ABSOLUTELY. WELL, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED. IT'S 102. AND
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I'M CALLING THIS FEBRUARY 19 2021. EMERGENCY MEETING OF THE HARRIS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT TO ORDER THE EMERGENCY.WELL, LET'S CALL COMMISSIONER GARCIA'S PRESENT COMMISSIONER ELLIS AND THIS IS BECAUSE THE THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE WORKING YET. SO FOR MOST PEOPLE, THE AUDIO SO COMMISSIONER ELLIS.
COMMISSIONER RAMSEY. HERE. COMMISSIONER CAGLE. PRESENT.
THIS EMERGENCY MEETING OF THE HARRIS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
[Public Notice]
COURT IS BEING HELD FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSING THE WINTER STORM THAT HIT HARRIS COUNTY, JUNE 15 2021. HARRIS COUNTY'S EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO THE STORM AND THE STORMS IMPACT ON RESIDENTS. I WANTED TO TAKE ITEM TWO OUT OF ORDER. IT'S THE BROAD ITEM TO DEALING WITH THE OH, EXCUSE ME. LET'S LET'S GET STARTED WITH THE WITH THE PRAYER. COMMISSIONER CAGLE.THANK YOU, JUDGE, I'M HONORED THAT YOU REQUESTED THAT I DO THE PRAYER TODAY. AND SO IF WE WOULD NOT MIND BOW IN REVERENCE, HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE GOOD GIFTS. WE THANK YOU, FATHER, FOR IN THE MIDST OF THIS CRISES THAT WE SEE PEOPLE HELPING THEIR NEIGHBORS, HELPING HANDS HELPING WITH THEIR HEARTS. FATHER, WE ASK THOSE WHO ARE NOT OUT OF THE ZONE OF WHO ARE NOT IN THE ZONE OF SAFETY THAT YOU PROTECT THEM. WE ASK FATHER FOR THE SIMPLE THINGS IN LIFE FOR WATER AND FOR SANITATION. AND WE ASK FATHER THAT YOU GIVE US WISDOM TODAY, AS WE SEEK TO SERVE THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THIS GREAT AND BEAUTIFUL COUNTY. I ASK IT IN JESUS NAME. AMEN.
SO ITEM TWO OUT OF ORDER. SO WE CAN TALK BROADLY ABOUT A BIT
[2. Request for discussion of the winter storm that hit Harris County during the week of February 14, 2021, Harris County’s emergency response to the storm, the storm’s impact on residents, and possible action regarding the same.]
MORE BROADLY WHERE WE ARE IN ANY GENERAL QUESTIONS FOLKS HAVE, AS FAR AS AN UPDATE, WE'RE BASICALLY MOVING OUT OF THE THE RESPONSE PHASE INTO THE RECOVERY PHASE. SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE EVERY NIGHT SINCE SUNDAY NIGHT WILL FINALLY BE ABLE TO SLEEP AT HOME TONIGHT. SO WE BEGAN WITH POWER ISSUES.NOW WE'RE MOVING INTO WATER ISSUES, AS YOU ALL KNOW, AND AND OF COURSE, FOOD ISSUES. WE'VE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THE MAJOR GROCERY STORES, AND THEY TELL ME THEY EXPECT THE SUPPLY CHAINS TO CATCH UP BY THIS WEEKEND, AS THEY GET ONLINE FROM THE POWER.
AND ALSO THE TRUCKS JUST ARRIVED NOW THAT THE ROADS ARE ARE ACCESSIBLE. THE ISSUE, OF COURSE, IS HOARDING. SO I'VE BEEN ASKING FOLKS TO ONLY PURCHASE AS MUCH AS THEY NEED FOR THEIR OWN FAMILIES. WE HAVE RESOURCE ON READY HARRIS. IF YOU GUYS AREN'T ALREADY USING IT READYHARRIS.ORG. HE HAS A LIST OF THE GROCERY STORES THAT ARE OPEN FROM THE MAJOR CHAINS. AND IT ALSO HAS A LIST OF THE JURISDICTIONS WITH BOIL WATER NOTICES, BUT WE'RE ASKING EVERYONE TO ASSUME THEY'RE UNDER A BOIL WATER NOTICE, UNLESS YOU HEAR OTHERWISE, WE'RE HEARING FROM THE VARIOUS CITIES IN THE MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICTS THAT IS STILL GOING TO BE A COUPLE OF DAYS, AT LEAST BEFORE THE THE BOIL WATER NOTICES ARE LIFTED. THAT'S BECAUSE SOME OF THE DAMAGE TO THE PIPES HASN'T BEEN IDENTIFIED YET. THERE'S ANOTHER COLD NIGHT TONIGHT. SO SOME OF THAT MAY THAW. ONCE ONCE THE PRESSURE GETS GETS BACK UP, THEY MAY FIND OTHER CHALLENGES. AND THEN OF COURSE, 24 HOURS HAVE TO TRANSPIRE FOR THEM TO TEST THE THE WATER SAMPLES, MAKE SURE THERE'S NO DANGEROUS BACTERIA IN THERE THAT SEEPED IN WHILE THE PRESSURE WAS LOW, AND THEN SAY THAT IT'S THAT IT'S OKAY FOR DRINKING. THE FINAL POINT I WANTED TO MAKE IS AID. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE REQUESTED RESOURCES OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT WHO HAS IN TURN REQUESTED THEM OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, SPECIFICALLY FOOD WATER BOOTS ON THE GROUND THAT CAN HELP US PASS OUT FOOD AND WATER. WE'RE IN AREAS THAT THAT DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO GROCERY STORES OR FOLKS WHO ARE STRUGGLING. WE ARE STILL WAITING ON A LARGE CHUNK OF THAT NOT BECAUSE I THINK YOU KNOW THEY'RE DRAGGING THEIR FEET IN ANY WAY SIMPLY BECAUSE THE DEMANDS ARE INCREDIBLY HIGH. I DID SPEAK TO THE WHITE HOUSE YESTERDAY, I IMPRESSED UPON THEM THE NEED FOR DIRECT ASSISTANCE, INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE TO OUR RESIDENTS. AND OF COURSE, WE WOULD NEED A MAJOR DISASTER DECLARATION FROM THEM IN ORDER TO DO THAT. SO I STRESS THAT I AM IN SUPPORT OF THE GOVERNOR'S REQUEST FOR A MAJOR DISASTER DECLARATION. I ALSO REQUESTED SBA LOANS IRRESPECTIVE OF WHETHER THEY GIVE INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE. AND I REQUESTED THAT THEY REIMBURSE US AT 100% AS OPPOSED TO 75% BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY OVERBURDENED WITH COVID AND THE ADDITIONAL DEMANDS THAT HAS PUT ON US. SO IT WAS IT WAS
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A GOOD CALL, THEY'VE BEEN VERY ATTENTIVE, I DON'T KNOW ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. BUT WE ARE ASKING THE COMMUNITY TO SUBMIT THEIR REPORTS AS TO DAMAGES. AND THAT WILL HELP US MAKE A STRONGER CASE TO THE TO THE PRESIDENT, THAT WE DESERVE THAT MAJOR DISASTER DECLARATION. SO IF YOU GUYS CAN HELP ME SPREAD THE WORD ON THAT I'VE BEEN PASSING THAT INFORMATION ON TO THE MEDIA, WE'RE GONNA PUT IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA HERE VERY SOON. AND AND WE HAVE A REAL QUICK FOR ON READY HARRIS. THEN THE FINAL QUICK POINT IS JUST A THANK YOU, TO YOU, YOUR STAFF. I KNOW, FOLKS HAVE BEEN WORKING THROUGH THE NIGHT. I KNOW, THE COMMISSIONERS THEMSELVES, YOU ALL HAVE BEEN OUT AND ABOUT, NOT WITH YOUR FAMILIES, JUST AS FIRST RESPONDERS HAVE BEEN. WE'VE HAD INCREDIBLY HEROIC STORIES FROM ALL SORTS OF FIRST RESPONDERS, THE FOLKS THAT ARE WARMING CENTERS, THE FOLKS JUST POLLUTION CONTROL. I MEAN, ALL KINDS OF DEPARTMENTS ENGINEERING, IT PUBLIC HEALTH, THAT IT HAS JUST BEEN, YOU KNOW, INCREDIBLE WORK IN RESCUING THOSE VACCINES. FIRE MARSHAL, OF COURSE, SHERIFF ALL THE CONSTABLES AND THEIR TEAMS, IT HAS BEEN JUST INCREDIBLE TO SEE THE THE COMMITMENT AND THE SACRIFICE, AND I'D BE REMISS NOT TO MENTION THAT. SO THAT'S MY REPORT, IF FOLKS HAVE QUESTIONS, AND WE HAVE AN OPEN ENDED JUDGE.GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER GARCIA.
THANK YOU, JUDGE. ONE QUICK POINT. AND THANK YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING OUR RESPECTIVE STAFF, THAT THOSE THOSE GUYS AND GALS REALLY CARRY THE WEIGHT OF THIS EVENT ON THEIR SHOULDERS, AND SO INCREDIBLY PROUD OF EVERYBODY FOR HOW THEY WORK TOGETHER TO TAKE CARE OF THE ENTIRE COUNTY IN OUR RESPECTIVE PRECINCT. SO THANK YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING THAT. BUT MY POINT IS THAT I HOPE THAT YOU WILL ALSO EMPHASIZE TO THE WHITE HOUSE, THAT WE NEED A DIRECT ALLOCATION, ASIDE FROM ALL THE ESSENTIAL THINGS THAT YOU LAID OUT, IT'S CRITICAL THAT THE MONEY COMES DIRECTLY TO THE COUNTY SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY TO HOW THAT FUNDING IS BEING UTILIZED AND BEING DISPERSED AND, AND HOW IT'S WORKING TO TAKE CARE OF THE FOLKS IN THE IN THE COMMUNITY. SO I HOPE YOU WILL ADD THE DIRECT ALLOCATION TO THAT LIST.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. SURE. THAT'S A GREAT POINT. WILL DO.
TOM, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING I DON'T WANT TO JUMP AHEAD OF YOU.
NO, GO AHEAD. I'LL COME UP AFTER YOU.
YEAH, ON THE DIRECT ALLOCATION. JUDGE, OBVIOUSLY, WE SHOULD TALK TO ANDREW [INAUDIBLE] AS WELL. I KNOW, WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE RESEARCH IN THE PAST, IT HAS BEEN FAIRLY COMMON FOR IT TO GO TO CITIES, NOT QUITE AS COMMON FOR IT TO GO TO STATES. BUT THERE HAVE BEEN EXCEPTIONS. AND OBVIOUSLY THE CONGRESSIONAL OUR FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES PLAY A ROLE IN THAT. I THINK IT WOULD HELP. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU TALKED TO THE THE GOVERNOR. BUT I'M ASSUMING THAT THOSE CONTEXTS WILL BE MADE. BUT THEY CERTAINLY HAVE BEEN SOMETIMES MORE RULES THAT THE STATE WILL PUT IN PLACE, PROBABLY TRYING TO PROTECT THEIR INTERESTS. YOU KNOW, WE HIT THAT ISSUE OF THE BIG HOUSE, LITTLE HOUSE ISSUE THAT NEVER WENT AWAY, AND YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE, THEY'RE GOING TO LOSE IT GENERATIONAL WEALTH OVER THAT.
BUT IN ALMOST ALL OF US OUR POLITICAL CLOUT, I THINK WHICHEVER SIDE OF THE AISLE WE WE HAPPEN TO BE ON IT TO HELP MAKE THE CASE FOR A DIRECT APPLICATION. AND JUST I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK, I KNOW OUR STAFF WILL WORKING ON WHETHER OR NOT WE WILL GOING TO GET SOME WATER COMING TO GIVE OUT FROM THE PRECINCTS OR WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE JUST IF THERE'S SOME ACTION WE CAN TAKE TO GO BY IT IF WE CAN GET IT EASIER THAN THAT FOLKS ARE CALLING. BUT SO JUST YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO RESPOND NOW. BUT AT SOME POINT WE OUGHT TO DECIDE SHOULD WE JUST GIVE OURSELVES THE ABILITY TO GO BY IT IF THAT'S POSSIBLE? BECAUSE THEY ARE FOLKS ARE CALLING I KNOW, EVERYBODY'S BEEN INCONVENIENCED. I SPENT ONE NIGHT HERE AT THE OFFICE. SO I DID I DECIDED TO FEEL SOME OF THOSE FEEL SOME OF THOSE CALLS MYSELF. AND, YOU KNOW, I WAS NOT GONNA GO OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND HELP FOLKS GET WATER SO THEY COULD DO THEIR FLUSHING BATHS AND THAT KIND OF THING. AT LEAST JUST KNOWING THEY CAN GET TO US AND CONSOLING THEM A LITTLE BIT, EVEN IF THEY WERE ANGRY. [INAUDIBLE] OF TAKING SOME OF THE CALLS.
YEAH. COMMISSIONER ELLIS, THE WE'RE WAITING FOR SOME THERE'S A [INAUDIBLE] OF THIS MORNING. I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY HAVE SOME TRUCKS WITH WATER. WE'RE STILL WAITING ON IT. EVEN THOUGH YOU KNOW LET'S SAY WE REQUEST I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT NUMBER BUT IF WE REQUESTED 10, SO FAR, THEY SAID, TWO ARE ON THE WAY.
[00:10:03]
SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, IT'S IT'S NOT ON THE STATE, IT'S JUST THAT THERE'S A LOT OF NEED RIGHT NOW. SO WHAT I'M FOCUSED ON IN MY TEAM IS FOCUSED ON IS, OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE SUPPLIES EXISTING IN THE COUNTY, AND I THINK YOUR TEAMS AND NONPROFIT GROUPS HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB OF FINDING THOSE RESOURCES AND TAKING THEM TO THE COMMUNITY. WHAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON IS TRYING TO GET RESOURCES THAT ARE ALREADY HERE. AND AND SO THAT WE CAN SORT OF ADD TO THE PIE. AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE WORKING ON THAT. AND AND CERTAINLY, I MEAN, I THINK THAT IT MAKES SENSE. I MEAN, THE OTHER THING IS, YOU DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THE GROCERY STORES HAVE ENOUGH, RIGHT. SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE FOCUSED ON THE PIES WE DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO DIVERT FROM THE GROCERY STORES ELSEWHERE. BUT YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A MOTION NEEDED, OR I THINK IT MAKES SENSE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE INDIVIDUAL PRECINCTS NEED TO PURCHASE THAT. I CAN WRITE DOWN MAYBE I'LL ASK [INAUDIBLE] MY STAFF, WE'LL CALL IT A WHILE [INAUDIBLE] AGO THAT WE WERE GETTING A TRUCK LOAD AT LEAST TWO IN TONIGHT.AND SO I'M OPERATING ON THAT ASSUMPTION CARVES UP SOME DISTRIBUTION SITES, WE'RE GOING TO SET UP TOMORROW. SO HOPEFULLY THAT HAPPENS. BUT THAT'S THE LATEST I'VE GOT. COMMISSIONER, IS WE'VE GOT GOT A COUPLE OF THE COUNTY DOES HAVE SOME TRUCKLOADS OF WATER COMING IN TONIGHT.
YEAH. I THINK FOLKS UNDERSTAND I THINK, MY STAFF REACHED OUT TO SOME FOLKS. SO THEN THEY WERE ANGRY BECAUSE IT DIDN'T GET IN AS QUICK AS THEY THOUGHT. BUT YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THEY JUST SORT OF UNDERSTAND WE'RE ALL DOING THE BEST THAT WE CAN UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, WE'RE DEFINTELY TRYING. AND PEOPLE CARE.
WE HAVE THE EMERGENCY AUTHORITY ALREADY. SO WHATEVER YOU GUYS NEED TO PROCURE, OBVIOUSLY, IT EXPIRES WHATEVER DAY THIS WEEKEND. SO WE HAVE THAT ITEM ON HERE, HOPING TO EXTEND IT FOR A WEEK. BUT WITHIN THAT, IF YOU IF YOUR TEAM WE TALKED TO IS SOMETHING THAT I'M TOTALLY NUDE, IT DOESN'T NEED A MOTION RIGHT NOW WITH THE EMERGENCY AUTHORITY AS FAR AS SECURITY SEEMS QUICKLY THREW US.
WITH COMMISSIONER RAMSEY'S PERMISSION, I'LL JUMP IN HERE.
TOM, GO AHEAD. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.
JUDGE THE I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE EXTEND THAT AUTHORITY FOR A WEEK SO THAT WE CAN GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE TO BUY WHAT WE NEED TO BUY DIRECTLY. IN PRECINCT FOUR, WE'VE HAD GREAT SUCCESS, YOU'RE ALREADY AWARE OF THIS. AND COMMISSIONER RAMSEY IS AWARE OF THIS IN TRYING TO HELP ALLEVIATE THE BOTTLED WATER PROBLEM BY PROVIDING THE NON POTABLE WATER SOURCES. OUR TRUCKS THAT WE USUALLY USE OUR WATER TRUCKS FOR DOING THE FIXING OF THE SINKHOLES AND FOR TAKING THE BIRD BATHS OUT AND FOR FOR WATERING DOWN ARE 2007 MILES ROADS, WE'VE CONVERTED THOSE DURING THIS EPISODE BEHIND ME RIGHT HERE. WE HAVE THOSE EQUIPMENT SET UP WHERE WE'RE FILLING UP PEOPLE'S WATER JUGS AND THEIR COOLERS SO THAT THEY CAN USE THAT TO FLUSH THEIR TOILETS INSTEAD OF HAVING TO USE THEIR THEIR PRECIOUS BOTTLED WATER TO FLUSH THEIR TOILETS. AND THAT'S TAKEN SOME OF THE PRESSURE OFF. AS YOU CAN TELL BY LOOKING IN THE BACK IF YOU COULD SEE IT. WE'VE HAD A STEADY STREAM TODAY. WE HAD A STEADY STREAM YESTERDAY OF FOLKS USING IT. BUT IT SURE WOULD BE NICE IF WHILE WE WERE DOING THIS, WE COULD ALSO HAND OUT A BOTTLE OF WATER. I WANT TO EXTEND MY THANKS TO COMMISSIONER RAMSEY.
THE LOCATION THAT I'M AT RIGHT NOW IS IN PRECINCT THREE. TO THE TO THE EAST, TO THE NORTH AND TO THE WEST, WITHIN A COUPLE OF BOW SHOTS IS PRECINCT FOUR. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE AREAS THAT WE CROSS BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN AND THEIR CONSTITUENTS DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A THREE OR FOUR OR WHOEVER IT IS THEY JUST KNOW THAT THE COUNTY IS HERE TO HELP AND WE'RE HELPING. I ALSO WANT TO THANK COMMISSIONER GARCIA BECAUSE YOUR OFFICE HAS BEEN HELPFUL WITH US ON A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS THAT ARE ALONG THE LINE. APPRECIATE THAT JUDGE AND HELPFUL. RODNEY, YOUR SUGGESTION ABOUT TRYING TO GET GET OUR OWN PURCHASING ORDER. AND THANK YOU FOR THAT SUGGESTION. BUT AS WE AS WE GO FORWARD IN THIS THING, JUDGE, I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO GET IT ROLLING, BUT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE DIRECT PURCHASES AND TRY TO DO WHAT WE CAN. BUT WE'RE NOT ALONE IN THIS BECAUSE THERE ARE PROBABLY A LOT OF OTHER FOLKS WHO ARE TRYING TO GET THEIR WATER IN HERE. CITY OF HOUSTON HAS BEEN COOPERATING WITH THIS. AMY PECKS OFFICE HAS BEEN PROVIDING SOME WATER BUT IT GOES QUICK HERE AT THE LOCATION THAT WE'RE AT AT THE [INAUDIBLE] SOSA CENTER. AND SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, JUDGE WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO ALLOW OURSELVES TO GET IN THERE AND GET DWIGHT ON THERE TOO. I CAN TELL YOU THIS, YOU KNOW WE WE CAN GIVE AWAY AS MUCH WATER YOU CAN GET TO US. AND SO
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WHATEVER RESOURCES THAT WE NEED TO DO, BECAUSE [INAUDIBLE] BUSY FOR WATER THAT YOU CAN ONLY USE TO FLUSH WITH, IMAGINE HOW THEY WOULD BE FOR WATER THAT THEY COULD DRINK. A SECONDARY REPORT OF OUR 42 PARKS, WE'RE GOING TO OPEN UP 17 OF THEM LATER ON TODAY, SO THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE JUST GONE STIR CRAZY OR THEY CAN'T BREATHE TO WHERE THEY ARE, THEY NEED TO GET OUTSIDE. AND IT'LL BE, IT'LL GET COLD AGAIN, BUT IT'LL BE A BALMY HIGH 30S.THIS AFTERNOON, WE'LL HAVE FOLKS THAT'LL BE IN THERE. AND SO WE ASK THAT EVERYONE GO AND CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE TO SEE WHICH OF OUR PARKS WILL BE OPEN. BUT WE HAVE WORKED REALLY HARD SO WE COULD GET AT LEAST 17 OF THEM OPENED BY THIS AFTERNOON, AND IN OVER THE WEEKEND, AND BECAUSE THERE ARE GOING TO BE FOLKS THAT AFTER HAVING BEEN COOPED UP ALL THIS PERIOD OF TIME ARE GOING TO NEED A LITTLE FRESH AIR. AND SO I DID WANT TO GIVE YOU THAT THAT REPORT AS WELL, INCLUDING COMMISSIONER ELLIS, SOME OF OUR HIKE AND BIKE TRAILS.
COMMISSIONER GARCIA THANK YOU. YEAH, THANK YOU JUDGE. I'M, I'M WILLING TO SECOND. COMMISSIONER CAGLE'S GOES MOTION. BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION. IF THIS MOTION WERE TO PASS, HAVE WE ARE WE IN THE FULL PROCESS OF GETTING OF BEING REIMBURSED? IF THIS WERE TO MOVE FORWARD? DO WE HAVE ALL THAT PUSHED OUT JUDGE? YES, COMMISSIONER THAT IS ABSOLUTELY UNDERWAY. AND YOU KNOW, FOR BETTER OR WORSE, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF MUSCLE MEMORY ON THAT. I ALSO MENTIONED THAT WHAT THE THE ONE WEEK EXTENSION HELPS US WITH IS GETTING THE COUNTY BUILDINGS UP TO SPEED AS WELL. I SUSPECT YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO ASK THAT QUESTION IS WHEN CAN WE GET BACK IN? PART OF THE PROBLEM IS THE LACK OF PRESSURE MEANS THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE FIREFIGHTING CAPABILITY OR THE WATER TO FLUSH THE TOILETS. SO AND WE'RE STILL WAITING AGAIN UNTIL TOMORROW, AND UNTIL THAT WATER PRESSURE COMES BACK ON TO SEE DISCOVER NEW BREAKAGES IN OUR PIPES. SO AS SOON AS WE FIGURE THAT OUT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET THOSE CONTRACTORS DOWN THERE SO THAT WE CAN RESUME OUR SERVICES.
WITH THAT. YEAH, WITH THAT IN MIND YOUR JOB. I'LL GO AHEAD AND SECOND THE MOTION.
OKAY. AND COMMISSIONER RAMSEY WILL GO TO YOU AFTER THAT IF YOU DON'T, IF YOU DON'T MIND, OR DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION ON THE MOTION? NO, IT'S FINE. OKAY, SO THE MOTION WOULD BE THE ONE ATTACHED TO ITEM THREE, REQUEST TO APPROVE THE SO IT WOULD BE A MOTION TO EXTEND THE DECLARATION OF DISASTER DUE TO THE WINTER STORM UNTIL FEBRUARY 26 2021. THE MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER CAGLE AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GARCIA, JUDGE. A QUICK QUESTION ON THAT FOR AS LONG AS THE MAYOR IS WHAT'S THE TIME PERIOD THEY'VE GIVEN THE MAYOR OF THE CITY FOR THE EMERGENCY? I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'VE GIVEN YOU ENOUGH, MAN, I KNOW WE'RE GONNA MEET NEXT FRIDAY UNLESS THE POWER'S OUT. BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS. DO WE KNOW THEY'RE MEETING TOO. SO WE DON'T KNOW. BUT I WILL TELL YOU I FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE WITH ONE WEEK. AND WE'RE MEETING IN A WEEK. SO APPRECIATE YOUR CONCERN. COMMISSIONER ELLIS AND I THINK WE'RE GOOD. SO WE HAVE A MOTION IN A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. AYE.
MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. YES, COMMISSIONER RAMSEY.
JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS. I LIKE COMMISSIONER CAGLE, WE'VE OPENED UP 60 PLUS PARKS, OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE NEED SOME PLACE TO GO.
THEY HAVE BEEN COOPED UP FOR A LONG TIME. WE'RE ALSO ON A LIMITED BASIS AND OPENING UP SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS FOR A COUPLE REASONS. ONE, THERE'S STILL SOME COLD PEOPLE OUT THERE, TOO, IT'S A PLACE THEY CAN COME AND GET WI FI. AND MANY TIMES THEY CAN'T GET THAT AT HOME. SO IT'S A VERY LIMITED DEAL. IT'S THESE COMMUNITY CENTERS ARE IN NEIGHBORHOODS.
[INAUDIBLE] IS A GOOD EXAMPLE [INAUDIBLE] A GOOD EXAMPLE. SO WE'LL BE HAVING THOSE AVAILABLE AND ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO COME IN AND HELP THEM KIND OF NAVIGATE THROUGH WHAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH.
AND I ECHO YOUR SUPPORT OF OUR OUR STAFFS JUDGE WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE OUT THERE 24 SEVEN, TAKING CARE IN OUR CASE AND PRECINCT THREE 248 BRIDGES. THEY WERE GOING INTO SOME GOOD CONDITIONS THAT MAYBE YOU WOULD LOOK AT THAT AND SAY GO HOME BUT THEY DIDN'T THEY THEY DID THINGS THAT SAVE LIVES AND I THINK PEOPLE FORGET THAT. THAT WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AT FORT WORTH I THANK YOU REMINDER TO THE PEOPLE WAS A GOOD ONE. WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THERE. AND NOTHING LIKE THAT HAPPENED IN HARRIS COUNTY.
AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT TRIBUTE TO A LOT OF EFFORT BY ALL FOUR PRECINCTS. THE LAST THING COUPLE OF THINGS I'M GONNA
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BRING UP IS ONE, I THINK, PLEASE JUDGE, LOOK AT OUR RED ALERT. I THINK WE'RE COMING OUT OF A HORRENDOUS COUPLE OF WEEKS, PEOPLE NEED TO BE ENCOURAGED TO GO BUY FOOD, GO TO THEIR JOBS, SOME OTHER THINGS, I THINK THE NUMBERS ARE IMPROVING. SO PLEASE CONSIDER TAKING THE COUNTY OUT OF THE RED ALERT, WHATEVER THE NEXT NUMBER IS, OR WHATEVER LEVEL YOU THINK'S APPROPRIATE. I THINK THERE'S SCIENCE THERE TO CONSIDER. THAT'S ONE THING, I THINK RELATED TO ALL THIS. THE SECOND THING IS, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO MEET IN PERSON. AND I THINK IT'S IT'S CONDITIONS ARE SUCH THAT WE COULD, IF THERE'S FOLKS THAT DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE, WE COULD STILL MEET, GOING FORWARD. THOSE THAT DIDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE DO THAT VIRTUALLY. BUT I THERE'S NOT A CITY WITHIN 50 MILES OF HERE, THAT'S NOT MEETING IN PERSON, I THINK THE FIVE OF US GET IN THE ROOM KNOW HOW TO SOCIAL DISTANCE. AND IT JUST IS A LOT, I THINK BETTER WAY TO RUN OUR BUSINESS BY MEETING IN PERSON AND GOING THROUGH THAT. SO PLEASE CONSIDER THAT. I KNOW WE'RE MEETING AGAIN NEXT FRIDAY.BUT COMING OUT OF THIS THERE'S WE'VE GOT A LOT OF IMPORTANT THINGS TO DISCUSS, AND WOULD AT LEAST LIKE TO PUT THAT ON THE TABLE.
THANK YOU. AND I DON'T KNOW HOW GERMANE I'LL HAVE TO DEFER TO JAY OR WHOEVER WE HAVE FROM THE COUNTY ATTORNEY. SO PERHAPS I'LL SPARE THE DISCUSSING THE SORT OF MORE COVID RELATED COMMISSIONER RAMSEY, I DID HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS I FORGOT TO MENTION ON THE ON THE THE WINTER STORM. ONE IS, OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE REACHED OUT WANTING TO KNOW WHERE THEY CAN DONATE CENTERPOINT FOR ONE, YOU KNOW, STOOD UP AND SAID THEY WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SUPPORT AND SO I'VE SPOKEN WITH THE MAYOR TEAMS HAVE CONNECTED. AND THE WE WOULD LIKE TO STAND UP A FUND, JUST LIKE THE IMELDA ONE. SO BASICALLY THE SAME THING, THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THAT THE BOARD WOULD BE SMALLER. THE ISSUE WE HAD WITH THE IMELDA FUND IS WE ACTUALLY ENDED UP WITH AN EVEN NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES. AND SO THEY WERE WHEN THEY WERE DEADLOCKED IT WAS A BIT OF A CHALLENGE, I GUESS THAT ENCOURAGED NEGOTIATION. SO THE IDEA IS THE MAYOR AND I WOULD APPOINT A CHAIR, AND THEN EACH OF YOU WOULD APPOINT A MEMBER, THE CITY WOULD APPOINT FOUR MEMBERS. SO I WOULD NOT GET TO APPOINT A YOU KNOW, A MEMBER, BUT AT LEAST THERE WOULD BE YOU KNOW, AN ODD NUMBER. AND, AND THEN IT WOULD ALSO BE RUN THROUGH THE GREATER HOUSTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, EXACT SAME THING, YOU KNOW, SAME REPORTING SYSTEM, SAME ACCOUNTABILITY PROCESSES, SAME SORT OF GENERAL GRANTS IDEA, HOPEFULLY IT WOULD MOVE FASTER, AND IT WOULD PROVIDE SUPPORT ON SORT OF THE HOME REPAIR SIDE, AND PARTICULARLY THE PLUMBING SIDE OF THINGS. SO IF YOU GUYS ARE OKAY WITH THAT, I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN ANNOUNCE IT TODAY. BECAUSE THIS IS KIND OF HOT OFF, YOU KNOW, LIKE, RIGHT NOW IS WHEN PEOPLE WANT TO GIVE AND I'M JUST AFRAID WE'LL MISS THE OPPORTUNITY IF WE DON'T IF WE DON'T GET RUNNING, AND THE CITY'S GONNA MOVE WITH OR WITHOUT US. SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR IT TO BE JOINED.
YEAH, COMMISSIONER ELLIS, I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA. AND I DO THINK THE SOONER THE BETTER, BECAUSE I'VE GOTTEN A FEW CALLS SOME FROM NATIONAL FUNDERS, WHO ASKED AND, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, IN THE MIDDLE OF COVID, WE WON'T GET THAT HARVEY KIND OF MONEY AGAIN, NECESSARILY, BUT SO MUCH OF THIS FOCUS FOR THIS STORM SO FAR HAS BEEN ON TEXAS, AND THE BIG PART OF IT ON HOUSTON, YOU KNOW, FROM PEOPLE AROUND THE COUNTRY, THINKING THAT WE ALL YOU KNOW, ME THINK THAT WE ALL ON THE STREETS, WE SO I DO THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA, AND QUICKER IS BETTER. AND WE SHOULD THINK OF WHO WE WANT TO NAME ON MY SIDE PRETTY QUICK AS WELL. I'LL LOOK AT THE SETUP ONCE YOU IN A MAN NAMED THE CHAIRS. AND I DON'T KNOW WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PROCESS TO SEND OUR FOLKS IN. YEAH.
SO GO AHEAD. COME ON. JOSH, HAVING SERVED ON THE IMELDA BOARD IS AS REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE COUNTY, THAT'S A GREAT IDEA. THAT GROUP THERE IS VERY FOCUSED, SO ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO HELP STAND THAT UP AND GET DOLLARS. THEY ALREADY HAVE A LIST OF PEOPLE I GUARANTEE YOU THAT NEED HELP AND THAT'S THE QUICKEST WAY TO GET MONEY IN THE FOLKS HANDS. THAT'S GREAT IDEA.
DO NEED A MOTION JUDGE? I WAS TOLD WE DON'T NEED A MOTION. WE CAN ALWAYS MAKE ONE I WILL CLARIFY A COMMISSIONER ELLIS, THE CHAIR WOULD BE SELECTED JOINTLY BY THE MAYOR AND MYSELF. SO YOU KNOW I DON'T HAVE FULL CONTROL OVER WHO IT WOULD BE AND AND THEN, BUT YOU
[00:25:01]
GUYS WOULD BE ABLE TO SELECT ONE MEMBER I DON'T THINK ANY OF US WOULD QUIBBLE ABOUT THAT. I MEAN, WHOEVER YOU AND THE MAYOR COME UP WITH IS FINE. I THINK WE ALL FEEL GOOD ABOUT THAT.OKAY, SO THAT WAS THE ONLY OTHER POINT OH, THE TESTING SITES ARE OPEN. THREE OF THEM ARE OPEN TOMORROW. AND THE VACCINES IN THIS IS RELATED TO THE WEATHER BECAUSE THE WEATHER WAS THE ONE THAT GOT THIS OFF THE SCHEDULE. THE VACCINES ARE, THEY'RE FOCUSING ON SECOND SHOTS TODAY AND TOMORROW TO TRY CATCH UP THE SECOND SHOTS THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO GIVE THIS WEEK, AND THEY'RE GONNA THEY WERE ABLE TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND TO JOSH'S CREDIT, THEY WERE ABLE TO FRONT LOAD SOME OF THE FIRST SHOTS FROM LAST WEEK. SO WE'RE GONNA HOPEFULLY TRY AND GET BACK ON SCHEDULE. IF NOT, WE MAY BE BEHIND ONE WEEK ON EVERYTHING.
OBVIOUSLY, THE MEDIA CAMPAIGN IS A WEEK BEHIND. AND YEAH, THOSE ARE THOSE ARE ALL THE RELATED ISSUES.
YES, COMMISSIONER CAGLE AND THEN COMMISSIONER ELLIS.
JUDGE WHEN YOU'RE READY TO GO TO MY AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS ON THE DEBRIS REMOVAL, I'M READY TO TO DISCUSS A COUPLE OF ITEMS THERE.
I DON'T WANT YOU TO MOVE OFF OF THIS ONE UNLESS YOU'RE READY TO MOVE ON.
OKAY, YES, COMMISSIONER ELLIS.
JUST ON THE GENERAL ONE, A JUDGE CAN BARRY OR SOMEONE DO WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD SENSE OF WHAT WE WILL GET REIMBURSED FOR LEADING UP TO COMMISSIONER CAGLE'S ITEM AS AN EXAMPLE, IT WOULD JUST BE GOOD. IF WE KNOW, BEFORE WE START SPENDING MONEY, WHAT HAS A POSSIBILITY OF BEING REIMBURSED BECAUSE THAT HAS SOME IMPACT.
NOT NECESSARILY ON WHAT WE SPEND, BUT ON HOW WE SPEND IT, YOU GOT ME. BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO MISS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET MONEY BACK THAT, THAT WE CAN GET BACK BECAUSE A LOT OF DOCUMENTATION AND OTHER HOOPS THINGS WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH.
THAT'S WHY THAT MELDEN THE HEARTBEAT FUND WAS SET UP TO HANDLE THINGS THAT WE PROBABLY DID NOT WANT TO GO THROUGH THE FEDERAL HOOPS FOR. SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ARE BUDGET MANAGEMENT OR SOMEONE CAN COME ON AND COMMENT ON THAT OR MAYBE ROLLING INTO THE COMMISSIONER CAGLE'S ITEM. AND THERE MAY BE OTHER THINGS, YOU KNOW, LIKE PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE INSURANCE, IF THEY CAUGHT WHAT DEPENDS ON WHAT WE'RE GONNA GET FROM THE FEDS? WE'RE GONNA GET TO THAT MORE EXPANSIVE DECLARATION, BUT JUST YOU HAVE SOME COMMENT UP BARRIERS SUCH AS SOMEBODY NO, IF NOT LET THEM WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK.
YEAH. UNLESS YOU'RE AN ALERT, ALERT. LET DAVE ALSO FILL IT IN.
BUT IT BASICALLY IS. SO IT'S CATEGORY B, OR. YEAH, THE CATEGORY B RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS WHICH IS THE THE ACTIONS TAKEN TO SAVE LIVES, PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY OR ELIMINATE IMMEDIATE THREAT OF SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. I'LL LET DAVE GO INTO DETAILS. I WILL SAY THAT TO COMMISSIONER CAGLE'S QUESTION, WE STILL NEED TO VOTE ON ON ON BEING ABLE TO PAY OUR EMPLOYEES OVER TIME. SO I RECOMMEND THAT WE FINISH THIS ITEM WITH DAVE AND THEN WE JUST TAKE IT FROM THE TOP COMMISSIONER CAGLE IF THAT'S OKAY. AND WE'LL GET TO YOUR YOUR DEBRIS ITEM. SO DAVE, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD EXACTLY WHAT WE WILL BE REIMBURSED FOR UNDER FEMA? JUDGE CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY.
AH, WE HAVE RELATIVELY LITTLE GUIDANCE OTHER THAN WHAT YOU SAID. SO I THINK OUR TEAM'S VIEW IS THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, SHELTERING WARMING CENTERS, FIRST RESPONDERS WORKING EXTRA HOURS TO SAVE LIVES. VERY GOOD CASE FOR 75% REIMBURSEMENT WHEN YOU GET INTO THINGS LIKE STORM RECOVERY, COMMISSIONER CAGLE'S, ITEM DEBRIS REMOVAL, YOU KNOW, OTHER SORT OF RECOVERY ITEMS. I THINK UNDER THE EXISTING DECLARATION, WE WOULD NOT HAVE A STRONG CASE. BUT COULD THAT CHANGE IN THE FUTURE? SURE. I KNOW YOU AND OTHERS ARE WORKING ON WHAT COULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR REIMBURSEMENT. BUT I THINK WE SHOULD OPERATE FOR NOW UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT YOU DESCRIBED IN THAT I DESCRIBED ABOUT WHAT WHAT WOULD BE 75% REIMBURSABLE. AND WHAT WE WOULD HAVE TO PICK UP 100 CENTS ON THE DOLLAR FOR YOUR COMMISSION RULES.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO KNOW THAT WE DON'T KNOW, HOPEFULLY, WITH THE MAYBE THE CHANGE IN ADMINISTRATION, WE CAN ASK BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN WE MEET NEXT WEEK FOR SOME FURTHER CLARIFICATION, BECAUSE SEVERAL POINTS, ONE, THE WINTER IS NOT OVER WITH, IS NUMBER ONE AND NUMBER TWO, WE GET THIS ONE IN THE WINTER, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY PLAN FOR SOME EMERGENCIES IN THE SUMMER. SO AND I GUESS NUMBER THREE IS YOU KNOW, IT CERTAINLY
[00:30:02]
WILL NOT BE ADDITIONAL REVENUE. SO BEFORE WE START RUN INTO THE, WE ALL AT LEAST HAVE A PRETTY CLEAR IDEA OF WHETHER OR NOT WE'LL GET IT BACK. BECAUSE THERE MAY BE OTHER, THE I, FOR ONE, BELIEVE IN THE, IN THE MAJORITY OF THE SCIENCE ON CLIMATE CHANGE. AND, YOU KNOW, I REALIZED GLOBAL WARMING DOESN'T ALWAYS MEAN BECAUSE THE PLANET IS GETTING WARMER. AND WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE MORE HURRICANES, IT MAY MEAN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE WINTER STORMS, WE JUST HAVE THESE SIGNIFICANT EVENTS, WEATHER EVENTS. SO FOR WHAT THAT'S WORTH, I JUST WANT TO THROW IT OUT AND DAVE, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU KNOWS AROUND TO FIND OUT MORE, BUT AT LEAST I STARTED ASKING, IN ANTICIPATION OF US WANTING TO SPEND IT. IT JUST BE GOOD TO KNOW.COMMISSIONER CAGLE. OH, YOU'RE ON MUTE COMMISSIONER CAGLE.
THANK YOU JUDGE. TWO LITTLE QUICK POINTS. I'M GLAD YOU'RE FEELING THE GLOBAL WARMING THERE MY COLLEAGUE. NUMBER TWO. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SINCE YOU REFERENCED THE NEW ADMINISTRATION FOR YOU AND THE OTHERS WHO MAY BE CLOSER TO THEM, MAYBE A LITTLE COMPETITION WILL BE GOOD, BECAUSE DURING HARVEY, WE GOT 90% REIMBURSEMENT AS OPPOSED TO THE TRADITIONAL 75. AND SO YOU MAY WANT TO LET THE NEW ADMINISTRATION KNOW THAT WE'RE ACCUSTOMED TO HAVING A LITTLE EXTRA LOVE. AND WE'D LIKE TO HAVE IT AGAIN. AND IN TERMS OF ALL OF THAT, AND SO I APPRECIATE YOU RAISING THOSE TWO ISSUES THERE. JUDGE WE READY TO
[1. Request for consideration of adjustments to the payment and compensation for county employees related to the response and recovery of Winter Storm Uri for the pay period beginning February 13, 2021. (Part 1 of 2)]
GET INTO THE THE DISCUSSION OF THE REIMBURSEMENT OF OUR EMPLOYEES? YES, IT'D BE ITEM NUMBER ONE.OKAY. FOR ITEM NUMBER TWO, IS THERE GOING TO BE ANY ACTION FOR THAT ITEM? NO, JAMES, UNLESS THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SO BACK TO ITEM ONE, COMMISSIONER CAGLE.
JUDGE, I'VE TALKED TO OUR FOLKS, SOME OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, PRETTY CANDID, YOU'RE OUT THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING OUR CALLS. I KNOW THAT THERE'S MORE THAN ONCE WHEN WE WERE OUT THERE, AND THE TEMPERATURES WERE DOWN. AND WE WERE ON THE TOP OF SOME OF OUR ICY BRIDGES. AND I'D HEARD COMMISSIONER ELLIS MAKE REFERENCES BEFORE ABOUT HOW YOU DID WITH THE, WITH THE OWLS, AND WHEN WE CALL THEM FOR A LITTLE GUIDANCE EVERY NOW AND THEN OR HELP YOU OR YOU WERE THERE. BUT I'VE BEEN CHATTING WITH THE GUYS WHILE WE WERE OUT THERE. AND I WON'T SAY HERE IN THE PUBLIC FORUM WHAT MY VERY IMPORTANT JOB WAS DURING THOSE EPISODES, BUT THE AS WE LOOK AT IT, MOST OF THEM, WERE WANTING TO BE COMPENSATED SORT OF HOW WE DO NOW IN EPISODES TO WHERE THEY GET STRAIGHT TIME FOR THEIR FIRST REGULAR AND THEN THEIR OVERTIME THAT THEY COULD TAKE THAT INTO COMP WORK. AND I WANTED TO ASK THE QUESTION IN THIS DISCUSSION, WE SHOULD DEFINITELY VOTE TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY IS COMPENSATED.
BUT THERE COULD WE EITHER ALLOW THEM TO HAVE THAT LUXURY BECAUSE MANY OF THEM HAVING WORKED ALL OF THIS PERIOD OF TIME WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A FEW DAYS OFF ONCE ONCE THIS IS DONE. AND SO THE COMP TIME IS STILL PAID TIME, IT'S JUST YOU PAY IT WHEN YOU'RE NOT WORKING LATER ON. IF WE COULD EITHER HAVE THAT COMBO APPROACH, WHICH IS WHAT MANY OF THE FOLKS WERE REALLY WANTING, OR IF NOT, POTENTIALLY, IF WE COULDN'T, IF WE COULDN'T DO THAT COMBO, IF THERE WAS A GREATER WHEEL FOR OTHERS TO GET PAID CASH UP FRONT FOR EVERYTHING TO BE ALL INCOME, MAYBE WE COULD HAVE THE [INAUDIBLE] THIRD SOLUTION, WHICH MIGHT BE IF THERE WAS A WAY TO WHERE WITH OUR NEW PEOPLESOFT SOFTWARE THAT WE COULD GIVE OUR EMPLOYEES AN OPTION AS TO WHETHER THEY WANTED ALL THEIR EXTRA TIME TO GO INTO COMP TIME, OR IF THEY WANTED THEIR EXTRA TIME TO TO GO TO STRAIGHT PAY. AND SO THAT'S THE THAT'S SORT OF THE QUESTION THAT I WOULD ASK BECAUSE IT IS A MATTER THAT HAS BEEN IMPORTANT TO A NUMBER OF THE FOLKS AS WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH THIS, BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY'S NEEDS ARE THE SAME, BUT MANY OF THEM FEEL LIKE THEY REALLY COULD APPRECIATE A LITTLE TIME TOO. AS ONE OF THE GUYS ONE TIME SAID, YOU KNOW, AFTER ALL THIS FREEZING TIME, HE COULD STAND A LITTLE FISHING TIME AND NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING PAID FOR IT.
DAVE, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD AS TO THE FLEXIBILITY? I DO NOT KNOW WHAT WOULD BE ENTAILED IN THE ACCOUNTING SYSTEM OF ALLOWING PEOPLE TO HAVE A CHOICE. I'M HAPPY TO LOOK INTO IT. I GUESS MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO IF THERE IS A DESIRE TO ALLOW FOLKS TO GET COMPENSATED FOR THOSE HOURS. WE COULD WE COULD MAKE THAT MOTION NOW AND POTENTIALLY H.OLD ON. I HAVE A I'LL TELL YOU WHAT UDGE, CAN YOU GIVE ME FIVE MINUTES TO
[00:35:04]
MAKE A COUPLE OF CALLS ON THIS? AND I'LL GET BACK TO YOU, THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BE BEST.YOU'RE MUTED JUDGE. YES, DAVE, THAT'S FINE. OKAY, BACK WITH YOU.
WHAT I WANT TO BE CLEAR ON IS WE HAD PEOPLE LITERALLY WORKING 12 HOUR SHIFTS, THEY WOULD SLEEP HERE AT THE PRECINCT, AND THEN THEY'D GO BACK OUT. MANY OF THESE WERE HOURLY PEOPLE, THOSE HOURLY, PEOPLE NEED TO BE PAID TIME AND A HALF. SO THAT'S IT.
IF SOMEBODY WANTS COMP TIME, THAT'S FINE. BUT THOSE HOURLY PEOPLE THAT WERE OUT THERE ON THOSE BRIDGES, 12 HOURS, AND THEY WORKED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME THIS WEEK. THAT NEEDS TO BE TIME AND A HALF, NOT, NOT REGULAR TIME.
SO THE QUESTION GIVEN THEM WAS THAT THE POINT GIVEN THEM OPTION TO THE MOTION IS TO PAY THEM OVER TIME TO COMMISSIONER RAMSEY'S POINT. AND IF I'M UNDERSTANDING COMMISSIONER CAGLE'S POINT IS THERE A WAY TO GIVE THEM THE OPTION BETWEEN EITHER THE OVERTIME OR THE MORE COMP TIME? JUDGE IT'S HOW WE PAY THE OVERTIME. LET ME BE REAL CLEAR, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY GETS THEIR OVERTIME.
IT IS THE HOW DO THEY GET THEIR OVERTIME, WHETHER THEY GET THEIR OVERTIME AS STRAIGHT PAY, OR WHETHER THEY GET THEIR OVERTIME AS COMP TIME. I'M SORRY, IF I WASN'T CLEAR ON THAT COMMISSIONER RAMSEY, BUT AT ALL TIMES, IF THEY IF THEY IF THEY WERE IN THERE LAYING THEIR THEIR HEART SOULS AND OFTENTIMES RISKING THEIR BODIES FOR US, THEY SHOULD BE GETTING THEIR TIME AND A HALF. AND AT A CERTAIN POINT, SOME OF THEM MAY HAVE BEEN CLOSING TO THE THE THE DOUBLE TIME, WHICH IS ALL PART OF OUR HR POLICIES. THE QUESTION IS FOR THAT OVERTIME, DO THEY GET TO OPT TO HAVE THEIR OVERTIME AS STRAIGHT PAY? OR DO THEY CAN THEY OPT TO HAVE THEIR OVERTIME AS COMP TIME SO THAT THEY CAN TAKE A DAY OFF AND NOT BE DOCKED FOR THEIR PAY BECAUSE THEY ALREADY PUT THEIR TIME IN AND THEIR TIME AND A HALF FOR US. AND THAT'S THAT'S WHAT MY QUESTION IS TO BE FOR THAT FOR THAT TIME AND A HALF THAT EXTRA HALF. HOW DO WE PAY THAT EXTRA HALF. AND MY MY INQUIRY TO DAVE IS, CAN THEY GET THAT EXTRA HALF AS COMP TIME AS OPPOSED TO A CHECK NOW, BECAUSE MANY OF THEM WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO, AS I SAID EARLIER, THEY PUT IN THEIR FREEZING TIME, THEY'D LIKE TO TAKE THEIR FREEZING TIME AND CONVERT IT INTO FISHING TIME AND NOT GET DOCKED FOR HAVING TO TAKE A DAY OFF. BUT BE PAID FOR THAT DAY OFF BECAUSE THEY TOOK IT IN COMP TIME. AM I MAKING BETTER SENSE? DAVID, TIME TO LOOK AT IT. AND PERHAPS THEY JUST KEEP GOING DOWN THE THE AGENDA. I THINK WE HAVE ONE OR TWO ITEMS, AND WE CAN COME BACK TO THIS ONE AND SEE WHAT HE SAYS.
THINK THAT WE'RE REQUIRED BY LAW EVEN IF WE DIDN'T WANT TO. BUT I'M I'M WANTING TO ALL IN FOR MAKING SURE THAT WE GIVE THEM THE MAXIMUM COMPENSATION THAT IS APPROPRIATE FOR FOLKS WHO, YOU KNOW, SOME FOLKS DON'T CONSIDER YOUR ROAD AND BRIDGE GUYS TO BE FIRST RESPONDERS. THEY ARE SOME FOLKS DON'T NECESSARILY CONSIDER OUR PEOPLE THAT WENT INTO THE WARMING CENTERS DURING THIS COVID AND AND RISK BEING AND IN CLOSE CONFINES WITH FOLKS WHO ARE NEEDING HELP TO BE FIRST RESPONDERS THEY ARE AND SO OUR FIRST RESPONDERS NEED TO BE COMPENSATED PERIOD.
I'M I'M SORRY. COMMISSIONER RASMSEY IF I WASN'T CLEAR ON THAT EARLIER.
NO, IT WAS JUST THE TIME AND A HALF THAT WASN'T CLEAR. I UNDERSTAND.
COMMISSIONER GARCIA HAS A QUESTION, BUT I'VE GOT A [IONAUDIBLE] CHECK THIS OUT. IT READS ABC 13 PRESIDENT BIDEN TO SIGN [INAUDIBLE] DISASTER DECLARATION AND VISIT TEXAS.
WE'LL BE GETTING HOPEFULLY THAT ASSISTANCE. YES. COMMISSIONER GARCIA. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU JUDGE ON THE ON THE ISSUE OF OVERTIME. LOOK, LET'S JUST KEEP THIS SIMPLE. LET'S GET OUR PEOPLE PAID, SO I WOULD MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ALLOCATE OVERTIME. OVERTIME ALLOCATIONS TO BE DECIDED BY THE BUDGET OFFICE AND PAY OUR EMPLOYEES [INAUDIBLE].
I'LL SECOND THAT AND I THINK THAT GIVES YOU LATITUDE TO FIGURE IT OUT. YEP. YES, I WASN'T TRYING TO CONFUSE THE ISSUE. I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE PAY THE OVERTIME. SO I'M ALL ON BOARD WITH [INAUDIBLE] AND I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT RODNEY. WE DON'T HAVE TO ADDRESS THAT TODAY. THAT'S SOMETHING THE BUDGET
[00:40:02]
OFFICE CAN LET US KNOW. IT'S THE HOW YOU PAY THEM. IT'S ANDTHE WAY THAT IT IF THE WORLD IS PERFECT, I'D LIKE TO HAVE OUR EMPLOYEES CHOOSE HOW THEY GET PAID THEIR COMP TIME. I MEAN THEIR OVER TIME, WHETHER THEY WANT TO GET THE CHECK, OR THEY WANT TO GET IT OTHERWISE, LET'S HEAR FROM DAVE. HE HAS SAID HE'S GOT AN ANSWER NOW. OH, BUT HE'S GOT AUDIO ISSUES. OKAY. WELL, LET'S JUST KEEP GOING DOWN, COME ON SUGAR, SEE IF THAT'S OKAY [INAUDIBLE].SO THE SECOND ITEM WE ALREADY COVERED. ITEM NUMBER THREE IS THE EXTENSION OF THE DECLARATION, WHICH WE ALREADY COVERED. AND FINALLY, ITEM NUMBER FOUR COMMISSIONER CAGLE.
[4. Request for discussion and possible action related to debris removal.]
YES, YOUR HONOR. AND DAVE SHOULD BE ABLE TO CONFIRM THIS. AND I THINK WE HAVE JOHN BLUNT ON THE LINE, AND HE CAN CONFIRM THIS.BUT FROM OUR PRIOR EXPERIENCE, FEMA IS REAL FUNNY WITH REGARD TO WHAT THEY COMPENSATE FOR. AND STORM DEBRIS THEY COMPENSATE FOR. UNFORTUNATELY, FOR US, A LOT OF THE DEBRIS THAT WE'RE STARTING TO SEE [INAUDIBLE], SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE SHOWING UP ON THE CURBS WILL BE FROM BUSTED PIPES INSIDE THE HOUSE. AND SO IT MAY NOT QUALIFY UNDERNEATH THE FEMA RULES AS QUOTE UNQUOTE STORM DEBRIS BECAUSE IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT DOWNED TREES. AND IT'S NOT FLOODED OUT CARPETS FROM WATER BREACHING INTO BUILDINGS LIKE WE HAD DURING DURING HARVEY. TO THAT END, I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN WORK WITH THOSE POWERS THAT BE TO TO GET OUR OUR DAMAGE, WHICH WAS CAUSED BY A STORM, FROM BROKEN PIPES DECLARED AS STORM DEBRIS SO THAT WE CAN BE COMPENSATED FOR IT. AND THAT MAY BE AN [INAUDIBLE] ISSUE, OR OTHER IN ISSUES, BUT IT'S A DEFINITIONAL PROBLEM RIGHT NOW, AND THEN NUMBER TWO, WITH REGARD TO THEIR PICKING THIS UP, WE HAVE TO GET IN AND GET INVOLVED AND WE MAY END UP NOT BEING COMPENSATED FOR IT. AND WE MAY NEED TO ULTIMATELY I THINK IT WAS REFERENCED BY COMMISSIONER GARCIA DIP INTO THE TO THE PICK FUND, BECAUSE THERE IS NO OTHER FUND FOR PICKING UP THIS DEBRIS. BUT I THINK THAT JOHN IS WORKING ON TRYING TO MAKE IT TO WHERE THERE'S A IN IN BETWEEN GAPPED WHERE MAYBE THE COUNTY CAN GET DUMPSTERS. AND WE CAN TAKE DUMPSTERS TO NEIGHBORHOODS AND LET PEOPLE SEMI SELF HELP BY PUTTING THEM INTO DUMPSTERS. AND THEN THE THIRD THING THAT WE ARE DOING IN PRECINCT FOUR, WHICH I'M GONNA ASK JUDGE THAT YOU, AT SOME POINT ELEVATE TO ALL OF OUR OTHER WEBSITES THAT ARE THERE.
BUT STARTING TOMORROW MORNING AT SEVEN, WE WILL HAVE OUR SELF HELP SITE. DURING HARVEY, OUR SELF HELP SITE WAS VERY, VERY HELPFUL. AND I THINK WE MAY HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF OTHERS AND SOME OF THE OTHER PRECINCTS AS WELL. BUT THAT'S WHERE IF YOU JUST HAVE A PICKUP TRUCK LOAD OF DEBRIS THAT YOU NEED TO GET RID OF. YOU CAN GET A NEIGHBOR TO HELP YOU AND YOU GO TO THE SELF HELP SITE AND YOU LOAD UP YOUR DEBRIS. AND YOU'LL HAUL IT OVER TO THE SELF HELP SITE AND UNLOAD IT THERE. AND THEN WE TAKE IT FROM THERE TO GO ON TO THE ULTIMATE DUMPSTERS AND TO TAKE IT OUT OF THERE. AND SO JUDGE, WE WILL BE OPERATIONAL TOMORROW WITH OUR SELF HELP SITE. AND WE TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD, WE NEED TO WORK ON GETTING OUR OUR WATER DAMAGE CAUSED BY FREEZING PIPES DECLARED TO BE STORM DEBRIS.
DO FOLKS HAVE THOUGHTS ON THIS? YES, COMMISSIONER GARCIA AND DAVE, I SAW YOU. LET'S FINISH THIS ITEM AND THEN WE'LL GO BACK TO ITEM ONE. GO AHEAD.
THANK YOU JUDGE. I HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS. FIRST, IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT DEBRIS REMOVAL IS NOT NECESSARILY INCLUDED IN THE FEMA DISASTER DECLARATIONS AND WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET REIMBURSEMENT FROM FEMA FOR THIS DEBRIS REMOVAL.
AND SO CAN MR. BARRY SHIFT SOME LIGHT ON ON THIS? IF AT ALL POSSIBLE? OR MAYBE HE'S NOT READY FOR THIS MAYBE. ARE YOU THERE? HE SHOULD BE BACK.
I AM CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES, YES.
GOOD DEAL. UNDER THE UNDER THE EXISTING DISASTER DECLARATION THAT WE WALKED INTO THIS MEETING WITH THE ANSWER IS IS NO. WE WOULD NOT BE REIMBURSED FOR STORM DEBRIS. I HAVEN'T I
[00:45:05]
COULDN'T REALLY READ WHAT CAME UP ON THE JUDGES PHONE SO THAT POTENTIALLY COULD CHANGE THINGS. SO WE WE'D HAVE TO, WE'D HAVE TO REVIEW. BUT ALSO A COMMISSIONER CAGLE SAID IT WOULD NEED TO BE STORM DEBRIS, RIGHT. SO IT'S NOT CLEAR TO US THAT, YOU KNOW, HOUSEHOLD WASTE, OR IF YOU WANT TO, NOT WASTE, BUT MATERIALS FROM HOUSEHOLD REPAIRS WOULD WOULD QUALIFY HERE. SO, YOU KNOW, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE OF FEMA REIMBURSEMENT, IT WOULD IT MAKES SENSE TO US THAT THAT SOME INITIAL STEPS ALONG THE LINES OF HAVING DISPOSAL SITES WOULD MAKE SENSE WHILE WE CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH THE REIMBURSEMENT ISSUES AROUND A BROADER PROGRAM.GOTCHA. THANK YOU, MR. BARRY. AND THAT'S WHAT I AND THAT WAS MY, MY SUSPICION AS WELL. AND SO ONE THING THAT I WOULD, I WOULD MAKE A MOTION JUDGE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION, AND IT WOULD BE TO MOVE THAT IGA INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS WORK WITH FEMA, AND OTHER RELEVANT FEDERAL AGENCIES AND LOCAL DELEGATION TO INCLUDE DEBRIS REMOVAL AS A REIMBURSABLE EXPENSE. THAT WOULD BE A MOTION, RECOGNIZING THAT WE'RE NOT READY TO MAYBE MOVE ON THIS AS A REIMBURSABLE ITEM AT THE MOMENT.
I'LL SECOND THAT. JUDGE I WANTED TO ASK A QUESTION. I DON'T KNOW IF IT NEEDS TO BE ADDED AS AN ADDENDUM TO THE MOTION.
BUT WE COULD ALSO ASK OUR STATE PARTNERS. I KNOW THEY ARE HAVING HEARINGS NEXT WEEK, IF IF THERE IS SOME CULPABILITY OR LACK OF OVERSIGHT ON THE STATE PART. AND IT'S ALL AROUND THE STATE. OTHER COUNTIES AND CITIES MAY ASK AS WELL. SO WE DON'T WANT TO RULE OUT THE STATE AS A PLACE AS WELL, IF WE CAN'T GET REIMBURSED FOR SOME OF IT. AND THE OTHER ONE IS, DO WE KNOW? MR. BARRY, MR. BLUNT? WHAT IS THE CITY DOING? I MEAN, I'VE LOOKED AT SOME MAPS, BUT IT'S PRELIMINARY, BUT JUST A WHAT IS THIS CITY OR OTHER CITIES DOING IN THIS? IN THIS REGARD? IF WE KNOW. JOHN BLUNT, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, AND I DO HAVE TWO MORE POINTS AFTER WE FINISH THE DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION.
OKAY, SO WE'LL HEAR FROM FINISH COMMISSIONER ELLIS. WE'LL HEAR FROM COMMISSIONER RAMSEY, THEN COMMISSIONER CAGLE, AND WE'LL COME BACK TO COMMISSIONER GARCIA.
SO JOHN, JUDGE THIS WAS GERMANE TO WHAT COMMISSIONER GARCIA WAS SAYING, I THINK HE WAS ADDING AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO MY INITIAL MOTION. I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR THAT I'VE ACCEPTED THAT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
THERE'S NOT A I GUESS,YOU WOULD NEED TO YOU WOULD NEED TO SECOND, THE ORIGINAL MOTION OR COMMISSIONER GARCIA WOULD NEED TO SECOND THE ORIGINAL MOTION.
I'LL SECOND JUDGE, THIS IS JAMES, I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED ON WHAT THE ORIGINAL MOTION WAS. SO IF THE MOTION THAT'S GOING TO BE CALLED FOR VOTE, COULD THAT BE READ OUT LOUD? WAS DISCUSSING WITH WITH DAVE BARRY. SO WHY DON'T WE JUST PAUSE ON MOTION UNTIL WE'RE DONE WITH THE DISCUSSION? BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE'RE GONNA CHANGE THE MOTION AGAIN.
I FORGOT WHAT IT WAS TOO. [INAUDIBLE] WHETHER IT'S MR. BARRY OR MR. BLUNT. WHAT'S THE CITY OF DOING OTHER CITIES DOING IN THIS REGARD? WELL, UNLIKE, YOU KNOW, THE CITIES AND WE DON'T WE DON'T RUN A MUNICIPAL TRASH SYSTEM AND HEAVY TRASH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON INTENDS TO PICK UP THEIR DEBRIS AND HEAVY TRASH. THEY MAY RUN EVEN THERE'S DISCUSSION GOING ON RIGHT NOW. THEY MAY [INAUDIBLE] THEIR HEAVY TRASH EARLY. THEY'RE WORKING THROUGH THOSE ISSUES.
AND WE'VE TALKED TO SOME OF THE OTHER SMALL CITIES IN THE SAME TYPE THING. WHAT WE WE HAVE GONE OUT AND DONE WHAT WE CALL A WINDSHIELD SURVEY, JUST LOOK AT AREAS TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING.
AND THERE ARE SOME SMALL DEBRIS PILES, BUT MOST OF THEM ARE SIGNIFICANTLY SMALL, YOU KNOW, ONE CUBIC YARD OR LESS. AND IN AREAS WITH MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE, LIKE THE CITIES ARE A LOT OF MUD DISTRICTS THAT RUN THE MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTES ARE ACTUALLY PICKED UP THOSE SMALL TYPE LOADS, AND THEY'RE NORMAL, GARBAGE OPERATE.
SO WE MAY KNOW MORE BY NEXT FRIDAY. BIG OF A PROBLEM IT IS OR IS NOT. YES. WHAT WE DID DO.
WE DID AN INFORMAL SURVEY OF 330 COUNTY EMPLOYEES AND OF THOSE 21% HAD PIPE DAMAGE BECAUSE WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW MANY PEOPLE HAD PIPE DAMAGE FROM THERE. WE THEN LOOKED AT ALL THE HOUSES IN UNINCORPORATED HARRIS COUNTY THAT WERE BUILT BEFORE THE YEAR 2000 SO THEY'RE MUCH LESS LIKELY TO HAVE [INAUDIBLE] PIPES WHICH VERY WELL BREAKS. SO WE'RE ESTIMATING ABOUT 55,000
[00:50:04]
HOMES HAVE PIPE DAMAGE. BUT STILL, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE ARE IN MUD DISTRICTS, AND WILL HAVE VERY SMALL DEBRIS PILES. BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO STOP THE WATER. AND YOU KNOW, THEY RUIN THEIR FURNITURE AND THEIR CARPET AND EVERYTHING ELSE. SO THERE ARE GOING TO BE EXCEPTIONS TO THAT.SO IT'LL TAKE US A LITTLE WHILE TO KNOW HOW MANY IN UNINCORPORATED HARRIS COUNTY ARE NOT IN MUDS. YEAH, WE CAN RUN THOSE NUMBERS. BUT IT'S SOMEWHAT DECEIVING BECAUSE NOT ALL MUDS PROVIDE GARBAGE SERVICE, BUT YES, WE CAN GET A FAIRLY GOOD IDEA.
YES, COMMISSIONER RAMSEY, AND THEN COMMISSIONER CAGLE, THEN COMMISSIONER GARCIA.
YEAH I SUPPORT, WHILE COMMISSIONER GARCIA, COMMISSIONER CAGLE HAD PUT OUT THERE. BUT LET ME LET ME POINT THIS OUT. THERE'S A LOT OF THE ENTITIES IN HARRIS COUNTY, INCLUDING THE 33 CITIES NOT NAMED HOUSTON, INCLUDING THE 100 PLUS MUDS, AS REFERENCED, AND WHAT I'VE TOLD OUR PARTNERS IS THIS DOCUMENT DOCUMENT DOCUMENT FEMA MAY OR MAY NOT PAY FOR SOMETHING. BUT WHATEVER THEY DO, YOU NEED TO DOCUMENT IT. SO I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO IMPACT WHAT WE DO OR DON'T DO, I THINK TO COMMISSIONER CAGLE'S POINT, IF SOMEBODY NEEDS HELP HAULING SOME STUFF OFF OR DOING A RESPONSE WE'LL HELP AND THEN TRY TO GET PAID FOR LATER. SO LIKE OVER TIME. IT'S BEING PAID IN FIRST RESPONDERS, THAT'S LIKELY WOULD BE COVERED. AND I'VE TOLD OUR PARTNERS TO DOCUMENT THAT. SO THIS WOULD BE IN THAT CATEGORY OF PLEASE DOCUMENT WHAT YOU'VE GOT. IF YOU'VE HAD SOME EXTRAORDINARY EXPENSES, HAULING OFF TO [INAUDIBLE] THEN WE CAN COVER IT LATER. BUT I THINK THE POINT WITH THIS MOTION IS LET'S LET'S ASK THE QUESTION AND SEE IF WE CAN GET IT APPROVED SO THAT THE PARTNERS OUT THERE INCLUDING COUNTY CAN PROVIDE SOME ASSISTANCE.
COMMISSIONER CAGLE DID YOU WAS YOUR COMMENT WHEN YOU MADE EARLIER? IN ESSENCE, JUDGE I WAS GONNA TELL JAMES WHAT MY ORIGINAL MOTION WAS. AND THEN I'LL ASK COMMISSIONER GARCIA, BECAUSE I THINK HE ADDED A PHRASE TO MY ORIGINAL MOTION THAT I LIKED. BUT MY ORIGINAL MOTION, JAMES WAS THIS. COMMISSIONER'S COURT INSTRUCT INTERIM GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS AND THE COUNTY JUDGE'S OFFICE TO WORK WITH FEMA AND OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS TO DEFINE STORM DEBRIS TO INCLUDE CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS CAUSED FROM THE STORM DAMAGE OF FREEZING PIPES AND OTHER STRUCTURES THAT INCLUDE CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS FROM STORM DAMAGE CAUSED BY FREEZING AND OTHER DAMAGE.
COMMISSION DID YOU SEND IT AROUND? I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIND IT. DID YOU SEND. IT WAS NOT SENT AROUND MY APOLOGIES. I'VE BEEN ON THE ON THE RUN. BUT WHAT COMMISSIONER GARCIA READ SOUNDED REALLY CLOSE TO IT. HE MAY HAVE TWEAKED ONE OR TWO WORDS. AND SO THAT'S WHY I'D ACCEPT THAT WRITTEN DOWN.
YEAH. SO I THINK IN ESSENCE, IT WAS THE SAME THING.
YEAH. SO LET ME LET ME JUST READ MINE. AND I WILL SUBMIT THAT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT. AND SO MINE WOULD READ THAT IGA WORK WITH THE FEMA, AND OTHER RELEVANT FEDERAL AGENCIES AND THE LOCAL DELEGATION TO INCLUDE DEBRIS REMOVAL, THE LOCAL AND STATE DELEGATION TO INCLUDE DEBRIS REMOVAL AS A REIMBURSABLE EXPENSE.
I THINK THAT WE'RE ALL WORKING NOW WITH THAT'S THAT'S CLOSE ENOUGH. AND IF YOURS HAS ALREADY WRITTEN SEND IT OUT, AND I ACCEPT THAT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
I THINK YOU SENT IT AROUND. I THINK I HAVE IT HERE.
COMMISSIONER GARCIA'S MOTION, AND COMMISSIONER CAGLE MAKES THE MOTION COMMISSIONER GARCIA SECONDS TO REPEAT THAT HIS MOTION THAT IGA WORK WITH FEMA AND OTHER RELEVANT FEDERAL AGENCIES AND LOCAL AND STATE DELEGATION TO INCLUDE THE RE REMOVAL AS A REIMBURSABLE EXPENSE. MOTION AND A SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. AND THEN YEAH, GO AHEAD.
STILL HAVE TWO MORE POINTS ON THIS. AND I ALSO THINK THAT THERE'S GONNA BE SOME SIGNIFICANT AS WE'VE BEEN TALKING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGES TO OUR RESIDENTS IN TERMS OF PIPES BURSTING AND I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A CLEAR IDEA TO REALLY WHAT THE DAMAGE IS GONNA LOOK LIKE? AND SO DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA HOW
[00:55:05]
MUCH FUNDING WOULD BE REQUIRED IF WE HAVE TO COVER ALL THE COSTS. AND IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO HELP WITH THAT, IN TERMS OF ASSISTING RESIDENTS, IT WOULD BE THROUGH THE COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT. IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WE REFER TO IT AND I THINK IT'S REFERRED TO HERE AS WELL AS EMERGENCY HOME REPAIR.AND SO I'M NOT SURE WHETHER DAVE BERRY OR JOHN BLOCK WOULD HAVE ANY IDEA HOW TO EVEN BEGIN TO CALCULATE OR FORECAST WHAT THAT KIND OF DAMAGE MAY LOOK LIKE. COMMISSIONER GARCIA, I'LL JUMP IN HERE, AND I'LL LET THEM FILL IN THE GAPS. WHAT I WILL HIT IS SOMETHING DIRECTLY, WHICH IS THE THE FORM THAT I MENTIONED TO YOU GUYS EARLIER, THAT WE HAVE UNDER HARRIS, WHERE WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO SUBMIT WHAT THEIR DAMAGE WAS, INITIALLY, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE OPENED THIS MEETING, IT WAS ABOUT SURE THAT WE CAN MAKE A STRONG CASE FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. NOW, THOUGH, BIDEN HAS GRANTED THAT MAJOR, MAJOR DISASTERS, BUT THE WAY THAT FORM WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO USE. AND IT'LL HELP US FIGURE OUT WHAT KIND OF AID PEOPLE NEED FOR THE WINTER STORM FUND, THAT WE'RE SETTING UP JOINTLY WITH THE CITY, I WOULD THINK THE FUNDING FOR THOSE KINDS OF PROJECTS FROM FROM THE FUND WE'RE ESTABLISHING FROM PROGRAMS SUCH AS CSDS PROGRAM THAT YOU MENTIONED, AND IDEALLY, THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE THAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE GETTING THE INDIVIDUAL SYSTEMS THAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE GETTING, SHOULD HELP THEM COVER SOME OF THOSE COSTS. AS WE KNOW, IT'S, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO BE AT HOME. JOHN OR DAVE, DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? YES, JUDGE, I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE DOING SURVEYS TO IDENTIFY AREAS. AND I'LL BE HONEST, THE AREAS WE'VE SEEN SO FAR WITH WHAT I WOULD CALL THE MOST SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF DAMAGE ARE IN FACT, IN AREAS WHERE COMMUNITIES ARE PROBABLY LEAST LIKELY TO BE ABLE TO QUICKLY RECOVER, FOR EXAMPLE, ALL THE WE SAW A LOT OF DAMAGE IN THE [INAUDIBLE] AREA, COMPARED TO OTHER AREAS, LIKE I SAID, WE IN NO WAY ARE WE HAVE WE DONE A COMPLETE AN ASSESSMENT. BUT YOU KNOW, AS COMMISSIONER GARCIA ALLUDED TO, IF YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO TURN OFF THE WATER QUICKLY, A LOT OF DAMAGE COULD HAPPEN TO A HOUSE, AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE INSURANCE, AND OUR STUDY SHOWS THAT EVEN THOUGH OUR OWN EMPLOYEES, 14% OF THEM DON'T HAVE TRADITIONAL HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE, A LOT OF THEM HAVE TO FIRE ONLY POLICIES, THAT KIND OF DAMAGE WON'T BE COVERED. SO WE ARE TRYING TO PUT THESE NUMBERS TOGETHER AND GET THEM OVER TO OEM.
OH, OH, OBVIOUSLY, NONE OF US KNOW THE DAMAGE. BUT YOU KNOW, BASED ON SOME ROUGH MATH, I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE'RE TALKING MANY, MANY 10S OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF DAMAGED HOMES AND PLUMBING SYSTEMS. AND IT COULD BE IT COULD BE HIGHER THAN THAT.
SO JUDGE, DO WE NEED TO MAKE A MOTION TO SET ASIDE SOME FUNDING OUT OF THE PIG AT THIS MOMENT TO START ANY PROGRAM? OR TO PROVIDE ENGINEERING, FUN TO WORK WITH? I DON'T HAVE THE FULL SCOPE OF WHAT THIS WOULD LOOK LIKE. BUT DO WE NEED TO MAKE THAT MOTION TODAY TO SET SOME FUNDING OUT OF THE PIG TO HELP ESTABLISH PART OF THIS PROCESS? OR ASSESSMENT? OR OR HAVE SOMEONE BEGIN THE WORK ON ASSESSING THE DAMAGE? [INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU, Y'ALL. I'M OPERATING ON VERY LITTLE SLEEP AS ARE YOU GUYS. SO I WAS I WAS SAYING THAT I DON'T THINK WE DO [INAUDIBLE]. BECAUSE OF THE EMERGENCY AUTHORITIES FOR THIS WEEK.
DAVE, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG? I THINK THAT'S RIGHT. AND I WOULD ALSO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE PROBABLY NEED TO GATHER SOME MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WE THINK THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL PICK UP WHAT WE THINK PHILANTHROPY COULD PICK UP. AND REALLY, WHERE THE COUNTY HAS A ROLE TO TO PLAY. SO AT LEAST FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I DON'T SEE THE NEED FOR ACTION TODAY, BUT I'M SURE WE'LL TALK ABOUT THIS MORE ON FRIDAY.
WERE YOU DONE COMMISSIONER GARCIA? NO, I STILL HAVE ONE MORE POINT BUT GO AHEAD COMMISSIONER ELLIS.
OKAY, SO MY LAST POINT ON THIS JUDGE WOULD BE THAT IF, IF WE
[01:00:04]
ARE ASSUMING WHATEVER WE FIND OUT WHAT OUR EXPECTED OBLIGATION IS GOING TO BE AT THE LOCAL AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, AND AND ASSUMING THAT AT ALL COST? IT WILL BE, WILL THERE BE SOME COSTS THAT WE INCUR? I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE STRATEGIZE.AND I'LL I WOULD ASK THAT PAMELA, PAMELA CHANG AND OTHERS BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE WORK WITH OUR LOCAL VENDORS, OR LOCAL COMMUNITY AND, AND BUILD A PROGRAM WHERE WE WOULD BRING THAT RESOURCE FROM OUR [INAUDIBLE] OUR DBES, OUR SBDS.
AND IT MAKES SURE THAT WE PROVIDE THAT THAT ECONOMIC IMPACT TO OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY BASED ON WHAT IS ALL HAPPENING.
SO I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT THE COUNTY ENGINEER PURCHASING AND MISS CHANG AND OTHER RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS COME BACK NEXT WEEK WITH A PLAN TO UTILIZE A LOCAL DEBRIS REMOVAL COMPANIES AS WE PREPARE FOR UNDERSTANDING WHAT OPPORTUNITIES MAY BE OUT THERE.
YEAH, COMMISSIONER. AND JUST A QUICK POINT ON COMMISSIONER GARCIA'S COMMENTS. TO BE CLEAR, WE, WE HOPE THAT WE'LL RECEIVE INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE COMMISSIONER GARCIA, BUT I'M READING THE BIDEN ANNOUNCEMENT. AND HE HAS NOT SAID EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE, WHAT PROGRAMS THEY'RE GOING TO ACTIVATE FOR US. SO YOU KNOW, THERE IS A WORLD IN WHICH WE DON'T RECEIVE THAT. AND WE COVER IT ALL THROUGH OTHER MEANS THAT KIND OF INDIVIDUAL SYSTEMS TYPE EIGHT.
GOTCHA. GOTCHA. AND I GUESS ONE FINAL POINT, IF EVERYONE GOING OVER ME THAT I'M MAKING A MOTION THAT, YOU KNOW, LOOK, EVERYBODY HAS BEEN WORKING LIKE A DOG, I MEAN, SLED DOGS AT THAT. AND, AND SO I THINK THIS ONE IS GOING TO BE REAL, REAL IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT, THAT TODAY IS OUR COUNTY JUDGES BIRTHDAY. AND, AND THERE'S NO ONE THAT'S BEEN WORKING HARDER THAN HER. AND SO JUDGE, I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY. AND THANK YOU. I MEANT TO CALL YOU EARLIER WITH THIS. BUT SINCE WE HAVE, I HAVE THE FLOOR RIGHT NOW I WANTED TO MAKE SURE NOT TO MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, HELL OF A WAY TO SPEND YOUR BIRTHDAY. BUT JUST KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF US LIGHT THE CANDLE FOR YOU, FOR A LOT OF REASONS. AND BUT ON THIS ONE, THAT CANDLE REFLECTS THE LIGHT THAT YOU ARE FOR OUR COUNTY. AND AND THAT TODAY IS A SPECIAL DAY FOR YOU. AND HOPE YOU WILL FIND THESE FIVE MINUTES TO CELEBRATE THIS SPECIAL MILESTONE.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. THAT'S TO KIND OF YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
YEAH, HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUDGE. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER GARCIA FOR NOT MISSING THAT. YES, I SAW YOU PUT YOUR HAND UP THERE. AND I WAS LIKE SHE REALLY HAS BEEN WORKING. HE'S DONE.
ALL OF US. WE ALL APPRECIATE IT.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUDGE. I WAS EXPECTING COMMISSIONER GARCIA TO LEAD US ON. OH, NO, NO. WE'RE OK. TRUST ME, YOU DON'T WANT MY VOICE LEADING THAT.
PLEASE DON'T, NO, JUST PLAY THE MUSIC GARCIA. JUDGE. I THINK ALL OF THESE HAVE BEEN GREAT IDEAS. I WOULD I KNOW THAT I THINK MY STAFF TALKED TO DR. HOLLOWAY ABOUT SOME KIND OF REPAIR SYSTEMS PROBLEM IS A NOTE SHE SENT OUT. I THINK THAT CHIEFS OF STAFF TO ALL OF THEM, I THINK AND I SAW IT. I WOULD JUST SAY THAT BASED ON MY LIMITED EXPERIENCE OF TRYING TO GET OTHERS TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE TO HELP WHETHER IT'S OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS, STATE PARTNERS, CITIES, VARIOUS CITY PARTNERS OR MUDS. WE ARE TO GET SOME SENSE OF WHAT THE PROBLEMS ARE.
BECAUSE WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC. MIDDLE OF A MAJOR ECONOMIC PROBLEM. AS WE HEAD TOWARDS HURRICANE SEASON, A WHOLE LOT OF THOSE FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS WE TALKED ABOUT WON'T BE FINISHED. WE TRIED TO FIGURE THAT OUT. BUT I JUST THINK WE OUGHT TO BE REAL CAREFUL OF RUSHING TO THE PICK BECAUSE OF THE CRISIS OF THE MOMENT, BECAUSE THE WELL WILL GET DRY.
[01:05:07]
SO IT AND THEN IT MAY DISCOURAGE OTHERS FROM MATCHING, AS WE ALL HAVE TO FEEL SOME OF THAT PAIN. I MEAN, IT'S NEVER EASY TO ASK ANYBODY FOR MONEY. YOU KNOW, DON'T TAKE A ROCKET SCIENTIST TO KNOW, YOU CAN GET [INAUDIBLE] I SAY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO ASK YOU FOR MORE MONEY. SO I WOULD JUST SAY, WE OUGHT TO BE REAL CAREFUL ABOUT SAYING, WE GOT IT, WE GOT THIS, WE WILL DO IT. BECAUSE OTHERS WHO MIGHT PAY WILL SAY, THANK YOU. AND BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE, THAT THANK YOU, GETS KIND OF HOLLOW AFTER A WHILE.THEY GET A CUSTOMER SAYING THANK YOU. AND IT'S KIND OF GIVE GIVE SOME MORE. SO I JUST SAY MAKE SURE WE METHODICAL AND I HOPE WE KEEP THE EQUITY LANDS WE'VE TRIED TO HAVE THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, AS AN EXAMPLE, AS IMPORTANT AS DEBRIS. REMOVAL IS FOR EVERYBODY. THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO DON'T, WHO ARE RUNNING BECAUSE OF GOVERNMENT INEQUITIES THAT THE GOVERNMENT CREATED, YOU GOT ME. SO WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T HAVE TO GO GRAB WHATEVER THE HOT ITEM IS FIRST. AND THEN WE DON'T HAVE AN EQUITY LENS, BECAUSE IT'S ALL GONE. OR THEN WE JUST ADVOCATE SPEND ANYMORE. SO AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT TAKES IT AN ART MOUNTAIN, IT IS NOT BY NEXT FRIDAY, NICK, IF WE GOT TO MEET THE FOLLOWING WEEK IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE, ANYTIME SOON. AND IF WE TAKE A BREAK, ALL OF US GET TO GO BECAUSE WE'LL GET CRITICIZED. LET'S STICK IT UP OTHER OTHER COLLEAGUES, I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER ELLIS. AND I DO THINK YOU BRING UP A GOOD POINT ABOUT PROTECTING.
SO WE'VE GONE OVER ALL THE ITEMS, EXCEPT FOR THE FIRST ONE
[1. Request for consideration of adjustments to the payment and compensation for county employees related to the response and recovery of Winter Storm Uri for the pay period beginning February 13, 2021. (Part 2 of 2)]
ON EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION. AND DAVE, I BELIEVE HAS AN UPDATE FOR US ON THAT ONE.HI, JUDGE. THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IS WE DO THINK IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE IF COMMISSIONER [INAUDIBLE] WISHES TO ALLOW EMPLOYEES THE OPTION OF DESIGNATING HOURS WORKED AS OVERTIME OR AS COMPENSATION TIME AND THE TIMESHEETS IN THE SYSTEM CAN HANDLE THAT.
SO THEY WOULD IT MAKES SENSE TO SAY, A MOTION, I GUESS, WHAT WOULD BE THE MOTION? CAN YOU JUST GIVE IT TO US? FOR SURE, I THINK YOU KNOW, THERE WAS AN ORDER PROVIDED IN THE BACKUP. AND I THINK YOU COULD ADD A MOTION ALLOWING EMPLOYEES THE OPTION TO DESIGNATE HOURS WORKED EXTRA HOURS WORK AS A RESULT OF THE WINTER STORM EVENT AS COMP TIME INSTEAD OF OVERTIME. I THINK THAT WOULD THAT WOULD DO THE TRICK.
THAT'S COMP TIME INSTEAD OF OVERTIME IF THEY SO WISH.
[INAUDIBLE] AT THE MOTION TO GIVE THE EMPLOYEES THE OPTION OF HOW TO TAKE THEIR OVERTIME, OR TO TAKE THEIR HOURS.
RIGHT TO DESIGNATE IT AS OVERTIME, WHICH WOULD BE PAID OR DESIGNATED AS COMP TIME, WHICH WOULD ALLOW THEM TO GO FISHING, AS YOU SAID ONCE THE WEATHER'S A LITTLE BETTER.
ALL RIGHT. SO THEN JAMES. I MAKE THAT MOTION JUDGE, AND IT WOULD BE JUST SO JUST FOR JAMES'S BENEFIT, THE MOTION INCLUDES THE WHAT'S PRESENTED AS WELL. SO IT'D BE MOTION TO APPROVE THE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE PAYMENT OF COMPENSATION FOR COUNTY EMPLOYEES RELATED TO THE RESPONSE AND RECOVERY OF [INAUDIBLE] FOR THE PAY PERIOD BEGINNING FEBRUARY 13 2021 AND TO ALLOW EMPLOYEES THE OPTION TO DESIGNATE [INAUDIBLE] WINTER STORM EVENT AS COMP TIME INSTEAD OF OVERTIME, IF THEY SO WISH.
THE MOTION. IS THERE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER GARCIA SECONDED.
ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. SO THAT THOSE ARE ALL THE ITEMS UNLESS HEY, JUDGE, I'M SORRY. THIS IS DAVE AGAIN, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION THAT THERE WAS A SECOND PART OF THE THAT ITEM WHICH WAS ALLOWING EMPLOYEES EFFECTIVELY TO BORROW AGAINST COMP UNABLE TO WORK DURING THIS PERIOD. AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IS ALSO RATIFIED.
WHAT DO I NEED TO ADD TO THE MOTION DAVE? LET ME PULL IT UP AND I'LL READ IT FOR YOU. THIS WOULD BE A SECOND SECOND MOTION THAT YOU'RE ADDING ON TO THE ITEM WOULD BE ESSENTIALLY A NEW MOTION WHICH IS NOT A PROBLEM.
[01:10:06]
OKAY, WE CAN MAKE AN ADDITIONAL MOTION, JUST SO AND WE CAN MAKE IT UNDER UNDER THIS ITEM STILL JAY OR DO WE NEED TO MAKE IT UNDER ITEM TWO? YEAH, YOU CAN MAKE IT YOU CAN STILL MAKE IT UNDER THIS. OKAY, SO GOOD, BECAUSE IT'S POSTED ACCORDINGLY. OKAY, SO GIVES IT TO ME, WE'LL JUST MAKE AN ADDITIONAL. YEAH.JUDGE, I THINK IT'S OUR WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PAGE THAT SAYS THE ORDER OF COMMISSIONERS COURT, AND WHEN YOU GO TO THE BOTTOM, WHAT DAVID'S WANTING TO MAKE SURE IS THAT THAT CATEGORY NUMBER TWO, WAS VOTED ON WHEN WE MADE THE CHANGE IN THE ORDER LANGUAGE AT THE TOP. IS THAT CORRECT, DAVE? EXACTLY.
YEAH. OKAY, MY INTENT, AND MAKING THE ORIGINAL MOTION WAS TO INCLUDE ALL OF THESE SIX ITEMS. SO GO AHEAD, GO AHEAD.
YEAH, MY INTENT IS THAT WE GO AHEAD AND JUST INCLUDE ALL OF THE ITEMS IN THE BACKUP ORDER OF COMMISSIONER'S COURT, SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH AND VOTE FOR ALL OF THEM ONE AT A TIME WITH THE ADDENDUM THAT WAS ALREADY THERE. SO IF I COULD JUST MAKE A MOTION ON ALL OF THE ITEMS THAT ARE IN THE ATTACHED PROPOSED ORDER.
OKAY, AND THEN THAT WILL BE AN ADDITIONAL MOTION COMMISSIONER CAGLE THE ONE WE ALREADY MADE DOESN'T HURT ANYTHING. AND THAT INCLUDES YOU WHAT YOU WANTED ALSO ABOUT THE FLEXIBILITY, SO BEING REDUNDANTLY REPETITIVE, YES, SO WE'RE GONNA WE'RE MAKING A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CAGLE TO ADOPT THE THE ITEM THROUGH SIX THAT ARE ATTACHED TO THE PROPOSED ORDER OF COMMISSIONERS COURT. THE FIRST MOTION WAS TO ADOPT ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO ITEM ONE, WITH THE AGENDA SUGGESTED BY THE BUDGET OFFICE. MY SECOND MOTION NOW IS THAT WE ADOPT ITEMS TWO THROUGH SIX.
OKAY. TWO THROUGH SIX IN THE IN THE PROPOSED ORDER. SO MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CAGLE ALL DO IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT FOR ME COMMISSIONER CAGLE. DO FOLKS HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO DISCUSS? GO CELEBRATE YOUR BIRTHDAY. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. WE THREW.
THANK YOU. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUDGE. THANK YOU.
AND EVERYONE WHO'S BEEN WORKING THIS STORM. ALRIGHT. JAMES, ARE YOU GOOD? AND JAY, ANYTHING WE MISSED? YES, WE'LL WORK. WE'LL WORK CLOSE WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
JUDGE, IN ADDITION TO WISHING YOU A HAPPY BIRTHDAY, I ALSO WANT TO SAY THANKS TO JAY, HE HAS BEEN VERY GOOD WHEN WE'VE HAD MOMENTS WHERE WE NEEDED TO GO AND DELIVER SUPPLIES TO A HOSPITAL SO THAT THEY COULD HAVE WATER. YOU CAN'T GIVE COUNTY PROPERTY TO FOR PROFIT ENTITIES UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. BUT SINCE IT WAS A HOSPITAL SO THAT THEY CAN FLUSH THEIR TOILETS, JAY GOT US A LETTER IN WRITING REAL QUICK SO THAT WE COULD HAVE THAT COVERAGE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE FULLY COMPLIANT WITH OUR OUR RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT WE CAN AND CANNOT DO. AND SO I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU, AS WE'VE BEEN HAVING TO MAKE A LOT OF SNAP DECISIONS TO HELP PEOPLE IN A CRISES. YOUR OFFICE HAS BEEN ON TOP OF GETTING US IN WRITING. THIS IS OKAY. THIS IS NOT OKAY, INCLUDING WHAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT BETWEEN MEMBERS OF COURT AND YOU JUDGE WITH REGARD TO ISSUES ON THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT QUICK TURNAROUND. RECORD TRAIL PAPER TRAIL, THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN DO. THIS IS WHAT YOU NOT DO. SO WE'RE ALWAYS IN COMPLIANCE. I APPRECIATE THAT. AND FOR ME, JUST THAT'S LIKE ME ALMOST GETTING A BIRTHDAY PRESENT ON YOUR BIRTHDAY.
THANK YOU, JAY. AND I'M ALSO GRATEFUL THEY WORKED ON THE THE PRICE GOUGING INITIATIVE AND I KNOW A LOT OF THEIR ATTORNEYS WERE WITHOUT POWER AND JUST TRYING TO MAKE AN YOU KNOW, TRYING TO MAKE IT WORK.
THANK YOU, JUDGE. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER CAGLE.
ALL RIGHT. WELL, ALL THAT SAID IT IS 2:17PM. AND COMMISSIONERS COURT IS NOW ADJOURNED. THANK YOU
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.