Please just call the court order. Please let's stand for the opening prayer in the pleasure. Please it's Dear language, please I think I can see it. Could you pray with me? Father, we thank you for this day for the blessings of this life and for your watchfulness over our country and the safety of our men and women and the armed forces Father being with these individuals that they make decisions on the county government and the future of our area. Be with us, Father, to follow in your way and do things that are acceptable in your side. What we pray, Jesus' name, amen. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation and the God, indignate the example for the liberty and justice for all. I'm going to have access to light. I'm going to have access to the lead text of this one state, under God, one and indivisible. For the record, all members of the court are present. We're going to vote still on the agenda. Move. Okay. I'll take a break and say aye. All right. Missors, we have several resolutions this morning. First we have the employee of the month. Good morning. Good morning. How are you? Good. My name is PJ Miller. I'm here representing the employee committee. And I would be honored today to recognize our September employee of the month. So at this time I'd like to welcome Scott Smith to the bench, please. Morning, Judge, commissioners, morning. I'd like to invite Michael Manning to come up, please. And while he's coming up, I'd like to read this letter that was submitted. So please accept this letter as a nomination of Michael Manning for employee of the month. Over the past seven years that I have worked here, Mike has faithfully and professionally discharged his duties in an exemplary manner as one of only two maintenance technicians assigned to the airport. Through the tenure of three airport directors, he has always offered the best of his abilities in serving the general public and county departments in their interactions with the airport. In an environment where a daily work plan can simply disintegrate before one's eyes because of the need to respond to events, tenants needs, and unforeseen circumstances, Mike exhibits complete flexibility in responding to the needs of staff and our customers and somehow, manages to also stay focused on his primary responsibilities of keeping the airfield and landside areas in safe operating condition. He continually strives to perform in a manner that serves the public and airport tenants well and exhibits a personal commitment to the airport and the need to maintain it to the best of our abilities. He's always willing to work with others to accomplish improvements across departments and with outside contractors and other entities. Rather than take ownership and achievements and accomplishments, he always seems to deflect compliments and successes back to the airport team of which he is an integral part. He arrives early for work daily and has stayed numerous times past his shift to complete time sensitive tasks or respond to events. He is always on call during weekends and holidays to respond to airport events and incidents, looking out for the best interest of the airport and the county. Mike has also contributed many hours of outside volunteer work for charitable events and fundraisers over the time that I have known him. It is estimated that he has cooked over 5,000 pounds of chicken and beef brisket on his own time in the service of others. He also volunteers his time as an assistant teacher of the Citizens Academy for the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department and is ever willing to help out as needed. His personal activities also include many hours and miles driven, dedicated to the rescue of abandoned and abused dogs in and outside of Montgomery County. I find Mike to be an excellent example of a county employee and his abundant volunteer work highlights the character and type of employees to be found in Montgomery County. For all these reasons, I nominate Mike to be recognized as employee of the month. Mike. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I just want to know one thing, Mike, how long did it take you to write that letter? Year. Oh, I know Mike. You do a great job out there and I appreciate all that you do. Very well deserve Mike. I want to thank you. We work a lot with the airport to our office and Mike, I really don't know how he does all that he does because they do have a very small team out there but in Scott's absence Mike's pretty much in control of everything it goes I don't does a tremendous job I'm glad to be able to work with you. Well when you get a little leader you follow the example. Yeah good job Mike. You're right he deflects those things didn't he? Thank you very much gentlemen. Thank you. Thank you very much, gentlemen. Thank you. Thank you, Mike. Hey, National Night, after-day school. Is there anyone here regarding this? Good morning. Good morning. Good morning. You got baskets? No, not. Not anymore, but we'll be getting them ones ready for next time. Good morning, Judge Commissioners. I'm Caroline Crease. I'm a county extension agent with the Urban Youth Development Program with a 4-H program. And I have, with me back here, I have Elizabeth Anderson and she is with City of Conroe with the After School Recreation Program to support what we're bringing to you today. We have a proclamation for keeping the lights on after school. It's actually a national program and that we also celebrate that here in Montgomery County. And so I'll read the proclamation we have. Whereas the citizens of Montgomery County, Texas, stand firmly committed to quality after school programs and opportunities because such programs provide safe, challenging, engaging, and fun learning experiences to help children in youth develop their social, emotional, physical, cultural, and academic skills, support working families by ensuring that their children are safe and productive after the regular school day ends, build stronger communities by involving students, parents, business leaders, and adult volunteers in the lives of our young people, thereby promoting positive relationships among children, youth, families, and adults, engaging families, schools, and diverse community partners, and advancing the welfare of our children. Whereas the City of Conor Parks and Recreation after school programs, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Montgomery County 4-H and Youth Development Program and partnership with local educators and Conor ISD have provided significant leadership in the area of community involvement in the education and the well-being of our youth. Grounded in the principle that quality after school programs are key to helping our children to become successful adults. Whereas lights on after school and national celebration of after school programs on October 23rd, 2014 promotes the critical importance of quality after school programs and the lives of children, their families and their communities. Whereas more than 28 million children in the US have parents who work outside of the home and 15.1 children have no place to go after school. Whereas many afterschool programs across the country are facing funding, shortfall, so severe that they are being forced to close their doors and turn off their lights. Therefore, be it resolved that the Montgomery County Commissioner's Court does hear by a proclaim, October 23, 2014, as lights on after school day in Montgomery County. And be it further resolved that this court enthusiastically supports lights on after school and encourages all the citizens of Montgomery County to engage in and support innovative after school programs and activities that ensure that the lights stay on and the doors stay open for all children after school. And we also just wanted to share that on October 23rd we actually will have a lights on after school celebration at Oscar Johnson Junior Community Center. It'll be a great open house event for the public to come and see the great programs that are offered here locally. The City of Conor Program supports about 500 youth that are in after school programs across the school district and there's a wait list for kids to get into those programs continually. So the need is definitely there and we thank you for your support and allowing us to partner with other organizations to help with after-school programs and to provide programs that enrich the lives of children in the communities in which they live. So we thank you for your support. Thank you. I'm a second. I'm a favor to see that. Thank you for coming this morning. Yes, thank you. Okay, next we have Julie Martino United Way. Good morning. Good morning. So good to see all of you. Happy Monday morning. To lovely day we had a pretty pretty weekend. so let's just hope the cool weather keeps coming back. Thank you so much to Commissioner Meader. He is this year's campaign chair for the United Way campaign here with the county employees and we are very, very grateful to you for your leadership and your time helping us with this this year. I'd also like to introduce to you Karen Van Buren. Karen is our account executive. She is sponsored by Anadarko. So no funds are going into her helping us out. It's being subsidized by Anadarko Petroleum. So we're grateful to them for helping us out as well. You'll be seeing a lot of Karen because she'll be the person out helping with this year's campaign. The purpose of this campaign this year is the county recognizes that it is a leader in our community, one, and two, it's one of our major employers. And like all of our other major employers in Montgomery County, you are supporting United Way so that we can provide services through the local partners here in Montgomery County, services that support people that need assistance. As an example, you had your lights on, proclamation, United Way does fund the YMCA's after school programs, and we have a new initiative with them. They are partnering with low-income housing. Apartment complexes where they are providing YMCA programs in the actual apartment complex, because those kids can't necessarily get to the Y or to a program. So we're trying to do some things where we're supporting kids helping them be mentored and learn and be successful in school. Under Commissioner Metters' leadership, a goal has been set this year for $60,000 from the employees. Last year the employees raised just over $56,000. And we're hoping to reach a 40% participation rate last year, the employees, 37% of the employees contribute to United Way. Now you know it takes a group of people to help make this possible and at this time I'd like to ask Commissioner Mehta to come down and everyone that is here that I call out, would you please come up so we can do a quick picture of this year's committee. Helping Commissioner Mehta this year is Darren Bailey with the County Clerk's Office, Melissa Baker with Memorial Library, Mark Bosma with Infrastructure, a Constable Gene DeForest, precinct two. Anyone moving? Come on down. Come on down. Wendy Dow with Infrastructure, Lauren Garcia with custodial services, Marie Moore, Herminson office while she's in flux, she's County Engineer and soon to be Commissioner Precinct for Office, Sylvia Oldsway with the County Judges Office, Julie Puckett with the County Commissioner One, Lloyd Stafford and the County Judges Office, soon to be in the County Engineers Office, and Jareland Williams with the Memorial Library. Lloyd Stafford and the county judges office soon to be in the county engineer's office in Jareland Williams with the Memorial Library so would you all get up here and let's do a picture you in the middle commissioner next to Jan here get y'all nice and tight Thank you. We have some additional people helping out this year with the United Way campaign in the county. Tonya Durham burger with the Sheriff's Department. Judge Wayne Mac are new precinct one, Justice of the Peace, Joanne Moore with Commissioner Precinct II, and Pam Robeshow with the County Treasurer's Office. And I have to say, Joanne's the first, she's already called us and said, we got you can do a presentation on Wednesday morning, or tomorrow morning or Wednesday morning to the members of the precinct, Commissioner to Pre precinct. And so it's one of the things we're asking this year is people think they know what United Way is involved in doing, but they don't always know. So we're asking and we've asked Commissioner Metter. He's supported us doing more presentations out at the employees workplace at a regular staff meeting or at a meeting first thing in the morning. And we'll go all over the place. We'll be there at 6 in the morning or at night, whatever works best for everybody. Our schedule this year is that we're going to be kicking off today at Commissioner's Court. There's a chilly cookoff to kind of get things fun and going on October 22nd, and we'll have some, I don't know if it's a cookoff as much as it's chilly and come and eat chilly and the proceeds for that will go to United Way on the 22nd. It'll be here on the courthouse steps just down the road there. November 14th is when we're wrapping up and asking everyone to turn in their envelopes and they'll come into Sylvia Old's Ways office here in the county judge. Thank you, judge, for allowing those to come in here. And then on the A will be the fun and that is when we will be making all the drawings. So as usual the players have agreed to pay for the various donations so if you give $6 or more paycheck your name goes in the $1,000 drawing. If you give $5 or more paycheck $500, $4 a paycheck or more, $5 a paycheck, $300 a prize, $2 a paycheck, $100 a prize, and $1 a paycheck, $50 a prize. And it's an equivalent. It can be cash or paycheck. It doesn't have to just be through payroll deduction. In addition, Commissioner Meather has agreed to let us do the pie in the face contest. So it's all of our Commissioner's Court Plus, our incoming Commissioner Court Meather, Charlie, did you get told? Were you told you get to be a possible pie in the face guy? Oh by the way. Oh by the way. And then I don't see Jim as our incoming secretary. Well there you are right behind us. You also, so we have seven people that the lucky winner, if you donate to United Way, you will get your name in a drawing and you get to In Commissioner's Court right here on the A's to put a pie in the face of the person you select out of that group of seven. So you all be nice, okay? Just remember that. There's also been a donation of a lot to read a package for the weekend and Commissioner Metter has given it what are you campaigning? He said he'd like to have the party. Yeah, I think he has that privilege once before. Is that a motion commissioner? Yeah, absolutely. I've moved that second. He judge. Sorry, kind of, you know, Robert's rule takes over. I'm big, I might have go out. How fun. We might have to talk about two points. We also, Commissioner Mehta has donated some gift cards as well. And then not to be forgotten are the fabulous traveling trophies. They're displayed over there. And want to just give a shout out to last year's winner for the employee category of one to 10 employees, County Judges Office One, for 11 to 25 employees, County Engineer, 26 to 50 employees was information technology, and then the 51 plus was the library. So good job for everybody for their trophies and the work they did and we will be back recognizing increases in donations and participation, 100% participation. So that's the campaign this year. We're really excited about it. Thank you always for partnering with us at United Way. Appreciate the work that you all do as commissioners court to make this community the best place in Texas to live and to work and to play. And so you made a huge difference and we are proud that you're not away as a part of that. I also have and put it to your place and I've given a copy to Jerry Lynn for the libraries is our new information referral directory. I know you get lots of calls from people. This is a new information referral directory. I know you get lots of calls from people. This is a new updated version. If there are any other departments that would like and information referral book, please let me know. You can either email me or Marie or some of the other people on the committee, let your committee member know we'll get those out to you. But I know y'all get calls from people going, I don't know where to go for help and this is the best place to go for a hard copy. Thank you, Peter. Thank you for coming this morning and sharing this information with us and obviously we cannot do this without the volunteer committee that we have. We appreciate all of their input and their help would not be possible to do it without them and look forward to a productive way. That's what campaign. Thank you. And I special thanks again to the Blair's too for contributing. Yes, for always contributing. Yes, they do a great job. Thank you all very, very much and look forward to seeing you all back here on the ACE. It's not before. Thank you, Julie. Thank you very much. Good. I don't like to recognize somebody in the audience today. They haven't done this. Good. I don't like recognizing somebody in the audience today, Devin Dennis. He used to be a textile, been a friend of Montgomery County, especially the precinct four, and he retired, not retired. So Devin, thank you for everything you've done for us. Good to see you, Delvin. Ed, he came to see me. Who did he set outside with first here? I gave him a ride here. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. I have no changes, commissioners. I move on consent. Second. All in favor, say aye. Good morning, gentlemen. Good morning. Good. I am here this morning to ask for transfer of $5,000 from one employee salary to another employee salary, the race would go to my court coordinator Peggy Freeman. I think you just on your agenda approved giving her a promotion from coordinator to administrator. When I first took office and Peggy came over with me, I adjusted the coordinator salary down. So the county got some money back because Peggy had no experience as a court coordinator. Since then, she has really shown her colors as I knew she would. Not only is she now one of under 100 individuals who are certified by taking a three-year class in court administration, but she has also stepped up in many times when there are court projects, like bulk case transfers or most recently the Odyssey implementation Peggy is the person that steps up on behalf of the courts to take on those challenges so bring that back up to where that position was. Well it it y'all it it doesn't I don't think I can't actually remember what it was but the party looked at this exactly I think everyone is all approved for it and we're not asking for more money from the county We're just moving from one position to another. I wanted to wait so we could do it without asking for more I'm still in line with the other court coordinators and all I think she's making less right now So this would bring her to where she should be now Because the second all of the papers see out. Hi. Thank you so much. Thank you. Yeah, let's see how it's going. Second, I'll have a favor to see out. All right. Thank you so much. Thank you, Judge. District Attorney. Good morning, gentlemen. Good morning. We're asking that you allow us to create a pre-trial diversion probation officer minister about probation department. This will be specifically you or supervising our pre-trial diversion folks like our Veterans Court programs, and other people have our diversionary programs. This might be going to come from our pre-trial diversion fees that have been topped with kind of in-bite, sold paid for by diversion fees that are intended for. Move, second. Is that money that was budgeted for that? This is one of those special revenue funds that we discussed during budget process. The balance in there right now is about $270,000. All required. We should put it up. Okay. Oh, that's good. Okay, there was a motion, was there a second?000. All required. I should report it. Okay. Oh, that's work. Good. Okay. It was a motion. Was there a second? Second. All the papers say out. Thank you, Phil. Have a good day, Phil. County auditor. Before you go as a request to use $595 from the Court Reporter Service Fund by County Court of Law 3, this is for some software for the court reporter. Move, second. All in favor. Yeah. Thank you. Purchase. Morning, Judge and commissioners. Morning, Dr. Lee. How are you? Item 12A. I would like to present a recommendation in contract four, item number 2, an RFPQ for DNA testing to Sorenson Forensics, LLC for various departments. Second. In favor, sir? All right. Item B, considering a proof proposal from Property Acquisition Services Inc. for the right of way proposal for Fernleaf Extension Project in the amount of $217,800. Precinct 4. Move. Second. I will say we're see-up. I am seeing, considering approved a proposal from Pods Associates Inc. for the Professional Engineering Services for Rayford Road widening and railroad grade separation in the amount of $370,000 precinct three. I move and before we go any further on this, I just want to say that this is probably one of the biggest projects that we're going to be taking on within precinct three and perhaps in all of Montgomery County as far as trying to get a step ahead of mobility in the area. So we're going to be starting with the engineering to widen Rayford Road from four lanes to six lanes from the railroad tracks all the way to the New Graham Parkway and then a great separation at the road crossing. And Craig and I've talked about this quite a bit. It's something that this community definitely needs. The first part of the engineering, we're gonna fund out of our budget, 370,000. There's gonna be about 800,000 to come that hopefully we'll have some other funding sources available by then. But thank you for all the work and delvin. Thanks for being here on behalf of Clots and Associates. I know you guys are gonna do a great job. So I move. So I'm on paper. See you. Thank you. All right. You got any attorney? Good morning, Judge commissioners. Good morning. I am 13 a. Consider an approved and ordered declaring the existence of a public necessity and authorizing the institution of condemnation proceedings for Part 5 of the League Line Road Extension Project. Second, all favour say aye. Item 13A2, consider and approve agreement with you in Pacific Railroad or an overpass on Leagueline Road and authorize Commissioner Mike Meadow or BD Griffin to sign the agreement. Move. I'll favor say out. Yeah. The last two big steps we've got to begin construction on Leagueline where looking at a bid date I think in December or January and this will be the final two projects that we've got to do to get that project underway and be detailed for you. You're welcome to mission. Item 13b, we are asking to defer it at this time. What's the conflict? item 13 be we are asking to defer at this time. What's the conflict? Excuse me. We spoke on Friday. We just got the appraised back and we need to do some things with regard to the praise when the potential offer. What about the other project we talked about? We're still waiting on the appraisal on that commissioner. So when we talked about it that day, I mean you and Amy both was there and when we talked about it, they all said no problem. We could get it take care of and that's been two months ago. I understand. We're not the appraisers. That's the only thing we're waiting on commissioner. Nobody not the appraisal. That's the only thing we're waiting on. Nobody mentioned appraisal. No problem. Am I correct? I seem to recall our conversation differently, commissioner, but I still don't believe there's going to be a problem. We're just waiting the appraisal as we discussed. I think the appraisal was waiting on a survey and there was no survey done when Mr. Martin acquired the property. That wouldn't mention did it. Okay. Okay. These three, Commissioner. I don't know, but I will go ahead with it. Under Commissioner, precinct three. All right. Consider and approve the transfer of $1873 and 60 cents from 614-7598 to 614-8304-1. I move. from 614-759-8-614-8304-1. I move. Say it. Favorite sale? All right. Then consider and approve budget amendments from prior fiscal year. Open position 614-2510-6 and position 2510-7. Transfer monies from 614-759-8 to cover 39,500 in salary and benefits and annual phone allowance of 479 for positions 2510-6 and that 7 this is for two new signal texts for precinct three move. Second all the papers say yeah. Okay. And then lastly, considering approved budget amendments for the prior fiscal year for transfer in 5,000 from 614-7598 to 614-6904-1 and 614-8559-1. I move. Seconds? All of every set up? All right. And Judge, before we break for executive session, Bill O'Sullivan asked if he could move his comments up to before we adjourn for executive session. You talk about citizens? Yes. All right. Bill. Good morning. Thank you for doing this. We could always sit up here and talk about what you made a very wise decision regarding the litigation that was involved and was disposed of. And your duty here is no different. You have a fiduciary duty and it's based on the strength of the case. Right now we're facing the only bid that I've seen on the table is the $200 million for the new jail and on top of that is going to be at least 50% of that in addition for interest expenses. And that depends on how long Miss Yellen is permitted to keep the gas down on quantitative easing keeping interest rates low. Your choices are the three cases as I understand them. There's the former commissioners and more than one person was shocked at the loan which seems to be, that's on this court, was shocked that the loan which seems to be the center of this case. And you should also get input from this attorney regarding his statement in court that, or not to the statute, running a case would have been brought for Mr. Meener. There's been a year and a half on the consultant on the case, which year and three quarters that has been in our County Attorney's Office. And if that implies and the work that's done there versus the work that was done before becomes a part of that that also should be reviewed. Finally, the contractors, I understand it was a design build project and it gets involved with approval of the bills, what infrastructure's role is and all of that, and a deep analysis of that before anything happens on these cases. And again, it results from your fiduciary duty to strengthen the case that you have to present and whether they go forward with it or not. Thank you. Thank you. All right. On the Oracle 551.071, the government code has recessed this Court for executive session. Judge, before you do, could you vote, go back and vote on 13A2? I know there was a motion in the second. I don't recall there being a vote. I'm voting second. All the favor, see you. Thank you. Okay, this brings the court to order. There's no action necessary from the executive session. Do we have any other citizens comments today for the court? Yes, sir. Good morning, Judge. Commissioners. My name is John Bowman. I'm with the Texas Papers Pack. The people of Montgomery County elected the County Attorney to provide legal advice to the county. And I'd like to suggest that the performance of JD Lambrite over the past 22 months has been fantastic. He's arguably created the best County Attorney's Office in the state by attracting exceptional talent from the private sector. I believe you save the county hundreds of thousands of dollars and I believe the people of this county have come to respect and trust his consul. Which briefly to the claims related to the construction of the Joe Corley jail and the mental health facility which you gentlemen just considered an executive session. The county's attorney's office after long and pains taking evaluation, concluded that the county had a legitimate case to collect money from the people that they've sent a demand letter to. On the basis of that evaluation, and recommendation that this court have authorized the county attorney to issue a demand letter. Since then, though, it appears that the court has blocked further pursuit of the case by not authorizing the county attorney to proceed to file a complaint. And I don't know why that is. This gives the parties, on the other side of this case, to try the case in the press. It reminds me a little bit of what happened in the wrongful dismissal case filed against the commissioner of precinct three, which was tried in the press but ultimately settled recently for the nuisance value. I suggest it is long past time for the county either to authorize the county attorney to proceed with this case or explain to the public why it is not allowing that to happen. Just as an aside, I was very pleased to see the Court allow a citizen comment before the executive session and would like to suggest respectfully that you allow citizens to comment at the beginning of these meetings instead of at the end. Thank you. Is there any other citizens comment today? If not, he may resources Good morning. Please consider and approve the payroll change request forms Anything else commission move adjourned