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OKAY, HERE WE GO.I'D LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYONE TO THE BEXAR COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT BUDGET WORK SESSION MEETING FOR AUGUST 13TH, 2024.
AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA TAKE UP, UH, WE'LL HAVE, PULL A COMMENT, CITIZENS TO BE HEARD AT THIS TIME, THERE ARE NO CITIZENS SIGNED UP.
I JUST WANT TO PUT ON RECORD ARE THERE ANY CITIZENS TO BE HEARD AT THIS TIME? IF SO, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
AT THIS TIME, HEARING NONE, UH,
[2. Presentation and discussion regarding a Bexar County debt management plan and proposed capital projects delivery schedule timeline.]
WE'RE GONNA NOW GO TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO, PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION OF BEXAR COUNTY DEBT MANAGEMENT PLAN AND PROPOSED CAPITAL PROJECTS DELIVERY SCHEDULE TIMELINE.BUT BEFORE YOU BEGIN, MR. DAVIS SMITH, LET ME MAKE A FEW, UH, INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.
UH, TODAY WE'RE GOING TO START THE BEGINNING OF A CONVERSATION AND A, UH, REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT OF ALL THE CAPITAL PROJECTS AND THE DEBT, UH, MANAGEMENT PLAN OF BEXAR COUNTY.
UH, OBVIOUSLY FOR THE RECORD, I THINK COMMISSIONER MOODY, YOU AND I ARE THE RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE COURT AND MANY OF THESE PROJECTS, IF NOT ALL, ARE PART OF A 10 YEAR PLAN THAT HAVE BEEN SET, UH, A FEW YEARS AGO.
AND SO OBVIOUSLY, UH, I ASKED IN PREPARATION OF THE NEW BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR BUDGET COMING UP WAS FOR THE COUNTY MANAGER AND THE BUDGET OFFICE TO BRIEF THE COURT, AND ESPECIALLY FOR ME AND COMMISSIONER MOONEY TO KIND OF KNOW WHAT ARE ALL THE PROJECTS THAT ARE ON THE BOOKS.
AND THEN TO KIND OF GET A OVERVIEW OF THAT.
UM, I WANT TO ASK MY COLLEAGUES, WE'RE NOT HERE.
AND SPECIFICALLY IF YOU LOOK AT THE AGENDA, WE'RE NOT HERE TO MAKE, TAKE ANY ACTION.
I'M NOT HERE TO MAKE DECISIONS ON SPECIFIC PROJECTS.
WE ARE HERE JUST TO HAVE A DISCUSSION OF WHAT'S ON THE BOOKS AND TO GIVE DIRECTION TO THE COUNTY MANAGER AND TO OUR DEPARTMENTS AS TO PERHAPS WHAT THE PRIORITIES SHOULD BE.
SO I'M HOPING THAT WILL BE THE CONVERSATION, IF ANY.
UH, OBVIOUSLY FROM HERE WE'RE BEGINNING OUR NEW FISCAL YEAR 24 25 BUDGET.
AND SO I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE TAKE THIS INFORMATION TODAY.
BUT I WANNA PUT ON THE RECORD, WE ARE FACING SOME UNCERTAINTY IN THE FUTURE.
IN FEW, FEW AREAS WE KNOW, AND IT'S BEEN PUT ON RECORD PERHAPS IN PRIOR DISCUSSIONS.
WE BELIEVE THAT THE FED, UH, RESERVE WILL TAKE STEPS TO LOWER THE INTEREST RATES, BUT HAVE YET TO SEE THEM STABILIZE.
SO PERHAPS THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WILL COME ABOUT WITH THE REDUCTION OF INTEREST RATES.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT, UH, THE COUNTY MANAGER'S OFFICE, THE BUDGET OFFICE HAS PUT ON RECORD THAT THERE'LL BE A FLATTENING OF PROPERTY TAXES.
AND I BELIEVE THAT OUR CITIZENS THAT WE SERVE HAVE SEEN SOME RELIEF IN THEIR PROPERTY TAX BILL FOR THE COMING UP FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
THIS RELIEF IS A POSITIVE THING AND SOMETHING WE ALL WANT FOR OUR CITIZENS AND OUR CONSTITUENTS, BUT IT DOES HAVE AN IMPACT ON GOVERNMENT REVENUE AS PROPERTY TAXES ACCOUNT FOR ABOUT 80% OF OUR GENERAL REV FUND REVENUES.
WE ALSO KNOW IT'S ALSO BEEN PUT ON RECORD THAT ARPA, THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT PROVIDED A OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE INVESTMENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR WHICH WE HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF.
AND I'M VERY PROUD TO HAVE SUPPORTED MANY OF THESE, IF NOT ALL THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE PUT ON THE BOOKS TO HELP THE ECONOMY REBOUND TO HELP DO ADDRESS THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY.
BUT AS WHAT'S BEEN NOTED BY MR. SMITH, WE'RE NEAR THE END OF THE RUNWAY OF THOSE, OF THAT OPPORTUNITY.
AND SO WE WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE REALITY OF WHAT LEGACY COSTS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE CONTINUED AND TO BE PAID FOR BY FUTURE BUDGETS.
THESE FACTORS POINT TO THE NEED TO BE JUDICIOUS WITH OUR SPENDING IN THIS BUDGET CYCLE AND ASSESS THE CHANGES OVER THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
I BELIEVE EACH COMMISSIONER ON THE DAAS HAS IDENTIFIED COMMUNITY NEEDS THAT REQUIRE CAPITAL EXPENSES.
SO THE COURT WILL HAVE TO COME CONSENSUS AS WE DISCUSS THESE PARTICULAR NEEDS FOR EACH PARTICULAR PRECINCT.
BUT OUR COUNTY MANAGER HAS BEEN CLEAR THAT WE NEED TO MANAGE OUR DEBT.
AND SO THIS IS A START OF A CONVERSATION AND I HOPE THAT WE WILL BE, UH, RESPECTFUL THAT WE MAY HAVE SOME DISAGREEMENTS
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ON IT, BUT THAT WE CAN AGREE TO DISAGREE AND THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND WE CAN MOVE FORWARD BY CONSENSUS.WITH THAT, MR. DAVID SMITH, I WILL YIELD TO YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION REGARDING A BEXAR COUNTY DEBT MANAGEMENT PLAN AND PROPOSED CAPITAL PROJECTS DELIVERY SCHEDULE TIMELINE.
SO JUST TO REMIND YOU, WELL, BEFORE WE GET ROLLING, LET ME JUST SAY I'VE ALREADY GOTTEN SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT WHICH PROJECTS WE'RE CANCELING MY, THE DEBT MANAGEMENT PLAN WE DISCUSSED BACK IN JULY AND THAT WE'LL DISCUSS TODAY DOESN'T PROPOSE CANCELING ANY ALREADY APPROVED PROJECTS.
IT MIGHT AFFECT THEIR SCHEDULED DELIVERY AND COMPLETION.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO FOCUS TODAY ON.
WE PROPO TO GET INTO THE RECAP, BACK IN JULY, WE CAME TO YOU TO TELL YOU THAT LAST YEAR, LATE LAST YEAR, TWO OF OUR THREE MAJOR RATING AGENCIES ALERTED US THAT IN ONE PARTICULAR METRIC, THEY DIDN'T CONSIDER OUR MEASURES UP TO AAA STANDARDS.
WE ARE AAA RATED BY ALL THREE AND REMAIN SO TODAY.
BUT THEY ALERTED US IN ONE PARTICULAR STATISTIC THAT THEY SAID, WE DON'T MEET AAA STANDARDS IN THAT STATISTIC.
AND THAT STATISTIC WAS LONG-TERM DEBT PER CAPITA, MEANING LONG-TERM DEBT DIVIDED BY YOUR POPULATION.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT ONE STATISTICS, WE WERE AMONG THE HIGHEST COUNTIES IN TEXAS IN THAT STATISTIC.
NEVERTHELESS, THEY WENT AHEAD AND REIFIED AA.
AND I'M NOT HERE TO TELL YOU TODAY THAT IF YOU DON'T ADOPT THIS PLAN, YOU'LL BE DOWNGRADED.
I'M NOT TELLING YOU THAT 'CAUSE I DON'T CONTROL THAT.
I NOT IN THEIR HEADS, I'M JUST TELLING YOU THEY PUT US ON NOTICE.
WHAT I'M PROPOSING IS A WAY TO TRY AND REDUCE THAT ONE STATISTIC.
AS I WAS IN JANUARY, OUR EXISTING DEBT IS VERY AFFORDABLE FOR THIS GOVERNMENT.
YOU CAN ISSUE MORE DEBT WITHOUT ANY RISK OF DROPPING BELOW THE REQUIRED FUND BALANCE.
AND THE RATING AGENCIES DON'T DISPUTE THAT.
THEY'RE SIMPLY SAYING, HERE'S A STA STATISTIC WE LOOK AT.
AND THAT WE'RE INCREASINGLY PUTTING MORE WEIGHT INTO THAT STATISTIC.
AND IN THAT ONE MEASURE, BEXAR COUNTY DOESN'T MEET AAA STANDARDS.
AND TO BE CLEAR, IT WAS TWO OF THE THREE RATING AGENCIES.
HOWEVER, AS BUDGET OFFICER, I FEEL IT'S MY RESPONSIBILITY TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I TRY NOT TO BRING YOU PROBLEMS WITHOUT AT LEAST MY ATTEMPT AT A POTENTIAL SOLUTION.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT BACK IN JULY.
IT WAS REALLY A WAY TO MANAGE OUR NEW DEBT ISSUANCES, TRYING TO MINIMIZE TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE THE IMPACT TO THE NEEDED CAPITAL PROJECT PLAN THAT THIS COURT AND PAST COURTS HAVE ALREADY APPROVED.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS DISCUSSION I HOPE IS ABOUT TODAY.
IT'S ABOUT HERE'S WHEN THIS PROJECT WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE BEEN COMPLETED.
IF YOU ADOPT MY PLAN, HERE'S WHEN IT WOULD NOW BE COMPLETED.
SO THERE MIGHT BE A DELAY IN SOME PROJECTS.
AND I WILL TELL YOU, I HAVE ASKED THE PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR DELIVERING THOSE PROJECTS IN A MINUTE TO COME UP HERE AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT.
'CAUSE I WANT YOU TO HEAR STRAIGHT FROM THEM.
IT'S THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO DELIVER THOSE PROJECTS AS SCHEDULED.
AND IF THEY SAY, I COULD HAVE DELIVERED THIS SIX MONTHS EARLIER, BUT FOR THIS PLAN, I WANT YOU TO HEAR IT AND BE ABLE TO ASK THEM QUESTIONS DIRECTLY WITHOUT ME INTERVENING AND PUTTING MY SPIN ON IT.
'CAUSE I JUST THINK YOU DE YOU DESERVE THAT HONESTY AND THAT THAT ABILITY TO ASK THEM DIRECTLY ABOUT THINGS YOU CARE ABOUT.
SO AS A RECAP, WE CAME IN JULY, TALKED ABOUT OUR DEBT SERVICE FORECAST.
REMINDED YOU THAT YOU'RE STILL AAA RATED BY ALL THREE MAJOR AGENCIES.
BUT WE PROPOSED A PLAN TO DELAY OUR NORMAL CADENCE OF BOND ISSUANCE, MAINLY TO FOCUS ON THE NEARLY $400 MILLION IN DEBT YOU'VE ISSUED IN THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS ALREADY.
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MY WAS MY BASIC MESSAGE.AND THEN LET'S LOOK TO ISSUE MORE DEBT AS NEEDED.
WE ALSO WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT YOU HAVE A TOOL WHICH I'M GONNA RECOMMEND WHETHER YOU ADOPT ANY OF THIS PLAN OR NOT, THIS BE THE ONE THING YOU FOCUS ON IN THE FUTURE.
WE SHOULD UTILIZE WHAT ARE CALLED REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTIONS TO DELIVER CAPITAL PROJECTS.
WHAT A REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTION DOES IT IS ALLOWS YOU TO SPEND YOUR OWN CASH WITH THE PROM ON CAPITAL PROJECTS.
AND THEN ONCE THE CAPITAL PROJECT IS COMPLETE, YOU HAVE 12 TO 18 MONTHS TO REIMBURSE YOURSELF FOR THAT CASH YOU BORROWED FROM YOURSELF BASICALLY.
SO IMAGINE THAT IF YOU HAVE TWO DIFFERENT BANK ACCOUNTS AT YOUR HOUSE, YOU BORROW FROM ONE BANK ACCOUNT TO MAKE A PAYMENT IN ANOTHER, KNOWING THAT AT SOME POINT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO REPLENISH THOSE FUNDS IN THE ORIGINAL BANK ACCOUNT.
IT'S A SIMILAR CONCEPT HERE,
PREVIOUSLY WHAT WE'VE TYPICALLY DONE IS TO ISSUE THE DEBT WHEN THE PROJECT BEGINS OR IN ADVANCE OF THE PROJECT.
THAT HAS ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES, TO BE HONEST.
YOU'RE PAYING THE INTEREST ON A PROJECT THAT'S NOT COMPLETE.
YOU BORROWED FUNDS AND YOU'RE PAYING FOR DEBT FOR A PROJECT THAT'S NOT COMPLETE YET A REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTION.
YOU DON'T START PAYING THAT INTEREST UNTIL 12 TO 18 MONTHS AFTER THE PROJECT HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
SO YOU DELAY HAVING TO PAY THAT INTEREST.
BUT SOME OF IT, YOU'RE TAKING A MARKET RISK.
INTEREST RATES MIGHT GO UP OR DOWN WHILE YOU'RE WAITING THOSE 12 TO 18 MONTHS.
SO LIKE I'VE TOLD YOU BEFORE, IF I KNEW WITH CERTAINTY WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN TO INTEREST RATES IN THE OVERALL MARKET, I WOULDN'T BE STANDING HERE TODAY.
I'D BE ON MY OWN ISLAND IN THE BAHAMAS.
SO I CAN'T TELL YOU AND I DON'T TRY AND PREDICT.
ANYWAY, THAT WAS THE CONCEPT WE PRESENTED BACK IN JULY.
AGAIN, THE PURPOSE OF TODAY IS TO TRY AND MAKE SURE THAT ANY DECISIONS THIS COURT MAKES ABOUT THAT STRATEGY YOU DO.
SO KNOWING WHAT THE POTENTIAL IMPACT TO YOUR CAPITAL PROJECT PORTFOLIO IS.
ALSO TO REMIND YOU, WE ARE FORTUNATE IN THAT OUR DEBT SERVICE IS, WILL NATURALLY BEGIN TO REDUCE ITSELF TO THE RATE OF ABOUT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR IF WE DON'T ADD TO THAT DEBT SERVICE.
SO WHAT MY PLAN WAS, WAS TO TRY AND DELAY ANY FUTURE DEBT ISSUANCES FOR UP TO FOUR YEARS AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT HOW, BUT IN THOSE FOUR YEARS YOU COULD REDUCE POTENTIALLY OUR EXISTING LONG-TERM DEBT BY UP TO $400 MILLION.
AND ONCE YOU DO THAT, THAT PUTS US BACK MORE CLOSELY IN LINE WITH SOME OF OUR OTHER PEER TEXAS COUNTIES IN TERMS OF LONG-TERM DEBT PER CAPITA.
SO HOW DO, WHY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT CAPITAL PROJECTS? BECAUSE CAPITAL PROJECTS ARE FINANCED.
SOMETIMES YOU'RE ABLE TO PAY CASH FOR A CAPITAL PROJECT, BUT MOST OF THE TIME YOU NEED TO BORROW MONEY.
AND I BELIEVE THAT'S APPROPRIATE BECAUSE A CAPITAL PROJECT BY DEFINITION IS A LONG-TERM ASSET.
IT'S THE SAME REASON YOU TAKE OUT A MORTGAGE TO BUY YOUR HOUSE.
YOU AND THAT ASSET WILL BE THERE 20 TO 30 YEARS OR IF NOT LONGER, AND IT'S APPROPRIATE TO SPREAD OUT THE PAYMENT FOR THAT ASSET OVER THAT LENGTH OF TIME.
THE SAME IS TRUE OF A HIGHWAY.
IT HOPEFULLY WILL BE THERE 20 YEARS OR LONGER.
AND IT MAKES SENSE TO HAVE EACH YEAR TAXPAYERS WHO ARE USING THAT HIGHWAY OVER ITS USABLE LIFE PAY THEIR SHARE OF THE COST.
THAT'S THE NOTION IN PUBLIC FINANCE OF FINANCING AND BORROWING AND ISSUING DEBT.
TO THAT END, BACK IN, UH, FY 2122, THE THEN COMMISSIONER'S COURT APPROVED A 10 YEAR, $620 MILLION CAPITAL PROGRAM.
IT INCLUDED FLOOD CONTROL, ROADS, CREEKS, AND TRAILS, AND A PARKS MASTER FUNDING, A PARKS MASTER PLAN.
AND SO THE DISCUSSION AFTER THIS SLIDE WILL BE PRIMARILY WHAT IS THE IM IMPACT OF MY PROPOSED ISSUANCE, MO MORATORIUM, SO TO SPEAK, ON THE DELIVERY OF THOSE CAPITAL PROJECTS.
THE WAY I'VE UH, INSTRUCTED, UM, ART DAN AND KEN TO TALK ABOUT THIS
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WITH YOU IS IF YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT HAS, IS ALREADY BEING BID OR IN CONSTRUCTION, CONTINUE THOSE PROJECTS DON'T GET STOPPED OR DELAYED.IF YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT WAS GOING TO BE COMPLETE AFTER OCTOBER OF 2027, THAT'S FINE.
THAT DOESN'T AFFECT MY FOUR YEAR PROPOSED DEBT MORATORIUM.
IT'S ONLY PROJECTS THAT THEY WILL TELL YOU THEY BELIEVE THEY WILL BE ABLE TO DELIVER COMPLETED PRIOR TO OCTOBER 1ST, 2027 THAT MIGHT HAVE THEIR SCHEDULE IMPACTED.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT THEM TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT DIRECTLY.
SO YOU CAN DIRECTLY ASK THEM QUESTIONS IF YOU WANT TO.
AND WITH BEFORE I TURN IT OVER OR DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? THANK YOU, JUDGE.
UM, DAVID, YOU KEPT REFERENCING TO YOUR FOUR YEAR PROPOSED MORATORIUM, BUT THE SLIDE SAYS 24 MONTHS, SO IT'S, WHICH ONE IS IT? NO, IT'S, IT'S FOUR YEARS ON ISSUANCE.
THE PROJECT IMPACT OCCURS IN 24 MONTHS.
YEAH, SO YEAH, SO EXPLAIN THAT BECAUSE, UM, THE SPECIFIC POWERPOINT, I GUESS THE DATA POINT SAYS NEW DEBT, 24 MONTH MORATORIUM.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IS WE DON'T ISSUE ANY NEW DEBT FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
24 MONTHS AFTER THAT, WE UTILIZE REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTIONS INSTEAD OF ISSUING NEW DEBT.
AND SO THAT BUYS YOU A POTENTIALLY ANOTHER TWO, TWO YEARS.
IT'S THE COMBINATION OF THE TWO THAT ENDS UP WITH FOUR AND THAT'S WHAT GIVES YOU A REDUCTION OF $400 MILLION IN YOUR OVERALL DEBT PORTFOLIO.
SO, UM, I KNOW WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
UM, MY ONLY CONCERN, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW YOU AND I HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION, IT DOESN'T APPEAR AS IF THIS YEAR, CALENDAR, CALENDAR YEAR, UM, WE HAVE THE NEED TO ISSUE ANY NEW DEBT 'CAUSE WE'RE SITTING ON, UM, ABOUT 200 MILLION IN PROCEEDS THAT WE HAVEN'T SPENT YET.
UM, THE ONLY CONCERN I HAVE ABOUT, UH, PUTTING OURSELVES IN A BOX ABOUT NOT ISSUING DEBT, AND I KNOW WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT, UH, VOTING ON THIS OR, OR CREATING POLICY TODAY IS, UM, YOU HAVE SOME OUTLIERS OUT THERE.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THE LEGISLATIVE, UH, THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE DO THIS COMING SESSION? UM, MORE THAN LIKELY, UH, THEY'VE ALWAYS HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT YOU CANNOT ISSUE DEBT FOR.
UH, SO HOW DOES THAT IMPACT THE COUNTY? I, I'D LIKE TO MAINTAIN FLEXIBILITY IN THE EVENT SOMETHING LIKE THAT OCCURS.
UM, AND THEN YOU HAVE A NEW ADMINISTRATION IN WASHINGTON COMING IN JANUARY, ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
UM, WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY DO SOMETHING LIKE IN 2009 WHERE THEY CREATED THE BUILD AMERICA BOND PROGRAM SUBSIDIZING, UM, DEBT.
SO I JUST LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY THAT THIS COURT AND FUTURE COURTS HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY.
UM, SO I'D ALMOST PREFER WE TAKE IT YEAR TO YEAR AND, AND EVALUATE IT AND SAY, HEY, LOOK, WE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SPENT OBVIOUSLY PAYING DOWN DEBT IS GOOD AND, AND IT'S GOOD FOR US AT HOME.
IT'S GOOD FOR THE COUNTY AS WELL.
BUT, UH, WE ALSO NEED TO KEEP IN MIND THAT WE DID THIS, I THINK VERY CONSISTENTLY AND, UM, UH, METHODICALLY OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS BECAUSE IT WAS SO, UH, THE, THE COST TO TO BORROW WAS SO LOW.
I MEAN, I THINK WE WERE GETTING LIKE, WAS IT AROUND A THREE TICK, UH, YOU KNOW, TOTAL INTEREST COST.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S JUST A MECHANISM THAT EVERY, I THINK GOVERNMENT ENTITY DOES AS LONG AS THEY DO IT RESPONSIBLY.
UM, AND I THINK YOU MENTIONED TOO THAT THAT'S NOT AN ISSUE.
I MEAN, WE ARE ABLE TO PAY BACK OUR, OUR PAY OUR BILLS, PAY BACK OUR DEBT.
SO, UM, SO YEAH, I MEAN, I, I THINK THIS IS A GOOD CONVERSATION, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THIS COURT AND FUTURE COURTS HAS A FLEXIBILITY TO PIVOT IF WE NEED TO PIVOT AND, AND, UM, MAYBE IT'S IN A SCENARIO WHERE WE'RE OUT, UM, INTEREST RATES FLATTEN OUT AND WE'RE OUT REFUNDING SOME DEBT, UM, AND WHILE WE'RE OUT IN THE MARKET, MAYBE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO ISSUE SOME NEW DEBT.
SO, UM, AGAIN, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A, A, A ROBUST DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS AND WE DON'T NECESSARILY, UH, PIN OURSELVES TO, UH, A CERTAIN POSITION THAT'S GONNA HAMSTRING THE COUNTY MOVING FORWARD.
'CAUSE THE REALITY IS, YOU KNOW, WE ARE A GROWING COUNTY.
UM, I KNOW THAT THE RATING AGENCIES OR OTHERS COMPARE COUNTY TO COUNTY, BUT EVERY COUNTY IS DIFFERENT, RIGHT? YOU LOOK AT DALLAS COUNTY, THEY DON'T ISSUE
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VERY MUCH DEBT BECAUSE BY AND LARGE, THE CITY OF DALLAS IS DALLAS COUNTY.SO THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF UNINCORPORATED AREAS WHERE THEY'RE BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, HARRIS COUNTY HAS A HUGE AREA, BUT THEY'VE UTILIZED PIS AND MUDS AND ALL THESE SPECIAL PURPOSE DISTRICTS, UH, TO FUND A LOT OF THEIR, THEIR GROWTH.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT APPLES AND APPLES.
THE RATING AGENCY DOESN'T REALLY TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE BEEN PART OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS, DAVID.
SO HAVE I AS A BANKER AND AS AN ISSUER.
UM, BEAR COUNTY'S IN GOOD SHAPE AND, AND, AND THEY, THEY POINT TO STEADY LEADERSHIP.
THEY POINT TO RESPONSIBILITY AND OUR FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY AND MAKING SURE WE'RE PAYING OUR BILLS.
UM, BUT AGAIN, IS IT GOOD TO MAYBE SLOW DOWN? I, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU THERE.
I THINK, UM, THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO LOOK AT AND, AND AGAIN, IF WE'RE SITTING ON PROCEEDS THAT WE HAVEN'T SPENT, THEN THE RESPONSIBLE THING TO DO, I, I BELIEVE IS TO, IS TO GET THAT MONEY OUT IN THE, INTO THE COMMUNITY BEFORE WE, UH, ISSUE NEW DEBT.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY FIRST WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE 24 VERSUS THE FOUR, AND THAT MAKES SENSE.
SO FOR THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE WATCHING ONLINE, CAN YOU EXPLAIN, UM, WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO KEEP A TRIPLE AA RATING, WHAT THAT MEANS? SO AAA IS THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE RATING FOR A MUNICIPALITY TO HAVE.
PERSONALLY, IT'S THE HIGHEST ONE POSSIBLE.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS THERE ARE CERTAIN LARGE, UM, INVESTORS WHO WILL ONLY INVEST IN AAA RATED BONDS.
WELL, IF YOU'RE AAA RATED, THAT OPENS UP WHEN YOU ISSUED DEBT, THOSE INVESTORS ARE NOW POTENTIALLY INTERESTED IN PURCHASING YOUR DEBT.
WHEREAS OTHERWISE, JUST BY RULE, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TOUCHED IT.
AND THAT, WHAT THAT MEANS IS MORE PEOPLE, MORE INTEREST, LOWER INTEREST RATES FOR BE COUNTY WHEN IT BORROWS MONEY, WHICH ULTIMATELY SAVES THE TAXPAYER MONEY.
UM, ON FEBRUARY 6TH, 2023, MOODY'S, UH, ISSUED FROM NEW YORK A, UH, STATEMENT ABOUT OUR CREDIT, AND THEY INDICATED THAT THE REVIEW WAS OVER.
WAS THERE ANOTHER ONE THAT WAS ISSUED LATER IN THE YEAR? IT WAS DECEMBER OF 23.
UM, THE ONE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE ONE THAT WE CITED IN
SO THEY REVIEW OUR, OUR FINANCES EVERY YEAR.
BUT THE LAST TIME THEY UPDATED THEIR METHODOLOGY WAS THE, UM, REPORT THAT YOU REPORT YOU OKAY.
SO IN THAT COURT, UM, IT, LET ME JUST READ YOU WHAT MOODY SAID, QUOTE, THIS ACTION CONCLUDES A REVIEW THAT WAS INITIATED ON NOVEMBER 3RD, 2022, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE RELEASE OF THE US CITIES AND COUNTIES METHODOLOGY.
THE COUNTY HAD ABOUT THREE, EXCUSE ME, UH, SUNLIGHT, 2.2 BILLION IN OUTSTANDING DEBT AS OF NOVEMBER 15TH, 2022.
THE OUTLOOK HAS BEEN REVISED TO STABLE FROM RATINGS UNDER REVIEW.
SO IS IT ACCURATE TO SAY THAT WE'RE STILL UNDER REVIEW FOR THE PER CAPITA? YOU'RE NOT UNDER REVIEW AND, BUT IF YOU, FIRST OF ALL, THEY CAN DECIDE TO PUT YOU UNDER REVIEW AT ANY TIME.
NORMALLY THOUGH, IT'S WHEN YOU ISSUE NEW DEBT AND ASK FOR A NEW RATING, THAT'S WHEN THEY NORMALLY WILL RATE YOU AGAIN.
AND, AND FITCH ALSO LISTED US AS STABLE.
SO THERE IS NO OTHER AGENCY THAT'S LISTING US AS UNDER REVIEW? NO.
WE WERE INFORMED THAT ESS STANDARD EMPLOYERS WAS ALSO CH INCREASING THE WEIGHT ON LONG-TERM DEBT IN THEIR RATINGS, BUT THEY DID NOT, I BELIEVE, PLACE US UNDER REVIEW.
I JUST WANTED TO, UM, MAKE SURE WE ALL HAD KIND OF THE FOUNDATIONAL STATEMENT OF FACTS, UM, AS WE MAKE THE BUDGET DECISIONS.
UM, I APPRECIATE I THINK COMMISSIONER, UH, RODRIGUEZ'S FLEXIBILITY.
I THINK IT'S A YEAR BY YEAR DECISION.
UM, UH, AND SO IF, IF WE'RE, TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PER CAPITA, UH, THE PER CAPITA.
UH, I THINK COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ DELVED INTO THE MUDS AND, AND IN DIFFERENT WAYS THAT DEBT IS DELIVERED BECAUSE OF GEOGRAPHY.
BUT WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF PER CAPITA DEBT RATIO IN A ASSESSMENT FOR THE COUNTY'S CREDIT RATING? SO TRYING TO PUT, IF I WERE AT
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MOODY'S, I THINK I WOULD ARGUE THAT IT'S AN OVERALL MEASURE OF HOW MUCH DEBT BURDEN YOU ARE PUTTING ON YOUR CITIZENS.AND SO MOODY'S ALSO CONSIDERS THINGS LIKE, UH, OUR PER PER CAPITA INCOME, RIGHT? AND SO AGAIN, WHEN YOU COMPARE US TO SOME OTHER COUNTIES, WE'RE A LITTLE LOWER, TO BE HONEST.
YEAH, NO, I THINK, I THINK YOU SAID IT, IF I'M LOSING MY ANALYSIS, IT WOULD BE A CONCENTRATION OF POLICY ON PER CAPITA INCOME BECAUSE THAT'S ULTIMATELY YOUR ABILITY TO PAY OFF DEBT.
THAT HASN'T BEEN REALLY A FOCUS.
UM, BUT LET'S COMPARE TAX RATES.
SO HOW DOES BEAR COUNTY'S TAX RATE COMPARE TO THOSE SAME COUNTIES? AREN'T WE LOWER THAN MANY OF THE OTHER COUNTIES AROUND, UH, THE STATE LAST, I DON'T KNOW.
LAST I CHECKED, WE WERE LOWER THAN SOME HIGHER THAN OTHERS.
UH, SO MAYBE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE.
BUT I THINK, I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE GOT A PRETTY COMPETITIVE, UH, TAX RATE, WHICH ALSO HAS A BEARING ON THE PER CAPITA ABILITY TO PAY.
SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF LEVEL SET ON THAT INFORMATION.
UM, I, I PLAN TO HOLD MOST OF MY COMMENTS.
I WANT TO SEE THE PRESENTATION FROM, FROM STAFF, BUT, UH, JUST IN RESPONSE TO, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER CALVERT, YOU MENTIONED THE 2.2 BILLION.
WHAT'S OUR CURRENT, UH, DEBT? TOTAL DEBT? IT'S, UH, 2.5.
SO THAT'S, THAT WAS OVER $300 MILLION AGO IN TERMS OF DEBT, CORRECT? CORRECT.
ALRIGHT, LET'S BEGIN THE PRESENTATION.
WHO'S FIRST? UM, THE NEW GUY, ART THE NEW GUY, MR. REINHART.
COURT ART REINHART PUBLIC WORKS.
AND I WILL SAY, UH, THE MANAGER ON HIS RECAP FORGOT TO MENTION THAT IN THE WORK SESSION HE SAID ENGINEERS ARE FROM, UH, MARS, SO THERE'S A HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF FUTURE CAPITAL PROJECTS TO BE DONE ON MARS FOR THE RECORD.
UM, SO ON THE NEXT, IF WE CAN BRING UP THE SLIDES, THE NEXT THREE SLIDES, WE'LL SUMMARIZE, UM, UH, PROJECTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN CONSTRUCTION AND BIDDING, FOLLOWED BY PROJECTS THAT WOULD BE COMPLETED PRIOR TO THE OCTOBER, 2027, UH, DATE.
AND THEN THOSE THAT ARE SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETED AFTERWARDS.
SO WE'LL WORK THROUGH THOSE AND I'LL, I'LL MENTION A FEW PROJECTS ALONG THE WAY.
SO OVERALL, AS THE MANAGER MENTIONED, UM, ABOUT A COUPLE YEARS AGO, COURT APPROVED OUR 10 YEAR PLAN.
SO FY 22, WE'RE CURRENTLY IN YEAR THREE OF THAT OVERALL PLAN.
SO WITH THAT, THERE WERE, UM, APPROXIMATELY 34 PROJECTS SLATED FOR PUBLIC WORK.
SO THOSE WERE YOUR TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE PROJECTS.
OF THOSE 34 PROJECTS, UH, ABOUT 22 OF THOSE ARE UNDERWAY OR COMPLETED IN SOME FORM.
SO ABOUT 65%, UH, MORE SPECIFICALLY, FOUR OF THOSE ARE COMPLETE, THREE ARE IN CONSTRUCTION.
UH, IN FACT, THE, THE TOP THREE HERE ON THIS SLIDE ARE THE ONES IN CONSTRUCTION, AND THEN 15 ARE IN DESIGN.
UM, AND THAT DESIGN COSTS FOR THOSE PROJECTS REPRESENTS ABOUT $175 MILLION OF CONSTRUCTION FOR THE PROJECTS IN DESIGN.
AND THEN I'LL, I'LL TALK LATER ABOUT THE ONES WE HAVEN'T STARTED YET, BUT THERE'S 12 OF THOSE.
UM, BUT OF THOSE 12, WE HAVE THREE THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY IN CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS.
WE'VE SELECTED CONSULTANTS TO START DESIGN, AND THEN TWO MORE THAT WE'RE, UM, ANTICIPATING ISSUING A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS IN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO.
SO ONCE THOSE START, OVERALL, WE'LL HAVE ABOUT 27 PROJECTS UNDERWAY, WHICH IS ABOUT 80% OF THE OVERALL 10 YEAR PLAN.
UM, THOSE AREN'T THE ONLY PROJECTS WE'RE MANAGING.
WE HAVE ANOTHER 12 OR SO PROJECTS, UH, OUTSIDE OF THE 10 YEAR PLAN.
EXAMPLES OF THOSE WOULD BE THE LAST THREE YOU SEE HERE ON THE, THE, THE SLIDE.
THOSE REPRESENT ABOUT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS OF CONSTRUCTION COSTS.
UM, SO JUST TO KIND OF PAINT THE PICTURE OF WHERE WE'RE AT.
SO THIS, THIS IS THE KEY SLIDE, UH, FOR WHAT I'LL BE TALKING ABOUT.
THIS SUMMARIZES THE PROJECTS THAT WOULD BE BASED ON OUR CURRENT SCHEDULE, THOSE THAT WE THINK WOULD BE COMPLETE PRIOR TO OCTOBER OF 2027.
SO JUST TO ORIENT YOU, YOU SEE A LIST OF 18 DIFFERENT OR 17 DIFFERENT PROJECTS TOTALING ABOUT $118 MILLION OF CONSTRUCTION COSTS.
THE FAR RIGHT COLUMN IS WHAT WE'RE CALLING OUR ESTIMATED LENGTH OF DELAY.
AND THAT'S ORDERED FROM MOST IMPACTED TO LEAST IMPACTED.
SO OVER THIS NEXT 24 MONTH PERIOD, BASED ON WHEN WE'RE FORECASTING THE PROJECT TO BE COMPLETE, THOSE THAT WOULD NEED TO WAIT THE LONGEST, IF YOU WILL, BEFORE WE WOULD, UM, GO TO CONSTRUCTION BECAUSE OF THE DEBT ISSUANCE.
UH, SO AS AN EXAMPLE, YOU SEE THE FIRST ONE LISTED THERE IS THE MCCONNELL LOW, UH, ROAD LOW WATER CROSSING PROJECT THAT'S IN THE FAR SOUTHWEST PART OF THE COUNTY.
WE HAVE PLANS COMPLETE RIGHT NOW, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF PREPPING THE RIGHT OF WAY, WHICH MEANS CLEARING IF NEEDED AND THEN MOVING UTILITIES.
AND THEN WE'D BE, BE READY TO BID POTENTIALLY LATER THIS YEAR.
UH, SO THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF ONE THAT WOULD BE IMPACTED THE MOST, WHERE PLANS ARE READY AND WE'RE GETTING, WE'RE TAKING THE NEXT STEPS TO GET IT READY FOR CONSTRUCTION.
[00:30:01]
EXAMPLE OF A PROJECT, UH, IS THE WT MONTGOMERY PHASE ONE E AND F.THAT'S A EXAMPLE OF A DEVELOPER AGREEMENT WHERE THE SIX AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS THAT YOU SEE THERE IS THE, THE COUNTY RESPONSIBILITY FOR CONSTRUCTION.
THE DEVELOPER IS ALSO PARTNERING TO THE TWO OF ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MILLION.
THAT'S ONE THAT, BASED ON THE DESIGN THAT'S BEING DONE, WOULD BE READY TO START CONSTRUCTION EARLY NEXT YEAR.
AND JUST ANOTHER ONE, I'LL, I'LL HIGHLIGHT THAT I KNOW WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS BOTH, UH, WITH COMMISSIONER CALVER AND THE COMMUNITY, UH, CROWN WOOD PHASE ONE'S AN EXAMPLE WHERE WE SHOULD BE WRAPPING THOSE PLANS UP THIS MONTH AND THEN BEING AT A POINT TO START BIDDING AND, UH, HOPEFULLY HAVE A CONTRACTOR ON BOARD THIS THIS WINTER.
UM, SO THOSE ARE JUST A COUPLE EXAMPLES.
THE, THE LONG, THE LONGER THESE PLANS ESSENTIALLY SIT ON THE SHELF, THE HIGHER RISK FOR IMPACT THERE IS, UH, THERE COULD BE NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT HAPPENS ALONG THE CORRIDOR.
WE, WE HAVE PRIVATE UTILITIES, UH, PUTTING IN UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH COULD CHANGE THE SITUATION.
SOMETIMES EVEN DESIGN CODES CHANGE.
UH, YOU ALL REMEMBER ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO OUR DRAINAGE STANDARDS CHANGE BASED ON RAINFALL DATA.
SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT THE LONGER, UH, MORE TIME PASSES WOULD HAVE TO BE REVISITED.
SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY JUST PULL THE PROJECT, THE PLANS OFF THE SHELF AND GO START, THERE'S SOME EVALUATION THAT WOULD NEED TO BE DONE.
THIS LAST SLIDE SHOWS THE PROJECTS THAT WE JUST CAN I, CAN I JUST, UH, CONFIRM WHEN YOU SAY PULL THE PROJECT, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT PULLING ANYTHING.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DELAYING POSSIBLY.
WHEN I SAID PULL, UH, YEAH, IT WAS IF WE WERE TO PROCEED AND HAVE PLANS A HUNDRED PERCENT READY AND SITTING ON A SHELF.
THIS NEXT SLIDE REPRESENTS PROJECTS BASED ON WHERE WE'RE AT.
UH, YOU'LL SEE MOST OF THOSE HAVE NOT STARTED.
UM, UH, THE ONES THAT HAVE STARTED, WE WOULD FORECAST THOSE TO BE COMPLETE WITH CONSTRUCTION AFTER THAT OCTOBER 20, 27 TIMEFRAME.
THERE'S A TOTAL OF 18 PROJECTS CORRESPONDING TO ABOUT $230 MILLION OF CONSTRUCTION COSTS THERE.
UM, EXAMPLES OF THOSE, UH, KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HOLLOWELL ROAD, JARRET ROAD AND WHEELER ROAD, LOW WATER CROSS THINGS, THOSE ARE THREE WHERE, UH, COURTS ALREADY APPROVED THE SELECTION OF A CONSULTANT AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF NEGOTIATING CONTRACTS.
WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THOSE STARTED YET, SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THAT THEY'RE IN THE, THE NOT STARTED CATEGORY.
UM, BUT IF WE'RE PROCEEDING AS NORMAL, THOSE WOULD START VERY SOON.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE I MENTIONED ON THE, THE TOP OF THE, THE FIRST SLIDE IS THE LUCAS CREEK DRAINAGE PROJECT AND THE LEON CREEK AT GULAB CREEK, WHICH IS NOW THE ZAMORA CREEK DRAINAGE STUDY.
THOSE ARE TWO DRAINAGE STUDIES WHERE WE DON'T YET KNOW THE FULL CONSTRUCTION COST POTENTIALLY, BUT WE DO HAVE PLANS TO DO A STUDY.
WE'LL BE SELECTING CONSULTANTS THIS FALL THROUGH AN RFQ PROCESS, AND THEN WE'LL DETERMINE THE NEXT STEPS FROM THERE.
AND THEN YOU'LL, LASTLY, YOU'LL SEE A FEW PROJECTS THAT ARE TBD.
SO THOSE ARE ONES WHERE WE, WE JUST, WE NEED EITHER SCOPES, UH, CHANGING OR WE NEEDED MORE INFORMATION, OR PERHAPS SOME THINGS HAVE CHANGED.
AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE, THE SECOND TO LAST ONE, THE HPI OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS AS PART OF THE 10 YEAR PLAN, THERE WAS SOME ANTICIPATION THAT, UH, FOR THE NEW SPUR PRACTICE FACILITY NEAR LOCK AND TERRA, THERE MIGHT BE SOME OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED.
I BELIEVE THOSE HAVE MOSTLY BEEN, UH, BUILT.
AND SO WE'RE IN THE CONVERSATIONS OF WHAT TO DO WITH THOSE FUNDS.
SO JUST WANTED TO GO THROUGH THAT, AND AT THAT POINT I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DAN.
OUR, UM, THANKS FOR THE OVERVIEW.
UM, JUST, UH, IN REFERENCE TO THE THOUSANDS OF FOLKS WATCHING AS COMMISSIONER CLAY FO HAS, UH, MENTIONED TO PUT IN CONTEXT, PRECINCT TWO HAS GEOGRAPHICALLY THE SMALLEST, UNINCORPORATED AREA.
SO THAT'S WHY A LOT OF THESE, UH, PROJECTS ARE FOCUSED IN ONE AND FOUR AND, AND PRIMARILY THOSE PRECINCTS BECAUSE OF THE, UM, I GUESS THE, THE LAND MASS OF GEOGRAPHIC GROWTH POTENTIAL OUT THERE.
BUT I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT, UM, THE LAST SLIDE THAT MENTIONS WEST SIDE CREEKS.
UM, I ASSUME, I KNOW IT'S A TBD, BUT I ASSUME THAT, UH, IS BEING FORECAST AND PROJECTED TO ALIGN WITH, UM, WHEN THE LOCAL MATCH IS GONNA BE REQUIRED.
'CAUSE THAT'S A, THAT'S A, UM, UH, SOME FEDERAL DOLLARS INVOLVED.
IS THAT YOUR UNDERSTANDING AS WELL THAT THAT'S NOT GONNA BE ISSUED OBVIOUSLY TILL, TILL LATER ON, BUT IT'S, IT'S, UH, PART OF A LOCAL MATCH? SO THIS PROJECT SPECIFICALLY THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET, I BELIEVE THERE'S, UM, SEVERAL DIFFERENT, UH, FUNDING ALLOCATIONS FOR WEST SIDE CREEKS IN GENERAL.
UH, THE PROJECT YOU SEE HERE WAS INTENDED TO BE, UH, SURFACE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS ALONG THE CREEK.
I'M SORRY, THEN I'M, I'M MISUNDERSTANDING.
THIS IS THE, THE MONEY THAT WE'VE BEEN KIND OF SETTING ASIDE AND THE BUDGET FOR ENHANCEMENTS AROUND THE WEST SIDE CREEK, UH, PROJECT.
JUST WANTED TO MAKE, MAKE THAT WAS, UH, CLEAR.
IS, UM, I GUESS BACK TO THE BIGGER, UH, PROJECT ITSELF.
UM, DO WE HAVE MONEY IDENTIFIED FOR THE LOCAL MATCHING PIECE THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF? I'LL HAVE TO TURN TO THE MANAGER.
IT'S A LONGER DISCUSSION, BUT BASED ON THE MOST RECENT BUDGET FROM THE CORE OF ENGINEERS, WE GOT WORK TO DO.
[00:35:01]
I KNOW WE DON'T, I DON'T WANNA GET INTO THAT TODAY, BUT IT'S PART OF WHY THE FLEXIBILITY I MENTIONED IS IMPORTANT, UH, THAT I, UH, KIND OF HIGHLIGHTED AT THE OUTSET, SO.JUST TO ADD ON ONE MORE POINT TO WHAT YOU MENTIONED.
SO, UH, MOST OF YOUR, YOUR PRECINCT IS IN, IN THE INCORPORATED AREAS.
AND JUST ANOTHER, UH, NUANCE TO YOUR PRECINCT IS SOME OF THE MAJOR ARTERIAL ROADS ARE ALSO WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF TEXT DOTS.
SO LIKE A CULEBRA ROAD OR FM 1560.
SO SOME OF THOSE LARGE ARTERIAL PROJECTS ARE MORE PARTNERSHIP PROJECTS WHERE WE MAY ASSIST TO ACCELERATE PROJECTS.
AND THEN, UM, VERSUS US HAVING 'EM IN OUR 10 YEAR PLAN.
AND, AND SINCE YOU BROUGHT THAT UP, I KNOW WE'VE SPOKEN OFFLINE ABOUT A PROJECT THAT IS NOT IN THE CAPITAL PROGRAM.
UM, OUT IN MY AREA CONNECTS WITH COMMISSIONER MOODY'S AREA.
UM, I THINK IT'S ABOUT A $3 MILLION PROJECT THAT IS REALLY BECOMING NECESSARY BECAUSE OF THE, THE GROWTH OUT THERE.
THAT'S ANOTHER PROJECT AS WE TALK ABOUT.
AND I, I HATE TO KEEP HAMMERING ON FLEXIBILITY, BUT THERE ARE CIRCUMSTANCES LIKE THAT, THAT COME UP THAT I THINK MAYBE WEREN'T PREDICTABLE, UM, OR MAYBE THEY ARE IN HINDSIGHT, BUT, UH, WE NEED TO SOMEHOW FIGURE OUT HOW TO WEAVE THAT INTO, UM, A, A CAPITAL PROGRAM.
WOULD YOU AGREE? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND, AND THE PROJECTS WE'RE PRESENTING TODAY ARE ONLY PROJECTS ON THE BOOKS UNDERWAY IN SOME FORM OR FASHION.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CALVER.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WANNA MAKE ANOTHER POINT ABOUT FLEXIBILITY.
I THINK ON A PRECINCT BY PRECINCT BASIS, THERE HAS TO BE FLEXIBILITY.
UH, THE WATERSHED IS CHANGING SO DRAMATICALLY BECAUSE OF RAPID DEVELOPMENT IN PRECINCT FOUR, IN PARTICULAR, THAT FLOODING AND OUR LOW WATER CROSSING, UH, PARTICULAR FLOOD CONTROL DRAINAGE, THOSE ARE REAL PRIORITIES THAT I DON'T THINK SHOULD WAIT BECAUSE LIFE SAFETY IS REALLY A CONCERN.
AND SO I HAVE, UH, TO RAISE THE RED FLAG TO THE COURT THAT I WOULD NOT BE IN FAVOR OF DELAYING FLOOD CONTROL DRAINAGE, UM, OR OTHER, UH, WATER SAVING, UH, PROJECTS.
CAN YOU JUST ELABORATE FOR THE COURT ABOUT THE GROWTH YOU SEE IN AREAS OUT IN THE COUNTY AND THE CHANGING WATERSHED? YEAH.
AND COMMISSIONER, FOR THE MOST PART, THE PROJECTS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THUS FAR ARE THERE FOR A REASON, A SPECIFIC REASON, EITHER A LIFE SAFETY ISSUE OR, OR CONGESTIONS COMING.
AND, YOU KNOW, IMPROVEMENTS NEED TO BE MADE.
UH, SO THERE ARE POTENTIAL RISKS TO WAITING.
UM, BUT AS YOU WERE MENTIONING, YOU KNOW, OVERALL, UH, DEVELOPMENT IS, IS INCREASING.
SO WE'VE IDENTIFIED IN YOUR PRECINCT, UM, YOU KNOW, TAKE AN EXAMPLE OF ABBOTT ROAD WHERE THERE ARE LOW WATER CROSSINGS THERE.
WE'RE GOING THROUGH A PROCESS, UH, THROUGH YOUR LEADERSHIP TO ADD MORE, UH, CROSSINGS.
UM, THAT'S A LIST, THAT'S A ROAD ON A, A LIST OF LONG-TERM PROJECTS THAT POTENTIALLY NEED SOME IMPROVEMENTS AS WELL.
AND LET ME, UH, WHILE YOU'RE ON THE POINT OF, UH, NATURAL RESOURCES AND WATER, UH, THE OTHER ISSUE THAT I SEE IN DELAY IS OUR AIR QUALITY.
I'M PART OF THE AIR QUALITY GROUP WITH ACOG.
SO, UH, NOT HAVING GOOD MOBILITY MAKES PEOPLE IDLE, CREATES MORE CARBON DIOXIDE, HEATS UP OUR ENVIRONMENT.
THE LONGER PEOPLE ARE IN TRAFFIC, THE WORSE IT IS FOR, UH, THE COST TO THE COMMUNITY.
BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF COSTS TO BEAR COUNTY BECAUSE OF AIR QUALITY ISSUES.
UH, I THINK THAT SHOULD BE A MATRIX DATA POINT THAT WE MAKE IN DECISIONS WITH RESPECT TO, UH, SHOULD WE CONTINUE SOME OF THESE PARTICULAR, UH, PROJECTS.
BECAUSE IF WE'RE ACTUALLY COSTING OURSELVES MORE IN, UH, AIR ATTAINMENT, UH, REGULATIONS, UM, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE STUCK IN A, A TRAFFIC AREA RAPID DEVELOPMENT, THAT COULD BE AN ISSUE.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO YOU? ABSOLUTELY.
COMMISSIONER, AS YOU KNOW, AS WELL AS COMMISSIONER MOODY AND COMMISSIONER CLAY FORREST, YOU SERVE ON THE MPO AND BEXAR COUNTY WITHIN THE NM PO REGION IS CONSIDERED, UH, SLIPPING INTO SERIOUS NON-ATTAINMENT FOR OZONE QUALITY OR OZONE STANDARDS.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S BEING LOOKED AT VERY CLOSELY THROUGH THE MPO AS PROJECTS ARE PROJECTED.
THERE'S A DETAILED ANALYSIS THAT THE MPO DOES TO DETERMINE IF THEY'RE IN COMPLIANCE, ESSENTIALLY WITH FUTURE PROJECTIONS ON THE ROADWAY AS WELL AS AIR QUALITY STANDARDS.
SO AS THINGS CHANGE, THERE COULD BE MORE IMPACTS.
WHAT ARE THE, WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS THE BUSINESSES, THE COST TO THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE TALKED ABOUT IN THE AIR, UH, UH, NON-ATTAINMENT, UH, REGULATIONS? SO AS FAR AS THE NON-ATTAINMENT DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW THROUGH THE MPO, THAT'S REALLY MORE LIKE TAILPIPE EMISSIONS DRIVEN.
UH, SO IN FACT, IN THE NEXT YEAR AND A HALF STATE LAW CHANGES, UH, THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH WILL, WILL REQUIRE SOME LOCAL, UH, ADDITIONAL COSTS AS YOU GET YOUR VEHICLE INSPECTED FOR TAILPIPE EMISSIONS.
UH, BUT IT'S REALLY, THE MPO IS REALLY MORE DRIVEN TO THAT VERSUS ANY SORT OF POINT SOURCE FROM A, A BUSINESS.
I WANNA BORE INTO THAT, UH, FOR A SECOND, MORE COST TO THE AVERAGE PERSON IN TERMS OF VEHICLE INSPECTION.
SO PART OF THE COST ALSO IS ON THE BUSINESSES.
I THINK ALL OF THE GAS STATIONS WOULD END UP HAVING TO PAY AN EXTRA, UM, UH, COVER, JUST LIKE YOU DO IN CALIFORNIA.
YOU'VE GOT THAT EXTRA COVER FOR YOUR GAS SO THAT THE AIR DOESN'T, THE FUEL FUMES RATHER DON'T GO INTO THE AIR.
IS THAT PART OF COST OR THAT SPECIFICALLY I
[00:40:01]
CAN'T SPEAK TO.UM, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT ACOG WOULD HAVE MORE INFORMATION, BUT IN TERMS OF THE INSPECTION, THE VEHICLE INSPECTION, UM, THEIR COSTS MIGHT GO UP BY HOW MUCH IT I, WELL, WHAT'S, IT'S KIND OF, UH, UNIQUE BECAUSE ALSO THROUGH STATE LAW, THE, UM, THE, THE SAFETY INSPECTION ASPECT WILL BE SUNSETTED IN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO, AND THEN SOON AFTER THAT, THE, UM, AIR, THE AIR QUALITY STANDARD INSPECTION WILL KICK IN.
SO THERE COULD BE A, IT COULD BE A NEUTRAL IMPACT.
SO IT'S, IT'S UNCERTAIN, BUT THERE ARE PUNITIVE MEASURES THAT ARE TAKEN FOR COMMUNITIES.
WE'VE HAD STUDIES THAT INDICATE THERE'S BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF IMPACT WITH NON-ATTAINMENT, I THINK CORRECT, REGIONALLY.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S IMPORTANT WHEN CONSIDERING, UM, THE TRANSPORTATION MOBILITY ISSUES, UH, WILL BE, UH, TRAFFIC, UH, CONGESTION, ECONOMIC, UH, IMPACT BECAUSE OF CONGESTION.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK, UH, BEING THAT WE HAVE MAJOR NORTH, SOUTH, AND EAST WEST, UH, TRUCKING, UH, AND OTHER LOGISTICAL UH, ZONES, THERE WILL BE POTENTIALLY AN IMPACT IN THESE FAST GROWTH AREAS OF NOT MOVING THE, THE, THE TRAFFIC.
SO I JUST WANNA, UH, POINT OUT THAT, UM, THE DELAYS COULD, COULD PUT US IN A PICKLE ECONOMICALLY AND MAKE US AN, UH, GET A LOT OF GRIPES FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE TRAFFIC ISN'T MOVING.
WE, WE NEEDED THIS PROJECT WE PLANNED OUT.
USUALLY WE'RE A BIT BEHIND IN TERMS OF LIKE, THE TRAFFIC IS ALREADY AN ISSUE BY THE TIME THESE GET ON THIS LIST.
UH, 'CAUSE THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH FINANCIAL CAPACITY THAT WE CAN CHEW OFF AT A TIME.
RIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, GOING BACK TO THE FIRST CONVERSATION, WHEN THE WEATHERMAN GIVES YOU A WATCH, UH, THAT, THAT MEANS IT, YOU KNOW, A A, LET'S SAY A FLASH FLOOD WATCH, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT A WATCH, BUT SOMETIMES THAT WATCH GOES INTO WARNING, WHICH MEANS A DELUGE.
AND SOMETIMES THAT WATCH GOES AWAY, WHICH MEANS NO RAIN IS THERE.
SO IF THE WATCH IN THIS CASE FINANCIALLY WAS REMOVED, THEN WE CAN OSTENSIBLY SAY THAT WE ARE STABLE AND THAT THE RAIN IS NOT THERE.
EVEN WITH THE $300 MILLION INCREASE THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT, THERE HAS NOT BEEN A WARNING OR WATCH THAT HAS BEEN REISSUED BY THE AGENCIES.
'CAUSE THEY'RE WATCHING THAT TOO.
I'M JUST GLAD I DIDN'T GO FIRST.
SO AGAIN, UM, WE'RE GONNA DO A SIMILAR CADENCE IN PRESENTING TO YOU PROJECTS THAT WE ALREADY ENTERED FOR CONSTRUCTION AND THEN ONES THAT WE HAVE, UH, IF THIS PLAN IS ADOPTED, THEN WE'LL HAVE SOME MEASURE OF DELAY.
UM, SO, UM, I'M GONNA GO TO THIS SLIDE.
SO HERE'S A SUMMARY OF EVERYTHING WE HAVE IN CONSTRUCTION.
IT'S ABOUT, UH, 22 DIFFERENT PROJECTS FOR ABOUT $72 MILLION.
UH, SOME OF THEM ARE ACTUALLY AWAITING AWARDS.
SOME OF 'EM ARE BIDDING AS WE SPEAK.
UH, I THINK WE HAVE ONE OPENING ON FRIDAY.
UM, SO YOU CAN SEE A VERY, UH, UH, VARIED COLLECTION OF PROJECTS INCLUDING A BIBLIOTECH CRIME LABS, AS WELL AS, UM, SIGNIFICANT REPLACEMENTS TO COMPONENTS AT THE BEXAR COUNTY JAIL.
IS COMM IS COMMISSIONER, IS COMMISSIONER'S COURT AUDIO PART OF YOUR PROJECT LIST?
UM, BUT UH, IT WILL BE SHORTLY.
UH, SO BEFORE I GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU TWO MORE SLIDES.
NOW, THOSE TWO SLIDES ARE GONNA HAVE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PROJECTS ON THEM, UM, 33 IN TOTAL.
AND THEY'RE GOING TO PROPOSE SOME LEVEL OF EITHER DELAY IN THE PROJECT IF WE FOLLOW THIS PLAN OR SOME DELAY IN DELIVERING THAT PROJECT.
NOW, I'VE IDENTIFIED SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT I BELIEVE ARE CRITICAL TO EITHER OPERATIONS OR COMPLIANCE WITH A COMPLIANCE AGENCY SUCH AS TCGS OR, UH, THE FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER, UM, NAMI OR OTHER ENTITIES THAT MAY IMPACT SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
I'M NOT TELLING YOU, YOU HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
NONE OF THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE LIFE AND DEATH SITUATIONS.
I JUST WANNA BRING THOSE THINGS TO YOUR, UH, ATTENTION.
SO, UM, THE FIRST, UH, SLUG HERE ON SLIDE 10 ARE PROJECTS THAT ARE THE DEEPEST IMPACTED.
SO FOR INSTANCE, THE FIRST PROJECT ON THE LIST IS ADDING SECURITY MEASURES TO OUR IDF ROOMS. SO NOT EVERYBODY CAN GET IN AND OUT OF THOSE ROOMS WHERE WE HAVE OUR NETWORK SWITCHES, HVAC CONTROLS AND OTHER THINGS, UM, WE'RE ALMOST READY TO BID THAT PROJECT.
SO THE IMPACT IS GONNA BE THE LONGEST IF WE HAVE TO PUSH AND MAKE SURE THAT COM PROJECT'S COMPLETED AFTER OCTOBER, 2027.
SO THAT'S WHAT THESE DATES ARE BASED ON.
IF I'M DELIVERING THAT PROJECT TO BE COMPLETE BY THAT WINDOW FOR REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTION FUNDING,
[00:45:01]
REPLACING THE COOLING TOWER FILL IN THE A DC OR IN THE, IN THE COOLING TOWER.UH, SOME HOT WATER REPLACEMENTS AT THE BE COUNTY COURTHOUSE ON HERE IS ALSO THE VISTA VERDE ELEVATOR AND GENERATOR PROJECT.
AGAIN, WE'RE CONVERTING THAT BUILDING, WHICH CURRENTLY IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY BACKUP POWER TO A FULL BUILDING GENERATOR AND REPLACING THE ELEVATOR'S, MACHINES AND CONTROLLERS.
WILL IT KILL US TO WAIT TWO YEARS? NO.
WOULD WE PREFER TO DO IT EARLY? ABSOLUTELY.
SO AGAIN, I THINK WE'RE ASKED GIVING COURT THE, THE OPTION TO GIVE US DIRECTION ON HOW THEY'RE, UH, THEY FEEL ABOUT THIS.
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE ON THE, ON THE POWERPOINT.
UH, WE DON'T PROPOSE A, A SIGNIFICANT DELAY TO THOSE PROJECTS, BUT WE AWAIT THE COURT'S DIRECTION AS, AS DAVID SAID.
UM, UH, HERE'S THE SUMMARY OF THE REST OF THOSE PROJECTS.
THE REST OF THOSE 33, UH, LARGELY SOME OF THOSE ARE NEWER PROJECTS.
UM, AGAIN, THE PROJECT WE JUST APPROVED FOR DESIGN WAS THE JUDICIAL SUPPORTING FUNCTIONS, WHICH IS RELOCATING THE FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER AND THE MAC.
AGAIN, WE CAN DESIGN THAT PROJECT AND HAVE IT SIT ON THE SHELF MAYBE 10 MONTHS AND THEN BID IT OUT.
SO THE, THE DELAY OF THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT'S IMPACT.
'CAUSE WE JUST STARTED, DESIGN ISN'T AS GREAT AS SOMETHING WE HAVE READY TO GO.
UH, AND IT GOES DOWN TO THE LOWEST AMOUNT OF IMPACT.
NOW AT THE BOTTOM YOU'LL SEE A COUPLE PROJECTS THAT ARE RELATED TO PRECINCT OFFICES.
AGAIN, THEY'RE ON THE BOTTOM OF THAT LIST.
'CAUSE WE HAVE NO FIRM DIRECTION FROM THE COURT YET ON THOSE PARTICULAR PROJECTS.
AND SO WE'LL KNOW AS WE GO FURTHER IF THERE'S GONNA BE DIRECTION GIVEN ON THOSE PARTICULAR PROJECTS.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST SLIDE IS PROJECTS THAT WE ARE KIND OF EITHER AWAITING A PREDECESSOR OR WE JUST HAVE UNRESOLVED DESIGN SOLUTION.
SO A GOOD EXAMPLE, VISTA VERITY TAX OFFICE, UH, DRIVE THROUGH.
WE'VE DESIGNED THAT SOLUTION A A COUPLE TIMES AND WE REALLY CAN'T COME TO A SCHEMATICALLY A REALLY GREAT SOLUTION FOR THAT SITE.
SO THAT PROJECT MAY OR MAY NOT GO FORWARD BASED ON OUR, OUR RECOMMENDATION TO YOU GUYS THAT'S COMING UP IN FUTURE COURT DATES.
UH, THE COURTHOUSE, THIRD FLOOR BASEMENT COURTROOMS, THE CORRIDOR RESTORATIONS, AND THE FIFTH FLOOR COURTHOUSE RENOVATION.
THOSE ARE ALL PROJECTS THAT HAVE TO HAPPEN AFTER A CURRENT PROJECT IS COMPLETED.
SO THEY'RE KIND OF, THEY'RE STALLED ANYWAY 'CAUSE UH, THE CIVIL, THE CRIMINAL DISTRICT COURT'S MOVED INTO THE TWO BASEMENT COURTROOMS IN THE COURTHOUSE, WHICH KIND OF PROMPT US TO BUILD THEM A MAGISTRATE COURT AND A PRE INDICTMENT COURT.
SO WE CAN VACATE THE SPACE TO DO A COUPLE OF THESE PROJECTS, WHICH ARE DOMINOES THAT'LL FALL DOWNSTREAM FROM THOSE.
SO THAT REALLY SUMMARIZES THE FACILITY PROJECT PIECES.
I, I'M GONNA PINCH, I'M GONNA HAVE TONY COME UP HERE AND PINCH IT SOME CREEKS AND TRAILS.
BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, I WANT TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ON FACILITY RELATED PROJECTS.
ANY QUESTIONS? LET ME, LET ME, UH, ASK SOME QUESTIONS, DAN.
UM, FIRST FOR PURPOSE OF THE RECORD, UH, WHEN WE SAY A DC, I PRESUME THAT'S THE ADULT DETENTION CENTER? YES, CORRECT.
AND WE JUST, WE JUST PRETTY MUCH CALL THAT THE JAIL, RIGHT? CORRECT.
THE ONE ON CO MOUNT CORRECT COMA.
AND, UM, I'M STRUCK WITH THE REVIEW OF ALL THE PROJECTS.
YOU HAVE MANY, MANY MORE IT APPEARS THAN PERHAPS SOME OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS 'CAUSE THERE'S JUST SO MANY EXIGENT NEEDS.
AND SO I'M STRUCK WITH A, MOST, IF NOT, NOT, IT'S NOT ALL, BUT MOST OF THE PROJECTS ARE JAIL RELATED, CORE FUNCTION RELATED COURTHOUSE IN ORDER TO GET THE COURTROOMS AND THE COURT SPACE ISSUES RESOLVED.
AND THEN OUR CORE CAMPUS HERE, HERE WITH BOTH JUSTICE CENTER, PAUL ELIZONDO TOWER AND HISTORIC COURTHOUSE.
IS THAT A CORRECT ASSESSMENT? YEAH, WE'VE FOCUSED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE LAST HALF A DOZEN YEARS ON FUNDING EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENTS AND, AND DOING PROJECTS THAT WE KNOW THAT WILL YIELD SPACE BENEFITS.
NO, I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M MAKING THIS COMMENT.
I DON'T NECESSARILY NEED AN ANSWER, BUT I'M, I'M, I'M PUTTING A QUESTION SO THAT SOME OF THESE ARE SUCH CORE NEEDS.
I MEAN, AC RIGHT? I MEAN RIGHT NOW I, AND I THINK WE HAVE ISSUES WITH THE AC EVERY YEAR, ESPECIALLY WITH THE INTENSE HEAT.
AND OBVIOUSLY WHEN THOSE CHILLERS GO OUT OR THEY'RE DIMINISHED OR WHATEVER THE PROBLEMS ARE, EMPLOYEES ARE SUFFERING, CORRECT? YEAH, THEY'RE SIGNIFICANT.
WHEN WE HAVE FAILURES, THEY'RE SIGNIFICANT.
WE HAVE ONGOING COMPLAINTS BECAUSE OF THAT.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY FOR THE COURTHOUSE HISTORIC, WE HAVE SPACE NEEDS.
AND JUST FOR THE RECORD, WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO ALWAYS HAVE SPACE NEEDS, WHICH MEANS WE MAY NEED TO LOOK AT OPTIONS TO LOOK AT OTHER PLACES, LOCATIONS IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE OUR EMPLOYEES.
[00:50:01]
OF THESE THINGS PRO JUST NEED TO GET DONE NOW, IF NOT YESTERDAY.AND SO I'M JUST SAYING OUT LOUD TO THE COURT THAT ALTHOUGH WE'RE PRIORITIZING AND WE'RE HAVING THIS LOOKED UPON AS PART OF DEBT MANAGEMENT, I SEE THESE ISSUES AS EXIGENT.
THEY NEED TO BE DONE AND WE SHOULDN'T BE DELAYING THEM.
AND SO THAT'S THE REASON WHY I'M MAKING MY POINT WHEN IT COMES TO THE SAFETY, THE WELFARE OF EMPLOYEES SPACE NEEDS, WE JUST GOTTA GET IT DONE.
AND SO DAN, THAT'S THE REASON WHY AS COUNTY JUDGE, I'M JUST PUTTING OUT THAT INSTEAD OF SAYING, WELL, WE GET THIS ONE AND WE GET THE NEXT ONE.
NO, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT ALL THE, WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO PRIORITIZE THE, PRIORITIZE THESE PROJECTS IN GROUPS.
SO PRIORITY ONE, THAT'S LIKE NOW, IF NOT YESTERDAY, TWO, WELL NOW, BUT WHAT WE CAN GO TOMORROW AND THEN THREE THOSE.
SO I'M KIND OF CON COMPRESSING THE PRIORITIZATION.
DO YOU, DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? AND, UM, BUDGET OFFICE, THERE ARE THINGS THAT I THINK WE CAN'T JUST GO, WELL, WE'LL GET TO THE CHILLERS AND WE'LL, WE WILL FIGURE IT OUT.
I THINK WE NEED IN LIGHT ALSO TWO, I HAD A CONVERSATION.
LET THE COURT, I'M ADVISING THE COURT THAT I BROUGHT IN.
DAVID, YOU WERE AT THAT LAST MEETING, OFFICE, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, THE MANAGER'S OFFICE, UH, THE JAIL, THE SHERIFF'S, UH, ADMINISTRATION.
AND WE HAD A DISCUSSION OF WHAT THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT NEED OR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLANS WERE FOR THE CAMPUS.
WHEN, I MEAN THE CAMPUS, THE THREE BUILDINGS OF WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IF WE HAVE A POWER OUTAGE.
'CAUSE I'M CONVINCED THAT WE NEED TO PREPARE.
SO IF IT SHOULD HAPPEN, ESPECIALLY IF IT HAPPENS UNEXPECTEDLY RIGHT NOW, WE KIND OF GET WARNINGS, RIGHT? PLEASE POWER DOWN.
BUT IF WE GET HIT, LIKE RIGHT NOW, WHAT'S, HOW ARE WE GONNA KEEP WORKING? OR IS THIS GONNA SHUT DOWN THE ENTIRE SYSTEM? MUCH LIKE THE, UH, INTERNET, UH, OUTAGE WITH IT WHERE BY THE PERFECT STORM CIRCUMSTANCE, OUR PRIMARY, UH, INTERNET SERVICE SPECTRUM, I BELIEVE OUR BACKUP, THEY ALL WENT OUT FOR SEPARATE REASONS.
AND, AND ESPECIALLY THE COURT SYSTEMS COULDN'T FUNCTION.
AND IT JUST, AND IT WAS A, A REFLECTION OF WHAT ARE THE URGENT NEEDS AND WHAT WE HAVE TO DO.
SO I'M JUST PUTTING ON RECORD IN REGARDS TO FACILITIES.
I REALLY, WHEN IT COMES TO HOW IT AFFECTS PEOPLE AND PEOPLE MEET EMPLOYEES, I'LL EVEN SAY PEOPLE IN THOSE ARE IN THE JAIL.
THE PUBLIC MAY NOT HAVE MUCH SENSE.
LARGER THAT POPUL, LARGER THAT POPULATION PRE ADJUDICATED.
WE, WE GOTTA, WE WE GOTTA PROVIDE A SAFE, HUMANE PLACE FOR THEM.
AND SO I WANT TO BE PREPARED FOR POWER OUTAGES.
I WANT TO BE PREPARED FOR THE INTERNET, GOES DOWN THE ENERGY GRID, THE WATER GOES DOWN, WHATEVER WE GET HIT WITH FLOOD, WE GET HIT WITH HURRICANE, WE GET HIT WITH TORNADOES.
SO I'VE ASKED DAVID AND DAVID, WE STARTED THAT CONVERSATION IN THAT MEETING OF WHAT DO WE NEED? DO WE NEED POWER GENERATORS? 'CAUSE IN THE HARRIS, HOUSTON HARRIS, WHAT WAS THE SET POINT? HAD NEARLY $800 MILLION OF GENERATORS THAT COULDN'T BE USED.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE DETAILS OF WHY THAT, BUT BASICALLY THEY COULDN'T POWER UP.
AND SO YOU HAD PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY SENIORS, ESPECIALLY IN THOSE HIGH RISES THERE IN HOUSTON THAT WERE SUFFERING TREMENDOUSLY.
AND I HAD A CONVERSATIONS WITH JUDGE HI D**O WITH HARRIS.
'CAUSE I CALLED HER 'CAUSE MY DAUGHTER ACTUALLY LIVES IN HOUSTON ASKING FOR HELP BECAUSE HER POWER IS DOWN.
SHE'S LIKE, DAD, WHAT YOU CAN DO.
SO I HAD CALLED JUDGE HIDALGO.
THE, WHAT WAS STRUCK TO ME WAS THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE IMMEDIATE NEEDS THAT WE STEPPED UP, THEY NEEDED ICE IN LIGHT OF THE HEAT, AND THEY WEREN'T GETTING IT.
AND SO I CALLED UPON AND I PUT IT ON RECORD, AND I'VE NOTED, I CALLED HEB AND THEY SENT THREE TRAILERS WORTH OF ICE IMMEDIATELY.
I CALLED ALL THE, AND I THINK OUR OFFICE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, CHRIS LOPEZ, CALLED THE REST.
SO WE SHIPPED IMMEDIATE ICE OVER TO HOUSTON TO HELP OUR NEIGHBORS IN NEED.
AND SO THAT CIRCUMSTANCE TELLS US WE NEED TO BE PREPARED.
I DON'T WANT TO BE CALLING JUDGE HIDALGO SAYING, I NEED THINGS.
I WANT TO SAY WE WERE READY, WE WERE PREPARED, AND WE'VE GOTTEN THINGS FIXED.
SO MR. CURRY, DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE URGENCY THAT I AM, UH, PUTTING ON? AND, UH, FOR DISCUSSION POINT, ONLY
[00:55:01]
THE COURTHOUSE RESTROOMS, WHICH YOU'VE PUT ON HERE, I WANT 'EM FIXED.I KEEP GETTING TOO MANY CALLS ON THAT.
I JUST WANNA, UH, REINFORCE WHAT THE JUDGE SAID.
I'M STILL GONNA TRY TO HOLD MOST OF MY COMMENTS TILL THE END.
BUT, UM, THIS GETS AT AGAIN, TRYING TO USE A, UM, YOU KNOW, TREAT ALL THESE PROJECTS, ALL THESE CATEGORIES THE SAME WAY IS NOT THE SOLUTION, RIGHT? WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PRIORITIZE.
WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT WHAT, WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE NOW, AND THEN WHAT CAN BE DELAYED.
AND I THINK THAT'LL BE PART OF MY, MY, UH, FOLLOW ON COMMENTS AND EVERYTHING.
BUT AGAIN, I AGREE WITH THE JUDGE WHEN IT COMES TO FACILITIES, WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, OUR EMPLOYEES, WHEN IT COMES TO OUR, UH, REQUIREMENTS TO, TO PROVIDE SERVICES CONSISTENCY CONSISTENTLY AND BE RESILIENT, THEN I THINK IT HAS TO BE A PRIORITY.
AND, AND THEN WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE TRADE-OFFS, RIGHT? SO IF WE ARE NOT GONNA DELAY IN THESE CATEGORIES OR THESE HIGHLIGHTED THINGS, THEN, THEN WHAT IS GOING TO BE DELAYED FURTHER OR ACTUALLY CANCELED AND CUT, RIGHT? AND THOSE ARE THE TRADE OFFS WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT.
BUT JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT COMMENT SINCE WE'RE TOUCHING ON IT.
AND I DON'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT, BUT FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS PRESENTATION, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BENCHMARKS WERE SIMILAR FOR DISCUSSION, BUT WE FULLY INTEND, I'M TO YOUR DIRECTION TO DO A DEEPER DIVE OF THOSE CRITICALITIES OF THOSE PROJECTS.
JUDGE COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I, UH, THANK YOU FOR, UH, THE PRESENTATION ON FACILITIES.
UM, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT, UM, ARE IN PROGRAMMING DOCUMENTS THAT, UM, I WANT TO EMPOWER THE COURT WITH INFORMATION.
UH, ON THE URBAN FARM, WE, UH, ONLY HAVE A OUTDOOR CLASSROOM AT THIS TIME.
UH, IT'S A HUNDRED PERSON OUTDOOR CLASSROOM.
UM, THE QUESTIONS OVER THE EVENT CENTER, UM, ARE REALLY MORE ABOUT CLASSROOM SPACE BECAUSE IT, WHEN THE PROGRAMMING DOCUMENTS FOR THE URBAN FARM WERE CREATED, THE OFFICE SPACE THAT'S BEING CREATED, UH, IS FOR ABOUT 25 EMPLOYEES.
UH, BUT IT, IT HAS, UH, NO CLASSROOM INDOOR SPACE THAT MATCHES THE OUTDOOR SPACE OTHER THAN THAT BUILDING WHERE EVENTS AND CLASSES CAN TAKE PLACE.
SO IN TERMS OF QUALITY FOR EMPLOYEES IN THIS HEAT, THEY WOULD BE TEACHING OUTDOORS LARGELY EXCEPT FOR ONE, UM, INDOOR CONFERENCE ROOM, I THINK IS, IS WHAT IT, IT IS, UH, LABELED AS FOR THE PUBLIC.
AND SO I JUST WANT, UM, THE COURT TO UNDERSTAND MAYBE SOME COMPONENTS THEY DIDN'T HAVE.
IT'S NOT JUST A FRIVOLOUS EVENT CENTER, IT'S ALSO OUR INDOOR CLASSROOM SPACE, WHICH I THINK IS IMPORTANT, UM, IN TERMS OF A LIFE SAFETY ISSUE, IN TERMS OF, OF HEAT.
NOW, IT ALSO IS A SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE BECAUSE THE EVENT CENTER WOULD HAVE, UH, THE ABILITY TO HAVE WEDDINGS AND OTHER EVENTS, SCHOLARSHIP AND COUNTY, UH, EVENTS, UM, POLITICALLY, UM, IN THE BAD OLD DAYS WHEN THE ESTABLISHMENT WAS GOING TO KIND OF RUN OVER THE EAST SIDE, UM, THEY WOULD AT LEAST LEAVE US A FEW CRUMBS
UM, AND I THINK THE CONNECTIVITY AND CONNECTION TO THE AT AND T CENTER READ BETWEEN THE LINES WOULD BE ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WOULD ENDURE US VERY WELL IN THE EYES OF THE PUBLIC.
SO I JUST WANNA LAY THAT OUT FOR WISDOM'S SAKE.
UM, THERE IS, UH, ONE OTHER MAJOR ISSUE ON THIS FACILITIES THAT THE COURT KNOWS IS NO SECRET FOR ME, AND THAT'S THE BROOKS ADVANCED MANUFACTURING TRAINING CENTER.
THE LAST TIME THAT WE BROUGHT THIS FORWARD IN MARCH, ONE OF THE PRIMARY QUESTIONS THE COURT LEFT ON THE TABLE WAS WHETHER OR NOT THE ACTUAL NEED WAS THERE.
WE HAVE READY TO WORK, WE HAVE ALMA WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS, WE HAVE THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, NUMEROUS WORKFORCE, UH, TRAINING PROGRAMS. SO, UH, I CONVENED ABOUT 10 OF THE MANUFACTURING, UH, PEOPLE THAT, UH, HAVE BEEN PART OF THE SURVEY THAT WE USE WITH MARMON MOCK, UH, IN ORDER TO GET THE, THE DATA.
AND IT WAS UNANIMOUS THAT, UH, EVERY ONE OF THOSE 10 EMPLOYERS SAID, WE STILL NEED THIS IN SPITE OF ALL OF THE OTHERS.
SO I, UH, WOULD BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THE VIDEO OF THAT ZOOM TO MY COLLEAGUES TO REVIEW THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY'S ASSESSMENT.
UM, SO, UH, I DO THINK, UH, THAT UNEMPLOYMENT IS BEGINNING TO TICK UP.
UH, A LOT OF THAT IS, UH, JUST RELATED TO INTEREST RATES AND, AND, AND BUSINESSES.
ONE OF THE THINGS, UH, THIS COURT BEING A NEW COURT MAY NOT HAVE HEARD WAS THAT THE 2007 TO 2017 INFRASTRUCTURE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, THE COUNTY, UH, DID, KEPT THIS COMMUNITY FROM HAVING WORSE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE THAN THE REST OF THE NATION.
[01:00:01]
WAS, I HAVE A LOT OF NUMBERS IN MY HEAD.I THINK IT WAS SOMEWHERE WE TALKED ABOUT BETWEEN 16 AND 32,000 JOBS WERE CREATED.
I, I CAN'T QUITE REMEMBER, UH, BUT IT, IT WAS, IT WAS OVER 10,000 JOBS WERE CREATED.
SO ALL OF THESE PROJECTS ARE, ARE CONNECTED TO JOBS THAT HELP US WRITE OUT A PARTICULARLY TOUGH ECONOMY.
AND I OFFER THAT ALSO FOR CONSIDERATION BECAUSE PART OF TAX REVENUE COLLECTION IS ABOUT, UH, THE ABILITY TO PAY YOUR TAXES AND HAVING A JOB MAKES THAT A LOT MORE, UM, A LOT MORE LIKELY FOR COLLECTIONS.
WHO'S NEXT? I'LL HAND IT OFF TO TONY FOR CREEKS AND TRAILS.
GOOD MORNING, JUDGE COMMISSIONERS, TONY KAAS, CAPITAL PROJECTS DIVISION CHIEF FOR FACILITIES MANAGEMENT, UH, HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE, UM, BEAR CREEKS AND TRAILS PROGRAM.
SO THERE WERE, UH, 24 PROJECTS THAT WERE, UM, UM, INCLUDED AS PART OF THE CREEKS AND TRAILS PROGRAM.
UM, THERE ARE CURRENTLY EIGHT TASK ORDERS THAT HAVE BEEN INITIATED BY COURT, UH, THAT HAVE INITIATED DESIGN ON PROJECTS.
UM, WE HAVE ONE PROJECT THAT'S IN CONSTRUCTION.
UH, THE ZOO, WELL, UH, UH, REPLACEMENT HAS, IS ONGOING, UH, AT A, AT A COST OF THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, UH, FUNDED BY THE COUNTY.
UH, IT IS ON SCHEDULE AND CONSTRUCTION IS GOING WELL.
UM, IT IS A COMPLICATED PROJECT, UH, WITH A LOT OF COORDINATION BETWEEN THE ZOO OPERATION AND THERE'S OTHER CONSTRUCTION ON THE PROPERTY, AND IT'S A VERY TIGHT SPACE.
UH, SO WE ARE, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE, UH, WORKING SAFE AND EFFICIENT.
UM, BUT THAT IS, UH, THE SOLE PROJECT THAT IS CURRENTLY IN CONSTRUCTION FOR THE, FOR THE PROGRAM.
UM, THE, UM, PROJECTS THAT WE ARE CONTEMPLATING TODAY THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE MOST IMPACTED ARE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE, UM, IN DESIGN THAT ARE EXPECTED TO BE, UH, FINISHED WITH DESIGN, UH, SOMETIME NEXT YEAR, ROUGHLY, UM, SOME, A LITTLE LATER.
UH, BUT THE, UH, UH, PROJECTS HERE ARE ALL, UM, UH, TRAILS PROJECTS.
UH, THE SPIRIT REACH IS ONE THAT, UH, HAS BEEN, UM, UH, TALKED ABOUT FOR MANY YEARS AS BEING A, A, AN IMPORTANT EXTENSION OF THE, UH, MUSEUM REACH TO, UH, THE BLUE HOLE.
AND SO THIS IS A PROJECT THAT, UH, UM, UH, HAS, UH, BEEN WELL ANTICIPATED IS A COLLABORATION, A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY, THE, UH, CURRENT, THE UNIVERSITY INCARNATE WARD, THE HEADWATERS, UH, AND THE SISTERS OF THE INCARNATE WARD.
SO IT'S A VERY, UH, UH, COLLABORATIVE PROJECT WITH, WITH THOSE GROUPS, UM, TO CONNECT BRECKENRIDGE PARK TO THE BLUE HOLE.
UM, THESE OTHER PROJECTS, SEVERAL OF 'EM ARE TO CONNECT, UH, THE, THE LOOP AROUND THE CITY.
UH, AND AGAIN, UH, A LOT OF THE, UH, THIS PRO PROGRAM WAS LARGELY DEVELOPED TO ENHANCE THE CONNECTIVITY AND THE ACCESSIBILITY AROUND THE CITY, AROUND THE COUNTY IN TERMS OF THE, UH, THE, UH, CREEK WAYS.
VERY POPULAR PROGRAM THE CITY HAS, HAS UNDERTAKEN.
AND MANY OF THESE PROJECTS WILL, UM, IN THE END BE OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE CITY.
THESE THREE THAT ARE SHOWING HERE THAT ARE ALSO, UH, SLATED TO BE IMPACTED, THE CLAVER CREEK TRAIL IS AMAR TRAIL, AND THE LEON CREEK TO RODRIGUEZ PARK ARE ALL PROJECTS THAT THE CITY WOULD, AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE CONSTRUCTION, UH, TAKE OVER AS PART OF THE HOWARD PEAK, UH, GREEN WASTE.
UM, AND, UH, THE, UM, MANY OF THESE ARE ALSO STRETCHES THAT WILL BE CONNECTED TO ADDITIONAL TRAIL THAT THEY'RE BUILDING THROUGH THEIR BOND PROGRAM.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER CONSIDERATION, OF COURSE, IS THAT THE CITY HAS UNDERTAKEN SEVERAL PROJECTS IN THEIR LAST BOND AND HAVE INITIATED THOSE PROJECTS BASED ON THE PROJECTS THAT WE STARTED.
SO THESE, UM, THESE WOULD BE EXTENSIONS OF, OF, OF, UH, FURTHER EXTENSIONS OF, OF THE TRAIL PRO, UH, TRAILWAY PROGRAM FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR SYSTEM.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE, UH, IMPACTED OBVIOUSLY BY, BY ANY DELAY.
UM, THE PROJECTS THAT ARE, UH, SLATED TO GO LATER IN THE, IN THE PROGRAM, UM, THERE ARE SEVERAL THAT ARE IN DESIGN.
UM, COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ, YOU MENTIONED WESTSIDE CREEKS.
UH, THOSE, THOSE ARE VERY COMPLICATED, UH, PROJECTS THAT ARE UNDERWAY BY THE CORE.
AND, AND THE COUNTY MATCH IS INVOLVED IN THAT, UH, DESIGN.
CURRENTLY, WE HAVE A TASK ORDER FOR DESIGN ONLY.
UM, WE DO ANTICIPATE THAT THERE WOULD BE TWO STRETCHES OF THE, OF THE CREEK THAT THE CREEKS THAT WOULD BE, UM, IN CONSTRUCTION, UM, IN 26, UH, THE, UH, SAN PEDRO CREEKS, UH, IN PRECINCT ONE, AND THEN A AMAZON CREEK, I BELIEVE IS THE NEXT ONE, THAT THOSE TWO WOULD GO IN CONSTRUCTION FIRST, AND THEN FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD, THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD, UH, COMPLETE THE, UH, THE OTHER TWO ECO ECOSYSTEM RESTORATIONS FOR THE OTHER TWO.
UH, BUT ALL THOSE ARE, ARE CURRENTLY, UM, IN THIS, UH, GROUP THAT ARE IN A FORM OF DESIGN THAT THAT WOULD BE, UH, LATER IN THE PROGRAM.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, WE HAVE SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT ARE NOT UNDER TASK QUARTER.
UM, THOSE ARE PROJECTS THAT, UH, WE'VE, AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, HOW TO, UM, PLAN FOR IN THE FUTURE, UH, THEY WOULD BE, UM, UH, UH, FUTURE DISCUSSIONS WITH COURT.
[01:05:01]
CERTAINLY, UH, WE WILL, UH, WE DO HAVE BEEN TALKING, YOU ALL HAVE BEEN BRIEFED RECENTLY BY THE RIVER AUTHORITY ON THE PROGRAM.UH, WE INTEND TO COME TO COURT AND, AND DO AN UPDATE TO COURT ON, ON THE OVERALL PROGRAM.
AND THERE'LL BE SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW WE COULD, UH, MORE EFFICIENTLY AND MORE EXPEDITIOUSLY, UM, INVESTIGATE, UM, FUTURE TRAILS AND HOW TO, HOW TO MAKE THEM, UH, UH, MOVE FASTER IN THE FUTURE.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
SO I'LL STOP FOR QUESTIONS AND I'LL HAND IT OVER TO MR. MAGINE.
YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? MR. ROGERS? JUST A QUICK QUESTION.
UH, TONY, THANK, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UM, ON SLIDE 15, THE BRACKENRIDGE PARK ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION PROJECT, I KNOW IS A ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEER PROJECT.
UM, THE 14 MILLION, THAT'S NOT ALL COMING FROM THE COUNTY, IS IT? SO THE, THE MAT, THE, UM, THE RIVER ROAD, UH, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE RIVER ROAD? UH, YEAH, THE RIVER ROAD RIVER RESTORATION.
YOU HAVE IT AS BRACKENRIDGE PARK ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION.
WELL, OKAY, SO THE BRACKENRIDGE PARK, THAT, THAT IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
THAT IS, THAT IS, OH, THAT'S DIFFERENT.
THE, THE ONE THAT, THAT THE CORE IS INVOLVED IN IS THE ONE THAT SAYS THE U US E PARTNER, UH, RIVER ROAD RESTORATION.
IT'S ABOUT, UH, UH, FIVE SLIDE, FIVE DOWN.
SO THAT'S, UH, WE HAVE $2.75 MILLION, UH, COMMITTED TO THAT PROJECT.
AND THAT IS ALL, UH, BETTERMENTS.
THE, THE CORE IS, IS PAYING THE 14 MILLION TO, UH, TO, UM, DO THAT PROJECT.
UM, THIS IS, THIS IS, UM, OUR, OUR INVOLVEMENT WOULD BE TO, TO PROVIDE, UH, UH, ENHANCEMENTS TO THE, TO THE TRAIL THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING AROUND THE GOLF COURSE, THAT SORT OF THING.
SO, UM, THEN I, I GUESS OBVIOUSLY THE, THE, UH, ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION IS A MUCH LARGER PROJECT, MUCH LARGER PROJECT.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE NEXT SECTION THAT KIND OF GOES THROUGH THE PARK.
AND THAT, THAT, UH, IS AN AREA THAT WE'VE, UM, WE'VE TOURED WITH, WITH COMMISSIONER MOODY.
UM, IT'S, UH, IT'S IN, UH, HIS PRECINCT, UH, CLOSER TO THE ZOO.
THERE ARE SOME, UH, CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF EROSION DAMAGE IN THAT AREA THAT, THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS, THIS PROJECT WOULD BE TO, TO OKAY.
AND THEN, UM, ON THE WEST SIDE CREEK, AGAIN, I KNOW WE'RE NOT GETTING TOO, UM, MUCH INTO THE WEEDS TODAY ON THIS, BUT FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, WE KNOW ALREADY THAT, THAT, UM, THE OVERALL NUMBER IS, IS ESCALATING.
UM, AND SO AT SOME POINT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE, WE HAVE A PLAN TO ADDRESS THAT, WHETHER IT'S OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS, UM, I KNOW, UM, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, A FEW YEARS OUT.
BUT I THINK, UM, WE HAVE TO BE VERY REALISTIC AND PRAGMATIC ABOUT HOW WE MEET THE NEEDS TO ENSURE THAT PROJECT GET DONE GETS DONE.
AND, AND I KNOW YOU'RE ON TOP OF THAT, TONY.
I KNOW I'M NOT NECESSARILY TELLING YOU ANYTHING YOU DON'T KNOW.
'CAUSE WE'VE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH, WITH THE RIVER AUTHORITY, BUT THAT'S AN IMPORTANT, UH, PROJECT THAT GOES THROUGH MY PRECINCT.
AND, UM, AGAIN, IT'S COMPLEX BECAUSE IT'S MULTIPLE CREEK WAYS, BUT IT'S ONE THAT I THINK POTENTIALLY CHANGES THE, THE, THE LANDSCAPE THERE.
UM, NOT JUST, UH, FROM A, A PRACTICAL STANDPOINT, BUT ECONOMICALLY AND OPPORTUNITY WISE.
SO, UH, KEEP, KEEP US POSTED ON WHEN WE MIGHT NEED TO HAVE THAT VERY TOUGH DISCUSSION.
MAYBE IT'S POST BUDGET, ABOUT THE FUTURE YEARS AND HOW WE ENSURE THAT IT IS FULLY FUNDED.
SORRY TO USE THIS, BUT I'M WAITING FOR DAN'S NEXT CAPITAL PROJECT.
IF THEY'RE SAYING THE BUDGET IS GOING TO BE X AND WE BELIEVE IN REALITY THAT'S WRONG, IT'S GOING TO BE Y THAT WOULD BE A PERFECT TIME TO UTILIZE THAT INSTRUMENT SO YOU DON'T OVER ISSUE.
AND, AND I GET THAT COMPLETELY.
'CAUSE I, I KNOW THE, THE ARMY CORPS TENDS TO BE EXAGGERATIVE A LITTLE BIT WHEN IT COMES TO NUMBERS.
AGAIN, NOT, UM, TO CAST DISPERSIONS HERE, BUT I THINK THE NUMBER THEY'RE THROWING OUT IS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN WHAT'S GONNA BE NEEDED.
SO I THINK THAT'S A GOOD POINT, DAVID.
UH, JUDGE COMMISSIONER CO JUST A CLERICAL TYPO, I THINK, UM, ON THE LINK PROJECT, UH, IT, IT'S NOT ACCURATE.
UH, NO TASK ORDER 'CAUSE IT'S GOT A, UH, DESIGN, I MEAN, IT'S GOT PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING DESIGN.
THAT, THAT ONE, UH, THE, THE PRELIMINARY TASK, UH, ENGINEERING REPORT HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
UM, AND THAT'S SO THAT WE, WE DIDN'T COUNT ANYTHING THAT WAS WORK ALREADY DONE, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT THAT THAT SHOULD HAVE GONE ON THE SHOULD SAY DESIGN.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE WHAT PAGE DESIGN? UH, PAGE 15, THE BOTTOM.
[01:10:02]
YEAH, WE DID HAVE, WE DID INITIATE TASK ORDER NUMBER TWO, I BELIEVE IT WAS.THAT WAS FOR THE PRELIMINARY ENGINE REPORT FOR THE LINK.
AND THAT THAT WORK HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, MR. GL? COULDN'T.
MORNING JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS.
UM, KEN GLARY, DIRECTOR FOR PARKS AND RECREATION WANNA TALK TO Y'ALL ABOUT OUR CAPITAL PROJECT.
SOME OF THEM ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN, UM, THAN DAN'S AND ARTS AND, UM, TONY'S, UM, WE HAVE, UM, SOME OF OUR POTS OF MONEY GO TO MULTIPLE DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
UM, SO THE CAPITAL PROJECT, UH, THE 10 YEAR CIP PLAN HAD 28 TOTAL IN IT.
UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON 10 OF THEM, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE.
WE HAVE SOME THAT IMPACT ALL PRECINCTS.
WE, UM, WHAT I HAVE ON THERE NOW IS WHERE WE'RE WORKING AND THAT THE PERCENTAGE IS A PERCENTAGE OF THAT TOTAL DOLLAR FIGURE.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
THE REMAINING WOULD BE AFFECTED BECAUSE WE, WE HAVE NOT STARTED SOME OF THOSE OTHER PROJECTS.
FOR INSTANCE, THE PICNIC TABLES AND BENCHES THAT WE'RE DOING AT PPLE PARK, THAT'S PART OF THE PARK PPLE PARK RENOVATION.
THAT'S ONLY ACCOUNTS FOR 12.64% OF THAT TOTAL, 949,000 PLUS DOLLARS.
WE'RE GONNA USE THOSE IN OTHER LOCATIONS.
SOME OF THE OTHER PLACES THAT WE NEED TO DO THAT WOULD BE AT, UH, RODRIGUEZ MCDONOUGH, MACARTHUR MISSION, AND RAYMOND RUSSELL.
UM, THE SAME WITH THE BASKETBALL AND TENNIS COURT RESURFACING.
UM, SOME OF THE BIGGER THINGS IS, UH, COUNTYWIDE A DA CORRECTIONS CURRENTLY AT HARLANDALE, UM, AS AN EMERGENCY, UH, WORK ORDER DOWN THERE AT HARLANDALE.
AND AT PLETZ, THAT'S ONLY 11.4 PER FOUR 7%.
SO SOME OF THESE PROJECTS WILL BE AFFECTED, OTHER PROJECTS WILL BE AFFECTED LATER DOWN THE LINE.
CAN YOU, CAN YOU GIVE US, UH, I GUESS YOU'RE SAYING IT'S LIKE YOU PLAN TO ADD OTHER PARK, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? OR, I'M SORRY.
ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU PLAN TO ADD OTHER PARK OR YOU'RE JUST SAYING IT'S A DIFFERENT SLIDE THAT YOU'LL, WHEN YOU HAVE THE ALL, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR A DA COMPLIANCE RESURFACING, THAT MEANS THAT I CAN USE THAT, THAT PARTICULAR POT OF MONEY IN ALL THE PARKS, IN ALL PRECINCTS.
AND SO, SO ARE YOU SAYING THAT UPON COMPLETION, IF THERE ARE SAVINGS, THEN THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL USE OF THE FUNDS? OR ARE YOU SAYING THERE ARE ADDITIONAL PLANS? WHAT DO YOU OKAY.
FOR PALETTES PARK, WE HAVE A, UH, X AMOUNT OF, I THINK IT'S 12 PICNIC TABLES AND BENCHES.
THAT'S GONNA COST AN X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS.
IT, IT'S COMING OUT AROUND, YOU KNOW, 15, $1,800 PER, SO WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND WE USE THAT MONEY IN VARIOUS OTHER PLACES RIGHT.
SO WHEN WE DO A BIG, LARGE RENOVATION PROJECT, WE PULL FROM, IF THERE'S A DA CORRECTIONS WITHIN THAT, WE PULL FROM THE ADA A GOT IT.
IF THERE'S ASPHALT, THE SHADE, THERE'S, THERE'S, WE PULL FROM MULTIPLE POTS TO CREATE THAT ONE PROJECT.
SO IS IT POSSIBLE THAT YOU CAN PUT IN WRITING, MAYBE YOU ALREADY HAVE IT, I APOLOGIZE FOR LETTING YOU FINISH, BUT CAN YOU PUT IN WRITING WHICH PARKS SEEM TO BE ON THE LIST FOR THESE NEXT UPDATES UPON COMPLETION? YES, WE HAVE THEM.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE? OKAY.
SOME OF THE ONES THAT ARE IN DESIGN, AND AS YOU CAN, AS YOU TO, TO, UM, GO BACK TO COMMISSIONER CALVERT'S QUESTION ARE COMMENT IS THAT, UM, REPAIR, REPAIR, PLAYGROUND SURFACING, THAT'S AN IN-HOUSE DESIGN.
THAT'S GONNA BE IN ALL PRECINCTS WHERE WE NEED 'EM.
CURRENTLY WE'RE DOING SOME AT PLZ RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE SOME ADMISSION COMING UP AND AT MISSION TWO AND AT BULLS CURRENTLY WITH, AND THAT'S ALSO A SHADE STRUCTURE.
UM, THE EXISTING SPORTS FIELDS REPAIR, THAT'S AT MISSION TWO AND BULLAS, UM, THE SOCCER FIELD AT BULLAS, IT'S GONNA BE AN IN-HOUSE THING THAT WE'RE DOING.
AND THAT'S GONNA GO MORE TOWARDS THE EQUIPMENT AND THE DIRT AND THE THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WE CAN DO IN-HOUSE.
UM, ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE, UH, LARGE OVERREACHING PROJECTS IS GONNA BE THE FITNESS AND OUTDOOR EXERCISE EQUIPMENT.
THAT'S THE, IN-HOUSE, THAT'S THE DESIGN.
SOME OF, WHEN WE DO A PROJECT, WHEN WE HAVE IT, UM, LIKE AT PLETZ OR AT RAYMOND RUSSELL, WE SAY, HEY, ADD THIS TO THE DESIGN.
AND WE USE THAT DESIGN ACROSS THE BOARD IN DIFFERENT AREAS.
AND THAT'S WHAT THAT MONEY'S GONNA GO FOR.
WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND IS HOW YOU CALCULATED THE
[01:15:01]
LENGTH OF DELAY, BECAUSE WHAT I THOUGHT I HAD SAID WAS ANY PROJECT THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE DELIVERED PRIOR TO OCTOBER 1ST, 2027, IF, IF IT WAS GONNA BE, TAKE YOUR VERY LAST ONE, UH, NEW PARKS TO MAINTAIN TALLY ROAD, YOU SAY IT WOULD'VE OTHERWISE BEEN DONE IN JUNE OF 27.WELL, THAT'S LIKE A FIVE MONTH DELAY, NOT 18.
THE ESTIMATED LENGTH OF DELAY WOULD BE, IF THIS WAS IMP IMPLE IMPLEMENTED, THEN THAT WAS WHAT IT WOULD, WE WOULD PUSH THE, WE'D KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD, SO TO SPEAK.
BUT YOU'RE SAYING THAT PROJECT WOULD START IN JANUARY OF 26? YES.
WOULD, UH, NORMALLY HAVE FINISHED IN JUNE OF 27 MM-HMM.
WELL, I'M, I'M MUST I'LL HAVE TO RE-LOOK AT MY CALCULATIONS ON THAT.
WELL, MAYBE THIS IS TO CLARIFY THE QUESTION ARE, IS THE ESTIMATED CONSTRUCTION START AND END THE, THE ORIGINAL PLAN OR THE LATE PLAN? THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL.
WHAT I THINK, WHAT I THINK HAPPENED, COMMISSIONER, IS WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THIS EXERCISE INTERNALLY, I TOLD HIM TO FOCUS ON OCTOBER 1ST, 2028, BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE THE FOUR YEARS.
AND THEN WE WOULD START ISSUING DEBT.
BUT THEN AS WE THOUGHT ABOUT IT INTERNALLY, WE REALIZED WITH THE REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTION THAT BUYS YOU 12 TO 18 MORE MONTHS WITHOUT ANY PROJECT IMPACT WHATSOEVER.
SO I CHANGED THE DATE ON HIM TO OCTOBER 1ST OF 27.
AND HE PROBABLY JUST DIDN'T UPDATE IT AFTER THAT CHANGE WOULD BE MY GUESS.
SOME OF THE OC UPCOMING PROJECTS THAT BE GONNA COMPLETED AFTER OCTOBER 27.
UM, THOUGH THE, THE BIGGEST ONE IN MY OPINION ON THIS WOULD BE, UH, RODRIGUEZ PARK EXPANSION AND REPAIRS.
WE HAVE A, IT'S A, IT'S A LARGE PROJECT THAT THERE'S MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE PLAYERS INVOLVED IN IT.
THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO THAT ARE DOING A PARK ACROSS THE STREET, TDOT IS REDOING THAT WHOLE AREA.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO EXPAND THIS, THE, THE SIZE OF THE PARK.
SO WE HAVE SOME, WE HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS GOING ON IN THAT.
UM, WE DO HAVE SOME OTHERS THAT ARE NOT STARTED YET.
AND THOSE ARE BASICALLY, WE STARTED WHEN WE STARTED THIS CAPITAL PROJECT, UM, PROGRAM, IS THAT WE'VE FOCUSED ON THINGS THAT ACCESSIBILITY AND SAFETY AND INTERMEDIATE NEEDS RIGHT OFF RIGHT IN THE VERY BEGINNING.
UH, THE ARBORETUM, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO START THAT ONE UNTIL THE OTHER ARBORETUM PLAN.
THE MASTER PLAN FOR THAT IS COMPLETE, WHICH WILL FIRM UP OUR MEETS AND BOUNDS FOR THE COUNTY PARK THAT'S GONNA BE THERE ON MILITARY ROAD.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PARKS? YES, SIR.
UM, I SEE, SORRY, JUDGE, GO AHEAD.
I SEE THREE DIFFERENT, UM, ART PIECE LINE ITEMS. THERE'S A HUNDRED THOUSAND AND THEN THERE'S 500,000, THEN THERE'S ANOTHER 500,000.
CAN YOU CLARIFY THE PUBLIC ART INTERPRETATION FOR 500 AND THEN WELL, WELL, THERE'S TWO OF THOSE.
AND THEN THERE'S ALSO A ART PIECE ON 51 ACRE CAMPUS, SOME UP HIGHER THE FOURTH.
I'LL HAVE TO LOOK IN THE ACTIVITY CODE AND FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT THOSE ARE FOR.
SOME OF THESE WERE THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A LITTLE BIT, THEY WERE ADDED.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NEXT? DAVID, YOU WANT TO COME BACK UP AND WRAP IT UP AND THEN OPEN IT UP, SEE IF THERE'S ANOTHER ROUND OF QUESTIONS.
OTHERWISE WE HAVE AN EXECUTIVE, UM, ALERTING THE, UH, AUDIENCE THAT WE HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT WE WILL CALL UPON THE, UH, BEFORE WE ADJOURN.
SO I JUDGE COMMISSIONERS, I APPRECIATE YOU, UH, COMING HERE THIS MORNING ON WHAT NORMALLY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN A MEETING DAY, SO WE COULD TRY AND START TO, UH, GET YOUR FEEDBACK ABOUT POTENTIAL IMPACT TO PROJECTS.
WHAT I THINK I'M HEARING IS FROM A BUDGETING STANDPOINT, WE'LL REMAIN FLEXIBLE ABOUT ISSUING FUTURE DEBT.
UM, I WOULD ALSO CONTINUE TO RECOMMEND THAT WE MOVE FIRST IN FINANCING PROJECTS TO REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTIONS AND THEN
[01:20:01]
ISSUE THE DEBT WHEN IT'S NECESSARY.IE WHEN THE PROJECT IS COMPLETE.
UM, SOME OF THAT WILL BE DEPENDENT ON MARKET TIMING, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
IF THE FED'S IN A MODE OF LOWERING INTEREST RATES, IT MAY WELL BENEFIT US TO WAIT.
IF ON THE OTHER HAND THEY'RE RAISING, WE MAY WANT TO SPEED UP ISSUANCES AS YOU'VE DONE OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS.
UM, AND WE'LL JUST HAVE TO REMAIN MINDFUL OF WHAT FEEDBACK WE GET FROM THE RATING AGENCIES.
BECAUSE EVERY TIME YOU ISSUE DEBT, IT'S, YOU'RE GOING TO GET RATED AND THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE RATING TO REMAIN STABLE AT AAA OR NOT.
SO COMMISSIONER LAR, SO IN YOUR EXPERTISE, DAVID, DOES THAT SOUND LIKE A SUFFICIENT PLAN TO JUST BE FLEXIBLE ON THAT? LIKE IS THAT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE COMMUNICATED WITH THESE RATING AGENCIES? THE RATING AGENCIES ALWAYS LIKE YOU TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THEY'RE SAYING.
THEY WANT TO KNOW THAT YOU HEARD WHAT THEY SAID.
AND IF YOU, AND IF YOUR STAFF, MEANING OUR FINANCIAL ADVISORS, UM, OUR FINANCE STAFF CAN COMMUNICATE TO THEM, HERE IS OUR PLAN.
THAT'S A FAVORABLE THING IN THEIR, THEIR MIND.
NOW THEY'RE GONNA EXPECT YOU TO ADHERE TO THE PLAN YOU LAID OUT, BARRING SOME EMERGENCY.
SO I WOULD RATHER COMMUNICATE TO THEM, WE HEARD WHAT YOU SAID, AND JUST IF WE CAN AT LEAST BY OURSELVES ON A YEAR TO YEAR BASIS, THAT NATURAL RETIREMENT OF DEBT SCHEDULE THAT WE HAVE, THEN WE CAN POINT TO ACTUAL FACTS AS OPPOSED TO A PLAN.
LOOK, AND, AND I MEAN, I THINK THE REALITY IS THAT WE HAVE THESE PROJECTS, THEY'RE IMPORTANT, SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK ON THEM.
UM, WE MAY DELAY SOME DEPENDING ON THE NEEDS OF WHAT, WHATEVER'S GOING ON, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE GONNA LIKE START BUILDING ALL THIS NEW STUFF.
SO ART MENTIONED MY VENUS AND MARS COMMENT FROM BACK IN JULY.
LET ME JUST SAY THAT WHEN WE WERE GOING OVER THAT LIST WITH ALL OF THEM, KEN OR TONY, DAN AND THEIR LIST OF PROJECTS THAT THEY SAY WILL BE DELIVERED BY OCTOBER 1ST, 2027, I SAID, BASED ON MY 26 YEARS AT THIS COUNTY, THAT WOULD BE AN HISTORIC LEVEL OF CAPITAL PROJECT COMPLETION FOR THIS ORGANIZATION.
I HOPE IT'S TRUE, BUT I'VE GOT THE RECEIPTS NOW, THEY'RE IN WRITING AND I'LL BE PAYING ATTENTION BECAUSE YOU'RE MAKING DECISIONS BASED ON THEIR INPUT ABOUT THE POTENTIAL DELAY ON PROJECTS.
AND THAT WAS THE INTENTION OF THIS WORK SESSION.
AND I WANT TO THANK THE COURT FOR GIVING US YOUR TIME AND YOUR ATTENTION FOR THAT MATTER.
YOU DONE? DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING? OKAY.
AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS IMPORTANT.
I THINK THE, THE, UM, I THINK TO UNDERSCORE WHAT I THINK SEVERAL OF US SAID ON THE FLEXIBILITY, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY SOUNDED AS IF THEY WERE AGAINST BEING A LITTLE BIT MORE INTENTIONAL ON PAYING DOWN SOME DEBT.
BUT I THINK FROM A YEAR TO YEAR BASIS, WE WANT TO HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY IN THE CASE THAT SOMETHING IS EXOGEN, AS THE JUDGE MENTIONED, OR, UH, SOMETHING HAPPENS FROM, UH, YOU KNOW, EITHER A LEGISLATIVE BODY IN WASHINGTON OR AUSTIN, THAT WE CAN GET AHEAD OF IT AND BE PREPARED.
IT SEEMS PRETTY CLEAR THAT THIS CALENDAR YEAR WE'RE NOT GONNA BE IN, IN THE MARKET, UM, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY EVEN NEXT YEAR.
BUT I, AND I THINK, UM, COMMUNICATING THAT HOWEVER YOU AND YOUR STAFF WANNA DO THAT TO THE FOLKS THAT NEED TO HEAR IT, UM, I THINK, WE'LL, WE WILL CERTAINLY BOLSTER, UM, THE CASE THAT WE ARE LISTENING.
UM, I WANTED TO ASK, I KNOW THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST TIME, BUT I WANTED TO JUST REFRESH MY RECOLLECTION BECAUSE, UM, THE OTHER SIGNIFICANT DEBT PER CAPITA, AT LEAST SOMEWHAT RELATED TO THE COUNTY, IS THE UNIVERSITY HEALTH SYSTEM.
THAT IS NOT, UM, THAT THAT'S OFF OUR SHEET, SO TO SPEAK.
WHEN IT COMES TO THIS, RIGHT? CORRECT.
UM, AND I KNOW THEY'VE GOT, UH, SEPARATE FINANCIAL ADVISORS AND THEY GO OUT SEPARATELY.
UM, AND I VISITED WITH THEM AS WELL.
AND I THINK THEY'RE IN A CADENCE THAT IS SIMILAR TO OURS IN THAT THEY'VE GOT, UH, I THINK ENOUGH, UH, PROCEEDS NOW TO DO SOME OF THE, THE HOSPITAL CONSTRUCTION AT LEAST FOR THE NEXT, UH, YEAR OR OR SO.
UM, YOU DON'T HAPPEN TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THEIR, UM, RATINGS ARE RED, HAVE BEEN RED FLAGGED IN THE PAST.
I DON'T LIKE, YOU'RE NOT AWARE.
BUT I, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, OURS WEREN'T RED FLAGGED, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT WAS
[01:25:01]
JUST, WE WANT TO, YOU'RE UNDER, WE WERE ONE OF 300 DIFFERENT, UH, AGENCIES NATIONWIDE THAT WERE UNDER REVIEW FOR THIS SAME METRIC.AND AND THAT WAS IN A SENSE, KIND OF A ONE OFF, I MEAN CYCLE.
THEY, THEY, IT WASN'T THAT THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, WERE HIGHLIGHTING BEXAR COUNTY.
UM, NOT EVERYBODY, BUT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF ISSUERS ACROSS THE, THE COUNTRY.
I THINK THEY WERE, IN A SENSE, KIND OF RECALIBRATING HOW THEY MEASURED.
THEY, THEY ADMIT THEY WERE CHANGING HOW THEY RIGHT.
AND THE WEIGHT THEY ATTACH TO EACH MEASURE.
AND WE WEREN'T ASKING THEM TO RATE US.
AND, AND JUST SO EVERYBODY'S CLEAR FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, DAVID, BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN HERE A NUMBER OF YEARS, UM, AND, AND YOU'VE BEEN PART OF, UM, OUR, I THINK, VERY DISCIPLINED APPROACH TO CAPITAL SPENDING.
THE REALITY IS FROM BUDGET YEAR TO BUDGET YEAR, WE DO NOT HAVE THE CAPITAL, UM, IN OUR GENERAL FUND TO PAY FOR THE GROWTH IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I THINK WE'VE BEEN VERY DISCIPLINED ON ISSUING DEBT WHEN WE NEED TO FOR PROJECTS.
UM, AND YOU STILL FEEL PRETTY COMFORTABLE THAT THE COUNTY OVERALL IS IN A GOOD, UH, FISCAL HEALTH, UH, POSITION? OH, YES, SIR.
ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR DEBT.
YOUR DEBT IS AFFORDABLE WITHIN THE CURRENT TAX RATE, YOU COULD ISSUE MORE AND IT'D STILL BE AFFORDABLE.
IT'S SIMPLY THIS ONE STATISTIC.
AND, UM, I REALLY, UH, REALLY HAVE, UH, A FEW THOUGHTS AND SOME DIFFERENT AREAS HERE TO, TO WALK THROUGH US TRYING TO HOLD MY COMMENTS HERE TILL THE END, UH, ONCE WE GOT THROUGH ALL THESE CATEGORIES.
UM, BUT FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK, UH, DAVID AND, AND THE REST OF THE STAFF FOR, FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AND HAVING A FOLLOW UP DISCUSSION SO WE COULD KIND OF DIVE INTO THIS IN MORE DETAIL.
UH, TO YOUR POINT EARLIER, DAVID, RIGHT? JUST THE FACT THAT WE ARE HERE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION, UH, IS A POSITIVE THING.
IT'S A POSITIVE THING FOR, FOR THE RATINGS AGENCIES AND EVERYTHING ELSE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS, UH, THAT WERE RAISED BY THOSE, UH, TWO RATINGS AGENCIES.
AND SO I THINK, UH, JUST THE FACT THAT WE'RE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION IS A POSITIVE THING.
UM, I ALSO JUST WANNA, YOU KNOW, HIGHLIGHT, YOU KNOW, I AGREE WITH THE PROPOSAL YOU'VE, YOU'VE SUGGESTED, I'VE ALSO, UH, SAID SEVERAL TIMES.
I THINK THERE'S STILL SOME, UM, GOING BEYOND THAT.
UH, I KIND OF ALLUDED TO A COUPLE THINGS EARLIER, RIGHT? WHEN IT COMES TO HOW WE'RE GOING TO, UM, PRIORITIZE STILL WITH WITHIN PROJECTS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE MORATORIUM, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTION.
I'M I HUNDRED PERCENT ON BOARD.
HOWEVER, UH, WITHIN THAT, WE, WE SEE THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO USE A, A BLANKET POLICY, THEN WE ARE GOING TO SEE DELAYS ACROSS THE BOARD, DELAYS ON PROJECTS THAT SHOULDN'T BE DELAYED.
AND OTHERS, YOU KNOW, DELAYS ON PROJECTS THAT, THAT MAYBE, YOU KNOW, AREN'T GONNA GO FORWARD OR, OR, YOU KNOW, A MAJORITY OF THE COURT WOULD AGREE, YOU KNOW, SHOULD, SHOULD BE CUT AT THIS POINT.
SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S STILL SOME MORE WORK TO DO.
UH, THIS, UH, SPECIFIC, YOU KNOW, UH, WORK SESSION WAS NOT DESIGNED TO GET INTO THE, THE DETAILS THERE.
BUT I HOPE THAT, THAT, THIS ISN'T OUR LAST CONVERSATION.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT JUST, UH, A BROAD BRUSH DELAY ACROSS ALL PROJECTS IS, UM, ABDICATING OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS DECISION MAKERS TO MAKE PRIORITIES AND TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
SO I, I HOPE WE'LL CONTINUE TO, UH, TO MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION.
UM, REALLY QUICK, I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE, UH, THE PLAN.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, RIGHT? AND I THINK IT WAS, UH, TOUCHED ON WHEN WE STARTED, BUT THIS PLAN WAS ACTUALLY DEVELOPED IN 2021, CORRECT? MAYBE VOTED ON IN 22, UH, THAT FISCAL YEAR.
UM, SO AGAIN, I, I THINK, UH, AS, AS THE JUDGE MENTIONED, IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE GO BACK INTO THIS, UH, NOT ONLY BECAUSE WE HAVE A NEW COURT WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, NEW MEMBERS, UH, THAT, THAT NEED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS AGREED ON PREVIOUSLY, BUT ALSO TO, TO ADJUST THAT CAPITAL PLAN WHEN NEED BE.
SO I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S A, A QUESTION HERE.
WE NEED TO ASK ABOUT WHO OWNS THE CAPITAL PLAN? AND WELL QUESTION, WAS THERE EVER A 10 YEAR CAPITAL PLAN BEFORE 2021? UH, WE HAD A MULTI-YEAR FLOOD
[01:30:01]
CONTROL PROGRAM BACK IN 25 0 5, 2007 TO 2017.I WAS THINKING, I WAS THINKING EVEN FURTHER BACK TO, OKAY, 2005 WHEN WE HAD THERE.
WAS THAT TOO FOR THE ROADS? NO, THAT WAS FLOOD CONTROL.
IT WAS A 10 YEAR FLOOD CON COMMUNITY-WIDE FLOOD CONTROL.
MY RECOLLECTION IT WAS 2007 TO 2017.
BUT THAT WAS THE, THAT WAS A FLOOD CONTROL ONE.
WE DID A 10 YEAR LIST OF FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS BACK IN, OR MAYBE IT WAS 2005 TO 2015.
ANYWAY, THERE, IT'S WHEN 10 YEARS IS ANSWER, WE, WE'VE DONE SIMILAR 10 YEAR PLANS BEFORE, BUT, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S AD HOC AND KIND OF COVERED CERTAIN CATEGORIES.
AND THERE WASN'T A, A CLEARLY DEFINED, TO BE HONEST, ONCE THE COURT SAID THEY WERE INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT 10 YEARS WORTH OF CAPITAL PROJECTS, EVERYBODY WHO'S IN THE CAPITAL PROJECT BUSINESS
SO NO DOUBT, BUT ALSO ISN'T PART OF THAT, THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE COUNTY MANAGER BEFORE.
SO WHEN DAVID CA CAME ON BOARD, HE BROUGHT ORDER TO THE COUNTY.
I HAVE TO SAY THANK YOU, BUT YOU'RE WELCOME.
BUT I WAS MANAGER BACK IN 2011.
THE CHAOS I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT HAPPENED AT 21.
WELL, IT, NO, THAT'S WHAT I'M, I'M REFERRING TO COMMISSIONER MOODY'S, UH, QUESTION.
IT'S NOT LIKE WE'VE ALWAYS HAD TENURE PLANS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T AL ALWAYS HAVE A COUNTY MANAGER.
WE WEREN'T, WEREN'T ORGANIZED TO THE LEVEL THAT WE ARE NOW.
THAT, THAT, THAT'S NOT THE REASON THAT IT WAS DONE WAS BECAUSE OF THE FLOOD OF 98, THE FLOOD OF 98, AND THE DEATHS THAT HAPPENED.
UM, ALL OF THE 52 PROJECTS THAT WERE, UH, INCLUDED, THERE WERE BEEN NO MORE DEATHS.
AND SO IT WAS BASED UPON LIFE SAFETY.
IT, IT WAS, ANYWAY, THAT'S WHY IT HAPPENED.
AND, AND THE FLOODS OF OH TWO, WHICH BOTH, BOTH OF THOSE COME IN QUICK, RELATIVELY QUICK SUCCESSION.
SO, UM, I APPRECIATE THE HISTORY AND, AND THINKING THROUGH THAT.
WE HAVE SOME DIFFERENT VARIATIONS HERE, BUT, UH, MY
BUT OBVIOUSLY I GO THROUGH THIS TODAY AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CHANGES.
UM, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RIGHT CADENCE IS.
YOU KNOW, I WOULD SUGGEST EVERY TWO OR THREE YEARS, UH, I THINK TO DO IT ANNUALLY AS A, IS A LOT OF BUSY WORK.
UM, BUT I THINK THIS COURT SHOULD, SHOULD MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AND COME UP WITH A PLAN.
SO, I MEAN, WE, WE SIT HERE TODAY, THREE YEARS INTO THE CAPITAL PLAN.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE'RE FIVE YEARS OR SEVEN YEARS? AT SOME POINT, WE'RE ADDING NEW PROJECTS ON TO, TO THE 10 YEAR.
AND, AND HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO MANAGE THAT GOING FORWARD? AND I WOULD SUGGEST THAT ON, YOU KNOW, A, A BIANNUAL OR OR EVERY THREE YEARS, YOU KNOW, WE SIT BACK DOWN, FIGURE OUT WHAT PROJECTS WE WANNA PUT IN THE OUT YEARS OR WE REPRIORITIZE PROJECTS.
I MEAN, SOME OF THAT REPRIORITIZATION MAY TAKE ON TAKE PLACE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, BUT, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF A, A COURT WIDE SCRUB AND ADDING ADDITIONAL PROJECTS IN THE OUT YEARS, UM, MAYBE THAT'S ON A THREE YEAR TIMELINE, WHAT DO YOU THINK? SO IT WORKS FOR CERTAIN CATEGORIES OF PROJECTS.
FOR OTHERS IT WOULD BE, LOOK, ANY KIND OF PROCESS AS THE WORD OF THE DAY IS FLEXIBILITY.
SO ANY KIND OF SET OF RULES AND PROCESS WE PUT IN PLACE, THERE HAVE TO BE, YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THERE ARE GOING TO BE EXCEPTIONS.
I'M POINTING PARTICULARLY AT FACILITIES.
THE JAIL'S A FIF APPROACHING 50 YEARS OLD, YOU'RE GONNA BE PUTTING TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS EVERY YEAR INTO THAT FACILITY.
AND IT'S HARD TO PREDICT WHAT'S GONNA BREAK NEXT.
OH, I COMPLETELY AGREE ON, ON THAT FRONT.
UM, AND I DID HAVE A QUESTION.
FACILITIES IS NOT PART OF THE CAPITAL PLAN, IS THAT CORRECT? I MEAN, I'M LOOKING AT THE CATEGORIES, THE FLOOD CONTROL, ROADS, CREEKS, AND TRAILS AND PARKS MASTER PLAN.
BUT THAT 620 MILLION DOESN'T INCLUDE FACILITIES WHATSOEVER.
IT, IT NEEDS TO BE FLEXIBLE, BUT, UM, I DON'T KNOW.
THERE'S, THERE'S A MILITARY, UM, QUOTE, I'LL, I'LL MESS IT UP HERE.
BUT BASICALLY THE PLAN IS NOTHING BUT PLANNING IS EVERYTHING, RIGHT? THE PLANNING PROCESS HELPS US BE PREPARED FOR INJECTS AND UNDERSTAND WHERE WE CURRENTLY STAND.
THE PLAN IS ALWAYS GONNA CHANGE.
AND, AND I THINK THAT GETS TO THE, THE COMMENTS ABOUT FLEXIBILITY.
BUT, UM, I DO THINK THAT WE SHOULD CODIFY SOME SORT OF PLANNING PROCESS, UH, SEPARATE FROM THE BUDGET.
I MEAN, IT'S OBVIOUSLY RELATED,
[01:35:01]
BUT, UH, TO HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS, YOU KNOW, ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, UM, ABOUT INJECTS INTO THE CAPITAL PLAN, UH, OUTSIDE OF ONE OFF ITEMS THAT, THAT COME BEFORE COURT AS AN AGENDA ITEM.SO JUST WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.
I I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD LOOK AT.
WELL, I KNOW, UH, PUBLIC WORKS IN PARTICULAR IS WELL POSITIONED TO HAVE THAT KIND OF DISCUSSION BECAUSE AS A MATTER OF HABIT IN WORKING WITH THE MPO AND TDOT, THEY'RE LOOKING, YOU KNOW, 10 YEARS OUT.
AND THEY'VE GOT A LIST OF PROJECTS THAT A BILLION DOLLARS OR SOMETHING.
SO THEY'RE WELL POSITIONED TO HAVE THE WHAT, BUT SOME OF THEIR CAPITAL PROJECTS ARE SMALLER PROJECTS THAT COME UP MM-HMM.
UM, SO AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE, THE CONVERSATION AROUND THE, THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE AND OUR CURRENT CAPITAL PLAN.
SO, SO WHAT, WHAT ARE OUR OPTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, ADDRESSING THOSE, THOSE PROJECTS AND REDUCING OUR DEBT? UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THE ADDITION OF NEW DEBT GOING FORWARD? SO I THINK THERE'S THREE THINGS.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE OPTION TO DO, WE CAN CANCEL A PROJECT.
UM, IF, IF WE, UH, SO DESIRE TO, TO CHOOSE THAT PATH, UH, WE CAN DELAY A PROJECT, RIGHT? AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
AGAIN, I THINK THAT RATHER THAN DELAYING ALL PROJECTS EQUALLY, WE SHOULD MAKE THOSE PRIORITIZATION DECISIONS, OR WE CAN FIND OTHER FUNDING SOURCES FOR PROJECTS, WHICH I HAVE HIGHLIGHTED MULTIPLE TIMES FROM THIS DIOCESE TALKING ABOUT HOW DO WE LEVERAGE GRANT FUNDING? UH, HOW DO WE LEVERAGE THE MPO MORE, UM, OR, OR THE CITY, UH, IN SOME CASES.
SO I THINK THAT THOSE ARE, ARE THE THREE OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE IN, IN KIND OF, UM, REDUCING THE GROWTH OF OUR DEBT AND, AND AGAIN, LETTING THAT, UH, DEBT, UH, PAY ITSELF OFF, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR OVER TIME, GIVING US MORE BREATHING ROOM, UH, ON THAT FRONT.
SO I THINK THAT THAT IS, UH, IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT IN TERMS OF WHAT THOSE OPTIONS ARE.
AND AGAIN, THERE'S, THERE'S TRADE OFFS BETWEEN CANCELING A PROJECT VERSUS DELAYING PROJECTS.
UH, THE MORE, THE MORE FAT OR WASTE THAT GETS REMOVED, THEN THE LESS YOU HAVE TO DELAY ADDITIONAL PROJECTS.
AND, AND I'M, I'M JUST SPEAKING TO YOU, DAVID, 'CAUSE YOU'RE AT THE PODIUM.
I'M SPEAKING TO THE, THE WHOLE COURT AND EVERYONE HERE TODAY.
BUT IF, IF WE FIND PROJECTS THAT CAN BE REMOVED, THEN THAT MEANS THERE'S OTHER PROJECTS THAT DON'T HAVE TO BE DELAYED.
PARTICULARLY WHAT DAN BROUGHT UP ABOUT FACILITIES, PROJECTS THAT NEED TO GO FORWARD AND ARE NECESSITIES FOR OPERATIONS, RIGHT? UM, WE, WE CAN DO THAT TODAY WITHOUT ADDITIONAL DEBT.
IF WE WERE TO REMOVE, YOU KNOW, TWO OTHER PROJECTS, I, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE, THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF YOUR, UH, HIGHLIGHTED, YOU KNOW, UM, PRIORITY PROJECTS WERE DAN, UM, DO YOU HAVE THAT NUMBER OR NO? I DON'T.
BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD LOOK AT, RIGHT? HOW MUCH WOULD WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH, IS THAT 20 MILLION? IS THAT 40 MILLION OVER THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, YEAR OR TWO? AND HOW COULD WE, UH, WE, WE TRADE THAT OFF BY, BY POTENTIALLY FINDING SAVINGS ELSEWHERE.
IF, YOU KNOW, UH, SOME PROJECTS GO AWAY.
UM, I DO THINK THAT WE SHOULD, AND I'VE SAID THIS PUBLICLY SEVERAL TIMES, I, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD DO A, A SCRUBBING OF THE CAPITAL PLAN BEYOND, I, I KNOW WE, WE TALKED ABOUT HERE, THERE'S, THERE'S THE ENTIRE CAPITAL PLAN.
WE WENT THROUGH ALL THE PROJECTS.
WE TALKED ABOUT WHICH ONES ARE GONNA BE DELAYED.
UM, BUT WHETHER IT'S AS A COURT OR, YOU KNOW, I WOULD ADVOCATE INDIVIDUALLY WITHIN PRECINCTS, HOW DO WE THINK ABOUT WHAT PROJECTS ARE NO LONGER NECESSARY OR THAT, OR AGAIN, JUST DEPRIORITIZING AND SAYING, HEY, THESE ARE THE PROJECTS THAT I'M MORE COMFORTABLE DELAYING.
RIGHT? AND RATHER THAN EVERYONE SAYING, WE'RE GONNA DELAY PROJECTS EQUALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, PUT THAT BACK ON THE, THE COMMISSIONERS TO SAY, WELL, THESE ARE THE PROJECTS WE'RE COMFORTABLE WITH DELAYING, THESE ARE OUR LOW PRIORITY PROJECTS, THESE ARE OUR HIGH PRIORITY PROJECTS, WE WANNA PUSH FORWARD.
AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF THAT HAS TO COME INTO A FORMAL PROCESS VERSUS US WORKING DIRECTLY WITH, UH, WITH YOUR TEAM AND, AND WITH YOU.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW I'VE HAD SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS WITH, UH, WITH KEN WHEN IT COMES TO PARKS AND HOW WE MIGHT MOVE FUNDING AROUND AND REPRIORITIZE THINGS THAT WE THINK ABOUT IN PRECINCT THREE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THOSE SAME CONVERSATIONS ARE TAKING PLACE, UH, ACROSS THE COURT, BUT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF
[01:40:01]
THE DAY, DAY, I HOPE THAT EACH INDIVIDUAL PRECINCT KIND OF HAS, UM, RESPONSIBILITY AND, AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS ABOUT PRIORITIZATION AND, AND OR WHAT WE CAN, UH, DO WITHOUT.SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THOSE COMMENTS AS WELL.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT, DAVID, HOWEVER YOU ALL WANT TO GIVE US THAT FEEDBACK, I'LL BE HAPPY TO INCORPORATE IT.
I, I HAVE A HANDOUT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THIS SHARE, SHARE WITH MY, MY COLLEAGUES AND WITH, WITH, UH, COUNTY STAFF.
DAVID, IF YOU WANT TO, SO THIS IS JUST MY, MY FEEDBACK WHEN IT COMES TO, IF WE WERE GOING TO TRY TO PULL BACK ON THE, THE OVERALL CAPITAL PLAN, LIKE HOW YOU MIGHT GO ABOUT DOING IT.
BECAUSE I THINK IF, IF YOU'RE GONNA BE, IF YOU'RE GONNA PUSH BACK AND BE CRITICAL, YOU SHOULD HAVE THE, YOU KNOW, LEADERSHIP TO, TO PROVIDE SOLUTIONS AND POTENTIAL PLAN, AS YOU SAID EARLIER, DAVID.
SO IF I WAS LOOKING AT THIS AND SAID, HEY, HOW WOULD WE, SPEAKING FOR PRECINCT THREE, HOW WOULD WE PRIORITIZE, UH, THESE CATEGORIES OF PROJECTS AND WHERE COULD WE FIND ROOM TO, UH, TO REDUCE, UH, SPENDING FOR, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL DEBT? SO FLOOD CONTROL, FLOOD CONTROL'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE.
HOWEVER, I'VE HAD A LOT OF GREAT CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, WITH OUR ENGINEERS AND, AND OTHERS ABOUT TALKING ABOUT WHAT IS THE STANDARD FOR A FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS, UM, THE A HUNDRED YEAR FLOOD, 50 YEAR, 20 YEAR.
OBVIOUSLY, THE LOWER YOU GO THE MORE RISK YOU ASSUME, BUT, UM, I KNOW FOR, UH, OUR PROJECTS OUT ON TON OUR, YOU KNOW, WE ARE ASKING FOR THOSE OPTIONS SO WE CAN THINK ABOUT THOSE VALUE ENGINEERING OPTIONS.
AND RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, GOING AT THE, THE A HUNDRED YEAR STANDARD, MAYBE IT MAKES SENSE TO GO AT A 50 YEAR STANDARD.
AND WHAT DOES THAT SAVE US? I THINK THAT ULTIMATELY IF WE PROVIDE THOSE OPTIONS TO THIS COURT, THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE COULD SHAVE OFF 20 OR 30% OFF OF ALL THE EXISTING PROJECTS, UH, THAT WE HAVE FOR, FOR FLOOD CONTROL.
BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT IN DESIGN, WE ASK FOR THOSE OPTIONS SO THEN WE CAN MAKE THOSE DECISIONS AS A COURT.
YOU KNOW, UM, ON MY PRESENTATION HERE, UM, ROADS, I LEFT, UH, FLAT, YOU KNOW, 187 MILLION IN ROAD PROJECTS.
I LEFT THAT AT 187 MILLION, UM, CREEKS AND TRAILS.
I, I CUT BACK, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY HERE.
AND, AND THERE'S MULTIPLE PIECES TO THIS.
FIRST OF ALL, THE, THE QUESTION IS AROUND, YOU KNOW, CAN WE OUTSOURCE SOME OF THIS WITH GRANTS AND, AND OUTSIDE FUNDING? AND I'VE ASKED THAT QUESTION, YOU KNOW, BEFORE.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS, CAN WE VALUE ENGINEER THESE, UH, CREEKS AND TRAILS GOING FORWARD? BECAUSE SOME OF THE COSTS, UM, COST PER MILE, I MEAN, I BELIEVE HAVE RUN UP INTO THE THREE, $4 MILLION PER MILE RANGE, UM, WHICH SEEMS REALLY, REALLY COSTLY FOR A TRAIL.
AND I THINK WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO, TO PUSH BACK ON THAT.
I KNOW COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS AND SOME OF THEIR HIGH-END ESTIMATES, BUT WE HAVE TO GET A HANDLE ON THIS AND, AND PUSH THAT DOWN.
BUT EVEN GOING BEYOND THOSE TWO COST SAVING MEASURES, I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT MAKES SENSE? WHAT WOULD WE PRIORITIZE? AND KIND OF COMPLETING THE RING OF, UH, THE GREENWAY SYSTEM, UH, WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND AND CONTINUING TO EXPAND THERE.
AND WE HONESTLY HAVE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH OURSELVES ABOUT HOW MANY MILES OF CREEKS AND TRAILS DO WE NEED IN BD COUNTY, UM, AND HOW MANY ARE WE WILLING TO FUND WITH TAXPAYER DOLLARS? YOU KNOW, IS THAT 80 MILES? IS THAT A HUNDRED MILES? IS THAT 150 MILES? IS THAT 200 MILES? AND IF WE'RE PAYING THREE OR $4 MILLION PER MILE, AT SOME POINT, TAXPAYERS ARE GONNA BE TIRED OF THAT, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE TO SAY NO.
SO I THINK, UM, THESE ARE SOME THINGS JUST TO, TO THINK ABOUT THERE, BUT I THINK THERE'S SOME WAYS TO LEVERAGE THIRD PARTY FUNDING.
I THINK THERE'S SOME WAYS TO VALUE ENGINEER.
AND THEN I THINK SOME OF THIS COMES WITH JUST DETERMINING WHERE WE'RE GONNA DRAW THE LINE AS A COUNTY IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH ADDITIONAL MONEY WE WANT TO INVEST IN CREEKS AND TRAILS.
AND I'VE SAID BEFORE, UH, FROM THEAS, I'VE USED OUR CREEKS AND TRAILS.
I, I'VE TAKE THE KIDS OUT FOR BIKE RIDES ON, ON OUR TRAIL SYSTEM.
[01:45:02]
YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT THERE, THERE HAS TO BE A DECISIONS ABOUT HOW MUCH ADDITIONAL FUNDS WE WANT TO INVEST.I ALSO, YOU KNOW, WANT TO ASK A QUESTION MAYBE ON THE HISTORY HERE, BECAUSE SOME OF THIS WAS PART OF, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS, IS A HANDSHAKE AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY.
SO I DON'T KNOW TODAY, FIRST OF ALL, WHAT, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THOSE PROJECTS ARE TIED TO THAT, YOU KNOW, HANDSHAKE DEAL WITH THEIR, THEIR, UH, UM, TRAIL SYSTEM VERSUS OUR COUNTY INJECTS INTO THE TRAIL SYSTEM.
SO TONY WILL CHECK ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I WANNA SAY IT WAS ABOUT $80 MILLION.
83.4 MILLION WAS HOWARD PEAK TRAILS THAT WE AGREED TO PAY FOR.
AND HOW MUCH OF THAT 80 MILLION HAS ALREADY BEEN CONSTRUCTED OR PAID FOR? COME, COME, COME BACK TO THE MIC, PLEASE, COMMISSIONER.
CURRENTLY WE HAVE, UM, THERE'S EIGHT TASK ORDERS THAT ARE UNDERWAY.
I THINK, LET'S SEE, HOW MANY ARE CITY RELATED? 1, 2, 3, 4, 4 OF THE EIGHT ARE, ARE TASK ORDERS, UH, THAT ARE RELATED TO CITY TRAILS.
UM, ALL OF THEM ARE IN DESIGN.
NONE OF NONE HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED.
NONE HAVE BEEN STARTED CONSTRUCTION.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE STILL IN DESIGN, SO, OKAY.
UM, I GUESS MY POINT I WANT WANT TO MAKE THERE IS, UM, WE, WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT NO DECISION OF THIS COURT, COMBINE A FUTURE COURT, RIGHT? AND SO WE ALSO NEED TO BE REALLY CAUTIOUS ABOUT HANDSHAKE DEAL, UH, BINDING A, A, A FUTURE COURT AS WELL, AND WHAT THAT NECESSARILY MEANS.
SO, YOU KNOW, I WASN'T PRIVY TO IT, I WASN'T PART OF THAT CONVERSATION WHEN IT TOOK PLACE, BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT THAT COMMITMENT MEANS, AND, AND OBVIOUSLY WHERE WE WERE MAYBE WHEN WE MADE THAT HANDSHAKE DEAL IS DIFFERENT TODAY, RIGHT? THAT WAS BEFORE THE RATINGS AGENCY SAID WE WERE UNDER REVIEW.
WAS THAT WHEN WE WERE AT 2.2 BILLION IN DEBT? OR WAS THAT WHEN WE WERE AT 1.8 BILLION IN DEBT AND NOW WE'RE AT 2.5? SO THINGS CHANGE, RIGHT? AND IF THINGS CHANGE, THEN WHAT, WHAT IS OUR REQUIREMENT TO, UH, TO, TO MAINTAIN OUR, OUR COMMITMENT TO A HANDSHAKE DEAL WHEN, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE WASN'T ANY, YOU KNOW, BACKGROUND ON OUR CURRENT SITUATION VERSUS WHERE WE WERE HEADED IN TERMS OF DEBT AND, UM, EXPENSES.
SO ANY THOUGHTS? I'LL JUST, JUST TO BE PERFECTLY CLEAR, THAT PHRASE IS MINE.
HANDSHAKE DEAL, PUBLIC STATEMENTS WERE MADE.
WELL, WE DIDN'T, I UNDERSTAND.
WE DIDN'T DO A VOTE, IF I RECALL THE, YEAH, THE COURT DID DO A VOTE.
YEAH, IT STARTED AS A HANDSHAKE, BUT THE COURT DID A VOTE.
WELL, THANKS FOR, FOR THE HISTORY THERE.
I, I DID SAY, HEY, LET'S INCREASE THIS, RIGHT? IF, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T CUT EVERYWHERE.
AGAIN, THIS GETS TO PRIORITIZING, RIGHT? I THINK EVERYBODY APPRECIATES PARKS IN THEIR PRECINCT.
AND I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S SOME UPGRADES THAT, THAT NEED TO TAKE PLACE.
UH, AND YOU KNOW, SO I SAID, WELL, LET'S ADD ANOTHER 25 MILLION THERE.
BUT THIS WAS MY ATTEMPT AT SAYING, HEY, EACH, EACH OF US PROBABLY HAVE OUR OWN PRIORITIES, RIGHT? AND EACH OF US WOULD DO THIS EXERCISE DIFFERENTLY.
BUT I DO THINK KIND OF DOING THIS EXERCISE HELPS US THINK ABOUT WHAT THE OVERALL PRIORITIES OF THE COURT WOULD BE AND WHERE AGAIN, WE WANNA PRIORITIZE AND WHERE WE MAY WANNA PULL BACK OR WHERE WE WANT, WANT TO DELAY MORE.
SO THAT'S WHY I DID THIS, NOT JUST TO OPEN MYSELF UP FOR CRITICISM, BUT, YOU KNOW, TO, UH, TO ACTUALLY PUT SOMETHING OUT THERE SO WE COULD TALK ABOUT IT.
UM, I THINK LAST THING, AND THEN, THEN I'LL KIND OF CLOSE UP HERE.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE TALKED ABOUT FACILITIES A LITTLE BIT, AND YOU JUST MENTIONED THE JAIL, YOU KNOW, AND, AND TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT ARE LIKELY GONNA BE SPENT ON RENOVATIONS IN THE FUTURE.
THERE, WE KNOW THERE ARE INJECTS THAT ARE CONSTANTLY COMING HIGH PRIORITY INJECTS THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO FIND FUNDING FOR AS A COURT.
SO, UH, AGAIN, THI THIS EXERCISE, I, I THINK WE HAVE TO TAKE SERIOUSLY, NOT ONLY FROM, YOU KNOW, WALKING UP TO THE EDGE OF THE CLIFF AND SAYING, HEY, WE'RE FINE.
WE'RE, WE'RE ON SOLID GROUND, YOU KNOW, UM, THE, THE REVIEW HAS PASSED.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE TREADING WATER AT 2.5 BILLION, AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE HAVE MASSIVE FAILURE AT THE JAIL AND NOW WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH, YOU KNOW, A BILLION DOLLARS IN DEBT OVER THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, FIVE YEARS? HOW ARE WE GOING TO EXECUTE THAT? MY POINT BEING, I WOULD MUCH RATHER OPERATE FROM A POINT
[01:50:01]
WHERE WE HAVE FLEXIBILITY, FLEXIBILITY FROM A DEBT STANDPOINT TO ADD ADDITIONAL DEBT WHEN WE, IF SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS AND WE NEED TO, UH, TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT MAJOR INVESTMENT GOING FORWARD.AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, NOT WALKING UP TO THE, UH, THE EDGE OF THE CLIFF, BUT STAYING FARTHER BACK AND MAKING SURE WE HAVE ADDITIONAL ROOM TO, UH, TO TAKE OUT DEBT WHEN WE NEED IT FOR THESE LARGER INJECTS THAT ARE LIKELY COMING WOULD BE PRUDENT.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I WOULD, I WOULD, UH, ADVOCATE FOR ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT, DAVID, OBVIOUSLY THE MORE ROOM YOU CARVE OUT FOR FUTURE CAPACITY, THE MORE FLEXIBILITY YOU WOULD HAVE TO ISSUE IN THE FUTURE.
SO, NO, I, I APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE I THINK IF WE, UH, WE DON'T WANNA JUST TREAD WATER, UH, WHERE WE'RE UNDER REVIEW EVERY TIME WE GO OUT FOR NEW DEBT.
UM, WE WOULD RATHER BE IN A PLACE WHERE WE HAVE BREATHING ROOM, WHERE WE HAVE FLEXIBILITY AND IF WE NEED TO MAKE A MAJOR, UH, CAPITAL INVESTMENT, UM, WE HAVE THAT ABILITY WITHOUT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BEING DOWNGRADED OR PAYING A HIGHER INTEREST RATE ON THAT DEBT GOING FORWARD.
UM, SO I, I THINK I COVERED MOST OF MY POINTS HERE.
I, I KNOW MY COLLEAGUES MAY HAVE SOME, SOME FEEDBACK AND, AND SOME, UH, DIFFERING THOUGHTS, BUT I, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THIS DISCUSSION.
I APPRECIATE THE, THE WORK THAT STAFF HAVE DONE ON IT.
YOU KNOW, I FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE MORATORIUM AND THE, UM, THE REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTIONS, UH, GOING FORWARD.
I DO THINK THAT WHETHER WE MAKE REAL CUTS AND DECISIONS ABOUT THE, THE CAPITAL PLAN, AND WHETHER THAT'S AS A COURT OR WHETHER THAT'S INDIVIDUALLY BY PRECINCT, WHICH AGAIN, I WOULD RECOMMEND, UM, WE HAVE TO AT LEAST MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT WE WANNA PRIORITIZE WHEN IT COMES TO DELAYS.
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I THINK WE, WE HEARD TODAY THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT, THAT CAN'T BE DELAYED OR SHOULDN'T BE DELAYED.
UH, AND THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, COULD BE DELAYED TWICE AS LONG AND YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S NOT GONNA CAUSE AN IMPACT OPERATION.
SO I THINK WE ALL OWE THAT TO, TO COUNTY STAFF AND, AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION AND MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT WE WANNA PRIORITIZE RATHER THAN TREATING EVERYTHING THE SAME BECAUSE, UM, THAT, THAT I DON'T THINK IS THE BEST, UH, PATH FORWARD FOR US.
UH, I, I MUST SAY THAT IN, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY 44 YEARS OF FOLLOWING, UH, PUBLIC POLICY, UH, 'CAUSE I, I HAD A COUPLE MONTHS ON, 'CAUSE I THINK I WAS LISTENING TO IT IN MY MOTHER'S WOMB, UM, THAT THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST ENLIGHTENING PUBLIC POLICY CONVERSATIONS I'VE EVER BEEN A PART OF AND I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR IT.
UM, DAVID, TELL ME, WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT IS THE FACT THAT WHEN WE'RE DOING THESE CREDIT ASSESSMENTS, THE CREDIT ASSESSMENT IS BASED BOTH ON DEBT AND REVENUE.
RIGHT? SO, UM, WE HAVEN'T TALKED REALLY AT ALL ABOUT, UH, GROWTH AND WHAT THAT, UH, NEW HOUSING STARTS IN BEAIRD COUNTY MEANS TO THE CREDIT.
UH, BUT LET'S JUST SAY THAT BASED UPON, UH, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW.
IT'S HARD 'CAUSE WE'RE NOT REALLY GET, WE CAN'T REALLY HAVE THE DEBT CONVERSATION WITHOUT THE REVENUE CONVERSATION.
SO, UM, HOW MUCH MORE DEBT WOULD HAVE TO BE ADDED ON THE COUNTY DEBT FOR US TO LOWER OUR CREDIT RATING, ASSUMING GROWTH OF THIS YEAR, JUST KEEPING THIS REVENUE AND GROWTH EQUAL THIS YEAR? WELL, AGAIN, WHAT THE TWO AGENCIES WERE HIGHLIGHTING WAS NOT THE, WHETHER WE COULD AFFORD OUR DEBT.
IE DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH REVENUE TO PAY YOUR DEBT SERVICE? THEY KNOW WE'VE GOT THAT.
THEY CAN SEE THE MATH AS WELL.
THEY'RE SAYING SIMPLY PUT, WHEN WE TAKE YOUR $2.5 BILLION IN LONG-TERM, ACTUALLY IT'S MORE BECAUSE THEY INCLUDE LONG-TERM PENSION LIABILITY AS WELL AS RETIREE, FUTURE RETIREE HEALTHCARE COSTS.
AND THEY COUNT THEM AS LONG TERM LIABILITIES AS WELL.
BUT WHEN YOU TAKE THOSE AND DIVIDE IT BY 2 MILLION OR SO, WHICH IS WHAT OUR POPULATION IS, YOU'RE THE HIGHEST IN TEXAS.
I STILL WANT TO GET TO THE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION, HOW MUCH MORE DEBT WOULD WE HAVE TO ADD ON TO DROP CREDIT RATINGS? SO I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT OUR LONG RANGE FORECAST AGAIN TO SEE HOW MUCH WOULD CAUSE US TO DROP BELOW OUR POLICY GUIDANCE ON DEBT SERVICE FUND BALANCE, WHICH IS 15%, I BELIEVE.
SO YOU THINK OUR FUND BALANCE, UH, IS THE MARKER MORE THAN THE ACTUAL NUMBER
[01:55:01]
I, THE TREND TOWARDS ACTUALLY DIPPING BELOW THAT REQUIRED FUND BALANCE WOULD BE WHAT THEY WOULD LOOK FOR? SO WHEN I READ MITCH'S, MOODY'S RATHER, SORRY, I'M GETTING FITCH.YEAH, IT WAS, UH, SO, UH, I THINK MOODY'S HAD INDICATED IT WAS ABOUT 400 MILLION THAT THE COUNTY HAD.
LET ME ACTUALLY, I CAN QUOTE THEM, UH, DIRECTLY, UH, BUT I WON'T, I WON'T TAKE TOO MUCH TIME ON THAT.
BUT REALLY IN A CONVERSATION ABOUT FLEXIBILITY, WE HAVE TO KNOW THESE NUMBERS AND I THINK WE HAVE TO KNOW THESE NUMBERS BASED UPON, UH, THE ANNUAL PROJECTIONS, UM, AS, AS OPPOSED TO THE LONG TERM.
NOW, DON'T GET ME WRONG, BUT YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE THING THAT WILL PROBABLY, I THINK PROBABLY GET US TILTED TOWARDS A DOWNGRADE HAS TO DO WITH, UH, FASTER WOULD BE THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT SIDE VERSUS THE LONG-TERM, UH, HEALTHCARE LIABILITIES.
UNLESS YOU HAD A WHOLE BUNCH OF BABY BOOMERS GET SICK.
AND TO BE HONEST, THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT YOU CAN DO ABOUT STUFF THAT'S ACTUARIAL LIKE THAT.
UM, OTHER THAN DO WHAT WE'VE DONE, WHICH IS GOOD MANAGEMENT AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THE ADJUSTMENTS INTO OUR RESERVES, UM, YOU KNOW, FAR BE IT FOR ME TO BE A COUNTRY FINANCE GUY.
I MEAN, I GUESS I'M, YOU KNOW, NOT A COUNTRY LAWYER.
HEY, DON'T ACCUSE ME OF BEING AN ACTUARY.
UM, IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT SET OF BLACK ARTS THERE.
SO I THINK THOSE ARE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE NEED TO, NOBODY ON THE COURT ASKS THAT QUESTION.
LIKE, WHAT IS GONNA DRIVE YOU TO A LOWER NEGATIVE RATING? FASTEST IT'S GONNA BE THE NEW DEBT INCURRED.
OKAY? SO WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT THAT NUMBER WOULD BE FOR US TO HAVE AN EDUCATED CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT WE CAN AFFORD AND WHAT WE CANNOT AFFORD.
SO WE, WE CAN'T HAVE AN EDUCATED CONVERSATION UNTIL WE, WE GET THAT ALONG WITH REVENUE NUMBERS.
UH, AND I, I BELIEVE THAT REVENUE, BECAUSE WE HAVE 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE MOVING HERE IN THE NEXT, UH, SEVEN, EIGHT YEARS, UH, WILL CONTINUE TO BE FAIRLY STRONG AS LONG AS WE DEAL WITH SOME OF OUR CHRONIC, UH, THINGS THAT DRAG, UH, THE COMMUNITY DOWN, LIKE POVERTY, UH, AND HOME OWNERSHIP AND HOMELESSNESS.
I THINK THOSE ARE THINGS THAT COULD HAVE PEOPLE LEAVE, RIGHT? I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU SAW AN EXODUS IN DETROIT, RIGHT? AND THEY ALWAYS COMPARE SAN ANTONIO TO DETROIT IN TERMS OF POVERTY, RIGHT? AND SO YOU SAW A SUBURBAN EXODUS IN DETROIT TO NEIGHBORING SUBURBAN COUNTIES THAT GREW WHILE DETROIT DIED BECAUSE THERE WAS TOO MUCH POVERTY, TOO MUCH HOMELESSNESS.
IT JUST BECAME UGLY, FRANKLY, FOR A LOT OF, A LOT OF THE FOLKS.
THEY JUST, THEY JUST DIDN'T WANT TO BE THERE.
SO THAT IS AN IMPORTANT FOCUS FOR, FOR, FOR ME, IN TERMS OF OUR LONG-TERM, UH, FINANCIAL STRENGTH THAT WE CONTINUE TO BE A PLACE, A DESTINATION OF DOING BUSINESS.
SO I THINK THAT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, THERE HAS BEEN SOME TALK AROUND, I, I MEAN, I'M GONNA JUST BRING IT UP.
IT'S A 800 POUND GORILLA IN THE ROOM ABOUT LAYING OFF AND NOT BEING ABLE TO PAY LIKE JUDICIAL BILLS.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT CAME FROM, BUT IT CAME FROM JUDGES THAT THEY HAD HEARD THAT THERE WAS NOT GONNA BE.
SO I JUST WANNA CLEAR THAT UP TODAY.
IS THERE ANY CONCERN ABOUT US NOT BEING ABLE TO PAY THE JUDICIAL LEO, ARE YOU NOT PAYING THE, THE BILLS? I JUST WANNA CLEAR, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, RUMORS AND POLITICS GO AROUND REALLY FAST.
SO EVERYBODY'S OKAY WITH THE JUDICIARY, THE, THE NON-DISCRETIONARY, UH, PORTION OF OUR BUDGET WE ARE NOT HAVING ANY DEFAULT ISSUES WITH.
I JUST WANNA PUT THAT TO BE, 'CAUSE THAT CAME TO ME FROM JUDGES.
I SAID SOMEBODY'S GOING TO JAIL IF THAT'S THE CASE.
UM, SO, UH, I I I, I LIKE THE, I LIKE THE EXERCISE THAT COMMISSIONER MOODY DID WITH RESPECT TO, UH, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUAL PRECINCTS.
I HAVE DONE, I HAVE ACTUALLY DONE, UM, SOME REPRIORITIZATION I'VE TALKED TO THE RIVER AUTHORITY ABOUT SOME OF THAT.
UM, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE JAIL FOR A SECOND, BECAUSE I WANT TO GET TO THE REALITY OF, OF THE JAIL SITUATION.
WE'VE CORDED OFF THE JAIL NOW WITH A BIG, LARGE GATE SUCH THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ACTUALLY IN SOME WAYS LAND THAT COULD BE BUILT UP WITHIN THE COMPLEX NOW THAT YOU DON'T HAVE THE STREET TO INTERSECT.
UM, OR IT COULD BE REORGANIZED IN SOME WAY.
UM, HAS THERE BEEN ANY ANALYSIS OF LIKE HOW MUCH IS ON THE CURRENT JAIL FOOTPRINT, HOW MUCH ACREAGE, I SHOULD SAY, WHERE EXPANSION COULD TAKE PLACE IF WE NEEDED IT? I DON'T KNOW.
WE WENT THROUGH THAT EXERCISE, I WANT TO SAY 7, 8, 9, 10 YEARS AGO.
BUT IT, IT, I WOULD SAY SEVEN YEARS AGO WITH, WITH THAT FENCE NOT BEING IN REALITY, YOU'VE ACTUALLY OPENED UP MORE
[02:00:01]
ACREAGE IN A WAY, UH, FOR EXPANSION.SO, SO AGAIN, THE JAIL CAMPUS IS ITS OWN KIND OF WORK IN PROGRESS.
SO WE'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING FORWARD AND SEEING, UH, JUST RECENTLY WITH THE, THE, THE, UM, THE JAIL POPULATION STAYING CONSISTENT.
SO WE'RE JUST STARTING THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
SO WHAT WE WANNA PREPARE IS KIND OF 10 YEAR MARKS TO BRING TO THE COURT AND SAY, IN 10 YEARS, HOW MANY BEDS DO YOU THINK YOU NEED TO ADD? AND WHAT DOES THAT DO TO THE CAMPUS IN 10 MORE YEARS AFTER THAT, AND 20 YEARS, HOW MANY BEDS WOULD YOU NEED TO ADD? SO THAT ANALYSIS IS STARTING AT A, JUST A DISCUSSION WITH STAKEHOLDERS RIGHT NOW.
WE, LIKE DAVID SAID, WE HAVE, WE'VE RESEARCHED CENTRAL MAGISTRATION IN THE CAMPUS MANY, MANY TIMES, 2009, 2015, 2016.
AND THOSE HAVE THOSE, THE, THE RESULTS OF SOME OF THOSE STUDIES HAVE BEEN SO ENORMOUS OF PROJECTS THAT THE COURT HAS DECIDED TO TAKE SMALLER BITS AND PIECES OF THOSE TO SOLVE REAL TIME SOLUTIONS.
UH, SO I DON'T WANT TO BRING YOU SOMETHING THAT'S, LET'S SAY $750 MILLION OF A PROJECT WHEN WE COULD SOLVE THAT PROBLEM FOR A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS.
SO WE KNOW THE BONES OF THE BUILDING ARE SOLID.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A VERY INTENTIONALLY SOLID BUILDING.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A DETENTION LEVEL FACILITY.
UM, AND WE ARE, I, I'D LIKEN IT TO, IT'S, IT'S A BODY, RIGHT? AND WE ARE KIND OF TAKING THE SKELETON OUT OF IT YEAH.
AND PUTTING THE SKELETON BACK.
SO WE'RE REPLACING MAJOR COMPONENTS.
SO WE'VE SYSTEMATICALLY BEEN DOING THAT.
REPLACED ALL THE LIGHT FIXTURES.
WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING ALL THE TOILET FIXTURES AND SINKS, AND WE'LL REPLACE ALL THE SLIDING DOORS, MOVEMENT DOORS, SECURITY, ELECTRONICS, AND KIND OF THE ELECTRONICS OR THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS, DISTRIBUTION PANELS AND MOTOR CONTROL CENTER ARE AT THE, KINDA THE LAST PIECE OF THAT.
SO MY GOAL IS THAT IN THE NEXT FIVE TO SIX YEARS, YOU HAVE A BUILDING THAT WILL SURVIVE YOU ANOTHER 20.
SO, IN SPITE OF WHAT ENGINEERS COME TO US AND LOBBY FOR NEW BUILDINGS, HAVING JUST REPLACED IT, IT MAY NOT IT BE THE RIGHT TIME.
SO, SO THE GOING RATE FOR A JAIL BED IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, IF YOU WERE TO BUILD A NEW ONE FOR A SECURE JAIL BED IS ABOUT A HUNDRED TO $150,000 PER BED.
SO IF YOU WERE TO REPLACE, JUST REPLACE OUR 5,000 BEDS, YOU'RE TALKING 500 TO $600 MILLION FOR THAT BUILDING WITH NO FUTURE CAPACITY.
AND, AND, AND SO WE COULD BE A BILLION DOLLARS TO FORWARD THINK A FACILITY FOR THE NEXT 30 YEARS.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, I'M SKEPTICAL OF THAT NUMBER BECAUSE WHAT I'VE SEEN REPORTED NATIONALLY IS 200 TO $250,000 AT THAT.
SO, SO I THINK FROM YOUR COUNTY, I WANNA BRING YOU BACK, DAVID.
UM, FROM A COUNTY MANAGER'S STANDPOINT, I THINK YOU HAVE TO BRING IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO HELP WITH PROJECTIONS ON JAIL BEDS IN THE FUTURE, NOT JUST THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
AND THE REASON IS, UH, WHEN THE STATE OF TEXAS DETERMINES, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY PRISONS THEY'RE GONNA BILL, THEY LOOK AT THIRD GRADE READING LEVELS IN HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT LEVELS.
RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S JUST PART OF THE STATE OF TEXAS'S DETENTION CENTER PLANNING.
UM, CRIMINOLOGISTS CAN LOOK AT, UM, SIMILAR STATS IN BEXAR COUNTY WITH RESPECT TO THE FACT THAT ONE IN TWO PEOPLE IN THE BEX COUNTY JAIL, OH, SORRY.
YOU, YOU NEED, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU NEEDED TO SHARE ANYTHING, BUT, UH, DAN WAS JUST REMINDING ME THAT THE MEADOWS FOUNDATION DID SOME OF THAT WITH A STUDY THEY DID FOR UNIVERSITY HEALTH.
SO WE NEED TO COMPARE WHAT THE MEADOWS FOUNDATION PUT OUT AND WHAT THE, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A COUPLE YEARS THAT, THAT I THINK IT WAS LIKE 2018, MAYBE TWO YEARS.
SO COMPARE IT TO WHERE IT'S ACTUALLY HITTING.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, ONE IN TWO PEOPLE IN THE JAIL IS A HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN LOOK AT HOW HAVE WE BEEN DOING POST PANDEMIC IN TERMS OF WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WITH THAT.
UM, AND GET SOME PUBLIC HEALTH ANALYSIS ABOUT REALLY, YOU KNOW, DO WE REALLY NEED TO BUILD A NEW GEL OR DO WE HAVE ENOUGH ACREAGE, UM, ON THE ACTUAL CAMPUS TO DO THAT.
LET ME ASK YOU, FROM A FINANCE STANDPOINT, WITH WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, WITH RESPECT TO THE BASEBALL STADIUM, HOW MUCH REVENUE WOULD THE COUNTY BE IN ITS PORTION OF THE HOUSTON STREET TOURS CONTRIBUTING FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BASEBALL? HOW MANY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WILL WE HAVE FOR THAT? UH, WHAT WE WOULD BE DIRECTLY PAYING FOR IS ACTUAL THE ANNUAL DEBT SERVICE ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
THAT'S WHAT OUR INCREMENT WOULD BE USED FOR.
IT'S A SMALLER PORTION THAN THE CITIES.
BUT WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS THE MONETARY AMOUNT, UH, TO THE COUNTY? I WOULD HAVE TO GO LOOK THAT UP OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
COMMISSIONER IS, SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT $160 MILLION PROJECT.
WOULD WE BE TAKING 40 MILLION OF IT? 50 MILLION OF IT? 60, 80.
WHEN I GET BACK TO THE OFFICE, I CAN TELL YOU WHAT THE CURRENT SET OF PROJECTIONS SHOWS.
I JUST DON'T HAVE IT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD THIS TIME OF YEAR.
NO, I HAVE A LOT OF NUMBERS IN MY HEAD AS WELL, BUT I THINK IT, WE CAN'T HAVE AN EDUCATED CONVERSATION ABOUT OUR DEBT WITHOUT SAYING THAT THERE IS A REAL FISCAL
[02:05:01]
IMPACT TO THE BOTTOM LINE OF THE COUNTY.UH, FOREGOING, UH, THAT PORTION OF REVENUE THAT WOULD GO POTENTIALLY TO THE GENERAL FUND.
WE, WE ARE ON THE HOOK FOR HOUSTON STREET DEVELOPMENT IN GENERAL, BUT THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A MORE AGGRESSIVE PLAN FOR THAT DEVELOPMENT AND PROBABLY THE PERCENTAGE OF PARTICIPATION, UM, WHERE MOST PROJECTS YOU CAN NEGOTIATE, WHAT IS THE NUMBER WE'RE GONNA PROBABLY HAVE TO GIVE A MAXIMUM AMOUNT TO HELP THESE PROJECTS.
EIGHT DIFFERENT, I THINK REAL ESTATE OR WHATEVER IT IS, HOWEVER MANY PROJECTS IT IS DEVELOPED, IT'S GONNA BE AT THE KIND OF THE MAX THAT, THAT WE'RE DOING.
AND, AND THAT IS A POTENTIAL, UM, THAT'S A POTENTIAL HIT TO THE GENERAL FUND.
I DON'T SEE IT THAT WAY, COMMISSIONER.
BUT IF YOU DECIDED NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE HOUSTON STREET TURS, THEN YES, THAT WOULD BE FUNDING THAT WOULD GO TO THE GENERAL FUND.
SO THERE'S MONEY LOCKED UP IN ANY TUR.
SO LET'S JUST PUT IT THAT WAY IN ANY TURS THAT WE HAVE, UH, THAT WE PARTICIPATION ON.
SO, SO THAT'S, THAT'S MAYBE PART OF AN ANALYSIS, UH, THAT WE GIVE WITH RESPECT TO INJECTS AND, AND, AND REVENUE AND, UH, CUTS.
UM, I, I, I DID HAVE, YOU KNOW, SOME CONCERN OVER CONTRIBUTING TO THE CITY'S CONVENTION CENTER AND THE LANDBRIDGE, UH, ST.
UM, AND SOME OF THE DOWNTOWN PROJECTS THAT I'VE HEARD SOME MEMBERS OF THE COURT ARE INTERESTED IN, PARTICULARLY 'CAUSE I REPRESENT DOWNTOWN.
UM, I LISTEN TO WHAT THE RESIDENTS OF DOWNTOWN ACTUALLY WANT.
UM, AND SO THERE IS CONCERN, UM, YOU KNOW, ABOUT TRAFFIC DENSITY.
UM, THERE IS EXCITEMENT FROM SOME, UH, WITH RESPECT TO, YOU KNOW, MOVING AN ARENA INTO THE HEMISPHERE PARK.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT IS, THAT IS THERE, BUT IT DOESN'T GENERALLY COME FROM THE RESIDENTS WHO LIVE IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
IT ACTUALLY COMES FROM PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTY.
UM, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT IN THIS BUDGET DECISIONS AS WE WEIGH, YOU KNOW, WHERE DO WE PUT MONEY AND WHERE DO WE NOT, WHEN WE HAVE COMMUNITY WHO ACTUALLY LIVE IN THOSE AREAS, I THINK THEIR, THEIR CONVERSATIONS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT TO, TO, TO BEAR IN MIND.
SO I JUST WANNA STATE THAT, UM, FOR THE RECORD.
UM, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT GOES INTO WHAT THEY ARE ON RECORD, INCLUDING THE SAN PEDRO CREEK OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ABOUT THE BASEBALL STADIUM VERSUS THE LINK.
PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY LIVE DOWNTOWN WANT THE LINK.
THINGS OF THAT NATURE, I THINK ARE IMPORTANT TO KNOW FROM THE COURT PERSPECTIVE, UH, BECAUSE YOU WILL HEAR IT FROM RESIDENTS AT SOME POINT, UM, IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY WANT.
SO IN ANY EVENT, THIS HAS BEEN A, A WONDERFUL EXERCISE.
I THINK IN TERMS OF, UM, THE DEBT CONVERSATION.
THANK YOU, JUDGE COMMISSIONER MOODY.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO, TO FOLLOW UP ON, UH, A COUPLE THINGS THAT COMMISSIONER CALVERT BROUGHT UP.
UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THE, UH, THE JAIL, UH, SITUATION.
I, I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THESE, THESE THINGS LIKELY ONLY GO IN ONE DIRECTION, RIGHT? AND WE, UM, BUMPED UP AGAINST OUR JAIL CAPACITY THIS SUMMER.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE TRANSPORTED INMATES.
I DON'T SEE THAT PROBLEM GETTING BETTER AS WE ADD, YOU KNOW, A MILLION MILLION FIVE POPULATION OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS OR MORE.
UM, SO I THINK THAT, THAT IT IS PRUDENT FOR US TO CONTINUE TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN ADDRESS THAT SITUATION GOING FORWARD AND, AND LOOK AT THE TRADE-OFFS, UM, YOU KNOW, COST OF FINANCING, UH, ADDITIONAL BEDS VERSUS THE COST OF HAVING A MORE ROBUST PLAN IN, UM, UTILIZING ADDITIONAL CAPACITY IN OTHER COUNTIES.
RIGHT? I, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT TRADES OFF IN TERMS OF THE FINANCES AND, AND THE COST.
OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE TRANSPORTATION COSTS, YOU'RE PAYING TO LEASE THOSE BEDS, BUT, YOU KNOW, VERSUS THE ALTERNATIVE OF, YOU KNOW, A MASSIVE CAPITAL EXPENSE IN TERMS OF EXPANDING ADDITIONAL BEDS, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE WILL HAVE TO THINK ABOUT.
I DO JUST WANT TO, AGAIN, HIGHLIGHT ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK WE, WE CAN DO TO TRY TO BRING DOWN THAT JAIL POPULATION THAT, THAT I FULLY SUPPORT IS THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN, UM, IMPROVE THE THROUGHPUT OF OUR COURTS.
UM, AS WE IMPROVE THE THROUGHPUT, UH, WE REDUCE THE LENGTH OF STAY OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS IN THE JAIL.
SO, UH, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, VICTIMS ARE, ARE GETTING, UH, JUSTICE,
[02:10:01]
UH, QUICKER, UM, THAT INMATES FIND OUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE VERDICT ON, ON THEIR CASE.AND, YOU KNOW, EITHER THEY'RE MOVING ON TO THE PRISON SYSTEM OR, OR NOT.
BUT, UM, I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, JUST FROM, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THAT THAT IS REAL AND TANGIBLE AND WE CAN CONTROL, RIGHT? IF WE CAN, WE CAN TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT COURTS HAVE THE RESOURCES AND WE CAN TRY TO EXPEDITE THE, UH, THE PROCESS THERE AS, AS BEST WE CAN.
UM, THE OTHER COMMENT THAT I JUST WANTED TO, TO TOUCH ON WAS AROUND THE RESERVE FUND.
'CAUSE I THINK COMMISSIONER CALVERT BRINGS UP A GOOD POINT.
'CAUSE THE, AND, AND WE HADN'T REALLY TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT THERE'S AN INTERSECTION HERE BETWEEN THE LONG-TERM BUDGET DISCUSSION, RIGHT? WITH THE INTERSECTING LINES AND THIS DEBT DISCUSSION, BECAUSE THAT RESERVE FUND, WHICH IS HEALTHY TODAY, UM, I, I'LL GIVE YOU THAT, UH, VERY HEALTHY ABOVE THE, THE 15%.
HOWEVER, AS YOU SHOWED IN, IN THOSE INTERSECTING LINES OVER THE NEXT, LIKE THREE TO FIVE YEARS, THAT RESERVE FUND WILL BE DEPLETED WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, DECISIONS BEING MADE BY THIS COURT IN TERMS OF WHAT'S FUNDED AND WHAT'S NOT.
COULD, COULD YOU JUST SPEAK TO THAT? AM AM I INTERPRETING THAT CORRECTLY? YOU ARE.
WHAT WE SHOWED YOU WAS, THERE WERE TWO DIFFERENT GRAPHS.
ONE WAS THE GENERAL FUND LONG RANGE FORECAST, WHICH HAS A VERY HEALTHY RESERVE FUND, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT'S WHERE THE GENERAL FUND IS, WHERE THE IMPACT OF THE CESSATION OF ARPA FUNDING BEING AVAILABLE WILL BE MOST DIRECTLY IMPACTED.
THE SECOND RESERVE FUND THAT I WAS JUST MENTIONING TODAY WAS THE DEBT SERVE RESERVE FUND.
IT'S ALSO HEALTHY, NOT TO THE EXTENT OF THE GENERAL FUND, BUT IT'S IN GOOD SHAPE AT THE MOMENT.
AND THAT'S WHAT RATING AGENCIES PAY ATTENTION TO.
THEY PAY ATTENTION TO BOTH, BUT THEY LOOK PARTICULARLY AT YOUR DEBT SERVICE RESERVE FUND TO MAKE SURE IT REMAINS AT THE LEVELS YOU'VE COMMITTED TO KEEP THEM AT.
NO, APPRECIATE THAT CLARIFICATION.
BUT, BUT I DO JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT THERE IS, YOU KNOW, THIS INTERSECTION AS WE DEAL WITH CHALLENGES IN OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET GOING FORWARD, AND ULTIMATELY HOW IT COULD IMPACT THE OTHER SIDE WHEN IT COMES TO DEBT SERVICE, UH, COVERAGE.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ.
UM, I WANT TO CONCUR, IT'S BEEN A GREAT CONVERSATION, DAVID.
APPRECIATE YOU AND YOUR STAFF PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
UM, COMMISSIONER MOODY, APPRECIATE YOU ALSO TAKING A STAB AT THIS.
AND I KNOW YOU PROBABLY SPENT A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME POURING OVER THESE NUMBERS, UM, AND PUTTING YOURSELF OUT THERE, STICKING YOUR NECK OUT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, SO THAT TAKES A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF LEADERSHIP.
UH, IT ALSO OPENS YOURSELF UP TO SOME CRITICISM.
I KNOW YOU KNEW IT WAS COMING.
UM, SO THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY WITH, WITH RESPECT TO THIS, AND IT'S A, I MEAN, AGAIN, IT'S A, A GREAT STARTING POINT, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A SUGGESTED ALMOST 50% REDUCTION IN THE CREEKS AND TRAILS, UH, PROGRAM.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING I, I CAN'T, WOULD NOT SUPPORT.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE LIST OF THE PROJECTS UNDER CREEKS AND TRAILS, ABOUT 90% ARE IN PRECINCTS ONE, TWO, AND FOUR.
UM, AND SO YOU'RE ESSENTIALLY SUGGESTING A 50% CUT IN PROGRAMS OUTSIDE OF YOUR PRECINCT.
UM, AND I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT WAS INTENTIONAL.
I THINK THAT BY AND LARGE, THE NORTH SIDE CREEKS AND CHOKE PROGRAM HAVE BEEN BUILT OUT.
UM, WHAT I'M OPPOSED TO IS NOW SHORT CHANGING OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTY, UM, THAT DESERVE JUST AS NICE AMENITIES, UM, FLOOD CONTROL AS, UH, THE NORTH SIDE.
SO, UM, THE OTHER POINT I'LL MAKE WITH RESPECT TO CREEKS AND TRAILS IS YOU MENTIONED, UM, LEVERAGING DOLLARS OR LOOKING FOR OUTSIDE FUNDING.
UM, IN A LOT OF THESE, WE ARE, AND IN FACT, UM, YOU KNOW, MISSION REACH ON TO THE SOUTH WAS, WAS LEVERAGED FEDERAL DOLLARS.
WEST SIDE CREEKS WILL BE LEVERAGING FEDERAL DOLLARS.
UM, SO AGAIN, I, I KNOW THAT, UH, AGAIN, I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT IT WAS AN INTENTIONAL, BUT I KNOW, UM, IN SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF MY CONSTITUENTS, UM, WHO NEED, UH, THOSE AMENITIES, WHO WANT THOSE AMENITIES, WHO HAVE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, THOSE AMENITIES, IF YOU STILL GO, UM, TO WOODLAWN LAKE AND THE ALLAN TRAIL, YOU'LL DEAD END AT A CERTAIN POINT.
I MEAN, IT, IT'S, IT, IT NEEDS THE INVESTMENT.
UM, AND SO, UM, I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR, FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THE INVESTMENT IN CREEKS AND TRAILS.
I WAS PART OF THE COURT WHEN WE, UM, ENTERED INTO THAT, THAT DEAL WITH THE CITY.
UM, AND HIS BACKGROUND, DAVID, CORRECT
[02:15:01]
ME IF I'M WRONG, UM, THAT WAS A SHIFT OF A SALES TAX THAT HAD BEEN UTILIZED FOR YEARS, UM, TO PRESERVE THE EDWARDS AQUIFER, UH, RECHARGE ZONE.THAT'S THE MONEY CAME FROM THERE IN LARGE PART, UH, FOUR CREEKS AND TRAILS.
THE CITY WANTED TO SHIFT THOSE DOLLARS, UM, I THINK TO THE WORKFORCE PROGRAM.
UM, AND WE WERE BEING GOOD TEAM PLAYERS AND, AND AGREED TO CONTINUE THE CREEKS AND TRAILS PROGRAM IN EXCHANGE FOR THOSE DOLLARS BEING PUT INTO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND WORKFORCE BY THE CITY.
SO, UM, I, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE MENTION OF THAT.
I, I, I, I THINK, AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT MORE DISCUSSIONS TO BE HAD, BUT IN, IN TERMS OF, UM, CUTTING PROJECTS THAT ARE MEANINGFUL TO PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED FOR A LONG TIME, I, I CANNOT AND WILL NOT, UH, STAND FOR THOSE.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR THOSE AS WE GO THROUGH THIS DISCUSSION.
SO, UM, AGAIN, OVERALL, I THINK IT'S A HEALTHY DISCUSSION.
WE'RE GONNA ALWAYS HAVE SOME DISAGREEMENTS.
UM, I TRY TO BE, YOU KNOW, MEASURED WITH THAT.
BUT I, I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT BECAUSE I THINK, UH, WE'RE ALL HERE TO REPRESENT OUR CONSTITUENTS.
AND, AND I THINK COMMISSIONER MOODY, I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO HERE.
UM, BUT AGAIN, I, I WOULD DISAGREE IN, UM, I THINK THE, THE MEANS IN WHICH WE GET TO HOPEFULLY A, A PLACE WHERE WE CAN ALL AGREE.
UM, BUT I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE EQUITABLE.
SO THANK YOU, JUDGE COMMISSIONER CLIFF FLORES.
YEAH, SO, UM, I THINK THE REALITY IS THAT WE REALLY CAN AFFORD MORE TO BUILD MORE WE CAN AFFORD IT.
THE QUESTION IS, UM, DO WE SLOW DOWN A LITTLE BIT TO MAKE SURE WE MAINTAIN OUR AAA RATING, BUT WE ABSOLUTELY CAN AFFORD IT.
AND THANK YOU TO LEO, TO YOURSELF, TO TINA, TO TANYA, TO THEIR Y'ALL'S TEAMS, UM, FOR BEING SO GOOD WITH OUR FUNDING AND OUR BEING GOOD STEWARDS, OUR OF OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
SO I HAVE SAID BEFORE, AND I WILL CONTINUE TO SAY, FOR THOSE OF US WHO GREW UP HERE, WITNESS AS CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS, AND AS WE CAME PROFESSIONALS, THE NORTHERN SECTOR OF BEAR COUNTY, GETTING ALL THE RESOURCES IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR GETTING LEFT BEHIND, AND AS USUAL, WHEN THE CREEKS AND TRAILS WERE STARTED, WHAT PART DID THEY START ON? Y'ALL KNOW, MY BACKGROUND'S IN EDUCATION, SO I'M ASKING Y'ALL A QUESTION.
WHAT PART DID THEY START ON? NO ONE'S GONNA SAY ANYTHING.
STARTED ON THE NORTH SIDE, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DIDN'T KNOW.
AND THEN THE CITY PLAYED TAG TEAM GAVE IT TO US RIGHT BEFORE I GOT HERE.
AND SO WE WILL ABSOLUTELY FINISH THE CONNECTION OF CREEKS AND TRAILS IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR OF BEAR COUNTY.
I HAVE WORKED TOO HARD FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS TO FIGHT AND ADVOCATE FOR THINGS ON ALL THESE LISTS THAT WE NEVER HAD BEFORE.
SO THOSE THINGS WILL NOT BE CUT, PERIOD.
AND WE HAVE AN UNWRITTEN RULE HERE AT BEAR COUNTY, WELL, ALL THE COUNTIES IN TEXAS OF 254 COUNTIES, THAT YOU CAN PRETTY MUCH DO WHAT YOU WANNA DO IN YOUR PRECINCT.
SO IN MY PRECINCT, WE WILL KEEP ALL OF THE PROJECTS.
THERE MAY BE SOME DELAYS, AND I WILL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR MORE BECAUSE WE NEED SO MUCH MORE IN PRECINCT ONE.
IF ANOTHER PRECINCT THAT RECOMMENDED THIS WANTS TO CUT ALL OF THEIR PROJECTS IN THEIR PRECINCT, THEN THAT'S FINE, BUT IT WON'T HAPPEN IN MY PRECINCT.
ANYTHING ELSE, COMMISSIONER MOODY? WELL, UH, AS I ASSUME THERE, THERE WOULD BE, UH, YOU KNOW, OTHER OPINIONS AND, UH, THAT IS FAIR.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I, AGAIN, I HIGHLIGHTED AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WILL REITERATE THAT I DO THINK THERE SHOULD BE A LOT OF DEFERENCE WITHIN PRECINCTS, BUT THAT DOESN'T, UM, YOU KNOW, ELIMINATE THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT AS A COURT, WE STILL HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT OUR OVERALL DEBT, RIGHT? AND SO WE CAN MAKE INTERNAL DECISIONS WITHIN OUR PRECINCT, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE HAS TO BE SOME EQUITY ABOUT THOSE DECISIONS, RIGHT? AND IF THERE'S CERTAIN CUTS ACROSS EVERY PRECINCT, UM, OR THERE'S CERTAIN AMOUNT OF DELAYS ACROSS EVERY PRECINCT, AND THEN EVERY COMMISSIONER CAN MAKE THOSE DECISIONS AS THEY SEE FIT.
I'M NOT AFRAID TO MAKE A DECISION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UH, ELIMINATING A PROJECT.
UH, IF THAT MEANS OTHER PROJECTS CAN GO FORWARD, UH, IN A, IN A, YOU KNOW, UM, AS PLANNED ON TIMELINE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO EVALUATE
[02:20:01]
THOSE PROJECTS AS WE GO FORWARD AND WORK WITH COUNTY STAFF TO, UH, TO DO THAT.SO, UM, AND ALSO JUST HIGHLIGHT, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR THE RECORD, THAT I DID VOTE AGAINST THE CREEK AND TRAIL IN MY OWN PRECINCT.
UM, AND SO IT, IT, THIS ISN'T, UH, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUAL PRECINCTS VERSUS OTHER PRECINCTS.
UH, THIS WAS MY BEST ATTEMPT AT, AT OVERALL.
OBVIOUSLY I WASN'T HIGHLIGHTING SPECIFIC PROJECTS HERE.
I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET AT BETWEEN THE CATEGORIES THAT WE HAVE, LIKE WHAT, WHAT I THINK THOSE PRIORITIES SHOULD BE.
AND AGAIN, I THINK EVERYONE UP HERE PROBABLY HAS THEIR OWN, UH, TAKE ON WHAT, UH, THEY THINK THOSE PRIORITIES SHOULD BE.
ANYTHING ELSE? SO LET ME, LET ME CLOSE WITH THIS.
UM, AND THEN WE WILL BE MOVING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UM, FIRST LET ME THANK MY COLLEAGUES ON THE COURT.
UH, I THINK EVERYBODY HAS RECOGNIZED THE, UH, ROBUST DISCUSSION, UH, WHICH IS GOOD.
AND WE SHOULD ALWAYS STRIVE FOR IS TO ALWAYS HAVE A DISCUSSION OF THE USE OF TAXPAYER MONEY.
UH, I TOO, I'M, I BELIEVE I'M ALIGNED WITH ALL THE OPINION STATED.
HOWEVER, I MAY DISAGREE WHEN WE GET INTO DETAILS, UH, AND MY CONVERSATIONS WITH STAFF, I MADE IT CLEAR THAT TODAY WAS JUST A START OF A CONVERSATION, A START.
I UNDERSTAND, MR. SMITH, FOR PURPOSE OF THE RECORD, WE'RE GONNA HAVE MORE EITHER WORK SESSIONS OR MEETINGS BEFORE WE ADOPT THE FINAL BUDGET.
AND WHICH WILL INCLUDE OUR DEBT MANAGEMENT PLAN AND THE PRIORITIES OR THE, UH, UH, ASSESSMENT OF ALL THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
IS THAT A CORRECT STATEMENT? YES, SIR.
SO I PLEDGED IN RUNNING FOR COUNTY JUDGE TO HAVE AN OPEN AND TRANSPARENT PROCESS.
AND I BELIEVE I'M FULFILLING THAT PROMISE BY DOING THIS PARTICULAR WORK SESSION AT THIS TIME.
AND AGAIN, LET ME THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR PARTICIPATING.
LET ME THANK MY STAFF IN REGARDS TO THEIR PROFESSIONALISM, THE WORK THEY DO DAY IN AND DAY OUT, THE TREMENDOUS PRESSURE THEY GET.
WELL, WHICH PROJECTS DO WE DO? WHICH ONES GOTTA GO FOR FIRST, SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH? AND THEY'RE, THEY'VE HEARD A COLLECTIVE VOICE.
SO I WANT TO REMIND THE COURT THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO COME TO CONSENSUS, ALTHOUGH WE MAY HAVE DISAGREEMENT, WE MUST COME TO CONSENSUS AS AN ORDER FOR STAFF TO FULFILL THEIR DUTIES ON A DAY IN AND DAY OUT OF WHAT PROJECTS THEY DO AND HOW THEY DO IT, AND ON WHAT TIMELINE AND WHAT ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE USE OF TAXPAYER MONEY.
I ALSO WANT TO PUT ON RECORD, AND I WANNA ALSO, AGAIN, THANK THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS BECAUSE, UH, IN ORDER TO BE OPEN AND TRANSPARENT, WHERE I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE IT'S THE FIRST TIME WE'RE GONNA HAVE BEXAR COUNTY BUDGET TOWN HALL MEETINGS FOR WHICH DAVID, YOU AND YOUR BUDGET OFFICE ARE GOING TO PARTICIPATE.
AND SO WE'RE BASICALLY GOING ON THE ROAD, SO TO SPEAK, AND I BELIEVE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, I HOPE IT'S, UH, IT'S, IT'S A TRUE STATEMENT THAT Y'ALL WILL ALL BE PARTICIPATING.
I WANT TO PUT ON RECORD TODAY, UH, AUGUST 13TH, WE'LL BE IN PRECINCT THREE, UH, AT MEALS ON WHEELS 27 18 DANBURY STREET.
THE MEETING WILL START AT SIX, PROBABLY GO TO ABOUT 7, 7 30 OR WHENEVER WE CONCLUDE.
UH, THIS, WE, THIS THURSDAY, AUGUST 15TH, PRECINCT TWO WEST SIDE EDUCATION AND TRAINING CENTER, 6 1 0 SOUTHWEST 41ST STREET.
UH, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21 OF NEXT WEEK IN PRECINCT ONE, WE'LL BE AT CENTRAL MED HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER, 3,800 COMMERCIAL AVENUE.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE ON THURSDAY OF NEXT WEEK, AUGUST 22, IN PRECINCT FOUR AT THE SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH COMMUNITY CENTER, 33 10 EAST COMMERCE STREET.
UH, WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO ACCOMPLISH AT THESE BUDGET TOWN HALL MEETINGS IS SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN LEARN HOW BEAR COUNTY'S BUDGET IMPACTS THEM, ALLOW THEM TO ASK QUESTIONS OF THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, INCLUDING MYSELF AND DEPARTMENT HEADS THAT, UH, I, I ASSUME Y'ALL HAVE ALL RSVP'D, UH, BUT WE WILL HAVE THE BEXAR COUNTY TEAM PRESENT.
AND OBVIOUSLY WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT IS THAT WE WILL HAVE A FURTHER DISCUSSION IN THESE TOWN HALL MEETINGS.
[02:25:01]
THE COURT MYSELF, WILL LISTEN TO OUR CITIZENS AND TAKE THAT BACK.SO THERE IS ANOTHER VOICE, SO TO SPEAK, THAT NEEDS TO BE HEARD, NOT ONLY WHAT WE'VE DONE TODAY, BUT MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC, THAT THE CITIZENS WHO PAY THE TAXES TO SUPPORT THE OPERATIONS OF THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT ARE ALSO HEARD.
AND SO WITH THAT, AGAIN, UM, SOME OBSERVATIONS, UH, I REALLY THINK WE'VE GOT SOME MORE CLARITY IN REGARDS TO THE PRINCIPLE OF BEING FLEXIBLE, WHICH MEANS WE'RE NOT HAVING HARD, FAST RULES.
WE'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS OF WHERE PERHAPS SOME CUTS CAN BE MADE.
WE'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS ON WHAT WE SHOULD DO ON A MORE LONGER TERM PERSPECTIVE AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO BE PREVENTATIVE AND GET UPSTREAM AND DO THINGS THAT MIGHT REDUCE THE COST OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, WE KIND OF GOT BACK INTO THE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS, IN MY OPINION.
AND THAT WASN'T MEANT FOR TODAY.
THIS WAS ABOUT DEBT MANAGEMENT AND CAPITAL PROJECTS.
OUR NEXT MEETINGS AND WORK SESSIONS, BEFORE WE FINALLY APPROVE THE BUDGET IN SEPTEMBER, WE'LL GO INTO THE, THE OBLIGATIONS THAT WE NEED TO, UH, FULFILL IN REGARDS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, IN REGARDS TO PUBLIC HEALTH, REGARDS TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, IN REGARDS TO INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO I WANT TO, JUST FOR PURPOSES OF THE PUBLIC'S KNOWLEDGE TODAY, THIS WASN'T A DISCUSSION OF WHAT'S THE BUDGET GONNA LOOK LIKE.
WE JUST PUT ONE PIECE OF THE PROCESS, BUT HAS A SIGNIFICANT PROCESS IN REGARDS TO THE AMOUNT OF DEBT.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT ALWAYS NEEDS TO BE LOOKED UPON IN ORDER TO EITHER, ONE, PROTECT OUR CREDIT RATINGS.
TWO, TO PROTECT OUR VIABILITY SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE, IF WE'RE HAVING TO MANAGE DEBT, AND IT'S LIKE THE SAME THING IN OUR OWN HOUSEHOLDS, IF WE RUN UP THE CREDIT CARD, THEN SOMETHING'S GOING TO HAVE TO GET ADJUSTED, WHICH MEANS WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO GO OUT TO EAT AS MUCH AS WHAT WE, WHAT WE, WHAT WE ARE USED TO.
AND SO I TRY TO MAKE THAT ANALOGY TO SO THAT THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS THE COMPLEXITY OF PUTTING A BUDGET TOGETHER.
I'M SURE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, Y'ALL ARE GETTING THE PHONE CALLS FROM OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND FROM OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS ABOUT WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE.
AND I CAN TELL YOU, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE CARE OF OUR EMPLOYEES.
I WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THE PEOPLE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO TAKE CARE OF, SUCH AS PEOPLE THAT ARE IN OUR JAILS OR JUVENILE DETENTION OR OUR RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTER AT CRIER.
AND SO THAT'S THE REASON WHY I MADE MY COMMENTS THAT WHATEVER EXPENDITURES HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT TO THEIR SAFETY, TO THEIR HEALTH, TO THEIR WELLBEING, IN ORDER THAT WE PROVIDE A SAFE AND REASONABLE WORKFORCE OR ENVIRONMENT FOR WHICH PEOPLE WHO ARE HELD IN OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM.
THAT IS, AND ALSO TOO, THAT OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM, OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM THAT HAVE TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY, THAT THEY ARE GIVEN THE PROPER TOOLS, THE PROPER REVENUE, THE PROPER POSITIONS THAT THEY ALL NEED.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I BELIEVE I MYSELF, AND I PRESUME MY COLLEAGUES KNOW THAT WE NEED TO HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE AND WE'RE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE PRECINCT AND THE CONSTITUENTS IN YOUR PRECINCT.
BUT AT LEAST FOR ME, I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYBODY WHO LIVES IN BEXAR COUNTY.
AND I WOULD ASK THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO ALSO BE RESPECTFUL THAT WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS WE ALSO HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF WHAT'S BEST FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY.
SO I THINK THERE'S BEEN A ROBUST DISCUSSION OF HOW WE GET THERE.
AND WE JUST STARTED, SO I KNOW WE'VE KIND OF STARTED OFF WITH SOME DISCUSSIONS THAT MIGHT LEAD TO SOME REAL FURTHER REBO REBO ROBUST DISCUSSION.
BUT I AM ASKING, AND I APPRECIATE, AND I'LL CLOSE WITH THIS, WITH THE CIVILITY, WITH THE RESPECTFULNESS, WITH THE COURTESY EXTENDED, YOU SAW INTELLIGENT DISCUSSION WITHOUT ANYBODY GETTING PERSONAL OR GETTING OR PUTTING OURSELVES INTO A TOXIC HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT.
SO FOR THAT, I WANT TO THANK AGAIN, THE COURT, THE STAFF, AND ALSO WANT TO THANK THE PUBLIC FOR WHICH I'M SURE THEY WILL PROVIDE INPUT TO US AS WE MOVE FORWARD THROUGH OUR BUDGET PROCESS.
SO AT THIS TIME, IF THERE'S NO OTHER FURTHER BUSINESS, WHICH I DON'T, EXCEPT FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION, LET
[EXECUTIVE SESSION (DISCUSSION ONLY: CLOSED TO PUBLIC)]
ME CALL FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION.THE COURT WILL NOW CONVENE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
EXECUTIVE SESSIONS MAY BE DISCUSSED AND ACTED UPON IF APPROPRIATE IN OPEN SESSION PURSUANT TO SECTION
[02:30:01]
5 51 0.07, ONE OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE EXECUTIVE SESSION WILL BE HELD FOR CONSULTATION WITH THE COURT'S ATTORNEY FOR ADVICE REGARDING THE FOLLOWING MATTERS, A LEGAL ISSUES TO THE, UH, PERTAINING THE FOLLOWING MATTERS IN WHICH THE DUTY OF THE ATTORNEY FOR BEXAR COUNTY UNDER TEXAS DISCIPLINARY RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT OF THE STATE BAR TEXAS CON, CLEARLY CONFLICTS WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT.A, THE SEVENTH AMENDMENT OF THE LOCAL SHARE INTERLOCAL COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE ADVANCED TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT AND BEXAR COUNTY.
THE COURT WILL NOW GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THE TIME'S 1215, WE'RE BACK IN OPEN SESSION.
THE COURT HAS TAKEN NO, UH, ACTION AS A RESULT.
IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? MOTION BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ? SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MOONY? ANY MATTERS TO PUT ON THE RECORD? AYE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION ADJOURNS SIGNIFY SAYING AYE.
LARRY, YOU WANT THESE BACK? YEAH.