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[A) INVOCATION; Commissioner John Stacy]
ALL RIGHT.WELCOME TO THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT REGULAR MEETING.
I'M GONNA ASK COMMISSIONER STACEY TO LEAD US IN OUR INVOCATION, THEN I WILL LEAD US IN OUR PLEDGES.
DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY AND THIS OPPORTUNITY TO COME BEFORE YOU.
I PRAY FOR YOUR WISDOM AND THAT YOUR WILL BE DONE IN OUR MEETING TODAY AS WE DISCUSS THE COUNTY BUSINESS.
LORD, I PRAY THAT YOU BE WITH OUR MILITARY AND ALL THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE CURRENT CONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND THEIR FAMILIES, WHEREVER THEY MAY BE.
LORD, I PRAY FOR ALL OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AND THEIR FAMILIES AS THEY GO OUT DAY IN AND DAY OUT TO KEEP US ALL SAFE.
AND WE PRAY ALL THIS IN JESUS' NAME.
JOIN ME AS WE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE AMERICAN FLAG.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
NOW, LET'S PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE TEXAS FLAG.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE TEXAS ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE.
ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.
[1. PUBLIC FORUM: (This is the public’s opportunity to address the Commissioners Court about County matters. During this meeting, the Commissioners Court will not discuss, consider or take action on any item not included on this meeting’s agenda. We respectfully ask that anyone stepping forward to speak during the Public Forum to please limit remarks to three minutes or less.)]
PUBLIC FORUM.IT'S THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE COUNTY ABOUT ANY COUNTY MATTERS.
ONE PERSON HAS SIGNED UP, MR. FRANK MERLINO, PLEASE COME SPEAK.
AND WHILE FRANK'S WORKING HIS WAY UP HERE, JUST BECAUSE YOU'VE NOT SIGNED UP, WE'LL NOT PREVENT YOU FROM SPEAKING.
SO IF ANYBODY IS SO INCLINED, UH, GET YOUR REMARKS PREPARED WHILE FRANK SPEAKS.
UH, GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS AND JUDGE NEW.
UM, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THE FEW MINUTES TO SPEAK.
I LIVE IN ROCKWELL COUNTY, 24 10 WINDCREST DRIVE OUT IN HIGH POINT LAKE ESTATES.
UM, THE FIRST THING I WANTED TO DO IS SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO THE PEOPLE WHO RAN IN THIS ELECTION.
I KNOW IT WASN'T EASY AND THERE WAS A LOT GOING ON, AND A LOT OF THINGS SAID THAT PROBABLY SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SAID, BUT CONGRATULATIONS TO, TO ALL OF YOU.
UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU HERE FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, AND I'M SURE I'LL BE BACK AGAIN AT SOME POINT.
BUT I DID WANT TO COME HERE AND SAY, UM, THERE WAS A, A LOT SAID THROUGHOUT THE CAMPAIGN ABOUT DEVELOPMENT, THE OUTER LOOP AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND I THINK IT WAS A CLEAR MESSAGE THAT WAS DELIVERED BY THE VOTERS THAT THEY WANT RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT.
AND I'M NOT NECESSARILY SURE THAT THEY WANT THE OUTER LOOP AS WELL, OR AT LEAST WHERE IT'S GOING.
SO, I, I CAME HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF MY COMMUNITY, WHICH IS HIGH POINT LAKE ESTATES, TO EXTEND AN INVITATION TO ALL OF YOU.
I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'VE BEEN OUT TO THAT COMMUNITY OR SEEN WHAT IS OUT THERE.
I KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER LEC HAS, AS THAT'S WHERE I MET HIM FOUR YEARS AGO.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND THAT INVITATION TO ALL OF YOU TO COME OUT AND SEE WHAT'S OUT THERE AND HOW, UH, RIVER ROCK TRAILS AND HOW THE OUTER LOOP WILL AFFECT THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE THERE.
HIGH POINT RANCH, HIGH POINT LAKE ESTATES, LA OUTTA ESTATES AND BLUE BONNET THAT ARE SURROUNDED BY WHAT'S COMING AT US OUT THERE.
SO, I WILL SEND AN EMAIL, UM, AFTER TODAY TO ASK YOU TO CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO COME OUT AND SPEND SOME TIME WITH THE RESIDENTS AND, AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE SO YOU HAVE MAYBE A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT YOU'LL BE VOTING ON IN THE FUTURE.
'CAUSE IT DOES MATTER TO US AS THE RESIDENTS.
SO I'D LIKE IT TO MATTER TO YOU AND, AND TO SEE WHAT, WHAT'S OUT THERE, SO AT LEAST YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S COMING OUT.
IT'S NOT JUST A PICTURE ON A MAP, RIGHT? A 20 FOOT HIGHWAY IN THE SKY IS, IS NOT GONNA BE A NICE VIEW FOR SOME OF THE RESIDENTS OUT THERE.
SO AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS ON, ON YOUR VICTORIES IN THE PRIMARY.
I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AS A, AS A RESIDENT AND A AN HOA PRESIDENT.
SO CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COURT REGARDING ANY COUNTY MATTERS? ALL RIGHT.
SEEING NO ONE, WE'LL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM
[2. Discuss/Act on updates of the Strategic Plan 2050 Implementation Management Plan, and all related issues; (Commissioner Macalik)]
TWO, DISCUSS AND ACT ON UPDATES OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN 2050 IMPLEMENTATION MANAGEMENT PLAN, AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.COMMISSIONER M**K, THANK YOU, JUDGE.
AND COMMISSIONERS, UM, I'M GONNA PROBABLY TEE THIS UP.
WE HAVE HAD SOME ACTIVITY IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS SINCE, UM, OUR LAST COMMISSIONER'S COURT MEETING, BUT WE ARE STILL MOVING, UM, FORWARD WITH HOPEFULLY, UM, BEING ABLE TO GO LIVE.
UM, I'M GONNA KIND OF PUNT THIS TO BOTH CAMMY AND JIM.
WE HAVE PARTICIPATED WITHIN VIZIO IN THE LAST MONTH ON VARIOUS, UM, TRAINING SESSIONS, SO THAT WE WILL BE READY FOR THIS TO BE, YOU KNOW, IN, UM, INCLUDED IN OUR WEB, IN OUR WEBSITE.
I STILL BELIEVE WE ARE STILL SOMEWHERE PROBABLY BETWEEN APRIL 1ST AND APRIL THE 15TH OF THIS, THIS STILL GOING LIVE.
BUT I'M GONNA TURN THIS TO CAMIE AND LET HER GIVE YOU ANY SPECIFICS.
HONESTLY, I DON'T HAVE MUCH MORE TO SHARE THAN THAT.
UM, SINCE THE LAST COMMISSIONER'S COURT, WE CONTINUE AND WE, AS IN COMMISSIONER M**K, JIM BARTOW AND I, UM, TAKE PART IN WEEKLY TRAININGS WITH EN VIZIO TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW TO CREATE CHARTS, GRAPHS,
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YOU KNOW, ANALYTICS TO REFLECT THE PROGRESS OF OUR GOALS.UM, AND I SHARE THAT TRAINING WITH YOUR TEAM MEMBERS.
SO, AND I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE CONTINUED TO KEEP MEETING WITH YOUR TEAMS AND PROGRESS CONTINUES TO BE MADE.
SO, UM, AS COMMISSIONER CELICK SAID, WE STILL PLAN TO GO LIVE ON THE COUNTY'S WEBSITE TO REFLECT THOSE ACHIEVEMENTS IN APRIL.
JUDGE, CAN I MAKE A COMMENT, PLEASE? UM, JUST WANTED TO UPDATE EVERYBODY AT OUR PRIOR COMMISSIONER'S COURT MEETING.
I THINK IT WAS THE LAST ONE, UH, MAYBE TWO AGO.
BUT WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, A RESTRUCTURING AND REVISIONING FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE COALITION.
SINCE THEN, I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
I DON'T SEE CRAIG HERE, BUT I SPOKE WITH CRAIG AND ABOUT THE BEST WAY TO DO IT.
AND HE INDICATED THAT UNDER OF ALL THINGS A TEXAS TRANSPORTATION CODE, WE CAN CREATE A GOVERNMENT CORPORATION BASED UPON THE TEXAS NONPROFIT CORPORATION ACT.
UM, SO JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT, IS HOW WE DO IT.
I AM NOW BEGINNING THE PATH OF WORKING ON ARTICLES, UH, AND BYLAWS FOR THE, FOR A RESTRUCTURED INFRASTRUCTURE COALITION.
SO, JUST SO YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON IT, SINCE THIS IS STRATEGIC PLAN TIME, RIGHT? MM-HMM
SO ANYWAY, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL SUPPLY 'EM, BUT I DON'T REALLY HAVE MUCH TO SAY OTHER THAN THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT'S KIND OF THE DIRECTION WE'RE GOING.
SO THERE'S NO, NOBODY'S SURPRISED.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE LEAD ON THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
[3. Discuss/Act on updates and progress related to the Courthouse Courtroom additions 3rd floor project, and all related issues; (Commissioner Gallana)]
ITEM THREE, DISCUSS AND ACT ON UPDATES AND PROGRESS RELATED TO THE COURTHOUSE, COURTROOM EDITION'S, THIRD FLOOR PROJECT, AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.COMMISSIONER GUANA? WELL, WE ARE, UM, WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO ZEROING OUT THIS PROJECT, WHICH IS VERY EXCITING.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, ENGAGED IN, UH, HAVE WE ENGAGED THEM YET? LISA, THE AUDIT FIRM? WE'RE WORKING ON THAT.
NO, I'LL BRING IT TO THE COURT NEXT TIME.
WE'RE GONNA ENGAGE AN AUDIT FIRM JUST LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT, JOHN HAD TO GO THROUGH AND, AND, UH, WRAP UP THE PROJECT.
UM, I'LL GIVE YOU AN ESTIMATE THAT I SEE SO FAR, SOMEWHERE AROUND 80 GRAND, PROBABLY COMING BACK TO US OUT OF THE PROJECT, BUT WE DO HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS STILL.
BUT I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE REALLY CLOSE TO THE NUMBER THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE COMING OUT OF IT IS, UH, MONEY WE CAN USE FOR ADDITIONAL PROJECTS, OR THERE'S GONNA BE A COUPLE OF THINGS WE HAVE TO WRAP UP.
UM, THAT'LL BE, UM, OUTSIDE OF THIS, SINCE WE'RE TRYING TO ZERO IT OUT, THERE'S ABOUT A $7,000 FURNITURE ORDER THAT GOT MISSED SOMEHOW.
SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT PROBABLY OUTTA THE 80.
QUESTIONS FOR COMMISSIONER ALAMA? HOW MUCH WAS THE FURNITURE ORDER? SEVEN GRAND.
IT'S, UH, IT'S ALMOST THE END OF IT.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS.
COMMISSIONER GUANA, UH, JOB WELL DONE.
[4. Discuss/Act on the Sheriff’s remodel project, and all related issues; (Commissioner Stacy)]
US TO AGENDA ITEM FOUR, DISCUSS AND ACT ON THE SHERIFF'S REMODEL PROJECT AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.COMMISSIONER STACY AND I WANT TO NOTE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS, WHAT WE DID NOT TALK ABOUT.
I WAS ACTUALLY GONNA SAY, AS NICO'S COMING UP HERE, THE ANNEX IS NOT ON THE AGENDA.
WE WILL, WE WILL MARK THIS DAY.
AS THEY SAY, IT'S MARCH 10TH, 2025.
THERE IS NO DISCUSSION OF THE COUNTY ANNEX BUILDING.
ALRIGHT, NICO, YOU GOT YOUR AWESOME, I'M NOT SURE HOW TO GET IT UP ON THE SCREEN.
THERE'S ANOTHER PRESENTATION UP THERE.
I GOT MINE, BUT IT STILL DIDN'T POP UP.
ALAN, CAN YOU SWITCH THIS? YEAH.
YEAH, STAY AWAY FROM THE OUTER LOOP.
NICO
OH, IS THAT A TOUCH SCREEN? YEAH.
SO IT JUST NEEDS TO BE SWITCHED.
WE NEED THAT, HIS PRESENTATION.
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THERE IT GOES.AND JUDGE NEW, UH, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO GIVE A BRIEF UPDATE ON THE SHERIFF OFFICE.
UH, WE ARE CURRENTLY PERFORMING UNDER BUDGET, UH, RECENTLY RECEIVED PAY APP NUMBER SEVEN, WHICH, UH, BRINGS US IN A TOTAL BUDGET SPENT OF JUST OVER $3 MILLION.
SO WE ARE SLOWLY INCHING TOWARDS THE ARPA, UH, DOLLAR VALUE THAT NEEDS TO BE EXPENDED, WHICH IS A GOOD THING.
UM, AS FAR AS THE SCHEDULE, I DON'T HAVE AN UPDATE.
UM, I'M, WE ARE WAITING FOR THE FURNITURE DATES TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT UPDATE, BUT AS SOON AS I RECEIVE THEM, I WILL LET YOU GUYS KNOW.
AS FAR AS PROCUREMENT, THERE REALLY IS NO UPDATE OTHER THAN, UH, WE'RE HOPING TO SEE THE FURNITURE PROPOSAL NEXT WEEK, UH, TO GO AHEAD AND PLACE THE ORDER AFTER THAT.
QUALITY CONTROL WISE, UH, THERE ARE SOME ISSUES WITH SOME AC UNITS THAT WE'RE WORKING TO RESOLVE WITH THE SHERIFF TEAM AND THE ENGINEER, AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL DRYWALL, UH, REQUESTED FROM THE OWNER, UH, AT THE OLD JAIL SOUTH AREA.
UH, SO WE'RE WORKING ON PRICING FOR THAT.
THE PAST FEW WEEKS WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON SETTING PLUMBING FIXTURES, UH, CONTINUING DRYWALL FINISHES, WALL FINISHES, MILLWORK IN THE EVIDENCE ROOM, WENT IN, UM, LIGHTING FIXTURES, INSTALLING, AND THE FLOOR AND WALL TILE AND ALL THE RESTROOMS, UH, AND LOCKER ROOMS WERE INSTALLED.
UH, THE NEXT FEW WEEKS WE'LL BE WORKING ON, UH, DOOR, DOOR HARDWARE AND STAIN.
UM, WE CAME TO RESOLUTION ON SOME OF THE STRUCTURAL STIFFENING FOR THE AIR HANDLING UNIT THAT WILL BE PLACED ON THE ROOF.
UH, SO WE'LL HAVE OUR METAL FABRICATOR IN THERE INSTALLING THE, UH, NEW SEA CHANNELS THAT WILL KIND OF STRENGTHEN THE ROOF FOR US TO ALLOW US TO GO AHEAD AND SET THE, THE AIR HANDLING UNIT ON THE ROOF.
UM, AND SO THAT, THAT WILL BE PART OF THE NEXT FEW WEEKS IS SETTING UP CRANE AND HOPEFULLY BEING ABLE TO GET THOSE UNITS UP THERE, UM, AS WELL AS, UH, INSTALLING ELECTRICAL GEARS, WHICH SHOULD BE HERE THIS WEEK.
UM, SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AHEAD OF US.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS FOR NICO? I DON'T BELIEVE SO.
BUT I DID PERSONALLY THANK NICO FOR SENDING THIS TO US LAST WEEK.
OH, AND COMMISSIONER M**K, I'M WORKING ON YOUR CONTINGENCY, UH, PERCENTAGE.
I JUST, UH, I STARTED, I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO FINISH IT, BUT MAYBE IF WE CAN COLLABORATE OFFLINE JUST TO MAKE SURE IT'S, THAT'LL BE HOW YOU WANT IT.
[5. Discuss/Act on approving Granicus Order #: Q-489654 to add captioning feature on court proceedings for ADA compliance, and all related matters; (Judge New — County Clerk)]
TAKES US TO AGENDA ITEM FIVE, DISCUSS AND ACT ON APPROVING GRANICUS ORDER NUMBER Q4 8 9 6 5 4 TO ADD CAPTIONING FEATURE ON COURT PROCEEDINGS FOR A DA COMPLIANCE AND ALL RELATED MATTERS COUNTY CLERK.DO YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THIS? I CAN.
UM, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO COME BEFORE YOU AND TALK ABOUT THIS CAPTIONING THAT'S CRITICAL FOR THOSE THAT HAVE, UM, HEARING IMPAIRMENTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, HOW I FEEL ABOUT THAT AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY CAN HEAR, UM, OR SEE WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND FOR TRANSPARENCY PURPOSES, THIS CAPTIONING QUOTE OR PROPOSAL IS, UM, LESS THAN WHAT IS IN YOUR BACKUP MATERIAL BECAUSE IT'S PRORATED BASED ON THE EXPIRATION DATE, WHICH WAS FEBRUARY 6TH.
AND, UM, THIS IS NOW EXPIRING ON MARCH 31ST.
AND SO THE CAPTIONING, UM, I BELIEVE ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, THE DOJI BELIEVE IS WHO, UM, PUT THIS INTO PLACE AND IS REQUIRING THIS CAPTIONING.
SO, UH, WE HAVE UNTIL APRIL OF 2026 TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
AND I'M PAYING FOR THIS OUT OF RECORDS MANAGEMENT FUNDS.
AND WE'LL SAY THE MAGIC WORDS.
WE'RE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE TO GET IT DONE BY APRIL.
AND IT COMES FROM FUND 57, WHICH IS THE COUNTY CLERK'S RECORD MANAGEMENT FUND.
UH, WHICH WE'VE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB USING THOSE FUNDS AND THANK YOU.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE COUNTY CLERK? YOU ANSWERED.
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RIGHT.DO WE NEED TO MAKE A MOTION? YEP.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE GRANITE ASSOR Q4 8 9 6 5 4 USING, UH, FUND 57.
GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GOWAN.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER M**K, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES, SOMEBODY IS YET TO VOTE.
[6. Discuss/Act on approving the Sixth Amendment to the Master Services Agreement (MSA) with Securus Technologies, Inc., which provides inmate communication services, and all related issues; (Judge New — Sheriff Garrett)]
AGENDA ITEM SIX, DISCUSS AND ACT ON APPROVING THE SIXTH AMENDMENT TO THE MASTER OF SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH SECURUS TECHNOLOGIES INC.WHICH PROVIDES INMATE COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON ALL RELATED ISSUES.
COMMISSIONERS, UH, THIS IS A, UM, AN AMENDMENT TO THE SERVICE AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH SECURUS, WHO'S OUR COMMUNICATION, UH, CONTRACTOR FOR PHONE SERVICES AND TABLETS.
AND, UM, AS MOST OF YOU'RE AWARE THAT, UH, THERE WERE SOME FCC CHANGES, UH, IN THE PAST TWO YEARS REGARDING THAT AND THE PHONE SERVICES AND WHAT WE COULD COLLECT ON THAT.
SO THIS IS AN ADDENDUM, UH, TO, OR AMENDMENT TO THAT CONTRACT.
AND IT WOULD ALSO EXTEND IT FOR A YEAR.
AND THIS WAS, UH, GONE OVER AND APPROVED BY DERY.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING DERY QUESTIONS FOR THE SHERIFF? NOT I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE SIXTH AMENDMENT TO THE MASTER SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH SECURUS TECHNOLOGIES.
GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER STACY.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES NOW, PLEASE.
[7. Discuss/Act on approving Quote #7466 with KeyWarden Systems partners, LLP for smart keys and smart key vise, and all related issues; (Commissioner Gallana — Sheriff Garrett)]
SEVEN, DISCUSS AND ACT ON APPROVING 7, 4, 6 6 WITH KEY WARDEN SYSTEMS PARTNERS, LLP FOR SMART KEYS AND SMART KEY VICE AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.COMMISSIONER GOANA AND SHERIFF GARRETT.
JUDGE, THIS IS, UM, OUR KEY TRACKING SYSTEM THAT OUR DETENTION OFFICERS STAFF USE IN THE JAIL.
UH, AND IT JUST IS FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT THAT WE NEED, UH, TO ISSUE TWO ADDITIONAL DETENTION OFFICERS THAT WE HAVE.
AND THIS WILL BE, UH, PAID OUTTA THE COMMISSARY FUND.
AND, AND THE REASON THAT WE ARE BRINGING THIS TO THE COURT FOR APPROVAL WAS THAT THERE ARE TERMS AND CONDITIONS THAT WERE INCLUDED IN THIS, AND THEREFORE WE NEEDED YOUR LEGAL COUNSEL TO REVIEW IT AND HAVE THE JUDGE SIGN ON THE SHERIFF'S BEHALF EVEN THOUGH IT'S COMMISSARY MONEY.
NOR ORDINARILY YOU WOULD NOT SEE A PURCHASE FROM HIS COMMISSARY FUND 'CAUSE IT WAS ADDED TO THE CONTRACT, RIGHT? SO YEAH, IT WAS APPROVED OR LOOKED OVER BY CRAIG STO.
ALL RIGHT, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE 7 4 6 6 WITH KEY WARDEN SYSTEM PARTNERS, UH, USING COMMISSARY FUNDS.
GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GOANA.
STACY, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES, PLEASE AND PASSES FIVE TO ZERO.
[8. Discuss/Act on approving the renewal agreement with MCA for alarm monitoring services of the County buildings, and all related issues; (Commissioner Liechty — County Auditor)]
TO AGENDA ITEM EIGHT, DISCUSS AN ACT ON APPROVING THE RENEWAL AGREEMENT WITH MCA FOR ALARM MONITORING SERVICES OF THE COUNTY BUILDINGS AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.WELL, I'D LIKE TO NOTE BY START BY SAYING THE FACT THAT MY NAME IS ON THIS ONLY GOES TO SHOW THAT IT'S BETTER TO KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT.
BUT ANYWAY, UM, SO IF YOU'LL REMEMBER AT OUR LAST MEETING THERE WAS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, THE APPROVAL OF AN UPDATED RENEWAL AGREEMENT WITH MCA.
AND I ASKED A FEW QUESTIONS AND WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT WAS.
SO WE PULLED IT OFF THE AGENDA.
I THINK I NOW KNOW WHAT IT IS.
I'VE SPOKEN WITH MCA, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE HAD A TEAMS MEETING WITH THEM.
UM, AND WHAT IT IS, IS ESSENTIALLY OUR ALARM MONITORING, LIKE WHEN SOMEBODY COMES IN, WHEN THEY SHOULDN'T AND THE ALARM'S ON IT GOES OFF AND THEY MAKE A CALL AND THEN THEY MAKE A BACKUP CALL AND THEN SHERIFF GARRETT COMES DOWN AND SAVES THE DAY.
AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT IT HAPPENS AT MY HOUSE WHENEVER I HAVE A FALSE ALARM.
WHAT'S HAPPENED HERE WHERE THIS COMMISSIONER
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
WELL, AND THIS IS, AS OUR AUDITOR WAS, WAS KIND ENOUGH TO POINT OUT TO ME A CONTRACT THAT HAS BEEN PRE-NEGOTIATED BY THE STATE.
THAT'S WHERE, DOWN IN DESCRIPTION WHERE IT SAYS DIR, THAT MEANS THE STATE WENT OUT AND LOOKED AT THESE CONTRACTS AND SAID, THIS IS THE BEST PRICE.
AND THEY SAID THEY PICKED THIS ONE.
UM, AND I'M SURE THIS IS A GREAT COMPANY.
I HAVE NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
I ASKED THEM A QUESTION THOUGH.
I SAID, WELL, CAN WE HAVE YOU, CAN WE GET A BETTER PRICE? AND THEIR RESPONSE WAS, NO.
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REGULATIONS, IF WE'RE GONNA GO WITH THEIR PRICE, THEY HAVE TO GIVE THIS TO ALL GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES ACROSS THE STATE.THEY CAN'T CUT SPECIAL DEALS WITH CERTAIN AGENCIES.
SO I CALLED, UM, GREEN SECURITY.
I'M SURE EVERYONE IN THIS COUNTY KNOWS WHO GREEN SECURITY IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE SIGNS AT IT SEEMS LIKE HALF THE HOUSES IN THE COUNTY.
UM, AND I ASKED THEM TO LOOK AT THIS AND, UM, TO THOSE OF YOU WHO HAD GREEN SHOW UP AT YOUR BUILDING WITHOUT ADEQUATE NOTICE, I APOLOGIZE, UM, UH, BECAUSE I SHOULD HAVE PROBABLY GIVEN YOU MORE WARNING.
BUT ANYWAY, I HAD GREEN GO LOOK AT THIS.
AND THEY LOOKED AT THIS AND THEY SAID THEY CAN MONITOR EACH OF THESE BUILDINGS.
THERE'S SIX OF 'EM FOR $29 A MONTH.
AND WE'RE PAYING 49 NOW, THAT'S NOT A LOT OF MONEY.
IT'S $20 A MONTH TIMES SIX BUILDINGS, $120 TIMES 12 YEARS.
BUT I JUST DID THE MATH IN MY HEAD CORRECTLY.
SO IT'S NOT A LOT OF MONEY, BUT IT KIND OF GOES TO THE BASIC PRINCIPLE OF ARE WE GETTING THE BEST DEAL FOR OUR CITIZENS? AND IN THIS CASE, I HAVE AN ADDITIONAL ISSUE BECAUSE GREEN SECURITY IS LOCAL BUSINESS.
THEY ARE BASED IN ROCKWALL COUNTY.
THEY, THEY'VE BEEN HERE FOREVER.
THEY GOT THEIR SECURITY BUSINESS EVERYWHERE.
IN FACT, JACK TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE, THEY DO THE MONITORING FOR THE CITY OF ROCKWALL.
OKAY, SO I'M BRINGING THIS UP BECAUSE I AM GOING TO ASK YOU GUYS IF WE WANT TO LOOK AT A DIFFERENT BID ON THIS.
UM, GREEN SECURITY IS MORE THAN HAPPY TO DO IT.
HE SENT ME AN INVOICE YESTERDAY OR A PROPOSAL, IT WAS $29, 29 95 OR SOMETHING, THE BUILDING LIKE THAT.
UM, AND UH, SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT.
I, I, I LIKE TWO THINGS ABOUT PROCEEDING DIFFERENTLY.
ONE IS WE GET A BETTER PRICE, BUT AGAIN, IT'S NOT A LOT OF MONEY, BUT IT'S MONEY.
AND TWO, IT'S A LOCAL BUSINESS.
AND, AND GREEN DOES A FANTASTIC JOB.
UM, AND LISTEN, IT'S NOT A LOT OF MONEY, BUT IT'S ALL TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME AND EFFORT TO DO THIS.
COMMISSIONER LICHTY AND ALL OF THIS ADDS UP OVER TIME.
WE CAN FIND THIS EVERY SINGLE TIME WE REVIEW SOMETHING THAT'S ALMOST LIKE AN AUTOMATIC RENEWAL.
IF WE CAN FIND SAVINGS FOR THE TAXPAYERS, WE SHOULD.
IT'S A LOCAL COMPANY THAT WE COULD SUPPORT.
MY QUESTION IS, IS THERE ANY EQUIPMENT THAT HAS TO BE CHANGED OUT THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR? OR ARE THEY GONNA MONITOR UNDER OUR CURRENT, THE CURRENT EQUIPMENT THAT'S INSTALLED, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THERE ARE, THERE'S ALARM, ALARM MONITORING, AND THEN FIRE MONITORING.
WHEN HE FIRST LOOKED AT THIS, APPARENTLY, I THINK IT'S THE COURTHOUSE AND THE LIBRARY THAT HAVE A SIEMENS UNIT.
I'M SURE THERE'S PEOPLE THAT KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT THAN ME, BUT, AND HE WONDERED IF THEY COULD, BUT APPARENTLY THAT GOES INTO THE FIRE MONITORING AND HE DOESN'T DO THE FIRE MONITORING.
SO THIS IS JUST THE ALARM MONITORING.
BUT YES, I, I SENT HIM AN EMAIL YESTERDAY.
DOES THIS MEAN YOU COULD DO ALL THE BUILDINGS? HE SAID YES.
SO, SO I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UH, DANIEL, WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF PROCURING THIS? DO WE HAVE TO PUT IT OUT TO BID FOR AN ALARM MONITORING SYSTEM? WHAT IS THE FINAL COST? IT'S LIKE, UM, 2020 $9 A MONTH TIMES SIX TIMES 12.
THEN NOW YOU DON'T, IF I DID MY MATH, YOU DID NOT DO YOUR MATH.
SO, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO, WE'RE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT TO BID.
UM, I, UH, I WILL NEVER, YOU KNOW, SAY, HEY, WE SHOULD SPEND MORE MONEY.
SO, SO JUST HANG WITH ME FOR A SECOND.
UM, THIS CONTRACT DID START IN JANUARY, SO WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PAY THIS UP AND TRANSITION.
AND IF WE WERE GOING TO MOVE, CAN WE HAVE THE ALARM LINE UP TO OCTOBER 1ST SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE SOMETHING OFF? SO THEN MY QUESTION IS, WOULD IT, WOULD IT MAKE SENSE AND IT TO, FOR US TO HAVE MCA TILL OCTOBER 1ST AND THEN CHANGE OCTOBER 1ST AND START A NEW CONTRACT, UM, I'M JUST, I'M JUST ASKING QUESTIONS AS FAR AS GETTING THIS OFF THE JANUARY 1ST AND, AND, AND MOVING EVERYTHING FORWARD.
I I, IT, IT VERY WELL MIGHT, UM, AS YOU SEE THESE QUOTES ARE FOR THREE YEAR QUOTES.
IT SAYS THE END DATE IS DECEMBER 31ST, 2028.
AND WHEN WE HAD OUR CONFERENCE
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CALL, I ASKED THEM, DOES THAT MEAN WE GOTTA DO THE THREE YEAR AGREEMENT? AND THEY SAID, NO, THIS MEANS WE GUARANTEE OUR PRICE FOR THREE YEARS.UM, SHE SAID, WE CAN MAKE IT ONE YEAR IF YOU WANT.
I DIDN'T ASK IF IT WAS, IF WE COULD GO TO OCTOBER, BUT IT MIGHT MAKE SENSE.
UM, I, AND I DON'T, DON'T REALLY HAVE AN OBJECTION TO THIS.
I'M NOT, I, AS YOU GUYS KNOW, I'M NOT ONE TO RUSH INTO THINGS, BUT THIS IS ONE WHERE IF WE DECIDED TO DO THAT, I DON'T REALLY HAVE AN OBJECTION.
IT MIGHT GIVE US TIME FOR JACK TO GET LINED UP AND ALL THIS, AND US TO FIGURE OUT OUR DEAL WITH THEM BECAUSE THIS IS NOT, THIS IS A CONTRACT THAT, UM, IT WAS, THE AUDITOR WAS SPONSORED IT LAST TIME AND IT'S KIND OF THE AUDITOR.
IT'S KIND OF BARRY COMPTON, IT'S KIND OF MM-HMM
IT'S, IT'S A CONTRACT THAT GETS BOUNCED AROUND A LOT.
SO IT WOULD GIVE US TIME TO LOOK AT IT.
I'M SURE JACK WOULD BE HAPPY DOING IT, UH, IN OCTOBER.
UM, BUT, BUT IT DOES THAT, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT IMPERITY.
I MEAN, WHEN YOU'RE SAVING THAT KIND OF MONEY FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS, IT SAVES A LOT OF MONEY.
SO I, I MEAN, I HAVE ZERO OBJECTION TO CHANGING WHATSOEVER.
I MEAN, HOPEFULLY WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF SYSTEMS. SO WHAT, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IF, IF IT'S OKAY WITH LISA AND DANIEL AND, AND IT PLEASES THE COURT IS KIND OF MAKE A MOTION THAT WE MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION SO THAT, SO THE COMMISSIONER LTI CAN START TALKING TO MCAA AND TALKING TO GREEN SECURITY, BUT DON'T MAKE A DECISION ON ACTUALLY DOING IT QUITE YET.
SO THAT WAY WE CAN GET OUR DUCKS IN A ROW AND HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT COURT OR THE COURT AFTER WE CAN HAVE CONTRACTS, PLANS AND, AND VET SOME OF THIS STUFF OUT, IF THAT'S OKAY.
I MEAN, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT REQUIRES A MOTION, BUT IF YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION, IT CERTAINLY, THERE'S NO, NO HARM IN DOING SO.
CAN I JUST ASK ONE QUESTION? UM, COMMISSIONER LTI, WHAT, WHO, WHO HANDLES THE, THE FIRE ALARM? OH, I JUST HAD THIS NAME.
I LOOKED AT EVERYTHING YESTERDAY, SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WAS MCA.
I DEFER TO COMMISSIONER STACY, YOU CAN'T REMEMBER
I, THE COMPANY NAME JUST CHANGED YOU.
THEY, IT'S LIKE SUPERHEROES OR SOMETHING NOW.
IT, IT, IT JUST CHANGED IT UP.
AND THAT'S WHY I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME.
I DON'T WANNA GIVE YOU THE OLD NAME.
I WAS JUST WONDERING IF IT WAS MCA.
UM, I'M, I'M NOT SURE, UH, WHETHER WE, IF YOU'D MIGHT NEED TO MAKE A MOTION OF SOME FACT THAT I CAN PAY BILLS UP UNTIL THE, BECAUSE I THINK THIS WAS A RENEWAL, SO IT MAY COST, I DON'T KNOW.
THIS I I'M JUST SAYING, COULD YOU WORD IT SOMEHOW THAT I COULD CONTINUE PAYING THEM UNTIL WE MAKE A SWITCH? I SURE CAN.
I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE CONTINUE WITH, WAIT, LET ME GO BACK HERE.
I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE A RENEWAL WITH AGREEMENT WITH MCA FOR ALARM MONITORING SERVICES OF THE COUNTY BUILDING FOR AN UNDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME, NOT TO EXCEED SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2026.
AND THAT WE LOOK AT FUNDING IT THROUGH OTHER OPTIONS OR LOOK AT OTHER VENDORS.
HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER LICK.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER STACY, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES NOW, PLEASE.
COMMISSIONER LICK AND IT'S SUMMIT FIRE.
I WAS, I WAS WAY OFF SUPERHEROES, BUT SOME ARE, UM, I LIKE SUPERHEROES BETTER.
COULD I MAYBE GET YOU, DO WE NEED TO HAVE A CALL WITH, UH, GREEN SECURITY TO DISCUSS HOW WE'RE GONNA PROCEED WITH THIS, DO YOU THINK, OR? SURE.
[9. Discuss/Act on adopting a $50,018,544.34 budget of proposed expenditures for the improvement of roads in Rockwall County pursuant to Section 111.0108 of the Texas Local Government Code; (Judge New — County Auditor)]
TO AGENDA ITEM NINE, DISCUSS AND ACT ON ADOPTING A $50,018,544 AND 34 CENTS BUDGET OF PROPOSED EXPENDITURES FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF ROADS IN ROCKWALL COUNTY PURSUANT TO SECTION 1 1 1 0.0108 OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE.UM, ELENA IS MY FIRST ASSISTANT AND SHE PUT THIS TOGETHER FOR YOU ALL.
SO I, I'M GONNA TRY TO DO HER JUSTICE BY GETTING YOU TO VOTE ON WHAT SHE NEEDS.
UH, IF YOU LOOK IN YOUR BACKUP, SHE DOES SUBMIT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE THAT, THAT JUST IS WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
YOU, THE COUNTY RECEIVED THE 50 MILLION THAT YOU JUST ISSUED OF YOUR TRIP, 21 ROAD BONDS.
[00:30:01]
CODE SAYS THAT WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE MONEY THAT WE WEREN'T AWARE OF AT BUDGET TIME SO THAT YOU CAN EXPEND IT.UH, THE BACKUP IS THE CERTIFICATION THAT, UH, I, I DID CHANGE THE, UH, CERTIFICATION PAGE, UH, THAT, THAT INCLUDED THE DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT YOU RECEIVED.
AND THEN ON THE BUDGET AMENDMENT PAGE, THERE WAS A TYPO.
AND, UH, THAT'S THE ONLY THING.
IT WAS A TYPO ON THE SERIES NUMBER.
UH, I, I'M SHOWING THE MONEY COMING IN AS A REVENUE.
AND THEN THE EXPENDITURE LINE IS A CONTINGENCY LINE.
UH, I WAS SPEAKING WITH, UH, JOHN POLSTER THIS MORNING AND, AND HE, UH, ALLUDED TO THAT YOU ALL HAVE APPROVED A LIST OF PROJECTS THAT YOU WISH TO USE THE 50 MILLION.
SO IF YOU WOULD JUST ACKNOWLEDGE OR, OR APPROVE THIS ACTION THAT WE'RE RECEDING THESE FUNDS, AND THEN, UH, THE BUDGET AMENDMENT AS IT IS, AND THEN AUTHORIZE THE AUDITOR TO PUT THE MONEY IN THE LINES FOR THE PROJECTS THAT YOU APPROVED.
AND HE SAID THAT HE WOULD SEND ME THE MOST UP TO DATE LINE OF, OF WHAT YOU HAVE DESIGNATED.
DO WE HAVE TO DO IT THAT WAY? WHAT IF YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE THREE YEARS TO SPEND 85% OF THIS MONEY AND WE'RE GONNA ENCUMBER IT TO SPECIFIC PROJECTS? WHAT IF SOMETHING CHANGES? THERE'S ALWAYS THAT, UH, FACT, IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN THE BUDGET RIGHT NOW.
THAT SOMETIMES YOU SAY THAT YOU NEED TO SPEND MONEY OUT OF EQUIPMENT INSTEAD OF TRAVEL.
THAT I CAN MOVE THAT MONEY AROUND.
AND I ALSO THINK THIS IS FOR THE FIRST ISSUANCE.
IT DOESN'T, I'M NOT, I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT ISSUANCE IT IS AT ALL.
I'M CONCERNED THAT IF, UH, WE HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM COMING UP THAT MAY REQUIRE SOMETHING ELSE.
AND SO I'M NOT LOOKING TO MAKE ANOTHER ISSUANCE FOR A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY IN RELATION TO THE ENTIRE BOND.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE STILL FLEXIBLE.
WELL THEN, THEN I THINK YOU SHOULD APPROVE IT THE WAY IT IS AND THEN I CAN BRING IT TO YOU AS NEEDED.
UH, WHEN I NEED TO MOVE THE MONEY AROUND.
IF, IF YOU WOULD PREFER, I THINK, I THINK JOHN, JOHN POLLSTER, ITS SO WHAT I WAS REFERENCING, UH, TO LISA IS, IS THAT THIS IS THE FIRST ISSUANCE.
AND WHAT REASON WHY I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE THOSE TO THOSE LINE ITEMS. 'CAUSE WE WANNA START WITH THE DOLLAR AMOUNT YOU ISSUED, BECAUSE THAT WAY IF YOU JUST PUT IT IN CONTINGENCY AS WE HAVE FOUND, 'CAUSE SHE INHERITED THE LAST BOND PROGRAMS, AND THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE DOING.
AND WE WEREN'T SURE, WE HAD TO GO BACK OVER ABOUT A YEAR'S PERIOD TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS IN CONTINGENCY BECAUSE IT'S ALWAYS TIED TO THE LIST.
WE PUT MONEY INTO THOSE PROJECTS.
SO WHAT I'M REQUESTING YOU TO DO IS GIVE HER THE AUTHORITY TO, ONCE SHE HAS THE MONEY AND CONTINGENCY THEN TO MOVE THEM INTO THOSE LINE ITEMS. AND THEN IF WE HAVE MU TOO MUCH MONEY IN ONE LINE ITEM FOR A PROJECT, THEN WHEN WE WILL COME BACK TO YOU AND YOU'LL MAKE THE DECISION TO MOVE FROM THAT LINE ITEM TO ANOTHER LINE ITEM SO THAT IN THE FUTURE, WHOEVER'S HERE WILL BE ABLE TO FOLLOW THE TRAIL OF HOW THE MONEY WAS MOVED AROUND.
SO WE'LL STILL BE ABLE TO HAVE FLEXIBILITY.
WE, WE CAN ALWAYS AMEND THE BUDGET.
WE'RE ESSENTIALLY MAKING A SUB BUDGET ON INCOME THAT'S COME IN AFTER OUR ORIGINAL BUDGET WAS SET, AND WE CAN ALWAYS COME BACK AND VOTE.
AND Y'ALL DID VOTE ON THAT LIST THAT SHOWS THE TRIP 21 FUNDS AND THE OH EIGHT FUNDS.
AND SO IF YOU GIVE HER THE AUTHORITY, THEN WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS RUIN 'EM.
MAKE SURE THOSE MONIES GO TO THOSE ACCOUNTS THAT Y'ALL VOTED ON A COUPLE MONTHS AGO.
I STILL HAVE SOME RESERVATIONS ON THIS BECAUSE IF AND IF THINGS CHANGE, UM, IN REGARDS TO ANY TYPE OF MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND, OF THE BONDS, AND ESPECIALLY IN THE PROJECT THAT, THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE WORKING ON AS FAR AS THE CONSORTIUM AND LOOKING AT, OR, YOU KNOW, THE INFRASTRUCTURE CONSORTIUM AND HOW THAT'S GOING TO WORK.
I'M, I'M, I'M WONDERING IF THAT THAT'S GOING TO PUT US IN A BOX WHERE WE CAN'T MOVE OUT OF, WE CAN'T MOVE MONEY OUT OF SOMETHING.
I HEAR WHAT JOHN IS SAYING AND HE AND I DID DISCUSS THIS ALSO.
SO I I JUST, I CAN'T, I CAN'T PREDICT THE FUTURE GUYS.
I CAN ONLY WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE PROTECTING NO, I CAN, CAN I SAY SOMETHING? PLEASE, PLEASE.
UM, BUT I GUESS I'M A BIT SURPRISED THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS BECAUSE WE SAT HERE WITH THE CONSORTIUM, WE WENT AROUND THE ROOM, WE ALL PICKED WHAT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE OUR NEXT PROJECTS ON.
AND FOR US TO SAY WE MIGHT NOT WANNA DO THOSE PROJECTS NOW IS KIND OF SURPRISING.
THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE SAYING AND NOT WHAT I'M SAYING.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS A LOT OF THINGS CHANGE IN THREE YEARS.
AND WE NEED TO REMAIN FLEXIBLE.
I I NEVER SAID AT ALL THAT I WANTED TO CHANGE THE PROJECTS OR I WAS UNSURE OF THE PROJECTS.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS WE NEED TO REMAIN FLEXIBLE IN CASE SOMETHING OUT OF OUR HANDS CHANGES.
[00:35:01]
OKAY.AND I DON'T WANT TO ENCUMBER THESE, THE ITEMS WE CAN'T MOVE THEM FROM.
BUT IF WE CAN MOVE THEM, I'M GOOD.
BUT WHAT SHE'S JUST SAID IS WE HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY.
AND LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, EDWARDS ROAD, WE'RE TRYING, WE'RE GETTING, I HOPE BRENDA GETTING CLOSE TO DOING A CONTRACT ON PART OF EDWARDS ROAD.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THAT, BUT I'M JUST SAYING I HOPE.
BUT WE'RE GONNA JUST START SPENDING THAT MONEY.
AND IF THAT'S NOT BUDGETED, HOW DO WE GO OUT AND START SIGNING THOSE CONTRACTS? AND, AND, AND I JUST WANNA SAY IS AS SOMEONE THAT HAS LITERALLY PESTERED ITS FOR THE THREE YEARS I'VE BEEN IN OFFICE BECAUSE OF HOW WE ARE ACCOUNTING FOR THIS, THIS IS THE BEST OPTION.
EVEN IF WE LITERALLY COME BACK IN THE NEXT COURT AND UNDO THE WHOLE 50 MILLION AND MOVE IT IN, BE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO RECONCILE THEIR REPORT WITH LISA'S REPORT TO THIS REPORT TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THIS MONEY IS.
AND ALL WE'RE TRYING TO SAY IS WE HAVE THE FIRST ISSUANCE, WE KNOW WHAT WE WANNA DO.
SO PUT ALL THAT THERE, THEN IT'S, IF WE CHANGE IT, WHICH WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO UNTIL WE PROCURE THE MONEY, THEN IT WOULD JUST GO FROM EDWARDS ROAD TO THIS PROJECT.
AND THERE WILL BE A CLEAR DELINEATION FROM THE ITS SIDE AND FROM THE AUDITOR'S SIDE THAT KEEPS IT REALLY CLEAN.
THESE OH FOUR AND OH EIGHT BONDS, AND IT'S NO FAULT OF ANYONE.
IT'S JUST WE'RE TRYING TO BE BETTER ON THE BACKEND ACCOUNTING SIDE BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO FOLLOW THE MONEY.
IF WE STICK IT ALL IN CONTINGENCY, THEY'RE GONNA PUT IT IN THE PROJECTS AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TWO ACCOUNTING METRICS WORKING.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO SAY WE WANT OUR AUDITOR'S OFFICE AND ITS TO KEEP THE SAME ACCOUNTING MECHANISMS. THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S ALL THIS IS IN MY OPINION.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT MR. POLLSTER WAS SAYING.
WELL, AND ALSO IF WE, AND I'VE ASKED, SPOKE WITH OUR AUDITOR ABOUT THIS, GEE, TWO, THREE MONTHS AGO, WE'RE NOT LIMITED WHEN WE CAN DO OUR NEXT BOND ISSUANCE.
I MEAN, YOU COULD DO TWO IN A FISCAL YEAR IF YOU WANT.
AND IF THE OUTER LOOP OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NEXT, WHICH YOU REFERRED TO, IF WE END UP STRIKING A DEAL WITH NET COG AND WE PROCEED WITH THAT, WE COULD DELAY SIGNING THAT AGREEMENT UNTIL THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, OCTOBER 1ST.
AND IT WOULDN'T DELAY THE PROGRAM WOULDN'T DELAY ANYTHING.
SO WE GOT FLEXIBILITY IF THAT'S WHERE WE GO TO FUND THIS.
SO I, AND AND I, BOBBY, DON'T, I APOLOGIZE IF YOU THOUGHT I WAS, UH, DISPARAGING YOU.
UM, WAS HE SMILING? I WAS NOT SMILING.
I WAS BEING VERY CAREFUL NOT TO SMILE ANYWAY.
UM, BUT I DIDN'T MEAN IT THAT WAY.
I JUST MEANT, I THINK I'M JUST KIND OF SURPRISED.
I THOUGHT THIS WAS GONNA BE KIND OF AN AUTOMATIC AND, AND, AND SO I JUST WANT SOME CLARITY.
I'M IS HOW DO WE WANT TO SAY THIS MOTION? JOHN, CAN YOU, CAN YOU JUST HELP US ON, ON IT, UH, BE, BECAUSE I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GIVING THE AUDITOR CLEAR DIRECTIONS AND DO YOU JUST WANT US TO SAY THE FIRST ISSUANCE AS VOTED ON PREVIOUSLY, OR? WELL, YOU NEED TO LET HER PUT IT INTO CONTINGENCY, BUT THEN WE'RE GONNA COME BACK AND MEET WITH HER, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA BRING A SERIES OF, UNLESS YOU GIVE HER AUTHORITY TO MOVE 'EM, NOW, WE'RE GONNA COME BACK AND HAVE THEM PUT INTO ACTUAL AUDITOR LINE ITEMS FOR EDWARDS FOR ALL THESE PROJECTS THAT Y'ALL LISTED THAT Y'ALL Y'ALL VOTED ON TWO MONTHS AGO.
SO YOU PARKING IT IS OKAY, AS LONG AS THE NEXT STEP IS TO MOVE IT INTO THE YEAH, WELL, I'M JUST SAYING IF WE MAKE A MOTION THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA ADOPT THIS BUDGET AND WE WANT THE AUDITOR TO PUT THE MONEY AS PREVIOUSLY VOTED BY THE COURT, THAT WORKS.
THAT PRETTY MUCH DOES THE JOB.
AND, AND, AND I THINK THAT THE, THE, UM, THE MOST RECENT FIRST ISSUANCE, UM, DRAFT THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US OF, OF ALL THOSE CONVERSATIONS, YOU HAVE ALREADY PUT THAT MONEY IN THERE AND HIGHLIGHTED IT.
WELL, WE PUT, WE HAVE A SPREADSHEET THAT SHOWS YOU THE SPREADSHEET WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO, BUT THE AUDITOR HAS TO STILL DO IT.
BUT THE SPREADSHEET IS KIND OF WHAT WE'RE WORKING OFF OF RIGHT NOW.
IT IT'S THE EXACT SPREADSHEET THAT Y'ALL APPROVED, UH, TWO MONTHS AGO, THREE MONTHS AGO.
IT HAS THE TWO COLUMNS FOR TRIP 21.
THE ONE COLUMN FOR TRIPLE OH EIGHT MM-HMM
AND THEN BECAUSE ONE CITY'S PUTTING SOME MONEY IN, THERE'S ANOTHER COLUMN FOR THE CITY.
YOUR YOUR, YOUR BRAINS ARE, SHE'S RAISING HER HAND BACK THERE.
SO WE'LL NEED TO ADJUST THAT SPREADSHEET JUST YEAH, BECAUSE Y'ALL ALREADY DID THE, UH, THOROUGHFARE PLAN AND YOU PAID FOR IT THAT OH EIGHT.
SO WE'RE JUST GONNA SWITCH THOSE FROM THE 21 COLUMN TO THE OH EIGHT COLUMN AND MATH WILL STILL TOTAL.
SO I THINK COMMISSIONER STACY, YOU'RE WORKING ON, I'M, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA ATTEMPT TO DO THIS.
UM, I WANT TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADOPT THE 50 MILLION, THE, YEAH.
[00:40:01]
BUDGET PROPOSAL EXPENDITURES FOR THE IMPLEMENT OF THE ROADS OF ROCKWELL COUNTY PURSUANT SECTION 1 1 1 0.0108, AND ASK THE AUDITOR TO PUT THE MONEY IN THE FUNDS AS PREVIOUSLY, UM, APPROVED BY THE COURT.HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER STACEY SECOND.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES? IT PASSES FIVE TO ZERO.
EVERYONE WHO HAS PARTICIPATED FOR MANY YEARS NOW, UM, TAKES US TO AGENDA
[10. Discuss/Act regarding proposed Memorandum of Understanding between Rockwall County and the North Central Texas Council of Governments regarding the Outer Loop, and all related matters; (Commissioner Liechty)]
ITEM 10, DISCUSS AN ACT REGARDING PROPOSED MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN ROCKWALL COUNTY AND THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS REGARDING THE OUTER LOOP AND ALL RELATED MATTERS.WE HAVE ON THE AGENDA REVIEW OF A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING REGARDING THE OUTER LOOP SOUTHERN PORTION OF ROCKWALL COUNTY.
EVERY ONE OF YOU SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN THIS.
IF THERE'S ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WANTS TO SEE A COPY OF THIS, MEREDITH WANTS, YOU'VE GOT COPIES, RIGHT? THIS ONE, THERE'S COPIES BACK OF THE DESK IF ANYBODY WANTS TO SEE ONE.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING I'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR A WHILE.
I WANNA GIVE JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKGROUND HERE, SO BEAR WITH ME.
AND, UH, IF YOU NEED TO REFRESH YOUR COFFEE, YOU MAY WANNA DO THAT.
SO THIS COURT, AS EVERYBODY KNOWS, HAS BEEN WORKING ON THE OUTER LOOP FOR, IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER AT LEAST 20 YEARS.
WE'VE, WHETHER IT'S JUST SIMPLY ACKNOWLEDGING IT'S THERE, OR ACTUALLY ACTIVELY WORKING ON IT, ON JANUARY 14TH, 2025 AS, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER GUANA WILL REMEMBER, UM, WE CAME INTO THIS COURTROOM AND THERE WERE RESOLUTIONS ON OUR AGENDA THAT WOULD'VE SENT US TO WAR WITH NET COG.
UH, FORTUNATELY WE AVOIDED THOSE RESOLUTIONS AND WE DIDN'T ACT ON 'EM.
AND I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN WORKING ON A, WHAT I HOPE WOULD BE A SOLUTION FOR THIS.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS GONNA BE OR WHERE IT WAS GONNA TAKE US, BUT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT BECAUSE THE LARGEST IMPACT OF THIS IS ON MY PRECINCT.
AND I KNOW YOU ALL GUYS HAVE ALL RECOGNIZED THAT, AND YOU'VE ALL TOLD ME THAT.
AND, UH, SO IT'S A BIG RESPONSIBILITY AND A, A BIG TASK.
THE COURT SINCE THEN HAS MET WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS IN, THROUGH OUR ROAD CONSORTIUM AND JUST FOR PARTICIPATION WITH CITIES.
A LOT OF YOU REMEMBER WE SET OUT TABLES HERE IN APRIL, AND WE DISCUSSED THE IDEA OF MOVING THIS TO HUNT COUNTY, WHICH A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE PROPOSED, AND THERE'S, THEY PROPOSED IT IN MULTIPLE DIFFERENT FASHIONS.
UM, I DON'T WANNA GO THROUGH ALL THAT OTHER THAN TO SAY WE TRIED, WE SUBMITTED TO NET COG FIVE DIFFERENT ALIGNMENTS THAT WOULD'VE REMOVED THIS FROM THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE COUNTY INTO HUNT COUNTY.
UM, WE WERE MET WITH A VERY STRONG NO ANSWER THAT DOESN'T WORK FOR US.
AND THE REASON IS THAT WE WERE GIVEN FROM NET COG IS THAT IT WOULD BE, WOULD NOT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE TRAFFIC.
IN FACT, IT WOULD HAVE A WORSE RESULT THAN IF IT CAME THROUGH ROCKWALL COUNTY AND IT WOULD COST A MINIMUM OF AT LEAST ANOTHER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS.
AND THEY DIDN'T WANT TO SPEND ANOTHER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS.
SO THAT THE ANSWER WAS NO, THEY WEREN'T GONNA MOVE IT TO HUNT COUNTY.
UM, DURING THIS, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE COURT, I, AND I KNOW EACH OF YOU HAVE, HAVE HAD MULTIPLE MEETINGS WITH, UH, MICHAEL MORRIS FROM THE RTC, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER STACY AND I HAVE MADE TWO TRIPS MM-HMM
OVER THERE TO MEET WITH HIM AND HIS STAFF TO DISCUSS THIS PROJECT.
I KNOW OTHER COURT MEMBERS HAVE THAT, WHICH IS YOUR RIGHT.
UM, WE HAVE DISCUSSED MITIGATION TOPICS.
WE'VE DISCUSSED ALTERNATE STRATEGIES.
WE'VE DISCUSSED A LOT OF THINGS IN OCTOBER, AS EVERYONE REMEMBERS.
MICHAEL MORRIS CAME HERE AND SPOKE TO THE ROAD CONSORTIUM, EXCUSE ME, THE INFRASTRUCTURE CONSORTIUM, AND TALKED ABOUT WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO AND WHY THEY WANTED TO DO IT.
ON OCTOBER 29TH OF LAST YEAR, WE HAD A WORKSHOP AND WE DISCUSSED, THIS WAS ONE OF THREE ITEMS ON THE WORKSHOP AGENDA.
AND WHERE I WALKED OUT OF THERE WAS WITH AN UNDERSTANDING FROM YOU, MY COLLEAGUES ON THE COURT, THAT
[00:45:01]
YOU WANTED ME TO TRY AND BRING A SOLUTION OR BRING A, UH, AN ANSWER.AND SO WHAT I DID IS IMMEDIATELY THE NEXT DAY I BEGAN MEETING WITH IN ITS JOHN POLSTER AND HIS GROUP MATT CRAIG FROM HALF AN ASSOCIATES WHO DID THE ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS FOR THE NORTH PART OF THE OUTER LOOP.
UM, BECAUSE I'VE ALWAYS FELT THAT WHILE WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH NET COG, I'D LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING IN WRITING THAT WOULD EXPLAIN EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING AND WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE GETTING.
AND IN FACT, AS COMMISSIONER STACY CAN CONFIRM, WHEN WE, WHEN WE MET WITH, UH, MR. MORRIS, HE SAID HE WOULD BE WILLING TO DO THAT.
SO THAT'S THE LITTLE, THAT'S THE TRIP I'VE BEEN ON THE LAST FEW MONTHS.
UH, I REMEMBER AT OUR LAST MEETING, UM, COMMISSIONER GOANA ASKED ME, WELL, WHAT'S OUR TIMEFRAME? HE DIDN'T WANNA BE SITTING AROUND A YEAR FROM NOW AND DOING IT.
AND I SAID, IT WON'T BE A YEAR.
AND HE SAID, WELL, CAN YOU DO IT IN FOUR TO SIX MONTHS? WE DID IT IN FOUR MONTHS.
WE DIDN'T PRESENT IT TILL THIS COURT MEETING BECAUSE, UM, I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE BEST TIME TO DO IT UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
UM, BUT IT'S BEEN FOUR MONTHS AND IN ABOUT 10 DAYS SINCE OUR 12 DAYS SINCE OUR LAST WORKSHOP IN OCTOBER.
AND THIS IS THE RESULT OF THAT, UM, IT'S A RESULT OF MULTIPLE MEETINGS WITH, UH, UH, MR. POLLSTER AND MR. CRAIG AND MYSELF AND OTHERS ON THEIR STAFF.
THEN IN FEBRUARY 12TH, UH, JUST ALMOST A MONTH AGO, THERE WAS A MEETING AT THE RTC, UH, IN ARLINGTON, IN WHICH ON THE AGENDA WAS A DISCUSSION OF THE PARTNERSHIP WITH ROCKWALL COUNTY.
UM, COMMISSIONER M**K WENT OVER THERE AND SPOKE, UH, AND MADE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THAT.
UM, BUT AT THAT MEETING, MICHAEL MORRIS SAID SOMETHING THAT I, I WANT TO DRAW EVERYONE'S ATTENTION TO.
AND THIS IS NOT, THIS WAS NOTHING NEW.
HE'S SAID THIS BEFORE, BUT HE SAID, AND I QUOTE, WE ARE MONITORING ROCKWALL COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT POSITION IF THEY, FOR WHATEVER REASON WISH TO NOT PROCEED WITH THE OUTER LOOP, OUR OFFICE AND SEASON SEASON IS WITH TDOT, WE WILL PROCEED WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE OF THE OUTER LIP LOOP.
BOTTOM LINE IS THE OUTER LOOP IS GONNA COME IN HIS OPINION.
AND THE QUESTION WE HAVE TO FACE IS, ARE WE GONNA PARTICIPATE IT IN IT OR NOT? THIS DOCUMENT BEFORE YOU IS AN EFFORT ON MY BEHALF TO OUTLINE THE TERMS OF OUR PARTICIPATION.
JUST A MINUTE, LET GET A DRINK.
I WANT TO JUST BRIEFLY WALK THROUGH THE STRUCTURE OF THE AGREEMENT AND WHAT IT DOES, AND THEN I'M GONNA HAVE MATT CRAIG FROM HALF COME AND MAKE A PRESENTATION TO US HERE.
SO THE, THE FIRST SECTION OF THIS AGREEMENT TALKS ABOUT THE INTENT OF THE PARTIES TO COLLABORATE AND BENEFIT THROUGH A COOPERATIVE, COLLABORATIVE PROCESS BETWEEN NET COG AND ROCKWELL COUNTY.
THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH THE OBJECTIVE SET FORTH IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AS COMMISSIONER M**K WILL REMIND US.
UM, SECTION TWO OF THIS DOCUMENT OUTLINES THE COUNTY RESPONSIBILITIES.
AND I'LL JUST TOUCH ON THE, A FEW OF THEM.
UH, ONE IS TO THE MOST SIGNIFICANTLY, I THINK IS TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH HALF, UM, OR ANOTHER ENGINEERING FIRM THAT EVERYBODY WOULD APPROVE, BUT IT'D BE PROBABLY HALF, UM, TO DO AN ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS FOR THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE OUTER LOOP.
UM, THIS WILL BE USED TO DETERMINE THE BEST ROUTE AND TO DETERMINE HOW TO, HOW TO WHERE THIS ROOT, WHERE THIS ROUTE WOULD GO AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, THE COST WILL BE ABOUT, ACCORDING TO LA LATEST ESTIMATES FROM HALF WOULD BE ABOUT SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
WHICH GOES TO THE POINT THAT YOU WERE BRINGING UP EARLIER, COMMISSIONER M**K, IS HOW DO WE PAY FOR THAT? WE CAN DISCUSS, I'M SURE THAT WILL COME UP IN THIS MEETING, BUT I'M JUST GONNA MOVE ON NOW.
THE COST WILL BE ABOUT SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE LISTENING.
WE DID THE NORTHERN ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS AND THE CONTRACT THERE WAS FOR ABOUT $8.8 MILLION.
SO THIS IS ACTUALLY LESS, I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU CAN ASK MATT CRAIG THAT, UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE NORTHERN PORTION, THE ENVIRONMENTAL
[00:50:01]
ANALYSIS SINCE 2022.I BELIEVE MATT, I THINK IT'S 2022, SO ALMOST FOUR YEARS.
I ASKED HIM, HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE US TO COMPLETE THE ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS ON THIS? AND HE SAID THREE YEARS.
SO THE OTHER RESPONSIBILITY WE, WE HAVE THAT WE PUT IN HERE IS THAT IF WHEN IT'S FINALIZED AND A ROUTE IS DETERMINED, WE WILL MODIFY OUR MASTER THOROUGHFARE PLAN TO, TO TREAT THAT ROOT, TO CONTEMPLATE THAT ROOT.
SECTION THREE TALKS ABOUT NET COGS RESPONSIBILITIES.
UM, COUPLE THINGS I'LL HIGHLIGHT HERE.
UH, NET COG IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL EMINENT DOMAIN.
THE, ACTUALLY, I THINK THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BE DONE THROUGH TXDOT, BUT IT'S NOT OUR RESPONSIBILITY.
UM, SECONDLY, THEY WOULD BE AGREEING TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OTHER ROAD DEVELOPMENT WITHIN OUR COUNTY AND TREATING US AS WELL AS THEY HAVE IN THE PAST.
NOT THINKING THAT THIS, THIS ROAD IS IN LIEU OF OTHER DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THIRD, UH, WHICH TO ME IS I THINK CAN END UP BEING VERY SIGNIFICANT, UM, BUT IT'S SPECULATIVE OF COURSE, IS THAT THEY AGREE TO SUPPORT ANY LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS.
WE HAVE TO OBTAIN LEGAL AUTHORITY TO REGULATE LAND DEVELOPMENT ALONG THE ROUTE.
AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT MANY TIMES, ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS I KNOW THAT ALL OF US HAVE, AND I KNOW FOR SURE I HAVE WITH THE OUTER LOOP, IS WHAT'S DEVELOPED ALONG IT.
UM, NOBODY WANTS TO, UH, HAVE THAT ROAD WITH 10,000 APARTMENTS THERE.
AND WHEN WE DRIVE UP ONE 90, THAT'S WHAT WE SEE.
SO WE'VE INCLUDED IN THIS A PROVISION THAT THEY WILL SUPPORT OUR LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS TO GET LAND CONTROL, UH, REGULATIONS IN OUR FAVOR THAT'S GONNA BE SUBJECT TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
WE CAN'T MAKE THAT HAPPEN, UM, AS MUCH AS WE'D LIKE, BUT THE STATE LEGISLATURE CAN GIVE US AUTHORITY.
AND COMMISSIONER GOANA AND I, UM, TWO OR THREE MONTHS AGO SAT DOWN WITH, UH, SENATOR HALL AND HAD A VERY LONG MEETING WITH HIM TO EXPLAIN EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO DO HERE AND HOW WE'RE GONNA DO IT.
HE SAID, GET ME SOMETHING AND I WILL CERTAINLY GIVE IT FAIR CONSIDERATION.
I DON'T DISPUTE THAT FOR A MINUTE, BUT THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE GOTTA FIGHT FOR BECAUSE IF THIS ROAD IS COMING ANYWAY, WHETHER WE DO THIS A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING OR NOT, UM, WE HAVE GOT TO TRY AND PROTECT OURSELVES AGAINST DEVELOPMENT.
AND WE HAD A REALLY GREAT TEAM FROM OUR COUNTY IN THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION WORKING, BUT WE NEED TO START WORKING NOW, NOT NEXT FEBRUARY TO GET SOMETHING GOING ON THIS.
SO THAT'S THE THIRD THING, SECTION FOUR OF THIS AGREEMENT.
IT SPECIFIES WHAT ARE REFERRED TO AS DESIGN OBJECTIVES.
AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE MITIGATION STRATEGIES THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT IF THIS ROAD IS BUILT TO MAKE IT WORK TO HAVE LESS OF A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON OUR COUNTY AND ON THE PEOPLE LIVING IN OUR COUNTY.
WHEN YOU GO THROUGH THESE, THERE ARE ITEMS A THROUGH H THESE ARE ITEMS WE HAVE DISCUSSED WITH MR. MORRIS.
THESE ARE, MOST OF THESE ARE ITEMS MR. MORRIS ADDRESSED WHEN HE WAS HERE IN OCTOBER.
THESE SHOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE TO ANYONE.
BUT AGAIN, IN MY OPINION, IF THIS IS WHAT WE'RE BEING TOLD WE WANT, WE'RE GONNA WORK ON, LET'S JUST KIND OF MEMORIALIZE IT INTO A WRITTEN AGREEMENT.
AND MATT IS GONNA GO THROUGH MORE OF THESE IN DETAIL WHEN HE PRESENTS HIS, UH, PRESENTATION HERE.
AND THEN THERE'S A FEW PARAGRAPHS OF, UH, THAT ARE, I HATE TO USE THE TERM BOILERPLATE.
IN FACT, ONE OF 'EM I JUST SET TO BE ADDED GOVERNMENTAL IMMUNITY.
'CAUSE WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE DANIEL WRITE THAT PROVISION FOR US IF WE GO FORWARD WITH THIS.
BUT THIS IS KIND OF NORMAL STUFF.
SO WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MATT, CRAIG OF HALF COME AND DO A PRESENTATION AND JUDGE WHEN HE'S DONE, I'D LIKE TO HAVE A FEW CLOSING MARKS BEFORE WE, BEFORE WE START ASKING QUESTION DISCUSSION.
I'M WITH HALF ASSOCIATES, UM, PROJECT MANAGER ON THE OUTER LOOP STUDIES.
AND ALSO WITH ME HERE TODAY IS KARA ALT.
SHE IS OUR ENVIRONMENTAL TEAM LEADER, AND SHE MAKES SURE THAT I TRY TO STAY ON A STRAIGHT AND NARROW PATH WHEN IT COMES TO THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT, THE NEPA PROCESS, WHICH IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THROUGH THE NORTHERN PART FOR PHASE ONE.
UH, PHASE TWO IS WE WERE WORKING THROUGH THE FEASIBILITY STUDIES SIDE OF THAT AND THE ROUTING STUDY, THAT'S SUCH WHAT THEY WOULD CALL PRE NEPA, BUT IT ESPECIALLY FED FEEDS INTO THAT PROCESS.
[00:55:01]
I'M GONNA DO IS JUST, UH, KINDA, I'M NOT EVEN GONNA RECAP THIS.YOU GAVE SUCH A GOOD EXPLANATION OF WHAT WAS DONE IN THE PAST YEAR WORKING WITH THE COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS, BUT I WOULD INVITE FOLKS THAT MAY HAVE NOT ATTENDED THAT CONSORTIUM MEETING BACK IN OCTOBER, PROVIDING THE LINK HERE.
THAT WAS, I GOT TO RE-LISTEN ABOUT TWO HOURS OF DISCUSSION BACK IN OCTOBER ON, ON THE OUTER LOOP.
AND THE LINK IS PROVIDED HERE IN THIS DOCUMENT.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE ALIGNMENT ALTERNATIVES THAT WAS PRESENTED, AND MY PART HERE ON THE ENGINEERING AND THE NEPA SIDE IS TO TALK THROUGH THESE TOOLS THAT MICHAEL TALKED ABOUT IN THE, IN YOUR SLIDES HERE.
AND IT'S IN THAT ORDER OF PRIORITY THAT, THAT THIS ISN'T NEW.
THIS IS WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE NEPA PROCESS FOR YEARS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I USED TO HAVE A RED BEARD INSTEAD OF A GRAY BEARD, WE WERE DOING IT BACK THEN, BUT THE PROCESS IS, NUMBER ONE, AVOID IMPACTS.
NUMBER TWO IS TO MINIMIZE IMPACTS IF THEY'RE UNAVOIDABLE.
NUMBER THREE, IF YOU DO HAVE IMPACTS, CAN YOU MITIGATE THOSE? AND NUMBER FOUR, ADD ENHANCEMENTS WHERE YOU CAN TO MAKE IT EVEN BETTER IN A PROCESS.
THE LAST ITEM THAT MICHAEL BROUGHT UP WAS LAND USE AND, UH, PARTNERING WITH THE CITIES THAT'S OUTSIDE OF MY SCOPE OF ENGINEERING, AND I'LL LEAVE THAT TO THE POLICY FOLKS TO THAT CAN WORK ON THAT.
BUT HE ALSO PRESENTED A FEW EXAMPLES, AND I WON'T GO INTO THE DETAILS ON THOSE YOU'VE SEEN 'EM BEFORE, BUT WAS TO MINIMIZE WHERE UP ON THREE 80, THEY WERE ABLE TO LOWER THE ROADWAY TO HELP REDUCE THE VISUAL IMPACTS AND THE NOISE IMPACTS.
ALSO DID SOME MITIGATION ON THAT SIDE WHERE YOU COULD, UH, DO SOME ENHANCEMENTS AND AVOIDANCE OF, UH, UH, SOME OF THE IMPACTS.
AND THEN FINALLY, THE ENHANCEMENTS THEMSELVES, WHICH IS SOMETIMES THE AESTHETICS.
AND THOSE CAN BE DONE IN THE NEPA PROCESS OR THEY CAN BE DO DONE DURING THE DESIGN SIDE.
SO, UH, AS, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER LICK D HAD, UH, PRESENTED IN THE, IN THIS MOU IN ITEM SECTION FOUR, LISTED OUT BASICALLY 10 OF THESE DESIGN OBJECTIVES.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE REALLY FIT THOSE INTO THE NEPA PROCESS AS WE'RE DOING THAT PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING, LAYING OUT THE SCHEMATIC AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AS WE GET MORE WORK, UH, MORE INFORMATION FROM FIELD SURVEYS AND THINGS LIKE THAT ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL SIDE.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF I READ THROUGH ALL 10 OF THESE, BUT I'M GONNA GIVE YOU SOME EXAMPLES IN THE FIELD AND I'M HOPING, OH, GO AHEAD, READ THROUGH ALL 10 IF YOU WANT.
UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE SURE, SURE.
EMPHASIZE I CAN, THE THINGS WE'RE GONNA BE TRYING TO LOOK AT HERE.
WELL, I THINK, YOU KNOW, FIRST PART IS CAN WE MOVE THE ALIGNMENT AWAY FROM EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS? THAT'S A, A, A TOP GOAL THAT WE'VE HAD ALL THROUGH THE PROCESS IN ROUTING, UH, CONSTRUCTING TRAFFIC LANES BELOW EXISTING TRA UM, LEVELS, WHICH IS REALLY AS MUCH A, A PREFERENCE AS WELL AS A DESIGN SIDE OF THINGS.
UH, C IS ON LIMITING FRONTAGE ROADS ALONG RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS AND ALLOW THE COUNTY INPUT ON THE LOCATION ACCESS TO AND THE DESIGN OF THOSE FRONTAGE ROADS.
SO THEY, THEY TEND TO HAVE FRONTAGE ROADS CONTINUOUS, BUT THEY'RE NOT AN ABSOLUTE NECESSITY.
LOCATING ACCESS RAMPS AND INTERCHANGES TO REDUCE IMPACTS TO RESIDENTIAL.
IF WE COULD LOOK AT THE RAMPING IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FRONTAGE ROADS, AND I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF THAT HERE.
UPCOMING MAXIMIZE INSTALLATION OF NOISE MITIGATION.
I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE EXAMPLE OF HOW WE COULD DO THAT HERE.
ON, ON, UM, ON THE PHASE TWO, INCORPORATE TRAILS AND PATHWAYS FOR PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLES AND OTHER NON-MOTORIZED TRANSPORTATION.
AND WHAT WE DO IS, AS TEXT OUT POLICIES, STATE FUNDER ROADS, THEY INCLUDE WHAT'S CALLED A SHARED USE PATH, WHICH IS BASICALLY A BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN WIDE CONCRETE, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, A WIDE SIDEWALK, 10 12 FOOT WIDE.
THAT ALLOWS FOR BOTH BICYCLE PEDESTRIANS.
THOSE ARE CONTINUOUS ALONG BOTH SIDES OF THE ROADWAYS THAT ARE BUILT.
USE PAVEMENT MATERIALS THAT ARE, THAT COULD BE USED TO, UH, REDUCE ROADWAY NOISE.
THOSE ARE PROVISIONS IN THE DESIGN SIDE.
AND IT CAN BE ALSO PUT INTO, EXCUSE ME, THE ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT THAT CARRIES ON FROM OUR NEPA PROCESS TO THE CONSTRUCTION PLAN SET.
AND THEN FINALLY, UH, INCORPORATE ANY NEW TECHNOLOGIES.
I GUESS THOSE WOULD BE THE UNKNOWN UNKNOWNS AT THIS STAGE.
YOU KNOW, WHAT COULD BE COMING UP IS, UH, AS, UH, COMMISSIONER TY SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS COULD BE UPWARDS OF A THREE YEAR PROCESS.
THERE COULD BE THINGS COME IN THAT HAVEN'T BEEN INVENTED YET THAT COULD BE BROUGHT INTO THE PROCESS.
SO I, I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE EXAMPLE OF, YOU KNOW, FOR LACK OF, UH, NOT HAVING DEVELOPED FURTHER, NOT BEING PART OF THAT NEPA PROCESS YET, TAKING SOME OF THE TOOLS WE DID BACK IN 2023 WHEN WE HAD OUR LAST PUBLIC MEETING.
UM, THAT DISCLOSED, UH, UH, UM, A ROUTE FOR THE, THE OUTER LOOP ON PHASE TWO AND THAT RECOMMENDATION, AND IT HAD IT RIGHT UP AGAINST THE HIGH POINT
[01:00:01]
LAKE ESTATES, AND IT ALSO HAD SOME LONGER BRIDGES IN THAT AREA.THAT'S WHAT'S SHOWN IN RED ON THIS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT DOESN'T SHOW UP THERE, DOES IT? BUT IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR DRAWING THERE, THAT RED WAS TO, I, UH, SIGNIFY BRIDGES.
AND I THINK, AND AGAIN, I APPRECIATE FRANK AND, AND BEING HERE AND MAKING THOSE COMMENTS ON THINGS THAT WERE CONCERNS TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ON HAVING ELEVATED BRIDGES.
WELL, THIS IS KIND OF THE STARTING POINT OF WHAT WAS SHOWN BACK IN 2023.
TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, THEN, CAN WE MOVE THE ROUTE AWAY FROM THAT WITHOUT FURTHER IMPACTING OTHER PROPERTIES LIKE TATE FARMS? THAT'S OFF TO THE RIGHT OF THE SCREEN.
UH, THE RED IS WHAT WAS SHOWN PREVIOUSLY IN 2023.
HERE'S A WAY TO MOVE IT AWAY FROM THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THAT THAT GETS AN EXTRA 300 FEET OR MORE AWAY FROM THE PROPERTY, THE BACK PROPERTY LINES OF THE HIGH POINT LAKE ESTATES RESIDENCES.
WHAT THAT ALSO ALLOWS YOU TO DO IS THAT MAKE SOME ADDITIONAL ROOM THERE FOR RIGHT AWAY THAT COULD BE USED FOR, UM, A BERM AND LANDSCAPING AND SOME OTHER DRAINAGE ENHANCEMENTS THAT COULD ALLOW US TO NOT HAVE THE LONG BRIDGES THAT ARE HIGH AND ELEVATED.
WE WERE ABLE TO GET A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ON THE, UH, FLOODPLAIN DESIGNATIONS IN THAT AREA, REDUCING THOSE, UM, LIMITS, AND THAT WAY WE COULD LOWER THE PROFILE.
AND WHAT THIS SHOWS ALSO IS A WAY THAT INSTEAD OF HAVING IT UP ON BRIDGE THAT HAS TO HAVE TWO FOOT OF CLEARANCE OVER THE A HUNDRED FOOT FLOOD, IS TO BE ABLE TO BASICALLY PUT IT AT GRADE AND OR BELOW GRADE AND THEN HAVE IT SO THAT IT CROSSES UNDERNEATH PROPOSED INTERCHANGES AT 5 48 OR AT CUBAN ROAD.
SO THOSE ARE THE TYPE OF ENHANCEMENTS THAT COULD BE DONE WITH A MODIFIED ALIGNMENT.
WE COULD ALSO LOOK AT EVEN ELIMINATING THE FRONTAGE ROADS IN THAT STRETCH BETWEEN 5 48 AND COEN ROAD.
AND IT MODIFIES THE RAMPING, BUT IT ALSO EVEN MAKES THE TRAFFIC FURTHER AWAY FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN, IN THAT AREA.
UH, SO THOSE ARE THE KIND OF CONCEPTS THAT WE COULD LOOK AT.
IT'D STILL BE, UH, AT GRADE OR BELOW GRADE.
AND THEN SOME OF THE TOOLS WE HAVE, I'M, I'M A LITTLE EMBARRASSED 'CAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO REALLY ENHANCE THESE VERY MUCH INTO VISUALS, BUT THESE ARE THREE DIMENSIONALLY ACCURATE REPRESENTATIONS OF SAY, A DRIVER'S EYE VIEW IN THE TOP LEFT CORNER.
IF YOU'RE DRIVING THERE ON, UM, UM, THE OUTER LOOP EASTBOUND LANES, LOOKING OFF TO YOUR RIGHT TOWARDS HIGH POINT LAKE ESTATES, THIS IS ABOUT WHERE THE, UH, THE, THE DRAINAGE WAY LEAVES THE BACK OF THE YARDS AND KIND OF GOES BACK TO THE NORTH A BIT.
SO THERE'S A LI THERE'S A LITTLE BLACK SQUARE BETWEEN THE TREES.
AND THAT'S TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER IS THAT SAME LOCATION, BUT JUST HIGHER UP.
SO YOU COULD SEE THE, IN PERSPECTIVE OF DISTANCE, WE USE THE BRIGHT GREEN.
IT WOULD NOT BE ASTROTURF ON THE, THE, UH, ON THE BERM, BUT I WANTED TO AT LEAST REPRESENT, YOU KNOW, PICK OUT WHERE THE BERM WAS AND WITHIN THE TREES.
AND THAT TOP RIGHT CORNER IS JUST A VIEW THAT WOULD SAY BE FROM ONE OF THE HOUSES THERE THAT'S ON TREE HAVEN COURT.
THAT LOOKS BACK TO THE BERMS, THE VEGETATION, AND THE ALVAR LOOP BACK IN THE BACKGROUND.
SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME EXAMPLES OF TOOLS THAT ARE FOLLOWING THOSE 10 DESIGN OBJECTIVES.
SO, YOU KNOW, ONCE, UH, WE GET INTO THE NEPA PROCESS, WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY ON THAT, THAT WE COULD DEVELOP THOSE IN GREATER TE DETAIL.
AND WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE, THE OVERALL PURPOSE AND NEEDS STATEMENT, WHERE IN THE NEPA DOCUMENT, A LOT OF THESE ITEMS, THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES GET PLACED INTO THE ACTUAL DOCUMENT.
WE CAN DO MORE THAN JUST THE, THE VERY STANDARD LANGUAGE, BUT INCLUDE, UH, MORE DETAILED LANGUAGE IN OUR PURPOSE AND NEED.
AND THAT ALL COMES TO THE NEXT STEPS, WHICH IS GOING FORWARD WITH PULLING IN THE DESIGN OBJECTIVES, PUTTING THIS INTO THE NEED FOR PROCESS PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT.
AND THEN IT'S ALL WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS, WITH THE COUNTY, AND WITH THE COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S, I THINK, A VERY IMPORTANT FOR THAT NEXT STAGE TO HAVE, UM, SUBSTANTIAL INPUT FROM OUR COMMUNITY.
SO WITH THAT, THAT IS WHAT I HAVE FOR YOU, COMMISSIONER.
UH, MATT, IF YOU'D STAY AROUND, 'CAUSE AS WE GET INTO THE DISCUSSION, THERE MAY BE SOME QUESTIONS WE'D LIKE YOU TO ANSWER.
BUT THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION VERY MUCH.
DO YOU WANT ME TO STAND HERE? YOU DON'T HAVE TO STAND THERE.
UH, THANKS MATT, AND THANK YOU JUDGE FOR LETTING ME HAVE THIS TIME TO JUST KIND OF WRAP THINGS UP.
I THINK IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT THERE'S NOT A SINGLE PERSON ON THIS
[01:05:01]
COURT WHO IS ASKING FOR THE OUTER LOOP TO GO THROUGH OUR COUNTY.OKAY? WE ARE PRESENTED WITH THE HISTORY THAT'S BEEN GIVEN TO US, AND WE CAN'T DENY THAT, BUT WE CAN TRY TO MAKE OUR FUTURE BETTER.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS TRYING TO DO.
UM, WHILE YOU ALL DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO REALLY REVIEW THIS UNTIL IT WAS IN YOUR, WITH YOUR PACKAGES ON FRIDAY, THIS IS SOMETHING I'VE BEEN WORKING ON WITH NOT ONLY HALF AN ITS, BUT OTHERS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY FOR MONTHS.
UM, NOT TO SAY IT'S PERFECT, BUT I HAVE SOUGHT INPUT FROM PEOPLE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, I'VE SOUGHT PEOP UH, ERICA BRIDGES.
I DON'T SEE HER HERE THIS MORNING, BUT OUR ENGINEER, SHE'S GONE THROUGH THIS WITH ME.
I'VE MET WITH FOLKS, UH, IN PRECINCT THREE.
I MET WITH, UH, MR. MERLINO ON THIS PRIOR TO THIS MEETING AND EXPLAINED, DISCUSSED WITH HIM, GOT INPUT FROM HIM.
AND I'VE TRIED TO INCORPORATE THAT INPUT INTO THIS AGREEMENT.
THIS AGREEMENT HAS NOT BEEN PRESENTED TO NET COG YET.
OKAY? BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA PRESENT THIS AGREEMENT UNLESS I KNOW OUR COURT'S BEHIND IT, BECAUSE IT WOULD BE A, A WASTED EFFORT IF THAT WERE THE CASE.
SO WHAT I AM ASKING TODAY IS I'M ASKING, UH, FOR THE COURT TO APPROVE THIS MOU SO THAT WE CAN THEN SEND IT TO NET COG, GET THEIR INPUT, GET ITS REVIEW, AND IF THEY HAVE ANY THOUGHTS OR COMMENTS, WE WILL BE BACK TO DISCUSS THOSE SIGNIFICANTLY.
HOWEVER, WE STARTING, I DON'T KNOW WHEN, BEFORE BOBBY AND I GOT ON THE COURT, THERE, THERE, THIS, THIS WAS A VERY, THIS HAS BECOME AN EXTRAORDINARILY CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC, AND I UNDERSTAND WHY.
AND I SAT IN MEETINGS HERE BEFORE I WAS ON THE COURT AND WATCHED DISCUSSIONS ON THE COURT WHERE IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THERE WAS DIVISION AND THERE WAS CONTROVERSY WHEN I WENT INTO THIS PROCESS.
I'VE TOLD SOME OF YOU THIS, MAYBE ALL OF YOU, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I'VE TOLD MANY PEOPLE THIS, MY GOAL IN THIS PROCESS IS TO COME OUT WITH THE BEST POSSIBLE SOLUTION FOR OUR COUNTY AND TO COME WITH A FIVE OH VOTE FROM THIS COURT ON WHATEVER WE PROCEED ON.
AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE ARE, WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS ROCKY ROAD WITH NET COG, AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE SPEAK WITH A UNIFIED VOICE, IN MY OPINION, TO NET COG.
AND WHILE I'M SURE THAT WE ALL HAVE OPINIONS ON THIS, SOME PEOPLE MIGHT LIKE SOME THINGS NOT LIKE THE OTHERS.
SOME PEOPLE MIGHT NOT LIKE ANYTHING, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT I'M ASKING YOU, I THINK WHAT WE'VE DONE HERE IS WE'VE, WE'RE TAKING A SHOT AT THE BEST POSSIBLE ROUTE TO MITIGATE THE IMPACT UPON THIS.
BECAUSE AS WE'VE BEEN TOLD, AND AS I'VE DISCUSSED WITH OUR CONSULTANTS, UM, IF WE DON'T DO IT, NET COG WILL DO THIS ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS.
IF WE WANNA HAVE INPUT ON IT, IF WE WANT TO HAVE INPUT INTO THE PROCESS AND TRY AND DESIGN THESE ENHANCEMENT MEASURES AND MITIGATION ED MEASURES IN THE WAY THAT'S IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF OUR CITIZENS.
THIS IS, THIS IS HOW WE DO IT.
SO, BASED ON THAT, I APPRECIATE Y'ALL LISTENING TO ME.
I APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION.
AND I WOULD, AGAIN, WHEN IT COMES TIME AND I MAKE MY MOTION, I WOULD HOPE WE CAN HAVE A FIVE OH VOTE ON WHATEVER WE DECIDE.
QUESTIONS FOR COMMISSIONER LTI? FIRE AWAY.
COMMISSIONER LONG I A QUESTION, I JUST WANNA, WANNA MAKE A STATEMENT.
COMMISSIONER LTI, THANK YOU, UH, FOR ALL YOUR WORK, UH, ON THIS.
I KNOW IT'S BEEN A, A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, I, I'VE BEEN ON RECORD SEVERAL TIMES SAYING WE HAVE TO DO THIS ENVIRONMENTAL TO PARTICIPATE.
THIS IS OUR PATH TO PARTICIPATION IN THE LOOP.
IT IS OUR PATH TO PROTECT RESIDENTS LIKE MR. MERLINO, BECAUSE IF WE DON'T PARTICIPATE, THEY'RE GONNA BRING THE LOOP IN A WAY THAT WE DON'T WANT.
THAT'S GONNA AFFECT HIGH POINT LAKE ESTATES AND ALL THE OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS THAT MR. MERLINO NAMED IN HIS REMARKS, UH, OPENING COURT TODAY.
AND, AND IT'S GONNA BE A NEGATIVE.
AND TO COMMISSIONER TY'S POINT, I WANT THE BEST PRODUCT WE CAN GET.
AND WORKING WITH HALF AND DOING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IS REALLY STEP ONE INTO GETTING TO THOSE MITIGATION EFFORTS.
YOU KNOW, MR. MORRIS SAT HERE IN OUR CONSORTIUM AND TALKED ABOUT ALL THESE MITIGATION EFFORTS, UH, BEING AVAILABLE TO US, THAT HE WAS, UM, GOOD WITH USING ALL THOSE PROVIDED EXAMPLES OF THEIR WORK IN THE PAST USING THOSE THINGS.
AND MY CONCERN IS THAT WE'RE STILL, THAT WE STILL MAY BE FOCUSED ON TRYING TO MOVE THE LOOP WHEN ALL OF THE STUDIES
[01:10:01]
SAY THAT'S NOT A REALITY.NOW, MOVING A LITTLE, SURE, BUT I MEAN, MOVING OUT OF THE COUNTY, NOT A REALITY.
AND SO WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON WHAT REALITY IS.
I'M WORKING HARD ON THE LEGISLATIVE SIDE.
I'VE MET WITH REPRESENTATIVE PEARSON, I'VE MET WITH COMMISSIONER LICHTY AND SENATOR HALL.
AND WHAT SENATOR HALL SAID WAS, IF IT BENEFITS THE WHOLE COUNTY, I'M BEHIND IT.
AND SO, OF COURSE, UH, MITIGATION EFFORTS BENEFIT THE WHOLE COUNTY.
THEY WILL, IT'S, HE DOESN'T WANT TO DO SOMETHING THAT ONLY BENEFITS A SMALL NUMBER OF THE COUNTY AND THEN HAS A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE REST.
HE'S VERY AMENABLE TO, UH, WORKING WITH US ON THIS LEGISLATION.
AND I, I BELIEVE WE CAN GET IT PASSED, NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT I THINK WE CAN GET A, UM, OVERLAY DISTRICT PASSED.
AND IF WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT, WHAT HAPPENS, JUST SO YOU KNOW, IS THAT WE THEN CAN CREATE OUR OWN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WITHIN THE OVERLAY.
AND SO IT ALMOST GIVES THE COUNTY, UM, RIGHTS LIKE A CITY WOULD HAVE IN DEVELOPING A PLAN FOR HOW THAT AREA IS GONNA BE DEVELOPED.
IT IS THE BEST WAY TO PROTECT THE RESIDENTS AROUND THAT AND TO PROTECT US FROM HAVING A BUNCH OF APARTMENTS GROW UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT LOOP.
ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONER STACY, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
UH, BUT THEY'RE FOR JOHN POLLSTER FIRST.
SO, UM, I I JUST, I JUST HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AND I WANNA ASK YOUR OPINION.
AND IF YOU DON'T WANT TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, I'M NOT GONNA LEAD THE WITNESS AND BEIGER THE WITNESS.
SO FIRST OF ALL, IN THE NEW UTP, HOW MUCH CAT TWO MONEY IS COMING TO THE MPO? BECAUSE I HEARD MICHAEL MORRIS SAY ZERO THERE ADDITIONAL FUNDS, THERE IS ZERO CAT TWO IN CAT FOR FOUR ALLOCATIONS.
SO IF WE DON'T DO THIS, LET'S JUST SAY THAT WE, FOR LACK OF BETTER WORDS, JUST TELL COG, YOU CAN POUND SAND, WE'RE NOT GONNA PARTICIPATE.
AND MICHAEL MORRIS HAS STATED THEY ARE GONNA DO THE ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY ON THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE LOOP, CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
SO IF THEY HAVE NO ADDITIONAL MONEY, IN YOUR OPINION, WHERE WOULD THEY GET THE MONEY IN ORDER TO FUND THIS SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS LOOP? SO THE, UH, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE ENGINEERING? CORRECT.
SO THE, THE, THE CAT TWO AND CAT FOUR MONEY IS FOR CAPACITY IMPROVEMENTS, ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS.
THEY HAVE BUDGETED MONEY FOR CONSULTANTS RIGHT AWAY AND UTILITY RELOCATIONS.
SO THEY WOULD JUST SIMPLY TAKE THOSE DOLLARS OUT OF THEIR CONSULTANT BUDGET.
IT'S A SEPARATE, IT'S A SEPARATE ACCOUNT.
IT'S A SEPARATE ACCOUNT, YES, SIR.
SO WAS, HAS THERE BEEN ANY DISCUSSION, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THERE WAS, UM, IN THE LAST RTC THAT THE RTC WOULD REEVALUATE THEIR PARTNERSHIP WITH ROCKWALL COUNTY IF WE WERE TO NOT PARTICIPATE AT ALL ON THE OUTER LOOP? CORRECT.
AND, AND I WAS THERE, COMMISSIONER, UH, M**K WAS THERE.
AND BASICALLY WHAT MR. MORRIS WAS SAYING IS, IS Y'ALL MADE A COMMITMENT, RTC, WE'RE GONNA BRIEF YOU ON IT, AND THEN Y'ALL HAVE TO DECIDE ON WHAT YOU TO DO POST, UH, RTC MEETING THE CHAIR.
UH, COMMISSIONER BAILEY FROM JOHNSON COUNTY, UH, MADE A COMMENT TO A GROUP OF US AFTERWARDS THAT HE WAS VERY INTERESTED IN MAKING SURE THAT THE HONOR, THE, THE, THE FUNDING THAT WAS COMMITTED TO THIS PROJECT IS VIEWED IN LIGHT OF THE OUTER LOOP BEING PURSUED.
SO, SO RIGHT NOW THERE'S ABOUT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS OF COG MONEY ON 2 0 5, UH, BOTH, UH, MIDDLE AND SOUTH.
AND SO RIGHT NOW, THAT'S THE ONLY PROJECT THAT'S ON THE BUBBLE BECAUSE 5 49, JUST LET, SO THAT ONE'S, THAT DOG'S OUT OF THE KENNEL.
UH, SO YES, THEY HAVE SAID THEY, THE POLICY OFFICIALS HAVE SAID THEY, THEY DO WANNA LOOK AT THIS, BUT THEY'VE GIVEN THE COURT TIME TO WORK OUT SOME ISSUES.
OKAY? SO I WOULD ASSUME THAT 2 0 5 IS IMPORTANT TO ALL FIVE OF US.
NOW, MY, I ONLY HAVE ONE ISSUE WITH THE DOCUMENT THAT COMMISSIONER LITHIA HAS BROUGHT FORWARD.
COMMISSIONER, ARE YOU THERE WITH ME? UM, YES.
SORRY,
UM, AND, AND I, UM, AND, AND IN ALL FAIRNESS AND TRANSPARENCY, UM, I WENT INTO COMMISSIONER TY'S OFFICE YESTERDAY 'CAUSE I DIDN'T WANNA BLINDSIDE HIM WITH SOME CRAZY OBJECTION TO THE DOCUMENT THAT I KNOW HE SPENT MONTHS AND MONTHS PREPARING.
UM, SO I, UM, I DO NOT HAVE THE ONLY, AND, AND, AND I WANNA SAY THIS IN, IN A WAY THAT THAT IS,
[01:15:02]
UH, YOU KNOW, NOT, NOT INCENDIARY IN ANY WAY.THE REASON WE ENTER INTO AN MOU IS TO TRY TO STRENGTHEN THE COUNTY'S POSITION TO OUR BEST OF OUR ABILITIES TO WORK IN THIS PARTNERSHIP.
I, I, I, IF NOT, WE CAN JUST PUT OUR HEAD IN THE SAND, HOPE AND PRAY THEY BUILD 2 0 5 AND THEN THEY JUST COME THROUGH AND JUST RAM THIS DOWN OUR THROATS.
I MEAN, THAT, THOSE ARE REALLY KIND OF ALL OUR ALTERNATIVES IN MY MIND.
I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT FOUR A STRENGTHENS OUR POSITION IN AVOIDING NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND THE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT IT DOES ENOUGH TO MOVE TO UN DEVELOP RURAL LAND IN A WAY THAT THEY CAN JUST SAY IT COSTS TOO MUCH MONEY, OR IT DOES THIS OR IT DOES THAT.
NOW, WHAT I DON'T LIKE ABOUT IT IS THAT I READ THIS DOCUMENT ON SUNDAY, AND I DON'T HAVE A SOLUTION TO WHAT I DON'T LIKE ABOUT FOUR A AND, AND THAT REALLY BOTHERS ME AS A PERSON BECAUSE I'VE TRIED REALLY HARD SINCE SUNDAY TO THINK HOW CAN WE STRENGTHEN THAT POSITION TO SAY THAT THAT IS, THAT ISN'T JUST IMPORTANT.
THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IS TO AVOID THESE NEIGHBORHOODS.
IF WE ARE TRYING TO GET OUR COOPERATION, WE WANT SOME SORT OF COMMITMENT THAT WE'RE GONNA DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE, NOT JUST GO, OH, WE TRIED AND WE CAN'T.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS OTHER FACTOR WORKS AND THIS ONE DOESN'T.
UM, AND I JUST WANNA REMIND US, I MEAN, A WEEK AGO, SEVEN DAYS AGO, THERE WAS AN ELECTION, AND IN THAT ELECTION THERE WAS ME RUNNING SAYING, I HATE WHERE THE AUTO LOOP'S GOING, AND I WANNA MOVE IT.
AND YOU HAD A JUDGE RUNNING FOR THE WHOLE COUNTY SAYING HE WANTS TO MOVE IT TO HUNT COUNTY, AND WE WERE REELECTED.
SO THE IDEA THAT WE WANT TO TRY TO MASSAGE WHERE THE LOOP GOES, THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN AND SAID, WE WANT SOMETHING DONE WITH WHERE THIS LOOP IS GOING.
AND, AND, AND THAT'S WHERE I WORRY, I DO WANNA COOPERATE.
I DO WANNA WRITE AN MOUI DO WANT TO TAKE THIS BULL BY THE HORNS, BUT I DON'T FEEL LIKE FORAY STRENGTHENS OUR POSITION ANY MORE THAN OUR POSITION CURRENTLY IS.
THE OTHER ITEMS, DO THEY STRENGTHEN OUR POSITION? AND I WOULD JUST LIKE THE COURT TO SIT AND AND THINK ABOUT HOW CAN WE DO IT? WE HAVE HALF, WE HAVE MR. POLLSTER HERE, WE HAVE PEOPLE WITH A LOT MORE EXPERIENCE IN THIS.
UM, HOW CAN WE STRENGTHEN THAT TO SAY THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE VITALLY IMPORTANT.
THE THE, THE LOCALLY PREFERRED ROUTE NEEDS TO BE THE PREFERRED ROUTE.
ALL THE MITIGATION EFFORT COMES FROM WHERE WE LINE THIS RIGHT AWAY UP.
I WANT ALL THIS MITIGATION TO HAPPEN.
BUT I ALSO WANT US TO SERIOUSLY THINK ABOUT MOVING THE LOOP WITHIN ROCKWELL COUNTY NOT TO HUNT COUNTY.
I KNOW I'M GONNA LET JUDGE NEW TAKE ALL THE ACTION OUTTA THE ROOM WHEN HE'S READY.
I I WANT US TO THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO PARTICIPATE, HOW CAN WE HAVE SOME CONTROL FOR THE LOCAL BODIES TO MASSAGE THIS TO THE PINK LOOP? CAN WE GET FIVE MINUTES
YEAH, THAT, THAT, THAT IS MY ONLY COMMENT.
I THINK YOU WROTE A GREAT DOCUMENT, LAUREN.
BUT IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS BREAK, THAT'S MY CONCERN.
ARE YOU WANTING TO COMMENT? I I JUST WANNA MAKE ONE COMMENT AND THEN YEAH, I DID ASK THE JUDGE Y'ALL FOR A FIVE MINUTE BREAK.
UM, SO, WHICH I AM NOT OPPOSED TO WAY TOO MUCH OF THIS RIGHT HERE.
UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE A COMMENT.
LOOK, I, AND I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE SAYING, COMMISSIONER STACY, THERE WAS AN ELECTION.
UM, IT DID GO IN IN BOTH OF YOUR FAVOR, UM, SIGNIFICANTLY, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T WANT US TO GET STUCK ON THAT WAS THE ONLY REASON THAT IT WAS MOVING THE OUTER LOOP.
WHAT I HEARD MOST ABOUT IN YOUR CAMPAIGNS WERE DEVELOPER INTERESTS.
I DIDN'T HEAR A WHOLE LOT ABOUT OUTER LOOP DISCUSSIONS OTHER THAN FROM THE POWERFUL GROUP THAT MR. MERLINO HAS PUT TOGETHER.
WE GOTTA GIVE YOU CREDIT WHERE CREDIT'S DUE.
SO, BUT WHAT I, I DON'T WANT TO GET FOCUSED AGAIN ON TRYING TO, UH, MOVE THE OUTER LOOP IS OPTION ONE A, WHICH IS WHERE I KIND OF FEEL LIKE YOU'RE STEERING THIS AGAIN, BECAUSE YES, WHILE I DO WANT TO PROTECT NEIGHBORHOODS, I DO OUR JOB AS REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE IS TO BE HONEST WITH THEM, TXDOT IS SAID OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER THAT THEY'RE NOT MOVING THE LOOP AS MUCH AS YOU GUYS WANNA MOVE IT.
UNLESS THERE'S SOME NEW INFORMATION THAT HAS COME TO LIGHT THAT I'M UNAWARE OF, THEY'RE NOT GONNA MOVE IT A LOT.
BUT WHAT WE FIND OUT IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL IS HOW MUCH IT CAN BE MOVED AND WHERE GOOD OPTIONS ARE.
AND THAT'S WHAT HALF DOES FOR US.
SO JUST DON'T, I DON'T WANT US TO START GETTING SIDETRACKED IN ANOTHER DELAY PROCESS OF TRYING TO MOVE THIS THING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT.
IT'S UNFORTUNATELY THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
AND, AND I KNOW THE JUDGE WILL HAVE A ANOTHER, I'M TEEING IT UP FOR THE JUDGE BEFORE THE, BEFORE WE HAVE THIS BREAK, BECAUSE I KNOW THE JUDGE IS GONNA HAVE ANOTHER OPINION.
UM, I, I GUESS THE SURPRISE IS GONE WITH ME AT THIS POINT.
I, SO LET'S TAKE A 10 MINUTE BREAK.
[01:20:01]
ALL RIGHT, EVERYONE, WE'RE GONNA RECONVENE INTO OUR REGULAR COMMISSIONER'S COURT.WE ARE ON AGENDA ITEM 10, DISCUSS AN ACT REGARDING PROPOSED MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN ROCKWALL COUNTY AND NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS REGARDING THE OUTER LOOP IN ALL RELATED MATTERS.
COMMISSIONER LICK DE I THINK YOU HAD A COMMENT TO MAKE TO GET US STARTED AGAIN.
UM, AND IT, IT GOES BACK TO THE QUESTION RAISED AND COMMENT MADE BY COMMISSIONER STACY, UM, AND APPRECIATE YOU COMING BY AND, AND TELLING ME YOU HAD CONCERNS WITH THIS.
AND WE ARE NOT GONNA GET THE RIGHT TO PICK THE ROUTE.
SO IF WE, IF YOU THINK THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING, WE'RE NOT GONNA GET THAT.
AND, AND IF, AGAIN, THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS, BUT THAT, BUT WHAT THIS PROCESS DOES, WHAT THIS ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS DOES IS IT HAS THE, THE BEST ROUTE AND WE CAN HAVE INPUT ON THAT.
AND, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER STACY'S MENTIONING IS THAT IF WE GET INTO THIS, WE HAVE TO GET INVOLVED.
THIS IS NOT JUST, OKAY, WE DID THIS.
WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN FOUR, THREE AND A HALF YEARS BECAUSE WE GOTTA WORK WHAT WE, IT'S OUR DUTY.
ONE OF THE COUNTY DUTIES UNDER HERE IS TO SUPERVISE AND OVERSEE THE STUDY.
OKAY? SO WE'RE INTERACTING WITH IT.
SO IN AN EFFORT TO TRY AND ADDRESS COMMISSIONER'S, UH, STACEY'S CONCERN ON FOUR A I I WOULD SUGGEST ADDING THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGE, AND I WOULD WELCOME INPUT FROM ANYONE.
UM, SO FOUR A READS MOVING ROOT ALIGNMENT AWAY FROM EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS AND ONTO CURRENTLY UNDEVELOPED RURAL LAND.
ADDING IN THIS REGARD, THE NCT NET COG WILL GIVE PREFERENTIAL CONSIDERATION TO ANY PREFERRED ROUTE THROUGH THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE COUNTY, WHICH MAY BE PROPOSED BY THE COUNTY.
SO IF WE, IF WE GET INTO THIS AND DIG INTO IT AND WE THINK WE HAVE A BETTER SOLUTION, WE CAN PROPOSE THAT AND THEY WILL GIVE, AS I PUT IT, PREFERENTIAL CONSIDERATION.
UM, THAT'S BECAUSE I THINK IF WE JUST SAY COMMISSIONER STACEY, THAT WE GET TO PICK THE ROUTE, I THINK THAT WE, WE STOP, IT'S JUST A STOP RIGHT THERE.
BUT I THINK THIS WAY, AT LEAST THEY WILL ADDRESS AND RECOGNIZE GOING FORWARD THAT WE CAN HAVE INPUT INTO THAT ROUTE.
SO THAT WOULD BE MY SUGGESTION.
UM, I MEAN, IT, IT HEADS US DOWN A DIRECTION AND, AND I SHARE, AT LEAST I THINK I SHARE COMMISSIONER STACY'S WORRY, AND, AND THE WORRY IS, AND, AND HE, I EVEN SAID IT WHEN MICHAEL MORRIS CAME AND SPOKE TO THE CONSORTIUM, AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ONLY LOOKING AT MOVING, YOU'RE NOT LOOKING AT ALL THESE OTHER TOOLS.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, HE GAVE EXAMPLES OF WHERE THEY'VE USED THESE OTHER TOOLS, WE'RE NOT GUARANTEED TO BE ABLE TO USE THOSE TOOLS.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, VERY EASILY WE CAN GET TO THE POINT OF WE TRIED AND WE COULDN'T GET THERE.
I MEAN, MONEY, MONEY IS AT LEAST SOMEWHAT CONTROLLING OF, OF WHAT GOES ON HERE.
SO MY, MY FEAR AND, AND MY GUT TELLS ME, AND, AND WILL SURPRISE NO ONE THAT MOVING THE OUTER LOOP AS FAR AS WE CAN MOVE, IT IS OUR BEST CHANCE.
OUR ODDS GET WORSE THE FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD WE GO AND WE END UP WITH ATTEMPTS AT MITIGATING ATTEMPTS, AT ENHANCING ATTEMPTS, YOU KNOW, ALL THE TOOLS THAT HE SAID WE, WE COULD USE, WE END UP CHECKING A BOX THAT WE ATTEMPTED TO USE EACH ONE OF THOSE.
UH, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, MR. MORRIS, ONE OF THE THINGS HE RECOMMENDED IS WE, WE, UH, HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY AND ALLOW THE DEVELOPER TO BE ANNEXED INTO A CITY.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S THE, THAT'S REALLY TONE DEAF AS TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE STATE OF TEXAS RIGHT NOW.
UM, CLEARLY, YOU KNOW, IF WE GO BACK AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR 20 SOME ODD YEARS, BUT IF YOU GO BACK, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO, THE PLAN IN ROCKWALL COUNTY, AT LEAST AS IT COALESCED IN MY MIND, WAS EVENTUALLY ALL THE CITY LIMIT LINES AND ALL THE CITIES TOUCH THAT OUR CITIES IS WHERE THE GROWTH COMES, THEIR COMPREHENSIVE PLANS GROW, AND WE END UP WITH VERY LITTLE, ACTUALLY UNINCORPORATED COUNTY AND, AND NOT ANYMORE.
SO WE, WE WOKE UP IN A DIFFERENT WORLD A COUPLE SESSIONS AGO
[01:25:02]
AND WE'RE, THE PENDULUM IS STILL NOT DONE SWINGING THAT DIRECTION AS FAR AS THEM REMOVING AUTHORITY.AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST THE CITIES THAT ARE THE BAD GUYS, COUNTY GOVERNMENT IS THE BAD GUYS.
I, I, IF, IF YOU TALK TO OUR STATE LEGISLATION AS A BODY, WE ARE THE PROBLEM.
EVEN THOUGH WE'RE DOWN HERE FIGHTING FOR OUR VERY LIVES IN THE COUNTY, DOING THE BEST WE CAN DO WRESTLING OVER NICHOLS, WE'RE STILL THE BAD GUY.
SO BEING ABLE TO MITIGATE AND WORK A PLAN WITH THE CITIES, I MEAN THAT, THAT JUST THE DEVELOPERS IN THOSE THOROUGH AFFAIRS HAVE THE AUTHORITY RIGHT NOW.
AND THAT, THAT'S THE BIGGEST PROBLEM.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT GETS THE COUNTY HEADED DOWN A PATH THAT WE CAN'T RECOVER FROM.
AND, AND THERE'S A COUPLE, COUPLE THINGS THAT, THAT IT MAKE THAT WORSE.
NUMBER ONE IS JUST THE SIZE OF OUR COUNTY.
I MEAN, WE, WE ARE 12 MILES BY 12 MILES HAVING A ROAD GO THROUGH THE UNINCORPORATED AREA WITH NO RULES AND THE HOPE OF RULES.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT IS AN INCISION THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF OUR COUNTY.
THE INFECTION THAT'S GONNA COME OFF THAT IS GOING TO FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE ROCKWALL COUNTY.
AND I THINK WE'RE BEING NAIVE TO SUGGEST IT'S NOT NOW, WILL THEY DO IT ANYWAY? POSSIBLY? POSSIBLY, YEAH.
I MEAN, EVERYBODY'S INDICATING THAT THEY'RE GONNA DO IT ANYWAY.
I MEAN, UH, YOU KNOW, MICHAEL MORRIS HAS BEEN PRETTY CLEAR, DO IT OR, OR WE'RE GONNA DO IT.
UH, WHICH, YOU KNOW, AND MY MY OPINION IS NOT A PARTNERSHIP THAT, THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE.
UM, AND, AND, AND I DO APOLOGIZE TO THEM BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY MAY HAVE MADE THIS AGREEMENT 20 YEARS AGO.
I I'VE ASKED FOR WHO, WHO NEGOTIATED ON BEHALF OF ROCKWALL COUNTY, AND I STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE ANSWER.
BUT EVEN IF WE DID NEGOTIATE, THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS CHANGED THE RULES.
WE, WE NEGOTIATED IN GOOD FAITH THAT WE'RE GONNA PARTICIPATE.
I CAN'T IMAGINE ANY OF THE 16 ENTITIES THAT MAKE UP THE RTC SAYING THAT THEY WOULD REQUIRE US TO STILL PARTICIPATE IF IT MEANS A DESTRUCTION AND THE FUNDAMENTAL CHANGING OF OUR COUNTY.
I I I, I WOULDN'T STAND UP AND POINT AT ANY OF THE COUNTIES AND SAY, YOU MADE AN AGREEMENT 20 YEARS AGO, YOU HAVE TO DO IT NOW.
MY GUT TELLS ME, AND AND I UNDERSTAND YOU, YOU CAN'T LIVE YOUR LIFE BASED ON YOUR GUT FEELING.
MY GUT TELLS ME IF WE MAKE THIS FIRST DECISION AND THIS DOMINO GETS KNOCKED OVER, WE WE'VE LOST CONTROL.
AND, AND I APPRECIATE THE MOUI, I THINK IT'S WRITTEN SO WELL AND SO STRONG, ESPECIALLY WITH YOUR, WITH YOUR EDIT.
I DON'T KNOW THAT NET COG WOULD WOULD SIGN IT.
I MEAN, I, I HONESTLY DON'T, WELL, AND I DON'T EITHER.
UM, BUT, BUT I DO KNOW THIS THAT I HAVE WORKED WITH TWO PEOPLE WHO HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME WORKING WITH NET COG, UH, JOHN POLLSTER AND MATT CRAIG, AND BOTH OF THEM, THIS, THIS INCORPORATES COMMENTS FROM BOTH OF THEM, AND THEY ARE THE PEOPLE WE RELY UPON AND WE HIRE TO GIVE US ADVICE.
AND THEY'RE NOT GUARANTEEING IT'S GONNA BE SIGNED, BUT THEY'RE NOT SAYING THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALSO SAYING THIS IS VERY, IT'S A VERY WELL DRAFTED DOCUMENT AND THERE'S NOTHING THAT SHOULD SHOCK ANYBODY.
SO YEAH, I DON'T KNOW IF NET COGGLE SIGN IT.
I MEAN, I'VE BEEN NEGOTIATING CONTRACTS FOR MORE THAN HALF MY LIFE, AND IT'S RARE THAT SOMEBODY JUST SIGNED SOMETHING YOU PUT UNDER THEIR NOSE.
IT AND IT'S A PROCESS WE BEGIN.
AND I TO TO, TO YOUR POINT, IT'S, IT'S SO WELL WRITTEN THAT THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND HOW WELL WRITTEN IT IS.
FRANK
AND I'M, AND AGAIN, I WOULDN'T HAVE PER, I WOULDN'T HAVE PRESENTED THIS TO THE COURT IF MICHAEL MORRIS HADN'T TOLD COMMISSIONER STACEY AND I, HE WILL SIGN AN AGREEMENT THAT WILL RECOGNIZE WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.
AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, TO SUMMARIZE, I I I THINK WE HAVE THE ILLUSION OF SOME TOOLS THAT WE MAY NOT REALLY HAVE.
[01:30:01]
HAVE A QUESTION FOR MATT CRAIG.SO WE SHOWED, UM, YOU KNOW, UNDER ONE OF OUR TOOLS IS MOVING THE OUTER LOOP YOU SHOWED MOVING IT, YOU KNOW, ON THE PLAN ABOUT THAT MUCH.
HA HAVE WE, AND CAN WE LOOK AT MOVING IT THAT MUCH? UH, WHILE, UH, I I AGREE NOT FULLY.
JUST SO EVERYONE'S AWARE THAT WE MAY NOT GET IT TO HUNT COUNTY.
I'M NOT WILLING TO, TO GIVE UP THAT CONVERSATION JUST YET, BUT KEEPING IT INSIDE ROCKWELL COUNTY, I MEAN, CAN WE LOOK AT MOVING IT MORE THAN THAT MUCH? SURE.
I MEAN, THAT'S PART OF THE PROCESS WHEN YOU GET INTO THE, UM, WHAT WE CALL THE NEPA PROCESS, RIGHT? THAT PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING, THAT ENGINEERING STUDY THAT LOOKS AT WAYS TO DO THAT.
SO THIS WAS JUST, AGAIN, TRYING TO CAPTURE SOME IDEAS TO SHOW A CONCEPT THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE TO DO THAT.
UH, WE DID IN SOME OF THOSE EARLY ALIGNMENTS, IF, IF YOU RECALL, AND THAT WAS SHOWN ON THE, UH, LEMME GO BACK ON SLIDES HERE, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
SO WE HAD LOOKED AT, UM, AND, AND WE CAN REVISIT THAT OR IN THE OVERALL PROCESS, WHAT'S SHOWN IS THE AQUA NUMBER FIVE AND THE, WHAT WE CALL IT PINK NUMBER FOUR, AND THEN THE PURPLE'S ONE DOWN THE MIDDLE.
AND WE DID VARIATIONS OF THOSE AS WELL.
THOSE WERE JUST THE LEAST IMPACTFUL OF THE EIGHT 10 DIFFERENT ROUTES THAT WE LOOKED AT TO TRY TO CONNECT THE DOTS FROM 2 76 DOWN TO 2 0 5.
UH, AND, AND THEN THAT WORKSHOP YOU HAD MENTIONED, I GUESS THAT WAS BACK IN APRIL OF LAST YEAR WHEN WE JUST SAID WE CALLED MAPS AND MARKERS MEETING, RIGHT? WE SAT DOWN, LAID THIS OUT, SAID, COME UP WITH SOME OTHER IDEAS AND WE'LL EVALUATE THOSE.
AND WE DID SOME, I SAY WE, I'LL GIVE, KARA AND HER TEAM CREDIT DID A LOT OF EVALUATION ON WHAT THOSE POTENTIAL IMPACTS WERE.
SO, SO TO UH, WELL, I GUESS GUESS TO YOUR POINT, WE CAN YOU TO MY QUESTION? YEAH, YEAH.
WE CAN CONTINUE TO REFINE THAT, WHICH IS WE CAN DRAW IT WHEREVER WE WANT TO DRAW IT.
WHAT, HOW MUCH BE BEFORE, CAN I YEAH, SURE.
PLEASE INTERRUPT YOUR, I APOLOGIZE, JUDGE.
UM, TO FURTHER TO YOUR POINT AND TO, TO YOUR POINT ON THE TRAFFIC STUDIES, WE ALL, WHEN WE, WHEN, WHEN THEY RAN THESE TRAFFIC STUDIES, UM, MUCH TO THE CHAGRIN OF MAYBE SOME PEOPLE IN ANOTHER PART OF PRECINCT THREE, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS MICHAEL MORRIS SAID WAS, WELL, ACTUALLY THAT WESTERN MOST PATH LOOKS LIKE IT DESERVES A DE A CLOSER LOOK.
AGAIN, I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S WHERE IT'S GOING TO END UP, BUT TO YOUR QUESTION OF CAN WE CHANGE IT, HE, HE ACKNOWLEDGED IN THAT MEETING THAT YEAH, THAT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE BASED ON TRAFFIC FLOWS, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING WE SHOULD CONSIDER.
SO THAT, THAT TEES UP MY, MY, WHERE I WAS GOING, UM, THE TRAFFIC DATA STUDIES, IS THAT THE END ALL? IF, IF WE HAVE ONE OF THESE THAT WE PREFER AND WE BEING ROCKWALL COUNTY, WE SAY THIS IS OUR PATH THAT WE PREFER, IS THAT JUST AN ILLUSION AND YOUR EXPERIENCE, DOES COG OR T DOT OR RTC OR WHOEVER COME BACK AND SAY, NO, YOU DIDN'T, YOU DIDN'T HIT THE NUMBERS THAT DOESN'T ALLEVIATE, DOESN'T HIT A 50, AND WE NEED A 50 AND YOU ONLY GET A 45.
WELL, THAT'S PART OF THE EVALUATION PROCESS, RIGHT? TRAFFIC IS ONE OF THOSE, BUT IT DOES NEED TO SERVE THE PURPOSE AND NEED.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE SET ABOUT IS ADDRESSING THE TRA THE OVERALL NEED FOR, UM, PROVIDING FOR THE TRAFFIC AND FUTURE TRAFFIC VOLUMES AS WELL.
BUT IT'S NOT THE SOLE ONLY INDICATOR.
SO WHERE, WHERE, WHERE IS IT AS FAR AS DECISION MAKING? WHERE, WHERE IS THAT TRAFFIC COUNT NUMBER? IS IT TOP THREE? UH, I MEAN, NUMBER ONE'S GONNA BE MONEY WHERE WHETHER PEOPLE RECOGNIZE THAT AND WANNA SAY IT OUT LOUD OR NOT.
UM, WHO, WHO HAS THE MONEY TO FUND IT AND WHO ARE WILLING TO FUND IT? UM, BUT THE, THE TRAFFIC, DOES IT SOLVE A PROBLEM, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S PART OF IT.
DOES IT SOLVE THE PROBLEM? IS IT, UM, ECONOMICAL IS NOT THE RIGHT WORD I'M LOOKING FOR, BUT YOU KNOW, IS IT, IS IT, UM, ON THE LOWER COST END, UM, AND IS IT LEAST IMPACTFUL WHEN IT COMES TO THE ENVIRONMENT? AND THAT'S BOTH THE NATURAL AND THE HUMAN ENVIRONMENT.
SO AS WE DID OUR ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS ON THE NORTH END AS WELL AS ON THE SOUTH END AS WE PRESENTED IT, THERE WAS 40 DIFFERENT CRITERIA IN THERE, INCLUDING THE TRAFFIC IMPACT.
DID YOU SAY INCLUDING THE COST? YES, SIR.
SO THAT'S INCLUDING THE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE, YOU KNOW, THE WETLANDS, THE FLOODPLAINS, THE HISTORIC, THE ARCHEOLOGICAL, ALL THOSE AS WELL AS ON THE COMMUNITY SIDE IS, IS IT IMPACTING DISPLACING HOMES? IS IT CLOSE TO HOMES WHICH WE ADDED IN, UH, TO THE PROCESS, OR DOES IT DISPLACE BUSINESSES?
[01:35:01]
SO THAT, THAT IS INFORMATION THAT ACTUALLY POSTED FROM OUR PUBLIC MEETINGS THAT WE PRESENTED BACK IN 23, 20, 23, UH, ON THOSE OPTIONS THERE.AND SO, YES, THOSE ARE ALL CONSIDERATIONS.
AND ACTUALLY I'M NOT A FAN OF DOING LIKE FORMULAS THAT SAYS TAKE YOUR IMPACTS.
AND EACH OF THOSE ITEMS, ARE THEY ALL EQUAL OR DO YOU WAIT ONE OR THE OTHER? I LIKE TO JUST HAVE 'EM IN A, UM, I CALL 'EM A HEAT MAP TYPE TABLE.
AND SOMEBODY MIGHT BE, WETLANDS MIGHT BE VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO THEM, BUT THEN THE PERSON THAT GETS DISPLACED, THAT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO THEM TOO.
SO HOW DO YOU RATE AND RANK THOSE? SO THROUGH THIS OVERALL PROCESS, WE SHOW ALL THOSE EVALUATION CRITERIA.
WE SHOW HOW THEY RANK SIDE BY SIDE.
WHEN I SAY JUST IN QUANTIFY IMPACTS, AND THEN WE WORK THROUGH THE PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PART OF IT TO GET INPUT FROM THE STAKEHOLDERS, WHICH Y'ALL ARE THE NUMBER ONE STAKEHOLDER IN THIS, RIGHT? THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE THE DECISION MAKING BODY THAT WE WORK THROUGH ON THIS PROCESS, BUT WE GET INPUT FROM THE COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS, THEY'VE BEEN A GOOD PARTNER, TEXT OUT, REVIEWS OUR DOCUMENTS.
WE GET INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC HAVING INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS.
AND THAT'S WHY I MENTIONED EARLIER ON THIS NEXT PHASE IN THE NEPA PROCESS IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO DO THOSE PUBLIC MEETINGS, TO GET INPUT FROM EVERYONE AND TO WORK THROUGH TO THE FINAL DECISION OF A ROUTE.
DOES THAT, YEAH, I GUESS I'VE KIND A IN CIRCLES FOR YOU.
JUST IN, IN MY COMMUNICATIONS WITH ENGINEERS, MANY DIFFERENT FIRMS TELL ME, UH, THE OUTPUT OBVIOUSLY DEPENDS ON THE INPUT AS FAR AS DOING TRAFFIC STUDIES AND WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THEY CAN BE MANIPULATED AND, AND, AND I DON'T WANT THAT TO BE CAST IN A NEGATIVE I IDEA, BUT, UM, THEY TELL ME, DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU PUT IN, IT'S WHAT, WHAT YOU GET OUT AND, AND THERE IS NOT TRULY, UH, A MATHEMATICAL, HERE'S THE NUMBER.
IT'S REALLY AS MUCH ART AS IT IS SCIENCE.
W WOULD YOU AGREE WITH THAT OR NO? UM, IT'S, IT'S DATA BASED AND INTO MODELING AND NO MODEL IS GONNA BE PERFECT.
THEY CALL 'EM LIKE DIGITAL TWINS THESE DAYS.
BUT BASICALLY TAKING THAT INPUT, WHAT WE DO ACTUALLY IS GOING OUT AND TAKING TRAFFIC COUNTS AS WELL.
AND AS WE DID OUR TRAFFIC PROJECTIONS ON THE NORTH PART, PHASE ONE, NOT ONLY DID WE GET THOSE COUNTS, WE GOT THE, THE COX MODEL AND WE DID SOME ADDITIONAL, THEY CALL, UH, CALIBRATION, BUT BE SURE WHAT'S IN THE COUNTS AND WHAT'S IN THE MODEL.
UH, SO THAT IS PART OF OUR WORK.
UH, NO CRYSTAL BALL IS EXACT, BUT WE USE THAT DIGITAL TWIN MODEL TO DO OUR BEST ESTIMATION OF WHAT COULD BE INTO THE FUTURE, JUST WHAT IS IN THAT OVERALL, UH, TAKING WHAT'S IN THE OVERALL REGIONAL MODEL AND WHAT THEY HAVE FOR DEMOGRAPHICS OF POPULATION EMPLOYMENT PROJECTIONS, AS WELL AS WHAT WE GOT FROM CURRENT COUNTS USING THE HISTORY OF COUNTS AS WELL AS THOSE GROWTH PRODUCTIONS TO TRY TO DO OUR BEST ESTIMATE OF WHAT TRAFFIC DEMANDS WILL BE.
UM, CAN I JUMP IN HERE? ANOTHER QUESTION KIND OF KEYING OFF WHAT THE JUDGES MENTIONED, UH, WHERE HE SAID MONEY IS THE NUMBER ONE DETERMINANT.
UH, AND MAYBE THIS IS A QUESTION I BETTER SUITED FOR MR. POLLSTER THAN FOR YOU, BUT I'LL ASK WHOEVER, AND IF THERE'S NO, THERE MAY BE NO ANSWER, BUT MONEY ALWAYS AFFECTS THINGS.
'CAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS LIMITED AMOUNTS, THERE'S NEVER ENOUGH MONEY TO ALL THINGS YOU WANT TO DO.
BUT IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IMPACTING AND DIRECTING WHERE THIS GOES, DOES THE COUNTY HAVE THE OPTION TO PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS AND SAY, IF THIS ONE CHANGE TO THE ROOT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO US, AND THEY SAY, WELL, THAT ROOT CHANGE IS GONNA COST AN EXTRA $50 MILLION, AND WE ALL KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO SPEND $50 MILLION, BUT IF, DOES THE COUNTY HAVE THE OPTION TO INFLUENCE THINGS IF WE'RE WILLING TO, LIKE I SAY, PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS AND SAY, IF THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO US AND WE THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO OUR CITIZENS AND OUR TAXPAYERS, THEN LET'S TAX 'EM AND SPEND THE MONEY.
IS THAT EVEN AN OPTION? YES, SIR.
SO I CAN GIVE YOU PERFECT EXAMPLE ON THE 2 0 5 PROJECT WHERE EARLY ON TXDOT WAS REALLY FOCUSED ON MOVING, KEEPING 2 0 5 ON 2 0 5, CITY OF ROCKWELL.
AND THE COUNTY WAS VERY ADAMANT ABOUT NOT COMING THROUGH DOWN ALONG THE COURTHOUSE HERE AND, AND TAKING OUT A
[01:40:01]
LOT OF BUSINESSES AND A LOT OF RESIDENTIALS.AND SO THEY WERE PUSHING THE CITY AND THE COUNTY WAS PUSHING THE JOHN KING REALIGNMENT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY ARGUED ABOUT THE JOHN KING IS IT HAD A AT GRADE CROSSING FOR THE RAILROAD.
AND SO THE TWO THINGS HAPPENED, THE CITY AND THE DEVELOPMENT DECIDED THEY WANTED TO HAVE THE GRADE SEPARATION FLIPPED FROM WHAT THE STATE WANTED TO DO, BUT THAT FLIP WAS GONNA COST AN ADDITIONAL $2 MILLION.
SO IN YOUR, IN YOUR INFORMATION, THERE IS A $2 MILLION COMMITMENT FROM THE COUNTY TO COVER THE DELTA ON THE FLIPPING OF THE STACK, THE WAY THE CITY AND THE COUNTY WANTED THAT, THAT TO DO.
THE OTHER THING I'LL TELL YOU IS, IS LOCALLY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVES, OR ALMOST ALWAYS THE ALTERNATIVE THAT GETS SELECTED AND ALMOST ALL LOCALLY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVES ARE, ARE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE TECHNICALLY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE.
THAT WAS THE BEST COMMENTS MADE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? WELL, I HAVEN'T GIVEN ANY COMMENTS YET.
THIS MOU REALLY WAS VERY CLEAR, VERY CONCISE, AND I KNOW YOU AND THE OTHERS THAT YOU WORKED WITH, Y'ALL PUT IN A LOT OF WORK AND I WANNA THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
ALRIGHT, SO I WANNA ANSWER A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND THEN I HAVE, I'M NOT GONNA, I'M NOT GONNA SAY SOME OF THE SAME COMMENTS THAT COMMISSIONER, UM, UM, ALANA SAID JUST BECAUSE I, I AGREED WITH ALL OF THEM, AND YOU MAY HAVE SEEN MY HEAD SHAKING WHEN THAT WAS, BUT THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS.
UM, I WANNA ADDRESS WHAT THE JUDGE JUST MENTIONED ABOUT WHEN DID THIS PROCESS START? AND SO IN 23 WHERE I, AS WE WERE COMING ON INTO THE, THE, AS, UM, COMMISSIONER, UM, STACY AND, AND THE JUDGE AND I WERE COMING ON, THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST TIME I HAD REALLY HEARD ABOUT THE, THE STR THE, UM, THE OUTER LOOP.
SO AT THAT POINT I DID A PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST WITH THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE AND, UM, WAS PROVIDED WELL OVER 430, 40 PAGES OF, OF COMMISSIONER COURT MINUTES.
AND SO THIS STARTED IN 2004 WITH JUDGE BILL BELL.
AND OF COURSE I HAVE ALL THOSE COPIES OF THOSE PAPERS, IF ANYONE, EVERYONE WANTS TO SEE ALL THOSE.
UM, BUT, BUT MY REAL PART ABOUT THIS IS THAT FROM THAT STANDPOINT, AND THEN WITH OUR, WITH ANY TYPE OF COMPREHENSIVE PLANS, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT ONE FROM, UM, WHEN, UM, COMMISSIONER, UM, OH GOSH, FOR, UM, FOR, UM, MAG MAGNUS, THANK YOU.
WE, WE'VE SEEN THE, WE'VE SEEN THE, THE, THE OUTER LOOP OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AND MANY PEOPLE WHO'VE COME TO MY OFFICE HAVE SEEN THE RTCS 2008, UM, UM, RENDITION.
AND IT'S A LARGE, IT'S A LARGE MAP ON MY WALL THAT SHOWS THE OUTER LOOP.
SO THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT AS, AS, AS WE, WE STARTED WITH AS COMMISSIONER, UM, T SAID, THIS IS AN OVER 20 YEAR PROJECT THAT'S BEEN DONE.
IT ALSO INVOLVES OTHER COUNTIES THAT STEPPED UP AND PUT UP THEIR MONIES.
AND, AND SO RIGHT NOW, JUST AS A, AS A, WHERE WE ARE, THE NORTHERN PART COMING THROUGH COLLIN COUNTY, THEY ARE ALREADY, UM, I, OR THEY'RE, THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF BEGINNING.
THEY, THEY'LL BE FINISHED BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
THEY'RE GONNA BE FINISHED WITH EVERYTHING FROM ON THE, FROM COLLIN COUNTY THE END OF THIS YEAR.
AND KAUFMAN COUNTY HAS, WILL BE STARTING THEIRS THIS FALL OR IS THAT, OR NOT START, I MEAN, NOT THE ENVIRONMENTAL PART, BUT THE FIRST PHASE, RIGHT? NO MA'AM.
THEY, THE KAUFMAN COUNTY SECTION WILL BE CLEARED.
UH, SEPTEMBER, I'M GONNA SAY FALL.
YEAH, OF THIS YEAR FALL THAT'LL BE CLEARED.
SO IT'LL BE CLEARED SOUTH THE, AND CLEARED NORTH THE, OKAY.
AND THEN OF COURSE DENTON ALREADY IS WAY AHEAD OF THAT AS WELL.
WE HAVE DONE THE, AS WE'VE ALL SAID, WE'VE DONE THE ENVIRONMENTAL FOR THE NORTHERN PART AND WE, WE HELD UP OUR AGREEMENT WITH RTC AND THOSE WERE SOME OF THOSE MINUTES THAT I REF REFERENCED, UM, OTHER COMMISSIONER'S, COURTS OF AGREEING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
SO THOSE WERE LEADERS JUST LIKE THE FIVE OF US SITTING AT THIS TABLE OR THIS, THIS DIOCESE.
AND THEY HAVE, THEY, THEY AGREED TO MO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, SO JUST FOR THAT HISTORY LESSON, I WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
I ALSO WANTED TO RES UM, RESPOND TO SOME OF THE COMMENTS IN REGARDS TO CONVERSATIONS THAT YOU HAVE HAD WITH MICHAEL MORRIS, COMMISSIONER LIAN.
STACY AND I HAVE HAD SIMILAR CONVERSATIONS ON ONE-ON-ONE AND, UM, AND HAVE TALKED WITH VARIOUS INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE MEMBERS OF THE RTC BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
AND THE CONSENSUS IS VERY MUCH THAT THEY WOULD, UM, THAT THEY ARE HOPEFUL THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO COME TO SOME KIND OF A DECISION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR, WITH OUR COMMITMENT THAT HAS BEEN MADE IN THOSE PAST 20 YEARS FOR THIS COUNTY AND, AND WORK FORWARD TO IT.
THE LAST THING I, UM, IT'S NOT THE LAST, BUT THE LAST HISTORY LESSON IS THAT AT THIS POINT HUNT
[01:45:01]
COUNTY DOESN'T HAVE A NEED.NORTH AND SOUTH HUNT COUNTY HAS MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THEIR NEED IS EAST AND WEST.
AND, UM, I THINK WE ALL WERE GIVEN, UM, SOME, SOME, UM, STATISTICAL INFORMATION OF WHERE, WHERE THE ROCKWALL COUNTY, HUNT COUNTY AND KAUFFMAN COUNTY ARE SITTING RIGHT NOW FROM, UM, A GROUP OF, UM, DEMOGRAPHERS AND HUNT COUNTY IS STILL, OF THE THREE OF US, THOSE COUNTIES I JUST MENTIONED, HUNT COUNTY IS STILL, IS STILL PROJECTED TO BE BEHIND KAUFMAN COUNTY FIRST, THEN ROCKWELL COUNTY AND THEN HUNT COUNTY.
SO IT KIND OF MOVES, AS YOU WOULD THINK, SO WITH SOME OF THE, THE GROWTH GO COMING ON INTO ALL OF NORTH TEXAS AREA.
UM, I DID WANT TO, UM, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT LEGISLATIVELY THAT HAS COME UP AND I WOULD SAY THAT PROBABLY STRONGER.
I THINK WE ALL GOT SOME SPANKINGS DURING THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
AND, UM, PROBABLY FROM A, UM, A, A GROUP PUTTING TOGETHER OUR EFFORTS, THERE IS ALREADY DISCUSSIONS GOING ON BOTH FROM OUR TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, FROM THE, THE CONFERENCE OF URBAN COUNTIES, AS WELL AS OTHER SIDE GROUPS THAT ARE STARTING TO PUT, UM, AND WORK ON LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS SO THAT WE CAN HOPEFULLY HAVE A STRONGER VOICE AS WE ENTER INTO THE 90TH.
AND HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR OWN ELECTED OFFICIALS AS, AS SEVERAL OF US HERE ON THIS DIOCESE HAVE DONE THAT IS GOING TO HELP AT LEAST HAVE US, HOPEFULLY ROCKWALL COUNTY TO HAVE A STRONGER VOICE IN, IN BEING ABLE TO HOPEFULLY MITIGATE SOME OF THIS.
UM, I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY, ANY BIG, ANY BIG CONCERNS ABOUT THIS MOU AS FAR AS THE DESIGN OBJECTIVES AND, AND, AND WHAT, WHAT WHAT HAS BEEN LISTED IN THESE ITEMS, BECAUSE AS YOU SAID, MATT, IT FOLLOWS IN LINE WITH WHAT OFTEN THE ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE IS GOING TO HELP TO PRO PRODUCE FOR COUNTIES AND IN, IN THIS CASE FOR US TO, TO BE ABLE TO START ANY KIND OF EFFECTIVE NEGOTIATIONS.
AND, UM, SO I'M, I'M, I'M COMFORTABLE THERE.
UM, AND LET'S SEE, WHAT ELSE WAS I GONNA SAY? UM, AS FAR AS THE PREFERENTIAL, I PUT PREFERENTIAL, UM, CONSIDERATION BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE THAT, UM, WE HAVE, WE HAVE SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE PART OF NET COG AND, UM, AND OUR, OUR, OUR ITS AS WELL AS AS HALF AND WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE DOING AND, AND ON THE RTC THAT THEY DO RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE THE SMALLEST COUNTY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND, AND THESE 12, 12 MILES, 12 PLUS MILES, WHAT, YOU KNOW, OR LESS THAN 12 MILES, WHAT THAT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE.
THEY WANT, I, I DO BELIEVE THEY WANNA PARTNER WITH US, UM, BUT THEY WANT US TO PARTNER TOGETHER SO THAT WE CAN DO THE COLLABORATION THAT I THINK YOU ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THIS MOU.
SO I'M, I'M, I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THIS BECAUSE I, MY, MY STRATEGIC GOAL, UM, ONE OF THE AREAS IS ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND I WANT TO LOOK AT WAYS THAT WE CAN GROW FROM AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STANDPOINT IN THIS COUNTY SO THAT WE CAN DIVERSIFY THE TAXES THAT OUR TAXPAYERS ARE PAYING.
SO I AM, THAT'S ONE OF THE GOALS I HAVE ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN, AND I INTEND TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH IT AT LEAST FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
COMMISSIONER M**K, YOU, YOU DO UNDERSTAND THE RULES CHANGE JUST AS I SPOKE LEGISLATIVELY SEVERAL SESSIONS AGO, THEY CHANGED THE RULES.
I'M GONNA MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THAT AS FAR AS FAR AS DEVELOPMENT, AS FAR AS CITIES CANNOT ANNEX BY RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT NOW, AND, AND COUNTIES ARE LIMITED AS TO WHAT WE CAN DO.
UM, AND, AND SALES TAX IS NOT A REVENUE THAT WE CAN PURSUE.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE RULE.
WELL, WOULD YOU AGREE TO THAT? CORRECT.
BUT I SAID IMPACT OUR, OUR, OUR CITIZENS OF THE COUNTY.
SO DEPENDING ON WHERE THEY MAY BE, THEIR TAXES COULD BE DIVERSIFIED WITHOUT A DOUBT.
IT, ROCKWELL COUNTY HAS, I MEAN, ROCK CITY OF ROCKWELL, I DIDN'T MEAN ROCKWELL COUNTY, CITY OF ROCKWALL HAS EXPERIENCED THAT FOR HOW MANY YEARS.
THEY, THEY CERTAINLY HAVE R THEY DO NOT GREATEST HAVE THE RIGHT TO COME OUT AND ANNEX ANYMORE.
THE RULES HAVE CHANGED AND, AND I APPRECIATE THE HISTORY LESSON.
THOSE ARE TOOLS THAT MR. MR. UM, MORRIS DID DISCUSS.
AND, AND, AND I TALKED ABOUT HIS TOOLS AS WELL.
AND THAT BEING A COMPLETELY TONE DEAF TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE STATE OF TEXAS RIGHT NOW, THAT'S NOT A TOOL.
WELL, SO I WANNA MAKE SURE HE AND I HAVE DISCUSSED, YOU'RE AWARE AND, AND ADMIT THE RULES HAVE CHANGED FROM 20 YEARS AGO.
'CAUSE I APPRECIATE I, YOU KNOW, WE KEEP GETTING THE HISTORY LESSON GOING BACK, GOING BACK, BUT AT SOME 0.3 SESSIONS AGO, THE RULES CHANGED.
WELL, AND AND DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT? I I THINK I DO.
I'M NOT GONNA DISAGREE WITH THAT, BUT I'M GONNA SAY THAT THEY CAN BE, THEY CAN BE MODIFIED WHERE IT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO RIGHT NOW.
AND I AM HAPPY TO, TO THANK YOU KNOW, I THINK COMMISSIONER GOANA AND LICHTY AND STACY AND MYSELF HAVE, HAVE MADE VALIANT EFFORTS AT GETTING LEGISLATION CHANGED.
AND, AND NOTHING'S, NOTHING'S GONNA STOP THAT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO MAKE VALIANT EFFORTS, BUT WE'RE,
[01:50:01]
WE'RE JOUSTING WINDMILLS.IT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING AND I'M OKAY.
I THINK IT'S IN THE MANNER YOU DO THAT, THE MANNER WE APPROACH IT IN.
ANY, ANY MANNER, BUT I JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE RULES CHANGE.
SO GIVEN THE HISTORY LESSON MM-HMM
WELL, YOU, WE NEED TO GO BACK TO YOU.
YOU DON'T KNOW, YOU SAID, I DON'T KNOW WHO MADE ALL THESE COMMITMENTS AND SO, SO I'M, WHO? NO, I SAID COMMITMENTS NEGOTIATED ON BEHALF OF ROCKWALL COUNTY, THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
IT WAS, THERE'RE IN THE MINUTES OF THEM WHEN, WHEN RTC WOULD COME UP AND ASK THEM TO, DO YOU STILL WANNA BE A PART OF THE OUTER LOOP? THE THE, THE WORD I USED WAS OUTER LOOP IN MY REQUEST.
I JUST WANNA GET A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.
I I I THINK WE'RE GETTING OFF TRACK A LITTLE BIT ON, ON WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT, JUDGE.
UM, I, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
THE RULES HAVE DEFINITELY CHANGED, BUT, AND I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOUR CONCERNS, UM, AT ALL THAT WE MAY NOT GET SOME OF THESE THINGS WE'RE ASKING FOR.
AND I DON'T AG I DON'T DISAGREE WITH WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THIS RUNUP OVER THE YEAR THAT I'VE BEEN HERE, THAT THERE MAY BE SOME DISTRUST INVOLVED ON BOTH SIDES.
I, I DON'T, I, I UNDERSTAND IT, OKAY.
AND I RESPECT YOUR POSITION, BUT THE CHANGES WITH THE LEGISLATURE, UM, THEY'RE CRACKDOWN ON MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES REALLY DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DECIDE AS A BODY IS WHAT RISK ARE WE WILLING TO ACCEPT? OKAY? ARE WE WILLING TO PUT OUR HEADS IN THE SAND AND LET TDOT PUT THIS ROAD THROUGH WITHOUT OUR INPUT CLEAR THE ENVIRONMENTAL THEMSELVES AND PUT RESIDENTS LIKE MR. MERLINO AND HIS GROUP AT THE HIGHEST RISK.
ARE WE WILLING TO SAY, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO MOVE THIS LOOP WHEN EVERY TRAFFIC STUDY HAS SAID IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN THERE'S NOT ANOTHER NORTH SOUTH ACCESS POINT THAT MAKES ANY SENSE OR THAT TXDOT DOESN'T ALREADY CONTROL? ARE WE WILLING TO TAKE THAT RISK OR ARE WE WILLING TO TAKE THE RISK OF TRYING TO WORK WITH HALF TO HAVE THE BEST ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY DONE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THE BEST MITIGATION EFFORTS POSSIBLE? THEY ARE BOTH RISKS, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY BOTH ARE, BUT OUR JOB IS TO TAKE THE PATH OF THE LEAST RISK FOR OUR CITIZENS, IN MY OPINION.
AND YOU OTHER PEOPLE MAY HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON THIS COURT, BUT I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE.
IT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE LEGISLATURE.
IT DOESN'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE HISTORY.
THIS IS THE DECISION IN FRONT OF US NOW TODAY.
AND THIS MOU IS STEP ONE, IN MY OPINION, INTO DOING THE LEAST RISKY THING WE CAN DO FOR OUR CITIZENS.
ALL OF THE OTHER STUFF OFF THE TABLE.
I THINK WE SOMEWHAT AGREE, BUT I MEAN, WHERE, WHERE, WHERE WE'RE AT, AND I THINK YOU SUMMED IT UP NICELY IS, UH, OUR CALCULATION OF RISK, UM, OF, OF WHAT, WHAT DO WE FIND MOST RISKY? UH, AND I THINK MAYBE I, ON ON MY CHART KNOCKING OVER THE FIRST DOMINO IS, IS MOST RISKY.
UM, BUT, UM, WELL, IF WE DON'T KNOCK OVER THE FIRST DOMINO, WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE MOVE WE GET? WE, WE, WE, WE KNOCK OVER THE DOMINO, UH, IN A PATH THAT WE CONTROL.
I, I, I GUESS THAT'S WHAT THE NOU IS TRYING TO DO.
THAT THAT IS WHAT THE MOU IS TRYING TO DO.
AND, AND I I AM FOR, LIKE I SAID, VERY WELL WRITTEN, I THINK, AND, AND I LIKE THE EDITS, UH, THAT YOU'RE GOING TO ADD TO IT.
UM, NOT SURE IF COG WILL SIGN IT, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S FOR ANOTHER COURT.
AND I'M, I'M HOPING THAT WHEN THIS GOES, THEY, AGAIN, AS I SAID EARLIER, AND LOOK, EVERY ONE OF US HAS OUR OWN OPINIONS AND EVERY ONE OF US HAS OUR OWN CONSTITUENCIES TO ANSWER TO.
BUT COG, I'M SURE IS AWARE OF THE STRUGGLE THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COUNTY AND THE CONCERNS WE HAVE.
AND IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, WE WILL BE RELYING ON PEOPLE LIKE MR. POLSTER AND MATT CRAIG AND CONNECTIONS YOU HAVE WITH NET COG AND CONNECTIONS DANA HAS WITH NET COG AND CONNECTIONS, BOBBY AND JOHN, AND EVERYBODY HAS TO LET THEM KNOW THAT IT WAS A STRUGGLE TO GET US TO THIS POINT, WORK WITH US.
AND I THINK WE SEND A STRONGER SIGNAL, AGAIN, AS
[01:55:01]
I SAID, A FEW MINUTES, WELL, AN HOUR AND A HALF AGO NOW.IT SENDS A STRONGER SIGNAL IF WE SEND A UNIFIED MESSAGE THAT SAYS, WE ARE ALL BEHIND THIS AND THIS IS WHAT WE WANNA DO.
SO I, I, I, AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE ANYTHING ELSE.
APOLOGIZE TO INTERRUPT ABOUT BEING INVITED.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD TRY TO DO ONCE WE GET SOME CONSENSUS ON THE MOU IS, LIKE I'VE SAID ALL ALONG, AND MATT SAID ALL ALONG, IS WE WON'T TAKE 'EM AT THEIR WORD.
THE VERY FIRST THING WE'LL DO IS TAKE THE INTENT AND ALL THOSE THINGS IN THE MOU AND WE'RE GONNA ROLL 'EM INTO THE PURPOSE AND NEED SO THAT THE DOCUMENT HAS TO PROVE THOSE THINGS TRUE IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD.
THAT'S WHERE YOU GET YOUR TEETH, WHERE THEY HAVE TO ACTUALLY NOT JUST PAY HOMAGE TO IT, BUT TO ACTUALLY VET IT THROUGH THE PROCESS.
SO IF THEY SAY YES TO THE MOU AND THEN THEY GO, OKAY, WELL WE DON'T WANT TO PREJUDICE, THEN WE SAY, OKAY, WE'LL PUT THAT ALL INTO THE, TO THE, TO THE PURPOSE OF NEED.
'CAUSE YOU START WITH THE PURPOSE OF NEED, THEN EVERYTHING YOU DO AFTER THAT HAS TO PROVE UP THAT DOCUMENT.
AND SO WE'VE WRITTEN A MORE DETAILED ONE BEFORE ON ANOTHER PROJECT IN A FAR, FAR YEARS AGO WHERE IT WAS VERY DETAILED.
AND SO THIS MOU CAN BE THE BASIS OF THAT PURPOSE OF NEED, WHICH IS THEN AN ACTUAL NEPA DOCUMENT THAT THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW.
AND THEN HOUSEKEEPING, YOU HAD AN AMENDMENT AND THEN YOU ALSO HAVE TWO, UM, TWO BE ADDED, UH, IN YOUR DOCUMENT AS WELL.
SO I'M NOT SURE, UM, I DEFINITELY WANT YOUR AMENDMENT TO FOUR A MM-HMM
TO BE INCLUDED IN, IN MM-HMM
UM, AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU WANT TO DO WITH, UM, SIX AND NINE.
DANIEL, CAN I DRAW UPON YOUR EXPERTISE HERE FOR A MINUTE? UM, SECTION SIX, EVERY ONE OF THESE CONTRACTS WE SIGN HAS LANGUAGE ABOUT GOVERNMENTAL IMMUNITY AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WHICH I KNOW IS OUT THERE.
AND I KIND OF GENERAL KNOW THE RULES, BUT I DON'T KNOW THEM EXACTLY IN, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO PUT IN SOMETHING IF IT'S NECESSARY IN THERE FOR US REAL QUICKLY IF WE PROCEED WITH THIS? YES.
I DON'T, I DON'T REALLY NEED TO EVEN PUT ANYTHING IN THERE.
AGAIN, IT WAS SOMETHING I PUT IN AS A PLACEHOLDER FOR OUR COUNCIL TO LOOK AT.
I DIDN'T WANNA START START SPENDING LEGAL DOLLARS UNTIL I KNEW WE WERE GOING AHEAD ON THIS, UM, BECAUSE I KNOW LEGAL DOLLARS AGAIN, ARE THINGS WE DON'T WANNA WASTE.
WE'VE GOT PRECIOUS FEW DOLLARS SUSPENDED HERE.
SO WHAT I WOULD SAY, UH, COMMISSIONER STACY, IS I'M, IF EVERYBODY'S DONE DISCUSSING THIS, I'M ABOUT TO MAKE A MOTION.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT WOULD INCLUDE WOULD BE THAT OUR LEGAL COUNSEL PUT, ADD ANYTHING REGARDING ITEM SIX OR NINE, OR IF NOTHING THERE IS, IF HE DOESN'T HAVE TO ADD ANYTHING, WE'LL JUST DELETE 'EM AND THEN WE'LL SEND IT.
THAT WOULD BE WHERE I'M HEADED WITH THIS.
WELL, I HAVE JUST ONE QUESTION FOR YOU.
I, I MEAN, AS FAR AS THE, THE AGENDA ITEM THAT YOU'VE PUT, HOW ARE WE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS IF WE ALL VOTE ON THIS AND WE ARE, WE GET A MAJORITY, THEN WHERE, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO RTC IS, UM, ABOUT THE FUNDING.
WELL, WE'RE NOT MAKING A DECISION ON WHERE THE MONEY'S COMING FROM.
WE ARE SAYING IF WE APPROVE THIS, WE'RE GONNA SPEND SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS ENGAGING AN ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS.
AND WE, THERE ARE MULTIPLE SOURCES.
WE'RE NOT SAYING THAT TODAY WE COULD TAKE IT FROM OUR TRIP 21 BOND FUNDS.
UM, THERE ARE, UH, AT LEAST THREE ITEMS, UH, WHERE WE HAD THINGS LISTED IN TRIP 21, 1 OF WHICH WAS AN OUTER LOOP STUDY FOR THE NORTHERN HALF, WHICH WAS NOT SPENT FROM TRIP 21, WHICH WAS, I THINK $4.8 MILLION, IF I REMEMBER SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT THERE ARE PLACES, ANOTHER ONE IS 5 49, WHICH WE HAD $6 MILLION ALLOCATED, AND NOW THE STATE'S FUNDING IT ALL.
SO WE DON'T HAVE TO SPEND THAT.
SO THERE ARE SOURCES WHERE WE COULD GET MONEY THAT AS IS CURRENTLY WRITTEN, THAT MONEY'S NOT GONNA BE SPENT.
SO THAT WOULD BE MY, MY THOUGHTS.
THAT'S REALLY ALL I WANTED TO SAY.
BUT WE'RE NOT DECIDING THAT THIS MORNING.
I, I UNDERSTAND WE'RE NOT DECIDING IT, BUT I DON'T WANT US TO BE HERE A YEAR FROM NOW WHERE WE HAVEN'T MADE ANY DECISION ON THE FUNDING OF IT.
AND, AND I, I AM GLAD YOU BROUGHT IT UP.
UH, COMMISSIONER CELICK, BECAUSE, UH, IF I DIDN'T MAKE THIS POINT AT THE BEGINNING, I WANNA MAKE IT NOW REALLY LOUD AND CLEAR.
IF WE APPROVE THIS, WE ARE TELLING OUR, WE ARE TELLING NET COG THAT WE ARE GONNA SPEND THE MONEY TO DO THIS ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY.
WHERE IT'S COMING FROM, I HAVEN'T OUTLINED, BUT THERE ARE, WE CAN DO IT.
IN FACT, I TALKED TO MATT CRAIG ABOUT, ONE OF
[02:00:01]
THE THINGS IS IF WE DECIDE TO PROCEED THIS, DO WE HAVE TO DO IT NOW? OR CAN WE WAIT TO HAVE A CONTRACT EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1ST AND MAYBE TAKE SOME OF FUNDS FROM OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET WHEREVER WE DECIDE TO GET IT? AND HE SAID THAT WOULDN'T DELAY ANYTHING.BUT YES, IF WE APPROVE THIS, WE ARE TELLING OURSELVES WE'RE GONNA SPEND SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS AND WE BETTER FIND THE MONEY.
I, I CAN'T GET ON BOARD WITH TRIP 21 TO, TO PAY FOR THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE OUTER LOOP.
UH, AND THE REASON BEING, IT WASN'T APPROVED BY THE VOTERS.
CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION PLEASE? BECAUSE YOU'VE MADE THIS POINT BEFORE.
I I HAVE, AND IT'S, AND I'M NOT, I DON'T DIMINISH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AT ALL.
RIGHT? SO I THOUGHT THIS MIGHT COME UP,
SO WE'VE GOT HERE, UM, JUST IN THIS FIRST SECTION, WE'VE GOT $10 MILLION THAT WAS ALLOCATED TO BE SPENT ON HIGHWAY 2 0 5 SOUTH THAT WE DON'T NEED TO SPEND.
OKAY? WE'VE GOT $6 MILLION THAT WAS ALLOCATED TO BE SPENT FROM FM 5 49 TO 2 76.
AND WHEN I SAY ALLOCATED, LET ME GO BACK.
THIS ISN'T WHAT THE VOTERS VOTED ON.
THIS WAS WHAT THE VOTERS WERE PRESENTED IN ANTICIPATION OF THE VOTE.
SO ALLOCATION IN A LOOSE SENSE.
UM, THERE'S $6 MILLION FROM FM 5 49 TO 2 76, WHICH MR. MORRIS ANNOUNCED IN OCTOBER THAT THEY WERE FUNDING THAT $6 MILLION IS NOT NECESSARY.
AND JOHN POLLSTER, IF I'M WRONG ON THIS, YOU BETTER JUMP IN, BUT I DON'T THINK I AM.
WE'VE GOT $4.8 MILLION FOR THE OUTER LOOP STUDY FROM COLLIN COUNTY TO 2 76 WAS FUNDED UNDER A PREVIOUS THING.
SO RIGHT THERE, I HAVE IDENTIFIED $20.8 MILLION THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO SPEND IF WE CAN'T USE THAT FOR OTHER PROJECTS, WHICH I UNDERSTAND YOUR POSITION TO BE.
WE HAVE NOW SAID THAT THE $150 MILLION OF VOTERS APPROVED FOR ROAD PROJECTS IS REALLY ONLY A HUNDRED AND TWENTY, A HUNDRED AND TWENTY NINE 0.2.
I I, I CAN'T IMAGINE THE VOTERS WOULD WANT US TO SAY, WE AUTHORIZED YOU TO SPEND 150 MILLION, BUT ONLY SPEND 129.2 AND THEN COME BACK AND SPEND THE MONEY WHEN IT'S THREE TIMES MORE EXPENSIVE DUE TO INFLATION.
I MEAN, JUST LOOK WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE LAST, SINCE 21, SINCE WE, THE VOTERS APPROVED, HOW MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE ROADS HAVE GOTTEN? AND I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR POINT IS, JUDGE, THAT IT'S NOT LISTED.
BUT HAS THIS COURT EVER DONE ANY PROJECTS WITH BOND MONEY THAT WASN'T LISTED ON THAT SPECIFIC BOND? HAS IT EVER HAPPENED BEFORE? SO I, I WOULD SAY IF WE WENT BACK TO THE VOTERS AND SAY, HERE, HERE'S THE LIST OF PROJECTS THAT YOU WANTED US TO DO.
WE CAN NOW DO THEM FOR 129 MILLION INSTEAD OF 150.
I, I DON'T THINK WE AUTOMATICALLY HAVE TO SPEND OUR SAVINGS.
UH, AND AS WE DISCUSSED EARLIER THIS MORNING, I'M TRYING TO SAVE 1400 BUCKS A YEAR,
SO WE'RE ALL OF ONE MINDSET THERE, BUT WE'VE ALSO, EVERY ONE OF US AT EVERY MEETING WE GO TO, AT EVERY BREAKFAST WE HAVE, AT EVERY LUNCH WE HAVE MM-HMM
WHERE WE'RE DISCUSSING COUNTY BUSINESS.
PEOPLE SAY, I HATE TRAFFIC, FIX THE ROADS.
AND FOR, TO, IN MY OPINION, JUST MY OPINION TO SAY THE VOTERS SAID, WELL, LET ME GO BACK.
WHEN, WHEN WE GOT ON, WHEN I GOT ON THIS COURT, JANUARY 1ST, 2025, WE HAD OUR FIRST CONSORTIUM MEETING, I BELIEVE WASN'T UNTIL MARCH, IF I REMEMBER.
AND I, I REMEMBER SITTING AT THAT TABLE AND SAYING, HOW MUCH MONEY HAVE WE SPENT OF OUR TRIP 21 BOND FUNDS? AND THE ANSWER WAS ZERO.
AND I WAS EXPRESSED, MY SURPRISE, BECAUSE IT HAD NOW BEEN ALMOST THREE AND A HALF YEARS AT THAT POINT FROM WHEN THE VOTERS APPROVED IT.
AND WE DID THREE AND A HALF YEARS OF SPENDING $0, WHICH MEANS, IN MY OPINION, WE'RE NOT MOVING FAST ENOUGH.
AND IT WOULD BE JUST AS SURPRISING IF I, IF WE WERE TO GO TO THE VOTERS IN MY OPINION AND SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE'VE SAVED MONEY.
SO WE'RE SPENDING LESS ON ROADS.
I, I, I DON'T, THAT'S NOT HOW I THINK.
I THINK IF WE CAN SAVE MONEY, LET'S SPEND MORE MONEY ON ROADS.
LET LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION.
UH, AND, AND I I WANT YOUR, UM, WANT YOUR ANSWER ON THIS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK, IF WE PUT THIS TO A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE IN PRECINCT THREE, DO YOU WANT TO SPEND MONEY? BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THEY HAVEN'T HAD THEIR VOTE.
[02:05:01]
I MEAN, YOU, YOU JUST SAID VOTER APPROVED, THEY'VE NOT HAD THEIR SAY IN IT.WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY WOULD SAY? DO YOU WANT US TO ISSUE MORE OF THIS BOND, 8 MILLION OR, OR WHATEVER THE NUMBER IS, UH, TO START THE PROCESS ON THE OUTER LOOP? DO YOU, DO YOU THINK THAT WOULD PASS, FIRST OF ALL, PRE IF WE DID ANOTHER VOTE, PRECINCT THREE ISN'T THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO WOULD VOTE.
OH, I, I, I KNOW, I KNOW, BUT YOU'RE, YOU'RE INTIMATELY INVOLVED WITH PRECINCT THREE.
I AM INTIMATELY INVOLVED, AND I CAN TELL YOU THERE WOULD BE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD VOTE NO IN PRECINCT THREE.
THERE WOULD BE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD VOTE YES IN PRECINCT THREE.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT WOULD COME OUT.
IT MAY COME 80 20 AGAINST, BUT MY GUESS IS THE REST OF THE COUNTY WOULD VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS.
I, I DON'T KNOW THAT I AGREE, BUT, BUT I'M NOT, YOU MAY, YOU MAY DISAGREE.
AND, AND IT'S REALLY NOT RELEVANT IN MY OPINION BECAUSE I CAN'T PREDICT HOW THE PEOPLE WILL VOTE.
I CAN'T PREDICT IF ON NOVA IN NOVEMBER OF 2026, THEY WILL REELECT ME TO THIS POSITION OR WHAT, 28, WHATEVER IT IS, THEY'LL REELECT ME TO THIS POSITION.
BUT I'M TRYING TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR OUR COUNTY.
AND THAT'S WHAT, WHEN I MET WITH MR. MERLINO, UM, BACK IN, I THINK IT WAS AUGUST OF 2023 AT HIS DOOR, AND HE ASKED ME WHAT MY POSITION WAS ON THE OUTER LOOP.
I TOLD HIM, I, I'M OPPOSED TO WHERE IT STANDS WHERE IT'S DRAWN NOW, BUT I ALSO SAID, MR. MERLINO, THAT I WANT THE BEST SOLUTION FOR ROCKWALL COUNTY.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'VE SAID CONSISTENTLY, IS THAT I'M GONNA WORK FOR THE BEST SOLUTION FOR ROCKWALL COUNTY.
AND IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE HAD THIS LISTED, BUT I'LL TELL YOU ONE THING WE DID HAVE LISTED WAS $4.8 MILLION FOR AN OUTER LOOP STUDY ON THE NORTHERN SECTION.
SO I FEEL ZERO QUALMS TAKING THAT $4.8 MILLION.
AND IF IT'S 7.5 MILLION, THAT MEANS WE GOTTA COME UP WITH ANOTHER 1.7 MILLION.
AND IF WE HAVE TO, WE CAN FIND THAT IN OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
WELL, YEAH, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT THAT WAS IN EACH ONE OF EACH IN STRATEGIC PROJECTS.
THAT WAS IN EACH ONE OF OUR PRECINCTS.
BUT TO, BUT TO THE JUDGE'S POINT THAT THE PEOPLE DIDN'T QUOTE VOTE ON THE OUTER LOOP.
THEY VOTED TO SPEND 4.8 MILLION ON THE NORTHERN SECTION THAT WE DIDN'T SPEND, BUT IT WAS DESIGNATED FOR THE OUTER LOOP.
AND WE COULD FIND FROM THAT 4.8 MILLION, WE COULD FIND ANOTHER 1.7 TO GET THIS DONE.
IF THAT'S WHAT WE DECIDE TO DO.
I, I THINK WE HAVE A FUNDAMENTAL DISAGREEMENT.
AND, AND I RESPECT, I RESPECT YOUR INSIGHT AND I, I, I THINK YOU KNOW THAT, UM, I, I DON'T THINK JUST BECAUSE WE SAVED IT SOMEWHERE ELSE THAT SAYS OUTER LOOP, THAT WE CAN NOW SPEND IT ON THE SOUTHERN SECTION OF THE OUTER LOOP.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS MAYBE TAKE THIS BACK TO THE VOTERS, UH, 'CAUSE YOU THINK THE COUNTY WOULD APPROVE IT.
DOES THAT COST? WHAT IS THE COST OF THAT? YEAH.
TO TAKE IT BACK, I, I DON'T KNOW, 10, 10 GRAND TO RUN AN ELECTION.
CHRIS, CHRIS LYNCH COULD ANSWER THAT FOR US.
UM, OF COURSE, HE'S NOT HERE TODAY.
WHY WOULD HE BE DISCUSSING THE OUTER LOOP
IF WE DID THAT, THE ABSOLUTE SOONEST IT COULD HAPPEN IS NOVEMBER, RIGHT? CORRECT.
I DON'T THINK YOU'D GET IT DONE IN MAY.
MY GUESS IS, FROM WHAT I HEARD AT THE, FROM THOSE RTC THINGS, AND I'VE WATCHED THAT HEARING TWICE JUST TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD EXACTLY WHAT WAS SAID.
AND FROM WHAT WE WERE TOLD HERE, MY GUESS IS WE WILL BE VOTING ON SOMETHING THAT'S THEN TOTALLY IRRELEVANT BECAUSE THE ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS WILL BE PROCEEDING AND WE WILL NOT BE PART OF IT.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE ESSENTIALLY HAVE A GUN TO OUR HEAD.
THE TRIGGER IS THE HAMMER IS COCKED TO SOME EXTENT.
AND WE'VE HAD IT SINCE, SINCE, SINCE I CAME ON THIS COMMISSIONERS COURT.
AND FRANKLY, I'VE PROBABLY SPENT MORE TIME ON THIS ISSUE THAN ANY OTHER ISSUE.
AND THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT I DON'T WORK ON IT MORE OR THAT IT WAS WASTED TIME.
IT'S JUST TAKEN A LOT OF TIME AND WE STILL GOTTA FIND THE BEST SOLUTION.
AND IF I WERE AWARE OF A BETTER APPROACH, I WOULD BE PUSHING FOR IT TODAY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BETTER APPROACH IS.
WELL, I, I THINK THIS IS AN ALL HANDS ON DECK APPROACH.
I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE APPROACHING THIS FROM A, HERE'S EVERY OPTION AND THEY'RE ALL STILL ON THE TABLE.
ALL THOSE MITIGATION EFFORTS ARE OPTIONS.
WE'RE GOING TO THE LEGISLATURE.
IT SAYS WE'RE, WE WANT PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT ON ROUTE CHOICE.
I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, JUDGE, ABOUT, AND I KNOW, I KNOW YOU WANT EVERYTHING LISTED.
[02:10:01]
BUT WE HAVE SPENT OTHER BOND MONEY ON PROJECTS THAT WERE ON OTHER BONDS SINCE WE, THAT'S THE SAME, THAT IS ESSENTIALLY DOING THE SAME THING.THOSE VOTERS THAT VOTED ON THAT BOND DIDN'T VOTE FOR PROJECTS THAT WE SPENT MONEY ON.
OH EIGHT MONEY SPENT ON 21 PROJECTS.
THOSE VOTERS THAT APPROVED 21 OR APPROVED OH EIGHT DIDN'T VOTE FOR THAT MONEY TO BE SPENT ON 21 BOND PROJECT MONIES.
WELL, LET'S, SO HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU REC, HANG ON.
HOW DO YOU RECONCILE THAT WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? EXCUSE ME.
CAN I JUMP IN HERE JUST TO, TO ADD TO THIS, MY ATTORNEY'S GONNA ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
UM, WE JUST DID THIS A FEW WEEKS AGO.
EDWARDS ROAD IN TRIP 21 SAID $500,000.
BRENDA, HOW MUCH DID WE JUST APPROVE FOR EDWARDS ROAD? 6 MILLION.
AND, AND I, LOOK, I DO NOT WANT TO DISCOUNT THE IMPORTANCE OF HONESTY AND TRANSPARENCY WITH OUR VOTERS.
IN FACT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S ALWAYS BUGGED ME ABOUT THE OH EIGHT BONDS IS WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING ON 5 49 WHEN THAT WAS ON THE LIST.
BUT AS, UM, MR. POLLSTER SAID TO ME RECENTLY, WAKE UP HERE, JOHN.
UM, A AS MR. POLLSTER SAID TO ME RECENTLY, IT'S ALWAYS BETTER TO DO MORE WITH THE MONEY YOU'RE GIVEN THAN TO DO LESS.
AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK WE'RE DOING.
NO, NO, THAT, THAT, THAT'S OKAY.
UH, BUT SOMETHING AS IMPORTANT AS THE OUTER LOOP AND COMMISSIONER M**K, YOU KNOW, GIVES US A HISTORY OF 20 YEARS, 20 YEARS, 20 YEARS TO NOT HAVE THAT ON TRIP 21.
WHERE THE VOTERS COULD VOTE ON IT IN THE HISTORY LESSON IS THAT THEY DIDN'T NEED IT IN THE TRIP.
21 WHEN THEY WERE PUTTING ALL THE NUMBERS TOGETHER, UM, THEY, THEY KNEW THEY WERE GOING TO NEED THE MONEY FOR THE, THE NORTHERN PART, BUT THEY KNEW THAT FROM A TIMING STANDPOINT WITH EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WAS PUT INTO THAT.
I WAS ON CITY COUNCIL, YOU WERE ON HE CITY COUNCIL WHEN THEY CAME AND MADE THE PRESENTATION, COMMISSIONER CLIFF SEVER CAME AND MADE THE PRESENTATION AT THE ROCKWALL CITY COUNCIL.
AND YES, HE DID HAND OUT THE LIST OF ALL THE ITEMS, BUT IF YOU WILL REMEMBER WHEN WE HAD OUR BOND COUNCIL HERE ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, THIS IS ANOTHER HISTORY LESSON, IS THAT THEY, THEY STATED THAT THE TYPE OF WORDING THAT WE USED ON THE BALLOT IS USED, I THINK APPROXIMATELY BY ABOUT 98% OF ALL OF ALL BONDS THAT THEY REPRESENT.
BECAUSE THE, THE ISSUE IS, AS COMMISSIONER, UM, I'M, I'M LIKE YOU JUST SAID, AND I KNOW YOU'RE GETTING TIRED AND I'M SORRY, I'M TOO, BUT, BUT, BUT THE ISSUE IS THERE'S GOING TO BE OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE GONNA COME UP JUST LIKE WE JUST, THIS COURT, WE JUST SAID WE'RE GONNA GIVE 500,000 OUT OF THE, THE TRIP 21 TO PAY FOR OUR NEW THOROUGHFARE PLAN.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE ELECTED TO DO, IS BE THE LEADERS OF THIS COUNTY AND MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS WITH THE FUNDS WE HAVE.
AND IF SOMETHING ISN'T READY AND, AND THE SOUTHERN PORTION, WHAT WAS NOT APPARENTLY GOING TO BE READY DURING THAT TIME, AND I'VE TALKED TO THE FORMER JUDGE, UM, UM, JUDGE SWEET ABOUT THAT.
WHY DIDN'T Y'ALL PUT THAT IN THERE? AND IT WAS, BECAUSE IT REALLY WASN'T GOING TO BE NEEDED AT THAT TIME WITH THAT 150 MILLION.
SO, UH, WE HAVE A, A FUNDAMENTAL WE DIFFERENCE, UM, AND TAKE A VOTE.
WE, WE JUST HAVE TO TAKE A VOTE AND, AND THAT'S IT.
AND, AND I KNOW WE REALLY WANT TO GET TO A FIVE.
OH, BUT I, I, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA GET THERE.
IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION IF THERE ISN'T.
COMMISSIONER, UH, BEFORE YOU DO THAT, I HAVE, UH, THE TWO ITEMS THAT WOULD, UH, GO INTO THESE TWO SECTIONS.
AND THEN SEND AN EMAIL PLEASE FOR SECTION NUMBER SIX.
UH, THE IMMUNITY SECTION, IT WOULD SAY NOTHING IN THIS MEMORANDUM SHALL BE CONSTRUED AS A WAIVER OF GOVERNMENTAL OR SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY OF THE COUNTY, OR NCT COG OR ANY OF THE RIGHTS PROTECTIONS OR DEFENSES AVAILABLE TO THE COUNTY OR NCT COG UNDER THE CONSTITUTION AND STATE AND LAWS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THEN UNDER NUMBER NINE, MISCELLANEOUS, I WOULD ADD A SECTION, UH, THE ANNUAL APPROPRIATION REQUIREMENT.
THIS IS TO COMPLY WITH, UH, STATE LAW AND THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION.
NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISION OF THIS MEMORANDUM OR ANY INCORPORATED DOCUMENT, THE OBLIGATIONS OF ROCKWELL COUNTY UNDER THE MEMORANDUM ARE
[02:15:01]
SUBJECT TO THE AVAILABILITY AND APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS BY THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT IN EACH FISCAL YEAR.IF SUFFICIENT FUNDS ARE NOT APPROPRIATED BY THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT FOR ANY SUBSEQUENT FISCAL YEAR OF THE AGREEMENT, THE COUNTY MAY TERMINATE THE AGREEMENT WITHOUT PENALTY UPON WRITTEN NOTICE TO THE NTC COG.
ONE QUESTION FOR YOU, UH, ON SECTION TWO, THE LAST SENTENCE OF THE FIRST PARAGRAPH, IF YOU'VE GOT IT THERE, UM, I HAVE MADE REFERENCE TO THE FACT THAT WE WILL PAY THE COST OF THE ENGINEERING AGREEMENT SUBJECT TO ANNUAL BUDGETING PROCESS.
IS YOUR LANGUAGE REALLY AN, UH, UH, AMPLIFICATION OF THAT? UH, IT'S NOT REALLY, IT, IT, I MEAN, IT, IT, IT COVERS THE SAME THING, BUT, UH, IT APPLIES THAT THE LAST SECTION THAT I READ APPLIES TO THE ENTIRE CONTRACT BECAUSE IT, UH, TALKS OR TO THE ENTIRE MEMORANDUM BECAUSE IT, UH, INCLUDES OTHER POTENTIAL COSTS THERE AS WELL.
I MEAN, AND ALL THAT IS, IS A RECITATION OF WHAT THE LAW SAYS.
UH, THERE'S SOME, UM, UH, SOME PRACTITIONERS BELIEVE THAT WITHOUT THAT CLAUSE, UH, THAT THERE'S A VOIDNESS, UH, ARGUMENT TO THE CONTRACT IN GENERAL.
AND SO IT BASICALLY SAYS THE SAME THING, THAT IT'S SUBJECT TO THE ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS, UH, BECAUSE THERE'S A SECTION OF THE CONSTITUTION THAT REQUIRES THAT, UH, AND WITHOUT IT, UH, IT'S QUESTIONABLY VOID.
UM, THERE HADN'T BEEN A COURT THAT SAID ANYTHING LIKE THIS WAS VOID BECAUSE IT DIDN'T INCLUDE THAT.
UH, BUT IT'S THE BEST PRACTICE TO ADD IT IN.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED, AND THANK YOU FOR ADDRESSING THAT SO QUICKLY.
I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH EITHER OF THOSE ADDITIONS.
UM, SIR, UH, I MIGHT ALSO LIKE TO ADD THAT, UH, THE, THE FUNDING, SINCE YOU'RE MENTIONING FUNDING NOW AND YOU'VE DISCUSSED WHEREABOUTS YOU WOULD FIND FUNDING, UH, THERE ARE STILL OH EIGHT, UH, BOND FUNDS AVAILABLE.
THAT FUND CONTINUES TO, UH, TO GROW FROM INTEREST AND FROM, UH, THE PASS THROUGH FUNDING.
SO THERE ARE MONIES AVAILABLE THAT ARE NOT TRIP 21 MONIES.
IF THAT WAS THE OPTION YOU WERE LOOKING FOR.
I, I, I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT, THAT TO OUR ATTENTION.
AGAIN, WE'RE NOT DISCUSSING WHERE THIS MONEY'S COMING FROM AND EVEN AS, UM, UH, EVEN WITH, UH, OUR COUNCIL'S LANGUAGE THAT WE'RE GONNA ADD, UM, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT IF WE'RE GONNA BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY AS A BODY AND WE WANT, WE'RE GONNA SUBMIT THIS FOR CONSIDERATION, WE BETTER FIND THE MONEY.
SO UNLESS THERE'S ANY OTHER DISCUSSION, I WILL MAKE A MOTION.
I WILL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE PROPOSED MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING SUBMITTED TODAY WITH THE CHANGES.
UH, I MENTIONED REGARDING TO SECTION FOUR A AND THE CHANGES SUGGESTED BY OUR LEGAL COUNSEL TO SECTIONS SIX AND NINE, UM, BETWEEN ROCKWALL COUNTY AND THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS REGARDING THE OUTER LOOP.
AND THAT WE SUBMIT THAT, THAT DOCUMENT TO THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER LTI.
I WILL SECOND THAT MOTION, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER M**K, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES NOW, PLEASE.
[11. CONSENT AGENDA]
TAKES US TO AGENDA ITEM 11, CONSENT AGENDA.I'LL MAKE A MOTION, UM, THAT WE APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS A THROUGH J.
GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GOANA.
UM, COULD I HAVE A QUESTION? I MIGHT MAKE A MOTION
DO YOU MIND? ITEM E UM, WE ENGINEER THE CONTRACT FOR ENGINEERING SERVICES.
WAS THAT ALL WITHIN THE BUDGET? THERE WAS FUNDING AVAILABLE IN THE BUDGET FOR YOUR COUNTY ENGINEERING.
UH, THE REASON BEING THAT THIS IS ON WAS THIS AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED, UH, BY THE JUDGE WITHOUT THE COURT, UH, ACKNOWLEDGING OR TAKING ACTION ON IT.
AND SO WE ARE BRINGING IT TO YOU NOW THAT, THAT, THAT WE'LL ACKNOWLEDGE IT AS OF THE DATE HE SIGNED IT.
THEREFORE, THE, ANY MONIES THAT WERE SPENT, UH, THAT I COULD PAY THE BILLS GREAT.
[02:20:01]
THERE ARE BUDGETED FUNDS.ROUNDABOUT ANSWER, BUT YES SIR.
WELL, I WILL SECOND BOBBY'S MOTION.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GOANA, A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER STACEY, IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES NOW, PLEASE.
[12. PROPERTY ACQUISITIONS/DISPOSITIONS]
THAT BRINGS US TO AGENDA ITEM 12, PROPERTY ACQUISITION DISPOSITIONS.MOTION TO APPROVE PRO PROPERTY.
YOU GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GOANA? I'LL SECOND IT.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MACKLEY, YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES NOW THAT PASSES FIVE TO ZERO.
[14. APPROVAL OF ACCOUNTS, BILLS, CLAIMS, AND PAYROLL(S):]
BRINGS US TO AGENDA ITEM 14, APPROVAL OF ACCOUNTS, BILLS, CLAIMS, AND PAYROLL.I'M SUBMITTING TO THE COURT PAID CLAIMS IN THE AMOUNT OF $667,035 AND 66 CENTS, AND I ASK FOR THE COURT'S APPROVAL.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GOANA SECOND.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER LICHTY.
I'M ALSO SUBMITTING UNPAID CLAIMS IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,375,031 AND 76 CENTS.
AND I ASK FOR THE COURT'S APPROVAL.
GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER M**K SECOND.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER LICHTY.
IT PASSES FIVE TO ZERO AND I'M SUBMITTING TO YOU A PAYROLL REPORT FOR THE PAY PERIOD ENDING FEBRUARY 14TH, 2026 IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,192,350 AND 36 CENTS.
AND I ASK FOR THE COURT'S APPROVAL.
D IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES, PLEASE.
[15. EXECUTIVE SESSION]
US TO AGENDA ITEM 15, EXECUTIVE SESSION.THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT OF ROCKWALL COUNTY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO ADJOURN INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AT ANY TIME DURING THE COURSE OF THIS MEETING TO DISCUSS ANY OF THE MATTERS LISTED ON THE AGENDA OR IN THIS ITEM IN THE ORDER DEEMED APPROPRIATE AS AUTHORIZED BY CHAPTER 5 5 1 OPEN MEETINGS, SUB CHAPTER D TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, OR TO SEEK THE ADVICE OF ITS ATTORNEY ON THOSE ITEMS. AND WE'LL BE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION ON PENDING OR CONTEMPLATED LITIGATION AND ATTORNEY CLIENT INFORMATION, DISCUSSION OF DR. HORTON, LITIGATION AND MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICTS NUMBER TWO ITS CONTRACT REVIEW.
NUMBER THREE, DISCUSSION REGARDING VAPE COMPANY LAWSUIT AND UNDER PERSONNEL MATTERS DISCUSSION REGARDING THE OPEN FIRE MARSHAL POSITION.
AND AT 1131, WE'RE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
[16. RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION]
ALL RIGHT.AT 1 52, WE'RE GONNA RECONVENE INTO REGULAR SESSION PURSUANT TO THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT, CHAPTER 5 5 1 TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.001.
THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT WILL RECONVENE INTO OPEN SESSION TO TAKE ANY ACTION NECESSARY ON MATTERS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
AND I CAN TELL YOU NO ACTION TAKEN.
THAT BEING SAID, I'LL ENTERTAIN MOTIONS.
JUDGE, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE ENGAGEMENT LETTER BETWEEN ROCKWELL COUNTY, TEXAS AND THE LAW FIRM OF OLDHAM, CLEMENT AND NOGA THAT WAS PRESENTED TO US.
GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER LTE SECOND, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER ALANA, IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES NOW, PLEASE.
UM, JUDGE, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE ATTORNEY EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN ROCKWELL COUNTY AND THE FIRM OF TAYLOR, OLSON, ATKINS, SALLA, AND ELAM REGARDING, UM, THE LAWSUIT, VAPOR TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION, ET AL V KELLY HANCOCK, KELLY HANCOCK ET AL.
GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER LICHTY.
SECOND IT SECOND BY COMMISSIONER M**K, IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES NOW, PLEASE.
[17. COMMISSIONERS COURT REPORTS]
ALL RIGHT.THAT BRINGS US TO COMMISSIONER COURT REPORTS.
LET'S START WITH COMMISSIONER ALANA.
IT'S GOT A PIECE OF PAPER IN FRONT OF HIM.
I, UM, JUST WANTED TO UPDATE EVERYBODY THAT WE HAD A REALLY GOOD, UM, TEAM THREE MEETING WITH A STRATEGIC PLAN RECENTLY AND, UH, INVOLVED ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HELPING OUT AND VOLUNTEERING AND SPLIT UP, UH, DELEGATED SOME DUTIES AND, UM, HAD A REALLY, REALLY, REALLY GOOD MEETING AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THEM.
UM, AND THEN FOR THOSE ON THE NORTH SIDE THAT ARE WONDERING WHAT'S
[02:25:01]
GOING ON WITH THE JOHN KING AND 2 0 5 EXCHANGE THAT HAS FOREVER BEEN DELAYED.UM, HOPEFULLY I'VE GOT A MEETING WITH SEASON AND SOME OTHER PEOPLE COMING UP IN APRIL.
AND I HOPE TO, UH, FIND A SOLUTION TO GET THAT, UH, THING, UM, OFF HIGH CENTER TO USE THE JUDGE'S TERM AND GET MOVING.
LET LET ME KNOW IF YOU NEED ME TO BE INVOLVED OR IN ANY WAY.
COMMISSIONER, UM, LTY, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND JUST, IF PART OF MINE, UM, TO TELL 'EM ABOUT THE MEETING WE HAVE THURSDAY
UM, THAT'LL BE THURSDAY AT FIVE O'CLOCK AT THE ANNEX.
AND THEN FOLLOWING THAT, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THE UPCOMING TOWN HALL MEETINGS THAT WE'LL BE PROMOTING AS WELL? NO, I'M HOPING YOU WILL.
OKAY, THEN I'LL BE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
YOU WERE LOOKING AT ME LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, UM, THE TOWN HALL MEETING, WE HAVE TWO SCHEDULED AT THIS POINT.
UM, KIND OF, IF YOU WANNA THINK OF NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, YOU KNOW, EAST WEST WE TRIED TO MAKE IT, UM, THAT, UM, ONE OF THEM WILL BE ON MARCH 31ST.
THAT ONE WILL BE AT THE CHANDLER'S LANDING YACHT CLUB'S BIG BALLROOM.
AND THAT IS, UM, STARTING AT SIX 30 OR SIX OR SIX 30 TILL EIGHT OR EIGHT 30.
AND THEN THE NEXT ONE WILL BE THE NEXT NIGHT AT THE FATE CITY HALL.
SAME CONCEPT WHERE WE WILL BE INVITING ALL OF THE RESIDENTS TO COME AND WEIGH IN, UM, AND KIND OF BEGIN THE PROCESS OF ANSWERING AND KIND OF GIVING QUESTIONS AND GIVING CONCERNS TO, UM, OUR CONTRACTOR.
AND DO YOU WANNA TELL THEM ABOUT THE STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS WE'VE SCHEDULED? WELL, YOU CA YEAH.
I DON'T HAVE THOSE DATES WITH ME.
I WOULD LOVE IT IF YOU WOULD
UM, THE, THE COMMISSIONER AND I, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF FREEZE NICHOLS, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED, UM, THE VARIOUS KI TYPES OF, OF, OF GROUPS THAT WE WANT TO HAVE BE INVOLVED IN, UM, AND LEADERSHIP TO BE INVOLVED IN THE, IN THE INITIAL STAGES OF THE PROCESS.
SO, UM, THE COMMISSIONER AND I HAVE MET SEVERAL TIMES AND WE HAVE DETERMINED, I DON'T HAVE EVERYBODY'S NAMES HERE, SO I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH NAMES.
UM, I DON'T WANNA ADMIT HURT SOMEBODY'S FEELINGS IF I LEAVE THEM OUT, BUT, BUT WE HAVE, UM, WE'VE GONE THROUGH AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED A NUMBER OF, UM, INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE GONNA REPRESENT ALL ASPECTS OF THE COUNTY, THE MUNICIPALITIES AND, AND VARIOUS OTHER, UM, SPECIAL SPECIALTIES THAT THEIR, THEIR PROFESSIONS HAVE LED THEM IN.
SO THEY'LL BE ABLE TO BRING A LOT TO THE TABLE WITH THESE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS AS WELL.
IS THAT GOOD ENOUGH? THERE YOU GO.
I AM GOING TO CHANGE MY FORMAT A LITTLE BIT.
WAIT, WE'RE ALL WEARING OUR THREE.
JUST WAIT, JUST WAIT, JUST WAIT.
I'M NOT WEARING BECAUSE IT'S STILL RELATES TO OUR 250TH ANNIVERSARY.
BUT RATHER THAN SAY WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK, 250 YEARS AGO, I WOULD LIKE TO ANNOUNCE TO EVERYONE THAT WE ARE HAVING A GREAT SHOW IN OUR COMMUNITY.
ROCKWELL COMMUNITY PLAYOFFS HAS BEEN AROUND FOR OVER 30 YEARS.
THEY'RE PRESENTING THE SHOW 1776, STARTING MARCH 27TH AND GOING FOR THREE WEEKENDS.
IT'S A GREAT ORGANIZATION, A GREAT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION, AND A GREAT WAY TO GET OUT AND CELEBRATE OUR 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF AMERICA.
WHERE WOULD A PERSON BUY TICKETS? WELL, INTERESTING YOU WOULD ASK, THERE'S A WEBSITE, SOMETHING LIKE ROCKWALL COMMUNITY PLAYHOUSE DO SOMETHING.
AND THERE ARE STILL TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR I BELIEVE MOST OF THE SHOWS, ALTHOUGH IT'S SELLING OUT FAST.
UM, SO YEAH, GO THERE AND, UH, THERE'S STARTS FRIDAY THE 27TH AND THREE SHOWS EVERY WEEKEND FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE WEEKENDS.
AND THEN YEAH, IT'LL BE A GOOD SHOW.
AND OUR VERY OWN COMMISSIONER LTI IS ONE OF THE LEAD LEADS IN THE PLAY.
YEAH, I SAID I WAS GONNA GO UNTIL I REALIZED WHO WAS CAST AS BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AND THEN I DECIDED TO PASS.
YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE AT LEAST ONE OF THE ACTORS.
I LOOK FORWARD TO LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THAT.
YEAH, SO, UM, I HAVE, UH, A JUST A REALLY QUICK THING.
UM, BUT THE RTC IS GETTING THE TIPS, UM, PLAN GIVEN TO THEM ON THURSDAY.
AND I HAVE INCLUDED EVERYTHING THAT HAS ROCKWALL COUNTY'S NAME ON IT, WHICH IS THE ACTUAL FUNDING OF ANY ROAD PROJECTS FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
UM, AGAIN, UM, I'M NOT, I EVEN PUT A DISCLAIMER, I'M NOT SAYING THAT I'M AN EXPERT.
I JUST WENT THROUGH THE TIPS PROGRAM, UM, AND UH, LOOKED AT WHAT WAS BEING VOTED ON AND I JUST PUT THE, UM, THE INTERESTING MAPS OF WHERE THEY SHOW WHERE ALL THE ROAD WORK'S DONE, WHERE THEY SHOW WHERE ALL THE ENGINEERING WORK HAS DONE.
UM, YOU ARE FREE TO GO TO THE RTC AGENDA AND PULL THIS ENTIRE DOCUMENT YOURSELF.
[02:30:01]
IT'S 400 PAGES.UM, AND SO, UH, THE, UH, THE ONLY ONE THAT I KNOW THAT I DIDN'T FIND IS THAT'S 2 0 5 SOUTH BECAUSE IT WOULD SAY VARIOUS COUNTIES AND NOT ROCKWALL COUNTY.
UM, I DO KNOW THAT IT IS FUNDED, BUT IT INCLUDES KAUFMAN AND ROCKWALL.
SO BECAUSE IT SAYS VARIOUS FUNDING, I LOOKED TWICE AND I JUST COULDN'T SEE IT, WHICH I KNOW I JUST MISSED IT.
UM, BUT IT, IT SHOWS EVERYTHING WITH OUR NAME ON IT, ON WHAT THEY ACTUALLY PLAN ON SPENDING MONEY ON.
UM, AND THAT'S FROM 2027 TO 2030.
SO WHAT DOES THE, THE REVISION DATE, IS THAT WHAT THE REV UP AT THE TOP RIGHT SECOND COLUMN? UM, RIGHT HAND COLUMN SEVEN ON ONE OF THEM.
I'M SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT PAGE 26.
SOUNDS LIKE IT NEEDS REVISION, BUT I WANTED MAKE SURE WHERE, WHERE, WHERE ARE YOU SEEING RE THIS IS ON VILLAGE DRIVE IN LAGUNA.
AND IF YOU GO OVER TO THE FAR RIGHT, IT HAS SECOND, SECOND LINE SAYS RED DATE 7 26.
THIS IS NOT A DOCUMENT THAT I AM SUPER FAMILIAR WITH.
AND THIS IS, UM, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE EVER READ A TIPS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE IT WITH YOU GUYS.
GUYS, THIS IS THE THANK YOU, THE ACTUAL FUNDING THAT, AND, AND IT IS ON THE AGENDA FOR THURSDAY FOR THE RTC.