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I'LL BE RUNNING A LITTLE, LITTLE LATE.
AND, UH, I WANNA THANK ALL OF YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
THIS IS ACTUALLY A WORKSHOP MEETING OF THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT, AND I NEED TO BRAG ON THESE GUYS A LITTLE BIT TODAY.
THIS IS THEIR THIRD MEETING OF THE DAY.
THEY HAD ONE AT TWO AND THEN THREE 30.
AND I'M, I, THE RUMOR IS I WAS APPOINTED TO A COMMITTEE.
WE HAVE DISCUSSION LITTLE BIT ANYWAY, UH, ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSIONER, CERTAIN WE APPRECIATE YOU, THOSE OF YOU BEING HERE TODAY.
AND WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO MAKE THIS FIRST MEETING AS FORMALLY WE CAN AND JUST, UH, LET, UH, UH, LET PUBLIC OURSELVES.
AND, UH, I DID PREPARE SOME, UH, HANDOUTS, UH, TO GIVE YOU, UH, BEING THE OLD TEACHER IN ME.
I, I NEVER GO TO A MEETING, BUT I DON'T HAVE SOMETHING TO TRY TO HAND OUT FOR YOU TO, TO LOOK AT.
AND I THINK WE PREPARED SOME INFORMATION THAT MIGHT BE, UH, INTERESTING, UH, FOR YOU.
BUT BEFORE WE GET INTO THAT, WE DO MAKE SOME INTRODUCTIONS AND, UH, WE'LL DO THAT LAST COMMISSION.
BUT THERE'S ONE VERY SPECIAL PERSON WE NEED TO INTRODUCE TODAY.
NOT INTRODUCE, BUT WELCOME BACK, I GUESS IS A BETTER, A BETTER TERM.
I TOLD HIM NOT TO BE GONE VERY LONG.
WHEN HE DOES, YOU INVADE HIS COURTROOM,
THAT'S WHY HE'S INTRODUCING ME.
THAT WAS, AND YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THE OLD TEACHER AND YOU WERE HANDING OUT THINGS.
IS THERE GONNA BE A TEST AT THE END? MAYBE A TEST ACCORDING HOW MANY COMMITTEES I GOT APPOINTED TO, ANYWAY, I HOPE I DON'T GET HELD IN CONTEMPT OF COURT FOR MAKING OF THE 86, UH, COURTROOM.
UH, AT ANY RATE, UH, ALL YOU HAVE, UH, BEEN APPOINTED, UH, TO ONE COMMITTEE OR THE OTHER.
AND, UH, WHAT WE DID, UH, UH, WE ASKED EACH COMMISSIONER TO APPOINT THREE PEOPLE FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE PRECINCT.
AND THEN I, UH, APPOINTED A, UH, A CHAIRPERSON, WHICH I'LL INTRODUCE JUST IN A MOMENT.
WE, NOT JUST THIS PARTICULAR BILL, NOT JUST MAIN COURTHOUSE, BUT WE WANT YOU TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH ALL OF OUR FACILITIES AND, UH, TO DO THAT.
UH, WE'LL, UH, LET YOU TALK ABOUT HOW IT'LL BE THE EASIEST WAY FOR YOU TO DO THAT.
IF YOU WANT US TO PROVIDE A BUS OR SOMETHING, THAT'LL BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, UH, WE'LL, UH, TRY TO WORK WITH YOU TO JUST, UH, WHATEVER MIGHT BE EASY FOR YOU TO DO.
UH, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO FIRST IS INTRODUCE EVERYBODY THAT IS HERE, AND I'LL START WITH, UH, JIM THOMPSON.
UH, JIM IS A LONGTIME RESIDENT OF, UH, KAUFMAN.
UH, HE'S A PAST MEMBER OF THE KAUFMAN SCHOOL BOARD, PAST PRESIDENT OF THE KAUFMAN SCHOOL BOARD, AND ACTUALLY JUSTIN, UH, COMPLETE, UH, WORKING PLAN FOR KAUFMAN ISD.
JIM WAS ON THE, UH, COMMITTEE, DID THAT FOR THE KAUFMAN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND, UH, JIM WILL SERVE AS CHAIRMAN.
AND I'M GOING TO TURN THIS MEETING OVER TO HIM AS WE GET A LITTLE FURTHER INTO THE MEETING AND TALK ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN LET YOU GUYS, UH, UH, UH, TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO NEXT AND HOW TIME YOU'LL NEED ME.
YOU MAY NEED TO THINK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT BEFORE YOU MAKE THAT DETERMINATION TODAY.
UH, BUT NOW I'D LIKE TO CALL ON COMMISSIONER, WHO WILL INTRODUCE, UH, HIS, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND ANYTHING THAT ANY OF THE COMMISSIONER WOULD LIKE TO SAY ABOUT THIS STUDY, FEEL FREE TO DO SO.
YOU'VE BEEN AROUND HERE A WHILE.
NO, THEY'RE ALL FROM THE KAUFMAN AREA.
I'VE READ TO ANNOUNCE MY APPOINTMENTS.
AND WE'VE GOT CARRIE GRIFFIN HERE ON THE FRONT ROAD.
SO WE GOT A MEMBER OF THE MEDIA HERE, SO Y'ALL MAY REMEMBER.
WE'VE GOT SANDRA WILSON OUT THERE, GOT
SO IF Y'ALL GET IN ANY TROUBLE, LEAVE LAST.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING WHAT THESE PEOPLE HAVE TO COME BACK TO US, UH, WITH THEIR IDEAS, NOT OUR IDEAS TODAY.
COMMISSIONER, I HAVE ON MY BOARD, I HAVE BILL BEDRICK.
I HAVE BILL BAKER, I ALSO HAVE JIM DAVIS.
AND I'M VERY PROUD TO HAVE THESE GUYS FROM MY PRECINCT, UH, WANTING TO SERVE.
AND I THINK THE FOLKS, WE HAVE A UNIQUE, UH, PLAN HERE GOING ON NOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO GO FORWARD WITH TO REALLY STUDY THE FACILITIES OF KAUFMAN COUNTY.
I, THIS HAS BEEN WAY PAST YOU.
I'VE BEEN ON THE COURT BEFORE, AND I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA BE VERY INTERESTING FOR ALL OF US.
AND I THINK, UH, IT'LL BRING SOME REALLY GOOD IDEAS TO THE COUNTY.
I'M PLEASED TO, UH, LET Y'ALL KNOW THAT I FINALLY CAME TO THE DECISION AND MADE MY APPOINTMENT SINCE I RUN FROM, UH, COMBINE TO MAYBANK, WHICH IS QUITE A LARGE
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AREA.AND THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THERE WITH A LOT OF EXPERTISE.
UH, I'M PLEASED TO INTRODUCE YOU TO TONYA RATCLIFFE AND, UH, CARL THOMAS IS OUT OF TOWN TODAY ON BUSINESS.
HE'S REPRESENTED BY WENDY AND LARRY TEAGUE, I BELIEVE IS ON BUSINESS ALSO TODAY.
SO, UH, UH, ANYWAY, I'M REAL PLEASED TO HAVE THESE FOLKS.
THEY'LL BRING UP A WIDE RANGE OF EXPERTISE, AND I APPRECIATE ALL YOUR PARTICIPATION.
I'M GLAD TO SEE THE INTEREST, UH, FROM THE COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, IF THERE'S ANY INPUTS YOU HAVE FOR THE COMMISSIONERS, BE SURE AND LET US KNOW.
I THINK THE NEXT, UH, WOULD BE THE, UH, OUR, THE NEXT COMMITTEE THAT WE, UH, ASK THE COMMISSIONERS TO APPOINT WAS A RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND WE'LL GO INTO THAT JUST IN A FEW MINUTES, BUT ABOUT WHAT THEY WILL DO AND, UH, AND HOW THEY CAN ASSIST THE, UH, FACILITIES COMMITTEE.
UH, BUT WE'VE GOT SEVERAL OF THE ELECTED OF OFFICIALS THAT ARE A PART OF THAT, UH, OF, OF COURSE, WE'VE ALREADY INTRODUCED JUDGE TIGER HERE FROM THE 86 DISTRICT COURT.
WOULD YOU AB STAND THERE? JUST A SECOND.
THIS IS JUDGE MIKE CHEATY FROM THE FOUR 22ND DISTRICT COURT.
UH, JUDGE WILEY, UH, EARLY NORVILLE WILEY IS, I KNOW SHE'S HERE.
UH, WE MAY HAVE TO, UH, UH, HAVE TO GO FETCH HER A MINUTE.
JUDGE DAVID LEWIS, UH, I KNOW HE'S HERE 'CAUSE I SAW HE WAS AT THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT THIS MORNING.
I THINK HE'S IN HEARINGS OVER AT THE STATE HOSPITAL.
IS HE OVER THERE THIS AFTERNOON? OKAY.
MIGHT CHECK TO SEE IF YOU CAN FIND, IF JUDGE WILEY'S GONNA BE ABLE TO COME UP.
UH, THERE SHE IS, RIGHT THERE.
UH, DISTRICT ATTORNEY MIKE MCCLELLAN HERE ON THE FRONT.
UH, OUR SHERIFF DAVID BURNS IS, UH, IN AUSTIN THIS AFTERNOON AND, UH, IS NOT ABLE TO BE HERE, BUT HE'LL, UH, BE AVAILABLE, OF COURSE, WHENEVER YOU NEED TO.
PAUL, WE HAVE BRIAN BEAVER FROM THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT TODAY.
HE'S HERE REPRESENTING, UH, THE SHERIFF.
UH, AND THEN OUR DISTRICT CLERK, RHONDA HUEY HERE ON THE FRONT.
UH, AND THEN OUR COUNTY CLERK RIGHT BACK HERE ON THE RIGHT BEHIND ME, LAURA HUGHES.
UH, THEN OF COURSE WE HAVE OUR TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR, UH, UH, UH, PONYA.
UH, WHO'S A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE.
SO SHE'S KIND OF WEARING TWO HAT IN.
HER OFFICE IS ACROSS THE STREET.
WE ALSO HAVE OTHER, UH, UH, COUNTY EMPLOYEES, COUNTY, UH, OFFICE HOLDERS, OR NOT OFFICE HOLDERS, BUT, UH, EMPLOYEES THAT WORK IN THE COUNTY DEPARTMENT HEADS.
WE HAVE KAREN COOPER, OUR, UH, UH, AUDITOR.
SHE'S THE, IS KW WINKLES BEHIND, UH, HER THAT WORKS IN THAT OFFICE.
AND THEN WHO ELSE? JOHNNY COUNTRYMAN.
JOHNNY, UH, JOHNNY COUNTRYMAN, OUR TREASURER, GEORGE YORK.
UH, OUR, UH, IT DIRECTOR, UH, THEN JACK SEBASTIAN FROM THE, UH, PURCHASING DEPARTMENT AT ONE OF OUR CONSTABLES HERE.
AND WHO ELSE? PAM, PAM PORTER, WHO I ASKED TO BE HERE WITH US TODAY.
SO I'M, UH, YOU HAVE A PUBLIC DEFENDER? PUBLIC, UH, DEFENDER'S GROUP IS HERE.
I'M SITTING IN FOR MR. GORDON.
UH, SO ANYWAY, THAT'S KIND OF A, A, A, THE GROUP THAT WE'VE ASKED TO ASSEMBLE ON OUR, MORE OR LESS AN ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING THIS AFTERNOON.
UH, AND I, I, I MADE THIS AGENDA OUT, UH, VERY, UH, YOU KNOW, KIND OF, KIND OF LOOSELY, UH, BUT, UH, IT'S JUST, UH, UH, UH, TO KIND OF LET YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ORGANIZE YOURSELF AND, UH, AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE NEXT STEPS NEED TO BE.
AND WE DID THAT PURPOSELY, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO PUT TOO MANY, TOO MANY STRINGS TO YOU.
WE WANT YOU TO FEEL THE FREEDOM TO DISCUSS AND MOVE FORWARD AS YOU SEE FIT.
SO ITEM NUMBER THREE, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT, AND THEN I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THE OTHER ITEMS WE, WE'VE MADE FOR YOU HERE IN A MOMENT.
THE PURPOSE OF THE FACILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, IN MY OPINION, AND CERTAINLY THE COMMISSIONERS CAN ALL JUMP IN HERE AS THEY WISH, IS TO LOOK AT OUR FACILITIES, STUDY OUR FACILITIES, AND COME BACK WITH RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT ON WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO IMPROVE THE FACILITIES AS FAR AS THEIR USEFULNESS, THE CURRENT, UH, SPACE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE, WHETHER REGARDS AS REGARDS TO THE COURTS THAT WE HAVE IN THIS BUILDING, UH, THE SPACE NEEDS THAT OUR VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS HAVE, UH, THE SAFETY NEEDS THAT ARE INHERENT IN ANY COURTHOUSE SETTING AS WE HAVE HERE.
AND SECURITY NEEDS AND SAFETY AND SECURITY ARE SIMILAR, BUT THERE'S A LITTLE LITTLE DIFFERENCE IN THOSE.
AND THE FACT THAT SAFETY IS SOMETHING THAT'S ALWAYS ON OUR MIND.
SECURITY SOMETIMES IS PROVIDED BY OUTSIDE RESOURCES, SUCH AS THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT
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WHO PROVIDES THE, UH, THE BY LAW, AND I SHOULD MENTION THIS, BY LAW IS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE, UH, THE SECURITY FOR THIS BUILDING AND, AND ALL OF OUR COUNTY FACILITIES.SO THAT'S WHAT, AND THAT'S VERY BROAD, THAT'S VERY GENERAL.
I DIDN'T PUT ANY, TRY NOT TO COME UP WITH ANY BIG MISSION STATEMENT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
WE JUST TRIED TO, TO COME UP WITH A SIMPLE ASK, UH, SIMPLE STATEMENT, ASKING YOU TO EVALUATE ALL OF OUR FACILITIES AS IT RELATES TO SPACE SAFETY AND SECURITY.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS BEEN ASKED SEVERAL DIFFERENT TIMES, WELL, WOULD YOU BE DOING THIS HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE, UH, MURDER OF MARK HAS? AND, UH, PROBABLY BE HONEST WITH YOU, I DOUBT IF WE WOULD BE DOING THIS RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE KNOWN FOR SEVERAL YEARS THAT WE DO HAVE A SPACE ISSUE IN THIS FACILITY.
BUT WHAT HAPPENED ON JANUARY THE 31ST, NEARLY TWO MONTHS AGO, UH, LESS THAN 200 FEET FROM THE COUNTY COURTHOUSE, UH, WAS KIND OF A, WELL, OBVIOUSLY IT WAS A TRAGEDY, AND OBVIOUSLY IT WAS TOTALLY UNEXPECTED, BUT IT WAS, IT CERTAINLY HAS CREATED A SENSE OF URGENCY, UH, AT LEAST ON MY PART.
AND I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER'S, COURT'S PART, AS WELL AS WITH MANY OF YOU TO AT LEAST EXAMINE WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE NOT ONLY OUR EMPLOYEES SAFE, REGARDLESS OF WHAT FACILITY THEY WORK IN, BUT THE PEOPLE THAT COME TO THIS COURTHOUSE DAY IN AND DAY OUT AND CONDUCT BUSINESS, WHETHER IT'S SERVING ON THE JURY, WHETHER IT'S TAKING THE CARE OF BUSINESS IN THE DISTRICT CLERK OR THE COUNTY CLERK, OR ACROSS THE STREET AT THE TAX OFFICE OR WHATEVER BUSINESS AS A COUNTY, WE OWE THEIR SAFETY.
UH, WE OWE THEM THAT SAFETY, AND WE'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THAT FOR THEM.
THEN THE NEXT ITEM WOULD BE THE PURPOSE OF THE RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND THAT'S TO PROVIDE THE RESOURCES OR THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED AS A COMMITTEE TO HELP YOU MAKE A GOOD DECISION.
THE FOUR JUDGES, THE TWO DISTRICT JUDGES AND THE TWO COUNTY COURTED LAW JUDGES, UH, CAN TELL YOU ABOUT THE OPERATIONS OF THEIR COURT MUCH BETTER THAN I CAN, OR ANY OF THE COMMITTEE, THE DISTRICT CLERK, THE COUNTY CLERK, ALL OF THE OTHER, UH, PEOPLE THAT WORK IN THIS BUILDING CAN TELL YOU A MUCH BETTER ABOUT WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE AND WHAT THEY SEE ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS THAN WHAT I CAN, OR WHAT ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS CAN, BECAUSE THEY, THAT'S THEIR AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY.
SO WE WANT TO MAKE THE RESOURCE COMMITTEE AVAILABLE TO YOU AT ANY OF YOUR MEETINGS THAT YOU DECIDE TO HAVE.
AND YOU MAY NOT WANT TO MEET WITH 'EM ALL AT ONE TIME.
YOU MAY WANT TO MEET WITH THE FOUR JUDGES AT ONE TIME.
THAT'LL BE SOMETHING THAT, UH, THE COMMITTEE WILL NEED TO, UH, UH, DETERMINE AMONG YOURSELVES WHO YOU WANT TO MEET WITH.
AND WHAT INFORMATION DO YOU NEED THEM TO PROVIDE.
UH, I WOULD EXPECT THAT AS PART OF THE ISSUE, YOU MIGHT WANT TO ACTUALLY VISIT THE COURTHOUSE DURING A REGULAR DAY.
WHENEVER WE HAVE A JURY PANEL, UH, THAT'S CALLED IN.
AND IT'S QUITE AN, IT IS QUITE AN EXPERIENCE.
IF YOU'VE NOT BEEN HERE, UNLESS YOU'VE BEEN ON A JURY PANEL IN RECENT YEARS, YOU WOULD BE, UH, PROBABLY, UH, PRETTY WELL SURPRISED.
WHAT YOU WILL SEE HERE, ESPECIALLY WE HAVE A TRIAL GOING ON UPSTAIRS AND A TRIAL, A JURY TRIAL GOING ON DOWNSTAIRS.
UH, YOU SEE ALL KINDS OF EMOTIONS.
AND, UH, THAT'S BEEN ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS THAT, UH, HAS, UH, UH, TO ME HAS BEEN SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, IS TO SEE THE DIFFERENT RANGE OF EMOTIONS YOU SEE IN THIS COURTHOUSE AND THE PEOPLE THAT COME IN WITH PROBLEMS, UH, FOR THE MOST PART, WHETHER THEY'RE CIVIL OR CRIMINAL OR JUST FILING PAPERS OR WHATEVER.
MOST OF THE SMILES I SEE WILL BE FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING INTO THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE GETTING A MARRIAGE LICENSE IN ABOUT SIX MONTHS.
SO, UH, BUT YOU HAVE A WIDE RANGE OF, UH, MOTION THAT TAKE PLACE IN THIS COURTHOUSE AS YOU DO IN ANY COURTHOUSE ACROSS, UH, OUR STATE AND ACROSS OUR COUNTRY.
UH, YOU ALSO HAVE THE ISSUE OF PRISONERS BEING BROUGHT INTO THIS BUILDING FOR THEIR TRIALS AND, UH, OR THEIR HEARINGS, AND THEY WALK RIGHT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF JURY PANELS.
UH, I WON'T CALL THE NAME OF THE JUDGE, BUT THERE WAS A PARTICULAR JUDGE IN HERE.
OBVIOUSLY IT'S GONNA BE A MALE, 'CAUSE I DON'T THINK HE WAS IN THE FEMALE RESTROOM, BUT, UH, HAD RENDERED SOME RULING AND, UH, WENT TO THE, UH, THE MEN'S ROOM, WHICH WE HAVE NO PUBLIC RESTROOMS UPSTAIRS IN THIS FACILITY IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT.
AND I THINK THERE'S SOME DEMER, UH, DISPARAGING REMARKS ABOUT THE DECISION THAT PERSON HAD MADE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IF I WAS A JUDGE, I MIGHT WON'T WAIT FOR THEM TO CLEAR OUT GRACE ROOM BEFORE I LEFT, YOU KNOW? SO, UH, THERE, THERE ARE, THERE, THERE'S SOME, UH, SOME SIDE ISSUES THAT ARE ANECDOTAL,
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BUT THEY'RE REAL ISSUES THAT, THAT I THINK HAVE TO BE, UH, LOOKED AT.UH, AND THEN, UH, GUYS, ANY, ANYTHING ELSE? ANYBODY ELSE WANNA INTERJECT INTO THIS? UH, I THINK YOU'VE GOT IT COVERED.
I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT, UH, AND I DON'T, UH, APPOINT COMMITTEES OR WANT TO BE ON THE COMMITTEE.
WHATEVER Y'ALL BRING BACK TO US AS THE CONSENSUS OF THIS GROUP IS WHAT I WILL PROMOTE WHETHER I AGREE WITH IT OR DISAGREE WITH IT.
SO I'M, I'M PUTTING A LOT OF FAITH IN WHAT Y'ALL GONNA COME UP WITH, AND I WILL BACK WHATEVER Y'ALL SAY, WHAT IF I AGREE OR DISAGREE? AND ONE THING YOU LEFT OUT, JUDGE, WAS THE PROBLEMS, SOME OF THE PROMISES THAT I'VE MADE TO GET SOME OF THESE PEOPLE TO SERVE WAS THE TIME FRAME THAT WE'RE GONNA GET THIS DONE.
AND THIS IS NOT GONNA BE, YEAH, A FULL-TIME JOB.
WE HOPE TO, I HOPE TO HEAR BACK FROM YOU BY JULY THE FIRST, NO LATER THAN JULY THE FIRST.
SO WE CAN, UH, MOVE FORWARD WITH WHATEVER RECOMMENDATIONS YOU COME UP WITH.
AND THE OTHER THING, BEFORE I FINISH UP HERE OR LET THE COMMISSIONER FINISH UP, WE, YOU KNOW, WE HEAR THOUGHTS, WE HEAR IDEAS ABOUT WHERE YOU NEED TO BUILD A NEW COURTS, BUILDING A JUSTICE CENTER OUT BY THE, UH, JAIL.
UH, I ALSO HEAR COMMENTS THAT, WELL, WE REALLY DON'T NEED TO LEAVE DOWNTOWN.
WE NEED TO BUILD A FACILITY HERE, UH, OR, UH, RENOVATE A FACILITY.
AND, UH, I MEAN, THERE'S PLUSES AND MINUSES IN, IN, IN BOTH OF THOSE, UH, UH, BOTH OF THOSE SITUATIONS.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD ASK YOU TO SERIOUSLY THINK ABOUT AS A CITIZEN.
AND AGAIN, LISTEN TO WHAT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE DOWN HERE EVERY DAY DEALING WITH AND HELP MAKE YOUR BEST DECISION AND COME TO A CONSENSUS, UH, WITH WHAT NEEDS TO, WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN THAT REGARD, KEN? WELL, I THINK, UH, LOOKING UNDER THIS CROWD, KNOWING THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE SITTING OUT HERE, I THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO BRING SOME GOOD IDEAS TO THE PLATE.
THAT WE WILL USE EVERY FACILITY IN THE COUNTY AND USE IT WELL, OR THAT WE NOT, I THINK THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND I'M LIKE THIS, I'M GONNA SUPPORT WHAT Y'ALL DECIDE THAT WE NEED TO DO, WHETHER, WHICH WAY IT IS.
BUT, UH, I DEFINITELY SAY THAT THIS IS A GROUP EFFORT.
SO, UH, I THINK WE CAN PUT TOGETHER SOMETHING REALLY NICE FOR OUR COUNTY.
AND THIS HAS BEEN PAST D FOR A LONG TIME.
OKAY, WELL, I WOULD ECHO WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONERS TWO AND THREE SAID, BUT, UH, UH, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT, THAT YOU'RE A WIDER RANGE OF PEOPLE FROM THE COUNTY, AND YOU HAVE MORE CONTACT WITH THE PEOPLE AND THE COFFEE SHOPS AND WHAT HAVE YOU THAN WE DO.
IN OTHER WORDS, THEY'RE JUST FOUR OF US, AND Y'ALL ARE, Y'ALL ARE A LARGE GROUP.
UH, YOU GET MORE INPUT FROM THE CITIZENS, AND THAT'S WHAT WE, THAT'S WHAT WE WANT, IS INPUT FROM Y'ALL AND INPUT FROM THE CITIZENS.
AND I, I WILL SUPPORT ANY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU MAKE.
UH, BEFORE I TURN THE MEETING OVER TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE GROUP, JIM, UH, I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT THE HANDOUTS THAT WE PROVIDED FOR YOU.
UH, YOU HAVE THE, UH, OF COURSE YOU HAVE THE AGENDA, BUT THERE'S A HANDOUT THAT WE PREPARED FOR YOU SHOWING THE
AND, UH, YOU'LL SEE WE WENT ALL THE WAY BACK TO 1850.
I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHY WE DID THAT, BUT HISTORICALLY WONDER HOW THE TRAFFIC WAS ON 80 ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
BUT OUR LAST, UH, OFFICIAL CENSUS WAS IN 2010.
AND, UH, IT, UH, SHOWED A POPULATION OF KAMAN COUNTY OF 103,350.
AND SOME OF YOU HEARD ME SAY BEFORE THIS, WE WERE THE NINTH FASTEST GROWING COUNTY IN THE STATE DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME, DURING 2000, 2010.
PERCENTAGE WISE, NOT NECESSARILY NUMBER WISE, BUT PERCENTAGE WISE, WISE.
THIS BUILDING WAS CONSTRUCTED, I BELIEVE, IN 1955.
AND, UH, SO YOU CAN SEE HOW WE'VE GROWN SINCE 1955.
NOW, UH, UH, DOWN AT THE BOTTOM THERE IS PROJECTED POPULATION.
UH, NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS, UH, WILL PROVIDE CENSUS POPULATION UNDER BY WHAT THE, THE CENSUS POPULATION I'VE HEARD FROM 2013 IS AROUND 105,000, NOT 121,000.
SO I'M NOT SURE YOU CAN GET ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT SYSTEMS, UH, OBJECTIONS, BUT, UH, WE CAN, WE CAN TRY TO REFINE THAT AND MAYBE COME UP WITH SOME MORE, IF THAT WOULD BE, UH, HELPFUL FOR YOU.
UH, INTERESTING HERE, IF YOU LOOK AT 2020, THAT'S SEVEN YEARS, YOU KNOW, SHOWING US TO HAVE A POPULATION 162,000.
THAT'S, THAT'S LOTS OF PEOPLE.
UH, SO, UH, BUT ANYWAY, WE WILL, IF YOU WOULD LIKE FOR US TO, WE'LL TRY TO GET
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SOME BETTER DATA OR SIMPLE OBJECTIONS, ADDITIONAL DATA THAT MIGHT, MIGHT SHOW, UH, ON THAT MIGHT, YOU MIGHT BE A DIFFERENT OPINION.THEN THE NEXT ITEM IS, UH, CALLED THE
AND IT'S GOT ABOUT THREE PAGES, UH, ATTACHED TO HIT.
AND YOU'LL SEE WE STARTED OFF WITH THE, UH, MAIN COURTHOUSE, UH, WHICH IS THIS BUILDING, OBVIOUSLY, AND IT SHOWS YOU ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE LOCATED IN THIS BUILDING.
FOR EXAMPLE, STARTING OFF AT THE COUNTY JUDGE'S OFFICE.
MY OFFICE IS ON THE FIRST FLOOR AND WE HAVE THREE PEOPLE.
UH, NEXT COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE IS ON THE FIRST FLOOR WITH SEVEN PEOPLE.
AND THEN THEY ALSO HAVE A SPACE IN THE BASEMENT WHERE THEY HAVE NINE FOOT, WHERE SHE HAS NINE FULL-TIME AND ONE PART-TIME, UH, PERSON DOWNSTAIRS RIGHT BELOW THE, THE MAIN, UH, COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE.
AND I'M NOT GONNA READ ALL THE WAY DOWN THROUGH HERE ON EVERY ONE OF THESE, BUT YOU WILL, UH, SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE IT SAYS MAINTENANCE AND JANITORIAL.
THOSE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE DURING THE DAY AND THEN IN THE EVENINGS AS WELL.
THEY'RE NOT HERE ALL AT ONE TIME, WHERE WE SHOW A TOTAL OF THREE PEOPLE.
AND THEY NOT ONLY SERVE THIS BUILDING, BUT THEY ALSO SERVE THE ANNEX BUILDING ACROSS THE, UH, THE COURT.
UH, I MEAN ACROSS THE, UH, FROM THE COURTHOUSE, THE COURTHOUSE ANNEX BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET, UH, HOUSES, THE TREASURER'S OFFICE, HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT, THE HEALTHCARE AND THE TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR'S OFFICE FOR A TOTAL OF 2020 PEOPLE.
THE SOUTH CAMPUS IS ON THE NEXT PAGE.
THAT'S WHAT I CALL THE OLD JAIL.
AND, UH, WE HAVE THE JUSTICES PEACE OFFICE OUT THERE WITH FOUR FULL-TIME AND ONE PART-TIME EMPLOYEE.
WE HAVE, UH, CONSTABLE PRECINCT ONE OUT THERE.
THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT IS OUT THERE, THE OFFICER'S OFFICE IS OUT THERE.
THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE IS OUT THERE.
YOU CAN READ ON DOWN THROUGH THERE THAT WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 34, UH, FULL-TIME PEOPLE IN ONE PART-TIME PERSON THAT WORKS THERE.
I WOULD POINT OUT TO YOU THE LAST TWO OFFICES, UH, TEXAS STATE HEALTH SERVICES OFFICE, THAT IS NOT A COUNTY OFFICE, THAT WE DO PROVIDE SPACE FOR THE, UH, FOR THE STATE AREA, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTY THAT GO TO THEM FOR SERVICES.
THEY'RE LOCATED ON THE, UH, I GUESS WHAT WOULD BE THE EAST SIDE OF THAT BUILDING, AS WELL AS WE HAVE A, A HEALTH INSPECTOR THAT'S LOCATED THERE.
THEY, UH, UH, UH, WE PROVIDE THE SPACE, THEY PROVIDE THE PERSONNEL.
THEY'RE NOT THE COUNTY EMPLOYEES, BUT THEY DO SERVE THE CITIZENS OF, OF THIS COUNTY.
UH, THE NEXT ITEM IS THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE.
THAT'S RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE COURTHOUSE, RIGHT? UH, ONE DOOR DOWN FROM THE TAX OFFICE.
THAT'S THE BUILDING THAT WE RECENTLY PURCHASED.
UH, WE HAVE EIGHT, UH, PEOPLE IN THAT OFFICE IN THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE.
THE JUVENILE PROBATION DEPARTMENT IS AT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COURTHOUSE HERE ON MULBERRY.
THE OLD, OLD COFFMAN POST OFFICE THAT IS, UH, WHERE THEY HAVE EIGHT FULL-TIME PEOPLE AND A PART-TIME PERSON.
THE EXTENSION OFFICE IS OUT ON, UH, HIGHWAY 34, UH, NORTH GOING TOWARDS TERRELL.
THAT'S THE FARM BUREAU OFFICE.
UH, AND THAT'S WHERE THE COUNTY EXTENSION OFFICE FOLKS ARE LOCATED.
THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE IS, UH, UH, WELL, WHAT, WHAT WE NOW CALL THE REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS CENTER.
THAT'S THE OLD ARMORY BUILDING, AND THAT'S WHERE THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE IS NOW LOCATED.
PLUS THAT WILL BE THE NEW HOME OF OUR REGIONAL 9 1 1 CENTER.
AND JUST A QUICK UPDATE ON THAT, THAT IS WHERE THE, UH, THE REGIONAL 9 1 1 CENTER WILL BE, WHERE ALL OF THE 9 1 1 CALLS IN CALIN COUNTY WILL COME TO.
THEY'LL ALL BE ROUTED TO THAT ONE, UH, LOCATION EXCEPT FOR THE CITY OF FORNEY.
AND THE CITY OF FORNEY, UH, HAS JUST CONSTRUCTED A NEW PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITY.
AND AT THIS POINT IN TIME, THEY PLAN ON IN, UH, DOING THEIR OWN DISPATCH SERVICE.
BUT, UH, EVERY OTHER ENTITY, INCLUDING ALL THE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS, CITY OF TERRELL, CITY OF KAUFLIN, UH, THE, UH, UH, ALL OF OUR CONSTABLES, UH, ALL OTHER DISPATCH SERVICES, AMBULANCE SERVICES, WILL ALL COME THROUGH THIS NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER.
AND WE ARE JUST IN THE PROCESS OF, UH, PROBABLY, UH, BE HAVING AN ARCHITECTURAL PLAN DESIGNED.
WE HOPE TO MOVE INTO THAT FACILITY SOMETIME IN THE NEXT, UH, UH, YEAR AND START MAKING OUR, THAT WILL BE OUR 9 1 1 CENTER, AS WELL AS OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER IN CASE WE HAVE A, A MASS EMERGENCY OR SOME SORT OF A CATASTROPHE IN THE COUNTY WHERE WE HAVE TO OPERATE FROM, SUCH AS A TORNADO OR SOME, UH, SOME OTHER, UH, HUMAN, UH, CATASTROPHE THAT TAKES PLACE.
ON THE NEXT PAGE AT THE TOP, THAT'S WHERE THE, UH, UH, JAIL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER IS OUT ON 1 75, UH,
[00:25:01]
PRECINCT.ONE BARO RIDGE FACILITIES IS ALSO HERE IN COFFMAN.
IT'S IN THE, UH, NORTHEASTERN PART OF, UH, THE CITY OF KAUFMAN, UH, WHERE, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER LIK HAS HIS OPERATION.
UH, FORNY SUB COURT HOUSE IS THE OLD FORNEY POST OFFICE.
AND IN THE FORNEY SUB COURTHOUSE, WE HAVE THE COMMISSIONER PRECINCT TWO OFFICE, UH, THE JUSTICE OF THE PEACE PRECINCT TWO OFFICE, THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE, AND A TAX OFFICE, UH, PART OVER THERE AS WELL WITH, UH, IN THAT AREA.
UH, AND THEN THE, UH, PRECINCT TWO ROAD AND BRIDGE FACILITY IS AT 12 0 5 1 PRECINCT CIRCLE IN FORNEY THERE ON, UH, WHAT'S THAT? 7 47 41.
7 41, UH, OUT, ALL OUT, OUT IN THE, UH, RURAL AREA.
THE TERRELL SUB COURT HOUSE IS AT 4 0 8 EAST COLLEGE.
AND THERE YOU'LL SEE WHERE WE HAVE THE JUSTICE OF THE PEACE.
UH, THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE IS LOCATED THERE.
THE TAX OFFICE HAS TWO PEOPLE I BELIEVE THERE.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE ADULT PROBATION DEPARTMENT, UH, THAT BENNY CARMONA OPERATES, THAT IS LOCATED IN THAT BUILDING AS WELL.
AND I'M NOT REALLY SURE HOW IT WOUND UP OVER THERE.
IS THAT JUST BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY SPACE WE HAD, OR DID ANYBODY REMEMBER? MY GUESS IS BRUCE, IT WAS THE BIGGEST LOCATION FOR PROBATIONERS AT THE TIME IT WAS LOCATED.
AND THEN, UH, PRECINCT THREE, ROAD AND BRIDGE, THAT'S AT 6 0 1 EAST NASH.
THAT'S THE PRECINCT, UH, REBORN AND OFFICE FACILITY.
AND, UH, I'M SORRY, TRYING TO GET YOU INTO BUILDING, I'D APPRECIATE THAT.
THEN THE CAMP SUB COURT HOUSE ON THE LAST PAGE, THAT'S WHERE THE JUSTICE PIECE IS, UH, LOCATED.
THE COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE, THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE, AND THE TAX OFFICE IS THERE.
AND THEN THE PRECINCT FOUR ROAD AND BRIDGE BARN IS JUST DOWN THE STREET A LITTLE BIT WITHIN THE CITY OF CAMP.
THE OLD JAIL, UH, I CALL IT THE OLD, OLD JAIL.
IT'S JUST, UH, SOUTH ONE BLOCK SOUTH OF THE COURTHOUSE HERE.
UH, THAT FACILITY IS CURRENTLY LEASED TO THE MASONIC LODGE HERE IN KAUFMAN, AND WE DO NOT, UH, CURRENTLY HAVE ANY COUNTY EMPLOYEES IN THAT BUILDING.
THE OLD LIBRARY IS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET HERE.
UH, AND THAT'S USED FOR STORAGE.
THE DISTRICT CLERK AND THE COUNTY CLERK HAS LOTS OF RECORDS STORED IN THERE.
WE, WE'VE GOT A BUNCH OVER THERE TOO.
THE, THE DA HAS SOME STUFF OVER THERE AS WELL.
UH, AND THEN OTHER PROPERTY THAT, UH, THAT ARE OWNED BY COFFMAN COUNTY.
UH, NO CHANGES NEEDED THAT MAY OR MAY NOT APPLY THE COUNTY LIBRARY OUT ON, UH, OUT ACROSS FROM THE, UH, JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL AND THEN THE CHILDREN'S EMERGENCY CENTER IN THAT SAME LOCATION OUT, UH, ACROSS FROM THE SCHOOLS OUT ON 1386.
SO THAT'S THAT INFORMATION THAT JUST KIND OF GIVES YOU A, A, A THUMBNAIL SKETCH.
THE DIFFERENT OFFICES THAT WE HAVE AND THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES, UH, THAT WE HAVE SCATTERED ABOUT.
NEXT ITEM, UH, IS THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION.
AND I'M TALKING MUCH LONGER THAN I INTENDED TO.
UH, THIS, UH, JUST SO YOU'LL KNOW, WHEN YOU WALK IN THE, THE FRONT DOOR OF THIS BUILDING, YOU WENT THROUGH A SECURITY VESTIBULE WHERE YOU ARE SCANNED, MAKE SURE YOU DON'T HAVE ANY WEAPONS OR, OR ANYTHING THAT, UH, FACILITY WAS, UH, CONSTRUCTED, UH, BACK, I GUESS IN 2006, IF YOU READ THROUGH THIS LETTER.
AND THE, UH, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, AND I DON'T MEAN THIS NEGATIVE NECESSARILY, BUT THIS BUILDING IS DESIGNATED AS A HISTORICAL, UH, BUILDING.
UH, AND EVEN THOUGH IT WAS BUILT IN THE FIFTIES, UH, SEVERAL OF US, INCLUDING MYSELF, WE DON'T LIKE TO THINK OF OURSELVES BEING HISTORICAL
AND, UH, THE HISTORICAL COMMISSION, UH, IN AUSTIN TOOK GREAT EXCEPTION TO THE FACT THAT THE, UH, THAT, UH, UH, SECURITY VESTIBULE THAT YOU WALK IN WAS ADDED, UH, WITHOUT THEM KNOWING IT.
AND THEY HAVE DEMANDED THAT, THAT BE REMOVED.
AND, UH, THE COURT WENT TO, UH, A GREAT, UH, WELL, THEY MADE A GREAT EFFORT TO GET THAT RESCINDED, AND THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DO SO.
UH, IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW.
SO BACK ON FEBRUARY THE 23RD, UH, WE DID ASK THEM TO EXTEND THAT FOR US.
WE GOT OUR REPRESENTATIVE, UH, TO, UH, HELP, UH, ASK THEM TO DO THAT, LANCE, AND THEY DID GIVE US A FIVE YEAR EXTENSION TO THAT.
UH, SO WE'RE BEGINNING YEAR THREE OF THAT FIVE YEAR EXTENSION.
MY IMPRESSION IS THEY'RE NOT GOING BACK DOWN FROM THAT BECAUSE THE LAW
[00:30:01]
IS ON THEIR SIDE.AND SO SOMEHOW ANOTHER, WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO HAVE COURTS IN THIS BUILDING WITHOUT A SECURITY.
WE'VE GOTTA HAVE SECURITY IN THIS FACILITY.
AND, UH, THE ONLY WAY WE CAN TAKE THAT DOWN IS TO MOVE THE COURTS, IN MY OPINION, AT LEAST, IS TO MOVE ALL THE COURTS OUT OF THIS BUILDING.
IF WE TOOK THAT DOWN AND TURNED THIS INTO AN ADMINISTRATIVE FACILITY, UH, WELL THEN THERE WOULD BE NO NEED TO HAVE A, UH, WELL NOT HAVE AN OFFICER HERE OR A DEPUTY HERE, BUT WE WOULDN'T HAVE THE SECURITY THAT YOU PASS THROUGH.
NOW, WE WOULD REMOVE THE SECURITY VESTIBULE THAT'S THERE, BUT I WANTED YOU TO SEE THE ACTUAL DOCUMENT, THAT IT'S NOT JUST SOMEBODY MAKING THIS UP.
AND, UH, UH, THEY HAVE EXTENDED THE, UH, THE, UH, FOR THE SECOND TIME.
AND, UH, UH, I DO KNOW THAT AFTER RECENT EVENTS, AFTER, UH, UH, THE MURDER THAT WE HAVE HERE, THEY ARE VERY COGNIZANT OF, OF OUR NEED FOR SECURITY IN THIS BUILDING.
AND, UH, I THINK WILL TRY TO WORK WITH US ANY WAY THEY CAN, BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY BELIEF THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BACK OFF LETTING US REMOVE THIS FACILITY.
AND IN THAT REGARD, IN TODAY'S DALLAS MORNING NEWS, I, HOW MANY OF YOU SAW THIS THERE? UH, THERE IS A COPY OF THIS STORY, UH, THAT TALKS ABOUT THE TEXAS, TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION, AND THEY EVEN HAVE A PICTURE OF THE CORN CORNS COUNTY COURTHOUSE.
UH, THERE, AND THERE ARE RENOVATION MONIES AVAILABLE THROUGH THE STATE OF TEXAS THAT SHOULD WE, UH, DECIDE TO DO SO, UH, WE CAN GET IN LINE FOR THE RENOVATION GRANT MONIES.
AND PAM CARTER HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE, UH, THESE FOLKS, AND I BELIEVE, UH, BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AND THE FACT THAT WE ARE TRYING TO, UH, TO MAKE OUR SITUATION BETTER HERE IN THE COUNTY, I THINK WE WOULD HAVE A SHOT AT GETTING ONE OF THESE COURTHOUSE RENOVATION GRANTS THAT'S FUNDED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND SO WHEN YOU HAVE A CHANCE, YOU MIGHT WANT TO READ OVER THIS AND SEE, UH, UH, ABOUT THIS STORY AND THE FACT THAT IT DOES LOOK LIKE THAT THE, UH, LEGISLATURE IS GOING TO PUT SOME, SOME ADDITIONAL MONEY INTO, UH, UH, THE COURTHOUSE RENOVATION GRANT, WHICH WOULD HELP US RESTORE THIS, UH, THIS FACILITY TO, UH, WHAT IT ONCE WAS.
UH, AND WE HAVE OTHER ISSUES IN THIS FACILITY WITH HEATING, AIR CONDITIONING.
WE HAVE ASBESTOS IN THIS BUILDING, UH, THAT'S NOT DANGEROUS.
ASBESTOS, IT'S NOT DANGEROUS UNLESS YOU BOTHER.
BUT SOME OF THE FLOOR TILE AND SOME OF THE, UH, PLUMBING AND SO FORTH, I'VE BEEN TOLD IS, UH, PROBABLY, PROBABLY, UH, UH, AN AREA THAT WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE, UH, UH, REMEDIED.
AND SO, UH, ANYWAY, I TRIED TO GIVE YOU AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE COULD.
ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO, UH, JIM? YES, JUDGE WOOD, I MAY HAVE MISSED IT FOR THOUGH.
WHAT TYPE OF TIMEFRAME ARE YOU WILLING US TO TRY TO LOOK AT? YOU GAVE US THE POPULATION, LIKE A 20 YEAR FIX OR, OR REAL TIME, OR, WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
AND I, I WOULD THINK THAT YOU NOT ONLY LOOK AT WHAT WE NEED TODAY, BUT INTO THE FUTURE, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT MEANS 10 YEARS OR 20 YEARS.
I THINK A LOT OF THAT'S GOING TO BE DETERMINED WITH WHAT YOU COME BACK AND MAKE AS A RECOMMENDATION.
IF YOU COME BACK AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE BUILD A COMPLETE NEW FACILITY OFFSITE OFF OF THIS LOCATION, UH, THEN YOU MIGHT WANNA BE LOOKING ON DOWN THE WAY A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.
IF YOU COME BACK WITH A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE RENOVATE WHAT WE HAVE, TRY TO BUY SOME EXISTING, UH, BUILDINGS DOWNTOWN.
UH, IT MIGHT NOT, IT MIGHT BE A 10 YEAR FIX.
UH, THAT'S SOMETHING Y'ALL ARE JUST GONNA HAVE TO KIND OF WORK THROUGH.
THAT, THAT'S MY OPINION AT LEAST.
YEAH, IF WE'RE GONNA BUILD SOMETHING, I WOULD SUGGEST SOMETHING, ANY RENOVATION HERE IS STILL GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH OUR SECURITY WITH THIS STORE PERMIT.
AS LONG AS WE KEEP COURTS IN THIS BUILDING, WE MOVE THE COURTS OUT.
WE WOULDN'T HAVE, IF WE MOVE THE COURTS OUT, WE MIGHT HAVE TO HAVE SECURITY, BUT NOT LIKE, LIKE WHAT WE HAVE NOW.
NOT, NOT THE METAL DETECTORS AND THE WHOLE THING, BUT WE WILL HAVE TO REMOVE THAT, UH, UH, THE VESTIBULE THAT, THAT WE HAVE OUT FRONT.
NOW, THAT'S THE WHOLE, THAT'S THE WHOLE DEAL WITH THE HISTORICAL COMMISSION BECAUSE IT DETRACTS FROM THE ORIGINAL ARCHITECTURE OF THE BUILDING.
AND WE COULD TALK ABOUT THAT QUITE A BIT.
OTHER, OTHER QUESTIONS? WELL, JIM, WE WELCOME YOU TO COME FORWARD AND, UH, I KNOW YOU'RE JUST BRIMMING WITH IDEAS AND, UH, JIM'S IN THE CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS, BY THE WAY, SO HE PROBABLY WILL, UH, HAVE SOME RESOURCES.
OH, ONE OTHER THING I NEED TO MENTION, WHEN YOU GET INTO THIS, AS YOU START TALKING ABOUT IT, IT MAY BE THAT YOU NEED SOME, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME PROFESSIONAL ARCHITECTURAL HELP.
[00:35:01]
TO DRAW A SET OF PLANS OR ANYTHING, BUT IT MAY BE THAT YOU COME BACK AND SAY, WE NEED, WE NEED SOME PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE TO HELP US COME IN HERE AND MAKE SOME GOOD DECISIONS.SO THAT'LL BE SOMETHING WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT YOU GUYS TO COME BACK AND SEE IF, IF YOU DO NEED US TO DO THAT.
WELL, SOME OF THE LADIES BACK HERE, THE FIRST PRIORITY, THEY WANT THE AIR CONDITIONING FIXED IN WINDOWS.
NOW WE'RE, UM, I GUESS, UH, WHEN BRUCE CALLED ME, UH, JUST, JUST LIKE ALL OF YOU WERE APPROACHED BY, UH, YOUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND OTHERS, UH, IT WAS A PRIVILEGE, UH, FOR ME TO SERVE AND AN HONOR, BUT ALSO A RESPONSIBILITY IS THE WAY I LOOK AT IT.
I KNOW THAT ALL OF Y'ALL FEEL THE SAME WAY OR YOU WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ASKED TO DO IT.
YOUR PEOPLE WHO ARE, UH, SERIOUS ABOUT WHAT GOES ON IN KAIN COUNTY AND CONCERNED ABOUT IT, AND IT'S YOUR COUNTY.
I DIDN'T GROW UP HERE, BUT I GOT HERE AS QUICK AS I COULD.
AND I'M, I'M PROUD OF KAUFFMAN COUNTY AND I WANT, UH, THE VERY BEST FOR IT.
AND ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED WITH, UH, ONE OF THE MEN WHO, UH, SERVES US.
WE NEED TO BEAR DOWN AND FOCUS AND DO OUR VERY BEST TO EVALUATE THE FACILITIES, THE SECURITY, EVERYTHING, UH, ABOUT HOW THE COURTHOUSE AND ALL THE FUNCTIONS WORK AND, AND MAKE OUR BEST RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, BACK TO THE JUDGE AND, AND, UH, THE COMMISSIONERS.
AND I'VE BEEN ON SOME OF THESE COMMITTEES BEFORE, AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF YOU, UH, TO PARTICIPATE AND KNOW THAT, THAT YOUR OPINION IS AS VALUABLE AS ANYONE ELSE IS IN THE ROOM AND TO SPEAK UP.
AND, BECAUSE SOME OF THE BEST IDEAS COME FROM THE QUIETEST PERSON IN THE GROUP WHO DOESN'T SAY MUCH, BUT IS DOING A LOT OF THINKING.
AND, UH, SO SAY WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND.
AND SO WE CAN WRITE IT DOWN AND TALK ABOUT IT.
AND, AND ALL OF US TOGETHER WILL PROBABLY COME UP WITH THE, WITH THE BEST, UH, SOLUTION TO WHATEVER WE WANT TO FIGURE OUT.
UH, RECENTLY FOR THE SCHOOL FACILITY STUDY, WE, WE TOURED ALL OF THE, ALL OF THESE FACILITIES THAT TOOK ONE AT A TIME, SOMETIMES TWO AT A TIME IN THE EVENING, AND HAD THE PRINCIPALS OR ONE OF THE REPRESENTATIVES WALK US AROUND AND SHOW US EVERYTHING.
AND WE ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS AND THAT, BUT THEY ALSO TOLD US WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T WORK AND WHAT WHAT THEY NEEDED.
AND SO WE WROTE ALL THAT DOWN AND OF COURSE, MADE RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON ALL THAT ABOUT WHAT WAS IMMEDIATE.
IF SOMETHING HAD TO BE DONE PRETTY MUCH RIGHT AWAY, THAT WAS AN IMMEDIATE NEED.
AND THEN THE SHORT TERM NEED MIGHT BE A TWO TO THREE YEAR, FOUR YEAR, UH, THING.
AND THEN SOME LONG RATES, THINGS THAT MIGHT NEED TO HAPPEN BASED ON, UH, I WAS LOOKING AT THESE NUMBERS, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE RIGHT, BUT THERE'S GONNA BE A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE MOVING TO KAUFMAN COUNTY IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
SO WE MIGHT WANT TO THANK KIND OF NOT ONLY TACTICALLY OR SHORT TERM, BUT STRATEGICALLY LONG TERM IF WE REALLY, UH, ARE GOING TO PLAN FOR ALL THESE FOLKS.
AND AT SOME POINT, UH, WE WOULD PROBABLY RECOMMEND TO YOU THAT AN ARCHITECT BE HIRED THAT CAN DO A FEASIBILITY STUDY, UH, OF YOUR FACILITIES.
THERE, THERE NEEDS TO BE, UH, IN MY OPINION, NOT ONLY PEOPLE HERE, BUT SQUARE FOOTAGE IS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S FORMULA FOR ALL THAT.
THEY, AND, AND DEPENDING ON THE USAGE OF, OF WHAT EACH BUILDING IS, THEY CAN DETERMINE WHETHER IT'S UNDERSIZED OR OVERSIZED, AND THEN PLAN FOR THE FUTURE, DEPENDING ON HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GONNA, WE THINK ARE GONNA BE COMING INTO THE COUNTY THREE MONTHS.
UH, I LIKE IT BECAUSE THAT'S SHORT, BUT I ALSO THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE, HAVE TO MOVE PRETTY FAST AND IN DOING AND MAKE A, A REAL GOOD ASSESSMENT.
UM, SO I, I OPEN IT UP TO COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS, BUT I, I SEE THAT, THAT SOMEHOW WE NEED TO SCHEDULE VERY SHORTLY, UH, VERY SOON, WHICH BUILDINGS WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT AND WHO'S GOING TO BE OUR, UH, LEADER AND CARRY US AROUND AND TALK TO US ABOUT THE NEEDS AND, AND, AND THE WANTS, UH, OF THAT PARTICULAR DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN MAYBE GET A BIG PICTURE OF, LIKE YOU WERE SAYING, DO WE FIX WHAT WE HAVE OR DO WE FIX SOME OF IT OR CHANGE THE USE OF SOME OF IT AND ALL OF THE ABOVE.
AND ALSO GO BUILD A NEW COURTS BUILDING OUT NEAR THE PRISON.
UH, WE DON'T KNOW UNTIL WE LOOK AT IT.
I DON'T WANT TO SAY THAT WE, UH, SHOULD NOT WORRY ABOUT THE MONEY BECAUSE WE GOTTA BE REALISTIC.
WE, WE WANT TO COME BACK WITH RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING WITH.
UH, IF WE COULD SNAP OUR FINGERS
[00:40:01]
AND WAVE OUR WAND, WE'D SAY, LET'S BUILD IT ALL BRAND NEW AND DO SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, DO SOMETHING ELSE WITH THIS PROBABLY.BUT THAT'S WHERE THE INPUT FROM THOSE, UH, THE EMPLOYEES AND THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO WORK HERE, WE NEED, WE NEED TO HEAR FROM THEM.
UH, WE, WE LEARNED, UH, YOU CAN LEARN A LITTLE BIT FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE SCHOOLS, BUT WHEN YOU GO DOWN AND TALK TO THE TEACHERS WHO ACTUALLY ARE IN THE ROOMS AND ARE DEALING WITH THE KIDS EVERY DAY, THAT'S WHEN YOU REALLY FIND OUT WHAT IN THE WORLD THEY NEED AND WHAT DOESN'T WORK AND WHAT DOES WORK.
SO I HOPE WE CAN, AS A GROUP, UH, HAVE ACCESS TO WHOEVER THOSE ABSOLUTELY FOLKS ARE AND WE WOULD BETTER BE ABLE TO MAKE A, AN, AN INFORMED, UH, RECOMMENDATION.
SO I DON'T HAVE ANY, I DIDN'T, I JUST KIND OF MADE SOME NOTES AND THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU WERE SAYING, BUT, UH, I GUESS, UH, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, I, I, I CAN, I'M PRETTY FLEXIBLE.
I CAN MEET, UH, JUST ABOUT ANY TIME I STILL WORK, BUT I, I'VE GOT A FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE, SO, UH, WE TOURED THE SCHOOLS THAT NIGHT, UH, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S GOOD OR BAD, BUT THAT'S WHEN WE DID IT AFTER THE KIDS WERE ALL GONE AND EVERYTHING.
BUT, SO I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION.
AM I GONNA BE DESCRIBED TOO? UH, WELL, I'VE ASKED, UH, RHONDA TO, OKAY, OF COURSE WE'VE GOT LAURA BACK HERE TOO.
SO THERE A, WE CAN GET SOME INPUT FROM ALL THE EMPLOYEES IN EACH FACILITY, JUST INFORMALLY, IF, IF WE COULD HAVE A SUGGESTION BOX, IF, FOR LACK OF A BETTER IDEA, UH, SO THAT WE CAN GET FEEDBACK FROM THE PEOPLE IN THE OFFICES THEMSELVES, UH, THAT WOULD BE A BEGINNING PLACE FOR US, FOR I, THAT WE CAN, WE CAN DO THAT.
WE COULD PROBABLY DO THAT, UH, MANY TIMES BY EMAIL AND JUST ASK THEM TO SEND US BACK ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT THEIR, UH, OR ASK EACH DEPARTMENT HEAD TO GET THEIR STAFF TOGETHER AND, AND, UH, SEND THAT BACK TO US.
JIM, DO, DO YOU THINK WE COULD DO SAY LIKE A TOUR OF THE COURTHOUSE IN ONE DAY OR WOULD WE NEED TO BREAK IT DOWN AND, AND GO TO EACH DIFFERENT FACILITY IN THIS COURTHOUSE? WELL, JUST THINKING OUT LOUD, WE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE KAMAN SCHOOLS.
WE, WE WERE ABLE, AND THEY'RE SPREAD OUT AND, BUT WE, IN SOME CASES, WE TOURED TWO OR TWO OF THEM IN ONE NIGHT.
I MEAN, IT, IT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GET, I SEE IT IS GOING TO BE THE COURT WHERE THEY MAY HAVE A TRIAL GOING ON OR, OR YOU KNOW, SOME HEARING GOING ON OR SOMETHING.
BUT IF YOU GUYS KNEW, YOU KNOW THAT WELL, PROBABLY, PROBABLY NOT AT NIGHT.
PROBABLY NOT AT NIGHT, BUT TO ME IT WOULD BE VALUABLE TO THESE FOLKS TO SEE IT WHEN YOU'RE IN ACTION, ACTION, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE, WHEN YOU'RE ACTUALLY HERE WITH THE, WELL, I, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT JUDGE.
BUT I WAS GONNA SAY, YOU SAY NOT AT NIGHT, ONLY IF YOU JUST WANTED TO LOOK AT THE, THE USE OF THE SPACE, BUT IT WOULD GIVE PEOPLE A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT YOU ALREADY INTIMATED TO.
AND I KNOW THAT, UH, THE OTHER JUDGES WOULD AGREE, PROBABLY JUST CHEATING LIKE ON A MONDAY WHEN YOU KNOW, OH, THE NEXT THREE MONTHS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE, WE'RE SCHEDULED FOR TRIAL.
SOMETIMES THEY CANCEL, BUT YOU STILL GET TO SEE, THANK YOU.
YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE WHY YOU NEED THIS SPACE.
'CAUSE THE SCHOOL CHILDREN CAN GET A HEADCOUNT WHEN YOU LITERALLY, I DON'T THINK THE FIRE MARSHALS IN HERE, BUT IF YOU LITERALLY HAVE THAT MANY PEOPLE USING THE LIMITED PUBLIC RESTROOMS DOWNSTAIRS, YOU, YOU'LL WONDER HOW WE'RE ALL IN AND YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN SAY IT, BUT UNTIL YOU SEE IT, YOU DON'T GRASP IT.
BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT, IF YOU'VE GOT JUDGE TIGER IN COURT WITH 50 OR 60 PEOPLE, YOU'VE GOT THE CLERKS RUNNING BETWEEN, YOU'VE GOT JUDGE CHITTY DOWNSTAIRS, HE MAY HAVE 50 PEOPLE OR JUDGE LEWIS AND I MAY HAVE ANYBODY WHO GOT THE DA'S, YOU COULD LITERALLY HAVE 250 PEOPLE, CITIZENS IN THE HALLWAY WITH ABOUT SIX PUBLIC HEADS WHEN IT'S HOTTER THAN THIS.
AND I THINK THAT I'VE BEEN IN THE HALLWAY AND YEAH, YOU CAN'T EVEN PICK FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER.
RIGHT? AND I THINK THAT, THAT, THAT MIGHT BE GOOD ONE DAY, KIND OF LOOK AT OUR SCHEDULE WHEN WE HAVE A BUSY DAY.
BUT THEN THE OTHER THING TO LOOKING AT THE SPACE AND ALL THAT, YOU COULD DO PROBABLY ALL THE FACILITIES, AT LEAST HERE AND ACROSS THE WAY, AND THEN GOING OUT TO THE OLD JAIL, THEN THE OLD, OLD JAIL.
YOU COULD DO THAT IN THE MIDDLE AFTERNOON ON A THURSDAY OR FRIDAY.
IT'S REALLY SLOW OR YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON IT.
RON, I NEVER SLOW FROM YOU, BUT YOU SEND THOSE NOTES TO ME.
MAYBE THAT'S JUDGE, WHAT DO YOU THINK, JUDGE? I THINK, UH, COMING IN LATE
[00:45:01]
AFTERNOON, EARLY EVENING TO VIEW THE COURTHOUSE WOULD BE THE IDEAL TIME JUST TO GET AN IDEA ABOUT USE.BUT I THINK JUDGE WILEY HAS A GOOD POINT ABOUT, YOU NEED TO COME DOWN HERE WHEN WE'VE GOT THIS PLACE PACKED AND JUST TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
AND NOT EVERYBODY, YOU COULD DESIGNATE A COMMITTEE OF THREE PEOPLE, BUT YOU JUST ADD TO IT.
BUT IF YOU'VE EVER SERVED ON A JURY PANEL, AND PROBABLY MOST OF YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE ARE FACED WITH, UH, WHEN WE HAVE THE COURTHOUSE FULL OF PEOPLE, UH, IT IS A SECURITY NIGHTMARE.
IF YOU HAD AN INMATE ACTING OUT AND WANTING TO HURT SOMEONE, THERE'S NO WAY TO PREVENT DAMAGE CURRENTLY.
AND UH, WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE, REALLY IN SPITE OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO MARK.
SOMETHING HAS NOT HAPPENED BEFORE NOW.
AND UH, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE DOES A GOOD JOB UNDER BAD CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT IF SOMEONE REALLY WANTED TO ACT OUT AND CAUSE A PROBLEM, IT COULD HAPPEN BEFORE WE COULD REACT.
SO I THINK FOR THAT REASON, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO COME AND TAKE A SAMPLE OF IT WHEN WE HAVE A COURTHOUSE FULL OF PEOPLE.
JIM, AS YOU SUGGESTED, DETER THE FACILITY WHEN IT'S EMPTY, TO TALK TO THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND GET AN IDEA ABOUT WHAT IS NEEDED NOW, WHAT IS NEEDED, UH, WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST USE OF THE FACILITY, WHAT WE NEED ABSOLUTELY RIGHT NOW.
AND I THINK JUDGE WILEY HAS HIT A NERVE.
I THINK IF YOU PUT A FIRE MARSHAL AND A HEALTH INSPECTOR AND A BUILDING INSPECTOR IN HERE, THEY PROBABLY SHUT US DOWN.
I'M CONFIDENT I'M NOT QUALIFIED TO SAY WHERE WE OUGHT TO GO LOOK AND WHEN WE OUGHT TO DO IT AND HOW MUCH WE OUGHT TO LOOK AT.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT RHONDA OR SOMEONE CAN PROVIDE? WE CAN SET UP A SCHEDULE, UH, COURTHOUSE AND ANNEX ONE AFTERNOON AND EVENING, THEN ALL THE OTHER FACILITIES AT, AT ANOTHER TIME.
IN MY OPINION, THE LONGEST TOUR WE HAD WOULD BE OF THIS, OF THE MAIN COURTHOUSE.
AND IF WE DECIDE TO PUT IT IN OUR SCHEDULE A TOUR, THE, OF THE COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE IMPORTANT.
WE WOULD TOUR WHAT CALL THE OLD, I GUESS.
WE STILL HAVE, WE, WE'VE GOT SEVERAL OFFICES STILL OUT AT THE SOUTH CAMPUS.
WE, I MEAN, MY OFFICE WILL HELP COORDINATE WHERE YOU, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GO AND WE'LL GET ALL THAT, UH, HELP NOTIFY YOU.
WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE CARE OF ALL THAT.
IT'S JUST, UH, WE JUST KIND OF NEED TO EVERYBODY THINK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE TIMING ON IT.
IF YOU DO IT DURING THE EVENING OR, OR EARLY AFTERNOON.
UH, JUST, YOU KNOW, CAN WE, I'M JUST TALKING OUT LOUD HERE, CAN WE HIT, I DON'T KNOW, WHAT DO, DO WE THINK THERE'S GONNA BE MAYBE THREE TOURS? WOULD THAT GET IT ALL DONE THREE TIMES? WOULD THAT CATCH ALL THE FACILITIES? NO, NO.
IF YOU'RE GOING OUT THREE, THREE BUILDINGS ALONG, I DON'T, I DON'T BELIEVE YOU CAN DO TWO PRECINCT FACILITIES AND ONE NAP BECAUSE THEY'RE SO FAR APART.
WELL, WE'VE GOT A SUGGESTION IN THREE PAM SAY IT COURTHOUSE THE ANNEX.
NOT GONNA TAKE PUBLIC DEFENDERS.
THE OLD PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE IN THE OLD LIBRARY.
MASON SONIC LODGE AND THE JUVENILE PROBATION.
THE JUVENILE PROBATION BROUGHT UP HERE FOR ALL THIS IN FRONT OF WHOLE POST OFFICE.
EVERYTHING HAS OLD IN FRONT OF IT.
YOU HAVE THE OLD POST OFFICE, YOU GOT THE OLD, OLD JAIL, YOU GOT THE OLD LIBRARY, YOU'VE GOT THE TITLE COMPANY, YOU GOT THE ANNEX AND YOU GOT THE COURTHOUSE.
DOES EVERYBODY KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS? YES.
AND THEN THE OTHER IS THE NEW LIBRARY, RIGHT? SOUTH CAMPUS, THEY'RE WIPED TOGETHER.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN DO PRECINCT FOUR, OFFICE, PRECINCT FOUR BARN, IT MIGHT BE A LOT IN THE ORIGINAL FROM THE REGIONAL CALL CENTER AND THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN LAST WOULD BE TERRELL BARN, TER ANNEX BARN CORN ANNEX EXTENSION.
THAT'S, THOSE ARE THREE FULL DAYS.
IS THAT WHAT YOU SHE'S GOT THREE TOURS, FULL DAYS, DAYS SUB COURT, HOUSE, THE PRECINCT, FOUR SUB COURT HOUSE NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT.
THAT'S WHAT, WHEN THAT, WHEN COURT IS IN SESSION ALSO, BECAUSE THERE'S, THAT'S A LOT.
ALL THAT YOU CAN SEE IT WHEN THE BUILDING GETS
I CAN SEE THE COURTHOUSE, THE ANNEX, THE PUBLIC DEFENDER, THE OLD LIBRARY, THE LOT JUVENILE PROBATION.
I KNOW ABOUT THAT SECOND ONE Y'ALL.
[00:50:04]
OKAY.YOU MIGHT ALSO THINK ABOUT BREAKING YOUR FOLKS UP INTO THREE PERSON TEAMS AND SENDING THEM OUT AND MULTIPLYING YOUR MANPOWER THAT WAY.
JIM, I WOULD THINK HERE IN THIS BUILDING, UH, IF YOU COULD ALLOCATE ABOUT 20 TO 30 MINUTES PER DEPARTMENT, UH, THE DEPARTMENT HEADS COULD BE READY FOR YOU WITH A LIST OF NEEDS AND PROBLEMS. AND UH, I KNOW RHONDA'S OFFICE IS COMPLETELY JAM PACKED.
SHE COULD SHOW YOU THAT SPACE, GIVE YOU A LIST OF NEEDS AND WHAT SHE WOULD ANTICIPATE GROWTH TO BE.
I COULD SHOW YOU MY COURTROOM.
UH, THE OTHER JUDGES CAN SHOW YOU THEIR COURTROOMS. I COULD DESCRIBE MY PROBLEMS. THEY COULD DESCRIBE THEIR PROBLEMS. 20 OR 30 MINUTES I THINK WILL DO IT FOR DEPARTMENT AND THEN FOR THE OUTLYING AREAS.
UH, COMMISSIONER HAD SAID THAT HE'D LIKE FOR US TO SEE FOUR WHEN THE COURT IS IN SESSION.
I THINK THAT'S TRUE IN FORNEY AS WELL.
WOULDN'T YOU SAY RAY? BECAUSE IT'S A DIFFERENT ANIMAL.
WELL, THERE'S, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S, THERE'S THREE COLUMNS HERE, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S MORE THAN THREE TOURS.
IF I, I ASK PAM HAD PUT THAT TOGETHER.
IT'S GOOD BECAUSE SHE HAD DONE, I WAS ABLE TO DO ALL THE BUILDING EXCEPT FOR THE COURTHOUSE.
AND ONE DAY WITH THE LIGHTING WE DID FROM THE LIGHTING, UM, COMPANY FOR THE ENERGY ASSESSMENT.
WHEN YOU SAY ONE DAY, LIKE EIGHT HOURS, WE STARTED AT EIGHT O'CLOCK AND WE WENT TO ALL OF THE BUILDINGS EXCEPT FOR THE COURTHOUSE AND THE JUVENILE PROBATION.
AND I DID IT IN ONE DAY, BUT WE WERE IN AND OUT.
SO THREE DAYS IT WOULD BE A DOABLE IN THREE DAYS.
BUT CAN, CAN EVERYBODY DO ALL DAY LONG SOMEWHERE? WELL, IT'S GONNA TAKE LONGER TO MOVE A GROUP THAN ONE PERSON OR TWO PEOPLE.
SO WOULD YOU SAY IT'S GONNA TAKE LONGER TO MOVE A GROUP GOING THROUGH, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE ARE ASKING QUESTIONS AND TALKING WITH, WOULDN'T YOU KIND OF GET COMMITTEES FOR EACH DAY AND THEN HAVE A REPORT BACK SO THEY CAN CUMBERSOME ANYBODY? YEAH, THAT WOULD BE MY SUGGESTION IS TO BREAK IT UP.
OR IS THERE ANYBODY THAT CANNOT MEET DURING THE DAY OR IF YOU KNEW IN ADVANCE THAT'S HERE, I HAVE FRIDAYS AVAILABLE MONDAY TO 30 THURSDAY KIND OF ROAD.
LATE AFTERNOONS LIKE THIS WOULD BE NICE.
YES, BUT JUST, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU'VE GONE YES, BUT IT'S NOT AS BUSY AS ON MONDAY.
THE CLERKS AREN'T GONNA BE ABLE TO TALK TO ME ON MONDAY.
WELL, AND WE COULD DO A UNOFFICIAL VISIT ON OUR OWN ON A DAY WHEN IT'S TO BE CROWDED IF WE WERE GIVEN NOTICE OF IT.
I MEAN, I DON'T NEED TO DO, BUT, UH, ALL TOO OFTEN.
BUT IT WOULDN'T, YOU WOULDN'T NECESSARILY TO SEE WHAT THE COURT CROWDING IS.
WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO DO IT AS A GROUP NECESSARILY.
IF WE HAD SEVERAL DAYS WE COULD VISIT OR MORE DISBELIEF.
WELL, WE COULD ALL JUST STAND OUT HERE IN THE HALLWAY AND PROJECT THAT.
JIM, I'LL VOLUNTEER TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND GO OVER EVERYTHING AND TRY AND SET UP SOME KIND OF SCHEDULE.
I, I THINK WHAT ABOUT, I THINK THERE'S MORE THAN, UH, I'M, I'M THINKING THAT THE ALL DAY THING IS NOT A GOOD PLAN.
WE'RE GONNA MISS A LOT OF PEOPLE.
I'D RATHER BREAK IT UP AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAD PROBABLY SIX, AT LEAST SIX DIFFERENT TOURS, IF YOU WILL, WHEN WE DID THE SCHOOL THING.
AND UH, WE'VE GOT, I MEAN, WE, WE CAN DO, UH, EVEN IF WE DID ONE A WEEK, THAT'S STILL ONLY HALF OF OUR TIME THAT WE'VE BEEN ALLOTTED TO FIGURE ALL THIS OUT.
AND, AND MAYBE, AND, AND WHOEVER CAN COME, WE'VE GOT, I DON'T KNOW, 20, 15 OR 20 FOLKS THAT MAY WANT TO COME.
BUT IF YOU CAN'T COME, YOU GO TO THE NEXT ONE.
WHOEVER CAN MAKE IT, MAKES IT, WHOEVER CAN, UH, WE KEEP GOOD NOTES AND, AND GIVE YOU A RECORD OF WHAT WE FOUND OUT AND WHAT OUR ASSESSMENTS ARE.
AND THEN WE, UH, GET EVENTUALLY,
[00:55:01]
UH, GET ALL THAT TOGETHER AND HAVE SOME MEETINGS WHERE WE KIND OF HASH IT ALL OUT AND, AND DECIDE WHAT, 1, 2, 3, 4, START PRIORITIZING THINGS.DOES THAT MAKE JUST, WHO WOULD GO THOUGH? JUST THE 12 OF YOU THAT'S ON THE COMMITTEE, RIGHT? I MEAN, WHO ELSE WOULD NEED TO GO WITH US? WELL, WE NEED A CHAPERONE OR SOMEBODY TO, WELL, IT'S PART TO WHERE YOU'RE GOING.
I THINK IF YOU WERE GOING TO PRECINCT FOUR, WELL TOM WOULD PROBABLY MAKE, YOU KNOW, MAKE THAT AVAILABLE DOWN THERE.
I CERTAIN WE DOWN THERE OR WHATEVER.
YEAH, BUT THERE WOULDN'T BE THIS LARGE GROUP GOING.
AND I DON'T THINK, WE'RE NOT PLANNING ON GOING AS A GROUP.
WE, BECAUSE WE WANT Y'ALL TO BE ABLE TO CALL FREE, BUT I CAN GO TO PRECINCT FOUR.
WELL, COMMISSIONER PROBABLY SHOULD BE THERE.
I'LL BE THERE TO UNLOCK ALL THE DOORS TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
YOU, I THINK YOU DO JUST ONE A WEEK THAT'S GONNA USE SO MUCH TIME.
IS THERE ANYTHING, ANY REASON THAT WE COULDN'T DO TWO OR THREE A WEEK TO GET THIS THING ROLLING? UH, IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE WE'RE ON SUCH A TIGHT TIME SCHEDULE TO PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO DO THAT.
IF WE'RE GOING TO GIVE IT A GOOD STUDY, I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE OUR TIME AND DO IT RIGHT.
WE GOING BE ON A TIME SCHEDULE.
WE PROBABLY ALL, WE GOT TO JULY.
TO, UH, AND, AND WHAT I'VE FOUND IS THAT, YEAH, YOU CAN DO ALL OF 'EM REAL QUICK, BUT REALLY IN REALITY, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU START DOING IT, OTHER THINGS INTERFERE.
AND I MEAN, WE'VE ALL GOT OTHER STUFF TO DO AND, UH, THIS IS IMPORTANT, BUT WE, WE ALL DO HAVE SOME OTHER THINGS THAT ARE, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO INTERFERE WITH IT.
BUT, UH, ONE A WEEK TO ME IS, IS ENOUGH.
I DON'T, HOW DO Y'ALL FEEL ABOUT THAT? I THINK I GET QUICKER THAN THAT PERSON.
UH, BECAUSE IF WE DON'T DO TWO A WEEK, WE'RE ONLY ABSORBING THE INFORMATION AT THE BEGINNING.
IT WOULDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE TWO MEETINGS A WEEK AFTER THAT, BUT JUST TO TOUR EVERYTHING IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
JIM, I, I STILL FEEL LIKE THAT WE NEED TO LET THESE PEOPLE COME AND LOOK AT ALL THE FACILITIES FIRST AND THEN COME BACK TO A MEETING HERE, AND THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHERE THESE PEOPLE WANT TO GO WITH GOING TO EACH, UH, TO THE COUNTY CLERK, TO THE DISTRICT CLERK, TO THE TAX ASSESSOR, TO EVERYBODY'S OFFICE.
I THINK THEY NEED TO, EVERY INCH OF SPACE THAT WE HAVE IN THIS COUNTY FIRST BEFORE WE DO ANYTHING, BUT THEY NEED TO LOOK AT ALL OF IT AND KNOW WHAT OUR FACILITIES ARE, WHERE WE'RE AT, WHETHER IT'S AT THE JAILHOUSE AT SOUTH CAMPUS, OR WHETHER IT'S AT THE OLD JAIL OVER HERE OR IN IS COURTHOUSE.
I I REALLY THINK, UH, THE THING WOULD MAKE THE DIFFERENCE IS IF ALL THESE PEOPLE CAN SEE GUILTY FIRST, THEN LET'S START TALKING ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GONNA GO WITH THINGS.
I, I THINK YOU'RE PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE.
YOU DON'T, IF YOU THINK IT'S GONNA TAKE FOUR, FOUR TRIPS TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING.
I SUGGEST YOU MAKE FOUR COLUMNS AND LET THE PEOPLE MORE OR LESS SIGN UP FOR THE ONES, KIND OF PICK A DATE.
UH, IF YOU NEED TO VIEW THE COURTROOM, YOU KNOW, IN ACTION, UM, I THINK YOU'D NEED TO LOOK AT 'EM EMPTY FIRST AND ASSESS THE ALL THE SPACE AND LET THE PEOPLE WITH THE MOST INTEREST, UH, AT THE TIME TO MAKE THOSE DATES TOUR THEMSELVES LIKE KENNETH SAID.
THEN YOU TOUR 'EM, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY'RE FULL AND GET A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT YOU BEFORE.
AND PEOPLE, THEY CAN COME, YOU KNOW, THEIR OWN ON COURT DAYS IF THEY CAN'T MAKE THE MEETING WITH THE WHOLE GROUP, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN COME ON OTHER DAYS.
AND THEN AFTER THEY ASSESS ALL OF ALL THE PROPERTY, AND THEN MAYBE TALK TO THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, UH, AS A ENTIRE GROUP.
MAYBE WE, MAYBE WE HAVE, UH, UH, AFTER WE MAYBE HAVE TOURED THESE, MAY WE HAVE A FLOOR PLAN OF THE BUILDING SO WE CAN GO BACK FOR OUR OWN RECOLLECTION OF SAYING, OH YEAH, THIS IS, THIS IS THAT LITTLE BITTY OFFICE THAT THIS GUY WAS CRAMMED INTO WITH THREE PEOPLE, ET CETERA.
YOU KNOW, IF WE HAD FOUR PLANS TO LOOK AT, THAT WOULD BE A LOT BETTER TO THE GENERAL OVERVIEW.
IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE, YOU KNOW, DETAILED.
JUST SHOW ME WHAT WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, AND LET'S, UH, AND ALSO WE HAVE ADDITIONAL SPACE AROUND THE SQUARE THAT COULD BE PURCHASED.
I LET THE GROUP TOUR OF THAT AS WELL.
SOMETHING, I THINK MR. SHANNON CAME HOME, STARTED A GOOD IDEA.
MAYBE IF WE COULD DO LIKE ONE AFTERNOON AFTER WORK OR A SATURDAY DO, LIKE IF A BUS IS AVAILABLE,
[01:00:01]
WE TAKE A TOUR ALL TOGETHER AND TAKE NOTES AND THEN MAYBE SEPARATE INTO LITTLE GROUPS AND TRY TO DISCUSS IT.AS JIMMY WAS SAYING, KEN WAS SAYING, TWEET EACH OTHER AND SEE WHATEVER HIGHLIGHTED WHAT SPOTS WAS A MAJOR.
WE NEED TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THIS OR WHAT'D YOU THINK ABOUT THIS? BUT DO, AND THAT WOULD BE IN SEPARATE GROUPS AND NOT THE WHOLE GROUP TOGETHER AGAIN, JUST MAYBE THE ONE INITIAL TOUR.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT FLOOR PLANS ARE SECURE.
I DUNNO IF Y'ALL WANNA LET THAT OUT.
WE JUST, SAFETY, I DON'T KNOW.
I'M PRETTY SURE SOME OF OUR FACILITIES, WE PROBABLY DON'T EVEN HAVE A FULL PLAN.
JUDGE, I'M SURPRISED YOU HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT THIS YET, BUT IF WE'RE GONNA IMPOSE UPON THESE PEOPLE TO BE THERE ALL DAY LONG, WE NEED TO FIND A MECHANISM TO FEED THEM.
WE'LL HAVE, WE'LL HAVE TO WORK WITH OUR AUDITOR OVER HERE TO SEE IF WE FREE SOME FUNDS UP SOMEHOW DO THAT.
BUT CERTAINLY WE, WE WANT TO DO THAT.
AND, UH, AND ALSO PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, DECIDE TO DO A BUS BUS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WE CAN TAKE CARE OF, UH, GETTING A, GETTING A BUS.
IS THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT BUS AVAILABLE? THAT BIG BUS IS BOUGHT TO COMMISSARY FUNDS.
IT CAN ONLY BE USED FOR TRANSPORT.
THAT'S NOT SOME OF THESE IN HOW MANY PAIRS DO YOU HAVE? IF, UH, IF WE COME UP WITH A SCHEDULE AND WE CAN ADJUST IT AFTER, IS IS EVERYBODY AVAILABLE BY EMAIL? YES, PRETTY MUCH.
DIDN'T WE SEND EVERYBODY AN EMAIL? I THINK FROM MY OFFICE, YEAH.
WE MAY, UH, NEED TO GET THESE ALL NUMBERS AND OTHER MEDS, BUT I THINK WE GOT A LOT THAT, CAN WE GET THIS STARTED? THEY DOING THE TOURS? HOW QUICKLY, HOW QUICKLY CAN WE GET STARTED? WELL, TANYA WAS GONNA SIT DOWN WITH ME OR SOME OF US AND FIGURE OUT A SCHEDULE.
I CAN STAY LATE TODAY IF YOU CAN, I CAN STAY LATE TODAY IF YOU CAN.
WORK THROUGH THAT AND SEND IT OUT AND SEE HOW IT WORKS.
AND, AND THEN WE CAN SEND OUT A, A PROPOSED SCHEDULE AND SEE IF IT WORKS FOR YOU AND TRY TO DO, UM, COUPLE TOURS A WEEK.
DOES THAT SOUND LIKE EVERYBODY'S IN? OKAY.
THERE'S, AND IN MY, UH, MY INTENT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I SAID, BUT MY INTENT WAS TO TOUR FIRST AND THEN SIT DOWN TO DIGEST ALL THAT.
SO I DO AGREE WITH YOU THAT THAT'S A REASONABLE WAY TO DO THINGS BECAUSE I HAVE SOME OF THESE FACILITIES I HAVEN'T EVEN EVER SEEN MYSELF RATHER THAN DRIVING BEHIND AND I DON'T WANT TO SEE, WELL, SOME OF THEM
AND I THINK WITH A GROUP OF 13 PEOPLE AND THEN PLUS THE RESOURCE FOLKS THAT DON'T HAVE TO GO TO AGRICULTURE, THERE'S GONNA BE SOME THAT, I MEAN, BECAUSE OF PERSONAL REASONS, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT APPOINTMENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THAT'S JUST PART OF HAVE GREAT FAITH AND YOUR ABILITY TO WORK THROUGH THIS IS ALWAYS, THE ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING KIND OF TAKES A LITTLE TIME FOR EVERYBODY TO KIND OF GET THEIR HANDS AROUND IT.
BUT AGAIN, I THINK IF YOU'LL STUDY THROUGH SOME OF THE THINGS WE PROVIDED YOU, YOU'LL KIND OF GET A GENERAL IDEA ABOUT THE, UH, THE FACILITIES AND, UH, BUT THERE'S NOTHING LIKE SEEING THE FIRSTHAND.
WHAT, UH, THE ONLY THING I LET, LET ME SEE IF I, I'M A LITTLE CLOUDY.
UH, YOUR, YOUR RECOMMENDATION WAS JUST GO LOOK AT THE FACILITIES.
DON'T WORRY ABOUT TALKING TO THE FOLKS FIRST TIME.
IT'S OKAY WITH ME AT SOME POINT THOUGH.
THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GONNA GET OUR REAL KEY INFORMATION TO, UH, TO, TO MAKE A GOOD ASSESSMENT.
SO DO YOU WANT ME TO START SOLICITING COMMENTS FROM PEOPLE, FROM EMPLOYEES ABOUT THINGS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE FOR THE COMMITTEE TO KNOW? YEAH.
WE, NOT, NOT THAT THE SCHOOL, UH, FORMAT WAS, WAS THE RIGHT, RIGHT THING TO DO.
BUT THEY HAD, UH, THEY HAD ALREADY PUT TOGETHER WITH HELP FROM THEIR STAFF, KIND OF A PRIORITY LIST OF WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT TO THEM THAT NEED THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN THINGS THAT WERE SHORT TERM AND THEN LONG TERM.
AND WE HAD A LITTLE LATE HALF BY 11, UH, UH, DRAWINGS OF PLANS OF THE, OF THE FACILITIES.
AND SO WHEN WE WENT AND TALKED TO A PARTICULAR, UH,
[01:05:01]
PRINCIPAL OR WHATEVER AND SHE COULD SHOW US THE CLASSROOM, IT WAS TOO SMALL, WHICH WAY WE NEEDED TO MAYBE EXPAND THAT PARTICULAR BUILDING.YOU DON'T HAVE 'EM, YOU DON'T HAVE THEM.
I THINK WE CAN THE DEPARTMENT LIKE TANYA COULD DO HERS AND GET A LIST OF JOHNNY AND I MEAN WE COULD GET PEOPLE THEIR BEST THOUGHTS ON WHAT THEIR PRIORITIES IS FOR THEIR, SO THAT SHOULDN'T BE TOO HARD.
WELL, YOU'RE GONNA GET THEIR DREAM LIST.
I HAD THAT ON TOP OF MY LIST TO DO.
PROVIDE YOU GIVE THE, THE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENT
NOT MY THOUGHTS, BUT THEIR THOUGHTS AND HAVE IT READY FOR IT.
I THINK WE NEED TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE DREAM LIST AND THE NEED LIST.
SO, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL PROBABLY BE DOING THAT AS WE GO ALONG.
IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE IT'S REALLY HARD TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING WITH THIS LARGE OF A GROUP AND WE MIGHT WANT TO GO AHEAD AND TEAR IT DOWN.
WELL, THE GROUP REALLY IS IS 13.
WE, WE MOST RECENTLY WERE ON, ON THE SCHOOL FACILITY THING AND YOU KNOW, THERE WERE AT LEAST, UH, NINE OR 10 THAT SHOWED UP EVERY TIME.
I MEAN, SO WE CAN GET STARTED TALKING 'CAUSE IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO JUST KIND OF FORMAT IF THE 13 OF US COULD SIT AROUND THE TABLE AND START TALKING AND WORKING THINGS OUT.
OR WE COULD START GETTING TOGETHER AND GET IT OUT TO EVERYBODY.
BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW, WE'RE GONNA GET A LOT FARTHER HERE.
WE KIND OF HAVE A LOT OF THESE IDEAS.
YOU, US GET OUTTA THE NO, NO CERTAIN NOT MEETING JUDGE.
NO, NO, I'M JUST, BUT I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
SO RIGHT NOW, WHAT, WHAT WE HAVE GOT ON OUR PLATE IS TO DEVELOP, DEVELOP A SCHEDULE FOR THE TOURS, UH, AND THEN GET THAT OUT TO EVERYBODY AND GET FEEDBACK AND MAKE SURE THAT WORKS AND THEN START DOING IT.
AND UH, THEN WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
IS THAT OKAY? EVERYBODY, IF THE SCHEDULE DOESN'T MEET WITH SOME PEOPLE, COULD THEY GO TOUR IT ON THEIR OWN LATER ON? MAYBE JUST TO LOOK AND SEE EACH FACILITY? I MEAN, BECAUSE IT'S THAT I'M GONNA BE GONE, SO I MAY MISS ONE THE, BUT YEAH, THE ONLY THING WE MIGHT WANNA DO IS GIVE YOU A LETTER OR SOMETHING AND, AND CALL PEOPLE AND LET 'EM KNOW THAT YOU'RE COMING, YOU KNOW, AND PAM, PAM CAN HELP COORDINATE THAT.
WELL JUDGE, EACH ONE OF COMMISSION DO HAVE A PERSON THAT'S OUT OF POCKET.
SOMEBODY RESPECT COMMISSIONER COULD DO.
THAT'S A GOOD POINT BECAUSE SOMEBODY MAY BE GONE THAT REALLY WANTED TO SEE SOMETHING.
FOR SOME REASON THEY CAN'T MAKE IT THAT DAY.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T MAKE GOOD DECISION.
LIKE I SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF FAITH IN THE PEOPLE WE APPOINTED TO, TO DO THIS PROPERLY.
UH, I'VE WORKED WITH MR. THOMPSON FORD, JOHNNY AND I DID ON THE VIETNAM WALL OUT THERE, AND I'M TELL YOU THAT YOU'VE GOT SOMEBODY LEADING HERE.
IF YOU'LL LET HIM LEAD YOU, YOU'LL GET THE JOB DONE AND IT'LL BE DONE.
WE GOT A GOOD GROUP OF FOLKS THAT, UH, I KNOW THAT, THAT ARE CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, OUR FACILITIES AND OUR SECURITY AND THE WELFARE OF OUR, UH, OUR STAFF AND THOSE WHO SERVE THE COUNTY.
AND, UH, WE'LL TAKE IT SERIOUSLY AND WE'LL DO OUR VERY BEST TO GIVE YOU A GOOD REPORT THAT YOU CAN USE, DO SOMETHING WITH.
BUT WITH THAT, I DON'T KNOW WHO'S, IS IT, UH, ARE YOU, I DON'T HAVE MY GAVEL, BUT WE'RE GONNA DISMISS.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM.