[00:00:03]
NOT THAT SURPRISED.IT IS JANUARY 6TH IN THE YEAR 2025, 1:00 PM I'M GONNA CALL THE WORKSHOP MEETING TO ORDER.
I'M GONNA JUMP RIGHT INTO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE, THE PUBLIC FORUM.
THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE COURT ON ANY COUNTY MATTERS.
UH, NO ONE'S SIGNED UP, BUT IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, IF YOU'LL APPROACH THE MICROPHONE, SEEING NO ONE, WE'LL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM TWO,
[2. Discussion of Legislative Priorities, and all related issues; (Judge New)]
DISCUSSION OF LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.UM, OTHER THAN STANDARD RULES OF DECORUM, I, I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY PROCEDURAL RULES.
I JUST WANT US TO ALL DISCUSS OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES TO SEE WHAT WE CAN COME IN AGREEMENT ON AS, UM, THINGS THAT WE CAN, UH, HAVE A RESOLUTION, UM, FOR THE, THE ENTIRETY OF THE COUNTY AND, AND THINGS THAT WE NEED TO PURSUE ON OUR OWN.
SO, WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE HAVE A VERY, I DON'T KNOW IF VOLUMOUS IS THE RIGHT WORD, BINDER, UH, THAT I'VE HAD FELICIA PUT TOGETHER FOR EVERYBODY.
I BROKE OUT CATEGORIES INTO A COUPLE SIMPLE CATEGORIES THAT, THAT MAKE SENSE TO ME.
UH, AND I'M NOT MARRIED TO ANY OF THESE.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS A WORKSHOP.
I WANT TO HEAR EVERYBODY'S IDEAS, UH, EVEN IF IT'S, UH, CHALLENGING, WHERE I HAVE THINGS FILED.
SO I HAVE, HOW I AM LOOKING AT THE 89TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION IS THERE ARE WHAT I CALL MUST HAVES.
THERE'S SOME LEGISLATION THAT WE MUST HAVE.
THE COUNTY IS IN TROUBLE IF WE DON'T GET IT.
UH, AND THEN I HAVE, UH, A CATEGORY CALLED WOULD BE GOOD, UH, WHICH MEANS A CATEGORY.
UM, THE COUNTY IS NOT IN TROUBLE, BUT MAYBE CAN WAIT ANOTHER SESSION, MAYBE NOT, WOULD BE GOOD.
UH, AND THEN I HAVE A CATEGORY CALLED OPPOSE, UH, LEGISLATION THAT I BELIEVE WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO ROCKWALL COUNTY THAT WE NEED TO OPPOSE.
AND THEN I HAVE ONE THAT'S CALLED PLANTING SEEDS.
SO THAT IS, UH, LOOKING WAY INTO THE FUTURE TO TRY TO SHIFT THE OVERTON WINDOW A LITTLE BIT IF NEEDED.
AND, AND FRAME SOME DISCUSSIONS FOR THE FUTURE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS I HAVE, AND, AND I'M GONNA START AND THEN BE QUIET AND LET, UH, LET THE COMMISSIONERS AND OTHERS SPEAK ALSO, UH, PUT AN INVITE TO ALL THE CITY MAYORS TO COME AND PARTICIPATE.
UH, ONE OF THE GREAT ADVANTAGES WE HAVE IN ROCKWALL COUNTY IS WE ARE COHESIVE.
UM, SO IT, IT PLAYS WELL WHEN WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING TO OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS IN AUSTIN.
SO, UH, ONE OF THE MUST HAVES, SO YOU'LL SEE MY OPEN LETTER TO STATE ELECTED OFFICIALS.
THERE'S A, UM, SAYS THE BELOW ELECTED COUNTY JUDGES DO PROCLAIM, UH, AND I WON'T READ THE ENTIRE THING, BUT IT IS ADVOCATING FOR LOCAL DECISION MAKING AND FOR, UM, TO ENSURE SPECIAL DISTRICTS OPERATE IN WAYS THAT ALIGN WITH THE LONG-TERM INTEREST OF OUR COMMUNITIES.
UH, THERE'S, UH, 22 COUNTY JUDGES, UH, WHO, WHO AGREE AND, AND HAVE THEIR NAME ON THIS DOCUMENT.
AND, UH, I HAVE SENT THIS TO ALL THEIR ASSOCIATED SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES.
I THINK WE HAD 17 OR 18 REPRESENTATIVES AND SEVEN OR EIGHT SENATORS THAT, THAT THIS NET CAPTURED SO MULTIPLE AVENUES TO, AND SEND IT TO THEM WITH THE, UH, HOPES THAT THEY USE THIS WHEN THEY'RE ADVOCATING ON BEHALF OF THEIR CITIZENS FOR LOCAL CONTROL AND TERRAIN IN SPECIAL DISTRICTS.
SO, UNDERNEATH MY MUST HAVE IS WE, WE HAVE TO HAVE MUD REFORM.
OUR COUNTY IS THE CANARY IN THE COAL MINE.
WE, WE ARE GEOGRAPHICALLY SMALL.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE MORE MUDS COME IN AND FORM THAT WE CAN'T CONTROL, CAN'T CONVINCE THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
OUR, OUR SCHOOLS ARE IN TROUBLE.
WATER RESOURCES ARE IN TROUBLE.
UH, I'M NOT EVEN GONNA MENTION ROADS, BUT WE, WE'VE GOT TROUBLE ALL THE WAY AROUND.
SO MUD REFORM IS, IS NUMBER ONE ON MY MUST HAVE.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, I'LL QUIT SUCKING ALL THE OXYGEN OUT OF THE ROOM, AND I'LL RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SUCK MORE OXYGEN OUT OF THE ROOM LATER.
[00:05:01]
TO HEAR WHAT, WHAT YOU GUYS THINK ON, ON WHAT, WHAT THE MUST HAVE IS.AND, AND IF YOU AGREE WITH MY CATEGORIES, HOW DO YOU WANNA TAKE THIS? HOW DO YOU WANNA LEAD IT? I, I, I, UH, USED THE WORD ROLLING TUMBLING EARLIER.
SO JUST, WE, WE, WE WILL TAKE IT, UM, AS A, I I SEE THIS AS TRULY A WORKING SESSION.
AND, AND I, MY EXPECTATIONS ARE IF THERE'S DISAGREEMENT, I, I, I EXPECT TO HEAR DISAGREEMENT AT THE END OF THIS.
LIKE I SAY, I WANT TO COME UP WITH AT LEAST SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN AGREE ON.
UM, SO, UM, I, I'M JUST SO FIRE AWAY.
YOU AND I HAVEN'T WORKED TOGETHER.
WE FORTUNATELY LIVED IN THE SAME CITY, BUT WE HAVEN'T WORKED TOGETHER.
SO I JUST WANNA KIND OF FIND OUT WHO YOU WANNA LEAD IT, BUT IF IT'S JUST A FREE FOR ALL, WE CAN DO THAT.
OR IF YOU WANT TO GO DOWN THE ROADS OR WHATEVER, HOWEVER YOU'RE
LET, LET'S, LET'S, LET'S START DOWN HERE.
WELL, I MEAN, AND I AGREE WITH WHAT YOU HAVE OUTLINED IN HERE WITH THE MUST HAVES ESPECIALLY, AND SOME THINGS TO GO ALONG WITH THAT, THAT I BELIEVE ARE SPECIFICALLY IMPORTANT, UM, WOULD BE, AND I'VE LISTED THEM, YOU HAVE 'EM IN YOUR PACKET.
IT SAYS, LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, LOCAL DECISION MAKING.
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY NEED TO BE AFTER AND QUICKLY BECAUSE, UH, LIKE THE JUDGE SAID, WE WE'RE 3, 4, 5 DEVELOPMENTS MAY BE AWAY FROM, UH, BEING DONE.
AND IF, UH, WE DON'T ACT NOW WE HAVE ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, 20,000 PEOPLE LIKE RIVER ROCK IS GONNA PUT IN HERE.
WE HAVE FOUR MORE OF THOSE DEVELOPMENTS, AND WE'RE AT OUR BUILD OUT NUMBER.
AND SO WE DON'T, WE, WE NEED TO ACT NOW TO, TO TAKE SOME ACTION.
SO I HAVE THINGS LIKE, UM, REQUIRE MUDS TO SEEK FORMAL APPROVAL, UM, FOR ANY SECONDARY DEBT VOTER APPROVAL.
UM, I'D LIKE TO SEE, UM, TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE 2 31 AMENDED WHERE WE CAN ADD A SUB-CHAPTER FOR ROCKWALL COUNTY TO ALLOW ZONING, OR AT LEAST ALLOW ZONING IN SPECIFIC AREAS THAT WE COULD REQUEST.
AND THEN I'M THINKING AS THE OUTER LOOP POTENTIALLY COMES THROUGH, ZONING ALONG THAT AREA WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO CONTROL, UM, ALLOW FOR COUNTIES TO IMPLEMENT AN ENFORCEABLE CODE OF ORDINANCES FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT OR INFRASTRUCTURE MAINTENANCE.
AND EXPAND OUR ABILITY AND ENHANCE OUR ABILITY TO LEVY IMPACT FEES FOR THE 16 ITEMS THAT THIS COURT VOTED ON AS INFRASTRUCTURE.
I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE, WE NEED A, WE NEED A PATHWAY TO MAKE THAT WORK IN THE LEGISLATURE, IN MY OPINION.
AND THAT'S OBVIOUSLY OPEN FOR DISCUSSION.
I, I LIKE DISCUSSION SO WE CAN DIVE INTO MORE DETAILS ABOUT IT, BUT YEAH.
SO HOW, HOW DO WE, UH, HOW, HOW DO WE GET THE MUD VOTER APPROVAL? I KNOW THE CITY OF FATE IS PUSHING THAT AS WELL.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NORTH AND EAST, UH, COUNTY JUDGES, THAT'S PART OF THEIR, UM, PART OF, PART OF WHAT THEY'RE PUSHING.
I KNOW TAC I'D BEEN PUSHING TAC TO PUSH IT, PUSH IT, WHICH HAVE NOT YET, IT, IT GOT PUSHED OFF THE TABLE, I THINK.
BUT, UM, I, I, I THINK WE CAN GET THEM ON BOARD NOW.
THEY, THEY, TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST, THEY ARE, UM, APPEAR TO BE A LITTLE BIT, UH, WARY, WARY OF, OF WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW AND, AND KIND OF, UM, HIDING MAYBE NOT, NOT BEING AS AGGRESSIVE AS, AS I WOULD LIKE.
AND, AND, AND THINGS THAT I'VE READ IN THE SHORT TIME I'VE, I'VE BEEN HERE, I, I, I THINK TECH IS AT LEAST, I WOULD SAY, NEUTRAL ON THE ISSUE RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS NOT GREAT FOR US.
UM, I THINK FOR US, WE START WITH, UM, THAT GROUP OF COUNTIES THAT ARE INTERESTED IN WHAT WE'RE INTERESTED IN AND WITH THAT COALITION, AND WE HAVE TO BE ACTIVE.
WE'RE A LITTLE BEHIND, UH, WHERE WE NEED TO BE IN AUSTIN RIGHT NOW.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE DON'T START THIS SESSION.
BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT COALITION BE PRETTY STRONG AND AS MANY AS POSSIBLE AND, AND WORK, UH, TO GET A BUNCH OF PEOPLE DOWN TO AUSTIN TO TESTIFY.
I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE START.
UM, OBVIOUSLY OUR LOCAL, UH, REPS AND SENATOR IS GONNA BE VERY IMPORTANT FOR US IN TRYING TO GET THROUGH, UM, ANY OF THIS CHANGE AND WHAT THEY'RE WILLING TO WORK WITH US ON IS GONNA BE REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND I HAVEN'T HAD THOSE MEETINGS YET.
UM, SO I'M NOT SURE WHERE EXACTLY THEY'RE GONNA BE, BUT I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT.
UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TOO,
[00:10:01]
TO POINT OUT, YOU KNOW, IN OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH COG AND WITH TXDOT AND THIS BIG OUTER LOOP POTENTIALLY COMING THROUGH THAT, THAT THERE'S A NEGOTIATING POINT THERE MAYBE FOR THE ZONING AROUND THAT AREA.AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IF, IF WE'RE ON BOARD, CAN YOU BE ON BOARD WITH US? I THINK WE HAVE TO USE SOME OF THOSE TOOLS AT OUR DISPOSAL NOW.
UM, IF, UH, WE DECIDE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT, I THINK THAT HAS TO BE PART OF IT.
I THINK THAT CAN BE SOMETHING WE CAN USE.
UM, SO YOU, YOU MENTIONED FATE AND I, I HAD, UM, I'M, I WANNA START WITH THE MUD BECAUSE I THINK THAT IS PROBABLY A MUST HAVE FOR DANA AS WELL.
IS, AND I'M, A LOT OF THE PURVIEW OF THE COMMENTS I MAKE ARE COMING FROM THE YEAR, THE YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF, 15 MONTHS, WITH ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND, AND THE COMMENTS THAT THE CITIZENS HAVE MADE.
SO, I, I SUPPORT, I SUPPORT WHERE YOU'RE AT, JUDGE, ON THE MUDS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WOULD, IF, IF YOU WOULD LIKE FOR ME TO JUST KIND OF RECAP SOME OF THE, THE, UM, THE SUMMARY OF THE PROPOSED MUD REFORM THAT CAME FROM MAYOR BILLINGS, BUT WE HAVE HIM IN THE ROOM.
SO I'M NOT SURE IF YOU WOULD PREFER HIM TO KIND OF GO OVER WHAT HIS PROPOSED CHANGES WERE, BUT THEY ARE ONES I THINK THAT WOULD BE IN LINE WITH SOMETHING FROM A COLLABORATIVE STANDPOINT.
IF, IF THEY ALIGN WITH YOU YEAH.
AND, AND YOU'RE COMFORTABLE GIVEN MAYOR BILLINGS, THE MICROPHONE.
I JUST HATE TO PUT HIM ON THE SPOT, BUT I MEAN, I CAN READ ONE, BUT I DO THINK, NO, COME ON, COME THINK A LOT OF HIS CHANGES ARE IMPORTANT.
AND, AND MAYOR BILLINGS IS, UH, NECK DEEP IN LEGISLATIVE ISSUES THAT WE'RE ABOUT ANKLE DEEP.
JUST REAL QUICK, I'LL BE BRIEF.
SO ONE IS, WE HAVE SIX CITY FATE IS WRITING THE BILLS RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE HOPING TO GET A COPY OF THE DRAFT BILLS TODAY, UH, THIS WEEK.
SO BE MORE HAPPY TO SHARE 'EM WITH, WITH THE COURT.
THAT'S THE FIRST THING IS WE WANNA STRENGTHEN.
SO THIS ASSUME THINK ONE, ONE QUICK DISTINCTION.
THERE'S NEW MUS BEING PROPOSED AND WE HAVE EXISTING MUS.
SO A LOT OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE TO MANAGE EXISTING MUS MM-HMM
WE HAVE 'EM IN FIVE AND FATE, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE THREE MORE PROBABLY.
AND ROCKWELL COUNTY HAVE SOME MORE TOO.
SO THERE'S, JUST KIND OF KEEP THAT IN MIND.
RIGHT? THE FIRST PROPOSAL IS TO STRENGTHEN THE TCQ CHECKLIST REQUIREMENTS TO MAKE SURE WHEN THEY GO THROUGH TCQ PROCESSES, THEY HAVE THE ACCOUNT FOR WATER, SEWER, ROSE SCHOOLS, TRANSPORTATION.
UM, WE HAVE SENT THAT LIST OF CHANGES TO SENATOR HALL'S OFFICE TO AMY, AND THEY ALREADY HAVE, UM, STARTED THAT PROCESS.
I DO BELIEVE WE HAVE TO CHAIN THE TEXAS ADMINISTRATIVE CODE TO DO DO THE UPDATES, BUT WE'RE GONNA LEARN THROUGH SENATOR HALL'S OFFICE ONE.
ONE IS, I THINK SOMEBODY TALK, UH, ALREADY TALKED ABOUT MANDATORY MUNICIPALITY AND COUNTY APPROVALS.
SENATOR HALL FILED A BILL THAT SAYS WE WILL BE NOTIFIED, BUT NOT APPROVAL.
YOU KNOW, THE OTHER ONE IS INTRODUCE CITY IMPACT TO ANY MS FEES.
WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT WHEN I GIVE THE OTHER PRESENTATION.
BUT JUST WE RECOVERING, UH, THE COST OF DOING SERVICES WITH THE MUD BOARDS IS BASICALLY, THAT'S ONE, UM, TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY.
MR. STACY KNOWS THIS, YOU KNOW, IF THE MUD BOARDS SHOULD MEET IN A TAXING JURISDICTION OF A MUD, UM, JUST SEEMS PRETTY SIMPLE.
YOU WOULD THINK REQUEST FOR, FOR, UH, FOR VOTER APPROVAL.
UH, MR. GLI, I ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THAT.
WE WANT VOTER APPROVAL FOR SECONDARY DEBT.
UH, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED ON THAT ONE.
AND THEN REQUEST FOR SERVICES.
SO, UH, ROSE CO, UM, COACH ROSE, UM, THEY'RE A ATTORNEY FIRM THAT MANAGES 350 MUDS IN TEXAS.
UM, THEY HAVE APPROACHED THE CITY OF JOSEPHINE TO HAVE JOSEPHINE ENFORCE THE CITY ORDINANCES WITHIN THE MUDS IN THE COUNTY.
AND WE ALL KNOW THAT'S NOT FEASIBLE BECAUSE CITY DOESN'T HAVE JURISDICTION IN THE COUNTIES, RIGHT.
UM, BUT WE, WE'LL TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT LATER.
SO WE, WE KNOW THAT THE MUDS NEED SERVICES.
WE KNOW THE COUNTIES DIDN'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO SERVICES.
UM, WE ALSO NEED STATUTORY AGREEMENT ON FEES, RIGHT? WHEN WE NEED A LAW THAT SAYS, HEY, WE CAN RECOVER THE FEE BETWEEN A CITY AND, AND, UH, AND A MUD THAT'S RIGHT NEXT TO IT.
CITY MCKINNEY HAS ALREADY MADE A, UH, DETERMINATION.
THEY WILL NOT SUPPORT CALLS INTO THE MUD.
I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY JUST A POSITIONING ARGUMENT, BUT I DON'T THINK WE WANT THAT TO HAPPEN.
HONESTLY, YOU'RE NOT GONNA SUPPORT, I'M SORRY, DAVID.
SO THERE'S A, A POLICE CALL OUT IN THE MUD, THEY CALL MCKINNEY POLICE.
MCKINNEY POLICE IS WHEN THEY DECLINE, THE CALL HAS, HAS GO THE COUNTY OR WHOEVER'S GONNA COVER THAT.
SO THOSE ARE THE SIX THINGS THAT WE, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT.
[00:15:01]
INCREMENTALIZED, RIGHT? THEY'RE INCREMENTAL CHANGES FOR TRANSPARENCY AND MAKE SURE THAT WE COVER THE COSTS.UH, WE'RE WRITING THE BILLS RIGHT NOW FOR THOSE, UH, AND AS SOON AS I GET A COPY OF THEM, OKAY.
BUT, UH, I, THOSE, SO LE LET'S TALK ABOUT PATHWAY.
SO WHEN YOU'VE GOT THE BILL WRITTEN, HOW, HOW DO WE GET IT ON THE GOVERNOR'S DESK SIGNED? THAT WOULD BE THE TRICKY PART.
SO WE CAN TRY TO GET A BOOT, A BILL INTRODUCED, RIGHT? WE HAVE TWO STATE REPS THAT WE CAN TRY.
SENATOR HALL HAS THE SIX REFORMS. UH, HE DOES AGREE WITH SOME OF IT, BY THE WAY.
HE DOES AGREE WITH THE IMPACT FEES OF TRYING TO GET THE IMPACT FEES STATUTORY.
IF, AND THIS IS A BIG GIGANTIC, IF, IF THEY ONLY RECOVER THE COST, THE ACTUAL COST, AND THAT WOULD BE WHAT I ADVOCATED FOR, WAS THE LONG-TERM COST AND THE CAPITAL COST.
THE REASON WHY YOU WANNA DO THAT IS BECAUSE LET'S SAY FOR EXAMPLE, THE, THE NEW MUD HERE, WHAT'S IT CALLED? THE END RIVER ROCK.
I HAVE MY OWN MUD
SO IF RIVER ROCK, UM, LET'S SAY SOMEBODY HAS TO PROVIDE EMS SERVICE THERE AND WE WANNA CHARGE 'EM WITH SENATOR HALL IS SAYING THAT JUST RECOVER THE COST OF THE EMS CALL STUFF, RIGHT? IF YOU WORK IN CORPORATE AMERICA, YOU KNOW, THAT'S HARD TO DO, BUT IT'S COST ALLOCATION MODEL.
BUT HE JUST REALLY WANTS US TO RECOVER THE COSTS.
WHAT WE'RE ARGUING IS, HEY, IF WE HAVE TO BUY OR CITY HAS TO PURCHASE TWO NEW POLICE OFFICERS FULLY EQUIPPED AND TWO NEW POLICE VEHICLES, THEN MONEY SHOULD PAY FOR THAT TOO.
SO THAT'S A LONG-TERM CAPITAL COST.
THAT'S DIFFERE BETWEEN A SHORTTERM COST AND A LONG-TERM COST.
RIGHT? WE WANT TO RECOVER THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS WITH THEM TOTALITY, RIGHT? SO, UM, WE GOT SOME TRACTION AT CENTER HALLS ONLY GOING TO ALLOW US TO, TO ONLY ALLOW US APPROVALS.
SO WE HAVE SOME OF IT DONE, RIGHT? UM, SO WE DIDN'T, I MET WITH THE LOBBYIST FOR COACH ROSE.
UM, WE ALSO MET WITH THE NORTH TEXAS WATER DISTRICT LOBBYISTS, UM, MAINLY BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S THE PA ONE OF THE PATH FORWARDS TO THE LOBBYISTS, RIGHT? UM, COACH ROSE IS, WASN'T OBJECTING TO THE CHANGES, BUT DIDN'T ALL HARDLY ENDORSE THE CHANGES.
SO THEY'RE KIND OF LIKE REALLY QUIET ON THE PHONE, RIGHT? MM-HMM
THEY'RE JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST, YEAH, I WAS JUST TRYING TO INTRODUCE THAT.
SO I THINK WE, WE NEED THE, I THINK THE PATH FORWARD IS WHAT THE STRATEGIC PLAN THE TEAM DISCUSSED WAS HAVE A DRAFT BILL, HAVE A RED, RED LINE FOR THE STATE REPS MM-HMM
RIGHT? SAVES 'EM A LOT OF TIME.
SO HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE ALLEGED DIRECTOR, I MEAN, I'M SORRY, ALLEGED COUNSEL TO GET IT APPROVED.
THEY'RE REALLY BACK UP, RIGHT? AND WE GOTTA FIND REPUBLICAN TO FILE THE BILL.
AND THEN ONCE WE GET IT FILED BY REPUBLICAN, THEN WHAT WE WOULD DO IS WE, WE CAN GET CO-SPONSORS AND THAT'S A LITTLE BIT EASIER OR CO-AUTHOR, RIGHT? WE, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT EASIER TO, TO GET THAT DONE THAT WAY, RIGHT? SO I THINK THAT'S THE PATH FORWARD.
I THINK WITHIN THE COUNTY, WE NEED TO STICK TOGETHER AND YOU REALLY NEED TO HAVE A UNIFORM WAY OF APPROACHING THEM.
UNIFORM POLICY ON WHAT WE WANNA DO FOR THE COUNTY AND THE CITIES, AND THEN, UH, SOME WAY OF TRACKING THE BILLS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, RIGHT? SO 8,000 BILLS WILL BE FILED,
SOME HAVE BRACKETS ON IT, WHICH IS GOOD NEWS FOR ROCKWELL COUNTY AND ALL OUR CITIES, AND WE DON'T WANT THAT.
UH, SO WE JUST HAVE TO TRACK THOSE.
AND WHICH ONE DO WE VERY MUCH WORRY ABOUT? WE SPEND TIME, ENERGY, AND ONE, ONE WE SHOULD KIND OF JUST WATCH.
AND THE ONE THAT HAS WHAT THEY CALL 'EM, NO LEGS, WE JUST WON'T GET A HEARING, RIGHT? MM-HMM
SO DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? SO I THINK THAT'S A PATH FORWARD.
SO, UM, I MEAN, NOT, I'M NOT HAPPY AND OPTIMISTIC, BUT IT IS AN HONEST, HONEST ANSWER.
THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK WE MM-HMM
WE ESSENTIALLY HAVE, HAVE TO DO THE WORK TO, IT'S, IT'S A LOT OF WORK IN AUSTIN.
IT'S A LOT OF GOING DOOR TO DOOR GETTING, WHAT I LEARNED IS YOU WANT THE LESS DIRECTOR ON YOUR SIDE BECAUSE THEY HAVE A BIG PILE STUFF AND LITTLE PILE, I CALL THE PILES BIG PILE NOT HAPPENING.
OW GOES IN THE REP'S FOLDER OR BINDER.
THEY HAVE A BINDER EVERY NIGHT.
THE STAFF BRIEF THEM ON WHAT THAT DAY ACTIVITY IS, AND YOU REALLY WANNA GET AN INCH THAT BINDER, SO AT LEAST YOU HAVE A FIGHTING CHANCE TO GET THERE.
UM, AND THEN YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THE CHIEF OF STAFF IS ON YOUR SIDE.
IT'S NOT THE REP BE, CLEARLY YOU WANT OUT THE REP POSSIBLE, BUT YOU REALLY GOTTA WORK WITH THE STAFF REPS ON THE FLOOR, EIGHT HOURS A DAY, NINE HOURS A DAY.
IT'S THE STAFF YOU GOTTA GET ON BOARD TO GET THAT BILL IN FRONT FROM THE REP SO THEY CAN DIGEST AND ASK QUESTIONS AND THEN BE READILY AVAILABLE TO ANSWER A QUESTION.
THEY'LL CALL YOU AT NINE, 10 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT AND THEY'RE ASK YOU LIKE, LAST SESSION I WAS ASKED TO COME DOWN, THEY CALLED ME AT 11, CAN YOU BE IN AUSTIN AT EIGHT? MM-HMM
SO I GOT UP, BURLEE WENT DOWN TO AUSTIN.
SO YOU GOTTA BE FLEXIBLE, RIGHT? ARE YOU GOTTA SPEND TIME DOWN THERE WALKING DIFFERENT OFFICES.
DAVID, BEFORE YOU LEAVE, MAYOR, BEFORE I LEAVE, UM,
[00:20:01]
YES SIR.AND I WILL BEGIN, I WILL STATE I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT, IT'S NOT WHAT I'VE DONE.
BUT HOW DO WE GET, OR IS THERE A METHOD? WE'VE DONE THIS BIG STRATEGIC PLAN, WE'VE BEEN WORKING FOR MONTHS, A YEAR ALMOST ON IT NOW.
WE'VE SEEN SOME VERY CLEAR OPINIONS THAT RESONATE THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTY AND SEEM TO BE ALMOST UNIVERSALLY ADOPTED WITHIN THE COUNTY.
HOW DO WE GET OUR SENATORS AND OUR REPRESENTATIVE TO AWARE OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THESE POSITIONS, NOT JUST TO JUDGE NEW OR YOU OR THE OTHER MAYORS HERE, OR ME OR WHOEVER, BUT HOW DO WE, WITHOUT DOING IT IN AN UGLY WAY, HOW DO WE LET THEM KNOW THAT THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ABOUT 98% OF THE PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTY? SO I THINK THERE'S TWO WAYS OF DOING THAT RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT? SO SESSION STARTS THE 14TH.
SO THERE'S A SPEAKER, LIKE I CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT.
OR FIRST IT'LL TAKE A WHILE BECAUSE YOU GET A SPEAKER, RYAN, ONCE A NEW SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, THEY CAN CONDUCT A BUSINESS SENATE AND THEY GET COMMITTEE HEARINGS, LET'S SAY COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS.
START A COUPLE, TAKE A COUPLE WEEKS.
RYAN, THE SENATE IS, SINCE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, THEN HE, I'M PRETTY CONVINCED HE HAS HIS COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS DONE.
THEY, THEY SUBMITTED THE LOWER CARDS FOR WHAT, FOR WHAT COMMITTEES THEY WANTED.
HE'LL ANNOUNCE TO THE FIRST JOHN PRI FIRST COUPLE DAYS OF THE SESSION, THE FIRST DAY ASSESSMENT, WHENEVER HE MAKES HIS ANNOUNCEMENT, RIGHT? HIS STAND PRIORITIES PROBABLY COME OUT NEXT WEEK OR TWO CLOSE.
THEY WILL NOT BE AS SURPRISED TO ANYBODY IN THE STATE.
THEY'RE PRETTY CLEARLY, EVERYBODY WANTS HOUSE TO LEARN MORE WHAT TO SEE WHAT THEY DO ON COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS.
BUT THEY HAVE SUBMITTED THEIR CARD TO DO THAT.
SO THE REASON I EXPLAIN THAT IS THAT TAKES TWO WEEKS, OKAY? THEY'RE KIND OF TRYING TO GET THEIR SAME ASSIGNMENTS, GET UP TO EDUCATED THREE, ONE NEW FRESHMEN GETTING MOVED IN, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LAND, THE LAND, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THEN WE COULD SCHEDULE A DAY DOWN THERE FOR JUST FOR US, RIGHT? AND, AND MAKE, YOU KNOW, TRY GET AN HOUR ON THEIR CALENDAR AND WALK 'EM THROUGH THE PLAN TOGETHER.
NOW WE'LL CLEAN ALL THE COMMISSIONERS, MARK, UM, UM, AND ALL THE MAYORS OR STATE MEMBER WHO WANT TO GO RIGHT AND SIT DOWN TOGETHER AND THE CONGRESS ROOM AND SAY, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE SAYING TOGETHER.
RIGHT? THIS IS A UNIFIED FRONT.
THE OTHER ONE PROPOSAL YOU COULD THINK ABOUT IS ROCKWELL COUNTY DAYS.
AND THEN WHY, WHY THAT'S IMPORTANT IS ONE, WE'RE ALL DOWN THERE.
TWO, WE HAVE A DAY SET, A COUPLE DAYS SET ASIDE, BUT COULD WE GET THE BUSINESS OWNERS TO GO WITH US? SO WE COULD, KATRINA REPRESENTATIVE PEARSON REPRESENTATIVE ELECT PEARSON'S GONNA TELL YOU, YOU NEED GRASSROOTS, A GRASSROOTS EFFORTS GREAT THAT WE GO.
BUT YOU NEED ORDINARY CITIZEN TO GO.
ROCKWELL COUNTY WILL HAVE THAT, RIGHT? WE'LL HAVE BUSINESS OWNERS, WE GOTTA TALK THE CHAMBER IF THEY WANT TO DIP THEIR TOE INTO THOSE WATERS OR NOT.
RIGHT? BUT THAT'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR US TOGETHER TO MEET WITH THEM AND LAY OUT THE PLAN.
WHAT, WHAT, YOU'RE RIGHT, THE MESSAGES ARE CLEAR HERE, VERY CLEAR BY THE WAY,
RIGHT? HERE'S WHAT YOU'RE, HERE'S WHAT YOUR DISTRICT IS TELLING YOU.
AND WE HAVE BE VERY, VERY CLEAR ON THAT TOGETHER, INCLUDING MR. KIPPET WHO'S BEEN HELPING THE PLAN TOGETHER.
WE CAN PRESENT THAT TO, YOU KNOW, TO THEM.
AND BY THE WAY, HERE'S THE BILLS WE WANT YOU INTRODUCE THAT SUPPORTS THAT VISION, OR HERE'S THE BILLS WE OPPOSE AND HERE'S WHY WE OPPOSE 'EM.
SO YOU GO, AS YOU GO THROUGH TODAY, I, I WANNA OPPOSE THIS BILL.
LET'S SAY 1 0 3 1 OH, SB 1 0 2.
THE BILL IS CENTER HALL FILE, I THINK IS 1 0 2, 1 0 3, RIGHT? OH, IT'S 1 0 2.
1 0 2, RIGHT? SO IT SAYS, SAY CENTER HALL, WE OBJECT TO YOUR BILL.
LET SAY SENATOR HAW, CAN YOU INSERT A APPROVAL, YOU KNOW, APPROVAL INTO SUBSECTION A, WHATEVER IT IS, RIGHT? THINK LIKE THAT.
COME VERY PREPARED WITH BILLS DRAFTED OUT OR SPECIFIC FEEDBACK BY SECTION OR LINE ITEM NUMBER OF WHAT DO THEY WANNA CHANGE.
AND SINCE IT'S ONLINE WITH WORD DOCUMENTED FORM, YOU CAN, YOU CAN RED LINE IT WITH THEM AND BE PREPARED TO HAND IT TO 'EM.
WE HAVE BE HAVE COORDINATED STRATEGY, COMMON ATTACK ANGLES.
THEY USE THE MILITARY ANALOGIES, UHHUH.
RIGHT? AND WE GOTTA BE PREPARED TO HELP MAKE THEIR JOB EASY, RIGHT? MM-HMM
YOU KNOW THIS, WHEN YOU'RE IN SESSION, YOU'RE IN A BUBBLE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY MY ASSUMPTION.
AND I THINK IT'S NOT, I I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU SAID.
WHAT, WHAT IS, UM, WHAT WE HAVE IS THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF COMMENTS YES.
THAT ARE EXTRAORDINARILY CONSISTENT.
AND HOW DO WE HOW GIVE THAT TO THOSE FOLKS THAT UNDERSTAND
[00:25:01]
THAT, TO MAKE THEM UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT JUST YEAH.I, I RUN WITH YOU MAYOR BILLINGS OR JUDGE NEW, THERE'S, IT'S NOT BRIEF.
THERE'S A LOT OF WITNESSES BEHIND US IF WE GET OUR TIME, THEIR TIME.
LITERALLY YOU COULD, AND THAT'S A LOT.
IT'S NOT GONNA ALLOW THE REP, BY THE WAY, SO YOU KNOW, THAT IT MIGHT HAVE TO BE IN THE LATE IN THE EVENING, RYAN, BUT YOU JUST LAID THOSE COMMENTS DOWN.
HERE'S A SUMMARY OF THE COMMENT.
THEY DID A SUMMARY OF THE COMMENTS.
BUT HERE'S, HERE'S A COPY OF THE COMMENT IN CASE YOU WOULDN'T READ THEM.
HERE'S A PHYSICAL COMMENT, HERE'S A SUMMARY FOR YOU SO YOU CAN DIGEST THE SUMMARY AND THEN YOU WANNA GIVE THE ACTUAL THOUSAND OF COMMENTS PAGES ONE, IF YOU HAVE PAGES, A HUNDRED PAGES OF COMMENTS, LITTLE, LITTLE SCARY, RIGHT? YEAH.
GIVE 'EM A SUMMARY SO THEY CAN DIGEST THAT.
HEY, WE, I THINK THEY DID THAT RIGHT? IF I'M MM-HMM
I THINK THEY DID A SUMMARY OF THE COMMENTS.
BUT YOU WANT TO ACTUALLY HOW EM, THE ACTUAL COMMENTS TO THEM.
AND, AND THAT WAY THEY, THEY SEE, THEY, THEY READ THEMSELVES.
THEY'RE LIKE, HEY, YOU'RE YOUR SUMMARY, BUT READ, READ THE COMMENTS YOURSELF.
AND THEY SAY WHETHER YOUR APPEAL, THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE VOTED FOR YOU ARE TELLING YOU WHAT THEY WANT.
AND THAT MEANT YOU, UH, MR. LUDAY, YOU'RE CORRECT.
I LIKE THE IDEA OF KIND OF THE TWOFOLD.
I I'M LOOKING AT IT, OBVIOUSLY ROCKWELL COUNTY DAYS HAS ALREADY BEEN PLANNED.
THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF COORDINATED THROUGH THE CHAMBER OF THE ROCKWELL AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
BUT THAT DOES GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAYBE HIT, DO A ONE-TWO PUNCH.
AND I DON'T MEAN THAT LITERALLY JUST WHERE WE TAKE THAT TIME AND, AND WE, BECAUSE I, FOR THE MOST PART, TYPICALLY IT IS NEARLY EVERY MAYOR THAT IS USUALLY AT, AT, AT THAT, AT THAT EVENT.
AND THEN I THINK WE ARE GONNA HAVE A GOOD REPRESENTATION AT ROCKWELL COUNTY DAYS FROM THIS COURT.
SO THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO TAKE THESE PRIORITIES THAT HOPEFULLY WE WILL, WE WILL WORK ON OVER THE NEXT MONTH.
'CAUSE IT'S, I BELIEVE IT'S ON, ON FEBRUARY 11TH IS WHEN THIS, WHEN IT STARTS 11TH OR 12TH.
DON'T, I DON'T HAVE MY CALENDAR IN FRONT OF ME.
BUT, UM, SO I THINK THAT'S GOOD.
BUT THEN I THINK WE NEED TO GO BACK AGAIN AFTER THEY'VE KIND OF HAD SOME TIME TO ADDRESS THOSE DATES, THOSE IMPORTANT DATES THAT'S GOING TO BE HAPPENING AND GO BACK A SECOND TIME MAYBE.
UM, AND I DO LIKE YOUR, I, I LIKE THE IDEAL OF THE GRASSROOTS, BUT I, I THINK IT, IT MAY BE A CHALLENGE FOR US TO, TO, YOU KNOW, LOAD UP A WHOLE BUNCH OF BUSES OF PEOPLE AND, AND KIND OF GO IN TOGETHER.
AND IF THEY DO DO IT, IT'S ALL NERVOUS.
BUT AT LEAST AS, AS THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND WE'RE REPRESENTING FACTS AND DATA THAT YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT, UM, COMMISSIONER LIPKEY, THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S IMPRESSIVE.
AND YOU CAN'T IGNORE IT, YOU KNOW? NO, YOU CAN'T BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S, THE MESSAGE THAT I RECEIVED WAS OVERWHELMING.
I THINK, IN FACT, I THINK A LOT OF US WERE KIND OF SURPRISED HOW UNANIMOUS THAT MESSAGE WAS ON SOME POINTS.
AGAIN, THIS IS FOLKS LIKE YOU, COMMISSIONER M**K, WHO ARE MORE ATTUNED TO MARKETING AND THINGS.
AND I MIGHT BE, BUT I WOULD EVEN THINK IF WE COULD PUT TOGETHER SOMETHING LIKE A FIVE OR 10 MINUTE VIDEO HITTING SPECIFIC ITEMS AND GOING TO, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD HAVE 10 PEOPLE IN A MINUTE, SAY, I SUPPORT THIS SENATOR HALL AND I VOTED FOR YOU.
I SUPPORT THIS REPRESENTATIVE PEARSON AND I VOTED FOR YOU.
AND JUST SOMETHING THAT THEY COULD LOOK AT BRIEFLY AND YET MAKE, GET THAT MESSAGE ACROSS.
BECAUSE THE MESSAGE IS RESOUNDING.
AND BOY, YOU SAID IT, JUDGE AND MARK AT MARK KIPPET AT OUR MEETING LAST, YOU MADE A COMMENT LAST WEEK AT OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE THAT IS, WAS SO PROFOUND.
WE'RE FOUR OR FIVE DEVELOPMENTS AWAY FROM BEING DONE.
WELL, AND I THINK JUST A COME LAST COMMENT AND IS, IS THIS, IS THINKING ABOUT OUR MILITARY STRATEGY, RIGHT? IS YOU WANNA GIVE THEM KIND OF STUFF FROM THE GROUND WITH THEM, RIGHT? SO THAT'S WHAT THE PRESENTATION, THE PLAN, HERE'S YOUR FEEDBACK.
I THINK ABOUT THE AIR FORCE MARK AIR FORCE.
SO, YOU KNOW, AIR FORCE KIND OF BOMBING SOFT ON THE GROUND.
THEN WE COME IN, HERE'S YOUR ANOTHER MEETING, MAYBE ROCKWELL COUNTY DAYS.
WE, HERE'S WHAT SOME OF YOU, WHAT WE WANT YOU TO DO, IT'LL GIVE THIS SOME TIME TO DIGEST IT.
SO YOU DON'T, YOU JUST DON'T GET THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING.
THE VIDEO THAT GOT GREAT, GREAT IDEA.
AND THEN SINCE YOU GUYS HAVE A PIO THAT'S, THEY CAN ARRANGE THAT.
AND THEN THE SECOND ROUND WOULD BE IN ROCKWELL COUNTY DAYS WOULD BE TRULY, HERE'S THE RED LINE BILL.
WE WANT YOU TO INTRODUCE AND WANT YOU TO SUPPORT OR ADD AN AMENDMENT TO THE BILL.
I THINK, I THINK IT'S TWO PHASES.
UM, BASICALLY, I, I THINK THEY NEED THE CONTEXT OF THIS.
DO DO, DO WE HAVE CONSENSUS AMONG THE CITIES, AMONG THE MAYORS IN THE CITIES? THAT, SO I THINK IN GENERALLY, SO THERE'S ONLY, AND I'LL GET MYSELF IN TROUBLE.
SO YOU GUYS ARE GONNA PASS A AGENDA TODAY OR SOON? RIGHT? SOON.
I DO NOT THINK THE OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE ONE, BUT I THINK THERE'S AGREEMENT
[00:30:01]
ON VERY BROAD ISSUES.I THINK WE GOTTA MANAGE THE 16 MUDS.
WE GOTTA FIND A WAY TO PREVENT NEW MUDS.
AND THAT'S A BIG POLITICAL BATTLE.
IT'S JUST GONNA BE A BIG POLITICAL BATTLE.
THEN WE HAVE TO HAVE KEEP DECISION MAKING LOCAL.
AND TRY TO, I THINK WE HAVE A, WE HAVE AGREEMENT ON THAT JUST ON BROAD BILLS, BUT EACH CITY HAS DIFFERENT ISSUES.
SO THEY'RE GONNA FIX, THEY'RE GONNA WORK ON WATER ISSUES.
TERMS OF WATER DISTRICT IS GONNA MAKE SOME ANNOUNCEMENTS, PROBABLY ABOUT SHORTAGES.
SO MIGHT BECOME AN ISSUE FOR ALL OF US.
UH, AND I THINK, UH, WHATEVER CITY ROCK, I MEAN, WHATEVER ROCKWELL HAS TEXTILE FUNDING, WHATEVER THE THEY THAT CITY PACIFIC ISSUES IS.
BUT I THINK WE HAVE COMMON GROUND ON, ON SEVERAL OF THOSE ISSUES, LIKE ON WATER.
I THINK WE WILL AGREE ON WATER.
WE NEED, WE, WE GOTTA FIX THE WATER PROBLEM LONG TERM.
I THINK WE ALL CAN AGREE ON THAT.
ON, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY DISAGREEMENTS.
I THINK THERE'S BROADEST AND CONSENSUS.
NOW THE DEVIL'S IN THE DETAILS AS YOU GET THE ACTUAL BILL, LIKE, UM, SENATOR WEST DID A BILL SB UH, 5 0 3 THAT SAYS EVERY CITY MUST HAVE AN INVENTORY OF THEIR VACANT LAND THAT'S COULD BE USED FOR HOUSING AFFORDABILITY PROJECTS.
I'M PRETTY SURE WE ALL AGREE THAT'S A REALLY BAD IDEA.
THAT FLIES THE COMP PLAN THING LIKE THAT.
SO I THINK THERE'S COMMON GROUND ON THAT AND, AND SPECIFIC ISSUES WE HAVE AS CITIES WILL HAVE TO DO THOSE ALONE, BUT KEEP EVERYBODY INFORMED.
MAYOR JOHANNESSON, DO YOU WANT TO COME MENTIONED YOU? SORRY,
I LIKE JUDGE COMMISSIONERS, UH, MAYOR TRACE JOHANSON 3 8 5 SOUTH GOLIAD STREET, ROCK WALL 7 5 0 7.
UM, I COULDN'T REALLY BE A POLITICIAN IF I PASSED UP A MICROPHONE.
JUST THAT BEING SAID, UH, I'LL KEEP MY REMARKS BRIEF BECAUSE I THINK THE CITY OF ROCKWELL'S PRIORITIES AT THE RISK OF SPEAKING FOR THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, BASED ON OUR WORDS AND ACTIONS IN GENERAL, THEMATICALLY SIMPLY SPEAKING, THE CITY OF ROCKWALL WANTS TO RETAIN LOCAL CONTROL.
SO IF THERE'S A QUESTION ABOUT A SPECIFIC POLICY, IF IT ALIGNS WITH RETAINING LOCAL CONTROL, IT'S VERY LIKELY WE'RE IN FAVOR OF IT.
LIKE MAYOR BILLINGS SAID THE DEVILS AND THE DETAILS.
BUT WE WANT TO MAINTAIN OUR LOCAL CONTROL BECAUSE NOBODY KNOWS BETTER THAN WE DO HOW TO RUN OUR OWN MUNICIPALITIES.
OKAY, BOY, THAT IS SIMPLE AND CONCISE AND CONCISE.
I I THINK YOU STILL GOT THE FLOOR COMMISSIONER.
WELL, UM, SO I'M JUST GOING, ONE OF THE, UM, LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES THAT I HAVE PROVIDED TO EACH OF YOU IN YOUR, IN YOUR PACKETS IS HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER, UM, LIPKEY IS GONNA SPEAK IN A MINUTE ON, UM, ON SOMETHING THAT'S KINDA, THERE'S SOME SIMILARITIES TO IT, BUT I'LL SPEAK SPECIFICALLY RIGHT NOW ON HISTORIC PRESERVATIONS.
AND SO THE BACKGROUND, OR THE BASIS FOR WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE IS THAT, UM, IT HAS TO DO WITH ROCKWALL COUNTY'S HISTORICAL ASSETS.
AND IT STARTS FROM, UM, UH, THE, THE, THE FARMING COMMUNITY THAT THIS, THAT THIS COUNTY WAS, WAS, WAS KNOWN FOR, FOR SO MANY, FOR SO LONG.
AND, UM, HOW IT EVOLVED INTO SOME, UM, PRODUCTION AND RANCHING, UM, OPPORTUNITIES.
BUT THE, AS I WAS PUTTING THIS TOGETHER, IT KEPT COMING BACK TO ONE THING, AND THAT'S THE NAMESAKE OF THIS, OF THIS CITY IN THIS COUNTY.
UM, AND COUNTY IN PARTICULAR FOR US ROCK WALL.
AND RIGHT OUTSIDE ON THE, ON THE EAST SIDE OF THIS BUILDING RIGHT HERE, UM, WE HAD A, A SCULPTURE, UM, THAT WAS CREATED ABOUT SIX MONTHS, EIGHT MONTHS AGO AND MAYBE A YEAR AGO, THAT THAT IDENTIFIES THREE INDIVIDUALS THAT FOUND AND UNCOVERED THE ROCK WALL.
UM, THAT ENCOMPASSES PROBABLY ABOUT 20 SQUARE MILES.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE THAT, AND, AND THIS MAY NOT BE A MUST HAVE RIGHT NOW 'CAUSE WE NOT, WHEN I SAW YOUR, YOUR, YOUR KINDA YOUR CATEGORIES, UM, JUDGE, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET PAST THIS FIRST, THIS FIRST THIS SESSION, BUT MAYBE IN, IN IN FUTURE ONES.
BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE US, UM, LOOK AT, UM, PRESERVING THE ROCK WALL AS A HERITAGE TOURISM SITE, UM, THAT ALSO SUPPORTS, UM, A PUBLIC AMENITY THAT THAT WILL, WE CAN CONTINUE TO BUILD ON AND, AND, UM, ATTRACT VISITORS TO THIS, TO THIS COUNTY, WHICH OBVIOUSLY COULD PROVIDE AN ECONOMIC VALUE.
UM, I THINK, I THINK THAT THERE ARE SO MANY, UM, HISTORIC LANDMARKS THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS THAT, UM, HAVE BEEN CREATED, UH, IN, IN MANY YEARS BEFORE.
AND THEY, AND, AND IF YOU GO INTO ANY OF THOSE COMMUNITIES, YOU WILL SEE AND, AND EXPERIENCE
[00:35:01]
THE PRIDE AND THE COMMUNITY DRAWING THAT, THAT HISTORIC, THAT THAT HISTORIC SITE MAY, MAY REPRESENT.SO I, UM, I THINK THAT IT, IT REALLY DOES HELP FOSTER FOR A REALLY HEALTHY AND A SUSTAINABLE TYPE OF COMMUNITIES.
SO THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW TO POSSIBLY LOOK AT THE LAND THAT THE HISTORIC ROCK WALL IS LOCATED ON.
THERE IS SOME THOUGHTS OF THE FAMILY THAT HAS IT, OF KIND OF SOME THINGS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT OF MAYBE DOING, UM, EITHER IN A PRIVATE AND PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP.
AND I THINK THAT THIS COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ADDRESS THAT
UM, UM, I ENVISION IT COULD EVEN HAVE NOT ONLY THE HISTORIC VALUE AND, AND, AND AS FAR AS THE LANDMARK, BUT I THINK IT COULD HAVE OTHER, UM, OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO HOST VARIOUS KIND OF EVENTS LOCATED THERE.
SO MY LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES AS I PLACE THEM IS TO, TO SUPPORT LEGISLATION SO THAT WE CAN ESTABLISH THE HISTORIC NAMESAKE LANDMARK SITE OF THE ROCK WALL ON THE PROPERTY THAT IT, THAT IT RESIDES IN.
UM, I THINK YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, THEY CAME IN ABOUT, HMM, MAYBE EIGHT, 10 YEARS AGO, AND THEY DID A SEGMENT ON, WAS IT ALIENS OR WAS IT MANMADE? OKAY.
SO THAT, BUT THAT, THAT DID GET A LOT OF INVOLVEMENT ON THAT, ON THAT SHOW.
UM, BUT SUPPORT US TO BE ABLE TO PURCHASE IT.
UM, WHICH MEANS THAT WE NEED TO PROBABLY PARTNER WITH AND LOOK AT GRANT OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH EITHER THE STATE OF TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION, UM, SO THAT WE CAN, UM, LOOK AT WHAT KIND OF PROGRAMS AND FUNDING THAT THEY HAVE AVAILABLE, UM, TO, TO HELP US AS, UM, ASSESS THAT.
AND, UM, BUT I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO, TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT THE HISTORIC, UM, SITE THAT WE HAVE.
I THINK THAT, UM, IT REALLY DOES SUPPORT THE, UM, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BUT IT ALSO CONTINUES TO HELP, UM, I THINK THE CITIZEN SUPPORT AS, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ON SOME OF THE FINDINGS, UM, IN THE, IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN, OUR CITIZENS WANT TO BE INVOLVED AND THEY, THEY HAVE ASKED FOR US TO HAVE THIS TYPE OF, UM, UM, PRESERVATION FRIENDLY, UM, OPPORTUNITIES THAT, THAT WE'RE SITTING ON RIGHT NOW AND WE NEED TO ACT ON.
UM, THIS TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION, I READ ONE OF THEIR, UM, IT'S ABOUT TWO YEARS OLD, THREE YEARS OLD, UM, DATA.
BUT THE, THEY, THEY NOTED THAT THE TOURIST TOURISM FOR, UM, HISTORICAL, UM, CONTRIBUTES ABOUT 7.3 BILLION A YEAR.
AND IN 2019, THE HISTORIC TRAVELERS, THEY ACCOUNTED FOR 12 POINT A PERCENT OF ALL DIRECT SPENDING TO THAT HAPPENS HERE IN TEXAS.
UM, AND THEY NOTED THAT HER HERITAGE TRAVELERS, THEY USUALLY SPEND ABOUT $30 MORE PER PERSON THAN NON-HERITAGE TRAVELERS.
NOT SURE HOW THEY HAD IDENTIFIED ALL THAT, BUT THIS WAS IN THEIR, IN THEIR, UM, PRESENTATION, IN THEIR FINDINGS.
UM, AND AGAIN, UM, THIS, THIS REALLY HELPS FROM A, FROM A, HIS HISTORY STANDPOINT BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT OUR ANCESTRY.
IT'S ABOUT WHO, WHO THIS COUNTY IS AND WAS.
AND IT REALLY WILL SUPPORT LEARNING, UM, FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
SO THAT IS ONE THAT I HAD PUT IN FOR, UM, THAT, THAT WAS HIGHLY SUPPORTED WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
AGAIN, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERY, THAT ALL THE BASIS OF MY PROPOSAL THAT I'VE JUST SPOKE TO YOU ABOUT ARE THE PRIORITIES THAT CAME OUT OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN 2050.
SO IN, IN THE CATEGORIES MM-HMM.
THE MUST HAVES, YOU SAID, WELL, THAT WE'VE PROBABLY NOT, NOT GONNA, I I I GET THAT WORK.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WOULD THIS BE UNDER, WOULD BE GOOD? I, I THINK OR PLANTING SEEDS? WELL, NO, I DON'T THINK PLANTING SEEDS AND I, AND, AND THE REASON I'M SAYING THAT I WAS, I WAS THINKING IT WOULD BE GOOD, BUT SINCE I DO KNOW AND HAVE, HAVE, HAVE BEEN MADE KNOWLEDGEABLE THAT THE FAMILY IS INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT CURRENTLY SOME, SOME, UH, PARTNERSHIP OF SOME KIND, THEN IT COULD BE THAT WE NEED TO DO EXPLORATORY AND IT COULD MOVE UP FROM WOULD BE GOOD TO MUST HAVE.
I, I, I WAS TOLD THEY ALREADY HAVE DONE THE PARTY.
WELL, I, I, I TALKED LAST FRIDAY.
SO, BUT, BUT MAYBE, MAYBE YOU KNOW MORE THAN, BUT I HAD HEARD THE SAME THING, BUT THEY ARE STILL IN THE EXPLORATION.
AND, UM, TRYING TO DECIDE HOW MUCH THEY WANNA SELL IT FOR.
SO TH THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING I THINK WE CAN ALL SUPPORT.
UH, AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY HAS THE EXPECTATION THAT WE'RE GONNA GET A BILL FILED AND GET THE FUNDING, THE HISTORIC, UH, WELL, I DID READ THE, I DID READ THE TEXAS HISTORIC, UM, FOUNDATIONS LEG, THEIR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES FOR THIS NEXT SESSION.
AND THEY ARE DEFINITELY WANTING TO MAINTAIN AND LOOK AT OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE MORE GRANT, MORE MONEY GIVEN TO THEIR, THEIR, THEIR, UM, GROUP.
I CAN TELL YOU MY PREDECESSOR, DAVID SWEET AND,
[00:40:01]
UH, JP, MARK RUSSO SPENT A LOT OF TIME GETTING THE NEW HOPE BAPTIST CHURCH HISTORIC.IS, IS, AND THAT WAS A NO BRAINER, RIGHT? I MEAN, THEY HAD THE DOCUMENTATION RIGHT.
BUT IT WAS STILL A, A TWO TO THREE YEAR JOURNEY.
AND START TO, IT, IT IS ACTUALLY GETTING THE PLAQUE AND MM-HMM
GETTING IT ON THE, I'M FAMILIAR.
SO THAT'S WHY I SAID IT, IT COULD BE THAT IT, IT COULD BE A MUST HAVE, BUT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN THIS, THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION, BUT THEN WE CAN BRING IT BACK UP.
COMMISSIONER LICHTY IS SMILING AT ME, BUT AS I SAID, THIS IS, THIS FALLS A LOT IN LINE WITH OPEN SPACE ALSO, SO.
AND I THINK A POINT YOU MADE THAT'S EXTREMELY GOOD AND IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY WHEN TALKING TO LEGISLATORS IS THE ECONOMIC ADVANTAGES OF IT.
AND, UM, THE, THE FAILURE TO IDENTIFY A ROCK WALL SPOT MM-HMM
SOMEWHERE, WHETHER IT BE A ACRE OR FIVE ACRES MM-HMM
OR A, A HUGE PARK WITH A WALL.
IS IS JUST THAT A FAILURE MM-HMM
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE ASK ABOUT WHEN THEY COME HERE.
SO TOTALLY AGREE WITH WHAT YOU SAID, DANA.
UM, AND FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR, UH, PREPARING THIS PACKET.
VERY HELPFUL TO SEE SOME OF THE STUFF THAT'S SPECIFICALLY GOING ON.
'CAUSE WE HEAR A LOT OF THINGS, BUT IT'S GOOD TO SEE SPECIFICS.
UM, I AGREE WITH YOU, AND I THINK EVERYBODY IN THIS PANEL WOULD AGREE, AND PROBABLY EVERYBODY OUT THERE WOULD AGREE THAT LOCAL CONTROL IS PROBABLY OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
UM, BUT, AND I, I LIKE HOW SOMEBODY PUT IT, ANYTHING THAT FITS WITHIN THAT, I'M FOR IT.
I THINK IT WAS MAYOR JOHANSON JUST KIND OF GUIDED BY THAT.
BUT IT'S KIND OF A NEBULOUS THING.
I MEAN, THERE WERE THINGS, BILLS HERE THAT ARE BEING CONSIDERED.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE WAS A BILL THAT'S BEEN PROPOSED TO LIMIT THE AUTHORITY OF COUNTIES TO RAISE TAXES.
LET ME JUST SAY IT FOR THE RECORD.
I'M AGAINST RAISING TAXES, EVERYBODY.
IS IT, NOBODY LIKES TO RAISE TAXES, BUT TO TAKE THAT CONTROL AWAY FROM THE COUNTY OR MUNICIPALITIES IN MY OPINION IS NOT A GOOD IDEA.
UM, THERE'S, UH, THERE ARE BILLS IN HERE.
THERE'S A BILL IN HERE THAT LIMITS THE DEVELOPMENT CONTROLS OF LARGE CITIES IN, IN LARGE COUNTIES.
WHICH WE THINK, OKAY, WELL GEE, WE'RE NOT WITHIN THAT FRAMEWORK, BUT THAT'S JUST ONE STEP FROM US.
SO THERE REALLY IS SOMETHING, AS MAYOR JOHANSEN SAID, YOU GOTTA, YOU GOTTA FOCUS ON EVERYTHING THAT COMES UP AND THINK HOW DOES IT FIT WITHIN THAT? SO I, I TOTALLY AGREE.
IT'S, IS LOCAL IMPORTANCE, NUMBER ONE.
BUT I THINK WITHIN, IF WE TALK ABOUT A SPECIFIC PRIORITY, JUDGE, I LIKE YOUR IDEA OF MUD REFORM, UM, BECAUSE THAT REALLY IS A GAME CHANGER FOR OUR COUNTY AND FOR PEOPLE LIVING WHERE I LIVE IN PRECINCT THREE, UH, IT'S, IT'S HUGE BECAUSE OF THE, AS EVERYBODY KNOWS, THE LARGE UNINCORPORATED AREAS THERE AND WHAT EXPANDING DEVELOPMENT CAN DO TO THAT AREA.
'CAUSE THE LIMITATIONS ON COUNTY CONTROL IS SIGNIFICANT.
SO MUD REFORM IS, IS I THINK OF OUR, OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY BEING LOCAL CONTROL.
OUR REAL SPECIFIC PRIORITY, I'M, I'M AGREEING WITH YOU, SHOULD BE MUD REFORM.
BECAUSE IF WE HAVE A ABILITY TO CON TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY MUDS THAT ARE BROUGHT IN BRING REASONABLE DEVELOPMENT, THEN WE HAVE A CHANCE AT PRESERVING WHAT PEOPLE WANT IN THIS COUNTY, IN MY OPINION.
UM, THERE, THERE WAS A, THERE WAS A BILL IN HERE, AND I, I KNOW YOU, YOU SENT, UH, YOUR LIST OF MA COUNTY JUDGES.
YOU SENT THAT OFF, WHICH WAS AWESOME.
AND MAYOR BILLINGS SENT A GREAT LETTER, UM, THAT SAID, HERE'S HOW WE GOTTA FOCUS ON IT.
AND THERE WAS A LETTER IN ME, BUT I SAID, HEY, DON'T FORGET ABOUT LOCAL CONTROL AND ALL THAT I SENT TO OUR SENATOR ALSO.
UM, BUT THERE WAS A, THERE WAS A BILL IN HERE PROPOSED DEALING WITH, UM, BY SENATOR HALL ABOUT GIVING SOME NOTICE PROVISIONS AND RESPONSE TIMES.
AND, AND, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO SAY THANKS, BUT IT'S REALLY DOESN'T GO FAR ENOUGH.
I THINK THE KEY APPROVAL OR THE KEY, KEY THING WE NEED IS THE RIGHT, AND, AND I'M TALKING ABOUT THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF THE COUNTY, AND I THINK IT WOULD APPLY TO THE
[00:45:01]
CITIES ALSO, IS THE RIGHT TO SAY YES OR NO BASED UPON, I'M NOT AFRAID OF REASONABLE STANDARDS.UH, THAT'S WHAT OUR COUNTRY'S BUILT ON.
BUT, BUT ON THE RE BASED UPON REASONABLE STANDARDS, THE ABILITY TO SAY YES OR NO TO THESE, THESE DEVELOPMENTS, AND THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE DON'T HAVE.
AND I APPRECIATE THE, THE PROPOSAL IN THE BILL THAT WAS, THAT WAS INCLUDED FROM THE SENATOR THAT WOULD GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE COMMENT, BUT I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT GIVES US MORE THAN WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
IT IS, UH, WE COULD, UH, GIVE A WRITTEN OPINION.
BUT, BUT IF YOU GO ON AND LOOK AT THAT STATUTE, I THINK IT'S, I FORGET, I I CIRCLED IT'S YEAH, SB 1 0 2 S 15, BUT THE, IT'S IN THE, IT'S IN THE WATER CODE SECTION 15 ONE.
OH 1 0 6 1 A OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT MM-HMM
BASICALLY GIVES YOU THOSE RIGHTS ANYWAY.
SO I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT GIVES US MUCH MORE.
NO, WE HAVE, SO WE HAVE TO FOCUS JUST NOT ON THE MUD CAN ADJUSTING, TWEAKING WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE TCEQ, BUT THE, THAT APPROVAL RIGHT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE ARE ALL FAMILIAR WITH THE BRACKET BILL THAT WAS PASSED IN THE HOUSE AND THE NOT IN THE SENATE.
AND I SAW ON HERE IN THIS PACKAGE SOMETHING THAT ESSENTIALLY DOES THE SAME THING, IF I REMEMBER RIGHT.
BUT IT SAYS, LOOKING FOR A SPONSOR, AND I WOULD THINK THIS WAS I WRONG ON THAT.
IT SAYS LOOKING FOR A SPONSOR.
SO I WOULD THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT IF OUR, UM, REPRESENTATIVE AND OUR SENATOR KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO US, THEY WOULD WANNA WORK WITH US TO MAKE SURE WE ACHIEVE IT.
SO THAT'S, THAT IS NUMBER ONE, DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES.
UM, AND AGAIN, HERE, PRECINCT THREE, WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE, THE AUDIENCE ARE FROM PRECINCT THREE.
PRECINCT THREE IS REALLY GROUND ZERO FOR THIS.
UM, AND WE, SO WE GOTTA FIGHT.
AND THESE DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES, THEY COME UP EVERYWHERE.
YOU SEE SOME LEGISLATION IN HERE WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT, UM, THE, THE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY.
AND WE'VE ALL HEARD ABOUT THE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY ARGUMENT.
AND THERE WAS A PAPER IN THERE WHERE, UH, RSI RESEARCH STRATEGIES INC.
UH, EMPHASIZE HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS.
WELL, THEIR, THEIR JOB IS TO DO BUS.
THEY, THEY DO BUSINESS WITH HOME BUILDERS.
AND I DON'T MEAN TO BE DETRIMENTAL.
I HAD A GREAT GUY TO BUILD MY HOUSE.
WE ALL WANT GOOD HOME BUILDERS, BUT THEIR, THEIR OPINION IS SLANTED IN THAT DIRECTION.
AND, AND THIS ARGUMENT OF HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IS IMPORTANT, BUT IT, IT TAKES AWAY FROM WHAT THIS IN LARGE EXTENT, WHAT THIS COUNTY WANTS.
AND IT'S CAN BE AN EXCUSE FOR IMPLEMENTING THINGS THAT WE REALLY DON'T WANT AND THAT WE WANNA TRY AND LIMIT OR AVOID.
UM, THERE WAS THE ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT BILL AGAIN.
I SEE THAT'S BEEN PROPOSED UP HERE AGAIN.
UM, UH, WHAT I, WHEN I SAW THAT AT THE LAST LEGISLATION SESSION, I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT, UM, THAT IT WAS, THAT IT WAS PROPOSED.
I CAN'T BELIEVE IT AGAIN, BECAUSE IT'S, IT WOULD BE VERY DETRIMENTAL NOT ONLY TO WHAT WE HAVE AS A COUNTY, BUT LOCAL CONTROL.
YOU TALK ABOUT LOCAL CONTROL, MAN, THAT, THAT'S HUGE, MAYOR.
UM, AND THEN, UH, I, I WANNA KEY OFF WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER M**K SAID, AND, AND SOMETHING I SAID EARLIER, THE, THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE HAS SPENT A TON OF TIME ON THIS, AND KUDOS TO MARK AND HIS TEAM AND, AND DANA FOR LEADING IT.
BUT WE CAME UP WITH FOUR THINGS THAT WE THOUGHT WERE REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND DANA MENTIONED, UH, HISTORICAL, I AGREE WITH IT.
AND I CIRCULATED ALL YOU GUYS THIS, WELL, I DIDN'T, I THINK, UH, FELICIA DID.
I'M STILL TRYING TO GET USED TO HOW THIS ALL HAPPENS, FELICIA.
UM, BUT THIS THING THAT TALKS ABOUT OPEN SPACE, LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, AND WHEN I WAS, WHEN I WANTED TO LAY THESE OUT, I WANTED TO MAKE IT REMIND EVERYONE THAT WE HAVE AN OPEN SPACE MASTER PLAN HERE.
THAT WAS ADOPTED BY OUR COUNTY IN 2015.
AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, UH, THAT WE KEY OFF THAT BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO WHAT WE WANNA BECOME.
AND IT WAS DRAFTED TO TRY AND PRESERVE WHAT WE HAVE.
AND IN THAT FIRST SECTION, I'VE LISTED THE THREE PRIORITIES, UM, WHICH ARE STORMWATER CONTROL, UM, OPEN MAJOR, OPEN SPACE AMENITY OR LARGE PARK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND, AND THEN PROTECT AND ESTABLISH MO CORRIDORS FOR NON-MOTORIZED TRAFFIC.
AND AGAIN, ALL OF THESE THINGS WERE HIGHLIGHTED, UH, BY THE CITIZEN RESPONSE AND THE STRATEGIC
[00:50:01]
PLAN.I MEAN, YOU CAN'T DENY PEOPLE LOVE THAT STUFF.
SO, UM, I CAME UP WITH THREE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, WHICH I LISTED HERE, UM, SUPPORT LEGISLATION TO ESTABLISH A STATE PARK WITHIN ROCKWELL COUNTY.
UH, I WANT TO GIVE CREDIT TO WHERE CREDIT'S DUE.
AND MARK, AS YOU SAID, UH, JUSTICE PIECE, RUSSO HAS DONE A LOT OF WORK ON THIS AND HAD REALLY WORKED.
AND THERE'S, THERE'S AN, THERE'S A, A, I CAN'T, IT'S NOT A PLAN, BUT THIS CONCEPT OF BUILDING A STATE PARK UP ALONG IN THE FLOODPLAIN ALONG LAKE RAY HUBBARD, THAT CONNECTS INTO COLLIN COUNTY ALSO AND INTO DALLAS COUNTY, UM, WHICH WOULD BE A HUGE WIN FOR US FROM AN OPEN SPACE STANDPOINT.
THE IDEA THAT WE COULD HAVE A STATE PARK HERE WOULD BE HUGE.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD FOCUS ON AND KEEP IN OUR LIST OF THINGS WE WANT OUR LEGISLATOR TO FOCUS ON BECAUSE, AND I, AND SECOND THING, UH, BLACKLAND PRAIRIES, UH, AGAIN, ONE OF THE, UM, PRIORITIES IN OUR OPEN SPACE MASTER PLAN IS TO IDENTIFY AND PRESERVE POTENTIAL LOCATIONS FOR A MAJOR OPEN SPACE AND OR PUBLIC AMENITY THAT CAN BE DEVELOPED IN THE FUTURE.
BLACKLAND PRAIRIES, WE'RE RIGHT IN THE HEART OF THIS LAND, UH, THAT'S KNOWN AS BLACKLAND PRAIRIES.
AND IT'S DISAPPEARING RAPIDLY AS PEOPLE ARE DEVELOPING IT.
AND TO THE EXTENT WE COULD FIND FUNDS OR ENCOURAGE THE LEGISLATURE TO DO THAT, UM, THAT WOULD BE A HUGE BENEFIT TO PRESERVE IT IN OUR COUNTY.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS NOT A NEW IDEA.
THERE ARE GROUPS THAT TRY AND DO THIS.
IT'S THE STATE HAS ALREADY HAD PEOPLE WORKING ON THIS, SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE NEW TO ANYONE.
BUT SUPPORTING LEGISLATION TO PURCHASE, PRESERVE AND PROTECT BLACK LAND PRAIRIES, I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, AND THEN LAST, SUPPORTING LEGISLATION TO PROMOTE TRAILS, BIKE LANES, AND NON-MOTORIZED TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS.
AND THIS CAN COME IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT IT, BUT WHERE WE WERE, IF WE ARE ABLE TO SUPPORT LEGISLATION AND GET OUR STATE REP AND OUR SENATOR TO SUPPORT LEGISLATION THAT PROVIDES FUNDS FOR TRAILS, UM, BIKE LANES, UH, OTHER WAYS TO GET AROUND, OTHER THAN JUST GETTING IN A CAR AND DRIVING, THAT WOULD BE HUGE.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE LIKE, PEOPLE WANT THAT IT WAS SUPPORTED BY OUR OPEN SPACE MASTER PLAN.
UH, JUST TO WRAP IT UP ON THIS, UM, WE HAVE STRENGTHS, WE HAVE THINGS THAT THERE ARGUE FOR THIS, WE GOT IN LAKE RAY HUBBARD.
THE HUGE ENVIRONMENTAL OPPORTUNITY WOULD BE ONE LOCATION FOR THIS POTENTIAL STRAIGHT STATE PARK ALONG THE NORTH SIDE THERE.
STRAT CITIZEN SUPPORT IS VERY STRONG.
AND THE STATE PARK, IT'S, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT IT WOULD INVOLVE OTHER COUNTIES.
SO WE HAVE, WOULD HAVE OTHER PEOPLE IN FAVOR ALSO.
IT'S NOT JUST US ASKING FOR SOMETHING, BUT IT WOULD BE COLLIN COUNTY AND LIKELY DALLAS COUNTY THAT WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF THIS ALSO.
SO I THINK THAT'S ALL IMPORTANT.
UM, I WAS GONNA TALK ABOUT STRATEGIES, BUT WE KIND OF GOT INTO THAT ALREADY WITH, UM, MAYOR BILLINGS THERE.
BUT I REALLY THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE A ROCK WALL TEAM TO LEAD THIS.
WHOEVER THOSE PEOPLE ARE, IT NEEDS TO BE A, A BIG PRIORITY FOR THEM.
AND WHOEVER THE LEADERS ARE, TELL US, TELL ME WHAT TO DO AND I'LL DO IT.
UM, WE HAVE TO WORK WITH THE CITIES AND WE HAVE TO, UH, COMMUNICATE WELL, LIKE I WAS SAYING WITH MAJOR OR NOT MAJOR MAYOR BILLINGS EARLIER, WE HAVE TO LET OUR, OUR OUR, OUR STATE SENATOR AND OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO OUR PEOPLE.
THERE ARE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT WANT THIS.
AND IT'S THE VAST MAJORITY, I BELIEVE, OF OUR COUNTY THAT LOOK AT WHAT'S COMING AND THE DEVELOPMENTS THAT'S COMING AND SAY, THIS ISN'T THE DIRECTION WE WANNA GO.
WE WANT TO PRESERVE SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
AND ONE OF THE KEYS, I WOULD THINK, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, UM, I GUESS MAYOR JOHANSEN ADMITTED TO BEING A POLITICIAN.
UM, BUT, UH, A STATE SENATOR AND A STATE REP, I WOULD THINK FALL IN THE POLITICIAN CATEGORY.
THEY, THEY'RE HERE TO SERVE THEIR CITIZENS.
THEY DON'T, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT JUST TO GET ELECTED.
THEY DO IT BECAUSE THEY CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE IN THE COUNTY.
THEY CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE THEY SERVE, AND THEY WANT TO DO THAT.
SO LET'S LET THEM KNOW WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT AND GET THAT MESSAGE ACROSS AND WORK TOWARD THE GOAL LINE.
COMMISSIONER STACY, UH, JUST SO YOU KNOW, I'VE ALREADY WRITTEN SOIL CONSERVATION LAKE FUNDING DOWN HERE, SO I'M DONE.
[00:55:01]
PREEMPT YOU.I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT
UM, WELL, AS FAR AS THINGS TO ADD, SINCE I DON'T WANT TO BE THE PERSON THAT JUST STARTS THE DEBATE YET.
UM, I HAVE LOTS OF THOUGHTS ABOUT THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN SAID.
UM, I THINK SOMETHING THAT, THAT I HAVEN'T HEARD AS, AS WE GO AROUND THE TABLE, WHICH IS NOT CRITICISM, IT'S JUST EVERYONE KIND OF HAS THEIR OWN FOCUSES IS THE SOIL AND CONSERVATION FUNDING.
UM, THERE IS CURRENTLY A PROPOSAL IN AUSTIN TO TAKE THAT FROM 25 MILLION TO 50 MILLION.
I THINK IT WOULD BE IMPERATIVE, UM, FOR US AS A COURT TO PASS A RESOLUTION SIMPLY IN FAVOR OF MAXIMIZING THE FUNDING OF THE SOIL CONSERVATION, UM, LAKES, UH, WITH WITHIN THE WHOLE STATE.
UM, A QUICK PLUG ON THE 31ST IN THIS ROOM AND 9:00 AM IS GOING TO BE THE THREE COUNTY AREA THAT MAKES UP OUR SOIL CONSERVATION DISTRICT, UM, ALONG WITH PEOPLE FROM NATIONAL AND STATE THAT ARE GONNA COME IN AND DISCUSS SOIL CONSERVATION LAKES, FUNDINGS ISSUES, SO THAT WE AS A DISTRICT CAN GO TO AUSTIN BECAUSE WE HAVE SIX OR SEVEN LAKES THAT NEED HELP.
BUT WHAT IS KAUFMAN? WHAT IS VAN ZANT? DO THEY HAVE STUFF IN, IN, IN WORSE REPAIR? AND CAN WE FIND SOME SORT OF STRATEGY AND WORK TOGETHER AS A THREE COUNTY DISTRICT TO SEND THAT MESSAGE TO AUSTIN STRONGER AND BETTER? WE SHOULD NOT DISCOUNT HOW IMPORTANT OUR JOB IS IN LETTING OUR STATE LEGISLATURES UNDERSTAND SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LOCAL DECISION MAKING AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE, I THINK THAT FALLS REALLY HIGH ON THE LIST OF, LET US EXPLAIN TO YOU THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
DON'T JUST GIVE US AUTHORITY FOR ZONING.
DON'T JUST GIVE US AUTHORITY FOR THIS.
WE ALSO NEED TO LET YOU KNOW THIS IS AN ISSUE AND THIS IS A PROBLEM, AND WE'RE THE LOCAL BODY THAT THAT IS, THAT IS FOCUSED IN ON INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO AGAIN, UM, I, I THINK THAT'S HUGE.
UM, I THINK ANOTHER EFFORT THAT WE SHOULD REALLY UNITE ON IS PUTTING OUR ROADS INTO THE UTP.
WE NEED TO GO DOWN TO AUSTIN AND WE NEED TO PUT THE PRESSURE ON OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND OUR STATE SENATOR AND SAY, THESE ROADS ARE SUPER IMPORTANT TO THIS COUNTY, AND THESE ROADS NEED TO BE FUNDED.
WE ARE THE ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING COUNTIES IN THE ENTIRE NATION, YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT.
HOW MANY OF OUR ROADS HAVE BEEN EXPANDED? HOW MANY OF OUR ROADS HAVE BEEN BUILT IN THE LAST 20 YEARS? THE ANSWER IS FOUR, OTHER THAN INTERSTATE 30.
SO WHEN PEOPLE ARE DRIVING AROUND ROCKWALL COUNTY OR STOPPING AT STOPLIGHTS IN ROCKWALL COUNTY,
IT TAKES 20 MINUTES TO GET TO THE LIGHT AT 2 76 AND 5 48, REALLY LIKE
BACKS UP FOR FOUR MILES ON EACH WAY.
IF YOU GET TO 66 AND 35, 49, IT IS A, A SINGLE SOLID LINE OF PEOPLE ALL THE WAY THROUGH FATE.
YOU CAN'T DRIVE FROM 1138 TO THE OTHER SIDE OF ROYCE CITY AFTER FOUR O'CLOCK EVERY SINGLE DAY.
I, I GUARANTEE YOU THE AVERAGE MILE PER HOUR IS FIVE MILES AN HOUR.
WE HAVE CLEAN AIR ACT, WE HAVE ALL THESE PEOPLE.
WE'RE TRYING TO STOP, YOU KNOW, ALL, ALL OF THIS CONGESTION.
I JUST FEEL THAT AS A COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT, THOSE TYPES OF INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES SHOULD BE OUR BIGGEST THING THAT WE'RE GOING TO AUSTIN AND SAYING, YOU NEED TO HELP US.
YOU, YOU TXDOT NEEDS TO COME AND SAY, HOW CAN WE EXPAND, UH, THE FUNDING? HOW CAN WE ACTUALLY GET FUNDING FOR 5 48? HOW CAN WE ACTUALLY GET FUNDING FOR 2 76? THEY, THEY SAY, WE MIGHT EVENTUALLY GET THE FUNDING.
WE SPEND ENGINEERING DOLLARS ON IT, BUT HOW CAN WE ACTUALLY GET IT INTO THE PLAN AND GET IT BUILT? AND I THINK THAT SHOULD BE A MAJOR FOCUS FOR THE FIVE OF US GOING IN.
EVEN IF WE PASS A RESOLUTION ON THE MOST CRITICAL ROADS, MAYBE WE SHOULD FIGHT OVER THAT FOR A COUPLE HOURS AND COME UP WITH FIVE ROADS THAT WE WANT TO GO TO AUSTIN AND DEMAND GETTING IN THE UTP AND SAY, YOU NEED TO DO THIS.
THIS IS SUPER, SUPER IMPORTANT TO THE PEOPLE OF ROCKWELL COUNTY.
WE'VE GOT FEDERAL OPPORTUNITIES,
[01:00:01]
WE'VE GOT STATE OPPORTUNITIES.WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THESE ROADS BUILT AND NOT JUST TALKED ABOUT, I MEAN, 20 YEARS, FOUR ROADS, THAT THAT'S JUST A LOT OF GROWTH.
NAME FOUR, I DON'T HAVE 'EM ON TOP OF MY HEAD.
I HAVE A WHOLE PRESENTATION IN EIGHT DAYS THAT I WILL BE PRESENTING TO THIS COURT ON THE ROADS THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT AND THE ROADS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN BUILT, ROADS THAT HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT, BUT IT GETS TO FOUR, UM, THAT ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED YEAH.
AND THOSE AREN'T MY NUMBERS THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME.
SO I DIDN'T MAKE THAT UP
UM, AND, AND, AND NO OFFENSE TO THE CITIES THAT ARE HERE.
I MEAN, WE CAN GO ARGUE FOR ZONING.
WE CAN GO ARGUE FOR MUDS GETTING SECONDARY VOTES.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY MUDS IN THE COUNTY VOTING.
WE NEED TO STAY FOCUSED ON WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING TO US.
OPEN SPACES IS HAPPENING TO US, OUR, OUR ABILITY TO PRESERVE OPEN SPACES, BUILDING ROADS, MAKING SURE WE DON'T FLOOD EVERYONE WITH SOIL CONSERVATION INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WAS LAID OUT A HUNDRED YEARS, 60, 80 YEARS AGO, UM, WHEN THEY DIDN'T HAVE ALL THIS CONCRETE.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT, THAT AREN'T SEXY.
THEY'RE NOT EXCITING UNTIL A DAM MAKES NATIONAL NEWS BECAUSE IT'S FAILING
AND WE THINK THAT ENTIRE SUBDIVISION'S GONNA GET WASHED OUT OR THAT THESE, YOU KNOW, THIS STUFF IS IMPORTANT.
UM, AND, AND IT'S OUR JOB TO, TO DEAL WITH THE UNSEXY PARTS OF INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO, UM, I THINK THOSE ARE IMPORTANT.
1916 IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE.
UM, 1916 IS AN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL.
WHAT I, IIII THINK THAT WHEN IT GETS TO FINDING BLACKLAND PRAIRIE, WELL, WHO OWNS THE LAND OF SOMEONE THAT WANTS TO PRESERVE BLACKLAND PRAIRIE? HOW DO WE DO THAT? THAT'S ONE THING.
BUT WHEN SOMEONE SAYS, I'M GONNA TAKE THIS LAND THAT HAS NO ONE ON IT, AND I'M GONNA PUT 20,000 PEOPLE ON THIS LAND.
THIS ISN'T SOMEONE BUILDING A SHOP.
THIS ISN'T SOMEONE DOING AGRICULTURE.
THIS IS, THIS IS SOMEONE BUILDING A CITY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNTY WITH NO OVERSIGHT.
A MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT ITSELF MEANS THAT IT'S GOVERNMENT.
SO IT'S, SO, IT'S ALREADY GOVERNMENT.
AND IN AUSTIN, THEY'RE PRETENDING THAT IT'S NOT, THEY'RE PRETENDING THAT MUDS ARE NOT GOVERNMENT.
THEY'RE PRETENDING THAT MUDS ARE JUST PRIVATE DEVELOPERS.
IT'S JUST A PRIVATE WAY OF DEVELOPING LAND.
BUT THEN YOU HAVE MUDS BEING DEVELOPED THAT DON'T HAVE POLICE, THAT DON'T HAVE FIRE, THAT DON'T HAVE AMBULANCE.
WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU BUILD A CITY AND IT LOOKS LIKE A CITY AND IT FEELS LIKE A CITY, AND YOU'RE PAYING TAXES TO THE CITY BECAUSE MUDS ARE TAXES 'CAUSE THEY ARE GOVERNMENT.
BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHO'S GONNA ANSWER THE PHONE WHEN YOU CALL NINE ONE ONE.
AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA SIT HERE AND SAY THAT I HAVE, I'M POWER HUNGRY.
'CAUSE I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT NINE ONE ONE PICKS UP THE PHONE.
THAT'S CALLED LOCAL DECISION MAKING.
THAT'S CALLED LOOKING OUT FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MOVING INTO OUR COUNTY.
THAT'S NOT SAYING THAT I WANT THE COUNTY TO EXPAND POWER.
WE ALL KNOW THERE, THERE'S 15 PAGES IN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE THAT SAYS WHEN YOU SUBDIVIDE LAND IN THE COUNTY, THE COUNTY SHOULD HAVE OVERSIGHT FOR A REASON.
FEMA DEMANDS, WE HAVE OVERSIGHT ON FLOODPLAINS, AND THAT'S THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
WHY CAN'T WE HAVE OVERSIGHT ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE? IT'S NOT THAT BIG OF AN ASK TO SAY THAT WE CAN APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE BECAUSE OF THE ABILITY TO SERVICE AN AREA.
AND I, I JUST DON'T SEE HOW THAT'S A BIG ASK.
AND, AND I SAY ALL THAT TO SAY THAT I'M AGAINST IMPACT FEES, THAT I'M AGAINST COUNTY ZONING.
BUT 1916 ISN'T THAT BIG OF AN ASK.
AND WE CAN DEBATE THOSE HERE IN A SECOND.
I'M JUST, THERE'S KIND OF PART OF MY BRAIN DUMP FOR A MINUTE.
UM, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT A BIG ASK.
AND, AND IF, AND IF OUR STATE REPS, AND THAT IS OUR SENATOR AND OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, IF THEY'RE COMPLETELY TONE DEAF TO HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT 30,000, 20,000 PEOPLE DON'T SHOW UP IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR COUNTY WITHOUT ROADS, WITHOUT POLICE, WITHOUT FIRE, WITHOUT AN ANIMAL CATCHER, AND THEN EXPECT US TO JUST SIT AND GO, WELL, THAT PERSON HAD THE RIGHT TO DEVELOP THAT LAND.
WELL, YOU KNOW THAT THEY DON'T BECAUSE IN 2 32 OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, YOU'RE SAYING THAT WE SHOULD HAVE OVERSIGHT IN THE PLATTING ANYWAY.
SO WHY WOULDN'T WE HAVE THE OVERSIGHT TO ACCEPT OR DENY THOSE SORTS OF DEVELOPMENTS BASED UPON INFRASTRUCTURE ABILITY, THE ABILITY TO SERVE THEM, THE ESSENTIAL SERVICES.
AND I JUST DON'T THINK 1916 IS THE REACH.
SO TO SUMMARIZE, ROADS, SOIL CONSERVATION IN 1916, THOSE ARE THE THREE THAT I'M 100% FOCUSED ON.
[01:05:01]
WE NEED TO BE RINGING THAT BELL, SOUNDING THAT DRUM AND NOT LETTING ANYONE OFF THE HOOK THAT DOESN'T TAKE A POSITION ON THOSE THREE THINGS.CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? YEAH.
YOU SAID A MINUTE AGO THAT YOU'RE OPPOSED TO IMPACT FEES.
THAT'S WHY I SAID YOU SAID IT
UM, BUT YOU VOTED FOR THE COUNTY ASSESSMENTS.
THAT, THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING YOU.
I WANNA UNDERSTAND YOUR DISTINCTION.
'CAUSE I THINK THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
I, YOU AND I COULD SHAKE HANDS ON EVERYTHING YOU SAID, AND I'M NOT EVEN DISAGREEING WITH YOU ON YOUR, YOUR OPPOSITION TO IMPACT FEES.
I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR DISTINCTION IS.
BECAUSE GOING FORWARD AS A COURT, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE WORK TOGETHER HAND IN HAND.
AN IMPACT FEE IS A SET OF A SET ASIDE DE UH, ALREADY DEFINED TERM.
IT CAN BE USED FOR ROADS, SEWER, AND WATER.
IT'S ALREADY IN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE AS AN IMPACT FEE.
YOU CAN HAVE THOSE THREE THINGS.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A FIVE YEAR PLAN.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE ENGINEERS TO COME CERTIFY YOUR FIVE YEAR PLAN.
AND THEN YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DIVVY OUT THE PROPORTIONALITY OF THAT PLAN TO THE DEVELOPERS THAT ARE COMING IN.
I DO NOT WANT COUNTIES TO HAVE IMPACT FEES AS THE SAME WAY THAT CITIES HAVE IMPACT FEES.
I WANT COUNTIES TO BE ABLE TO CHARGE PROPORTIONALITY.
I WANT US TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITHIN LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE 2, 3 2 1 1 0 AND SAY, YOUR ROUGH PROPORTIONALITY IS THIS.
BUT THAT IS NOT AN IMPACT FEE.
A ROUGH PROPORTIONALITY, AN IMPACT FEE IS AN ALREADY LEGALLY DEFINED TERM IN TEXAS GOVERNMENT.
NO, WE, AND WE I I'M AWARE OF THAT.
WE DEALT WITH THEM IN HEATH AND YOU DEALT WITH THEM IN HEATH AND, UM, THEY SERVE A GREAT PURPOSE IN MY OPINION.
YOU AND ME, THAT WHATEVER IT'S CALLED, AND WHETHER YOU LIKE THE STRUCTURE OF HOW IT'S CREATED OR NOT, WE AGREE ON THE FACT THAT, UH, SOMEONE COMING IN AND DEVELOPING A PIECE OF LAND AND BRINGING RESIDENCES HOUSING AND STUFF SHOULD HAVE TO PAY A, AN A, AN AN ASSESSMENT BASED UPON, I WON'T USE THEIR WORD, THEIR IMPACT ON THE COUNTY, BUT AN ASSESSMENT TO HELP BUILD THE ROADS AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS.
YOU IS SINCE I THINK 17 OR 19 OF 'EM.
UM, THAT IS A, THAT'S A LIVING DOCUMENT.
IT'S WE CAN, SO WE CAN ADD ONE, WE CAN ADD TO IT.
AND SO TO, TO YOUR POINT, YES.
BUT I WOULD ARGUE WE ALREADY HAVE THAT AUTHORITY IN 2 3 2 1 1 0 OH, NO, WE DO.
I, IT JUST CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD WHEN YOU SAID YOU'RE AGAINST IMPACT FEE.
I, I JUST DON'T LIKE, YOU DON'T LIKE THE TRUCTURE OF YOU USING THE WORD IMPACT FEE.
AND I DON'T LIKE HAVING TO DO STUDIES AND HAVING TO DO THE ENGINEERING AND HAVING TO DO THE UPKEEP AND HAVING TO DO ALL THE FIVE YEAR PLANNING IN ORDER TO ASSESS THEM.
BUT YOU, YOU REALIZE 2, 3, 2 1, 1 OH IS GONNA REQUIRE THE ENGINEERING WORK YES.
BUT, BUT, BUT WHEN YOU REALLY LOOK AT HOW YOU HAVE TO DO AN IMPACT FEE AND MAINTAIN IMPACT FEES, IT'S REALLY CUMBERSOME.
YEAH, IT IS, YOU HAVE TO SET UP REVIEWS.
YOU HAVE TO SET UP AN ENTIRE COMMITTEE OF CITIZENS TO REVIEW THE FEES, REVIEW THE FINDINGS, AND THEY ONLY APPLY TO THREE THINGS.
SO IF WE SAY WE WANT IMPACT FEES, WE JUST GOT RID OF 13 THINGS.
I WOULD IMAGINE THAT OVER TIME, ONCE WE DO APPORTIONMENT FEES, WE'RE GONNA RUN TO THE SAME ISSUE DOWN THE ROAD.
I MEAN, IT'S, YOU CALL IT IMPACT FEES, YOU CAN CALL IT PROPORTIONALITY, WE CAN CALL IT WE'RE ALL AFTER THE SAME THING.
AND I THINK AS WE GO DOWN THE PATH OF PROPORTIONALITY, WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA END UP WITH REPORTING THAT WE HAVE.
WE'RE GONNA END UP WITH THE SAME THINGS OVER TIME, AND WE CAN'T BE AFRAID OF THOSE.
SO TO YOUR POINT, BOBBY, IMPACT FEES HAVE TO BE PROPORTIONATE.
AND THAT'S THE SAME TERM THAT'S USED IN THE 2 3, 2 1 1.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I'M GOING.
AND THEY ARE MONITORED ALSO ON A, SOME TYPE OF A CON SOME TYPE OF A TIMELINE BASIS.
I I, I FORGET IF IT'S EVERY FIVE YEARS HAVE TO REVIEW.
LIKE EVERY FIVE YEARS HAVE TO BE COMPLETELY REVIEWED.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING IT WAS.
AND, AND THAT'S, AND THAT WE WOULD, OUR PROPORTIONALITY, WE WOULD PROBABLY LOOK AT DOING SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT AS WELL.
I, I, I THINK THAT WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT IS, IS HOW IT'S UTILIZED.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU LIVE WITHIN A CITY, UM, THERE'S ALREADY SOME SORT OF BOUNDARIES.
THERE'S ALREADY A COMP PLAN, THERE'S ALREADY A FUTURE LAND USE PLAN.
[01:10:01]
UM, SO I MEAN, WE WANNA BE FOR ALL THOSE THINGS.I'M NOT SAYING I'M NOT, CITIES SHOULD REMAIN CITIES.
UM, AND COUNTIES SHOULD REMAIN COUNTIES.
WHAT MAKES COUNTY DIFFERENT IS WE DON'T HAVE FUTURE LAND USE PLANS.
WE DON'T HAVE COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING AND WE DON'T HAVE ZONING.
AND, AND, AND I WANT TO KEEP IT THAT WAY BECAUSE IN TEXAS, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO PLANT OUR FLAG AND LIVE OUTSIDE OF THE SCOPE OF A GOVERNMENT BREATHING DOWN OUR NECK.
IF WE WANNA LIVE IN A CITY, WE LIVE IN A CITY, WE GOTTA LIVE SOMEWHERE.
SO I WANNA BE ABLE TO LIVE IN A COUNTY AND NOT HAVE, BE SUBJECT TO LAND USE AND, AND ZONING.
I WANT, I WANNA BE AS FREE AS POSSIBLE, BUT HOLD ON, DON'T INTERRUPT ME YET.
WE'RE, I'M GETTING MYSELF IN QUEUE.
SO, SO THEN THE, THE, THE, UH, SO THEN THAT COMES TO THE FACT THAT THAT'S WHY USING ROUGH PROPORTIONALITY IS DIFFERENT.
'CAUSE IT'S ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
BECAUSE WE CAN'T PLAN LIKE A CITY CAN PLAN.
THEREFORE, YOU COME IN AND SAY, HERE IS YOUR IMPACT.
NOW WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO WITH OUR 9 1 1 DISPATCH CENTER.
NOW WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GONNA GET AN AMBULANCE TO YOU BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW, WE CAN'T SIT THERE AND FIGURE OUT A PLAN ON HOW TO GET THESE SERVICES TO EVERY PIECE OF RAW LAND IN THE COUNTY.
AND THAT'S JUST US GO TO A COUNTY IN WEST TEXAS.
AND, AND SO IF YOU MAKE AN IMPACT FEES, NOW THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME UP WITH HUGE PLANS ON HOW TO BUILD ROADS TO THESE PLACES AND HOW TO, TO, TO MAINTAIN COUNTYWIDE THINGS THAT THEY MIGHT NOT EVEN BE DOING BECAUSE YOU COULD JUST GO TO THE NEWER CITY AND GET FEE FOR SERVICE.
SO, SO MAINTAINING AN ACTUAL IMPACT FEE BASIS, I THINK GETS US, SO I THINK ROUGH PROPORTIONALITY, I I THINK WHILE IT FEELS ON THE SURFACE THAT THEY'RE SO SIMILAR, THEY SHOULD BE CALLED THE SAME THING WHEN THEY MIGHT BE IN ROCKWALL COUNTY, BUT THEY'RE NOT STATEWIDE.
IT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT STATEWIDE.
AND, AND THAT'S WHY I THINK IT'S BETTER TO, TO JUST FLEX 2 3, 2 1, 1 0, USE IT AND, AND IT'LL GET CODIFIED OUT IN THE COURTS MOST LIKELY AS FAR AS WHAT WE CAN AND CANNOT DO.
AND THEN ALLOW THE CITIES TO MAINTAIN THEIR IMPACT FEES.
AND I, AND I DON'T, I DON'T DISAGREE, UH, WITH WHERE YOU'RE GOING WITH THIS.
AND I, I UNDERSTAND YOUR, YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS ON THAT, WHERE YOU WANT COUNTIES TO BE COUNTIES, MY CONCERN, AND MAYBE IT'S SPECIFIC TO ROCKWALL COUNTY, IS THAT IN OUR GEOGRAPHIC MAKEUP, WHICH IS TINY, AND WHAT HAPPENS IN THE COUNTY DIRECTLY AFFECTS THOSE RIGHTS OF THE INDIVIDUALS IN THE CITIES.
AND THAT'S WHAT OUR CITIZENS HAVE ASKED US TO ADDRESS.
AND SO IF WE JUST GO AND SAY, HEY, COUNTIES, YOU CAN BE COUNTIES AND WE WANT TO PLAN OUR FLAG TO USE YOUR QUOTE, THAT PLANTING OF THAT FLAG IS GONNA IMPACT SOMEBODY RIGHT NEXT DOOR IN A CITY.
WHETHER THEY CHOSE TO LIVE IN A CITY OR A COUNTY, KIND OF DOESN'T MATTER AT THAT POINT IN OUR LANDMASS MAKEUP, IT DOESN'T MATTER.
AND SO I, I, THAT'S WHY I WANT THOSE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE COUNTY.
I WANT TO HAVE SOME FORM OF CONTROL OVER THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR LAND THAT'S LEFT.
THE 30 SOMETHING PERCENT OF LAND MASS THAT'S LEFT IS IN THE COUNTY.
AND IF WE DON'T START TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE RIGHTS OF THOSE PEOPLE LIVING RIGHT NEXT TO THAT, THAT ARE MM-HMM
IN CITIES, THEN WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE NOT GONNA END UP WITH SOMETHING THAT WE LIKE HERE.
AND I, AND I UNDERSTAND YOUR SEPARATION OF THEM, BUT, BUT MY, MY CONCERN IS THAT IF WE TURN A BLIND EYE TO THAT, THAT WE ARE SAYING, YES, WE WANT SOME OF THESE PROPORTION PROPORTIONALITY FEES, AND WE'LL HAVE THE MONEY, AND THE CITIZENS WON'T PAY FOR SOME OF THIS INFRASTRUCTURE AND SOME OF THESE IMPACTS THAT THESE DEVELOPMENTS MAKE, BUT THEY'RE GONNA BE LIVING SOMEWHERE THEY DON'T LOVE IN THE PROCESS.
BECAUSE NO MATTER HOW MUCH INFRASTRUCTURE YOU BUILD, IF WE HAVE THREE OR FOUR MORE OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS, WE'LL NEVER CATCH UP.
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT MONEY WE TAKE IN FROM THOSE THINGS.
AND, AND, AND JOHN, I WOULDN'T, I'M NOT GONNA GET HUNG UP ON IMPACT FEES.
'CAUSE I THINK, AGAIN, YOU AND I COULD SHAKE HANDS ON VIRTUALLY EVERYTHING YOU SAID, SO I'M NOT GONNA GET HUNG UP ON WHAT WE CALL IT.
BUT I THINK YOU SAID SOMETHING THAT I JUST HAVE TO POINT TO.
'CAUSE I, IT, IT'S SO CRITICAL AND IT'S PART OF THIS, IT'S USED THE, THE TERM PROPERTY RIGHTS OR MM-HMM
LIVING IN THE COUNTY VERSUS LIVING IN THE CITY.
YOU SAID, I WANNA PLANT MY FLAG AND YES.
THE ISSUE THAT I SEE THAT'S, THAT THAT IS, THAT KIND OF BECOMES A, A, A RED HERRING IS BECAUSE THE, THE AUTHORITY TO DEVELOP, WHICH HAS BEEN TAKEN FROM THE COUNTY TO GOVERN DEVELOPMENT IN, IN SIGNIFICANT WAYS, NOT TOTALLY, BUT IN SIGNIFICANT WAYS IT'S BEEN TAKEN COMPARED TO CITIES, IS ALLOWS DEVELOPMENT OF PROPERTY NOT BY PEOPLE THAT WANNA
[01:15:01]
PLANT THEIR FLAG AND LIVE IN THE COUNTY, BUT BY PEOPLE THAT MIGHT LIVE IN NORTH DALLAS OR HOUSTON OR, UM, ROUND ROCK OR ANYWHERE.BUT THEY BOUGHT SOME LAND HERE.
AND THEY'RE NOT COMING TO ROCKWALL COUNTY TO LIVE, THEY'RE COMING TO ROCKWALL COUNTY TO MAKE MONEY, WHICH IS GREAT.
I'M A BIG FAN OF MAKING MONEY,
BUT WHAT WE CAN'T SAY, WHAT WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL IS TO MAKE OUR, THE PEOPLE THAT GO INTO THIS PROPERTY RIGHTS ARGUMENT, UNDERSTAND WE'RE NOT TRYING TO STOP SOME GUY FROM SHOOTING FIRECRACKERS ON THE 4TH OF JULY IN THE COUNTY.
WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN DEVELOPERS COME IN, AS BOBBY SAID, THE DEVELOP NO, BOBBY SAID ANYONE.
THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT I'M MAKING THE DISTINCTION.
WELL, WE HAVE TO BE TALKING ABOUT DEVELOPING THE LAND AS OPPOSED TO LIVING IN THE LAND THAT, BECAUSE WE'RE SENDING A REALLY BAD, YOU'RE STARTING A REALLY BAD MESSAGE SAYING, I WANT THE COUNTY TO BE ABLE TO ZONE, WHICH MEANS I CANNOT BUY LAND AND MOVE INTO ANY COUNTY IN TEXAS WITHOUT GETTING APPROVAL OF THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS FIGURE OUT HOW TO TAKE THAT ARGUMENT AND SAY, YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO SUBDIVIDE THAT LAND.
YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO TURN THAT INTO COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO PUT 6,000 HOMES THERE BECAUSE THAT INHERENTLY CREATES HARM.
AGAIN, YOU AND I ARE TALKING ABOUT KIND OF THE SAME THING.
I JUST, BUT BECAUSE THE, WHAT I WAS SAYING IS THAT WE'VE SEEDED THAT AUTHORITY TO DEVELOP TO PEOPLE WHO AREN'T PLANTING THEIR FLAG.
AND AREN'T LIVING IN THE COUNTY.
BUT WE'VE, IT IS BEEN SEEDED TO THEM BECAUSE THE STATE SAYS YOU CAN'T DO IT.
SO, UM, I, AGAIN, I DON'T WANNA GET HUNG UP ON WHAT WE CALL THINGS BECAUSE WE'RE ALL KIND OF SAYING THE SAME THING AND WE GOTTA PRESENT A UNIFIED FRONT.
BUT THE IDEA THAT JUST 'CAUSE IT'S IN THE COUNTY, JUST 'CAUSE I OWN LAND IN THE COUNTY, NOW I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT.
'CAUSE I DON'T LIVE IN HEATH OR MCLENNAN CHISHOLM OR FATE OR WHEREVER, WHERE THEY CAN REGULATE ME.
I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT THERE.
WELL, IF YOU'RE LIVING THERE, I'M MORE SYMPATHETIC TO YOUR ARGUMENT.
IF YOU'RE JUST BUYING LAND TO DEVELOP IT.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S REAL SYMPATHETIC TO THAT ARGUMENT.
AND THAT'S WHERE A FUTURE LAND USE MAP, WE HAVE ONE, THE COUNTY HAS ONE.
AND, AND I, I DO THINK THAT'S WHAT WE NEED.
THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S WHAT MANY OF THE CITIZENS WHO INVITE, WHO ELECTED ALL FIVE OF US UP HERE, SITTING HERE, IS FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROTECTING, WE'RE PROTECTING THEIR RIGHTS, WE'RE PROTECTING THEIR PROPERTY RIGHTS.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, A A, A FUTURE, A LAND USE MAP CAN HELP DO THAT AND CAN HELP US ACCOMPLISH THAT.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY TRYING TO GET THE, THE, UM, CONTROL THAT BOBBY AND, AND LAUREN HAVE TALKED ABOUT.
THAT'S HOW IT ALL, TO ME, THE DOTS ARE ALL CONNECTED THAT WAY.
SO LET ME TRY, UH, A QUICK SUMMARY HERE.
UH, AND, AND I GOTTA TELL YOU, I'VE BEEN SITTING HERE JUST SMILING.
I'M, I'M ENJOYING THIS CONVERSATION.
UM, SO, UM, AND, AND I'M GONNA TAKE THESE BACK TO MY CATEGORIES HERE.
SO, UM, MUST HAVES, UH, I'VE GOT FOUR THINGS LISTED, UH, LOCAL CONTROL IN WHATEVER FASHION THAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
AND I THINK WE CAN GET THE ENTIRE COUNTY TOGETHER TO HAVE VERY COMMON RESOLUTIONS, MUD REFORM.
AND I HAVE, UH, IN PARENTHESES 1916, I MEAN THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE NEED.
AND AGAIN, COMMISSIONER STACY IS CORRECT ASKING THAT SOMEBODY DEVELOP A SAFE DEVELOPMENT IS NOT ASKING TOO MUCH.
THAT THAT IS, THAT'S NOT ASKING TOO MUCH.
UH, AND I'VE GOT SOIL CONSERVATION LAKE FUNDING UNDER MUST HAVE.
UH, WHICH IS SOMETHING AGAIN, THOSE, WE HAVE, I BELIEVE 22 SOIL CONSERVATION LAKES IN THE COUNTY THAT WERE DESIGNED IN 1950S TO HANDLE RUNOFF FROM, UH, FARMLAND AND PRAIRIE LAND.
AND NOW WE HAVE IMPERVIOUS COVER EVERYWHERE.
AND IT'S, UH, IT'S HANDLING MORE, MORE RUNOFF THAN IT WAS DESIGNED FOR.
NUMBER FOUR IS ROADS, GETTING OUR ROADS IN THE UTP, WHICH REQUIRES PROBABLY ANOTHER WORKSHOP, MAYBE AT THE CONSORTIUM TO USE IT LIKE THE PEOPLE THE CITIZENS THINK IT'S USED, AND ACTUALLY COME UP WITH A LIST OF THREE OR FOUR ROADS AND GO TO TXDOT, UH, JUST LIKE I DID A YEAR OR SO AGO, AND HAVE A MEETING AND SAY, WE, WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS.
UH, THEY'VE BEEN REALLY RECEPTIVE TO THAT.
SO THAT'S THE FOUR THINGS I HAVE UNDER MUST HAVE UN UNDER WOULD BE GOOD.
I'VE GOT, UH, HAVING THE ROCK WALL AS A HERITAGE TOURISM SITE, UH, HAVING A NEW DISTRICT OR COUNTY COURT.
WE, WE'VE ALREADY SENT THE DATA OVER AND WE'RE DOING BACK AND FORTH.
UH, NUMBER THREE, COUNTY MOTOR FUEL TAX EXEMPTION.
UH, JUDGE RANSOM, UH, HAS DONE THE HEAVY LIFTING.
[01:20:01]
THAT THAT GETS THROUGH.SIMPLE RESOLUTION SHOULD DO THAT.
UH, WE ALREADY PASSED THE RESOLUTION.
WE, WE, WE DID, WE DID, UH, NUMBER FOUR, A HOTEL TAX, UH, TO, TO USE, TO FUND OPEN SPACE AND OUR HISTORIC COMMISSION.
UH, AND AGAIN, THAT'S A SIMPLE, SIMPLE THING.
UH, NUMBER FIVE, CREATE A STATE PARK.
THE LOCATION SEEMS TO MAKE SENSE.
UH, NUMBER SIX, PRESERVE BLACKLAND PRAIRIE.
UM, IF WE CAN FIND GRANTS, FIND SOME ASSISTANCE FROM THE STATE, I THINK WE, WE SHOULD DO THAT.
IF WE CAN'T, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT ENOUGH.
WE, AND NUMBER SEVEN, PROMOTE TRAILS AND BIKE LANES.
SO THAT'S THE, THE SEVEN THINGS THAT'S UNDER THE WOULD BE GOOD.
NOW, I'VE GOT, UH, UNDER PLANT SEEDS, I PUT COUNTY ZONING.
AND THE REASON I PUT IT UNDER PLANTING SEEDS IS BY THIS, THE 90TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
WE WILL KNOW WHICH ONE OF OUR APPORTIONMENTS HAVE MADE IT THROUGH THE COURTS AND WHICH ONES HAVEN'T.
AND THEN WE CAN EITHER DETERMINE, YES, WE'RE GOOD WITH THAT, OR WE CAN GO BACK AND START DRAFTING THE ARGUMENT FOR, HEY, WE NEED ZONING NOW.
UM, I'M, I'M MAYBE OVERLY OPTIMISTIC, BUT I'M PRETTY OPTIMISTIC THAT, THAT THEY ALL, THEY ALL STICK.
UH, AND THEN I HAVE UNDER OPPOSE, I'VE GOT TWO THINGS HERE.
UH, SB 1 0 2, AND I MADE THE SIMPLE NOTES.
AND, AND, UH, COMMISSIONER LTY I THINK WAS, WAS RIGHT ON, UH, I SUMMARIZED MY ASSESSMENT WITH IT STOPS SHORT.
SO PUTTING AN OPINION, WE CAN, WE CAN GIVE OUR OPINION NOW.
IT DOESN'T GIVE US WHAT WE NEED.
IT DOES NOT GIVE US WHAT WE NEED.
SO WE, WE OPPOSE THAT IN ITS CURRENT FORM.
ANOTHER ONE, UH, THAT I HAVE AS OPPOSING IS SB 76.
AND THAT REMOVES VOTE CENTERS.
UH, AND, AND I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND OTHER COUNTIES HAVE ISSUES THAT THEY NEED TO SOLVE.
WE, WE HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE VOTE CENTERS HERE.
IT, IT MAKES IT EASIER FOR OUR VOTERS TO VOTE AND TO VOTE QUICKLY, VOTE EFFICIENTLY.
UH, SO THERE, THERE'S NO NEED TO HAVE 28 VOTING LOCATIONS.
AND DOESN'T THAT KIND OF SUPPORT LOCAL CONTROL? IT, IT DOES.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE, THE TWO I HAVE UNDER OPPOSE.
WHAT, WHAT, WHAT HAVE I MISSED? CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? YES, SIR.
BECAUSE, AND, AND LOOK, ALL OF THAT'S GOOD.
WE CAN ALL TALK ABOUT SHOULD WE BE IN THIS CATEGORY, THE OTHER CATEGORY.
BUT AGAIN, I, I LOVE THE, THE COMMON VISION WE HAVE AND A REALLY, A BIG FAN OF PROMOTING COMMON VISION.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE IN THIS COUNTY.
BUT ON, ON YOUR, YOUR OPPOSED, YOU SHOULD SENATE A BILL 1 0 2, AND THAT'S THE ONE WHERE THEY, UH, THEY TAUGHT WHERE YOU PUT STOP SHORT, WHERE THEY WANNA SAY THEY GIVE YOU BASICALLY CREATE A NEW RIGHT.
WHICH I THINK IS ALREADY THERE TO HAVE INPUT INTO, UM, MUDS THAT ARE BEING DEVELOPED IN THE COUNTY.
AND HERE, HERE, HERE'S MY FEAR ALONG THAT LINE, UH, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY SEMANTIC AND IT'S RELATING TO THE CREATION OF A MUD.
I, I FEAR THAT, UH, OUR ELECTEDS IN AUSTIN WILL SAY THAT'S MUD REFORM.
WHEN IT'S NOT REALLY ANY SUBSTANTIVE REFORM.
IT IS JUST WORDSMITHING IN EXISTING LOCAL DECISION MAKING POINT THAT WE HAVE, OR LACK THEREOF.
SO I I I, I WORRY THAT THIS IS A, HEY, LOOK, WE DID SOMETHING.
WELL, WHAT YOU DID DIDN'T HELP.
DUDE, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU.
THAT THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT'LL BE SAID IS, AND SO I HAVE THIS SAME FEAR, UM, AND THE ANALYSIS.
I THINK THE ONLY THING I WOULD PROPOSE, AND THIS IS SOMETHING I'D LOOK TO PEOPLE WHO KNOW MORE ABOUT DEALING WITH, UH, AUSTIN, IS IS THERE ANY WAY, INSTEAD OF OPPOSING IT, WE CAN SAY, LET'S CHANGE IT.
'CAUSE, AND IT'S THE REASON I SAID OPPOSE IN ITS CURRENT FORM.
BECAUSE IF, IF WE'VE GOT, UH, OUR SENATOR, OUR STATE SENATOR WHO'S SAYING, I WANNA HELP YOU GUYS, WHICH HE IS MM-HMM
AND WE THINK YOU'RE HELP, YOU'RE NOT HELPING US EXACTLY THE WAY WE WANT YOU TO, BUT WE LIKE THAT YOU'RE HELPING US.
SO HOW ABOUT IF YOU PUT IN THIS SENTENCE AND THEN IT BECOMES A LOT BETTER? BECAUSE IF, IF ALSO IT SAYS WE GET TO APPROVE, WELL, THEN YOU'VE GOT YOUR 1916 BILL SOLVED.
AND SO, AGAIN, THIS IS MORE OF A STRATEGY COMMENT, I'D SAY TO THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE MORE CAPABLE OF DEALING WITH THOSE FOLKS THAN ME.
BUT TO ME, IT SEEMS BETTER IF, AND SAY, I OPPOSE YOUR BILL.
IF WE SAY WE WANNA MODIFY YOUR BILL, AND HERE'S WHY.
[01:25:01]
HERE'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT ABOUT IT, I THINK, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GOOD.I'M GONNA NOT, NOT ALL SENTENCES ARE CREATED EQUAL.
TAKING THAT BILL AND SAYING THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT SHOULD APPROVE IT.
NOT ALL SENTENCES ARE CREATED EQUAL.
IT, IT, IT, IT, IT IT IS, IT IS, IT IS GONNA BE A NON-STARTER WITH THE SENATE LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE.
THEY, THEY ARE DIRECTLY OPPOSED TO THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURTS WEIGHING IN ON THE FORMATION OF MUDS.
BUT WE, I, I'M NOT SURE I'VE FOLLOWED YOU ON THIS, BUT AGAIN, I THINK WE WERE SAYING THE SAME THING BECAUSE WHAT YOU SAID JUDGE KNEW, UM, YOUR SECOND MUST HAVE WAS HOUSE BILL 1916 INCLUDED WITHIN MUD REFORM.
AND I KNOW THERE ARE PEOPLE DIRECTLY OPPOSED TO IT.
BUT IF WE'RE SAYING, WELL, WE WANNA PUT A MUST HAVE OF HOUSE BILL 1916, BUT WE'RE OPPOSED TO HOUSE BILL, SENATE BILL 1 0 2, WHY DON'T WE TRY, AND AGAIN, YOU GUYS, BOBBY, YOU WORK WITH THOSE GUYS DOWN THERE.
WHY DON'T WE TRY AND SAY, HEY, LET'S, HERE'S WHAT WE REALLY NEED.
AND IF YOU WANNA DO IT, COMBINE YOUR 1916 WITH YOUR 1 0 2 AND GIVE US WHAT, WHAT WE WANT, AND WORK YOU IN THAT DIRECTION.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS, I GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, COMMISSIONER STACY AS WELL, SAYING, IF WE GO TO THE FAR END OF WHAT WE WANT, WE'RE JUST GONNA, IT'S JUST GONNA SHUT THE WHOLE THING DOWN.
AND UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, COMMISSIONER, LIKE D IS THAT LET'S NOT SHUT THE DOOR.
LET'S MAYBE USE THIS AS A STEPPING STONE, GET A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WHAT THIS BILL IS OFFERING AND JUST, AND GET SOMEWHERE TOWARDS WHAT WE WANT.
THIS BILL DOESN'T DO ANYTHING.
IT, IT DOESN'T, FRANKLY, IT DOESN'T REALLY DO ANYTHING BECAUSE WE CAN ALREADY DO THIS.
BUT COULD IT GIVE US, COULD WE ADD SOMETHING THAT'S AGREEABLE TO GET US SOMETHING ELSE? IT MIGHT NOT GET US ALL THE WAY THERE, BUT DON'T SHUT THE DOOR ON THE WHOLE THING WHEN WE'VE GOT SOMEBODY ALMOST IN THE ROOM.
MAYBE LOOK AT IT FROM THAT ANGLE TOO.
SO WOULD, UH, JUST A CONVERSATION HERE FROM MY OPPOSE LIST, WE WOULD WANNA REMOVE SB 1 0 2 AND MAYBE PUT IT OVER IN A SUB LIST TO BE EDITED.
WHAT, WHAT DOES TAX SAY? NEEDS WORK.
AND, AND THERE, THIS IS THE BILL THAT NEEDS WORK MEANS WE'LL NEVER GET BACK TO IT.
SO I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA STEAL THAT.
SO WE'RE OKAY WITH THE SB 76 REMAINING IN THE OPPOSED THE REMOVING OF THE VOTE CENTERS.
I AM, I PERSONALLY OPPOSE REMOVING VOTING CENTERS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS BOARD DOES, BUT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY IT WOULD COST US IF THAT BILL WERE TO PASS.
I, I MEAN, MAYBE THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO GO.
MAYBE WE NEED TO, TO PASS A RESOLUTION AND ACTUALLY PUT THE PHYSICAL IMPACT TO ROCKWALL COUNTY AND SAY, IF THIS BILL WERE TO PASS, IT WOULD COST US THIS MUCH MONEY.
I MEAN, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT WOULD COST A FORTUNE.
THAT WOULD BE KAUFMAN COUNTY DID A RESOLUTION, UH, THAT CHRIS LYNCH SENT TO ME.
AND I SAID, YES, I, I WOULD BE, I WOULD SUPPORT A RESOLUTION SAYING, YOU'RE, YOU'RE AGAINST CLOSING THE VOTE CENTERS, BUT NOT AS WRITTEN BY KAUFMAN COUNTY.
JUST BECAUSE IT WAS A, NOT VERY WELL WRITTEN, NOT VERY CONCISE.
I KINDA LOST FOCUS ABOUT THE THIRD, WHEREAS, AND, AND WANDERED OFF.
SO, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER THAT'S VERY SPECIFIC THAT SAYS IT WILL COST THIS MUCH MONEY.
IT WILL REQUIRE THIS MUCH TRAINING.
I MEAN, IT WOULD, IT WOULD, WOULDN'T IT ALMOST DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF ELECTION STAFF WE NEED? IT WOULD DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF EQUIPMENT WE NEED INTO MM-HMM
I MEAN, SO YOU CAN BASICALLY TAKE OUR ELECTIONS BUDGET ALMOST AND JUST PUT A MULTIPLE OF TWO ON IT.
AND IF WE COULD, IF WE COULD MAP THAT OUT IN A MEANINGFUL WAY AND PUT THAT INTO A RESOLUTION MM-HMM
I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
LIKE EIGHT DAYS AND SEND IT DOWN THERE.
I MEAN, THE, THE ARGUMENT WOULD BE THAT, UH, SAFE, UH, ELECTIONS ARE, YOU CAN'T PUT A DOLLAR AMOUNT ON IT.
AND MY COUNTERARGUMENT WOULD BE, WE, WE HAVE SAFE ELECTIONS HERE.
THE SYSTEM IS FUNCTIONING NOW.
AND, AND I DON'T, I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY EVIDENCE TO THE FACT THAT THE SYSTEM ISN'T WORKING.
AND WHAT, SO WHAT PROBLEM IS SB 76 REALLY TRYING TO ADDRESS FOR ROCKWALL? RIGHT.
NOT FOR ROCK WALL, LARGER COUNTIES.
NOT ONCE AGAIN, IT'S FIGHTING AUSTIN HOUSTON.
UH, COMMISSIONER LTY, YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE THAT'S NOT, UH, VOCALIZED ON, ON UH, SB 76.
I HAD A HARD TIME UNDERSTANDING IT WHEN I READ IT
[01:30:01]
WELL, WHAT'S THAT? SO I, I WILL MAKE AN ATTEMPT AT WRITING A, A SOMEWHAT OKAY.
UM, SO JUDGE, I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS BECAUSE IT GOES BACK TO, I'M, I'M PRETTY MUCH IN AGREEMENT WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE, YOU, YOU HAVE HERE, BUT I THINK THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A BIG PUSH ON THIS HOUSING AFFORDABILITY.
AND I KNOW WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE SAYING ABOUT MUDS AND WE'RE, BUT WE, WE NEED TO GO BACK AND MAKE SURE THAT WE OPPOSE THAT BECAUSE WE ARE A FAST GROWING COUNTY, ONE OF THE FASTEST, AND WE'RE ALREADY IDENTIFYING MAJOR HURDLES THAT WE'RE GOING TO PROBABLY EXPERIENCE OVER THE NEXT FIVE TO 10 PLUS YEARS.
BUT IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE FORCED TO PUT SOMETHING IN THAT'S GONNA SUPPORT THIS OR THAT, YOU KNOW, GOES ALONG WITH THEIR HOUSING AFFORDABILITY CHALLENGES, THAT'S ALSO GOING TO CREATE A NUMBER OF CHALLENGES FOR THIS COUNTY.
IT, IT, IT IS AND IT IS, UH, FRUSTRATING.
'CAUSE LIKE I SAID EARLIER, I, I ENJOY THIS CONVERSATION MM-HMM
I'M NOT, I'M NOT JUST SAYING THAT I LIKE THAT PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS AND CAN BACK UP THEIR OPINION.
WHY DO YOU THINK THAT AND WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS AND, AND APPORTIONMENT? AND, AND WE CAN HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS.
YOU CAN'T EVEN HAVE AN HONEST CONVERSATION ABOUT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY.
AS SOON AS YOU ASK WHAT IS AN AFFORDABLE HOUSE? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT HOUSE? 'CAUSE UH, YOU KNOW, JIM BARTO, OUR PIO SENT ME THE LATEST DOCUMENT THAT'S GOING THROUGH AUSTIN AND THEY KEEP TOGGLING BACK AND FORTH, HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, APARTMENT RENTS MM-HMM
PRICES OF HOMES, HOME INVENTORY, RENT FROM APARTMENTS OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS.
AND IT'S LIKE, WHAT? GIVE ME THE NUMBER, A NUMBER.
WHAT IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING? AND WHAT IT'S PULLING ON IS THE IDEA THAT, THAT THEY WILL NOT, THEY DO NOT WANT A LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO CONTROL DENSITY IN, IN, IN ANY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY WHATSOEVER.
UM, I THINK THEY ALMOST, I'M PRETTY SURE THEY SPELLED THAT OUT PRETTY CLEAR IN ONE OF THE COMMITTEE HEARINGS I'VE HEARD RECENTLY IS THAT THAT'S THE GOAL IS TO BE ABLE TO GO INTO ALL RESIDENTIAL ZONING.
NO ONE HAS ANY AUTHORITY TO REGULATE DENSITY.
SO IF IT'S, IF IT'S ZONED RESIDENTIAL, THEY CAN PUT UP A HIGH-RISE RIGHT.
THEY COULD PUT IN APARTMENTS, THEY COULD PUT IN SINGLE FAMILY.
THEY COULD PUT IN ZERO LOT HOUSING.
IT'S GOING TOWARDS THE IDEA THAT YOU, THAT NO LOCAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE ABLE TO SAY ONE HOUSE PER ACRE, OR, YOU KNOW, IN THIS SUBDIVISION, WE WANT THIS TYPE OF, OF, OF HOME DENSITY.
UM, I, I THINK THAT THAT'S WHERE THAT'S HEADED.
WELL, IT, IT ACTUALLY GOES FARTHER THAN THAT, IF YOU DON'T MIND ME INTERRUPTING.
UM, BECAUSE I AGREE WITH YOU THAT THAT IS WHAT THEY, THAT'S A GOAL OF SOME PEOPLE, BUT THERE ARE ALSO PEOPLE WHO VIEW DENSITY AS A SOLUTION.
AND THE PEOPLE THAT THINK IT'S GOOD TO HAVE GEORGE BUSH WITH THOUSANDS OF APARTMENTS AROUND IT.
'CAUSE WHERE PEOPLE ARE LIVING CLOSE TO THE ROAD MM-HMM
OR IN THE FUTURE, CLOSE TO THE RAILROAD TRACKS OR WHATEVER, THEY VIEW DENSITY AS A SOLUTION.
AND AGAIN, FOR OUR COUNTY, THAT THAT FAILS 99.9 TO ONE.
SO, BUT, BUT AGAIN, YOU JUST LOOK AT, YOU HAVE TO, TO LIVE WITH THE REALITY, THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION IS THEY HAVE THEIR VOTES TO REMOVE ZONING DENSITIES.
SO HOW DO YOU WORK IN THAT REALITY? HOW, HOW, HOW DO YOU TRY TO GET SOMETHING GOOD OUT OF THAT AND, AND THAT BECOMES SO DIFFICULT? WELL, BUT IT'S, IT'S HOW THE GAME'S BEEN PLAYED FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS, GUYS.
THE, THE ONES THAT ARE PUTTING IT IN, THEY CAN, THEY CAN NOT BE REELECTED.
WE, WE'VE, WE'VE SAID THAT WORD A LOT LATELY IN THE LAST YEAR.
AND ESPECIALLY A SMALL COUNTY LIKE ROCKWALL.
I MEAN THERE, THIS, THIS TYPE OF MANDATE COULD BE VERY DETRIMENTAL TO NOT JUST THE COUNTY.
AND THEN I'M TALKING THE QUALITY OF LIFE THAT, THAT, THAT, UM, THAT LAUREN WAS TALKING ABOUT.
IF, IF, IF, AND WE HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING, IF I'M THE WHIP IN THE STATE HOUSE, I, I CAN LET SOME PEOPLE VOTE KNOW
IT DOES FEEL LIKE, UM, THE BATTLE IS SOMEWHAT OF A FOREGONE CONCLUSION.
UM, SPEAKING FROM SOMEONE WHO WENT DOWN AND FOUGHT A WINDMILL FOR MONTHS ON END MM-HMM
BUT FRANK AND THE, AND SO WHERE, I'M JUST TRYING TO CIRCLE BACK.
I MEAN, THAT WAS THE ONE ITEM I WANTED TO ASK YOU GUYS ABOUT.
BUT I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING, AND, AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE ENJOYING THIS CONVERSATION 'CAUSE I THINK THIS IS GREAT.
[01:35:01]
GOT TWO NEW GUYS ON, ON THE COURT WITH US.AND I, I DO WANT IT NOTED THE FIRST TIME COMMISSIONER PRECINCT THREE HAS SAID THE WORDS.
HOW DOES THAT FEEL, JUDGE? I, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT.
BUT WHAT I WANTED TO ASK IS, UM, IF WE CAN KIND OF BEGIN TO CIRCLE BACK, 'CAUSE WE, WE'VE, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF GREAT THINGS ON THE TABLE.
WHAT IS YOUR, YOUR PLAN AS FAR AS HOW DO WE TAKE IT TO THE NEXT STEP? SO I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A MEETING IN THE, WELL, WE'LL HAVE OUR FIRST ONE, BUT WE PROBABLY WON'T BE READY, BUT MAYBE BY THE END OF JANUARY I WOULD, CAN WE COME BACK WITH THIS? YEP.
THE SECOND MEETING IN JANUARY TO HAVE THE RESOLUTIONS.
SO IF, IF WE'RE ALL IN AGREEMENT ABOUT THE, THE, THE WOULD BE GOODS AND, AND THE MUST HAVES AND MY EDITED OPPOSE TO A NEEDS WORK MM-HMM
UH, AND THE PLANTING SEEDS, I, I THINK WE COME BACK AND, AND I WOULD ASK THAT YOU COME BACK WITH SOME SORT OF RESOLUTION MM-HMM
AND YOU'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO GET WITH THE TOURISM MM-HMM
ASK THEM WHAT THEY WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE.
AND YOU CAN BRING THAT BACK FOR US TO VOTE ON AND ADOPT, UH, THE NEW COURT.
I'LL JUST HAVE FELICIA COPY THE OLD ONE WE DID WHEN WE GOT THE COURT AND MAKE ALL THE NECESSARY UPDATES.
PLEASE, PLEASE COME, COME WHILE I'M RAMBLING.
UH, AND THEN THE COUNTY MOTOR FUEL, WE'VE ALREADY DONE THAT.
I WANT TO SAVE YOU FROM RAMBLING, BUT, UM, I THINK I'D BE REMISS IF WE DIDN'T.
ONE OF THE STRATEGIC GOALS, GOAL SIX, PUBLIC SAFETY, A LOT OF DISCUSSION TODAY, BUT NOTHING ON PUBLIC SAFETY ITSELF.
UH, SO ONE OF THE, WITHIN YOUR CATEGORIES, UH, SB 22 FUNDING FOR THE COUNTY MM-HMM
NEED TO ADVOCATE TO RETAIN THAT.
'CAUSE THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER UNFUNDED THAT FUNDING GOES AWAY.
THAT'S GONNA BE A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT.
FINANCIAL IMPACT TO THE COUNTY.
UH, MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVES AND FUNDING.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT SPECIFICALLY FALLS OUT, BUT, UM, CERTAINLY LEE, OUR DA AND SHERIFF COULD, UH, FILL IN THE BLANKS.
WELL, WE HAVE CONSTABLES CHASING SOME SB 22 FUNDS AS WELL.
AND, UH, AND THEN ANY RELATED BORDER SECURITY AND IMMIGRATION INITIATIVES, UH, SPECIFICALLY TO THE SHERIFF.
AND, UH, SHERIFF GARRETT AND I HAVE INFORMALLY DISCUSSED THAT.
UH, I THINK THOSE ARE THE THREE, THREE BIG HITTERS OR SOME SPECIFIC JAIL IMPACT ITEMS. I THINK THAT GARRETT, UH, THAT, THAT SHERIFF MAY ALSO WANT TO ADD INTO YOUR, UH, LIST.
IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATE COMMUNICATION METHODS, RIGHT.
HOW, WHAT THE FCC CELL PHONE, ET CETERA, HOW THAT'S FUNDED, CARRIED FORWARD.
GOT I, I WILL GET WITH THE SHERIFF.
BUT NO, THOSE, THOSE ARE BOTH.
GOOD, GOOD ITEMS. UM, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT, AS YOU GUYS MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW, SO WE, WE WILL, YOU KNOW, COME UP WITH OUR AGREEMENT HERE AS A COURT.
THIS IS WHAT WE ARE SUPPORTING.
AND THAT'LL HAVE THE MOST TEETH, ESPECIALLY IF WE CAN PULL IN THE CITIES OF THE COUNTY AS WELL AND SAY, HERE'S WHAT THE ENTIRETY OF ROCKWALL COUNTY COUNTY MM-HMM
BUT THERE'LL ALSO BE THINGS THAT THE SHERIFF WILL GO OFF AND PURSUE ON HIS OWN.
WE'LL HAVE THINGS THAT JENNIFER FOG WILL GO OFF ON HER OWN.
WE'LL HAVE THINGS THAT COMMISSIONER STACY WILL, WILL GO OFF AND, UH, TRY TO PROMOTE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY WHAT I WANTED TO ASK YOU TOO, THEN, BECAUSE LAST FRIDAY I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH, UM, JUDGE MASAR AND I SEE JUDGE NORTON IN THE, IN THE AUDIENCE, UM, AS WELL AS JUDGE RUSSO.
AND THEY HAD SOME, UM, THEY HAD SOME CONCERNS OF SOME BILLS THAT ARE OUT THERE RIGHT NOW THAT ARE GOING TO, UM, THEY'RE UNFUNDED MANDATE, SO TO SPEAK.
AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A, HAVE A BIG, UM, IMPACT.
AND I'M LOOKING AT BOTH OF YOU GUYS, IF EITHER ONE OF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME UP AND SHARE WITH THEM THE GROUP HERE.
BUT THEY SENT ME A, THEY DID SEND ME AN EMAIL JUDGE AND, AND COMMISSIONERS OF, OF A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT HAVE THEM CONCERNED WITH, UM, SOME BILLS THAT COULD HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT.
AND THEN AGAIN, I DID RECEIVE SOMETHING ALSO FROM THAT WAS FORWARDED TO ME FROM, UM, FOR, FROM THE CONSTABLES AS WELL.
SO, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY CONSTABLES IN HERE, BUT, UM, THEY ALSO HAVE SOME, SO WHAT, WHAT SPECIFICALLY IS THE CONSTABLES? THE CONST? WELL, THE SB 22, THEY, THEY HAVE SB 22 AS THEIR FIRST ONE.
THEN THEY ALSO HAVE, UM, THE TEXAS BLUE HALO BILL.
AND, UM, IT'S A BILL THAT WOULD CREATE A 25 FOOT DISTANCE, UM, FOR ALL FIRST RESPONDERS IN THE MIDST OF PERFORMING THEIR OFFICIAL DUTIES.
AND IT KIND OF GOES, IT, IT, I GUESS IT HAS TO DO WITH POTENTIAL OBSTRUCTION.
UM, AND THEN THEY, UM, THEY HAVE ONE THAT, UM, PEARSON, A HOUSE BILL 10 76 AND HOUSE BILL FOUR 14.
UM, AND THE COMPANION, COMPANION BILL FROM CAMPBELL, UM, AS FAR AS REMOVING UNAUTHORIZED OCCUPANTS
[01:40:01]
OF A, A DWELLING.AND I DID VISIT A LITTLE BIT WITH, UM, TREY CHENEY LAST WEEK AFTER THE, UM, WHEN HE WASN'T HERE FOR SWEARING IN.
AND HE, HE SHARED SOME OF, SOME OF THESE SAME CONCERNS WITH ME ON THAT SPECIFIC ONE TOO.
SO I'M HAPPY TO SHARE THESE WITH YOU, BUT YOU MAY BE RIGHT.
IT MAY BE THAT WE DON'T KNOW IF THEY NEED TO COME TO THE TOP, UM, RAISE, RISE TO THE TOP TO BE PUT IN IERS SO THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING THEM.
LIKE THE ONE THAT MARK TALKED ABOUT ON SB 22.
I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU WANT IT, HOW WE REALLY WANNA DO THAT AS A COUNTY.
SO, SO THE JP ONE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE ONE THAT COULD CHANGE THE WAY THE CAD DISPUTES ARE? NO, IT WAS, UM, IS IT DIFFERENT? IT'S, UM, IT HAS TO DO WITH BAIL REFORM, DOESN'T IT? OKAY.
UM, BEN, DO YOU WANT, YOU OR TONY WANNA COME UP AND TALK ABOUT THAT AND ALSO THE, THE, YOUR JURISDICTIONAL LIMIT ALSO TOO? THAT'S, YEAH.
AND THERE'S THE APPRAISAL BOARD APPEAL, UH, TONY NORTON, JUST THE PEACE PRECINCT ONE.
UH, I MEAN, I'LL BE GLAD TO ASK, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, MARK PREPARED THAT DOCUMENT FOR, FOR Y'ALL'S REVIEW.
UH, THE ONE THAT REALLY AFFECTS US, THE BAIL REFORM PUTS A, A LIABILITY ON MAGISTRATES.
UM, IF WE, UM, I MEAN ANYBODY COULD SUE US AT ANY POINT FOR, UH, SETTING A, SETTING A BOND ON SOMEBODY AND THEY GO OUT AND DO SOMETHING AFTER THE FACT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE SET OUR BONDS ACCORDINGLY AND WE, WE DO IT ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS BASED ON THE CRIME, THEIR CRIMINAL HISTORY.
I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT FACTORS THAT GO INTO IT.
SO THAT DECISION'S NOT TAKEN LIGHTLY.
UM, BUT HAVING A LIABILITY THAT WE CAN BE SUED UP TO $10 MILLION FOR LETTING A CRIMINAL OUT THAT PROBABLY SHOULDN'T, YOU KNOW, BE ON THE STREETS.
BUT WE HAVE TO SET A BOND TO LET 'EM OUT BECAUSE OF CERTAIN, YOU KNOW, RULES THAT ARE SET IN A CRIMINAL CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURES.
WE CAN'T JUST KEEP 'EM FOREVER.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T, WE HAVE TO SET A BOND IF IT'S, UM, AT SOME POINT WE JUST, WE HAVE TO SET IT, WE HAVE TO SET IT ACCORDINGLY.
THE OTHER ONE WAS THE, UH, RAISING THE JURISDICTIONAL LIMIT ON CIVIL CASES UP TO $50,000.
UM, WE THINK THAT'S GONNA INCREASE OUR CASELOAD QUITE SIGNIFICANTLY.
WHAT IS IT? UM, IT'S AT 20,000.
UM, IT WOULD, I MEAN, IT WOULD INCREASE OUR CASELOAD TREMENDOUSLY.
UM, 'CAUSE MOST OF OUR CREDIT CARDS, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR DEBT CLAIMS, OUR SMALL CLAIMS, I MEAN, A LOT OF YOUR CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES THAT DO DO HOME, YOU KNOW, REPAIRS, BILLS FROM THE COUNTY COURT AND IT WOULD TAKE 'EM FROM THE COUNTY COURT AND PUT 'EM INTO OUR COURT.
UH, SO THAT ONE WOULD BE A BIG, UH, INCREASE IN OUR, IN OUR, UM, IN OUR DOCKETS ON THE CIVIL SIDE, ALSO, THE APPRO.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION THERE? YES, SIR.
SO I KIND OF THE SAME QUESTION THE JUDGE WAS ASKING.
SO THEY'RE FILING THOSE SUITS GOING FROM 20 TO 50, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT WOULD TAKE CASES FROM THE COUNTY COURT AND MOVE 'EM INTO YOURS.
BUT IS THE REASON FOR YOUR OBJECTION THAT YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH STAFF? OR WHAT'S THE REASON FOR YOUR OBJECTION? YOU CAN'T, I DON'T, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S A VALID OBJECTION JUST TO SAY, WELL, I DON'T WANT BIGGER DOLLAR CASES.
WELL, NO, THAT, THAT, THAT'S NOT THE DEAL.
IT'S GONNA INCREASE, IT'S GONNA INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CASES THAT WE HAVE TO HANDLE AND WHICH IS GONNA INCREASE STAFF AND IT'S GONNA INCREASE OUR BANDWIDTH ON OUR DOCKETS.
'CAUSE WE SHARE A COURTROOM RIGHT NOW WITH ANOTHER COURT.
AND ONCE WE GET TO THAT LEVEL WHERE WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE SPACE TO, YOU KNOW, DURING THE DAYTIME TO DO A FULL DOCKET, THEN, YOU KNOW, WE, WE GOTTA LOOK AT SOMETHING ELSE.
WE GOTTA EITHER HAVE OUR OWN COURTROOM OR WE GOTTA HAVE A LITTLE MORE BANDWIDTH TO, TO HANDLE THOSE TYPE OF CASES.
SO THAT THE INCREASE IN CASES, THE REASON THEN, AS I'M UNDERSTANDING IT, IS THAT IT WOULD COST A LOT MORE.
THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO INTO YOUR, WE'D HAVE TO CREATE A BIGGER BUDGET FOR THE JPS, WHETHER IT BE STAFF OR COURTROOMS OR WHATEVER.
UM, IT'S GONNA REDUCE, IT'S GONNA REDUCE THE CASELOAD TO THE COUNTY COURTS AT LAW, SOMEWHAT UHHUH,
SO IT'S MORE OF A MOVING OF MAYBE PERSONNEL AND FUNDS THAT, THAT TYPE OF DEAL TO, TO HELP MANAGE THAT.
UH, IT WILL INCREASE OUR DOCKETS, UH, WHICH IS GONNA INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CASES WE HAVE FILED.
AND, AND THEN IT'S, IT, IT'S ABSOLUTELY GONNA AFFECT NEEDING PROBABLY ANOTHER CLERK FOR SURE.
UM, AND THERE'S ANOTHER ONE IN HERE I'LL TALK TO ABOUT IN A MINUTE THAT'S GONNA DO THE SAME THING IF IT WAS TO PASS, UM, ANY, DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? THE, THEY'RE ALSO WANTING THE
[01:45:01]
JUSTICE COURTS TO ADHERE, UH, APPRAISAL BOARD APPEALS.SO IF THE APPRAISAL BOARD, UH, RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, THEY, IT GOES TO DISTRICT COURT AND I KNOW WE'VE, WE'VE LOOKED AT ADDING ANOTHER COUNTY COURT AT LAW AND, AND ANOTHER DISTRICT COURT, AND IF WE'RE TAKING THE CASE LOADS FROM THEM, HOW ARE WE GONNA GET TO THAT LEVEL WHERE WE CAN JUSTIFY A COUNTY COURT AT LAW AND ANOTHER DISTRICT COURT? UM, BUT THERE, IF WE DO APPRAISALS, THAT'S A 90 DAY PERIOD ON APPEALS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING NOTHING BUT APPEALS FOR THOSE 90 DAYS.
AND I MEAN, IT WOULD BE A CHALLENGE, UH, TO, FOR US TO GET ALL OF THOSE HEARD WITHIN THAT 90 DAY PERIOD.
AND I'M SURE IT WOULD BE DISTRICT OR PRECINCT SPECIFIC.
SO I WOULD HEAR THE ONES IN ONE, YOU KNOW, TWO, THREE AND FOUR ACCORDINGLY.
UM, BUT THERE'S NO JURISDICTIONAL LIMIT ON THAT.
SO AT THIS POINT, IT'S JUST AN APPEAL FROM THE APPRAISAL BOARD WOULD GO TO OUR COURT INSTEAD OF GOING TO THE DISTRICT COURT.
WELL, AND IF I UNDERSTAND RIGHT, AT LEAST RIGHT NOW, THE JP COURT, YOU CAN ALWAYS DO AN, AN APPEAL DE NOVO IF YOU LOSE, RIGHT.
ANY APPEAL FROM OUR COURT IS A TRIAL DE NOVO UP TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
SO IF THAT WOULD STAY THAT WAY WITH THE DISTRICT COURT ON, ON, I'M SORRY, ON THIS APPEALS FROM THE APPRAISAL REVIEW BOARD, IT WOULD JUST PROBABLY FURTHER CLOG THE SYSTEM COULD IN MY, I I YEAH, BUT IT COULD, IT COULD RESOLVE SOME OF THEM AND, AND REDUCE THE CASE LOAD UP TO THE HIGHER COURT.
UM, YOU KNOW, OR IT COULD DEPENDING, OR IT COULD CREATE A, A BOTTLENECK YES.
YEAH, NO, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU ON THIS ONE.
UM, SO I MEAN, THAT ONE, IF IT HAS SOME JURISDICTIONAL LIMITS, UH, TO WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE VALUE OF THE, OR THE TAXABLE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY WAS UNDER 10,000, YOU KNOW, THEN WE WOULD HEAR THOSE.
AND THEN THE DISTRICT COURT CAN HANDLE THE ONES ABOVE 10,000 AND ABOVE, UM, I THINK WOULD BE, AND THAT'S THE ACTUAL TAXABLE VALUE, UM, OR THE TAX ASSESSMENT TO THE PROPERTY.
IF WE HAD SOME KIND OF LIMIT ON THAT, IT, IT MIGHT BE A MORE OF A WORKABLE, UH, OPTION.
UM, AND THEN I THINK THE LAST ONE THAT, THAT MARK HAD ON HERE WAS, UM, THE PUBLIC MAGISTRATES.
WE'VE HAD A, UH, FEDERAL COURT DECISION THAT COME OUTTA THE FIFTH CIRCUIT RECENTLY THAT BASICALLY SAYS WE HAVE TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO MAGS.
UM, WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD ONE REQUEST THAT I KNOW OF SINCE THAT'S WHEN IN EFFECT, WHERE WE, YOU KNOW, WE JUST ALLOWED SOMEBODY INTO THE VISITATION AREA AND WE DID A MAGISTRATION OF THE VISITATION.
BUT WE'RE, WE'RE THINKING THAT, UH, IF THIS ENDS UP PASSING, THAT IF WE COULD, YOU KNOW, DO A CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION TYPE DEAL WHERE THERE'S A PUBLIC AREA THAT THEY CAN VIEW IT, UH, I THINK IT FIXES THE PROBLEM.
OR IF WE HAVE A ONLINE ACCESS WHERE WE GIVE 'EM A, A KEY OR A CODE, THEY CAN, UM, ACCESS THAT MAGISTRATION DURING THAT LIVE FEED TIMEFRAME.
UH, THE CONCERN WE HAVE IS RECORDINGS OF THAT.
SO, I MEAN, BUT NOTHING STOPS SOMEBODY FROM TAKING A PHONE AND, YOU KNOW, VIDEO AND A TV SCREEN.
SO WE WOULD JUST HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, FOLLOW UP WITH A CONTEMPT CHARGE ON SOMETHING LIKE THAT IF WE, IF WE CAUGHT SOMEBODY DOING IT.
SO, AND THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT SOUNDS REAL GOOD WHEN YOU'RE REMOVED FROM IT AND SAY, YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC HAS A RIGHT TO GO.
WATCH THEIR COUSIN BE MAGISTRATED, BUT RIGHT.
THE FACT THAT THEY'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE JAIL AND IN A SECURE RIGHT AREA.
WELL, THERE'S A, THERE'S A CAVEAT, THERE'S A CATCH 22 ON THIS PARTICULAR ONE BECAUSE THE LEGISLATURE IN THE LAST SESSION SAID, ANY JUDICIAL WORK PRODUCT WITH, THERE'S A LIABILITY FOR US AND IT'S A CLASS A MISDEMEANOR IF WE RELEASE A, A JUDICIAL PRODUCT, WHICH A MAGISTRATION IS.
SO IF WE RELEASE THAT TO THE PUBLIC, WE'RE, SO WE'RE LIABLE TO IT FOR A CLASS A MISDEMEANOR.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING WITH OCA ABOUT THAT AND, YOU KNOW, DO WE FOLLOW THE FEDERAL, YOU KNOW, CIRCUIT COURT DECISION OR DO WE FOLLOW STATE LAW, WHICH IS, PUTS A CRIMINAL PENALTY ON US INDIVIDUALLY IF WE, YOU KNOW, UNLAWFULLY, YOU KNOW, DISSEMINATE A JUDICIAL WORK PRODUCT TO THE PUBLIC.
SO WE'RE, THAT'S THE ONE GETS MY, UH, HAPPENS OFF IS THE REMOVING THE IMMUNITY, RIGHT? YEAH.
THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S THAT'S HORRIBLE.
AND THAT, AND THAT'S BACK UP ON THE JAIL REFORM
[01:50:01]
AND IT PUTS, UM, IT PUTS CERTAIN MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR A FELONY.A CAPITAL FELONY WOULD BE 5 MILLION MANDATORY.
UH, FIRST DEGREE WOULD BE 3 MILLION.
UH, SECOND DEGREE FELONY WOULD BE AN AUTOMATIC $2 MILLION BOND.
WE HAVE NO DIS WE WOULD HAVE NO DISCRETION ON THOSE.
UH, AND THEN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, I COULD UNDERSTAND THAT IF IT WAS, YOU KNOW, A VIOLENT OFFENSE, THAT KIND OF THING.
BUT THERE ARE SOME FIRST AND SECOND DEGREE DRUG OFFENSES THAT, YOU KNOW, MAY OR MAY NOT.
I MEAN, THAT TO ME, THAT SEEMS KIND OF EXCESSIVE UNLESS THEY'RE DEALING OR MANUFACTURING.
SO THEY'RE TRYING TO MANDATE SCHEDULE.
YEAH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TRYING TO MANDATE A SCHEDULE FOR THE FELONIES ONLY.
UH, WHICH IS WHAT THAT BAIL REFORM IS TRYING TO DO, THE IMPACT ON OUR, AND THEN IT ADDS THAT LIABILITY PART OF IT AT THE BACKSIDE.
I MEAN, IS IS THOSE ARE MANDATED HIGHER, THE IMPACT ON OUR JAIL GROWS.
IT ENDS UP IN AN UNFUNDED, CORRECT.
WHAT YOU DO IS WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU SET THOSE BONDS AT HIGH AND SOMEBODY CAN'T MAKE THAT BOND, WHERE DO THEY STAY? THEY STAY IN THE JAIL UNTIL THEY, WE GET 'EM THROUGH THE COURT SYSTEM.
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S A, THAT'S A DRAIN ON.
IT'S CONCERNING THE OTHER UNFUNDED MANDATES THAT YOU BROUGHT UP BEFORE CONCERNING MOVING, UH, YOUR LIMIT UP.
UM, I CAN UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT OVER TIME IN OUR COUNTY IS GONNA REALLY ALLEVIATE ENOUGH PRESSURE ON THE DISTRICT COURTS TO TO MATTER.
BUT IT'S CERTAINLY GONNA, UH, UH, MAKE US PAY FOR ANOTHER CLERK AND THE TAXPAYERS OF THE COUNTY DO THAT FOR YOU, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ALSO HAVE THE APPRAISAL.
WELL, I MEAN, I MEAN THE WORKLOADS, THE WORKLOAD, I MEAN, WHETHER IT'S THE COUNTY COURT THAT'S RIGHT AT LAW DOING IT OR US DOING IT, IT'S STILL GONNA BE THE SAME IMPACT ON THE COUNTY.
IN MY OPINION, I THINK THE CASE LOADS IS THE CASE LOAD AND THAT'S GONNA INCREASE WITH THE POPULATION.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, AS WELL AS I DO WHAT COMES WITH, WITH INCREASED POPULATION.
SO, SO WHAT, WHAT WOULD YOU ASK THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT TO DO WITH THESE? ON, ON WHICH ONE? ON, ON ON ALL OF THEM.
WHAT, WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO DO? UM, I MEAN, THE BAIL REFORM, WE'RE, WE'RE TOTALLY OPPOSED TO THE, UH, LIABILITY, UH, SIDE OF THAT.
AND I THINK THE WHOLE BILL AS A WHOLE, BECAUSE IT MANDATES THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY DISCRETION ON SETTING BONDS ACCORDING TO THAT INDIVIDUAL.
WHEN YOU START PUTTING A SCHEDULE TOGETHER, YOU MAY HAVE A FIRST TIME OFFENDER THAT COMMITTED A SECOND DEGREE FELONY, AND IT'S NOT A CRIME AGAINST A PERSON.
IT'S, IT'S A CRIME AGAINST THE STATE OR THE LAWS OF THE STATE.
AND IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A VIOLENT CRIME, BUT YET THEY HAVE A $2 MILLION BOND BECAUSE THEY COMMITTED THAT LEVEL OF OFFENSE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE UNFAIR TO SOMEBODY THAT, YOU KNOW, YES, THEY VIOLATED THE LAW ABSOLUTELY, AND THEY SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, DO WE HOLD 'EM TO THAT KIND OF LEVEL OF BOND WHERE THEY CAN'T BOND OUT AND THEY CAN'T POST A BOND AND THEY HAVE TO SIT IN JAIL AND LOSE THEIR LIBERTY UNTIL THEY'RE WAITING FOR A TRIAL.
AND THINK ABOUT THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE OF WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF, UH, A LESS CONSERVATIVE SIDE WERE TO COME INTO POWER AND BE ABLE TO ADJUST THAT SCHEDULE A DIFFERENT DIRECTION OUT OF OUR LOCAL CONTROL.
DO WE WANT THAT? DO WE WANT THEM TO HAVE THEIR HANDS ON THAT AT ALL? NO, GOOD POINT.
BUT, UH, ON, ON THAT HOUSE BILL 1167, I THINK WE'RE ALL OF US IN AGREEMENT.
WE, WE DO NOT WANT TO SEE THAT ONE.
UM, AND I THINK ON THE JURISDICTIONAL LIMIT, I THINK THERE'S A, THERE'S A NEED FOR AN INCREASE.
I DON'T THINK 50,000 IS THE, IS WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.
I THINK SOMEWHERE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE 30,000, I CAN SEE WITH INFLATION THE WAY IT HAS WENT UP IN THE LAST, UH, YEAR OR TWO.
UM, I CAN SEE THAT MOVING UP TO SOME, SOME, A LITTLE BIT TO HELP EASE A LITTLE BIT OF THE, THE CASELOAD ON THE COUNTY COURTS AT LAW.
UM, THE APPRAISAL BOARD APPEAL WE'RE, WE'RE ABSOLUTELY OPPOSED TO THAT.
UM, WE THINK THAT'S GONNA PUT A, A STRAIN ON THE COURT SYSTEM WE'RE WE WOULD HAVE TO PUT OUR COURTS ON HOLD FOR CRIMINAL AND CIVIL CASES FOR 90 DAYS, BASICALLY.
IS THERE A JP ORGANIZATION THAT'S
THE, JUST THE PEACE AND CONSTABLE'S ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS IS, IS, UH, COMING OUT TO OPPOSE THAT AS WELL.
UM, THAT, THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA, AND IT'S ONE OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THOSE DEALS THAT, UM, THAT AFFECTS, IT AFFECTS THE CASELOAD BASICALLY TO WHERE IT KNOW, ESPECIALLY IN A COUNTY LIKE OURS, SOME OF THESE SMALLER COUNTIES, IT PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE AS BAD.
[01:55:01]
CASE LOAD AND A CIVIL CASE LOAD, LIKE OUR JUSTICE COURTS HAVE IN THIS COUNTY, WE FOR 90 DAYS, THOSE HAVE, THOSE APPEALS HAVE TO BE HEARD WITHIN 90 DAYS.AND YOU KNOW, MOST, MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT I'VE TALKED TO THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE APPRAISAL, UM, SIDE OF THE HOUSE, IT, IT TAKES EVERY BIT AND SOMETIMES 10 TO 12 HOURS EACH DAY TO GET THROUGH THAT 90 DAY PROCESS, ESPECIALLY IN A LARGER COUNTY.
SO, UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY WOULD BE A TAX ON, ON EVERYBODY.
UM, AND THE PUBLIC MAG, I MEAN, THAT'S, WE'RE, WE'RE FOR THAT.
WE, WE DON'T OPPOSE ANYTHING THAT THAT LIMITS PUBLIC ACCESS, BUT THERE'S SOME CLEANUP WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE ON THAT, UH, TO WHERE WE'RE NOT VIOLATING THAT CLASS A BY DISSEMINATING A JUDICIAL WORK PRODUCT, UH, TO THE PUBLIC.
AND SO THERE'S, THERE'S GOTTA BE A GIVE AND TAKE ON THAT, THAT, THAT WE CAN ADJUST, EITHER TAKE THAT SUIT THAT PENALTY AWAY, UH, OR SAY THAT THIS IS NOT A JUDICIAL WORK PRODUCT THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE IN THE LAW TO SAY THAT OUR MAGISTRATE PROCESS IS NOT PART OF THAT, UM, TO TAKE IT OUT TO WHERE WE, WE ARE COMPLYING WITH BOTH FEDERAL LAW AND STATE LAW AT THE SAME TIME.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW WE CAN'T DO BOTH.
I MEAN, IF YOU HAD TO PICK TWO OF THESE FOR US TO PLUG IN WHI WHICH, WHICH WOULD THEY BE? WOULD IT BE THE BAIL REFORM WOULD, I WOULD SAY THE BAIL REFORM AND THE APPRAISAL BOARD APPEALS.
I MEAN, I HATE TO JUST STACK OPPOSITIONS TO
UM, AND THE ONLY REASON I ASK THAT IS IF I PUT THESE FIVE ON TOP OF THIS, AND THEN WHEN I GET WITH THE SHERIFF AND GET HIS FIVE AND THE CONSTABLES WILL HAVE FIVE MORE, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA LOSE FOCUS.
UH, UH, ANY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU JUDGE, NOR THANK YOU.
DID, DID WE TALK ABOUT THE ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT REFILED? HAS THAT BEEN REFILED OFFICIALLY? UH, COMMISSIONER LTI BROUGHT IT UP, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF, HAVE WE DECIDED TO DO ANYTHING WITH STANDING OPPOSED TO THAT OR? WELL, UH, TO ME THAT THE REASON I BROUGHT IT UP IS 'CAUSE IT FALLS WITHIN THIS LOCAL CONTROL CONCEPT, RIGHT? IF I AGREE WITH THE JUDGE, IT'S EASY TO BE OPPOSED TO THING.
AND, BUT FOR ME, IT'S REALLY PART OF THAT LOCAL CONTROL BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, FOR EXAMPLE, IN HEATH WHERE I LIVE, YOU CAN BUILD AN ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT WITHIN THE, THE PARAMETERS THEY'VE DESCRIBED.
UM, AND YOU CAN'T, THIS WOULD TAKE ALL THAT AWAY.
AND THAT'S WHY I THINK IT, IT'S A LITTLE CUMBERSOME BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A DOG IN THAT SPECIFIC FIGHT.
WE'VE GOT A DOG IN THE GENERAL FIGHT OF LOCAL CONTROL, BUT RIGHT NOW PEOPLE CAN BUILD NOTHING BUT ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS.
THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE TO HAVE A MAIN UNIT OUT IN THE COUNTY.
UM, SO LOCAL CON LOCAL CONTROL IS A GOOD, A GOOD FIGHT, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN, OTHER THAN SUPPORTING OUR, OUR CITIES.
SO, SO I, I, I KIND OF WANNA GO BACK AND CIRCLE BACK TO KIND OF WHAT WE, WHAT WE STARTED WITH, WITH, UM, MAYOR BILLINGS.
SO WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT MAYBE A TWO-TIERED APPROACH TO THIS.
AND, UM, AND I'M GONNA JUST, FOR ROCKWELL COUNTY, IS THERE A, 'CAUSE I, I THOUGHT I HAD REMEMBERED, JUDGE.
WE HAD TALKED ABOUT TRYING TO MAYBE HAVE LIKE NO MORE THAN FIVE, YOU KNOW, ISSUES.
AND WE HAVE WAY MORE THAN FIVE.
AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT, THAT THEY'RE ALL, THEY'RE ALL VERY IMPORTANT AND I KNOW WE'VE GOT 'EM IN DIFFERENT, PERHAPS CATEGORIES, BUT, SO WE'RE GOING TO, EACH OF US, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING THIS CORRECTLY, WE'RE GONNA COME UP WITH A PROPOSED WORDING FROM A RESOLUTION STANDPOINT.
UM, BUT, AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL DISCUSS THAT AT THE MEETING THAT YOU DID, THAT YOU MENTIONED.
BUT AFTER THAT, AND THEN IN BETWEEN THAT TIME PERIOD WHEN OTHER BILLS ARE BEING FILED THAT MAY EITHER BE SUPPORTIVE OF OUR POSITIONS OR THE OPPOSITE, WHAT TYPE OF, WHAT TYPE OF PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES DO YOU ENVISION US AS A COURT STAYING ON TOP OF SO WE CAN KEEP EACH, KEEP COMMUNICATING TO EACH OTHER WHEN THERE ARE, UM, ISSUES THAT COULD AFFECT ONE WAY OR OTHER? THESE, SO I'M, I'M GLAD YOU ASKED
WE THINK THE, LIKE, SOMETIMES, BECAUSE I, I, I JUST SIT HERE AND I WAS ASSIGNING ESSENTIALLY TRACKERS AND, AND, AND THAT'S WHAT IT'S GONNA TAKE.
'CAUSE ONE OF THE MOST FRUSTRATING THINGS IS, YOU
[02:00:01]
KNOW, HOUSE BILL 1916, YAY WE'RE FOR THAT.THAT WAS REWRITTEN AND REWORKED 12 TIMES.
AND THERE WAS A COUPLE OF THE ITERATIONS OF LIKE, OH NO, I I'M NOT FOR THAT.
SO WE, WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL SAYING WE'RE FOR IT.
IT SMALL CHANGES AT SOME POINT CAN, CAN CHANGE THE WHOLE THING.
SO WE, WE HAVE TO JUST TRACK AS WE GO.
SO, UM, KIND OF, AND, AND AGAIN, THIS WAS JUST ME MAKING NOTES.
UM, SO THE HERITAGE TOURISM SITES I, I HAVE IN YOUR LAP.
SO YOU WOULD GET WITH THE STATE, GET THE, THE WORDING THAT THEY NEED, BUT THEN TRACK WHERE THAT GOES.
I I IS THAT GOING TO, WHEN WHEN IS THE IMPORTANT PINCH POINTS? YES.
WHERE WE NEED TO BE IN FRONT OF THAT COMMITTEE.
AND THEN IT'S YOUR JOB TO COMMUNICATE BACK TO US, TO THE GROUP.
UH, SO THE, THE DISTRICT COURTS, I'VE GOT THAT IN MY LAP.
UH, I'LL, I'LL BE THE ONE DOING THAT.
I'M JUST GONNA WAIT ON JUDGE RANSOM TO SAY, HEY, WE, WE NEED SOMEBODY DOWN HERE.
AND, AND IT, IT MAY BE A DONE DEAL.
UM, IT'S BEEN WORKING IT FOR A WHILE.
UH, SO THE HOTEL TAX, I, I WILL, I WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT.
I'VE GOT THE NEXT THREE THINGS.
OR LAUREN LTY, CREATE A STATE PARK PRESERVE, BLACKLAND PRAIRIE, PROMOTE TRAILS AND BIKE LANES.
SO THAT YOU, YOU, YOUR JOB WOULD BE TO GET US A RESOLUTION, APPROPRIATE RESOLUTION.
WHETHER YOU WANT TO TIE ALL THREE OF THOSE TOGETHER OR NOT IS UP TO YOU.
AND THEN TRACK WHERE, WHERE WE GO WITH IT.
UH, THE SB 22 FUNDING AND THE BORDER SECURITY THAT, UH, MARK KIPPET BROUGHT UP.
UH, I'M SURE THE SHERIFF'S ASSOCIATION IS ALREADY TRACKING.
UH, I MENTIONED SOMETHING TO ME THAT HE WAS GONNA GET A SOMETHING SO HE YEAH.
I, I'LL, I'LL GET WITH THE SHERIFF.
THEY'VE ALREADY DONE THE HEAVY LIFTING, THE BAIL REFORM AND APPRAISAL BOARD APPEAL THAT, THAT, UH, OUR JPS, UH, OPPOSE, UH, I'LL GET WITH JUDGE RUSSO AND HAVE HIM GET WITH THE APPROPRIATE PEOPLE AND WRITE US UP SOMETHING THAT, THAT, THAT WE CAN OPPOSE THAT, UM, THE LOCAL CONTROL I'VE GOT ME, BUT IT'S REALLY GONNA BE MAYOR BILLINGS, WHO'S, UH, THE CITY OF FATE IS WRITING THE LEGISLATION FOR US.
I'LL BRING THAT BACK TO WHERE WE CAN VOTE ON THAT.
1916, I'VE GOT ME, JUST BECAUSE I'VE RIDDEN THAT PONY FOR A COUPLE YEARS, I'LL SEE IF THERE'S ANY LIFE LEFT IN IT.
UH, SOIL CONSERVATION, LAKE FUNDING, UH, COMMISSIONER STACY, UH, GETTING ROADS IN THE UTP.
I'VE GOT COMMISSIONER STACY, UH, UM, REMOVING THE VOTE CENTERS.
BUT AS I LOOK AT IT, I'VE NOT LANDED TOO MANY THINGS IN BOBBY'S LAP.
SO I'M GONNA SCRATCH THROUGH AND GIVE THAT TO BOBBY.
AND THEN THE NEXT TWO ARE BOBBY'S AS WELL.
THE PLANTING SEEDS, THE COUNTY ZONING AND THE NEEDS WORK.
AND THEN, SO YOUR JOB WILL BE TO BRING BACK SOMETHING AT THE SECOND COURT IN JANUARY THAT WE CAN APPROVE AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE TO TRACK IT FROM THERE.
'CAUSE IT, IT TRULY GETS CONVOLUTED.
YOU KNOW, YOUR JOB AS, AS YOU GUYS KNOW, IS TO GET IT INTO COMMITTEE, GET IT OUTTA COMMITTEE, GET IT TO THE FLOOR, GET IT APPROVED, GET IT OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE, GET IT INTO COMMITTEE, OUTTA COMMITTEE TO THE FLOOR.
AND UM, WHEN YOU SAY BRING IT, WHEN YOU SAY BRING IT BACK BY THE SECOND MEETING, DO YOU MEAN BRING BACK A RESOLUTION? A RESOLUTION? YEAH.
UM, CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? UM, WE, YOU BROKE THESE FOUR CATEGORIES HERE.
UM, ARE WE GONNA STATE 'EM AS FOUR CATEGORIES OR WE'RE JUST GONNA STATE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES? 'CAUSE I KIND OF THINK PLANT SEEDS.
THAT'S NOT HOW WE'RE GONNA STATE THE RE WE ARE NOT THE, THE WOULD BE GOOD.
I NEED NOW PLANTING SEEDS NOW, EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T NEED IT NOW.
BUT COMMISSIONER STACEY, CAN YOU, UM, CAN YOU ALSO, BEFORE OUR MEETING, CAN YOU SEND SOMETHING TO ME, UM, IN REGARDS TO THE ROADS THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE PUTTING TOGETHER? BECAUSE I YOU, YOU DIDN'T, I DON'T THINK I HAVE ANYTHING HANDED OUT FROM YOU ON YOUR ISSUES.
I, I, I THINK WHAT I'M PROBABLY GOING TO DO IS I'LL, I'LL, I'LL TALK, I'LL TALK TO THE JUDGE IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NECESSARILY NEED ANOTHER WORKSHOP, BUT WE NEED SOME SORT OF FORMAT FOR US TO COME INTO SOME SORT OF AGREEMENT ON WHAT OUR ROAD PRIORITIES ARE AND OUR ASK
[02:05:01]
OF THE STATE.I KNOW WHAT THEY ARE IN MY PRECINCT.
I KNOW WHAT I'M GONNA BE ASKING FOR, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE EVEN THE MOST IMPORTANT.
THAT'S JUST THE MOST IMPORTANT TO ME,
SO I, I DON'T KNOW IF THE CONSORTIUM WILL GET IT DONE, BECAUSE WE'VE NEVER DONE IT IN A CONSORTIUM BEFORE.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW PRODUCTIVE DROPPING THAT IN THE CONSORTIUM'S LAP TO SAY, WHAT ARE THESE, WE HAVE THE LIST, WE HAVE THE FUNDING MECHANISMS. I ALMOST THINK ANOTHER WORKSHOP IS THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THE ROAD DEMAND, UM, TO, TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST.
AND THEN ONCE WE HAVE THAT WORKSHOP TO TRY TO FUNNEL THAT IN TO THREE OR FOUR OR FIVE OR SIX ASKS, TAKE THAT RESOLUTION AND I CAN TAKE IT TO SENATOR HALL.
I CAN TAKE TO TAKE IT TO REPRESENTATIVE PEARSON.
AND THEN WE CAN START GOING TO TEXT OUT AND SAYING, THIS IS WHAT OUR ASK IS.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET DONE.
SO IF WE HAVE ANOTHER WORKSHOP AFTER OUR COURT MEETING ON THE 14TH, WELL THEY HAVE TO GO TO AUSTIN FORT.
WELL, I, I, NO, NO, NOT, NOT IMMEDIATELY AFTER.
I'M SAYING DAYS, DAYS AFTER, WHENEVER THEY GET BACK IN BETWEEN, UH, THE SECOND AND THE FOURTH TUESDAY.
UH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE WHAT WE NEED TO ACCOMPLISH.
AND WE WOULD JUST PROBABLY NEED TO ORGANIZE THAT AS QUICKLY AS TOMORROW AS FAR AS WHEN, WHEN WE COULD ALL GET TOGETHER.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S THE ONLY WAY TO DO IT.
I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'LL TAKE FIVE HOURS, BUT IT, IT TAKES CONCERTED THOUGHT.
OF, OF SAYING WHAT ROADS ARE YOU GONNA ADVOCATE FOR IN YOUR PRECINCT? AND, AND, AND WHAT PROBLEM DOES GETTING THAT ROAD FOR T CAUSE WHAT TXDOT ROADS ARE, ARE, ARE THE BIGGEST ISSUES FOR US TO GO ASK TDOT FOR.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A PRETTY COMPLICATED PROCESS.
AND I, BUT I THINK THE CITIES NEED THE, THE, THE DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN THE CONSORTIUM.
I'M JUST SAYING, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA WALK INTO A CONSORTIUM MEETING AND SOLVE ALL THESE PROBLEMS IN THE CONSORTIUM MEETING.
THEY NEED TO PART THIS WORK SESSION THOUGH, BECAUSE I MEAN, THEY'VE GOT, THEY'VE GOT SO MUCH MORE DATA THAN WHAT WE HAVE THAT I HAVE ANYWAY.
I'LL INVITE, I'LL INVITE ALL THE CITIES JUST LIKE I DID HERE.
NOTED FOR THE RECORD FATE AND ROCKWALL SHOWED UP.
UM, WHAT ELSE? WHAT ELSE? ANYTHING ELSE? NOTHING FROM ME, DUDE.
WELL, IF WE'VE GOT NOTHING ELSE, THANK YOU.
UH, I'M GONNA TELL YOU AT 3 0 7 WE ARE ADJOURNED.