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[1. Call to Order.]
THIS. TONIGHT IN ORDER FOR 2020.[2. Conduct Budget Workshops.]
ALL THIS YEAR. AND NATIONAL.KILLER INSTINCT? YES, SIR. THE FIRST APARTMENT IS ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT OUR ANSWER QUESTIONS REGARDING OUR BUDGET.
BEFORE I GET THERE, I WANT TO I WANT TO THANK PAM AND HER TEAM.
THIS IS THE 15TH, ONE OF THESE I'VE SUBMITTED, AND I'VE NEVER HAD MORE TROUBLE THAN I DID THIS YEAR.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHY IT WAS ME OR SOFTWARE OR WHAT, BUT THEY WERE GREAT.
THEY PATIENT AND HELPED US OUT A LOT, SO KUDOS TO THEM.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE ARE WANTING TO TALK ABOUT ALL THREE OR JUST PARTS OF THESE.
OBVIOUSLY ELECTIONS VARY A LOT FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN THIS FISCAL YEAR WE HAD TWO ELECTIONS.
WE MAY HAVE A TINY ONE IN JUNE TO MAKE THREE NEXT YEAR, FISCAL YEAR.
THINGS GO ELECTION CYCLES AND BUDGETING TENDS TO GO LIKE THAT, WHICH IS ONE REASON WE TRY TO I THINK THE COUNTY SEPARATED OUT SERVICES FROM ELECTION ADMINISTRATION MANY, MANY YEARS AGO.
BUT THE THINGS ARE CONSTANTLY CHANGING FOR US.
A FEW YEARS AGO, YOU WERE GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO BUY US NEW VOTING EQUIPMENT, BUT THAT VOTING EQUIPMENT HAS A FOOTPRINT AND A POLLING PLACE OF ABOUT FIVE TIMES WHAT WE USED TO HAVE. SO DELIVERY IS MORE EXPENSIVE, MORE COMPLICATED.
ALSO, THE COUNTY IS GROWING TREMENDOUSLY.
IN 2008, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD 300,000 VOTERS AND.
YOU KNOW, NOW WE'VE GOT LAST NOVEMBER WE HAD 520,000 VOTERS.
SO IT'S IT GROWS VERY DRAMATICALLY.
YES. HOW MANY NOW? WE'RE DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
WE PURGED ABOUT 16, 17,000IN DECEMBER.
BUT PROBABLY BY NEXT NOVEMBER WE'LL BE UP TO CLOSE TO TO 30.
IT TENDS TO GO UP AND DOWN TO 35.
AND ASSUMING THE TEXAS HOUSE VOTES DOWN SB 990, WE CAN PROBABLY LIVE WITH HIS BUDGET REQUEST.
SB 990 IS AN ATTEMPT TO DO AWAY WITH VOTE CENTERS, WHICH WILL TREMENDOUSLY PROBABLY WOULD MEAN WE'D NEED ANOTHER HALF MILLION DOLLARS NEXT FISCAL YEAR SIMPLY TO RUN ELECTIONS IN 2008.
AS I MENTIONED, WE HAD 300,000 VOTERS.
WE HAD 145 PRECINCTS AND 135, I BELIEVE.
AND WE HAD 200 AND THE GENERAL PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
WE HAD 106 ELECTION DAY SITES OPEN.
LAST YEAR, WE HAD FIVE OVER 500,000 VOTERS.
AND EACH ONE OF THOSE IS GOING TO COST US ABOUT TO SET UP AND STAFF CLOSE TO $5,000.
IT'S IT'S MAKE OUR LIFE EASIER IN THE LONG RUN GOING FORWARD.
BUT CERTAINLY IT'S NOT GOOD FOR THE BUDGET.
IT'S NOT GOOD FOR OUR VOTERS, PARTICULARLY SINCE WE LIVE IN A COMMUTER COUNTY.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY INFLUENCE WITH OUR HOUSE MEMBERS, TELL THEM TO VOTE NO ON NINE SB 990.
I THINK WE'LL KNOW, OBVIOUSLY BEFORE WE APPROVE THE BUDGET.
YEAH, PROBABLY SO WE SHOULD KNOW CERTAINLY IN MAYBE NEXT WEEK IF IT'S GOING TO FLY OR NOT.
SO I'VE BEEN TOLD THE SPEAKER IS AGAINST IT, SO WE JUST DON'T KNOW.
BUT IN RECENT YEARS, WE'VE ALSO INCREASED POLL WORKER WAGES.
WE'VE INCREASED THE NUMBER OF HOURS THAT WE'RE OPEN FOR EARLY VOTING.
THE. WE ALSO DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH CHECKING STATIONS OR WHAT WE CALL THE VOTER KIOSKS.
WE WE HAVE CURRENTLY HAVE 250 OF THEM.
WE REALLY NEED 300 FOR THE NEXT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MANY VOTING MACHINES HAVE WE HAVE.
IF WE CAN'T CHECK IN PEOPLE, WE CAN'T PROCESS THEM.
WE HAD ALL BUT TWO DEPLOYED LAST NOVEMBER, AND WE STILL WOUND UP ON THE LAST DAY WITH WITH LINES.
UNFORTUNATELY, PEOPLE WAIT TILL THE LAST MINUTE.
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WE ONLY HAVE 175 OF THOSE, I BELIEVE 150 OF THOSE.SO WE RIGHT NOW NEED 100 MORE.
AND IF WE. YEAH, MY QUESTION IS YOU GOT TO HAVE A STANDALONE PRINTER CONNECTED TO 1 OR 1 PRINTER CAN BE CONNECTED TO MORE THAN ONE PRINTER IS IT'S JUST IT'S A PRINTER THAT'S CONNECTED TO EACH STATION.
SO THAT MEANS IF YOU HAVE 3 OR 4 KEY ACCESS ACCESS AND YOU NEED TO HAVE FOUR PRINTERS, IF WE HAVE 250 KIOSKS, WE SHOULD HAVE 250 PRINTERS AND WE HAVE 154 OF THEM IF THEY ALL WORK.
SO WE NEED IMMEDIATELY AT LEAST ANOTHER HUNDRED PRINTERS JUST TO BE ABLE TO DEPLOY OUR KIOSKS AS ONLINE TO CHECK IN VOTERS AND NOT JUST KEEP THEM AS BACKUPS OR DEPLOY AS BACKUP.
THAT'S IN THIS BUDGET REQUEST.
WHICH AN ADMIN ARE WE TALKING UNDER SERVICES.
OH THEY'RE UNDER SERVICES ABOUT ADMIN.
OH I'M SORRY. SO IT'S UNDER SERVICES.
WE ARE REQUIRED TO SEND OUT NEW VOTER CERTIFICATES IN DECEMBER TO ALL OUR VOTERS.
THE THAT COST HAS GROWN SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE FROM ABOUT $80,000 TO LAST YEAR.
TWO YEARS AGO OR A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, IT WAS 170,000.
BEFORE WE DO THIS, WE ESTIMATE THAT THE COST OF DOING THAT IS GOING TO GO UP WELL OVER $200,000.
IT'S NOT IT'S AN WE DON'T DO THAT.
WE CONTRACT THE PURCHASING BIDS.
SO WHOEVER THE LOW BIDDER IS WITHIN CERTAIN CONSTRAINTS, THAT'S WHO GETS THE BUSINESS.
BUT IT'S WE DON'T HAVE ANY CHOICE IN IT.
IT'S THE MANDATE HAS TO BE PAID FOR BY COUNTY MONEY.
WE CAN'T USE CHAPTER 19 MONEY ON THAT.
SO THAT'S THAT'S THAT COMES AND GOES EVERY OTHER YEAR AND THAT'S A HIT.
WE ALSO ARE REQUESTING TWO STAFF POSITIONS, ONE A FULL TIME TRAINER THAT OBVIOUSLY THIS PERSON WOULD DO MORE THAN TRAIN, BUT IT'S PRETTY MUCH A FULL TIME JOB. THE LEGISLATURE'S CONSTANTLY CHANGING PROCEDURES.
THEY'RE CONSTANTLY CHANGING FORMS. ALSO, THE DEMANDS OF ELECTION ENTHUSIASTS TO CRITIQUE THE WAY WE DO THINGS HAS RESULTED IN US MODIFYING PROCEDURES.
SO THEREFORE, IT'S A CONSTANT THING TO TRAIN PEOPLE.
WE WE ASKED FOR THIS POSITION LAST YEAR.
WE DIDN'T GET IT, BUT WE DESPERATELY NEED IT.
WE ALSO REALLY COULD USE ANOTHER VOTER REGISTRATION CLERK.
A NUMBER OF THE VOLUME OF FORMS WE HAVE TO PROCESS FOR VOTER REGISTRATION KEEPS GOING UP EVERY YEAR.
I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH A LITTLE HANDOUT THAT KIND OF EXPLAINS THAT.
WILLIAMSON HAS MORE THAN WE DO.
BUT WE COULD CERTAINLY USE THESE POSITIONS.
WE COULDN'T USE ANY MORE THAN THAT BECAUSE WE'D HAVE NO PLACE TO PUT THEM.
SO WE'RE KIND OF CRAMPED AND BIFURCATED.
YEAH. AND SO NOTHING UNREASONABLE YOU ARE ASKING HERE.
NO, I DON'T FEEL LIKE ELECTIONS ARE UNDER SO MUCH SCRUTINY AS YOU CAN UNDERSTAND.
SO WE WANTED TO DO THE BEST WE CONTINUE TO DO.
WE DO THE BEST, BUT WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO DO THE WELL.
IT'S IT'S, YOU KNOW, AND SOMETIMES BEFORE.
AND WE JUST CAN'T KEEP DOING THAT WITH PART TIME STAFF.
WE HAVE OTHER TRAINING RESPONSIBILITIES THAT ARE DIVIDED AMONG OUR EXISTING WORKFORCE.
FOR EXAMPLE, LAST YEAR WE WOUND UP WITH OVER 1000 DEPUTY VOLUNTEER REGISTRARS.
THEY REQUIRE THAT WE GIVE THEM A TEST.
THESE ARE ALL MANDATES FROM THE ESSER, FROM THE STATE.
SO YOU GET INTO A GENERAL ELECTION YEAR.
YOU KNOW, SHE'S WORKING 120 HOURS A WEEK AND SOMETIMES AND THEN TRYING TO HANDLE THIS.
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SO WE NEED TO CONSOLIDATE ALL THESE TRAINING FUNCTIONS WITHIN ONE POSITION.QUESTION ONE MORE ELECTION REGISTRATION.
CLERK THAT IS SALARY IS $32,000.
IT'S NOT A LOT OF MONEY. CAN YOU CAN YOU EVEN FIND SOMEBODY TO WORK FOR THAT? YEAH, WE CAN. I MEAN, WE WE'RE PAYING SOME OF THEM.
THEY'RE JUST ABOUT THAT SLIGHTLY LESS THAN OR MORE THAN THAT.
RIGHT. SO YOU HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT ALSO.
AND THAT'S BUT THAT'S THAT IS UNDER THE THE POLICY.
SO BUT THAT'S ALREADY DEFINED AS TO WHAT THE PAY RATE RANGE IS.
SO THOSE ARE THE TWO BIG ITEMS UNDER ELECTION ADMINISTRATION THAT WE'VE GONE UP.
I THINK I'VE BUMPED UP TRAVEL A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE BE MAKING STAFF WILL BE MAKING MORE TRIPS BACK AND FORTH FROM HERE TO THE SUGARLAND WAREHOUSE BECAUSE WE HAVE FIVE ELECTIONS. ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH, I HAVE A FEW.
SO JOHN, THANKS FOR FOR THIS THIS PRESENTATION, A MOTION.
AND I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO GROW THE CAPACITY ON YOUR TEAM.
CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW YOU WORK WITH THE IT DEPARTMENT TO ENSURE THAT OUR SYSTEMS ARE WORKING EFFECTIVELY FOR ELECTION TIME? AND LET ME PREDICATE WHY I SAY THAT FOR THE SECOND GENERAL ELECTION IN A ROW, WE'VE NOW HAD MACHINES THAT WERE NOT APPROPRIATELY PROGRAMED FOR ELECTION DAY AND WE HAD FOLKS WHO HAD TO WAIT EXORBITANT AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THAT.
AND THAT JUST CONCERNS ME AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
ARE THERE ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS THAT ARE NEEDED IN YOUR OFFICE TO ENSURE THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN? OR HOW CAN WE BETTER COLLABORATE AND BE MORE EFFICIENT WITH OUR WORK WITH THE PROBLEM WAS IN THAT ELECTION WAS THAT ON THE FIRST DAY OF ON ELECTION MORNING, WE HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME UPDATE.
WE SENSED APPLIED A THE VENDORS SUPPLIED A PATCH AND THAT PATCH WILL WHEN YOU TURN ON THESE KIOSKS, THEY WILL AUTOMATICALLY GO LOOKING FOR A TIME SERVER EVERY MINUTE UNTIL IT UPDATES AND THEY WILL DO THAT FOR AN HOUR UNTIL OR IF ONE'S TURNED OFF AND TURNED BACK ON.
IT WILL DO THAT. SO FAR IT LOOKS LIKE THAT IS WORKING.
BUT THIS SPRING IT'S NOT AN ISSUE.
BUT IT WAS RELATED TO THE ROLLBACK TO OR SPRING FALL BACK TO ON DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME.
BUT WASN'T THAT THE SAME ISSUE WE HAD IN 2020? THE EXACT SAME THING, DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME? NO, THAT WAS NOT THAT WAS A DIFFERENT ISSUE THEN.
THAT WAS A THAT WAS A ISSUE WITH CONNECTIVITY.
AND BASICALLY THAT WAS MORE OF A TRAINING ISSUE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
PARDON? YOU HAD NO, IT WAS NOT DAYLIGHT SAVING BECAUSE.
YEAH. NO HE SAID IT WASN'T DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME.
THE MACHINE WAS NOT ADJUSTED TO.
WELL THAT, THAT THAT WAS A PROGRAMING ISSUE.
THAT WAS AN ISSUE WHERE WE SET UP WE START SETTING UP AN ELECTION.
IN THIS CASE, WE DID IT IN AUGUST AND DID PREP INITIAL PREPARATION.
PART OF THAT IN IS WHEN WE CREATE AN ELECTION, WE DEFINE WHEN EARLY VOTING IS AND WE DECIDE AND WE DEFINE WHAT THE WHAT DAY IT STARTS, WHAT DAY IT ENDS SO THAT SOMEBODY CAN'T GET INTO OUR SYSTEM AND ADD VOTES EARLY OR ADD THEM LATE.
IN THIS CASE, IT WAS SET UP BY THE PERSON WHO WAS THERE AT THE TIME.
AND SHE DID NOT GO BACK AND CHANGE THOSE PARAMETERS.
SO THAT WE IT WAS JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT SOMEBODY FORGOT TO DO SOMETHING.
THAT'S WHAT CAUSED OUR PROBLEM.
BECAUSE WHEN IT COMES TO WORKING WITH IT, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT I UNDERSTAND IT, THEY WILL ACTUALLY DO TRIAL RUNS IN ADVANCE AND YOU MIGHT BE BUSY AT THE TIME.
AND AND I'M JUST AGREEING WITH COMMISSIONER MCCOY.
IT'S ONLY COMMON SENSE AND ONLY MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER BECAUSE THEY ARE USED TO DOING, YOU KNOW, DEPLOYING MACHINES OR SETTING UP MACHINES. AND THAT'S WHAT THEY DO ALL THE TIME.
SO USING THAT EXPERTISE, I GUESS THAT'S WHAT COMMISSIONER AND THAT WAS A DIFFERENT ISSUE.
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THAT WAS A THAT WAS A PROGRAMING ISSUE THAT WAS TRIGGERED.AND BEAR IN MIND, EVERYBODY FORGETS WE WERE IN A PANDEMIC.
YOU KNOW, OUR VENDORS WERE WE WERE GETTING TRAINING REMOTELY RATHER THAN IN PERSON.
WE WERE IMPLEMENTING A NEW VOTING SYSTEM.
WE WERE HAVING TO TRAIN OUR POLL WORKERS ON HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS, ON SOCIAL DISTANCING, ON PPE, AND THAT TOOK TIME AWAY FROM TRYING TO TRAIN THEM ON NEW HARDWARE, NEW SOFTWARE.
SO AND WE WERE ALSO HAVING TO LIMIT THE SIZE OF OUR TRAINING CLASSES, TOO.
WE, YOU KNOW, WE COULDN'T DO LARGE CLASSES.
WE HAD TO DO SMALL BECAUSE OF COVID.
SO THERE WAS THERE WERE SOME OBSTACLES THERE.
JOHN, I HEAR THE QUESTION BEING, DO YOU HAVE ANY RELUCTANCE TO IT? ASSISTING? NO, NO, WE USE IT.
SO THERE'S NO ISSUE WITH REGARD TO USING IT TO ASSIST YOU IN THIS AREA.
NOW, THERE THEY OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO LEARN THE SYSTEM ALSO.
YOU KNOW THE BUT THEY WE USE THEM, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR HASH VALIDATION WHICH IS YOU VALIDATE A PORTION OF OUR EQUIPMENT AND VERIFY THAT IT HAS THE SAME CODING ON IT OR THE SAME SOFTWARE ON IT THAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO HAVE ON IT.
BUT AS FAR AS SIMPLY WORKING WITH IT, THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE AN ISSUE.
I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WORKING GOING FORWARD.
THEY WILL BE INVOLVED, KNOW, BUT THERE'S THINGS THAT THEY CAN DO.
THERE'S THINGS THAT WE WE LEGALLY HAVE TO DO THAT THEY CAN'T DO.
SO THAT'D BE A COOPERATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN YOU AND IT.
YEAH. AND I WANT TO UNDERSCORE THAT BECAUSE I KNOW JOHN, WHEN I WAS IN A PRIOR ROLE IN THE COUNTY, YOU AND I HAD A CONVERSATION, I THINK IN THE MIDST OF AN ELECTION HAPPENING WHERE IT OFFERED SERVICES AND YOU WERE HIGHLY RELUCTANT TO ACCEPTING THOSE SERVICES.
THEY KNOW, IF YOU REMEMBER RIGHT, I ASKED FOR LIKE SIX PEOPLE.
ALL I SAID WAS, HEY, WHERE ARE THESE EXTRA 18 PEOPLE COME FROM? I DIDN'T ASK FOR THEM, YOU KNOW, AND THAT WAS AND I SENT YOU THE EMAILS BACKING THAT UP.
SO NO, WE IT'S, I DON'T HAVE A RELUCTANCE, BUT THAT THAT PARTICULAR CASE, IT WAS NOT PLANNED FOR.
WE HAD OUR OWN TECHS OUT THERE.
WE HAD HAVE TO REDO THINGS AT THE LAST MINUTE.
AND I UNDERSTAND WHY I'M ASKING THESE QUESTIONS.
ONE, I'VE WORKED WITH THE TEAM YOU HAVE OVER THERE.
YOU HAVE INCREDIBLE PROFESSIONALS IN YOUR OFFICE THAT WORK TIRELESSLY WITH LIKE MOST OF THE COUNTY DEPARTMENTS WITH VERY LITTLE RESOURCES, VERY FEW RESOURCES, AND THEY ARE BREAKING THEIR BACKS OVER THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RUN EFFECTIVE ELECTIONS.
IN THIS LAST ELECTION, SOME FOLKS FOR HOURS BEFORE THEY'RE ABLE TO GET CHECKED IN AND AND VOTE, THEY THEY ARE NOT CONCERNED WITH WHAT ELSE OUR PROTOCOLS ARE OR WE HAVE TO TRAIN PEOPLE ON X, Y AND Z.
A PROGRAMMER DIDN'T RESET WHATEVER.
IF WE HAVE THE RESOURCES WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION TO ENSURE THAT SOMEONE CAN, ESPECIALLY IF YOU THINK ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE HOURLY WAGE WORKERS WHO ARE HAVING TO WAIT IN LINE AND THEY'RE MISSING TIME THAT THEY SHOULD BE AT WORK, THAT IS OF GREAT CONCERN.
LET'S SEE HOW WE CAN ADJUST AND MAKE THAT HAPPEN AND WORK IF WE HAVE RESOURCES IN OUR IT DEPARTMENT TO HELP US DO THOSE SYSTEMS CHECK, BECAUSE THAT'S THEIR JOB FUNCTION EVERY DAY ELSEWHERE ACROSS THE COUNTY.
WHY WOULDN'T WE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT? WE WILL. WE WILL.
MOST OF THOSE WERE RESOLVED WITHIN 20 MINUTES.
WE HAD 1 OR 2 THAT WENT LONGER THAN 30 MINUTES.
THE ONLY LINE BEYOND THAT, WE HAD NO LINES THE REST OF THE DAY UNTIL THE END OF THE DAY.
NOW, BEAR IN MIND, THAT WAS THE BIGGEST THAT PARTICULAR DAY, WHICH WE DID NOT EXPECT.
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WE HAD TO WE RESUPPLIED UNDER OUR PLAN TO MAKE KIND OF TRACK HOW MANY ARE GOING.OUR ONLY LINES, MAJOR LINES WERE AT THE END OF THE DAY.
NOW, THAT'S BECAUSE WE HAD 35,000 MORE VOTERS THAN WE ANTICIPATED.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE LINES ARE THERE BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH KIOSKS AND PRINTERS THAT I'M REFERRING TO IN THIS ADMINISTRATION BUDGET, NOT BECAUSE OF THAT THAT I 1,000% AGREE WITH ON THE NEED FOR MORE KIOSKS.
THAT'S SOMETHING I'M BEING VERY HOPEFUL IN SEEING IMPLEMENTED.
WE'VE BOUGHT THEM ALL WITH CONTRACT MONEY, WITH GRANTS OR WITH CHAPTER 19 FUNDS.
WE CAN'T USE LEGALLY TO BUY PRINTERS AND WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TO BUY ANY MORE KIOSKS ANYWAY.
SO ALL THE MOST OF THIS EQUIPMENT WE HAVE, WE'VE EITHER PROCURED THROUGH GRANT APPLICATIONS OR THROUGH CHAPTER 19 OR SURPLUS CONTRACT MONEY. THAT'S GOOD.
THANK YOU. ANY ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, JOHN. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
DO WE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? YEAH, YOU HAVE ONE MORE? WELL, WE. I DON'T THINK WE COVERED EVERYTHING AND WE DIDN'T.
YEAH, WE'RE ALSO REQUESTING AN ASSET TRACKING SYSTEM.
WE'VE HAD SEVERAL OVER THE YEARS, BUT THE LAST.
THE ONE WE'RE USING NOW IS HOMEGROWN.
IT'S HAS A PARDON NOW THAT'S UNDER SERVICES.
ARE WE TALKING ABOUT SERVICES NOW? YEAH, WE'RE STILL ON. OH WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SERVICES ADMINISTRATION.
WELL HE STARTED TALKING ABOUT BOTH THEN I HAD HIM GO TO JUST ADD.
YEAH. AND THEN WE GOT OFF TRACK HERE.
WHICH ONE ARE WE ON? SERVICES.
SERVICES. GOTCHA. AND THAT'S WHERE WE WERE REQUESTING THE KIOSKS AND PRINTERS.
WE'RE ALSO REQUESTING MONEY FOR AN ASSET, A MORE ROBUST ASSET TRACKING SYSTEM.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE A HOMEGROWN SYSTEM THAT WE USE.
THIS IS WHERE WE TRACK WHAT EQUIPMENT WE'RE DEPLOYING, THE SEALS THAT GO ON IT.
WE BUT IT'S NOT A IT'S BASICALLY EXCEL IS WHAT WE'RE USING AND PINGING THINGS.
THIS IS NOT A THIS ISN'T ESSENTIAL, BUT IT WOULD BE NICE AND IT WOULD HELP US FULFILL ALL THE OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS THAT WE GET FROM ELECTION ENTHUSIASTS WHO WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT HOW WE DEPLOY EQUIPMENT OR WHAT OUR SEAL LOGS ARE, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
I THINK THAT PRETTY MUCH COVERED THINGS UNDER THERE.
DO WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT CONTRACT? NO. YES.
CONTRACT IS. WE DON'T NEED YOU, DO WE? THAT'S CONTRACT. WE'RE OKAY.
OKAY. UNLESS YOU'RE ASKING FOR NEW POSITIONS.
YEAH, WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OVER THE YEARS.
WE'VE HAD SOME PART TIME POSITIONS THAT WERE.
WE'VE FUNDED THEM 50% OUT OF SERVICES, 50% OUT OF CONTRACT.
AND THE REASON THAT IS INCREASED IS BECAUSE OF THE BIANNUAL JUST KIND OF WELL, ACTUALLY, I ALSO REQUESTED A PAY INCREASE FOR SOME OF THE PART TIME POSITIONS THEY'RE MAKING.
1350 I WANT TO BUMP THEM TO 15.
SOME OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN THERE LONGER THAN I HAVE.
THANK YOU, JOHN. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
I HEARD YOU SAY THAT WE'RE UNDERSTAFFED AS COMPARED TO SOME OF OUR PEERS.
YOUR GREATEST CONCERN IS THAT WE WITH HAVING MORE PEOPLE, ASIDE FROM THE TWO THAT YOU'VE ASKED FOR, IS THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE ANYWHERE TO PUT THEM IF YOU WERE TO HAVE YOUR WISH LIST.
AND WHAT WOULD REALLY BE HELPFUL FOR YOU? ARE THERE OTHER THINGS YOU WOULD WANT OR YOU YOU THINK WE WOULD NEED TO MORE EFFECTIVELY SUPPORT YOUR TEAM AND THE WORK THEY'RE DOING? YEAH, WE. WE CURRENTLY HAVE 15,000FT² IN THE ROSENBERG ANNEX.
WE'VE HAD THAT FOR A LONG TIME.
IT GREW ABOUT 12 WHEN EVERYBODY ELSE MOVED OVER HERE.
IT GREW BY MAYBE 3000FT² TO THE 15 WE HAVE NOW.
WE ALSO HAVE A 25,000 SQUARE FOOT WAREHOUSE IN SUGAR LAND.
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MOVE THINGS TO GET TO THE NEXT ONE.EVERYTHING'S KIND OF JAMMED IN THERE.
OUR ESTIMATE IS THAT WE NEED ABOUT 70, 65 TO 70,000FT² OF SPACE.
I KNOW THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
WHY DO YOU THINK IT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN? I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN BECAUSE THEY'RE COUNTING PROPERTY.
TALKING ABOUT AN ELECTION BUILDING.
RIGHT. RIGHT. THAT'S WHY YOU NEED TO GIVE YOUR INPUT.
WELL, I'VE GIVEN IT TO TWO FACILITIES.
WE'VE DISCUSSED IT OVER THE YEARS.
BUT WHAT OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM THERE IS, WE'RE BIFURCATED.
YOU KNOW, IT TAKES SOMETIMES 20, 30 MINUTES TO GET FROM OUR OFFICE TO THE WAREHOUSE.
SO GOING OVER AND COMING BACK AND IT'S COSTLY.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALL SELF-MOTIVATED, BUT NOBODY REALLY IS THERE TO SUPERVISE.
WE'D LIKE TO HAVE EVERYBODY UNDER ONE ROOF.
IF WE GO TO ANOTHER BUILDING, WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE SPACE FOR WE'D EITHER HAVE TO GO SOMEPLACE ELSE FOR TRAINING OR WE'D HAVE TO HAVE ENOUGH SPACE THERE, WHICH, YOU KNOW, THAT ADDS TO THE WE PROBABLY REALLY NEED ABOUT 48, 50 TO 50,000 SPACE FOR OUR OFFICES AND EQUIPMENT, BUT WE'D HAVE TO HAVE SPACE THERE IN ORDER TO CONDUCT TRAINING AND DO VOTING. THAT'S FAIR.
THANK YOU. REMIND ME, JOHN, WHAT ARE WE PAYING A MONTH FOR THAT FACILITY? I HONESTLY DO NOT KNOW.
ONE OF THE THINGS IS AROUND $11,000 A MONTH.
IT COMES YOU KNOW, WE BASICALLY WE DON'T PROCESS THE PAYMENT EVERY MONTH.
BUT I'M THINKING THAT'S ABOUT WHAT IT IS.
BUT I THINK IT'S PROBABLY BELOW MARKET RATE AT THIS POINT.
BUT THE LEASE EXPIRES THE END OF THIS YEAR.
PARDON? I SAID BUT BUT STILL A LOT OF MONEY.
IT'S STILL A LOT OF MONEY. THE LEASE EXPIRES AT THE END OF THIS YEAR.
AND I KNOW JAMIE HAS INDICATED TO ME THAT HE EXPECTS IT TO GET JACKED UP CONSIDERABLY BECAUSE WHEN WE GOT IT, THERE WAS A LOT MORE AVAILABLE SPACE THAN THERE IS OUT THERE RIGHT NOW, SO. OKAY.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JOHN.
APPRECIATE IT. NEXT, WE HAVE INDIGENT DEFENSE.
GOOD MORNING. I'M JUST ASKING FOR ONE EXTRA PART TIME POSITION FOR MY WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS FOR MAGISTRATE COURT, AND IT'S NOT REALLY AN ADDITIONAL POSITION.
IT'S ONE POSITION WITH TWO PEOPLE SHARING IT.
THAT WAY THEY DON'T GET BURNED OUT.
YOU'RE COMBINING TWO PART TIME TO MAKE ONE, SO IT'S MORE LIKE THEY'RE SHARING THE HOURS AND THE PAY.
SO ANYTHING ELSE? ANY ANY QUESTIONS FOR ANYBODY? I THINK YOU'RE GOOD. I'LL JUST SAY THANKS FOR WHAT YOU DO.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. THANK YOU.
GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. WE ALSO ARE JUST ASKING FOR OR BASICALLY WE'RE WANTING TO REINSTATE.
CAN YOU COME UP TO THE MIC, PLEASE? WE'RE ASKING TO REINSTATE OR RESTORE A FORMER POSITION THAT WE HAD YEARS AGO.
BUT NOW THAT PROGRAMS HAVE PICKED BACK UP, WE REALLY COULD UTILIZE THAT PART TIME RECEPTIONIST.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR.
ANY OTHER MAJOR CHANGES? NOTHING. YOU'RE GOING TO GET HIM FOR $12 AN HOUR.
WELL, I'LL SAY, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED, AMY AND I DEFINITELY PLAN TO USE YOU ALL A WHOLE LOT MORE.
I KNOW WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO'VE COME AND VISITED AND HAVE INTEREST IN HOW WE MIGHT GET MORE YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY, ENGAGED IN HEALTHIER EATING PRACTICES AND GROWING THEIR OWN PRODUCE.
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SO BE EXPECTING MORE CALLS FROM MY OFFICE VERY SOON.THANK YOU. WE NEED THE RECEPTIONIST TO ANSWER CALLS.
YEAH. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO.
AS YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS MANY TIMES I VISITED YOUR FACILITY AND EVENTS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
THANK YOU. SURE. CONSTABLE PRECINCT TWO.
LESS COMMON AREA. LESS COMMON AREA.
OR IS THAT ALL? YOU CAN'T SEE THIS.
WHY IS SHE PASSING IT OUT? GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE, ALL THE PEOPLE ON COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
MY MAIN TOPIC ARE TALKING ABOUT IS A NEW POSITION FOR THE NAVAL DISTRICT AND THE ONE TO GO ABOUT EXPLAINING AND SHOWING. AND YOU ALL HAVE GRAPHS THAT WE PASSED OUT TO LET YOU KNOW WHERE WE ARE.
TO DATE, REDISTRICTING WAS IN JANUARY 1ST, 2022.
PRECINCT TWO GREW FROM 50MI² TO 370MI².
TOTAL PAPERS COUNT FOR 2021 WAS 3554.
TOTAL PAPER COUNT FOR 2022 WAS 43,000.
THAT WAS INCREASED BY 98 PAPERS, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 981 PAPERS, WHICH IS APPROXIMATE 20% INCREASE. 2023 THE FIRST QUARTER ALONE, JANUARY THROUGH APRIL PRECINCT TO PLACE ONE OFFICE PROCESS, 3716 PAPERS OF THESE 983 PAPERS WERE ACCOUNTED FOR.
BY THE NAVAL DISTRICT, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 26% INCREASE.
THE PROJECTION PAPER COUNT FOR 2023 IS EXPECTED TO AT LEAST DOUBLE OR TRIPLE BASED ON THE PAPER COUNT WE HAVE EXPERIENCED IN THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF 2023.
AS YOU SEE, WHAT I'M ASKING FOR IS WHEN WE TALKED TO THE CLERKS, WE HAVE RECEIVED APPROXIMATELY 50 COMPLAINTS FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN TOLD THEY GOT TO COME TO TEXAS PARKWAY, GET THINGS DONE WHEN THEY HAVE TO ACTUALLY BRING PAPERS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
NOT ONLY FOR THE ADDITION OF BAILIFF AND THE TWO CLERKS.
AND THAT HAVE BEEN PROVEN BY SEVERAL THREAT ASSESSMENTS.
I THINK. AND DO YOU KNOW CONSTABLE JOHNSON? CONSTABLE JOHNSON TRAVELED FIVE HOURS TO COME DOWN HERE AND DO A THREAT ASSESSMENT AT IN NEVILLE AND EVERYTHING.
EVERYBODY HAVE CAME UP WITH THE SAME THING.
NOW, HAVING TWO BAILIFFS IS ONE IS PROTECTION OF THE COURT.
BUT LET'S SAY WHAT ELSE THEY DO WHEN THE COURT IS NOT IN SESSION.
THEY THEY RUNNING PAPERS THERE.
YOU SEE, I'M NOT ASKING FOR ANY MORE PERSONNEL BECAUSE WE CAN UTILIZE OUR BAILIFF TO DO OTHER WORK LIKE I DO ALREADY SO THEY CAN GO AND RUN PAPERS.
NOT ONLY THAT IS WHILE THEY WHILE THE COURT NOT IN SESSION AND THE DEPUTY ONE DEPUTY, THE ONE IN PAPERS, THE OTHER DEPUTY IS STILL PROTECTING THE COURT, BUT HE IS CALLING.
[00:35:01]
HE IS CALLING PEOPLE THAT HAVE WARRANTS.I SEE YOU GOT A SHERIFF OUT THERE.
BUT THE SHERIFF OUT THERE, HE SENT DOWN ON THE BENCH AND.
WELL, IF YOU'VE GOT SOMEBODY OUT THERE, WHY ARE YOU NOT CALLING THESE WARRANTS? WHY ARE YOU NOT OUT HERE DOING DIFFERENT WORK? IT'S A LOT OF STUFF THAT WE COULD BRING MONEY INTO THE COUNTY, BUT I'M GOING TO END ON THAT IS THAT'S WHERE THE NEW POSITION COMING FROM THAT WE NEED FOR NASHVILLE IN ORDER TO HAVE THAT CONSTABLE OFFICE.
ACCESSIBLE AND BENEFICIAL TO THE CITIZENS OF THAT AREA.
SO, CONSTABLE, REFRESH MY MEMORY.
YOU'VE BEEN OFFERED A CONSTABLE TO SERVE THAT OFFICE, CORRECT? IT HAS BEEN CREATED.
IT'S CREATED AND APPROVED BY THE COMMISSIONERS COURT.
IS THAT RIGHT? YOU HAVE IT HAVE BEEN CREATED AND APPROVED BY THE COURT.
I'M ASKING. THERE IS ONE PERSON WHO HAS BEEN APPROVED AND AND ALSO FUNDED.
CORRECT. I'M JUST CLARIFYING TO UNDERSTAND IT, TO HIRE A DEPUTY.
YOU'RE A BAILIFF. YES OR NO? THAT'S AN YES OR NO QUESTION.
SIMPLE. I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHY IT'S NOT DONE RIGHT NOW.
I'M ASKING. IT IS NOT BEEN IT IS FUNDED.
IT IS AVAILABLE, BUT IT'S NOT USED.
CORRECT. I'M JUST SAYING. NO, IT HAVE NOT IT HAVE NOT BEEN FILLED YET.
AND CAN I EXPLAIN? CAN I EXPLAIN? I MEAN, WHEN YOU HIRE A DEPUTY, IT TAKES.
IT TAKES ALMOST TWO MONTHS TO HIRE A DEPUTY.
CONSTABLE, I'M SURE YOU HAVE YOUR OWN REASON.
I WAS JUST CLARIFYING A POINT.
FINE. THAT'S WHY WE ONLY ASK HIM FOR ONE ADDITIONAL BAILIFF.
SO YOU WANT TWO BAILEYS PER COURT? WE NEED TO BAILIFFS OUT IN THE NEEDVILLE AREA.
I DIDN'T SAY TO BAILIFF FOR THE COURT BECAUSE THE DEAL IS PRECINCT TO PLACE ONE.
MY OFFICE IS RIGHT RIGHT ACROSS THE HALL.
WHEN SOMETHING GOES DOWN AND MY DEPUTY NEEDS SOME HELP OR WHATEVER AND WE MONITORING THE MONITORS ALL THE TIME, EACH ONE OF US GOT A MONITOR THAT WE WATCH, THE SECURITY MONITOR SO WE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE COURT AT ALL TIMES.
AND IF MY BAILIFF IN PRECINCT ONE, YOU'VE ANSWERED MY QUESTION.
OKAY. I'M SORRY, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW I ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION ALL THE WAY.
THE ANSWER IS YES. YOU WANT TO.
WELL, I WAS TRYING TO CLARIFY IT.
AND YOU SAID. AND YOU CLARIFIED IT FOR ME.
YOU SAID TWO BAILEY'S FOR THAT COURT, SO I GOT IT.
OKAY. OKAY. THEN MOVE ON WITH YOUR PRESENTATION.
OKAY. SO THAT'S NOT ONLY THAT THE CLERK'S YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE THE COURT AND THE CONSTABLE OFFICE WORK HAND IN HAND. WE, THEIR PERSONNEL IS COMING TO OUR OFFICE BRINGING PAPERS.
ARE WE GOING OVER TO THEIR OFFICE? YOU KNOW THAT IT WOULD MAKE EVERYTHING WORK EFFICIENTLY AND BETTER.
AND WHEN WE GET SO MANY PEOPLE COMING IN TO OUR OFFICE TO ASK QUESTIONS ON A DAILY BASIS, THAT WOULD CUT DOWN ON THE COMPLAINTS THAT WE ARE GETTING, THAT THEY HAVE TO COME WAY OVER.
THE 3 OR 3 TECHS. HAVE A QUESTION.
COMMISSIONER MORALES YOU HAVE TWO COATS.
AND IS THAT THE SAME SITUATION IN THE COURT, TOO? WHERE YOU HAVE TWO BAILIFFS? NO, BUT THERE IS NO CONSTABLE IN THAT OFFICE.
RIGHT. BUT STILL, THEY ARE MANAGING WITH ONE.
THAT'S A BIG I'M JUST DIFFERENT.
I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
THAT'S ALL IT IS. I'M NOT SAYING YOU'RE WRONG.
UH COUNCIL MEMBER. CAN YOU TELL ME HOW MANY OF YOUR DEPUTIES ARE OUT SERVING PAPERS? TOTAL NUMBER. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF DEPUTIES OUT SERVING PAPERS.
I HAVE A 25 STAFFING TEAM THAT WOULD.
DOWN TO YOUR QUESTION IS, WHAT ABOUT 15?
[00:40:02]
BECAUSE WE ALL SERVE PAPER WHEN WE NEED TO SERVE PAPERS.OKAY. SO YOU HAVE 15 OF YOUR 25 THAT SERVE PAPERS.
BUT IT SHOWS HERE YOU HAVE AM I UNDERSTANDING IT WRONG? IT'S SHOWING THAT 23 YOU HAVE IN 2023.
YEAH, WE GOT 23. WE HAVE TWO OPENINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO FILL RIGHT NOW.
YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE BAILIFF POSITION THAT WE HAVE THAT WAS APPOINTED.
SO WE HAVE TWO POSITIONS THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY YOU HAVE 23 PEOPLE.
AND DID YOU SEE THE WORKLOAD THAT MY PEOPLE OUT OF 2315 IS DEDICATED FOR SERVING? IT'S ACTUALLY 25.
NOW, THAT'S WHAT I WAS SAYING.
25, INCLUDING ONE PART TIME POSITION.
YES. YEAH. SO, SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS THIS HERE.
YEAH. WHAT I'M SAYING IS HERE AS THE MONTHS GO BY THE WORKLOAD IS AND ALSO I WANTED TO CLARIFY ONE MORE IS THAT A 24.5 OR 25, 24.5? 24.5. YEAH.
OKAY. BECAUSE THAT MAKES FINANCIALLY, IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
THAT'S WHY. PLEASE GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER.
OKAY. AND WE DON'T HAVE 25 DEPUTIES.
THIS IS THE TOTAL PEOPLE THERE.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE STAND ON THAT.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING FOR.
AND ALSO, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION, CONSTABLE.
CURRENTLY, YOU ARE NOT SERVING PLACE TO COURT.
NO, CURRENTLY I'M NOT, BECAUSE THE COURT IS IN EXISTENCE SINCE OCTOBER.
IS THAT RIGHT, OR NOVEMBER? IT WAS IN OCTOBER.
I THINK HE I THINK HE STARTED HEARING CASES IN JANUARY.
JANUARY. OKAY. SO LAST FOUR MONTHS, YOU ARE NOT PICKING UP THE MAIL.
YOU'RE NOT SERVING THAT COURT BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE.
OKAY. WE DO NOT HAVE A DEPUTY OUT THERE.
WE HAVE NOT HIRED A DEPUTY OUT THERE.
I'M JUST ASKING AND I'M JUST FINE.
AS SOON AS WE GET EVERYTHING NEEDED SO WE CAN PROPERLY PROTECT THAT COURT AND SET UP THAT OFFICE TO SERVE THE CITIZENS OF THE AREA.
YOU KNOW, BUT IT STILL TAKE TIME TO HIRE.
THAT'S WHY THEY'RE SITTING THERE.
OKAY. YOU KNOW THAT. BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS TO SERVE DEPUTY, IF WE GET THE PROPER THE PEOPLE WE NEED, THAT DEPUTY WILL NOT JUST BE SITTING THERE DOING NOTHING BUT STANDING, BUT SITTING THERE.
THAT DEPUTY CAN BE CALLING WARRANT PEOPLE WHO HAVE OUTSTANDING WARRANTS.
WE CAN BE COLLECTING MONEY FOR THE COUNTY.
AND ALSO WHEN ONE DEPUTY IS OUT, WHEN THE COURT IS NOT IN SESSION, YOU GOT ONE DEPUTY OUT SERVING PAPERS BECAUSE THE NUMBERS HAVE SHOWN WE NEED THAT AND THEN THE OTHER DEPUTY CAN BE THERE CALLING.
AND CONSTABLE, RESPECTFULLY, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY.
I'M NOT SAYING YOU'RE NOT YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT RIGHT OR YOU'RE WRONG OR NONE OF THAT.
THAT'S ALL IT IS. I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT COUNCILMAN SMITH YES, SIR.
IS THEY DOING ARE THEY DOING SOMETHING ELSE? NO, IT IS.
WE GOT A LOT OF PAPERS AND THERE'S A LOT OF PAPER THAT SET THEM UP.
THESE ARE THE ONES THAT YOU GOT TO ATTEMPTS.
WE DIDN'T PUT DOWN ALL THESE ATTEMPTS, ALL OF THIS OTHERS.
THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF THAT WE HAVE TO DO BEFORE THAT WE HAVE TO DO WHAT THREE ATTEMPTS? CONSTABLE SMITH THE NUMBERS YOU JUST GAVE ME WORK OUT TO 25 PAPERS SERVED PER DEPUTY PER MONTH.
SO I'M ASKING IF THEY DO ANYTHING ELSE BESIDES SERVE ONE PAPER A DAY.
THEY DO WHATEVER THEY NEED TO DO DURING THAT DAY TIME OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND WORKING.
YOU HAVE TO PREPARE EVERY DAY TO GO OUT AND SERVE THE PAPER.
THE PAPERS ARE NOT JUST IN ONE LITTLE AREA THAT YOU SAY, OH, I SERVED THIS PAPER.
[00:45:01]
IT MIGHT TAKE THEM A WHOLE DAY ON.ON SERVING AND MAKING ATTEMPTS ON PEOPLE.
WE DIDN'T PUT DOWN HOW MANY ATTEMPTS THEY'VE BEEN THERE BECAUSE THAT NUMBER WOULD BE WAY HIGHER.
WE JUST WENT ON SERVING PAPERS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM ANY COURT? YEAH. IF WE IF I'M GOING TO KIND OF GO OFF OF COMMISSIONER MYERS'S PRIORITY QUESTIONS YESTERDAY, BUT IF WE HAD TO PRIORITIZE. OH, I'M GOING TO LET YOU ANSWER.
NO, ACTUALLY. ALSO, ONE MORE THING I WANTED TO SAY.
THE NOTE SAYING THAT THIS YEAR WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SENIORS.
YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY ALWAYS LOOKING FOR MORE POSITION.
THEY COULD DO THEIR JOB BETTER.
AND I COMPLETELY RESPECT THAT.
AND I SEE THAT ALL 3% IS ALREADY BEEN FILLED.
YOU HAVE THAT. YOU HAVE THAT, SIR, IN YOUR HANDOUT.
AND I MY MY NOTES SAYING IT IS IT'S ALREADY AND NOT ONLY THAT WE ARE NOT CREATING POSITIONS.
WE HAVE BEEN REDISTRICT AND WE HAVE ANOTHER OFFICE AND WE AND WE HAVE TO.
SO THAT COMES WITH SERVING THE PEOPLE THAT NEED TO BE SERVED.
SO WE ARE I'M NOT COMING IN HERE ASKING YOU TO.
I'LL ASK YOU THE SAME QUESTION.
I'LL I'LL ASK THE SAME THING I'VE ASKED OF ALL THE OTHER OFFICIALS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS WHO'VE COME IN ASKING FOR STAFF, AND THAT IS PRIORITIZE YOUR THREE PEOPLE.
ONE, TWO, THREE. WHAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT? WHAT'S THE NEXT MOST IMPORTANT? WHAT'S THE THIRD MOST IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW? THE MOST. NO, NO, YOU DON'T HAVE YOU DON'T HAVE TO DECIDE NOW.
BUT THAT'S GOING TO BE IN THE NEXT BUDGET HEARING.
WE'RE GOING TO BE ASKING WHAT YOUR PRIORITIES ARE OR I WILL BE ASKING YOU WHEN WE HAVE OUR.
YEAH, BUT YEAH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DECIDE NOW.
OKAY. SO WE'LL ANSWER THAT LATER.
ANYTHING ELSE. NO, NO, CONSTABLE.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU.
HOW IS EVERYBODY? GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING.
NO, NO OFFENSE, BUT WHAT WAS YOUR CONSTABLE? I'M SORRY. WHAT WAS YOUR CONSTABLE? I'M HERE. REPRESENT.
I'M SORRY. I AM HERE TO REPRESENT MY CONSTABLE.
OKAY. AND OUR OFFICE, PRECINCT THREE OR ANYBODY, IF YOU'D LIKE.
THAT'S A LEGITIMATE QUESTION, THOUGH.
YES, SIR. YES, SIR. I UNDERSTAND.
YES, SIR. SO WE ACTUALLY ASKED FOR A CIVIL SLASH ADMINISTRATIVE DEPUTY, AND WE DID DO THE G D Q, WAS IT IS THAT WHAT IT'S CALLED, THE JOB DESCRIPTION HERE? YES, MA'AM. THAT WAS TURNED IN SO THAT WE CAN LOOK INTO THAT POSITION.
AND WE DO GET WE GOT THE RECOMMENDATION FROM H.R.
WHICH SAYS THAT THEY WILL LOOK INTO IT OR WHATEVER THEY MIGHT BELIEVE THAT WE DO NEED THAT POSITION AND MY JUSTIFICATION FOR THAT IS BASICALLY WE NEED WE DO NEED HELP WITH THE CIVIL ASPECT OF OUR OFFICE.
WE WENT UP APPROXIMATELY 1300 FROM 21 FROM YEAR 2021 TO 2022.
AND THAT'S JUST CLEARING THE PAPERS.
LIKE CONSTABLE SMITH SAID, THIS IS NOT ATTEMPTS EVERY PAPER IT HAS TO BE WORKED.
YOU DON'T JUST GO GET PAPER AND GO SERVE IT.
WHAT IS THAT IN PACE TO DO? LIKE APPROXIMATELY FOR THE YEAR? THERE'S SOME SOME THERE'S EVICTIONS HAVE RESTRICTIONS.
WE HAVE TEN DAYS TO SERVE THEM.
SOME ARE THREE DAYS TO SERVE 24 HOURS.
WE HAVE TO SERVE SOME OF THOSE.
AND THEN. QUESTION MY QUESTION WAS, WHAT DO YOU ANTICIPATE TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR? I ANTICIPATE AT LEAST 4500 TO GET TO THAT NUMBER.
NOW, THE REDISTRICTING DID EVEN OUT THE POPULATION.
I THINK THAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THAT.
DO YOU HAVE SERVING PAPER? I'M SORRY, HOW MANY DEPUTIES DO YOU HAVE SERVING? WE CURRENTLY HAVE FOUR DEPUTIES SERVING CIVIL OUT OF OUT OF AROUND SIX.
WE HAVE A SERGEANT. WE DO HAVE A CIVIL SERGEANT, BUT HE BASICALLY OVERSEES THE CIVIL DIVISION, GETS NUMBERS FOR US PROCESSES, MAKES SURE THE DEPUTIES HAVE THEIR OWN PROPER DISTRICTS. THE PAPERS ARE ASSIGNED TO PROPER DISTRICTS.
[00:50:01]
BUT YES, OUT OF THE SIX THAT WE HAVE IN CIVIL OR IN IN OUR OFFICE WARRANT AND CIVIL, FOUR OF FOUR OF THOSE ARE FULL TIME CIVIL DEPUTIES THAT SERVE PAPERS FOR PEOPLE, FOUR FOR SERVING 4500, OR YOU HAVE OTHER PAPERS OTHER THAN THAT'S OUR PROJECTED SOMEBODY ASKED FOR THE TOTAL PAPERS YOU'RE YOU ANTICIPATE YOU'RE GOING TO HANDLE FOUR? YES, SIR. YES, SIR.OKAY. AND SO WHAT IS THE OTHER SIDE DOING? THE OTHERS WE HAVE, ONE OF THEM'S ASSIGNED TO PATROL, WHICH IS A WARRANT DEPUTY, BUT HE'S ASSIGNED TO THE PATROL DIVISION.
AND WE HAVE ANOTHER DEPUTY WHO IS ASSIGNED TO INTERNAL INVESTIGATIONS AND TO THE WARRANT DIVISION SO THAT BOTH DEPUTIES WERE USED IN THE CIVIL AREA.
IN THE PAST, NOT WITH THIS ADMINISTRATION.
NO, I'M TRYING I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I'M NOT QUESTIONING AND I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
SIR, YOUR DEPUTIES ARE SERVING APPROXIMATELY FOUR PAPERS A DAY.
THAT'D BE FOUR PAPERS A DAY, RIGHT? NO, SIR.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE CLEARING THE PAPERS.
YES. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE OUT THERE DOING ATTEMPTS.
THEY CAN BE DOING IT. IT COULD AMOUNT TO 25 ATTEMPTS RIGHT NOW.
DIVISION COMES UP WITH APPROXIMATELY FOUR A DAY.
I JUST I'M JUST TRYING TO GET SOME IDEAS RIGHT.
AND ALSO, I JUST WANTED TO SAY YOUR PLACE IN THIS ACTUALLY THE MOST DENSELY POPULATED BUT THE SMALLEST IN CORRECT GEOGRAPHICAL AREA.
YES, SIR. WE GAIN APARTMENT COMPLEXES AS WELL.
CORRECT. THEIR GEOGRAPHY IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
THE MAKEUP HOURS IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM THAT.
OURS IS A LOT SMALLER, BUT YET WE BUILD UP IN THE CITY AN INCORPORATED CITY.
SO THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE IS EVERY PRECINCT IS DIFFERENT, CORRECT? YEAH, THEIR NEEDS ARE DIFFERENT.
AND THE OTHER POSITION? ANOTHER POSITION THAT WE ASKED FOR WAS A SERGEANT FOR PATROL.
WE DO RUN A 24 HOUR OPERATION WITH OUR CONTRACTS.
OUR CONTRACT. WE DO HAVE OUR CONTRACTS.
THEREFORE, WE HAVE DAY SHIFT, EVENING SHIFT, AND WE HAVE NIGHT SHIFT.
WE HAVE ONE CONTRACT SERGEANT WHO OVERSEES THE CONTRACTS.
HOWEVER, WE CANNOT HAVE ONE SERGEANT ONLY OVERSEEING EVENING SHIFT AND NIGHT SHIFT.
THIS PERSON NEEDS TO TAKE OFF OR HAS THEIR DAYS OFF AS WELL.
HOW MANY HOW MANY DEPUTIES DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR DEPUTY CONTRACT PROGRAM? ON THE CONTRACTS, ONLY WE HAVE NINE.
I'M SORRY. YEAH, IT'S NINE PLUS.
THE ONE SERGEANT THAT SHE JUST SPOKE OF.
RIGHT. AND THEN ONE OF OUR COUNTY POSITIONS IS ALSO IN THE PATROL DIVISION.
HOW MANY STAFF DO YOU HAVE? WE HAVE 16, 15, 16, INCLUDING THE CONSTABLE, PLUS THE TEN CONTRACTS.
SO 26 IF YOU COUNT ALL THE CONTRACTS.
OKAY. SO THE CONTRACT IS NOT COUNTED HERE? NO. OKAY. OKAY, THAT MAKES SENSE.
WE HAVE 13 FULL TIME AND THEN WE HAVE THE BAILIFF.
I'M HEARING I GOT 15 ON MY SCHEDULE HERE.
HERE. AND WE GOT TEN OTHERS SOMEPLACE ELSE, ETCETERA.
CAN WE HAVE A TOTAL ON IN THE AIR REPORT? THEY HAVE 1010 CONTRACT, WHICH IS NINE DEPUTIES AND ONE SERGEANT.
WE HAVE NINE DEPUTIES ON CONTRACT PLUS ONE SERGEANT.
SO THAT'S TEN. WE HAVE GRANTS AND CONTRACTS.
SO WHAT DO WE AGREE ON? CONTRACTS.
YOU HAVE GRANTS, PROJECTS AND OTHER 12.
SO WHAT? I'M ASSUMING TEN ARE THE THOSE ARE ALL CONTRACTS.
CORRECT. THAT WAS RECENTLY VACATED ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO FEEL THAT WE HAVE IT.
SO DO WE HAVE 10 OR 12? ON COUNTY GRANTS, PROJECTS AND OTHER.
YOU GOT 12 SO FAR WE'VE ADDED TEN.
SO WHAT ARE THE OTHER TWO ON THE COUNTY, INCLUDING THE CONSTABLE.
[00:55:07]
NO, THE GRANTS NUMBER THREE, THE GRANTS PROJECTS AND OTHERS.WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE ON GRANTS.
WE USED TO HAVE ONE AND YESTERDAY IT WAS ALLOCATED.
NO, I JUST SHOWING SCHEDULE YOU'VE GIVEN US.
IT HAS 12 PEOPLE ON IT AND FOR 24 IT IS.
ALL RIGHT. SO. ALL RIGHT. I GOT YOU.
I GOT YOU. AND I WANT TO SAY AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT ONE BECAUSE.
THANK YOU. THERE IS A THAT MAKES SENSE.
YEAH, I THINK THERE IS A CONTRACT THAT THERE IS.
AND AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT SHEET THAT I GOT FROM ELVA, IN ADDITION, IT SAYS 15.
BUT THAT'S INCLUDING OUR TWO ADMIN ASSISTANTS ALSO.
WELL THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
I WAS ONLY. I WAS FOCUSED ON THE DEPUTIES ONLY.
I JUST. JUST. ALL I'M SAYING IS LET'S GET THE NUMBER RIGHT.
AND ALSO COMING BACK TO THE CIVIL DUTIES, WHICH IS YOUR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY, BASED ON WHAT I'M SEEING HERE AND ALSO WHAT I'M HEARING FROM YOU.
IT LOOKED LIKE MAYBE THE THE ADMINISTRATION SHIFTED A LITTLE BIT FROM THEIR CIVIL RESPONSIBILITY TO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT. YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY YES OR NO.
IS THAT A FAIR STATEMENT OR DO YOU THINK IT IS A REASON? THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE ARE STRUGGLING WITH THIS.
YOU'RE HAVING PROBLEMS SERVING THE PAPERS? WELL, WE'RE GOING TO DO WE'RE GOING TO COME UP WITH WHAT WE NEED TO DO REGARDING OUR WORK.
HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE WE DO HAVE OUR CONSTITUENTS THAT WE HAVE TO REPORT TO AND WE DO.
THEY EXPECT A LEVEL OF SERVICE FROM US.
WE CAN'T JUST COMPLETELY IGNORE THE PATROL SIDE.
AND SOMETIMES WE SEND THE DEPUTIES, THE CIVIL DEPUTIES, WE SEND WHOEVER WE CAN.
AT THAT MOMENT, WE DON'T TELL ANYBODY.
I'M NOT I'M NOT QUESTIONING IT.
YOU KNOW WHY YOU'RE DOING OR THAT'S NOT MY JOB.
YOU DO YOUR JOB? YES, SIR. AND I'M JUST TRYING TO CLARIFY OR KIND OF TRYING TO GET A SENSE.
YES, SIR. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER, YOU HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS? I'M SORRY, I HAVE, BUT I HAVE A QUESTION BEFORE PRIORITY.
I UNDERSTAND. BECAUSE WE WERE GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH COUNTY POSITIONS.
YOU'RE REQUESTING THREE DEPUTY CONSTABLES.
WHAT ARE THE PLEASE TELL ME AGAIN.
AND THEN THE OTHER TWO WERE THE OTHER TWO PATROL.
OKAY. SO HOW DO YOU JUSTIFY THAT? ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR. DID YOU SAY JUSTIFIED? I'LL SAY PRIORITIZE THEM. PRIORITIZE.
THEY'LL HAVE TO DO THEM NOW. OKAY.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TALK TO HER ABOUT YOUR PRIORITIES.
OH, YEAH, I WILL. AND ALSO, YOU COULD GO BACK AND TALK TO TALK TO YOUR CONSTABLE, CONSTABLE.
AND. AND PRIORITIZE. YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO SAY IT NOW.
IT IT, YOU KNOW, NOT A CONCERN, BUT I'M STILL TRYING TO UNDERSTAND MORE.
NOT ALL, BUT A LOT OF AREA YOU COVER IS ALSO PART OF CITY OF SUGAR LAND.
BUT WE ALSO NEED TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION EVERY POLICE DEPARTMENT RIGHT NOW IS LOW IN MANPOWER.
MISSOURI CITY IS STAFFORD IS SUGAR LAND.
I MEAN, NOT US PER SE, BUT FORT BEND COUNTY IS AS WELL AS A WHOLE.
AND THAT'S JUST THE TIMES THAT WE'RE IN CURRENTLY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM ANYBODY? THANK YOU FOR THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
AND I'D LIKE TO GIVE CAMPBELL A SHOUT OUT AS WELL.
THANK YOU, PAMELA, FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
ELVIS HAS BEEN DOING REALLY GREAT.
YES, SIR. BEFORE WE GO TO THE NEXT CONSTABLE.
COULD YOU GIVE ME THE ACCOUNTS OF ALL OF THEM? AND THREE CATEGORIES.
THE NUMBER OF HAVE IT ON MY COMPUTER RIGHT HERE BUT I WON'T ADMIN BROKEN OUT SO.
SO I HAVE ADMIN BRICK DEPUTIES.
DEPUTIES ON THE COUNTY AND ADMIN PERSONNEL AND DON'T INCLUDE THE COUNTY.
[01:00:06]
I DON'T INCLUDE THE ELECTED OFFICIAL.YEAH. YEAH. I ACTUALLY HAVE IT BROKEN OUT.
WHERE? IT'S THE CONSTABLE, CHIEF.
HOW MANY ADMIN, HOW MANY SERGEANTS, HOW MANY LIEUTENANTS AND HOW MANY DEPUTIES? DON'T YOU JUST WANT TOTAL? YOU WANT IT REAL EASY. TOTAL CONTRACT.
YEAH, I GOT IT. I KNOW SO FAR THAT PRECINCT THREE, THEY HAVE TEN CONTRACTS.
YEAH, I KNOW. PRECINCT TWO HAS ZERO CONTRACTS.
I THINK CONSTABLE ONE GOT A BIG NUMBER.
CONSTABLE ONE HAS 40 CONTRACTS.
AND WHAT ABOUT CONSTABLE BIERI? REGULAR, REGULAR, REGULAR DEPUTY POSITIONS.
WHICH ONE PRECINCT? ONE PRECINCT ONE HAS 21 OH 21 YOU WANT HOW MANY DEPUTIES? 11 DEPUTIES. HOW MANY LAW ENFORCEMENT AND HOW MANY ADMIN? I THINK THAT IS FOR EVERYBODY.
VERONICA, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
WE COULD MOVE ON OR YOU HAVE THAT KIND OF.
BUT OUR NUMBERS SEEM TO DIFFER JUST A LITTLE BIT.
EARLIER THIS WEEK. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
IT'S TEN AND IT'S SOMETHING ELSE.
IT'S 15. BUT DEPUTY WISE IT'S 13 APPARENTLY BECAUSE THERE'S TWO ADMIN ASSISTANTS.
WHO ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? PRECINCT ONE ONE.
HOW MANY DEPUTIES, HOW MANY PRECINCT TWO IS ZERO, CONTRACT FIVE ADMIN AND 20.
LAW ENFORCEMENT, INCLUDING THE CONSTABLE.
PRECINCT FOUR, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S 16 CONTRACT.
AND 22 LAW ENFORCEMENT, INCLUDING THE CONSTABLE.
OKAY. SO FOR MY SAKE, I'M GOING TO REDUCE ALL THOSE NUMBERS BY ONE TO TAKE THE GOSPEL OUT.
YEAH. MY NUMBERS ARE JUST A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN YOURS.
THAT'S A CONTRACT. IS IT CONTRACT? I HAVE 17, BUT THAT INCLUDES ONE SERGEANT.
YEP, YOU'RE RIGHT. I THINK ELVA PUT JUST THE 16 AND 17.
THAT INCLUDES ONE SERGEANT THAT'S PAID BY A CONTRACT.
JUDGE COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY.
I GAVE YOU ALL A PACKET AND AT THE TOP OF THAT PACKET YOU'LL SEE IT SAYS PAPER COUNT.
FORT BEND COUNTY COURTS THREE 122 231 OF 23 BROKEN DOWN BY EACH PRECINCT, DISTRICT, COURT, COUNTY COURT, JP AND OUT OF COUNTY.
THESE NUMBERS CAME DIRECTLY FROM IT.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THE NUMBERS FROM THE COUNTY COURTS AS 2003 PAPERS ALSO ATTACHED TO THAT IS SOMETHING I GOT FROM LAURA RICHARD'S OFFICE THAT SHOWED 2000 PAPERS AND TWO.
SO THOSE NUMBERS ARE VERY ACCURATE.
YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE IN THE NUMBERS BY EACH PRECINCT.
OUR PAPER COUNT IS A LOT HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER PRECINCT.
WALKER AND MS.. WALKER THANK YOU.
BECAUSE THEY'RE SUPPLYING US WITH PAPER.
AND THE REASON I'M ASKING FOR I CALLED IT A CLERK.
BUT THE TITLE HAS CHANGED IS BECAUSE EVERY PAPER THAT COMES INTO OUR OFFICE IS E FILED.
WE HAVE TO PRINT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE PAPERS TO BE SERVED.
AND THE WAY THAT'S BROKEN DOWN IS WE HAVE A NEW CALLED SOFT CODE.
AND ROBIN CAN TELL YOU WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING SOFT CODE FOR WHAT? FOR WE NEED TO TALK INTO THE MIC SO EVERYBODY CAN HEAR.
WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING SOFT CODE FOR 4 OR 5 YEARS, BUT NOW WE HAVE ALMOST ALL THE BUGS WORKED OUT.
SO EVERYTHING IS E-FILE TO OUR OFFICE.
[01:05:01]
THE ONLY PAPERS THAT ARE HANDED TO US IS WHEN WE WALK ACROSS THE JP4 AND THERE ARE ALREADY PUT TOGETHER, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THEM AND PUT THEM IN, LOOK AT THEM IN THE SYSTEM. CONSOLE HOW CURRENTLY, HOW MANY DEPUTIES DO YOU HAVE SERVING PAPERS? THERE'S A SHEET THERE, COMMISSIONER, I GAVE YOU IN THAT PACKET THAT HAS THE BREAKDOWN.I SEE THE NUMBER OF PAPERS I CURRENTLY HAVE.
IF YOU LOOK AT OUR CHART CIVIL PROCESS PAPERS, ACTUAL PROCESS PAPERS, I HAVE ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR.
I HAVE FIVE DEPUTIES DOING THAT.
I HAVE TWO DOING WRITS, A ROVER TOTAL NUMBER TOTAL NUMBER OF DEPUTIES ARE JUST SERVING PAPERS.
JUST SERVING PAPERS IS FIVE DEPUTIES.
SO FIVE DEPUTIES AND THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PAPERS YOU SERVED FROM THAT TIME TO THAT TIME IS OVER 6600 ACCORDING TO THE SHEET I GAVE YOU, COMMISSIONER.
SO IN A YEAR YOU HAD FIVE DEPUTIES SERVE 6600 PAPERS? YES, SIR. THAT DOESN'T COUNT THE WRITS.
I HAVE TWO WRIT DEPUTIES, SO WRITS ARE DIFFERENT THAN.
THAN THE OTHER PAPERS, COMMISSIONER.
OKAY. WELL, THOSE NUMBERS I GAVE YOU ALL ARE VERY ACCURATE BECAUSE WE ALSO GOT THOSE FROM THE DISTRICT CLERK FOR STRAIGHT FROM IT.
SO THOSE ARE ACCURATE NUMBERS FOR EACH PRECINCT.
SO AGAIN, IN OUR BUDGET, WE'RE ASKING FOR AN ADDITIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE PERSON UP FRONT TO HELP WITH ALL THIS PROCESS OF ALL THESE PAPERS. I'M ASKING FOR ANOTHER DEPUTY.
THE INCREASE IN OUR EVICTIONS, WE'RE AVERAGING OVER 125 EVICTIONS A MONTH.
WE PICKED UP 26 APARTMENT COMPLEXES IN THE REDISTRICTING.
AND I'VE BEEN HAVING TO PULL MY WARRANT OFFICER TO GO HELP STAND BY.
BECAUSE IF WE HAVE TO MOVE THEM OUT OF A HOUSE, IT COULD TAKE TWO HOURS TO ALL DAY.
FOR SAFETY, WE HAVE TWO OFFICERS GO.
SO BECAUSE OF THE INCREASE, THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING FOR AN ADDITIONAL DEPUTY TO HELP WITH WRITS.
I'M ASKING FOR A DEPUTY TO HELP WITH WARRANTS.
WE HAVE OVER 100,000 WARRANTS RIGHT NOW.
AS JUDGE JOHNSON TOLD YOU ALL YESTERDAY, HE'S SITTING ON ABOUT 2000.
YOU CAN SEE AT THE BOTTOM IN 2002, WHEN ONLY HAD ONE WARRANT DEPUTY, HE CLEARED 894 WARRANTS, COLLECTED $223,000. IN 2021, WHEN I HAD TWO AND A HALF DEPUTIES, ALMOST THREE DEPUTIES DOING WARRANTS, WE CLEARED OVER 1900 AND BROUGHT IN OVER $400,000.
I BELIEVE THE WARRANT DEPUTY WILL PAY FOR HIMSELF IF YOU GIVE ME THAT POSITION.
SO THOSE ARE THE THREE THINGS I'M ASKING FOR.
SO THERE'S YOU ARE ACTUALLY GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED.
YOU WILL BE PICKED, YOU PICK UP OR YOUR I DO IT MYSELF THE MAIL MORNING MAIL FOR BIERI AFTERNOON PLACE TO JP'S OFFICE AND I REALLY APPRECIATE FOR THAT I JUST WANT TO ALSO RECOGNIZE YOU KNOW THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT.
YES SIR. AND WE TRY TO HELP OUT EVERY AGENCY WE CAN IN THIS COUNTY.
NO. JUST LIKE THIS WEEKEND, I THINK RISK MANAGEMENT IS HAVING THEIR BIG FUN RUN.
THEY CALLED US TO HELP WITH SECURITY.
I KNOW, JUDGE, YOUR OFFICE CALLS US QUITE A BIT TO HELP WITH THINGS.
THANK YOU. WE TRY NEVER TO TELL ANYBODY.
NO, WE TRY TO HELP EVERYBODY WHERE WE CAN.
WITH THE DEPUTIES THAT I HAVE ASKED, COMMISSIONER, I'LL ASK THE SAME QUESTION.
I'VE ASKED EVERYONE, EVERYONE ELSE WHO'S COME IN AND ASKED FOR COMMISSIONER, PRIORITIZE THEM.
I WILL TELL YOU THIS. ALL THREE ARE NOT A ONE.
LAST YEAR I ASKED FOR TWO SERGEANTS BECAUSE WE PICKED UP ALL THESE CONTRACT POSITIONS.
I DIDN'T GET THOSE POSITIONS, SO I HAD TO RECLASSIFY TWO DEPUTIES.
I NEED THOSE TWO DEPUTIES BACK.
AND I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT AND I'LL WORK WITH PAM CONSTABLE.
I SAID YESTERDAY YOU COULD PUT PRIORITY ONE ON ALL THREE.
SO I COULD, I COULD, I COULD HAVE ASKED FOR FIVE AND SAID BE HAPPY WITH TWO.
[01:10:04]
BUT I DON'T PLAY THAT GAME.SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM ANYBODY? CONSTABLE I JUST YEAH, THE I'M LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS HERE, BUT AS I UNDERSTAND IT, WE'VE HAD A QUITE SIGNIFICANT JUMP IN PAPERS BEING SERVED.
WE PRINT EVERY EVERYTHING COMES FILED, COMMISSIONER.
AGAIN, WE'RE PRINTING EVERY ONE OF THOSE PAPERS, AND SOME OF THEM ARE UP TO 100 PAGES EACH.
AND MY FRONT STAFF IS OVERWORKED.
AND I DON'T LIKE TELLING ANY OF MY EMPLOYEES THEY CAN'T TAKE OFF WHEN THEY HAVE TIME TO TAKE OFF.
SO. THIS ADDITIONAL PERSON UP FRONT.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN STAY STAFFED WITH AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE IN THE FRONT OFFICE EVERY DAY.
COMMISSIONER KNOWS HE USED TO BE THERE.
THAT SAYS JP COURT WITH AN ARROW.
BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE CAN'T READ, APPARENTLY.
SO WE ALMOST NEED A RECEPTIONIST JUST FOR OUR BUILDING TO SIT THERE AND DIRECT PEOPLE PLACES.
I MYSELF WALKED OUT IN THE LOBBY AREA.
PEOPLE ARE STANDING THERE LOOKING AROUND AND I GO, CAN I HELP YOU? WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE COURT.
WELL, THE LITTLE SIGN RIGHT THERE SAYS JP COURT, SO I HELP DIRECT THEM THERE.
AND THAT'S ANOTHER THING. THE LADIES OUT FRONT ARE ANSWERING PHONES, TAKING WALK INS.
WE'RE VERY BUSY IN OUR OFFICE.
SO, CONSTABLE, ANOTHER ANOTHER QUESTION, BECAUSE I HAVEN'T SEEN THIS SPLIT UP OF DISTRICT COUNTY CLERK AND ALSO JP, OF COURSE, JP FOUR YOU SERVE THIS IS THE SAME CASE WITH OTHER CONSTABLE'S OFFICE TOO, RIGHT? THIS GIVES THIS BREAKDOWN, JUDGE.
SAME THING WITH THREE AND FOUR.
WE GOT THEM FROM MS.. RICHARD'S OFFICE.
WE GOT THEM FROM MS.. WALKER'S OFFICE.
THESE ARE NOT MADE UP NUMBERS.
THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? CONSTABLE, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
YES, SIR. THANK YOU ALL. NEXT.
UH, DO YOU WANT TO TAKE A BREAK BEFORE WE DO, SHERIFF? YEAH, LET'S DO THAT. LET'S COME BACK.
SORRY. 13, 15, 25, 30, TEN, 30.
GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. WELCOME BACK.
WE RECONVENE OUR BUDGET HEARING.
YES, SIR. OUR FIRST OFFICE IS SHERIFF ENFORCEMENT.
CONSTABLE ONE DON'T HAVE ANY SPECIFIC.
SO THAT MEANS HE MET HIS TARGET.
YES. SHERIFF, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
ALMOST EVENING. I HAD ANOTHER ENGAGEMENT THIS MORNING, SO I'M JUST NOT GETTING OVER HERE.
MY CHIEF AND MY ASSISTANT CHIEF PUT ALL THE NUMBERS TOGETHER.
AND I'M PRETTY SURE, LIKE OTHER AGENCIES HAVE BEEN SAYING, THESE ARE MORE NEEDS THAN THEY ARE WANTS.
CURRENTLY, WE HAD BETWEEN 28 TO 30,000 CALLS MONTHLY COMING THROUGH MY DISPATCH.
28 TO 30,000 ON A MONTHLY PERIOD.
MY DETECTIVES, THEY ARE OVERLOADED ON CASES.
THE CASES HAVE INCREASED OUT TO LIKE 50 CASES PER DEPUTY WHERE IT SHOULD BE IN BETWEEN 15 TO 20.
[01:15:04]
THEY ARE THEY ARE THEY ARE OVER OVERWORKED.BUT WE STILL HAVEN'T RAISED THE STAFF LEVEL.
WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO TO BRING UP THE STAFFING LEVEL LIKE OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ACROSS THIS NATION ARE HURTING WITH THAT RECRUITING. WE HAVE A PERSON ON DUTY.
ALL THAT THIS PERSON DOES IS RECRUITING, BRINGING, BRINGING PEOPLE IN.
AND WE'RE WE'RE MEETING THOSE GOALS.
NOT ALL OF THEM, BUT WE NEED TO DO THINGS MORE INNOVATIVELY TO BRING THESE PEOPLE IN.
AND THAT'S WHAT MY BUDGET IS ASKING FOR.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE ARPA POSITIONS WE'RE ASKING, I BELIEVE IT'S YEAH, IT'S 12TH POSITION FROM ARPA, BUT THAT THAT MAY BE GOING AWAY.
BUT THESE POSITIONS ARE VITAL TO THE SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE OF FORT BEND COUNTY.
SO AT THIS TIME I'M GOING TO TURN OVER THE MIC TO MY CHIEF AND MY ASSISTANT CHIEF TO GO INTO DETAILS ON ON ON THE NEEDS THAT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE NEEDS, NOT ONLY THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, BUT THE PEOPLE OF FORT BEND COUNTY.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SHERIFF.
SO WE'RE ALLOCATED 893 POSITIONS.
WE HAVE 117 OPENINGS AS OF TODAY, MEANING THAT WE HAVE ABOUT 776 DEPUTIES THAT'S ON THE GROUND OR NOT JUST DEPUTIES, BUT TOTAL PERSONNEL THAT'S ON THE GROUND.
I KNOW YOU ALREADY KNOW THIS, BUT WE HAVE A POPULATION OF 894,000IN FORT BEND COUNTY.
WE COVER 875MI² IN FORT BEND COUNTY.
SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS THE LARGEST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY IN FORT BEND COUNTY.
WE HAVE 15 CONTRACTS THAT HAVE 43 DEPUTIES.
AND EACH CONTRACT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE AS PEOPLE LEAVE THE CONTRACTS, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO FILL THE CONTRACTS BECAUSE WE ARE SHORT 117. SO I KNOW YOUR BIGGEST QUESTION IS, WELL, IF YOU'RE SHORT 117, THEN WHY ARE YOU ASKING FOR 46 POSITIONS? AS SHERIFF SAID, 12 OF THOSE WERE POSITIONS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
AND WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GO AWAY WITH THE END OF THE BUDGET YEAR.
SO WE'RE ASKING FOR THOSE POSITIONS TO BE REINSTATED.
IF WE LOOK AT IT IN THAT MANNER, THEN WE'RE ONLY ASKING YOU FOR 30, 34 POSITIONS.
I'M SORRY. MAY I PAUSE YOU'RE ARE YOU CONSOLIDATING ALL YOUR REQUESTS TOGETHER AS ONE? BECAUSE I SEE 30.
DO YOU WANT ME TO JUST. LET'S TALK ABOUT ENFORCEMENT FIRST.
SO. WELL, ONLY BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS EASIER FOR THE COMMISSIONERS TO KIND OF HEAR THIS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WHEN WE CAME IN, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS ALWAYS BEEN TREATED AS A SILO.
WHEN WE LOOK AT DETENTION AND THEN WE LOOK AT ENFORCEMENT AND THEN WE LOOK AT INVESTIGATIONS.
I MEAN, WE'RE SUPERVISING THE WHOLE THING.
SO I LOOK AT IT AS A WHOLE ALL THE TIME.
I LOOK AT WHAT THE NEEDS ARE. I KEPT SAYING, THAT'S WHY I HEARD 12.
AND I WAS LIKE, OKAY, JUST TRYING TO MAKE IT AS A AS A FULL WHOLE.
SO I'M SORRY FOR INTERRUPTING.
I THINK THAT'S IT AS FAR AS I WANTED TO TO TALK ABOUT.
SO WE WILL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
AND AS I SAID, THE SPECIFICS, WE HAVE THOSE WE HAVE IT ALL DOCUMENTED.
AND PAMELA ACTUALLY HAS THE HAVE THE NUMBERS ALSO.
SO. SO FOR ENFORCEMENT, THERE ARE 30 POSITIONS WITH FIVE RPA.
AND THEN FOR BAILIFFS, WE HAVE FIVE RPA POSITIONS.
IS THAT CORRECT? ON ENFORCEMENT, WE HAVE FIVE AND TWO FIVE DEPUTIES AND TWO SERGEANTS AND THEN BAILIFFS.
WE HAVE FOUR AND ONE FOR DEPUTIES AND ONE SERGEANT.
AND THOSE WERE FOR THE COURTS THAT WE CREATED? YES. WELL, THE BAILIFFS WERE OKAY.
THE CITY WAS BECAUSE WE WE HAVE A 24 HOUR CIT PROGRAM NOW.
OKAY. SO YOU MENTIONED 12 RPA.
WHERE ARE THE OTHER TWO? OR MAYBE I MISSED IT UP.
FOUR DEPUTIES IN THE BAILIFFS.
ONE SUPERVISOR. THAT'S FIVE, RIGHT.
[01:20:01]
FIVE CIT DEPUTIES AND TWO SUPERVISORS.WE'LL GO BACK UP. OKAY, SO IT JUST SHOWS THE FIVE WHICH PAGE IT IS WRITTEN.
THESE NUMBERS I'M LOOKING AT SOME.
OKAY. WHICH TWO DID IT NOT SHOW? THE TWO IT SHOWS IT DOESN'T SHOW THE SUPERVISORS AND SIT.
SO WE HAVE TWO SUPERVISORS AND SIT THAT WERE ON ARPA.
YOU JUST HIGHLIGHT THAT? IS THAT CORRECT? YES. SO YOU'RE NOT REQUESTING ADDITIONAL SERGEANTS BESIDES THE RFA? YOU'RE JUST REPLACING.
CORRECT. IN ENFORCEMENT? NOT FOR ENFORCEMENT.
BASICALLY, I WAS JUST TAKING THE NUMBER DOWN SO THAT IT WOULDN'T LOOK AS BAD.
46 TO 34 I'VE PILL TO SWALLOW.
LET ME ASK IT KIND OF OFF THE TABLE QUESTION HERE FOR A SECOND.
DO YOUR PATROL DEPUTIES THAT LIVE IN FORT BEND COUNTY TAKE THEIR VEHICLE HOME? NOT ALL, NOT SUPER SUPERVISORS.
WHEN I WHEN I CAME HERE, A LOT OF THEM WERE TAKING CARS HOME.
SO WE WENT BACK THROUGH TO TO CHECK ON THAT.
SO NO, NOT EVERY DEPUTY LIVE IN FORT BEND COUNTY HAS A TAKE HOME CAR.
DO YOU THINK THERE WOULD BE? POSSIBLE TO REINSTATE THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, FROM I GUESS FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, SHERIFF VEHICLE IN A PARKED IN A SUBDIVISION, YOU KNOW, HAS A CERTAIN CRIME DETERRENCE TO IT.
THE THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH VEHICLES.
YEAH. WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH VEHICLES TO DO THAT.
AND ONE PROBLEM, EVERY PATROL GUY DOES NOT HAVE HIS OWN VEHICLE.
THEN ANOTHER SHIFT. COME IN, HAVE TO TAKE THAT VEHICLE.
YES. AND ONE PROBLEM THAT WE HAD, WE FOUND OUT THAT AND I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE ANY NAMES, SOME PEOPLE WERE TAKING THE VEHICLE HOME AND THEY WERE JUST USING IT AS A CAR.
THEY SAW AN INCIDENT ON THE ON THE FREEWAYS AND GOT YOUR REASONS.
THAT'S FINE. YEAH, THAT'S FINE.
THANK YOU. AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD ONE BECAUSE I KNOW I HAD MET WITH SOME FOLKS FROM THE DEPUTIES ASSOCIATION RECENTLY AND THEY MENTIONED THAT AS A YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL RECRUITMENT TOOL IS THE ABILITY TO HAVE A TAKE HOME VEHICLE FOR SOMEONE AND WHERE WE MIGHT HAVE SOME DEFICITS IN HIRING FOLKS.
I THINK YOU SAID 117 VACANCIES.
NOW THAT'S JUST A WONDERING FOR ME, TOO, IF THAT WOULD BE A AN INCENTIVE FOR SOMEONE.
AND THE QUESTION THAT I WOULD HAVE WOULD BE HOW MANY MORE VEHICLES WOULD WE HAVE TO OBTAIN? AND I ALREADY KNOW THE STRUGGLES WITH GETTING VEHICLES, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE BOARD.
BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT THAT WOULD TAKE.
I RECALL WHEN I WAS IN THE JUDGE'S OFFICE, THAT WAS A BIG ISSUE THAT VEHICLE MAINTENANCE WAS HAVING THAT A LOT OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLES WERE BEING YES, WE WERE HAVING TO REPLACE ENGINES AND ALL THAT STUFF BECAUSE PEOPLE WEREN'T COMING IN FOR OIL CHANGES AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
SO THAT'S NEW INFORMATION TO ME.
SO HELPFUL TO KNOW. BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS IN TERMS OF THE INCENTIVE FOR FOLKS WHO WERE ASKING TO LOCATE HERE, I KNOW IN OUR CONSTABLE'S OFFICES, I THINK ALMOST ALL OF THEM TAKE HOME THEIR VEHICLES.
AND I'M WONDERING IF THERE MIGHT BE A CORRELATION THERE WITH RECRUITMENT.
YEAH. AND ALSO, I JUST WANTED TO ADD THERE AND ALSO, I'M I'M FINDING OUT BECAUSE OF THAT SAME ISSUE, THAT 3 OR 4 PEOPLE USING THE SAME CAR LIKE IN A COUPLE OF TWO YEARS, SOME OF THESE VEHICLES PASSING 200,000 AND MORE MILES PUT ON.
AND SO. SOMETHING TO LOOK INTO.
AND I THINK WHAT WE'VE BEEN BUDGETING IN THE PAST IS TO ONE VEHICLE PER TWO DEPUTIES.
SO WHEN WE ADD TWO DEPUTIES, WE ADD ONE.
ONE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE THE TWO SHIFTS.
[01:25:03]
AND THAT'S FAIR AND THE OVERLAPPING SHIFT.AND TO HELP WITH THE RECRUITMENT WE HAVE IN HERE A WAY TO DO THAT.
AND I THINK IT WOULD BE CHEAPER THAN BUYING ALL THESE CARS AND GIVING ONE TO TAKE HOME.
THEY HELP ME OUT. SHERIFF, WOULD YOU SPEAK IN THE MIC? OH, I'M SORRY. ONE WAY TO HELP WITH RECRUITMENT, I THINK, WOULD BE A LOT CHEAPER THAN BUYING A BUNCH OF VEHICLES.
IS THE INCENTIVE INCENTIVE PAY FOR MY DEPUTIES LIKE CERTIFICATION PAY, INCREASE THE CERTIFICATION, PAY SHIFT DIFFERENTIAL AND WEAKENED PREMIUM.
WE'RE LOSING A LOT OF VETERAN OFFICERS TO OTHER AGENCIES BECAUSE THEY HAVE THIS THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S GOING ON THROUGHOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT WE'RE NOT DOING IT HERE IN FORT BEND COUNTY.
SHERIFF, I WANTED TO SAY, COMMISSIONER PRESTIGE, YOU TALKED ABOUT LAST YEAR MAYBE LOOKING INTO THAT.
I THINK I THINK THIS COURT WILL BE VERY MUCH FAVORABLE TO THAT CONVERSATION.
I THINK WE NEED TO ENGAGE IN THAT BECAUSE I THINK I THINK NICOLE IS IS LOOKING AT THAT.
I BELIEVE FROM THE LAST CONVERSATION I HAD WITH HER, IT WAS INCLUDED IN THE COMPENSATION STUDY.
THERE WERE OTHER ITEMS FOR INCENTIVES TO RECRUIT, RECRUITING AND RETENTION.
AND I'VE GIVEN HER THE INFORMATION THAT SHERIFF FAGAN GAVE TO US, AND SHE IS LOOKING AT THAT.
NICOLE, IF YOU WANTED TO JUST JUST GIVE A BRIEF DESCRIPTION WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT.
WE ARE LIVING IN A WORLD WHERE WE HAVE TO BE COMPETITIVE.
PEOPLE GO AND WORK SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND SO WE WANTED TO BE AND WE ARE AGAIN, AS COMMISSIONER RECENTLY MENTIONED, COMMISSIONER PRESTIGE.
THERE IS A COST TO DO BUSINESS AND ESPECIALLY THIS IS PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND SO PLEASE TALK ABOUT WHAT WE ARE WORKING ON.
GOOD MORNING. AND WHILE I DID NOT BRING ANY OF THAT INFORMATION HERE WITH ME THIS MORNING, WHAT I WILL SHARE IS THAT AT THE CULMINATION OF THE COMPENSATION STUDY, WHAT HR HAS DONE IS BEGUN IN DIALOG WITH SHERIFF FAGAN, CHIEF PROVOST AND AND ALL OF AND HIS STAFF, HIS COMMAND STAFF REGARDING WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO? HOW CAN WE BE CREATIVE IN THIS SPACE? AND SO WE HAVE STARTED PUTTING TOGETHER MODELING AROUND INCENTIVE PAY.
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT REGARDING UPPING OUR CERTIFICATION, PAY FOR BILINGUAL PAY? THESE ARE PIECES THAT WE DID LOOK AT IN THE COMPENSATION ANALYSIS THAT WE KNOW WE CAN'T DO.
WE COULDN'T DO EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, FOR THIS BUDGET CYCLE, YOU'LL SEE IN THE RECLASSIFICATION THERE'S CAREER LADDERING THAT WE LOOKED AT FOR OUR DETENTION OFFICERS.
SO THAT'S ACTUALLY I LIKE THE IDEA BECAUSE YOU'RE TAKING LOOKING INTO IT AND TAKING CARE OF EVENTUALLY WE COULD TAKE CARE OF THAT ISSUE BECAUSE THAT BRINGS A SYSTEM IN PLACE RATHER THAN WE ARE COMING UP WITH SOMETHING.
AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE CERTIFICATION PAY, IT WOULD NOT JUST IT WOULDN'T ONLY AFFECT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, BUT THE CERTIFICATION PAY FOR LIKE THE TCOLE CERTIFICATION WOULD BE FOR ALL ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT.
YEAH. AND ALSO ALSO FIRE MARSHALS OFFICE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YEAH, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
THERE'S ONE OTHER THING THAT I DO WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE AS WELL.
I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T BRING THIS UP.
THE STATE HAS RECOGNIZED THE TELECOMMUNICATION INDIVIDUALS AS FIRST RESPONDERS AS WELL.
SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THEM ALSO IN THIS.
WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT INCREASING PAY, OUR TELECOMMUNICATIONS.
WE JUST TOLD YOU ABOUT THE NUMBER OF CALLS THAT WE'RE GETTING.
THESE NUMBERS ARE ONLY GOING TO GO UP.
FORT BEND IS GROWING EXPONENTIALLY, ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING COUNTIES.
AND OUR FIRST PRIORITY FOR ANY ELECTED OFFICIAL IS THE SAFETY OF ITS CITIZENRY.
WITH EVERYBODY AT FORT BEND COUNTY.
WE TRY TO WORK WITH EVERYONE TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR PUBLIC IS SAFE.
AND I SEE THAT WITH EACH ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS HERE.
AND WE DO APPRECIATE APPRECIATE THAT.
[01:30:04]
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SHERIFF.AND ESPECIALLY YOU HAVE A PHENOMENAL TEAM PROACTIVELY ENGAGING THAT.
AND THAT'S I APPRECIATED LAST YEAR WE HEARD ABOUT A LOT ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO FAR IT'S GOOD. WE WANT TO STAY ON TOP OF IT.
YEAH. ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO ADD, CHIEF PROVOST ON THE DETENTION BUDGET OR PERHAPS CHIEF HUANG.
I KNOW THAT WE RECENTLY SIGNED THE UPDATED OUR CONTRACT WITH THE INMATE MEDICAL.
IS THAT INCLUDED HERE OR DO WE NEED TO CHANGE IT? NO, WE WILL NEED TO CHANGE IT.
YEAH. SO I JUST WANTED TO GO BACK TO THE CARS.
WHILE WE KNOW THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH VEHICLES.
ACTUALLY, WE HAVE ABOUT 50 PLUS VEHICLES THAT ARE SITTING OUT BY THE GAS PUMPS.
IF YOU'VE SEEN THOSE THAT HAVE NOT BEEN MARKED, THEY'VE BEEN SITTING THERE FOR A WHILE.
SO WE ACTUALLY NEED THOSE VEHICLES.
SO IF WE CAN GET THEM MARKED UP AND PUT THEM ON THE ROAD, THEN THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT INCENTIVES, THAT'S WHY WE'VE ADDED IN SHIFT DIFFERENTIAL PAY INTO THE NEW BUDGET AS WELL AS WEEKEND PREMIUM PAY FOR THOSE THAT WORK ON THE WEEKENDS, THEY WOULD GET EXTRA AND FOR THE SHIFT DIFFERENTIAL PLUS THE CERTIFICATION RAISING THE CERTIFICATION PAY.
AND AS SHERIFF SAID, OUR TCOS ARE NOT RECEIVING CERTIFICATION PAY AS OF YET AND WE NEED TO ADD THEM IN BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN INCLUDED AS THE TECO. YEAH.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ANYBODY? AND DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER ITEM TO PRESENT OR JUST COMBINED BAILIFFS AND BAILIFFS AND.
YOU'RE ASKING FOR YOU ALREADY.
BAILIFF. YOU MENTIONED YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT DETENTION.
IS THAT IT? YEAH. AND WHAT ABOUT DETENTION? DETENTION? ANYTHING YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT OR YOU GOT TO TALK ABOUT? AND SORRY. HOLD ON REAL QUICK ON THE BAILIFF POINT.
SORRY, CHIEF, ON THE BAILIFF POINT, IS IT THE ARE ALL OF THOSE ARPA POSITIONS FILLED FOR THE BAILIFFS? YES, THEY ARE.
AND, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT PRIORITIES HERE, COULD THOSE NOT BE ABSORBED BY SOME OF THE VACANT THE 117 VACANT POSITIONS THAT YOU CURRENTLY HAVE? NO, THE BAILIFF IS A SEPARATE ENTITY.
WE THEY HAVE TO BE SPECIALIZED, TRAINED AND STUFF.
AND IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, WE HAVE INCREASED JUDGES AND STUFF THAT WERE NEVER ISSUED A BAILIFF.
AND SO THEY'RE ALSO MAKING UP FOR THAT.
PLUS WHEN COVID HIT, THE COURT SHUT DOWN AND THEN WHEN THEY REOPENED TO BRING BACK THEM UP TO SPEED, THEY DID JURY TRIALS DIFFERENTLY AND THEY NEEDED MORE BAILIFFS BECAUSE OF THE WAY THEY WERE DOING JURY TRIALS.
SO WE'RE AT THAT POSITION WHERE WE NEED THIS STAFFING JUST FOR MINIMUM STAFFING BECAUSE OF THE STAFFING OF THE COURTS AND THEN THE STAFFING OF THE SECURITY AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE COURT AND ENTRY OF THE COURT.
WELL, WHEN WE START, IT'S 117 THAT ARE FOR THE WHOLE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
WE HAVE DETENTION JAILERS AND THEN WE HAVE OTHER TCOS DISPATCHERS.
SO AS FAR AS DEPUTIES ARE INVOLVED, WE ONLY HAVE APPROXIMATELY 28 DEPUTIES THAT ARE ON PATROL THAT IF WE MOVED THEM OVER, WE ARE STILL FILLING THOSE DEPUTIES POSITIONS.
AND WE'RE WE'RE AGGRESSIVELY TRYING TO FILL THOSE.
SO TO TRANSFER THOSE OVER THERE, THAT'LL JUST END UP LEAVING US SHORT ON PATROL.
WHICH MAKES SENSE. YEAH. AND SORRY, YOU SAID CALL FOR SERVICE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT.
SO WE'RE DOWN IN WE'RE DOWN IN.
WE NEED TO BE THERE. WE'RE DOWN IN DISPATCH TO TELECOMMUNICATORS.
WE'RE AGGRESSIVELY RECRUITING AND WE'VE DONE WELL.
WE'VE CUT THE NUMBERS IN HALF AND YES, DISPATCHERS BECAUSE THE LAST BUDGET CYCLE, 911, HARRIS COUNTY NINE ONE GAVE US 15 POSITIONS TO HANDLE 911 CALLS, ADDITIONAL 911 CALLS.
[01:35:01]
AND THE THE JAILERS HAVE HELPED US GET A BASE PAY GOING BECAUSE WE WEREN'T LOSING THE YOUNGER OFFICERS BECAUSE THEY'RE STAYING.BUT WE'RE LOSING THE OLDER OFFICERS BECAUSE BECAUSE OF PAY STUFF.
BUT WE RAISED THE BASE PAY AND THAT'S VERY GOOD FOR US BECAUSE WE'RE ABLE TO SEE SOME SLOWING DOWN OF PEOPLE LEAVING AND WE'RE ABLE TO TO HIRE, FOR MY EDIFICATION, THE 117 AND MADE UP OF WHICH POSITIONS NOW YOU HAVE 28 DEPUTIES PATROL DEPUTIES THAT ARE VACANT.
IT'S ALL IT'S ALL ALL DIFFERENT.
BUT AT ONE TIME IT'S ALL OVER.
I'M JUST TRYING TO GET AN IDEA OF WHO THEY ARE.
YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT SHERIFF? YOU THEIR DETENTION.
DETENTION? WE HAVE NINE POSITIONS THAT TOTAL.
AND THEN THE 4646 DETENTION CIVILIANS, NINE DETENTION OFFICERS, EIGHT DETENTION DEPUTIES 25 LIEUTENANT ONE AND WE PUT ALL THAT TOGETHER.
SO YOU HAVE 28 AND ENFORCEMENT AND 46 AND DETENTION GOT CORRECT ENFORCEMENT.
ALL RIGHT. THAT'S YEAH, IN DETENTION, IT'S 51.
OKAY. DETENTION IS 51 TOTAL, BUT THAT INCLUDES 46 OR 51.
I HAVE 46 AND THAT'S PROBABLY TODAY.
THIS THIS IS MORE THIS REPORT IS FROM LAST WEEK.
I HAVE AN OLD I HAVE A I HAVE A REPORT FROM LAST WEEK.
OKAY. THAT'S 74 OF YOUR 117 WERE THE REST HOW MANY WERE FROM ENFORCEMENT? BECAUSE WE LOOKED AT AND THEN LIKE, SEE, WE GOT WE GOT OPENINGS HERE.
YEAH, PATROL AND THEN PATROL WOULD BE THE.
I THOUGHT YOU SAID THE BAILIFFS WERE FULL.
I THOUGHT YOU SAID THE BAILIFFS WERE.
YOU HAD ALL YOUR BAILIFFS POSITIONS COMPLETE.
HE ASKED FOR THE ARPA, ARPA POSITION IN HERE.
SO YOU HAVE ARPA POSITION FILLED.
YOU HAVE FOUR POSITIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE THAT ARE NOT FILLED.
CORRECT. IS THAT CORRECT? WE HAVE THIS POSITION BECAUSE IT'S GRANT FUNDED.
AGAIN, YOU'RE TELLING ME YOU GOT FOUR BAILIFFS POSITIONS VACANT, SO YOU GOT THE POSITIONS FULL.
SO THE OTHER BAILIFFS POSITIONS, YOU GOT FOUR THAT ARE VACANT? YES. THROUGH ATTRITION.
OKAY, THAT'S. GONNA TO ADD THEM UP HERE? 2846 74 IS ENFORCEMENT.
104. OKAY, I GOT TO 104, SO THE REST.
I'M SORRY. REST OF THE PATROL ENFORCEMENT, A DETECTIVE PATROL.
THE REST. THE NUMBERS ARE THERE.
THEY HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT TITLES, TITLES SUCH IT'S NOT GOING TO YEAH, IT'S NOT GOING TO ADD UP LIKE THAT EASY AND IT'S NOT ADDING UP VERY EASILY. I MEAN, YOU END UP I JUST.
I'M JUST TRYING TO GET AN IDEA.
I'M SORRY I COMPLICATED THE DEAL.
I JUST. NO, NO, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.
WE'VE WRITTEN ALL OVER THIS SHEET, BUT WHEN WE GET BACK TO THE OFFICE, WE CAN EMAIL YOU THE SHEET.
PROBABLY. THAT IS ALL RIGHT. THAT'S TOTAL ALLOCATIONS.
THE TOTAL OPENINGS THAT WE HAVE IN EACH CATEGORY WE CAN SEND YOU.
CHIEF, THAT MIGHT BE THE BEST WAY.
THIS IS A PRELIMINARY HEARING, SO JUST SEND EMAILS AND THEY'RE CONSTANTLY CHANGING.
YOU COULD COPY IT TO COMMISSIONERS COURT MEMBERS TO.
RIGHT. OKAY. I'M INTERESTED IN YOUR CADET POSITION.
HOW IS THAT GOING? WERE YOU ABLE TO FILL THOSE? SO WE FEEL TALKING TO MIKE, WE, WE HAVE 15 CADET POSITIONS THAT WE WERE TRYING TO FILL.
WE FILLED TEN OF THOSE POSITIONS, BUT TWO OF THOSE PEOPLE FILLED OUT.
SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE EIGHT CADETS IN THE ACADEMY.
WE THAT WE HOPE WILL MAKE IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO GRADUATION.
THAT'S GREAT. IF THEY IF THEY GRADUATE, THEY'RE GOING TO BE WORKING FOR FORT BEND COUNTY.
FORT BEND COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
ALL RIGHT. I'M GLAD YOU MADE THAT CLARIFICATION.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I APPRECIATE IT.
AND SO WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT DETENTION.
YEAH. YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT DETENTION?
[01:40:01]
WELL, YOU'RE ASKING FOR 11 POSITIONS AND 70 RECLASSIFICATIONS.SO TEN OF THOSE POSITIONS, WE'RE WANTING TO BE CIVILIAN SUPERVISORS RIGHT NOW.
WE ONLY HAVE SWORN SUPERVISORS, SERGEANTS IN DETENTION.
BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE'RE FINDING THAT OUR DETENTION OFFICERS ARE LEAVING IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO LADDER TO MOVE UP OTHER THAN TKO ONE, TKO TWO, TKO THREE, WHICH WE ARE NOT TKO, BUT TKO THAT WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE.
SO NOW WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE THEM UP SO THAT THEY CAN BE IN SUPERVISORY POSITIONS AND HAVE THE SWORN LADDER FOR 11 TECHNICIANS. IS IT 11 OR 10? I KNOW TEN ARE GOING TO BE.
WE'RE USING THEM FOR SUPERVISORS.
THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO USE THEM FOR.
OKAY. AND THEN WE CREATED THE THREES AS WE DO CLASSIFICATIONS, THE THREES.
OKAY. TO TELL THEM THAT, TALK TO THE MIC.
WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE THAT CAREER LADDER WHERE WE HAVE DCO ONES NOW AND DCO TWOS AND THAT'S IT.
AFTER FIVE YEARS THERE'S NO MOVEMENT.
AND THEN WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE.
AS FOR NINE DETENTION SUPERVISORS POSITIONS CLOSE TO THE EQUIVALENT OF A SERGEANT, THEY'LL BE SUPERVISED BY A SERGEANT, BUT THEY'LL BE DOING DAILY WORK TO HELP TRAINING AND THOSE TYPE OF WORKS WITH THE SERGEANT.
SO THE 1111 ARE GOING TO BE BASICALLY PART OF COMMAND? NO, NOT PART OF COMMAND.
OKAY. SO THEY'RE GOING TO BE SUPERVISORS I TO THE COMMAND.
I MEAN, IF YOU'RE IF YOU HAVE PEOPLE UNDER YOU, YOU'RE SORT OF PART OF THE.
WELL, WE USE A DIFFERENT TERMINOLOGY.
SO THAT'S THE REASON I USE THAT TERM.
SO ARE THEY NEEDED BECAUSE OF HISPANIC NEEDED ISSUE? NO, IT'S NEEDED BECAUSE OF THIS.
I'M SORRY. IT'S NEEDED FOR THIS REASON.
IT'S MORE OF A MORALE THAN ANYTHING ELSE BECAUSE WE'RE LOSING PEOPLE AS A DCO, YOU.
YOU HIT A CEILING AND YOU CAN'T GO ANY FURTHER.
THEY LIKE THE CAREER, BUT THEY CAN'T GO ANYWHERE UNLESS THEY LEAVE THIS AGENCY TO MOVE UP.
WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE A POSITION WHERE THEY HAVE A LADDER TO MOVE UP.
IF YOU WORK SOMEWHERE FOR FIVE YEARS AND THEN YOU JUST STUCK, YOU JUST STUCK.
SO IT'S NOT A IT'S NOT AN ISSUE OF SPAN OF CONTROL.
IT'S AN ISSUE OF ADVANCED CAREER LADDER TO GIVE THEM A CAREER LADDER.
OKAY. WELL, SO SO ONE OF THE ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS MOVE AS MANY OF OUR DETENTION DEPUTIES OUT OF THE JAIL, BACK OVER TO SHERIFF'S OFFICE ENFORCEMENT, SO THAT WE CAN WE'LL KEEP THE NUMBER THAT WE NEED TO DO TRANSPORTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO IF WE CAN MOVE THOSE PEOPLE SO THIS IS THE START OF THAT.
WE JUST ARE NOT REVEALING EVERYTHING TO YOU TODAY.
OKAY. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? IT'S OKAY TO REVEAL TO US, I GUESS I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE.
I'M NOT SURE THAT IT'S ADDING PEOPLE TO YOUR STAFF WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE A SPAN OF CONTROL ISSUE.
WHO ARE GOING TO BE SUPERVISING PEOPLE IS THE WAY TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.
I UNDERSTAND YOUR WHAT YOUR OBJECTIVE IS, BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE A SPAN OF CONTROL ISSUE, WHY THE NECESSITY OF HAVING A SUPERVISOR? BUT COMMISSIONER, WE WILL HAVE A SPAN OF CONTROL ISSUE WHEN WE START MOVING FOLKS OUT THEN AND HIRING MORE PEOPLE ONCE WE GET UP TO SPEED, WHICH WE'RE GETTING THERE AS FAR AS HIRING THE NUMBER OF FOLKS WE NEED TO WORK OVER IN THE JAIL, WE'RE HIRING MORE CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS THAN WE ARE ACTUALLY DEPUTIES TO GO OVER INTO THE JAIL. SO ONCE WE DO THAT, THEN THAT SPAN OF CONTROL WILL PLAY A ROLE.
YEAH, I'VE JUST BEEN EDUCATED ON SOMETHING NEW.
SO THE CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS ARE CIVILIANS, CORRECT.
NEW PIECE OF INFORMATION FOR ME.
THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW. I DO KNOW WHEN I MET WITH THE DEPUTY ASSOCIATION LEADERS, THEY ACTUALLY MENTIONED THE CAREER LADDER AS AN ISSUE AS WELL. AND SO I CAN SEE HOW THAT IMPACTS OUR OUR ATTRITION RATES AND THEN HOW, YOU KNOW, YOU ADD AND MULTIPLY THAT ABOUT HOW EXPENSIVE IT IS TO THEN RETRAIN SOMEBODY AND THEN THE TIME IT TAKES TO GET THEM ON BOARDED AND FULLY.
SO I DEFINITELY I SEE THE VISION THERE AND I THINK THAT'S AN EXCITING PROGRESSION TO NOW HAVE.
[01:45:03]
WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO, I DON'T KNOW, IN FORT BEND ISD, NICOLE, YOU'LL RECALL THIS GROW YOUR OWN.I THINK THAT'S THAT'S ACTUALLY A REALLY GOOD THE.
YES, I'LL STOP ON THAT BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE A POINT BECAUSE I WANT TO GO TO ANOTHER POINT.
I JUST WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS TAKE A REAL HOLISTIC APPROACH TO SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT THIS ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN FACING.
YES, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF VACANCIES.
WE ARE TRYING TO IMPART A REAL ROBUST RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN TO TO ATTRACT NEW TALENT INTO THIS ORGANIZATION.
BUT WHAT WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO DO IS IMPART DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROGRAMING.
SO WE'VE GOT CAREER LADDERING FOR ONE PARTICULAR GROUP POPULATION.
WE'VE GOT THE INCENTIVES THAT WE'RE DOING, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND ALONG WITH THE RECRUITING.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THIS IS A LOT OF DIFFERENT MOVING PARTS AND PIECES AND IT MIGHT SEEM A LITTLE BIT CONVOLUTED, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID DO AND WHEN I SAY WE, I MEAN HUMAN RESOURCES WAS TO REALLY SIT DOWN AND HAVE SOME REAL HARD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT CAN WE DO FOR PUBLIC SAFETY ACROSS THEIR ENTIRE ORGANIZATION.
SO USING THE DETENTION OFFICER CAREER LADDER, FOR AN EXAMPLE, THERE WAS NO PLACE TO GROW.
SO WHAT WE LOOKED AT WAS CREATING A DCO TO AND A DCO THREE LADDER TO WHERE DCO TWO IF YOU COMPLETE, YOU KNOW, THREE YEARS OF SERVICE AND STAY IN THAT SPACE, THEN YOU HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO MOVE IN.
AFTER FIVE YEARS, YOU CAN MOVE UP TO A DCO THREE LADDER AND THEN FOR THE LOW LEVEL MANAGEMENT TYPE OF TIER, IT WOULD BE FIVE YEARS PLUS 200 HOURS.
OF COURSE, STUDY AND AGAIN FOLDING IN THAT EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT BECAUSE WE DO WANT PEOPLE TO CONTINUE TO GROW NOT JUST ON THE JOB BUT EDUCATIONALLY AS WELL AS WELL TO MOVE INTO OTHER PARTS OF LEADERSHIP IN THE ORGANIZATION.
SO I JUST WANT TO JUST KIND OF LAY THAT OUT FOR THE COURT THAT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE IS HOLISTIC AND NOT JUST AN INJECTION OF MONEY.
SHERIFF, IS THE 46 VACANCIES IN DETENTION CREATING ANY KIND OF ISSUES WITH JAIL STANDARDS AND STANDARDS? NO. 46 POSITIONS.
IS THAT CREATING ANY ISSUES WITH YOUR JAIL STANDARDS? WE'RE HANDLING THAT THROUGH OVERTIME.
WE HAVE WE ARE ADDRESSING THAT THROUGHOUT OVERTIME.
OKAY. WE'LL HAVE A TRANSFER FOR OVERTIME SHORTLY.
SHERIFF, I JUST WANTED TO BRING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION.
YOU KNOW, THERE IS OUR COUNTY IS, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THE MOST DIVERSE.
MORE THAN 30% OF THAT NUMBER YOU MENTIONED ARE CITIZENS ARE FOREIGN BORN.
SO I KNOW THAT THERE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND ENOUGH OF WHAT YOU DO LIKE LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT DO YOU TAKE WHEN THEY LOOK AT YOU WEARING A UNIFORM? THEY SAY, OH MY GOD, THAT IS SOMETHING ONLY FOR A FEW PEOPLE KIND OF THING.
SO WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO TO REACH OUT TO THOSE PEOPLE SAYING THAT, HEY, YOU COULD COME AND BECOME A DEPUTY OR WHATEVER, THAT EVEN THE EVEN THE DETENTION FACILITY OR WHATEVER THAT IS, YOU KNOW.
SO WHAT DO WE DO? I MEAN, DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS? WE'RE WORKING VERY AGGRESSIVELY IN RECRUITING.
WHEN WE HEAR ABOUT IT, WE SEND OUT DEPUTY DAVIS RECRUITING OUT THERE.
WE GO TO WE'RE GOING TO COLLEGES NOW THAT WE'VE NEVER BEEN GOING TO BEFORE AS WELL.
AND LIKE I SAID, WE'RE GOING TO DIFFERENT EVENTS.
WHEN WE GET KNOW ABOUT THEIR EVENTS.
SO WE'RE DOING IT AGGRESSIVELY.
[01:50:04]
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THAT'S THE WAY THEY ARE.IS THAT POSSIBLE? YOUR RECRUITER IS AVAILABLE.
THOSE KIND OF EVENTS COME MAYBE MAYBE GO TO THOSE EVENTS.
AND LIKE I SAID, IF WE KNOW, WE SEND OUR RECRUITER THERE.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO HELP YOUR EFFORT.
THANK YOU. YOU HAD A QUESTION? YES. SO ANOTHER THING THAT CAME UP WAS THAT WAS A MORALE ISSUE WAS THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT DEPUTIES ARE HAVING TO SPEND MAKING COPIES AND PUTTING TOGETHER PACKETS AS THEY GO OUT ON THEIR DUTIES.
AND SO HAVE WE THOUGHT ABOUT WAYS THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE.
IT SEEMS SIMPLE ON THE FACE OF THINGS, BUT I KNOW IT'S AN EXPENSIVE ENDEAVOR.
THAT'S SOMETHING WITH THE DA'S OFFICE THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH RIGHT NOW, WHERE WE CAN DO IS ELECTRONICALLY AND GET A UNIFORM FORM FROM FROM THEM EXACTLY WHAT THEY NEED. THE PROBLEM IS THIS YOU GO TO ONE DA FOR A WARRANT AND THEY WANT A CERTAIN CRITERIA FOR THE SAME WARRANT.
IF YOU GO TO ANOTHER DA, THEY MIGHT WANT A DIFFERENT ONE.
SO I'VE BEEN TALKING WITH THE DA'S OFFICE.
CAN WE GET ONE UNIFORM WARRANT WHERE EVERYBODY WILL AGREE ON THAT WAY WE DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK SHOWING THE SAME THING AND FORCE THE PAPERWORK.
IT'S DIFFERENT NAMES, BUT IT'S THE SAME CHARGE.
INSTEAD OF DOING ONE FOR EACH PERSON, WE CAN JUST DO ONE SHOWING HIS NAME INSTEAD OF A SEPARATE PACKAGE FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL PERSON. SO WE'RE TALKING TO THE DA NOW ABOUT THAT.
SO WE'RE ADDRESSING THAT RIGHT NOW.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP. THAT'S REAL GOOD.
WE SHOULD PROBABLY THINK ABOUT PAMELA AND OR.
WELL, YOU'RE NOT EDITOR. HELLO, AMY.
AND IS WE HAVE A LOT OF PAPERS THAT ARE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS BOTH HERE IN IN YOUR DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS OUR CONSTABLES.
AND PERHAPS THERE COULD BE SOME AND WE COULD THINK ABOUT MAYBE THIS IS A TWO YEAR PLAN, THREE YEAR PLAN FOR US TO START MAKING PROVISIONS FOR PERHAPS SOME SORT OF PRINT SHOP HERE IN THE COUNTY WHERE SOME OF THESE ADMINISTRATIVE THINGS I COULD SEE THE VALUE TO THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE, DISTRICT CLERK'S OFFICE, AND HAVING A CENTRAL PLACE OF PEOPLE WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IS TO KIND OF PUT SOME OF THESE ADMINISTRATIVE THINGS TOGETHER FOR US IN SUPPORT OF OUR COURTS AND JUSTICE SYSTEM MAY BE FAR OUT THERE, BUT I KNOW OTHER ORGANIZATIONS HAVE INTERNAL PRINT SHOPS.
THEY'RE TRYING TO GO PAPERLESS.
OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SHERIFF.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. CAN I ASK PAMELA, CAN I ASK ONE QUESTION? YES, SIR. THE DPS DEPARTMENT, THEY ONLY HAVE SMALL.
WE CAN MOVE THEM UP. PLEASE, PLEASE.
IF YOU COULD DO THREE PEOPLE WAITING.
WE NEED TO GET THEM BACK ON THE ROAD.
YEAH. FIGHTING TICKETS, MAYBE? I DON'T KNOW. WELL, WE'RE IN HERE.
COME ON IN, PLEASE. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. GOOD MORNING.
MYSELF AND TROOPER PINEDA HERE WILL ASK ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
WE DID GO OVER OUR BUDGET A LITTLE BIT ON EQUIPMENT REQUESTS.
SO IF YOU NEED US TO DESCRIBE WHY WE ARE REQUESTING THAT, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
I'M LOOKING FOR IT IN THE PACKAGE.
OKAY. IT LOOKS LIKE LICENSE AND WAIT.
YOU DON'T NEED TO TALK ABOUT LICENSE AND WAIT, BUT FOR YOUR REGULAR DPS AND BUDGET, I KNOW THAT EACH YEAR YOU COME BACK REQUESTING LIKE ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT AND IT'S I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BECAUSE YOUR STATE BUDGET ISN'T WELL CERTAIN ITEMS I GUESS THE BREAKER BARS AND THE.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE ADDED ON AND IT'S KIND OF EXPENSIVE.
[01:55:05]
THEY CAN USE THAT.THE STATE HAD MENTIONED IN THE PAST THAT THEY MIGHT GET THOSE, BUT IT'S NOT A GUARANTEE.
IS THAT THE BLACK HAWK? NOW I SEE THE BARS AND IT'S THE MAN TALKING TO MIKE.
YES, MA'AM. THAT'S THE. IT'S A BREACHING TOOL, THE BLACKHAWK.
I'M SORRY. IT'S A BLACKHAWK BREACHING TOOL.
FOR INSTANCE, WHEN WE RESPOND TO WITH WE WORK WITH LOCAL AGENCIES IN THE COUNTY AS WELL.
OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE AN ASSISTING AGENCY AND WE'VE THE CALL VOLUMES GONE ON.
WE'RE TRYING WE'RE SPREAD THIN.
BUT USUALLY WE'LL GO TO LIKE, SAY, BARRICADED SUBJECTS.
WE HAVE TO GET INTO A BUILDING.
THIS TOOL WILL HELP US GET IN THE BUILDING AS IT MINIMIZES TIME.
AND IT'S LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S EXPENSIVE.
SO ESPECIALLY ON A ESPECIALLY ON A STEEL DOOR, THAT'S WHAT IT'S DESIGNED FOR.
FOR INSTANCE, LIKE A SCHOOL SCHOOL, THE DOORS PRY IT, GET IN THERE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
AND YOU'RE SAYING THIS WILL BE SHARED WITH OUR AGENCIES ALSO? YES. LIKE LIKE I SAID, THAT IF THE STATE DOES GIVE US THIS EQUIPMENT, I'M GOING TO AWARD IT TO THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
IN THE PAST, I'VE AWARDED WE HAD LEVEL, I GUESS, RIFLE PROTECTION VESTS THAT I HAVE GIVEN TO THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICES.
IT WAS A WHILE AGO I ASKED THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, BUT THEY THEY HAD THEM OR SOMETHING.
SO I CALLED ALL THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICES AND THEY GOT IT.
WHATEVER WE DON'T USE, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE BACK.
I HAD NO IDEA THAT THE COUNTY PAYS FOR DPS POSITIONS.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THAT RELATIONSHIP WORKS? WE HAVE TWO.
WELL, TWO AND A HALF ADMINS THAT WORK FOR DPS.
THEY HANDLE OUR ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES, WHICH IS HEAVY, HEAVY ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES.
IT'S CUMBERSOME AND THEY DO THAT.
SO THE COUNTY DOES THAT FOR US BECAUSE OF ALL THE REVENUE, THE TICKET REVENUE.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE ONE HAND WASHES THE OTHER.
ALL THE TICKET REVENUE GOES TO JP COURTS.
OH YEAH. EVEN THOUGH YOU WRITE THE TICKET IS DRY, THAT.
YES. AND THE FINE MONEY IS GOING TO GO TO THE COUNTY.
YEAH, NOT ALL OF IT, BUT A GOOD PORTION OF IT.
I BELIEVE THE MAJORITY WRITE A GOOD PORTION OF IT.
DOES? YEAH. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL FOR WAITING.
THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE. DRAINAGE DISTRICT.
YOU WANT ME TO SPEAK? ARE YOU GOING TO SPEAK? I THINK YOU DON'T ASK FOR ANYTHING.
THAT'S WHAT I HEARD FROM THE COMMISSION.
YOU GOT THE FLOOR. YOU GOT THE FLOOR? I THINK THE ONLY OVERS WE HAD WAS $150,000, GIVE OR TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF CHANGE.
AND WHAT HAPPENED WAS THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME LEADER TO BECAME AVAILABLE TO THE COUNTY.
SURE. AND THIS IS MY ONE QUESTION.
AND I KNOW WE TALK ABOUT MANY OF THIS STUFF ALL THE TIME.
AS YOU KNOW, COUNTY IS CONTINUING TO GROW.
SO, I MEAN, I KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT YOU'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANY POSITION.
SO YOU FEEL LIKE WE ARE POSITIONED WELL ENOUGH FOR THIS YEAR AND BEYOND TO ADDRESS THESE CHANGES.
AND THAT'S THE THOUGHT THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE ON THAT BASIS.
MOST OF THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS THAT YOU'RE SEEING, LIKE CINCO RANCH AND TAMARIN, CROSS CREEK RANCH, THEY HAVE ALL INTERNAL DITCHES THAT ARE PART OF THEIR REGIONAL DETENTION FACILITY THAT SERVES THEIR DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO THEIR MUD DISTRICTS MAINTAIN THOSE FOR THEMSELVES.
[02:00:10]
REQUESTING, REQUIRING WE HAVE TO HAVE DETENTION FACILITIES WITHIN THAT COMMUNITY AND THINGS OF THINGS OF THAT NATURE.WE CONSTANTLY UPDATE OUR CRITERIA.
AS YOU KNOW, BACK IN 2018, OUR 100 YEAR RAINFALL FOR 24 HOURS CHANGED FROM 12.5IN TO 16.5IN.
THEY WERE ONLY REQUIRING DETENTION BASED ON 12.5IN OF RAINFALL.
THAT WAS THE ONLY INFORMATION WE KNEW AND WE MADE THE DECISIONS BASED ON THAT GOOD INFORMATION.
WE'VE UPDATED TO ACCOUNT FOR THE ATLAS 14 RAINFALL RATES.
WE'VE ALSO CHANGED OUR CRITERIA TO ACCOUNT FOR FLOODPLAIN STORAGE MITIGATION.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS IF A PROPERTY DEVELOPS ALONG A CHANNEL OR ALONG AN AREA THAT TYPICALLY GOES UNDERWATER AND HEAVY RAIN EVENTS AND THEY FILL THAT LAND UP, THAT WATER GETS DISPLACED, WHO TAKES CARE OF THAT? WE'VE CHANGED OUR CRITERIA.
WE MAKE THE DEVELOPER NOW TAKE CARE OF FLOODPLAIN STORAGE MITIGATION.
WE'VE GOT UPDATED MODELS THAT SHOULD BE COMPLETED IN THIS MAY TO SHOW THE ATLAS 14 FLOOD PLAINS.
WE CAN GET BETTER INFORMATION ON THAT.
SO I THINK YOU ARE TAKING CARE OF THOSE THINGS.
YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING THAT WAS MY NEXT QUESTION ABOUT AT LEAST 14.
THE IT IS ALL INCORPORATING IN OUR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OR PLANNING AND PLANNING AND ALL THAT STUFF, RIGHT? OUR CRITERIA MANUAL HAS BEEN UPDATED TO INCLUDE ATLAS 14.
THE CRITERIA MANUAL IS NOT COMPLETED YET.
THIS ADDITIONAL WORK THAT WE'RE DOING IS GOING TO PROVIDE SOME DETENTION STORAGE RATES AND SOME RELEASE RATES OVER IN THE WATERSHEDS THAT ARE TO THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST OF THE BRAZOS RIVER.
BUT THIS OTHER STUFF SHOULD BE THROUGH AT THE END OF MAY AND WE SHOULD BE FINALIZING OUR CRITERIA MANUAL AND WE'LL HAVE ALL OF OUR ATLAS 14 FLOODPLAIN MAPS AND WATERSHED STUDIES FOR THE FOR THE 41 WATERSHEDS THAT WE STUDIED IN THIS MASTER DRAINAGE PLAN.
OKAY. AND ALSO THE BIG YOU KNOW, WE ARE ANTICIPATING SOME OF THE MAJOR COMMUNITIES ARE GOING TO BE DEVELOPING, WHICH DOESN'T EVEN EXIST NOW, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN POINT AND OTHER JOHNSON DEVELOPMENT, MAJOR COMMUNITIES ARE COMING IN FORT BEND COUNTY SO THAT ALL THE MAINTENANCE AND ALL THAT STUFF IS GOING TO BE DONE BY LEVEE IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.
THERE SHOULD BE NO NEGATIVE IMPACT FROM THAT DEVELOPMENT ON THE ADJACENT PROPERTIES OR UPSTREAM OR DOWNSTREAM ON THE BIG CREEK WATERSHED AS A RESULT OF THAT DEVELOPMENT OR ANY OTHER DEVELOPMENT IN THE COUNTY.
NOW WE DON'T CONTROL WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE CITY LIMITS.
WE ONLY CONTROL IF THEY OUTFALL INTO OUR CHANNEL WHAT TYPE OF WORK THEY DO WITHIN OUR RIGHT OF WAY.
BUT. MOST, IF NOT ALL THE CITIES HAVE ADOPTED OUR CRITERIA OR SOMETHING IN EXCESS OF THAT.
SO I THINK WE'RE ALL FAIRLY HOMOGENEOUS WITH THE CRITERIA THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH. MARK, ON YOUR CAPITAL ACQUISITIONS, ARE ALL IS ALL THAT EQUIPMENT LIKE REPLACEMENT? ALL EQUIPMENT IS REPLACEMENT.
AND DO YOU HAVE A LOT OF THEM? I GOT IT. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'M ON A TOWN HALL TOUR, TEN STOP TOWN HALL TOUR.
WE HAD ONE OUT IN PLEAK THIS WEEK, AND I GOT AN EARFUL FROM A FORMER EMPLOYEE OF THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT WHO LIVES OUT THERE WHO SAID THAT THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT WAS FAR MORE PRODUCTIVE BEFORE AND BECAUSE Y'ALL HAD MORE RESOURCES AND SUPPORT TO GO OUT AND ACTUALLY DIG OUT CHANNELS.
AND HE SAID WE WEREN'T DOING THAT.
YOU KNOW, I'VE TALKED TO YOU AND JUST AS YOU'VE SAID NOW WITH KIND OF THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE HAVE OUR DEVELOPERS MAKING ON THE SITES WHERE THEY'RE TAKING POROUS GROUND, ARE WE NOT GIVING YOU ADEQUATE SUPPORT FOR THE WORK THAT YOU NEED TO DO? I'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH THIS PARTICULAR EMPLOYEE AND NOT TO MENTION HIS NAME, BUT I THINK HIS CONCERN IS THAT SOME OF OUR FUNDING IS GOING TO WORK ON PARK SITES FOR THE COUNTY AND NOT CONTINUALLY WORKING ON DRAINAGE DISTRICT CHANNEL WORK.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN TO WORK ON PARK SITES? WELL, WE'RE TAKING MONEY OUT OF DRAINAGE DISTRICT FUNDS.
WE WE EXTEND EQUIPMENT TO GO WORK ON PARK SITES AS NEEDED, LIKE THE PARK, THE JONES CREEK PARK, THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT PUT EQUIPMENT IN THERE TO DO SOME MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE TO THE LAKE SYSTEM, AS WELL AS BUILD THE BULKHEADS AND PIERS, AS WELL AS RECONSTRUCT THE OUTFALL CHANNEL, THE OUTFALL FROM THAT
[02:05:06]
THAT LAKE IN THAT PARK ACTUALLY WENT UNDER FM 359 AND DROPPED INTO BLACK JACK SLOUGH AND THEN WENT THROUGH A COUPLE OF SUBDIVISIONS ON THAT SIDE OF 359 AND THE SOUTH SIDE OF 359, THEN INTO JONES CREEK AND THEN CAME BACK UNDER 359 THROUGH JONES CREEK.SO IT WASN'T THE MOST EFFICIENT SYSTEM.
FOLKS IN THOSE SUBDIVISIONS ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF 359 HAD FLOODING PROBLEMS. SO IT WAS REALLY A BENEFIT TO THEM.
IT WAS A BENEFIT TO THE COUNTY TO HAVE THEIR OWN OUTFALL FROM THAT LAKE SYSTEM.
DOES IT TAKE AWAY FROM SOME OF OUR PROJECTS? IT TAKES AWAY FROM OUR ABILITY TO GET TO ALL OUR PROJECTS IN A TIMELY MANNER, BUT WE'VE GOT A LIST OF PROJECTS SO LONG THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE YEARS OUT TO FINISH ALL OUR PROJECTS UP AND IF WE GOT MORE EQUIPMENT, WE WOULD JUST GET MORE PROJECTS.
IT'S JUST AN ONGOING EVENT OF PROCEDURE THAT WE GO THROUGH.
WE WE TRY TO WORK WITH ALL THE LANDOWNERS.
I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE'RE DOING ANY LESS EXCAVATION TODAY THAN WE'VE EVER DONE.
IF YOU LOOK, WHEN STANLEY KORSHAK WAS MY BOSS BACK IN THE EARLY 80S, WE WERE DIGGING ON BIG CREEK.
WE WERE ALSO DIGGING ON SEVERAL OTHER CREEKS, TRYING TO IMPROVE THOSE TWO 100 YEAR RAINFALL.
THE COUNTY GAVE US, I THINK IT WAS A PENNY A YEAR TAX INCREASE.
AFTER TWO YEARS, WE HAD MOVED A TEASPOON OF DIRT BECAUSE OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR PERMITTING WITH THE CORPS AND OTHER ISSUES AND SO THE COUNTY TOOK THAT MONEY AND SAID, LOOK, KEEP YOUR MONEY, YOU GOT THE LAST TWO YEARS AND USE THAT.
AND WHEN YOU RUN OUT, COME BACK TO US.
DAN TOOK OVER THE THE BALANCE OF THE COUNTY WAS PRETTY MUCH TO THE EAST END AND THE COMMISSIONERS COURT DRAINAGE BOARD DID NOT THINK THAT WE COULD HAVE AN ELECTION AND GET IT APPROVED TO DO PROJECTS ON THE EAST END OR THE WEST END AND GET FULL SUPPORT OF IT BECAUSE WE WERE KIND OF OUT OF BALANCE. 25% OF THE POPULATION WAS ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE COUNTY OR THE SOUTHWEST SIDE, AND 75% WAS ON THE EAST SIDE, THE EAST SIDE.
THEY CONSTRUCTED A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR OUTFALL CHANNEL.
AND SINCE THEN, THE COUNTY IS TIED IN WITH THEM AND WE'VE MADE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE DITCH AND EXTENDED IT UP TO THE WHAT'S THE BALL TEAM CALLED NOW THE SPACE COWBOYS OR SOMETHING UP TO THEIR BALL FIELD TO TIE INTO OYSTER CREEK WITH AN OVERFLOW LID.
17 HAS COME IN AND USE THAT OUTFALL CHANNEL AND ANOTHER OTHER GROUPS HAVE USED THAT CHANNEL.
SO THOSE SYSTEMS FUNCTION VERY WELL.
AND SO BACK IN THE 80S, THAT'S LATE 80S, THAT'S WHEN THE FLOOD CONTROL WATER SUPPLY CORPORATION WAS CREATED TO TRY TO AVOID THAT PROCESS OF HAVING TO BALANCE SOMETHING THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE COUNTY AND MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY WITH IT.
I DON'T THINK YOU CAN DO THAT.
AND EVEN TODAY YOU LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF DEVELOPMENT THAT WE HAVE ONGOING IN THE COUNTY AND THOSE DEVELOPMENTS ARE PAYING A PREMIUM TO MEET OUR REQUIREMENTS SO THAT WE DON'T CAUSE ANY IMPACTS TO ADJACENT PROPERTIES OR DOWNSTREAM PROPERTIES.
TO DECODE WHAT MARK JUST SAID.
THIS IS A FLAT COUNT AND OUR TAX RATE IS 1.46, 1.6666.
THAT'S NOT A LOT OF MONEY TO DRAIN A FLAT COUNT.
NO. AND ALL THIS BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT'S I MEAN, IT'S A CREDIT TO THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT AND HOLDING THE LINE ON CRITERIA TO MAKE DEVELOPMENT BE QUALITY DEVELOPMENT.
AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A LOT OF INFILL DEVELOPMENT TRYING TO HAPPEN.
BECAUSE IF WE GO TO THE NEW STRONG CRITERIA, SOME OF THOSE DEALS DON'T MAKE SENSE ON PAPER.
AND SO THEY'RE GOING TO PUT PRESSURE ON US.
OKAY. TO TO GIVE THEM A BREAK.
SO IT CAN HAPPEN. AND WE WANT TO SEE GOOD THINGS HAPPEN.
BUT IT'S A REALLY TOUGH SITUATION WE'RE IN.
BUT HE TALKED ABOUT THE THE LATE 80S FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT.
[02:10:02]
SO WE INSTEAD DID A, WE MADE IT A REVENUE BOND.AND THEY PLEDGED REVENUES FROM IMPACT FEES WHICH WHICH WERE WHEN YOU PLATTED YOUR SUBDIVISION, YOU PAID $6,000 A LOT OR AN ACRE EXCUSE ME, AN ACRE.
AND THAT THAT'S SUPPOSED TO GENERATE ENOUGH FUND TO COVER THE $33 MILLION BOND PROGRAM.
NOT, I UNDERSTAND, $33 MILLION.
DON'T GET YOU OUT THE DOOR RIGHT NOW.
BUT THAT WAS A BIG DEAL IN THE LATE 80S, A BIG DEAL.
THE THE IMPACT FEES NEVER COVERED THAT COST.
YEAH, IT KIND OF COVERED THE COST, BUT.
THE LAWYERS SHOWED US WAITING.
WE CAN DO THIS WITHOUT GOING TO THE VOTERS.
POINT IS, WE NEED TO BE EQUALLY CREATIVE RIGHT NOW.
AND THIS WAS A SITUATION NOW WHERE WE GOT THESE REVENUE CAPS ON A 1.6 CENT TAX RATE.
WE GOT TO FIGURE OUT SOME WAY TO DO IT OR BE BOLD ENOUGH TO ASK THE VOTERS TO HELP THEY BE WILLING TO PAY. YOU KNOW, A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY ADEQUATE ENOUGH TO MAKE ALL THE CHANNEL IMPROVEMENTS.
TO COVER SOME OF THESE AREAS LIKE WHERE MARK LIVES, WHICH IS IN THE STICKS.
BUT DEVELOPMENT IS COMING TO THE STYX.
OKAY. YOU KNOW THAT, RIGHT? SO WE GOT TO TALK ABOUT THAT AS WE GO FORWARD.
I HAVE A QUESTION BECAUSE SINCE I DON'T UNDERSTAND ALL THE LOGISTICS AND DETAILS.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OR LET'S SAY WE MOVE FORWARD WITH FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT? IS THAT GOING TO REPLACE THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT? NO, I THINK THE DRAINAGE ISSUE WAS CREATED BY THE VOTERS, CORRECT, MARK? YES, SIR. 50 AND AND THERE WAS A TAX ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, AND IT WAS $1 MILLION, RIGHT, TO A LITTLE MORE THAN A MILLION, BUT IT WASN'T 2 MILLION IN THE 50S 40S OR 5050S, 1950S CREATED UNDER LEGISLATION AND 49 AND STARTED IN 50.
YEAH. AND SO $1 MILLION WAS WHAT WAS THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S ON THE TABLE? MAYBE THAT WAS A LOT OF MONEY.
BUT OUR DRAINAGE DISTRICT IS A MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATION.
YEAH, YOU MENTIONED THAT BEFORE.
I THINK THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT IN THE FLOOD CONTROL CORPORATION, IT'D JUST BE A DIFFERENT MISSION.
AND MORE ABOUT CAPITAL PROJECTS.
OKAY. AND I'M SAYING CREATING ONE JUST FOR THE SAKE OF CREATING ONE ISN'T THE POINT.
WHAT THE LEGISLATURE HAS DONE TO US IS THE POINT.
CORRECT. FIND ANOTHER WAY TO SKIN A CAT.
NOW THERE'S A WAY TO MODIFY WHAT MARK IS TALKING ABOUT.
AND AND NOT HAVE TO GO TO THE VOTERS BECAUSE THAT'S THE PART ABOUT IT.
YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO GO TO THE VOTERS, BUT.
TO AND ABOUT TO INCUR DEBT IN FUTURE YEARS.
YEAH. COMMISSIONER, WHAT ABOUT FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT? YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE VOTERS.
WE PROBABLY DO. BUT BUT BUT BUT THAT'S THAT'S ONE WHERE WE THE QUESTION WOULD BE BOTH YES OR NO TO CREATE IT AND YES OR NO TO THE PROPOSED TAX RATE TO RUN IT, THE INITIAL TAX RATE TO RUN IT.
SO. WE PROBABLY NEED TO DO THAT, BUT PROBABLY NOT ON AN ELECTION YEAR.
BUT, COMMISSIONER, YOU I MEAN, WE ALL KNOW IT.
OURS IS ACTUALLY COMMISSIONER MYERS MENTIONED IT YESTERDAY.
WE ARE ONE OF THE BEST TAX MANAGED COUNTIES IN THIS REGION.
YESTERDAY, I WAS SO SURPRISED TO SEE THAT NICOLE GAVE OUT THAT TOTAL NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES FOR OUR NEIGHBORING COUNTIES, MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
I THINK, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, NICOLE, CORRECT ME.
31, 76 EMPLOYEES, THEY HAVE MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
RIGHT. I THINK IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THAT'S A NUMBER.
AND THERE ARE 200, ALMOST 250,000 PEOPLE LESS THAN OUR COUNTY.
YEAH. AND SO WE DO A STELLAR JOB THANKS TO US AND ALSO PEOPLE BEFORE US.
BUT BACK TO MARK, THOUGH, THEY DON'T HAVE THE BRAZOS RIVER THAT RUNS RIGHT THROUGH THE.
[02:15:01]
AND THEY'VE GOT LITTLE HILLY TERRAIN.THEY GOT THEY GOT LAKE CONROE.
THEY GOT A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO MAYBE FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THAT.
FORT BEND COUNTY IS THE ONLY COUNTY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS THAT HAS THOSE.
OUR MS AND LIBRARIES SYSTEM, THANKS TO PEOPLE BEFORE ME.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD THE VISION TO CREATE IT.
I DO REMEMBER ONE OF YOUR PREDECESSORS WHO TRIED TO SHUT DOWN A LIBRARY ONE TIME.
OH, NO. I MEAN, THAT DIDN'T GO OVER VERY WELL.
I DON'T THINK PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LIKE.
EXCUSE ME, JUDGE. YEAH. WITH THE COMPLETION OF THE COUNTY WIDE STUDY THAT YOU'RE DOING.
IS THAT GOING TO KIND OF CHANGE? THE PARAMETERS OF WHAT YOUR DEPARTMENT DOES AS FAR AS IDENTIFYING ACTUAL STRUCTURAL PROJECTS, DO YOU THINK? IT'S GOING TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL PROJECTS THAT COULD BE DONE ON THE 41 MAJOR CHANNELS.
AND I DON'T HAVE THE FINAL FIGURES, BUT I THINK WE'RE TALKING SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 3 TO $5 BILLION TO FIX THOSE 41 STREAMS, EITHER THROUGH DETENTION OR CHANNEL IMPROVEMENTS TO HANDLE 16.5IN OF RAIN.
AND YOU SAID 3 TO $4 BILLION WITH A B BILLION.
OH, YEAH, JUST A FEW DECIMAL PLACES.
5 MILLION. YEAH, LET'S DO IT ON.
AND KEEP IN MIND, EACH ONE OF THOSE 41 CHANNELS HAS LATERAL CHANNELS TO IT.
AND THEN THERE'S ROAD DITCHES THAT SERVE THOSE CHANNELS.
I THINK WE HAD SOMETHING LIKE 1000 OR 1500 HOMES WITHIN THE FLOODPLAIN OF THE BRAZOS RIVER THAT FLOODED DURING HARVEY, AND THEN YOU HAD 3800 HOMES AND BARKER RESERVOIR THAT FLOODED.
THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT THAT.
THAT'S THE CORE OPERATION OF THE RESERVOIR.
SO OUT OF THE 7200 HOMES THAT FLOODED, THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE IN PLACES THAT WE CAN'T FIX.
AND IF YOU'RE GOING TO INVEST 3 TO $5 BILLION AND NOT EVEN FIX ALL THOSE, DOES IT COST EFFECTIVE TO DO THAT? THAT'S THE BIG QUESTION THERE.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN IS GRADY WAS TALKING ABOUT IF WE GO MAKE THESE IMPROVEMENTS FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS TO COME IN AND BE A LITTLE MORE READILY SET UP FOR THEM, THERE'S A BENEFIT THERE. IT POTENTIALLY REDUCES THE COST FOR FOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS TO CREATE HOMES FOR THE PEOPLE TO MOVE IN HERE.
THIS NEW CRITERIA THAT'S COMING IN, NOT IN YOUR PRECINCT ANYMORE, BUT IN THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF THE COUNTY, IT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE MORE USER FRIENDLY FOR THE DEVELOPERS, NOT AS FAR AS THE WORK ON THE GROUND OR THE AMOUNT OF WORK THEY HAVE TO DO.
I KNOW SOME DEVELOPERS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TAKES TO GET THOSE REPORTS COMPLETED, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF THEY DO THE REPORT WE HAVE A CONSULTANTS DO COMMENTS. THEY GO BACK AND ADDRESS THE COMMENTS.
THEY DON'T ADDRESS THEM ALL. SO THERE'S ANOTHER SET OF COMMENTS.
AND YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TALKING MONTHS TO GO THROUGH THOSE ITERATIONS AND THEY WANT THINGS TO TURN AND MOVE AND GET THE LAND SOLD SO THEY CAN COLLECT THEIR MONEY AND GO BUY MORE LAND FOR OTHER DEVELOPMENT.
BUT I ALSO GET PUSH PUSHED JUST LIKE YOU DO FROM THE PUBLIC ABOUT, HEY, I'M FLOODING, THIS DEVELOPMENT'S CAUSING PROBLEMS, YOU'VE GOT TO STOP IT OR YOU'VE GOT TO MAKE THEM DO THIS OR THAT OR THE OTHER THING.
AND THERE ARE ISSUES. DEVELOPERS COME IN, THEY HAVE A PLAN.
THE PLAN LOOKS GREAT AND IT WORKS GREAT ON A PIECE OF PAPER.
[02:20:07]
DRAINAGE THAT WAS SHOWN IN THE PLAN TO CAPTURE OFFSITE WATER.THOSE ARE ISSUES WE FACE EVERY DAY WITH NEW DEVELOPMENTS COMING IN.
AND I KNOW YOU GUYS HEAR ABOUT THEM BECAUSE SOMETIMES I HEAR ABOUT IT THROUGH YOU GUYS.
AND SO I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT OF US AND YOUR TRUST IN US AND ON THE WAY WE DO THESE THINGS.
THANK YOU, MARK. THANK YOU, MARK.
APPRECIATE IT. I WANT TO MENTION SOMETHING TO PAM.
I'M JUST GOING TO PUT THIS OUT HERE.
THESE FIVE MEMBERS, WE'RE THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT AND DRAINAGE DISTRICT TYPE WORK IS. TAKING UP AN INCREASINGLY HIGHER AMOUNT OF OUR TIME AND OUR ATTENTION AND.
UH, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT AT.
COMPENSATION. THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT.
UM, I GOT TO MAKE EYE CONTACT WITH NONE OF Y'ALL.
I'M JUST GOING TO SAY THIS TO LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE IT'S THE SAME AS IT'S BEEN PROBABLY FOR 40 YEARS.
OKAY, JUST PUT THAT OUT THERE BECAUSE REQUIRING MORE, MORE WORK, MORE ATTENTION.
MOVING FORWARD TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.
THANK YOU. LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT AND AND JUST ONE MORE POINT.
JUST WHILE WE'RE ON DRAINAGE, DISTRICT DRAINAGE DISTRICT IS A SPECIAL TAXING ENTITY.
SO OUR REVENUE CAP IS NOT 3.5%, BUT 8%.
8%. PUT ALL OUR INCREASES IN THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT THEN.
BUT YEAH, I WAS HERE CHECKING LAST YEAR'S TNT AND I HAVE CHRIS TO BACK ME UP.
WE PULLED IT UP AND YES, IT IT'S BEEN 8%.
IT'S NOT THE THREE AND ONE HALF PERCENT FOR DRAINAGE.
BUT WE NEED TO TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT.
IT WAS RIGHT, IT WAS DRAINAGE AND IT WAS ROAD, BRIDGE, LATERAL ROAD FRONT.
THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE HAS BEEN CALCULATED ON 8%.
IT'S NOT THAT IT HASN'T BEEN DONE IN THE PAST.
I'M JUST LETTING YOU KNOW THAT.
IT'S NOTHING THAT'S GOING TO CHANGE.
OKAY. LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT COUNTY ATTORNEY.
ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS.
I THINK I'M THE LAST ONE FOR THE MORNING.
WELL, YOU'LL BE HAPPY TO KNOW YOU'RE NOT BETWEEN US AND LUNCH.
BUT I WON'T TAKE TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME.
LET ME JUST THANK YOU ALL ALWAYS FOR THE SUPPORT THAT YOU GIVE MY OFFICE.
I KNOW OUR OFFICE IS A SERVICE RENDERING DEPARTMENT OF THE COUNTY.
WE SERVE EVERYONE, EVERY DEPARTMENT, EVERY ELECTED OFFICIAL.
BUT IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO GET THE APPRECIATION FROM THOSE WHO WE SERVE.
UM, I ALSO KNOW AS 20 YEARS IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE, THERE'S NEVER ENOUGH FUNDS, RIGHT? THERE'S ALWAYS A LIMITED AMOUNT THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE THAT WE MEET THE NEEDS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WE SERVE.
BUT I WILL ADVOCATE FOR MY OFFICE NONETHELESS, AND I WILL DO SO IN ORDER OF PRIORITY.
THANK YOU FOR THE ARPA POSITIONS THAT YOU AWARDED OUR OFFICE.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE BANDWIDTH AND THE WEIGHT OF LEGAL RESPONSE THAT MY OFFICE CARRIES FOR THE COUNTY IS IT IS A LARGE AMOUNT, RIGHT? I'LL JUST SAY IT LIKE THAT.
WE DO EVERYTHING FOR EVERYONE.
[02:25:01]
AND I DO BELIEVE THAT THESE POSITIONS WERE NEEDED PRIOR TO ARPA, BUT YET NOW FACING MORE DEMANDS IN TERMS OF A GROWING COUNTY, IN TERMS OF EMPLOYEES.RIGHT. THAT PRODUCES OR CREATES MORE WEIGHT ON OUR OFFICE IN TERMS OF RESPONSE.
SO I AM ADVOCATING FOR THOSE THREE POSITIONS TO BECOME PERMANENT POSITIONS IN OUR OFFICE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, JUST FROM THE REQUEST TO OUR OFFICE, FROM FROM CONTRACTS TO JUST GENERAL LEGAL ADVICE, WE TRY OUR BEST TO TURN THOSE ITEMS AROUND AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
BUT EVEN THE BEST OF LAWYERS, WHEN THEY ARE OVEREXTENDED, RESULTS CAN BE COMPROMISED.
JUDGE, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? NO, ACTUALLY, I WAS JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
WHEN I SEE THAT POSITION, THREE POSITIONS.
YOU'RE MOVING TO COUNTY GENERAL FUND? YES. FUNDED POSITIONS.
THAT MEANS THE TOTAL 43 INCLUDE THAT THREE POSITION.
YES. CORRECT. YES, JUDGE, THAT IS THAT IS THE ASK GOING DOWN.
THAT WAS PRIORITY NUMBER ONE FOR MY OFFICE.
THE NEXT IS NOT GOING TO HAVE A BUDGETARY IMPACT.
IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET, THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO REASONS WHY.
SO THAT ESSENTIALLY MEANS THAT I AM A POLICING AGENCY AND I HAVE TO FILE REPORTS TO TCOLE, JUST LIKE THE DEPUTIES EXCUSE ME, THE CONSTABLES AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICES AS A RESULT OF THAT.
BUT WHAT'S DIFFERENT AND UNIQUE IS FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS I HAVE NOT HAD THE DIRECT MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISION STRUCTURE OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT HAVE VEHICLES AND GUNS.
I'VE HAD THREE DIFFERENT INSTANCES WHERE THE COUNTY WAS AT RISK, SO THE LIABILITY THEY CURRENTLY HOLD THEIR COMMISSION UNDER YOU? I HOLD THEIR COMMISSIONS, YES.
ALTHOUGH ALTHOUGH THEY'RE IN HHS ENVIRONMENTAL, THEY'RE BASICALLY THEY'RE UNDER YOUR YOUR COMMISSION? YES, SIR. OKAY. AND SO JUST IN SUM, I HOLD ALL OF THE RESPONSIBILITY, ALL OF IT, BUT I DON'T HAVE THE DIRECT MANAGEMENT.
AND WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS MOVE THOSE POSITIONS UNDER OUR BUDGET STRUCTURE, BUT ALSO PUT THEM UNDER THE MANAGEMENT OF TWO CHIEFS IN MY OFFICE SO THAT I CAN HAVE A CLOSER SUPERVISION OF WHAT THEY DO ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS.
AND TO HAVE THOSE INDIVIDUALS SIPHONED TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT I NEVER SEE FOR MONTHS, SUNDAYS AND WEEKS TO COME AND NOT KNOW WHAT THEY DO ON A DAILY BASIS UNTIL A BIG PROBLEM COMES UP.
THAT'S A CHALLENGE FOR ME AS SOMEONE WHO HAS TO RESPOND TO TCOLE AND ALSO FOR THE COUNTY WHO COULD POTENTIALLY BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES THAT RESULT OF OF THEIR ACTIONS.
I GUESS, ASK IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, CREATING MORE FUNDS AND POSITIONS.
RESTART THROUGH HOW HOW IT'S GOING TO FUNCTION WITH WHAT THEY ACTUALLY DO, THEIR DAY TO DAY FUNCTIONS WHERE THEY REPORT AND WHAT THEY DO WILL NOT BE IMPACTED, BUT THEY WILL BE RESPONSIVE AND BE MANAGED BY TWO CHIEFS IN MY OFFICE, JOHN PLACETTE AND PATRICK QUINCY.
AGAIN, THIS IS TO CREATE MORE STRUCTURE IN TERMS OF MANAGEMENT SO THAT WE CAN TRACK JUST DAY TO DAY FUNCTIONS, WORK BEHAVIORS, WORK INTERACTIONS, SO THAT THEY AREN'T JUST OUT WITH THE COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, BEING A PEACE OFFICER WITH LITERALLY NO SUPERVISION.
BUT AGAIN, ALL THE RESPONSIBILITY FALLING ON ME.
I GUESS I'M GOING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WOULD THEY WORK IN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT? HOW WOULD THEY WOULD IT NOT BE A PUBLIC HEALTH FUNCTION ANYMORE? OH, YES. THEIR DAY TO DAY JOB TASKS AND FUNCTIONS WILL NOT CHANGE.
THEIR MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE WILL.
PRESENTLY, I DON'T EVEN HAVE ANY INPUT ON WHO GETS HIRED.
AND I JUST DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S APPROPRIATE.
I'VE TALKED TO OTHER CONSTABLES AND OTHER CHIEF INVESTIGATORS AND THEY DISAGREE WITH THAT MODEL AND THEY SUPPORT ME GOING IN THIS DIRECTION BECAUSE IT IS THE DIRECTION THAT ALL OF THE AGENCIES WOULD GO.
[02:30:07]
AND THEN THEY RESPOND RESPECTIVELY, TO WHATEVER DEPARTMENTS THEY SUPPORT.SO, BRIDGET, MORE LIKE YOU ARE SAYING, MORE CLARITY AND ALSO MORE STRUCTURE? YES, SIR. OKAY.
YES, SIR. AND PAM, DID YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? WELL, WE HAVE AND THIS IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE.
WE HAVE ONE ONE OF OUR DEPUTIES, I THINK IT WAS BEARD.
SO HE'S FOUR NOW, BUT THAT JUVENILE IT'S BUDGETED IN JUVENILE.
BUT REPORTS TO CONSTABLE BEARD COULD WE KEEP THIS WHERE THE BUDGET THE SALARY STAYS IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC DEFENDER'S SO WE HAVE A UNIFIED COST CENTER BUT THEY REPORT TO YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO BE VERY CLEAR WHO THEY WORK FOR.
I DO NOT WANT ANYBODY WITH A BADGE AND A GUN WORKING FOR A DEPARTMENT NOT SHOWING UP TO WORK, CAUSING ALL KIND OF DISRUPTIONS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY PUT THE COUNTY AT LIABILITY. AND TO WHICH I HAVE TO RESPOND TO TO CALL ON.
SO HOWEVER THAT WORKS OUT, THAT'S FINE, AS LONG AS IT'S CLEAR THAT I HIRE, THAT I MANAGE.
I DON'T REALLY I DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT THE MONEY.
I NEED STRUCTURE AND I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO ANSWER TO ANYONE FOR PEOPLE THAT I DON'T SEE AND THAT I CANNOT MANAGE AND THAT I CANNOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR EXCEPT ON THE END THAT PRESENTS THE MOST LIABILITY.
LIKE IF WE SAID, OKAY, WHO ARE BRIDGET'S EMPLOYEES? AND IT WOULD PULL THOSE UP BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE THE PROCESS UNIT, BUT IT WOULD SHOW THE ACCOUNTING UNIT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH OR PUBLIC DEFENDER SO THAT WHEN WE PULL UP, WHAT DOES IT COST TO RUN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THOSE SALARIES WILL BE UNDER HIS BUTT AND NOT UNDER HERS BECAUSE SHE'S NOT.
IT'S NOT NO, THE FUNCTION DOESN'T COME UNDER.
THE FUNCTION WILL BE UNDER HERS, BUT THE BUDGET WILL BE UNDER THOSE DEPARTMENT.
NO, THE FUNCTION IS FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
RIGHT. BUT THIS IS MORE STRUCTURED.
YES. THAT'S THE WAY I LOOK AT.
YES, IT WILL CHANGE ORG CHARTS AND EVERYTHING SO THAT IT IS UNDER YOUR OFFICE.
YES. MICHAEL SCHAEFER HAVE WORKED THIS ALL OUT.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE CASES WE HAD AN ISSUE WITH.
YES. WE'VE KIND OF WORKED IT OUT IN TERMS OF THE PERSON THAT WE HAD TO MOVE OUT.
BUT AGAIN, WHEN THINGS GO SOUTH, THEY JUST DISMISS.
BUT I'M RESPONSIVE TO ANOTHER ANOTHER PARTY, ANOTHER ENTITY.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS JUST TO CREATE MORE STRUCTURE, MORE RESPONSIVENESS ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS WITH THESE PEACE OFFICERS THAT I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR. AND ALSO, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, THIS IS JUST ME SAYING, YOU KNOW, COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS BEEN SO LEAN AND, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED HELP.
BUT WE CANNOT CONTINUE DOING THIS DOUBLE WORK WITH THE SAME PEOPLE.
I MEAN, IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK.
AND SO AND ALSO, SOMETIMES THESE PEOPLE ARE WAITING FOR THEIR CONTRACT OR WAITING FOR WHATEVER.
MAYBE A BUSINESS IS WAITING FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT PROCESSING IT SO THAT WE COULD PROCESS IT AND SEND IT TO THEM OR MANY OTHER DEPARTMENTS. SO I THINK IT IS TIME FOR US TO DEFINITELY FUND ADEQUATELY.
A TWO COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE SO THAT YOU COULD DO YOUR JOB.
AND THE END OF THE DAY, WE COULD SERVE OUR CITIZENS IN MUCH MORE TIMELY FASHION.
AND SO I PERSONALLY, I DON'T SEE ANY PROBLEM IN THE POSITIONS YOU ARE REQUESTING.
AND I DON'T I'M JUST TALKING FOR MYSELF.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL HAVE.
YES, SIR. YOUR SIX POSITION SINCE YOU'RE ASKING FOR.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO ASK THAT YOU PRIORITIZE THEM.
SO WHEN YOU DISCUSS WITH HER THAT YOU HAVE A PRIORITY AND YOU NEED THEM FOR SPECIFIC, WELL, PRIORITY ONE WAS THE ARPA POSITIONS, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
SO THOSE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE IT NOW.
OKAY. DON'T MAKE THAT DECISION.
I AM READY. SHE'S ALREADY DECIDED.
I'M READY TO PRIORITIZE AND EXPLAIN TO YOU THE NEED, THE ASK THE WHY.
AND LET ME TELL YOU, MY TEAM IS AWESOME.
WE'VE UNLESS THINGS ARE FALLING APART RIGHT NOW, EVERYBODY'S BEEN GREAT.
WE TRY OUR BEST TO TURN OUT THE BEST LEGAL PRODUCT THAT WE CAN FOR THE COUNTY.
RIGHT. BUT WHATEVER I ASK FOR, AGAIN, IT'S AS PEOPLE HAVE SAID BEFORE, IT'S NOT A WANT.
[02:35:06]
I'M NOT ASKING FOR, YOU KNOW, A COUNTY ATTORNEY YACHT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.I'M ASKING FOR THINGS THAT ARE JUST BARE BASICS TO HELP SUPPORT YOU ALL THE CLIENT.
AND ONE QUESTION THIS IS JUST LIKE TO KNOW, DO YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF A, LIKE A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION SYSTEM OR WHO IS DOING WHAT AND WHAT LEVEL AND SOME KIND OF AN EVALUATION SYSTEM, HOW HOW FAST WE ARE TURNING AROUND THESE? BECAUSE THAT ALL MAKE YOU A CASE OF YOUR REQUEST.
OKAY. YOU KNOW, BETTER, BETTER MAKE THE CASE WE HAVE A WAY TO TRACK THE CONTRACTS AS THEY COME IN AND HOW LONG IT TAKES TO BASICALLY RETURN THOSE.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT IT, THAT'S SUCH IT'S A BIG PART OF WHAT WE DO, BUT IT'S NOT.
I CAN HAVE GENERAL COUNSEL WORKING ON A CONTRACT TO SEND OUT, BUT THEN WE'RE HIT WITH JUST GENERAL INCREASE OF VARIOUS DIFFERENT QUESTIONS, REQUESTS FOR LEGAL OPINIONS, JUST GUIDANCE THAT JUST COMES UP EVERY DAY.
THAT MEANS WE PUT SOMETHING TO THE SIDE TO HANDLE SOMETHING THAT'S A PRIORITY.
SO THE REASON I ASK THIS QUESTION, BECAUSE SOMETIME WE RUN INTO THIS SITUATION WHERE OLGA HAVE TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA AND SOMETIME WE HAVE TO WAIT.
AND I KNOW, I KNOW WHY AND YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SHORT STAFFED.
SO THAT'S THE REASON WHY I'M TRYING TO ASK, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THOSE THERE IS A TIMELINE ATTACHED TO IT, YOU KNOW, LIKE GOT TO BE BY THIS DAY OR THIS TIME, THEN ONLY IT CAN GET ON THE AGENDA KIND OF THING.
AND AND WE WHOLEHEARTEDLY DO IT BECAUSE OF THE URGENCY OF THAT.
SO WHAT I LIKE TO I WAS MY QUESTION WAS TRY TO FIND OUT SOME KIND OF AN EVALUATION IN IN INTERNAL INTERNAL CAN CREATE.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S ALREADY THERE, BUT OTHERWISE MAYBE IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO LOOK INTO IT.
WE'VE ALREADY KIND OF REACHED OUT TO KIND OF CAPTURE SOME INFORMATION, TO LOOK AT CONTRACTS AND CONTRACTS, OUT REQUISITIONS, ALL OF THAT, SO WE CAN COMPILE A SPREADSHEET TO SHOW FROM THE INITIAL ASK HOW LONG IT TAKES FOR US TO TO PRODUCE.
BUT AGAIN, THAT'S JUST CONTRACTS.
AND AGAIN, AND I KNOW IT AND I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT I KNOW THIS IS ACTUALLY AN IMPORTANT THING.
SO HAVING SOMETHING ACTUALLY EVEN MAKE YOUR THIS ASK.
SO, OKAY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THERE ARE THREE. THREE OTHER POSITIONS, RIGHT? YES, DEFINITELY.
WE ASKED FOR A RECLASSIFICATION FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH ATTORNEY THAT WE HAVE JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU SOME DATA, 2019, WE HAD 778 MENTAL HEALTH COMMITMENTS FILED, 2022, THAT NUMBER JUMPED UP TO 908.
WE ARE NOW HANDLING MENTAL HEALTH COMMITMENTS FROM HOSPITALS, TEXANA REFERRALS, THE PRISON, THE DA'S OFFICE AND NEWLY FOR PSYCHO PSYCHO PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATION ORDERS SO THAT MENTAL HEALTH THE ATTORNEY THAT WAS IN LITIGATION IS THAT'S ALL SHE CAN DO NOW.
SO WE WANT TO CARVE THAT OUT, MAKE THAT PRETTY MUCH A SPECIALTY BECAUSE THAT'S ALL SHE'S DOING IN TERMS OF INTERACTING WITH EVERYONE WHO HANDLES MENTAL HEALTH AND FOR BEING SO MAKE THAT POSITION ITS OWN REGULATORY.
AS YOU KNOW, THE REGULATORY DIVISION HAS TAKEN ON BOARDING HOMES, HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET THAT MASSAGE PARLOR USED AS A JUST A STAKEOUT.
SO OUR REGULATORY DIVISION IS WORKING WITH OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT TO KEEP FORT BEND SAFE.
BUT WITH THAT, WE BASICALLY KICKED THE HORNETS NEST.
THERE'S A LOT OF WORK OUT THERE THAT OUR OFFICE IS CAN BE MORE PROACTIVELY INVOLVED WITH.
[02:40:05]
AND SO WE NEED ANOTHER LAWYER FOR THE REGULATORY DIVISION AND ANOTHER INVESTIGATOR TO SUPPORT THAT.AND THEY ALSO HELP THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE WITH TABC INVESTIGATIONS.
SO WHENEVER A RESTAURANT WANTS TO OPEN AND WE NEED TO FIND OUT IF THEY'RE NUMBER ONE WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OR WITHIN THE COUNTY'S JURISDICTION, THEY HAVE TO GO OUT AND INVESTIGATE HOW FAR THEY ARE FROM WHETHER IT'S A SCHOOL, A CHURCH, ETCETERA.
AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER EXTENSION OF MANPOWER THAT'S OUT THERE ON THE STREETS AND NEEDING SOMEONE ELSE TO SUPPLEMENT THE TWO GUYS WHO ARE DOING THAT, JOHN AND PATRICK RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN A FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY.
CPS IS ONE OF THE OTHER, I GUESS, DIVISIONS, FAMILY LAW DIVISION OF MY OFFICE AND PROTECTING CHILDREN WHO ARE IN ABUSE AND NEGLECT IN FORT BEND COUNTY IN EVERY COUNTY IS IS A WORK IN AND OF ITSELF.
AND TO HAVE ANOTHER LAWYER TO SUPPORT THAT DIVISION, TO HELP MARJORIE, CHRIS AND TANYA AMIN WITH THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING AND TO GIVE THEM SOME RELIEF SO THAT THEY CAN EVEN PROPERLY HAVE A LUNCH BREAK WITHOUT STANDING IN COURT ALL DAY.
THAT WOULD BE GREAT. SO THOSE ARE THE OTHER POSITIONS THAT WE'VE WE'VE ASKED FOR.
NEXT YEAR, YOU'RE GOING TO COME BACK WITH BIGGER NUMBERS, HIGHER NUMBERS, I SHOULD SAY.
ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU. AND IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS OFFLINE, I'M ALWAYS AVAILABLE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. FINISH UP.
WE HAVE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, THEN WE'LL HAVE A QUICK LUNCH AND WE'LL COME BACK FOR SIPS.
DISTRICT CLERK. DISTRICT CLERK.
DISTRICT CLERK. I WAS THINKING.
COUNTY ATTORNEY. I GUESS THAT'S AN EASY ONE.
NOON. HOW ARE ALL OF YOU DOING? IT'S NOT AFTERNOON, BUT IT'S GOOD.
COUNTY JUDGE, KP GEORGE AND ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR GIVING ME THIS OPEN FORUM TO MAKE MY APPEAL ABOUT WHAT I NEED TO KEEP DOING, THE EXCELLENT JOB THAT I HAVE BEEN DOING FOR THE CITIZENS OF FORT BEND COUNTY.
THE FIRST THING I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WAS OUR OUR POSITIONS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO KEEP.
TWO OF THEM ARE PASSPORT CLERKS AND OUR PASSPORT DIVISION.
WE HAVE THREE ASSOCIATE JUDGE POSITIONS AND FOUR JURY CLERKS FOR A TOTAL OF NINE TOTAL POSITIONS THAT WERE GRANTED TO US IN ARPA THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO KEEP.
I'VE GIVEN YOU A LITTLE NARRATIVE BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE EASIER FOR YOU TO READ THE NARRATIVE AND FOLLOW ALONG WITH ME THAN MAYBE SOME OF THOSE POSITION PAPERS THAT I GAVE TO YOU. BUT IF YOU WILL LOOK UNDER THE PASSPORT CLERK'S, PLEASE NOTE THAT IN FISCAL YEAR 2022, WE ACCEPTED 21,112 PASSPORT APPLICATIONS.
WE DID 10,717 PASSPORT PHOTOS AND WE DEPOSITED INTO THE GENERAL FUND 935,000 $436,000 IN REVENUE.
AND THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, WE HAVE DONE 9312 PASSPORT APPLICATIONS, WHICH IS ABOUT 1862 A MONTH.
WE'VE DONE 4333 PASSPORT PHOTOS AND 4361 PHOTO COPIES ASSOCIATED WITH PASSPORTS FOR A TOTAL REVENUE FOR THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS.
THIS FIRST FOUR MONTH PERIOD OF $395,276.
SO IF YOU DO THE CALCULATIONS, YOU WILL SEE THAT ALREADY THIS YEAR.
IF WE'RE ON TARGET, OUR GOAL IS 1 MILLION.
AND SO BASED ON WHAT PAMELA HAS TOLD US, IT COST $63,384.90 TO FUND AN EMPLOYEE.
[02:45:03]
RIGHT. SO IF YOU DIVIDE IT, THE $948,692.40 BY $63,384.69, WHICH IS THE SALARY FOR ONE EMPLOYEE.WE COULD ACTUALLY EMPLOY 14 EMPLOYEES WITH WHAT WE BROUGHT IN TO THE GENERAL REVENUE FUND THIS YEAR.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, COMMISSIONER MYERS? DO YOU HAVE PASSPORT EMPLOYEES RIGHT NOW? SIX. SIX.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I TELL YOU.
I'M JUST ECHOING WHAT OTHER COMMISSIONERS ARE SAYING.
THIS PART OF THE SERVICE EXISTED BEFORE IN FORT BEND COUNTY.
I BELIEVE PASSPORT SERVICES, YOU TOOK IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL BIG TIME.
YOU KNOW, SO MANY PEOPLE COME AND TELL ME ABOUT THE SERVICE, YOU KNOW, OH, I DIDN'T HAVE TO WAIT.
AND I JUST WALKED IN AND I HAD AN APPOINTMENT.
EVERYTHING IS DONE IN LIKE 30 MINUTES, 40 MINUTES.
AND I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT BECAUSE WHEN WE DO SOMETHING GOOD, IT'S GOOD TO KNOW THE FEEDBACK.
AND I PERSONALLY, THEY COME AND THANK ME AND I'M LIKE, OH, NO, NO, NO, THAT'S NOT ME.
SO THAT'S AN AMAZING THING BECAUSE OUR COUNTY IS FULL OF PEOPLE TRAVEL AND EVEN OVERSEAS ON A REGULAR BASIS, YOU KNOW, 30% OF OUR RESIDENTS ARE FOREIGN BORN.
SO THEY GO TO THEIR COUNTRIES OR WHEREVER THEY ARE COMING FROM.
SO I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD INCOME IS WHAT, $110,000 RIGHT NOW.
SO YOU ARE HELPING SO MANY PEOPLE.
I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT. THANK YOU.
AND REGARDING THE ASSOCIATE JUDGE CLERKS, WE HAVE THREE OF THOSE.
I THINK YOU HAVE POSITION PAPERS THAT WERE PRESENTED TO YOU FROM JUDGE CHAD BRIDGES AND THE 458TH AND JUDGE PATEL AND THE TWO 40TH ABOUT THE PENDING CASES THAT THEY STILL HAVE THERE.
IS IT SO IF WE DO IF WE DO APPROVE TO KEEP THOSE ASSOCIATE JUDGES, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE THESE CLERKS, CORRECT? ABSOLUTELY. BECAUSE ALL OF THE OTHER CLERKS ARE ASSIGNED TO OTHER COURTS.
THERE'S A LETTER IN YOUR PACKET FROM JUDGE BECERRA, WHO ADVOCATES FOR THESE JURY CLERKS BECAUSE WE ARE STILL SUMMONING TO JURY DUTY THREE TIMES A WEEK.
THAT'S ABOUT A THOUSAND PEOPLE A WEEK TIMES FOUR WEEKS IS ABOUT 4000 JURORS A MONTH.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT OUR NEED IS.
THE ONLY COURTS WE DON'T SUMMONS FOR ARE THE MUNICIPAL COURTS.
WE WERE AT 15% ATTENDANCE RATE WITH JURORS, AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 25.5% ATTENDANCE AND THE JUSTICE OF THE PEACE COURTS AND ABOUT 27% PARTICIPATION IN BOTH THE DISTRICT COURTS AND THE COUNTY COURTS.
AND I PUT DOWN HERE ALL OF THE TASKS.
AND SO AND THERE'S ALSO PENDING LEGISLATION IN THE LEGISLATURE RIGHT NOW ASKING TO INCREASE JUROR PAY IN GRAND JURIES AND PETTY JURORS.
AND THIS PROCESS OF TAKING DONATIONS IS BEING REVIEWED.
BUT RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE TO TAKE DONATIONS AT EACH DISMISSAL POINT OF THE JURY PROCESS.
SO IF I'M POSTPONED FROM THE GENERAL POOL, WE HAVE TO RUN BEHIND THOSE PEOPLE AND GET DONATIONS.
IF DURING VOIR DIRE I'M NOT CHOSEN, THEN WE HAVE TO FIND THOSE PEOPLE AND GET DONATIONS.
AND THEN AT THE END OF THE TRIAL, OUR PEOPLE HAVE TO STAY HERE SOMETIMES UNTIL 10:00 AT NIGHT SO THAT THEY CAN ACCOST JURORS TO GET THESE JUROR DONATIONS, BECAUSE THE LAW SAYS WE CAN'T ASK FOR DONATIONS UNTIL THE PROCESS IS OVER FOR THAT PERSON BECAUSE IT PREJUDICES THE JURY.
IS THE POSITION REQUEST IN SMALL.
[02:50:02]
I DON'T SEE IT. EACH PAGE SHOULD I CONTINUE? IT IS ON PAGE THREE OF FOUR.THIS ANALYST DOES IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
SHE DOES IT IN COLUMNS RATHER THAN ROWS.
WAIT, WHAT ARE YOU, PAGE THREE OF FOUR.
ON OUR SHEET. BUT SHE HAS IT ALL LISTED OUT IN HER PACKET THAT SHE JUST GAVE YOU.
SO THAT'S THE POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE AND THEIR JUSTIFICATION.
WE WOULD LIKE TO GO FULL TIME IN SIENA.
THE REQUEST IS THERE FOR PASSPORT ASSISTANCE, BUT WE SIMPLY DON'T HAVE THE STAFF.
AS SOON AS WE LET APPOINTMENTS, THEY ARE FILLED.
AND SO PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR APPOINTMENTS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE AND WE WOULD LIKE TO OPEN THAT FACILITY FIVE DAYS A WEEK INSTEAD OF THE TWO DAYS A WEEK, WHICH IS WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY THAT WE ARE IN SIENA.
AND SO AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANTED TO ASK THIS.
THE PASSPORT SERVICES IS A REVENUE BUILDING REVENUE CREATING ITS FUND ITSELF.
SO IT IS ONLY COMMON SENSE TO IF THERE IS A DEMAND SUPPORTING THAT.
RIGHT. SO WE WOULD ADJUST REVENUES FOR THAT.
OKAY. SO WE'D HAVE TO HAVE TWO PASSPORT CLERKS.
AND OF COURSE, OUR AUDITORS ALWAYS TELL US THAT THE FUNDS HAVE TO BE HANDLED BY ANOTHER PERSON.
AND SO WE'D HAVE TO SPEND, SEND TWO PASSPORT CLERKS AND ONE ACCOUNTING CLERK TO SIENA.
AND THEN THE NUMBER FIVE THING QUICKLY THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS A MANAGER OF OPERATIONS.
THIS IS A POSITION THAT BOTH THE COUNTY CLERK AND THE DISTRICT CLERK HAS DISCUSSED.
WE ARE NOW REPORTING TO ABOUT 25 DIFFERENT AGENCIES AND SO ABOUT ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT KEEP THE COURTS RUNNING EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY.
WE ARE REPORTING TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE OFFICE OF COURT ADMINISTRATION, THE DPS, YOU NAME IT.
ONCE A YEAR WE GET FUNDS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF PENDING CASES, ACTIVE CASES, SO FORTH.
SO WE'RE ASKING YOU TO PLEASE FUND A MANAGER OF OPERATIONS.
WE BELIEVE THAT OUR ACCOUNTING CLERKS DO THE SAME THING AS EDS, ACCOUNTANTS.
ACTUALLY, WE'VE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH ED, AND HE AGREES WITH US, PERHAPS TO A LESSER EXTENT.
IN OUR CASE, IT'S $10 MILLION PLUS.
I'M SURE IT'S MUCH MORE IN LAURA'S CASE.
BUT WE THEY DO THE SAME FUNCTIONS.
WHY SHOULD THEY NOT BE PAID THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY? SO I'M GOING TO ASK YOU GUYS TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.
I'VE PUT DOWN HERE ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY DO AND SEE IF WE HAVE ENOUGH MONEY IN OUR BUDGET TO RAISE THEM UP TO THE SAME HOURLY PAY THAT THE ACCOUNTANTS OVER THERE GET.
SOME OF THEM HAVE MASTER'S DEGREES, BUT THEY'RE GETTING MUCH LESS MONEY.
SURE. AND THEN QUICKLY, THE OTHER THING WE'RE ADDING ASKING FOR IS $12,000 TO BUY SOFTWARE THAT WILL ALLOW US TO CERTIFY DOCUMENTS. RIGHT NOW, PEOPLE COME UP TO OUR COUNTER AND THEY NEED COPIES THAT ARE CERTIFIED, EITHER WITH A DISTRICT CLERK STAMP OR WITH A SEAL RAY SEAL. BUT THEN SOME OF THE TIME THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, FOR EXAMPLE, OR THE IRS TAKES. SO THEY COME IN AND THEY'LL ASK FOR CERTIFIED DOCUMENTS AND WE'LL GIVE THEM A STAMP.
[02:55:05]
WELL, AND THEN THEY HAVE TO COME BACK TO US BECAUSE EITHER THE IRS OR THE SOCIAL SECURITY WANTS A RAY SEAL OR ONE WANTS A STAMP.BUT IF WE CERTIFY DOCUMENTS, ALL OF THEIR DOCUMENTS ARE ACCEPTABLE BY THE SOCIAL SECURITY AND I AND THE IRS, IT'S $12,000 A YEAR OR $999.99 A MONTH, AND THE IMPLEMENTATION COST IS $8,000. BUT IT WOULD IT WOULD SAVE OUR CITIZENS QUITE A BIT AND IT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO PRINT AN E! CERTIFIED DOCUMENT FROM HOME.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IN OUR BUDGET.
AND FINALLY, WE HAVE INCREASED OUR JURY PAY BUDGET BUDGET SUBSTANTIALLY.
WHY? BECAUSE THERE ARE BILLS PENDING IN THE LEGISLATURE ASKING US TO RAISE JUROR PAY, BOTH IN THE GRAND JURY AND THE PETTY JUROR UNFUNDED MANDATE.
YES. SO WE HAVE GOTTEN WITH PAM AND HER STAFF AND WITH ED AND HIS STAFF AND INCREASE THE AMOUNT WE'RE ASKING FOR BASED ON WHAT THEY THINK OUR COST WOULD BE COMING OUT OF THE 88TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
SURE. AND THAT HASN'T BEEN PASSED YET? NOT YET. I THINK IT MAY, THOUGH.
HAS IT GONE TO THE CALENDAR COMMITTEE YET? I DON'T KNOW. THE LAST TIME I LOOKED, I DON'T I DON'T THINK SO, TO BE HONEST.
KEEP AN EYE JUST KEEP AN EYE ON THAT.
AND THEN WHENEVER WE KNOW FOR SURE, THEN WE CAN ADJUST.
ADJUST. HOWEVER, OUR WAY, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I DON'T KNOW WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME WE UPDATED A JURY PAY TO BEGIN WITH? I'M NOT AGAINST THEM GETTING PAID.
I DON'T THINK ANYONE WOULD BE RIGHT, BECAUSE ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WHY PEOPLE COME TO JURY DUTY AND WANT TO GO HOME IS BECAUSE SINGLE MOTHERS, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO PAY MY BILLS AND YOU'RE ONLY GOING TO GIVE ME $6 THE FIRST DAY AND $40 IF IT'S A PETTY JUROR FOR EACH ADDITIONAL DAY OR $50 IF IT'S THE GRAND JURY.
SO THAT'S NOT ENOUGH TO PAY MY BILLS.
ANY QUESTIONS? I JUST CLARIFICATION, PAMELA, I'M I'M A LITTLE LOST.
SHE'S ASKING FOR 13 POSITIONS.
BUT IF YOU LOOK ON HER SCHEDULE, WHAT DID I DO, 23 VERSUS 24? YOU ADD EVERYTHING UP, THEY HAVE 79 FULL TIME AND 23 AND 93 FULL TIME, INCLUDING TWO GRANT OR PROJECTS, AND THAT'S 14.
WHAT DID I DO? YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING.
OKAY. I THINK IT'S AN ERROR ON OUR ON OUR SHEET.
ALL RIGHT. BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE TO MAKE ERRORS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU ALL FOR LISTENING TO ME.
IT GIVES US A VERY CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF COST TO INCOME RATIO.
AND I. THINK THAT WAS BRILLIANT.
SO THANK YOU. I WANTED TO BE PREPARED FOR COMMISSIONER MYERS BECAUSE HE ALWAYS QUESTIONS ME NOW.
SO MISS WALKER WAS WAS PREPARED.
SHE AND MR CALLED LAST WEEK AND SAID, OKAY, HOW DO WE SET UP OUR REVENUE SO THAT IT SHOWS THIS, THIS AND THAT? THEY WERE READY.
SO. SO WE COULD CONCLUDE THIS SESSION AND WE WILL GET BACK.
ONE 2120 WOULD THAT WORK? THAT WORKS FOR ME.
THE OH 1229 WILL COVER THE JURY PAYMENTS.
OKAY. SO WE WILL GET BACK 120.
THANK YOU. WE ARE ON LUNCH.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.