3. Discussion and appropriate action regarding the American Rescue Plan Act State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funding priorities and reprogramming of funds.

[3. Discussion and appropriate action regarding the American Rescue Plan Act State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funding priorities and reprogramming of funds. ]

RESCUE PLAN ACT.

STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDING PRIORITIES AND REPROGRAM OF FUNDS.

MR. LIAO, GOOD MORNING.

GOOD MORNING, JUDGE. COMMISSIONERS, WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE ARPA REPROGRAMING AND WOULD YOU BRING OUT YOUR ENTIRE TEAM UP FOR.

YES AND INTRODUCE THEM.

WE HAVE WITH US GUIDEHOUSE, WHICH IS OUR ARPA CONSULTANT AND MILA CLARK, THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR.

STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS HERE AS WELL AS LUISA VENEGONI.

WE ALSO HAVE EXPERTS WITHIN OUR COUNTY DEPARTMENTS.

IF YOU DO HAVE QUESTIONS ON CERTAIN TOPICS, I KNOW JAMIE BARRERA IS HERE WITH LIFT FUND.

IF THEY COME FORWARD, EVERYBODY COME FORWARD.

SO IF WE NEED TO TALK TO YOU IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU HAVE THREE HANDOUTS OR FOUR HANDOUTS.

ONE IS THE EXPENDITURE CATEGORIES, WHICH IS A NICE OVERVIEW OF THE AUTHORIZED CATEGORIES BY ARPA.

AFTER THAT, YOU HAVE ENUMERATED EXPENSES WHICH ARE A BREAKDOWN OF THOSE CATEGORIES.

SPECIFICALLY, IT'S ALL ATTACHED TO THAT.

COMMISSIONER. YES.

NOW THOSE ENUMERATED EXPENSES ARE GOVERNED BY THE FINAL RULE, BUT I WANTED TO GIVE YOU THE ENUMERATED EXPENSES BECAUSE IT'S A GOOD STARTING POINT.

THE ARPA RULE READS LIKE THE ALIEN HIEROGLYPHS CAPTURED AT AREA 51 SO MANY YEARS AGO.

SO IT'S KIND OF A DRY READ.

BUDGET CATEGORIES ARE NEXT, AND THAT SHOWS YOU WHAT SPECIFIC PROJECTS ARE PENDING AND EXECUTED.

AND THEN OF COURSE, YOU HAVE THE GUIDEHOUSE PRESENTATION.

THE OVERVIEW.

ON APRIL 18TH, STAFF GAVE COMMISSIONERS COURT ITS FIRST INTRODUCTION INTO THE REPROGRAMING PROCESS COMMISSIONERS COURT DIRECTED STAFF TO PROVIDE OTHER SESSIONS FOR REPROGRAMING, WHICH I THINK WILL BE THE NORM UNTIL ALL THE NUMBERS BUBBLE TO THE TOP.

THIS IS A MOVING TARGET.

THE REPROGRAMING FUND WILL BE DETERMINED BY ARPA FUNDS ASSOCIATED WITH PROJECTS THAT ARE CANCELED, WITHDRAWN OR FUNDED ELSEWHERE AND PROJECT SAVINGS. SO THAT WILL ENCOMPASS WHAT YOU'LL HAVE TO REPROGRAM.

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE STAFF ARE THREE AREAS ELIGIBILITY REPROGRAM FUNDS NEED TO COMPLY WITH THE FINAL RULE.

AS I MENTIONED A LITTLE EARLIER, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

JUST BECAUSE IT FITS ONE OF THOSE ELIGIBLE EXPENSES DOESN'T MEAN THE FINAL RULE IS GOING TO MATCH EXACTLY WHAT THAT PROGRAM IS.

[00:25:07]

THE NEXT THING IS PRIORITIZATION, AND THAT'S DUE TO THE TIMELINE.

BUT CONSIDERING INTERNAL BIERI COUNTY PROJECTS IS A VERY STREAMLINED PROCESS.

A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT IS THE FINLEY IMPACT FELONY IMPACT COURT THAT WAS APPROVED IN APRIL.

CONSIDERING ADDING FUNDING TO EXISTING PROJECTS IS ANOTHER AREA OF CONSIDERATION.

A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT, OR HOPEFULLY WILL BE THE ISD PROGRAM THAT WAS CHAMPIONED BY COMMISSIONER CLAY-FLORES.

THERE'S ALSO A CONSIDERATION FOR SOLICITING NEW PROJECTS.

OBVIOUSLY, YOU'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUT THERE AND SEE WHAT YOUR PRECINCTS ARE NEEDING.

BE MINDFUL OF CONSTRUCTION TIMING BECAUSE ALL FUNDS AND YOU GO TO THE LAST ONE TIMELINE.

ALL FUNDS HAVE TO BE ALLOCATED BY DECEMBER 31ST, 2024.

AND IN THE CASE OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, WE ALL KNOW THERE ARE SO MANY VARIABLES THAT COULD EXTEND THAT PROJECT PAST THAT.

YES, SIR. YES.

I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT HERE AND A QUESTION, BECAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING IS UNDER THE CURRENT DEBT CEILING NEGOTIATIONS, THERE'S DISCUSSIONS ABOUT CLAWING BACK SOME UNSPENT ARPA DOLLARS.

IS THAT YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT THE CUT OFF WOULD BE MOVED TO WITH WITH ANY OF THOSE CHANGES? THERE'S A LOT OF TALK FROM OUR FEDERAL CONSULTANTS.

THERE'S TALK OUT THERE.

THERE'S NOTHING SOLID THEY HAVE DISCUSSED CLAWING BACK.

THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WITHIN THE FEDERAL CONSULTANT REALM THAT SAY THAT THAT'S REALLY NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT WE CAN'T BANK ON THAT.

THE EXTENSION OF THE DECEMBER 31ST, 2024 DEADLINE, IT SEEMS AS SIX MONTHS IS WHAT'S COMING UP, WHICH WOULD PUT US, WHAT, IN JUNE 30TH, JUNE 30TH, 2025.

BUT AGAIN, NOTHING IS SOLID.

NOTHING IS IN WRITING.

THERE ARE NO BILLS THAT HAVE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE.

SO IT'S REALLY A TOUCH AND GO RIGHT NOW.

AND THE IMPORTANT THING IS JUST MOVING FORWARD WITH THESE DEADLINES.

AND IF THEY DO EXTEND THE DEADLINE, THEN WE'LL HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF BREATHING ROOM.

YEAH. AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT COMMENT FOR THE RECORD.

THERE'S THERE'S URGENCY HERE BECAUSE FIRST OF ALL, POTENTIALLY THERE'S THE CLAW BACK SCENARIO.

AND THEN SECOND OF ALL, IF YOU KNOW, AS WE'VE SEEN SOME OF THESE DOLLARS, THESE CONTRACTS DON'T ACTUALLY PRODUCE THE RESULTS, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THE MONEY COMES BACK AGAIN.

AND SO IF WE WAIT RIGHT UP TILL THE DEADLINE AND WE END UP IN THAT SITUATION, THEN WE CROSS THAT DEADLINE AND WE DON'T HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE TO TO ALLOCATE THOSE FUNDS. SO I THINK MOVING QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY TO TRY TO REALLOCATE THOSE DOLLARS THAT COME BACK MAKES THE MOST SENSE TO ME.

BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT COMMENT.

THANK YOU. AND THAT'S A GOOD COMMENT, COMMISSIONER MOODY, BECAUSE WE'RE STARTING AT ABOUT THE RIGHT TIME.

THE NUMBERS ARE STARTING TO REALLY MATERIALIZE IN A MORE FIRM FASHION.

WE'RE GETTING THROUGH SOME CONTRACTS THAT WERE TROUBLESOME.

WE'RE GOING TO SEE THIS SUMMER REALLY WHERE WE STAND, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THOSE SESSIONS AND WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER ONE PROBABLY IN THE LATE WINTER OR EARLY FALL OR LATE FALL OR EARLY WINTER.

AND WE'RE GOING TO KEEP ATTACKING THIS ITEM.

SO THEN WE GO TO THE ARPA BUDGET AND YOU'RE GOING TO SEE FIVE COLUMNS.

THE FIRST TWO ARE PRETTY LOCKED IN.

THEY'RE THE PRIORITIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY APPROVED BY THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT THAT WAS APPROVED LAST YEAR BEFORE JUDGE SAKAI TOOK OVER.

AND THEY HAVE THEIR CORRESPONDING AMOUNTS THERE.

NOW, I WILL SAY, AS YOU GO DOWN THAT TOTAL, YOU HAVE $390 MILLION.

THAT IS BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY DONE A REPROGRAMING OF SORTS.

THE FELONY IMPACT COURT WAS APPROVED LAST MONTH BECAUSE WE DID ANTICIPATE SAVINGS SAVINGS OVER WHAT THAT COURT WAS GOING TO COST.

SO JUDGE SAKAI THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO GET THAT BALL ROLLING TO TAKE CARE OF SOME OF THE BACKLOG.

SO CURRENTLY WE ARE OPERATING AT A $1.3 MILLION DEFICIT.

I'M NOT GOING TO SAY THAT'S A REAL DEFICIT BECAUSE THOSE SAVINGS WILL COME IN.

WE DID RECEIVE AN EXTRA $100,000 FROM ARPA.

THANK YOU. DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY.

AND THAT GIVES YOU THE GRAND TOTAL OF $389 MILLION, WHICH IS WHAT WE WERE ALLOCATED.

SO THEN WE MOVED TO THE NEXT THREE COLUMNS AND YOU HAVE VERY CLEARLY WHAT'S UNDER CONTRACT.

THESE ARE CONTRACTS THAT ARE APPROVED.

YOU'LL FIND THOSE IN THE HANDOUT THAT YOU WERE GIVEN.

CONTRACTS PENDING.

NOW THIS ONE WE'RE WORKING CURRENTLY TO TO FINALIZE THOSE CONTRACTS.

SOME OF THOSE, I'LL JUST BE HONEST, THEY MAY NOT MAKE I DON'T KNOW, BUT THEY'RE PENDING.

SO SOME SAVINGS MAY COME OUT OF THAT AND BE THROWN INTO THE REPROGRAMING POOL.

[00:30:01]

THE NEXT COLUMN IS PENDING DIRECTION.

NOW, THESE TWO NUMBERS, THE HOUSING WAS ALLOCATED 7 MILLION AND A PLAN WAS DEVELOPED, WAS ASKED TO BE DEVELOPED.

IT IS DEVELOPED. I BELIEVE YOU ALL HAVE BEEN BRIEFED ON THAT.

SO THAT IS NOT REALLY IN REPROGRAMING AT THIS TIME THAT'S HOLDING FOR THAT HOUSING PLAN.

MANUEL I JUST WANT TO CORRECT SOMETHING YOU JUST SAID.

YOU SAID HOUSING WAS GIVEN 7 MILLION.

IT WAS GIVEN 26 MILLION.

CORRECT. I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE LAST COLUMN THE HOUSING WAS GIVEN.

IN TOTAL, 26 MILLION.

13 MILLION IS UNDER CONTRACT, 5.8 MILLION IS PENDING CONTRACT.

BUT THERE'S A 7 MILLION.

THERE'S 7 MILLION THAT'S HANGING OUT THERE THAT WAS ALLOCATED FOR THIS HOUSING PLAN.

SO WHILE IT'S NOT UNDER THE CONTRACT PENDING BECAUSE THE PLAN WAS BEING DEVELOPED, ONCE THAT PLAN IS APPROVED OR THEY MOVE FORWARD, THEN THAT'LL MOVE INTO THE CONTRACT PENDING BECAUSE THEY'LL FIND PEOPLE THAT.

CAN YOU BE MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT WHO IS DOING THE PLANNING? YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE END USER, THE END GRANTEES OR.

WELL, THE PLAN IS BEING CONDUCTED BY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES.

I THOUGHT WE HAD PRETTY MUCH EARMARKED ALL OF THOSE FUNDS AND THERE MAY BE UNDER THE PLAN, I HAVE NOT CURRENTLY SEEN THE PLAN.

IT'S NOT THING.

I THINK WHAT MANUEL IS SAYING IS THOSE FIRST TWO ARE UNDER CONTRACT AND CONTRACT PENDING MEANS A VENDOR OR RECIPIENT HAS BEEN SELECTED BY THIS COURT. THE PENDING DIRECTION COLUMN MEANS THERE'S NO VENDOR YET OR RECIPIENT OF THOSE FUNDS THAT THE COURT HAS APPROVED.

I CAN'T BRIEF YOU.

I DON'T KNOW THAT THE COURT HAS GIVEN DIRECTION ABOUT THAT 7 MILLION.

I BELIEVE IT WAS THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

BUT OTHER THAN THAT, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.

OKAY. SO EVERY ONE OF THE CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE, WITH MAYBE THE EXCEPTION OF SOME IN PRECINCT ONE, ARE UNDER BUDGET IN TERMS OF THE PROJECT BEING ABLE TO FULLY FUND ITSELF.

SO DOES IT MAKE SOME SENSE TO LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING WORLD AND THEN LOOK AT AND HOW? YOU KNOW, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, A LOT OF THE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING IS GETTING FULLY FUNDED, BUT WE NEED TO TAKE A DOUBLE CHECK OF IT, BUT MAYBE ALLOCATE SOME OF THAT INTO THE THE, I GUESS, AFFORDABLE HOUSING BETWEEN 30%, 30% AND 80%.

AMI, BECAUSE THOSE PROJECTS WE'RE GIVING FUNDING TO, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO SPEND IT IN THREE YEARS, BUT THE VENDORS ARE SAYING THE COUNTY DIDN'T QUITE GET ENOUGH TO US.

SO I JUST WANT TO POINT THAT OUT, THAT A LOT OF PROJECTS ARE NOT PENCILING AND IF WE HAVE SOME MORE MONEY THERE, THAT WOULD BE A WISE THING SO THAT WE CAN GET THOSE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS BUILT.

AM I MAKING SENSE? HAVE YOU HEARD THAT FEEDBACK? I WAS JUST ABOUT TO SAY, COMMISSIONER, IF YOU'RE SPEAKING OF THERE'S A PARTICULAR PROJECT THAT THERE'S A BUNCH OF THEM.

IT'S MOST OF THEM. I'M NOT GOING TO DENY THAT MOST OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE ALLOCATED MONEY TO ARE SHORT AND WE SHORTCUTTED THE THE ABILITY FOR THE PROJECT TO ACTUALLY WORK.

SO WE HAVE FROM A STAFF PERSPECTIVE, STAFF NEEDS TO GO BACK AND HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THOSE AGENCIES AND THEN WE NEED TO DETERMINE AND REPROGRAMING.

YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT MUCH MORE THAT THEY NEED, BUT IT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE IS NEEDED TO MAKE THE PROJECTS ACTUALLY HAPPEN.

YES. AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.

THERE IS ONE PROJECT BECAUSE OF INFLATION AND BECAUSE OF INFLATION AND BECAUSE.

AND VOLATILE AND INTEREST RATES.

YEAH. YES. SO THOSE THINGS AFFECTED.

THEY'RE VERY VOLATILE MARKET.

YES. AND SOME A PROJECT IS SHORT AND THAT'S GOING TO BE CONSIDERED IN YOUR REPROGRAMING PROCESS.

MAYBE THAT'S WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY IS WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THIS PROJECT BECAUSE IT'S GREAT, THAT LITTLE GAP.

WE'RE GOING TO FUND THAT GAP.

OKAY, SO WE'RE SPEAKING THE SAME LANGUAGE.

THEN YOU HAVE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, WHICH IS 14.7 MILLION.

NOW THAT IS WAS ALLOCATED AT THE VERY BEGINNING.

I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT HAS A DIRECT PROJECT THAT IS GOING TOWARDS SO IN TOTAL PENDING DIRECTION, WE'RE GOING TO SAY THERE'S $21.7 MILLION. SOME OF THE SAVINGS WILL COME FROM PAYROLL, PROJECT SAVINGS AND PROJECTS THAT DO NOT MAKE.

SO THAT'S GOING TO FLUCTUATE THESE NUMBERS SOMEWHAT OVER THE NEXT SUMMER.

WE'LL SEE. AND THEN MAYBE PAST AUGUST.

BUT THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE ARPA BUDGET OR REPROGRAMING OF THE FUNDS? OKAY, WE'LL MOVE ON.

AND TO MAKE IT SIMPLE HERE, WE'VE GOT REPROGRAMING FUNDS AS THEY STAND TODAY BECAUSE I USE THAT BUDGET WHICH WAS DATED MARCH, MAY 15TH, AND THAT IS GOING TO CHANGE.

I CAN'T REITERATE THAT ENOUGH.

PROGRAM DEFICIT 1.3 I'VE ALREADY WENT OVER THAT.

[00:35:03]

THAT WAS THE FELONY IMPACT COURT.

THEN YOU HAVE A PROGRAM SURPLUS SAVINGS THAT'S CURRENTLY CALCULATED AT 7 MILLION CURRENT ESTIMATED REPROGRAMING FUND IS 6.4 MILLION AS IT STANDS TODAY.

THERE ARE PROJECTS THAT WILL HAVE SAVINGS.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE NON PROFIT PROGRAM WILL HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF SAVINGS.

THAT'S PART OF THAT $6 MILLION.

AND WE KNOW THAT THE SMALL BUSINESS FROM THE SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM IS WAS AWARDED 10 MILLION AND HAS AN EXPENSE TOTAL OF 13 MILLION.

SO THEIR 13 3 MILLION IN THE HOLE.

SO THAT'S ANOTHER CONSIDERATION GOING.

AND OF COURSE WE'VE ALREADY MENTIONED THE HOUSING INFLATION COSTS UPCOMING ACTIONS STAFFS TO PROVIDE STATUS UPDATE ON CURRENT PROJECTS.

THAT'S PROBABLY GOING TO HAPPEN LATE JUNE, MAYBE EARLY JULY.

IT'S GOING TO GIVE YOU THE PROJECT BALANCES AS THEY STAND AT THAT TIME AND PROJECTED VIABILITY OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF BEING EXECUTED.

COMMISSIONERS COURT WILL DETERMINE THE PRIORITIES.

NOW THERE ARE SET PRIORITIES CURRENTLY, BUT UNDER YOUR REPROGRAMING PROCESS YOU MAY CONSIDER THAT YOU WANT TO ONLY FOCUS ON CERTAIN PRIORITIES OR CREATE YOUR OWN NEW PRIORITIES. THAT'S TOTALLY UP TO THE DISCRETION OF COMMISSIONERS COURT.

AND THERE'S PROJECT SOLICITATION AND VETTING.

SO IF YOU DETERMINE THAT YOU WANT TO FOCUS ON ATTRACTING NEW PROJECTS, THEY WILL NEED TO BE SOLICITED, THEY WILL NEED TO BE VETTED TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS THAT IS ARPA.

AND I BELIEVE THAT IS ALL WE HAVE ON OUR END.

IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS THERE, THEN GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER MOODY.

SO JUST KIND OF A FOLLOW ON TO MY PREVIOUS COMMENT.

SO YOU HAVE 117 MILLION CONTRACT PENDING AND ANOTHER 21 MILLION PENDING DIRECTION.

I GUESS, WHAT IS THE TIMELINE FOR THOSE CONTRACTS TO GET INTO, CROSS THE LINE, GET INTO UNDER CONTRACT? BECAUSE AGAIN, IF YOU WERE AWARDED THAT THAT MONEY, YOU'RE GOING TO WANT TO USE AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT YOU CAN KEEP THOSE FUNDS.

BUT AT SOME POINT, DO WE NOT HAVE TO PRESS THEM TO TO TO HAVE A DEADLINE? BECAUSE IF THEY DON'T SPEND THOSE FUNDS, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO REPROGRAM THEM IN A TIMELY MANNER AND STILL MEET OUR DEADLINES.

THAT IS CORRECT. AND THAT'S THAT'S SPEAKING TO THE TIMELINE WE'VE BEGUN ALREADY.

WE ARE PUSHING FORWARD.

RIGHT NOW, WE'RE TURNING A CORNER, SO TO SPEAK, IN THE ARPA WORLD.

WE'RE GETTING SOME SIGNIFICANT CONTRACTS DONE.

THERE WERE TWO DONE LAST QUARTER.

WE'RE HOPING TO GET SOME GOOD CONTRACTS DONE IN JUNE, MAYBE JULY, BUT IT'S GOING TO SET UP NICELY FOR THAT SUMMER.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE WE'RE AT NOW.

THERE'S REALLY ONLY TWO THAT WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT AT THIS TIME.

BUT SO IS THERE A DEADLINE FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE PROJECTS AS FAR AS THEM BEING ABLE TO GET TO UNDER CONTRACT STAGE? I GUESS THAT'S NOT AT THIS TIME.

I'M NOT GOING TO SAY THAT THERE'S A HARD DEADLINE, BUT WE'RE ALL AWARE OF THESE TWO CONTRACTS OR WE'RE AWARE THAT THERE'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE A COME TO JESUS MOMENT THAT SAYS WE'RE EITHER GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS OR WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.

AND THAT IS COMING, I BELIEVE, TOWARDS THE END OF THE SUMMER AT THE LATEST.

I HOPE WE RESOLVE THESE MUCH SOONER.

YES. OKAY.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. LOUD? I ASSUME THERE'S A PRESENTATION BY GUIDEHOUSE? YES. JUDGE GUIDEHOUSE HAS ITS PRESENTATION, WHICH YOU DO HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU, AND THEY'LL GO OVER SOME OF THE INNER WORKINGS OF RPA FROM THEIR ASPECT.

AND I MAY COME BACK TO YOU, MR. LIAO, TO ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS AFTER THEIR PRESENTATION.

ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING.

GOOD TO SEE YOU GUYS AGAIN.

SO YOU HAVE YOUR PACKETS IN FRONT OF YOU.

I'LL START ON JUST FIRST PAGE NUMBER TWO.

I'LL JUST GO OVER A QUICK OVERVIEW OF OUR AGENDA.

SO FIRST WE'LL GIVE A QUICK GUIDEHOUSE INTRODUCTION.

WE'LL GO OVER SOME REPROGRAMING STEPS FOR YOU GUYS.

AND THEN NEXT LOUISA WILL GO OVER ELIGIBILITY USES TO GIVE YOU GUYS A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THOSE AS WELL, AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OTHER CONSIDERATIONS WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT REPROGRAMING.

OKAY. SO ON SLIDE THREE.

OH, LET ME MOVE THE SLIDE.

OH, OKAY.

ON SLIDE THREE, JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW OF GUIDEHOUSE AND AND OUR CURRENT SUCCESSES AND DEMONSTRATED THROUGHOUT 65 PLUS STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT CLIENTS.

WE HAVE ALSO WORKED WITH CLIENTS, INCLUDING HARRIS COUNTY SYSTEMS FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

[00:40:03]

WHAT MAKES GUIDEHOUSE REALLY UNIQUE IS OUR TEAM HAS CULTIVATED A PROFESSIONALS NATIONWIDE THAT HAVE BUILT A COMMUNITY BUILDING AND INVESTMENT CENTER OF EXCELLENCE TEAM, WHERE WE MEET PRETTY MUCH ONCE A WEEK.

AND THAT'S ALL OF OUR ALL OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS THAT ARE ON DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROJECTS THROUGHOUT STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

SO WE ALL TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT EVERY CLIENT IS KIND OF WORKING THROUGH AND KIND OF GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOME BENCHMARKING AND KIND OF TALK ABOUT SUCCESS STORIES AND LESSONS LEARNED.

SO THAT'S KIND OF UNIQUE TO WHAT WE DO HERE AT GUIDEHOUSE FOR OUR TEAM.

NOT ONLY WILL THAT ASSIST US, ASSIST US WITH BENCHMARKING AND HELPING THE COUNTY UNDERSTAND KIND OF WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE'VE SEEN COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE.

AND I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, FROM WHAT WE'VE SEEN PREVIOUSLY IN THE PAST COUPLE OF CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR CLIENTS, YOU GUYS ARE KIND OF IN THE SAME SPOT, RIGHT? LIKE YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW, THE FUTURE OF THAT DEADLINE COMING UP OF 2024.

THERE EVERYONE IS THINKING ABOUT REPROGRAMING.

SO IT'S NOT LIKE YOU GUYS ARE BEHIND THE CURVE.

SO WHERE YOU GUYS ARE RIGHT NOW IS PRETTY MUCH WHAT WE'RE SEEING THROUGHOUT TRAINING FOR OTHER CLIENTS.

I JUST WANTED TO ASSURE YOU GUYS OF THAT.

OKAY. SO AGAIN, THE PURPOSE OF REPROGRAMING IS KIND OF TO MEET THOSE DEADLINES MOVING FORWARD WITH DECEMBER 2024.

JUST TO RECAP, AGAIN, OUR GUIDEHOUSE AND BEAR COUNTY PARTNERSHIP.

SO WE STARTED OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH BEAR COUNTY IN 2021, EARLY OF 2021 TIMEFRAME.

SINCE THEN, WE'VE ASSISTED YOU GUYS ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT THINGS, INCLUDING LOOKING AT PROJECT ELIGIBILITY MEMOS, ALSO AD HOC REQUESTS SUCH AS FEDERAL GUIDELINE UPDATES AND SOME OTHER THINGS.

WE'VE ASSISTED WITH OUR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM HELPING YOU GUYS CREATE AN RPA WEBSITE THAT IS UP AND RUNNING.

AND THEN WE'RE ALSO IN TALKS OF ASSISTING YOU GUYS WITH THE TRANSPARENCY DASHBOARD AS WELL TO GO WITH THAT WEBSITE.

FROM A TREASURY REPORTING SIDE, OUR TEAM HAS ALSO ASSISTED WITH THE QUARTERLY EXPENDITURE REPORTS, WHICH ARE DUE ON A QUARTERLY BASIS THAT THE COUNTY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SENDING OVER TO TREASURY. SO OUR TEAM DOES ASSIST YOU GUYS CREATE THOSE, REVIEW THOSE AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE COMPLIANT BEFORE THEY ARE SUBMITTED.

AND OUR TEAM HAS ALSO ASSISTED WITH HELPING WITH QUARTERLY PERFORMANCE TEMPLATES AND PREPARATION FOR GETTING THOSE SUBMISSIONS DONE ON TIME.

OKAY. SO, YOU KNOW, AS WE TALKED ABOUT, WE NEED TO KIND OF THINK ABOUT REPROGRAMING STEPS.

SO WE GAVE A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW HERE OF SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT PROCESS STEPS ONE THROUGH SEVEN.

AND BETWEEN THESE PROCESS STEPS, THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE KIND OF NEED TO CONSIDER AND THINK ABOUT AS WELL, AND I'LL TALK ON THOSE AS I GO THROUGH EACH STEP.

BUT JUST AS MANUEL MENTIONED EARLIER, THE FIRST STEP IS JUST IDENTIFYING IF WE NEED TO AND IF YOU GUYS ARE INTERESTED IN DOING NEW PRIORITY AREAS, OKAY, BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO ASSIST YOU WITH IDENTIFYING YOUR PRIORITY AREAS AND THEN KIND OF LOOKING AT NEXT STEPS ON WHERE DO WE GO FROM THERE? AND SO IN BETWEEN THAT, WE'LL ALSO JUST AS MANUEL ALLUDED, ASSIST YOU GUYS WITH LOOKING AT THE CURRENT PROJECTS THAT YOU DO HAVE AND IDENTIFYING WHAT PROJECTS ARE WORKING WELL, WHAT PROJECTS YOU MIGHT WANT TO GO AHEAD AND REALLOCATE FUNDS TO, RIGHT? BECAUSE THAT'S THE THING IS, IS HOW CAN WE GET MONEY OUT THE DOOR QUICK WITH THAT 2024 DEADLINE PRODUCING COMING UP PRETTY SOON AFTER? WE'RE KIND OF LOOKING AT THE INTERNAL PROJECTS, ALSO INTERNAL PROJECTS THAT YOU GUYS CAN LOOK AT AS WELL TO ASSIST WITH ENSURING THAT YOU CAN GET FUNDS OUT THE DOOR SOONER.

THAT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT YOU CONSIDER AND LOUISA WILL GO OVER SOME OTHER OPTIONS.

BUT I THINK TWO THINGS ARE, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT YOUR EXISTING PROJECTS, DOING A KIND OF AN OVERVIEW OF WHICH ONES ARE DOING WELL.

AND THEN SECONDLY, ALSO JUST LOOKING AT SOME INTERNAL PROJECTS THAT WILL HELP YOU GUYS GET MONEY OUT THE DOOR FASTER.

OKAY. SO ONCE THAT'S DONE AND YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PRIORITIZE YOUR NEW PRIORITY AREAS, JUST AS MANUEL ALLUDED TO, WE WILL KIND OF ASSIST IN THE COUNTY TO PUBLISH SOLICITATIONS FOR PROJECT PROPOSALS AND THAT WILL ALLOW YOU GUYS TO GET PARTICULAR RESPONSES FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT FALL IN LINE WITH THE PRIORITY AREAS AND POTENTIAL PROJECTS THAT YOU HAVE IN MIND FOR STEP THREE.

OBVIOUSLY, ONCE THOSE PROPOSALS COME IN, THOSE PROPOSALS WILL NEED TO GO TO THE APPROPRIATE COUNTY DEPARTMENTS FOR THEIR REVIEW TOO, AND JUST TO ENSURE THAT THEY DO FIT FROM THE ELIGIBILITY STANDPOINT IN REGARDS TO IF THIS IS WHERE YOU GUYS WANT TO ENSURE THAT THOSE PROJECTS ALIGN UNDER YOUR PRIORITIES.

OKAY. AND THEN STEP FOUR, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, AS WE DID LAST TIME, THOSE PROJECTS WILL COME TO THE COURT FOR REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON MOVING FORWARD. THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS AS OUR PROJECTS ARE BEING IDENTIFIED. ONCE THE COURT APPROVES THEM, IT'S VERY IMPERATIVE THAT ALSO THAT YOU HAVE THE COMMUNICATION UP FRONT, RIGHT WITH THE SUBRECIPIENTS SO THEY UNDERSTAND REALLY THE GUIDELINES REGARDS TO ARPA, FUNDING METRICS, REQUIREMENTS, REQUIREMENTS FROM A REPORTING STANDPOINT AND JUST THE ELIGIBILITY STANDPOINT.

[00:45:05]

SO MAKING SURE THAT THAT'S KIND OF DONE UP FRONT, EVEN HONESTLY PRIOR BEFORE TO EVEN GETTING THESE PROJECTS OUT THE DOOR AND PROJECTS, SOLICITATIONS OUT THE DOOR IS GOING TO BE VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE PEOPLE IN SUBRECIPIENTS GETTING MONEY TO WHERE THEY'RE NOT UNDERSTANDING REALLY THE EFFECTS OF NOT USING THE FUNDS PROPERLY, RIGHT? BECAUSE THAT WOULD GET IN A SITUATION WHERE AGAIN, YOU HAVE THE CALLBACK.

OKAY. AND THEN LASTLY, OBVIOUSLY, ONCE CONTRACTS ARE BEGAN TO BE CONCLUDED AND EXECUTED, WE'LL ALSO WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU CONTINUE THE PROJECT AND MONITORING COMPLIANCE PERSPECTIVE.

RIGHT? SO JUST AS WELL AS YOU ENSURE THAT THOSE PROJECTS ARE MOVING FORWARD AND THAT THEY'RE ARE COMPLIANT BASED OFF OF THE REGULATIONS OF THE TREASURY HAS PUT IN FRONT OF US.

OKAY. SO ON THE NEXT SLIDE, LOUISA WILL GO OVER SOME HIGH LEVEL USES ELIGIBLE USES FOR EXPENDITURE CATEGORIES AND GO OVER SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REPROGRAMING. GOOD MORNING, JUDGE.

COMMISSIONERS. I'LL BE GOING OVER AT A HIGH LEVEL THE ELIGIBLE USES BY EXPENDITURE CATEGORY AND THERE'S ALSO SOME APPENDICES IN THE BACK TO ASSIST YOU WITH ADDITIONAL DETAIL. SO AT A HIGH LEVEL THERE ARE SIX ELIGIBLE USES CATEGORIES.

FIRST IS PUBLIC HEALTH, WHICH ENCOMPASSES NOT JUST COVID 19 EXPENDITURES BUT ALSO PUBLIC HEALTH NEEDS THAT WERE CAUSED OR EXACERBATED BY THE PANDEMIC, INCLUDING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERVENTIONS, FOR EXAMPLE.

NUMBER TWO IS RESPONDING TO THE NEGATIVE ECONOMIC IMPACTS RESULTING FROM THE PANDEMIC, INCLUDING AID TO HOUSEHOLDS AND IMPACTED INDUSTRIES.

THREE IS FUNDING THAT ADDRESSES PUBLIC SECTOR SERVICES SUCH AS PAYROLL AND BENEFITS FOR CERTAIN COUNTY POSITIONS AND NEEDS TO EFFECTIVELY DELIVER COUNTY SERVICES AS WELL AS ADMINISTRATIVE NEEDS CAUSED OR EXACERBATED BY THE PANDEMIC.

NUMBER FOUR IS PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.

IT'S PREMIUM PAY FOR WORK PERFORMED BY ESSENTIAL WORKERS DURING THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.

IT'S BONUS PAY THAT MUST BE RETROACTIVE TO THE WORK PERFORMED DURING THE ACTUAL PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY, UNLIKE THE PREVIOUS CATEGORIES.

NUMBERS FIVE AND SIX DO NOT NEED TO TIE DIRECTLY TO AN IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC.

NUMBER FIVE IS INVESTMENTS IN WATER, SEWER AND BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE.

AND NUMBER SIX IS THE PROVISION OF GOVERNMENT SERVICES UP TO THE COUNTY'S REVENUE LOSS CALCULATION.

NEXT, I'LL MOVE INTO REPROGRAMING CONSIDERATIONS.

SO A KEY CONSIDERATION TO KEEP IN MIND THAT WE ADVISE ALL JURISDICTIONS WHO ARE AT THIS STAGE IN THE REPROGRAMING IS TO KEEP IN MIND THIS DECEMBER 20TH, 24 OBLIGATION DEADLINE, SOMETHING THAT DIFFERENTIATES ARPA FUNDS FROM OTHER TYPES OF FEDERAL GRANTS IS THAT THERE'S A TWO YEAR GAP BETWEEN THE OBLIGATION DEADLINE AND THE EXPENDITURE DEADLINE, SO FUNDS CAN BE SPENT UNTIL DECEMBER 31ST, 2026.

BUT AFTER 2024, JURISDICTIONS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REPROGRAM THOSE FUNDS.

IF A PROJECT THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S NOT GOING TO BE COMPLETED OR IF IT COMES IN UNDER BUDGET, OR IF FUNDS ARE RETURNED FOR ANY REASON.

A THEME THAT WE'RE HEARING CONSISTENTLY FROM ALL OF OUR CLIENTS IS THAT THEY WANT GUIDANCE ON HOW TO BEST PREPARE FOR THIS 2024 DEADLINE.

AGAIN, AS WAS DISCUSSED, THERE'S THE POTENTIAL THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COULD EXTEND THIS DEADLINE, BUT NOTHING SOLID AT THIS POINT.

SO WE'RE ADVISING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT END OF 2024.

AND I'LL ALSO SAY A NUMBER OF JURISDICTIONS ARE IN A SIMILAR POSITION TO THE COUNTY RIGHT NOW IN THAT THEY'VE GONE THROUGH THEIR SEVERAL ROUNDS OF REPROGRAMING AND THEY'RE NOW LOOKING AT WHICH FUNDS ARE GOING TO BE COMING IN UNDER BUDGET, WHICH PROJECTS NEED TO BE LOOKED AT A SECOND TIME.

WITH THAT, WE'RE ADVISING ALL OUR CLIENTS TO APPROACH REPROGRAMING THROUGH THE LENS OF REDUCING THE RISK OF PROJECT NON COMPLETION.

AND I'LL GO THROUGH A FEW SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOW TO MITIGATE THAT RISK AND GET FUNDS OUT THE DOOR AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

SO HERE ARE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND LEADING PRACTICES THAT WE'VE GATHERED THROUGH OUR CENTER OF EXCELLENCE THAT MILA MENTIONED.

THE FIRST ONE HERE, THE COUNTY IS ALREADY ON TRACK WITH THROUGH THE PRIORITY AREA APPROACH.

WE'VE OBSERVED THAT FOCUSING ON THE PRIORITY AREAS RATHER THAN ALLOWS YOU TO SELECT THE BEST PROJECT TO MEET THE NEEDS WITHIN THE PRIORITY AREA, RATHER THAN COMING IN WITH A SPECIFIC PROJECT OR ORGANIZATION IN MIND AND THEN HAVING TO BACK INTO THAT PROJECT'S ELIGIBILITY OR BACK INTO THAT ORGANIZATION'S COMPLIANCE CAPABILITIES INVENTORY AS A FIRST STEP IN THIS REPROGRAMING TAKING A LOOK AT ALL OF YOUR CURRENT PROJECTS AND SETTING CRITERIA FOR WHAT YOU CONSIDER TO BE A SUCCESSFUL PROJECT AND THEN LOOKING AT LIKE WAS MENTIONED, WHICH PROJECTS MIGHT NEED ADDITIONAL FUNDING ALLOCATED DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES LIKE

[00:50:06]

INFLATION? THIS TIES TO THE NEXT ONE.

ONCE YOU'VE IDENTIFIED THE ONGOING OR COMPLETED PROJECTS THAT YOU CONSIDER TO HAVE DEMONSTRATED SUCCESS, CONSIDER ALLOCATING ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO THOSE PROJECTS SO THEY CAN REACH MORE CONSTITUENTS.

WE ALSO WOULD RECOMMEND CONSIDERING ALLOCATING FUNDS TO INTERNAL PROJECTS, BECAUSE THEN THESE GENERALLY CAN BE EXECUTED MORE QUICKLY.

AND TO THAT, THE SPEED OF EXECUTION, ALLOCATING TO INTERNAL PROJECTS AND EXISTING PROJECT IS, FROM OUR OBSERVATION, THE QUICKEST WAY TO GET THOSE FUNDS OUT THE DOOR. AND WITH THE 2024 DEADLINE IN MIND, THERE ARE TOOLS AND CUSTOMIZABLE CHECKLISTS WE CAN ASSIST WITH TO HELP EVALUATE PROJECTS FOR RISK OF NONCOMPLIANCE. AND FOR YOUR REFERENCE, THERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF SUCH A TOOL ON THE NEXT SLIDE.

LASTLY, DEFINITELY WANTED TO HIT ON WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO FLAG THAT CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS THEMSELVES ARE AT THE HIGHEST RISK OF NON COMPLETION DUE TO THE NATURE OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS THEMSELVES AND DUE TO THE FACT THAT THERE ARE FEDERAL, MANY COMPLEX FEDERAL REGULATIONS THAT APPLY TO CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS THAT DON'T APPLY TO PROJECTS WITHOUT CAPITAL EXPENDITURES.

AND AT THIS POINT, I'LL RETURN TO THE THE NEXT STEP.

COMMISSIONERS IDENTIFY PRIORITY AREA.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? JUDGE. JUDGE? YES. COULD I MAKE ONE COMMENT? YES, WE ARE.

THE BUDGET OFFICE IS IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING OUR LONG RANGE BUDGET FORECAST FOR YOU.

IT SHOULD BE READY EARLY NEXT MONTH.

BUT AS YOU GO THROUGH THIS REPROGRAMING, ONE OF THE ELIGIBLE AREAS IS LOST REVENUE REPLACEMENT.

AND SO BASED ON THAT FORECAST, WE MAY HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN THAT REGARD.

THANK YOU. OKAY, WELL, THAT CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION FOR TODAY.

IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS OR SUMMATIONS.

ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER MOODY, AND I APOLOGIZE IF YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY I WASN'T HERE FOR THE ORIGINAL PROGRAMING DECISIONS, BUT I JUST HAD SOME QUESTIONS GOING THROUGH THE CURRENT.

SPEND DECISIONS.

SO CAN YOU HELP ME WITH THE ARPA CLEAR CHANNEL OUTDOOR? THAT WAS MARKETING AND THE INITIAL STAGES.

I BELIEVE THAT PROJECT IS DONE.

IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S A PIO PROJECT THAT WAS JUST ADVERTISING THE ARPA SITUATION, THE ARPA FUNDS, STUFF LIKE THAT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES AND NONPROFITS OR FOR.

NO, THERE WAS A COMMERCIAL. THIS IS UNDER THE ADMINISTRATIVE CATEGORY.

NOW. THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME.

OKAY. MONICA IS HERE TO DISCUSS IT, BUT THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME IN FACT, THERE'S GOING TO BE QUITE A FEW THAT MIGHT GO TO THIS TYPE OF OF ENDEAVOR. NOW, I BELIEVE YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT THE.

CLEAR CHANNEL OUTDOOR.

THIS WAS ACTUALLY FOR SOME ADVERTISING THAT WE DID WHEN WE FIRST GOT SOME OF THIS FUNDING.

AND I'LL HAVE TO GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK.

BUT I DO BELIEVE WE BOUGHT BILLBOARDS TO ANNOUNCE WHAT THE COUNTY WAS DOING AND KIND OF A CALL FOR CALL FOR ACTION.

IT WAS A VACCINE.

YEAH, THERE WERE BILLBOARDS TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GET VACCINATED.

IT WAS FOR THAT LAST PUSH AS WE WERE GETTING THE RESURGENCE OF THE NEXT STRAIN, I BELIEVE.

OKAY. THANK YOU THERE.

AND THEN THAT'S WHERE THE TEXAS CREATIVE DID AS WELL.

THAT'S THE COMPANY THAT DID ALL THE AGENCY BUYS AND DID THE CREATIVE FOR US.

OKAY. AND I HAVE A FEW OF THESE, SO I'LL JUST TRY TO BE BRIEF.

BUT THE PERSONAL ADMINISTRATION ON THE ADMIN COSTS IS THAT FOR STAFF AT THE COUNTY, THE 1.8 MILLION GUIDEHOUSE RIGHT.

I'M SORRY. GO AHEAD. SORRY.

YES, THAT'S FOR STAFFING.

THERE'S GOING TO BE STIPENDS FOR THOSE THAT ARE CARRYING ADDITIONAL BURDENS.

THERE'S GOING TO BE A FULL FLEDGED EMPLOYEES STAFF BY THAT.

SOME SOME. I THINK WE'RE IN THE INITIAL PHASES UNDER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE GETTING OUT OF THE DIRECT CLIENT SERVICES, THINGS LIKE THAT. IT'S AND IT'S OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD, THAT'S 1.8 MILLION DIVIDED BY FIVE PER YEAR.

OKAY. ISN'T THERE WASN'T THERE ALSO, THERE'S ALSO FEES FOR GUIDEHOUSE.

SO WHAT'S THAT UNDER.

THAT'S UNDER THE GUIDEHOUSE ITEM THAT'S THERE.

[00:55:01]

1.3. 1.3 MILLION.

WELL, IT'S ON THERE.

JUST GOING BACK TO THE PERSONAL AND OPERATING COSTS, BESIDES DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, WHICH IS THE 16 MILLION.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S OUR INTERNAL COUNTY SUPPORT FOR THAT FUNDING ITEM.

YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL THAT WE HIRED AT THE COUNTY LEVEL, BECAUSE THAT ONE STANDS OUT.

I MEAN, I WAS JUST ADDING UP ALL THE THE PERSONNEL AND OPERATING COSTS ACROSS MULTIPLE CATEGORIES.

AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE 16.9 FOR THE SMART PROGRAM? NO, THE 16.4 FOR THE PERSONAL AND OPERATING COSTS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE IS THAT.

COMMISSIONER, ON PAGE THREE.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT? 16.3.

16.4. THAT'S UNDER THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

NOW, THOSE ARE ACTUAL DEPUTIES.

I'M GOING TO CALL THEM DEPUTIES.

I'M NOT SMART.

SO THAT'S AN ACTUAL PROGRAM FOR THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

IT'S ALL CREDIBLE EXPENSES FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT IN THE FIELD TAKING CARE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

THAT INCLUDES ARMED PERSONNELS, MAYBE DETECTIVES, I'M NOT SURE.

BUT I GUARANTEE YOU THAT'S THAT'S ALL DIRECT.

AND IT'S FOR FIVE YEARS.

YEAH, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.

LIKE, THESE ARE ADDITIONAL DEPUTIES THAT WERE HIRED BY THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE OR THESE ARE DISTRICT ATTORNEY.

I BELIEVE IT'S UNDER THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.

OKAY. OKAY.

UM, ANOTHER QUESTION ON THE BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE.

SO WE HAD ALLOCATED 25 MILLION.

I BELIEVE THAT THAT NUMBER CAME BACK SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER IN WHAT THE THE UNINCORPORATED BEAR COUNTY WAS GOING TO COST.

BUT WE HAVEN'T LIKE, PULLED THAT BACK AT THIS POINT.

NOT AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE WE WANT TO VET THE WHOLE PROJECT AND MAKE SURE THERE'S NO ADDITIONAL EXPENSES.

AND WITH SAVINGS, OBVIOUSLY, WE MAY BE ABLE TO DO MORE THAN WHAT WE'VE SEEN INITIALLY.

BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IN JUNE, JULY, AUGUST, YOU'RE SAYING, OKAY, THAT'S THAT'S IT.

WE'RE CUTTING IT OFF.

WE'RE RE CLAWING SOME OF THIS MONEY FOR REPROGRAMING.

THAT'S A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THAT.

OKAY. AND JUST TWO MORE.

THE UNIVERSITY HEALTH PUBLIC HEALTH DIVISION, $40 MILLION.

UNIVERSITY HELD $40 MILLION UNDER PUBLIC HEALTH.

YES, 40 MILLION.

I KNOW THERE'S A. THAT'S FOR OUR NEW PUBLIC HEALTH DIVISION AT THE COUNTY.

THAT'S WHY WE HIRED DR.

GUAJARDO. AND 30 MILLION OF THAT IS GOING TO BUILD OUR NEW BUILDING FOR PUBLIC HEALTH.

THAT WILL BE ACROSS FROM TEXAS A&M NEXT TO OUR NEW HOSPITAL ON THE SOUTH SIDE.

SO THAT'S THAT'S A SEPARATE INVESTMENT.

YEAH, I ACTUALLY THINK THE COURT REPROGRAMED SOME OF THAT 40 MILLION.

I BELIEVE THAT MIGHT BE CORRECT.

10 MILLION, I BELIEVE, WENT TO UT HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH.

SO THE NUMBER IS DOWN TO 30.

I THINK WHAT ENDED UP BEING BUDGETED FOR THE UAH PUBLIC HEALTH WAS 20.

THE OTHER 10TH MAY HAVE GONE TO OUR OWN PUBLIC PREVENTATIVE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AGAIN FOR A FIVE YEAR PERIOD.

I'M JUST TRYING TO.

WELL, WE STILL HAVE THE 10 MILLION TO UT HEALTH ON HERE AS WELL.

NO. UT HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER IS DIFFERENT THAN UNIVERSITY HEALTH SYSTEM, AND UNIVERSITY HEALTH IS AN EXECUTED AGREEMENT.

YES, THAT'S 10 MILLION.

WELL, THERE'S SO MANY NUMBERS IT'S HARD TO SORT OUT HERE.

WE HAVE UNIVERSITY HEALTH, PUBLIC HEALTH DIVISION, 40 MILLION.

WE HAVE A PENDING CONTRACT DEPARTMENT OF PREVENTATIVE HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES OUTREACH, 10 MILLION.

AND THEN WE HAVE UT HEALTH ESSER SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, 10 MILLION.

RIGHT. AND THERE IS A LONG THERE'S 100 AND SOME PROJECTS WE HAVE LISTED.

IT'D PROBABLY BE BEST IF I GET YOU THAT LIST AND WE CAN GO THROUGH IT SPECIFICALLY FOR EACH PROJECT.

SOME OF THESE MIGHT BE GROUPED TOGETHER.

IT'S IT'S A LITTLE MORE CLEAR WHEN YOU SEE THE SHEET THAT I LOOK AT EVERY DAY WITH A TON OF PROJECTS THAT WON'T GO AWAY.

OKAY. SO ANYTIME YOU WANT TO MEET, I CAN BRING THAT WITH YOU AND BRING THAT TO YOU AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT.

WE'D LIKE TO DO THAT.

I MEAN, I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FUNDS THAT WE'RE WE'RE SPENDING IN THESE CATEGORIES, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EIGHT DIGIT ASKS THAT IT'S BEING WELL SPENT.

AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S A NEED ON THE SOUTH SIDE, THE A&M HOSPITAL.

BUT, YOU KNOW, UNIVERSITY HEALTH'S ALSO COLLECTING $600 MILLION TOWARDS THAT.

SO THE IDEA THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY NEED ANOTHER $40 MILLION FROM ARPA FUNDS, I MEAN, I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE REASONING BEHIND IT.

OKAY. BUT BUT YOU UNDERSTAND THE 40 MILLION IS NOT FOR US, RIGHT? MAJORITY OF THAT WENT TO OUR OWN OUR NEW PUBLIC HEALTH DIVISION UNDER BEAR COUNTY THAT'S GOING TO PARTNER WITH US.

[01:00:07]

SO, YEAH, IT WOULD JUST BE LIKE SEEING THE BREAKDOWN OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

YEAH. JUDGE, I HAVE A FEW STATEMENTS.

I'M NOT GOING TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS.

I'M AS CONFUSED ABOUT SOME OF THESE CATEGORIES AND WHERE THE MONEY'S GOING AS ANYBODY ELSE HERE.

BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE ANOTHER STATEMENT FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD THAT I'VE MADE BEFORE.

THERE WERE A LOT OF GOOD APPLICANTS WHO GOT ARPA FUNDING, AND I DON'T WANT THIS TO CAST ANY ASPERSIONS ON THEM, BUT I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE LACK OF PROPER VETTING BY STAFF, CONSULTANTS AND ALL WITH OVERSIGHT OBLIGATIONS UNDER FEDERAL TREASURY GUIDELINES.

THERE WERE AGAIN MANY POSITIVE ALLOCATIONS, BUT BECAUSE OF A LACK OF DUE DILIGENCE AND IT'S CLEAR TO ME WE DON'T HAVE A TIGHT HANDLE ON ALL THE PROGRAMS. I ABSTAINED FROM THE FUNDING, SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT AS A MATTER OF PUBLIC RECORD.

THANK YOU. LET ME LET ME MAKE SOME COMMENTS.

AS I SAID EARLIER, I'M THE NEW GUY HERE ON THE COURT.

SINCE I'VE COME INTO THIS OFFICE, I'VE WORKED TO GET A GRASP ON WHAT COMMITMENTS THIS COUNTY HAS MADE AND WHAT ARPA RESOURCES ARE OUTSTANDING.

AND I WANT TO THANK MANUEL AND I WANT TO THANK OUR CONSULTANTS MILA AND LUISA ON FROM GUIDEHOUSE.

WE'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE HELPED ME UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE IN REGARDS TO ARPA FUNDING WITH THE COUNTY.

NOW THE REALITY IS, AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I, I BELIEVE I'M THE ONE THAT KIND OF SOUNDED THE ALERT AND ASKED THAT EVERYBODY COME IN, AT LEAST FOR THIS FIRST WORK SESSION. AND MAN, YOU YOU'VE CORRECTLY STATED IT.

WE PROBABLY HAVE EITHER A FEW MORE WORK SESSIONS OR WE CERTAINLY CAN BRING IT UP IN A IN A REGULAR COMMISSIONER'S COURT MEETING.

BUT THESE TYPE OF MEETINGS, I THINK, WILL BE BEST SERVED IN WORK SESSIONS BECAUSE WE JUST HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS AND WE HAVE SO MANY ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO KIND OF RESOLVE.

SO ONE OF THE COMMON THEMES OF MANY ORGANIZATIONS SEE ME SINCE I'VE BEEN IN HERE NOW NEARLY FIVE MONTHS IS THIS ARPA MONEY? SOME HAVE SAID THEY'VE BEEN PROMISED.

SOME SAID THAT THAT THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD IT.

AND THE REALITY IS, NO, THEY HAVEN'T BEEN AWARDED.

SOME OF THEM HAVE THINGS IN WRITING AND SOME DON'T.

SOME HAVE THINGS APPROVED BY THE COURT.

I THINK WE APPROVED A TRANCHE OF MONEY JUST IN A COUPLE OF MEETINGS AGO.

AND SO MOVING FORWARD AND I THINK THAT'S THE KEY.

YOU KNOW, WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE PAST HAS HAPPENED.

WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS ESTABLISH A PROCESS WHERE WE NEED TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD TO CREATE EQUITY.

AND THAT'S ONE THING THAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR FUNDING GOES TO.

WE NEED TO ACT WITH A SENSE OF URGENCY.

AND I THINK I'VE SOUNDED THE ALARM.

OBVIOUSLY, WE STILL HAVE ANOTHER YEAR AND A HALF, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT WE HAVE A SOLID PLAN WITHOUT QUESTION OR CONFUSION BY THE END OF THE YEAR AND THAT WE KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING.

SO IF WE DON'T COMMIT THIS FUNDS, IT'S ALREADY BEEN ALERTED.

BY DECEMBER 2024, WE SQUANDERED OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL CLAW THESE RESOURCES BACK.

IN FACT, THAT'S THE CURRENT DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW IN CONGRESS.

ONE THING I'VE LEARNED FROM THE CONSULTANTS IS THAT WE'RE NOT THE ONLY COUNTY IN THIS POSITION.

EVERYBODY ELSE IS, TOO.

THIS IS AN UNPRECEDENTED FUNDING OPPORTUNITY.

AND RIGHTFULLY, THERE IS SOME CONFUSION AS WE GO FORWARD, ALSO TO A LACK OF CLARITY.

AS AN EXAMPLE THAT I DISCUSSED WITH MR. LIAO AND THE CONSULTANTS COURT IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET CLARITY IN REGARDS TO SOME OF THE PROGRAMS WE'VE CREATED.

AND I WILL GIVE YOU ONE EXAMPLE, THE ONE EXAMPLE, AND MR. SMITH, YOU'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THAT IS THE CREATION OF THE COURTS, THE FELONY IMPACT AND THE FAMILY VIOLENCE COURT IN COUNTY COURT AT LOS.

CORRECT? THERE'S ALREADY BEEN A REQUEST BY THE JUDGES TO MOVE THAT JUDGE AND BRING THAT JUDGE UNDER THEIR JURISDICTION, SO TO SPEAK, OF JUST REASSIGNING THEM A COURT INITIALLY, I THOUGHT, OKAY, THERE'S THERE MAY NOT BE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.

BUT IN DISCUSSIONS WITH MR. LEAL AND THE CONSULTANTS, THIS ARPA FUNDING WAS FUNDING THE PROGRAM, THE COURT NOT FUNDING THE INDIVIDUAL. SO IF THERE IS GOING TO BE A REPROGRAMING, A REASSIGNMENT, SO TO SPEAK, IT STILL HAS TO COMPLY WITH ARPA, IT STILL HAS TO BE APPROVED BY THE COURT.

WHAT I'M SAYING, QUITE SIMPLY, IS THOSE EMPLOYEES ARE NOT.

AND MR. SMITH, WHAT'S THE WORD? IT'S NOT FTE OF THE COUNTY.

[01:05:03]

CORRECT. FULL TIME EMPLOYEE, I BELIEVE.

WELL, I BELIEVE THEY ARE, BUT THERE ARE.

WHICH MEANS IF ONCE THE PROGRAM IS COMPLETED OR THERE'S NO LONGER, THAT PROGRAM GOES AWAY, UNLESS THE COURT WANTS TO THEN MOVE THAT POSITION TO GENERAL REVENUE. ISN'T THAT THE WAY IT WORKS? YES, SIR. AND I BELIEVE, AS A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS HAVE COME, SOME DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT.

AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE VERY CLEAR TO EVERYBODY.

ALSO, TO THIS COURT NEEDS TO RECOGNIZE THAT SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS MAY BE WORTHWHILE TO KEEP AND TO CONTINUE, BUT THAT MEANS WE'VE GOT LEGACY.

CALL THAT LEGACY COSTS.

CORRECT, MR. SMITH? YES, SIR. AND SO THAT IS ALSO ANOTHER FIGURE WE NEED TO KNOW, MR. SMITH, WHEN THESE FUNDS RUN OUT, HOW MUCH IS THE COUNTY GOING TO GET HIT WITH? AND WE'VE GOT TOUGH DECISIONS TO MAKE.

DO WE CONTINUE PROGRAMS THAT ARE SUCCESSFUL BUT NO LONGER VIABLE OR NEEDED UNDER THE ARPA MONEY? AND SHOULD WE CONTINUE IT AS A MATTER OF GENERAL REVENUE OR DO WE HAVE TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS, SAY, HEY, THE RAISES FOR THE EMPLOYEES TAKE SOME PRECEDENCE HERE.

AND SO ALTHOUGH WE'VE GOT TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITIES, WE DO HAVE TREMENDOUS CHALLENGES.

WE NOW HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE INVENTORY AND ASSESS THE PROJECTS THAT WE FUNDED AND CHART A COURSE FOR COMMITTING THESE FUNDS.

MY PRIORITIES FOR REPROGRAM ARE THE FOLLOWING ENSURING THAT OUR CURRENT ARPA CONTRACTS ARE LEGALLY DEFENSIBLE AND DON'T EXPOSE THE COUNTY TO LIABILITY.

AND SO ONE OF THE EXAMPLES I'VE IN COMMUNICATION WITH MR. LIAO AND WITH THE CONSULTANTS IS THAT I WANT TO START BRINGING THE CONSULTANTS IN.

I THINK I'VE BELIEVE IT'S STILL WITHIN THEIR CONTRACT TO DO SO AND START BRINGING IN THE INDIVIDUAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE HAVING DIFFICULTIES EITHER, AS YOU SAY, MR. LIAO, IN YOUR CHART AND I APPRECIATE YOUR CHART.

WHERE YOU HAVE THE VARIOUS CATEGORIES.

SO I BELIEVE WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS WE NEED TO BRING THOSE ORGANIZATIONS IN.

I THINK ONE ORGANIZATION THAT IS HAVING ISSUES IS THE UT HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER.

AND SO I WANT THAT MATTER RESOLVED.

SO CONSULTANTS COME BACK.

MR.. LAO AND WE MAY HAVE TO GET THE LAWYERS IN THE ROOM SO THAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN OVERCOME THESE OBSTACLES.

IF THERE ARE OBSTACLES OR HURDLES OF COMPLIANCE OR QUALIFICATION, THEN LET'S GET CLEAR.

EITHER THESE ARE THE STIPULATIONS WE'VE GOT TO HAVE IN ORDER FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD.

IF YOU CAN'T MOVE THE STIPULATIONS, THEN WE'RE NOT GOING TO GRANT THE MONEY.

PEOPLE NEED ANSWERS AND I WANT TO GIVE THEM ANSWERS OTHER THAN SAYING, WELL, WE'LL LOOK INTO IT AND WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE COURT WHEN ACTUALLY WE SHOULD HAVE A PROCESS THAT'S ONGOING AS OPPOSED TO TAKING EACH ISSUE AS IT COMES UP BEFORE THE COURT.

I ALSO WANT TO ENSURE WE'RE COMPLYING WITH ATA GUIDELINES AND NOT PUTTING OURSELVES AT RISK OF FUNDS GETTING CLAWED BACK OR THE COUNTY GETTING FINED OR IN THE WORST CASE SCENARIO, GETTING A TEMPORARY PROHIBITION ON ACCESSING FEDERAL FUNDS.

THAT WOULD BE THE MOST CATASTROPHIC CIRCUMSTANCE.

USING THESE UNPRECEDENTED PRESENTED FUNDS TO ADDRESS ONE OF THE COUNTY'S MOST PRESSING CHALLENGES IS AND I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE COURT, MANAGING THE JAIL, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OVERTIME AND ADDRESSING OUR ISSUES AT THE JAIL.

WE JUST STILL HAVE AN ISSUE THERE THAT WE MUST NOT OVERLOOK.

AND I WANT TO DEPLOY THESE RESOURCES IN AN INTENTIONAL WAY TO ADDRESS ONGOING EFFECTS.

WE'VE GOT SOME REALLY GREAT INITIATIVES.

WE'VE GOT THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, WE'VE GOT THE SMALL BUSINESS AND WE'VE GOT THE PUBLIC HEALTH.

AND I SEE TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITIES.

BUT I KEEP GETTING RESPONSES THAT THERE'S THIS GLITCHES, OBSTACLES AND I THINK IT'S UP TO THE COUNTY TO START PROVIDING THE GUIDANCE, THE CLARITY THAT EVERYBODY NEEDS, WHICH MEANS WE MAY NEED EVERYBODY TO PULL TOGETHER.

MEANING MR. LIAO NEEDS YOUR OFFICE.

I NEED THE CONSULTANTS, THE BUDGET OFFICE AND THE ATTORNEYS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS, ALONG WITH THE ORGANIZATIONS SO THAT WE CAN GET THERE.

SO, MR. LIAO AND CONSULTANTS, YOU'VE HEARD MY CONCERNS.

YOU'VE HEARD MY REQUEST.

I WANT THIS TO REALLY BE A HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL AND CONSULTANTS.

I WANT BEAR COUNTY TO BE THE SHINING EXAMPLE OF HOW YOU SPENT AND DEALT WITH ARPA MONEY.

THAT'S MY GOAL AND STANDARD THAT I'M SETTING FOR YOU ALL.

THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.

[01:10:01]

THANK YOU. CAN I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS? SO WHEN YOU SAY JUDGE CONSULTANTS, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT GUIDE HOUSE? GUIDE HOUSE. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL AWARE.

THIS IS SOMETHING I TALKED ABOUT WHEN GUIDE HOUSE FIRST CAME.

NOTHING PERSONAL, AS YOU ALL KNOW.

I'VE SPOKEN TO YOU ALL, BUT EVERY TIME THEY COME ALL THE WAY FROM HOUSTON, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PAYING FOR ALL OF THAT.

IT COMES OUT OF THE FUNDING.

SO WE DID NEED MORE OF THEIR GUIDANCE EARLY, EARLY ON WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE RULES AND ALL THAT.

AND THAT'S WHY WE BROUGHT ON MORE STAFF AND THEY YOU GUYS COMMUNICATE WITH THEM AS NEEDED.

SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WE WERE CLEAR ON THAT.

AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SOMETHING THAT I PUSHED FOR, TO NOT HAVE THEM BE COMING AS OFTEN INITIALLY AS YOU GUYS WERE COMING, BECAUSE THAT TAKES OUT OF THE A LOT OF THE MONEY.

COMMISSIONER MOODY THAT YOU WERE ASKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF ADMINISTRATIVE COST AND ALL AND ALL THAT.

SO I JUST WANTED TO TO SAY THAT AND I AND I JUST WANT TO THANK MANUEL, MELISSA THOMAS, THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE ARPA TEAM, BECAUSE I KNOW $389 MILLION WAS A LARGE CHUNK OF CHANGE TO GET ALL AT ONCE WHERE WE GOT INTO IN TWO PARTS.

I, YOU KNOW, MY STAFF AND I WOULD TALK ABOUT IT THINKING YOU GUYS PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE EVEN HIRED EVEN MORE STAFF TO MAKE SURE WE GET ALL THOSE CONTRACTS.

BUT YOU GUYS AND THE REST OF YOUR STAFF HAVE REALLY, I THINK, DONE A GOOD JOB.

WHENEVER ESSER I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING OR MY STAFF.

YOU GUYS HAVE THE ANSWERS FOR ORGANIZATIONS, FOR FUNDING, FOR HOW THINGS ARE GOING.

I KNOW YOU HAVE DO YOU HAVE MONTHLY MEETINGS WITH THE CHIEFS OF STAFF, IS THAT CORRECT? THOSE DO OCCUR, YES.

SO I JUST THINK THAT THAT'S SPEAKS TO TRANSPARENCY.

AND I JUST APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM HAVE BEEN DOING.

AND WHENEVER I HAVE QUESTIONS OF MY STAFF, YOU GUYS HAVE A REALLY QUICK TURNAROUND AND KNOW KNOW ALL THE THINGS.

AND I WORKED WITH CONTRACTS IN MY IN MY PREVIOUS LIFE.

IT IS NOT FUN.

IT IS NOT EASY. YOU HAVE TO BE ORGANIZED.

SO I APPRECIATE THE WORK OF YOUR TEAM.

WE DO HAVE BIWEEKLY, BY THE WAY.

BIWEEKLY. THANKS.

ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER MOODY? SO I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP AND I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUES HERE.

I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR NEXT STEPS ARE, BECAUSE AS WE'RE GOING FORWARD AND I APPRECIATE GUIDEHOUSE WALKING US THROUGH THIS AND AND UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, WE CAN SET UP A MEETING AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE PREVIOUS PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN BEEN FUNDED OR, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER THEY'RE GOING TO GO UNDER CONTRACT. BUT AND I DO THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT, AGAIN, BECAUSE TRYING TO PUSH SOME OF THOSE TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH IS COMING BACK AND WHEN WILL HELP US MAKE THOSE DECISIONS, YOU KNOW, AS A COURT IN TERMS OF PRIORITIZING THAT SPEND ON ON PRIORITIES GOING FORWARD.

BUT TO TAKE THIS A STEP FURTHER, WE HAVE CLOSE TO 7 MILLION THAT'S DEFINITELY COMING BACK.

AND THAT'S FROM YOUR SLIDE, RIGHT? AND SO IT'S LIKELY TO COME BACK.

THIS IS A VERY MOVING TARGET.

SO BESIDES THE HIGH LEVEL CONVERSATION AROUND, YOU KNOW, DIRECTION WITH PRIORITIES OR SPECIFIC PROJECTS, HOW DO WE START HAVING THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT, SO WHERE DO WE WANT THAT 7 MILLION TO GO? BECAUSE I'M OF THE MIND THAT I THINK THAT THIS STUFF IS PROBABLY GOING TO TRICKLE BACK OVER THE NEXT 18 MONTHS.

AND SO WE KIND OF HAVE TO HAVE A PROCESS THAT IS DYNAMIC AND CONTINUOUS IN TERMS OF WHAT THE COURT'S PRIORITIES ARE AND HOW WE CONTINUE TO.

OKAY. $7 MILLION.

THERE'S THREE NEW PROJECTS THAT WE CAN START MOVING FORWARD ON RATHER THAN WAITING TILL SOME SPECIFIC POINT IN TIME WHERE NOW WE HAVE 25 MILLION OR WE HAVE $40 MILLION TO TO HAVE SOME VERY SET PROCESS VERSUS TRYING TO MAKE IT MORE FLUID.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU, COMMISSIONER.

I THINK THIS IS THE WHOLE THING.

I KEEP USING THE TERM MOVING TARGET.

THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW.

WE'VE IDENTIFIED THERE WILL BE SAVINGS.

WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THAT THERE'S A BEGINNING AMOUNT THERE WILL BE MORE.

AND IF YOU AND THE COURT WANT WOULD LIKE TO REALIGN THEIR PRIORITIES BECAUSE ALL WE CAN WORK WITHIN RIGHT NOW ARE THE CURRENT PRIORITIES.

IF YOU THE COURT DECIDES TO NARROW THOSE PRIORITIES TO GET FOCUSED.

IF THE COURT DECIDES THAT THEY FIND PROJECTS THAT FIT AND THEY'RE READY TO GO AND WE HAVE THE SAVINGS, WE CAN START MOVING THIS, WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT.

HOLD ON, MANUEL, BECAUSE THAT WAS THE MISTAKE WE MADE RIGHT FROM THE START.

WHAT YOU CAN'T DO, ACCORDING TO TREASURY, IS TO PICK A PROJECT OUT OF THE BLUE.

YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PROCESS.

SO THE COURT HAS TO IDENTIFY I'LL JUST USE AN EXAMPLE HOUSING.

YOU CAN EVEN SAY PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.

THEN WE HAVE TO SOLICIT RESPONSES FOR THAT FUNDING.

[01:15:05]

THEN YOU CAN SELECT THE SPECIFIC PROJECT.

WHEN YOU JUST SAY, I WANT IT, I WANT TO DO THIS PROJECT, THAT'S WHERE YOU GET INTO TROUBLE WITH TREASURY.

SO THAT'S PART OF THE DELAY IN GETTING THOSE INITIAL CONTRACTS OUT.

WE JUST PUT OUT A CALL FOR PROJECTS, LET US KNOW WHO WANTS SOME MONEY AND HAS A PROJECT THAT CAN SPEND IT.

THE COURT SELECTED PROJECTS BUT DIDN'T HAVE THEY WEREN'T IN THESE PRIORITIES.

AND SO WE HAD TO GO BACK TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY COULD COMPLY WITH SOME KIND OF CALL SOLICITATION.

YEAH, BUT I'M THINKING FROM THE COURTS STANDPOINT, IF WE FEEL THERE'S BEEN GAPS OR THINGS MISSED OR UNIQUE SITUATIONS THAT DEFINITELY FIT INTO THOSE CATEGORIES, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE A LIST OF PROJECTS OR OR GAPS THAT WE THINK COULD POTENTIALLY BE FILLED BY ARPA DOLLARS.

WE'VE WE'VE GONE OVER IT AT A HIGH LEVEL WITH GUIDEHOUSE AND STAFF.

SO WHAT IS THE PROCESS BESIDES PUTTING IT ON AN AGENDA ITEM LIKE THE IMPACT COURT AND JUST BRINGING IT TO COURT, WHICH THERE WERE CONCERNS ABOUT? WELL, WHAT IS THE PROCESS? YOU KNOW, ARE WE GOING TO DO THESE ONE OFF OR ARE WE GOING TO, WITHIN THIS WORKING SESSION, TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THOSE CATEGORIES? LIKE THE JUDGE MENTIONED THAT WE WANT TO FOCUS ON AS FAR AS PRIORITIES? AND THEN WHAT ARE THOSE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS THAT COULD FIT INTO THAT? WE HAVE SOME WATER AND SEWER PROJECTS THAT ARE THAT ARE NEEDED.

BUT SHORT OF MY TEAM PUTTING SOMETHING TOGETHER AND ASKING, YOU KNOW, A SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEM AND BRINGING IT TO COURT, HOW DO WE EXECUTE ON THIS TODAY AS AS DAVID SAID, AND IT WAS IN THE SLIDE THERE, WE WILL NEED TO IDENTIFY YOUR PRIORITIES AS A COURT MOVING FORWARD.

UNDER THE REPROGRAMING, THERE WILL BE A SOLICITATION MEETING AND NEEDED AND THERE WILL BE VETTING OF THOSE PROJECTS.

HE'S EXACTLY CORRECT IN WHAT HE STATED.

I WAS JUST TALKING A LITTLE FAST, BUT THOSE STEPS NEED TO OCCUR.

THE VETTING IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE RAN INTO THAT WITH A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS AND WE'RE TRYING TO PUT SQUARE PEGS IN ROUND HOLES SOMETIMES.

BUT MR. SMITH IS CORRECT. SOLICITATION, UNLESS IT'S INTERNAL.

I DON'T KNOW.

YOU KNOW, LIKE AN IMPACT COURT IS REALLY NO SOLICITATION HERE.

BUT THE IMPORTANT PART IS THE VETTING OF THE PROJECT.

WHAT'S THEIR STATEMENT OF WORK? DOES IT FIT WITHIN THE GUIDELINES OF THE FINAL RULE? THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT NEED TO OCCUR NO MATTER WHAT.

CAN I. CAN I MAKE A SUGGESTION? LET US GET YOU THE BUDGET FORECAST FIRST.

YES. BECAUSE PART ONE FACTOR YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IN THAT FORECAST IS WE ARE TRYING TO ESTIMATE WHICH OF THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE ARPA FUNDED.

YOU WILL WANT TO KEEP FUNDING WHEN THESE EXPIRE.

SO I WANT THIS IS HOW I WHEN I PRESENT MY PROPOSED BUDGET, THIS IS HOW I LOOK AT IT.

I LOOK AT IT THROUGH THAT FIVE YEAR FORECAST.

IS THIS A SUSTAINABLE BUDGET AND WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IS YOU'RE GOING TO BE CHALLENGED WITH SOME OF THE PROJECTS.

I BELIEVE YOU WILL WANT TO KEEP FUNDING TOWARD THE END OF THAT FORECAST.

AND SO THE SOONER WE BEGIN TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION.

YOU'RE A PILOT OR AN AVIATOR.

I'M NOT SURE WHAT THEY CALL YOU IN THE MARINES, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT TO YOU DON'T WANT TO BE MAKING A ONE SECOND ADJUSTMENT RIGHT BEFORE YOU.

YOU'RE LOSING. YOU SEE YOU'RE LOSING ALTITUDE.

YOU START MAKING THE ADJUSTMENT.

NOW IT'S SMOOTH.

SO LET US SHOW YOU THAT.

THEN YOU CAN DECIDE WHETHER USING SOME OF THESE ARPA FUNDS AS REVENUE REPLACEMENT, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE NOT RECURRING REVENUE, THEY MIGHT HELP CUSHION THE BLOW OUT.

SO LET US SHOW YOU THAT IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS AFTER THAT, I WOULD WHATEVER PROCESS THIS COURT WANTS TO USE TO IDENTIFY YOUR NEXT PRIORITIES, THAT'S 100% UP.

COMMISSIONERS COURT YEAH.

IS THIS A COMMENT ON REVENUE REPLACEMENT? BECAUSE WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THIS PREVIOUSLY AND I WAS TRYING TO PUSH TO PUT AS MUCH AS YOU'LL REMEMBER, DAVID, AS MUCH MONEY AS POSSIBLE IN REVENUE REPLACEMENT BECAUSE WHEN IT'S REVENUE REPLACEMENT, WE HAVE GREATER LEEWAY TO SAY WHERE IT GOES AND NOT NECESSARILY UNDER ALL THE LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS OF ARPA.

SO AS MUCH MONEY AS WE CAN GIVE BACK TO REVENUE REPLACEMENT AND THEN WE CAN ALLOCATE IT AS A COURT IS A GOOD IDEA.

MY MY ONLY CAUTION COMMISSIONER, WITH THAT IS YOU MAY NEED IT AS REAL REVENUE REPLACEMENT.

RIGHT. BUT THEN WE CAN USE IT FOR WHAT WE NEED.

WELL, YEAH, INTERNALLY.

IN OTHER WORDS, YOU MAY NEED IT TO BALANCE THE BUDGET, THE BOOKS THREE YEARS FROM NOW.

CORRECT? WELL, AND I THINK THIS IS MY FINAL COMMENT, BUT TO THE THE POINT ABOUT I THINK THE WE TALKED ABOUT

[01:20:04]

THIS TWO WEEKS AGO, BUT THE THE HIGHEST VALUE TO ME ARE THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO SEE A RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR THE COUNTY, SAY THE IMPACT COURT, IF WE CAN EFFECTIVELY MITIGATE OR ELIMINATE, YOU KNOW, $10 MILLION, $15 MILLION A YEAR IN OVERTIME COSTS BY INVESTING TWO, THREE, $4 MILLION THERE, THAT'S A HUGE WIN FOR THE COUNTY.

THE SECOND PRIORITY WOULD BE, WELL, WHAT ARE THOSE THOSE ITEMS LIKE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE FORCED TO INVEST IN ANYWAY, RIGHT.

PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING TO COME BEFORE THIS COURT.

AND EITHER THEY'RE GOING TO COME OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND OR THEY'RE GOING TO COME OUT OF ARPA.

AND IF THEY QUALIFY FOR ARPA, WHY WOULDN'T WE USE THE ARPA DOLLARS? AND THEN I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING, DAVID, IS THERE'S ALSO THE ABILITY FOR SOME OF THIS IN A BROADER SENSE TO BACKFILL LOST GENERAL REVENUE FUND.

I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE YET.

WE'RE STILL BUDGET'S STILL RUNNING THE NUMBERS, BUT IF THAT'S THE CASE, WE'LL MAKE THE COURT AWARE.

AND TO CORRECT THE RECORD, IT WAS 40 MILLION TO US, BY THE WAY.

HOWEVER, IT'S FOR TWO DIFFERENT FACILITIES.

ONE IS FOR THE INSTITUTE OR THEIR SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH ON NEAR THE TEXAS A&M CAMPUS.

AND THE OTHER ONE IS FOR A FACILITY IN COMMISSIONER CALVERT PRECINCT, I-10 AND A&M A&M.

SO ISN'T THAT WHERE THEIR CAMPUS, THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, IS IN COMMISSIONER MOODY'S PRECINCT.

WE GAVE 10 MILLION TO UT.

NO, NO, NO. THE UAS PUBLIC HEALTH FACILITY.

AND YEAH, OUR NEW PUBLIC HEALTH BUILDING THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.

YEAH, IT'S US IS THE ONE WHO'S DOING THAT.

OKAY. THAT'S ALL I HAVE RIGHT NOW.

THANK YOU. ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? THANK YOU ALL. APPRECIATE THE REPORT.

THAT CONCLUDES THE DISCUSSION OF ITEM THREE.

ITEM FOR DISCUSSION OF APPROPRIATE ACTION REGARDING PURCHASING POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND PROCESSES.

[4. Discussion and appropriate action regarding purchasing policies, procedures and processes. ]

MS.. TORRES, YOU'RE UP.

GOOD MORNING, JUDGE. AND COMMISSIONERS, BEFORE YOU BEFORE YOU YOU SEE THE PREVIOUS POWERPOINT PRESENTED TO COMMISSIONERS COURT ON MAY 2ND, ITEM 56 A FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR SPECIFIC QUESTION ON A SPECIFIC SLIDE.

SO IT WAS. DID YOU WANT ME TO REPRESENT THE SAME POWERPOINT OR WAS THERE A SPECIFIC DISCUSSION POINT THAT WE MAKE YOUR PRESENTATION.

IS THIS THE SAME PRESENTATION YOU DID LAST TIME? THAT'S CORRECT. I THINK THAT'S WHAT SHE'S ASKING.

OKAY. SHE'S GOING TO MAKE THE SAME PRESENTATION FROM LAST COMMISSION, OF COURSE.

ALL RIGHT. DO WE GO STRAIGHT TO COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? I DID HAVE JUDGE, I HAVE SOME SOME SOME WELL, PROCUREMENT PURCHASING QUESTIONS.

THEY'RE THEY'RE MORE FOR, I THINK THE COUNTY DEPARTMENTS.

SO I DON'T KNOW IS PUBLIC WORKS OR FACILITIES HERE.

I THINK THEY ARE I THINK THEY ARE.

OKAY GREAT.

SO WERE WE.

OKAY, SO THANK YOU, DAN? YOU'RE FINE. DID YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER. GO AHEAD. YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME.

NO, I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF WE WERE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE OVERVIEW OF THE PROCUREMENT CYCLE OR WHETHER WE WERE GOING TO GET INTO THE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE CHANGES THAT I SAW SOME EMAIL TRAFFIC ON.

I'LL LET YOU GO AHEAD.

YOU WANT TO BE MORE SPECIFIC CHANGES WITH REGARDS TO THE DISPARITY STUDY AND CHANGES TO PROCUREMENT PROCESS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE RECOMMENDED AND BROUGHT FORWARD.

WHO SENT THAT? WHO SENT THAT? US. THE THE COUNTY MANAGER OR I'LL LET YOU GUYS GO AHEAD AND THEN I'LL ASK QUESTIONS.

[01:25:03]

WAS IT FROM FACILITIES OR YOU'RE NOT SURE? I'M JUST HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

OKAY. I DON'T KNOW.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO BECAUSE I'M STILL I HAVEN'T I HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN THE PROPOSED NEW PURCHASING POLICY, SO I COULDN'T TELL YOU WHAT THE CHANGES ARE. OKAY.

WERE THEY'RE NOT EMAILS POINTING TO.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

OKAY. SO ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO POINT OUT TODAY IS THAT THE COURT HAS ADOPTED A POLICY THAT PERMITS DEPARTMENTS TO DIRECTLY PROCURE CERTAIN PROFESSIONAL SERVICES OUTSIDE OF THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT.

AND IN ORDER FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, THE DEPARTMENT MUST ONE REPORT TO THE COMMISSIONERS COURT AND TWO, OBTAIN APPROVAL OF THE RFP FROM THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT, AND THREE, USE A STANDARD REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL.

SO FOR PROCUREMENT, FOR ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING SERVICES, THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT OR THE FACILITIES DEPARTMENT AS APPROPRIATE, PREPARE THE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS, AFTER WHICH A TWO STEP PROCESS IS A IS APPLIED FOR SELECTION DETERMINATION OF THE MOST QUALIFIED PROVIDER BASED ON COMPETENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS. THEN NEGOTIATION OF A CONTRACT FOR A FAIR AND REASONABLE PRICE.

AND SO THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I JUST WANT TO KNOW IN TERMS OF OUR OUR PROCESS.

WE HAD SOME FINDINGS WITH RESPECT TO IT.

ONE OF THE FINDINGS WAS THAT THERE IS AN INFORMAL NETWORK OF PRIME CONTRACTORS.

SO THE FINDINGS THAT WE HAD READ THAT WHILE RELATIONSHIP BUILDING IS A PART OF DOING BUSINESS, INFORMAL NETWORKS CAN EXCLUDE CERTAIN BUSINESSES FROM OPPORTUNITY BY SIMPLY FAVORING THE SAME FIRMS IN THE BEST CASE SCENARIO, OR BY PROVIDING BACKCHANNELS TO INFORMATION AND PREFERENCE IN THE WORST CASE.

IN THIS STUDY BY THE BY THE COUNTY, MORE THAN 58.6% OF WOMEN OWNED, MINORITY OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES SURVEYED.

THEY RESPONDED THAT THEY AGREED THAT AN INFORMAL NETWORK OF PRIME CONTRACTOR CONTRACTORS AND SUBCONTRACTORS MONOPOLIZE WORK WITH THE COUNTY, AND ABOUT 49.4% OF MINORITY WOMEN BUSINESS ENTERPRISES SURVEYED RESPONDED.

RESPONDENTS AGREED THAT THIS INFORMAL NETWORK PREVENTED THEM FROM WINNING CONTRACTS WITH BEAR COUNTY.

WHILE NOT ALL OF THE ANECDOTAL RESPONSES, INCLUDING INTERVIEWS, FOCUS GROUPS AND PUBLIC HEARINGS, AMONG OTHERS, POINTED TO SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF INFORMAL NETWORKS.

A COMMON COMPLAINT FROM THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY EMERGED FROM A HANDFUL OF RESPONDENTS SEVERAL INTERVIEW SUBJECTS.

ONE FOCUS GROUP, PARTICIPANT IN A PUBLIC HEARING ATTENDEE ALL NOTED A TENDENCY OF PRIME CONTRACTORS TO HIRE SUBCONTRACTORS FROM A POOL OF LARGER FIRMS THAT ARE NOT FROM BEAR COUNTY OR THE SAN ANTONIO AREA.

SO MY QUESTION FOR THE COUNTY MANAGER FOR FACILITIES AND PUBLIC WORKS IS HOW ARE YOU DEALING WITH THAT FINDING? SO. OTHER OTHER THAN TRYING TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS WE CAN.

AND DAN'S BEEN A LEADER IN THIS AREA, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, BECAUSE HE BRINGS ITEMS ASKING FOR PERMISSION TO NEGOTIATE BEFORE HE EVEN DOES IT.

SO HE ALSO ASKED FOR DIRECTION ABOUT WHEN YOU HAVE 2 OR 3 TOP TOP FIRMS OR 2 OR 3 OF THE HIGHEST SCORING FIRMS THAT ARE VERY CLOSE, HE BROUGHT THAT ITEM TO ASK FOR YOUR DIRECTION ABOUT HOW TO PROCEED.

WHAT WE ALSO DO IS WE UTILIZE OUR NETWORK OF REGISTERED SWIM BE VENDORS FOR SOLICITATIONS.

UM, SOME WOULD SAY TO A FAULT BECAUSE ANOTHER COMPLAINT WE'VE GOTTEN IS THAT IT'S NOT THE FILTER ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH.

SO PEOPLE WILL GET SOLICITATION REQUESTS FOR FIELDS THEY DON'T OPERATE IN.

BUT NEVERTHELESS WE GO AHEAD AND TRY AND DO THAT OUTREACH.

SHORT OF THAT TRANSPARENCY AND AND ULTIMATELY, OBVIOUSLY NOTHING NO CONTRACT GETS APPROVED WITHOUT COMMISSIONERS COURT REVIEW AND APPROVAL AGREED FOR THE MOST PART.

THERE MAY BE A FEW EXCEPTIONS THAT WE COULD FIND OVER TIME.

THE REQUEST FOR GOING OUT IS DONE, BUT THERE WAS A FINDING THAT CONTRADICTS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU JUST SAID.

DAVID SO IN FINDING 26, THE TWO MOST CITED BARRIERS IN THE SURVEY WERE THAT MINORITY WOMEN, 35.5%, SAY THEY DID NOT RECEIVE NOTICE OF AN OPPORTUNITY.

COMMUNICATION WAS AMONG THE CONCERNS THAT INTERVIEW SUBJECTS IDENTIFIED.

INTERVIEWEES WHO CITED SUCH ISSUES SAID THAT DESPITE REGISTERING THROUGH THE MEANS TO WHICH THEY WERE DIRECTED, THEY EITHER RECEIVED SOLICITATION NOTIFICATIONS ILL SUITED TO THEIR PARTICULAR SKILL SET OR NONE AT ALL.

AND THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER FINDING ON THE NOTIFICATION BARRIER.

CITING UNFAIR COMPETITION WITH LARGE COMPANIES, 28.4% OF THE RESPONDENTS SAID THAT ANECDOTAL RESPONSES PREVIOUSLY REFERENCED IN THE IN

[01:30:04]

THE FINDINGS DESCRIBED A PERCEPTION THAT PRIME CONTRACTORS HIRE SUBCONTRACTORS FROM A POOL OF LARGER FIRMS THAT ARE NOT FROM BURKE COUNTY OR SAN ANTONIO AREA.

AND 13.6 SAID THAT THE CONTRACTS WERE TOO BIG.

SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF DIGRESSION ON AT LEAST A THIRD OF BUSINESS PEOPLE THAT RESPONDED, AND SOME PEOPLE DON'T RESPOND BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID TO SPEAK UP. BUT IN TERMS OF DE BUNDLING, WHAT HOW MANY OF THE CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE HAVE WE DE BUNDLED TO OPEN UP MORE OPPORTUNITY? DO WE HAVE? I DON'T KNOW.

BUT THAT'S CERTAINLY AN AREA THAT WILL BE ADDRESSED UNDER THE NEW PURCHASING POLICY THAT'S BEING REVIEWED RIGHT NOW BY THE LAWYERS.

ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT CLARITY ON FROM SWIM DEPARTMENTS, THE PURCHASING OFFICE AND OUR LAWYERS IS WHAT WILL THE DE BUNDLING PROCESS BE? HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT SHOULD BE EFFECTIVELY DE BUNDLED, WHAT SHOULD BE DE BUNDLED AND WHAT IS JUST MAKING MAKING IT MORE BUREAUCRATIC UNNECESSARILY? SO I WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HOW DO YOU EVALUATE WHAT NEEDS TO BE READ? YEAH, I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO ALSO GET SOME BEST PRACTICES FROM OTHER PLACES THAT ARE ALREADY DOING IT.

ANOTHER PART JUST GOES TO THIS OVERALL ARCHING SITUATION WITH REPORT TO TRACKING AND REPORTING.

SO WE CURRENTLY, I BELIEVE, OPERATE UNDER A A COUNTY MANAGER POLICY THAT PURCHASES OR CONTRACTS LESS THAN $50,000 ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED TO CONTRACT WITH ZOMBIES BY USING A VENDOR LIST FROM LAWSON OR CMS TO IDENTIFY THE AVAILABLE SWIM IN DOCUMENT THE TRACKING EXPENDITURES.

AND THERE'S A PART ABOUT REPORTING.

NOW, I DON'T THINK WE REGULARLY HAVE TO COURT A ACTUAL REPORTING OF HOW THESE DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING. AND THERE'S ALSO SUPPOSED TO BE A PROCESS THAT THE COUNTY OF COMING TOGETHER TO GO OVER THAT.

SO IS THAT DONE KIND OF IN YOUR MEETINGS, DAVID, BEHIND THE SCENES TO LOOK AT THAT, THAT REPORTING OF THE DEPARTMENTS? NO. AND OTHER THAN THE JUST AGGREGATE IN THE COUNTY, BECAUSE REMEMBER, ONLY A THIRD OF THE COUNTY REPORTS TO ME, TWO THIRDS REPORT TO ELECTED OFFICIALS OTHER THAN MYSELF.

SO THOSE PURCHASES DON'T COME TO ME.

I DON'T KNOW IF THE PURCHASING AGENT OR RENEE WATSON IS KEEPING THAT, BUT PART OF IT WAS GETTING OUR DATA COLLECTED ACCURATELY.

SO FOR INSTANCE, THE FIRST DATA RUN WE DID AND THIS WAS YEARS AGO BASICALLY JUST SHOWED EVERY REQUISITION THAT WAS PROCESSED IN THE COUNTY. AND DID IT GO TO A SWIM BY YES OR NO? THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS A LOT OF.

THESE REQUISITIONS AREN'T REALLY SWIM OPPORTUNITIES.

FOR INSTANCE, OUR CPS BILL, THAT'S NOT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A SWIM FOR US.

MAYBE ON THE CPS SIDE IT MIGHT BE, BUT FOR US IT'S NOT.

SO IT TOOK SOME CLEANING OF THAT DATA.

WE WERE ABLE TO GET THAT DONE.

SUPPLIED TO GRIFFIN AND STRONG.

THEY THEN USE THAT DATA TO COME UP WITH THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH ARE NOW RESULTED IN WHAT I'M TOLD IS A NEW DRAFT PURCHASING POLICY AND THAT THE SWIM SECTION OF THAT, LARRY, I THINK IS WHAT'S BEING REVIEWED.

THAT'S CORRECT. SO YOU CAN ASK LARRY ABOUT HIS TIMELINE.

I'VE BEEN TELLING EVERYBODY IT'S URGENT.

OKAY. SO I JUST WANT TO POINT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING AND MAYBE THE READING IS WRONG THAT WE HAVE AN EXISTING COUNTY MANAGER POLICY THAT CALLS FOR PERIODIC MEETINGS WITH THE SMALL BUSINESS DIRECTOR, THE PURCHASING AGENT, AND A REPRESENTATIVE FROM EACH COUNTY DEPARTMENT TO REVIEW ANTICIPATED PURCHASE PURCHASING OPPORTUNITIES TO DETERMINE WHETHER HIGHER OR LOWER PARTICIPATION TARGETS SHOULD BE APPLIED BASED ON SWIM AVAILABILITY, PREPARATION AND ISSUANCE OF QUARTERLY AND ANNUAL REPORTS ON HOW PARTICIPATION RESULTS IN SWIMMING AVAILABILITY AND COMPARATIVE CONTRACT AWARD DATA.

SO I THINK THAT'S EXISTING PROCESS AND POLICY THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.

AND I CAN'T THINK OF LIKE ANY ONE BETTER THAN THE MANAGER, THE SWIM DIRECTOR AND THE PURCHASING AGENT, ALL WORKING IN CONCERT TO CORRAL THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS, EVEN IF THEY ARE ONLY REPORTING TO AN ELECTED.

I THINK THAT THAT THAT IS THE POLICY OF REVIEW THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO THE COURT AND THE DEPARTMENTS FOR IMPROVEMENTS ALONG THE WAY.

SO I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT'S AN EXISTING THING.

IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE WE'RE DOING, BUT MAYBE HELPFUL TO COME TO THE COURT SO THAT WE CAN JUST SEE HOW VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING.

YES, SIR. OKAY.

[01:35:01]

THAT'S S THE GIST.

I DON'T I DON'T WANT TO BELABOR THERE'S A LOT MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT PURCHASING, BUT I DON'T WANT TO BELABOR IT.

I THINK THAT WHEN THE CONSULTANTS COME TO US ON JUNE 3RD ABOUT THESE REPORTS AND UPDATE THIS COURT AS IT'S CONSTITUTED FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE CAN GET INTO FURTHER DETAILS.

BUT THAT THAT THAT WOULD CONCLUDE MY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.

JUDGE, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR MS..

TORRES. MS. TORRES, FROM YOUR PRESENTATION AT THE LAST COMMISSIONERS COURT, WE STARTED GETTING INTO THE WEEDS, SO TO SPEAK, OF THE PROCESS THAT YOU HAVE AT YOUR DEPARTMENT, CORRECT? I'M SORRY, CAN YOU REPEAT THAT ON THE LAST AT THE LAST MEETING WE HAD SOME QUESTIONS, SOME ISSUES THAT WE GOT INTO THE WEEDS, SO TO SPEAK, ABOUT YOUR PROCESS AT PURCHASING DEPARTMENT.

AND THEN WE SAID, LET'S TAKE THIS UP AT A WORK SESSION.

DO YOU RECALL THAT OR NOT? YES. SO THE DEPARTMENT'S SUBMISSION OF THE REQUISITIONS AND THE TYPE OF REQUESTS, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO? WELL, AND I'LL BE STRAIGHT TO THE POINT, WHAT DID YOU EXPECT YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO DO TODAY? WELL, IT WAS UNCLEAR, TO BE HONEST.

WELL, THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU ASK FOR CLARIFICATION? I DID, SIR. WHAT, RIGHT NOW? NO, SIR. WELL, SO ACTUALLY, I DO HAVE MY TIMELINE.

I RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM MANUEL LEAL ON FRIDAY, 8:56 A.M., INFORMING ME OF THE AGENDA AND THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE THAT IT WAS PLACED ON THE AGENDA FOR ME TO PRESENT BY YOUR OFFICE.

SO IMMEDIATELY I ASKED, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS THE REQUEST OR WHAT EXACTLY WAS I SUPPOSED TO PRESENT ON? SO OF COURSE, MANUEL WAS WAS NOT AWARE OF THAT INFORMATION.

SO I CONTACTED YOUR OFFICE FRIDAY AT 958 AND VIA EMAIL, AND I TEXT MATTHEW AS WELL THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND I NEVER RECEIVED A RESPONSE.

SO THEN YESTERDAY, MANUEL REACHED OUT TO ME.

MANUEL REACHED OUT TO ME AGAIN AND ASKED ME, WHERE'S MY POWERPOINT? SO I THEN REACHED OUT TO THE COURT MEMBERS, BECAUSE IT WAS UNCLEAR TO ME WHAT.

AND I SAW THAT CORRESPONDENCE THAT NO ONE GAVE YOU A RESPONSE.

ALL RIGHT. SO OUT OF FAIRNESS TO YOU THEN, LET'S JUST CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION WE HAD AT THE LAST COMMISSIONERS COURT MEETING.

THERE WERE PROCESSES THAT WE HAD QUESTIONS.

SO LET ME JUST ASK YOU, IN HAVING THAT DISCUSSION LAST TIME, I THINK IT WAS IN REGARDS TO RATIFICATION OF CONTRACTS AND WHAT HAD TO COME IN.

AND THEN THE OTHER ISSUE OF USING THE CO OPS CORRECT.

AND THE THE IF THERE WAS ANY ISSUES OF DISPARITY THERE.

COMMISSIONER CALVERT, AS I RECALL, I THINK YOU HAD RAISED CONCERNS.

SO MY QUESTION IS FROM THAT CONVERSATION.

AND SO LET'S JUST WIPE THIS AGENDA ITEM CLEAN AND JUST SAY, OKAY.

YOU HAD CONCERNS, WHAT ARE YOUR CONCERNS FOR YOUR PROCESS NOW AND WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO HELP YOU WITH NEW PROCESS, GIVE YOU DIRECTION, GIVE YOU FUNDING? WHAT DO YOU NEED TO OPERATE AT THE MOST EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE LEVEL THAT YOU AND YOUR EMPLOYEES CAN DO? YES, SIR. SO EVEN THOUGH ALTHOUGH THAT THERE ARE THERE IS A CURRENT POLICY MANUAL AND THE ADMINISTRATION POLICIES, I FELT THAT MAYBE MORE COMMUNICATION, EVEN MORE COMMUNICATION WITH THE DEPARTMENTS, JUST TO BE CLEAR THAT THE PROCESS SO WE DON'T JUST TO CLEAR UP, WE DON'T AUTOMATICALLY OR FORCE THE DEPARTMENTS TO GO THROUGH A CERTAIN PROCUREMENT PROCESS OR METHOD PROCUREMENT METHOD.

SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THAT THROUGH OUR DEPARTMENT, THROUGH COUNTYWIDE AND FOR THE FUNDING WE'RE WORKING.

SO LET ME STOP YOU THERE.

HAVE YOU TOLD THESE DEPARTMENTS WHAT YOU NEED? YOU YOU BROUGHT UP TO OUR ATTENTION THAT YOU HAD DEPARTMENTS AND I DON'T RECALL WHO THEY WERE, BUT YOU SAID, LOOK, THEY SAY IT'S URGENT AND IT'S AN EMERGENCY AND THEY GO TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE.

YES. AND THEN, AS I'VE HEARD, THERE ARE ISSUES THAT ARE STILL LANGUISHING FOR VARIOUS REASONS, NOT NECESSARILY BECAUSE IT'S AT YOUR DEPARTMENT, ALTHOUGH THAT'S GOING TO BE MY NEXT QUESTION. HOW MANY ISSUES DO YOU HAVE THAT YOU'RE NOT GOT DIRECTION OR YOU NEED DIRECTION IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD AND YOU'RE HOLDING ON TO I'M TRYING TO GET THIS PROCESS TO FLOW. YES. SO IN REGARDS TO THE MATTER OF DEPARTMENTS, WHAT ARE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO HELP YOU? I WANT TO MAKE THIS EASIER FOR YOU.

I WANT YOU TO TELL ME WHAT YOU NEED.

I APPRECIATE THAT. SO WITH OUR BUDGET SUBMISSION, WE DID REQUEST ADDITIONAL FUNDING I'M SORRY, ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR POSITIONS, WORKING THROUGH THE COMMUNICATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT.

WE'RE DOING THAT IMMEDIATELY.

I MEAN, IT WAS JUST A SO LET'S BREAK THAT DOWN.

WHAT ARE THE POSITIONS YOU NEED? GIVE ME THE JOB DESCRIPTION AND WHAT ARE THOSE PEOPLE SUPPOSED TO DO?

[01:40:02]

I DON'T HAVE THAT IN FRONT OF ME, SIR.

BUT DO YOU HAVE THAT? DO YOU HAVE IT? OKAY.

OKAY. ONE MOMENT. SO ASIDE FROM THAT, JUST WORKING THROUGH DAY TO DAY BASIS ON COMMUNICATION AND CLARIFICATION WITH THE DEPARTMENTS THAT IF IT'S URGENT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT, WE'RE LOOKING AT IT AND HELPING THEM GET THROUGH THEIR REQUEST. SO YES.

MR.. SMITH SO ON THE MATTER OF IS IT URGENT, FIRST OF ALL, IF YOU ASK SOMEBODY, I WANT TO TRY AND BE POSITIVE, WELL, IT'S LIKE ME. IF I SAY IT'S URGENT, IT'S URGENT, RIGHT.

WITH YOU, I TREAT EVERYTHING AS URGENT.

BUT BUT IF A DEPARTMENT SUBMITS OR STARTS THE REQUISITION PROCESS AND A MONTH OR TWO LATER, THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO THE BUYER IS YET.

AND THEN YOU ASK THE QUESTION, WELL, YEAH, IT'S URGENT.

I NEED MY LIGHT BULBS.

IN THIS CASE, I NEEDED THEM TWO MONTHS AGO.

THAT'S WHY I STARTED. SO IT CAN START AS ROUTINE AND BECOME MORE AND MORE URGENT AS THE PROCESS JUST TAKES TIME.

AND THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD ASKED LAST TIME THAT I STILL DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO IS WHEN WE USE CO OPS, HOW DO WE KNOW THAT'S THE MOST ADVANTAGEOUS PRICING? HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT? I ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

MR.. TORRES YES. SO USING A CO OP IS I'LL GIVE IT AN EXAMPLE AS SIMPLE AS GOING TO H-E-B VERSUS SAM'S OR COSTCO.

SO YOU'RE GOING TO GET A BETTER PRICE.

THEY'RE LARGER, PRE SOLICITED, PRE AWARDED CONTRACTS.

YEAH, I THINK I ASKED THAT QUESTION LAST COMMISSIONERS COURT DID I NOT? AND AND ASKING DO YOU AUTOMATICALLY GO WITH THE CO OP AND YOU SAID YOU DON'T AUTOMATICALLY GO CO OP YOU STILL SEE WHAT THE BEST PRICE IS, AM I RIGHT.

CORRECT. OKAY. BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW IT'S THE BEST PRICE? THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. SOME OF THIS LIST BECAUSE YOU SAID THEY PUT IT OUT, DIDN'T YOU SAY Y'ALL PUT IT OUT FOR BID OR OR WHAT WAS YOUR RESPONSE? WE HAVE DONE BOTH.

WE'VE ISSUED A SOLICITATION.

AND WHEN THE SOLICITATION AMOUNTS COME IN, WE LOOK AT THAT AND WE LOOK AT THE CO OP PRICING.

SO WE DO COMPARISONS.

THERE WAS ONE ON YOUR LAST AGENDA.

YEAH. WHERE IT WAS A RATIFICATION BECAUSE THERE WERE FIVE DIFFERENT PURCHASE ORDERS TO THE SAME VENDOR AND FOUR OF THEM QUOTES WERE GOTTEN.

BUT FOR THE VA, THE ONE BIG ONE, IT WENT STRAIGHT TO CO OP.

SO THE SMALLER BECAUSE IT WAS URGENT.

NO, THE SMALLER PURCHASE ORDERS WERE UNDER THE $5,000 THRESHOLD, SO THERE WAS NO SOLICITATION SOLICITATION OPEN MARKET.

DOES THAT MEAN THAT MEANS THAT THE DEPARTMENT, PROBABLY YOUR DEPARTMENT WENT OUT AND REQUESTED A QUOTE FOR WHATEVER ITEM IT WAS? I DON'T I DON'T RECALL.

OKAY. SO IT WAS UNDER $5,000 SOLICITED.

QUOTES WERE GOTTEN, BUT FOR THE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLAR PURCHASE.

THAT WENT TO A CO OP.

AND MY ONLY QUESTION IS HOW DO YOU KNOW THE CO OP? IN THAT CASE, THE SPECIFICS MATTER BECAUSE THE IT WENT TO A CO OP BECAUSE SHE INDICATED THAT SHE DIDN'T GET THE INFORMATION FROM FACILITIES. AND WHAT WAS THAT INFORMATION THAT YOU THE SCOPE OF WORK.

THE SCOPE OF WORK.

SO THE SCOPE OF WORK WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THERE IN JANUARY.

IT DIDN'T COME IN FEBRUARY.

YOU GOT A REQUEST THAT WE NEED THE LIGHT BULBS.

SO I'M THE ONE THAT FOLLOWED UP ACTUALLY WITH THE DEPARTMENT JANUARY AND FOLLOWED UP WITH THE DEPARTMENT.

AND THEN YOU SAID TO GET IT FASTEST A CO OP IN THIS CASE WOULD BE PERMISSIBLE.

CORRECT. CORRECT.

OKAY. THE OTHER THING WITH RESPECT TO THE BUDGET, SOME OF THE BUDGET IS NOT COMPLETELY DECIDED BY THE PURCHASING AGENT.

I AM A MEMBER OF THE PURCHASING BOARD, COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ AND I, ALONG WITH THREE DISTRICT COURT JUDGES.

SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN THIS LAST MEETING WE WERE THE PURCHASING AGENT WAS REQUESTING BUDGET.

THERE WERE THERE WERE SOME POSITIONS THAT THE PURCHASING BOARD AGREED TO FUND OR RECOMMEND TO COURT.

I DON'T I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT THE PROCESS OF WHO DID IT FIRST.

AND THEN THERE WERE SOME POSITIONS THAT YOU REQUESTED THAT WE DID NOT FUND.

SO IT'S NOT ALWAYS JUST IN THE HANDS OF THE PURCHASING AGENT.

SOME OF IT IS IN THE HANDS OF THE COMMISSIONERS COURT WHEN THINGS ARE MOVING SLOWLY.

AND THERE'S ALSO DEPARTMENTAL ISSUES WHERE THINGS MOVE SLOWLY AND THERE'S ALSO THINGS IN THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE MOVING SLOWLY PERHAPS, AND THIS IS A SUGGESTION THAT I HAVE, PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE AGENCIES THAT THE COURT WANTS TO SEE GET FUNDED.

PERHAPS EACH MEMBER OF THE COURT BY PRECINCT COULD HAVE A CIVIL ATTORNEY TO ASSIST THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WITH WITH CONTRACT FORMATION AND TO ASSIST DEPARTMENTS WITH GETTING THE INFORMATION TO CONSTITUTE A CONTRACT.

AND FOR THOSE THINGS WHICH WHICH WE'RE THE GUYS AND GALS WHO BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO GET OUR AGENCIES FUNDED, THAT WE COULD ASSIST THE PROCESS

[01:45:04]

WITH ADDITIONAL LEGAL HELP AT THE AT THE COURT LEVEL.

IS ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT IF THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL? YES, OF COURSE. SO AND PART OF OUR SUBMISSION, WE DID REQUEST A CIVIL ATTORNEY, BUT WE WEREN'T SURE OF THE STRUCTURE.

SO THE SUBMISSION WAS THE REQUEST WAS SUBMITTED, BUT I WASN'T SURE IF THE ATTORNEY WOULD BE.

OF COURSE, THROUGH PURCHASING ALSO WITH THE I WASN'T SURE IT WAS A COMPANY.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE MADE THAT REQUEST KNOWN TO THE COURT.

I'VE HEARD FROM THE JUDGE'S OFFICE THAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN THE BUDGET.

FOR SOME ATTORNEYS FOR US, I BELIEVE THAT THAT COULD BE A VERY GOOD USE.

I THINK PROCUREMENT, PURCHASING AND ASSISTANCE ON THOSE KINDS OF AGENCIES COULD BE SOMETHING THAT THE COURT, WITH ITS ATTORNEYS COULD HELP THE BACKLOG THAT HAPPENS ACROSS CONTRACTING.

PICKING UP ON COMMISSIONER MOODY'S CONCERN OVER THE ARPA REQUEST, IT COULD BE HELPFUL WITH GETTING THOSE ARPA REQUESTS READY SINCE WE HAVE THIS UNPRECEDENTED AMOUNT OF NUMBER OF REQUESTS AND WE'RE DEALING WITH A CRISIS IN THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE OF STAFFING AND WE'RE DEALING WITH STAFFING ISSUES ACROSS DEPARTMENTS AND WE'RE WE'RE NOT MOVING A LOT OF CONTRACTS FORWARD.

THIS MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT THE COURT COULD LOOK AT IN BUDGET.

SO I DIDN'T KNOW.

I FORGOT THAT YOU HAD PROPOSED THAT.

SO THERE'S MULTIPLE WAYS IT CAN BE DONE.

YOUR PROPOSAL, MY BACK OF THE NAPKIN PROPOSAL OR ANYBODY ELSE WHO HAS A WAY TO ACTUALLY STAFF IT.

THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, I JUST HAVE A OBSERVATION AND COMMENT.

SO LAST WEEK I WENT TO SOUTH SAN ISD TO READ THEIR PROCLAMATION FOR THEIR 100TH ANNIVERSARY, AND IT WAS AWKWARD BECAUSE THEY'RE SITTING UP HERE.

I WAS UP THERE.

I WAS LIKE, OH, MY BACK'S TO THE AUDIENCE.

I'M AN EDUCATION.

THIS IS WEIRD. SO I STEPPED TO THE SIDE AND YOU KNOW, I'M LOUD ANYWAY, BUT IT ALSO MADE ME REALIZE, OKAY, SO THIS IS HOW PEOPLE FEEL WHEN THEY COME SPEAK AT COMMISSIONERS COURT. AND I SEE OTHER YOU KNOW, I SEE DEBORAH FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND JAVIER FROM ENVIRONMENTAL AND OTHER STAFF WHO HAVE TO COME UP.

AND I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT AND YOU'RE BEING PREPARED.

MYSELF AS A COMMISSIONER, I DON'T LIKE COMING TO COMMISSIONERS COURT, BEING UNPREPARED.

AND AS YOU AS YOU KNOW, JUDGE, I CALLED YOU ON THURSDAY BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS ON THE AGENDA.

AND I LIKE TO DO MY HOMEWORK.

I LIKE TO COME AND BE PREPARED AS COMMISSIONER, MUCH LESS IF I'M COMING TO PRESENT.

SO, YOU KNOW, IF PATRICIA DIDN'T, IT'S HARD.

MY EXPERIENCE, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO SAY WHAT MY NEEDS ARE OR WHAT'S GOING ON, ESPECIALLY PUBLICLY, IF I'M NOT PREPARED.

HAIRED. SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE GAVE HER AMPLE TIME TO PREPARE FOR THE QUESTIONS, IF SHE DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE WHAT SHE WAS GOING TO BE PRESENTING ON AND KNOW.

I'M NOT SURE. I SAW SOME EMAILS GOING BACK AND FORTH.

I ASKED MY STAFF BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE TIME TO BE ON THESE EMAIL CHAINS, SO Y'ALL SHOULD JUST EMAIL MY STAFF.

JUST FYI. STAFF NOTE FOR COUNTY STAFF.

SO I ASKED MY STAFF TO SUMMARIZE THESE LONG, THIS LONG EMAIL CHAIN SO I DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ ALL THAT.

AND FRANKIE, MY CHIEF OF STAFF, DIDN'T EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS GOING ON.

SHE DID SAY THAT PATRICIA WAS ASKING FOR CLEARANCE, DIDN'T GET A RESPONSE BACK.

SO I JUST NEEDED TO MAKE THAT MAKE THAT COMMENT BECAUSE THERE JUST SEEMS TO BE SOME DISCONNECT HERE.

AND I PERSONALLY APPRECIATE BETTER COMMUNICATION.

SO, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY YOU ARE WRITING DOWN SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS OF YOUR STAFF AND YOU GUYS CAN HAVE SOME BETTER PREPARED ANSWERS.

AND I KNOW YOU DON'T NECESSARILY REPORT TO COMMISSIONERS COURT LIKE COMMISSIONER CALVERT SAID, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHO'S ON THAT BOARD.

COMMISSIONER CALVERT YOU AND COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ AND WHO'S OUT OF TOWN LED BY THREE DISTRICT COURT JUDGES.

YEAH. SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT PURCHASING BOARD OR WHATEVER IT'S CALLED TO, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH YOU TO SEE HOW WE CAN GET SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS ANSWERED.

AND IF YOU WANT TO SET UP INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS WITH US AS COMMISSIONERS OR WITH MY STAFF TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN HOW WE CAN DO THIS BETTER, BECAUSE THIS IS ABOUT TAXPAYER DOLLARS, RIGHT? AND THIS IS ABOUT SUPPORTING OUR SMALL MINORITY OWNED WOMEN OWNED AND VETERAN OWNED BUSINESSES, WHICH IS SOMETHING I'M ALWAYS PUSHING FOR.

SO WE JUST NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OVERALL.

AND FOR THE RECORD, MRS TORRES.

IT'S NOT AN EXCUSE, BUT MY CHIEF OF STAFF WAS OUT ALL DAY ON FRIDAY FOR A MEDICAL APPOINTMENT, SO I'D ASK THAT NOT ONLY YOU FOLLOW WITH AN EMAIL, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE TIMELINE, BUT YOU FOLLOW UP WITH A PHONE CALL OR CALL SOMEBODY IN ORDER TO ALERT AND GET THE DIRECTION YOU

[01:50:04]

NEED. AND AND I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS BY COMMISSIONER CLAY-FLORES.

THIS WAS AN ATTEMPT TO AMBUSH YOU.

I JUST THOUGHT I THOUGHT I MADE IT CLEAR FROM THE LAST MEETING I WANTED TO SEE SOME SUGGESTIONS, NEW IDEAS, HOW CAN WE HELP YOU? AND SO I GUESS I'LL WAIT FOR THE NEXT MEETING OR WORK SESSION TO GET THOSE ANSWERS.

GO AHEAD. UM, JUST A FEW THINGS I WANTED TO, TO MENTION HERE.

UM, FIRST OF ALL, BASED ON SOME OF THE COMMENTS.

COMMISSIONER CALVERT MADE.

YOU KNOW, AND I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE COMMUNICATION PIECE AND MAKING SURE THAT THAT WE DO HAVE OUTREACH AND THAT PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK WITH BEAR COUNTY.

I WILL SAY I'M LOOKING AT COMMENDATION NUMBER ONE IN THE STUDY, AND IT DOES SAY THE SWIM PROGRAM HAS BEEN DILIGENT ABOUT OUTREACH AND SUPPORT TO SMALL BUSINESSES AND IN ENCOURAGING THE USE OF CERTIFIED SWIM BEES AT THE AS THE PRIME AS WELL AS SUBCONTRACTOR SUBCONTRACTOR PROVIDER LEVEL, INCLUDING BEAR COUNTY'S P CARD PROGRAM.

SO THAT'S THAT'S GREAT.

A COUPLE OTHER THINGS THAT WERE RECOMMENDED AND I WONDER, YOU KNOW, WHETHER WE MADE PROGRESS ON THOSE.

I THINK IT WAS ALSO PART OF COMMISSIONER CALVERT POINT, THE DECOUPLING OF LARGE CONTRACTS.

NOW, OBVIOUSLY, I THINK THAT COMES AT A POTENTIAL COST, BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN EXPLORE AND UNDERSTAND.

YOU KNOW, WHERE WE CAN DECOUPLE SOME CONTRACTS AT A MINIMAL EXTRA COST OR NO EXTRA COST, AND THAT PROVIDES OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT SMALLER BUSINESSES WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO TO BID ON, YOU KNOW, AT A HIGHER LEVEL.

AND THEN PROMPT PAY WAS ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION.

AND I HAVE HEARD THIS FROM SMALL BUSINESSES, RIGHT? IF WE AS A COUNTY CAN'T QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY PAY OUR BILLS, THEN THAT MAKES THAT REALLY HARD ON THAT SMALL BUSINESS.

THEY MAY WANT TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE COUNTY, BUT FINANCIALLY THEY CAN'T SUPPORT IT IF THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GET PAID FOR 90 DAYS, 180 DAYS.

AND SO I THINK THAT'S THOSE ARE TWO RECOMMENDATIONS THAT RESONATED WITH ME.

AND I'M NOT SURE IF YOU HAVE ANY FEEDBACK OR THOUGHTS SPECIFICALLY ON THOSE TWO.

AND BY THE WAY, PUBLIC WORKS AND FACILITIES ARE I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR THE COURT.

PATTY, IF YOUR TEAM COULD GET A BUDGET PIE CHART TO SHOW HOW MUCH CONTRACTS GO OUT WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND FACILITIES WHO HAVE TO CHECK THOSE INVOICES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE CORRECT.

YOU'RE NOT CHECKING NECESSARILY THAT THOSE INVOICES.

IT HAS TO BE DONE THROUGH A DEPARTMENT THAT THE COURT GAVE.

SO THE COURT, WHEN GIVING PERMISSION FOR PUBLIC WORKS AND FACILITIES, CAN SAY, WE WANT YOU TO BUNDLE THIS CONTRACT, WE CAN ACTUALLY OUTLINE IN THE MOTION THAT WE THINK THE BUNDLING.

I MEAN, I THINK I MEAN, WE'VE GOT TO TALK TO THE ATTORNEYS.

WE ACTUALLY THINK THE BUNDLING CAN HAPPEN IN, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE SIDEWALK AND THE PARK SPACE OR, YOU KNOW, WITH THE FLOWERS OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE CONTRACT SAYS, WE CAN ACTUALLY PROVIDE POLICY AND LEGAL DIRECTION.

IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY COME FROM YOUR DEPARTMENT.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE AUDITOR MAY NEED ADDITIONAL STAFFING BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF CONTRACTS THAT ARE WITH THE ARPA MONEY AND THE GROWTH OF THE COUNTY.

IT'S A LOT FOR THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE TO DOUBLE CHECK AND THEY MAY NEED ADDITIONAL.

SO THERE'S ALL KINDS OF AND THAT'S FOR PAYMENT, RIGHT? SO THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF COGS THAT MAKE UP THAT WE'RE UNDER A STATUTORY OBLIGATION IN TEXAS TO PAY WITHIN 30 DAYS.

WE OFTEN FAIL THAT.

SO SO TO COMMISSIONER MOODY'S POINT, HOW DOES WHAT'S THE PROCESS FOR PEOPLE GETTING PAID? I DON'T KNOW. LEO, DO YOU NEED TO CHIME IN ON THIS? SURE, COMMISSIONER.

SO, I MEAN, AS SOON AS IT HITS OUR OFFICE, I MEAN, WE TIMESTAMP IT RIGHT, YOU KNOW, AT THE BEGINNING AND THAT'S FOR US WITHIN 30 DAYS.

I DO ASK.

SO ONCE IT GETS TO YOUR OFFICE, WE HAVE TO GET IT DONE IN 30 DAYS.

YES. AND I THINK PART OF THE ISSUE IS, COMMISSIONER, IF I COULD, IS LOTS OF TIMES AND ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, WITH THE SWIM AND THE PROCESS, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE DOING CAPITAL PROJECTS AND STUFF, THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES INTO THAT EVEN BEFORE IT HITS OUR OFFICE.

YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT GETS KICKED BACK, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT ENGINEERS ARE LOOKING AT THAT.

SO LOTS OF TIMES BEFORE IT HITS OUR OFFICE AND THEN EVERYTHING SHOULD BE IN ORDER.

A LOT OF TIMES IT'S NOT AT THAT POINT.

TWO, WE DO HAVE TO KICK IT BACK.

SO I THINK LOTS OF TIMES THESE VENDORS ARE UNDER THE IMPRESSION AS SOON AS THEY SUBMIT SOMETHING IN AND ESPECIALLY I, YOU KNOW, THE SMALLER, YOU KNOW, SWIM OBVIOUSLY COMMUNITY YOU KNOW ARE MORE WANTING TO GET PAID RIGHT AWAY ON THAT AND I RESPECT THAT.

[01:55:03]

BUT LOTS OF TIMES FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN, YOU KNOW, IN THE HIGH 90 PERCENTILE, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S MISSING OR PAPERWORK WASN'T FILLED OUT OR SIGNED APPROPRIATELY ON THAT.

AND I DO ASK, YOU KNOW, NEXT TIME, TOO, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AND I TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE GETTING PAYMENTS OUT TIMELY.

I CAN SHOW STATS ON HOW QUICK WE GET THEM OUT.

BUT BUT THAT BEING SAID, IF YOU DO HAVE, YOU KNOW, SPECIFICS BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL SAY, OH, VENDORS DON'T GET PAID VENDORS.

AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE COMMISSIONERS, COURT COMMISSIONERS CAN ATTEST TO THE FACT WHEN THEY LOOK INTO IT, WE CAN SHOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT'S HIT OUR OFFICE.

THIS. IT'S GOTTEN PAID TIMELY.

THERE'S USUALLY OTHER FACTORS BEHIND THAT.

SO THEN WHERE'S THE HOLD UP? IS IT BEFORE IT GETS TO YOUR OFFICE? USUALLY I WOULD SAY, DOES ANYONE CAN ANYONE COMMENT? WHERE'S THE HOLD UP, PATRICIA? DO YOU KNOW ON PAYMENTS? I WOULD SAY, IF I MAY, I WOULD SAY, YEAH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HONESTY HERE.

SO. SO WHERE DO WE WHAT I'VE SEEN IS WHAT I'VE SEEN, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE TIMES VENDORS DO COMMUNICATE WITH ME AND PERSONALLY, DIRECTLY, AND THEY'LL SAY, I HAVEN'T GOT PAID, OR SO I'LL DO SOME RESEARCH.

AND WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING IS THAT THE AUDITOR'S PENDING ON A CLEAR CORRECT INVOICE.

IS THAT CORRECT? SO THEN IS IT ON THE END OF THE THE COMPANIES THEMSELVES, THE SWIMMIES THAT AREN'T FILLING OUT THE PAPERWORK? DO WE NEED TO DO BETTER TRAINING FOR THEM? WHERE'S THE HOLD UP? BECAUSE WE CAN'T JUST POINT FINGERS AT EACH OTHER LIKE WE NEED TO SEE WHERE'S THE HOLD UP AND THEN FIX IT.

RIGHT. RIGHT. SO THAT'S WHAT I'VE SEEN WHERE THE INVOICES ARE NOT CORRECT OR CLEAR OR I'M NOT I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU LOOK FOR, BUT AND THEN SO WE GET THAT CLEARED UP AND WE'LL SAY, WHERE IS IT AT FOR FOR A WHILE THE PROCESS WAS THAT THE DEPARTMENT'S APPROVED THE INVOICE, SO THAT WAS CAUSING A DELAY.

SO I THINK IF I'M NOT SURE IF THAT HAS IMPROVED.

SO LEO, MAYBE WHAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR COMPANIES THAT COME IN IF THERE'S WHATEVER THE HOLDUP IS, YOU, YOUR STAFF CAN SUMMARIZE WHAT THE MAIN THINGS ARE THAT YOU HAVE TO PUSH THEM BACK SO THAT WE CAN SHARE THAT WITH YOUR MEMBERS.

RENEE AND WE CAN TRY TO HELP PEOPLE TO GET PAID.

LET ME JUST LET ME BEFORE YOU SPEAK, RENEE, LET ME JUST MAKE ONE QUICK OBSERVATION.

ONE THING THAT IT CAN HELP US WITH IS A TEMPLATE, A TEMPLATE AND VIDEOS FOR DEPARTMENTS, PARTICULARLY IN FACILITIES AND PUBLIC WORKS, WHERE THEY WANT TO SEE A CERTAIN QUALITY, YOU KNOW, OF THE OBJECTIVES OF THE CONTRACT MET THAT WE COULD DEVELOP A VIDEO SAMPLE TEMPLATE OF PAST PROJECTS AND PAST PROJECTS.

THIS IS WHAT WE INCLUDED IN THE INVOICE.

AND HERE'S ACTUALLY A TEMPLATE ONLINE THAT THE COUNTY HAS THAT CAN GO ELECTRONICALLY, MOVE FASTER THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT SO THAT THE AUDITOR CAN SEE IT AND EVERYBODY CAN SEE IT, SOMEBODY CAN SEE IT, THE FACILITIES OR PUBLIC WORKS CAN SEE IT.

BUT I WOULD SUGGEST THAT MARK GAGER CAN HELP US WITH AN IT PRODUCT THAT CAN BE STANDARDIZED AND EVEN VIDEOS WHICH HOW TO DO A BEAR COUNTY INVOICE MIGHT BE VERY HELPFUL AND OTHER PREVIOUS TEMPLATES PROVIDED TO SMALL BUSINESSES WOULD REALLY BE HELPFUL.

I'M SORRY, RENEE, GO AHEAD.

SO POINT OF INTRODUCTION.

MY NAME IS RENEE WATSON. I SERVE AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE SMALL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEPARTMENT AT THE COUNTY.

I WANT TO COMMEND THE AUDITOR BECAUSE THEY CAME UP WITH A POWERPOINT.

IT'S ON OUR WEBSITE AND IT OUTLINES THE STEPS OF HOW DO YOU GET PAID, WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COUNTY TO GET PAID? THAT'S HOW THEY GET IN TRAINING.

THE ISSUE IS IN THE PURCHASING DEFINITION OF WHAT IS DELIVERY, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BE YOU HAVE TO DELIVER SOMETHING BEFORE YOU CAN SUBMIT AN INVOICE.

SOMETIMES IN IT WORLD DELIVERY OF THE COMPUTER TO THE WAREHOUSE VERSUS INSTALLATION IN THE DEPARTMENT, THAT THAT CAUSES PROBLEMS OF WHEN THE VENDORS FOR THE 30 DAYS WHEN IT GETS TO THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE, WHEN THAT CLOCK STARTS, THEN WE'RE TALKING WITH SUBCONTRACTORS.

THEIR PAY WHEN PAID PROMPT PAY IS $30, 30 DAYS FROM THE PRIME.

BUT THEN IT'S TEN DAYS FROM WHEN THE PRIME GETS PAID.

SO IF YOU'RE A SUB SUBCONSULTANT SUB SUPPLIER SUBCONTRACTOR, IT'S 45 DAYS AND WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE YOU PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS HERE AT THE COUNTY. SO THERE'S DIFFERENT PROCESSES, BUT THE ONE THAT PURCHASING, PURCHASING CAN REALLY HELP US IS TO DEFINE WHAT IS DELIVERY TO OFFICE AND DEPARTMENTS.

IS THERE LEGAL CLARIFICATION, LARRY, ON DOES THE 30 DAY STATUTE APPLY WHEN IT GETS TO THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE OR DOES IT APPLY WHEN IT GETS TO THE DEPARTMENT THAT REQUISITION THE CONTRACT AND REVIEWS THE INVOICE? DO YOU KNOW THE STATUTE DOES HAVE A TIMING ISSUE? IT'S NOT IT DOESN'T DEPEND WHEN IT GETS TO THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE.

IT'S MORE WHEN I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT LANGUAGE, COMMISSIONER, BUT THERE IS A TRIGGER IN THE STATUTE.

IT'S A SET OF THREE TIERS ON THE STATUTE, LIKE DEPENDING LIKE WHEN THE PRODUCTS ARE ACTUALLY DELIVERED IS ONE THE INVOICE AND PROPERLY.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE GO BY WHEN THE INVOICE IS PROPERLY SUBMITTED TO OUR OFFICE.

YEAH, THAT'S ANOTHER ONE.

[02:00:01]

AND I CAN'T RECALL THE THIRD TIER AS PART OF THAT STATUTE.

REALLY. THE, THE POINT OF THE CLOCK IT SOUNDS LIKE, IS THE POINT AT WHICH IT'S SUBMITTED TO THE COUNTY REALLY, BECAUSE MOST VENDORS ARE GOING TO BE SUBMITTING IT TO THE DEPARTMENT THAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING BUSINESS WITH, I ASSUME.

WELL, ACTUALLY, IN THE CONTRACT IT SAYS SUBMIT THE INVOICE TO THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. AND THEN THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE SENDS IT BACK TO THE DEPARTMENT FOR SIGN UP FOR DELIVERY.

SIGN OFF. DID YOU ACTUALLY DELIVER THAT SERVICE? DID YOU ACTUALLY DELIVER THAT GOOD OR PROFESSIONAL SERVICE? OKAY. AND THEN IT MAY TAKE TIME FOR THEM, THE DEPARTMENT, TO RESPOND BACK.

SO DOES EVERY LIKE WHEN WE DO THESE RFPS, IS THIS.

POINT FROM THE AUDITOR ON THE PUBLIC WORKS AND FACILITIES WEBSITES AS WELL.

IT'S ON THE BEAR COUNTY MAIN WEBSITE AND ON OUR WEBSITE BECAUSE THE IT WORKED WITH US LAST YEAR SINCE THE DISPARITY STUDY, WE WE FILLED A LOT OF GAPS.

THE DATA WAS FROM 2019.

WELL WE CAN EASILY THE DATA NOW IS IS GOING THROUGH AND WE FILLED A LOT OF THOSE GAPS.

THIS IS A GOOD THIS IS A GOOD CONVERSATION NOW BECAUSE WE CAN EASILY TAKE THE AUDITOR'S POWERPOINT AND PUT IT ON PUBLIC WORKS AND FACILITIES BECAUSE I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE THERE BECAUSE THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I HEAR THE MOST COMPLAINTS.

AND IF I IF I COULD, COMMISSIONER, TO I DO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, RENEE, BECAUSE SHE DID INVITE US OUT THE LAST FEW TIMES AT THE SWIM CONFERENCES AND ALLOWED US TO GO AND SPEAK ABOUT THE PROCESS AND STUFF TO HELP ALONG WITH THAT, WITH PAYING VENDORS TIMELY.

VERY NICE. GO AHEAD.

I WAS JUST GOING TO CONCLUDE MY MY COMMENTS HERE WITH WITH ONE OF THE COMMENDATIONS THAT CAME FROM GRIFFIN AND STRONG COMMENDATION TO GRIFFIN AND STRONG COMMENDS THE COUNTY ON ITS LEVEL OF UTILIZATION OF SWIMS WITHOUT A RACE AND GENDER CONSCIOUS PROGRAM, ALTHOUGH THERE IS STILL UNDER UTILIZATION OF SOME GROUPS.

OVERALL, ITS SWIM PROGRAM HAS BEEN MORE SUCCESSFUL OBTAINING SWIMMING PARTICIPATION THAN MANY AGENCIES THAT HAVE RACE AND GENDER CONSCIOUS PROGRAMS. I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT I HADN'T READ THAT BEFORE, AND I THINK THAT THAT EVERYBODY SHOULD TAKE THAT ON BOARD BECAUSE I WANT TO TIE THAT BACK TO THIS WHOLE CONVERSATION.

I THINK WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL IN THAT WE WANT THIS PROCESS TO BE SMOOTH AND EFFICIENT AND QUICK FOR ALL OF OUR SMALL BUSINESSES.

BUT THE MORE RED TAPE, THE MORE INJECTS THAT WE HAVE INTO THAT PROCESS, THE MORE CHANGES THAT WE IMPLEMENT TO THAT PROCESS, THE HARDER IT'S GOING TO BE TO TO SEE THOSE GOALS, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE TO WEIGH THOSE THINGS IN THE BALANCE.

WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT BEFORE.

I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT AGAIN.

BUT AGAIN, IF WE'RE MAKING SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS, THEN THAT'S JUST GOING TO ADD MORE CHALLENGES TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO EXECUTE EFFICIENTLY AND QUICKLY.

AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT.

ALL RIGHT. ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? ONLY CONCLUDING COMMENT IS JUST MORE COLLABORATION IN LINE WITH COMMISSIONER CLAY-FLORES COMMENT.

FOR THE NEXT AGENDA, I THINK ALL MEMBERS OF THE COURT NEED TO HELP COLLABORATE ON THE AGENDA SO THAT IT'S A PRODUCTIVE WORK SESSION.

THANK YOU, JUDGE. THANK YOU.

ANYTHING ELSE? THANK YOU, MISS TORRES.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

ALL RIGHT. I BELIEVE WE'VE CONCLUDED.

LET ME THANK THE MY COLLEAGUES, THE COMMISSIONERS ON COMMISSIONERS COURT FOR COMING ON A NON COMMISSIONER COURT DATE TO DO A WORK SESSION. IT LOOKS LIKE WE DID TWO HOURS OF GOOD WORK TODAY.

I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY PRODUCTIVE IN THE INFORMATION AND THE INFORMATION WE SHARED WITH STAFF OR CONSULTANTS.

AND SO LET ALSO THE RECORD REFLECT THAT COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ ASKED TO BE EXCUSED.

HE HAD A PRIOR CONFLICT OF SCHEDULE WAS UNAVAILABLE FOR TODAY.

ALL RIGHT. IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? I'D LIKE TO TAKE A PERSONAL POINT OF PRIVILEGE, IF I CAN CAN CONGRATULATE.

I WANT TO MAKE SURE I READ THIS CORRECTLY.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BEAR COUNTY CRIME LAB FOR APLAUSO.

THAT MEANS I KNOW COMMISSIONER'S COURT.

LIGHTEN UP. WE'RE ALMOST DONE.

SO THE BEAR COUNTY CRIME LAB, BECAUSE THEY EARNED TOP HONORS FOR THE FOURTH YEAR, THEY RECEIVED THE COVETED FORESIGHT MAXIMUS AWARD FROM THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CRIME LAB DIRECTOR. SO THANKS FOR THE WORK.

AND I KNOW THEY'RE BUILDING A NEW LAB.

THEY'RE GOING TO BE IN MY PRECINCT.

SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM AND MOVE TO ADJOURN.

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CLAY-FLORES SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MOODY.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MEETING ADJOURNED. HAVE A GREAT DAY.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.

May 23, 2023 Commissioners Court Work Session

Link

Social

Embed

Download

Download Selected Item