[1. Call to Order.] [00:00:09] >>> GOOD MORNING. IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YA'LL. TODAY IS TUESDAY AUGUST 4TH 2026 AND THE TIME NOW IS 9 A.M. I HEREBY CALL TO ORDER THIS BUDGET WORKSHOP OF THE FORT BEND COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT. WELCOME TO OUR COURTROOM AND THANK YOU TO THOSE JOINING US BY LIVESTREAM. PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT WE DO HAVE THE PRESENCE OF THE QUORUM. WE WILL BEGIN WITH AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO. PUBLIC COMMENTS. REGARDING ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS? >> WE DO NOT. >> HEARING NONE SO WE WILL MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM. YES, PLEASE? >> CAN I MAKE A BRIEF STATEMENT? >> SURE, PLEASE. >> I-- FOR THE RECORD. CAN YOU HEAR ME? FOR THE RECORD, I GOT OUT OF THE SICK BED TO BE HERE TO MAKE QUORUM. I STILL HAVE A FEVER. AND WE HAVE TWO MEMBERS OF THE COURT WHO ARE SIMPLY CHOSEN NOT TO SHOW UP. SO I JUST WANT TO NOTE THAT FOR THE RECORD. [ Receive a presentation of the FY 2027 recommended budget by the Director of Finance & Investments. ] >> COMMISSIONER. WE WILL NOW PRESENT AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE. PLEASE PROCEED. >> THREE BUDGET AND FINANCE. RECEIVE A PRESENTATION OF THE FY 2027 RECOMMENDED BUDGET BY THE DIRECTORER OF FINANCE AND INVESTMENTS. >> FANTASTIC. PLEASE PROCEED. >> THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. SO WE HAVE GONE THROUGH AN ADVENTUROUS SUMMER PRESENTING A RECOMMENDED BUDGET. AS YOU RECALL WHEN WE HAD OUR FIRST MEETING IN MAY, OUR PRELIMINARY BUDGET HEARINGS, OUR NUMBERS CAME A LITTLE BIT LOWER THAN WE HAD ANTICIPATED. AND WE WERE CHARGED WITH REDUCING OR CHALLENGED WITH REDUCING THE BUDGET REQUESTS BY 8 $0 MILLION. SO THAT LEFT IT VERY CHALLENGING FOR MY OFFICE TO GO IN AND TO REDUCE THOSE NUMBERS BY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. BASICALLY BACK TO THE 2026 ADOPTED BUDGET. IF YOU LOOK AT-- GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT-- OH. ALL RIGHT SO WE HAD OUR CERTIFIED TAXABLE VALUES. WE TALKED ABOUT IN MAY,ER THOSES CAME IN AT $127.9 BILLION WHICH WAS A NEGATIVE 4%. 4.4% DECREASE FROM THE 2025 CERTIFIED VALUES. IN JULY LAST MONTH, WE DID RECEIVE THE CERTIFIED VALUES AND WE WERE PLEASED TO SEE THAT WE DID SEE AN INCREASE IN THOSE CERTIFIED VALUES FOR BOTH FORT BEND COUNTY AND FOR THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT. FOR FORTER BEND COUNTY WE ARE AT 133.2KZ BILLION WHICH WAS AN ALMOST 3%ER INCREASE. 2.97 AND THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT WAS VERY SIMILAR AT $132 BILLION AT 2.95% INCREASE. SO THAT DID HELP TREMENDOUSLY AND MEETING OUR GOAL OF THAT $80 MILLION. SO AS YOU KNOW WE WOULD HAVE TO EITHERER REDUCE BY $80 MILLION OR COMBINATION OF REDUCING THE BUDGET AND GENERATING ADDITIONAL REVENUES. SO WE WERE ABLE TO GET ADDITIONAL REVENUES FROM THE INCREASED VALUES. SO JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE UPDATE ON OUR FORT BEND COUNTY TAX RATE, WE HAVE STEADILY BEEN DECREASING THE TAX RATE. AS YOU CAN SEE HERE FOR 2025, THE OVERALL COUNTY-- FORT BEND COUNTY AND DRAINAGE DISTRICT TAX RATE WAS .422 CENTS OR 42.2 CENTS. AND I ANTICIPATE TO KEEP THAT 42.2 CENTS FOR THE 2026 TAX YEAR. AND THAT IS THE NUMBER THAT I USE TO GENERATE THE BUDGET. THE 2027 RECOMMENDED BUDGET. >> THAT KEEPS IT UNDER THE 3.5% CAP? >> YES, SIR. >> OKAY. >> SO HERE WE HAVE-- EXCUSE ME. THE-- AND THIS IS WHAT IT'S GOING TO SHOW, WE HAVE THE 2025 TAX RATE AT A TOTAL OF 42.2 CENTS. THE FORT BEND COUNTY WAS 41.2 CENTS. DRAINAGE DISTRICT IS 1 CENT. NOW I DID-- IN ORDER TO GENERATE ENOUGH REVENUES FOR THE GENERAL FUND, I DID INCREASE THE GENERAL FUND ALLOCATION OF THAT TAX RATE. AND REDUCE THE RHODEN BRIDGE RATE. BUT THE OVERALL COUNTY RATE IS THE SAME. AS A REMINDER, EACH CENT IN OUR TAX RATE GENERATES $13.1 [00:05:03] MILLION. SO WITH TRUTH AND TAXATION AFTER RECEIVING THE VALUES FROM THE TAX OFFICE, OR FROM THE CAD, THE TAX OFFICE CALCULATED THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE. THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE IS THE RATE THAT WILL GENERATE THE SAME REVENUES WITH THOSE SAME PROPERTIES AS THE 2025 TAX YEAR. SO THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE FOR FORT BEND COUNTY IS .395979. THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE FOR THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT .009609. SO THOSE ARE THE-- NO NEW REVENUE-- AS LONG AS WE DO NOT PROPOSE OR ADOPT A TAX RATE GREATER THAN THE VAR, THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE, YOU DO NOT HAVE-- IF YOU ADOPT A TAX RATE GREATER THAN THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE, YOU AUTOMATICALLY HAVE TO HAVE AN ELECTION TO ADOPT THAT TAX RATE. AND WE ARE UNDER THAT RATE. OKAY. SO THE 2027 FINANCE SUMMARY. FOR THE GENERAL FUND, WE HAVE TAX RATE THAT IS PROPOSED, WE WILL HAVE AN ENDING BALANCE OF 30%. OUR BUDGET POLICY REQUIRES THAT WE KEEP A 30% ENDING FUND BALANCE AND HIT 30% OF THE OPERATING BUDGET FOR EMERGENCIES. AND WE HAVE A RECOMMENDED BUDGET TODAY THAT INCLUDES A PLACEHOLDER FOR A CO-LIFE IF YOU WILL. AND WE WOULD STILL HAVE A REMAINING BALANCE OF 30% FOR THE GENERAL FUND. 36-- 38% FOR RHODEN BRIDGE. 94 DRAINAGE DISTRICT AND THEN THE DEBT SERVICE AND THE DRAINAGE DEBT SERVICE, THOSE DO NOT REQUIRE THE 30% BECAUSE THOSE ARE FOR INTEREST IN SEEKING FUNDS. >> REAL QUICK THE QUESTION SO THE 30% IS THE WAY THAT APPLIED TO ALL THE FUND RIGHT? THAT WE WANT TO KEEP? 30% FOR ALL THE FUND? >> IT'S 30% FOR THE GENERAL FUND. >> ALL THE FUNDS. SO WE ARE OKAY. >> YES. >> MUCH HIGHER THAN 30%. >> YES. >> OKAY, GOT IT. >> SO THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET THAT WE SEE HERE, I HAVE PRESENTED IT BY GOVERNMENTAL FUNCTION. WE SEE THAT THE TOTAL BUDGET THAT IS RECOMMENDED IS $792 MILLION WHICH IS A 4.2% INCREASE OVER THE 2026 YEAR. WE CAN-- THE GREATEST INCREASES WERE SEEN IN ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE. AND PUBLIC SAFETY. WITH 5.6% AND 3.6% RESPECTIVELY. SO, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO HERE, WHEN WE ADOPT A TAX RATE. TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE CHAPTER 81 STATES THAT WE MUST QUORUM OF AT LEAST FOUR MEMBERS OF COMMISSIONERS COURT PRESENT IN A REGULARLY-SCHEDULED MEETING TO LEVY A TAX RATE. IF WE DO NOT HAVE THAT TAX RATE, THEN TAX CODE 2605 SECTION C STATES THAT WE MUST ADOPT A REVENUE-- THE LORE OF THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE ORRER THE TAX RATE ADOPTED FOR TAX YEAR 2025. IN OUR CASE, THE LOWER IS THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE. SO THAT AMOUNT THAT I SHOWED YOU PREVIOUSLY IS THE RATE THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO ROLL BACK IF---ER WHEN WE HAVE ON THE COURT, WHICH IS GOING TO BE SEPTEMBER THE 10TH, IF WE DO NOT HAVE AT LEAST FOUR MEMBERS OF COMMISSIONERER'S COURT, WE WOULD ROLL BACK TO THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE. AT THIS POINT, THAT WOULD BE THAT WE WOULD NEED TO REDUCE THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET. IF WE TAKE OUT THE PLACEHOLDER THAT I HAVE FOR A COLA WHICH IS RIGHT NOW $10.4 MILLION, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO BRING THAT ENDING FUND BALLENCE TO 29.5%. NOT QUITE AT THE 30%ER, BUT AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE, WE COULD-- WE WOULD HAVE A PLAN TO BRING THAT UP THE FOLLOWING YEAR. IT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE. NOT THE BEST CIRCUMSTANCE, BUT [00:10:06] ACCEPTABLE. SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO HAVE A QUO RUM OF AT LEAST FOUR MEMBERS OF COURT ON THAT DAY SO THAT WE DO NOT HAVE TO REDUCE THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET. >> WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE TO ELIMINATE OR REDUCE? WHAT AREAS? >> I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE OUT THE COLA. >> THE RAISE FOR ALL THE EMPLOYEES. >> YES. >> THAT WOULD GO AWAY? >> IT WOULD GO AWAY. RIGHT NOW I HAVE A PLACEHOLDER OF $10.4 MILLION IN THAT-- EXCUSE ME. THAT WOULD FUND ABOUT A 3% COLA FOR ALL COUNTY EMPLOYEES. PART-TIME AND FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES. IF WE HAVE TO ROLL BACK TO THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE, THAT WOULD GO AWAY. WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO THAT. >> OKAY. >> SO IF BY SEPTEMBER 10 WE STILL DO NOT HAVE FOUR MEMBERS OR MORE TO BE PRESENT TO ADOPT ONLY THE TAX RATE, ONLY THE TAX RATE REQUIRED FOR COMMISSIONERER MEMBERS. IS THAT CORRECT? BUDGET IS DIFFERENT STORY. IS THAT CORRECT? >> RIGHT. SO FOR THE BUDGET, THERE IS NOT A SUPER QUORUM REQUIRED. HOWEVER, I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND ADOPTING A BUDGET BEFORE YOU ADOPT A TAX RATE. BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR REVENUES ARE FOR THAT BUDGET, RIGHT? SO WE NEED TO ADOPT THE TAX RATE BEFORE WE CAN ADOPT THE BUDGET. WE HAVE UNTIL-- SEPTEMBER 30TH TO ADOPT THAT TAX RATE. SO AS LONG AS WE GET SOMEBODY BEFORE THEN, NOW WHAT I'VE PRESENTED BEFORE YOU IS-- OR WHAT I AM GOING TO PROPOSE, IS TO MOVE THAT TAX RATE ADOPTION TO SEPTEMBER 10TH. I ORIGINALLY HAD THAT ON THE CALENDAR FOR LATER IN SEPTEMBER. FOR THE SECOND MEETING IN SEPTEMBER. HOWEVER, IF WE DO NOT HAVE A QUO RUM, WE WOULD HAVE TO REPOST A NEW PROPOSED BUDGET. AND THAT HAS TO BE PUBLISHED TEN DAYS BEFORE. AND I WOULD NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO DO SO IF WE WAITED UNTIL SEPTEMBER 23RD. SO NOW I'M SUGGESTING THAT WE PUSH THAT UP TO SEPTEMBER 10TH MEETING SO THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO REDIRECT. >> CORRECT. SO IT'S JUST WANT TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW IF WE CANNOT ADOPT A TAX RATE BY SEPTEMBER 30TH. SO THE DEFAULT RATE WILL KICK IN. NO REVENUE RATE WILL KICK IN, RIGHT? >> YES. >> NO NEW REVENUE RATE. >> AUTOMATICALLY. >> AUTOMATICALLY KICK IN. BUT WE STILL NEED TO ADD ON THAT. IN OCTOBER, RIGHT? IS THAT CORRECT? >> YES. SO FIVE DAYS WITHIN FIVE DAYS AFTER YOU-- AFTER THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE IS EFFECTIVE, WHICH IS OCTOBER 1ST, THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT WILL NEED TO RATIFY THAT RATE. >> AND HAVE YOU CHECKED RATIFICATION FORM? >> I HAVE REQUESTED AND I DO NOT HAVE AN ANSWER YET. AS FAR AS-- HOW MANY MEMBERS OF COURT DO WE NEED TO RATIFY? I DON'T HAVE THAT ANSWER YET. >> OKAY. THAT'S FINE. SO I JUST WANTED TO LET EVERYBODY CLEAR. IS TRANSPARENT, THE PROCESS. SO EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THE GRAVITY OF THIS BUDGET PROCESS. SO THANK YOU PAM. >> PAM, I DID WANT TO ASK YOU ONE QUESTION. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M ASSUMING WE DIDN'T MAKE ANY MODIFICATIONS TO THE ASSOCIATE JUDGES? >> NO, SIR. IT'S PRESENTED-- THE 2027 RECOMMENDED BUDGET FOR ASSOCIATE JUDGES IS THE SAME AS THE 2026. >> OKAY. FOR REMINDER THOSE WHO WERE HERE LAST TIME AND TO INFORM THOSE WHO WERE NOT HERE, IN THE 2025 LEGISLATED SESSION, THE COUNTY PUT FORWARD A PROPOSAL TO ADD TWO NEW COURTS. ON THE COUNTY LIAISON. I WENT UP INITIALLY THE WAY WE HAD DONE IN THE PAST. WE HAD SENATOR JOAN HUFFMAN FORMERER DISTRICT JUDGE HERSELF PUT FORWARDER THE LEGISLATION AND USUALLY FLOWED THROUGH VERY QUICKLY. AND IN '25 THEY CHANGED THE PROCESS. THEY DECIDED TO GO WITH WHAT THEY CALL AN AM ANY BUS BILL AND INCLUDE THE 16 DISTRICT COURTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE. AND ONE BILL. I WAS NOTIFIED SHORTLY BEFORE THE BILL WAS TO BE INTRODUCED. AND THERE WERE GOING TO BE NO AMENDMENTS TO THAT BILL. SO YOU WERE IN OR OUT OF THE [00:15:03] BILL. BUT THE OFFICE OF COURTER ADMINISTRATION HAD DETERMINED THAT IF THEY ADDED TO TWO NEW COURTS THAT WE WERE PROPOSAL, THAT WOULD RESULT IN 4 ½ BOARD JUDGES THAN WERE NEEDED UNDER THEIR ANALYSIS. AND THAT IT WAS UNLIKELY THAT WE WERE GOING TO GET INCLUDED IN THE BILL. CONTACTED THE BILL SPONSORER, MADE AN AGREEMENT WITH THEM THAT WE WOULD REDUCE THE NUMBER OF ASSOCIATE JUDGES BY THREE. IF THAT WAS ACCEPTABLE TO INCLUDE THE TWO COURTS AND THE BILL. AND THEY SAID CALLING BACK SHORTLY THEREAFTER AND SAID YES, WE WILL AGREE TO THAT. AND SO WE GOT IN THE BILL. COURTS WERE CREATED. HAVE TO TWO NEW COURTS. HOWEVER, WE HAVEN'T STUCK TO THE AGREEMENT THAT I MADE. LAST TIME I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS NOT GIVEN PERMISSION TO MAKE THAT AGREEMENT. WELL-- I AGREE I WASN'T GIVEN PERMISSION. BUT I WAS INSTRUCTED THAT I'M SUPPOSED TO GET TWO COURTS CREATED, WHICH WE DID. THE WAY THE PROCESS IN THE LEGISLATURE WORKS SIT WORKS ON MINUTE BY. YOU HAVE A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME TO MAKE A DECISION OF HOW YOU'RE GOING TO GO ABOUT GETTING SOMETHING DONE. THE BILL WAS INTRODUCED LITERALLY MINUTES-- 30 MINUTES AFTER MY LAST PHONE CALL. FIRST OF ALL I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO CONTACT ANYBODY. SECOND OF ALL, WHO AM I GOING TO CONTACT? UNDER THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT, I COULDN'T CONTACT THE MAJORITY OF THE COURT AND EXPLAIN TO THEM WHAT WAS GOING ON. SO I SIMPLY MOVED FORWARD ON THE UNDERSTANDING AND EXPECTATION LET ME PUT THAT WAY, THAT THAT WAS A CONDITION IN WHICH WE GOT THE COURTS CREATED AND WE WOULD FOLLOW THROUGH AND KEEP OUR END OF THE AGREEMENT. WE'VE NOT DONE SO. IN MY OPINION THAT CREATES POTENTIAL PROBLEMS FOR US GOING BACK TO THE LEGISLATUER AND ASKING THEM FOR NEW LEGISLATION OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. IN AUSTIN, YOU KNOW IT'S-- YOU OPERATE BASICALLY ON A BASIS OF TRUST. IF YOU MAKE AN AGREEMENT YOU STICK TO IT. I WAS ASKED BY ONE OF THE COURT MEMBERS, WELL WHERE IS THE CORRESPOND SENTENCE THERE IS NONE. THEY ARE ALL CONVERSATIONS. THAT'S THE WAY IT OPERATES THERE. YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO SEND E-MAILS BACK AND FORTH IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES. SO I'M GOING TO BE PROPOSING THAT WE ADJUST THE ASSOCIATE JUDGES BY INCREASING THE NUMBER BY THREE. THAT LEAVES US WITH FIVE ASSOCIATE JUDGES FOR TEN DISTRICT JUDGES. ONE SOERT JUDGE PER TWO DISTRICT JUDGES. WE'VE HAD THAT ARRANGEMENT IN THE PAST AND IT HAS OPERATED THAT WAY SUFFICIENTLY. THE JUDGES CAN MAKE UP THEIR OWN MIND WHO THEY WANT TO HIRE AND HOW THEY DIVIDE UP THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ASSOCIATE JUDGES. THAT'S NOT WITHIN OUR SCOPE OF AUTHORITY. BUT-- SETTING THE NUMBER OF ASSOCIATE JUDGES IS. SO THAT'S SOMETHING I'M GOING TO BE PROPOSING TO ADJUST THE BUDGET. >> OKAY. >> ALL RIGHT, GREAT. WE DO NOT NEED A MOTION ON THAT, RIGHT? >> NO. SHE HAS TO MAKE THE ADJUSTMENT FIRST OF ALL AND BRING IT BACK TO US. >> OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? [A. Discuss departmental recommended budgets and take any necessary action. 1. Behavioral Health Services; 2. District Clerk; 3. Health & Human Services - Animal Services; 4. Health & Human Services - Indigent Health Care; 5. Health & Human Services - Mosquito Control; 6. Human Resources; 7. Information Technology; 8. Justice of the Peace 2 - 2; 9. Medical Examiner; 10. Risk Management; 11. Sheriff Detention; and 12. Miscellaneous Departments. ] PLEASE. >> OKAY, SO THE NEXT ITEM IS NUMBER 4A YOU TO DISCUSS DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDED BUDGETS AND TAKE ANY NECESSARY ACTION. ACTION? OKAY. NO-- NOT YET, WELL, YEAH. SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND YOU CAN STAY RIGHT THERE. YOU'RE FIRST. WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS. LAST MONTH I MET WITH ALL THE DEPARTMENTS. THEY RECEIVED THEIR RECOMMENDED BUDGETS ON JULY 15TH. IF THEY WERE DISSATISFIED WITH THEIR BUDGETS, THEY CAME AND SPOKE TO ME. WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE THINGS AROUND. HOWEVER THERE WERE SOME THAT WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE MONEY TO PUT BACK INTO THE BUDGET AND SO THEY ARE COMING IN TO TALK ABOUT THOSE ITEMS THAT THEY WANT OR THAT THEY NEED TO HAVE-- NOT WANT, NEED BECAUSE I MADE SURE THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT NIECED ONLY. [00:20:01] AND LIKE I SAID, I HAVE $10.4 MILLION AS A PLACEHOLDER. YOU HAVE THE CHOICE TO USE THAT $10.4 MILLION FOR A COLA. FOR EMPLOYEES. A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT. OR FOR THESE ITEMS HERE THAT ARE GOING TO BE PRESENTED TO YOU TODAY. OR A COMBINATION OF THE TWO. SO WITH THAT, I WILL GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO THE FIRST DEPARTMENT WHO HAS REQUESTED AND THAT WAS BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH SERVICES. >> THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. >> THANK YOU. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. WELL I CAME TO YOU A COUPLE MONTHS IN AING MAY AND I WAS ASKING FOR 2 ½ POSITIONS. SOP WE'VE MADE PROGRESS AND I'M ONLY ASKING FOR ONE. AND SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID, WE ACTUALLY LOOKED AT SOME PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS. LOOK AT DATA. AND WE WERE ABLE TO REDUCE. AND REALLY IMPROVE WORK FLOWS AND REDUCE THE REQUEST FOR THE PART-TIME ADMINISTRATIVE PERSON. WHICH WAS REALLY TO SUPPORT OUR MAGISTRATE COURTS IN SOME OF THE ASSESSMENTS THAT ARE DONE WHEN PEOPLE ARE BOOKED INTO THE JAIL. IN THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS AND WORK FLOW TO DEFINE THE NUMBER OF ORDERS. AND SO WE NO LONGER NEED THAT PART-TIME POSITION. THE OTHER POSITION THAT I HAD REQUESTED WAS A CURRENT STAFF THAT'S GRANT FUNDED AND MOVING IT INTO THE COUNTY BUDGET. AND THAT'S ALWAYS HARD BECAUSE WE HAVE STAFF. BUT WE'VE ALSO BEEN LOOKING AT THINGS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF HOW WE SOON HAVE PROGRAM RESPONSIBILITIES AND CONTINUE THAT WORK. THAT'S THE WORK THAT FOCUSES ON THE PROJECT CALLED ALWAYS PARENTING. WHICH YOU MAY RECALL WAS FUNDED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOR FOUR YEARS. ABOUT THREE-QUARTERS OF A MILLION DOLLARS THAT THEY GAVE US. WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SET UP THE SYSTEMS. AND WE WILL CONTINUE THAT WORK. NOT AT THE SAME LEVEL, BUT WE WILL CONTINUE THE WORK AND WE ALSO HAD SOME PENDING FEDERAL MONEY. SO WE'LL SEE IF IT COMES THROUGH. THE FINAL POSITION-- AND THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU, IS REALLY AROUND OUR FIRST RESPONDER PROGRAM. AS YOU MAY RECALL, WE HAVE A VERY UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY IN THIS COUNTY. AND IT'S BEEN VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL. ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO IF YOU RECALL, WE ARE ABLE TO HIRE KAHLA ELWOOD WHO WAS ACTUALLY PATROL OFFICER FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE FOR ABOUT 13 YEARS AND DID HER CLINICAL TRAINING WITH US. AND WE MOVED HER OVER TO BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH SERVICES. WE'VE STARTED THAT POSITION WITH ARPA BECAUSE WE WERE REALIZING OUR FIRST RESPONDERS REALLY NEEDED THE SUPPORT. SINCE THEN, IN THOSE THREE YEARS, WE NOT ONLY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DEVELOP A COUNTY-WIDE COLLABORATIVE ADVISORY GROUP WITH OVER KSH I THINK ABOUT 30 DIFFERENT FIRST RESPONDER AGENCIES. AND ONLY COUNTY DEPARTMENTS, BUT POLICE DEPARTMENTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. FIRE DEPARTMENTS. WE-- AS YOU MAY RECALL, WE DID OUR FIRST-- THE FIRST EVENT EVER ACROSS THE COUNTY FOR FIRST RESPONDERS LAST YEAR IN OCTOBER. AND WE'RE GOING TO REPEAT THAT AGAIN. NOW IF YOU LOOK AT PAGE TWO, AND THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE SOME-- JUST SOME BASIC DATA OF YOUR HANDOUT, IT GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT OF AN IDEA OF WHAT WE DO. SO THE THERAPEUTIC SESSIONS, THOSE ARE INDIVIDUAL CLINICAL SESSIONS FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. 645 OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS. 104 CLIENTS SERVED. AND THOSE ARE THROUGH EMS, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE-- THROUGHOUT VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS. 60 TRAINS AND SEMINARS IN 166 RESPONSES. THE SISM RESPONSES ARE CRITICAL INCIDENTS STRESS MANAGEMENT. THAT'S WHEN SOMETHING REALLY BAD HAPPENS IN OUR FIRST RESPONDERS NEED US TO GO OUT AND INTERVENE. SO THEY'VE EXPERIENCED THE DEPTH, SOMETHING BAD, WE'RE THERE TO SUPPORT THAT. SO THIS IS A REALLY CRITICAL PROGRAM THAT'S UNIQUE THAT SERVES FIRST RESPONDERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. AND IT'S HOUSED IN BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH SERVICES SO THAT IT HAS THAT FLEXIBILITY OF SERVING OUR MULTIPLE FIRST RESPONDER AGENCIES. SO WE'VE BEEN FOCUSING A LOT ON WHAT WE DO, HOW DO WE WORK WITH [00:25:03] RISK MANAGEMENT, WHAT'S THE VALUE OF THIS SERVICE? WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS BECAUSE NOT ONLY IS THIS TO ADDRESS CLINICAL NEEDS, BUT IT'S ALSO TO BE ABLE TO GET PEOPLE BACK TO WORK. WHEN INDIVIDUALS ARE REALY IMPACTED BY TRAUMA, THEY CAN'T WORK. AND THEY CAN'T WORK SAFELY. SO THIS NOT ONLY HAS TO DO WITH MAINTAINING OUR ABILITY TO FUNCTION AND TO DEAL WITH OPERATIONS, BUT ALSO TO REDUCE SICK DAYS IN SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE SEE THAT ARE REALLY IMPACTING. ESPECIALLY OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT. SORRY, I THINK ON PAGE THREE YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT-- WOULD HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE BARRIERS TO FIRST RESPONDERS. AND THEN WOULD HAVE BEEN SOME OF OUR SOLUTIONS. SO WHY WE STARTED THIS, BECAUSE WE REALIZE SELLER OF OUR FIRST-- FIRST OF ALL THEY ARE VERY HIGH RISK. UNFORTUNATELY THEY ARE ALSO VERY HIGH RISK FOR SUICIDE. THERE ARE ALSO A LOT OF BARRIERS GETTING CONNECTED WITH EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH RISK MANAGEMENT TO IMPROVE THAT. BUT OFTEN FIRST RESPONDERS NEED VERY SPECIALIZED SERVICES. THEY NEED SOMEBODY THAT'S BEEN THERE. OR ELSE THEY ARE NOT GOING TO GO. THERE'S ALSO-- THEY ARE NOT GOING TO GO UNTIL THINGS GET REALLY BAD. AND THEN THEY NEED A HIGHER LEVEL OF COST AND THEY END UP IN THE HOSPITAL OR EVEN WORSE. SO WHAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO DO IS DEVELOP THIS CAPACITY TO MEET THOSE NEEDS. AND WE'VE DONE THAT. I MEAN KALEN HAS BEEN GREAT. WE HAVE REQUESTED THAT SHE MOVE INTO A PROGRAM MANAGERER LEAD WHICH THEN OF COURSE LEAVES THIS ON THE CLINICAL SERVICES. WE'RE ABLE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THAT VOID THROUGH MY LITTLE CONTRACT DOLLARS. SO WE HAVE SOME PROVIDERS ON CONTRACT THAT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE NIECED, BUT THAT'S ALSO HOW WE DEVELOP THINGS. WE DEVELOP THINGS SLOWLY BY EVALUATING. BUT THIS IS THE TIME NOW TO ADD THAT CLINICAL POSITION. SO THAT AGAIN, THE CURRENT PERSON KAHLA WHO IS THE ONLY CLINICIAN FORKER THAT PROGRAM, CAN MOVE MORE INTO THAT PROGRAM MANAGEMENT ROLE. CONTINUE TO DO THE OUTREACH THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND THE TRAINING. AND THE OTHER THING THAT'S REALLY CRITICAL IS-- WE HAVE THIS PLAN TO DEVELOP CRITICAL INCIDENT STRESS MANAGEMENT TEAMS. CURRENTLY IN THE COUNTY I BELIEVE WE HAVE THREE. MAYBE FOUR. SHERIFF'S OFFICE, EMS, SUGARLAND PD, I BELIEVE THAT'S IT. BUT THE ONLY ONE THAT'S ACTUALLY A CERTIFIED TEAM IS THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE BECAUSE THEY HAVE A CLINICIAN. WHICH IS KAHLA. SO WE'RE WORKERING WITH ONE OF OUR CONTRACTORS CLIFF CUMMINGS TO HELP DEVELOP THIS TRAINING AND TO GET MORER TEAMS IN PLACE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. BUT IF WE DON'T HAVE THE CLINICAL SUPPORT, THEY CAN'T BE CERTIFIED. OBVIOUSLY I CAN TALK A LOT ABOUT THIS, THIS IS ABOUT DOING WHAT'S NEEDED FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. IT'S ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY. IT'S ABOUT OPERATIONAL READINESS. IT'S ABOUT BEING ABLE TO RESPOND TO URGENT NEEDS. AND IT'S ALSO ABOUT COLLABORATIONS. WHAT WE'VE REALIZED IS WE HAVE MOST OF THE COUNTY EMPLOYEES ARE ACTUALLY FIRST RESPONDERS. BUT THEN THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, WE DEPEND ON OUR OTHER FIRST RESPONDERS. SO WE HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT THEM AS WELL. I THINK WE'VE-- I GUESS MAYBE IF I CAN JUST TURN TO THE LAST PAGE. AND THEN I'LL BE DONE. WHY ARE WE DOING THIS? BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY UNIQUE COLLABORATIVE PROGRAM. THIS IS-- WE'VE DONE THIS WORK FOR THREE YEARS. WE WANTED TO JUST-- WE NEED TO SUSTAIN IT. WE NEED TO GROW. THERE'S JUST SO MUCH MOMENTUM AND SO MUCH NEED. THIS IS ABOUT RESPONDING TO CRITICAL INCIDENTS. IN KEEPING OUR FIRST RESPONDERS IN THE COMMUNITY SAFE. IT'S ALSO ABOUT LEVERAGING OUR EXISTING RESOURCES IN OUR PARTNERSHIPS TO IMPROVE THAT PUBLIC SAFETY AND WELLNESS. ANY QUESTIONS? >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. >> THANK YOU. OUR NEXT DEPARTMENT ON THE LIST IS DISTRICT CLERK. HOWEVER MS. WALKER IS IN JURY DUTY. OH SHE'S HERE. I WAS GOING TO PASS YOU UP AND COME BACK. BUT THANK YOU. >> GOOD MORNING. [00:30:02] THANK YOU ALL FOR TAKING TIME TO HEAR MY REQUEST. THE FIRST THING I'D LIKE TO DO IS THANK YOU FOR THE CONCESSIONS THAT YOU HAVE MADE TO THE DISTRICT CLERK'S OFFICE. YOU ALLOWED US TO RECLASSIFY 25 EMPLOYEES UP TO $20 AN HOUR AND TO CONTINUE HIRING AT THE MINIMUM RATE OF $20 AND WE APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE WE THINK IT HELPS WITH RETENTION AND IT CERTAINLY BOOSTS OUR EMPLOYEES' MORALE. AND IT SHOWS SOME RESPECT FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DO AND ITS VALUE TO THE COUNTY. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO GIVE US TWO RECLASSIFICATIONS IN OUR MANAGEMENT STAFF. TO HELP TIDE US OVER. ALL OF THE WORK THAT WE DO. BUT-- WE STILL HAVE ONE REQUEST. THE WORD CLERK. ALL LEADS PEOPLE INTO BELIEVING THAT THE CLERK'S IS SIMPLE. BUT WE STILL TAKE PIECES OF PAPER OVER THE COUNTER. PUT THEM IN A MANILA FOLDER. AND PUT THEM INTO A FILE CABINET. UNDER SOME RETRIEVABLE SYSTEM THAT WE CAN GO BACK TO LATER AND GET IT. AND I'M TIRED I JUST CAME FROM JURY SO IF I'M A LITTLES ATHMATIC, THAT'S WHY. AND THESE FEW DAYS. ELECTRONIC-- A FEW IN 2025, WE AWARDED A LAWSUIT UNLIKE OTHER BIG COUNTIES IN TEXAS. BECAUSE WE ALLOW THE PRESS IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO CASE. TRAVIS COUNTY WAS SUED ALMOST ALL OF THE BIG ONCE BUT WE WERE NOT BECAUSE OUR PEOPLE HANDLE EVERY DOCUMENT THAT'S FILED OVER THE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM. IS FILED THE AT 450 BEFORE THEY WORK THAT DOCUMENT. SO THE PRESS IS NEVER WITHOUT ACCESS. AND KEEP IN MIND SOME OF THEM WERE ONLY MAKING $20 AN HOUR. WE DON'T HAVE ANYMORE SPACE IN THE DISTRICT CLERK'S OFFICE TO PUT PEOPLE. WE HAVE USED EVERY AVAILABLE SPACE AND CUBICLE. WE HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT MOVING PEOPLE DOWN TO THE JURY ASSEMBLY ROOM MAYBE WE COULD FIT TEN MORE PEOPLE IN THERE SOMEHOW. WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF SPACE. ADDITIONALLY, THE-- HAS NOT WANTED TO APPROVE A WHOLE LOT OF STAFFING. AND SO WE HAVE MADE FOR SOME OF IT TEMPORARILY. ALL OF OUR OWN BUDGET. WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO THAT BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T HAVE AS MUCH MONEY AS YOU ALL DO. THAT SETTED SAID, THERE HAS TO BE AN ANSWER, RIGHT? PEOPLE ARE TARREDY. PEOPLE CALL IN SICK. PEOPLE MAKE ERRORERS. BUT THOSE REQUIREMENTS THAT I JUST TALKED ABOUT TO YOU IN MY INTRODUCTION ARE STILL NEEDED. SO HOW DO YOU DO ALL THAT? HOW DO YOU BALANCE IT ALL OUT? SO AT FIRST I WAS NOT REALLY INTEREST IN LOOKING AT AI. BECAUSE IT'S ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE CAN DO MORE WORK. BECAUSE AI WORKS RIGHT ALONGSIDE HUMANS. AND NOW WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT. WE HAVE NOWHERE ELSE TO GO. I'M ASKING YOU TO PLEASE APPROVE THE DISTRICT CLERK'S PURCHASE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. THE MOST SIMPLEST THING THAT WE DO. >> WHAT'S THE COST OF THAT AI? >> THE COST OF THAT. >> ONE BIG NUMBER FOR YOUR POSITIONS HERE? I ONLY HAVE ONE BIG NUMBER THAT INCLUDES YOUR POSITIONS. SO WHAT IS AI ITSELF COST? >> THE AI ITSELF. IS I BELIEVE $487,000 A YEAR. I BELIEVE ROBIN DUNN-- $120,000. SHE DID NOT APPROVE OF US HAVING AI. WELL, MY ANSWER TO THAT IS-- IF YOU'LL PARDON ME, I.T. VETS SOF SOFTWARE. SO WE WILL NOT GET ANY CYBER THREATS. AND SO THAT WE HAVE THE PLEDGE FORM AND THE SERVICE THAT WILL ACCOMMODATE. ELECTED OFFICIALS DECIDE WHAT THEY NEED BECAUSE THEY'D BEEN VOTED ON BY 100,000 PEOPLE OR MORE. SO I'M TELLING YOU TODAY THAT THE DISTRICT CLERK NEEDS SOME KIND OF A ASSISTANCE IN THIS [00:35:02] AREA. AND I HOPE THAT YOU FIND IT IN YOUR HEART TO GIVE US THAT. TO NOT GIVE US A PORTION. AND LET US SEE IF WE CAN MATCH IT FROM THE DISTRICT CLERK'S BUDGET. >> SO JUST TO CLARIFY WHEN ROBIN DOUDY SAID 120,000-- SHE SAID SHE WOULD RECOMMEND. >> OTHER QUESTIONS? >> PEOPLE THAT SIT HERE TO DECIDE HOW TO RUN THESE OFFICES. AND I'M TELLING YOU TODAY LET BIT ON THE RECORD THAT WE REALLY NEED HELP, OKAY? THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE THAT. >> NEXT DEPARTMENT IS ANIMAL SERVICES. >> GOOD MORNING. SO YEAH. SO I GUESS LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. OUR DEPARTMENT WAS HIT HARD TOO WITH THE BUDGET STUFF. PAMELA AND HOPE YOU WERE KIND ENOUGH TO HELP US ON OUR OPERATING SUPPLIES. WE WERE ABLE TO RAISE THAT TO ANOTHER SO,000. DWEEL OUR BEST. A LOT OF THINGS HAVE GONE UP. WE WILL SEE IF WE CAN GET THROUGH IT. I DO WANT TO BRING UP ONE THING BEFORE I BRING UP MY POSITION. UNDER FEES, WE HAVE AN-- IT'S A SPAY AND NEWTER INDIGENT PROGRAM FOR MANY YEARS. THAT'S THE PROGRAM WHERE WE HELP VETERANS. WE HELP GOVERNMENT ASSISTANT PEOPLE. WE HELP-- ELDERLIES. THEY QUALIFY FOR THIS PROGRAM. TO SPAY AND NEWTER THEIR PET. UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND MOBILE UNIT. THAT SURGERY THAT THE SERVICE WE PROVIDE. WE NORMALLY WOULD TAKE A MOBILE UNIT TO 12 DIFFERENT SECTIONS IN THE COUNTY AND OFFER OUR SERVICES FOR FREE TO THEM. WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT. THAT MONEY HAS BEEN IN OUR BUDGET OBVIOUSLY. IT KEEPS GOING AWAY THIS YEAR. WE DIDN'T REDUCE THAT TOTAL TO 12,000. HAD ANOTHER PROGRAM FORKER SPAY AND NEWTERING THAT WE HAD $20,000 AND WE ALSO COULD NOT FIND THE LOCATION WITH HELP FROM OTHER COMMISSIONERS AND STAFF TRYING TO SEE IF WE CAN FIND A LOCATION. UNFORTUNATELY WE WERE UNABLE TO. SO THAT WENT DOWN TO 8,000. SO WE'LL HAVE 20,000 WITH THOSE TWO COMBINEED. SO WE'RE GOING TO TRY OUR BEST TO SEE IF WE CAN ACCOMMODATE. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE REALLY APPRECIATE THE PROGRAM. IT'S NOT THAT WE DON'T WANT TO. THE LAST THING WE WANT US TO NOT BE ABLE TO SERVE IS THE COMMUNITY. ESPECIALLY THE ELDERLY. THE PEOPLE THAT REALLY DO NEED IT BECAUSE SPAYING AND NEWTERING AT LOCAL VETERINARIANS IS REALLY EXPENSIVE. AND FOR US THAT IS THE NAME OF THE GAME. WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP THE POPULATION DOWN SO WE CAN KEEP PREVENTING ANIMALS FROM COMING INTO THE SHELTER AND SO ON. SO I DO WANT TO BRING THAT UP JUST IN CASE BECAUSE I KNOW IT IS A BIG ISSUE. REALLY HERE ONE POSITION WE ARE ASKING FORKER A VETERINARIAN TECH TECHNICIAN. IT IS CRITICAL. IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. WE'VE GROWN A LOT. THERE'S TIMES WHEN WE GET CRITICIZED THAT WE DON'T DO ENOUGH MEDICAL. I KNOW THE LAST TIME I CAME UP, I SAID I'M BACK IN THE PASS WE WOULD SAY THAT WE DO SPAY AND NEWTERER AND MINOR MEDICAL. WE DON'T LIKE TO SAY MINOR MEDICAL ANYMORE BECAUSE WE KIND OF GET IT THROWN BACK IN OUR FACE. UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE NOT THE HOUSTON SPCA. WE'RE NOT HOUSTON HUMANE THAT HAS SIX SEVEN VETERINARIANS AND THREE VET TECHS TO EACH VETERINARIAN. UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE ONE VETERINARIAN AND ONE VET TECH AND AN ASSISTANT. SO WE'RE ASKING FOR AN ADDITIONAL VET TECH. WE KIND OF AVERAGE AROUND A HUNDRED SURGERIES A WEEK. AND ON WEDNESDAY SOURCE HUGE PROGRAM WHERE WE DO OUR TRACK NURT RETURN PROGRAM THAT IS FREE FOR THE COMMUNITY. SOMETHING WE OFFER FOR CATS. WE EAR TIP THEM AND GIVE THEM A RABIES SHOT AND PUT THEM BACK OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. THE COMMUNITY REALLY EMBRACES THIS. SO MUCH THAT WE PROBABLY HAVE AROUND 40 PEOPLE SHOW UP ON A WEDNESDAY MORNING DROPPING OFF CATS. IT'S FREE. A SERVICE WE PROVIDE. ALL DONE BY OUR SHELTER TWO PEOPLE TO TRY TO PREP THE ANIMAL AND GET THE ANIMAL READY. OBSERVE AND MAKE SURE THAT THE ANIMAL RECOVERS FROM ANESTHESIA. IT'S JUST OUR VETERINARIAN IS STRUGGLING. PREVIOUS BETS AS WELL. WE PROBABLY SEE AROUND 65 FOSTER APPOINTMENTS. PEOPLE ARE NICE ENOUGH IT'S FOSTER PROGRAM. IF ANIMALS DON'T COME TO THE [00:40:02] SHELTER WE'RE NOT EXTREMELY CROWDED. IF KITTENS GET SICK THEY COME TO THE SHELTER. IF A PUPPY GETS SICK OR GROWN DOG NEEDS ASSISTANT IT COMES TO THE SHELTERER. SOMETIMES WE DON'T HAVE VET TECHES AND THEY DO TAKE OFF. SOMEONE CALLS IN SICK. IT'S REALLY HARD WHEN WE HAVE TO TELL A PERSON TO COME BACK TOMORROW IF THE CAT OR DOG IS CRITICAL. IT PUTS US IN A BIND. SO THING LIKE THAT ARE REALLY HARD FOR US. WE GET A LOT OF ANIMALS THAT ARE SICK AT THE SHELTER. WE DO WALK THROUGHS AS YOU FWIEZ KNOW. WE PICK UP STRAYS. WE DON'T PICK UP SOME OF COURSE ARE OWNED BUT MAJORITY OF THEM ARE STRUGGLING. THEY ARE EITHER HOT OUTSIDE OR THERE'S SKIN ISSUES OR THEY ARE SICK AND IN ORDER FOR US TO PROVIDE THE RIGHT CRITICAL CARE FOR THEM, WE REALLY ARE NEEDING THIS POSITION THAT I'M ASKING FOR. QUESTIONS. >> QUESTIONS? GOOD. >> THANK YOU. >> OUR NEXT DEPARTMENT IS INDIGENT HEALTH CARE. >> HI,ER GOOD MORNING. WE WOULD LIKE TO NARROW IT DOWN. TO THE INCREASE. IF WE WERE TO DO THAT FWILD DOWN TO $3,956. INCREASED. WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO REDUCE SOMETHING OVER THE YEARS OR THE LAST TIME WE REQUESTED A POSITION. I BELIEVE 2012. HAS DECREASED OR INCREASED WE DO A LOT OF IN DEPTH MANAGEMENT. LIKE A LOT OF-- IN-DEPTH BUILDING MANAGEMENT. WHERE IT WOULDN'T REFLECT THAT IN THE NUMBERS NECESSARILY. BECAUSE A LOT OF THE CLAIMS THAT WE RECEIVE, WE PURSUE OTHER AVENUES FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR. SO WHERE WE MIGHT GET BILLED FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY AND ONLY PAY OUT SO MUCH. THERE'S SOME BILLS THAT DON'T EVEN SHOW IN THAT BECAUSE THIS POSITION AND AVENUES THAT COULD COVER THOSE COSTS FOR THE CLIENTS IN THEM. -- AND IT'S A LOT OF WORK. HAD TO COME IN FOR A FULL-TIME POSITION. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> NEXT DEPARTMENT IS ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. >> ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONER. THROUGH YOUR PROGRAM. THAT WOULD MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COUNTY WHICH CONSISTED OF-- FOR YOUR PLAN WE WOULD NEED TO BE EXTENDED WHICH THE COURT WAS KIND ENOUGH TO CONTINUE TO ADD SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. CURRENTLY HAVE TEN FTES. TO RUN THE MOSQUITO CONTROL PROGRAM WHICH IS STILL NOT ENOUGH TO RUN THE EFFICIENT PROGRAM. THE CURRENT STAFF ALONE WITH OUR AFTER HOUR VOLUNTEERS FROM MY OTHER STAFF MEMBERS. SO ADMINS, POLICE OFFICERS, FOOD INSPECTORS. HAVE BEEN WORKING TIRELESSLY TO RESPOND TO OVER 10 0 OWEST NYLE VIRUS POSITIVE MOSQUITO PULLED TESTS THROUGH BOTH TRUCKS, AND THE HARDEST HIT AREAS. AND TO RESPOND TO ALMOST 2,000 COMPLAINTS YEAR TO DATE. THAT'S HOW MANY WE HAD JUST AS OF RIGHT NOW. THE REQUEST IN MAY WAS DENIED FOR ALL EIGHT. TO NOT ADD ANY POSITIONS TO CONSIDER ADDING THREE. WHICH WERE THE SURVEILLANCE SUPER VISOR. SPRAY TRUCK DRIVER AND FIELD LAB SURVEILLANCE TECH. TO MANAGE MOSQUITO CONTROL RESPONSE AND POPULATION CONTROL. AND SO TO RECAP, WHEN I CAME IN MAY I ASKED FOR ONE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND I ASKED FOR EIGHT FOR MOSQUITO CONTROL. FOR THREE WHICH I BELIEVE IS A NEED AND MOSQUITO CONTROL. AND AS ALWAYS I CONTINUE TO BALANCE NEEDS WITH AVAILABLE RESOURCES. AND THE LACK OF RESOURCES AND RESPONSE EFFORTS FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS. ANY QUESTIONS? >> QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. [00:45:02] >> SO JUST SOME INFORMATION POSITION REQUEST THAT EACH OF THE THE TRUCK DRIVER AND WAS THE OTHER ONE THE SURVEILLANCE SUPERVISOR IS 130,800? >> THE ONLY WANT TO SPEAK ON MOSQUITO CONTROL, SIR? >> THAT WAS MOSQUITO CONTROL. >> I'M SORRY. WHAT ABOUT-- NOTHING ON ENVIRONMENTAL. OKAY. THEN THE NEXT ONE WILL GO TO HUMAN RESOURCES. >> GOOD MORNING. COMMISSIONER MORALES, JUDGE, COMMISSIONER MYERS, I SIMPLY RISE THIS MORNING TO TALK ABOUT THREE THINGS THAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I CAPTURE ON THE RECORD FOR THE ASK FOR HR. THE FIRST THING I'D LIKE TO HAVE THE COURT CONSIDER IS THE COMPENSATION STUDY. I CAN'T IMPRESS HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR OUR COUNTY AS AN ORGANIZATION TO CONTINUE TO BE COMPETITIVE. IN THE MARKETPLACE. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, MYSELF, I WOULD VENN DHOUR SPEAK FOR PAM AS WELL. YOU KNOW WE HEAR OVER AND OVER ABOUT THE NEEDS OF THE DEPARTMENT AND FROM THE DEPARTMENTS THERE NEEDS TO BE COMPETITIVE AND TO ENSURE THAT THEIR SALARIES ARE MEETING-- THE SALARIES OF THE EMPLOYEES ARE MEETING THE NEEDS THAT THEY HAVE. AND SO FOR THIS PARTICULAR STUDY, WE DID IT AT OUR FIVE-YEAR POINT RIGHT NOW. AND SO IF WE ARE ABLE TO DO THIS STARTING IN FY27, LIT TAKE ROUGHLY ABOUT A YEAR OR SO TO COMPLETE AND BE LOOKING AT BRINGS IN ANY PROPOSALS FOR THE FY 28 BUDGET YEAR. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AS THE COURT CONSIDERS THE BUDGET, THAT THEY ALSO CONSIDER ALLOWING US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE COMPENSATION STUDY. THE SECOND ITEM THAT I WOULD LIKE TO IMPRESS UPON THEM IS THE NEED IN OFFICE TO HAVE ADDITIONAL FTE. WHEN WE FIRST PROPOSED OUR BUDGET, WE ASKED FOR THREE POSITIONS. AND OBVIOUSLY WE UNDERSTAND IN COMMUNICATING WITH THE BUDGET OFFICE THE CRITICALITY OF THE BUDGET THIS YEAR. AND SO WE'VE REDUCED THAT. AND ARE ONLY SEEKING SUPPORT FOR ONE POSITION WHICH IS OUR EMPLOYEE RELATIONS POSITION. SO JUST TO PROVIDE SOME QUICK DATA POINTS RELATIVE TO STAFFING LEVELS. SO FOR AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS ABOUT 3500 EMPLOYEES WHICH IS WHAT WE KIND OF AVERAGE, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT AND YOU DIVIDE THAT BY 15 HR SUPPORT STAFF, THAT IS AN AVERAGE OF 233 EMPLOYEES PER HR STAFF MEMBER THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING. WE TAKE ANOTHER DATA POINT, THAT'S 80 DEPARTMENTS DIVIDED BY 15 HR STAFF THAT'S 5.3 DEPARTMENTS PER STAFF MEMBER. AND SO MY GOAL HAS ALWAYS TO BE -- NOT TO INCREASE THE HR STAFF EXPONENTIALLY IN COMPARISON TO OTHER COUNTIES. WHICH HAVE MORE, BUT SIMPLY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AT LEAST TWO HR TEAM MEMBERS PER EACH AREA. AND SO RIGHT NOW, AND WE HAVE BEEN MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION WITH THE COURTS GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT. AND OUR EMPLOYEE RELATIONS AREA IS ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE ONLY HAVE ONE EMPLOYEE TO SUPPORT. THEREFORE WE HAVE TO AUGUST THAMENT SPACE. SO THAT IS THE REASON WHY I'M ASKING FOR THAT. LASTLY I WOULD BE REMISSED IF I DIDN'T STAND HERE THIS MORNING [00:50:01] AND CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE ON THE RECORD FOR THE YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM. NOW I RECOGNIZE AND I HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS AND MANY OF THE COURT MEMBERS AND OTHERS REGARDING WHERE WE STAND FOR YEP. AND I DO UNDERSTAND THE NEED RELATIVE TO THE BUDGET. BUT I AM GOING TO NOT MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESPECTFULLY AT LEAST PUT ON THE RECORD THE NEED FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THIS PROGRAM. I THINK THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO. TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF INTAKE STUDENTS THAT WE HAVE. FROM THE BUDGET HEARINGS THAT WERE HELD IN MAY. LOOK FOR A WAY TO AUGMENT THE-- FOR THE PROGRAM BY UTILIZING OR FINDING PRIVATE FUNDING. AND I AGREE WITH THAT. I THINK-- AND WE'RE ON OUR WAY. WE'RE WORKING ON THAT. IT TAKES TIME TO CULTIVATE PRIVATE SUPPORT. BUT I THINK WITH THE RIGHT-- I'M GOING TO USE THE WORDS, BUSINESS PROPOSALS, SO TO SPEAK, THAT WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN. BUT I DO THINK THAT-- AND I SHARED THIS WITH YOU IN THE PRESENTATION THAT WE DID IN JUNE. WHEN WE SHARED THE INVENTORY OF IMPACT ASSESSMENT WHICH WAS ACTUAL WORK. WORK PRODUCT THAT IS PRODUCED. OR WAS PRODUCED BY OUR STUDENTS IN HHS. WE KNOW THAT THIS YEAR I VISITED WITH MANY DEPARTMENTS THAT HAD STUDENTS IN THEM. AND SAW SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WORK THAT WAS COMING OUT OF THAT FOR EXAMPLE. DEVELOPMENT OF MOBILE APP FOR ANIMAL SERVICES. THAT IS THE YEP THAT DID THAT FOR THIS YEAR. DEVELOPING A SOCIAL AND MARKETING PLATFORM FOR HUMAN RESOURCES. THAT IS A YEP. OUR INVESTMENT IN COMMUNITY THE STUDENTS ARE CONSTITUENTS. OF COMMUNITY. THESE STUDENTS ARE VOTEERS IN COMMUNITY. AND I WOULD BE REMISSED IF I DIDN'T REMIND THE COURT OF THAT. AND WHILE MY WORDS COME ACROSS PASSIONATELY, IT IS BECAUSE I SEE IN THE FACES OF THESE STUDENTS, WHAT THEY DO. AND WHAT THEY CAN DO. AND WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT AN ORGANIZATION BEING THE GREATEST PLACE TO WORK. AND WE ADVERTISE THAT WE WENT FORTER BEND COUNTY TO BE A GREAT PLACE TO WORK. WE WANT TO KEEP ALIGNING PROGRAMS LIKE THESE ARE INVESTMENTS. THEY ARE NOT JUST THROW AWAY OF MONEY. THEY ARE INVESTMENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO WITH THAT, I YIELD AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO LET ME SPEAK AND JUST SHARE SOME OF MY THOUGHTS THIS MORNING. >> YES, NICOLE. WE FAILED TO ADD THE EXECUTIVE MANAGER TRAINING THAT YOU--. >> SURE. THE COURT SOME TIME AGO. HAS HUMAN RESOURCES TO PURSUE EXTERNAL-- TO PROVIDE EXECUTIVE MANAGER LEADERSHIP TRAINING FOR OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS. AND WE DID THAT-- IT'S RIGHT NOW IN OUR DEPARTMENT TO DECIDE. SO WE KNOW THAT ESTIMATE WISE FOR THAT YEAR-LONG PROGRAM, WHICH IS A YEAR'S WORTH OF CURRICULUM FOR OUR LEADERS IN THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS. TO AVERAGE ABOUT $100,000. TO ASK THE COURT TO CONSIDER THAT AS WELL. >> THANKS NICOLE. >> TECHNOLOGY. >> GOOD MORNING. WE ARE REQUESTING AN INCREASE OF [00:55:03] 142,46 0 IN OUR FEES ACCOUNT. THIS TO HELP SUPPORT OUR OTHER COUNTY DEPARTMENTS IN NEED OF SOME TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES. THESE THREE ITEMS THAT I'M GOING TO DISCUSS ADDITIONAL LICENSES. ALSO FOR EMS. THESE ARE AN OPPORTUNITY TO UPGRADE THEIR CLOUD SERVICES. THIS WILL ENABLE REALTIME TRACKING OF EMS VEHICLES. AND ENHANCE DISPATCH OPPORTUNITIES AND RESPONSE TIMES. AND THEN OF COURSE FOR OUR DISTRICT CLERK, WE'RE ADVOCATING FOR $56,000 TO FUND JUSTICE CASE ACCESS. THIS IS REPLACEMENT FOR TYLER PAUL. IT IS WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO AND LOOK FOR PUBLIC ACCESS TO COURT RECORDS. IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE DID WANT TO NOTE THAT MS. DOWNY DOES ADVOCATE VERY MUCH FOR AI. IT HAS BROUGHT THE AI POLICY MULTIPLE TIMES TO COURT FOR A REVIEW. AND IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CLERK, MISS DOUDY DID NOT RECOMMEND THE 50 0,000 DUE TO THE BUDGET CONSTRAINTS. BUT DID RECOMMEND $120,000 FOR ALTERNATIVE AI SOLUTIONS. AS WE PARTNER WITH MANY OTHER DEPARTMENTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY ON THEIR AI SOLUTIONS. WE REALLY WANT TO PARTNER WITH THESE OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO HELP THEM AS WELL. THE LAST DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE DC WAS THAT THEY WERE PLANNING TO PULL THAT $500,000 OR 480,000---ISH RECORDS FROM THEIR ACCOUNT. IF THEY DO THAT, I.T. IS HAPPY TO SUPPORT THEM IN THEIR PROJECTS. AND WE ARE-- WE'RE READY TO SUPPORT THEM FOR SUCCESSFUL AI INITIATIVES IN THE FUTURE. YES, SIR. >> ALL RIGHT, GOOD MORNING. TO ADVOCATE FOR THE CIPS TO IDENTIFY FY 27. ALL FOUR OF THOSE VOTER REGISTRATION. CASE MANAGEMENT ENTERPRISE SOLUTION. AGENDA MANAGEMENT. >> TO TALK ABOUT CIP LATER TODAY. >> OKAY. >> SO GO AHEAD. >> OKAY. SO YOU'LL BE PREPARED FOR-- THAT CONVERSATION THAT SWREL LATER. OKAY. THANK YOU. >> YOU CAN-- WE CAN DO IT TWICE. DOW WHAT YOU WANT TO DO. >> SO I JUST WANT TO ADVOCATE FOR THE CIPS. PARTICULARLY THE VOTER REGISTRATION PIECE. OBVIOUSLY IT'S NECESSARY FOR US TO HAVE THAT COMMUNITY BELIEF AND STRENGTH OF VOTER ADMINISTRATION AND ONE OF MY PEERS HERE. CHASE IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. AND WE DO TALK ABOUT THE CIP AND GREATER DETAIL. THE CASE MANAGEMENT ENTERPRISE PIECE. WANT TO MAKE SURE WE PROVIDE THE GREAT SUPPORT. IN A SEAMLESS MANNER TO MAKE SURE WE ARE AWARDED MONEYS WHEN WE GO AFTER THEM. TO SEND OUT WHAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE TO MAKE SURE OUR RECIPIENTS ARE CARED FOR. AND THE MANAGEMENT PIECE THIS IS GOING THROUGH AN RFP PROCESS. WE ARE WELL ON OUR WAY TO ENDORSING SOMETHING THAT THE CONSTITUENTS WILL BE ABLE TO UTILIZE. I WANT TO FRUSTRATE THE POINT OF SALE OR ECOMMERCE PIECE. WITH THE EXISTING PROCESS THAT WE HAVE. WILL GO IN GREAT DER TAIL IF NECESSARY, LATER. >> ALL RIGHT SO WE'LL HEAR THAT AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON? >>. SO IF I UNDERSTAND-- YOU CORRECTLY, THE ONLY THING YOU'RE BRINGING FOR OPERATING IS THE 1 140-- $142,000 FOR FEES. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. >> ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. JUSTICE OF THE PEACE PRECINCT T TWO-2. >> GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS. I DO HAVE A-- IS IT OKAY TO APPROACH? >> SURE. >> GOOD MORNING AGAIN COMMISSIONER MYERS AND COMMISSIONERER MORALES AND JUDGE WONG. I AM SWRAPAUL KENT FROM THE JUSTICE OF PEACE FOR PRECINCT TWO PLACE TWO. AND BEFORE WE GET STARTED WITH WHAT'S ACTUALLY IN THE PACK I WOULD LIKE TO READ TO YOU [01:00:01] SOMETHING THAT WAS WRITTEN FROM MY CLERKS TO YOU THIS MORNING. FROM MY CASE MANAGERS. TO HONOURABLE COMMISSIONERS. WE ARE ARRIVING AS EMPLOYEES WHO GENUINELY CARE ABOUT THE WORK WE DO AND THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE. IT IS IMPORTANT TO US TO SHARE WHAT WE HAVE WITNESSED IN OUR OFFICE AS THE WORKLOAD CONTINUES TO GROW. EVERY YEAR WE TAKE PRIDE IN HELPING THE PUBLIC AND ENSURING CUSTOMER SERVICE AND MAKE SURE OUR OFFICE IS RUNNING EFFICIENTLY AND THAT WE ARE COMPLIANT. WE WORK HARD EACH DAY TO ENSURE THAT THE JOB ENTRUSTEDTOUS IS COMPLETE, ACCURATE AND PERFORMED IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITIZENS OF OUR COUNTY DEPEND ON US. AND WE DO NOT TAKE THAT RESPONSIBILITY LIGHTLY. OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS HOWEVER, OUR WORKLOAD HAS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. WHILE OUR STAFF MEMBERS HAVE REMAINED THE SAME. EACH MEMBER OF OUR TEAM HAS TAKEN ON ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES. OFTEN BALANCING MULTIPLE PRIORITIES AT ONCE. WE CONTINUE TO GIVE OUR BEST BECAUSE WE DEEPLY CARE ABOUT OUR WORK. HOWEVER DEMANDS HAVE REACHED A POINT WHERE IT HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN THE LEVEL OF SFTS WE STRIVE TO PROVIDE. THIS LETTER IS NOT INTENDED AS A COMPLAINT. IT IS WRITTEN WITH SINCERE HOPE THAT THOSE MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT THE COUNTY'S FUTURE AND OUR STAFFING NEED WILL CONSIDER WHAT EMPLOYEES ON THE FRONT LINES ARE EXPERIENCING. WE SIMPLY WANT TO HAVE RESOURCES AND MANPOWER NECESSARY TO CONTINUE TO PERFORM OUR JOBS EFFECTIVELY AND TO MEET THE GROWING NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT YOU REASSESS AND MEET STAFFING NEEDS AS WE TRULY ARE UNDERSTAFFED. WE ASK THAT YOU KEEP IN MIND THE INCREASING DEMANDS PLACED ON OUR OFFICE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF ENSURING THAT STAFFING LEVELS ARE COMMENSURATE WITH OUR WORKLOAD AND THE OTHER JP OFFICES. ZU PORTING EMPLOYEES ULTIMATELY SERVES CITIZENS EVERY DAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME FOR HEARING OUR CONCERNS. AND FOR YOUR CONTINUED SERVICE TO OUR COUNTY. WE APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO LISTEN TO OUR VOICES. TO LISTEN TO THE VOICES OF THOSE WORKING EACH DAY TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY AND HOPE OUR PER SPECT SV HOPEFUL AS YOU MAKE DECISIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR COUNTY AND THE RESPECTIVE PRECINCTS. STAFF MEMBERS AT JP2-2. WHAT IS IN THE PACKET I PRESENT TO YOU REALLY QUICKLY. WE ASKED FOR INITIALLY TWO CASE MANAGERERS. AND THE ASSISTANT. AND ALSO A PART-TIME POSITION. WE HAVE WITHDRAWN REQUESTS FOR TWO OF THOSE POSITIONS. ONE CASE MANAGER AND THE PART-TIME. BECAUSE WE KNOW THE BUDGET CONSTRAINTS THAT THIS COUNTY IS FACING. WE ARE STILL ASKING FOR AT LEAST ONE CLERK. AND AN ADMIN ASSISTANT. THE POSITIONS ARE THE FIRST FOUR PAGES OF THAT PACKET. NEXT UP IS THE ORGANIZATION CHART FOR EACH JP. I'M NOT GOING TO BOG YOU DOWN WITH ALL OF THEM. I JUST WANTED YOU TO HAVE THEM SO YOU COULD SEE THAT WE PULLED THIS INFORMATION FROM WORKDAY. AND THOSE PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY EMPLOYED WITH THE COUNTY. WE DIDN'T JUST COME UP WITH THIS OR GUESS AT IT. WITH THAT, WE BROKE DOWN RIGHT AFTER THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS WE BROKE DOWN EACH OFFICE. EACH PRECINCT AND EACH OFFICE IN THAT PRECINCT. A TOTAL OF NINE POSITIONS THAT INCLUDES THE JUDGE SO THERE IS A SCOMBRUJ EIGHT CASE MANAGERER. PRECINCT ONE PLACE TWO, NINE POSITIONS. THERE'S THE JUDGE. THERE'S A COURT COORDINATOR. AND SEVEN CASE MANAGERS. AND I APOLOGIZE. PRESINGTHS ONE PLACE ONE HAS A COORDINATOR I'M SORRY AND SERVE SEVEN CASE MANAGERS. AND SAME THING WITH PRECINCT ONE PLACE TWO. JUDGE, COURT COORDINATOR AND SEVEN CASE MANAGERS. PRECINCT TWO PLACE ONE 11 POSITIONS. THERE'S THE COURT COORDINATORER. AND THERE ARE NINE CASE MANAGERS. A TOTAL OF 11 POSITIONS. PRECINCT TWO PLACE TWO WHICH IS [01:05:03] MY COURT, WE HAVE MYSELF, THE COURT COORDINATOR AND THREE CASE MANAGERS. ON PRECINCT THREE PLACE ONE, TEN POSITIONS, THERE'S A JUDGE, THE COORDINATOR, A SENIOR ADMIN ASSISTANT, AND SEVEN CASE MANAGERS. PRECINCT 3 PLACE TWO SEVEN POSITIONS. THERE'S THE JUDGE, THE COORDINATOR. FOUR CASE MANAGERS AND AN ADMIN POSITION THAT POSITION IS NOW VACANT. BUT TRS STILL BUDGETED WITHIN THAT OFFICE. PRECINCT FOUR A TOTAL OF 12 POSITIONS. THERE IS THE JUDGE COORDINATOR. TWO SENIOR ADMIN ASSISTANTS AND EIGHT CASE MANAGERS. WHILE THE PLACE ONE OFFICES HOLD THE BULK OF THE TRAFFIC AND THE FILINGS, OUR OFFICE HAS SEEN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THAT. I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO KEEP IN MIND THAT I WAS IN THE OFFICE. I WAS THE JUSTICE FOR THE PEACE THERE. AND I KNOW THE NUMBER OF FILINGS. THREE TWO OFFICE WILL NEVER SEE THE NUMBER OF FILINGS THAT I WOULD SEE. THERE I WAS FOR A YEAR. NO ONE REALLY CAME THERE TO FILE. ALL OF OUR FILES WERE EITHER TRANSFERRED IN. OR THEFRP PEOPLE THAT MAYBE FILED EVICTIONS. BUT EVERYTHING ELSE WAS TRANSFERRED IN FROM OTHER COURTS. THERE'S A ASSIGNMENT FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE. BUT WE STILL DIDN'T SEE THE NUMBERS THAT THE OTHER JP OFFICES SAW. IN COMPARING THE REVENUE FOR YEAR 2025 IN MY COURT, WHILE I WAS IN-- COMPARING THE REVENUE TO THIS YEAR'S REVENUE, LAST YEAR WE BROUGHT IN AND LIKE I SAID WE DIDN'T GET VERY MANY FIL FILINGS. WE BROUGHT IN A TOTAL OF $81, $81,424.54. RIGHT NOW IN THE MISSOURI CITY LOCATION WE HAVE ALREADY SURPASSED THE TOTAL AMOUNT THAT WE BROUGHT IN FOR THE FULL YEAR. WE HAVE BROUGHT IN THUS FAR AS OF JANUARY 31ST $92,000. SO A LITTLE OVER $10,000 CLOSE TO $11,000 MORE IN SEVEN MONTHS THAN WE BROUGHT FOR THE WHOLE YEAR. SO WE ARE STEADILY INCREASING OUR REVENUES AND OUR TRAFFIC AND OUR COURT. CRIMINAL CASE FILINGS ARE ALSO PROJECTED TO INCREASE. WE'RE RIGHT NEAR THE TOLL ROAD OF PLACED A MAP IN HERE FOR YOU TO SHOW THAT OUR OFFICE. THE TOW ROAD DUMPS OFF RIGHT AT OUR OFFICE. SO ALL OF THE TICKETS ON THE TOLL ROAD. HALF OF THEM GO TO JP2-1 THE OTHER HALF WILL COME TO MY OFFICE. I DID SPEAK WITH SOMEONE IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE YESTERDAY I APOLOGIZE. I CAN'T REMEMBER HIS NAME JUST TO GET THE NUMBER OF TICKETS THAT THEY ACTUALLY WRITE ANUALLY. AND THEY TOLD ME ABOUT 3300 TICKETS IS WHAT THEY WRITE. AND SO THAT'S ALSO AN INCREASE IN TRAFFIC AND REVENUE FOR JP2-2 BECAUSE THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS ACTUALLY LOCATED IN OUR BUILDING. RIGHT NOW THEY SIT RIGHT ACROSS THE HALL FROM US. THEY JUST DID NOT KNOW THAT WE WERE OPEN. NOW THAT THEY KNOW WE ARE OPEN AND WILL BE SERVICING THE PUBLIC THEY WILL BE WRITING TICKETS THAT WILL COME ACROSS THE HALL. EVICTION CASES. THIS IS SIGNIFICANT. I PRESENTED THIS TO YOU ALL EARLIER ON-- AND I DIDN'T HAVE ALL THE DATA THAT I NEEDED ON THE FIRST TIME THAT I CAME. I PRESENTED TO YOU THAT THERE WERE TEN APARTMENT COMPLEXES RIGHT IN OUR VICINITY. HI BROKEN DOWN HOW CLOSE THEY ARE. I HAVE AN APARTMENT COMPLEX THAT'S RIGHT ACROSS THE PARKING LOT FROM MY OFFICE. IT'S .3 MILES FROM MY OFFICE. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THEM, THERE ARE TEN. WHEN I WAS IN MAYFIELD, THERE WERE MAYBE ONE APARTMENT COMPLEX THERE. BUT NOT WITH THE MASSIVE AMOUNT OF UNITS THAT ARE HERE. LIMITS THAT 248 UNITS. LAKE OLYMPIA 270 UNITS AND LET ME GO BACK. LENNOX IS 1.4 MILES FROM JP22. ELECTING 270 UNITS FIVE MILES FROM JP2-2. 270 UNITS. [01:10:03] .8 MILES FROM JP2-2. PRESENTED HIGHWAY SIX 320 UNITS. 4.7 MILES FROM JP2-2. RANCH AT SIENNA 312 UNITS .9 MILES FROM JP 2-2. TERRITORY AT MISSOURI CITY. 280 UNITS 2.2 MILES FROM JP2-2. HERITAGE GRAND AT SIENNA 240 UNITS 2.4 MILES FROM JP2-2. THE V -- AT SIENNA .3 MILES. 190 UNITS. 290 UNITS .8 MILES. 1.2 MILES. ALL OF THESE UNITS ARE RIGHT AT HIGHWAY SIX IN SIENNA. THEY WILL VISIT OUR OFFICE INSTEAD OF GOING ALL THE WAY TO JP2-1. THE ACTUAL INCREASE AT FILE SATS A RATE OF 68% IN THE YEAR 2025. WE HAD A TOTAL FOR THE FULL YEAR. CIVIL FILINGS. WE HAD ONLY 192 CASES FILED. CIVIL CASES. WHILE I WAS AT PRECINCT THREE. I'M SORRY, PRECINCT 2-2. NOW PRECINCT 2-2 BEING AT THE SIENNA-- LOCATION. WE HAVE HAD 285 FILINGS AND WE'RE NOT EVEN THROUGH THE FULL YEAR. SO WE'VE HAD A 68% INCREASE IN CIVIL FILINGS IN OUR LOCATION. CASE TRANSFERS THAT'S THE LAST PART OF THIS. WHEN OUR COURTS STARTED UP, WE HAD THE SAME THING THAT JUDGE COULD NOT-- HAD. NO ONE WAS REALLY FILING IN OUR COURTROOMS. SO WE HAD TO HAVE CASES TRANSFERRED FROM OTHER COURTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD WORK TO DO. RIGHT NOW THE JP3-2 OFFICE HAS 3,000 CASES BUT THAT'S ONLY BECAUSE THEY WERE TRANSFERRED IN FROM OTHER COURTS. OUR COURT CURRENTLY HAS 1611 CASES ON THE DOCKET. BUT THE TRAFFIC WE'RE SEEING. THESE ARE CASES THAT ARE ACTUALLY FILINGS VERSUS THE TRANSFERS IN TO US. AND SO I AM JUST HERE TO SAY THAT WE DO NEED HELP. WE DO NEED THOSE RESOURCES. OUR CLERKS ARE OVERWORKED AND WE'RE UNDERSTAFFED. AND WE'RE NOT EVEN FULLY OPEN YET. ONCE THE COURTROOM IS BUILT OUT AND PEOPLE REALLY KNOW WE'RE THERE, THE TRAFFIC IS REALLY GOING TO START COMING. WE'RE THERE, WE'RE WORKING, WE'VE BEEN WORKING SINCE JANUARY 9TH MAKING DO WITH WHAT WE HAVE. BUT MY STAFF IS VERY-- THEY ARE OVERWORKED. THANK YOU. >> QUESTIONS? >> YES. THANK YOU. >> VERY GOOD. THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION. APPRECIATE IT. >> JUST WONDERING IF THERE IS POSSIBILITY FOR US TO LOOK AT ALL THE JPS AND MAYBE REALLOCATE POSITIONS. BUT IT'S JUST SOMETHING TO LOOK AT LATER PERHAPS. THE NEXT DEPARTMENT IS MEDICAL EXA EXAMINER. >> MORNING JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS. IT IS MY DISTINCT PLEASURE TO BE HERE AGAIN TO TELL YOU THE SUCCESS THAT WE'VE HAD AND THE ROAD THAT FORT BEND IS LEADING THE WAY IN THE STATE AS WELL AS NATIONWIDE IN OUR MEDICAL EXAMINER SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE. WE HAVE ACHIEVED SINGULAR AND UNITARY POSITION DOUBLE ACCREDITED EXAMINER OFFICE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. FLOOVS. HARRIS NO. DALLAS NO. -- NO. BUT WE HAVE BEEN. WE HOST INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AS WELL AS NATIONWIDE STUDENTS HERE. TO COME TO US. WE LEAD THE WAY IN THE EFFICIENCY OF THE WAY OUR OFFICE OPERATES AND THE WAY OUR OFFICE WAS CONSTRUCTED. OTHER MEDICAL EXAMINER OFFICES ARE USING THEIR PLANS TO REALIZE THAT THEY MY NOT HAVE TO SPEND $44 MILLION TO BUILD A NEW BUILDING EFFECTIVELY. THE WAY WE PLANNED TO DO. SO I LIKE SAVING MONEY. BUT I LIKE SPENDING MONEY WHEN IT'S NECESSARY AND WHEN IT CAN GIVE A BETTER ROI FOR US. [01:15:03] SO RIGHT NOW WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR AND I WANT TO THANK THE COURT FOR THE ONE MORE TECH THAT WE GOT. THIS YEAR. BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED CASE LOAD THAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING COMING IN. SO RIGHT NOW, PRIOR TO OUR CURRENT CASELOAD WE WERE SERVICING THE MEDICAL EXAMINER NEEDS FOR 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. WE ANTICIPATE THAT GOING UP TO $2.2 MILLION IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS. SO WITH THAT, TO ACHIEVE FULL ACCREDITATION FROM ME WE NEED ONE MORE DOCKETER TO KEEP OUR NUMBERS DOWN BELOW THE RECOMMENDED LEVEL. AS WELL AS ONE MORE TECH. WE ALSO NEED AN EXTRA INVESTIGATOR AND ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT BUT WE KNOW THE BUDGET CONSTRAINTS. RIGHT NOW TO KEEP MOMENTUM GOING. AND KEEP THE REACH OF THE MEDICAL EXAMINER OFFICE NATIONWIDE. FOLKS COMING TO TIME TO ROTATE WITH US. TO SEE HOW OPERATIONS ARE GOING. THAT'S JUST WHAT IS NECESSARY FOR US. SO ONE MORE DOCTOR. ONE MORE TECH HELPS KEEP THE CASE TURN AROUND GOING. AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT A LARGE AMOUNT-- A LARGE REASON WHY OTHER COUNTIES LIKE COMING TO US IS BECAUSE OF OUR CASE TURN AROUND TIME. BECAUSE THEY GET TREAT SOD BADLY BY THE OTHER MEDICAL EXAMINER OFFICERS. THEY USED TO SEND THEIR-- TO. AND WE DON'T GIVE THEM SHORT-- WE GIVE THEM FULL SERVICE JUST LIKE WE GIVE FULL SERVICE TO ALL OF THE POLICE AGEANCEIES AND THE FAMILIES HERE IN FORT BEND COUNTY. SO THIS WILL KEEP THINGS GOING. AND WILL KEEP EXTENDING FORT BEND NAME AND GOOD WILL AND I HOPE WHEN YOU ALL GO TO YOUR ANNUAL MEETINGS AND RETREATS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, PEOPLE MENTION US TO YOU AS IN A POSITIVE LIGHT. WE ARE RIGHT NOW-- I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHAT'S RECEIVED. BUT I CAN SPEAK TO WHAT'S BILLED. SO RIGHT NOW WE ARE AT-- WE'RE AHEAD OF LAST YEAR. THIS TIME LAST YEAR. WE WERE 794. RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT 827 BUILD. I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'VE RECEIVEED. BECAUSE SOME OF THE MONEY COMES STRAIGHT TO THE-- OFFICE AND NOT TO US. WHATEVER WE GET, WE SEND OUT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. SO WE CONTINUE TO GROW. WE CONTINUE TO OUTREACH. AND WE CONTINUE TO MAKE A GOOD NAME FOR FORT BEND. THIS IS WHAT THE TREASURE OFFICE WANTED. DIDN'T WANT TO BE THE REDHEADED STEPCHILD OF HARRIS COUNTY IN THIS REGARD. >> ALL RIGHT, QUESTION. >> WOULD THAT MAKE US THE BALD HEADED STEPCHILD? >> PARDON ME? EXACTLY. I THINK THIS PUTS US. WE'RE-- IN TERMS OF WHAT WE TO AND HOW WE DO IT, WE ARE IN PARODY WITH THE BIG NAME COUNTIES. WE'RE GOING TO SERVICE 2.2 MILLION PEOPLE. THAT COUNTY IS 2.1 MILLION PEOPLE. NEVER EXPECTED THAT IN SIX YEARS. BUT IF YOU PROVIDE-- I'LL PARAPHRASE A QUOTE. THANK YOU PROVIDE THE SERVICE, THEY WILL COME. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING. >> KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK DOC. >> THANK YOU. THAT'S WHAT I HOPE TO DO. SO I'M ASKING FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS OF GREAT SU FRORT COMMISSIONER'S COURT. AND I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT CONTINUE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> ALL RIGHT THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. >> THANK YOU DR. P. RISK MANAGEMENT. >> ANOTHER BALD-HEADED STEPCHILD. >> GOOD MORNING. >> WE HAVE A YOU THE. >> WE'RE IN A GOOD FRATERNITY. I'M WITHDRAWING OUR REQUEST FOR THE SENIOR BENEFITS ANALYST. AND AS I'M SITTING AND HERE I'M LISTENING AND REALIZING OF COURSE VISITING WITH BUDGET DIRECTOR AND HAVING DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW TIGHT THE BUDGETS ARE, I COME WITH SOME HESITATION TO REQUEST ANOTHER POSITION BUT IT IS A POSITION THAT WE DO NEED FOR ANOTHER SAFETY OFFICER. I HAVE A LOSS CONTROL MANAGER. TWO SAFETY OFFICERS. I DON'T HAVE TO-- SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT HOW MANY EMPLOYEES WE HAVE. HOW MANY BUILDINGS WE HAVE. WE HAVE THE PUBLIC. WE HAVE HOW MANY POWER UNITS THAT ARE BEING DRIVEN ON THE ROADS EVERY DAY. AND IN TRYING TO FIND SOME WAY [01:20:03] TO ADDRESS THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT ANOTHER PERSON. WHETHER OR NOT THAT SINGULARLY THAT OTHER PERSON CAN MAKE A REAL IMPACT. GIVEN THE LOGISTICS OF WHAT WE DO EVERY DAY, THAT PERSON ALONE MAY NOT BE AS IMPACTFUL AS WHAT THAT ONE PERSON COULD DO. AND I THINK THE TIME HAS COME WHERE THE COUNTY COULD CONSIDER MENTORING SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE PROGRAM. AND THAT'S WHAT THAT PERSON WOULD BRING TO THE COUNTY. MENTORING SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACES. WHERE WE WOULD BRING THE FRONT LINE EMPLOYEES IN FOR SPECIFIC TRAINING AND SENSITIVITY TO SAFETY IN THEIR ENVIRONMENTS. THIS IS WHERE WE TAKE ONE PERSON AND WE CREATE AN ARMY OF SAFETY FOLKS. AND THAT'S WHAT THIS POSITION WOULD DO. THIS PERSON WOULD PROVIDE NECESSARY TRAINING THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY NOT DOING. THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. AS WELL AS DEVELOPMENT OF THE SAFETY MENTORING SAFETY IN THE WORK WORKPLACE. IN AND OUT OF ONE OF OUR LARGE TRUCKS AND EQUIPMENT. EXERCISING THE THREE-POINT CONTACT. THE VEHICLE AND THEIR POWER UNIT. SO THAT'S IS MY PRESENTATION AND REQUESTING. IS WHAT WE CAN HAVE ONE ADDITIONAL SAFETY OFFICER. TO TAKE THAT FOERN CREATE THIS ARMY OUT IN THE WORKPLACE. SECONDLY WE HAVE A PART-TIME EMPLOYEE. ROGER THOMPSON. HE'S CURRENTLY BEING PAID 1671. HE IS ONE OF OUR RETIREES WHO HAS COME BACK AND HE WAS AVAILABLE PREVIOUSLY. NOW HE'S IN THE RISK MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT. WHEN HE CAME TO US HE WAS ASSISTING OTHERS STAFF MEMBERS. BUT NOW HE'S GIVEN SOME OF HIS OWN DUTIES. AND IN THOSE YOU KNOW-- SO IN HIS OWN DUTIES, HE'S ADMINISTERING OR MANAGING ALL OF THE DRIVERS. HE'S MANAGING THEIR COMPLIANCE TO PARTICIPATING IN OUR DEFENSIVE DRIVING TRAININGS. HE'S CONFIRMING OUR DRIVER'S LICENSES THAT EVERYBODY HAS A CURRENT LICENSE. HE'S COORDINATING WITH THE DEPARTMENTS AND OFFICES. TO BECOME CURRENT IN THE TRAINING LICENSING. ASIFTED WITH THE DEFENSIVE DRIVING TRAINING. AND HE'S ALSO MAKING CERTAIN THAT WE'RE GIVING OUT THEIR CERTIFICATES AND UPDATH OUR PEOPLE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. WITH THESE ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES HE'S DOING, HE'S STILL ASSISTING OTHER EMPLOYEES. SO ALL WE'RE ASKING IS A MERE $1 MORE AN HOUR AT A MINIMAL. SO WE'RE ASKING FOR AN EXTRA 185 THE A YEAR. SO IF THE COURT WOULD ALLOW US. HE DESERVES THAT AND PROBABLY A LOT MORE THAN THAT. AND THAT'S MY ASK FOR THIS COURT. >> I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS BUT I HAVE A COMMENT. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. >> THANK YOU. 70 TODAY. IT'S MONUMENTAL. THANK YOU. AND I CAN'T THINK OF A BETTER BIRTHDAY PRESENT. >> WELL WE HAVE DONUTS. >> THE NEXT ITEMS ON THE AGENDA FOR MISCELLANEOUS DEPARTMENTS. THESE ARE DEPARTMENTS THAT EITHER WE ACCIDENTALLY LEFT OFF THE AGENDA. OR DECIDED AFTER. SO THE FIRST IS CSCD. IS CSCD HERE? COMMUNITY SUPER VISION AND CORRECTIONS? NO. FIRE MARSHAL? WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK? OKAY. AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES? >> HOWDY. >> GOOD MORNING. >>. >> SO AS YOU KNOW I'VE MADE A LITTLE BIT OF A-- WELL I WENT TO A&M SO I'VE DONE IT TWICE. LET ME JUST TELL YOU MEDICAL TRIVIA THIS MORNING. WHAT TEMPERATURE IS A NEWBORN BABY THE MOMENT IT'S BORN? WOMB TEMPERATURE. [01:25:04] ALL RIGHT. >> OKAY. >> LET'S RECORD IT. >> SO WE'LL GET GOING. SO WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHERE WE ARE AS A DEPARTMENT AND OUR REQUEST. AND OUR ORIGINAL BUDGET WE REQUESTED 27 NEW POSITIONS. MULTIPLE POSITIONS ALL OVER THE PLACE. 20 OF THOSE BEING PARAMEDIC FIELD POSITIONS. AS I'VE TALKED TO ALL OF YOU AB ABOUT, OUR GOAL AND WHAT WE WANT TO DRIVE TOWARDS IS GETTING OUR PARAMEDICS OFF OF A 56 HOUR WORKWEEK AND GETTING THEM MOVED TO A 42 HOUR WORKWEEK. WE'VE GOT A PLAN TO DO THAT. IT'S A FIVE-YEAR PLAN. IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE ABOUT EIGHT PARAMEDICS A YEAR. TO MOVE US FROM THAT 56 HOUR WORKWEEK. IT'S-- I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH THE CRITICALNESS OF THIS AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW THE DEPARTMENT TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COUNTY. WE'RE GOING TO DO ABOUT 44,000 REQUESTS FOR SERVICE. AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE 28 OR 29,000 PEOPLE TO THE HOSPITAL THIS YEAR. AND THAT IS WELL OVER TWICE OUR VOLUME WHEN WE MOVE TO 48 HOUR SHIFT. THAT WAS DONE LIKE SO MANY AGENCIES ARE DOING TODAY YOU CAN READ ABOUT IT IN THE PAPER. EITHER AROUND THE HOUSTON OR DALLAS AREA. FOLKS THAT ARE LISTENING TO THEIR MEMBERS OF THEIR ORGANIZATION. THEIR EMPLOYEES. AND THEY WANT TO WORK THE 48 HOUR SHIFT. THEY WANT TO WSHG THE 48 HOUR SHIFT NOT BECAUSE THEY WANT TO WORK 48 HOURS IN A ROW. THEY WANT TO WORK THE 48 HOUR SHIFT SO THEY GET FOUR DAYS OFF IN A ROW TO RECUPERATE. HAVE A LIFE. AND THEN PREPARE TO COME BACK INTO SHIFT THE MAJORITY ARE WORKING AAL HAD HOUR SHIFT TODAY. THEY HAVE MOVED 4 OF OUR 17 WHAT WE CALL SYSTEM TRUCKS. WE MOVE FOUR OF THEM TO A 24 HOUR SHIFT AND PUT THEM ON A SCHEDULE THAT STILL ALLOWS THOME GET FOUR DAYS OFF. BUT THEY HAVE TO WORK A SERIES OF 24 HOURS ON AND OFF AND 24 HOURS ON TO GET TO THE FOUR DAY OFF PIECE. MOVING INTO THE HAD 2 HOUR WORKWEEK WHICH IS WHAT OUR NEIGHBOURS IN HOUSTON FIRE WORK AND OUR SIMILAR AGENCY TO US. MONTGOMERY COUNTY, HOSPITAL DISTRICT EMS WORKS IS 42 HOUR WORKWEEK. THAT WOULD ALLOW OUR MEDICS TO COME IN FOR A DAY. HAVE A DAY OFF. COME BACK FOR A SECOND DAY. AND THEN HAVE FIVE DAYS OFF. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WORK AND THAT 48 HOURS WITH THE 24 IN THE MIDDLE AND WORKING 48 STRAIGHT IS THE ABILITY TO GET UNINTERRUPTED SLEEP TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK. WE ARE SEEING IN OUR EMPLOYEES THE WEAR AND TEAR OF EIGHT YEARS OF 48 HOUR SHIFTS. AND WE ARE SEEING IT IN THEIR OVERALL HEALTH. SEEING IT IN THEIR ABILITY TO DO THE JOB AND THE NUMBER OF INJURIES THEY INCUR AND WE'RE SEEING IT IN THEIR MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT. FORT BEND COUNTY YOUTH-- YOU GENTLEMEN HAVE GRACIOUSLY PROVIDED A LEAVE POLICY THAT DR. ALMEDA TALKED ABOUT FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AND ALLOW THEM IF THEY GET UNHEALTHY MENTALLY, THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET RESTORED BEFORE THEY HAVE TO COME BACK TO WORK AND THAT HAS BEEN TREMENDOUS FOR US. BUT THE PROBLEM IS THOSE NUMBERS KEEP ACCUMULATING AND THEY ARE ACCUMULATING IN SOME DECENT NUM NUMBERS. SO IN THIS FISCAL YEAR TO DATE, WE HAVE HAD 26 EMPLOYEES GONE FOR WHAT WE CALL EXTENDED LEAVE. 26 FIELD PARAMEDIC EMPLOYEES FOR WHAT WE CALL EXTENDED LEAVE. WHAT THAT MEANS IS THEY MAY BE WORKING ON LIGHT DUTY. BECAUSE I'M GOING TO TELL THAW FOUR OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WERE WORK COMP. THEY WORKED IN LIGHT DUTY HELPING IN LOGISTICS OR IN OUR BILLING OFFICE. BUT THEY WEREN'T ON THE AMBULANCE. AND SO OF THOSE 26, THEY WERE GONE FOR A TOTAL OF 23,679 HOURS THIS FISCAL YEAR. THAT IS ROUGHLY 6.3% OF OUR PARAMEDIC TIME THAT WERE ALLOCATED IN THE FIELD. OF THE 26, THINGS ARE THINGS WE WOULD EXPECT. WE HAD THREE ON ADMIN LEAVE, FIVE OFF FOR PARENTAL LEAVE, ANOTHER GREAT BENEFIT. [01:30:02] THE FULL WORK COME THAT I MENTIONED AND THEN WE HAD NINE OF THEM OFF FROM WHAT WE CALL FIRST RESPONDER WELLNESS LEAVE WHICH IS BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH LEAVE, THE POLICY. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT IN OUR FIELD ROLE, WE HAVE EACH DAY ABOUT 40 PARAMEDICS ON THE ROAD, PROVIDING CARE TO OUR CITIZENS. WHEN ONE OF THEM CANNOT COME IN BECAUSE THEY ARE SICK OR THEY'VE GOTTEN INJURED OR WHATEVER ELSE, THEY'VE TAKEN VACATION, WHATEVER IT IS, WE HAVE TO FILL THAT SPOT. SO WE DON'T HAVE A MAXIMUM STAFFING AND MINIMUM STAFFING. OUR MINIMUM STAFFING AND MAXIMUM STAFFING ARE EQUAL. SO IF YOU HAVE 40 PARAMEDICS ON THE ROAD TODAY AND ONE OF THEM CALLS OFF, WE HAVE TO FILL THAT OR WE SHUT DOWN A UNIT. WE DON'T REALLY LIKE SHUTTING DOWN THE UNITS, REALLY FEEL LIKE WE HAVE THE APPROPRIATE NUMBER FOR THE VOLUME WE ARE SEEING BUT THAT'S WHERE WE ARE IF WE CAN'T FIND SOMEBODY TO COME IN AND WORK THAT OVER TIME. SO 26 LEAVE AMOUNT OF TIME THEY WERE GONE, ALMOST 24,000 HOURS THIS YEAR AT A COST, LOOKING AT OUR AVERAGE COST OF $729,000 ON REPLACEMENT LABOR COSTS, WHICH IS DONE IN OVERTIME OF 1.093 MILLION. WE BELIEVE, LOOKING AT RESEARCH AND TALKING WITH OUR EMPLOYEES, WE BELIEVE ONE OF THE LARGEST ? >> SPEAKER-02: DRIVING FACTORS TO OUR EMPLOYEES WHO WERE GOING OUT ON MENTAL HEALTH LEAVE. BY FAR THE LARGEST IS THE 40 8-HOUR SHIFT AND WHAT COMES WITH THAT, THE SIDE EFFECTS AS WE ALL LIKE TO SAY IN MEDICINE, THE SIDE EFFECTS OF THE 40 8-HOUR SHIFT. THE SIDE EFFECTS ARE GOING LONGER THAN 16 OR 18 HOURS WITHOUT UNINTERRUPTED SLEEP OF THREE TO FOUR HOURS. DOING THAT ON DAY ONE OF THE TWO DAY SHIFT AND THEN HAVING TO TAKE A WHOLE OTHER 24 HOURS TO RESPOND TO THE NEEDS OF OUR CITIZENS. WHERE THAT'S LEADING, TAKING US AND THEN WHAT DOES THAT CAUSE WITH OUR PARAMEDICS? THEY GO HOME AND HAVE FOUR DAYS OFF. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY THERE MAY BE UP ABOUT ONCE EVERY SIX WEEKS FOR WHAT WE CALL MANDATORY OVERTIME, WHERE IF WE GET A CALL OFF AND WE HAVE TO KEEP A TRUCK ON THE ROAD WE COULD CALL AN EMPLOYEE THEY HAVE A DAY OF THEIR SCHEDULE ONCE EVERY SIX WEEKS OR THEY WILL -- THEY HAVE TO COME IN AND WORK THAT TRUCK, EVEN IF THEY HAD PLANS LIKE EVEN IF THEY HAD SOMETHING ELSE TO DO. SO THEY GO THROUGH THE TIME OFF, MAYBE THEY'RE NOT UP FOR MANDATORY, IT'S TIME TO COME BACK AND ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS WE WERE SEEING BECAUSE OF THE ANXIETY THAT IS BUILT UP OVER THE YEARS OF WORKING THESE 48 HOUR SHIFTS, ANXIETY BECOMES A FACTOR ON THE DAY BEFORE THEY COME INTO SHIFT. ON THAT DAY, MULTIPLE OF OUR EMPLOYEES CANNOT REST THEY CANNOT GO TO BED THE NIGHT BEFORE AND GET GOOD ADEQUATE SLEEP BEFORE THEY COME IN. SO THEY COME IN BEFORE THE 48, SLEEP DEPRIVED AND THEN THEY'RE GOING SLEEP DEPRIVED FOR ANOTHER 48 HOURS. WE SIT ON THE CLINICAL SIDE. WE SEE IT IN VEHICLE OPERATION SIDE WE SEE IT IN THE EQUIPMENT MALFUNCTIONS AND EVERYTHING ELSE REQUIRED OF OUR PARAMEDICS. IT REQUIRES A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE AND REQUIRES A LOT OF FINE MOTOR SKILLS AND THAT'S WHAT THEY FACE WHEN WE SEE THIS FATIGUE. SO OUR GOAL IS TO MOVE OUR WORKFORCE TO THE 42 HOUR WORKWEEK. LAST YEAR AFTER DISCUSSING THIS WITH EVERYBODY, WITH THE MEDICS WE GOT LAST YEAR IN THE BUDGET PROCESS WE PUT ON 442 HOUR TRUCKS KEPT CALLING THOSE PEAK HOUR TRUCKS. OVER THOSE TRUCKS WORK 12 HOURS A DAY SEVEN DAY A WEEK AND THE OTHER TRUCKS WORK THREE DAYS A WEEK FOR 14 HOURS A DAY. WHAT IT MEANS IS WHEN THEY GRAB DUTY THEY GO HOME AND SLEEP IN THEIR OWN BED. ALL OF THOSE SHIFTS WENT TO OUR MOST SENIOR PEOPLE AND THEY HAVE BECOME THE PERSONALITY CHANGES WE'VE SEEN IN THE PEOPLE THAT GO ON THOSE SHIFTS HAS BEEN AMAZING. SO WE KNOW WE ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK. WE ALSO KNOW WHERE WE ARE IN OUR SOCIETY IN FORT BEND COUNTY, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE GROWING, WE CANNOT DO THIS OVERNIGHT WE CAN COME TO YOU AND SAY GIVE ME 40 POSITIONS AND WE'LL PUT IT TO BED RIGHT NOW. WHAT OUR EMPLOYEES HAVE AGREED TO IN OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM AND WHAT I WANT TO ASK YOU TO HELP US WITH IS IF WE COULD GET THERE IN FIVE YEARS PEER GET IN THERE IN FIVE YEARS, FIELD PARAMEDICS A YEAR TO GET US TO CONVERT TRUCKS EVERY YEAR TO THE [01:35:02] 42 HOUR SCHEDULE WE HAVE A MECHANISM THAT WE DEVELOPED FOR THE PEAK HOUR TRUCKS. WE CAN USE FOR THESE OTHER TRUCKS. IT WILL ALLOW US TO TAKE THE BUSIEST TRUCKS ON THE 24-HOUR SHIFTS THAT I MENTIONED, MOVING THOSE TO THE 42 HOUR SHIFTS, TAKING TWO PARAMEDICS PER TRUCK. TAKING THE NEXT FOUR BUSIER TRUCKS AND MOVE THEM TO THE 24-HOUR SHIFT AND THAT WILL LEAVE US NINE TRUCKS LEFT TO CONVERT -- NINE PLUS FOUR BUT NINE TRUCKS LEFT ON THE 48. WE HAVE SOME PLACES IN OUR COUNTY STILL, KNOCK ON WOOD WHERE THE VOLUME IS OKAY FOR 48 HOUR TRUCK. IT'S NOT GREAT. YOU SEE UP THERE, 27 NEW POSITION, WE DON'T WANT 27 NEW POSITIONS AND HERE'S WHAT I WANT TO COME TO YOU WITH. I WANT TO TELL YOU FIRST OF ALL THAT AMY FROM THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE IS GOING TO TAKE A RELOOK AT OUR REVENUES BECAUSE SOME THINGS ARE CHANGING FOR US. THE FIRST ONE IS THAT MEDICAID AFTER ALL THIS YEARS IS GOING TO GIVE EMS A SIZEABLE RATE INCREASE IT'S GOING TO BE 51% RATE INCREASE THAT KICKS IN ON SEPTEMBER 1. 51% INCREASE THAT'S AMAZING -- NUTS REALLY BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THEY'RE PAYING ABOUT $108 PER TRIP THAT WE'RE BILLING $1800 PER SO THAT'S GOING TO GO TO $270 BUT IT'S BETTER THAN A KICK IN THE TEETH AND THAT MONEY WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THE OTHER THING WE'VE DONE IS WE'RE FOLLOWING THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE PLAN THAT THEY PASSED -- THEY REAUTHORIZED IT AT THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION. IF WE PUBLISH OUR RATES THAT HAVE BEEN SET BY AN ELECTIVE BODY, THEN PRIVATE INSURANCE CONTROLLED IN TEXAS HAS TO PAY US THE BASE RATE ON MILEAGE THAT YOU HAVE APPROVED. CAN'T BE AT 40% AND SAY WE'RE OUT AND IT'S THE PATIENT'S RESPONSIBILITY. IN EXCHANGE FOR THAT WE DON'T BUILD A PATIENT BUT WE DON'T NEED TO BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING THE FULL FARE OF PAYING UP FRONT. THE OTHER THING WE'VE DONE IN THAT THAT TIES INTO ONE OF OUR MORE PROGRESSIVE THINGS WE HAVE BEEN DOING IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS IS WE FOUND A WAY THROUGH THAT TO GET PAID FOR WHOLE ADMINISTRATION. MOST INSURANCE WON'T PAY EMS FOR PROVIDING WHOLE BLOOD. THE COST OF THE BLOOD IS ABOUT $600. TOTAL COST EVERY TIME WE GIVE A UNIT IS ABOUT $1100 PER AND WE FILED THAT WITH TDI AND THEY'RE STARTING TO PAY US. ON THE INSURANCE PLANS THAT ARE AUTHORISED BY TEXAS MATURE PLANTS ABOUT 35% OF THE PRIVATE INSURANCE WE SEE ARE THOSE PLANS. SO WE'RE TAKING MORE AND MORE EFFORT TO TRY AND BRING MORE AND MORE MONEY THROUGH THE DOOR SO WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO WORK WITH AMY TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY WAY WE COULD BUMP UP THAT REVENUE PIECE. HERE'S THE DEAL I WANT TO WORK IN OUR SCHEDULE WE HAVE 133 FIELD PERSONNEL AUTHORISED FIELD POSITIONS. NONE OF THOSE ARE WHAT WE CALL FLOAT POSITIONS, NOT ASSIGNED TO A TRUCK HERE IT'S THREE PER SHIFT, A BC. THOSE INDIVIDUALS CAN GO ANYWHERE FULLY STAFFED ARE THERE FOR THE LAST MINUTE CALL OFF, SOMEBODY WHO GETS SICK WHILE THEY'RE AT WORK OR GETS HURT WHILE THEY'RE AT WORK, THEY'RE THERE TO SLIDE INTO THIS POSITION SO WE DON'T HAVE TO BRING PEOPLE IN AND PAY FOR THAT UPFRONT. I WANT TO ASK YOU GUYS, I WANT TO ASK IF WE COULD MEET SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE TO PUT UP ON HOW THIS GOES AND MY BEGGING AT HER OFFICE LATER TODAY -- IF WE COULD GET TWO PARAMEDICS, PARAMEDIC FULLY LOADED IS ABOUT $145,000 PER YEAR WE WILL TAKE SIX OF THE FLOAT POSITIONS AND HAVE EIGHT PARAMEDICS TO CONVERT THOSE TRUCKS. IF THERE IS SOME WAY THAT WE COULD MANAGE FOUR PARAMEDICS WE WILL TAKE FOUR OF THOSE POSITIONS. EVERY FLOAT POSITION WE TAKE AWAY IS IN ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY OR SOMEBODY MAY HAVE TO COME IN AND WORK MANDATORY OVERTIME. BUT WE FEEL LIKE SENDING OUR MESSAGE TO THE PARAMEDICS TO SAY YES THE COUNTY'S COMMITTED WE'RE COMMITTED THAT THEIR LEADERSHIP ARE COMMITTED TO MOVING TO THE 42 HOUR WORKWEEK OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. IF WE CAN GET THOSE -- CONVERT THOSE FIRST FOUR TRUCKS THAT WILL MAKE A GOOD DIFFERENCE FOR OUR WORKFORCE AND IT WILL ALLOW THEM TO SEE THAT 48 ARE NOT GOING TO BE OUT THEY'RE HERE -- THANKS TO HR AND PREVIOUS WORK -- ARE THE COMPENSATION STUDIES AND THE WORK THAT THE COMMISSIONERS COURT HAS DONE, WE'RE IN A VERY ENVIABLE POSITION AT FORT BEND COUNTY. WE ARE ATTRACTING THE BEST PARAMEDICS IN THE REGION. WERE TRAINING THEM EXCEPTIONALLY WELL AND VERY FEW OF THEM ARE [01:40:05] LEAVING. WE'RE NOT LOSING 133, NOT LOSING 2025 PARAMEDICS A YEAR. THIS PAST YEAR, OUTSIDE OF THREE RETIREMENTS, WE LOST SIX PEOPLE OUT IN THE FIELD OUT OF 130. SO IT'S NOT EVEN 5% TURNOVER RATE OF OUR PARAMEDICS. WE NEED TO GET THEM A WORK ENVIRONMENT THAT IS HEALTHIER FOR THEM SO THAT THEY CAN MAINTAIN OVERALL TOTAL WELLNESS, PHYSICAL AND MENTAL AND NOT SEEING THEM -- IT'S A TOUGH FIELD AND A LOT OF FOLKS AREN'T WILLING TO GO I NEED HELP, THAT LAST CALL WAS AT. SO WHAT WE END UP SEEING IS WE PUSH THEM ALMOST TO THE BRINK OF BREAKING. THIS LAST YEAR SINCE I STOOD UP HERE LAST YEAR, WE'VE HAD ONE OF OUR MEDICS ATTEMPT SUICIDE, TWO OTHERS -- THE 12 MONTHS BEFORE THAT WE INTERVENED IN 12 DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS THAT HAD A PLAN OF REMOVING THAT WAY. WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE A SINGLE PARAMEDIC TO ANOTHER BETTER JOB OR THE DEMONS OF THIS JOB CAN BRING ABOUT. I JUST WANT TO LAY THAT OUT THERE IF THERE'S ANY WAY WE COULD FIND $290,000 FOR TWO PARAMEDICS, WE WILL PUT THOSE ON WITH THE -- IF YOU CAN GET IT TO FOUR, HOLDING BACK TWO MORE FLOAT POSITIONS AND EVEN IF, AND I KNOW IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S REGULARLY DONE HERE BUT EVEN IF, LET'S DO TWO, OCTOBER 1 AND GIVE YOU THE SECOND TWO IN APRIL AND SECOND TWO IN JUNE, THAT ALLOWS US TO HAVE THAT FORWARD LOOKING PICTURE WHERE WE CAN MAKE SURE OUR MEDICS KNOW WE'RE MOVING IN THE DIRECTION THEY WANT TO MOVE AND THAT WE NEED TO GET THEM TO FOR A HEALTHIER WORKFORCE. THAT'S IT FOR ME, UNLESS YOU WANT ANOTHER BAD JOKE. >> ANY QUESTION? NO MORE JOKES? >> NO. >> THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. >> WHAT I INITIALLY HAD WAS A TOTAL REQUEST 9.6, I HEAR WHAT WAS BROUGHT IN TODAY HAS BEEN REDUCED -- >> I'M SORRY, CAN YOU REPEAT THAT? >> THE INITIAL REQUEST, I HAD UP ON THE PRESENTATION WAS $9.6 MILLION, HOWEVER THERE WERE SOME REQUESTS THAT WERE REMOVED FROM THAT. SO NOW THE TOTAL REQUEST IS ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF BILLION DOLLARS. LIKE I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE STARTED, I DO HAVE A PLACEHOLDER OF 10.4 MILLION WHICH WILL FUND ABOUT A 3% COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT. SO AT THIS POINT IF WE MOVE FORWARD AND LOOK AT COST OF LIVING, NEXT ITEM, ANY QUESTIONS ON DEPARTMENTS? CSCD IS HERE. BACK UP SORRY ABOUT THAT. >> THANK YOU. >> GOOD MORNING JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS. WE'RE HERE ON BEHALF OF OUR PROGRAM, THE COUNTY FUNDS CAME BACK IN 2020 FOR. WE HAVE 20 FULL TIME MONITORS RIGHT NOW, RIGHT AT 3000 RESIDENTS THAT ARE -- 270 ON GPS. WE ASK FOR NEW POSITIONS TO HELP OUT, WE WERE TOLD TO ASK FOR FIVE MONITORS AND ONE UA MONITOR TO HELP OUT WITH ALL THE U.S. THAT ARE BEING ORDERED BY MAGISTRATES AND BY THE COURTS. WE HAVE A WAIVER IN PLACE RIGHT NOW TO STAY WHICH ALLOWS US TO HAVE PROBATION OFFICERS ASSIST WHEN WE GET SO HIGH THEY CAN'T DO IT. THAT ENDS ON AUGUST 31ST, ALREADY SUBMITTED A LETTER TO THE STATE ASKING FOR THE WAIVER I DON'T KNOW WHICH WAY THAT'S GOING TO GO BUT AT THIS POINT, WE ARE AT OUR MAX WITH THE 3000 [01:45:05] THAT ARE GETTING OUT AND IF YOU LOOK ON THE SHEET FROM 19 TO 26, THERE HAVE BEEN 10,111 PRE-TRIAL CASES CLOSED DUE TO VIOLENCE CONDITIONS, THEY GOT REVOKED AND IT'S NOT TO SAY THEY WEREN'T PLACED BACK AT SOME POINT. CURRENTLY IT COST THE COUNTY $2.08 PER DAY FOR THE 3000 THAT WE HAVE ON ONLY IF THEY WERE STILL IN FORT BEND COUNTY JAIL ACCORDING TO THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE, WOULD BE $148.32 PER DAY IF THEY STAYED IN THE JAIL. SO OVERNIGHT GPS IS NOW 24 HOURS A DAY. WE HAVE THE AGREEMENT WITH THE DA'S OFFICE AND GET HIM OUT WITHIN FOUR HOURS AND IT'S WORKING. CURRENTLY THE COST OF THE MONITORS IN FY24, THE COUNTY PAID $316,016.20 AND FY25 WAS 37 FOR 2986 AND WE ARE ON COURSE FOR THE END OF FISCAL YEAR AUGUST 31ST WHAT'S PROJECTED TO BE $442,610.88, AND INCLUDES THE ONES WE DON'T RECOVER THAT ARE LOST UNTIL THEY GET REARRESTED. SO THE UNITS ARE CUT OFF IF THEY DON'T PAY SO THAT'S WHERE THAT'S COMING FROM. WE NEED THE ADDITIONAL HELP. I CAN USE 10% OF APPEALS TIME TO TRY TO HELP BECAUSE THEY'RE ON PROBATION AND ON MONITORING AT THE SAME TIME. AND IF YOU WATCH ANY OTHER NEWS GOING ON IN HARRIS, EVERYTHING FLOATS OVER. SO WE'RE HAVING -- WE HAVE SEVEN MONITORS DOWN ON THE EAST END RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE ONE AT MISSOURI CITY AND WE HAVE TWO -- AND WE'RE LOOKING TO HAVE ONE MORE TO BE ABLE TO HELP THEM COME IN FOR DRUG TESTING AND THE UA AND CHECKING THEIR DEVICES ON THE CAR. >> NO. WE'RE TRYING TO GET POSITIONS I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT TOTALLY BUT WE STRESSED THIS CHECK WITHOUT SOMEBODY SLIPPING THROUGH THE CRACKS. I NOTICED JUST WHAT IT IS, IT'S PUBLIC SAFETY. LETTING THE JUDGES KNOW A PERSON -- RECENTLY WE HAVE TO LET HIM KNOW SO WE ALL CARRY OUR PHONES ON THE WEEKEND AND EVERYTHING ELSE TO CARRY THEM OUT JAIL. SO ANY CONSIDERATION -- PENDING ON WHAT THE STATE SAYS, IF THEY GIVE US THAT 10% AGAIN, THAT WILL HELP AND ALSO WE HAVE -- THEY'RE GETTING OUT ON PR COMING OUT OF THE JAIL, SO IF MONITORS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN TRAINED THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET TRAINED TO SUPERVISE SOMEBODY WITH THESE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. COMPETENCY IS BEING RESTORED IN JAIL AND THEY'RE PUTTING THEM ON A GPS DEVICE SO THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. ANY QUESTIONS? >> REMIND ME WHAT YOU A IS. >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >> OKAY, SO, ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DEPARTMENTS? QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OR CONCERNS? THERE'S A TOTAL -- I ADDED ALL THAT IN CALCULATE UNDER $5 MILLION AS A TOTAL REQUEST [B. Discuss recommendations of county employee cost of living adjustments. ] MADE TODAY, $5 MILLION. IF WE HAVE THE NEXT ITEM IS DISCUSS RECOMMENDATIONS OF COUNTY EMPLOYEE COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS, I HAVE HERE THE COST FOR EACH OF THOSE. I LOOKED UP THIS LAST WEEK WITH THE CPI FOR JULY WAS YEAR OVER YEAR AS 0.8%. THE COST OF A 1% COLA IS 3.4 MILLION AND I PUT ESTIMATED COST ALL THE WAY UP TO 3% AT $10.11 MILLION. CURRENT PLACEHOLDER IS 10.455. UNDERSTAND THAT IN OUR CURRENT RECOMMENDED BUDGET, WE STILL HAVE TO UPDATE THE PERSONNEL THAT'S IN THERE THE LAST TIME WE [01:50:02] UPDATED THE PERSONNEL WAS BACK IN FEBRUARY WITH THE CURRENT SOFTWARE WE HAD STILL WORKING ON THAT, READY TO UPDATE THAT. I DON'T WANT TO ANTICIPATE IT TO CHANGE A LOT BUT IT COULD CHANGE. WE HAD TURNOVER SINCE FEBRUARY. WE USUALLY SEE A BIT OF A CHANGE IF IT GOES UP IT GOES UP VERY LITTLE BUT IT COULD GO UP DEPENDING ON WHAT THOSE SALARIES HAVE COME IN AT. NEEDLESS TO SAY, IF YOU DO WISH TO GO WITH THE FULL 3% COLA, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE DON'T ADD ANYTHING ELSE JUST TO GIVE A LITTLE CUSHION BECAUSE I DO HAVE THE 10.4 MILLION IN THERE AND IN CASE THERE ARE CHANGES AFTER I DO THE WORKFORCE UPDATE, WE HAVE ROOM. NOW, YOU ARE IF YOU WISH CAN DO SOME OF WHAT WE JUST DISCUSSED WITH THE DEPARTMENTS AND THEN PERHAPS DO A 2.5% CALL OUT -- YOU HAVE SOME WIGGLE ROOM, DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU ALL WANT TO DO AND WHAT YOUR PRIORITY IS. UNDERSTAND YOU'VE ALL SAID WE WANT TO GIVE A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT, GREAT. THAT DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH YOU WANT TO GRANT THE DEPARTMENTS WE JUST HEARD FROM. ALSO, IF WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM WHEN WE ADOPT THE TAX RATE, ALL OF THIS GOES AWAY. IF WE GO WITH THE COMBINATION OF GRANTING SOME OF THE REQUEST TODAY AND WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM, THOSE ITEMS THAT WE GRANT FROM THE POSITIONS -- FROM THE REQUEST TODAY WOULD ALSO HAVE TO GO AWAY BECAUSE THE WHOLE 10.4 MILLION WILL HAVE TO GO AWAY. I'LL HAVE TO REDUCE THAT OUT OF THE BUDGET IN ORDER TO MAKE THE BUDGET WORK AND HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET. SO THERE'S THAT. ALSO COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT, ON THE AGENDA FOR AUGUST 13TH, WHICH IS OUR NEXT COURT MEETING, YOU WILL BE PROPOSING SALARIES FOR THE ELECTED OFFICIALS. USUALLY -- IN THE PAST, HAVE RECOMMENDED THE SAME IF COUNTY EMPLOYEES ARE GETTING 3% COLA THEN THE OFFICIALS ARE GETTING 3% COLA. IT USUALLY WORKS TOWARDS THE SAME. AT THIS POINT WE DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GETTING A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS BECAUSE IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT QUORUM, IT GOES AWAY. SO I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT FOR THE ELECTED OFFICIALS SALARIES THAT WE PROPOSE A 0% INCREASE BECAUSE THIS COULD GO AWAY AT THE LAST MINUTE FOR COUNTY EMPLOYEES. BUT THAT IS YOUR DECISION AND I OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION. >> FIRST OF ALL, DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT OTHER COUNTIES AND CITIES ARE CONSIDERING FOR THE -- >> NO. HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING. >> AND IS IT 1%? THE COST OF LIVING IS 1%? AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE THREE OF US WITH REGARD TO COMPENSATION FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS, BECAUSE IF WE -- WE HAVE TO SET COMPENSATION FOR BEFORE WE CAN TAKE ACTION, CORRECT CLASSICAL YOU PROPOSE SALARIES FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS, THEN I HAVE TO PUBLISH IT IN THE PAPER AND THEN THAT'S IT. >> SO IF WE PICKED A NUMBER, 2.5%, 1.5% MORE AND WE SET THAT SALARY AND THEN WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM, THE ELECTED OFFICIALS WOULD GET A RAISE BUT NONE OF THE EMPLOYEES WOULD GET A RAISE, CORRECT? >> CORRECT. >> I THINK WITH THE SITUATION WITH CAUTION ANY CAPITAL INCREASE FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS. >> I'M TRYING TO LAY OUT -- >> THE POTENTIAL. >> I DON'T THINK ANY OF US ARE GOING TO VOTE TO GIVE OURSELVES A RAISE WITH THE PROSPECT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO GIVE ANY OF OUR COUNTY EMPLOYEES A RAISE. [01:55:01] THAT'S SIMPLY UNACCEPTABLE IN MY OPINION. I KNOW YOU'RE RECOMMENDING ZERO. >> BECAUSE OF THAT SITUATION AND ONLY BECAUSE OF THAT SITUATION. >> I SIMPLY WANT THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND THE QUANDARY END. WE HAVE NO ASSURANCES THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE FOUR MEMBERS OF THE COURT WHEN WE SET THE TAX RATE AND AS A CONSEQUENCE HAVE TO ROLL BACK $10 MILLION ESSENTIALLY. SO I DON'T KNOW, CIRCUMSTANCES, I AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUE THAT ZERO IS THE RIGHT NUMBER AT THIS POINT UNLESS WE GET ABSOLUTE ASSURANCES WE'RE GOING TO HAVE FOUR MEMBERS OF THE COURT AND WE COULD CONSIDER COMPENSATION FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS. AGREED? >> WE CAN DO WHAT WE CAN CONTROL, THERE'S A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY OUT THERE I THINK THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION RIGHT NOW IS WE'LL HAVE TO MAKE DECISION, WE HAVE A SET OF ELECTED OFFICIALS WITH NO SALARY INCREASE, 0%. THAT'S UNDER OUR CONTROL. WHEN WE MOVE FORWARD AND RECOMMENDING SOME SORT OF COLA FOR EMPLOYEES, HOPING THAT THIS WILL PASS. AND BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE IN TERMS OF OUR INCREASES, BASICALLY 2.7%, 2.5% -- >> 2.95. EVEN THE COST OF LIVING IS ABOUT 1%, BUT I THINK OUR EMPLOYEES DESERVE A RAISE. I THINK WE CAN LOOK INTO BETWEEN TWO AND A HALF AND THREE. I KNOW THERE ARE CERTAIN PRIORITY AND WE HAVEN'T EVEN TALKED ABOUT IT I DO WANT TO IMPRESS -- LEAVE A LITTLE WIGGLE ROOM. IF WE SAY WE'RE DOING TWO AND A HALF 23%, ABOUT $2 MILLION, MAYBE WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO SEE IF WE CAN FUND SOME OF THE PRIORITY HERE TODAY. IF NOT THEN WE'LL HAVE 3% COLA. IF WE DO HAVE -- ALLOWED THE COMMISSIONER TO TALK ABOUT WHAT NEED TO BE FUNDED AND THEN WE GO TO 2.5% COLA. I THINK 2.5% AND 3% WILL BE SENSIBLE TO OUR EMPLOYEES FOR NEXT YEAR, SO WE SHOULD GIVE THEM ENCOURAGEMENT AND GIVE THEM A COLA. THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING. >> JUST WANT TO CLARIFY FOR THE RECORD THAT I'M RECOMMENDING A 0% FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS JUST BECAUSE OF THE UNCERTAINTY AND NOT BECAUSE OF ANYTHING ELSE BUT WE ARE UNCERTAIN ABOUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN AND I WOULD HATE FOR US TO GO FORWARD WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS RECEIVING SOMETHING AND COUNTY EMPLOYEES NOT. >> WE ALL AGREE. YES. WHAT DO YOU THINK COMMISSIONER? SO LET'S VOTE ON TWO AND A HALF TO 3%. >> AFTER TODAY WE STILL HAVE MORE ITEMS ON THE -- TODAY'S AGENDA BUT WE CAN'T MAKE ANY DECISIONS TODAY. THERE'S NO ACTION TO MAKE ANY DECISIONS, BUT I DO ASK THAT YOU GIVE ME A CALL, WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT AND THAT'S WITH THE COURT MEMBERS THAT ARE NOT HERE. I HOPE THAT I CAN SPEAK WITH THEM AS WELL ABOUT WHAT'S BEING PRESENTED TODAY. >> THE ONLY DECISION TODAY WAS WE HAVE TO DECIDE ON ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION AND I THINK WE JUST MADE THAT DECISION. DEPENDING ON HOW THINGS GO, WE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE OUR EMPLOYEES AN INCREASE BUT AGAIN, IT DEPENDS ON HOW IT ALL WORKS OUT. >> YES. I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU. OUR NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS BUT I WILL ASK FOR A QUICK BREAK BEFORE WE START CAPITAL. PLEASE. >> SURE, LOVE TO HAVE A BREAK. GOOD MORNING. LET'S CONTINUE OUR WORKSHOP. [C. Discuss FY 2027 Capital Improvement Projects. ] THE TIME IS 11:10. PLEASE GO FORWARD. >> ITEM 4C AND BUDGET WORKSHOP IS TO DISCUSS 2027 CAPITAL [02:00:04] IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. SO WE HAD AS WE DISCUSSED DURING THE PRELIMINARY BUDGET HEARINGS, WE HAVE A CIP COMMITTEE THAT MET AND MADE ALL THE PROJECTS AND PUT THEM IN ORDER. WE CONFIRMED WITH THE COUNTY AUDITOR'S OFFICE TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH CAN WE FUND IN 2027 IN FINANCING DEBT. AND THEY HAVE RECOMMENDED THAT WE SHOULD NOT GO MORE THAN $41 MILLION IN REQUESTS -- SORRY, IN PROJECT. WHAT WE HAVE HERE, AND I PUT ON YOUR DESKS A LISTING ON THE BIG PAGE THAT'S THE 11 BY 17 HERE, THERE WAS A TOTAL REQUEST OF 64.9 MILLION AND WITH THAT $41 MILLION CAP, WE HAVE RECOMMENDED $40,222,000 WORTH OF PROJECTS. AND I HAVE THOSE PROJECTS LISTED ABOVE HERE AS YOU CAN SEE ON YOUR SCREENS. ALL OF THOSE WERE DUE TO THE RANKING, AND WE JUST KIND OF SORTED THEM BY RANK AND GOT DOWN TO ABOUT 40 MILLION AND HAD TO STOP. THERE ARE SOME PROJECTS THAT DIDN'T MAKE THE CUT, OF COURSE AND I BELIEVE THERE ARE SOME POSITIONS -- SOME OF THE INDIVIDUALS DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE HERE TODAY THAT WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS THOSE PROJECTS THAT WERE NOT RECOMMENDED. ALSO, THERE ARE THREE PROJECTS AND MR. LOVELADY -- KENNETH. [LAUGHING] THERE WERE THREE PROJECTS THAT WERE APPROVED IN 2026 THAT HAVEN'T BEGUN YET. ON YOUR BIG 11 BY 17 PAGE, THOSE FIRST THREE PROJECTS LISTED AT THE TOP FOR RECEIPT MANAGEMENT AND REPORTING ARE APPROPRIATE SOLUTION, THE AGENDA MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE AND THE CASE MANAGEMENT ENTERPRISE SOLUTION, THOSE THREE PROJECTS WERE ALREADY APPROVED, HOWEVER THEY HAVE NOT BEGUN. SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DISCUSSING WITH THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE TO SEE IF WE CAN STILL ROLL THOSE OVER INTO THE FUNDING THAT WAS APPROVED IN 2026 STILL HOLDS, WE WERE TOLD INITIALLY THAT THE PROJECT HAD TO BE AT LEAST STARTED THIS FISCAL YEAR. I HAVE TALKED TO ROBIN AND -- BOTH ROBINS AND THEY DETERMINED IT WOULD BE VERY UNLIKELY THAT WE WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE A PURCHASE ORDER BY THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR. AGAIN, IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO ROLL THOSE OVER, THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ADD THOSE THREE PROJECTS TO THIS LIST SOMEHOW, BUT I WILL LET YOU SPEAK TO THAT IF YOU WILL. >> AND YOU DID AN AMAZING JOB OF EXPLAINING IT SO I APPRECIATE THAT. THE COMMISSIONERS -- I. APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU ON THIS. WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO ROLL THOSE PROJECTS OVER SO WE CAN COMPLETE THOSE. WE THINK ABOUT WHAT THESE PROJECTS BRING TO US. THEY WERE ALREADY APPROVED WITH REGARD TO THE GENERAL MANAGEMENT PIECE, MODERN AGENDA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT PROVIDES WORK -- WORKFLOWS AND ALLOWED US TO AVOID DELAYS. IT WILL ALLOW US TO AVOID SLOW APPROVALS, ALLOW US TO MINIMISE COMPLICATION AND INCREASE OUR ABILITY TO RECORD THE ACCESS THE CASE MANAGEMENT PIECE SHE MENTIONED, LOOKING TO UPGRADE THE CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM ENSURES RESIDENTS TIMELY ASSISTANCE AND ACCURATE GRANT SUPPORT. OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO GIVE AS MUCH GRANTS PUSH THROUGH AS POSSIBLE IN A TIMELY MANNER AND ALSO ALLOWS US TO REDUCE THE MANUAL ERRORS THAT MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE GRANT MANAGEMENT AND THEN RE RECEIPT MANAGEMENT PIECE IS A MODERNISED RECEIPT MANAGEMENT PAYMENT PROCESSING. CERTAINLY WE WANT TO NOT FRUSTRATE OUR PUBLIC AND THE [02:05:04] POINT OF SALE PROCESS AND THEN BEING ABLE TO PAY. SO AGAIN WE'RE LOOKING TO JUST ROLL THOSE OVER. WANT ME TO APPROVE AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THOSE DONE. >> INDUSTRIAL $1,480,000 THAT WE WOULD HAVE IF WE ARE ENABLED TO ROLL OVER THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO THEN FUND WITH THE 2027 -- PUTTING US OVER THE 41 MILLION. LOOKED LIKE YOU HAVE A QUESTION. [INDISTINCT] >> THEN WE DON'T HAVE 41 MILLION. [INDISTINCT] >> NO NEW REVENUE. >> SORRY, TURN IT OFF. IF WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO NO NEW REVENUE, IT MEANS WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DRAW DOWN PER SE AND ALL PROJECTS WOULD HAVE TO STOP. IS THAT RIGHT? >> I HAVE NOT TALKED TO BOND COUNSEL. >> THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING. >> LET ME ASK A QUESTION, THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE BOND COUNSEL AND EXCUSE ME FOR -- >> YOU'RE FINE. >> THERE'S AN ISSUE THAT HE BROUGHT UP THAT THERE MAY BE A SITUATION WHERE WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FUND ALL OF OUR DEBT, BUT AS YOU EXPLAINED IT TODAY, IT'S NOT THE CASE, AM I CORRECT? WE CAN FUND ALL OUR DEBT. >> I DON'T KNOW BUT THAT'S THE CASE BECAUSE I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE OPERATING BUDGET. I DID NOT CONSIDER THE DEBT. NOW, WE CAN FUND OUR CURRENT DEBT BUT TO ADD DEBT, THAT IS DIFFERENT. >> I DON'T THINK WE CAN. >> I GUESS MY POINT WAS WE CAN FUND OUR CURRENT DEBT, IT'S THE ADDITIONAL DEBT IF WE ISSUE ANY DEBT. SO IF WE ARE CURRENTLY FUNDING OUR CURRENT DEBT AND WE ISSUE ANOTHER $500 MILLION DEBT AND WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE, HOW DO WE FUND THE $500 MILLION? WE OBVIOUSLY DON'T HAVE TO PAY $500 MILLION BUT WE DO HAVE TO PAY PRINCIPAL OF INTEREST ON THAT $500 MILLION AND THAT WOULD BE THE YEAR OF $5 MILLION THE FIRST YEAR. >> MY UNDERSTANDING IS ALL PROJECT THAT ARE UNDERGOING NOW WOULD HAVE TO STOP. SO IF TO GO BACK TO -- >> MY UNDERSTANDING WAS IF WE ADDED DEBT WE WOULD HAVE A PROBLEM. YOU MAY BE CORRECT, I'M JUST SAYING -- >> UNFORTUNATELY -- >> THEY WERE EXPLAINING TO YOU INSTEAD OF EXPANDING IT TO ME. >> UNFORTUNATELY I WAS NOT ABLE TO BE IN THOSE MEETINGS. I WAS OUT LAST FRIDAY AND AMY WASN'T INVOLVED IN THOSE MEETINGS EITHER BUT ED IS ON HIS WAY AND HE WAS IN THOSE MEETINGS. >> THE POINT IS OKAY IF WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE NO NEW REVENUE -- >> ALL KIND OF PROBLEMS POP UP, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS GOING TO BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR US TO CATCH BACK UP AT A 3.5% REVENUE CAP, WHICH BY THE WAY IS SOMETHING I DIDN'T MENTION AT THE BEGINNING AND I MEANT TO, IT'S -- I'LL MENTION IT RIGHT NOW. LEGISLATURE MEETING SESSION AT THE TOP OF THEIR LIST IS ISSUE WITH REGARD TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT. THERE ARE SEVERAL BILLS INTRODUCED LAST TIME TO CAP LOCAL GOVERNMENTS DEBT PICK THE BILL THAT I HAVE THE MOST INTEREST PAST WHAT I'VE KEPT FOR BENT COUNTY'S DEBT AT $1 BILLION BECAUSE THERE'S A FORMULA. OUR CURRENT DEBT IS $1.3 BILLION SO WE'RE ALREADY IN EXCESS OF THAT, ARE CORRECT, AT THAT POINT IN TIME IF THAT BILL PASSES, EVERYTHING STOPS. [02:10:04] IF WE ROLL BACK TO NO NEW REVENUE AND WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO FUND -- WE CAN FUND THE CURRENT DEBT BUT WE CAN'T ADD ANY ADDITIONAL DEBT, CAN'T CONTINUE THE PROJECTS IF WE CAN'T BORROW THE MONEY TO PAY FOR THE PROJECTS. SO FROM THAT STANDPOINT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE SHUT DOWN. YOU KNOW, THE POSSIBILITY IS THERE WILL BE, YOU KNOW, WE MAY END UP IN A SITUATION INSTEAD OF A 3.5% CAP ON OUR REVENUE THEY MAY REDUCE BY 2.5%, THAT'S A POSSIBILITY. SO ANYTHING'S A POSSIBILITY WHEN THE LEGISLATURE IS IN SESSION UNFORTUNATELY AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND ORGANISATIONS THAT ARE GETTING TOGETHER TRYING TO MAKE CERTAIN WE HAVE A PLAN OF ACTION TO AT LEAST TRY TO EXPLAIN THE CONSEQUENCES SHOULD THEY TAKE THE ACTIONS THEY'RE CONTEMPLATING. SO THERE'S ANOTHER UNKNOWN OUT THERE, SO TO SPEAK, THAT COULD HAVE SOME DRAMATIC IMPACT. IT'S UNLIKELY THAT IT WOULD IMPACT THE COUNTIES DURING THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR FOR THIS DATE BUT THAT SETS THE STAGE FOR, YOU KNOW, A PROBLEM OBVIOUSLY IN THE FUTURE. SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO BE COGNISANT OF BECAUSE THAT'S A REAL POSSIBILITY THAT LEGISLATION MAY PASS. SO JUST A POINT I'M WILLING TO MAKE. >> MY POINT IS THAT IF WE CAN'T PASS THE PROPOSED BUDGET BECAUSE OF LACK OF QUORUM. >> QUORUM TO PASS THE BUDGET -- WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM TO SET THE TAX RATE. >> REMEMBER THE TAX RATE ISN'T PASS AND SAME FOR THE BUDGET. >> THE POINT IS THAT ALL OF THIS IS UP IN THE AIR UNTIL WE KNOW IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A QUORUM OR NOT. WE ALREADY MADE THE DECISION TODAY THAT NO ELECTED OFFICIAL GETS A RAISE. >> WE DIDN'T ACT ON THAT FACT THAT'S A RECOMMENDATION. THERE'S NO ACTION TODAY. >> DEPENDS IF WE HAVE A QUORUM. >> WE HAVE NO CHOICE. >> BECAUSE TODAY IT'S JUST A WORKSHOP, WE'RE TAKING NO ACTION SO WHETHER OR NOT YOU STILL WORD THAT WE'VE ALREADY DECIDED. >> THE PROBLEM IS AT THIS POINT IN TIME WITHOUT KNOWING WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE FULL MEMBERS OF THE COURT, THE THREE OF US HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CHOICE BUT NOT TO GIVE A RAISE TO THE COUNTY ELECTED OFFICIALS, UNFORTUNATE BUT THOSE ARE THE CIRCUMSTANCES WE FIND OURSELVES IN. >> YES. AND WE CAN DISCUSS THIS -- WE JUST CAN'T TAKE ANY ACTION ON IT IT'S JUST MY POINT. >> I HEARD YOU WANTED TO WEIGH IN. >> CAN YOU COME UP TO THE -- >> I WANT TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING FIRST CAN I PLEASE DO THAT. >> TWO THINGS, YOU'RE NOT AGENDA TO TAKE AN ACTION, THAT'S WHY EVERYONE IS SAYING JUST TO DISCUSS ABOUT THE ELECTED OFFICIAL AND I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY THAT I WAS AT THE MEETING WITH TOM SAGE AND THAT YOU REALLY SHOULD LET THEM EXPLAIN IT TO YOU. >> GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING PICK DO YOU WANT THE SHORT OR LONG VERSION? >> SHORT VERSION. >> INFORMATIVE VERSION. >> DEBT FIRST. WE HAVE FOUR BOND ISSUES THAT ARE ON DEBT TO ALLOW FORT BEND COUNTY TO CONTINUE WITH ITS CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT ARE UNDERWAY. MOBILITY IS CURRENTLY INTO GENERAL FUND TO THE TUNE OF 70 MILLION, SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO WITH LIKE 120 MILLION IN MOBILITY BONDS. PARKS GENERAL FUND TO THE TUNE OF 5 MILLION, WE'RE GOING OUT -- PROPOSING TO GO OUT WITH ANOTHER 30 MILLION TO CONTINUE THE PARKS PROJECT. OUR CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION IS ALMOST EXHAUSTED. WE'LL BE EXHAUSTED WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS AND OUR FLOOD CONTROL BOND FUND ALSO IS WITHIN 70,800,000 OF BEING EXHAUSTED. ALL OF THAT BEING SAID, IF YOU'RE ABLE TO ADDRESS THIS QUORUM ISSUE, BECAUSE TO [02:15:03] AUTHORISE THE SALE OF THESE BONDS, YOU'RE LEAVING IT COLLECTOR AGREEING TO LEVYING A TAX THAT FOUR MEMBER QUORUM IS ALSO A REQUIREMENT HERE IF THERE IS ANY POSSIBILITY WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK THAT THAT WILL BE UNLIKELY, I NEED TO STOP THE BOND TEAM FROM CONTINUING TO WORK BECAUSE THEY DON'T GET PAID IF WE DON'T ISSUE BONDS AND ALSO I'LL NEED TO ALERT OUR ENGINEERING TEAM AND OUR PARKS TEAM TO PAUSE ALL MOBILITY AND PARKS PROJECTS AND VERY LIKELY IF THIS QUORUM ISSUE IS NOT RESOLVED AND WE MOVE IN TO NEXT FISCAL YEAR WITH THE DEFAULT TAX RATE, I'M SURE PAMELA EXPLAINED THAT AND THE APPROPRIATELY ACCOMMODATING BUDGET THAT FITS WITHIN THAT TAX RATE, YOU LIKELY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CONSIDER ISSUING THIS DEBT UNTIL THE END OF FISCAL 27 WHEN IT CAN BE PLANNED TO BE FUNDED IN THE 28 BUDGET ASSUMING WE STILL DON'T HAVE A QUORUM ISSUE AT THAT POINT, SO MOBILITY IN PARKS AS WELL AS WHEN THE FLOOD AND THE CO BOND FUNDS ARE EXHAUSTED, ALL OF THOSE WILL NEED TO BE PAUSED THROUGH THE END OF NEXT FISCAL YEAR. OBVIOUSLY MATERIAL IMPACT TO THE CAPITAL OPERATIONS OF THE COUNTY, AS FOR THE OPERATING BUDGET, TO GO WITH THE DEFAULT TAX RATE, I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH PAMELA HAS SHARED BUT I'LL JUST SUMMARISE IT, IF YOU DO HAVE TO REVERT TO THE DEFAULT TAX RATE, WHETHER IT'S 13 MILLION, 15 MILLION OR 21 MILLION, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RECOVER FROM THAT IN ONE YEAR. IT WILL TAKE MULTIPLE YEARS, AS MANY AS FIVE YEARS BEFORE YOU CAN GET BACK TO WHERE YOU WERE WHILE STILL MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE DEMANDS FOR SERVICES IN FORT BEND COUNTY. >> THAT'S ASSUMING THEY DON'T REDUCE OUR REVENUE CAP WHICH IS A POSSIBILITY. >> IT'S A VERY STRONG POSSIBILITY, THAT WE SHOULD EXPECT REVENUE CAP LEGISLATION TO BE GREATER -- HAVE A GREATER CONSTRAINT AFTER THIS NEXT SESSION STARTING NEXT YEAR. SO LOTS OF CHALLENGES AHEAD OF US HOPEFULLY WE CAN OVERCOME THIS ONE FACING THE COURT AT THIS MOMENT BUT JUST FOR FULL AWARENESS, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT ALL OF YOU KNOW, EVEN COMMISSIONER PRESTON MCCOY HAVE BEEN AWARE OF WHAT I SHARED WITH YOU ALL MEMBERS OF COMMISSIONERS COURT ARE AWARE. >> QUESTION, IF WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM -- I KNOW YOU SAID ALL PROJECTS, BUT NOT EVEN THIS, WE CAN'T ADD OBVIOUSLY. >> NO SIP. >> NO SIP. >> ANY QUESTION TO ADD. >> IT'S VERY CLEAR AND I HOPE THE WHOLE PUBLIC KNOWS ABOUT THAT SO IT'S ALL CLEAR. THANK YOU. AND AS FAR AS, CONTINUED PLAN -- WE'RE HAVING THIS BUDGET PASSED. THIS HOW WE DO WORK, THINGS WE CAN CONTROL, WE HAVE THE PLAN SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS WORKSHOP, PLEASE. >> BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A QUORUM, THINKING POSITIVELY HERE, THESE ARE PROJECTS THAT ARE RECOMMENDED AND THAT YOU SEE ON YOUR SCREEN AND FOR A TOTAL OF $40,222,800, DID YOU FINISH YOUR THREE PROJECTS? I AM SORRY. >> I DID BUT FOLLOWING WHAT I WOULD SAY I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE STILL ARE VERY INTERESTED IN ROLLING THESE SIPS OVER, DOUBLE SIDED FOR LIFE CYCLE AND WE'RE READY TO GET STARTED ON THOSE PROJECTS I JUST WANT TO LEAVE WITH THAT. [LAUGHING] >> ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH I APPRECIATE IT. >> IT'S A LITTLE DISHEARTENING TO HEAR THAT NEWS. THE PROJECTS THAT WERE NOT RECOMMENDED, ARE THESE HERE? THERE JURY ASSEMBLY, AV REFRESH OPERATING EXPENSE NOT QUALIFY FOR CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION. THE FACILITIES, JUSTICE EXPANSION LIGHTING CONTROL, THE JAIL ROOF PIPING INSULATION, IT [02:20:01] CLOUD BASED CONTRACTS AND PAYMENT PROCESSING SYSTEM, LIBRARY ADA UPGRADES, DETENTION, TOWERS AND SEEING THE SHOOTING RANGE, VEHICLE MAINTENANCE SHOP, I.T. SMART DEVELOPMENT, COUPLE OF FIRE TRUCKS AND A BOOM LIFT FOR THE LIBRARY. ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS WERE NOT RECOMMENDED, BUT MOVING BACK TO THOSE THAT WERE RECOMMENDED, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE PROJECTS -- SOME OF THE ITEMS ON THIS LIST INCLUDED OPERATING -- INCLUDED CAPITAL EQUIPMENT AND THAT INCLUDES THE 178 VEHICLES, SO IF WE DO NOT HAVE A QUORUM, IT MEANS WE DON'T REPLACE VEHICLES THIS YEAR. WE DO NOT REPLACE ANY OF THE -- THE COPIERS AND PRINTERS THAT ARE EXPECTED TO BE REPLACED THIS YEAR. THAT WAS ALL PUT IN THERE. DRAINAGE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT DOESN'T GET REPLACED. THERE ARE SEVERAL ITEMS ON HERE THAT WHILE INCLUDING THE $40 MILLION THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN IF WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM. IS THERE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO ANY OF THESE? I KNOW THERE WERE SOME INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS THAT WANTED TO SPEAK ABOUT A SPECIFIC IP, AND I DON'T HAVE THOSE NAMES CAN I GIVE YOU A HIGHER, PLEASE LET YOURSELF BE KNOWN. >> THAT'S WHERE WE ARE AT -- ALL OF THESE ITEMS, ALL OF THE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT, ALL OF THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE PRESENTED HERE, SOME OF THEM THAT WERE HIGHER PRIORITY OR SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE GOING TO GO AWAY, IT'S BASICALLY SOME OF THE SOFTWARE CHARACTERS NO LONGER SUPPORTED, SOME OF THE BUILDINGS THAT MUST BE REPAIRED, THAT WOULD NOT HAPPEN. >> QUESTIONS? >> SO, JUST LOOKING AHEAD FROM HERE, ON AUGUST 13TH, ALREADY DISCUSSED MOST OF THIS WITH YOU BUT I JUST WANT TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER IN ONE SPOT. ON THE 13TH, YOUR NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED COMMISSIONERS COURT MEETING, YOU WILL BE PROPOSING A TAX RATE. YOU'RE GOING TO BE SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE TAX INCREASE AND THE REASON WE'RE SAYING TAX INCREASE IS BECAUSE AT THIS POINT, I AM RECOMMENDING A TAX RATE THAT IS GREATER THAN THE NO NEW REVENUE. IT'S THE SAME RATE AS LAST YEAR BUT BECAUSE IT'S ADDITIONAL REVENUE IT'S MORE REVENUE THAN LAST YEAR, THEN WE HAVE TO HAVE TAX INCREASE. WE WILL BE SETTING THE PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND AS DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY WE WILL BE PROPOSING THE SALARIES FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS ON THE 13TH. NEXT DAY IS WHEN I WILL BE SUBMITTING ALL OF THOSE ITEMS TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE LOCAL NEWSPAPERS, AND THAT WOULD BE THE ELECTED OFFICIAL SCHEDULE, THEIR SALARIES GETS PUBLISHED CHARACTER HEARINGS GET PUBLISHED, ALL OF THESE ITEMS GET PUBLISHED. THESE ITEMS HAVE TO BE PUBLISHED AT LEAST TEN DAYS BEFORE THE ACTUAL ACTION TO TAKE PLACE. SO WE HAVE TO LEAVE OURSELVES ENOUGH TIME, WHICH IS WHY INITIALLY, THE BUDGET CALENDAR THAT WAS PROPOSED IN JANUARY HAD ALL OF THIS TO HAPPEN IN THE SECOND MEETING IN AUGUST AND THEN TO ADOPT THE BUDGET THE SECOND MEETING IN SEPTEMBER, WHICH IS SEPTEMBER 23RD. BUT BECAUSE OF THE CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES AND US NOT KNOWING WHETHER WE WILL HAVE A QUORUM OR NOT, I WANT TO ASSURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO REPUBLISH IF WE NEED TO. BY WAITING TO ADOPT THE TAX RATE AND THE BUDGET ON SEPTEMBER 23RD WOULD NOT LEAVE US ENOUGH TIME TO REPUBLISH. SO I MOVED THAT. AUGUST 31ST IS WHEN I WILL FIGHT THE PROPOSED BUDGET WITH THE COUNTY CLERK AND THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE. SEPTEMBER NINTH, WE WILL HOLD OUR FIRST PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND FINALLY ON SEPTEMBER TENTH, THIS IS WHEN WE WILL TAKE EVERYTHING UP, HOLD OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS. WE WILL PROPOSE POSITIONS TO [02:25:02] ADOPT THE SALARIES FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS. WE WILL APPROVE THE FLEET MANAGEMENT, NOT THE TAKE HOME VEHICLES AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, MOST IMPORTANT IS THE 2026 TAX RATE AND 2027 BUDGET. AND THAT HOPEFULLY WILL HAPPEN ON SEPTEMBER TENTH. I EXPECT -- I'M GOING TO KEEP HOPING FOR THE BEST AND THAT WE WILL HAVE A QUORUM ON SEPTEMBER TENTH AND WE WILL HAVE THIS ALL TAKEN CARE OF ON THAT DATE. ANY QUESTIONS? >> QUESTIONS? IF THERE'S NO OTHER BUSINESS DO * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.