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THIS IS THE ROCKWELL COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT WORKSHOP.
IT'S 9:00 AM AND I'M GOING TO GET US STARTED WITH THE PUBLIC FORUM.
IT'S PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE COURT ON ANY COUNTY MATTERS.
NO ONE HAS SIGNED UP, BUT IF SOMEONE WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD SEEING NO ONE, WE'LL GET INTO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER
[2. Discussion of Legislative Priorities, and all related issues]
TWO, DISCUSSION OF LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.THIS IS, UM, OUR OPPORTUNITY TO OPENLY DISCUSS WHAT DIRECTION WE WANT TO GO, WHAT DIRECTION WE NEED AUSTIN TO GO, WHAT DIRECTION WE NEED OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES TO LEAD US.
UH, SO WITH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, THERE IS NO RIGID FORMAT TO WHAT WE'RE DOING.
EACH PERSON CAN JUST KIND OF, UH, UH, PLEAD THEIR CASE AND TAKE THIS ANY DIRECTION THEY WANT TO GO.
SO I, I HANDED OUT A PACKET THAT, UM, AS I WAS TELLING COMMISSIONER BAILEY LOOKS A LITTLE BIT, UH, INTIMIDATING JUST 'CAUSE IT'S SO THICK AND IT'S REALLY NOT.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE US TO CONTINUE PURSUING THIS YEAH.
STARTS WITH A BILL TO BE ENACT.
SO THE, THE, THE TOP PAGE THERE IS, UH, HOUSE BILL 1916 MM-HMM.
AND THAT'S THE ONE LAST SESSION WE GOT THROUGH THE HOUSE AND GOT IT OVER TO COMMITTEE IN THE SENATE, UH, TO ONLY HAVE IT DIE IN CALENDARS.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, GOING TO, UH, I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO TAKE ANOTHER SHOT AT THAT, UH, AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN I'VE GOT A COUPLE, UM, MORE MUD BILLS THAT I'M WORKING ON.
THE RICK THOMPSON, ONE OF THE LEGISLATIVE OFFICIALS WITH THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, IS WRITING A COUPLE BILLS FOR ME, FOR US, FOR OUR CITIZENS, UH, THAT I AM LOOKING FOR AS WE SPEAK TOWARD THE BACK.
I THINK YOU TALKING ABOUT THE ONE.
SO, UM, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING
SO THERE, THERE, THERE'S NOTHING IN THERE.
UM, BUT WHAT, WHAT HE'S PURSUING IS ESSENTIALLY THREE BILLS.
SO WE HAVE HOUSE BILL 1916, WHICH BRACKETS ROCKWALL COUNTY.
THIS IS KIND OF OUR, OUR SAFETY NET.
LET'S, LET'S TRY THIS ONE AGAIN.
RICK IS WORKING ON ONE THAT REMOVES THE BRACKET AND THEN ALLOWS MM-HMM.
SO THE, THE, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET THAT WALK, WALK IN DEATH AND MAKE A SEPARATE I, I WOULD PROBABLY AGREE WITH YOU.
I WOULD PROBABLY AGREE WITH YOU.
STICK WITH WHAT? STICK WITH THE TAKING THE BRACKET OFF.
AND THEN THAT'S ONE BILL THAT, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO PURSUE.
I'VE HAD SOME PRETTY GOOD MEETINGS WITH COUNTY JUDGES.
UH, SO THE, THE COALITION IS, IS GROWING.
UH, AND I CAN TELL YOU OTHER COUNTIES, ESPECIALLY RURAL COUNTIES, FEEL THE EXACT SAME, SAME PAIN THAT WE FEEL, UH, ABOUT GETTING THE CITIZENS' VOICES HEARD IN, IN AUSTIN.
SO, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO FLEX OUR MUSCLE, BUT, UH, AGAIN, IF, IF, IF AUSTIN DOESN'T LISTEN, UM, WE, WE, WE WILL STRUGGLE, BUT IT'S A BATTLE WORTH FIGHTING.
UM, SO THE, THE SECOND PIECE OF LEGISLATION, CAN I, CAN I JUST SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THAT ONE? YEAH.
IF YOU, I APOLOGIZE THAT I WAS, IS THIS LOUD? IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S ECHOING.
IT'S LOUD, BUT IT'S, IT'S OKAY.
UM, IF YOU GUYS WILL LOOK AT THE, WHAT I JUST HANDED OUT TO YOU, THAT THE TOP OF IT SAYS COUNTY JUDGES AND COMMISSIONS AND ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS, AND IT'S THE, IT'S THEIR 89TH, UM, LEGIS, TEXAS LEGISLATIVE BILL LIST THAT'S ON THE TOP.
IF YOU'LL GO TO PAGE, UM, WELL, IT'S ITEM NUMBER SIX.
SO IT'LL BE THE BACKSIDE OF PAGE, UM, TWO.
THERE IS THE BILL THAT YOU WERE SPEAKING ABOUT THAT, UM, RICK THOMPSON IS WORKING ON.
UM, AND THEY DID PRESENT THAT LAST WEEK AT THE CONFERENCE THAT I WAS AT.
SO IF YOU WANNA KIND OF LOOK AT WHAT HE SAID, IT IS BEING DRAFTED, AS YOU SAID, BUT THEY'VE TAKEN WHAT YOU WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT, AND THEY, THEY ADDRESSED THIS
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WITH US AT THE CONFERENCE LAST WEEK.SO IT DOES TALK ABOUT PLA APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS AS WELL AS THE APPROVAL FOR IMPROVEMENTS, FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY, PUBLIC DISCLOSURE, AND NOW ON, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT PAGE BEHIND THAT, IT'S CONSUMER PROTECTION AND THE DISTRICT CREATION REVIEW.
UM, THIS I JUST GAVE YOU GUYS, THIS, THIS PAPER WE JUST GOT THIS LAST WEDNESDAY OR THURSDAY AT THE CONFERENCE, THURSDAY AT THE CONFERENCE.
AND SO IF YOU GO TO THE SEC, THE BACK OF THE SECOND PAGE, IT'S NUMBER SIX.
THAT'S WHERE IT SAYS THAT IT'S TO REQUIRE COUNTY APPROVAL FOR IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, UM, UM, CONS OF CONSERVATION AND RECLAMATION DISTRICTS.
AND IT SAYS THAT THEY'RE NEEDING SOMEONE TO AUTHOR THIS BILL, BUT IT WAS FORMALLY BY H BILL 1916 BY HOLLAND.
SO THAT'S, I THINK WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, HE'S WORKING ON YES.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE GONNA TAKE THE BRACKET OFF OF IT.
AND THEN THE, THE OTHER TWO THAT I'VE WORKED WITH THEM, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THEY MAY HAVE CAUGHT BOTH OF THEM HERE.
UH, ONE IS TO HAVE A, A DEVELOPMENT OUTSIDE OF CITY LIMITS IN THE COUNTY, PRESENT A HYDROLOGIC IMPACT ANALYSIS TO THE COURTS FOR APPROVAL.
UM, WHICH SEEMS JUST PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD COMMON SENSE.
UM, THE, THE, THE CITIES DO IT, SO THE, THE COUNTY SHOULD AS WELL.
UM, AND THE NEXT IS MORE OF A TRANSPORTATION AND OR A TRANSPARENCY ISSUE IS, UH, REQUIRING MAJORITY VOTE OF PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN A DISTRICT BEFORE THE DEVELOPER CAN REISSUE DEBT.
UH, AND THAT, THAT IS JUST A STRAIGHTFORWARD WORD, BEACHHEAD AGAINST TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION.
CAN YOU, CAN YOU START, WHAT DO YOU CALL 'EM? START IT AGAIN, I'M SORRY.
SO, UH, IT, IT IS TO REQUIRE WHEN, WHEN A DEVELOPER FORMS A MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT, AND THEY ISSUED THAT FOR, YOU KNOW, LET'S JUST SAY STREETS AND LIGHTS AND DRAINAGE.
NOW, BEFORE THE DEVELOPER RELINQUISH, WHEN HE STILL HAS A BOARD OF DIRECTORS, UH, CONTROLLING THE MUD, HE CAN REISSUE DEBT WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF THE CITIZENS THAT LIVE IN THAT DISTRICT.
SO I WANT A BILL THAT SAYS IF HE REISSUES DEBT, IT HAS TO BE A MAJORITY VOTE OF THE PEOPLE LIVING IN THAT DISTRICT.
SO IT, IT'S, I'M TALKING ABOUT SECOND GENERATION DEBT.
SO THE INITIAL DEBT PAGE FOR, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE.
BUT HE CAN ALSO REISSUE DEBT WITHOUT HAVING TO GO TO THE CITIZENS.
HE CAN HAVE HIS BOARD OF DIRECTORS APPROVE IT, AND THAT PUTS THE TAX OBLIGATION ON THE CITIZENS THAT LIVE THERE.
AND THEY CURRENTLY HAVE NO VOTE AND THEY CAN'T VOTE THEIR WAY OUT OF, OUT OF THE DEAD.
BUT, BUT WHAT CAN HE REISSUE DEBT FOR, UH, IN INFRASTRUCTURE, MORE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ANOTHER PART, OR BE PART OF THAT SUB.
SO, SO WHAT HAPPENED IN, IN MY MUD, 'CAUSE I LIVE IN A MUD, I THINK I'M THE ONLY ONE HERE THAT DOES LIVE IN A MUD.
SO THEY, THEY SAY, WE'RE HERE TO DO WATER.
THEY REISSUED DEBT WITHOUT OUR PERMISSION TO REDO ALL THE SIDEWALKS IN OUR MUD.
AND SAID, WELL, WE CAN DO WHATEVER WE WANT.
AND SO THEN WE, AS THE VOTERS ARE FORCED TO PAY THE DEBT BACK ON ALL THE SIDEWALKS.
IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WATER INFRASTRUCTURE.
BUT THAT'S WHAT THEY HAVE A COUCH IN.
THEY, THEY, THEY, I LIVE IN A WATER MUD.
SO IT ONLY EXISTS TO PROVIDE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE.
THAT'S HOW THEY GOT THE WATER TOWER IN WOOD CREEK.
SO THEY BUILT THE WATER TOWER, THEY BUILT THE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE.
THEN WHEN THE SIDEWALK STARTED FAILING, THEY JUST PASSED DEBT AND JUST READ IT ALL THE SIDEWALKS.
UM, AND WITHOUT GOING TO THE VOTERS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE SECOND GENERATION OF, HEY, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, SO WE'RE NOT CHALLENGING THEIR AUTHORITY NECESSARILY TO SAY, YOU CAN DO THIS OR NOT DO THAT.
WE'RE JUST SAYING, IF, IF YOU WANT TO PASS MORE DEBT ON THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE, PUT IT ON THE BALLOT, SEE IF THEY WANT TO PAY THE DEBT.
I MEAN, HOW CAN WE HAVE DEBT WHERE YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE THAT'S PUSHING THAT DEBT ONTO YOU? SO THAT'S THE SECOND GENERATION DEBT ISSUE WITHIN MUDS, IS THEY ALMOST HAVE UN THEY, THEY, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY CLARITY ON HOW TO DO SECOND GENERATION DEBT AS FAR AS WHAT ARE THEY REQUIRED TO DO.
SO THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO INCREASE
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THE TAX ONCE IT'S ESTABLISHED.SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE.
SO THEY'RE PAYING A DEBT ON WATER.
WELL, NOW THEY'RE GONNA PAY A DEBT ON SIDEWALKS AND THEN THEY CAN PAY A DEBT ON LIGHTING.
AND IS THAT, IS THAT ALL INCLUDED IN THAT ONE TAX? YES.
AND NOW IT IS BEEN GOING DOWN TO BE FAIR OR DIDN'T DECREASE MY, MY MUD TAX HAS BEEN DECREASING, BUT THAT DOESN'T MATTER.
THAT'S JUST MY PERSONAL THING.
BUT YES, IT'S TECHNICALLY A TAX, IT'S A TAX INCREASE THAT THEY HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS CAN DO THAT.
SO THE, THE, THE MUDS ARE THE ONLY ENTITY THAT I'M AWARE OF THAT, THAT CAN DO THAT IN THE STATE OF TAXES.
NOW, WE, WE CAN, UH, UH, RAISE TAXES ON, ON OUR CITIZENS.
UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, LORD, HELP US, UM, THAT THE CITIZENS ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY TO REPLACE US.
WELL, THEY TECHNICALLY CAN REPLACE THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
I JUST PLAIN DEVIL'S ADVOCATES, IF THEY CAN TECHNICALLY CAN REPLACE THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
BUT WHEN WE GET BACK INTO, UH, WHICH IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE CITY OF FA FATE WANTS TO PURSUE, UM, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS DON'T HAVE TO BE IN THE DISTRICT, AND THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE TO MEET IN THE DISTRICT.
SO THEY JUST HAVE TO MEET IN THE COUNTY IS WHAT THEY CLAIM.
UH, I, I COULD NOT GOOD ENOUGH PER YEARS PER YES, YES.
UM, I, I COULDN'T IMAGINE US DECIDING WE'RE GONNA MEET IN MCCLENDON CHISHOLM.
AND, AND, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, BY LAW WE HAVE TO MEET AT THE COUNTY SEAT.
UH, THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING THAT REQUIRES THEM TO MEET INSIDE THEIR DISTRICT.
SO HOW NOTHING REQUIRES THEM TO LIVE INSIDE THE DISTRICT.
SO, SO HOW WOULD WE CONSTRUCT A LEGISLATIVE BILL TO DO THIS? I, I HAVE NO IDEA.
UM, AND THAT'S, I'M LEANING ON TAC UH, WHAT WHAT I SEE IS SOMETHING THAT'S, I BELIEVE JUST FUNDAMENTALLY UNFAIR.
AND, AND, AND, UM, I, AGAIN, TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION.
SO, UM, I, I WILL, I HAD LEANED ON T TO, TO EITHER FIND A BILL, WE CAN AMEND OR FIND A NEW PIECE OF LEGISLATION OR, OR JUST FIND US A PATH.
SO, I MEAN, THIS IS THE RIGHT THING IN MY OPINION.
SO I'M, I'M JUST GONNA ASK YOU JUDGE, WHAT, SO YOU'VE BROUGHT UP THE 1916 NON BRACKET MUD.
YOU BROUGHT UP, UH, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT, THE SECONDARY DEBT ISSUE? YES.
AND, AND THE HYDROLOGIC IMPACT ANALYSIS.
AND ARE YOU ALSO ASKING US TO LOOK AT MAKING THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEET WITHIN THE MUD? I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT, WHAT MUD BILL ARE.
LIKE WHAT PRIORITIES ARE YOU TRYING TO BRING TO THE TABLE FOR US TO EITHER GET BEHIND OR NOT GET BEHIND? I'M TRYING TO JUST QUANTIFY THE MUD.
SO, UM, WE, WE'VE GOT A COUPLE, SEVERAL AVENUES TO PURSUE HERE IN, IN, IN RELATION TO MUD, THE CITY OF FATE.
AND, AND MAYOR BILLINGS HAS PUT TOGETHER, UM, UH, ATTEMPTING TO COBBLE TOGETHER WITH THE OTHER CITIES IN THE COUNTY AND THE COUNTY ITSELF, UH, UH, A LIST OF PRIORITIES.
UM, AND, AND SOME OF 'EM, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY MAKES SENSE TO GET BEHIND OTHERS.
UM, BUT ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HE HAS PURSUED IS REQUIRING THEM TO MEET IN THE DISTRICT.
UH, SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE A, A CITY INITIATIVE THAT I THINK WE SHOULD SUPPORT WITH JUST ESSENTIALLY A, A SIGNATURE AND A MAY, MAYBE A RESOLUTION THAT SAYS, YES, WE, WE BELIEVE, WE BELIEVE THE CITIES HAVE, UM, ARE ON THE RIGHT PATH AND, AND IN SERVING THEIR CITIZENS, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS NEED TO MEET INSIDE THE DISTRICT.
AND, AND APPARENTLY SENATOR HALL PUT SB 9 9 1 7 IN THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION THAT DOES SAY THAT THEY HAVE TO BE MORE PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE AND NOT MORE THAN FIVE MILES OUTSIDE THE TERRITORY OF THE DISTRICT.
UM, SO THERE WAS SOME, WAS WAS THAT INTRODUCED IN THE LAST LEG THAT WAS INTRODUCED IN THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION? BUT IT DOESN'T SAY IT HAS TO BE WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
IT JUST SAYS A REGULAR OR SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF A DISTRICT MUST BE HELD AT A PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE LOCATION INSIDE, OR NOT MORE THAN FIVE MILES OUTSIDE THE TERRITORY OF THE DISTRICT.
THIS SECTION DOES NOT PROHIBIT THE BOARD OF A DISTRICT FROM HOLDING AN OPEN OR CLOSED MEETING BY TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALL OR VIDEO CONFERENCE CALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER FIVE FIVE, ONE OF THE
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GOVERNMENT CODE.SO, AND IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, HB 1312.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE THERE WAS SOME HOUSE AND SENATE MOVEMENT IN THAT IT'S NOT A COMPLETE, UM, MANDATE THAT IT HAS TO BE 100% WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
IT'S JUST SAYING THEY HAVE TO MAKE AN ATTEMPT TO BE WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
MY DID THAT PASS? IT DID NOT PASS.
SO, SO, SO MY KIND OF ISSUE WITH THAT A LITTLE BIT IS THAT MEETING AT THE HOTEL IN ROCKWALL SATIATES, THAT, AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DOING, AND THAT'S WHAT THE CITY'S MAD ABOUT.
SO, SO THIS BILL DIDN'T EVEN FIX THE PRIMARY CONCERN OF THIS, THE CITY OF FATE.
SO THE REASON THAT I'M BRINGING THAT UP IS THAT WE DON'T NECESSARILY, I I I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE AS A LEGISLATIVE BODY WANNA DO, BUT I'M SAYING THE FIX THAT IS CITED DOESN'T EVEN FIX, IT'S NOT A FIX THE ISSUE THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO GET IT, THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO GET FIXED.
SO YOU CAN'T SAY, WELL, WE WANNA SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, SB NINE 17, BECAUSE THAT DOESN'T FIX THEIR IMMEDIATE PROBLEM.
BUT THAT WAS THE SOLUTION BROUGHT FORWARD.
MY, MY ONLY THING IS, THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING LIKE, I DON'T KNOW.
I, I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO WITH THAT BECAUSE THE ULTIMATUM IS MAKE 'EM MEET WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
AND THESE MUD SAY, WELL, WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE A PLACE TO MEET WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
SO HOW CAN YOU DEFINE A SUITABLE MEETING PLACE WITHIN A DISTRICT TO CREATE STATEWIDE LEGISLATION THAT FORCES THEM TO MEET WITHIN THE DISTRICT? I, I CAN TELL YOU BILLINGS OFFERED LAST SESSION, UH, SESSION SESSION, UM, A A, A, UM, A MIDDLE POINT OF REQUIRING THEM TO MEET IN THE CITY LIMITS OF THE NEAREST CITY TO THE MUD.
IF THE MUD'S IN A CITY, YOU, YOU MEET AT CITY HALL OF THAT CITY, IF, IF THE MUD'S NOT IN THE CITY, YOU MEET IN THE NEAREST CITY.
WHAT IF THE, WHAT IF THE MUD'S IN TWO CITIES, THEN, THEN, THEN YOU HAD TO, UH, YOU HAVE A LEGISLATIVE ISSUE.
WELL, THE REASON I SAY THAT IS BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO DEFINE, WE'RE TRYING TO PINPOINT IT TO A SPOT, RIGHT.
WHEN IN THIS CASE THERE COULD BE, AND THERE PROBABLY IS IN ROCKWALL, A MUD THAT COVERS MORE THAN ONE CITY.
I THINK THAT'S WHY HE PUT THE FIVE MILE RADIUS.
BUT WE COULD NARROW THAT DOWN TO BE WITHIN ONE OF THE CITIES THAT THEY REPRESENT.
SO I, I WOULD LIKE THE, THE, UH, COMMISSIONER'S COURT TO TAKE A HARD STANCE AND SAY, YOU MUST MEET INSIDE THE DISTRICT.
AND, AND THE WHOLE REASON IS JUST SETTING THE, THE CORNER POINT OF THE OVERTON WINDOW OF, OKAY, IT'S IN BETWEEN THAT AND FIVE MILES.
AND THEN SEE, SEE HOW CLOSE WE CAN GET 'EM.
IT, IT IS NOT BEING UNREASONABLE TO ASK THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS WHO THE DEVELOPERS ARE SAYING, AND, AND SOME OF OUR LEGISLATORS ARE SAYING THAT IS THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS.
SO, SO I DON'T MEAN TO STEAL DENNIS'S THUNDER, BUT AT WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT ACCOMPLISH? WELL, IT, IT, IT, IT, IT, I I, I SAW YOU STIRRING AND I HAD THE SAME THOUGHT.
WHAT IT, IT, IT ADDS TO THE CONVERSATION.
AGAIN, IT SETS THE CORNER OF THE OVERTON WINDOW OF WE WANT YOU IN THE DISTRICT THAT'S NOT ASKING TOO MUCH.
YOU CREATED THE DISTRICT AND, AND IT'S INCUMBENT UPON YOU TO FIND AN APPROPRIATE VENUE TO HAVE A MEETING IN THAT DISTRICT.
UH, AND, AND IF THAT NEEDS TO BE YOU, YOU RENT A TEMP, THEN YOU RENT A TEMP.
YOU, YOU, YOU COULD GET ME, AND I'M SPEAKING FOR YOU, COMMISSIONER BAILEY.
SO I'M JUST, I'M PUTTING MYSELF BACK IN THE, YOU COULD GET ME TO GET BEHIND FLOWERY LANGUAGE WITH THIS.
LIKE, I WANNA SUPPORT EFFORTS TO HAVE MUDS MEETING IN THEIR DISTRICT.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET ME TO GET TO YOUR OVERTON WINDOW OF A POINT, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I, I FEEL LIKE EVEN WITHIN THE COUNTY, THE FIVE MILES KIND OF MAKES SENSE.
BECAUSE WHEN WE THINK ABOUT ROCKWALL, FIVE MILES AROUND THE DISTRICT PRETTY MUCH COVERS THE WHOLE COUNTY.
BUT THEN WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT SOME OF THESE OTHER COUNTIES, PUTTING IT IN THE COUNTY COULD BE A THREE HOUR DRIVE.
SO, SO, SO I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF THE EFFORT OF BEING TO MAKE THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEET IN AND AROUND THE DISTRICT.
AGAIN, THAT'S FLOWERLY LANGUAGE.
DENNIS, I WOULD HAVE NO COMEBACK TO WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH? I'M NOT SAYING I, I HAVE ANYTHING TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THAT.
BUT TO, TO SAY THAT IT HAS TO BE
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IN THE DISTRICT, THEN ONCE A DISTRICT HAS A HARDSHIP OR THEY HAVE SOMETHING WE, THAT'S A PROBLEM THAT'S REALLY HARD TO SOLVE.UM, SO IF I WANTED TO GO TO A BOARD MEETING, I COULD, I KNOW WHERE THEY ARE.
AND, AND, AND I AGREE THAT THERE'S NOT TRANSPARENCY IN MUD BOARDS.
I JUST WOULD LIKE, BUT YOU, BUT YOU SAW YOU GOT INFORMATION.
SO, SO MY, MY, THAT KIND OF GOES TO MY POINT IS I WOULD PREFER, AND THEN I WOULD PREFER OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES IF WE'RE GONNA PASS 'EM TO MEAN SOMETHING.
AND, AND I WANT, AND I, I WANT US TO BE BEHIND THOSE EFFORTS AS A COURT AND SAY THE, THE FIVE OF US HAVE COME TO AN AGREEMENT.
AND THE, AND, AND I THINK THAT THIS EXERCISE SHOULD BE SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT.
'CAUSE I DON'T WANT US JUST TO SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, DANA, YOU CAN, YOU CAN ADD SOME FLOWERY LANGUAGE ABOUT THIS CLIFF.
WE'LL PUT SOME LANGUAGE ABOUT, NO, I WANT US TO BE UNITED TO SAY THESE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT TO US.
AND, AND WHILE FRANK MIGHT THINK MUD'S MEETING INSIDE THE DISTRICT, IMPORTANT TO HIM, GO DO THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO I COULD UNDERSTAND THAT BEING AN, AN ISSUE OF A CITY, THE CITY OF FATE IS TRYING HARD TO GET THIS DONE.
SO I COULD SEE US TRYING TO BE BESIDE THEM.
WE SUPPORT THOSE EFFORTS OF THE CITY OF FATE, BUT THAT'S NOT OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY.
OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY SHOULD BE 1916.
OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY SHOULD BE HYDROLOGIC IMPACT ANALYSIS.
WE SHOULD NARROW OUR FOCUS AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT THE ROCKWALL COUNTY WANTS TO DO.
BUT IT, IT DOES NOT HURT TO ADD OUR VOICE TO THE BATTLE THAT THE CITIES ARE FIGHTING.
AND, AND, AND I DON'T, AND I DON'T MIND BRINGING FORWARD OR YOU BRINGING FORWARD A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF FATE THAT WE COULD HAND FATE TO GO FIGHT THEIR BATTLE.
FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO MEET IN THEIR, IF THAT, IF THEY ASK US TO DO THAT, I DON'T HAVE ANY ISSUE SAYING, WE, WE SUPPORT YOUR EFFORTS.
THAT, AND THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING FOR, BUT I DON'T WANT IT TO BE OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY.
SO WE ALL, WE ALL, WE, I'M, I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT TOO.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE ON TURN IT ON.
IT'S, I'M, I'M GONNA ASK THE QUESTION ONE MORE TIME.
I'M GONNA ASK IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
ROCKWALL GETS THEIR WATER FROM LL AT, UH, YOU MEAN NORTH? NORTH FROM THIS WATER.
ROCKWALL SELLS WATER TO HEATH.
SO WHERE DO THEY HAVE THE MEETING? SO THAT, THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
THAT'S A CON THAT'S A CONTRACT.
THEY ALSO, TEXAS MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT ALSO SERVES HOW MANY OTHER CITIES AND COUNTIES? A BUNCH WHERE, WHERE I, I'M ONLY TRYING TO BRING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION BECAUSE THAT'S THE BIG ONE.
IT'S LIKE DALLAS, IF WE TRY TO PASS THIS, WE'RE TRYING TO PASS IT FOR EVERYBODY.
WE DON'T WANNA DO IT FOR EVERYBODY.
'CAUSE IT'S NOT GONNA PASS BECAUSE OF THOSE REASONS.
AND THAT'S WHAT, I HATE TO SAY IT, BUT THAT'S WHAT A SMALLER CITY LIKE FATE IS TRYING TO DO IS NOT GONNA WORK BECAUSE THESE OTHER MUDS THAT ARE HUGE, YOU'RE INCLUDING THEM AND THEY'RE NOT GONNA BUY THAT.
AND, AND I, I WOULD CHALLENGE THAT A LITTLE BIT.
IT'S NOT, BUT FRAMING THE CONVERSATION HAS VALUE.
I MEAN, WE, WE'VE GOT A GOOD CHANCE AT GETTING SOME MUD RESOLUTIONS THROUGH THIS NEXT SESSION.
I MEAN, HAD, HAD WE NOT HAD THE CONVERSATION AND ADDED OUR VOICE AND DRAWN ATTENTION AND BUILT THE COALITION, WE, WE, WE WOULD HAVE A, A LESS CHANCE THIS UPCOMING LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
SO, SO, SO I, I JUST WANNA SAY, I, I DO NOT HAVE COMMISSIONER BAILEY'S EXPERIENCE WITH THE LEGISLATURE.
I DON'T, BUT I DID SPEND SIX YEARS OF MY LIFE LOBBYING IN AUSTIN, UM, IN MY LATE TWENTIES AND EARLY THIRTIES.
IF YOU GIVE THEM THE ABILITY THEM AS THE INSTITUTION OF AUSTIN, NOT ANY PARTICULAR REP, IF YOU GIVE THEM THE ABILITY TO, TO DIVIDE YOUR ATTENTION, THEY WILL TAKE IT AND THEY WILL BEAT YOU.
YOU, I THINK WE HAVE TO BE SINGULAR OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
BECAUSE THEY WILL FIND THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE.
AND THEN THEY WILL TELL YOU, I TRIED, I GOT 80% OF WHAT YOU WANTED.
YOU SHOULD PAT ME ON THE BACK AND GIVE ME MONEY AND SEND ME BACK TO AUSTIN TO TRY FOR THE OTHER 20%.
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IN MY OPINION, ESPECIALLY WITH THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE WITH OVERDEVELOPMENT IN OUR COUNTY, WE HAVE TO STAY FOCUSED THE ROCKWELL COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT.WE DON'T NEED 35 POINTS OF RESOLUTION TO GET 18 OF 'EM PASSED.
WE NEED TO WHITTLE THIS DOWN TO WHAT'S IMPORTANT.
AND, AND THIS IS MY OPINION, I'M JUST TALKING.
SO I'M NOT TRYING TO SAY THAT I, I'M, I'M NOT TRYING TO SAY I'M SPEAKING, I KNOW I'M SPEAKING A LOT WITH DENNIS, BUT HIM AND I HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN AUSTIN, UM, IS I JUST BELIEVE THAT FOR US TO BE EFFECTIVE, WE NEED TO HAVE LIKE FOUR OR THREE OR TWO TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT THE FIVE OF US CAN UNILATERALLY AGREE ON, THAT WE'LL PUT OUR SWEAT EQUITY IN THAT WE'LL GO TO AUSTIN, WE'LL MAKE PHONE CALLS.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA FIGHT FOR.
BECAUSE IF THERE'S THINGS I WANNA FIGHT FOR, I CAN SAY, HEY, I'M A ROCKWELL COMMISSIONER.
I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT, AND I CAN REACH OUT TO MY REPRESENTATIVES AND I CAN GO TO AUSTIN AND I CAN DO THINGS.
BUT US AS A LEGISLATIVE BODY, I THINK WE NEED TO FOCUS IN ON WHAT THE PROBLEMS WE ARE DEALING WITH.
WE'RE NOT DEALING WITH SECONDARY DEBT IN, IN MUDS.
THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM WE'RE FACING.
IT'S IN, IT, IT IT'S IN OUR COUNTY.
WHAT THE, I THINK WHAT COMES UP IS 1916 AND THE HYDROLOGIC IMPACT ANALYSIS, THOSE JUST BUBBLE STRAIGHT UP TO THE TOP AND CAN KEEP US LASER FOCUSED ON WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND WATER.
THOSE ARE THE MAIN CONCERNS OF THE DEVELOPMENT INSIDE THE COUNTY THAT WE SEE AS A PROBLEM BUBBLING UP THAT'S NOT BEING ADDRESSED.
SO THAT'S MY, THAT'S MY MUD OPINION.
SO, WELL, LET'S JUST GET EVERYBODY'S MUD OPINION.
ARE ARE, ARE WE ALL OKAY DOING 1916 WITHOUT THE BRACKET? JUST MAKE IT A PUBLIC SAFETY MUD ISSUE WHERE YOU HAVE TO TELL US WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU CALL 9 1 1 AND THE HYDROLOGIC IMPACT ANALYSIS? OR, OR IS I LAID A BODY? I I DON'T THINK THOSE TWO GO TO GET WELL, NO, NO, NO.
I I I WOULD WANT TO, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT AS FAR AS RESOLUTIONS? UH, SEPARATE RESOLUTIONS? YEAH.
I WOULDN'T WANT, OR, OR, OR BILLS.
ONE, ONE WOULD GO TO WATER CODE AND THE OTHER ONE, UH, WOULD, WOULD GO TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE.
BUT IN THEORY, ARE YOU OKAY WITH THOSE BEING THE FOCUS AS IT RELATES TO MUDS THAT THE COURT PURSUES, YOU TAKE AWAY THE BRACKET? YES.
AND THEN YOU ADD ANOTHER BILL THAT YOU WANT TO ESTABLISH THAT CALLS FOR A HYDROLOGICAL STUDY TO BE PERFORMED PRIOR TO APPROVAL OF THAT MUCH.
AND, AND ARE WE OKAY WITH THAT BEING THO THOSE TWO SEPARATE? NO, BECAUSE THAT BILL AFFECTS PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THE MUD DISTRICT.
WHI WHI WHICH BILL THE HYDROLOGICAL STUDY.
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT FOR IT BECAUSE IT AFFECTS PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THE DISTRICT, OR YOU ARE FOR IT? NO, I'M, I'M SAYING THAT THEY HAVE NO RESPONSE.
A MONTH DISTRICT THAT'S BEING FORMED HAS NO RESPONSIBILITY OUTSIDE OF THAT MUD DISTRICT CU CURRENTLY.
AND, AND, AND I WOULD ARGUE WITH THAT POINT AND, AND SAY YOU CANNOT FLOOD YOUR NEIGHBOR, WHICH IS WHAT THEY'RE DOING ALL, ALL OF THEIR, BUT THERE ARE, THERE ARE NUMEROUS METHODS TO BE ABLE TO STOP THAT FLOODING.
SO, AND YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH CIVIL LITIGATION.
SO I, I, INSTEAD OF TRYING TO GET OUR STATE LEGISLATORS TO STOP A MUD FROM FLOODING THEIR NEIGHBOR, YOU, YOUR METHOD WOULD BE CIVIL LITIGATION.
COMMISSIONER ARE, ARE, ARE YOU SERIOUSLY SAYING THAT THAT'S YOUR PREFERRED METHOD? THAT WE ARE NOT EVEN GOING TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE? AND IT IS AN ISSUE AT AT, AT THE STATE LEVEL.
WE'RE NOT EVEN GONNA HAVE A CONVERSATION.
WHY, WHY IS IT AN ISSUE AT THE STATE LEVEL? BECAUSE THE TCEQ IS A STATE AGENCY.
THEY ARE APPROVING THESE APPLICATIONS.
THAT, AND WHAT DID THEY TELL YOU WHEN, WHEN YOU MET BEFORE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OR A REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IN
[00:30:01]
THESE MITIGATIONS MM-HMM.WHAT DID THAT THAT PERSON TELL YOU? THEY SAID, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT, IT IS NOT A PART OF THE DISTRICT.
AND ALSO IT IS NOT AN OBLIGATION THAT THESE PEOPLE HAVE, THEY SAID PART OF THEIR APPLICATION AND APPROVAL PROCESS, THEY DON'T CALCULATE WHAT THE WATER DOES DOWNSTREAM THEIR CALCULATION.
SO STOP RIGHT THERE IS CAN THE STREAM HOLD THE WATER TO GET IT OFF OF THE DISTRICT? THAT IS CORRECT.
THAT, AND, AND THAT IS, IT GOES BACK TO THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM THAT I HAVE IS NOT BEING A GOOD NEIGHBOR, JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN GET THE WATER OFF OF YOUR DEVELOPMENT INTO A CREEK THAT'S GONNA FLOOD YOUR NEIGHBORS.
AND I HAVE HAD THREE DIFFERENT MEDIATIONS AND CONTESTED HEARINGS WHERE I'VE ASKED TCEQ, WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE THEY DON'T FLOOD THEIR NEIGHBOR? AND EVERY ONE OF THEM SAID TWICE.
THEY SAID, I DON'T KNOW, I SUPPOSE IT'S THE COUNTY.
I SAID, I THINK I AGREE WITH YOU.
SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS INSTEAD OF PUTTING US IN A SITUATION TO FILE CIVIL SUITS, PUTTING THE CITIZENS IN THE SITUATION TO FILE A SUIT, LET'S AT LEAST HAVE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT BEING A DEAD GUM GOOD NEIGHBOR.
YOU CAN'T FLOOD YOUR NEIGHBORS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW ANYBODY CAN TAKE THE STANCE THAT YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO FLOOD YOUR NEIGHBORS.
YOU DO NOT, YOU DO NOT HAVE THAT AUTHORITY.
BUT THEY ARE, AND THEY'RE HIDING BEHIND THE TCEQ THAT SAYS, WE'VE GOT THIS PERMIT.
THE STATE OF TEXAS APPROVED IT.
AND MY STANCE IS, THE STATE OF TEXAS DID NOT APPROVE YOU FLOODING YOUR NEIGHBORS.
THEY APPROVED THE CALCULATION THAT GAVE YOU THE SIZE OF PIPE TO GET ALL THE WATER OFF YOUR DEVELOPMENT.
WHERE IT GOES, THAT DETERMINES IF YOU'RE A GOOD NEIGHBOR, IF YOU'RE FLOODING YOUR NEIGHBORS, YOU ARE NOT BEING A GOOD NEIGHBOR.
SO, AND WE NEED A LEGISLATIVE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM OF DEVELOPERS NOT BEING GOOD NEIGHBORS.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMEBODY BUILD A STOCK TANK ON THEIR PROPERTY AND IT FILLS OUT AND IT FLOODS THEIR NAVY? SO YOU'RE, YOU ARE TAKING, AND AND, AND I'LL ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
THEY'VE GOTTA WORK IT OUT WITH THEIR NAMES.
BUT YOU'RE TAKING THE, HERE, HERE'S WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
YOU'RE TAKING A DEVELOPER PLAYBOOK RIGHT THERE.
AND, AND THIS JUST, UH, AGGRAVATES ME TO NO END.
YOU AUTOMATICALLY DEFAULT TO MOM AND POP RANCH AND A FARM.
YOU KNOW, WE GOT 20 ACRES OF BUILT THE STOCK TANK FROM A LIVESTOCK.
THAT'S THE MOST TEXAS THING EVER.
YOU WANT 20 ACRES OF BARN IN A SHOP? DO IT.
GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE OUTTA YOUR WAY.
IF YOU WANT TO SHOOT YOUR GUNS AND YOUR FIREWORKS AND BURN YOUR BRUSH, DO IT.
OH, GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE OUTTA YOUR WAY.
SO GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE OUTTA WAY.
GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE OUT OF THE WAY WHEN THEY, WHEN YOU ARE JUST WANTING TO BE LEFT ALONE, YOU'RE NOT ASKING FOR CITY SERVICES.
BUT WHEN DEVELOPERS COME IN AND DROP WHAT AMOUNTS TO A CITY OUT IN THE COUNTY, THAT'S FUNDAMENTALLY A DIFFERENT THING.
AND YOU CAN'T HIDE BEHIND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY BUILD A STOCK TANK.
OKAY? THERE'S POTENTIAL THAT IT COULD FLOOD 100%.
THAT'S NOT A POTENTIAL, THAT IS A HIGH PROBABILITY THAT IS GOING TO FLOOD BECAUSE ALL OF THE RUNOFFS NOW, THE IMPERVIOUS COVER, NOT TO MENTION EVERYBODY FLUSHING THEIR TOILETS, YOU ARE GONNA FLOOD YOUR NEIGHBOR.
AND YOU'RE, YOU BUILT A CITY THAT THERE'S NO OTHER SOLUTION OTHER THAN FLOODING YOUR NEIGHBOR.
AND, AND IT CAN'T, YOU CAN'T HIDE BEHIND MOM AND POP ON A HUNDRED ACRES AND, AND HAVE THE SAME RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THEM.
WHICH AGAIN, I ARGUED THERE SHOULD BE LITTLE TO NONE.
IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A HUNDRED ACRES OUT IN THE COUNTRY, THAT IS THE, THE MOST TEXAS THING EVER.
BUT IF YOU WANT TO PUT A THOUSAND HOMES ON THAT A HUNDRED ACRES, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GOING TO FLOOD YOUR NEIGHBORS.
AND RIGHT NOW, THE STATE LEGISLATURE ALLOWS YOU TO DO IT VIA THE TCEQ.
AND IS THERE A REMEDY, THE REMEDY FOR THE FLOODING OF A NEIGHBOR? JUST LITIGATION.
[00:35:01]
WHAT DISTRICT'S COURTS ARE FOR.LET LET LITIGATION, THAT'S WHAT DISTRICT COURTS ARE FOR.
SO, SO THAT, THAT PERSON AND, AND I'M, I'M NOT ARGUING FOR THE DEVELOPER.
WE MUST GO BACK AND CHANGE THE LAWS.
AND, AND, AND YOU'RE SAYING IT'S NOT WORTH FIGHTING THE BATTLE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO OUTSIDE OF THEIR MUD DISTRICT.
YOU HAVE NO PREVAILING INTEREST.
YOU'RE BUILDING A CITY IN THE COUNTY.
IF YOU WANT TO HAVE ONE HOME ON ONE AND A HALF ACRES OUT THERE, GO DO IT.
FIRST OF ALL, LET, LET'S, LET'S IDENTIFY WHAT YOU THINK THE CHANGES NEED TO BE MADE.
AND THEN THE BIGGEST ISSUE IS, HAS ANYONE ANYONE TALKED TO OUR LEGISLATOR? HAS ANYBODY TALKED TO SENATOR HALL ABOUT THE HYDROLOGIC IMPACT ANALYSIS SPECIFICALLY? YEAH.
SPECIFICALLY HAVE NOT HAD A CONVERSATION WITH HIM ABOUT THAT.
AND SO HE TRIED TO PASS SOMETHING, UH, A SIMILAR BILL NINE SEPARATE.
HE, HE, HE BEING SENATOR HALL.
SENATOR HALL, UH, HAVING TO DO WITH, WITH MUDS.
AND HE WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN DOING THAT.
WHAT YOU'VE GOT TO DO IS EDUCATE YOUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES TO, IF THEY'RE GONNA BUY INTO THIS AT ALL.
THERE, THERE THERE'S OTHER COUNTIES THAT HAVE OTHER REPRESENTATIVES YEAH.
UH, THAT, THAT CAN PURSUE THIS FOR US.
SO YOU WANT THEM TO TAKE CARE OF OUR NEEDS.
I I WANT US TO BUILD A COALITION THAT STOPS JUST A FUNDAMENTAL UNFAIRNESS FOR THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTY.
I JUST, I I CAN I JUST HAVE SOME CLARITY HERE? YEAH, PLEASE.
BECAUSE AS WE LOOK AT, BECAUSE WE'VE STARTED THIS WHOLE CONVERSATION ABOUT LOOK RE-LOOKING AT A HOUSE BILL 1916 MM-HMM.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WHAT I, WHAT I PASSED OUT, YOUR, YOUR CONVERSATION WITH RICK THOMPSON HAS MADE IT TO THE, WHAT WAS PASSED OUT TO US LAST WEEK.
THEY TALK ABOUT WHEN, WHEN YOU'RE, BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE TCEQ AND, AND, AND AS FAR AS THE, THE HYDRO HYDROLOGICAL HYDROLOGICAL.
BUT ALL THEY REALLY SAY IS THAT THEY WANT, THE DEVELOPERS MUST INCLUDE A PLAN FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES IN THE PLAT APPLICATIONS ADDRESSING PUBLIC SAFETY, FIRE SUPPRESSION, AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL, UM, SERVICES.
AND THEN UNDERNEATH THE APPROVAL FOR IMPROVEMENTS.
IT, IT DOES SAY THAT THE DEVELOPERS OUTSIDE THE, THE MUNICIPAL LIMITS NEED THE COUNTY'S WRITTEN APPROVAL FOR CERTAIN IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, INCLUDING ROADS AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS.
SO ARE WE TALKING ABOUT INCLUDING THE ROADS AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE WANT TO EVEN DRILL DOWN DEEPER AND MAKE AND, AND ACTUALLY INCLUDE THE HYDROLOGICAL IN THAT BULLET? 'CAUSE THAT HAS NOT BEEN PASSED OUT, THAT THAT WOULD BE A PART OF DRAINAGE THE HYDROLOGICAL IMPACT.
I, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT, BUT YOU'RE WANTING US TO EVEN DRILL IT DOWN TO, 'CAUSE I'D RATHER GET A BILL PASSED THAT'S MAYBE DOESN'T HAVE, HASN'T DRILLED DOWN SO MUCH THAT TO, TO COMMISSIONER STACY'S POINT.
YOU JUST GIVE THEM ONE REASON TO SAY NO, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN WE, IT'S ALL, WE'VE LOST IT.
WHEREAS IF WE COULD KEEP, KEEP IT A LITTLE MORE, A LITTLE MORE OPEN, WE'RE GONNA GET IT PASSED, THEN MAYBE THEN WE GO BACK AND ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES AND REALLY KIND OF TRY TO I'M CONCERNED, FRANK, THAT I, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I JUST WANT US TO GET SOMETHING PASSED THAT GIVES US MORE POWER AND AUTHORITY THIS NEXT TIME.
IF, IF, IF WE CAN GET 1916 PASSED WITHOUT THE BRACKET, THAT, THAT, THAT'S WHAT MATCH.
WELL, WE, I THINK WE'RE GONNA, I MEAN, WE DO HAVE, WE HAVE SOME, WE HAVE SOME, WE HAVE SOME, UM, LEGS ON THAT RIGHT NOW.
BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WANNA TALK.
THAT'S WHERE I'M QUESTIONING IT.
AND, AND, AND, AND I'M OKAY IF, IF WE WANT TO DO THAT IN DRAINAGE.
I MEAN, THE HYDROLOGIC IMPACT ANALYSIS IS,
[00:40:01]
IF I SIT ON THIS COURT IS WHAT I WOULD ASK FOR IF, IF THE DEVELOPER CAME HERE AND SAID, HERE'S MY DRAINAGE PLAN.FOR OUR COUNTY, OR, AND IF OTHER COUNTIES WANNA DO IT, THEY CAN DO IT AS WELL.
SO I I I'M OKAY WITH THAT OF NOT AS LONG AS, AND, AND I KNOW I WON'T LET HIM ALL SIT IN THERE, SUBDIVISION RULES AND REGULATIONS, HYDROLOGIC IMPACT ANALYSIS.
I SPECIFICALLY CALLED A HYDROLOGIC IMPACT ANALYSIS.
WHY ISN'T IT? WELL, LOOK AT HIM ASKING GOOD QUESTIONS,
AND I CAN HAVE THAT ON THE NEXT COURT
SO, BUT I MEAN, IT COULD BE, THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING, I'M JUST SAYING IT COULD BE OKAY.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING.
NO, AB ABSOLUTELY DO NOT, DO NOT, DON'T KNOW.
AND, AND IF, IF WE HAVE TO KNOW THE OUTCOME OF EVERY PIECE OF LEGISLATION, WE'RE, WE'RE, WELL, THAT'S WHY, I MEAN, THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TALKING.
WHAT WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO IS, RIGHT, IS, I'M TRYING TO SAY, JUDGE, I KNOW THAT YOU'RE EXTREMELY PASSIONATE ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS.
BUT WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET TO IS, I'M TRYING TO GET TO THE ROCK WALK COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT AS A BODY, FIVE SIGNATURES ON A PIECE OF PAPER THAT SAYS, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE ABOUT.
I DON'T MIND PASSING A LOT OF RESOLUTIONS FROM HERE UNTIL DECEMBER THAT COULD HAVE THREE, TWO VOTES, UH, YOU KNOW, FOUR ONE VOTES, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
BUT I JUST, I HAVE THIS VISION.
MY VISION IS, OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES ARE THE FIVE OF US AGREEING TO LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, ALMOST LIKE A CONSENT AGENDA, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY HARD TO GET THE FIVE OF US TO AGREE ON SOMETHING.
BUT ONCE THE FIVE OF US AGREE ON SOMETHING, THERE'S POWER IN THAT.
SO LET ME SEE IF I CAN GET US OFF HIGH CENTER HERE.
ARE ARE WE OKAY, UH, USING THE FIRST TWO LINE ITEMS OF THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY'S PAGE? UH, NO.
YOU'RE ON, UH, AGENDA ITEM SIX ON THE, THE ONE THAT DANA GAVE YOU.
SO AGENDA ITEM SIX IS BASICALLY 1916 WITH NO BRACKET.
THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT'S RIGHT.
AND THEY'VE DIVIDED IT UP IN, BUT I WANNA POINT OUT, IT SAYS IT NEEDS AN AUTHOR.
AND THEN TO COMMISSIONER BAILEY'S QUESTION, HAVE WE SPOKEN WITH, AND I'LL START WITH HOUSE.
HAVE WE SPOKEN WITH KATRINA PEARSON, THE, THE INCOMING TO BE ELECTED? THE ANSWER I HAVE IS I HAVE NOT, BUT I DO INTEND TO VISIT WITH HER.
BUT I'M CERTAIN THAT I, I SAW JUDGE, THAT YOU SENT SOMETHING TO HER LAST WEEK ON THE 21ST.
BUT THIS WAS, DID YOU, DID YOU MAIL HER THIS THAT TALKS ABOUT NO, NO, NO.
THAT, THAT CAME FROM MAYOR BILLINGS.
THAT, THAT'S NOT MY PIECE OF PAPER.
I I, I HAD THAT CHAIRED JUST FOR, FOR INFORMATIONAL ONLY THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S OFF THE RECORD.
THAT'S, UH, I WANTED YOU TO KNOW WHICH, WHICH DIRECTION SOME OF THE CITIES ARE PURSUING.
JUST, JUST FOR, FOR YOUR KNOWLEDGE.
THAT'S NOT MY, THAT'S NOT MY, UH, I, I, I, THAT'S ONE REASON WE'RE MEETING TODAY AND I'M MEETING WITH HER TOMORROW, IS I WANT TO KNOW.
AGAIN, WITH AN ATTEMPT TO GET US OFF HIGH CENTER WITH, UH, PURSUING THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES PLAT APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS, DEVELOPERS MUST INCLUDE A PLAN FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES IN PLAT APPLICATIONS ADDRESSING PUBLIC SAFETY, FIRE SUPPRESSION, AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES.
AND DEVELOPER AND APPROVAL FOR IMPROVEMENTS.
DEVELOPERS OUTSIDE MUNICIPAL LIMITS NEED THE COUNTY'S WRITTEN APPROVAL FOR CERTAIN IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, INCLUDING ROADS AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS, PARTICULARLY THOSE INVOLVING COUNTY PROPERTY OR RIGHT OF WAY THAT COVERS A LOT OF WHAT WE'VE JUST DISCUSSED.
SO, ARE, ARE, DID YOU MAKE ANYBODY AWARE OF THE LEGISLATIVE, UM, LUNCHEON THAT YOU ASKED ADAM TO PUT TOGETHER? WERE WHERE HE WANTED TO HAVE THE HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT THREE PERSON TALK ABOUT
[00:45:02]
EMERGENCY PLANS AND SO FORTH.DID DID YOU MAKE ANYBODY AWARE OF THAT? ARE ARE YOU SAYING I ASKED ADAM TO PUT THAT TOGETHER? YEAH, I I, I I DID NOT.
I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH ADAM, BUT I I DIDN'T ASK HIM TO PUT TOGETHER A, A, A LUNCHEON WITH HARRIS COUNTY.
AND I WAS ASKED TO ATTEND, AND THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER, I THINK IT WAS PRECINCT THREE FROM HARRIS COUNTY, SAID THAT THERE ARE OVER 200 MUDS IN HIS PRECINCT MUDS ON TOP OF MUDS.
ON TOP OF MUDS AND ONE PRECINCT.
HE'S, HE'S, AND DAN PATRICK LIVES IN ONE OF THOSE MONTHS.
AND SO HOW DO THEY ACCOMPLISH ALL OF THIS EMERGENCY SERVICES, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY, FIRE SUPPRESSION, EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES AND SO FORTH? THIS IS IN THE FORMATIONS DOESN'T, THIS DOES NOT AFFECT MUDS THAT ARE ALREADY FORMED.
IT'S THE FORMATION OF MUDS IN THE COUNTY.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S DIFFERENT.
WHAT WAS BEING FORMED IN THESE 200 SOME ODD MONTHS HAD TO DO WITH, THEY ALL HAD SOMETHING LIKE IN THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, AND I DON'T HAVE MY NOTES OF TAXES THAT WERE PAID TO ACCOMPLISH ALL OF THESE SERVICES.
SO THERE, IF YOU TAKE AWAY SOME OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES, AND YOU PUT THAT ON THE BACK OF THE MUDS AND PASS IT OFF, THEN YOU, YOU FORCE THEM TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S LIKE HAVING NO FIRE PROTECTION.
AND WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS MULTIPLE TIMES.
WE DON'T HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR FIRE SERVICES.
SO THERE, THERE, THERE ARE, THERE ARE WAYS TO FORCE MUDS THROUGH THIS PARTICULAR BILL THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO ENFORCE ALL OF THE THINGS THAT NEEDS TO ACCOMPLISH IN THIS PLAT APPLICATIONS.
SO IT IS, YES, I'M SAYING THAT WE CAN, WE CAN ASK FOR THESE THINGS TO BE INCLUDED.
SO WE, WE WOULD HAVE CONSENSUS ON, ON THE TOP TWO ITEMS THERE.
I I, I NEED TO READ THROUGH THESE.
NO, DON'T START READING STUFF
I NEED TO READ, I NEED TO READ THROUGH ALL OF THIS KIND OF STUFF.
AND COMMISSIONER THE FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCIES AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF, I, I, I'M NOT GONNA COMMIT TO THAT.
WELL, AND AND THIS IS A, A, A, A DISCUSSION, A WORKSHOP.
I THINK COMMISSIONER BAILEY, IF YOU, IF YOU, FOR WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT IT, IS THAT PRECINCT THREE, HIS NAME IS TOM RAMSEY.
HE DID SPEAK, UM, LAST WEEK, UM, AND WAS VERY PASSIONATE AND AS I, AND HE IS UP FOR REELECTION RIGHT NOW.
SO I WAS JUST READING THAT DEFINITELY.
HE IS TALKING ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE.
HE'S TALKING ABOUT FLOODING, WHICH THEY HAVE A LOT OF FLOODING IN THE HOUSTON AREA.
AND HE DOES HAVE ONE OF THE LARGER, UM, UM, DENSELY, UM, POPULATED, UM, HIGH DENSITY IN HIS, IN HIS PRECINCT.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND MAYBE THAT'S WHAT THIS WAS COMING FROM.
I, I DON'T HAVE MY NOTES HERE IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I REMEMBER THINKING YES.
THAT, THAT, THAT THAT'S THE GENTLEMAN.
[00:50:01]
HE'S THE HEAD OF THE CUC? YES.HE'S HE'S THE ONE THAT ADAM HAYNES? NO, NO, NO.
JOHN DAY HILL, I, SORRY, IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
ADAM'S THE ONLY ONE I'VE EVER TALKED TO.
SO ADAM'S, JOHN
ADAM IS THE ONE THAT PRESENTED AT THE CONFERENCE LAST WEEK OF THE, WHAT I'M SHOWING YOU, THE POLICY PLATFORM THAT THEY PRESENTED TO US AT THIS FROM YOUR MEETING THAT YOU WERE AT.
YOU'LL SEE THEY MARKED OUT A LOT OF THINGS TOO.
BUT THIS IS WHAT WE GAVE TO ALL OF US.
SO I I, I THINK THEORETICALLY AND, AND MORE HOMEWORK NEEDS TO BE DONE, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE IN AGREEMENT ON THAT.
NOW, UH, NEXT, NEXT THING I WANT TO GO OVER, AND THEN EVERYBODY'S GONNA GET TO HAVE THE BITE AT THE APPLE.
UH, IS OUR COURT ADDING OUR TWO COURTS SAY THAT.
YOU MEAN ADDING OUR TWO COURTS? OUR REQUESTING OUR DISTRICT COURT.
WE, WE ASK OUR, OUR LEGISLATORS TO, TO PURSUE THIS, EVEN THOUGH THE, THE OCA HAS SAID, UH, THE NUMBERS DON'T WARRANT US GETTING, AND WE ASKED THEM, HAVE WE ASKED THE, OUR, OUR LEGISLATORS? YES.
THIS WAS YOUR TO-DO LIST? NO, THAT WAS ON YOUR, TO-DO LIST WAS TO SEND THE RESOLUTION TO THE LEGISLATORS.
THAT WAS YOU, YOU WERE TAKING THE LEAD ON THIS, UH, IRREGARDLESS.
WE NEED TO GET IT OVER TO HIM.
UM, AND THEN SO YOU CAN DELIVER THAT.
BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S COMFORTABLE MOVING FORWARD.
I I, I, I THINK THEY CALCULATED WRONG, JUST TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST.
WELL, THEY, THEY DIDN'T CALCULATE ANYTHING WRONG.
SO THEY, THEY MADE A DECISION.
THEY DID OFF OF THEIR NUMBERS, OFF OF THEIR NUMBER, OFF OF THEIR NUMBERS, WHICH COMPARED US TO COUNTIES THAT HAVE SIMILAR POPULATION.
AND IF YOU PUT ANY OF THOSE COUNTIES NEXT TO DALLAS COUNTY, I WOULD ARGUE THAT THEY NEED MORE.
COURT HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THE COUNTIES, FRANK.
IT HAS TO DO WITH THE DISPOSITION OF THE CASES.
OH, I, I KNOW THAT'S WHAT NO, YOU DON'T.
'CAUSE WE DISPOSE OF NITROGEN OF THE CASES.
'CAUSE JUDGE HALL AND JUDGE RAKO ARE REALLY GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO.
THEY WON'T LET THINGS GET STUCK ON HIGH CENTER.
AND I KNOW THAT'S WHY WHAT THEY USE TO DENY US, BUT THEY COMPARED US TO FOUR OTHER COUNTIES BASED ON POPULATION THAT MAKES, THAT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE.
IT SAYS THAT THEIR RULES AND REGULATIONS, THE OCA LOOKS AT THE DISPOSITION OF THE CASES THAT YOU HAVE.
IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY, IF THEY COMPARE THIS TO DALLAS COUNTY, THAT DOESN'T MAKE I, I GET THAT.
BUT KNOWING WHAT I KNOW OF, MORE THAN HALF OF THE PEOPLE IN OUR JAIL THAT COME THROUGH OUR COURT SYSTEM ARE FROM DALLAS COUNTY.
WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS BE PREPARED FOR THE GROWTH THAT'S COMING THROUGH OUR, OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM.
AND AGAIN, THE THE FOUR COUNTIES THAT THEY SHOW THE OCA SAID, HERE'S THESE COUNTIES.
AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE AHEAD OF YOUR PEERS HERE FOR COUNTIES OF SIMILAR SIZE? WELL, YES.
WE'RE AHEAD OF OUR PEERS OF SIMILAR SIZED COUNTIES.
BUT WE HAVE TO LOOK FORWARD AS DALLAS COUNTY GOES.
SO MY MY ARGUMENT IS IT'S NOT A FAIR APPLES TO APPLES COMPUTATION.
OUR JUDGES DO A FANTASTIC JOB.
BUT BOTH OF OUR JUDGES HAVE SAID, WE, WE NEED ANOTHER COURT.
THEY HAVE SAID WE NEED ANOTHER COURT.
AND WE SENT ALL THE INFORMATION IN TO OCA AND THEY CAME BACK AND SAID, HEY, YOU'RE DISPOSING OF THE COURTS OR, OR DISPOSITION THAT YOU HAVE.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE A VICTIM OF OUR OWN EFFICIENCIES IS WHAT I WOULD SAY.
BUT AT SOME POINT IT'S GONNA CATCH UP WITH US.
AND, AND, UH, I I THINK THAT THE TIME IS NOW, AGAIN, WE MAY NOT GET IT THROUGH, BUT THE TIME IS NOW TO TRY.
[00:55:01]
WE'RE FOURSO I, I BROUGHT THE RESOLUTION TO YOU.
SO, UH, I'LL HAND THAT TO KATRINA.
I'LL GET IT OVER TO SENATOR HALL.
UH, I'M SORRY, UH, SENATOR ELECT PIERCE, AND IT IS WHO I WOULD GIVE THAT TO.
UH, COUPLE, COUPLE OTHER THINGS ON, ON MY LIST.
THIS IS SOMETHING I HAD ASKED REPRESENTATIVE HOLLAND TO DO LAST SESSION, IS TO AMEND THE TAX CODE TO ALLOW, UH, ROCKWALL COUNTY TO, UH, IMPLEMENT A HOTEL TAX THAT HAS TO GO TO ENTITIES THAT INCREASE TOURISM, THAT INCREASE, UH, PEOPLE COMING IN AND STAYING.
A COUPLE ENTITIES, I BELIEVE FITS THAT BILL IS OUR, UH, HISTORIC COMMISSION, WHICH IS THE, THE HISTORIC FOUNDATION'S MUSEUM AND OPEN SPACE.
UH, ONCE WE HAVE OPEN SPACE, I THINK THAT'LL BE A, A TOURISM DRAW.
SO THAT WILL THAT GIVE US THE ABILITY TO FUND THOSE PEOPLE? MM-HMM.
YOU'LL, YOU'LL, UM, AND IT'S, UH, I WAS TOLD THAT IT'S A PRETTY SIMPLE MATTER THAT THEY JUST, UH, AND, AND YOU LOOK AT THAT TAX CODE, MAN, IT'LL MAKE YOU LAUGH.
UH, SO IT'S ABOUT TWO PARAGRAPHS OF TAX CODE AND ABOUT 20 PAGES OF AMENDMENTS OF
UH, SO, UH, WE COULD HAVE THEM BRACKET ROCKWELL COUNTY WHERE WE COULD COLLECT THAT AND, AND, UH, GET A COUPLE OF GOOD ORGANIZATIONS WE COULD FIND.
AND I, I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
ONE OF THE HANDOUTS I'VE GIVEN YOU IS FROM THE BAKER TILLY AND IT'S THE ROCKWELL COUNTY LEGISLATIVE AGENDA ACTIONS AND, AND ENGAGEMENT RESULTS THAT FROM THE, THE, UM, THE MEETINGS THAT WE HAD EARLIER THIS YEAR.
AND YOU'LL SEE IN THERE, UM, UNDER THE LEGISLATIVE, UH, TO, TO ADDRESS WHAT YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT, I'D BE SUPPORTIVE OF THIS BECAUSE THE, THE COMMUNITY COMMUNITY INPUT IS THAT THEY VALUE, UM, THEY VALUE THE OPEN SPACES CONNECTIONS TO THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, WHICH, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THIS COULD, COULD PLAY INTO WITH US HAVING THIS HOTEL TAX AS WE BEGIN TO DEVELOP ANY OF THESE OTHER TYPE OF EVENT, THESE OTHER, UM, RESOURCES THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BRING IN MORE TOURISM, THAT WOULD WANT TO WANT TO VISIT, UM, THE PARKS OR, UM, ANY KIND OF A NON-RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT THAT COMES DOWN.
SO THAT IS, THAT IS PART OF WHAT, WHAT WE, WE'VE HEARD FROM THE CITIZENS THAT HAVE THEN COME BACK IN THE, IN THE REFERENCE OF LEGISLATIVE AGENDA ITEMS. YEP.
AND, AND SO IF EVERYBODY'S ON BOARD, I DON'T THINK THAT REQUIRES A RESOLUTION OTHER THAN ME TELLING REPRESENTATIVE ELECT PEARSON, HEY, NEED TO AMEND THE TAX CODE, UH, THIS SESSION.
SO I I WILL, I WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT.
UH, THE ONLY OTHER THING I HAD IS JUST INFORMATION ONLY.
'CAUSE AS COMMISSIONER STACEY HAD TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN EACH RUN OFF ON OUR OWN FIGHTING THE DRAGONS OF OUR CHOICE.
UH, BUT WE, WE DO NEED TO BE FOCUSED AS, AS A BODY.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I'M PROBABLY GONNA GO DOWN AND AND ADVOCATE FOR IS, UH, ADVANCED NUCLEAR REACTORS, UH, REPLACING OUR DECOMMISSIONED OR SOON TO BE DECOMMISSIONED COAL UH, PLANTS.
SO JUST, UH, FFYI, IF YOU SEE ME DOWN FIGHTING THAT DRAGON, THAT'S, THAT'S JUST SUPPORT THAT, THAT'S JUST IN SUPPORT.
WE ARE, WE ARE NOT GONNA GET ANY ADVANCED NUCLEAR REACTOR POWER PLANTS HERE IN ROCKWALL COUNTY.
AS I SAY, AND SOMEBODY'S GONNA WANT TO BUILD A NUCLEAR PLANT HERE, BUT IT'S, I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY ADVANCED NUCLEAR REACTORS COMING INTO ROCKWALL COUNTY.
UM, SO WITH THAT BEING, THAT KIND OF WRAPS UP MY, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT I KIND OF WANTED US TO FOCUS ON.
SO MY, MY BIG ONE, UH, WAS JUST TO GET TO COURT.
UM, I, I THINK THAT I WANT TO HEAR WHAT THREE YOU HAVE, SAY MORE, UH, AND SUPPORT YOU GUYS ON WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO.
THE BIGGEST THING I HAVE WAS THIS THANK YOU.
UM, SOUNDS LIKE TO ME THAT FRANK IS GOING TO TAKE THAT ON.
I'LL, I'LL GIVE MY SUPPORT, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT HE'S GOING TO TAKE IT ON.
NOW, I'LL, I'LL HAND THAT TO, UH, REPRESENTATIVE BLAKE PEARSON AND GET IT OVER TO SENATOR HALL.
UH, ACTUALLY I'LL GET IT OVER TO SENATOR HALL AS CHIEF OF STAFF, WHICH IS WHERE SHE GOES.
[01:00:02]
UH, SO COMMISSIONER MCL, WHAT DO YOU GOT? I MEAN, YOU'VE ALREADY GONE OVER THE URBAN COUNTIES.IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'RE, THEY'RE LINING UP WITH THOSE FAIRLY NICELY.
SO WE SIGNED A, UM, A PROCLAMATION FOR, UH, REMU REMOVING STATE TAX FROM COUNTY FUEL PURCHASES.
WE DIDN'T, WE SIGNED, WE SIGNED A RESOLUTION.
IT'S BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT NOW IT'S COMING FROM, UM, HIS NAMES ON, IT'S COMING FROM JUDGE.
UM, IT'S, YOU LOOK ON THE, IT'S NUMBER THREE OF THE, OF THE TAG THING CALLED THE COUNTY MOTOR FUEL TAX EXEMPTION.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT IT'S, AND, AND I WAS NOT HERE.
UM, IT'S BEEN ADOPTED ALSO, BUT IT, IT HAS TO DO WITH BOTH FUEL TAXES AND THE STATE'S CONSUMPTION BECAUSE WE ARE, WE'RE BEING, WE'RE DOUBLING BEING DOUBLE TAXED ON IT.
AND, UH, AND IF YOU THINK THAT'S GOING TO PASS, I I, I'VE GOT A WHOLE LOT OF LAND THAT I WOULD SAY
WELL, YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU MAY BE RIGHT AND PROBABLY ARE RIGHT.
BUT I, I CAN TELL YOU THE, UH, UH, COUNTY JUDGES, EAST, EAST, UH, TEXAS COUNTY JUDGES THINK THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE A PASS TO GET, TO GET PASSED ASK.
AND SO I, I CALLED THE STATE REPRESENTATIVE.
YOU TALKING ABOUT BEN DEEPER REPRESENTATIVE BEN DE'S TRYING TO CARRY IT.
IS THAT WHO YOU TALKED TO? YEAH.
UM, BUT I HAD PUT IN A CALL TO HIM OKAY.
TO SEE IF HE WAS GONNA SUPPORT THAT.
I'M TOLD HE'S CARRYING IT AND SENATOR KEITH IS ALSO CARRYING IT IN THE SENATE.
SO RYAN, I CAN HELP YOU WITH ALL GOOD.
NO, WE MIGHT, WE'RE STILL GONNA USE YOU
IT'S THE ONLY RESOLUTION WE GOT.
IS THAT IN OUR PACKET? I'M SORRY.
I, I, I MADE COPIES OF IT, BUT I'M OKAY.
YOU'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT THE COURT RESOLUTION FOR THE COURTS.
NO, NOT NOT SIGN THIS PARTICULAR ONE.
HOW WAS YOU LOOKING AT THE OTHER ONE? SO, I, I, THE ONLY REASON I WANNA BRING THAT UP IS THE EAST TEXAS COUNTY JUDGES ASSOCIATION THINKS THEY GOT NEW CHANCE OF GETTING THAT.
SO WHAT IF, WHAT IF THE CITIES DECIDE THEY DON'T WANT TO PAY THAT GASOLINE TAX SUGGEST? THEY PROBABLY SHOULDN'T.
THEY WOULD NEED TO BRING FORTH A BILL OR AN AMENDMENT.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT ABOUT 20 CENTS? OH, I DON'T REMEMBER HOW MUCH IT IS.
SO, UH, COMMISSIONER, WELL, COMMISSIONER MITZ, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANNA GO? I DIDN'T MEAN TO SIDE.
THAT WAS ONE, THAT WAS ONE THAT I HAD ON HERE.
UM, I, I THINK, I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE ADDRESSED A NUMBER OF THE ONES SET.
I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE, UM, EFFORTS THAT WE HAVE, UM, EMPLOYED BAKER TILLY TO DO, UM, IN REGARDS TO THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, IF YOU WOULD TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO READ IT.
I KNOW I JUST GAVE, YOU MAY HAVE READ, RECEIVED IT ABOUT TWO WEEKS OR THREE WEEKS AGO, BUT MAY NOT HAVE READ ALL OF IT.
IT'S ABOUT, I DON'T KNOW, SIX PAGES, BUT IT DOES DISCUSS A NUMBER OF THE, OF THE, UM, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK IT DISCUSSED AS FAR AS REGIONAL AND COMMUNITY DESIGN THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT THAT.
THAT'S GONNA BE PART OF THE, UM, THE, THE FIRST ONE WE TALKED ABOUT IN REGARDS TO THE MUDS.
THE, AND THEIR INPUT AND KIND OF WHAT, WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE AND WHAT THEY BELIEVE IT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN REGARDS TO DEVELOPMENTS.
SO I, I THINK THAT ONE COVERS THAT, THE DISTRIBUTION OF LAND USE.
UM, AND, AND THEN SPECIFICALLY IN REGARDS TO OPEN SPACES, THAT WOULD HELP ALSO, BECAUSE IF, IF WE HAVE THE ABILITY WITH THE, UM, DEVELOPERS OF MUDS, THEN WE CAN ASK THEM TO, TO DESIGNATE PARKS AS WE JUST HAD A PRESENTATION, WHAT, TWO WEEKS AGO, THREE WEEKS AGO FROM, UM, THE OPEN SPACE LINE ALLIANCE AND, AND HOW THEY'RE WORKING WITH ONE OF THE DEVELOPERS RIGHT NOW TO HAVE DESIGNATION UP FOR, FOR PARKS AND SO FORTH.
SO THAT, I THINK NEEDS TO BE DONE,
[01:05:01]
BUT THAT, I THINK THAT'S COVERED IN THE MUD THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE THERE.UM, I DON'T THINK WE CAN PUT ANYTHING REALLY SPECIFICALLY IN THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA AS FAR AS MOBILITY, BUT OBVIOUSLY TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY IS, IS, IS VERY KEY TO PEOPLE.
BUT I THINK WE SHOULD, YOU THINK WE SHOULD, I MEAN, I, WE, Y'ALL, WE'VE GOT IT.
WE KNOW HOW FAST WE'RE GROWING PERCENTAGE WISE AND WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE RIGHT NOW.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE US BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH A, I DIDN'T RIDE ANYTHING DOWN AND I DON'T HAVE IT, BUT I'M GOING OFF OF WHAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE, THERE IS, THERE'S DEFINITELY, UM, UM, LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODES THAT CAN ADDRESS SUPPORTING US WITH SOME TYPE OF A TRANSPORTATION.
AND I'M HAPPY TO TAKE THAT ON.
BUT THAT WAS, AND MAYBE YOU COULD SIT WITH ME AND HELP ME A LITTLE BIT AS WELL.
SO, UM, TO YOUR POINT ABOUT THE HOTEL TAX, I SUPPORT THAT COMPLETELY.
'CAUSE AGAIN, ONE OF THE THINGS, THE INPUTS THE COMMUNITY HAD, UM, ON THE, ON, IN THE DISCOVERY PHASE IS THAT THEY DO WANNA ESTABLISH ADDITIONAL SPORTING SPORTS, SPORTING COMPLEXES.
SO, UM, FOR, AND THAT SUPPORTS TOURISM AND, AND, AND IT COULD ALSO BE FOR OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING WE'LL BE, WE'LL BE PUT.
SO I, I LIKE THAT WE WILL IDENTIFY AHEAD OF TIME WITH A HOTEL TAX, SO I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THAT AS WELL.
UM, WE DIDN'T TOTALLY GO DOWN THAT RABBIT TRAIL, YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF TRY TO STOP AND BACK UP.
BUT, BUT OBVIOUSLY MAKING SURE THAT WE LOOK FOR WHAT OUR RESERVOIRS, YOU KNOW, AND ANY KIND OF CHALLENGES THAT MAY, MAY HAVE, MAY HAVE, MAY COME FORWARD WITH DEVELOPERS.
I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING TO, TO PUT IN.
BUT I, I'D LIKE TO WIN THE BATTLE FIRST WITH A, WITH A, WITH A STRONG MUD, UM, UM, LEGISLATIVE, UM, AGENDA BEFORE WE REALLY TRY TO DRILL, DRILL DOWN ON SOME OF THAT, BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA LOSE IT, I GUESS IS WHAT I SAID.
SO THOSE ARE REALLY ONLY THE ONES THAT, UM, THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT CAME UP AND I HAD, DID NOT HAVE A CHANCE, AND I WANTED TO ASK YOU, DO WE NEED TO PUT ANYTHING IN REGARDS TO, UM, OUR POSITION WITH, UM, OUR, OUR JAIL SYSTEM? BECAUSE THAT IS, THAT'S A, THAT'S FOR SOME COUNTIES, THEY'RE REALLY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE HAVING CHALLENGES WITH THEIR, THE, THE ABILITY TO HIRE PEOPLE, THE ABILITY TO MANAGE THE, THE INMATES THAT ARE IN THERE.
AND I DON'T KNOW OUR NUMBERS, AND I DON'T MEAN TO SAY I DON'T KNOW OUR NUMBERS, I SEE THE REPORTS THAT WE RECEIVE, BUT IS THERE ANY IMPACT THAT, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE NEED TO GET BEHIND FIND? I, I CAN TELL YOU, UH, JUST ABOUT EVERY COUNTY HAS ISSUES.
ANY, ANY COUNTY THAT HAS A JAIL, IF THEY DON'T HAVE A JAIL, THEY HAVE A, A BUDGET ISSUE OF, OF PAYING SOMEBODY ELSE AND TRANSPORTING MM-HMM.
THE STATE CLOSED PRISONS BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T GET DETENTION OFFICERS.
AND MOVED PRISONERS TO DIFFERENT PLACES BECAUSE OF THAT.
THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR YEARS THAT WE'VE HAD.
SO WORKFORCE COMMISSION IS MEETING HERE IN ROCKWELL IN LIBERTY HALL, UH, THIS WEEK, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT DAY, THURSDAY, MAY.
UM, AND, AND THEY MET HERE LAST YEAR.
UH, AND YOU KNOW, WE GET JUDGES, JUDGE SOWELL FROM HUNT COUNTY AND JUDGE MM-HMM.
AND, AND WELL, AND KEEP 'EM, AND IT GETS BACK TO PAY PAYMENT SALARIES.
AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE SOMEWHAT UNIQUE THAT WE'RE, WE, WE'VE LOST A COUPLE DETENTION OFFICERS BECAUSE THEY BECOME DEPUTIES.
WE, WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE THAT, BUT IT, IT CREATES EVEN MORE ISSUES ON THE DETENTION SIDE.
I, I KNOW, LIKE I SAY, THE WORKFORCE COMMISSION IS HEARING FROM, FROM ALL THE COUNTIES THAT WE, WE GOT, WELL, NOT FAR OF SOME OF THE FUNDING SENATE BILL.
I MEAN, IF WE'VE GOTTA HAVE IT PASSED AGAIN OR WE'RE GOING TO FIND OURSELVES WHERE WE, WE'VE INCREASED SALARIES AND THEN IF IT DOESN'T PASS AGAIN, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO AT THAT POINT? WHAT'S OUR PLAN? TRUE.
SO, I MEAN, WE'VE GOT TWO YEARS.
YOU GOT A BIG PROBLEM AFTER NEXT YEAR.
A HUGE PROBLEM, HARD CONVERSATION.
YOU KNOW, DANNY, YOU, YOU BROUGHT UP SALARIES
[01:10:02]
OUT OF THE MONEY THAT WAS GIVEN LAST YEAR, UH, ONE DETENTION OFFICER RECEIVED NOT ONE PERSON IN DETENTION ANYWHERE RECEIVED ANY KIND OF STIPEND.NONE OF IT WENT TO ANY OF THAT.
SO HE HAD MONEY TO BE ABLE TO, HE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GIVE EVERYBODY ON THE OTHER SIDE AS HIGH AS STIPEND, BUT HE HAD MONEY, $500,000 TO DISTRIBUTE WHERE HE WANTED.
AND THEY DID THAT, BUT DETENTION WAS NOT INCLUDED.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE PAY SCALE LAST YEAR, AND THIS YEAR, IT'S THE SAME PAY SCALE.
SO WE KNOW THEY WEREN'T INCLUDED.
SO DETENTION DIDN'T GO TO A STEP PLAN, BUT I BELIEVE DETENTION DID GET SOME OF THAT.
I GOT A REPORT ON MY DESK, NOT A PAGE, NOT A PEN.
AND I THINK IT HAD HAD TO DO IT KIND OF EARMARKED THAT THEY HAD TO ISSUE TRAFFIC TICKETS.
IT HAS, THAT WAS A STIPULATION.
AND WHEN THE COMPTROLLER HAS PUT ADDITIONAL STIPULATIONS THAT SAYS, SO NOW I NEED TO CHECK, DID THE MONEY GO TO THE SHERIFF DEPUTIES OR JAILERS? CORRECT.
UH, SO THE COMPTROLLER IS, IS NOW GOT IT.
IT WOULD AND AND THAT'S HIS STIPULATION.
HE'S THE ONE THAT RELEASES THE MONEY.
BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, THEY SAID IT HAS TO BE PRIMARY DUTY OF, OF ENFORCING TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS, BUT THE JAILER DOESN'T.
SO WE CAN'T, I, I'VE SEEN IT FOR YEARS, ERIC.
IT'S ALWAYS BEEN MONEY, AND IN MY OPINION, IT WILL ALWAYS BE MONEY.
WE'VE INCREASED AND INCREASED AND INCREASED AND INCREASED.
AND WE'RE STILL AT THE SITUATION AT THE END IS THE SAME, THE OUTCOME IS THE SAME.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING AS FAR AS RETENTION TO HOLD 'EM HERE.
ONCE THEY GET IN THE SYSTEM, IT TAKES 'EM A WHILE TO GET TO THE TOP.
SO IT TAKES 'EM A LONG TIME TO CLIMB UP THERE TO WHERE THEY'RE MAKING DECENT MONEY.
BUT THIS YEAR, NO, WE DIDN'T GIVE 'EM AN INCREASE.
BUT YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE INCREASES THAT WE'VE GIVEN OVER THE YEARS FOR, FOR TRYING TO BUILD THEIR SALARIES UP.
AND THE SAME THING'S GONNA COME UP THIS YEAR THAT CAME UP 10 YEARS AGO.
WE'RE NOT AS HIGH ON THE CHART AS ALL THE OTHER COUNTIES.
SOMEBODY'S ALWAYS GONNA BE AT THE TOP AND SOMEBODY'S ALWAYS GONNA BE AT THE BOTTOM.
NOW YOU GOTTA FIGURE OUT WHERE IN THERE YOU CAN AFFORD TO BE.
THAT'S ANOTHER PROBLEM WE HAVE.
WE HAVE SOME COUNTIES THAT CAN AFFORD TO GIVE EIGHT, NINE, $10,000 MORE THAN WE DO.
SO IT, IT DROPS US DOWN TO THE MIDDLE.
IT'S, IT'S A PLANNING THING THAT, THAT THE COURT AND THE, AND THE SHERIFF HAS TO WORK WITH EVERY YEAR TO TRY AND GET IT TO BE WHERE THEY CAN HIRE PEOPLE.
AND IT'S REALLY, REALLY TOUGH ONCE THE PEOPLE GET IN THERE, IF YOU GO OVER TO THE JAIL AND WATCH, A LOT OF TIMES THEY'RE IN THERE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT OLD ENOUGH TO BE A POLICE OFFICER OR 18, SOON AS THEY TURN 2021, THEY'RE GOING TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND WE LOSE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WAY.
IT'S JUST A STEPPING STONE THAT WE CAN'T FILL.
WELL, YOU HAVE THEME MUSIC WITH THAT STATEMENT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW, HOW DO I GET THAT? THAT'S MY PHONE.
I'M THINKING, I'M GOING, I WAS GOING.
THAT'S, THAT'S IT FOR ME, COMMISSIONER BAILEY.
UM, THERE'S, I THINK, AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THESE MUD DISTRICTS TO GET THEM TO CONTRIBUTE FUNDS FOR EXACTLY WHAT YOU WERE SAYING, SAYING, UH, ABOUT MOBILITY.
UH, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE PROBABLY SHOULD, UH, INCLUDE.
WOULD WE INCLUDE AS WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT IN THE ONE WE'VE LOOKED AT OR AS AN ADDITIONAL ONE? I, I, I THINK IF IT, YOU KNOW, IT IF DEPENDS ON THE SITUATION.
YOU KNOW, UH, SO IF, IF IT'S A TWO-LANE ROAD, UM, AND ALL OF THE, UH,
[01:15:01]
I'M HEARING FROM, UH, THE CITY OF, UH, HEATH HAS KIND OF WORKED OUT ALL THE ISSUES WITH THE, UH, HUFFINES, UM, PROJECT, UH, OVER THERE, THEN WE SHOULD PROBABLY GO TO THEM AND ASK THEM.SO, WHICH KIND OF BRINGS ME TO ANOTHER POINT IS HAVE WE HAD A WORKSHOP WITH THESE DEVELOPERS? HAVE WE GONE FOR, HAVE YOU CALLED FOR ONE? HAVE NOT, HAVE NOT, DID WE ASK YOU TO CALL FOR ONE? DID YOU
WE ASKED YOU, YOU ASKED, YOU ASKED ME TO HAVE A WORKSHOP WITH THE DEVELOPER.
I'LL, I'LL CERTAINLY, BUT JUST ONE OF 'EM AT A TIME.
THE, THE ONES THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH PREDOMINANTLY RIGHT NOW WITH THE, THE DR. HORTON PEOPLE OKAY.
TO TRY TO KINDA WORK OUT SOME KIND OF, I'M, I'M SORRY.
UM, WE JUST NEED TO DO IT ONE AT A TIME THOUGH, IS WHAT I'M, YEAH.
I THOUGHT YOU MEANT WHEN YOU SAID DEVELOPERS.
NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.
I WAS THINKING IF YOU, BUT, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE NEGOTIATING PART OF COMING TO A RESOLUTION.
SO YOU MAKE SOME STRIDES IN THAT, BUT, UM, IT HASN'T, HASN'T BEEN DONE.
UM, BUT I, I, I AGREE THAT WE PROBABLY PO PUT SOME, UH, FUNDING IN THERE FOR MOBILITY.
AND THAT'S ONE YEAR I CAN WORK ON THE, YEAH.
UM, OTHER THAN THAT, I I, I, I'VE GOT A LOT TO READ THROUGH SOME HOMEWORK HERE.
WE, UM, TO LOOK AT AND, UH, TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK.
BUT OUR LEGISLATORS AND I, I'M, I'M GONNA MAKE A REAL BROAD STATEMENT RIGHT HERE.
OUR CURRENT LEGISLATORS, UM, HAVE, UH, I'VE BEEN RELUCTANT IN THE PAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION TO SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS.
SO WE NEED TO GO AND SIT DOWN WITH THEM AND TRY TO REASON WITH THEM.
YOU CAN'T ALWAYS JUST PUSH IT OFF ONTO SOMEBODY ELSE, TO ELLIS COUNTY OR TO CASS COUNTY OR WHATEVER, AND LET THEM WORK THE NUMBERS.
UM, SO, UM, WE NEED TO, UH, WE NEED TO WORK THAT, UH, PRETTY HARD AND FIND OUT IF, IF THEY'RE GONNA SUPPORT OR NOT.
SIMPLE, SIMPLE ENOUGH, I MEAN, YEP.
AND, UH, AND, AND THAT WAY WE'LL KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE GONNA FILE THE BILL.
WELL, THEY'RE NOT GONNA FILE THE BILL.
AND, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S THE KEY TO GETTING THIS DONE.
AND, AND SO WAIT, WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DON'T EVEN GET YOUR LOCAL LEGISLATOR TO SUPPORT YOU?
UM, I THINK IT, I THINK IT WAS FOR THE, THE, UM, LEGISLATION THAT APPROVED THE DISTRICT COURT, THE LAST DISTRICT COURT FOR RACO.
UH, TO GO SEEK A, A STATE REP.
I, I MAY BE WRONG ON THAT, BUT, BUT I'LL, I'LL, I'LL BRING SOME CLARIFICATION ON THAT.
IT, IT'S CALL YOU BACK,
[01:20:01]
UM, SO COMMISSIONER BAILEY, I AGREE WITH YOU, BUT I REALLY LIKE THE APPROACH THAT THE JUDGE IS TAKING WITH A CONSORTIUM, IF YOU WANT TO THINK OF IT, OF OTHER COUNTIES, BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF POWER WHEN WE HAVE, WHEN WE HAVE OTHER COUNTIES THAT ARE, THAT ARE, THAT ARE HAVING THE SAME CHALLENGES WE HAVE.IF, IF WE HAVE, IF WE HAVE A GROUP GOING AND WE ARE LOBBYING AS A WHOLE, I THINK THAT THAT CAN SPEAK VOLUMES, BECAUSE THAT MEANS THAT IF, IF THEY DON'T VOTE, IF THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE SUPPORTED, YES, WE NEED TO START WITH OUR OWN LOCAL ONES.
BUT IF THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE SUPPORTED, THE CITIZENS CAN, THE CITIZENS CAN MAKE A DECISION DOWN THE LINE.
I MEAN, WE, WE, WE NEED THIS, WE, WE NEED THIS.
AND DO WE NEED TO EXPOSE THAT? ABSOLUTELY.
BUT BEFORE WE'VE GOTTA DO THE I AGREE.
WE NEED TO GO TALK TO OUR OWN, BUT WE DON'T NEED TO BACK OFF OF THE CONSORTIUM THAT IS THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
WANT ME TO START IT THAT WE GOT START, START OVER? YEAH, LET'S START IT OVER.
COMMISSIONER STACEY, I JUST HAVE ONE THING TO ADD TO OUR EFFORT.
OH, WE NEED TO GO TALK TO OUR STATE LEGISLATURES AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES WE'RE HAVING WITH OUR HIGH RISK DAM IMPROVEMENTS.
WE PASSED A RESOLUTION, UM, ALL OF US SIGNED IT IN AUGUST.
I JUST THINK WE NEED TO PICK UP THAT EFFORT AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE FULLY AWARE OF THE ISSUES WITH THE SOIL CONSERVATION, WHAT'S HAPPENING, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN SOLVE ALL OF OUR PROBLEMS THAT WAY, BUT I JUST THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE DISCUSS IT BECAUSE WE ARE HAVING, UM, UH, I GUESS IT SAYS SIX HIGH RISK DAMS AND IT, AND IT LISTS 'EM IN THE RESOLUTION.
ANY HELP OUR LEGISLATURES CAN GIVE US ON THIS EFFORT WOULD BE, WOULD BE HELPFUL.
DID WE PASS THAT ALONG TO THE LEGISLATORS A RESOLUTION? I AM UNAWARE.
I DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT WE'VE DONE OR HAVEN'T DONE.
I JUST THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WHEN WE'RE GOING THROUGH WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE AS A COUNTY ARE TRYING TO GET DONE, WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT STAYS ON OUR LIST.
AND WE, AND WE JUST ANSWERED, UM, AND I THINK CRAIG STOCKARD HAD JUST SENT YOU, UH, AN EMAIL OVER FROM, UH, STEVE NARS, UM, A QUESTION, UH, THAT, UH, I THINK IT'S FIVE C, UH, THAT, THAT WE NEEDED TO FUND.
UM, AND SO THOSE ARE PROBABLY GONNA FALL OFF.
UM, OH SIX YOU MEAN? HUH? THOSE SIX? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT I DON'T THINK ALL SIX OF 'EM ARE GONNA OH, NO, NO, THEY'RE ONLY GONNA FUND ONE.
AND THEY HAD TWO UP THAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT.
BUT THEY'RE ONLY GONNA FUND ONE.
AND, UH, SO THE OTHER ONE, UH, WAS, UH, WAS NOT LISTED.
SO DO, DO WE KNOW IT COMMISSIONER STACY? WE'LL, WE'LL KEEP THAT FRONT AND CENTER.
UH, MR. KIPPET, DO YOU WANNA ADDRESS THE COURT BRIEFLY? AND, AND MR. MCKEY, I WILL OFFER THE SAME TO YOU IF YOU'RE INTERESTED.
WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES AND THERE'S THE POSSIBILITY THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE SADDLED UP WITH THE DECISIONS WE MAKE HERE.
DO I NEED TO NO, I THINK YOU'RE GOOD.
AM I GOOD? WELL, ALRIGHT, FOR THE RECORD, MARK HIPPIE, OR ONE FIRESIDE DRIVE, MCCLENDON CHISHOLM, I GUESS I'M, UM, ADDRESSING TODAY JUST IN MY ROLE TO HELP CRAFT THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO I'LL OFFER SOME OBSERVATIONS, UM, BASED ON SEVERAL COMMENTS I'VE HEARD HERE.
FIRST, UH, I WANNA REINFORCE A POINT THAT, UH, BOTH COMMISSIONER BAILEY AND COMMISSIONER STACY WERE MAKING RELATIVE TO HOW TO APPROACH THE LEGISLATIVE, OUR, OUR REPRESENTATIVES.
I THINK, UM, THIS, THE DATA COL, OR THE COLLECTION OVER THE SUMMER IS VERY DATA INTENSIVE.
IT'S IN THE PLAN THAT WAS IN THE DISCOVERY REPORT AND THE REPORT PROVIDED BY, UH, BAKER TILLY, OR NOT BAKER TILLY BY, UH, FRIES NICHOLS.
AND VERY OVERWHELMINGLY CLEAR VIEWS BY THE PUBLIC.
UM, I THINK WE DISCUSSED THIS IN A PRIOR WORKSHOP.
IT'D BE WORTH REVIEWING PRIOR TO HAVING ANY CONVERSATIONS
[01:25:01]
WITH, UH, OUR LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIVES BECAUSE, UM, THE DATA SAMPLE IS WELL OVER A 95% CONFIDENCE LEVEL STATISTICALLY.AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE DEALING IN VERY FIRM TERRITORY IN TERMS OF WHAT THE PUBLIC REPRESENTS AND WHAT THEY WANT IN, UM, OUTCOME.
SO I'LL JUST HIGHLIGHT ONE OF THE KEY ISSUES THAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED, AND THAT IS LOCAL CONTROL, UH, OR THE NEED TO REESTABLISH LOCAL CONTROL.
AND I KNOW THAT'S CAN BE SOMEWHAT CONTROVERSIAL, SO I'M NOT GONNA TRY TO DEFINE WHAT THAT MEANS, BUT I WILL JUST SAY THAT IT'S QUITE CLEAR THE PUBLIC IS CONCERNED ABOUT OVERDEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY, UH, AND THE IMPACTS THAT OVERDEVELOPMENT HAS.
SO I THINK, UH, WHEN I LOOK AT THE BAKER OR FREEZE NICHOLS SUGGESTIONS, IT WOULD BE A GOOD, UM, STRUCTURAL WAY TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM.
UH, WHAT I HEARD IN DISCUSSION, A LOT OF GOOD DETAIL POINTS, BUT NOT NECESSARILY A UNIFIED STRATEGY THAT PULLS EVERYTHING TOGETHER.
UM, AND THAT THEY, THEY OFFER A FRAMEWORK TO DO THAT.
UM, AS WITH ALL RECOMMENDATIONS, SOME POINTS ARE CLEAR, SOME POINTS ARE, COULD BE STRENGTHENED, UH, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU, YOU'RE ASKING, IN MY MIND, LISTENING TO THIS CONVERSATION, WE'RE GONNA BE ASKING THE LEGISLATURE TO DO ONE OF THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE TO DO ONE OF TWO THINGS.
EITHER, UH, STRENGTHEN OR PROVIDE, UM, OVERSIGHT GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY OR FUNDING, OR IN SOME CASES, ONE LINKS TO THE OTHER.
BUT THE POINT BEING IT'S ONE OF THOSE TWO CATEGORIES AND OUR, UH, FROM A STRUCTURAL STANDPOINT, BACK TO GOVERNMENT CODE 2 32 AND HOW THAT RELATES, RIGHT, BECAUSE THAT'S SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS, IT'S CLEAR ABOUT WHAT THE COUNTY IS SUPPOSED TO DO OR DOESN'T.
IT REQUIRES FURTHER DEFINITION TO THE JUDGE'S POINT RELATIVE TO, UM, WASTEWATER AND STORM RUNOFF MANAGEMENT AS AN EXAMPLE.
STA UH, COMMISSIONER STACY, YOUR POINT ON, WELL TAKEN ON, ON DAMS THAT WERE PUT IN TO DO THAT PRIOR TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY, AND NOW WE'RE IN A POSITION, UM, ROCKWELL COUNTY DOES HAVE A, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S BEEN VERY CLEAR IN, IN MY MIND IS AS WE LOOK AT SIMILAR COUNTIES AROUND THE STATE OF TEXAS WHERE THEY HAVE PROXIMITY TO A MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREA WHERE MUCH PARTS OF THE COUNTY ARE, UM, HAVE SOME TYPE OF SUBURBAN LIKE ENVIRONMENT RELATIONSHIP RELATIVE TO THAT URBAN AREA, UH, ROCKWELL COUNTY IS UNIQUE BECAUSE OF OUR SIZE.
ALL THE OTHER COUNTIES ARE RELATIVELY LARGE.
FORT BEND WOULD BE AN EXAMPLE.
UM, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE STRATEGIC DEPTH TO USE A MILITARY TERM TO BE ABLE TO FALL BACK ON IT, RIGHT? WE'RE, WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH WHAT WE HAVE AND, UH, THE REMAINING PERCENTAGE OF OPEN SPACE THAT EXISTS AND THEN THAT, THAT GETS INTO WHAT THE CITIZENS WANT, DELIVERING BACK, BACK TO WHAT THE CITIZENS WANT RELATIVE TO MANAGING THOSE OPEN SPACES.
UM, AND BOTH MAINTENANCE OF OPEN SPACES, CONNECTIVITY ACROSS THE COUNTY, WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ROADS, TRAILS, WHATEVER.
UM, IT'S VERY CLEAR AGAIN, WHAT THEY, WHAT THE PUBLIC WANTS.
NOW I, AGAIN, I THINK BAKER TILLY DID A GOOD JOB.
I BRIEFLY LOOKED AT, UH, WHAT COMMISSIONER MLU PROVIDED, WHICH SEEMS AGAIN, TO PROVIDE SOME AMPLE BACKUP, IF YOU WILL, OR RELATIONSHIP THERE.
UM, WE ARE IN A, UH, ANOTHER POINT THAT I'LL BRING UP IS, AND IT'S REFLECTIVE IN OUR CURRENT ELECTION, WE HAVE A VERY, WE HAVE A BOND INITIATIVE OR SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS A VADER AND BOND INITIATIVE, UM, THAT CLEARLY IS CONTENTIOUS.
UM, AND, BUT THERE IS A UNDERLYING TENOR THAT THE PUBLIC HAS STATED THAT THEY WANT NEW DEVELOPMENT TO BE PAID FOR BY NEW DEVELOPMENT AND NOT BURDEN THE REST OF THE TAXPAYERS WITH THE NEW DEVELOPMENT.
SO HOW THAT'S DONE, YOU KNOW, AND THAT GETS BACK TO I THINK, UH, COM, UH, JUDGE NEW YOUR POINT EARLIER ON ABOUT, UH, APPORTIONMENT.
I THINK THAT THAT'S AN, I HAVEN'T
[01:30:01]
HEARD THAT DISCUSSION TODAY, BUT I THINK THOSE POINTS NEED TO BE BROUGHT OUT.AND THEN LAST THING, I MEAN, CLEARLY ON MUDS, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL HOLD BACK TO CHAPTER 2 33 AND, AND THEN ALL OF THE POINTS YOU WERE MAKING.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, AS, UH, IN A ADVISORY ASPECT, THERE'S TACTICALLY SOME VERY IMPORTANT POINTS THAT YOU'RE BRINGING UP, TRANSPARENCY, MEETING LOCATIONS, ET CETERA.
BUT WHAT THAT DOESN'T, THOSE ARE INDIVIDUAL TACTICAL ITEMS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT CONTRIBUTE TO WHAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING.
I THINK THE COUNTY IS REALLY TRYING TO GET TO, WHICH IS BETTER CONTROL OVER FUTURE DEVELOPMENT THAT INCLUDES MUDS AND OTHER, AND I WOULD OFFER TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE INCLUDING OTHER SPECIAL, UH, TAXING DISTRICTS THAT EXIST BECAUSE YOU MAY WIN THE MUD PROBLEM AND LOSE IT BECAUSE OF A SHIFT TO ANOTHER TAXING ELEMENT THAT'S UNDER AVAILABLE UNDER LAW.
AND I FORGET THE EXACT NUMBER THAT'S AVAILABLE UNDER TEXAS, BUT IT'S A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER.
IT'S SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITIES, UM, TO DO THAT.
AND THEN, UH, WATER WASN'T DISCUSSED TODAY OTHER THAN SOME RUNOFF, BUT OBVIOUSLY WATER, WATER INFRASTRUCTURE, WATER SECURITY, WATER AVAILABILITY IN THE FUTURE.
I MEAN THAT'S, WE CAN, WE CAN PREDICTABLY SEE THAT OUR WATER RESOURCES ARE GONNA BE STRAINED IN THE CURRENT CURRENT DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT.
AND, AND, AND THAT, SO THAT, AND I'M JUST GONNA, I'M SORT OF BEEN RAMBLING, I APOLOGIZE, BUT SORT OF WRAP THIS UP.
I, I WOULD ADVISE WE HAVE A LEGISLATIVE SESSION COMING UP.
WE ALSO NEED TO DEVELOP A LEGISLATIVE STRATEGY THAT GOES OUT OVER MULTIPLE SESSIONS BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME HISTORICAL TRENDS THAT ARE, UM, CAN BE IDENTIFIED AND FAILURE IN A SPECIFIC ITEM.
THIS SESSION MAY NOT MEAN FAILURE IN A ITEM NEXT SESSION OR SESSION BEYOND.
IT JUST MEANS THAT I THINK COMMISSIONER BAILEY BROUGHT IT UP, EDUCATIONAL PROCESS AND WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN, THAT'S THE FIRST TIME WE'RE GONNA ACTUALLY HAVE THAT DISCUSSION OVER MULTIPLE YEARS, MULTIPLE COURTS POTENTIALLY.
SO THERE IS A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR THAT.
UM, I THINK THAT THAT CAPTURES ALL THE NOTES I HAD, UH, AND THE POINTS I WANTED TO MAKE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS HELPFUL OR YEP, VERY, VERY, VERY HELPFUL.
MR. LICK, YOU'RE NOT RUNNING SE YOU'RE JUST HELPING US.
I COULDN'T HAVE RUN FROM THERE TO HEAR, BUT I AM HAPPY TO HELP ANY WAY I CAN.
NEW AND COMMISSIONERS, AND THANK YOU FOR, UH, GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
LET ME APOLOGIZE FOR BEING LATE.
SOMEHOW I GOT THIS CONFUSED ON MY CALENDAR.
I THOUGHT WE HAD A LEGISLATIVE MEETING THIS AFTERNOON.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT GOT MIXED UP, BUT WE YES, BUT IT, THERE WAS A A, I I DID SEND OUT A CANCELLATION, BUT SOME, SOME SAID THEY DIDN'T GET IT ALSO.
SO THAT'S, BUT IT IS, THAT'S AT FOUR O'CLOCK AND, BUT IT, IT CONFLICTED WITH SOMETHING THE JUDGE IS DOING TOMORROW, SO WE DECIDED NOT TO DO SO.
WELL, I, I MAY HAVE GOTTEN IT.
I'D SAY VERY FEW ABSOLUTES WITH I GOT IT OR I DIDN'T, BUT I'M NOT SURE.
I, WE WERE MEETING THIS AFTERNOON.
I, I RECEIVED SOMETHING ABOUT SEVEN O'CLOCK THIS MORNING FROM ANOTHER GENTLEMAN IN SAN ARE WE STILL MEETING TODAY? 'CAUSE HE SAID I, I SEE THAT IT WAS CANCELED, BUT I, IT'S, IT DIDN'T CANCEL OFF MY CALENDAR.
ANYWAY, THAT I, THE POINT OF THIS IS NOT TO BERATE ANYONE FOR NOT SENDING ME INFORMATION.
THE POINT OF THIS IS FOR ME TO APOLOGIZE, BUT I WOULD POINT OUT ONE THING BEFORE I TALK ABOUT LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES.
UM, I'M ASSUMING, AND AGAIN, ASSUMING GETS US ALL IN TROUBLE THAT THIS WAS POSTED ON TIME AND IT, I SHOULD HAVE GONE AND LOOKED AT BY THE COUNTY WEBSITE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK IT WOULD'VE BEEN GOOD FOR OUR OFFICER, INFORMATION OFFICER, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER TO HAVE NOTIFIED US OF THIS.
LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, FIRST AND FOREMOST, AND I THINK EVERYONE ON THIS COMMISSION WOULD AGREE WITH LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES NEED TO REFLECT THE INTEREST OF OUR
[01:35:01]
CITIZENS.UM, OVER THE LAST, WITHOUT GETTING INTO A STUMP SPEECH, UM, OVER THE LAST 17 MONTHS, I HAVE TALKED TO THOUSANDS, AND THAT IS NOT AN EXAGGERATION.
THOUSANDS OF REG OF CITIZENS IN ROCKWALL COUNTY.
AND I HAVE LEARNED A LOT WHAT THEY WANT.
AND I'VE HAD TO CHANGE MY THOUGHTS A LOT BECAUSE I'M HERE TO REPRESENT THEM AND OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES NEED TO LEG, NEED TO FOCUS ON WHAT, WHAT THEY WANT, SIMILAR TO WHAT MR. KIPP HAD MENTIONED JUST A MINUTE AGO.
SO THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST THING I WOULD SAY.
UH, SECOND THING, IT IS CRITICAL THAT WE GET THE ABILITY TO CONTROL DEVELOPMENT IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF OUR COUNTY.
I, YOU GUYS KNOW SO MUCH MORE ABOUT RUNNING THE COUNTY THAN I DO BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN DOING IT.
BUT I'LL TELL YOU FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THE COUNTY RUNS REALLY GOOD IN A LOT OF WAYS.
AND I TELL PEOPLE, PEOPLE SAY, WHAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU DO? WELL, WE SET A TAX RATE AND WE SPEND YOUR MONEY.
THERE'S NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT.
BUT THAT WORKS PRETTY GOOD IN OUR COUNTY.
WHAT IS NOT WORKING GOOD? AND WHAT OUR BIGGEST CRISIS IS, IS OVERDEVELOPMENT AND IT'S COMING TOO FAST AND WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO CONTROL IT.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I'M ED I'M SPEAKING TO THE CHOIR HERE.
THERE ARE TWO HUGE LIMITATIONS ON THE COUNTIES.
WE CAN'T LIMIT THE USE OF PROPERTY AND WE CAN'T LIMIT DENSITIES.
THAT GIVES US, THAT TAKES THE GUTS OUT OF HOW CITIES GOVERN.
CITY COUNCILMEN SITTING HERE AND CITY COUNCIL LADIES SITTING HERE, YOU ALL KNOW YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO ZONE, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WHICH SPECIFIES DENSITY.
THE COUNTY DOESN'T, IN MY OPINION, THAT SHOULD BE OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IS GETTING THE ABILITY FOR US TO CONTROL THAT.
AND THEN AT THAT POINT, WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS AND WE HAVE TO TAKE THE CONSEQUENCES OF MAKING BAD DECISIONS.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE PEOPLE TELLING US YOU'VE GOTTA GET A CONTROL ON SOMETHING AND WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO IT.
SO OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY SHOULD BE THE ABILITY TO GET CONTROL OF DEVELOPMENT IN UNINCORPORATED AREAS.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT IN CITY LIMITS BECAUSE THEY GET TO DO WHAT THEY WANT.
ADDITIONALLY, ON A SIMILAR NOTE, WE NEED TO GET THE RIGHT, WE NEED TO FOCUS ON OUR APPORTIONMENTS.
I KNOW THAT THE LAW ALLOWS THAT, BUT WE NEED TO SIT DOWN.
AND THIS MAY NOT BE SO MUCH A LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY, ALTHOUGH IT COULD TURN INTO ONE.
WE NEED TO SIT DOWN AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE DO IT AND HOW WE DO IT LEGALLY SO IT CAN BE ENFORCED.
SO WHEN WE PUT THOSE APPORTIONMENTS ON DEVELOPERS, JUST LIKE IN CITIES, YOU DO IT.
YOU, YOU HAVE A BULLETPROOF WAY OF GETTING IT DONE.
AND IT DOES, YOU DON'T LOSE THOSE CHALLENGES.
SO IF WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING THERE, WE NEED TO DO IT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO BUILD ROADS, WE HAVE TO WIDEN EXISTING ROADS, WE HAVE TO BUILD NEW ROADS, WE HAVE TO DO ALL THOSE THINGS.
AND DEVELOPERS OR ANYONE BUILDING IN THE COUNTY NEEDS TO PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE.
FOURTH, AND THIS I DON'T HAVE A SOLUTION FOR, BUT I SAY IT NEEDS TO BE ON THE AGENDA, IS SOMETHING WITH, IS HOW TO DEAL WITH THE OUTER LOOP.
UM, AGAIN, I GO TO MY FIRST POINT, WHICH WAS OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES NEED TO REFLECT THE IN INTERESTS OF OUR CITIZENS.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF CITIZENS WHO ARE VERY CONCERNED, ESPECIALLY IN MY PRECINCT, ABOUT THE OUTER LOOP AND WHERE IT'S GOING.
I KNOW YOU ALL ARE DEALING WITH THAT.
I KNOW YOU HAVE MEETINGS SCHEDULED ON THAT.
BUT IF WE NEED TO PUT THAT ON OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, WE NEED TO DO IT BECAUSE IT IS GONNA IMPACT WHAT HAPPENS IN OUR COUNTY MORE THAN ANY OF ANY SINGLE DEVELOPMENT WILL.
UM, NEXT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON LIMITING UNFUNDED MANDATES.
YOU'VE HEARD EVERYBODY TALKING ABOUT IT, YOU GUYS HAVE SAID IT.
HOW DO WE PAY FOR THE, THE COSTS THAT ARE BEING PUT ON US WITH SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS, JAIL ISSUES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO STAND UP OR HAVE OUR LEGISLATORS STAND UP AND SAY, DON'T MAKE THE COUNTY DO THIS UNLESS YOU STATE ARE PROVIDING THE MONEY OR PROVIDING A WAY FOR THEM TO GET THE MONEY.
UM, I LOVED THE CONVERSATION A FEW MINUTES AGO ABOUT HOW DO WE DO THIS? AND I LOVED THE RESPONSE THAT COMMISSIONER M**K SAID, WHICH WAS, WE HAVE TO DO BOTH.
WE HAVE TO WORK ON THIS CONSORTIUM.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU ALL ARE ON THAT, ON THAT, WHERE, WHERE YOU ALL ARE ON THAT, BUT IT'S A GREAT WAY OF DOING IT.
AND WE NEED TO GO TO OUR REPRESENTATIVES AND WE NEED TO SAY, HOW DO YOU STAND ON ISSUE 1, 2, 3, AND FOUR? AS COMMISSIONER BAILEY
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SAID, UP OR DOWN? TELL US.OKAY, SO WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THAT.
WE NEED TO, UH, WE NEED TO LET OUR REPRESENTATIVES UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR CI THE CITIZENS WANT, OKAY? BECAUSE THEY'RE A, THEY'RE A ONE LEVEL DETACHED AND THAT'S NOT THEIR FAULT.
THEY'VE GOT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
BUT WE NEED TO LET 'EM KNOW WHAT THE CITIZENS WANT.
WE NEED TO LET 'EM KNOW THE CITIZENS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT DEVELOPMENT AND WE NEED TO GET THEIR COMMITMENT TO WORK WITH US.
WE GOT CLOSE IN THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
THE BILL ON GETTING MUD APPROVAL IN THE COUNTY WOULD'VE BEEN AN ABSOLUTE GAME CHANGER, BUT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
OKAY? UM, LAST THING I WOULD SAY IS, IS THE NEED FOR IMMEDIACY.
AND I KNOW YOU GUYS KNOW THAT THIS, AGAIN, PROBABLY MORE THAN I DO, WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THIS IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE THEY'RE ALREADY WORKING.
I SPOKE WITH SENATOR HALL OVER THE WEEKEND AND I ASKED HIM, WHERE ARE YOU IN THE PROCESS? AND IS IT TOO LATE FOR US TO GET INVOLVED? AND HE SAID, IT'S NOT TOO LATE, BUT IT'S GETTING THERE.
OKAY? WAS KIND OF HOW I WOULD PARAPHRASE HIS ANSWER, BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON THESE BILLS AND WORKING ON THEIR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, SO WE NEED TO FOCUS ON IT.
SO I WOULD URGE YOU AS A COMMISSIONER'S COURT TO DEAL WITH THIS IMMEDIATELY.
UM, AND I, THAT'S WHY YOU'RE HERE, RIGHT? CONGRATULATIONS FOR DOING THIS.
BUT HOW DO YOU GO FROM HERE? WAITING UNTIL ANOTHER WORK SESSION IN THE MIDDLE OF NOVEMBER DOESN'T DO IT, IN MY OPINION.
WERE, I, YOU, I WOULD THINK ABOUT CREATING A SMALLER WORK GROUP, MAYBE TWO COMMISSIONERS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
A JUDGE AND A COMMISSIONER, WHATEVER YOU WANNA DO.
MAYBE GET A COUPLE PEOPLE, UH, THAT AREN'T ON THE COURT INVOLVED.
BUT I WOULD GET IT FOCUSED ON COMING UP WITH LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES IMMEDIATELY.
I WOULD HAVE MEETINGS WEEKLY WITH THAT GROUP.
NOT YOU ALL BUT THAT GROUP TO MEET WEEKLY, TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE GO COMMUNICATE YOU WITH YOU AT EVERY COURT SESSION.
LET YOU KNOW WHERE THEY'RE AT AND WHAT THEY'RE FOCUSING ON TO GET YOUR INPUT.
BECAUSE THIS NEEDS TO CARRY THROUGH START.
YOU'VE STARTED TODAY, I KNOW YOU'VE STARTED EARLIER, BUT YOU'VE STARTED PUBLICLY TODAY.
YOU'RE GONNA NEED TO CARRY IT THROUGH TILL THE END OF THE YEAR.
AND THEN AS OF JANUARY ONE, IT'S GONNA TURN INTO A, A CRAZY RACE IN AUSTIN JUST TO GET PEOPLE'S ATTENTION, JUST TO GET PEOPLE TO SPEND FIVE MINUTES WITH YOU AND LISTEN TO YOU.
SO WE NEED TO HAVE 'EM LINED UP.
AND I WOULD URGE YOU TO CREATE SOME SORT OF GROUP.
YOU GUYS MAY HAVE A BETTER SOLUTION, AND IF YOU DO, I'M ALL EARS.
BUT IF I WERE A, IF I WERE IN THE COURT, I WOULD SAY, LET'S CREATE A SMALL GROUP AND LET'S FOCUS ON THIS WEEKLY AND LET'S COME BACK AND REPORT AND LET'S GET VERY CLEAR, CLEAR, CLEAR PRIORITIES.
LIMITED NUMBER, BUT VERY FOCUSED ON WHAT ACCOMPLISHES THINGS.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COUNTY.