Jun 29, 2021 Commissioners Court

THE MOTION COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS.

ANYBODY ELSE? OKAY.

WE DO HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT TODAY.

A COMMISSIONER BARBARA IS NOT ABLE TO BE WITH US.

SO WE MOVE ON TO ITEM

[2. CONSENT AGENDA]

TWO, THE CONSENT AGENDA.

IS THERE ANYTHING ON THE, WE HAVE TWO ITEMS. IS THERE ANYTHING ON THE CONSENT AGENDA THAT YOU CARE PULL OFF AND SPEAK IN DETAIL? AND IF NOT, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED? I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION.

IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND, SECOND COMMISSIONER HUNT, DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

UH, ITEM FOUR, UH, UH, DONNA SIMMONS IS GOING TO PRESENT THE 20 21 22 COMMUNICATIONS PLAN.

THOSE OPPOSED? NO, THAT MOTION CARRIES.

NOW WE GET THE LITTLE, HAVE A

[3. Judge Richards; To present the Kaufman County Historical Commission the Distinguished Service Award for the 2020 year of service.]

LITTLE FUN EVENT TODAY.

UH, I HAVE LETTER FROM THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND IT SAYS, UH, DEAR JUDGE RICHARDS, WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE KAUFMAN COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION HAS EARNED A DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD FOR THE 2020 YEAR OF SERVICE.

WHILE THE COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION EFFORTS ARE VALUED, A DSA DSA ACKNOWLEDGE ABOVE, ABOVE AVERAGE PERFORMANCE BASED ON STATEWIDE ANALYSIS, OUR AGENCY RECEIVED 175 COUNTY HEALTH COMMISSION REPORTS FOR 2020 AND APPROVED 84 AWARDS.

ONE OF THEM BEING TO KAUFMAN COUNTY.

SO WE HAVE THE CHAIRMAN, JIM DAVIS IS HERE WITH US AND, UH, JIM, I WOULD LIKE TO COME DOWN THERE AND FORMALLY PRESENT YOU WITH THIS AWARD.

UM, AND I THINK WE PROBABLY WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A PICTURE OF YOU JOIN WITH, WE HAVE SEVERAL LOCAL ART COMMISSION HERE TO JOIN ME UP HERE.

LET'S SEE, LET'S GET OFF TO ONE SIDE HERE.

WE'VE GOT MR. KHAN HERE AS PART OF OUR GROUP ALSO, SO, OKAY.

UH, COMMISSIONER CAGE, WHERE YOU CAN GET KIND OF BACK THERE, YOU'LL STAND BEHIND MY YOU'LL STAND BEHIND MY PLACE THERE, AND THEN YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE MY NAME ASSOCIATED WITH YOU.

SO HOW'D YOU HEAR IT? NO, MA'AM I'M SORRY.

SO THIS IS THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION PRESENTS THIS 2020 DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD TO COPLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION IN RECOGNITION OF ITS ACTIVE AND WELL-BALANCED PRESERVATION PROGRAM.

RIGHT? CONGRATULATIONS

[00:05:04]

THEY DID A GREAT JOB.

THANK Y'ALL WHAT YOU DO TO ME.

IT SOUNDS BETTER THAN GOSH, THEY DIDN'T STAY.

UH, OKAY.

NEXT ITEM.

[4. Judge Richards, Donna Simmons; To present the 2021-21 Communications Plan.]

A COUPLE OF COMMENTS ON THAT BEFORE.

AND YOU COULD UP ON A COUPLE OF COMMENTS ON THAT FORCE YOU TO GET STARTED.

UH, ONE OF THE FIRST DISCUSSIONS WE HAD WHEN THE INTERVIEW PROCESS WAS TALKING ABOUT FIRST STEPS AND DONNA BEING A SEASONED PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATIONS PERSON KNEW THAT THE FIRST THING THAT SHE NEEDED TO DO WAS TO CREATE A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN, WHICH SHE HAS DONE.

AND SHE'S GOING TO PRESENT HERE TO YOU TODAY.

UM, BUT THIS IS A VERY AMBITIOUS MULTI-YEAR PLAN.

UH, SO WE WON'T GET IT ALL DONE AT, I MEAN, SHE'S NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS ALL AT ONE TIME, BUT IT'S, IT'LL TAKE SOME TIME, BUT SHE HAS A GREAT PLAN.

I THINK, TO REALLY DEVELOP OUR ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH OUR RESIDENTS AND, UH, WITH OUR INTERNALLY IN THE COUNTY.

BUT THERE'S ONE THING THAT SHE'S GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE TO REALLY BE EFFECTIVE.

AND WE HAVE TO HAVE INPUT, YOU KNOW, SHE CAN'T CREATE ALL OF THE COMMUNICATIONS CONTENT.

SHE CAN'T KNOW EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON IN EVERY DEPARTMENT ALL THE TIME.

SHE CAN'T KNOW WHEN, WHEN SOMEONE IN ONE OF OUR DEPARTMENTS ACHIEVES SOMETHING LIKE ACHIEVES A CERTIFICATION OR GRADUATES FROM SOME PROGRAM AND WE'RE, AND SHE'S GONNA HAVE TO RELY ON THE DEPARTMENTS TO HELP HER, UH, TO HELP HER KNOW WHAT THINGS WE CAN SHARE WITH THE PUBLIC.

SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, DONNA, THANK YOU BY YOUR WAY, COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME COME BEFORE YOU TODAY.

I HAVE AN EIGHT PAGE COMMUNICATIONS PLAN, UH, THAT SPREADS OVER THREE YEARS.

THAT IS NOT THIS PRESENTATION.

THIS IS JUST THE SKELETON OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.

IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU SEE IN THAT I BELIEVE ANNABEL SENT IT TO YOU.

THE MORE DETAILED ONE, PLEASE CALL ME AND LET ME KNOW.

UM, FIRST I WANT TO GO TO THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SLIDE.

UM, I'M NOT GOING TO READ THE WHOLE THING TO YOU, BUT IN JUST THE FIRST 10 YEARS, THE LAST 10 YEARS, KAUFMAN COUNTY HAS GROWN BY MORE THAN 30,000 PEOPLE.

UH, WE RECENTLY HAVE BEEN NAMED THE THIRD FASTEST COUNTY IN THE, IN THE NATION, UM, FASTEST GROWING COUNTY.

SO WE NEED TO KEEP THAT IN MIND, AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR COMMUNICATIONS, YOU SEE, UM, NEIGHBORHOODS EXPLODING NEXT TO VERY TRADITIONAL AND LONGSTANDING HOMESTEADS, RANCHES, THAT KIND OF THING.

SO WE, WE NEED TO REACH OUT AND LEARN HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH EVERYONE.

AND THAT'S MY PLAN FOR THIS YEAR.

SO TO START WITH, I HAVE, UM, EIGHT GOALS AND THESE ARE VERY BROAD.

AND LIKE I SAID, IN THE COMMUNICATIONS PLAN, THE FULL PLAN, EACH ONE OF THESE HAS STRATEGIES AND THEN TASKS TO COMPLETE THE FIRST IS TO ESTABLISH CONSISTENT, TIMELY, FACTUAL, INTERACTIVE COMMUNICATION WITH THOSE LIVING IN OR WORKING IN COFFIN COUNTY.

THIS MEANS ESTABLISHING RELATIONSHIPS AND MAKING SURE THE INFORMATION WE GET TO THEM IS TIMELY AND HELPFUL.

NUMBER TWO IS TO PROVIDE PUBLIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE COUNTY SERVICES, PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES, USING A WIDE VARIETY OF METHODS.

AND I CALL MY TOOLS, MY TOOLBOX, UH, THAT IS THE WEBSITE THAT IS SOCIAL MEDIA, THAT IS LOCAL MEDIA, UM, DALLAS FORT WORTH MEDIA.

AND WHEN SOMETHING'S NATIONAL, FOR INSTANCE, THE BUILDING COLLAPSE IN FLORIDA, I WANT US TO BE PREPARED IF PEOPLE START, IF THE MEDIA STARTS TALKING ABOUT BUILDING COLLAPSES, EVERYWHERE THAT WE ALREADY HAVE A STATEMENT READY, THAT WE KNOW HOW TO RESPOND TO THOSE THINGS GO THREE AS TO INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT.

NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR ME TALK ALL DAY.

UH, NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR A COUNTY OFFICIAL, TELL THEM THINGS AND NOT LISTEN.

SO LISTENING IS HALF OF COMMUNICATIONS.

SO THIS OUTREACH WILL BE TO ACTUALLY GO

[00:10:01]

TO WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE AND LISTEN TO WHAT THEY SAY.

THIS WILL HELP, ESPECIALLY WITH REACHING DIVERSE GROUPS.

AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A MINUTE, GO FOR AS TO ENGAGE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES TO BECOME AMBASSADORS FOR KAUFMAN COUNTY, NOBODY TELLS THE STORY OF WHERE YOU LIVE BETTER THAN THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE.

SO IF THEY'RE INFORMED AND THEY'RE ARMED WITH INFORMATION THAT IS HELPFUL AND INTERESTING, THEN THEY'RE GOING TO TELL THEIR NEIGHBORS.

WHEN THEY SEE HIM AT THE NAIL SALON, WHEN THEY SEE HIM AT THE CAFE, WHEN THEY'RE DOWN AT THE FEED STORE, WE WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO SAY, OH, DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THAT? AND EVERYONE SAYS, YES, WE DID.

SO THAT'S MY GOAL TO ENGAGE CITIZENS, UM, ENGAGED RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES TO BECOME AMBASSADORS IS ONE THING.

BUT WE HAVE SO MANY EMPLOYEES DO OUR EMPLOYEES KNOW EVERYTHING.

ARE THEY INFORMED? ARE THEY READY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS IN THE PUBLIC? SO I WANT TO ENGAGE THEM AS AMBASSADORS AS WELL.

AND IN THIS FIRST YEAR PORTION OF THE PLAN, WE DO PLAN TO ESTABLISH, UH, AN AMBASSADORS PROGRAM.

AND THAT WOULD BE FOR THE RESIDENTS AND FOR THE EMPLOYEES.

THAT WOULD BE, UM, INCLUDE SOME RECOGNITIONS TO, FOR INSTANCE, IF THE EMPLOYEES DO A GREAT JOB IN MAINTENANCE THIS MONTH, UM, OR THEY DO A SPECIAL PROJECT FOR COURTS, WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE THEM AND MAKE THEM PROUD TO BE KAUFMAN COUNTY EMPLOYEES NOT DIVIDED UP INTO SILOS, BUT WE'RE ALL ONE.

UM, WE WANT TO PARTNER WITH THE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS, COLLEGES AND BUSINESSES TO PROMOTE COFFIN COUNTY TO ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO TEACH THE ADULTS IS TO TEACH THE KIDS.

WE ALL KNOW THAT.

SO IF THE KIDS ARE INVOLVED IN WHAT WE'RE DOING IN CARE, THEN PERHAPS THEY WILL TELL THEIR PARENTS WHAT KAUFMAN COUNTY'S DOING BY DOING THIS.

YOU'LL SEE IN THE LONGER PLAN, I PLAN TO PARTNER WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO ENCOURAGE STUDENTS, TO HELP ME WITH THE WEBSITE, WITH PHOTOGRAPHY, WITH VIDEOGRAPHY, WITH STORY, WRITING ALL OF THOSE THINGS AND GIVE THEM THE RECOGNITION ON OUR AVENUES.

RIGHT NOW, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT CAN ONLY MEET, YOU KNOW, REACH OUT TO THE PEOPLE IN THEIR SCHOOL DISTRICT.

WE'RE THE COUNTY.

WE CAN REACH ALL THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

WE CAN REACH ALL OF THE RESIDENTS.

SO IF THEY GET THAT KIND OF EXPOSURE, THAT'S SOMETHING GREAT TO PUT ON THEIR RESUMES, TO GO TO COLLEGE WITH AS WELL.

UH, PLUS IT DOESN'T COST US TO HIRE A STUDENT JUST TO GET THE RECOGNITION.

SO THEY REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

AND WE WANT TO PROMOTE TOURISM AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND KAUFMAN COUNTY AND MARKET TO PROSPECTIVE RESIDENTS, VISITORS, AND BUSINESSES ALREADY.

THE CITIES ARE DOING A GREAT JOB WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

THEY'RE JUST GOING GANGBUSTERS AND CAN BARELY KEEP UP WITH IT.

WHAT WE WANT TO DO AS THE COUNTY IS SUPPORT THOSE EFFORTS AND DO WHAT WE CAN TO BE PROMOTING THE THINGS THAT OUR CITIES ARE DOING.

WE AREN'T TWO SEPARATE ENTITIES.

WE AREN'T 10 SEPARATE ENTITIES.

WE ARE ONE, WE ARE KAUFMAN COUNTY AND I WANT THE CITIES TO FEEL LIKE THEY CAN RELY ON US TO PUSH OUT THE THINGS THAT THEY LIKE TO PUSH OUT.

AND THEN PROBABLY ONE OF MY BIGGEST GOALS IS TO ACTIVELY COMMUNICATE WITH DIVERSE POPULATIONS WITHIN THE COUNTY.

JUST YESTERDAY.

I LEFT HERE AT TWO O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON AND I DROVE TO CAMP.

I WENT INTO, UH, COMMISSIONER KATE'S DISTRICT AND I DROVE AROUND FOR TWO HOURS, LOOKING AT ROADS, LOOKING AT BUSINESSES, LOOKING AT PEOPLE, VISITING WITH PEOPLE IN THE DAIRY QUEEN.

AND I SAW SO MANY DIVERSE POPULATIONS THAT I THOUGHT, HOW AM I GOING TO REACH ALL OF THESE PEOPLE? SO WITH THAT IN MIND, I'M GOING TO GO WHERE THEY ARE.

I WANT MY INFORMATION TO GO TO THE CHURCHES, TO THE SCHOOLS, TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD RECREATION CENTERS, TO, IF, IF I SEE A SPECIAL EVENT, I WANT US TO BE THERE AND BE PRESENT.

KAUFMAN COUNTY IS THE MOTHERSHIP, AND WE NEED TO ACT LIKE WE ARE THAT PEOPLE THAT LIVE OUT 20 MILES FROM ANYONE ELSE CAN UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN SOMEONE'S LISTENING TO ME, KAUFMAN, COUNTY'S LISTEN TO ME.

I'M NOT IN A CITY, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO LISTEN TO ME.

AND I KNOW THAT'S ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED.

AND IF I'D HAVE BEEN IN THE COUNTY TRUCK YESTERDAY, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN WAVED AT ALL DAY, BUT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHO I WAS.

I WANTED TO GET OUT AND TELL THEM.

SO THAT'S MY GOAL HERE IS TO MAKE THEM FEEL LIKE WE ARE HERE FOR THEM.

AND I'M NOT PUSHING MY THING.

THOSE WERE THE GIRLS THAT JUST WENT OVER.

SOME OF THE TOOLS I USE IN MY TOOLBOX INCLUDE THE COUNTY WEBSITE.

AND JERRY DID A FANTASTIC JOB KEEPING UP WITH THAT.

IT IS VERY COMPLICATED AND IT, YOU CANNOT LEARN HOW TO POPULATE IT OR CHANGE IT OVERNIGHT.

TODD CAVE IS AN AMAZING PERSON AND HE HAS DESIGNED THIS WEBSITE SO THAT IT'S VERY

[00:15:01]

USER-FRIENDLY.

HE SPENT A COUPLE HOURS WITH ME ALREADY AND I CAN DO SOME OF IT ON MY OWN.

WE'VE HAD A LONG CONVERSATION ABOUT UPDATING SOME OF THE SERVICES THAT WE ALREADY HAVE AND GET THOSE TO WORK A LITTLE BETTER.

I'VE TALKED TO THE JUDGE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS, BUT THERE ARE SECTIONS OF BUSINESS THAT PEOPLE COME TO THE COUNTY FOR.

ONE IS USUALLY THE COURTS AND THE CRIMINAL SIDE.

AND WHERE DO I GO TO PAY THIS OR DO THAT? THE OTHER ONE IS HOW DO I GET SERVICES APPROVED? HOW DO I GET A PERMIT? WHERE DO I GO TO, WHO DO I TALK TO TO GET A SEPTIC TANK, THOSE TYPE THINGS.

AND THEN OF COURSE, I'VE GOT THE SHERIFF SITTING OVER HERE AND HE'S REBUILDING HIS WEBSITE AS WELL.

SO I WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO GO TO MINE AND POP RIGHT TO HIS AND GET EVERYTHING HE NEEDS TAKEN CARE OF THERE.

SO TODD IS WORKING ON HIS AS WELL, CORRECT SHERIFF.

SO WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO TIE THOSE TWO TOGETHER MUCH CLOSER.

SO A SOCIAL MEDIA, THAT'S NEW.

WE HAD FACEBOOK ALREADY AND PAM QUARTER, SHE'S AN AMAZING PERSON ON FACEBOOK.

SHE PUT EVERYTHING ON THERE, SHE KEPT IT UP AND SHE BLESS HER HEART.

SHE HAD TO TURN OVER ADMINISTRATION TO IT, TO ME.

AND IT WAS ALMOST LIKE SHE WAS GIVING UP A PET OR SOMETHING, BUT SHE SET THAT UP.

SO WE HAVE OVER 13,000.

IS THAT CORRECT? AMAZING.

OF COURSE, I'M WORKING WITH STEVE, WHO WE BACK THERE, UH, ON OUR EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS PLAN, WHICH IS ABOUT DEEP.

AND SHE KNOWS HOW TO TAP INTO THE PEOPLE WHO OUT THERE DO NON-PROFITS AND HELP THE PUBLIC.

AND SO WE'RE GOING TO CREATE A PAGE FOR THAT ON OUR WEBSITE SO THAT IF YOU NEED HELP GETTING FOOD OR YOU NEED HELP, UM, SHELTER, YOU NEED ASSISTANCE, WHATEVER IT IS, YOU CAN GO TO THAT ONE PAGE AND GET EVERYTHING THAT PAM HAS ALREADY ESTABLISHED.

WE'LL ALSO HAVE A PAGE ON OUR WEBSITE WHERE YOU CAN CLICK ON PROJECTS AND YOU WILL FIND OUT ABOUT EVERY ROAD PROJECT.

WE HAVE EVERY BOND PROJECT THAT WE PASSED.

WHAT'S THE STATUS ON IT? WHAT IS IT? WHERE IS IT? AND I'M ALSO WORKING WITH MONIQUE AND HER DEPARTMENT, SO THAT YOU CAN GO ONTO OUR WEBSITE TYPE IN YOUR ADDRESS.

BAM, A BOX IS GOING TO POP UP WITH ALMOST EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW.

WHO'S YOUR COMMISSIONER, WHO'S YOUR GARBAGE COLLECTOR IN THAT AREA? WHO ARE YOUR SUPPLIERS OF ENERGY IN THAT AIR AREA? WHO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE NEAR A CITY, WHAT CITY ARE YOU NEAR? HOW DO YOU REACH THEM? SO WE'RE THINKING OF ALL THOSE THINGS.

IT'S JUST A ONE-STOP SHOP.

THE CITY OF FORT WORTH INTRODUCED THAT.

AND IT'S ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR THINGS THAT OTHER CITIES AND COUNTIES ARE COPYING.

SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF MY TOOLS.

OF COURSE, THE MEDIA IS A TOOL.

WHEN I FIRST STARTED IN COMMUNICATIONS, THE MEDIA WAS AN AUDIENCE AND WE QUICKLY LEARNED THAT THEY'RE REALLY NOT.

THEY WANT TO GET THE STORY, PUT IT OUT IN 30 SECONDS AND BE GONE.

BUT IF YOU SUPPLY THEM WITH MORE INTERESTING, UM, MORE CONSISTENT NEWS, THIS THESE DAYS, THEY HAVE ONE REPORTER WITH ONE CAMERA BACK IN THE DAY, THEY HAD ONE REPORTER, ONE PHOTOGRAPHER, ONE PRODUCER, AND A MAN.

AND THEY ALL WENT OUT.

NOW, THEY JUST SEND OUT THIS, YOU KNOW, YOUNG, NEW JOURNALIST WITH A LITTLE HANDICAP AND THEY HAVE TO DO THE SOAR AND TURN IT IN.

SO WE REALIZED A LONG TIME AGO THAT WE CAN USE THEM AS A TOOL TO GET INFORMATION OUT.

THE MORE I FEED THEM, THE MORE THEY'RE GOING TO USE.

AND THE MORE IT BECOMES OUR STORY AND NOT THEIRS, THEY HAVE A DEADLINE, BUT IF I'VE ALREADY WRITTEN IT, GIVING THEM ALL THE FACTS, THEN THEY DON'T HAVE TO DO THE HOMEWORK.

SO THEY ARE A VERY GOOD TOOL IN RELATIONSHIP BUILDING.

THERE IS VERY IMPORTANT.

UM, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS I LIKE TO DO IS SAID IS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

WE HAVE TO LISTEN.

SO WHEN WE HAVE PUBLIC MEETINGS, LET'S, DON'T MAKE THEM JUST PUBLIC MEETINGS.

LET'S MAKE THEM AN, AN AND ENGAGEMENT SO THAT THEY CAN COME AND TALK TO US.

WE CAN LISTEN TO THEM.

IN FACT, WE MIGHT NOT EVEN HAVE A TOPIC.

WE JUST HAVE THEM COME AND TELL US WHAT THEIR PROBLEMS ARE.

DO IT VIRTUALLY, SEND ME A LETTER, SOCIAL MEDIA.

I'VE ALREADY STARTED, UH, INSTAGRAM AND TWITTER ON TOP OF THE FACEBOOK.

SO THE MORE RESPONSES WE GET, THE MORE INFORMATION WE GET ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT.

AND EMPLOYEE RELATIONS I'VE ALREADY TALKED TO YOU ABOUT IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE IF WE HAVE 6,000 EMPLOYEES WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING, IT'S A LEFT-HAND RIGHT-HAND SITUATION.

SO IF THEY KNOW WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON, STUFF, THERE MAY BE EMPLOYEES WHO DON'T EVEN KNOW WE'RE BUILDING THE JUSTICE CENTER.

I DON'T KNOW I'M WORKING WITH HR AND THEY DO A WONDERFUL NEWSLETTER.

SO WE'RE ENHANCING THAT NEWSLETTER.

THEN THE, I TAKE APARTMENT IS BUILDING AN INTRANET FOR EMPLOYEES, WHICH I'LL HELP POPULATE WITH THAT TOO.

UH, AND THEN EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS.

[00:20:01]

AND THERE IS A WHOLE SECTION IN THERE ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION.

SO I'M WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH HIM TO GET THAT UPDATED.

AND WE, UH, WE DO PLAN TO PRACTICE SOME OF THAT TO MAKE SURE IF WE DON'T, IF WE HAVE A GOD FORBID BUILDING COLLAPSE, THAT WE ALL KNOW WHAT PAGE WE'RE ON AND WHAT, WHO I WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH ON COMMUNICATION.

AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

SO IN THE SECOND, THIRD YEAR, I WOULD LIKE, LIKE TO START SOME COUNTY BLOGS.

AND THAT WOULD BE SAY, JERRY DEAN COMES ON AND DOES A, A BLOG ABOUT, WHICH IS JUST ME PROMOTING A STORY OR AN IDEA THAT HE CAN RIDE, OR THE SHERIFF MIGHT WANT TO DO ONE, OR THE JUDGE MIGHT WANT TO DO ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS.

YOU MIGHT WANT TO DO ONE JUST TO YOUR PRECINCT.

I WANT TO HELP WITH THOSE PODCASTS ARE DEFINITELY TWO YEARS OUT, BUT THAT IS SO HUGE.

NOW YOU JUST, YOU SEARCH FOR COFFIN COUNTY.

AND IF WE HAVE SOME ALREADY RECORDED AND IN THERE, WE COULD JUST BE TALKING ABOUT THE THINGS THAT WE DO AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO KAUFMAN COUNTY.

WE CAN HAVE, WE CAN INVITE CITY LEADERS TO HAVE THE MAYOR OF TERRELL TALK ABOUT SOMETHING OR THE CITY MANAGER OR FORNEY, UM, VIDEO PRODUCTION.

AGAIN, I'LL BE USING STUDENTS A LOT FOR THIS.

THEY HAVE THE DRONES, THEY HAVE THE WANT TO, THEY CAN DO MAGIC THINGS.

THE FIRST TIME I DID THE FACEBOOK LIVE ON THE MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY, IT WAS PRETTY GOOD.

IT WAS OKAY.

THE NEXT DAY THE JUDGE BROUGHT ME A TRIPOD AND SAID, HERE, YOU MIGHT WANT TO USE THIS BECAUSE IT WAS SHAKY CAM THESE STUDENTS, THEY WON'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM.

UM, SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO USING THEM.

THE WEBSITE, WE'LL BUILD A NEWSROOM ON THE WEEKENDS WHEN THE REPORTERS ARE THINKING, OH, IT'S THE 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND.

I DON'T HAVE ANY STORIES.

I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING, BUT ANOTHER FIREWORKS STORY.

WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? I WANT THEM TO THINK, OH YEAH, KAUFMAN COUNTY HAS A NEWSROOM.

LET ME GO SEE WHAT STORIES ARE OUT THERE.

GOOD IDEAS, PET ADOPTION.

WOW.

THEY'RE BUILDING A NEW CENTER AND THEY GET TO USE THOSE THAT THE WORK'S BEEN DONE FOR THEM.

THE STORY'S DONE.

THE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE READY.

AND SO THEY'VE FILLED THAT SPOT FOR THE WEEKEND OR FOR A HOLIDAY.

AND THEN FINALLY THE, UH, INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS HERE.

EVERYBODY HAS A BROCHURE.

EVERYBODY HAS INFORMATION SHEETS.

Y'ALL HAVE WORKED HARD ON THOSE.

YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR DEPARTMENT NEEDS, I'M HERE AS A CONSULTANT FOR THEM.

IF THEY NEED HELP WRITING, DESIGNING, PRINTING, WHATEVER.

I WANT TO BE THE ONE TO HELP YOU WITH THAT.

AND THAT GOES FOR COMMISSIONERS AS WELL.

AND THE JUDGE, IF Y'ALL HAVE ANYTHING, YOU NEED CONSULTING ON HOW THE SOUND'S WANT TO RUN IT BY ME, I'M HERE FOR THAT.

AND I DON'T CHARGE A THING.

HMM.

SO SALARY.

BELIEVE I DID SEND YOU THAT THE FULL PLAN.

SO THE THREE-YEAR PLAN FIRST THING THIS YEAR IS I WANT TO COMPLETE A FULL AUDIT OF THE COUNTY'S COMMUNICATIONS METHODS.

I'M ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH WITH THAT, AND I'M OVERWHELMED AT HOW MUCH INFORMATION YOU ALREADY PUT OUT.

IT'S AMAZING.

THANK YOU.

YOU GAVE ME A GREAT START.

ONE TO IMPLEMENT UPDATES AND IMPROVE THE COUNTY WEBSITE WITH THE NEWSROOM.

THEN I WANT TO EXTRICATE EXECUTE NEW SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. AND I'VE DONE THAT ALREADY WITH I'VE TAKEN FACEBOOK IN THAT CAPTAIN.

PAM IS AN EDITOR, SO SHE CAN PUT THINGS ON THERE TOO.

AND I'VE STARTED INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK.

UM, YOU MIGHT, I MEAN, INSTAGRAM AND TWITTER, YOU MIGHT CHECK THOSE OUT.

AND, UM, I WANT TO PROVIDE CONTENT AND PROMOTE THE EMPLOYEE INTRANET WITH THE HR DEPARTMENT AND THE IT DEPARTMENT WILL ACCOMPLISH THAT THIS YEAR AND EXECUTE A REAL-TIME BOND PROJECT UPDATE SO THAT THEY DON'T COME THERE.

AND LOOK IN THE LAST TIME WE UPDATED, IT WAS SIX MONTHS AGO.

IT'S GOING TO BE UPDATED REGULARLY WITH PHOTOS, AND THEY'RE DOING AERIAL SHOTS WITH THE DRONE OF THE CONSTRUCTION, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENTS TAKING CARE OF THAT.

SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO SHOW PEOPLE THE PROGRESS.

AND THEN FINALLY, I WANT TO ESTABLISH A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND COLLEGES TO UTILIZE THE TALENTS OF THE STUDENTS.

LIKE I TALKED ABOUT BEFORE.

AND NOW'S THE PERFECT TIME TO DO THAT SUMMER BREAK.

THEY'RE LOOKING FOR CURRICULUM NEXT YEAR AND HOPEFULLY SOME OF THEM WILL EVEN WORK IT INTO A CURRICULUM.

AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH EMMA THOMPSON, THE BRITISH ACCENT ACTRESS, BUT SHE SAYS TO EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE.

WE MUST REALIZE THAT WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT IN THE WAY WE PERCEIVE THE WORLD AND USE THIS UNDERSTANDING AS OUR GUIDE TO COMMUNICATE WITH OTHERS.

SO THAT'S MY PLAN IS TO MAKE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE PEOPLE IN KAUFMAN COUNTY.

SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

AND, UH, I

[00:25:01]

SO IF SOMETHING'S MISSING IN YOUR MIND, PLEASE CALL ME.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH QUESTIONS FOR DONNA.

UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND JUST REMIND EVERYBODY THAT, UH, SHE NEEDS CONTENT FROM ALL THE DEPARTMENTS, AND WE'LL PROBABLY BE APPEALING TO DEPARTMENTS TO TASK SOMEBODY IN YOUR DEPARTMENT TO KEEP HER UPDATED ON WHAT'S GOING ON IN SPECIAL PROJECTS AND AWARDS AND THAT SORT OF THING.

SO THANK YOU, DONNA DONNA, BEFORE YOU LEAVE, I JUST LIKE TO SAY NUMBER ONE, THANK YOU FOR, FOR COMING OUT TO OUR PRECINCT AND LOOKING AROUND AND, AND HAVING THE INTEREST TO, TO, UH, REALLY INTERNALIZE THE, THE SITUATION, THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ARE THERE.

UH, I'M A HUGE BELIEVER IN COMMUNICATION.

I THINK THAT IT'S, UH, EVERY DAY I ENCOUNTER, UH, CONSTITUENTS THAT DON'T HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF EVERYTHING FROM HOW THEIR TAX, UH, THEIR TAXES ARE MADE UP, UH, WHAT, WHAT THOSE COMPONENTS ARE TO THE PROCESS THAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH FOR PURCHASING OR CONTRACTING SERVICES RIGHT ON THROUGH HOW ROADS ARE CONSTRUCTED.

AND, AND, UH, SO THE MORE INFORMATION THAT WE CAN, CAN EFFECTIVELY GIVE TO THE CITIZENS IN KAUFMAN COUNTY, I THINK W REALLY ADVANCES OUR CAUSE AND, AND, UH, UH, AN EDUCATED CONSTITUENCY I THINK, IS IN EVERYONE'S BEST INTEREST.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, PARTICULARLY FOR COMING OUT TO THE PRIESTS.

I ENJOYED IT.

IT WAS BEAUTIFUL OUT THERE.

[5. Sheriff Beavers; Discuss/Consider approving deputation of William T. Holden as Deputy Sheriff for Kaufman County Sheriff's Office.]

BEAVERS DISCUSSED, CONSIDER APPROVING DEPUTIZATION OF WILLIAM T. HOLDEN AS DEPUTY SHERIFF FOR KAUFMAN COUNTY MORMON JUDGE.

GOOD MORNING, MR. ELDERS, UH, COME FROM US FROM LAKE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ALONE FROM ALPINE, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT.

HE WORKED THERE, HE'S GOT THREE YEARS OF SERVICE.

HE'S GOT HIS BASIC SNIPER, AN ACTIVE SHOOTER AND ALL THAT.

SO HE'S GOING TO BE AN ASSET TO THE DEPARTMENT.

HE'D COME A LONG WAY.

I DON'T THINK YOU CAN COME WITH FURTHER CANYON QUESTION FOR THE SHERIFF.

IF NOT, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE DEPUTIZATION, WILLING TO HOLD HIM? I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION.

WE HAD A MOTION COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS.

IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND COMMISSIONER.

KATE'S DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

[6. Raylan Smith; Discuss/Consider award of contract for RFP 21-16: Hazardous Materials Emergency Response & Remediation, to single vendor response - Lone Star Hazmat Response, LLC.]

DISCUSS CONSIDER AWARD OF CONTRACT RP 2116 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, EMERGENCY RESPONSE, AND REMEDIATION TO SINGLE VENDOR RESPONSE, LONE STAR HAZMAT RESPONSE.

GOOD MORNING.

UM, WE DID GO OUT FOR RFP.

I HAVE MET WITH, OR SPOKE TO STEVE HOOEY, UM, IN REGARDS TO JUST HAVING THE ONE SINGLE VENDOR AND AFTER REVIEW OF THEIR RESPONSE, UH, HE'S COMFORTABLE WITH JUST, UH, MOVING FORWARD WITH ONE VENDOR PER CONTRACT QUESTIONS.

UH, THIS MIGHT REALLY BE FOR STEVE, STEVE.

UH, W W WHAT'S THE RESPONSE TIME FOR THIS VENDOR? DOES HE HAVE A PROJECTED RESPONSE TIME? RESPONSE TIME IS, UH, PROJECTED TO BE ONE HOUR AND LESS ONE HOUR LESS.

AND ARE SORRY THAT THE COMPANIES FROM TYLER ARE, THEY, ARE, THEY RESPONDED FROM TYLER, THEY HAVE OFFICES ALL OVER THE STATE.

UH, I MEAN, TYLER IN DALLAS, UH, I THINK THERE'S ONE IN ROCKWALL.

I'M NOT SURE WHERE ALL THEY ARE THERE.

THEIR RESPONSE TIME IS FAIRLY QUICK AND THEY RESPONDED TO STUFF BEFORE.

SO THEY HAVE SOME KIND OF A DISPATCH SERVICE OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT.

WITH TXDOT, I'VE HAD STOCK CONTRACTS.

THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS.

UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO AWARD CONTRACT RFP 21 DASH 16 AS PRESENTED? I'LL MAKE THE MOTION THAT MOTION COMMISSIONER IN CASE, IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND COMMISSIONER HUNT DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING, AYE.

CONSIDERED PERMISSION TO SOLICIT RFQ 2121 CONSTRUCTOR MANAGER, AGENT SERVICES, KAUFMAN COUNTY MASTER PLAN FACILITIES, PROJECTS.

I SUPPOSE NO, THAT MOTION CARRIES BACK TO RUTLAND.

DISCUSS

[7. Raylan Smith; Discuss/Consider permission to solicit RFQ 21-21: Construction Manager Agent Services -Kaufman County Master Plan Facility Projects.]

THIS WOULD BE AN RFQ, UM, TO CONTINUE THE SERVICE STYLE THAT WE HAVE WITH THE JUSTICE CENTER, AS WELL AS THE PET ADOPTION CENTER, UM, TO REQUEST VENDORS, TO RESPOND AS CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AGENTS.

AND THIS WOULD BE FOR ANY PROJECTS THAT COME OUT OF OUR FACILITIES MASTER PLAN.

SO, UM, THE RFQ IS NOT SPECIFIC TO PARTICULAR FACILITIES OR EVEN PROJECTS, AND THEY'RE ALSO NOT PROMISED, BUT WE COULD CONTRACT A CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AGENT AS YOU APPROVED FACILITIES OUT OF THE MASTER PLAN QUESTIONS.

IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, IS THERE A MOTION TO, UH, AUTHORIZE THE SOLICITATION OF RFQ 2121?

[00:30:03]

WE HAD A MOTION COMMISSIONER HAUNT.

IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING, AYE.

THOSE OPPOSED? NO, THAT MOTION CARRIES BACK TO RUTLAND DISCUSS

[8. Raylan Smith; Discuss/Consider amendment to Contract #20-09: 2019 Kaufman County Bond Program -Facilities Master Plan, to include Professional Services Agreement between Kaufman County and Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum.]

CONSIDER AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT 2009, 2019 KAUFLIN COUNTY BOND PROGRAM FACILITIES, MASTER PLAN TO INCLUDE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN COFFIN COUNTY AND HELM OF OBAMA IN CUSTOMER BOTTOM.

THIS WOULD BE JUST TO AMEND OUR CURRENT CONTRACT.

CURRENTLY WE HAVE A CONSULTING SERVICES CONTRACT WITH HOK, AND AS WE MOVE INTO DESIGN SERVICES COMING OUT OF THE MASTER PLAN, THIS WOULD JUST SIMPLY ALLOW US TO ENGAGE THEM IN THE DESIGN OF FACILITIES OR RENOVATIONS QUESTIONS.

IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT 2009 IS PRESENTED? SO MOVE WE HAVE THAT MOTION COMMISSIONER CASES ARE A SECOND, A SECOND, SECOND COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING, AYE, THOSE OPPOSED.

NO, THAT MOTION CARRIES.

YOU'RE SORT OF ALL OVER THIS THING.

AREN'T YOU RAILING DISCUSS ITEM AND DISCUSS CONSIDER

[9. Raylan Smith; Discuss/Consider approval of Contract #20-09, as amended - Exhibit A - Show barn / Poor Farm Site.]

APPROVAL OF CONTRACT 2009 AS AMENDED EXHIBIT A SHOW BARN POOR FARM.

SO, SO THIS WOULD BE A TASK ORDER, UM, FOR HOK TO ASSIST IN THE DESIGN.

THIS ALSO INCLUDES, UH, THEM FACILITATING A WORKSHOP, WHICH WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE SCHEDULES AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE EVERYONE HERE ON THE 20TH.

UM, SO THIS PARTICULAR TASK ORDER IS FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 15,000 AND IT WILL BE FOR THE DESIGN AND, UH, PROGRAMMING FOR THE SHOW BARN AND PERFORM QUESTIONS.

IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE CONTRACT 2009 AS AMENDED THE MOTION WHERE THAT MOTION COMMISSIONER HUNT, IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND FOR COMMISSIONER CAGE DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING, AYE, THOSE OPPOSED NO MOTION CARRIES ITEM 10,

[10. Raylan Smith; Discuss and consider approval of Additional Services No. 1 to existing Contract #20-10: 2019 Kaufman County Bond Program - Professional Design Services - Justice Center,]

RIGHT ON AGAIN, DISCUSS, CONSIDER APPROVAL OF ADDITIONAL SERVICES.

NUMBER ONE, TWO EXISTING CONTRACT, 2010, 2019 A COUNTY BOND PROGRAM, PROFESSIONAL DESIGN SERVICES FOR THE JUSTICE CENTER.

THIS IS, UM, THE ACTUAL TASK ORDER TO BEGIN DESIGN SERVICES ON THE JUSTICE CENTER EXTENSION.

UM, I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH, UM, OUR FEMA AND ARP CONSULTANTS.

AND I DID WANT TO KIND OF BRIEF YOU AND LET YOU KNOW THAT I'M BRINGING FORWARD THOSE TASK ORDERS DURING THE JULY 20TH COMMISSIONER'S COURT MEETING.

UM, IN TALKING WITH THE CONSULTANTS, THEY FEEL AS THOUGH THIS PROJECT IN PARTICULAR WILL QUALIFY FOR AN H H S GRANT.

AND, UM, SO THEY'RE LOOKING AT OTHER POSSIBLE GRANTS FOR OUR FACILITIES.

UM, BUT TO DO THAT, WE HAVE TO BEGIN DESIGN ON THE BUILDING.

AND SO MY PROPOSAL WOULD BE THAT WE INITIALLY BUDGET THIS DESIGN SERVICES THROUGH THE BOND FUNDING, AND THEN UPON APPROVAL BY THE CONSULTANT, MOVE THAT OVER TO GRANT FOR ARP FUNDING, BUT THE FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE FACILITIES BOND TO COVER THIS.

WOULD YOU SPELL IT? H H S THAT IS THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GRANT.

SO IT'S FEDERAL FUNDING AND IT IS COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE BUTTONS.

SO, AND THAT, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT.

I HAVE SUBMITTED ALL OF THE Q AND A ON OUR FACILITIES PLAN AND, UM, THEY'RE SEARCHING RIGHT NOW FOR ADDITIONAL GRANTS THAT THEY FEEL LIKE WE WOULD QUALIFY FOR, FOR THOSE BUILDINGS.

SO, UM, WE ACTUALLY, SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE THREE SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR THAT EXTENSION, THE BOND PROGRAM, UH, RESCUE AMERICA MONEY OR THIS HHS GRANT.

SO WE'RE, UM, I'M FINALIZING A LOT OF THE WORDING AND LIKE I SAID, THE Q AND A WITH THE CONSULTANTS, AND WE SHOULD HAVE A PLAN TOGETHER FOR THE JULY 20TH COMMISSIONERS, THE ENTIRE COST OF THE FACILITY.

THAT'S PRETTY GOOD.

SO, UM, HE, HE CONTACTED ME ABOUT THAT.

AND SO WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT ANY OF THE OTHER FACILITIES THAT WOULD ALSO QUALIFY.

LET ME PULL THAT UP.

THAT WOULD ACTUALLY MAKE IT BENEFICIAL TO GET THE CONSULTANTS.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

LOOK YOU THERE.

IS THAT ANY MORE QUESTIONS?

[00:35:01]

NO.

UH, IF NOT, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ADDITIONAL SERVICES? NUMBER ONE IS PRESENTED.

I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS.

IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND, SECOND COMMISSIONER HUNT, DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

DISCUSSING CONSIDER AMENDMENT TO KAUFMAN COUNTY FLEET MANAGEMENT PLAN AS ADOPTED APRIL 20TH, 21 TO INCLUDE CDL DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING, POLICY AND PROCEDURES PREVIOUSLY APPROVED.

THOSE OPPOSED? NO, THAT MOTION CARRIES ITEM 11,

[11. Raylan Smith; Discuss and consider amendment to Kaufman County Fleet Management Plan, as adopted April 20, 2021, to include CDL Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy and Procedures.]

THESE CDL DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING POLICY AND PROCEDURES WAS PRESENTED BY THE HR DEPARTMENT.

UM, THIS IS JUST SIMPLY FINDING A PLACE TO HOUSE THAT POLICY.

AND SO IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT IT GO WITHIN OUR FLEET MANAGEMENT POLICY QUESTIONS.

IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THAT AMENDMENT TO THE FLEET MANAGEMENT PLAN? SO MOVE WHERE THAT MOTION COMMISSIONER CASE IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND, SECOND COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS DISCUSS, CONSIDER ACCEPTING PRECINCT TO ANNUAL REPORT.

OPPOSED.

NO, THAT MOTION CARRIES OUT OF 12

[12. Commissioner Phillips; Discuss/Consider accepting Precinct #2 Annual Road Report.]

I GUESS I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO EXEMPTED.

OH, OKAY.

UH, COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS, UH, MOVES TO ACCEPT THE PRECINCT TO ANNUAL ROAD REPORT AS PRESENTED IN OUR DOCUMENTS.

IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND COMMISSIONER CAGE DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE OPPOSED.

NO MOTION CARRIES ITEM 13,

[13. Commissioner Cates; Discuss/Consider accepting Precinct #4 Annual Road Report.]

COMMISSIONER CAGE DISCUSS, CONSIDER ACCEPTING PRECINCT FOR ANNUAL ROAD REPORT.

SO JUDGE, WE, UH, WE'VE REDONE OUR, UH, AS STATUTORILY REQUIRED, WE'VE REDONE OUR ANNUAL ROAD REPORT, UM, SUBMITTED AND PROVIDED TO ALL THE COMMISSIONERS.

JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT, UH, UM, PRECINCT FOUR CONTINUES TO DO ATTACK THIS SITUATION EVERY DAY.

UM, PRECINCT FOUR HAS 283 SEPARATE ROADS.

AND, UH, BASED ON OUR, WHAT WE THINK ARE FAIRLY, UH, SUPPORTABLE CALCULATIONS, WE ARE, WE ARE IN DESPERATE NEED OF 19 TO $20 MILLION WORTH OF ROAD WORK TODAY.

UH, ABOUT 80% OF OUR ROADS WE RATE TO BE POOR.

UM, AND, UH, IT IS NOT FOR LACK OF TRYING IT'S LACK OF RESOURCES AND, AND CAPABILITIES.

SO, UH, NONETHELESS, UM, AS BLEAK AS THAT REPORT IS OUR REPORT, WE BELIEVE IS RELATIVELY ACCURATE, WE THINK, AND, UH, WITHIN THE LIMITS OF OUR ELECTRONIC MEASURING DEVICES.

AND SO I'D MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE PRECINCT FOUR ROAD REPORT.

MR. CATES MAKES A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE PRECINCT FOR, UH, ANNUAL ROAD REPORT.

IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING I WAS OPPOSED.

NO, THAT MOTION CARRIES ITEM 14.

[14. Commissioner Barber; Discuss/Consider approving Resolution to Extend the §1115 Waiver Funding.]

UH, COMMISSIONER BARBARA IS NOT WITH US.

UM, I WILL MAKE A MOTION TO TABLE ITEM 14.

UH, AND I'M LOOKING FOR A SECOND WITH SOMEBODY SECOND THAT MOTION.

SECOND SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS, DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING, AYE, THOSE OPPOSED NO MOTION CARRIES COMMISSIONER HUNT,

[15. Commissioner Hunt; Discuss/Consider approving interlocal project agreement between Kaufman County and the City of Post Oak Bend.]

DISCUSS, CONSIDER APPROVING INNER LOCAL PROJECT BETWEEN KAUFMAN COUNTY AND THE CITY OF POST-STROKE BEND.

UH, THIS IS JUST A VITAL PART OF, UM, MIKE IS A, WE CAN MOLD THE RIGHT OF WAYS, UH, FOUR TIMES DURING THE MONSOON SEASON.

SO, AND AGAIN, THEY FOLLOW THE PROCESS, PUT MONEY IN ESCROW AND WE JUST MADE DRAWS AS WE USE IT.

AND YOU KNOW, SO THE STUFF THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR A WHILE NOW, I CAN MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE LOCAL CORPORATION TAX REC.

WE HAVE MOTION COMMISSIONER HUNT TO APPROVE THAT NEAR LOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN CARBON COUNTY AND THE CITY OF POST OAK.

IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER KATE'S DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AND CONSIDER LINE ON OUR TRANSFERS.

OPPOSED.

NO MOTION CARRIES NOW WOULD GO TO THE AUDITOR, DISCUSS

[16. Auditor; Discuss/Consider line item transfers.]

THESE EMAILED TO YOU EARLIER.

DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT BUDGET AMENDMENTS OR LINE ITEM TRANSFERS? IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS FOR THE AUDITOR, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE LINE I'M GONNA TRANSFER? IS THIS PRESENTED? OH MY GOD.

WE HAD A MOTION COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS.

IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND, SECOND COMMISSIONER HUNT, DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

UM, BACK TO THE ORDER FOR CLAIM FOR PAYMENT, YOUR CLAIMS, YOUR PAYMENT ARE $410,179 AND 95 CENTS.

THOSE OPPOSED? NO, THAT MOTION CARRIES ITEM 17.

[17. Auditor; Discuss/Consider claims for payment.]

WHEN A PAYROLL OF 1,000,400

[00:40:01]

AND 17,000 FOUR HUNDRED AND SEVENTY SIX FIFTY ONE FOR A TOTAL OF $1,827,656 AND 46 CENTS.

UH, YOUR MAIN EXPENDITURES AND YOUR ROAD WAS YOUR, UM, ROAD MATERIALS AND COVERTS.

AND THEN WE HAD PAID OUT THE MONEY FOR THAT LIVY DISTRICT QUESTIONS FOR THE AUDITOR, IF NOT, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE CLAIMS FOR PAYMENT AS PRESENTED? SO MOVE, WE HAVE THAT MOTION COMMISSIONER CASE.

IS THERE A SECOND? OKAY.

SECOND ONE COMMISSIONER HUNT, DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

DISCUSS, CONSIDER EXITING A REGULAR MEETING AND ENTERING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.

THOSE OPPOSED? NO MOTION CARRIES.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

UM, JERRY, DO WE NEED TO YOU'RE OKAY.

ALL RIGHT.

UM, SO ITEM 18,

[18. Judge Richards; Discuss/Consider exiting regular meeting and enter into executive session.]

IS THERE A MOTION TO DO SO I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION.

THANK YOU.

WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS TO LEAVE THE REGULAR MEETING AND GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.

IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND COMMISSIONER CAGE DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

PURSUANT TO SECTION 5 51 0.07.

THOSE OPPOSED.

NO MOTION CARRIES.

WE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION

[19. Executive Session; Pursuant to Section 551.071 of the Texas Government Code, the Commissioners Court will meet in closed session to consult with attorney regarding the position of Elections Administrator.]

ONE OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT WILL MEET IN CLOSED SESSION.

WHO CONSULT WITH ATTORNEY REGARDING THE POSITION OF ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR? UH, LET'S MEET LET'S MEET IN THE ROOM.

IS THAT ALL RIGHT? LOOKING FOR A MOTION

[20. Judge Richards; Discuss/Consider exiting executive session and enter back into regular meeting.]

TO EXIT EXECUTIVE SESSION AND ENTER BACK INTO A REGULAR MEETING.

I'LL MAKE THAT WE HAVE THAT MOTION COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS.

IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND COMMISSIONER IN CASE DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE, THOSE OPPOSED? NO, THAT MOTION CARRIES ITEM 21,

[21. Judge Richards; Discuss/Consider taking any action needed as a result of executive session.]

UH, DISCUSS, CONSIDER TAKING ANY ACTION NEWS RESULT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.

WE DID NOT TAKE ANY ACTION IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.

OF COURSE.

UM, IS THERE ANY EMOTIONS COMING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION HEARING NONE.

WE'LL MOVE ON

[22. Judge Richards; To discuss the fiscal year 2021-2022 budget.]

TO ITEM 20 TO DISCUSS THE FISCAL YEAR 21, 22 BUDGET.

SO HERE WE GO.

I'LL, I'LL KICK OFF WITH SOME THOUGHTS.

AND, UH, AND THEN G YOU KNOW, JERRY HAS BEEN, JERRY'S BEEN WORKING WITH THE AUDITOR AND, YOU KNOW, GETTING ALL THE DEPARTMENT INPUTS AND THAT SORT OF THING.

UM, I WOULD, UM, I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT I THINK OUR GOALS SHOULD BE.

ONE OF THEM IS I THINK THAT WE SHOULD, UM, WE OUGHT TO DECIDE HOW MUCH ADDITIONAL REVENUE DO WE NEED, WHAT PERCENT INCREASE IN REVENUE DO WE NEED TO OPERATE THE COUNTY? UH, AND WE HAVE HAPPENED.

WE HAVE TO HAVE ENOUGH TO COVER INFLATION, OF COURSE, UM, IN, IN ANY GROWTH THAT'S REQUIRED IN OUR OPERATIONS PRETTY, UM, I THINK IT'S, I'VE BEEN RESEARCHING INFLATION AND, YOU KNOW, NOBODY HAS A CRYSTAL BALL, BUT IT'S PRETTY, IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT INFLATION IS GOING TO SETTLE AT LESS THAN 3% THROUGH 2024.

WE'VE HAD A LITTLE BUMP, BUT THAT'S PASSING BY NOW.

SO WE NEED, SO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE START OFF WITH HOW MANY DOLLARS IN INCREASE REVENUE ARE WE GOING TO NEED TO OPERATE THE COUNTY AND PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT WE NEED? I, I WOULD ALSO, UH, IT'S ALSO PART OF MY HOPE THAT WE CAN, AGAIN, REDUCE OUR TAX RATE AS WE'VE BEEN CONSISTENTLY DOING.

AND, UH, MY GOALS FOR OUR, FOR OUR, FOR THE YEAR WOULD BE THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE WHAT WE STARTED OFF WITH, UH, BRINGING PEOPLE UP TO SCALE WHO ARE NOT UP TO SCALE AND IN WAGES.

UM, I THINK WE SHOULD FOCUS ON TRAINING THE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE.

I THINK WE CAN, WE CAN MAKE OUR PEOPLE MORE EFFICIENT WITH BETTER TRAINING, BETTER TECHNOLOGY.

AND THEN OF COURSE IMPROVING OUR FACILITIES, WHICH WERE GOOD.

WE GOT SOME PRETTY GOOD PLANS TO GO, MAN.

SO JUST RECAP WHAT I'M SAYING.

I THINK WE OUGHT TO START AND I WOULD THROW THEM 5%.

WE OUGHT TO SAY, WE NEED 5% MORE REVENUE NEXT YEAR, THEN WHAT WE HAD IN THIS YEAR.

AND THEN WE NEED TO LIVE WITHIN THAT.

WE NEED TO LIVE WITHIN THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT BOUNDARY ON THE BUDGET.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, JERRY'S GONNA TALK ABOUT, AND THEN I'M GOING TO LET HIM, I'M GOING TO KICK IT OFF TO HIM TO GIVE US AN UPDATE, BUT WE HAVE ABOUT $900,000 IN REQUESTS FROM DEPARTMENTS FOR ADDITIONAL POSITIONS AND, AND SOME CHANGES IN POSITION.

AND THEN SOME JUST OUTRIGHT RAISES.

UM, I

[00:45:01]

THINK WE SHOULD ASK EVERY DEPARTMENT HEAD WHO IS ASKING FOR A CHANGE IN PEOPLE OR AN ADDITION IN PEOPLE.

WE SHOULD HOLD EVERYBODY TO THE SAME STANDARD.

AND THAT IS, IF YOU, IF YOU, AS A DEPARTMENT, IF YOUR DEPARTMENT NEEDS ANOTHER PERSON OR MORE PEOPLE, YOU NEED TO GIVE THE COURT SOME OBJECTIVE INFORMATION AS TO WHY YOU NEED THAT PERSON OR WHY YOU NEED TO ADD THOSE PEOPLE.

I THINK IN THE PAST, WE'VE SORT OF LET PEOPLE GET BY, OR WE'VE SORT OF LET ACCEPTED THE REASON THAT WE'RE JUST THAT THEY NEED ANOTHER PERSON, CAUSE THEY'RE JUST REALLY BUSY, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A, A LITTLE BETTER GRIP ON THAT.

WE NEED SOME FACTS TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS BECAUSE CLEARLY WE CAN'T FROM THE GET GO.

WE CAN'T SUPPORT A $900,000 INCREASE.

I MEAN, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY WAY THAT WE CAN SUPPORT A $900,000 INCREASE IN OUR PERSONNEL COSTS.

SO JERRY UPDATE US ON THE NITTY GRITTY.

SO I RECEIVED ABOUT HALF OTHER PROPOSALS BACK SO FAR.

ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS HAVE REPORTING TO ME.

I'D HAVE ALL OF THOSE BACK TO THE JUDGES POINT OF THE ONES WE RECEIVED BACK WE'RE AT ABOUT $900,000 THAT SETS ESTIMATING THE TAXES AND BENEFITS.

PART OF THAT, I'VE JUST REQUESTED POSITION CHANGES.

SO WHETHER IT BE, MOST OF THOSE ARE NEW THERE'S ABOUT 17 AND A LIST 14 OF THOSE ARE NEW POSITIONS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENTS.

THE OTHERS ARE CHANGES WITHIN, YOU KNOW, A SMALL PROMOTION HERE, AN ADD ON FULL-TIME TO PART-TIME, UH, REMIND THE COURT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WENT THROUGH THE EVERGREEN, WE'VE MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS AND SOME OF THAT IS A SUSTAINABLE NUMBER THAT YOU'LL HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE YOU TOOK THAT MONEY LAST YEAR AND YOU PUT IT INTO CONTINGENCY.

SO IF YOU WANT TO CARRY THAT MONEY FORWARD, YOU HAVE TO CARRY IT FORWARD THROUGH A CONTINGENCY, OR I TAKE IT OUT OF YOUR REVENUE, RIGHT? YOU HAVE TO HOLD IT.

SO THAT DOLLAR ALONE WAS $500,000.

WE SPENT THIS YEAR ABOUT 220 OF THAT.

I THINK RANDY'S STILL SO TRUE IN THAT UP ABOUT TWO 20.

SO YOU'D HAVE A CARRY OVER BALANCE OF ABOUT TWO 80, WHICH WILL CARRY YOU FOR ABOUT A QUARTER.

YOU KNOW, AT 1% RAISE FOR A QUARTER IS ABOUT, ABOUT THAT LONG.

SO 1% IN SALARIES IS ABOUT $550,000 ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.

SO YOU GOT TO CARRY AT LEAST THAT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU'VE ALREADY PUT OUT THERE, ANYTHING ON TOP OF THAT, YOU CAN JUST DO THAT.

SAME MATH.

UM, I'VE GONE THROUGH AND WORKING WITH THE TAX OFFICE, WE'VE GOT SOME PRELIMINARY NUMBERS, UH, FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT.

THOSE ARE A MOVING TARGET UNTIL THE DISPUTES ARE ALL SETTLED, BUT THEY HAVE TO LOCK IN BY THE END OF JANUARY, BY THE END OF JULY.

SO YOU'RE GOING TO GET A LOCK-IN NUMBER AND THEY'RE GOING TO SAY FOR TAX PURPOSES, THIS IS THE NUMBER YOU'RE ALLOWED TO USE.

AND SO WE'LL LOCK IN ON THAT, UH, AS IT STANDS, UM, YOUR DARLING, YOUR DEFINITELY YOUR TAX RATES GOING TO GO DOWN BECAUSE YOUR PROPERTY VALUES WENT UP AND YOU HAVE, UH, YOU HAVE THE CALCULATIONS FOR CAPS.

AND SO YOUR TAX RATE IS GOING TO GO DOWN 5% ON THE, ON THE ROUGH NUMBERS.

THESE ARE, THESE ARE ROUGH NUMBERS.

SO, SO THESE WILL CHANGE, BUT 5%, UH, AND M AND O IS JUST NORTH OF $2 MILLION, 5% AND ROAD AND BRIDGE IS NORTH OF A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS.

SO THAT'S WHERE 5% IS LANDING TODAY AND KNOW THAT THOSE NUMBERS WILL GET ADJUSTED AS THE PROPERTY VALUES.

TYPICALLY, WE'LL GO BACK.

WE'LL WE'LL SWING A LITTLE BIT.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE ROUGH NUMBERS.

I'M STILL WORKING THROUGH ALL OF THAT WITH THE TAX OFFICE, THE NEW GROWTH DOESN'T GO UNDER THE PANT.

THAT'S NOT, IT DOES NOT.

IT DOES NOT.

I'M DOING, I'M DOING, IT'S NOT PART OF THE CAP, BUT 5% IS 5%.

SO I'M JUST SAYING 5% ON ROUGH NUMBERS.

UM, WITHIN YOUR TAX RATE, THOSE THINGS WOULD NOT BE APPLICABLE TO WHAT THEY CALL NO NEW REVENUE AND WHAT THEY CALL VOTER APPROVAL REVENUE.

AND THE TAX OFFICE WILL GIVE US WHAT THOSE RATES ARE, THE TAX RATE.

SO YOU WORK WITHIN THOSE TO THEN MULTIPLY THAT BACK TO THAT REVENUE DOLLAR THAT YOU TALK ABOUT.

SO YOU'VE GOT, YOU'VE GOT SOME ROOM IN THERE, YOU KNOW, SO IT WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF MOVEMENT IN THERE.

SO TO THE JUDGE'S POINT OF VIEW, IF IT'S 5% YOU, IS THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IN REVENUE, THEN THAT'S A LITTLE OVER $2 MILLION.

NO, THAT YOU'RE GOING TO NEED ABOUT A MILLION OF THAT TO COVER YOUR PAYROLL.

I MEAN, IT'S JUST, AS IT STANDS, AS I GIVE YOU ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS OF FLEX, I'M NOT SEEING A LOT OF EFFICIENCIES IN WHAT'S COMING BACK.

SO I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SCRUB THESE THAT ARE COMING BACK TO US AND JUST, JUST LOOK AT WHERE DO WE HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOME, SOME EFFICIENCIES AND THE ONES THAT I HAVE RECEIVED BACK.

AND, AND WE GO FROM THERE.

UM, LET ME JUST INTERJECT ONE THING REAL QUICK.

AND THAT IS, UH, BEFORE I FORGET THAT I WILL, UH, WHAT W WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO? WE ONLY HAVE ABOUT HALF OF OUR DEPARTMENTS REPORTING.

YEAH, EVERYBODY ELSE ISN'T DUE BACK UNTIL THE NINTH.

AND SO I'VE TALKED TO EVERYONE THAT'S, THAT'S OUTLIERS.

I CAN SEE THE ACTIVITY.

I WOULD SUGGEST A REMINDER EMAIL COMING FROM YOUR OFFICE JUDGE, TO SAY, WE NEED THESE BACK BY THE NINTH.

THEN YOU WOULD HAVE THREE MORE WORKSHOPS.

WE'RE

[00:50:01]

NOT HERE ON THE 13TH, BUT WE HAVE TODAY NOT TO 30 10.

THEN WE HAVE TWO MORE WORKSHOPS IN ORDER TO MEET THAT 7 27 DAYS.

GREAT.

SO HAVE A PROPOSED BUDGET.

SO HERE'S WHAT I, HERE'S WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST WE DO IF WE, IF WE HAVE DEPARTMENTS THAT DON'T REPORT, THAT DON'T SUBMIT THEIR BUDGET BY THE NINTH, UH, IN MY LETTER TO THEM DO Y'ALL WOULD Y'ALL AGREE TO JUST SAY, WE'RE JUST GONNA LEAVE.

I MEAN, THEN WE'RE JUST GOING TO DO, WE'LL DO YOUR BUDGET FOR YOU.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PROBABLY AS A BASIS, WE'LL USE THE BUDGET THAT YOU HAD LAST YEAR.

AND WE, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT MAKE SOME CHANGES, BUT IF, IF THE DEPARTMENT ISN'T GOING TO PROVIDE THEIR BUDGET AND WE WERE JULY 9TH, I MEAN, WE, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T WAIT FOREVER FOR EVERYBODY WHEN YOU GET THERE, WE CAN'T, I MEAN, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO ASK THE DEPARTMENTS FOR THEIR BUDGET.

I'VE ALREADY GOT ALL MY HE'S GOT ALL HIS PEOPLE.

OH, ALL THE ONES THAT REALLY BECOME AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, IT'S JUST ALL THE APPOINTED HAVE TURNED THEIRS IN.

WE HAVE ALL THE APPOINTED POSITIONS.

NO, NO, HE'S GOT THAT COVERED DEPARTMENT HEAD.

NO, NO.

I'M TALKING ABOUT ELECTED IF THE ELECTED DEPARTMENT HEADS AND, AND IT'S NOT, THEY'RE NOT TECHNICALLY DUE UNTIL JULY THE NINTH, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S COMING UP PRETTY QUICK.

AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE WE CAN DO OTHER THAN JUST DO THEIR BUDGET FORM.

IF THEY DON'T SUBMIT A BUDGET.

THE ONE THING WE ARE DOING IS WITH BRANDON, REMY'S HELP.

WE ARE, THE OPENGOV ALLOWS US TO HAVE WHAT'S CALLED A WORKFLOW PLAN OR WORKFORCE PLAN.

AND SO IT ALLOWS US TO GO LIVE BASICALLY.

SO SHE TOOK THE LAST PAYROLL RUN AND RAN IT INTO THE SYSTEM.

SO I HAVE THAT PART OF YOUR BUDGETS BEING UPDATED, BECAUSE WE HAVE THEM, WE HAVE THE MOST CURRENT SALARIES AND WAGES.

SO WE'LL KNOW EXACTLY WHERE OUR BASE IS FOR EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE.

SO REALLY WHAT I'M SAYING IS JULY.

AND I'M ASKING YOU ALL TO GIVE ME A NOD OR SOMETHING THAT YOU AGREE WITH, WHAT THIS PLAN IS ON JULY THE NINTH, WE PUSHED THE, WE PUSHED THE GO BUTTON.

I MEAN, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE LOADING ALL THOSE NUMBERS INTO OUR BUDGET.

CAUSE WE, WE, WE CAN'T HAVE ANY MEANINGFUL DISCUSSIONS IF WE DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, HALF OR 25% OF OUR DEPARTMENTS, HAVEN'T SUBMITTED THEIR REQUEST.

SO THEY'LL SUBMIT IT.

OKAY, GOOD.

WHAT I SUGGEST FOR THE COURT IS AS WE, AS WE DIVE INTO THIS A LITTLE DEEPER AS OPENGOV IS CAPTURING EVERYTHING.

SO IT'S CAPTURING ALL THE DOLLARS AND ALL THE VERBIAGE.

SO ON THE ONE, ONE DEPARTMENT, YOU HAVE ALL THEIR WRITE UPS AND ALL THE MATH ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.

SO IN COURT, IT'D BE PRETTY EASY FOR ME TO PUT IT UP ON THESE SCREENS AND WE COULD JUST GO THROUGH THEM.

WHAT'S GOING TO BE MORE, THE CHALLENGING PART IS I CAN'T PRINT ALL THAT VERBIAGE.

SO THAT'S AN ALLOW ME TO PRINT IT.

SO, BUT I CAN PUT IT UP ON THE SCREEN AND WE CAN GO THROUGH THEM PRETTY, PRETTY QUICKLY DEPARTMENT BY DEPARTMENT.

AND THEN I HAVE THE EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE NEED TO CAPTURE OUTSIDE.

LIKE THOSE, THOSE SALARIES AND WAGES AND THOSE POSITIONS, I'VE CAPTURED THOSE IN A SPREADSHEET.

AND THAT'S JUST A YES OR NO, YOU KNOW, OR, OR, OR AN ALTERNATIVE.

AND THEN WE'LL CAPTURE THOSE DOORS OFF, GIVE THOSE BACK TO BRANDY.

AND THEN SHE'LL UPDATE THAT WORKFLOW.

AND THAT'LL INSTANTLY PUT IT BACK INTO THE, INTO THE MATH SCORES.

EVERY TIME Y'ALL MAKE A CHANGE TO DISCUSS, TO MAKE A CHANGE, OR SOMEBODY GETS LIKE IT'S ANNIVERSARY.

SO THEY GET A STEP INCREASE OR THEY, THIS, OR THEIR LONGEVITY CHANGES.

WE KEEP UP WITH EVERY ONE OF THOSE.

AND WE UPDATE THAT BIG SPREADSHEET THAT WE GIVE YOU.

NOW WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO INTO OPENGOV AND LOAD THAT UP ALSO.

AND BRANDY, BRANDY GOT IN THERE AND PLAYED WITH IT ENOUGH.

AND THEN I RAISED CANE ENOUGH WITH STW THAT THEY, THEY FIXED IT WHERE OUR SPREADSHEET HELPS THEM DO OUR JOB FOR US.

UH, OKAY.

SO LET'S IN THIS DISCUSSION RIGHT HERE, BUT WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS IF ANY OF THE, IF THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANT TO SAY ABOUT WHAT YOUR GOALS ARE, AND THEN COME BACK TO THE AUDITOR AND SEE IF THE AUDIT, WELL, YOU CAN PUT YOUR THINKING CAP ON AND SEE IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO WHAT WE'RE SAYING.

SO, KEN, DO YOU WANT TO START, I MEAN, DO YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULAR GOALS OR ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT TO SEE ACCOMPLISHED? WELL, UH, I MEAN, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HERE THAT WE NEED TO ESTABLISH, YOU KNOW, THE, THESE PARAMETERS.

UM, UH, I THINK WE OUGHT TO, UH, I THINK WE OUGHT TO FROM A, UH, ORIGINATION POINT, TRY TO MAINTAIN THE SAME REVENUE GROWTH THAT WE HAD LAST YEAR.

I MEAN, WHICH WAS THAT LAST YEAR OVERALL, I WANT TO SAY 5.9, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

OVERALL 5.9 PER SE.

I THINK SO.

SO I HAD TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT MY MATH SHEET, IT'S IN THE COVER OF OUR ADOPTED.

SO IF WE HELD A 5%, WE WOULD BE, WE'D BE RIGHT.

I MEAN THAT, BUT THAT'S ALMOST SIX.

WELL, YEAH, YEAH.

I'LL FIND IT FOR, YOU KNOW, THAT KNOW THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE BEING

[00:55:01]

IMPACTED BY INS.

AND SO INS IS WHAT IT IS.

SO IF AN S IS GOING UP, THEN YOU SAY 5%, YOUR 5% IS IT'S BASED UPON.

YEAH, I DON'T, YEAH.

LET'S THIS OUT.

I'M NOT EVEN THINKING ABOUT INS.

I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT, WHAT'S GOING TO SKEW THE NUMBER NOW IT'S $9 MILLION.

SO IT IS, YOU GOT TO THINK ABOUT IT.

NO, BUT I MEAN, WE THERE'S, NO, WE DON'T HAVE ANY OPTIONS ON THAT.

SO JUST, JUST FOR CLARITY, THIS IS 5% EXCLUDING INS, RIGHT? YEAH.

PERFECT.

THANK YOU.

I THINK THAT IN THE END, THE 5.9 INCLUDE INCLUDING WHATEVER THAT NUMBER WAS.

I WAS GOING TO QUOTE, I WAS .

I THINK THAT I, I GO 5%, I'M SORRY.

5% WOULD BE MORE, IT'LL PROBABLY BE PROBABLY MORE HE DID.

RIGHT.

SO I THINK 5% IS A GOOD STARTING POINT.

CAUSE I THINK I, IN THE PAST ONE AND A HALF PERCENT.

SO THAT TELLS YOU, SO ANYTHING ELSE, KEN? NO EXCUSE.

NO, I I'M IN AGREEMENT THAT, THAT ONCE YOU DISCUSSED THAT, THAT IT ALL MAKES SENSE TO ME.

UM, I'M GOOD WITH IT.

I DON'T, I DON'T SEE A REAL PROBLEM.

I THINK, I THINK WE'RE ON BASIS OR THE TAX RATE HELPS HELP OFFSET SOME OF THE REASONS THAT THE REVENUE PAGE A LITTLE BIT, THAT LITTLE BIT, UM, UH, CAUSE THE COUNTY IS, IS TAX ON THE TAX BILL.

SO 18%, BY THE WAY.

SO I MEAN, UH, WE CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH AND UH, AND WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE HELPING, UH, WHETHER PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT OR NOT, WE ARE ACTUALLY LOWERING THE RATE AND HELPING, SO, AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT.

WE'RE GOING TO DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN AND IF WE CAN FIND ANOTHER WAY TO SQUEEZE A LITTLE MORE AND LOWER, LITTLE MORE, WE WILL.

I THINK THAT'S IT.

I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT POINT FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS TO REMEMBER IS NOT DOING OUR PART.

WELL, EVERYBODY DOES A HUNDRED PERCENT.

THIS QUARTER HAS LOWERED THE TAX RATE FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.

I ANTICIPATE LOWERING IT AGAIN.

AND, UH, AND THAT, THAT JUST NEEDS TO BE EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATED.

THAT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE.

SO, UM, AND EVERYBODY NEEDS TO KNOW IN, IN THAT COMMUNICATION, THAT'S THE STATE OF TEXAS, OUR LEGISLATIVE PEOPLE.

THEY'RE THE ONES THAT RUN THE APPRAISAL BOARD.

SO NOT US, WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER THE APPRAISAL BOARD.

SO ANYWAY, UM, THE GOOD THING ABOUT THE UNFUNDED MANDATES GOING TO TAX URBAN COUNTIES HAS A REALLY GOOD, UH, ON THAT THERE, WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IS, INSTEAD OF SAYING UNFUNDED MANDATES, AN UNFOUNDED MANDATE IS THIS IS THE STATE INCREASING YOUR COUNTY PROPERTY TAXES.

THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DOING, RIGHT? BECAUSE THAT MONEY'S GOT TO COME FROM SOMEWHERE.

YEAH, JUDGE, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.

UM, 2018, 19, OUR TAX RATE WAS 0.5 8, 8, 7, 2019 TO 20 WAS 0.5, 3 7 1 1 2, WHICH WE LOWERED.

AND THEN FOR THIS YEAR IT WAS 0.50 4, 9 5 7.

AND IF YOU LOOK AT IT, ALL OF THEM, BUT THE JEW, THE DEBT SERVICE, RIGHT.

DEBT TAX RATE WENT DOWN AND IT WENT UP.

SO Y'ALL HAVE DONE A LOT, A LOT MORE JOB TRYING TO GIVE EVERYBODY WHAT THEY NEEDED AND STILL HELP THE CITIZENS.

GOT A GREAT TRACK.

SO DO YOU, IS YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS OR ANYTHING FROM THE AUDITOR'S STANDPOINT ABOUT THIS PROCESS? OH, WELL, I'VE GOT, I HAVE MY, MY FINANCIAL REPORT THAT I'M GONNA SUBMIT FOR NEXT WEEK, BUT IT WAS FOR THE THREE, THE MONTH OF JUNE.

AND THAT IS EIGHT MONTHS.

SO WE'RE AT 67%.

IS YOUR BENCHMARK.

WE'VE COLLECTED 52 MILLION.

YOUR GENERAL FUND REVENUES ARE AT 90.98%, WHICH IS EXCELLENT OF A $57 MILLION BUDGET.

YOUR TAXES COLLECTED ARE OVER A HUNDRED PERCENT.

NOW, KEEP IN MIND YOUR MIXED DRINKS.

AND SOME OF THE FEES THAT WE GET FROM THE INNER INNER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE BY QUARTERS.

AND WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED THAT QUARTER BECAUSE IT ENDS IN JUNE AND I WON'T GET IT TO LATE JULY SOMETIME TO POST YOUR GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES ARE SITTING AT 63%.

SO YOU'RE BELOW TARGET OF THE 67%, UM, ROAD AND BRIDGE REVENUES ARE AT 96.5

[01:00:01]

54%.

SO, AND YOUR TAX RATE THAT YOU'VE COLLECTED THERE, IS IT 99 POINT 18 AND THE TRANSFERS OUT IN TO THE DIFFERENT ONES WE'RE SITTING AT LIKE 89%, THEY'VE COLLECTED 96, BUT THEY'VE ONLY SPENT 80.

NOW THAT WE'VE TRANSFERRED TO THE 44 ROAD AND BRIDGE.

AND THERE THERE'S THIS REALLY GOOD TOO.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, JERRY AND I TALKED ABOUT, ACTUALLY WE TALKED ABOUT THAT LAST YEAR AND IS THAT, UM, I THINK THE THOUGHT PROCESS IN WITH THE COUNTY, THE DEPARTMENTS HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT THE, AND I'M MAYBE A LITTLE BIT HYPERBOLE HERE, BUT LIKE THE WORST THING THAT COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN TO YOU, IF YOU'RE A DEPARTMENT HEAD, IS THAT YOU OVERSPEND, YOU MIGHT OVERSPEND A LINE ITEM.

BUT I THINK BECAUSE IF YOU OVERSPEND SOMETHING, THEN YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S AFRAID THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GOING TO BE, THINK PEOPLE CAN BE POINTING FINGERS AT THEM AND THAT SORT OF THING.

BUT I THINK WHAT, WHAT JERRY AND I LOOKED AT LAST YEAR WAS THAT WE, WE, WE HAVE SOME, SOME LINE ITEMS AND IN SOME DEPARTMENTS WE CONSISTENTLY OVER BUDGET EVERY YEAR.

AND SO WE ENDED UP NEVER SPENDING ALL OF THAT, THAT WE BUDGET.

WHAT I THINK IS A BETTER PLAN IS TO ASK OUR DEPARTMENTS TO, UM, BUDGET A LITTLE TIGHTER IN INCREASE THE CONTINGENCY INCREASE THE COUNTY'S CONTINGENCY BECAUSE ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS EVERY DEPARTMENT HAS GOT SORT OF THEIR OWN CONTINGENCY FUND BECAUSE THEY'RE OVER THERE.

THEY'RE BEING REALLY, REALLY CAUTIOUS IN THEIR BUDGETING.

WHAT MAKES SENSE TO ME IS TO ASK THE DEPARTMENTS TO REALLY LOOK AT YOUR NUMBERS AND TRY TO BUDGET A LITTLE TIGHTER BASED ON WHAT YOUR HISTORY IS AND BASED ON WHAT YOU SEE COMING UP AND LET'S HAVE A BIGGER CONTINGENCY AS A COUNTY.

SO IF A DEPARTMENT OVERSPENDS A LINE ITEM, NO BIG DEAL, WE'LL JUST LINE ON IT.

YOU KNOW, WE'D GET AN EXPLANATION WHAT HAPPENED AND THEN WE'LL JUST LINE I DON'T TRANSFER CONTINGENCY TO, AND THEN YOU GET THE EXPLANATION.

YOU MIGHT SAY, IT'S A BIG DEAL.

NO, NO, WE WON'T.

I MEAN, WE DON'T SAY NO BIG DEAL.

WE DON'T NEED TO BE BEATING UP ON PEOPLE LIKE A PRIME EXAMPLE.

WE WERE, WE WERE DISCUSSING, UM, HOLD ON, LET ME GET MY LINES.

RIGHT.

520, $1,000 BUDGET FOR ELECTIONS.

THEY'RE 81% SPENT.

THEY'RE NOT AT THEIR 67 OR BELOW.

AND THAT'S BECAUSE THEY HAD THOSE EXTRA ELECTIONS AND THOSE WORKERS.

SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE SOME MONEY AND THAT'S OKAY.

A LOT OF STUFF THAT WE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A GOOD EXPLANATION WITH THAT ONE.

AND THE, THE TIF AND THE POWER, UH, CENTER THING IS RUNNING IT LIKE 101%, BUT WE'VE PAID EVERYBODY EVERYTHING UNTIL JULY AND WE'LL GET A REPORT THAT WE MIGHT OWN JUST A LITTLE BIT.

UM, THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE I WANTED TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION, JUDGE AND THE COURT.

UM, LET ME GET TO THE RIGHT THING.

UM, I'M NOT, I'M NOT HEARING ANY MORE ABOUT THE HUB OPERATING EXPENDITURES.

I HAVE REIMBURSED THE ENTITIES THAT HAVE SENT ME THEIR RECEIPTS.

I'M STILL WAITING ON A COUPLE OF LITTLE THINGS, NOT NOTHING BIG EXPENSIVE.

AND I'VE GOT THE WAGE STUDY ONCE BRANDY GIVES ME THE NUMBERS.

WE'LL TAKE THAT AND MOVE IT TO THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT Y'ALL GAVE THE 1% AND THE OTHER LITTLE RAISES.

I'LL STILL HAVE 338,000 LEFT AND REGULAR CONTINGENCY.

IF WE DON'T SPEND A LOT OF THE HUB, I HAVE 1.2 AND THAT'S THE COUNTY'S MONEY BECAUSE THAT CAME FROM ALL THE COVID STUFF.

THAT WAS PAYROLL THAT THEY REIMBURSED US JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, THERE'S STILL SOME FUNDS THERE.

WE HAD TO NOW DURING THE YEAR WE HAD BUDGETED 1.6 OR, AND THEN WE ADJUSTED IT BY 550,000 COMMITTED FUND BALANCE.

I HAVEN'T MOVED ANY OF THAT BECAUSE WE'RE DOING SO GOOD ON THE BUDGET I HAVEN'T HAD TO.

SO WE MIGHT HAVE SOME, WE COULD CARRY OVER IF WE NEED TO IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY.

IF YOU WILL, WITH OUR FUND BALANCE, UH, WITHIN THE, THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE OUTSIDE AUDITORS EVEN SAID SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT.

THAT WAS OF SEGUE.

I WAS GONNA, I WAS GONNA REMIND THE COURT TOO.

CAUSE WE CARRIED A PRETTY HEAVY CONTINGENCY.

LAST YEAR.

WE TOOK IT OUT OF FUND BALANCE.

AND IF WE DON'T SPEND IT ALL, YOU WOULD HAVE THOSE DOLLARS THAT YOU COULD, YOU COULD ROLL FORWARD.

IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN FROM THE AUDIT TO THE AUDIT REPORT, OUR FUND BALANCE IS NORTH OF $10 MILLION.

SO WE'VE REACHED, WE'VE REACHED KIND OF A THRESHOLD

[01:05:01]

OH RIGHT.

THIS YEAR, BASED UPON HER, HER CURRENT RUN RATE, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME FUND BALANCE COME OUT OF JUST OPERATING EXPENSES.

YOU CAN PICK UP SOME MORE OUT OF CONTINGENCY.

SO THAT DOLLAR I'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT, THAT, THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT IN 5%, THAT $2 MILLION, THIS WOULD BE EXTRA REVENUE ON TOP OF THAT.

OR USABLE, USABLE DOLLARS.

IT'S NOT REVENUE IT'S IS ROLL FORWARD DOLLARS.

ON TOP OF THAT MIGHT GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE A LITTLE, A LITTLE STRONGER ON OUR REDUCTION IN TAX RATE.

WELL, THAT'S SOME DEBT, SOME DEBTS RESTRICTED BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT IN THE NOTES AREN'T DUE YET.

YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T PAY THEM FOR THE SUN, THE GRASS BACK TO THE POINT WHERE YOU TELL HIM TO ESCAPE.

SO GO BACK OVER AGAIN.

THE 5% INCREASE ON THE BUDGET THAT Y'ALL ARE AGREEING WITH, IS THAT JUST THE GENERAL FUND OR IS THAT RELEVANT BRIDGE? GENERALLY A 5% INCREASE IN GENERAL FUND IN IMMUNO AND THEN A 5%.

MY SUGGESTION IS A 5% INCREASE IN ROLAND BRODEN BRIDGE DOLLARS DOLLARS, NOT, NOT RESENTED BY A TAX WISE PERCENTAGE WISE, THIS DOLLAR 5% INCREASE IN MATH, BUT IT WASN'T ACTUALLY SPECIFICALLY WRITE UP.

IT WOULD JUST SEND 5% INCREASE 5%, BUT THE TAX RATE WOULD GO DOWN AND THEN YOU ALL HAVE TO AGREE IF YOU WANT ME TO STILL CALCULATE THE DIVISION OUT, LIKE Y'ALL AGREED UPON MOSTLY THIS LONG ROAD AND BRIDGE PORTION OF IT.

I NEED SOME MORE MONEY OR EXTRA MANPOWER AND TO GET STUFF DONE.

AND THEN THE DOWNSIDE OF THE ROAD AND BRIDGE IS THE ROAD BUILDING SEASON STARTS, RIGHT WHEN THE BUDGET IS WANING DOWN.

SO WE'VE HAD THIS MONEY BUDGETED IN THERE TO DO ROAD WORK WITH ACTIVELY SPINNING IN IT NOW, AND THEN THE BUDGET UNTIL WE START A NEW BUDGET, WE'RE STILL BUILDING ROADS.

HOPEFULLY WITH THE OTHER MONEY WE CARRY OVER WITH YOUR TEAMS THAT WILL ROLL OVER FOR YOU TO USE.

I MEAN, IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A LOT OF MONEY LEFT OVER AT THE END OF THE YEAR, BUT TYPICALLY WE DON'T KNOW UNLESS THE WEATHER GETS BAD, REAL FAST.

WE'RE JUST HAVING THIS PAIN IN HIPS.

I USED TO, I DID, I'D GIVE YOU THAT BUDGET REPORT AND I WOULD TELL YOU, PLEASE LOOK AT YOUR EXPENDITURES AND IF YOU'RE GOING TO SPEND MORE MONEY, I NEED TO KNOW.

SO I CAN GIVE A GOOD ESTIMATE ON YOUR FUND BALANCE TO CARRY FORWARD.

AND MOST OF THE TIME IT WOULD GET KINDA MISCONSTRUED AND THEN WE'D HAVE TO ADJUST IT AFTER THE BUDGET, WHEN WE CLOSED THE BOOKS FOR THE FALL PRIOR YEAR.

SO THAT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, I GOT THIS ROAD, I GOT THIS.

I'M OWNED BY BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.

HAVE A MENTALITY THAT EVERY YEAR WE'RE JUST GOING TO GROW A LITTLE JUST BECAUSE, UH, THAT'S WHAT YOU DO.

WELL, WE LIKE TO LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, WE'D LIKE TO DO THAT ROAD AND THIS ROAD AND THAT ROAD, BUT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO ONE ROAD FOR THREE MONTHS AND I CAN'T DO IT BECAUSE OF THE BRAINS.

AND FINALLY, FINALLY, THE WEATHER'S WARMED UP.

YOU'RE FIXING TO RECEIVE LOT OF BILLS FROM US, BUT, BUT THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS.

AND YOU KNOW, NOW IF THIS WEEK MIGHT RAIN ALL WEEK, SLOW US DOWN AGAIN, EVERYTHING IS A WEATHER RELATED DEAL TO US.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT IT IS.

AND WHEN YOU CHIPS IN ROADS LIKE, LIKE MIKE, LIKE KEN, UM, NOT TIME, TEMPERATURES IS ALL IN, IN, IN THE, IN THE, IN THE PAN OF IT.

IF IT'S, IF IT'S NOT CORRECT, IT WON'T HOLD.

SO WHEN THEY'RE IN TROUBLE, UH, THEY GOT A LATE START AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE AN EARLY END.

IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, I DON'T HAVE MUCH WAY OF HELPING THE MOUNTAIN ON A CHIP SEAL OR I, I WOULD, BUT THIS WAY THEN JERRY, ANYTHING ELSE, ANYBODY ELSE? I DON'T WANT TO SAY ONE THING, YOU KNOW, HE, HE TALKED ABOUT THIS ONE, WE'LL BREAK THAT UP.

LIKE WE ARE GOING TO 5% INCREASE, BUT EVERYBODY NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THIS 5%.

IT'S ACTUALLY COMING FROM NEW GROWTH.

SO IT'S NOT ATTACKING PEOPLE THAT'S BEEN HERE.

SO WHERE WE ARE UNTIL WE SLOW DOWN WHEN GROWTH, OUR COUNTY IS LOOKING WONDERFUL AND MONEY.

SO JUST EVERYBODY REMEMBER THAT.

I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST LIKE TO SAY ONE LAST THING JUDGE, ABOUT AS WE ENTER THIS BUDGET, UM, DEVELOPMENT CYCLE AND ACTUALLY I'M GOING TO PAIR IT, WHAT JERRY DEAN, THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.

UM, SO ABLY PUT IS THAT WE DO NOT, UH, WE AS A COUNTY DO NOT NEED, UH, WE SHOULD NOT

[01:10:01]

IN FACT, A TRUE, UH, TRULY, UM, EFFICIENT ORGANIZATION, ABSENT SOME HUGE NEW ADDED PROGRAMMER RESPONSIBILITY.

WE SHOULD BE INCREASING OUR EFFICIENCY, OUR OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY EVERY YEAR.

SO, UM, AS THAT OCCURS AS, AS OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS BECOME MORE PROFICIENT AND THE EMPLOYEES BECOME MORE PROFICIENT, WE REALLY SHOULD BE, UH, ABLE TO STAY WHERE WE ARE, UM, NUMBERS WISE, OR EVEN DECREASE OUR EMPLOYMENT NEEDS.

UH, I MEAN, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE MARK OF A TRULY, UH, WELL-MANAGED AND HEALTHY ORGANIZATION.

SO, UH, JUST A GENERIC BELIEF THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE POPULATION HAS GROWN GONE UP.

UH, SO WE GOT TO ADD MORE STAFF THAT THAT IS, SHOULD NOT BE THE ATTITUDE THAT DEPARTMENT HAS TAKEN TO THIS IN THIS CYCLE.

AND WE'VE INVESTED A LOT IN TECHNOLOGY, WHICH IF IT'S NOT INCREASING OUR EFFICIENCY THEN, AND THIS IS WHAT I THINK WE DO NEED, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO IMPROVE OUR TRAINING, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO TECHNOLOGY AND WORKFLOW AND THAT SORT OF THING, BECAUSE I THINK WE CAN, PEOPLE CAN GET MORE THINGS DONE WITH THE TOOLS THAT WE'VE GIVEN THEM, BUT THEY GOTTA BE TRAINED TO USE THIS STUFF.

ABSOLUTELY.

AND, AND, AND, UH, WITH, WITH OUR NEW FACILITIES THAT ARE COMING ONLINE, UH, BETTER IMPROVED TECHNOLOGY AND BETTER IMPROVED WORKSPACE, UH, WE OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO DO MORE WITH THE SAME OR LESS.

I MEAN, THAT'S PART OF THAT INVESTMENT IN THE COUNTY.

BECAUSE OUR THAT'S, WHEN THOSE FACILITIES COME ONLINE, WE SHOULD BE MORE EFFICIENT.

I WOULDN'T SAY SO.

I'D SAY THE NEW FACILITY IS GOING TO HELP, BUT, BUT I WILL, I WILL SUPPORT COMMISSIONER HUNTER COMMENT THAT, UM, UH, I FEEL THE EXACT SAME WAY.

UH, AND I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE, IT'S GOING TO BE A HOT TOPIC THIS YEAR.

UM, THE, THE, THE SITUATION FOR ROAD AND BRIDGE OPERATIONS DESERVES SOME, SOME TRUE ATTENTION BECAUSE EVERY YEAR, EVERY YEAR WE DO HAVE MORE POPULATION THAT PUTS MORE VEHICLES ON THE ROAD THAT THE ROADS, UH, WEREN'T IN GREAT SHAPE BEFORE THIS POPULATION GROWTH HAPPENED.

AND, UH, I, I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU.

I MEAN, UH, WE, WE PAY ATTENTION TO OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY IN MY PRECINCT AND I, I KNOW ALL THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS DO AS WELL EVERY DAY.

AND IT'S HARD TO KEEP UP.

IT'S HARD TO KEEP UP.

UM, THERE, THERE, THERE IS A LEVEL BEYOND WHICH YOU CAN, YOU CANNOT CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD AS THE CIRCUMSTANCES CONTINUE TO BEAT YOU DOWN.

SO, UM, W WE DO NEED TO TAKE A, A, A REALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, A TRUE AND AN OPEN ATTITUDE AS WE LOOK AT THE PREPARATION OF THE ROAD AND BRIDGE BUDGET THIS YEAR, AND WE'LL BE HAPPY.

WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SUPPLY THE EMPIRICAL DATA TO SUPPORT IT.

ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING THERE'S ONLY, ONLY FINAL COMMENT I'D HAVE JUST BASED UPON MISSING THAT ONE COURT MEETING ON THE 13TH OF JULY, IT MAY REQUIRE US TO SCHEDULE ANOTHER BUDGET WORKSHOP I'LL OFF CYCLE.

SO JUST IF SO, I'LL REACH OUT TO THE COURT.

I'LL, I'LL, I'M GONNA SEND A LETTER TO ALL OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS WHO HAVEN'T SUBMITTED YET, AND WE'LL GET TOGETHER ON THAT LIST AND ASK THEM TO GET, JUST REMIND THEM.

THEY NEED TO HAVE THOSE IN BY JULY THE NINTH.

UH, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO THE CONVERSATION? I'M NOT SURE IF EVERYBODY'S THROUGH THE CONVERSATION THOUGH.

AND ONE LITTLE PIECE, GO AHEAD.

I'LL MAKE A MOTION

[23. Adjourn Regular Meeting]

TO ADJOURN.

THIS MEETING COMMISSIONER PHYLLIS MOVES TO ADJOURN THE MEETING.

DOES THERE A SECOND? SOMEBODY ELSE WANTS TO QUIT, RIGHT? NOBODY WANTS TO SECOND THROUGH YOUR JOURNEY.

I WILL SECOND THE MOTION TO THANK YOU.

YOU NEED DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING, AYE.