[00:00:04]
[Call to Order]
MEETING OF THE KAUFMAN COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT IS CALLED TO ORDER.TODAY IS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5TH, 2021 9:00 AM.
AND WE ARE IN THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT MEETING ROOM IN THE COURTHOUSE.
ANNEX IS ALWAYS, SO WE'LL START OFF WITH AN INVOCATION.
WE HAVE PASTOR KYLE WITH US TODAY.
AND THEN, UH, COMMISSIONER CATES IS GOING TO LEAD US IN THE PLEDGES.
WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND GOOD MORNING, FATHER.
WE THANK YOU LORD, THAT YOU ARE SUCH AN AWESOME AND MIGHTY GOD THAT YOU ARE, AND THAT YOU LEAD US IN GODDESS AND DIRECT US THROUGHOUT THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO, AND THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF.
WE ASK YOUR BLESSING UPON THIS MEETING, FOLLOWING WE ASK YOUR BLESSING UPON OUR COUNTY AND FATHER.
WE THANK YOU FATHER FOR THE GROWTH THAT WILL COME AND THE WAY THAT YOU DESIRE IT TO BE DONE ACCORDING TO YOUR RICHES AND GLORY IN HEAVEN.
NOW FOLLOW WHERE YOU SURRENDER ALL THAT WE HAVE UNTO YOU, AND WE LAID IT FULL ACROSS.
AND LORD, WE ASK ALL THIS IN THE WONDERFUL, PRECIOUS NAME OF JESUS CHRIST.
STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL THE TEXAS FLAG ONE FULL PAGE, PASTOR KYLE, WE'VE KIND OF GOTTEN USED TO HAVING YOU HERE AND, UH, YOU'RE GOOD PRAYERS.
SO WE MISSED YOU THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.
GLAD TO HAVE YOU BACK WITH US.
UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY, NORMALLY WE WOULD ENTERTAIN COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC, BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY CARDS RIGHT NOW.
SO I GUESS WE'LL, WE'LL JUST MOVE ON.
[1. ROUTINE CORRESPONDENCE.]
TO ROUTINE CORRESPONDENCE.A GOOD REMINDER FOR EVERYBODY THAT THE COURT'S NOT GOING TO MEET NEXT WEEK, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE'VE GOT OUR ANNUAL CONFERENCE THIS NEXT COMING TO START ON MONDAY.
UH, THE OTHER THING THAT I HAVE IN ROUTINE CORRESPONDENCE IS, UM, JUST TO REMIND EVERYBODY ABOUT THE, UH, WHAT WE HAD THE DISCUSSION WITH THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE ABOUT CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE AND, UH, THERE'S INFORMATION ON THE COUNTY'S WEBSITE ABOUT IF YOU'RE A HUNTER AND WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO, AS FAR AS DEER HUNTING GOES, IF YOU SUCCESSFULLY GET A DEER, YOU NEED TO FOLLOW THE RULES ON THAT.
AND, UH, MAYBE WE CAN KEEP THAT DISEASE FROM SPREADING.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY ROUTINE CORRESPONDENTS? OKAY.
[2. CONSENT AGENDA]
TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.WE ONLY HAVE MINUTES ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY ADDITIONS OR CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES HEARING NONE? IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED? OH MY GOD, WE HAVE EMOTIONAL COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS.
IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND COMMISSIONER HUNT DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
THOSE OPPOSED? NO, THAT MOTION CARRIES NEXT UP.
[3. Hurley Miller; Discuss/Consider entering Cooperative Agreement between Kaufman County and Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service, for the purpose of establishing a partnership between the county government representing the citizens of Texas residing in said county and Agrilife Extension]
DISCUSS CONSIDER ENTERING COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN COFFIN COUNTY AND TEXAS A AND M AGRILIFE EXTENSION SERVICE FOR THE PURPOSE OF ESTABLISHING A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT REPRESENTING THE CITIZENS OF TEXAS RESIDING IN SAID COUNTY AND AGRILIFE EXTENSION EARLY.THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE JOURNEY.
DID YOU JOURNEY OVER LOCALLY, LOCALLY? OH, THERE YOU GO.
I'VE BEEN HERE FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, SO IT'S A GOOD MORNING, JUDGE AND COMMISSION IS A PLEASURE BEING IN FRONT OF YOU ALL THIS MORNING TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT OUR MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING FOR TEXAS A AND M AGRILIFE EXTENSION.
OUR AGENCY WORKED WITH A GROUP OF A JUDGE COMMISSION FROM ACROSS THE STATE, ALONG WITH JIM ALISON, UH, TO COME UP WITH A DOCUMENT THAT WILL HELP, UM, COMMISSIONERS IN COURTS UNDERSTAND KIND OF OUR ROLE IN RELATIONSHIP AS IT RELATES TO COUNTIES.
OUR AGENCY HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH EXTENSION WHILE EXTENDED TO BEEN INVOLVED WITH COUNTIES A LITTLE OVER A HUNDRED AND ABOUT 15 TO 20 YEARS OR SO.
AND SO WE'RE THERE AT THE EDUCATION ARM PART OF THE ENEMY UNIVERSITY SYSTEM.
AND SO WE BRING THE EDUCATION FROM THE UNIVERSITY TO THE COMMUNITIES AND A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT METHODS.
ONE IN OUR FORTUNE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, OUR AG AND NATURAL RESOURCE PROGRAMS, OUR FAMILY COMMUNITY HEALTH PROGRAM, AND A SMALL PORTION OF OUR COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
AND SO THIS, UM, MOU OR THIS, THIS, UH, AGREEMENT IS, IS, UH, TRYING TO BE, UH, PUT, PUT FORWARD TO ALL THE COUNTIES ACROSS THE STATE, UH, TO KIND OF GIVE THEM A LITTLE BIT BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO AND OUR OBLIGATIONS TO THE COUNTY.
UM, I'LL JUST KINDA GO THROUGH POINT BY POINT.
HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY HAS THE DOCUMENT IN FRONT OF ME.
THEY SHOULD ALL HAVE RIGHT NOW I'VE GOT COPIES FOR YOU.
UH, KIND OF THE FIRST BULLET JUST REALLY TALKS ABOUT, UH, THE TIME PERIOD OF THIS ACTUAL DOCUMENT.
IT CAN BE FROM ONE YEAR AND RENEW ANNUALLY, OR IT CAN GO UP TO FIVE YEARS AND RENEW IT AFTER THAT, THAT, THAT FIFTH YEAR.
SO, HOWEVER, Y'ALL PLEASED TO DO THIS AGREEMENT.
[00:05:01]
BULLET, UH, JUST REALLY TALKS ABOUT, UM, THE SERVICES THAT THE COUNTY WILL SUPPLY OR ASSISTANCE WITH WITH THE COUNTY.THIS IS THINGS THE COUNTY ALWAYS DOES.
SUPPLY TRAVEL PORTION, AGENTS, SALARIES, KIND OF THE SUPPORT FOR THE OFFICE OF THE OFFICE TO RUN THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT THE COUNTY HAS ALWAYS SUPPORTED IN.
WE'RE JUST KIND OF PUT IT IN WRITING.
SO IT'S ACTUALLY THE IN FRONT OF EVERYONE.
SO THOSE IN-SERVICE TRAINING, THOSE EQUIPMENTS, THOSE THINGS THAT MAKE THE OFFICE OFFICE FUNCTION AND RUN.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT IT STATED IN THE SECOND BULLET.
AND THE THIRD BULLET TALKS REALLY ABOUT THE, THE SALARIES AND RENEW THOSE AND ANNUALLY.
WE KNOW SOME COUNTIES DO, UH, WHEN THE YEARS ARE GOOD, THEY GIVE COUNTY INCREASES THE COUNTY EMPLOYEES, OUR AGENTS, OR OUR COUNTY EMPLOYEES.
UH, THEY ARE PAID BY A PORTION BY THE COUNTY AND A PORTION BY THE STATE.
AND SO WE ASKED TO BE IN CONSIDERATION OF THAT.
UH, THAT'S ALL UP TO THE COURT.
AND SO WE'RE JUST ASKING TO, TO HAVE THAT, UH, BE PUT IN FRONT AND, AND TALKED ABOUT ANNUALLY.
WHEN YOU ALL TALK ABOUT INCREASES FOR AGENTS SUPPORT AND THEIR, THEIR SALARIES, THE FOURTH BULLET TALKS ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS AND WHAT WE DO.
UH, WE WORK A LOT OF PROGRAM AREA COMMITTEES WITHIN OUR PARTICULAR, UM, UM, PROGRAM AREAS.
SOME YOU MAY SERVE ON SOME OF THE PROGRAM AREA COMMITTEES WITH EXTENSION AND THOSE COMMITTEES HELP COME UP WITH PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES THAT THEY CAN PRESENT TO CITIZENS IN EVERY COUNTY, THEIR, THEIR, THEIR HOUSE THEN.
AND THAT'S IN FOUR H AND AG FOUR H AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AG AND NATURAL RESOURCES, FAMILY, COMMUNITY, UH, HEALTH ARE THOSE THREE AREAS THAT OUR AGENCY WORKS IN.
SO THIS FOUR SECTION TALKS ABOUT THE PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES THAT OUR EMPLOYEES WILL ACTUALLY DO.
JUST KIND OF JUST REINSTATING WHAT THEY CURRENTLY DO RIGHT NOW.
UM, THE FIFTH BULLET OR THE FIFTH ONE TALKS ABOUT, UM, THE SUPPLIES AND RESOURCES OUR AGENCY PUTS FORTH.
WE HAVE A LOT OF RESOURCE PEOPLE AT COLLEGE STATION ALSO SUMMIT MY RESEARCH CENTER THERE IN DALLAS.
WE DEVELOP A RESOURCES THAT WE CAN GIVE OUT TO CLIENTELE IN COMMUNITIES ON A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
WE HAVE SPECIALISTS WHO COME OUT AND SPEAK, JUST CONTINUE TO JUST SAY, THESE PEOPLE ARE, ARE ACCESSIBLE.
AND WE, UM, OUR AGENTS DO PULL THOSE IN FROM TIME TO TIME FOR PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES, UM, AT PARTICULAR LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
SO IT'S JUST REALLY JUST REINSTATING THOSE RESOURCES THAT OUR AGENCY WILL LEND TO THE COUNTY THAT HAS TALKED ABOUT THIS AGREEMENT, UH, ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND SUPERVISION OF THE, THE, THE STAFF.
THERE'S ALWAYS A COUNTY COORDINATOR.
DAVIS HAD JUST RETIRED LAST MONTH WITH OUR COUNTY COORDINATOR, UH, IN THE KAUFMAN COUNTY EXTENSION OFFICE.
UH, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE CURIE SHARP AND THEN KATIE SOFT SINGS, THE TWO AGENTS THAT'S LEFT, WE HAVE RAS POSITION ON THE STREETS.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE APPLIED FOR THAT POSITION.
UH, SO SOMETIME THIS WEEK, I'LL GO THROUGH THOSE ON KIND OF LET THE JUDGE KNOW WHERE WE'RE AT AND KIND OF START TO GO THROUGH THE APPLICATIONS AND COME UP WITH THE INTERVIEWS AND KIND OF DO A SELECTION PROCESS FOR THAT.
SO RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE A COUNTY COORDINATOR, UH, ROLE APPOINTED YET.
UM, BUT RIGHT NOW THE COUNTY, THE TWO AGENTS THERE ARE WORKING TO GET THINGS DONE AND HANDLED THEY'RE IN THE COUNTY OFFICE.
SO THIS, THAT, BUT IT TALKS ABOUT THE COUNTY COORDINATOR, UM, ON THE SIXTH BULLET, I'M SORRY, THE SOUND, THE BULLET TALKS ABOUT THE OVERSIGHT, THE COUNTY COORDINATOR THERE IN ACCOUNTING, KIND OF BY ITS OVERSIGHT OF THE SUPPORT STAFF THAT THE AGENTS OLDER ARE SUPERVISED BY ME.
UH, THERE'S NOT ONE AGENT THAT SUPERVISE THE OTHER AGENTS IN THE OFFICE.
AND SO, UH, THE COUNTY COORDINATOR JUST SERVES AS A CONDUIT FOR THE COUNTY, ANY TYPE COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE THINGS.
ANYTHING'S ADMINISTRATIVE FROM OUR AGENCY.
WE SEND TO THE COUNTY COORDINATOR TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO DISSEMINATE THE INFORMATION WHERE IT NEEDED TO BE, UH, GIVEN TO THE COUNTY OR TO THE OTHER MEMBERS IN THE, IN THE COUNTY OFFICE.
SO, UH, BUT THE COUNTY COORDINATOR DOES NOT HAVE SUPERVISION OVER THE OTHER AGENTS.
THEY WORK ALONG WITH THE OTHER AGENTS TO SUPERVISE THE SUPPORT STAFF, BUT THEY DON'T SUPERVISE THE AGENTS.
SO THAT JUST TALKS ABOUT WHAT THE COUNTY COORDINATOR ROLE IS A KIND OF FURTHER DEFINES THAT, LIKE I SAID, THE ADMINISTRATOR, WHICH IS MAY I ACTUALLY SUPERVISE THOSE AGENTS THERE AND THE COUNTY OFFICE, UH, AND KIND OF SYSTEM AND PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES.
THE COUNTY COORDINATOR KIND OF GOES THROUGH TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S POLICIES, PROCEDURES THAT THE COUNTY MAY HAVE, THAT THERE'VE BEEN FOLLOWED, UH, THINGS OF HIRING, UH, BUYING EQUIPMENT, BUYING SUPPLIES, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO THAT COUNTY COORDINATOR KIND OF WORKS TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE POLICIES PROCEDURES ARE ACTUALLY FOLLOWED.
UH, AND THEN THERE WERE SOME OTHER INFORMATION JUST REALLY TALKS ABOUT THE COUNTY COORDINATORS ROLE AND THE STAFFING.
IF THERE WAS AN OPENING WITHIN THE COUNTY, THE COUNTY COORDINATOR WORKS WITH THE OTHER AGENTS TO HELP, UM, FEEL THOSE PARTICULAR POSITIONS, NON JUST TALKS ABOUT THE AGREEMENT, JUST KIND OF SOLIDIFIED.
WE WANT THEM, I LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT WITHIN OUR AGENCY, WE FOLLOW, UH, OUR AGENTS FOLLOW THE COUNTY PROCEDURES, ANYTHING THAT THEY, THAT THEY NEED.
OUR AGENTS ALSO FOLLOW OUR A AND M POLICIES.
WE HAVE 88 M POLICIES PROCEDURES THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW.
SO THOSE AGENTS DO FOLLOW THOSE AND WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE DOING THOSE QUARTERLY.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT THE NON BULLET TALKS ABOUT, UH, 10, UH, STOCKS ABOUT OTHER COUNTY POLICIES, MAKING SURE YOU FOLLOW COUNTY COUNTY POLICIES AND STATE POLICIES.
[00:10:01]
TALKS ABOUT RECRUITING OF EXTENSION AGENTS.LIKE I SAID, WHEN WE RECRUITING A NEW AGENT FOR A RASP POSITION, THEY ACT POSITION.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF INDIVIDUALS, LIKE I SAID, I'LL GO THROUGH THOSE AND WORK WITH THE JUDGE AND WHOEVER THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS WANT TO REVIEW THOSE APPLICANTS.
AND THEN WE'LL GO THROUGH THE INTERVIEW PROCESS AND HOPEFULLY SELECT ONE, HOPEFULLY, UH, BEFORE THE FIRST OF THE YEAR, THAT'S MY GOAL.
SO WE CAN GET THAT POSITION FIELD AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
UM, THE 12TH BULLET TALKS ABOUT THE ANNUAL BUDGET.
UM, UH, WE HAVE A DOCTOR, WE CALL IT A CB FIVE AUDITOR.
MAYBE YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT DOCUMENT.
IT'S KIND OF JUST OUR FORM THAT OF THE COUNTY BUDGET.
WHAT'S THE COUNTY BUDGET LOOKS LIKE KINDA IN A FORMAT THAT MAKES SENSE TO US.
SO WE KNOW EVERY COUNTY BUDGET IS DIFFERENT THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
SO WE HAVE A DOCUMENT THAT WE ASKED THE COUNTY TO FILL OUT, JUST TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT THE COUNTY BUDGET, SO WE CAN REFLECT TO WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO, UH, THIS NEXT ONE TALKS ABOUT THE COUNTY BUDGET WHAT'S IN THAT COUNTY BUDGET AND HOW IT'S ACTUALLY REFLECTED SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT'S THERE.
UM, SO JUST NOTHING, NOTHING HAS CHANGED.
AND WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING.
IT'S JUST SAYING, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT OUR AGENCY DOES.
UH, 13 IS ABOUT THE AGREEMENT.
THE REMA CAN BE TERMINATED AT ANY TIME BY ANY PARTIES.
UH, IF THERE IS ANY, UM, EXCUSE ME, TERMINATION LIKE A 90 DAY POLICY OR 90 DAY WRITTEN AGREEMENT TO TERMINATE, UH, THIS ACTUALLY MOU, UH, ON EITHER SIDE.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS IN THIS PARTICULAR DOCUMENT, UH, 14, UM, IS JUST REITERATING THE, THE SUBJECT MATTERS AND THE, THE AGREEMENTS THAT, THAT, UH, SOMETIMES, OR THERE WERE AGREEMENTS THAT WERE HANDSHAKE AGREEMENTS MEAN TO ME YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS IN HARRIS COUNTY, UH, AS A COUNTY EXTENSION DIRECTOR, UM, OUR BUDGET ANALYSTS, I HAD BEEN THERE LIKE 39, 40 YEARS, IT'S EARLY, WE HAD A HANDSHAKE AGREEMENT ON A COUPLE OF OFFICES.
AND I WAS LIKE, I DON'T REALLY LIKE THOSE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WHEN YOU GO, WHO KNOWS THE HANDSHAKE AGREEMENT IS STILL THERE.
AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THOSE TYPE THINGS, THIS DOC WILL TAKE PLACE OF THAT BECAUSE WE WANT SOMETHING IN PAPER SO WE CAN KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO THE HANDSHAKE AGREEMENT CAN, WHEN THAT PERSON GOES, IT GOES.
AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN KIND OF FALL BACK TO AS A DOCUMENT.
UM, 15 TALKS ABOUT THE COUNTY AND IN EXTENSION, WE'RE BOTH GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, UM, AND WE HAVE THE RIGHTS TO THEM.
SHE THEN, YOU KNOW, PRIVILEGES THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO JUST KNOW THAT WE'RE BOTH GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND WE CAN HAVE THOSE POLICIES AND LAWS TO FOLLOW.
AND THEN LASTLY, 16, IT TALKS ABOUT THE, JUST THE AGREEMENT, UH, WHEN IT'S FAXED OR WHEN IT'S SIGNED A FAX COPY OF THE ORIGINAL COPY, WHATEVER.
AND SO, UH, IF THE COUNTY, UH, SEES TO, TO DO THIS DOCUMENT, UM, WHEN THE JUDGE OR WHOEVER SIGNS IT OR WHATEVER THEY DO, THEY'LL GET IT BACK TO ME.
HOW FORWARD TO COLLEGE STATION, LET OUR DIRECTOR SIGN AT DR.
HYDE, AND THEN WE'LL GET A COPY BACK TO THE COUNTY.
SO I KNOW WHAT THE WE'RE KIND OF FAST, BUT YOU ALL HAVE THE COPY IN FRONT OF ME.
IF YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULAR QUESTIONS OR ANY OF THOSE POINTS, I CAN DEFINITELY TRY TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS THIS MORNING.
WE DON'T HAVE AN AGREEMENT IN FORCE RIGHT NOW.
THERE'S ONLY ABOUT THREE COUNTIES, FOUR COUNTIES IN THE STATE THAT HAS THOSE AGREEMENTS.
AND NONE OF THOSE ARE EXCELLENT IN MY DISTRICT THERE.
UM, LIKE TRAVIS COUNTY HAS A, HAS AN AGREEMENT THAT'S BEEN WRITTEN YEARS AGO.
UH, FORT BEND COUNTY HAS ONE THAT THEY ESTABLISHED AND, UM, UH, 2004.
UM, BUT THERE WAS ON ABOUT THREE COUNTIES ACROSS STATE THAT HAD A, AN AGREEMENT BEFORE THIS AGREEMENT ACTUALLY CAME UP.
IT'S JUST A PUSH FROM THE AGRILIFE.
IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE WANTED TO HAVE BECAUSE WHAT WE HAVE SEEN OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE HAVE CERTAIN COUNTIES.
WE HAD A LOT OF NEW JUDGES AND COMMISSIONERS WHO MAY NOT KNOW EXTENSION, AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DO.
AND SO THIS DOC WILL HELP THEM UNDERSTAND ON A SMALL BIT OF, THIS IS WHAT OUR ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES AND COUNTIES, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE'RE UNFUNDED MANDATE, UNFUNDED MANDATES MEAN UNFUNDED MANDATES.
AND SO, UH, AND SO WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO THINGS, WHAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND, WHAT WE DO AND OUR ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY AS AN AGENCY AND THE STOCK WILL HELP HELP TO DO THAT, UH, TO THOSE NEW INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH EXTENSION.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS IN THE, IN, IN COUNTIES THAT ARE FOUR OR FIVE, SIX GENERATIONS REMOVED FROM EXTENSION.
AND SO THIS IS A WAY TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND OUR, OUR, OUR VALUE WITHIN THE COUNTY.
I REALLY THINK THIS IS GREAT, CAUSE I KNOW DR.
WOOD AND I MET WITH YOU BECAUSE NOBODY REALLY UNDERSTOOD WHAT Y'ALL'S ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
SO THIS REALLY LAYS IT OUT REAL WELL.
I THINK IT'S, I DON'T KNOW WHO CAME UP WITH THIS, BUT THIS IS A REALLY GOOD, YEAH, IT WAS KIND OF THE LEAD.
AND SO JIM ALISON TO WORK ON OUR AGENCY FOR YEARS, AND I KNOW Y'ALL KNOW JIM WORKING WITH THE TEXTILE STATION OF CAMPUS CONTRACT IN THE STATE.
AND THEN, YEAH, I KNOW THAT DR.
WOODEN, WHEN TALKED ABOUT IT FIVE OR SIX YEARS AGO, YOU KNOW, AND I TOLD HIM, JUDGE, THIS MORNING, I SAID, I'VE NEVER SEEN IT THIS FIRST TIME.
BUT THE REASON WE TALKED ABOUT IT SO MUCH WAS DURING MONDAY AND EVERYBODY WAS ALWAYS CURIOUS.
WOOD WAS THE PERCENTAGE BECAUSE IT DOESN'T EVEN SAY IT IN HERE, DO
[00:15:01]
WE PAY 50% OR THAT WE DO PAY LIKE 30% OF THEIR SALARY OR SOMETHING THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE THAT, THAT WE KNOW THERE'S NOT EXTRA PERCENTAGE IT'S ACROSS THE STATE.THE REASON EVERY AGENT IS DIFFERENT, DEPENDING ON THE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, THEY COME IN, THE COUNTY HAS A CERTAIN AMOUNT THAT THEY PAY FOR AGENTS AND THAT AMOUNT IS ALREADY ESTABLISHED.
AND SO WHEN AN AGENT RETIRES, THAT'S THE AMOUNT THAT WE KNOW THAT THE COUNTY HAS BUDGETED FOR THE AGENT POSITION.
SO DEPENDING ON THE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE THAT AN AGENT MAY HAVE THAT WEEK, THAT MAY COME IN HERE, IT COULD BE THE ACADEMY PAY 30.
THERE COULD BE THAT THE COUNTY MAY PAY 50.
UH, THERE'S ONE OF MY COUNTIES WHERE THE COUNTY PAYS LIKE 10 AND OUR AGENCY PAYS 90 BECAUSE THE AGENT HAS SO MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.
AND SO THAT'S, IT'S, IT'S KINDA, IT'S HARD TO SAY EVERY AGENT IS ACTUALLY HERE FOR, UH, DEPENDING ON THE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE THEY HAVE, WHEN THEY COME INTO A COUNTY.
I KNOW HE HAS, HIS BIGGEST PROBLEM WAS WITH KAREN FIVE.
REMEMBER THEY WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT RAISES.
AND HE, HE, HE DIDN'T WANT, WE GIVE HIM 10% AND WE GIVE HIM 3% AND YOU KNOW, SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN THEY OUT.
THEY, THE REST OF THE COUNTY ON THE RAISE PART, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S FINE.
THAT'S WHAT BROUGHT IT ALL UP.
AND, AND THE LIKES OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS THAT, LIKE I SAID, WE CAN'T SAY 10% OR 5%.
WE HAVE TO JUST LOOK AT THOSE INDIVIDUAL.
THEN WE CAN KIND OF GO THROUGH THOSE AND I'LL TELL YOU EXACTLY.
ON OUR GOOD MORNING, IT'S NICE TO MEET YOU IN PERSON.
I HAVE A BUDGET AMENDMENT, UH, THAT MS. SHORT PAY COME AND TALK TO ME ABOUT, AND IT'S BECAUSE THE TWO PARAPROFESSIONALS ONE HAS ALREADY RETIRED AND THE NEXT ONE IS GOING TO RETIRE IN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS.
SO THEY, AT ONE TIME WERE GETTING A VEHICLE ALLOWANCE AND IT WAS INCLUDED WITH HER SALARY.
MS. SHARP WANTED TO PUT THAT JUST IN A TRANSPORTATION FOR PARALEGALS AND THE ACTUALLY HAVE TO SUBMIT A MAP TO HER, TO ACCOUNT FOR THEIR MILEAGE, WHICH IS A VERY GOOD IDEA.
YOU SAID THAT ABOUT THE BUDGET AND I RECOMMEND YOU DO THAT.
THE REASON IS THERE'S SEVERAL REASONS.
THERE ARE SERVER COUNTIES ACROSS THE STATE THAT HAVE VEHICLE LOUNGE, THAT'S IN AN AGENT SALARY OR, OR A PERSON'S SALARY THAT MOVES THEIR, THEIR, UM, THEIR TAXING PERCENTAGE, UH, DEPENDING ON WHERE THEY'RE AT.
AND SO WE'VE HAD AGENTS WHO HAVE THEIR VEHICLE OUTS IN THERE AND THEY'RE TAXED TWICE.
AND THEN WHEN THEY'RE TAXED, IT MOVES THEM INTO A DIFFERENT TAX BRACKET.
SO WE RECOMMEND, OR I RECOMMEND IT'D BEEN IN SOME TYPE OF POOL AND THEY DO A REIMBURSABLE.
SO, YOU KNOW EXACTLY THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE TRAVELING, UM, TO BE ABLE TO, TO, TO RECEIVE A REIMBURSEMENT.
SO IT'S NOT INCOME TO THEM, IF IT'S RIGHT, IT'S NOT INCOME TO THEM IN SOME AGE IS CONSIDERED INCOME.
AND, AND I'LL JUST BE OPEN AND HONEST.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE GET, SOME AGENTS WHO MIGHT WANT TO TRANSFER, IF THEIR VEHICLE ALLOWANCES IN THERE, WHEN THEY GET RID OF TRANSFER, THEY'LL SAY, WELL, I'M, I'M NOT MAKING AS MUCH MONEY BECAUSE I'M NOT GETTING MY VEHICLE OUTS.
BECAUSE IF YOU TRAVEL THAT YOU'LL GET THAT.
IF YOU DON'T TRAVEL THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET THAT.
AND THAT'S THE WAY I LOOK AT IT.
I THINK THAT'S FAIR ON EVERYBODY'S PART, UH, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WE, WE NEED TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF RESOURCES OF THE COUNTIES AND ALSO THE STATE.
AND SO, UH, TO ME, IT'S BETTER TO BE A REIMBURSABLE THAN TO JUST A FLAT FEE THAT WE GIVE THEM EVERY MONTH.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO RECEIVE A PRESENT IN HOME.
A LOT OF US DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT.
WELL, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY, I THINK THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT AGREEMENT THAT WE MAINTAINED WITH, UH, WITH AGRILIFE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY KNOW THIS, BUT KAUFMAN COUNTY ALONE HAS A HUGE, UH, UH, AN AGRILIFE IS A HUGE PART OF THAT HAS A HUGE, UH, PLUS UP FROM AGRICULTURAL COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS, MILLIONS, JUST IN HAY SALES ALONE.
SO OUR, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR COUNTY EXTENSION AGENT, UH, HAS ALWAYS BEEN A BIG PART OF THAT COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION, AND THAT'S A GOOD THING FOR THE COUNTY.
SO, UH, REALLY APPRECIATE THAT PARTICIPATION.
UM, UH, KAREN, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS ABOUT IT? YEAH, WE REVIEWED THIS CONTRACT ACTUALLY, AND I THINK THAT SHE HAS A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.
SO IF Y'ALL WANT TO PROCEED WITH THIS, THE KEY IS JUST TO DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT YOU WANT TO PUT ON IT A YEAR OR FIVE YEARS, WHATEVER, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE KEY BLANK THAT NEEDS TO BE FILLED IN BEFORE? DO YOU HAVE A PREFERENCE LEGALLY OR THAT WOULD A YEAR JUST BECAUSE WE'VE CHANGED OVER THE COURT.
DOES AGRILIFE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION? NO, SIR.
I MEAN, IF I WOULD GIVE RECOMMENDATION, I'D GIVE RECOMMENDATION PER YEAR.
[00:20:01]
IT'S GOOD TO REVISIT BECAUSE THERE MAY BE A DO OVER FIVE YEARS OR EVERY FOUR YEARS.YOU MAY HAVE SOMEBODY THAT COMES IN THAT YOU MAY BE TWO YEARS FOR.
I THINK IT MIGHT MAKE SENSE TO SYNC IT UP WITH A BUDGET YEAR.
IT WOULD BE EFFECTIVE AT THE BUDGET YEAR, EVERY YEAR.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO Y'ALL? I AGREE.
THEN, UH, WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE US IS, UH, LOOKING FOR A MOTION TO ENTER INTO THIS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT IS PRESENTED BY, UH, MR. MILLER.
AND THE TERM THAT I THINK WE DISCUSSED WOULD BE THE DISAGREEMENT WILL EXPIRE ON SET THE END OF SEPTEMBER EVERY YEAR.
IS THERE A MOTION ABOUT THAT? SO MOVE, WE HAVE THAT MOTION COMMISSIONER CASE.
IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND COMMISSIONER BARBARA DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
THOSE OPPOSED? NO, THAT MOTION CARRIES AGAIN.
[4. Sheriff Beavers; Discuss/Consider approving the sale of issued handgun to Renae Mayfield as a honorably retired law enforcement officer in the amount of $231.50.]
BEAVERS DISCUSS, CONSIDER APPROVING SALE OF ISSUING A HANDGUN TO RENEE MAYFIELD AS A HONORABLY RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER IN THE AMOUNT OF 230, $1 AND 50 CENTS.THE MORNING, JUDGE COMMISSIONERS, UH, UNDERNEATH OUR POLICY, WE ADOPTED UNDERNEATH THE LEGISLATURE, PASSED THIS UP.
UH, YOU CAN BUY YOUR HAND GUN.
I WORKED WITH RAYLAND WHO, WHO FIGURED OUT THE HALF, WHICH IS THE DOLLAR AMOUNT OF 2 30, 1 50.
UH, SO WE'RE ASKING THAT SHE BE ABLE TO PURCHASE HER HAND GUN DUE TO HER 20 YEARS OF SERVICING, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR THE COUNTY.
AND WE APPRECIATE THAT SERVICE QUESTIONS FOR THE SHERIFF.
IF THERE NO QUESTION FOR THE SHERIFF, IS THERE A MOTION REGARDING ITEM FOUR? I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION.
UH, COMMISSIONER BARBARA MAKES A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE THAT SALE.
UH, IS THERE A SECOND COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE OPPOSED? NO MOTION CARRIES.
[5. Commissioner Hunt; Discuss/Consider approving TCEQ Order allowing the City of Oak Ridge to regulate the On-Site Sewage Facilities in city limits]
HUNT, DISCUSS, CONSIDER APPROVING TCEQ ORDER ALIGNING THE CITY OF OAK RIDGE TO REGULATE THE ONSITE SEWAGE FACILITIES IN CITY LIMITS.UM, I WAS REALLY HOPING THAT, UH, MAYOR RUDIN WOULD, UH, READ HERE TODAY, BUT I GUESS IF MONIQUE AND, UH, WHAT KIND OF SPEAK TO THIS, I DON'T WANT TO SAY ANYTHING WRONG, WHICH IS QUITE PROBABLE.
SO, BUT THEN THEY ALSO HAVE WAYNE HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
IF THE COURT HAS ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS.
SO, UM, OAK RIDGE APPLIED TO TCEQ TO BECOME THEIR OWN AUTHORIZED AGENT.
SO THEY WILL DO THE SEPTIC INSPECTIONS, TAKE THE PERMITTING FEES AND DO THE ENFORCEMENT.
UM, THEY HAVE SUBMITTED AN ORDER THAT LETS THEM, OR ALLOWS THEM TO HAVE 3, 4, 7 ACRE IS THEY DIDN'T LIKE THE ONE ACRE RULE THAT WE HAD.
UM, WE WILL NEED AN ORIGINAL SUBMITTED TO THE COURT AND WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED THAT.
AND SO I WILL MAKE SURE THAT AN ORIGINAL GETS SUBMITTED TO THE MINUTES SO THAT WE HAVE IT ON FILE WITH THE COUNTY CLERK TO BE RECORDED.
UM, I THOUGHT HE'D COME TO PRESENT TODAY.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON HOW THAT'S GONNA WORK? WELL, YOU KNOW, NOW THE COUNTY REQUIRES ONE ACRE PERCEPTIVE SYSTEM AT HOME AND THIS CHANGES WITHIN THEIR CITY LIMITS LIMITS ONLY NOT THE ATJ JUST LIMITS, CORRECT WHERE THEY CAN GO DOWN TO THREE QUARTERS OF AN ACRE.
AND WHAT HAPPENS IF, UH, I MEAN, THEY'VE GOTTEN APPROVED TO DO THIS.
WHAT IF THEY CAN'T PUT TOGETHER THEIR DEPARTMENT OR THEY CAN'T ACTUALLY EFFECTIVELY ENFORCE THIS? ARE WE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING? NOBODY GOES BACK TO TCEQ.
I WAS GOING TO SAY THE SAME THING WE'RE IN AGREEMENT.
IT GOES BACK TO TCEQ AND THEN THEY'RE, THEY'RE IN VIOLATION.
THEY'LL HAVE TO DEAL WITH COMPLYING WITH TCEQ.
SO COMPLETELY OUT OF THE PICTURE AND NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING AT THIS POINT.
ONCE, ONCE WE GET THE ORIGINAL AND IT'S FILED AND IT IS SAFE TO SAY THAT THEIR ORDER IS THE MINIMUM STANDARDS REQUIRED BY TCEQ OTHER THAN THE THREE FOURTHS.
SO ONCE THEIR INITIAL SEPTICS GO IN AND THEIR TWO-YEAR CONTRACT EXPIRES, THERE'S NOTHING IN THE ORDER REQUIRING THEM TO MAINTAIN A CONTRACT OR INSPECTIONS.
AND AT THIS POINT THERE IS NO ONE SET UP TO DO THAT IN OAK RIDGE.
AT THIS MOMENT, HE HAS REACHED OUT, UM, ASKING FOR ANY, UM, YOU KNOW, ADVICE ON HOW TO CONTRACT THIS OUT.
BUT AS OF THIS MOMENT, IT'S, IT'S NOT SET UP, BUT THE ORDER IS IN EFFECT AT THIS MOMENT.
SO OUR OFFICE HAS GOTTEN TOGETHER, THE THERE'S 310 ADDRESSES OUT THERE, 310 SEPTIC SYSTEMS WE'VE, UM, PULLED THOSE ADDRESSES.
WE'VE PULLED THOSE SEPTIC DESIGNS AND WE'RE GOING TO SEND THEM CERTIFIED TO TCEQ AS WELL AS OAK RIDGE.
IT'LL BE ON A USB DRIVE AS WELL.
SO THAT'S WHAT MY OFFICE WILL DO AFTER TODAY.
SO TCEQ HAS NO, THEY DON'T MAKE ANY REQUIREMENTS FOR ANY SORT OF INSPECTIONS
[00:25:01]
ON THOSE 310 LOCATIONS, NOT AFTER THE INITIAL TWO YEAR CONTRACT IS UP AND THERE'S THIS AND THIS MIGHT BE FOR COUNCIL.DOES THIS ALSO, THIS ACTION WOULD ENABLE THE CITY TO OVERSEE AND REGULATE THEIR OWN BATCH, PLANT THEIR OWN, UM, UH, SHOULD THEY DECIDE TO ENGAGE IN US IN SOME SORT OF A COMMUNITY SEPTIC SYSTEM THAT'S REALLY GOING TO BE BETWEEN THEM AND TCEQ.
THIS IS STRICTLY TAKING THEIR, BASICALLY THEIR SEPTIC OUT OF THE COUNTY AND PUTTING IT IN THERE.
AND AN AUTHORIZED AGENT ONLY HAS THE AUTHORITY FOR 5,000 GALLONS OR LESS.
THAT'S ALL THEY'RE ALLOWED TO DO ANYTHING HIGHER THAN THAT GOES THROUGH TCQ.
BECAUSE I I'D RECEIVED SOME CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE PUBLIC EXPRESSING CONCERN ABOUT, UH, ALL THE ULTIMATE OUTCOME OF, OF, UH, OF THE CITY'S INTENT.
SO, SO AS LONG AS WE, I THINK CAN BE CONFIDENT THAT, THAT THEY STILL FALL UNDER THE, THE EYE OF TCEQ, WE SHOULD BE OKAY.
QUESTIONS, I GUESS THEY HAVE TO SELL.
AND THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE SEPTIC THINGS TO YOURSELF, I HAVE TO TURN IN THEIR OWN SAMPLES UNDER THE CDD RULE, OR YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT FOR INSPECTIONS.
THEN THE STATE REQUIREMENT, NOT UNDER THE MINIMUM STANDARDS IN THE MIDDLE.
SO IT'S UNDER, UNDER 5,000, THEN THEY DON'T REQUIRE THE SAMPLE PERIOD.
WE, WE HAVE MORE STRINGENT RULES SO WE CAN KEEP AN EYE ON THE SEPTICS BECAUSE WE DON'T ALLOW HOMEOWNERS TO WORK ON THEIR OWN SEPTIC, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
AND SO, UM, THERE'S, IT'S JUST THE BASIC MINIMUM OF WHAT TCEQ REQUIRES.
SO THEY DON'T REQUIRE AN ANNUAL CONTRACT.
LIKE WE DO SOMEBODY KEEPING AN EYE ON THAT SEPTIC SYSTEM.
THAT WORKS PRETTY GOOD IN ODESSA.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY, YOU KNOW, DEEP FREEZES ARE HOOKED TO A PIPE BURIED IN THE GROUND, BUT HEY, THEY'LL POP UP EVENTUALLY BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN THAT.
IF THERE ARE NO MORE QUESTIONS, IS THERE A MOTION REGARDING ITEM FIVE? I MIGHT GET EMOTIONAL.
WE ALLOW CITY OF OAK RIDGE TO REGULATE THROUGH ONSITE, SEND THEM THE INFORMATION.
SO WE HAVE THAT MOTION FOR APPROVAL FROM COMMISSIONER HUNT.
IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
THOSE OPPOSED? NO, THAT MOTION CARRIES STAY RIGHT THERE.
[6. Jerry Dean/Monique Hunter; Discuss/Consider approving changing Development Services clerk status from modified full-time to full time.]
JERRY DEAN AND MONIQUE DISCUSSED, CONSIDER APPROVING CHANGING DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, CLERK STATUS FOR A MODIFIED TO FULL-TIME.SO YOU ALWAYS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS, WE'D COME FORWARD WITH SOME REQUESTS FOR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
AND SINCE THAT TIME WE'VE TALKED ABOUT MORE OF A ONE-STOP SHOP AND WITH THE RESIGNATION OF THE FIRE MARSHALL'S OFFICE, WE KIND OF PUT THAT ON PAUSE.
AND SO IT'S BEEN KIND OF A HOLDING PATTERN FOR NOW.
THIS IS REALLY A CRITICAL POSITION FOR WENDY.
YOU CAN ALL THAT, HER AND I'VE TALKED ABOUT WHAT THE CHANGE MOVING.
INITIALLY I SUBMITTED A BUDGET REQUEST, UM, AND RANDY HAD SUBMITTED A BUDGET REQUEST TO FIRE MARSHALL AND, UM, WE WERE GOING TO TRY AND, UM, SINCE WE WERE MOVED INTO THE SAME BUILDING AND TRYING TO MERGE A ONE-STOP SHOP, WE WERE THINKING THAT WE COULD SAVE MONEY IN THE BUDGET BY KIND OF MERGING OUR, OUR, UH, CLERKS AND SHARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DOCUMENTATION IN THE INTAKE.
RANDY RETIRED, THE SUBJECT DROPPED, AND THE ORIGINAL REQUESTS THAT WE HAD PUT IN KINDA GOT LOST IN THE SHUFFLE.
DEB IS MY MODIFIED FULL-TIME SHE'S MY HEAD CLERK.
I HAD PUT IN FOR HER TO BE MY OPERATIONS MANAGER, BUT AT A MINIMUM, I NEED HER TO BE FULL-TIME.
AND, UM, IT WAS, UM, SOMEHOW WE OVERLOOKED IT AND DIDN'T GET APPROVED.
SO I NEED TO AT LEAST CORRECT THAT.
WELL, THERE WERE A LOT OF MOVING PARTS DURING THE YES.
AND IT WAS SET, YOU KNOW, SHE LOOKED AT ME AND SHE SAID, SO AM I 40 HOURS ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 1ST? I WAS LIKE, OOPS, WELL, LET'S FIND OUT.
SO I GUESS, I GUESS THE MONEY'S THERE, RIGHT? YEAH.
THAT'S WHERE I'M GOING TO ASK YOU.
CAN I, IT'S GOING TO AMOUNT TO ABOUT $8,800.
CAN I TAKE THAT FROM THE EXTRA CONTINGENCY THAT I PUT IN WHEN I'M CORRECTED EVERYTHING? CAUSE SHE DOESN'T HAVE IT IN HER BUDGET TO MOVE AWAY.
I'VE GOT TO TAKE IT FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE.
WELL, THE FIRE MARSHALL WAS GOING TO PAY FOR THAT BOAT THEM.
WELL, WE WERE GOING TO SHARE CLERKS, BUT I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT THE, THE BUDGET FOR OUR DEPARTMENTS DIDN'T CHANGE ONE IOTA.
IT JUST SORT OF STAYED EXACTLY HOW IT WAS.
YOU KNOW, THERE WERE A FEW CHANGES, BUT BECAUSE THAT WAS STILL IN LIMBO, NONE OF OUR REQUESTS CAME THROUGH.
WELL, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THAT THE WORKLOAD FOR DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES,
[00:30:01]
UH, IS LIKELY TO DIMINISH GUNS NOW.IT'S GONE DROP BY A FEW HUNDRED.
AND I'M POSTING A POSITION TODAY FOR ONE OF MY CLERKS IS MOVING, SO I WILL BE DOWN TO TWO SEPTIC CLERKS FOR YEAH.
SO, UM, YEAH, SO I'LL BE POSTING A POSITION FOR A CLERK CAUSE NOW I'M DOWN TO TWO CLERKS FOR 18,000 SEPTIC INSPECTIONS.
SO, UM, I KNOW THAT I ORIGINALLY ASKED FOR DEB TO GO TO OPERATIONS MANAGER AND OF COURSE SHE FILLS IN AS A CLERK AND ANOTHER CLERK IN MY ORIGINAL REQUEST, BUT SO YEP.
IF THERE'S NOTHING MORE ON THAT THAN A MOTION WOULD BE TO APPROVE THAT POSITION TO GO FROM PART-TIME TO FULL-TIME WITH THE FUNDS IS COMING OUT OF CONTINGENCY.
KAREN, WOULD THAT BE EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY? CORRECT.
MAYBE THAT COULD BE ON THE MOTION TO THIS JUDGE JUDGES.
THIS MOTION NEED TO, SHOULD IT ADDRESS THE TITLE CHANGE OR THE FUNCTION CHANGE? IF WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A TITLE, NO TITLE CHANGE.
THAT WAS IN MY OTHER REQUESTS.
THIS IS JUST AT LEAST TO GET HER HERE.
FULL-TIME SHE'S MODIFIED 32 HOURS A WEEK, BUT I'M NOT OPPOSED TO DISCUSSING THAT LATER JUST SAYING, WELL, I GO ALONG WITH IT, I'LL MAKE THE MOTION, BUT THE DO EXACTLY THE MOTION THE JUDGE SAID THEN, AND IN THE PART THAT WILL TAKE THE MONEY FROM CONTAMINANTS.
NOW WAS THAT, WELL, I DON'T THINK WE CAN START ON UP FOR A FIRST.
CAN WE, SORRY, CAN WE START ON OCTOBER 1ST? MAKE IT RETROACTIVE.
IT'S GOING TO BE IN THE WRONG PAYROLL PERIOD.
CAN YOU MODIFY THAT TO BE IN THE NEXT PAYROLL IN THE NEXT PAYROLL PERIOD? AND SHE DIDN'T WORK FRIDAY BECAUSE SHE'S ONLY 32 HOURS.
SO SHE WAS NOT ON THE PAYROLL ON OCTOBER 1ST.
SO WE HAVE THAT MOTION FROM FISHER PHILLIPS.
IS THERE A SECOND NOW SECOND, SECOND COMMISSIONER HUNT DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
OPPOSED? NO, THAT MOTION CARRIES, UH, BACK TO MONIQUE
[7. Monique Hunter; Discuss/Consider motion to Approve Variance Requests for Bella Tresa Subdivision located in Precinct 3.]
AGAIN, DISCUSS, CONSIDER MOTION TO APPROVE VARIANCE REQUESTS FOR BELLA TRACE A SUBDIVISION IN PRECINCT THREE.SO THIS DEVELOPMENT ACTUALLY STARTED IN NOVEMBER OF 2019.
UM, THEY'VE HAD SETBACK AFTER SETBACK BETWEEN FLOODING, SNOWMAGEDDON COVID AND THE ABILITY TO GET SUPPLIES.
ACCORDING TO OUR 2006 REGS, THEY HAVE TO HAVE CONSTRUCTION COMPLETED IN 12 MONTHS.
OTHERWISE THEY HAVE TO COME BACK TO COURT.
UM, SO THEY ARE ASKING FOR A VARIANCE.
I HAVE SUBMITTED THE VARIANCES PER OUR 2006, UH, REGULATIONS.
AND SO THEY WOULD LIKE AN EXTENSION ON THAT.
UM, THEY'RE ABOUT TO FINISH UP.
SO I WOULD THINK THAT THE EXTENSION WOULD BE PROBABLY SIX MONTHS TOPS BECAUSE THEY DO HAVE TO GET THE ROADS INSPECTED.
AND THEN OF COURSE THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT OR A, UH, A ROAD AGREEMENT WOULD HAVE TO BE PUT INTO PLACE.
SO THEY SHOULD BE COMPLETE WITHIN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.
I ACTUALLY SPOKE WITH, UH, THE DEVELOPER ON THIS PROJECT.
UH, THEY HAVE COMPLETED THE ROADS.
UH, THEY'RE ACTUALLY BRINGING IN A STREET SWEEPER TODAY TO CLEAN EVERYTHING OFF SO THEY CAN GET STARTED ON CONSTRUCTION ON THE HOMES, BUT I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS ONE PRETTY CLOSE, CAUSE THEY'VE HAD A MESS OVER THERE.
I MEAN THE RAINS HAVE JUST, UH, WE HAD EARLY ON IN THE YEAR, JUST DESTROYED EVERYTHING THEY WERE TRYING TO DO OVER THERE.
AND THEN HE HAD TROUBLE EVEN GETTING CONCRETE DELIVERED FOR THE LONGEST TIME.
SO I'M THINK IT'D BE FAIR TO, UH, GIVEN THIS VARIANCE.
SO, UH, THEY CAN, UH, GET CRANKING AND MOVE ALONG HERE WITHOUT HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE PROCESS AGAIN.
AND THE ONLY EXTENSION, THE HOUSES DON'T PLAY A FACTOR.
IT'S THE FINAL PLAT AND THEN THE INFRASTRUCTURE BEING INSPECTED.
SO WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR THOSE HOMES TO BE BUILT IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD.
SO I FIGURED SIX MONTHS WAS PLENTY ENOUGH TIME TO GET IT DONE QUESTIONS.
IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, IS THERE A MOTION REGARDING ITEM SEVEN? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THAT ACTION ON ITEM SEVEN, UH, FROM COMMISSIONER, UH, BARBARA, IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND ONE COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
THOSE OPPOSED? NO, THAT MOTION CARRIES
[8. Kristi Dickey; Discuss/Consider motion to approve Double L Ranch located on FM 3094 and CR 4076.]
CHRISTY DICKY.ADD UP NOW TO ME, KRISTEN DICKEY, UH, DISCUSS, CONSIDER MOTION TO APPROVE DOUBLE L RANCH LOCATED ON THREE CA ON FM 30 94 AND COUNTY ROAD 4 0 7 6.
THIS IS ACTUALLY A FINAL PLAT.
WE'RE ASKING FOR THE COURT TO, UH, APPROVE, UM, ALL
[00:35:01]
APPROVING AUTHORITIES HAVE GONE OVER THE PAPERWORK AND HAVE SIGNED OFF ON THEIR END.UM, THIS IS A TOTAL OF 19 ACRES AND UM, MR. MCFARLAND IS SPLITTING 10 ACRES.
UM, THERE ARE GOING TO BE A LITTLE OVER AN ACRE EACH, UM, UH, LOCATED ON THE CORNER OF 40, 76 AND 30 94 QUESTIONS FOR NO QUESTIONS.
JUST HER EMOTION REGARDING ITEM EIGHT.
I'LL MAKE THE MOTION AS WRITTEN JUDGE.
UM, COMMISSIONER KATES MAKES MOTION TO APPROVE.
SECOND, SECOND COMMISSIONER BARBARA DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
[9. Judge Richards; Discuss/Consider approving Resolution in Support of Nomination to the Urban Counties Board of Directors.]
CARRIES.ITEM NUMBER IS MINE DISCUSS, CONSIDER APPROVING RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF NOMINATION TO THE URBAN COUNTIES, UH, BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
UH, I THINK ALL OF Y'ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH OUR MEMBERSHIP WITH URBAN COUNTIES.
UM, I THINK IT'S, IT'S AN IMPORTANT, THEY, THEY GIVE US VERY IMPORTANT REPRESENTATION, UH, WITH THE LEGISLATURE.
THEY'RE ALWAYS FIGHTING HARD FOR US.
SOMETIMES THEY'RE NOT SUCCESSFUL, BUT THEY, THEY DRY HARD AND THEY DO HAVE SOME SUCCESS PROTECTING US FROM THINGS THAT WOULD, UH, BURDEN OUR COUNTY.
JOHN D. HILL, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CALLED ME LAST WEEK AND ASKED ME IF I WOULD BE WILLING TO SERVE ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
AND HE SAID, WELL, WE NEED A RESOLUTION FROM THE COUNTY OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
IS THERE A MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THAT RESOLUTION FROM FISHER PHILLIPS.
IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND COMMISSIONER HUNT DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
THOSE OPPOSED? NO, THAT MOTION CARRIES, UH,
[10. Deborah Bonner; Discuss/consider/approve Amended and Restated KCMUD 5 Patrol Contract for Precinct 2 Constable's Office.]
ITEM 10, DEBRA BONNER DISCUSSED, CONSIDER FOR APPROVING AMENDED AND RESTATED KAUFMAN COUNTY MUD FIVE PATROL CONTRACT AND PRECINCT TWO CONSTABLE'S OFFICE.GOOD MORNING, MORNING AGAIN, SPREADSHEETS, INCLUDING EXHIBITS PREPARED.
SO, UM, THIS IS AN AMENDED AND RESTATED ILA FOR PATROL SERVICES FOR THE CONSTABLE PRECINCT TO WHAT THEY'VE DONE IS THEY'VE EXPANDED THEIR AREA AND THEY'RE ADDING AN OFFICER AND UH, THEY WANT US TO AGREE TO THOSE CHANGES AND THE COSTS.
AS YOU CAN SEE, YOU'RE ON EXHIBIT A, WHICH THEY WILL COVER AS PART OF THE CONTRACT QUESTIONS.
WELL, WE'LL SAY IT'S ABOUT A $6,500 INCREASE IN BUDGET THAT YOU ALREADY APPROVED, BUT THE REVENUES WOULD ALSO GO UP.
AND WE KNEW BEFORE THE BUDGET AND WE KNOW IT WAS HAPPENING.
IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS FOR DEB, IS THERE A MOTION REGARDING THAT, UH, AMENDMENT TO THE PATROL CONTRACT FOR MUD FIVE? YEP.
MR. MAKES A MOTION TO A MOTION TO APPROVE IT FOR A SECOND.
SECOND, SECOND COMMISSION CAGE DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
THOSE OPPOSED? NO, THAT MOTION CARRIES BACK TO DEB
[11. Deborah Bonner; Discuss/consider adopting Mental Health Leave Policy pursuant to SB1359.]
AGAIN, DISCUSS, CONSIDER ADOPTING MENTAL HEALTH LEAVE POLICY PURSUANT TO SB 1359.WE DISCUSSED IT A FEW WEEKS AGO AND Y'ALL WANTED SOME CHANGES MADE.
I SENT OUT A DRAFT AND ASKED FOR COMMENTS.
SO I'VE INCLUDED THOSE COMMENTS IN THIS DRAFT OF THE VERSION.
UM, WE MADE IT CLEAR THAT IT'S, UH, HAS TO BE A TRAUMATIC EVENT, WHICH MUST BE DOCUMENTED.
UM, WE PUT IN, UH, 15 DAYS OF LEAVE PER CALENDAR YEAR WITH THE OPTION OF AN ADDITIONAL WE SPECIFIED THAT, YOU KNOW, NOT INSTEAD OF JUST SAYING LAW ENFORCEMENT OR PEACE OFFICERS, IT'S, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY THAT HAS, HAS TO BE APPROVED BY THE FIRE MARSHALL, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, THE SHERIFF, OR THE CONSTABLE, SO THAT IT'S NOT, WE HAD SUPERVISOR IN THERE.
SO WE'VE CHANGED THAT TO BE THE ACTUAL APPOINTED OR ELECTED OFFICIAL, APPROVING THE LEAVE.
UM, WE ALSO MANDATED THAT THEY, UH, SEEK TREATMENT FROM AN APPROVED PROVIDER APPROVED BY THAT ELECTED OR APPOINTED OFFICIAL.
SO ANY OTHER CHANGES OR QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO SEE
[00:40:04]
NO QUESTIONS.AND I SAY SOMETHING, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A FORM FILL OUT, SUBMIT IT TO THAT OR WHATEVER THAT YES.
YOU HAVE SOME KIND OF PROCESS FROM FARM WORKER SIGNED OFF AND DOCUMENT.
IS THAT ALREADY DONE? NOT ALREADY, THEN IT WILL BE DONE.
MORE PAPER, MORE PAPER OR FLAVOR.
WE LOVE KILLING TREES IF WE COULD JUST BEND IT AND BE THAT, UH, UH, CAN'T MAKE RIGHT.
ANY MORE DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? NO, UH, THERE'S NOT A, IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT THAT MIDDLE LEAVE HEALTH POLICY AS PRESENTED? I'LL MAKE THE MOTION WITH A MOTION COMMISSIONER CATES.
IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE OPPOSED? NO, THAT MOTION CARRIES ITEM 12,
[12. Commissioner Cates; Discuss/Consider a Proposal to Reorganize the Kaufman County Fire Marshall's Office; to implement a structure of a County Fire Marshall and a Deputy Fire Marshall (to be appropriatelycertified/experienced in fire science, fire related inspections, arson investigations, etc. and hold and maintain a Texas Peace Officers license, etc. in accordance with the County's Position Description) AND to move the Office of the Fire Marshall into the Kaufman County Sheriff's Office to include the transfer of the appropriate budget line items (to include at least one Fire Marshall's Office support staffer)necessary to support the Office of the Fire Marshall, as so configured.]
COMMISSIONER CAGE DISCUSS, CONSIDER A PROPOSAL TO REORGANIZE THE KAUFMAN COUNTY FIRE MARSHALL'S OFFICE TO IMPLEMENT A STRUCTURE OF A COUNTY FIRE MARSHALL AND DEPUTY FIRE MARSHALL TO BE APPROPRIATELY CERTIFIED AND MAINTAIN TO BE AND MAINTAIN A PEACE OFFICER'S LICENSE AND Y'ALL CAN READ ALL THE REST OF THAT STUFF.BUT THE, UM, THE PART OF THE PROPOSAL IS TO MOVE THE FIRE MARSHALL'S OFFICE INTO THE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, UM, INCLUDING BUDGET LINE ITEMS AS NECESSARY COMMISSIONER.
SO JUDGE, I JUST, UH, UH, HAVING MONITORED OUR VACANCY IN THE FAR MARSHALL, UH, PROGRAM, UH, I FELT LIKE IT WAS, UH, UH, APPROPRIATE TO BEGIN DISCUSSION TO NOT ONLY, UH, FINALIZE THAT SELECTION AND MOVE THIS FORWARD, BUT ALSO AFTER A DISCUSSION WITH KNOWLEDGEABLE INDIVIDUALS, IT SEEMED APPROPRIATE AT LEAST FOR AN INTERIM PERIOD THAT THE FIRE MARSHALL AND, UH, AND THE ENTIRE OFFICE, UH, BE POSITIONED WITHIN THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT STAFF, UH, I THINK IS, UH, AS WE ALL KNOW, WE HAVE ALREADY ASKED THE SHERIFF TO STEP UP AND HE HAS BEEN AT LEAST TEMPORARILY OVERSEEING THAT FUNCTION IN THAT DEPARTMENT.
UH, WE WERE ABLE TO UTILIZE HIS EXISTING, UH, COUNTY SHERIFF'S POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, UH, WHICH SEEMED TO BE APPROPRIATE AND ADEQUATE.
UH, THERE MAY NEED TO BE SOME, UH, SPECIFIC ADJUSTMENTS OR ADDITIONS THAT RELATE, UH, TO FIRE SCIENCE AND ARSON INVESTIGATION.
I'M NOT REALLY NOT SURE OF THOSE KINDS OF SPECIFICS, BUT, UM, MY, MY REVIEW OF THIS SITUATION SEEMED TO, UH, SEEMED TO INDICATE TO ME THAT KAUFMAN COUNTY CURRENTLY COULD EXIST AND DO VERY WELL WITH A, A, UH, A FORMERLY STAFFED FIRE MARSHALL AND DEPUTY FIRE MARSHALL.
AND I KNOW WE'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS IN THE PAST OF ADJUSTING SOME OF THE OTHER WORKLOAD THAT HAS BEEN, UH, POSITIONED IN THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE INTO MORE OF A CODE ENFORCEMENT.
UH, SO I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE AN APPROPRIATE TIME TO AT LEAST BEGIN THAT DISCUSSION AND CONSIDER MAKING THAT CHANGE, UH, AND AT LEAST, UH, UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THE, UH, SHOULD THIS BE APPROVED UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THE SHERIFF, UH, MIGHT RECOMMEND TO THE COURT THAT THE FIRE MARSHALL RESUME IT'S A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT POSITION WITHIN THE COUNTY, UH, THAT IT JUST SEEMED, UH, PRUDENT TO, TO PROPOSE THAT THE FUNCTION MOVE INTO THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
SO YOUR PROPOSAL IS IT SHOULD BE A TEMPORARY UNTIL A FIRE.
NO, UH, MY PROPOSAL IS TO, UH, NOT ONLY MOVE FORWARD AND, AND, UH, IN THE SELECTION PROCESS FOR OUR FIRE MARSHALL, BUT TO, TO, UH, OFFICIALLY MOVE THE FIRE MARSHALL DEPARTMENT INTO THE CHAIN OF COMMAND OF THE COUNTY SHERIFF, PLACE IT WITHIN HIS DEPARTMENT FOR HIS OVERSIGHT AND TO DO THAT PERMANENTLY UNLESS, OR UNTIL THE SHERIFF CAME BACK TO THE COURT RECOMMENDING, UH, SOME MODIFICATION OF THAT OR A RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT FIRE.
MARSHALL HAS ANYBODY ASKED THE QUESTION? I'M SURE THAT HAS ABOUT, I MEAN, THE FAR MORRIS WAS APPOINTED BY THE COURT, BUT IF WE GIVE IT TO THE SHERIFF'S, CAN THEY, DOES THE SHERIFF HIRE THE FIRE MARSHALL AND TAKE IT OFF OF US? ARE I WAS AT HANDLED, NO LOOKING WITH LEGAL AND I'M, I MEAN, SHE CAN BACK ME UP IT THAT THAT IS APPOINTED BY THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
UH, MY PROBLEM WITH IT IS BECAUSE, UH, IF Y'ALL APPOINT HIM, I CAN'T DISCIPLINE HIM.
UH, THAT'S AN ISSUE, UH, BECAUSE I THINK ANYBODY KNOWS THAT IF I HAVE A ISSUE, UH, THEN I MIGHT COME TO COURT AND, UH, THAT'S JUST NOT FEASIBLE FOR ME.
UH, AND NOT SAYING YOU WON'T BE A GOOD PERSON,
[00:45:01]
YOU'LL HIRE, I'M WILLING TO WORK WITH THEM.UH, RAYLAND COME OVER TO THE OFFICE, MONIQUE, AND THEY WAS TALKING ABOUT INSPECTIONS AND ALL THIS.
AND SO I GUESS I'M OVER THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE I'VE SAT DOWN AND TALKED TO SOME OF THE FIRE MARSHALS.
SOME OF THE PROBLEM THEY HAVE IN IS JUST THE REGULAR INSPECTIONS, WHICH I DON'T KNOW WHY WE HAVE FIRE MARSHALS DOING REGULAR INSPECTION, MONIQUE.
AND THEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HAVING A COMPANY COME IN AND DO THEM KIND OF INSPECTIONS WITH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD ASPECT FOR THE COUNTY TO GET UNDER, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF OUR FIRE MARSHALL REALLY HAD THE BEST PRACTICE OF PLUMBING AND WIRING AND ALL THAT STUFF THEY NEED TO BE DOING, BUT I THINK THE LIFE AND THE LIFE SAFETY AND THE FIRE INSPECTIONS GOT TO STAY WITH THEM.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THEY NEED TO LOOK AT, UH, AND MAKE SURE IMPROVEMENT.
I MEAN, WE'RE THE THIRD FASTEST GROWING IN THE COUNTY, AND I WOULD HOPE WE'D HAVE SOME KIND OF REGULATION AND SOMETHING THAT THE FIRE MARSHALL WAS LOOKING AT IT AND GOING, YES, WE NEED TO KEEP THIS, OR NO, THIS IS A PROBLEM.
BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY'RE PROTECTING OUR FIREFIGHTERS OUT HERE.
THAT'S OUT HERE FIGHTING THESE FIRES AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE GOOD AGGRAVATE PEOPLE AND KEEPING THEM SAFE AND THE PUBLIC SAFE.
SO THAT'S WHY I LOOK AT, AND THE CEO'S WE TALKED ABOUT CLS, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO SIGN OFF WHEN SOME COMPANY IS SIGNING OFF ON IT AND IT'S LIFE SAFETY AND A FIRE AND NOT A FIREMAN.
UH, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF A PROBLEM, UH, THAT I SEE.
UH, SO I'LL, IN MY OPINION, I WOULD THINK THAT WE'D PROBABLY GET EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM, CAUSE I KNOW MOMMY NEEDS SOME HELP.
I KNOW THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OR THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE AGREED TO, YOU KNOW, WORK SOME CLERK AND STUFF.
I THINK THERE'S ROOM IN THAT TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
I THINK THEY COULD MOVE THAT CLERK AROUND.
I MEAN, SHE GOT THREE PEOPLE IN THE WYNDHAM.
WE GOT ONE SITTING OVER THERE BY ITSELF.
I MEAN, IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS WE COULD DO SOME GOOD MANEUVERING, I THINK, AND BE VERY GOOD WITH TAXPAYERS' MONEY AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE BEING ADEQUATE AND HOW WE'RE DOING THESE OFFICES.
AND I THINK WE GET EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM TO SIT DOWN AND WORK AND THEN I AM MORE WILLING TO WORK WITH WHOEVER THE NEW FIRE MARSHALL IS, BRING THEM OVER, TALK TO THEM ABOUT POLICIES, SEIZURES, WHAT WE'RE DOING, LET HIM USE MY TRAINING DEPARTMENT TO RECORD STUFF.
CAUSE I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF AN ISSUE.
UH, I'LL BE MORE THAN WILLING TO SIT WITH HIM ALL DAY LONG AND GET HIM THROUGH THE PROCESS AND HELP HIM AND GIVE HIM MY EXPERIENCE.
WHAT I BELIEVE IS BEST PRACTICES AND THEN GO OUTSIDE.
I'LL HELP HIM A HUNDRED PERCENT.
BUT I THINK THE NEW MONDAY, MY OFFICE IS JUST NOT, NOT GOING TO BE FEASIBLE, ESPECIALLY IF THERE'S DISCIPLINARY ACTION OR SOMETHING HAPPENED.
CAUSE I CAN'T CONTROL IT, BUT YOU'LL, YOU'LL EXTEND THE HAND OUT OF HELP HIM LIKE ALL THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CE STUFF AND KEEP, YEP.
I WILL DO WHATEVER I HAVE EVER.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I I'M HERE JUST AS SOON AS Y'ALL POINTED HIM, I'D LIKE TO MEET WITH HIM AND TALK TO HIM AND SEE EXACTLY.
CAUSE HE NEEDS TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'VE CHANGED OVER THERE BECAUSE I MADE, I'VE MADE SOME, SOME BIG SWINGS AND BIG CHANGES OVER THAT NEEDED TO BE CHANGED.
AND THE REASON WHY, BECAUSE, UH, THE DA WILL TELL YOU, WE, WE HAD SOME BIG LIABILITY SITTING OUT THERE, BUT THAT'S MY CONCERN WITH IT.
BUT I THINK TWO PEOPLE INTO IT.
AND I THINK IF WE GET EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM AND SIT DOWN AND TALK ABOUT THE ASPECTS OF WHO CAN DO WHAT INSPECTIONS AND WHAT I THINK WE'LL BE 10 TIMES BETTER OFF IN THE LONG RUN.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE OUGHT TO LOOK AT A COST ANALYSIS OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.
HOW HOW'S THIS GOING TO IMPACT? ARE WE REALLY PUTTING MORE MONEY BACK ON EVERYBODY WHO'S BUILDING? OR IS IT CHEAPER TO DO THAT WAY? I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT.
I THINK A GOOD THING WE NEED TO DO.
I'M ON MY OWN, YOU KNOW, I'VE TALKED TO, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY COUNTIES NOW AND A LOT OF THEM USE IT AT ONE COMPANY AND IT'S BASICALLY, UH, DOING ALL THEIR INSPECTIONS.
AND I THINK, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT.
I THINK ALL OUR MARSHALS, I THINK 90% OF THEM, I KNOW I'M TALKING TO ALL HOMECOMING THEM, A FEW OTHER PEOPLE.
EVEN IN THE CITY, THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY WORK FOR THE SALE.
UM, THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS OR RIVER, THEN I'M NOT A FIREMAN.
BUT UM, I THINK HERE, I DON'T THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF GOOD FIRE MARSHALS, CHIEF AND THE ONE ASSISTANT AND WHATEVER, AND IT WORKS OUT AND MAYBE WE GET COST NEUTRAL ON THE COMPANY AND THEY GO OUT AND INSPECT AND WE COME BACK AND WE'RE ALL THERE BECAUSE THEY'RE SENDING THE BILL TO THE DIRECT TO THE PEOPLE AND WE'RE NOT EVEN INVOLVED IN, IT CUTS OUT OUR LABOR, OUR EXTRA CHARGE, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING ELSE.
I THINK WE'RE PROTECTING THE COUNTY FOR THE LAST SAFETY INSPECTIONS THAT WE'RE DOING.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE REACHED OUT TO QUITE A FEW SHERIFFS.
THERE'S ONLY ONE SHERIFF THOUGH THAT IS IN GREGG COUNTY AND IT'S A MAXI SORIANO.
THEY HAVE SHERIFF THERE KNOW HIM REAL WELL.
UH, HE DOES HAVE IT, THE JUDGE PUT IT UNDERNEATH HIM AND HE'S GOT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TOO.
AND I'LL TELL YOU, IT'S A PROCESS FOR HIM.
HE, YOU KNOW, IT IS A PROCESS.
AND I SAID, WELL, I DON'T WANT YOUR PROCESS LIKE THE WORLD HERE, BUT IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST ANOTHER PROCESS I HAVE TO DO.
SO JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
[00:50:01]
NO, WE HAVEN'T REVIEWED ANY CONTRACTS YET FOR THIS.AND ONE THING I JUST ALSO WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE COURT IS CLEAR ON THAT UNDER 3 52 0.016 OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE IS STRICTLY WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THE FIRE MARSHALL TO INSPECT OR REVIEW A PLAN FOR FIRE LIFE SAFETY HAZARDS.
SO WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT CONTRACT AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S REALLY, IT'S REALLY SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ABLE TO CONTRACT AND DO.
AND IT DOES COME UNDER THE FIRE MARSHALL THAT'S PART OF THE FIRE MARSHALL'S DUTIES, COUNTY FIRE MARSHALL'S DUTIES.
SO I THINK, I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO LOOK IN FURTHER BEFORE WE REALLY MAKE ANY DECISIONS.
JUST TO CLARIFY, I FIND HER STOOD WHAT YOU SAID, OF COURSE, PULLING WIRE PLUMBING.
THOSE ARE THINGS THAT OBVIOUSLY AREN'T COVERED AND YOU WERE JUST MAKING THAT, THAT CONTRACT.
WE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT MAKES NICE, GOOD STANCE, BUT I'D LIKE TO REVIEW IT.
SO WE KNOW WHAT'S REALLY FIRE MARSHAL UNDER THEIR PURVIEW AND WHAT'S NOT.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? UM, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE THE LAST SAFETY AND THE FIRE MARSHAL STUFF, WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT THAT.
AND THEN ALL THE OTHER STUFF I THINK WE CAN, UH, IF IT FITS UNDERNEATH THE CODE AND, AND GET THAT CONTRACTED OUT, CAUSE I'M GOING TO TELL YOU SOME OF THEM DON'T UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE STUFF THEY'RE LOOKING AT.
I MEAN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TELLING ME STRAIGHTFORWARD.
SO WHEN YOU, I THINK AS A COUNTY, THAT'S BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION THAT WE NEED TO EVALUATE THAT AND LOOK AT HERE'S WHAT, UH, HERE'S SOMETHING THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS I WOULD HATE TO SEE US GET INTO A SITUATION WHERE WE REPEAT, UH, WHAT HAD HAPPENED BEFORE AND WHAT I WOULD SAY WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE IS, AND, AND I THINK THIS IS A PATTERN THAT EVEN IN A PRIOR FIRE MARSHALL, IS THAT THE FIRE MARSHALL HAS BEEN UNSUPERVISED.
UH, WE KNOW ABOUT ALL OF THE PURCHASES AND ALL THE THINGS THAT HAD BEEN DONE IN THAT OFFICE.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE, THE, THE ANSWER FOR THAT IS, BUT, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WITH CERTAINLY LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRE SERVICE, EVERY PLACE I KNOW IN THIS WORLD, GOOD MANAGEMENT REQUIRES THAT SOMEBODY REPORT TO A PARTICULAR PERSON.
UM, AND I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT HAVING THEM.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER TO THAT IS, BUT WE HAVE TO, I, I DON'T, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT THE HISTORY OF THE, THE GUY PRIOR TO THE RECENT FIRE MARSHAL, BUT WHAT I'M TOLD IS WE HAD THE SAME SITUATION WHERE WAS UNSUPERVISED.
UM, AND WE GOTTA HAVE SOMEBODY GOT TO SUPERVISE THAT PERSON.
I THINK ALSO IN THE, IN THE PAST, THEN I'M NOT, I'M NOT PUTTING BLAME ON ANYBODY.
I'M JUST SAYING IN THE PAST, I DON'T, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THEY ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH A VERY GOOD HIRING PROCESS EITHER.
SO I DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THE JOBS WERE ACTUALLY EVEN POSTED, BUT DON'T YOU AGREE THAT EVERYBODY NEEDS TO? I THINK
I MEAN, IT'S JUST THE SUPERVISOR KIND OF SUPERVISING THE CITY MANAGERS KIND OF SUPERVISING THEM, BUT THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL ULTIMATELY GOES OUT AND REACHES OUT AND HIRES THEM AND JUST LIKE THE NEW POLICE CHIEF AND EVERYBODY ELSE, BUT FIND SOME FIRE MARSHALS.
SO, AND THAT REALLY WAS THE INTENT.
I'M CERTAINLY NOT MARRIED TO THIS PROPOSAL IS WRITTEN.
UH, I JUST FELT LIKE AT NUMBER ONE, WE NEED TO ADVANCE THIS PROCESS.
UM, HAVING HAD SOME EXPERIENCE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, I'M, I'M VERY CONCERNED WHEN YOU HAVE A LAW ENFORCEMENT ENTITY THAT HAS, THAT OPERATES WITH NO POLICIES AND NO PROCEDURES, NO EVIDENTIARY REQUIREMENTS.
UH, ALL OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK THE SHERIFF, UH, WILL AFFIRM THAT HE'S FOUND.
UH, SO CLEARLY WE HAD A DEFICIENCY THERE.
UH, THAT, THAT WAS WHY I REFERENCED THAT PERHAPS THIS MIGHT BE A TEMPORARY MOVE, UH, SO THAT THE SHERIFF, UH, WHO IS OUR, OUR, UM, OUR LEAD LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER IN THIS COUNTY COULD HAVE SOME INFLUENCE ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF PROTOCOLS AND POLICIES, PARTICULARLY IN THE LAW ENFORCEMENT SIDE OF THE FIRE MARSHALL'S DUTIES.
UH, SO THAT ULTIMATELY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES COULD AT LEAST TO SOME EXTENT, HELP SUPERVISE AND GUIDE THE OPERATIONS OF THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE.
AND I THINK THAT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, THE EXPERTISE FOR THAT KIND OF OVERSIGHT IS RESIDENT IN THE COUNTY SHERIFF.
SO, UH, AGAIN, I'M NOT MARRIED TO THIS PARTICULAR, UH, STRUCTURE.
UH, I THAT'S, WHAT I HAPPEN TO THINK IS THE RIGHT IDEA, BUT AGAIN, UH, I THOUGHT THAT IT MIGHT BE PRUDENT AT, UH, INITIALLY TO HAVE THIS, TO HAVE THIS POSITION UNDER THE AUSPICES OR THE COUNTY SHERIFF AND, UH,
[00:55:01]
ON HIS RECOMMENDATION.THEN THE, THAT DEPARTMENT, MY REACH, WHETHER THAT'D BE SHORT OR LONG MIGHT REACH THE CAPABILITY TO, TO RETURN TO A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT, UH, OPERATIONAL STRUCTURE.
UH, THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT EVERYTHING IN THIS COUNTY, EVERY EMPLOYEE, EVERY OPERATION ULTIMATELY ROLLS UP AND REPORTS TO THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
THAT'S I DON'T THINK THAT'S, THAT'S IN QUESTION.
UH, BUT, UM, ANYBODY THAT'S BEEN IN MANAGEMENT, WHICH I KNOW COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS HAS BEEN KNOWS THAT IT'S PRETTY DIFFICULT TO SUPERVISE BY COMMITTEE AND, UH, PARTICULARLY IN SENSITIVE MATTERS, SUCH AS LAW ENFORCEMENT AND, UH, INVESTIGATION, OR, OR THE SPECIFICS OF FIRE CODE TYPE ENFORCEMENT, UM, THAT THOSE ARE VERY SPECIALIZED TRADES.
UM, A COMPONENT IS HIRING THE RIGHT PERSON, BUT, UH, I STILL THINK THAT THAT, UH, PARTICULARLY GIVEN THE POSITION AND THE SITUATION THAT WE FOUND, OUR FIRE MARSHAL FUNCTION IN RECENTLY THAT SOME DIRECT SUPERVISION, AT LEAST FOR AN INTERIM PERIOD IS ADVISABLE.
NOBODY IS IN A BETTER, NOBODY IS IN A BETTER POSITION TO HELP US AS FAR AS SUPERVISING THAT POSITION THAN YOU ARE SHERIFF WITH YOUR BACKGROUND IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRE SERVICE.
UM, I THINK WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO NEGOTIATE, TO GET YOU TO TAKE THAT ROLE ON.
AS I SAID, I THINK WE NEED TO SIT DOWN AND TALK AND HAVE A WORKSHOP AND GET ALL PARTIES INVOLVED WHERE WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND WHAT AVENUES WE'RE GOING DOWN.
WE CAN, THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
I THINK CHRISTINE IS BRINGING THE APPLICANTS TO THE COURT WEEK AFTER NEXT WE'RE OFF NEXT WEEK THE WEEK FOLLOWING, I THINK CHRISTIAN IS SETTING IT UP FOR US TO INTERVIEW AS A COHORT, THE APPLICANTS.
AND CAN WE ASKED SHERIFF PAVERS TO BE ON THAT INTERVIEW BOARD? AND THAT WAY HE CAN BE ASKING THE QUESTIONS THAT OUR PARTNER, THAT HE'S FOUND PROBLEMS WITH AND NEEDS TO BE STRAIGHTENED OUT AND START DEVELOPING A RELATIONSHIP WITH THESE PEOPLE AT THE VERY BEGINNING.
AND IF WE FIND WHAT WE WANT OUT OF THE, THE FINALIST, AND AT LEAST YOU THEY'VE ALREADY MET YOU, YOU KNOW, KIND OF UNDERSTAND.
I CERTAINLY THINK THAT'S A PRUDENT SUGGESTION, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT, UH, THE SHERIFF'S SUGGESTION THAT WE HAVE A PARTICULAR WORKSHOP, WHICH MAYBE EVEN BEFORE WE INTERVIEW THESE APPLICANTS TO, TO AT LEAST DISCUSS AND CONSIDER WHAT IS THE APPROPRIATE STRUCTURE OF THE KAUFMAN COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT, WHAT'S THE APPROPRIATE STAFFING, UH, WHAT'S ITS SCOPE AND PURPOSE AND FUNCTIONALITY.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE SOME SORT OF A MEETING OF THE MINDS ABOUT THAT BEFORE WE BEGIN THE INTERVIEW PROCESS.
NOW LET'S GET, YEAH, CAUSE I MEAN, IT TAKES A LOT.
I MEAN, Y'ALL WERE TRYING TO MAKE A ONE STOP SHOP AND GET EVERYBODY INVOLVED AND WE NEED TO BE EFFICIENT IN WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT PARTIES ARE DOING, WHAT IT MAKES IT A LOT EASIER.
WE MIGHT NOT WANT TO CAST IT TOTALLY IN STONE BECAUSE WE MIGHT BRING THE RIGHT PERSON IN HERE FOR MOSES TOTALLY FROM THE OUTSIDE.
HE HASN'T BEEN INFLUENCED BY ANYTHING.
AND HE COMES IN AND HE SEES WHERE WE'RE AT AND WHERE WE WANT TO BE.
THEY MIGHT HAVE SOME AWFUL GOOD IDEAS TOO, TO MAKE IT WORK.
EXACTLY WHAT I MEAN, WE DON'T WANT TO JUST TOTALLY SAY THIS IS IT CAST IN STONE, BUT AT LEAST WE HAVE A FRAMEWORK FOR HIM TO SEE WHAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE AND THEN, AND NOT FALL BACK ON MY LEGAL ADVICE BACK HERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS A POINT AS JUST SAYING, HEY, I CAN BE A LIAISON IN THE MIDDLE OF JUST LOOKING AT IT AND GIVING MY INPUT BACK TO THE COURT.
NOT SUPERVISORS, NOT DOING THAT, BUT GOING AND SITTING DOWN WITH THEM AND SAYING, I, UH, THIS IS WHAT I SEE, OR WHAT ARE YOU DOING? AND KIND OF GET A, A REPORT BACK TO THE COURT AND HOW IT'S GOING AND WHAT'S HAPPENING.
OF COURSE, AS A COORDINATOR, OF COURSE, I THINK HE SAID HE USED THE WORD LIAISON AND I THINK IT'S IN THE PROCESS.
BUT ULTIMATELY WHAT KAREN SHARED WITH YOU IS EXACTLY WHAT THE STATUTE REQUIRES, WHICH IS MAIN TO YOUR POINT.
AND I THINK JUDGE RICHARDS IS CORRECT THAT PEOPLE DON'T NEED FIVE DIFFERENT PEOPLE, BUT IF THE COURT DESIGNATED ONE OR TWO COMMISSIONERS WITH THE INPUT OVER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME TO WORK WITH THIS PERSON DURING OUR INTERIM BASIS, I THINK THAT GREAT.
WE DO, WE SEE THAT IN MANY DIFFERENT OFFICES AND THEN WHEN YOU'RE COMFORTABLE, YOU CAN LET THAT, AND I THINK THAT'S A CRITICAL POINT BECAUSE, UH, FRANKLY, A LOT OF CRITICAL DECISIONS, WHETHER THEY BE IN A FIRE MATTER OR A LAW ENFORCEMENT MATTER MIGHT HAVE TO BE MADE AFTER BUSINESS HOURS ON THE WEEKENDS ON A HOLIDAY.
AND IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR A COMMISSIONER'S COURT TO, TO THEN BE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN AGREEING WITH THE FIRE MARSHALL, THE NEW FIRE MARSHALL'S, UH, SUGGESTION OR NOT.
SO, UH, AGAIN, I JUST THINK IT'S PRUDENT THAT AT LEAST FOR, EVEN IF WE SPECIFIED A TERM FOR SOME INTERIM
[01:00:01]
PERIOD THAT THE, THAT THE SHERIFF BE DESIGNATED AS THE, AS THE, UH, AS THE DIRECT REPORT OR OVERSEER, IF YOU WILL, OR THE COURTS REPRESENTATIVE DETERMINE HOW YOU WILL, UH, OVER THAT FUNCTION.WHY DON'T WE WORKSHOP THAT AT OUR NEXT MEETING IN, UH, AND UH, EVERYBODY CAN HAVE SOME CHANCE TO THINK ABOUT HOW THAT MIGHT WORK WELL, AS I, AS I'VE SAID, I THINK THE BIGGEST THING IS SOMEBODY COMING IN THEIR CHALLENGES, AS FAR AS I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH A FIRE MARSHALL'S OFFICE, THERE'S NEVER BEEN A POLICY PROCEDURES OR NOTHING.
SO YOU GOTTA HAVE PEOPLE GUIDELINES IN ORDERS IN WHICH TO DO STUFF.
SO I THINK THAT'S THE BIGGEST HURDLE IN WHICH THEY NEED.
AND I THINK ONCE YOU GET THAT AND YOU GET A POLICY AND PROCEDURES, WE ALL KNOW YOU GET THAT THINGS WILL STREAMLINE, BUT I THINK THAT'S BEEN THE BIGGEST PROBLEM.
AND THEY JUST KIND OF DO WHAT THEY WANT AND WHICH ONE, THE TWO PARTS OF THAT ONE IS TO HAVE THEM.
AND THE OTHER IS TO MAKE SURE YOU MAKE SURE THEY'RE FOLLOWING THEM.
AND YOU'VE GOT TO ENFORCE THEM.
I THINK A LOT OF THEM ARE CORRECT THE SAMPLE.
WE GET THE RIGHT PERSON, YOU KNOW, PLAYING.
I JUST DON'T, I JUST DON'T BELIEVE WE EVER EVEN COME CLOSE TO HAVING THE RIGHT PERSON TO START WITH.
SO, I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S MESSED UP.
UM, THERE'S SOME QUALITY, THERE'S SOME QUALITY FIRE MARSHAL, VERY DETAILED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUALS OUT THERE.
LIKE YOU, AIN'T GOT TO REINVENT THEM WITH PROMISE YOU THE JUDGE, THAT BEING THE CASE.
I'LL JUST, UH, I'LL JUST WITHDRAW MY ITEM.
UM, NO, I'LL MODIFY THAT TO SAY THAT I, UH, I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE, THAT WE SET A WORKSHOP TO, UH, TO, UH, DISCUSS AND EXAMINE THE STRUCTURE OF THE COCHRAN COUNTY FIRE MARSHALL'S OFFICE AT OUR NEXT MEETING MOTION.
SO I DON'T THINK THAT'S NOT REALLY ON THE AGENDA, BUT WHAT I'LL DO, WHY DON'T WE JUST, CAN WE JUST AGREE TO, UH, PASS THIS ITEM AND YOUR MESSAGE IS CLEAR AND I'LL ARRANGE FOR US TO HAVE A WORKSHOP AT OUR NEXT MEETING.
SO IF THERE'S NO MOTIONS COMING FORWARD ON ITEM 12, THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM 13.
UM, ONE THING I'D LIKE TO ADD, JUDGE, IF I MAY, IF THERE'S INFORMATION CONTRACTS OR ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT THE DA'S OFFICE TO LOOK AT TO PREPARE FOR THAT WORKSHOP, WE'RE GLAD TO DO SO.
[13. Auditor; Discuss/Consider line•item transfers.]
ITEM 13, AUDITOR DISCUSS CONSIDER LINE ITEM TRANSFERS.DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LINE ENTER TRANSFERS OR THE BUDGET MINUTES THAT WERE SUBMITTED? THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS ABOUT LINE TRANSFERS.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED, MAKE A MOTION? WE HAD THE MOTION COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND, SECOND COMMISSIONER HUNT, DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE OPPOSED.
[14. Auditor; Discuss/Consider claims for payment.]
14, DISCUSS, CONSIDER CLAIMS FOR PAYMENT.AND YOUR POINTS FOR PAYMENT ARE $2,027,604 AND 42 CENTS A PAYROLL OF 1,000,380 $7,170 AND 95 CENTS A TOTAL OF 3 MILLION, $414,775 AND 37 CENTS.
A YOUR MIND EXPENDITURE SUMMARY WAS A MILLION 0.2 IN YOUR ROAD.
BOND ISSUE ROAD MATERIALS OF 260 NONPROFIT ASSISTANCE WAS 166,000.
AND I DID SHAN, UH, 125,000 AT ONE YEAR FOR THE SENIOR CONNECT WITH THIS.
SO THEY WON'T GET ANY MORE UNLESS THEY COME BACK AND WE HAVE TO AMEND THE BUDGET BECAUSE YOU AGREE TO IT.
UM, FACILITIES BOND WAS 91,000 AND THEN A DIFFERENT MANY, UH, UM, MISCELLANEOUS COMPUTER EQUIPMENT, REPAIRS, EMPLOYEE INSURANCES, AND GAS AND OIL INDEX AND RECORDING MADE UP THE DIFFERENCE.
YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BILL QUESTIONS FOR NO QUESTIONS? IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE CLAIMS FOR PAYMENT AS PRESENTED? I'LL MAKE A MOTION WHERE THE MOTION COMMISSIONER BARBERS OR SECOND, SECOND, SECOND COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
NO MOTION CARRIES YOU ARE WELCOME.
[17. Executive Session; Pursuant to Section 551.074 of the Texas Government Code, the Commissioners Court will meet in closed session to discuss County Administrator and position of the County Administrator.]
SORRY, JUDGE.IF I CAN MAKE A REQUEST TO THE COURT PLEASE, ONE ITEM 17, UH, COULD WE STAY IN PUBLIC SESSION? UH, OKAY, SO THAT, UM, WELL, AND WE'LL JUST, I'M NOT REALLY SURE EXACTLY HOW TO WHAT I KNOW THAT WE CAN DO THAT.
SO, UM, WE'LL TAKE UP THE MATTERS OF, UM, EXECUTIVE SESSION.
AND THEN, UM, SO WE'RE NOT IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, BUT WE'RE GOING TO BE, WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
[01:05:02]
AND POSITION FOR THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.SO, UM, WHO WANTS TO KICK THIS OFF? WELL, YOU WANT TO, YEAH, I'LL GO AHEAD AND START THIS.
UH, I'M THE ONE THAT ACTUALLY ASKED US TO BE PUT ON THE DEAL AND I GUESS WE'RE JUST GOING TO START OUT WITH, WHAT'S REALLY BEEN BOTHERING ME A LOT IS I JUST DON'T THINK THAT, UH, IT'S WORKING OUT VERY WELL FOR US TO GET THE RESULT THAT WE WANT, THAT, UM, THE ADMINISTRATOR WORKS FOR THE WHOLE COURT, NOT JUST FOR INDIVIDUALS AND, UH, I JUST DON'T THINK THAT'S REALLY HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
SO I DID GET SOME PUBLIC RECORD INFORMATION THAT WAS SHARED WITH ME AND IT REALLY DID, UH, UH, BOTHER ME.
AND IT, IT KINDA THINK IT KIND OF SPEAKS TO, UH, I GUESS, UH, CHARACTER OF, UM, OF INDIVIDUAL.
AND, AND AT THAT, I JUST DON'T WANT, I DON'T WANT THESE TYPE OF INDIVIDUALS MANAGING OUR PEOPLE.
AND, UH, SO I MEAN THE, THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE NOTHING, THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT THE ELECTED OFFICIALS.
THE PEOPLE PUT THEM IN THERE AND HE PUT US HERE TO WORK TOGETHER, NO MATTER WHAT WE THINK OF EACH OTHER INDIVIDUALLY OR WHATEVER, BUT ARE HARD PEOPLE THAT, THAT WE, WE HIRE, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY NEED TO, UH, WE, WE HAD, DO HAVE CONTROL OVER THE KIND OF PEOPLE WE HIRE.
SO I GUESS WHAT I WANT TO DO IS THIS IS, UH, AN EMAIL THAT WAS SHARED WITH ME THAT WAS OBTAINED BY REQUEST TO PUBLIC RECORDS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, THIS IS FROM COMMISSIONER KEN KATES, TUESDAY, AUGUST 3RD, 2021.
I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T HEAR THE DATE.
AND, UH, THE COMMENT WAS MADE NO HUGE RUSH, BUT I NEED TO PUT THE ISSUE OF GIVING ARP ADVICE BY COUNTY EMPLOYEE ON THE AGENDA TO STICK IT IN HUNT'S FACE, KEN KATE'S IN A WAY.
AND, UH, HIS REPLY WAS, LET ME PUT SOME FOCUS THOUGHTS ON THIS AND GET BACK TO YOU.
WE HAVE OUTDATED JOB DESCRIPTIONS AND NEED THAT OVERHAUL AND TAXPAYER VALUE NEEDS TO BE A DRIVING FACTOR.
UH, MAYBE WE DO NEED TO DO THAT, BUT AS AN INDIVIDUAL, THIS REPORTING TO THE WHOLE COURT AND DEALING WITH THE WHOLE COURT, SOMEONE'S BEEN ADDICTIVE NATURE SHOULD NOT BE EVEN RESPOND TO THIS.
AND WE NEED TO TAKE THIS ISSUE UP WITH THE COURT.
THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOUR RESPONSIBILITY IN MY MIND, BUT IT DIDN'T.
SO THEN COMMISSIONER CASE RESPONDED AND ACTUALLY EXPLAINED TO YOU WHAT HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN.
WELL, YOU KNOW, NOT KNOWING ANYTHING ABOUT THIS.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THIS WAS AUGUST 3RD, THEN AUGUST 4TH, WE ACTUALLY HAD A BUDGET WORKSHOP AND PEOPLE CAN LOOK AND PULL IT UP ON AUGUST 4TH, OUR WORKSHOP WHO HAD IT HERE IN THE BUDGET, YOU LOOK AT THE ONE HOUR, 14 MINUTE AND 32ND MARK.
THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TAKEN BY JERRY DEAN TO INTERJECT TO THE COURT.
I THINK HIS COMMENT WAS LIKE, THIS MIGHT NOT BE THE APPROPRIATE TIME, BUT WE DO NEED TO DEAL WITH JOB DESCRIPTIONS, WHICH WAS PRETTY MUCH LAID OUT IN THIS LONG RESPONSE THAT I'LL HAND THIS OUT TO EVERYBODY AND GET ONE TO THE COUNTY CLERK COPIES OF ALL THIS.
SO THE CITIZEN CAN SEE THIS, BUT YOU KNOW, THIS LONG, LONG EXPLANATION WAS PREDICATED ON THE RESPONSE THAT, THAT YOU KNOW OF, OF UPDATING WITH THE JOB DESCRIPTION.
SO WHEN THAT WAS BROUGHT UP IN COURT, NOT REALLY PART OF THE DISCUSSION THAT WAS GOING ON, AND THEN IMMEDIATELY JUDGE RICHARD SAYS, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
AND IT WAS SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER.
CASEY IS A GREAT IDEA, WHETHER THIS WAS JUST TOTALLY WHAT'S THE GREAT IDEA THAT WAS SECONDED.
THE ABOUT REVIEWING JOB DESCRIPTIONS THEN WAS ACTUALLY DESCRIBED BY YOU IN THIS THAT WE NEEDED TO DO.
AND I GUESS IT JUST BOTHERS ME THAT THAT, THAT THIS PERSON IS SUPERVISING OUR PEOPLE WHENEVER HE WOULD GO FORWARD WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS WITH THE VERY BEGINNING INTENT THAT WAS STATED, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S MY PROBLEM.
I, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, I JUST DON'T WANT THESE PEOPLE TO BE THE PEOPLE THAT MANAGE OUR PEOPLE.
SO I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT, YOU'RE
[01:10:01]
NOT REALLY WANTING TO DO THIS IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.I DIDN'T WANT ONE TO DO THIS PUBLICLY, BUT YOU KNOW, I MEAN, MR. DEAN REQUESTED THAT IN THIS END OF THE EMAIL IS PUBLIC RECORD.
SO THIS ONE, CAN YOU DESCRIBE AGAIN WHAT YOUR COMPLAINT IS? CAUSE I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU SAYING.
I JUST DON'T WANT PEOPLE LIKE THAT.
LIKE WHAT, LIKE WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD LOWER THEMSELVES TO THE QUESTION THAT YOU AND I HAVE HAVE A DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHY HAS ABOUT THAT HAS, THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS.
WHENEVER WHAT IT IS IS WHENEVER YOU WANT TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA TO STICK IT IN, HUNT'S FACE THAT THAT'S YOUR PREROGATIVE.
IF PIEDMONT'S IT, THAT'S MY, THAT'S MY PRODUCT.
SO, BUT JERRY SHOULDN'T HAVE HELPED SUPPORT THAT.
WHAT DID HE SAY TO SUPPORT IT? LET ME PUT SOME FOCUS, THOUGHTS ON THIS AND GET BACK TO YOU.
WHAT SHOULD HE HAVE DONE? HE SHOULD HAVE SAID, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BRING THIS TO THE COURT.
SHOULD HE HAVE TOLD COMMISSIONER CAGE THAT YOU CAN'T SAY THAT? NO, NO, NO.
AND WHAT I ASKED HIM TO DO, WHICH WAS THE OFFICIAL REQUEST TO REVIEW POSITION DESCRIPTIONS FOR ACCURACY.
SO DON'T, DON'T CONFLATE THE TWO THINGS.
WELL, IT'S JUST PRETTY MUCH NO HUGE RUSH.
HE WASN'T EVEN OUR DIRECTOR ON THE COUNTY EMPLOYEE TO PUT IT IN JENNA TO STICKING HOT SPICE.
YOU KNOW, IT REALLY IS JUST THAT WE NEED TO BRING THIS TO THE COURT.
IT SHOULDN'T BE IF HE WANTS YOU, IF YOU WANT TO BRING, IF HE WANTS TO BRING IT TO THE COURT SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT TO THE COURT FOR US TO DISCUSS THIS, ABOUT HOW WE'RE GONNA DEAL WITH THIS.
NOT GIVE HIM THE INFORMATION TO GIVE HIM THE OPPORTUNITY TO STICK IT IN HUNTSVILLE.
IF I, IF I COULD JUST INTERJECT, PLEASE, SIR.
UM, WE HIRED THE COURT HIRED EVERGREEN AND PART OF THE EVERGREEN PROCESS WAS TO DO JOB CLASSIFICATION.
SO WE WENT THROUGH ALL THE PAY.
IT BROUGHT THAT FORWARD TO THE COURT.
AS PART OF THAT DOCUMENT, THEY HAD JOB CLASSIFICATIONS AND JOB DESCRIPTIONS.
MY UNDERSTANDING WAS WE WERE TO SEND EVERYTHING TO EVERGREEN, WHICH THE HR DEPARTMENT DID.
THIS WAS KIND OF IN THAT TRANSITION PERIOD.
SO IT WAS ALREADY IN THE HOPPER AND MY COMMENTS ARE STRICTLY, LOOK, IT NEEDS SOMEBODY TO FOCUS, BUT MY FOCUS WASN'T GOING TO DO IT.
EVERGREEN IS DOING ALL THAT PACE.
WE SUBSEQUENTLY HAD A MEETING.
I SENT YOU ALL THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS.
EVERGREEN IS THE ONE WHO'S WHO'S REVIEWING ALL THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS, NOT JERRY, JERRY'S NOT REVIEWING ANY JOB DESCRIPTIONS.
I AM SIMPLY SENT THAT THE HR TEAM PRIOR, PRIOR TO MY, MY, MY ROLE IS THE DIRECTOR SENT THEM TO EVERGREEN AND EVERGREEN HAS BEEN SLOWLY, SLOWER THAN SLOWER THAN, THAN, THAN EXPECTED, BUT SENDING BACK FORMATS, UH, THE FIRST PIECE.
SO THE WHOLE FIRST PIECE, AND THE REASON I BROUGHT IT UP IN COURT WAS THERE'S AN OPEN SWITCH.
THE COURT NEEDS TO GO THROUGH AND DECIDE COMMISSIONER BARBARA WAS IN A MEETING MEETING WITH US.
SO IT WAS COMMISSIONER HUNT, COMMISSIONER BARBARA AND BRITTANY AND I HAD ON THE SCREEN.
HERE'S ALL THE JOB CLASSIFICATIONS.
THE COURT NEEDS TO DECIDE WHETHER YOU ACCEPT THESE JOB CLASSIFICATIONS OR DON'T ACCEPT THESE JOB CLASSIFICATIONS.
AND THEN FROM THERE, EVERGREEN WAS TO WRITE JOB DESCRIPTIONS.
THAT WOULD BE WHAT'S THE RIGHT WORD, COINCIDING FOR LACK POSITIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
AND THEY WERE GOING TO DO ALL OF THIS.
THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF ALL OF THIS WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD JOB DESCRIPTIONS AND JOB CLASSIFICATIONS AND PAY THAT WAS SET UP ON A PEER GROUP DONE BY AN OUTSIDE CONSULTANT.
THAT WAS MY ENTIRE INVOLVEMENT IN THIS PROCESS.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE ADDRESSING THE COMPLAINT.
WHAT I HEAR THE COMPLAINT IS, OR WHAT COMMISSIONER HONDA IS SAYING IS THAT HE THINKS THAT, UM, THAT YOU ARE, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE WORD HE USED WAS CRUEL OR THAT YOU'RE YOU'RE TOO HARSH OR TOO MEANS.
NO, NO, I DON'T THINK WHAT IS THE DESCRIPTION? CAUSE I JUST THINK THAT SOMEONE, I JUST DON'T THINK THAT'S THE CHARACTER OF THE PEOPLE THAT I WANT DEALING WITH MY PEOPLE BECAUSE HE'S TOO MEAN TO THEM OR HARSH.
I JUST THINK THAT WHENEVER I THINK THERE'S ANOTHER AVENUE YOU COULD HAVE TAKEN FOR YOUR RESPONSE TO COMMISSIONER CAGE, INSTEAD OF SAYING, HEY, I'LL HELP YOU OUT THERE, DUDE.
I DIDN'T SAY, LET ME HELP YOU OUT THERE.
LET ME PUT SOME FOCUS, THOUGHTS ON THIS AND GET BACK TO YOU.
SO IT JUST TELLS ME YOU'RE SUPPORTING WHAT HE'S TRYING TO DO.
I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE HR TEAM.
I KNOW WHAT I WAS TRYING TO DO WAS GET ACCURATE POSITION DESCRIPTIONS, THE OVERCOME YOUR, MY PERCEPTION OF YOUR INTERFERENCE, UH, WITH SPECIFIC EMPLOYEES.
WELL, SO THAT'S THE INTENT OF THE EMAIL WAS TO GET, WAS TO SEEK AND ACHIEVE ACCURATE AND CURRENT POSITION DESCRIPTIONS.
AND ACTUALLY THE THING THAT YOU WERE SO UPSET, AND THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO.
AND I ASKED THE HR PERSON TO DO THAT.
[01:15:02]
WHAT WAS EXACTLY IN HER JOB DESCRIPTION.AND THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE WAY I THINK JERRY SHOULD HAVE RESPONDED TO THIS ISSUE, BUT IT'S WHAT REALLY SET YOU OFF.
MY SPECIFICALLY IN HER JOB DESCRIPTION, IT SAYS TO HELP COMMUNITY PARTNERS BECOME AWARE OF AVAILABLE GRANTS.
THE PROJECT MANAGER'S ROLE IN THIS SITUATION IS TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM NOT NECESSARILY TO APPLY OR MANAGE THEM.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WAS HAPPENING AT THE DEAL THAT PROMPTED ALL THIS, THAT THEY GOT, EVERYTHING STARTED, BUT THAT'S JUST GETTING SIDETRACKED.
I STILL THINK THAT THE RESPONSE SHOULD HAVE BEEN SOMETHING BETTER.
I EXPECT MORE FROM MY PEOPLE THAN TO TAKE PART WITH THIS KIND OF STUFF.
AND THEN THAT'S, THAT'S KINDA WHERE I'M AT.
WHAT KIND OF, OF STUFF THAT WE, THAT WE REVIEW POSITION DESCRIPTIONS FOR ACCURACY AND NO THAT ACTUALLY SUPPORTS SOMEONE.
THAT'S ACTUALLY WANTING TO DO SOMETHING TO UPDATE AND, AND ENSURE THAT ACCURACY.
I THINK YOU'RE BY SOMEONE THAT SUPPORTS A COMMISSIONER'S REQUEST TO UPDATE AN ACCURACY, YOU FIND THAT OBJECTIONABLE AND STICK IT IN ON ITS FACE AS WELL.
THAT'S YOU THAT'S, YOU, THAT'S NOT HIM.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SAY THAT THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO DIFFERENCE, MIKE.
BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S MY PROBLEM IS THAT SOMEONE THAT WOULD SUPPORT TO GO AGAINST SOMEBODY ELSE ON THE COURT THAT HE ACTUALLY WORKS FOR, THEY HELP ANOTHER ONE ON THE COURT.
I WOULD THINK THAT IF I WENT TO THAT LEVEL AND THAT SAYS SOMETHING TO JERRY ABOUT STICKING IT TO ANYBODY UP HERE, HE WOULD SAY, WHOA, WE'LL WE, WE, IF WE HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE ISSUE OF JOB DESCRIPTIONS, WE'LL BRING IT TO COURT.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I'M AT WITH THAT.
AND LIKE I SAID, YOU KNOW, I REALLY WANTED TO DO THIS IN EXECUTIVE SESSION SO WE COULD HASH OUT OUR PROBLEMS, BUT THIS, THIS IS WHERE IT'S AT RIGHT NOW.
SO, AND WE'VE GOT THOSE EMAILS THERE.
AND LAURA, IF YOU WANT TO GET ONE TO PUT ON THE, WITH THE COURT PACKET, I'D APPRECIATE IT, MR. HALL.
I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY ACTION THAT I TOOK.
I SIMPLY TOLD THE COMMISSIONER, I NEED TO PUT SOME THOUGHT AROUND THIS.
I'M NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT THE ACCIDENT I'M TALKING TO, THAT YOU ACTUALLY EVEN RESPONDED.
LET ME PUT SOME FOCUSED THOUGHTS ON THIS AND I'LL GET BACK TO YOU.
SO I DON'T SEE ONE THING INAPPROPRIATE ABOUT, ABOUT THINKING ABOUT IT IN HIS STEAD AS THE HR DIRECTOR AND MIKE IT'S, UH, UH, IT'S ABSOLUTELY, UH, A FALSE PREMISE TO THINK THAT ON ANY INSTANT THAT AN ISSUE THAT, THAT ADDRESSES THIS COUNTY IS GOING TO BE, UH, TELE TRANSPORTED IN FRONT OF THIS COURT.
THERE'S ALWAYS BACKGROUND RESEARCH THAT SHOULD BE DONE.
UH, AND, AND I THINK THERE'S NO, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M WILLING AND HAPPY TO PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.
I, UH, I, I REALLY HAVE, UH, QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR PERFORMANCE AS YOU DO MINE.
SO, UH, THAT'S AN ISSUE BETWEEN YOU AND I, BUT THE, THIS EMAIL ASKS THE HR DIRECTOR TO REVIEW FOR ACCURACY AND CURRENCY, A POSITION DESCRIPTION.
AND I DON'T THINK IT WAS LIMITED TO JUST ONE WASN'T LIMITED TO JUST ONE.
I THINK IT ALSO REFERENCES OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND, AND IT JUST SO HAPPENS TO BE DEPARTMENTS THAT YOU CONTINUALLY INTERJECT YOURSELF IN, IN A PROTECTIVE MANNER.
SO, UH, AGAIN, I DON'T SEE HOW THE, I DON'T SEE HOW THE HR DIRECTOR WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO BE, UH, THE UNCOMPENSATED HR DIRECTOR I MIGHT ADD WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO BE THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, HOW HIS RESPONSE TO ME, UH, IN MY, MY QUESTION ABOUT THE ACCURACY AND CURRENCY OF A POSITION DESCRIPTION IS IN ANY WAY, UNPROFESSIONAL, I WANT TO GO BACK TO THIS CHARACTER PROBLEM OR THIS CHARACTER CLAIM, UM, THAT, THAT, UH, YOU, YOU BROUGHT UP AND THE INITIAL THING YOU SAID ABOUT THAT YOU DON'T WANT SOMEBODY, UM, WITH HIS CHARACTER, UH, BLEEDING OR MANAGING OUR PEOPLE.
SO I'M CURIOUS TO HEAR, I GUESS Y'ALL BEEN LISTENING TO THIS, UH, I DON'T WANT TO PUT ANYBODY ON THE SPOT, UH, BUT I'VE BEEN TO PUT YOU ON, UH, NATHAN, COME UP HERE.
UM, SINCE, UH, SINCE JERRY BECAME YOUR, SINCE HE BECAME A SUPERVISOR AS COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, HAS THAT HELPED OR HAS THAT BEEN BENEFICIAL OR NEGATIVE FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT? AND HAVE YOU SEEN ANY CHARACTER ISSUES WITH HIM? I HAVE NOT.
I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY CHARACTER ISSUES WITH JERRY.
UM, AND I THINK IT HAS HELPED, UM, ORGANIZE THE DEPARTMENT HEADS.
SO SPEAKING FOR MYSELF AND MY DEPARTMENT, HE'S BEEN GREAT.
HE'S BEEN ALMOST A MENTOR FOR ME, SO.
UM, I'M SORRY TO PUT ALL YOUR, I'M GOING TO ASK THE SAME QUESTION CAUSE Y'ALL ARE, GO AHEAD, MONIQUE.
[01:20:01]
SAME QUESTION OR THE SAME TWO QUESTIONS HAS SINCE YOU'VE BEEN UNDER HIS SUPERVISION.HAS THAT BEEN HELPFUL FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT OR IS IT NOT BEEN HELPFUL? AND DO YOU, I MEAN, WE MIGHT AS WELL GET WHERE IT'S ALREADY OUT THERE.
SO WHAT IS IT, HAVE YOU HAD ANY ISSUES WITH HIS CHARACTER? UH, HE'S BEEN VERY HELPFUL TO ME.
YOU KNOW, HE WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING ALL MY FORMS DONE AND FILLABLE.
UM, UM, I HAVE ENJOYED THE DEPARTMENT HEAD MEETINGS BECAUSE I DON'T GET TO SEE ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS EVER.
SO THAT MEETING WAS VERY BENEFICIAL.
WE HAVE VERY GOOD COMMUNICATION BETWEEN ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS.
NOW WE GET TOGETHER MONTHLY OR BIWEEKLY NOW, UM, I DID HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE WEEKLY THING CAUSE I'M KIND OF BUSY, BUT, UM, THE BI-WEEKLY WAS, WAS, YOU KNOW, I ENJOYED IT.
WE READ BOOKS, I DIDN'T READ BEFORE OF ON TRAINING AND UNDERSTANDING MY PEOPLE, THAT KIND OF THING.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT AND I'M GOING TO PUT THIS OUT THERE THAT IT'S VERY HARD TO HAVE FIVE BOSSES AND TO PLEASE ALL OUR BOSSES.
SO HAVING ONE POINT OF CONTACT WAS EASIER FOR ME.
UM, I DO MISS COMING TO COURT AND GIVING MY OWN REPORT BECAUSE NO ONE CAN TELL WHAT MY DEPARTMENT DOES BETTER THAN I CAN.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE REPORTS WERE, UM, POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS AND PUT IN THE CONSENT AGENDA.
AND I GUESS I WOULD ASK, DID THAT TELL YOU ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT I DO? SO I HAD A PROBLEM WITH THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, I LEARNED HOW TO MAKE GREAT POWERPOINTS AND HOPEFULLY YOU GUYS LOOKED AT THEM, BUT I DO MISS SOME ASPECTS.
UM, BY BEING UNDER JERRY, WE'VE KIND OF LOST TOUCH WITH YOU GUYS.
THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY DOWNSIDE TO IT.
BUT I'VE LEARNED A LOT FROM JERRY HE'S HELPED ME QUITE A BIT.
SO NO DESERET, I AGREE THAT JERRY HAS BECOME, JERRY HELPED ME GROW A LITTLE BIT AND PLACES THAT I DIDN'T KNOW THAT I WAS LOST.
SO HE HELPED ME FIND THOSE AREAS.
UM, BUT I'M KINDA LIKE MONIQUE, I DON'T LIKE NOT HAVING THE COMMUNICATION WITH YOU GUYS.
I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO COME AND DO MY REPORT BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, YOU CAN ASK ME DIRECTLY IF THERE'S ANYTHING GOING ON, THAT IS ONE THING THAT I MISS AS WELL.
BUT AS FAR AS ANYTHING ELSE, I HAVEN'T HAD ANY ISSUES WITH JERRY, NO CHARACTER PROBLEM, NO CHARACTER.
I MEAN, I GET ALONG, BUT I GET ALONG WITH EVERYBODY.
SO, I MEAN, I'M HERE TO DO A JOB.
I'M HERE JUST TO BE HERE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
I'M HERE TO WORK WITH THEM AND DO WHATEVER.
UM, I NEED TO HELP MY, MY PEOPLE, THE CLIENTS THAT COME IN, THAT'S WHAT I'M HERE FOR.
UM, SO, WELL, THE REASON THIS IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME, CAUSE I THINK IF YOU DON'T HAVE, UH, I'VE NEVER, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DON'T, I'VE NEVER HAD SOMEBODY WORKING FOR ME AND I DIDN'T THINK THEIR CHARACTER WAS GOOD BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE ELSE YOU GO.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR, I HATE TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT LIKE THAT, BUT I FELT LIKE IT MIGHT BE GOOD TO HEAR FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
WITHIN MY PERSONAL DEPARTMENT OR WITHIN MY PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH MR. DEAN, I DON'T HAVE ANY EVIDENCE OF CHARACTER ISSUES.
UM, IF I GO TO JERRY AND ASK HIM A QUESTION, HE GENERALLY GETS BACK TO ME AND DOES WHAT I NEED.
I CAN SAY THAT, UH, JUST LIKE MS. MONIQUE AND, UH, DESERET, THERE ARE ASPECTS THAT WHERE JERRY DEAN HAS IMPROVED SOME THINGS IN MY OFFICE.
AND THEN THERE'S ALSO THAT, THAT MISS.
UM, IF YOU REMEMBER THE LAST MEETING THAT YOU CONDUCTED WITH DEPARTMENT HEADS, YOU AWARDED ME THIS BIG ROOSTER FROM MY REPORTS, RIGHT? THEN, HEY, I HAVE THIS BIG ROOSTER.
WELL THEN THE NEXT MONTH WE TOOK OVER UNDERNEATH MR. DEAN, AND THEN THE NEXT MONTH, ALL THE REPORTS CHANGED.
AND SO I DO TWO MISS COMING IN AND PUTTING MY EYES ON EACH OF YOU, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY YOU GUYS ARE MY BOSS.
WHAT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME WHEN THIS PROCESS TOOK PLACE THAT JERRY DEAN WAS GOING TO BE KIND OF THE IN-BETWEEN.
SO THAT AS A PANEL, YOU DIDN'T HAVE 15 DEPARTMENT HEADS KIND OF INUNDATING YOU WITH DIFFERENT VARIOUS REQUESTS.
AND SO THE ADMINISTRATIVE POSITION WAS PUT IN PLACE SO THAT YOU GUYS WOULD HAVE THAT KIND OF THE LIAISON MUCH LIKE THE SHERIFF IS YOUR DISCUSSION ABOUT THE SHERIFF AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE NOW KIND OF GO TO JERRY AND THEN JERRY BRINGS OUR ISSUES TO YOU.
UM, SO OUTSIDE OF THAT, I MEAN, PERSONALLY, I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST MR. DEAN GLOBALLY.
I WOULD RATHER DEAL WITH YOU DIRECTLY AS I DID THE FIRST FOUR YEARS
[01:25:01]
THAT I WAS HERE, BUT I LIKE TO BE ABLE TO GO TO JERRY DEAN AND GET ADVICE.AND HE HAS HELPED ME WITH A GREAT NUMBER OF THINGS.
HOW'S THE ROOSTER DOING IT'S IN MY OFFICE.
AND SINCE I WAS THE FIRST AND ONLY ONE, IT'S THE, WHERE IT'S GOING TO STAY.
IF I MAY PLEASE JUST, JUST MAKE A COMMENT REGARDING WHAT I'VE HEARD FIRST OFF.
OF COURSE, I'LL THANK YOU ON MY TEAM FOR, FOR, FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
BUT THE REASON THE REPORTING STRUCTURE IS IN PLACE IS BECAUSE COMMISSIONER TASTES BROUGHT FORWARD A KIND OF A STRUCTURED REPORTING MECHANISM.
THAT SAID, DO THESE REPORTS ON THESE DAYS.
AND I EVEN TOLD MY TEAM, LOOK, I'M GOING TO STRUGGLE WITH THIS.
I MAY FORMATS THAT WE GONE THROUGH, WE'VE DONE FOUR OR FIVE DIFFERENT FORMATS TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE THOUGHT WOULD WORK.
AND SO I TRIED TO ROLL ALL OF THOSE TOGETHER BECAUSE IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING BY THE, BY THE MOTION OF THE COURT THAT WE PUT THESE ON A CADENCE AND THAT IF THE COURT WANTED TO HEAR FROM SOMEBODY, YOU WOULD CALL THEM OUT.
AND SO I PUT THEM ON CORRESPONDENCE ON, ON THE CORRESPONDENCE AGENDA WHEN THEY'RE UP.
AND THEN IF YOU WANT TO CALL ONE OUT, CALL ONE OUT.
I ALWAYS TELL THE TEAM, LOOK, IF YOU GOT ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY, LET'S, LET'S, LET'S BE PREPARED FOR IT.
BUT SINCE THEN, NO, ONE'S CALLED ANYTHING OUT.
I GET IT, THAT, THAT THEY WOULD MUCH RATHER COME TO COURT.
AND I, I, WASN'T A BIG FAN OF IT OUT OF THE GATE.
JUST TRYING TO MAKE THINGS WORK WITH COMMUNICATIONS.
I DO A WEEKLY REPORT OFF AGENDA THAT I SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERYONE WITH NO RESPONSE, JUST WEEKLY BULLETED UPDATES ON THINGS.
AND MR. HUNTER, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'VE DONE.
I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW WHAT I'VE DONE TO HAVE SUCH FRICTION BETWEEN THE TWO OF US.
I APPLIED FOR A JOB IN FEBRUARY OF 2019.
I HAPPENED TO KNOW COMMISSIONER CAKES BECAUSE WE GO TO CHURCH TOGETHER.
I GET ACCUSED OF BEING HIS BUDDY.
I'M FRIENDS WITH ALL OF YOU, BUT DIDN'T LACK PRESCRIBING.
LIKE WE HANG OUT OR ANYTHING OF THE SORT.
I CAME TO HIM ONE DAY IN CHURCH SAYING I REALLY HAVE HAD ALL THE CORPORATE WORLD I CAN TAKE.
I'VE BEEN WITH THE ORGANIZATION FOR 27 YEARS, ALMOST 27 YEARS.
AND I'D TAKEN ALL I COULD TAKE.
I WANTED SOMETHING CLOSER TO HOME, SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE CALM, SOMETHING LESS COMMUTE.
HE SAID, HE TOLD ME THEN THAT HE WAS AWARE OF A POSITION THAT, THAT COUNTY JUDGE BRUCE WOOD IN THE FORMER COURT HAD PUT TOGETHER FOR A COUNTY SLASH BUDGET ADMINISTRATOR.
AND HE KNEW THAT POSITION WAS ON THE TOPIC OF THE COURT AND THAT HE EXPECTED THAT POSITION TO COME AVAILABLE.
I KEPT WATCHING THE WEBSITE THAT A JOB CAME UP.
MY UNDERSTANDING AND BASED ON RESEARCH, I WAS ONE OF 33 APPLICANTS FOR THAT JOB.
I HAVE NEVER MET HOW RICHARD'S PRIOR TO MY EMPLOYMENT HERE WE ARE NOT FRIENDS.
I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT HOW RICHARDS I INTERVIEWED FOR THAT JOB.
ON A FRIDAY, ABOUT A WEEK LATER, THE HR DIRECTOR AT THE TIME WAS A WOMAN NAMED MARY WESTBROOK.
SHE CALLED ME AND EXTENDED A VERBAL OFFER FOR ME TO TAKE A JOB.
THAT JOB HAD A JOB DESCRIPTION.
I READ THROUGH THAT JOB DESCRIPTION.
I TAILORED MY RESUME SO THAT IT WOULD ALIGN WITH THAT, WITH THAT POSITION.
AND ON APRIL 1ST, I STARTED AND IT WAS A, IT WAS A LEARN AS YOU GO.
AND IT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT, I BELIEVE THE JUDGE WOULD AGREE THAT WE WERE CHARTING SOME NEW GROUND.
AND SO WE PUT TOGETHER A PLAN AND THEN PRETTY QUICKLY WE GOT INTO BUDGET SEASON.
AND THEN A BIG PART OF THAT JOB DESCRIPTION WAS TO BE A BUDGET ADMINISTRATOR.
UM, I CAME IN AND DID WHAT I COULD, KAREN, I THINK CAN ATTEST THAT IT WASN'T THE GREATEST ONBOARDING.
UH, I DON'T KNOW THAT I DID THE GREATEST JOB OF, OF WORKING WITH KAREN AND HER OFFICE.
WE SAW THINGS, I DIDN'T HAVE HER HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THINGS AND SHE CERTAINLY DIDN'T HAVE MINE.
AND SO, SO AT FIRST WE, I WOULDN'T CALL IT CONFLICT, BUT WE SAW THINGS DIFFERENTLY, BUT WE WORKED THROUGH THEM AND WE PUT TOGETHER WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A GOOD COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET FOR THAT FIRST YEAR I MET WITH EACH DEPARTMENT.
I DID EVERYTHING I KNEW TO DO.
IN THE MEANTIME, THE JUDGE HAD ASKED ME TO WORK ON A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN, INCLUDING REBUILDING A WEBSITE, UH, WHICH I DID.
AND I FELT I DID A GOOD JOB OF PUTTING TOGETHER A WEBSITE, MONIQUE, EVEN REFERENCES, BUILDING FORMS THAT YOU CAN NOW FILL OUT, PUTTING IN COLOR GRAPHICS, TAKING OUT THE TYPOS.
I WORKED WITH EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT IN THIS COUNTY TO GET NEW PROFESSIONAL PHOTOS FOR EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT WANTED ONE, ET CETERA.
AND I WENT THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
IT WASN'T ABOUT A YEAR LATER, THIS COURT APPOINTED ME, THE HR DIRECTOR.
YOU DIDN'T GIVE ME ANOTHER DIME IN COMPENSATION, BUT I TOOK THAT JOB.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, I CAME TO COURT AND GAVE BACK 87,000 AND SOME CHANGE OUT OF THAT DEPARTMENT WITHIN THE FIRST MONTH AS BEING THE HR DIRECTOR, BY SAYING, WE DON'T NEED THE SALARIES.
LET'S RESTRUCTURE THAT TEAM PUT TOGETHER A DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THAT ORGANIZATION.
AND I BELIEVE THAT MOST PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTY WOULD SAY, HOW HAS THE HR DEPARTMENT BEFORE JERRY TOOK OVER VERSUS HOW HAS THE HR DEPARTMENT AFTER TERRY TOOK OVER? I BELIEVE THAT WOULD BE A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE FOR MOST INDIVIDUALS.
AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT I'VE HEARD.
[01:30:02]
I DON'T BELIEVE I DID ANYTHING EXCEPT MY JOB.AND THEN, AND THEN IT WASN'T TOO LONG.
AFTER THAT ON THE AGENDA FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION WAS TO DISCUSS THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR POSITION.
I CAME INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, COMMISSIONER HUNT, YOU HANDED ME A JOB DESCRIPTION AND AN ORG CHART AND SAID, THIS IS WHAT THIS COURT IS PROPOSING.
AND SO IT WAS THIS NEW STRUCTURE AND THAT STRUCTURE WAS NOW, YOU'RE GOING TO OVERSEE THESE 13 DEPARTMENTS AND GOING TO REPORT IN A DIFFERENT STRUCTURE.
AND YOU NEED TO MOVE OUT OF THE JUDGE'S OFFICE AND MOVE INTO A SEPARATE OFFICE BECAUSE YOU DON'T NEED TO BE UNDER THE JUDGE ANYMORE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT CAME ABOUT.
ALL I KNOW IS I CAME TO COURT AND EVERYBODY WAS ON THE SAME PAGE, EXCEPT MAYBE THE JUDGE AT THAT, AT THAT PARTICULAR POINT, I EVEN MADE THE COMMENT WITH, YOU KNOW, ANY, SOME TRANSITION TIME I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THIS MAN FOR OVER A YEAR.
AND I THINK HE DESERVES SOME TRANSITION TIME.
AND SO I WAS ALLOWED A LITTLE BIT OF TRANSITION TIME TO FIGURE OUT HOW YOU'RE GOING TO BACKFILL SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I DO.
I RECEIVED ZERO SALARY COMPENSATION FOR THAT JOB.
I WENT FROM SUPERVISING ZERO EMPLOYEES TO SUPERVISING 13 EMPLOYEES, NO COMPENSATION.
IT WAS A MOTION MADE TO ALLOW ME TO HAVE A CAR ALLOWANCE AND A CELL PHONE IN ACCORDANCE WITH OTHER COUNTY-WIDE POSITIONS.
IF YOU READ THAT JOB DESCRIPTION, I AM DOING THAT JOB TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY.
THERE ARE TIMES COMMISSIONER HOT, WHERE YOU YOU'VE INTERFERED IN, IN THE WAY THAT I TRY TO TRY TO DO THAT JOB.
AND PARTICULARLY WITH TWO PARTICULAR DEPARTMENTS AND THOSE DEPARTMENTS ARE THE FACILITIES DEPARTMENT AND THE PROJECT MANAGER AND THOSE PARTICULAR TWO POSITIONS.
I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT YOUR PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT THERE IS HIGHER THAN IT IS WITH THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE REPORT WITH.
AND IT COULD BE BECAUSE THEY'RE LOCATED IN THE SOUTH CAMPUS BUILDING WHERE YOU ARE.
I DON'T HAVE, I DON'T HAVE THAT ANSWER, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE ARE A COUPLE OF WHERE I HAVE GONE TO THOSE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND ASK THEM TO DO SOMETHING THAT I FELT WAS NEEDED AND WAS BETTER FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR FUTURE.
AND FOR THAT DEPARTMENT, SUCH AS PUTTING IN STRUCTURE, SUCH AS HAVING INVENTORY CONTROLS, SUCH AS GIVING ME ACCURATE REPORTING, THAT SHOWED HOW YOU'RE SPENDING YOUR DOLLARS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT A BUDGET PERSON DOES.
YOU FOLLOW THE MONEY AND YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT MONEY IS BEING, BEING CONTROLLED APPROPRIATELY.
AS WE WERE GOING INTO THIS NEW BUDGET PROCESS WITH OPENGOV, I NEEDED THE BETA TEST.
I NEEDED TO HAVE A DEPARTMENT THAT HAD MULTIPLE LINE ITEM EXPERIENCES.
I WORKED WITH THE PURCHASING AGENT TO SAY, HOW DO WE BREAK THESE THINGS OUT SO THAT WE CAN REALLY SEE HOW OUR DOLLARS ARE BEING SPENT? SO I, I WENT TO THE FACILITIES.
DEPARTMENTS SAID, CAN YOU BREAK OUT ALL YOUR PROJECTS? THEY COULDN'T DO IT.
AND SO I, YOU KNOW, WELL, HERE'S WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR.
CAN YOU, CAN YOU DO IT IN THIS FORMAT? AND THEY STRUGGLED.
WE FINALLY GOT TO SOMETHING THAT WAS A WORKABLE DOCUMENT, BUT IT WASN'T WHAT WE NEEDED.
I WENT TO RADON AND SAID, CAN YOU GIVE ME A BREAKDOWN OF HOW TO BREAK OUT PARTICULAR DEPARTMENTS SO WE CAN BUILD A BUDGET? I KNOW THAT YOU DIDN'T LIKE THAT.
DIDN'T LIKE THE WAY I APPROACHED BOBBY.
I WAS TOLD, I WAS TOLD THAT YOU TOLD ME IN YOUR OFFICE THAT YOU THOUGHT I WAS HANDLING IT WRONG.
USUALLY, IF YOU WANT SOMETHING FROM SOMEBODY, YOU SHOULD PROVIDE THEM CLEAR AND CONCISE DIRECTION, WHICH I DID ON A SECOND OCCASION, WE HAD A MEETING.
WE HAD A MEETING RIGHT AFTER I WAS APPOINTED THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
YOU, YOU ASKED FOR A MEETING TO TALK ABOUT SOLID WASTE.
I CAME TO SOUTH CAMPUS FACILITIES, DIRECTOR WAS THERE, UH, YOUR, YOUR ASSISTANT WAS THERE.
I WAS THERE A MAN NAMED TIM FROM BLACKJACK WAS THERE.
UH, DURING THAT MEETING, WE TRANSITIONED SOLID WASTE FROM PRECINCT, ONE OVER TO FACILITIES.
AND THE, AND THE EXACT COMMENTS WERE THAT FELICIA WOULD CONTINUE TO HELP WITH THE INVOICING.
BUT THAT BOBBY WAS TO TAKE OVER THE OPERATIONAL PIECES OF IT, WORK WITH PAM.
LET'S CONTINUE THIS TRANSITION.
SO WE DID SUBSEQUENTLY I FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A GRANT BEING WRITTEN FOR A PARTICULAR, UM, PICKUP DAY.
SO IT INCLUDED ELECTRONICS IN DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND SO WHEN I HEARD OF THE GRANT, I ASKED PAM, PAM, CAN I SEE THE GRANT? CAN I LOOK AT IT? AND I, CAN I TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND SEE HOW IT'S, HOW IT'S FORMATTED? AND SHE INFORMED ME THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN SUBMITTED.
SO I GO TO THE NORTH TEXAS COG SITE AND THERE IS A, WHAT I CALL A RUBRIC.
IT SAYS, THIS IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO SCORE YOUR GRANT.
SO I ASKED FOR A MEETING, PAM, CAN WE MEET AND GO OVER THIS, THIS GRANT? BECAUSE I WAS TOLD THERE WAS GOING TO BE A ZOOM PRESENTATION.
I SAID, I WOULD LIKE TO HELP WITH THE PRESENTATION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY.
I SAID, AND BY THE WAY, WOULD YOU SCORE IT? JUST, JUST GO THROUGH AND TAKE YOUR GRANT AND SCORE IT COMPARED TO THIS, THIS METRIC.
I GAVE IT A SLIGHTLY LOWER SCORE.
AND THE GRANT WAS SUBMITTED A FEW DAYS LATER, YOU CAME INTO MY OFFICE UPSET YOU, YOU WERE OBVIOUSLY
[01:35:01]
UPSET.YOU HAD A VERY AGGRESSIVE VOICE.
YOU, YOU YELLED AT ME AND TOLD ME THAT IT, WHEN IT CAME TO SOLID WASTE, PAM IS COURT ORDERED THAT PAM REPORTED TO YOU AND SHE'S THE GRANT WRITER AND YOU NEED TO STAY OUT OF IT.
I SAID, WELL, WHAT ABOUT MY JOB DESCRIPTION? AND MY ORG CHART? AND YOUR EXACT WORDS WAS THOSE DON'T MEAN ANY USE KIND OF THE S WORD EXPLICITLY TO ME IN MY OFFICE.
YOU REGRESSED, IF YOU WERE UPSET.
SO I SAID, OKAY, LOOK, I'LL, I'LL STAY OUT OF SOLID WASTE.
SUBSEQUENTLY THOUGH, THAT GRANT WAS FILED.
AND THAT GRANT TOTAL AWARD WAS ABOUT $60,000.
WE GOT $30,000 BECAUSE WE GOT ABOUT HALF OF WHAT, OF WHAT THE TOTAL AWARD WAS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THOSE ARE COINCIDENTAL OR NOT, BUT I WOULD BEST GUESS BASED UPON THE SCORING.
I JUST, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S BEEN AN ONGOING, ONGOING AGGRESSIVENESS TOWARDS ME.
WHEN I FIRST STARTED WORKING HERE, YOU CALLED ME SAUSAGE MAN AND CALLED ME JUDGES MINI ME.
I WALKED, I WALKED IN, I WALKED INTO THIS COURT AND I SAID, COMMISSIONER, I JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS ABOUT ME.
YOU DON'T LACK WHY YOU CALLING ME THESE NAMES.
YOUR WORDS WERE WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST HOW I, THAT'S JUST MY, MY, MY TOP OF BEHAVIOR.
BUT I WORKED FOR A CORPORATION FOR OVER FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS.
I KNOW A LOT ABOUT HR STRUCTURE.
I KNOW A LOT ABOUT HOW YOU SHOULD TREAT EMPLOYEES AND HOW YOU SHOULD NOT TREAT EMPLOYEES.
AND IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN HARD.
IT'S BEEN AN EASY, I'VE MADE THESE COMMENTS TO THE JUDGE BEFORE I'VE GONE TO HIS OFFICE AND SAID, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO DO.
I HAVE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH COMMISSIONER KATES ABOUT IT.
WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO? HOW SHOULD I ADDRESS THEM? AND I TRY TO ADDRESS THEM TO YOU WHEN I CAN, BUT IT'S TO THE POINT WHERE I CAN'T TALK WITH YOU, BECAUSE EVERY TIME I DO, IT'S SOMETHING EITHER DEROGATORY.
WHEN YOU CALL YOU CALL THE OSF S GUYS WAYNE WAS IN HERE JUST A LITTLE BIT AGO, YOU CALL THEM POOP POLICE.
THAT'S WHAT THE THAT'S THE WORD YOU USED WITH ME IS POOP POLICE AND HOOP POLICE.
HE CALLS HIM THE POOP POLICE AND HE TOLD ME HE DIDN'T WANT THE POOP POLICE, UH, INSPECTING BUILDINGS.
I JUST, AGAIN, I TAKE IT IN STRIDE.
SO I DON'T, I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR THAT MY CHARACTER'S BEING ATTACKED HERE.
I, I, I'M A FAN WHO, WHO BELIEVES IN MY CHARACTER, I BELIEVE IN TREATING PEOPLE PROPERLY.
I BELIEVE IN TREATING PEOPLE APPROPRIATELY.
I DON'T DO MEAN THINGS TO ANYONE.
I'M NOT A MEAN HEARTED PERSON.
YOU KNOW, I, I WAS SHARED A PRETTY HARSH, UM, INCIDENT.
YOU KNOW, IT WAS SHARED WITH ME AS THE HR DIRECTOR.
IT WAS, IT BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT THERE WAS AN INCIDENT IN SOUTH CAMPUS WHERE PAM QUARTER HAD HAD A PIECE OF FURNITURE.
UH, I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT DETAIL OF THAT, BUT THEY WERE OUT THERE DISPOSING OF THINGS IN THE CAMPUS AND THIS PIECE OF EQUIPMENT OR PIECE OF ITEM, WHATEVER IT MAY BE GOT DISPOSED, UH, INADVERTENTLY AND PAM DIDN'T LIKE THAT.
AND I THINK IT WAS ALREADY, AND IT'S UP TO THE COURT.
IT'S FINE TO DISCUSS YOUR SITUATION, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S APPROPRIATE, DISCUSS OTHER PEOPLE'S PERSONAL THING, UNLESS IT RELATES DIRECTLY TO YOU, BUT THAT'S JUDGE'S CALL.
AND THE COURT, I GET TO THE POINT, I GUESS THE POINT IS I WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT THERE WAS A VERY HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT THAT HAPPENED AT THE COURT.
SO I'M TALKING ABOUT CHARACTER AND, AND JUST REINFORCING THE, MY CHARACTER VERSUS THE CHARACTER THAT I'VE BEEN TOLD.
AND THAT COMMISSIONER HEIN DIDN'T LIKE WHAT HAD HAPPENED.
AND HE WENT OUT THERE AND BERATED FOR THE FACILITIES TEAM AND AN OUTSIDE VENDOR AND MADE A PRETTY HARD SITUATION BECAUSE OF IT.
AND BECAUSE IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION, I WASN'T SURE WHAT TO DO.
I'VE HAD MULTIPLE OCCASIONS WHERE THE CIVIL, THE CIVIL TEAM HAS TOLD ME THAT I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY SCOPE OF AUTHORITY OVER AN ELECTED OFFICIAL WHEN IT COMES TO COUNTY POLICIES.
AND SO I SIMPLY JUST WROTE IT UP AND SENT IT TO THE SENATE, TO YOUR OFFICE AND SENT IT TO HER.
AND THAT WAS, THAT WAS, THAT WAS WHERE IT RESTED.
BUT I, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE'S AN ONGOING ATTACK ON MY CHARACTER.
BE CLEAR BECAUSE IF YOU'RE BEING CLEAR AGAIN, DISCUSSING OTHER PEOPLE'S RELATIONSHIPS, AS IT RELATES TO THE COUNTY, I BELIEVE IS INAPPROPRIATE.
THE SPECIFIC REQUEST YOU SPOKE OF, YOU NEVER FILLED OUT THE HR DOCUMENT.
WE ASKED YOU TO FILL OUT, BUT YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT THAT ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS WORK AT THE DISCRETION OF THE ELECTORATE, UNLESS THERE'S REASONS WHICH YOU UNDERS MAY UNDERSTAND, OR MAY NOT WHERE THAT PERSON COULD BE REMOVED FOR OFFICE, WHICH IS STATUTORILY SET OUT.
WHICH IS NOT A COMPLAINT YOU HAD, BUT TO BE CLEAR, YOU DID NOT COMPLETE THE PROCESS AND YOU MAY HAVE DECIDED TO ABANDON IT AFTER I ADVISED I'M NOT ACCUSING YOU OF NOT COMPLETING IT.
YOU MIGHT'VE DECIDED TO ABANDON.
UM, I'M JUST NOT AWARE OF A FORM THAT WAS ASKED TO FILL OUT.
I MAY HAVE MISSED SOMETHING, BUT
[01:40:01]
GRIEVANCE FORM THAT WAS ASKED TO BE COMPLETED.AND WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED THAT BACK YET.
IF YOU COULD JUST RESEND THAT TO ME.
I DON'T, I DON'T RECALL EVER SEEING FOR THE EMAIL TO YOU THAT WE SENT PREVIOUSLY.
AGAIN, I JUST DON'T BELIEVE IT'S FAIR.
THAT, THAT, THAT MY CHARACTERS ON THE LINE HERE, I, I RECEIVED TWO PERFORMANCE REVIEWS SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.
UH, BOTH OF THOSE PERFORMANCE REVIEWS HAVE BEEN, HAVE BEEN GOOD.
I MEAN, I, I DIDN'T HAVE ANY, ANY THINGS IN THERE.
THE ONLY THE SMALL LITTLE PIECES OF THINGS THAT WERE ROSETTE, DID YOU KNOW WHERE YOU HAD AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY TO GROW? I PUT FORTH A PLAN AND WROTE OUT GOALS AND, AND MOVE FORWARD.
SO AGAIN, I, I JUST WANT TO DO A GOOD JOB.
I JUST WANT TO DO A GOOD JOB FOR THIS COUNTY.
I SHOW UP EVERY DAY, I'M USUALLY THE FIRST ONE IN THE BUILDING, AND I TRY TO GIVE IT MY ALL EVERY DAY THAT I'M HERE.
I I'VE TRIED TO HELP EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT I HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO LEAVE, JUST MAKE THEIR DEPARTMENT AND THEIR LIVES BETTER.
AS FAR AS THE, AS FAR AS THE SOLID WHITE STUFF, WE HAD THAT MEETING FELICIA DIDN'T TAKE CARE OF THE BILLS.
AND THE TRANSITION WAS GOING TO BE MADE OCTOBER 1ST WITH BOBBY AND BOBBY BEING INSIDE THE LOOP AND EVERYTHING AND YOU TO, TO TRY TO SOLVE SOME PROBLEMS IN THE MIDDLE.
BUT EVERYTHING IN THE TRANSITION WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE PLACE OCTOBER 1ST, AS FAR AS THE COMMENT ABOUT THE, UM, YOU, YOU WERE IN MY OFFICE AND, UH, OF COURSE FELICIA WAS THERE, YOU KNOW, MY ADMIN ASSISTANT, WHICH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, I KNOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, BUT WHENEVER YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT DEALING WITH HR, THAT WAS THE DAY YOU CAME IN AND WE WENT OVER OPENGOV.
IT'S THE ONLY MEETING I'VE EVER HAD WITH YOU WAS WHEN YOU CAME TO OUR OFFICE WITH THE OPENGOV DEAL, AND YOU SPECIFICALLY SAID YOU ONLY HAD ONE MEETING WITH HIM.
WELL, THAT'S THE ONLY MEETING I HAD WITH THOSE, WITH JERRY THAT WAS SET UP THAT PARTICULARLY OTHER STUFF WASN'T SET UP.
UH, BUT, UM, HE CAME DOWN THERE AND WE HAD A MEETING DOWN IN THE OFFICE, I GUESS, WHERE I'M THE ONLY ONE, BUT YOU SPECIFICALLY SAID, AND I'D SHARED THIS COMMISSIONER
AND YOU DIRECTLY SAID TO ME THAT I, AND I'M NOT GONNA TELL THEM WHAT THEY NEED TO DO.
AND I TOLD YOU, NO, THERE COMES A TIME WHENEVER YOU HAD TO PUT ON YOUR BIG BOY PANTS AND SHARE WITH THEM WHAT YOU WANT AND HOW TO GET IT.
AND I THINK THAT'S PRETTY MUCH QUOTE UNQUOTE, WHAT I SAID TO YOU AFTER YOU MADE THAT COMMENT.
SO, YOU KNOW, IS THAT KIND OF THINGS THAT, THAT, THAT JUST KIND OF STOOD OUT WITH ME, AND THEN OF COURSE THIS WHERE YOU'RE ACCEPTING WHAT SOMEONE'S TRYING TO DO TO ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR BOSSES AND MOVE FORWARD WITH IT IS, UH, YOU KNOW, TO ME, IT JUST PUT SOME QUESTIONS AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE, OUR POSITION AS COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
AND IF WE JUST, IF WE NEED TO DO THIS, OR IF WE NEED TO MAKE A TRANSITION TO GO BACK AND THEN INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONERS ARE LIES ON US WITH ALL THESE DEPARTMENTS.
SO THAT'S KINDA WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW.
NO, WE'RE NOT QUITE THERE YET.
YOU, YOU, UH, SO, SO I'M GLAD THAT YOU CIRCLED BACK TO YOUR ORIGINAL POINT.
UH, YOU, SO DEFINITELY INSERTED THIS EMAIL, UH, BUT YOU SORT OF CHERRY PICKED WHAT YOU WANTED TO READ ABOUT IT, UH, BECAUSE, UH, THE CONTENT, THE, THE, THE ATMOSPHERICS SURROUNDING THAT EMAIL HAD TO DO WITH, UM, A COUNTY EMPLOYEE GIVING ON YOUR INSTRUCTION TO CITIES REGARDING, UH, AMERICAN RECOVERY ACT FUNDS.
UM, THE POINT I HAD MADE PREVIOUSLY TO YOU AND YOU, UH, THIS WAS EMAIL MY PRIVATE ONE PRIVATE EMAIL THAT YOU SENT ME, UH, UH, I MADE THE POINT WITH YOU VERBALLY.
I DON'T GO BACK AND, AND PULL EVERY EMAIL THAT I HAVE, BUT NONETHELESS, IF YOU JUST ALLOW ME TO FINISH, NONETHELESS, THE ISSUE WAS THAT THE COUNTY HAD EMPLOYED A CONSULTANT, UH, BECAUSE THOSE MATTERS WERE VERY COMPLEX.
AND, UH, SO MY CONCERN AT THAT TIME WAS THAT THAT EMPLOYEE PROBABLY WASN'T IN HER JOB DESCRIPTION AND PROBABLY SHOULDN'T BE SHARING, UH, OR ADVISING CITIES ON AMERICAN RECOVERY ACT FUNDS.
AND THAT'S WHAT PREDICATED, UH, BROUGHT MY ATTENTION TO THIS.
BUT, UH, SINCE THE POINT YOU MAKE IS THAT, IS THAT SOMEHOW YOU PERCEIVE YOUR PERCEPTION, YOUR PERSONAL PERCEPTION IS THAT SOMEHOW GERRY AND APPROPRIATELY WAS, UH, UH, WAS INVOLVED IN, IN SOMEHOW, UH, BEING, UH, CRITICAL
[01:45:01]
OF, UH, OF A, UH, INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONER.WHEN IN FACT, BY YOUR OWN STATEMENTS, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A MATTER THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BEFORE THE COURT.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID, RIGHT? SO IF YOU LOOK AT THIS ACTUAL, UH, EMAIL, IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE CONTENT, LET ME JUST QUOTE TO YOU WHAT I WROTE IN MY MIND.
THIS IS WHAT I WROTE TO JERRY, THAT HE RESPONDED TO, THAT HE WOULD PUT SOME FOCUS THOUGHTS ON IT.
THIS IS WHAT I WROTE IN MY MIND.
THE ANSWER TO THIS IS A COURT DECISION ON UPDATING PAM'S POSITION, DESCRIPTION AND ORG POSITION.
SO I THINK CLEARLY THE CONTENT HERE IMPLIES THAT ANY ACTION THAT MIGHT, THAT MIGHT GO FORWARD WOULD BE A COURT DECISION IT'S WRITTEN RIGHT IN THERE.
UM, AND, AND THEN IT ALSO ADDRESSED OTHER POSITIONS AS WELL THAT I FELT NEEDED TO BE REVIEWED FOR, UH, THE COMMISSIONER HONDA EXCEEDING HIS AUTHORITY TO DIRECT AN INDIVIDUAL INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEE.
ABSOLUTELY STILL IS MY CONCERN.
SO WHAT WERE YOU DOING? YOU WERE DIRECTING AN INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEE.
SO YOU CAN, I WAS ASKING THE HR DIRECTORS THOUGHTS, WHAT YOU SEE YOU, WHAT'S A, YOU, I ASKED THE HR DIRECTORS THOUGHTS ABOUT HER POSITION DESCRIPTION.
SO THIS IS CLEARLY AN ISSUE BETWEEN YOU AND I, BUT NO, AND FOR THE, YOU KNOW, JUST FOR YOUR EDIFICATION, I BROUGHT WITH ME TODAY, SOME, SOME, A PRETTY SOLID STANDARD DEVICE ON HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENTS AND WORKPLACE BULLYING.
SO YOU MAY WANT TO AVAIL YOURSELF OF THAT PARTICULAR INFORMATION, BUT THIS, THIS EMAIL, THIS IS BETWEEN YOU AND I, BUT AS IS TYPICAL IN HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENTS, IT INVOLVE THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR WHATSOEVER.
AND, AND HIS ROLE IS TO ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS REGARDING MATTERS, SUCH AS POSITION DESCRIPTIONS, SCOPE OF DUTIES, ALL OF THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
I ALSO HAVE QUITE A BIT OF HR EXPERIENCE, AND I DON'T THINK THERE WAS ANYTHING IN HERE BEYOND THE UNFORTUNATE PHRASE THAT I WAS GOING TO PUT IT IN YOUR FACE.
SO FOR THAT, I APOLOGIZE TO YOU PUBLICLY, BUT NONETHELESS, UH, THE ENVIRONMENT THAT EXISTS BETWEEN YOU, I THINK IS, IS, UH, REALLY IS WHAT THAT PARTICULAR COMMENT WAS ABOUT.
IT DIDN'T IN ANY WAY INVOLVE THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
UM, I'M ANXIOUS TO GET SOME, UH, CLOSURE TO THIS DISCUSSION.
UM, TO ME, THERE'S TWO ISSUES AND I'M HAPPY TO LISTEN FOR DEBATE ON THIS.
TO ME, THERE'S TWO ISSUES WHEN IT COMES TO THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, UH, IS HIS CHARACTER, IS THERE SOMETHING TO ILLUSTRATE THAT HIS CHARACTER IS NOT ACCEPTABLE, UH, AS A MANAGER, AS A LEADER IN THE COUNTY? THAT'S ONE QUESTION, IS THERE SOME EVIDENCE TO THAT? THE OTHER QUESTION IS, IS HIS PERFORMANCE INADEQUATE? IS HE, HOW GOOD OF A JOB HAS HE DONE? UH, WE'VE HEARD SOME FROM SOME DEPARTMENT HEADS AND THEY SEEM LIKE THEY, THE PEOPLE ON THE FRONTLINE SEEM LIKE THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'RE GETTING SUPPORT FROM HIM.
NONE OF THEM EXPRESSED ANY ISSUES ABOUT HIS CHARACTER.
SO I GUESS IF SOMEBODY HAS A SPECIFIC COMPLAINT ABOUT HIS CHARACTER OR A SPECIFIC COMPLAINT ABOUT HIS PERFORMANCE, UH, WE'VE HEARD FROM THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY EXECUTING THE WORK OF THE COUNTY.
SO WHAT, WHAT IS THE SPECIFIC COMPLAINT ABOUT HIS CHARACTER IN THIS SPECIFIC COMPLAINT ABOUT HIS PERFORMANCE? IF ANY, IF I MAY JUST SAY SOMETHING HERE TOO.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHAT WE HAVE HERE MORE THAN ANYTHING, MY OPINION IS PERSONALITY ISSUES.
I MEAN, UH, I, I NEVER LIKED THE WHOLE IDEA OF THE POSITION, UH, THAT WAS CREATED.
UM, WHEN JUDGE WOOD WAS LEAVING OFFICE FOR JERRY'S POSITION, THAT'S NOTHING AGAINST HERE.
HE HAS A PERSON, LIKE, I JUST DIDN'T LIKE THE IDEA OF THE $90,000 A YEAR SALARY TO BASICALLY BE THE JUDGE'S ASSISTANT.
I DIDN'T SEE ANY POINT IN THAT.
SO WE'VE EVOLVED THAT AND MOVED IT INTO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
UM, WHICH I THINK FOR THE MOST PART HAS WORKED.
UM, I PERSONALLY HAVEN'T SEEN ANY MAJOR ISSUES, UH, AND NOBODY'S COME TO ME WITH ANY PROBLEMS TO ME PERSONALLY.
UH, JERRY AND I HAVE HAD A FEW THINGS THAT WE'VE HAD TO WORK OUT AND WE GOT THEM WORKED OUT.
UH, BUT THE MORE I LISTENED TO THIS, THE MORE STUFF I SEE, UH, EMAILS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, I THINK IT COMES DOWN TO MORE THAN ANYTHING.
IT'S A PROBLEM BETWEEN YOU AND YOU.
JERRY JUST GOT CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT BECAUSE HE REPLIED TO AN EMAIL.
I, I DON'T REALLY SEE WHERE ANYTHING COMES INTO QUESTION WITH JERRY'S CHARACTER, THE WAY
[01:50:01]
HE REPLIED TO THIS.I MATTER OF FACT, I THINK IT WAS KIND OF A SMART REPLY, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
HE'S NOT COMMITTING HIMSELF TO ANYTHING.
HE'S JUST SAYING, GIVE ME A CHANCE TO FOCUS ON SOME OF THIS.
YOU KNOW, HE DIDN'T SAY, LET ME FIND WHAT I CAN FOR YOU, YOU KNOW, OR WHATEVER, SO THAT I'M GONNA LEAVE THAT WHERE IT IS.
BUT, UM, MY OPINION, THERE'S A LOT THAT YOU TWO GUYS NEED TO GET WORKED OUT.
I'M GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT I LOVE MY JOB AS COUNTY COMMISSIONER.
I HATE THIS BS EVERY DAMN WEEK.
I HATE IT, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE BACK THERE AND WE'RE HAVING TO TELL Y'ALL CALM DOWN BECAUSE PEOPLE OUT HERE LISTENING TO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, OKAY, THAT GETS OLD AND YOU CAN ASK MY WIFE.
SO I'D RATHER TAKE A BEAT AND THEN COME DOWN HERE SOMETIMES ON TUESDAY MORNING BECAUSE OF THIS CONSTANT CRAP.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE.
MAYBE Y'ALL NEED TO GET A ROOM AND HASH IT OUT.
MAYBE YOU WANT TO HEAR TO THE BOX AND RANG IN AND DUKE IT OUT.
I DON'T KNOW THAT SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE WORKED OUT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I'VE ALWAYS CONSIDERED MY SOMEBODY TO GET ALONG WITH ANYBODY I'M REALLY, I'VE TRIED HARD TO, AND I THINK I CAN, BUT WHEN PERSONALITIES GET INTO IT, YOU NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE DIFFERENCES ARE AND GET THEM WORKED OUT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I DON'T COMPLETELY AGREE WITH HOW EVERYTHING IS BEING RUN ON THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S POSITION, NOT SO MUCH JERRY HIMSELF.
THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT I THINK WE CAN WORK OUT IN THE COURT.
UH, BUT, UH, FOR HIM OR ANYBODY ELSE TO GET PULLED INTO A PROBLEM THAT Y'ALL HAVE IS NOT RIGHT.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE WORKED OUT.
UH, AND THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE THAT YOU DISCUSSED HAD TO DO WITH THE MISREPRESENTATION THAT COMMISSIONER HUNT MADE REGARDING THE ISSUE THAT WAS BROUGHT UP EARLIER ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR HAD PROVIDED ADEQUATE DIRECTION.
UH, AND, AND THE MITIGATING COMMENTS WHEN HE REQUESTED INFORMATION FROM HIS DEPARTMENTS, COMMISSIONER HUNTS MADE THE PUBLIC COMMENT IN THIS COURT.
I THINK WE'RE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION ACTUALLY.
THAT, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS PURE MEANNESS THAT JERRY HAD TOLD HIM.
HE DIDN'T TELL BOBBY THAT HE TOLD COMMISSIONER HUNT THAT HE WASN'T GONNA ACCEPT THOSE REPORTS.
AND WHAT I DID WAS I PROVIDED YOU DOCUMENTED EVIDENCE THAT THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR HAD NOT ONLY PROVIDED THAT GUIDANCE TO HIS DEPARTMENTS INITIALLY, BUT HE HAD PROVIDED IT ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS.
SO THAT IS THE CONCEPT THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I'LL ALSO JUST, UH, UH, REMIND THIS COURT.
THAT'S THE SECOND TIME COMMISSIONER BARBARA HAS TALKED ABOUT, UH, TWO GUYS ON THIS COURT THAT NEEDED TO WORK IT OUT.
INITIALLY COMMISSIONER BARBARA MADE THAT STATEMENT, THAT COMMISSIONER HUNT AND THE JUDGE NEEDED TO WORK IT OUT.
AND NOW IT'S COMMISSIONER HUNT.
AND I, SO THE THE, IN MY MIND, THE ISSUE HERE IS ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, AND TRUTHFULNESS ABOUT WHAT GETS SAID IN THIS COURT, OR WHAT GETS SAID IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
AND, UH, I'M HAPPY TO WORK WITH ANYONE, BUT I WILL NOT TOLERATE, UH, MISINFORMATION OR MISAPPLICATION OF THE FACTS TO SUIT ANYONE ELSE'S PERSONAL AGENDA.
WELL, I GUESS I'M QUIET AS ONE OF THEM WON'T AGREE WITH TERRY BARBARA.
I DON'T, I DON'T PARTICULARLY LIKE HAVING THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR NOW.
I DON'T MIND, BUT I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING AGAINST JERRY, BUT I DO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF ISSUE WITH NOT COMMUNICATING WITH ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS.
UH, I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT AND I STRESSED THAT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
I SAID, YOU KNOW, ROCK ALL OF THE COUNTIES.
IF YOU WANT TO PUT SOMEBODY IN CHARGE OF A DEPARTMENT, THEN IT OUGHT TO BE UNDER THE, UNDER THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION.
THAT'S JUST THE WAY I FEEL ABOUT IT.
I FEEL LIKE WE'RE GOING OUT OF OUR BOUNDARIES WHEN WE GO AND HIRE SOMEBODY.
SO ACTUALLY DO OUR ELECTED JOBS.
AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT, WHAT I SAID.
I SAID, YOU KNOW, NOT UP, UH, 30 COUNTIES IN TEXAS AND THE LARGER COUNTIES HAVE A COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND I SHOWED THEM TO THEM.
AND THEN I DO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, GREAT BIG MULTIPLE, SOME SMALLER ONES, HUNDREDS, THOUSANDS.
AND THEY'RE PROBABLY REAL SMALL.
THEY'RE EITHER REAL SMALL, REAL BIG IN BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S, I, I KNOW WHEN IT'S A TOUGH MOVE, BUT I'VE TALKED
[01:55:01]
TO, UH, TO, YOU KNOW, UM, ALISON ABOUT IT AND EVERYBODY ELSE.I, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST THE WAY I FEEL.
I MEAN, I JUST, I JUST LIKE COMMUNICATE WITH THEM.
Y'ALL KNOW THAT I LIKE THEM COMING TO COURT AND GIVING REPORTS.
I STARTED THAT KAREN WAS HERE.
I STARTED THAT SEVEN YEARS AGO BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE REPORTS.
SO, YOU KNOW, AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE NEED TO DO AWAY WITH SOMETHING.
I'M SAYING THAT I DON'T ENJOY IT.
I'M SAYING THAT IT'S NOT A GOOD THING.
I DON'T THINK IT'S A GOOD SYSTEM.
YOU CAN SHAKE YOUR HEAD, BUT DON'T DO THAT.
I D I'M JUST SAYING THAT I LIKE OUR FOLKS, THESE PEOPLE RIGHT HERE REPORTING TO US NOW, IF WE WOULD LIKE SURE, WE COULD DIVIDE UP DEPARTMENTS THAT WE NEED TO LET THEM HAVE SOMEBODY PERSONALLY TO REPORT TO.
I KNOW ROCK WALL DOES I KNOW SEVERAL OTHER COUNTIES THAT DO THAT.
A LOT OF THEM DO IT, BUT I DON'T KNOW.
AND I DON'T MIND HAVING A COMMUNICATION PERSON WITH THEM.
I DON'T MIND THAT JOB IN ONE SENSE, BUT I ALSO VERY MUCH DISLIKE IT.
UM, THAT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST HOW I FEEL, AND THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS.
COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS, UH, FIRST OF ALL, COUNTY JUDGES, CORRECT THE POSITION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AS WELL, ESTABLISHED, RIGHT? UH, THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS.
SO, SO I'M HAPPY TO PROVIDE YOU EVIDENCE AND DOCUMENTATION FOR THAT.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE IT SECOND, UH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AGAIN, TO CONSIDER HISTORY.
UM, MONTHS AGO, MONTHS I PROPOSED AN OPEN COURT.
IT WAS MY PROPOSAL INITIALLY TO ESTABLISH A COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, TO ADJUST THE INITIAL POSITION, WHICH WAS TERMED ADMINISTRATOR AND EXPAND IT TO CA COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR PROPOSED IT IN OPEN COURT UPSTAIRS.
AND IN THAT MEETING, I EVEN HANDED OUT A PROPOSED POSITION DESCRIPTION OR DRAFT IF YOU WILL.
AND THAT MEETING THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT, INCLUDING THE COUNTY JUDGE, UH, BASICALLY TURNED ME DOWN, UH, UH, TOLD ME THAT WASN'T A GOOD IDEA THAT WE, WE DIDN'T NEED TO DO THAT.
SUBSEQUENTLY, SUBSEQUENTLY THIS COURT DETERMINED THAT THEY WANTED TO HAVE A COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
I WAS A LITTLE TAKEN ABACK THAT SUDDENLY SOMEONE THOUGHT MY IDEA MONTHS LATER WAS, WAS A GOOD IDEA, RIGHT? AND THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT VOTED TO CREATE THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
YOU VOTED FOR IT AND, AND YOU IMPLEMENTED IT.
SO NOW, UH, IN HISTORICAL REFLECTION, YOU DON'T LIKE IT.
YOU DON'T, YOU'RE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH IT.
UH, EVEN THOUGH WE'VE HEARD HERE TODAY THAT IT'S BEEN BENEFICIAL, THAT THE DEPARTMENT HEADS HAVE FOUND IT TO BE HELPFUL.
AND AS WE IN OUR EARLY DISCUSSION REGARDING THE FIRE MARSHALL, AS WE SAID, I LISTENED TO, YOU KNOW, AS WE SAID, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR ANYONE TO WORK FOR A COMMITTEE FOR A COMMITTEE.
AND WE ALSO MADE SPECIFIC PROVISIONS.
AT THE IN FACT, I DRAFTED THEM AT THE REQUEST OF THE COURT.
SO THAT REPORTING RECURRING REPORTING, NOT JUST OF DEPARTMENT HEADS, BUT ALSO OF, UH, OF NGOS AND EVERY OTHER ORGANIZATION THAT WE DEAL WITH HERE AS A COMMISSIONER'S COURT, THAT THEY WOULD BE ON A SPECIFIC SCHEDULE.
IN FACT, WE EVEN INCLUDED AN INVITATION TO ELECTED OFFICIALS TO COME AND COMMUNICATE WITH THE COURT.
SO WE IMPLEMENTED LOTS OF PROVISIONS FOR REPORTING.
UH, IT, FRANKLY, IT HASN'T HAPPENED.
HASN'T REALLY NEVER REALLY TOOK HOLD, BUT THOSE I'LL BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE YOU THOSE DOCUMENTS.
THAT SCHEDULE WAS, WAS ALSO APPROVED BY THIS COURT.
SO THE, UH, THE ISSUE OF THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR WAS WHAT'S REALLY FORMULATED BY SOME PEOPLE SITTING RIGHT UP HERE ON THIS PODIUM AND THEN VOTED ON AND APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.
SO, UH, ANY, ANY DISSATISFACTION WITH IT SHOULD BE WITH OURSELVES BECAUSE WE AGREED TO IT.
WE IMPLEMENTED IT, AND IT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE SPECIFIC INDIVIDUAL THAT WAS APPOINTED TO THAT JOB.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK TO THIS ONE MORE TIME.
DID I SAY, THEN I SAY, NO, JUST RE-EMPHASIZE I SAY, WAIT A MINUTE.
DID I SAY THAT I HAD THIS SATISFACTION WITH NO, SIR, I WAS JUST REEMPHASIZING THAT POINT.
WHAT I SAID WAS I HAD DISSATISFACTION WITH THE FACT THAT I DID SOMETHING THAT I DIDN'T PARTICULARLY CARE
[02:00:01]
FOR.AND EVERY ONE OF THEM COME UP HERE AND SAID, DATE EVERYONE, A MISS, COME IN AND GIVE THEM THEIR REPORTS.
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM, YOU MADE A COMPLICATED ISSUE.
WE ALL AGREED TO SAY, OKAY, THAT'S FINE.
BUT ALSO SAID, IF YOU WANT TO GO BACK AND PLAY, THE TAPES ALSO SAID IT DOES NOT STOP THEM FROM BEING ON THE AGENDA AND COME GIVE THEM A REPORT WHENEVER THEY WANT TO.
THAT'S RIGHT NOW, WHAT I'D LIKE TO SAY IS NOW I'M GOING TO PUT EVERYBODY ON THE SPOT RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW.
YOU LIKE COMING AND GIVE ME YOUR REPORT SAYS, CORRECT.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE MY DEPARTMENT IS PROPERLY REPRESENTED AND THE BEST PERSON TO DO THAT.
DOES ANYBODY DO WE NEED THEM FIGHT YOU? DO WE NEED TO INVITE YOU TO COME TO COURT? OR ARE, OR WOULD YOU LIKE JUST TO COME TO COURT? WELL, NO DISRESPECTFUL.
YOU SAY THAT YOU WANT US TO TURN OUR REPORT IN A CERTAIN WAY, UNLESS THERE'S A SPECIFIC PROBLEM.
I'M GOING TO FOLLOW INSTRUCTION AND TURN IT IN THAT WAY.
SO I DIDN'T FEEL I WAS INVITED TO COURT.
I JUST, IN MY PERSONAL NOW, LET, LET ME, LET ME ASK YOU ONE MORE THING.
I'M GOING TO PUT Y'ALL ON THE SPOT ONE MORE TIME.
THIS ONE, AND I DON'T WANT TO, I'M NOT TRYING TO, I'M NOT TRYING TO BE NASTY HERE.
WERE YOU INVITED TODAY OR DID Y'ALL JUST VOLUNTARILY COME HERE.
THEY WHAT? NATHAN, CHECKING ON WHAT TO SAY? SO LET'S LET'S I DON'T EVEN WANT TO KNOW WHO SIT DOWN, GUYS.
I'M NOT TRYING TO GET Y'ALL IN TROUBLE.
I'M NOT TRYING TO GAIN, BUY IN TROUBLE.
SOMETIMES WE DON'T WORK IN STRAIGHT THINGS WHEN WE KNOW THAT AND THAT'S FINE.
I DON'T, I DON'T, I DON'T MIND.
WELL, I MEAN, WHEN YOU START INSTRUCTING PEOPLE TO COME, I CALLED, I SENT A MESSAGE AND ASKED THEM TO ASK THEM TO COME BECAUSE I WAS WHAT PROMPTED THAT CALL WAS THE ISSUE OF WHETHER THAT THERE WAS WHETHER THERE WAS A CHARACTER PROBLEM.
AND I FELT LIKE NO ONE COULD ANSWER THAT QUESTION BETTER THAN THE PEOPLE WHO REPORT TO JERRY.
SOMEBODY'S CHARACTER IS NOT THE SAME AS SAYING THEY'RE DOING A BAD JOB.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT TELLING YOU TO COCAINE.
I'M NOT CHALLENGING THE CHARACTER, BUT I AM.
I AM REGARDING A DECISION AND THAT'S PERFECTLY FINE TOO.
AND IT'S OKAY FOR US TO CORRECT MISTAKES.
IF WE FELT LIKE THAT WE'VE DONE A MISTAKE FOR ANY REASON, I DON'T.
THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FIGHT BETWEEN Y'ALL TWO.
IF, IF, IF WE'VE MADE A MISTAKE AND I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS AND I'M NOT GOING TO SAY WITH WHO AND WHAT DEPARTMENT HEADS OR WHATEVER, BUT THERE IS DISSATISFACTION.
I HAVEN'T SPOKE WHO IS GOING TO STAND UP HERE IN FRONT OF THIS COURT, ON TV AND ALL THE COUNTY, WATCHING IT GET DIRECTIONS FROM THE JUDGE TO COME TO THIS MEETING.
AND EVERYBODY SEEMS TO KNOW WHAT THE MEETING'S FOR.
I'M NOT IMPLYING ANYTHING TO YOU.
I KNOW THAT WE'RE ALL WATCHING.
SO I'M NOT, I'M NOT IMPLYING ANYTHING.
I'M JUST SAYING, WHERE DO YOU THINK IT'S GOING TO GO? SO WHAT I'M SAYING RIGHT NOW IS THAT RIGHT NOW, EITHER WAY, CORRECT? THE MISTAKE OR WE DON'T ARE, WE CAN, UH, WE CAN CONTINUE SAYING, OKAY, THIS IS EXCELLENT GOVERNMENT AT ITS FINEST BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE THIS FIGHTING.
I WAS IN VIETNAM, BUT I'M NOT HERE.
AND I WANT EVERYBODY TO COME TOGETHER.
WE, WE PROMOTED SOMEBODY TO OUR LEVEL.
I LIFTED NOT 30 ON ANY OF, NO, THERE WAS 30.
THEY DON'T SELL THEM A COURT WAY OF SOMEBODY SITTING ON THE COURT.
[02:05:01]
I'M SORRY.I DON'T KNOW HOW EVERYBODY ELSE FEELS.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT, I'M NOT AFTER JERRY HERE, BUT I DO DISLIKE, NOT COMMUNICATING WITH THE DEPARTMENT HERE.
WHY DON'T WE? SO IF YOU WANT TO GO BACK TO HAVING A REPORTS, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT, I DON'T SEE HOW THAT'S A PROBLEM.
IF YOU WANT THEM, IF YOU WANT THE DEPARTMENT HEADS TO COME REPORT, WE CAN JUST PUT THEM ON THE AGENDA FOR EVERY MONTH OR WHATEVER, SORTA LIKE THAT SCHEDULE THAT WE HAD.
AND WE CAN HAVE THEM COME REPORT.
IF YOU WANT TO HEAR FROM THEM.
I MEAN, THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATH WATER.
I THINK WHAT YOU'LL FIND, IF YOU ACTUALLY DO THAT RESEARCH COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS IS, IS, UH, LET ME JUST READ TO YOU WHAT, UH, FROM TAC, UH, WHAT THE TYPICAL DUTIES OF A COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR ARE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, WHEN THIS MATTER CAME BEFORE THE COURT, LET ME JUST READ SOME OF THE TYPICAL DUTIES, UH, BASIC RULES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND POWERS OF THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR SUPERVISION OF DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS OF ALL COUNTY DEPARTMENTS AND STAFF DIRECTLY AND THROUGH DEPARTMENT HEADS OVERSIGHT, HIRING, FIRING DISCIPLINE, AND SUSPENSION OF COUNTY EMPLOYEES, PREPARATION MONITORING EXECUTION OF THE COUNTY BUDGET, WHICH BY THE WAY, I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY UP HERE WANTS TO BE ENGAGED IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND THE COM WITH THE COMPLEXITIES AND THE ISSUES THAT COME UP, BOTH IN OUR TAX COMPUTATIONS, AS WELL AS THE DEVELOPMENT AND, AND, UH, UH, REFINEMENT AND EXECUTION OF OUR ANNUAL COUNTY BUDGET, UH, UH, FOR 10 YEARS SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.
YES, MA'AM I KNOW YOU HAVE, UH, AS THE AUDITOR, BUT, BUT WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT THE COUNTY.
WE WORKED 10 YEARS AGO, BY THE WAY.
WE'RE CERTAINLY NOT, UH, MAINE.
HE FUNCTIONS AS THE MAIN TECHNICAL ADVISOR TO THE COUNSEL OF AN, OF OVERALL GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS.
UH, HE ADDRESSES PUBLIC RELATIONS ISSUES, SUCH AS MEETINGS WITH CITIZENS, CITIZENS, GROUPS, BUSINESSES.
UH, I COULD GO ON OPERATING THE COUNTY WITH A PROFESSIONAL UNDERSTANDING OF HOW ALL COUNTY FUNCTIONS OPERATE TOGETHER AND TO THE BEST EFFECT, UH, TEN'S COUNCIL MEETINGS OR COMMISSIONERS COURT MEETINGS, BUT DOES NOT HAVE ANY VOTING RIGHTS AND ADDITIONAL DUTIES THAT MAY BE ASSIGNED BY THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
SO, I MEAN, THOSE ARE, I MEAN, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT NOT A COMMISSIONER THOUGH.
VOTING RIGHTS HAS NO VOTING RIGHTS.
UH, I MEAN, TH TH THOSE ARE DUTIES THAT WE ALL AGREED TO AND YOU'RE RIGHT.
I MEAN, IF WE CAN MAKE ANY MODIFICATIONS WE WANT, BUT THE COMPLEXITIES OF THIS COUNTY, THE GROWTH OF THIS COUNTY, THIS A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLAR PLUS A YEAR OPERATION.
AND FRANKLY, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL IN THE COUNTY JUDGES OFFICE IS REALLY, UH, IN THE COUNTY'S BEST INTEREST, JUST IN THE, JUST IN THE ARENA OF BUDGET PREPARATION AND, AND TAX COMPUTATIONS ALONE.
OF COURSE, THAT WAS REALLY THE ORIGINS, RIGHT? THAT'S THE TRUE EXPERTISE THAT THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR FUNCTION BRINGS, WHICH WE WOULD LOSE WHAT HAPPENED.
UM, THERE ARE FOUR OTHER DEPARTMENT HEADS HERE THAT HAVEN'T SPOKEN WOULD Y'ALL ACT TO GOOD OR BAD, WHATEVER IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY.
WELL, I THOUGHT, WELL, THE REASON I'M ASKING THAT IS BECAUSE I REALLY THINK FROM THE LOOK ON SOME PEOPLE'S FACES OUT HERE, THEY HADN'T GOT TO SAY THESE BE SAID, OTHER THING BEFORE YOU DO THAT, ROBERT, HOW ARE YOU TOLD TO BE HERE? SHE JUST SAY, YOU NEED TO GO OVER THERE.
SHE DIDN'T SAY WHAT FOR REQUESTING.
I ASKED, AND THEY'RE NOT ALL DEPARTMENTS ARE NOT HERE.
I TEXTED ANNABEL WHEN THE SUBJECT OF THE CARE OF JERRY'S CHARACTER CAME UP AND I FELT LIKE I NEEDED SOMEBODY TO WEIGH IN ON WHETHER OR NOT HE, HE DID SOMETHING THAT W HE'S DONE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE A REFLECTION ON HIS CHARACTER.
WELL, I'M GOING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING, JUDGE.
I THINK THE BETTER WAY TO HANDLE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN TO LET THESE DEPARTMENT HEADS KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON THIS MORNING, AS BEST WE COULD FROM WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA AND THAT IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO COME MAKE COMMENTS OR OBSERVED, THEY'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO COME.
BUT TO TELL SOMEBODY TO BE HERE, I DIDN'T TELL HIM I COULD.
I JUST CHOSE TO MAKE THIS PUBLIC FOR A REASON.
I DON'T LIKE ANYBODY BERATING.
I DON'T LIKE PEOPLE COMING TO MORAINE US.
[02:10:01]
HAVE DIFFERENCES, IT NEEDS TO BE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, PLEASE.I MISSED SAYING IT'S BOTH WAYS.
COME ON, BUT LET US, LET US PUTTING US, PUTTING SOMEBODY.
WELL, IT'S SAYING, I DON'T THINK WE'RE THERE YET.
I WANT IT TO COME FORWARD BECAUSE WRITTEN TROUBLE.
NO, I JUST WANTED TO COME FORWARD BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, I DO FEEL LIKE I'M A DEPARTMENT HEAD.
I WAS ABSOLUTELY NOT ASKED TO BE HERE OR TO MAKE A COMMENT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHEN DEPARTMENT HEADS, WHEN WE REVIEW THE AGENDAS AND WE SEE ITEMS LIKE THAT, I WILL SPEAK FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.
EVERY POSSIBLE SCENARIO GOES THROUGH OUR HEADS.
AND SO I THINK IT PUTS EVERYONE KIND OF, IT MAKES US REALLY NERVOUS AND I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR OTHER DEPARTMENT HEADS, BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S BEEN GOOD TO HAVE THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR POSITION BECAUSE I THINK THAT THEY'VE NEEDED EACH OTHER.
AND, UM, I THINK THE CONVERSATION THAT YOU HAD COMMISSIONER BARBER, IT'S JUST, THINGS ARE TENSE WITHIN DEPARTMENTS.
THINGS ARE TENSE W BETWEEN DEPARTMENT HEADS, I THINK THAT WE ALL NEED TO COME TOGETHER.
AND I DO THINK THAT THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR POSITION HAS HELPED WITH THAT.
UM, PERSONALLY, YOU KNOW, IN PURCHASING AND THE THINGS THAT I'VE DONE WITH JERRY, IT'S BEEN GREAT.
I OBVIOUSLY HAVE A REALLY GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.
AND I HOPE THAT I HAVE A REALLY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH Y'ALL AND THAT I FELT SAFE SAYING THOSE THINGS TO YOU.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, IT WAS GREAT TO HEAR FROM THE DEPARTMENT.
HAS I JUST WANTED TO COME FORWARD AND SAY SOMETHING BECAUSE I WAS ABSOLUTELY NOT ASKED TO PARTICIPATE AT ALL, BUT I RESPECT EACH OF Y'ALL.
AND I KNOW THAT YOUR JOB IS ALSO HARD, BUT SOMETIMES WE, WE NEED SOME CALMING ON THE DEPARTMENT SIDE TO KNOW THAT THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING IS GOOD AND THAT WHAT, WHO WE GO TO AND THE PROCESSES THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE ARE GOING TO BE OKAY AND NOT UNSETTLED FREQUENTLY.
I APOLOGIZE ABOUT OVER ANYBODY ELSE THAT DIDN'T GET TO SPEAK.
IS THERE, IS IT OKAY IF I SPEAK COMMISSIONER? YES.
SO IT JUST CAME ON THE AGENDA.
SO IN THIS, ON THE AGENDA ON THIRSTY, IT'S BEEN A PRETTY ROUGH WEEKEND FOR ME.
I'VE BEEN IN ENOUGH EXECUTIVE SESSIONS.
I'VE BEEN IN THE CORPORATE WORLD LONG ENOUGH AND THEN UNDERSTAND HR, BUT I'M GOING TO, WHEN YOU SEE YOUR POSITION, I'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE, RIGHT? MY POSITION WAS ON, WAS ON THE AGENDA AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.
UM, I, MY MIND HAS GONE A THOUSAND DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS IF YOU COULD.
UH, IF IT, AND I, ALL I COULD DO WAS JUST PRAY, YOU KNOW? AND SO I'M, I'M A PRAYERFUL MAN.
I, I READ THE PRAYER TO DAVID THIS MORNING, BEFORE I, BEFORE I CAME INTO THIS SESSION, JUST THAT MY WORDS BE TRUTHFUL, MY WORDS BE SINCERE, AND THAT THEY LAND ON THE YEARS OF THE PEOPLE THAT THEY NEED TO LAND ON, AND THAT THINGS ARE BAD GO AWAY.
UM, I NEVER ASKED FOR THIS JOB, I DIDN'T, I APPLIED FOR A JOB AND I DID A GOOD JOB.
IN MY OPINION, ALL THE FEEDBACK I GOT FROM, FROM THE COUNTY JUDGE AND THE OTHER PEOPLE I WORKED WITH, I WAS DOING A VERY GOOD JOB IN THE COUNTY JUDGES OFFICE.
I WASN'T AWARE OF ANY PERFORMANCE ISSUES WHATSOEVER.
AND THAT JOB CHANGED OVERNIGHT.
I WAS DOING THAT JOB ON A MONDAY.
I WAS DOING THIS JOB ON A TUESDAY, AND I'VE EMBRACED THIS JOB TO THE VERY BEST OF MY ABILITY, KNOWING THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE CHALLENGING TO HAVE FIVE BOSSES.
AND SO THE, THE, THE WAYS TO DO IT WAS JUST TO, JUST TO STAY TRUE TO THE JOB DESCRIPTION.
I DIDN'T KNOW ANY OTHER WAY TO DO IT.
JUST STAY TRUE TO THE JOB DESCRIPTION AND DO MY VERY BEST TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH MY TEAM.
I OPENLY SPOKE TO EVERY SINGLE MEMBER ON MY TEAM, LETTING THEM KNOW THAT THIS WAS NEW TERRITORY FOR ME AS WELL.
AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO DO OUR VERY BEST TO, TO FIGURE OUT OUR PATH AND HOW WE COMMUNICATE MOVING FORWARD.
UM, THE DISSENSION OF THE COURT DOES, DOES, DOES BLEED OUT SOMETIMES, AND IT DOES MAKE THINGS, MAKE THINGS CHALLENGING.
I, I TRY TO MEET WITH THE COMMISSIONERS ON A, ON A PRETTY CONSISTENT BASIS.
THE ONES THAT WANT TO MEET WITH ME, I COME TO COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS OFFICE ON HIS REQUEST AND MEET WITH HIM.
I GO TO COMMISSIONER CATES ON HIS REQUEST AND MEET WITH THEM.
I'M AVAILABLE ANY OTHER TIME TO TALK ABOUT ANYTHING? AM I DOING IT RIGHT? I'VE ASKED THE QUESTION.
WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT FROM ME? WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED FROM ME? HOW CAN I IMPROVE IN MY JOB? I WANT MY JOB.
I'M NOT QUITE READY TO RETIRE.
[02:15:01]
I HAD A JOB.THIS JOB ISN'T PAYING ANY DIFFERENT THAN THE OTHER JOB.
I ACCEPTED THE POSITION AND I'M DOING IT.
I WANT TO CONTINUE TO WORK HERE.
AND I WANTED TO CONTINUE TO DO MY VERY BEST.
I, I DO AGREE THAT IF, IF REPORTING IS AN ISSUE, IT'S VERY EASY FIX.
IT'S VERY EASY TO CHANGE OUR REPORTING BACK TO A FORMAT THAT THE DEPARTMENT HEADS ARE COMFORTABLE OR WANT TO USE.
AND THEY CAN COME IN HERE IN COURT, ONE BY ONE, TWO BY TWO, 10 BY 10, WHATEVER, WHATEVER THE COURT PREFERS AND, AND, AND MEET WITH THEM, MEET WITH THE COURT AND FACE THE COURT, KNOW YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AND YOU ALWAYS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH DEPARTMENT HEADS AT WILL.
YOU ALWAYS HAVE YOU, YOU SHOULD ALWAYS, BUT I'M PART OF THIS TEAM.
I'M PART OF THIS TEAM TO TRY TO MAKE THINGS BETTER.
EVERYTHING THAT I DO AND EVERYTHING I FOCUS ON DOING HAS A COUPLE OF THINGS IN MIND.
THE FIRST IS HOW CAN I HELP THAT DEPARTMENT? AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS DEVELOP THEIR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL CAREERS TO BE THEIR VERY BEST.
AND SECONDLY, HOW CAN WE CONTINUE TO RUN THIS COUNTY AS EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE FOR THE TAXPAYERS? I AM A TAXPAYER IN THIS COUNTY.
NOT ONLY AM I A TAXPAYER'S COUNTY, I LIVE IN PRECINCT.
ONE COMMISSIONER HUNT IS MY COMMISSIONER.
AND I, I RELY ON THAT LEADERSHIP TO HELP ME WITH MY OWN, MY OWN COUNTY NEEDS AS WELL.
I, IT DOESN'T FEEL GOOD TO BE SET UP HERE AND HAVE YOUR NUMBER ONE, YOUR CHARACTER, YOUR CHARACTER CHALLENGED.
AND I, I KNOW I SAID SOME THINGS THAT, THAT PROVE OTHERWISE, AND I'VE BEEN PUT IN A TOUGH SITUATION HERE.
AND I THINK COMMISSIONER BARBARA, YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.
THAT I'VE BEEN CAUGHT IN THE CROSS HAIRS OF, OF, OF THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING OUTSIDE OF MY SCOPE.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, IF YOU'RE GUILTY BY ASSOCIATION OR WHATEVER THOSE TERMS MAY BE, IT'S VERY UNCOMFORTABLE.
I WOULD ASK YOU TO VIEW, TO SIT IN THIS POSITION.
AND HOW WOULD YOU FEEL, YOU KNOW, TO BE, TO BE IN THIS POSITION OF JUST TRYING TO DO A JOB, BEING TOLD YOUR JOB CHANGED EXCEPT THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND MOVE ON THROUGH LIFE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE I CAN, I CAN TELL THIS COURT OTHER THAN LOOK AT MY JOB PERFORMANCE.
IF I'VE DONE SOMETHING THAT I SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN DOING, LET'S HAVE A MEETING ABOUT IT, AND LET'S TALK ABOUT IT.
LIKE YOU WOULDN'T ANY OF THE WORLD, ANY ONE OF MY TEAMERS, IF THEY DID SOMETHING THAT WASN'T RIGHT, I WOULD SET THEM DOWN AND I WOULD SAY, HEY, THIS IS NOT THE WAY YOU SHOULD BEHAVE.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED, AND WE NEED TO TAKE IT A DIFFERENT WAY.
IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT WHEN YOU'RE IN A, IN THIS ENVIRONMENT.
AND YES, IT WAS MY DECISION TO GO PUBLIC.
AND THE REASON I WENT PUBLIC IS I'VE BEEN IN EXECUTIVE SESSIONS BEFORE.
AND THEY'RE VERY UNCOMFORTABLE FOR ME.
THEY'RE VERY UNCOMFORTABLE BECAUSE I, AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE, I DON'T HAVE A VOICE IN THOSE MEETINGS.
AND I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE I AT LEAST HAD A VOICE.
SO I, I, I APPRECIATE AND RESPECT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, I TRY TO SHOW THAT IN MY ACTIONS, I TRY TO SHOW THAT IN MY WORDS.
AND I, I JUST, I JUST WOULD LIKE TO KEEP DOING MY JOB TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE WHERE YOU PUT A WRAP ON THIS? I JUST HAVE ONE ADDITIONAL COMMENT, ONE ADDITIONAL COMMENT, JUDGE.
AND I REALLY JUST WANT TO HARKEN BACK TO THE POINT THAT COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS MADE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO WHEN WE WERE, UH, ON THE VERGE AT THAT TIME OF IMPLEMENTING A PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR A PARTICULAR EMPLOYEE.
AND AT THAT TIME, COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS CORRECTLY MADE THE POINT THAT EFFICIENCY THAT WAS MADE AN EXECUTIVE.
IF YOU WANT TO MAKE EXECUTIVE PUBLIC, YOU CAN'T, BUT THOSE CONVERSATIONS WERE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION BECAUSE I HAPPENED TO BE IN THAT EXECUTIVE.
I'M NOT GOING TO QUOTE HIM NOW.
I'M JUST, IT, GUS WHAT'S HAPPENED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL AND I'LL RETRACT, RETRACT MY STATEMENT.
THEN YOU NEED TO MAKE A MOTION FOR THIS COURT TO WAIVE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE.
AND THE COURT WAIVES THAT IT'S NOT ONE PERSON THAT WAY.
I'LL, I'LL RETRACT MY I'LL RETRACT MY REFERENCE.
AND I'LL SAY FOR MYSELF, FOR MYSELF, THAT WHAT I BELIEVE IS THAT IF THERE IS AN INDIVIDUAL, UH, OR A POSITION THAT, UM, IS SOMEHOW DEEMED TO BE, UH, UNDERPERFORMING, THAT IT WOULD BE PRUDENT AND IT WOULD BE, UH, THE DECENT THING TO DO TO, TO TAKE SOME, UH, INCREMENTAL CORRECTIVE ACTION, RIGHT.
THAT WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, WE WOULDN'T LOP OFF A HEAD BEFORE WE TOOK, UH, UH, TRIED TO IMPLEMENT SOME SORT OF CORRECTIVE ACTION, UH, TO BRING THE EMPLOYEE OR THE FUNCTION, UH, BACK INTO, UH, THE CENTER OF THE LANE, SO TO SPEAK.
SO, YEAH, I'LL HAVE TO AGREE WITH KEN ON THAT, UH, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY THESE FOLKS, HADN'T HAD IT RIGHT NOW, WHERE ARE THEY THINKING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO THAT TO ME, TO NOT GIVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO JUST STRAIGHTEN OUT IF THERE IS AN ISSUE.
I THINK IT'S THE FAIR THING AND DOING THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
I THINK I SAID IT EARLIER, I JUST, ANYONE THAT WAS THEIR JOB, IT'S NOT A PERSONAL THING.
IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, DOING WHAT'S RIGHT.
AND I THINK, YEAH, THERE WERE SOME
[02:20:01]
ISSUES HERE THAT NEED TO BE WORKED OUT BETWEEN THE INDIVIDUALS.AND IF THERE ARE SPECIFIC THINGS THAT WE NEED TO WORK WITH JERRY ON, I THINK WE NEED TO GIVE HIM THAT OPPORTUNITY.
AND IF THAT DOESN'T WORK OUT, THEN WE'LL TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION AT THAT TIME.
I THINK THAT'S THE BETTER WAY TO HANDLE THIS IN MY OPINION.
AND, UH, HOPEFULLY THAT WILL, YOU KNOW, HELP PUT, UH, EVERYBODY'S, UH, CONCERNS, UM, IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
WELL, HE SAYS, YEAH, BECAUSE I, I DIDN'T BRING UP ANYTHING ELSE.
THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF'S BEEN SAID IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, AND I DIDN'T WANT TO BRING ANYTHING UP LIKE THAT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, LIKE SOME SITUATIONS WITH, YOU KNOW, FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, THAT WE THOUGHT WE HAD RECTIFIED, BUT STILL, I MEAN, IT'S STILL PART OF THE DEAL, BUT I DIDN'T BRING UP A LOT OF STUFF BECAUSE IT WAS HANDLING AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND WE CAN COME TO CLOSURE ON THIS STUFF.
SO I KNOW, SO THIS IS REALLY MY PERSONAL OPINION IS STILL THAT THERE WAS A BETTER WAY TO HANDLE THIS WAS TO SAY, HEY, I HEAR YOU TALKING, BUT THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO COME TO THE COURT.
AND THAT'S THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLIED, IT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN, LET ME PUT SOME FOCUSED THOUGHTS ON THIS AND GET BACK TO YOU.
THE EMAIL SAID BEFORE THE COURT, THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID.
AND HIS REPLY IS REPLIED TO MY COMMENT THAT HE REPLIED, OR YOU REPLIED TO HIM, THAT'S ALL WHAT YOU SAID, NOT WHAT HE SAID.
AND ALSO YOU MEET RESPONDED TO WHAT I SAID, WE'RE GETTING RIGHT BACK INTO MEETING NEW STUFF.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M HERE BACK INTO THE FACTS, MIKE.
THE FACTS, NOT YOUR IMPRESSION.
NOW THAT'S ALWAYS THE CRUX OF THE ISSUE, FRANKLY.
WELL, I MEAN, IT SAYS RIGHT HERE, WHAT YOU SAID, YOU HAD A PROBLEM WITH ME DIRECTION, THE INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEE.
I DON'T SEE WHAT YOU'RE DOING ANY DIFFERENT, SO THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S IT.
BUT MY DEAL IS, I THINK IT SHOULD'VE BEEN HANDLED, BUT DIFFERENT THAT IT SHOULDN'T HAVE, HE SHOULDN'T HAVE TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY TO HELP YOU MOVE FORWARD WITH SOMETHING THAT YOU WERE TRYING TO DO PERSONALLY AND KEEP IT ALL PROFESSIONAL.
THAT'S KINDA THE WAY THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT.
SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, OUR INACCURATE.
BUT NOT FOR ME TO DO IT INDIVIDUALLY, BUT I'VE GOT A BANNER.
THAT'S THE FACTS IT'S WRITTEN IT'S IN THE RECORD.
AND THAT CAN ALWAYS GO TO AUGUST 4TH, YOU KNOW, WITH THE WORKSHOP MEETING AND LOOK AT THE ONE HOUR AND 14 MINUTES, 13 SECONDS AND SEE IF IT WAS CARRYING FORWARD.
SO ANYWAY, THE FACTS ARE THE FACTS.
UH, REGARDING ITEM 17, IS THERE A EMOTION COMING FROM THE COURT HEARING? NONE.
[15. Judge Richards; Discuss/Consider exiting regular meeting and enter executive session.]
15, DISCUSS, CONSIDER EXITING REGULAR MEETING AND ENTER INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.IS THERE A MOTION TO DO SO, SO MOVE.
WE HAD THAT MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER IN CASE, IS THERE A SECOND? NO.
SECOND, SECOND COMMISSIONER BARBARA DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
THOSE OPPOSED? NO, THAT MOTION CARRIES WE'RE IN EXECUTIVE
[16. Executive Session: Pursuant to Section 551.072 of the Texas Government Code, the Commissioners Court will meet in closed session to discuss real estate negotiations.]
SESSION PURSUANT TO SECTION 5, 5, 1 0.072 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE.THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT WILL MEET IN CLOSED SESSION TO DISCUSS REAL ESTATE NEGOTIATIONS.
[18. Judge Richards; Discuss/Consider exiting executive session and enter back into regular meeting.]
LOOKING FOR A MOTION TO COME OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION, BACK INTO REGULAR SESSION, A LOT, THE AUTHORIZED REAL ESTATE NEGOTIATION.LET'S LET'S GET BACK INTO REGULAR SESSION FOLKS.
MOTION TO GO BACK AND EXECUTIVE SESSION.
IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND COMMISSIONER CAGE DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR.
NO MOTION CARRIES WE'RE BACK IN REGULAR SESSION.
[19. Judge Richards; Discuss/Consider taking any action needed as a result of executive session.]
COMING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION? OKAY.AUTHORIZE THE REAL ESTATE AND NEGOTIATIONS TO MOVE FORWARD ON 3001 TO 3003 SOUTH OF WASHINGTON AND KAUFMAN AND UH, FOR FINAL NEGOTIATIONS.
WE HAVE THAT MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER HUNT.
IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND ONE COMMISSIONER BARBARA DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
THOSE OPPOSED? NO, THAT MOTION CARRIES
[20. Adjourn Regular Meeting]
ITEM 20.HEY, HE GAVE ME A APPROVAL TO DO IT.
SO I'LL, UH, I'LL SAY THAT WE ADJOURN THIS MEETING.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND DO ADJOURN FROM COMMISSIONER.
BARBERS ARE SECOND, SECOND, SECOND COMMISSION CAGE DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.