[00:00:05]
SO, LEMME GET BY THE DOOR IF WE'RE GONNA GO IN AND OUT BECAUSE I DON'T MESS UP.
COULD YOU HAND ME ONE OF THOSE, PLEASE? YES.
PUT I'M TALK TO YOU ABOUT THESE LATER ON.
WELL, I JUST TOLD MR. MANNING NO, AND NOW I'VE ACCEPTED THIS ONE.
ALRIGHT, WELL CLOCK ON THE WALL SAYS EIGHT 30, EVEN THOUGH I THINK THE GIRLS HAVE MOVED IT UP A COUPLE MINUTES.
THIS IS A MEETING OF THE, UH, UH, CALLED COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
IT IS A WORKSHOP MEETING AND, UH, WE HAVE, UH, SEVERAL ITEMS ON THE AGENDA THAT, UH, VARIOUS, UH, PEOPLE HAVE ASKED THAT WE DISCUSS THIS MORNING.
FIRST IS A PRESENTATION BY MELINDA POLK, UH, REGARDING MEALS ON WHEELS PROGRAM.
UH, MELINDA WAS GOING DO A VERY NICE POWERPOINT FOR HE STILL IS.
AND, UH, BUT, UH, WE'VE GOT THE HARD COPY OF THE POWERPOINT, SO, UH, YOU CAN TAKE FURIOUS NOTES AND ALL THAT KIND STUFF.
WELL, WE NO OPEN, I LEAVE OPEN.
UM, FIRST I WANT TO TELL YOU GUYS HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE COMING OUT.
I KNOW THIS IS A, THIS IS A BIG DEAL FOR US.
UM, I, OUR ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE SINCE 1978.
WE'VE BEEN SERVING MEALS ON WHEELS.
OUR AGENCY IS THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE FOR ALL SENIOR NUTRITION.
WE DO THE SENIOR CENTERS AS WELL AS THE HOME DELIVERY MEALS IN KAUFMAN COUNTY AND ER COUNTY.
BUT WHAT I'M HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT TODAY IS, UH, KAUFMAN COUNTY AND MY POWERPOINT, UM, JUST KIND OF DESCRIBES HOW WE'RE FUNDED, WHAT WE DO, WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO, THAT KIND OF THING.
YOU GOT A BIG STARBUCKS COMPANY.
YOU GOOD TO SEE YOU? YOU DOING OKAY? DOING ALRIGHT? YES, SIR.
JIM, YOU ALRIGHT? I THINK PROCEEDINGS, THE, THE FIRST SLIDE HERE, I KNOW IT'S KIND OF HARD TO SEE, BUT THIS IS HA THIS IS THE FUNDING THAT, THAT WE WORK WITH.
IN 1965, THEY ESTABLISHED THE OLDER AMERICANS ACT, AND IT WAS A FUNDED MANDATE TO FUND PROGRAMS FOR SENIORS.
THE NEXT SLIDE JUST IS KIND OF A SNAPSHOT OF SOME OF THE TITLES AND THE, THE SUBTITLES FOR THAT OLDER AMERICANS ACT.
OUR AGENCY IS FUNDED TO PROVIDE TITLE THREE, SUBSECTION C, PARTS ONE AND TWO.
WE DO, UH, SOME OTHER PARTS OF IT, BUT, BUT THE MEAL PART, THE NUTRITION PART IS, OH, WELL, DON'T HAVE THE GLASSES.
TITLE THREE C PARTS ONE AND TWO.
UM, I DON'T THINK THAT IN 1965 WHEN THIS WAS ESTABLISHED, THE WAY THEY DIVIDED THE FUNDING WAS 60% OF THE FUNDING WENT TO THE SENIOR CENTERS.
AND YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH SENIOR CENTERS.
THOSE ARE THE NUTRITION CENTERS WHERE SENIORS COME IN DURING THE DAY.
WE ARE NOT RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES.
IF THEY COME IN, WE HAVE PROGRAMS, WE HAVE A NUTRITIOUS MEAL, WE DON'T CHARGE FOR THE MEAL, BUT THEY'RE ASKED TO GIVE A DONATION IF THEY WANT TO.
SO 1965, WHEN THE OLDER AMERICANS ACTORS ESTABLISHED, 60% OF THE FUNDING WENT TO SENIOR TEACHERS IN 1965, 40% WENT TO THOSE HOME DELIVERED MEALS.
NOW, YOU GUYS HAVE KIND OF SEEN LIFE EXPECTANCY AND ALL THAT HAS GONE INTO OUR SOCIETY AS IT AGES.
IN 1965, PEOPLE WHO WERE 60 WERE RETIRING AND GOING TO THE SENIOR CENTERS.
[00:05:01]
BIG, A BIG NEED FOR THE SENIOR CENTERS.THERE'S STILL A BIG NEED, BUT AS YOU GUYS KNOW, PEOPLE WHO WERE 60 IN 2014 ARE NOT RETIRING, ARE NOT GOING TO THE SENIOR CENTERS.
MY PRECIOUS MOTHER IS 71, AND SHE'D BE DARNED IF SHE'D BE CALLED A SENIOR CITIZEN.
SHE WILL, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE BINGO PRIZES AND TAKE CARE OF THOSE PEOPLE AT THE SENIOR CENTER.
BUT, BUT SHE IS, I MEAN, SHE COULD GO AND, BUT SHE WON'T BECAUSE IT'S THE STIGMA.
BUT ANYWAY, UH, I THINK I CAN SAY THIS VERY CRYPTICALLY AND, BUT WE, WE KNOW THAT IN KAUFMAN, WE ARE CONSIDERED A CERTIFIED RETIREMENT COMMUNITY.
AND IT'S OUR GOAL IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS TO REALLY WORK TO CREATE A STATE-OF-THE-ART SENIOR CENTER FOR KAUFMAN.
I HOPE THAT WAS CRYPTIC ENOUGH.
OUR EXPENDITURES HAVE GONE UP GRADUALLY.
OUR FUNDING HAS GONE UP TO MATCH IT.
UM, MY GRANDFATHER BANKER WOULD SAY, NOW, WHAT DID YOU DO TO FILL THAT GAP BETWEEN THE FUNDING AND THE, AND THE EXPENDITURES? WHAT WE DO THERE, THIS JUST SHOWS YOU THE FEDERAL FUNDING THAT WE RECEIVE.
UM, WE GET A LOT OF IN KIND DON CONTRIBUTIONS AS FAR AS, UH, THE CITIES ARE VERY GOOD TO PROVIDE US WITH.
UH, POINT PROVIDES US A BUILDING, THE CITY TERRIBLE US THE BUILDING, THE CITY OF COFFMAN PROVIDES US A BUILDING.
THE CITY OF MAYBANK PROVIDES US A BUILDING FOR THOSE SENIOR CENTERS.
THEY PAY THE ELECTRICITY, SO THOSE IN KIND DOLLARS, UH, FILL THE GAP COUNTY DOLLARS.
YOU GUYS GIVE US $57,000 LAST YEAR.
UM, EACH COUNTY THAT WE PROVIDE SERVICES IN, FOR US TO RECEIVE THOSE FEDERAL DOLLARS, WE HAVE TO BE FINANCIALLY BACKED BY OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE THAT GIVES US YOUR STAMP OF APPROVAL TO SAY THEY'RE, THEY'RE DOING WHAT WE NEED FOR THEM TO DO.
UM, WE GET SOME, UH, COUNTY MONEY FROM NAVERO COUNTY BECAUSE WE DO THE SAME SERVICES THERE.
UM, SO THAT, THAT FILLS THAT GAP.
WE ALSO GET SOME UNITED WAY DOLLARS.
UM, WE DO A FEW MEDICAID MEALS, SO THAT GIVES US A LITTLE BIT MORE FUNDING.
UM, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE SPIKE IN 2011, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE HOW IT KIND OF DID A NOSE DIE.
UM, THIS, THIS SLIDE IS ALWAYS INTERESTING TO ME.
THE ONE WITH THE GRAPH, IF YOU CAN SEE IT IN 1983, THAT'S KIND OF AS FAR BACK AS WE COULD GO WITH THE ACTUAL SOLID HARD NUMBERS, BUT NOT THOSE THAT SHOWS YOU THE NUMBER OF CONGREGATE.
THOSE ARE THOSE, THE MEALS IN THE SENIOR CENTERS IN RELATION TO THE HOME DELIVERED MEALS THAT WE SERVED IN 1983.
THAT'S NOT A BIG DIFFERENCE, BUT A HUGE NUMBER FOR THE CONGREGATE MEALS.
AND THEN LOOK AT 2013, THE COMPARISON.
YOU CAN SEE THE DYNAMICS THAT HAVE CHANGED IN OUR BUSINESS.
UM, HOME DELIVERED MEALS NOW IS IS WHAT WE DO.
UM, WE, WE STILL DO THE SENIOR CENTERS.
WE STILL HAVE ACTIVITIES WE HAVE, BUT THE PERCENTAGE THAT WE ARE DOING, YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT WORKS OUT.
AND THEN I JUST, IN MY POWERPOINT, I GO BACK TO THE
AND, UM, WHAT HAPPENED IN 2011 WAS SOME SMART INDIVIDUAL DECIDED, WELL REWIND SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME, UP UNTIL 2013, A PROVIDER AGENCY LIKE US COULD TAKE THOSE C $1, THE CONGREGATE MEAL DOLLARS, AND AT THE END OF A FISCAL YEAR, IF WE HADN'T EXPENDED ALL THOSE C $1, WE COULD PUT THEM IN THE C $2 AND COVER WHAT WE WERE LACKING FOR OUR HOME DELIVERY MEALS IN 2011.
THEY SAID, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO THAT ANYMORE, SO WE CAN NO LONGER TAKE THOSE C $1 AND PUT THEM INTO C TWO.
SO WHEN WE ARE DONE WITH OUR FUNDING FOR C TWO, WE, WE CAN'T TAKE ON ANYMORE.
AND IN OCTOBER, WE HAD TO START A WAITING LIST FOR THOSE HOME DELIVERED MEAL CLIENTS, WHICH IS THE WORST THING A HOME DELIVERED MEAL PROGRAM COULD EVER DO.
UH, WE, WE CAN'T TAKE ON ANYMORE MEALS ON WHEELS CLIENTS.
WE'VE HAD THREE PASS AWAY ON THE WAITING LIST.
I'M NOT NAIVE ENOUGH TO SAY BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T GET FED, THEY DIED.
BUT YOU CAN IMAGINE WHAT THAT DOES TO OUR MISSION IS TO FEED PEOPLE THAT NEED TO BE FED.
SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 23 PEOPLE ON OUR WAITING LIST IN KAUFMAN AND 35 PEOPLE ON OUR WAITING LIST IN NAVARRO COUNTY.
AND WE, WE DON'T WANT A WAITING LIST.
UM, THESE ARE MY NEW BUSINESS CARDS AND I USE THIS AS
[00:10:01]
DOUBLE DUTY.THERE'S A LITTLE BROCHURE ON THE INSIDE THAT GIVES YOU SOME GREAT STATISTICS FOR OUR AGING POPULATION.
THESE ARE JUST SOME REALLY GREAT ONES.
BUT MY FAVORITE ONE IS THE BOTTOM ONE.
ONE DAY IN THE HOSPITAL, OR SIX DAYS IN A NURSING FACILITY COSTS THE SAME AS PROVIDING ONE YEAR WORTH OF HOME DELIVERED MEALS TO A HOME DOWN INDIVIDUAL ONE DAY IN THE HOSPITAL.
SO IF WE CAN KEEP THEM OUT OF THE HOSPITAL, THAT'S THE IDEAL SITUATION.
YOU CAN SEE WHY THAT'S IMPORTANT.
AND THIS IS MR. BREWER OVER HERE ON THE LEFT.
UM, BECAUSE I'M KIND OF IN AN ADMINISTRATIVE ROLE NOW, I DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY GO OUT INTO THE FIELD AND DO THOSE ASSESSMENTS.
BUT, UH, LAST, LAST FALL, UH, I MET MR. BREWER AND, UH, WENT IN TO DO THE ASSESSMENT AND THE INTAKE HAD COME IN FOR MR. AND MRS. BREWER.
AND WHEN I WENT IN, IT WAS JUST MR. BREWER.
YOU HAD KIND OF HAVE TO HANDLE THAT DELICATELY.
BUT WE SAT DOWN AND I SAID, MR. BREWER, THE, THE REFERRAL WAS FOR MR. AND MRS. BREWER.
UM, HE SAID SHE PASSED AWAY LAST WEEKEND.
SO I PUSHED MY PAPERS TO THE SIDE AND WE JUST HAD A VERY NICE CONVERSATION BEFORE WE GOT TO THE, TO THE MEAT OF THE MATTER.
BUT MR. BREWER, I SHOW YOU THIS BECAUSE MR. BREWER WAS, IS 90, AND HE WAS A FIGHTER PILOT FOR WORLD WAR II.
COULDN'T SAY ENOUGH GREAT THINGS ABOUT GEORGE PATTON.
WE TALKED A LONG, LONG TIME, UM, FOUGHT IN THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE.
I I COULD HAVE STAYED FOR HOURS, BUT MY POINT IS IT IS THE LEAST WE CAN DO FOR THE MR. RIVERS.
SO THAT'S WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
AND, UH, AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DON'T HAVE WEDDINGS.
UM, ON THE BACK PAGE, MARCH FOR US IS A BIG PUSH.
WE'RE PART OF A NATIONWIDE ORGANIZATION CALLED MEALS ON WHEELS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA.
AND IN MARCH, IT'S SORT OF THE EMPHASIS FOR SENIOR HUNGER.
WE HAVE IN THE PAST, UH, ASKED THE MAYORS TO RUN A ROUTE TO BRING ATTENTION TO MEALS ON WHEELS IN OUR COUNTY.
WE ARE EXPANDING THAT THIS YEAR.
WE WANT YOU GUYS, COMMISSIONERS OR CONSTABLES, ANYONE WHO WOULD REALLY BRING ATTENTION TO OUR PROGRAM.
UM, WE BROUGHT YOU A LITTLE GIFT.
UM, THERE IS A WEEK IN MARCH, UH, AND I THINK IT'S WRONG ON MY POWERPOINT.
IT'S, IT'S REALLY THE WEEK A AFTER SPRING BREAK FOR YOU GUYS.
IF YOU ARE ABLE TO, TO DO A MEALS ON WHEELS ROUTE IN WHATEVER CITY COMMUNITY YOU LIVE IN, GIVE ME A CALL, SHOOT ME AN EMAIL AND I'LL PUT YOU IN TOUCH WITH THE, THE PEOPLE THAT DO THAT.
BUT IT, IT HELPS US, BRINGS ATTENTION TO OUR PROGRAM.
AND THERE AGAIN, PUTS YOUR STAMP OF APPROVAL ON WE CARE ABOUT OUR SENIORS.
AND, AND, UH, THE OTHER THING WE'RE DOING THIS YEAR, WHICH WE'VE NEVER DONE BEFORE, IS WE'RE HOSTING A 5K WALK SLASH RUN, UM, ON THE 29TH OF MARCH.
AND THERE'S INFORMATION IN YOUR PACKET ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
IF YOU HAVE A PLACE YOU CAN PUT THIS UP, PIN IT UP PROMINENTLY IN YOUR OFFICE, DO THAT.
UM, THIS IS USUALLY THE HANDOUT I GIVE WITH MY POWERPOINT PRESENTATION.
IT'S JUST A SNAPSHOT OF OUR YEAR, YEAR AT A GLANCE FOR 2013.
JUST GIVES YOU THOSE REAL BASIC NUMBERS.
UM, I DON'T WANT TO GET TO JULY AND, AND SOMEBODY SAY, I DIDN'T KNOW WE HAD A MEALS ILLNESS PROGRAM IN KAUFMAN COUNTY.
UM, UH, MY POSITION HAS CHANGED.
I'M NOW THE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT.
SO IF, IF YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, I'M SPEAKING TO ROTARY CLUBS AND KIWANIS CLUBS AND HOPEFULLY LINES CLUBS, UM, TO GET THE WORD OUT BECAUSE I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT WE'RE HERE AND WE'RE SERVING AND WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I BROUGHT PHYLLIS WITH ME.
SHE'S THE DIRECTOR OF DIRECTOR OF AGING SERVICES.
AND, UH, SHE, SHE HAS THE ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS, I'M SURE.
SHE'S THE SITE DIRECTOR AT OUR TARRELL CENTER.
SHE PROBABLY GENERATES ABOUT 150 HOME DELIVERED MEALS A DAY.
SO ANYWAY, I I, I DON'T WANT TO BE REMISS IN SAYING HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS LETTING ME BEND YOUR EAR TODAY.
SO, UM, AND THESE ARE FLYERS FOR OUR MARCH.
SO TAKE APPLICATION 10 OF THOSE.
AND YOU CAN GO, IT HAS A, A LITTLE PLACE.
YOU CAN GO GET ME REGISTERED MARCH FOR MAIL, GO ONLINE QR CODE.
IF YOU HAVE A SMARTPHONE, YOU TAKE A PICTURE OF THAT AND IT'LL TAKE YOU RIGHT TO THE WEBSITE.
[00:15:02]
SO ALL THOSE, SO DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I'D BE HAPPY TO, TO THIS, WHERE'S YOUR FACILITY LOCATED, WHERE YOU PREPARE THE MEALS THAT ARE DELIVERED? WE HAVE THREE IN KAUFMAN COUNTY.THEY HAVE ONE, THE CENTER IN NEY PREPARES MEALS FOR FORNEY AND CRANDALL.
THE CENTER HERE IN KAUFMAN PREPARES MEALS FOR NOVERA COUNTY HERE IN KAUFMAN COUNTY.
I MEAN, KAUFMAN CITY COUNT, MAYBANK AND MAYBANK, UH, HOME DELIVERED MEALS.
AND THE CARLL CENTER PREPARES MEALS FOR CAROL.
UH, WE DO HAVE THREE FACILITIES AND, AND THEY ARE ALL WORKING KITCHENS.
AND I'D BE GLAD TO HAVE ANY OF Y'ALL TO STEP INTO THIS KITCHEN AT SIX O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING AND WATCH THEM WORK.
WE HAVE THREE COOKS AND THAT'S IT.
AND THAT PREPARED 300, 300 TO THREE 50 MEALS A DAY AND HAVE THAT KITCHEN BY 11 CLOCK.
AND WHERE'S, WHAT'S THE LOCATION THAT'S IN CALL IN THE CITY? YEAH, IT'S OUT.
UH, IT'S 1 1 2 SOUTH JACKSON, ONE BLOCK OVER.
IT'S BEHIND MORGAN AND MOSLEY LAW OFFICE.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT WE HAVE TWO GENTLEMEN IN THIS ROOM THAT, UM, MR. DILLER HAS BEEN ON OUR BOARD WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE TO HAVE A WAITING LIST.
UM, MR. CLARK HAS, UH, COMMISSIONER CLARK HAS BEEN ON OUR BOARD AND HE JUST ROTATED OFF AND HE'S HAS SEEN FIRSTHAND WHAT WE'VE HAD TO DO.
AND HE CAME, HE TOLD ME THAT WE NEED TO BE A LITTLE, DID YOU, DID YOU BRING TEARS TO THIS? I, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS CRY WHEN I TALK ABOUT MR. BREWER.
BUT THIS IS, UH, I'VE WORKED FOR THIS AGENCY FOR 30 YEARS NEARLY.
AND WE'VE NOT, WE'VE HAD A WAITING LIST BEFORE, BUT IT ONLY LASTED THREE MONTHS.
THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE I BELIEVE LAST JULY IN ONE COUNTY.
AND THEN THIS COUNTY'S BEEN, AND THAT'S THE HARDEST PART OF MY JOB IS TO TELL SOMEBODY THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT WHAT I DO.
I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY ONE THING.
I WAS SIX YEARS TERM LIMITED AFTER SIX YEARS AGO.
PROBABLY THE MOST EFFICIENT ORGANIZATION I'VE EVER BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH.
THEY ARE REALLY, REALLY, REALLY EFFICIENT.
IT'S AMAZING HOW THEY OPERATE.
WE STRETCH A DOLLAR, WE CAN STRETCH THAT DOLLAR.
I DON'T WANNA STEAL YOUR TIME, BUT WHY YOU GO IN, HOW YOU STRETCH THAT DOLLAR WITH OUR MONEY, HOW DOES THAT INCREASE WITH THE STATE FUNDING COME DOWN TO? YEAH.
WE CAN, UM, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE HAS SET ASIDE, THEY, THEY PASSED A LAW AND IT, IT, THE MONEY COMES THROUGH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
AND TODD STAPLES WAS A BIG PART OF GETTING THAT BILL PASSED.
AND IT'S CALLED TEXAS FEEDING TEXANS.
AND WITHOUT THE COUNTY SUPPORT, WE COULD NOT APPLY FOR THAT MONEY.
I BELIEVE Y'ALL GET A RESOLUTION EVERY YEAR FOR THIS.
UH, THIS YEAR WE RECEIVED $83,000 FROM TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR THESE MEALS.
UM, IT COST US 5 52 TO PREPARE A MEAL AND TO TRACK THAT MEAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO.
BECAUSE Y'ALL KNOW IF YOU ACCEPT FEDERAL DOLLARS, YOU GOTTA TELL 'EM WHAT YOU'RE DOING WITH IT.
AND I DON'T MIND THAT WE COME AWAY WITH CLEAN, UH, MONITORINGS AND AUDITS EVERY YEAR.
UM, BUT THEY LOOK REAL CLOSELY AT THE NUMBER OF SENIORS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND OR HOW YOU GUYS SUPPORT US FINANCIALLY.
I'M SURE THE SAME THING WITH THE CATHOLIC GOVERNMENT SYSTEM.
SO EVERY DOLLAR WE PUT INTO IT, THEY'LL, THEY'LL MAKE IT BRING FOUR, $5.
BUT WITHOUT OUR PARTICIPATION IN THAT, THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT WOULD BE ZERO.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND IT'S, IT'S, UH, THIS, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT Y'ALL ABOUT HOW TO SUPPORT THIS.
UM, BUT THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY.
WE NEED, WE NEED SOME MORE MONEY.
ANYTHING THAT YOU COULD, IF YOU SEE FIT IN YOUR YES MA'AM.
HOW MANY MEALS DO YOU DISTRIBUTE IN KAUFMAN COUNTY AND WHERE DO YOU PURCHASE FOOD
[00:20:01]
G WE GO OUT FOR BIDS EVERY YEAR.AND UH, THE REASON KATHY'S HERE, KATHY HAS KIND OF STARTED A, UH, SHE'S A KIND OF A WATCHDOG.
SHE MAKES SURE THAT OUR VENDORS STAY WITH THAT PRICE THAT THEY'VE QUOTED US.
SHE MAKES SURE THAT THOSE DIRECTORS THAT ORDER FOOD IN THOSE THREE KITCHENS ARE STAYING ON.
WHAT THAT BID, YOU KNOW, THAT ITEM, THAT BID, THAT, THAT PRICE.
UM, UH, WE GO AND, UH, WE GET THE CHEAPEST ONES.
WE MAKE SURE THE QUALITY'S GOOD AND WE MAKE SURE THAT THE PRICE IS GOOD, OF COURSE.
AND, UM, THEY, THEY HAVE TO, THEY HAVE TO BUY AMERICAN FOOD AND 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE FEDERAL DOLLARS SAY.
AND, UM, BUT WE ARE GOING, WE HAVE TO GO OUT FOR BIDS EVERY YEAR.
AND HOW MANY DO YOU FEED IN KAUFMAN? IN KAUFMAN COUNTY? THREE 50 IN KAUFMAN COUNTY.
AND THEN IF YOU'RE ON THE WAITING LIST, THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU GET OFF THE WAITING LIST, I HATE TO SAY THIS, IS SOMEBODY DIES OR IDEALLY, IF THEY'RE JUST TEMPORARILY ON HOME DELIVERED MEALS AND THEY'VE, OKAY.
AND WE DO, WHEN WE TAKE A REFERRAL, A REFERRAL COMES INTO OUR OFFICE FOR REAL.
WE NEED ALL THE, YOU KNOW, WE GET THE INFORMATION, IF THERE'S THE WORD CANCER, HOSPICE, ANYTHING LIKE THAT, CASE WORKER GOES OUT WITH THEM.
I WAS GONNA ASK YOU, HOW DO YOU GET ON THE LIST OR HOW DO YOU GET HOME? OKAY.
AND IF IT'S JUST AN ELDERLY PERSON THAT IS JUST NEEDS THE MEALS AND THEY, THEY CAN STILL GET AROUND A LITTLE BIT, BUT, YOU KNOW, BUT YOU'VE GOT YOUR IMPAIRMENT LEVEL HAS GOT TO BE REALLY HIGH FOR US TO SKIP THE LIST.
WE HAVE A, THE CASE WORKER GOES OUT WITH A RIGHT.
WE DO AN ASSESSMENT AND LENGTHY ASSESSMENT GOES OUT.
SO THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT YOU MIGHT NOT QUALIFY.
AND THEN, AND IF THEY DON'T, THEN THEY'RE INVITED TO GO TO THE SINK.
THEY'RE INVITED ANYWAY, BUT MM-HMM
BECAUSE IDEALLY THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD LOVE.
WE WOULD LOVE FOR ALL OUR HOME DELIVER PILLS.
'CAUSE IT IS, YOU KNOW, SOCIALIZATION AND THAT SURE.
THAT'S A WHOLE LOT BETTER FOR 'EM.
BUT IF THEY CAN'T GO OUT, THEN ONE, THE SIDE BENEFITS TO THE MEALS ON WHEELS THING IS THAT THERE'S SOME ONE-ON-ONE CONTACT WITH SOMEBODY THAT MAYBE MIGHT NOT, THAT MAY NEED SOME MEDICAL ASSISTANCE OR SOME HELP IN SOME KIND CHECKED ON THE CHECKED ON.
AND THEY LOOK FORWARD TO THOSE THAT VOLUNTEERS COMING UP TO OFFICE.
AND THE VOLUNTEERS ARE VERY CLOSE TO THE SENIORS.
THEY KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT THE SENIORS ARE UP TO THAN THE APARTMENT COMPLEX MANAGERS.
SO DO YOU DELIVER MONEY THROUGH FRIDAY OR MA'AM? MM-HMM
FIVE DAYS A WEEK? NOT, NOT ON THE WEEKEND.
UH, I WOULD LOVE TO WRITTEN TO ON THE WEEKEND, BUT THAT WOULD BE AN ASTRONOMICAL EXPENSE.
THAT, THAT WE, I DON'T, I COULDN'T EVEN TELL YOU COST, BUT SOME, SOME OF THEM MIGHT NEED IT.
I, IF THEY CAN GET BY THOSE TWO DAYS ON A SANDWICH, BUT THE REST OF THE TIME THEY GET A HOT, NUTRITIOUS MEAL.
HOW MANY DIFFERENT FUNDRAISERS DO Y'ALL HAVE OVER A YEAR? WE JUST STARTED THIS JANUARY IS WHEN WE STARTED OUR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR THE FIRST TIME.
'CAUSE SINCE 1978 WE HAVEN'T HAD TO.
WELL, AND BECAUSE THEY ALLOWED US TO TRANSFER MONEY FROM THE CENTER MEALS BACK TO THE HOME DELIVERED MEALS AND WE HADN'T HAD THAT NEED.
BUT THERE IS A GREAT NEED NOW WITH ME.
AND I WOULD LOVE FOR EACH ONE OF Y'ALL TO DELIVER MEALS.
WELL, I'VE BEEN MY WIFE WHEN SHE'S DONE, IT'S, IT IS MY FAVORITE THING.
THAT'S MY FAVORITE THING IS TO GO TO, AND I CAN TELL YOU THE STORY ABOUT GOING OUT TO DELIVER THE KIDS, PUT HIM BY THEIR MOTHER TOILET TISSUE AND WE WENT BOUGHT, MAKE SURE SHE HAD TOILET TISSUE AND SOAP IN THE BATHROOM.
THAT, THAT WAS WHAT WAS VERY SAID ABOUT THIS WHOLE DEAL.
I MEAN, THE PEOPLE TAKE MONEY OUTTA THEIR POCKETS AND HELP Y'ALL.
WE HAVE ABOUT 240 INDIVIDUAL VOLUNTEERS.
AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IS THAT, UH, YOU, WE GOT 23 PEOPLE ON THE WAITING LIST THAT NEED TO BE FED.
UH, I'VE GONE TO OUR CHURCH AND ASKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ADOPTING SOME, BUT YOU KNOW, GIVEN THEY'VE NEVER ASKED MONEY BEFORE, THEY NEVER COME AFTER ANY MONEY.
UH, AND WE ALL APPRECIATE THAT AT
[00:25:01]
BUDGET TIME, BUT FIRST TIME THEY'VE BEEN IN THE HOLE AND HAVE TURNED PEOPLE AWAY, YOU DON'T TURN PEOPLE AWAY.SO IF WE COULD ALL WORK WITH SOME OF OUR CIVIC GROUPS OR WHATEVER AND TRY TO GET 'EM, SOME PEOPLE ADOPTED, UH, TO GET INTO THAT.
AND THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, I WANT Y'ALL REALLY STRONGLY THINK ABOUT THAT BUDGET TIME INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE SEND TO THE CENTER.
AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING, MELINDA GOING AROUND PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOU DOES.
WELL THANK YOU FOR BRINGING SO MUCH.
WE COULD BRING THE TENNIS SHOES IN.
IF Y'ALL CAN'T WALK, I'M NOT GONNA WALK.
CAN I GET WHAT HE DID? THERE'S, I'M GONNA LEAVE IT RIGHT NOW.
I MAY NOT COME UNDER THE HOUR AND A HALF.
CAN I BRING MY ELECTRIC SCOOTER? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU LADIES VERY MUCH.
ITEM NUMBER TWO IS TO DISCUSS THE FEASIBILITY OF A CENTRAL JURY ROOM FOR QUALIFICATION AND OUR SELECTION.
UH, COMMISSIONER AND, UH, ON THE AGENDA, THE JUDGES ARE OUT AND ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, WHEN JUDGE, UH, COMING IN, SO COMMISSIONER, DO YOU WANNA DISCUSS THIS A LITTLE BIT? YES, SIR.
UH, THIS WOULD BE ITEM THAT WOULD TAKE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE TOTAL COOPERATION OF THE JUDGES.
UH, I BELIEVE, UM, TO GET THIS DONE, UM, SEEMS THAT A LOT OF THE COUNTIES DO IT.
COLLIN COUNTY, UM, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, SMITH COUNTY HAD A SITUATION VERY SIMILAR BETWEEN THE COURTHOUSE, SMALL COURTHOUSE, OVERCROWDED, AND, UM, THEY, UH, WENT TO A CENTRAL JURY ROOM LOCATION TO DO THE PREQUALIFICATION.
AND IT SEEMED TO ALLEVIATE A, A LOT OF OVERCROWDING.
UM, THE, UM, THE FACILITY THAT I WOULD'VE HAD IN MIND, AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST THROWING IT OUT THERE FOR WHAT WE HAVE, UH, OF COURSE IS A SOUTH CAMPUS COURTROOM THAT'S NOT BEING UTILIZED.
UM, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, IF WE HAVE A JURY PANEL, A NEED FOR A JURY PANEL FOR ALL FOUR COURTS, AND JUDGE CHIME IN AT ANY TIME.
IF MY NUMBERS ARE NOT CORRECT, UH, WE WOULD NEED, UH, 200 MAYBE JURORS.
FOR HOW MANY? FOR IF, IF WE HAD ALL FOUR COURTS NEEDED A JURY PANEL FOR MY COURT ALONE, I SUMMONED 250 FOR ONE JURY.
WELL I'M MISTAKEN IN ABOUT THE NUMBERS, BUT, UM, I SUMMONED THAT NUMBER FOR MY JURY THIS WEEK.
REALLY? HOW MANY, UH, YOU'RE GONNA, YOU'RE GONNA GET ABOUT 40% OF THOSE TO RESPOND.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT A HUNDRED, ABOUT 80.
YOU ARE HOPING TO GET AT LEAST 80 TO 90.
SO, UM, IF YOU HAD, HOW MANY, HOW OFTEN DO ALL FOUR COURTS NEED A JURY AT THE SAME? WELL, OF COURSE THAT'S AT THE DIRECTION OF THE JUDGE.
UH, I HAVE TWO JURY WEEKS, A MONTH.
MOST OF THE COURTS HAVE TWO JURY WEEKS, A MONTH.
AND, UM, DEPENDING ON THE NATURE OF THE CASE TO BE TRIED, WE MAY HAVE TO CALL A HUGE PANEL IN, IF IT'S AN INFLAMMATORY CASE OR CHILD ABUSE CASE OR, UH, CASE INVOLVING SOME VERY, UH, UH, ATROCIOUS FACTS, WE MAY HAVE TO GET A HUGE PANEL IN JUST TO GET A NUMBER THAT WE CAN SELECT FROM.
SO I HAVE HAD PANELS COME IN AND, UH, VERY INFLAMMATORY FACTS SITUATION.
WE'LL HAVE JURORS SAY YOU CAN'T DO ENOUGH BAD THINGS TO HIM.
I'D GIVE HIM THE MAX WOULDN'T CONSIDER ANYTHING BUT THE MAX.
WELL, YOU ELIMINATE THOSE JURORS PRETTY QUICKLY.
SO IT'S VERY FACT SPECIFIC AND IT'S HARD TO PREDICT.
JUDGE, WOULD YOU DEFINE HUGE FOR ME? IN OTHER WORDS, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT NORMALLY YOU CALL FOUR, UH, TWO 50 MY CALL.
WOULD YOU SAY 400 OR? WELL, UH, WE CAN'T ACCOMMODATE MORE THAN ABOUT A HUNDRED PEOPLE IN ANY JURY ROOM IN THE, IN THE COUNTY.
I THINK THE SOUTH CAMPUS ONLY ACCOMMODATES MAYBE 110, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
ACTUALLY, I'VE GOT SOME NEW FIGURES FROM THE, THE RONNIE DAVIS, THE FIRE CHIEF, AND THE, UH, THE JURY.
UH, I MEAN THE COURTROOM ITSELF WILL ACCOMMODATE ONE 60 BY FIRE CODE STANDARDS.
[00:30:01]
THE HALL AND THE LOBBY WILL ACCOMMODATE AN ADDITIONAL 1 24.SO THAT'S A TOTAL OF 2 84 THAT WE COULD GET IN THE ROOM.
UH, THE COURTROOM, THE HALL AND THE LOBBY.
WELL, YOU CAN'T QUALIFY THOSE FOLKS OUT IN THE HALL IN THE LOBBY.
YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE 'EM IN THE COURTROOM.
OKAY, SO WHAT'S THE CAPACITY OF THE COURTROOM? THE COURTROOM IS ONE 60.
WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT ACCOMPLISHING ANYTHING WITH THOSE NUMBERS BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE COULD PUT A HUNDRED AND, UH, PROBABLY A HUNDRED IN THE 86 AND 80 IN MY COURTROOM.
SO YOU'VE GOT THE SAME NUMBERS.
IF, UH, ONE JUDGE IS PICKING THE 86TH AND ONE IN MY COURTROOM, YOU'VE GOT EXACTLY THE SAME NUMBERS, ROUGHLY.
THE, THE ONLY DIFFERENCE WOULD BE WE WOULD NOT HAVE 'EM IN THE COURTHOUSE RUBBING ELBOWS WITH THE DEFENDANTS AND THE, THE, UH, LAWYERS.
WELL, THE OTHER SIDE, THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT COIN IS YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE ADDITIONAL STAFF AT THE SOUTH CAMPUS, UH, SECURITY, UH, COURT CLERKS, UH, TRANSPORTATION ISSUES, GETTING THEM UP TO THE COURTHOUSE.
ARE YOU GOING TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION? I WOULDN'T THINK SO.
I WOULD THINK THEY'D BE RESPONSIBLE ONCE THEY'RE PICKED.
UM, I, MY IDEA WAS GIVE 'EM, HAVE 'EM COLOR CODED, YOU KNOW, CARDS ONCE THEY'RE PICKED, YOU KNOW, HAVE A BLUE CARD FOR YOUR COURTROOM, RED, YELLOW, GREEN, YOU KNOW, FOR THE OTHER COURTROOMS. THAT WAY ONCE THEY'RE PICKED, THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THEY'RE GOING.
THAT'LL ALLEVIATE ALL THE CROWDING AROUND THE COURTHOUSE, THE, THE PARKING THAT WE HAVE A PROBLEM HERE WITH.
AND IT'S GOING TO EVEN INTENSIFY WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE UPSTAIRS OF THE ANNEX.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO LOSE A LOT OF PARKING PLACES RIGHT BEHIND THE ANNEX DUE TO CONSTRUCTION.
UM, SO THAT, THAT WAS JUST MY THOUGHT.
WE HAVE A HUGE AMOUNT OF PARKING THERE.
UM, LIKE I SAID, A WHOLE LOT MORE SAFE.
I MEAN, YEAH, YOU'RE YOU'RE NOT PUTTING 'EM IN THE, IN THE COURTHOUSE WITH THE, WITH THE DEFENDANTS AND, AND HAVE YOU CALCULATED WHAT THE COST OF HAVING A JURY CLERK AND SOME EXTRA SECURITY OUT THERE WOULD BE? WELL, IF, IF YOU DON'T HAVE, UH, HAVE 'EM ALL HERE COMING IN AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE WHAT, FOUR COURTHOUSE SECURITY OFFICERS, I THINK ON THE BUDGET.
UH, POSSIBLY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALREADY GOT A METAL DETECTOR OUT THERE.
POSSIBLY WE COULD HAVE ONE, UM, SECURITY PERSONNEL GO OUT THERE TO, TO MAN THE, THE METAL DETECTOR.
UH, AS FAR AS THE, UM, UM, PICKING THE JURORS, UM, MAYBE ONE THE JUDGES COULD ROTATE, YOU KNOW, ONE JUDGE GO OUT THERE, UH, EVERY, YOU SAY YOU HAVE COURTS EVERY TWO WEEKS.
MAYBE Y'ALL COULD ALTERNATE OUT THERE FOR A JURY.
P WELL, THE PROB THE PROBLEM IS THAT MY TWO WEEKS IS NOT GOING TO BE THE SAME TWO WEEKS AS EVERY OTHER JUDGE'S TWO WEEKS.
AND SO THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD ALLEVIATE THE OVERCROWDING EVEN MORE IF YOU'RE NOT
WELL, MY POINT IS COURTS AT ONE TIME, MY MY POINT IS WE CAN DO WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING RIGHT NOW BY SIMPLY USING TWO COURTROOMS HERE IN THIS BUILDING.
SO WE'RE NOT ACCOMPLISHING ANYTHING BY MOVING TO THE SOUTH CAMPUS.
WELL, EXCEPT FOR THE OVERCROWDING IN THE HALLWAYS AND THE, THE LACK OF PARKING.
AND, WELL, LET ME, LET ME SUGGEST THIS.
YOU'RE GOING TO BRING PANELS OF ABOUT 60 PEOPLE IN HERE AFTER THEY'RE QUALIFIED FOR EACH COURT.
SO YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE 120 AND IF YOU MULTIPLY BY FOUR, 240 PEOPLE HERE.
SO IF WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING IS ALL FOUR COURTS ARE GOING TO BE UTILIZING A CENTRAL JURY ROOM AND BRING PANELS OF 60 JURORS EACH INTO THE BUILDING, YOU'VE GOT EXACTLY THE SAME SCENARIO OVER THAT.
WOULD HE JUST SAY, Y'ALL ROTATED TWO, NOT Y'ALL DON'T HAVE 'EM THE SAME TWO WEEKS.
IF WE'RE NOT ALL GOING TO BE PICKING FROM THE CENTRAL JURY ROOM, WE DON'T NEED TO RELOCATE THE LOCATION OF THE JURY PANELS TO THE SOUTH CAMPUS.
THE ONLY EFFICIENCY TO BE ACCOMPLISHED BY YOUR SUGGESTION WOULD BE FOR ALL FOUR COURTS TO BE PICKING THE SAME MONDAY WHERE WE WOULD HAVE ONE HUGE PANEL TO SELECT FROM.
IF WE'RE NOT ALL SELECTING THE SAME DAY, WE CAN DO IT HERE.
SO IF THAT'S WHAT'S TAKING PLACE NOW, Y'ALL ARE ROTATING NOW OR DO Y'ALL, I HAVE TWO JURY WEEKS, A MONTH.
SOME OF THE OTHER JUDGES DO TWO JURY WEEKS A MONTH.
WE TRY NOT TO DO 'EM ON THE SAME MONDAY FOR CROWDING REASONS.
SO IS THAT'S WHAT'S TAKING PLACE NOW? Y'ALL ARE ROTATING NOW? YES, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO IN YOUR OPINION, THIS IS NOT FEASIBLE.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? IT WOULDN'T WORK.
I I DON'T THINK IT WILL ACCOMPLISH ANY EFFICIENCIES OR SAVE ANY MONEY.
I THINK IT WOULD COMPLICATE OUR SITUATION, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
HAVING TO WAIT FOR JURY PANELS TO BE TRANSPORTED UP HERE.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A JURY, UH, PANEL MEMBER TO BE HAMPERED WITH.
UH, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO AND HAVE 'EM ALL GO THROUGH
[00:35:01]
SECURITY AGAIN.ONCE THEY GET UP HERE, THAT'S GONNA CLOG THE FRONT DOOR.
WHEN YOU HAVE PANELS OF 60 PER COURT, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE FOUR COURTS USING THE SYSTEM.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO 240 PEOPLE THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR.
YOU JUST SAID YOU DIDN'T HAVE FOUR COURTS AT ONE TIME.
WELL, MY POINT IS, IF YOU'RE GOING TO USE THE CENTRAL JURY ROOM, THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE IT WORK EFFICIENTLY IS TO HAVE ALL FOUR COURTS PICKING AT THE SAME TIME.
SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO THAT, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THOSE NUMBERS.
IF YOU'RE GONNA KEEP THE SYSTEM WE HAVE NOW, YOU DON'T NEED THE SOUTH CAMPUS.
OKAY, WELL THAT WAS MY SUGGESTION TO ALLEVIATE THE CROWDING AND SAFETY CROWNING THE COURTHOUSE SAFETY, SAFETY ISSUES Y'ALL ARE ALWAYS CONCERNED ABOUT AND THE PARKING ISSUES AND WELL, THE ONLY THING YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING COMMISSIONER IS QUALIFYING PEOPLE AT THE SOUTH CAMPUS.
ONCE YOU GOT 'EM QUALIFIED, YOU GOTTA BRING A PANEL OF 60 IN HERE SO IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
IF YOU GOT TWO COURTS PICKING ON THE SAME DAY, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE AT LEAST 120 OF THOSE JURORS IN THIS BUILDING.
SO YOU'RE NOT ACCOMPLISHING ANYTHING.
JUDGE, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU.
WHO IS WHO ALL, UH, UH, TELL ME WHO ALL IS INVOLVED IN AND, AND SAY YOU'RE PICKING A JURY FOR YOUR, UH, UH, ONCE EVERY TWO WEEKS, PAM, IS IT YOU AND A PROSECUTING ATTORNEY AND WHAT? A COUPLE ASSISTANTS AND THEN THE DA AND A COUPLE ASSISTANTS.
AND WHAT I DO, TOM, IS I HAVE AT LEAST ONE CIVIL JURY A MONTH AND ONE CRIMINAL JURY A MONTH.
AND ON BOTH CASES, THE CLERK'S SUMMONS THE NUMBER OF JURORS WE ANTICIPATE WE NEED.
IF IT'S A NORMAL CIVIL JURY, WE'LL SUMMON 200 CRIMINAL JURY TWO 50.
UH, SOME OF THE OTHER COURTS WILL BE SUMMONING JURORS AT THE SAME TIME.
WE USUALLY HAVE ONE COUNTY COURT OF LAW AND ONE DISTRICT SUMMONING ON EACH MONDAY.
AND THEN ALTERNATING MONDAY'S THE OTHER COUNTY COURT OF LAW AND OTHER DISTRICT.
SO WE'LL HAVE THE CLERK SUMMON.
WE'LL SET OUR DOCKETS OUT MAYBE SIX MONTHS.
SO WE'LL HAVE CASES DOCKETED FOR TRIAL ON THOSE DATES.
I HAVE CRIMINAL DOCKETS AND CIVIL DOCKETS.
I'LL USUALLY HAVE A CIVIL CASE BACKING UP A CRIMINAL DOCKET, IF NOT UNCOMMONLY.
AND SO WE'LL GET ENOUGH JURY MEMBERS TO COME IN, WE'LL QUALIFY THEM.
THE DA WILL HAVE A SERIES OF CASES DOCKETED.
WE'LL TRY THE OLDEST JAIL CASE FIRST.
AND IF THAT CASE SETTLES PLEASE OR GOES AWAY, WE'LL THEN TRY THE NEXT OLDEST CASE THAT'S IN JAIL.
WE EXHAUST THE JAIL CASES, WE TRY THE OLDEST NONJA CASE.
SO WE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'LL JUST RUN THROUGH THAT CHRONOLOGICALLY AND TRY THE OLDEST CASE AVAILABLE.
AND THEN WE DON'T HAVE A CASE, UH, UH, TO TRY CRIMINALLY, WE'LL BACK IT UP WITH A CIVIL CASE.
HOW ABOUT WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS HOW MANY PERSONNEL, IN OTHER WORDS, YOU GOTTA HAVE A, UH, A COUPLE OF, UH, PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS AND A COUPLE OF OF DISTRICT ATTORNEYS AND, AND, UH, WHAT ARE, UH, COUNTY CLERK PERSON, A PERSON FROM THE DISTRICT CLERKS? WELL, WE DON'T HAVE COUNTY CLERKS INVOLVED IN OUR COURT.
WHEN WE CALL THE PANEL IN, UH, USUALLY, UH, EITHER THE DISTRICT CLERK HERSELF OR ONE OF HER ASSISTANTS WILL COME IN.
AS THE JUROR JURY MEMBERS COME IN, THEY'LL CHECK 'EM OFF TO BE SURE WHO'S HERE.
THEY HAND THE SUMMONS TO THE CLERK, THE CLERK CHECKS 'EM OFF THE LIST, AND THEN THEY COME INTO THE COURTROOM AFTER THEY CHECK 'EM ALL OFF THE LIST AND COME IN THE COURTROOM.
I COME INTO THE COURTROOM AND I QUALIFY THEM.
I RUN THROUGH THE LIST OF QUALIFICATIONS, RUN THROUGH THE LIST OF EXEMPTIONS, RUN THROUGH THE LIST OF EXCUSES.
AND IF THEY'RE NOT QUALIFIED, I EXCUSE THEM.
IF THEY'RE EXEMPT, I EXCUSE THEM.
IF THEY HAVE A GOOD EXCUSE, I EXCUSE THEM.
RHONDA THEN PROVIDES A FINAL JURY LIST AFTER ALL THE EXEMPTIONS, EXCUSES AND DISQUALIFICATIONS.
AND THEN I COME IN AND WE DO WHAT WE CALL VOIR DIRE.
I GIVE SOME BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE COURT PROCEEDINGS, UH, RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES AND PROTECTIONS ALL CITIZENS HAVE.
WE'LL DO THE VOIR DIRE WITH THE LAWYERS WILL ASK QUESTIONS.
AND THEN AFTER THEY DO THE VOIR DIRE, THEY'LL DO THEIR STRIKES AND STRIKES 10 EACH, 10 PROSECUTION, 10 DEFENSE IN A CRIMINAL CASE.
AND, UH, SIX EACH IN A CIVIL CASE, PLAINTIFF AND DEFENDANT.
SO AFTER THEY DO THEIR STRIKES, WE'LL SEAT THE FIRST 12 WHO ARE QUALIFIED AND NOT STRUCK.
ALL THE OTHERS WILL BE EXCUSED.
BUT YOU'VE GOT THE WHOLE SCENARIO IS GOING ON.
YOU'VE GOT THE, THE DEFENDANT AND HIS LAWYERS CHECKING OUT THIS JURY PANEL.
SO, SO YOU, SO SO YOU GOT THE BAD GUYS AND THE GOOD GUYS STILL PASSED EACH OTHER IN THE HALLWAY.
YOU'VE GOT YOUR 60 JURY PA AT LEAST 60 JURY PANEL AND, UH, THOSE
[00:40:01]
PEOPLE ARE IN THE HALLWAYS.AND WHILE YOU MAY BE TALKING TO INDIVIDUAL JURORS ABOUT THEIR QUALIFICATIONS, SO YOU DON'T WANT THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PANEL TO HEAR WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY BECAUSE IT MAY TAINT THEM.
THEY'RE OUT IN THE HALLWAY SOMEWHERE RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE COURTHOUSE.
AND UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE CALL THE, THE WHOLE PANEL IN, WE'LL QUALIFY THEM.
THEY'LL HAVE ABOUT 20 MINUTES TO MIX AND MINGLE IN THE COURTHOUSE.
THEN WE CALL 'EM BACK IN AND DO THE VOIR DIRE.
THEN WE SEND THEM BACK OUT TO DO INDIVIDUAL INQUIRY FOR EACH JURY MEMBER WHO MAY NOT BE QUALIFIED OR MAY BE DISQUALIFIED AS A MATTER OF LAW.
AND THEN THE REST OF 'EM ARE OUT MILLING AROUND IN THE HALLWAY.
WHILE YOU'RE DOING THAT, THEN YOU CALL 'EM BACK IN INDIVIDUALLY TO TALK TO THEM.
AFTER YOU'VE DONE ALL OF THAT, YOU TURN 'EM INTO THE HALLWAY AGAIN FOR THE LAWYERS TO MAKE THEIR STRIKES, CALL 'EM BACK INTO THE COURTROOM SEAT, THE 12, INSTRUCT THEM AND DISMISS THE OTHERS.
I SAT THROUGH ONE OF THESE TRIALS FOR THE MORE IN OUR PART UPSTAIRS IN OUR
AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHICH JURORS MIGHT HAVE HEARD THAT.
SO EVERYBODY HAD TO GO AND NOW START ALL OVER AGAIN.
YEAH, BUT WOULD THAT BE THE, WOULD THAT HAPPEN AT THE SOUTH CAMPUS? BECAUSE YOU GONNA HAVE ALL THESE PEOPLE IN THE HALLWAY OUT THERE TOO, AND RODNEY, WHERE WOULD YOU PICK KEEP, WHERE WOULD YOU KEEP THE BAD GUYS? THERE'S OFFICERS BACK THERE WHERE WE COULD KEEP 'EM, BUT THE OFFICER HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE HALLWAY.
'CAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO SUBPOENA TO PASS THROUGH THE SAME, THEY'RE GONNA SUBPOENA 250 JUROR MEMBERS THERE AND OTHER PEOPLE COME IN THE HALLWAY, WALK DOWN THE HALLWAY, NOTHING TO DO EVERY DAY SHOWING UP OVER THE DOORS UNLOCKED.
AND WE'D HAVE TO HAVE AT LEAST THREE OFFICERS OVER THERE TO TWO TO WORK THE, THE, UH, FRONT DOOR AND ONE TO WORK THE COURTROOM.
WELL THAT BE CENTRAL JURY ROOMS IN LIKE THE COLLEGE ANYWHERE.
IS THAT IN THE SAME BUILDING? POSSIBLY, OR I'M NOT SURE.
COUNTY SMITH COUNTY'S NOT SMITH COUNTY.
DALLAS PICKS FOR ALL OF THEIR DIFFERENT COURTS IN CENTRAL JURY ROOM.
THAT'S IN THE COURTHOUSE THOUGH.
RIGHT NOW YOU DON'T HAVE ANY OFFICES THERE THAT YOU COULD TAKE THOSE PEOPLE TO.
'CAUSE YOU GOT A BUILDING FULL PERSONNEL DOWN THERE THAT NEEDS TO BE SECURED, FAIR WINDOW.
THE UPSTAIRS AT ANNEX GETS FINISHED AND WE VACATE A BUNCH OF THOSE OFFICES.
WOULD THAT BE A, MAYBE A POSSIBILITY TO THEM? WHAT'S THAT? WHEN WE HAVE MORE OFFICES VACANT OVER THERE TO HOUSE, YOU KNOW, HOLD THE, THE SEPARATE, THE PEOPLE AT THE SOUTH CAMPUS, THEY'RE RENOVATE IN THE TOP.
THE ANNEX TALKING ABOUT MOVING, PURCHASING, UH, THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE AND PROBABLY PUBLIC WORKS.
I'M NOT SURE THERE'S, I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL CHANGED YOUR MIND, REVAMPED IT OR WHATEVER, BUT OUR SIDE WOULD BE VACANT.
WELL, AGAIN, I'M NOT TOO CONCERNED ABOUT THE SOUTH CAMPUS AS MUCH AS I AM.
WHEN YOU GET THOSE PANELS BACKED UP HERE, THAT'S WHERE, THAT'S RIGHT.
YOU'RE NOT ACCOMPLISHING ANYTHING BY QUALIFYING THEM OUT THERE AND THEN BRINGING THE QUALIFYING PANELS UP HERE.
YOU CAN'T AVOID HAVING BIG NUMBERS OF PEOPLE IN THIS BUILDING.
THERE'S NO CIRCULATION SEPARATION EITHER PLACE.
IS THAT CORRECT? NOT IN THIS BUILDING.
I MEAN, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS WALK DOWN THE HALLWAY ANYTIME WE HAVE A JURY, EVEN IF WE ONLY HAVE A 12 MAN JURY SEATED.
NOT THE QUALIFICATION, NOT THE, UH, VOIR DIRE PROCESS.
BUT THIS WEEK, UH, WE HAD 12 PEOPLE, 13 PEOPLE ACTUALLY, BECAUSE I SEATED AN ALTERNATE, UH, WALKING AROUND THE HALLWAYS, YOU KNOW, CONTACT POSSIBLE WITH DEFENDANT DEFENDANT'S FAMILY.
IT WAS A FAILING TO REGISTER SEX OFFENDER CASE.
UH, EVERY MEMBER OF THE DEFENDANT'S FAMILY WAS A REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE IN THIS BUILDING TO PUT A DEFENDANT IN A LOCKED DOWN FACILITY.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE FOR WITNESSES TO BE HELD.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE, UH, FOR LAWYERS TO MEET WITH CLIENTS AND DISCUSS, UH, PLEA OFFERS AND, UH, SETTLEMENT NEGOTIATIONS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
I MEAN, THE BUILDING'S TOO SMALL.
INEFFICIENT AS, UH, COMMISSIONERS YOU STARTED OFF, YOU, YOU MENTIONED THAT THIS OBVIOUSLY WOULD TAKE THE FULL, UH, COOPERATION OR, UH SURE.
DISCUSSION BY THE, UH, BY VARIOUS JUDGES.
AND I GUESS, UH, UH, JUDGE CHINEY, YOU ARE THE, UH, YOU'RE NOW THE ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE IN YES SIR.
IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO TALK
[00:45:01]
WITH THE OTHER JUDGES ABOUT AND GET THEIR INPUT? WE, I'D BE HAPPY TO JUDGE.UH, AND WE IN THE PAST HAVE TALKED ABOUT CENTRAL JURY ROOM AND SELECTION PROCESSES.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT PERHAPS USING THE 86 AS A CENTRAL JURY ROOM FOR SELECTING TWO JURIES AT ONE TIME.
UH, UH, YOU KNOW, BACK IN THE WALTON DAYS, I WOULD PICK TWO JURIES EVERY MONDAY MORNING OUT OF ONE PANEL.
SO IT WAS IN EFFECT A CENTRAL JURY ROOM THE WAY WE WERE DOING IT.
AND I'D PICK A JURY, TRY ONE CASE AT THE BEGINNING MONDAY AND IT ON WEDNESDAY CALLED THE SECOND JURY IN WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.
TRY THAT ONE WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.
WE TRIED 46 FELONY CASES TO VERDICT ONE YEAR DOING THAT.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, SENDING A BIG PANEL DOWN A MILE AND A HALF AWAY AND THEN CALLING 60 MAN PANELS IN REALLY DOESN'T ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING.
IF YOU WOULD DO THAT, I'LL BE HAPPY TO TALK MAYBE, UH, GIVE MAYBE, UH, OR GIVE US BACK A REPORT OR SOMETHING AFTER THAT DISCUSSION.
I THINK AND, AND YOU KNOW, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT DOING THIS IMMEDIATELY.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE FIXING TO HAVE SOME ELECTIONS AND, AND POSSIBLY SOME NEW JUDGES AND YOU KNOW, WHEN WE RENOVATE THE UPSTAIRS, THAT'S GONNA ALLEVIATE A LOT OF OFFICES DOWN THERE AT THE SOUTH CAMPUS.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST FOOD FOR THOUGHT SUGGESTION THAT WE DO THIS IMMEDIATELY, BUT, UM, IT GIVES US SOME OPTIONS.
YEAH, I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS AN OPTION BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE OVERCROWDING SEEMS TO BE THE PROBLEM AT JURY TIME.
WELL, AND, AND REALLY, AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT HIM NOT HAVING THIS BATHROOM DEAL.
THAT THAT'S WHAT REALLY BOTHERS ME.
WELL, YOU'RE NOT SOLVING THE PROBLEM THOUGH WHEN YOU BRING, ALL YOU'RE DOING ON THE SOUTH CAMPUS IS QUALIFYING PEOPLE.
SO ONCE YOU QUALIFY 'EM, YOU BRING 'EM UP HERE, YOU'VE GOT BIG NUMBERS STILL UP HERE.
IT'S NOT SOLVING A PROBLEM, BUT YOU HAVE HALF AS MANY.
IS THAT NOT RIGHT? WELL, IF, IF YOU ARE GOING TO PICK, IF YOU'RE GOING TO UTILIZE THE CENTRAL JURY ROOM, YOU HAVE TO HAVE ENOUGH FOR MORE THAN ONE COURT.
RIGHT NOW WITH ONLY ONE COURT, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE ABOUT 80 JURORS HERE.
WITH TWO COURTS, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE 120 UNDER THE CENTRAL JURY ROOM SYSTEM.
SO YOU'RE NOT ALLEVIATING THAT CROWDING PROBLEM BY USING SOUTH CAMPUS TO QUALIFY THEM.
I GOT ONE OTHER QUESTION ON, UH, IT KIND OF PERTAINS TO THIS BECAUSE IT PERTAINS TO CROWDING, UM, ON, UH, ON PLEA.
DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY KIND OF RULE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SET FOR A JURY TRIAL? DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY DEADLINE THAT THEY HAVE TO PLEAD BY, SAY THE WEDNESDAY OR THURSDAY THE WEEK BEFORE THE JURY IS SET ON MONDAY? OR, OR IS IT COMMON FOR THEM TO GET HERE ON MONDAY THAT'S AND THEN PLEA ON MONDAY AND THEN ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE CALLED FOR? NOT GENERALLY SPEAKING, THAT'S A CALL THE DA MAKES.
UM, SOME DAS WILL MAKE A PLEA OFFER IF THEY DON'T ACCEPT IT BY A TRIAL ANNOUNCEMENT DAY.
I CAN'T TELL A DEFENDANT TO PLEAD NOT A DEFENDANT.
WELL, IT'S NOT THE LAWYERS, IT'S NOT THE LAWYER'S CALL, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
IT'S THE DEFENDANT'S CALL WHETHER HE WANTS TO PLEAD GUILTY OR NOT.
AND WELL, THE LAWYER REPRESENTS THE DEFENDANT.
IS THAT ALRIGHT? THAT'S RIGHT.
HE REPRESENTS HIM AND HE DOES WHAT THE DEFENDANT TELLS HIM TO DO.
ULTIMATELY, IF THE DEFENDANT WANTS TO PLEAD GUILTY, HE'LL PLEAD GUILTY.
IF I'VE GOT SOME DEFENDANT WHO COMES IN ON MONDAY MORNING, AND WHEN I HAVE THE STATE READ THE INDICTMENT AND ASK FOR A PLEA FROM THE DEFENDANT AND HE PLEADS GUILTY, I HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT GUILTY PLEA.
I CAN'T SAY, OH NO, YOU CAN'T PLEAD GUILTY BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T PLEAD GUILTY UNTIL TODAY.
UH, OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN'T DO THAT.
AND SO IF HE PLEADS GUILTY, THEN IF THE STATE AGREES ON A PUNISHMENT, WHY, WHY INCUR THE EXPENSE OF THE JURY AT THAT POINT? GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE PLEA, GET THE JURY OUT OF THERE.
AS A PRACTICAL MATTER, IF WE KNOW THAT THE CASES ARE GOING AWAY ON OUR SUMMONS CARDS, WE TELL THE JURY PANEL MEMBERS TO CALL INTO A NUMBER FRIDAY AFTERNOON TO SEE IF THEY STILL NEED TO COME IN.
IF ALL THOSE CASES HAVE GONE AWAY BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON, THE PANEL HAS CALLED OFF.
WE, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING YOU HEARING BACK FROM YOU.
UH, JIMMY, YOU ASK ANOTHER ITEM AND I THINK I SENT EVERYBODY AN EMAIL ABOUT THE, UH, THE FEES THAT WE PAY THE OUTSIDE ATTORNEYS.
AND THAT WILL BE DISCUSSED WHENEVER THE JUDGE JONES CALLS A MEETING OF THE INDIGENT DEFENSE COURT.
HE'S A JUDGE IN CHARGE OF THAT.
[00:50:01]
I'M NOT SURE WHEN HE'S GONNA DO THAT, BUT I'VE COMMUNICATED THAT TO HIM AND WE'LL, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A MEETING, WE KIND OF HAVE A JOINT MEETING, YOU KNOW, BEFORE.WAS THAT ONCE A QUARTER NORMALLY OR THEY KIND OF MEET AS NEEDED? YOU KNOW, AND WE HAVEN'T HAD A MEETING IN QUITE SOME TIME.
I DON'T REMEMBER THE LAST CASE WAS, BUT, UH, UH, BUT THAT'S, WE'LL GET THAT DONE.
I MEAN, I'M, I'M KIND OF, I DON'T RECALL THAT HE DOES.
WHAT WAS THE, THE QUESTION? CAN, CAN I SAY SOMETHING? SURE.
UM, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS, UH, COMMISSIONER ZALE PERSONALLY, I WAS INVOLVED IN SOMETHING THAT I HAD TO GO BEFORE A DISTRICT JUDGE TO GET MY DIVORCE GRANTED.
AND I HAD NOWHERE TO TALK TO THE ATTORNEY WITHOUT EVERYBODY HEARING WHAT I HAD TO SAY IN THIS COURTHOUSE.
WHAT ABOUT THE LIBRARY? THE LAW LIBRARY? I'M FIXING TO GET THERE.
I CAME TO DO SOME RESEARCH ON, ON ISSUE I'M WORKING ON AND I NEEDED TO BORROW THE LAW LIBRARY SO I COULD LOOK UP SOME CASES.
IT WAS FULL OF PEOPLE AND THAT LIBRARY'S SUPPOSED TO BE OPEN FOR PUBLIC, BUT THE ATTORNEYS HAD SOME OF THEIR PEOPLE IN THERE TALKING TO ME.
WE NEED SOMETHING WHERE ATTORNEYS CAN TAKE THAT PERSON AND TALK PRIVATELY, YOU KNOW, NOT 50 ROOMS, BUT MAYBE TWO OR THREE TO GET STARTED.
AND I KNOW I CAME IN HERE AND IT'S KIND OF SCARY SOMETIMES WHEN YOU SEE ALL THESE PEOPLE SITTING IN THE HALLWAY AND YOU CAN HEAR THEIR CASES BEING DISCUSSED.
I WOULD BE EMBARRASSED IF IT WAS ME.
AND I I'VE EVEN ALLOWED, YOU KNOW, UH, IF, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE COME IN HERE, BE GONE OR SOMETHING.
I MEAN IT IS, IT IS WHAT IT'S, YEAH.
UH, I WISH WE, MAYBE WE LOOK AROUND AND FIND A CLOSET SOMEPLACE WHERE SMALL ROOM SOMEPLACE USED.
BUT UH, ALL THESE THINGS ARE ISSUES THAT WE TRYING TO DEAL WITH AND I'M NOT AN EXPERT IN WHAT THEY DO, WHAT THE JUDGES DO.
I'M JUST LOOKING AT WHAT OTHER COUNTIES DO.
I MEAN, IF IT WORKS FOR COLIN DALLAS SMITH, APPARENTLY IT CAN'T WORK FOR KAUFFMAN, YOU KNOW.
BUT AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, EVERY COUNTY'S DIFFERENT.
YOU KNOW, THE BUILDINGS ARE DIFFERENT, THE SITUATION.
IT MAY, IT MAY POSSIBLY WORK, BUT THAT'S THE REASON I WANTED TO JUDGE CHITTY TO VISIT WITH THE OTHER JUDGES.
WELL, I SAID IT'LL ONLY WORK WITH THE COOPERATION OF THE JUDGE ASKED.
I HAVE A QUESTION FOR CHIEF EVAN.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CERTIFICATION OR NON-CERTIFICATION OF BUT UH, DOWN AT THE SOUTH CAMPUS, UM, IS THAT THE OLD JAIL FACILITY? IS THAT STRICTLY, YOU CANNOT LOCK ANYBODY UP AT ALL DOWN THERE? NOT EVEN AS A HOLDING CELL FOR A TRIAL.
IN OTHER WORDS, THAT THING IS, IT DOESN'T MAKE CODE.
YOU COULDN'T GO IN THERE AND, AND TAKE ONE WING AND PAINT IT AND AND TRIM IT ALL UP AND EVERYTHING AND, AND LOCK SOMEBODY UP DOWN THERE.
IT'S ALL JAIL STANDARDS, JAIL STANDARDS, JUST ALL THAT.
YEAH, YOU'D HAVE TO GO THROUGH 400 TUBES TO GET IT DONE.
THAT'S MY, AND I MAY BE THE ONLY ONE IN THIS ROOM THAT REMEMBERS THIS, BUT MANY, MANY YEARS AGO, 40 YEARS AGO PROBABLY THERE WHERE, WHEN THE DA'S OFFICE, UH, OR WHEN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WAS UPSTAIRS, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD THE JAIL OVER HERE, BUT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WAS ACTUALLY UPSTAIRS WITH WHERE THE, UH, DA'S OFFICE IS NOW, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THERE WAS A HOLDING CELL IN THAT AREA.
I, WELL, AND I'M SURE GONE NOW.
WHEN I WENT TO ROCKWALL TO MEET WITH THE COUNTY AUDITOR THERE OF THE CAPITAL MURDER THEY HAVE HOLDING CELLS IN THE BASEMENT AND THEY BRING THOSE PRISONERS UP AND THEY GO DOWN A SPECIAL HALLWAY AND THEY DO NOT MIX WITH AND MINGLE WITH THE PEOPLE.
THEY COME THROUGH A SPECIAL DOOR.
RIGHT TO THE BENCH THAT'S IN THAT NEW COURTHOUSE.
AND THE JAIL FACILITY'S DIFFERENT.
THEY DON'T, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST BRING THOSE THAT HAVE TO BE IN COURT THAT DAY AND THEY HAVE THESE CELLS THAT THEY HOLD THEM IN AND THEY'RE IN THE BASEMENT.
LIKE I SAID, THEY COME UP WITH SPECIAL ELEVATOR UP TO THE JAIL STANDARDS.
WHICH, I MEAN THAT'S, BUT I IMPRESSED BY THE WAY THEY DID IT.
GOOD GUYS AND BAD GUYS DON'T EVER SEE EACH OTHER.
I THINK THEY'VE GOT SEVERAL 1215.
I DON'T, I DIDN'T ASK TO LOOK
[00:55:01]
TWO JUDGES WALKING ME AROUND A DISTRICT AND A COUNTY COURT.SHOWING ME ALL THEIR FACILITIES.
AND THEY HAD RIGHT BEFORE THE COURTROOMS WHERE YOU ENTER THEIR DOOR TO GO INTO IT, THEY HAD LIKE A LITTLE HALLWAY WITH LIKE FOUR OR FIVE PRIVATE OFFICES THAT JUST HAD CHAIRS IN THE TABLE AND THEY COULD TAKE THEIR PEOPLE IN AND TALK TO 'EM BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY GOT IN THE COURTROOM AND IT WAS QUIETER SO THEY COULD GET STUCK THERE.
THIS COURTHOUSE THEN IT USED TO HAVE A, UH, UH, GRAND JURY ROOM.
I MEAN LIKE BEDROOMS ON THE UPSTAIRS ON THAT END.
WHEN THEY SEQUESTERED A GRAND JURY OVERNIGHT, DIDN'T THEY HAVE LIKE FOUR OR FIVE BEDROOMS IN THIS EXISTING COORDINATION? YEAH.
I I NEVER THAT IS THAT TURNED INTO OFFICES NOW OR THE UH, YOU MEAN THAT HALLWAY BETWEEN THE LAW LIBRARY AND THE S AREA? YEAH.
THEY MAY HAVE BEEN AT ONE TIME.
WAS YOUR QUESTION DEFENSE? HUH? WAS YOUR QUESTION JUST RELATED TO THE IN DEFENSE FEES? YES.
WELL, IT WAS COURT APPOINTED ATTORNEY'S FEES.
UH, SEEMS OTHER COUNTIES HAVE, UM, FEE SCHEDULED AND THEY GO BY SET FEE AND I, THE ONES THAT YOU SENT ME, I'VE GIVEN ALL THOSE, THE JUDGES HAVE A HARD COPY OF THAT.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S, THAT'S THE JUDGE'S CALL, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THAT'S THEIR, THEIR EXPERTISE.
BUT YOU KNOW, I'M JUST LOOKING AT WAYS TO GET US IN LINE WITH OTHER COUNTIES.
UH, WELL WE, I'VE SENT, I'VE SENT 'EM ALL THOSE FEES FROM ABOUT 12 DIFFERENT COUNTIES.
ALL THE, WE'VE HAD THEM FOR A COUPLE YEARS AND LOOKED THEM OVER.
WE HAD, WE TALK ABOUT IT IN OUR ENGINE DEFENSE TASK FORCE MEETINGS.
UH, AND IT BOILED DOWN TO, UH, HOW CONSERVATIVE THAT INDIVIDUAL JUDGE WANTS TO BE.
AND JUST BECAUSE YOU SAY THAT THE ATTORNEY CAN MAKE $110 AN HOUR OR WHATEVER, WHEN HE BILLS THAT JUDGE FOR SIX HOURS, THAT CASELOAD, THAT JUDGE LOOKS AT IT AND THEY, THEY SAY THEY GONNA DO THIS AND THAT HARD.
THEY SAID, THAT SHOULDN'T TAKE YOU, BUT THREE HOURS I'M GONNA PAY YOU FOR THREE.
YEAH, THEY, DO YOU SEE THOSE? WE DON'T SEE THOSE.
IS THERE SOMETHING THEY'RE NOT QUITE FEW THAT THEY'RE STRUCK OFF ON HOURS? NOT ALL OF THEM, BUT THERE'S QUITE A HERE ALREADY BECAUSE HE IS TALKING.
HE SAID, I TOLD ATTORNEY SAID, I'VE DONE THAT IN THREE HOURS.
THAT'S ALL YOU GIVE THEM MONEY FOR.
AND WELL AGAIN, THAT WOULD BE A TOPIC WE'LL DISCUSS.
LIKE I SAID, AGAIN, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, ALL GOES BACK TO THE COOPERATION OF THE JUDGES.
ALL ITEM NUMBER, NUMBER THREE, EXCUSE ME.
JUST TO RECEIVE AN UPDATE FROM THE SHERIFF BURNS REGARDING THE STATUS OF THE STAFFING AUDIT BY THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON JAIL STANDARDS.
UH, CHIEF EVIDENCE THIS HERE WITH US THIS MORNING, AND I'LL, UH, ASK HIM TO SPEAK TO THAT.
THERE IS A HEARING GOING ON THIS MORNING.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT TIME IT STARTED, UH, IN ROCKWELL COUNTY WITH, UH, UH, AND CONCERNING THE CAPITAL MURDER CASE THAT'S BEEN MOVED TO THAT LOCATION AND THAT'S WHERE THE, THE SHERIFF IS, UH, TODAY.
SO THAT'S WHERE HE'S NOT HERE, BUT HE SENT, UH, CHIEF EVAN AND SO YOU WANNA GIVE US AN UPDATE? WELL, HE SAID THAT THE, THE REPORT WILL BE COMPLETED BY THE FIRST OF THE MONTH AND TURNED IN YEAH.
AND THAT'S ALL I KNOW ABOUT THE REPORT.
WHAT? THE FIRST, FIRST, FIRST OF THE MONTH, WHICH IS REAL QUICK.
I KNOW THEY'RE ALL WORKING ON IT, BUT I DUNNO ANYTHING ABOUT IT OTHER THAN THE FIRST COMPLETED.
QUESTION ALL THIS NEXT ONE IS A PRETTY SAVORY, UH, TOPIC.
DISCUSS CREATING A POLICY MECHANISM TO DISPOSE OF DEAD ANIMALS ON COUNTY.
COMMISSIONER CLARK ASKED THAT, I HAD A GENTLEMAN THAT CALLED ME LAST WEEK OR TWO WEEKS AGO, SOMETHING LIKE THAT CONCERN THAT A DEAD ON SIDE THE ROAD AND, UH, GOT INTO A RATHER HEATED DISCUSSION WITH HIM, UH, ABOUT WHAT WE COULDN'T DO, COULDN'T DO.
AND HUNG GOT, AND THEN I MISQUOTED SOMETHING TO HIM.
SO I CALLED HIM BACK AND TOLD HIM WHAT THE, YOU KNOW, WHERE I WAS WRONG.
HE SAID, HE SAID, I'VE CONTACTED Y'ALL CONTACT SHERIFF'S OFFICE EIGHT OR 10 TIMES.
AND I SAID, SIR, YOU'VE NEVER CONTACTED THIS OFFICE.
WELL, HE CONTACTED THE BARN AFTER AND NOT, NOT MY OFFICE.
SO I CALLED HIM BACK AND SAID, YOU DID CONTACT BARN OUT THERE.
AND I SAID, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THIS, ABOUT THIS THING.
HE WAS MAD AS I WOULD GET OUT.
HE SAID, WELL BEFORE IT WAS ALL ABOUT, I'M NOT, I COULD NEVER BOOK A SIGN ABOUT GIMME ME AN ANSWER LIKE THAT.
HE SAID, CAN YOU PUT A SIGN IN MY YARD? SO I PUT A SIGN IN THE YARD BECAUSE THE MAN LIVES A PRECINCT, ONE
[01:00:03]
BUT, UH, WE RUN THIS PRETTY OFTEN.WHAT DO WE DO? WHAT CAN WE DO WHEN, WHEN WE GOT A DEAD DOG, A DEAD PIG OR WHATEVER ON THE ROAD? IT IS A HEALTH HAZARD, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALSO GOT THE ISSUE OR WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT DIED FROM AND WE PICK IT UP AND MOVE IT.
ARE WE SPREADING A DISEASE FROM POINT A TO POINT B? WHAT DOES THE STATE DO ON THE, THE STATE? BURY THEM IN THEIR RIGHT OF WAY, BUT WE CAN'T BURY 'EM IN OUR RIGHT WAY.
'CAUSE WE, WE'VE GOT A WATER LINE AND KE LINE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD MOST OF THE TIME
SO WE, WE COULD BURY 'EM IN THE RIGHT WAY I GUESS.
BUT WE'D BE, WE'D PROBABLY SPENDING MORE MONEY ON REPAIRS THAN WE WOULD ON RODNEY, DO YOU HAVE ANY, IS THIS YOUR AREA OF EXPERTISE? YEAH, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR LIVE ANIMALS.
WELL, I THINK THE IDEA DISEASE AND ALL THAT, I DO THINK THAT'S AN ISSUE.
AND THEN PROTECTING OUR GUYS FROM PICKING THEM UP.
SOMEBODY WOULD BE TRAINED ON WHAT TO LOOK FOR, WHAT NOT TO DO.
KINDA LIKE THE HAZARDOUS, UH, WASTE DUMPER OR WHATEVER YOU HAVE THERE WHEN YOU SEE LITTLE STICKER OR MY GUYS ARE SUPPOSED TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, RUN OR CALL SOMEBODY, WHATEVER, BE DOING
WELL, WE'D HAVE TRAINED SOMEBODY WHAT TO DO, WHAT TO BE LOOKING FOR.
IT'S NOT A SIMPLE, JUST SKIPPING THE DOG OR WHATEVER.
WHAT DOES TEXAS ASSOCIATION COUNTY SAY? WHAT DID YOU DO ABOUT THAT? HOW DID YOU GET, GET THEIR TAKE ON IT? I WONDER WHAT OTHER COUNTIES MAY DO.
MOST OF THEM THAT I'VE FOUND, AND I'VE LOOKED AT THIS A LOT 'CAUSE I PROBABLY GET MORE CALLS ABOUT DEAD ENVIRONMENTS THAN ANYBODY
AND, UH, THESE ARE NOT FRESH ANIMALS THAT'S JUST BEEN RUN OVER.
THEY ALWAYS CALL WHEN THEY'RE FOUR OR FIVE DAYS OLD.
AND, AND LET ME TELL YOU WHAT, AT THE RISK OF BEING GROSS AND, AND I WILL TRY TO, UH, UH, NOT BE THAT WAY.
UM, IT SEEMS LIKE ANY COUNTY OR ANY CITY HAS THEIR ANIMAL CONTROL PEOPLE TRAINED.
AND THEY HAVE THE, THEY HAVE THE VEHICLES AND THEY HAVE THEIR OWN LANDFILL.
THAT'S THE ONLY ONES THAT HANDLE IT.
AND IT'S GENERALLY LEFT UP TO THE ANIMAL CONTROL PEOPLE.
ANY, ANY, AND ALL THE INFORMATION THAT I LOOK FOR.
AND I SPENT PROBABLY 15 HOURS ON THIS SINCE IT CAME UP ON THE AGENDA.
I CANNOT FIND ANY COUNTY THAT DOES NOT HAVE THEIR OWN LANDFILL, THAT HAS THEIR ROAD AND BRIDGE.
PEOPLE PICK IT UP OR, UH, UH, ANY, I COULDN'T FIND ANY COUNTY THAT HAD THEIR ROAD BRIDGE.
PEOPLE PICK IT UP, CITIES PICK 'EM UP, TAKE 'EM TO THEIR LANDFILL.
BUT IT'S ALWAYS DONE BY ANIMAL CONTROL.
OUR ANIMAL CONTROL PEOPLE ARE SWAMPED, YOU KNOW, PICKING UP DOGS AND CATS AND DRIVING 'EM, PLUM IT THERE AND YOU KNOW, EGYPT DOWN THERE OR WHEREVER, YOU KNOW.
AND, UH, UH, THIS IS, THIS IS A PROBLEM.
IN OTHER WORDS, I GOT A CALL A TUESDAY AFTERNOON.
I'LL JUST GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
I GOT A CALL TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND UH, UH, FIRST SHERIFF'S OFFICE CALLED AND SAID, THERE'S A DEAD HO GOT RUN OVER SUNDAY ON 39 4, WHICH IS STATE HIGHWAY.
I SAID, WE DON'T DO DEAD ANIMALS, YOU KNOW, I SAID, BESIDES, THAT'S THE STATE HIGHWAY, YOU KNOW? BUT THEN ABOUT 15 MINUTES LATER, I GET A CALL FROM THIS, FROM THIS LITTLE OLD YOUNG LADY SAID, UH, SAID, I HAD MY WINDOWS DOWN.
I CAN'T DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD BECAUSE THIS HOG STINKS SO BAD.
WHY DON'T Y'ALL GO OUT THERE AND PICK IT UP? WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO I ELECT YOU FOR? YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO GO OUT THERE TO PICK THAT THING UP.
SO BEING, YOU KNOW, BEING ME, I GOT IN THE PICKUP AND DROVE OUT THERE AND I, AND I TELL YOU, I'M TRYING NOT TO.
WELL, I, I JUST, I JUST WON'T EVEN DO, I JUST WANT TO SAY IT.
IT WAS, AND I TELL YOU WHAT, PEOPLE WANT THEIR ROADS FIXED.
THEY WANT US TO MANAGE THIS BUDGET.
THEY WANT US TO TEND TO EVERYTHING.
THEY WANT US TO PICK UP DEAD STUFF THAT'S LAID IN FRONT OF THEIR HOUSE FOR 4, 5, 6 DAYS.
I GOTTA DRAW THE LINE THERE ON THAT DEAD STUFF.
I MEAN, WE HAVE, WE HAD A GUY BACK IN DECEMBER, AND I, AND I'LL JUST GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
UH, OLD BOY CALLS AT NINE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING AND, AND HE'S AN OLDER GENTLEMAN.
HE'S PROBABLY, HE'S PROBABLY 78 OR NINE YEARS OLD, HAS NO TRUCK, NO NOTHING.
YOU KNOW, HE DON'T, I MEAN, HE'S GOT A CAR.
AND HE CALLED ME AND SAID, HE SAID, WHAT DO YOU DO ABOUT A DEAD HOG? HE'S LAYING OUTSIDE MY GARAGE.
[01:05:01]
I SAID, SAY WHAT? AND HE SAID, HE SAID, THERE'S A DEAD HOG.WELL, HE MUST WEIGH 500 POUNDS.
HE'S LAYING OUTSIDE MY GARAGE.
AND HE SAID, COULD YOU COME PICK HIM UP FOR ME? AND I SAID, WELL, WE DON'T, WE DON'T PICK UP DEAD ANIMALS, YOU KNOW, AND I, I KNOW THE GUY AND ALL THAT STUFF, YOU KNOW.
AND I SAID, WELL, LET ME DRIVE DOWN THERE AND SEE WHAT I CAN DO.
SO I DRIVE DOWN THERE AND SURE ENOUGH, THIS OLD BOY'S GOT ABOUT A 200 POUND HOG LAYING ABOUT THAT FAR FROM HIS GARAGE DOOR.
HE GOT ABOUT A $200,000 HOUSE, CONCRETE DRIVEWAY AND EVERYTHING.
SOMEBODY'S GUT SHOT THIS HOG ON THE, ON THE GOLF COURSE.
AND OF COURSE HE'S DRAGGING HIS INTEREST, YOU KNOW, 10 FOOT BEHIND.
AND HE WALKS UP THERE AND THAT'S WHERE HE EXPIRES.
YOU KNOW, THIS OLD MAN CAN'T MOVE LUNCHTIME, HE CAN'T CALL ANYBODY, YOU KNOW? SO I ROLLED HIM UP IN MY PICKUP.
IN OTHER WORDS, I WAS ON, I WAS ON THE WAY HOME FOR THAT AFTERNOON.
YOU KNOW, I HAULED HIM OVER AT MY HOUSE, TOOK MY BACKHOE, DUG A HOLE, BURIED THE THING.
NOW THAT'S WHAT I DID WITH HIM.
AND I DID IT JUST FOR, TO HELP THE BOY OUT.
'CAUSE, YOU KNOW, UH, BUT THIS WAS A FRESH DEAL.
AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST, I DON'T WANT TO SUBJECT MY GUYS TO, TO HAVING TO GO OUT THERE AND PICK THESE STUFF UP.
IF, IF WE COULD DIG A HOLE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT CUTTING PHONE LINES OR WAIT, UH, 48 HOURS TO GET A DIG TEST AND CUT WATER LINES AND PHONE LINES AND, AND ALL THIS OTHER STUFF, YOU KNOW, AND YOU KNOW, I, I WOULDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT.
I THINK WE NEED TO, UH, BUILD A RENDERING PLANT AND GET ALL THE FAT AND MAKE BIODIESEL AND PUT THE BIODIESEL ON THE COMMISSIONER'S VEHICLES.
AND THAT WAY WE DON'T HAVE TO BUY FUEL ANYMORE.
YOU WANNA START ON THAT PROJECT? YES.
THEY SHOULD START ON SOME FUNDING FOR THAT TOO.
GEORGE, WHERE'S OUR GRANT? LADY?
I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, I'LL, I, I'LL GET IN TOUCH WITH TAG AND SEE IF THEY GOT ANY SUGGESTIONS.
WELL, I HAVE, I HAVE SOME INFORMATION HERE.
I DIDN'T MAKE COPIES BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO KILL ANY MORE TREES.
BUT ANYWAY, THERE'S CALDWELL COUNTY.
UM, THIS IS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND I DIDN'T LABEL.
AND THIS, UH, HERE'S THE EL PASO CITY OF EL PASO, UM, MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
AND THEN HERE'S THE, HERE'S THE HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE NUMBER.
AND THE HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE.
THE ONLY THING THEY ADDRESS IS BURIED.
THE ANIMAL HAS TO HAVE AT LEAST THREE FOOT OF COVER OVER IT.
WHAT DOES CALDWELL COUNTY DO? THEY'RE, THEY'RE SIMILAR A LITTLE BIT.
WE'RE DEMOGRAPHICALLY, I THINK.
CALDWELL COUNTY SAYS THERE'LL BE, UH, LET'S SEE, SAY ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER SHALL HAVE NO AUTHORITY ENFORCE INBOUND DECEASED ANIMALS.
IT SHALL BE THE DUTY OF THE OWNER OR PERSON IN CHARGE OF ANY ANIMALS THAT DIE FROM ANY CAUSE.
LET SEE A PERSON CHARGE ME LAND UPON WHICH THE ANIMAL MAY DIE TO BURY THE DEAD ANIMAL TO A DEPTH OF AT LEAST THREE FEET BENEATH THE SURFACE OF THE GROUND, WITHIN 24 HOURS OF THE DEATH OF THE ANIMALS, NO OR OTHERWISE, TO DISPOSE OF ANIMALS IN A MANNER APPROVED BY THE STATE VETERINARY.
IT SHALL BE UNLAWFUL TO ANY PER, FOR ANY PERSON TO REMOVE THE CARCASS OF DEAD ANIMALS FROM HIS OR HER PREMISES TO THE PREMISES OF ANOTHER PERSON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PERSON HAVING CHARGED THE PREMISES WITHOUT BEARING THE CARCASS AS PROVIDED.
C THE ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICE DOES NOT PICK UP ANY DECEASED ANIMAL FROM PROPERTIES OR ROADWAYS.
JIM DE JUST GAVE ME THIS OUT OF THE, UH, HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE, CHAPTER 360 1, SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL AG, WHICH I GUESS WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT A LITTLE BIT MONDAY WITH JIM.
BUT, UH, IT SAYS, DISPOSAL OF THE CARCASSES OF ANIMALS KILLED ON ROADWAYS.
UH, PART A SAYS, NOT WITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF THIS CHAPTER, COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES MAY DISPOSE OF THE CARCASSES OF ANIMALS KILLED ON COUNTY OR MUNICIPAL ROADWAYS BY BURYING THE CARCASSES ON PROPERTY OWNED BY THE ENTITY THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OLD MAINTENANCE.
NO PERMIT SHALL BE REQUIRED TO DISPOSE OF ANIMALS OR CARCASSES ON COUNTY OR MUNICIPAL PROPERTY DISPOSAL SHALL BE CONDUCTED IN THE MATTER CONSISTENT WITH PUBLIC HEALTH, WHICH I MAYBE THAT'S WHAT THE THREE FOOT, THAT'S WHERE THREE FOOT IN.
AND THEN PART B SAYS THAT NOT NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF THIS CHAPTER, THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
[01:10:01]
MAY DISPOSE OF THE CARCASSES OF ANIMALS KILLED ON THE STATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM, BUT BEARING THE CARCASSES ON STATE, STATE HIGHWAY RIGHT OF WAY, WHICH IS WHAT THEY DO.I THINK NO PERMIT SHALL BE REQUIRED TO DISPOSE OF ANIMALS OR CARCASSES ON STATE HIGHWAYS.
RIGHT OF WAY, UH, DISPOSAL SHALL BE CONDUCTED IN THE SAME MANNER, CONSISTENT WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH.
SO IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T SAY YOU HAVE TO PICK UP, IT JUST SAYS IF YOU DO, YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, YOU GET DISPOSE OF THEM ON THE COUNTY, ON MUNICIPAL, ON THE PROPERTY.
IT WOULDN'T HAVE TO BE RIGHT AWAY.
IN OTHER WORDS, YOU MAY BURY 'EM IN COUNTY ON RIGHTAWAY.
OKAY? MOST ALL OF OUR COUNTY OWNED RIGHT OF WAY IS THE COMMISSIONERS WILL AGREE.
IF YOU TAKE ONE SCOOP WITH A BACKHOE, YOU TAKE A CHANCE ON CUTTING A WATER LINE, A PHONE LINE OR SOMETHING.
BUT YOU GOT BURIED ON PROPERTY THAT WE GOT.
IT DOESN'T SAY IT HAS TO BE ON THE RIGHT.
YEAH, BUT WHAT ABOUT, I MEAN, WHAT DO WE HAVE PROPERTY? THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I GOT A PROBLEM ALL BACK OUT THIS WAY.
ASKING, ASKING THE GUYS TO GO OUT THERE AND LOAD UP SOME CARCASS THAT'S BEEN DEAD THREE OR FOUR, FIVE DAYS AND HAUL IT SOMEWHERE AND SCATTER THAT, UH, THE, THE AWFUL ALL OVER THE HIGHWAY AND ALL THAT STUFF.
GETTING THERE HAVE TO TAKE A CHANCE ON A CAR AND HAVING IT BEHIND YOU AND, YOU KNOW, GETTING CONTAMINATED MATTER ALL OVER THEIR VEHICLES OR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, PLUS THE HEALTH RISK FOR THE MEAT.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO BE LOADING THAT STUFF UP AND HAULING.
IT'S, IT'S, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S NOT AN EASY ISSUE TO SOLVE.
JIM, DO YOU WANT WELL, I, I THOUGHT THE REASON I KNEW WHAT THAT WAS, I FOUGHT IT FOR EIGHT YEARS WHEN I FIRST TOOK OFF, THEY WEREN'T DOING IT.
AND SOMEBODY QUOTED THAT TO ME AND, AND I JUST TOOK THE ATTITUDE THAT COUNTY GOVERNMENT IS PUBLIC SERVICE, NOT A PROFIT MAKING BUSINESS.
WE ARE HERE TO SERVE THE PUBLIC.
AND THAT'S WHY I WENT BY THAT STATUTE RIGHT THERE.
WHEN YOU BURY MAC ALONGSIDE, OH, YOU DID BEAR 'EM ALONGSIDE ROAD.
YOU EVER ANY LINES? NO, WE DID ONE TIME AND IT WAS ON SOME KIND OF A HOLIDAY WEEKEND AND WE COULDN'T TELEPHONE LINES FOR ABOUT 400 PEOPLE THAT, SO THAT'S WHAT I'VE ALWAYS BEEN NERVOUS ABOUT PEOPLE.
BUT AS FAR AS, AS FAR AS ESTABLISHING A POLICY, YOU KNOW, THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, IF WE GET A CALL AND THERE'S A, THERE'S A, IN OTHER WORDS, I'VE GOT CALLS WHERE PEOPLE HAVE PULLED OUT IN THE COUNTRY DOWN THERE WITH THEIR HORSE TRAILER AND KICKED A HORSE OUT AND DID KEVE OUT, YOU KNOW, KICK IT OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF A COUNTY ROAD.
WE GET A CALL THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL GOTTA COME AND GET THIS THING.
WELL IF IT'S OUT IN THE COUNTRY FAR ENOUGH, SURE.
YOU KNOW, AND THERE, IF YOU'RE PRETTY REASONABLY CERTAIN THAT THERE'S NO PEDESTALS AROUND, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN BURY IT.
BUT IF WE SET A POLICY, THEN EVERY TIME THAT THAT SAYS THAT THE COUNTY WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANIMALS, DEAD ANIMALS IN ON COUNTY ROAD OR RIGHT OF WAY.
EVERY TIME SOMEBODY HAS A CALF DIE YEAH.
ON THESE, DUMP IT OUT ON THE ROAD.
THEY'LL PULL OUT THERE AND DUMP IT OUT, YOU KNOW, TWO OR THREE MILES FROM THE HOUSE, PICK UP THE PHONE, SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL COME OUT HERE AND GET THIS THING.
I JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT OUGHT TO BE LEFT UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONER IF, IF, YOU KNOW, WELL YOU COULD PUT THERE JUST LIKE THEY, YOU KNOW, IF WE DO CREDIT A POLICY, IF YOU MAY, YOU KNOW YEAH.
IF YOU DIDN'T WANT TO DO IT, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO DO IT.
YOU JUST ANSWER YOUR, YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
THEN THERE I'M NOT GOING TO DO IT.
BUT IF WE WANTED TO DO IT DETERMINES WHAT DO, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE DO IT IF WE WANTED TO? YEAH.
WELL, I MEAN, IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE, YOU CAN'T WAIT 48 HOURS FOR DETAILS.
UH, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST, I ANSWER TO THIS.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, JUST, I THINK WE OUGHT ANIMAL CONTROL.
THEY, THEY GAVE THE, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT GET THE SAME ACCIDENT.
LIKE I SAID, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR LIVE.
THEY LIVE AT ONE TIME, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY MACHINERY OR ANYTHING ELSE TO DISPOSE OF 'EM WITH.
AND THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S A CERTAIN, UH, PART OF THIS, UH, HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE THAT, THAT SAYS IF YOU'RE BEARING MULTIPLE ANIMALS THAT UH, YOU KNOW, THEY GOTTA BE LAMBED AND THE PIT'S GOTTA BE LAMBED AND ALL THIS STUFF.
AND THEN YOU GET INTO EPA STUFF AND ALL THAT, YOU KNOW.
SO WHAT IS WORSE? JUST, YOU KNOW, HAVING TO GO THROUGH SOME PROBLEMS AND HAVING SOMETHING YEAH.
PLAYING BESIDE THE GUY'S GARAGE.
WE DO HAVE RESPONSIBILITY, MORE RESPONSIBILITY TO GET THAT DEAD.
[01:15:01]
ALL PROBLEM THAT I'VE HAD OVER THE YEARS.WHAT WE DO, WE DIG A HOLE INSIDE THE ROAD, WE GO GET A COUPLE SACKS OF LIME AND PUT HIM IN THERE AND LIME HIM AND COVER HIM BACK UP.
AND THEY HAVE BEEN GONE PRETTY QUICK.
MAKE, I HAVE A 17-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER THAT'S DRIVING NOW AND SHE WAS ON 80 HEADING TO APPLEBEE'S AND THERE WAS AN EXTREMELY LARGE DOG DEAD BECAUSE IT HAD NOWHERE TO GO.
IT HIT THE TWO CONCRETE BLOCKS WHERE THEY'RE BUILDING THE BRIDGE.
SO SHE COULDN'T COME TO A DEAD STOP WITHOUT HITTING THIS SWOLLEN DEAD DOG.
AND SHE HAD NOWHERE TO GO IN THE OTHER LANE.
SO THE LARGE ANIMALS BECOME A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A DEAD WRAPPED WOUND HERE ON 9 87 FOR FOUR DAYS, AND HE JUST GOT BIGGER AND BIGGER AND PEOPLE KEPT AVOIDING HIM.
UNFORTUNATELY, IT WAS ON THE CURVE, SO PEOPLE DIDN'T WANT TO GET IT, SO THEY GAVE HIM OUR LANES.
SO IT DOES, IT'S NOT JUST THE GROSS FACTOR, IT BECOMES A DANGER.
SO SHE SAID, MOM, I JUST STOPPED AND IT SCARED ME BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GOING 65 MILES AN HOUR ON 80 THROUGH 40 AND SHE HAD TO, SHE'S, I'M NOT GONNA, IT IS GONNA BLOW UP.
SO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD TERRIFY I TOLD HER, YOU RUN THAT DOG OVER
WE ARE GONNA, UH, PICK HIM UP AND TAKE THEM TO THE COUNTY FARM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WHICH IS, I'VE SEEN DUDE, I SEEN JERRY DID THAT WITH A DEAD HORSE OUT THERE, FAIR GROUND DOWN THERE.
EVERYBODY OUT THERE DIGGING HOLES.
WHAT YOU DIGGING FOR? I SAID, I'M BURYING A HORSE.
WELL THAT'S, YOU KNOW, COUNTY PROPERTY.
AND SO YOU COULD DO THAT, YOU KNOW, OR DO WE, OR DO WE JUST PUT SOME LIME ON 'EM AND PULL THE DIRT ON TOP UP? OR DO WE TRAIN SOMEBODY FROM THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT TO UH, PICK UP DEAD ANIMALS? THERE'S, THERE'S SOME OF THE, CAN YOU BUY EQUIPMENT FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE PICK UP? THEY GOT A CATCH RIGHT NOW.
THEY CAN'T PICK UP A DEAD COW OFF THE HIGHWAY.
THAT, AND THERE'S SOME COUNTIES LIKE SAN ANTONIO AND, UH, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND AUSTIN AND ALL THAT LUNCH DOWN THERE.
WELL, UH, THEY HAVE CONTRACT PEOPLE THAT THEY HIRE, YOU KNOW, WELL THAT'S, AND PAY 'EM X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS PER ANIMAL IF IT'S SO BIG.
YOU KNOW, SO BIG AND SO BIG AND THE COST, COST, COST, COST, YOU KNOW, AND THEN YOU, THEN YOU GOT A WHOLE NOTHER, A WHOLE NOTHER BALL OF WAX.
THEN IT'S GOTTA GO BACK TO WHAT SHE SAID, SPENDING MONEY THAT, UH, ONCE THEY FIND OUT WE'VE GOT A POLICY, SURE, SURE.
IT'S GOING TO INCREASE HOW MANY FOLD PEOPLE DUMP, PULLING 'EM OUT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.
THEY HAVE FOREST OR CAINES OR CALVES.
WE'VE GOT ELEPHANTS IN PRECINCT FOUR, I KNOW.
WELL, THE, THE OTHER THING WE CAN DO IS JUST LEAVE IT LIKE IS AND GO BUY THE HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE.
JUST LEAVE IT UP TO DISCRETION.
I, THAT'S, I LIKE THAT'S THING YOU, IF IT'S A, IF IT'S A DEAL WE CAN HANDLE, OF COURSE WE'RE, WE'RE IN THE BUSINESS OF PUBLIC SERVICE.
YOU KNOW, IF IT'S A THING, IF IT'S A THING WE CAN HAVE, I WANNA RAISE UP THE FLAG AND SAY, HEY, Y'ALL PULL 'EM OUT ON THE ROAD.
IT'S PROBABLY, I'M PROBABLY AT LEAST ONE AFFECTED BY IT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, MOST BARS IS PRETTY URBAN OVER THERE, SO IT'S, YOU GOT ALL ASPHALT SIDEWALKS.
WE, I GUESS THE QUESTION WILL COME TO Y'ALL WHENEVER, WHENEVER IT HAPPENS.
IF IT'S IN CRITICAL PLACE, THEN WE HAVE TO REMOVE IT.
LIKE YOUR INSTANCE OF WHERE WE HAVE TO DO IT.
IF IT'S OUT THERE DOWN AT THE BOTTOM THREE MILES FROM THE NEAREST HOUSE, YOU LET THE NATURE CLEAN UP, MR. ARD SHOW UP AND TAKE CARE OF IT ALL.
UH, I DON'T, WE DISCUSSED THE, UH, ITEM NUMBER TWO ON OUR AGENDA, WHICH WAS THE IDEA OF US TRYING TO ESTABLISH A CENTRAL JURY ROOM, PERHAPS.
DID THE OTHER, ANY OTHER ATTORNEY, WELL, JUDGE CHEY WAS HERE.
DID HE, HE, WHAT HE HAS AGREED TO DO IS, UH, TALK ABOUT THE PROS AND CONS PROBLEMS AND THE, AND THE PLUSES.
UH, BUT HE HAS, UH, AGREED TO TALK WITH THE OTHER JUDGES AND THEN, UH, GET BACK WITH THE COURT IN SOME FORM.
SO, WELL, I, AND I CAN APPRECIATE THAT.
HE TALKED TO ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT AND MY INPUT OBVIOUSLY NOT BEEN IN JUDGE ANYMORE, BUT I COULD WEIGH IN ON THAT A BIT.
BUT I GUESS AS, UH, LITIGANTS AND PROBABLY THE BIGGEST, UM, LITIGATION FORCE WOULD BE THE DA'S OFFICE AND THEN WOULD HAVE TO GO, I THOUGHT ABOUT AFTER I HEARD Y'ALL MENTION IT, WHEN I'D BEEN IN COMMISSIONER'S COURT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, WE WOULD HAVE
[01:20:01]
TO ACTUALLY, UH, NOT, I DON'T KNOW IF WE WOULD HAVE TO BE INVOLVED TO GO OUT THERE, BUT IF WE DID IT, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD JUST, UM, REQUIRE TRAVELING OUT THERE.BUT AS Y'ALL PROBABLY UNDERSTAND, THE CENTRAL JURY ROOM IS GOING TO BE QUALIFYING THE JURORS.
AND SO THAT PROCESS SHOULD NOT, IF WE SEPARATE THE DA'S OFFICE OR WHAT OUT OF IT SHOULDN'T INVOLVE MY OFFICE AT THAT POINT.
UM, THE WAY WE DO IT NOW IS THAT THE BOTH SIDES ON A CRIMINAL CASE AND ON A CIVIL CASE, BECAUSE THEY GO IMMEDIATELY TO THE COURTROOM, ARE INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS.
SOME OF THE ATTORNEYS MAY SAY, WOW, THAT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO START LOOKING AT THE PEOPLE BEFORE GETTING AN IDEA.
BECAUSE IN JURY SELECTION, ALL OF THOSE THINGS COME INTO PLAY WHEN YOU START CHALLENGING PEOPLE FOR CAUSE.
SO YOU BRING IN THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE CALLED UP.
SO AS FAR AS THAT AS A JUDICIAL ISSUE AND THEY WANT TO GO OUT THERE, IT'S A COMMISSIONER'S ISSUE BECAUSE ONCE THE CITIZEN, AND IT'S BEEN MY EXPERIENCE, I, I CAN'T SPEAK TO A CODE SECTION.
I DIDN'T BRING THAT PARKS GETS OUT AND BECOMES PART OF THE COUNTY WORKING, THEN WE HAVE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR EITHER THEM GETTING BUSES AND SHUTTLE, BRINGING THEM BACK FROM OVER THERE.
THAT'S A NIGHTMARE BECAUSE YOU CAN'T SAY WE'VE QUALIFIED YOU AND NOW I WANT YOU TO GET IN YOUR CAR AND GO BACK TO THE COURTHOUSE AND THEN COME INTO COUNTY COURT TWO, OR GO UP TO THE 86.
WE MIGHT LOSE A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM THERE TO HERE KNOWING THAT THEY'RE NOW QUALIFIED MIGHT BE THE ONE REASON.
THE OTHER REASON IS, WAS THE COURTESY WHEN I WAS IN THE DALLAS OFFICE, WHEN THEY FIRST OPENED HENRY WAY TO THE JUVENILE CENTER, THEY DIDN'T HAVE A PLACE FOR THE JURORS.
SO I ONLY KNOW THAT FROM EXPERIENCE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS, IS IT STATUTORY? I CAN LOOK IT UP.
BUT ONCE THEY QUALIFIED IN THE GEORGE ALLEN, THEY BUST THE JURORS BECAUSE WE WOULD, WE WOULD'VE NEVER GOT 'EM ALL OVER THERE.
DO WE WANT TO TRANSPORT PEOPLE IF THEY ARE IN COUNTY QUALIFIED AND THEY DON'T TRANSPORT HER AND THEY HAVE A WRECK COMING DOWN FROM THERE TO HERE, ARE WE RESPONSIBLE FOR, 'CAUSE THEY'RE RUSHING TO GET BACK OVER HERE FOR JURY SERVICE.
SO DO WE WANT TO THEN HAVE 'EM ON A BUS SO THAT WE'RE IN CONTROL OF THEM? NOT ONLY BECAUSE WE DON'T WANNA LOSE THEM.
SO THESE ARE JUST SOME THOUGHTS.
I, I MEAN, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING FORMAL.
I'VE SEEN IT DONE, BUT IT WAS ALWAYS A TEMPORARY SOLUTION TO FINISHING A PERMANENT, IN OUR INSTANCE, I BELIEVE IT WAS A TEMPORARY SOLUTION TO HAVE THOSE FOLKS COMING OVER FROM GEORGE ALLEN OR, OR THE MAIN COURTHOUSE, UM, A BRAIN'S BLANK OVER THERE.
THE, THE THE JUSTICE CENTER IN, UH, DALLAS TO SEND THEM OVER TO HENRY WAY.
AND 'CAUSE THEY WERE FINISHING OUT THE JUVENILE CENTRAL JURY ROOM.
SO ONCE IT WAS FINISHED, THEN THEY, WE DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT TRANSPORT ANYMORE.
YOU'D SEE IT SOMETIME AT JP COURTS IN DALLAS, IN BIGGER COURTS THAT, THAT NEED SOME JURORS THAT, BUT IT WAS ALWAYS, AGAIN, THE TRANSPORT.
WHO'S LIABLE IF THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE SELECTED AND THEY DRIVE THEMSELVES, WILL THEY ALL COME BACK OVER THEN WILL THE JUDGE HAVE TO END UP WASTING TIME TO REQUALIFY SEND THE BOTH TO GO LOOK FOR THE PER PERSON THAT'S LEFT? IT'S FUNNY, PEOPLE DON'T LISTEN.
I, I LITERALLY HAD PEOPLE I PICKED SAT ON A JURY HAD 12 PEOPLE SAY WE'RE GONNA BREAK FOR LUNCH.
AND I REALLY MEAN HE, I REALLY THOUGHT HE JUST WASN'T LISTENING, BUT IT SCARED ME 'CAUSE HE WENT TO VERDICT ON THAT CASE.
WE'RE GONNA GO TO LUNCH, Y'ALL BE BACK, WE'LL SEE Y'ALL.
WE'LL, LUNCH COMES BACK, WE'RE LOOKING, WHERE'S JOE CLARK? WHERE IS HE? BAIL CALLS.
HE SAYS, I THOUGHT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO COME BACK TOMORROW AT NIGHT.
I MEAN, EVER, ALL THE OTHER 11 CAME BACK.
SO IF WE HAVE THAT, WE MULTIPLY THAT, THOSE ARE SOME ISSUES.
UM, I THINK I WOULD PROBABLY LEAVE IT TO THE JUDGES, MAYBE COME, UM, JANUARY, WE HAVE ALL THE NEW JUDGES IN PLACE.
MAYBE THEY'LL ROTATE THE 86 AND USE IT RIGHT HERE ON CAMPUS FOR THAT.
AND IF THEY WANT TO DO THAT AND ROTATE, THAT'D BE FINE.
YOU COULD PUT ALL THE PET JURORS ON ONE SIDE, ALL THE DISTRICT ONES ON ONE SIDE, THEY WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, IT.
THAT REALLY DOESN'T AFFECT THE DA'S OFFICE.
WHAT ABOUT MOVING THE HOLE? IN OTHER WORDS, MOVING ONE HOLE COURT DOWN THERE.
IF HE'S GOING TO HAVE A JURY TRIAL AND ALL THAT STUFF, MOVE HIS SELECTION PROCESS DOWN THERE.
HAVE EVERYBODY, IN OTHER WORDS, INSTEAD OF HAVING THE COURT APPEARED, MOVED THE WHOLE THING THEN AND LET HIM HOLD TRIAL DOWN THERE.
IS THAT, THAT, WOULD THAT, WOULD THAT BE AN OPTION THAT'S ON YOU GUYS? OBVIOUSLY THE JUDGES ARE GONNA HAVE FEELINGS ABOUT THAT.
WE HAVE AND BEEN BEING HERE A LITTLE BIT.
WE, YOU KNOW, WE KEEP WE KEEP GOING AROUND THE SAME SOLUTIONS.
[01:25:01]
ABOUT THE LOGISTICS AND WE CAN MAKE ANALOGIES ALL DAY, BUT Y'ALL, I DON'T HAVE TO.Y'ALL UNDERSTAND HOW THE COURT WORKS.
YOU SEE IT IN COURT AND YOU KNOW, ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ATTENUATED WITH THAT COURT ARE MOVED.
HOW'S MS. HUGHES GONNA FEEL ABOUT THAT? HOW IS UH, MS. HUGHES GONNA FEEL ABOUT THAT? WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IF THEY WORK AFTER FIVE AND YOU NEED DOCUMENTS SIGNED? WHERE'S THE INVESTIGATOR'S GONNA SET UP? HOW ARE YOU GONNA PRINT SOMEBODY? HOW ARE YOU GONNA HOLD SOMEBODY? WHAT'S THE SHERIFF GONNA DO? WITHHOLDING THE INMATE OVER THERE? WHEN WE EVER, WHEN WE TALK TO THEM ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT ATTENUATES WITH THE COURT, THEY WOULD RATHER BE HERE BECAUSE IF SOMETHING JUMPS OFF, WHICH WE'VE SEEN AND WE DON'T HAVE TO KEEP RELIVING 2013, BUT IF IT HAPPENS, THEY HAVE THE SECURITY OF EVERY OTHER BAIL HEARING IN THE COURT.
IF SOMETHING JUMPS OFF THERE WITH THE DEFENDANT, IF IT'S CRIMINAL, I CAN'T SPEAK TO A CIVIL CASE, THEN THEY'RE OUT THERE ISOLATED BY THEMSELVES.
IF THEY'VE GOT A CAR, THEY'RE GONE.
AT LEAST HERE, IF THEY HIT THE STREET, IT'S, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S FOUR OR FIVE OTHER BAILS WE SAW WHAT HAPPENED.
WHAT HAPPENED WHEN MARK WAS SHOT AT LEE? I MEAN, MY BAIL, EVERYBODY WAS THERE.
IT'S ONLY MAYBE TWO BAILS AND THEN WHERE WE GONNA GET 'EM? WE DON'T HAVE TWO BAILS TO SPARE TO LEAVE HERE.
THEY'LL GO US IN THE END, PROBABLY THE LEAST EFFECTIVE.
TO BE FAIR, THE MOST EFFECTIVE WOULD BE THE CLERKS.
THE NEXT WOULD BE THE SHERIFF OR OR FLIP ORDER.
THE DA'S WOULD GRUMBLE BECAUSE YOU COULD HAVE ALL THE WITNESSES TICKED OFF.
WHAT WITNESS ROOM ARE YOU GONNA USE? HOW ABOUT IF YOU GOT A CHILD VICTIM, WE'RE GONNA SIT HER.
WHO'S GONNA PLAY WITH HER? WHAT, WHAT PERSON AM I GONNA PULL OUTTA MY OFFICE TO GO SIT DOWN THERE? YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH THE FRAGMENTATION THAT I CAN OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT I'LL GO COMMISSIONER WHEREVER YOU WANT ME TO GO TO WORK.
I WAS NOT GONNA COMMENT ON THAT.
I MEAN, THAT'S ABOUT ALL I CAN ADD.
WE, WE'VE, WE'VE VISITED THESE.
ANYTHING ELSE? I KNOW Y'ALL GOT A LOT TO DO.
NO, UH, WELL I JUST MENTIONED, I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A HEARING GOING ON TODAY IN ROCKWALL COUNTY AND I MENTIONED THAT'S RECENT.
YOU KNOW, WE KNOW JUDGE AND I SAID A HEARING SAID AT NINE, I'M SURE HE STARTED THAT AT EIGHT 50.
SO, UH, THEY ARE PROBABLY GONNA BE, UH, BASED ON THE INFORMATION I HAVE MAYBE THERE FOR A LITTLE BIT.
THEY HAVE A COUPLE OF DISCOVERY ISSUES AND UH, I'VE GOT SOME PEOPLE OVER THERE IN MY OFFICE.
IN FACT, BECAUSE AS Y'ALL WILL KNOW, Y'ALL ARE STILL WISE.
Y'ALL HIRED THE PUBLIC DEFENDERS.
SO SAME GROUP WAS GONNA BE, SO WE'RE ACTUALLY SCOUTING THEM.
I MEAN THIS IS BECAUSE WHAT TRICKS THEY'RE DOING OVER THERE, THEY'RE GONNA DO OVER HERE AS WELL.
SO THEY'RE GONNA, THEY HAVE SOME MOTIONS ON ABOUT THE EVIDENCE AND THE DNA AND THEN THEY'RE ACTUALLY ENTERTAINING A CONTINUANCE, WHICH I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT'S GOING.
AND THEN THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A, UM, MISCOMMUNICATION ABOUT WHERE THE INMATE WAS GONNA BE.
SO THEY HAD A COUPLE ISSUES THEY HAD TO WORK OUT, BUT I THINK WE NAILED THAT DOWN YESTERDAY LATE.
SO WE, WE JUST, YOU KNOW, WE GOT A LOT GOING ON, BUT WE'RE GOING, WE'RE GONNA DO IT ALL.
WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA MEET WITH SOME OF THOSE SAME ISSUES ON OUR CASE THAT'S HERE AT 10 30.
IS IT, UH, THE BROWN LOCATION MM-HMM
TO MAKE SURE IT IT IS, IT WILL BE HELD HERE AND THERE'S NO REASON WHY IT WOULDN'T BE AND IT WILL BE PROSECUTED BY YOUR OFFICE.
THERE'S NO REASON WHY IT WILL NOT BE.
AND WE DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHEN OR ANYTHING AS SOON AS WE CAN.
THE PROBLEM ON THAT CASE, AND THE GOOD THING ON THAT CASE IS THE PROBLEM WITH THAT CASE IS WE HAVE THE SAME ATTORNEYS, THOSE ATTORNEYS ARE GONNA START SAYING WE NEED A MINUTE.
SAME ATTORNEYS THAT ARE REPRESENTING, UH, MR. MR. WILLIAMS. YES.
AND I SHOULDN'T SAY MR. ERIC WILLIAMS AND BROWNLOW SAME PEOPLE, SAME PEOPLE REPRESENTING THEM, SAME PUBLIC DEFENDERS.
'CAUSE HE'S REALLY NOT A MISTER, HE'S A DEFENDANT.
SO WILLIAMS AND BROWNLOW HAVE THE SAME ATTORNEYS.
AND SO THAT IS GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT OF A JUGGLE FOR THEM.
SO I DON'T KNOW THE TIMETABLE YET AND JUDGE S****Y HADN'T STARTED HAVING HERE, BUT SINCE THIS IS RECORDED, THAT'S ALL PENDING.
THERE'S NOTHING ELSE I CAN SAY ABOUT THAT.
ALRIGHT, LET'S ALONG TO I NUMBER FIVE, WHICH, UH, UH, TANYA ASKED THAT WE DISCUSSED THE A DA COMPLIANCE REPORT FOR ELECTIONS.
I THINK EVERYBODY, OKAY, WELL I JUST WANNA KEEP YOU UPDATED ON SOME THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN ELECTIONS AND UM, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE A WORKSHOP TO DO THIS.
[01:30:01]
REPORT.UH, THE FIRST THING I WANNA TALK ABOUT WAS THE A DA COMPLIANCE REPORT.
I UNDERSTAND Y'ALL RECEIVED A COPY OF THAT.
SO YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT AS THE ONE THAT WAS DONE BY THIS UHMI ABILITY RIGHTS TEXAS GROUP.
AND I'LL TELL YOU THAT, UM, I ASKED THEM WHEN THEY HAD TIME, SOME TIME TO COME DOWN AND LOOK AT OUR POLLING SITES.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WHERE SOMEBODY'S GONNA COME AND SAY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THIS DONE BY 12 JANUARY OR SOMETHING.
THIS IS JUST THEIR OPINION ON OUR SITES TO GIVE US SOME INSIGHT INTO HOW WE'RE DOING.
THE ACTUAL, UH, TEAM THAT DID THE INSPECTION OF OUR SITES TOLD US THAT IN COMPARISON TO OTHER COUNTIES, WE WERE LOOKING REALLY GOOD THAT SOME OF 'EM HAVE SOME PERFECT PLACES FOR, FOR POLLING THAT WE LOOK GOOD.
BUT THAT WE HAVE TO SOME AREAS WHERE WE COULD DO BETTER.
AND IF YOU LOOKED AT THIS AT ALL, AND EVEN IF YOU DIDN'T, I CAN TELL YOU ALMOST EVERYTHING THEY'RE SAYING IS, UH, THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A HANDICAPPED PARKING SPOT, YOU KNOW, DESIGNATED.
WHICH IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO WITH SOME OF THOSE SIGNS IN UPON BOBBY THAT WE'RE MAKING, THAT WE'RE GONNA PUT VOTE HERE.
WE CAN USE SOME OF THOSE SAME SIGNS AS THE MARK EM HANDICAP BOATING AND STICK 'EM OUT IN FRONT OF ONE OF THOSE PLACES.
AND SOME PLACES WE JUST CAN'T HELP FACT THAT THEIR GRASS OR THEIR GRAVEL.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S JUST AN ISSUE THAT WE'RE, WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH IN SOME OF THE POLLING SITES THAT WE HAVE.
WHAT THEY RECOMMENDED IS THAT WE BUY SOME OF THIS, THERE IS SOME, SOME KIND OF MATS THAT ARE LIKE INDOOR OUTDOOR MATS THAT ARE GOOD FOR DRIVE ON FOR WHEELCHAIRS OR FOR PEOPLE WITH WALKERS SO THAT THEY'RE A LITTLE FLATTER AND STEADIER.
UH, DO WE HAVE TO DO THAT BY VOTING TIME? NO.
NONE OF THIS HAS TO BE DONE BY VOTING TIME.
THERE IS NOT ACTUALLY ANY TIME MOVING ON THIS, THIS IS JUST FOR OUR INFORMATION.
SO WHAT I WANT TO DO IS TRY AND CLEAR UP AS MANY OF THESE ISSUES AS I CAN BY CALLING ALL THE VOTING PLACES THAT WE DON'T KNOW A GOOD, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THEM.
AND ASKING THEM, WOULD YOU VOLUNTARILY PUT ON THE ADA A COMPLIANT HANDLES YOUR HANDLES? AND BECAUSE THEY, THEY MIGHT EVEN KNOW WHAT THEY ARE.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST A HANDLE THAT YOU CAN PULL.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING, IT'S NOT, IT CAN'T BE A TWISTED DOORKNOB OR THOSE, UM, LIKE WHAT IT COMES SL HANDLES WHERE YOU TURN 'EM DOWN, LEVER, YEAH.
UM, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT, UH, MOST OF 'EM ARE $50 OR LESS AND IT'S A MATTER OF INSTALLATION.
SO THEY MAY, ONCE THEY REALIZE THAT THEY'RE NOT ADA A COMPLIANT WITH THAT, THEY MAY VOLUNTARILY DO THAT AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HOPING FOR, BUT WE'RE AT LEAST GONNA INFORM THEM AND REQUEST THAT THEY DO THAT.
AND THE SECOND ISSUE WE CAN COVER, WHICH MOST OF THIS WAS ABOUT, WAS THE DOOR HANDLES AND A PARKING SPOT DESIGNATED FOR THE HANDICAP.
AND I THINK WE CAN COVER THAT WITH SOME OF OUR SIGNS AND, AND PUT, JUST PUT OUT A SIGN IN FRONT OF THE, THE BUILDING THAT SAYS, HERE'S A SPOT FOR HANDICAP PARK.
IT HAS TO BE RIGHT UP NEXT TO THE DOOR.
THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE ARE NOT AS EASY TO FIX.
AND THAT WOULD BE LIKE AT A KEMP SUB COURTHOUSE.
WE CONTINUE TO USE THAT FOR EARLY VOTING AND SOMETIMES FOR VOTING DAY.
AND IT'S NOT REALLY SET UP FOR HANDICAPPED BECAUSE IT'S GOT THE CURB, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU HAVE A, LIKE A DRIVEWAY RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING.
SO YOU GOT A CURB THAT GOES UP ON EITHER SIDE OF THAT DRIVEWAY AND YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, SAND AND GRAVEL.
AND THEN I THINK MOST OF YOU HAVE BEEN THERE, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU GOT KIND OF THESE SANDY PARKING LOT AREA.
AND WE DID HAVE A GENTLEMAN LAST WEEK THAT FELL DOWN IN THE PARKING LOT AND HAD TO BE TAKEN TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM.
UM, AND HE, IT'S, IT'S UNCLEAR FOR ANYMORE ABOUT THAT
UH, WHEN HE WAS HURTING AND BEFORE HE WAS HAULED OFF, HE MISSED COMMENTS ABOUT HAVING A GOOD ATTORNEY.
BUT, UM, HE WAS IN A WALKER AND, UH, CLAIMS TO HAVE FALLEN OVER ONE OF THE LARGER PEBBLES OR ROCKS IN THE, IN THE AREA.
I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE, UM, COULD LOOK AT THE COURTHOUSE AREA IN KEMP AND MAKE IT MORE HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE.
BUT THAT WOULD MEAN A SLIGHT RISE GOING INTO THE BUILDING INSTEAD OF A RAMP, YOU KNOW, ON BOTH PLACES.
AND YOU SAID YOU WERE WORKING ON SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN FIXED.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE GENTLEMAN THAT DOESN'T SHOW THE TRAFFIC, BUT IT HAS BEEN FIXED.
WE WERE WORKING ON IT THE DAY THAT HE PULLED UP THERE AND, UH, HE DID NOT PARK IN A HANDICAP PLACE.
HE JUST PULLED UP OUT FRONT, GOT OUT, WENT DOWN.
UH, THAT'S A SMOOTH PARKING LOT.
THERE'S LINES PAINTED ACCORDING TO THE A DA RED REGULATIONS.
AND UH, THERE'S A PLACE FOR THE GUY FOR THE, FROM THE PULL UP AIR UNLOAD A VAN OR A CAR ON EITHER SIDE.
WE, IT SAID THAT TWO PARKING PLACES, WE MADE IT THREE SO WE CAN BE SURE AND ACCOMMODATE EVERYBODY.
THERE'S NOW A SMOOTH SURFACE THAT
[01:35:01]
GOES TO THE RAMP.IT GOES RIGHT UP INTO THE BUILDING AND IT IS THE SHORTEST DISTANCE TO THE BUILDING.
IS IT ON THE OTHER SIDE? NO MA'AM.
UM, THIS MORNING I ASKED BRENDA TO GO TAKE A PICTURE OF WHAT YOU'D DONE.
'CAUSE YOU TOLD ME YOU'D FIXED, YOU'D FIXED IT.
SHE SAID, OH NO, NOTHING'S BEEN DONE.
THIS IS WHAT OUR PERSONAL LOOKS LIKE,
SO I THOUGHT, WELL, OKAY, I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
UH, SO SHE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND EITHER.
THAT IS, THAT LOOKS GREAT IF YOU FOR Y'ALL DIDN'T SEE IT.
WELL, I, I MUST, MUST HAVE MISINTERPRETED THAT BECAUSE, UH, THE WAY I TOOK THAT REPORT RIGHT THERE WAS THAT NEEDED TO BE FIXED ASAP.
WELL, THIS IS VERY OPINION BECAUSE, AND I REALIZED THAT THE COUNTY WAS, WAS, UH, UH, LIABLE MORE OR LESS FOR, FOR UH, UH, FURNISHING, HANDICAPPED PARKING PLACE.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY PLACE TO STORE ANY RUBBER MATS, DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO BUY ANY OR ANY OF THAT STUFF.
SO WE GOT OUT THERE AND PUT, MADE A PERMANENT PARKING HANDICAP PARKING AREA.
AND, AND THE MATS THAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT ALREADY CHECKED ON THEM ONLINE AND FOR LIKE A FOUR FOOT BY A HUNDRED FOOT ROLL, WHICH THEN YOU CAN CUT, YOU KNOW, TO GO IN AND OUT OF CERTAIN PLACES, THEY'RE BETWEEN 11 AND $1,200.
UM, AND MAYBE, YOU KNOW, JACK MIGHT BE ABLE TO FIND US A BETTER PRICE.
SO I'M JUST SAYING THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S AN EASY FIX BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO RESEARCH THAT AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO SEE THEN WHERE WE COULD STORE THEM AND HOW WE WOULD USE THEM AND WHICH PLACES THEY WOULD GO AND SOME OF THAT.
BUT I'M LOOKING INTO ALL THAT.
I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW, NOW THAT WE KNOW WHAT THE ISSUES ARE, WE'LL START WORKING ON THEM.
UH, THE ONE, UM, A COUPLE THINGS I WOULD WANNA BRING TO YOUR, UH, ATTENTION ON THIS IS THAT, UM, WELL ONE WAS THE KEMPS OF THE COURTHOUSE.
THE OTHER ONE WAS, WE WERE USING THE FIRE STATION IN TERRELL AND WE SWITCHED OVER THIS TIME AROUND TO USE, UH, THE INDUSTRIAL, UM, THE TERRELL INDUSTRIAL CITY BUILDING, I GUESS IT'S CALLED.
AND SO IT'S ABOUT A HALF MILE FROM THE ONE SITE WE WERE USING.
BUT BECAUSE IT WAS ON OUR LIST ALREADY, THEY LOOKED AT BOTH SITES AND, UH, THEY SAID THAT THE SITE AT TERRELL, IF YOU DIDN'T CATCH IT, THE ONE AT THE FIRE STATION, THEY SAID, WE WON'T EVEN MAKE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS.
THIS ONE JUST SHOULD NOT BE USED AGAIN.
SO I THINK IT'S PROBABLY A GOOD MOVE TO HAVE MOVED ON OVER TO THE OTHER ONE.
UM, BUT MOSTLY CHECKED IT IS THE LEVEL OF RAMPS, IT'S THE DOOR HANDLES AND IT'S HAVING A HANDICAP PARKING SPOT AND THE WAY TO GET IN.
SO WE'LL WORK ON THOSE ISSUES.
UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WE ASKED FOR IT.
SO WE KNOW WHAT IT IS WE NEEDED TO DO.
UM, THE NEXT ITEM I WANTED TO, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE COMPLIANCE REPORT BEFORE WE GO ON TO THE ELECTION EQUIPMENT? UH, I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE STORIES OF OUR ELECTION EQUIPMENT.
UH, WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE, UM, I WAS ASKED IF I COULD FIND A WAY THAT WE COULD STOP PAYING $650 A MONTH FOR STORING OUR EQUIPMENT IN THIS BUILDING THAT WAS ABOUT A BLOCK DOWN THE ROAD HERE.
AND I AGREED TO MOVING ALL OF OUR ELECTION EQUIPMENT TO THE SOUTH CAMPUS.
I GUESS I DIDN'T COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT THE AREA WE WERE GOING TO HAD NO CLIMATE CONTROL.
I THOUGHT SOME, FOR SOME REASON THAT BECAUSE OF THE WAY IT WAS BUILT, IT WAS KIND OF COOL YEAR ROUND, BUT IT IS VERY COLD AND VERY HOT
UM, OUR EQUIPMENT, WE FIGURED IT UP LAST YEAR.
WE'VE GOT SOMEWHERE AROUND OVER $700,000 IN OUR ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT AND WE NEED A CLIMATE CONTROLLED SPACE TO PUT IT.
I, UH, I DON'T THINK THAT SOUTH CAMPUS IS THE BEST PLACE FOR IT.
BUT WHAT I THINK THE BEST PLACE FOR IT IS THE, THE, UH, OLD, OLD JAIL AND THE PART WHERE THE MASONS NOT WHERE THEY HAVE THEIR MEETING, BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE WHERE THEY EAT THEIR MEAL.
AND I KNOW WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THEM, SO WE CAN'T JUST GO IN AND DO THAT.
I WILL TELL YOU THIS, THE JUDGE HAS ALLOWED US TO USE THE FRONT PORTION OF THE BUILDING WHERE THE PUBLIC DEFENDERS WE'RE USING SO THAT WE CAN WORK ON OUR EQUIPMENT THERE IN A CLIMATE CONTROL SPACE AND WE CAN BRING SOME OF OUR EQUIPMENT OVER THERE.
AND, AND THAT'S BEEN VERY NICE TO HAVE THAT SPACE.
UH, I AM ASKING THE COMMISSIONERS IF, IF ONE OF YOU WOULD PLEASE PUT IT ON THE AGENDA TO, UM, CONSIDER RENEGOTIATING THE CONTRACT WITH THE MASONS BECAUSE I THINK WE NEED THAT SPACE FOR OUR EQUIPMENT.
WELL I, I HAVE HAD, UH, TERRIBLE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, UH, AND JOHN LONG AND, UH, I'M AWAITING THEM TO MOVE FORWARD ON THAT.
SO IT'S NOT THAT IT'S JUST SITTING THERE AND LANGUISHING, UH, EVEN THOUGH IT
[01:40:01]
PROBABLY SEEMS LIKE THAT, BUT I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M KIND OF WAITING ON THEM, SO, WELL, THEY'RE PRETTY BUSY THESE DAYS.AND I'LL I WILL, UH, FOLLOW UP AGAIN.
UH, BUT I CAN TELL YOU JUST BASED ON WHY I UNDERSTAND THAT'S, THAT'S GOING BE A, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING BE, IT'S GONNA TAKE A LOT OF DISCUSSION TO GET THAT, THAT, TO GET OUT OF THAT LEASE, GET THEM OUT, THAT IT WILL BE UNCOMFORTABLE AND IT WILL BE, UM, ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
BUT I'M JUST SAYING IT'S, IT'S MY PERSONAL OPINION.
I'M TELLING YOU THAT IF THE COUNTY OWNS THAT BUILDING, THAT SPACE IS BETTER SERVED SAVING OUR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF EQUIPMENT, 700,000 THAN SITTING THERE BEING USED ONCE A MONTH FOR A MEAL.
AND YOU CAN TAKE IT FOR WHAT YOU WANT.
BUT, UM, SO I'M GLAD TO HEAR IT'S BEING WORKED ON.
AND UM, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HEAR SOMETHING BEFORE LONG.
I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE IT BACK, SEE IT ON THE AGENDA SO WE CAN SEE WHAT THE PROGRESS IS.
UM, LAST ISSUE IS ON, UM, TALKING ABOUT ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR.
I DON'T KNOW THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHAT AN ELECTION ADMINISTRATOR IS PROBABLY DO, BUT JUST FOR AN UPDATE, I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU DO.
WHEN YOU HAVE AN ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR, WHAT YOU BASICALLY SAID IS, I AM MOVING ELECTIONS INTO A SEPARATE DEPARTMENT.
THEY'RE NO LONGER UNDER THE COUNTY CLERK OR UNDER THE TAX ASSESSOR, ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT WRITTEN IN THE MANUAL, IN THE CODE ANYWHERE.
IT'S SORT OF AN ACCEPTED BREAK THAT ONCE YOU REACH THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND POPULATION LEVEL IS TIME TO START CONSIDERING THE EA.
MANY, MANY COUNTIES THAT HAVE EVEN 30, 40,000 PEOPLE ARE HAVE EAS.
SO IT'S REALLY A MATTER OF WHAT COMMISSIONER COURT FEEL LIKE, WHETHER THEY WANT ONE OR NEED ONE OR NOT.
UM, IT IS AT THIS POINT FOR ME, AND THE REASON I'M BRINGING IT UP IS BECAUSE I'M, I'M TELLING YOU WITH THE POPULATION AND NEARLY 60,000 VOTERS, YOU CAN'T REALLY RUN ELECTIONS WITH ONE VOTER REGISTRAR AND ONE ELECTIONS CLERK.
IT'S NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE TO DO THE JOB.
WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING IN THE PAST IS TAX OFFICE STAFF JUST FILL IN AS THEY CAN.
WHAT THE OFFICE REALLY NEEDS IS THREE FULL-TIME STAFF, UM, EITHER THREE FULL-TIME STAFF THAT ARE DEDICATED TO ELECTIONS OR AN ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR AND A VOTER REGISTRAR AND, AND A CLERK, WHICH IS A, A TOTAL OF THREE.
UH, AND I, AND I'M NOT ASKING FOR ANY DECISIONS NOW, AND I'M NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING OUT OF THIS BUDGET YEAR.
I'M JUST ASKING FOR YOU TO CONSIDER THE FACT THAT WE'RE GROWING UP AND WE'RE GETTING BIGGER AND WE'RE VERY CLOSE TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE NEEDING A SEPARATE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT.
AND SO I JUST AM ASKING THAT YOU CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY, AND I LOOK AROUND AND I I THINK TO MYSELF, OKAY, IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS WE'VE GOT THREE PEOPLE IN HR.
NOW WE GREW IN HR DEPARTMENT, WE FOUND THE MONEY FOR THAT.
ARE ELECTIONS NOT AS IMPORTANT AS THAT? I MEAN, WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF OUR ELECTIONS THAT WE RUN GOOD LEGAL ELECTIONS AND THAT TAKES PEOPLE, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW IT HAP HOW, HOW YOU GO ABOUT FINDING THE MONEY, BUT I DO KNOW IS COMMISSIONER'S COURT DECISION IF YOU WANT TO CREATE THE POSITION AND WHAT THE SALARY IS AND WHAT THE CAR ALLOWANCE IS AND ALL OF THAT IS YOUR CALL.
AND I'M NOT ASKING FOR YOU TO MAKE THAT CALL RIGHT THIS SECOND.
I'M JUST ASKING IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER THAT AND THAT TELLING YOU THAT I WILL PROBABLY BE BRINGING THAT ISSUE UP AGAIN WHEN WE COME BUDGET TIME FOR YOU TO CONSIDER WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO.
UM, BECAUSE WE ARE GROWING AND WE'RE GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE WE NEED IT.
HAVE YOU GOT ANY KIND OF PRELIMINARY NUMBERS THAT IT WOULD TAKE TO FUND THREE PEOPLE OR CALL ALLOWANCE STAFF? WELL, WHERE, WHERE WOULD WE PUT THEM? WELL, IF WE HAD THE MASON BUILDING, THINK IT COULD BE THE OFFICE.
THEY COULD BE OFFICED IN THAT BUILDING.
THEY COULD HAVE ALL THEIR EQUIPMENT IN THAT BUILDING.
THEY CAN EVEN HAVE ELECTIONS OUT OF THAT BUILDING.
IF WE HAD THAT ONE EXTRA SPACE IN THE MASON'S BUILDING SO THAT OPEN, OPEN SPACE IN YOUR BUILDING OVER HERE, THEN IT WOULD OPEN UP A, THAT LITTLE, THAT PART BEHIND WHERE THE COUNTER WHERE THEY ARE NOW.
THAT SPACE WOULD THEN BE OPEN.
UM, WELL I THINK IT'S SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOTTA LOOK AT, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT MAYBE BUDGET TIME.
WE LOOK AT DIFFERENT THINGS AND SEE WHAT OUR FAR ALL COSTS ARE.
[01:45:01]
AT WHAT OTHER COUNTIES AND IT'S A $400,000 HABIT, UH, IS FOR EDWARD COUNTY THAT I LOOKED AT ON THIS.AND I'M HAPPY WITH WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE YOU'RE SAVING US MONEY AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
WELL, AND, AND COMMISSIONER, I THANK YOU, BUT I, I WANT YOU TO KNOW SOMETHING.
I I'M, I AM SAVING YOU MONEY BY NOT HAVING AN EA BUT WHAT IT'S COSTING ME IS, FIRST OF ALL, I DON'T HAVE A SECRETARY LIKE Y'ALL DO.
I HAVE A DEPUTY AND MY DEPUTY IS BACK THERE IN ELECTIONS IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS WORK.
NOW, I, I CAN'T DO WITHOUT MY DEPUTY FOREVER
OKAY? AND I NEED SOMEBODY THAT IS, IS GOOD LIKE HER, THEY CAN REALLY FOCUS IN ON THAT BECAUSE LIKE YOU GUYS, YOU'RE GOING HERE, YOU'RE GOING THERE, YOU'RE DOING OTHER THINGS AND YOU, YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE SOMEBODY, YOUR ROAD CREW GUY HAS GOT TO KNOW WHAT HE IS DOING.
YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT TO HAVE SOMEBODY THERE THAT KNOWS, YOU KNOW, REALLY INS AND OUTS RIGHT NOW THAT'S THERE, HAS, HAS JUMPED ON THAT AND HAS DONE A GOOD JOB OF GETTING UP TO SPEED SO THAT SHE CAN DO THIS.
AND IS VERY FORTUNATE THAT SHE'S AS AS SMART AS SHE IS TO GET UP TO SPEED BECAUSE I HAD TO STEP OUT OF THE SELECTION.
UH, BUT I'M USING MY DEPUTY TO GET THIS DONE, WHICH IS WHY I'M SAYING EITHER AN EA OR A THIRD PERSON BECAUSE I'M, I'M GETTING, I'M GETTING A WHAMMY PUT ON ME TO GET THIS DONE BECAUSE I'M, I DON'T HAVE THAT EXTRA HELP BECAUSE I'M USING MY DEPUTY IN THAT SPOT AND I JUST CAN'T DO THAT FOREVER.
WHAT WOULD THESE THREE FULL-TIME PEOPLE DO? I'M I'M SURE NOT THREE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE, NOT THREE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE.
WE'RE ONLY TALKING ONE PERSON, ADDITIONAL PERSON.
'CAUSE I ALREADY HAVE TWO BACK THERE.
I'M TALKING THE THIRD PERSON, ONE PERSON ONLY.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU RUN FOR THIS OFFICE THAT TIME, I KNOW THERE'S SOME ISSUES COME UP ABOUT YOU KEEPING THE ELECTIONS AND I KNOW THAT THAT WAS ONE THING THAT YOU REALLY RUN ON TO KEEP A HANDLE ON IT AND THINGS THAT'SS CORRECT.
YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, I MEAN, IT IS SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK AT DOWN LINE.
I'M JUST NOT READY TO JUMP OUT THERE AND LET'S DO IT TODAY.
BUT, UH, YOU DID CAMPAIGN ON THAT AND I THINK YOU OWE IT TO THE, UH, VOTERS OF THE COUNTY RIGHT NOW TO KIND OF STAY PUT AND LET'S, LET'S WORK THIS OUT AS BEST WE CAN AND WE SEE FIT DOWN THE ROAD.
WELL, AND I KNOW THAT'S WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
YOU BROUGHT IT HERE FOR DISCUSSION AND THAT'S CORRECT.
WELL, NO, I'M, I'M SAYING EVEN I AGREE WITH YOU.
I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND HOW THEY WORK AND, AND I WANTED TO BE A PART OF THAT.
BUT WHAT I'M TELLING YOU RIGHT NOW IS THAT WE'RE GROWING SO BIG THAT I'M USING MY DEPUTY TO MAKE IT WORK.
AND IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT ENOUGH THEN I'M WITHOUT MY DEPUTY.
I NEED THAT THIRD PERSON IN THERE.
I'M NOT SAYING YOU HAVE TO DO THE EA ROUTE.
THE OTHER ROUTE IS THE, THE THIRD BODY IN ELECTIONS BECAUSE IT IS HUGE JOB THIS YEAR.
AS I SAID, WE GOT ABOUT 60,000, BUT A LITTLE LESS, A LITTLE LESS THAN 60,000 VOTERS.
AND WE HAD MORE THAN DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ASKING FOR MAIL-IN BALLOT.
SO WE HAD LIKE 767 PEOPLE, UH, SO FAR THAT ASKED FOR MAIL-IN BALLOTS.
NORMALLY WE HAVE LESS THAN 300 AND THOSE ALL HAVE TO BE HAND STUFFED AND MAILED OUT EVERY ELECTION CYCLE FOR A YEAR WHEN THEY ASK FOR THAT.
NOT ONLY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE STAFF IS DOING THE, THE BALLOTS THEMSELVES.
INSTEAD OF PAYING A HEART 1500 FOR EVERY BALLOT, I'M TRAINING THE STAFF SO THAT THEY CAN DO THEIR BALLOT.
SO I'M TRYING TO MAKE ECONOMIES, BUT THOSE ECONOMIES ARE COSTING ME STAFF TIME.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING IS, IS THAT I'M USING UP A LOT OF STAFF TIME FOR THOSE THINGS AND, AND I, AND I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT A DEPUTY FOREVER.
I THINK THERE, AND I APPRECIATE IT, BUT IT JUST TAKES MORE THAN TWO PEOPLE IN COUNTY THAT WE'RE, AND THAT WE'RE GROWING INTO.
AND I'M NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING RIGHT NOW.
I'M ASKING YOU TO THINK ABOUT IT.
AND, AND YOU THINK POSSIBLY SINCE WE DID THE ELECTRONIC VOTING HERE FOR EARLY VOTING, THAT THAT PROBABLY WAS THE REASON YOU GOT AN INCREASE IN MAILING BALLOT.
A LOT OF, UM, NO, ACTUALLY I DON'T.
THERE, I THINK THE REAL REASON WAS COMMISSIONER THAT, UH, THERE WERE TWO OR THREE OF THE CANDIDATES, UH, MORE, UM, HIGHER LEVEL, NOT COUNTY, BUT, UM, LEGISLATIVE AND, AND YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONERS AND ALL THOSE UP HIGHER THAT, UM, THAT SENT OUT, UM, FLYERS THAT SAID, AND YOU TEAR THIS OFF AND SIGN THE BOTTOM OF IT AND, AND IT'S ALREADY PRE-ADDRESSED TO ME.
AND, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET OUTTA YOUR HOUSE TO VOTE.
[01:50:01]
UM, THAT'S WHY IT HAPPENED.WE HAD A BUNCH OF THOSE KIND OF FLYERS THAT WENT OUT TO PEOPLE AND THAT'S WHAT WE GOT BACK.
AND THEY WERE, THEY WERE TORN OFF FROM FLYERS FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
AND, AND SO THEY SENT OUT SO MANY OF THOSE THAT PEOPLE SAID, OH, OKAY, I'LL JUST SIGN THIS AND SEND IT IN.
AND THEN IT CREATES A, YOU KNOW, AN ADDITIONAL BURDEN ON.
SO THAT'S JUST A REQUEST FOR BALLOT AND TURN AROUND AND MAIL IN BALLOT.
YEAH, WE HAVE TO STUFF THE BALLOT.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE GET DEMOCRAT, REPUBLICAN AND GET ALL THAT RIGHT.
AND THEN THEY HAVE DOUBLE ENVELOPES SO THEY CAN SEND IT BACK.
SO IF EACH ONE INDIVIDUALLY HAS IT'S A HAND THING, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT COST.
IT'S, SO I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU.
YOU SAY YOU'VE RECUSED YOURSELF FROM THE ELECTIONS, BUT THEN YOU ALSO SAY IN THE SAME BREATH THAT YOU'RE SO BUSY THAT, THAT YOU CAN'T KEEP UP.
SO YOU'RE STILL INVOLVED IN THE ELECTIONS PROCESS OVER THERE? NO, I'M INVOLVED.
WHAT CAPACITY DID YOU RECUSE YOURSELF FROM ANY INVOLVED IN ANY ELECTION? OKAY.
I'M NOT WORKING WITH ANY, I DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH JUDGES.
I'M NOT GONNA BE THE PRESIDING JUDGE OF THE ELECTION.
WELL, MY, WHAT I'M DOING IS ONLY MY CAPACITY AS A SUPERVISOR, WHICH IS COMING THROUGH AND DOING THE THINGS LIKE, HAVE YOU DONE THIS? HAVE YOU DONE THIS? HAVE YOU DONE THIS? AND THEY SAY YES OR NO, AND THEN THEY GET TO IT.
BUT I'M NOT DOING ANY OF THAT BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO STAY OUT OF THE ELECTION FOR THIS TIME.
SO, UM, I'M NOT HAVING ANYTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING THAT AFFECTS THE OUTCOME OF THE ELECTION.
I'M NOT ALLOWED IN THE COUNTY ROOM ON, ON ELECTION NIGHT AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF THAT A PRESIDING JUDGE WOULD, THAT I WOULD NORMALLY DO AS A PRESIDING JUDGE OF THE ELECTION.
UM, THERESA IS DOING ALL OF THAT.
UM, I THOUGHT YOU WERE ASKING FOR THREE FULL-TIME.
ADDIT YOU'RE ASKING FOR GIRLS ONE BECAUSE WE'RE ALL, THE LADY THAT RETIRED, UH, WAS HER POSITION FILLED? YES.
AND BY ONE OF THE TWO PEOPLE THAT ARE STILL THERE? YES.
SO THE TWO THAT YOU HAVE, WE HAVE ONE LADY THAT RETIRED, I BELIEVE MM-HMM
AND SO THE, THE POSITION THAT YOU FILLED WAS ONE OF THOSE TWO, RIGHT.
AND WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS ANOTHER PERSON ON TOP OF THAT PERSON? YES.
AND, AND WHETHER IT'S AN EA OR A THIRD BODY, EITHER WAY, IT BRINGS UP ME UP TO HAVE MY DEPUTY BACK AND WE NEED THAT MUCH MANPOWER 'CAUSE OF THE GROWTH IN THE COUNTY.
WHAT WOULD BE THE DUTIES WHEN THE ELECTIONS ARE NOT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT PREPARED FOR ELECTIONS OR
THINGS, UH, THINGS HAVE TO ORDER FOR EQUIPMENT, UH, PRO AND, AND CHECKING OUT ALL THE EQUIPMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S, UM, WHETHER OR NOT IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED OR WHAT WE NEED TO ORDER.
THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF OTHER BEHIND THE SCENES THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN VOTING.
I COULD PROBABLY PUT TOGETHER A LIST OF THINGS THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL.
YEAH, YEAH, THERE ARE, THERE'S, UH, PLENTY OF WORK YEAR ROUND IN THERE.
UH, BUT THERE PROBABLY THERE SLOWEST TIME.
THERE'S SLOWS TIME FOR, FOR BOTH, UH, OFFICES IS GENERALLY IN THREE MONTHS IN THE SUMMER.
UH, BUT THEN THE REST OF THE, THE REST OF THE TIME THEY'RE WORKING, THEY'RE WORKING TO THE POINT WHERE LIKE, UM, I'M PAYING, I'M PAYING SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS IN COMP TIME AND OVERTIME BECAUSE THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH TO GO AROUND.
THAT'S THE ONE THING THAT WOULD BE DIFFERENT ABOUT HAVING AN EA VICE, A THIRD PERSON.
AND I'M NOT TRYING TO GIVE, GIVE AWAY ELECTIONS.
WHAT I'M REALLY TRYING TO SAY IS I NEED HELP.
IT COULD BE A THIRD SEPARATE OFFICE, IT COULD BE AN ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR THAT WOULD OPERATE OUTSIDE, I MEAN, WOULD BE AN INDEPENDENT OFFICE.
AND THEN, UH, IT, IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT STATUTORILY THIS IS A REQUIREMENT OR COULD BE A REQUIREMENT OF THE COUNTY CLERK.
AM I WRONG ON THAT? THE, THE COUNTY CLERK GENERALLY HAS IT TO START WITH WHEN THE COUNTY HAS STARTED, RIGHT? AND THEN IF THROUGH SOME, SOMETHING HAPPENED 10 OR 15 YEARS AGO WHERE IT BECAME, UH, THE CLERK AND THE COMMISSIONERS DECIDED JOINTLY TO PUT IT WITH THE TAX ASSESSMENT.
RIGHT NOW, I THINK THERE HAS TO BE A JOINT, EVERYBODY AGREE TO GO BACK TO MOVE IT BACK SOMEWHERE ELSE.
I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT SHE WANTS IT, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.
WELL, I JUST, I, I'M MORE OR LESS JUST SEEKING INFORMATION.
IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT ACTUALLY WAS A, UH, A REQUIREMENT OR NOT A REQUIREMENT, BUT A DUTY THAT NORMALLY WOULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE COUNTY CLERK.
IT'S ABOUT 50 50 IN, IN THE REST OF THE COUNTIES.
SO IF YOU LOOK AROUND, WHETHER IT'S TAX ASSESSOR OR COUNTY CLERK,
[01:55:01]
IT'S, IT'S, UH, RIGHT.WELL OVER 90 OF THE COUNTIES NOW HAVE ELECTION ADMINISTRATORS OUT OF THE 2 54, AND THE REST OF 'EM IS PROBABLY SPLIT BETWEEN TAX ASSESSOR AND COUNTY CLERK.
AS FAR AS WHO, WHO, WELL, I KNOW THIS ISSUE HAS COME UP BEFORE, EVEN SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE AND THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CONVERSATION WAS WHY WE NEED THAT.
I MEAN, WE WE'RE DOING OKAY NOW, YOU KNOW, AND SO, UH, IT, IT WOULD BE A, I WOULD IMAGINE IT WOULD BE ODD TOPIC IF WE GOT TO THAT POINT, BUT THAT BEING SAID, WE ARE A DIFFERENT COUNTY THAN WHAT WE WERE 10 YEARS AGO.
I MEAN, JUST A SHEER NUMBER OF, UH, PEOPLE.
SO, UH, I, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE OUGHT TO LOOK AT AND, AND SEE THAT, THAT IT ALWAYS COMES DOWN TO MONEY.
FUNNY HOW THAT WORKS, BUT I, THAT'S REALLY JUST WHAT IT DOES.
SO, JODY, DID YOU, I JUST, WELL, I JUST HAVE ONE CLARIFICATION BASICALLY IS BECAUSE IF YOU GET AN ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR, VOTER REGISTRATION MOVES INTO THAT AREA.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S JUST ELECTIONS.
THE VOTER REGISTRATION AND ALL THE DUTIES THAT GO WITH THAT, GO TO THE ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE AND THAT'S WHERE THOSE, THAT'S WHERE THE DUTIES THAT PEOPLE HAVE IN THEIR NAME.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE USE PART OF OUR OVERTIME MONEY AND STUFF, IS TO WHEN YOU GET, ESPECIALLY EVERY OTHER YEAR WHEN YOU HAVE THE HUGE ELECTIONS IN THE PRIMARIES, YOU GET SO MANY PEOPLE THAT REGISTER TO VOTE.
AND THOSE ALL HAVE TO BE HAND INPUT INTO THE, YOU GET HUNDREDS MORE THAN THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE HAND PUT IN.
WE USUALLY HIRE PART-TIME CLERK TO HELP WITH THAT.
AND WE DO RECEIVE SOME REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE STATE, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY.
WE JUST NEVER KNOW WHAT IT'S GONNA BE.
AND UH, SO IT'S USUALLY A BIGGER, YOU KNOW, EVERY OTHER YEAR.
AND, UM, WE DON'T ACTUALLY, THEY DON'T JUST GIVE US THE MONEY.
WE KIND GET AN IDEA OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO GET.
I THINK I HEARD OF THOSE BEFORE.
AND WE SPEND THE MONEY AND THEN WE ASK FOR REIMBURSEMENT AND IF IT FALLS WITHIN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO STAY WITH THEM.
WHAT, WHAT WE THINK WE'RE GONNA GET.
SO THAT IS, AND AND WE DO USE THAT THE FULLEST EXTENT EVERY YEAR BECAUSE IT'S MONEY THAT WE GET FROM THE STATE AND WHY NOT USE THAT TO BUY MACHINES OR WHATEVER WE CAN, YOU KNOW, EACH YEAR.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MORNING WE TALK ABOUT DEAD HOGS AND DOGS.
GOT ONE THING ABOUT COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
IT'S ALWAYS A DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT SUBJECT EVERY DAY IT SEEMS LIKE.
BUT THESE WERE ALL, I THINK GOOD HEALTHY DISCUSSION AS FAR AS TO HAVE, AND WE ALL HAVE OUR OWN SHARED IDEAS ABOUT HOW IT MIGHT WORK BETTER.
AND SO, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE REASON TO HAVE A WORKSHOP TO TALK.
SO ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING THEY'D LIKE TO SAY BEFORE WE, UH, ADJOURN EVERYBODY MONDAY MORNING.