Feb 27, 2025 Special Commissioners Court

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>>> OKAY, GOOD MORNING EVERYONE IT IS 10:07 AND I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THE EVERY 27TH 2025 SPECIAL MEETING OF HARRIS COUNTY

[Departments (Parts 1 of 2)]

BRIONES. >> IF ANYONE WANTS TO COME TO THE BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENT THAT'S WHERE I WILL BE. ALL ARE

WELCOME. >> I HAVE TO BE OUT BETWEEN 3:00

AND 4:00. >> I WAS GOING TO SUGGEST MAYBE TAKE THE ONE ITEM UP WHICH IS WHY THIS TURNED INTO REGULAR COURT WHEN WE ARE HERE MAYBE AFTER THE RESOLUTION IF THERE

ARE NO SPEAKERS. >> WHICH ONE?

>> THE ITEM THAT RAMOS MENTIONED.

>> ITEM 11. >> THE FEDERAL FUNDING? THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. WE CAN START WITH THE COURT AND MOVED TO ITEM 11.

OKAY AND THEN THE COURT FOR THE SPEAKERS WE WILL WORK THIS OUT.

>> 11 FIRST? >> 11 SHOULD BE FIRST WE WILL HAVE SPEAKERS ON THE COURTS AND SPEAKERS WE WILL DISCUSS 11 FIRST. THAT'S IN TERMS OF QUORUM, PRESSING 4 SEVERAL ITEMS OUT OF ORDER 4751 5456 AND 170, ALTOGETHER RELATED TO DETECTIVE BRINKS. 128 AND 164 FLOOD BOND PROJECTS AND 158 AND 165 AROUND THE JAIL. AS I SAID WE WILL HEAR SPEAKERS ITEM 65 AROUND THE ADDITIONAL DISTRICT COURTS BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH SCHEDULED SPEAKERS. IN TERMS OF THE RESOLUTION AND IT IS MY RESOLUTION SO PLEASE HUMOR ME IT IS AN ISSUE WE TALKED ABOUT AND MATTERS TO EVERYBODY ON THE ISSUE OF STRAY ANIMALS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF SPAY AND NEUTER WHICH IS ONE PRIORITY IN MY OFFICE SO FEBRUARY 2025 IS SPAY AND NEUTER MONTH SO LET ME READ THE RESOLUTION, THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY RECOGNIZING SPAY AND NEUTERING AWARENESS MONTH A TIME TO RAISE AWARENESS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SPAY AND NEUTERING PETS, HARRIS COUNTY IS HOME TO MORE THAN 4.8 MILLION HUMAN RESIDENTS AND 2 MILLION ANIMAL RESIDENTS IN ORDER TO PROMOTE A HARMONIOUS LIVING WE ENCOURAGE RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP INCLUDING SPAY AND NEUTERING.

THIS REDUCES THE NUMBER OF STRAY ANIMALS THEREBY RELIEVING THE BURDEN ON PET SHELTERS, REDUCING THE OCCURRENCE OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS AND MITIGATING SPREAD OF DISEASES. IT IS ALSO NUMEROUS HEALTH BENEFITS FOR PETS INCLUDING LONGER LIFESPAN, REDUCED CANCER AND BEHAVIORAL IMPROVEMENT. HARRIS COUNTY PETS AND HARRIS COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH CONTINUE TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP BY HOSTING AFFORDABLE SPAY AND NEUTER EVENTS, MICRO-CHIPPING PETS AND PROVIDING ACCESSIBLE ADOPTION SERVICES, IT TAKES EACH OF US TO BUILD A CULTURE OF RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP AND WITH THE HELP OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS, VETERINARIANS AND RESIDENTS WE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN. HARRIS COUNTY RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF SPAY AND NEUTERING EFFORTS THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT HARRIS COUNTY HEREBY DESIGNATES FEBRUARY 2025 AS SPAY AND NEUTERING MONTH IN HARRIS COUNTY TEXAS ENCOURAGING RESIDENTS TO SPAY AND NEUTER PETS FOR THEIR WELL-BEING AND THAT OF THE WHOLE COMMUNITY. I BELIEVE WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER ON THIS ITEM.

>> COREY STILL WITH PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES.

>> MY GOSH HE IS HERE . I HEARD YOU WOULD BE ON ZOOM , BUT THIS

IS SO MUCH BETTER. HELLO. >> I HAD TO BRING A PUPPY AND THIS ADULT DOG. WE HAVE WINNIE AND HARLEY, BOTH ARE ALREADY

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READY FOR ADOPTION. SO, ANYBODY. >> YEAH.

>> WE SHOULD HAVE DONE THAT. SO ANYWAY JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS TOPIC, SPAY NEUTER SOMETHING I HOLD NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART BRINGING AWARENESS DURING THIS MONTH OF FEBRUARY IS REALLY IMPORTANT, THIS IS THE WAY WE GET OUT OF THE SERIOUS OVERPOPULATION WE HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY. SPAY AND NEUTERING YOUR PETS IS THE WAY TO STOP UNWANTED LITTERS TO GET OUT OF THIS POPULATION CRISIS AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE DOING IS THROUGH EDUCATION REALLY ENTERING THAT COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS THE BENEFITS OF SPAY AND NEUTERING HELPING TO PREVENT DISEASE, TO IMPROVE BEHAVIORS IN PETS AND HELP CONTROL THE PET POPULATION. ONE OF THE BIGGEST GOALS THIS YEAR, THEY IT IS REALLY USING DATA TO HELP IDENTIFY AREAS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES. MY DREAM WORK IS THAT ONE DAY WHEN YOU WANT TO ALTER YOUR PET YOU HAVE EASY ACCESSIBILITY, LOW COST AND GET IT DONE WITHIN THE SAME WEEK AND THAT'S NOT JUST HARRIS COUNTY.

THAT ARE DOING THIS. ALSO PARTNERING TO MAKE SURE WE PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS WITH THE SAME GOALS TO PROVIDE THIS SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY. THAT'S WHAT I'VE GOT, I WANT TO INTRODUCE LAUREN DAVIS ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR HER AND I ARE THE TEAM TO MAKE THROUGH WE GET THIS THROUGH.

>> THANK YOU CAMISA THE NAMES AND AGES ARE THEY BOTH READY?

>> THEY'RE BOTH READY AND WE BROUGHT PAPERWORK.

>> OKAY TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WINNIE. IF YOU WOULD NOT MIND APPROACHING THE MICROPHONE.

>> SO, WHEN HE WAS IN A FOSTER HOME FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND SHE WAS RECENTLY RETURNED. SHE IS GREAT WITH ALL DOGS OF ALL AGES THAT SHE HAS MET. SHE IS VERY CURIOUS WITH KITTY CATS BUT DOES NOT DO ANYTHING TO HARM THEM, JUST VERY CURIOUS.

>> OKAY GREAT, SAY THAT TO MY HUSBAND. AND THEN OF COURSE

THIS? >> THIS IS HARLEY AND HARLEY HAS TWO SIBLINGS IN THE KENNELS RIGHT NOW READY FOR ADOPTION.

REALLY GOOD, THEY GOT ALONG VERY WELL THIS MORNING. I TRY TO LET THEM PLAY. VERY GOOD WITH EACH OTHER SO BOTH COULD GO TO THE

SAME HOME. >> THAT WOULD BE GREAT. OKAY GUYS NO PRESSURE. WE MIGHT NOT LET YOU OUT UNTIL SOMEBODY ADOPTS THESE TWO. THANK YOU SO MUCH AND WE WILL CONTINUE WORKING TO MAKE SURE THESE COMMUNITIES CAN FEEL SAFE WITH

STRAY ANIMALS. >> THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU

DO. >> OKAY WE CAN START TAKING

[Appearances before court]

LET'S START WITH YOU AND MOVE ON TO ITEM , TO THE ITEM ON THE

COURTS. >> I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE HERE WHEN WE VOTE, I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF IMPORTANT ITEMS. I KNOW WE ALL HAVE PLANS TODAY WHEN WE LOOSE SOME FOLKS SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET TO VOTE ON THAT OR YOU MIGHT LOSE.

>> YEAH, OKAY, OKAY. LET ME START WITH THESE AND FIGURE OUT WHAT COMES NEXT. WELCOME, MAYOR.

>> THANK YOU, THANK YOU JUDGE AND HONORABLE COMMISSIONERS. I AM SO HAPPY TO BE HERE I AM THE MAYOR WITH THE CITY OF TOMBALL.

I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT HIM 25 1202 , TO REQUEST YOUR CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF THE ARCHITECTURAL FEE TO BEGIN THE SAM MATTHEWS COMMUNITY CENTER WHICH IS RIGHT NEXT TO OUR BROUSSARD PARK. HUMAN THOUGH IT IS , THE COUNTY PARK NEXT TO TOMBALL PARK AND CITIZENS ARE SO EXCITED ABOUT HAVING IT THERE.

THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO TALK WITH YOU ALL ABOUT FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. I ALSO BROUGHT BOOKS. TOMBALL LIKE HARRIS COUNTY AND HOUSTON HAS A WONDERFUL HISTORY AND WE JUST LAUNCHED OUR FIRST HISTORY BOOK WITH AN AGREEMENT WITH HARRIS COUNTY LIBRARY, TOMBALL COMMUNITY LIBRARY, LONE STAR COLLEGE AND MANY CITIZENS THAT TOOK.

>> GO AHEAD MAYOR. >> SO I BROUGHT YOU ALL BOOKS,

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THEM AND WE THANK ALL OF YOU. >> THANK YOU, APPRECIATE , THE MATTHEWS COMMUNITY CENTER WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WERE IT NOT FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP. THAT IS A QUICK QUICK OVERVIEW. THIS IS THE FIRST STEP BETWEEN A COUNTY PARK AND CITY PARK , BRINGING THE TWO TOGETHER. WE DID NOT HAVE A GREAT COMMUNITY CENTER NEAR THERE SO THIS IS GOING TO BE A WONDERFUL THING FOR TOMBALL

AND HARRIS COUNTY, THANK YOU. >> I THINK THE TOMBALL LINE

DANCERS PLAN ON TAKING IT. >> THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP. WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THIS.

>> THANK YOU AND LOOK FORWARD TO READING THE BOOK. LET'S NOW TAKE SPEAKERS ON ITEM 11 IF THAT'S OKAY.

>> WE DON'T HAVE ANY FOR ITEM 11.

>> OKAY. >> GUYS WHAT AM I MISSING? GO

AHEAD. >> MAY BE PLEASE TAKE SPEAKERS ON 65. WE HAVE SOME JUDGES TO GET BACK TO COURT.

>> THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY, 65 ITEM 65.

>>

>> THANK YOU I AM LEGISLATIVE CHAIR OF HARRIS COUNTY STATE THE DISTRICT COURTS. LIKE TO THANK SPEAKERS WHEN THEY COME UP FOR SPENDING TIME AND TAKING TIME IN THE MORNING AND THE LETTERS I HOPE YOU RECEIVE, THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM ANYBODY HERE CREATED OR IN AUSTIN, THIS IS A PROBLEM WE HAVE TO SOLVE BEFORE THE SYSTEM BREAKS DURING EACH COMMISSIONERS COURT MEETING SORRY COMMISSIONER RAMSEY. WE WERE IN AUSTIN AND THE QUESTION WAS WHAT WILL AUSTIN DO WITH US? IF YOU INDULGE ME A BRIEF REPORT.

EVERYONE WE TALKED TO ACROSS THE STATE, JUDGES FROM DALLAS OUT WEST , THEY KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. AMONG THE MOSTLY REPUBLICAN LEGISLATURE SENATOR HOFFMAN IS UNOPPOSED CURRENTLY WE MET WITH THE CHAIR OF THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE STAFF AND THEY RECOGNIZE THE NEED WE HAVE AND ARE VERY SUPPORTIVE, SENATOR ALVARADO DRAFTED A BILL FOR ALL NINE COURTS, HOUSE

JUDICIARY COMMITTEE CHAIR >> THANK YOU COMMUTE TIME IS UP.

>> TAKE WHATEVER YOU DECIDE TO DO AND PUT IT IN ALL NINE COURTS, IT IS EASY FOR HIM AND HE IS VERY EXCITED. WE MET WITH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND THEY NEVER REFUSED REQUEST OF A STATE FUNDED COURT. THIS IS A UNPRECEDENTED PROBLEM, NO LEGISLATOR CAN REMEMBER A TIME WHEN ANY COUNTY ASKED FOR NINE COURTS OF COURSE OUR NUMBERS WE NEED TO ASK FOR OVER 50. I CAN REPORT THE QUESTION IS NOT IF AUSTIN WILL DO WHAT YOU DO HERE THE QUESTION IS WILL YOU TAKE THIS NEXT STEP AND REPAIR THE SIGNIFICANT JUDICIAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEM. AUSTIN IS WATCHING, THE PEOPLE OF HARRIS COUNTY ARE WATCHING AND BUSINESSES ACROSS THE NATION ARE WATCHING. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO ADOPT RESOLUTION FOR NINE COURTS AS WE TAKE FIRST STEPS TO RESTORING A JUSTICE SYSTEM WHERE THE OF THIS COUNTY.

>> THANK YOU, JUDGE.

>> GOOD MORNING I AM GODFREY. AS YOU CAN TELL BY THE COLOR OF MY HAIR I'VE BEEN PRACTICING LAW A LONG TIME, FOR ABOUT 45 YEARS HAVE SEEN THE COURTS OF HARRIS COUNTY FROM THE 80S FORWARD WE HAVE FANTASTIC JUDGES LIKE JUDGE MILLER, INCREDIBLY HARD-WORKING AND COLLEAGUES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM, THEY ARE AS WELL. I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL TO ADD ADDITIONAL COURTS, I PRACTICE ACROSS THE COUNTRY, IN SOME PLACES WHERE THEY HAVE NOT KEPT UP AND WHERE THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE IS IN FAILURE MODE WHERE BUSINESSES CANNOT GET TO COURT AND INDIVIDUALS CANNOT GET TO COURT, I REPRESENT SOME OF THE BIGGEST COMPANIES IN THE WORLD, I REPRESENT PEOPLE FOR FREE BY DOING THAT NO MATTER WHICH POSITION IT IS AS A LITIGANT YOU WANT COURTS THAT ARE OPEN AND EFFICIENT. THAT'S IT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR LISTENING TO ME.

>> THANK YOU. >>

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>> THERE MAKING THEIR WAY , TIFFANY.

>> THANK YOU, NAME IS CIVIL LITIGATOR OVER 35 YEARS GOING BACK TO THE 1980S. I THINK YOU KNOW WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN HARRIS COUNTY SINCE THAT TIME.

BUT IN THE CIVIL COURTS THE CIVIL DISTRICT COURTS HAVE NOT HAD A SINGLE BENCH SINCE IN FACT THEY'RE TAKING ONE AWAY. I REPRESENT INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES , THE RESPIRATORY OF WHOM ARE BASED IN HARRIS COUNTY. THE DELAYS THEY HAVE FELT HAVE BEEN DEVASTATING, WHETHER WAITING FOR AN IMPORTANT RULING, EMERGENCY RELIEF OR TRIAL SETTING, ALL OF WHICH WHEN YOU EXPERIENCE THE DELAYS ULTIMATELY DELAY AND DENY JUSTICE FOR CLIENTS. SO YES I WOULD URGE YOU TO INCREASE THE COURT TO ALLOW FOR MANY OF MY INDIVIDUALS , MANY OF MY BUSINESSES, SOME OF WHOM HAVE GONE INTO DEBT WAITING FOR JUSTICE. SOME OF WHOM CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY LAWYERS TO GET READY FOR TRIAL SETTING AFTER TRIAL SETTING AFTER TRIAL SETTING. SIMPLY TO GET A RESOLUTION IN THE COURT, THANK YOU ALL.

>> THANK YOU.

>> GOOD MORNING MY NAME IS SARAH JONES AND I AM A TRIAL ATTORNEY IN HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS. I WAS BORN HERE, RAISED HERE AND MY CLIENTS CHOSE TO BE HERE. WE HAVE ALL HEARD THE SAYING THAT EVERYONE GETS THEIR DAY IN COURT, YOU SHOULD GET EVERYBODY IS ENTITLED TO THAT AND USUALLY YOU ARE REFERENCING SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF A CRIME, A CHILD WHO HAS BEEN ABANDONED, AND IT IS TYPICALLY A CRIMINAL OR FAMILY MATTER. ALSO, MY CLIENT , CORPORATIONS WHO CHOOSE TO DO BUSINESS IN HARRIS COUNTY, ALSO DESERVE THEIR DAY IN COURT. WHAT I HAVE FOUND OVER MY LAST 25 YEARS OF PRACTICING IS THAT DESPITE THE BEST EFFORTS OF OUR JUDGES TRYING TO PUSH CASES TO TRIAL AND INTO HEARINGS, THERE IS NOT ENOUGH SPACE AND TIME. THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH COURTS TO ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN. ON BEHALF OF MY CLIENTS, THE CORPORATIONS THAT CHOOSE TO DO BUSINESS IN HARRIS COUNTY. THANK YOU SO

MUCH. >> GOOD MORNING I AM ALSO A TRIAL LAWYER REPRESENTING COMPANIES WERE SUED AFTER CATASTROPHIC EVENTS. MANY MY CLIENTS ARE BASED IN HOUSTON OR EMPLOY A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN HARRIS COUNTY. MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF MY JOB IS TO EVALUATE RISK OF LITIGATING A CASE IN THE FIRST QUESTION USUALLY ASKED IS HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE BEFORE THERE'S A CHANCE OF RESOLUTION. BECAUSE LITIGATION IS EXPENSIVE AND TIME IS MONEY. UNFORTUNATELY THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS TYPICALLY , IT DEPENDS ON WHEN WE WILL BE ASSIGNED TO TRIAL, THE RISK OF TRIAL IS USUALLY WHAT PUSHES PARTIES TO SETTLE.

WE ARE STILL LITIGATING CASES FROM ACCIDENTS THAT HAPPEN FIVE OR MORE YEARS AGO. NOT BECAUSE OF A LACK OF EFFORT FROM JUDGES IN THE COURTS TO MOVE CASES, COURTS ARE WORKING VERY HARD AND WE SEE THEIR PROGRESS. THERE IS SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH TRIAL WEEKS IN THE YEAR TO GET MANY CASES TO TRIAL. THE ADDITION OF MORE COURTS THAN RESOURCES FOR THE EXISTING COURTS WOULD GIVE CLIENTS GREATER CERTAINTY ABOUT CLOSURE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>> MAY YOU STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD?

>> SORRY , MY FIRST TIME. DAVID MERKLEY.

>> LUKE GILMAN, MATTHEW MOYER AND AMY FARISH. YOU EACH HAVE

ONE MINUTE. >> GOOD MORNING I'M LUKE GILMAN PARTNER AT JACKSON WALKER IN HOUSTON AND CURRENT PRESIDENT OF THE HISPANIC BAR ASSOCIATION OF HOUSTON. THE NUMBERS ON THE ISSUE ARE CLEAR WITH THE GROWTH OF POPULATION HARRIS COUNTY HAS EXPERIENCED WITH THE CURRENT CASELOAD THAT COURTS HAVE BEEN BORN BY MY COUNT 2466 CASES PER COURT COMPARED TO DALLAS 1635 JUDGES ARE DOING ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF WORK. THEY NEED HELP IN THE

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>> GOOD MORNING MY NAME IS AMY FARISH PARTNER AT AND CURRENTLY.

O CHAIR ELECT OF HOUSTON YOUNG LAWYERS FOUNDATION. I SIT ON THE HOUSTON YOUNG LAWYERS ASSOCIATION AS WELL. ON BEHALF OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS AND PERSONALLY I DO URGE THIS REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL COURTS, NO JUDGE MILLER AND JUDGE REED HAVE GIVEN YOU GREAT STATISTICS THAT SUPPORT REASONS TO DO THIS.

FROM MY EXPERIENCE I'M NOT AS EXPERIENCED AS THE GREAT ATTORNEYS BEFORE ME BUT I HAVE BEEN PRACTICING 10 YEARS AND I WATCHED THE WORKLOAD INCREASE, I WATCHED JUDGES CONTINUE TO WORK HARD TO PUSH CASES THROUGH BUT AS OTHERS HAVE SAID I AM ADVISING CLIENTS LONGER , ESTIMATES OF HOW LONG IS GOING TO TAKE THEIR CASES TO RESOLUTION. WATCHING ANALYSIS OF THE CHANGE CASE, FOR PRO BONO CLIENTS ASSURING THEM WE WILL GET THEM THEIR DAY IN COURT, BUT KNOWING IT'S GOING TO TAKE LONGER THAN WE WOULD LIKE SO WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT RELIEF IN THOSE ADDITIONAL COURTS SO ALL CLIENTS CAN HAVE JUSTICE MORE QUICKLY. THANK YOU.

NOT EVERY CASE CAN SETTLE, PLAINTIFFS WHO OF MAY SUFFERED REAL HARM ARE LEFT WAITING WITH DEPENDENTS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN FOUND LIABLE AND ARE BURNED BY MOUNTING LEGAL COSTS AND UNCERTAINTY. BUT THE PROBLEM IS DEEPER, WHEN CASES CANNOT BE HEARD PREJUDGMENT INTEREST ACCRUES. INTENDED TO FAIRLY COMPENSATE TIPS FOR DELAYS IT CAN BE A LAYER OF UNFAIRNESS.

THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN AND BOTH SIDES PENTECOST. WE NEED MORE COURTS TO ENSURE CASES ARE HEARD QUICKLY, FAIRLY AND WITHOUT UNNECESSARY FINANCIAL STRAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

>> THANK YOU. >> JUDGE LAUREN REEDER , TRIPP DAILEY, AND TRENT GOLDSTEIN , YOU EACH HAVE ONE MINUTE.

>> THANK YOU, GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS LAUREN REID AND I'M THE JUDGE OF THE 234TH DISTRICT COURT , I AM ALSO THE ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE FOR THE CIVIL DIVISION . WHEN I WAS A LAWYER I HAD MANY CASES AND SOME WERE EASY AND SOMEWHAT HARD.

THIS IS AN EASY CASE, THE NUMBERS ARE CLEAR, YOU HAVE HEARD THE LAST TIME A CIVIL DISTRICT COURT WAS CREATED IN HARRIS COUNTY WAS 1983, THE YEAR BEFORE I WAS BORN. WE HAVE AN UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH SINCE THEN. I WILL QUICKLY GIVE NUMBERS. IN 2020 FOR THE CIVIL DISTRICT, THE CIVIL DIVISION, THE 55,000 CASES WERE FILED AND THE JUDGES OF MY DIVISION CLEARED 55,000 CASES, WE HAD 100% CLEARANCE RATE GREAT THERE ARE ABOUT 22,000 CASES THAT WERE NOT CLEARED AND THOSE HAVE BEEN INCREMENTALLY BUILDING OVER THE PAST YEARS OF THE PAST DECADES, WHEN THERE WAS NOT 100% CLEARANCE RATE AND I WILL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THAT HAPPENS. IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR THERE WERE 500 MORE CASES FILED THIS JANUARY AND LAST JANUARY. 800 AND SOMETHING MORE CASES FILED THIS JANUARY THAN TWO YEARS AGO.

>> YOUR TIME IS UP. >> I WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENT

CASE BECAUSE I CASES EASY. >> THIS IS FOR LEADERSHIP AND VISIONARY INNOVATION. HARRIS COUNTY IS A BEACON FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH AND PROSPERITY, WE SEND ROCKETS TO SPACE, CURE CANCER, CREATE ENERGY TO FUEL THE WORLD, BUT WHEN THOSE INDUSTRIES AND BUSINESSES AND THE PEOPLE THAT BUILD THEM HAVE DISPUTES IN OUR HURT, OUR DOORSTEP IS WHERE THEY COME. WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO ADVERTISE THAT HARRIS COUNTY IS AN ECONOMIC BEACON WITHOUT INVESTING IN A ROBUST JUSTICE SYSTEM WHERE DISPUTES ARE REVIVED TIMELY AND THOUGHTFULLY, PLEASE , COMMISSIONERS, BRING THE VISION TO FRUITION BY VOTING YES ON THE PROPOSAL FOR NINE DISTRICT COURTS, INCLUDING FIVE CIVIL DISTRICT COURTS AND THANK

YOU FOR YOUR TIME. >> THANK YOU.

>> AS TEDDY ROOSEVELT ONCE SAID, THIS DALIOCOUNTRY WILL NOT BE A GOOD PLACE FOR ANY OF US TO LIVE IN IF IT IS NOT A GOOD PLACE FOR ALL OF US TO LIVE IN. MY NAME IS TRIPP AND I'VE GAINED VALUABLE COURTROOM EXPANSE OF AN INTERN AS A CIVIL COURTHOUSE FOR HARRIS

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>> THANK YOU. COREY, YOU GUYS CANNOT WAIT UNTIL THE SPEAKERS ARE OVER, RIGHT? OKAY. OKAY. FOLKS , ESPECIALLY SINCE TWO FOLKS HAVE ALREADY STEPPED AWAY, LET PUBLIC HEALTH TAKE PICTURES WITH THE PUPPIES AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. IF YOU WOULD NOT MIND MENTIONING

YOUR NAME. >> MY NAME IS TRENT GOLDSTEIN, A HOUSTON NATIVE AND A THIRD-YEAR LAW STUDENT AT WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS. I AM HERE BECAUSE I PLAN TO RETURN TO HOUSTON FOLLOWING MY GRADUATION IN MAY TO PRACTICE LAW. WE KNOW COVID-19 CREATED A MASSIVE BACKLOG OF CASES THROUGHOUT OUR COURTS IN HARRIS COUNTY AS WELL AS HURRICANE HARVEY. THIS CREATED DELAYED JUSTICE FOR MANY RESIDENTS AND BY APPROVING NINE NEW COURTS IN HARRIS COUNTY THAT WOULD ALLEVIATE THE BURDEN ON INDIVIDUAL JUDGES AND EXPEDITE CASE RESOLUTIONS. AS IT STANDS NOW HARRIS COUNTY CIVIL JUDGES HAVE BY FAR THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF CASES PER JUDGE WHEN COMPARED TO THE MOST POPULOUS COUNTIES IN THE STATE. HAVING A MORE EFFICIENT COURT SYSTEM IN HARRIS COUNTY WILL ENTICE MORE ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR OUR COMMUNITY IN THE FUTURE AS PROLONGED DELAYS IN THE RESOLUTION OF CIVIL CASES WOULD RETURN INVESTMENTS FROM VARIOUS BUSINESS SECTORS AND INSTALL ECONOMIC GROWTH. LASTLY, BY APPROVING NINE NEW COURTS WE CAN INCREASE THE FAITH AND CONFIDENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY BY DIMINISHING THE DELAYS AND ADJUDICATING DISPUTES BETWEEN

OUR RESIDENTS, THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. SAMMY FORD. DUNCAN REID AND EMILY BLANCO , YOU EACH HAVE ONE MINUTE.

>> GOOD MORNING, MY NAME IS SAMMY FORD, I AM THE CHAIR OF THE LITIGATION SECTION OF THE HOUSTON BAR ASSOCIATION. I LIKE MY MEMBERS REPRESENT PLAINTIFFS AND DEFENDANTS , INDIVIDUALS AND CORPORATIONS IN THE CIVIL DISTRICT COURT'S HERE IN HARRIS COUNTY. I AM HERE TO STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION. THE BACKLOG THAT WE ARE FACING IN HARRIS COUNTY IS NOT AN EFFICIENCY ISSUE , NOT A TECHNOLOGY ISSUE. THE COURTS IN HARRIS COUNTY WERE AMONG THE FIRST TO ADOPT ZOOM AND OTHER NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO MOVE CASES ALONG . THE OFFICE OF COURT ADMINISTRATION HAS RECOGNIZED THIS, WE STRONGLY SUPPORT THE ADDITION OF NINE NEW COURTS . THANK YOU. SPEAK TO THANK YOU .

>> THANK YOU. >> GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS, MY NAME IS DUNCAN RIEDEIKE AND I STAND BEFORE YOU NOT JUST AS A STUDENT BUT AS A FUTURE ATTORNEY WHO ALONG WITH MY CLASSMATES WILL SOON BE PRACTICING IN VARIOUS COURTROOMS. HOUSTON IS HOME TO ONE OF THE LARGEST LEGAL COMMUNITIES IN THE COUNTRY AND UH ELSIE PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN SUPPLYING THAT TALENT, NEARLY 96% OF GRADUATE WERE EMPLOYED WITHIN 10 MONTHS AND 77 PERCENT STAYED IN HOUSTON BUT WITHOUT ADEQUATE JUDICIAL AND THE STRUCTURE WE RISK USING THAT TALENT TO OTHER MARKETS WITH GREATER OPPORTUNITIES. NEW COURTS DON'T EASE BACKLOGS, THEY PROVIDE THE NEXT GENERATION OF LAWYERS WITH CRITICAL TRAINING ON THE CLERKSHIPS IN EARLY CAREER OPPORTUNITIES. THEY ENSURE THAT HOUSTON REMAINS A COMPETITIVE LEGAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND KEEPS PACE WITH THE NEED FOR OUR GROWING COMMUNITY. I URGE YOU TO SUPPORT THIS PROPOSAL NOT JUST FOR THE ATTORNEYS AND JUDGES OF TODAY BEFORE TOMORROW'S ATTORNEYS AND JUDGES WHO WILL POWER THE FUTURE OF HOUSTON LEGAL PROFESSION, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.

>> THANK YOU.

>> GOOD MORNING, MY NAME IS EMILY BLANCO AND I'M THE SOUTH

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>> THANK YOU, YOUR TIME IS UP. >> WE ARE READY TO TAKE ON THE RESPONSIBILITY OF SERVING THIS COMMUNITY, WE NEED A SYSTEM EQUIPPED FOR THE FUTURE , INVESTING IN NEW COURTS MEANS INVESTING IN JUSTICE, HARRIS COUNTY AND THE NEXT GENERATION OF ATTORNEYS. WE ARE READY TO SERVE AND WE ASK YOU TO HELP US,

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. >> THANK YOU. -- III, TAYLOR HALL AND DAVID CORRELL , YOU EACH HAVE ONE MINUTE.

>> HELLO, COMMISSIONERS, MY NAME IS -- III, I AM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON LAW CENTER AND CURRENT LAW CLERK FOR A TRIAL FROM DOWNTOWN. HARRIS COUNTY'S POPULATION GROWTH HAS OVERWHELMED OUR COURTS. THE 2023 NATIONAL CENTER FOR STATE COURTS STUDY FOUND THAT WE NEED AT LEAST 25 NEW DISTRICT COURTS TO MANAGE THE CASELOAD CURRENTLY. EACH JUDGE RIGHT NOW IS HANDLING CLOSE TO TWICE A JUDGE'S WORTH OF WORK, LEADING TO DELAYS HIGHER COSTS AND SLOWER ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES. THE SOLUTION IS CLEAR. I HUMBLY ASK THAT OUR RESOLUTION THE PAST AND NINE DISTRICT COURTS BE ADDED.

THE ADDITIONAL COURTS WILL IMPROVE EFFICIENCY , FAIRNESS, AND ECONOMIC STABILITY BY REDUCING COSTS AND BACKLOG. I INTERNED FOR THE 190 DISTRICT COURT AND IT HAS BENEFITED MY CAREER TREMENDOUSLY. MOORE COURTS DO NOT JUST MEAN MORE JUSTICE, MORE JUDGES, OR MENTORSHIP AND MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUTURE GENERATIONAL LAWYERS. HARRIS COUNTY LEADS IN BUSINESS AND INFRASTRUCTURE , LET'S LEAD IN JUDICIAL EXCELLENCE BY GIVING OUR COURSE THE RESOURCES THEY

NEED. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU .

>> GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS, MY NAME IS TAYLOR HOLLAND I HAVE THE HONOR OF SERVING AS THE STUDENT BAR ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT AT THURGOOD MARSHALL SCHOOL OF LAW. I STAND ALONGSIDE MY COLLEAGUES AS A VOICE FOR THE FUTURE OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION HERE IN HARRIS COUNTY. AT THURGOOD MARSHALL WE ARE TAUGHT THAT THE LAW IS A TOOL FOR CHANGE. BUT I SYSTEM THAT IS OVERBURDENED AND UNDER RESOURCED CANNOT DELIVER JUSTICE. THURGOOD MARSHALL SCHOOL OF LAW CONTRIBUTES A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF JUDGES TO HARRIS COUNTY JUDICIARY, DEMONSTRATING OUR DEEPLY ROOTED COMMITMENT TO SERVING AND STRENGTHENING THIS COMMUNITY . OUR GRADUATES DO NOT JUST PASS THROUGH HOUSTON, THEY STAY, LEAD, AND UPHOLD JUSTICE WHERE IT MATTERS THE MOST. WE ARE READY TO CARRY THAT FORWARD BUT WE NEED A LEGAL INFRASTRUCTURE THAT KEEPS PACE WITH HOUSTON'S GROWTH.

EXPANDING OUR COURTS IS NOT JUST ABOUT KEEPING UP WITH THE TIMES.

IT IS ABOUT OPPORTUNITY AND FAIRNESS.

>> YOUR TIME IS UP. >> WE ASK THAT YOU INVEST IN THE FUTURE OF HARRIS COUNTY COURTS AND CREATE THESE ADDITIONAL NINE COURTS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

>> THANK YOU. >> GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS, I'M DAVID HERRELL AND IT IS MY PRIVILEGE THIS YEAR TO SERVE AS PRESIDENT OF THE 11,000 MEMBERS OF THE HOUSTON BAR ASSOCIATION.

ONE KEY MISSION IS THE PROMOTION OF ACCESS TO JUSTICE, WHICH REQUIRES COURTS AND JUDGES. HARRIS COUNTY HAS THE HARDEST WORKING JUDGES IN THIS STATE. DISPOSING OF MORE CASES ON AVERAGE PER YEAR THAN ANY OTHER COUNTY BUT THE CASES GET OPENED EVEN MORE QUICKLY THAN THEY CAN CLOSE THEM. THE COMMERCIAL SUCCESS OF HARRIS COUNTY , NATURAL LANDING PLACE FOR BUSINESSES THAT WANT TO JOIN IN THE ECONOMIC SUCCESS OF TEXAS, THAT IS HARRIS COUNTY, AND IT IS BUSINESSES AND THEIR EMPLOYEES WHO REQUIRE ACCESS TO JUSTICE. THIS MEANS ADDITIONAL DISTRICT,

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YOU. >> THANK YOU. THOMAS FRAZIER, BENNY AUGUSTA, AND ALASTAIR DAWSON, YOU EACH HAVE ONE MINUTE

. >> GOOD MORNING, MY NAME IS THOMAS FRAZIER AND I AM THE CO-SHARE OF THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSTON YOUNG LAWYERS ASSOCIATION. AS JUDGE MILLER SAID AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS , BEING PART OF THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE I KNOW THIS IS NOT A JUDICIAL EFFICIENCY PROBLEM. WE HAVE ONE OF THE MOST DEDICATED JUDICIARIES IN THE COUNTRY AND HARRIS COUNTY IS RECOGNIZED HOW GREAT OUR JUDGES HAVE MADE THIS PLACE TO BE A YOUNG LAWYER. THE YOUNG LAWYER IN THE COURTROOM PROGRAM IS A UNIQUE PROGRAM WE HAVE IN HARRIS COUNTY THAT GIVES YOUNG LAWYERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET STANDUP TRIAL EXPERIENCE, ON HEARINGS AND IN MOTIONS AND WE HAVE AN EXTREMELY DEDICATED JUDICIARIES WHO DEVOTE THEIR TIME TO DEVELOPING THE NEXT GENERATION OF LAWYERS, FEW PEOPLE KNOW THAT BETTER THEN JUDGE -- WHO VOLUNTEERED HER TIME IN THREE YEARS AGO SWARMING INTO THE BAR, SINCE THEN I HAVE GONE TO USE THE YOUNG LAWYER PROGRAM TO STAND UP AND GET FIRST AND SECOND CHAIR EXPERIENCE IN TRIAL. HARRIS COUNTY IS ONE OF THE BEST PLACES TO BE A LAWYER IN THE COUNTRY AND TO KEEP IT THAT WAY YOU SHOULD SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION. THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU . >> GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. MY NAME IS BENNY AUGUSTA JR. , I'M THE MANAGING PARTNER OF THE LAW FIRM ABRAHAM WATKINS IN HOUSTON AND ALSO COMMUNITY LEADER AND FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSTON BAR ASSOCIATION. HOUSTON CONTINUES TO GROW, WE CONTINUE TO PROGRESS AND IT IS BECAUSE OF THE LEADERS IN THE ROOM IN GREAT PART. THE WORLD CUP IS COMING, IT IS BECAUSE OF THE LEADERS IN THE GROUP. IT TAKES PLANNING AND ORGANIZATION, WORKING ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE. LAST YEAR MORE HOMES WERE SOLD IN HARRIS COUNTY THEN THE TWO YEARS BEFORE THAT. PEOPLE ARE MOVING TO HOUSTON, BUSINESSES ARE MOVING TO HOUSTON BUT INEVITABLY THERE ARE LAWSUITS THAT ARE CREATED. I LIVE FILING LAWSUITS AND I WANT TO FILE LAWSUITS, THE PROBLEM IS IT TAKES THREE, FOUR, FIVE YEARS TO GET THE TRIAL, WE JUST FINISHED A TRIAL THAT WAS FIVE YEARS OLD. WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT WE CAN DO AS LEADERS. WE

LOOK TO YOU AS THE LEADERS. >> GO HEAD.

>> I AM ALMOST DONE. I LOOK TO YOU AS THE LEADERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT THE JUDGES THAT ARE WORKING SO HARD. THE GOOD NEWS, WE ARE TEXANS AND AS TEXAS SENATOR -- SAID, I LOVE TEXAS BECAUSE TEXAS IS FUTURE ORIENTED BECAUSE TEXANS THINK ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE, TEXANS THINK BIG. THAT IS SOMETHING WE HAVE INSIDE OF OUR BODIES, IN OUR MINDS IN THE WORK WE DO AND I URGE YOU TO PLEASE CONSIDER AND VOTE FOR THE APPROVAL OF

THIS RESOLUTION. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU MR. AGOSTO.

>> GOOD MORNING , COMMISSIONERS, I'M ALASTAIR DAWSON A CIVIL DEFENSE ATTORNEY, I'VE PRACTICED IN HARRIS COUNTY FOR 35 YEARS . I'M ALSO PAST PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSTON BAR ASSOCIATION AND PAST PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSTON CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN BOARD OF TRIAL ADVOCATES. BECAUSE OUR COURT SYSTEM HAS NOT KEPT UP WITH OUR POPULATION GROWTH THE DOCKETS IN ALL OF THE COURTS FROM JUVENILE, FAMILY, CRIMINAL AND CIVIL HAVE GOTTEN BIGGER AND BIGGER. THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MOST AFFECTED ARE THE RESIDENTS OF HARRIS COUNTY. A JUVENILE WHO WAS IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM , IT TAKES LONGER FOR HIS OR HER CASE TO GET ADJUDICATED, THAT CAN HAVE AN IMPACT ON WHETHER THEY GO TO COLLEGE OR WHERE THEY GO TO COLLEGE, OR WHAT TYPE OF JOB THEY MAY GET. FAMILIES THAT ARE IN THE FAMILY COURT SYSTEM, IT TAKES LONGER FOR THEM TO GET THEIR DIVORCE, TO GET ON WITH THEIR NEW LIVES, TO DIVIDE THEIR ASSETS, TO FIGURE OUT WHAT CHILD VISITATION IS GOING TO BE. CIVIL PLAINTIFFS, WHEN THEY FILE THEIR LAWSUIT IT TAKES THEM LONGER TO GET JUSTICE AND TO GET PAID FOR THEIR INJURIES. CIVIL DEFENDANTS HAVE TO PAY ME MORE MONEY , WHICH IS GOOD FOR ME BUT NOT FOR THEM. SO, I RESPECTFULLY SUBMIT THAT THE RESIDENTS OF HARRIS COUNTY WOULD BE WELL SERVED BY YOU PASSING THIS RESOLUTION AND I URGE YOU TO DO SO. THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU. MOHAMMED AZIZ AND SHANE OSBORN, EACH OF ONE

MINUTE. >> GOOD MORNING, MY NAME IS MOHAMMED AZIZ, MR. AGOSTO'S PARTNER AT THE LAW FIRM ABRAHAM WATKINS, YOU CAN PROBABLY TELL BY THE SPEAKERS TODAY THAT THIS

[00:40:03]

THE ECONOMY HAS VASTLY BENEFITED FROM THAT HAPPENING IN WACO. THE NUMBER OF LAW FIRMS HAVE INCREASED, THE NUMBER OF SUPPORTS HAVE INCREASED , DOCUMENT SERVICE FIRMS, IT IS A HUGE MULTIPLIER EFFECT AND I THINK THE MATH AND THE NUMBERS IS EASY. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND I URGE THE COMMISSIONERS TO

PASS THIS RESOLUTION. THANK YOU >> THANK YOU.

>> GOOD MORNING JUDGING COMMISSIONERS, MY NAME IS SHANE OSBORNE A CIVIL TRIAL ATTORNEY AT THE FIRM MARTIN IS HERE, I HAVE BEEN CROSSING THINGS OFF BECAUSE THINGS HAVE ALREADY BEEN SAID, ONE THING I WILL SAY IS THAT LAST YEAR I TRIED 29 TRIALS IN HARRIS COUNTY, THESE JUDGES ARE WORKING AS HARD AS THEY CAN, I'M IN TRIAL NOW CURRENTLY, YESTERDAY WE STARTED AND WE WILL FINISH TOMORROW, FROM AN ACCIDENT IN 2017, IT HAS TAKEN ALMOST EIGHT YEARS, NOT BECAUSE OF THE COURTS OF BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT IT HAS AND DELAY AFTER DELAY AFTER DELAY. BY ESTABLISHING THE NEW COURTS IT WILL REDUCE THE DELAYS, PROVIDE TIMELY RESOLUTION OF CASES AND IT WILL REDUCE LITIGATION COSTS.

I URGE YOU JUSTICE EVERYONE HAS HERE TO PLEASE SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL AND TAKE THE NECESSARY STEPS TO ESTABLISH THESE COURTS,

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. >> THANK YOU.

>> THAT IS ALL FOR THIS ITEM, JUDGE.

>> THANK YOU. I HAVE A NOTE. I KNOW THE FIRST ITEM IS A REQUEST FOR US TO TAKE IS 11, THE QUESTION IS, DO YOU HAVE TIME FOR THAT? DO YOU WANT TO CONTINUE WITH SPEAKERS?

>> NO, I HAVE TO GO BUT I'VE REQUESTED THAT 65 BE TAKEN UP

WHEN I'M BACK. PLEASE. >> OKAY, 65, SHE WOULD BE BACK AROUND 1:30 AND WE WILL LISTEN TO SPEAKERS AND GO TO LUNCH AND DISCUSS ITEMS WHERE WE DON'T THINK IT WILL BE 3-2.

>> THANK YOU. >> SOME FOLKS MAY HAVE TO LEAVE BY THE TIME COMMISSIONERS BACK, I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE SO BUSY AND WE ARE ABOUT TO TAKE THE REST OF THE SPEAKERS, YOU GUYS ARE PILLARS OF THE COMMUNITY AND FOR ONE I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALL SAID . HERE'S THE CHALLENGE. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE. WE SAT IN THIS COURTROOM IN THE FALL SEEKING TO GO TO THE VOTERS TO REQUEST FUNDS, SO WE CAN AFFORD OUR BASIC OPERATIONS AND SOME OF OUR COLLEAGUES WERE OPPOSED TO THAT.

BASICALLY THIS WAS THE TAX RATE, BEFORE I TOOK OFFICE, WHEN I TOOK OFFICE THIS WAS THE TAX RATE , IN 2022, BECAUSE OF POLITICS DOWN HERE, THE REVENUE HAS GONE ALONG WITH THAT. I KNOW YOUR GUISES TAXES ARE HIGH, BUT PROPERTY TAXES, HARRIS COUNTY TAXES ARE JUST A PERCENTAGE OF THAT, IT IS MOST OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND OF COURSE THERE IS APPRECIATION. WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY THIS YEAR TO COME BACK TO A TAX RATE THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO AFFORD BASIC SERVICES THAT WOULD STILL BE LOWER THAN IT EVER WAS WHEN THE PREDECESSORS WERE IN POWER AND I COULD NOT GET THE VOTES FOR THAT AND THAT IS THE ISSUE. WE WILL HEAR ITEM 11 THAT IS SO IMPORTANT, THE MONEY THAT WE ARE NOW NOT GOING TO BE RECEIVING BECAUSE OF THE FEDERAL FUNDING FREEZES, ABOUT $600 MILLION WE ARE COUNTING ON EACH YEAR COME ADJUST FOR FISCAL YEAR '25, IT IS EASY TO KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD AND IT WOULD BE EASY FOR ME TO VOTE FOR THIS AND WE WOULD ALL BE HAPPY TODAY BUT NEXT YEAR OR IN TWO YEARS WE ARE FACING A FISCAL CLIFF BECAUSE WE DID NOT TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY THIS FALL TO ASK THE VOTERS WHETHER THEY WOULD PUT US BACK IN A SITUATION WE CAN AFFORD THE FUNDING. SO THAT YOU WILL KNOW, I WILL BE ABSTAINING FROM THIS ITEM BECAUSE I WANT TO BE CONSISTENT.

I PUSHED FOR US TO HAVE ADDITIONAL REVENUE THIS YEAR AND IN 2020 AND SOME OF US WILL BE HERE TO SUPPORT MORE EXPENSES BUT WHEN IT COMES TIME TO SUPPORT MORE REVENUE , SOME OF US ARE NOWHERE TO BE SEEN AND I'M TALKING ABOUT FOLKS AROUND

THE TABLE. COMMISSIONER ELLIS? >> ITEM 11?

[00:45:06]

>> NO, COMMISSIONER BRIONAS LEFT SO WERE NOT TO TAKE THAT ITEM UP UNTIL TWO HOURS FROM NOW AND I WAS JUST EXPLAINING WHERE I AM AT , SO THEY KNOW. COMMISSIONER BRIONAS ASKED WE DO NOT TAKE ITEM 11 UNTIL SHE RETURNS. SO, WE'LL TAKE THAT UP FIRST AT

YOUR REQUEST. YES? >> JUDGE, I UNDERSTAND THAT AS ITEM 65 SHE WANTED AFTER, I DID NOT THINK IT WAS ITEM 11. I WANT

TO MAKE SURE. >> YES, ITEM 65 WE NEED TO DO THE REST OF THE SPEAKERS AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT.

>> WE NEED TO LISTEN TO THE REST OF THE SPEAKERS, CAN WE DO ITEM

11 NOW? WE HAVE SOME SPEAKERS. >> THERE ARE NO SPEAKERS ON 11.

>> NO SPEAKERS ON 11. >> IT IS JUST A SUGGESTION.

>> WE SHOULD TAKE 11 UP, GOOD IDEA.

>> I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE VOTES , SINCE IT WAS NOT

PLANNED. >> ALL RIGHT, LET'S TAKE ITEM 11 AND WE WILL GO FROM THERE TO THE REST OF THE SPEAKERS. YES,

COUNTY ADMINISTERED? >> GOOD MORNING JUDGE, COMMISSIONERS, ITEM 11 HAS TO DO WITH HOW WE WANT TO PREPARE FOR THE ONGOING, ON-AGAIN, OFF-AGAIN FEDERAL FUNDING FREEZE FOR FEDERAL GRANT THAT WE ARE SEEING FROM THE NEW ADMINISTRATION , WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THE COMMISSIONERS COURT HAS THE INFORMATION THEY NEED AND THAT WE ARE MEDIATING OUR RISK , OUR FINANCIAL EXPOSURE AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO DANIEL REYNOLDS , THE DIRECTOR OF BUDGET SO HE CAN TALK ABOUT THE FIRST ITEM AND I WILL HAVE JESSE DICKERMAN TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER WORK WE ARE DOING AND WE WILL BE BRINGING IT BACK TO COURT LATER.

>> THANK YOU, COUNTY COMMISSIONER , COMMISSIONER, AND JUDGE. THE ITEM BEFORE YOU WAS ESSENTIALLY THAT WE HAVE ROUGHLY HUNDRED AND 50 270 MILLION THAT IS PENDING REIMBURSEMENT BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT IS EITHER WE HAVE SPENT THE MONEY AND HAVE SUBMITTED TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR WE HAVE SPENT THE MONEY AND PLAN TO SUBMIT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHORTLY. MOST ARE BIG, CAPITAL GRANTS, WHICH WE FEEL OKAY ABOUT OUR CHANCE OF BEING REIMBURSED, LARGELY BECAUSE THEY WERE SPECIFICALLY CALLED OUT AS EXCLUDED IN THE ORIGINAL EXECUTIVE ORDER. WHAT WE ARE REALLY FOCUSED ON IS THAT WE HAVE ABOUT 15 MILLION OF THAT HUNDRED 52 170 WE HAVE ABOUT 15 MILLION OF OPERATING GRANTS THAT ARE PENDING REIMBURSEMENT AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS SET ASIDE SOME GENERAL FUNDS AND ESSENTIALLY CAP OUR EXPOSURE AT 45 MILLION FOR THOSE OPERATING GRANTS. THE REASON IS THAT WE DO NOT WANT TO BE SO FAR OVER OUR SKIS THAT WE ARE 50, 100 MILLION AWAITING REIMBURSEMENT AND THAT WOULD HAVE A REAL DRAG ON OUR CASH FLOW AND WOULD DRAMATICALLY CHANGE HOW WE APPROACH THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE. THAT'S 30 MILLION IS ROUGHLY TWO MONTHS WORTH OF ZERO REIMBURSEMENT BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND WE ARE SEEING THEM COME, IT IS JUST COMING SLOWLY AS OPPOSED TO THE MORE STRUCTURED SCHEDULE WE HAVE BEEN ON. BUT WE FEEL THAT WHILE 30 MILLION IS A LOT OF MONEY IT IS NOT GOING TO BREAK US IF WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THAT REIMBURSEMENT. AND IT PUTS US IN A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE TO WIND DOWN PROGRAMS IT WOULD GIVE US SOME RUNWAY TO ALERT OUR SUB- GRANTEES, AS WELL AS OUR COUNTY DEPARTMENTS THAT WOULD BE IMPACTED BY THIS AND JUST ONE NOTE, WE MET WITH OUR EXTERNAL AUDITORS, WE WILL PROBABLY BE THE FIRST JURISDICTION IN TEXAS AND THE COUNTRY THAT IS DOING ZIPPING ALONG THESE LINES AND THEY WERE FULLY SUPPORTIVE BECAUSE IT DEMONSTRATES TO OUR CREDITORS AND THE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS THAT WE ARE TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY AND WE HAVE A PLAN TO MINIMIZE OUR EXPOSURE.

>> THE OTHER PART OF HIS ITEM IS THAT WE WANT TO WORK WITH THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE THAT IS COMPRISED OF STAFF FROM ALL OF YOUR OFFICES WITH OCA, OMB , ANY OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE THESE FEDERAL GRANTS TO LOOK AT ALL OF THE GRANTS AND FIGURE OUT WHICH ARE THE ONES THAT ARE MOST AT RISK AND COME BACK WITH THE PROCESS AND OPTIONS FOR THE COMMISSIONERS COURT TO PRIORITIZE THOSE GRANTS IN CASE WORST-CASE SCENARIO HAPPENS AND WE LOSE FEDERAL GRANT MONEY MIDSTREAM. THE COMMISSIONERS COURT CAN HAVE A PRIORITIZED LIST OF WHICH GRANT PROGRAMS THEY WANT TO FIND OTHER FUNDING SOURCES FOR, WHETHER IT IS GENERAL FUND OR OTHER LOCAL PHILANTHROPY OR OTHER SPECIAL FUNDS FOR THOSE PROGRAMS AND WHICH PROGRAMS ARE LOWER PRIORITY THAT WE WOULD BE FACED WITH WINDING DOWN. WE WANT TO

[00:50:05]

>> THANK YOU. THE LAST PART ABOUT THIS IS MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A CONFERENCE OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS AT RISK AND WHAT IS NOT AND THAT IS TAKING WORK PARTIALLY BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE AUDITOR DOES BUSINESS IS THAT WE ONLY REIMBURSED BASED ON A SCHEDULE THAT IS IDENTIFIED IN EACH GRANT. SOME OF THEM ARE MONTHLY, SUMMER QUARTERLY AND WE ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE GRANDSON PARTNERSHIP DIVISIONS AND AUDIT AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO LOOK AT AND SAY, WHICH OF THESE THINGS HAS BEEN STOPPED AND WAS GOING FORWARD? WE NEED TIME BEFORE WE HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE LIST BUT TODAY WE ARE ASKING FOR ONE MORE TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX SO THE COURT CAN APPROVE PAYMENTS BUT WE CAN ALSO HOLD BACK ACTUALLY WRITING THE CHECKS UNTIL WE AND THE AUDITOR AND COUNTY ATTORNEY CAN ASSURE THAT WE CAN GET REIMBURSED FROM A GRANT. WE ARE GOING TO DO LESS OF A REIMBURSING AND JUST PAYING AND HOPING TO REIMBURSED LATER AND MAYBE PUT THOSE THINGS CLOSER TOGETHER. WE WILL PAY AND THEN REIMBURSED IMMEDIATELY ON GRANTS THAT WE THINK IN

PARTICULAR MIGHT BE AT RISK. >> WE HAVE SHARED THREE MOTIONS WITH THE COMMISSIONERS COURT VIA EMAIL AND THOSE WOULD BE THE

MOTIONS WE RECOMMEND. >> COLLEAGUES, ON MY SCREEN I HAVE EVERYONE WANTING TO SPEAK, BRIONES, ELLIS AND RAMSEY , THAT THE CASE? YES, OKAY, COMMISSIONER , I DON'T SEE YOU ON THEIR , COMMISSIONER GARCIA? GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER RAMSEY AND THEN WE LOVE ELLIS AND GARCIA.

>> YES, CLEARLY THERE IS REASON TO SLOW DOWN ON WHAT WE PAY. I THINK I UNDERSTAND PART OF THE MOTION IS WHERE WE HAVE THIRD PARTIES, WHERE WE ARE TO PAY SOMEBODY BASED ON US RECEIVING MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT , THEN WE ARE GOING TO HOLD OFF ON THAT UNTIL WE DO GET PAID. AND HAVING WORKED WITH SUB- CONSULTANTS IN MY LIFE , FOR A PERIOD THAT WAS MORE OR LESS UNDERSTOOD, WHEN WE GOT PAID, YOU GOT PAID. WHEN WE GET PAID, YOU GET PAID, IF THAT IS WHAT WE ARE SAYING .

>> YES, SIR, PART OF THAT IS ALSO WORKING WITH COUNTY ATTORNEY AND LOOKING AT INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTS AND MAKING SURE WE HAVE THE ABILITY IN THE CONTRACT, WE DON'T WANT TO BREAK AN AGREEMENT BUT WHERE THAT IS ALLOWABLE WE WILL ALIGN THAT AND NOT PAY UNTIL WE ARE SURE TO GET REIMBURSED, CORRECT.

>> THE 100 MILLION YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, DANIEL, THAT DOES

NOT AFFECT THE PICK ? >> NO, SUCCUMB OUT OF FUND BALANCE. IF IT WERE TO COME TO THAT AND WE ARE NOT THERE YET, WE WOULD SET UP AN ACCOUNT RECEIVABLE, IT WOULD BE RELATIVELY NEUTRAL ON OUR BOOKS BUT WE AGAIN WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS SOME GUARDRAILS, THAT IT WILL NOT BE A RUNAWAY TRAIN WHERE WE LOOK UP ONE DAY AND ALL OF OUR FUND BALANCE IS GONE BECAUSE WE ARE WAITING FOR FEDERAL REIMBURSEMENTS.

>> WE HAVE SOME LEVEL OF FLEXIBILITY ON THE FLEX FUND, THE ARPA FLEX FUND, I HOPE THAT IS IN THE EQUATION IN TERMS OF POTENTIAL BECAUSE AS I UNDERSTAND , I HAVE OBSERVED THE LAST THREE YEARS THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY ON THE ARPA

FLEX PLAN. >> CORRECT, AND WE HAVE -- THAT WORKS AT THE GRANDSON PARTNERSHIP TEAM IN OCA TO IDENTIFY WHEN MONEY NEEDS TO BE MOVED AROUND FOR DIFFERENT ARPA PROJECTS AND THAT WILL BE PART OF THE DELIBERATIONS AND THE WORK WE WILL DO OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS AS WE ARE PRIORITIZING PROJECTS, IN CASE WE USE FEDERAL FUNDING.

[Departments (Parts 2 of 2)]

>> MY LAST COMMENT, AS WE WORK THE ISSUE , BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE HAVE HEARD FROM A COUPLE OF GRANTS AT THIS POINT, WE KNOW THERE ARE A COUPLE OF GRANTS AND WE CAN DEAL WITH THAT, WE HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO THAT BUT WE KNOW THAT ARPA COMES TO AN END IN 2026. SO, IT MAY MEAN THAT SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS HAVE TO COME TO AN END SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. IF CIRCUMSTANCES WHAT A DRIVE THAT. I DO WANT THE ARPA, ALL OF THE ARPA PROGRAMS THAT YOU HAVE ALL COMMITTED THAT WE WERE GOING TO

[00:55:01]

>> UNDERSTOOD AND THAT IS ONE OF THE CHANGES WE MADE IN THE SOP, WHICH IS ON TODAY'S AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION ONLY, IS ALL GRANTS .

IF THEY LAPSE, THEY GO TO THE BUDGET PROCESS, NO EXCEPTIONS.

YOU WILL BE ABLE TO REVIEW THOSE ALONGSIDE OTHER ASKS FROM COUNTY

DEPARTMENTS. >> THERE ARE OTHER GRANT RELATED REQUESTS ON THIS COURT AGENDA THAT WE WILL DISCUSS LATER. I AM ASSUMING THE MOTIONS WOULD APPLY TO THOSE GRANTS THAT WE HAVE NOT

ENTERED INTO. >> CORRECT.

>> THANK YOU. >> COMMISSIONER ALLISON THEN

COMMISSIONER GARCIA. >> THANK YOU. DANIEL, I WOULD MAKE SURE I HAVE THE NUMBERS RIGHT. WE NORMALLY GET ABOUT 600 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR IN VARIOUS GRANTS. ARPA BEING AN EXCEPTION BECAUSE THAT WAS ADDITIONAL .

>> CLOSE TO 1 BILLION. >> CLOSE TO $1 BILLION. THE BURN RATE IS ABOUT 15 MILLION A MONTH.

>> FOR OPERATING COSTS AND WE ARE SORT OF THINKING ABOUT THEM SEPARATELY. WHAT WE ARE HONING IN ON IN IS THE OPERATING , OPERATING THE 15 MILLION TO TURN TO THE OPERATING GRANT FUNDS.

THE REASON IS THERE IS A TON OF UPS AND DOWNS WHEN IT COMES TO THE CAPITAL ONES WHERE WE HAVE REACHED A BIG MILESTONE AND WE ARE SUBMITTING POTENTIALLY $25 MILLION AT A TIME . ON AN OPERATING SIDE WE HAVE ABOUT 15 MILLION AT ANY GIVEN TIME ARE

WAITING TO BE REIMBURSED. >> WHEN WE WERE SPEAKING EARLIER I REMEMBER THE 600 MILLION, THE 15 AND THE 30. AFTER WE SPEND OVER 30, I SEE THE MOTION SAYS THE MONTHLY AVERAGE OF 100 MILLION BUT ONCE WE SPEND DOWN 30 WE HAVE TO STOP.

>> WE WILL COMMENT MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO DO WORK ORDERS , TO POTENTIALLY LAYOFF STAFF BUT WE THINK THAT THIS GIVES US ENOUGH RUNWAY THAT WE CAN GO TO A COUNTY DEPARTMENT AND SAY, HEY, THIS GRANT SCORES LOWLY ON THE COMMISSIONER COURT PRIORITY LIST. YOU HAVE SEVEN STAFF, CAN WE FIND THE GENERAL FUND POSITIONS FOR THEM IN YOUR DEPARTMENT OR OTHER DEPARTMENTS? WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE COMMUNICATING WITH OUR SUB- GRANTEES AND BEING TRANSPARENT ABOUT WHERE WE ARE AS A GROUP POINT WE THINK THE 30 MILLION BUYS US ENOUGH TIME TO TREAT OUR EMPLOYEES AND PARTNERS FAIRLY IN WHATEVER ENDS UP HAPPENING.

>> FOR MY VANTAGE POINT I THINK IN GENERAL TERMS , WHEN WE CAME UP WITH THE FRAMEWORK ON HOW TO SPEND ARPA MONEY I ALWAYS ASSUMED ONCE IT WAS SPENT IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTINUE THOSE PROGRAMS BECAUSE I REMEMBER SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT AND I GET IT WAS LIKE WE DON'T WANT TO START IT BECAUSE YOU CAN'T STOP IT. I THINK I REMEMBER SAYING THAT I PREFER TO HAVE DONE IT WHEN WE COULD AND STOP WHEN WE CANNOT CONTINUE THEN TO NEVER HAVE HELPED PEOPLE AT ALL. AND IF I THINK OF WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF REVENUE CAP , OUR PARTNERS AND THE STATE PUT ON US AND OBVIOUSLY IT IS A CHALLENGE , I GET IT AND EVEN IF I DISAGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUES I GET IT IS DIFFICULT TO GO OUT AND ASK PEOPLE. PROPERTY TAXES, THAT IS THE WORST, YOU MAKE A LOT OF ENEMIES THAT WAY AND THEN WE CANNOT REDUCE CERTAIN CATEGORIES RELATED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT, WHICH IS ROUGHLY 60 PERCENT OF THE BUDGET. GIVE OR TAKE.

>> CORRECT AND THE JUSTICE, 44% IS LAW-ENFORCEMENT SPECIFIC.

>> 60% WHEN YOU SAY THE JUSTICE SYSTEM.

>> CORRECT. >> THAT IS A TOUGH CLIMATE AND I WANT PEOPLE TO BE PREPARED, EVEN WITH THE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION , WE WILL TALK LATER, YOU HAVE GOT TO PAY FOR IT. I DON'T WANT TO GIVE ANYBODY ANY FALSE HOPE WHEN THEY COME DOWN AND SPEAK ABOUT THE GREAT ARPA PROGRAMS WE HAVE DONE, I KNOW THEY WERE NOT HERE WHEN WE WERE DESIGNING THEM BUT I ALWAYS ASSUMED , UNLESS WE WERE GOING TO GO TO THE VOTERS AND ASK THEM FOR MONEY, THAT STOPS. THE THREE MOTIONS ESSENTIALLY ACCOMPLISH THOSE

THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER. >> THAT IS CORRECT AND TO GO BACK TO ARPA BECAUSE I HEARD TWO COMMISSIONERS BRING IT UP . LAST YEAR WAS OUR FIRST TEST CASE WHERE WE HAD STUFF ROLLING OFF OF ARPA AND I THOUGHT THE PROCESS WORKED WELL TO HAVE THEM IN THE BUDGET PROCESS. THERE WERE CERTAIN ITEMS THAT REALLY WORKED LIKE VIPER, THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FUNDING THAT ENDED UP STAYING AND THEN THERE WERE THINGS THAT WERE NOT AS EFFECTIVE THAT ROLLED OFF AND THOSE WERE HARD CHOICES.

>> BUT THAT IS NOT $1 BILLION LAYING AROUND HERE THOUGH.

[01:00:05]

>> CORRECT. >> I WANT TO MAKE SURE I AM BLUNT WITH PEOPLE ABOUT IT, THERE IS NOT $1 BILLION LAYING AROUND HERE AND WHEN WE GO TO THE BROADER ISSUE ON THE HARVEY MONEY, I MEAN A WHOLE HOST OF ISSUES THERE . ON THE BIG ITEMS I WANT TO JUST WALK THROUGH THE MONEY THAT WE KNOW IS AT RISK.

SO, SOLAR FOR ALL IS $249 MILLION AND THAT IS TO OUR PARTNERS BUT OBVIOUSLY WHAT HAPPENS? IT MIGHT WORK OUT, CLEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE BUT WE HAVE ISSUES WERE SOMEBODY LITIGATES AGAINST US IF WE DON'T GET MONEY FROM THE FEDS .

>> THE COUNTY ATTORNEY WORKED CLOSELY AND CAREFULLY ON OUR INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS WITH OUR PARTNERS AND THAT ONE LINES UP VERY CLEARLY THAT WE ARE NOT UNDER THE OBLIGATION TO PAY PARTNERS UNLESS THE FEDERAL FUNDING IS AVAILABLE, WE WILL BE VERY CAREFUL TO NOT BE LEFT HOLDING IN THE MIDDLE WHERE SOMEONE DOES WORK AND WE PAY BUT WE DO NOT GET RE-IMMERSED.

>> I DON'T WANT TO SOUND LIKE AN ALARMIST BUT FOR PEOPLE WHO MADE BUSINESS DECISIONS CONTINGENT ON GETTING THAT

MONEY, WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM? >> I THINK WE ARE AT A POINT WITH THAT GRANT IN PARTICULAR, COMMISSIONER, THE BIG DOLLARS HAVE NOT BEEN SPENT AND I THINK OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, AS WE LEARN THE FATE OF THE OVERALL PROGRAM FROM WASHINGTON, PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS, UNLESS THEY CAN MOVE VERY QUICKLY ON SPENDING SOME OF THE BIGGER DOLLARS. I THINK TO A LARGE EXTENT OF THE BIGGER DOLLARS WILL NOT BE SPENT UNTIL LATER IN THE YEAR AND WE HOPEFULLY WILL HAVE SOME MORE INSIGHT INTO THE LONG-TERM OF THE PROGRAM BY THEN.

>> I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT ANY NEW ADMINISTRATION AND WITH SO MANY PEOPLE BEING LAID OFF, EVEN IF THE DECISION IS MADE TO MOVE FORWARD IT MAY NOT BE EASY TO FLIP THE SWITCH AND IT HAPPENS BECAUSE A PERSON WHO KNOWS HOW TO PROCESS IT MIGHT NOT BE THERE. IF IT WORKS OUT THE WAY WE HOPE IT DOES , THERE MIGHT BE CHALLENGES ON GETTING IT PROCESSED AND THEN PEOPLE HIRING PEOPLE CONTINGENT UPON IT COMING, THEY WILL HAVE TO HIRE OTHER PEOPLE AND THAT WILL DRIVE UP COSTS.

>> COMMISSIONER, ONE OF THE REASONS THAT MOTION NUMBER ONE TALKS ABOUT THE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLAR TOTAL INCLUDING THE CAPITAL AND OPERATING GRANTS IS BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN SO MANY LAYOFFS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. YOU SAW THE MAJOR LAYOFFS , THE CBG MONEY WE GET, IF THERE ARE DELAYS WITH THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THE 100 MILLION IS ACCOUNTING FOR EVERYTHING. WE ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE OPERATING BUT BECAUSE OF THE LAYOFFS YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE IS COVERED AS WE CAN BE.

>> OF THE OTHER BIG ONE I SAW WAS THE BATTERY RECYCLING, RE-PROCESSING, THE BATTERY COLLECTION GRANT , SAME PROCESS AS THE SOLAR FOR ALL, SAME CONCERNS?

>> SIMILAR. THOSE PORTALS ARE OPEN TODAY. THE BATTERY RECYCLING ONE IS A LOWER DOLLAR AMOUNT, LIKE 3.5 MILLION. WE THINK THAT ONE ALIGNS MORE CLOSELY WITH SOME OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION OFFICE PRIORITIES AND HAVE NO SIGNS OF THE MOMENT THAT THAT ONE IS ON A LIST OR GOING AWAY BUT LIKE THE ONE , WE ARE GOING TO TRY TO ALONENESS AS CLOSELY AS POSSIBLE AND IT IS OUR GUIDANCE TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS WELL THAT WHEN YOU SPEND WORKING WITH OUR AUDITOR TO RE-IMMERSED QUICKLY, CHECKING TO MAKE SURE THE PORTALS ARE OPEN AS THE INVOICES COME IN AND ARE APPROVED BY THE COURT , SO WE CAN TURN AROUND AND REIMBURSE QUICKLY AND NOT BE LEFT HOLDING THE BAG AND I THINK DEPARTMENT WILL PARTNER WITH US SO THAT WE ARE REALLY CLEAN IN

THAT PROCESS. >> WHAT ABOUT THE REFUGEE HEALTH SERVICES? PROBABLY NOT ALIGNED WITH THE NEW ADMINISTRATION AND THAT WILL PROBABLY PROBLEMATIC. ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE SIDE I'M ASSUMING THAT MY NOT BE AS TROUBLESOME, MAYBE.

>> WE HOPE. WE ARE MONITORING EVERYTHING. WE HOPE.

>> SOME OF IT IS INFRASTRUCTURE THOUGH.

>> A BIG CHUNK. >> WHAT DO WE GET? 20 MILLION A

YEAR? >> 20 MILLION IS THE OPERATING SIDE BUT THE CAPITAL SIDE THAT WE HAVE GONE IS OVER 1 BILLION.

>> COMMISSIONER, YOU ARE RIGHT THAT AS THERE IS TURN IN THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION IN WASHINGTON, LIKE HOW FAST THE PROCESSES AND PAYMENTS GET PROCESS IS SOMETHING WE AND THE

AUDITOR HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON. >> I KNOW A COUPLE OF US ARE GOING UP TO WASHINGTON , I'M GOING TO TRY TO GET IN ON SATURDAY BUT WITH THIS ITEM ARE WE ALIGNED WITH OTHER URBAN COUNTIES? I WAS IN L.A. OVER THE WEEKEND AND THEY WERE SORTING THROUGH WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO AND IT SOUNDED LIKE THIS BUT I MUST ADMIT I DID NOT QUITE KNOW, I JUST TOLD THEM , I WAS TOLD WE WERE GOING TO HAVE A MEETING COMING UP THIS WEEK BUT ARE WE ALIGNED OTHER URBAN AREAS?

[01:05:02]

>> I THINK WERE GOING TO BE THE FIRST TO LEAD ON THIS, I HAVE NOT SEEN , FOR MY COLLEAGUES IN OTHER URBAN OR BIG TEXAS

COUNTIES -- >> DO REACHOUT, L.A. IS ALMOST $50 BILLION, IT IS SMALL POTATOES COMPARED , I AM IS IN A GOOD PORTION OF THAT IS FEDERAL MONEY.

>> COMMISSIONER GARCIA . >> THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR GOING THROUGH THE WORK OF ASSESSING WHAT OUR RISKS ARE AND THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THESE GRANTS ARE SERVING A GREAT PURPOSE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. IT IS PAINFUL TO THINK THAT SOME OF THE FUNDING MIGHT GO AWAY AND I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE WORK THAT IS BEING DONE TO EVALUATE HOW WE CAN KEEP MOVING FORWARD BUT AT SOME POINT, AS A GHOST TO OUR PUBLIC COMMISSIONER ELLIS SAID, WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS BUT WE SHOULD'VE BEEN WELL AWARE OF THAT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, MY POINT WAS NOT GETTING INTO RE-OCCURRING COSTS AND I THINK WE HAVE BY FAR AVOIDED THAT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF STAFF THAT WE BROUGHT ON TO RUN SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS. WE HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT THOSE INDIVIDUALS. HOWEVER, MY QUESTION WAS, WHEN I GOT THE BRIEFING ON THIS WE TALKED ABOUT $45 MILLION AMOUNT , HOW DID WE

GET TO 100? >> WE SHOULD HAVE CLARIFIED . WE TYPICALLY AVERAGE 70 MILLION IN THE FEDERAL QUEUE, WE LOOK BACK ABOUT ONE YEAR TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS THE RIGHT NUMBER AND IT GOES UP AND DOWN BASED ON SPECIFIC GRANTS BUT WE HOVER AROUND 70 AND OF THAT 70, 15 IS OPERATING. OUR THOUGHT WAS THAT 15 TO 45 AND 70 TO 30, THE 45 IS INCLUSIVE OF THE 70.

>> ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. >> WE NEED THESE MOTIONS READ?

>> ALSO , THERE HAS BEEN TALK ABOUT STAFFING AND GRANT STAFF AND I HAVE BEEN TALKING TO A COUPLE OF DEPARTMENT HEADS AND I WILL BE TALKING TO HR ALSO, THESE FOLKS HAVE BEEN GREAT CONTRIBUTORS TO THE COUNTY AND COUNTY PROGRAMS AND WE ALWAYS HAVE OPENINGS. AS WE ARE WINDING DOWN ARPA, SOME OF THESE OTHER PROGRAMS MAY HAVE TO WIND DOWN IN THE FUTURE, HOW CAN WE MAKE OUR JOB APPLICATION PROCESS USEFUL FOR GRANT FUNDED POSITIONS AND EMPLOYEES, SO THEY CAN MAYBE HAVE THE FIRST RUN AT NEW POSITIONS, AT LEAST WITHIN THE OCA REPORTING DEPARTMENTS, PERHAPS WE CAN HAVE NEW POSITIONS ADVERTISED INTERNALLY FIRST AND INTERNAL CANDIDATES HAVE A FIRST CRACK AT GETTING THEIR APPLICATIONS SEEN. WE ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THINGS. I DO NOT WANT US TO START LOSING GRANT STAFF RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THEY ARE LIKE, I NEED TO MOVE BECAUSE MY JOB IS AT STAKE. WE NEED THEIR WORK TO CONTINUE WHILE WE HAVE THE GRANT FUNDING.

I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN DO SOMETHING TO BRING MORE CERTAINTY TO THOSE FOLKS.

>> REALLY QUICK , BEFORE WE VOTE ON THE MOTIONS, WHICH I AM SUPPORTIVE OF. WOULD YOU AND CLARIFYING AGAIN THE QUESTION THAT COMMISSIONER GARCIA ASKED, I DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE ANSWER

. >> SURE, IN TOTALITY WE AVERAGE BETWEEN OPERATING AND CAPITAL GRANTS $70 MILLION , IN THE FEDERAL PORTAL WAITING FOR REIMBURSEMENT.

>> LIKE ONE YEAR? RIGHT NOW? >> ANY GIVEN TIME. THE AVERAGE MONTH, WHEN WE LOG IN THE SYSTEM WE SEE ABOUT 70 MILLION THAT IS

IN THE FEDERAL QUEUE. >> GOT IT.

>> WE ARE ASKING TO PUT A CAP ON THAT 70 MILLION UP TO 100 AND AT THAT 100 WE WOULD DECIDE TO HAVE TO MAKE SOME BUSINESS DECISIONS ABOUT WHETHER TO CONTINUE TO FLOAT THE GRANTS OR NOT.

>> OKAY, THAT IS THE 30, BETWEEN 70 AND 100. WAS THERE ANOTHER NUMBER WE TALKED ABOUT THIS MORNING? 45 SUMMER?

>> YES, OF THE 70 MILLION ABOUT 15 IS OPERATING GRANTS.

>> OKAY. >> THOSE ARE THE ONES WE ARE MOST CONCERNED ABOUT , WHERE , THOSE ARE THE ONES WHERE WE HAVE

REALLY SEEN DELAYS . >> GIVE AN EXAMPLE.

>> FOR EXAMPLE , THE LARGEST ONE WE HAD RACKED UP AND ENDED UP BEING RESOLVED WAS THE REFUGEE RE-SETTLEMENT GRANT. WE WERE NORTH OF $2 MILLION THAT HAD BEEN SITTING IN QUEUE AND I DO NOT BELIEVE WE HAD THAT AT ANY POINT BEFORE. THAT ONE ACTUALLY

[01:10:04]

SLOWDOWN HAPPEN. >> BACK TO THE 45, HE SAID WE ARE MOST CONCERNED ABOUT OPERATING GRANTS AND THAT IS 45

MILLION OUT OF THE 70. >> IT IS CURRENTLY 15 AND WE ARE SUGGESTING PUTTING A CAP OF UP TO 45.

>> WITHIN THE 100 YOU ARE DIVVYING UP BETWEEN OPERATION ,

OPERATING AND CAPITAL? >> YES.

>> OKAY. NORMALLY AT A GIVEN TIME WE HAVE 15 AND PUTTING A CAP AT 45. AND REALLY QUICK, CAN YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OPERATING AND CAPITAL GRANTS?

>> CAPITAL IS A LARGE INFRASTRUCTURE , SOMETHING THAT IS PERMANENT , A BRIDGE, ROAD, DRAIN , ET CETERA, OPERATING , ALL OF OUR SALARIES, FLEET , FUEL , ELECTRICITY IN THIS

BUILDING. >> WHEN YOU HAVE HALF THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT COMPLETED IT IS HARD TO SHUT THAT DOWN.

>> CORRECT AND THAT IS WHY WE FEEL A LITTLE BIT BETTER , WE FEEL MORE CONFIDENT ABOUT THE CAPITAL BECAUSE THEY WERE SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDED IN THE ORIGINAL EO AND ALSO THE PUBLIC IS REALLY GOING TO SEE IF THESE PROJECTS, IF THESE JOBSITES GO

DORMANT . >> YOU HAVE LEGAL CHALLENGES TO SHUT DOWN ACTIVE CONSTRUCTION SITES TOO.

>> WHY ARE WE ALLOCATING 45 TO OPERATION AND 55 CAPITAL?

>> WE ARE LOOKING AT IT HOLISTICALLY , THE 70 MILLION WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN QUEUE WE ARE ASKING TO TAKE IT UP TO 100 AND THAT GIVES US FLEXIBILITY THAT IF WE SEE A MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECT NOT BE REIMBURSED WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO COMMISSIONERS COURT AND START RAISING THE RED FLAGS.

>> OKAY, GREAT. AND COMMISSIONER ELLIS YOU WERE GOING TO BEGIN MAKING THE MOTIONS AND I HAVE CIRCULATED A COUPLE FOR THE SAKE

OF OUR EMPLOYEES. >> 20 TO LEAVE IT ON THE RECORD?

>> SURE. HE'S LOOKING FOR A MOTION TO MAINTAIN A MAXIMUM OF THE AVERAGE OF $100 MILLION IN FEDERAL GRANTS, OUTSTANDING RECEIVABLES AND UPDATE COMMISSIONERS COURT ON THIS MATTER ON A MONTHLY BASIS. COME ON WITH THAT, BARITONE.

>> MOTION TO DIRECT OMB TO MAINTAIN A MAXIMUM MONTHLY AVERAGE OF 100 MILLION IN FEDERAL GRANTS, OUTSTANDING RECEIVABLES , AND TO UPDATE COMMISSIONERS COURT ON THIS MATTER, ON A MONTHLY BASIS. MOTION TO DIRECT OCA AND OMB TO WORK WITH THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE AND IMPACT THE DEPARTMENTS TO DEVELOP A PROCESS FOR MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO COMMISSIONERS COURT ABOUT ANY AT RISK FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAMS THAT ALIGN WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN, MOTION THREE, MOTION TO ALLOW THE APPROVAL OF GRANT FUNDED CLAIMS TO BE PAID CONTINGENT ON THE AVAILABILITY OF FEDERAL FUNDING AS DETERMINED BY THE OFFICE OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATION, A LIST OF PARTICULAR INVOICES PROVIDED TO THE AUDITOR FROM THE OFFICE OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATION , NO LESS THAN THREE DAYS PRECEDING THE

ADOPTION OF AUDITED CLAIMS. >> THANK YOU, SECOND.

>> MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GARCIA SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER ELLIS.

>> AYE. >> ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES, 4-0. WE WANT PARENTS TO HAVE CLEAR GUIDANCE ON HOW TO RESPOND TO FEDERAL FUNDING CHANGES. THE FIRST ONE IS TO DIRECT OCA REPORTING DEPARTMENTS TO CONTINUE ALL GRANT ACTIVITIES IN ACCORDANCE WITH EXISTING CONTRACT TERMS , UNLESS THE DEPARTMENT HAS RECEIVED GUIDANCE FROM THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND APPROVAL FROM THE OFFICE OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATION TO CHANGE ANY PROGRAMMING IN RESPONSE TO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DIRECTIVES AND WE HAVE RUN THIS BY BUDGET AND THE COUNTY ATTORNEY, THE SECOND ONE IS TO DIRECT OCA REPORTING DEPARTMENTS TO AVOID LAYOFFS OF ANY GRANT FUNDED EMPLOYEES RELATED TO THE FEDERAL FUNDING FREEZE, UNLESS THEY HAVE RECEIVED APPROVAL FROM THE OFFICE OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATION. MOTION BY COMMISSIONER ELLIS, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GARCIA, ALL IN

FAVOR? >> AYE.

>> ANY OPPOSED? >> NO. WHEN THE MOTION CARRIES, 3-1. ALL GOOD ON THIS ITEM. GREAT. THANK YOU, COLLEAGUES. WE

[01:15:03]

JUST HAVE A FEW MORE. >> JACOB CLEMENT SPEAKING ON ITEM TWO AND FARAH -- SPEAKING ON ITEM FOUR, UHF ONE MINUTE. B TO LET ME WARM-UP MY VOICE. YEEHAW . WE NEED THE RODEO AND IT IS HERE. I WANT TO CONGRATULATE COMMISSIONER LESLIE BRIONES BECAUSE SHE HONORED HARRIS COUNTY -- CORPORATION AND THAT WAS HONORABLE FOR HER TO DO SO BECAUSE SHE WAS ON ONE THERE AT HIS RETIREMENT CEREMONY. I APPLAUD HER. LESLIE BRIONES DID A GOOD JOB OF HONORING CAROL , YOU KNOW? I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT, SO , ALL I CAN SAY AGAIN IS YEEHAW THE RODEO IS IN

TOWN, LET'S GO! >> THANK YOU, YOUR TIME IS UP.

>> THANK YOU MEMBERS OF THE COURT FOR TAKING THE RESOLUTION, MY NAME IS FARAH LALLANI, I'M HERE TO ORDER NARY HONOR AN EXTRAORDINARY FIGURE WHO IMPACTED MILLIONS OF LIVES WORLDWIDE. THE SPIRITUAL LEADER OF -- MUSLIMS -- FOURTH FOURTH , HIS LIFE IS A REMINDER THAT COMPASSION CAN BRIDGE ANY DIVIDE, THAT DIVERSITY IS OUR GREATEST TREND AND THAT POWER OF SERVICE CAN TRANSFORM THE WORLD. THE DEVELOPMENT NETWORK REACHES FAR , PROVIDING HEALTHCARE TO 14 MILLION PEOPLE ANNUALLY, EDUCATION TO 2 MILLION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES BENEFITING THE ECONOMY AND LIVELIHOODS OF 50 MILLION PEOPLE, OFTEN IN THE WORLD'S MOST REMOTE , FORGOTTEN AREAS. HOUSTON IS HOME TO THE LARGEST COMMUNITY IN THE U.S. , ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTING THROUGH THEIR KNOWLEDGE, RESOURCES AND SERVICE. THE UPCOMING CENTER IN HOUSTON, FIRST IN THE U.S. WILL BE A CATALYST FOR DIALOGUE AND UNDERSTANDING. AND COMMISSIONER RODNEY ELLIS, YOU KNOW ABOUT THE COMMITTEE AS WELL AS THE UPCOMING CENTER IN HOUSTON.

THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU FOR COMING. WE ALL MOURN THE LOSS OF --, HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF MEETING HIM , REPRESENTING GOVERNOR PERRY WHEN HE LANDED MANY YEARS AGO AND I MET HIM SEVERAL TIMES DURING HIS LIFETIME HERE IN HOUSTON AND ONCE ABROAD AND WE ARE ALL VERY EXCITING ABOUT THE PENDING OPENING OF THE -- CULTURAL CENTER. I HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO SEE THE ONE IN CANADA AND THE ONE IN THE MIDDLE EAST AS WELL, I AM VERY EXCITED, THANK YOU FOR COMING.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> I REMEMBER THE MODEL WHEN YOU GUYS FIRST STARTED WORK ON IT , KEEP US POSTED. I WOULD LOVE TO

BE A PART OF IT. >> AND IF I CAN HAVE ANOTHER 10 SECONDS I WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE THAT PRINCE -- 'S LEGACY IS CONTINUED BY HIS ELDEST SON PRINCE RAHIM -- AS THE 50TH --

OF THE WORLD -- MUSLIMS. >> THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR

COMING. >> BOB -- ON ITEM 10, BILL WALTER AN ITEM 35 AND P AIR PERRY IN ITEM 135, UHF ONE

MINUTE. >> I AM BOB CHOTAM AND I AM SORRY THAT MY COMMENTS ARE AS LESLIE BRIONES LEFT THE ROOM BUT I AM HERE, RECENTLY YOUR CONSTITUENTS REQUESTED THE TAXPAYERS OF THE COUNTY ARE SADDLED WITH A 16% TAX INCREASE DUE TO DIRE NEED. ITEM 10 ON THE OPINION OF MANY OF THOSE WITH WHOM I HAVE COMMUNICATED DO NOT CONSIDER MURALS A DIRE NEED.

THIS ITEM IS A DISCRETIONARY EXPENDITURE OF A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS, INCLUDING $15,000 FOR CONTINGENCY AND $40,000 BRADMAN.

$40,000 EQUALS 19% FOR A LOW RISK PROPOSITION TO BE PAID TO AN ORGANIZATION THAT RECENTLY RECEIVED THE BLESSING OF A $15 MILLION AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON. PLEASE, SHELF THIS PROPOSAL, FOR THAT MATTER GIVEN THE DIRE NEED , TAX INCREASE, A MORATORIUM SHOULD BE APPLIED TO ALL NON-ESSENTIAL ITEMS. IT IS

ONLY COMMON SENSE. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU.

[01:20:07]

>> GOOD MORNING JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME, I KNOW YOU HAVE ALREADY HEARD FROM A LOT OF LAWYERS TODAY , BILL WALTER , I'LL KEEP THIS BRIEF, WE APPRECIATE CONSIDERATION ON THIS RESOLUTION AND F FOLKS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS RELATED IF YOU HAVE ANY. THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, MY NAME IS DR. PIERRE PERRY , ONE OF THE DEVELOPERS FOR -- FARMS AS WELL AS A RESIDENT HERE IN HOUSTON. I WANTED TO SPEAK BECAUSE I AM FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT SURROUNDS THE FARM, I LIVE IN NORTH CREST VILLAGE AND I'M ONE OF THE DEACONS AT THE DAILY BIRD CHURCH WHICH IS LESS THAN TWO MILES FROM THIS PROJECT. THE PROJECT IS A -- DEAL WE PLAN TO BRING IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO THE COMMUNITY AT A 100%, IT WILL BE 100% AFFORDABLE WITH A 60% AMI. WE BELIEVE AS DEVELOPERS IN SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY , I'M A FORMER MILITARY INTELLIGENCE OFFICER SERVED IN IRAQ , AS WELL AS I SERVED FOR OVER 10 YEARS WITHIN THE LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMITTEE IN HOUSTON, I BELIEVE IN THE COMMITTEE AND THIS PROJECT AND I APPRECIATE CONSIDERATION ON THIS MATTER.

>> THANK YOU. >> THAT IS ALL THE SPEAKERS,

JUDGE. >> ALL RIGHT. LET ME GO OVER ANY CORRECTIONS HERE. ALL RIGHT. ON ITEM 15 , PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES , A COUNTY ENGINEER REQUESTS NO ACTION.

ITEM 16, PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES, THE COUNTY ENGINEER REQUESTS NO ACTION. ITEM 60, -- BRIEF, CORRECTION, CHANGE HI PPA TO HIP AA , SO, THE LAST SENTENCE HAS HI PPA , RULE CHALLENGES . ITEM 152, GENERATION PARK SOUTH, CHANGE PRECINCT 3 TO PRECINCT 1. IT WILL BE PROPOSAL UNDER LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, RECENT ONE . ITEM 155 , PROVIDENCE GARDEN SUBDIVISION, REQUESTING NO ACTION. ANY OTHER CHANGES? OR CORRECTIONS? OKAY. IN TERMS OF THE CONSENT AGENDA , DO FOLKS NEED TO GO TO EXECUTIVE SESSION ON ITEM 145? ALL RIGHT. LET ME GO TO ALL OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS. WHAT ABOUT EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEM 146? IT IS GULF COAST DISTRICT. OKAY.

>> I WILL SHOW THOSE APPROVED AS PRESENTED IF THEY MAKE IT ON THE

CONSENT. >> OKAY, APPROVED AS PRESENTED, THOSE ARE EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS. ON THE DISCUSSION LIST THESE ARE ITEMS FLAGGED. DO WE NEED TO DISCUSS ITEM SEVEN?

>> YES. >> OKAY. WHAT ABOUT ITEM 11?

>> YES. >> WE JUST FINISHED ITEM 11.

>> GOT IT, THANK YOU. I AM CATCHING ON, ALL RIGHT. WE ALREADY PASS THE MOTIONS RELATED TO IT. ITEM 47 , I KNOW COMMISSIONER BRIONES WANTS TO DISCUSS , I PROPOSE WE DISCUSS THAT ALONGSIDE 51, 54, 56, AND 170, THEY ARE ALL RELATED TO THE RANK OF DETECTIVE FOR CONSTABLES. ITEM 51 GOES ALONG WITH THAT ONE. SO DOES 54. SO DOES 56. WHAT ABOUT ITEM 59?

>> THAT CAN GO BACK ON CONSENT . >> OKAY, WE WILL PUT 59 BACK ON CONSENT. NEXT WE HAVE ITEM 60. EXCUSE ME?

>> WE NEED TO DISCUSS. >> GOT IT. ITEM 65 WE NEED TO DISCUSS AND COMMISSIONER BRIONES REQUESTED WE DISCUSS THAT WHEN SHE IS BACK. ITEM 68 , WE DO NEED TO DISCUSS. 69?

>> YES. >> 70 , SOLAR FOR ALL.

>> YES. >> 94, AUDITED CLAIMS ? THAT WAS

[01:25:05]

>> WE DID. >> OKAY. 128, ROAD MAINTENANCE.

I KNOW EVERYONE WANTS TO DISCUSS THAT ONE AND THERE IS A REQUEST TO TAKE IT ALONGSIDE 164. BY PRECINCT 3, WE WILL TAKE THOSE UP TOGETHER. ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE 135 , MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING

REVENUE BONDS. >> WE DO.

>> OKAY, 136, LEGAL SERVICES. OKAY. SHOULD I PUT THAT ONE FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION? OKAY. LET ME MOVE THIS TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.

ALL RIGHT , JUST A MOMENT. WE HAVE 158 , 25 DEPUTY POSITIONS, I KNOW WE ALL WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT , WE WILL TAKE IT UP WITH 165, BOTH RELATED TO THE COUNTY JAIL. 162 WE DO NEED TO DISCUSS, SHOULD I PUT THAT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, COUNTY ATTORNEY? IT IS -- WE ARE JUST GOING TO VOTE, OKAY, I'LL KEEP IT THERE. 164 HE WILL TAKE UP WITH 128 AND 165 , PC JS STANDARDS , WE WILL TAKE THAT WITH 158 ON THE JAIL. 166 , COMMISSIONER RAMSEY, THAT IS YOUR ITEM , I TAKE IT THAT WE WILL KEEP IT. 168 , THOSE ARE LEGAL FEES , AS IS 169 , I WILL PUT THOSE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION ALONG WITH THE OTHER LEGAL FEES. LET'S SEE .

>> 169 AS WELL. >> YES. AND WE HAVE 170 , THAT IS THE DETECTIVE FRANK THAT WE ARE TAKING WITH 47, 51, 54, AND

56. >> KENNY FLAGGED ITEM 12 FOR

DISCUSSION? >> DO WE HAVE ITEM 12 ? WE DON'T HAVE ITEM 12 RIGHT NOW, LET ME ADD THAT. ITEM 12 IS A DISCUSSION ON SOP FOR CURRENT LEVEL OF SERVICE PROJECTIONS .

THAT IS ONE THAT OCA REQUESTED BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED.

>> THIS WAS DISCUSSION ONLY. >> OKAY, GOT IT. DISCUSSION ONLY. I AM PUTTING IT HERE FOR DISCUSSION . LET ME GO THROUGH THE LIST TO SEE WHAT I MISSED. I'VE GOT EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEM 136 , 168, AND 169 , ALL THREE ARE LEGAL FEES . I BELIEVE THEY ARE ALL THREE RELATED TO ELEVATE, CORRECT? YES. THAT OBVIOUSLY WAS DISMISSED BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. DISCUSSION ITEMS, ITEM SEVEN , ITEM 12 , ITEM 47 , 51 , 54 , 56 , 60 , 65 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 94 , 128 , 135 , 158 , 162 , 164 , 165 , 166 , AND 170 , THAT IS WHAT I HAVE. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ALL ITEMS ONE THROUGH 171 WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ITEMS ALREADY VOTED ON AND THE DISCUSSION ITEMS JUST LISTED, MOTION BY COMMISSIONER ELLIS SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GARCIA, ALL IN FAVOR?

>> AYE. >> THE MOTION CARRIES, 4-0.

LET'S START WITH ITEM SEVEN. >> IF I COULD, I WOULD LIKE TO

[01:30:04]

ONE IS A DEAR FRIEND, LONG TIME CRIMEFIGHTER AND EXTRAORDINAIRE OF ALL THINGS PUBLIC SAFETY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTERNATIONAL WORK, SERGEANT TJ SALISAD , WHO RETIRED FROM HPD AND DID INCREDIBLE WORK IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD, SPECIFICALLY GUATEMALA, TJ, GOOD TO SEE YOU. AND THEN WE HAVE, HE HAS BROUGHT WITH THEM A SPECIAL GUEST, OLGA BAZAN, ALSO A GUEST FROM GUATEMALA. AND THEN WE HAVE A MEMBER OF CONGRESS JOINING US AND THAT IS MR. VICTOR HUGO , WELCOME, THANK YOU. IF YOU WOULD I'LL JUST HANG ON AFTER YOU TAKE A BREAK, I WOULD LOVE TO TAKE PICTURES WITH YOU GUYS. THANK YOU.

>> WE WILL TAKE A BREAK IN THE NEXT 15 OR SO MINUTES. WELCOME, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I AM GOING TO GO DOWN THESE ITEMS AND WE CAN SEE IF THEY REQUIRE COMMISSIONER BRIONES, WE WILL MOVE TO THE NEXT ONE. ITEM SEVEN WAS FLAGGED BY COMMISSIONER

RAMSEY. >> MY CONCERN WOULD BE A CONTINUATION OF SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS . WE HAVE EXTENDED THE DATE TO MARCH 15TH, I UNDERSTAND THERE IS NO BUDGET IMPACT BUT --

>> DIRECTOR GONZALEZ IS HERE. >> GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS COURT. CORRECT , NO IMPACT TO THE BUDGET IS COST CONTROL.

>> BUT THERE IS A BUDGET? >> YES.

>> THANK YOU, DIRECTOR. >> MOTION BY COMMISSIONER ELLIS, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GARCIA, ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES, 3-1. COMMISSIONER GARCIA, YOUR NAME IS ON HERE , I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS ON PURPOSE ON THE SPEAKING THING. OKAY. MOVING ON TO ITEM 12, COMMISSIONER ELLIS .

>> QUICKLY JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS I HAVE. HOW WILL THE CLS PROCESS ADJUST TO THE CHANGING FEDERAL FISCAL LANDSCAPE? THE POTENTIAL REDUCTIONS AND AMBIGUITY.

>> AS OF NOW WE ARE NOT CHANGING IT , THE DIFFERENCE BEING THAT ONE OF THE MATERIAL CHANGES WE MADE FROM LAST YEAR THAT ALL GRANT PROGRAMS THAT HAVE LAPSED WILL GO THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS. BEFORE HE MADE A DISTINCTION OF CERTAIN TYPES OF GRANTS , IN THIS CASE, WHEN WE HEAR THAT A PROGRAM WILL BE CUT , FEDERAL GRANT WILL BE CUT , WE WILL WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT TO SUBMIT A BUDGET ENHANCEMENT REQUEST FOR COMMISSIONERS COURT

TO EVALUATE AND DECIDE ON. >> MY STAFF JUST CAME UP WITH THESE, HOW DOES THE CLS PROCESS BUILT INTO THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AND GOALS OF THE COUNTY AND GIVE INSIGHT INTO THE

RECOMMENDATION MAKING PROCESS? >> WE ARE DOING A COUPLE OF THINGS, RIGHT NOW WE ARE WORKING WITH ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS AND A SELECT FEW OF THE INDEPENDENTLY ELECTIVES THAT AGREED TO WORK WITH US ON REDOING PROGRAMS AND SERVICES , WE THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO SHOW TRANSPARENCY AND TO TIGHTEN PERFORMANCE MEASURE. SO WE KNOW THAT IF WE SPEND A DOLLAR HERE, WHAT DOES THE COUNTY GET OUT OF IT? AND CONNECTING THOSE TWO THINGS AND MAKING IT REALLY TRANSPARENT OF WHERE THE DEPARTMENTS ARE SPENDING THEIR DOLLARS. WE ARE ALSO MAPPING ALL OF THE PROGRAM SERVICES TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN PRIORITIES SO THAT YOU CAN SEE HOW MUCH WE ARE SPENDING IN THE DIFFERENT PRIORITY BUCKETS AND DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS WE HAVE WORKED WITH THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE TO DEVELOP CRITERIA AND RUBRICS TO BE ABLE TO EVALUATE EACH OF THE PROGRAMS , AS WELL AS ENHANCEMENTS AND ANY POTENTIAL CUTS.

>> CAN ONLY BE STORED IN THE TIMELINE TO GET THE ESTIMATES TO

COURT FOR THEIR REVIEW? >> THAT IS DIFFICULT , ESPECIALLY THERE ARE CERTAIN PIECES OF INFORMATION THAT WE NEED IN ADVANCE , THE REASON WE SCHEDULE IT AROUND THIS TIME , IT IS WHEN WE GET OUR FIRST PRELIMINARY ESTIMATES , THOSE

[01:35:02]

>> THE SOONER WE GET IT THE EASIER IT IS FOR US TO MAKE A

DECISION. >> CORRECT AND WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE SURE WE GET IT AS EXPEDITIOUSLY, AS SOON AS WE HAVE THE INFORMATION WE START BRIEFING COMMISSIONER OFFICES.

>> I THINK NOW THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH ALIGNING THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND ALIGNING THE BUDGET TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN, THE MEETINGS WE ARE HAVING WITH THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE THAT ARE COMPRISED OF STAFF FROM ALL OF YOUR OFFICES, I THINK THEY WILL START GETTING ALL OF THE BITS OF INFORMATION AS THEY COME IN FASTER. THEY WILL BE ABLE TO BUILD UP AND IT IS NOT QUIET AND ALL OF A SUDDEN HERE IS THE REPORT . THEY WILL SEE BITS AND PIECES AS THEY GO THROUGH THE DIFFERENCE DEPARTMENT PROGRESS MEETINGS WE WILL BE HOLDING OVER THIS QUARTER AND THE NEXT. I AM HOPING THAT WILL HELP.

>> WHAT ARE THE RISK OF PRIORITIZING LONG-STANDING INVESTMENTS OF PRIOR COMMITMENTS IN THE BUDGET PROCESS? HOW DOES THE CLS PROCESS ADDRESS SUCH RISK?

>> COMMISSIONER , THE CLS IS A BEST PRACTICE THAT ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES, ESPECIALLY THE LARGER COUNTIES DO. WE NEED SOME WAY BEFORE WE GET TO THE FULL BUDGET PROCESS OF KNOWING WHERE WE ARE. AND ACCOUNTING FOR ALL THE DECISIONS THAT WE MADE THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS. THERE IS ALSO NOTHING IN THE CLS PROJECTION, AND THAT IS ALL IT IS, PROJECTION. IT CANNOT BE CHANGED BY COMMISSIONERS COURT. THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS. IT IS A NECESSARY FIRST STEP TO UNDERSTAND THAT IF WE HAVE A SURPLUS, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT WAYS TO INVEST, IF WE HAVE CUTS , LIKE LAST YEAR WHEN WE HAD A DEFICIT WE CAME AND ASKED DEPARTMENTS TO SUBMIT 5% REDUCTIONS. IT SETS THE STAGE FOR THE WHOLE BUDGET PROCESS AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DO NOT SHORTCHANGE IT. WE START THE BUDGETING POST-CLS IN APRIL AND MAY AND WE WORK THROUGH AND TRACK DOWN ALL OF THE INFORMATION AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS THROUGH JUNE, JULY AND AUGUST BEFORE THE BUDGET COMES OUT. EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE THINGS IN THERE, NOTHING IN THERE, EXCEPT FOR SOME MANDATED COSTS CAN BE CHANGED BY COMMISSIONERS COURT.

>> OKAY. NO ACTION ON THIS ITEM, JUST FOR DISCUSSION.

>> WE WILL BRING IT BACK ON THE 27TH FOR ADOPTION.

>> NO ACTION ON 12. 47, I KNOW COMMISSIONER BRIONES WANTS TO DISCUSS ALONG WITH 51, 54, 56 AND 170. WHAT ABOUT ITEM 60? FLAGGED BY COMMISSIONER RAMSEY? MOTIONED BY COMMISSIONER ELLIS AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GARCIA, ALL IN FAVOR?

>> AYE. >> ANY OPPOSED?

>> NO. >> THE MOTION CARRIES, 3-1. WHAT

ABOUT ITEM -- SHE SAID 130. >> YOU HAVE TO LEAVE ONE?

>> 3:00 TO 4:00. >> OKAY.

>> 68, COMMISSIONER RAMSEY. >> THIS IS RELATED TO WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING RELATED TO OUR BUDGET BUT THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON WANTS TO SUPPORT ENERGY CAN PRESENT CONSERVATIVE BLOCK GRANT, YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THIS

ONE? >> I DON'T THINK SO. THAT ONE IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS AT THE MOMENT AND WE ARE DRAWING ON IT CURRENTLY, WE ARE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THIS ONE.

>> TO BE CLEAR, GOING BACK, WE ARE GOING TO REVIEW ALL GRANTS AND THEY WILL BE HELD TO THE SAME STANDARD AND WHEN WE HIT THE $30 MILLION QUESTION WE ARE GOING TO COME, REGARDLESS IF IT

IS NEW OR OLD GRANTS. >> THAT IS WHAT I WAS GOING TO

SAY. I WILL MOVE IT. >> MOTION BY COMMISSIONER ELLIS, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GARCIA. ANY OPPOSED?

>> NO. >> THE MOTION CARRIES, 3-1, I AM IN FAVOR. ON THAT POINT, DIRECTOR , THIS ONE IS GETTING THE GRANT , IS RECEIVING THE GRANT NOW, OTHERS ARE NOT READY FOR RENEWAL UNTIL LATER. YOU ARE SAYING WHEN WE HIT THE 30 MILLION WHETHER THIS ONE OR THE OTHER ONE WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT

WHICH ONE. >> THAT IS THE WORK WE ARE DOING WITH THE COMMISSIONER OFFICES DIRECTLY TO PRIORITIZE , HERE ARE ONES THAT WE 100% WANT TO KEEP, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER WE LOSE FEDERAL FUNDING AND HERE ARE ONES WE WERE DE-PRIORITIZE AND START THE PROCESS OF UNWINDING THE PROGRAMS.

[01:40:04]

>> DO WE KNOW HOW MANY STAFF ARE DEPENDING ON THESE GRANTS AND EXACTLY THE STRATEGY IF WE HIT THAT 30?

>> I DON'T KNOW SPECIFIC TO FEDERAL GRANTS BUT I KNOW WE HAVE ABOUT 1000 GRANT FUNDED EMPLOYEES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.

>> THAT IS THE WORK WE ARE DOING RIGHT NOW AND EARLIER, I DID NOT GET A CHANCE TO SAY THIS BUT I WANT TO THANK IGA AND OUR GRANDSON PARTNERSHIP TEAM BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING SINCE LAST YEAR ON THIS PROJECT AND SETTING ALL OF THE GROUNDWORK AND GETTING THE DEPARTMENTS LINED UP TO SHARE THEIR INFORMATION AND WORK WITH THE AUDITORS. THEY ARE DOING THE HARD WORK AND WE WILL HAVE THAT DATA IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS OR MONTHS, SO, WE CAN GET YOU THE PRIORITIES FOR YOU TO ALL

DISCERN AND GO THROUGH. >> TO THE EXTENT WE CAN REDUCE UNCERTAINTY FOR SOME OF THOSE FOLKS , WHEN YOU GUYS COME BACK, I AM GLAD YOU GUYS ARE ALREADY THINKING ABOUT THAT. SO, WE ARE NOW ON ITEM 69, CORRECT? OR IS THAT WE JUST VOTED ON? OKAY, 69,

COMMISSIONER RAMSEY ? >> THIS IS A SUBSTANTIAL OUT, 733,000 , IS THERE RISK ON DELAYED PAYMENTS TO THE

UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON? >> COMMISSIONER, THIS IS THE AGREEMENT , I THINK UNTIL WE HEAR THAT THESE GRANTS ARE ACTUALLY GOING AWAY , WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO DELIVER THESE PROGRAMS AND SO, THIS IS A STEP IN SETTING UP THE ILA , I THINK THIS WOULD FIT INTO THE MOTION WE PASSED EARLIER WHICH WAS THAT AS WE GO FORWARD AND AS WE ARE PAYING ON THIS WE WILL KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE STILL OKAY WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THEY ARE OKAY WITH MOVING THIS PROGRAM FORWARD, THIS IS NOT A PROOF OF PAYMENT YET BUT AS THE FOLKS FILE INVOICES IN THE FUTURE WE WILL MAKE SURE IT LINES UP WITH THE ABILITY FOR REPAYMENT.

>> THEY SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE RISK . WE ARE MITIGATING OUR RISK , WE DID THAT TODAY, THEY NEED TO HAVE PROBABLY A

MITIGATION PLAN THEMSELVES. >> CORRECT.

>> THOSE CONVERSATIONS, WHETHER YOU MAKE THAT AND CODIFY IT AND PUT IT IN THE AGREEMENT , THAT WOULD BE A WHOLE OTHER CONVERSATION BUT THERE DOES NEED TO BE A VERY AGGRESSIVE CONVERSATION GOING FORWARD I WOULD THINK.

>> WE NEED TO HAVE CLEAR COMMUNICATIONS AND IN THE INSTANCE WHERE THE CONTRACT AGREEMENT OR THE GRANT AGREEMENT HAS THE LANGUAGE THAT ALLOWS THIS , WE WILL MAKE SURE WE HIGHLIGHTED FOR THEM AND REMIND THEM OF IT.

>> I MOVE IT BUT I WAS A SHE HAS LET THEM KNOW AND IF THERE IS THE SAME CONCERN ON ITEM 70, I MOVE IT AS WELL BUT THEY SHOULD

BE FULLY INFORMED OF THE RISK. >> SAME ON BOTH OF THEM.

>> I MOVE BOTH. >> MOTION BY COMMISSIONER ELLIS SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GARCIA AND THAT IS ON 69 , ALL RIGHT,

ALL IN FAVOR? >> AYE.

>> ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES, 4-0. ON WHAT YOU GUYS WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT, CAN YOU GUYS HAVE A POLICY TO WHERE YOU PUT IT IN THE AGREEMENT OR WHATEVER, JUST TO CIRCLE BACK

WITH US ON THAT? >> THESE AGREEMENTS ARE DONE BUT THIS ONE FOR 70 AND THESE AGREEMENTS WILL BOTH ALLOW US TO DO WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, WHICH IS THAT AS HIS INVOICES, FOR PAYMENT , THEN WE WILL NOT JUST TO SEND OUT THE PAYMENT WITHOUT KNOWING IF WE WILL GET REIMBURSED BUT WE WILL BE ABLE TO HOLD THE PAYMENT UNTIL WE ARE ASSURED WE HAVE REIMBURSEMENT AND THEN WE CAN, YOU KNOW, PAIN REIMBURSED.

>>

>> SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE CONDITIONS AND TERMS ARE TO BE REIMBURSED BY US. A

>> AND TO THE EXTENT THAT THIS IS LEGALLY FEASIBLE, WE CAN GIVE THEM A SUGGESTION AS TO WHAT THEY MIGHT CONSIDER DOING. A LOT OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE SMALLER AND I WOULD HATE TO LEAVE THEM ON THE HOOK. SO I GUESS WE ARE ALL IN AGREEMENT.

>> WHEN YOU SET UP THE AGREEMENT, JUST DO AN ATTACHMENT

OR COVER LOVER -- LETTER. A >> WE WILL WORK WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO PREPARE AN APPROPRIATE LETTER.

>> THANK YOU. ITEM 70, COMMISSIONER RAMSEY.

>> ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES 3-1. 94,

[01:45:07]

>> I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE ALL CLAIMS.

>> SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER ELLIS, ON PAPER. MOTION CARRIES

4-0. >> MOTION BY COMMISSIONER ELLIS, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GARCIA, ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES, 3-1. I'M IN FAVOR. 128 WILL BE TAKEN UP WITH 164. AT 135, COMMISSIONER RAMSEY. MOTION BY COMMISSIONER ELLIS, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GARCIA. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES 3-1, ITEM 135. 158 WE WILL TAKE LATER. 162, COMMISSIONER RAMSEY.

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER ELLIS. THIS IS THE BRIEF OF MEDINA VERSUS PLANNED PARENTHOOD. ANY OPPOSED? I'M IN FAVOR, MOTION CARRIES, 3-1. 164 WILL BE TAKEN UP WITH 128 LATER. 165 WITH 158.

LET'S MOVE ON TO 166. COMMISSIONER RAMSEY.

>> WE HAD QUITE THE DISCUSSION AT THE LAST MEETING RELATED TO SALARY SURVEYS AND CLEARLY WE WERE CONCERNED ENOUGH NOT TO TAKE ACTION AND AS I SIT HERE AND LOOK AT WHAT WE ARE DOING AND REFLECT ON WHAT WAS DISCUSSED AT THE LAST MEETING I AM PREPARED TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE TERMINATE THE AGREEMENT WITH KORN FERRY AND MOVE FORWARD .

>> I AM PREPARED TO SECOND THE THEM -- MOTION WITH THE FRIENDLY ADDENDUM. I WILL REVIEW WHAT WE HAVE DONE AND HAVE SPENT ON THESE RACES AND HOW MUCH IT RAISED SOMEBODY SALARY FROM THE

PREVIOUS YEAR. >> ALL RIGHT, GO AHEAD.

>> I WAS SIMPLY HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. WE ARE ALSO IN AGREEMENT THAT WE ARE ENDING OUR ENGAGEMENT WITH KORN FERRY .

WHAT WE ARE WORKING ON CURRENTLY INTERNALLY IS COMING BACK TO THE COURT AND WE WILL ADD YOUR REQUEST AS WELL. COMING BACK TO THE COURT WITH WHAT WE BELIEVE ARE THE NEXT STEPS FOR YOUR INPUT AND GUIDANCE. NO PUSHBACK HERE AT ALL IN THAT REGARD. I HAVE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH A FEW OF YOU AND STILL NEED TO HAVE ONE ADDITIONAL CONVERSATION IN REGARD TO THIS AS WE MOVE FORWARD. AS WE CONSIDER, AS WE ARE MOVING IN IT DIFFERENT DIRECTION WITH KORN FERRY WE HAVE ALREADY TAKEN STEPS IN THE LAST FEW DAYS TO BEGIN THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS TO IDENTIFY A SUBSEQUENT FIRM IN THE FUTURE. THAT WORK IS ALREADY UNDERWAY.

>> THANK YOU FOR TAKING MY CALLS THIS WEEK, YOU'VE BEEN VERY

HELPFUL. >> ONE THING I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT I'D LIKE TO GET GOOD DIRECTION ON. THERE WAS A BIG CONCERN ON METHODOLOGY AND WHAT THE MARKET IS AND WHAT MARKET MEANS WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO GO TO YOU, EACH OFFICE INDIVIDUALLY TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND AND GET A REALLY CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT YOU ARE EXPECTING SO THAT WHEN WE GO THROUGH ANOTHER RFP PROCESS, THE SCOPE OF WORK IS CLEAR ENOUGH SO WE ARE GETTING THE RIGHT KIND OF CONTRACTOR AND USING THE RIGHT KIND OF METHODOLOGY THAT YOU ALL WANT TO SEE. SO WE AVOID THIS PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE. I'D ALSO LIKE TO GO, COMMISSIONER ELLIS, THANK YOU FOR THAT REPORT. I'D LIKE TO GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING ON WHAT YOU WANT AND ASK THE OTHER OFFICES IF THERE IS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SO WE HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT BACK

TO YOU. >> I'D BE HAPPY TO DO THAT.

THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR WORK ON IT. A KEY IS, IF SOMEBODY HAS A METHODOLOGY AND WE ARE GOING TO TRUST THEM TO COME UP WITH A

[01:50:04]

PEOPLE COME HERE WANTING TO MAKE AS MUCH AS THEY CAN MAKE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THEY WOULDN'T BE HERE. ALL OF US UP HERE COULD HAVE MADE A LOT MORE MONEY DOING SOMETHING ELSE OTHER THAN BEING HERE. THAT'S NOT WHY YOU COME. YOU JUST CAN'T EXPECT THAT.

OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES, EVEN IF I'M OPPOSED TO SOME OF THEM. THERE IS A LOT OF TALENT ON THE MARKET RIGHT NOW. I WANT TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE DONE. THIS STARTED -- I WON'T GET ON THE SOAPBOX -- BUT THIS STARTED WHEN WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT DISPARITIES OF PEOPLE AT THE BOTTOM. WE ARE STILL WAITING ON THAT. THEN WE LEAPFROGGED TO THE PEOPLE AT THE TOP. BUT SOMEBODY PAID FROM AN ENTERPRISE FUND.

WHICH IS WHOLLY DIFFERENT. AS I TOLD DEPARTMENT HEADS, WHEN I ASKED OTHER STUFF AND DIDN'T GET ANY ANSWERS. THEY HAD NO PROBLEM CALLING ME. THEY WERE CALLING TO GET THE CASE FOR MORE MONEY. BUT IT IS WORTHY OF A LOOK BACK OF WHAT WE HAVE DONE.

BEING IN L.A. OVER THE WEEKEND, THIS IS NOT A $50 BILLION BUDGET WE HAVE HERE. SOME OF THE SALARIES WE PUT IN PLACE, YOU COULDN'T LIVE AS WELL BUT YOU COULD PACK UP AND MOVE TO L.A.

FOR WHAT WE PAY YOU. I KNOW BECAUSE I HAD LUNCH WITH ONE SUPERVISOR, AND DINNER AND BREAKFAST WITH THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR OUT THERE. FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, THEY ARE ABOUT TO SWITCH BY THE WAY, THEY WILL GO TO A 10 PERSON BOARD INSTEAD OF FIVE. THEY WILL BE THE LARGEST PRECINCT IN AMERICA AND THEY WILL ELECT THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR. AND THEY WON'T PAY THEM THE KIND OF MONEY WE PAY THEM, BY THE WAY.

>> THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER ELLIS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS ON THIS. I JUST WANT TO SAY TO OUR EMPLOYEES AND DIRECTORS, OUR APOLOGIES FOR DRAGGING THIS ON THE WAY THAT IT HAS OCCURRED. AND THE LACK OF CONFIDENCE THAT HAS OCCURRED BY THIS UNIQUE METHODOLOGY THAT KORN FERRY IS USING . IT SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING THIS WAY. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A VERY PRACTICAL WAY TO COME UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS.

I JUST WANT TO SAY TO OUR STAFF, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND BEARING THROUGH THIS. WE WILL GET IT RIGHT, I JUST WISH WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME. THANK YOU.

>> VERY WORTHWHILE COMMENT. IN NO WAY DO I MEAN TO DIMINISH THE CONFIDENCE I HAVE IN PEOPLE. I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T ALWAYS REMIND US OF WHERE WE STARTED. IT WAS ABOUT DISPARITIES FOR PEOPLE AT THE BOTTOM, AND WHERE WE ENDED UP. I ALSO WANT TO SAY, I WANT TO APOLOGIZE TO THOSE PEOPLE AT THE BOTTOM THAT HAVE BEEN WAITING. THEY GOT SOME RELIEF. I ALWAYS WANT TO STRESS, I'M JUST WORRIED ABOUT COMPRESSION FOR THEM AS WE OFFER PEOPLE AT THE TOP. THERE ARE 1 MILLION REASONS. A LOT MORE MONEY FOR THE PEOPLE AT THE BOTTOM BUT HOW GREAT THOSE OF US AT THE TOP MAY THINK WE ARE, THERE IS NOTHING WE WOULD ACCOMPLISH WITHOUT THE PEOPLE AT THE BOTTOM THAT WE DON'T SEE. I ALWAYS POINT THAT OUT BECAUSE THEY GET TO WORK

BEFORE WE SHOW UP. THANK YOU. >> SO, WHO, WHICH DEPARTMENT HEADS ARE GOING TO BE AFFECTED BY THIS THAT WILL NOT BE

RECEIVING A SALARY UPDATE? >> THAT WOULD BE THE GROUP APPOINTED BY INDEPENDENT BOARDS PRESENTED ON THE FEBRUARY 6TH

[01:55:02]

IDENTIFY A NEW VENDOR. >> HOW DO YOU THINK WE GOT TO THIS POINT, I THINK WE ALL THOUGHT KORN FERRY WAS GOING TO DO, COMPARED TO OTHER JURISDICTIONS, BE A LITTLE BIT MORE PRACTICAL ABOUT THINGS. HOW DID WE NOT NOTICE UNTIL NOW?

>> I THINK THAT KORN FERRY , I THINK THE CONCERN WITH KORN FERRY, CANDIDLY , WAS ESSENTIALLY, A COUPLE OF THINGS, ONE IS, AND THIS IS PRIOR TO MY RETURN, THE APPROACH TO EVALUATING COMPENSATION, PARTICULARLY EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE WAS ONE TRANCHE OF DEPARTMENT HEADS EVALUATED AND THIS MOST RECENT GROUP, A SECOND YEAR. THAT IS AN ANOMALY, TYPICALLY YOU WANT TO DO IT AT THE SAME TIME FOR A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT REASONS. THERE WAS AN ASK TO DO IT QUICKER AND FASTER. I'M VERY SENSITIVE IN TERMS OF DOING IT QUICKLY. YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THE DATA IS STRONG AND THAT INTERNAL ALIGNMENT AROUND COMPENSATION PHILOSOPHY IS IN PLACE. AND SOME VALID CONCERNS THE COURT HAD ON THE SIXTH WAS THAT UNDERSTANDING THE METHODOLOGY, THE INTERNAL EQUITY ALSO PUT THAT SECOND TRANCHE IN TERMS OF THE PROPOSED OR RECOMMENDED SALARY INCREASES FROM KORN FERRY, IT JUST EXACERBATED IT, RIGHT? SO, TO THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S COMMENTS, I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND GET ALIGNED WITH EACH OF YOU ON THE COURT IN TERMS OF, WHAT IS OUR PHILOSOPHY, IN TERMS OF DEFINING WHAT THE MARKET IS FOR HARRIS COUNTY AND SPECIFICALLY FOR EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION IN THIS INSTANCE. IDENTIFY THE RIGHT VENDOR AND THAT WILL BE ABLE TO REDO THESE EVALUATIONS IN ALIGNMENT WITH YOUR EXPECTATIONS AND PRIORITIES. I THINK IT IS, THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH WE ARE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION ARE NOT GOOD. I DO THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME TO TAKE A PAUSE, RETHINK IT AND ACTUALLY DEVELOP A STRATEGY RATHER THAN SIMPLY, LET'S GO EVALUATE SOME SALARIES. BUT COME BACK AND TAKE THIS APPROACH IN A VERY DELIBERATE, STRATEGIC AND INTENTIONAL WAY THAT IS ALIGNED WITH WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE AT THE COUNTY.

>> MY SENSE ON THIS WAS THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THE LOWER PAID EMPLOYEES. I'VE NEVER REALLY BEEN FOR STARTING OUT WITH THIS ONE. I THINK WHAT YOU ARE SAYING MAKES SENSE. IN TERMS OF TIMELINE, WHAT YOU THINK, IF WE TAKE OUR TIME TO BE MORE THOROUGH, IS WHAT I'M HEARING FROM YOU, WHICH IS SORT OF THE STANDARD.

>> WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK TO WEEK AND A HALF, CERTAINLY FROM AN HR AND COMPENSATION PERSPECTIVE, WE CAN COME BACK TO YOU WITH A WORK PLAN, CERTAINLY RUNNING IT BY THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR IN ADVANCE. BUT WE HAVE ALREADY STARTED SOME OF THAT WORK AS I'VE INDICATED EARLIER. SO WE CAN COME BACK WITH A PLAN AND SOME RECOMMENDATIONS. THERE WILL BE A NEED TO MAKE SURE WE DEFINE AND ARE ALIGNED AROUND WHAT OUR COMPENSATION PHILOSOPHY AND APPROACH WILL BE. AND THAT IS SPECIFICALLY, AGAIN, HOW DOES HARRIS COUNTY DEFINED THE MARKET? KORN FERRY WAS GOING TO THE BROADER MARKET, THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND PUBLIC SECTOR. WE JUST NEED TO CONFIRM WHETHER OR NOT THAT IS THE APPROACH WE LIKE TO TAKE. I AM REFERRING TO EXECUTIVE LEVEL COMPENSATION.

>> I KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER RAMSEY HAS SOMETHING TO ADD. I KNOW THIS IS UNCOMFORTABLE. BUT BECAUSE WE ARE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS TODAY ABOUT RECURRING PAYMENTS, I JUST WANT TO GO BACK TO BUDGET AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATION AND SAY, AS WE DO THIS AND AS WE LOOK AT THE FISCAL SITUATION, I WANT US TO BE VERY REALISTIC IN TERMS OF, HOW MUCH MONEY DO WE HAVE FOR

[02:00:03]

PART OF YOUR PRESENTATION. >> ABSOLUTELY. WE WILL WORK WITH THE BUDGET OFFICE TO MAKE SURE THAT, ONE, THERE IS AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE COST IN EACH OF THESE AREAS AND BE PART OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO DETERMINE WHAT IS FEASIBLE OR WHAT MAY NOT BE FEASIBLE . BUT AGAIN, TAKING A STEP BACK TO CREATE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND APPROACH IS THE VERY NECESSARY

STEP WE NEED TO TAKE. >> COMMISSIONER RAMSEY.

>> I CERTAINLY ACCEPT THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT. I'D BE READY TO VOTE. ONE OTHER COMMENT, CONSIDER BEING ABLE TO DO IT IN-HOUSE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THAT RIGHT NOW. I KNOW THEY ARE CONSIDERING GOING OUT FOR PROPOSAL. BUT CONSIDER THAT, I'D LIKE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT IN TERMS OF PROS AND CONS GOING FORWARD. BUT I THINK WE'VE GOT A MOTION.

>> I SUSPECT THE WAY IT WAS DONE IN THE PAST WAS DONE IN-HOUSE. I KNOW WE ARE MUCH BRIGHTER BUT SOMEHOW THE COUNTY MADE ALL THESE YEARS BEFORE WE GOT HERE. I DON'T KNOW, IN THE PAST, DID IT TAKE A COMMISSIONER STUDY TO DO IT?

>> I ARRIVED IN 2021. I WILL HAVE TO FIND OUT FOR YOU. I'M

UNCERTAIN. >> LET'S GET ONE OF THEM AS A CONSULTANT AND ASK THEM IF THEY REMEMBER.

>> I WANT TO ADD TO THAT POINT THAT YOU SHOULD BE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH UNIVERSAL SERVICES DIRECTOR. SHE HAS A LOT OF DATA AT HER DISPOSAL, ACCURATE DATA. I THINK SOME DATA IS BEING PULLED FROM HER AREA BUT NOT BEING PULLED IN A WAY THAT WILL GIVE US SOME DEGREE OF ACCURACY. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU DIRECTLY VISIT WITH HER. AND COME UP WITH A PROCESS TO HAVE HER WORK WITH YOU TO GET YOU THE DATA YOU NEED.

>> ABSOLUTELY. >> IT WAS ALL PUBLIC MONEY.

>> TO YOUR POINT, COMMISSIONER ELLIS, WE ARE IN THIS DEBACLE BECAUSE THEY DID NOT DO A GOOD JOB. LET ALONE THE EXECUTIVE PIECE BUT FOR THE REST OF THE COUNTY IT IS SUCH A MESS.

OBVIOUSLY KORN FERRY DIDN'T WORK OUT EITHER, BUT, I THINK LOOKING TO HOW WE'VE DONE IT IN THE PAST IS NOT THE WAY TO DO

IT. FRANKLY. >> I WANT TO STRESS HOW THEY WERE DOING IT. AM I WRONG? I KNOW THAT I CAN FORGET A FEW THINGS. BUT THIS STARTED OFF AS PAY EQUITY FOR PEOPLE AT THE BOTTOM AND SOMEHOW IT MORPHED INTO PEOPLE AT THE TOP. I GUESS THERE IS A STUDY BEING DONE FOR THE PEOPLE AT THE BOTTOM. WE ALREADY KNOW THAT THE COST WILL BE A HECK OF A LOT MORE THAN IT

IS FOR PEOPLE AT THE TOP. >> DO YOU HAVE THE MOTION,

JAMES? >> NO, MA'AM.

>> I MAKE A MOTION TO TERMINATE THE CONTRACT WITH KORN FERRY .

>> THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT WAS FOR THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO GIVE US A REPORT ON HOW MUCH WE'VE RAISED SALARIES BY POSITION FOR FOLKS AT THE TOP. ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. THE SALARIES WE HAVE GIVEN. TOTAL AMOUNT AND WHO THEY WERE AND WHAT THEY GOT.

>> IS THAT CLEAR? MOTION BY COMMISSIONER ELLIS. OR COMMISSIONER RAMSEY, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER ELLIS. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES 4-0. THE ITEMS WE HAVE LEFT, THANK YOU SO MUCH MS. DOUGLAS. THE ITEMS WE HAVE LEFT ARE ALL ITEMS THAT COMMISSIONER BRIONES WILL LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN. THE RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE RETURN AT 1:30. SO THAT WE CAN DISCUSS THOSE ITEMS WITH

HER. >> THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. BECAUSE YOU KEEP HAVING THESE RAMSEY AND ELLIS MOTIONS, THE TWO

>> OKAY. THANK YOU. COLLEAGUES, IT IS 1:38 AND COMMISSIONERS

[02:05:02]

>> SURE. >> OKAY. THAT WAS FLAGGED

INITIALLY BY PRECINCT 2. >> THANK YOU. I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE DETECTIVE RANK. HOWEVER, I DO KNOW THAT THE SHERIFF HAS TO COMPLY WITH ALL THINGS CIVIL SERVICE. THE TEST HAS TO BE, THE CURRICULUM HAS TO BE APPROVED AND THE TEST HAS TO BE APPROVED BY CIVIL SERVICE. THE SHERIFF WILL BE IMPLEMENTING A TEST FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN ACHIEVING THIS RANK. AND IF SOMEONE DOES NOT THINK THE TEST IS APPROPRIATE OR WAS DONE CORRECTLY AND QUESTIONS OR MATERIALS THAT ARE RELATED TO THE EXAM PROCESS, THEY HAVE THE CIVIL SERVICE TO GRIEVE TO. I THINK IT IS A BIT UNFAIR THAT THE SHERIFF SHOULD HAVE TO PLAY BY ALL THESE RULES AND NO ONE ELSE HAS TO. ALTHOUGH I HAVE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE DETECTIVE RANK, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE CONSTABLES MAKE A COMMITTED, A COMMITMENT TOWARDS BECOMING CIVIL SERVICE. I KNOW THERE IS A HOUSE BILL THAT HAS BEEN FILED.

I'D LOVE TO SEE THEM ENDORSE THAT HOUSE BILL FOR ME TO FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A RANK THAT IS BEING PURSUED FOR THE CONCERN OF PARITY. AND I THINK ALL THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH THE RANK SHOULD ALSO BE PARITY.

>> COMMISSIONER BRIONES . >> THANK YOU. I DEEPLY RESPECT YOUR PERSPECTIVE AND DEEPLY APPRECIATE MR. GONZALES AND THE TEAM AND THE APPEALS AND MONTHS OF WORK THAT HAS GONE INTO THIS.

AND, AS ALWAYS, I WILL PROUDLY MAKE THIS MOTION FOR ITEMS 47, 147, 51, 54 AND 56. THIS STARTED FOCUSING ON THE DETECTIVE RANK.

ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WORKING ON VIPER, THE GULF COAST AND TASK FORCE AND DETECTIVE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. MY THREE CONSTABLES, I KNOW THEY HAVE GUARANTEED TO ME THAT THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO TAKE THE SAME TEST AND HAVE VERY SIMILAR JOB DESCRIPTIONS, RECOGNIZING THEY ARE NOT IN CIVIL SERVICE YET. ALTHOUGH I DO THINK THEY WOULD BE OPEN, BASED ON WHAT THEY SHARED BUT THAT WOULD OBVIOUSLY TAKE A LEGISLATIVE FIX. AS SOMEBODY WHO HAS BEEN A VICTIM OF CRIME SEVERAL TIMES AND SOMEONE WHO PROUDLY REPRESENTS HARRIS COUNTY, THE WORK IS DEEPLY RESPECTED AND APPRECIATED. I WANT TO BE FAIR TO ALL OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. AS SUCH I WILL MOVE THOSE ITEMS AS PRESENTED AND I APPRECIATE THE ONGOING COLLABORATION BETWEEN OUR CONSTABLES AND OUR SHERIFF. I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES HERE IN HARRIS COUNTY.

>> COMMISSIONER RAMSEY THEN COMMISSIONER ELLIS.

>> I WILL GLADLY SECOND THAT MOTION. I THINK THE CONSTABLES HAVE A GOOD RECORD IN DEFINING WHAT THE DETECTIVE DOES. THEY JUST DON'T ARBITRARILY ASSIGNED THAT ROAD TO CIVIL SERVICE, IT IS LONG, WINDING AND COMPLICATED. NOT GOING TO SPEAK ON THEIR BEHALF RELATED TO THAT, WE WILL JUST STAY FOCUSED ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE. I THINK ALL OF THE PRECINCTS , MINE, GERMAN EAGLETON PRECINCT 3, MARK HERMAN, PRECINCT 4 AND WE'VE GOT PRECINCT 5 AND PRECINCT 1. I GLADLY SECOND THAT, IT WAS FIVE

DIFFERENT GROUPS. >> COMMISSIONER ELLIS.

>> I DO WANT TO ASK THE BUDGET OFFICE TO GIVE ME SOME SENSE OF ANY BUDGET IMPLICATIONS IF THERE ARE ANY, NOW AND GOING FORWARD.

>> THEY WOULD BE RAISING SALARIES FOR WHOEVER THEY PROMOTE. ALMOST ALL OF THEM HAVE VACANCIES THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO ABSORB IT IN. IT WOULD BE DEPENDENT ON THE NUMBER OF

[02:10:05]

>> I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT ALL OF THEM DO, OBVIOUSLY, SOME OF THOSE CONSTABLE OFFICES HAVE CONSIDERABLY LARGER BUDGETS THAN OTHERS. OBVIOUSLY CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS BENEFIT FROM TAXPAYERS SUPPORTING PATROLS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND SOME DON'T. I HAPPEN TO REPRESENT ONE OF THOSE PRECINCTS WHERE THEY DON'T BENEFIT AS MUCH. BUT I DO HAVE A BASIC CONCERN ABOUT THE CONSTABLES NOT HAVING CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION. AND BECAUSE THAT WOULD SET THE QUALIFICATIONS AND REVIEW ELIGIBILITY WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE IT. SO IT IS ARBITRARY AND WHO DECIDES WHEN SOMEONE IS PROMOTED TO DETECTIVE. AND THERE IS VERY LITTLE OVERSIGHT IN THAT DECISION. FOR THAT REASON I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SUPPORT IT. I ALSO THINK THAT THE CONSTABLES AND THE SHERIFF'S WARD ARE NOT DESIGNATED TO HAVE DUPLICATE EFFORTS. OBVIOUSLY IT HAS EXPANDED CONSIDERABLY IN THIS COUNTY BUT I THINK WE NEED TO BE STRATEGIC WITH OUR PUBLIC SAFETY RESOURCES OR WE OUGHT TO BE WILLING TO RAISE TAXES TO PAY FOR IT SO THAT EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD HAS THE SAME ADVANTAGES. FOR THAT REASON I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SUPPORT IT.

>> DIRECTOR, FROM A BUDGETARY STANDPOINT, DO YOU SUPPORT THIS

ITEM? WHY OR WHY NOT? >> THIS IS A POLICY DECISION BY THE COMMISSIONERS COURT. WE DO BELIEVE THAT THE CONSTABLES, ASSUMING THEY DON'T MAKE EVERYBODY A DETECTIVE, WHICH WE HOPE THEY WOULD MAINTAIN THE SAME STANDARDS THAT THE SHERIFF HAS, THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES INTERNALLY TO DO SO. ULTIMATELY THE COMMISSIONERS COURT CREATES THE RANKS AND THE PAY BANDS AND

ULTIMATELY DECIDES. >> CELL IF IF THEY DO THIS INTERNALLY THEY WOULD HAVE TO DECIDE NOT TO HIRE FOLKS IN THE OPEN POSITIONS AND INSTEAD TURN SOME FOLKS INTO DETECTIVES, IS

THAT WHAT I'M HEARING? >> THE ONLY ONES WE'VE SEEN SO FAR HAVE BEEN FOR THE POSITIONS ASSIGNED TO VIPER. THAT IS A HANDFUL, I THINK IT IS TWO OR THREE IN ALL OF THE CONSTABLE PRECINCT SO THE IMPACT WOULD BE RELATIVELY SMALL.

>> BUT WE HAVE MORE THAN TWO OR THREE, WE HAVE FOUR CONSTABLES THAT HAVE REQUESTED THIS. SO, PRESUMABLY --

>> THESE COURT ITEMS WOULD BE TO CREATE THE RANK IN THE CONSTABLE PAY SCALE. THEY WOULD NEED TO COME BACK WITH THE RECLASSIFICATIONS FROM DETECTIVES OR DEPUTIES TO

DETECTIVES. >> MY CONCERN IS ALSO THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION. DO YOU KNOW OR WOULD SOMEBODY KNOW WHAT IT

WOULD TAKE FOR THAT TO HAPPEN? >> IT WOULD CHANGE IT, IT WOULD BE A LEGISLATIVE CHANGE BY THE LEGISLATURE.

>> THEY CAN'T HAVE A SIMILAR SYSTEM, JUST INTERNALLY? OR HARRIS COUNTY MAY BE CAN HIRE AN INTERPERSONAL -- INDEPENDENT

PERSON OURSELVES? >> I WOULD DEFER TO THE COUNTY

ATTORNEY ON THAT. >> I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER ON THE THIRD WE HAVE TO GO BACK AND CHECK TO SEE. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT I JUST LAID OF CHANGE WOULD BE REQUIRED.

>> I WOULD WANT TO SEE THAT. I DON'T KNOW, I FEEL LIKE IT COULD GET MESSY. I ALSO WONDER IF WE CAN'T DISCUSS THIS WITH THE BUDGET CYCLE SO THEY CAN COME AND SAY, YOU KNOW, HERE IS HOW MANY DETECTIVES WE WANT. HERE IS HOW WE WANT TO PAY FOR IT. IN THE MEANTIME, WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHETHER THERE IS ANYTHING I CAN TO WHAT THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION DOES IN TERMS OF AN INDEPENDENT EVALUATION AS TO QUALIFICATIONS AND WHO GETS PROMOTED. THAT WOULD BE PROBABLY WHERE I STAND ON IT. I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION RIGHT NOW. DO YOU THINK THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE OR THAT IS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE

DONE? >> WE CAN WORK WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY ON THE RESEARCH AND THE COMMISSIONERS COURT CAN PUNT ALL DECISIONS TO THE BUDGET PROCESS. IT IS REALLY UP TO COURT.

>> ONE QUICK THING, ON PUTTING THIS ON THE BUDGET, IS THERE A CONNECTION THERE OR AM I FORCING SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T BELONG

IN THE BUDGET DISCUSSION? >> THERE IS A BUDGET IMPACT BUT SO FAR THE NUMBERS WE'VE SEEN ARE RELATIVELY SMALL. THIS IS

[02:15:03]

BUDGET SUPPLEMENTAL. >> THIS WHOLE CONVERSATION HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR DECADES WITH CIVIL SERVICE. AGAIN, IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A REASON NOT TO DO SOMETHING, I GUESS YOU COULD PICK THIS. BUT WHEN YOU HAVE OFFICERS OUT THERE WORKING ARM IN ARM, MAKING A DIFFERENCE, AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THEY ALL WORK WELL TOGETHER, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND CONSTABLES OFFICE. WHEN YOU HAVE FOLKS OUT THERE DOING THE WORK OF THE INVESTIGATORS, WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS IN RECENT WEEKS ON DOING THE WORK, Y'ALL GET THE PAY. WHEN THEY SEE THEIR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE DOING THE WORK, I THINK, AGAIN, IN TERMS OF PAY EQUITY, IN TERMS OF FAIRNESS, IT PROBABLY SHOULD BE THE SAME. I THINK THERE IS A DIRECT COMPARISON HERE. JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE CONSTABLES, IT IS NOT A REASON NOT TO DO THAT.

>> COMMISSIONER BRIONES . >> I AGREE THAT CIVIL SERVICE IS SOMETHING RELATED YET SEPARATE THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS. IF IT NEEDS TO BE PURSUED, IT NEEDS TO BE PURSUED SEPARATELY. WE HAVE CONSTABLE DEPUTIES WORKING ALONGSIDE SHERIFF DEPUTIES GOING ALONGSIDE VIPER GOING AFTER THE MOST VIOLENT OFFENDERS WITH WARRANTS. SO FROM AN EQUITY AND FAIRNESS PERSPECTIVE, AS SUCH, I MOVE 47, 170, 51, 54 AND 56.

>> ANOTHER QUESTION, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT CIVIL SERVICE HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR DECADES, COMMISSIONER, CAN YOU FILL ME IN

ON THAT? >> CLEARLY THE CONSTABLES AREN'T AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS. FOR WHATEVER REASON, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS NECESSARILY A LEGISLATIVE ISSUE OR INTERNAL TO THE CONSTABLES. THERE ARE CONSTABLES GROUPS OUT THERE THAT HAVE BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH DIFFERENT PARTICULAR GROUPS, UNIONS, IF YOU WILL. TO MAKE THE MOVE TO CIVIL SERVICE. FOR WHATEVER REASON, IT HADN'T HAPPENED.

SOMETHING THAT HADN'T HAPPENED OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.

THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES , ONE IN CIVIL SERVICE AND ONE IN THE OTHER. I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WILL EVER HAPPEN. I'D HATE TO SEE US TIE, AS SOON AS THEY GET CIVIL SERVICE AND THERE IS A COMMITMENT FOR CIVIL SERVICE, THEY CAN MAKE A COMMITMENT. I THINK THERE IS PROBABLY SOME CONCERNS RELATED TO MAKING THAT

PARTICULAR CHANGE. >> I DIDN'T HEAR FROM CONSTABLES ON THIS. MAYBE IT GOT LOST IN THE SHUFFLE SOMEHOW. I JUST FEEL LIKE I STILL HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, IF THERE IS, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE SAYING ABOUT THE CIVIL SERVICE AND DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS GOING ON FOR SO LONG. I GUESS IT GOES BACK TO MY INITIAL QUESTION OF LIKE, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT HAS NOT BEEN THOUGHT ABOUT LOCALLY THAT COULD BE DONE. AND IN TERMS OF THE RANK, IS IT A MATTER OF SALARIES, WHY HAVEN'T THEY JUST INCREASED THE SALARIES FOR THESE FOLKS WHO HAVE A MORE INVOLVED JOB?

>> THE COMMISSIONERS COURT SETS THE PAY SCALE FOR EVERYONE. BUT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT IN PARTICULAR IT IS VERY PERSPECTIVE -- PRESCRIPTIVE. YOU ARE THIS RANK AND THIS IS HOW MUCH YOU MAKE. THE FOLKS WHO ARE IN THOSE JOBS ARE IN INVESTIGATIVE POSITIONS AND ON THE INVESTIGATIVE PAY SCALE.

DETECTIVE PAY SCALE IS HIGHER THAN THE INVESTIGATIVE PAY

SCALE. >> YOU SAID THIS YEAR THEY WOULD HAVE ENOUGH FUNDING BUT THEY WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK AND TALK TO US AND FIGURE IT OUT. LOOK, WHERE I WOULD BE IS TO BUMP THIS FOR THE NEXT COURT BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO TALK TO THE CONSTABLES ABOUT IT AND GET MY QUESTIONS ANSWERED. I'M NOT FUNDAMENTALLY OPPOSED OR FUNDAMENTALLY, THIS MUST HAPPEN, I THINK EVERYTHING MY COLLEAGUES ARE SAYING MAKES A LOT OF SENSE. I JUST HAVE MORE QUESTIONS AND I'D LIKE TO SEE COUNTY ATTORNEY RUN THIS DOWN.

THAT WOULD BE MY REQUEST UNTIL NEXT COURT. WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE. IS THERE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER RAMSEY MADE A SECOND, ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION ON THAT MOTION?

[02:20:01]

>> ABSTAIN. >> I AM A POST AND I'D LIKE TO SEE THIS MOVE TO THE NEXT COURT AND I WILL DISCUSS IT WITH OTHERS. I MEAN, IF WE ABSTAIN, IT'S THE SAME THING, IT'S ONLY GOT TWO VOTES. CAN WE TABLE THIS AND BRING IT BACK?

>> WE JUST DID. >> GREAT.

>> JAMES, FOR THE RECORD THOUGH, THIS IS THE FORMER JUDGE IN ME, WHAT IS THE REFERENT -- RECORD GOING TO REFLECT, PLEASE?

>> TWO YESES, ONE KNOW AND TWO ABSTENTIONS.

>> I WAS GOING TO SAY, CAN WE JUST DO NO ACTION. BUT YOU SAY IT HAS FAILED. WE WILL DISCUSS IT, FOLKS, FROM THE CONSTABLES OFFICE. THE NEXT COURT IS WHEN? I THINK WE WILL HAVE TIME.

>> THERE ARE ALREADY TWO CONSTABLE OFFICES THAT ALREADY

WANT TO BE ON THE NEXT ONE. >> THAT MAKES MORE SENSE.

>> THESE ARE THE SAME ITEMS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP IN THE FALL? EXACTLY THE SAME ONES. BUT IN ANY EVENT, THANK YOU.

>> DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE ITEMS PART?

>> IT'S JUST THE SAME ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN COMING UP FOR MONTHS. IN ANY EVENT, THANK YOU, JAMES, FOR RECORDING THE VOTE.

>> I'M NOT AWARE OF THAT. SO, GREAT. LET'S MOVE ONTO THE NEXT ONE. THE NEXT ITEM IS , THANK YOU, YEAH, THEY ARE ALL GOING TOGETHER. IT IS 65, ISN'T IT? IT IS 65 ON THE DISTRICT COURT READ RECENT 4, I THINK YOU WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IT,

COMMISSIONER. >> I BELIEVE, JUDGE, FIRST, BEFORE I MAKE MY COMMENTS MAY WE PLEASE HEAR FROM OUR JUDGES?

>> I WAS HERE THIS MORNING BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE GIVE COMMENTS AS THE REQUESTER ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM. I WANT TO LEND SOME TIME TO JUDGE GRACE HARRINGTON. SHE WAS IN TRIAL WORKING THIS MORNING AND DID NOT HAVE TIME TO COME . I WANTED TO

GIVE HER A FEW MOMENTS. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.

THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE FAMILY COURTS, I AM THE ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE IN FAMILY COURTS. WE ARE HERE, ASKING IN ADDITION TO THE OTHER COURTS FOR THE THREE FAMILY COURTS, WE ARE WORKING HARD AND MOVING CASES EXPEDITIOUSLY. AS THIS COUNTY CONTINUES TO GROW AND DIVERSIFY OUR CASES ARE BECOMING MUCH MORE COMPLEX AND THAT REQUIRES US TO SPEND A LOT MORE TIME ON EACH CASE. BY EXPANDING THE COURTS YOU ARE EXPANDING ACCESS TO JUSTICE, ESPECIALLY IN THE FAMILY COURTS WHERE WE HANDLE HIGHLY SENSITIVE CASES, MANY THAT ARE TIME SENSITIVE AND REQUIRE IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. THANK YOU FOR OUR -- YOUR ATTENTION TO OUR REQUEST TODAY. I YIELD THE REST OF MY TIME.

>> I WANTED TO START MY COMMENTS WITH THANKING YOU ALL FOR THE SUPPORT YOU GAVE THE LAST LEGISLATIVE CYCLE. I TRIED TO SIGNAL THEN AND CONTINUING FROM THERE THAT WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF REALLY TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE JUSTICE SYSTEM IS RIGHT SIZED. THE STATE IS IN THAT PROCESS, THEY ARE CONDUCTING STUDIES ALL THE TIME AND LOOKING AT OUR WORKLOADS. IT IS CLEAR THAT HARRIS COUNTY NEEDS ABOUT 42-59 COURTS. THAT COMPRISES ABOUT HALF OF WHAT THE STATE NEEDS. WHAT THE STATE NEEDS, WE WARMED THE MAJORITY OF THEM. AND THAT MEANS THAT WHEN IT COMES TO THE JUSTICE SYSTEM THROUGHOUT HAUER'S COUNTY IS THE FIRST IN THE NATION. IT ALL DEPENDS ON HARRIS COUNTY. WITH THOSE NUMBERS WE ARE ASKING FOR, THE FIVE CIVIL COURTS, THREE CIVIL COURTS AND THREE JUVENILE COURTS, IT BRINGS HOME THE FACT THAT JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED. IN EVERY ONE OF THOSE COURTS. WE ARE ASKING YOU TO LEAD IN THIS WAY FOR THE FAMILIES OF HARRIS COUNTY, THE INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES IN

[02:25:02]

WHAT HAPPENS IN BETWEEN THE HURRICANES AND THE PANDEMICS AND THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNS, WHAT HAPPENS BETWEEN THERE? YOU'VE GOT TO RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN BETWEEN EVERY HURDLE SO YOU GET TO THE FINISH LINE. WHICH, FOR US, IS A BETTER JUSTICE SYSTEM.

SO I'M ASKING YOU TO NOT FORGET THAT YOU HAVE TO RUN AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN IN BETWEEN THE HURDLES. AND THE WAY TO DO THAT IS TO APPROVE THIS PLAN. THE LAST THING I'LL COVER IS HOW DO YOU PAY FOR IT? I KNOW, AND I'M VERY WELL AWARE OF THE LAW THAT SAYS DISTRICT COURTS HAVE SUPERVISORY AUTHORITY OVER COMMISSIONER COURT BUT THAT IS NOT OUR LANE AS TO WHERE THE MONEY IS AND WHERE IT COMES IN, THAT IS YOUR LANE. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE BUCKETS ARE SO I CAN TELL YOU IN YOUR BUDGET WHERE TO GO FIND IT AND HOW TO PAY FOR IT. BUT WHAT I CAN SAY, ONE, IT

[02:30:05]

>> COMMISSIONER BRIONES FOLLOWED BY COMMISSIONER RAMSEY AND

COMMISSIONER ELLIS . >> THANK YOU JUDGE GRAVES HARRINGTON, MILLER AND ALL THE GUESTS THAT WERE HERE EARLIER.

IT GIVES ME FAITH THAT OUR FUTURE IS BRIGHT. AS YOU WELL KNOW, I WILL PROUDLY BE SUPPORTING THE REQUEST. I HAVE A STAGGERED PROPOSAL AS WELL AS WE REDUCED NUMBERS YET STILL SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR. BEFORE I GO INTO THAT, WHAT MY MOTION WOULD BE, I WANT TO, MY VANTAGE POINT WITH WHY I AGREE WITH YOU FUNDAMENTALLY. WE WANT TO BE A DATA-DRIVEN COUNTY AND CLEARLY BASED ON THE DATA, THE NEED IS EVEN FAR GREATER THAN WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR. THIS IS THE SAME METHODOLOGIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. IF YOU LOOK AT THE TEXAS DATA, WE ARE BEHIND WHAT WE NEED TO BE WHEN WE LOOK AT DALLAS AND OTHER COUNTIES AROUND THE STATE. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT Y'ALL, I ALWAYS WANT US TO BE LEADING FOR THE RIGHT REASONS. I USED TO BE A JUDGE AND HAD A FIRST ROW SEAT FOR THREE YEARS TO THE WORK THAT YOU WILL DO.

BETWEEN THE POPULATION GROWTH AND TO SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WE'VE EXPERIENCED, THE PANDEMIC, HARVEY, ET CETERA AND FRANKLY JUST THAT INCREASED CASE FILINGS, WHICH YOU'VE SHARED ALL THE DATA THIS MORNING AND HAVE CLEARANCE RATES OF OVER 100%. BUT THOSE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE TERM, THAT MEANS THEY ARE CLEARING 100% BUT THE FILINGS JUST KEEP RISING. IT'S NOT THAT THEY ARE SITTING BACK, YOU ARE DOING EVERYTHING YOU CAN WITHIN YOUR POWER WHICH I APPRECIATE PROFOUNDLY. FUNDAMENTALLY, WE SHOULD NOT HAVE PEOPLE IN HARRIS COUNTY WAITING FIVE YEARS AFTER THEY'VE BEEN INJURED IN A CAR ACCIDENT. WHETHER THEY MAY HAVE ENDURED FRAUD, WHETHER THE INSURANCE CARRIERS ARE DENYING THEM COVERAGE, ALL THESE CIVIL MATTERS AND THEN FAMILY CUSTODY.

THIS IS THE KIDS FUTURE. I USED TO BE A TEACHER, JUVENILE JUSTICE IS ANOTHER ISSUE I AM FIRED UP ABOUT. THEY ARE ALL FUNDAMENTALLY IMPORTANT. IF WE WANT HARRIS COUNTY TO BE A BEACON WHERE WE ARE RINGING BUSINESS, COSTS BUSINESSES MONEY IF THEY ARE STUCK IN LITIGATION. WE WANT TO MAKE IT EASY TO DO BUSINESS IN HARRIS COUNTY, MAKE IT EASY TO ACCESS JUSTICE. AND I UNDERSTAND HOW HARD YOU ARE WORKING. THIS IS A SUB OPTIMAL RESULT FOR THE PEOPLE WE HAVE BEEN ELECTED TO SERVE. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TODAY AND ALL THE TIME YOU PUT INTO ASSEMBLING THE DATA AND THE TIME YOU SPEND GOING TO AUSTIN. I HOPE THAT AT LEAST TWO IF NOT MORE OF MY COLLEAGUES WILL JOIN ME IN SUPPORTING. THIS IS STEP ONE OF TWO. BUT I AGREE, WHETHER IT IS THE TAX WORK, INEVITABLY THE ROI WILL BE THERE. THE EMINENT DOMAIN CASES, THERE IS INHERENT ROI IN ADDITION TO THE INCREASED TAX SPACE THAT WE WILL HAVE BECAUSE OF FOLKS THAT WANT TO DO BUSINESS AND MOVED TO HARRIS COUNTY. BUT FUNDAMENTALLY WHAT MOVES ME MOST IS THAT WE WANT TO HAVE THE QUALITY OF JUSTICE THAT THE PEOPLE OF HARRIS COUNTY DESERVE. BECAUSE JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED. IN SOME RECKONING MY DEEP COMMITMENT IN ADVANCING JUSTICE, MY MOTION ESSENTIALLY WOULD BE IN 2026, AT THREE CIVIL DISTRICT COURT'S. IN 2027, IN

[02:35:03]

>> NEXT IS COMMISSIONER ELLIS FOLLOWED BY COMMISSIONER GARCIA.

>> I THINK IT'S COMMISSIONER RAMSEY.

>> I'M SORRY. COMMISSIONER RAMSEY FOLLOWED BY ELLIS AND

THEN GARCIA. >> BEING SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN THROUGH A FEW HURDLES, I WAS NOT A SUCCESSFUL HURDLER. THEY DIDN'T TAKE ME BUT TWO TIMES AROUND THE TRACK AND THAT IS NOT WHAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING. BUT THANK YOU FOR THE DATA. THE TIME I'VE SPENT WITH Y'ALL IN TERMS OF, AND EVEN THOUGH WE QUITE DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS, THEIR NUMBERS AND YOUR NUMBERS, IT IS BALLPARK AND PARTICULARLY SINCE NOW I THINK THERE WERE ROUGHLY 14 MILLION, YOU WERE ROUGHLY 11 MILLION.

>> THAT IS CORRECT. >> AND WHY THE DIFFERENCE?

>> WE ARE TRYING TO RECONCILE THOSE TWO NUMBERS BUT WE DID NOT HAVE A TON OF TIME. DIRECTIONALLY IT IS SOMEWHERE IN

THAT RANGE. >> WHAT I WAS PLEASED WITH, YOU ALREADY HAD THE BUILDING PICKED OUT, THE ROOM PICKED OUT. SO OFTEN WE DO THINGS AND WE DON'T HAVE A CLUE. WE ARE NOT SURE WHAT BUILDING IT'S GOING TO BE IN OR WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH IT. I AM GOING TO SECOND THIS MOTION. I JUST FIND IT CURIOUS THAT WE HAVE NOT ADDED A COURT SINCE 1983. DID EVERYBODY FALL ASLEEP? IS IT A ROUTINE, DO YOU JUST ASK EVERY 10 YEARS AND HOPE

SOMETHING HAPPENS? >> WE'VE ONLY BEEN HERE SINCE

2019. >> I KNOW. BUT I JUST FIND IT ODD. NOW WE GET HERE AND CLEARLY WE HAVEN'T HAD A COURT SINCE 1983 AND CERTAINLY WE ARE THE LARGEST COUNTY IN TEXAS, THIRD LARGEST IN THE U.S. I KNOW WE ARE STILL RECOVERING FROM COVID, SO THERE'S THOSE COVID IMPACTS. I MUSCLED THROUGH SOME NUMBERS LAST NIGHT IN TERMS OF WHAT IS COVID AND WHAT'S NOT. I DON'T KNOW THAT I COULD DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE TWO. CLEARLY WE DO NEED TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS BUSINESS ISSUES IN A COUNTY WHERE WE WANT TO GROW OUR BUSINESSES. THIS IS A BIG, IMPORTANT, I THINK, PART OF THAT. BASED ON YOUR GOOD HOMEWORK AND NOT JUST THE ADVOCACY BUT DOING YOUR HOMEWORK, PUTTING THE DETAILS OUT HERE. I THINK WHAT COMMISSIONER BRIONES PROPOSED IS A GOOD, MEASURED, STAGGERED AND IT HELPS US IN TERMS OF MAKING PLANS. BUT HERE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT REASON I'M GOING TO VOTE FOR THIS. THIS IS A STATUTORY RESPONSIBILITY. THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THIS COURT PREFERENTIALLY DECIDES TO DO. WE WILL JUST ADD THIS PROGRAM, THEY ARE NOT BAD PROGRAMS, BUT THIS IS A STATUTORY RESPONSIBILITY.

AND WE WILL TALK ABOUT ANOTHER STATUTORY RESPONSIBILITY BEFORE WE GET OUT OF HERE TODAY, AND THAT IS ROADS. THERE IS A STATUTORY RESPONSIBILITY AND WE NEED TO ADDRESS THOSE FIRST READ IN FACT, WHEN WE DO OUR BUDGET THIS YEAR, I'M GOING TO SAY THAT WE START WITH THE STATUTORY RESPONSIBILITY . THE JAIL, THE COURTS, THE ROADS. THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. AND THE DISCRETIONARY STUFF THAT WE CHOOSE TO DO, NOT BAD, NECESSARILY, BUT THAT IS A CHOICE. SOME THINGS WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE AND I WOULD PUT THIS IN THE CATEGORY OF WE REALLY DON'T HAVE A CHOICE.

>> NOW, COMMISSIONER ELLIS AND THEN COMMISSIONER GARCIA.

>> THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING AND FOR THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT YOU DO. I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE A DOSE OF REALITY INTO WHERE WE ARE. I WANT TO TURN TO THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND BUDGET OFFICE. THE MILLION-DOLLAR QUESTION IS ALWAYS, WHAT WILL IT COST? NOT JUST 11, 13 OR $14 MILLION. WHAT WILL IT COST TO BUILD A NEW COURT? BUILDING IS IDENTIFIED, HOW WILL WE DO IT? AS I MENTIONED I USED TO BE AN INVESTMENT BANKER. I DON'T WANT US TO THINK EVERY TIME WE PLOT THE CREDIT CARD, IF IT IS ISSUES AND BONDS WE HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. AT SOME POINT IF YOU DON'T

[02:40:02]

VOTE. >> SURE, WE DID NOT GET THE REQUEST IN TIME TO GET THE SAME LEVEL FISCAL REVIEW THAT WE'VE DONE WHEN THE ISSUE CAME UP TWO YEARS AGO. WE KNOW THAT RENOVATING THE INSIDE OF A COURTROOM WILL BE BETWEEN ONE AND $2 MILLION. I THINK THE ISSUE IS, DO WE HAVE ENOUGH SPACE IN OUR EXISTING PORTFOLIO OF FACILITIES DOWNTOWN OR DO WE NEED TO BUILD A NEW ONE? I WOULD DEFER TO THE COUNTY ENGINEER ON

THAT. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. I WILL SAY ON AVERAGE IT WILL COST US 2.5 MILLION-3.5 MILLION, THAT IS JUST THE BALLPARK IF I HAD TO GIVE IT TODAY TO THE COURT.

>> PER COURT? >> YES, SIR.

>> HOW LONG WILL THAT TAKE US TO DO THAT? HOW LONG, MR. COUNTY ATTORNEY, DO WE HAVE TO OPERATE IT?

>> HOW LONG WOULD WE HAVE TO, I'M SORRY?

>> IF THE LEGISLATURE CREATES IT, ONCE IT IS CREATED, HOW LONG

DO YOU HAVE TO SET IT UP? >> IT WOULD DEPEND ON THE INDIVIDUALS, WE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AND SEE I CAN'T

GIVE YOU A NUMBER. >> DO YOU HAVE THE BUILDING

SPACE? >> LAST YEAR WE HAD ABOUT SEVEN MONTHS TO TURN ABOUT SIX QUARTS. THERE ARE SOME SPACES IDENTIFIED BUT I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE ALL THAT SPACE. I DON'T THINK WE DO. ONE CHALLENGE WE HAVE IS THAT COURTROOM, THE CEILINGS START WITH A MINIMUM OF 14 FEET HIGH. THAT TAKES OUT OUR EXISTING OFFICE BUILDING. SO WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK FOR SOMETHING SOMEWHERE ELSE. EVEN IF IT'S DOWNTOWN. AN EXISTING BUILDING, THAT WILL TAKE LESS TIME COMPARED TO IF WE HAD TO BUY THE LAND AND BUILD FROM THE GROUND UP.

>> I KNOW THERE IS PROBABLY OFFICE SPACE WITH VACANCY. YOU ARE SAYING IF WE BOUGHT SOME BUILDING, YOU MEAN IT WOULD BE

DIFFICULT TO GUT IT OUT? >> MOST OF THE DOWNTOWN OFFICE BUILDINGS WILL BE EXCLUDED AND NOT SUITABLE FOR COURT ROOMS.

>> AND HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE TO BUILD ONE?

>> DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF PROJECT, 3 TO 4 YEARS.

>> DID YOU HAVE SOME IDEAS? >> DID YOU TALK TO THEM?

>> WHY DIDN'T THIS COME UP DURING THE NORMAL BUDGET PROCESS? JUST A SECOND, JUDGE, IF YOU DON'T MIND. JUST ASKING THE BUDGET OFFICE. WHEN DID YOU ALL HEAR THIS? I KNOW THERE WAS A COURT ADMINISTRATOR OR SOMEBODY DURING THE PROCESS.

>> I MET WITH THE COURT ADMINISTRATOR FEBRUARY 13TH TO DISCUSS THIS AND THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME I RECEIVED A FORMAL

PROPOSAL. >> NO DISCUSSION OR ANYTHING

BEFORE THAT? >> THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN SOME GENERAL DISCUSSIONS BUT NO PROPOSAL.

>> I'M GOING TO TELL YOU, AND THEN JUDGE, I WILL LET YOU RESPOND. I HAVEN'T BEEN AROUND HERE SINCE 1983. I WAS ELECTED THEN BUT NOT TO THE LEGISLATURE. I WENT ON CITY COUNCIL AND 84. I WENT TO THE LEGISLATURE IN 1990, IF THE COUNTY SET A PROPOSAL UP, FIRST OF ALL IT WOULD NOT BE ACTED ON THIS EARLY. THEY'VE GOT TO GET A BUDGET PASS BEFORE AN ISSUE IS DECIDED. BUT SOMEONE -- IF SOMEONE CAME IN TO SEE ME AND I WAS IN THE LEGISLATURE AND THEY COULDN'T ANSWER BASIC QUESTIONS LIKE, WHERE WOULD IT GO AND WHERE WOULD THE MONEY COME FROM? WHAT WOULD YOU CUT TO BE ABLE TO DO IT? THAT COULD HAVE SOME IMPACT ON WHETHER OR NOT MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATION SHOULD DO IT. THE WAY IT WORKS, IT'S NOT JUST BECAUSE THE COUNTY ASKS FOR IT, IT IS ENTIRELY UP TO THE LEGISLATURE. THAT TRADITION IS ONE THAT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE ON THE SENATE SIDE, APPROPRIATIONS AND THE

[02:45:06]

BECAUSE WITH THE WAY THAT IT WORKS SOMETIMES, SOMEBODY WOULD PUT IN A BILL BECAUSE IT WAS ASKED BY PEOPLE, JUDGES, LAWYERS THAT THEY RESPECT AND THEY KNOW AND WE WILL PLAY THIS LITTLE DANCE. THEN WE WOULD SAY, IT WENT TO CONFERENCE COMMITTEE BUT IT NEVER CAME OUT. BUT IF SOMEBODY CAME IN AND COULDN'T ANSWER THOSE BASIC QUESTIONS LIKE WHERE WOULD IT GO, WHAT WILL IT COST, WILL YOU HAVE TO RAISE YOUR TAXES, WILL IT IMPACT YOUR BOND RATING? IF YOU COULDN'T ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS IT WOULD BE HARD TO PERSUADE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE. I'M JUST TELLING YOU, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEY MAY TELL YOU WHEN YOU COME IN AND YOU ARE A JUDGE, THAT IS THE REASON WHY, COMMISSIONER RAMSEY, MAYBE NOT MANY COURTS WERE CREATED SINCE 1983. I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS THAT BAD. BUT YOU'VE GOT TO INTO THOSE BASIC QUESTIONS. AND OUR PARTNERS AT THE STATE, FOR WHATEVER REASON, PUT A CAP, AS YOU ALL KNOW, ON HOW MUCH WE COULD RAISE REVENUE BEFORE WE GO TO THE VOTERS. AND THERE ARE CERTAIN CATEGORIES IN THE BUDGET THAT WE CANNOT REDUCE IT. THE WIGGLE ROOM WE HAVE FOR THOSE POGROMS THAT COMMISSIONER RAMSEY TALKED ABOUT, THEY ARE ALL GOOD PROGRAMS BUT THEY MAKE IT VERY

DIFFICULT FOR US TO DO THAT. >> I WANTED TO ANSWER A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. THE REQUESTS FOR THE COURTS, WE HAVE KEPT IN OUR BUDGET REQUESTS SINCE LAST CYCLE. WHILE IT MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN SOMETHING THAT WAS TAKEN UP IN AN RCA, IT IS A CONTINUING REQUEST FROM THE COURT. HE WOULD HAVE RECEIVED IT AS PART OF THE CLS PROGRAM, AS PART OF THE THREE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES Y'ALL HAVE THAT WE HAVE TO SUBMIT BUDGET INFORMATION TO ALL PARTIES, THE BUDGET OFFICE, ENGINEERING. WE SENT IT STARTING IN NOVEMBER. THIS SPECIFIC DATA, WE SUPPLEMENTED IT IN FEBRUARY AND WE PUT THE RCA ON THE AGENDA IN FEBRUARY AND THAT IS WHEN THE CONVERSATION HAPPENED. IN TERMS OF THIS BEING A NEW REQUEST, THAT IS NOT THE CASE. IT HAS BEEN A CONTINUING REQUEST THAT THE COURTS CONTINUE TO MAKE. IN ADDITION, WHEN ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLAN THE COUNTY ADOPTED, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WAS, WHAT DOES THE COURT WANT AND WHAT IS THEIR PLAN. WE PRESENTED TO YOU ALL AND WE PRESENTED TO, SOMEWHERE IN THE BUDGET OFFICE, EIGHT TWO YEAR TO ATTEND YOUR PLAN OF WHAT THE COURT WOULD NEED GOING FORWARD. SO, THAT IS MY RESPONSE IN TERMS OF THIS BEING A SURPRISE REQUEST. I DO UNDERSTAND THAT HE DID NOT KNOW IT WOULD BE ON FEBRUARY 27. AND THAT IS WHERE THEY DON'T HAVE SUFFICIENT TIME TO BUILD THIS IN . IN REGARD TO THE SPACE, ALSO IN THAT PLAN, JUST AS WE DID IN THE LAST CYCLE, WE INCLUDED THREE DIFFERENT OPTIONS AND WHERE THESE COURTS CAN GO. AND THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION AS YOU WELL KNOW, ONCE THE LEGISLATOR CREATES THE COURT AND SAYS IT IS EFFECTIVE AS OF THAT DATE, WE DO ALL WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE IS A JUDGE APPOINTED TO FILL THAT COURT, THEY CAN START DAY ONE. WHERE WILL THEY START DAY ONE IS THE QUESTION TO BE DETERMINED. BUT THEY HAVE CASES AND THEY ARE READY TO GO. SO IT IS NOT SOMETHING WE CAN DELAY THE APPOINTMENT OF A JUDGE IF THE LEGISLATURE DECIDES TO CREATE THE COURT EFFECTIVE OF A CERTAIN DAY. WE HAVE ANSWER THE QUESTION ABOUT HOW MUCH IT COSTS AND WE HAVE ANSWERED THE QUESTION ABOUT WHERE ARE THEY GOING TO GO. WE KNEW YOU WOULD HAVE THOSE QUESTIONS. AND WE'VE ANSWERED THE QUESTION AS TO WHY, WHY IS THIS NEEDED. WE'VE ALSO ANSWER THE QUESTION ABOUT HOW THIS FITS IN WITH WHAT SHOULD BE THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE JUDICIARY

IN HARRIS COUNTY. >> THANK YOU.

>> MS. RAMOS, DO YOU HAVE A RESPONSE?

>> I DON'T RECALL OUR REQUEST OF THE BUDGET PROCESS LAST YEAR.

I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK WITHOUT THE DATA IN FRONT OF ME.

>> IF I COULD SPEAK, RICHARD WOODS, DISTRICT COURTS ADMINISTRATOR. JUDGE PAYNE AND I HAVE BEEN IN OUR ROLES FOR THREE YEARS NOW. WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT ADDITIONAL DISTRICT COURTS FOR THREE YEARS. THE FIRST YEAR WE SUBMITTED IT, IT WAS 16 COURTS.

LAST YEAR THE BUDGET PROCESS DID NOT EVEN ALLOW FOR ANY NEW REQUESTS TO BE SUBMITTED AS PART OF THE BUDGET SUBMISSION. YOU

[02:50:03]

WE DID NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUBMIT THE REQUEST FORMALLY

IN THE LAST BUDGET SUBMISSION. >> JUST TO CLARIFY, THE COMMISSIONERS COURT PUT A CAP, WE ARE PUTTING A CAP ON HOW MUCH A DEPARTMENT COULD ASK FOR IN ENHANCEMENTS GIVEN THE NINE FIGURE DEFICIT WE WERE FACING LAST YEAR. I THINK THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE SAYING. THERE WAS NOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK FOR ONLINE COURTS OR WHATEVER THE NUMBER WAS GOING TO BE BECAUSE THAT

REQUEST WAS OVER THE CAP. >> WE COULDN'T PAY FOR IT, YEAH. I WANT TO GET THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATORS THOUGHTS ON THIS AS WELL. AT SOME POINT, IF THEY ARE CREATED, I KNOW YOU'VE GOT TO FUND THEM. YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A PLACE FOR THEM TO GO OR YOU ARE IN VIOLATION OF LAW. THAT MUCH I DO KNOW.

>> FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE WE HAVE NOT HAD TIME TO LOOK AT IT. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON OTHER THINGS. WE GOT THIS WHEN IT CAME IN AS AN RCA. AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE WOULD HOPE AT LEAST WHEN GOING FORWARD, THERE IS A NEED FOR MORE COURTS AT WHATEVER LEVEL. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE WILL BE ANOTHER REQUEST COMING AT THE END OF MARCH FOR COUNTY LAWS AS WELL. SO MORE IS COMING. SO EVERYBODY KNOWS WE HAVE A LEGISLATIVE SESSION EVERY TWO YEARS AND IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE COULD ACTUALLY START SITTING DOWN AND WORKING ON THIS IN THE FALL. AS THE COMMISSIONERS COURT IS WORKING ON THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, LET'S WORK IN TRUE PARTNERSHIP AND START WORKING OUT THE DETAILS TO SEE HOW WE CAN FIT THINGS INTO THE BUDGET. THAT IS THE MAIN CONCERN THAT I HAVE. WE JUST DON'T HAVE TIME TO PLAN IT. IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE RUSH, RUSH, PEOPLE IN, MOVE PEOPLE OVER, HOW ARE WE GOING TO HANDLE THIS? WHEN WE RUSH, THAT'S WHEN WE MAKE MISTAKES AND I'VE SEEN THAT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS IN THE COUNTY. THAT'S THE MAIN THING. IT'S NOT THAT THE COURTS ARE NOT DOING A GREAT JOB DOING THEIR WORK. JUDGES WORK HARD, THEIR STAFF WORKS HARD. WE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO PLAN AND NOW HERE WE ARE BEHIND THE EIGHT

BALL. >> I WILL CLOSE WITH THIS, WE WILL HAVE TO MAKE SOME VERY TOUGH AND PAINFUL DECISIONS. WE HAVE A NEW ADMINISTRATION IN WASHINGTON THAT IS REVIEWING. WE HAVE THE 600 MILLION OR SO THAT WE GET IN FEDERAL MONEY. MAYBE IT'S ALL GOING TO WORK OUT, MAYBE IT WON'T. WE'VE GOT FISCAL CAPS, WE KNOW. WE HAVE COLLEAGUES THAT WILL BE PUTTING THEIR NAMES ON THE BALLOT. WHICH MEANS THAT NO MATTER HOW CHALLENGING IT MAY BE, IT WILL BE A REAL TOUGH TIME TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS THAT COULD END SOMEBODY'S CAREER. I GET IT. I HAVEN'T LASTED 40 YEARS IN THIS BUSINESS WITHOUT KNOWING THAT THERE IS A CERTAIN CYCLE WHEN THAT HAPPENS. THE MINUTE I WAS FINANCE CHAIR I TOLD MY SUCCESSOR, IT'S NOT BY ANNUAL BUDGET IT IS A FOUR-YEAR BUDGET. BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DO CERTAIN THINGS WHEN YOU KNOW YOU'VE GOT TO PASTE VOTERS AGAIN. YOU'RE JUST NOT GOING TO DO IT. WE ARE IN UNCERTAIN TIMES. WE HAD A BIG DISCUSSION ABOUT EXECUTIVE PAY. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT EQUITY FOR FOLKS AT THE BOTTOM. WE COULD HAVE ANOTHER EMERGENCY THAT COMES UP. DON'T KNOW IF THERE WILL BE STRINGS TIED TO GETTING THAT MONEY, THEY HAVEN'T BEEN TIED IN THE PAST, WE JUST DON'T KNOW. I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO PUT SOME SERIOUS THOUGHT INTO THIS. THIS WAS GOING TO BE A BUSINESS COURT MEETING, WE COULD HAVE BEEN HERE FIVE MINUTES. I THINK WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT FIVE HOURS OR SO, SO FAR. IT IS VERY HARD TO TELL PEOPLE YOU LIKE AND THAT YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN'T DO SOMETHING. BUT YOU BETTER PUT ON THE BIG BOY, BIG GIRL HEALS AND BRITCHES. AND FIGURE OUT HOW YOU WILL DO IT.

LOOK, I WILL TAKE THE HEAT. MY NAME WAS ABOUT TO GO ON THE BALLOT. BUT IT IS A REAL CHALLENGE TO FIGURE OUT HOW YOU WILL COME UP WITH MORE MONEY AND THE NOOSE WILL GET TIGHTER.

[02:55:03]

BUT JUSTICE COSTS MONEY. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT IS WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT. NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE TO FOLLOW STATUTORY MANDATES, WE HAVE TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE. WHETHER WE LIKE IT

OR NOT. THANK YOU. >> COMMISSIONER GARCIA.

>> THANK YOU. BUDGET DIRECTOR, DID YOU REACH OUT TO THEM TO TRY

TO WORK THIS OUT FINANCIALLY? >> WHEN WE GOT THE PROPOSAL, RICHARD AND I MET THE SAME DAY TO GO OVER THE FISCAL REVIEW AND WE PUT IT THROUGH PROCESS. IF THIS IS A PRIORITY OF THE COURT

WE WILL WORK AROUND IT. >> HAVE YOU MET WITH THEM, DID YOU ASK TO MEET WITH THEM TO WORK THROUGH THIS PARTICULAR

PROPOSAL? >> WE MET FEBRUARY 13.

>>

>> THE ITEM THAT COMMISSIONER BRIONES HAS PUT IS SOME COURTS

THIS YEAR THREE AND TWO AND 27? >> THREE IN 2026 AND TWO IN

2027. AND ONE FAMILY? IN 27. >> THERE IS NO DOUBT AND I GET IT HOW THE CIVIL COURTS PLAY INTO THE BROAD ECONOMY AND THAT IS SOMETHING I TEND TO PAY ATTENTION TO. OVER, COMMISSIONER ELLIS MAKES A COMPELLING ARGUMENT THAT WE ARE PUTTING 100 MILLION ASIDE TO FLOAT PROGRAMS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO US, THAT IS NOT TYPICALLY SOMETHING WE DO. SO WE ARE TYING UP IMPORTANT MONEY THAT WOULD'VE MADE THIS CONVERSATION VERY DIFFERENT. SO I WOULD ASK YOU, WOULD YOU, IS IT ALL OR NOTHING FOR YOU ALL?

>> ALL AS IN? >> YOU MADE THE PROPOSAL. IS IT

ALL OR NOTHING? >> I THINK HIM HIS FAMILY AND

JUVENILE. >> OBVIOUSLY THAT OUR REQUEST.

AS YOU DID LAST YEAR WE HAD 16, YOU CAME UP TO SAY WE WILL RECOMMEND OR SUPPORT SIX, CRIMINAL DISTRICT COURT'S SO WE LEAVE THAT IN YOUR HANDS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO SUPPORT. BUT THE REQUEST IS NINE.

>> THINK IT. COMMISSIONER BRIONES I AM NOT COMFORTABLE FOR A LOT OF THE SAME REASONS COMMISSIONER ELLIS HAS LAID OUT BUT I WOULD ASK FOR A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO LEAVE YOUR MOTION TO BE, TO STAY AT THE MOTION MADE FOR CIVIL COURTS TO NOT

INCLUDE THE JUVENILE AND FAMILY. >> IF YOU WOULD ACCEPT THE FRIENDLY MOTION I'M INCLINED TO SUPPORT.

>> GIVEN FISCAL CHALLENGES AND CONSTRAINTS AND GIVEN THE FACT THAT JUVENILE COURT IS 5 MILLION FAMILIES 1.18 VERSUS CIVIL 641 THERE IS A BIG COST DEALT AND FOR ME READING THE DATA THE CASE FOR MORE CIVIL COURTS WAS INCREDIBLY CLEAR AND COMPELLING GIVEN THE CASE FILINGS AND EVERYTHING WE TALKED ABOUT ANYTHING THERE WAS A DIFFERENCE IN MY IDEAL WORLD I WANT BUT I RECOGNIZE WE ARE FAR FROM MY IDEAL WORLD BUT I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THE JUDGE'S THOUGHTS. I WOULD RATHER MAKE PROGRESS AND MOVE FORWARD AND IF THAT MEANS HAVING THE VOTES TO DO SO,

ABSOLUTELY. >> LET ME HAVE MY OPPORTUNITY TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS. RIGHT NOW, THE REQUEST IS NINE . OF THOSE,

HOW MANY CIVIL? >> FIVE.

>> COMMISSIONER GARCIA IS PROPOSING HOW MANY?

>> FIVE. >> NOT JUVENILE OR FAMILY. OKAY.

SO THEN, I UNDERSTAND YOU GUYS HAVE NOT HAD A CHANCE TO MEET IN

[03:00:02]

WHAT IS IT THAT YOU GUYS THINK IT WILL COST VERSUS WHAT DIRECTOR RAMOS THINGS IT WILL COST.

>> THERE HAVE BEEN EXTENSIVE CONVERSATIONS. I THINK RICHARD AND DANIEL HAVE COME TO TERMS AS TO WHAT WAS MISSING FROM ONE NUMBER TO THE OTHER SO I THINK IT'S HIGHLY LIKELY WE WILL GET TO THE 14.5 , PROBABLY NOT EXCEED BECAUSE THE NUMBER WAS UNDER OURS. I THINK THAT'S THE NUMBER WAY WE THINK IT IS GIVEN STAFFING SUPPORT THAT'S NEEDED. 14 1/2 OR ALL NINE CORDS EXCLUDES THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT PART OF IT WHICH IS MINIMAL TO ZERO FOR JUVENILE. BUT WE DO NOT HAVE THE EXACT NUMBERS ON THE BUILDOUT OF THE CIVIL COURT WITH THE BUILDOUT OF FAMILY COURT, WE BUILD OUT 507 ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO. SO WE WILL PULL THE NUMBERS. ESTIMATE FROM THE NUMBERS WE WERE ABLE TO PULL GOING BACK 12 YEARS WAS THAT IT COST 2.5 MILLION, 10 YEARS AGO

FOR THE FAMILY COURT. >> WHEN YOU GUYS WERE TALKING AND I DON'T REMEMBER WHO MENTIONED, YOU HAVE SOME PROPOSALS , THREE PROPOSALS AS TO THE LOCATIONS SO WHAT ARE THOSE? IS THE CEILING HIGH ENOUGH?

>> I DIDN'T RESPOND TO THE BUILDING. OBVIOUSLY OUR PUSH, REQUEST, IS TO KEEP THE COURTS IN THE JUDICIAL COMPLEX, KEEP THEM WITH CJC, THE CIVIL COURTHOUSE AND JUVENILE. THE FIRST PROPOSAL IS TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THE BOND PROPOSAL VOTED ON SOMETIME AGO FOR THE FAMILY LAW CENTER. IF YOU BUILD A NEW FAMILY LAW CENTER YOU CAN MOVE THE FAMILY LAW COURTS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE CIVIL COURT BUILDING INTO THEIR OWN BUILDING AS WELL AS MOVING THE PROBATE COURTS INTO THE

BUILDING, AS WELL. >> JUST TO UNDERSTAND PLAN A , THIS SOUNDS EXPENSIVE. WHERE WOULD WE GET THE MONEY?

>> THERE WAS A BOND SOME YEARS AGO, WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS SO YOU ALL PROBABLY KNOW MORE THAN I DO. VOTERS APPROVED YOU ALL GETTING A BOND AND CONSTRUCTING A FAMILY LAW

CENTER. >> THERE WAS A SUCCESSFUL BOND.

>> WHAT YEAR? >> 2007. THE, WE TOOK SO LONG THE AG WOULD NOT ALLOW US TO USE AUTHORIZATION, BUT THIS IS ELIGIBLE FOR NON-VOTED COMMERCIAL DEBT.

>> DO WE HAVE ENOUGH COMMERCIAL PAPER DEBT AVAILABLE?

>> YES WE COULD USE IT. WE HAVE IT AVAILABLE, IT WOULD BE A POLICY CHOICE FOR THE READERS THAT AND WHEN WE ISSUED THE DEBT WE HAVE TO PAY IT BACK TO RAISE THE DEBT RATE FOR THE COUNTY.

>> SO THAT WOULD AFFECT THE CREDIT RATING?

>> ON THE DEBT RATE IF YOU TO THE DEBT YOU HAVE TO PAY IT BACK

SO IT WOULD RAISE THE RATE. >> GOT IT. THAT IS ONE.

>> TWO IS IF YOU DON'T BILL THE FAMILY LAW CENTER OR IN THE INTERIM IS TO MOVE SOME SERVICES IN THE CIVIL COURTHOUSE, WE HAVE SOME FLOORS WITH OFFICES THAT CAN BE TURNED INTO COURTROOMS, THE BUILDING IS A COURTHOUSE BUILDING WHICH MEANS CEILINGS ON THESE SPACES ARE SUFFICIENT, TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO WHICH IS OUTFIT A COURTROOM. WE DO HAVE THE DISTRICT CLERK'S OFFICE AND THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE. WE BELIEVE ANYTHING THAT IS NOT ANCILLARY TO THE COURT FILINGS COULD BE MOVED TO ANOTHER OFFICE BUILDING AND I WOULD PLAY UP SPACE, GIVING SPACE TO BUILD

COURTROOMS IN THAT BUILDING. >> OKAY WHAT'S THE THIRD?

>> THE THIRD ONE IS WE DON'T MOVE THEM OUT OF THE SPACE WE WOULD STILL BUILD OUT SOME FREE SPACES WE HAVE ON 17, ON EIGHT WE HAVE COURTROOMS AND THEN WE WOULD MOVE SOME COURTS INTO THE

EXISTING FAMILY LAW CENTER. >> OKAY WHICH NOBODY LIKES.

>> NOBODY LIKES AND THAT'S NOT MY PREFERRED PLAN BECAUSE I

[03:05:11]

>> OKAY ONE OF THE ITEMS WE DISCUSSED LATER IS SOME ADDITIONAL STAFF THAT THE SHERIFF NEEDS TO KEEP THE JAIL IN COMPLAINTS. MY QUESTION IS I AM HERE SAYING WE CANNOT AFFORD THIS SO HOW COME WE CAN AFFORD THE SHERIFF'S ITEM? MY UNDERSTANDING IS BECAUSE THAT WILL PAY FOR ITSELF, LESS OVERTIME AND ANYWAY, WHAT ARE THE DETAILS AND YOU MADE A SIMILAR ARGUMENT SO I WOULD LIKE TO PARSE THAT OUT.

>> ON THE SHERIFF ONE, THE POSTER BEING FILLED CURRENTLY WITH OVERTIME, FOLKS ON MANDATORY OVERTIME. THE REASON IT'S RELATIVELY BUDGET NEUTRAL, THERE IS A STARTUP COST BECAUSE WE HAVE TO PAY FOLKS IN TRAINING NOT ABSORBING THE OVERTIME.

>> IT'S ABOUT 2 MILLION? >> THAT'S CORRECT.

>> THESE ARE BACKFILLING POSITIONS. THESE WILL BE FTE POSITIONS THAT ARE BACKFILLING FOR WHAT IS CURRENTLY OVERTIME AND WE BELIEVE WHEN IT IS A LITTLE EARLY, BUT WE ALSO BELIEVE THE STRONGER THE STAFFING OF THE SHERIFF THE MORE POTENTIAL FOR BRINGING FOLKS THAT ARE CURRENTLY OUTSOURCED

BACK TO HARRIS COUNTY. >> YOUR PROJECTION IS HOW LONG UNTIL THAT BECOMES BUDGET NEUTRAL?

>> THE ONLY PART THAT'S NOT NEUTRAL IS THE TRAINING COST

ABOUT 2 MILLION. >> OKAY WHEN WILL THE SAVINGS OKAY BECAUSE SALARIES ARE THE SAME. SO IT'S ONLY $2 MILLION INVESTMENT UP FRONT. WE MAY END UP SAVING MONEY IF WE BRING PEOPLE IN FROM BEING OUTSOURCED WHICH IS EXPENSIVE. SO THAN THE JUDGE WAS TALKING ABOUT , THERE MAY BE COST SAVINGS?

>> I REFERRED TO THE INCREASED FEES THAT WOULD HAPPEN WITH REGARD TO THE COURTS BEING ABLE TO HANDLE MORE CASES AND FILINGS THAT WILL HAPPEN IN CIVIL COURTS AND FAMILY COURTS AND OTHERWISE.

IF YOU BELIEVE IF YOU FILE IN HARRIS COUNTY IT'S GOING TO TAKE SIX YEARS TO GET YOUR BUSINESS DISPUTE RESOLVED OR GET YOUR PARTNERSHIP PROPERTY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, YOU'RE GOING TO CHOOSE ANOTHER VENUE TO FILE IN. THAT'S ONE, THE CIVIL COURTS HANDLE THE TAX CASES , TAXES THAT ARE OWED TO THE COUNTY, PROPERTY TAXES, WE HANDLE THOSE CASES. THE MORE COURTS WE HAVE, JUDICIAL OFFICERS THAT ARE ABLE TO EFFICIENTLY HANDLE THOSE CASES FASTER , THE MORE THE COUNTY CAN RECEIVE REVENUE. TO HAVE A NUMBER? I DON'T HAVE A NUMBER, I HAVE NOT RUN THE CALCULATION NECESSARY.

>> IT IS AN IDEA. >> FOR THE CIVIL COURTS IF WE DID FIVE CIVIL COURTS HOW MUCH WOULD THAT COST?

>> ROUGHLY 650,000 EACH SO A LITTLE OVER 3 MILLION.

>> STARTUP COST WHICH WE DON'T REALLY KNOW?

>> SORRY SPEAKING THROUGH YOU, BUT WE WOULD NEED TIME TO HAVE FACILITY FOLKS GO AND PUT EYES ON THE SPACE.

>> LOOK, IT'S REALLY TOUGH AND WE FIND OURSELVES IN THIS SITUATION EVERY YEAR WHEN INCOME TAX RATE SEASON THERE IS NOBODY HERE AND A COUPLE OF US MAKE THE CASE WE NEED TO RAISE REVENUE SO WE CAN PAY FOR THINGS. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BETWEEN THE HURDLES, YOU KNOW I HAVE JUST BEEN A BROKEN RECORD, IN 2022 WHEN I WAS ON THE BALLOT AND THIS YEAR THIS LAST YEAR WHEN MY ELECTION CYCLE IS ABOUT TO START BECAUSE I THINK YOU CAN GET ELECTED BY BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AND NOT PUTTING OUR COUNTY INTO THIS FISCAL CLIFF. WE INHERITED A COUNTY THAT WAS STABLE FINANCIALLY. THE LEGISLATURE HAS DONE A NUMBER IN TERMS OF NOT ALLOWING US TO RAISE PROPER REVENUE AND POLITICS HAVE BEEN AT PLAY. WE HAD A SPECIFIC OPPORTUNITY LAST FALL. A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO RUN FAST AND IT WAS TO GO TO THE VOTERS AND ASK WHETHER OR NOT THEY WERE WILLING TO PUT THE TAX RATE AT A HIGHER LEVEL THAT WOULD STILL BE LOWER THAN WHATEVER EXISTED . SO WHEN

[03:10:06]

>> HAVE NOT BEEN DOING A GOOD JOB KEEPING TIME TODAY WHERE

WELL PAST 10 MINUTES. >> MOTION TO CONTINUE?

>> MOTION TO EXTEND. >> MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BRIONES, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER ELLIS. ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

>> WE WANT TO SAY SOMETHING BUT BASED ON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM THE MAJORITY OF MY COLLEAGUES THE AMENDED INCORPORATING THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT SO AGAIN WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS MOVING FORWARD TO THE BEST DEGREE POSSIBLE GIVEN FISCAL CONSTRAINTS WOULD BE A MOTION TO ESTABLISH FIVE DISTRICT COURTS STAGGERED OVER TWO-YEAR PERIOD AS FOLLOWS, THREE CIVIL DISTRICT COURT'S 2026 AND TWO CIVIL DISTRICT COURT'S IN 2027.

>> MOTIONED BY COMMISSIONER BRIONES, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER ELLIS. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY COMMISSIONER ELLIS AND

COMMISSIONER GARCIA. >> DO YOU HAVE ANY SENSE AS TO THE CRIMINAL CHARGES REQUEST WILL BE? I JUST DON'T WANT TO VOTE IN A VACUUM IF WE'RE VOTING BLINDLY I WOULD LIKE TO

PUT THE SHADES ON. >> IT IS ALL THE DISTRICT

COURTS. >> CIVIL?

>> THERE WAS REFERENCE TO ANOTHER COUNTY COURT .

>> CRIMINAL COURT AT LAW. >> CRIMINAL? FOUR COUNTY COURT AT LAW CRIMINAL IS THE UNDERSTANDING, THAT'S WHAT WE

SAW THIS WEEK. >> THAT WILL BE COMING?

>> YES OR, MARCH 27. 'S WERE GOING TO LET THE SPACE ISSUE, WE CAN SPECULATE BUT AT SOME POINT YOU TO COME UP TO THE MIC AND HE WILL ASK, REGARDLESS OF THE VOTE SO I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE RECORD QUICK AND FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH I DID SERVE IN THE LEGISLATURE 28 YEARS AND I'M TELLING YOSEMITE CAME INTO MY OFFICE AND THE COUNTY VOTED FOR THIS PARTICULARLY LARGEST COUNTY IN THE STATE WITH IF AND MAYBES IT WOULD NOT BE VERY PERSUASIVE ON MY PART BUT THE LEGISLATURE IS PROBABLY MUCH BRIGHTER NOW THAN WHEN I WAS THERE. WANT TO HEAR YOUR COMMENTS ON SPACE.

AVAILABLE TODAY BUT WE CAN START LOOKING AT WHAT WE HAVE WITH AVAILABLE SPACE. FINDING ALL SPACES WITH THE COURT WILL BE

TOUGH . >> WHY DO YOU HAVE TO HAVE HIGH CEILINGS? I KNOW THAT IS TRADITION, BUT WE HAVE MICROPHONES AND ALL OF THAT. WHY IS THAT A REQUIREMENT IN 2025?

>> I WANT TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS. MOST OF THEM HAVE HIGH CEILINGS BUT I'M WONDERING IF THAT'S TRADITION AT SOME POINT TECHNOLOGY COULD IMPROVE THAT.

[03:15:03]

>> I WILL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.

>> MR. RAMOS AND WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU GET TO COMMENT AS WELL BECAUSE I AM ASSUMING, GUESSING THE REASON THE COURT DID NOT GO ISSUE BONDS IN 2007 IS BECAUSE HE THAT THEY WERE THE CEOS AT SOME POINT YOU HAVE OBLIGATION TO RAISE THE TAX TO PAY FOR IT.

PEOPLE ACT LIKE THE CREDIT CARD IS FREE MONEY SO I'M GUESSING THE REASON THEY DID NOT ISSUE THE BONDS IN 2007, THEY DID NOT SEE THE VOTES COMING DOWN THE ROAD HAVE TO RAISE PROPERTY TAX TO SERVICE THE DEBT. FROM YOUR VANTAGE POINT , I SAW SOMEBODY HOLDING A SIGN ABOUT A JAIL. KNOWING OTHER ISSUES COMING WITH DISCUSSIONS, WHATEVER HAPPENS ABOUT ENTERTAINMENT VENUES AND EVERYTHING ELSE ALL OF THIS WILL COST MONEY SO AT SOME POINT I KNOW YOU WILL SAY IS A POLICY DECISION, BUT AS A BUDGET DIRECTOR AT SOME POINT YOU HAVE TO TELL US WHEN ARE WE GOING TO BLOW THE CAP? AND HAVE OTHER ISSUES?

>> WE PLAN COMING ON THE MARCH 27 COURT TO UPDATE COMMISSIONERS COURT ON THE DEBT PORTFOLIO SO YOU ALL HAVE , YOU CAN SEE WHERE WE ARE AT, WHERE WE ARE HEADED AND HOW MUCH DEBT WE COULD ADD WITHOUT RAISING OR LOWERING THE TAX RATE OR RAISING. SPOKEN WANT TO SEE THE HAND GO LOWER WITH THE WAY WE ARE SPENDING MONEY, GOOD LUCK. ANYTHING YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON?

>> AS FAR AS THE FAMILY LAW CENTER I HAVE TO AGREE, IN CONVERSATIONS WITH HIM THERE ARE ISSUES WITH STRUCTURAL ISSUES WITH THE BUILDING SO THOSE ARE THINGS WE WANT TO GET PEOPLE OUT AND FIND SPACE. WE DON'T WANT TO REPOPULATE. I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY EXPENSIVE TO TRY TO RENOVATE RATHER THAN TEAR IT DOWN AND DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. CEILING HEIGHTS, A LOT OF IT WAS CIVIL COURTS THERE'S A LOT OF DATA DOCUMENTATION, EVEN WITH THE NEW TECHNOLOGY AND SCREENS BEING ABLE TO SEE FROM THE JURY BOX, THERE'S A LOT OF SCIENCE BEHIND THAT WE CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON AND I'M SURE DR. RAMON WILL DO THAT BUT HAVING BEEN INVOLVED IN A COUPLE COURTHOUSE PROJECTS IN A PRIOR LIFE, THERE IS, IT IS A REAL THING. IT IS NECESSARY. FOR THE COURTROOM DOES NOT JUST, RIGHT, IT HELPS THINGS MOVE FASTER AND EVERYBODY HAS THE RIGHT LINE OF SIGHT AND IS FOR SECURITY AND THE JURY. SO I THINK THE HEIGHT THINK IS A REAL ISSUE WE WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH. AND YOU KNOW FROM MY PERSPECTIVE IF WE ARE WORKING AND THE COMMISSIONERS COURT WANTS US TO CATCH UP, WANTS THE COUNTY TO CATCH UP WITH A NUMBER OF DISTRICT AND COUNTY COURTS AT LAW THAN THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR STATE COURT IS RECOMMENDING, WE SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO WORK WITH THE JUDICIARY AND START PLANNING THE PROCESS. DO THE STRATEGY ON HOW WE WILL COME EVERY COUPLE YEARS AND HOW WE ARE GOING TO AFFORD THIS AND MAKE THE SPACE BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST A BUILDING. IT IS ALSO THE JURY ROOMS. AND YOU KNOW THE JURY SELECTION AND PARKING DOWNTOWN AND IT IS ALL THE ANCILLARY THINGS THAT HAPPEN. WE CAN PLAN IT AND HAVE TIME AND RUNWAY TO DO THIS, THEN IT HELPS US ALL AND WE CAN ALL GO UNITED AND EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE WHERE THE FUNDING IS COMING FROM BECAUSE AT THIS POINT THE PROJECTIONS THAT OMB IS PUTTING TOGETHER THAT HAS NOT BEEN SHARED YET, WE ARE ALREADY IN THE RED AT THIS EARLY POINT AND WE'VE NOT EVEN KICKED OFF THE BUDGET PROCESS FY 26. SO YOU KNOW WHAT WE HAVE TO DO , THE NEW REVENUE WILL NOT GET US THERE. WE HAVE TO DIG AND CUT SO WHAT ARE WE GOING TO CUT? BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN ALL THE NEW REQUIREMENTS AND THE NEW THINGS HITTING THE BUDGET AND WE NEED TO DIG AND THAT'S GOING TO BE

HARD. >> LOOK, I CAN COUNT AS WELL, I WON'T SUPPORT THIS TODAY AND IS NOT PERSONAL. I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING THE FINANCE CHAIR FOR A MINUTE IN THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE. I AM PROUD THAT THE BUDGET PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. I'M SURE MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES WOULD BE SHOCKED TO SEE THAT I REMEMBER A FEW THINGS FROM THE EXPERIENCE. I DON'T THINK IT IS A GOOD LOOK WHEN YOU GO IN HAPHAZARDLY IN WHAT WAS AN EMERGENCY MEETING OVER FEDERAL FUNDING AND THEN YOU COME IN AND

[03:20:02]

>> COMMISSIONER GARCIA. >> THANK YOU. AS THIS CONVERSATION WENT ON, MY SUPPORT FOR THIS ITEM HAS GOT WEAKER. I WILL STAY WITH IT BECAUSE OF THE POINT MADE ON THE ECONOMIC IMPACT. HOWEVER I HOPE YOU GUYS WILL TAKE THIS AS A LEARNING LESSON THAT WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO BRING ITEMS BEFORE US THAT HAVE A FISCAL IMPACT, I AM HEARING VERY DIFFERENT INFORMATION ABOUT CONVERSATION THAT DID HAPPEN WITH MR. RAMOS THAT DID NOT HAPPEN WITH OCA. THE ENGINEERS GETTING CAUGHT FLAT FOOTED THAT'S NOT THE WAY WE SHOULD BE DOING BUSINESS HERE. SO I ASK NEXT TIME AND YOU KNOW WHAT I CAUGHT THE POINT THAT YOU BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS ALL ALONG. EVERY YEAR IS A NEW YEAR JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT, COMMISSIONER ELLIS HAS ASKED FOR PAY EQUITY FOR QUITE SOME TIME BUT HE PUTS THINGS ON THE AGENDA AND KEEPS WORKING ON IT FISCAL YEAR AFTER FISCAL YEAR AND THAT'S THE WAY I WOULD HOPE YOU GUYS WOULD TAKE THIS. SO I WOULD MUCH RATHER HEAR THAT YOU POWER THROUGH CONVERSATIONS AND WHEN WE ARE READY FOR THE FULL POLICY DECISION BY THIS BODY WE ARE READY. HERE WE ARE I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG WE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING THIS. OVER ONE HOUR OR A COUPLE HOURS AND WE ARE WORKING THROUGH THIS AT THE TABLE THAT'S NOT THE WAY YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DO IT. SO I WOULD HOPE YOU ALL WILL TAKE THIS AS A LEARNING LESSON AND I'M ALMOST AT THE POINT LIKE SHARK TANK I AM OUT, BUT I DO RECOGNIZE HOW THIS PLAYS. IF YOU WORKED THROUGH THIS DIFFERENTLY YOU MAY HAVE HAD THE WHOLE PACKAGE PUT FORWARD , THANK YOU.

>> OKAY THERE IS A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BRIONES WITH FRIENDLY AMENDMENT OR SHOULD WE JUST TAKE THE GARCIA MOTION?

>> AS AMENDED. >> DO YOU NEED IT AGAIN? SO, MOTION TO ESTABLISH FIVE DISTRICT COURTS STAGGERED OVER TWO-YEAR PERIOD AS FOLLOWS. THREE CIVIL DISTRICT COURT'S IN 2026 AND TWO CIVIL DISTRICT COURT'S IN 2027

>> OKAY MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BRIONES SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GARCIA. ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? I AM ABSTAINING, THINK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.

>> THANK YOU, JUDGES. >> I WILL SHOW THREE YES, NO AND

ABSTENTION. >> CAN WE TAKE A 10 MINUTE BREAK

BEFORE WE CLOSE THE BATHROOMS? >> WE CAN BUT HAVE TO TAKE OFF BETWEEN 3:15 AND 4:00. I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW, BUT I GET IT.

OKAY,

>> I'M JUST GOING TO START BECAUSE I'VE GOT TO RUN. IT IS 3:04, COMMISSIONERS COURT IS BACK IN SESSION. COMMISSIONER ELLIS I UNDERSTAND YOU WANT TO BRING BACK THREE TRANSMITTALS TO

DISCUSS? >> QUICK 138, 139, 140 AND 170.

>> 140 AND 170. >> 171.

>> 138, 139 , 140, 170. 171. NOT 170.

[03:25:09]

>> OKAY, LET ME JUST READ THIS TO MAKE SURE I'M NOT MISSING ANYTHING. 138, TRANSMITTAL OF THE RACIAL PROFILING REPORT FOR TRAFFIC CITATIONS BY PRECINCT 1, 139 SAME THING FOR CONSTABLE PRECINCT 5, 140 SAME CONSTABLE PRECINCT 8 AND 171 SAME THING

CONSTABLE PRECINCT 4 OKAY. >> LOOK QUICKLY I WORKED ON THE

ISSUE. >> I WAS GOING TO SAY BECAUSE I HAVE TO GO WHY DON'T I LET YOU GUYS DISCUSS WHILE I AM GONE FOR WHENEVER YOU CAN DISCUSS THIS AND THE THREE EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS AND I CAN COME BACK AND WE CAN DISCUSS THE OTHER TWO BIG ITEMS. INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE JAIL I WANT TO SAY. IF YOU DON'T MIND COMMISSIONER I WILL LET YOU TAKE OVER AND I WILL BE

BACK IN ONE HOUR, THANK YOU. >> COLLEAGUES WILL QUICKLY ON THOSE ITEMS. I WORKED ON THIS ISSUE WITH SENATOR IN THE LEGISLATURE THAT'S WHY THE REPORTS HAVE TO BE FILED AND I KNOW WE MADE A COMMITMENT TO LOOK AT RACIAL DISPARITIES IN THE HARRIS COUNTY LEGAL SYSTEM AFTER MR. FLOYD'S FUNERAL.

THESE RACIAL PROFILE REPORTS TRANSMITTED BY CONSTABLE ONE, FOUR, FIVE AND EIGHT SHOW STARK RACIAL DISPARITIES IN TRAFFIC STOPS THAT THE CONSTABLES ARE PERFORMING, PRECINCT 5 FOR EXAMPLE BLACK DRIVERS OVERREPRESENTED NEARLY TWICE THE PROPORTION OF BLACK RESIDENTS IN THE PRECINCT. 63% OF TRAFFIC STOPS PRECINCT 5 RESULTING IN CITATION AND ARRESTS WERE BLACK DRIVERS BLACK RESIDENTS MAKE UP LESS THAN 17% OF PRECINCT 5. IN CONTRAST, 8% OF STOPS RESULTING IN CITATION AND ARREST WHITE DRIVERS, WHITE RESIDENTS MAKE UP OVER 28% OF PRECINCT 5 PRECINCTS ONE, FOUR AND EIGHT DID NOT SUBMIT DEMOGRAPHIC DATA SO WE CANNOT PERFORM THE SAME ANALYSIS. WE DO KNOW PRECINCT 1, FOUR, FIVE AND EIGHT, BLACK DRIVERS WERE ARRESTED AT TRAFFIC STOPS MORE THAN ANY OTHER RACE. IN ALL THE SAME PRECINCTS WHITE DRIVERS WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE LET OFF WITH EITHER A WRITTEN, VERBAL WARNING AND I THINK IN THIS DAY AND AGE WE OUGHT TO NOT LET THOSE RACIAL DISPARITIES GO BY WITH AT LEAST COMMENTING ON THEM AND JUST SLIP THROUGH WITHOUT TAKING SOME CRITICAL STEPS TOWARD ACCOUNTABILITY. I KNOW I HAVE ASKED FOR POLICIES TO BE ADOPTED, BUT WE HAVE NOT DONE THAT FOR ALL THE CONSTABLE PRECINCT. WHAT I WANT TO ASK THE DIRECTOR TO DO IS TO SUBMIT TO US, SOME REPORT , AND NO YOU ARE GOOD AT DATA. JUST LOOK AT THEM AND COME BACK TO US WITH SOME REPORT SO WE MIGHT HAVE SOME PUBLIC COMMENT ON THEM. I BELIEVE IT TO YOUR INSTINCTS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU WANT TO TELL US, BUT I DID NOT WANT TO LET THAT SLIP BY AS IF IT WAS NOT NOTICED. WITH MAYBE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS SOMEONE ANYTHING WE OUGHT TO DO A DASHBOARD OR SOMETHING I WILL LEAVE IT TO YOU. I DON'T WANT TO LET THAT PASS BY AS THOUGH IT NOT TO BE SPOKEN ABOUT IN PUBLIC. OKAY,

THANK YOU. AND THE NEXT ITEM. >> COMMISSIONER ELLIS MAY I BRIEFLY COMMENT? IT'S FINE, THANK YOU. FIRST OF ALL THANK YOU FOR RAISING THIS, SECOND OF ALL I SURE YOUR COMMITMENT TO RACIAL JUSTICE AND ALL FORMS OF JUSTICE. I WOULD LIKE TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH MISS MILLS AND YOU I HAVE A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CONSTABLES AND I WOULD LOVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO FIGURE HOW TO COLLECTIVELY CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS TOGETHER BECAUSE THIS IS A NONNEGOTIABLE IN HARRIS

COUNTY AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED. >> COMMISSIONER GARCIA I WAS SITTING ON THE RACIAL DISPARITY REPORT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE DIRECTOR OUGHT TO DO BUT COME BACK WITH SOMETHING. A DASHBOARD OR SOMETHING, SOMETIMES A LITTLE TRANSPARENCY WILL GENERATE DISCUSSION OR IMPACT HUMAN BEHAVIOR.

>> WHEN WE STILL HAD THE OFFICE OF THE ANALYST I REQUESTED A DIVE INTO THE REPORTS BECAUSE THE REPORTS THEMSELVES DO NOT TELL US ANYTHING. THE WAY THE DATA COLLECTION WAS CONSTRUCTED, BUT MAYBE WE CAN EXTRAPOLATE SOMETHING ACCURATE THAT COULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO UNDERSTAND. I'M NOT SURE WHO THAT FALLS ON.

>> IT WOULD STILL BE OCA SO WE WILL GET ON IT.

>> IT WOULD BE MISS MILLS RIGHT?

[03:30:03]

>> I THINK THE REPORTS EXIST. LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, I TALKED TO THROUGH THE YEARS ABOUT THE ISSUE. THEY RECOGNIZE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO COLLECT THE DATA, COMMISSIONER GARCIA SAYS IT'S LIKE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS WE COLLECT, PUT IT ON THE SHELF AND NOBODY TALKS ABOUT IT SO I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL.

PARTICULARLY AS WE SORT THROUGH DEFINITIONS.

>> MAYBE LOOK AND SEE IF ANY OTHER COUNTY OR CITY IS DOING SOMETHING. I KNOW WHEN WE PASSED THAT, YOU TAKE WHAT YOU COULD GET. WE PROBABLY HAD A BILL THAT WAS MORE PRESCRIPTIVE BUT TO GET IT PASSED IN THE LEGISLATURE TO COMPROMISE BUT AT LEAST THE DATA IS COLLECTED. I THINK THIS IS COMING UP FOR THE CASE IN PRAIRIE VIEW. HOPE YOU CAN REMEMBER ME. S, SANDRA. SANDRA BLAND. PART OF THE SANDRA BLAND ACT. I HOPE THEY CAN REMEMBER

ME. OKAY COLLEAGUES. >> COMMISSIONER IF WE CAN COME BACK IN THREE MONTHS WITH THAT, GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.

>> OKAY COLLEAGUES NOW TIME FOR COMMISSIONERS COURT TO PROCEED TO EXECUTIVE SESSION ON ITEMS 136, 168 AND 169. SO AT THIS TIME IT IS 3:11.

[Executive Session]

>> IT IS NOW 3:33 P.M. AND EXECUTIVE COURT IS BACK.

[Emergency/Supplemental items]

>> SORRY, COMMISSIONER, IT IS 3:39.

>> WE HAVE THREE ITEMS AND I WOULD MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEMS 136, 168 AND 169. MOTION MADE BY COMMISSIONER GARCIA.

THREE AYES AND ONE KNOW. WE WILL TAKE A BREAK. WE WILL COME BACK AT 4:00. HOW ABOUT 4:05. IT IS 3:40. DO YOU GET THAT, JAMES?

>> YES,

[Departments & Emergency/Supplemental items]

>> ALL RIGHT, IT IS A 4177 AND COMMISSIONERS COURT IS BACK IN SESSION. COMMISSIONER ELLIS, I BELIEVE WE WILL NOW MOVE TO 128, WHICH IS ROAD MAINTENANCE AND WE WILL TAKE THAT WITH 164. DOES THAT SOUND ABOUT RIGHT? OKAY. AND THANK YOU, COLLEAGUES, FOR

THE LEGAL FEES. >> THANK YOU READ I'M GLAD THAT

IS BEHIND YOU, JUDGE. >> ITEM 164. COLLEAGUES, SEVERAL YEARS AGO WE ADOPTED THE WORST FIRST PRIORITY FRAMEWORK TO MAXIMIZE RESOURCES FOR THE PURPOSE OF SAFEGUARDING THE LIFE AND HEALTH OF HARRIS COUNTY RESIDENTS. THE PRIORITY FRAMEWORK WAS DEVISED TO ADDRESS LONG-STANDING EQUITY ISSUES WITH FLOOD CONTROL AND HISTORIC UNDERFUNDING. THE FRAMEWORK WAS NOT AN ASPIRATIONAL FRAMEWORK. IT IS A REAL FRAMEWORK AND THE COURT VOTED FOR IT WITH THE INTENT THAT IT WOULD BE FOLLOWED AND RESULT IN EQUITABLE INVESTMENTS IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

THAT WAS A COMMITMENT WE MADE TO THE PEOPLE OF HARRIS COUNTY AS TRUSTEES AND $2.5 BILLION IN THE LARGEST BOND ISSUED TO PASS WITH THE SMALLEST PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE VOTING, I'M TOLD, IN THE HISTORY OF THE COUNTRY. BECAUSE IT WAS IN AUGUST DATE, THE ANNIVERSARY OF THAT AWFUL HARVEY FLOOD. 2.5 BILLION IN BOND FINANCING THAT THE VOTERS OVERWHELMINGLY APPROVED. IN 2017 HURRICANE HARVEY WAS A WAKE-UP CALL AND MADE IT CLEAR AND A PERFECT STORM OF UNCHECKED DEVELOPMENT, CLIMATE CHANGE AND INFRASTRUCTURE DISPARITIES THREATENED HARRIS COUNTY. IT WASN'T HARVEY THAT DISCRIMINATED AGAINST LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS, IT WAS DECADES OF FAILED PUBLIC POLICY AND NEGLECT. THAT IS WHY FLOOD EQUITY MATTERS. THAT IS PRECISELY WHY WE DEVELOPED A PRIORITIZATION FRAMEWORK FOR THE 2018 BOND ISSUE. IN FACT, THE BOND LANGUAGE INCLUDED A PROVISION REQUIRING THAT HARRIS COUNTY DEVELOPED A PROCESS FOR THE EQUITABLE EXPENDITURES OF FUNDS. I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO BACK IN AND LOOK AT IT. IT WAS IN THE BOND LANGUAGE. I DID

[03:35:04]

TODAY I WANT TO MAKE A SIMPLE MOTION AND I SENT IT AROUND, JAMES, I THINK AND I WILL READ INTO THE RECORD HURT I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO DIRECT THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT TO WORK WITH THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET, THE OFFICE OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATION AND ANY RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT DETAILING THE STATUS OF ALL PROJECTS AND SUBPROJECTS WITHIN A PROJECT I.D. IN THE 2018 BLOOD BOND PROGRAM. OCA WILL REPORT WITHIN 45 DAYS. THE REPORT SHOULD INCLUDE AT A MINIMUM, I CAN ADD TO IT, BUT AT A MINIMUM, PRIORITIZATION SCORES AND A CLEAR DEMONSTRATION OF HOW THE FLOOD BOND FRAMEWORK IS BEING IMPLEMENTED AND TRACKED RELATED TO THE PRIORITIZATION OF PLANNING, DESIGN, CONSTRUCTING AND FUNDING BLOOD BOND PROJECTS, FINANCIAL ANALYSIS SHOWING ALL PROJECTS AND SUB PROJECTS COMPLETED. PROJECTS AND SUBPROJECTS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND PROJECTS AWAITING FUNDING.

LISTS OF ALL PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS OF PROJECTS AND SUBPROJECTS IDENTIFIED AS COMMITTED. IF THERE ARE ASSIGNED ILA'S AND/OR AGREEMENTS AND THE COMMITMENT IS STILL IN DISCUSSION, LESLIE, REMAINING AVAILABLE FUNDS.

>> COMMISSIONER RAMSEY, GARCIA AND THEN BRIONES .

>> I AM PLEASED TO SECOND THAT MOTION YOU JUST MADE. IF WE COULD RING UP A POWERPOINT I'VE GIVEN. I WANT TO GO OVER A COUPLE OF FACTS AND I WILL MAKE THIS QUICK. THIS WILL BE MY FIRST POWERPOINT IN THE HISTORY OF EVER BEING ELECTED. DON'T THINK I WILL GET IN THE HABIT OF IT.

>> THANK YOU. >> OKAY. IT WILL BE QUICK AND IT WILL BE PAINLESS. BUT MY OTHER FINDING IN THAT POWERPOINT, A COUPLE OF POINTS, AND I'M LOOKING AT THE DIRECTOR FOR FLOOD CONTROL, COUNTY ENGINEER, AS ALL WORK TOGETHER AND WE TRY TO SOLVE THE SAME ISSUE, THE SPECIFIC FOCUS, I THINK, AND RESPOND TO COMMISSIONER ELLIS'S MOTION IS TO GET THE FACTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SUBDIVISION DRAINAGE PROGRAM. IN THE BOND ISSUE, THAT WAS A $480 MILLION BOND ISSUE. THE NOTES THAT I'VE GOT THEN IN 2023, THE COUNTY ENGINEER CAME TO COURT AND SAID, WE NEED TO ELIMINATE 257 MILLION -- 257,685,000 AND CHANGE IN PROJECTS. THAT WAS DONE. 49% OF THOSE PROJECTS ELIMINATED IN 2023 WERE IN PRECINCT 3. THAT TOTALED 114,000,933 AND THE COUNTY JR. CAME BACK A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO THAT PRECIPITATED THIS CONVERSATION AND SAID, WE ARE STILL SHORT 137 MILLION. AT MY BEST COUNT, AND WE ARE NOT SURE, BUT WHAT STARTED OUT TO BE A $480 MILLION SUBDIVISION DRAINAGE PROGRAM IS NOW DOUBLED.

I WANT TO KNOW WHERE THE MONEY WAS SPENT. I WANT TO KNOW ON

[03:40:07]

THAT JUST SIMPLY MEANS WHEN YOU TELL ME I HAVE $115 MILLION IN PROJECTS, I'VE GOT TO TAKE THAT OUT OF MY MOOD -- MOBILITY FUND.

IF IT'S A DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNT THAT I HAVE TO TAKE OUT OF THE MOBILITY FUND AS COMPARED TO OTHER PRECINCTS, THAT ENDS UP BEING AN EXTRA ORDINARY HURTING. I WILL GO THROUGH THIS POWERPOINT QUICKLY AND HOPEFULLY IT WILL SHED A LITTLE LIGHT. YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. WHOEVER IS OPERATING THIS. THAT SHOWS YOU THE PRECINCTS. WE ALL KNOW WHAT THAT IS. EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHERE THE PRECINCTS ARE, GO TO THE NEXT ONE. THOSE ARE THE MILEAGE, AND I MAKE THIS POINT JUST BECAUSE I THINK IT IS A GOOD REMINDER EVERY NOW AND THEN. PRECINCT 1 HAS 2103 MILES THAT ARE IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA OF HARRIS COUNTY. THAT MEANS COMMISSIONER ELLIS HAS A STATUTORY RESPONSIBILITY FOR 2,000,103 MILES, PRECINCT 2 HAS A STATUTORY RESPONSIBILITY FOR 2224 MILES. PRECINCT 4 HAS A STATUTORY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE 3278 MILES. AND QUICKLY TO PRECINCT 3, NEXT SLIDE, I HAVE 6826. I NEED TO REMIND YOU OF THAT ON OCCASION AS WE FIGURE OUT THE DOLLARS. JUDGE HIDALGO YOU HAVE TALKED MANY TIMES, THOSE PEOPLE, YOU REPRESENT THEM LIKE OTHER PEOPLE. YOU CAN SEE THE DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNT OF ROAD MILEAGE THAT IS IN PRECINCT 3 BASED ON THE WAY IT WAS DRAWN. 70% OF THE UNINCORPORATED AREA IS IN PRECINCT 3. 49% OF THE ROADS IS IN PRECINCT 3 AND GO TO THE LAST SLIDE, AND I'M DONE. THOSE GIVE YOU THE NUMBERS. IF YOU TAKE THE DOLLARS FROM THE MOBILITY FUND OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS , IT HAS BEEN 749 MILLION. YOU CAN SEE THE DISTRIBUTION OF THOSE FUNDS, ROUGHLY 25%, I AM STILL A LITTLE UNDER. ROUGHLY 25% DISTRIBUTION. THE BOND, I AM DOWN 30 MILLION THERE, AT 19%.

WHEN YOU TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS GOING TO BE ON THE MOST RECENT SUMMARY, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO COME BACK WITH. THE COUNTY ENGINEER IS GOING TO COME BACK WITH. WHAT HAPPENED IN 2023, THOSE WERE THE NUMBERS ON THE REDUCTIONS IN EACH PRECINCT AND YOU CAN SEE BASED ON THAT FUNDING, AND I AM BEING TOO MUCH OF AN ENGINEER, BUT I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, THE OTHER THREE GO PRECINCTS, IT IS PRETTY EVEN DISTRIBUTION. I AM AT 17%. MAYBE THIS WILL CHANGE WHEN THE COUNTY ENGINEER DOES ITS STUDY AND MAYBE IT WILL CHANGE WHEN WE

[03:45:03]

HAPPEN. >> COMMISSIONER GARCIA.

>> THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER RAMSEY, I APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION AND I DO AGREE THAT WE HAVE TO GIVE THIS SOME THOUGHT. IN GOOD CONSCIENCE, WE DO HAVE MORE ROAD MILES THAN ANY OF US, AND I APPRECIATE YOU WAITING FOR THE COUNTY ENGINEER TO FINISH HIS ROAD CONDITION ASSESSMENT BECAUSE, I MAY NOT HAVE AS MANY MILES AS YOU DO BUT I'VE GOT PROBABLY THREE TIMES THE FREIGHT TRAFFIC THAT YOU DO. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE LOOKING AT IT VERY ACCURATELY. AND COMMISSIONER ELLIS, TO YOUR MOTION, I JUST WANT TO ASK, DR. PETERSON, IS 45 DAYS ENOUGH FOR YOU TO MAKE SURE YOU GET THIS ALL ACCURATE AND GIVE THE COMMISSIONER A GOOD PERSPECTIVE?

>> THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS AND JUDGE.

COMMISSIONER RAMSEY, YOU MENTIONED, WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING RIGHT NOW ON AND EXERCISE. WHILE THE SUB DIVISION DRAINAGE PROGRAM IS NOT PART OF THE BOND PROGRAM, WE UNDERSTAND AND WE ARE VERY CLEAR THAT THE COMMISSIONERS COURT WANTS US TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION. WE ARE WORKING DEEPLY ON THAT EFFORT RIGHT NOW. IN ORDER TO GIVE THE COMMISSIONER ELLIS, YOU THE DATA YOU ARE LOOKING FOR AT THE LEVEL OF DETAIL THAT I'M UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU ARE ASKING FOR, COMMISSIONER GARCIA, I DO THINK WE WILL NEED MORE TIME. I WOULD SAY LET US GET TO THE END OF MARCH AND GET THAT ANALYSIS COMPLETE. THEN IF WE CAN HAVE ANOTHER 60 -75 DAYS TO REALLY DIG IN, RIGHT? TO YOUR POINT, COMMISSIONER RAMSEY, WE WANT TO COME BACK WITH ACTIONABLE DATA FOR YOU, DATA THAT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND. WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS IN THE BOND PROGRAM AND HAVE HUNDREDS OF PROJECTS UNDERWAY AND WE WANT TO SYNTHESIZE THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU IN A WAY THAT YOU CAN SEE WHAT HAS BEEN DONE AND WHERE THE DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SPENT. IF WE COULD HAVE A LITTLE ADDITIONAL TIME, COMMISSIONER ELLIS, THAT WOULD HELP US MEET

THE CALL. >> HERE IS MY THOUGHT. I KNOW WHEN WE MET LAST AND TALKED ABOUT TRANSPARENCY, YOU SAID --

>> I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW IT IS COMMISSIONER GARCIA AND THEN

COMMISSIONER BRIONES. >> YOU KNOW, I WANT TO BE FAIR, AND OBVIOUSLY IF THAT IS WHAT IT TAKES TO GET IT DONE, I WILL WAIT FOR IT. BUT WHAT I DON'T WANT TO DO IS WAIT UNTIL ALL THE MONEY IS GONE. AS I SAID TO YOU, I THINK I'VE BEEN ONE OF THE FIVE EASY ONES TO WORK WITH, SHALL WE SAY, UP HERE TO READ BUT AFTER THAT HAPPENED TO ME, I REALLY LOST MY CONFIDENCE. IN A LOT OF WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING AT THE COUNTY. JUST BEING HONEST WITH YOU. I'M JUST NOT BEING AS TRUSTING. EVERYTHING WE DO, I'M TAKING THE POSITION, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S CLEAR, I KNOW THAT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH MONEY TO DO ALL THE PROJECTS WE TALKED ABOUT. AND EVERYBODY ELSE KNOWS IT. I AM JUST CRAZY ENOUGH TO SAY IT IN PUBLIC. AND I KNOW THAT AT SOME POINT YOU HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE VOTERS. I DO LOOK AT POLITICAL TRENDS. I CAN'T SLEEP AT NIGHT I'VE GOT A PRETTY GOOD MEMORY ON BOND

[03:50:06]

>> IF I CAN RESPOND QUICKLY, WE DEFINITELY AT THE FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT HAD OUR OWN FUNDING CHALLENGES. WE HAVE FILLED THAT FUNDING GAP SIGNIFICANTLY AND WE ARE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF ALL THE PARTNERS WHO HELPED US WITH THAT. WE HAVE GUARDRAILS IN PLACE TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHERE PROJECTS ARE GOING OVER BUDGET. AGAIN, THIS WILL BE PART OF THE INFORMATION

WE CAN BRING BACK TO COURT. >> IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE SAYING

ANOTHER SIX MONTHS. >> NO, NO.

>> YOU SAID 45 DAYS. >> I'M SUGGESTING 60-75 DAYS.

>> I WILL SAY 75. >> 75, YES.

>> AS YOU KNOW, I SENT YOU A LETTER AND I'VE ASKED THE AUDITOR FOR THE SAME, I WANT TO HELP HIM GET IT AND I WANT TO BE EXTREMELY TRANSPARENT. BECAUSE I WOULDN'T TAKE IT LIGHTLY TO GO OUT AND CAMPAIGN. YOU DON'T REALLY THINK THERE IS ENOUGH MONEY TO DO ALL THESE PROJECTS. DO YOU THINK WE HAVE THE MONEY

ALREADY? >> I THINK IT IS AN EVOLVING SITUATION ALWAYS. THE MARKET WE ARE DEALING WITH IN THE ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION WORLD, COSTS ARE ALWAYS GOING UP. WE ARE ALWAYS MANAGING OUR PROJECTS AND OUR BUDGETS TO GET THE BEST THAT WE CAN FOR THE DOLLARS WE HAVE.

>> DR. PETERSON, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND FOR ALL YOU ARE DOING. ALTHOUGH THE SUBDIVISION DRAINAGE IS NOT A FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT BEING FUNDED BY THE BOND, IN MY MIND IT IS KIND OF HARD TO SEPARATE THE TWO. I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE WORKING TO COME TO GOOD CONCLUSIONS AND TO MAKE SURE THERE IS NO DAYLIGHT BETWEEN THE INTERPRETATIONS OF THE SUBDIVISION PROJECT AND THE FUNDING SPENT THERE, PRIORITIZATION USED AND THE

STATUS OF THE BOND WORK. >> YES, SIR, UNDERSTOOD.

>> COMMISSIONER BRIONES. >> THANK YOU. DR. PETERSON, I MAY HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU IN A SECOND. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU. I WILL PROUDLY SUPPORT THAT MOTION BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE WE AND THE PEOPLE OF HARRIS COUNTY NEED THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION IN THE CLEAREST AND MOST TRANSPARENT WAY. I MAKE A

MOTION TO EXTEND TIME. >> MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GARCIA AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER ELLIS, MOTION CARRIES

UNANIMOUSLY. >> THANK YOU. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING ALL OF THAT IN THE TOTALITY. COMMISSIONER RAMSEY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I SUGGEST, BECAUSE I KNOW I AM EMITTED TO BEING FAIR AND I KNOW WE ALL ARE, I WOULD SUGGEST AS WE ARE APPROACHING THIS NEW BUDGET YEAR, MAKING SURE WE ARE KEEPING THAT FRONT AND CENTER AS WE THINK OF THE NEW FISCAL YEAR SO WE CAN BE AS CLEAR AND CONSISTENT AS POSSIBLE. TO LEVEL SAID WITH REGARD TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD DRAINAGE PROGRAM, COMMISSIONER ELLIS, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT FORWARD LAST COURT ABOUT THE DELTA AND 114 MILLION. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THE INFORMATION TODAY ABOUT THE PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN CUT. IF WE REALLY WANT TO TALK ABOUT RELITIGATING FURTHER RECORD TO LEVEL SAID, PRECINCT 4, THIS IS ONE PROGRAM WHERE PRECINCT 4 IS IN THE MOST SUBOPTIMAL POSITION. IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD DRAINAGE PROGRAM IN 2022 BEFORE I GOT HERE, PRECINCT 4 HEAD 8% OF THE PROJECTS. HUGE DELTA BETWEEN ALL THE OTHER PRECINCTS. WHAT YOU

[03:55:03]

NOW THAT YOU'VE BEGUN, FUNDAMENTALLY, WHICH ONES DOING NEED TO CUT BAIT BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT VIABLE, PERIOD. AND WHICH ONES ARE IN THE MIDDLE THAT MIGHT BE ABOUT METHODOLOGY, SCORING, FAIRNESS OF ALLOCATION. WHERE IS THERE ACTUAL DECISIONS TO BE HAD VERSUS ONES THAT ARE JUST NONSTARTERS BASED ON THE DUE DILIGENCE YOU'VE BEGUN. IF WE CAN BE AS CLEAR AS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE I KNOW AS A NON-ENGINEER, AS A LAWYER, I CAN'T MAKE UTILITY DECISIONS AND CUT BAIT, RIGHT? SO I WOULD HOPE THAT WHEN YOU PRESENT THIS INFORMATION, THOSE, THE NONVIABLE PROJECTS ARE BROUGHT UP SO THAT IT'S NOT COMING HEY, IT MUST BE SOMETHING AGAINST MY PRECINCT BUT RATHER, HEY, WE CAN'T DO THESE BECAUSE OF X, Y, AND Z PIPELINE ISSUES OR WHATEVER THE CASE MIGHT BE. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR THAT DATA. THE NEXT TOPIC I WANTED TO COVER, I DON'T CALL YOU AS OFTEN AS I CALL DR. PETERSON, BUT MAYBE THAT WILL CHANGE IF YOU ARE LUCKY, BUT DR. PETERSON, THE WEIGHT OF THOSE 2018 PROJECTS WEIGHS ON ME DAILY AND I APPRECIATE HOW YOU HAVE REALLY HAD TO DO A LOT OF WORK IN TERMS OF REALIGNING AND DOING THE DUE DILIGENCE. THANK YOU FOR SUCH A COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIP YOU HAVE CREATED WITH THE GL LOW SO WE HAVE THESE FUNDING PARTNERS.

I WANT TO THANK COMMISSIONER BUCKINGHAM WHO HAS BEEN A GREAT PARTNER. I AM ENERGIZED BY THE PROGRESS I KNOW WE ARE MAKING BECAUSE I BOTHER YOU OFTEN. I KNOW WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS. SO JUST MAKING SURE WE ARE ARTICULATING, THAT IN A CLEAR WAY, TO ME THAT IS VERY KEY IN THE MOST CLEAR, DIGESTIBLE WAY.

AND SO, THE BOND, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE UPDATE, WHAT WILL AND WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE AND WHY. SO THE NARRATIVE IS NOT BEING REFRAMED OR SPUN. AND THEN WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD DRAINAGE, EYES WIDE OPEN. IF WE ARE GOING TO GO BACK TO THE PAST, LET'S BE THERE TO ALL CONCERNED. WE NEED TO DELIVER AS MUCH PROGRESS.

I'M FINE AND I RECOGNIZE WE ALL NEED TO SHARE THE PAIN. IF THERE ARE TRULY, AGAIN, JUSTIFIABLE, CONSISTENT AND FAIR REASONS, PERIOD. RIGHT? THIS IS ABOUT MAKING SURE THE REGION AND COUNTY IS ADVANCING AS A WHOLE. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THIS IS , AGAIN, AND I APPRECIATE THAT THE AUDIT INFORMATION WILL BE COMING, SO THANK YOU IN ADVANCE. I HOPE WE CAN ALIGN ALL THIS INFORMATION BECAUSE IT IS SO COMPLEX AND CAN GET CONFUSING.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, I PERSONALLY WILL NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE GOING OUT ON A FUTURE BOND IF WE HAVE NOT DELIVERED ON THE 2018 BOND. I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE ENGENDERING THE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE, SHOWING THE RESULTS AND PROGRESS WE ARE DELIVERING WHICH I KNOW WE ARE, WE ARE WORKING ON HUNDREDS OF PROJECTS AT THE SAME TIME. BUT IF WE GET IN AN EMBATTLED RHYTHM OF QUARTERLY UPDATES SO WE CAN DEMONSTRATE THE RESULTS IN PROGRESS, IT WILL BE A WIN-WIN.

I KNOW YOU ARE ALL HARD-WORKING PUBLIC SERVANTS WITH AMAZING TEAMS AND THE PEOPLE ARE AWAITING RESULTS. AS ARE WE, RIGHT? SO I THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP. I LOOK

[04:00:03]

OUR FAMILIES DESERVE. >> THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER

BRIONES . >> WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER COUNTING DR. RAMIREZ AND DR. PETERSON. JUST A QUICK UPDATE, ON THE SUBDIVISION DRAINAGE PROJECTS, WE HAVE COMPLETED 37 PROJECTS, 18 PROJECTS WE HAVE ONGOING CONSTRUCTION CREWS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND 22 INITIAL PROJECTS, AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT FUNDING, BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF PROJECTS THAT WILL BE FUNDED BY PRECINCTS. AND THAT IS IN ONGOING DESIGN AND I'M VERY CLOSE TO THE BIDDING ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE.

>> CAN YOU PLEASE RESTATE THOSE INITIAL FACTS.

>> 37 PROJECTS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. 18 ARE CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND 22 OF THEM ARE EITHER IN FINAL DESIGN

PHASE OR VERY CLOSE. >> COMMISSIONER, IT HASN'T BEEN MY TURN. I WILL GO AND THEN ELLIS, GARCIA AND RAMSEY IF THAT'S OKAY. FOR ME, BACKING UP ON THIS, STARTING FROM WHERE WE STARTED IN TERMS OF COMMISSIONER RAMSEY'S PRESENTATION AND COMMISSIONER BRIONES'S POINT , I FIND MYSELF, BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A PRECINCT, I RECOGNIZE THIS FEELING THAT I'VE HAD MANY TIMES WHEN WE WERE IN THE SAME SITUATION THAT EVERY PRECINCT COMMISSIONER AS A VERY GOOD ARGUMENT FOR WHY THEY DESERVE MORE FUNDS. YOU MADE A VERY STRONG CASE, I WOULD SAY, COMMISSIONER GARCIA MADE A STRONG CASE ABOUT THE HEAVY TRAFFIC AND OF COURSE THE PORT AND COMMISSIONER ELLIS AND GARCIA HAVE THE ARGUMENT THAT IF YOU LOOK AT BEFORE WE GOT HERE, HISTORICALLY, THEY WERE VERY SEVERELY DISADVANTAGED IN THE WAY THAT YOU MENTIONED, THAT WAS THE OTHER WAY AROUND FOR MANY YEARS. WHAT MY POSITION HAS BEEN ON THIS, AND IT'S NOT IDEAL BUT I JUST HAVE -- I DON'T THINK WE CAN LAND ON ANYTHING ELSE, IS JUST TO GO TO 25/25/25 . I DON'T KNOW, COMMISSIONER RAMSEY, AND I ASKED MY TEAM TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE TRANSCRIPT, I DON'T KNOW WHY WE VOTED UNANIMOUSLY FOR THE DIVISION OF THE DRAINAGE PROJECTS BACK IN 2023, I GUESS.

WHEN WE WERE IMPLEMENTING THE TRANSPORTATION BOND THAT PASSED.

I WOULD'VE VOTED 25/25/25 BUT SOMEHOW THAT TURNED INTO, WE WILL DIVIDE SOME OF IT AND THE REST WILL GO SBI AND THAT IS HOW YOU ENDED UP WITH A LOT LESS. ANYWAY, I DON'T REMEMBER HOW THAT HAPPENED AND I COULD IMAGINE THAT I WOULD WANT TO VOTE WITH YOU ON THAT ONE. OBVIOUSLY THAT WILL SET US BACK SOMEWHAT. I JUST WANT TO SAY, GOING FORWARD, IN TERMS OF DIVIDING THESE KINDS OF FUNDS, I AGREE THAT RELITIGATING WOULD JUST TAKE US WAY BACK. IS THERE A MOTION TO EXTEND? MOTION TO EXTEND, ANY IN FAVOR, ANY POST, IT CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. THAT IS MY POINT ABOUT RELITIGATING THE DIVISION OF THINGS.

>> NO MATTER HOW WE GOT HERE, THIS IS WHERE WE ARE. AND THOSE

ARE THE NUMBERS. >> RIGHT. RIGHT. IF WE ARE GOING

TO RELITIGATE THOSE NUMBERS -- >> THAT IS JUST WHERE THE NUMBERS ARE TODAY. I'M LOOKING FOR SOLUTIONS GOING FORWARD BUT KNOW THAT I AM AT 17%, THAT IS A FACT. AS WE GO FORWARD, WE ARE NOT RELITIGATING BUT WE ARE UNDERSTANDING WHERE WE ARE.

>> OKAY. SO THEN THAT BRINGS ME TO THE QUESTION ON THE RESEARCH THAT DR. PETERSON IS GOING TO BE DOING. ONE QUESTION IS, CLARIFICATION POINT, THE DRAINAGE PROJECTS WERE LISTED IN

[04:05:04]

THE BOND PACKAGE, CORRECT? >> YES.

>> THOSE, WE FOUND OUT, I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER THE HISTORY OF THIS. WE KNEW THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH MONEY FOR THAT EVEN BEFORE THE COST WENT UP. NO ONE THOUGHT ABOUT MAINTENANCE OR DECIDED TO PUT IT IN THERE. AND THEN AT SOME POINT THE DECISION WAS MADE THAT ENGINEERING MONEY WOULD BE USED TO PAY FOR THOSE PROJECTS, MOBILITY FUNDS, I IMAGINE. AM I CORRECT SO FAR?

>> THAT IS CORRECT. IT WAS INITIALLY BOND MONEY, SO THERE WAS FUNDING FROM THE BOND PROGRAM USED FOR THE DRAINAGE PROGRAM. THERE WAS SOME TIME IN 2021 WHERE A DECISION WAS MADE TO DO AS YOU SUGGESTED, JUDGE, TO USE SOME DIFFERENT TYPES OF FUNDING TO FULLY FUND THAT WHILE THE FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT CONTINUE TO WORK ON FILLING PARTNERSHIP GAPS.

>> I THINK THIS IS A KEY INTO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, COMMISSIONER RAMSEY. LET'S MOVE TO THE FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS AND MAYBE THE DRAINAGE ONES, TOO. LET ME TALK ABOUT THE FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS. ONE OF THE THINGS I RAN ON, I STARTED MY CAMPAIGN TWO WEEKS BEFORE HARVEY. I REMEMBER VISITING THESE NEIGHBORHOODS AND I ALWAYS TALK ABOUT, YOU CAN SEE THE WATER LINE IN THE HOMES FROM ALLISON. IT WAS HEARTBREAKING BECAUSE, OVER TIME, THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS HAD NOT GOTTEN THE INVESTMENT THAT OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS HAD GOTTEN. HAD ANY NEIGHBORHOOD RECEIVED SUFFICIENT INVESTMENT? NO. BUT IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT THE LOWER INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS WERE THE ONES WHO HAD NOT RECEIVED INVESTMENTS OVER TIME. THAT'S WHERE WE WERE AT THAT MOMENT. WHEN WE TOOK OFFICE, COMMISSIONER GARCIA AND I, COMMISSIONER ELLIS AT IN -- PUT THIS LANGUAGE IN IT. I REMEMBER IT BEING A WHOLE THING IN 2019 TO PUT TOGETHER THE FORMULA. WE TALKED ABOUT ALL THE PROJECTS THAT ARE IN A BUCKET BUT THERE IS NO ORDER. THE ORDER IS JUST POLITICS. YOU CAN IMAGINE, BECAUSE HOW OTHER PEOPLE PICKING WHAT GOES FIRST? SO WE WILL ASSIGN A SCORE TO EACH PROJECT BASED ON THIS FORMULA. THE FORMULA HAD TO DO, SVI WAS IN THERE BUT IT WAS ALSO ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THAT AREA, NOT JUST HOMES BUT PEOPLE. IT WAS ALSO ABOUT, FOR EVERY DOLLAR, HOW MUCH FLOOD RELIEF DO YOU RECEIVE? THERE WERE SOME NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE, THEY JUST NEED A SMALL PROJECT AND THEY WILL BE OUT OF THE FLOODPLAIN. THAT PUT AN ORDER ON THE LIST.

AND THAT FORMULA GOT REVISED. HOW MANY TIMES HAS THAT FORMULA

BEEN REVISED? >> THERE WAS ONE OTHER TIME IN

2022. >> SO THERE HAS BEEN TWO FORMULAS. NOW WE USE FORMULA B. IS THAT FORMULA USED FOR

DRAINAGE PROJECTS? >> JUST THE PROJECT FOR THE SUBDIVISION THAT IS IN THE ORIGINAL FORMULA.

>> YOU ARE USING FORMULA A AND DR. PETERSON IS USING FORMULA B?

>> YES. AND ONE MORE POINT, IN 2023 THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AT THE TIME AND THE BUDGET OFFICER, WHEN WE CAME BACK, WE HAD A SHORTFALL, AND WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS, WHAT DO WE DO? THE IDEA OF FUNDING THE 57 AND NOT THE OTHERS IS BASED ON THE TOTAL EXCESS REVENUE THEY HAVE AVAILABLE AT THE TIME. I WILL LET DIRECTOR RAMOS SPEAK. THE REASON WE HAD -- DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH MONEY FOR THE COMING FISCAL, SOME OF THE PROJECT WAS STILL BEING FUNDED COMING EITHER USING THE 2022 BOND OR USING OTHER FUNDING SOURCES LIKE THE MOBILITY THAT WAS JUST DIRECTED.

>> AND THEN I HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER QUESTIONS.

>> IN 2023, IN REALLY THE FISCAL 2024 BUDGET, WE RAISED ALLOCATIONS FOR MOBILITY BY 70 MILLION TOTAL. THAT FUNDING WAS NOT INTENDED TO ALLOW PRECINCTS TO BUY OUR TIES PROJECTS EITHER.

THE SUBDIVISION PROJECTS THAT WERE PUT ON HOLD OR OTHER ROAD

PROJECTS IN THEIR QUEUE. >> SO THERE WERE, BEFORE THAT HAPPENED, HOW MANY SUBDIVISION PROJECTS WERE THERE AND HOW MANY

WERE PUT ON HOLD? >> THERE WERE 93 PROJECTS TOTAL.

OUT OF THAT, 57 WAS GIVEN GREEN LIGHT TO MOVE FORWARD. BASED ON BASED ON SOME OF THE PROJECTS ALREADY UNDER CONSTRUCTION, 22, I BELIEVE. AND BASED ON THE SCORE. THE PROJECT WITH THE HIGHEST SCORE, THEY WERE KEPT IN THE ORIGINAL LIST OF 57. AND THE

[04:10:06]

>> HERE IS THE ISSUE AND THIS IS WHERE I'M GETTING TO, COLLEAGUES, IF YOU TAKE A STEP BACK AND FIGURE OUT WHICH PROJECTS HAVE BEEN DONE ON BOTH ENDS OF CONTROL AND DRAINAGE, WHICH PROJECTS ARE FARTHEST ALONG AND WHICH PROJECTS HAVE LOST HEART IN YOUR FUNDS OR, YOU KNOW, ARE NO LONGER FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE. I'M CURIOUS, AND I THINK WE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THIS WITH COMMISSIONER ELLIS'S REQUEST. I'M CURIOUS, WHAT IS THE PRIORITIZATION SCORE YOU WOULD FIND? THAT'S WHERE I AM.

BECAUSE, MY SENSE, AND THIS IS A GUESS, MY SENSE IS THAT WHILE WE WERE OVER THERE WORKING ON OUR PRIORITIZATION FORMULA, YOUR PREDECESSORS WERE CHARGING AHEAD WITH WHATEVER PRIORITIZATION HAD BEEN DECIDED ON BEFORE. WHICH WAS NOT BASED ON ANYTHING FORMULAIC, WE ASKED. SO THE QUESTION IS, HOW CAN WE, NUMBER ONE, WHAT SUCCESS HAVE WE HAD? IN OTHER WORDS, THE FACT THAT COMMISSIONER GARCIA AND I WERE ELECTED AND COMMITTED TO THIS VISION OF LIFTING UP FOLKS THAT HAD HISTORICALLY BEEN LEFT BEHIND, AS THAT IN ACHIEVED TO ANY DEGREE? SURELY IT'S NOT BEEN ACHIEVED TO THE FULL ATTEND BUT TO WHAT EXTENT HAVE WE ACHIEVE THAT? AND THE SECOND QUESTION, A COST TO THE POINT OF, WE KNOW WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO, FOLKS? IF WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY, I THINK THE OPTIONS ARE, PAUSE THE OTHER PROJECTS AND PUT THEM MONEY ON THE ONES THAT NEED IT TO HAPPEN. I DON'T THINK ANYONE IS FOR THAT. THE OTHER OPTION IS PAUSE EVERYTHING AND GO TO THE VOTERS.

I'M NOT HEARING AN APPETITE FOR THAT. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW WE SOLVE THIS WITHOUT ADDITIONAL MONEY UNLESS THERE IS $1 BILLION SITTING SOMEWHERE THAT IS MY FINAL QUESTION. IS THERE $1 BILLION SITTING SOMEWHERE? WE'VE BEEN BRAINSTORMING ABOUT THIS.

>> NO. >> IT'S UNDER THE COUCH

CUSHION. >> THERE IS NOT $1 BILLION

SITTING ANYWHERE. >> I DON'T KNOW, COLLEAGUES, YES, WE WILL GET THIS VOTE BUT WE WILL KEEP GOING AROUND AND AROUND UNTIL WE REALIZE THERE IS NOT ENOUGH MONEY. I DON'T THINK WE WILL EVER GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE ARE WILLING TO GO FOR A BOND BECAUSE WE COMPLETED THIS. IT'S IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE THERE IS NOT ENOUGH MONEY TO COMPLETE IT. THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT WE'VE KNOWN THIS SINCE 2019. IT WOULD BE SAID TO FIND OUT THAT THE ONES NOT BEING COMPLETED OR RANKED HIGHER IN PRIORITIZATION. I SUPPORT COMMISSIONERS ELLIS'S MOTION AND WOULD ADD COMMISSIONER, YOU HAVE REMAINING AVAILABLE FUNDS BUT I WOULD REQUEST A RECOMMENDATION ON, WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND TO MEET THE SPIRIT OF HOW THIS ALL STARTED, WHICH WAS TO PRIORITIZE THE PROJECTS WITH HIGHER PRIORITIZATION SCORE. BUT ALSO RECOGNIZING THAT WE WILL NOT LEAVE A PROJECT HALF DONE THAT IS HAPPENING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT MAYBE HAS NO

PRIORITIZATION. >> I WILL HAVE ONE AT THE NEXT

COURT. >> AND I ADD THAT, COMMISSIONERS, IS THAT ALL RIGHT?

>> I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO SPRING IT ON.

>> IT IS YOUR TURN ANYWAY. >> : FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? MOTION

CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. >> BRIEFLY. IT WOULD BE GOOD, I KNOW WE DISCUSSED THIS BOTH IN TANDEM AND WE MIXED IT A BIT, I THINK IT CONFUSES ALL FIVE OF US A LITTLE BIT WHEN WE DO THAT. I KNOW THE INTENT IS THAT YOU WANT TO DO THEM TOGETHER BUT NOT MIXING THEM IN THAT WAY. THE REAL ISSUE IS, ARE WE COMMITTED TO OUR PRIORITIZATION FRAMEWORK? AND IF WE'RE NOT, WE OUGHT TO SAY IT. TO SAY, JUNK IT. WE SET IT BUT DIDN'T REALLY MEAN IT.

BUT WE CAN'T, BY HOOK OR CROOK AND FOUND SOMETHING BY DAVE

[04:15:05]

YOU DON'T GET TO DO THAT. THE PROBLEM IS THE 480 MILLION THAT PRECEDED YOU WAS NOT ENOUGH MONEY. HE CAME OUT OF THE SKY, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I THOUGHT ZEUS COMES OUT OF THE SKY BUT THEY JUST MAKE UP MONEY. THERE WAS NEVER ENOUGH MONEY. AND SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY, SOMEBODY FIGURED THAT OUT. WHERE DID THE MONEY COME FROM, BY THE WAY? 2.5 BILLION, RIGHT?

>> RIGHT NOW FOR THIS PROGRAM, COMMISSIONER, ALL THE MONEY CAME FROM REVENUE AND ABOUT 40 MILLION CAME FROM THE 2015 BOND.

>> TO MAKE UP FOR A HAUL IN PART WHEN WE THOUGHT WE WOULD GET NOTHING FROM THE STATE. WE THOUGHT NOTHING WAS COMING FROM THE STATE. SO WE WERE TRYING TO MAKE UP FOR IT. THAT WAS A SEPARATE ISSUE WHEN THERE WAS NOTHING IN WRITING BUT THERE WAS A HANDSHAKE WHERE HARRIS COUNTY WAS GOING TO GET $1 BILLION.

HEY, I'M 70, BUT IT COMES BACK AFTER A WHILE. SO THAT CREATED A PROBLEM. THERE WAS NEVER ENOUGH MONEY. WE DO NOT FOLLOW THE PRIORITIZATION DREAM WORK. THERE WERE SOME PROJECTS THAT WERE DONE AND DID NOT SCORE AS HIGH ON THE PRIORITIZATION FRAMEWORK.

IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE IT, JUST SAY WE'VE CHANGED IT. THAT OPEN UP PANDORA'S BOX, WHICH IS WHY I'M MAKING THIS MOTION. I WANT TO SEE IF WE ARE FOLLOWING IT ON THE HARVEY BOND MONEY AS WELL READ AND IF WE'RE NOT, THE REASON I'M DOING THIS IS TO MAKE THE CASE. THE REASON THE COURT VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO PUT LANGUAGE ON THE BALLOT, THE SUB EQUITY FRAMEWORK, A MUCH MORE CONSERVATIVE COURT THAN THE ONE TODAY. EVERYBODY AGREED THAT THE COST-BENEFIT BUSINESS WAS CRAZY. I DIDN'T REPRESENT AS MUCH OF BREEZEWOOD AS I DO NOW BUT YOU JUST HAD TO HAVE SOME REALLY HIGH AND PROPERTY TO MEET THE FEDERAL MANDATE FOR COST-BENEFIT. THAT IS WHY THEY DID IT. IT WASN'T JUST BECAUSE I WAS THREATENING TO BE AGAINST IT, IT'S BECAUSE THEY AGREED.

>> WHEN YOU SAID TO CONFLATING THE FLOOD CONTROL AND DRAINAGE PROJECTS, I AM CONTEMPLATING IT, DO THEY NEED TWO REPORTS?

>> I'M NOT SURE. WHAT I'M SAYING IS, WHEN WE ARE HAVING A DISCUSSION, THEY INITIALLY STARTED, THE TOLL ROAD MONEY WAS A LOT LOWER BUT IT WAS DIVIDED EVENLY. THEN IT CHANGED OVER TIME. IN SOME WAYS, CERTAIN PRECINCTS GOT LESS ROADS BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO BUILD THEM. WHEN I GOT IN, I THINK I MENTIONED IT ONCE, A FRIEND CAME TO ME, AND HAD LUNCH, IT WASN'T A NICE BIG T-BONE THAT SAID, I OWN ALL THIS LAND AND I'D LIKE TO HAVE A ROAD. APPARENTLY THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED. JUST GO TALK TO BUBBA AND SAY, I'D LIKE TO HAVE A ROAD AND YOU BUILD IT. NO RHYME OR REASON TO IT. BUT THEN WHEN THE STUDY COMES BACK SHOWING WHO HAS THE WORST ROADS, UNINCORPORATED. IT WILL BE IN PART, BECAUSE, WHOEVER GOT THE LEAST MONEY. FOR A GOOD WHILE PRECINCT 1 WAS GETTING MORE THAN PRECINCT 2, BY THE WAY. THEN WHEN I GOT HERE I WAS TOLD BY MY PREDECESSOR BECAUSE I WASN'T ACTING RIGHT AFTER I WON A NOMINATION, THEY CHANGED IT AGAIN. TO GIVE PRECINCT 1 EVEN LESS IN ANTICIPATION OF ME GETTING HERE. I'M FLIPPING ISSUES AND I DON'T WANT TO CONFUSE THIS. BUT ON THE TRANSPORTATION MONEY, I THINK, COMMISSIONER GARCIA, YOU MADE THE MOTION. WHAT WE DID WAS CREATE SOME FUND TO TRY TO MAKE UP FOR HISTORICAL DEPRIVATION. I'M GUESSING IT WAS 10%, 15% OF

THE MONEY, WHAT WAS IT? >> 26.3%

>> TO MAKE UP FOR AREAS THAT WERE DISADVANTAGED. EVERYBODY SAYS, WE ARE ALL FOR EQUALITY. THAT'S WHAT THEY SAID WHEN THE 14TH AMENDMENT PASSED. THE ONLY PROBLEM WAS, MY SITE HAD BEEN DISADVANTAGED FOR 350 YEARS. IF YOU ARE FOR EQUITY YOU'VE GOT TO BE FOR EQUITY. IF YOU WANT TO SAY DIVIDED, NO ONE WOULD COME HERE AND SAY DIVIDE $2.5 BILLION EQUALLY. OBVIOUSLY THE WATER DIDN'T FLOOD US EQUALLY. AND EVEN IF THE WATER STARTS, COMMISSIONER, AS YOU SAY, IN YOUR AREA, THE AREAS BECAUSE OF

[04:20:11]

IF YOU DON'T, JUST GO DIVIDE EVERYTHING EQUALLY. BUT YOU LEAVE THE INEQUITIES THAT WERE IN PLACE IN PLACE BUT THEY WILL NEVER GET OUT OF THAT HOLE. WHAT I'M SAYING IS, IF YOU HAVE A PRIORITIZATION FRAMEWORK, YOU OUGHT TO FOLLOW IT. IF YOU DIDN'T FOLLOW IT, YOU OUGHT TO ADMIT IT. I THINK WE WERE DUPED A LITTLE BIT WHEN SOMEBODY SAID, JUST GO START ALL THE PROJECTS.

I WASN'T SMART ENOUGH TO FIGURE IT OUT. BUT THE 2.5 BILLION, WE DID NOT PUT ALL THAT STUFF ON THE BALLOT. WHEN I WAS ON COUNSEL, YOU HAD TO SHOW WHICH PARK, WHAT YOU'RE DOING. THEY WOULD SAY, YOU CAN'T DO THAT, WHAT IF THE PRICES ARE DIFFERENT ? I'M MAKING THE CASE BECAUSE AT SOME POINT WE WILL HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE VOTERS. IF YOU THINK I'M NOT TELLING YOU THE TRUTH, YOU GO PULL AND SEE WHERE ELSE THOSE EMOTIONS WILL COME FROM.

DON'T ASK ME, GO PULL IT. SOME OF MY FRIENDS, EVEN AREAS I REPRESENT THAT BENEFIT THE MOST, THEY NEVER VOTE FOR IT. THAT'S OKAY, I GET IT, THEY ARE IN THAT MIND-SET. BUT I'M JUST MAKING THE CASE THAT AT SOME POINT YOU WILL HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE VOTERS. AND I KNOW THAT. I'M NOT GOING TO GO OUT THERE TO BE A PARTY TO REINFORCING EQUITIES THAT HAVE EXISTED IN THIS COUNTY FOR 50 YEARS. IF THREE OR FOUR WANT TO GO DO IT, GO DO IT I'M JUST GOING TO GO OUT AND TELL THEM THAT I WANT THE DATA BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS. AT LEAST HE WON'T BE IN MY CASE THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND. I

WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY KNOW. >> COMMISSIONER GARCIA, RAMSEY

AND BRIONES. >> COMMISSIONER ELLIS, YOU STILL HAD A FILIBUSTER DESPITE NOT BEING ABLE TO SAY IT. LOOK, I THINK DR. PETERSON AND DR. ORMONDE HEAR US LOUD AND CLEAR BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T LEAVE PEOPLE WITH A BAD IMPRESSION OF THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE. AFTER HURRICANE BERYL WE HAD LESS THAN 20 STRUCTURES FLOODED. WITH A COMPARABLE EVENT OF THE MEMORIAL DAY BUT, THE TEXT A FLOOD, 3000 STRUCTURES WERE FLOODED. THE WORK BEING DONE BY THE BLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, THE WORK BEING DONE BY THE DRAINAGE PROGRAM THROUGH THE ENGINEERING OFFICE IS WORKING. HOWEVER, TO YOUR POINT, COMMISSIONER ELLIS AND TO THE POINT THAT THE JUDGE WAS MAKING EARLIER, I WAS THE ONE SCREAMING THE LOUDEST THAT THE BOND PROGRAM WAS JUST STRUCTURED BADLY FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.

PROJECTS WERE PULLED OFF OF SHELVES AND NOT ENGINEERED ACCURATELY OR ESTIMATED ACCURATELY. AND THAT IS WHAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEMS TODAY. AND THEN DAVE BARRY WAS TRYING TO CONSTRUCT, WELL, WE DID CONSTRUCT THE TRUST THAT HAS BEEN DORMANT. AND WE WERE TRYING TO PUT MOBILITY DOLLARS INTO THAT, WHICH WOULD HAVE CAUSED A GREAT PROBLEM FOR US ON THE TOLL ROAD BACK THEN. I FOUGHT THAT AND I'M GLAD EVERYBODY REASONED AND WE DID NOT PURSUE THAT. SO I JUST HOPE THAT THE BUDGET DIRECTOR AND OCA DO NOT COME BACK WITH ANOTHER SCHEME THAT IS BURIED. THERE IS 1 BILLION SPENT ON THE BOND AND WE WILL BE MAKING TOUGH DECISIONS. SO WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT ONE, THE WORK BEING DONE IS WORKING, NUMBER TWO, THIS PROGRAM WAS CONSTRUCTED POORLY FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. THIRDLY, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE LOOK AT THE PROJECTS THAT ARE SCHEDULED AND UNDERSTAND WHAT HAS BEEN ESTIMATED POORLY, WHAT WAS NOT ENGINEERED, WHAT HAS RIGHT AWAY ACQUISITION THAT WILL COST TIME AND MONEY. DR. PETERSON IS WORKING AGAINST A VERY TIGHT TIMELINE WITH THAT YELLOW. AND THAT MAY RESULT, BECAUSE WE

[04:25:06]

WE DON'T WANT TO GET THERE BUT THAT IS THE PRESSURE SHE HAS.

SO, IF FOLKS REMEMBER, I WAS THE ONE TRYING TO GET US TO OPEN UP THE BOND PROGRAM BECAUSE I HAD 150 MILLION TIED UP IN RIGHT AWAY ACQUISITION FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT., WHICH I THOUGHT WAS A BAD DECISION WHEN WE COULD PUT 150 MILLION INTO PROTECTING STRUCTURES TODAY. SOME OF THE ORIGINAL FORMULA IS ALWAYS PROTECTING 40% OF THE HOMES AND TRAIN 12 WORKED TO PRESENT A FORMULA THAT COULD HAVE PROTECTED 70% OF THE HOMES BUT WE DID NOT TOUCH IT. AND SO, WE HAVE A REALITY CHECK TO CONFRONT AND DECISIONS TO MAKE. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY, I WAS A LONE VOICE SAYING EARLY ON THAT THIS PROGRAM WAS POORLY CONSTRUCTED.

I DID NOT WANT TO OPEN UP THE BOND PROGRAM TO MOVE MONEY BETWEEN DIFFERENT PRECINCTS. I JUST WANTED TO BE ABLE TO MAKE BETTER DECISIONS FOR MY PRECINCT AT THE TIME AND WE DID NOT GET THERE. SO, I JUST WANT TO BE REAL CLEAR THAT THESE TWO FOLKS ARE DOING A OF A JOB AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS GOOD COORDINATION AND WHEN WE COME BACK WITH THESE REPORTS, IT IS IN UNISON. THAT WAY, IF WE ARE CONFUSING IT, REALLY, DATA WISE THEY WILL NOT BE MUCH CONFUSION.

AT THE END OF THE DAY IT IS ALL BEING PAID THROUGH THE BOND PROGRAM. IT IS TWO DIFFERENT PROGRAMS BUT FUNDED BY ONE. SO, LET'S JUST MAKE SURE WE ARE WILLING TO LOOK AT IT AGAIN AND MAKE THE DECISION. AND REMEMBER, WE BOUGHT THE IDEA OF STAFF AUGMENTATION BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THE MONEY WAS COMING. AND THAT WE JUST NEED TO ACCELERATE FROM A 15 YEAR CYCLE TO A SEVEN-YEAR CYCLE. SO A LOT OF MONEY WAS SPENT ON JUST THAT, AUGMENTATION. AND THAT TOOK MONEY AWAY FROM PROJECTS. BUT WE DID THAT BECAUSE WE WERE MADE TO BELIEVE BY PREVIOUS LEADERSHIP THAT MONEY WAS COMING. GOOD CONVERSATIONS WERE HAD AND THEN IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. THANKFULLY, AN ELECTION HAPPENED AND DR.

BUCKINGHAM CAME IN AND WORKED TO RIGHT THE SHIP THAT THE PREVIOUS LEADERSHIP OF THAT LEVEL HAD CREATED FOR HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY. I THINK THOSE ARE SOME OTHER HISTORICAL DATA POINTS WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT AS WELL TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAS CAUSED A PROBLEM FOR ALL THESE PROGRAMS. WHETHER IT IS SUBDIVISION OR BOND PROGRAM OR BOTH.

>> COMMISSIONER RAMSEY AND THEN BRIONES.

>> JUST SO Y'ALL DON'T GO BACK AND TRY TO SORT THROUGH 50 DIFFERENT THINGS AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK WHAT YOU ARE HEARING FROM ALL FIVE OF US IS THE SAME THING. ALL WE NEED IS INFORMATION. WE KNOW KIND OF WHERE WE CAME FROM. I REMEMBER WHEN THE 2018 BOND ISSUE OCCURRED, THESE PRECINCTS WERE A LOT DIFFERENT. IF SOMEONE DID A NEIGHBORHOOD DRAINAGE PROGRAM BASED ON, WELL WE WILL DO A FEW OVER HERE AND -- THOSE ARE VERY DIFFERENTLY DRAWN PRECINCTS THAN THEY ARE NOW. AGAIN, IT IS NOT TO RELITIGATE OR GO BACK AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHY WE DID SOMETHING, XYZ, TO SOME DEGREE WE HAVE ALREADY DONE SOMETHING.

WHAT ALL OF US ARE ASKING, WHAT HAVE WE DONE? THE 480 MILLION AND A CHANGE IN WHAT HAS YET TO BE DONE, BUT THE OTHER THING I WILL SAY AS AN ENGINEER, IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO NOT DO A BAD PROJECT YOU MAY BE 80% COMPLETE ON DESIGN AND YOU WONDER, I DON'T KNOW WHY WE ARE DOING THIS ONE, WELL, I AM DOING IT BECAUSE I AM PRECINCT 3. IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO NOT DO BAD PROJECTS. WHEN YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT ALL THOSE DRAINAGE PROJECTS AND ALL THE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES WORKING WITH DANIEL AND OTHERS AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE POTS OF MONEY ARE, AGAIN, WE ARE LOOKING TO DO THE MOST DRAINAGE EFFECTIVE PROJECTS WE CAN IN ORDER TO BUILD THE CREDIBILITY NECESSARY TO GO BACK TO THE VOTERS AT SOME POINT AND SAY, HEY, LOOK WHAT WE DID. WE MADE GREAT DECISIONS IN TERMS OF

[04:30:04]

>> COMMISSIONER BRIONES. >> THANK YOU. THIS HISTORY IS ILLUMINATING AND INTERESTING AND I COULD NOT AGREE MORE. IT WILL HELP. WE CAN LEARN FROM THE PAST BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY THE BUCK STOPS HERE. WE HAVE THIS SET OF FACTS AND THAT IS WHAT WE ARE MOST INTERESTED IN. MAKING DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS BASED ON WHERE WE ARE NOW. PLEASE MAKE IT AS CLEAR AND CONCISE AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF WHERE WE GO FROM HERE. IN REGARD TO THE JELL-O FUNDING, FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION, WE WILL DELIVER TIMELY AND WE MUST LEVERAGE THAT BILLION DOLLARS. I AM SO THANKFUL THEY ARE WORKING IN COLLABORATION. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS INCREDIBLY HARD. YOU INHERITED A COMPLEX HISTORY BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY WE HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD AND DO IT IN THE MOST TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE WAY.

AT THE END OF THE DAY THESE FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECTS. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE ARE MITIGATING. I WAS SO HAPPY AFTER BERYL, IT IS WORKING AND WE ARE DELIVERING. WE JUST NEED TO KEEP DOING IT IN THE MOST FAIR, CONSISTENT AND FOCUSED WAY.

THANK YOU FOR ARMING US WITH THIS INFORMATION. I NODDED -- WHAT IT NOT ONLY ON MAY 22ND BUT WE NEED TO GET INTO A BATTLE OVER THEM SO WE ARE ALL KEPT ABREAST AND THE COMMUNITY IS KEPT ABREAST BECAUSE WE MUST BE MODELS OF GOOD GOVERNMENT AND DATA-DRIVEN GOVERNMENT. WITH THAT, THANK YOU I ECHO THE SENTIMENT THAT OUR TEAMS ARE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU. WE ARE ALL

IN THIS TOGETHER. >> JUST GOING TO THE PRIORITIZATION FRAMEWORK WITH THE DRAINAGE PROJECTS, THE 52, 57 THAT DID MOVE FORWARD, WILL THAT FOLLOW THE PRIORITIZATION

FRAMEWORK? WHAT AM I MISSING? >> THE PRIORITIZATION FRAMEWORK WAS RECHARACTERIZED TO SAY THIS 57 WILL BE PRIORITY ONE BECAUSE ALL OF THEM HAVE A SCORE ABOVE 7.4. THEN THERE WAS 23 WHICH WAS PRIORITY TWO AND THAT WAS, IF A PRECINCT HAS HONEY, AND WE GET A GRANT, WE WILL FUND THOSE AND PRIORITY THREE WAS THE 13 PROJECTS, MANY OF THEM WE LOST PARTNERS. THOSE 13 PROJECTS AT THE TIME, THE MOTION WAS THAT IF ANY COMMISSIONER WANTS TO MOVE FORWARD, THEY WILL HAVE TO BRING IT BACK TO COURT AND MAKE THE CORRECTION, NOW I HAVE THE MONEY AND IT IS VIABLE.

>> SO WHAT IS THE ISSUE WITH THOSE DRAINAGE PROJECTS THEN?

>> OUT OF THOSE 57 PROJECTS PRIORITIZED TO BE BUILT, SINCE THE COST ESCALATION HAPPENED DUE TO COVID AND ALL THE INITIAL ENGINEERING, THERE WAS A SHORTFALL. THAT IS WHY WE WENT BACK TO THE COURT. WE ARE NOT ZERO DOLLARS YET. BUT THE SHORTFALL WILL HAPPEN OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.

>> WHAT IS THE SHORTFALL AGAIN?

>> 130 MILLION. >> AND HOW MANY HAVE BEEN BUILT?

>> 37. >> THE ALREADY TWO PROJECTS,

HAVE THOSE HAPPENED? >> MANY OF THOSE PROJECTS ARE ONGOING. WE HAVE SIX PROJECTS THAT WE ARE USING CITY FUNDING AND SEVERAL PROJECTS FUNDED FROM THE PRECINCT. THAT INCLUDES ALL PRECINCTS. THEY DECIDED TO MOVE FORWARD USING THE EXTRA MONEY THEY RECEIVED FROM OTHER FUNDS.

>> THE REASON I FEEL THE PRIORITIZATION FRAMEWORK APPLIES HERE, WITHIN THE 57, THEY JUST PICKED A NUMBER, THEY WERE OVER SEVEN, HE SAID? 7.4. THERE MUST BE A DIFFERENCE AMONG THOSE PROJECTS AS TO WHICH ONES SCORED HIGHER. I JUST FEEL LIKE THE

[04:35:03]

>> I AGREE. WHEN THE REPORT COMES BACK AND THE AUDITOR LOOKS AT IT, WE WILL SEE WHETHER OR NOT THE PRIORITIZATION FRAMEWORK HAS BEEN FOLLOWED. NOTHING WE VOTED UNCHANGED FROM THAT

PRIORITIZATION. >> SO THE QUESTION IS, DOES YOUR MOTION INCLUDE A REPORT ON THE SUBDIVISION DRAINAGE AND THE

FLOOD CONTROL OR NOT? >> YES.

>> OKAY, AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION FOR YOU GUYS IS, THEN

THERE IS $1 BILLION. >> IN THE MOTION OF THE LAST COURT TO THE SUBDIVISION DRAINAGE.

>> THERE IS $1 BILLION. OF THE BOND. THAT IS WHERE I WAS

KIDDING BUT WASN'T KIDDING. >> O, THAT'S THE BILLION YOU

WERE TALKING ABOUT. >> O, THERE IS 1 BILLION. NOT AN EXTRA BILLION BUT WE'VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SPEND THAT

ALIEN. -- BILLION . >> IT'S 1 BILLION+.

>> THAT IS PART OF WHAT WE WILL BE DOING AND PART OF WHAT I HAVE DR. ARMAND, DR. PETERSON, MEETING WEEKLY WITH ME IN PERSON. AND THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER WEEKLY MEETING WHERE THAT CHIEFS OF STAFF OF ALL YOUR OFFICES AND THE PRECINCT ENGINEERING STAFF ALSO BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES WHO CAN ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS ABOUT THE INFORMATION WE ARE PUTTING TOGETHER. WE HAVE A TEMPLATE OF ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE THINK YOUR OFFICES NEED.

WE'VE GOTTEN FEEDBACK FROM A LOT OF YOUR OFFICES AND YOUR STAFF TO MAKE SURE WE ARE GOING TO PROVIDE ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU WANT SO YOU CAN MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH, OKAY, WHERE ARE THE HIGHEST PRIORITY PROJECTS, ARE THEY FEASIBLE? WHERE ARE THEY IN THE PROCESS. SO WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET ALL OF THAT INFORMATION SO IT IS ALL IN ONE PLACE. SO THAT IN COOPERATION AND COLLABORATION WITH YOUR OWN STAFF, YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT KIND OF LEVERS YOU HAVE, WHAT FLEXIBILITY YOU HAVE TO MOVE MONEY AROUND. AND IF THERE ARE SOME PROJECTS RIGHT NOW, FUNDED UNDER THE FLOOD BOND BUT MAYBE THEY ARE TAKING LONGER, THEY ARE LOWER RATED, WHATEVER THE CASE MIGHT BE, IF THE COURT DECIDES THAT YOU WANT TO MOVE SOME OF THAT MONEY UP TO SOME OTHER PROJECTS, WHETHER IT'S THE SUBDIVISION DRAINAGE PROJECTS OR OTHER FLOOD CONTROL BOND PROJECTS, YOU CAN DO THAT BUT YOU CAN ALSO SEE WHAT IS GETTING MOVED DOWN. SO FIND THAT NUMBER OF DOLLARS, WE NEED TO WORK WITHIN IT AND REPRIORITIZE. BUT THE CRITICAL THING IS, YOU ALL NEED THAT DOCUMENTATION AND INFORMATION CLEARLY LAID OUT.

THAT IS WHAT WE ARE WORKING THROUGH RIGHT NOW.

>> WHAT WERE YOU GOING TO SAY ABOUT THE $1 BILLION?

>> I WAS GOING TO ECHO WHAT THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR SAID, WHICH IS, THEY ARE OUR DOLLARS ALREADY ALLOCATED TO PROJECTS. I THINK THERE WAS A CONVERSATION AROUND TOUGH DECISIONS, A LOT OF THIS MONEY IS USED TO MATCH PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. A LOT OF THE MONEY IS, WHILE IT IS NOT SPENT, IT MAY BE ON A P.O. GETTING READY TO BE SPENT. THIS IS THE WORK THAT COMMISSIONER ELLIS ASKED US TO DO SO WE WILL

COME BACK WITH THAT DATA. >> I HAVE THE MOTION, WE ALL HAVE THE MOTION SENT AROUND. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD AT THE END PER MY EARLIER COMMENT TO OFFER A RECOMMENDATION THAT WOULD MAXIMIZE THE GOAL OF FINISHING PROJECTS ACCORDING TO THE HYBRIDIZATION FRAMEWORK WITH HIGHEST SCORING PROJECTS

FINISHING FIRST. >> I CAN TAKE THAT AS AN

AMENDMENT. >> OKAY.

>> IN THE MAY 22ND MEETING, PLEASE.

>> OKAY, I WILL READ ALL OF IT.

>> AND ALSO, I KNOW COMMISSIONER BRIONES TALKED ABOUT QUARTERLY UPDATES AND IT'S FOR BOTH BUCKETS OF PROJECTS. I THINK THAT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE IN THERE ALSO.

>> IT SAYS MOVE TO DIRECT THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT TO WORK WITH THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET, COUNTY ADMINISTRATION AND ANY OTHER RELATIVE DEPARTMENTS TO CREATE AN DETAILED REPORT FOR THE 2018 FLOOD BOND PROGRAM. OCA WILL

[04:40:03]

FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? >> ARE YOU OKAY? THAT DID NOT SOUND GREAT. YOU ARE SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS. MOTION CARRIES. 5-0.

THANK YOU, GUYS. NOW MOVING ON --

>> WAS THAT FOR ITEM 164? ONLY OR 164 AND 128? WE WILL APPLY IT

TO BOTH. >> OKAY, GREAT. THEN WE HAVE THE GEL STEPHANIE -- JAIL STAFFING. AND 158 AND 165 AND THOSE SHOULD BE THE LAST ONES. JAIL STAFFING WAS FLAGGED BY PRECINCT 2 AND 3.

>> JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS, THIS IS AN ITEM THAT CAME IN FROM THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE BUT THEY'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OMB AND MY OFFICE, JUSTICE INNOVATION, MISS MILLS AND SO I WILL LET DANIEL START TALKING ABOUT THE NUMBER OF DETENTION OFFICERS AND THE COST AND HOW THAT CAN BE FUNDED WITH THE MAJORITY INTERNALLY AND THEN MISS MILLS TO TALK ABOUT THE POST AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR MEETING THE JAIL CONSISTENTLY AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR BRINGING

FOLKS BACK OUT OF COUNTY. >> I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THESE ARE POSITIONS AND POSTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING STAFFED. THEY ARE JUST BEING STAFFED THROUGH MANDATORY OVERTIME WHICH, GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF MANDATORY OVERTIME, WE HAVE ASKED OUR EMPLOYEES TO WORK IS BECOMING UNSUSTAINABLE. WHAT YOU'RE REALLY FINDING IS THE STARTUP COST, THE TRAINING, EQUIPMENT, AS THESE FOLKS WORK THEIR WAY THROUGH THE ACADEMY, THEY ARE BEING PAID AND THEY ARE NOT OBSERVING OVERTIME JUST YET.

WE FEEL CONFIDENT THAT OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT FEW YEARS THIS WILL BE RELATIVELY PUT TO NEUTRAL. IT ALSO GIVES US A LOT MORE FLEXIBILITY MOVING FORWARD ON THE OUTSOURCING. WE FEEL LIKE OR I SHOULD SAY I FEEL LIKE WORKING WITH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY AND SHERIFF, THERE IS KIND OF A LINE OF SIGHT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A BIG DENT INTO OUR OUTSOURCING. YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY THIS BEFORE, BUT OUTSOURCING IS THE SINGLE MOST EXPENSIVE THING THAT THIS COUNTY DOES. EVERY PERSON WE CAN BRING BACK, SORRY TO STEAL A LITTLE BIT OF YOUR THUNDER, BUT EVERY PERSON WE CAN BRING BACK IS A SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS FOR THE

COUNTY. >> SURE. GOOD EVENING JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS. JUST TO GO A LITTLE FURTHER ON WHAT DANIEL WAS TALKING ABOUT, IF WE LOOK AT, WE OFTEN THINK ABOUT STAFFING ISSUES IN JAILS WINTER 48. WE ARE TEMPTED TO TAKE THE NUMBER OF INMATES AND DIVIDE THEM BY 48 BUT IF WE LOOK AT STAFFING IN THE SENSE OF A POST, ONE POST IS A 5.67 STAFF, IT IS A 24/7 365 DAY A YEAR OPERATION. THAT IS ROUGHLY $412,000 A YEAR TO STAFF A POST. IF YOU CONSIDER $50 MILLION A YEAR WE ARE

[04:45:05]

TO STOP IT. >> ONE THING I WANT TO ADD, WHY DIDN'T WE DO THIS SOONER? WE HAD, I BELIEVE WE SAT HERE AND IT WAS THE SHERIFF, HEAD NORTH OF 100, 150 VARIOUS POINTS OF DETENTION VACANCIES. THEY HAVE MOVED MOUNTAINS TO REDUCE THAT NUMBER DOWN TO 38. WE'VE DONE RAISES, RETENTION BONUSES, WE'VE INVESTED IN RECRUITMENT SERVICES. WE HAVE BEEFED UP THE BACKGROUND CHECK CAPACITY. SO WE ARE FINALLY AT A POINT NOW WHERE WE FEEL, NOW THAT WE BUILD THE SLOTS WE CAN TAKE THE NEXT STEP AND START BEING STRATEGIC ABOUT OUR HUMAN CAPITOL AND ENSURING THAT THEY HAVE A SAFE STAFFING RATIO AND A SUSTAINABLE STAFFING RATIO AS WELL AS STARTING TO MAKE PLANS TO BRING ALL OF OUR

FOLKS HOME. >> AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS AS WELL IS, IF WE CAN FIND A WAY TO BRING THE REST OF THE FOLKS HOME, THAT ARE OUTSOURCED RIGHT NOW, IT WOULD TAKE MORE STAFFING IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. WE WANT TO KEEP WORKING WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO SEE HOW MANY MORE FOLKS IT WOULD TAKE ANOTHER TRANCHE SO WE COULD BRING ALL THAT AMOUNT DOWN. AND TANYA, YOU HAVE SOME NUMBERS ON IF WE DO THAT SECOND TRANCHE OF ANOTHER HUNDRED 50 AS PART OF THE FY 2026 BUDGET PROCESS.

>> IT IS ABOUT $13.7 MILLION IN ANNUALIZED COST FOR THE FIRST 150. THAT FIRST 150 WILL BE DEDICATED TO ELIMINATING THE OVERTIME WERE DRAMATICALLY REDUCING OVERTIME. AND MAYBE BE ABLE TO BRING A FEW PEOPLE BACK. BUT IT WILL NOT ALLOW US TO STAFF ALL THOSE AND BRING EVERYBODY BACK. WE NEED A SECOND TRANCHE OF 150 IF WE ARE UNSUCCESSFUL OF BEING ABLE TO REDUCE THE JAIL POPULATION. 13.7, AGAIN, THAT PUTS A -- UPSET ABOUT 47POINT$1 MILLION IN STAFFING COURSE. SO IT WOULD BE MUCH MORE COST-EFFECTIVE FOR US TO STAFF THE JAIL AND ALL THE POSTS IN THE JAIL THEN TO DO SOME COMBINATION OF STAFFING AND

OUTSOURCING. >> FOR THE MARCH COMMISSIONERS COURT, TANYA WILL HAVE A PRESENTATION, OR JAIL DATA PRESENTATION. WE ARE NOT GIVING UP ON DEALING WITH THE JAIL NUMBERS, THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAYS, WORKING WITH THE D.A. AND THE DISTRICT JUDGES. WE HAVE BEEN GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION ON THAT OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR. THAT THE NUMBER OF FOLKS, OF INMATES IN CUSTODY HAS GONE UP INSTEAD OF DOWN, EVEN WITH ALL THE RESOURCES THE COMMISSIONERS COURT HAS DEDICATED TO THOSE EFFORTS. WE WILL KEEP LOOKING UNDER THE HOOD AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHY THAT'S NOT WORKING. THIS IS ANOTHER WAY WE CAN TRY TO

ADDRESS THAT. >> SORRY, GUYS, I'M VERY

CLUMSY. >> COURT, GOOD WORK. THANK YOU.

IT HAS BEEN QUITE THE JOURNEY. TO GET TO THIS POINT. I KNOW THE INITIAL FOCUS WAS GETTING OUR GEL CERTIFIED. SOME OF THAT REQUIRED THAT WE MOVE INMATES TO OTHER LOCATIONS. NOW WE ARE BACK HOME TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN GET THEM BACK HOME AND DO IT SAFELY. HOW ARE WE ON OUR GEL CERTIFICATION ARE WE ARE WE STILL IN GOOD SHAPE THERE? IS IT ON THE ROCKY EDGE IN TERMS OF

BEING ABLE TO MAINTAIN IT . >> WE REGAINED COMPLIANCE AFTER BEING OUT FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS. WE REGAINED OVERALL COMPLAINTS ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO. THEY KEPT US ON ENHANCED STATUS WAS THE

[04:50:09]

THEY HAVE OUR PLAN OF ACTION AND THEY ARE AWAITING ON US TO

REQUEST A REINSPECTION. A >> THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS.

I'M ALMOST A WALKABLE IN TERMS OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN STAY ON TOP OF THESE ISSUES. AND OF COURSE IT IS BOTH AND WHAT CAN WE DO TO IMPROVE THE CONDITIONS THERE AND WHAT IS THE LONG-TERM PLAN. LET'S STAY FOCUSED ON THE SHORT-TERM, HOW CAN WE GET THE JAIL UP TO AS GOOD A PLACE AS WE CAN. HOW CAN WE REDUCE THE JAIL POPULATION WITH ALL THE OTHER PARTNERS WE GOT BOTH THE SENDING AND RECEIVING. AS THE STATE OF TEXAS DONE WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO TAKE THEIR TDC J PRISONERS?

>> THEY ARE WELL WITHIN THE 45 DAYS BUT ON AVERAGE WE STILL HAVE FOUR 200 WAITING TO GO TO TDC.

>> OKAY. GOOD JOB. >> THANK YOU TWO DR. RAMOS AND TEAM. I WILL MOVE 158 AS PRESENTED. ONE SAVE JAIL POPULATION MANAGEMENT, REDUCING THE LENGTH OF STAY AND DEDUCING THE BURDEN OF ALL THESE OVERTIME SHIFTS AND MAKING SURE WE ARE COMPLIANT WITH STATE STANDARDS. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE WHEN WINDS IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE DETAINEES AND OFFICERS ARE SAFE.

HONESTLY, THE VOTES THAT PAIN ME THE MOST ARE THE OUTSOURCING. I FIND IT APPALLING. I KNOW IT IS NECESSARY BECAUSE THE STATE GUIDELINES BUT I CAN'T WAIT TO BRING THOSE FOLKS HOME AND SAFELY MANAGE THE JAIL POPULATION. SO, THANK YOU FOR TAKING DECISIVE ACTION TO CONTINUOUSLY -- MOTION TO MOVE

THE TIME. >> ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED?

MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. >> I WOULD MUCH RATHER SPEND THE MONEY FOR ALL THOSE REASONS I JUST STATED. MAKING OUR JAILS SAFER AND MORE REHABILITATIVE. THE POSITIONS, HOW QUICKLY, BOLDLY YET REALISTICALLY, WHAT IS THE TIMELINE FOR HIRING THOSE

OFFICERS? >> WORKING WITH OUR TEAMS HERE, THERE IS ALWAYS A HIRING. THERE ARE SEVERAL HUNDRED IN THE PROCESS AT SOME POINT. WE'VE ALSO WORKED OUT IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS HOW WE CAN RENT CONCURRENT BASIC COUNTY CORRECTION ACADEMIES. SO THAT PROCESS IS READY. WE ARE UP TO THE TASK. IF WE ARE APPROVED FOR THESE NEW POSITIONS WE WILL PUT IN PLACE AND PLAN OUT THE NEXT FEW WEEKS TO BE ABLE TO RUN CONCURRENT CORRECTION CLASSES. THERE ARE SEVERAL HUNDRED THAT ARE IN THE BACKGROUND PROCESS, APPLICANTS HAD ALREADY APPLIED WITH THE COUNTY. SO WE LOOKED, AGAIN, IF APPROVED BY THE COURT, TO BE ABLE TO FILL THESE NEW POSITIONS . WE ARE VERY OPTIMISTIC ON THAT AND NOW THAT THE PLAN HAS BEEN OUTLINED TO RUN THE CONCURRENT CORRECTIONS ACADEMIES.

>> WE HAVE A MOTION. YES, DISCUSSION .

>> I JUST WANT TO ADD TO . THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES. THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB FILLING THE VACANCIES. THEY ARE FAR THEM BETTER BEFORE DOING A NUMBER OF RETENTION CLASSES. AND I DO WANT TO COMMEND US BECAUSE THE RETENTION PAY THAT WAS PASSED IN THIS BODY HAS ABSOLUTELY HELPED TO SAVE WITH THE RETENTION OF

[04:55:03]

TO YOUR TEAM. >> WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT OF THE WHOLE COURT. IF I MAY BE SO BOLD, WHEN Y'ALL GRANTED THE RAISE, WE REALLY SO THAT IMPACT OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF.

THE OFFICERS FEEL APPRECIATED AND THE SUPPORT WE RECEIVED FROM THE COURT, EVERY TIME WE COME TO ASK Y'ALL FOR IT, IT IS WELL RECEIVED FROM EVERYBODY AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. WE CAN'T DO THIS WORK WITHOUT ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT. WE APPRECIATE THE

ENTIRE BODY. >> WE KNOW IT IS HARD OVER THERE FOR YOU GUYS AS WELL AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK TO SEE HOW WE CAN REDUCE THAT JAIL POPULATION AND KEEP EVERYBODY SAFE. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BRIONES , ALL IN FAVOR. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. I THINK THAT DOES IT FOR TODAY. WHAT AM I MISSING?

>> I STILL HAVE 135. BUT I CAN BE WRONG.

>> ON 165 THAT WILL BE A NO ACTION. WHAT WE WERE JUST

DISCUSSING? >> YOU STILL HAVE 135. I THINK

WE PUT IT BACK ON CONSENT. >> OKAY. I JUST WANT TO MAKE

SURE. >> COMMISSIONER RAMSEY PUT IT

BACK ON CONSENT. OH, WE VOTED. >> OKAY.

>> THANK YOU FOR CHECKING. >> WE VOTED ON THAT.

>> YES, COMMISSIONER ELLIS. >> VERY QUICK,

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.