU FACTOR ALL THAT IN TOO? AND YOU LOOK AT THIS? WELL, NO, I MEAN, BECAUSE YOU CAN LOOK AT, 'CAUSE IF MY SALARY IS A LITTLE BIT, SURE, I UNDERSTAND.
IF IT TALKS ABOUT THESE SALARIES, I DIDN'T GET A RAISE
[00:50:01]
OR IT JUST JUDGE, I MIGHT POINT OUT THAT THESE SALARIES INCLUDE TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT MM-HMMTHAT, THAT, THAT'S NOT ACCURATE FOR THE SALARY.
AND UH, UH, THE OTHER, THE OTHER FACTOR THAT IS IN THERE IS I MADE THE MOTION TO INCREASE THOSE ELECTED OFFICIALS SALARIES IN RESPONSE TO THE DISTRICT JUDGES SETTING SALARIES, WHICH WE CANNOT CONTROL.
AND SO THE MOTION THAT I MADE ON SALARY WAS TO MAKE OUR SALARY THE SAME AS THE AUDITOR, WHICH IS SET BY THE DISTRICT JUDGES.
AND FOR THE OTHER SALARY, FOR THE OTHERS FOR LESS THAN EIGHT YEARS AT THAT SALARY OF PURCHASING.
WHICH IS, WHICH IS TO SHINE LIGHT ON THAT WE ARE NOT ABLE TO CONTROL THOSE SALARIES.
AND THAT THERE WAS A DISPARITY BETWEEN THOSE SO THAT EVERYBODY CLEARLY UNDERSTANDS THAT THOSE SALARIES ARE SET BY THE SALARIES THAT ARE SET FOR THOSE POSITIONS.
AND THEY DO NOT, AND THEY DO NOT, UH, SHOULD NOT INCLUDE TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT.
'CAUSE WE ACTUALLY, WE COULD EITHER TAKE A COUNTY VEHICLE OR BE IN, BE REIMBURSED FOR SALARY AND, AND WE USE THOSE VEHICLES AND WE TRAVEL.
SO JUST WANT TO CLEAR THAT UP BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD.
NOT TAKE FROM YOUR TIME, JUDGE, BUT I JUST WANT TO CLEAR THOSE UP AND THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UM, COMMISSIONER AND ALSO TOO, TO MY POINT AND, AND THAT THAT MAKES A VERY CLEAR POSITION OF THIS BECAUSE THAT INFORMATION IS ACTUALLY SKEWED OR IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT IS IN THAT WITH THE TRANSPORTATION OF IT, BUT ALSO THE STATE SUBSIDIES, THERE'S VERY LITTLE OF THAT SALARY INFORMATION THAT'S NOT CORRECT.
SO IT TAKES, IT NEEDS TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT SOME OF THE JUDICIAL RESPONSIBILITIES THAT SOME JUDGES HAVE, SUCH AS MYSELF, THAT, UH, THE COUNTY DOES NOT PAY.
NOW WHILE IT IS STILL TAX MONEY FROM A STATE LEVEL, IT'S SPREAD OUT A WHOLE LOT MORE THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
BUT THOSE SUBSIDIES, AND I DON'T KNOW IF JPS GET THAT SUBSIDY.
AND, AND SO THAT NEEDS TO BE FACTORED INTO THESE, WHEN YOU BRING UP THESE NUMBERS THAT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED IN THAT STATE.
JUDGE, I, I WANNA MAKE IT EXTREMELY CLEAR.
CAN I, ONE, ONE, WELL, ONE OTHER POINT BEFORE YOU CONTINUE, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT THE, UH, THE COMPARISON WITH, UH, COMMISSIONERS BETWEEN THIS COUNTY AND OTHER COUNTIES, SOME OF THESE COUNTIES, UM, I'LL USE TARRANT COUNTY FOR EXAMPLE.
THEY MAY HAVE, UH, 20 MILES OF COUNTY ROADWAY IN THEIR PRECINCT THAT THEY, UH, TAKE CARE OF DURING THE YEAR.
AND SOME OF US HAVE AROUND 400 MILES IN ADDITION TO, UH, THE, SO SOME OF THEM DON'T HAVE ANY AT ALL.
THEY HAVE A, A UNITIZED ROAD SYSTEM.
SO THERE'S, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO COMPARE AND I'M NOT, NOT TAKING FROM YOU, I'M JUST WANNA POINT THOSE THINGS OUT WHILE YOU'RE MOVING THROUGH.
AND AND YOU'LL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME.
I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU.
AND, AND I JUST WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR, THIS IS NOT AN ATTACK ON THE SALARIES THAT THE COMPARISON YEAH.
IS BEING MADE WITH THIS IS SIMPLY TO POINT OUT DISPARITY, NOT, NOT INTENDED AT ALL TO, I JUST WANTED TO, TO MAKE CLARIFICATION.
TO ANYBODY THAT'S PAYING ATTENTION.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S MY POINT.
UH, I WANNA MAKE VERY CLEAR, I AM NOT TRYING TO DISPARAGE THE RAISES OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT HAVE COME BEFORE US.
I'M SIMPLY ASKING FOR THE DISPAR.
AS YOU BROUGHT UP, UM, COMMISSIONER WALDEN, YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR YOU WERE LOOKING TO CLARIFY AND FIX DISPARITY.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE ASKING FOR.
BECAUSE THERE IS A DISPARITY BETWEEN THE JUSTICE OF THE PEACE AND ALL OF THE OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS IN THE COUNTY.
AND THAT'S THE POINT OF THE COMPARISON.
AS YOU CAN SEE AS THE OTHER COUNTIES THAT ARE BEING COMPARED, DENTON COUNTY AND COLLIN COUNTY, THEIR JPS ARE MAKING $46,000 A YEAR.
THAT ALONG WITH NOW THE DISPARITY BETWEEN OUR OWN CONSTABLES WHO ARE MAKING $20,800 MORE THAN THE JPS.
THAT'S THE DISPARITY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
IS THERE ANY, JUST TO KIND OF YEAH, I HAVE, I HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
UM, I WANT TO GO INTO JUST IF YOU CAN WRAP IT UP PRETTY QUICK HERE.
I MEAN OBVIOUSLY IF THERE IS, UM, A, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE THE REASONING BEHIND THE DISTRICT CLERK AND THE COUNTY CLERKS, UM, GETTING RAISES, UM, GOES TO, GOES TO WORKLOAD.
I JUST WANNA POINT OUT CASE VOLUME WISE, COUNTY DISTRICT COURTS, AND THEY'RE REPORTED TOGETHER, UM, WITH THE OFFICE OF, UM, ADMINISTRATION OF JUDICIAL COUNSEL.
UM, AND THESE ARE PUBLIC REPORTS THAT ARE MADE.
THE DISTRICT COURTS COMBINED AS OF MAY, HAD A TOTAL OF 2,618 CASES.
THE COUNTY COURTS AT LAW COMBINED TWO COURTS HAD A, UM, CASELOAD OF TWENTY TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY SIX CASES.
[00:55:01]
HAS A DOCKET OF FIFTY SEVEN HUNDRED AND FORTY EIGHT CASES.SO WE ARE ALMOST THREE TIMES AS MUCH AS THE COMBINED DISTRICT COURT, TWO DISTRICT COURTS AND THE COMBINED COUNTY COURTS AT LAW.
SO OUR CASELOAD IS MUCH HIGHER.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE COUNTY AND DISTRICT CLERKS ARE INTAKE FILING.
THAT'S THEIR PROCESS IN THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM.
UM, OUR JPS WE DO THE INTAKE, THE FILING, THE MANAGEMENT, AND ACTUALLY OVERSEE THE CASES.
SO WE DO MORE WITH A MUCH LARGER CASELOAD.
AND THAT CASELOAD IS ALSO COMPARED TO DENTON COUNTY.
UM, WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY PER, UM, JP ABOUT TWO TIMES AS MANY, UM, CASES, ACTIVE CASES AS DENTON COUNTY JPS DO.
UM, AND THAT'S A COMPARISON GOING BACK TO THE SALARY COMPARISON.
SO I MEAN, BOTTOM LINE IN SUMMATION, UM, GRANTING SIGNIFICANT MARKET RATE ADJUSTMENT INCREASES TO EVERY ADMINISTRATIVE EXECUTIVE PRECINCT ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL IN A COUNTY LEAVING JUSTICE, JUSTICE OF THE PEACE OUT WITH ONLY A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT, UM, HAS CREATED A S SEVERE INTERNAL, UM, DIVISION, UM, ESTABLISHING AN UNTENABLE PRECEDENT WHERE THE JUDICIAL BRANCH OF OUR PRECINCT PRECINCTS IS STRUCTURALLY DEVALUED COMPARED TO THE CONSTABLES WHO SERVE AS THE JUSTICE OF THE COURT'S ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM AND THE CLERKS WHO ARE THE ADMINISTRATIVE ARM OF THE COUNTY AND DISTRICT COURTS, THE JUSTICES SIMPLY REQUEST EQUAL STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT BASED UPON THE STANDARD INTERNAL WORKLOAD IN FAIRNESS.
AND I CAN PROVIDE ANY DOCUMENTATION TO SUPPORT WHAT I'VE, UM, WE'VE SUBMITTED IN THIS, UM, DOCUMENT THAT YOU WERE PROVIDED UPON REQUEST OF THE FOUR OF YOU JPS, HOW MANY OF Y'ALL DO TEAM COURT? I RUN TEEN COURT AND JUDGE MILES RUNS TEEN COURT.
UM, JUDGE MILES DOES IT SPECIFICALLY FOR HIS PRECINCT.
I DO IT FOR THE OTHER THREE OUT OF MY COURT.
JUDGE, I HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION AND, AND I THINK YOU'VE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB COMPILING THIS INFORMATION.
UM, I'M, I'M ONLY TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T LEAVE ANY ONE STONE UNTURNED DRIVING A COUNTY VEHICLE HAS LIMITATIONS, LIKE CAN'T TAKE IT TO THE GROCERY STORE, YOU KNOW, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
IS THERE, WOULD ONE OF THE OPTIONS WE COULD LOOK AT BE TO MAKE Y'ALL WHOLE WITH THE CONSTABLES TO ALLOW THE JPS TO DRIVE A COUNTY VEHICLE? WELL, WE'RE NOT ASKING TO BE COMPARED TO THE CONSTABLES.
I MEAN, I'M, I PUT IT IN THERE FOR COMPARISON AS FAR AS WE, WE WORK TOGETHER AND OUGHT TO BE TREATED VERY SIMILARLY.
WE'RE ASKING TO BE PUT ON THE LEVEL OF THE COUNTY, UM, TREASURER, TAX ASSESSOR OR COUNTY CLERKS.
I I MUST HAVE MISUNDERSTOOD THE FIRST, UH, SIGNIFICANT PORTION WHERE YOU WERE COMPARING.
WELL, THEY'RE JUST POINTING OUT THE DISPARITY THAT THEY, THEY WERE, I KNOW, GIVEN A RAISE TO EQUAL OURS, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S INCORRECT.
THEY WEREN'T, THEY ACTUALLY, WHEN THEY GOT THE SALARY RAISE WITH THE ADDITION OF THE CAR, WHICH HAS BEEN SET AS $20,800 ACCORDING TO WHAT HAS BEEN DONE IN THE PAST WITH THE COMMISSIONERS, UM, COUNTY JUDGE AT SET SHERIFF, UM, THEN WE ARE ASKING, BASICALLY THAT WAS POINTING OUT THE DISPARITY BETWEEN THE CONSTABLES WHEN IT, I KNOW THAT THAT ORIGINALLY I BELIEVE WAS MADE TO EQUAL THE JPS, BUT IN FACT IT PUT THEM ABOVE US.
UH, BUT WE'RE ASKING TO BE PUT ON THE SAME LEVEL AS THE OTHER COUNTY ELECTED OFFICIALS.
SO THAT'S NOT AN OPTION WE SHOULD CONSIDER THEN.
I MEAN, YOU CAN, YOU ARE THE COMMISSIONERS.
I'M ASKING YOU THOUGH TO CONSIDER.
I'M ASKING, I'M TELLING YOU WHAT OUR REQUEST IS.
YOU GUYS CAN CONSIDER WHATEVER YOU WISH TO CONSIDER.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
OF THAT 57 48 YOU SAID MM-HMM
WHAT IS THE PERCENTAGE, LIKE WHAT IS MOST OF THOSE CASELOAD, WHAT ARE THEY CRIMINAL TICKETS? SO IN, IN OH, TICKETS? YEAH.
TRAFFIC, LIKE TRAFFIC TICKETS.
IT COULD BE TRAFFIC TICKETS, IT COULD BE ENVIRONMENTAL TICKETS.
JUST TRAFFIC TICKETS AS MANY TICKETS OTHER THAN JUST TRAFFIC.
UH, BUT TRAFFIC IS THE, THE MAIN ONE.
AND, AND I THINK MYSELF AND JUDGE GRISSOM AND THREE HAVE THE MOST ON THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE THE BIGGER, WE HAVE 20 RUNNING THROUGH.
DO Y'ALL DEAL WITH THOSE TICKETS PERSONALLY? YOU AND JUDGE GRISMAN? WE HAVE TO SIGN OFF ON EVERY DISPOSITION.
OR DOES YOUR STAFF EVERY CASE? I'M SORRY? OR DOES YOUR STAFF DO ALL THE PAPERWORK? WELL, WE HAVE TO HEAR ANY CASE THAT BECOMES CONTESTED.
EVERY THOSE CASES WE HAVE TO SIGN OFF ON EVERY ONE OF THOSE CASES.
[01:00:01]
HAVE A CRIMINAL DOCKET.THE COUNTY ATTORNEY NEGOTIATES WITH THEM.
IF THEY WORK OUT A DEAL, THEN THE PAPERWORK IS PRESENTED TO US FOR US TO REVIEW AND SIGN OFF ON.
IF IT'S CONTESTED, THEN WE EITHER ARE ON A TRIAL IN FRONT OF THE COURT DOCKET OR A TRIAL BY JURY DOCKET.
YOU SKIPPED, UH, ONE OF THE JPS WHILE AGO.
UH, JUDGE GREEN, IF YOU WOULD COME UP, PLEASE.
THAT WAS JUST, UH, FORESHADOW,
I DON'T KNOW IF I GOT SKIPPED OR IF I WAS JUST BEING TOLD THAT'S HOW IT'S GONNA BE.
HOW'S EVERYBODY TODAY? LET ME GO AHEAD AND OPEN THIS JUST TO, FOR THE, THE,
[I.C. Discussion/Presentation on Department 462 Justice of the Peace Precinct #2 budget requests. (Judge Green / Judge Deen)]
UH, THAT WE'RE ON ITEM C ON THE DEPARTMENT 4 62 JP, UH, WITH JUDGE GREEN.JUST WANTED, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE YOU FEEL COUNTED HERE.
WELL, ACTUALLY, I APPRECIATE THE ORDER IN WHICH YOU WENT, BECAUSE THE PART ABOUT THE ELECTED OFFICIAL SALARIES, WE'RE JUST GONNA SKIP OVER BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT I CAN ADD MUCH MORE TO THE EXCELLENT PRESENTATION THAT JUDGE MENDOLIA HAS JUST GIVEN YOU.
UH, I'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO DEFEND ANY OF IT IF YOU'D LIKE TO ASK ME SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ON THAT.
UH, OTHERWISE, OUR OVERALL BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR IS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY MUCH MORE THAN LAST YEAR.
THE BIG THING WE'RE ASKING FOR IS WE'RE TRYING TO GET ANOTHER FULL-TIME PERSON.
UH, OUR CIVIL FILINGS ARE STEADILY INCREASING AND WITH THE ECONOMY, THEY'RE GOING TO INCREASE FURTHER BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR CIVIL FILINGS ARE CREDIT CARD CASES.
UH, I JUST, IT'S THE HANDWRITING'S ON THE WALL WITH THAT.
SO WE'RE GOING TO NEED ANOTHER CLERK TO HELP PROCESS THE CIVIL.
WE'VE GOT TWO RIGHT NOW THAT ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY DO CIVIL, AND THAT'S ALL THEY DO FROM THE TIME THEY HIT THE CHAIR TO THE TIME THEY LEAVE IN THE EVENING.
UH, AND EVEN THEN, SOME DAYS IT'S HARD TO KEEP UP BECAUSE NOT ONLY ARE WE DEALING WITH THE PEOPLE THAT COME INTO THE WINDOW, UH, TO FILE SMALL CLAIMS CASES OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE, EVICTIONS.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE E-FILE WHERE WE'RE GETTING INUNDATED WITH E-FILE CASES FROM COLLECTIONS ATTORNEYS ACROSS THE STATE.
UH, THEY FILE THESE THINGS FROM LUBBOCK.
THEY FILE THESE THINGS FROM HOUSTON, UH, AND THEN THEY'LL HIRE A LOCAL ATTORNEY TO COME IN AND HEAR IT WHEN THE TIME COMES TO HEAR IT.
BUT WE STILL HAVE TO INTAKE THE CASE, MAKE SURE IT, AND JUST BECAUSE THEY E-FILE IT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT REVIEWED.
THE CLERKS HAVE TO REVIEW IT AND THE CLERKS HAVE TO ACCEPT IT BEFORE IT'S FILED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS ACCURATE.
AND WE ACTUALLY HAD A SNAFU LAST MONTH WHERE ONE OF THE CLIENTS MADE AN ERROR IN THEIR SUBMISSION.
WE DID NOT ACCEPT IT, BUT THE, UH, COMPUTER ACCEPTED THEIR MONEY AND THREW ALL OF OUR ACCOUNTING OFF, AND THEY NEVER WENT BACK AND CORRECTED THEIR ERROR LIKE THEY SHOULD HAVE.
AND ONCE THEY WERE NOTIFIED OF THAT, THEY CORRECTED IT AND WE GOT THAT FINANCIAL SNAFU FIXED PRETTY QUICK.
UH, WE DID MOVE SOME MONEY AROUND A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, UH, ABOUT 12,052 OVER OUT OF OUR TECHNOLOGY FUND, WHICH WE'RE ALLOWED TO DO TO INCREASE SOME FOR ONE OF OUR, FOR THE BASICALLY OUR, WHAT'S NOW OUR ASSISTANT CIVIL CHIEF CLERK.
UM, BECAUSE OF HER RESPONSIBILITIES, SIGNIFI SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED.
UH, FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO COMPENSATE HER FOR THOSE INCREASED RESPONSIBILITIES.
UH, WE'VE DONE THAT A COUPLE OF YEARS OUT OF OUR TECHNOLOGY FUND.
UH, I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND GET THAT MOVED OVER TO FUND 10 AT THIS POINT WHILE BEFORE IT BECOMES AN ISSUE OF TECHNOLOGY, NO LONGER BEING ABLE TO COVER IT.
UM, I THINK THAT'S FAIRLY IT EXCEPT FOR MAYBE SOME BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS ISSUES.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT WE DISCUSS HERE OR IF THAT'S DOWN THE ROAD.
UM, WE STILL HAVE SOME, UH, SECURITY GLASS WE WANT TO PUT IN.
IF WE CAN FIND A DECENT ENOUGH BID TO DO IT.
UH, COMMISSIONER HOLZMAN HELPING WITH THE BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS, TRYING TO FIND SOMEBODY THAT CAN DO THAT AT A REASONABLE PRICE.
RIGHT NOW, THE, THE BIDS THAT HAVE COME IN HAVE BEEN FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL AND THEY MAY NOT JUSTIFY BEING ABLE TO DO IT, BUT I'M
[01:05:01]
SURE THAT WE CAN FIND SOMEBODY THAT CAN.UH, THE OTHER THING IS THAT BUILDING DOES HAVE SOME ISSUES.
THOSE ISSUES HAVE BEEN POINTED OUT BY YOUR OWN, UH, ENGINEERS AND CONSULTANTS.
UH, THAT RETAINING WALL IN THE DRIVEWAY IS NOT GETTING ANY STRAIGHTER.
I MEAN, IT'S REALLY STARTING TO LOOK LIKE THE LEANING TOWER OF PISA OUT THERE.
IT'S GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE IT'S NOT, IF IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO COLLAPSE, IT'S ON WHAT DAY IS IT GOING TO COLLAPSE.
AND I THINK WE'RE JUST ONE REALLY GOOD RAIN EVENT FROM HAVING THAT HAPPEN.
AND HOPEFULLY NOBODY'S PARKED NEXT TO IT WHEN IT DOES.
DOES BUILDING AND GROUNDS, ARE THEY AWARE OF THAT? EVERY, UH, THEY'RE AWARE OF IT.
UH, THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT'S BEEN MADE AWARE OF IT BY THE CONSULTING FIRM THAT CAME OUT SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND WENT THROUGH THE BUILDING.
UM, IT'S, UM, I DON'T RECALL THEM TALKING ABOUT THE WALL.
I KNOW THE WALL YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
IT'S, IT'S SHIFTED QUITE A BIT.
EVEN SINCE I TOOK PAUSE, IT WAS PATCHED AND NOW THE PATCH IS ALL BLOWN OUT BECAUSE IT SHIFTED SOME MORE.
JUDGE GREEN, AGAIN, IT'S JUST A LITTLE, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S HARD TO PERCEIVE THE CHANGES WEEK TO WEEK OR MONTH TO MONTH, BUT YEAR TO YEAR, YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE, OKAY, WOW.
YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T WANT TO PUT ANY WEIGHT ON IT FOR, IT WOULD JUST COMPLETELY FALL OVER.
JUDGE, CAN YOU, UH, CAN YOU TELL ME WHEN THAT REPORT WAS DONE? THE CONSULTANTS? YES, SIR.
SO FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO WHERE Y'ALL HAD EVERYBODY COME OUT AND GO THROUGH THE BUILDINGS AND IS THAT THE BU BUILDING ASSESSMENT? ALL OUR BUILDINGS, OUR WAS DECLARED UNSUITABLE FOR THE CURRENT.
I WAS ABOUT TO ASK, JUDGE, DO YOU HAPPEN TO RECALL WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT THAT SPECIFIC BUILDING? IT WAS UNSUITABLE FOR THE PURPOSES FOR WHICH IT WAS BEING UTILIZED.
AND YOU AND I WENT ON A LITTLE, UH, ADVENTURE WHERE WE CLIMBED UP ON THE WALL.
UM, YOUR ABILITY TO CLIMB A WALL.
I WONDER, I WONDER IT'S LAYING THE BOAT.
WELL, THAT WAS A DIFFERENT, EASY.
NOW THAT WAS A DIFFERENT WALL.
UM, BUT, BUT YOUR ABILITY TO JUMP UP OVER A WALL, LETS ME THINK YOU PROBABLY HAD A LITTLE TOO MUCH FUN IN YOUR YOUTH,
WHAT, WHAT DID WE SEE AS FAR AS THE, WHERE THE WATER DRAINS ON THE TOP OF YOUR ROOF? DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT DIRECTION? WELL, THERE WHERE POOLS IN THE, THERE WAS POOLS IN THE CORNER AND THEN THE DRAINS WEREN'T QUITE CATCHING THE POOLS IN THE SOUTHWESTERN CORNER.
I THINK THE ROOFING COMPANY CAME OUT AND GOT THE WORST OF IT PREPARED.
AND WHEN THAT WOULD PREPARED, WHEN THAT WOULD POOL THERE, IT WOULD LEAK INSIDE THE BUILDING, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
AND FORTUNATELY THERE'S AN ELECTRICAL BOX RIGHT THERE THAT CATCHES ALL THAT WATER AND PREVENTS IT FROM SPREADING ELSEWHERE, WHICH IS, YEAH, THAT, UM, PROBABLY NOT WHAT IS INTENDED.
I WOULDN'T WANT TO DO ANY ELECTRICAL WORK ON A RAINY DAY.
SO IF, IF, IF Y'ALL HAVEN'T BEEN IN THAT BUILDING RECENTLY, I WOULD ENCOURAGE THAT BUILDING'S NOT SAFE.
THAT'S JUST ALL THERE IS TO IT.
THE CONSULTANT SAID THAT I BELIEVE FIVE YEARS AGO, AND IT HASN'T GOTTEN ANY SAFER SINCE, UM, WE'VE HAD SOME TRIPPING BALLS OUTSIDE THAT RETAINING WALL IS GONNA GONNA GET GONE AT SOME POINT.
IT'S, IT, IT'S IN VERY TOUGH SHAPE.
I KNOW OUR BUDGET'S VERY CONSTRAINED ON THE COUNTY LEVEL.
I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF NEEDS AS FAR AS BUILDINGS, BUT THAT BUILDING IS NOT IN GOOD SHAPE IN MY OPINION.
KELLY, WHEN YOU, UM, BACK A FEW YEARS AGO, THEY WERE TALKING THE ISSUES WITH THE LEAKAGE THAT WE WENT THROUGH.
I THINK WE BOTH HAVE GOOD MEMORIES OF, WE, WE, WE REPAIRED THINGS AND ARE SOLVED, FOUND THE MAIN ISSUE.
THOSE ARE SOLVED THOUGH, CORRECT? THE BIGGEST ONE WAS RESOLVED.
IT WAS A CRACK IN THE FOUNDATION FROM THE ACCIDENT THAT HAPPENED.
WHERE SOMEBODY HIT THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING AND ACTUALLY HAD CAUSED THE CRACK IN THE SLAB THAT NOBODY WAS AWARE WAS THERE.
SO THAT WHEN IT RAINED, THE WATER WAS COMING DOWN THE EDGE OF THE BUILDING UNDERGROUND.
AND THEN THAT WAS WHERE IT WAS FINDING THE ACCESS IS ALL THE, THE LEAKAGE INSIDE.
HAS THAT BEEN FIXED? HAS THE LEAKAGE INSIDE BEEN FIXED NOW? THE ONLY ONE LEFT WAS IN THE ROOF.
AND I THINK THE ROOFING COMPANY'S GOT THAT STAUNCH FOR OKAY.
BUT AGAIN, THE DRAINING, YOU KNOW, IT'S GREAT.
I MEAN, IT'S A DRAINED WATER THAT LONG.
BUT I MEAN, JOE HARRIS HAS BOOKS ON HISTORY OF PARKER COUNTY BACK WHEN, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WERE STILL SELLING WATERMELONS AROUND THE COURTHOUSE AND YOU KNOW, YOU CAN STILL SEE THAT BUILDING THERE WHEN IT'S A TRACTOR DEALERSHIP.
IT JUST HAS THE ISSUES THAT ARE INHERENT WITH HAVING A HUNDRED PLUS YEAR OLD BUILDING.
AND WE CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND OUR NEEDS ON THAT.
I HATE TO SEE WHAT THE WIRING LOOKS LIKE IN THE ATTIC, BUT, OKAY.
UH, JUST ANYTHING, WHAT ELSE SHE GOT THERE? UH, EVERYTHING ELSE I THINK WAS FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
[01:10:01]
HAVE THE SAME INFORMATION I HAVE.IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON ANYTHING THAT I CAN ADDRESS RIGHT NOW? YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR JUDGE GREEN? I JUST HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY FUND THERE.
YOU, YOU REQUESTED WE MOVE THAT OVER TO YES, SIR.
AND JUST, JUST FOR THE RECORD, HOW MUCH IS THAT? THE AMOUNT OF THAT IT WAS, I'VE GOT 12,052.
AND, UH, DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW OFFHAND THE AMOUNT OF MONEY IN YOUR TECHNOLOGY FUND NOW? I DO NOT HAVE THAT WITH ME TODAY.
WE HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THAT THE OTHER DAY FOR ANOTHER, I'M SORRY.
LITTLE OVER 14,000 COVERED THE, OKAY.
I'M WORKING WITH THE NUMBERS I GOT.
I WAS JUST, I JUST WANTED TO HAVE GENERAL NUMBERS ON THAT.
UH, NOT REALLY OTHER THAN TRYING TO GET THE, IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS ON WHY WE NEED ANOTHER CLERK.
UH, JUST, UH, AGAIN, OUR FILINGS ARE UP THE CIVIL ESPECIALLY.
WE DO A LOT OF NON-TRADITIONAL HEARINGS THAT SOME OF THE, THE OTHER COURTS DON'T DO.
WE DO PRETTY MUCH ALL THE JUVENILE DETENTION HEARINGS.
UH, THE REASON FOR THAT IS NOT THAT WE'RE AS MUCH BETTER OR ANYTHING.
THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS TO SEND A REPRESENTATIVE TO EACH ONE OF THOSE HEARINGS AND WE'RE ACROSS THE STREET.
SO WHERE ARE THEY GONNA SEND THOSE TO? YEAH, THEY'RE WALKING DISTANCE.
UH, WE DO A LOT OF THE MENTAL HEALTH PROBABLE CAUSE HEARINGS.
UH, AGAIN, I THINK IT'S MORE JUST CONVENIENCE RATHER THAN ANYTHING ELSE, BUT IT'S, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET ON THE DOCKET QUICKLY AND WE'RE ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THAT FOR YOUR OFFICE.
UM, WE DO A LOT OF THE OCCUPATIONAL LICENSES THAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO DO NOW.
UM, SOME OF THOSE ARE EVEN ON A WALK-IN BASIS.
I ACTUALLY TAKE THOSE VERY SERIOUSLY BECAUSE WE'RE IN PARKER COUNTY.
YOU CAN'T WALK OUT DOWNTOWN PEACE AND JUMP ON A BUS AND GO TO THE STORE 'CAUSE THERE'S NOT A BUS.
SO PEOPLE'S LICENSE GETS SUSPENDED BECAUSE THEY HAVE MADE THE STATE MAD.
UH, THE WAY THEY CAN MAKE THE STATE HAPPY IS TO FINISH PAYING THEIR FEES.
THE WAY YOU PAY YOUR FEES IS YOU GO TO WORK AND YOU EARN MONEY.
IF YOU CAN'T DRIVE, YOU CAN'T WORK.
SO IT'S JUST A VICIOUS CYCLE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.
SO WE TRY TO GET 'EM IN THERE.
IF WE CAN GET 'EM AN OCCUPATIONAL THAT LEAST LETS 'EM GO TO WORK AND GO TO THE STORE TO GET THEIR GROCERIES.
NOW GOING TO THE STOCKY YARD, NOPE.
BUT IF YOU NEED TO GO PAY YOUR BILLS, YOU NEED TO GO GET GROCERIES AND YOU TAKE YOUR KIDS TO SCHOOL, IT GIVES YOU A UNLIMITED USE LICENSE TO AT LEAST DO THOSE THINGS.
AND TO GO TO WORK WHERE YOU CAN EARN THE MONEY, GET THE STATE HAPPY, GET YOUR REGULAR LICENSE BACK SO YOU CAN DO MORE WITH IT.
UH, IF SOMEBODY COMES IN AND FILES THOSE, WE TRY TO GET ON THOSE THE SAME DAY IF WE CAN BECAUSE IT'S AN IMPORTANT THING FOR THE CITIZENS.
AND IT ALSO KEEPS US FROM MANUFACTURING CRIMINALS.
'CAUSE IT'S REALLY SAD TO SEE PEOPLE AT JAIL AT MAGISTRATION SIMPLY FOR DRIVING WITH YOUR LICENSE AND VALID, UH, MAYBE WITH A CONVICTION PREVIOUSLY DOWN THE ROAD.
YOU KNOW, THE SECOND ONE BECOMES A CLASS B MISDEMEANOR.
SO YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE LITERALLY IN JAIL ON A WEEKLY BASIS FOR TRYING TO GO TO WORK.
UM, WE TRY TO BREAK THAT CYCLE.
ONCE WE GET THAT CYCLE BROKEN, THEN THEY'RE ABLE TO GET THEIR REGULAR LICENSE BACK AND THEN GIVE PEOPLE A GOOD RESTART.
ARE YOUR, ARE YOUR CLERKS KEEPING UP WITH THE PAPERWORK OR ARE THEY FALLING BEHIND EVERY DAY? WE'RE KEEPING UP.
UH, WE GOT BEHIND A LITTLE BIT EARLIER IN THE YEAR, BUT WE'RE GETTING CAUGHT UP NOW.
UH, WE ARE WORKING ON OUR 20, 25 CASES AS FAR AS GOING TO COURT.
WE'VE GOT THE BACKLOG RESOLVED.
UH, IT'S, UM, IT'S TO THE POINT THOUGH, THEY'RE GOING TO START FALLING BEHIND WITHOUT SOME ADDITIONAL HELP.
BECAUSE IF YOU'RE WORKING ON YOUR CRIMINAL OR IF YOU'RE WORKING ON YOUR E-FILE AND THEN SOMEBODY COMES UP TO THE WINDOW TO FILE A CIVIL CASE THAT HAS TO STOP, YOU HAVE TO GO UP, TAKE CARE OF THAT CIVIL CASE AND THAT'S GONNA PUT YOU BEHIND ON WHAT YOU'RE DOING OTHERWISE.
SO WE NEED ONE MORE DEDICATED CIVIL CLERK.
THEY CAN BE THERE TO INTAKE THE EVICTIONS TO INTAKE THE SMALL CLAIMS CASES TO WORK ON THE LANDLORD TENANT.
AND SOME OF THE EVICTIONS AREN'T EVICTIONS.
[01:15:01]
LANDLORD TENANT DISPUTES WHERE SOMEBODY GETS UNLAWFULLY LOCKED OUT.YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE UNLAWFULLY LOCKED OUT OF YOUR RESIDENCE, THERE'S A WRIT THAT YOU CAN GET TO REENTER YOUR PROPERTY AND THAT'S AN IMMEDIATE WRIT THAT'S, YOU SHALL IMMEDIATELY HAVE A HEARING.
SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A RENTER GETTING LOCKED OUT.
WELL, SOMETIMES IT'S NOT SO MUCH A RENTER AS IT IS A, UH, FAILED RELATIONSHIP.
BUT SOMEBODY NEEDS TO GET BACK IN.
BUT TO GET THEIR, UH, THEIR BELONGINGS AND THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO BECAUSE SOMEBODY'S UPSET WITH THEM OR THEY CAN GET A WRIT OR THE CONSTABLE CAN GO OUT AND STAND THERE WHILE THEY GET THEIR BELONGINGS OUT.
SO WRIT OR RETRIEVAL, AND AGAIN, THESE THINGS ARE EMERGENCY WRIT THAT ARE DONE THAT DAY OF SUPPOSEDLY DONE THAT DAY BY STATUTE SHALL IMMEDIATELY I THINK IS HOW THE LAW READS.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU GOT, YOU NEED ADD? SO, ANYTHING ELSE? I HAVE, I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION ON THE TECH FUND.
UH, BRIANNA, HOW MUCH DOES HE ADD PER YEAR? JUST A ROUGH NUMBER'S.
I KNOW YOU, I I KNOW YOU LOVE THAT.
SO HE'S SUBTRACTING NET EIGHT A YEAR.
IF WE'RE PULLING 14 AND ADDING SIX JUST ON THAT, THAT DOESN'T COUNT ANY OTHER.
THERE WERE FOR FISCAL YEAR 25, 30 3009, 17 FROM THAT.
SO THERE WERE OTHER, YOU KNOW, UM, TECHNOLOGY.
KELLY, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? 'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA TAKE A RECESS.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I ADDRESSED ALL OF YOUR ISSUES.
UH, THE COURT IS GONNA TAKE A RECESS AT 10 16 AND THEN WE WILL COME BACK.
I KNOW THAT, UH, WE HAVE A COMMISSIONER COMING.
UH, JUST ON A COUPLE THINGS, UM, FROM A HOUSEKEEPING STANDPOINT, HERE IT IS, 10 30.
UH, WE'VE COVERED A LOT OF GROUND WITH THE, UM, JPS.
THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION THAT WAS SHARED.
UH, WE STILL HAVE, UH, ONE MORE TO DO.
UM, I WANT TO BE SURE THAT WE'RE CONCISE TO THE POINT OF WHAT OUR REQUESTS ARE.
AND, UH, FOR THOSE, YOUR RESPECTIVE OFFICE, SIR, AND AND AS WELL AS ANYBODY ELSE THAT SPEAKS, BE SURE TO, TO BE CONCISE TO THE POINT.
I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A HARD TIME OF ABOUT 1130 OR SHORT OF THAT TO TRY TO, TO ADJOURN THIS, UH, BECAUSE THERE WILL BE OTHER MEETINGS AS WELL.
[I.E. Discussion/Presentation on Department 463 Justice of the Peace Precinct #3 budget requests. (Judge Grissom / Judge Deen)]
MOVE TO ITEM E ON THE DISCUSSION PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENT 4 63.JUSTICE OF THE PEACE PRECINCT THREE.
I, FOR THE RECORD, I AM RANDALL GRISSOM, PRESIDING JUDGE FOR JUSTICE OF THE PEACE PRECINCT THREE HERE IN PARKER COUNTY.
TODAY I HAVE MY COURT COORDINATOR, JOLIE KILGORE HERE, AND SHE'S GONNA HAVE A FEW HANDOUTS FOR Y'ALL.
SO IF YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND GIVE THEM TO THEM, I'M GONNA TRY TO GET THROUGH THIS VERY, VERY QUICK.
AND I'LL PROMPT YOU TO WHICH THERE'S ONLY THREE PAGES IN THOSE.
WHEN WE GET TO EACH ONE OF 'EM.
UH, LET ME FIRST SAY, THERE ARE FOUR JUSTICES OF THE PEACE PRECINCTS IN PARKER COUNTY, BUT WE ARE NOT ALL THE SAME.
WE EACH HAVE OUR OWN SPECIFIC CASELOADS AND DEMANDS ON OUR COURT.
BY MY RESEARCH FOR PARKER COUNTY HAS GROWN BETWEEN 60 AND 80% IN THE LAST 10 YEARS.
HOWEVER, MY COURT HAS NOT GROWN, UH, A STAFF, STAFF WISE TO MEET THE GROWTH.
ADDITIONALLY, PER TAX OR TRAFFIC THROUGH PARKER COUNTY HAS GROWN EXPONENTIALLY JUST IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
AND I'M SURE AS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, JUST ON THE COUNTY ROADS ALONE, YOU KNOW THAT.
BUT SPECIFICALLY I'M TALKING ABOUT INTERSTATE 20 WHO RUNS THROUGH MY PRECINCT.
IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, MY, MY CRIMINAL CASES HAVE INCREASED BY 78%.
MY CIVIL CASES HAVE GROWN BY 52%.
AND THEN THE WARRANT CASE LOAD THAT I HANDLE HAS GROWN BY, UH, 22%.
SO IF YOU WILL LOOK OUT, LOOK AT THE FIRST HANDOUT IN THAT PACKAGE.
IT IS LABELED NUMBER ONE, UH, FOR THE YEAR 2025.
MY CRIMINAL CASE FILINGS FOR 4,496 CASES, CIVIL CASES WERE 1,222 CASES WARRANTS.
[01:20:01]
THAT'S A COMBINATION OF FELONY WARRANTS, UH, CLASS A AND B MISDEMEANOR WARRANTS.AND THEN THERE ARE SOME CLASS C WARRANTS IN THERE AS WELL.
AND THEN THE MAGISTRATION, I DID ABOUT 634 CASES AT THE JAIL WITH ABOUT 30% OF THOSE HAVING BOND CONDITIONS.
THAT'S A TOTAL OF 7,918 CASES.
HANDLED ALONE JUST IN JUSTICE COURT PRECINCT THREE LAST YEAR.
AND WE WERE GOING TO MATCH OR EXCEED THAT NUMBER IN 2026.
UH, IF YOU LOOK AT, WHAT WE DID WAS WE DID A, I HAD MY CLERKS GO THROUGH AND LOOK AT THE ENTRIES.
YOU GOTTA REMEMBER ON EVERY CASE THAT'S FILED, WHETHER IT'S CRIMINAL OR CIVIL, WE HAVE CLERK ACTIVITY ON THAT.
THE CLERKS ARE DOING THE DATA ENTRY.
THEY'RE TAKING THE PHONE CALLS, UH, THEY'RE SENDING THE MOTIONS TO ME.
AND WHAT WE CAME UP WITH IS ABOUT, THAT'S 150,000 DIFFERENT ENTRIES THAT ARE MADE IN THE COMPUTER SYSTEM BY MY CLERKS.
AND THAT'S A VERY CONSERVATIVE NUMBER FOR A YEAR'S TIME.
UH, SO WITH THAT SAYING, WE ARE IN NEED OF AN ADDITIONAL CLERK JUST TO ADDRESS OUR CURRENT CASE NUMBERS.
WE HAVE WORKED VERY HARD TO STREAMLINE OUR PROCESSES AND EFFICIENCY.
WE CONTINUALLY TO SEEK EFFICIENT WAYS TO HANDLE CASES WHILE STILL MEETING THE STATE REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE STATUTORY UPON THE COURT.
SO IF YOU LOOK IN CASE IN NUMBER ONE, THESE ARE THE FOUR PRECINCTS.
UH, ON THE BAR GRAPH WORDS IS IN THE GR IN THE GRAY LINE WITH HIGHLIGHTED BY THE GREEN.
YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE TRAFFIC CRIMINAL CASES ARE IN THERE, THE CIVIL CASES, THE MAGISTRATION CASES, THE WARRANT CASES.
AND THERE'S OTHER, THE OTHER IS ADMINISTRATIVE TYPE HEARINGS THAT JUDGE GREEN SPOKE ABOUT, OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING.
AND THERE'S JUST A NUMBER OF OTHER CASES THAT WE HEAR, UH, ON.
IF YOU LOOK AT HANDOUT NUMBER TWO, THE SECOND ONE IN THAT PACKAGE, THIS IS A, UH, REPORT FROM THE OFFICE OF COURT ADMINISTRATION, WHICH THAT IS A STATEWIDE AGENCY THAT, UH, THEY REPORT ALL THE COURT CASES FOR EVERY COURT IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, DISTRICT COURT, COUNTY COURT OF LAW COURTS, JP COURTS, EVEN MUNICIPAL COURTS.
UH, AND IT'S SHOWING WHAT I BROUGHT THERE IS DENTON COUNTY.
AND DENTON COUNTY HAS 1.1 MILLION POPULATION AND THEY HAVE SIX PRECINCTS.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THEIR NUMBERS ON THEIR CRIMINAL ROW OF ADDED, UNDER ADDED, AND THEN YOU'LL LOOK AT THEIR TOTAL CASES DISPOSED.
AND THAT'S CIVIL AND CRIMINAL CASES.
UH, YOU WILL SEE THAT NOT IN ONE OF THOSE CATEGORIES.
DO THEY EXCEED WHAT MY COURT DOES, I BY FAR EXCEED THEIR CASELOADS, TOTAL AND CRIMINAL AND THE MOST CRIMINAL OF THEIR CASES.
ALMOST ALL OF THEM, BUT ONE I'M MORE THAN DOUBLE OR TRIPLE THEIR AMOUNTS.
AND WE'RE HERE IN PARKER COUNTY.
AND THE BEST I COULD TELL RIGHT NOW, LOOKING AT THINGS, WE'RE 190,000.
SO WE'RE SIGNIFICANTLY SMALLER, BUT YET WE DO MORE CASES CRIMINAL, TOTAL CIVIL, ALL OF IT.
WHY IS THAT? WHY IS THAT? I THINK IT'S BECAUSE WE HAVE, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE THE I 35 CORRIDOR THAT GOES THROUGH THEIR COUNTY, IT'S JUST THE SHOWING WHAT KIND OF TRANSPORTATION TRAVEL WE HAVE OUT HERE ON I 20.
SO, AND TO THAT POINT, UH, THE NEXT ONE, IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, FROM JANUARY TO JUNE, I'VE ALREADY HAD FOUR JURY TRIALS, CRIMINAL JURY TRIALS ON MY, IN MY COURT.
AND THEN I'M GONNA HAVE THE FIFTH JURY TRIAL AT THE END OF THIS MONTH IS WHAT IT'S SLATED FOR.
THAT WE CAN TELL GOING BACK THROUGH RECORDS, GOING BACK THROUGH THE OFFICE OF COURT ADMINISTRATION.
THAT'S NEVER HAPPENED IN PARKER COUNTY BY ANY COURT.
FOUR IN FOUR CRIMINAL CASES, JURY TRIAL, CRIMINAL CASES IN SIX MONTHS.
WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS SOME OF THIS IS SOVEREIGN CITIZENS.
WE'RE STARTING TO SEE A LOT MORE SOVEREIGN CITIZENS MOVING INTO OUR COUNTY.
WE'RE SEEING A LOT MORE TRANSPORTING COMING THROUGH.
A LOT OF 'EM WERE OUT WEST, BUT THEY'RE COMING THROUGH, THEY'RE GETTING TICKETS FOR WHATEVER REASON.
AND WE'RE HAVING TO DEAL WITH 'EM HERE.
UH, EVERY TWO YEARS, THE STATE OF TEXAS HITS THE JUSTICE COURT WITH UNFUNDED MANDATES THAT WE HAVE TO ADDRESS WITHIN THE COURTS.
SEVERAL YEARS AGO, THE STATE DOUBLED THE STATUTORY AMOUNT OF CASES IN THE JUSTICE COURT, WHICH IS THE FI UH, THE
[01:25:01]
AMOUNT IN CIVIL CASES.IT WENT FROM 10,000 TO 20,000, WHICH THAT BASICALLY DOUBLED OUR CIVIL CASELOAD.
UH, NOW, JUST RECENTLY THEY REQUIRED THAT WE DO THE, UH, JUVENILE DIVERSION PROGRAM, WHICH TIES UP ONE OF MY CLERKS PRETTY MUCH CONTINUALLY DOING NOTHING BUT JUVENILE CASES WHEN BEFORE THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT ISSUE.
AND THEN ALSO WE HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH THE PUBLIC PSR, LIKE WE CALL IT THE PSR SYSTEM, IS PUBLIC SAFETY REPORTING SYSTEM.
THAT ON EVERY PERSON THAT WE MAGISTRATE, AND JUDGE DEAN IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS, THAT ONCE I GET THROUGH WITH ALL THAT PAPERWORK, I FINISH UP WITH THE JAIL, WHICH TAKES GENERALLY ABOUT THREE TO FOUR HOURS EVERY MORNING WHEN I'M THERE.
THEN WE, I HAVE TO COME BACK AND I HAVE TO BRING ALL THAT PAPERWORK BACK, GIVE IT TO ONE OF MY CLERKS, AND THEY HAVE TO SPEND THE REST OF THE DAY PUTTING ALL THAT INFORMATION INTO THE PSR REPORTING SYSTEM, WHICH GOES STATEWIDE SO ALL AGENCIES AND OFFICES CAN SEE IT AND KNOW WHAT A PERSON'S DOING.
SO BASICALLY IF YOU TAKE, YOU'VE HEARD OF A CRIMINAL HISTORY, IT'S JUST ANOTHER PART OF A CRIMINAL HISTORY THAT WE'RE HAVING TO DO NOW, WHICH TAKES QUITE A BIT OF OUR TIME EVERY YEAR.
THERE'S MORE AND MORE LAW ENFORCEMENT PLACED IN PARKER COUNTY, WHICH IS A DIRECT IMPACT TO COURTS.
THE JUSTICE COURT HANDLES PRIMARY CLASS C CRIMINAL CASES.
HOWEVER, WE ALSO, THROUGH THE MAGISTRATION PROCESS, CARRY A CASELOAD OF CAPITAL MURDER TO CLASS B MISDEMEANORS.
AND WE ALSO DO FUGITIVE WARRANTS, WHICH ARE OUT OF STATE WARRANTS THAT WE'RE HAVING TO DEAL WITH.
THESE TYPES OF CASES STAY UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE JUSTICE COURT UNTIL THEY ARE PICKED UP BY THE HIGHER COURTS OF JURISDICTION.
MY, MY COURT IS CONTINUALLY WORKING WITH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, COUNTY ATTORNEY, ADULT PROBATION, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, CONSTABLE'S OFFICE, WEATHERFORD PD DPS, MINE, WELLS PD, WEATHERFORD COLLEGE, ALITO PD, WILLOW PARK, INSPECTOR GENERAL, TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE, TEXAS RANGERS STATE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE, AND A FEW OTHER AGENCIES OF THESE TYPES.
THESE CASES MAY STAY IN THE JURISDICTION OF THE JUSTICE COURT UP TO A YEAR OR EVEN LONGER SOMETIMES.
SO WE ARE STILL WORKING WITH THE PROSECUTIONS UNTIL THEY GET PICKED UP.
THE COURT CASES ARE STILL STAYING IN OUR COURT.
WE'RE STILL DEALING WITH THE BOND CONDITIONS, A VIOLATION OF BOND CONDITIONS ON FELONY CASES.
JUDGE, IF YOU WOULD KIND OF SUMMARIZE IT HERE.
SUMMARIZE IT, TRY TO NARROW IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
WELL, I'M JUST TRYING TO GIVE Y'ALL A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT WE ARE DOING AND WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE ON US AND THE GROWTH IN THIS.
UH, SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS ULTIMATELY I'M ASKING FOR ANOTHER CLERK TO HELP US HANDLE THE CURRENT CASELOAD.
WE, WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE, BUT WE KNOW IT'S GONNA GROW.
AND SO, BUT WE'VE GOTTA GET CONTROL OF WHAT WE GOT RIGHT NOW AND BE ABLE TO HANDLE IT ON A DAILY BASIS OF WHAT WE HAVE IN COMING BEFORE US.
AND, AND THEN TO FOLLOW UP ON JUDGE MENDOLIA, UH, UNDERSTANDING ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE DO IS I DO MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT 24 HOURS A DAY, DAY AND NIGHT.
AND ON WEEKENDS, THERE'S BEEN MULTIPLE TIMES THAT I'VE HAD LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AT MY HOUSE ON WEEKENDS, IN THE EVENINGS GETTING SEARCH WARRANTS AND ARREST WARRANTS.
I'VE GONE TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, LATE AT NIGHT TO ASSIST WITH ARREST WARRANTS.
WE'VE DONE THINGS LIKE CAPITAL MURDER WARRANTS, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, CHILDREN, BOMB THREATS, AND OTHER HEINOUS CRIMES AGAINST THE PUBLIC.
THE JUSTICE OF THE PEACE COURT IS THE WORKHORSE OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM IN A COUNTY.
WE CARRIED THE BULK OF THE CASES AND WE ARE SOMETIMES THE ONLY COURT THE GENERAL PUBLIC EVER GETS TO SEE IF THEY'RE LUCKY.
UH, AND IT WAS LATE, IT WAS STATED IN THE LAST BUDGET CYCLE LAST YEAR THAT THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT THAT THIS YEAR THEY WOULD BE LOOKING AT AND CATCHING UP ON THE JUSTICE OF THE PEACE PAY.
SO IN CLOSING, I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THE JUSTICE OF THE PEACE JUDGE BE MOVED TO 146,000 IN BASE SALARY TO COMPENSATE US FOR THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AND TO MATCH THE ASSOCIATED COUNTIES THAT THAT EQUAL THAT.
AND ADDITIONALLY, WE, WE WERE LOOKING FOR A CLERK POSITION, FULL-TIME CLERK POSITION FOR ANOTHER ONE, FOR THE JUSTICE OF THE PEACE PRECINCT.
LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT THOSE SOVEREIGN CITIZENS.
DO YOU PUT UP WITH THEIR CRAP OR DO YOU SEND THEM TO JAIL? THEY GET A VERY SHORT LEASH IN MY COURT.
UM, ON THE, ON THE CRIMINAL, THAT BAR IS PRETTY HIGH.
ONE OF THE THINGS I, I KNOW THE BUDGET COMMITTEE IS CURIOUS ABOUT IS CAN YOU BREAK THAT DOWN BY TYPE TO A, TO ANOTHER CATEGORY? IN OTHER WORDS, HOW
[01:30:01]
MANY OF THOSE ARE, UH, TRAFFIC TICKETS? HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE DRIVING WITH A LICENSE SUSPENDED? SPEEDING.HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE OTHER TYPES? AND THEN CAN YOU ALSO ATTACH SOME TYPE OF TIME PARAMETER? I KNOW EVERY CASE IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT YOU CAN PROBABLY AVERAGE INTO, HEY, THESE TYPES OF CASES TAKE X AMOUNT OF HOURS TO WORK ON THESE TYPES OF CASES.
TAKE Y AMOUNT OF HOURS TO WORK ON.
I'LL BE SENDING YOU THAT REQUEST LATER.
AND SO IF YOU CAN, UH, BE PREPARED FOR THAT EMAIL TO COME OVER, I'D APPRECIATE IT.
WELL, I WOULD ALSO INCUR ALSO WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT WHEN YOU MAGISTRATE, YOU BRING BACK THE, THAT'S WHEN THE WORK BEGINS.
'CAUSE WHEN YOU BRING THAT PAPERWORK BACK, THEN YOU HAVE AN ADMIN DO IT.
HE'D BE A GOOD RESOURCE FOR YOU AS WELL.
I I THINK YOU DID A GOOD JOB OF RESEARCHING AND PRESENTING EVIDENCE TO US.
AND I THINK WHAT HE ASKED FOR IS LIKE SIMILAR TO A DISSERTATION FOR A PHD THERE.
BUT WHAT, WHAT WE NEED IS, IS BETTER INFORMATION, AS MUCH INFORMATION AS YOU CAN PROVIDE TO THE COMMITTEE.
WELL, I, I'LL REFER TO MINE MY COURT.
SO YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE IT NOW.
WE CAN BREAK IT DOWN WITHIN REASON.
BUT FOR TO, TO REASONABLY PUT A TIMEFRAME ON ANY SPECIFIC CASE IS NOT A FAIR QUESTION BECAUSE EVERY ONE OF 'EM ARE DIFFERENT.
I HAVE CASES THAT ARE 20 MINUTES AND I HAVE CASES THAT CAN BE FOUR TO SIX HOURS.
UH, YOU KNOW, TOTALLY, TOTALLY GET THAT.
MY, MY POINT IS MORE, I WOULD GUESS, AND MAYBE I'M WRONG, THAT A TRAFFIC TICKET OR A TRAFFIC VIOLATION CASE MIGHT BE DIFFERENT THAN A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
ON AVERAGE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THEM TOGETHER, YOU CAN SAY ON AVERAGE, BUT SOME OF 'EM ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE HARDHEADED THAN OTHERS.
AND THEY HAVE SP SPECIFIC REQUESTS THEY'RE SUBMITTING TO THE COURT.
SO SOME OF 'EM, WE FIGURE IT AS FOR EVERY CRIMINAL CASE THAT WE DEAL WITH, THERE'S 28 ENTRIES ON AVERAGE INTO THAT FILE CASE.
CIVIL CASES, IT'S 25 ENTRIES THAT A CLERK IS ACTUALLY MAKING ENTRIES INTO THOSE CASES.
WE MAY HAVE SOME THAT'S GOT 40 ENTRIES.
WE MAY HAVE SOME THAT ONLY HAS 12 ENTRIES.
SO ALL WE CAN DO IS AVERAGE FOR YOU.
AND WHAT HE'S ASKING FOR AND WHAT HE'S KIND OF NOTIFYING EVERYBODY IN HERE IS YOU MAY GET SOME FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS BY EMAIL FROM OUR COMMITTEE, EVERYBODY THAT'S PRESENTED.
SO, SO BE PREPARED AND, AND GET THOSE BACK AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN BECAUSE THAT, THAT HELPS US MAKE DECISIONS.
SO WE WILL TRY TO HONOR ANY REQUEST THAT YOU HAVE TO HELP FURTHER THIS PROCESS.
WE KNOW YOU GOT BIG SHOES TO FILL AND A LOT OF THINGS TO DO HERE AND A LOT OF MONEY ON THE LINE.
SO WE'RE GONNA TRY TO DO OUR PART TO MAKE IT AS EQUITABLE AS POSSIBLE.
JUDGE, I HAD A QUICK QUESTION 'CAUSE I, I'D MENTIONED IT EARLIER WITH MS. GENTRY AND JAMES, WITH YOU BEING HERE, IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF THIS IS DATA ENTRY AND I JUST WONDER IF THERE'S SOME TECHNOLOGY THAT MAY INTERFACE WITH THE SYSTEMS. Y'ALL HAVE TO UPLOAD YOUR CO YOUR, YOU MENTIONED YOU HAVE THE SAME THING AND I, I FEEL LIKE YOU WANNA COME UP AND SAY, WELL HERE, LET ME, LET ME MAKE THIS VERY CLEAR.
THE STATE SETS THE BOUNDARIES AND GUIDELINES AND REQUIREMENTS OF WHAT WE DO.
WE DON'T GET OPTIONS IN SOME OF THAT.
SO WE ARE VERY, VERY LIMITED IN THAT ASPECT OF IT.
YOU KNOW, LIKE LAST YEAR I WAS ASKING FOR A SPANISH SPEAKING PERSON.
WELL WE ACTUALLY, AFTER THAT WE WENT OUT AND BOUGHT A LANGUAGE TRANSLATION SYSTEM THAT NOW WE CAN USE NOW IF WE'RE HAVING SOME ISSUES WITH IT STILL.
BUT WE'VE DONE WHAT WE CAN TRY TO DO.
UM, BUT UH, IT IS, IT IS JUST A LOT OF MANUAL MANUAL ENTRY AND THERE'S NOTHING AI'S GOING TO DO TO HELP THAT.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU MIGHT WANT TO ADD TO THAT.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS ANY COMMUNICATION BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS ON THAT.
I KNOW IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BECOME MORE EFFICIENT WITH DOCUMENTS.
SAY SOMEBODY IS FILLS OUT FORMS, MAYBE IF THEY'RE SITTING THERE.
IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF THIS IS DATA.
IT CAN BE SCANNED AND THEN IT, BUT IT HAS TO BE ABLE TO FUNCTION WITH THAT SOFTWARE.
THE BIGGEST THING FOR US IS THAT'S WHY WE HAD TYLER TECHNOLOGIES HERE, UH, A COUPLE SESSIONS BACK, UH, PUSHING.
'CAUSE THAT'S THE BIGGEST DRIVER, UH, THAT UH, THESE, THE COURT SYSTEM ARE USING.
SO ANY EFFICIENCIES WE CAN GET IN THERE, HELPING, WORKING WILL HELP.
ONE THING WITH, UH, AUTO REGS, REMEMBER THAT'S COMPLETE STATE NETWORK, UH, COMPUTERS, PRINTER NETWORK, THAT'S ALL STATE.
UH, BUT THAT'S COMPLETELY OUT OF OUR HANDS.
UH, BUT ANYTHING WE CAN ADD, UH, WITH THE, UH, JPS OTHER WE WILL DILIGENTLY.
AND, AND THE BIGGEST THING WE CAN DO IS THE EFFICIENCY WE GET WITH TYLER HELPS EXPONENTIALLY.
[01:35:01]
WHAT ABOUT, UH, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT 'CAUSE I REALLY WANT TO ENCOURAGE EVERY DEPARTMENT HEAD AN ELECTED OFFICIAL TO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPLEMENT WHERE WE'RE FINDING SOME EFFICIENCIES LIKE THAT.I MEAN WE'RE CONTINUALLY STREAMLINING.
WE'RE CONTINUALLY LOOKING AT DIFFERENT THINGS.
UH, AS I SAID, WHAT WE DO STATEWIDE, CRIMINAL WISE, JURISDICTION WISE, JUDICIAL WISE VERSUS PRIVATE SECTOR IS WE HAVE THE STATE SAYING, YOU HAVE TO DO THIS, YOU HAVE TO DO THAT.
WE HAVE TO KEEP THAT TRACK RECORD.
IF SOMETHING GETS APPEALED UP, ALL THAT INFORMATION HAS TO GO WITH THAT.
SO WE HAVE TO FOLLOW A VERY SPECIFIC GUIDELINES ON WHAT WE DO MATTER.
WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING.
I APPRECIATE IT TO, TO, TO MOVE FORWARD AND HELP US HAVE QUESTIONS.
YOU HAVE A QUESTION? NO, THAT ANSWERED.
WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM F ON DISCUSSION, PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENT OF 5 51.
CONSTABLE PRECINCT ONE, UH, RAY
[I.F. Discussion/Presentation on Department 551 Constable Precinct #1 budget requests. (Ray Wright / Judge Deen)]
CONSTABLE WRIGHT.UH, I'LL GO THROUGH THIS AS QUICKLY AS I CAN.
I'M NOT USED TO NOT WEARING GLASSES WEARING GLASS THE SAME TIME.
UH, WE, WE'LL START WITH THE BUILDING THAT WE WAS TALKED ABOUT BY JENNY A FEW MINUTES AGO.
UH, I WOULD SAY THAT MYSELF AND JUDGE MILES ARE 100% ON BOARD WITH THAT PROCESS RATHER THAN GOING FORWARD WITH THE BUILDING.
I PROPOSED TO ALL Y'ALL EARLIER.
IT ACTUALLY GETS MORE PEOPLE OUT THE LOBBY IN THE ANNEX BUILDING ITSELF AND DO THE LITTLE REMODELING THERE WAS GOING TO DO AND MAKE A LOT MORE ROOM FOR EVERYBODY.
SO WHEN, WHEN DID YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND ABOUT THE, WHEN IT WAS PRESENTED PORTABLE BUILDING? CAN YOU HEAR ME? I'M SORRY.
WHEN DID I CHANGE MY MIND? WHEN I FOUND OUT JUST A DAY OR TWO AGO THAT JENNY WAS INTERESTED IN DOING, GOING FORWARD WITH THE BUILDING ON HERSELF, JUST AFTER I TALKED TO HER.
UH, THIS HAS BEEN A DAY OR TWO AGO.
I SEEN THE, I SEEN WHAT YOU SAW TODAY.
I SEEN IT YESTERDAY AFTERNOON IN THE MEETING.
THE LOAD THAT COMES INTO OUR LOBBY AT THE ANNEX IS 90, 80%, UH, AUTO RESTORATION.
THEN YOU PUT A JURY TRIAL IN THERE AND ALL RESTORATION.
IT'S JUST, IT'S FRUSTRATING AND THERE'S NO ROOM FOR NOBODY.
AND YOU KNOW, I ACTUALLY HAD TO HAVE ANOTHER DOOR PUT UP IN THE HALLWAY TO MY OFFICE BECAUSE PEOPLE WOULD LITERALLY BACK UP INTO MY OFFICES AND SIT DOWN IN CHAIRS INSIDE MY OFFICES.
UH, ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, I APOLOGIZE.
I STILL HAVE MY BUILDING AND STUFF IN THE BACK OF THE PACKETS I HANDED Y'ALL.
THAT'S BECAUSE I HAD THESE BUILT FOR THIS OTHER CAME UP.
CAN YOU GO THROUGH LIKE SOME OF YOUR DEPARTMENTAL NEEDS THAT YOU HAVE? YES, SIR.
UM, NEED, LIKE I SAY, I PUT IN FOR A DEPUTY.
I GOT STATS, WHICH ARE IN FRONT OF YOU IN MY FOLDERS.
ONE OF THOSE I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN MOST.
UH, THIS YEAR WE STARTED KIND OF A WARRANT DEAL.
UH, WE'RE SERVING, UH, MISDEMEANOR WARRANTS OUT OF OUR COURT.
IT'S BEEN VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL.
UH, WE'VE, UM, IF I CAN FIND THAT PAGE, UM, WE'VE COLLECTED ABOUT $43,000 IN FINES.
HOW MANY DEPUTIES DO YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW? FOUR.
RIGHT NOW I HAVE FOUR DEPUTIES.
I HAVE ONE THAT IS A TRAINED, UH, FUGITIVE OFFICER.
UH, HE'S DONE THAT SEVERAL YEARS.
SHERIFF'S OFFICE WHEN HE COME TO WORK FOR ME.
SO IT WAS A NATURAL DEAL TO PUT HIM TO WORK SERVING WARRANTS.
UH, HE'S CLEARED MULTIPLE WARRANTS.
MULTIPLE WARRANTS AND PROBABLY THAT HE HADN'T PUT BUT I 25 PEOPLE IN JAIL AND PHYSICAL ARREST.
AND THEY HAD, THEY NORMALLY HAD ADDITIONAL CHARGES OTHER THAN THE TRAFFIC TICKETS SUCH AS THAT.
BUT $43,000 IS A LOT OF MONEY FOR JP COURT.
UM, I'M ASKING FOR A, AN ADDITIONAL DEPUTY.
THIS DEPUTY, ONCE HE'S TRAINED IN ALL ASSETS THAT ALL THINGS WE DO, ENVIRONMENTAL, CIVIL WARRANTS, EVERYTHING, THEN HE'LL BE STATIONED IN THE OFFICE TO TAKE CARE OF NEEDS INSIDE THE OFFICE.
HE CAN TAKE CARE OF ALL OF OUR COURT DUTIES AND ALL THAT THINGS.
AND, UH, SOMEWHAT DO SECURITY IN THE BUILDING AS WELL.
EVEN THOUGH SHERIFF IS DOING THAT AT THIS TIME.
UH, BE A SECOND PERSON THAT I THINK IS NEEDED.
UH, AND THEN ANOTHER THING THAT I'M ASKING FOR IS MY SECRETARY HAS BEEN A, UH, COUNTY EMPLOYEE.
UH, NEXT MONTH WILL BE 20 YEARS.
SHE'S WORKED FOR CLARK COUNTY AND SHE'S STILL BELOW THE PAY THAT SHE SHOULD BE.
UH, SHE SHOULD BE AT THE TOP OF THE LADDER IN HER POSITION.
HOW LONG HAS SHE BEEN WITH YOU? UH, SHE'S BEEN WITH ME FOR 3, 2, 3 YEARS NOW.
[01:40:01]
LIKE I SAY, SHE WAS WITH THE COUNTY AT SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND SHERIFF, SHE WORKED FOR ME TILL I RETIRED.SHE WAS MY, UH, MY MEN ADMIN AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TILL I RETIRED.
AND THEN WHEN I GOT A POSITION, I TALKED TO SHERIFF AND LET ME HAVE HER BRING HER UP THERE.
SHE TAKES CARE OF ALL MY CIVIL STUFF AND EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING.
I'VE ATTACHED TO JOB DESCRIPTIONS AND ALL THAT.
UM, AND THAT WAS ON PURCHASE 72,000 OVER THE 60 SOMETHING SHE'S MAKING.
UH, BASICALLY THAT'S ALL THE BIG REQUEST I HAVE.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE CONSTABLE? THANK YOU.
IF THAT NEW BUILDING IS DONE, SIR, YOUR NEW DEPUTY YES, SIR.
WOULD BE IN THE BUILDING WITH THE JP AND WITH THE CONSTABLE.
JUST LIKE THE OTHER JPS IS MY UNDERSTANDING.
ESPECIALLY TWO SET UP EXACTLY THE WAY.
AND THAT WOULD FREE UP A PERSON IF THERE'S SOMEBODY NEEDED IN THAT AUTO REGISTRATION SIDE BUILDING.
THAT'S JUST A THOUGHT SHERIFF, I DON'T WANNA TELL YOU HOW TO DO YOUR JOB AT ALL, BUT THAT SEEMS LIKE THAT WOULD FREE THAT UP OVER THERE AS AN OPTION TO CONSIDER ANY QUESTIONS.
[I.G. Discussion/Presentation on Department 439 County Court at Law #2 budget requests. (Judge Johnson / Judge Deen)]
GONNA MOVE TO ITEM G ON DISCUSSION PRESENTATION DEPARTMENT 4 39 COUNTY COURT AT LAW NUMBER TWO.HOW'S EVERYONE? I'VE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS.
I'M SO GLAD TO SEE YOUR SMILING FACE.
UH, I DON'T HAVE MUCH, I I'M REALLY NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING.
UH, I'VE JUST, UH, YOUR, MY BUDGET IS IN FRONT OF YOU.
WE INCREASE LINE ITEMS BY MAYBE 500 BUCKS EACH JUST BECAUSE OF INFLATION AND TARIFFS AND PRICING.
MY BIGGEST CONCERN FOR UM, UH, CCL TWO IS JUST MAKE SURE OUR TECHNOLOGY IS UP TO DATE.
WE HAVE MONEY IN OUR BUDGET THIS YEAR.
WE'RE GONNA TRY TO MAKE AS MANY REPAIRS AS WE CAN TO THE SYSTEM.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH IN OUR BUDGET OR THAT IT WILL BUDGET ENOUGH TO TAKE CARE OF REDOING A LOT OF THAT SYSTEM THAT'S OUTDATED.
AND SO REALLY PLEASED WITH THE VENDOR THAT THEY BROUGHT IN.
REALLY THINK THAT WE CAN MAKE THE UPDATES THAT WE NEED SO THAT FOLKS WHEN THEY COME INTO THE COURTROOM CAN ACTUALLY HEAR, UH, APPARENTLY OUR LITTLE HEARING AID DEVICES ARE OUT AND OUR ZOOM DEVICES DON'T WORK VERY WELL.
SO REALLY WE'RE JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN YOU GO TO COURT YOU CAN ACTUALLY HEAR AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
I'M NOT ASKING FOR A NEW ROBES OR NEW WARDROBES OR NEW BUILDINGS OR, BUT WHATEVER.
SO JUDGE, WE HAD DISCUSSED THE TECHNOLOGY AND ACOUSTICS AND ALL THAT PERFECT IN YOUR ROOM LAST YEAH.
WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR YEARS, RIGHT? SO YEAH.
WHAT, AND, AND I'M SORRY I DON'T BIG TIME.
I DON'T, I DON'T GO HOME EVERY NIGHT AND AW.
WRITE IN MY DIARY ABOUT CCL TWO.
IT'S, YOU SHOULD COME ON UP AND SEE US.
BUT WHAT DID WE DO LAST YEAR? UH, LAST YEAR THERE WAS MONEY SET ASIDE BECAUSE THEY COMMUNICATIONS CONCEPT TOLD US THAT THEY, WE HAD TO UPDATE SOME KIND OF PROGRAM AND IT WAS GONNA COST LIKE $18,000 AND WE COULD NEVER FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT SOFTWARE HAD TO BE UPDATED.
BUT IT'S SITTING IN OUR CAPITAL LINE NOW, THE 18.
SO WE'RE GONNA USE THE 18 WITH THE NEW VENDOR TO UPGRADE.
SO WE'RE GONNA GET THOSE HEARING AID DEVICES SO THAT WHEN WE GET THOSE HEARING IMPAIRED PEOPLE IN THERE, UH, THEY CAN ACTUALLY HEAR BECAUSE OF ALL THE ECHOING IN THE SYSTEM.
WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO, UH, FIX THE CAMERA ON THE ZOOM SO THAT WHEN WE HAVE A WITNESS THAT IS NOT PRESENT IN COURT, THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY SET UP A CAMERA SO THAT PERSON WHO'S ON THE ZOOM CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE LAWYERS THAT ARE ASKING THAT PERSON QUESTIONS AND UM, CAN ACTUALLY HEAR THROUGH THE SYSTEM.
AND SO THAT'S KIND OF A BIG TECHNOLOGY THING 'CAUSE WE CAN'T DO THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO IN DISTRICT COURT OR IN ANY OF THE OTHER COURTS BECAUSE IT'S HISTORICAL.
SO WE CAN'T PUT THINGS ON THE WALL.
WE CAN'T BE DRILLING NEW HOLES AND MAPPING NEW THINGS.
UM, THOSE ARE THE PRIMARY THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
UM, LIKE PUT, UM, SIMPLE THINGS LIKE PUTTING A SCREEN WHERE THE WITNESS SO THAT WHEN THEY'RE RUNNING DPS VIDEO OF A DWI STOP FOR EXAMPLE, UH, THAT THE WITNESS CAN ACTUALLY SEE IT FROM THE WITNESS STAND.
[01:45:01]
'CAUSE CURRENTLY WE'RE, WE'RE WHEELING TWO TVS AND WE'RE HOOKING IT UP TO THE SYSTEM BECAUSE WE CAN'T PUT ANYTHING ON THE WALLS FOR THE WITNESS TO SEE SOMETHING.UH, WE WANNA PUT IN A LITTLE MODULAR SCREEN.
MY CLERKS, WHEN THEY SIT, UH, WHEN I'M SITTING AT THE BENCH, I HAVE MY CLERKS TO MY LEFT.
THEY, THE SPEAKERS AREN'T DIRECTED TOWARDS THEM SO THEY CAN'T HEAR WHAT'S GOING ON TO MAKE NOTES IN THE FILE.
SO IF I'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I RUN MY CRIMINAL DOCKET AND I'M TRYING TO DO RESETS OR SET PLEA DATES OR UM, UH, MOVE SOMEBODY TO A PRETRIAL PENDING FELONY DOCKET OR WHATEVER IT IS, THEY CAN'T MAKE THE NOTES UNLESS I PIVOT IN TURN BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT HEARING WHAT'S GOING ON BECAUSE OF THE POOR ACOUSTICS.
SO THOSE ARE JUST EXAMPLES OF ISSUES THAT WE DEAL WITH ON A DAILY BASIS.
BUT, UM, THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT I UNDERSTAND THE NEW VENDOR CAN TAKE CARE OF.
AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S ENOUGH MONEY WE'RE GONNA USE AS MUCH AS WE CAN THIS YEAR TO HANDLE THESE PROBLEMS. AND THEN HOPEFULLY WHEN THEY COME IN THEY CAN UPGRADE US.
'CAUSE APPARENTLY, UM, OUR SYSTEM HAS TO BE UPGRADED ANYWAY.
YEAH, IT'S, IT'S AN, IT'S EXPENSIVE.
I MEAN WHEN WE UPGRADED THE FIRST TIME WITH COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS AND TOOK OUT BIDS, IT WAS LIKE $80,000.
UM, BUT IT MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE BECAUSE HOW DO YOU HAVE DUE PROCESS AND JUSTICE IF YOU CAN'T HEAR OR SEE WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE COURTROOM? SO YEAH, IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT BUT NOW WE NEED TO MAKE THE UPGRADES AND SO YOU ALL HAVE BEEN REALLY SUPPORTIVE AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
AND UM, ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GOOD HIRES.
I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU THAT YOU ALL DON'T HEAR SOME OF THE GOOD STUFF.
YOU ALL HEAR THE BAD STUFF, BUT YOU ALL GOT A GREAT IT DEPARTMENT.
YOU GOT GREAT SUPPORT HERE IN PURCHASING TREASURER'S, OFFICE, HR, BUILDING AND GROUNDS.
'CAUSE WHEN I NEED SOMETHING I CAN MAKE A PHONE CALL TO PURCHASING TO, TO BECKY TO IT AND THEY'RE JOHNNY ON THE SPOT.
WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH OUR FACILITY BUILDING AND GROUNDS IS JOHNNY ON THE SPOT? AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
NOW I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT ANY OF THESE OTHER PEOPLE, BUT I'M JUST TELLING THOSE PEOPLE ARE GREAT.
BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH BECAUSE THOSE ARE GOOD HIRES AND THEY REALLY SUPPORT WHAT WE DO AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
'CAUSE WHEN I STARTED THAT WASN'T THE CASE AND THERE'S BEEN A COSMIC CHANGE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT FOR YEAH.
ANYWAY, MUCH YOU NEED FOR ANYTHING ELSE OTHER THAN TO FLATTER GEORGE, YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
HE'LL GET YOU ANYWAY, SO YEAH.
I'M STILL NOT THREATENING HIM ON FACEBOOK.
[I.H. Discussion/Presentation on Department 401 Commissioners Court budget requests. (Bianca Lord / Judge Deen)]
WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO ITEM H ON DISCUSSION PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENT 4 0 1 COMMISSIONER'S COURT BUDGET REQUEST.ORIGINALLY MY REQUEST WAS TO RECLASS MY POSITION INTO A BUDGET OFFICER.
HOWEVER, UM, THAT WOULD CREATE A BUDGET OFFICE AND WOULD COME ALONG WITH TEXAS STATUTE.
SO THE COURT DOES HAVE, CAN YOU MOVE THE MARKED QUESTION TO YOU? YES.
MY THIRD, THE COURT DOES HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO CREATE A, UM, ALTERNATIVE METHOD OF BUDGET PREPARATION, WHICH WOULD ESTABLISH THE BUDGET OFFICE, BUT I DON'T THINK THE COURT WOULD CONSIDER THAT AT THIS TIME.
IT'S REALLY MY REQUEST IS JUST TO CLASSIFY THE BUDGET ANALYST, GRANT COORDINATOR POSITION ACCURATELY TO REFLECT THE DUTIES CURRENTLY BEING PERFORMED.
UM, I DID DO MULTIPLE ANALYSIS.
I USED, UM, AVAILABLE ANALYTICAL RESOURCE SOURCES SUCH AS, UH, CHAT GPT TO ASSIST WITH EVALUATING THE POSITION REQUIREMENTS AND MARKET ALIGNMENT.
UM, I DID SEND AN EMAIL OUT YESTERDAY EVENING AND I REALIZED THAT I SENT IT TO THE WRONG EMAIL GROUP.
SO, UM, I DO HAVE, UM, I DID DO A PRESENTATION TO COVER THAT.
SO THE BUDGET ANALYST GRANT COORDINATOR POSITION, THIS IS THE JOB DESCRIPTION PROVIDED BY HR.
IS THAT BETTER? UM, THE BIGGEST THING HERE IS THAT THE BUDGET ANALYSTS ASSIST IN THE PREPARATION, UH, DEVELOPMENT, IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING OF THE COUNTY'S ANNUAL OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGETS.
[01:50:02]
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BUDGET AND GRANT MANAGER LEVEL IS REALLY THAT THE BUDGET GRANT MANAGER WOULD OVERSEE THE ENTIRE PROCESS, THE BUDGET PROCESS.AND THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT I HAVE DONE THIS YEAR.
I HAVE TAKEN, UM, COMPLETE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT BUDGET PROCESS.
UM, ALSO WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW ERP SYSTEM, THERE WAS A GAP BETWEEN THE OLD SYSTEM AND THE NEW SYSTEM AND GETTING THOSE REPORTS.
THEY WERE NOT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME THE BUDGET PROCESS STARTED.
SO I DID CREATE MANUAL REPORTS AND THAT'S WHAT, UM, THE BUDGET REPORT THAT THE DEPARTMENTS LOVE SO MUCH THAT WAS UTILIZED THIS YEAR FOR THAT.
UM, REASON FOR ONE, IT WAS FOR ME TO GET FAMILIAR WITH THE BUDGET.
IT PROVIDED A THREE YEAR ANALYSIS ALSO, IT UH, HELPED ME ALIGN THE BUDGET REQUESTS WITH THE CURRENT ACCOUNTING SYSTEM STRUCTURE THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED WITH THE NEW SYSTEM.
SO WITH THAT, UM, JUST BEEN FULLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BUDGET PROCESS.
SO I DO HAVE, UM, ANOTHER JUST ANALYZING THE BUDGET ANALYST VERSUS THE BUDGET MANAGER.
THE BUDGET MANAGER LEVEL IS JUST AN OVER, IT'S A LITTLE BIT HIGHER LEVEL AND YOU KNOW, THE BUDGET ANALYST EXPERIENCE IS TYPICALLY TWO TO FIVE AND EDUCATION IS BACHELOR'S.
THE BUDGET MANAGER IS JUST A MORE OF A FULL WHAT OVERSIGHT OF THE FULL BUDGET PROCESS WITH HIGHER LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION.
YOU CURRENTLY DO HAVE THE EXPERIENCE LEVEL AT THE BUDGET MANAGER? THE ALIGNMENT WITH THE MANAGER LEVEL RESPONSIBILITIES IS, UM, THIS IS JUST THE ANALYSIS I GOT FROM CHAT GPT, BUT IT'S UM, THE DIFFERENT TYPE, VARIOUS TITLES THAT CAN BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE JOB RESPONSIBILITIES.
I'M ACTUALLY DOING AND PERFORMING THIS ROLE COMBINES MULTIPLE AREAS OF SPECIALIZED EXPERTISE, INCLUDING FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, BUDGET ADMINISTRATION, GRANT MANAGEMENT, COMPLIANCE OVERSIGHT, ENTERPRISE FINANCIAL SYSTEMS, WHICH I HAVE MANUALLY HAD TO UPDATE THAT SYSTEM THIS YEAR FOR, UM, CURRENT OPERATING.
AND I WILL GIVE YOU THAT REPORT TOMORROW.
THE LAW RANGE FINANCIAL PLANNING.
AND, UM, SO THIS JUST, THESE FUNCTIONS REQUIRE A HIGHER DEGREE OF, OF THE ROLE WITH THAT.
THE INTERNAL EQUITY CONSIDERATIONS IS THAT THE PROPOSED BUDGET GRANT MANAGER POSITION SHARES KEY CHARACTERISTICS WITH THESE DEPARTMENTS? YES, THEY'RE APPOINTED AND ELECTED AND IS, BUT IT IS STILL, WHAT IT POINTS OUT IS THAT THIS POSITION IS COUNTYWIDE.
IT IS, UM, A LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED FOR IT.
AND IT'S A SPECIALIZED FIELD WITH THE GRANT ADMINISTRATION PIECE.
SO THE MEASURABLE IMPACT OF THE GRANT ROLE, UM, I DID UPDATE THIS FROM LAST WEEK.
WE WERE NOTIFIED THAT WE DID NOT RECEIVE ONE OF THE AWARDS, WHICH WAS VERY DISHEARTENING.
BUT, UM, 'CAUSE WE SPENT HOURS AND DAYS ON THAT REPORT, ON THAT GRANT APPLICATION.
UM, COMMANDER PEEL WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING THAT APPLICATION SUBMITTED.
IT WAS THE MOST EXTENSIVE APPLICATION I'VE COME ACROSS SO FAR.
BUT, UM, THE FUNDS, THE GRANTS THAT WE DID GET FUNDED SO FAR IS IN THE GREEN AND UH, THE BLUE ARE STILL PENDING, BUT WE STILL, UH, SUBMITTED THE APPLICATION.
THE ITEMS WITH THE ASTERISKS ARE THE ONES THAT HAD MINIMAL TO MODERATE LEVEL OF MY INVOLVEMENT.
IT'S JUST THE BASIC, THE RESOLUTION, GETTING AN AGENDA ITEMS, PROVIDING GUIDANCE OR, UM, REVIEWING THE SUBMISSION PRIOR TO SUBMISSION.
UM, SBA, WHICH IS IN PROCESS, THE JUVENILE JUSTICE ENGAGING YOUTH AND PREVENT PREVENTING TRUANCY.
SHE DID AN AMAZING JOB ON THAT GRANT.
UM, I REALLY HAD VERY LITTLE INVOLVEMENT ON THAT ONE.
AND, UH, JUVENILE THERAPEUTIC CASE MANAGER.
I PROVIDED SOME GUIDANCE, GAVE HER EXAMPLES, BUT ESSENTIALLY SHE, SHE DID THE BRUNT OF THAT APPLICATION AS WELL.
I JUST REVIEWED THE SUBMISSION AND THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION FOR THAT.
SO ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? I HAVE ONE.
UH, WE DO A GREAT DEAL OF ON THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL.
THERE'S OBVIOUSLY WE CHASE EVERY PENNY WE CAN ON THAT.
UH, WE WORK REASON NICHOLS, IS THERE ANY AREA THAT WE'RE, THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE FUNDING FOR TRANSPORTATION THAT MIGHT NOT FALL WITHIN THE RTC THAT SHE CAN BE A PART OF? I DON'T SEE TRANSPORTATION AT ALL ON HERE AND I'M JUST TRYING TO SQUEEZE EVERY PENNY WE CAN.
IN TERMS OF THE GRANTS, IN TERMS OF AVAILABLE FUNDING, EITHER FEDERAL OR THROUGH LOCALIZED FUNDING, IS THERE ANY AREA THAT WE'RE, WE MIGHT NOT BE TOUCHING.
'CAUSE SHE'S OBVIOUSLY, UH, VERY GOOD AT WHAT SHE DOES IN GETTING THESE GRANTS OBVIOUSLY BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITH SOME OF THESE GRANTS.
IS THERE ANYTHING THERE THAT WE COULD ADD ON TO THAT? OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, UH, I TELL YOU WHAT, BEFORE YOU DO THAT, JUST EXPLORE THAT AND GET WITH HER ON THAT.
UH, THERE'S, WE'RE NOT GONNA SOLVE THIS HERE, BUT
[01:55:01]
EXPLORE THAT BECAUSE I KEEP HEARING WE GOT THAT FUNDING, WE GOT THIS AND IT'S OUTSIDE OF THE, THE REALM OF THE RTC THROUGH FREEZER NICHOLS.AND SO I, I KNOW THERE'S FUNDING OUT THERE THAT, THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE THROUGH SOME FUND FORM OF GRANT WRITING THAT TO NETWORK HER IN ON.
UH, 'CAUSE I KNOW THOSE FUNDS EXIST AND THERE IS A LOT OF T DOT FUNDS.
IT'S FROM THE FEDERAL OR STATE.
THAT'S, BUT IT GOES DIRECTLY TO THE STATE NORMALLY.
AND SO WE'RE NOT USUALLY ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR THOSE.
NO, BUT THERE ARE THOSE FUNDS OUT THERE THAT ARE IN DIFFERENT CATEGORIES MM-HMM
THAT ARE AVAILABLE THAT I HEAR OTHER COUNTY JUDGES TALKING ABOUT.
I JUST WANNA BE SURE WE'RE TOUCHING TURN OVER ROCK.
AND THEN, AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
ANY QUESTIONS? DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR HER? THANK YOU.
[I.I. Discussion/Presentation on Department 500 Sheriff’s Office budget requests. (Sheriff Authier / Judge Deen)]
MOVE TO ITEM MY OWN DISCUSSION PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENT 500 SHERIFF'S OFFICE BUDGET REQUESTS.WELL, SINCE MOST OF THE, YOU, YOU, YOU'VE ALL HEARD MOST OF THIS ANYWAY BEFORE YEAR AFTER YEAR.
AND, UH, SINCE ALL OF, UH, MOST OF US STUFF HAS TO GO THROUGH THE BUDGET COMMITTEE, I'LL JUST KIND OF, I'M GONNA HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR BUDGET.
OUR BUDGET, UH, REQUEST FOR, UM, OPERATIONS HAS INCREASED ABOUT 2% FROM LAST YEAR.
UH, MAJORITY OF THOSE ARE, UH, HAVE TO DEAL WITH, UM, CONTRACT SERVICES AND COMPUTER MAINTENANCE.
FOR INSTANCE, THE CENTRAL SQUARE, WHICH THEY, UH, THEY DO OUR CAM, OR I'M SORRY, THEY DO OUR CAD RMS AND OUR MOBILE SYSTEMS. THAT INCREASED 146,000.
UM, THERE'S A COUPLE NEW PROGRAMS WE'RE REQUESTING THAT SHALL BE BRINGING TO LATER BUDGET COMMITTEES FOR APPROVAL.
UM, ONE'S CALLED OFFENDER WATCH TO HELP US MANAGE OUR SEX OFFENDER CASELOAD FOR 22,000.
UM, OUR AXON CONTRACT INCREASED 46,000.
THE SHELTER CONTRACT INCREASED 182,000.
UM, THE JAIL CONTRACTS GOING UP RIGHT AROUND 400,000 AND A SMALL INCREASE TO INMATE MEDICAL AT 50,000.
UH, I WILL NOTE THAT WE ARE NOT HOUSING, UH, AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE THOUGHT WE WOULD BE.
WE HAVEN'T BEEN HOUSING ANYBODY OUT REALLY IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS.
MATTER OF FACT, UH, TALKING WITH BRIANNA EARLIER, UM, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GONNA HAVE A SURPLUS IN THAT CONTRACT SERVICES LINE FOR THE JAIL OF AROUND 3 MILLION.
UM, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO PLAN FOR THE FUTURE.
THAT'S WHY THERE'S STILL AN INCREASE IN THAT LINE.
UM, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT FOR, I MEAN IT IS THE NORMAL STUFF.
THE EQUIPMENT, UM, THE CARS, YOU KNOW, THE REPLACEMENT SCHEDULE THAT WE'RE ON THIS COVERS A BIG PORTION OF IT AND YOU'VE ALL BEEN PROVIDED THIS BUDGET BOOK.
UH, SO IT'S SOMETHING YOU GUYS CAN LOOK OVER.
UM, GOING TO PERSONNEL, WE'RE REQUESTING A, UM, NOT A DEMOTION, BUT WE'RE REQUESTING A RECLASS OF A TASK FORCE SERGEANT POSITION DOWN TO TASK FORCE INVESTIGATOR.
WE, UH, HAD, UH, OUR TASK FORCE SERGEANT THERE RETIRED THIS YEAR AND WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO REPLACE THAT POSITION, UH, WHERE SHE WAS LOCATED AT.
SO WE'RE GONNA MO ASK TO MOVE THAT BACK DOWN TO A TASK FORCE INVESTIGATOR POSITION AND PUT THAT BACK INTO SCU.
WE'RE ASKING FOR A DECLASSIFICATION, UH, OR DE CLASS IN, UH, FOR ONE OF OUR PATROL CORPORALS.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT THE BEST USE OF PERSONNEL AND EFFICIENCY.
UM, WE WANNA MOVE THAT BACK DOWN TO PATROL DEPUTY AND THEN WE'RE ASKING FOR A RECLASS IN OUR A CORPORAL POSITION TO SERGEANT IN OUR TRANSPORT DIVISION.
UH, THE, THE CURRENT CORPORAL THERE IS GONNA RETIRE HERE IN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO.
AND LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE, A BETTER WAY TO MANAGE THE PERSONNEL IS TO MOVE THAT UP TO A SERGEANT'S POSITION.
SO THERE'LL BE TWO, TWO, UH, DECLASSIFICATION AND THEN ONE UPGRADE THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IN THIS BUDGET.
WE'RE ALSO ASKING FOR NEW, UH, TWO NEW DISPATCHERS AND, UH, DISPATCH.
THE, WE, WE CURRENTLY HAVE THREE OPENINGS IN DISPATCH.
UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY STILL USING SPECIAL DUTY OVERTIME TO COVER OUR SHORTAGES.
UM, WE ARE ONE OF THE HIGHEST PAID AGENCIES IN THE DFW AREA AS FAR AS, UM, DISPATCH PAY GOES.
NOT STARTING PAY, BUT, BUT PRETTY CLOSE.
UM, SO THE CONVERSATION THERE IS, IS PRETTY GOOD.
WE'RE ABLE TO, UM, ATTRACT SOME CANDIDATES FOR THAT, FOR THOSE POSITIONS AND IT, BUT WE DO HAVE CONSTANT TURNOVER IN THERE.
WE ALSO, UH, HAVE A PUT BACK ON THE BUDGET REQUEST FOR THE AA COURTHOUSE SECURITY
[02:00:01]
DEPUTY AT THE ANNEX TO COVER THE MAGNETOMETER STATION AT CCL, UM, ONE.UM, OUR COURTHOUSE SECURITY GUYS COULD DO IT AT SOMETIMES, BUT NOT ALL THE TIME.
UM, SO WE, WE PUT THAT REQUEST BACK IN THERE.
WE EXPECT THE, UH, ALITO PATROL OR ALITO ISD TO CONVERSATIONS WITH THE, THE CHIEF OF ALITO.
SHE EXPECTS TO HAVE A FULL-TIME 24 7 AGENCY SOMETIME AROUND THE FIRST OR SECOND QUARTER OF NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
AND AT THAT POINT, THEY WILL CANCEL OUR TWO MAN ALITO CONTRACT, UM, BY MOVING, BY DE CLASSING THAT PATROL CORPORAL DOWN TO PATROL DEPUTY.
AND THEN PULLING THOSE TWO ALITO DEPUTIES BACK IN, THAT WILL GIVE ME AN EVEN AMOUNT OF DEPUTIES, DEPUTY SPOTS, DEPUTY POSITIONS ON EACH ONE OF THE PATROL SHIFTS.
SO, UH, IT'LL BE A SERGEANT, A CORPORAL, AND THEN FIVE DEPUTIES, WHEREAS NOW MOST, MOST OF THEM FOR THE AUTHORIZED STRENGTH OR SERGEANT A CORPORAL AND FOUR OR FIVE DEPUTIES.
AND ANSWER MY QUESTION, I WAS GONNA ASK YOU ABOUT ALITO.
THEY'LL STILL USE OUR DISPATCH THOUGH, CORRECT? THEY ALSO BE
THEY HAVE A DISPATCH CONTRACT WITH US NOW.
IT'S, IT'S THE FULL, UH, COST THAT EVERY, ALL THE OTHER AGENCIES PAY.
HUDSON OAKS, RENO, WILLOW PARK, UM, THEY, YEAH, THAT'LL CONTINUE.
AND THEN IN THE REQUEST IS ALSO A REQUEST FOR EIGHT ADDITIONAL PATROL DEPUTIES.
SO THAT'LL BRING THE, THE STAFFING LEVEL FROM, UH, SERGEANT CORPORAL, FIVE DEPUTIES UP TO SERGEANT CORPORAL AND SIX DEPUTIES.
IF WE'RE ABLE TO ACTUALLY GET ALL THOSE POSITIONS FILLED, THAT WILL ALLOW US TO MOVE OUR MINIMUM STAFFING UP TO ONE MORE DEPUTY ON THE STREET FOR EACH DISTRICT.
OBVIOUSLY, THE DENSITY OF PEOPLE THAT ARE MOVING HERE TRANSLATES INTO INCREASED RESPONSE TIMES.
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE ASKING FOR THIS A LOT OF TIMES, THEREFORE THE, THE REDUCTION OF THAT RESPONSE TIMES TO TRY TO GET, I MEAN, WE OBVIOUSLY CAN'T HAVE SATELLITE STATIONS EVERYWHERE AND YOU GET 910 SQUARE MILE COUNTY.
IS THAT AN ISSUE THAT YOU'RE CHALLENGED WITH IN, IN GETTING THOSE RESPONSE TIMES DOWN? WELL, OUR, OUR, UH, OUR RESPONSE TIMES INCREASED IN 2025.
THEY WENT UP ABOUT SEVEN TO PRIORITY ONE CALLS.
THEY WENT UP A LITTLE OVER 17%.
AND SO THAT'S A COMBINATION OF A FEW THINGS.
UH, NOT ENOUGH STAFF ON THE STREET, BUT ALSO, UM, OUR INABILITY TO FILL OUR CURRENT, UM, POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE AUTHORIZED.
UH, FOR INSTANCE, WE'VE WORKED MOST OF THIS YEAR BETWEEN FIVE AND 10 DEPUTIES SHORT.
WE'VE GOT, UH, OPEN POSITIONS IN SCU, THE SRO POSITION.
WE HAVE AN SRO POSITION AND THE ALITO POSITION THAT WE CAN'T FILL.
WE CAN'T MOVE PEOPLE OUTTA PATROL AND PROMOTE UP BECAUSE WE'RE TOO SHORT STAFFED ON PATROL NOW.
WE, UM, WE CURRENTLY HAVE, UM, WE, WE HIRED ONE TODAY.
BUT WE HAVE, UH, FIVE VACANCIES.
WE HAVE FOUR CURRENTLY IN FIELD TRAINING.
WE HAVE, UH, THREE VACANCIES IN DISPATCH.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE THREE DEPUTIES OUT ON WORKERS' COMP CLAIMS. WE HAVE FOUR OUT ON, UH, FMLA CLAIMS. AND SO WE'RE PRETTY MUCH AT MINIMUM STAFFING FOR EVERY SHIFT ON PATROL.
UM, WE'VE LOST 13 DEPUTIES TO DATE AND WE'VE HIRED 13 DEPUTIES TO DATE.
SO WE'RE NOT MAKING UP ANY GROUND.
ANYTHING ELSE? CHIEF, HOW MANY, HOW MANY PATROL DEPUTIES DO YOU HAVE? NOT, NOT INCLUDING THE ONES YOU WANT, BUT HOW MANY DO YOU HAVE NOW? SO WE'RE AUTHORIZED THAT ARE OUT ON PATROL.
UM, BUT WE HAVE PATROL DEPUTIES THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE CORPORALS AND THE SERGEANTS.
UM, AND OF COURSE WE HAVE THE TWO DISTRICTS.
SO YOU KNOW, EACH DISTRICT HAS, UM, EACH SQUAD HAS A SERGEANT, A CORPORAL, AND THEN EITHER FOUR OR FIVE POSITIONS ASSIGNED TO IT.
UM, MOST OF THE TIME WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE IS, UM, OUR MINIMUM STAFFING IS THREE IN EACH DISTRICT.
SO MOST OF THE TIME YOU'RE GONNA SEE SIX DEPUTIES, UM, IN THE COUNTY.
BUT YOU NEED, YOU NEED 34 OR 36 IS WHAT YOU WELL, WE HAVE 37 AUTHORIZED.
THE, THE COURTS AUTHORIZED US TO HAVE 37 YEAH.
CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW, IF WE, UH, IF WE PULL THAT, THAT ONE DEPUTY DOWN FROM CORPORAL AND WE MOVE, PULL THE TWO OUT OF ALITO, YOU KNOW, THAT'LL PUT US TO, TO 40.
THAT'LL BE ENOUGH TO PUT FIVE POSITIONS ON EACH SHIFT, OR I'M SORRY, SIX POSITIONS,
[02:05:01]
I THINK.SOMETHING LIKE THAT, RIGHT ON EACH SHIFT.
UM, AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE THE SERGEANT AND CORPORAL ON EACH ONE.
SO, ANY QUESTIONS? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? THANK YOU.
THE, THE FAVORITE PART HERE, BUT, BUT TO BACK UP, YOU COULD GIVE US THOSE EIGHT DEPUTIES.
RIGHT NOW WE'VE BEEN, WE'RE RUNNING FIVE TO 10 SHORT PRETTY MUCH ALL YEAR LONG.
SO WE'RE A SALARY RECLASSIFICATION RESTRUCTURE.
IT'S A POINT WE CANNOT BILL THE SLOT.
WE DON'T GET THE APPLICANTS IN THE DOOR, BUT ONCE WE GET, ARE MOSTLY NEW RECRUITS OUT THE ACADEMY, WHICH THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT.
AND A LOT OF TIMES WE'RE JUST A TRAINING GROUND FOR A LOT OF OTHER AGENCIES.
SO, UM, ASH WAS REQUESTED LAST YEAR AS FAR AS THE RECLASS, UH, THIS YEAR IS RIPPING THE BANDAID OFF OF THE ONE, I THINK THAT BROUGHT IT UP AT THE END OF LAST BUDGET YEAR.
UM, IT'S, IT'S VITAL THAT WE GET THIS.
IN FACT, IF WE GET THIS, IT WOULD BE LIKE HIRING OR GIVING US SEVEN OR EIGHT PEOPLE THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO FILL THE SLOTS THAT RIGHT NOW.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THE REASON WE'RE NOT FILLING THEM IS BECAUSE THE, THE SALARIES ARE NOT WHERE THEY NEED TO BE, BUT I, I THOUGHT JUST WHILE AGO WE'RE, WE'RE ONE OF THE HIGHEST PAID FOR DISPATCH.
OH, THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
UH, AND AGAIN, TO GO BACK ON THAT DISPATCH, UH, MOST OF THE NEW DISPATCH CENTERS IN HOME KIDS, THEY LIKE 12 HOUR SHIFTS.
WE CANNOT, WE DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS.
AND THEN WHEN WE TRIED TO SPLIT OUR CHANNELS FROM NORTH SOUTH, YOU KNOW, EARLIER THIS YEAR, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE STAFF GO BACK AND, AND, AND, UH, SHERIFF, UH, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES FOR US IS THERE'S ALWAYS A, WE HAVE A SCHEDULE.
WE, WE HAVE A, WHAT'S THE TERM FOR IT? I'M SORRY? IT'S A PAY SCALE IF, IF YOU WILL, OR PAY SCALE.
AND IT CONTINUES TO CHANGE EVERY YEAR.
UM, THAT'S A CHALLENGE FOR THIS COURT TO KEEP UP WITH THAT, AS YOU KNOW.
AND DO YOU SEE ANY, ANY RELIEF IN THAT OR IS THAT GONNA CONTINUE TO BE A YEAR AFTER YEAR THING? AH, WELL THIS SCHEDULE ACTUALLY, UH, LIKE I SAID, MAYBE COULDN'T HEAR ME.
UH, THIS IS RIPPING THE BANDAID OFF.
THIS GETS US INTO THE DFW MARKETPLACE OF, OF, OF THE SAME POOL OF PEOPLE THAT ALL THESE OTHER AGENCIES PULL FROM THIS, THIS GETS US THERE.
THEN OF COURSE WITH COLA ADJUSTMENTS AFTER THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE ALL WE WOULD REQUEST THIS, THIS SCALE, UM, THAT WE HAVE SUBMITTED.
I THINK THIS IS GONNA BE THE ONE WE'RE GONNA WORK ON GOING FORWARD.
THIS ONE, UH, OTHER THAN COLA ADJUSTMENTS.
YOU KNOW, UNLESS SOMETHING HAPPENS DIFFERENT IN THE METROPLEX MARKETPLACE, WHICH I, I CAN'T FORESEE THAT.
UM, SO, SO THAT'S THE MAIN REQUEST.
AND IN OUR RESTRUCTURE, YOU SEE WHERE WE'VE CHANGED AND IN THE MODIFICATION THAT WE SENT OUT, UH, AT, AT THE REQUEST OF SOME OF THE, THIS COURT AND SOME OF THE BUDGET COMMITTEE LAST YEAR, WE KIND OF RESTRUCTURED OUR WHOLE STAFF INTO, I GUESS THE ONES THAT ARE ON A, A SALARY SCALE INTO THREE DIFFERENT DISTINCT GROUPS.
YOU HAVE YOUR CIVILIAN SUPPORT SERVICES AND THAT'S A DISPATCH, ANIMAL CONTROL AND CRIME SCENE.
UH, WE'RE NOT ASKED, THEY'RE NOT PART OF THIS.
THEY'RE ASKING THEM TO ANY CO ADJUSTMENT THIS YEAR THAT, THAT THE COUNTY MAY OR MAY NOT GET.
UH, AND THEN WE HAVE OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS, WHICH IS PATROL THE BACKBONE OF OUR AGENCY, OUR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATORS, AND OUR COMMAND STAFF.
THAT'S ONE THAT'D BE IN THIS SCALE.
AND THEN OF COURSE THEN OUR SUPPORT SERVICES WILL BE ON A DIFFERENT SCALE AND THE SUPPORT SERVICES OR THE COURTHOUSE SECURITY EXTRADITION, CIVIL UH, TRAINING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BECAUSE AS WE'VE MENTIONED BEFORE, ALL BADGES AND GUNS, WE DON'T CONSIDER THEM TO BE THE SAME.
UM, IN THIS, IN THIS GROUP, THEY'RE GENERALLY EIGHT TO FIVE, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
THEY DON'T WORK NIGHTS, WEEKENDS, HOLIDAYS.
SO, SO THAT SCALE WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN WHAT OUR OTHER, YOU KNOW, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT SCALE WOULD BE.
AND I THINK YOU HAVE ALL THAT INFORMATION IN THERE.
SO ONE, ONE POSITIVE THING I CAN TOUCH ON REAL QUICK, AND I KNOW THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY AND THE COUNTY ATTORNEY HAVE MENTIONED IT, UH, IS THE 2 87 G PROGRAM.
AND, AND THAT'S WHERE THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT, UM, IT'S PART OF IT GIVES LOCAL PEOPLE THROUGH HOMELAND SECURITY, LOCAL OFFICERS LIMITED, UH, IMMIGRATION AUTHORITY.
WE'VE, WE JOINED THE WARRANT SERVICE MODEL LAST YEAR.
UH, BUT UH, THIS YEAR THEY'RE PUSHING FORCE WITH WHAT'S CALLED A TASK FORCE MODEL.
AND THEY'RE INCENTIVIZED IT QUITE A BIT.
AND, AND THAT IS WHAT I WANT TO POINT OUT.
[02:10:01]
ARE SOME ONE TIME FUNDING FOR THIS.UH, IT'S A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ONCE YOU JOIN IT TO BUY A VEHICLE OR EQUIPMENT AND $7,500 PER DEPUTY OR PER OFFICER THAT'S GONNA BE IN THIS PROGRAM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE 78 THAT ARE DEPUTIZED.
THAT'S JUST THE ONE TIME FEES.
NOW YOU HAVE QUARTERLY INCENTIVES THAT ARE GONNA BE PUT ON THAT.
AND THAT'S $7,500 PER DEPUTY PER QUARTER FOR EQUIPMENT.
AND ANOTHER $7,500 PER DEPUTY PER QUARTER FOR BASICALLY IT TYPE STUFF, SOFTWARE AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO $15,000 PER DEPUTY PER QUARTER, WHICH IS $60,000 PER DEPUTY TYPE 78 IS JUST, UH, $4.68 MILLION.
THAT'S WHAT WE EXPECT TO BRING IN THIS YEAR.
AND THIS IS NOT GRANT MONEY, THIS IS INCENTIVE MONEY SO YOU CAN SUPPLANT WITH THIS MONEY.
SO AGAIN, IT'S HARD TO BUDGET FOR THAT 'CAUSE THOSE MONIES WILL BE COMING IN.
UH, BUT JUST, UH, SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT AND WE WILL BE ABLE TO SPEND ALL THAT MONEY.
UH, LIKE SOME OF THE OTHER AGENCIES, IT'S GONNA BE A LITTLE TOUGH FOR 'EM.
I MEAN, 'CAUSE ONCE THEY BUY A SHIELD OR ONCE THEY BUY WHATEVER, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GONNA RUN OUT OF THINGS TO SPEND THAT MONEY ON.
WE HAVE QUITE A BIT, ESPECIALLY ON THE IT SIDE.
UM, WITH OUR, OUR SOFTWARE PROGRAM IS OUR MOTOROLA CONTRACT.
THERE'S A LOT OF, LOT OF HIGH DOLLAR ITEMS THAT WE CAN USE THAT MONEY FOR.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE, HAVE WE HEARD ANYTHING ON EXPECTATIONS FOR THAT GRANT PROGRAM OR A CONTINUANCE OF IT OR A TIME PERIOD THAT IT'S APPROVED FOR? SO I'VE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH SEVERAL ICE AGENTS REGARDING THIS, AND IT'S NOT A GRANT, IT'S INCENTIVES.
IT'S BASICALLY JUST FREE MONEY THAT THEY'RE GONNA GIVE US TO INCENTIVIZE US TO, TO DO, YES SIR.
TO HELP THEM OUT ON THEIR WORK.
UM, THE, THE FORM THAT I FILL OUT EVERY QUARTER SAYS THAT FUNDING, AS LONG AS FUNDING IS AVAILABLE, WE'LL GET THIS MONEY.
UM, SO THE QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, HOW LONG WILL FUNDING REMAIN AVAILABLE? UM, I'LL SAY THAT AS LONG AS PRESIDENT TRUMP'S IN OFFICE THAT WE'LL STILL HAVE FUNDING.
AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE THEY JUST DOUBLED DOWN.
UH, THE FEDS DID AND, AND, UH, PUBLISHED A DI A SEPARATE GRANT.
AND IT'S, UM, IT'S, IT'S BASED TO HELP LOCAL AGENCIES AND, UH, LOCAL COUNTIES RECOVER THE COST THAT THEY, UM, DEAL WITH, UH, IMMIGRATION ISSUES.
AND IT COVERS NOT JUST LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT COURT COSTS AND, UH, TRANSPORTATION AND A LOT OF THAT STUFF.
SO I THINK THE FEDS HAVE A LOT OF MONEY AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE READY TO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE AND COUNTIES TO, AND AGENCIES TO COME HELP 'EM OUT.
UM, AS FAR AS THERE'S A, IT HAS TO BE, WHAT THEY'VE SAID IS THERE HAS TO BE A LAW HAS TO BE A, A 2 87 OR AN IMMIGRATION NEXUS TO USE THESE FUNDS.
SO I CAN'T, YOU KNOW, USE IT FOR BUILDINGS.
I CAN'T USE IT TO, FOR DISPATCHERS.
IT HAS TO SOMEHOW INVOLVE, UM, IMMIGRATION, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE 24 7 IMMIGRATION.
AND SO WHAT THEY'VE SAID IS, LOOK, YOU CAN BUY A CAR FOR SOMEBODY ON THE TASK FORCE.
THEY, THEY CAN USE IT ANYTIME THEY WANT, AS LONG AS THEY'RE AVAILABLE TO RESPOND TO THESE CALLS.
UM, BY SHIELD, YOU CAN, YOU CAN BUY RADIOS, YOU CAN BUY FIREARMS, UM, YOU CAN PAY FOR ANYTHING THAT HELPS THEM DO THEIR JOB.
UH, YOU CAN PAY FOR A RADIO MAINTENANCE CONTRACT WITH THIS MONEY.
UM, SO THERE'S A LOT OF USES, BUT IT ALL HAS TO REVOLVE AROUND THE 2 87 G PROGRAM.
AND IT, AND IT CAN ONLY BE SPENT AND USED BY, UH, THE AGENCY.
SO WE CAN'T TAKE THIS MONEY AND USE IT TO FUND CONSTABLES OR ANY OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.
SO THAT BIDEN PROGRAM THAT YOU CALLED IT IS, IT'S CORRELATED TO THE, THAT I, THAT TWO 80 5G PROGRAM? I MEAN, IT, IT'S, IT'S SEPARATE.
IT'S HELPED TO, IT'S HELPED TO, IT'S TO HELP CITIES, COUNTIES, AND STATES RE UH, REIMBURSE THEM FOR THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT.
LOOKING, DO YOU HAPPEN, SORRY, AHEAD REAL QUICK.
DO YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE A TOTAL NUMBER OF EXPECTATION FROM UH, BIDEN MONEY OR HAVE YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT I DO NOT.
WHAT THAT PART I DO, I LOOKED AT IT, UM, ME AND BRIANNA TALKED ABOUT IT.
I DON'T REMEMBER EXACTLY HOW MUCH IS AVAILABLE.
UH, I JUST THOUGHT I'D ASK IN CASE SHE HAD IT, BUT I DO KNOW THAT, UM, IT JUST WASN'T FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT.
UM, IT IS A THREE YEAR PROGRAM.
SO WHAT THEY, WHAT THEY SAY IS THEY'LL FUND IT A COP FOR THREE YEARS.
SO THAT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GRANT.
[02:15:02]
SO LOOKING AT THIS RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE TOTAL PAY FOR ALL SWORN IS BY 9.8 MILLION.AND A CURRENT, ACCORDING TO THE CURRENT PLAN THAT WE'VE ALREADY APPROVED THAT MOVES EACH YEAR OR, OR NOT MOVES EACH YEAR.
BUT ACCORDING TO THE PLAN, THOSE CHANGES WOULD RESULT, THE EXISTING PLANS CHANGES WOULD RESULT IN IT GOING FROM 9.8 MILLION UP BY ABOUT 200,000, 190,000.
THAT'S, AND I THINK THE SALARY RESTRUCTURE WOULD BE A LOT MORE THAN THAT.
I'M SAYING THE PLAN THAT'S ALREADY IN PLACE RIGHT NOW THAT WE APPROVED, THAT ACCOMMODATES FOR JUST THE STEPS THAT WOULD INCREASE OVER THIS YEAR.
THAT THE NEW PLAN THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING NOW, SO I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT THERE ON, UH, THAT PAGE MARK, IF YOU KEEP GOING, YOU'RE AT 9.828 MILLION.
SO MY NUMBERS ARE GONNA BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE I PULLED, UH, THOSE, UM, S SUPPORT SERVICES OUT OF THIS AT YEAH, I'M LOOKING AT SWORN ONLY.
SO I HAVE TWO DIFFERENT, I HAVE TWO DIFFERENT PAGES.
SO, BUT YES, THE CURRENT PLAN WOULD CAUSE FOR INCREASES OF 190,000.
THE PROPOSED PLAN THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WOULD BE AN INCREASE OF 1.5 MILLION, $1,474,712.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING 'CAUSE Y'ALL DID EXACTLY WHAT I ASKED YOU TO DO, WHICH IS PAST FEW YEARS.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THE, THE PHRASE THAT'S BEEN USED AS A BITE AT THE APPLE, I'M, I'M KIND OF ONE OF THESE OF, HEY, LET'S, LET'S SEE WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE TO EAT THE WHOLE APPLE AT ONCE AND SEE IF THAT'S EVEN A POSSIBILITY.
'CAUSE THEN AT LEAST IF WE KNOW WHAT WE HAVE AND WE HAVE A PLAN THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO CHANGE EVERY YEAR OR BE MODIFIED EVERY YEAR, THAT WOULD BE, UH, THAT'D BE PREFERABLE IN MY OPINION.
SO AM I UNDERSTANDING THAT CORRECT THAT THE PLAN THAT YOU'RE RECOMMENDING FOR SWORN ONLY WOULD BE 1.4 TO 1.5 MORE THAT THAT'S GONNA BE CLOSE.
NOW THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT STRUCTURES FOR COMMISSIONED.
SO, AND, AND, AND THING I DIDN'T MENTION ALSO IS LATERAL PAY.
WE WERE ASKING FOR LATERAL PAY AS WELL.
IT'S IN YOUR
SO BRING IN SOME EXPERIENCE OFFICERS TO, CAN EXCLUDE CODY ELEVATOR FROM THAT PLEASE.
UM, SO, OKAY, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I WAS READING THIS CORRECTLY.
YOU'VE GOT ALL THE NUMBERS AND YES.
AND, UH, AGAIN, I'LL, I'LL DOGE MYSELF, WHICH IS JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
ONE OF, UH, IF WE DON'T GET THESE PEOPLE, WILL THE WORK GET DONE? THE ANSWER IS YES.
WE'LL BE LESS EFFICIENT AT IT, BUT IT WILL GET DONE.
IT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS TO CONTINUE TO TALK THROUGH THIS.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION.
IS THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS HERE? THANK YOU GUYS.
[I.J. Discussion/Presentation of FY 2027 County Budget. (Bianca Lord / Judge Deen)]
OKAY.UNDER ITEM G, DISCUSSED PRESENTATION BY WHY 2027? COUNTY BUDGET.
UH, BIANCA, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD? I, I WANTED TO ADD CLARIFICATION ON THAT.
BIDEN, UH, GRANT, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE APPLICATION DEADLINE IS JULY 17TH.
AND, UH, I DID, WE DID NOT APPROVE THE APPLICATION OF THAT GRANT.
SO, I MEAN, AND IT'S DUE THE 17TH.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO GET IT APPROVED.
ARNETTE, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING ABOUT THAT? DID, DID WE MISS OUT ON THAT OR NO? WE, WE WERE NOT GOING TO APPLY FOR THE BIDEN GRANT.
UM, I THINK WE, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS A COUPLE WEEKS AGO WHEN THIS CAME IN.
UM, AND WE SENT IT OUT TO SEVERAL, BIANCA SENT IT OUT TO SEVERAL OTHER, UM, COUNTY OFFICIALS TO SEE IF THEY WERE INTERESTED IN, IN APPLYING FOR IT.
DID YOU GET ANY RESPONSES? MM-HMM.
SHE GOT NO RESPONSES, BUT I POINTED OUT THAT GRANT JUST TO SHOW THAT THE FEDS, UM, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BACK DOWN FROM THIS.
UH, THEY, THEY DOUBLED DOWN AND, AND OFFERED UP THIS GRANT.
BIANCA, YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? I DO, I DO HAVE AN UPDATE JUST ON THE AMOUNT.
UM, SORRY, I CAN'T SEEM TO GET THIS.
IT'S NOT, WHY ISN'T IT PICKING UP THE, IT'S NOT PICKING UP THE, TRY TO SUMMARIZE IT FAIRLY QUICKLY.
WE CAN RUN ON A HARD DATE OF A HARD TIME OF TRYING TO SHUT IT DOWN.
[02:20:14]
JUST SUMMARIZE YOUR TOP LINES, IF YOU WOULD.SO THE TOTAL REQUEST, I, I DID UPDATE THE BUDGET REPORT, UH, TO INCLUDE AUDITOR'S OFFICE AND THEIR CHANGE, THEIR UPDATES.
UM, BUT THE CURRENT REQUEST IS 8,089,000.
UM, THE TOTAL WOULD BE 95,472.
UM, BUT THIS DOESN'T INCLUDE THE COLA AND IT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE ANTICIPATED INCREASE FOR AUDITORS OR PURCHASING AND THE JUVENILE BOARD, BUT TAKING THAT INTO ACCOUNT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.
THAT ALL YOU GOT QUESTIONS? THAT'S IT, BIANCA.
AND I WOULD ASK FOR A MOTION MOVE TO ADJOURN.