Good morning ladies and gentlemen, Denton Commissioners Court for July 28th is now in session. This morning our invocation will begin by James Wells, our county auditor and our pledges will be led by Brian King, our assistant director of technology services. Will you please stand? I agree with you, Father, we thank you for this day. We thank you for the chance to gather here, conduct the business of the county. We ask you blessing on this meeting and on all present here. Lord, we ask you to heal our country, bring the divisiveness and the outbreaks that we see all over the country. I hope to bring that to an end. Give our leaders wisdom and insight into your way. Give our citizens a heart to know your will, to obey your commandments, and to seek your guidance of your son and of the Holy Spirit. Bless the actions taken here today. I reflect your will and wisdom that you can impart. Protect everyone here from sin and from harm. Bring us back next week and cross name. Amen. Applegian allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Honor the text flag, I pledge allegiance to the Texas one state under God, one in the visible. Thank you, God. You want to be visible. Good morning, everyone. Item one on the agenda is for public input for items not listed on the agenda. If there's any member of the public that would like to address the place for court, we ask to please complete a public comment form that are available on the side table. I want to remind everyone to please turn off your cell phones and pages. I have, I believe, four public comment forms this morning and for the benefit of those that have not addressed Commissioner's Court during public comment before you need to know that census is not a post-it agenda item. Commissioner's Court is prohibited from responding to you, but we are glad that you're here and welcome your input. The first public comment farm that I have is from Dr. Nancy Stockton. Dr. Stockton, if you come up to the podium please and we'll give you three minutes. Good morning. Good morning. Thank you so much, Judge. My name is Nancy Stockton. I live in the city of Denton. I'm in precinct one of the county. And I'm here today to encourage discussion for the removal of the Confederate statue from the grounds of the courthouse. Excuse me. I'm interested, I'm a historian. And so I'm a professor at UNT, and I'm very aware of the historical significance of it. And I'd like to see it contextualized in perhaps the museum here or another site where the entire breadth of the debate and history and the context with the war and Jim Crow and all these things can be made clear for the public. And my second adjacent point to that is it's been actually difficult for me to find exactly what the specific protection or lack thereof of the statute itself is. I know that it is a contributing structure for the historic district of the square, and it's adjacent streets, which is on the National Register. But I so far have not been able to find anything that protects the statute per se itself from being removed to a museum. I have a call into the Texas Historical Commission. So I've heard a lot of contradictory information, but because I'm a historian, I like evidence. And so I'm just trying to find that evidence. So basically my comment is just to say that I know from many discussions I've had with many people in the community there's a lot of A lot of people who would like to see it move to a place where it can be contextualized historically and not left to just honor one particular group and especially not within the context of its Jim Crow connotations as well So for example the UNT portal of Texas history lists this structure as what they call a Jim Crowism, which is because it was built during the era of Jim Crow to make a certain kind of point. And so anyway, I just like to put that out there that like to see it remove to a museum. Thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate it. Thank you. Okay, if you would give her the information, we printed off. The next one I have is Mr. Wheelhead Smith. Good morning, Willie. My name is Willie Husswith, Judge Horne and other commissioners. I like to speak about the Confederate monument. I've looked at my former appearances here and can see what God has been doing in my life and showing me here. A different path, still got the same feelings inside about that monument. It just reminded me of a time that I just have difficulty thinking about. But he's starting to help me see through the comments that I've heard from people coming up, talking to me, those that will talk to me, that there's another side, and I really do need to look at that other side. It's very, very difficult for me to do that, because I'm coming from a minority position, even in my mind, I'm thinking I'm losing. They're just beat me down again, they meaning whoever is opposing to my view. And God said, hey, they hung me, Jesus said, they hung me, what do you think you're going to get? So just do as I tell you, and keep saying the same thing. Treat others like you want to be treated. But that does not mean, as I told someone who came up to me and said, why do you have God loves you right on your side? It doesn't mean you lay down and just give up and don't do anything. For 15 years I've been doing this and I'm going to continue doing it and to death do us part, As far as I can tell. So what I want to say to you is compromise is probably something that I think we'd all do better at doing if we compromise, if we can find a place where movement is made on both sides to accomplish the same thing. to accomplish the same thing. I've discovered here lately is that we need to change the way we think and treat each other. How can we do that? Well, I thought we'd just have an ice cream party. How about having an ice cream party with all the different flavors, not just chocolate. Let's just have an ice cream party and we go to the black part of town and just eat ice cream. That's all. That's a movement in the right direction. So what the didn't record Krunk or had in their paper. That editorial, I think, sums it up for me. It's movement in a good direction. So that's what I propose. Thank you. Thank you. The next one I have is Dr. Adam Wrinkliff. Good morning. Hello. As a military historian, my research is focused on a battle in World War II, where 40,000 American casualties were incurred. And for classified reasons, it wasn't mentioned in newspapers, it's not in history books, people don't know about it. And I feel it's kind of disgraceful to the memory of these veterans. And I look outside at the all-war monument. I don't see any names of who these people from Denton were that died. Look at the Confederate monument out there or the memorial. There's no names. There's no context. And so I think at the very least something should be done to provide more information. For instance, people look at that memorial and they say, oh, that's racist. And it's hard for people to realize that 43% of Denton County actually voted against the session. And that kind of puts it in a different light, I think, when you realize that a lot of these soldiers weren't fighting for the Confederacy. However, there is a point that needs to be made that there is perhaps something that is racist about the memorial. Since the Civil War, 150 years ago, Denton County hasn't really done anything to acknowledge the existence of slavery in Denton County. You don't see anything really about that downstairs. There were 250 slaves in Denton, 5% of the population, which is more than double the percentage of Jews in Europe in 1939. in Europe in 1939. I believe one million African-American slaves are believed to have died because of the Civil War. And I was thinking, you know, the memorial, the current day value of it is around $80,000. I believe I read that in the Denton Record Chronicle. Perhaps Denton should do something to remember slavery in Denton County. If you look at the fact that about 850 soldiers were conscripted and we spent about $80,000 memorializing them, then if you assume parity between their tragedy and the tragedy of slaves, then perhaps $25,000 would be an appropriate amount to memorialize these slaves. And in fact, you could get a lifestyles, lifestyles bronze monument for only $5,000. In particular, I was thinking maybe we should remember Zach Rawlings. Zach Rawlings was a former slave from Denton County who subsequently served as a janitor here in this building until 1911. He was beloved by the community when he died. The Denton Record Chronicle wrote three editorials about him and maybe at the very least there should be a memorial to Zach Rawlings a former slave from Denton reminding people that slavery did exist in this county. Thank you. The last one I have is from Mr. Ron Seaford. Good morning. Good morning. Yeah, I'm also going to talk about the memorial. I wanted to start by reading the first couple paragraphs of this editorial that's already been mentioned a couple times. They came out last week in the Denver Record Chronicle. It's titled Memorial Should Serve Useful Purpose. We believe that Dentons Confederate soldier memorial should be altered to help. It's serve a more useful purpose. The monument on our Denton County residents who served in the Civil War, but we don't believe that it provides an accurate history lesson in its present state. The addition of plaques and other updates to the Granite structure could not only add important information about the county residents who fought and died for the Confederate cause, but the story could be expanded to include information about those who served the union cause as well. It's high time that the complete story of Denton County's role in the conflict was told. So it goes on, but I think that's the sentiment that Willie was describing a few moments ago. And it is useful to acknowledge that it is inadequate and incomplete to only remember of everything from that era. The one thing that this town chooses to remember is white men. Right? So that's kind of telling. And it is also telling for a city that's been in control by white men from its outset until now, that's what's centered and that's what's propped up. So I would contend that the statute itself, the memorial itself, because that is the first and the only thing that this city has chosen to remember and prop up and law before anything else from that era describes a culture of white supremacy that we need to push back against. Given the current climate in our nation, we can see that black lives in this country continue to be undervalued, disproportionately less valued than other lives. And I think if we want to take a meaningful stance to invert that power dynamic, one important way would be to not only butchress this memorial with other plaques, memorials, whatever they may be, but remove it. And so it's not that we have white first and then tag other things onto it. But we start from a place of honoring the community members here that have been most disproportionately impacted by power In the city's history I need you to wrap up soon Is it been three minutes? So I would just suggest that if folks want the memorial it shouldn't be the first and only thing that they put out there. If you want a memorial, there should be a whole litany of other things that we memorialize first, and then we can talk about adding the Confederate memorial back. But it should not be the one and only thing that's racist. Thank you for your time. I received one more. I'm sorry, I can't read the last name name here. The last name is Cruz. Thank you. I'm going to be talking about that too. Yeah. So my first encounter I didn't learn about like the confederacy through the school because the schools are horrible and they don't teach you those things. But so I remember when I was about 15 or 14 years old I was inside of a Walmart. I was walking with two other two other friends and I was approached five five guys and they were all white. They were all carrying a confederate flag and they were chasing after us inside this Walmart saying white power, white power. And this was indicator Texas. This is 30 minutes away from Denton And I see that statue and I feel the exact same way it makes me so mad that we're upholding these ideologies and looking at them romanticizing them glorifying them and you look at on TV and there's the same thing You're not identifying them and you look on TV and there's the same thing. There's white people saying, white power, white power holding up confederate flags and the statue is there. I don't understand why this is being argued, why I'm having to come up here, tell y'all that this is wrong and I don't understand how it's still here, how Willie has been fighting this for 15 years? What side of history are they all on? I guess you don't answer questions, but yeah. I'm not a posted agenda item. We are prohibited from responding now. I guess you weren't here when I said that. Thank you for your time. All right. That's the last public comment form that I have. Members item two is the consent agenda. Do you have items on the consent agenda that you need to have some discussion on? Or do we have a motion for approval? Sorry. Motion by Commissioner Mitchell, seconded by Commissioner Marchant. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Motion by Commissioner Mitchell seconded by Commissioner Marchant all in favor please say aye aye Posting motion does carry consent agenda can they today consist of two a which is approval of the order making appointments We have a promotion and human resources a new hire and justice of the peace precinct one new hire in the district Attorney's office new hire for the tax successor for new h the County Jail, a demotion in the Sheriff's Department, and two new hires in juvenile probation. 2B is approval of the Intra Department of Transfer, 2C is approval of payroll, 2D is approval of renewal for RFP 01122118, independent auditors to Patello, Brown and Hill OPE, 2E is approval of specifications and authority to advertise for bid number 07152311 cast stone repair project, then kind of courts building. 2F is approval of budget amendment request 101460 for training education for justice of the peace facing free in the amount of $1,000. 2G is approval budget amount of cost 101 480 for county building maintenance and facilities management in the amount of $77,500. 2H is approval budget amount of cost 101 490 for contractual expenses for 2015 public health emergency preparedness supplementaling in the amount of $2,610. And lastly, two eyes approval of the building requests from Oco-Topia to use the quarters on the square lawn on Friday, September 25, 2015, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, September 26, 2015, from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, September 27, 2015, from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. for our family, friendly, music festival with one stage and use on all three days on the e-slowing. Judge Man, take a minute, too. I just want to acknowledge my nephew, not blood nephew, but nephew Larry Moore and the radio over there of his mother and I go way back child with friends and he's interested in seeing how government works. And so he's here this morning to see that. Welcome Larry. I didn't have it. Hi, I'm Charlie Thomas. I'm a little bit different. Hi. Hi. All right, I'm five A is approval bill. In parts of heinous Macias CV community corrections, T 5A is approval bill reports of heinous maciascb community corrections TAP shares, training shares, perpetrator vid interest, GHA, check fee and VA perpetrator funds are all presented for recording purposes only good morning James. Morning Judge, commissioners that has approval bills with the one deletion from the general fund that's the incorrect vendor added entered and then three additions that are just expedite payment actually one of the additions is taking credit so it's a negative so they just need things that need to be paid on the timely basis. It's all corrections ahead. Thank you. Do you have a motion? Motion by Commissioner Marchand, seconded by Commissioner Mitchell. Hearing no questions, all in favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Councillor C. Nguyen. Motion does carry. 6A is approval of purchasing general liability insurance coverage from Texas Association of counties. Risk management pool for 2016. Thank you. We have a motion for approval by the Texas Association of Counties, Risk Management Pool for 2016. We have a motion for approval by Commissioner Marchand. Thank you. Seconded by Commissioner Coleman. Here in the comments all in favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Post-synane, motion is carried. 6B is approval of purchasing auto liability coverage and auto physical damage coverage from Texas Association of Counties Risk Management School for 2016. Motion by Commissioner Mitchell, seconded by Commissioner Margent. On favor please say aye. Aye. Aye. Opposition E. Motion carries. 70 is approval of budget and I have a quest. 101, 470 for various line items including the transfer of funds from the juvenile justice alternative education program and unappropriated contingency funds in the amount of $9,500 Motion by Commissioner Marching Backing by Commissioner Mitchell are the questions You're none on favorite please say aye aye Posting Motion carries 7b is approval budget of maverick 101500 for lawsuits, settlements, including the transfer funds. If I'm non-departmental and appropriated lawsuit, can settlement contingency in the amount of $15,000? Motion by Commissioner Mitchell, seconded by Commissioner Marchion. On favor please say aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed to the need? Motion does carry. 7C is the submission of the appraisal world for Denton County for Taxior 2015 from the Taxi Successor Collector of the Morning Mission. Even a little busy over there, haven't you? We've been just a little bit busy. Yes, we have. Good morning, Judge and commissioners. I am pleased to be able to present our 2015 Certified Values. And I'm going to go through and just read this report and you should have a copy of that. For last year's total of praise value we had 70 billion 159 million 214,648. Last year's total assessed value was $69,793,266,711. This year for 2015, the total assessed value is $77,377,930,925. Our total net taxable value for last year was $62,780,7595,594. This year, our total net taxable value is $70,182, 403,573. Our total new improvement for last year was 1 billion, 830 million, 816,194. This year, our new total improvement taxable value is 2 billion, 690 million, 852,326. We do have a collection rate of 100%. The property value that was under protest last year was 749,313,281. This year our property value under protest is 556,915,198. It should be noted that approximately 11% increased value over last year. Thank you. Any questions from members of clerk? Except you. Thank you. The motion of acceptance by Commissioner Marchant. Seconded by Commissioner Mitchell. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Vice-Senior. Motion carries. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, seven. Looking for 70. Yes, 70 is presentation of the effect of and row of upgrades for then kind of for tax year 2015. And thank you once again. We have calculated the tax rates. We've checked it several times as we normally do over in the tax office. And so I'm happy to be able to present this year's effective and rowback rates. Last year's rate, last year's adopt rate was 0.2722. This year's rate, last year's adoptor rate was 0.2722. This year's total effective rate is 0.255-866. This year's effective operating rate is 0.185-354. The maximum operating rate is 0.200182. The debt rate for this year is 0.069852. And the total rollback rate is 0.270034. We have copies of it. I don't, but we'll send, we've actually sent the calculations on over. We can send that over to you all. Yeah, if you would, please. Sure wouldn't. And Chad, John, do you have a report? I'll give you during our budget workshops that explains any differences and what we estimated. But it's all good news. Thank you. How about thank you? Maybe don't. We need to take formal action in that. Just the presentation. Okay, just to make sure I didn't miss something. Okay, welcome back to 7E. 8A is approval of Employee Medical Plan Changes for Plan Year 2016. All in any doubt. Thank you Judge and members of the Court. I have before you I'm page 188 some proposed plan changes. These would be changes that would be made to all medical plans in the PEPC entities. For the PPO plan, there will be three changes this year, the first one is, and the out-of-pocket maximum, and the PPO will decrease from 3,500 to 3,000 for someone carrying individual insurance, someone carrying employee and family from 7,000 to 6,000. The second change in the PPO plan is an increase in the emergency room copay from $150 to $300 plus 20% co-insurance. That is a significant increase. We do have excessively high emergency room use and charges in our plan. And of course, that is weighed if it's a true emergency. The third change is an increase in prescription drug copays for the PPL. Preferred brand copay will increase from 25 to $30 and none preferred brand copay will change from 50 to $30 and non-preferred brand co-pay will change from $50 to $60. We also have some changes in the HDHP plan. That's the plan where people have a higher deductible and a health savings account. The co-insurance percentage will increase. Right now it's a 90-10 plan where employees pay 10% after the deductible effective January 1. It will be an 80-20 plan. So, then employees will pay 20% after the deductible. The total out of pocket maximum will increase in this plan from $2,500 to $3,000 for an individual or $5,000 to $6,000 for those employees who are carrying their families. That will make the maximum out of pocket identical in the PPL plan and the high deductible health plan. We are also going to have a surcharge for spouses. It will not impact all spouses, but it will impact those spouses who have another employer insurance alternative. That will be a $200 a month search arch. If an employer, if an employee spouse does enroll in their own employer's insurance, then the search charge will be waived. So it will only be a surcharge for those people who have another option and decline the other option and would be primary in our plan. Those are the changes that we have before you. Actually, there's one more I apologize. This one relates to retiree spouses. Currently retirees are permitted to enroll their spouse if there is a qualifying event in 2016. If the retiree spouse is not enrolled at the time of the employees retirement, they will not be able to add them later. Of course, we know that there are a lot of options out there for people today that there did not use to be for retiree spouses. So those are the changes for next year's plan. As I said, these will be consistently approved in all of the PEDC plans and we're asking for your action today. Thank you. Are there questions from the members of the court? Yes. I've got a few of them. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Ms. Phillips, thank you for bringing this up today. I really appreciate that. You know, we've just talked in the past how I always think we should consider the benefits at the same time we're doing the budget because it seems like, you know, in the past, I think we've had complaints from our employees that we give them a raise, but then we take it back because we then discuss the health insurance later. So thank you very much for doing that. I know that was a lot of hard work to get it done so we can all kind of take it together in the same context. So thank you for doing that. I know a lot of these changes are forced upon us and there's not much we can do about it. So also I thank you for working real hard to keep our employee benefits up. Same time, you know, managing our finances. And it's a tough deal particularly if you read all about the stuff about health insurance. My concern and it's something that I had discussed previously is that because we give raises and percentages and we do health insurance increases in block amounts that's a regressive and it hurts our lower paid employees and that's something that I've always been concerned about because I know that we have a tremendous leadership group and we would be in horrible straits without it but we also need to remember there's people who are actually on the ground doing the work and we need to even hand it into our consideration. So I really appreciate how we're trying to migrate and give people a lower option in the health savings account. It's actually the premium that's lower. I believe this here. Is that what it was on the side by side? We actually do not have premiums on today's agenda. Okay on the it's an HDP 2016. It says lower premium. Over here on the screen. We don't have premiums. What page are you on? I'm on page 191. Okay, we're on page 188 and 189 and I've actually asked the court to pull the next two items. Okay, I must say they're not up for consideration today. 8V and 8C we've got some supplementary information so we need to repost 8V and C. Okay, well in the context what I would like I'm glad we then we pulled that but in context because I'm happy with the way we have this plan you know I know some people are gonna be upset that they feel it's regressive on our lower paid employees but I know we try our best because we try to attract good employees to the county one of the things that used to be was like when I was working for the DA's office, you may not make as much money, but you got to do kind of, you know, interesting work and you had good benefits. That's one of the things that attracts people to come work for us. So I think that's a positive. My suggestion would be to, in the seed money, I would like to get an estimate on what it would cost if we did the seed money up to $1,000 for a single person and $2,000 for a family. I know that we're not going to be able to do that every year. But if we can in years where there is a little surplus fund those health savings accounts, I think that would help us migrate some of our employees to that system or to that policy. Knowing full wise, you know, knowing that we would be able to help prepare them for the day when they don't get any seat money. I think this is a good year to make a bigger contribution. I don't know how we would notify the employees to say this is not something that's going to happen every year. But since we're going to have an increase in our premium on the PPO, it would be, I think, a carrot to encourage people to go to the other policy. And so I'm not, I just would like an estimate on what it would cost when you bring that back. And I think that's my recommendation. I don't know which you have to say Commissioner Mitchell if you think one of your concerns are not. Those are the same concerns. Yes. The moment that I had, and since we're pulling these up the two items, most of my concerns are with those. So probably waiting till we put them back home. Okay. But that's what I'm going to propose. But I'd like to see an estimate of what that would cost to us. So you want a table. It's I think as well, because that would be. I don't know if we can approve it without the. I don't think that has any impact on this. I don't think so now. It's a one of impact is to what our seed money can be. It might impact our premiums. But what I was going to. I was going to ask you to repeat that commissioner because I think I understand I think I heard you. Did you say a thousand dollars for employee only in two thousand dollars for employee plus family? That's correct. Okay. And I didn't know I was trying to do some research. You know that healthcare America. God, that is awful complicated. I was I was I was trying to do some research you know that healthcare America that has awful complicated I was I spent about I spent about two hours over at my law off as going through that trying to figure out if in fact we contributed to additional seed money what it would have if it would go up against the amount that we would have for premiums where we would incur a penalty or not and I spent several hours doing my own legal research. I want to send you all bill but I couldn't figure out if it would affect our premium or if we would be subject to penalty. Just like that. That's in our S-regs it's not in the law. Okay well then we should ask her to be a it would. So would it subject the premiums that affects the value of the plan in relation to the exercise tax that comes in in 2000 would we be subject to the exercise tax this year or it because it's not coming. We won't be. Yeah 2018 will be subject to the exercise tax but what we're trying to do is move in a direction now so that we'll have less impact in 2018. Now we've also been asked to consider another scenario for the HSA so it's a good discussion to have. One of the PEPC entities did something different and what they did was they gave all of their employees the same seed money. They gave them all $750 instead of 500 per individual and a thousand. What did we do a thousand for families? family. They gave them all 750 their philosophy was that each of their employees works for the county and should get the same benefits. So that's a little bit different way to look at it. The majority of our employees are employee only. So those are things to consider because we will be coming back later and asking about seed money. Okay, because that's what I would like to do. I should, when I was talking yesterday afternoon, Mr. Welles, I should ask you about that. But I would like, since we're not subject to the penalty this year, to consider an increase in the seed money, knowing that in the future we won't be able to do that with that incurring of penalty. That's kind of where I'm coming from. But I'd like an estimate on how it affected that. And for clarification, yeah. And for clarification, when we went to this model, are this, this model of our insurance, and when we talked about seed money the very first time, that was the 500,000. That's a one time only seed. Now, like I'm on a PPO program, I decided to go to the HDP program. Since I'm the first time I would person similar to me get that first time seed money as well. Actually, we did describe it as a one-time thing because the commissioners court can only commit for one year but the second year we did give everybody again the same seed money and yes and what we're talking about for next year would be for everybody enrolled not just people coming into the plan new but it would be for everybody in roll, not just people coming into the plan new, but it would be for everybody in roll. So it is approved year to year and it might not be the same each year and that is what we communicate to employees that we don't know what next year will bring. So yeah. So Amy, do we have to approve item 8A today? Can we not do it all next week? Yes we're fooled. I think it would be best to go ahead and approve all of this right now. And then we will bring rates back hopefully next week when we have them. I would approve 8a. I would move the approved subject to us changing the seed money. I would move the approved subject to us changing the seed money, but I need to see budgetary projectile. That in here. The seed money is completely independent of this. It's not part of the need. I don't want to say. It's just everything in red you're asking us to approve. It's different than from last year's plan. Correct. That's correct. These are the changes from last year's plan. Correct. That's correct. These are the changes from last year's plan. And I think we should acknowledge that these changes will result in additional out-of-pocket expenses to many of our employees. Correct. Okay. So you? Yes. But I want to make it clear that I'd like to. And I think we all understand. I'd like to see the numbers for an increase in the seed money. I'd like to make sure that we don't incur any penalty or excise tax or whatever they call it, but I'd like to consider knowing that it's only a one-time contribution in anticipation of us not being able to do it in the future. I would so move. So you move. I'm going to put it in the item. I'm going to put it in the item. Except this and they all got out. Okay. I'll put it in the item. Motion by Commissioner Collin for approval of 8A seconded by Commissioner Mitchell. Further discussion or questions? Hearing none, no in favor, please say aye. Aye. Opposed, aye. NANE. Motion is carried. We will come back with 8B and 8C next week, I believe. OK. 9A is approval of the Department of State Health Services, fiscal year 2016, 2017, regional, local, service system, local public health services, grant award in the amount of $97,596. The approval. Motion by Commissioner Mitchell. Second. Seconded by Commissioner Marchandt. On favor, please say aye. Aye. Opposed to the senate. Motion does carry. I've received another public comment form, but it's actually on item 7e. Did you wish to speak now sir or do you want to wait till later? After we get through everything else we'll come back and have discussions on the budget and I'll be glad to call on you. I just didn't want you to have to wait if you wanted to say your piece now either way. Okay. This is Mr. Michael Henning. That's correct, Your Honor. Michael Henning, I live at 724 Thomas Street in Denton. I want to speak in favor of an item in the juvenile probation fund. That's item 2659136045, which relates to the Tarmac program down at the Lewisville ISD. I have some personal experience with that program. I've worked as a citizen volunteer. Tarmac is a program that works with juvenile offenders. There are young people who are taken out of juvenile detention by their probation officers for this Tarmac program, as you probably know. And it encourages them to make better decisions in life through counseling and all kinds of interactions to help them evaluate themselves better and to learn how to relate better with other people and to make better choices in their lives. I would encourage you to expand the program that's in our budget. You may not be able to do that for this year. But in the future, I encourage you to, if possible, expand the tarmac program rather than I see it's pretty much holding stable over the years with the funding. But the tarmac program is an extremely valuable program in trying to help our young people straighten out their lives and have a productive, a more productive and positive lifestyle. So I encourage you to consider increasing the funding so that that program can be expanded. Thank you. Appreciate it. Okay. We'll be on with 9B. 9B is approval Department of State Health Services fiscal year 2016-2017 immunization grant award in the amount of $280,147 to fund salary and benefits for immunization related positions. Motion by Commissioner Marchin. Seconded by Commissioner Coleman. Hearing no questions, all in favor, please say aye. Aye. Opposed, anying motion does carry nine seas discussion and update of Arboh viral and mosquito-borne disease control and data county during the 2015 season Got a little bit of an update for us. Good morning judging commissioners. Yes. I just wanted to quickly Note that we have three additional mosquito pools in Denton County those are in municipalities So we still have zero positive mosquito pools and Ditton County. Those are in municipalities. We still have zero positive mosquito pools in unincorporated areas, but let me give you the total. So we have three in Flower Mound, five in Highland Village, two in Lewisville, two in Little Elm and one in Trophy Club. What this just means to boil it down is we have increasing activity in West Nile and mosquitoes. Don't get bit. What this means to boil it down is we have increasing activity in West Nile and mosquitoes don't get bit. So I wanted yet again to take the opportunity to say that and to tell you, reaffirm that we have zero human cases. But again, we think that's on the way. Okay, thank you for the update. 10A is approved accepting the minor plat for La Roca acres. This is in Commissioner Prissy one. I move for approval. Motion by Commissioner Coleman, seconded by Commissioner Marchant. Here are the questions all in favor, please say aye. Aye. Opposed say name. Motion does carry. 10B is approved of a final acceptance of old ultimate road project. Motion by Commissioner Marchant. Seconded by Commissioner Coleman. All in favor please say aye. Aye. Aye. Vice-Senator, motion does carry. 13A is approval of appointing Dr. Catherine Stren to the Dent County of the Hayrow Health Leadership Team of the Denton County Citizens Council on Mental Health, motion by Commissioner Mitchell, seconded by Commissioner Marchion. On favor, please say aye. Aye. Opposed, aye. Motion to carry. 13b is approval of amendment number two to the contract. The interlocal cooperative reimbursement agreement between Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Denton County for the low income repair assistance retrofit and accelerated vehicle retirement program better known as lyrapped. Motion by Commissioner Mitchell, seconded by Commissioner March and hearing the questions on favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. is approval of appointing this man, Brandi Gurd, to replace Stephen Phillips to the Board of Directors of the Dent County Development District number four. Motion by Commissioner Mitchell, seconded by Commissioner Marchant. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Opposed, Cine. Motion does carry 14As of approval of a contract between Dent County, Texas and the men contracting LP in the amount of $744,533,045 cents for the bridge-dried culvert replacement project with funding from 2009 PI bonds printing for gravel to asphalt initiative, auditor and line M61753190 for zero? How many for approval? Motion by Commissioner Coleman, seconded by Commissioner Marchant. All in favor, please say aye. Aye, pose an e. Motion does carry. 14b is approval. We're going to repost this next week. We're not going to take this up today. It will be reposted. We're going to take care of executive session and then we'll go into budget. I know we've got people waiting here to talk to us. I think we can do this relatively quickly. So item 15A is executive session closed meeting for student to check this government code 551.0711AB. Consultation of attorney closed meeting when the governmental body seeks the advice of attorney about contemplated litigation or settlement offer, claim the kind of Texas against Oklahoma, Farm Bureau, mutual interest and Logan Chandler, Troutman with that. We're an executive session. the commission. Court is reconvened from the exact to the session. There will be no formal action on item 15A. We're going to take a brief, notice I said brief recess, and come back and go to work on budget. Just a minute, if you're knowing that. I'm doing that is seven, isn't it? Yeah, we'll come back and go to work on item 70. So. Okay, commissioners Court is reconvened. We are on item 7E and we'll call on the minister. Good morning, Judge and commissioners. Today you can tell from our agenda we've got a very busy schedule. We have several timed items where people will be addressing you asking for your consideration of something that's not included in the recommended budget. If you would like, just to start off before we get into that on page R81 of your packet, it's a quick update on the tax rate and I thought I'd just go over that real quickly so we know going into this where we're at. You'll see on this page between James Wells and I, we estimated an effective tax rate of 0.255. And as you heard this morning from Michelle French, the actual rate that they calculated is 0.255, 866. So that's pretty darn close. We feel good about that number and annal. You'll see from this spreadsheet, the tax rate to fund the recommended budget that we thought we projected was 0.263253. And when you apply the actual rate, that rate comes down a little bit to 0.262701. That's before we start anything today. That's equivalent to a 2.67% tax increase compared to 3.23. So to me, that's all good news. That's showing we're actually getting more money on the effective rate this year, and that's in a way of new property. There was a little bit more than we thought, as well as just additional roles. So you're still looking at a rate that's almost a penny less in our current tax rate. So that's just starting off the process. So I wanted to share that bit of good information with you before we got started. Okay, the first item on our agenda is the county clerk is here to address you about a couple of things. Information that I sent you last week, I provided you copies of the various appeals. It did not include one of the items and that was my error. The first item is an equity adjustment that she's requesting for the senior clerk slot 012CK and then the second. And that's on page A19 under your appeals tab. And the second item she'll be addressing you on are two reclassification requests for two deputy court three slots that she has asked to go to senior clerk slots. So again, the overall impact of her appeal for all three of these items is $10,900. So at this point, I'll turn it over to our County Court Julie Luke, who will make her presentation to you. Good morning, thank you for waiting. Thank you. Good morning to the staff schedule. We're fine. If we appreciate your time. The first one that we asked for asking you to look at is regarding one of our current senior clerk, she's in the criminal courts. And initially the denial was due to, it was not due to error. It was due to the fact that it was within my predecessor's discretion, her salary at the time of hire. We're asking, there was an inequity and pay in regard to new hires during that administration. So we're asking you at this time to address an injustice that we've inherited. She is currently the lowest paid senior clerk in the courts. And if you look at the second page, you can see that her current salary is $2,000 or $4 less than the average of the other six court clerks. In addition, she's been employed there significantly longer than all but two. Ms. Jenkins has more responsibilities due to the fact that she is in the court, she's permanently assigned to the veterans court and on the front page we've attached the list of additional responsibilities. This includes the additional caseload volume, the confidentiality and security that are important to these particular files. The end of liaison with the treatment team members. Additionally, that particular judge is also the LAJ, so she handles the filing and processing of the standing orders is necessary. Ms. Jenkins is an extremely valuable employee in my office, and I'm asking for your help to retain her extensive knowledge and relentless work ethic. The amount that I've requested is 41,976, which if you look at page two again, is not excessive, it puts her in line with some of the other court clerks. Do you have any questions regarding this particular appeal? Any questions on the send? Yes, so she currently does the Veterans Court and that judge is the LAJ. Okay, and what do you mean by the LAJ? The local news. Yes. And so if somebody else becomes the administrative court, would she take less pay? No, we won't be lowering her pay. Okay, that's my point. The administrative judge responsibility aren't as expansive as the Veterans Court judge. I don't see that changing anytime soon. And so she's taking on the, in the Veterans Court is something that she does in addition to what the other people do. That is correct. It includes an additional caseload, an additional docket, and special handling of those particular case files. January 1st we moved her to the board. Yes. Now she's been in the courts for some time and she's been in this particular court. More Vigilent School. Yes. January 1st when I took office. Okay. And so what happened was this Miss Mitchell chose to hire in at a lower rate and then hired in other people. So she didn't hire in at the max. That is correct. And so she hired in at quite a So they didn't hire in at the max. That is correct. And so she hired in at quite a bit lower rate as a result. Subtlum people have been hired in at higher, although they've been there last time. That is correct. Look, not that it helps your cause. To me, it doesn't have the cause, but you have in your appeal letter that you will lose this employee unless she gets the adjustment. Is that correct? That I mean she's not said as much but obviously as an employer we run that we run that risk. Well it's a you know I always tell employees you, we don't want to ever hold them down. I think that somewhere you make more money, that's always a positive thing. Again experience here. I don't know about y'all. To me, it is a pretty, she's currently making 36,9. 1.4. $10,000. It looks like it's a 10. Am I reading this right? It's a $10,958. No, excuse me, this is $6,388. That's correct. That's the overall salary and benefit impact for this request. So we've got. That would put her at what would put her at. How do you do? Yeah, why is the clerk for court to pay so much 40s to six six nine. I did not set her initial salary. He didn't set her initial salary and that's kind of the so was kind of an arbitrary. You didn't set her initial salary and that's kind of the so it was kind of an arbitrary investment Yeah, we're and we're fixing to do a 5% raise we're considering that I don't know about y'all, but I'd recommend Doing an equity adjustment for the average and set it in 38 918 I Would hope we wouldn't do anything yet until we look at all these appeals because you've got many more employees that's going to be in the same situation until we can look at it and see how much. I understand about not making a final decision. Okay. But we need I know Andy's not here but we need to make decisions. I don't mind making decisions but we need to make we need to look at all the appeals before we start to tell. Yeah. Well, I think if you want to make that motion you can but I'm going to vote against that and I can tell you that upfront because I want to look at all the opinions. I understand. I'm just telling you that I think I'm in favor of this at this amount. Okay. Any other questions or discussion on this particular item? I would be in favor of raising her to 38.918 because she has less experience than the county court number five has 102 months of service. But she and she has less experience than the juvenile clerk. That she has more experience than everybody else. So I think that would be fair. And then I guess everybody would get a 5% raise on top of that. On top of the 38 and 918 that you're suggesting. Yes That's what I'd recommend but we can hold off so Bobby are you suggesting that we all hear The appeals all and then make decisions at the end Uh-huh. Is that gonna be next to there? Are you willing or do you want to do that today? We can do it now. I don't mind if we've got time, but I just I don't want to store Peace mill in it Until we've heard everybody. Yeah, my whole point is is that we have a final it was listed in calendar Yeah, I know we got time though for a final deal and I have to stay a little later today. We've got time I know my point to all is this is that based on the calendar I am not going to be here the next Tuesday where we didn't plan to have a budget here. I want to make sure we get it done today and Tuesday. I'm just going back to teaching at Sanger and she told me I'm taking her on vacation and I gave her my calendar and she says it okay if we don't miss this day and I said it's okay as long as we don't miss any budget hearings and there was no budget hearing scheduled for that day. So I don't want to push it off to a day that we didn't have a calendar. I think we're good. Okay. You know, if it was was not if I had to do it we'd vote on the recommended budget and we'd be done I understand I can give you the impact of your request. Okay, it would be $2,528 $2,528 I'll make a note of that as an option Yes, please do Okay, let's keep going I'm keeping a run in total. So say it again. Two. Two thousand five twenty eight. Okay, let's move on. My second one. Oh, you're not finished. My second appeal was for there were three positions in our recording department that we had requested three reclassifications and we were recommended to receive one but two were denied. Obviously, I took office with the intent to restructure. I was able to do this in most of the departments, especially the courts by just simply moving titles and just restructuring from within. But to finalize this vision of what I see, we need the two additional senior clerk positions in recording. The growth in the county is greatly increased. This has increased the responsibilities and revenue for these clerks. They're currently senior clerks, the two that I'm asking for. We're asking for them to be reclassified as senior clerks. They're clerk three, excuse me, they're clerk three's and we're asking that they be reclassified as senior clerks. We're grade six to grade seven. That is correct. Both of these girls, both of these young ladies maintain critical data in reporting to state agencies, their primary contributors, primary contributors to Denny County receiving the five-star exemplary award for the last seven years. Our vital's clerk in particular is a certified master registrar. This is a pretty big honor. She is not so many things you can just apply for and go to. You have to be accepted into the program. And part of the problem in the recording department is the lack of promotional opportunities. There's no room for growth and development from within. All three have completed the piloting the flight program. This shows that they have taken their growth and development within the county seriously. And their current job responsibilities provided on this sheet that you've just been handed. If you look at them, training new employees, operating at a higher level, troubleshooting, maintaining inventory, all of this correlates directly with the county job description for senior clerk. At the bottom of the front page, you'll see they've all been with the county for some period of time. So we're not looking to to lose them. You. We're just looking to compensate them according to their job duties and responsibilities. So I'm asking you to approve this reclassification and recognize their contribution. Do you want to point out one more thing? We looked at the passport numbers recently, so we know that there's a lot of increased volume and revenue $24,000 a month coming from this particular office. The budget impact for those two are on page 133 and 134 we've got it on their spreadsheet here. Okay page the they they perform a supervisory position over the the deputy clerks or the just county clerks. That correct over the recording department. Yes, sir. And Amy, you you recommended one or you recommended one. Amy recommended one and you didn't recommend the other two. We recommended the one in Carrollton because there was no senior deputy there and there was no higher level supervisor. However, these deputy threes report to assistant supervisors and we did not recommend it. We really didn't see a lot of change in the job description at all. And what we did here was that it was an opportunity. It would increase the opportunity for advancement. And certainly it would do that. This is a big department. County Clerk has a lot of levels and opportunity for advancement. I'd like to point out that while all three do report to this assistant supervisor, these two, as well as the first one that was recommended, do work independently, and they are in supervisory capacities. Okay, questions? How many of you are? Anything else you want? I do think it's important. It's not something that should be set aside. As a side note, that is important. As a newly elected official coming into a department as large as yours, looking at restructuring that department, looking at the current employees that you have, whether to put them in a different position, there needs to be a little bit of flexibility that we give you on those to make those adjustments. What what I what in that I mean I I deal with one employee so I've got Sherry that I have to deal with and that's a lot to deal with. But yeah, well she's probably with you. He has to deal with you. Yeah she does. But I do understand about reorganization. I do understand that to where you want to go, there may be some more reclassifications than normal that you would ask. And so I'd be a little bit more open-minded to those. And I don't want this to sound as as Patis is probably going to sound. The inequities that employees got from another administration are as palpable to that word that word he just said to me then helping you get what the people you need in the place that you need them and the job title that you need them to have. Okay. I appreciate it. I appreciate your time and I just wanted to say one more thing if I might. I wanted to thank you guys for considering the two percent market adjustment that you are considering this budget process as well as a 3% pay increase, this obviously allows us to draw better candidates to fill our positions. So, thank you for your time. Thank you for your time. Okay, Bobbi, Mary, I'm trying to keep a run in count. What do y'all think? I'm not asking for a decision, but I'm not, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not have to think about this and I looked at it last night and I was going through the stuff. It's just been called to my attention and while Miss Luke is still here. I'm wondering if these two different items don't have an impact on each other because if Commissioner Coleman's proposal for the senior clerk is ultimately approved. And I think his proposal was an attempt to realign salaries than what you're asking for with these deputy clerk threes to go to senior clerks. I think both of them are gonna make more than Miss Jenkins would it make. Then the average that was talked about? Yes. And therefore it's gonna throw off that whole that alignment. Well, I guess that's a very good point. Think it because to me, the senior clerk at this forum and equity adjustment, due to, I know you said it wasn't as palpable to me. I think somebody shouldn't suffer due to somebody bringing them in at a lower rate. I've had many discussions with employees who come to talk to me about why they are not being paid similar. And I said, look, that's the elected official who hired you when you came in. And you shouldn't look to the commissioners court to solve that problem because that's the choice of the elected officials who brought you in at the lower rate when it was somebody else previously. I will try what I can to fix that. So to me, in my mind, I at least once different than a reclass than an equity adjustment. An equity, I mean, a reclass should be additional duties, responsibilities, and stuff like that. An equity adjudgment is somebody wasn't treated fairly. We need to, you know, re-align them. They are very different. I'm not arguing that they're the same. I just didn't want them to be approved and then someone come back and say, well, now this is a problem. So I wanted to point out that realignment. I remember that. And I understand what you're saying about trying to be fair. And we have to remember that we have employees all over the county who feel that they have equity issues very similar to this first case in the County Courts Office. And that we oftentimes talk about the discretion of an elected official when they're in office and should the future elected official have the discretion to second guess that discretion. There's only one official in office at a time. That's right. When they leave somebody else is going to change. I would say you can't blame the only guy. You can only blame the previous person in your first turn. After your second turn, that's you can't do it anymore. I understand why. I'm not going to argue with you. Okay. Done. Thank you. If all three of these were held to the average that we discussed, can you come up with the budget impact? If all three of these were held to the average that we discussed for the first position that we talked about, slot 12. We can get that information and get back to you in the block. Thank you. to the Black and then we would go on to our next. Our next appointment is Technology Services. You'll see information in your packet on A25. Also the recap of all that is on page two of your changes sheet. This includes a request for an additional new hire called Network Engineer, a new hire called Technical Services Engineer, and then the proposal includes the deletion of a slot and reallocation of funds. So the overall impact of this request is zero with the changes given prepared. Please do a budget impact for just moving things around. But you're just moving things around. You add some paint to the top of the page and the spreadsheet. So Donna, why did you not recommend it? Zero impact. Well, I didn't know that he had us lot to delete. That was just recent with the announcement of an employee retiring, as well as the other change. I wouldn't wear a dispean in option. Okay. Hi. Would you agree that things have no budget impact, we could make a decision on those? Absolutely. If I'm going to make the motion to agree. I have a two hour long presentation. Excuse me. I'll say it in the motion. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Post and e motion is carried to our presentation canceled. Okay. Thank you. Uh, that's. Hey, provided a lot of good backup. And I know you had a chance to review that. So just for the record. Okay. That puts us on schedule Department of Public Works is the next appeal. This is page a 37 of your packet as well as page two of your changes sheet This request is for a new hire which is a construction project manager the overall impact of this appeal is $108,483. Okay, I have a small packet here. I just wanted to run through just some of the highlights. Two hours. No. Okay. Just to, you know, over the past six years since I started here, we did about $95 million just in facilities projects, building projects. Over the next three years, we're going to do about the same amount. And we've been busy for the past six years, so we're basically doubling the amount of buildings that we're doing in the next three. So it's going to be very, very busy. I'll get to the budget impact in a second, but I met with Commissioner Coleman and Commissioner Ease going into the budget process. And we looked at the road construction and we have a lot of road construction going on as well. And we decided that it would be best to hire an additional road inspector. So initially I was going to ask for two employees. Since then our road inspector that we did have decided to leave that in county. So his spot is vacant. So what we did, we had to rethink what our plan was. And basically we shifted that amount of work, which was essentially needed for two employees down to a bunch of existing employees, including myself. But somebody from Mr. Coleman's office took a whole bunch of additional responsibility. Kenny from Commissioner Eads Office did as well. My engineers and myself all took on some additional responsibility with that. it as well. My engineers and myself all took on some additional responsibility with that. So as far as a budget impact, I didn't get this information at Dadaana because it happened after, but with our road inspector leaving, the impact will be a little bit less because we won't need some of the things that we need to be for with that extra employee here. Like a cell phone, we could repurpose that cell phone, we can repurpose a lot of things that that employee used since that position is no longer available. And I guess when you actually look at it, page four there, it's noted as a 97,000 budget impact, but it's actually a budget savings because the employee that we lost last year is not being replaced. So, similar to Kevin's approval, it's actually going to be because the employee that we lost last year is not being replaced. So similar to Kevin's approval, it's actually going to be about a $10,000 budget savings when you compare the loss of that employee and if we added a new employee. Because that employee has been taken away for the next budget year but for the rest of this budget year for example, we can hire somebody on as a construction manager and it wouldn't be any budget impact because that money is there for that previous employee. Just to clarify, the monies for that position were moved to non-departmental contingency for the court to make a decision on whether you wanted to keep that position for roads or if you wanted to consider it for this position as well. So there's $107,000 that's earmarked in contingency for the court to make a decision on what position you want to operate. I don't mean to interrupt you at presentation, but I'd have to propose a use. Well, I think it's something that's good time to have a good discussion regarding this because I Maintain about 350 miles of roads and Andy does about 175 and as you all know we're rapidly urbanizing and For instance, we're doing we know there's the elementary school in your districts, not harbor that we did as you know I promised them because it's around the school and we took time out of for fixing all our bridges from the reason for rains to do that. When we hire people to do stuff outside it is very important that we have somebody watching over them to make sure that they are doing things correctly and it is similarly very important that we have somebody for public works doing that. I think it's very important that we have something who's somebody who's interested with the county to get that done. I can tell you in light of the recent rains, we are having a tremendous amount of bridges that were probably going to have to farm out many recently on one project found a contractor who was trying to build to who was trying to lay a broken pipe and said look you got to you know and if it's covered up with dirt nobody's there to watch it you just never know. To me Mr. TBLO is very exemplary of the fact that we can do things in-house and save us from tremendous amount of money. I think, you know, under his leadership and expertise, we are having good engineering results. We are having good people watching the construction on the buildings out on Lute T88 along with the jail. I know we had an article about it with the paper but you know Mr. Tbilio is on top of that. The problem is we have how many very you always talk about how much how many millions of dollars in construction. I mean about a hundred million coming and he's being stretched very thin. Similarly, we're being stretched very thin to have people supervise our projects. I think hiring Mr. Gossi and Fred, they little guys are doing a good job and it's along with us bringing that expertise in house. I just think that when you repair a bridge or you build a building and they're easily being mid six years, ending $90,000 on an employee to make sure that we're doing a good job on $10 million worth of work is money well spent. Let me ask a question. You're saying you're eliminating the position? Well let me finish because I talked to Andy about it and he wanted to eliminate the road and bridge inspector in the engineering department. And my deal was, and he wanted to elevate employees in our offices up. Okay. And I said, Andy, I'm not sure if I'd like to do that. I think I'd like to keep the inspector that works for the engineers because he works for them. And then let us have inspectors that works for me in Road and Bridge. That would give us the ability to have many do work on stuff that I'm working on and the inspector who would report to the rest of you guys under engineering. Like on your project, you'd be able to call the guy who works for Mike and say, look, I want you to help supervise this project. Now he would also help me, but he would primarily work with you. Many would be out working with Mike shooting grade, doing water, you know, most of our stuff because of our legs, we have to figure out drainage. So I was thinking instead of going to basically a half time improvement. So that's why Miss Donna stuck that $107,000 in contingency, Mary, because it wasn't decided whether or not we would get rid of the engineering, the road inspector and give it to as a construction inspector or just completely add a construction inspector and keep a road inspector working for the engineers. What conclusion did you and Andy come to? We were going to decide here. Wait a minute. And to me, I want to keep, I want Mike to get a new construction inspector. I think in light of the stuff with the jail, in light of the stuff that's going on in Loot 288, in light of our future construction. If this is construction project manager, you can expect or project manager. I would say he's a project manager but to me he's doing the inspections. That's probably a time remark. It probably has multiple meetings. I mean you could probably better explain that. Yeah it's both. But to make sure they're on the job and they're not sticking the roof on. I'm not arguing that plan. But I've got a good for clarity here. Yeah. Yes, ma'am. You said in perspective that many would be your inspector and then Mike would hire one for the rest of us. I think so. I'm just a good perfect. It provides additional capacity in my opinion. And the only difference Bobby would be who their direct report is, right? I think Robin and his inspector of the one is he going to have to share with Ron and either inspector. I've never I've always shared with Ron. I just think that it would be good to have an inspector who directly reports to the engineers and then have an inspector who also, you know, reports to the administrative manager, which would be Robin. And that's Manning Arty reports to Mike. Manning reports. He works for Ron and I. Right. He already reports to Mike. Why does he report to Mike if he works for you? They're working our administrative form it He reports to the administrative form and in road bridge He would be in he already pretty much does the inspector job right now and He helps with us when we're doing in-house projects and then assist When we're doing in-house projects and then assist when we're doing contracting jobs. I would say that the guy who works for Mr. Tbilio would pretty much only work on contracting jobs. And it was generally the job that Ron does that most of there's going to be a huge project that we're not able to do in house. It'd be very helpful to have somebody in house supervising that or supervising the contractor with the help of Mr. Goss. And you know what I'm talking about. I just think because of the growing nature of our county having additional foods on the ground, both in the road and bridge department and with the construction would be helpful. I'm well aware that Mike is spread pretty thin with all these projects. I think commission needs need to be in on that discussion. And on that side, just as a note, what it's very similar, Kenny's taken over some additional responsibility on precinct three and precinct four road constructions. But just as an example, the country called Road Project is going to require him full time on that project alone. And we have several other three and precinct three and four projects that there's really nobody there to do. So, I mean, we'll make it work, but the less you're out there, the less you're going to catch. And especially with this climate right now, where everybody's busy, you get a lot and it goes trickle all the way down to the new employee. So you get guys laying stone like we just saw that hadn't done it before and walk up the first day of the job and never done it and they're putting stuff up. And if you don't catch them, you got 50 people working on the buildings. There's sometimes up to 200 people at any given time on one project. That's a lot of people making mistakes. You had to catch. So I would agree. I mean, ideally there would be an additional row inspector and an additional building inspector. I think there's plenty of work to go around. I focused on the building part of it here, but there's definitely the both needs there. I think in light of what's happened with Luke 288 and in light of our construction stuff at the jail, it shows that a little money spent now helps us tremendously on these multi-million dollar construction. I don't have a problem with this. I just want to make sure that Commissioner Eads is in the loop here and of A with just area. Just to clarify, I think what I think what Commissioner Coleman is saying is that Commissioner Eads would have Kenny as his construction inspector. Commissioner Coleman would have Manie as his and then the discussion is about adding a third one that would report to Michael. I don't think that I just want to make clear that Commissioner Eads isn't being left out. He's getting the same point exactly. Yeah, he's making some more sense. Now we also proposing that we give those two guys more money. I believe so. That's okay. There's a reclassification consideration that's being recommended. And then there's an appeal for the other for this very topic of those two positions. We'll get to them a little later. And basically the road manager inspector would replace the existing position. So I know Amy and I talked about we can relook at that salary also. It may be able to be even reduced down from from where it was as some cost savings. I think we replaced that employee. I think the previous person in engineering is good. It was paid considerably higher than the people that are going to be paid and the road bridge department, like $25,000 $107,000, basically in contingency for this request, budget impacts. As some information I just got from Michael a few minutes ago, the items that you could scratch if that happens, you could scratch the office supplies at $200. I'm sorry to interrupt but if we did replace the previous employee that wouldn't not be hold true. Right and that's what I'm saying if this is a swap of that you could do you could reduce these items if not then you would have to keep all of them for the total impact of 108, 483. So if you choose that, you could reduce the $200, the $3,500, $185, $75, $560, and $1300. That's if you swap, just those two slots. If we went to public works not having a road inspector it would basically be a wash. It would be the request would be one of one nine eighty three hundred and one thousand ninety three versus a hundred and seven that's in contingency. This is the person we've already budgeted. I'm sorry but we've already budgeted the hundred and seven that's included. It's included in contingency for y'all to make that determination of how you want to rely on misnipersonally be the inspector slash project manager that you can also rely on the two inspectors come from the east and west. Yeah, we would work in conjunction with them. You know, if we were to replace the road inspector, like I said, we could probably reduce that down by 20,000, and then this would be an additional impact to that because that's not included. It was, you know, the contingency was to remove that slot and put it into contingency. And we're really what we're asking for is two employees of road inspector and a building inspector. So there would still be a budget impact on that if we went that way. And I think it's correct me if I'm wrong, though. She put the money in contingency because it wasn't clear that we were going to get rid of either give add the construction inspector or swap it for a road inspector for a construction inspector. So you're asking for one employer to employ? If you've already asked. I'm asking for one new employee end of replace the existing employee. Would be ideal. I mean, I think there's a need for that. Well, you ask him to replace the person that left. Is that slot vacant now? They can. Well, you're asking for one employee. Yes, correct. That's the other one is a replacement employee. Correct. It also had been considered we would get rid of that line and then just bring it in. And that's why because it was unclear after Andy and I talked about it, that's why Donna put the money in contingency. I guess my point is we spent a tremendous amount of money on these projects. I think our employees have shown their worth that while we're spending all this money to have people oversee it. And now from the building side, I did outline some additional duties on that, that, just that page number one I had listed. You know, there's some things that we set out to do. When I first got hired here that I just have not been able to get to. And this is mainly working with technology services and facilities updating our existing plans and our standards. As we go forward, you know, right now we don't really have a comprehensive standard list that we have that we want to see in our building. So basically, you know, Danny and Dale and myself kind of have it in our head, but it's really would like to get it on paper and out there as something we can hand to our consultants as we hire them. And this is what we want to do. Along with our building files, our electronic files, you know, even as recent as phase two of the admin complex and phase one of the admin complex are outdated because we don't have the staff to maintain those. So we get the electronic files and we do one little renovation project and now they're outdated and it starts to spread out so we have files everywhere and it's difficult to manage when you don't even know what you have and that would be one of the tasks in between all the other duties was to help manage that those two big projects, which will take several years to get all in there because we're talking about, you know, every county building getting into a good system that we can... What we probably need to do is for next week's agenda, Amy's going to work with Michael to come up with maybe a different salary than is reflected, not necessarily on here, but the engineering physician. So we'll bring that back as an item for discussion next week as well. And, you know, I think we probably talked about this earlier, but I think probably any of the departments differently, I don't think that means we run them better, but we run them differently. Right. differently and I think that means we run it better but we run it differently. Right now, many helps out quite a bit inspecting our own projects that we're doing but he also is the permanent but he's also the perimeter and he does all the cohorts and all that to get him to start helping out with our contracting is going to be a considerable amount more of job responsibilities. And we need that. But he works, you know, with Mike quite a bit. I really think James Gossie needs somebody to help him as well. And that way, instead of just hiring another engineer, we get somebody who can help him quite a bit. And it's been evidenced in the fact that we've got all these bridges that were fixed and then a dude, some of them in-house, some where we're going to contract. Similarly, I think we could try to use another architect, but a half stop is to hire a construction manager who will work under the direction of Michael, which will be cheaper. Inclined to be supportive of all this but I need to figure out what I'm going to do. That's wait until next week can we have the numbers a little closer in anything else Michael? No that's it. It's for any other questions? Any other questions? Believe not, thank you. Okay. The next item is the Sheriff's Department. There's information on page A4 of your packet. A4. A4. This includes a request to transfer a lieutenant position from the jail budget to the Sheriff's Patrol Division. There's a slight overall reduction with that request due to some supply changes. There's also, we've had recent discussion here in court about the telecommunication specialist slots and the radio, Lieutenant, our office met with the Sheriff's Department last week and we have a joint recommendation that we're all making to you today that would reclassify those three positions and then there's also some deletion of software and radio repairs resulting in overall decrease in the department of $110,555. So with that I'll turn it over to the sheriff to talk about the lieutenant position switch. Yes ma'am, thank you so much. Good morning Judge commissioners. It's always a pleasure. Thank you guys so much for everything you do. Thank you for this process. We'll go through and thank you for serving us the way you do. The proposed budget for FY16 has generated much interest among the sheriff's office employees. As you know, the sheriff's office has ongoing market and pay equity issues, the impact retention, recruiting, and morale. It was encouraged to see a possible market adjustment to address the above challenges and issues. Employing public safety personnel in the Metroplex is competitive and challenging to say the least. I recently attended the Sheriff's Conference and discovered that several counties are considering similar requests such as Fort Van, Bayer, Collin counties. I would encourage you to consider the proposed market adjustment. It could mean the difference between retention and recruiting in Denton County Sheriff's Office. In the future, the Sheriff's Office would always be available in a system putting together an overall strategy and addressing these important issues and we have these I'm also going to talk about the communications and everything else if you guys want to see this you're more and welcome to and do you have any questions on anything at all please let me know. Thank you, guys, for your time. We're talking about a negative impact of 110-555. Yes, I'm page 4 of 6. At the very top, you'll see all the recommended changes that are being suggested. This would be transferring the lieutenant position from the jail budget to the Sheriff's Patrol budget and the first five line on them on that are connected. So there's an overall slight reduction there. The computer software reduction, this is a software program that will help them tremendously with the new radio system that's about to be logged to track their inventory. That's a huge number of radios and all to keep up with. So instead of using this in the budget, we're going to use proposed to use excess funds from the project budget itself. So it's not awkward deleting it, adjusting another funding source for that. Also the salary assistance, we're looking at slot 100SO, which is telecommunication specialist. Would be reclassified from a grade 14 to a grade 15. This is the slide that's been vacant for almost a year now. The impact of that is $9,629. The second slide is slide 112. Would be the same reclassification at a cost of 19,000, 995. We also looked at the current lieutenant slot. This would be taking that position out of the law enforcement system at a grade 110 and making that a radio systems manager position grade 16. Amy was in the meeting and she can address this sum if needed but also these positions were compared to those in technology services with some of the reclassifications that are being proposed for their position as well. So that's an impact of that is $5,000, $1,000, $69 for the manager position. And then also assuming that these positions can be filled at these higher salaries, we can reduce the radio repair line on them. We currently outsource that at a cost of $75,000. We're comfortable with going ahead and reducing that regardless because if the positions are not filled Budget amendment policy allows us to use that salary money for another salary related line and a contract person that's doing the same work is definitely Fits that criteria So that it kind of in a nutshell gives you all of the various Peals and requests that they're making to you today? We all know it in your head in agreement, I ain't even going to. So, okay, so you all are in agreement regarding the radio system specialist and the removal of the Motorola maintenance agreement. Now we're not going to have that agreement come back and you all are going to say it's going to cost $700,000, right? Oh, I'll get a full tarot. I have a commission or a Mitchell will remember. We'll tell you. I have a long memory and you come back and say that you need $700,000 as a result of this not doing what you want. You know, I'm not going to be for it. Now I'm going to remind you of this day. Well, I'm going to make a motion to approve the recommendation from the budget office of a negative $110,000, $555, as well as all the reallocations, the salary adjustments and the reclassifications. Okay. Ron, I still have a couple of questions. Is that okay? Okay. We have a motion by Commissioner Marche. I'll second the motion under the Special Commissioner Coleman. Um, in regards to the lieutenant in the jail, who's in that spot? We don't currently have anybody in this spot right now. So if it's not necessary, shouldn't we just be eliminating it as opposed to transferring it because that's what my recommendation would be if we had budgeted an extra slot That was never filled and it should have never been at the jail at the first place I really don't think we should read a lot it to another spot What we should do is not fund it and eliminate it in this year's budget and then consider whether a need is there for patrol as opposed to just Swap them around. Well, that would be my recommendation because now that Chief said that the spot was not needed in the jail, we shouldn't infund it in the upcoming budget. Well, this particular spot was always used for the internal affairs spot and that was always internal affairs. We've done those into other positions and because what we're trying to do is we're trying to get more supervision over our patrol division. And that's why we're trying to move it. It's at no impact at either side of any way. We just need additional supervision for weekend staffing on our, and of course the busy nights, the Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday nights on patrol. And we just desperately need that lieutenant spot to oversee these guys in patrol to make better decisions. Sure, just to clarify, is that the position that's just been vacant about a week or two? Yes, ma'am. I thought so. Okay. Well, I would, if you would accept, I would like to discuss that later, but so I would offer an amendment to your motion to accept everything, but eliminate that lieutenant's position and then reconsider it as a new employee, because it was apparently assigned to the jail. And we still have staffing issues, I think, with the jail that has it opened. So I think what we should do is eliminate that position, and then from take that as a savings, and then independently decide whether we need a new lieutenant in patrol. and from take that as a savings, and then independently decide whether we need a new lieutenant in patrol. I don't want to eliminate it, and then come back, then we have come back, because it's just been vacant a week. So obviously they needed to position, and if we eliminate it, then they're gonna come back and ask for it as a new employee. So, and probably more money, he... Well, we've always used that spot for the internal affairs lieutenant. Well, I guess my point is they were saying it was in the jail. It's no longer necessary. So if it's no longer necessary, we should remove that position. And then it's necessary. Well, then consider later whether we should add a lieutenant patrol because they're not swappable, you know to make? Yes, sir. And so if it's no longer required in the jail, what we should do is unfund it in the upcoming budget and then consider the staffing and patrol and just not swap position for position for position. Did you have something to add, Jim? Yes, I don't know if this would help to clarify the situation any, but we did meet with the department on this particular position. And it's my understanding that this is a case of a position that's over time has developed into the position that it is. And it always split responsibilities that kind of crossed over into both budgets. But just for ease of budgeting, it was always tracked in the county jail budget. But over time, it's kind of shared duties that crossed over the boundary lines of both budgets. Now that it's a vacantant they feel like it's probably appropriate time to moving into the more correct budgeting and to reassign a little more duties that are more sheriff department related versus jail. That's my understanding out milk that helps. I thought I'd help clear. We were saying that this was originally assigned to the jail in the jail budget but it wasn't used for the jail it was used for long course. It's been that way Sheriff Williams back in Tarant County who took people out of the jail and assigned them into other spots. Physicians had a way of it, believe it or not. The lieutenant spot was here before we obviously came on our administration and it's but we've worked both sides of the house. We work internal affairs. We have to work, obviously we have tension side and the operation side. We've got to work them vigorously to make sure that we keep integrity as Sheriff's Department. And that's what that slot was always used for. But now we're not going to have that. Or who's going to have that? Yeah, we're going to have it. We're going to do it into two different spots and additional I guess we're going to take two investigators and use them for that particular stuff to do internal affairs stuff. Commissioner Coleman. Maybe out the responsibilities a little bit more. I guess I just when you come and say that we no longer need the position, right, I'm like well, then we should have it eliminated. And then like we do, we've had this discussion in the past, and consider it, consider it in your original budget request. Commissioner Marchion, Commissioner Coleman is suggesting an amendment to your motion do you accept the amendment? We can discuss it later, but I'm not saying just out, I just would like to discuss that separately. So I would like to take the motion and... It's interrogating. I recommend that you ask each state of here. Thank you. So the acceptance has been not ahead of the amendment to the motion. I agree. So we're voting on the item in its entirety as it's presented here. For the questions, comments? Okay, so on this one, everything is as stated here in amendment. questions, comments? Okay, so on this one, we're Everything is as State is not a question about this topic, but I think Commissioner Mitchell thought that we would basically take a sense of the core and then make one motion Well, this is because this is a negative idea. We've been doing the negative If it was a negative narrative, you know, I'd say hold Take them all, the ones that are going to have a positive impact or an increase at the end of the time. And that will make decisions on the ones that result in a decrease as we go. Ad hoc. Okay. That's fine with me. I'm not a favor of this. I'd like to have the Lieutenant position because obviously they said it was not necessary. I didn't never say it was not necessary. They said it was okay to eliminate. Maybe that's better to describe. Okay, we have a motion in a second. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Opposed, sitting. Motion carries, three in favor, one opposed. Thank you, sir. Thank you, ma'am. Okay, we are up to item number five. Okay. We are up to item number five district court. Uh, free hands 67th district court judge finds. As here to address the court on page a 43 of your packet. You'll see the back up data that she's provided, along with the impact of that. Um, impact. There are two options that were included in your packet. provided along with the impact of that. The impact there are two options that were included in your packet. One is based on her request and the other includes an additional 5% added on top of that. So just fine. Here. Thank you for waiting. A 43. No, that's a spreadsheet. the next to the next to the next to the next to the next to the next to the next to the next to the next to the next to the next to the next to the next to the You see there's two different options. It's not a request for bail. It's one of you. Thank you. Good morning. Are we all on the same page? I think so. Good morning, Judge. Morning commissioners. First of all, you know, I don't come over here very often. But this request is for an equity adjustment for my court administrator, Pam Smith. And this is not an issue of comparing two different positions. Our court administrators do the very same job, our district court administrator to the very same job as any other district court administrator. However past errors in the salary guidelines have resulted in an inequitably low salary for my administrator pan. For example, PAM has had 14 and a half years experience with the county, almost 15 and there's someone with just less than five that's making $5,138 more than PAM. And so I took a look at the Denton County Classification Descriptions for Court Administrators and the job requires the following. It needs to have considerable knowledge of the organization and operations of the court system, considerable knowledge of the nature, count and purpose of a variety of documents processed in the court system. In fact, the guidelines further say that in consideration, in all cases, consideration should be given to the job description and ranking, as well as the applicant's qualifications, experiences when determining the salary to be offered. So, if you will take a look at the letter that Donna had sent me regarding the qualifications. In the middle paragraph, she resites back to me what I liked about Pam when I hired her, which is having previous knowledge of lawyers, Odyssey, and the computer application she quickly was up to speed. She actually was hired in 2013, not 2014. So her separation from the county in 14 and a half years has been seven months, not a year and seven months. Okay. And then the note goes on to write, Denton County has a process in place to recognize what a new hire brings to them. Ms. Smith's prior experience in the courtroom allowed her to be compensated at 16% above the minimum salary of the pay grade. And so I should say that's great. She had more than 10 years experience when she came on with me. So she should max out. That's great. And it does sound great except so did everybody else. The pay grade for new hires, the requirements are an applicant who meets the minimum requirements of the job description may be hired at a minimum of the pay grade and they want three years of experience. In order to get 4% above the minimum, you are supposed to have an additional two years of related experience. To get 4% above the minimum, you have to have four years more experience. To get 12%, you have to have six years more experience and to get the 16 you got to have eight years. Well that works for Pam but it doesn't work for the other administrators that have been hired within the last six years. Now if you look at what you've given here the adjustment chart here there's three people that are shaded at the bottom. Not really taking much into consideration with them. They've been here 27 and 30 years. They should be maxed out. They're not at the top yet, but I have no concern with how much money they're making. But if you take a look at the ones that are not shaded, there's six of us here. And Pam, if you look to your seniority list here, that tells you of those who have actually been the longest county employees. And Pam has been here almost 15 years. The second one is Teresa. She's been here nine and a half years. And then we go down the list from there. But if you look to the right to the salary rank, you'll notice that person who's been in fourth place for seniority now makes the most money. That's where the error comes from. And you know why? And it's because everybody makes 16% when they walk in the door. Whether or not they have any experience in the courtroom. Whether or not they know Odyssey. Whether or not they know any of the attorneys. They've been getting 16%. Starting from the one in, actually the one in the 393rd made a little bit more than like $450 above 16% of what the salary range was. Because what I had for myself is a chart that showed what was the salary base for every year and then whatever year that administrator was hired, I took the base rate and then I'm multiplied by 16%. The only person who got 12, I'm not sure where they got 12, was the one for the 16th. She got 12, but the one for the 440 second got 16, the 158 got 16, the one for 393 got 16, plus a little more, the one for $211.16 and so did Pam. So that's where the error takes place. And Pam had all the qualifications and it has been recognized that she had the qualifications at that time. However, this request for $64,000 wouldn't even place her at the top of them. It would place her in second place, notwithstanding she still has 14 and a half years experience with County, it still only puts her in second place to give her $64,000. How some end, you still got somebody ahead of her, the one who's been here for 1,5 years, who never had any experience in the courts at all. Three of them have never had experience in the courts. Theresa has, Pam has, Carol has not. Well, she actually worked from like 89 to 97 in a non-court position with the district clerk's office. Oh, I'm sorry, in the in the court house. But the other three have had none. They knew the judge that worked for the judge, whatever they got hired when the judge got put in there. And so that's why I'm saying it's just not equitable to have someone with nearly 15 years experience to be making fourth place in the terms of the six administrators that have been the most recently hired within the six years. And so for that reason, I'm asking that her salary be placed right about in the medium between the highest ones and the lowest one is a salary of $64,000. And then allowing her to have the raise just like everyone else would, otherwise it'll be meaningless to increase her salary. And so I am ready for any questions if you have it. I'm happy to answer any questions. So can you again describe what you said that again, I'm sorry. You told me again what areas you think H or made regarding the salary ranking. I think the errors that were made is that notwithstanding the policy that in order to be given two, four, six, or eight, I'm sorry, in order to be given above the minimum, you had to have an additional two years of related experience or education to get four. You had to be get, have four years to give, to get to eight percent above the minimum. You had to have six years to get to 12 percent above the minimum and then eight years to get above 16 and everybody got 16. and the only people that ever worked in the courtroom before are Theresa and Pam. Did she get 16 when she was hired in? She got 16 when she was hired in and so did the other girl who had no experience. Did she have experience when she was hired in? When she got 16? Yeah, she had it all 14 years now I'm talking about when she first got hard in getting no experience. Okay, and she got 16% the absolutely It's like the rest of them. It's what just like the rest of them. Yeah, the deal with this Commissioner Mitchell is From what I understand she worked as a court reporter Before she came to work for judge barns and court reporters are conspired considerably more than court coordinators. And there are similar situations, for instance, I hired somebody who had worked for 23 years at a very substantial amount of money and has a tremendous amount of experience with the county. Except he took a job with less responsibilities and less educational requirements. He then took about a $50,000 paid cut. I hired him in at the max. He then got promoted and he gets paid the same amount of money as your administrator, as Ron's administrator. He doesn't get paid the same amount of money as my administrator. Well, he probably gets paid. I think he gets paid more than all of them. Yeah, well, I think he gets paid less. And I think he's worked for the county quite a bit more. The deal is, you know, I'll tell you, I agree with Amy on this. You know, a lot of it, you do grant experience, but a lot of it is the job you're working. Right, right. It's right. And so it's employee lift and came back. Yes, or report. It did not voluntarily leave and I was happy to take her back. But she also was in a courtroom every day. And then they get this done. And when you're in a courtroom every day, you learn many more things. The lawyers know who you are. You know how to work the computers, that sort of thing. So I understand that and that's why she started in the base pay of an administrator, not in the base pay of her former job as a court reporter. But the experience is far beyond working in a law office. I don't think the human far beyond working in a law office. I don't think that human resources made an error. I think they applied the policy. And we may not like the policy, but that's the policy that was applied. Because all the other employees, when she first came in, when she didn't have any experience, she got to 16% just like every other employee. Now, whether you think she should be paid more I think that's another situation. I mean it's an equity situation like the county clerk had an equity situation It's what you want in us to look at but I don't think there are there's an error. I think there's a Policy that we disagree with that you disagree with But what I don't understand in all of this is that why have a base rate of 48 if you're always going to go 16% higher? And that's what it shows. No matter what the qualifications are, I elected officials that I can clarify. I think it's not so much an error as a difference in interpretation of the policy between the way it's been administered by HR and the way most elected officials want us to administer it. We have a pretty broad interpretation of related experience if someone's worked in a law office, if someone has something that's related, it doesn't have to be exactly in a courtroom. If they've worked in the district clerk's office or the county clerk's office, we consider that to be related experience. I think it's just a difference in interpretation. And I think that the people that have been hired at 16% above have come with substantial related experience. There is a limit though in our policy as to how far we will go up the pay scale based on experience that the person brings to the job when they're hired and that limit is 16% and that's why she was limited to 16% that's been the policy for a long long time. Carrie, and it's what we have decided as a commission for it. We have people who've switched jobs, who had considerable amounts of money, or considerable amount of considerable amounts of money, who had a considerable amount of expertise who've been dodging the county budgeting for 20 years but then they took another job and that job has been slotted at a lesser amount. It's the problem that was with Judge, I mean with Julie Luke is the previous administration had chosen not to hire somebody at 16% and as a result she had hired subsequent people at 16% and there was an inequity We can't fault a Elected official for bringing somebody in at 16th. I mean, that's their judgment They felt that in their opinion it counted and but if you get the max When you're hired in it's not the base salary you got the base plus the 16 And we don't that's what we hire people in. If you're the world's best dog catcher, we'll hire you in at 16%. But we only pay dog catchers extra amount of dollars. I think my point is that there should be uncontroverted that the level of knowledge for Pam and Tyler heard of 16% when she came in. Okay, and Teresa who's been working there almost 10 years. But it is the commissioners for who gives and approves the 16%. I don't know, I don't come here often. Okay, but to give it to everyone as meaningless for those who actually bring so much more to the table. And that's my position. Because I understand that, she's making 91 as a court reporter. She was happy to be rehired. I was thrilled to have her be rehired. And she started at the rate for any other out of school, basically just been working something for a couple of years in order to get in to the county, she's getting the same amount of money. And now that person's making $5,138 and she's worked here two years longer than Pam has worked here. So that's my point. It's not to be offensive, but when everybody is making the same, then why bother having that bottom rate? Because the qualifications of these administrators are not the same. And I don't think we all make the decision to give them all 16%. I believe our human resource department take considerable amount of time to look at their experience and the qualification and what they've done. So not everybody that comes in, maybe this situation with these employees, they came in and got 16%. But I know all the employers that come in don't get 16% because I hear the same argument that somebody else didn't get 16%. So yeah, it happens all the time. I'm sorry? It happens all the time. I was just not with court coordinators, apparently. But it happens out of our 1500 employees, it happens all the time. It's not with court coordinators, apparently. But it happens out of our 1500 employees, it happens all the time. I have, when I'm hiring a rodent bridge person, Miss Phillips and I will disagree on what experience qualifies as a rodent bridge one person. And she'll say they're entitled to 5% over the minimum. And I think they should have gotten 16. We have honest disagreements. I can tell you that Miss Phillips and I don't always agree, but I do my best job to try and be disagree without being disagreeable. But I mean, you could hire the absolute best court coordinator. But as a commissioners court, we set that as a policy to get 16% above minimum. So I guess are you asking us to as a kind of commissioners court to set that to 20% if you get somebody fed, read, readjust our policy to 25%. If you get somebody the best in that, we can then tell Miss Phillips that if you have somebody who has great experience instead of 16% over minimum 25% over minimum Let's not go that high Because I guess what you're not what you really asking us to do is what you're really asking us to do is change our policy from 16% Well, I just think at this time and yeah, I think a change of policy to notice like, somebody has to meet the minimum, okay? And somebody should start at the minimum, right? And that's just not happening. And so when you find somebody who actually meets the minimum and has this way past eight year experience, you've got four tiers already in place, but they're not being used. And we also have other people that work for other judges and that elected official says I think they meet the criteria for whatever person you want it. Yeah, I mean, that's what I was going to state. It's just discretionary. I mean, it's, it's what the elected official is willing to go to bat for at the time and those elected officials evidently proved up, didn't prove up to us because we, that's why we have a human resource department proved up to them that they deserve the 16% over it. Well, and I said nothing disparaging about each of the administrators, but they came from where the judge came from. They used to be there, you know, working in the office. Of course they're going to have good things. This is tiny cheek, but I'm surprised you're questioning the wisdom of your colleagues in their high. I'm sorry. I said I'm surprised you're questioning Judge Bailey back there and the wisdom of his hiring. He apparently hired somebody to unqualified at 60%. Okay, well thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. The other one. All right. No, I wanted to say that. I am in support of Sherry Battlestates. And I'll stick around in case you all have any questions. But it's busy over at the courthouse and hers is necessary as well. Thank you for your consideration. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Okay, next on our agenda is Judge Bonnie Reveson, a private court judge. Page A50 of your packet is all the backup data. And page three of your changes sheet recaps that for you. This appeal is for additional funding for law and reference books, the page three of your changes sheet, recaps that for you. This appeal is for additional funding for law and reference books, training and education, due to inscriptions, and I think three facility remodeling requests. The overall appeal is for 46,671 dollars. Good morning, commissioners. Thank you. First of all, thank you for all your good work. Thank you. Good morning, commissioners. Thank you. First of all, thank you for all your good work. And I know you have an impossible job. And I appreciate you giving me time to hear me again. I know you like us to prioritize our requests. And our number one priority is space. And I do not know how you are going to fix our space problems. I have two employees that do not have offices or desks. I have one employee who is out with back surgery who will return August 6th. I have one of our employees sitting at her desk going to be sending Miss Phillips an email about our employee who is returning from back surgery because she's currently sitting is in a pathway and I don't think it will be good for her to sit there after her back surgery. So I'm going to have to displace another employee, but the short story is I have two employees and no space for them. is I have two employees and no space for them. I would encourage and we requested through facilities what we thought would be the minimum changes that we were requesting. The one change that seems to make sense to us, but we understand we look at it from just the probate court perspective. We know that the county has to look at it from the whole county perspective. But from our small view, we were requesting that the current break room, which is too small and over 20 staff people use that. It's got a table with three chairs because of the table. The door doesn't completely open when three people are sitting there then the refrigerator doesn't, it'll open but somebody's got a slide. So we were suggesting and my staff tells me Commissioner Coleman made a walk through. We were suggesting that the break room would move back and the apparently it would cost $19,000 to turn the plumbing and the electrical sockets and close off that extra space where there are file stored so we could use that office. So I respectfully appeal the denial because I have two employees. I don't have space for them and I'm not an interior design planner but we're open to whatever the commissioners think overall is best. In addition, I'm appealing the denial for two electrical plugs. We did get permission in the prior budget for the drop-downs for the computer connects. We're going to double for the computer connects, we're going to double up in offices for our interns. We were given the money for IT and the drop down the computer connects. We didn't know that we also had to make a separate request for the electrical outlets. It's the electrical outlets now that we've been denied in the budget. So the volunteer program that we're trying to run, we need the electrical outlets so we can connect the computer dropdowns. Because I don't have the big picture of you, maybe that's inefficient use of money. And I understand, I accept whatever commissioners decide on this, I would ask though, this is about my fourth or fifth year for a facility's request for a bathroom. And we have been turned down now for four or five years. And I also understand that because again, I don't know what the plans are. But my staff is having to use the public bathroom out in the hallway, which means the investigators are having to be in the bathrooms with the perpetrators who my investigators are giving me reports, they need to be stopped from doing what they're doing to vulnerable people. It's our job to protect. So it's not a good situation. I just ask that you continue to keep, if I'm denied again this year the bathroom requests to where we're gaining an employees but we don't have a employee bathroom they were using and they do use the one in the jury room when it's available but if we have a jury in there they can't use that and in addition to a chart link is having to use that jury room also. And she has jury trials so we have less availability for that bathroom. I put the facilities requests first. I think they are in imminent need. We have desks that Mr. Hacoman has discovered. My staff tells me that Mr. Hacoman didn't tell me that when Mr. Hacoman was there, he saw that we have desks in pathways that might not be appropriate for the safety codes. So with that, that might not be appropriate for the safety code. So with that, I respectfully request that if our requests are denied for these small facility improvements, and I can understand why because it seems astronomical to me, But it would take 19,000 dollars to turn electrical plugs and plumbing 180 degrees. So they came out of the other side of the wall and you just closed off the wall. But I can understand why they were denied for 19,000 dollars. But we're getting above my expertise. But I would hope that somebody gets an interior space designer to look through our beautiful courthouse. And if we have to make things smaller, we get a committee. And because I don't want to have to be arguing that I should have this space and that means another colleague, judge, clerk is going to lose space because what we have working very well is a good partnership with the clerks and the pro-bate court and I don't think we need to be having to try to take one another's space. Also again if you can give me any additional money for books and licenses we would appreciate it. We are sharing books. I don't even have Lexus. So if you have any questions, I will try to, as Beth can answer them. I will discuss with Danny the electrical op-cat was even before budget time. We have made several requests and form Mr. Bromley has come up and been through our space. And Mr. Coleman knows that we haven't wasted any money on carpet or wallpaper or paint. So I'll tell you all what I did and anticipation of the budget and because of some of my colleagues had, and you know, as y'all had gotten emails through the past from our colleagues over at the district court judges, I made an appointment with Danny and he and I went through every single room at the courthouse and we developed a punch list and there is a tremendous amount of holes in sheet rock and dinged them calls and scuffed areas and frankly the carpet in the probate Work area is atrocious. It's coming up off the floor There's a good chance of people tripping on it They're jam packed in there As the commissioners, you know, we manage and assign the space over at the courthouse. Several years ago, we had a meeting. I don't know if you all remember when we were doing the fourth floor. And I attempted to get everybody to reorganize and have the high traffic courts in the top floors. I mean, excuse me, the high traffic courts in the bottom two floors, and then the lower traffic courts on the top three and four courts. The county clerk was very unhappy with my suggestions then at the time. There were some judges who were very protective of their space, and basically our little committee just decided, you know what, it was gonna be too much problems, politically and otherwise to rearrange the courthouse. Frankly our district court judges were very amenable. They were very cooperative willing to work on stuff. So I decided, you know what, I was gonna go over there again because I've heard about abandoned refrigerators and abandoned AV equipment and all sorts of stuff and I'll tell you it is unbelievable There are people who have their own individual refrigerators Although I was told by mr. Brownlee you're not supposed to have your own individual refrigerator There are full side refrigerators in the hallway. There's all sorts of stuff on every floor that is Not in the break room. There are boxes of paper and there are files. Man, it's like, it's a crazy mess on second, third and fourth floors. Got my department. Yeah. One of the things, you know, I've breached or I've thought about doing is we need to have some sort of stopgap measure to take do something about room over at the courthouse. One of the things I thought about doing was maybe the Carroll Courts building, we could take the two county civil courts and stick them over there to provide additional breathing room at the current courthouse. I know that they do do ODLs and mental health rules, but I think we'd be able to equip and I talked to Mr. Wells about it regarding funding but to temporarily maybe relocate people over to the Carroll Courts building to free up the space at the courthouse. How long was it going to last if we're going to sell the bill? the Carroll Courts building to free up the space at the courthouse. How long was it in the last episode of the bill? My whole point is is that I don't know if we're going to be able to build right now. If y'all been over to the courthouse, then it's parking. I couldn't find that legally park to go meet Danny. So I don't know if we could afford to take away additional parking plus. We're going to need another tower for the jail. Mr. Cullman. Yes. On my feet. I know. I know. But my whole point is that I'm not. I definitely think we need to remodel the probacore. She may have excellent point. We can't take space away from other people. That's. She was made to actually point we can't take space away from other people that's Now, but it might be possible if someone that's you know, we spent a little money for some sort of interior person who's skilled They could go and not have any dog in anybody's fight Just look at the space we have and let's use it more efficiently. Well, the funny thing is I went over there just to look for maintenance issues and everybody wanted to talk about remodeling or something. I was like no, I'm here for maintenance issues. Last day I told me you wouldn't speak to them. I was looking for maintenance issues. I didn't want it because everybody I went over there said oh you know and I think I've mentioned that you know we all act in our own role but we all want to get into each other's business but everybody told me we should just have a bond election you know it's easy. Have a bond election build more buildings right? I was like well I guess the councilor judges didn't have the bond election and letting it affect but no what we need to do is if we do another bond election we've got to figure something out but I don't think see a bond election coming up anytime soon so we need to figure out some sort of interim solution I don't think building out the basement or the lower level of Sandy Jacobs I can't call it the basement I don't think that's going to be appropriate I see the space we might have is at the Carroll Court's building. But right now, the probate department is jam-packed with people. We can't tell Judge Roberson how to manage her people, but I can tell you there's a lot of people over there. They're jam-packed with stuff. They need to do carpet. It's almost embarrassing. So, Danny, have any suggestions? Well, I just wanted to go over there and talk to him about maintenance issues because... I mean, correct these problems right here. Does that mean that... I mean... Well, I think they're looking at it wrong, but they're electrical. I'm putting 3500 yen. I've heard me. I said, maybe I'm looking at it wrong, but... Electric... Outlet for 3500 dollars. I'm looking at it wrong but electric out left for $3500 I'm not in construction. I'm like Ron you know. I mean, Ron you've got that's how righteous. Ron you've got better experience. I don't have that I don't do construction. I don't have you've done that sort of thing. Yeah. Remind me when we were talking about the, you know, going, and I hate to go away from you, but for my information, we were talking about the building for the district attorneys and this standalone building that's over there near where they currently are, the Civil Attorney buildings that we purchased. Right. We had hadn't we looked at, didn't we see plans to annex of the court building to the East, I believe, is that right? I believe so, but that would be in the next bond election. So it wasn't, it was, it was, it was, it was, it has not. I believe is that right I believe so but that would be in the next bond election So it wasn't it was In our see up. Yeah, it's in our capital improvement plan, but it's such a large project. It won't be going up here But but the The attorney building is in our bond we've already proved bonds on the We've already proved bonds on the oath. We paid for the civil attorney building to free up service. Right, right. But there's a standalone, another building that the bond of action. And I would hope that it would have a parking garage on the bottom and then offices on the top and maybe have to tie away into the house. We hadn't had a bond unless we had to pay for it. That was too much. Well, you only have a certain amount of space. Let's say this is your courtroom and the offices that are included in your space. You're going to have to take space away from somewhere that's within this space here without going outside of this place. So you either reduce the size of your courtroom, reduce the size of your office, or you reduce the size of your courtroom, reduce the size of your office, or reduce the size of closets that you'd art store rooms or whatever. Right, and that's what you're talking about, space playing. And that's what was our best attempt, but because of the cost, I believe, the $19,000, which sounds like a lot of money to me to reinvent the space, I believe we were denied. But I'm just trying to utilize the space we have. The reason I went through the courthouse was much like the Carol Courts building last year. You know, it seems like we sometimes, and Danny has got a lot on the play. So, but it just seems like I'm trying to go through building by building each year. And that's why I wanted us to paint the Coral Horts building last year, because it was in, remember the windows were horrible. It was stained black with feces from the birds, and it looks a lot, you know, a thousand times better. That's why I did the walkthrough, just for maintenance issues, not for redesign with any the other day at the courthouse just to see what we needed to do over there. But to me on this my recommendation... I would take a look at this and see what I'd do. I want to tell you what my recommendation would be and y'all can... I would just recommend that we... I would be recommending to do some subscriptions. I have additional employees including another attorney over there. So that, to me, you know, take care of the barbies and stuff like that. But I wouldn't be in recommending the law and reference or the training and education and I would recommend the, what was it, the, uh, the remodel? And I'm not sure about room two, I wanted to ask about two, four, two, nine. That's not office space that belongs to anybody else in it, like the county clerk or anything. Or that's not the expansion of the computer room, isn't? Well, as I saw that, and I don't want, but we need to make sure. If I understand everything correctly, the two four, the room that has room number there, that's the current break room. We knew that to the back where you saw those files at the very end of the hallway. That would become the new break room, which then would have a little more space where the table and the door could actually open and close and the refrigerator would open and close. And you could have a table in there. There's a little more space back there and at least we pick up one office. But that's the 19,000 to turn that plumbing and electrical. What's that wrong level of adherence? Let me ask you. It does sound a little bit cost-prohibited when you put it that way in, I mean, as far as $19,000. What? $19,000. What would it be this be a type of project that we would have public sports type of project and facilities that we would have in our capital improvements? It's that that's typically reserved for projects over $100,000. So this would really be something that we would need the budget for. I did have just a point of clarification. There was some discussion about bathroom, but I didn't see a request for that. Or I didn't even check that every year to the facilities. I didn't even see it in this year's list of what was submitted. So I just wanted to make sure that you all knew that that was not on this list because I couldn't find a request for it and what they submitted, what facilities submitted to us. And we go by the, as I'm you all right, we go by the prioritization. That is we count on Dany and his expertise to tell us what priorities should be. These film, we noted them here for you 18, 20 and 21 of 27 projects. So what I would like to do is have Danny, what I would like to do is have Danny relocated and actually get bids on it rather than I understand some of the best guess. Yeah, best guess estimates on those and exactly see. I mean, if it is truly going to cost. I mean, these came from him. These are the estimates he... I already have a chance. We can double check on that for next week. We'll get with him and see if there's any additional information back up we can give. about it. Well, we'll get with him and see if there's any additional information back up we can use. Because the alternative is to leave the kitchen where it is. It's quite tight, but 20 people are using it and it's sufficient. Then that additional space back there we could use for if we could probably get two stations or two employees back there. Well we can talk to Danny about this. We don't really have time to go off our bed. No, no, no, no. I'm going to have a budget deadline. But I think we can tighten this up. We'll have him come next week and get an update. Yeah, we haven a look at that. Back in the material for us. True to him. My whole plan is there's something. I'm not sure what needs to be done, but we've got to get some additional space over there. We need to plan for what happens in the interim. Because I don't see us doing another bond election anytime soon. And so we're desperately, I mean mean if you compare the amount of courts that we have compared to Colin County and others, we're way short and I think we've been acted judiciously by only doing one every other year. But if you look at the statistics and I have, you know, we're pretty much okay, criminal wise. But we are way, way, way far behind. And, you know, we got to thank people like Judge Bailey who's willing to do that. But CPS and family law cases, we're being overwhelmed and we really need some help with that. I just want us to do that out. The reason I want that out and I've done it. Yeah, you get the outlet, but the reason why the reason why I bring up the bathroom is I didn't put it as a high priority because I have these employees that need masks and spaces as a priority. I'm bringing the bathroom up to point out five years, four years ago, I asked for it three years ago. I asked for it to bring to your attention. We do have this bathroom problem as well as the CPS cases, the mental health cases, the increase in the numbers has escalated, and those patients who are mentally ill and their families are using the one public bathroom that's outside my courtroom. That is also the bathroom that all my employees and all the civil and probate clerks have to use. Now there's an alternative they go down to the basement but we have more and more people and we still only have one bathroom. So I'm trying to just bring to your attention it's we're starting to get max capacity. Thank you. Thank you all. Thank you, but I appreciate you. Okay. I asked a appointment before lunch is the District Clerk. Sherry Alistin is here. There's information on page A6060 or page three of your changes. She recaps the appeal for two new hires. There's senior deputy clerk positions. The appeal totals $116,996, or that equates to $58,498 for each position. We did include two positions in the recommended budget at that level, and my recommendation was based on some of the support members I saw in the packet from the district courts judges as well as the sheriff in D.A. Thank you for waiting. Hi, we're welcome. Thank you all. I was going to give you a little bit of background about these these types of positions that we had requested or looked at having for many, many years. When we moved into this building back in 1998, it was the intent at that time to have a district clerk employee up in the courtroom with all the pending files for those courts. Once the building was built, and we did a walk through, it was understood that there was not going to be the floor space to accommodate the staff and the file. So those positions came back downstairs. But the point is I've had judges requesting to have clerks up there in the court rooms for years. I mean, this is for 16 years now and we just haven't had it. This year we've asked for them. We've asked for these four positions. I think that would do one clerk for two courts, which is obviously less than what our county clerk has. They do have senior clerks in their courts. This is pretty standard in other courtrooms. They requested them to be there. It's very helpful during the plea dockets or in proofuffs. I don't have any staff there now to take care of the records within the courtroom, which means there are times when documents leave the building and people try to send them in or they try to e-foil them now. But they're leaving the building, these regular documents. And if we were regular court orders that have been signed, if we were there in the, it would be very helpful. Also, I've got the Judge Barnes and Judge Bailey are here to speak on behalf of it from the judges' point of view and why that they would really like to have a clerk in the court room, a senior clerk to help during the plea dockets in the proof of hearings. So, can you see? Oh, Judge Robinson's here too. Thank you for waiting. I'm going to thank you for hearing us out. As I sit and listen to these proceedings, it reminds me how little I really know about or frankly have to worry about the concerns that you ask yourselves with on a day-to-day basis. And likewise, I'm sure that not sitting in a courtroom as we do frequently just don't understand the dilemmas that we run into. And so I wanted to on behalf of all the district judges, but not speaking for those that may be here to speak to themselves, share some of our concerns. First of all, with respect to the criminal dockets, At the conclusion of a plea or disposition where there's a judgment and paperwork that needs to be conformed and disseminated, that is currently a bail of function, a clerical function that they have simply inherited by virtue of the system that we have. And when they undertake to conform those judgments, to take the fingerprint from the defendant and to then interlineate on the multiple five, six copies. Anything the judge is written in or stricken out. They turn their back to the gallery and they set forth the job of conforming and doing those clerical functions. That certainly turns over to the judge the responsibility to maintain security in the courtroom as well as to maintain control over the proceedings. And as you can imagine in felony dockets, that is a source of concern. My only means of securing the courtroom is to pull out the 45 and let everybody know that their behavior is not appropriate and for obvious reasons I don't like that and you don't either. I am joking, I haven't pulled up the 45. Hopefully the family will make it. But realistically, the security of the courtroom is one that not only creates potential civil liability for the county, but simply is expecting too much of our bailiffs in a way that does threaten the potential for some harm to come. And I simply would hate to see that we are reactive to that kind of harm and we wait until there's an assault or God forbid some other more serious occurrence before we decide to let bailiffs be bailiffs and not clerks. That's the most obvious example I can give you in the criminal context. In the civil and family context the problem we have is I'm generally there at 7.45 in the morning every day of the week and offer the next 45 minutes to an hour for walk-in, non-schedule business, increasingly large percentage of those individuals are pro-say without attorneys. And so there's a constant flow of paperwork that's coming from the clerk's office and back to the clerk's office after an order assigned that is simply being handed over from the clerk to presumably make it to the judge in the appropriate form and once an order assigned to make it from the judge back to the clerk's office. And I could, I won't because I don't want to waste your time, but I could certainly articulate for you countless examples over my five years where a document that makes it down to the clerk's office is later the subject of the criminal investigation because it appears there's something that's been written into it that the judge may not have authorized or didn't write into it him or herself. All because it's being handed over to someone that is not part of the process and may have a dog in the fight. Another example would simply be those instances where the order that needs to be protective order or other time sensitive order needs to be put on the clerks record quickly and people's lives could be threatened if it's not and those orders simply never make it to the clerks office. There are many instances where an original order with an original signature simply doesn't make it there that whether from that whether from mistake and just absent-mindedness, it goes into an attorney's briefcase or the prosaille against especially, just don't really frankly understand the process. And many times we track those down and are able to get them back to the clerk's office for filing like they should be, but there are certainly times where we kind of have to back up and start over. And fortunately, I can't point to any instances where it's directly threatened someone's physical well-being, but undoubtedly the legal process itself is threatened when orders that are entered don't make their way into the clerk's file. And the reality is that those critical junctures when civil orders are entered just as with criminal orders, those orders need to be pursuant to the clerk's responsibility statutorily, properly, an interdive record, and the authenticity of them needs to be unchallenged, and they need to be maintained by clerks and not failless, prosaillit against another's that may take temporary possession of them between the time it leaves the judges' hand and the time that it hits the clerks' desk. It's a glaring problem that I realize you have lots of competing interests for those funds, but undoubtedly in this county, I can say that there is no county clerks, I'm sorry, county court, that is not staffed with a full-time clerk and of the dozens of counties that I've practiced in across the state, I've never get encountered one that did not have a clerk in the courtroom. It's a unique function of the Denton County District Court system that has been overlooked for years and really needs to be rendered because it creates potential liability and other problems that are logistic nightmares and sometimes simply turn our attention away from what we need to be doing and should be doing and focus on things that could readily be addressed by a clerk in the courtroom to do that job. Finally, and this is way off topic, but I would love to expand the capacity of this county. The growth of this county, as you well know, is exponential. Our district court dockets are, as we've nagged you about every legislative session for the last several sessions minutes. I would like to thank you for the last couple of minutes. I would like to thank you for the last couple of minutes. I would like to thank you for the last couple of minutes. I would like to thank you for the last couple of minutes. I would like to thank you for the last couple of minutes. I would like to thank you for the last couple of minutes. same-sex marriage is going to introduce same-sex divorce and custody and property division issues that will undoubtedly affect the volume of divorce and custody cases that the district courts have to hear. And that coupled with the population growth of this county and the concerns that in just 20 minutes I've heard expressed by other elected officials. Ultimately means we are going to have to expand that space that we have. And I realize that's not before you today, but having heard that, I simply want to express my own observations that we're quickly exceeding capacity in this commissioner's court while it's not popular with the public to incur bond liabilities and while it's not popular to raise taxes, I simply wanted to acknowledge the fact that We are going to reach that point where more courts have to be added still and more space needs to be available to us and Whether that time has already passed or is in the very near future I would urge you to consider those options that are available to the commissioners court to you know take us further into the 21st century as the 15 year old building we're in now already seems to be well beyond the facet. Thank you. I use it as a part of a speech to go out and tell the citizens that we need to. And you know, I'd be happy to. I'd rather you don't have to run for re-electional based on that. That's right. He can tell you know, it's like, like, push you out front and you go first. You know, the, the, the frankly, reality is I don't think any of that is news or surprise to anyone, regardless of your fiscal attitude. I'm not surprised at us, but it is to the citizens. And yet these are the same citizens, most of which are immigrating to this county because they like what the county has to offer. At some point you've got to understand that if your county is not prepared to provide services and provide access to the courts and provide access to the functions that the county's tasked with providing because they are below capacity, you're really not, you're stifling the progress of that growth and development. And I understand those are hard concepts to run on, and I understand their hard concepts to sell to the public, but the reality is we're in trouble. We're now having to dull out our jury trials, because we don't have enough space in the central jury room to accommodate all the demands for jury trials. Too many courts, in other words. So it's a problem, and please don't attribute any of this additional extraneous time to the clerks needs as those were what actually drove me down here. But as I sat and listened, it certainly occurs to me that we've got a big picture problem that has nothing to do with the immediate budget appeals that I wanted to take just a moment and I appreciate you for indulging me and taking a moment to address as well. Well, we're about two to three family law courts short right now. If you look at the statistics in comparative similar counties, my common county, but I mean, we just, you know, how you eat an elephant one by the time. I mean, we've been working slowly to get into where we need to be. You know, the unfortunate reality is I don't believe any of the present commissioners or judge were around for the decision making process that generated that building, and yet you've inherited what was immediately an unworkable space. And, you know, unless there's an architectural design on the horizon that I'm not aware of, I don't know what other choice there is, but to build new buildings or lease additional space and move courts around because we're simply at capacity. What wasn't mentioned by Judge Drogason is that we've had difficulties in even where we're putting juries because the probate court and the newly created 442nd and my court are sharing two court rooms between the three courts. I'm sorry, two jury rooms between the three courts. And we logistically have been flexible and attempted to work around those issues with each other, but jurors look at us like we're crazy when we explain to them that they're going to have to share the jury bathroom with another 12 of their peers because we don't have enough jury rooms for them. And that's something that impacts the 12 of them. It's just hard to impact on the other 600,000 plus in this county that means we need to build a new building. Anyway, thank you for letting me address you and digress and certainly be happy to answer questions if you have a specific one. Appreciate that information. Thank you for your time. Guys, this is my family on the district clerk. All right, I'm extremely empathetic. As a practice lawyer, I'm extremely empathetic to the concerns that were brought up by Judge Bailey and, you know, Judge Robison. Our problem is, I think a lot of these are process related problems that could be easily solved by better allocation of the current labor that's assigned to the district clerk. I don't think there are problems that would be solved by giving her additional employees that are, I frankly don't think she gets the two employees that are recommended in the budget. She's been resistant to adopt change. It's antithetical that we have gone to the electronic filing system where you do not have to go to the courthouse to file documents. And all these judges, they all were in private practice, I don't know if Margaret Barnes was, but you have to file everything electronically. All right? Yet if you want to go look at anything, you still have to travel to the courthouse. Mark Yarbrough told me that was a result of an attorney general opinion. I spent several hours looking for that attorney general opinion. He then I asked him, he followed up, and he provided me with information from Mr. Hopkner, who's the clerk of the Texas Supreme Court, and he made comments which were then cut and paced into an editorial by the person who was the president of the Texas District and County Clerks Association. And that was an editorial, I guess, piece that she wrote which was a result of a COE piece that was written by Mr. Hawthorne when he made a presentation at the Lucute Fuskwell. And she keeps quoting stuff as out of that editorial as a reason for not providing stuff via a password protected system on the internet. Travis County does it. Other counties do it. If you read, I actually downloaded last night the actual order granting the change to 21, rule 21 from the Texas Supreme Court and they, as you know, they provide comments to the rules. The one comment that was provided by the court said that confidential information shall not be disseminated on the Internet. The rest of the comments that are relied by Mr. Adelstein are additional superlative that were given at a CLE by the Court of the Supreme Court. Those are not commentary to the rules. Those are something that he listed at a CLE that were his opinion. They don't have the force of law. They don't even have guidance under the Supreme Court. I mean under the Attorney General. I've recently even corresponded. I sent Mr. Hawthorne an email asking him to further explain his position because in that deal they talked about you know what could be done and I think this Adolfini sent stuff and highlighted and yelled it, but she forgets to put, one of the questions that he asked was, does this prohibit from putting documents on the internet? And his answer was no. The rule was intended to prohibit dissemination of records containing sensitive information on the website available to the public. It was not intended to prevent parties from obtaining access to records through a remote access system. That rule was changed in 2013, so it would be very easy to only put documents from 2013 forward through a password protected system and it would provide so much more access to the courts for a term and it would result in a tremendous labor savings for her office. Now she's told me she thinks there's a big risk of identity theft and other things and she's not going to do this until she's on an office. So to me, if you fail to compromise, that leads to loggerheads. And as a result, because of the failure to compromise, I can't recommend that she get any additional employees, because she has the resources. She just chooses not to use them in a manner that would be efficient. I respond. Yes as far as putting the data on there from 2013 forward, the documents that contain the sensitive data are not identified in any particular fashion on the system. It's not like I can delineate these, the sensitive data of these don't. So that's impossible to do at this point. They're just not marked accordingly in Odyssey. They're not sealed because they have sensitive data. Now if documents are sealed or cases, those are marked accordingly, they're just because they have sensitive data. First off, if I've got a document with 60 pages in it, my clerks don't look through every page to see if there's a so security number on it to mark that document accordingly. I don't even have a way to market right now specifically to say it's got sensitive data in order to keep it from the internet. I'm not sure what kind of time savings you're talking about. You know, you're, I understand you say it's inefficient and there's some kind of time savings. What kind of time savings do you think this is gonna save if I did this? Previously you had to have clerk accept people at the front of documents. And right now you have to have clerks that physically take requests for documents. Yes. There are a number of people, number of requests we get a vast, a lot of them actually are people who want certified copies. They're going to have to come to the office to that. They're not going to get that online anyway. So people need certified copies of documents for various things. That's not going to happen online. They're going to still have to come into the office. I will tell you, Commissioner Coleman, I've been in touch with Vicki Isaacs. I believe it's a court committee person on the Denton Bar. So Vicki and I've been in touch. She's going to look into stuff and we're going to get together and talk. We already have plans to do that within the next couple of weeks to get together so just wanted to let you know that I am speaking with her about it. I will tell you when I file something with the court electronically, when you follow a fleeting you have to check a box whether this document has sensitive information. Yes And it makes no change whatsoever in Odyssey. I think ultimately what that's going to be from what I understand between the Office of Court Administration and Tyler, who runs this, is that there's going to be some master database of documents eFiled and that's where that's going to come into play. That should you eFile something and say contain sensitive data, then it's not going to be available on that master database. That's what I see coming. Well, from what I understand, the responsibility is on the attorney to mark the item with sensitive data. Yes. And if the attorney makes mistake and files an item with sensitive data, it's not on you, it's on him. No, it's not. So if it's not on you is on him. No, it's not. If it's not on you, why are you worried? Why am I worried? Yes. Why if if I'm not supposed to put sensitive data on the internet and I don't mark them accordingly. You know, like I said, Vicki is Isaac's looking into this and we're going to get together and talk about it. But the responsibility of marking it as sensitive data is the attorney, not the clerk. I still don't believe this particular thing is going to save us any more time to the point of not providing senior clerks in these offices. It's just not going to provide any amount of time. It's not going to save that kind of time you're talking about. People are still going to have to come in and get certified copies. There's, you know, if it saves us 10 minutes a day, what's it going to do for us? It's just not. Like we said previous years, I guess we're just going to have to agree to disagree. Are you good? A change will only happen after you're out of office. Like you stated previous. Possibly. Well, that's why I asked Mr. Yarbro for, you know, because you all kept telling me there were legal reasons and I was like, show him. Well, it turns out it's, you know, a CLE from Mr. Hawthorne who gave his opinions about the intent of the committee. Yes, he did. His intent is not even buying him. His opinion of the intent of the Supreme Court of Texas. Yes, and I Corresponded with him and I will cease you my correspondence to him if you so want You'll send me the correspondence. I will send you what I've sent. Okay. I please do last year we were here And you were gonna send me so far. I'm fine. It's in every I ask some questions on what you're request is that just for clarification Judge you had basically said that all the county clerks, excuse me, the county courts currently have a clerk that sits in their courtroom. Is that what you said, Judge? I do have full time. Senior clerks for each of their. Yes. Okay, and so I don't think any courts are required to have one. Is that a choice that you make to put a clerk in every county court at law? Court records? is that a choice that you make to put a clerk in every county court at law courtroom? I don't know. That's a county clerk. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm very sorry. We don't have any district courts. We've got the two of them. Okay. How many clerks do you currently have assigned to district courts now? None individually. None individually. How many floaters do you have? Do you have any floaters working any of the courts? No, no. I don't have any clerks that go to the courts. Which is why we lose documents sometimes, because I don't make it back to my office? Not to the extent that it has been brought to the public or some scandal or something. No, just an inconvenience to let against attorneys and to my staff. But I think your question was, you hit the route and that's whether she chooses or not to. Well, yeah, I mean, yeah, I mean, could you have with the current staff that you have now, could you have any of your court clerks working in the district? No, certainly not with the volume of the documents and the thousands of, and hundreds of thousands of documents that come through now. I certainly don't have the staff. We're lower than average staff as it is. Which one? We're recommending and help some. Oh, the two, yes, definitely. I'm looking at asking for four was providing one per two courts. I don't expect to have a clerk in the courtroom during jury trials. Not that they're not all in jury trials every week. But to have a clerk just set there in Twitter or Thumbs while they're listening to testimony. No. But to have one in there during the plea dockets during the proof-up times, during other times during the day, whenever they are having hearings, just to have someone available from the clerk's office as a deputized clerk. I don't know how many times over the years, Judge Barnes has emailed me from the bench and had a question or needed some help from a clerk and I was sitting there and my desk hopefully could help her. But if I wasn't, then she would have to reach out and email others. She's on the bench and has questions and would like her clerk's assistance. And that's how we're having to handle that right now. And it's not very effective. Do you have any kind of a breakdown on how many documents you handle that are filed in person as opposed to electronically? Any cases? So how many documents? From what I understand, when all the stuff I got from the State Bar, you're not supposed to file anything anymore that's not electronic. Prossey litigants don't have to e-file. We also have like private process servers, mediators, you know, if they're most mediators file, e-file now. Court stenographers, or stenographers who do depositions, they still bring stuff across. For the judges are electronically signing documents, for aren't, which means all the court orders from those other courts, but still a lot of the court orders from the ones that are electronically signed, still come through. If somebody comes up to do a divorce, they bring that divorce decree with them. Preve that, or whatever judge makes a decision, rules on it, hands it back to them, except to them to drop it back off at our office to get it far marked or get copies conformed. Back when they had files, and our files were pink, and yellow, and blue, and green. If somebody was walking by our office going outside with it, I've had clerks get up from their desk and run outside to pull the file from them. I don't have files now. So they're sticking them in their folder or whatever and they stroll out, they stop and do something else, go to another court and they leave. And then I've got calls for people, you know, why don't you have this on the record yet? Well, I don't have it. What do you have it? Because I don't. You know, so. So you're telling us today that you've realized no labor savings whatsoever from the electronic filing system. Any labor savings? No sir. You haven't saved, there's not been any convenience for your office or anything by the way. It's a different process but it's not really a difference for time. The whole point is that. Obviously we don't have folders so you're not buying folders and you're not having somebody go a file something and everything. But it's a different process. Having gone through the intent, the intent of the electronic filing was to create flavor savings and make it easier on everybody. And you're telling us it didn't make it easier on anybody? It didn't make it, well yeah, I mean, make what way or efficient less employee hours less cost That have to drive so it's it's not resulted in any efficiencies for your office. It's a different process, but has it really safe time no and and they'll tell you that that it wasn't We should just go back to the old system with no electronic filing because it would be easier No, I didn't say it was any easier either. It's just a different process. So the convenience lies with the actual and the term that are enabled to file it remotely. Sure. I mean, we have files that, you know, people are submitting something as opposed to putting something in their mail and waiting for it to come in here as a process and then get their copies back or then hiring a career or come up to the office. You know, they could be submitting something right now. Whatever the time it is. And you know, within an hour to four hours maybe, we've accepted it. It's fall marked. They've got their copies back and they've never had to, haven't had to wait they're getting their their things back very you know much quicker But it's not that we're having to do anything less or not we're not keeping a less of a record and we're not having to you know Still look at decrees and enter the same information that we keep so we don't have to know less we don't have to do less You're just not touching a piece of paper. You're looking at it on a screen instead. Here's how. Print out everything you received. No, sir. No, I don't have no. They're not printing it out. We print out proposed orders that get e-file for those judges who need to sign those, but we don't print out as much. Actually, the court administrators we forward it to them electronically. They're printing it out for the judges that are electronically signing, I think. They like doing that. They really like it, you know. And we're not losing a piece of paper if we're sending it around each other electronically, but we still have to look at it. We still have to enter certain data and deal with fees and the financials on cases. So I just don't see how if you're filing electronically and you don't have to build a file and you don't have to. You're welcome to come and I will show you what we do. We have Judge Robinson, Judge Barnes, that. During the lunch break too, I just wanted to go back to the issue of the security in the courtroom with my bailiff. We all, the district courts, each of us have our plea dockets a half a day. Sometimes during the week, they don't conflict with each other yet because courts haven't maxed out over 10 half day sessions. But every time the bailiff has to do a clerical job, he's not watching me. He's not watching anybody. He's doing clerical work. He's finding what used to be the files. Now, he's the one who the attorneys go and get something from him that, and every time there's nobody watching the courtroom. And you know there's been breaches of security in the courthouse and there's been one recently on the bird floor and my bailiff took off out the door well I'm glad he was there and available so going back to the original issue of are they needed? I've apparently been asked for the last 16 years and now it's kind of getting critical that the duty of the bailiff should not have to be the clerical work of the district clerk just because they're busy. Sorry, you shouldn't be him. That's my point. Thank you. Thank you. I will tell y'all. I mean, from my understanding, the judges don't have to physically add in and signing stuff. They get everything via computer. All right. The whole paper system has been abrogated since 2013. Electronic filing has been taken place. If you look at the legislation and the notes of the court, it was to do to create efficiency. You no longer have to have a paralegal or a legal runner run stuff over to the courthouse or go there physically yourself. When you store things electronically, you do result in labor efficiencies. The federal government has been in EDC, their electronic filing system has resulted in tremendous labor savings. I just don't understand why we haven't as accounting been able to read on savings. And you're going to disagree with me, obviously. Well, the only thing I'm going to disagree is because the paperwork for the plea dockets, it's also papers, we just don't have a file. But I mean, there's tons of paperwork that still gets done per file. So that may be unique to the criminal district, or the district courts that do criminal. If I can offer, the criminal electric filing system has not occurred yet, and it hadn't been mandated yet. The other thing is the obligation to e-file is only on attorneys. It's not on bail bondsmen, it's not on pro-sale litigants, it's not on anyone who's not an attorney in the case. I thought that clerk. No, I completely understand that. I mean, I wasn't sure if that was understood or not. Yeah, and that's the only point I wanted to make as to what we can do. We don't get everything electronically. On Thursday afternoon, it's all paperwork. So thank you, Mr. Coleman. It's tough because everybody knows, you know, I try to consider others' people's opinions and their background and make decision based on empirical facts. You know, we can all engage in, you know. Now you better, you have to do the, we're in the trenches. I mean, we're the ones doing the docket. And that's why I think that, um, Judge was coming up to, to notice it, because we still do have papers. And each of those papers have to be fixed by the bailiff. That's who does it right now. I just think when you have somebody come in and say that there's no savings whatsoever via the electronics system. I would say that I'm not engaging in emotional hyperbole and I can engage that as well because I just think if you have that electronic system and you come and tell me there's no savings whatsoever for labor it just doesn't make sense. I have to say I don't know because people will ask me, do they do this downstairs? I don't know. I don't have any knowledge at all about e-filing. It all comes to me. Exactly. That's the point. It does all come to you. And I still practice a lot. And I still have to experience running to the courthouse for something that when I practice in federal court, you don't have to experience running to the courthouse for something that when I practice in federal court you don't have to do. I understand the argument I just don't have an opinion because I don't think that. But to me you all don't have that perspective. It's Mitchell. Thank you. Thank you. Okay it's 1225 I think we beat this horse enough. Yeah we had. We had. We had. We had. We had. We had. We had. We had. We had. We had. We had. We had. We had a French Revolution, did you wish to add anything to this presentation? I'm just telling you, isn't it? Intertaining, isn't it? If you're going to speak further come up to the microphone please. I'm sorry. Public record. Yep. I greatly respect Mr. Coleman's comments. I understand that we need public access. Absolutely. I understand that we need public access, absolutely. But I think the issue before us today is an error one, which is security. And I think we need to make it maybe another agenda item on how to enhance public access and what we can do to do that. But today it's about security. And I can tell you just personally, and I don't have the criminal issue, but on the proof-up issue, with pro-Sailit against who are often extremely emotionally volatile. And I have a bailiff who then may have to, this is how it works, they take the file because they are over at the bar. He then has to turn his back, walk up to me, and me the file. Okay? He's doing a ministerial act that would be best performed by Chequerc, but he can watch people who really don't like each other and are about ready to attack each other Now let me say this I fully understand Mr. Coleman's point and I think it needs to be addressed Because public access to these documents should be enhanced without a doubt. But that's not the issue before the court today. Thank you. Thank you for your time. Chair, they're concerned and they only know best about what is for the security. The district clerk has chosen not to assign her employees to them. Okay. Okay. We're not going to take action on this right now. We've got more appeals to go through. So thank you, Herbert. Everybody, for your time. Appreciate you being here today. Thank you for waiting. What's going on? I'll be back at 130. Yeah, we do that. Okay, one for recess to 130. Hey, Commissioner's Court is reconvened. Turn it back over to Donna. Thank you, Judge. Our appeal next is for jail health. And then there's a small appeal for public health clinical. The request is for two new hires. These are health service specialist one positions. You'll find all this information on page three of your changes sheet and this appeal is for $107,350 for both positions or that's equal to $53,675 each. There's also an additional appeal for additional software maintenance that's needed for the new E-clinical program. I think as this project has started, there have been some expenses crop up that we weren't aware of. So this was kind of unforeseen, but this appeals for $6,665. So that all turned over to Matt and he can make his presentation. Page A83 is the request for the two new hires. Where's the E, I mean, I see gel healthier for the new hires, but where's the additional software maintenance? It's on page five of the changesheet. All right. It's in public health. He has multiple blood. The first one is jail health and the second is the public health clinical budget. We can take him in order of your preference. Good afternoon, judge commissioners. I appreciate the time. So we are appealing these two HS1 positions for jail health. And you see my memo and I'll hit the highlights, but you tell me the specificity you would like. But we have two requested positions. And these are for intake, inmate intake. At the time of booking, these are to complete the health assessments. Honestly, I think we provided you with some data. That data is on page A88. You see the inmate bookings total that get assessed and you see the screenings. And our goal is to have 100% screening at the time of booking. And we're not there yet. Two years ago, I think Dr. Burton submitted a request for four positions and the court granted two, I think, as a compromise. And I think that really, really helped. What hasn't happened is we haven't been able to achieve 100%. There are lots of reasons to do a screening at book end at this end take. First and foremost, I think it's a best practice. One of our struggles is that we are really having a hard time taking existing medical staff and diverting them to book in whenever we already have known complications, known struggles in jail health. Doug is here, he can articulate those with some statistics, talk about the acuity, talk about the volume of what we're seeing in jail health. But what these extra positions would do is they would allow us to maintain a 24-7 presence for health assessment at Book Inn. Harris County and Dallas County both had some issues, I think, during Ebola. This was a well known weakness for lots of counties, I think, in Texas. And it's a weakness that we really want to address. There are some fiscal reasons, as you can imagine, the better the health assessment and the faster that assessment is provided, the better care we can provide in the jail and in some instances we can divert the booking to the hospital. And in some of those instances, Denton County is not fiscally liable for that inmate. So there is a potential cost savings by diversion at the door for people who are too sick to be in jail. If we miss them, and it takes us a day to do that health assessment, now we own that problem as a county. And it requires our intervention. to do that health assessment, now we own that problem as a county. And it requires our intervention. Again, we're happy and we're willing to do that, but that is, again, a fiscal responsibility and a legal liability that we've taken as a county. On occasion, we can divert that if we do these at the front end. Yes sir. Yes sir. Yes sir. You have an idea of any given time during the day and it comes for how many intake officers, medically, and take officers to do that. Understanding is for peak times with 12 hour shifts we have two. Those two that Dr. Burton got, we task them for intake assessments and it's in there on 12 hours. Yes, that right. Does it? And it. Who's on the next. More just more. And you want 12 hours. Yes. Don't they have two in case you saw the next. But what we have is we're doing 12 hours shifts. So we have the that we're doing the peak times when when the commissioners gave us the two employees they understand was that we would cover the peak times so what we did is we got to go to the sheriff's office we got to go to the change with the command staff that could identify that over classifications and we identified the peak time so we're staffing from 7 in the morning to 7 at night and basically it's two on, two off, three on, three off. It's kind of an auction more on we call it rotating big schedule but doing 12-hour shifts allows us to provide more tasking over longer clock hours with less staff. So we're getting a peak times, it's those off peak times that is problematic for us. Staff that was one person that they'd be two on their bus seat? It'd be, it's- Staff trying to get into your staff, but I- No, no, you're exact the right commission. Well, what it is is it is one person per intake so and in this person works there two days and then they're off and then this person comes in works we only have one intake medical person on any given any given day form seven to seven and what are yeah those two positions and what a, yeah, those two positions. And what our numbers demonstrate is, well, there's some measure of the census and what's how many inmates were doing. You know, we're missing about 25 to 30% of them during off peaks when it come in overnight and that's on your page, ADA, I believe. And while census is important, it's also what's coming in at 2.30 in the morning, 4 o'clock in the morning. You may not be able to answer this. You may not be, but maybe you have a feeling of what the amount of inmates were to voting if we're to voting at all? The other facilities? You know what I'm asking you? Yes, right now. The first one that new facility comes online is our census daily census is going to go up. You know the hit your microphone. Yeah, are those daily census going to go up because we've been diverting because we couldn't handle them? I'm told they are. Now, as I've told you already, I simply mentioned you from the Sheriff's Office that right now that they are diverting class C prisoners, but I guess there is some, once they open up their clown taking class C, Mr. Meeners again, but meantime they're saying now that there's possibility that they are working with other communities, if you will, to start housing class C just on weekends and release them. Now as far as the intake process on what we see medical, when everyone's someone's coming through the door, then Sheriff has someone there to take, and then we have medical there to do intake. And as far as what we're deferring, like, you know, we don't defer anybody unless it's, we determine they need to be medical cleared. Just, not this month, July, June, we had one arresting agency drop a patient off that got under our radar that we took and it cost us $28,000. That's one in like and you know we have to stand visual but you know I have I have the demographics but really really, I mean, I think it's both down to a huge liability for Denton County and our exposure. I came remember the discussion from the two years ago and I was going to ask you, didn't we just recently, with the last couple of budget years, get two intake officers? I did request four at the time. So this would actually get them up to where they were. Yeah, that's what I thought. And our promise to the promise to the court was we get those intake. Those those peak times covered. Right. You can help to do that. So thank you. Have a couple of questions, Miss Donna. Why did you not recommend this? We just, you know, quite frankly, we, there's only so much money that could go around at the time. Okay. Really, it wasn't. And a lot of these that you're hearing from, you know, if we had all the money in the world, we would recommend them too. This one, I would think, would have to be one of your top priorities based on. And I'll take responsibility for some of that, because we didn't provide this data to Donna in the budget. So some of this backup, she didn't get to see prior to that. And that's, I mean, that's on the department and particularly on me, because I didn't, we didn't articulate this need in really substantiate, I think some of the volume that we're seeing and really the gaps that we're missing, we didn't articulate that to her and we didn't describe that to her in this level of detail. So in the budget next year, I've learned some lessons for my first budget. You may recall I came in on the tail end of the last one, but this one was my first swing at it. And I think we missed informing her appropriately. So that's really on us, not her. On the material, y'all presented what concerns me is that we had in fiscal year 2012, 11,800 inmates booked in in 2013 we had 1111,500 inmates booked in is now for fiscal year 14 is that just to date or is that for the year 8500 so what do we anticipate for this year of booking? 7500 plus. Okay because I remember from looking at the stats I know our jail census has gone down we have less inmates than we've had in the previous years. One of the challenges for us has been the acuity and kind of the community expectation of care the level of care the standards of care for inmates that expectation is a moving target but I think that expectation has raised over the years and you can see that in the budget. In fact, I'll pull back the curtain and I'll just give a trailer almost a sneak peak at a budget amendment coming where we're going to ask for about $200,000 in contingency to cover jail medical this year. And that's because we have inmates with dialysis, we have stroke victims, we have heart attack, we have amputations, we've got chemotherapy, we have ongoing problems, and those are exacerbating. They're not, in your right, the census has been down, we do jail committee every two weeks. We're Doug and I sit down along with senior staff and our medical director, and we review the problem cases, the high acuity patients, the high acuity inmates and talk about the treatment plans and honestly, also talk about the fiscal management. Those discussions are more frequent, even with a declining census through, I think we've seen the last few months, we have maybe three or four hundred fewer than we had at the beginning of last fall. And yet we're seeing more and more of these inmates on committee, which makes us hyper vigilant about the ones who aren't being assessed at bookend, right? So if we're seeing these inmates with these medical conditions that are already in the house, we're concerned about what's coming through the front door. And we want to make sure that if appropriate, those inmates at bookend get medical attention and don't become a dent in county, fiscal, and legal liability. And that's really our concern. For me, if I'm wrong, but when you bring some, you Doug will tell you we had many issues when you present somebody if it's a class C we don't have to take them but if it's class B or better we really don't have a choice to take them because that's where the that's an offense that the DA will handle in the sheriff's apartment so we have to take those from us unless the officer when he arrested them may they needed a medical attention immediately. They couldn't dump their problem off at us. If an officer arrests somebody and it's a need of medical attention, they're supposed to take them directly to the hospital. I think we want the opportunity to make that determination at the front door. But, well, they need, if they pick up somebody, they need medical attention, they shouldn't be bringing them to the jail, they should take them to the hospital, but a lot of times they want to take them to us so then we incur. But my point is typically when you do the objective classification and assessing an inmate, when you have to present with some sort of medical condition and then you would refer them for a medical assessment or y'all say you want to do a medical assessment immediately, along with the objective classification to tell what classification minimum, maximum, or medium that they'd be in? This is what we're looking for is, which you have some experience for this, or you know what I'm up against on this. One, another arresting agency other than the Dent County Sheriff's Office when they're bringing them to jail. If they arrest them with onsite charges, if you will, before they're arraigned and that's when they bring them to us and they bring them to us with existing medical conditions. And we can turn them around and it remains the responsibility of that officer and to take them and get their medical care. So there's a huge sign, I mean it's a large sign even in the silicoart that says that Warren's on the take of beer fused. We've had a lot of scenarios, but we've had I-Speed chases where there was a roll over in the driver got ejected from the vehicle and they rushed them to jail because there was medical there. Oh, yes, yes, man. Yes, man. He did the hospital first. So what you're saying is a little money now. Hopefully we'll save us a lot of money later. Yes, sir. And that's one of the hardest things to demonstrate. Maybe one example of just one person getting under our radar cost is $28,000. And that's not common. We're not sitting visual, then we have them bring us patients that get to be not only labor intensive but in very short, our lives are. So, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that. So what you're asking for then, you have that person on the 12-hour shift and then you have another one. Those are seven to seven is your peak hour. You're asking for another person to come on off peak until the next peak person comes on. So you'll have 247 care. When this individual makes that it's off at seven at night there's one that leaving then the COVID-7 month. Talk about primary taskings and how they're not just sitting waiting. Yeah, the thing about being able to cover the peak times. And it's from the makeup companies. The thing about covering the peak times is, if we don't have somebody right there that not working somebody up, then they're able to participate in other clinic processes. The difference is they have to be able to free up, drop what they're doing immediately and meet the detention officer out in the salary board for their arriving prisoners. I haven't seen the job description, but what kind of certification does it help service specialist mean? Is that like a CNA or a... Yeah, it can be working... It can be a certified medical assistant or an EMT is generally what we use. EMT is different than EMS, right? Well, I mean, a paramedic is different than an EMT. Yes, sir. It's a. Which is the one that's able to administer an IV start an IV set the in Paramedic yes, or it's paramedic level. So you're saying that Basically the only thing that they could do other than intake would be dispersed medication orally Or topically, but not interventions. You know what I'm saying? Yes, sir There are there was some of that that they can do though. Now the paramedic is the highest pre-hospital medical certification that you can get. But the EMTs with education training, and the education, there are other things that they can do. And same thing with medical assistance. They're kind of, you have front office, back office, but they're able to provide more skills than just the professional. They're kind of you have front office back office, but they're able to provide more skills than just They're gonna be working for the health department will they also be detention officers? They're they also be detention officers. No sir the medical is not So I'm like well money well spent to me So our goal is to get everybody screened 100%. Yes, sir. I mean, that's our goal. And I can't stand up here in Teo Commissioner's Court. We're going to get a hundred percent, but this is certainly going to benefit our ability to to make an honest effort. Well, I think you're very exhibited to the court to me. But I want to speak for these folks. You've exhibited to me that the directive that we gave you and that you told us that you would do of maintaining coverage during the peak hours, I think that you've demonstrated that over the last two years. Wouldn't think that you would lie about the next two years. Yeah. It's quite a process. We are not dragging anything out, but just in our clinic, just our routine clinic, not counting emergencies and inpatient care, last week, just basically what you consider a doctor's appointment. We've seen 751 in mate patient, various complaints. So when Matt's telling you that you know, try to call people off other tasking, you get them to book in, work, work what we call in you understand because you have experience with this, work what we call clinical capacity. Other questions about those positions? The other position, the other appeal we wanted to discuss is the software. I need to also say, I think this is an artifact that I neglected to include in the budget. So this is a growing pain again for me in the budget this year. You recall that it's been well over a year ago that we selected the medical chart, the electronic health record software company, right prior to my arrival. And I certainly supported that and was excited to participate. And so in the last two weeks, we have implemented it. So the last two weeks have been in training. And one of the things that we noted once training began, which highlights the appeal today, is that we added a provider position in the last year, subsequent to the execution and selection of the first contract. So we have an additional provider. Sadly, the software is priced by provider. And so I didn't include six providers, I included five in the recurring budget, so the FY16 budget. And so I'm asking you to forgive me of that mistake and add that sixth provider, so he has access to our software So he can actually perform his duties and see the patients so that's That's that software amendment in that change and it and again I it was so late in the game that I was told by budget and it makes sense that I need to include that in an appeal So I've taught myself to count from five to six. Now, I'll not make that mistake again. All right. Questions? Please not. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Our next item is Constable Precinct 6. There's information in your packet on page 899 or on page four of your changes sheet. This is request for a new deputy constable position. This request does not include a request for her vehicle, or gasoline, and expenses like that, but it does include mainly the employee-related expenses. So with that, I'll turn that over to Constable Smith. Hi. Good afternoon. Thanks for waiting. Of course, I'm appealing, you know, the position of the deputy constable that I have asked for in the budget for this coming year. It's kind of unusual. I didn't put a vehicle in there because I figured this person could operate without a vehicle. It would also save the money of having this additional deputy in there and this person would actually be a floater within our department and support the existing deputies as well as act as a deputy as may be required during the course of the year. If he didn't need a vehicle, we got a reserved vehicle that he or she could use during a period of time that they would be there. And if we had an individual vacation or set or whatever, that other, that vehicle would be utilized by that individual. Some of the considerations that I took in asking for this position is in civil documents in 2015 as of June 2015. Throughout all the constables offices, there were 16,534 civil documents in the county here in the in the cost of office offices of those 16,534 we we serve survey executed 23 percent of that almost 24 percent of it. Now that came out to about 3894 documents that we executed on along with that document those documents you have a TEMPS of service so it takes us a number of TEMPS to actually serve a document. Right now, our average is about 2.1 per TEMPS per document. Then we went to a lot of these documents, a lot of these increases have been FEDs and Ritzations. With reciprocations you go into a whole another all game because of the time it takes to execute on the reciprocations. Sometimes it takes two officers, especially at the very beginning. Now we try to qualify that ahead of time by communicating with the plaint plan up on the agency if we've been in columns and accepted so that time gives us a heads up to see what we may be presented with when we execute on a rid of the station so nobody didn't get heard of or stuff but many times we have two deputies out there because of the if it isn't move out we have to make sure that property is secured until we completely execute the writ. In addition to that, you got increased bailiff hours. Now over the course of the past three years, I've been lucky. I've been able to acquire a lot of reserve deputies. And that helped us out tremendously. It cost the county nothing, other than some minor things for clothing, et cetera. But during this past year, I've lost a number of reserve deputies because they retired, they moved, etc. Some of them got some jobs and that full-time jobs. And so I'm down to three reserve deputies right now. Of those three, I'm not getting the hours I was able to get with the five. I know in 2014 when I had five reserves, they gave us 1,280 hours of service, which is a very good benefit to the taxpayers. President, we're down to three reserves. Like I said, and we got right now through June, the end of June. We've got about 612 hours that's been given to us. And I'm just right now, I'm saying we're probably getting about 900 hours by the end of this period of year. and we'll probably get about 900 hours by the end of this video. But considering all of this, you know, I wanted to, and my thoughts on this thing, and that's the reason why I didn't ask for a vehicle, because I'm not here to spend money. I want best to continue our productivity that we've accomplished through the years to do it in a way in a manner that is effective for us as well as the county. So I hope you'll consider what I'm saying here and consider what we're doing and how we're doing and hopefully we're meeting with all of your approvals and with the approval of the cash perns as well. And so I hope you'll consider these things in your decision making process. How many deputies do you have? Right now I have five deputies. And you include the chief deputies? Yeah, that includes five deputies. And he clues the chief. Yeah, that clues all deputies. You look at the statistics on the constables. Are they in our book? Are you? Yes, ma'am. We do look at that. Constables are a little more difficult. Sorry. Because their geographic area is so varied. Like Constable precinct 6 geographically they make up 3.5% of the geographical area of the county whereas precinct 5 is 50.2%. So it's really hard for us to put our thumb on an actual formula or anything like that because of the attempts. Definitely, Constable Precinct 6 has a lot more civil papers than any other precinct. The closest one next is precinct 3. So their workload just varies depending on this case. They've got lots of apartment complexes and things like that as well. So, you know, when we looked at our numbers it shows the number of civil and warrants per deputy to be about 1203 for those five positions in question or that he has now. That's about five papers a day serving. Yeah he's saying it. There's still a lot of attempts before you actually get that served. So, you know, maybe there may be a time too where we need to be looking at the other costable offices. Some of their work was changed and decreased and there may be next year a more effective study of the costable staffing and you may see some different recommendations from the next year. So I was asked about the staffing of the other offices. Pardon me? Staffing of the other offices that they all currently have five deputies. So we're all currently have five. Okay. All of them do and all have two clinical positions. That would be perfect. Right now, and then, you know, they vary from, in his case, 1200 warrants in civil per deputy to one precinct has 783 compared to 1200. So it kind of opens your eyes and makes me realize we need to start looking at that a little differently. But on page in your reference section, I have a copy of last year's actual data that we pull and this comes straight from the Odyssey system where we pull the forceables and all those different things. 2014 Actuals are on page R1 through R2 and then for 2015 what we did was take raw data from October through January of this year and then prorated that out, assuming that was the work load for the rest of the year. So there's no doubt this precinct handles a lot of work and a lot of the vehemission rates of possession. We're projecting 324 for them and one has 60. So you can see that that varies from precinct to precinct, but they definitely have a workload. There's a lot of factors that are affecting not only hospital precinct six, but JP precinct six. Whether we take them in consideration this year or the next year, it's going to have to be addressed because the constant even though it's only 3% is a very concentrated area that has a lot of apartments. I can remember at least along the Midway, Marshall and Corridor there were were 23 separate apartment complexes. This with redisturing took this all the way up to this precinct all the way up to 121, which took on another 5,000 units of apartments that were already built in Austin Ranch. And there's currently probably in the ground going in about 5,000 more units of apartments. As well as the not only the economic benefit of the area because of the Nebraska furniture, Nebraska furniture does its own financing of its loans. When it does its own finance if it's loans, a loan goes bad then they issue a tremendous amount of risk of sequestration. Which we know that that can be filed within any court actually within precinct within pre-Saint 2. But there is an enormous amount of, if not now, at least a potential for them being run ragged. And I'm not sure exactly I haven't got my head around run a floating deputy and how that would work. I would hate to think that it would just be a paper pusher pushing papers around along. That that could be it. No, no, I don't mean to understand what I'm saying. To identify them as a as a as a administrative strictly administrative person or I mean that being the case that's basically all I'd ask for is a misdisk from administrative person but I think that when I say floating deputy that deputy can not only fill in with other people out, but they can also assist from the standpoint of duties from the bailiff time, as well as being a second officer at these readifications that many times require two officers. So I don't have two oscillations tied up with vehicles. I got two oscillations tied up with one vehicle and then the other oscillations that are doing their attempts. And again, I really try to consider this and eliminate the vehicle because we can do the same thing without a vehicle. So if we can do the same thing without a vehicle, let's go that route. Like you said, we got a bunch of partners coming online here already. Bright Reality, the apartments, the at Stendridge and Win Haven. They got one of 10 phases coming online and it's going to be 10,000 apartment units right there. And branch gate development. That's going to be another area that's going to have you know, so 400 acres there that they're going to be developing in the apartments and the house, the boat house apartments have already come online with a completion of approximately 5,000 units. So, you know, I mean, this asking for this, I know, I know everybody's asked for a lot of things, but I think this is considering our productivity and we want to maintain that productivity. Now I'm looking for the benefit of the individuals involved in these violence, but for doing the right thing for the taxpayers and trying to keep the cost low and still accomplish what we need to accomplish. Questions? Leave now. Thank you for your time. I should be in here. Thank you. Our next time. Adam is Ag Extension Office. They're here. Janet is to address the court. On page A 102 of your packet, you'll see the request for a new hire. This is for a 4-H program coordinator position. The appeal is for $56,525 for salary benefits, as well as other expenses. There's also an additional appeal for other line items in your budget for official travel, mileage reimbursement, and training and education for a total of 15,000 to 87. So the overall appeal today is for 71,000 in Heritage Workbook. Thank you very much for giving us this opportunity to talk to you today, and thank you for your supportive AgriLife extension. I'm Janet Lamenac, presenting along with me today are David Anis and Erin Gray and Maggie Jovers out on sick leave and unable to be here. So in short to start with what is AgriLife Extension simply put we add value to the economy and the residents of Denton County through educational programs. This is our current staffing configuration we have four agents in four primary subject areas, and we have four administrative specialists. Today we're here to appeal our budget for the first time that we have in my seven years up here in Ditten County, and we have the four areas, official travel, mileage reimbursement, training and education, and we are asking for a 4-H program coordinator position. The reason we're here is because our current budget is no longer sufficient. The reason for this is that our programs are growing in all areas, anywhere from 18% and summer growing all the way up to 900%. Additionally, our budget has been working for the past few years because we've only been at about a 60% staff rate. This is due to retirements. This past year we've had a really bad FMLA year, even though we appear to be fully staffed. So we expect to be fully staffed by or before January 2016. I'll turn over to David. Thank you, Jenny. My name is David Anis. I'm the Agricultural Natural Resource Agency here in Dinkham County. Commissioner's Judge, thank you for the time. Official travel, we use this in support of our programs. This would be things like the animal issue disaster response team. This would be going and using it for both the National Gardener and National National's program and again for age. It kind of give you a week in the life of a county agent. We may find ourselves recordbook judging in one day in the district office which is 66 mile round trip. The next day we may find ourselves at TAMU in the middle of a that commerce 150 mile round trip. The next day we may find herself at TAMU in the middle of the commerce, 150 mile round trip working on wheat production and then a beef cattle production meeting down in college station. We make frequent trips for presentations. We're currently funded for $5,000. We're requesting we're increased to $9,556 to reflect the 40% increase in staffing that we've got. Again, we've been running at about a 60% FTE or full-time equivalent. This does not cover any unplanned events such as wildfires, floods. So again, what we're doing is trying to address the program needs in Denton County. As far as mileage reimbursement goes, our primary way that we operate is a face-to-face engagement with our clientele. We have to go out, we have to look, we have to evaluate what's going on, and then we have to make recommendations. One of the things that this does is allows us to get around to the clients in the county and take care of them. We're currently funded at 14,777 dollars. To put it in perspective, an agent is basically limited to a nine mile round trip. Go out nine miles, come back, or 1.2% of the county rose on a daily basis. Give you an example. This graphic will show you just about how far we can go out on per day on the current budget. So we're requesting an increase to $21,103. Now, this sounds like a significant increase, but again, if you put it on a per agent per day round trip, you see that we've only expanded a small area, not that much. So, what we've been trying to do is we've been trying to leverage technology, our volunteers, social media, in an attempt to reduce the amount of travel that we're doing. As far as training and education goes, we use this line out of the budget to basically for training and education of the agents. We do this both on a state, a county district and state level. You'd be happy to know that on the national level Janet just received an award from the National County Agents Association. I am a certified crop advisor that requires me to have 40 hours of continued education units. Again, these are things that reflect back on the training of the agents and because such, we can come back to the county and do better educational programs. Thank you. I'm Aaron Gray and I'm the 4H Youth Development Agent here in Denton County. As we've already mentioned before, we're at about 60% staffing over the last five years. And those budgets that we have turned in have been subpar based on that short staffing. I can speak directly on the fact that 4-H, this last budget I turned in is the first real budget that I was able to turn in. The last time the budget was due to be turned in, I was without an administrative assistant, so I was in over my head at that point and just adopted what we currently already had. And it's not that we're not getting the job done. I'll show you some numbers here in a second. It's about how we're getting the job done. You can see here between 2013, which was the last, when we started 2013, we were fully staffed at that point. And by the end of 2010 and 2014, you can see the number of hours log has been reduced. This includes the administrative staff, this includes agents, and this also includes our volunteer log hours as well. However, in that time, we have been able to increase our, the program, the people we have reached with our programs. You see right there that we have almost, we have over doubled the number of contacts that we've been able to impact. And that's reaching roughly 10% of the county to have a positive experience that we've been able to introduce some best practices for them to adopt. And of course that has a trickle down effect into their family and into their community as well. No surprise that our educational events, the number of sessions of that is going up by utilizing our volunteers. And utilizing, we'll talk more about state specialists as well. Our onsite, David already mentioned before about how our face-to-face communication with the constituents here in Denton County is a lot of times how we are best suited to meet the needs. For instance, in my 4-H capacity to meeting with kids as they are raising livestock, David, he can't really give recommendations on a field of wheat from his office and neither can Janet give recommendations on the Courthouse of the Countries from her office either. So, as we all know that Denton County is one of the most popular counties in the country right now. We have over 13.5% projected population growth. And as our population grows, our program utilization is going to grow as well. And by that, you know, as our population grows, it's going to grow both in the good and bad aspects of what comes with population growth. And from what Commissioner Coleman said just a short while ago, we were addressing the sheriffs. A little money now can save us a lot later. I know that you've heard me speak before about how youth involved in four-age projects, from research done by Tufts University. They are four times more likely to give back to their community, which then adds value to the lives and to the community here in Denton County. They're also less likely to be involved in any alterations with law enforcement. So not only are we going to be a little bit money into our 4-H program now, that's also going to be able to help us to maybe cut down some impacts on other areas, especially health and nutrition, discipline, and so on. I can't see. There we go. In other programs, we're going to talk about 4H. In the last year, we've increased it to 300 members in the first full year that I've been employed here in Denton County. In next year, we plan to grow it by up to 3,000. And I'll discuss briefly how we plan to do that and why. In Janet's sector of master naturalists, the master gardeners, that these two organizations have a direct impact on the environmental aspects, taking care of the environment here in Denton County. They have both grown by 18 and 25% respectively. That anticipated 900% growth that we're expecting here for 4-H is due to partnerships with Denton County ISDs. We have plans right now to start with the Denton ISD extended school day program, which we are going to start a partnership on October 19th. And that is going to extend our reach right there to 2,300 more additional students. That we're going to have an impact on as far as curriculums, not only school curriculums, but also extracurricular curriculums, extracurricular curriculums, leadership, personal development, career choices, things like that. So, and right now we have 13, we have 13 ISDs that have schools in Denton County. Of course we have others that have school districts that oppose in here, but none of them that actually have schools. And with that, that's nearly 150,000 students. And right now, we're not even beginning to address the needs of those kids. It's one agent that is just me, that is responsible for that. So, you know, that's quite a task that we have. So in asking for this program, 4-H program coordinator position, we actually researched other counties of similar size and population that have, and each one of them have at least three and up to four people working on the 4-H staff alone. And that's, like we said, that's just to meet the educational needs. Excuse me, of those young people. So in conclusion, a little bit before we go into this, something that we left off the slides was also in the new position higher, there's also a section in there where the position will be an administrative supervisor to our administrative staff. Miss Phillips can speak to the fact of some of the gaps in the way our certain offices set up right now, as far as supervision rolls and things like that when there are agents missing. I can definitely speak to the fact that our district extension administrator has voiced before he does not like the way our office is set up for a discipline, you know, for supervision reasons. Sometimes there are gaps in the way that it is now set up. And so in that position we also put in there that they would be an administrative supervisor as well. So the take home message right here is Texas A&M AgriLife. And when I say that, I'm talking about the state. The state system provides $1.57 per household in Denton County. And then Denton County spends another $1.77 per household in AgriLife Extension. That $1.57 figure is just our salary, retirement and insurance. That does not include some of the equipment that they provide, that does not include the training that they provide us and that does not include any of the specialists or any of the programs that they provide that does not include the training that they provide us and that does not include any of the specialists or any of the programs that they provide to see that is strictly just the budget line items that they provide here that stay in Denton County. So if you look at this, our volunteers, this is just our volunteers provide an equivalent of $3.8 per household in Denton County. That number this past year we turned in last December was a little low compared to years before. I believe the number was in the range of $700,000 of volunteer contribution in years past. It has been $1.2 million. So that $3.8 jumps up to nearly $5 for household. So you can see that Denton County is getting their money back for when we, Denton County is getting their money back for when they spend money here on the extension service. So with that, we thank you for listening to us here today and we're excited at the opportunity and if there are any questions, would you like to answer this for you now? Thank you. I have other questions from members of court? Believe not, thank you. Thank you. Next on our list is the man to my right, my county auditor. I know you don't hear many appeals from him, but there's reclassification, request of four financial support specialists, one positions request is to go to financial support specialists to the appeal totals 23,000 per hour. A page A79 or on page three of your changes, she there. Judge and commissioners, my appeal is for reclassification of these four jobs in my office. They're all financial support specialist ones. The basis for my reclassification request is and for my appeal is the number one, these jobs are ranked as financial support specialist one grade five based on a job description that contains almost none of the duties, knowledge, skills that the job requires. The jobs, but the job description for financial support specialist 2, which is grade 7, includes the duties, knowledge and skills that these jobs do require and it has almost no further requirements in it. So for the financial support specialist 2 classification, these jobs meet every requirement for that. And my conclusion, my request is if these jobs are ranked specialist one grade five based on the job description, you know, if the job, actual job description that describes these jobs is financial support specialist 2, then this position should be classified that way. And I would ask that all four of these be ranked moved up to financial support specialist 2. It's a move to job grade from 5 to 7. When I looked at this job description that they're currently working under, I would have saw that it doesn't, it's totally lacking. In my opinion, it doesn't describe any job. It certainly doesn't describe the jobs that these people do. The only specific duties listed are, quote, gather invoices, matches, POs, checks for action, prepares payment. The only knowledge and skills listed as a requirement for this job are requires a bill to prepare and process purchase orders and bill to use computers and office machines. I believe that this job description is overly simplistic, totally inadequate to describe the work these people do. And analogy would be, and I don't mean this to be, two-wise is that you could describe brain surgery as cut-head open work on brain. That's very simplistic. Those are steps, but that doesn't save what you need to do to do that job successfully. The job assessment tool that I completed for reclassification notes that the job has grown significantly and magnitude or the amount of work done and the complexity of the work done. The complexity of our budget, as you saw, as we're discussing today, grows every year. Every two years with new laws, the laws of what things money can be spent on and what can't change every year. We add new special funds every year. Every two years we add new capital project funds which also have very strict rules on how they can be spent And we're also writing checks You see the number of checks every week we ride Which also if you look in there we also see many of the lots of checks of $50 $200 We had a check as big as $6 million last year on the Luke 288 building. Obviously, the risk of an error now in this job is much greater than it was. In the liability of the county might assume if we pay something incorrectly or in the wrong amount and we have to try to recover. There's a lot more risk and there's a lot more responsibility for the job. We also have new grant programs and the grant programs have their own set of rules and what money can be spent on and what can't. So the two grants that you'll approve today for the Public Health Department have it in the immunization and the local health services have specific rules, what can be paid and what cannot be. A realistic job description would include requirements for independent judgment, for interaction with other office, with elected officials and with the public. These jobs do interact directly with elected officials and they have the pleasure of saying no, you can't do that directly to an elected official. The job requires a thorough knowledge of governmental accounting. Everything we do is based on our accounting system and our budgeting system, which budgeting system lays on top of our accounting system. And county financial policies, county purchasing policies, because if something comes through to our office, that's not been a purchase that's not been entered into compliance with purchasing apologies, these are the jobs that will catch it. We caught two of them last week. And again, if they're not within policy, those are illegal. And again, that's which is my liability. Great attention to details also required to ensure that all payments are made. And the core of the job is all payments are made on a timely basis to the correct vendor in the correct amount charged to the right line out of them in the budget and they're legally incurred. So there's again five steps in every bill we're going to go through to see if they're going to be approved. This happens over and over every day. Poply applying statutes and policies can result in high stress, situation when a vendor or a county employee must be told no. And we've had, we have also many vendors that don't like to be told no, you're not going to get what this, because it's not correct. But the basic thing is, in summary, if these jobs were ranked as a financial support specialist one on the base of the current job description, which is available on line, then they must be under ranked if the actual job requirements are considered. And the knowledge and skills and abilities of the financial support specialist to job description contain almost nothing. There's one or two lines that's not an actual requirement of these jobs. And I have a listing there of all the requirements of that job of the financial support specialist too, which includes you know, an knowledge of standard accounting accepted bookkeeping methods policy procedures and practice that's every day Bility to maintain and establish a complex right variety of records and files Research the bill here research program documents and arctic material materials Again, we look at contracts every day to see if things are incurred in connection with those. And on and on, all of these things that make up a financial support specialist to these people do. And if that's the basis for the jobs ranking, then I would request that these be reclassified to that. So thank you. We have any other financial support specials to jobs? There are. Yes. On the office. They actually are listed on the job description, the budget office. Actually, the only two are budget offices in county. All of them. I think there are some more. That's only two that are listed on the job description. You have one already in your office. I have one. I have one in my office already, yes. We look at the job description. Could it be changed or is it? The job description itself is a shared job description. It's not meant to fully Define the job when we rank a job or when we Conduct a job about it. We actually use the job assessment tool and that has a lot more detail about the actual job I've run into that before. Other positions. You know, you look at the job description and you're like, that's not what she does. Or she does so much more than that We did that I mean we've we've done that for years Because we can't maintain a job description for our job title in the county So we have shared job descriptions Well, and I get I'm just I will just summarize that if the job that these people do every day absolutely meets the job description requirements for duty requirements for experience, education and knowledge and skills and it describes the job they do, then it seems like to me they should be ranked at that job. So I appreciate your consideration. James, have you done a side by side comparison of the two different job assessment tools? No, I haven't. Now I did the new one, I did the new one on this job, which again in my opinion doesn't match this job description at all. The current job description at all. But I did not look at, and I didn't know that I didn't think I, well I didn't think to ask for it. I don't think I have online access to that. And I don't know if anyone's been down on it, okay, so anyway, I appreciate your consideration. Thank you. All job descriptions in the assessments need to be re-evaluated or take a look at at least from time to time. That's a hard thing to keep up with. Usually about the only time we really look at them is if somebody leads, they retire or whatever, they okay, it would be full. We hire somebody. Let's reevaluate this to see if we're saying what we really intend to be saying. Thank you, Jim. Thank you. The next time item we have is for road and bridge precinct one. This is a request, expectation request of the existing construction quality control management position. We talked about a little bit earlier in our discussion with Michael Tubiolo. This appeal is for $2,798 for salary and benefits for this position. Roy Davenport is here, representing the one of Chicago. Okay, here I guess. Okay. Good afternoon, Judge and commissioners. I'll be brief. Some of the descriptions of this job, this position were previously described this morning in discussions with Michael Tobielo. To be brief, the current position is Project Coordinator. The individual holding that position has been involved in more inspections than are described by the job description. And in looking at some of the duties and responsibilities in public works and reassigning some of those duties, it was decided that the individual in that position is a natural fit to work as an inspector on some of the current and future projects. I think it was mentioned this morning that on a job here very recently, he noticed potentially defective installation and was able to quickly point it out to the contractor. And I think initially the contractor was upset because he wasn't used to doing business that way with Denton County and has since complied and come to understand that the inspections are pretty thorough and they are expected to comply with the terms of their contract. Worked up a job description and that has been submitted through HR. I think that's been reviewed describing responsibilities. As was mentioned, the budget impact on this appeal would be a little less than $3,000. And I have asked that. I do need to clarify too that I forgot to mention that they're reducing their HMAC line out and buy that amount for zero impact and apologize I forgot that part. I stole my thunder. I always said it should be no impact to the budget. But is this, I mean, how did this correspond with precinct four? Is this the coordinator? coordinator. What happened, Bobby, is any and I had discussed reclassifying the two employees. Exactly. And we had, basically, they were both going to assume substantial amounts more of responsibility when they got graded by human resources. these employees got a I don't know I would say I hope I don't miss a significant increase in salary and Man he was basically taking on a lot more work for the same amount of money They're in two different pay grades right now, and that's the reason that it results in that I think a three-grade advancement on on the west side. And there isn't really a great advancement in the ranking on the east side because he's already in a grade 12. And so it works out for those two individuals, the two individuals, a little bit differently. It's mainly because our two departments are set up differently. individuality, a little bit different. It's mainly because our two departments are set up differently. They don't mirror each other, but Andy and I had decided that we needed more inspections, particularly with the way we had the two engineers that were assigned to everybody, but providing engineering services. And we had had discussions about who would report to who and we all agree that we needed more inspectors to help our engineers and we'd both agreed to upgrade these positions. I expected that when I talked to Manny and asked him if he was interested in it. He already does all the the culvert permits and everything and this was going to be a substantial lot more work or responsibility. We thought that he would get a corresponding increase in income when it came out of HR. It didn't happen like that. And this is the first time I've ever appealed anything in seven years and I just think it needs to reflect the amount of additional tasks that he'll be undertaking. I'll second. What do we got this time? Discussion, go ahead. There's no impact. Yeah, right. Because they're reducing the HMS key. No, that's reducing it for this year. What about? Sure, it's meant Donna. That's for reduction for next year, not this year, right? Yes, that's for next year, that reduction. So that's going to match the project coordinator for a precinct for me. They're going to put them at the same salaries. Or they're they're same grade. How many salaries? Great. Amy, I don't want to miss day. Can you explain? I think many has a lot more experience when she grows. Yeah, I know that. But you're going to be making more money. He does. And I guess my question is if, and I do believe they do things very differently, and part of the issue is we got one job assessment tool, and we have one job title. And so if they're going to be different pay grades we would need a different job title. I mean that's not hard to do and we would need another JAT to see how they're different. If they're going to be, yeah, if they're going to be different pay grades. This is going to be the same pay rate, but no. I think Annie's already had a different pay grade. I had a lot of consternation because I thought his job description was more adequately described under the construction manager, stormwater supervisor. When you looked at what he was actually doing with the shooting grade and controlling the flooding, because we have the two lakes increasing. Come on. supervisor when you looked at what he was actually doing with the shooting grade and controlling the flooding Because we have the two lakes increasing. Come on You know what I mean around and we most of his job is dealing with flooding and stormwater issues along with inspecting the culverts So it's really hard to peg exactly where he was going to be in along with his additional Inspector construction duties I also balanced the the fact that the job that he was doing that we may thought about them either in addition to or replacing which was Robert. Robert was paying getting paid how much like eighty seventy nine thousand or something. I don't remember how much I know it was a pay grade fifteen. Right and so he was getting paid substantially more. And I said, well, you know what? It's not fair to peg Manning's job at what Robert would be in paid. But I thought that he needed additional compensation for the substantial amount of assignment he was going to get. Oh, he is a project coordinator. Who is your manager there? The administrative manager is Mike, Mike Simmons. Right. And so, and he, Mike reports to Ron and I. And he is the Holly Nailer. Yes, but he does more than that. They have it, they have, because of the employees, I mean, I'm not, it doesn't bother me, but we have different constituencies. He has about 170 miles of roads, but I think they have a lot more traffic and different desires. I have about 360 miles, but I think arts are a lot less traffic. Andy has one employee less than I do, even though we take care of roughly twice in many roads. And so we operate each area differently. I wouldn't say one's better than the other. I think they each address the needs of their communities. Because of our area, we have many doing different things than the same person that was mirroring him. And I think as a result, because of different communities, he winds up doing, he had more experience than the fellow they promoted. This is kind of hard to explain, but I mean, so they've got a mechanic form and we don't have a mechanic. That's right right that's right You know they had so I Know we should be treated apples and apples, but you know the way can a government is is we don't Yeah, and that's why I like I was trying to explain to you Bobby is that I Think it's because you know we spend is that I think it's because you know we spend $500,000 on a bridge right and like we've had some if y'all remember recently that we've had to go back and I wish James was here where we've had to go back because they failed they were brand new bridges but perhaps we didn't do the best job we could have inspecting it or supervising the design here in our recent rains it had problems that is let me to think we need additional inspection to make sure that we're getting these guys on task when we farm things out. James is really a good job doing that. But I think James needs somebody to help him who's in the public works department. But when I have issues with contractors that have like one time the mayor of singers Calgot lose when we were fixing a culvert in his house. I need to be able to send Manie out there to figure out what the heck is going on, shoot the grade, get on the contractor. Yeah, yeah. Don't shoot the guy. But that's kind of the, you know, that's kind of expertise they have. We need somebody who's going to help Mike, we need somebody who's going to help James and same thing with him. Donna, why didn't you recommend this? This is an HR function. I don't really recommend job grades and also we go by what we received from HR. Amy, why do you recommend this? You knew that was quick. Don't ask that, did you? No. Obviously, I recommended a pay grade 12 for both of these. Again, it was based on one job assessment tool and Commissioner Coleman saying that they do the job differently in his office. And I really can't speak to that because I didn't have an opportunity to evaluate a different job assessment tool. So this one going up to a pay rate 13? That's correct. 13. 13. And the West side is standing at the FOIA? The West side fellow is going to get a significant pay increase. side fellow is going to get a significant paying freeze. Our employee with additional responsibilities won't get in. Ron and I's employee. All right. Are there questions or discussion? We have a motion to second on the floor. How about I? You already did that. No, I'm ready. Okay, all in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Pro, see me. Aye. Motion carries three in favor, two. One opposed. I have to represent. Okay. Okay. We can go back to item number 12. Okay. We can go back to item number 12 if you'd like. We just received notification from the comptroller's office of a change that was made for the criminal district attorney salary. I, apparently, the state increased the retirement rate contribution, which will mean less spring home pay. This is our sum of the officials. So basically, the state has agreed to reimburse the county $4,200 total, $3,500 of that being for a salary supplement increase and the rest for the benefits. So the $4,200 is sufficient to cover our benefit rates. And so we would be paying a criminal district attorney an additional $3,500 a year for two years until the next legislative session when they could fix the problem that they created. So there's information in the packet from the comptroller. I'll move for a period. I'll second. And we have it being offset with that revenue. So it's a zero impact. We have motion is second. No further discussion on favor please say aye. Aye. Aye. Close any. Aye. The end of the meeting. Did me dinner up? No, you're fine. Here's what it is. I have another easy one on human resources page one. Yes. Item number 16. There's two different reallocation requests from departments. One is human resources where they've asked to move money from supplies, training and education at $1,500, so it's a zero impact. We also have the same for Department of Public Safety. They've asked to move money from their radio expense line items to operating supplies and operating equipment for zero impact as well. I'm looking forward to the speech on 16. So it's going to be on page two, I think. It's on page four of six. I see it. Okay. Who made the motion? Bobby. Motion by Commissioner Mitchell. seconded by Commissioner Marchion. That is for the DPS. Zero budget impact reallocation and then also human resources. Reducing office supplies and increasing training education, zero budget impact on both. On favor, please say aye. Aye. Posting. Motion does carry. Okay, I know you've heard a lot about everybody wanting more money. Well, I've got some changes and some reductions to give you. Give me the reductions. This will put us in a better frame of mind, right? the first item if you want to look at your changes sheet page one at the top you'll see that our office inadvertently included some vehicles that were removed by the vehicle assessment committee. Long story short I had the wrong spreadsheet in our system. I caught the ones for my department, but my employees didn't know that the wrong spreadsheet was out there. So that's all on me. So we can bring you the deletion of the vehicle for Constable Precinct 5, the one for juvenile probation. It's $41,000. There's one for juvenile probation at $24,000, and one for public health clinical at $24,000 and one for public health clinical at $28,000. All those departments have been contacted and they are aware that this was and they even knew it before because the committee recommendation went on. She missed it. They were really quiet about it too by the way. I bet they were. So we had one department say well we didn't get our new heart but we got a new car. So anyway also we have received notification from purchasing that some of the pricing that is included for vehicles is really probably not going to be sufficient. So you'll see that the next four lines on their show and increase in the per unit cost and that will affect 12 vehicles in the Sheriff's Department. One vehicle for Constable 2, for precinct 5 and precinct 6. So the overall savings of all this is $70,500. I'll move. Okay. Question. Okay, none long. Favorite, please say aye. Aye. Posting. Motion. Okay, based on the fact that we're in the appeal process, as you know, and we have our tax rate information, I had included a $200,000 contingency, and at the very bottom of page one, for either budget appeals or any tax rate adjustment. So at this point in the process, we can actually actually delete that and you can use that to either grant appeals or reduce the rate having one to do that. So that's an item that is no longer necessary based on this point in the process. We got 200,000 wiggle room. It's 200,000 in contingency that we really don't need. Unless you just want to build our contingency up. So did you do the call ounces yet? We didn't. I was just going to give you some reduction. Fast for scenarios. OK, so we put in 200,000 contingency or either appeals or if we miss the vote on the tax rate calculation as a kind of a cushion so that if we miss the mark we had something to fall back on. The good news is we don't need it for the tax rate problem because we were pretty much right on with what we thought We can't put this in capital. The IP. The IP. You could transfer it to, we could certainly move it to our transfer department and move that money to the capital replacement fund if he'd like to. Well, with the deletion. Well, even if it's the offset, I'm gonna leave the field. We can't use the double-sided. Well, I've been keeping a run in total and I think we've actually moved in and corrected that for a long, or only about six grand into it because it's Julie Manie. It's really Luke, Manie Trevino, and then everything else was, like the Sheriff's Department. The Sheriff had a $110,000 savings. Yeah, so there were the savings. We haven't made a decision, but I think we should do the health department, and that's going to be, um, so. We're going to connect to this until we. That's fine. Let's wait until the very end, because I've got my notes and I'm adding it absolutely, but I need to go. Yeah. Like Jeff Rowan said, reset it. Let's get a little further through it and we'll come back to that. Okay. Trying to keep her running total. Okay. Okay, on the bottom of page two of six, county criminal court number five. There is a pending grant application that's been submitted. We have not received notification of that. However, the department did include defending, assuming that that was going to be a good one. What we will do is what I propose is we remove this from the budget and we'll handle it as a budget amendment once we receive grant notification. We will in turn increase revenues to offset the expense at the time of award. So this is a true cut. I have communicated with Judge Wadal. He's aware of this. This still leaves them with a $75,000 budget for a drug court their drug court expenses. So moved. Second and then Commissioner Marchant questions. Very none of my favorite please say aye. Close the name. Question carries. Each five of six. As I mentioned two weeks ago during the visit presentation, I thought there was a formula problem with the library funding. And in fact, there was. So I with the library funding and in fact there was. So I had been in contact with them and received a revised proposal which brings the bottom line down to the current level of funding. So again, the current level of funding is $340,000. And these reductions for the various libraries will still keep their bottom line funding the same without a reduction. So it's a $7,700 change. For a change you never know. It's the same bottom line. Now each library may change a little bit depending on just their decision. The population. Right, how many people do you have? In the closing of like cities library, et cetera. So. Okay. population. Right how many people in the closing of like cities library etc. So Okay, the motion by commissioner march at seconded by commissioner Mitchell the one favorite please say aye aye, motion carried. Hey um also on page five of six if you see where it says debt service. We've received information based on the recent debt issue that there's about $174,000 savings in interest earning earnings. The interest expanse, I'm sorry, for the most recent debt issue based on what we included as a preliminary estimate in our budget. So that's the reduction of a hand $74,000. Motion by Commissioner Marchin. Seconded by Commissioner Coleman. On favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Go, Sen. Motion is carrying. And the next one down, capital replacement phone. This is, we received a revised proposal from on the audio video upgrade project. As I mentioned, we had taken out the juvenile court room based on the fact that that court room needs to be replaced and they hate to spend that kind of money on something like that when ultimately it's going to be booked out differently. With that proposal came off some of the maintenance fees, etc. So it's a savings of $9,872. I wish. I wish. I wish. I wish. I wish. I wish. I wish. I wish. I wish. I wish. I wish. I wish. I wish. I wish. All of us saying this is what they want. Now in your packet, I've included emails from judgment, filing and judge Garcia that states that each group of judges are in agreement. Good because if you remember when we did the fourth floor, they said those darn commissioners are opulent and spending all that money and gave us all these five huge TVs, taken down. And look, we don't want to have that again. Y'all, want this? You take responsibility for it. That's, you know, you're getting what you're requesting. The only thing I did talk to Judge McFarlane about, and I'm gonna talk to I guess to Mr. TBLO, is one of the things I noticed when I was touring the courthouse the other day, is that we do have a candy cap accessible bench where you have if we had a judge who was in a wheelchair who could go up a lift to get up to the raised area. You're using that area to store food, refrigerators, and vial cabinets. So it's just one of the many things that's indicative of how we just have stuff laying around in the hallways and We don't they do yeah and like I had a long discussion because you know we paid big bucks to have the That was me Sorry, please yeah, I missed it playing basketball with my sandwich I missed it. I was playing basketball with my sandwich. But so for instance, we have sockets in the floors, right? And then you could put a cubicle in there, little kind of, the little bullpen area. But they've chosen not to use that, but instead line up desk all along the walls. Anyway, Judge McFarnland expressed, he didn't know why every single courtroom had to have a lift for a judge and thought that if we had one, if we do get a handicap accessible, or a person who had needs to use that, that they could be assigned that court that was for them. And that made sense to me. I just had to ask his discussion. Did you have the same discussion with him? But because they're redoing the courtroom for all to build in. And this is my understanding that it's the feds that sets the standards for the ADA requirements. If your plans and so the city accepts the ADA's suggestions, I mean the Feds suggestions when they draw up the plans. And the only way that you can get away from that is resubmit to the feds for a waiver to do away with those elevators. When you do that, it triggers a grandfathering, grandfather kind of clause, uh, that they have to just like we talked about, but the, the ADA having to bring it up to, to the current standards because certain, and we're in the thousand dollars and more, and that's right. It brings it up to that. And so it, it goes back out to the, right? Not sure if it's the fed, but I think it's the Texas Department of License and immigration, which is enforcing being. They're the ones that whoever enforces it. So I, because I was trying to get that wave for witness stand for witness in the Nate gave me the whole thing. I don't know if it would make sense to have a lift for every single courtroom. But if it's required, I guess we have to do it. But it seems like they were, I think that was one of the considerable expenses really. I do, I really do. But if we could take that out, I think it might be a lot less. So I guess I'll move for approval on that. I Brunley's list of facilities prioritization. Looking for it. Oh, I'm starting to think about the first thing I'm going to do. I'm going to do the first thing I'm going to do. I'm going to do the first thing I'm going to do. I'm going to do the first thing I'm going to do. I'm going to do the first thing I'm going to start with the first one. I'm going to start with the first one. I'm going to start with the first one. I'm going to start with the first one. I'm going to start with the first one. I'm going to start with the first one. I'm going to start with the first one. What's this recommended remote? It's a remote. So this is found here. I can't remember if you went through a far under here. The first section is for remodeling on page S111. We actually recommended the top six. And it's basically only six because the expense related to the very first project was $231,000. There were requests for $786,425 for remodeling and our recommendation was $339,952. So this report that's in your packet is based on the priority order that Danny had submitted to our office. Danny will also be here next week for us to talk about the remodeling issues with regard here today. Anyone check the... Here's another report that's called preventative maintenance. That begins on page s-one twenty four of these projects there were thirty two projects requested at a cost of four hundred ninety three thousand thirty seven we recommended three hundred thirty seven thousand six seventy six but we actually which they deserve one. Sorry. We recommended seven of the 32 projects. And some of those are fairly significant. It includes $115,000 for outdoor lighting includes $115,000 for outdoor lighting here at the courthouse on the square, some water remediation at the basement of the quartz building, and repainting a bunch of corridors, quartz building, I'm going to put the back in the bag. I'm going to put the back in the bag. I'm going to put the back in the bag. I'm going to put the back in the bag. I'm going to put the back in the bag. I'm going to put the back in the bag. I'm going to put the back and the tasks like the slidey. I'll put the high tasks there and she's made that really good offer. Now it was just right at the cutoff point. You know, we chose a bottom line number, so that's priority number seven on the list. Let me ask you, some of this is this deferred maintenance. I mean, this brings back memories of restriping parking lots. Is that a deferred? I can't, how are those buildings? That's not even. Those buildings are two or three years old. There are elections. Right. And over there it didn't look like a, it needs to be striped, doesn't it? Just trying to figure out what is, if he's got these on a certain maintenance calendar. It looks like there's a request for all of those new buildings. They're all right there, eight, nine, and ten. Yeah, that's what it is. Lavin. Wonder if those will be, would they be requested by himself. You didn't write. So I'm just wondering if he's got it on schedule. I miss. Do you remember if they do that? No, that's fine. That's fine. I just didn't know if that was at the top of your head. I said it's the third year that we've been in those buildings. Notice page S17 that got a sign of system requested for the Copeland Center. Pardon me? Yes, all that. That's always been difficult. You're here? Because It's confusing because it's precinct one but it's JP five and Constable five and I've tried to get text doc to let us to put signage in there right away, but they only allow signage for state offices like if you're a state rep or something like that. Now I'm talking about the sound system. Oh, okay. Priority number 14, OVLSP is asking for in this complaint some injuries and citizens that they can't hear instructions, prosecutors, testimony from the witness stand. What is that? If we're doing the sound system work at the courthouse, can this not be included? It's not. What's new? I know it's not. Yeah. It's a separate, totally separate proposal. He talked to me about getting a sign change out from him. He didn't talk to me about the audio. Does my son. Sometimes it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission. But you got to remember we're on FM. Yeah, I know FM 424 and I've often thought you know we have a sign made them. Yeah, you never know what might appear. Well let's say there's one, there's we just re-did the JP courtroom precinct six. We're getting ready to do the JP courtroom at precinct two. We're getting ready to do the courtroom at precinct four. And getting ready to do the courtroom at precinct two. Those are four courtrooms that are coming on that I'm sure that my judges already asked why we didn't put a sound system in the courtroom. I never had a problem hearing or not. Hey, the prosecutor's not. The attorneys aren't loud enough. Can you believe it? For a head that problem. I think I think you. Let me. Let me. Let me. Add a suggestion if I can. I don't know what they're current. I don't know what the JP's current of balance is in their technology fund. Is it where we've going to do the negative or running out of money? Coming up. I think if you know you got the money which is good. About $87,000. That is what we're projecting. I would say that again please. About $87,000. What, so my suggestion would be let them figure it out among themselves and ask for it through the technology fund. If they each. This sounds easy. And technology fund. If they each found the available in the fund, $87,000. Well that's in your fund balance. That's an acceptable use their fund balance. We have to declare an emergency and so we may want to allocate some of that fund balance into that budget. get they decide to do it. Great. Sure. Are we rogued into those four construction budgets? Was it currently being constructed? It's an appropriate use for that technology fund. I think that's a good way to go. But that's what they want it, but they make a decision exactly. But that fund is for them. They have used it, they. Yes, they have. Sure. Actually, in the recommended budget, they have a $95,000 contingency already. Not counting the $89,000 I was whatever that figure was in reserves. They can use that to address. They can use that during the process and just move that money with a budget amendment to allocate it. They have an administrative judge. I think it's DPR. It is. It is. Let them meet on that and have that general discussion. And who wants it? That one or that none of them want it. I mean, that one, the Ogles be wants it. So he'll have to prove up to the rest of the JPs, the need for it. They'll probably win it too. That's what I'm getting at. That's the way to go with that. The members back to the tax office and the tax assessors request for this high traffic area the wall of 15,107. Yeah, it was over there and we need to do that. I'm going to make a motion for a little bit. A second. We have a second by Commissioner Coleman. Donna, did you get the motion? Michelle French has requested for 15,107 for the wing cut panels for the high traffic area on the tax office. This is number seven on F-14. What? S-14. Right, the top of the pit. So, okay. We're in Medi. I'll make a motion. Tell me the motion. I mean, for Colin's second, I think. That's for 15107. Correct. That's really the only one that I was looking to add. Anybody else has something else to do? What I'd like to know is, is like we've got several items on here Install minimum flow condenser water valve bypass lens That's something Seems to me, you know and also install learn hot water bypass control valve I don't know the intensity of that truly high I don't know the intensity of that. That's truly high. If that's a truly high priority out of, I mean, I had a water heater explode the other day. If that's a maintenance item, we need to have it done. Pardon me? CUP. And that's over at the S-288, right? C-U-P. Donna, when he says C-U-P, he's talking about you. Central utility plan. She already put a call at the cab for the Album-28 site. Okay, yeah. I'm like wondering if he's put it, we need to replace that. We need to do that. I'd like to have an 11 and 12. On some of this stuff next year and ask, I mean next year, next week and ask about that. We need that, Danny. Danny will be here next week. How about this is that? You know, his request here for these things for the utility. I mean, the way that... What if Danny Beakard's... Off with Danny Beakard's... You put the preventative maintenance based on a calendar of when maintenance should occur and then if you can defer it, you defer it. It's kind of like there's re-striping. For instance, there's nothing as I believe September the first, we will not any longer after we close building at the Colony Government Center, we will not own that building any longer. We'll do some maintenance on it, but it will be all deferred. We won't replace anything on that at all. You know what I'm talking about because we're closing that at the end of August or sometimes set up. Right. Closing that bill and the city will own it at that time and we'll rent it for a dollar. But we agreed to do ongoing maintenance but not to do. I'm gonna rebuild it for you. Capital items. I know Danny is problematic because we have 31 buildings, county buildings, something like that. But sometimes when I go out and visit some of our buildings and I'm sure you, I mean, we need to really kind of work on the appearance of some of them. I know Danny's got a tough job and he's successfully kept the guys when they bow the Copeland Center from knowing down the flowers. Like somebody would come, somebody would come playing them and then the next guy would come mowing down. But then and that's tough but I mean we got the you know we got the Copeland Center which was I mean the not the Copeland Center but the Carol Courtsville which looks a lot nicer. You know hopefully you know because I took him through and we punched the courthouse on the Kenny, they'll get those portions fixed. But I don't know how we do a better job of, because it seemed like we rely on our elected officials or employees to tell us what's not looking good. And a lot of times we just, you know what I mean? People are indifferent. I don't know how to... I mean, each of us could spend a full-time job just checking all the facilities out for... I know that, you know, I know Andy and I, as well as the rest of us, agreed that adding the portaculturist Fred. And Fred is very on top of it. I don't know. And he is very on top of the outside and making recommendations and making sure that they getting all that done. That was one step that we looked at. But you're talking about maintenance inside the building. I'm talking about, yeah, maintenance. And part of my deal is I do not have an eye for that. And I'm generally at the Copeland Center. We're saying we're in Ridge Building and just be like this. And I go over to the courthouse on the canyon about once a month. But I don't think with the other buildings except when I have to get my pegs like it. And it was, you know, there's a lot of people who's kind of around staying on the wall or at the tax office for everybody leaning up against it. Well, I guess my philosophy, and I developed it when I was working as a city councilman, said we had the philosophy that every employee had the responsibility to help maintain their facility, their facility in a responsible way, and the responsible way was as if there was anything within their facility that needed maintenance that they would report it to their supervisor as well as if they were driving down the road on a Sunday afternoon and noticed that there was a pothole that they would call public works department to make sure that they would get it taken care of. So, I mean, that's the way we handle it in our building. And then we screen everything that comes out of those complaints that go up to Danny and Dale and Dale very very very well. Can I go off subject just a minute? Sure. We get bug on that, didn't we? Okay. Oh yeah. No, okay. Let me know. The tax office. Tax office. Oh, we didn't burn them? Okay. No, okay. Let me know. The tax office. We didn't burn? Okay. On favor. I would say nay. Motionless case. Thank you. Donna, if one of them went office, I, because I don't understand how they're going to. Right now, the tax office, as well, it, tax office, as Right now the tax office as well it tax office as well as the county parks office is looking at it going a separate track they're looking at the viewing systems. Is that a capital improvement object? The funding for that or the will not sure what the cost. I don't think so. Hewing system for the tax tax offices. Where's that? Out of. Get back with you on that. I'm going to go through a review process right now. She thinks we're funding those out of the project budget. Traction project. For the tax office, there is supposed to be brought up at a later point. But the other ongoing projects is supposed to be included in the project. Within the project, there is going to be constructive like mine, Frisco, whatever, up our file and then the list you'll write. Everything except the Denton Test Office which is not one of those. Okay that's that's what I want to know. Thanks. And then okay I'm sorry. It was 2021. items 20 and 21. Estonna were those the items that were brought to forest before the probate were. Sorry. Yes, sir. Okay. Delos, to me it seems those to be in conflict. Was it an either or? We need to wait for Danny because I think there's some confusion that these offices may be It's by David Janine. No, I'm just bringing it up for next week. We need to get that clarified Because I'll tell you what do I Mean I think they brought when I was reading, it said files. Everything's filed electronically. How on earth would you have files? There was discussion about a restroom, but there was no request submitted for any restroom in the research regent process. That's why we couldn't find it on the listical staff is to hit the probate court. That does need to be shifted so that the jury room is not accessible. That needs to be changed around. When I walk through the courthouse even the main gate, because the foot team like the first floor, the judges on the first floor and other, I mean, they do lots of spaces. Those are the most senior judges. It's not cluttered. There's staff at big offices and then when you go up the floors and it is a tight, tight deal. And I tried to reorganize it is a tight, tight deal. And I tried to reorganize it when a couple years ago, I'll let any of you all volunteer to do that committee. Because I like type of change station cost $2580. So we've got to take that bull by the horn and get it all sorted out. Or else we're going to wind up spending $10 million on a bond election. Dude, do we need to have discussion? And I lost your juice. I told you. I got it right here. What do you need? We got a 5% raise. On what? You said that you really. Actually, it's 3% cola and 2% market. Yeah, we would like, I mean, the courts ready to move on that. We would certainly like to get that action for a couple of reasons. We can find lines to pay real budget in our office because we don't keep that up every day. We do it periodically. So if we get action on that, we can fine tune that information by next meeting so that we've got a good bottom line on that. But also we can send out the elected official notices that we need to do as well. So, given that, I'd also like to discuss the mileage. We do need to talk about that hand in hand because if you're looking at fixed car allowance increases, that is tied to the letters that we have to send out to the officials. So on page one of six is the summary of the cost associated with that. Option one was a 10% increase in fixed car allowances. And option two was a 15%. So you'll see the impact is either 30,000, 544 or 45,000, 816. The detailed report breaking that down is on page A 14 of your packet if you want to. Did we find out how long since it's been increased? 10 years. I'm going we did it. We were made emotional in that and passed that section, didn't we? Not the first two. Not the first two. Not the first two. Not the first car. Not didn't we? Not the first two. Oh, not the first two. Not the first car. Not the first car, though. Oh, OK, I'm sorry. So this is an either or option, either 10 or 15s included for your consideration. Thanks, addition. Just hit 260. On page A15 is the breakdown department by department with the current budget versus. Well, I'm not in favor of either one of them. I am in favor of increasing the coal lance. I'll tell you about it. I do a lot of driving. I know you do, you and I recognize that and I'm not knocking that, but I'm not in that. But I'm not afraid of increasing coal. I am. Which one do you win favor of? Well, we haven't addressed this in ten years. Exactly. Well, this... I would go for the 15% increase. And that's a long time not to address car lines with, with, with, uh, the red bomb has been flowing all over the place. No, gas is going down. Burmese? Yes is going down. What's it's going down. I mean, yes, it's going down. What's up, Pickles Down? Well, I think what it is is it's a cost of repairing inflation. I used to say I'd never buy a car over $20,000. That was 50 years ago. Over 20, well for me, Bobby. And you know, I drove that white 1991 pickup truck and then, you know, it turned 300,000 me, Bobby. And you know, I drove that white 1991 pickup truck, and then it turned 300,000 miles. Fab me in the back and caught fire in Little L. On 720. I had to go by. I'm a shade of blue man light. I had to go by another pickup. But is that of its misery? I had to go by another pickup truck, and it's out front. But I mean, I don't know, I drive it. I drive a lot. But I'm not sure what's the rate of inflation been in you, man. I know that's a. I'm sure you have that just at the top of your head, right, James? What's your question? What has been the rate of inflation? I have no idea. Is it been like 1% a year? Yeah, more like between 1 and two, probably because we throw in 2008, 2009, actually had a deep light here. But, you know, this is CPI, you know, around in the high ones and things. Trying to figure out what would be equitable. Let me help you. Let me make a motion that we increase the car allowance from what it currently is to 15%. That's my motion. 15% increase. We have a motion on the floor. Is there a second? I'm on the second to motion. Discussion? I vote for Tim, I'll vote for 15. I think 10% would be 1% for a year. I'm gonna see God. I'm okay with 15. Any further discussion or questions? Any none all in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any further discussion or questions? Any further discussion or questions? Any further discussion or questions? Any further discussion or questions? Any further discussion or questions? Any further discussion or questions? Any further discussion or questions? Any further discussion or questions? Any further discussion or questions? Any further discussion or questions? Any further discussion or questions? Any further discussion or questions? Any further discussion or questions? Any further discussion or questions? Any further discussion or questions? Any further discussion or questions? Any Okay, we did the rest of that one. So we're ready to do number 19, which is the 2% market adjustment, 3% cost of living for eligible employees and officials. On the very bat, 6-page 6 or 6 at the 5% market adjustment, 3% coal increase for eligible employees and officials. It's in the recommended budget. We have to do that today. Yeah, because we need to get the notice out. Notice out about the elected official salaries and start the clock ticking for any salary grievances. I hope there's none. Make the motion to approve. They 2% market adjustment, 3% co-efficient, increased relative employee and officials, which is in the recommended budget. Thank you. I have a motion by Commissioner Marchant. Chair will second the motion discussion. I'm in favor of this because there are substantial increase in health insurance payments. Many of our employees, we barely, you know, with the raise cover, they're increasing premiums. So I think this is the most in addition to, I'm going to also request that we put money in their health savings account, knowing that we will not be able to do it in years ahead that they're going to have to plan but we need to make that stop. We need to make that step in anticipation of us being under the American Health Care Act and not being able to be tricky. They call it affordable. I call it unaffordable care act. Is it the affordable health care? Yeah, that's what we're talking about. A misnomer. That's what they call it, affordable care. OK, that's not really part of the motion. The motion is for the 2% market adjustment, the 3% cola. And we'll address the interest on a second. I'm not including that. I just wanted to make sure we're clear here. OK, we have a motion in second for any further discussion. For you none, all in favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed, any? Motion does carry. We look to please. We need to get as much of this decided as possible, because it really helps Donna get us closer to a bottom line next week. We still have decisions to make next week. Item number 20 on the agenda is all the re-classification and equity adjustments that have been recommended by HR. I gave you all some replacement pages this morning that go that which will replace the pages in the summary section page S48. And I wanted to let you know why I gave you replacement pages. There were several positions on there that are actually being recommended, but the impact on their show zero and the idea because they were grant funded positions. So it was misleading. So I gave you a new report that shows the positions as well as one separate for those that are grant funded. But all of those are included in the recommended budget. So you, the one that has been bedded by Ms. Phillips and been bedded by you. S48, absolutely. It, the commissioner eats not, has for some of these things to be held? Was that none of the green head top to him about an awful lot of this before he left town? And he was, he was OK. He was OK. And he understood like the market adjustment and the color adjustment. He understood they needed to go forward with certain things This is another key that helps us finalize the payroll budget without That action if there were changes to be made of course that would be The sooner again the sooner we can have this finalized the the better we are with a member for you for next week. What would be the motion that you're... To approve all the reclassification and equity adjustment recommendations that are included in the budget that were approved and submitted by human resources. In the job title changes, do you want to take the next one to the new hires and the recommended budget 11 full-time positions and one part time to full-time position we can take that no I'll take that separate I think it's separate okay we'll look make I'm sorry wrong key clerk. Is that including the new employee? No. Okay, because I would like. I don't think. Whatever's in the recall. Yeah, no. Request, the question's dropped. The title changes in the recommended budget. That's the motion. Okay, because I... The job of title changes in the recommended budget. That's all we're about to have. Page six or six. Okay. Thank you. Good. Like similar to Miss Mitchell, when we improve the additional new hires, right? I would like to have that separate because I do not want to vote before. And we can figure it. We'll take a separate vote. I do not want to vote for new employees for the district part. But I'm okay with everybody else. Okay, so we have a motion for the requestification of job title changes in the recommended budget by Commissioner Marchion. I'll second the motion. Is there a discussion on this issue? Oh, there. Bobby. On favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed, Senator. Motion does carry. All right. Now. Okay. On the approval of the new hires and the recommended budget, the level and the new higher to the level of positions one part time position to fill time position. This is faces on here. I'm meaning the big ball is His work is 41. Is 41 41. Yes, sir. It's hard. I'll recommend I'll move that we adopt the recommendations for new employees except for the employees for the district clinic. The two that were recommended for the district clerk. Okay. Everybody understand the motion? It's for all of the recommendation with the exception of the two district court positions that was in the recommended budget proposal. I include the appeal the appeal in points. This is the two that were recommended. Right. They were in the recommended budget. The motion by commissioner Coleman is their second to the motion. They're a motion by Commissioner common is there second to the motion What we do is if we pass this motion we can then y'all can move to recommend the next two There's second to this motion Okay, let's pull that out of the motion if you don't want to vote on that because he pulled out the two and then we'll come back and vote on the second. Okay. Second. I'll try to give you all the opportunity. We're going to vote in that. The motion by Commissioner Coleman, seconded by Commissioner Mitchell on the recommended full-time positions. So it'd be nine and the one part time to full full time will take the district clerk positions of a separate vote. All in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. I, personally, motion is carried. Now, for the two district clerk positions that are in the recommended budget, shares the move for approval, seconded by Commissioner Marchin. Further discussion that does not include the ones that you appeal. That's not the appeal ones. It's the two that are in the recommended budget. There are no further discussion. I'll in favor please say aye. Aye. Poussinis. Motion carries three in favor. One of those. Are you clear, Donna? Motion carries three in favor one of those Three clear down it We're gonna skip number 21 and come we'll do that next week the financial trend in okay Special service agency funding That's included in the budget of slide increase this year. It's a one-time increase and the agencies are aware of that. At some point we're looking for a court approved on that. I'm going to move for approval. What you want to look at. It says social service agency funding. It's a sliding increases here one time only. Thank you. They're all aware that Probably not going to be the case next time It's additional funding that came from the tobacco Settlement all right. We have a motion by myself seconded by Commissioner March and hearing the further discussion on favor please say aye aye opposed to me motion is carried. We also had a fairly lengthy list of slots that are being transferred with the majority of those. Similar from the County Clerk Records Department moving to the County Clerk's budget several grant positions are moving around in public health, just so they're properly accounting for for the actual functions. So we're asking for approval of that list in its own page S61 of your packet. This action just to clarify also includes the juvenile accountability grant. the Juvenile Accountability Grant. This is a position that County is picking up almost 90% of that budget right now anyway. So we're asking if that just be funded in the actual sheriff's budget. It also moves the position from Redden Bridge precinct four, which was the mechanic form and slot to the vehicle maintenance department where they're currently working. There are those positions from records management that would that need to be moved back to the county coach's budget as they were originally funded and in the rest or basically public health grants being reallocated as well. Then on that very last page on S64, this will also include creating a new department within public health clinical for juvenile detention health. Right now there's some funding in public health clinical and some within jail health. Right now there's some funded in public health clinical and some within jail health. So this will combine them all that actually perform work at the juvenile detention center into one budget and be tracked separately. So there's really no impact to this. It's just actually transferring slots but it's it's important I think for y'all to be aware of what we're doing and what's being recommended, especially when we're moving, for example, on the juvenile accountability grant or from Red and Bridge to another department, etc. So, there's funding for the program manager for the veteran's court? No. We just excluded the money at this point until we received grant notification. We expect that in August. We'll do a budget amendment and allocate the monies. We also have included money in contingency. Just in case that grant did not get approved. The court could take action to reinstate that of course. I'm sure you... I'm sure you did. I sure. For right now, in the recommended budget, it has been deleted. So you could certainly take action on that one. I would probably request that you not on the other one until we can talk about that next week. That's the other construction. The transfer. Well the construction storm water manager needs to be. Oh yeah. That's also listed in the deleted. Okay. Right. I don't think you want to necessarily take action on that one particular slot. Just yet until next week. Okay. Let's deal with the deleted slots. We have a motion. Deleted slots? I've heard of the deleted slots. But for? We have a motion by Commissioner Marchen. I'll second the motion and your discussion. Your, your motion include that road bridge in the engineering. From Monarch and I'm in the, yeah it is. Well, I mean the construction man. Yes, that's the S65. That's the leading net slot. You know what? Well, that's the slot that remember I still want to keep to do inspections and have him work for Fred and James. We do have we do have money for that slot and contingency now So I would just say you wouldn't want probably to delete this slot engineering because if you end up keeping it We'll just have to go redo it. I do think you could take action. I would not include that position I think I said in a good sign Everybody clear in what our motion is? All in favor, please say aye. I, for the city. Motion is carried. Already approved a recommended library funding. Yes. Yeah, we already did that. Did y'all take action on the transfer slots? No No, that I'd like for you to do that if you could make a motion to prove those transfer slots The motion by commissioner marches So I can take a new back mr. Mitchell on the favor, please say aye. I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I from the PEDC. We feel comfortable that the amount of money we've included in the budget for health insurance next year is going to be sufficient. We did not add an increase for health insurance this year. We do have reserves built up to an acceptable level now, but I just wanted to give you an update that we feel confident based on the actual information we received that will have sufficient funding for that. So I'm not really needing the action I just wanted to update you on that. It's included in a recommended budget at the current level. We just didn't know with that you know it's that a what we were going to see so can we do the approval the remodeling projects in the recommended budget? That'd be outside of recommended it to you this is just what's in the recommended budget. The ones that can be just priority, I'm going to make a motion to approve. Second, second of that, Commissioner Marchant, discussion. No, no, no, favor, please say aye. Aye. Pricing. Motion to carry. Carrie. Danny, we got into some discussion before you got here about some items not in the recommended budget either some preventive maintenance typework or remodeling work things like that. Yes, ma'am. I was trying to stay on top of it while y'all were talking. We were trying to help you. Well, a couple of things that if I can just kind of address one of Commissioner Marchions' concerns was the preventative maintenance on the projects. When it comes to the stripping, I know it's early for that complex out there, but I've gotten several complaints about the stripping, and it is dating real bad. When they did the stripping, they did a bad job. And normally that stripping on last five to six years. But we're already starting to see bad if our stop areas are going. A lot of the parking areas are starting to fade away. Our firelings are fading. It's recent. I'm trying. I put that on the radar now. It wasn't how my party lives. But I just wanted to make everyone aware that it wasn't because, it's mainly because it was a bad job. Whoever did it, don't use it again. Yeah, that was done during the construction. Okay. And then everything that was there at the cup, all those isolation valves, the shut off valves, we've, as we work with that system and have learned that system, we have five dollars at that facility. We have one shut off. So if we have a problem with any one of them, we have to shut the whole system down. This just keeps the facility operational. We don't have to have the whole system down. This just keeps the facility operational. We don't have to have it, but it would be nice if we did have it. Yeah, that's why we decided to do that. Yeah, it wasn't a maintenance. I mean, that to me wasn't a preventative maintenance, it wasn't there to begin with. And this is what my guys are seeing that we found that probably should have been in the design at the beginning, but we didn't get it. And we're just looking to put things like that in which makes we can keep the complex functional. So what's the other one that was next to that? Sir. There was a whole on. Just for your knowledge, number seven here for the tax office. I got approved. We approved that. I got I made a note of that. Okay. And then. And also while you're while you're looking, where I sent y'all an email on the two electrical plugs for the probate court We've got a vendor doing some electrical electrical work there now We're getting a quote for that. So hopefully we wouldn't have that done it this year, but Okay, remember and thank you for walking through the courthouse. I really appreciate you taking your time to do that. I know that's You know you're you're definitely under appreciated for your Stuff you have and remember it was funny. Like I said, we just want to know about maintenance issues Everybody had redesign issues We just want you know what needs to be done so between okay the county clerk and Judge Robes right and the need for space and the re, you know, the proposals, can you give us a better or in your opinion how that should lay out if we do find money for that? I mean, because it seemed like I was reading through the stuff that you had, the stuff that did Robinson it, and then I needed a clearer picture. Well, how I understood it was going to go down, and there was a little contention between it, and I'm not speaking for them, but the way I understood was that they was going to take the break room, converted into an office and then take where the files are, and burnt that into a break room. And then she was going to move her window up front in the hallway and in that area right there would be where that window is would be her file area. Okay. But in is that break room we're talking about the jury room slash bedroom if you're with the windows are on the right that room that that that little it's not a room it's a look yeah you know it's it's really it's not it's not half the size of the space that you and commissioner Martian are setting you right it's very small and That's that was what the county clerk had intended to use for higher files That she had but it it house that she had, but it, according to this, she wanted it put, and I thought that was all worked out, but evidently. I think if they can work that out, that, eventually that could be turned into an office. It'd be awful small, and a tight little office, but you know if we did it, if we enclosed that window and put a door there to where she could have put her files there and at some point when they if they ever do go paperless, then that could go away and it could be a file read possibly down the road. Any they are going to go paperless. What? It's going to happen. Right. But right now they still have. Let me worry together. It's going to go pay for this. Can I happen? Right. But right now, they still have it. No, no, no, no. It's going to happen. Yeah. Do all of the courts have separate break rooms? Are they shared? Are there shared break rooms? There are shared break rooms back there for the most part. The difference in this court, it's kind of unique because it's over by itself. Even though it's in that back area, it is, you have to go through two secured doors to get to that little break area. So, I mean, it's in that back, but it's kind of its own little Department over there by itself if that makes sense. There's to me this more Quarks and do the nature they just Doing miscommunications important, but they do probate middle-health combination so they've got quite a bit wondering how many parts and fair footage of that whole floor made of break rooms. Where you could convert make rooms and break rooms. There's really the storage. Those break rooms are very small. They're especially on the first and second floor. There's not a break room on a department, I mean the break rooms on the first floor are department break rooms because they're so huge and then the two courts doesn't have a break room on the first floor and I think there's maybe one break room if I remember on the second floor that what four courts are sharing and it's it's not very big. It's very small I just thinking if there was enough space Well, we could start allocating some great room space for storage or files or whatever and then go to the first floor underneath the first floor Which you could regard as a basement and make a general public, I mean a generalized break room. All employees. You know, and one of the things that's unique about this court is that the way that for this window is that they're wanting to enclose is the only way the jurors can get to the jury room is still to the public and that's unsafe And that's why they're trying to redo everything to where that's a locked area back there where there is some freedom for the employees to go to the restroom without getting the raster go take the break It's not a good solution in any way you go. We've discussed it. There wasn't a good solution. And they were trying to work together to figure out what work best for both the two departments. And it's not the ideal situation but you know it's the best we could come up with at the time and one of the things that I think we as the department heads need to look at I don't know if that's the court or if we need to get together is when people ask for new employees I think there needs to be something in that question there that we fill out, one, do you have space? Do you have adequate room for those employees? Because we approve employees and they don't have a place to put them. And that makes it difficult for everybody. Then we run into situations like this. We've talked to Dany and what we're going to do is incorporate on the new employee request form next year that specific information. And have them identify where they're going to go even. I mean, get real details. We know and we can share that information with Dean as well. You know, and one of the things I think that not up here beating or building's drum, but one of the things that we as the counties seriously need to look at is space allocation up there. They're out of space in that building period. You know, I mean, they're, they need space by. I mean, there's some organization that they can do to make it better, but you know, if we had to add another court, we're going to add it. I can tell you population wise, if you look at it in case for court, district courts, or, you know, we're out of whack, but it's not the It's the family law courts that were there's a tremendous amount of people This I think we need to take a serious look at that when next year or so That's why I was thinking And I talked to miss What the JP course that's it and that's why I talked to Mr. Wells that I know he had a decision of going out for a bond election, which is going to take a long time to retrofit something. They were to build a new court house. We went out for a bond elation. We would move everybody I think half of the third floor is at the DA's office. But I would only give us two more courthouses. And then we'd have to build a whole mother building, probably with the parking garage on the bottom and then off the top and then the skywalk. But that designing and building and building is a good, but five, six, seven years out, generally what it takes us to be more like. 2008 was the last bond election and we're fairly finishing the lute 28 stuff. So if we started now, we would have any additional courtrooms for 5 to 6 to 7 years. I've been looking and originally I had an idea that the basement we could turn into two courtrooms. And records management has got that place filled up and I don't see why MS Good's bought one. That's why I was thinking the Carol Courts building. It may not be the coolest hit the sexiest place to be, but it's better than nothing. Suppose we're in government. So members, would you please look at S 130, page S 130. You've got three projects here that Danny says we can do in-house, but I found the number 15 to be interesting. It's an upgrade the benches to lower the monitors in the seven seven district courts It allows workspace and provides clear line of sight throughout the courtroom And then actually number 16 is 17 so for like four thousand dollars. I think we did Good improvements there So I'm good to me. I move for approval Donna you hear what I'm saying? OK, on page S 130, number 1516 and 17. By $4,700 for those three. Commissioner Cologne made the motion. I seconded it. Do we have discussion? Here in NANO, in favor, please say aye. Or aye. Opposing me. Motion is carried. You're going to be busy, Dan. You're going to be even busier. going to be even busier. Just looked like Tim proved the line of sight there in the courtrooms that was important to address. Yes. Go in and interrupt this hot level discussion going down. I think we've kind of addressed everything. We've done pretty good financial trend in our system. We want to do that late. Additional reports information. The next meeting, initial, explainious discussion. We did social service agency funding. We did social service agency funding. We didn't. Sorry. Do you all care if we start at the top of the list of everything that we've left? I show that we still need to look at County Clerk Appeal. That's correct. Department of Public Works. Of the agenda. I'm sorry. Would that be helpful? Okay, so county clerk, department of public works, 36-seven district court, Probe court, district clerk, jail help, public health clinical, Constable six, Aggie extension, County Lawyer. Can we do it? You still going through the agenda? You want to use the book? We'll start with the front. I want to use the book and we'll start with the front one I used to yeah I can't find anything on the spreadsheet going okay on page one right well it's just one of six county clerk that's the one I think there needs to be some more comparison of those jobs to see if the reclassifications coincide with that equity adjustment is that right? So we'd come back to that one next week That was where on the the senior clerk slot. I'd recommended we raise our to the average If we We didn't vote on it sources. No, but I'm just gonna Okay, we got two other positions that are just about that. She's asked to reclass to that same level of position. So we felt like there needed to be some analysis on that before. Okay. We vote on this reduced office supplies for HR. Yes. We did. Yes. We didn't take any action on the non-departmental. The Department of Public Works for people that off till next week, I guess, so that when Commissioner Eads is back. H2. Did we pass the technology services? Yes, we did. Yes. I had this passed. Okay. We passed the technology services. Yes, we did. Yes. The Department of Public Works, we still need to address next week. 367th District Court, we did not take action. We did take a vote on county come report number five. No action on the probate court. No, we want to take out the three hundred and six to set a district court. I don't have a problem with that. The three hundred and six to set a district court. The equity adjustment. There's two. There's two. One or option two. Or not at all. I don't think we need to take it out. I don't. Not for action. I'm not either. Okay. So we're taking action by taking no action. Great. We don't have to prove the negative. We don't need to repost that. Okay. Then moving on to probacore, we're kind of waiting on some remodel information there. Danny's getting the cost for the electrical outlet. There's also some question about one particular request. I think some of the space is currently signed to the county court. That's what's trying to be Danny to explain how that would work out because he's our representative. You get to channel them both. We in the hot seat. I think, and I mean, I'm just, I'd hate to speak for either one of the two elected officials, but I think if they... For yourself and give us a break. I'm gonna speak to myself is that I think that everything, the way it is right now with the exception of where the files are going out in that main bullpen area, if it goes to the area where that little window is, that has your window, I think that'll work out. Okay, so remember, we assigned office space, and you work for us. Yes sir, I understand that. If you need your input on how that whole area will work the best in your opinion. That bathroom, now, and I may be totally wrong because it's been a year, but that request was made last year and it was not turned into the commissioners court because they were requesting space out of that ceremonial courtroom judge's office that we just remodeled for that new incoming judge and I didn't turn that in So that was on Because we're we looked in her space and there really wasn't a space for that But I think if we do this the way that, you know, that's like once in the judge's once, I mean, if they'll meet the middle there, then that door, we have a secured door to the end of that hallway up towards the front, that should resolve the security issues for all the employees. Ha, ha, ha. Is this, Danny, help me? security issues for all the employees. Is this Danny help me? Is this the one that costs $12,500? Which is office for five. I'm going to do it. Yeah. I'm going to go back to the other other other other other other other other other other other other no action. I'm keeping notes. No reposting. No action. We elected to take no action on the district's courts request for two additional outside the recommended budget. Don't put don't post it on the. Don't even. That's it. Is the criminal DA that's okay. It would did you come to any resolution on the probate court thing or. I think we need some time. In the next week to come back to that. Okay. On the auditor, I would... I don't think I've ever seen Jay. That's for anything else. I know, but I tell you what, I'm a little bit troubled that he didn't go beyond the job description because as we have all experienced, especially with Evergreen, they get pretty generic. If you really want to get into the weeds, into the details of a position you need to look up the analysis, and he didn't do it. All right, well, let's just I'll put on here. Repost. I'm indifferent either way. Let's just you want to get some additional information. Okay. Jail health. Donna, we're going to hold off taking action on the auditor's request. Repost it please. I'm in favor of the jail health employees. I am to. Both of them. I'll move to approve that. I can. Motion by Commissioner Coleman, seconded by Commissioner Marchin for jail health, both of the new higher health service specialists one for intake medical. We need to give a motion in a second by Commissioner Coleman and myself, Bobby, the Afforded Discussion, Ron, the Aff Discussion. and then myself, Bobbie, do you have any discussion? Ron, do you have discussion? All in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye, proceed. Motion does carry. Chair, the department passed earlier. Would I need to address that? Yes, it did. Constable six. We haven't taken action on that. Well, I could easily support it just because I know what's coming on them. I know what they're getting ready to do. I know whether I get ready to run into but on the But I think they're already running into it in the rest of furniture and all the apartments I know what I'm saying. A foolish consistency is a homed goblin of a feeble mind, but are all of them getting the dish or all of, I mean, I guess I did not look and see. This is the only constable that asked for a new hard issue. And we talked about is he the one with the most because of the apartment? He has the highest civil load of all constables. How does he compare, compared to like, true it and those guys that are also in the urbanized area? He is closer to Jerry Rayburn's precinct. They are closer. The others are quite a bit less. It's all softly to me. See, in Smith, Smith does not do traffic. If he does, it's very rare. I think he showed 100 tickets. He does traffic. Yeah, but it's only 100 tickets. It's 100 tickets. That's still more than all the rest of them. Oh, is that right? Here we go. We'll do for it. Most of the floor I think does sound this well. I'll tell you all when Mr. Wells was nice and nice to send us that population increase. And I was looking at the population versus county employee per capita. We do very well, looking at an employee we have particularly in light of the increase in our population. I'll tell you what, and I can see, to me, I hadn't looked at it, but I just don't see how every constable, because we did reward a lot more patrol deputies to Sheriff's Department last year. 80,000 people living in that incorporated area. I think this is something we're going to have to take a look at in this budget year for all constables offices. And I'm leaning towards supporting his request just because I know the workload down there. I mean the statistics. Well, I'm gonna make a motion to approve it. Yeah. Having given advice for those guys for a while, I always thought it was interesting that they gave tickets. I always thought it was interesting that they gave tickets. I always thought they should stick to serving attending the JP and doing civil process. And that's predominantly what person six does. I'd be like, give them a little bit of a stick. The bulk of their time is serving papers. It's my understanding. Are you changing it for your recommended? To recommend it or not? No, he's not. She's already made her recommendation. You're not waffling it. You're not waffling it? Oh yeah. Waffling. You're waffling. I'm waffling too, actually. I made the motion. Okay, we have a motion by Commissioner Marching. Is there a second to the motion? I'm going to think about it, but I don't know if I'm going to act today. Okay, that's fine. I'll see you next week. 100. Okay, we're going to. I'm going to go ahead and take it off and pass. Let's go ahead and get it down this pass. Repose for next week. Go. Repose. Back extension. I mean, I don't think they ever ask for anything, do they? Mm-hmm. I mean, spend more money on our jail or on kids. I got rather spend money on kids. We're back up the full staff for the first time and long time in the extension office. What has been their travel, you know, mileage, reimbursement, expenditure versus, you know, in the last year to compare to what's being requested. What's been budgeted? For official travel, we actually recommended a $3500 increase this year. The appeal is for additional $4,556 about what we recommended. I think they have 1,500 in there before. My military embarrassment, again, and training, their expenses have been low because they've been short staff. So they haven't been attending things. So I don't know, it's not really fair for me to say they're not spending it, but because they haven't had staff in place to spend those funds. So I think that they would have come closer to spending more of their budget if they had been. I really think that given the resources they can even do more than they currently are doing, which they are already doing a lot. are doing which they are doing a lot. I mean I've met with Janet on several projects and she's spread kind of thin community garden and those types of things and there's a lot lot more things that we could be doing. Pardon me? It's no. First minute. We seem to be doing things we can for these in. We need to get out. There are different segments of our county. A lot of people like these in. A lot of people use the library. A lot of people like the Ag Agent. Well, I refer everybody to the Ag Age. See, on any question I don't know. On any question I don't know. I didn't wait it. Like, can you tell me how to get rid of fair pigs? Yeah, call the Ag Age. My point is, is that, you know, they have constituents who all have very buried interests some are in terms of history Be it's if that's where I know we get elected to make the hard decisions We do we do what did Andy raise he raised bunnies or chicks or go probably chicks or chicks or goats. Probably chicks. Thank you for age. And he raised animals. What? Rabbit. What did rabbits come from? My cousins. Oh, but he was in 4-H. You're confusing future farmers. Oh, that's a big one. Yeah. All right, back to the budget show. Coming out of this mouth. Don't pick on Andy. He's not here to pick him. Okay, guys, I'm in favor of I know what you're saying. We got me now this mouth. Don't pick on the end of the evening. I'm in favor of it. I'd make a motion to approve it. I'll second. Motion by Commissioner Marche, seconded by Commissioner Coleman. Discussion. Is this for the new hire or all their request? Yeah. I would or all their request. Yeah, I would say all the request. The emotion is second. I discussion is that you know we spend all. I'm in the right. I'm not going to just read. I mean, you know, they're going to make a sense that I was like the right. And so that's what you are. Yeah, I can only be anything. The whole thing. And I'll just know. But if I pron her. I'm in favor of everything. All in favor of the motion for the entire $71,812. Please say aye. Aye. I'm posted to me. Motion carries. Screen favor. Wanna post. He ran. You made the motion on Aye. Motion carries. Stream favor. Wanna post? They run. You made the motion on that. That credit. And then you say it. Okay. All right. You already did the library that past. Yeah. You already did the library that past. Yep. And then a repost read a bridge engineering. Yep. Not only this item, I had a request that we consider the funding for the consultant, ITS contract. Start funding that through part of the budget process, what you as you know, were about to run out of interest earnings. So this would be a phase, the in approach. So that's on the agenda, but we'll also include a budget impact statement and all after Amy meets with Michael about the position that's in question of whether it continues or not. So we'll have a good firm impact number to give for next week on that one as well. Public health clinical, that's really something that we've got the service now we have to pay for them. I'm going to make a motion to approve. Second, I'd like to Mr. Mitchell. This is our public health clinic, all those software maintenance. On the table, please say aye. Aye. Hi, I'm Pairo-Cinney, motion carries. For my purposes of my notekeeping. We already, so the room bridge won, so that was manny. That was passed. And then the ITS were reposting. That's right. Including the debt service that was passed. Have we reacted on the video in the upgrade? On what? I'm sorry. We act on the audio video on the video and upgrade on what I'm sorry We act on the audio video upgrade for the court. Yes, yes, we did I think that's it Let me just say my hats off to y'all y'all really did a lot of work today and it will really help us Get everything finalized for next week's final budget workshops. So thank you. Now y'all gotta support me when Indy comes back says we need to go back. I'll tell you the nice thing. No. No, we talked before you left. I think he's going to be okay. I will update him. We'll get all this spreadsheet updated now to everyone and I'll talk with him before next week. I tapped to Andy before I left because I knew there were a lot of things we needed to get done before he returned so I feel okay with... I'm not sure. We're getting there, we're getting there. We do have one quick thing if we could just hear from Danny quickly. This is something that's not included in the budget or the appeals at this point, but it's a pretty large item that we might need to consider next week. And I was doing so good. As you all know, we've got a leak in the Jill Water System over at the administrative facility. I've been trying to keep you all updated in emails, which wasn't a lot of emails, but it wasn't a lot to update. We make a long story short, we hired a con-cracker, he dug and dug and dug and we got to within about 32 feet from it down. We never hit the flat spot where it crosses that pond. Never could find a leak. We met with Gustavo, we met with the insurance company, and basically the insurance company told us unless it was some type of disaster, they wouldn't cover it. And the chances are, that's metal pipe. It was probably a faulty weld. We don't know that for sure. We could probably spend another $150, $200,000 and still not really know where the leak is. So we made the decision to stop. I got with that. We got with HDR, They're redesigning, rewriting those lines around that pond, which should have happened in the first place. We don't know the cost. He's supposed to be giving me an estimate by the end of this week. I told him I had to have it so I could present it to y'all for the budget process because it probably won't happen until after this budget cycle How much we looking at huh? How much do you think? No, for sure. I don't know I know that we spent three and a half weeks digging and I spent roughly $50,000 and I wasn't any closer to the leak than I was the day I started Get somebody out there with like a little sticker, whatever. We tried that. Try that too. But I just wanted to kind of give you all the heads up that, you know, and the reason it is so deep is if you remember when they initially did that pawn that didn't know how deep the pawn was going to be, that line was running face one, so they buried it deep and boy did that pond they didn't know how deep the pond was going to be that line was running phase one so they buried it deep and boy did that. So that's where we're at. I should have I won't have any plans or any sketches. I should have a cost estimate by Friday that way y'all will have this for next week so that you can put this on your radar and we can figure out how to pay for it. Okay. Alright, everybody thanks for hanging in there and you got a lot done and you're a lot closer and anything else you need right now? Alright. Her journey, have a great day was like her journey, have a great day was