69.a. Approval of a request from Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores to allocate outside agency funding in the total amount of $49,999 for the agencies and amounts listed; as part of Precinct l's Contributions to Outside Agencies from the General Fund.

[69.a. Approval of a request from Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores to allocate outside agency funding in the total amount of $49,999 for the agencies and amounts listed; as part of Precinct l's Contributions to Outside Agencies from the General Fund. ]

I'M ALERTING EVERYBODY. I'M PULLING UP 69. AGENDA ITEM 69.

WE NEED TO TAKE DISCUSSION. APPROPRIATE ACTION.

GRANTING AN EXCEPTION TO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY 1.2.

TO AUTHORIZE THE CONSIDERATION OF THE FOLLOWING LATE FILED AGENDA.

ITEM 60 9AI BELIEVE IT'S A MATTER BY COMMISSIONER CLAY-FLORES.

IS THERE A MOTION TO TAKE UP THIS MATTER? MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CALVERT.

SECOND. SECOND. BY COMMISSIONER CLAY-FLORES. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? ALRIGHT, WE'LL TAKE UP NOW.

I'D LIKE TO 69 A APPROVAL OF A REQUEST FROM COMMISSIONER REBECA CLAY-FLORES TO ALLOCATE OUTSIDE AGENCY FUNDING IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $49,999 FOR THE AGENCIES AND AMOUNTS LISTED AS PART OF PRECINCT ONE CONTRIBUTION TO OUTSIDE AGENCIES FROM THE GENERAL FUND.

COMMISSIONER CLAY-FLORES, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, JUDGE, FOR PULLING THIS UP.

I WANTED TO BE MINDFUL OF THRIVE TIME, AND THEY HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO CONTINUE DOING AS THEY ADVOCATE FOR CONSTITUENTS IN BEXAR COUNTY WHO HAVE CANCER DIAGNOSIS. SO I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THIS AGAIN.

IT'S COLON CANCER AWARENESS MONTH, AND OUR COLOR IS BLUE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN BE MINDFUL AND REMEMBER TO GET THEIR COLONOSCOPIES.

BUT THIS SPECIFIC 50,000 $1,999. THEN I'M ALLOCATING FOR MY DISCRETIONARY FUNDS IS SPECIFICALLY TO SPONSOR RESOURCES, INCLUDING TRANSPORTATION FOR CONSTITUENTS IN PRECINCT ONE WHO ARE DIAGNOSED WITH COLON CANCER.

AND I WANT TO ASK THE REST OF THE COURT TO CONSIDER ALSO ALLOCATING FUNDS.

IF EACH OF YOU ALLOCATE 12.5 FROM YOUR DISCRETIONARY FUNDS, YOU ALL CAN MATCH MY 50,000.

SO I'M ASKING YOU GUYS IF YOU GUYS WOULD CONSIDER THAT SO THAT THE REST OF THE CONSTITUENTS IN BEXAR COUNTY CAN ALSO HAVE THE RESOURCES SPECIFICALLY FOR COLON CANCER.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS.

THEY'RE HERE NOW. IF ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS WOULD HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT POSSIBLE DESIGNATION FOR THEM.

COMMISSIONER CLAY-FLORES. I WILL AGREE WITH YOU TO A LOT.

MY DISCRETIONARY FUNDING THE AMOUNT YOU SO 12.5.

THANK YOU. JESSICA. I'VE DONE THE SAME. COMMISSIONER.

THANK YOU, JUDGE RODRIGUEZ. WE'LL BE SUPPORTING AS WELL.

THANK YOU. THAT'S 70. THAT'S A TOTAL OF. I CAN'T THINK I HAVE CANCER, I HAVE CANCER, IT'S 40. WHERE'S THE AUDITOR? ADD THAT UP. I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY HOW MUCH, BUT WE WILL SUPPORT.

IT'S. IT'S 12 FIVE. SO COMMISSIONER MOODY IS AWAY RIGHT NOW, BUT WHEN HE IS BACK, I WILL TALK TO HIM AND SEE IF WE CAN GET MR. MOODY PRESENT. I'M HAPPY TO HAVE MY STAFF REACH OUT, AND WE CAN.

WE CAN EXPLORE THAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO I APPRECIATE THE MEN IN THE COURT MATCHING MY 50,000.

SO IT'LL BE A TOTAL OF 100 K FOR, FOR CONSTITUENTS DEALING WITH COLON CANCER.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL RIGHT. IS THERE A MOTION WHERE WE PASS IT.

RIGHT. MOTION TO APPROVE THE MOVE FOR APPROVAL.

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CLAY-FLORES SECOND BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS. MOTION CARRIES.

WE'LL GO BACK TO TIME CERTAIN IN SPECIAL PRESENTATION ITEMS.

[4.a. 9:30 a.m. - Presentation, and discussion regarding a status update on the implementation of Workday to support human capital management and payroll capabilities for all Bexar County offices and departments]

I WILL CALL UP NOW PRESENTATION DISCUSSION REGARDING A STATUS UPDATE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF WORKDAY TO SUPPORT HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT AND PAYROLL CAPABILITIES FOR ALL BEXAR COUNTY OFFICES AND DEPARTMENTS.

MR.. GAGER, I BELIEVE YOU'RE GOING TO LEAD. I THINK I UNDERSTAND LEO CALDERA AND MISS SMITH.

DEAN, YOU MAY ALSO BE PARTICIPATING. SO, MARK, YOU GOT THE FLOOR.

GOOD MORNING JUDGE. GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS.

THIS SHOULD BE A PRESENTATION THAT COULD PULL IT UP.

OKAY, GOOD. CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

SO I'LL JUST START WITH PROJECT BACKGROUND. JUST A REMINDER TO THE COURT.

SO WE ARE MOVING TO WORKDAY FOR OUR HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT AND SOME OTHER FUNCTIONS THAT I'LL DISCUSS AS PART OF THIS PRESENTATION.

PART OF THE DRIVER FOR THAT WAS WE CURRENTLY USE SOME OLD AGING TECHNOLOGY.

SO SAP IS OUR PRIMARY HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT AND PAYROLL SYSTEM THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 2002 AT THE COUNTY.

[00:40:07]

IT'S ON SOME OLD AGING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S ON PREMISES IN A DATA CENTER, AND IT DOESN'T REALLY ALIGN WITH OUR STRATEGY TO REALLY GO CLOUD FIRST AND LOOK FOR SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES. PLUS, THERE WERE SOME LIMITATIONS IN FUNCTIONALITY WITH SOME OF THE APPLICATIONS THAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY.

SO THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE, H.R, BCIT AND SOME OTHERS IDENTIFIED THE NEED TO REPLACE THAT.

IN 2021, WE WENT OUT FOR AN RFP WHICH INCLUDED SAP PLUS OTHER VENDORS TO REPLACE THOSE SYSTEMS. THAT WAS A LONG PROCESS FOR US. WE ORIGINALLY SELECTED ORACLE AND CHERRY ROAD, BUT THE CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS FELL THROUGH.

WE CAME BACK TO COURT IN 2023 TO RESCIND THAT INITIAL AWARD TO CHERRY ROAD AND MOVE TO ACCENTURE AS AN IMPLEMENTATION PARTNER TO IMPLEMENT WORKDAY FOR US. THE COURT APPROVED THAT CONTRACT AND OR THOSE CONTRACTS IN JANUARY OF 2024.

SO I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL THE WORDS HERE, BUT I DO WANT TO READ THE VISION STATEMENT. SO WHAT'S THE VISION OF OF THIS PROJECT? IT'S REALLY FOR BEXAR COUNTY TO MODERNIZE AND REVOLUTIONIZE OUR HR AND PAYROLL SYSTEMS, SET NEW STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE WHERE ADMINISTRATIVE BURDENS ARE MINIMIZED, ALLOW OUR TALENTED WORKFORCE TO FOCUS ON WHAT TRULY MATTERS, AND THAT IS DELIVERING EXCEPTIONAL SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY, TO OUR WORKFORCE. WITH THIS PROJECT, THERE WILL BE INCREASED EFFICIENCY AND PRODUCTIVITY, IMPROVED DATA ACCURACY, ANALYTICS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO REPORT AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THE WORKFORCE IS DOING, ENHANCE DECISION MAKING, BETTER COMPLIANCE, AS WELL AS GREATER EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION BECAUSE HOW THEY INTERACT WITH THE SYSTEM WILL BE DRASTICALLY IMPROVED.

SO WHAT IS WORKDAY? IT'S GOING TO BE THE SYSTEM OF RECORD TO BETTER SERVE COUNTY EMPLOYEES TO INCLUDE THINGS LIKE HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT.

AND I'LL COVER SOME OF THESE ON A FEW SLIDES.

LEARNING PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT, RECRUITMENT, A BUNCH OF OTHER FUNCTIONS.

IT'S GOING TO REPLACE SAP NEOGOV, WHICH IS WHAT'S CURRENTLY USED FOR POSTING JOBS AND RECRUITING BENEFITS, WHICH IS OUR BENEFITS MANAGEMENT S EQUIFAX AND SOME OTHER SYSTEMS. PRIMARILY, THOUGH, FOR THE FOR THE EMPLOYEE, YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT BOTTOM SECTION THERE EMPLOYEES WILL USE WORKDAY TO BETTER MANAGE THEIR INFORMATION, THEIR BENEFITS, THEIR TIME OFF, THEIR PAY INFORMATION, TAX COLLECTIONS, W-2, ALL OF THAT, ALL OF THAT. SO NOW I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO LEO.

HE'S GOING TO TALK THROUGH A COUPLE SLIDES FOR YOU HERE. GREAT.

THANKS. HONORABLE JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS. I JUST WANTED TO TAKE THIS TIME ON THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE HERE.

MARK'S ALREADY KIND OF TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SYSTEM, THE BENEFITS.

BUT I JUST WANT TO REEMPHASIZE WHAT THE NEW PAYROLL SYSTEM AND WHY IT'S NEEDED.

MARK MENTIONED THE SAP SYSTEM THAT'S 22 YEARS OLD AND THE TIMEKEEPING SYSTEM MOCHA, WHICH OUR OFFICE CURRENTLY USES WAS IMPLEMENTED BACK IN 1977. SO WE'RE COMING UP ON 48 YEARS, CLOSE TO HALF A CENTURY OLD.

SO THIS IS LONG OVERDUE. IN REGARDS TO THE THE PAYROLL CURRENT PAYROLL SAP SYSTEM, IT'S LACKING A LOT OF KEY CRITICAL EFFICIENCIES. I'LL SAY CURRENTLY WE HAVE A 90% MANUAL PROCESS WITH OUR CURRENT PAYROLL SYSTEM.

SO THAT'S HUGE FOR A COUNTY OUR SIZE WITH OVER 5500 EMPLOYEES.

SOME OF THE THINGS IN HAVING TO DEAL WITH THE MANUAL SYSTEM.

PAPER. MANUAL PAPER COMES IN FOR STATUS FORMS, AND LOTS OF TIMES THE PAYROLL DEPARTMENT WILL GET THESE LATE.

THE PERSON HAS ALREADY LEFT AND SO WE HAVE CONTINUED TO MAKE PAYMENTS.

AND AS OF RIGHT NOW WE HAVE $383,000 CURRENTLY, WHICH I'M TRYING TO COLLECT BACK FROM EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE LEFT THAT HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED MONEY THAT THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE. AND THAT FLUCTUATES.

BACK IN AUGUST, IT WAS 455,000. SO THE NEW SYSTEM LOOKING FORWARD TO IT WILL ELIMINATE THOSE TYPE OF ERRORS, THOSE TYPE OF ISSUES. ANOTHER REALLY PROBLEMATIC ISSUE WE CURRENTLY HAVE IS WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR STATE AND FEDERAL AUDITORS WHEN THEY COME IN, YOU KNOW, WE GET REIMBURSED FOR OUR INVOLVEMENT, LIKE IN FEMA TYPE PROJECTS. AND WE HAD SNOWMAGEDDON, THE HURRICANES.

WE SUBMIT THAT TO THE STATE AND FEDS FOR REIMBURSEMENT.

WELL, WE WE REGULARLY GET COMPLAINTS FROM THE AUDITORS.

HOW COME IT TAKES SO LONG TO MAKE OVERTIME PAYMENTS? WHY DO WE HAVE TO GO BACK OVER TWO PAYROLL CYCLES? SO THIS IS ANOTHER DEFINITELY A GOOD BENEFIT THAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO WITH THE NEW SYSTEM.

MARK MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT LACK OF UNIFORMITY ACROSS THE BOARD OF THE COUNTY.

WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE USING MOCA, SOME PEOPLE USING SPREADSHEETS, SOME PEOPLE KEEPING TRACK ON ON ACTUAL, JUST REGULAR PAPER. SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS.

[00:45:04]

AND WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR THIS FOR A LONG TIME.

THIS NEXT SLIDE HERE I THOUGHT WAS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE I GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS.

YOU KNOW, HOW IS THIS GOING TO AFFECT ME AS AN EMPLOYEE AND MY STAFF.

AND SO I JUST WANTED TO DO KIND OF A HIGH LEVEL BREAKDOWN HERE OF HOW IT'S GOING TO AFFECT EVERYBODY.

AND IT WILL THAT BEING SAID, IT'S GOING TO AFFECT EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE IN SOME WAY, FORM OR FASHION.

THIS NEW SYSTEM ELECTED OFFICIALS, OFFICIALS, WHICH MAKE UP APPROXIMATELY ABOUT 1% OF EMPLOYEES EXEMPT EMPLOYEES ABOUT 25%, AND THEN THE MOST AFFECTED IS GOING TO BE NONEXEMPT, AND THAT'S 4,074%.

SO THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, THEY WILL NOT HAVE TO CLOCK IN OR OUT.

THE TIME WILL BE POPULATED FOR THEM IF DESIRED.

THEY CAN APPROVE STAFF LEAVE REQUEST DEPENDS ON THE OFFICIAL IF THEY WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE OR FOR THEIR STAFFS TIME TO APPROVE IT, OR IF THEY WANT TO DELEGATE IT TO SOMEBODY ELSE.

EXEMPT EMPLOYEES. THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST QUESTIONS I GET FROM THE EXEMPT EMPLOYEES.

AM I GOING TO HAVE TO CLOCK IN, IN OR OUT? AND THAT WOULD BE A NO.

IN FACT, FLSA STANDARDS SAY THAT EXEMPT EMPLOYEES ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE KEEPING TRACK OF OVERTIME BECAUSE THEY'RE EXEMPT EMPLOYEES SALARIED EMPLOYEES. THAT BEING SAID, THEY WILL HAVE TO SUBMIT, AND IT'S ALREADY GOING TO BE INCORPORATED IN THE SYSTEM, THEIR SCHEDULES, BUT THEY WILL HAVE TO SUBMIT A WEEKLY SCHEDULE TO THEIR MANAGEMENT.

AGAIN, ALL THIS IS ELECTRONICALLY AND THAT'S TO KEEP UP WITH THEIR TIME BALANCES.

YOU KNOW, VACATION TIME, SICK TIME, IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, TAKING DOCTOR'S VISIT THAT WEEK.

SO THAT WOULD BE ONE TIME A WEEK. AND THEN THE MOST HEAVILY AFFECTED IS GOING TO BE THE HOURLY EMPLOYEES.

NONEXEMPT AGAIN, THAT 74%. THAT'S CURRENTLY OVER 4000 OF OUR EMPLOYEES RIGHT NOW.

AND THEY WILL HAVE TO CLOCK IN AROUND AND IT WILL BE SUBMITTED TO YOUR MANAGER OR SUPERVISOR FOR APPROVAL AGAIN ELECTRONICALLY.

AND THE WORKDAY WILL CALCULATE ITS HOURS ENSURING ACCURATE PAY, PAYROLL AND OVERTIME.

AND I'LL JUST SAY ANOTHER GREAT BENEFIT OF THIS SYSTEM TO IT'S BEEN UNFAIR FOR THE IN OUR CURRENT SYSTEM FOR EMPLOYEES THAT ARE TRYING TO PLAN FOR VACATION OR EVEN WORSE YET, USE OR LOSE LEAVE RIGHT AT THE END OF THE YEAR.

THEY'VE GOT 240 HOURS IF IT'S ABOVE THAT, AND LOTS OF TIMES THEY DON'T HAVE ACTIVE, UP TO DATE BALANCES.

SO THIS NEW SYSTEM WILL DO THAT, WILL WE'LL PROVIDE THAT ACCESS TO YOUR W-2S AND W-4 AUTOMATICALLY.

SO THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. AS I MENTIONED, IT'S GOING TO AFFECT EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE.

SO TRAINING IS GOING TO BE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THE STAFF GETS TRAINED.

SO IF I COULD JUST ENCOURAGE YOUR STAFF TO ATTEND THE TRAININGS AND BE BE INVOLVED.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU LEO. ALRIGHT, SO NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT OF THE SCOPE AND TIMELINE. SO, SO YOU CAN SEE ON THIS SLIDE WHAT'S MOVING TO WORKDAY.

KIND OF WHAT'S NEW TO BEXAR COUNTY. AND THEN WHAT WE'RE PHASING IN.

SO I WON'T READ EVERY ONE OF THESE. BUT YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A LOT THAT'S MOVING INTO WORKDAY.

OUR CORE HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT COMPENSATION LEAVE OF ABSENCE BENEFITS, SO ON AND SO ON.

WHAT'S NEW TO BEXAR COUNTY IS WE'RE IMPLEMENTING THE FOUNDATION FOR TALENT MANAGEMENT, FOR PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT, SOME ADVANCED COMPENSATION FUNCTIONALITY, AS WELL AS LEARNING MANAGEMENT AND THE ABILITY TO DIRECTLY MANAGE THE ELECTION DAY WORKERS. RIGHT? RIGHT NOW, THAT'S HANDLED SEPARATELY IN A DIFFERENT SYSTEM.

AND THEN WHAT WE'RE PHASING IN THE WORKDAY. SO STANDARDIZED BIWEEKLY PAY CYCLES WILL BE COMING POST GO LIVE NOT AT GO LIVE.

STANDARDIZED PERFORMANCE CYCLES FOR REVIEWS AND APPRAISALS, ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS AND THEN LEARNING CONTENT.

RIGHT. AND THE ABILITY TO DO TRAINING AND LEARNING THROUGH THE SYSTEM ITSELF.

SO THIS IS THE TIMELINE. YOU CAN SEE THIS STARTED BACK IN MAY OF 2024.

WE'RE CURRENTLY IN MARCH RIGHT OF 2024. AND WE'RE ON TRACK.

SO RIGHT NOW THE TEAM IS ON SITE TESTING, END TO END TESTING.

THEY'RE DOING SO IN THE PET, AND IT'S GOING VERY WELL.

RIGHT. SO THE IDEA IS THAT WE'LL START TRAINING AND IT'S A TRAIN THE TRAINER APPROACH, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT IN A SLIDE OR TWO AND WE'LL START TRAINING IN APRIL.

DOING TRAIN THE TRAINER TRAINING AND THEN DO MOST OF THE EMPLOYEE TRAINING IN MAY WITH A GO LIVE IN JUNE.

SO REALLY TO ENSURE SUCCESS, WE TOOK AN ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE MANAGEMENT APPROACH.

ACCENTURE HAS A REALLY GOOD PRACTICE FOR THAT.

IT HAS A GOOD PRACTICE AND WE'VE REALLY EMBEDDED THAT INTO THE PROJECT ITSELF.

THE IDEA BEING THAT THE NUMBER ONE REASON PROJECTS FAIL IS END USER ADOPTION.

SO TO ENSURE COMMUNICATION AND AWARENESS THROUGHOUT THIS PROJECT WE'RE REALLY TAKING A TRAIN THE TRAINER APPROACH,

[00:50:04]

WHICH IS TO TRAIN INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THE OFFICES AND DEPARTMENTS WHERE THEY BECOME SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, NOT ONLY ON HOW TO USE THE SYSTEM, BUT HOW TO TRAIN ON THE SYSTEM.

SO THE FIRST WEEK WHEN THEY GO THROUGH TRAIN, THE TRAINER TRAINING AT THE BEGINNING OF APRIL, THEY'RE GOING TO DO JUST THAT. IT'S IT'S GOING TO BE A FULL WEEK, VERY INTENSE.

YOU KNOW, LET'S LEARN EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED TO TRAIN ON AND THEN LET'S PRACTICE TRAINING IT. RIGHT. AND SO THE IDEA IS THAT WE CAN HAVE A MORE BROADER REACH OF TRAINING BY TAKING THIS APPROACH INSTEAD OF JUST A COUPLE OF INDIVIDUALS IN IT, OR IN THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE OR IN HR THAT ARE DOING THE TRAINING FOR 5000 OR 6000 EMPLOYEES. THE CHANGE AMBASSADOR APPROACH IS EVERY OFFICE AND DEPARTMENT IS ALSO IDENTIFIED.

CHANGE AMBASSADORS FROM A COMMUNITY. SO FOR COMMUNICATION SO AGAIN, THAT'S JUST FOLKS THAT REALLY ARE IN TUNE WITH WHERE THE PROJECT IS.

THEY HAVE MESSAGING THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING TO THEIR STAFFS AND THEIR WORKFORCE THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT.

WE KNOW A LOT OF TIMES THAT EMAILS THAT COME FROM BCIT OR THAT COME FROM THE PROJECT TEAMS DON'T GET READ AND SOMETIMES GET FILED AWAY.

SO THIS IS REALLY SOMEBODY THAT'S ALREADY EMBEDDED IN THE ORGANIZATION, PROVIDING THOSE UPDATES SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A BETTER AWARENESS OF WHERE WE ARE ON THE PROJECT. THIS IS A PROVEN PRACTICE. THERE'S A WHOLE DISCIPLINE AROUND IT, ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE MANAGEMENT THAT WE'RE TAKING.

I'VE TALKED TO TINA. SHE ASKED THAT I COVER THIS PART TOO.

SO WITH THIS IMPLEMENTATION, THERE ARE SOME POLICY UPDATES.

SO THERE ARE MANY POLICIES THAT ARE GOING TO BE COMING YOUR WAY THAT NEED TO BE CHANGED OR MODIFIED AS A PRIMARILY BECAUSE THEY REFERENCE THE OLD SYSTEMS. RIGHT. AND SO WE'LL NEED TO UPDATE THOSE. BUT YOU CAN SEE HERE A LIST OF THE POLICIES THAT HAVE BEEN MODIFIED BY H.R.

AND BEFORE WE STARTED CIRCULATING THOSE AND KIND OF PUSHING THOSE OUT, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COURT WAS AWARE THAT THOSE THINGS ARE COMING. SO I WON'T GO THROUGH EVERY ONE OF THESE. BUT YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING FROM PRE-EMPLOYMENT SCREENING TO FMLA TO SICK LEAVE AND WORKER'S COMPENSATION.

THERE'S A NUMBER OF POLICIES THAT ARE GOING TO NEED TO BE UPDATED TO REFLECT THE NEW SYSTEMS THAT THAT ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED, AND MAYBE SOME CHANGES THAT ARE COMING YOUR WAY. RIGHT. SO WITH THAT, THAT'S THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.

WE'RE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS COMMISSIONER CLAY-FLORES? I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. I JUST WANTED TO SAY MORE FOR FOR LEO TO CONGRATULATE YOU ALL FOR DOING BRINGING US INTO THE CURRENT CENTURY. I THINK IT WAS THREE YEARS AGO WHEN Y'ALL WERE STILL GIVING OUT THE PAPER RECEIPTS EVERY TWO WEEKS.

AND EVEN MY STAFF WAS LIKE, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO CHANGE THIS.

AND I WAS LIKE, WATCH. AND SO REMEMBER THAT MARCUS.

MARCUS ISN'T HERE, BUT. YEAH. SO ANYWAY, LEO, THANKS FOR THE WORK YOU ARE DOING IN TERMS OF GETTING RID OF THE PAPER RECEIPTS THAT EVERYONE. ALL WHAT, 5000 EMPLOYEES? THERE'S A LOT OF PAPER AND A LOT OF STAFF TIME.

AND NOW THE THE CURRENT WORK YOU GUYS ARE DOING WITH UPGRADING FOR THE TECHNOLOGY.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WORK, MR. RODRIGUEZ.

I PERSONALLY MISS THE PAPER RECEIPTS, BUT NO, LET ME JUST THANK YOU MARK.

YOU CAN REQUEST THEM INDIVIDUALLY. I THINK BETWEEN MARK AND LEO, I DON'T KNOW WHO'S MORE EXCITED ABOUT THIS, BUT I KNOW IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO HELP US KIND OF TURN THE PAGE AND MOVE INTO KIND OF THAT NEXT CHAPTER OF INNOVATION HERE AT THE COUNTY.

AND THERE WILL BE, I'M SURE, A LITTLE BIT OF SOME LEARNING CURVES ALONG THE WAY AND WE WILL NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE WITH THAT.

BUT AGAIN, I THINK IF IT MAKES US MORE EFFICIENT, ULTIMATELY THAT MAKES US MORE EFFECTIVE.

AND WE APPRECIATE YOU BOTH WORKING ON THIS AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE IMPLEMENTATION.

THANK YOU. JUDGE. COMMISSIONER MOODY, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO QUESTIONS. JUDGE, I JUST WANT TO REITERATE MY COLLEAGUE'S COMMENTS.

MARK. LEO, APPRECIATE YOUR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS.

WE'RE MOVING THE COUNTY FORWARD. AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE NEW NEW SYSTEMS AND EVERYTHING IS MAKING PROGRESS AND MAKING US MORE EFFICIENT.

YOU KNOW, AND I ALSO MENTIONED PUBLIC WORKS. I KNOW THEY'VE DONE A LOT ON THAT FRONT AS WELL.

SO I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR THEIR TIME AND MOVING THE STUFF SO WE CAN BE MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE GOING FORWARD AS A COUNTY.

SO THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER CALVERT, I AGREE WITH ALL THE COMMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUES ON THE COURT.

THIS IS AN IMPORTANT DAY FOR EFFICIENCY IN THE COUNTY.

I THINK ABOUT A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT THE COUNTY HAS BEEN BEHIND ON, AND THIS IS ONE THAT WE'RE NO LONGER BEHIND ON.

SO IT'S A HAPPY DAY. WE'RE EXCITED. LET ME CLOSE WITH THIS.

FIRST, LET ME ADDRESS DAVID SMITH. DAVID, YOU AND I HAVE TALKED SINCE I BEGAN AS COUNTY JUDGE.

AND THAT WAS REALLY TO GET THE COUNTY UP TO SPEED ON MANY ASSETS, ESPECIALLY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY.

IN THAT REGARD, MARK GAGER, YOU'VE KIND OF BEEN BROUGHT IN TO FULL SOON THEREAFTER, AND I ASSUME IT'S BEEN A HARD LOAD IN REGARD TO

[00:55:06]

CHANGING THE SYSTEM. AND THE REASON WHY I'M BRINGING THIS OUT IS BECAUSE THIS IS ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT PARADIGM SHIFT.

ISN'T THAT CORRECT, DAVID? AND OLD HABITS DIE HARD, DON'T THEY? LIKE COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. AND SO I HAVE MADE IT VERY CLEAR, DAVID, THAT I WANT AND I WANT TO APPLAUD COMMISSIONER CLAY-FLORES IN STARTING THIS INITIATIVE. OBVIOUSLY, BEFORE I STARTED. AND SO WE NOW HAVE COME TO A POINT.

INFLECTION POINT WHERE WE WANT. SO THIS IS WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD, SO TO SPEAK.

DAVID. WE HAVE MADE IT VERY CLEAR TO STAFF TO YOUR OFFICE THAT WE WANT FULL IMPLEMENTATION.

IS THAT CORRECT? THAT MEANS WE'RE TALKING TO ELECTED OFFICIALS.

WE'RE TALKING TO DEPARTMENT HEADS. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EVERYBODY WHO WORKS FOR THE COUNTY RECOGNIZING, AND WE'RE TRYING TO BE VERY SENSITIVE TO THE AUTHORITY AND THE THE POWER OF THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND TRYING TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE'RE NOT TRYING TO HAVE THEM CHECK IN OR CHECK OUT.

WE ALSO WANT TO BE VERY SENSITIVE TO THE EXEMPT EMPLOYEES, WHO OBVIOUSLY WORK MANY HOURS BEYOND WHAT THEY'RE REQUIRED TO DO, AND OBVIOUSLY THOSE ISSUES WILL COME INTO EFFECT, ESPECIALLY AS IT APPLIES TO THOSE THAT WORK IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT. THOSE ARE IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT ARE GOING TO BE AFFECTED BY THIS PROCESS.

ALSO TOO, THIS WILL ALLOW US TO BE MORE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE HOURLY WORKERS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE PROPERLY COMPENSATED.

AND IN SOME SITUATIONS WHERE UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN THEY DISCHARGE OR LEAVE, SOME ARE OVERCOMPENSATED BECAUSE THERE WAS NEVER AN ACCOUNTING OF THEIR TIME. AND FOR WHATEVER REASON THEY WERE GIVEN, THEY WERE DOUBLE PAID IN ESSENCE.

AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE ASKED THE COUNTY TO STOP. IS THAT CORRECT, DAVID? SO I SAY THIS SO THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS I EXPECT THIS DONE.

I THINK I'M LOOKING AT MARK AND I'M LOOKING AT DAVID OF THE EXPERIENCE.

AND I'LL SAY IT OUT LOUD, THE ODYSSEY EXPERIENCE FOR THOSE THAT KNOW THAT WAS A VERY HARD PROCESS.

AND SOME OF THAT WAS THE RESISTANCE OF THE SYSTEM, TRYING TO EMBRACE AND TRYING TO GET THE TRAINING AND TRYING TO GET UP TO SPEED, SO TO SPEAK. AND IT'S STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS.

CORRECT, MARK? THAT'S CORRECT. BUT WE HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS.

YOU HAVE BEEN ALL IN ON THIS SOMETIMES 24 OVER SEVEN AT TIMES IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM DOESN'T FALL APART.

CORRECT. THAT'S CORRECT. BUT WE ALSO KNOW AND I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO SOME OF THE ELECTEDS, ESPECIALLY THOSE HERE IN THE ROOM. LISA ADAME-CLARK, WHO EMBRACED ODYSSEY EARLY ON.

AND AS I UNDERSTAND HER SYSTEM, WHERE THE PROBATE COURTS OR WHETHER IT'S THE COUNTY COURTS, WHETHER IT'S HER, HER SYSTEM HAS REALLY EMBRACED IT AND HAS REALLY BECOME EFFICIENT.

LUCY, I'M NOT GIVING YOU THE FLOOR. OKAY. LUCY, I'M GIVING YOU THE CREDIT.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I WANT IT REAL CLEAR THAT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

AND SO DAVID SMITH, FOR THOSE DEPARTMENTS, THOSE ELECTEDS THAT DON'T THERE COULD BE A SANCTION IN THE SENSE OF WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO GET THEIR PAYROLL OUT IF THEY DON'T GET ON BOARD.

CORRECT. GO AHEAD. I WANT YOU TO ADDRESS THAT SO THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS.

I'VE GOT TO GET THIS SYSTEM ON BOARD. I'VE GOT TO MAKE IT SUCCESSFUL.

UNDERSTANDING WE'RE GOING TO HAVE GLITCHES. I'M SURE THE MEDIA WILL BE CALLING ME SAYING, WELL, HOW COME SOME PEOPLE DIDN'T GET PAID OR WHATEVER? BUT THE THING IS, WE'RE GOING TO ROLL THROUGH BECAUSE I AM COMMITTED TO GET THE COUNTY OUT OF THE WORLD OF PAPER.

WE HAVE TOO MUCH PAPER. WE'RE KILLING TOO MANY TREES, SO TO SPEAK.

AND I WANT THIS SYSTEM ON BOARD. SO, DAVID, GIVE ME YOUR STRATEGY OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT.

SO IF YOU DON'T UTILIZE WORKDAY, YOU WON'T GET PAID.

LET'S START THERE. YOU WILL HAVE TO ENTER YOUR TIME ONE WAY OR ANOTHER INTO WORKDAY IN ORDER TO RECEIVE A PAYCHECK.

WHAT THIS WILL DO CURRENTLY YOU GET PAID AUTOMATICALLY UNLESS YOU TELL THE AUDITOR SOMETHING ELSE.

WHICH MEANS IF SOME OFFICER DEPARTMENT DOESN'T FILE PAPERWORK, IT TERMINATION OR IS LATE FILING THE PAPERWORK, A CHECK WILL STILL AUTOMATICALLY GET CUT TO SOMEONE WHO'S NO LONGER AN EMPLOYEE.

AND THAT HAS IN THE PAST HAPPENED. THAT'S WHY LEO HAS TO TRY AND CALL BACK FUNDS THAT GOT PAID OUT ERRONEOUSLY.

THAT WILL NO LONGER BE THE CASE WITH WORKDAY.

AND SO THE BIGGEST MOTIVATION I CAN GIVE YOU IS IF YOU WANT TO GET PAID, YOU NEED TO ENTER YOUR TIME INTO WORKDAY.

AND MARK GAGER, WHAT WERE THE LESSONS LEARNED AND AND ONGOING LESSONS IN REGARDS TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ODYSSEY AND GETTING THAT SYSTEM UP TO SPEED? WHAT WHAT CAN YOU SHARE WITH US WHAT YOU WOULD WANT IN REGARDS TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF WORKDAY?

[01:00:03]

WELL, THERE'S A NUMBER, SO I WON'T TALK ON THE TECHNOLOGY LESSONS LEARNED BECAUSE IT'S A DIFFERENT PLATFORM.

BUT A LOT OF WHAT YOU SAW IN THE PRESENTATION TODAY AROUND THE TRAIN, THE TRAINER MODEL NOT ONLY ENSURING THAT WE DO TRAIN THE TRAINER MODEL, BUT THAT WE PUT THEM THROUGH THIS EXERCISE OF VALIDATING THAT THEY KNOW HOW TO TEACH IT.

NOT JUST UNDERSTAND WHAT THE SYSTEM IS. SO THAT'S THE LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE PREVIOUS IMPLEMENTATION THAT WE'RE INCORPORATING INTO THIS, THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE MANAGEMENT COMPONENT AND THOSE PRACTICES, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THOSE CHANGE AMBASSADORS THAT ARE COMMUNICATING THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT TO THEIR OWN WORKFORCE. RIGHT. SO WE DID A LOT OF THE COMMUNICATION CENTRALIZED THROUGH THE LAST IMPLEMENTATION.

SO, SO THAT'S MORE DISPERSED, I GUESS, NOW AND JUST SOME OF THE TESTING AND PRACTICES AND SOME OF THE ROLLOUT PRACTICES THAT WE SEE AS PART OF THIS, THIS PROJECT. WE ALSO IDENTIFIED SOME POTENTIAL ENGAGEMENT ISSUES EARLY ON IN THE PROJECT EARLIER AND ADDRESS THOSE HEAD ON. AND I'M HAPPY TO SAY HERE THAT THE REPORTS TO ME ARE THAT ALL OFFICES AND DEPARTMENTS ARE REALLY ENGAGED ON THIS PROJECT, AND WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT PARTICIPANTS IN THAT MEETING.

SO YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THOSE THINGS WE JUST IDENTIFIED AS, HEY, WE MAYBE ADDRESSED IT TOO LATE ON THE PROJECT.

LET'S ADDRESS IT, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE EARLIER NOW. SO WE HAVE A GOOD IMPLEMENTATION IMPLEMENTATION PARTNER IN ACCENTURE.

LEO, TINA AND MYSELF ARE ON THE STEERING COMMITTEE FOR THIS PROJECT.

AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT FROM TINA, FROM LEO.

SO FROM HR, FROM THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE, FROM IT WITH THE VENDOR WE HAVE WEEKLY MEETINGS NOW WITH THE VENDOR ON STATUS UPDATES AT THE STEERING COMMITTEE LEVEL.

SO, SO REALLY COMMUNICATION FROM THE EXECUTIVE LEVEL ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FOLKS THAT ARE, THAT ARE THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR TESTING AND IMPLEMENTING THE PROJECT IS A LOT MORE DETAILED AND A LOT MORE THOROUGH FROM A PLANNING AND, AND EXECUTION STANDPOINT. AND, LEO, HELP ME UNDERSTAND OR HELP THE PUBLIC UNDERSTAND AND OUR EMPLOYEES UNDERSTAND.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IS THERE INDEED A COST SAVINGS? IS THERE AN EFFICIENCY OR IS THIS A SYSTEM WE'RE JUST TRYING TO PUT IN JUST BECAUSE WE WANT TO HELP THE PUBLIC UNDERSTAND? BECAUSE THIS THIS WORKDAY AIN'T CHEAP, IS IT, MARK? IS IT? DAVID, IT'S NOT CHEAP. I THINK THE PROJECT BUDGET IS RIGHT AROUND $14 MILLION.

OKAY. SO IT'S LIKE AN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT, RIGHT? CAPITAL PROJECT. RIGHT, DAVID. THAT'S WHY IT'S NOT A OH, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO TWEAK THE SYSTEM.

SO WHAT FROM AN AUDIT PERSPECTIVE, WHAT ARE THE COST SAVINGS? WHAT IS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF WORKDAY FOR THE COUNTY AS A WHOLE? A REALLY GOOD QUESTION, JUDGE. SO THERE'S THERE'S QUITE A BIT EVERYWHERE YOU TURN AROUND, ESPECIALLY JUST MOVING FROM THAT MANUAL PROCESS AGAIN TO AUTOMATED PROCESS.

I MEAN, YOU MADE A JOKE ABOUT KILLING TREES, BUT I MEAN, THAT'S WE'RE SAVING JUST IN PAPER ALONE, LIKE YOU'RE TALKING BINS AND BINS OF, YOU KNOW, PAPER THAT WE PROCESS THROUGH REGULARLY.

BUT NOT NOT ONLY THAT. AND THEN I MENTIONED OBVIOUSLY WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, THREE IT VARIES FROM ABOUT 300, CLOSE TO 500,000 OF PAYMENTS GOING OUT. THAT'S GOING TO STOP RIGHT THERE.

SO YOU'RE TALKING, YOU KNOW, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS RIGHT THERE. BUT I THINK THE THE OVERALL REALLY TRUE EFFICIENCIES JUDGE COME IN WITH THE TIME THAT'S GOING TO BE SAVED FROM THIS.

YOU'VE GOT AGAIN PEOPLE MANUALLY AND EVEN THE SYSTEM THAT I MENTIONED THAT'S GOING TO BE 50 YEARS OLD.

THAT'S OUR TIMEKEEPING SYSTEM WHICH THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE WE CURRENTLY ARE USING.

EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE YOU'RE KEEPING TRACK OF THAT AND TIME CLOCK IN AND OUT, YOU STILL HAVE SOMEONE THAT'S ACTUALLY HAVING TO GO AND UPLOAD MANUALLY INTO THE SYSTEM.

SO YOU HAVE THAT NOW YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE AND THIS WORKDAY AND I'VE GOT A THANK YOU, COUNTY JUDGE AND THE COURT FOR, FOR BACKING US WITH THIS, THIS WORKDAY SYSTEM, BECAUSE IT'S ONE OF THE TOP SYSTEMS OUT THERE FOR PAYROLL HR.

AND THE EFFICIENCIES ARE THERE. I THINK MARK KIND OF MENTIONED, I MENTIONED, BUT A LOT OF THE STUFF TOO, MANUALLY THAT THE EMPLOYEES WOULD HAVE TO DO, THEY CAN DO ON THEIR PHONE GOING FORWARD.

THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, MAKE W-4 CHANGES, LOOK AT THEIR W-2S.

AND THEN ALSO TOO, AS I MENTIONED, THOSE WHO WERE HAVING TO KEEP TIME MANUALLY ON THE SYSTEM OR HAVING TO DO UPLOADS.

IT'S AUTOMATIC. SO YOU'RE TALKING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF COST SAVINGS IN REGARDS TO NOW THE EMPLOYEE CAN FOCUS MORE ON THEIR ACTUAL JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT HAVING TO DO THIS MANUAL PROCESS JUST FOR THE EVERYDAY ADMINISTRATION TYPE THINGS, UPDATING ADDRESSES OR DOING THINGS LIKE THAT.

IT CAN ALL BE IT'S ALL STREAMLINED ON THERE ON YOUR PHONE OR TABLET.

SO GREAT QUESTION JUDGE. BUT THERE'S THERE'S A QUITE A BIT COST SAVINGS EVERYWHERE YOU TURN AROUND ON THIS PROJECT.

ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. IS THERE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS COMMENTS.

OTHERWISE THERE'S NO ACTION I HAVE A QUESTION. GO AHEAD COMMISSIONER. SO YOU SAID IT'S GOING TO COST 14 MILLION. LEO, YOU JUST SAID IT'S A LOT OF COST SAVINGS. DO WE HAVE A NUMBER ON HOW MUCH IT COSTS NOW TO DO PAYROLL? NO, I DON'T HAVE A NUMBER ON THAT. WE HAVE SOME SYSTEMS THAT WE'RE GOING TO ALSO SUNSET AS PART OF THIS.

I DON'T HAVE THOSE NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME. BUT FOR INSTANCE I MENTIONED ALL THE APPLICATIONS THAT IT'S GOING TO BE REPLACING.

[01:05:04]

SO WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO REPLACE SAP AND STOP MAINTAINING SOME OLD SERVERS THAT WE PAY FOR AS WELL AS THE SAP LICENSES.

OKAY, WE HAVE THE LICENSES. WE HAVE A LOT OF OTHER COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH IT.

THANK YOU. SO EVEN THOUGH 14 MILLION OBVIOUSLY IS A LOT OF MONEY, IT'S STILL GOING TO BE LESS THAN WHAT IT CURRENTLY TAKES US.

WELL THE IMPLEMENTATION COSTS IS A MAJORITY. SO 14 MILLION IS THE BUDGET.

I THINK WE'RE RIGHT AT LIKE 12.8 MILLION ENCUMBERED.

A MAJORITY OF THAT IS THE IMPLEMENTATION COST.

SO OKAY SO WE SHOULD RECOUP THOSE IN EFFICIENCIES OVER THEY'LL BE ANNUAL THEN.

THAT'S NOT AN ANNUAL COST. THAT'S THE UPFRONT COST.

THANK YOU COMMISSIONER CALVERT I THANK YOU. JUDGE MARK I SEE YOUR GO LIVE DATE IS THE 26TH.

EXCUSE ME JUNE OF 2026. RATHER JUNE OF 2025. I'M SORRY, 2025.

OKAY. MY APOLOGIES. SO IT'S JUST A FEW MONTHS. YEAH. OKAY, I'M SORRY I.

YEAH, EXACTLY. OKAY. SO I WAS GOING TO SAY COULD WE GET A DEMO VERSION IN THE INTERIM WHERE WE COULD, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A SMALL, RELATIVELY SMALL OFFICE IN OUR CASE, BUT I DON'T KNOW, WE CAN ARRANGE SOMETHING.

YEAH, IT'D BE EASIER TO JUST KIND OF START AND GET IT GOING.

I'LL HAVE OUR PROJECT TEAM REACH OUT TO EACH OF YOUR OFFICES AND ASK, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE, AND THEN WE'LL COORDINATE SOMETHING. YEAH, IT'S IT SEEMS LIKE A GREAT PLATFORM, SO WE WANT TO GET STARTED.

YEAH. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT. IS THERE A MOTION? YES. COMMISSIONER MOODY. JUST JUST ONE FINAL COMMENT.

REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR YOUR POINT. AND TYING THIS BACK TO THE THE EFFORTS WITH ODYSSEY AND PREEMPTIVELY TRYING TO ADDRESS THE THE TRANSITION AND ANY PAIN POINTS. MARK IT. THE TRAIN, THE TRAINER.

IS THAT MANDATORY TRAINING? I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T HEAR THAT LAST PART.

IS THAT GOING TO BE MANDATORY TRAINING FOR EACH DEPARTMENT? YES. AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS I JUST GOT A REPORT FROM OUR HEAD OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT THAT EVERY OFFICE AND DEPARTMENT HAS IDENTIFIED A TRAINER OR TRAIN THE TRAINER.

SO THAT IS MANDATORY. THAT IS THE MODEL. AND THEN WE'LL FILL GAPS WHEREVER WE NEED TO.

IF THERE'S AN OFFICE OR A DEPARTMENT THAT'S REALLY LARGE AND WE NEED TO FILL SOME GAPS WITH SOME OF OUR STAFF, THEN WE'LL DO THAT. RIGHT. AND SO IT'S NOT JUST A HANDOFF SAYING, HEY, GO FEND FOR YOURSELF.

THIS IS A A MODEL THAT IS A BEST PRACTICE FROM AN ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE.

AND THEN WE'LL FILL ANY GAPS THAT WE NEED WITH OUR IT TRAINERS.

THAT'S GREAT TO HEAR. I MEAN CHANGE IS HARD. AND OBVIOUSLY WE HAD SOME LEARNINGS FROM THE ODYSSEY IMPLEMENTATION.

BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME LEARNINGS.

WE'RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT THAT AS WE GO FORWARD WITH WORKDAY.

AND SO APPRECIATE THE WORK ON THAT AND APPRECIATE THE JUDGE HIGHLIGHTING THAT KIND OF PREEMPTIVELY ADDRESSING THIS BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT WE DON'T WANT ANY MORE PAIN POINTS WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION. BUT THAT REQUIRES EVERYBODY TO BUY IN.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE WE'RE WELL ON OUR WAY.

SO THANK YOU. IN MY LAST WORD ON THE DICE IS COMMISSIONERS.

WE'RE GOING TO GET THE PHONE CALLS AND MAYBE EMPLOYEES AND MAYBE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND MAYBE ELECTEDS JUST TELLING US HOW BAD THIS SYSTEM IS.

WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO POWER IT THROUGH AND ASK THAT WE FULLY SUPPORT OUR STAFF IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF WORKDAY.

THANK YOU, MR. GAGER. THANK YOU. DAVID SMITH, THANK YOU.

YES. CAN I MAKE ONE MORE REQUEST? YOU SAID EVERY DEPARTMENT HAS IDENTIFIED AN INDIVIDUAL WHO'S GOING TO BE DOING THE TRAINING.

IT MAY BE MULTIPLE INDIVIDUALS, RIGHT? YEAH, YEAH.

BECAUSE IF SOMEONE'S OUT OF THE OFFICE OR LEAVES OR SOMETHING.

SO I WANT TO HOPEFULLY ENCOURAGE AT LEAST TWO.

YEAH. THE TRAIN THE TRAINERS ARE KIND OF THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED ARE THE NUMBER IS BASED ON THE SIZE OF THE OFFICE.

RIGHT. SO BCSO IS GOING TO HAVE A LOT MORE THAN THAN A SMALL OFFICE OF TEN MIGHT HAVE.

AND THIS IS GOING TO AFFECT EVERY SINGLE PAYROLL, INCLUDING ELECTED OFFICIALS.

CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE UP.

THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE THAT. BUT YOU GUYS BETTER GET IT ONLINE BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO HEAR Y'ALL MISSING A PAYCHECK.

ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS APPROPRIATE ACTION RELATED TO GRANTING AN EXCEPTION TO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY 1.2 THAT AUTHORIZES THE CONSIDERATION OF THE FOLLOWING FILE AGENDA

[4.b. 10:00 a.m.: Discussion and appropriate action related to granting an exception to Administrative Policy 1.2 to authorize the consideration of the following late filed Agenda Item #4b(i).]

ITEM FOUR B, SUBSECTION I. IS THERE A MOTION? MOVE. MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CALVERT. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ.

AND FOR DISCUSSION. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS. WE WILL NOW TAKE UP SUBSECTION FOUR BY PRESENTATION ON BEHALF OF COMMISSIONERS COURT RECOGNIZING MARCH 11TH, 2025, AS BEXAR COUNTY WOMEN'S DAY TO COMMEMORATE WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH SUPPORTING THE NATIONAL THEME OF MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER WOMEN EDUCATING AND INSPIRING GENERATIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE BEXAR COUNTY SMALL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEPARTMENT.

EFFORTS TO ACCELERATE WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERSHIP.

THE COURT WILL ALSO PRESENT THE 2025 25. BEXAR COUNTY PIONEER AWARD TO MRS. RACHEL SAKAI. WHO? AND RENEE WATSON. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.

[01:10:02]

LET'S GET YOU ON THIS SIDE. OKAY, I TAKE DIRECTION.

GOOD MORNING. I THINK THERE'S A IS THERE A PROCLAMATION? OH, YES. SORRY. SORRY, RENEE. I'VE ALREADY SCREWED UP HERE.

HOLD ON, HOLD ON. I GOT TO READ A PROCLAMATION.

IN THE NAME OF THE AUTHORITY OF THE COMMISSIONERS COURT OF BEXAR COUNTY. WHEREAS CONGRESS DESIGNATED THE MONTH OF MARCH AS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, RECOGNIZING THAT AMERICANS, AMERICAN WOMEN OF EVERY ETHNIC BACKGROUND, CULTURE, AND CLASS HAVE MADE HISTORIC CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE GROWTH AND STRENGTH OF OUR NATION.

AND WHEREAS, BEXAR COUNTY WILL HOST A WOMEN'S DAY CELEBRATION SUPPORTING THE NATIONAL THEME OF MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER WOMEN EDUCATING AND INSPIRING GENERATIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE BEXAR COUNTY SMALL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEPARTMENT.

EFFORTS TO ACCELERATE WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERSHIP.

AND WHEREAS THIS CELEBRATION INCLUDES THE PRESENTATION OF THE 2025 BEXAR COUNTY PIONEER AWARD TO MISS RACHEL SAKAI FOR HER MORE THAN 50 YEARS INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY AND EDUCATION. AND WHEREAS BEXAR COUNTY COMMENDS AND CONTINUES TO RECOGNIZE PREVIOUS PIONEER AWARD RECIPIENTS FOR THEIR SERVICE.

TRACY WOLFF, SUSAN REED, SYLVIA ROMO, ALMA LOPEZ, MARGARET MONTEMAYOR, CARMEN KELSEY, CINDY GABRIEL, SHARON MCRAE MADONNA MUDRICK, DONNA KAY MCKINNEY, SUSAN.

POMERLEAU, RENEE. GREEN, FRANCINE. WILSON, JACQUELINE F CALLANAN, KAREN H.

POSA, SUSAN. YATES, ROSIE. GONZALEZ, STEPHANIE R BOYD, YOLANDA.

HUFF, GRACE M UZOMA, REBECA CLAY-FLORES, TRISH DEBERRY, CATHERINE.

BROWN, LUCY ADAME-CLARK AND ANDREA GUERRERO GUAJARDO.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE RESOLVED, THAT THE COMMISSIONERS COURT OF BEXAR COUNTY HEREBY RECOGNIZE AND PROCLAIM MARCH 11TH AS BEXAR COUNTY WOMEN'S DAY.

WITNESS OUR SIGNATURES BY ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE COURT.

RENEE, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. GOOD MORNING, AND THANK YOU.

SINCE 2003, WE HAVE RECOGNIZED A COUNTY WOMAN DURING WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH HERE AT BEXAR COUNTY.

WHETHER THEY WERE ELECTED OR APPOINTED OR ASSOCIATED TO MAKE BEXAR COUNTY A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE, WORK, PLAY AND HAVE A BUSINESS. MY FIRST YEAR WHEN WE STARTED THIS IN 2003, WE HAD HAD A COUNTY FEMALE JUDGE, CINDY TAYLOR. CINDY CRIER. NOT CINDY TAYLOR.

CINDY CRIER. HAVING SERVED WITH HER FOR ONE YEAR UPON JUDGE WOLF'S ASSUMPTION OF THAT OFFICE WE WORKED TOGETHER WITH MANY, MANY WOMEN AROUND THE COUNTY, BUT WE REALLY DIDN'T SEE A LOT OF DEPARTMENT HEADS.

WE DIDN'T SEE A LOT OF LEADERSHIP. SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR POSTER, YOU SEE A LOT OF WOMEN WHO WERE FIRST AT BURKE COUNTY.

FIRST COUNTY ENGINEER. FEMALE. FIRST COUNTY CLERK.

FIRST JUDGES, FIRST CONSTABLE. BUT TODAY, WE RISE TO SAY, THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL WOMEN'S HISTORY PROJECT 2025, STEAM IS MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER, EDUCATING AND INSPIRING GENERATIONS THROUGH EDUCATION. WOMEN HAVE LONG BEEN LEFT OUT OF OUR NATIONAL DISCOURSE.

EDUCATION AND RETELLING OUR NATION'S HISTORY.

FEWER THAN 11% OF OUR TEXTBOOKS REFERENCED IN ARE DEVOTED TO SPECIFIC WOMEN IN K THROUGH 12 STATE HISTORY, STANDARDS AND CURRICULA IN THE UNITED STATES, THEREBY PORTRAYING WOMEN AS BYSTANDERS TO HISTORY RATHER THAN ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS.

THIS TIMELY HONOR, WE PAUSE TO HONOR WOMEN IN EVERY COMMUNITY WHO HAVE DEVOTED THEIR LIVES AND TALENTS TO PRODUCING ART, PURSUING TRUTH, AND REFLECTING THE HUMAN CONDITION.

DECADE AFTER DECADE, AS IN PREVIOUS YEARS, THE SMALL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEPARTMENT, WITH THE LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT OF COMMISSIONERS COURT, RECOGNIZES THOSE WHO BRAVE, ACCOMPLISHED AND INFLUENTIAL WOMEN WHO TOLD AND CONTINUE TO TELL OUR STORIES TODAY AND OVER THE YEARS AHEAD.

THEIR DEDICATION AND SHARED DESIRE TO GIVE VOICE TO THE VOICELESS ARE CRITICAL TO KEEPING US INFORMED, ENTERTAINED AND AWARE. TODAY, WE ARE HONORED TO RECOGNIZE SOME OUTSTANDING WOMEN.

ONE WHO HAS GIVEN MORE THAN 50 YEARS TO OUR COMMUNITY IN EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY SERVICE.

WE ALSO HAVE TWO YOUNG WOMEN THAT WE WANT TO MENTION.

THEY ARE BOTH INTERNS FROM ALAMO COLLEGES AT OUR OFFICE.

GINA. GIANNA, RATHER IS COMPLETING HER NINE MONTHS.

[01:15:04]

WHERE'S GIANNA? COME ON UP HERE. SHE IS A MILITARY VETERAN AND A PART OF HER SERVICE.

SHE WANTS TO BE A CONTRACTING OFFICER IN THE IN THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.

ARE SOMEWHERE IN OUR DISCOURSE SERVING AND CONTINUE TO SERVE OUR NATION.

AND IN RIVER NIGHTINGALE WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE FOR CREATING OUR WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH POSTER.

AND SHE CONTINUES TO BE AN INTERN. WHERE'S RIVER? SO LET'S APPLAUD RIVER DOING THIS. BUT AS NOW AS WE MOVE INTO THE RECOGNITION OF OUR 2025 FIVE PIONEER AWARD WINNER MRS. RACHEL SAKAI. AND AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EDUCATION AND INSPIRING GENERATIONS. SHE TOLD ME NOT TO READ IT, BUT I AM READING IT INTO HISTORY.

MRS. SAKAI WAS BORN IN LAREDO, TEXAS, TO GEORGE ANTONIO AND MARGARITA MONTIEL DIAZ.

RACHEL ATTENDED MARY HELP OF CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS AND GRADUATED FROM LAREDO MARTIN HIGH.

SHE GRADUATED FROM TEXAS A&M INTERNATIONAL AND THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS IN SAN ANTONIO.

RACHEL HAS SPENT OVER 50 YEARS INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY AND EDUCATION, A PASSION FUELED BY HER PARENTS UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT. RACHEL SERVED ON THE LAREDO COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY ADVISORY BOARD AT 18 YEARS OF AGE AND WORKED AT THE CHACON NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, WHERE SHE TAUGHT HOME ECONOMICS, ARTS AND CRAFTS, AND TUTORED STUDENTS.

AFTER TEACHING FOR ONE YEAR IN LAREDO. RACHEL MOVED TO SAN ANTONIO TO PURSUE HER MASTER'S DEGREE AT UTSA AND WORKED IN THE HARLANDALE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.

SHE WAS THE FIRST TEACHER IN HARLANDALE TO TEACH SPANISH IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS, AND SPONSORED THE COMMUNITY SERVICE CLUB AT KINGSBOROUGH MIDDLE SCHOOL.

HAVING KEEN INTEREST AND UNDERSTANDING OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, SHE WAS RECRUITED TO WORK AT HARLANDALE FIRST SPECIAL EDUCATION COUNSELOR. HER RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDED WORKING WITH CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, SERVED THROUGH SPECIAL EDUCATION AS A CASE MANAGER FOR THE CHILDREN WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EMOTIONAL DIFFICULTIES, AS WELL AS LEARNING DISABILITIES.

SHE SERVED AS THE COMMUNITY LIAISON TO HELP STUDENTS TRANSITION FROM EITHER MEDICAL OR JUVENILE DETENTION FACILITIES AND IN PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS PROVIDING PARENT EDUCATION SESSIONS AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT FOR ADMINISTRATORS, SUPPORT PERSONNEL AND TEACHERS.

SHE QUICKLY RECOGNIZED AND WAS RECOGNIZED AND PROMOTED TO LEADERSHIP POSITIONS FROM PROGRAM SUPERVISOR, CURRICULUM COORDINATOR, ACADEMIC DEAN TO A CAMPUS BASED JUNIOR ADMINISTRATOR.

SHE RETURNED TO HOLLANDALE CENTRAL OFFICE AS SPECIAL PROGRAMS DIRECTOR, SECONDARY PROGRAMS DIRECTOR IN THE CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT.

NOT SURPRISING, SHE COLLABORATED WITH THE ALAMO COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT TO ENHANCE ACADEMIES AND COLLEGE PREPAREDNESS PROGRAMS. PART OF HER RESPONSIBILITIES AS A DIRECTOR, INCLUDING WRITING GRANTS FOR FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDS TO PROVIDE PROGRAMMATIC ENHANCEMENTS FOR THE SCHOOLS.

IN ADDITION, SHE WAS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE HARLANDALE EDUCATION FOUNDATION IN ITS IN ITS INFANCY.

DON'T CRY. RACHEL WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN DEVELOPING MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH EVERY COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY IN SAN ANTONIO TO PROVIDE MATCHING FUNDS SERVICES FOR HARLANDALE GRADUATES ENROLLED IN THEIR RESPECTIVE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING.

UNDERSTANDING THE NEED FOR NONPROFITS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.

SHE SERVED ON THE BOARD OF ABILITY AND MERCY HOUSING TEXAS, WHICH FOR WHICH SHE HAS BEEN THEIR GALA CHAIR, FUNDRAISER, DEVELOPMENT AND GOVERNANCE CHAIR.

HER CREATIVITY AND RESOURCEFULNESS HAS HELPED RAISE MUCH NEEDED FUNDS.

HER HOBBIES, BECAUSE SHE HAS EXTRA TIME, INCLUDES COOKING AND BAKING, PLAYING CASTANEDA'S, TRAVELING, AND READING MYSTERIES. SHE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE 2022 WOMEN'S HALL OF FAME FOR VOLUNTEERISM WITH HER LIFE PARTNER FOR OVER 42 YEARS, PETER SAKAI, BEXAR COUNTY JUDGE. THEY ENJOY SPENDING TIME WITH THEIR CHILDREN DAUGHTER ELIZABETH, MARRIED TO JEFFREY KING AND SON GEORGE AND WIFE SHERRI, AND THEIR THREE GRANDCHILDREN, JACKSON, GRAYSON, AND GRAYSON. GRAYSON KING AND GRAYSON MCNEIL.

WITH THAT, WE WANT TO PRESENT OUR 2025 PIONEER AWARD WINNER, MRS. RACHEL SAKAI. AND BEFORE WE ASK HER TO SPEAK, WE HAVE TWO MORE

[01:20:09]

PRESENTATIONS FOR YOU. SO, BRENDA, WITH THE WOMEN'S UNLIMITED.

HELLO. SO GOOD TO SEE YOU. AND I JUST EMAILED YOU.

YOU. SHE JUST EMAILED ME. YAY! HELLO, JUDGE. AND ALL COMMISSIONERS.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, TODAY WE GATHER TO HONOR A WOMAN WHOSE LIFE AND WORK EMBODIED THE SPIRITS OF LEADERSHIP, PERSEVERANCE AND STRENGTH. A WOMAN WHO HAS LED BY EXAMPLE.

BREAKING BARRIERS AND PAVING THE WAY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.

TODAY WE CELEBRATE RACHAEL SAKAI. THROUGH RACHEL'S DEDICATION TO HER COMMUNITY AND HER UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO MAKING A DIFFERENCE HAVE LEFT A LASTING IMPACT. SHE HAS FORGED NEW PATHS, STOOD FOR WHAT IS RIGHT AND INSPIRED OTHERS IS WAIT, I DIDN'T WANT TO MESS THAT UP AND INSPIRED OTHERS TO RISE HIGHER.

HER LEGACY IS ONE OF RESILIENCE, COURAGE AND THE DETERMINATION TO CREATE MEANINGFUL CHANGE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. YOU ARE AMAZING.

YOU INSPIRE US AT WOMEN UNLIMITED. THANK YOU.

WOO WOO WOO WOO WOO. GOOD MORNING COURT. GOOD MORNING JUDGE.

FOR THE RECORD, I'M LUCY ADAME-CLARK. I'M THE COUNTY CLERK OF BEXAR COUNTY.

IT IS AN HONOR TO STAND BEFORE YOU WITH THIS AMAZING, POWERFUL WOMAN, RACHEL SAKAI.

WE HAVE A FLAG THAT WAS FLOWN OVER THE ALAMO THAT I'LL BE GIVING YOU HERE IN A FEW.

BUT I WANT TO SAY MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER IS A STRONG STATEMENT BECAUSE AS AN EDUCATOR AND WORKING WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, I HAVE A SISTER WHO'S ID BORN IN THE 70S. THERE WERE VOICELESS AND THERE WAS NOT A PLATFORM FOR THEM IN SCHOOL.

I KNOW THAT FOR A FACT BECAUSE WE'RE A YEAR APART.

SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR DEDICATING YOUR TIME FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION, FOR ADVOCATING FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT DID NOT KNOW WHERE THEY STOOD OR THEY DIDN'T HAVE A PLACE IN SCHOOL. AND THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO ADVOCATE.

BECAUSE OF YOU, A LOT OF WOMEN STAND ON YOUR SHOULDERS, AND NOW WOMEN ARE GOING TO STAND ON OUR SHOULDERS BECAUSE YOU DECIDED TO EDUCATE AND BE A PROMINENT PERSON IN THE COMMUNITY FOR OVER 50 YEARS.

SO, MISS RACHEL SAKAI, MR. SAKAI, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING A SUPPORT SYSTEM TO MISS SAKAI.

CONGRATULATIONS. WOMEN UNLIMITED DOES HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY.

ONE. TWO. THREE. THANK YOU GUYS. ALL RIGHT, MISS CLAY-FLORES.

OH. HOLD ON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OH MY GOSH.

OKAY, LET ME HOLD IT. OH, RACHEL, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS? I'VE BEEN CUTTING EVERYBODY OFF. I'M NOT ABOUT TO CUT YOU OFF TONIGHT.

NO. DON'T WORRY. I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE THAT'S HERE TODAY CHEERING ME ON.

BUT LIKE LUCY SAID AND SEVERAL OF YOU HAVE MENTIONED.

I'M HERE BECAUSE I STAND ON THE SHOULDERS OF MANY.

AND THIS IS VERY SPECIAL BECAUSE THIS IS OUR ANNIVERSARY WEEK.

AND SECONDLY, I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CRITICAL THINGS WE CAN DO IN OUR COMMUNITY IS TO PROMOTE EDUCATION. AND I WANT AND AND I WANT TO SAY EDUCATION BEYOND JUST READING, WRITING AND ARITHMETIC, WE NEED TO EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITY TO BE ENGAGED AND TO ALSO BE PARTNERS IN MAKING OUR COMMUNITY A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE, A BETTER PLACE TO WORK, AND A BETTER PLACE TO PLAY IN SAFETY AND IN UNITY, BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GOING TO THRIVE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO, RACHEL, CONGRATULATIONS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR FOR BEING THE STRONG WOMAN BEHIND JUDGE SAKAI AND FOR THE WORK THAT YOU AND I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WORK ON TOGETHER.

I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE A FEW PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE WITH YOU.

IT'S JUST SO GOOD TO SEE SO MANY WOMEN COMING TOGETHER.

OFTENTIMES THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN, UNFORTUNATELY.

SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TO SUPPORT. AND I WANT TO THANK RENEE WATSON FOR STARTING.

YAY! IT'S BEEN HARD BEING THE ONLY WOMAN ON THE COURT AND THE FIRST WOMAN OF COLOR.

AND YOU CAME ON OVER 20 YEARS AGO AND IT WAS HARD.

AND THANK YOU FOR STARTING THIS, BECAUSE IF WE DON'T RECOGNIZE AND SUPPORT EACH OTHER, AIN'T NOBODY ELSE GOING TO DO IT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING ME. MY FIRST TERM HERE GETTING THE AWARD FOR BEING THE FIRST WOMAN OF COLOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER.

[01:25:05]

I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE. I SEE JUDGE GRACE IS HERE.

YES. HI, JUDGE GRACE. GOOD TO SEE YOU. ALSO WANTED TO RECOGNIZE DIANA FLORES URIEGAS, WHO IS AN INDIGENOUS INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY ACTIVIST, ADVOCATE AND POLITICAL ORGANIZER.

SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A SHOUT OUT FOR A LOT OF WORK THAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO IN MY PRECINCT. AND ALSO I SEE THE MAYOR OF KIRBY IS HERE.

SO, MAYOR GRIDER, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE THOSE SHOUT OUTS. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

CLAY-FLORES. YEAH.

YEAH. OH DIANA FLORES RODRIGUEZ SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.

THE TIME IS YOURS. I SURE DID. I SURE DID. MY NAME IS DIANA FLORES RODRIGUEZ.

I'M ALSO A CANDIDATE FOR FOR MAYOR THIS YEAR.

AND I GOT INSPIRED BY WOMEN, YOU KNOW I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, I COULD NEVER DO THIS, YOU KNOW? BUT HERE I AM TRYING AND AGAIN, IT'S MY SECOND TERM, BUT I WANT TO THANK YOU AND ALSO WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT YOU WITH THESE FLOWERS AND, AND AS THEY'RE ALL COLORFUL.

YES. AND SOME CUPCAKES BEING IT'S, IT'S OUR MEXICAN NEW YEAR'S WILL BE STARTING TO LIKE TODAY WILL BE OUR OUR NEW YEAR'S EVE, AND TOMORROW WILL BE OUR NEW YEAR'S DAY.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO.

MY FAMILY, A LOT OF MY FAMILY WENT TO HARLANDALE, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE RESIDE OVER THERE FROM MY MOM'S SIDE. AND I AM A DESCENDANT FROM THE SAN JOSE MISSION, YOU KNOW, AND CONCEPCION AND ESPADA AND SAN SOMEONE YOU KNOW. AND I DO HAVE PICTURES FROM WHEN MY DESCENDANTS WERE IN THE IN THE SAN JOSE MISSIONS FROM MY MOM. BUT I REALLY, YOU KNOW, I'M VERY HAPPY FOR YOU, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU INSPIRE A LOT OF US, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF US.

AND I DID ATTEND THE WOMEN'S MARCH ON SATURDAY, AND IT WAS A BIG ONE.

YOU KNOW, I WAS AMAZED, YOU KNOW I WAS HOPING TO SEE MORE MORE OF OUR CANDIDACY IN THERE AND, YOU KNOW. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? WHAT GOES ON HERE? I LOVE YOU ALL. AND I ALSO VERY HAPPY FOR MISS RACHEL. YEAH, RACHEL I KNOW. RACHEL. YOU ALREADY DID.

YEAH, YEAH, THAT'S THE BIG NEWS. THE WHOLE COURTROOM? YEAH, EXACTLY. YEAH. IT'S ALL CLEARED OUT NOW.

YEAH, EXACTLY. I WAS WONDERING WHY IT WAS SO COLD.

YEAH. YEAH.

OH. I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY. NO WORRIES. EVERYBODY IN.

EVERYBODY. IN THE CROWD.

I GOT ONE MORE PHOTO. STAY STILL. EVERYONE.

THREE, TWO. ONE.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. FOR HE'S A JOLLY. GOOD FELLOW.

FOR HE'S A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW. NOBODY CAN DENY.

[01:30:07]

THANK YOU. GOOD JOB. GOOD JOB. GOOD. WE'VE BEEN OUT TO DINNER.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR ANNIVERSARY. CASSANDRA. OKAY, LET'S GET LET'S GET. LET THE CROWD KIND OF KNOW.

TELLING THEM TO MOVE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER 000.

CAN I GET A PICTURE? LET'S. LET'S GET ONE OUT.

THE COURT TRYING TO GET BACK IN SESSION. OKAY.

OKAY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, LET'S GET BACK ON. AGENDA ITEM FIVE REQUESTS THE COMMISSIONERS COURT TO

[5. Request of Commissioners Court to identify items from the Consent Agenda for additional discussion and to approve remaining Consent Agenda items. ]

IDENTIFY ITEMS FROM CONSENT AGENDA FOR ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION AND TO APPROVE REMAINING CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS. COMMISSIONER. CLAY-FLORES. COMMISSIONER. RODRIGUEZ.

COMMISSIONER MOODY. JUST. ITEM 34. 34.

COMMISSIONER CALVERT. OKAY. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE REMAINING ITEMS TO THE CONSENT AGENDA?

[CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS]

EXCEPT FOR ITEM 34? MOTION BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ.

SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CLAY-FLORES. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS. MOTION CARRIES.

FOR THE RECORD, I'D LIKE TO ABSTAIN ON ITEM 44.

OH, WAS IT ABSTAIN. COMMISSIONER MOODY, DID YOU WANT A FULL 34? DID YOU WANT TO JUST NOTE YOUR VOTE? NO. I'D LIKE TO PULL 34.

I WANTED TO ABSTAIN ON ITEM 40. OKAY. ABSTENTION.

ON WHICH ITEM? FOUR. ZERO. 40. SO NOTED. ITEM 34.

[34. Approval of the Twelfth Amendment (Renewal Agreement) to the Data Processing Services Agreement with Corrections Software Solutions, L.P., extending the term for one year February 1, 2025, to January 31, 2026, for case management services for Pretrial Services and Criminal Specialty Courts, in an amount not to exceed $109,512 from general funds. ]

APPROVAL OF THE 12TH AMENDMENT RENEWAL AGREEMENT TO THE DATA PROCESSING SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH CORRECTIONS SERVICES SOFTWARE LP.

EXTENDING THE TERM FOR ONE YEAR FEBRUARY 1ST, 2025 TO JANUARY 31ST, 2026 FOR CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES, FOR PRETRIAL SERVICES AND CRIMINAL SPECIALTY COURTS IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $109,512 FROM GENERAL FUNDS.

DOCTOR. GREENFIELD. YES, SIR. IS THERE A QUESTION, COMMISSIONER MOODY OR JUDGE ON THIS? COMMISSIONER MOODY, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.

SURE. SO THIS IS THE 12TH AMENDMENT ON THIS THE SERVICE CONTRACT, CORRECT? YES, SIR. AND THIS IS A SOLE SOURCE, IS THAT CORRECT? YES, SIR. CAN YOU JUST TALK TO US ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE THE PROCESS AND GOING OUT AND EXPLORING, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THERE'S, THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL COMPANIES THAT PROVIDE THIS SERVICE NOW.

WHAT WHAT WAS A SOLE SOURCE? OKAY. YOU KNOW, 12 YEARS AGO, OBVIOUSLY A LOT HAS CHANGED.

AND IS THERE A PROCESS LIKE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS AS WE GO TO THESE AMENDMENTS AND THESE RENEWALS, THAT WE GO BACK AND LOOK AND SEE WHETHER SOMETHING SHOULD STILL BE A SOLE SOURCE? SURE. OKAY. SO BACK I BELIEVE IT WAS IN 2019.

WE ALREADY HAD CSW AS OUR CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.

AND THEN IN 2019, WHEN TYLER WAS COMING IN, WE WERE GOING TO SWITCH OVER TO TYLER.

AND WE WERE TRYING TO WORK ON THAT INTEGRATION OR THEM BEING ABLE TO MAKE THE SWITCH.

BUT UNFORTUNATELY, AS WE WERE WORKING WITH THEM THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO MIMIC WHAT WE HAD WITH CSS.

THEY WERE SUGGESTING WE GO BACK MANUALLY TO DOING THINGS MANUALLY, AND WITH 15,000 CASES ON SUPERVISION, THAT WAS NOT GOING TO BE AN OPTION. SO AT THAT TIME, MR. LOZITO, WHO WAS THE DIRECTOR, HE GOT WITH THE COUNTY MANAGER AND EXPLAINED THAT IT WOULD COST MORE MONEY IF WE TRY TO SWITCH, BECAUSE THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO HIRE EXTRA STAFF TO DO THINGS MANUALLY.

SO THEN IT WAS DECIDED WE WOULD WE WOULD KEEP CSS AND CSS WOULD INTEGRATE WITH ODYSSEY WHEN THAT CAME ABOUT.

SO WE WORKED ON THEY WORKED ON THE INTEGRATION WITH ODYSSEY IN ABOUT SOMEWHERE AROUND AUGUST 2022.

AND TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN OUR CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND ALSO FOR IT TO INTEGRATE WITH ODYSSEY.

AND THEN WE WENT LIVE IN I THINK IT WAS 2024 RIGHT, IN 2024.

[01:35:08]

SO AT THAT TIME WE DIDN'T SEE SINCE THEY ARE SYSTEM OR IT'S TO BUILD WHAT WE HAD IS IS VERY UNIQUE. SO AT THAT TIME WE JUST CONTINUED WITH THE AMENDMENT FOR CSS, HOWEVER, WITH DISCUSSION WITH ADMINISTRATION, WITH THE COUNTY MANAGER AND THOMAS, IN 2026, WE WE WILL BE ABLE TO GO OUT FOR RFP TO SEE IF BY THAT TIME ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL, I MEAN, ANY OTHER VENDORS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MIMIC WHAT CSS HAS BEEN ABLE TO DO FOR PRETRIAL SERVICES, BECAUSE MANY CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, THEY'RE MORE THEY'RE DEVELOPED REALLY LIKE FOR PROBATION.

AND WE WE DO WE'RE WE'RE DIFFERENT WITH PRETRIAL.

SO A LOT OF CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, NORMALLY THEY ADDRESS PROBATION OFFICES AND NOT PRETRIAL OFFICES.

SO MAYBE BY NOW, THOUGH, OTHER VENDORS HAVE OPENED IT UP TO PRETRIAL CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AS WELL.

BUT WE'LL GIVE OTHER PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE WHAT THEY HAVE AT THAT TIME.

OKAY. NO, I APPRECIATE THAT BACKGROUND. I DEFINITELY LOOK FORWARD TO YOU ALL GOING OUT AND TAKING A LOOK AT THE, THE, THE MARKETPLACE AND SEEING IF THERE ARE OTHER VENDORS THAT PROVIDE SOLUTIONS.

LISTEN, THESE THINGS ARE ALWAYS COMPLICATED, AND YOU KNOW BETTER THAN THAN ALL OF US.

YOU KNOW, THE INTRICACIES OF A CONTRACT AND WHAT'S REQUIRED.

BUT I ALSO JUST WANTED TO KIND OF PULL THIS TO HIGHLIGHT, YOU KNOW, WHERE WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY AS A COUNTY IN TERMS OF AND MAYBE THIS IS A QUESTION FOR, FOR DAVID. YOU KNOW, IS IS THERE A SET STANDARD WHEN IT COMES TO NUMBER OF RENEWALS BEFORE WE PUT SOMETHING BACK OUT FOR BID OR DO A DEEPER DIVE IN TERMS OF EXPLORING THE MARKETPLACE.

ARE THERE ANY KIND OF SET STANDARDS FOR DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS TODAY? I GUESS THAT'S A QUESTION FOR DAVID. NO, THERE'S REALLY NOT, BECAUSE RENEWALS COME IN ALL KINDS OF CONTRACTS.

SO SOME CONTRACTS CAN BE FAIRLY SMALL. SOFTWARE IN PARTICULAR IS CHALLENGING BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, SWITCHING SOFTWARE VENDORS IS OFTEN A DIFFICULT PROCESS TASK.

SO IT'S JUST KIND OF A JUDGMENT CALL. BUT 12 IS A LOT OF YEARS TO BE USING A SOFTWARE SYSTEM WITHOUT AT LEAST EXPLORING WHAT ELSE IS AVAILABLE NOW. UNDERSTAND? WELL, MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN JUST THINK ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO OUR POLICIES AND WHAT THOSE GUIDELINES ARE IN TERMS OF WHEN WE NEED TO PUT SOMETHING BACK OUT FOR CONTRACT.

AND THAT MAY BE DIFFERENT WITHIN THE IT SPACE THAN, THAN IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS.

BUT AND, AND IT'S ALSO, I THINK, IMPORTANT TO NOTE AS YOU BOTH MENTIONED, THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SPECIFIC NUANCES AROUND IT CONTRACTS.

AND AS WE SIGN THOSE CONTRACTS, BEING CAUTIOUS ABOUT BEING LOCKED IN AND NOT HAVING THE FLEXIBILITY TO BE ABLE TO MOVE.

SO JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT AS WE GO FORWARD.

BUT BUT AGAIN, I JUST THINK IT'S SOMETHING AS A COUNTY AS WE THINK ABOUT THESE CONTRACTS AND RENEWALS THAT WE BE MINDFUL OF, HOW LONG IS TOO LONG AND MAKING SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR THE BEST DEALS POSSIBLE FOR FOR BEXAR COUNTY AND BEXAR COUNTY TAXPAYERS.

BUT WITH THAT, I'LL MOVE APPROVAL. ALL RIGHT.

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MOODY. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CALVERT.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS. MOTION CARRIES.

THANK YOU. I BELIEVE THAT CONCLUDES CONSENT. EXCEPT I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE UP SOME CITIZENS TO BE HEARD.

JUST FOR THE RECORD, ROBERTO TREVINO AND MARTIN GORDON, YOU HAVE SIGNED UP FOR ITEM 40.

THAT WAS APPROVED WITH THE CONSENT. BUT ROBERTO AND MARTIN, IF YOU WANT TO COME FORWARD AND HAVE YOUR CITIZENS TO BE HEARD, YOU MAY DO SO AT THIS TIME. IF YOU WANT TO YIELD TIME, THAT'S FINE WITH US.

SO, ROBERTO. GOOD MORNING. DO YOU WANT TO JUDGE? DOES MARTIN WANT TO YIELD TIME TO YOU OR BOTH OF Y'ALL WANT TO SPEAK SEPARATELY? OKAY. THANK YOU. MARTIN, YOU GOT YOU GOT SIX MINUTES.

APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. HONORABLE COMMISSIONERS AND JUDGE, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTE OF CONFIDENCE.

THE PHILHARMONIC IS IS REALLY DOING SOME AMAZING THINGS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO AND BEXAR COUNTY,

[01:40:04]

AND WE'RE REALLY PROUD TO BE IN OUR NEW HOME AT THE SCOTTISH RITE CATHEDRAL.

WE INVITE ALL OF YOU TO COME OUT TO OUR NEXT CONCERTS.

WE HAVE FOUR MORE CLASSICS CONCERTS, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE GREAT THINGS WE'RE DOING IN THE COMMUNITY.

AND IN FACT, I DON'T SEE I GUESS I WAS GOING TO JUST SIMPLY CONGRATULATE MISS RACHEL SAKAI, WHO I GOT TO SIT ON A PANEL TO TALK ABOUT THE THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION AND HOW THE PHILHARMONIC IS PUTTING THE COMMUNITY FIRST.

THE THE PURPOSE OF THE PHILHARMONIC IS TO SPREAD MUSIC AND ARTS AND ALL OUR MUSICIANS, MOST OF THEM, 99.9% OF THEM ARE TEACHERS. THEY THEY THEY TUTOR KIDS.

THEY PROVIDE MUSIC EDUCATION TO THE VAST MAJORITY OF KIDS WHO ARE LEARNING MUSIC.

AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR ARTS ECOSYSTEM HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.

WE ALSO PROVIDE SERVICES FOR OUR MILITARY VETERANS.

AND FOR THE RECORD, I JUST WANT TO ANSWER, I'M NOT SURE WHO I GIVE THIS TO, BUT JUST SOME QUICK LITTLE SNIPPETS.

WE WE'VE PROVIDED NEARLY 2000 FREE TICKETS TO TO VETERAN FAMILIES TO OUR CONCERTS.

AND THERE'S SOME QUOTES THERE THAT WERE THEY WERE PRODUCED BY THESE FAMILIES THAT HAVE COME TO THESE CONCERTS, MANY OF WHICH HAVE NEVER BEEN TO A CLASSICAL CONCERT, MANY OF WHICH HAVE NEVER BEEN A SCOTTISH RITE BUILDING.

REALLY TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE AND HOW THEY WERE SO GLAD TO BRING THEIR FAMILIES, THEIR KIDS, THEIR, THEIR, THEIR, THEIR MOTHERS, THEIR GRANDPARENTS TO A CONCERT LIKE THE PHILHARMONIC.

AND, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE IMPORTANT PIECES OF, OF AN ARTS ECOSYSTEM THAT DRIVES AN INCREDIBLE COMMUNITY.

AND SO I JUST WANT TO SAY AGAIN, THAT WE'RE WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO BE THERE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

WE APPRECIATE THE COUNTY BEING THERE FOR US. WE BELIEVE THAT WE'RE PUTTING ON SOME INCREDIBLE CONCERTS.

WE INVITE YOU TO OUR NEXT CONCERTS, OUR CLASSICS CONCERT AT SCOTTISH RITE.

WE'LL BE DOING WEST SIDE STORY. I THINK IT WILL BE AN ENJOYABLE ONE.

OF COURSE. THIS IS MY FORMAL INVITATION TO ALL OF YOU.

YOU'LL YOU'LL REALLY THOROUGHLY ENJOY THE INCREDIBLE HALL THAT IS THE SCOTTISH RITE.

AND I'LL ALSO JUST SIMPLY WANT TO ADDRESS THE FACT THAT THE SCOTTISH RITE IS A HISTORIC BUILDING, NOT UNLIKE THIS BUILDING. HISTORIC STRUCTURES DO REQUIRE A VERY SPECIAL CARE AND ATTENTION.

AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WE'RE TAKING A VERY, VERY, VERY METHODICAL PROCESS IN WHICH WE IMPROVE THE ARCHITECTURE, MODERNIZE THE SYSTEMS SO THAT THEY ARE ACCESSIBLE.

I WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT SOMETHING THAT THE BUILDING IS COMPLIANT CURRENTLY.

THE TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. ANYWAY I AGAIN, I APPRECIATE I JUST WANT TO SAY THE BUILDING IS COMPLIANT AND WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS MAKING IT FULLY COMPLIANT HERE IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YEAH. ROBERT JUDGE, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT WORK YOU'VE DONE, ROBERTO. AND TO THE PHILHARMONIC BOARD AND TO ALL THE STAFF.

YOU'VE BEEN RECOGNIZED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES VERY RECENTLY.

AND CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT. AND CONGRATULATIONS ON GETTING THE SCOTTISH RITE THEATER.

I WANTED TO BUY IT FOR THE COUNTY, AND YOU BEAT US TO IT.

AND MORE POWER TO YOU. I'M GLAD YOU GOT IT. PRIVATE SECTOR ALWAYS MOVES FASTER THAN US, BUT THAT IS A JEWEL AND IT IS A JEWEL FOR ALL OF US TO KNOW THAT YOU ALL HAVE REVITALIZED THAT PROPERTY AND ARE GOING TO DO A LOT OF GREAT THINGS.

IT'S WHERE I HAD MY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION, BUT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF GREAT CELEBRATIONS AT THAT TEMPLE, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT 100 YEARS OF PRESERVATION THERE.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GOOD WORK. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, ROBERTO.

THANK YOU, MR. GORDON. ALL RIGHT. I ALSO HAVE ANOTHER CITIZEN TO BE HEARD THAT SIGNED UP FOR A CONSENT AGENDA NUMBER 50 THAT ALSO PASSED THROUGH CONSENT.

BUT I'LL ALLOW YOU, MR. BRIAN ROWLAND, DO YOU WISH TO? YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.

GOOD. GOOD MORNING. THE MAYOR WAS HERE. I THINK SHE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO NOT GO ON UNTIL, LIKE 1:00. MY NAME IS DOCTOR BRIAN ROWLAND. I'M THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER FOR THE CITY OF KIRBY.

ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF KIRBY, I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR HEARTFELT GRATITUDE TO THE BEXAR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT FOR THE UNWAVERING SUPPORT AND DEDICATION TO OUR COMMUNITY. THE GRACIOUS ALLOCATION OF THE $219,121 IN CBDG FUNDING IS DEEPLY APPRECIATIVE AND WILL MAKE A MEANINGFUL IMPACT ON OUR CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE. THIS FUNDING WILL ALLOW US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH CRITICAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE ESSENTIAL FOR ENHANCING SAFETY, ACCESSIBILITY, AND OVERALL WELL-BEING OF OUR RESIDENTS.

INVESTMENTS LIKE THESE ARE VITAL TO ENSURING THAT KIRBY CONTINUES TO TO THRIVE, AS WE TRULY GRATEFUL FOR BEXAR COUNTY'S ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

[01:45:06]

COMMITMENT TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNITIES LIKE OURS.

YOUR ONGOING PARTNERSHIP HAS PLACED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN HELPING US ADDRESS KEY INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS AND YOUR SUPPORT, AND RECOGNIZING AS A REFLECTION OF YOUR DEDICATION TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL BEXAR COUNTY RESIDENTS.

I'D LIKE TO AGAIN THANK COMMISSIONER CALVERT'S OFFICE AND HIS PUBLIC COMMUNITY TOWN HALL THAT HE HAD, THAT HE ALLOWED OUR CITY AND ELECTED OFFICIALS TO COME OUT AND EXPRESS THEIR THOUGHTS ON PROJECTS MOVING FORWARD.

ONCE AGAIN, WE EXTEND OUR SINCERE THANKS TO THE BEXAR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, COURT JUDGE SAKAI AND ALL THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS ON THEIR SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION.

THE POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOUR SUPPORT WILL BE FELT THROUGHOUT THE CITY FOR YEARS TO COME, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUE THIS VALUED PARTNERSHIP AS WE WORK TOGETHER TO BUILD A STRONGER, STRONGER, VIBRANT KIRBY. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, DOCTOR ROWLAND. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

WE'RE GOING TO TAKE UP AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX, FOLLOWING FOR THE RECORD THE FOLLOWING LEGAL ADMINISTRATIVE DOCUMENTS AND DIRECTING THE

[6. Filing for record the following legal and administrative documents and directing the Criminal District Attorney's Office to take action, if necessary: ]

CRIMINAL DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO TAKE ACTION IF NECESSARY.

ITEMS A THROUGH G SEVEN COMMISSIONERS COURT MINUTES FOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25TH, 2025.

[7. Commissioners Court minutes for Tuesday, February 25, 2025. ]

MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. MOTION BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ SECOND. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CLAY-FLORES.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS. MOTION CARRIES.

WE'LL NOW GO TO AGENDA ITEM EIGHT. CITIZENS TO BE HEARD.

[8. Communications from citizens who signed the register to speak. ]

WHO HAS SIGNED UP IN GENERAL? THE FIRST ONE YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK IS EMORY.

BLUNDEN. BLUNT. BLOOM.

HOWDY. MY NAME IS EMORY BLOOM, AND I'M HONORED TO STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY AS THE PRESIDENT OF SAN ANTONIO'S LARGEST REGISTERED NEIGHBORHOOD, THE SCENIC LOOP CREEK ALLIANCE. OUR COMMUNITY WAS ESTABLISHED WITH A CLEAR MISSION TO PRESERVE AND MAINTAIN THE STATUS OF OUR BEAUTIFUL 6000 ACRE, RURAL, PARK LIKE NEIGHBORHOOD ALONG SCENIC LOOP ROAD, STRETCHING FROM BANDERA ROAD TO BABCOCK ROAD.

TODAY, I'M HERE TO VOICE OUR STRONG OPPOSITION TO A PROPOSED $138 MILLION PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT ON THE GUAJOLOTE RANCH TRACT, WHICH IS ADJACENT TO OUR CHERISHED NEIGHBORHOOD.

WITH THIS STAGGERING AMOUNT, I MUST EMPHASIZE THAT THE MASTER DEVELOPMENT PLAN CALLS FOR NO COMMERCIAL PLATTING.

THIS RAISES SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THE LONG TERM IMPACT ON RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TAXES ALONE.

I BRING WITH ME SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE THAT I URGE THIS COMMISSIONERS COURT TO CONSIDER WHEN EVALUATING WHETHER THE GUAJOLOTE RANCH IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT IS TRULY IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR COUNTY AND ITS CITIZENS. FIRST, AROUND A WEEK AROUND THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 18TH, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PROPOSED GUAJOLOTE ADVISORY BOARD HIRED RIGO PRO SERVICES FROM KYLE, TEXAS. THEY SENT PERSONNEL WITH A LARGE EXCAVATOR TO SEARCH FOR AND DESTROY ANY EVIDENCE OF CAVES, KARST FEATURES, AND WILDLIFE HABITATS FOUND ON THE GUADALUPE RANCH.

THIS ALARMING ACTION PROMPTED OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, MARK D'ORAZIO, TO PERSONALLY DEMAND THAT T-C-E-Q LAUNCH A FORMAL INVESTIGATION INTO THIS OCCURRENCE. SECOND, DURING THAT SAME WEEK, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GUAJOLOTE ADVISORY BODY ACQUIRED A BEXAR COUNTY PERMIT FOR TREE PRUNING AND HIRED HARTON CONSTRUCTION FROM CASTROVILLE TO CARRY IT OUT.

THEY ARRIVED WITH BULLDOZERS AND PROCEEDED TO DEMOLISH MANY LARGE OAK TREES BEFORE BEING ISSUED A STOP WORK ORDER BY THE BEXAR COUNTY STORMWATER QUALITY DEPARTMENT. RESULTING IN HEAVY FINES AGAINST THE PROPERTY OWNER.

THIS BLATANT DISREGARD OF OUR NATURAL RESOURCES IS UNACCEPTABLE.

THE EDWARDS AQUIFER PROTECTION PROGRAM HAS INVESTED $50 MILLION OF OUR TAXPAYER FUNDS TO PRESERVE PROPERTY IN THIS VERY REGION OF BEXAR COUNTY. OUR TAXPAYERS DO NOT WISH TO PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CRITICAL AQUIFER, CONTRIBUTING AND RECHARGE AREAS THAT WE ARE ALREADY STRIVING TO PROTECT.

THE PLANNED GUAJOLOTE RANCH DEVELOPMENT BY LENNAR HOMES OF TEXAS WILL IMPROVE UPON NOTHING.

INSTEAD, IT WILL ONLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONTAMINATION OF THE TRINITY AND EDWARDS AQUIFERS AND SURROUNDING RESIDENTIAL WELLS BY DISCHARGING TREATED SEWAGE INTO OUR HELOTES CREEK. FURTHERMORE, THIS DEVELOPMENT IS MORE THAN FIVE MILES FROM ANY ARTERIAL ROADWAY, RAISING FURTHER CONCERNS ABOUT THE ACCESSIBILITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE.

I URGE YOU TO ENSURE THAT THEY ABIDE BY OUR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS AND FORCE THEM TO RISK THEIR OWN CAPITAL IN THIS ABHORRENT VENTURE. LET US STAND TOGETHER TO OPPOSE THE GUAJOLOTE PIG.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MR. BLUM. NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE ANDY JOSLIN.

[01:50:21]

GOOD MORNING. JUDGE, COMMISSIONERS, COUNTY MANAGER, CITIZENS IN ATTENDANCE.

MY NAME IS ANDY JOSLIN, AND I AM THE NEW CITY ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE CITY OF BALCONES HEIGHTS.

WELCOME. WITH ME TODAY IS ROSE ANDERSON, WHO HEADS OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.

AND TO MY RIGHT IS MICHELLE MODINE, WHO HANDLES OUR COMMUNITY RELATIONS.

WE WANT TO THANK BEXAR COUNTY FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO COLLABORATING TOGETHER IN THE FUTURE.

BRINGING ROBUST ECONOMY FILLED WITH HOUSING, BUSINESS, BUSINESSES AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN OUR AREA.

WE WE DO HAVE AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA THAT'S A CDBG GRANT THAT WILL HELP OUR COMMUNITY.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO US AND TO OUR CITIZENS, OUR TAXPAYERS, AND WE APPRECIATE ALL THE HELP THAT WE CAN GET.

WE WERE ABLE TO MEET WITH COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ YESTERDAY AND WE PITCHED SOME IDEAS TO HIM.

WE THINK OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR AREA IS POISED FOR GROWTH AND PROSPERITY, BUT WE CAN ONLY DO IT WITH YOUR HELP.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

THE NEXT SPEAKER CITIZEN TO BE HEARD IS VALERIE RAMIREZ.

HELLO. HELLO. GOOD MORNING, COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.

CITIZENS. I AM HERE. MY NAME IS. MY NAME IS VALERIE RAMIREZ.

I AM HERE ON BEHALF OF MY DAUGHTER, ABIGAIL GORMAN, WHO UNFORTUNATELY PASSED AWAY.

SHE WAS 27 YEARS OLD ON NOVEMBER 30TH. SHE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL DURING THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, NOVEMBER 5TH. THAT WAS THE LAST DAY TO VOTE. SHE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL DUE TO HER SODIUM LEVELS GOING HIGH. SO SHE HAD AN IV FLUID ON HER. SHE COULDN'T LEAVE BECAUSE SHE COULDN'T TAKE THE IVY WITH HER TO GO VOTE.

SO WE HAD WAITED SINCE 20, 24, IN JANUARY FOR MY DAUGHTER TO GO TO ME AND HER TO GO TO THE VOTING POLL SITES AND VOTE.

MY DAUGHTER TELLS ME, MOM, HOW AM I GOING TO GO VOTE IF I HAVE THIS I'VE MACHINE CONNECTED TO ME? I TOLD HER, HOLD ON. LET ME SEE IF I CAN SPEAK TO YOUR DOCTOR AND SEE IF HE CAN LET YOU LEAVE.

SO I TOLD HER. DOCTOR, DOCTOR AMOAH CAN MY DAUGHTER LEAVE? HE SAID NO, SHE'S NOT ABLE TO LEAVE. BUT WE DO HAVE A MAIL IN BALLOT THAT SHE CAN FILL OUT.

AND I TOLD HER, BUT SHE REALLY WANTS TO DO THE VOTING MACHINE.

WE'VE WAITED SINCE JANUARY TO GO VOTE IN NOVEMBER.

AND THEN HE, HE SAYS HE WAS TELLING ME YOU CAN COME GET THE MAIL IN BALLOT, TAKE IT ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE ELECTIONS OFFICE AND BRING IT BACK. SO SHE FILLED OUT AND THEN TAKE IT BACK AGAIN.

AND THAT IS A LOT FOR ME AS A MOTHER. BEING THERE AT THE HOSPITAL, I DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE HER.

SO THE DOCTOR MY DAUGHTER SAYS, MOM DO THEY HAVE VOTING POLL MACHINES HERE THEN? AND I TOLD HER, I DON'T THINK THEY DO. AND SHE SAID, WELL, MAYBE WE CAN REQUEST FOR THEM TO PUT IT.

AND I ASKED THE DOCTOR, WHY DON'T THEY HAVE ONE POLL MACHINES HERE? HE SAID, THAT IS A VERY GOOD IDEA. NOBODY EVER CAME UP WITH THAT IDEA. SO WE CAN ME AND MY DAUGHTER ARE GOING TO TRY OUR HARD TO HELP PUT VOTING MACHINES HOSPITAL SO IT CAN BE CONVENIENT FOR ME AND MY DAUGHTER BELIEVE THAT PUTTING THESE VOTING BOOTHS WILL HELP NOT ONLY THE ILL TO HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE, BUT THE DOCTORS AND NURSES WHO WORK TIRELESSLY TO HEAL ALL OF US WHEN THEY'RE ILL.

WE OWE IT TO THE DOCTORS AND NURSES IN EVERY INDIVIDUAL TO PUT IN THEIR BOOT THEIR BOOTH VOTE SO THEY CAN EASILY AND CONVENIENTLY PUT IN THEIR VOTE.

WE SHOULD ALL BE INCLUDED, NOT EXCLUDED. SO I WILL WORK TIRELESSLY BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE.

PLEASE HEAR ME OUT. I HAVE THE SUPPORT OF DOCTOR OMOLEWA AND THE SUPPORT OF THE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL.

[01:55:03]

THE SUPPORT OF THE METHODIST STONE OAK AND THE ELECTIONS NEW ADMINISTRATOR MICHELLE CAREW AND MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS I HAVE. ALL I NEED IS YOU ALL TO HELP US AND JOAQUIN CASTRO.

JUDGE. THE TIME IS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I JUST WANT TO SAY I'M SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS.

AND THANK YOU FOR BEING AN ADVOCATE FOR YOUR DAUGHTER.

I. JUSTIN ELLIS. THREE MINUTES, MR. ELLIS.

GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS SERGEANT FIRST CLASS RETIRED JUSTIN ELLIS.

I AM A DISABLED VETERAN RESIDING IN PRECINCT ONE.

I STRUGGLED DAILY WITH SEVERE PTSD. WHY? I'M PERMANENTLY EXCUSED FROM JURY DUTY BY YOUR COURTS.

I TELL YOU THIS BECAUSE MY DISABILITIES MAKE IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO BE HERE TODAY.

I RECENTLY MADE THE LIFE CHANGING DECISION TO SELL EVERYTHING I OWN AND EMBARK ON A HEALING JOURNEY ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN A TESLA CYBERTRUCK.

AS THE NEON VETERAN SPREADING A MESSAGE OF LOVE, GROWTH AND POSITIVITY.

UNFORTUNATELY, THE ONE FINAL THING PREVENTING ME FROM LEAVING IS THE SALE OF MY HOME, WHICH HAS BEEN HALTED DUE TO AN ERRONEOUS LIEN PLACED ON MY PROPERTY BY THE COUNTY COURT, LEAVING ME UNABLE TO SELL AND ANOTHER DISABLED VETERANS HOMELESS FOR THE TIME BEING.

THE LIEN WAS FILED UNDER THE NAME OF SOMEONE WHO WAS REMOVED FROM OWNERSHIP MORE THAN A YEAR PRIOR, DESPITE MY REPEATED EFFORTS TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE, I HAVE BEEN MET WITH MISDIRECTION AND INACTION.

I'VE REACHED OUT TO MORE THAN TEN EMPLOYEES ACROSS FOUR DIFFERENT OFFICES IN TWO PRECINCTS, AS WELL AS CONGRESSMAN CASTRO'S OFFICE, AND NOW I'VE SPENT THREE FULL DAYS DEDICATED TO THIS, MISSING SEVERAL NECESSARY MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS BECAUSE I'M RECOVERING FROM A RECENT SPINAL SURGERY.

YET THE ONLY RESPONSES I RECEIVE ARE GO TO A DIFFERENT OFFICE.

I'M NOT AN ATTORNEY OR I DON'T KNOW. ADDITIONALLY, I'VE MADE MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT THE FILING ATTORNEYS, BUT MY CALLS HAVE GONE UNANSWERED. YOUR CLERKS ACCEPTED THIS DOCUMENT FROM THE FILING ATTORNEY AS LEGAL AND TRUE, BUT A SIMPLE SEARCH WITHIN YOUR OWN SYSTEMS WOULD HAVE REVEALED THAT THE INITIAL MOTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN REJECTED.

THIS MISTAKE IS NOW PREVENTING ME FROM MOVING FORWARD WITH MY HEALING JOURNEY.

I AM URGENTLY REQUESTING THAT THIS MATTER BE RESOLVED TODAY SO THAT I CAN CONTINUE MY MISSION.

PLEASE ADDRESS THIS SITUATION IMMEDIATELY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU, MR. ELLIS. ALL RIGHT. IS THERE ANY OTHER CITIZENS TO BE HEARD? THOSE ARE THE ONLY ONES I HAD SIGNED UP. IS THERE ANY OTHER CITIZENS TO BE HEARD? ALL RIGHT. LET'S MOVE FORWARD. I BELIEVE WE NOW GO TO INDIVIDUAL ITEMS. ITEM ARE WE TAKING UP ITEM 63? THOMAS. ALRIGHT.

ITEM 63 IS DROP DEFERRED. WE'LL NOW TAKE UP AGENDA ITEM 64.

[64.a. Proposed Foreign Direct Investment Plan for FY24-25; and ]

PRESENTATION. DISCUSSION OF APPROPRIATE ACTION REGARDING A PROPOSED FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT PLAN FOR FY 2425 AND B INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL FROM MARCH 20TH THROUGH MARCH 26TH, 2025, TO TEL AVIV, ISRAEL, FOR A BEXAR COUNTY DELEGATION LED BY COMMISSIONER MOODY TO INCLUDE CEO AND PRESIDENT OF GREATER SALEH FOR AN INVESTMENT PROMOTION MISSION.

WITH A DRAFT BUDGET TOTALING $41,130, AND APPROVAL OF THE EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS FOR THIS TRAVEL.

POINT OF ORDER. DAVID MARCUS OR DAVID SMITH? I BELIEVE THERE SEEMS TO BE TWO SEPARATE AGENDA ITEMS, SO LET'S TAKE UP 60 FOR A PROPOSED FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT PLAN FOR FY 2425.

I'LL ASK FOR ACTION, IF ANY, AND THEN WE'LL TAKE UP BE MR. MARCUS. THANK YOU, JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS. FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT REPRESENTS A SUBSTANTIAL PART OF OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE LAST EIGHT YEARS OF OF SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS THAT HAVE LANDED IN BEXAR COUNTY AND THE COUNTRIES FROM WHICH THEY COME.

OF COURSE, THE TOP INVESTMENT NUMBER IS FROM THE UNITED STATES, BUT YOU CAN SEE BELOW THAT OUR JOB GENERATION IS SUBSTANTIALLY COMING FROM COMPANIES THAT ARE LOCATED LOCATED OVERSEAS. THESE INCLUDE THE FAMILIAR COMPANIES OF TOYOTA JCB INTERNATIONAL MISSION SCHOLAR AND BAKER LEE.

MANY OF THESE RESULT FROM THE WORK OF OUR PARTNERS AT THE CITY AND GREATER SAT, THROUGH TRADE MISSIONS THAT THEY HAVE ACCOMPLISHED OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, INCLUDING THIS YEAR IN JANUARY, WHERE THEY WERE ABLE TO TAKE A TRADE MISSION TO THE UNITED KINGDOM, AS WELL AS TO FRANCE AND GERMANY, AND HAVE BROUGHT BACK SEVERAL ACTIVE LEADS THAT THEY ARE PURSUING THIS YEAR IN SEPTEMBER.

THERE IS A PLANNED TRIP TO JAPAN AND INCLUDING A LEG TO SOUTH KOREA.

THAT'S IN THE PLANNING AS WE SPEAK. THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO OPERATES ON A FIVE YEAR PLAN THAT FOCUSES ON INTERNATIONAL CITIES WITH WHICH THEY HAVE

[02:00:01]

RELATIONSHIPS, EITHER FOR BUSINESS, CULTURAL OR OTHER RELATIONSHIPS, INCLUDING THE FORMAL SISTER CITY PROGRAM THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH.

YOU CAN SEE THE CITIES LISTED HERE FROM THEIR 2020 METRO PRIORITY PLAN.

THEY ALSO LOOK FOR CITIES THAT HAVE SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENTS IN THE SAME INDUSTRIES THAT WE DO, INCLUDING CYBERSECURITY, LIFE SCIENCES, ADVANCED MANUFACTURING AND NEW ENERGY.

THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS CURRENTLY OF UPDATING THIS PLAN FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, AND THAT PROCESS IS UNDERWAY WITH OUR PARTICIPATION AS WELL.

FOR THE COUNTY. WE'VE IDENTIFIED THE FOLLOWING COUNTRIES BASED ON OUR KEY INDUSTRIES AND THAT MIRROR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, BUT PROVIDING A LARGER EMPHASIS ON OUR ADVANCED MANUFACTURING STRATEGY AS WELL AS OUR CYBER SECURITY IT STRATEGY.

AND YOU CAN SEE THE COUNTRIES AND CITIES LISTED BELOW JAPAN, INCLUDING TOKYO, NAGOYA.

KUMAMOTO, KOREA, INCLUDING SEOUL AND GUANGZHOU, ISRAEL, INCLUDING TEL AVIV, GERMANY, INCLUDING FRANKFURT, DARMSTADT, COLOGNE, DÜSSELDORF, AND MEXICO, IS ALWAYS AN ALLY, ALONG WITH MEXICO CITY, MONTERREY, AND GUADALAJARA, AS WELL AS THE CITIES THAT ARE BORDERING TO OURS AS WELL WITH REGARD TO OUR TEXAS MEXICO ADVANCED AUTOMOTIVE SUPERCLUSTER STRATEGY.

THIS YEAR. THE PROPOSED TRADE MISSIONS THAT WE ARE SEEKING YOUR APPROVAL FOR TODAY INCLUDE THE Q2 ISRAEL TRIP THAT'S IN THE PLANNING, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN JUST A MOMENT, AS WELL AS THE JAPAN KOREA TRIP, WHICH WILL HAPPEN THIS FISCAL YEAR.

HOWEVER, FOR FUTURE FISCAL YEARS, WE WOULD PROPOSE THAT THE STRATEGY AND THE PROPOSALS COME FORWARD AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS SO THAT YOU CAN DISCUSS WITH US AND GIVE DIRECTION AS TO WHICH COUNTRIES AND WHICH STRATEGIES YOU WISH TO PURSUE.

THAT WOULD GIVE US TIME. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THESE TRIPS ARE DIFFICULT TO PLAN.

WE RELY ON A LOT OF IN-COUNTRY SUPPORT, INCLUDING FOR ISRAEL AND JAPAN.

WE RELY ON OUR PARTNERS AND ALLIES AND COLLEAGUES AT THE CITY AND STATE AND OTHERS.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING PARTS TO THESE TRIPS TO MAKE THEM THE SUCCESS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN.

AND SO THIS SLIDE RELATES TO THE SECOND ITEM.

I CAN SKIP OVER IT FOR NOW IF YOU'D RATHER CONSIDER IT. OKAY.

LET ME OPEN UP COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU, JUDGE DAVID.

LET ME LET ME FIRST. THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.

I MET WITH JORDANA, I GUESS, LAST WEEK. A LITTLE, I GUESS, SEPARATING THE TWO DIFFERENT ITEMS JUST TO FOCUS ON THIS FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT PLAN. LAST WEEK WAS REALLY THE FIRST I HAD HEARD OF IT, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT'S BEEN IN THE PROCESS OF BEING DEVELOPED, BUT I WOULD HAVE HOPED THAT THAT YOU WOULD HAVE GOTTEN MORE INPUT FROM EACH OF THE OFFICES IN DEVELOPING THIS PLAN.

I'M NOT AGAINST IT, BUT I THINK THAT IT'S A STARTING POINT.

YOU YOU YOU MADE A MENTION ABOUT DEVELOPING A PLAN GOING INTO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR FOR THE BUDGET.

MY SUGGESTION IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT 5 OR 6 MONTHS LEFT IN THIS FISCAL YEAR THAT FROM HERE TO THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, WE TAKE THESE THESE ON AS A CASE BY CASE BASIS, RIGHT.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WAS PUT TOGETHER. YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE ISRAEL TRIP OR BECAUSE OF THE ISRAEL TRIP.

AGAIN, THAT'S THAT'S A SEPARATE ISSUE. I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT HERE SHORTLY.

BUT BUT I WOULD HOPE THAT WE'D HAVE, YOU KNOW, SOME OUTREACH TO THE CHAMBERS AS WELL WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THESE TRIPS.

THE WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL. SO WHAT I'M GOING TO SUGGEST IS THAT WE NOT TAKE ACTION ON THIS PLAN, THAT YOU DEVELOP YOUR TEAM. DO YOU GUYS DO A GREAT JOB, BUT THAT YOU DEVELOP THIS GOING INTO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, AND THAT WE COME UP WITH A PLAN THAT INCLUDES A BUDGET THAT GOES INTO THE INTO OUR BUDGET PROCESS.

SO THIS IS AGAIN, JUST ON THE THE DIRECT INVESTMENT PLAN.

I'M NOT BELITTLING THE WORK THAT'S BEEN PUT IN BY YOU OR ANY OF YOUR TEAM.

I JUST THINK IT NEEDS A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A ROBUST DISCUSSION.

IN LOOKING AT THE OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE. SO I'M GOING TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE TABLE THIS ITEM.

JUDGE. MOTION BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. YEAH, I WOULD HAVE TO AGREE.

COMMISSIONER CALVERT, DID YOU SECOND? I WAS JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND I GUESS THE IMPACT IF WE TABLE.

I'M NOT AGAINST TABLING, PER SE. I JUST WANT TO SEE IF THERE'S, LIKE, PLANNING ISSUES THAT THE STAFF NEEDS DIRECTION TO GET, BECAUSE IT DOES TAKE A LONG TIME TO DO THESE THINGS.

SO IF I COULD JUST GET A UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT, PERHAPS IT'S A MATTER OF COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ, LIKE, I KNOW YOU SAID THE BUDGET, WHICH IS GREAT, I DON'T DISAGREE, BUT IF YOU'VE GOT A SEPTEMBER I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT DATE, BUT THAT, YOU KNOW, ONLY GIVES YOU A COUPLE OF DAYS AFTER THE BUDGET I GUESS IS PASSED.

[02:05:02]

I'M NOT REALLY SURE IF I CAN. CORRECT. JUST KIND OF CLARIFY, I THINK THE DIRECTION IS KIND OF LIKE WE'RE TAKING UP THIS ISRAEL TRIP HERE SHORTLY THAT WE DO THIS CASE BY CASE. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU'VE GOT ON YOUR HORIZON A SEPTEMBER TRIP.

IT SOUNDS LIKE I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT YOU STOP PLANNING FOR THAT.

I'M JUST SAYING IN DEVELOPING A MORE ROBUST PLAN THAT WE DO THAT AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, LET'S SAY YOU KNOW, SOMETIME BEFORE SEPTEMBER, IN THE SUMMERTIME, SOME OTHER OPPORTUNITY COMES UP THAT THE COURT TAKE THAT ON AGAIN ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. SO I'M JUST TALKING IN REFERENCE TO THE KIND OF THE THE BIGGER THE BIGGER PLAN FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR THAT THEY TAKE A LITTLE MORE TIME AND GET BACK GET BACK TO US. OKAY. YEAH. I CAN MAYBE CLARIFY A LITTLE BIT, COMMISSIONER.

SO THE TWO TRIPS THAT WE KNOW WILL HAPPEN THIS FISCAL YEAR, YOU CAN THINK OF THEM AS CASE BY CASE, THIS ONE TODAY IN ISRAEL, WE'RE GIVING YOU NOTICE THAT THERE'S ONE IN SEPTEMBER.

SO WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY ASKING YOU TO APPROVE THAT. EACH ITEM WILL ALWAYS HAVE TO COME BACK TO COURT FOR APPROVAL.

THE ON THE OTHER ITEM ON THE PLAN, WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS NOT TO APPROVE THE PLAN, BUT JUST WHAT YOU SAID.

GIVE US DIRECTION TO DIRECT, TO DEVELOP SUCH A PLAN AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS.

AND IF YOU'LL GIVE US THAT DIRECTION, THAT WILL START THE PROCESS OF DOING WHAT YOU'RE ASKING. I THINK THAT, AGAIN, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE WHOLE COURT, BUT BUT MY DIRECTION BACK IS AGAIN, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO VOTE ON ANYTHING TODAY, BUT I THINK THE DIRECTION FROM MY PERSPECTIVE IS THIS IS A GOOD STARTING POINT.

LET'S KEEP WORKING ON IT TO ADOPT IT AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS, INCLUDING DOLLAR AMOUNTS.

RIGHT? WE DON'T HAVE DOLLAR AMOUNTS, RIGHT. SO THAT'S THAT'S ALL THAT I'M GIVING DIRECTION FOR.

AGAIN, I THOUGHT YOU WERE ASKING FOR ACTION. THAT'S WHY I MADE THE MOTION TO TABLE.

BUT AGAIN, I THINK YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT'S COMING UP.

AND IT'S A SEPTEMBER TRIP. I GUESS I'M NOT SUGGESTING WE STOP THAT.

YOU KEEP PLANNING FOR THAT. AND IF ANYTHING ELSE COMES UP BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, YOU JUST TAKE IT ON CASE BY CASE.

BUT AGAIN, I THINK WHAT WE'RE DOING, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME, AT LEAST IN MY, YOU KNOW, SIX YEARS HERE, THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT PUTTING A PLAN TOGETHER FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, POTENTIAL INTERNATIONAL TRIPS.

AND I'M JUST SUGGESTING FOR THAT PLAN, YOU BRING IT BACK FOR THE FOR THE BUDGET PROCESS IN THE SUMMERTIME.

THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S WHAT I SUPPORT. THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.

JUDGE, I DID HAVE A COMMENT IF I COULD. SURE.

OKAY. JUST IN. IS THERE A SECOND SO WE CAN. I'LL SECOND, BUT I HAVE TO HAVE COMMENTS.

THERE'S A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CLIFFORD. COMMISSIONER CALVERT ON THE MOTION TO TABLE THAT'S CURRENTLY ON THE FLOOR.

I'M READY TO VOTE ON THAT IF YOU WANT TO VOTE ON IT.

I DON'T MIND TABLING IT, BUT I BUT I NEED TO MAKE A LARGER POINT ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD AND FINISH THE DISCUSSION? COMMISSIONER. OKAY. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. SO SUCCESSFUL CITIES AND COUNTIES THAT DO INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HAVE STAFF IN THEATER, IF YOU WILL, ON THE GROUND TO DEVELOP CONFIDENCE IN THE MUNICIPALITY OR THE COUNTY THAT IS TRYING TO RECRUIT FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT? MOST OF THE CITY. MOST OF THE CHAMBER VISITS I HAVEN'T REALLY SEEN, AND I MEAN THIS IN ALL KINDNESS.

A LOT OF INVESTMENT FROM THEM. THERE ARE LONG TERM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT JAPAN AND MRS SHIRANI AND THAT WAS A LONG TERM CONNECTION RELATIONSHIP NETWORK THAT WAS BUILT.

SO IF WE'RE GOING TO BRING THIS BACK FOR THE BUDGET, WE NEED TO THINK SERIOUSLY ABOUT LONG TERM INVESTMENT OF BROKERS ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY WHO ARE IN THOSE COUNTRIES.

THAT'S WHAT THE BIG CITIES DO. THEY HAVE DESKS OR EVEN STATES HAVE DESKS THERE.

I HAVE PARTICIPATED IN PROBABLY THE MOST SUCCESSFUL RECENT FOREIGN INVESTMENT VENTURE IN BEXAR COUNTY HISTORY SINCE ARCO CONTINENTAL, WHICH IS OUR LARGEST FOREIGN INVESTMENT PROJECT, AND THAT WAS THE CREATION OF 1800 JOBS AT THE THOMPSON HOTEL.

BUT IT WASN'T MERELY BECAUSE I WENT THERE, IT WAS BECAUSE THE DEVELOPER HAD OFFICES IN SHANGHAI AND BEIJING AND AND SAIGON AND LATIN AMERICA IN EUROPE. AND THEY THEY HAD A BROKER SYSTEM THAT HELPED TO INSTILL CONFIDENCE. MY ROLE WAS REALLY TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THERE WOULD NOT BE IMPEDIMENTS FROM GOVERNMENT.

THE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE IS SUPPORTIVE OF THE THE INVESTMENT THAT THAT'S HAPPENED.

THAT'S HOW WE DO IT. SO I WANT TO MAKE THAT REALLY KNOWN TO THE COURT.

WE CREATED 1800 JOBS FROM THAT ONE DEVELOPMENT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.

AND THE PREVAILING WISDOM, OR I WON'T CALL IT STRIKE THAT THE PREVAILING CONVERSATION FROM BUSINESS PEOPLE IN

[02:10:01]

SAN ANTONIO IS THAT THINGS LIKE THAT PROGRAM DON'T WORK.

I PUSHED BACK SIGNIFICANTLY AND SAY, IT'S NOT THAT IT DOESN'T WORK, IT'S THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A LONG TERM.

IF YOU JUST THINK ABOUT IT, WHO'S GOING TO INVEST $1 MILLION OR MORE INTO A COMMUNITY IF THEY DON'T HAVE A RELATIONSHIP THAT THEY CAN FEEL CONFIDENT IN? AND WE CAN'T CREATE THOSE RELATIONSHIPS ON A 1 OR 2 WEEK TRIP, THAT JUST THAT'S NOT THE WAY THIS IS REALLY DONE.

IT'S A IT'S AN INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT OF OUR COUNTY.

AND I BELIEVE WE SHOULD BECAUSE PART OF OUR SKYLINES SLOW DEVELOPMENT AND AUSTIN'S FAST DEVELOPMENT IS YOU LOOK AT AUSTIN SKYLINE, IT'S HALF FINANCED BY FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT AND AMERICAN INVESTMENT WORKING TOGETHER.

AND THAT'S THAT'S THE KEY. YOU KNOW, AMERICAN INVESTORS AND FOREIGN INVESTORS SUPPORTING EACH OTHER AND THE LOCAL ECONOMIES.

SO A LOT OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN GREATER SATC'S SUCCESS IN SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE THEIR LONG TERM RELATIONSHIP BUILDING AND OTHER BUSINESS PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN DOING LONG TERM RELATIONSHIP BUILDING.

AND THAT'S PROBABLY WHY US AS ELECTEDS, WE ARE NOT AS SUCCESSFUL IN DOING SOME OF THESE THINGS BECAUSE WE CAN'T JUST JUGGLE ALL THAT UNLESS YOU REALLY HAVE A ROBUST ABILITY TO MARKET AND AND PUT THAT FORWARD.

SO THAT'S PART OF THE BUDGET CONVERSATION THAT I WANT TO BEGIN NOW.

IF WE REALLY WANT TO HAVE A GOOD RETURN ON THE TAXPAYERS INVESTMENT, THAT'S HOW WE HAVE TO DO IT.

AND I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE A HIGH LEVEL VIEW OF HOW THE WORLD IS PERCEIVING AMERICA NOW AND WHERE WE HAVE THE BEST SHOT AT DOING IT, BECAUSE THERE IS AN ACTIVE BOYCOTT THAT IS OCCURRING BECAUSE OF TARIFFS.

AND WE HAVE TO BE REALISTIC IN THE NATIONAL POLITICAL CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW REALISTIC.

NOW, THAT BEING SAID I HAVE HAD SOME SUCCESS IN MEXICO DURING THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION WHERE YOU WOULD THINK MEXICO WOULDN'T WANT TO INVEST. IT WAS A LITTLE SLOWER THAN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN.

THERE WERE A LOT OF CONCERNS FROM FOLKS IN MEXICO ABOUT, DO YOU REALLY WANT US AND ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS BECAUSE OF THE CONVERSATION AND THE CHATTER? BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE THOSE HONEST ADULT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT OUR LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESS IN LIGHT OF EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON.

SO THAT'S ALL I WANT TO SAY, JUDGE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COMMISSIONER.

JUDGE. I'LL LET ME GO. COMMISSIONER CLAY-FLORES MOODY.

THAT'S FINE. I'LL SAVE MY COMMENTS FOR THE NEXT ONE. ALL RIGHT. COMMISSIONER MOODY, SO I GUESS IT'S A POINT OF ORDER, BUT MY QUESTION IS, I THOUGHT THE THE MOTION TO TABLE WAS RESCINDED BECAUSE WE SAID THERE WAS NOT ACTION REQUIRED ON THIS ITEM, OR ARE WE STILL GOING FORWARD WITH THE MOTION? WELL, THAT'S A POINT OF CLARIFICATION, COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. SO THIS IS ON 64 A IT WAS COMMISSIONER MOODY.

IT WAS POSTED AS A POTENTIAL ACTION ITEM. SO MY PREFERENCE IS WE GAVE FEEDBACK TO THEM.

BUT MY PREFERENCE IS WE MIGHT AS WELL FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THE MOTION TO TABLE.

AND THAT WAY THEY KNOW CLEARLY THAT IT NEEDS TO COME BACK.

JUDGE OKAY. THE RECOMMENDED MOTION CALLS FOR ACTION.

YES. SO LET ME LET ME HELP CLARIFY AS A POINT OF ORDER, BECAUSE I BELIEVE WHAT COMMISSIONER WHO RAISED A POINT OF ORDER.

COMMISSIONER MOODY. RIGHT. THE DISCUSSION AND I'M GOING TO WEIGH IN NOW, THIS ISSUE, THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE 64 A, ALONG WITH THE SEPARATE ISSUE OF 64 B WAS BROUGHT UP IN REGARDS TO REALLY 64 B STARTED THIS CONVERSATION OF ABOUT WHETHER THIS THIS REQUEST FOR COMMISSIONER MOODY TO BE APPROVED.

AND IN REGARDS TO MY DISCUSSIONS WITH THE COUNTY MANAGER AND HIS OFFICE WAS WHAT'S THE PROCESS? QUITE FRANKLY, I DON'T BELIEVE THERE REALLY HAS BEEN A PROCESS NOT TO CRITICIZE THE PREDECESSOR COURT, BUT IT WAS DEALT WITH AS AN AD HOC PROCESS FOR THE PUBLIC.

THAT MEANS WE LOOKED AT EACH TRIP AS THEY ALL BUBBLED UP, AND IT WAS QUITE APPARENT TO ME, AS THE COUNTY JUDGE, THAT THAT PROBABLY WASN'T THE BEST WAY TO DO IT, BECAUSE EACH COMMISSIONER MAY HAVE A REQUEST, AND I BELIEVE THERE ARE REQUESTS BY COMMISSIONERS TO GO TO SPECIFIC COUNTRIES, AND IN SOME SITUATIONS, THERE MAY BE MULTIPLE TRIPS TO THE SAME COUNTRY.

AND THE PURPOSE AND WE NEEDED TO FIGURE OUT WAS THAT A DUPLICATION OR WERE THEY SEPARATE EFFORTS WHERE THEY'RE SEPARATE INITIATIVES, ULTIMATELY TO THE TO THE ULTIMATE COST TO THE PUBLIC IN ORDER TO JUSTIFY THE USE OF TAXPAYER MONEY.

WHAT ARE WE GETTING BACK IN RETURN? I WILL PUT ON RECORD THAT I HAVE TRAVELED TO JAPAN IN THE LAST BUDGET YEAR.

[02:15:06]

I'LL PUT ON THE RECORD THAT THERE WAS AN AUTHORIZATION, I BELIEVE, OF NEARLY $70,000 TO FOR ME AND MY CHIEF OF STAFF.

MY WIFE WENT WITH ME, BUT I PAID FOR HER, AND I PUT THAT ON THE RECORD.

AND THE REASON WHY IS THAT WE WENT ON A ONE WEEK ECONOMIC RECRUITMENT TRIP TO MEET THE OBVIOUSLY OUR OUR LOCAL JAPANESE COMPANIES, THE TOYOTA MAIN HEADQUARTERS, ALONG WITH THE TOYOTA SUPPLIERS.

WE HAD VERY SUCCESSFUL ENGAGEMENT. IN FACT, I CAN TELL YOU FOR THE RECORD, WE HAVE I HAVE PERSONALLY, ALONG WITH THE TEAM AND GREATER SAT AND ALL THOSE THAT WERE INVOLVED, WE'VE ACTUALLY GOT A COMMITMENT AND WE'VE GOT A JAPANESE COMPANY, YAMAGUCHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, THAT IS A PHYSICALLY ESTABLISHED THEIR HEADQUARTERS IN THIS COMMUNITY.

AND WE ACTUALLY PULLED THEM AWAY FROM AUSTIN, TEXAS.

WE ACTUALLY HAVE A COUPLE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT I'M NOT AT LIBERTY TO DIVULGE, THAT WE MAY WELL HAVE TWO ADDITIONAL COMPANIES COMING TO RELOCATE AND ESTABLISH THEIR MANUFACTURING BUSINESSES. THAT HAS BEEN IN COORDINATION WITH OUR DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND DEVELOPMENT, WITH DAVID MARQUEZ AND THE TEAM, MARSHALL HOKE AND JORDANNA DEBRA CARTER AND ALL THOSE THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THAT.

SO I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A ROBUST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND WE ALSO ARE AT THE TABLE, COMMISSIONER CALVERT, AND ALONG, BECAUSE WE ALL SUPPORT THAT. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS, ESPECIALLY I KNOW I'VE BEEN AT YOUR EVENTS WHERE YOU'VE INVITED THE ELECTEDS OR THE HIGH OFFICIALS FROM MEXICO AND THE GOVERNORS AND WHATNOT.

AND SO ALL THESE COLLECTIVE EFFORTS HAVE ALLOWED US TO REALLY CREATE THIS ROBUST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY.

WHAT I HEAR AS A POINT OF ORDER, COMMISSIONER MUTI, IS THE FACT THAT WHAT THE DEPARTMENT WAS ASKING FOR WAS REALLY ACTION TO DIRECT THEM, TO MOVE FORWARD. I'M GOING TO AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ THAT NOW WHAT WE REALLY NEED, BECAUSE OF ALL THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE, THE WORK THAT WE'VE ALREADY BEEN DOING, WE REALLY NEED TO SEE A PLAN WHEN YOU COME BACK.

SO IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU GO OUT. NO, YOU NEED TO START PUTTING INTO PLAY.

AND I BELIEVE DAVID SMITH, ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES WE NEED TO WE NEED TO DESIGNATE A BUDGET ITEM AND THEN WE NEED TO STICK AND HOPEFULLY LIVE WITHIN THAT BUDGET ITEM SO THAT ALL COMMISSIONERS CAN ENGAGE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

ALL COMMISSIONERS CAN HOPEFULLY GO TO WHATEVER COUNTRIES THEY SEE FIT.

COMMISSIONER CLAY-FLORES, YOU'VE GONE TO THE UK IN REGARDS TO JCB AND THAT'S BEEN A SIGNIFICANT RETURN ON INVESTMENT AS THEY ARE THE LARGEST INDUSTRIAL, MILITARY, AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER.

AND THEY'RE GOING TO RELOCATE HERE. SO WE GET THE BANG FOR THE BUCK, SO TO SPEAK, FOR WHAT WE DO.

SO, COMMISSIONER COWARD, I TOTALLY HEAR THAT.

WE DON'T WANT TO GIVE A MIXED MESSAGE WITH THIS.

SO THIS TABLE IS IN EFFECT. WE'RE PULLING BACK, WE'RE RETREATING OR TRYING TO QUESTION OUR USE OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS.

WE WILL CONTINUE TO EXPEND MONEY TO RECRUIT. WE WILL EXTEND MONEY TO GET THE BIG INDUSTRIES THAT WILL HELP CREATE A ROBUST BEXAR COUNTY ECONOMY. SO THAT'S THE REASON WHY I BELIEVE, COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ, ALL OF US ARE SAYING THE SAME THING.

WE'RE ALL IN ALIGNMENT. THIS IS THE WAY WE'RE DOING IT. AND I THINK I'M GIVING DIRECTION TO STAFF.

YOU ALL NEED TO COME UP, TELL US WHAT YOUR BUDGET IS, WHAT YOUR BUDGET FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR IS, WHAT THE BUDGET FOR THE NEXT YEAR IS. WHAT ARE YOUR PROPOSED TRIPS, WHICH COMMISSIONER MAY BE INTERESTED AND THEN WE CAN GET TOTAL ALIGNMENT AND WE MOVE FORWARD IN A PROCESS SO THAT HOPEFULLY IN APPROVING THE NEXT PLAN AND BUDGET, WE SHOULDN'T BE HAVING INDIVIDUAL DISCUSSIONS.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO THE COURT? TOTALLY. DAVID, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO YOU? DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR MARCHING ORDERS ARE? YES, SIR.

SO I BELIEVE WE HAVE A MOTION, COMMISSIONER MOODY.

DO YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTION OR COMMENT? NO, I AGREE.

I MEAN, I THINK WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE HERE. I THINK THAT YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO HAVE SOME OF THESE DISCUSSIONS AND HOPEFULLY THAT COMES FORWARD IN THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE. BUT IN THE MEANTIME, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE THESE OPPORTUNITIES IN COURT TO DISCUSS INDIVIDUAL TRIPS AND UNDERSTAND THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR BEXAR COUNTY WHICH IS THE ONLY REASON WHY WE GO ON A TRIP LIKE THIS.

AND, YOU KNOW, SO I'M. I'M FINE. GOING AHEAD AND TABLING THIS AT THIS POINT.

I DO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF MAKING SURE THAT WE WE MAINTAIN SOME FLEXIBILITY IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT BUDGET IS BASED ON, YOU KNOW, NEW OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE IDENTIFIED.

[02:20:01]

YOU KNOW, THAT YOU POP UP ON OUR RADAR AND WE NEED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, BUT THEN AT THE SAME TIME, TRYING TO INCORPORATE THAT INTO MORE OF A YOU KNOW, CONSISTENT FUNDING BUDGET ITEM THAT THAT MAKES SENSE FOR, FOR BEXAR COUNTY. SO I'LL LEAVE IT THERE AND THEN WE CAN GO ON TO THE NEXT ITEM AND I CAN TALK MORE SPECIFICS ABOUT THIS TRIP.

COMMISSIONER CALVERT. FOR AT LEAST MY PERSPECTIVE WHILE WE HAVE THESE LARGE EMPLOYERS COME AND RELOCATE US OFFICES OR WHATEVER. MY PERSONAL PREFERENCE IS TO HELP MY LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES EXPAND THEIR MARKET.

I THINK ONE OF THE VERY IMPORTANT ROLES THAT WE CAN PLAY AS ELECTED OFFICIALS IS TO COMMUNICATE THAT AMERICA IS STILL AMERICA. THERE ARE, AS YOU HEARD FROM THE CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER, TALK ABOUT YOU KNOW, WE UNDERSTAND THERE IS, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERY AMERICAN IS LOOKING TO HAVE TARIFFS, BUT WE DO MORE OF A SERVICE IN THIS TOUGH ECONOMIC TIME TO HELP OUR SMALL BUSINESSES INCREASE THEIR MARKET. AND SO I'D LIKE TO SEE THE STAFF PROVIDE A PLAN THAT HELPS FOR THAT, BECAUSE THAT NEEDS TO BE HELPING OUR SMALL BUSINESSES DEAL WITH COST, FIGURE OUT BETTER SOURCES OF SUPPLY.

SUPPLY CHAINS. SOMETIMES THOSE SUPPLY CHAINS ARE IN OTHER COUNTRIES THAT ARE AT A, YOU KNOW, NON-TARIFF COSTS. SO WE NEED TO LOOK AT HOW HOW DO WE HELP THEM AND HOW DO THEY JOIN US IN, IN PRESENTING THEIR OWN COMPANIES TO THESE OTHER MARKETS.

BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE CONSTRICTING ECONOMIC.

TIMES GDP GROWTH IS ABOUT TO, YOU KNOW, GO DOWN THERE IS SOME TALK OF OF RECESSION.

SO I WANT. I DON'T WANT TO BE TONE DEAF TO THAT, TO THAT MOMENT RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE LIVING IN OF A VERY.

TIGHTENING EVERYONE'S TIGHTENING THEIR BELT. AND I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T SAY THAT.

YOU KNOW, I WANT TO HELP THE SMALL BUSINESS IN CHINA GROVE GET THEIR MARKET IN CHINA RATHER THAN THE OTHER WAY AROUND.

AND SO THAT'S GOING TO BE MY FOCUS. IF, IF I DO SOME THE OTHER THING TO REMEMBER FOR THE COURT IS WE'RE A GLOBAL CITY, A GLOBAL COUNTY, AND WE HAVE SOMETIMES NOT UNDERSTOOD THAT YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE UNESCO? WHAT DOES THAT WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN OTHER PLACES? I HAVE FOUND SOME OF THE BEST IDEAS THAT I'VE HAD AS A COMMISSIONER.

I'VE GAINED FROM, YOU KNOW, SWEDEN AND OTHER PLACES AROUND THE WORLD.

AND SO IN ADDITION TO EDUCATIONAL EXPORT TRIPS, THERE'S ALSO INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION CONFERENCES THAT WE COULD BENEFIT FROM. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THAT MAY BE A COMPONENT PIECE TO BRING THE WORLD'S BEST IDEAS AND BEST THINKERS BACK TO BEXAR COUNTY FOR A COLLABORATION OF POLICY LOCALLY THAT WILL BENEFIT OUR COMMUNITY.

I DON'T WANT TO I DON'T WANT TO UNDERSELL THAT, BUT I DO.

I DO WANT TO REALLY RAMP UP OUR ABILITY TO HELP OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, EXPORT MARKETS WHEREVER WE'RE GOING.

THANK YOU. AND, COMMISSIONER, IF I CAN FOLLOW ON, THAT IS WHY THIS PARTICULAR AGENDA ITEM HAS A UNIQUENESS OTHER THAN THE OTHER AGENDA ITEMS WHERE WE APPROVE EXPENDITURES BECAUSE THE ECONOMIC COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT MUST RECOGNIZE THAT THE ELECTED OFFICIAL HAS TO BE A PART OF THE PROCESS. SO AS YOU DEVELOP THE PLAN, YOU NEED TO HELP US GO TO CONFERENCES, APPROVE THESE TRIPS, AND WE NEED TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT. SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY SAYING, WELL, HERE, COMMISSIONERS, HERE'S WHAT WE THINK YOU SHOULD DO. I THINK YOU NEED TO BE HAVING ROBUST DISCUSSIONS WITH EACH MEMBER OF THE COURT SAYING, WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO AND WHERE? AND THEN THESE ARE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OR CONFERENCES, ESPECIALLY FOR NOT ONLY FOR THE WORLDWIDE MARKET, BUT FOR THE LOCAL MARKET, ESPECIALLY AS IT APPLIES TO SMALL BUSINESSES.

SO IT'S ALL PART AND PARCEL OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

LET'S NOT MAKE IT EXCLUSIVE JUST TO THE BIG MANUFACTURING.

ALTHOUGH THE RETURN OF INVESTMENTS ON THOSE ARE FAR MORE SIGNIFICANT.

LET US NEVER, EVER FORGET THE POWER OF THE SMALL BUSINESS AS A COLLECTIVE.

THEY ARE A SIGNIFICANT PART OF OUR COMMUNITY AND WE CANNOT.

WE HAVE TO EMBRACE THAT IN OUR DEVELOPMENT PLAN.

SO I NEED A PLAN THAT HAS A VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT MONEY, ABOUT EFFORTS, AND I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE EACH COMMISSIONER NEEDS TO WEIGH IN.

AND IF THERE'S ANY DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT HOW, THEN WE GOT TO BRING IT TO A ROBUST, ROBUST DISCUSSION AND VOTE.

AND THAT'S THE WAY THIS PLACE OPERATES. I THINK IT'S CLEAR.

[02:25:01]

SO LET ME ASK THAT. WE CALL FOR A VOTE ON A MOTION TO TABLE 60 FOR A CAN I ASK DAVID ONE QUICK QUESTION? YES. WHEN THOSE CHAMBERS DO THOSE TRIPS, ARE INDIVIDUALS PAYING FOR THOSE TRIPS, OR IS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO CONTRIBUTING IN PART TO THEIR LIKE THE INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS PEOPLE THAT GO? WHO ARE THEY PAYING THEMSELVES OR.

I HAVEN'T BEEN IN A CHAMBER FOREIGN TRIP IN QUITE A WHILE, COMMISSIONER.

IN MY EXPERIENCE, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THAT THE INDIVIDUAL PAYS FOR THEMSELVES.

OKAY, THE BUSINESS, THE LOCAL MEMBER THAT CHOOSES TO GO ON THAT TRADE MISSION GENERALLY PAY FOR THEMSELVES.

OKAY, THAT WAS MY EXPERIENCE. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

CALL FOR A VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO TABLE 64 A.

SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS. MOTION CARRIES. SO, DAVID AND TEAM, Y'ALL COME BACK AND AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME AFTER THE ROBUST DISCUSSION AND INTERACTION WITH THE TEAM, I THINK Y'ALL NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING VERY CONCRETE TO HAVE US APPROVE AT THE NEXT, NEXT AVAILABLE MEETING. ALL RIGHT. LET US PULL UP NOW 64 B AS WHAT HAS BEEN DICTATED IN THE RECORD BECAUSE OF THE PAST DISCUSSION.

[64.b. International travel from March 20 through March 26, 2025, to Tel Aviv, Israel for a Bexar County delegation led by Commissioner Moody to include CEO & President of greater: SATX for an investment promotion mission with a draft budget totaling in $41,130, and approval of the expenditure of funds for this travel. ]

IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT THIS APPROVAL I'LL JUST ASK FOR A MOTION AND THEN WE CAN START TALKING ABOUT IT SOME MORE.

ALL RIGHT. MOVE. APPROVAL. ALL RIGHT. WE GOT MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MOODY.

SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CALVERT. ANY FURTHER ANY DISCUSSIONS? COMMISSIONER MOODY? SURE, JUDGE. I CAN I CAN JUMP IN HERE AND THEN OBVIOUSLY, DAVID CAN CAN BRIEF YOU MORE SPECIFICS.

BUT LISTEN, THIS IS A AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR BEXAR COUNTY.

NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS. I'VE. I'VE TRAVELED TO ISRAEL TWO TIMES BEFORE.

ONE MORE OF A SIGHTSEEING TRIP, ONE MORE OF A BIPARTISAN POLITICAL SUPPORT TRIP.

BUT THIS IS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MISSION CENTERED AROUND A GLOBAL CYBER CONFERENCE.

AND AND DAVID CAN ADD MORE MEAT ON THAT. WE'RE GOING TO BE MEETING WITH DOZENS OF OF BUSINESS LEADERS ON THE SIDE OF THE CONFERENCE AND IN TEL AVIV AND JERUSALEM AND THE WESTERN GALILEE AND NORTHERN ISRAEL.

I THINK THIS IS A HUGE RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR BEXAR COUNTY.

I WOULDN'T ASK BEXAR COUNTY TAXPAYERS TO TO YOU KNOW, PAY FOR A TRIP LIKE THIS.

IF THEY DIDN'T THINK THERE WAS A SERIOUS RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR THOSE DOLLARS.

WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, ISRAEL IS ONE OF THE LEADING CYBER MEDICAL AEROSPACE WATER TECHNOLOGY. THEY REALLY ARE KNOWN AS STARTUP NATION.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE CONSUL GENERAL THE OTHER DAY IS, YOU KNOW, WE ARE SCALE UP STATE AND REALLY OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU KNOW, WIN WIN SITUATIONS WHERE SOME OF THIS TECHNOLOGY COULD BE LEVERAGED WITHIN MANUFACTURING IN BEXAR COUNTY OR SPACE OR CYBER AT THE PORT OR MEDICAL.

SO I THINK THERE'S JUST A LOT OF SYNERGIES THERE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S THAT'S BEEN DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT'S BEEN WORKING ON FOR FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

AS YOU SAW IN THE SLIDES, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND GREATER SAC BOTH BELIEVE THAT THAT ISRAEL IS A A SERIOUS PLAYER OUT THERE AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY. THIS IS JUST THE FIRST STEP.

AND YOU KNOW, IDENTIFYING WHAT SOME OF THOSE RELATIONSHIPS COULD LOOK LIKE.

IDENTIFYING SOME LEADS SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THOSE LEADS AND FIGURE OUT WHERE THEY GO.

BUT IT'S WHY WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM TO TRY TO BRING THIS FORWARD.

GREATER SAT X IS A PARTNER IN THIS. THEY'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE TRIP.

THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY GOING TO BRING VERY DETAILED AND UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE FROM ALL THEIR WORK OVER THE YEARS.

SUPPORTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN OUR CITY. SO I THINK THIS IS A WIN FOR BEXAR COUNTY, AND OTHERWISE I WOULDN'T BRING IT BEFORE THE COURT.

ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? YEAH. SO CLAY-FLORES I SAVED MY COMMENTS FROM THE LAST ITEM. SO I HAVE TO AGREE THAT THIS WHOLE PLAN SEEMS VERY RUSHED TO ME.

I DIDN'T HEAR ABOUT IT TILL TWO WEEKS AGO. ALSO, LIKE COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ SAID, AND I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THIS BECAUSE IT'S REALLY HARD FOR ME TO SUPPORT SOMETHING WHEN IT'S SUPPOSEDLY

[02:30:10]

UNDER COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR BEXAR COUNTY.

YET TWO OF MY COLLEAGUES IN THE PAST YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF HAVE CONTINUOUSLY VOTED AGAINST COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS HERE IN BEXAR COUNTY. THE BASEBALL STADIUM.

A WHOLE BUNCH OF THINGS. I DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH IT. IT'S PUBLIC RECORD. SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND NOT SUPPORTING COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN OUR OWN BACKYARD, BUT GOING TO OTHER COUNTRIES FOR IT. WHEN I LOOK AT THIS POWERPOINT THAT STAFF PUT TOGETHER ON FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT, IT LISTS ALL THESE COUNTRIES.

AND I AGREE WITH TRAVELING INTERNATIONALLY IN ORDER TO BRING BACK JOBS AND INVESTMENT TO BEXAR COUNTY.

BOTH JESSICA AND MYSELF, WE HAVE TRAVELED. FRANKLY, THE ONLY REASON I DIDN'T GO WITH HIM TO JAPAN WHEN HE WENT LAST YEAR BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WORK FOR MY SCHEDULE. BUT OF COURSE, TOYOTA IS IN MY PRECINCT.

BUT YOU KNOW, THE MONEY THAT JCB'S COMING BRINGING UNITED KINGDOM, WHICH IS WHY I WENT.

OF COURSE, JAPAN AND OTHER COMPANIES WERE TRYING TO ATTRACT.

ISRAEL IS THE LAST ONE ON THAT LIST, IF YOU ALL LOOK, IT HAS TOTAL NEW JOBS.

IT'S BLANK. THE AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT GOES FROM MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, INCLUDING FROM JAPAN AND ENGLAND, FOR MORE THAN HALF A MILLION, FOR MORE THAN 500 MILLION FOR EACH OF THOSE COUNTRIES.

ISRAEL IS THE SMALLEST AMOUNT, 500,000. SO I JUST I JUST CAN'T SUPPORT THIS BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT. AND I'VE BEEN TO ISRAEL SEVERAL YEARS AGO, BUT THIS IS THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT THAT I CAN SUPPORT.

AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALSO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS ISSUED ADVISORY TO NOT TRAVEL.

THERE'S FOUR STATES. THIS IS AT A STATE, I GUESS, A LEVEL THREE.

SO TO TRAVEL THERE RIGHT NOW IS JUST JUST THIS WHOLE THING IS ODD TO ME.

AND SEEMED RUSHED. SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I CAN SUPPORT.

MR. CALVERT DAVID TOWER SEMICONDUCTOR IS A COMPANY THAT'S HERE IN SAN ANTONIO ALREADY.

ARE THEY NOT? YES, SIR. THEY ARE. CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT TOWER? THEY ARE A SEMICONDUCTOR WAFER FABRICATION FACILITY IN PRECINCT FOUR.

SO IN YOUR PRECINCT, COMMISSIONER, LOCATED NEAR THE NORTHWEST VISTA COLLEGE CAMPUS.

RIGHT. ADJACENT. I'VE BEEN HERE FOR MANY YEARS.

THEY ARE ISRAELI OWNED. WE WERE WORKING AS PART OF THE DISCUSSION OF THIS TRIP TO SEE IF THERE WAS OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH THEIR LEADERSHIP.

WE HAVE OUR ISRAEL CONSULTANT HERE, DAVID YAARI, WHO IS TELLING ME THAT THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE GOING WELL.

GIVEN TIME ZONES AND EVERYTHING, THESE THINGS TAKE A WHILE TO FLESH OUT.

YEAH. THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF LOOKING AT A MAJOR INVESTMENT IN ABOUT 2020, BUT THEN THEY WERE A TARGET FOR ACQUISITION BY INTEL, AND THAT CONVERSATION ENDED. THAT ACQUISITION BY INTEL FELL THROUGH.

SO WE FEEL IT'S APPROPRIATE TO ENGAGE THEM TO SEE IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THAT INVESTMENT BACK TO BEXAR COUNTY.

THAT'S THE PRIMARY REASON FOR PUTTING THEM ON THE LIST FOR COMMISSIONER MOODY AND JENNA TO VISIT WHEN THEY'RE IN ISRAEL.

I ASKED THAT QUESTION BECAUSE I'VE CALLED TOWER AND I AND I KNEW THAT THEY WERE A LOCAL COMPANY.

AND SO I THINK THAT THIS IS A BONAFIDE PROJECT THAT HAS OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAMS ACROSS THE OUTSIDE AND IN GREATER SACHSE IS WHAT I MEAN. AND THE INSIDE THAT WILL END UP POTENTIALLY HAVING A LOT OF BENEFIT EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE AT WAR. I HAVE FOUND AS SOMEONE LIKE COMMISSIONER MOODY WHO HAS WORKED IN WAR ZONES, YOU ACTUALLY YOU ACTUALLY BOND A LOT MORE WITH PEOPLE WHEN YOU'RE WORKING WITH THEM IN A WAR ZONE.

THEY RESPECT THAT YOU DECIDED TO COME. IT'S KIND OF LIKE BLOCK WALKING IN THE RAIN OR THE SNOW.

PEOPLE ARE A LOT MORE KIND TO YOU FOR FOR COMING.

I ACTUALLY THINK IT COULD BE AN OPPORTUNE TIME FOR US TO HAVE A VISIT.

AND SO I THINK THAT IF WE WANT TO SEE SOME OF THESE COMPANIES GROW, WE'VE GOT TO BE A PART OF SUPPORTING THAT ECOSYSTEM.

SO I DON'T SEE THIS AS NOT IN THE INTEREST OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

I DO SEE THIS AS A COMPANY ALREADY HERE THAT MAY HAVE AN EXPANSION OPPORTUNITY.

AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, I WILL BE SUPPORTIVE OF THIS.

AND AS I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE FOR ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS WHO FELT THAT THEY HAD AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEED FOR THEIR FOR THEIR FOR OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONER, THEY ARE ALSO I SHOULD NOT FAIL TO MENTION THE TOWER HAS LONG BEEN ONE OF OUR MORE ACTIVE AND PARTICIPATING MEMBERS IN BOTH OUR WORK WITH TEXAS FAME AND NOW IN FAST TRACK.

[02:35:10]

THEY'RE VERY ACTIVE AT PARTICIPATING IN HIRING OUR GRADUATES.

THANK YOU. JUDGE. SO AS YOU SAID, DAVID MARQUEZ.

THAT'S IN MY PRECINCT. YES, SIR. I WENT TO ENGLAND.

JCB IN MY PRECINCT, TO YODA, IN MY PRECINCT. NOT IN PRECINCT THREE.

AND THAT WASN'T LISTED ON THE POWERPOINT THAT YOU GUYS GAVE TO US, RIGHT? BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T TALK TO ME ABOUT THAT. WHAT THE POWERPOINT IS TALKING ABOUT IS CYBERSECURITY, RIGHT? SO NORMALLY COMMISSIONERS GO DEPENDING ON WHAT'S IN THEIR PRECINCT.

COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ HASN'T GONE TO ANY OF THESE TRIPS. WE KNOW THAT IN THE COUNTY.

THERE'S YOU KNOW HE HAS A I HAVE THE LARGEST GEOGRAPHIC AREA.

DO YOU HAVE THE YOU HAVE THE SMALLER GEOGRAPHIC AREA.

SO AGAIN, I DON'T SEE THE CONNECTION. SO YEAH, WE CAN TALK ABOUT ALL THIS STUFF.

BUT AGAIN, WE NEED TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN OUR OWN BACKYARDS AND THINGS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN BEXAR COUNTY.

AND THIS IS ABOUT CYBERSECURITY, OR AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT I SAW.

AND I'M ONLY GOING BY WHAT THIS SAYS. IT'S THE SMALLEST INVESTMENT IN NO JOBS LISTED FOR ISRAEL.

SO MAYBE IN THE FUTURE OR SOMETHING. BUT ACCORDING TO THIS, THERE'S NOTHING HERE AND I CAN'T SEE IT, SO I'M NOT SUPPORTING IT. IN CHURCH. COULD COULD WE MAYBE HAVE WELL, JUST ONE, ONE COMMENT, I THINK ON THE NUMBERS THERE AND I'M NOT SURE WHERE DAVID WAS PULLING THOSE FROM, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE HAVEN'T MADE INVESTMENTS IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN ISRAEL TO DATE. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE NOT VERY CAPABLE OF PRODUCING RESULTS FOR US IF WE MAKE THOSE INVESTMENTS.

I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO REALIZE HERE. THE THE OTHER THING IS, MAYBE WE COULD HAVE DAVID YAARI JUST COME UP AND AND TALK ABOUT SOME OF THESE COMPANIES THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE SITTING DOWN WITH. JUST GIVE THEM A COUPLE MINUTES TO RUN THROUGH THE DRAFT ITINERARY AND SOME OF THESE KEY MEETINGS, BECAUSE I THINK THAT WOULD BE MAYBE HELPFUL, JUST MAKING SURE WE UNDERSTAND THE, THE DEPTH AND BREADTH OF OF WHAT THIS TRADE MISSION IS GOING TO ACCOMPLISH. I'LL ASK THAT YOU INTRODUCE.

BUT JORDAN OR DAVID HELPED PREP WHAT WHAT WHAT ARE WE GOING TO GET A BRIEFING IN REGARDS TO MR. JERRY AS COMMISSIONER CALVERT MENTIONED? AND, YOU KNOW, JUDGE FROM OUR LONG STANDING RELATIONSHIP WITH HIRO WATANABE AND MRS SHIRANI BEFORE HIM, AS WELL AS IN OTHER COUNTRIES THAT ARE MOSTLY HANDLED BY GREATER SAT X, WE MUST RELY ON IN-COUNTRY SUPPORT TO HELP STAFF THESE TRIPS. WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT ISRAEL FOR THE CYBER CONFERENCE AROSE, WE REACHED OUT AND AT COMMISSIONER MOODY'S REQUEST, BEGAN SEEKING IF WE COULD FIND SOMEONE TO HELP US UNDERSTAND AND NAVIGATE THE LANDSCAPE AND MAKE SOME OF THOSE MEETINGS.

AGAIN, IT'S HELPFUL TO HAVE SOMEONE IN COUNTRY IN THE TIME ZONE WHO CAN MAKE THOSE SET THOSE UP.

AND WE'VE ENCOUNTERED MR. YAARI. I WILL SAY, I'VE BEEN AT THIS JOB A LONG TIME.

HE'S PERHAPS THE MOST COMPETENT I'VE SEEN AT THIS ROLE.

I'M REALLY AM IMPRESSED WITH THE WORK HE'S DOING AND TRYING TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS A PRODUCTIVE TRADE MISSION.

AND SO AS PART OF YOUR ITEM TODAY, IF YOU APPROVE, THIS TRIP WOULD BE ENGAGING MR. YARI TO HELP SUPPORT THE TRIP IN COUNTRY. ISRAEL, AS WE KNOW, NEEDS SPECIAL ATTENTION IN TERMS OF IN-COUNTRY TRANSPORTATION, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. SO IN ADDITION TO THE SETUP OF THE TRIP, IN ADDITION TO THE FOLLOW UP OF THE TRIP, DURING THE TRIP, HE WOULD BE, ALONG WITH JENNA AND COMMISSIONER MOODY, MAKING SURE THAT THOSE MEETINGS ARE HAPPENING AND THAT THEY'RE PRODUCTIVE.

SO IF I CAN JUST CUT YOU OFF HERE, DAVID, AND JUST SAY HE'S A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT THAT THE COUNTY HAS, THAT'S HOW HE INTRODUCED HIMSELF SINCE COMMISSIONER MOODY. THAT'S CORRECT. LET'S HEAR IT. GO.

MR. YARI, THE FLOOR IS YOURS. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING.

FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR THE TIME. IT IS TRUE ISRAEL IS IN A WAR ZONE, BUT I THINK WE'RE SEEING FROM THE CEASEFIRE AND FROM A TRIP THIS SUMMER FROM A BIPARTISAN TRIP OF TEXAS LEGISLATORS FROM THE HOUSE WHO CAME TO ISRAEL AND VISITED COMPANIES.

IT WAS MORE OF A SOLIDARITY TRIP. THE BRIEF THAT I WAS GIVEN TO ME FOR THIS TRIP WAS PURELY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, FOCUSING ON MEETINGS WITH COMPANIES ONLY. AND SO THIS TRIP WILL BE MEETING SOME OF THE LARGEST COMPANIES THAT ARE RELEVANT FOR EXPANSION TO THIS AREA, NOT JUST MEETING COMPANIES FOR THE SAKE OF MEETINGS, BUT COMPANIES THAT ARE EXPANDING THEIR PRESENCE AND LOOKING TO ESTABLISH OPERATIONS OUTSIDE AND SPECIFICALLY IN THE UNITED STATES.

AND THE QUESTION IS, AS I'VE HEARD FROM THE DISCUSSION, IS HOW TO POSITION BEXAR COUNTY AND HOW TO POSITION SAN ANTONIO ON THE DECISION SET FOR THE DECISION LEADERS, FOR THE LEADERS WHO ARE THE CORPORATE CAPTAINS, WHO ARE MAKING DECISIONS OF WHERE TO SET UP THEIR OPERATIONS AND THEIR FACTORIES.

IT'S GOING TO BE WHERE MAKES THE MOST SENSE FOR THEM AND FOR COMPANIES THAT ARE COMING.

AND A COUNTY THAT'S GOING TO COME AND MEET WILL GET MORE ATTENTION, ESPECIALLY IN A TIME OF SENSITIVITY.

[02:40:02]

RIGHT NOW WHEN FRIENDS COME AND VISIT AND IT GETS THEIR ATTENTION.

SO THE TRIP THAT WE'RE HAVING IS MEETING ADVANCED MANUFACTURING COMPANIES WHO ARE LOOKING TO ESTABLISH PRESENCE UP IN THE NORTH, WHICH HAS BEEN SEVERELY HIT. MEETINGS IN THE CYBER SECTOR, THAT'S ISRAEL'S PROBABLY ITS LARGEST MARKET SECTOR AND ECOSYSTEM IN THE WORLD.

CHECKPOINT IS A $20 BILLION MARKET CAP COMPANY THAT HAS PRESENCE ACROSS AMERICA AND WANTS TO EXPAND ITS PRESENCE IN TEXAS.

SO MEETING WITH THE WITH THE LEADERSHIP THERE WILL BE IMPORTANT.

RH ELECTRONICS, A COMPANY IN THE NORTH OF ISRAEL WHICH WANTS TO ESTABLISH A FAB IN THIS AREA, IS VERY RELEVANT. THEY'RE EXCITED TO HOST A MEETING, A DATA CENTERS, WHICH ARE CRITICAL, AND A CORE AREA OF GROWTH FOR TEXAS IN GENERAL, ESPECIALLY WITH THE STARGATE, IS PART OF THIS AGENDA.

SO MEETING WITH A COMPANY LIKE ARNOBIUS, WHICH JUST GOT A $770 MILLION INVESTMENT FROM NVIDIA, WHICH IS LOOKING TO ESTABLISH PRESENCE, THOSE ARE THE KIND OF MEETINGS THAT WE'VE SET UP.

WE'RE GOING TO TAKE AN ENTIRE DAY GOING UP NORTH, GETTING OUT OF THIS, THE CENTER OF THE COUNTRY, AND THEN SPEND A DAY AND A HALF AT CYBERTECH, CYBERTEK, WHICH IS THE LARGEST SHOW OF ITS KIND IN THE CYBER SECTOR, WHICH HAS BEEN A PRIORITY NOW FOR TEXAS. AS I'VE HEARD THE GOVERNOR MENTIONED AND OTHERS, THAT MAKING TEXAS THE LEAD IN THE UNITED STATES FOR CYBER.

ISRAEL IS DOING THAT BECAUSE OF ITS INVESTMENT IN R&D.

SO MEETING THOSE COMPANIES AND ONE THING THAT I HEARD MENTIONED BEFORE, AND I THINK THE COMMISSIONER MOODY MENTIONED AS WELL, ISRAEL IS KNOWN AS THE STARTUP NATION. THERE ARE 6700 STARTUPS WITH OVER AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT $26 BILLION OF FOREIGN INVESTED CAPITAL.

AND THOSE COMPANIES NEED A PLACE TO GROW BECAUSE, AS YOU KNOW, ISRAEL IS A SMALL COUNTRY.

SO THE STARTUP NATION NEEDS A SCALE UP STATE.

AND THE SCALE UP STATE IS TEXAS. THE QUESTION IS, WHICH PART OF TEXAS SHOULD THESE COMPANIES GO? SHOULD THEY GO TO DALLAS? SHOULD THEY BE GOING TO HOUSTON? SHOULD THEY BE GOING TO AUSTIN? ISRAEL? WELL, I THINK THE QUESTION IS SOME OF THOSE PLACES HAVE INVESTED AND PUT RESOURCES ON THE GROUND. SO IF YOU LOOK AT CEDAR PARK. CEDAR PARK HAS A REPRESENTATIVE AND THAT'S A SMALL AREA.

IT'S NOT EVEN A COUNTY. IT'S A TINY, TINY AREA.

THEY HAVE INVESTED. THEY'VE INVESTED RESOURCES TO HAVE A PERSON ON THE GROUND IN ISRAEL.

AND SO WHEN I WHEN I MET THE COMMISSIONER, I WAS INSPIRED BY HIS VISION.

I WAS INSPIRED BY BY SOME OF THE VOICES I HEARD HERE, THINKING ABOUT HOW TO MAKE BEXAR COUNTY ATTRACTIVE TO COMPANIES WHO ARE LOOKING TO EXPAND AND THE NUMBERS ARE GOING UP, AND MORE AND MORE COMPANIES.

AND THE COMMENT ABOUT TOWERS JUST ONE. SO WHETHER IT'S AEROSPACE OR WHETHER IT'S DEFENSE TECH, WHETHER IT'S WATER TECH, WHETHER IT'S FINTECH, BUT SPECIFICALLY CYBER TECH.

THIS IS AND THE ONE THING I HEARD ABOUT PLANNING, THIS IS AN ANNUAL SHOW.

SO IT ONLY HAPPENS ONCE A YEAR. IT'S NOT LIKE IT CAN HAPPEN IN ANOTHER TIME.

SO THIS IS A TIME WHERE ALL OF THE CYBER LEADERS ARE GATHERING IN ONE PLACE.

HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. COMMISSIONER CALVERT, I JUST HAVE ONE OTHER COMMENT JUST FOR THE THE PUBLIC.

YOU KNOW, THIS IS A VERY TIGHT AGENDA. AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS I HAVE SEEN SOME OF THESE TRIPS JUST KIND OF WALLOW. THIS IS A VERY STRATEGIC, VERY FILLED AGENDA FOR A RELATIVELY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL. SO I WANT TO COMPLIMENT THE AGENDA AS NOT HAVING A LOT OF FLUFF IN IT.

WHEN I GO ABROAD, I WAS I'D BE JUST PERFECTLY HONEST WHEN I WENT TO VIETNAM TO RAISE MONEY FOR INVESTMENT HERE IN BEXAR COUNTY, I WAS THERE TWO DAYS. SO I WAS BASICALLY GONE ON FRIDAY AND BACK BY MONDAY IN THE UNITED STATES.

VERY SAME THING IN CHINA. FOUR DAYS. MY BACK PAYS FOR IT.

BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S THEY'RE VERY TIGHT AGENDA.

SO THERE IS NOT A LOT OF FLUFF HERE. YOU HAVE STRATEGIC COMPANIES THAT YOU'RE MEETING WITH AND THEN YOU'RE GETTING A LARGER BENEFIT FROM THE CONFERENCE.

SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR FOR THE TAXPAYERS.

THIS IS ONE OF THE MORE EFFICIENT AGENDAS THAT I'VE SEEN IN A VERY LONG TIME, SO I WANT TO PUT THAT ON THE RECORD.

THANK YOU. LET ME LET ME JUST WEIGH IN HERE. THERE'S BEEN A ROBUST DISCUSSION IN REGARDS TO AGENDA ITEM 64 AS IT APPLIED TO A AND NOW TO B. I DELIBERATELY SEPARATED THEM BECAUSE AS WE CAN SEE, THERE ARE REALLY TWO SEPARATE ISSUES, BUT THEY'RE REALLY INTERTWINED.

AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY I WANT A CLEAR MESSAGE.

AS COMMISSIONER SAID IT TO THE PUBLIC, TO STAFF AND TO MY COLLEAGUES ON, ON THE ON THE DAIS HERE.

ONE OF THE ISSUES DISCUSSED HERE AND CANNOT HAPPEN AGAIN, IS THE FACT THAT INFORMATION IN REGARDS TO THESE SPECIFIC TRIPS, REQUESTS, BUDGET ITEMS CAN'T COME TO US AT THE LAST MINUTE OR THAT WE'RE NOT BEING ADEQUATELY BRIEFED.

THAT'S THE REASON WHY, IN ESSENCE, 60 FOR A IS REALLY THE LINCHPIN FOR THE RESOLUTION FOR TODAY AND FOR FUTURE

[02:45:09]

TRIPS THAT WE WILL HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS AND THE COURT WILL KNOW, WITH ALL INPUT FROM THE COMMISSIONERS COURT, THE COMMISSIONERS AND MYSELF TO STAFF IN REGARDS TO OUR PARTNERS GREATER SAFETY AT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND THE OTHER EMPLOYERS THAT WE WORK WITH IN OUR COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN BUSINESSES WHEREVER THEY MAY BE, BOTH INTERNATIONAL AND BOTH FROM A SMALL BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. AND THEN WE MUST BE MINDFUL THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SPEND SOME MONEY TO DO THIS.

BUT WE ALSO HAVE ALL THESE OTHER BUDGET REQUESTS THAT WE ARE ALWAYS SO AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO BALANCE THIS ALL, AND WE CAN'T JUST GIVE A BLANK CHECK OR CREDIT CARD, SO TO SPEAK.

FOR THESE TYPE OF INITIATIVES, WE REALLY HAVE TO BE THOUGHTFUL AND WE HAVE TO BE DELIBERATIVE, AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE JUDICIOUS. AND THAT MAY MEAN WE CAN'T ACCOMMODATE EVERY REQUEST BY A COMMISSIONER OR STAFF.

ONE OF THE UNIQUENESS OF THIS PARTICULAR ITEM OF 64 B WAS MY CONVERSATIONS ONCE I WAS EXPLAINED THE TRIP, AND THAT REALLY JUST HAPPENED IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS, WAS THE FACT THAT THERE WERE TRIBAL ADVISORY ISSUES.

SO AS A MATTER OF POLICY, I'M ALSO GIVING STAFF INSTRUCTIONS.

WE NEED TO DEVELOP POLICY THAT IF THERE ARE INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS, WE NEED TO MAKE A DECISION.

I AM NOT SENDING COUNTY STAFF INTO PLACES THAT WE'RE WARNED NOT TO GO.

AND THAT'S NOT JUST ISRAEL, THAT'S ANYWHERE. AND SO WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL THAT WE IF WE DO PURSUE THESE OPPORTUNITIES AND WHICH MAY GO INTO COUNTRIES THAT COULD PUT POTENTIAL, THEN EVERYBODY GOES IN KNOWING AND THIS IS THE LAWYER AND JUDGE IN ME.

EVERYBODY GOES IN KNOWING THE RISK. AND IF STAFF IS BEING ASKED, THEN THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THEY HAVE AN OPTION TO SAY, NO, I DON'T WANT TO GO OR WE NEED TO SIGN WAIVERS AND RELEASES SO THAT WE DON'T IMPOSE LIABILITY ON THE COUNTY, BECAUSE IF ANYTHING HAPPENS, ESPECIALLY IN REGARDS TO THE THE WORLD ORDER, SO TO SPEAK, I CANNOT EXPOSE THE COUNTY TO ANY LIABILITY.

SO I'M I'M EXPECTING A VERY THOROUGH DISCUSSION AND A VERY SPECIFIC PLAN.

AND I WANT DETAILS AND I WANT, AS COMMISSIONER CLAY-FLORES HAS PUT OUT, WE NEED TO KNOW AND THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT.

AND IT CAN'T BE BLANKS OR WE DON'T. WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT ARE WE GOING TO GET FOR THE LIMITED USE OF DOLLARS THAT WE WILL NOT.

SO THAT'S WHAT MY INSTRUCTIONS ARE. THAT'S WHAT MY DIRECTORS ARE.

AS COUNTY JUDGE. I HOPE IT KIND OF CAPTURES ALL THE COMMENTS MADE FROM THE DAIS.

WE WANT BUSINESSES TO COME TO BEXAR COUNTY. WE WILL CONTINUE TO INVEST AND RECRUIT AND RETAIN THOSE BUSINESSES. WE WILL LOOK AT THE BIG BUSINESSES AND THE SMALL BUSINESSES.

WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE BEXAR COUNTY A ROBUST, ROBUST PLACE.

AS MY WIFE SAID TODAY, A PLACE TO LIVE, WORK AND PLAY.

SO WITH THAT, I'M CALLING FOR A VOTE. I HAVE MR. CLAY-FLORES. BASED ON WHAT YOU SAID, JUDGE SAKAI, SO SHOULD WE NOT ASK FOR A WAIVER FROM COUNTY LIABILITY? IF SOMETHING HAPPENS, IT'LL BE WHOEVER NEEDS.

I'LL ASK STAFF TO ADDRESS THAT, ALONG WITH CONSULTATION WITH THE THE COUNCIL, AND WE'LL.

OKAY. THE ONLY STOP THAT IT'S BEEN DEALT WITH.

STAFF WILL BE IN CONSULTATION IN REGARDS TO WHO, IF ANY, ARE GOING ON THIS PARTICULAR TRIP.

OKAY, SO I HAVE SOME MORE QUESTIONS. GO AHEAD.

SO TICKETS HAVE BEEN FLIGHT. FLIGHT TICKETS HAVE ALREADY BEEN BOUGHT FOR THIS.

THEY HAVE COMMISSIONER, BUT WE PURCHASED THE REFUNDABLE TICKET KNOWING THAT THERE WERE FLUID SITUATION, BOTH WITH YOUR APPROVAL AS WELL AS THE SITUATION IN ISRAEL.

WHEN WERE THOSE TICKETS BOUGHT? TWO, THREE WEEKS AGO.

I BELIEVE THE PRICES WERE CHANGING, SO WE FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO LOCK IN THE PRICE BEFORE THEY WENT HIGHER.

OKAY, SO I THINK THINGS LIKE THIS PUT STAFF IN AN AWKWARD POSITION LIKE Y'ALL ARE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE ISRAEL PRESENCE WE ALREADY HAVE IN PRECINCT ONE.

BUT AGAIN, Y'ALL DIDN'T TALK TO ME, AND IT'S MY PRECINCT BECAUSE.

AND YOU EVEN SAID COMMISSIONER MOODY CAME TO YOU AT THE REQUEST.

SO IT SEEMS TO ME THAT SOMEONE FOUND SOMETHING THAT THEY WANTED TO DO AND THEN TRY TO FIT THINGS AROUND IT, AND THINGS WERE SAID ON PUBLIC RECORD. SO Y'ALL CAN GO BACK AND LOOK AT THAT. I'M NOT TRYING TO MAKE UP STUFF. NONETHELESS,

[02:50:02]

I WANT TO THANK MARSHALL, AND I WANT TO THANK JORDANNA BECAUSE Y'ALL WERE JUST DOING YOUR JOBS AND PUTTING THINGS TOGETHER.

SO THANK YOU FOR THE TIME THAT YOU GUYS SPENT ON THIS.

I'VE WORKED WITH BOTH OF YOU A LOT BECAUSE OF ALL THE DEVELOPMENT THAT I'VE BEEN FIGHTING FOR IN MY PRECINCT AND FOR THE NEW JOBS THAT WE'RE ATTRACTING IN PRECINCT ONE. SO I THANK YOU GUYS FOR THAT AND ALSO FOR THE WORK THAT I'LL CONTINUE TO DO WITH GREATER, GREATER SACHSE. THANK YOU. IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER COMMENTS, I'M CALLING FOR A VOTE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO APPROVE AGENDA ITEM 64 BE.

I BELIEVE IT WAS A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MOONEY. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CALVERT.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING I, I ANY OPPOSED? NO. ANY ABSTENTIONS. MOTION CARRIES. YOU ALL HAVE A GOOD DAY.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. LET'S GO ON TO AGENDA ITEM 65.

[65. Discussion and appropriate action regarding Bexar County's Legislative Program and the 89th Session of the Texas Legislature. ]

DISCUSSION APPROPRIATE ACTION REGARDING BEXAR COUNTY LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM AND THE 89TH SESSION OF THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE.

MISS SHANNON. GOOD MORNING, JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS MELISSA SHANNON, GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS DIRECTOR, COUNTY MANAGER'S OFFICE. WHAT THOMAS IS HANDING OUT TO YOU IS THE YOUR BRIEFING FOR TODAY.

YOU ALSO HAVE YOUR CHIEFS RECEIVED THIS SATURDAY NIGHT.

SO YOUR OFFICE HAS AN ELECTRONIC COPY OF THIS.

AND I WILL ALSO LIKE I DID LAST WEEK, I WILL INCLUDE THIS IN MY WEEKLY EMAIL TO YOU.

SO YOU'LL HAVE IT ELECTRONICALLY. SO VERY QUICKLY GOING THROUGH THE FIRST FOUR ITEMS, WHICH ARE OUR INITIATIVES, HB 3234 WAS FILED ON FEBRUARY 24TH. WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR THE SPCA REGISTRANTS ON THE EARLY VOTING LIST.

WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR A BUILD DRAFT ON THAT ONE.

BILL FILING DEADLINE IS FRIDAY, SO WE'RE GETTING CLOSE.

HOWEVER, WE DID RECEIVE A QUESTION FROM THE OFFICE FROM LEDGE COUNCIL ON THIS ONE LAST NIGHT ABOUT 6 P.M., SO I BELIEVE IT WILL BE COMING OUT RATHER QUICKLY.

AND THEN LASTLY, ON YOUR INITIATIVES, HB 3345 WAS FILED ON FEBRUARY 25TH.

AS I REPORTED LAST MEETING, WE HAD A UPCOMING MEETING WITH THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR'S OFFICE.

WE HAD A VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETING WITH THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR'S OFFICE ON THIS BILL.

AND NEXT, I AM ALSO WORKING WITH TRYING TO GET A MEETING WITH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND ALSO THE SENATOR NICHOLS, WHO IS OVER SENATE TRANSPORTATION. SO THOSE ARE ON MY TO DO LIST.

I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THOSE FOR THE LAST WEEK.

GETTING INTO YOUR POLICIES LIKE LAST TIME, THE ITEMS THAT ARE STAPLED BEHIND YOUR REPORT, THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT REPORTS STAPLED THERE. THE FIRST ONE IS YOUR COMMISSIONER'S COURT UPDATE.

THOSE ARE THE ITEMS THAT WE WILL GO OVER NEXT.

AND THEN NEXT IS A FOUR PAGE REPORT WHICH ILLUSTRATES ILLUSTRATES BILLS THAT ALIGN WITH OUR AGENDA WHERE WE SUPPORT OR OPPOSE.

AND I JUST WANT TO KEEP THOSE KEEP TRACKING THOSE AS WELL.

SO GOING THROUGH YOUR POLICIES SB NINE, THIS ONE HAS MOVED OUT OF THE SENATE AND HAS MADE IT TO THE HOUSE. IT'S SITTING IN THE HOUSE BUT HAS NOT BEEN SIGNED TO COMMITTEE YET.

SO IT IS BEING HELD UP IN THE HOUSE AND, COMMISSIONER MOODY FOR YOU, AT THE LAST MEETING YOU HAD ASKED US TO PUT TOGETHER BRING BACK DETAILS ON A 30 AND 60 DAY WINDOW TO LOOK AT THE COST ON THIS BILL.

WE ARE ALMOST TO THE POINT OF CROSSING THE T'S, DOTTING THE I'S.

MANAGEMENT IS REVIEWING THAT ONE NOW AS I SPEAK, SO WE SHOULD HAVE THAT READY TO RELEASE SHORTLY.

HB NINE SORRY, WHICH BILL WAS THAT? THAT WAS SB NINE.

COMMISSIONER. THE RELEASE OF DEFENDANTS ON BAIL.

OKAY. THE THE BOND BILLS. YES, SIR. YES, SIR.

YOU HAD ASKED US TO PUT TOGETHER. YES, A 30 DAY LOOK BACK ON WHAT THAT PROPOSED BILL COULD COST US.

AND LIKE, WE'RE ALMOST THERE TO RELEASING THAT TO YOU ALL.

YEAH, OBVIOUSLY, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE 30 DAY, 60 DAYS.

WE JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE THE IMPACT ULTIMATELY ON ON WHAT THAT WILL DO IN TERMS OF COST AND, AND JAIL BEDS. CLEARLY IT'S GOING TO HAVE AN IMPACT.

YES, SIR. WE'VE GOT IT. YES, SIR. I JUST NEED MANAGEMENT TO SIGN OFF ON IT.

AND I HOPE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, AT LEAST, BY THE END OF THIS WEEK, I CAN RELEASE THAT.

HB NINE IS PENDING IN HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS. IT WAS HEARD IN THE HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS, AND IT'S STILL PENDING.

[02:55:09]

SAME THING WITH HB 22. THOSE WERE BOTH HEARD THE LAST FEW DAYS AND WAYS AND MEANS AND IT'S STILL PENDING.

SB 40, IT'S ON PAGE THREE OF SIX. AND THAT ONE ALSO HAS BEEN RECEIVED IN THE HOUSE. SO IT'S FLOWN OUT FROM THE SENATE AND IT'S PENDING IN THE HOUSE, PENDING PENDING APPOINTMENT TO A COMMITTEE.

HB B336. SORRY, I'M JUMPING BACK AND FORTH ON MY LIST.

THAT ONE IS HAS BEEN REFERRED TO A HOUSE COMMITTEE, BUT HAS NOT BEEN HEARD AS OF YET, SO IT'S PENDING THAT.

HB 901 IS. PENDING IN A HOUSE COMMITTEE AS WELL. IT'S BEEN INTRODUCED TO THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STATE AFFAIRS BUT PENDING A COMMITTEE HEARING.

SO THEN LASTLY, THE TWO THE ONE BIG ITEM THAT I KNOW THAT YOU ALL ARE INTERESTED IN ARE THE FUNDING FOR THE STATE HOSPITAL. SO SENATOR CAROL ALVARADO OUT OF HARRIS COUNTY, PICKED UP THE BUDGET RIDER.

SHE'S ON SENATE FINANCE. SENATOR MENENDEZ'S OFFICE.

HE AND HIS OFFICE HELPED US GREATLY TO GET HER TO FILE THAT FOR US.

SO IT'S BETTER HAVING HER FILE IT THAN ONE OF OUR OWN, BECAUSE SHE IS ON SENATE FINANCE, SO SHE HAS AGREED TO HELP US WITH THIS ONE. YOU WILL SEE HERE ON YOUR LIST THAT WHAT WAS PUT IN WAS A $100 MILLION REQUEST FOR ALL TEN OF THE PLAZA BUILDINGS.

SO THE LEGISLATURE IS WELL, THE SENATE HAS ASKED THAT $100 MILLION BE GIVEN TO HHC FOR ALL TEN OF THOSE PLAZA BUILDINGS TO REDEVELOP THEM.

THE BUDGET RIDER, THOSE WERE DUE FRIDAY AND I'VE NOT SEEN IT IN MY HANDS, SO BUT I HAVE BEEN GIVEN A VERBAL THAT REPRESENTATIVE LUJAN PUT THE SAME IN FOR US, THE $100,000,000.10 BUILDINGS.

I'VE JUST NOT SEEN THAT BUDGET RIDER, BUT I'M CONFIDENT THAT IT HAS BEEN PUT IN.

SO THAT IS IT FOR TODAY. UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

ANY QUESTIONS? YES, SIR. THANK YOU. MELISSA. YES, SIR.

THANK YO. COMMISSIONER MOODY. HOLD ON. JUST A QUICK INFORMATIONAL FOR THE THE COURT AND AND MELISSA. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH REPRESENTATIVE LUJAN, AND I DID ASK HIM SOME MORE ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR THE THE TWO STEP APPROACH, WHICH WOULD ULTIMATELY BE THE FUNDING PIECE THAT THAT YOU MENTIONED.

MELISSA, IN YOUR BRIEF. RIGHT. THIS WRITER AND THE SECOND PART BEING THE ACTUAL CONTROL OF THE BUILDING AND CONTROLLING THOSE BEDS.

AND I BELIEVE THAT HIS STAFF IS CURRENTLY EXPLORING THAT FURTHER TO UNDERSTAND, LIKE WHAT THAT SECOND STEP WOULD LOOK LIKE.

AND ANY KINDS OF IMPACTS THROUGH, THROUGH THE BUDGETARY PROCESS FOR, FOR THAT ITEM BEING SEPARATED FROM THE BUDGET.

ASK SO IF I GET MORE INFORMATION, I'LL BE HAPPY TO SHARE IT WITH THE COURT.

BUT AS I'VE ALWAYS SAID, I THINK THAT THE SECOND PART OF THAT IS IS GOING TO BE CRITICAL IF WE REALLY WANT TO SEE THE VALUE IN IT FOR BEXAR COUNTY.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU MELISSA. THERE'S BEEN A REQUEST THAT WE ADVANCE TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.

[EXECUTIVE SESSION (DISCUSSION ONLY: CLOSED TO PUBLIC)]

I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE. IS THERE ANY OBJECTIONS? WHAT? BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, I WANT TO TAKE SOME ACTION ITEMS ON THE LATE FILED MATTERS AS A GROUP.

IF Y'ALL UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING. BUT IF THERE'S NO OBJECTIONS, WE'LL GO NOW INTO NOT RIGHT NOW.

BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, COULD I ASK FOR A MOTION TO CONSIDER LATE FILED UNDER ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY 1.2 TO AUTHORIZE THE CONSIDERATION OF AGENDA ITEM 68 A 70 A AND 71 A. I'M NOT TAKING THEM UP. I'M JUST ASKING FOR A JOINT MOTION SO THAT THEY ARE MATTERS THAT WE CAN DISCUSS.

WE WILL AFTER THIS VOTE, I'M GOING TO TAKE IT REAL QUICK BREAK AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO EXECUTIVE, AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK AND OPEN. AND FOR THE RECORD, AND THE PEOPLE, THE PUBLIC AND PEOPLE ARE PAYING ATTENTION.

WE WILL THEN TAKE UP ITEM 66, WHICH IS PUBLIC WORKS, 67, BY PURCHASING 68 BY THE COURT.

[03:00:05]

AND THEN WE'LL TAKE UP 70, 71, 72 AND 73, 71, 72 AND 73 ARE MATTERS THAT WILL BE TAKEN INTO EXECUTIVE. AND THEN WE'LL DETERMINE WHAT ACTION, IF ANY, WILL TAKE AFTER WE COMPLETE EXECUTIVE.

SO MOVE FOR APPROVAL FOR REVIEW OF LATE ITEMS. SECOND MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CLAY-FLORES. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING I, I ANY OPPOSED ANY ABSTENTIONS.

MOTION CARRIES WILL TAKE UP THOSE LATE FILED ITEMS. AT THIS TIME THE TIME IS NOW 1208. THE COURT IS GOING TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC SESSION AND GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.

AND I WILL NOW READ INTO THE RECORD. THAT EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS MAY BE DISCUSSED AND ACT UPON, IF APPROPRIATELY, IN OPEN SESSION SECTION 551071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY FOR ADVICE REGARDING PENDING OR CONTEMPLATED LITIGATION OR SETTLEMENT OFFER.

ITEM 66 DISCUSSION OF APPROPRIATE ACTION REGARDING THE ENGINEERING SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN BEXAR COUNTY AND PAVE DAWSON CONSULTING ENGINEERS,

[66. Discussion and appropriate action regarding the Engineering Services Agreement between Bexar County and Pape-Dawson Consulting Engineers, LLC, for Construction Engineering and Inspection Services in an amount not to exceed $4,653,565 for fees related to the Blanco Road Phase III (MPO) - Borgfeld Drive to Bexar County Line Project, Precinct 3. ]

LLC FOR CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING INSPECTION SERVICES IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $4,653,565 FOR FEES RELATED TO BLANCO ROAD PHASE THREE MPO BOARD FIELD DRIVE TO BEXAR COUNTY LINE PROJECT PRECINCT THREE.

MR. ART RHINEHART, PLEASE GIVE US YOUR UPDATE.

COMMISSIONERS. FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS ART REINHARDT WITH PUBLIC WORKS.

THIS IS IN RELATION TO OUR BLANCO ROAD PHASE THREE CONTRACT.

THIS IS OUR CONSTRUCTION, ENGINEERING AND INSPECTION SERVICES.

SO JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROJECT. THIS IS IN PRECINCT THREE.

THIS IS A FEDERALLY FUNDED PROJECT THROUGH THE MPO, WHICH MEANS THE MPO WILL REIMBURSE US FOR 80% OF THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROJECT. IT'S A TWO LANE ROADWAY. WE'LL BE REBUILDING IT TO A FOUR LANE ROADWAY WITH CENTER TURN LANE, AS WELL AS BICYCLE, PEDESTRIAN AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS.

PROJECT LIMITS ARE APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES. ANTICIPATED CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT.

WE HAVE NOT BID IT OUT YET, BUT WE'LL BE GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS AS $38 MILLION AND WE'LL BE LOOKING TO START THAT IN JULY, AND IT WILL LAST ABOUT 30 MONTHS, SO FINISHING UP IN DECEMBER 27TH.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CONTRACT HERE TODAY. WE'RE TO SPEAK THROUGH WE RELEASED A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS BACK IN JULY OF LAST YEAR.

WE RECEIVED TEN STATEMENTS OF QUALIFICATIONS AND WE HAD RECOMMENDED AND COURT APPROVED PROVIDED APPROVAL TO US TO NEGOTIATE WITH PAPE DAWSON, ENGINEERS FOR THE SERVICES. THE SCOPE OF SERVICES UNDER THIS CONTRACT IS FOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AND INSPECTION SERVICES, SPECIFICALLY TO ENSURE THAT THE PROJECT IS BUILT TO THE REQUIRED SPECIFICATIONS.

AGAIN, THIS IS FEDERALLY FUNDED, SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT SPECIFICATIONS WE NEED TO FOLLOW CONFORMING TO TXDOT.

AND THERE'S CERTAIN PROCESSES. SO PAPE DAWSON AND THEIR TEAM WILL BE PERFORMING INSPECTION OF THE MATERIALS DAILY WORKMANSHIP TO ENSURE EVERYTHING IS BUILT ACCORDING TO THE SPECS, TRACKING ANY CHANGE ORDERS THAT COME UP, REVIEWING SHOP DRAWINGS AS THEY'RE SUBMITTED, REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION FROM THE CONTRACTOR, AS WELL AS MONTHLY PAY ESTIMATES. ALSO PROVIDING QUALITY CONTROL SERVICES AND TRACKING DBE PARTICIPATION AS REQUIRED BY TXDOT.

THE FIRM. YOU CAN SEE THE LIST OF SUB CONSULTANTS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN.

APPROXIMATELY 25% OF THE CONTRACT WILL BE PROVIDED TO SMALL MINORITY BUSINESSES.

YOU CAN SEE A LISTING THERE. WE'VE GOT ATLAS AS WELL AS B2C ENGINEERING, HP, HPE AND THE RIOS GROUP.

ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS. COMMISSIONER RUDY. I'LL MOVE.

APPROVAL. MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MOODY. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS. MOTION CARRIES.

THANK YOU, MR. REINHART. ITEM 67 DISCUSSION. APPROPRIATE ACTION REGARDING AN AWARDING AND DELIVERY ORDER TO HOLT TRUCK CENTERS OF TEXAS FOR THE PURCHASE OF SEVEN 2026

[67. Discussion and appropriate action regarding awarding a delivery order to Holt Truck Centers of Texas for the purchase of seven (7) 2026 International HV607 dump trucks, two (2) 2026 International CV515 trucks, and one (1) 2026 International HX620 truck, in the combined amount of $1,396,943.53, which includes a trade-in allowance in the combined amount of $83,000, through Sourcewell Cooperative Contract #032824-NVS, in accordance with Texas Local Government Code §271.102; and authorizing the trade-in and removal often (10) surplus units from the fixed asset inventory record, as requested by Public Works/Fleet Maintenance; and authorizing the Purchasing Agent to execute and file the appropriate award documents for record. ]

INTERNATIONAL HEAVY 607 DUMP TRUCKS. TWO 2026 INTERNATIONAL CV 515 TRUCKS AND ONE 2026 INTERNATIONAL HX6 20 TRUCK IN THE COMBINED AMOUNT OF $1,396,943.53, WHICH INCLUDES A TRADE IN ALLOWANCE AND THE COMBINED AMOUNT OF $83,000 THROUGH SOURCE SOURCEWELL COOPERATIVE CONTRACT.

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE 271 .0102, AUTHORIZING THE TRADE AND REMOVAL OF THE TEN SURPLUS UNITS FROM THE FIXED ASSET INVENTORY RECORD AS REQUESTED BY PUBLIC WORKS FLEET MAINTENANCE, AND AUTHORIZING THE PURCHASING AGENT TO EXECUTE AND FILE THE APPROPRIATE AWARD DOCUMENTS FOR THE RECORDS. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. GALLOWAY.

GOOD AFTERNOON. LET'S GET THROUGH THIS. YES, SIR.

LOOKING FOR YOUR APPROVAL THIS THIS AFTERNOON.

[03:05:02]

THE TOTAL EXCEEDS THE $1 MILLION THRESHOLD. SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE ASKING FOR YOUR YOUR APPROVAL THIS AFTERNOON OF $1,396,943.53. I HAVE WITH ME MR. ART FROM PUBLIC WORKS, AS WELL AS FLEET FLEET MAINTENANCE AS WELL.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS. IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTION? QUICK QUESTION. JUST TELL US WHAT THESE ARE USED FOR. COMMISSIONER.

SO IT'S A TOTAL OF TEN VEHICLES. THERE'S SEVEN NEW I KNOW THE NAMES ARE LISTED THERE, BUT IT'S ESSENTIALLY SEVEN DUMP TRUCKS.

THREE FLATBED DUMP TRUCKS. SO THEY'RE USED IN TO SUPPORT OUR PUBLIC WORKS OPERATIONS.

OKAY. STREET MAINTENANCE, POSSIBLY, OR. YEAH.

SO DUMP TRUCKS FOR HAULING MATERIAL. THERE IS ONE HAUL TRUCK THAT WE USE TO HOOK UP TO TRAILERS TO MOVE IT AROUND.

OKAY. MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. JUDGE. SECOND.

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CLAY-FLORES. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? YEAH, I ALSO I JUST WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY SINCE THEY'RE ASKING YOU, ART, ABOUT WHAT THESE BIG, HEAVY EQUIPMENTS ARE FOR, WE CALL ON OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT FOR ALSO LOCAL DISASTERS. THEY JUST HELPED LAST WEEK WITH THE FIRES THAT HAPPENED IN THE RURAL PART OF PRECINCT ONE.

AND IT'S THEY REALLY HELPED TO LIKE BUILD BARRIERS AND DO WHATEVER WE NEED SO THEY DON'T JUST HELP WITH THE BUILDING OF ROADS.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. SHOUT OUT TO YOUR THANK YOU TO THE MEN AND WOMEN IN YOUR DEPARTMENT. ALL RIGHT.

THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? MOTION CARRIES.

WE GO TO ITEM 68, THE LATE FILING THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BY A PRIOR MOTION AND ORDER.

[68.a. Approval of a purchase order to Meridian Rapid Defense Group Sales LLC, in the amount of $103,468.03 for eight (8) Meridian Archer 1200 mobile vehicle barriers and a drop deck trailer as requested by the Office of Emergency Management; authorizing the Purchasing Agent to execute and file the appropriate award documents for record. ]

AT THIS TIME, WE'LL TAKE UP 68 A APPROVAL OF A PURCHASE ORDER TO MERIDIAN RAPID DEFENSE GROUP SALES, LLC IN THE AMOUNT OF $103,468.03 FOR EIGHT MERIDIAN ARCHER 1200 MOBILE VEHICLE BARRIERS AND A DROP DECK TRAILER, AS REQUESTED BY THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, AUTHORIZING THE PURCHASING AGENT TO EXECUTE AND FILE THE APPROPRIATE AWARD DOCUMENTS FOR RECORD. WHO'S GOT THE REPORT? I'VE GOT IT, SIR.

GO AHEAD. I HAVE MR. MICHAEL MORELAND FROM OUR OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

THAT'S GOING TO SPEAK TO THE ITEM, SIR. ALL RIGHT. IS THIS IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL PURCHASING REQUIREMENTS? DO YOU ARE YOU APPROVING THIS FROM YOUR PERSONNEL? I AM, YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT, MIKE, JUST TELL US.

WHAT. WHAT IS THIS? GOOD AFTERNOON. JUDGE. COMMISSIONERS.

FOR THE RECORD, MICHAEL MORELAND, DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE BEXAR COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. THIS PURCHASE TODAY THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD THROUGH IS STEEL BARRIERS.

THERE'S EIGHT OF THEM. EACH ONE OF THEM WEIGHS ABOUT 700 POUNDS.

IN LIGHT OF RECENT VEHICULAR ATTACKS THROUGH CROWDED AREAS SUCH AS FESTIVALS MUCH LIKE YOU SAW IN NEW ORLEANS OVER THE NEW YEARS THESE BARRIERS HELP PREVENT VEHICLES FROM GOING INTO THOSE CROWDED AREAS.

SO DUE TO THE SPECIAL EVENTS THAT WE SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THAT'S THE PURPOSE FOR THIS PURCHASE.

MOTION TO APPROVE. MOTION BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ.

SECOND. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CLAY-FLORES. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS. MOTION CARRIES.

WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY TAKEN UP 69 AND 69 A AND THAT WAS APPROVED BY PRIOR ORDER OF THE COURT.

AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 70. DISCUSSION. APPROPRIATE ACTION RELATED TO GRANTING AN EXCEPTION THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED BY PRIOR MOTION AND ORDER WILL TAKE UP 70.

[70.a. Approval of a request from Commissioner Tommy Calvert to appoint the following individual to the listed board and commission for the specified term:]

A APPROVAL OF REQUEST FROM COMMISSIONER TOMMY CALVERT TO APPOINT THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUAL TO THE LISTED BOARD AND COMMISSION FOR THE SPECIFIED ITEM.

COMMISSIONER CALVERT, DID YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING? MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CALVERT, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS. MOTION CARRIES. WE WILL NOW TAKE UP ITEM 71 THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR LATE FILING BY PRIOR ACTION AND ORDER.

[71.a. Status update, discussion and appropriate action related to a Memorandum of Understanding by and among Bexar County, a Texas political subdivision, the City of San Antonio, a municipal corporation and San Antonio Spurs Holdings, L.L.C., a Texas limited liability company owning the National Basketball Association franchise for the professional basketball team known as the San Antonio Spurs. ]

WE'LL TAKE UP 71 A STATUS REPORT, DISCUSSION, APPROPRIATE ACTION RELATED TO THE MEMORANDUM OF STANDING BY.

AND AMONG BEXAR COUNTY, TEXAS, POLITICAL SUBDIVISION, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO MUNICIPAL CORPORATION AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO SPURS HOLDINGS, LLC, A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. NBA NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION FRANCHISE FOR THE PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL TEAM KNOWN AS SAN ANTONIO SPURS WAS THERE. I DON'T BELIEVE THERE WAS GOING TO BE ANY ACTION.

THE MATTER WAS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE. IS THERE ANY OTHER FURTHER COMMENT OR QUESTION? HEARING NONE. WE WILL MOVE ON. AGENDA ITEM 72 DISCUSSION.

[72. Discussion and appropriate action regarding approval of a request from Judge Yolanda Huff to transfer all general budgetary funds and oversight, as well as the supervision of support personnel and staff, for the Bexar County Mental Health Court (misdemeanor) from the Office of Criminal Justice Policy, Planning & Programs—Mental Health initiative to County Court Administration. ]

APPROPRIATE ACTION REGARDING APPROVAL OF A REQUEST FROM JUDGE YOLANDA HUFF TO TRANSFER ALL GENERAL BUDGETARY FUNDS AND OVERSIGHT, AS WELL AS SUPERVISION OF SUPPORT PERSONNEL AND STAFF FOR THE BEXAR COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH COURT.

MISDEMEANOR FROM THE OFFICE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE POLICY, PLANNING AND PROGRAMS MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVE TO COUNTY COURT ADMINISTRATION.

SO AT THIS TIME, I'LL INVITE JUDGE HUFF OR STAFF TO PLEASE COME FORWARD AND PRESENT ON YOUR MOTION.

ON YOUR AGENDA ITEM. UNDERSTANDING THIS TOO WAS ALSO DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE AND WE WILL NOW TAKE UP ANY ACTION.

[03:10:05]

ALL RIGHT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.

BY NOW. I AM JUDGE YOLANDA HUFF. I DO PRESIDE OVER COUNTY COURT 12.

THAT IS A CRIMINAL MISDEMEANOR BENCH. AND I ALSO PRESIDE OVER THE MENTAL HEALTH COURT.

TODAY I'M HERE WITH A REQUEST OF THE COMMISSIONER OF THE COURT OF COMMISSIONERS COURT THIS AFTERNOON.

AND MY REQUEST TO YOU ALL IS THAT I'M NOT HERE TO ASK ALL OF YOU TO PLEASE FOLLOW THE LAW.

SO CHAPTER 124 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE STATES THAT A COURT POSSESSES GENERAL AUTHORITY TO APPROPRIATE STAFF AND SUPPORT PERSONNEL ACCORDING TO THE NEEDS IN EACH COUNTY.

ALSO, A COURT HAS INHERENT AUTHORITY WHICH IT MAY CALL UPON TO AID IN THE EXERCISE OF THIS JURISDICTION IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, IN THE PRESERVATION OF THIS INDEPENDENCE AND INTEGRITY.

I WAS ASKED IN 2021 BY MIKE LOZITO TO HELP JUDGE RON RANGEL NEW PILOT PROGRAM, THE FELONY MENTAL HEALTH COURT.

GET UP AND RUNNING. OF COURSE I SAID YES. AND BECAUSE OF FELONY MENTAL HEALTH, COURT WAS TRULY NEEDED.

FAST FORWARD FOUR YEARS AND MY MENTAL HEALTH COURT STAFF IS STILL THERE.

I WAS FIRST. I FIRST STARTED TO GET WORRIED AND CONCERNED ABOUT THE SITUATION.

IN OCTOBER OF 2023, TWO YEARS AFTER I STARTED HELPING THE FELONY PROGRAM.

I TOLD MY COURT ADMINISTRATION TO SEND OUT A LETTER TELLING JUDGE RON RANGEL AND DOCTOR GREENFIELD THAT MY TEAM WOULD NO LONGER BE GOING TO BE HELPING. WE WERE GOING TO BE HELPING OUT. JUDGE RON HILL'S MENTAL HEALTH COURT.

IT WAS TIME TO GET BACK ON TRACK WITH MY OWN PROGRAM, AND I COULD NOT DO THIS IF MY TEAM WAS WORKING TWO PROGRAMS. THE SITUATION HAS CAUSED SUCH STRESS AND CHAOS IN MY COURT.

MY STAFF IS TIRED, OVERWHELMED, NERVOUS. AND THEY THEY THEY FEEL CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE BECAUSE THEY HAVE TWO BOSSES TELLING THEM WHAT TO DO.

IN ADDITION TO MY COURT DOCKETS AND JURY TRIALS IN COUNTY COURT.

12. I'VE RUN THREE MENTAL HEALTH DOCKETS EVERY WEEK A DOCKET ON EVERY MONDAY, A DOCKET EVERY OTHER THURSDAY, AND A DOCKET EVERY FRIDAY MORNING. AS YOU CAN SEE, MY COURT IS AN EXTREMELY BUSY COURT.

I NEED TO BE INFORMED AND AWARE IN EVERY ASPECT OF ALL MY THE THE GOING ONS IN MY COURT.

I FEEL IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS I'VE GOTTEN THINGS HAVE GOTTEN REALLY CHAOTIC, AND THIS CAN BE DIRECTLY ATTRIBUTED TO MY TEAM MEMBERS ATTENTION BEING SPLIT BETWEEN TWO PROGRAMS. I AM ASKING OF YOU, COMMISSIONERS COURT, TO PLEASE HELP ME RESOLVE THIS ISSUE TODAY.

LET ME FIRST OFF START THAT I UNDERSTAND THE ROLE AND THE DUTIES OF THE BUDGETS OFFICE.

I KNOW THEY HAVE BROAD DISCRETION AND WHAT THEY DO AND HOW THEY HANDLE THE BUDGET.

I KNOW THIS AND I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND. I DO NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS.

MY PROBLEM IS THAT THE BUDGET OFFICE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE HAS CROSSED A LINE THAT THEY HAVE STEPPED OVER INTO HOW I RUN MY COURT.

AND THAT IS THE PROBLEM HERE TODAY. THE LAW SAYS EVERY JUDGE HAS COMPLETE AUTHORITY IN HOW THEY RUN THEIR COURT.

THIS IS THE COMPLAINT I'M LODGING HERE TODAY.

I THINK THAT THE BUDGET OFFICE AND THE DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE HAVE COMPLETELY CROSSED A LINE INTO AN AUTHORITY THAT IS NOT THEIRS.

I'M ASKING THE COMMISSIONERS COURT TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE BY MOVING MY MENTAL HEALTH COURT FROM UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF COURT OF COUNTY COURT ADMINISTRATION. I THINK IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS, I HAVE BEEN PATIENT AND I HAVE TRIED TO BE UNDERSTANDING, BUT FOUR YEARS IS TOO LONG TO ASK THIS OF ANOTHER COURT, TO ASK MY TEAM TO DO DOUBLE DUTY.

AND TO BE HONEST, I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS IS EVEN LEGAL.

THESE EMPLOYEES DID NOT GET HIRED TO WORK 60 OR 70 HOURS A WEEK.

I WANT THIS TO END RIGHT NOW. TODAY. SO YES, AS I PREVIOUSLY STATED, A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, ON OCTOBER OF 2023, I TOLD DOCTOR GREENFIELD JUDGE RON RANGEL.

ANNA AMECHE, DIANE GARCIA AND DIANE GARCIA THAT WE NEEDED TO START LOOKING, SEEKING FUNDS FOR THEIR OWN PROGRAM BECAUSE MY COURT NEEDS TO GET BACK ON TRACK WITH ITS OWN INITIATIVES. FELLAINI STATED THEY NEEDED MORE TIME TO LOOK FOR FUNDING AND SEEK GRANTS.

I SAID YES, BUT AFTER ONE FULL YEAR, MY TEAM WAS MY TEAM WAS STILL DOING DOUBLE DUTY AND THE COMMISSIONERS COURT STILL HAD NOT DECIDED TO FUND FELLAINI.

I SENT OUT AN EMAIL LAST SEPTEMBER OF 2024 TELLING EVERYONE INVOLVED THAT MY STAFF WOULD NO LONGER BE WORKING A DOUBLE, NO LONGER BE WORKING DOUBLE DUTY. THIS WAS STOPPED AT THE END OF THE YEAR.

I DID NOT HEAR ANYTHING BACK FROM ANYONE CLOSER TO THE END OF THE YEAR.

I SENT OUT ANOTHER EMAIL AND THIS TIME I WAS INVITED TO ATTEND A MEETING TO DISCUSS THIS ISSUE WITH THOMAS GUEVARA AND AND DOCTOR

[03:15:05]

GREENFIELD AND MY COURT ADMINISTRATOR, DIANE GARCIA.

IN THIS MEETING, I TOLD EVERYONE PRESENT THAT THE LAST DAY MY TEAM WOULD BE WORKING THE FELONY PGD PROGRAM WOULD BE DECEMBER 31ST OF 2024.

I EXPLAINED THAT MY TEAM IS TIRED. I CANNOT MOVE FORWARD WITH ANY INITIATIVES IN MY OWN MENTAL HEALTH COURT BECAUSE MY TEAM IS DOING DOUBLE DUTY.

IT IS A VERY IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT A JUDGE IS AWARE OF WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE TEAM AND THE PARTICIPANTS.

THINGS WERE BEING DONE AND SAID WITHOUT MY INPUT OR KNOWLEDGE.

FOR EXAMPLE, MY BOND OFFICER WAS HIRED BY ME IN SEPTEMBER OF 2023.

SHE IS RELATIVELY A NEW EMPLOYEE, BUT SHE IS AN EXCELLENT EMPLOYEE.

OF COURSE, SHE WAS ALSO ONE WORKING BOTH COURTS.

SHE CAME TO ME IN SEPTEMBER OF 2024 AND TOLD ME THAT ALTHOUGH SHE LIKED WORKING WITH ME, SHE WAS CONSIDERING RESIGNING BECAUSE SHE COULD NOT CONTINUE TO WORK TO COMPLETE PROGRAMS. SHE STATED THAT THIS WAS NOT SOMETHING SHE EXPECTED SHE WOULD HAVE TO DO.

WHEN SHE FIRST TOOK THE JOB, SHE TOLD ME SHE WAS SUPERVISING 72 PARTICIPANTS, WITH TEN MORE EXPECTED TO COME IN.

AND THIS IS TOTALLY AGAINST BEST PRACTICES BECAUSE BEST PRACTICES STATE A SUPERVISION A SUPERVISOR IN THESE PROGRAMS, 40 PARTICIPANTS AT THE MOST. THIS WAS A VERY CONCERNING SITUATION BECAUSE NOT ONLY WAS THIS AGAINST BEST PRACTICES, 40 IS THE LIMIT. NO ONE HAD TOLD ME THIS WAS GOING ON WITH MY EMPLOYEE.

I CALLED MY COURT MANAGER AND I ASKED WHY I WAS NOT INFORMED OF THIS SITUATION.

AND DID EVERYONE KNOW ABOUT THIS BUT ME? I TOLD HER THAT THE BOND OFFICERS LAST DAY IN THE FELONY MENTAL HEALTH COURT WOULD BE THAT FRIDAY.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE WOULD HAVE TO FIND A BOND OFFICER FOR THE FELONY PROGRAM.

WELL, THEY FOUND SOMEONE ELSE. AND MY EMPLOYEE DID NOT QUIT.

BUT I WAS NEVER INFORMED OF THIS SITUATION. THE EMPLOYER HERSELF WAS HOW I FOUND OUT.

THIS IS ONE EXAMPLE. THERE ARE MANY OTHERS I COULD GIVE MY CORP MANAGERS UP AT 2 A.M.

3 A.M. IN THE MORNING, ANSWERING EMAILS AND SENDING OUT EMAILS BECAUSE SHE LITERALLY HAS NO TIME TO DO THIS TASK DURING WAKING HOURS BECAUSE SHE IS COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED WITH WORKING TWO PROGRAMS AND THIS MEETING.

AFTER I WAS DONE TALKING, THOMAS GUEVARA SAID TO ME, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, JUDGE, THESE ARE OUR EMPLOYEES.

I TOLD HIM, NO, SIR, THESE ARE MY EMPLOYEES BECAUSE I PRESIDE OVER THE MENTAL HEALTH COURT.

I TOLD HIM, COMMISSIONER, COURT JUST NEEDS TO FUND THE FELONY PROGRAM AND LEAVE MY COURT OUT OF IT.

THE FELONY PROGRAM IS DOING GREAT, AND THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A GREAT NEED FOR THE PROGRAM BECAUSE THERE IS NOW A WAITING LIST TO GET IN THE PROGRAM.

THE MEETING ENDED WITHOUT A TRUE RESOLUTION, BECAUSE I WAS NOT GOING TO AGREE TO KEEP MY TEAM WORKING BOTH PROGRAMS AFTER DECEMBER 31ST, 2024. AROUND DECEMBER 27TH, MY MENTAL HEALTH COURT MANAGER CONFIDED TO ME SHE FELT CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE BECAUSE SHE WAS BEING TOLD BY CRIMINAL JUSTICE TO KEEP WORKING BOTH PROGRAMS. AND I WOULD SAY NO, YOU MUST STOP.

AS EVERYONE KNOWS HERE, AN EMPLOYEE CANNOT HAVE TWO BOSSES TELLING THEM WHAT TO DO.

THE LAW SAYS I HAVE THE COMPLETE AUTHORITY TO SUPERVISE MY EMPLOYEES BECAUSE THE MENTAL HEALTH COURT IS PART OF MY COUNTY COURT 12.

THE AUTHORITY IS INHERENT UNDER CHAPTER 124 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE.

WELL, I FINALLY TOLD MY COURT MANAGER TO REMAIN STATUS QUO, AND I WAS GOING TO BRING THIS MATTER BEFORE COMMISSIONER'S COURT.

AND THIS IS WHY I'M HERE TODAY. I MEAN, IF YOU CAN GIVE EVERYBODY ONE OF THESE.

RIGHT HERE. THAT'S THE PROBLEM. SO I'M SURE YOU GUYS ALREADY HAVE THIS, BUT THIS IS A COPY OF THAT ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OPINION THAT WAS DONE IN 2014.

I WOULD LIKE TO DIRECT EVERYONE, ALL THE COMMISSIONERS, TO THE LAST PARAGRAPH OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OPINION LABELED SUMMARY.

I GAVE THEM ALL THE WAY. IT SAYS CHAPTER 124 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE GRANTS A COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT AUTHORITY TO CREATE STAFF POSITIONS AND PROVIDE FUNDING WHEN IT ESTABLISHED A VETERANS TREATMENT COURT PROGRAM.

HOWEVER, THE CHAPTER AUTHORIZES THE VETERANS TREATMENT COURT JUDGE, NOT THE COMMISSIONERS COURT, TO SELECT AND SUPERVISE THE STAFF OF A VETERANS TREATMENT COURT PROGRAM.

NOW, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A VETERANS COURT AND A MENTAL HEALTH COURT? NOTHING REALLY. ALL SPECIAL COURTS RUN ON THE SAME EXACT MODEL.

ALL HAVE TO DO. THEY ALL HAVE TO BE REGISTERED WITH OCA, THE OFFICE OF COURT ADMINISTRATION ALL HAVE TO FOLLOW THE BEST PRACTICES OF ALL RISE, THE NATIONAL SPECIALTY COURT CORP ORGANIZATION.

SO THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IN VETERANS COURT, IN THE MENTAL HEALTH COURT IS THE ISSUE INVOLVED IN EACH OF THESE PROGRAMS, FOR EXAMPLE, MENTAL HEALTH VETERANS, DRUG COURT, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

[03:20:04]

WE ALL FOLLOW THE EXACT SAME MODEL DIRECTED BY AL RIES, HEADQUARTERED IN DC.

I'M ASKING YOU, COMMISSIONERS COURT, TO PLEASE RESOLVE THIS ISSUE.

MOVE. MY REQUEST TO YOU GUYS IS TO MOVE MY COURT.

JUST MAKE A LATERAL MOVE FROM UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF COURT OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO COURT ADMINISTRATION.

OUR COURT ADMINISTRATION ALREADY DOES SUPERVISE SEVERAL OTHER PROGRAMS. THAT IS MY REQUEST TODAY. THANK YOU. JUDGE. OKAY.

ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OF JUDGE? IS THERE ANY OTHER COMMISSIONER CALVERT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY CHAPTER 124 AND THE OBLIGATION THAT COMMISSIONERS COURT HAS UNDER STATE LAW. AND I WANT TO ASK THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.

YOU'VE STATED THAT YOU BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A DIFFERENT CODE.

A DIFFERENT OPINION. CAN YOU EXPLAIN MORE OF THAT DIFFERENCE? WHAT DO YOU MEAN, A DIFFERENT OPINION? LIKE THIS.

THIS ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OPINION. JUDGE? JUDGE, I WAS ASKING THE COMMISSIONER. ATTORNEY ASKED? HE ASKED. COUNSEL. SO OKAY, LET'S HEAR THE RESPONSE.

AND THEN IF YOU HAVE A COUNTER RESPONSE, WE'LL HEAR IT. WHAT DO YOU MEAN, COMMISSIONER? I BELIEVE THAT YOU WERE MENTIONING THAT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE IN WHAT THE JUDGE IS ASKING FOR HERE.

THIS PARTICULAR PAST CASE LAW THAT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED FROM JUDGE CHRISTIAN.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN MORE? WELL, THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE IS THE FUNDING.

THAT WAS A GRANT FUNDED PROGRAM AND THIS IS GENERAL FUNDING.

THAT'S THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE. THE VETERANS TREATMENT COURT IS A STATUTORY PROGRAM AND THIS IS A DIFFERENT ONE.

I MEAN, THAT'S THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE IS THE GENERAL FUNDING.

THE COURT PAYS FOR THIS PROGRAM. AND THAT WAS A GRANT AT ISSUE IN THAT OPINION.

I DRAFTED THE BRIEF FOR THAT OPINION IN 2017.

I DON'T THINK FUNDING HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS.

THIS IS NOT ABOUT FUNDING AND WHERE FUNDING COMES FROM.

THIS HAS TO DO WITH CHAPTER 124 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE ABOUT WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY TO BE OVER THESE PROGRAMS, NOTHING TO DO WITH FUNDING. THE CHAOS COMES AND WHY? I THINK 124 IS SO IMPORTANT IS THAT THEY'RE TELLING ALL JUDGES ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE OVER YOUR PROGRAMS. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO HIRE AND FIRE PEOPLE. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO DIRECT YOUR STAFF, NO ONE ELSE, REGARDLESS OF WHERE THE FUNDING COMES, BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT WOULD IT WOULD CREATE THE CHAOS OF WHAT IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW IN MY PROGRAM.

THE ISSUE HERE IS NOT FUNDING. THE ISSUE HERE IS WHO HAS THE ABILITY TO DIRECT PERSONNEL AND ANY IN ANY COURT, EVEN IF IT WAS MY COUNTY COURT 12. COULD SOMEONE WALK IN AND TELL ME HOW TO RUN MY COURT? THESE PROGRAMS ARE PART OF THE COURSE. EVERYONE KNOWS THAT THESE 14 PROGRAMS ARE A PART OF THE COURT THAT THEY'RE IN.

EACH JUDGE IS OVER THE PROGRAM THAT THAT THAT THAT PROGRAM IS IN, LIKE REFERRAL COURT JUDGE GONZALES AND COUNTY COURT 13 IS OVER REFERRAL COURT.

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE THE FUNDING COMES FROM.

THAT IS IRRELEVANT TO THE ISSUE AT HAND. DO YOU WANT TO STOP? OKAY. NO. I JUST WANTED TO ADD REAL QUICK. I'M DIANE GARCIA WITH THE COUNTY COURTS.

THE MENTAL HEALTH COURT IS STATUTORILY CREATED UNDER CHAPTER 125.

AND IT ALSO HAS THE EXACT SAME LANGUAGE AS CHAPTER 124 WHICH REQUIRES ONGOING JUDICIAL INTERACTION WITH PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS, PROVIDING A PARTICIPANT WITH COURT ORDERED, INDIVIDUALIZED TREATMENT PLAN INDICATING THE SERVICES THAT WILL BE PROVIDED TO THE PARTICIPANT, AND ENSURE THAT THE JURISDICTION OF THE MENTAL HEALTH COURT EXTENDS AT LEAST SIX MONTHS, BUT DOES NOT EXTEND BEYOND THE PROBATIONARY PERIOD FOR THE OFFENSE CHARGED.

IF THE PROBATIONARY PERIOD IS LONGER THAN SIX MONTHS.

AND I PUT THAT IN THE ACF JUST SO. BUT THEY'RE COMPARABLE.

SO WHEN THE AG OPINION REFERENCES 124, THEY'RE SAYING BECAUSE OF THE JUDICIAL INTERACTION, THAT'S WHY THE PERSONNEL SHOULD BE SERVED UP.

THE PERSONNEL SHOULD BE SUPERVISED BY THE COURT.

SO JUST RECLAIMING MY TIME, IT'S MY BELIEF THAT WE NEED TO HELP JUDGE RUNKEL GET FUNDING, EITHER THROUGH A GRANT OR THE GENERAL FUND.

THERE APPEARS TO BE A LOT OF GOOD THAT HAPPENS WHEN THE COURT IS ABLE TO USE THE SPECIALTY COURTS FOR THE FELONY MENTAL HEALTH COURT, AND IT SHOULD NOT PUT A BURDEN UPON THE MISDEMEANOR COURT TO ENACT THE SAME PHILOSOPHY OF SERVICE TO DEAL WITH THE CRIMINOGENIC. THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH. WE HAVE DECIDED AS A COUNTY TO LEAD THE WAY ON THERAPEUTIC JUSTICE.

AND IF IT'S LEADING IT INTO THE FELONY AREA, THEN WE NEED TO GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE TO BE LEADERS.

[03:25:02]

SO THERE IS NO FISCAL IMPACT. AND I DO. I TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY WHENEVER I'M PRESENTED WITH A STATUTE THAT AFFECTS THE JUDICIARY, THE JUDICIARY, ABOUT THE OBLIGATION THAT I HAVE UNDER THE LAW TO UPHOLD THE LAW. SO I HAVEN'T NECESSARILY FOUND IN MY LEGAL MIND I'M NOT A MEMBER OF THE BAR, BUT I DO HAVE A DECISION TO MAKE.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, I SEE THIS AS A, YOU KNOW, REALLY NO HARM, NO FOUL IN TERMS OF KEEPING COMITY COMMITTEE WITH THE COURT SYSTEM, THE STAFFING SYSTEM.

AND THERE IS ALSO LABOR ISSUES THAT I'M HEARING.

AND SO IF WE CAN MAKE OUR EMPLOYEES, YOU KNOW, NOT HAVE TO BE DOING THINGS AT TWO AND THREE IN THE MORNING, THERE'S SOMETHING THAT HASN'T BEEN SORTED THROUGH.

SO COURT, I REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT THE COURT HAS TRIED TO MAINTAIN ITS AUTHORITY, BUT THERE DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE ANY AUTHORITY.

SO I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT. WE GO AHEAD AND MOVE THE SUPPORT, PERSONNEL AND SUPERVISION OF THE SUPPORT PERSONNEL AND STAFF FROM THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO THE COURT ADMINISTRATION.

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CALVERT. IS THERE A SECOND? I HAVE A QUESTION. SO I DON'T KNOW IF MAYBE THIS IS FOR DOCTOR G.

WHO DO WHO DO THESE? COMMISSIONER. I'M GOING TO.

POINT OF ORDER. WE GOT A MOTION. I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF THERE'S A SECOND.

IF THERE'S NOT OR IF THERE IS, THEN WE MOVE FORWARD FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.

AND I ALSO WANT AN OPPORTUNITY, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, JUDGE HUFF AND AND DIDI GARCIA, AS COUNTY COURT ADMINISTRATOR, YOU HAVE MADE SOME ACCUSATIONS, ALLEGATIONS, AND I THINK DUE PROCESS REQUIRES THAT THE COUNTY STAFF THAT ARE INVOLVED HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND. SO FIRST, LET'S DECIDE IF THERE'S A MOTION OR NOT.

THERE'S A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CALVERT. IS THERE A SECOND? IS THERE A SECOND? HEARING NONE. THE MOTION IS DROPPED.

WE WILL CONTINUE TO DISCUSS. JUDGE, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, I THINK COMMISSIONER CLAY-FLORES HAS A QUESTION AND I WOULD LIKE TO GO IN ORDER.

THOMAS GUEVARA, YOU WERE MENTIONED, DOCTOR NORMA GREENFIELD.

LABORDE. BORDER YOU WERE MENTIONED. SO I WANT TO GIVE ALL OF YOU WITH YOUR STAFF AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND.

SO, THOMAS, I ALSO WANT TO PUT ON RECORD THAT APPARENTLY THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR FOUR YEARS, WHICH IS PRIOR TO ME TAKING COUNTY JUDGE. AND SO, JUDGE HUFF, YOU KNOW, I'M ALL SUPPORTIVE OF SPECIALTY COURTS.

I'M ALL IN SUPPORT OF RESTORATIVE JUSTICE. I WANT YOUR COURT TO SUCCEED.

BUT WE ALSO HAVE A BUDGETARY REQUEST HERE. AND THAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COMMISSIONERS COURT, WHICH IS ALSO OUR OBLIGATION AS COMMISSIONERS COURT TO THE TAXPAYERS.

SO I GET THAT. YOU SAY WE HAD A BUDGETARY REQUEST.

WELL, THERE'S GOING TO BE I'M GOING TO HAVE I WANT A DISCUSSION WITH THOMAS AND WITH DOCTOR GREENFIELD.

SO IF YOU'LL STEP BACK FOR A MINUTE, I WOULD LIKE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP THE PUBLIC, TO HELP THE COURT UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ISSUE IS HERE TODAY. I ALSO MAY ASK COUNCIL LARRY ROBERSON TO HELP US UNDERSTAND.

THERE'S OBVIOUSLY JUDGE HUFF, AS A JUDGE EXPRESSES HER CLEAR OPINION AS TO CERTAIN STATUTORY.

HOWEVER, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE PERHAPS IS A DIFFERENT OPINION AS TO WHAT THE LAW OR WHAT THE LAW MEANS FOR TODAY'S.

SO LET'S HAVE THAT DISCUSSION. SO, THOMAS GUEVARA, YOU START HELP IF YOU WANT TO RESPOND TO WHAT HAS BEEN SAID, FINE. IF YOU FEEL THERE'S OTHER MATTERS OR FACTS THAT NEED TO BE BROUGHT TO THE COURT'S ATTENTION AS WE MOVE FORWARD FOR TODAY.

THANK YOU, JUDGE, FOR THE RECORD. THOMAS GUEVARA, OFFICE OF THE COUNTY MANAGER. WE DID HAVE THAT DISCUSSION WITH JUDGE HUFF AND DAN GARCIA BACK IN NOVEMBER. AT THAT POINT, THERE WAS THREE ITEMS. AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE VERY CLEAR TO THE PUBLIC WHAT THIS COURT HAS ACTUALLY DONE IN RESPONSE.

SO THE FIRST ITEM THAT THE JUDGE BROUGHT UP DURING THAT DISCUSSION WAS SHE DIDN'T WANT DID NOT WANT TO CONTINUE TO SHARE THE TREATMENT FUNDING WITH JUDGE RANGEL.

FELT LIKE SHE WAS HAVING TO GIVE TOO MUCH AS RANGEL'S JUDGE RANGEL'S DOCKET WAS GROWING.

WE'VE WE'VE DONE A COUPLE OF THINGS. THIS COURT HAS ALREADY AUTHORIZED A BUDGET TRANSFER IN THE PAST TO TO HELP CLEAR THAT UP.

ADDITIONALLY, WHAT THE COURT AUTHORIZED FOR JUDGE RANGEL IN TERMS OF TREATMENT DOLLARS WAS THE COURT AUTHORIZED TREATMENT FUNDING FROM YOUR AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDING.

[03:30:08]

SO WE FEEL LIKE WE'VE ALREADY ADDRESSED THE TREATMENT DOLLARS.

THIS COURT, AS THE BODY HAS ADDRESSED THE TREATMENT DOLLARS.

AS FOR AS FAR AS THE COUNTY STAFF AND PERSONNEL.

I MADE A COMMITMENT TO THE JUDGE THAT WE WOULD LOOK INTO IT WITH AN INDEPENDENT PARTY.

IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT THE PARTY HAS REACHED OUT TO THE JUDGE, AND THE JUDGE HAS NOT RESPONDED.

WE'RE MORE THAN GLAD TO CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH THAT, THROUGH THOSE PERSONNEL ITEMS, BECAUSE WE WOULD AGREE WE DON'T WANT ANYBODY WORKING 60 70 HOURS. I DON'T THINK THAT'S CURRENTLY HAPPENING.

LASTLY, AS IT RELATES TO THE FELONY MENTAL HEALTH COURT AND STOPPING THAT PARTICULAR OR THE COURT NOT ALLOWING THE COURT STAFF TO TO HELP SUPPORT THE FELONY MENTAL HEALTH COURT.

IT IS TRUE. I DID NOT AGREE WITH THAT AT THAT MEETING.

THE ABILITY UNDER THE GENERAL FUND CODE ALLOWS FOR US FROM A COST EFFECTIVE STANDPOINT, COST EFFECTIVENESS STANDPOINT, TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT BOTH THOSE DOCKETS. AND WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO SO.

AT THAT POINT, I DID REMIND THE JUDGE THAT WE HAD GONE OUT FOR A GRANT FOR THE FELONY MENTAL HEALTH COURT FOR STAFF.

WE HAD FAILED A YEAR AGO, BUT THAT WE WERE GOING TO GO OUT AFTER THE NEW YEAR.

SO I DID ASK FOR A LITTLE TIME AND CONTINUED TIME.

I KNOW IT'S BEEN FOUR YEARS, BUT WE DID ASK FOR A FEW MORE MONTHS WHILE WE WERE GOING OUT FOR THAT GRANT.

SO JUST KIND OF WANT TO. AND THE COURT HAS AUTHORIZED AND APPROVED APPROVE THAT GRANT APPLICATION TO BE SUBMITTED.

SO THE COURT HAS TAKEN JUDGE HUFF'S CONCERNS THROUGH YOUR ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF HAS TAKEN THOSE CONCERNS.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE ADDRESSED EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM, AND WE ARE HERE TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT AND OFFER ANY, ANY ASSISTANCE THAT WE CAN. WE DO NOT AS AN ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF, WE DO NOT INTERFERE WITH HER DISCRETION AS A JUDGE.

WE DO NOT INTERFERE WITH THOSE TREATMENT PLANS.

SO I WANT TO MAKE THAT VERY CLEAR, DOCTOR. YOU'RE HIRING DOCTOR GREENFIELD AWARDING? YOU CAN ADDRESS THE COMMENTS, OR YOU CAN BRING US FACTS THAT YOU WANT US TO UNDERSTAND AND KNOW.

YES. HI. NORMA GREENFIELD, THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, AND I HAVE MET WITH THE STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT IT THAT BOTH COURTS DID NOT GO OVER CAPACITY FOR THIS FACT THAT THEY'RE SHARING.

AND I HAVE THE DRUG COURT IN THE DWI COURT SHARED THREE STAFF MEMBERS AS WELL, AND THEY'RE BOTH CAPPED AT 70.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK THE STAFF HAS SOME ISSUES WITH OR CONCERN AND OVERWORKING, AND THERE ARE MENTAL HEALTH COURT. THEY DO HAVE THE COALITION.

SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE WORK BEHIND THE SCENES ON THAT.

AND I THINK SOMETIMES THAT'S WHAT CAUSES A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFORT ON ON THE MENTAL HEALTH COURT STAFF FOR THE MISDEMEANORS.

WE DO LIKE THOMAS GUEVARA SAID, AS FAR AS THE FUNDING ARPA FUNDING WAS APPROVED FOR, FOR JUDGE RON HILL SO THAT HE WOULD NOT USE ANY OF THE TREATMENT FUNDING FOR MISDEMEANOR MENTAL HEALTH. AND I THINK THAT WAS ANSWERING ALL THE QUESTIONS.

RIGHT. AND AND ALSO ON THE PRETRIAL OFFICER WHEN THEY BROUGHT THAT TO MY ATTENTION.

YES. JUDGE HUFF, WE BROUGHT THAT TO MY ATTENTION.

THAT'S WHEN I DID LOAN OF JUDGE RANGEL, ONE OF OUR PRETRIAL OFFICERS.

SO THAT WAY THAT OFFICER WOULD NOT FEEL LIKE SHE WOULD HAVE TO QUIT BECAUSE OF THE OVERWORKED OR FEELING OVERWORKED.

BUT THAT'S THE ONLY STAFF MEMBER THAT HAS COME FORTH OR HAS OR I'VE RECEIVED ANY INFORMATION ON THAT'S FEELING LIKE TO THE BRINK THAT THEY WANT TO QUIT BECAUSE OF FEELING OVERWORKED. THEY MOST OF THEM ENJOY WORKING AS WELL FOR JUDGE RANGEL.

AND I HAVEN'T HAD ANY COMPLAINTS FROM ANY OF THEIR STAFF DIRECTLY TO ME.

SO LET ME ASK YOU A DIRECT QUESTION. DO YOU DISAGREE WITH THE DESCRIPTION, THE WORDS THAT JUDGE HUFF HAS PRESENTED TO THE COURT IN REGARDS TO AND I PRESUME AND I WANT TO BE CAREFUL FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT, EVERYBODY SAYS MY EMPLOYEES.

I WANT TO MAKE IT REAL CLEAR. THESE ARE COUNTY EMPLOYEES THAT ARE SUBJECT TO RIGHT OF CONTROL RIGHT NOW.

I ASSUME THESE EMPLOYEES THAT WE'RE ALL TALKING ABOUT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE WORKING CONDITIONS THAT JUDGE HUFF HAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION, WHICH GIVES ME AN IMMEDIATE ALARM OF WHAT IS BEING IMPOSED UPON THESE EMPLOYEES.

SO ARE THOSE THE EMPLOYEES YOU ARE SUPERVISING UNDER YOUR RIGHT AND CONTROL AS DIRECTOR OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE DEPARTMENT? YES, I'M SUPERVISING THEM. HOWEVER. SO ARE YOU AWARE OF THE WORKING CONDITIONS THAT JUDGE HUFF? AND DO YOU AGREE WITH HER OR YOU DISAGREE WITH HER? OR YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN WHAT YOUR POSITION IS IN SUPERVISING ITS EMPLOYEES? SHE'S BASICALLY PUT ON THE RECORD IN PUBLIC THAT THESE EMPLOYEES ARE NOT WORKING IN A IN A FAVORABLE WORKING

[03:35:07]

CONDITION. IT CONTAINS CONCERNS ME AS COUNTY JUDGE OF WHAT WE DO FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.

DO I NEED TO TELL YOU TO FIX IT IF THERE'S ANYTHING TO FIX? OR IS THIS AN ISSUE THAT REALLY IS A DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND JUDGE HUFF'S COURT AND HER ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF. THESE EMPLOYEES ARE CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR THAT WE CAN'T GET A RESOLUTION EITHER WAY, BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GIVE DIRECTION AS TO WHAT WE DO TODAY.

AND REALLY WHAT WE'VE JUST DID IS THAT THERE IS NO MOTION.

SO I WANT TO KNOW THAT THESE EMPLOYEES ARE GOING TO GET TAKEN CARE OF.

SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO AS DIRECTOR? WELL, SIR, FOR STARTERS, I HAVE NOT HEARD ANY, LIKE I SAID, ANY. WHEN I SPEAK TO THESE STAFF MEMBERS, THEY DO NOT COMPLAIN TO ME THAT THEY ARE FEELING OVERWORKED OR THEY FEEL TO THE BRINK THAT THEY NEED TO QUIT BECAUSE THEY'RE SO OVERWORKED. SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT THEY HAVE SHARED WITH ME IS THE EXTRA COALITION WORK THAT JUDGE HUFF HAS THEM DO, BESIDES THE MENTAL HEALTH COURT. THAT'S WHAT THEY HAVE SHARED WITH US. SO YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S ADDITIONAL DUTIES THAT ARE NOT WITHIN THEIR JOB DESCRIPTION, OR THAT WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO AS WHATEVER POSITION THEY HOLD WITH THIS PARTICULAR COURT.

SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND BY COALITION DUTIES. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WELL, THE OKAY, SO THERE'S A COALITION THAT JUDGE HUFF HAS HELPED PUT TOGETHER WITH ALL THE COMMISSIONERS, I MEAN, WITH ALL THE SPECIALTY COURTS. SO ALONG WITH THAT, SOME WELL, THERE'S GRADUATION.

SOMEBODY AT HER COURT MANAGER HAS TO PLAN ALL OF THAT.

IF THERE'S A MEET AND GREETS OR IF THERE'S WHERE THEY GO, DO SITE VISITS, SHE EXPECTS THE STAFF TO GO AS WELL.

SO THOSE ARE LIKE EXTRA DUTIES THAT DON'T INVOLVE THE MENTAL HEALTH COURT IN A SENSE, WHERE THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT TREATMENT PLANS OR PARTICIPANTS.

THESE ARE SIDE THINGS THAT SHE HAS THEM DO. THAT'S WHERE THEY FEEL THAT SOMETIMES THERE'S SOME SENSE OF STRESS OR FEELING OVERWORKED BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO DO THESE. THEY FEEL OBLIGED TO DO THESE OTHER THINGS AS WELL THAT AREN'T PART OF THE SPECIALTY.

SO DOES THIS. I'M GOING TO HIT STRAIGHT TO THE MATTER. IS THIS A DISPUTE BETWEEN YOUR DEPARTMENT AND JUDGE HUFF, IN REGARDS TO THE SCOPE OF WORK OF THESE EMPLOYEES, IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING.

WELL, I WOULDN'T SAY THERE'S A DISPUTE, BECAUSE I DO FEEL THAT JUDGE HUFF AND I WORK WELL TOGETHER ON MOST THINGS.

NOT TODAY, NOT TODAY. HOWEVER AT ANY TIME, THERE'S SOMETHING BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT I'M ABLE TO ADDRESS IT. IT'S WHEN IT'S NOT BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION.

AND THEN SIX, EIGHT MONTHS LATER, SOMETHING IS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION.

IT'S HARD TO ADDRESS, EVEN THOUGH I DO ADDRESS IT.

IT'S KIND OF LIKE IT'S A LITTLE OLD. SO BY THEN MAYBE STORIES HAVE CHANGED OR PEOPLE'S OPINIONS HAVE CHANGED BECAUSE THAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST TOO. SO ANY TIME THE COURT BRINGS CONCERN TO US, WE ADDRESS IT IMMEDIATELY.

AND I'M NOT HEARING FROM MY STAFF THAT THEY'RE AT THE BRINK OF RETIRING OR AT THE BRINK OF QUITTING BECAUSE THEY ARE OVERWORKED.

HOLD ON, HOLD ON. JUDGE. WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, LET THE COUNTY STAFF.

I WANT COUNSEL, PLEASE CLARIFY WHAT YOU WERE SAYING EARLIER IN REGARDS TO THE INTERPRETATION OF THE LAW. JUDGE HUFF HAS CLEARLY SAID. I DON'T KNOW IF SHE SAYS IT OR NOT, BUT SHE IS SAYING THAT WE HAVE A MANDATE WHICH TELLS ME WE'RE NOT IN COMPLIANCE.

IS THAT CLEAR FROM YOUR POINT OF VIEW, OR IS IT NOT CLEAR AND SUBJECT TO INTERPRETATION? I THINK IT'S SUBJECT TO INTERPRETATION. SHE'S RELYING ON AN OPINION FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.

WE KNOW THE ATTORNEY GENERAL IS ADVISORY. THERE ARE FACTS THAT WERE AT ISSUE IN THAT OPINION THAT ARE DIFFERENT FROM FACTS THAT ARE AT ISSUE HERE TODAY.

PRIMARILY THE FUNDING, AS YOU KNOW, JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS, GENERAL FUNDING IS QUITE DIFFERENT FROM A GRANT THAT WAS SPECIFIC TO THE VETERANS TREATMENT COURT. I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S DEFINITIVE.

I'M JUST SAYING IT IS AN ISSUE THAT WAS DIFFERENT THEN THAN IT IS TODAY.

THE COMMISSIONERS COURT, IN A BUDGETARY DECISION, DECIDED TO APPROVE THOSE POSITIONS TO SUPPORT MULTIPLE COURTS IN THE LAST BUDGET CYCLE.

IT COULD JUST AS EASILY END THIS BUDGET CYCLE, WHICH HAS STARTED WHAT, LAST MONTH? JUST AS EASILY DECIDE TO NOT APPROVE ANY OF THOSE POSITIONS IN ITS BUDGETARY DISCRETION.

THAT'S WHAT MAKES GENERAL FUNDING DIFFERENT FROM A GRANT THAT WAS AWARDED BY THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE FOR A VETERANS TREATMENT COURT.

THAT'S WHAT MAKES GENERAL FUNDS DIFFERENT. THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES AS WELL.

I MEAN, YOU'RE DEALING WITH A DIFFERENT STATUTE AND THAT OPINION THAT WAS A DIFFERENT STATUTE THAT IS AT ISSUE HERE TODAY.

[03:40:03]

THOSE ARE JUST FACTS THAT DISTINGUISH SOMETHING TODAY THAT ARE DIFFERENT FROM THAT OPINION IN 2017.

I'M NOT SAYING IT'S DEFINITIVE, I'M JUST SAYING IT'S DIFFERENT.

AND LET ME CIRCLE BACK TO THOMAS. THOMAS, WHAT HAS THE COMMISSIONERS COURT DONE TO HELP JUDGE HOUGH AND ULTIMATELY, THE OTHER PERSON THAT'S IN THE ROOM THAT IS NOT HERE IS JUDGE RANGEL.

AND I'M HAVING DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE WAS THIS AGREEMENT, THERE WAS SOME UNDERSTANDING THAT I WOULD ASSUME WOULD BE A SHARING OF RESOURCES. IT APPEARS THAT IT WAS WORKING AT SOME POINT, BUT APPARENTLY IS NOT WORKING NOW, SO THAT THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS WHAT IS WHAT ARE WE DOING NOW? HOW ARE WE HELPING JUDGE HOUGH AND HOW ARE WE HELPING JUDGE RANGEL? AND ULTIMATELY, IT ALL HAS TO BE LOOKED TOGETHER, RIGHT? SO I WANT THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND THIS IS NOT A ZERO SUM OF WHY CAN'T YOU HELP JUDGE HOUGH? WE ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT WE DO FOR JUDGE RANGEL, RIGHT? CORRECT. BECAUSE THESE EMPLOYEES, APPARENTLY THERE'S BEEN A REQUEST BY JUDGE HOUGH THAT THESE EMPLOYEES BE IMMEDIATELY ASSIGNED TO HER FOR IMMEDIATE RIGHT OF CONTROL. AND I GET THE FACT THAT THAT'S THE LEGAL ISSUE FOR TODAY.

PLEASE PUT THEM SO THAT I DON'T HAVE TO ASK I CAN ORDER.

CORRECT? CORRECT. SO IF SHE DOES, IF WE WERE TO APPROVE THIS, SHE COULD ORDER AND THOSE EMPLOYEES WOULD IMMEDIATELY BE REMOVED FROM DOCTOR GREEN LABORATORY. GREENFIELD LABORATORY PUT UNDER JUDGE HUFF.

SO HELP US, THE PUBLIC UNDERSTAND WE ARE TRYING TO FIX THIS.

SO WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO DO FOR JUDGE HUFF? AND WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO DO FOR JUDGE REINHOLD? I THINK THE FIRST THING WE WANTED TO DO FOR JUDGE HUFF WAS ENSURE THAT SHE HAD THE TREATMENT SHE NEEDED TO YOU KNOW, FUND HER, HER SPECIALTY COURT AND THOSE PARTICIPANTS.

SO WHAT THE COURT DID WAS, AGAIN, RESTORE HER RESTORE HER FUNDING THROUGH THAT BUDGET TRANSFER WHEN IT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION THAT THEY HAD GONE OVER BUDGET DUE TO THE FELONY MENTAL HEALTH COURT PARTICIPANTS. AND WHAT DO WE WHAT KIND OF MONEY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? SO THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS WHAT'S GOING ON? THE ARPA FUNDING? NO, NO. SO THE THE BUDGET. THE BUDGET TRANSFER.

DO YOU RECALL THE AMOUNT? SO SO THAT WAS A YEAR AGO.

WHAT THE COURT ALSO DID FOR TO HELP JUDGE HOFF, TO ENSURE THAT WE WEREN'T GOING TO USURP TREATMENT DOLLARS BECAUSE THE COURT APPROVED 294,000 FOR TREATMENT DOLLARS FOR JUDGE REINHOLD'S FELONY MENTAL HEALTH COURT.

SO THAT WAS $300,000, CORRECT? THE ISSUE AT HAND RIGHT NOW CONTINUES TO BE THE STAFFING AND WHAT WE'VE COMMITTED THROUGH THE COURT AND THROUGH COURT ACTION. WE'VE COMMITTED TO APPLY FOR A GRANT FOR JUDGE RONELL.

THAT WOULD INCLUDE BOTH A COURT MANAGER AND A ADULT PROBATION OFFICER, AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL TREATMENT DOLLARS, BUS PASSES, ETC., FOR THAT COURT. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE STAFFING GRANT, AGAIN, BECAUSE WE FIRED THE GRANT WRITER, WHO'S GOING TO WRITE THAT? NO, WE ALREADY IT WAS.

AND YOU ALL APPROVED THAT BACK IN NOVEMBER. IT'S BEEN SUBMITTED.

IT'S BEEN SUBMITTED. WE SUBMITTED. IT'S ALREADY BEEN SUBMITTED. WE'RE EXPECTING WE'RE EXPECTING TO HOPEFULLY HEAR JUDGE COMMISSIONERS THE RESULT OF THAT APPLICATION PROBABLY AROUND THE BUDGET TIME. DID THE COPY CHANGE? DID YOU LEARN ANYTHING FROM NOT GETTING IT THE FIRST TIME? WELL, YES, I THINK THE FIRST TIME WHAT HAPPENED WAS THE JUDGE KIND OF FOCUSED ON A LOT OF STAFF AND NOT A LOT OF TREATMENT FUNDING.

SO WHEN DOCTOR CASTRO AT THE TIME RESUBMITTED IT, WE KIND OF READJUSTED THE DOLLARS TO SHOW FOR MORE TREATMENT RATHER THAN THEY WERE ASKING FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT TYPE OF STAFF, LIKE A COUNSELOR AND SOME OTHER THINGS THAT I DON'T BELIEVE NECESSARILY IS NEEDED WHEN YOU'RE STARTING A SPECIALTY COURT.

SO I THINK THAT WAS THE MAIN, THE MAIN REASON.

THE LAST THING ON THE STAFFING PORTION IS, YOU KNOW, THE COURT THE COURT INVESTS A LOT IN OUR IN OUR STAFF AND OUR EMPLOYEES AND OUR WILDERNESS. ONE OF THE ASPECTS, WHEN IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION, THAT MAYBE THERE WAS SOME EMPLOYEE MATTERS WITH THE JUDGE, WAS I OFFERED AN INDEPENDENT PARTY TO COME IN TO REVIEW THAT, AND TO OFFER BEST PRACTICES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE ALL, YOU KNOW, COEXISTING IN THAT SPACE SO THAT THOSE EMPLOYEES FELT SAFE AND THEY UNDERSTOOD KIND OF WHERE THEY NEEDED TO GO TO WHO THEY COULD GO TO SO THAT WE COULD PROMPTLY ADDRESS ANY ISSUES. SINCE NOVEMBER, I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY COMPLAINTS FROM.

AND I ASKED THE JUDGE PERSONALLY, I NEED TO KNOW THOSE ITEMS IMMEDIATELY TO BE ABLE TO TO BE ABLE TO TRACK THOSE.

AND I'VE NOT HEARD ANYTHING FROM JUDGE HUFF IN REGARDS TO EMPLOYEE EMPLOYMENT MATTERS.

I'VE NOT HEARD ANYTHING FROM DAN GARCIA IN REGARDS TO THAT.

OKAY. SO LET'S PAUSE. JUDGE HUFF, AS YOU WOULD BE IN A COURT OF LAW.

[03:45:02]

YOUR TURN. THE ISSUE IS THEY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT SPECIALTY COURTS.

YOU. THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW SPECIAL YOU TALKING ABOUT.

I MEAN, YEAH, YEAH, THEY THEY KNOW WHAT THEY KNOW FOR THEIR DEPARTMENTS.

THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT SPECIALTY COURTS. LIKE DOCTOR GREENFIELD JUST SAID THAT THE TEAM MEMBERS ARE SAYING THAT THEY'RE DOING OUTSIDE WORK WITH GRADUATION, OF COURSE, BEING A SPECIALTY COURT JUDGE, YOU KNOW THAT THE GRADUATION IS EXACTLY PART OF THE SPECIALTY COURT PROGRAM.

PRO-SOCIAL EVENTS ARE PART OF THE SPECIALTY COURT PROGRAMS THAT IS ALL INCLUSIVE OF THE SPECIALTY COURT PROGRAM.

I CANNOT DO ANY OF THOSE INITIATIVES BECAUSE, AGAIN, MY TEAM IS WORKING TO PROGRAM.

SO COMMISSIONERS COURT IS GETTING TWO FOR ONE WHO'S I COULD JUST WALK AWAY FROM THIS, BUT MY STAFF IS WORKING 60 OR 70 HOURS A WEEK.

THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE SUFFERING AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO MENTION THIS.

THEY ARE CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE, AND THEY DON'T WANT TO BE FIRED BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THERE'S REALLY NO ONE THAT CAN COMPLAIN TO.

BUT WHO WOULD THEY COMPLAIN TO? I'M SAYING THAT PLEASE MOVE MY COURT LATERALLY SO THAT THIS, THIS PROBLEM WILL BE RESOLVED. BECAUSE IF THEY'RE SAYING TO ME, JUDGE HUFF, OH, YOUR STAFF IS GOING TO KEEP WORKING THIS OTHER COURT PROGRAM.

AND I'M SAYING, NO, MY TEAM IS THERE IS NOT ONE DEPARTMENT HERE THAT WOULD TELL THEIR STAFF TO WORK A COMPLETE NOTHER DEPARTMENT FOR FOUR YEARS, AND WHEN I COMPLAIN, I'M THE PROBLEM. NO, JUDGE.

LET US FIGURE THIS OUT. YOU TELL YOUR TEAM TO KEEP WORKING THIS PROGRAM.

COMMISSIONERS COURT IS GETTING TWO FOR ONE BECAUSE THIS THESE EMPLOYEES WERE HIRED TO DO ONE JOB AND NOW THEY'RE DOING TWO JOBS.

MY COURT MANAGER IS WORKING TWO JOBS. MY CASE MANAGER IS WORKING TWO PROGRAMS. MY BOND OFFICER IS WORKING TWO PROGRAMS. THAT IS NOT RIGHT.

AND THAT THAT ISSUE WITH THE DWI AND THE AND THE DRUG COURT.

THE DIFFERENCE WITH THAT IS THAT THOSE ARE TWO COMPLETE TEAMS WITH ONE JUDGE.

SO THAT'S DIFFERENT. THERE'S TWO. ONE TEAM WORKING TWO PROGRAMS. IF YOU HAVE ONE JUDGE, THAT'S SEEING TO TWO TEAMS. WELL, THE TWO TEAMS ONLY HAVE EACH MEMBER ONLY STILL HAS ONE JOB.

IN THIS SITUATION. WE HAVE ONE TEAM THAT IS WORKING TWO PROGRAMS. COULD YOU NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? THE URGENCY OF MY TEAM HAS.

THIS HAS GOT TO STOP. IT'S BEEN LONG ENOUGH. I NEED TO STAND UP FOR MY EMPLOYEES.

MY EMPLOYEES ARE TIRED. I NEED TO, I NEED I WANT MY TEAM TO BE MOVED UNDER UNDER THE JUDGE.

HOUGH I'M GOING TO. AS A POINT OF ORDER, CAN WE USE THE WORD OUR EMPLOYEES? BECAUSE IT'S NOT YOUR EMPLOYEES, IT'S OURS. AND ULTIMATELY IT'S THE THAT'S THE ISSUE HERE TODAY.

I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, SAKAI. I GET THAT, BUT I'M TRYING TO.

AS A POINT OF ORDER. IT'S NOT YOUR EMPLOYEES.

AND IT'S NOT. IT'S OUR EMPLOYEES. AND WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.

SO I REALLY OBJECT TO THE WORD MY. IT IS OURS.

WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.

I'M I AM TRYING MY BEST. SO. OKAY, LET'S DO THIS.

LET'S DO THIS IF YOU WOULD ALLOW SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.

LET'S PUT ON THE RECORD THAT THERE WAS A MOTION AND THERE WAS NO SECOND.

SO THERE IS NOT GOING TO BE ANY ACTION TAKEN TODAY.

AND WE'RE I THINK THIS IS THE END OF THE DOCKET.

I'M NOT TRYING TO CUT DISCUSSION OFF, BUT THE DISCUSSION MUST CONTINUE.

SO I'M GOING TO GIVE DIRECTIVES TO COUNTY MANAGER AND STAFF, WHICH INCLUDES THOMAS AND DOCTOR GREENFIELD, LABORDI. I WANT THE OMBUDSMAN, WHOSE JOB IS TO LOOK AT EMPLOYMENT ISSUES FROM A NEUTRAL POINT OF VIEW.

SHE IS NOT AN EXTENSION OF THE COMMISSIONERS COURT.

I WANT HR TO LOOK AT ALL THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS AND SEE WHAT THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS ARE.

I WANT A FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF WHAT IS GOING TO BE NEEDED, NOT JUST IN A LATERAL TRANSFER, BUT WHAT ADDITIONAL RESOURCES CAN WE GIVE JUDGE HUFF, EITHER THROUGH FTES, WHICH IS FULL TIME EQUIVALENT AND MORE EMPLOYEES? OR IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THAT WE CAN GET ADDITIONAL GRANT? WE'RE GOING TO RELOOK IF THERE IS ANY ARPA MONEY LEFT SO THAT WE CAN DO SOME IMMEDIATE AUTHORIZATIONS.

IF THERE IS, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN DO THAT. AND WHAT I WANT THEN IS TO THEN COME BACK WHEN WE HAVE COME TO A RESOLUTION. OTHERWISE THERE IS NO RESOLUTION TODAY AND THERE WILL NOT BE A RESOLUTION UNLESS EVERYBODY COMES TO THE TABLE.

AND IF I HAVE TO, THEN I GUESS I'LL GET A MEDIATOR TO GET EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM AND MEDIATE THIS.

AND I HOPE THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO, BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE A COST BETWEEN A DISPUTE BETWEEN THE JUDICIARY AND THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH.

AND AS A FORMER JURIST, THERE'S NOTHING MORE FRUSTRATING TO HAVE THE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT FIGHTING EACH OTHER.

[03:50:07]

I THINK WE'RE SEEING THAT TODAY ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL.

SO I'M NOT GOING TO ALLOW THIS COMMISSIONERS COURT TO DO THAT.

WE'RE GOING TO FIND AN ANSWER. BUT I THINK IN THE FINAL MY FINAL COMMENT IS THIS.

AND THIS IS A LESSON FOR ALL OF US. WHEN WE SET UP THESE COURTS, ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE GRANTS, WE'VE GOT TO SET UP MOUS, WE'VE GOT TO SET UP THE FOUNDING DOCUMENTS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THESE COURTS ARE SUPPOSED TO DO, WHAT PERFORMANCE MEASURES THERE ARE, WHAT EMPLOYEES THEY NEED, IF THEY'RE GOING TO SHARE THAT I NEEDED TO PUT IT IN WRITING AND NOT HAVE, WELL, I CAN'T SHARE BECAUSE I CAN'T. I HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF MY EMPLOYEES.

I ALSO WANT TO GET THE DIRECTIVE THAT THERE ARE EMPLOYEES, WHICH IS ASKING EVERYBODY TO COME TO THE TABLE IN GOOD FAITH AND TRY TO WORK THIS OUT.

SO. MR. SMITH, DO YOU WANT TO WEIGH IN JUST TO GIVE ANY FINAL SO THAT WE CAN DO.

WHAT WE NEED TO DO. JUDGE YOUR PLAN OF ACTION.

YOUR DIRECTION TO ME, SOUNDS LIKE. AT A MINIMUM, WHERE WE NEED TO START, I THINK THERE'S A BIGGER DISCUSSION TO BE HAD ABOUT.

ALL THE SPECIALTY COURTS, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT ALL THE SAME.

SOME ARE CREATED BY STATE LAW. SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT PARTICULAR COURT.

AND SOME ARE UNDER GENERAL AUTHORIZATION STATUTES THAT COMMISSIONERS COURT CAN UTILIZE.

SO I THINK THERE'S A BIG DISCUSSION. BUT IMMEDIATELY ON BEHALF OF THE EMPLOYEES, THEY NEED TO KNOW WHO THEY WORK FOR.

SO I THINK WE NEED TO START THERE. ALL RIGHT.

CLOSING STATEMENT. YES, MRS. JUDGE, GO AHEAD.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, YOUR HONOR. MY NAME IS GRACE YOU AND I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A SPECIALTY COURSE SINCE 2008.

AND YOUR HONOR, ONE OF THE THINGS WITH YOU PARTICULARLY HAVING SERVED AND HAVING BEEN NOT ONLY PART OF THE TSA, TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SPECIALTY COURTS, I BELIEVE THAT YOU CHAIRED THAT.

AND SO WHEN IT COMES TO SPECIALTY COURTS, YOU HAVE THE INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND AS WELL AS THE HEART OF HAVING STARTED THE FAMILY SPECIALTY COURTS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, FROM INTRINSICALLY WHAT THESE COURTS REQUIRE, AND YOU HAVE BEEN A PROPONENT OF THIS, THE ONLY THING THAT CAN COME SIMILAR TO WHAT IS GOING ON BETWEEN THESE MENTAL HEALTH COURTS IS THE DWI UI AND THE ADULT DRUG COURT.

I KNOW THEY HAVE TRACK A AND TRACK D NOW IS WHAT THEY'RE CALLED.

BUT THEY'RE THEY HAD ONE COURT MANAGER. THEY HAD AN INTAKE SPECIALIST THAT INTAKE FOR FOR THEM AND THE COURT MANAGER NOW AND THE COURT MANAGER WAS PAID EQUIVOCALLY BECAUSE HE WAS MANAGING TWO COURTS, BUT THEY HAD SEPARATE COURT CASE MANAGERS, THEY HAD SEPARATE PROBATION OFFICERS, THEY HAD SEPARATE TREATMENT PROVIDERS. SO BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE THE INTENSITY OF THE MANAGEMENT AND THE ASSISTANCE TO THE PARTICIPANTS LIE IS IN THESE PARTICULAR ASSETS. AND SO IF YOU HAVE A PROBATION OFFICER WHO IS WORKING OUTSIDE OF THE BEST PRACTICES, THEN THE FOR SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED ARE DETERIORATED.

AND WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, SIR, THESE COURTS, AS YOU KNOW, WORK ON TEN KEY COMPONENTS.

SO THEY ALL OPERATE IN THE SAME WAY. HIGH RISK, HIGH NEED.

THAT'S WHAT THESE COURTS HAVE BEEN, ARE SET UP FOR AND HAVE BEEN OPERATING.

SO THERE IS ESSENTIALLY IN THE MANAGEMENT OF THESE COURTS AND THEIR PROGRAMS, AND ESPECIALLY FOR THE PARTICIPANTS THAT ARE SERVED, THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BECAUSE THEY OPERATE ALL THE SAME WAY.

THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE. SO THE THING ABOUT IT IS, NO MATTER WHERE THE FUNDING, THE SOURCE OF THE FUNDING IS, THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN THE OPERATION. JUDGE SAKAI, YOU KNOW THIS BETTER THAN ANYBODY ELSE.

AND THAT'S WHY YOU'VE GOT MY FEEDBACK FROM TODAY.

AND YOUR FEEDBACK IS GREAT TO BE ABLE TO GO AHEAD AND DO THIS, AND I HOPE I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LEND SOME CLARITY AS FAR AS THEY OPERATE.

THE SAME WAY, NO MATTER HOW THE FUNDING IS, AND IT IS UNFAIR TO HAVE PEOPLE DOING DOUBLE DUTY FOR THIS LENGTH OF TIME.

[03:55:05]

SO, COMMISSIONERS COURT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO LOOK INTO THIS MATTER AS IT HAS BEEN HIGHLIGHTED. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING US ATTENTION WHERE I WANT ANSWERS, AND I EXPECT YOU ALL TO BRING IT BACK AT WHENEVER THAT REPORTS ARE READY, AND WE WILL THEN HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS AT A LATER DATE.

THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEE WHAT YOU WILL DO ALSO FOR THE FELONY MENTAL HEALTH COURT, BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, THAT IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.

THAT'S RIGHT. I'M GLAD YOU I'M GLAD YOU RECOGNIZE THE WORK THAT JUDGE RANGEL DOES, TOO.

THANK YOU. OH, YES. FABULOUS. NO. ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT, I THINK THAT.

CAN I JUST SAY ONE THING? SURE. I'M NOT AN EXPERT IN SPECIALTY COURTS.

HOWEVER, ONCE THE SPECIALTY COURTS CAME UNDER OUR DEPARTMENT, I DID GO TO THE TRAININGS.

I DID READ UP ON IT. SO I'M AWARE OF HOW THEY OPERATE.

SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT FOR THE RECORD, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT SOMEONE TO THINK THAT I'M SUPERVISING SPECIALTY COURTS OR SOME OF THEIR STAFF OR SOME OF THE EMPLOYEE STAFF AND NOT BE AWARE OF SPECIALTY COURTS.

SO I'LL TAKE I'LL TAKE NOTE OF THAT STATEMENT.

BUT THEN THAT MEANS I EXPECT YOU AND JUDGE HUFF AND EVERYBODY ELSE TO FIX THIS, AND YOU ALL BRING THOSE SOLUTIONS BACK SO THAT THE COURT CAN APPROVE WHATEVER BUDGET REQUESTS ARE NEEDED. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR? YES, SIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. IS I BELIEVE THAT I'VE GOT TO KIND OF GET CAUGHT UP THERE.

HAVE I CONCLUDED THE DOCKET, THE AGENDA? BUT WHAT ARE WE ARE WE MISSING? OH, 007 33. RIGHT. ARE WE GOING TO TAKE 73? ALL RIGHT.

[73. (Joe Gonzales) Discussion and appropriate action related to designating the County Manager or his designee as the lead negotiator on behalf of Bexar County for collective bargaining negotiations with the Deputy Sheriffs Association of Bexar County under Chapter 174 of the Local Government Code. ]

LET'S TAKE THE LAST. THIS DISCUSSION, APPROPRIATE ACTION RELATED TO DESIGNATING THE COUNTY MANAGER OR HIS DESIGNEE AS THE LEAD NEGOTIATOR ON BEHALF OF BEXAR COUNTY FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE DEPUTY SHERIFFS ASSOCIATION OF BEXAR COUNTY UNDER CHAPTER 174 OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE.

SO MOVED. MOTION BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CALVERT.

IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS. MOTION CARRIES.

IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED. MOTION BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ.

SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CALVERT. COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ.

THANK YOU. JUDGE. I WOULD MOVE ON BEHALF OF COMMISSIONER CLAY-FLORES THAT WE ADJOURN IN THE NAME OF ELVIA GUTIERREZ AND ON BEHALF OF PRECINCT TWO CONSTITUENTS. VICTOR CUELLAR, ANGELO MARIA DE LOS ANGELES FLORES, SANTIAGO AGUIRRE AND IN.

FORMER CITY HALL STAFFER MARIO HEUN PASSED AWAY COMMISSIONER MOODY.

YEAH. I'D ALSO LIKE TO MENTION MARIO HEUN WHO ACTUALLY SERVES AS ONE OF OUR APPOINTEES ON ESD EIGHT BOARD. LONG TIME CITY STAFFER AS WELL AS MARTIN TREVINO A FORMER CITY STAFFER AS WELL, WHO RECENTLY PASSED.

COMMISSIONER CALVERT. THANK YOU. JUDGE, I'D LIKE TO ADJOURN IN HONOR OF PATRICIA FAY TAYLOR, BETTY BATEMAN, PEARL MANNING, CONGRESSMAN AND MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER AND JOHN VARGAS.

AND I'D LIKE TO JOIN COMMISSIONER CALVERT IN REGARDS TO PATRICIA FAY TAYLOR.