[A) INVOCATION; Commissioner Dana Macalik ]
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WELCOME TO THE HISTORIC COURTHOUSE.
I'M GONNA CALL OUR REGULAR COMMISSIONER'S COURT MEETING TO ORDER.
IT IS 9:00 AM I'M GONNA ASK COMMISSIONER M**K TO LEAD US IN OUR INVOCATION, AND I'LL LEAD US IN OUR PLEDGES.
WOULD YOU BOW YOUR HEADS, PLEASE? HEAVENLY FATHER, WE COME BEFORE YOU TODAY TO GIVE YOU HONOR AND PRAISE.
THANK YOU FOR BEING OUR PEACE GIVER.
WE KNOW THAT YOU'RE WATCHING OUR WORLD FROM ABOVE, AND I PRAY FOR PEACE UPON OUR COUNTY, STATE, NATION, AND ALL THE COUNTRIES ABROAD.
AS WE BEGIN THIS MEETING, I ASK THAT YOU GUIDE OUR THOUGHTS AND OUR ACTIONS SO THAT WE MAY ACCOMPLISH MEANINGFUL LEADERSHIP AND BEST OUTCOME DISCUSSIONS AND DECISIONS FOR OUR COUNTY, BUT ALL THE WHILE CAUSING EACH OF US TO HAVE OUR DISCUSSIONS THAT ALWAYS GLORIFY YOU.
LORD, I THANK YOU FOR THE COURAGEOUS MEN AND THE WOMEN WHO SERVE, PROTECT, AND PRESERVE OUR FREEDOMS. I THANK THEM FOR THEIR SACRIFICES, AND I PRAY THAT YOU GIVE THEM STRENGTH AND KEEP THEM SAFE, AND GUARD THEIR FAMILIES FROM THE STRESS THAT THEY SURELY ENDURE.
THANK YOU IN EVERY SITUATION, AND KNOW THAT YOU ARE A, THAT WE KNOW THAT YOU ARE ACTIVE AND WORKING AMONG US.
SO IT'S IN JESUS CHRIST'S NAME I PLAY.
JOIN ME AS WE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE AMERICANS 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 OUR ALLEGIANCE TO THE TEXAS FLAG.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO BE TEXAS, ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE.
[a.) Resolution honoring Nell Welborn for her service to Rockwall County and particularly the Rockwall County Open Space Alliance, and all related matters; (Commissioner Liechty) ]
IF YOU HAVE AN AGENDA, YOU'LL NOTICE UNDER RECOGNITION AND PRESENTATIONS, WE WERE GOING TO HONOR NELL WELLBORN FOR HER SERVICE TO THE ROCKWALL COUNTY, AND PARTICULARLY TO THE ROCKWALL COUNTY OPEN SPACE ALLIANCE.WE'RE GONNA SAVE THAT FOR A LATER DATE.
UH, COMMISSIONER, DO YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THAT? UH, NELL WAS NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT TODAY.
SHE TOLD ME SHE PLANS TO BE HERE ON APRIL 14TH, WHICH I BELIEVE IS OUR NEXT MEETING.
SO THOSE OF YOU THAT MAY HAVE COME TO HONOR NELL AND FOR HER SERVICE, WHICH HAS BEEN TREMENDOUS, NOT ONLY TO OPEN SPACES, BUT TO OUR COMMUNITY IN GENERAL.
UM, WE'LL BE DOING THAT AGAIN ON APRIL 14TH.
[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.)]
US TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE, PUBLIC FORM.IT'S PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE COURT ABOUT ANY COUNTY MATTERS.
WE HAVE ONE PERSON SIGNED TO SPEAK, MR. KIPPET.
UH, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE IF YOU COULD KEEP YOUR COMMENTS TO ABOUT THREE MINUTES.
WHILE MR. KIPP'S WORKING HIS WAY UP HERE, NO ONE ELSE HAS SIGNED UP, BUT THAT WILL NOT PREVENT YOU FROM SPEAKING.
SO IF ANYBODY IS SO INCLINED WHEN MR. KIPPET IS DONE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME SPEAK.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UH, SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
I SAW ITEM 25 ON THE AGENDA, AND IT STRUCK ME THAT WE'RE A POINT WHERE WE'RE ALLOWING POLITICS TO OVERCOME COMMON SENSE AND LOGIC.
IT'S PROBABLY TIME TO PUMP THE BRAKES A BIT AND, UH, MAKE SURE WE'RE MOVING FORWARD IN A DELIBERATE, UH, WELL THOUGHT THROUGH FASHION ROAD DEVELOPMENT FUNDING.
AND IT'S ONE OF THE HARDEST TASKS TO FACE OUR LOCAL GOVERNING BODIES.
JOHN POLLSTER AND ITS HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE IN ROCKWELL COUNTY.
CAN JOHN BE DIFFICULT? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
CAN IT BE DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH? ABSOLUTELY.
AT THE SAME TIME, HE'S THE HORSE THAT GOT US TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
HE HAS EXQUISITE INSIGHT AND EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF HOW ROADS ARE DESIGNED, BUILT, AND FUNDED.
HIS LETTER, WHILE POORLY TIMED AND UNWISE AT THE MOMENT, WAS A HUNDRED PERCENT RIGHT.
BREAKDOWNS IN RELATIONSHIPS CAN BE FIXED.
REPLACING DECADES OF KNOWLEDGE IN A FLASH IS IMPOSSIBLE.
SHE'S CAPABLE, AND IN 10 TO 20 YEARS MAY BE AN ADEQUATE REPLACEMENT, BUT TODAY SHE'S CANDIDLY NOT READY.
IT'S LIKE TAKING THE AVERAGE TEXAS DRIVER OFF I 35, PUTTING 'EM INTO AN F1 CAR AND EXPECTING 'EM TO WIN RACES.
OVER THE PAST SIX YEARS, THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT HAS LOST ITS WAY ON ROADS.
THE CONSORTIUM HAS BECOME SOMEWHAT DYSFUNCTIONAL AND THE COUNTY SOMEWHAT IRRELEVANT.
IN REGIONAL MATTERS, I WOULD RECOMMEND, UH, WE ADDRESS THESE ISSUES FIRST AND ADDRESS THE REAL ISSUES OF ROAD CONGESTION.
THERE ARE SO MANY HOTSPOTS ACROSS THE COUNTY, AND FOR EXAMPLE, ON ANY GIVEN DAY, GIVEN WHERE I LIVE, UH, AN HOUR IS LOST PER DAY TO THE AVERAGE COMMUTER.
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HANG AROUND FIVE 50 AND 2 0 5 AND YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR, THAT MEANS A TYPICAL DRIVER LOSES ABOUT 375 HOURS OR 15 DAYS SITTING IN TRAFFIC.THAT'S JUST LOSING THEIR LIVES TO, TO INEFFICIENCY AND LOST PRODUCTIVITY.
TRAFFIC IS NOT JUST A NUISANCE, BUT A NEGATIVE DRAIN ON OUR QUALITY OF LIFE.
THE QUESTION I'D HAVE IS GETTING RID OF JOHN POLLSTER AND ITS GONNA REALLY FIX THIS PROBLEM, OR IS IT GONNA MAKE IT WORSE? THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT Y'ALL HAVE TO DECIDE.
SO, I'M GONNA CONCLUDE WITH, UM, A QUOTE FROM SAM RAYBURN, ONE OF THE GIANTS IN TEXAS HISTORY, UH, AND NA NATION'S HISTORY.
ANY J*****S CAN KICK DOWN A BARN, BUT IT TAKES A GOOD CARPENTER TO BUILD ONE.
HE TOLD THAT STORY BECAUSE HE WAS, UH, THRUST INTO THE POSITION OF BEING THE MINORITY LEADER IN A, UH, NEW CONGRESS IN 1953.
AND HE AND LYNDON JOHNSON, ARGUABLY ANOTHER GREAT FIGURE IN TEXAS HISTORY, DECIDED THAT THEY WERE GOING TO WORK ON, UH, GOVERNING, NOT BY JUST BEING OPPOSITION, BUT ACTUALLY WORKING WITH THE OPPOSITION, UH, TO DO THE THINGS THAT NATION NEEDED TO DO AT THAT TIME.
I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WOULD BE A CONSIDERATION FOR MOVING FORWARD.
I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COURT REGARDING ANY COUNTY MATTERS? ALL RIGHT, SEE YOU NO ONE.
WE'RE GONNA GO A LITTLE BIT OUT OF ORDER.
[15. Discuss/Act on the Rockwall County Veterans Memorial located at the YellowJacket Courthouse; it's preservation, advocacy and commemorative initiatives. Supported by a presentation of a newly formed, local non-profit organization - The Rockwall County Veterans Memorial Foundation - championing the memorial among other projects and programs, and all related issues; {Commissioner Macalik) ]
RIGHT TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 15, DISCUSS AN ACT ON THE ROCKWALL COUNTY VETERANS MEMORIAL, LOCATED AT THE YELLOW JACKET COURTHOUSE.ITS PRESERVATION ADVOCACY AND COM COMMEMORATIVE INITIATIVES SUPPORTED BY PRESENTATION OF A NEWLY FORMED LOCAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.
THE ROCKWALL COUNTY VETERANS MEMORIAL FOUNDATION CHAMPIONING THE MEMORIAL AMONG OTHER PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.
UM, I'M GOING TO BE PIVOTING THIS TO DAVID PEAK, OUR TREASURER OF THE COUNTY, BUT ALSO A, UM, A VETERAN.
AND I'M GONNA, HE'S HAS A PRESENTATION IN REGARDS TO THE AGENDA ITEM WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, AND I'M VERY HONORED.
AND WITH HIM IT'S COMING UP IS MARK O'CONNOR.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE IS GONNA BE JOINING HIM, BUT WE HAVE, HE HAS A GREAT PRESENTATION OF THEIR, THEIR THOUGHTS AND THEIR, UM, OPPORTUNITIES THEY WANNA PRESENT TO US IN REGARDS TO THE VETERANS FROM MEMORIAL AT THE BIG COURT.
I CALL IT THE BIG COURTHOUSE, BUT IT'S, IT'S NOT THE NEW COURTHOUSE ANYMORE, SO THE ONE ON YELLOW JACKET.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MCL AND, UH, JUDGE COMMISSIONERS, GOOD MORNING.
APPRECIATE YOU, UH, TAKING THE TIME TO ADD THIS TO THE AGENDA.
I THINK THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ITEM AND IT'S A GOOD NEWS STORY.
Y'ALL GOT A LOT OF HEAVY, THICK STUFF ON Y'ALL'S AGENDA TODAY.
AND JUDGE NEW, UH, APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THIS AGENDA ITEM UP.
UM, UP, UP FRONT, I'D LIKE TO, UH, FIRST, UM, ALL THE FOLKS THAT ARE PART OF THE, UH, NEWLY FORMED ROCKWALL COUNTY VETERANS MEMORIAL FOUNDATION.
WE'VE GOT EIGHT OF OUR FOUNDING MEMBERS HERE.
SO IF, UH, YOU WOULD STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED OVER HERE, AND MR. LYNCH IN THE BACK DOESN'T WANT TO STAND, BUT, UM, I ASK THE JUDGE TO BRING THIS ITEM UP FRONT, UH, BECAUSE SOME OF THESE FOLKS MAY HAVE TO, UH, DEPART EARLY AND, UH, REALLY APPRECIATE THE, UH, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY.
I DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS TO THIS.
THIS IS EVOLVING, THIS IS BRAND NEW.
UH, THIS IS A PASSION AND, UH, BUT FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN MEMBERS OF THE COURT.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE SLIDES ON THE LOWER RIGHT, YOU'LL SEE THE SLIDE NUMBER.
SO IF I'M GOING THROUGH THIS AND YOU'RE LIKE, HEY, I'M GONNA ASK HIM ABOUT THIS, JUMP IN, BUT ALSO IF YOU, IF YOU'D RATHER MAKE A NOTE ON THE BOTTOM, WE CAN DISCUSS IT WHEN I FINISH, OR WE CAN, YOU CAN JUST CIRCLE BACK WITH ME OFFLINE AT A LATER TIME.
THIS IS OUR NEW LOGO, THE ROCKWALL COUNTY VETERANS MEMORIAL FOUNDATION.
HERE'S THE MEMORIAL AT THE WHO, WHO, WHO DID THE LOGO? UH, SUPER SECRET
THE, UM, SO I GOTTA CALL IT THE BIG COURTHOUSE.
I'M GONNA TRY TO CALL IT THE BIG COURTHOUSE.
THIS IS THE VETERAN'S MEMORIAL AT THE BIG COURTHOUSE.
OKAY, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND.
THE VETERAN'S MEMORIAL TURNS 15 YEARS OLD ON VETERAN'S DAY OF THIS YEAR.
IT NEEDS SOME REPAIR, RENOVATION, GENERAL MAINTENANCE IMPROVEMENTS.
IT'S UNDERUTILIZED AND UNDER VISITED BY THE PUBLIC, AND THIS MEMORIAL IS SPECIAL.
WHENEVER I SPEAK TO GROUPS, I ALWAYS WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY LEARNS SOMETHING NEW THEY DID NOT KNOW.
SO HOPEFULLY ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE COURT AND A LOT OF THE PUBLIC WILL LEARN SOME THINGS OVER THE NEXT FEW MINUTES THAT YOU DID NOT ALREADY KNOW.
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THERE WAS AN EFFORT TO BUILD A ROCKWALL COUNTY VETERANS MEMORIAL BY A GROUP OF LOCAL VETERANS, CHAMPIONED BY THE LOCAL TERRY FISHER, POST 1 1 7 OF THE AMERICAN LEGION.THEY WERE KIND OF THE ANCHOR AND THE PUSH OF THE EFFORT.
SO THIS IS OVER 20 YEARS AGO WHEN THE EFFORTS STARTED.
THIS IS A NEWSPAPER CUTOUT FROM JULY 4TH, 2007.
AT THAT POINT, UH, ON THE PICTURE THERE, YOU'LL SEE MAYOR DAVID HILL ON THE FAR LEFT, AND MR. RAY WALKER, WHO WAS THE COMMANDER OF THE AMERICAN LEGION POST 1 1 7 AT THE TIME.
ESSENTIALLY WHAT HAD HAPPENED, THE CITY OF FATE HAD A DEVELOPER THAT WAS COMMITTING $150,000 AND SOME LAND TO BUILD A VETERAN'S MEMORIAL IN ROCKWALL COUNTY.
AND IT WAS GOING TO BE LOCATED IN THE CITY OF FATE AGAIN, JULY 4TH, 2007, ALMOST 19 YEARS AGO, THIS EVENT WAS HELD IN THE FATE COMMUNITY CENTER.
YOU'LL RECOGNIZE SOME FOLKS IN THIS PHOTO.
ON THE UPPER RIGHT PHOTO, YOU'LL SEE MR. DAVID MAGNUS.
IN THE YELLOW SHIRT ON THE LEFT PHOTO, YOU'LL SEE MAYOR BILL BRODERICK, THE TALL GENTLEMAN TOWARDS THE CENTER WITH THE FLAG SHIRT.
HE WAS THE MAYOR IMMEDIATELY AFTER DAVID HILL.
SO THEY HAD A, HAD A PARTY THERE AT THE FATE COMMUNITY CENTER FOR JULY 4TH, WHERE THE CITY OF FATE WAS CHAMPIONING A VETERANS MEMORIAL FOR ROCKWELL COUNTY.
THESE DATES ARE IMPORTANT, BUT THEN SOMETHING HAPPENED ALONG THE WAY.
SPRING OF 2008, IN THIS ROOM, THE ROCKWALL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS VOTED TO BUILD THE BIG COURTHOUSE.
SEE, I'M GONNA HAVE TO MAKE AN MAKE CHANGE ON THE RUN HERE, THE BIG COURTHOUSE ON YELLOWJACKET LANE.
SO JUST LESS THAN A YEAR AFTER THE CITY OF FATE COMMITTED TO SUPPORT A ROCKWALL VETERANS MEMORIAL, THE COMMISSIONERS DECIDED TO VOTE, UH, VOTED TO BUILD THE BIG COURTHOUSE ON YELLOW JACKET LANE.
TWO YEARS LATER, THEY BROKE GROUND.
I TOOK THAT PHOTO RIGHT THERE, AND BY A YEAR LATER, THERE WAS, UH, CONSTRUCTION.
YOU CAN SEE, UH, THE DOME ON THE RIGHT OF THAT PICTURE.
IT WAS BUILT ON THE GROUND AND RAISED UP BY THAT TOWER CRANE, AND THAT'S WHAT'S AT THE TOP OF THE BIG COURTHOUSE TO THIS DAY.
SO AGAIN, CITY OF FATE HAD THIS IDEA TO, UH, BUILD A VETERAN'S MEMORIAL, BUT PLANS WERE SHIFTED.
THE VETERAN'S MEMORIAL WAS THEN BUILT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE BIG COURTHOUSE.
IT WAS APPROXIMATELY $499,000.
SO THE FOLKS SITTING IN YOUR CHAIRS 15, 18 YEARS AGO, UH, VOTED TO FUND $499,000 FOR THE VETERANS MEMORIAL.
THERE WAS A LOT OF MEETINGS, AND THE CURRENT DESIGN OF THE VETERANS MEMORIAL WAS DECIDED, UM, ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO.
THERE'S THE COURTHOUSE, KIND OF HAS IT LOOKED AT THE BEGINNING AGAIN, THAT'S THE MEMORIAL.
THE COURTHOUSE AND THE MEMORIAL WERE BOTH DEDICATED ON NOVEMBER 11TH, 2011, 11, 11 11.
AND FOR A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T REALIZE THAT'S WHY THE ADDRESS OF THE BIG COURTHOUSE IS 1111 YELLOW JACKET LANE HAD A BIG DEDICATION CEREMONY I ATTENDED.
IT WAS, UH, VERY WELL ATTENDED.
IT WAS A VERY, UM, VERY HONORING SERVICE.
THIS IS THE INVITATION TO THAT, THAT'S PART OF THE PROGRAMS. AND THEN SOME PHOTOS FROM THAT DEDICATION.
ON NOVEMBER 11TH, 2011, MR. LEE GILBERT, FORMER COMMISSIONER WAS THE MC.
YOU SEE SOME ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS ON THE RIGHT.
I BELIEVE THERE WERE PROBABLY SEVERAL THOUSAND PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE.
MR. LYNCH THERE WAS HONORED AT THAT EVENT.
SOME OF THE FOLKS IN THESE PHOTOS ARE LONGER WITH US.
A LOT OF OUR VETERANS HAD A FLYOVER.
THAT'S ADMIRAL SMITH, WHO WAS A BIG PART OF THE INITIAL VETERANS MEMORIAL.
UM, THEN THERE'S CHIEF GARRETT AT THE TIME.
HE'S IN THE CENTER OF THAT PHOTO, AND HIS SON IS TO HIS LEFT, WHO WAS A MARINE AT THE TIME.
IT'S HARD TO TELL BECAUSE THESE WERE TAKEN KIND OF AT GROUND LEVEL, BUT AGAIN, SEVERAL THOUSAND PEOPLE THERE.
THAT SHOWS THESE, THE SIGNIFICANCE THAT THE COMMUNITY HAD AND THE SUPPORT THEY HAD FOR THE VETERANS MEMORIAL AT THAT TIME.
HE WAS THE DESIGNER OF THE MEMORIAL.
UH, ADMIRAL SMITH, CONGRESSMAN RALPH HALL, REST IN PEACE.
AND COMMISSIONER BAILEY ON THAT TOP PHOTO.
THIS IS THE DEDICATION PLAQUE ON THE MEMORIAL.
IT'S THERE TO THIS DAY, THE MOTTO OF THE DEDICATION OF THE MEMORIAL AND THE MEMORIAL ITSELF IS LEST WE FORGET.
IN THAT RED CIRCLE, YOU SEE THE INSCRIPTION, AND THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS RIGHT THERE.
I'LL GIVE YOU A FEW SECONDS TO READ THAT.
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AND WITH THAT, UH, THAT LAST SENTENCE, THE, UH, LAST FULL MEASURE OF DEVOTION OF THEIR COUNTRY.I KIND OF WANTED TO PERSONALIZE THIS JUST A LITTLE BIT, JUST SO WE'RE NOT JUST LOOKING AT PICTURES AND NAMES AND WORDS.
THIS IS PRIVATE HIRAM, JEFFERSON WATLEY JR.
HE DIED AUGUST 7TH, 1943 IN MYANMAR.
IF YOU WONDER, WHERE'S THAT? THAT'S BURMA.
HE WAS A PRISONER OF WAR AND A JAPANESE PRISONER OF WAR CAMP.
HE'S NOT FROM ROCKWALL COUNTY, BUT HE HAS RELATIVES HERE.
HE WAS FROM WEST TEXAS, AND HE IS FOREVER 23.
AND THAT INSCRIPTION ON THAT MEMORIAL TO THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LAST FULL MEASURE OF DEVOTION IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY, IS FOR PRIVATE WHATLEY AND HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS, IF NOT MILLIONS OF OTHER AMERICANS WHO GAVE THEIR LAST FULL MEASURE.
AGAIN, THAT'S THE DEDICATION PLAQUE.
AND REMEMBER THE MOTTO WAS, LES.
WE FORGET, IN THE 14 YEARS SINCE THE MEMORIAL WAS DEDICATED, THERE HAVE BEEN EVENTS HELD AT THE MEMORIAL.
ONE OF THE MOST WELL ATTENDED IS EVERY YEAR AROUND MEMORIAL DAY.
TERRY GARRETT, UH, IS THE LEAD OF THE CARRY THE LOAD EVENT.
UH, SOME OF THESE PHOTOS WERE TAKEN OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
TERRY COULD NOT BE WITH US TODAY, BUT HE'S PART OF OUR FOUNDING BOARD.
CARRY THE LOAD, UH, HAS AN EVENT EVERY MEMORIAL DAY.
THIS IS AN EVENT THAT WAS CO-SPONSORED BY THE AMERICAN LEGION IN THE MARINE CORPS LEAGUE.
IT WAS A RE REMEMBRANCE SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
SO THAT'S JUST SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE OCCURRED DOWN IN THE MEMORIAL.
IN THE 14 YEARS SINCE THE VETERANS MEMORIAL WAS BUILT, SEVERAL ADDITIONS HAVE BEEN MADE.
ALL ADDITIONS HAVE BEEN DONATED.
SO IF YOU THINK BACK TO THE SLIDE I HAD, THE MEMORIAL WAS FUNDED BY THE COUNTY, BUT ALL OF THE ADDITIONS HAVE BEEN PRIVATELY DONATED.
THE FIRST ONE, WHICH Y'ALL PROBABLY DON'T REMEMBER, IF YOU LOOK DOWN AT THE LEFT SIDE OF THAT PHOTO, THERE'S A LITTLE KIOSK YOU MIGHT BE THINKING, I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT.
IT WAS SET UP IN LIBERTY HALL.
IT WAS PROGRAMMED, AND ESSENTIALLY WHAT IT WAS, WAS A LITTLE TOUCH SCREEN.
YOU COULD GO UP THERE AND TAP IT, AND IT WOULD GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION ON THE MEMORIAL THAT WAS PUT IN SOON AFTER THE MEMORIAL.
AND THE COURTHOUSE WERE DEDICATED SOON THEREAFTER.
FOR WHATEVER REASON, I DON'T REMEMBER WHY, BUT BY 2013, THE KIOSK WAS TAKEN OUT, AND YOU CAN KIND OF SEE A LITTLE OUTLINE THERE, WHERE IT HAD SAT ADDITIONAL ADDITIONS TO THE MEMORIAL.
UH, A HUNDRED YEARS AFTER THE END OF WORLD WAR I, THERE WAS A PLAQUE THAT WAS DEDICATED TO ALL THE ROCKWALL COUNTY VETERANS WHO GAVE THEIR LIFE DURING WORLD WAR I.
SO THAT WAS PUT DOWN THERE ALMOST EIGHT YEARS AGO.
IN 2024, THE TRAVIS LETTER WAS ADDED.
I KNOW COMMISSIONER LICHTY WAS PART OF THAT PROJECT.
UH, SO TWO YEARS AGO, THE FAMOUS LETTER THAT COLONEL TRAVIS WROTE FROM THE ALAMO ASKING FOR REINFORCEMENTS WAS ADDED TO THE MEMORIAL SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
WHEN THE SPACE FORCE WAS STOOD UP AS A SEPARATE MILITARY BRANCH, WE ADDED THE SPACE FORCE CREST TO THE MEMORIAL.
SEVERAL HISTORICAL ADDITIONS HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE COURTHOUSE GROUNDS.
THE MOST PROMINENT IS THE RALPH HALL STATUE, WHICH WAS, UH, PUT IN, IN 2015.
THAT'S A LIST OF THE DONORS THAT WERE PART OF THAT PROJECT.
ALL OF THESE ITEMS WERE PRIVATELY FUNDED AND DONATED TO THE COUNTY.
AND THEN THE COUNTY PARTNERED BY ASSISTING WITH THE INSTALLATION.
THAT'S WHERE WE'VE BEEN OVER THE LAST FEW DECADES.
NEXT IS WHERE WE'VE BEEN RECENTLY, GOT A FEW BAD NEWS PHOTOS, BUT THEN SOME GOOD NEWS WILL FOLLOW.
UH, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, ONE OF THE FOUR TREES IN THE DOWN AT THE MEMORIAL HAD DIED, OR SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED TO IT.
IT WAS REMOVED AND NOT REPLACED.
WE'VE GOT SOME STAINED CONCRETE DOWN THERE, AND THEN THIS PICTURE'S PROBABLY THE WORST.
THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN A YEAR AGO.
UH, IT LOOKS A LOT BETTER NOW.
BUT AGAIN, THIS WAS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE A YEAR AGO.
ADDITIONALLY, ON THOSE GRASS TERRACES, THE, UH, SOIL HAS SETTLED.
UM, YOU'VE GOT ITEMS, UH, OF GRASS THAT HAD MOVED AWAY FROM THE CONCRETE CORNERS.
IT'S UNSIGHTLY, IT'S DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN.
SO YOU EVER HEAR SOMEONE SAY, WELL, THEY SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.
WELL, WHO'S THEY? THIS MEMORIAL WAS CHAMPIONED BY LOCAL VETERANS, SUPPORTED BY THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
SO WHEN SOMEONE WOULD SAY, HEY, WHO IS THEY? ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, I SAID, HOW ABOUT ME? HOW ABOUT ME EQUAL? THEY, I'M AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.
I WALK BY THE, UH, MEMORIAL EVERY DAY.
I'VE OBSERVED, OBSERVED THE MEMORIAL FROM CONCEPT, DEDICATION AND GROWTH.
I'M HAPPY TO HELP SHEPHERD SOME IMPROVEMENTS.
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WE OWE IT TO THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE AND MADE THIS MEMORIAL A REALITY.SO I PUT AN ALLSTAR TEAM TOGETHER, PUT AN ALLSTAR TEAM TOGETHER.
SOME OF THESE, UH, ALLSTAR MEMBERS ARE HERE WITH US.
I PUT AN ALLSTAR TEAM TOGETHER, RESPECTED ORGANIZATIONS AND LOCAL VOLUNTEERS TO PICK UP THE TASK STARTED BY THE VETERANS OVER TWO DECADES AGO WHO HAD A VISION FOR THE MEMORIAL.
THE ORGANA ORGANIZATIONS THAT I GRABBED MY ALL-STAR TEAM FROM WERE FIRST OF ALL THE LOCAL, UH, TERRY FISHER POSTER, THE AMERICAN LEGION FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY.
THE REASON I BROUGHT THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY FOLKS ON BOARD IS BECAUSE IF YOU THINK OF THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY, THAT IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS SEPARATE FROM THE COUNTY, BUT ITS SPECIFIC MISSION IS TO ADVOCATE AND SUPPORT THE COUNTY LIBRARY.
A COUNTY FUNCTION ALSO BROUGHT, UH, MR. O'CONNOR IS OUR REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE ROCKWALL COUNTY HISTORICAL FOUNDATION.
SEVERAL FOLKS FROM THE MARINE CORPS LEAGUE, DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, AND THE ALAMO LETTER SOCIETY, WHICH CHAMPIONED THE WILLIAM BARRETT TRAVIS LETTER.
THE ALL STAR TEAM BEGAN MEETING AND GREET ON THE FOLLOWING NAME FOR THE ORGANIZATION, THE ROCKWALL COUNTY VETERANS MEMORIAL FOUNDATION.
SO IN DECEMBER, 2025, JUST THREE MONTHS AGO, WE FORMALIZED THE ORGANIZATION.
WE GOT STOOD UP AND BLESSED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE AS A TEXAS NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.
OUR MAIN OBJECTIVES TO ADVOCATE FOR THE UPKEEP OF THE MEMORIAL, THAT'S NUMBER ONE.
AND THE UPKEEP OF THE MEMORIAL IS A COUNTY FUNDED COUNTY RESPONSIBILITY, BUT THEN ALSO TO PLAN AND PROMOTE IMPROVEMENTS, ADDITIONS, EVENTS, STANDARDIZATION OF THE THEME OF THE MEMORIAL.
AND THAT IS WHERE THE FOUNDATION AND OTHER PRIVATE SOURCES COULD COME IN TO PLAY A FORMAL ORGANIZATION UPDATE.
WHAT THIS IS AND WHAT THIS ISN'T, THIS IS AN ADVOCATE FOR THE MEMORIAL IN A SIMILAR WAY THAT I MENTIONED, THAT THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY ADVOCATES FOR THE COUNTY LIBRARY.
THE FOUNDATION IS SEPARATE FROM ALL OFFICIAL COUNTY FUNCTIONS.
THIS IS NOT TAKING OVER THE MANAGEMENT OF THE VETERANS MEMORIAL.
THAT'S A STATUTORY RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
BOTTOM LINE, ANYTHING WE DO AS A FOUNDATION MUST BE SUPPORTED AND APPROVED BY THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT SINCE THE VETERANS MEMORIALS A COUNTY FACILITY.
THIS NEXT SLIDE IS ALL OF OUR FOUNDING MEMBERS.
I THINK THERE'S EIGHT OF US HERE TODAY.
SOME COULD NOT MAKE IT, SOME ARE OUT OF TOWN.
BUT, UH, THIS NEXT SLIDE IS A LIST OF OUR FOUNDING MEMBERS.
VIRTUALLY ALL OF THESE NAMES WILL BE FAMILIAR TO, UM, MOST OF YOU MEMBERS OF THE COURT.
SO HERE'S OUR FOUNDING MEMBERS.
NONE OF THESE FOLKS ARE ROOKIES.
AGAIN, THEY'RE AN ALLSTAR TEAM.
I WANTED TO GET THIS STARTED STRONG.
WE DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE A LEARNING CURVE.
I BROUGHT IN FOLKS WHO HAD, WHO HAD SERVED IN A VOLUNTEER CAPACITY AND OTHER LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS OR NONPROFITS OR PATRIOTIC ORGANIZATIONS.
SO THOSE ARE OUR FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE FOUNDATION.
AND AGAIN, SOME OF THOSE ARE HERE TODAY.
IN ADDITION TO THOSE FIRST TWO OBJECTIVES I MENTIONED EARLIER, AS THE FOUNDATION GROWS AND GETS OUR FEET UNDERNEATH US, WE WOULD LOVE TO ASSIST THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT WITH LONG-TERM DESIGN PLANNING TO ENSURE CONSISTENT THEME MEMORIAL, PERHAPS ADJUST A POLICY OR CONCEPT TO BE ADOPTED BY THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND PRESERVE THE HISTORY OF THE MEMORIAL FROM ITS DEDICATION FORWARD.
THAT'S ONE REASON I SHOWED SOME OF THE PHOTOS FROM THE CITY OF FATE AND THE, THE BATCH OF PHOTOS THAT WERE TAKEN AT THE DEDICATION TO THE MEMORIAL.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO GRAB THOSE NOW SO THAT IN 50 YEARS WHEN SOMEONE SAYS, NOW, WHEN DID THEY BUILD THIS THING? WE'LL HAVE A WEBSITE.
WE'LL HAVE A PLACE THEY CAN GO, AND THEY CAN SEE THAT.
UM, A MONTH AFTER WE FORMALIZED THE FOUNDATION IN DECEMBER, 2025.
SO IN JANUARY, I CALLED EACH MEMBERS OF THE COURT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER, I CALLED THE JUDGE AND THEY WENT RIGHT DOWN THE LINE.
HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION WITH EACH OF Y'ALL ON JANUARY 20TH.
ALL OF Y'ALL WERE VERY RESPONSIVE TO THE IDEA OF THE FOUNDATION.
I THEN MET WITH COMMISSIONER M**K A WEEK OR SO AGO, AND GAVE HER A VERY SIMILAR OVERVIEW TO WHAT I'M SHARING TODAY.
SHE AGREED TO BE OUR ADVOCATE AND OUR POINT OF CONTACT.
I ALSO MET WITH THE AUDITOR, MAINTENANCE DIRECTOR, BARRY COMPTON, AS WELL AS DERY WILSON FOR SOME PRELIMINARY PLANNING.
AND EVEN BEFORE WE FORMALIZED THE FOUNDATION, WE HAD SEEN SOME SUCCESS WHEN WE WERE STILL JUST AN ALL-STAR TEAM.
AND WE WERE LOOKING AT THIS AND SEEING SOME OF THE, THE THINGS THAT I'VE SHOWN.
UH, WE HAD ONE MEMBER WHO REMAIN NAMELESS OF OUR FOUNDATION, WHO DECIDED TO TAKE THE BULL BY THE HORNS AND MAKE SOME CALLS.
AND SO JUST IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS, THAT MISSING TREE THAT WAS DOWN THERE HAS NOW BEEN REPLACED.
ADDITIONALLY, WE'VE SEEN THE STAINED CONCRETE.
YOU CAN SEE THE GENTLEMAN THERE, PRESSURE WASHING SOME OF THAT.
SO WE'VE ALREADY MADE SOME PROGRESS, JUST BECAUSE THE FOUNDATION'S BEEN SOMEWHAT OF A SQUEAKY WHEEL.
WE'RE OFF TO A GREAT START, BUT THERE'S STILL MORE TO DO.
IT'S THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MEMORIAL.
IT'S ALSO 25 YEARS SINCE NINE 11.
AND THE BIGGEST, IT'S 250 YEARS SINCE THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE IN THE FOUNDING OF OUR NATION.
[00:25:01]
SO THE FOUNDATION'S BEEN TALKING, DECIDED, HEY, CAN WE PLAN A SIGNIFICANT ADDITION TO THE MEMORIAL FOR 2026? A GOAL COULD BE TO HAVE A GROUNDBREAKING, SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN 2026, JULY 4TH, NINE 11 VETERAN'S DAY.WHAT COULD THAT LOOK LIKE? SO, LOTS OF OPTIONS WE CONSIDERED.
HERE'S JUST A FEW OF THEM OVER IN ROULETTE.
THEY'VE GOT A NINE 11 MEMORIAL ON THE WEST SIDE OF DOW ROCK.
SO IT'S IN DALLAS COUNTY, A NICE REVEREND, UH, SEPTEMBER 11TH MEMORIAL THAT THEY PUT TOGETHER IN THE CITY OF ROULETTE.
ADDITIONALLY, Y'ALL MAY HAVE SEEN THE TRAVELING VIETNAM WALL.
I ACTUALLY WENT OUT TO SEE THIS IN WILEY.
I TOOK THESE PICTURES IN THE FALL.
UH, IT'S A VERY MOVING EXPERIENCE IF YOU'VE BEEN TO DC AND SEEN THE VIETNAM WALL.
AND THEY HAVE THIS, THIS VERSION THAT IS A SLIGHT, SLIGHTLY SMALLER VERSION THAT TRAVELS AROUND THE COUNTRY.
WE LOOKED AT, UH, RESERVING THAT AND BRINGING THAT OUT, UH, TO ROCKWALL COUNTY, WHICH WE MAY DO IN THE FUTURE.
SO THERE WAS A LOT OF OPTIONS WE LOOKED AT, BUT HERE'S WHAT WE SETTLED ON, AND HERE'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY.
THOSE THREE GRASS TERRACES DOWN AT THE MEMORIAL, AGAIN, THEY LOOK A LITTLE BETTER.
NOW, THIS IS KIND OF A WORST CASE.
LOOK, THOSE THREE GRASS TERRACES IS WE DECIDED AS A FOUNDATION AND VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO REPLACE THE GRASS WITH A MEMORIAL BRICK GARDEN.
THIS IS WHAT YOU'LL SEE IF YOU GO DOWN TO MCLENNAN CHISHOLM.
IT'S A VERY NICE BRICK GARDEN THAT, UH, FOLKS CAN DONATE A BRICK AND LIST THEIR SERVICE MEMBERS DATES OF SERVICE OR THEIR BRANCH OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND WE'RE LOOKING AT ADDING THAT IN PLACE OF THOSE THREE GRASS TERRACES.
AGAIN, THAT WOULD TAKE CARE OF SOME OF THE, UH, RECEDING SOIL, THE MAINTENANCE, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
THIS WOULD BE A WIN-WIN AS A COUNTY WILL NO LONGER NEED TO MAINTAIN THE GRASS WATERING, MOWING, DEALING WITH THE SINKING TURF, ALL OF THAT, AND ADDING THE BRICK GARDEN WILL MAKE THE MEMORIAL MUCH MORE OF A DRAW TO THE COMMUNITY.
TWO DECADES AGO, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS ASKED DURING THE MEMORIAL DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT WAS, HERE WAS THE QUESTION.
I WAS IN THIS ROOM, IT WAS OVER 15 YEARS AGO, AND A GENTLEMAN STOOD UP AND SAID, FOR THIS NEW VETERAN'S MEMORIAL THAT Y'ALL ARE BUILDING, WILL YOU LIST ALL OF THE VETERANS THAT HAVE EVER LIVED IN ROCKWALL COUNTY? THAT WAS A DAUNTING ASK, BUT I REMEMBER WHEN HE ASKED THAT AND THE DECISION WAS MADE, THERE'S NO WAY TO RESEARCH THAT.
IT'S DIFFICULT ENOUGH JUST TO RESEARCH VETERANS WHO HAD LIVED HERE, WHO MAY HAVE PASSED AWAY, WHO A WAR.
BUT FOR SURE, ALL OF THE VETERANS, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR POPULATION NOW, THERE'S NO WAY TO LIST ALL OF THE VETERANS THAT HAVE EVER SERVED.
HOWEVER, WITH THIS BRICK GARDEN, WE CAN HAVE LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS, LOCAL CITIZENS, DONATE A BRICK ON BEHALF OF THEIR LOVED ONE, EITHER LIVING OR SOMEONE WHO'S PASSED, AND WE WILL GET THAT ADDED TO THE MEMORIAL AND THEY WILL BE FOREVER REMEMBERED.
SO THE BRICK GARDEN IS OUR MAIN, UH, FOCUS RIGHT NOW, UH, OVER THE COMING MONTHS AND YEARS.
UH, THE FOUNDATION WILL ALSO MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVEMENTS FOR SIGNAGE AND LIGHTING FOR THE MEMORIAL, AS WELL AS OTHER ITEMS. BUT OUR FIRST PROJECT IS THE MEMORIAL BRICK GARDEN, AND WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
AGAIN, THAT'S WHERE THE GRASS IS NOW LOOKING AT PUTTING SOMETHING LIKE THE BRICKS ON THE RIGHT, THE THE BRICK GARDEN.
SO BASICALLY WHAT THIS WOULD LOOK LIKE IS THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT WOULD FUND SOME CONCRETE SLABS, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANNA PUT BRICKS RIGHT ON TOP OF THE GRASS, SOME CONCRETE SLABS THAT WOULD BE POURED THAT WOULD BE SAFE, AND THEN WE WOULD ADD THE BRICKS ON TOP OF THAT.
SO THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT WOULD FUND THE CONCRETE SLABS AND THE PREP WORK, AND THEN THE FOUNDATION WOULD DONATE THE MEMORIAL BRICKS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT.
AND IF YOU'RE SAYING, WELL, WHAT IS THE, THE REAL ASK? WELL, I MET WITH MR. COMPTON, UH, SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, AND IF, UH, WE WANTED TO REMOVE THE GRASS TERRACES AND LAY A BRICK SLAB SO THAT WE COULD ADD, I MEAN, LAY A CONCRETE SLAB FOR ALL THREE SURFACES FOR ALL THREE SECTIONS WOULD BE ABOUT $6,200.
HOWEVER, OUR ASK WOULD BE ABOUT $10,000 TO COVER ANYTHING UNKNOWN RIGHT THIS POINT, UM, PRIOR TO, UH, PURCHASING THE BRICKS AND HAVING THOSE INSTALLED.
SO $10,000 PARTNERSHIP FROM THE COUNTY, AND THEN THE FOUNDATION WOULD TAKE CARE OF THE BRICKS, ORDERING, DESIGN, PLACEMENT, ALL THAT KIND OF GOOD STUFF.
SO I'VE GOT MR. O'CONNOR HERE WITH ME.
HE'S DONE A LOT OF THE LEGWORK ON THE BRICKS AND THE VENDOR THAT WE, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, UM, THAT COULD DO THE BRICK ENGRAVING.
AND I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME IF ANYBODY FROM THE COURT HAS ANY QUESTIONS.
[00:30:01]
PEAK OR MR. O'CONNOR? I HAVE A QUESTION.LISA, CAN WE DO THIS OUT OF OUR COMMUNITY, UH, LINE ITEM IN GENERAL GOVERNMENT? YOU CAN, YOU HAVE SEVERAL PLACES THAT YOU COULD TAKE THE MONEY.
UH, THERE IS STILL A LINE IN OUR BUDGET.
IT'S UNFUNDED FOR THE VETERANS MEMORIAL.
UH, THERE, AND IN THAT SAME SECTION, THERE'S MONEY FOR OPEN SPACE THAT'S $10,000.
SO, I MEAN, YOU HAVE SOME OFFSETS HERE.
IF YOU USE YOUR COMMUNITY EVENTS, UH, YOU WOULD JUST OFFSET IT WITH CONTINGENCY.
SO SEVERAL, SEVERAL PLACES YOU, YOU COULD DO THIS AND WE COULD CHARGE IT TO THE UNFUNDED VETERANS MEMORIAL LINE.
UM, THANKS DAVID FOR BRINGING THIS IN, MARK, AND TO EVERYBODY WHO'S WORKED ON IT.
UM, IT'S VERY, VERY GOOD FOR ME TO SEE A GROUP OF PEOPLE JUST GET TOGETHER AND SAY, WE'RE GONNA FIX A PROBLEM.
AND I APPRECIATE Y'ALL DOING THAT.
I'M TOTALLY IN SUPPORT OF WHAT YOU WANNA DO.
UH, I DON'T, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'LL FIND THE MONEY.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO RESOLVE THAT TODAY.
IF WE DO, WE CAN, BUT I DON'T KNOW.
I WOULDN'T WANNA TAKE IT OUTTA OPEN SPACE, BUT WE'LL FIND A PLACE FOR IT.
UM, SO THANKS FOR DOING THIS, GUYS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? NO, I JUST THANK YOU.
I THINK THIS IS A GREAT TIMING AND I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S EFFORTS AND YOUR WILLINGNESS TO STEP FORWARD AND, AND LEAD THIS, UM, BEHIND IT.
UH, YOU ARE ON THE AGENDA AS DISCUSSION ONLY.
SO EVEN IF WE WANTED TO ACT, WE NO, IT SAYS DISCUSS AND ACT.
IT SAYS ACT, DISCUSS, DISCUSS AND ACT.
YOU, YOU'RE, YOU'RE RIGHT, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ACTUAL AGENDA AND THE, THE AGENDA ITEM.
SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION, UM, THAT WE, UH, FUND THE PROJECT FROM THIS GROUP WITH $10,000 FROM OUR COMMUNITY MONEY.
AND I'LL SECOND THAT HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER ALANA, A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER STACEY, ARE THERE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? HEARING NONE IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES.
THANK YOU FOR, FOR ALL THAT YOU DO, BOTH OF YOU.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER M**K AND I WILL LOVE ALL, LOVE ALL.
EVERYBODY OVER THERE IN, IN THE LINE.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR LETTING US COME UP AND JUDGE C AND MEMBERS OF THE COURT.
WE WILL DEFINITELY KEEP YOU IN THE LOOP AS WE, UM, PROCEED WITH THIS PROJECT.
[2. Discuss/Act on updates of the Strategic Plan 2050 Implementation Management Plan, and all related issues; (Commissioner Macalik)]
US TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO, DISCUSS AND ACT ON UPDATES OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN 2050 IMPLEMENTATION MANAGEMENT PLAN, AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.COMMISSIONER, M**K, JUDGE, AND UM, AND COURT.
WE DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY UPDATES RIGHT NOW.
I THINK WE, UM, WE ARE ALL STILL WORKING REAL FAST AND FURIOUS TO STAY ON DEADLINE FOR SOME TIME IN APRIL TO MAKE THIS PUBLIC.
BUT CAMMY AND I DON'T HAVE AN UPDATE.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, WE'LL MOVE ON TO
[3. Discuss/Act on updates and progress related to the Courthouse Courtroom additions 3rd floor project, and all related issues; (Commissioner GaIlana) ]
AGENDA ITEM THREE, DISCUSS AND ACT ON UPDATES AND PROGRESS RELATED TO THE COURTHOUSE, COURTROOM ADDITIONS, THIRD FLOOR PROJECT, AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.COMMISSIONER GOANA, I'M GONNA KICK IT TO SAL AND, UH, LET HIM GIVE US AN UPDATE.
UH, SO UPDATE IS WE HAVE A, A FUNCTIONING COURTROOM SO FAR.
UM, WE ARE STILL WAITING ON A FEW ITEMS. SO IT'S NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT CONTRACT IS NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT COMPLETED YET EITHER.
UM, BIGGEST ITEMS THAT ARE REMAINING ARE SOME DAMAGED FURNITURE AND A DAY TWO FURNITURE ORDER.
UM, SO THOSE ARE KIND OF STILL IN THE WORKS FROM THE FURNITURE COMPANY TO GET ORDERED AND DELIVERED.
UM, THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN ORDERED, UM, AND, AND KIND OF SENT OFF.
WE'RE JUST KINDA WAITING FOR THAT TO GET, UH, BACK IN OUR COURT.
UM, AV ITEMS HAVE PRETTY MUCH BEEN, UH, COMPLETED.
THERE WAS A COUPLE SMALL ITEMS THAT NEED TO GET PUT ON A PCO, UM, AND WE DO HAVE FINAL NUMBERS, UH, KIND OF IN HAND.
UH, WE'RE NOT GONNA DISCLOSE 'EM JUST YET BECAUSE THERE'S STILL QUITE A FEW THAT, UH, THAT WE NEED TO KIND OF WORK OUT AND MASSAGE AND MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING, UH, THE RIGHT VALUE FOR THE COUNTY.
BUT WE ARE VERY CLOSE TO, UH, BEING ABLE TO CLOSE THE CONTRACT, UH, WITH, WITH HILLAM WATKINSON.
I I HAVE A QUESTION THAT BLEEDS INTO ITEM NUMBER FOUR, BUT I'M ASSUMING Y'ALL STARTED THE AUDIT PROCESS AND, AND HAVE YOU GOTTEN ANYWHERE WITH THAT OR HAVE YOU NOT DONE THAT YET? WE HAVE NOT YET.
'CAUSE THIS IS THE CONTRACT FOR THAT'S ON.
SO ONCE THIS IS APPROVED, THEN WE'LL, WE'LL GET STARTED WITH THAT PROCESS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR SAL? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.
IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO START WITH.
WE HAVE A FUNCTIONING COURTROOM.
THAT'S A GOOD, GOOD WAY TO START THE COURTHOUSE.
[4. Discuss/Act on approving an agreement with R.L. Townsend to provide construction audit services in the amount of $5,995.00 for the 3rd floor Courtroom Infill project, and all related issues; (Commissioner Gallana) ]
MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM FOUR, DISCUSS AN ACT ON APPROVING AN AGREEMENT WITH RL TOWNSEND TO PROVIDE CONSTRUCTION AUDIT SERVICES IN THE AMOUNT OF $5,995[00:35:01]
FOR THE THIRD FLOOR COURTROOM, INFIELD PROJECT, AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.COMMISSIONER GOANA SAL, YOU CAN TAKE, AGAIN, THIS IS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE, UH, WE JUST WENT THROUGH WITH THE ANNEX.
AND YOU'LL SEE THE, THE NUMBER THERE FOR $5,995 FROM RL TOWNSEND, UM, LISA'S OFFICE GOT THAT, UH, QUOTE FRONT FOR US, AND, UH, THE DA'S OFFICE AND MYSELF HAVE BOTH REVIEWED THE CONTRACT, DIDN'T HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH IT, SO, UM, IT SHOULD BE A LITTLE BIT EVEN MORE STANDARDIZED THAN THE, UH, THAN THE ANNEX WAS.
UM, 'CAUSE IT'S, THIS WAS A, A COMPETITIVE, A COMPETITIVE SEAL PROPOSAL PROJECT AND NOT AT, UH, A GMP, UH, BASED PROJECT.
UM, SO IT SHOULD BE PRETTY MUCH, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE TOP DOLLAR AND THEN WE CAN CHANGE ORDERS DOWN.
SO, UH, IT SHOULD GO A LITTLE BIT QUICKER.
WELL, ANY QUESTIONS? I'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE AN AGREEMENT WITH RL TALENT CENTER, PROVIDE CONSTRUCTION AUDIT SURFACE IN THE AMOUNT OF $5,995.
HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER STACEY, A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER LTE.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES, PLEASE.
[5. Discuss/Act on the Sheriff's remodel project, and all related issues; (Commissioner Stacy)]
US TO AGENDA ITEM FIVE, DISCUSS AN ACT ON THE SHERIFF'S REMODEL PROJECT IN ALL RELATED ISSUES.COMMISSIONER STACEY, I SEE NICOS MAKING HIS WAY UP HERE.
UH, WE'LL START WITH A TOPIC OF SAFETY.
UH, THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO INCIDENTS TO REPORT ON, ON SITE.
UH, WE HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY WORKING ON COORDINATION AND PROTOCOLS FOR CRANE DAY, WHICH WILL BE THIS THURSDAY, THE 26TH.
JUST SO YOU ARE ALL AWARE, UM, WE'RE STAYING ON TOP OF ALL SAFETY PLANNING, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE COMMUNICATING WITH THE SHERIFF TEAM AS WELL.
I SHOULD HAVE AN UPDATED SAFETY PLAN IN MY INBOX TODAY, ACTUALLY.
SO, UM, AS FAR AS THE PAST FEW WEEKS, THE CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY HAS CONSISTED OF, UH, ELECTRICAL, A LOT OF ELECTRICAL GEAR CONNECTIONS.
UH, THE LIGHTING HAS STARTED TO INSTALL, UH, STILL DOING SOME WORKUP ON THE ROOF, UH, WITH THE ROOF CURBS AND, UH, DEMOING OUT OLD EQUIPMENT AND THEN PATCHING BACK IN PREPARATION FOR CRANE DAY SO THAT WE CAN SET THOSE NEW UNITS EASILY.
UM, AS WELL AS WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE INTERIOR OF THE BUILDING PAINTING THROUGHOUT, UH, WE'VE MADE TREMENDOUS PROGRESS IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS ON COORDINATION AND RESOLUTION, UH, TO THE CURRENT CHALLENGES WE'RE FACING.
UM, PART OF THE PROACTIVENESS, UM, WAS, UH, DOING SOME FLOOR PREP AND TESTING, UH, FOR THE, THE SUBFLOORING, UM, TO MAKE SURE THERE'S NO HUMIDITY, UH, IN THE SUBFLOOR THAT WILL ALLOW US TO, WHEN WE'RE READY, INSTALL FLOORING WITH NO ISSUES.
UM, AS FAR AS PROCUREMENT, UH, RELATED ITEMS, UH, THE MAIN ONES THAT STAND OUT ARE PROCURING THE REMAINING ELECTRICAL GEARS.
WE HAVE MOST OF THEM ON SITE, UM, BUT THERE ARE ONE OR TWO LAGGING, UH, THAT WE'RE WAITING TO COME IN, UH, AS WELL AS FURNITURE.
UH, THOSE ARE THE MOST NOTABLE ONES.
UM, BUT ALSO WE'RE TRACKING STOREFRONT, UH, WHICH IS THE GLASS PARTITION WALLS THAT GO IN THE VESTIBULE AREA, UH, PASS THROUGH WINDOW, UH, WHERE, UM, PEOPLE WILL COME UP, UM, AND BE GREETED WHEN THEY COME TO THE SHERIFF OFFICE.
UH, AC CASSETTE UNITS AND ACCESS CONTROL, SECURITY, UH, THOSE ARE ALL ITEMS THAT WE'RE ACTIVELY TRACKING.
UH, THE NEXT FEW WEEKS WE'LL BE FOCUSED ON DOING ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING WE CAN TO GET POWER ON AND AC RUNNING, UH, FOR PHASE AREA ONE.
UM, THAT WRAPS UP MY, MY UPDATE.
ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH, I, I, YOU GO AHEAD, JUDGE, YOU FIRST.
UM, I HAVE, UH, A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
WHAT DAY DO YOU HAVE THE JOB SITE MEETINGS AT? AND, AND IS IT IN THE TRAILER, IN THE SHERIFF'S? YEAH.
UH, IT'S ACTUALLY TUESDAY, RIGHT NOW.
SO EVERY, EVERY TUESDAY 9:00 AM 8:00 AM NINE.
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE OAC C MEETINGS OR LIKE THE CONSTRUCTION? I'M TALKING ABOUT JOB, JOB, WEEKLY JOB SITE, CONSTRUCTION MEETINGS.
THE, THE, THE SUBCONTRACTORS AND THE GENERAL CONTRACTORS MEET ON TUESDAY, BUT US AS A PROJECT TEAM, WE MEET ON WEDNESDAYS.
WHAT TIME DO YOU GUYS MEET? WEDNESDAY, UH, AT TWO O'CLOCK.
AND, AND IS THAT ON SITE AS WELL? YES, SIR.
WEDNESDAY, 2:00 PM THERE'S AN OPTION TO JOIN VIRTUALLY AS WELL.
UM, TELL ME ABOUT THE AC CASSETTE.
SO I, I TOURED THE FACILITY LAST WEEK.
SEVERAL OF THOSE ARE HANGING BELOW DECK AND, AND THEY'RE ON A CONCRETE CEILING AND CLEARLY
[00:40:01]
AREN'T TENDED TO INTENDED TO BE A FINISHED PRODUCT.I MEAN, THEY'RE MEANT TO BE, UH, A ABOVE DECK, RIGHT? WHAT, WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT THAT? WE'RE, WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON A RESOLUTION FOR THAT TO MAKE THEM MORE SIGHTLY, BUT ALSO LIFT SOME OF THEM UP WHERE WE CAN, UM, WHERE WE CAN'T, UH, WE'RE LOOKING TO RELOCATE THEM AND, UH, HAVE DIFFERENT UNITS INSTALLED THERE, UH, SINGLE DIRECTION.
THOSE WILL BE SURFACE MOUNTED AS WELL, BUT THEY'RE, THEY DON'T HANG AS LOW AND THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT MORE SIGHTLY.
UM, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF ACTIVELY WORKING ON THE REVISED, UH, PROPOSAL WITH THE AC VENDOR TO KIND OF, UH, GET THAT UNDER WRAPS.
YEAH, I, I WOULD LIKE TO COME, UH, DISCUSS THAT.
'CAUSE WHAT I AM ANTICIPATING IS A SUBCONTRACTOR IS GOING TO SAY, HEY, THIS IS A CHANGE ORDER.
'CAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE CHANGING, BUT, UH, THE JOB SITE CONDITIONS HAD THE SUBCONTRACTOR ACTUALLY VISITED THE JOB, HE WOULD KNOW THAT IT'S A CONCRETE CEILING THAT, THAT YOU CAN'T, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO ABOVE DECK.
UH, SO YEAH, I'M NOT, YEAH, I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S, I MEAN, THE SUBCONTRACTOR IS ESSENTIALLY GONNA DO WHAT THE DRAWINGS SAY 100%, AND THAT, THAT'S ONE THING I WANT TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF.
DID WE DRAW THE WRONG THING? UM, OR, OR DID THEY NOT COME SEE EXISTING JOB SITE CONDITIONS, THOSE PRIOR TO BIDDING? IT'S ONE OF THOSE FIELD CONDITIONS THAT'S KIND OF HARD TO SEE BEFORE THEY'RE INSTALLED TO CATCH ONTO.
IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS.
WE RUN ACROSS THOSE THINGS A LOT DURING CONSTRUCTION.
WE TRY TO AVOID THOSE BY DOING A MOCKUP.
AS YOU KNOW, WE DID ON THE ANNEX PROJECT, THAT KIND OF MOCKS UP AND GIVES US IDEA OF WHAT ALL THE FINISHED SYSTEMS LOOK LIKE.
UM, BUT FOR THIS PARTICULAR ONE, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY IN THE BUDGET, AND IT, IT DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T A NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, SO, UM, WE DIDN'T, WE CHOSE NOT TO DO THAT.
UM, YEAH, NO, I, I, I UNDERSTAND.
UH, I'VE BEEN IN COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION FOR A WHILE AND I KNOW THERE'S ALWAYS SURPRISES WITH, UH, ONSITE JOB CONDITIONS, BUT MAN, EVERY CONTRACT I'VE EVER SIGNED, UH, HAS A STIPULATION THAT, UM, IF, IF YOU DON'T VISIT THE JOB SITE, AND IF YOU'RE NOT COMFORTABLE AND DON'T UNDERSTAND THE EXISTING CONDITIONS, AND YOU TURN IN A BID, I MEAN, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ESSENTIALLY BUYER BEWARE.
YOU, YOU'VE, YOU'VE, YOU'VE MADE A GUESS WHEN, WHEN YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE.
UM, SO I'D LIKE TO COME VISIT ABOUT THAT.
WOULD IT BE BEST TO COME TO THE TUESDAY MEETING OR THE WEDNESDAY MEETING? WEDNESDAY WOULD PROBABLY BE BETTER.
AND LUCKY FOR US, I THINK ON THAT WHOLE DEAL WILL BE PRETTY CLOSE TO BEING A WASH, UH, BECAUSE I THINK THE UNITS THAT WERE INSTALLED ARE, ARE ABLE TO BE RELOCATED AND REUSED ELSEWHERE.
AND THEN THERE WERE FIVE UNITS THAT WERE NOT UNBOXED AND WILL BE ABLE TO BE RETURNED.
UM, NOW THE RESTOCKING FEES AND, AND WHAT THAT BREAKDOWN ON THE RETURN LOOKS LIKE, I HAVE YET TO SEE THAT.
UM, BUT, UM, WE'RE HOPING IT'S GONNA BE PRETTY CLOSE TO A WASH.
I'LL, I'LL COME VISIT WITH YOU WEDNESDAY.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I DO, JUDGE.
THANKS FOR GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF THAT, JUDGE.
YOU MENTIONED, UM, THE COORDINATION AND THE RESOLUTION OF THE CELL FLOORING.
UM, MY QUESTION IS, IS ARE WE USING SOMETHING THAT'S SIMILAR TO THE CELL FLOORING IN THE, IN, IN THE, IN THE CURRENT GEL? THE SEALED CELL? YOU SAID, DID YOU SAY? I THOUGHT YOU SAID CELL FLOORING, LIKE AS THE, UH, SUBFLOORING.
BECAUSE YOU TALKED ABOUT THE CONDENSATION OF YEAH, JUST, UM, IF IT'S, IF THERE'S TOO MUCH HUMIDITY IN THE SLAB, YEAH.
UH, IT COULD, IF WE DON'T HAVE, UM, THE PROPER HUM HUMIDITY CONTROL SYSTEMS CORRECT.
IN PLACE, UH, BEFORE WE INSTALL FLOORING, IT CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS. CORRECT.
SO WE'RE, WE DO THE TESTING IN ADVANCE TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T HAVE THOSE ISSUES.
AND, UM, WE'RE DOING IT REALLY IN ADVANCE THIS TIME TO SEE IF WE COULD, IF THE HUMIDITY IS LOW ENOUGH, MAYBE WE CAN GET A JUMP START ON THE FLOORING BEFORE THE AC UNITS GO IN, IN SOME AREAS.
WELL, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR NICO? THANK YOU.
[6. Discuss/Act on approving the temporary displacement of Sheriff Office Personnel while working on Phase 2 of the Sheriff Office Remodel as needed, and all related issues; (Commissioner Stacy) ]
AGENDA ITEM SIX.DISCUSS AN ACT ON APPROVING THE TEMPORARY DISPLACEMENT OF SHERIFF OFFICE PERSONNEL WHILE WORKING ON PHASE TWO OF THE SHERIFF OFFICE REMODEL AS NEEDED IN ALL RELATED ISSUES.
COMMISSIONER STACY? YEAH, SO WE ARE TRYING TO GET, UH, BASICALLY A JUMPSTART SO THAT WE CAN GET THE, THE PROJECT BACK ON OR ACCELERATE, UH, THE FINISH.
SO WE WERE LOOKING AT A FEW PLACES THAT ARE OPEN IN THE COUNTY THAT CURRENTLY
[00:45:01]
HAVE FURNITURE OR EASILY AVAILABLE FURNITURE, SUCH AS THE OLD AUDITOR SPACE IN THE NEW COURTHOUSE, VETERANS AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH IN WHITMORE.OR WE COULD MOVE SOME OF THE ADMINISTRATION EMPLOYEES OUT OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, UM, SO THAT WE COULD IMMEDIATELY JUMP INTO PHASE TWO SO THAT WE CAN START DEMOING AND MOVING THAT ALONG.
UM, POTENTIALLY WE'LL SAVE US SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 80 TO $150,000 ON THE CONTRACT IF WE DO IT.
BUT I DIDN'T WANNA START PUTTING SHERIFF'S PERSONNEL ALL OVER THE COUNTY WITHOUT THE COURT KNOWING THAT IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING.
SO WE WOULD BE DOING THIS APRIL BY APRIL 8TH, I BELIEVE IS, IS THE TIMEFRAME.
SO WE WOULD HAVE EVERYONE MOVED IN TEMPORARY LOCATIONS AND THEN WE WOULD GO FULL BORE INTO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND TRY TO GET THEM PUT BACK AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.
AND AS, UM, FINISHES COME SO THAT WE CAN JUST START WORKING ON PHASE ONE, TWO, AND THREE CONCURRENTLY.
AND THE SHERIFF IS OKAY WITH THIS COMMISSIONER STACY.
IS PROBABLY THE BEST WORD FOR IT.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE BEST YOU CAN HOPE FOR IS WE'RE, WE'RE, OKAY.
UH, WHAT, HOW, HOW LONG WILL THE DISPLACEMENT BE? I MEAN, 'CAUSE 'CAUSE YOU TALKED ABOUT THE, UM, AUDITOR'S OFFICE, OLD OFFICE MM-HMM.
AS YOU SAID, AND, AND I GUESS I'M THINKING THAT WE, WE WERE ALREADY WORKING ON THAT SPACE FOR THE, WELL, WE HAVEN'T STARTED WORKING ON IT YET.
WELL, IT, BUT, BUT WE'VE, WE'VE APPROVED THAT IT'S, RIGHT.
SO WOULD THAT BE DELAYING IT? HOW LONG? WE DON'T THINK IT WOULD DELAY IT AT ALL BECAUSE WE'RE NEED THE THIRD FLOOR TO CLOSE TO GET THE REST OF THE MONEY TO START THAT PROJECT.
AND WITH THAT AUDIT BEING TAKING PLACE RIGHT NOW, WE WOULD BEGIN THE PLANNING, THE BIDDING AND WHATEVER HAS TO GO ON WITH THE DA'S OFFICE.
WE DON'T EXPECT THIS TO BE MORE THAN 60 DAYS.
THAT'S KIND OF OUR GOAL, UM, KIND OF IN THAT TIMEFRAME.
BUT WE WILL KNOW A WHOLE LOT MORE ON MONDAY.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET, IS WHEN THE FURNITURE WILL BE ORDERED, WHEN IT'LL BE DELIVERED, AND THEN PROCURE THESE LEAD TIMES TO GET IT BACK.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE HOPING IS, IS THE OUTCOME.
BUT YEAH, WE DON'T EXPECT THIS TO GO ON UNTIL LIKE AUGUST.
UM, AND WE'LL BE MOVING THEM BACK INTO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE LITERALLY AS FAST AS THE, EVERYTHING BECOMES AVAILABLE AND THE DA IS, IS GOOD WITH THIS.
BUT I DID SPEAK WITH HER DIRECTLY.
I, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS, JOHN.
IN FACT, I APPRECIATE YOU, UH, FINDING CREATIVE WAYS TO SAVE MONEY.
UM, THE ONE ONLY QUESTION I HAD IS, IS THERE ANY SPECIAL SECURITY CONCERNS THAT GO WITH MOVING THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE INTO OTHER BUILDINGS? UM, I DON'T THINK SO BECAUSE THIS IS ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF.
UM, PATROL WILL STAY WHERE IT IS.
UM, SO IN ANY OF THESE OTHER BUILDINGS, THERE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY BE A NEED FOR ANY ADDITIONAL SECURITY.
I ESPECIALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF PUTTING SHERIFF'S OFFICE DOWNSTAIRS.
'CAUSE THAT SPACE DOWN THERE IS JUST UNUSED RIGHT NOW.
IT'S WHAT IT, IT IT IS AVAILABLE.
UM, THERE, THERE IS A PLAN IF THAT'S THE BEST PLACE.
WE TRIED NOT TO GET TOO CREATIVE WITH THE PLAN KNOWING THAT WE ARE GOING TO VOTE.
SO WE DIDN'T WANNA SPEND A LOT OF TIME AND RESOURCES, BUT I KNOW THAT CAPTAIN BROWN AND BARRY HAVE A PLAN OF WHERE TO PUT EVERYBODY.
AND, UH, AND ONCE THIS GETS APPROVED, WE'LL START WORKING THAT PLAN AND GETTING PEOPLE PUT WHERE WE CAN.
AGAIN, THE, THE GOAL IS THE SECOND IT BECOMES AVAILABLE, EVEN WITH TEMPORARY FURNITURE, WE PUT THEM BACK AND GET THEM OUT.
THESE BUILDINGS, IT'S JUST A WAY OF BASICALLY CLEARING THE JOB SITE SO WE CAN GO 110% FOR A TIME PERIOD TO GET IT ALL BACK ON TRACK.
IF THE SHERIFF WANTS TO PUT A SUBSTATION HERE IN THE HISTORIC COURTHOUSE, I'D BE ALL FOR IT.
COMMISSIONERS, DO YOU ANTICIPATE ANY OTHER EXPENSES? WILL, BUT THEY BE CHANGING LETTERHEAD BUSINESS CARDS? NO.
FOR THIS TEMPORARY MOVE, WE EXPECT NOTHING.
HAS THAT BEEN, UH, UH, THAT HAS BEEN TOLD TO THEM? THAT HAS BEEN, THAT HAS BEEN FETTERED OUT.
WE WE'RE NOT CHANGING LETTERHEAD.
IT'S GONNA SAVE WHAT YOU SAID, 80 TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM HAVING TO RECONSTRUCT AND MOVE PEOPLE AND CONSTRUCT AGAIN.
UH, ANYTIME WE CAN SAVE MONEY, I'M, I'M FOR IT.
SO WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE A A, A MOTION TO APPROVE WHAT? YEAH.
IF WE COULD JUST GET, UH, AND, AND I'LL JUST MAKE THE MOTION, UM, THAT, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE TEMPORARY DISPLACEMENT OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE PERSONNEL WHILE WORKING ON PHASE TWO OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE REMODEL AS NEEDED.
HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER STACY.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES? NOW THAT PASSES FIVE TO ZERO.
[7. Discuss/Act on a proposal from The Bagel Lady to open a food and coffee cart or stand at the Courthouse at 1101 E. Yellowjacket Ln., and all related issues; (Commissioner Gallana) ]
AGENDA ITEM SEVEN, DISCUSS AND ACT ON A PROPOSAL FROM THE BAGEL LADY TO OPEN A FOOD AND COFFEE CART OR STAND AT THE COURTHOUSE AT 1 1 1 1 EAST YELLOW JACKET LANE.SO WE ARE, UM, COME ON UP, REVY, WE'RE JUST GONNA DISCUSS
[00:50:01]
TODAY.WE'VE STILL GOT SOME LEGALITIES TO WORK OUT ON HOW WE CAN DO THIS.
YOU KNOW, I I, IN MY RESEARCH, I KNOW THAT, UM, MANY, MANY COURTHOUSES HAVE FOOD OPTIONS INSIDE, INCLUDING COLIN DALLAS TART.
THE LIST IS LONG AND I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD, UH, WE SHOULD PURSUE.
WE JUST HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE DO IT THE RIGHT WAY.
UM, SO TODAY WE'RE JUST GONNA DISCUSS AND ASK QUESTIONS AND, AND, UH, THEN WE WILL COME BACK IN ANOTHER COURT WHEN WE HAVE A LITTLE MORE DETAIL FROM OUR, UH, LEGAL TEAM.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO DO THIS.
THIS IS SOMETHING I'VE BEEN WANTING TO DO SINCE I'VE OPENED MY BAGEL SHOP.
UM, SO LIKE BOBBY WAS SAYING THAT, UH, BEING IN THIS BUSINESS AND BEING IN COURTHOUSES, I'VE ALWAYS NOTICED A FOOD ENVIRONMENT, EITHER A RESTAURANT OR A COFFEE SHOP, OR BOTH BEING IN A COURTHOUSE, IT CAME TO MY SURPRISE THAT WHEN I ENTERED THIS COURTHOUSE, THERE WAS NONE.
ALL THEY HAD IS VENDING MACHINES AND HALF THE TIME THEY'RE BROKEN AND NOT WORKING.
SO I WANTED TO, UH, SUBMIT A PROPOSAL TO PUT A KIOSK.
SO A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT A KIOSK WOULD LOOK LIKE.
A KIOSK CONSIDER IT LIKE A FOOD TRUCK.
BUT INSIDE IT'S, UM, VERY, IT'S STATIONARY.
UH, I DON'T EXPECT TO MOVE IT ONCE WE PUT IT THERE, BUT IT COULD BE MOVED IF NEED BE.
I DO NOT NEED WATER OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
LIKE A FOOD TRUCK IS ALL SELF-CONTAINED.
THE ONLY THING I WOULD NEED IS POWER.
THE SERVICE I THINK WOULD BE GREAT FOR THE COMMUNITY BETWEEN THE ATTORNEYS, THE JURY, THE PEOPLE THAT COME IN AND OUT OF THE COURTHOUSE HAS A CONVENIENCE OF FOOD DRINKS.
UM, THINGS THAT I WOULD LOVE TO BRING TO IT IS SANDWICHES THAT ARE PRE-MADE, EASY TO PICK UP AND GO COFFEE, ESPRESSO, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, I WAS ALSO ONE TO DO SOMETHING LIKE A QR CODE FOR NOT ONLY THE COURTHOUSE, BUT FOR THE ANNEX.
ALSO, TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR THEM TO ORDER AHEAD OF TIME IF THEY WANT TO DO AN OFFICE MEETING.
UH, BRINGING COFFEE AND BAGELS TO THEM.
UM, I HAVE A QR SYSTEM WHERE THEY CAN ORDER ABOUT A WEEK AHEAD OF TIME.
UH, I JUST THINK IT IS A LOSS TO THE COMMUNITY BY NOT HAVING A CONVENIENCE LIKE THIS.
UH, I KNOW PEOPLE WHO WORK THERE, THEIR TIME IS VERY LIMITED.
THEY HAVE A HALF HOUR TO GO HAVE LUNCHES, NOTHING REALLY CLOSE BY.
THIS CAN BE A HUGE CONVENIENCE FOR EVERYBODY WHO WORKS THERE.
AND ALSO FOR AN ATTORNEY CLIENT, JUST, JUST SIT DOWN AND HAVE A DISCUSSION AND TALK ABOUT THEIR CASE.
UH, BESIDES THE KIOSK, IF YOU LOOK AT THE PICTURE, I ALSO HAVE LIKE CUTE LITTLE TABLE WITH TWO SEATERS.
SOMETHING THAT THEY COULD JUST SIT AND TALK.
I WENT TO LOOK AT THE COURTHOUSE LOCATION WISE.
UM, I DUNNO ABOUT THAT STATUE BEING IN THAT LOCATION.
I DUNNO HOW HARD IT IS TO MOVE THE RALPH HALL STATUE.
TO THE RIGHT OF IT IS ALSO AN EMPTY, UH, SPACE IS TWO COMPUTER SYSTEMS THERE.
I THINK THAT MIGHT BE EASIER TO MOVE.
IT'S LIKE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE COMPUTER SYSTEMS ARE BEING USED FOR.
I THINK THEY'RE FOR THE, FOR PEOPLE COMING IN TO GET SOME INFORMATION.
BUT THERE'S POWER THERE AND I'M PRETTY SURE THAT CAN BE MOVED AND HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF SEATING, THE AREA THAT I WOULD LOVE.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE PICTURE OF DESIGN, UH, THINGS CAN BE ADJUSTED FROM THAT.
DESIGN MEETS SMALLER, BUT IT'S BETWEEN 80 TO A HUNDRED SQUARE FEET.
UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT DESIGN, YOU'LL SEE THERE'LL BE A COFFEE AREA, IT'LL BE PASTRIES, THERE'LL BE, UM, OBVIOUSLY A, A MENU BOARD.
THE SINKS IN THE BACK, BECAUSE I ALREADY SPOKE TO KELLY AT, UM, FROM THE FOOD INSPECTOR, I'M GONNA HAVE FOUR SINKS.
WE HAVE TO DO THAT FOR HAND WASHING AND CLEANING.
SO EVERYTHING THAT'S WITHIN OUR GUIDELINES WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO.
AGAIN, VERY SIMILAR TO, UH, A FOOD TRUCK.
UH, IF YOU'VE BEEN TO A MALL, YOU WOULD'VE SEEN KIOSKS IN THE CENTER OF MALLS THAT HAVE DONUT TO FOOD AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME, UH, I'M HERE FOR IT.
I CAME OUT THERE, I SAW THE SPACE, AND I WOULD LOVE TO BRING THIS TO THE COURTHOUSE.
I REALLY THINK IT'S NEEDED AND IT'LL BE A GREAT SERVICE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT LIKE, I THINK COMMISSIONER ALANA SAID THERE'S A LITTLE BIT TO WORK OUT, BUT I THINK THIS IS A GREAT IDEA.
I THINK THIS IS KIND OF THE PERFECT PAIRING FOR WHAT WE CAN DO, UM, FOR FOOD AND BEVERAGE IN THE COURTHOUSE.
SO, UM, BARRING ANY OF THE DETAILS,
I I THINK THAT THIS IS DEFINITELY WORTH PURSUING AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
[00:55:01]
I DO.UM, I DON'T KNOW TO ADDRESS IT TO YOU, RAVI, OR TO, UH, COMMISSIONER ALANA, BUT, UM, I SAW THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.
I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING ABOUT HEARING PAYING RENT.
SO I KNOW THIS IS MORE OF A SERVICE, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RENT WILL LOOK LIKE.
BUT THE THING IS, BEING AS A SERVICE, I WAS HOPING THAT THERE WOULD BE NO RENT BECAUSE IT IS A SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.
BUT IF YOU GUYS HAVE SOMETHING IN MIND, I'M WILLING TO LISTEN TO IT AND DISCUSS IT.
WELL, I, LET ME, LET ME JUST SAY FOR, FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, I, I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THE IDEA OF PUTTING SOME FOOD IN HERE.
I KNOW WE GOT EMAIL, UH, FOR, I AT LEAST I GOT AN EMAIL ABOUT SOME LEGAL CONCERNS ABOUT BIDDING THIS OUT AND ALL THAT.
WE'RE OBVIOUSLY, WE'VE GOTTA GET, IF WE'RE GONNA DO THIS, IT'S A DECISION THE WHOLE COMMUNITY SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE A CHANCE TO LOOK AT.
AND I KNOW THAT IT WILL RESULT IN WEAR AND TEAR ON OUR, OUR FACILITIES AND WHATEVER WE DO, I THINK WE SHOULD FIGURE OUT SOME SORT OF COMPENSATION FOR THAT USE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS, IF IT'S A PERCENTAGE OF REVENUE OR IF IT'S A FLAT RENT OR WHAT IT IS.
AND, UH, BUT I'M GONNA PUT THAT IN THE LEGAL ISSUES TO WORK OUT.
BUT I WANNA LET YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE WOULD NEED TO ADDRESS IF WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT THIS.
YEAH, I DON'T, I DON'T, UH, HAVE A PROBLEM, UM, WITH THAT.
TYPICALLY IN THESE ARRANGEMENTS, ESPECIALLY IN THE FIRST RUNUP OF THE FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS, IT'S GONNA BE A PERCENTAGE OF REVENUE TYPICALLY IS HOW THOSE ARE SET UP.
UM, BUT AGAIN, WE'VE GOTTA SEE WHAT'S LEGAL.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND IF IT, IF IT HAS TO GO TO A BID PROCESS.
AND WE'LL FIND OUT ALL THOSE DETAILS HERE IN THIS NEXT WEEK.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? I HAD SEVERAL, BUT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THEM AND I THINK IN THE BID PROCESS, IT, WE CAN ALL SUBMIT OUR, OUR, OUR THOUGHTS AND QUESTIONS ON WHAT THAT WOULD LIKE.
COULD I MAKE THAT SUGGESTION? I, I, I, I'VE HAD SUCH GREAT RESULTS WORKING WITH PEOPLE ON THIS COURT.
UM, MAYBE BRING SOMEONE ELSE, ONE OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS IN ON THIS WITH YOU, WHOEVER YOU DECIDE, BUT MM-HMM
BRING A PROPOSAL BACK TO US, KIND OF LIKE WE'RE ABOUT TO ADDRESS WITH THIS LOGO ISSUE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE, YOU KNOW, A WELL PRODUCED PROPOSAL.
IF WE CAN, IF WE CAN GO THAT DIRECTION, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO, TO DO THAT.
IF IT HAS TO GO TO A BID PROCESS, THEN WE JUST NEED TO OPEN UP AN RFQ IF WE DECIDE TO GO THAT DIRECTION AND WE CAN, WHOEVER WANTS TO WORK WITH ME, WE COULD, UM, WE COULD DEVELOP THAT RFQ.
INSTEAD OF A, INSTEAD OF A BID.
EVEN IF IT GOES TO A BID PROCESS.
I, BEFORE WE SEND IT OUT FOR BID, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHERE WE'RE ENVISIONING AND STANDING.
LIKE, I APPRECIATE A COMMISSIONER STACEY'S COMMENT.
DON'T THINK ABOUT MOVING THAT STATUE.
AND THERE'S JUST A LOT OF THINGS GOING IN AND YEAH.
SO I WOULD EVEN, BEFORE WE DO IT, IF WE BID IT BEFORE WE DO AN RFQ THAT SOMEONE ELSE WOULD KIND OF WALK THROUGH IT AND WILL YOU PRESENT THAT TO THE COURT BEFORE WE SEND IT OUT TO THE PUBLIC? SURE.
AND, AND WE TALKED ABOUT POWER AND WE TALKED ABOUT WATER.
THE VOICE YOU'RE GONNA NEED FROM, SO WHAT, IT'LL BE SELF-CONTAINED.
SO I WOULD NOT NEED WATER FROM THE COURTHOUSE AT ALL.
THE ONLY THING I WOULD NEED IS A ONE 10, UH, ALL THE EQUIPMENT I WOULD BRING IN IS ONE 10, NOT A TWO 20.
SO THAT SHOULD BE AN EASY THING, ESPECIALLY TO THE RIGHT OF THE STATUE.
THERE'S ALREADY ONE 10 POWER THERE.
SO, UH, THAT SHOULDN'T BE DIFFICULT.
AND I'M AN ESTABLISHED BUSINESS HERE, VERY WELL KNOWN IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO I'M BRINGING A GREAT PRODUCT AND GREAT FOOD AND, UH, BASED ON THE COMMUNITY, THEY'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
SO ME GOING IN THERE, IT JUST MAKES SENSE.
IT JUST MAKES SENSE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND I'VE BEEN BRINGING THIS UP FOR SO MANY YEARS AND, UH, I'VE JUST, I BEING PART OF THIS COMMUNITY AND BEING THERE, IT JUST, IT HAVING THE BAGEL LADY THERE, JUST, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SELL ME ON YOUR BAGEL BAGEL.
I LOVE THE GARY FRIEDMAN BAGEL, BAGEL BAGEL, YOU KNOW, THAT BAGEL.
I JUST LOVE THE POINT OF JUST BEING THERE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO, AND I THINK IT, REGARDLESS, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT NEEDED THERE, REGARDLESS OF ANYTHING.
BUT WHY IT WASN'T THERE FROM THE BEGINNING IS BEYOND ME.
BUT NOW IS THE TIME, ESPECIALLY IF YOU GUYS ARE DOING THINGS.
I, I'LL, UM, PROPOSE THAT COMMISSIONER STACEY JOIN ME SINCE HE'S ALSO ON THE FACILITIES COMMITTEE WITH ME TOGETHER.
I THINK THAT PROBABLY MAKES THE MOST SENSE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING TO ME TODAY.
ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO
[8. Discuss/Act on approving a proposal with Wilson Bauhaus for $14,090.70 for additional furniture in the County Annex Multipurpose Room, and all related issues; (Commissioner Stacy) ]
AGENDA ITEM EIGHT, DISCUSS AN ACT ON APPROVING A PROPOSAL WITH WILSON BA HOUSE FOR 14,000, $90, 70 CENTS FOR ADDITIONAL FURNITURE IN THE COUNTY, ANNEX MULTIPURPOSE ROOM, AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.YEAH, SO WHAT, WHAT WE HAVE, UM, SO LET ME JUST KIND OF EXPLAIN, UH, WHERE WE GOT HERE AND COMMISSIONER ALANA AND, UM, CAN, CAN CONFIRM.
[01:00:01]
HOW THIS HAPPENED, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH CHAIRS IN THE MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM FOR ALL THE TABLES.SO JUST TAKE A STEP AND, AND SO WE SET UP AN EVENT, WE HAD TO GO TO LIBERTY HALL, GRAB A BUNCH OF CHAIRS AND MOVE 'EM OVER TO HAVE THE EVENT.
SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS MATCH THE CHAIRS TO THE CHAIRS WE'VE ALREADY PURCHASED AND THEN PUT CASTERS ON THE CHAIRS SO THAT THEY ROLL INSTEAD OF SRE ON THE CONCRETE.
THAT'S THE GOAL WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.
SO WHAT WE HAVE, UH, WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS GOT A PROPOSAL FROM THE FURNITURE COMPANY TO COMPLETE THE TASK.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO BARRY COMPTON, WHO HAS STEPPED UP TO THE MICROPHONE.
UM, I REQUESTED THE CHAIRS WITHOUT, UH, CASTERS IS WHAT SAL TOLD ME.
SO I WILL TAKE THE BLAME FOR THAT.
BUT I'M GOING TO BLAME SAL FOR NOT ORDERING ENOUGH CHAIRS.
SO ANYWAYS, YOU'VE SEEN ONE OF THESE ORDERS, BOBBY, AND HOW COMPLICATED THEY ARE.
SO, I MEAN, AT, AT SOME POINT, I, I'M, I REALLY HAVE NO ANSWERS FOR WHAT HAPPENED.
I MEAN, IT, I I BELIEVE THE FURNITURE ORDER WAS 40 PAGES FOR THE ANNEX.
WHO KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT WENT ON, BUT THAT'S THE GOAL OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS GO BACK TO THAT VENDOR, GET THE MATCHING CHAIRS AND PUT THE CASTERS ON THE CHAIRS.
WHO, WHO KNEW THAT ORDERING COMMERCIAL FURNITURE WAS THIS CONFUSING? BUT THE, THE LIST WAS TREMENDOUSLY LONG.
UM, SHOULD WE HAVE CAUGHT THIS? PROBABLY, BUT THANK GOODNESS WE HAD THE EVENT, UM, THAT THIS COURT APPROVED, BY THE WAY,
AND BARRY REALLY RESCUED US WITH THAT EVENT BY BRINGING THEM FROM LIBERTY HALL.
SO ANYWAYS, I JUST WANTED TO STATE THE PROBLEM.
WHERE'S THE FUNDING GONNA COME FROM? WELL, AT THIS POINT IT WOULD PROBABLY END UP COMING OUT OF CONTINGENCY TO BE QUITE HONEST.
UM, THIS, THIS IS DEFINITELY, YEAH, THE, THE BUILDING'S CLOSED AND ALL THE MONEY'S MOVED OUT OF IT.
THIS HAS TERMS AND CONDITIONS ON IT, I NOTICE.
AND, UH, IT, IT IS A PURCHASING ITEM THAT SHOULD HAVE COME THROUGH MY OFFICE.
SO JUST IN THE FUTURE, COULD WE ADHERE TO THE PROCEDURES? YEAH.
I I DON'T, I'M NOT HERE TO POINT FINGERS OR BLAME ANYBODY.
UH, BUT I, I JUST DIDN'T UNDERSTAND.
SO ON THESE, ON THIS, FIRST OF ALL, IS THIS THE SAME PEOPLE THAT SOLD US THE OTHER CHAIRS THAT WE GOT? YES, SIR.
SO DO WE BID THIS OUT THAT WE'RE HAPPY WITH? THEY'RE THEY'RE BY BOARD.
UM, WHICH IS HOW WE CAME UP WITH THEM.
BUT WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY BOARD? THEY, THEY'RE, THEY, UH, THEY'RE ON ONE OF THOSE WONDERFUL PURCHASING COOPERATIVES THAT YOU RAN INTO WITH THE, UH, YEAH.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE A PRE-BID FURNITURE COMPANY.
SO IT SAYS FIVE, WE'RE GETTING FIVE CARTONS AND I GUESS THREE PER CARTON.
SO IS THAT WE'RE BUYING LIKE AN ITEM ONE LINE.
ITEM ONE FIF WE'RE GETTING IS THAT THREE CHAIRS PER CARTON.
SO EACH CHAIR IS $331 AND 51 CENTS.
OKAY, THAT'S GOOD BECAUSE I, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT AT FIRST, SO I THOUGHT I FIGURE THAT OUT.
SO, OKAY, SO IT'S STILL EXPENSIVE, BUT IT'S NOT RIDICULOUS, I DON'T THINK.
SO ARE THESE ALL JUST THE SAME PEERS WE BOUGHT BEFORE? IT'S JUST NOT ENOUGH.
CASTERS ON ALL THE ONES, ALL OF THE CHAIRS? YES.
I, I, I, I, YOU JUST, 'CAUSE I CAN'T HELP MYSELF.
I GOTTA, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE $2,500 TO INSTALL THESE CHAIRS SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF MONEY.
I MEAN, ARE YOU KIDDING ME? THEY PROBABLY HAVE TO PUT I KNOW.
WHAT, WHAT DO THEY HAVE TO DO? YOU'RE GETTING IN CHAIRS.
WELL, THEY COME, THEY COME IN A PALLET, SO THEY GOTTA BUILD THEM.
NO, I'M JUST SAYING THAT, THAT'S ALL I KNOW.
AND, AND I'M NOT, IT JUST, LIKE I SAID, I WAS JUST ABOUT TO LEAVE IT ALONE, BUT I COULDN'T.
IT'S JUST, I MEAN, $2,500 TO DELIVER WHAT? 30, 15 SHARES? YEAH.
I I MEAN, ARE THEY NO, BUT THEY GOTTA PUT CASTERS ON ALL OF THE CHAIRS, WHICH IS PART OF THE LABOR.
I DON'T, I DON'T DISAGREE THAT IT'S, IT SEEMS CRAZY.
ALL OF THIS COMMERCIAL FURNITURE THAT WE HAVE PURCHASED LATELY ALL SEEMS CRAZY EXPENSIVE THAN WHAT YOU COULD GO GET YOURSELF, BUT RIGHT.
AND THEY'RE DELIVERING 30, THERE'S 15 CHAIRS WITH ARMS. YEAH.
15 WITHOUT AND PUTTING CASTERS ON ALL 60.
BUT THAT'S $80 A CHAIR FOR DELIVERY.
WELL, I GUESS IT'S PUTTING CASTERS ON THE 60.
SO THE ONES THAT ARE THERE DON'T HAVE CASTERS.
[01:05:01]
ALRIGHT, SO, SO THE NEXT TIME WE HEY, GAVE UP, STOP TALKING.THE NEXT, THE NEXT TIME WE DO A FURNITURE PURCHASE, WE CAN PUT IT OUT TO BID AND NOT USE THE BUYBOARD AND WE'LL SEE IF WHAT HA WE'LL SEE.
YEAH, I THINK THAT'D BE A GOOD IDEA.
WE APPROVE A PROPOSAL WITH WILSON BA HOUSE FOR $14,090 AND 70 CENTS FOR ADDITIONAL FURNITURE IN THE COUNTY.
ANNEX MARKED FLAG PURPOSE ROOM, TAKING IT FROM OUR CONTINGENCY FUND.
GOT A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER M**K.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES NOW PLEASE.
[9. Discuss/Act on approving the Memorandum of Agreement to acquire the Right of Way parcel on Crenshaw Road, and all relates issues; (Commissioner Stacy)]
AGENDA ITEM NINE, DISCUSS AN ACT ON APPROVING THE MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE THE RIGHT OF WAY PARCEL ON CRENSHAW ROAD AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.COMMISSIONER, I I, I, UH, I THINK I CAN SPEAK TO THIS, BUT I KNOW THAT BRENDA CAN SPEAK TO THIS AS WELL.
UM, THIS IS AN AGREEMENT FOR THE LAST PARCEL THAT WE NEED IN ORDER TO BUILD CRENSHAW ROAD.
UM, THIS IS A MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT FOR $5,000 ON THE RIGHT OF WAY.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE RIGHT OF WAY, UM, DONE, GET THE PROPERTY OWNER PAID AND, AND MOVE THIS PROJECT FORWARD SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY BUILD CRENSHAW ROAD.
THAT'S THE HIGH LEVEL PURPOSE.
UM, I WOULD SAY THAT I'M VERY IMPRESSED WITH US AS A COURT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO REROUTE CRENSHAW ROAD WITHOUT USING IMMINENT DOMAIN AND ALL THESE AGREEMENTS AND ALL THIS LAND PURCHASES WERE THIRD PARTY TRANSACTIONS WITH ALL THE LANDOWNERS.
THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BID.
THE NEXT THING WE GOTTA DO IS BUILD THIS CRITICAL ROAD FOR ROYCE CITY IN THAT AREA OF THE COUNTY.
AND THIS, THIS QUESTION PROBABLY PERTAINS TO BOTH ITEM NUMBER NINE AND 10.
UM, WHICH BOND ARE WE USING THE MONEY FOR, SPECIFICALLY THE 5,000, BUT THEN IF THERE'S YEAH, UH, A SECOND ONE.
I BELIEVE ALL OF THIS IS OH EIGHT MONEY.
UH, SOME OF IT'S OH FOUR, SOME OF IT'S OH EIGHT OR ALL OF IT OH FOUR.
BUT YEAH, I MEAN, I KNOW THAT WE'VE, THIS, THIS HAS BEEN EVERY ITERATION OF CRENSHAW ROADS BEEN A THING.
SOME OF THE MONEY WAS BEFORE I TOOK OFFICE.
AND THEN SOME OF IT WAS FILLING A $5 MILLION SHORTFALL, WHICH WE JUST DID IN THE FIRST ISSUANCE OF THE BOND.
BUT I KNOW BRENDA CAN SPEAK TO THAT.
UM, CRENSHAW ROAD, PARDON ME, WAS ORIGINALLY FUNDED WITH OH EIGHT MM-HMM
THE ESTIMATES FOR, AND, AND WE CONSTRUCTED PHASE ONE AND PURCHASED THE MAJORITY OF THE PROPERTY WITH OH EIGHT BONDS.
ANTICIPATE PURCHASING THIS LAST PARCEL, UM, FOR MR. CRENSHAW WITH OH EIGHT BONDS ON YOUR NEXT AGENDA, ITEM 10, THE, UM, ESTIMATED CONSTRUCTION COST WAS OVER WHAT WAS ALLOWED FOR IN THE OH EIGHT BONDS.
SO THAT WAS ENTERED AS A LINE ITEM FOR YOUR TRIP 21 BONDS.
AND IF YOU REMEMBER THOUGH, CRENSHAW ROAD PROJECT WAS FUNDED WITH OH EIGHT BONDS AND, UH, ROY CITY, UH, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, RIGHT? YES.
SO THERE ARE, THERE ARE UNENCUMBERED FUNDS STILL IN THAT PROJECT.
UH, BUT AGAIN, I HATE TO BE THE, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE DOWNER.
UM, BUT THAT'S YOUR, THAT'S YOUR JOB, LISA.
WELL, WE CAN ACT CONTINGENT UPON, UH, BUT WE DEFINITELY WANT THE AUDITOR AND, AND LEGAL TO, UH, TO GIVE IT THE THUMBS UP.
WELL, WAIT, WHEN YOU SAY THIS AGREEMENT, YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT WHICH ITEM? YOU TALKING ABOUT? A MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION? DO WE HAVE A STANDARD PRACTICE OF REVIEWING THE AGENDA, BOTH LEGAL AND IN THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE BEFORE WE GET TO COURT HERE SO THAT WE CAN CATCH THESE THINGS? NO, SIR.
BEFORE WE GET HERE, CAN WE START? WELL, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD LOOK INTO.
IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE NOT TO QUICKLY RUN THROUGH THIS AND SAY, HEY, I HAVEN'T SEEN THIS YET.
SO, AND ADDRESS IT BEFORE WE GET HERE AND WASTE EVERYBODY'S TIME.
SO COMMISSIONER GOANA, UM, I SPOKE WITH MEREDITH YESTERDAY AND THAT SAME TOPIC FOR ME WAS SOMETHING I'VE ASKED HER TO DO SOME RESEARCH ON AND THEN, AND BRING IT BACK TO THE COURT.
SO, UH, I'M, I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED.
BRING WHAT? BACK TO THE, I, I I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE, I THAT MAKES SENSE.
WANNA PROCEDURE THAT WE CAN EITHER JUST AGREE THAT THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN OR WE CAN, WE CAN PUT A PROCEDURE IN PLACE THAT SAYS WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THIS BEFORE, BEFORE WE COME TO COURT IN THE MORNING.
[01:10:01]
17.SO MAY MAYBE, MAYBE IT'S GONNA HAVE TO YEP.
SO, SO WHAT, WHAT I, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO THEN AT THIS POINT IS I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION APPROVING A MEMORANDUM OF, UNDER A MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE THE RIGHT OF WAY PARCEL OF CRENSHAW ROAD, CONTINGENT UPON LEGAL APPROVAL.
GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER STACY.
GOT A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GOANA.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES NOW THAT PASSES FIVE TO ZERO.
[10. Discuss/Act on approval of Construction Bidding for the Crenshaw Road East Project, and all related issues. Discuss/Act on engineering contract for roads, and all related issues; (Commissioner Stacy) ]
TO AGENDA ITEM 10.UH, DISCUSS AN ACT ON APPROVAL OF CONSTRUCTION BIDDING FOR THE CRENSHAW ROAD EAST PROJECT AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.
DISCUSS AND ACT ON ENGINEERING CONTRACT FOR ROADS AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.
NOW THIS HAS BEEN REVIEWED BY THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, JUST SO YOU ARE AWARE.
THIS ONE, THIS ONE HAS BEEN, UM, AND THIS IS GOING OUT TO BID SO THAT WE CAN BEGIN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING CRENSHAW ROAD.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, OR COMMENTS, BUT THAT'S WHAT THIS ITEM IS.
NO, I, AND THIS ITEM WAS WORKED ON BY MY OFFICE AND LEGAL AND ITS.
SO IT HAS BEEN VETTED BY ALL, ALL THE, ALL THE POWERS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE.
WELL, I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE, UM, ACT ON APPROVAL OF THE CONSTRUCTION BIDDING FOR THE CRENSHAW ROAD EAST PROJECT.
I'LL SECOND GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER M**K.
HAVE A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER LTE.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES PLEASE.
[11. Discuss/Act on approving the final plat of Lot 1, Block A of Goliad Street Addition subject to remaining review comments being addressed, and all related issues; {Commissioner Gallana County Engineer)]
BRINGS US TO AGENDA ITEM 11, DISCUSSING ACT ON APPROVING THE FINAL PLAT OF LOT ONE BLOCK A OF GOLIAD STREET EDITION SUBJECT TO REMAINING REVIEW COMMENTS BEING ADDRESSED IN ALL RELATED ISSUES.COMMISSIONER ALANA AND MS. ERICA.
OKAY, I'LL TRY TO KEEP THIS BRIEF 'CAUSE I KNOW YOU'VE GOT A LONG AGENDA.
UM, THIS PROPERTY IS AT 41 56 NORTH GD STREET.
UH, IT IS A FINAL PLAT, UM, FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE ACRES.
UM, ORIGINALLY THIS PROPERTY WAS IN THE CITY OF ROCKWELL'S ETJ AND IT WENT THROUGH THE PRELIMINARY PLANT PLATTING PROCESS.
UM, AND SUBSEQUENTLY THEY HAVE ASKED TO BE REMOVED FROM THE ETJ OF ROCKWALL.
UM, SO NOW THEY'RE IN THE COUNTY.
AND THIS IS JUST FINISH FINISHING UP THE PLATTING PROCESS THAT THEY STARTED WITH THE CITY.
SO, UM, THIS, THERE WERE VERY MINOR TECHNICAL COMMENTS, UH, STILL REMAINING ON THIS PROJECT, BUT WE WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND KEEPING IN MIND THE 30 DAY CLOCK, WE WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND BRING THIS FORWARD.
SO IT'S MY RECOMMENDATION THAT Y'ALL APPROVE THIS PLAT SUBJECT TO THOSE COMMENTS BEING ADDRESSED.
DO YOU KNOW WHY THEY WANT THE CITY OF ROCKWELL WANTED TO RELEASE IT FROM THE E-T-E-T-J? I BELIEVE THE PROPERTY OWNER REQUESTED IT.
YEAH, NEW, NEW LAWS YOU CAN, UH, DN X BY.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE USE IS GONNA BE FOR THIS PROPERTY? UH, I BELIEVE IT'S A FLEX SPACE.
THEY'RE PROPOSING MULTIPLE BUILDINGS.
WE ARE LOOKING AT THE CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS.
AND COMMERCIAL IS WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? YES MA'AM.
WHAT DID YOU DO? IT LOOKS LIKE, I BELIEVE IT'S OFFICE FLEX SPACE AND SORRY, THE APPLICANT IS HERE AS WELL.
IF, IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THEM, WOULD WOULD THE APPLICANT LIKE TO SPEAK? YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT BOUND TO, BUT YOU CERTAINLY CAN.
HAVE WE DIS HAVE YOU DISCUSSED WITH THE APPLICANT APPORTIONMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS? WE, WE HAVE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS OF APPORTIONMENT.
UM, THEY PROVIDED A TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS FOR THIS PARTICULAR SITE.
UM, LOOKING AT ALL THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF APPORTIONMENT, ROADWAY WAS THE ONE THAT, THAT, UH, I BELIEVE APPLIED IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE.
AND, UH, PER THEIR TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS, UH, THEY WOULD BE REQUIRED TO PUT IN A SOUTHBOUND LEFT TURN LANE.
SO THEY'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT WITH TEXTILE, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THERE IS ADEQUATE PAVEMENT TO BE ABLE TO INSTALL THAT, UH, JUST USING STRIPING.
SO, UM, THAT IS THE PLAN FOR THEM TO INSTALL A LEFT HAND TURN LANE, UH, IN THE SOUTHBOUND DIRECTION.
SO, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT IS, UM, IN LINE WITH OUR APPORTIONMENT REQUIREMENTS THAT THEY COULD PROVIDE CONSTRUCTION COSTS.
UM, SO I BELIEVE THAT THAT WOULD MITIGATE THEIR IMPACT.
UM, I, I WOULD JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT THAT IS AS WE GO FORWARD AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT IT, UH, PROPERLY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION ON NUMBER
[01:15:01]
EIGHT 'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S KIND OF CONFUSING.ON THE FRIES AND NICHOLS LETTER, IT SAYS, SPECIFY THAT THIS PLAT IS WITHIN THE ETJ OF THE CITY OF ROCKWALL PER, BUT YOU JUST SAID IT'S NOT IN THE ETJ OF ROCKWALL.
IT'S, I I DIDN'T WANT TO, UM, NECESSARILY GO THROUGH HERE AND REMOVE SPECIFIC ONES.
THERE'S TWO THAT I HAVE NA APPLIED NEXT TO IT.
UM, SO THEY WOULD HAVE TO ADDRESS THESE COMMENTS AND IF STAFF DEEMED THAT THEY HAD ALREADY BEEN ADDRESSED OR THEY DIDN'T APPLY, THEN WE WOULD JUST REMOVE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM CITY OF ROCKWELL'S ETJ AND UH, THAT JUST, UH, IS NOT A REQUIRED ITEM ANYMORE.
AND THEN, SORRY, WHILE, WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT, 11 C WOULD ALSO NOT APPLY BECAUSE THAT IS, UH, TXDOT RIGHT OF WAY.
SO THEY WOULD NOT BE COMING TO US FOR, UM, A CULVERT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SO I'M GONNA MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE FINAL PLAT OF LOT ONE BLOCK A OF GOLIAD STREET ADDITION, SUBJECT TO THE REMAINING REVIEW COMMENTS BEING ADDRESSED.
GOT A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GOANA.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES THAT PASSES FIVE TO ZERO.
[12.Discuss/Act on progress related to the Master Thoroughfare Plan Update project, and all related issues; (Commissioner Liechty-County Engineer) ]
US TO AGENDA ITEM 12, DISCUSS AND ACT ON PROGRESS RELATED TO THE MASTER THOROUGHFARE PLAN, UPDATE PROJECT, AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.COMMISSIONER LTE AND MS. ERICA? YEAH, I APPRECIATE, UM, ERICA'S HELP ON THIS AND THE WORK WE'VE BEEN DOING ON IT.
WE'VE HAD, UH, A STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING IN THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS.
THERE ARE TWO TOWN HALLS PLANNED, UM, ON MARCH 31ST AND APRIL 1ST.
BUT, UH, ERICA WILL GIVE, SHE'S WORKING A LOT MORE THROUGH THESE SPECIFIC DETAILS OF THE PLANNING PROCESS WITH FREEZE NICHOLS.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING A GOOD SUMMARY THERE.
THIS IS JUST AS COMMISSIONER LTI MENTIONED, A QUICK UPDATE TO WHERE WE ARE IN THE MASTER, THE FAM MASTER THOROUGHFARE PLAN UPDATE.
UM, THIS IS A TIMELINE, UH, JUST SHOWING WHERE WE'RE AT CURRENTLY, UH, ON THE TECHNICAL ANALYSIS PHASE.
UH, CURRENTLY FRIESA NICHOLS IS WORKING ON DEMOGRAPHICS AND DATA COLLECTION.
UH, AND WE ARE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE ENGAGEMENT PHASE.
UM, AS Y'ALL KNOW, THE EXECUTIVE INTERVIEWS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED WITH EACH OF YOU.
UH, THE PROJECT STEERING COMMITTEE HAD THEIR FIRST MEETING A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
AND, UH, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING FROM TALKING WITH FRIESA NICHOLS, THEY GOT VERY GOOD FEEDBACK SO THAT THAT'S ALL POSITIVE.
UH, AND NOW WE'RE FOCUSING ON, UH, WORKING WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS AND THE PUBLIC AT LARGE TO GET MORE INFORMATION, UM, AND MORE FEEDBACK FROM THEM.
SO THE FIR THE TWO STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS WILL BE HELD NEXT WEEK, AND THOSE ARE WITH FOLKS LIKE SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE, THE VARIOUS CITIES IN THE COUNTY.
UM, AND ALL THOSE INVITES HAVE BEEN SENT OUT.
AND, UM, INTERVIEWS HAVE BEEN SCHEDULED FOR TODAY AND THURSDAY.
I APOLOGIZE IF I SAID NEXT WEEK,
UM, BUT OUR, OUR FIRST TWO TOWN HALL MEETINGS ARE ALSO NEXT WEEK.
AND THERE ARE ACTUALLY FLYERS AT THE BACK FOR THESE, UH, TOWN HALL MEETINGS.
UH, THE FIRST ONE WILL BE AT CHANDLER'S LANDING, UH, 5 0 1 YACHT CLUB.
UM, AND THAT WILL BE TUESDAY, MARCH 31ST FROM SIX 30 TO 8:00 PM UH, AND THEN THE SECOND ONE WILL BE AT FATE CITY HALL ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1ST, ALSO FROM SIX 30 TO 8:00 PM SO FOLKS CAN GET OFF OF WORK AND HAVE TIME TO BE ABLE TO GET THERE.
UM, IT'S JUST GOING TO BE AN OPEN HOUSE INITIALLY FOR THE FIRST 30 MINUTES FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AROUND AT SIGNAGE AND, AND DIFFERENT INFORMATION STAFF WILL BE CIRCULATING.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S GONNA BE A BRIEF 30 MINUTE PRESENTATION.
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE SOME BREAKOUT SESSIONS WHERE FOLKS CAN GET TOGETHER IN SMALLER GROUPS WITH STAFF AND GIVE FEEDBACK.
UM, AND SO WE ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO COME OUT TO THESE.
WE REALLY WANT TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC, UH, AND GET INPUT TO MAKE THIS THOROUGHFARE PLAN UPDATE SUCCESSFUL, EXCITING.
UH, WE HAVE A NEW WEBSITE AND THAT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE, OF THE SCREEN IS THE WEBSITE, UH, ADDRESS.
UH, THIS IS JUST A SNIPPET OF WHAT THE, THE WEBSITE LOOKS LIKE, BUT IT, UH, FOLKS CAN GO HERE AND LOOK AT FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.
UM, WE HAVE A SURVEY THAT'S GONNA BE OPEN FOR A FEW WEEKS WHERE FOLKS CAN GO
[01:20:01]
AND, UM, PROVIDE MORE FEEDBACK TO SOME SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT WERE PROVIDED.AND THEN THERE'S ACTUALLY AN INTERACTIVE MAP THAT THEY CAN GO AND, AND PINPOINT SPOTS IN THE COUNTY WHERE THEY'VE NOTICED TRAFFIC CONGESTION OR THEY WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE HAVE, UM, SOME SORT OF IMPROVEMENTS MADE OR A NEW CONNECTION NEEDS TO BE MADE.
SO, UM, ANYWAY, WE JUST REALLY WANNA GET THE MESSAGE OUT THERE.
SO PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, UH, SHARE THIS INFORMATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA, SHARE IT, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH EVERYBODY THAT'S A ROCKWELL COUNTY CITIZEN THAT MIGHT HAVE SOME INPUT.
'CAUSE WE REALLY DO WANT TO GET GOOD ENGAGEMENT AND MAKE THIS SUCCESSFUL.
SO WITH THAT, ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? QUESTIONS? NO, GREAT JOB.
UM, I WOULD, I I WOULD SECOND YOUR, LET'S SHARE IT.
UM, I WOULD ALSO SAY IF THERE'S MEETINGS THAT GROUPS ARE HAVING, LIKE THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF GROUP, TRY TO SEE IF YOU CAN FIND OUT IF YOU CAN PO IF YOU OR SOMEONE ON THE ONE OF THE STAKEHOLDERS OR ONE OF US ON THE COURT COULD GO IN AND JUST DO A QUICK FIVE MINUTE AND MAKE SURE WE GET THE, WE GET THE, THE WORD OUT ABOUT THE SURVEY AND ABOUT THIS WHOLE PROCESS BECAUSE WE KNOW THROUGH THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT THE, ONE OF THE TOP NUMBER ONE, NUMBER TWO ITEMS IS OUR ROADS AND TRANSPORTATION.
SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR CITIZENS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WEIGH IN ON A VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC.
AND BY THE WAY, THIS FLYER FOR TAKE OUR SURVEY IS ALSO AT THE BACK AND IT HAS A QR CODE THAT WILL TAKE YOU DIRECTLY TO THE SURVEY.
IT TAKES FIVE MINUTES TO TAKE THE SURVEY.
SO PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, UH, GO TAKE THAT SURVEY AND GIVE US SOME INPUT.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO HIT ONE MORE AGENDA ITEM AND THEN TAKE A QUICK BREAK.
[13. Discuss/Act on approving Addendum No. 1 to the 4Sight Labs, Inc. Master Services Plan to include the OptiGuard Liveness detection system, and all related issues; (Commissioner Stacy - Sheriff Garrett)]
MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM 13, DISCUSS AND ACT ON APPROVING ADDENDUM NUMBER ONE TO THE FORESIGHT LABS INC.MASTER SERVICES PLAN TO INCLUDE THE OPT GUARD, LIVENESS DETECTION SYSTEM AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.
CHIEF'S GONNA COME SPEAK ON THAT IF OUR ENGINEER WILL MOVE OUT.
I JUST LOVE THE PODIUM SO MUCH.
COMMISSIONERS, UH, THANK YOU FOR ADDRESSING THIS WITH ME TODAY.
BASICALLY WHAT THIS IS, IS IT'S A, UH, KIND OF A TRIAL RUN WITH THIS SOFTWARE, UH, UPDATE TO, UH, A SYSTEM THAT IS PROVIDED TO US BY FORESIGHT LABS.
WE CURRENTLY USE, UH, OVERWATCH IN THE GEL, WHICH MONITORS INMATE HEALTH.
IT'S, UH, AN ANKLE OR WRIST, UH, BRACELET SYSTEM.
WHAT THIS IS, IS THIS IS GOING TO, THIS IS GONNA BE A FREE TRIAL RUN THROUGH OCTOBER ONE, WHERE WE CAN EVALUATE IT AND SEE WHAT WE THINK ABOUT IT.
BUT WHAT IT DOES, IT INTEGRATES WITH OUR EXISTING SYSTEM, CAMERA SYSTEM AND HAS SOFTWARE, AND IT'S GOING TO, UH, DETECT MOTION OF THE INMATE IN THE CELL.
AND IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN THROUGH OUR CELLS AND LOOKED IN SOME OF THE, THE WINDOWS OF SOME OF THE SEPARATION CELLS, YOU'VE NOTICED THAT THE INMATES OFTEN LAY THERE AND THEY'RE TOTALLY COVERED UP, AND YOU CAN'T TELL IF THEY'RE ALIVE OR NOT.
BUT WITH THIS SYSTEM, IT, ASHLEY DETECTS THE SLIGHTEST MOVEMENT.
SO EARLY DETECTION IS VERY IMPORTANT, RIGHT? UH, OF COURSE WE DO OUR, OUR CHECKS, OUR WALK AROUNDS.
UM, WHEN WE HAVE INMATES IN THOSE CELLS REQUIRED THAT WE DO IT EVERY 30 MINUTES BY JAIL STANDARDS.
OFTENTIMES, WE, UH, GO ABOVE AND BEYOND.
SO WE CAN'T GO WRONG BY IMPLEMENTING THIS AND GIVING A TRIAL RUN AND SEE HOW THE SYSTEM BEING A REDUNDANT SYSTEM CAN HELP US MAKE SURE OUR INMATES STAY SAFE.
DETECT THE MOTION OF THE INMATE, THE BODY.
I'VE GOT A QUESTION FOR YOU, CHIEF, AND THANKS FOR BUSINESS.
UM, AS YOU SAID, THERE IS NO ADDITIONAL COST DURING THE EVALUATION PERIOD.
AND THE EVALUATION PERIOD GOES THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH.
WHAT'S THE COST AFTER THAT? I'M NOT SURE.
AND IT WOULD DEPEND, ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS TOLD, DEPENDING ON HOW BROAD WE WANTED TO GO WITH IT.
SO DID WE WANNA EXPAND IT OR NOT? SO, WELL, HERE'S MY POINT.
UH, I, AS I TOLD YOU BEFORE, I, I DON'T EVER WANT TO BE IN THE POSITION OF TRYING TO RUN YOUR DEPARTMENT OR GIVE YOU DIRECTION, BUT I WOULD ASK YOU AS AN, AS AN OFFICER AND AN EMPLOYEE OF OUR COURT AND A RESIDENT, IF, IF THIS, THIS SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING TO ME THAT MAYBE IT'S A GREAT IDEA, BUT DO WE REALLY NEED IT? I MEAN, IF IT, SO I WOULD ASK YOU WHEN WE GET INTO THE BUDGET SEASON, IF THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, PLEASE OH, ABSOLUTELY.
AND LET'S NOT SPEND ANOTHER $25,000 EIGHT.
[01:25:01]
'CAUSE THESE LICENSING FEES EVERY YEAR, IT'S LIKE, OKAY, NOW WE'RE GONNA ADD ANOTHER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN LICENSING FEES FOR ALL THESE COOL SOFTWARE ITEMS ALL AROUND THE COUNT COUNTY.AND I'M SURE THEY ALL ARE COOL SOFTWARE ITEMS. I'VE GOT A SON WHO DEVELOPS THAT KIND OF STUFF.
BUT IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE THEY'RE SAYING, HEY, WHY DON'T YOU GUYS TRY THIS? AND WE'LL WON'T CHARGE YOU FOR SIX MONTHS AND, BUT WE'LL GET YOU HOOKED AND LET'S DETERMINE IF IT'S REALLY NECESSARY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO, THANK YOU.
WELL, JUDGE, I'LL GO AHEAD AND MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE ADDENDUM ONE TO THE FORESIGHT LABS INCORPORATED MASTER SERVICES PLAN TO INCLUDE THE OPTIC GUARD LIVENESS DETECTION SYSTEM.
GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER STACEY SECOND.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO MOTION.
I I'LL ALLOW THE AMENDMENT THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2026.
WE HAVE AN AMENDED MOTION BY COMMISSIONER STACY SECOND AND A CONTINUED SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GOANA.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? REGISTER YOUR VOTES NOW, PLEASE.
IT PASSES FIVE TO ZERO, AND AT 10 26, WE'RE GONNA TAKE ABOUT A 10 MINUTE BREAK.
I KNEW, SORRY, I KNEW JULIE WOULD SAY SOMETHING WHEN I LOOKED OVER AT HIM.
ALL RIGHT, EVERYONE AT 10 35, WE'RE GONNA RECONVENE AND TO OUR REGULAR COMMISSIONER'S COURT MEETING.
[14. Discuss/Act on approving a new logo for Rockwall County, and all related issues; (Commissioner Liechty) ]
WE ARE ON AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 14, DISCUSS AND ACT ON APPROVING A NEW LOGO FOR ROCKWALL COUNTY AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.UM, THIS IS AN ITEM THAT, UH, CAME BEFORE US LAST FALL, UH, IN NOVEMBER.
NOVEMBER AT OUR NOVEMBER 25TH MEETING.
WE FIRST CONSIDERED THIS, SO THIS IS A FOLLOW UP TO THAT.
AND AT THAT TIME, THE COURT MADE A DECISION THAT WE WANTED TO PROCEED WITH A NEW LOGO.
WE SELECTED, UM, UH, Q BALL DESIGNS, BILLY QUENTIN LOCAL HERE TO DESIGN IT FOR US.
AND YOU, UH, THE COURT APPOINTED MYSELF AND COMMISSIONER M**K AS PERSONS TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION.
WE HAVE DONE MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE DRAWINGS OF THIS.
YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE ONE THERE JUST TO MAKE SURE THERE'S NO CONFUSION IF YOURS SHOULD HAVE NUMBER 10 AT THE BOTTOM.
UM, BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF TWEAKS TO THIS.
IF ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE WANTS TO LOOK AT THIS, BY THE WAY, I THINK WE HAVE ONE UP THERE.
DID WE GET SOMETHING WE COULD PUT UP THERE ON THE SCREEN ANYWAY? AND IT'D BE NICE IF PEOPLE COULD SEE IT IN THE AUDIENCE.
HOW MUCH DID THAT COST? COST? WE DID SOME GOOD WORK THERE,
BUT ANYWAY, UM, BECAUSE WE'VE STARTED, WE'LL PROCEED.
SO THE, WE'VE COME UP WITH A LOGO, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY ITERATIONS AND HOW MANY FINE TUNINGS, BUT THIS IS REALLY, UH, THE, THE RESULT OF A LOT OF HARD WORK.
UH, BILLY QUENTIN HAS BEEN FABULOUS TO WORK WITH.
UM, HE HAS DONE THIS, AND JUST SO YOU'LL KNOW ON THE PAPER THAT'S HERE AT YOUR DESK, THERE'S THE LARGER LOGO AND THEN THERE'S THE SMALLER LOGO.
THE SMALLER ONE IS WHAT YOU'LL BE SEEING WHEN WE DO, UH, LAPEL PINS.
AND YOU'LL NOTICE THERE ARE A FEW DIFFERENCES.
LIKE IF YOU LOOK AT THE DISCOVERY STATUE IN THE LOGO ON TOP AND THE DISCOVERY STATUE ON THE LOGO ON THE BOTTOM, IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THERE.
UM, THE, THE COLORINGS ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT AT THE BOTTOM ONE TO MAKE 'EM POP OFF BETTER.
THIS IS PRETTY MUCH THE EXACT SIZE OF A LAPEL PIN WILL BE.
AND UM, SO, UH, WE CUT IT OUT AND WE PUT, WE PLACED IT ON COMMISSIONER LTE ON LAPEL.
SO WE DID, WE DID TO MAKE SURE IT WAS THE RIGHT SIZE.
I APPRECIATE THE THOROUGHNESS THAT YOU TWO PUT INTO THAT.
WE, WE MADE SURE IT WAS THE RIGHT SIZE, SO IT WORKED.
SO THAT BEING SAID, UM, SHE'S GOT IT.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, THERE'S THE, THERE'S THE LOGO, UH, AND COMMISSIONER MAC M**K, AND I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE APPROVE THIS AS THE NEW LOGO FOR OUR COUNTY, AND THAT WE GET ABOUT CHANGING OUR BRANDING AND DOING LAPEL PINS
[01:30:01]
AND ALL KIND OF FUN STUFF.I, I, I HAVE A QUESTION AND I'M GONNA PLAY THE PART OF LISA WILEY ON THIS ONE, AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA APPROVE IT.
UM, ARE WE PLANNING ON LIKE, GOING OUT TO ROAD AND BRIDGE AND PAINTING THIS ON VEHICLES? ARE WE GONNA TRY TO PUT THE SEAL ON THINGS? BECAUSE OUR ROAD AND BRIDGE DEPARTMENT ALL HAVE THE OLD LOGO.
THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE THE STATE OF TEXAS ROCK WALL.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW WE WANNA CLEAN THAT UP POLICY-WISE OR OTHERWISE, BUT I, I JUST THINK THAT WHEN WE DO THIS, IT'LL BE THREE LOGOS CIRCULATING ON ALL OF OUR EQUIPMENT AND ALL OF OUR, UM, AND IF WE COULD JUST FIND A WAY TO GET THAT AS CLEANED UP AS POSSIBLE, I'M GONNA KICK THAT TO THE LOGO COMMITTEE.
I HAVE A PROBLEM WITHOUT A SOLUTION.
I DON'T KNOW NECESSARILY THAT WE DON'T HAVE A SOLUTION BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANNA DO, THIS WAS THE FIRST STEP, BUT IT'S BEEN MY PLAN, MY THOUGHT THAT THIS WOULD BE PART OF THE FY 27 BUDGET PROCESS TOO.
SOME OF IT WE MAY BE ABLE TO INCORPORATE NOW, BUT THROUGH THE PROCESS OF EXACTLY WHAT YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT IT, THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO INCLUDE IN OUR BUDGET AS WELL.
YEAH, I JUST, I JUST, I'M GOOD WITH USING THE SEAL AND THIS, BUT IF WE'RE GONNA GET RID OF THE OLD LOGO, LET'S HAVE A PROCESS TO GET RID OF THE OLD LOGO WHERE WE CAN, THAT THAT'S, THAT'S VERY APPROPRIATE.
I'M SURE DANA WILL COME UP WITH ONE.
UM, I, I, AND, BUT WE'LL WORK ON IT AND IT'LL HAVE TO BE PART OF THE, IT'LL BE, I'M SURE THERE'LL BE A TRANSITION, JUST TRANSITION HERE.
AND, AND, AND, AND MY POINT WAS EXACTLY WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER M**K WENT TO IS WE'RE GONNA NEED TO FUND IT.
WE'RE GONNA NEED TO FUND SOME SORT OF EFFORT TO, ON THE LOGO SIDE, AND THAT'S NOT UNCOMMON WITH ESPECIALLY LARGE CORPORATIONS THAT HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, SIMILAR THINGS, BUT MAYBE EVEN MULTIPLIED MORE THAN WHAT WE HAVE.
IT, IT'S USUALLY IN A TRA A TRANSITION TYPE OF TIME PERIOD.
AND I'M TOTALLY, TOTALLY GOOD WITH THAT.
AND, AND WE CAN, A LOT OF IT'S ON, OBVIOUSLY ON VEHICLES, AND WE CAN, WE NEED TO DETERMINE HOW LONG THOSE ARE GONNA BE IN OUR FLEET BEFORE WE GO TO SPEND MONEY ON, UH, PUTTING NEW LOGOS ON THEM.
SO, AND, AND WE HAVE BOBBY, A LOGO POLICY, A, A A DECAL POLICY.
BUT WE JUST HAVEN'T REALLY UPDATED IT IN THE SENSE OF WHAT IS THAT ACTUALLY GOING TO BE.
IT'S BEEN MORE ABOUT CARS AND NOT OUR EQUIPMENT.
SO COMMISSIONER M**K, YOU AND I NEED TO GET TOGETHER AND TALK ABOUT MOVING THIS FORWARD AND TRANSITIONING IT AND ACTUAL PRODUCTION OF STUFF LIKE THIS.
AND WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO COME UP WITH A BUDGET ITEM FOR IT FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, ET CETERA.
AND I DO WANNA GIVE CREDIT TO JUDGE NEW ON THIS BECAUSE HE'S KIND OF THE ONE THAT INSPIRED ME TO BRING THIS BEFORE THE COURT.
AND I WANT TO THANK BILLY FOR YOUR WORK.
SO, UH, DO, DO WE NEED AN APPROVAL OF THIS LOGO IS WHAT WE NEED TODAY? YES.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE A NEW LOGO FOR ROCKWALL COUNTY IN THE FORM THAT HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER TY.
I AM HAPPY TO SECOND THAT MOTION, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER.
M**K, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES, PLEASE, THAT PASSES IS FIVE TO ZERO.
IT, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WILL LOOK AT IT AND SAY, WELL, HOW LONG COULD IT TAKE TO COME UP WITH THAT? AND, AND THE ANSWER IS A YEAR
IT CAN TAKE A YEAR TO COME UP WITH THAT.
SO, THA THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS.
[19. Discuss/Act on adding Tyler Warrant Exchange to the Rockwall County Contract with Tyler Technologies, and all related issues; (Commissioner Stacy) ]
GO A LITTLE BIT OUT OF ORDER.WE'RE GONNA GO, UH, SKIP DOWN TO AGENDA ITEM 19, DISCUSS AND ACT ON ADDING TYLER WARRANT EXCHANGE TO THE ROCKWALL COUNTY CONTRACT WITH TYLER TECHNOLOGIES AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.
SO GIVE ME, I, I, I REALIZED AS I WAS SAYING YOUR NAME, I SHOULD HAVE GIVEN YOU THE HEADS UP.
SO I JUST WANNA WALK THE COURT THROUGH A REAL QUICK ILLUSTRATION, UM, OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO WE ARE LOOKING AT TRYING TO BECOME AN EARLY ADOPTER, WHICH AFFORDS US A FULL, UH, STAFF FROM TYLER TO COME IN AND HELP US DEVELOP THIS PRODUCT.
UM, THIS HELPS US WORK TOWARDS A MORE PAPERLESS COURT SYSTEM, ESPECIALLY IN BETWEEN UM, DEPARTMENTS.
AND IT IS AT NO ADDITIONAL COST.
SO THOSE ARE THE BIG BULLET POINTS THAT WE NEED TO POINT OUT.
SO WHAT WE HAVE IS WE BASICALLY HAVE A RECORDS MANAGEMENT AT THE SHERIFF, A CASE MANAGER AT THE COURT, AND A JAIL MANAGER.
SO WHAT THIS PRODUCT IS DOING IS BUILDING A BRIDGE BETWEEN THE RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND THE CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT GOES BACK AND FORTH SO THAT WE CAN MOVE WARRANTS FROM ONE SYSTEM TO THE OTHER.
THAT'S, AGAIN, I'M NOT A SOFTWARE ENGINEER, BUT THAT'S THE BASIC BOTTOM LINE.
SO I JUST WANNA LET Y'ALL KNOW THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE BUILDING A BRIDGE SO THAT WARRANTS CAN GO FROM THE JAIL TO THE SHERIFF AND FROM THE SHERIFF BACK TO
[01:35:01]
THE JAIL WITHOUT COURIER, WITHOUT A PIECE OF PAPER.UM, THIS CONTRACT COMES WITH A TESTING PERIOD.
IF WE CAN'T MAKE IT WORK, WE DON'T USE IT.
SO THAT'S, I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
I JUST KIND OF WANTED Y'ALL TO SEE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE BUILDING THAT BRIDGE BETWEEN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE RECORD MANAGEMENT AND THE CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
DO WE KNOW IF THIS IS SUCCESSFUL, WHAT ADDITIONAL COST WE'RE GONNA HAVE ADDED? IT'S GONNA BE PART OF OUR CONTRACT IF IT'S SUCCESSFUL.
SO IT'S NO ADDITIONAL COST, BUT DO YOU KNOW THE COST IF WE, IF IT, IF IT'S SUCCESSFUL? NO, I'M SAYING IT, IT, IT WILL BE PART OF OUR CONTRACT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE ADDING TYLER WARRANT EXCHANGE TO THE ROCKWELL COUNTY CONTRACT WITH TYLER TECHNOLOGIES.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER LICHTY.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? REGISTER YOUR VOTES, PLEASE.
[16. Discuss/Act on approval of Facility Use Agreement with fees waived for the use of Liberty Hall on May 8, 2025, by the Rockwall County Bar Association for their Annual Bench Bar Conference, and all related issues; (Commissioner GaIlana) ]
TAKE US BACK UP TO AGENDA ITEM 16, DISCUSS AND ACT ON THE APPROVAL OF FACILITY USE AGREEMENT WITH FEES WAIVED FOR THE USE OF LIBERTY HALL ON MAY 8TH, 2025 BY THE ROCKWELL COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION FOR THEIR ANNUAL BENCH BAR CONFERENCE AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.COMMISSIONER ALANA? SO THIS IS, UH, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR, IT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR AND WE REQUIRED, UH, INSURANCE FROM THEM.
AND THAT'S, UH, IN YOUR BACKUP HERE.
THIS IS REQUESTED BY JEFF SHELL.
UM, AND IT'S JUST CONSISTENT OF WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR COMMISSIONER GUO? YEAH, I HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S FOR COMMISSIONER GALL OR COMMISSIONER STACY.
I SEEM TO REMEMBER WE WERE WORKING ON A REVISION TO OUR POLICIES AND WHERE ARE WE AT IN THAT PROCESS? WE'RE REALLY, REALLY CLOSE BEING DONE.
UM, LIKE I THINK IF IT'S NOT ON THE NEXT COURT, I WOULD BE SURPRISED.
OKAY, BECAUSE I, I'LL MAKE THE SAME COMMENT I MADE A FEW WEEKS AGO.
UM, I REALLY WISH WE HAD SOME SORT OF BASIC OUTLINE OF WHEN WE SAY WE'RE GOING TO WAIVE FEES AND WHO WE WAIVE 'EM FOR.
UM, OBVIOUSLY I HAVE ZERO PROBLEM WITH THE, UH, BENCH AND BAR CONFERENCE.
UM, BUT, UH, BECAUSE I THINK IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT IF WE DID THIS, IT WOULD FALL WITHIN THE, THE, THESE, THE REALM OF WHAT WE WOULD WAIVE FEES FOR GENERALLY.
BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT FORGETTING THAT AND NOT DOING THIS ON SUCH AN AD HOC BASIS.
YEAH, WE WE'RE, WE'RE VERY CLOSE AND, UM, AND IT WILL BE, UH, MUCH MORE CONSISTENT SO THAT THESE KIND OF THINGS PROBABLY DON'T REALLY, UH, NECESSARILY HAVE TO COME TO THE COURT UNLESS THEY'RE OUTSIDE OF A TIMELINE THAT WE CREATED.
WELL THEN I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE FACILITY USE AGREEMENT WITH THE FEES WAIVED FOR THE USE OF LIBERTY HALL ON MAY 8TH OF I THINK 2026.
IT SAYS 2025 BECAUSE SHE'S THE ONE FROM LAST YEAR.
GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER M**K SECOND.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES.
[17. Discuss/ Act on approving the Granicus Peak Agenda Management Software solution to streamline the agenda management and minutes recording process, with this being funded from the County Clerk's Records Management Fund 057, and all related issues; (Judge New-County Clerk) ]
BRINGS US TO AGENDA ITEM 17, DISCUSS AND ACT ON APPROVING THE GRANICUS PEAK AGENDA MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE SOLUTION TO STREAMLINE THE AGENDA, AGENDA MANAGEMENT AND MINUTES RECORDING PROCESS WITH THIS BEING FUNDED FROM THE COUNTY CLERK'S RECORD MANAGEMENT FUND 57 AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.COUNTY CLERK FOG, THIS SHOULD SOUND MUCH BETTER.
OKAY, SO WE ARE ON, MYS IS A LITTLE BIT LOW, SO GIMME A SECOND.
SO THIS IS THE AGENDA MANAGEMENT AND I KNOW MEREDITH DOESN'T WANNA COME UP HERE, BUT, UM, WE DID HAVE THIS, UH, REVIEWED BY THE AUDITOR AS WELL AS LEGAL.
UM, MEREDITH WAS INVOLVED BECAUSE SHE IS THE COURT COORDINATOR FOR, FOR EACH OF YOU.
AND IT IS ONLY APPROPRIATE THAT WE MOVE FORWARD WITH SOMETHING MORE PROGRESSIVE AND IN LINE WITH WHAT'S MORE USER FRIENDLY AND EVERYBODY CAN JUMP IN AND USE THE SOFTWARE FOR WHAT IT IS, INCLUDING THE AUDITOR AND THOSE THAT ARE GIVEN, UM, PERMISSION BY THE COURT, LIKE, UM, CAMMIE AS HR.
[01:40:01]
IS SIMILAR TO WHAT THE GRANITE SOFTWARE WAS PREVIOUSLY, BUT BETTER.AND SO THIS SOFTWARE ALLOWS ME TO GO IN THERE AND DO MY MINUTES AT THE SAME TIME AS HAVING THE AGENDA PROCESS IN PLACE THAT MEREDITH DOES.
AND SO, UM, EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE STREAMLINED.
YOU CAN LOOK AT BUDDHA, TEXAS, I THINK IT'S BUDDHA, TEXAS AND THEIR WEBSITE, WHICH WOULD, UM, GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF HOW THIS WOULD LOOK.
UM, THERE ARE LINKS TO THE BACKUP RATHER THAN HAVING THE, UM, DINOSAUR LOOK THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW WITH EVERYTHING BEING SCANNED IN AND BOOKMARKED.
AND SO YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY CLICK ON THE LINK FROM THE WEBSITE AND THIS IS GOING TO BE AN HTML.
SO THIS IS MORE USER FRIENDLY AND A DA COMPLIANCE.
SO WHENEVER SOMEBODY HAS A SCREEN READER AND THEY CAN'T SEE THEY HAVE A SCREEN READER, THEN THIS HELPS THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THAT, UM, ROCKWELL COUNTY'S DOING AS FAR AS THE COURT GOES.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING.
UM, SO WITH THE CONFUSION THAT WE HAD EARLY ON ON AN ITEM, THIS WOULD ALLEVIATE SOME OF THAT CONFUSION.
UM, EACH CONTRIBUTOR FROM THE ELECTEDS OR THEIR APPOINTED PEOPLE IN THEIR OFFICES WOULD BE ABLE TO GO INTO THE SYSTEM AND SUBMIT AGENDA ITEMS WITH THE RELATED BACKUP DIRECTLY INTO THE SYSTEM.
IT ALSO HAS THE CAPABILITY, DEPENDING ON WHAT KINDA ITEM IT IS THAT IT WOULD BE AUTOMATED TO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENTS AND THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE, AND THEN WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO BE ACCESSED FOR THE AGENDA UNTIL THOSE WERE APPROVED.
UM, SO THAT AUTOMATION WOULD HELP WITH SOME OF THAT SYSTEM AND POLICIES, PROCESSES.
UM, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF MANUAL ACTIVATION AS WELL.
SO IF THE COURT HAD AN ITEM THAT THEY NEEDED ME TO GET ON THERE REAL QUICK, I COULD GO IN AND PUT TOGETHER THE ITEM AND PUT IT ON THE AGENDA AS WELL.
IT'LL, OR IT'LL PROMPT, LIKE IF WE'RE PUTTING IN AN AGENDA ITEM AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE REVIEWED BY THE AUDITOR AND OR THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY PROMPT TO THE PERSON PUTTING IT IN TO SAY, IS THERE, DOES THIS NEED TO BE OR DOES, HOW WOULD IT KNOW THAT IT NEEDS TO GO TO THE AUDITOR OR LEGAL? THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD SET UP DURING THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND BUDGET IMPLICATIONS WOULD PROBABLY START SENDING IT WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO.
SO I'M SAYING FROM A GLOBAL STANDPOINT, IT'S NOT THAT HARD TO THINK ABOUT HOW YOU PROGRAM IT.
IF YOU TURN SOMETHING IN, DOES THIS HAVE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, IT IMMEDIATELY HAS TO GO TO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
IF YOU SENDS SOMETHING IN, IT SAYS, DOES THIS HAVE A COST? IT IMMEDIATELY GOES TO THE AUDITOR.
AND THIS WOULD INCLUDE TRAINING OF COURSE.
UH, THERE WILL BE TRAINING FOR EVERYBODY THAT, UM, IS INCLUDED AND PAID FOR.
AND THIS IS PAID FOR, I BELIEVE THE ITEM SAYS OUT OF FUND 57, WHICH IS MY RECORDS MANAGEMENT FUND.
THAT'S IT FOR THIS ITEM, UNLESS YOU HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS.
NO, I, I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION.
I HAVE A COMMENT I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT.
THIS IS SOMETHING JENNIFER, UM, SORRY.
COUNTY CLERK FOG AND I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR, UH, SOME TIME NOW.
UH, AND SO I'M, I'M, I'M EXCITED ABOUT, UH, ABOUT GETTING TO THE POINT WE'RE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT MAKING THE MOVE TO, TO SOMETHING THAT, THAT IS GONNA BE BENEFICIAL FOR NOT JUST US ON THE COURT AND AND COUNTY EMPLOYEES, BUT FOR THE CITIZENS TO BE ABLE TO JUMP IN AND LOOK AT HISTORICALLY WHAT WE'VE DONE AND SEE GOOD CRISP COPIES OF, OF SAME THINGS THAT WE, WE LOOK AT WHEN WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS.
AND I DO WANNA ADD ONE MORE THING BEFORE YOU DECIDE WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO IS THAT, UH, WE ARE GOING BACK TO HAVING ONE MEETING AT A TIME.
AND SO THAT IS THE IMPLICATION HERE.
WE ARE CONTINUING WITH SWAG IT, WHO CAN VIDEO THE ENTIRETY IF YOU HAVE A REGULAR MEETING ONE DAY AND THEN LET'S JUST SAY YOU HAVE ANOTHER WORKSHOP SCHEDULED AT ONE OR TWO, THEN, UM, THE PUBLIC WILL NOT NECESSARILY BE ABLE TO FOLLOW ALONG WITH THE ACTUAL AGENDA IF YOU HAVE TWO MEETINGS, BUT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO SEE EVERYTHING THROUGH SWAG AT THIS TIME.
ANY QUESTIONS? NO, MY COMMENT, UM, IS THAT THIS IS JUST ANOTHER CHECK MARK FOR TRUST AND TRANSPARENCY ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, OKAY, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'M GONNA MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE GRANICUS PEAK AGENDA MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE SOLUTION TO STREAMLINE THE AGENDA MANAGEMENT AND MINUTES RECORDING PROCESS AND FUND IT FROM COUNTY CLERKS RECORD MANAGEMENT FUND 57.
GOT A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GOANA.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES NOW PLEASE.
[18. Discuss/Act on approving Approve the Granicus VoteCast Web solution to streamline the agenda management and minutes recording process, with this being funded from the County Clerk's Records Management Fund 057, and all related issues; (Judge New - County Clerk) ]
[01:45:01]
TAKES US TO AGENDA ITEM 18, DISCUSSING ACT ON APPROVING, APPROVE THE VOTE CAST WEB SOLUTION TO STREAMLINE THE AGENDA MANAGEMENT AND MINUTES RECORDING PROCESS WITH THIS BEING FUNDED FROM COUNTY CLERK'S RECORD MANAGEMENT FUND 57 AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.I JUST WANT TO PREPARE THE COURT FOR THAT.
UM, YOU WILL RECEIVE TRAINING ON THIS, UM, BUT IT DOES ALLOW YOU TO USE YOUR, UM, COMPUTER OR YOUR LAPTOP THAT'S ON THE DAIS TO CAST YOUR VOTE REQUEST TO SPEAK.
AND THIS ALSO HITS MY MINUTES.
AND SO AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, UM, BECAUSE I WANTED THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEETINGS, UH, SWAG, IT IS IN PLACE.
AND SO, UM, I DO MY MINUTES MANUALLY AT THIS POINT.
AND SO THIS ITEM WILL ALLOW EVERYTHING TO FLOW EVENLY AND SMOOTHLY TO MY MINUTES.
AND SO WHEN YOU CAST YOUR, YOUR VOTE IT, IT'S UNIFORM, SO IT, IT AUTOMATICALLY TRANSFERS OVER.
AND SO THIS IS INCREDIBLY, UM, HELPFUL IN MY OPINION BECAUSE IT'S TRANSPARENCY, AGAIN FOR THE CITIZENS.
THEY GET TO SEE ALL OF THIS AS WELL.
SO WE WOULD BE VOTING FROM OUR ELECTRONIC DEVICES OR REQUESTING TO VOTE THAT'S CORRECT.
AND THAT COULD BE A PHONE, AN IPAD COULD BE WHAT, WHAT ELSE WOULD, WOULD, WOULD OUR, UH, SPEAKER SYSTEM WORK? WOULD THAT NO, NO, THAT GOES AWAY.
SO THIS WOULD GO AWAY ESSENTIALLY? WELL, NO, I, I DEFINITELY DON'T WANT THESE MICS TO GO AWAY.
THEY'RE THE, THE BETTER OPTION HERE, BUT AS FAR AS THE ACTUAL VOTING MECHANISM, IT'S WITHIN THE SOFTWARE.
AND SO, UM, THE PUBLIC WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THOSE VOTES.
UM, AND SHE WAS PART OF THIS AS WELL.
UM, AND SO IT'S, IT'S MORE TRANSPARENCY, BUT IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOUR CURRENT, UH, VOTING SYSTEM AS A BACKUP WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE.
SO YOU DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO USE THE VOTE CAST PORTION OF IT.
UM, THE REASON WE'RE ACTUALLY REQUESTING IT IS FOR THE MINUTES SECTION PRIMARILY.
HOWEVER, WHAT THIS DOES ALLOW YOU TO DO IS MUCH LIKE SOME OF YOU ALREADY TAKE YOUR NOTES WITHIN ADOBE, BECAUSE I'VE BOOKMARKED THE PDF VERSION OF THE AGENDA AND BACKUP, IT'S BUILT INTO THE SYSTEM.
SO ONCE THE AGENDA IS PUT TOGETHER AND YOU HAVE IT ON YOUR LAPTOP PHONE OR WHATEVER YOU'RE USING TO MAKE YOUR NOTES AND LOOK AT THE AGENDA WITH AFTER IT'S BEEN POSTED, UM, YOU MAKE YOUR NOTES WITHIN IT, YOU CAN LIKE TAB IT TO SAY, OKAY, ON AGENDA NUMBER ITEM FIVE, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I ASK THIS QUESTION.
AND SO IT WOULD ALLOW YOU MORE VERSATILITY WITHIN YOUR AGENDA VERSUS THE PAPER VERSION OR YOUR SEPARATE PDF VERSION.
THEN DOES ALL OF THAT BECOME PUBLIC RECORD? SO WE'LL HAVE FIVE DIFFERENT SETS OF NOTES.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW HOW I DO, I MAKE NOTES ALL OVER MY AGENDA, BUT MINE IS THE, THE, THE AGENDA OF RECORD.
SO MY SCRIBBLES BECOME PUBLIC RECORD, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN MAKE IT PUBLIC RECORDS OR NOT.
YOU CAN DECIDE THAT BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE YOUR OWN PERSONAL NOTES, LIKE REMINDERS ON WHAT YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT.
AND THEN YOU WANT, YOU HAVE STUFF THAT WILL BE PUBLIC.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT IF YOU DON'T USE VOTE CAST, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE JUDGE AND I AND MEREDITH DID DISCUSS, THEN I WILL BE MANUALLY ENTERING YOUR MOTIONS OR YOUR VOTES RATHER, UM, ON YOUR BEHALF LIKE I'VE BEEN DOING.
SO THIS IS TO STREAMLINE THE PROCESS BY YOU ENTERING YOUR OWN DATA.
SO IS THE SYSTEM THIS THING THAT WE USE, IS THAT GOING AWAY? YES.
WHY? I I I MEAN I KNOW IT MAKES IT TRANSMITS ELECTRONICALLY.
UM, BUT AGAIN, WE'RE SPENDING 8,000 $130 A YEAR ON NEW SOFTWARE AND I DON'T SEE YET WHY THIS IS WORTH SPENDING THAT MONEY ON.
THIS ALSO COMES IN LINE WITH MY MINUTES.
AND SO, UM, AGAIN, IT WOULD TRANSFER EVERYTHING THAT YOU ENTER YOURSELF FROM YOUR COMPUTER OR YOUR, UM, ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND IT WOULD SEND IT TO MY MINUTES.
WELL I DON'T PLAN TO TRANSFER ANYTHING FROM MY ELECTRONIC DEVICE.
I HOPE I DON'T HAVE TO BRING AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE UP HERE, BUT IF I DO, I WILL.
UM, BUT DOES THAT MEAN YOU'RE JUST GOING TO, WHATEVER WE SAY AUTOMATICALLY GOES INTO THE MINUTES? NOT NECESSARILY.
[01:50:01]
WHENEVER YOU PUSH THE BUTTON ON THE DEVICE, YOU'RE MAKING YOUR OWN VOTE AND IT'S PUSHING IT TO MY MINUTES.WE'VE HAD, THIS GOES BACK ABOUT A YEAR IN OUR CONVERSATIONS.
AND WE KIND OF WORK THROUGH ALL THAT STUFF.
TRUST ME, I BELIEVE YOU WORK VERY HARD, BUT I'M NOT, WHAT I DON'T WANT THIS TO BECOME IS, AS I SAID A YEAR AGO, MINUTES ARE NOT A STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND THEY SHOULDN'T BE.
AND IF WHAT WE'RE DOING IS SAYING EVERYTHING WE SAY GETS FLOWED INTO YOUR MINUTES, I AM A HUNDRED PERCENT AGAINST IT.
I WOULD BE TOO, THAT THAT WOULD BE A LOT OF WORK FOR ME.
NO, IT'S NOT A TRANSCRIPT PROCESS.
DO YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN THIS IN DIFFERENT, I'M TRYING TO THINK HOW TO EXPLAIN DIFFERENT.
UM, THE, COULD I ASK YOU A QUESTION? YES.
IF, COULD I ASK A, A FAVOR OF THE COURT? UM, DO YOU HAVE SOME SORT OF SOFTWARE YOU COULD SHOW US HOW THIS ACTUALLY WORKS RATHER THAN JUST TRYING TO EXPLAIN IT TO ME? 'CAUSE I'M A LITTLE DENSE ON THIS.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW.
SO YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
COULD WE PUT THIS OFF UNTIL ANOTHER WEEK? AND MAYBE IF YOU MAKE IN A SCHEDULE, I'LL COME MEET WITH YOU, JENNIFER AND MEREDITH AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO TRY AND LEARN IT.
BUT I, I REALLY WANT TO VOTE YES, BUT RIGHT NOW I'M A HARD NO, I UNDERSTAND.
AND BECAUSE I DON'T THINK I SEE THE BENEFIT OF WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE AND I'LL PROBABLY GET OUT VOTE FOUR TO ONE THAT'S HAPPENED BEFORE.
BUT AS I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE BETTER HOW THIS WORKS BEFORE I MAKE THIS DECISION.
UH, I, AND I'D LIKE TO BE INVOLVED.
UM, SO I, I THINK UNLESS THE COURT THINKS OTHERWISE, NO, I AGREE WITH WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO ASK ONE THING.
UM, COMMISSIONER LTI AND BECAUSE WHEN, WHEN WE'RE HAVING OUR MEETINGS, THEY'RE BEING RECORDED RIGHT NOW AND YOU'RE NOT EDITING ANYTHING THAT'S RECORDED.
SO ANYONE THAT WANTS TO GO BACK AND LISTEN TO A MEETING AND LISTEN TO WHAT WE SAID EXACTLY HOW WE SAID IT, THAT'S ALREADY, THAT ALREADY EXISTS RIGHT NOW.
BUT I DO HAVE A PLAN TO BRING TO THE COURT TO ELIMINATE SWAG AND GO WITH GRANICUS VIDEO.
I, YOU, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH RECORDING.
UH, WE SHOULD, SOMEBODY SHOULD BE ABLE TO LISTEN TO EVERY MEETING AND SEE EVERYTHING WE DO AND EVERY TIME WE SPEAK FOOLISHLY THEY SHOULD HEAR US.
OR IF WE SPEAK WISELY, THEY SHOULD HEAR US.
BUT THAT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT AND WHAT OUR OFFICIAL MINUTES OF, AND THIS IS OUR SOMETHING.
IF Y'ALL REMEMBER ABOUT A YEAR OR SO AGO, WE KIND OF HAD A LITTLE, WHAT'S OUR MINUTES? I DON'T THINK WE'VE EVER REALLY RESOLVED WHAT OUR OFFICIAL MINUTES ARE.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THE COURT WE HAVE RESOLVED.
ARE YOU SURE OF THAT? THAT DANIEL RACE TOLD US THAT TWICE OUR RECORDING IS OUR MINUTES.
I DON'T THINK SO,
AS A PART OF THIS, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT BECAUSE, UM, IT GOES BACK TO THE WHOLE QUESTION OF WHAT ARE WE DOING THEN IT'S FOR AND WHAT SHOULD THEY SAY? AND YEP.
SO I'M, I'M GONNA SUGGEST MAYBE WE TABLE THIS TILL A FUTURE DATE AND, AND ALLOW, UH, COMMISSIONER LICHTY AND MYSELF TO ACTUALLY HAVE A PRESENTATION.
PUSH THE BUTTONS AND, AND ALL, ALL THE GOOD STUFF.
ALRIGHT, SO WE'LL TAKE NO ACTION ON
[20. Discuss/Act on Early Voting/Election Day Locations for the May 2026 Primary Runoff; and all related issues; (Judge New - Elections Administrator)]
18.WE'LL GO RIGHT INTO AGENDA ITEM 20, DISCUSS AND ACT ON EARLY VOTING ELECTION DAY LOCATIONS FOR THE MAY, 2026 PRIMARY RUNOFF IN ALL RELATED ISSUES.
MR. LYNCH KIND, SIR, THANK YOU FOR NOT, UH, ADVOCATING TO GET YOUR AGENDA ITEM MOVED UP IN THE LIST.
HEY, THANK YOU GUYS FOR SEEING ME.
UH, JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS TO DISCUSS.
UH, WE'RE ABOUT A MONTH AWAY FROM THE MUNICIPAL ELECTION STARTING, SO WE'RE WELL INTO THE GETTING READY FOR THAT.
AND THEN, UH, A FEW, A FEW SHORT WEEKS AFTER THAT, WE'LL COME BACK AND WE'LL START EARLY VOTING ON THE 18TH OF MAY FOR THE RUNOFF.
SO UNDERSTANDING, UH, THAT HISTORICALLY WE HAVE ALWAYS CONSOLIDATED, UH, LOCATIONS FOR EARLY VOTING AND ELECTION DAY BASED ON HISTORICAL DATA AND TURNOUT, UH, WITH ONLY ONE RACE AT THE COUNTY LEVEL ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE.
UH, AND BASED ON THE TURNOUT THAT WE HAD ON MARCH 3RD, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT SEE 10 OR 11,000 PEOPLE OUT THERE, UH, FOR THE RUNOFF.
AND TYPICALLY IT'S HARDER TO GET FOLKS TO COME BACK FOR THE RUNOFF.
ESPECIALLY IF YOU LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE CCL ONE WHERE TWO PEOPLE DIDN'T MAKE IT TO THE RUNOFF.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE GUYS THAT VOTED FOR THEM ARE LIKE, EH, MY
[01:55:01]
GUY DIDN'T WIN.SO I'M PROBABLY NOT, BUT THE, THE NUMBERS ARE ALWAYS WITHOUT A FAIL, UH, LOWER FOR THE RUNOFF.
SO WE, MY RECOMMENDATION HERE TODAY IS OBVIOUSLY THE ANNEX HEATH, UM, FATE, CITY HALL, AND THEN WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION IF YOU'D LIKE ABOUT ADDING ETTE.
BUT THOSE, THOSE THREE ARE BE THE ONES THAT I'M, I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND UNDERSTANDING TURNOUT AND WHERE PEOPLE VOTE AND HOW THEY VOTE.
SO THE FOLKS THAT LIVE IN ETTE, THE CLOSEST ONE FOR THEM TO COME TO WOULD BE MOST LIKELY DAN DURING, DURING, EARLIER, YES.
AND REMIND ME, CHRIS, ON ELECTION DAY.
EVEN THOUGH IT'S A RUNOFF, ARE WE ALL HANDS ON DECK AGAIN? IS ALL LOCATIONS.
WE'VE NE WE'VE NEVER HAD ALL THE LOCATIONS OPEN ON ELECTION DAY FOR RUNOFF.
IT'S HARD TO STAFF AND IT JUST NOT WORTH IT.
SO WHATEVER WE OPEN, UH, FOR THE EARLY VOTING WILL BE CONSISTENT FOR ELECTION DAY.
SO WHATEVER WE CHOOSE, WE CHOOSE.
UM, LET'S TALK ABOUT ROULETTE.
UM, WHERE NUMBERS WISE? SO WE HAVE ANNEX, YOU KNOW, NUMBER ONE, HEATH, AND THEN FATE ARE THOSE TWO INTERCHANGE AND ACTUALLY FATE OUTPERFORMED HEATH THIS PAST ELECTION, WHICH WAS FIRST TIME LOOK AT THERE, BUT YOU KNOW, WE SEE 60 TO 60 TO 65% OF THE PEOPLE THAT VOTE.
THEY VOTED AT THE ANNEX AND THEY VOTED EARLY, YOU KNOW, SO WE SAW, WE ENDED FRIDAY OF EARLY VOTING AT 17 AND SOME CHANGE, AND THEN WE ADDED ABOUT EIGHT, UM, ON ELECTION DAY, AS YOU RECALL.
UH, AND THOSE ARE PRETTY GOOD NUMBERS FOR, FOR, FOR PRIMARY CAN.
AND, AND THIS IS AN UNFAIR QUESTION, I SHOULD HAVE, UH, GIVEN YOU THE HEADS UP.
CAN YOU COMPARE T WITH ROY CITY? THEY'RE, THEY'RE ABOUT THE SAME.
SO THEY'RE, I THINK, IF I REMEMBER RIGHT, THEY BOTH WERE HOVERING RIGHT AROUND A THOUSAND FOR THE, THE PERIOD OF EARLY VOTING.
UH, BUT THOSE ARE CONSISTENTLY THE, THE TWO LOWEST TURNOUT VENUES.
I BELIEVE THERE WAS LIKE 20 VOTES BETWEEN THE TWO.
YEAH, IT WAS PRETTY, I MEAN, IT WAS VERY, VERY CLOSE.
WHAT DID WE DO IN THE LAST RUNOFF? UH, WE HAD, THAT WAS 2024, RIGHT? IT WAS JUSTIN AND KATRINA.
I THINK ANA WAS IN THE RUNOFF.
IT WAS BETWEEN, WE'RE LOSING BOATS HERE.
UM, I THINK WE THREW REVIEW OUT THERE.
I THINK IT WAS BETWEEN FOUR AND SIX, IF I REMEMBER RIGHT.
BUT I, I COULD GET YOU THAT ANSWER.
SO RIGHT NOW IN THE RUNOFF, WE HAVE OUR, OUR FEDERAL LEVEL SENATORS, WE HAVE OUR AG RE REMIND ME WHO ELSE DO WE HAVE? IS THAT IN CCL ONE C, CCL ONE, AND THAT FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY? YEAH, I'M SORRY.
I, THERE, THERE MAY BE OTHERS.
BUT THE ONES I'M FAMILIAR WITH, UH, THE DEMOCRATS OBVIOUSLY NOTHING AT THE COUNTY LEVEL.
AND I THINK THEY'VE GOT ONE OR TWO AT THE HIGHER LEVEL STATE AND FEDERAL.
BUT I'VE TALKED TO BOTH OF THE CHAIRS ABOUT THIS PLAN AND THEY'RE BOTH COMFORTABLE WITH IT.
WOULD THEY, IS THERE, IS THERE ANY THOUGHT PROCESS OF DOING THESE THREE AND THEN OPENING THE TWO SATELLITES AND DOING, UH, AND DOING, UH, FIVE ON ELECTION DAY FOR ROYCE CITY AND ROULETTE? IF THAT'S WHAT THIS COURT WANTS TO DO? UM, I'M JUST ASKING QUESTIONS.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THE NECESSITY IS THERE BASED ON HISTORICAL DATA, BUT AGAIN, IT'S ENTIRELY UP TO THIS COURT.
YOU KNOW, ME, I JUST WANNA DO IT AT THE ANNEX AND THE ANNEX ONLY, BUT I'M ALSO GONNA GET OUTVOTED.
YEAH, I'M, I'M, AND I'M WITH YOU.
I'M, I'M OKAY WITH FEWER LOCATIONS AS LONG AS WE GET THIS INFORMATION OUT TO EVERYBODY.
AND, UH, I'M OKAY WITH, I DON'T, BASED ON NUMBERS, I DON'T JUST SEE, I DON'T SEE THE NEED TO OPEN THE OTHER SITES.
SO YOU, YOU, YOU WOULD THINK THE ANNEX HEATH AND FATE, AND THEN THAT'S EARLY VOTING AND AND DAY.
I THINK THAT'S ENOUGH AND STAY CONSISTENT AND, UH, FOLLOW THAT PLAN FOR OUR RUNOFFS.
BUT IF IT WAS A TYPICAL GENERAL ELECTION, I'D OBVIOUSLY HAVE A, A CONCERN ABOUT NOT OPENING ETTE OR NOT OPEN CITY.
WE'LL, WE'LL NEVER EXECUTE A NOVEMBER ELECTION THAT WE DON'T HAVE 14 LOCATIONS ON ELECTION DAY.
THIS IS, BUT FOR A RUNOFF AND TO, TO CONTROL COSTS AND TO, AND, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN STAFF IT PROPERLY.
I, I, I AGREE WITH THAT OPINION.
UM, SO IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO TRY TO MAKE A MOTION, OKAY, I'M GONNA TRY TO PUT THIS MOTION TOGETHER.
I MAKE A MOTION THAT FOR, UH, THE PERIOD OF THE, UH, EARLY VOTING AND ELECTION DAY FOR THE MAY, 2026 PRIMARY RUNOFF, UH, THE LOCATIONS WE WILL OPEN WILL BE FATE HEATH AND THE ANNEX IN ROCKWALL GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GUANO.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER M**K, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES THAT PASSES FIVE TO
[02:00:01]
ZERO.[21. Discuss/Act on revisions to the FY26 Rockwall County Performance Pay Plan, and all related issues; (Commissioner GaIlana) (Part 1 of 2)]
THAT BRINGS US TO AGENDA ITEM 21, DISCUSS AND ACT ON REVISIONS TO THE FY 26 ROCKWALL COUNTY PERFORMANCE PAY PLAN AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.OKAY, LET'S GET INTO THE WEEDS ON PAY PLAN.
COMMISSIONER STACEY, YOU HAVE THE, DO YOU HAVE THE, DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THIS OR YOU WANT ME TO LEAD THE WAY? Y SO, SO I'LL JUST SAY ONE THING REALLY QUICK.
UH, COMMISSIONER ALANA AND I HAVE GOTTEN WITH HR, UM, UH, WE GAVE CAMMY AND HER TEAM QUITE A HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT.
UM, SO, UH, WE WERE PLANNING ON KIND OF MEMORIALIZING A LOT OF THIS PERFORMANCE PAY PLAN IN THAT PROCESS.
UM, WE HAVE HAD SOME TURNOVER THAT HAS REQUIRED US TO DO THIS A LITTLE PREMATURELY.
SO WHAT, WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU IS WHAT THE COURT VOTED ON IN PROCESS, BUT WE NEVER WENT BACK TO THE PERFORMANCE PLAN AND PUT IT IN ACTUAL, UM, UH, LIKE MEMORIALIZE IT INTO THE PERFORMANCE PLAN, THIS PARTICULAR AGENDA ITEM.
AND SO, UH, AGAIN, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON.
WE ARE PROBABLY TWO OR THREE COURTS AWAY FROM, FROM BRINGING SOMETHING BACK TO THE COURT.
BUT, UH, PERSONNEL CHANGES HAS NECESSITATED THIS MOVING FORWARD.
SO THIS WASN'T SOMETHING I WOULDN'T, I, I WOULD HATE TO USE.
IT WASN'T SOMETHING WE WERE NEGLECTING.
IT WAS SOMETHING WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING ON.
BUT, BUT SEEING WHAT HAS TRANSPIRED, UM, WITH THE RETIREMENT GOOD ON HER FOR RETIRING.
UM, IT HAS CREATED THE IDEA THAT THIS IS A, BASICALLY THIS IS THE POLICY, THIS COURT AS A BODY WENT WITH IN THE LAST BUDGET, BUT WE JUST DID NOT UPDATE THE PERFORMANCE PLAN BECAUSE WE WERE PLANNING ON TACKLING THAT BEFORE THE NEXT BUDGET.
IF YOU'LL REMEMBER, WE, WE DECIDED THAT THE, IF THERE'S A NUMBER TWO IN THE DEPARTMENT, WE WANTED THEM TO GET TO A CERTAIN VALUE.
THAT'S WHAT THIS REALLY ADDRESSES.
AND YES, WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF KAMI IS REALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF, UH, CONDUCTING A DEEPER STUDY, UM, WHERE WE'LL ADDRESS, UM, ANY OF THESE OTHER ISSUES AHEAD OF THE, AHEAD OF THE BUDGET MEETINGS THAT ARE GONNA BE COMING UP BEFORE WE KNOW IT.
HOW DO YOU DEFINE A DEPARTMENT? HOW DO YOU DEFINE A DEPARTMENT? YEAH.
WELL, I THINK YOU'VE GOT A SUPERVISOR AND PEOPLE UNDER YOU.
AND IT'S WHAT, WHAT THE COURT DETERMINES A DEPARTMENT IS, I'M, I'M, I, IT'S PROBABLY A SHOULD BAD QUESTION,
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE DECIDED THAT I DIDN'T, IF I DID, I DON'T REMEMBER.
WE, WE DID AS A BODY DURING THE LAST BUDGET CYCLE.
THERE WERE DISCUSSIONS C CORRECT.
BUT THERE WAS A, THERE WAS, THERE WERE DIS NOT ON THAT ISSUE.
THERE WAS NOT, I THINK THE VOTE WAS MORE ABOUT THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS, THE INDIVIDUALS, NOT NECESSARILY POLICY IS WHAT I RECALL TO.
SO IN MY OPINION, THERE'S BIG DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A DEPARTMENT OF 20 PEOPLE AND A DEPARTMENT OF THREE PEOPLE.
AND I THINK THOSE PROBABLY REQUIRE CHANGES, SO TO SAY EVERY DEPARTMENT, THE SECOND COMMAND SHOULD BE AT THIS LEVEL.
AND IF THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, I DON'T AGREE WITH IT.
UM, TO, TO BE HONEST, THAT WAS MY INTENTIONS, UH, TO GET ALL THE NUMBER TWOS WHO EFFECTIVELY RUN A DEPARTMENT WHILE THE NUMBER ONE IS OFF GETTING TRAINING, TRAINING OTHERS DOING THINGS THAT, NUMBER ONE, WHICH, UH, UH, UH, A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF, OF THE DEPARTMENTS HERE ARE ELECTED OFFICIALS.
AND THE NUMBER TWO IS THE PERSON EFFECTIVELY RUNNING THE DEPARTMENT.
WE, WE DID DO A SALARY SURVEY, AND THAT'S THE ONE THING THAT STOOD OUT AT ME AS OUR NUMBER TWOS WERE UNDERPAID.
SO IT WAS MY INTENTION TO GET THE NUMBER TWOS UP TO 65,000.
UH, THAT THAT WAS, NOW WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT IF THERE'S ONLY TWO PEOPLE IN YOUR DEPARTMENT, UH, WELL, AGAIN, I'D ASK YOU WHAT'S THE DEPARTMENT? UH, I I WOULD SAY OUR, IS INDIGENT HEALTH A DEPARTMENT? YES, IT IS.
IT'S, SO THE NUMBER TWO SHOULD BE AT THE SAME LEVEL IF THEY HAVE A NUMBER TWO, A CHIEF DEPUTY.
IT'S GOTTA BE A CHIEF DEPUTY AND NOT, AND NOT NOT A CHIEF ASSISTANT.
SO, AND, AND THE ONES THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED ARE THE ONES WE VOTED ON, JUST SO YOU KNOW.
I MEAN, WE'RE, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT'S SHOW BEING SHOWN AS A HIGHLIGHT.
IT'S NOT EVERY SINGLE NUMBER TWO IN EVERY DEPARTMENT, JUST BECAUSE THEY SAY, THIS PERSON'S A NUMBER TWO, IT'S CHIEF DEPUTIES.
WELL, I KNOW WE TOOK A VOTE ON THIS, WHETHER THAT WAS PART OF OUR VOTES DURING THE BUDGET THAT WEREN'T MAYBE BINDING.
BUT I KNOW THAT THIS WAS VOTED ON BECAUSE I REMEMBER THE JUDGE SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND THAT NUMBER AND, AND, AND JUST AS A COMPLETE
[02:05:01]
SIDE COURT, OUR PLAN IS TO GET THIS DISCUSSION DONE IN MAY FOR, FOR FY FOR THE NEXT FY.SO, SO THAT WE'RE NOT SITTING IN THESE BUDGET MEETINGS DISCUSSING ALL THIS IN THE FUTURE.
THAT'S WHAT BOBBY AND I ARE TRYING TO GET TOGETHER.
SO IF OUR PLAN IS TO DO IT IN MAY, WHY ARE WE DOING IT NOW? WHAT IS IT? UH, NEED NECESSITATES ACTION.
WE HAVE A, WE HAVE TRANSITION IN A DEPARTMENT THAT WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THIS NOW AND WE CAN'T WAIT AND ADDRESS THAT DEPARTMENT CHANGE IN MAY.
UM, COMMISSIONER GOANA, IT'S VERY POSSIBLE YOU COULD HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S CONTINGENT ON THE DECISION AND, AND THAT PERSON, 'CAUSE I'VE HAD PEOPLE, WHEN SOMEONE HAD TO BE OFF FOR A YEAR FOR, YOU KNOW, A, A MEDICAL ISSUE, THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT I PUT INTO A POSITION AND RAISE THEIR SALARY, BUT IT WAS JUST A TEMPORARY SALARY RAISE UNTIL SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, CHANGED WHERE THE PERSON DIDN'T COME BACK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND, AND WE DO HAVE THIS TOPIC ON THE EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR DISCUSSION.
AND WE CAN MAYBE TABLE THAT FOR NOW IF WE WANT TO DISCUSS IT A FURTHER LITTLE FURTHER.
YEAH, WE COULD, WE COULD SKIP IT AND GO TO EXECUTIVE.
BUT I, WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT, UM, WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT IN EXEC.
I JUST WANT TO FOCUS ON DOING THE RIGHT THING.
AND IF THAT'S, UH, THAT'S TEMPORARY UNTIL WE DECIDE ON A FULL PLAN, THAT'S OKAY.
BUT THAT'S, LET'S THINK ABOUT DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR OUR PEOPLE FIRST AND AS A TEMPORARY PLAN.
I ALSO AGREE WITH BEST PRACTICES TOO.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ACTUALLY HAVE SOMEONE FROM TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES IN THE ROOM TODAY.
AND, AND KAMI, I KNOW YOU REACH OUT OFTENTIMES TO LOOK AT WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN OTHER COUNTIES, OTHER SIMILAR SIZED COUNTIES AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE WHAT WE'RE AT.
SO I WOULD WANT US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CHECKING THOSE BOXES AND NOT JUST CREATING SOMETHING THAT WE, THAT MAYBE HAS ALREADY GOT A BEST PRACTICE TO IT THAT WE COULD ALSO LOOK AT AND CONSIDER.
WELL, I, I CAN TELL YOU THERE WAS A, A GLARING DEFICIENCY.
IT'D BE, IT'D BE REALLY HARD TO DEVELOP A BEST PRACTICE AROUND PAY SCALES THAT ARE VERY DIFFERENT THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
WE HAVE GOTTA FOCUS AGAIN ON OUR COMPETITIVE SET.
UM, AND DO THE RIGHT THING BASED ON OUR COMPETITIVE SET.
WE DISCUSSED THAT IN DETAIL LAST BUDGET CYCLE.
BUT WE ALSO WANNA LOOK AT TURNOVER RATES AND ALL OF THAT AS WELL.
SO LET'S COME BACK TO THIS AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UH, AND WE'LL, WE'LL COME BACK TO 21.
[22. Discuss/Act on adding a standing item to the agenda of "future discussion topics", and all related issues; (Commissioner Stacy) ]
ON TO AGENDA ITEM 22.DISCUSS AN ACT ON ADDING A STANDING ITEM TO THE AGENDA OF FUTURE DISCUSSION TOPICS IN ALL RELATED ISSUES.
COMMISSIONER STACY, I, I DON'T WANNA BELABOR THIS POINT.
UM, IT'S JUST SOME COURTS JUST PUT FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS SO THAT MAYBE WE COULD SAY, HEY, I'M WORKING ON THIS.
WHAT DOES THE COURT THINK ABOUT THAT? YOU CAN'T TAKE ANY ACTIONS ON IT, BUT IT JUST KIND OF GIVES US A, A, AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS AMONGST OURSELVES DIFFERENT ITEMS THAT MAY BE COMING ON.
UM, WE COULD DO IT, WE COULD NOT DO IT.
UM, THIS WAS JUST A DISCUSSION AND I SAID, JUST THROW IT ON THE AGENDA AGAIN.
IF Y'ALL DON'T WANT TO DO IT, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT.
BUT WE WOULD, THE IDEA WOULD BE TO THROW IT ON RIGHT BEFORE COMMISSIONER'S REPORT.
IS THERE ANY FUTURE ITEMS THAT ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS? YES OR NO? AND THAT WOULD GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY, AGAIN, WHERE I COULD SAY, HEY, ON THE FACILITIES USE AGREEMENT THAT I'M LOOKING AT, I'M RUNNING INTO THIS PROBLEM, IS, DOES THE COURT HAVE ANY DIRECTION THAT THEY WOULD LIKE ME TO CONSIDER? IT'S ALL BEING DONE IN OPEN.
I DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW IT WORKS.
I JUST KNOW A LOT OF COURTS DO IT.
AND I, AND I'M, AND I, AND I'M GOOD AND WITH THE SPIRIT OF IT, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE CAN DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
ARE WE, ARE WE COVERED BY DOING THAT? IT'S, IT'S COMPLIANT WITH OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
IT'S THE ISSUE THAT YOU DON'T TAKE ANY ACTION.
IT'S JUST, AGAIN, IT'S SOMETHING YOU'RE DISCUSSING WHAT'S GONNA BE ON FUTURE AGENDAS AND MAKING, MAKING A SPOT FOR THAT.
SO IT, IT WOULD ALLOW US TO ACTUALLY HAVE OPEN CONVERSATION WITH THE WAY OPENS MEETING ACT READS.
NOW, WE C COULDN'T AS A COURT HAVE AN OPEN CONVERSATION ABOUT IT.
AND I JUST KNOW THAT OTHER COMMISSIONER'S COURTS DO IT.
AND I'M JUST, LIKE I SAID, I'M JUST THROWING IT OUT THERE.
MAYBE WE DON'T, I MEAN, LIKE I SAID, THIS ISN'T, THIS ISN'T A STICKING POINT FOR ME.
IT'S JUST I HEARD IT AND I'VE SEEN IT ON OTHER AGENDAS AND I THAT MAYBE WE SHOULD CONSIDER DOING IT.
AS LONG AS, AS LONG AS WE ARE COVERED AND WE DON'T GET OUTSIDE OF, UH, WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
I, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT IT WAS COVERED BY THE OPEN ME MEETINGS ACT BECAUSE I LOOKED IT UP AND IT SAID TEXAS COUNTY COMMISSIONER COURTS GENERALLY CANNOT USE VAGUE AGENDA ITEMS SUCH AS FUTURE DISCUSSION TOPICS TO DISCUSS OR TAKE ACTION ON PUBLIC BUSINESS.
'CAUSE IT VIOLATES THE TEXAS YEAH.
YOU CAN'T DISCUSS OR TAKE ACTION.
DIS WELL DISCUSS, DISCUSS, DISCUSS
SO, BUT, BUT I LIKED WHERE YOU, WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
'CAUSE THAT KIND OF THEN WOULD, WOULD CROSS OUT WHAT I JUST READ IF WE'RE GONNA DO IT DURING OUR COMMISSIONER COURT WHEN WE EACH ONE AT THE END OF THE COURT MEETING HAVE SOMETHING WE WANNA TALK ABOUT AS FUTURE THAT MIGHT WORK.
THIS, IT SAYS EXCEPTIONS UNDER SECTION 5 5 1 0.0415 THAT A MEMBER OF THE GOVERNING BODY MAY REPORT ON ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST, LIKE UPCOMING EVENTS, EXPRESSION OF THINGS, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF STUFF, WHICH IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING WITHOUT IT BEING ON THE AGENDA PROVIDED NO ACTION IS TAKEN OR NO DEBATE OCCURS.
[02:10:01]
SO I DON'T, I THINK THAT THERE IS SOME VAGUENESS BASED ON, YOU SAY IT, IT DOESN'T, AND MINE SAID IT DOES VIOLATE, BUT YET DOWN HERE IT KIND OF GIVES EXCEPTIONS.SO, SO, WELL THE EXCEPTIONS SAY THAT WE CAN'T DISCUSS THOUGH DEBATE DISCUSS SAME THING.
WELL, THAT, THAT'S WHERE I'M WONDERING, UM, COMMISSIONER M**K.
SO ARE YOU SAYING THAT WE COULD LIST, HEY, IN THE FUTURE I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT A, B, C AND THEN NOBODY ELSE COULD SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT BECAUSE THAT WOULDN'T BE PRODUCTIVE, RIGHT? YEAH, RIGHT.
BUT IF, IF WE CAN LEGALLY DO WHAT YOU DESCRIBED.
SO HERE'S WHAT, HERE'S WHAT I'LL DO IS I WILL BRING THIS BACK WITH BETTER CLARITY.
AND THEN WE WILL GO FROM THERE.
AND, AND I'LL SHARE WITH YOU WHAT I, WHERE I FOUND THIS TOTALLY FAIR IS ALSO.
WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO AGENDA ITEM 23, DISCUSS AND ACT ON THE APPOINTMENT OF ROCKWELL COUNTY REPRESENTATIVE TO THE SURFACE TRANSPORTATION TECHNICAL COMMITTEE AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.
COMMISSIONER STACY, UH, JUDGE, UM, SIR, I COULD I ASK THAT YOU MOVE THIS TO AFTER, AFTER ITEM 25, BECAUSE MY WHATEVER HAPPENS ON 25 COULD AFFECT MY VOTE ON THIS MOVE.
SO MOVE 25 AHEAD OF 23, THEN? NO, MOVE 23 AFTER 25.
I, I HAVE NO, I HAVE NO OBJECTION.
I WANNA MOVE 25 AHEAD OF, OF 23.
I'M NOT SAYING WE HAVE TO MOVE 24, RIGHT? UH, OKAY.
[24. Discuss/ Act on the approval of an engineering services contract using Chapter 2254 of the Texas Government Code and using Professional Services line of the County Budget to Fund the Contract, and all related issues; (Commissioner Stacy) ]
LET'S GO INTO AGENDA ITEM 24, THEN DISCUSS AND ACT ON THE APPROVAL OF AN ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT USING CHAPTER 2, 2, 5 4, THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE AND USING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LINE OF THE COUNTY BUDGET TO FUND THE CONTRACT IN ALL RELATED ISSUES.COMMISSIONER STACY, I BELIEVE YOU'VE HAD TIME TO LOOK AT THE DCCM CONTRACT.
UM, WE WOULD BE DOING THIS, UM, AGAIN, AS IS STATED UNDER THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT CODE.
AND THIS WOULD BE HIRING, UM, PROJECT MANAGERS, UM, UH, TO LOOK AT THE SCOPE AND FEES AND HANDLE THE ENGINEERING THAT IS CURRENTLY BEING DONE BY OUR ENGINEERING FIRM.
ITS, UM, THE PEOPLE THAT WE WOULD BE BRINGING ON OUR INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGERS, THEY DO THIS IN OTHER AREAS.
AND, UM, THIS WOULD BE, AGAIN, BRINGING, BECAUSE WE DO KNOW THAT THIS WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR ERICA JUST TO TAKE ON WITH ALL THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT, ALL THE CONTRACTS, ALL THIS, ALL THE PAY APPS, ALL THE COORDINATION WITH TECH DOT, THIS WOULD BE PUTTING DCCM INFRASTRUCTURE INCORPORATED IN THAT STEAD, UM, THAT WOULD COMMUNICATE WITH THE COUNTY AND WORK THROUGH OUR PROJECTS, ALL OF OUR CONTRACTS, AND BE OUR, UH, CONDUIT TO TXDOT AND NET COG.
AND THAT'S WHAT IS BEFORE YOU.
ANY QUESTIONS? UM, I GOT A, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS, BUT I HAVE A FEW COMMENTS.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, TO OUR PRIOR ITEM, COMMISSIONER STACY, IF IN FACT WE COULD DISCUSS THINGS IN ADVANCE, THIS WOULD BE ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WOULD'VE BEEN REALLY NICE TO HAVE HEARD ABOUT IN ADVANCE, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK ON DONE ON THIS.
UM, WE'VE SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF LEGAL FEES ON THIS CONTRACT, AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ANYBODY ELSE ON THE COURT, BUT I, IT WAS A TOTAL SURPRISE TO ME.
WELL, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON LEGAL FEES.
I'VE GOT THE, I'VE GOT THE LEGAL FEES.
I'LL HAND 'EM OUT TO ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO SEE 'EM.
I JUST, I, I MEAN, UH, AS FAR AS I KNOW, IT WAS, AS FAR AS I KNOW, IT WAS REVIEWED, UM, BY DANIEL RAY, UH, ONE TIME AND THEN SENT BACK AND THEN REVIEWED A SECOND TIME.
IF IT WASN'T THOUSANDS, IT WAS AT LEAST $907.
WELL, I HAVEN'T SEEN THE LEGAL BILLS, BUT YET I CAN SHOW IT TO YOU.
SO, AND WHEN WE'RE DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS, THIS IS SUCH A MAJOR CHANGE THAT TO PRESENT US WITH A CONTRACT AND SAY, OH, LET'S USE DCCM INFRASTRUCTURE, WHO MAY BE THE GREATEST COMPANY IN THE WORLD, I DON'T HAVE A CLUE.
I LOOKED THEM UP ON THE INTERNET, I LOOKED ON THEIR WEBSITE.
THEY'RE OWNED BY SOME PRIVATE EQUITY FIRM OUT OF NEW YORK.
THEY MAY BE REALLY, REALLY GOOD.
AND BUT TO PRESENT THIS TO US, LIKE, OH, WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON THIS CONTRACT TODAY IS, I THINK EXTREMELY PREMATURE.
AND SO FOR THAT, IF WE ARE GONNA MOVE TO A DIFFERENT ENTITY TO DO OUR PROJECT MANAGEMENT, I WOULD SURE LIKE TO KNOW WHO ELSE WE'VE INTERVIEWED, WHO WE'VE TALKED TO, WHAT THEIR CAPABILITIES ARE.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE'S A COMMITTEE OF THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT THAT'S LOOKED AT THEM.
BUT IN MY OPINION, THIS IS EXTREMELY PREMATURE.
UM, IT, IT HASN'T, I, I DID A LITTLE BIT OF CHECKING.
I HAD A CONVERSATION YESTERDAY WITH ERICA IN REGARDS TO THIS BECAUSE I DID, I DIDN'T SEE, I MEAN, IT CAME OUT THURSDAY AND I DIDN'T LOOK AT IT UNTIL SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.
[02:15:01]
I HAVE TO AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER LICK DE THIS IS A BIG ITEM.IT'S SOMETHING THAT PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE, EVEN IF IT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT IT, SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED WITH THE, THE, THE INFRASTRUCTURE CONSORTIUM GROUP AS WELL.
BUT THAT'S NOT REALLY WHAT I, IT HAS ONLY BEEN IN THE WORKS PER, PER ERICA ONE AND A HALF WEEKS NOW.
MAYBE COMMISSIONER STACEY, YOU'D BEEN WORKING ON IT MORE THAN ONE AND A HALF WEEKS.
BUT YOUR CONVERSATIONS WITH, WITH ERICA TELL ME THAT IT WAS THAT IT THAT THAT IT HAD BEEN CONS, UM, WORKING FOR ONE AND A HALF WEEKS.
THE OTHER CONCERNS I HAVE IS THAT IT DOES NEED TO BE VETTED RIGHT NOW.
I KNOW THAT ONE OF THE PLACES THAT YOU, YOU GUYS GOT A, A RECOMMENDATION FROM WAS GALVESTON COUNTY.
I TOO LOOKED AT EVERYTHING ONLINE, UM, AND, AND LOOKED AT THEIR, THEY HAVE AN OFFICE IN RICHARDSON, BUT THEIR MAIN, IF YOU LOOK AT WHERE THEY PUT ON THEIR WEBSITE, THEIR MAIN BUSINESS IS COMING FROM THE, THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF OUR STATE.
NOT A LOT IN THE, IN THE DALLAS, IN THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH AREA.
UM, I DID CONFIRM THAT, UM, THAT, THAT OUR CURRENT, UM, PROVIDER ITS HAS USED THEM IN A PROJECT IN BRAZOS COUNTY, WHICH BRAZOS COUNTY IS HOW ERICA KIND OF GOT TO KNOW THIS COMPANY, DCCM.
SHE MAY HAVE BROUGHT THAT TO YOU, OR YOU MAY HAVE FOUND IT YOURSELF.
IT DOESN'T REALLY, THAT'S, THAT'S INSIGNIFICANT TO ME.
BUT THIS IS, THIS IS REALLY A BIG PROJECT AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DO NEED TO TAKE TIME TO LOOK AT.
I'M NOT REALLY SURE ABOUT THEIR, THEIR FIRST SENTENCE AND THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE SECOND PARAGRAPH.
THAT THIS DOES NOT NEED TO BE COMPETITIVELY BID PURSUANT, PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 2254 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE GOVERNMENT CODE.
I DID PULL THAT UP AND LOOKED AT IT, AND THERE WAS A COUPLE OF WORDS THAT WERE LEFT OUT OF THE VERY LAST PART OF THAT, OF THAT, OF THAT CODE.
THAT COULD MEAN THAT THIS IS A COURSE SERVICE AND IT DOES NEED TO BE BID OUT AS WE TRIED, AS WE DID LAST YEAR FOR RELOOKING AT THE REBIDDING OUT THE RELATIONSHIP WITH ITS.
UM, SO I, I, I WOULD WANNA PAUSE ON THAT AND, AND TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO SEE IF, 'CAUSE I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE RF QS FOR A PRO, SOMETHING AT THIS THAT, THIS SIGNIFICANT.
BUT SECOND OF ALL, I GUESS, AND MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS I WAS ALONG WITH COMMISSIONER LTE, WE WERE, WE ALL, UM, INTERVIEWED AND VETTED, UM, ERICA AND, UM, LOOKED AT HER SKILLSET.
AND THIS IS NOT WHAT WAS IN HER JOB DESCRIPTION FOR HER TO DO AND TO, AND TO TAKE ON THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT SHE WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING, UM, GIVES ME CONCERN.
AND IT ALSO, IT MAKES ME THINK WE WILL END UP HAVING TO HIRE OR, OR HIRE ANOTHER CONSULTANT TO HELP HELP ERICA OR HIRE ADDITIONAL STAFF FOR THAT DEPARTMENT RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE IT IS NOT STAFFED CORRECTLY, IN MY OPINION, FOR, UM, THIS TYPE OF A PROJECT.
SO, UM, I HAVE A NUMBER OF OTHER CON UM, QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS, BUT I WON'T REALLY SPEND ANY MORE TIME ON IT BECAUSE I THINK WE NEED MORE TIME ON THIS AS WELL.
I, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS, UM, OF ERICA AND MAYBE OF OUR LEGAL TEAM, BUT I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY BETTER SERVED IN EXECUTIVE SESSIONS.
SO NOT TO ASK ANY EMBARRASSING QUESTIONS MAYBE OF OUR EMPLOYEE.
I THINK WE'RE FINE TO DO THAT.
SO I WOULD PREFER THAT WE WOULD MOVE THIS CONVERSATION WHEN YOU'RE READY.
UH, THERE, HOW IS THAT, HOW WOULD THAT BE ACCEPTABLE ON HER EXECUTIVE SESSION? BECAUSE I HAVE TO ASK THE ATTORNEY SOMETHING.
IT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE UNDER LEGAL OR IT HAS TO DO WITH AN EMPLOYEE.
I THINK SHE MEANS FOR TODAY'S AGENDA.
IS THAT WHAT SHE MEANT? LISTEN, WE DON'T HAVE TO, IT'S JUST A SUGGESTION.
I CAN BRING ERICA UP HERE AND START ASKING QUESTIONS IF YOU'D LIKE, IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, YOU CAN SAY IT.
I'M JUST, I'M JUST CAUTIONING YOU AS A, AS A COURT MEMBERS, THAT, THAT THERE IS A LINE OF WHAT IS APPROVED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND WHAT IS NOT.
AND THE DISCUSSION YOU SAID EARLIER ABOUT GOING IN TO TALK ABOUT PERFORMANCE PAY, I DON'T SEE THAT RELEVANCE.
AND NOW THIS, I DON'T SEE THAT RELEVANCE SPECIFIC EMPLOYEE'S PAY IS NOT RELEVANT TO DISCUSS, UH, SPECIFIC, SPECIFIC EMPLOYEE'S PAY IS.
BUT YOU HAD MENTIONED PERFORMANCE PAY PLAN AND I'M, I'M OFF TOPIC, UH, FROM ANOTHER ITEM, BUT, UH, I WOULD JUST CAUTION FOR ONE, I DIDN'T MENTION THAT, BUT FOR TWO, IT, IT'S A SPECIFIC EMPLOYEE LISTED ON EXECUTIVE SESSION WITH THEIR EMPLOYEE NUMBER.
BUT YOU SAID ON THAT TOPIC OF PERFORMANCE PAY THAT YOU WERE GOING TO CHOOSE TO CARRY ON THAT CONVERSATION IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I THINK HE SAID WE'LL GO BACK TO IT AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION, OR AT LEAST THAT WAS THE INTENT TO GO BACK TO THAT ITEM AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WE'LL HAVE AN ATTORNEY WITH US IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, SO IF WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO ASK THE QUESTIONS, HE'LL TELL US WE CAN'T.
AND WE'LL HAVE TO COME RIGHT BACK OUT IN PUBLIC SESSION AND GO OVER THE AGENDA ITEM SO WE CAN CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION HERE FOR AS LONG AS YOU WANT TO CONTINUE IT.
I'M JUST SAYING SPECIFIC THINGS SHOULDN'T, SHOULD MAYBE NOT BE DISCUSSED IN THIS PUBLIC FORUM.
UH, SO WE DON'T MAYBE EMBARRASS AN EMPLOYEE
[02:20:03]
I HAVE, BUT WE CAN DO WHATEVER.WE CAN DO WHATEVER YOU GUYS WANT TO DO.
IF I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING ON THIS, I REALLY DON'T.
THIS IS A HUGE SURPRISE TO ME AND I, I, I GUESS TO EVERYBODY IN THE COURSE.
MAYBE NOT, I DON'T KNOW, BUT IT WAS A HUGE SURPRISE TO ME IF WE WANNA PURSUE THIS.
I'VE GOT A TON OF COMMENTS ON THIS CONTRACT.
WELL, I THINK WE PAGE BY PAGE.
I THINK WE NEED TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT DCCM HERE IN PUBLIC AND WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THEM, THIS IS THE TIME TO BRING THOSE UP.
I, I DON'T HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT DCII AGREE WITH THAT ASSESSMENT.
I MEAN, THIS IS THE TIME TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION.
OKAY, WELL THEN I'M GONNA MAKE A MOTION THAT UNLESS ANYBODY HAS COMMENTS, ANY MORE DISCUSSION? NOPE.
I MAKE A MOTION AND THEN WE, WE'LL SEE.
I'M MOTION THAT WE, WHERE ARE WE ON 23? WE ARE ON 24 RIGHT NOW THAT WE DISAPPROVE OF THE ENGINEERING ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT THAT'S BEEN PROPOSED BETWEEN ROCKWALL COUNTY, TEXAS AND DCCM INFRASTRUCTURE INC.
I'LL SECOND THAT MOTION, A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER LICHTY TO DISAPPROVE THE CONTRACT.
WE HAVE A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER.
M**K, IS THERE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? SO A VOTE YES.
IS TO DISAPPROVE A VOTE NO IS TO NOT DISAPPROVE, BUT IT'S NOT A VOTE FOR APPROVAL, CORRECT? MM-HMM
IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES NOW, PLEASE.
IT IS NOT PASSED BY A VOTE OF THREE TO TWO.
I WILL ENTERTAIN ANOTHER MOTION IF SOMEBODY SO INCLINED.
I BELIEVE THE IDEA IS TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND HAVE MORE DISCUSSION, BUT IF SOMEONE WANTS TO MAKE A MOTION, ARE CAN WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION? WE CAN ASK OUR, WE CAN ASK IF WE'RE ALLOWED TO DO THAT OR NOT.
YOU'RE CERTAINLY ALLOWED TO ASK LEGAL QUESTIONS AS FAR AS FAR AS WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR COMPETITIVE BIDDING OR QS, OTHER LEGAL QUESTIONS THAT GO ALONG WITH THIS AGENDA ITEM IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
BUT ARE WE ALLOWED TO DISCUSS ANYTHING BEYOND THAT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION? BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS PROBABLY HAVING A DISCUSSION AMONGST OURSELVES ABOUT THIS.
WE MAY NOT ONLY BE, I DON'T THINK I'M ONLY TALKING ABOUT LEGAL QUESTIONS.
YOU CAN'T DISCUSS THIS ITEM IN EXECUTIVE SESSION OTHER THAN LEGAL QUESTIONS, RIGHT? CORRECT.
AND THIS ITEM TIES INTO OBVIOUSLY THE NEXT ITEM AND THE ONE BEFORE IT AND THE ONE BEFORE IT.
AND I, I ASKED IS THERE ANY MORE DISCUSSION? BUT IF WE'RE MOVING IN ORDER, WE'RE ON ITEM 24.
WE ARE ON ITEM 24, AND I'M NOT WILLING TO, AND AND YOU'VE GOT MY VOTE.
SO ANYWAY, I, I'M GONNA MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT USING CHAPTER 2, 2 5 4, THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE USING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LINE OF THE COUNTY BUDGET TO FUND THE CONTRACT.
AND I'LL SECOND, WE HAVE MY MOTION, WE HAVE A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER STATION.
COULD YOU UPDATE US, UH, LISA, ON WHAT THAT LINE ITEM INCLUDES, HOW MUCH MONEY WE'VE GOT IN IT, ET CETERA? YEAH, I, I JUST, YOUR BACKUP, I, I DIDN'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION WITH ME, BUT YOUR BACKUP SHOWING 128,000, BUT YOU CURRENTLY PAY, UH, OTHER ENTITIES OUT OF THAT.
SO THAT WHOLE 120,000 IS NOT AVAILABLE TO YOU.
UH, YOU, YOU'RE PAYING YOUR HEALTH AUTHORITY.
UH, WE PAY, UH, ANY ARBITRAGE, UH, EXPENSES, YOUR, UH, SOME AUDITING EXPENSES AND KIMLEY HORN GETS PAID OUT OF THERE.
UM, AND I DO, DOES ITS GET PAID OUT OF THERE? NO, SIR.
ITS GETS PAID OUT OF THE ROAD BOMB FUNDS.
YEAH, BUT I, I ALSO WENT, WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON, UH, UH, THE CODE THAT YOU'RE CLAIMING THAT YOU CAN APPROVE THIS, UH, CONTRACT UNDER IS TO ME NOT THE PROPER, UH, PROPER CODE, BUT IF YOU JUST GIVE ME A CHANCE BEFORE YOU MAKE A VOTE, SIR.
UH, I, THE, THE OTHER THING I'LL SAY ON THIS IS TO VOTE TO APPROVE THIS WITHOUT HAVING DECIDED THE NEXT ISSUE AGAIN, IS EXTRAORDINARILY PREMATURE.
SO ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, I CAN SAY THAT, UH, IT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY GENERAL COUNSEL THAT ALL THE CODES ARE UP TO PAR WITH, UH, WITH THE GOVERNMENT, UH, STATE LAW AND THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, AND THAT NO AMENDMENTS ARE CHANGED TO THE CONTRACT WOULD BE NECESSARY FOR US TO EXECUTE THIS CONTRACT THAT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY DANIEL AND THEN AARON THIS MORNING.
WELL, AND I, I'M HERE AS YOUR AUDITOR WHO'S BEEN DOING PURCHASING FOR THE COUNTY FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND I DISAGREE.
[02:25:01]
CODE THAT'S REFERENCED 2254 SAYS THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO BID IT, UH, THAT YOU DON'T CLAIM THAT YOU'RE BIDDING IT BY PRICE.IT STILL SAYS THAT YOU'RE BIDDING IT BY QUALIFICATIONS AND THERE IS A DISCRETIONARY EXEMPTION UNDER ANOTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE THAT COULD POSSIBLY U BE USED.
BUT THIS 2 62 0.023 IS INCORRECT.
SO WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO YOUR LEGAL COUNSEL, I'M GOING TO SAY THAT THAT'S, THAT'S, DON'T LISTEN TO 'EM.
IT SAYS THIS AGREEMENT IS NOT SUBJECT TO 2 6 2 0 2 3 AND IS BEING DONE UNDER CHAPTER 2254 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE.
AND I'M TELLING YOU THAT THERE IS ANOTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE WHICH WOULD ALLOW YOU TO DO THIS.
YOU'RE JUST CITING THE WRONG CODES HERE.
THE THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE THAT ALLOWS US TO DO THIS, UM, IS GOING TO BE, UM, THE DISCRETIONARY CODE AS YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT.
WHAT IS IT IN, UM, UH, 2 6 2 0 2 3.
BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO CITE IT BECAUSE WE ARE CITING CODES.
AND I'M SAYING THAT IS WHAT OUR ATTORNEYS ARE TELLING US.
WE ARE CITING THE PROPER CODES AS LONG AS WE'RE IN DISCUSSION.
LET ME MENTION AGAIN, THIS IS A HUGE CONTRACT ENTERING INTO IT WITH DCCM INC.
WE, WE HAVEN'T TALKED TO ANYBODY ELSE.
WE HAVEN'T INTERVIEWED ANYBODY ELSE.
THIS IS JUST A DECISION THAT SOMEONE HAS MADE TO MOVE FORWARD, HAS EXCLUDED MOST OF THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
THIS COULD HAVE BROUGHT UP, BEEN BROUGHT UP AT THE LAST MEETING.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP.
I THINK YOU GUYS STARTED WORK OR WHOEVER'S INVOLVED, STARTED WORKING ON THIS ABOUT FEBRUARY 17TH.
SO YOU'VE BEEN SITTING ON IT AND WORKING ON IT.
YOU HAVEN'T BROUGHT IT TO OUR ATTENTION.
AND NOW YOU'RE SAYING, HERE, APPROVE THIS CONTRACT.
I GOT LITERALLY, I COULD WALK THROUGH AND I HAVE COMMENTS DUE RESPECT TO YOUR FIRM.
I HAVE COMMENTS AND VIRTUALLY I WOULD HAVE ON VIRTUALLY EVERY PAGE ON THIS IF I WAS NEGOTIATING AT AS AN ATTORNEY.
BUT WE'RE BEING TOLD TO APPROVE IT TODAY.
WE NOT, WE'RE WE'RE NOT BEING ASKED TO APPROVE IT TODAY.
SAID, WHAT DID YOU, WHAT, WHAT WAS THE MOTION? OKAY.
NO, I SAID, I SAID PUTTING IT ON, PUTTING IN ON THE AGENDA DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT HAS TO BE APPROVED.
I WOULD, BUT YOU DO HAVE ACT ON THERE.
I WOULD REMIND THE, REMIND EVERYONE THAT THIS IS THE TIME FOR DISCUSSION AND COMMISSIONER LTE, IF YOU HAVE THOSE CONCERNS.
I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THEM RIGHT NOW.
EVERYBODY WANT TO DO THAT? YES.
SECTION 3.1, FIRST OF ALL, WHO, HOW, LET'S START ON PAGE ONE.
HOW MANY COMPANIES WERE INTERVIEWED TO DO THIS? TO TAKE OVER BASICALLY MANAGING ALL OUR ROADS? WHO WAS INTERVIEWED? UM, AS FAR AS FORMAL INTERVIEWS, PROBABLY A FEW, BUT THIS IS, WE'RE JUST GONNA SAY ONE WAS FORMALLY FULLY INTERVIEWED.
SO WE TALKED TO ONE COMPANY, BUT, BUT I MEAN, WHO TALKED? WHO, WHO, WHO WAS THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE VETTING THAT COMPANY? WE, UM, WE, BEING ME, UM, STARTED TALKING TO PEOPLE THAT COULD DO THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT WORK AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE WORK AND TRYING TO FIND COMPANIES THAT COULD DO IT.
AND SO THAT IS THE ONE THAT, THAT STARTED THE PROCESS OF FIGURING OUT WHO COULD DO IT.
AND IT WAS WILLING TO DO IT AND CAPABLE OF IT.
WELL, GEE, WHEN WE, WHEN WE HIRED A COUNTY ENGINEER, I BELIEVE EVERY ONE OF US GOT TO INTERVIEW THAT PERSON.
AND THAT'S JUST A COUNTY ENGINEER.
PAGE TWO, SECTION 3.1, PROJECT MANAGER SHALL ACT SOLELY AS THE AGENT OF THE COUNTY AND PERFORMANCE OF ITS DUTIES.
UM, ARE THERE ANY LIMITATIONS ON US GRANTING AGENCY AUTHORITY? THAT SENTENCE WAS ADDED SPECIFICALLY BY DANIEL RAY.
IT WASN'T IN THE ORIGINAL DRAFT OF THE CONTRACT.
SO OUR GENERAL COUNSEL ADDED THAT LANGUAGE.
WHY? I I, I, HE'S NOT HERE TO, TO SAY, I DON'T KNOW WHY HE DID, BUT THAT IS, BUT THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY ADDED.
BECAUSE THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE FORT BEND COUNTY'S CONTRACT.
UM, BECAUSE THIS, THIS COMPANY WORKS WITH FORT BEND COUNTY DOING THEIR, THEIR BOND MANAGEMENT.
AND WE GAVE IT TO, UH, DANIEL RAY, AND THEN HE WAS ABLE TO GO THROUGH AND GIVE HIS LEGAL OPINION ON WHAT NEEDED TO BE CHANGED.
AND HE HAD ABOUT FIVE OR SIX ITEMS, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE ITEMS HE CHANGED.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHY THAT WAS DONE, BECAUSE I HAVE, I DON'T, I JUST DON'T KNOW.
I ASKED THE QUESTION, CAN WE NAME THEM AS AN AGENT TO THE COUNTY? AND WHEN IT SAYS THEY ACT SOLELY AS THE AGENT OF THE COUNTY, DOES THAT MEAN NO ONE ELSE CAN? I THINK THE DISTINCTION THERE IS MAKING THEM A NOT AN AGENT OR MAKING THEM AN AGENT AND NOT AN EMPLOYEE.
I THINK THAT'S THE DISTINCTION THAT'S TRYING TO BE MADE THERE.
THE AGENCY HAS A LEGAL MEANING AND YOU KNOW THAT.
UM, ARTICLE FOUR, SECTION 4.1.
WHY IS THIS TERMINATING ON DECEMBER 31ST, 26? BECAUSE ONCE
[02:30:01]
WE GET, UM, A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT, UH, WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT RENEGOTIATING A CONTRACT SEPTEMBER, I MEAN OCTOBER 1ST.IN OTHER WORDS, ONCE WE UNDERSTAND BETTER WHAT WE'RE NO, NO, NO, NO, THAT'S NOT, I MEANT FROM THE, FROM THE AMOUNT OF WORK AND THE AMOUNT OF COSTS THAT IT'S GONNA TAKE TO EXERCISE IT.
DON'T WE HAVE, DON'T WE HAVE SOME DATA ON THAT ALREADY WITH OUR, OUR CURRENT ONE THAT WE'VE HAD FOR, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS AND THIS ONE IS, IS BEING EQUAL TO THAT, BUT YES, THAT IS WHY IT EXPIRES ON DECEMBER 31ST, 2026.
SECTION 5.1 HAS MULTIPLE LIABILITY LIMITATIONS.
I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS WITH OUR LEGAL COUNSEL BEFORE WE APPROVE THIS.
UM, SECTION 5.2, I GUESS WE'RE AUTHORIZING THEM TO HIRE CONTRACTORS, SUBCONTRACTORS.
AGAIN, WE BETTER BE SURE OF WHO THEY'RE HIRING OR WE WOULD TYPICALLY WANT TO KNOW WHO THEY'RE HIRING.
THE PROJECT MANAGER REPRESENTS WARRANTS THAT USE BEST EFFORTS TO ASSIGN AND MAINTAIN KEY PERSONNEL TO THE PROJECT WHOSE QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE WERE PRESENTED IN ITS WRITTEN PROPOSAL TO THE COUNTY.
WHERE'S THE WRITTEN PROPOSAL TO THE COUNTY? SO DO WE KNOW WHO WE'RE WORKING WITH AS FAR AS THE ACTUAL PERSON THAT WOULD BE THE PROJECT MANAGER? YEAH.
IT SAYS THEY WILL USE THE PEOPLE THAT WERE IN THE WRITTEN PROPOSAL OF THE COUNTY.
WHO WAS THAT? UM, I DON'T REMEMBER THE LAST NAME, BUT THE PERSON IS NAME IS AMBER, BUT I CAN FIGURE THAT OUT VERY QUICKLY.
WELL, BEFORE I EVER VOTE ON THIS, I'D LIKE TO KNOW THAT BECAUSE I DO KNOW WHO I WORK WITH AT ITS SECTION 5.4.
THE SERVICES TO BE RENDERED BY THE PROJECT MANAGER TO THE COUNTY ARE NOT EXCLUSIVE.
AND DURING THE TERM OF THE AGREEMENT, THE PROJECT MANAGER AFFILIATES MAY RENDER SERVICES SIMILAR OR IDENTICAL TO THOSE REQUIRED OF IT HERE UNDER TWO OTHER COUNTIES.
I HAVE HEARD MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ON THIS COURT THAT ITS REPRESENTS OTHER PEOPLE.
THAT'S ONE OF THE COMPLAINTS I'VE HEARD ABOUT THEM.
AND YET WE'RE PUTTING IT IN WRITING THAT THIS GROUP CAN REPRESENT WHOEVER THEY WANT, WHICH FRANKLY THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO.
BUT SINCE I'VE HEARD SO MUCH COMPLAINING ABOUT ITS REPRESENTING OTHER COUNTIES, WHY ARE WE AGREEING TO HERE WITH SOMEBODY WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WE'VE NEVER WORKED WITH BEFORE? OKAY, SECTION 6.2, THE COUNTY COVENANTS AND AGREES WITHOUT CREATING A THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARY RIGHTS TO MAKE AVAILABLE ALL FUNDS NECESSARY TO PAY PROJECT MANAGEMENT FEES ON A CURRENT BASIS.
WE WERE LECTURED IN OUR LAST MEETING ABOUT HAVING TO INCLUDE BUDGETARY RESTRICTIONS.
I'D ASK OUR LEGAL COUNSEL WHY THEY DIDN'T INCORPORATE THEM HERE.
SECTION 6.3, COUNTY'S COOPERATION IN PERFORMING THE FUNCTIONS HERE UNDER THE COUNTY SHALL ACT DILIGENTLY AND IN GOOD FAITH AND SHALL FULLY COOPERATE WITH THE PROJECT MANAGER.
IN ALL MANNERS RELATING THE PROJECT COUNTY SHALL ACT AS EXPEDITIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE ON ALL REQUESTS BY THE PROJECT MANAGER IN THE LAST SENTENCE.
IN EXERCISING ITS RIGHTS OF APPROVAL, THE COUNTY SHALL REASONABLY SHALL ACT REASONABLY AND IN GOOD FAITH, WHEN I WAS PRACTICING LAW, I WOULD NEVER LET A CLIENT AGREE TO ACT IN GOOD FAITH UNLESS THEY JUST DISOBEYED MY INSTRUCTIONS, BECAUSE IT CREATES A WHOLE NEW REALM OF LEGAL LIABILITY.
WHEN YOU SAY YOU ACT IN GOOD FAITH, THERE IS NO DUTY OF GOOD FAITH UNDER TEXAS LAW AND CONTRACTS.
WE ARE TAKING THAT ON AS A COUNTY.
VERY SURPRISED ABOUT THAT COMPENSATION.
UH, SECTION 8.1, THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT FEE NOT TO EXCEED $120,000, INCLUDING REIMBURSABLE EXPENSES.
DOES THAT MEAN THEY'RE CAPPING THEIR FEES AT 120? WE GET TO CALL 'EM ANYTIME WE WANT AND USE 'EM ANY DAY, BECAUSE I KNOW AT THE BACK OF THIS, THERE IS A SCHEDULE OF CHARGES RANGING FROM $394 AN HOUR TO $114 AN HOUR THAT WE ARE BILLED FOR.
WHEN WE, WHEN THEY DO THEIR WORK, ARE THEY CAPPING THEIR FEES AT 120,000? BECAUSE I KNOW RIGHT NOW I CAN CALL ITSI DO IT FREQUENTLY AND WE PAY 'EM 20,000 A MONTH.
SO WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE RULE THERE? IS IT YES, WE ARE CAPPING THE, WE ARE, WE ARE CAPPING THEM AT 120,000.
DOES THAT MEAN WHEN THEY HIT 120,000, WE STOPPED TALKING TO 'EM? THAT IS HOW THE CONTRACT IS WRITTEN.
[02:35:01]
CONTRACT WITH ITS WORKS.I WOULD LIKE THAT CORRECTED IF WE'RE GOING TO APPROVE THIS CONTRACT.
SORRY TO BORE Y'ALL WITH THIS, BUT YOU GUYS WANT TO GO THROUGH IT PAGE BY PAGE.
SECTION 9.2 0.1, THE COUNTY MAY TERMINATE THIS AGREEMENT BY GIVING THE PROJECT MANAGER 30 DAYS ADVANCE NOTICE OF SUCH TERMINATION.
THESE ARE REMEDIES IN THE EVENT OF A DEFAULT.
UM, I WOULD POINT OUT IN THERE THAT WE'VE ALREADY GOT, THEY'RE NOT IN DEFAULT UNTIL THERE'S BEEN 30 DAYS NOTICE.
THAT'S UP IN SECTION 9.1, SO YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO GIVE 'EM ANOTHER 30 DAYS.
SO WERE I DRAFTING THIS CONTRACT? I WOULD NOT AGREE TO THIS SECTION.
9.4 0.2 IS OUR REMEDIES OF THE PROJECT MANAGER.
UM, WITHOUT, NOT, WITHOUT, WITH OR WITHOUT TERMINATING THIS AGREEMENT, THE PROJECT MANAGER MAY PURSUE A CLAIM AGAINST THE COUNTY FOR BREACH OF THIS AGREEMENT ONLY TO THE EXTENT AND SUBJECT TO THE LIMITATIONS, WAIVERS, DEFENSES AND PROCEDURES PROVIDED BY APPLICABLE TEXAS LAW, INCLUDING SUBCHAPTER ONE, SUBCHAPTER 2 71, TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE.
NOTWITHSTANDING THE OTHER PROVISION, NO RECOVERY, THE COUNTY SHALL BE CON INCLUDE CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, ET CETERA.
IF I WERE DRAFTING THIS CONTRACT AND I WERE REPRESENTING THE COUNTY, I WOULD NOT GIVE THEM A SEPARATE CLAIM OF ACTION AGAINST US.
I WOULD LET 'EM TERMINATE THE AGREEMENT.
THIS IS UNDER ARTICLE 10, EXPIRATION TERMINATION, SUSPENSION OR ABANDONMENT.
THIS STARTS OUT, THE ENGAGEMENT OF PROJECT MANAGER HERE UNDER MAY BE TERMINATED UPON THE HAPPENING OF ANY OF THE FOLLOWING EVENTS PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS DESCRIBED BELOW 10.1 0.4, GIVING A WRITTEN NOTICE FROM THE COUNTY THAT THE PROJECT IS BEING EITHER ABANDONED OR SUSPENDED FROM MORE THAN 365 CONSECUTIVE DAYS.
UM, AND 10.1 0.5, GIVING OF WRITTEN NOTICE FROM PROJECT MANAGER IF THE PROJECT IS SUSPENDED FOR THE COUNTY BY MORE THAN 90 DAYS.
THOSE SEEM REDUNDANT, BUT I WOULD TRY TO GET RID OF BOTH OF THEM WHEN YOU'RE DRAFTING THIS SECTION.
UM, THE INSURANCE, I THINK THIS NEEDS TO BE CLARIFIED THAT IT ALSO INCLUDES THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE PROJECT MANAGER ITSELF AND NOT JUST THE OPERATION OF INDEPENDENT PROJECT MANAGERS THAT THEY BRING ON SECTION 11 ONE ON THE NEXT PAGE.
I THINK FOR A CONTRACT LIKE THIS, A $1 MILLION LIABILITY IS TOO LOW.
I'D ASK TO SEE THEIR, WHEN I NEGOTIATE A CONTRACT LIKE THIS, I WOULD ASK TO ACTUALLY SEE THEIR DECK PAGE FROM THEIR INSURANCE POLICY AND SEE WHAT THEY'RE CHARGED, WHAT THEY HAVE RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE MY GUESS IS THEY HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN A MILLION.
SO LET'S INCORPORATE THAT INTO THE CONTRACT SECTION.
UM, SECTION 12.2, LIMITATIONS ON LIABILITY, UH, SUBJECT TO THE LAW.
NEITHER PROJECT MANAGER NOR ANY OR EMPLOYEE SHALL HAVE LIABILITY FOR ANY REASONABLE MISTAKES OR ERRORS OF JUDGMENT.
WHAT'S A REASONABLE MISTAKE? BECAUSE WE'VE JUST EXCLUDED ANY LIABILITY THEY HAVE FOR IT.
THAT'S A VERY UNUSUAL STANDARD IN MY OPINION, BUT IT'S JUST MY OPINION.
UM, UH, IN SECTION 14.2, I WOULD ADD EMAIL NOTICE SINCE WE'RE ALL OPERATING BY EMAIL RIGHT NOW.
AND ON MAIL NOTICE, I WOULD REQUIRE THREE DAYS AFTER DEPOSIT IN THE MAILS.
IF I WERE DRAFTING THIS CONTRACT, I WOULD SAY ANY WAIVERS HAVE TO BE IN WRITING.
AND THEN WE GET INTO THE EXHIBITS.
I'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE BILLABLE RATES.
AGAIN, IF WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS WE STOP, THEY STOP WORKING AT $120,000, WE MIGHT HIT THAT ABOUT TWO OR THREE MONTHS IN.
Y'ALL WANT TO GO THROUGH THE EXHIBIT B ALSO? YES.
ALL SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE PROJECT MANAGER SHALL BE UNDER THE DIRECT SUPERVISION OF THE COUNTY ENGINEER.
THIS IS, I BELIEVE, WHERE YOU WANTED TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE
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SESSION.I WOULD LOVE TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION IF WE WERE ABLE TO.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE ABLE TO.
CAN WE DISCUSS THE TERMS OF THIS CONTRACT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION VERSUS LEGAL ADVICE? ONLY DIRECT QUESTIONS THAT WOULD REFER TO POTENTIAL LITIGATION AGAINST THE COUNTY ARE VIOLATIONS OF LAW, WHICH WOULD BE LEGAL QUESTIONS, NOT DISCUSSIONS ON THIS CONTRACT.
I'VE, I'VE, DANA AND I WERE THE FIRST TWO PEOPLE TO INTERVIEW HER.
I WAS, WE'VE, I'M LUCKY THAT SHE WORKS HERE.
FOR US TO SHIFT ALL THIS RESPONSIBILITY TO HER IS NOT FAIR.
OKAY, DANA OR ERICA, WOULD YOU COME UP HERE WITH YOUR CURRENT STAFFING LEVEL? CAN YOU HANDLE ALL THIS RESPONSIBILITY? NO.
UM, ALL, THERE'S A DEFINED TERM IN HERE.
IT SEEMS TO BE A DEFINED TERM IN EXHIBIT B THAT SAYS THIS DEFINED DESIGN CONSULTANT.
DO YOU KNOW WHO THAT IS? I DO NOT, NO.
I, UM, PAGE FOUR OF EXHIBIT B, RIGHT OF WAY MAPPING AND ACQUISITION.
THE PROJECT MANAGER WILL ASSIST, ASSIST THE COUNTY ENGINEER WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF RIGHT OF WAY ACQUISITION AS NEEDED.
TO ME, THAT MEANS IT'S THE COUNTY ENGINEER'S RESPONSIBILITY.
I MAKE MY PRIOR STATEMENT AGAIN, THE COUNTY ENGINEER DOESN'T HAVE TIME TO DO RIGHT OF WAY ACQUISITION AND FRANKLY IS PROBABLY NOT EXPERIENCED IN IT.
THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS IN THE CONTRACT ITSELF, THAT IF I WERE DRAFTING IT, I WOULD WANNA NEGOTIATE.
SO I THINK THAT WAS A VERY BENEFICIAL EXERCISE FOR THE COURT.
AND, UM, WHILE I AM NOT CONVINCED WE, UH, DON'T NEED TO MAKE A CHANGE HERE, I, THERE ARE TOO MANY CONCERN.
I I DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS A WRITTEN AGREEMENT.
HOW HAVE WE NOT SEEN THAT, UH, OR WRITTEN PROPOSAL TO VIEW? I, I DIDN'T, I DON'T LIKE THE CAP AT 120,000 WHERE THEY CAN THEN BILL US MORE, UH, GOING FORWARD.
I, I, I NEED TO HAVE SOME SORT OF GRASP ON WHAT WE'RE GONNA SPEND HERE IF WE DO THIS.
UM, I HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS WITH WHERE WE'RE AT NOW.
I THINK THAT'S, I THINK MOST PEOPLE KNOW THAT, UM, I HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS WITH THE PACE AT WHICH WE ARE MOVING WITH ROADS.
AND I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT PERSONALITY ISSUES BETWEEN ITS AND THIS COURT, WHICH, LISTEN, I, I HAVE CON REAL CONCERNS ABOUT THE LETTER THAT WAS ISSUED DURING A POLITICAL RACE.
I HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT A POLITICIZED CONSULTANT WORKING FOR US.
I HAVE MANY CONCERNS THAT WE NEED TO WORK THROUGH.
UM, BUT THIS CONTRACT CONCERNS ME, AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED YOU TO GO THROUGH IT.
UH, COMMISSIONER LTI, UH, BECAUSE I THINK TO EVERYBODY, I THINK IT SHOWS THAT WE'RE PROBABLY NOT AT A PLACE WHERE WE COULD APPROVE A CONTRACT LIKE THIS YET.
ALTHOUGH I AM NOT SAYING THAT I WON'T IN THE FUTURE.
UH, WE HAVE SOME WORK TO DO HERE.
UH, A LOT OF WORK TO DO ON THIS AND SOME DISCUSSIONS THAT WE PROBABLY NEED TO HAVE IN THIS COURT, WHICH WILL COME UP, I BELIEVE, ON THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM.
BUT TO BE HANDED A CONTRACT LIKE THIS THAT SHIFTS OUR ENTIRE MANAGEMENT OF ROADS, WHICH EVERYBODY IN THIS COUNTY IS CONCERNED ABOUT AND SAY, WE'RE GONNA FLIP A SWITCH TOMORROW.
I, I, I JUST, I AGAIN, I JUST, I, I'M JUST SHOCKED THAT WE'RE BEING ASKED TO DO THAT.
I'M CONCERNED THAT, UH, ERICA SAYS SHE CANNOT HANDLE THIS EXTRA WORKLOAD AS PART OF THIS.
I WAS LED TO BELIEVE SHE COULD AND WAS ON BOARD WITH THIS.
I'M DEEPLY CONCERNED THAT SHE SAYS SHE DOESN'T HAVE THE MANPOWER TO DO THAT YET.
IT'S NOT A CUT AGAINST ERICA AT ALL.
I, AND I, AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T PUT HER IN A BAD POSITION.
AND THAT'S WHAT I, AND I'VE ASKED HER THIS BEFORE IN PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS WHERE SHE'S TOLD ME THAT EXACT SAME THING.
SHE'S COMING BACK TO THE PODIUM.
YEAH, I, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY.
SO I'M ANSWERING THE QUESTION DIRECTLY.
[02:45:01]
I NEED ITS OR I NEED DCCM OR I NEED SOMEBODY TO BE ABLE TO HELP MANAGE ALL OF THIS.I'M, I'M NOT PRETENDING TO BE SUPERWOMAN HERE.
NO, MY QUESTION WOULD BE IS IF WE WERE TO ENGAGE DCCM, COULD YOU THEN TAKE IT ON WITHOUT ADDITIONAL STAFF? DO YOU KNOW THAT ANSWER YET? IT'S, WELL, I MEAN, I'VE BEEN VERY MUCH ON THE OUTSIDE OF EVERYTHING THAT ITS IS DOING, SO IT'S HARD FOR ME TO KNOW THE FULL EXTENT OF THAT WORKLOAD.
I MEAN, I'M A VERY OPTIMISTIC PERSON BY NATURE.
SO I WANNA SAY, YOU KNOW, IF THE COURT WANTS TO GO A DIFFERENT DIRECTION, I'M NOT GONNA LET THIS FAIL.
I'M GONNA FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
AND SO I HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY TO HELP ME.
UH, WHETHER THAT'S IN-HOUSE OR THAT'S A SEPARATE FIRM, WHATEVER IT IS, WE'RE NOT GONNA FAIL.
WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA MAKE ROAD.
AND YOU USE THE WORD SUPERVISE.
I MEAN, RIGHT NOW ALL THE CONTRACTS GET DONE AND GO BACK TO ERICA TO REVIEW.
AND THEN GO TO LEGAL TO REVIEW THAT IS SUPERVISING.
SO, SO, SO, SO THAT IS ALSO HAPPENING.
THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEAM THAT THEY WOULD HAVE WOULD BE DOING THE SAME SORT OF THINGS THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING DONE BY BRENDA AS FAR AS GOING TO TEXT, DOT, FIGURING OUT BID PACKAGES, WRITING, ALL THAT STUFF.
GOING BACK TO ERICA, I JUST DON'T SEE A CHANGE IN PROCEDURE.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN BEAT THE CONTRACT UP AND, AND I THINK YOU'RE A LAWYER AND I'M NOT, I THINK MOST OF YOUR POINTS ARE PROBABLY VERY VALID, BUT ON THIS POINT, THIS WOULD BE BASICALLY DOING THE SAME THING WE'RE DOING.
NOW, ERICA, HAVE YOU WORKED WITH DCCM AT ANY TIME IN THE PAST? I HAVE, BUT NOT IN THIS PARTICULAR CAPACITY.
I CANNOT SAY THAT I'M, I'M FULLY AWARE OF THEIR, UM, CAPABILITIES.
CAPABILITIES AS, AS A PROJECT MANAGER IN THIS CAPACITY.
I HAVE SEEN THEM, THEIR ENGINEERING WORK, THEY'VE BEEN REALLY GREAT WITH ROAD PROJECTS THAT THEY DID IN THE COLLEGE STATION AREA.
UM, SO I AM FAMILIAR WITH THEM.
BUT DOES DO, DO THEY CURRENTLY REPRESENT ANYBODY IN OUR REGION? NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF.
THEY SAID THEY DON'T, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO SAY THAT WE CAN JUST SUBSTITUTE SOMEBODY IN AND IT WON'T BE ANY CHANGE FOR ERICA WHEN WE'VE GOT 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE HANDLING AND MANAGING PROCESS PROJECTS.
I, IF, IF, IF YOU'RE BRINGING IN A NEW CONSULTANT, MY GUESS IS THEY'RE GONNA BE BOMBARDING US WITH QUESTIONS.
HOW DO YOU DO THINGS? WHERE ARE YOU AT, WHERE ARE YOU AT IN THIS PROJECT? TO, TO SAY THAT, OH, IT'S JUST D-C-C-M-I-T-S.
WE CAN FLIP THAT SWITCH TONIGHT.
I THINK, AGAIN, REALLY UNDERESTIMATES WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
I I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHERE, WHERE THEY'RE HEADED AGREE OR NOT AGREE.
I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE, THE, WHERE THEY'RE HEADED.
I THINK THE NEXT, MAYBE THE NEXT DISCUSSION TOPIC WILL UNVEIL SOME OF THE REASONS WHY THIS MOVE IS TRYING TO BE, UH, DONE.
ALTHOUGH I BELIEVE BASED ON YOUR EVALUATION, COMMISSIONER LICHTY AND THE FACT THAT I HAVEN'T SEEN SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT I DIDN'T KNOW EXISTED IS A LITTLE PREMATURE PROBABLY RIGHT NOW.
ANY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON, WE'RE ON, STILL ON AGENDA ITEM 24.
WE HAVE A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER STACY TO APPROVE THE ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT.
UH, SO IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES NOW, PLEASE.
SO I THINK, UH, BASED ON ROBUST CONVERSATION, WE STILL HAVE SOME NEGOTIATING TO DO ON THE CONTRACT.
AGAIN, I JUST WANNA SAY I'M NOT AGAINST A CHANGE AT ALL.
UM, THERE'S JUST TOO MANY THINGS OUTSTANDING ON, ON THIS RIGHT NOW.
AND I AGREE WITH YOU, COMMISSIONER GOANA, THERE'S TOO MANY THINGS OUTSTANDING.
BUT WE HAVE, WE'VE ISSUED OUR FIRST, OUR FIRST ISSUANCE, UM, A LITTLE OVER A MONTH AGO ON THE TRIP 21 BOND.
WE, WE'VE STARTED WORKING ON IT.
I, I THINK WHAT, WHAT I WOULD BE OPEN FOR US TO DISCUSS, AND IT'S MAYBE WHERE, WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH THIS IS THAT WE HAVE A, WE HAVE ITS UNDER CONTRACT UNTIL THIS YEAR, THE END OF THIS YEAR, CORRECT.
LET, LET, LET'S GET TO AN AGENDA ITEM.
WE'RE KIND OF IN BETWEEN AGENDA, AGENDA ITEM HERE.
[25. Discuss/Act on the approval of a Resolution terminating the Transportation Service Contract with Innovative Transportation Solutions, Inc., and all related issues; (Commissioner Stacy) ]
WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM 25, DISCUSS AN ACT ON THE APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION TERMINATING THE TRANSPORTATION SERVICE CONTRACT WITH INNOVATIVE TRANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.I THINK WE JUST GO RIGHT INTO DISCUSSION AT THIS POINT.
C COMMISSIONER M**K C CARRY ON.
[02:50:01]
THE PROCESS OF MAKING A POINT TO MAKING A POINT.WELL I DON'T HAVE ALL MY, ALL MY NOTES HERE FOR THAT ITEM.
DON'T, BUT I, I'LL, I'LL JUST FINISH THAT THIS THOUGHT AND THEN IF I GET TO, IF YOU CAN COME BACK TO ME AFTER I'VE LOOKED AT MY NOTES, I APPRECIATE IT.
UM, BUT I THINK REALLY WHERE I'M LOOKING AT IS THAT WE ARE UNDER CONTRACT RIGHT NOW WITH ITS, WHETHER OR NOT WE FEEL THERE IS ANOTHER, UM, ANOTHER, ANOTHER ORGANIZATION AND COMPANY THAT COULD STEP IN.
I, I, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO LOOK INTO THAT.
I THINK IT SHOULD GO INTO AN RFQ JUST LIKE WE'VE, WE'VE DONE FOR AS MANY YEARS AS THIS COURT HAS BEEN HAVING A RELATIONSHIP WITH ITS AND, AND HAVE AND OPEN IT UP TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
'CAUSE I DO HAVE A LITTLE CONCERN THAT DCCM DOES NOT HAVE ANY, ANY BUSINESS, THEY'RE NOT DOING A WHOLE LOT IN THE, UM, IN THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH AREA, METROPLEX AREA.
DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY CAN'T, UM, PROJECT MANAGEMENT IS PROJECT MANAGEMENT.
SO I AGREE, I UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT THEY MAY NOT HAVE THE, THE RESOURCES, THEY MAY NOT HAVE THE RELATIONSHIPS, UM, WITH OUR CURRENT PROVIDER AND WHAT, WHAT THEY BRING TO THE TABLE.
SO THAT'S ALL STUFF TO BE DISCUSSED.
SO I'M GONNA STOP RIGHT THERE UNTIL I CAN LOOK AT SOME MORE OF MY NOTES, JUDGE.
UH, LISA, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, IF WE WERE TO DECIDE TO INVESTIGATE, MOVE FORWARD, UM, CAN WE INTERVIEW, CAN WE REACH OUT, REQUEST INTERVIEW, AND THEN HIRE WITHOUT AN RFQ BASED ON WHAT YOU WERE SAYING EARLIER ABOUT, UH, A CERTAIN CODE? OR DO WE HAVE TO PUT THIS OUT IF WE'RE TRYING TO FOLLOW THAT PROCESS.
RIGHT? UH, SO THERE IS A STATUTE IN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE THAT AUTHORIZES YOU TO MAKE A DISCRETIONARY EXEMPTION BASED ON A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE.
SO THAT'S WHAT I KEEP REFERRING TO INSTEAD OF THIS 2 62, THAT THERE'S ANOTHER CODE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO THAT.
BUT THE HISTORY OF THIS CONSUL, TRANSPORTATION CONSULTING, YOU'VE ALWAYS GONE OUT FOR, UH, QUALIFICATIONS.
AND, UH, I THINK THAT IN THAT, UH, GOING BACK TO THAT ONE SENTENCE ABOUT A WRITTEN PROPOSAL TO THE COUNTY, UH, IN THAT PAST DISCUSSION, I THINK THAT WAS CLEAR THAT THEY MADE A, THEY BID THE CONTRACT OUT.
I MEAN, IT WAS A WRITTEN PROPOSAL, JUST LIKE YOU WOULD GET IN AN RFQ.
SO FOR THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY, I WOULD SAY GO AND GET YOURSELF MORE CONTENDERS, THEN DO AN INTERVIEW LIKE, LIKE YOU'RE SAYING, HAVE THEM ALL COME AND PRESENT IF YOU GET, YOU KNOW, A CERTAIN NUMBER OF THEM, AND THEN HAVE THEM COME AND PRESENT TO YOU AND TELL YOU WHAT THEY CAN DO FOR THE COUNTY.
SO LONG WAY AROUND, I, I THINK IT'D BE BEST FOR YOU TO DO AN RFQ AND, AND, AND THEN YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO INTERVIEW THEM.
THE, THE DISCRETIONARY EXEMPTION IS LITERALLY JUST THE NEXT SECTION OF, OF 2 62.
IT'S 2 6 2 0 2 4 REQUIRES AN ORDER OF THE COURT OR AN ORDINANCE FROM THE COURT, UH, UNDER, UH, SECTION FOUR THERE OF 2 6 2 0 2 4 IS A PERSONAL OR PROFESSIONAL SERVICE, WHICH ENGINEERING SERVICES QUALIFIES AS.
SO UNDER THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 2 2 5 4, WHICH IS THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES PROCUREMENT ACT, UH, YOU'RE NOT REQUIRED TO NECESSARILY BID IT OUT.
IN FACT, YOU'RE PROHIBITED FROM BIDDING IT OUT BY PRICE.
UH, IT JUST STATES THAT YOU HAVE TO DO IT BY THOSE THAT ARE QUALIFIED.
AND FOR CERTAIN PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, INCLUDING ENGINEERING TWO SECTIONS FURTHER DOWN, IT HAS TO BE THE MOST HIGHLY QUALIFIED.
UH, IT DOES NOT EXPRESSLY REQUIRE AN RFQ PROCESS.
UH, IT JUST, IT SIMPLY DOESN'T.
UH, IT'S, YOU CAN DO THAT, BUT YOU'RE NOT REQUIRED TO.
I, I HAVE SOME O OTHER COMMENTS THAT I'LL MAKE AND, AND, AND THEN PASS TO SOMEBODY ELSE.
UM, LIKE I, I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, I HAVE CONCERNS.
I, I, UM, LISTEN AND IN ALL OF MY TIME IN EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP, IF I EVER HAD A CONSULTANT POLITICIZE THEMSELVES ON AN ISSUE, UH, THEY PROBABLY, I PROBABLY WOULD'VE RELEASED THEM THAT EVENING.
UH, BECAUSE IT JUST SETS THE WRONG PRECEDENT FOR OUR ORGANIZATION.
OKAY? THERE IS, THERE IS ALREADY AN, UH, SOME ISSUE WITH DISCUSSION OF DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS WE WOULD LIKE TO GO.
AND I KNOW THAT, JOHN, YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS A LONG TIME AND THAT YOU'RE AN EXPERT AT WHAT YOU DO.
UH, BUT WHEN WE HAVE IDEAS THAT WANT TO MAYBE GO AFTER A DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCE OR GET SOMETHING ON THE UTP, WHETHER, HOW RIDICULOUS THAT MIGHT SOUND TO YOU OR NOT, I WANT TO WORK WITH SOMEBODY WHO IS FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO TALK TO US ABOUT THOSE INCIDENTS, TO TALK TO US ABOUT THOSE KIND OF PLANS.
UM, THERE ARE 254 COUNTIES IN THIS STATE.
THEY ALL DON'T DO IT THE SAME WAY.
IT DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE TO KEEP DOING IT THE WAY WE'RE DOING IT, GUYS.
OKAY? WE LISTEN, FOR ME PERSONALLY, I HAVE THREE ROADS AND NOTHING HAS HAPPENED.
THREE FREAKING ROADS THAT I NEED TO GET WORKED ON JUST THREE THAT I CANNOT GET GOING
[02:55:01]
ANYWHERE.5 52 HAS BEEN ON HOW MANY BONDS, AND IT'S STILL, NO WORK IS HAPPENING ON IT.
I MEAN, IT'S CRAZY HOW SLOW THIS PROCESS IS GOING FROM MY PRECINCT, JOHN KING AND, AND, UH, THE 66 EXCHANGE.
I MEAN, HAVE YOU DRIVEN DOWN THAT ROAD? IT IS CRAZY, TERRIBLE.
LISTEN, SAYING THAT WE HAVE GOTTEN A BUNCH OF MONEY FOR ROADS.
LET'S TAKE OUT I 30, LET'S TAKE I 30 OUT OF THE MIX, BECAUSE THAT'S COMING.
WHETHER WE WERE INVOLVED OR NOT.
WHAT HAVE WE DONE REALLY HERE IN A LONG TIME? 1141 FOR ME, NO PROGRESS.
I'M TIRED OF KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD.
AND WHAT I MEAN IS I WANT ROCKWALL COUNTY TO BE IMPORTANT TO WHOEVER WE'RE WORKING WITH.
I DON'T WANT TO FEEL LIKE WE'RE PART OF A BALANCING ACT BETWEEN COG AND R AND, AND EVERYBODY ELSE.
I DON'T WANT TO FEEL THAT WAY.
AND RTC AND I FEEL THAT WAY RIGHT NOW, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE ARE AN IMPORTANT COG IN THE WHEEL RIGHT NOW.
I GET WE'RE GEOGRAPHICALLY SMALL, BUT WE ARE, WE HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING COUNTIES IN THE COUNTRY FOR A LONG TIME.
THERE'S GOTTA BE A BETTER WAY THAN WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SOMETHING IS OFF SOMETIMES WHEN THINGS GET STALE, AND MAN, THEY ARE STALE RIGHT NOW.
I I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT'S KEEPING US FROM MOVING FORWARD HERE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS, BUT I KNOW I DON'T LIKE WHERE WE ARE.
COMMISSIONER LICHTY, THANK YOU, JUDGE.
UM, PREPARATORY, I A HUNDRED PERCENT AGREE WITH MOST OF WHAT YOU SAID, PARTICULARLY ABOUT THE LETTER THAT WAS ISSUED ON FEBRUARY 12TH.
AND I WAS SITTING IN AN AIRPORT WHEN I GOT A TEXT SAYING, DID YOU SEE THIS? AND I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT.
AND THAT NIGHT I SPOKE TO JOHN POLLSTER AND I SAID, JOHN, THAT WAS INCREDIBLY BAD MOVE.
WHAT DID YOU DO IT FOR? AND I DIDN'T GET A GOOD ANSWER, AND I HAVEN'T GOT A GOOD ANSWER YET.
IT WAS A DUMB LETTER TO WRITE.
AND I LIKE YOU BEING A CONSULTANT AS AN ATTORNEY ALL MY LIFE.
I WOULD NEVER HAVE THOUGHT OF DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IF YOU THINK THINGS ARE MOVING SLOW IN PRECINCT ONE, COME VISIT US IN PRECINCT THREE.
OKAY? BUT AGAIN, I GOTTA LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE BEING PROPOSED HERE.
I REALLY FELT LIKE WHEN I GOT THIS AGENDA ON FRIDAY, I GUESS THURSDAY AFTERNOON, THURSDAY AFTERNOON, WHENEVER IT GOT IT, I REALLY FELT LIKE IT WAS JANUARY 13TH ALL OVER AGAIN OF 2025.
THAT WAS THE DATE OF THE MEETING.
OH, THE 13TH WAS A DAY WHEN I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THE THINGS YOU PUT ON THE AGENDA.
UM, AND I THOUGHT, WHY ARE WE GETTING AMBUSHED LIKE THIS? WHAT, WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT? AND JOHN, YOU KNOW, I LOVE YOU, MAN, AND YOU AND I WORK VERY WELL TOGETHER, SO I DON'T MEAN TO BE INSULTING YOU, YOU'RE FINE.
BUT THIS CAUGHT ME SO OFF GUARD.
WHAT WE, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN THE JUDGE SUGGESTED BIDDING OUT ITSS WORK LAST YEAR, I RAISED MY HAND AND SAID, YEAH, LET'S DO IT.
YOU WANNA DO IT AGAIN THIS YEAR? I'LL DO IT AGAIN THIS YEAR.
WE SAID, WE'RE GONNA ROLL WITH THEM FOR ANOTHER YEAR.
YOU SIGNED THAT CONTRACT BY THE TERMS OF THIS RESOLUTION.
I, I, I GUESS YOUR FIRM DRAFTED THIS, SO YOU'VE GOTTA TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT.
AND I LOVE YOUR, I LOVE DANIEL.
BUT TO SAY THAT WE ARE GOING TO TERMINATE A RELATIONSHIP IMMEDIATELY THAT'S BEEN GOING ON SINCE 2006, THAT WE'RE GONNA SEND NOTICE TO THE WORLD, WHICH IS WHAT THIS RESOLUTION SAYS IMMEDIATELY, THAT THEY DON'T WORK WITH US ANYMORE.
AND OH, BY THE WAY, WE'RE STILL GONNA PAY 'EM $120,000 FOR THE REST OF THIS YEAR THAT THEY ARE CONTRACTED.
AGAIN, YOU GUYS MIGHT, I, I KNOW WE ALL TAKE MONEY SERIOUSLY, BUT WHO IS THINKING IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO PAY FOR $120,000 OF SERVICES? WE'RE NOT GETTING WHERE WE'VE TOLD THEM, DON'T, DON'T WORK FOR US.
OH, BUT WE'LL KEEP PAYING YOU $120,000.
I KNOW YOU WERE OFFENDED BY THE LETTER JUDGE.
I WOULD'VE BEEN, YOU WERE OFFENDED BY THE LETTER.
PROBABLY I WAS OFFENDED BY THE LETTER.
AND JOHN, IF DON'T EVER DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT AGAIN.
[03:00:01]
WE'RE BURNING UP $120,000 OF TAXPAYER MONEY IF WE APPROVE THIS RESOLUTION.AND I, FOR 1:00 AM NOT GONNA DO THAT.
WE HAVE SPENT $5,527 AND 50 CENTS ON LEGAL ADVICE RELATED TO TERMINATING THIS CONTRACT.
AND THE NEW CONTRACT THAT WAS JUST PRESENTED, $5,500 A TAXPAYER MONEY WITHOUT, AS FAR AS I KNOW, ANYBODY EXCEPT JUDGE NEW AND COMMISSIONER STA KNOWING WE WERE EVEN ENGAGING COUNSEL, COMMISSIONER GOANA, YOU'VE SAID IN THE PAST THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON ON LEGAL WORK.
SO WOULD I, AND THIS IS A MAJOR EFFORT.
AGAIN, IT WAS BROUGHT BY COMMISSIONER STACEY, AND I'M ASSUMING JUDGE NEW WAS IN ON IT.
'CAUSE HE WAS IN, ON SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE ATTORNEY.
I LOOKED AT THE LEGAL BILLS, UM, WITH NONE OF US KNOWING ABOUT IT.
AND SOMETHING PRESENTED THAT WE'RE LITERALLY, IF I KNOW AND YOU SAY, WELL, IT'S NOT INTENDED TO BE FLIPPING A LIGHT SWITCH, READ THE DOCUMENT, IT FLIPS A LIGHT SWITCH.
IT MEANS IF WE APPROVE THIS RESOLUTION TO TOMORROW, THEY DON'T REPRESENT US.
AND ALL THE WORK WE'VE DONE FOR THE LAST YEAR AND A QUARTER ON TRYING TO GET ROADS GOING, JUST GET STALLED.
WE PUT IT IN ERICA'S LAP AND WE SAY, HEY, GOOD LUCK.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING.
I, I GOTTA TELL YOU GUYS, I I, I HATE THIS CONVERSATION AND I HATE IT BECAUSE I HAVE WORKED FOR A YEAR AND THREE MONTHS TO TRY AND BRING UNITY ON THIS COURT.
AND YOU GUYS KNOW, I HAVE, YOU'VE, WE'VE TALKED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION ABOUT ISSUES TRYING TO BRING UNITY OF ON VOTES.
WE'VE WORKED TO GET GOOD VOTES ON THINGS AND WE'VE GENERALLY DONE IT.
AND I FEEL LIKE RIGHT NOW I'M SPEAKING AS A SOURCE OF DISUNITY AND THAT REALLY, REALLY BOTHERS ME.
BUT THE IDEA THAT WE WOULD MAKE THIS DECISION TODAY AND JUST SAY, OKAY, LET'S GO THAT DIRECTION.
I WOULD SAY THAT I'M, I'M, I'M, I, I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM, COMMISSIONER LTE, THAT YOU DON'T LIKE THIS DISUNITY TYPE CONVERSATION, BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY GOOD THAT WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION RIGHT NOW.
I THINK WE NEED, THERE ARE SOME CLEAR THINGS THAT WE NEED TO AIR OUT AND TALK ABOUT.
THERE ARE THINGS IN OUR PROCESS BUILDING ROADS RIGHT NOW THAT ARE NOT WORKING.
IF YOU'VE GONE TO A CONSORTIUM MEETING LATELY, IT'S DEAD.
IT NOTHING HAPPENS THERE ANYMORE.
AND I'M NOT SAYING WE PEEL THE BANDAID OFF AND FLIP A LIGHT SWITCH TODAY.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS, IS THAT WE HAVE GOTTA HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE GOING FORWARD.
AND WE HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT'S BEST FOR THE COUNTY.
AND JUST BECAUSE WE'VE DONE SOMETHING FOR 20 YEARS DOESN'T MEAN WE KEEP DOING IT A ZERO PROBLEM WITH THAT.
BUT WE, BUT WE HAVE GOT TO AGREE AS A COURT TO QUIT SITTING ON OUR HANDS AND FIGURE OUT WHY THIS ISN'T WORKING THE WAY WE BELIEVE IT CAN.
OKAY, WELL, I KNOW YOU DIDN'T MEAN THE SITTING ON OUR HANDS.
I KNOW YOU DIDN'T MEAN IT THE WAY I TOOK IT, BUT I THINK I'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD FOR A YEAR AND THREE MONTHS TO, TO GET THINGS GOING ON ROAD RAY AND YOU, AND YOU'VE GOT SOME PROJECTS GOING IN YOUR NECK OF THE WOODS AND I HAVE ZERO.
OKAY? AND, AND, BUT AS FAR AS RE RETHINKING AND REIMAGINING, HEY, I'M GAME.
LIKE I SAID EARLIER, IF WE WANNA BID THIS OUT AGAIN FOR NEXT YEAR, LET'S DO IT.
LET'S SEE IF OTHER PEOPLE WANNA DO THIS.
LET'S, THEY DIDN'T MAKE A PROPOSAL.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT, BUT THEY DIDN'T MAKE A PROPOSAL LAST TIME.
LET'S, IF YOU WANNA BID IT OUT, LET'S BID IT OUT.
I GOT ZERO PROBLEM WITH THAT GUYS.
IN FACT, AT THE LAST, LAST TIME WE DID THIS, UH, MR. POLSTER SAID HE WOULD RECOMMEND WE BID IT OUT.
OKAY? UM, I'M GONNA PUT IT AS A TITLE HERE.
I CALL THIS RECKLESS LEADERSHIP.
WE HAVE BEEN ELECTED BY THE CITIZENS OF ROCKWALL COUNTY, EITHER IN OUR PRECINCTS OR COUNTYWIDE.
AND I AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY WITH COMMISSIONER LICHTY AND WHAT HE'S SAYING AND WHERE WE'RE AT.
UM, WE NEED TO GET UNITY ON THIS.
AND, AND WE DON'T HAVE TO SING KUMBAYA AND HOLD HANDS ALL THE TIME.
THAT IS NOT WHAT I'M REFERRING TO.
BUT THIS GAME PLAYING HAS GOT TO STOP, IN MY OPINION.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT BEING POLITICIZED BY, BY, UM, BY, UM, JOHN, JOHN POLLSTER.
AND I AGREED, JOHN, HE KNOWS I CALLED HIM AFTER I SAW IT.
[03:05:01]
YOU DON'T NEED TO DO THIS.I'VE ALREADY, IT'S ALREADY OUT, DANA.
AND I SAID, OKAY, YOU, YOU'RE GONNA DEAL WITH THAT.
BUT I DO WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT JUST TO THE POINT OF YOU, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT YOU CAN'T GET ANY ROADS BUILT.
REMEMBER, WE JUST ISSUED, THERE WERE THREE OF US ON THIS BOARD, ON THIS COURT THAT CAME ON IN 2023.
AND AT THAT POINT THERE WAS DISCUSSION AND IT'S ALL RECORDED THAT WE DID NOT WANT TO ISSUE ANY TRIP 21 MONEY BECAUSE IT WAS DONE ILLEGALLY.
THAT IT WAS PRESENTED TO THE CITIZENS WHO VOTED FOR IT ILLEGALLY BASED ON THE WORDS.
AND THAT CAME MANY TIMES OUT OF JUDGE NEWS'S MOUTH.
IN, IN, IN OPEN MEETINGS THAT WERE RECORDED.
SO WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T BUILD ANY ROADS.
'CAUSE WE HAD NO, WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY LEFT FROM 2004 AND 2008 BONDS, BUT NOTHING TO THE MAGNITUDE OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER RIGHT NOW.
WE'VE HAD, WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE MEETINGS.
UM, COMMISSIONER GOANA, I'M NOT REALLY CERTAIN ABOUT YOUR, YOUR, YOUR ROADS.
I KNOW THAT A LOT OF THE, THE PROJECTS THAT WERE NOT, THAT WERE ARE DOING BEING DONE RIGHT NOW, MONIES THAT WE GAVE OUT OF THE 2004 AND 2008 BOND MONEY THAT WAS STILL LEFT.
OR THEY'VE AT LEAST BEEN A ASSIGNED TO A PROJECT.
SO WHETHER OR NOT YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU DUPED IT OUT WITH COMMISSIONER STACY OR COMMISSIONER LTY.
I KNOW YOU DIDN'T, BUT I'M JUST SAYING THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THERE WERE TIMES WHERE WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT.
SO, AND YOU MAY HAVE, AND I JUST MISSED IT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'M, I I'VE GOT, I'VE GOT, I DON'T HAVE ANY COUNTY ROADS IN, INTO, IN, IN PRECINCT TWO.
Y'ALL ALL KNOW THAT THAT'S A HISTORY LESSON, JUDGE.
BUT I DO WANT TO SAY THAT, UM, I, I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE SOURCE THAT WE JUST ISSUED OUR FIRST AMOUNT TO START DOING SOMETHING.
AND I'M SEEING A LOT OF ACTIVITY FROM OUR CURRENT PROVIDER.
NOW, WHETHER OR NOT WE TAKE IT OUT FOR AN RFQI AM OPEN TO THAT.
BUT I AM NOT OPEN TO US ENDING A RELATIONSHIP RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I THINK IT'S RECKLESS LEADERSHIP.
AND THAT'S THE WAY I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA THROW THAT.
UM, I, I THINK WE'VE ALREADY HAD ANOTHER AGENDA ITEM, JUDGE, THAT WE'RE GONNA CHANGE SOME OF THE PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES SO THAT WE DON'T GET HANDED SOMETHING ON THURSDAY AT NOON, UM, LAST WEEK OF THIS, OF THIS PRO OF THIS ITEM.
NOT THAT YOU HAVE TO TELL US ALL ABOUT IT, BUT GIVING US, YOU KNOW, JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS TO REALLY WORK ON IT AND TRY TO GET OUR, AND TRY TO GET SOME DATA, WAS, IS I THINK, AGAIN, RECKLESS LEADERSHIP ON A PROJECT THIS IMPORTANT.
SO FROM THAT STANDPOINT, UM, I'M A, I'M A HARD NO ON US ENDING A RELATIONSHIP RIGHT NOW WHERE WE HAVE ALREADY GOT PROJECTS.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY ONE MORE THING, AND THIS WAS AN ITEM I TALKED ABOUT.
I REALLY, UM, WANT US TO PUT ANOTHER, IT'S NOT, I, I'D LIKE TO, FOR US TO DISCUSS HOW THE CONSORTIUM MEETING IS GOING TO BE RAN IN THE FUTURE.
IT IS NOT BEING AS PRODUCTIVE.
I KNOW, BUT WELL, BUT IT, IT GOES TO THE POINT HE TALKED ABOUT THE CONSORTIUM MEETING A WHILE AGO THAT WAS BROUGHT UP.
UM, SO, UH, AND I NEED TO CLARIFY SOMETHING 'CAUSE THAT'S A, A DISHONEST REASSESSMENT OF WHAT HAPPENED ON THE TRIP 21 BONDS TO SAY.
I SAID IT WAS ILLEGAL, IF YOU'LL REMEMBER WHEN THIS CONVERSATION HAPPENED, BECAUSE THE VERY FIRST ROAD THAT THIS PREVIOUS COURT TRIED TO DO OUT OF THE GATE WAS A SOUTHERN SECTION OF THE OUTER LOOP, WHICH WAS NOT ON THE TRIP 21.
UH, SO TO, TO JUST SAY THAT I SAID, YOU KNOW, OUT OF CONTEXT, HEY, THIS IS ILLEGAL.
NO, YOU'RE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING OTHER THAN WHAT YOU TOLD THE CITIZENS YOU WERE GOING TO DO WITH TRIP 21.
VERY IMPORTANT BIT OF INFORMATION THAT, THAT YOU LEFT OUT.
SO THE OUTER LOOP RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEMS. RIGHT? I DISAGREE, I DISAGREE WITH THAT.
WELL THAT, SO I MEAN, I, I, BECAUSE I, I ACTUALLY HAVE IN MY POSSESSION, UM, UM, COMMISSIONER MAGNUS BOOK FOR THAT.
AND IT, IT ALWAYS JUST USES THE WORDS OUTER LOOP.
IT DOES NOT SAY NORTHERN PORTION, SOUTHERN PORTION.
AND, AND WE DID HAVE, AND WE DID HAVE OUR BOND COUNCIL HERE, AND, AND I REMEMBER ASKING THEM A QUESTION IN REGARDS TO THE WORDING THAT WAS USED ON THE TRIP 21 BOND FOR ELECTION.
SO WE'RE GONNA SAVE THAT FOR LATER.
IT'S THE, THE EVIDENCE IS CLEAR.
UH, I'M, UH, FAIRLY CONFIDENT THAT I'M REMEMBERING IT CLEARLY.
COMMISSIONER STACEY HADN'T HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK YET.
SO SINCE THIS BODY HAS RESORTED TO NAME CALLING, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, UM, I DON'T KNOW ANY OTHER WAY TO BRING ITEMS AND DISCUSSIONS TO THE COURT.
UM, IF, IF THE ONE ITEM WERE TO PASS, THEN THE OTHER ITEM WOULD'VE PASSED AND THE OTHER ITEM WOULD'VE PASSED.
I THINK THAT, THAT, UM, THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD IS TO HAVING DISCUSSIONS.
[03:10:01]
SOMETIMES HAS DISAGREEMENTS.UM, I AM NOT UPSET AT ALL OF THE DIRECTION THAT THIS MEETING WENT.
I, I THINK AT THIS POINT, I WOULDN'T BE IN FAVOR OF VOTING ON AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 25 BASED UPON THE ACTIONS OF AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 24.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS, IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO TALK AND MEET BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.
WE HAVE TO DO THIS OUT AND IN THE PUBLIC.
RECKLESS LEADERSHIP WOULD BE TO NOT LISTEN TO COMMISSIONER TY'S CONCERNS AND VOTE ON THE CONTRACT.
RECKLESS LEADERSHIP WOULD BE TO NOT HAVE A REPLACEMENT AND THEN FIRE ITS, THAT'S RECKLESS LEADERSHIP.
RECKLESS LEADERSHIP IS NOT BRINGING UP SOMETHING AND HAVING AN HONEST AND TRANSPARENT DISCUSSION IN COURT THAT SOMETHING'S GOTTA CHANGE AND THAT WE'RE NOT HAPPY.
AND THAT THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES FOR CONSULTANTS THAT GO BEHIND OUR BACKS AND ATTACK US.
THERE IS CONSEQUENCES FOR THAT.
THERE WILL ALWAYS BE CONSEQUENCES FOR THAT.
THIS IS STARTING A PROCESS TO SAY THAT THERE, THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING DONE.
WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
I'M HONORING EVERYONE'S OPINION THROUGH THAT PROCESS TO TRY TO GET US TO A FIVE OH COURT.
SO TO RESORT TO NAME CALLING I JUST THINK IS BELOW THIS.
COMMISSIONER'S COURT LEADERSHIP IS ABOUT FINDING WHAT THOSE PRESSURE POINTS ARE, BRINGING THEM FORWARD AND WORKING THEM THROUGH IN AN HONEST AND OPEN FASHION.
BE YOUR OPINION, COMMISSIONER GOANA.
I, LIKE I SAID, I BELIEVE THIS CONVERSATION NEEDED TO HAPPEN.
UM, AND I THINK THIS IS AN ONGOING CONVERSATION THAT'S GONNA TAKE MORE THAN TODAY YES.
AND I'M GLAD THAT IT WAS BROUGHT FORWARD.
SO THANK YOU COMMISSIONER STACY, FOR BRINGING IT FORWARD.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER LTE FOR DIVING THROUGH THE CONTRACT AS I KNOW YOU WOULD AND, UH, GIVING US SOME GOOD DIRECTION.
UM, I DON'T THINK WE'RE IN A PLACE TO EVEN TAKE A VOTE ON THIS AGENDA ITEM.
I, I'M, I'M ASKING IF YOU WANNA PULL IT.
I WOULD BE OPEN TO THAT, BUT THE COURT GETS TO DECIDE THAT AS A BODY.
WE, WE CAN JUST LET IT SIT AND NOT TAKE ANY ACTION.
UH, WE'VE NOT DISCUSSED, UH, AGENDA ITEM 23.
I WOULD LIKE TO GO BACK AND JUST, I, I'M NOT DONE WITH 25 YET.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE THIS WAS GOING.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE WE'D END UP.
'CAUSE AS EVERYBODY KNOWS, I CAN'T ASK YOU GUYS HOW YOU'RE VOTING.
SO I DIDN'T, BUT I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I DON'T WANNA DO.
I DON'T WANNA DEAL WITH THIS AGAIN, NOT UNTIL AT LEAST SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2026, I DON'T WANNA DEAL WITH THIS AGAIN.
SO I GOT A LITTLE PRESENT FOR YOU GUYS.
THIS IS ANOTHER RESOLUTION AND BEFORE I PASS IT OUT, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT MY INTENT IS AND I THINK IT'S PRETTY EFFECTIVE.
WE DON'T DEAL WITH THIS AGAIN UNLESS WE ALL DECIDE TO DEAL WITH IT.
'CAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, WE DO HAVE TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS, BUT DISCUSSIONS ARE ONE THING.
JUST HAVING THINGS DROPPED ON US IS ANOTHER.
SO WHAT I'VE DONE IS I'VE PREPARED A RESOLUTION THAT WILL SAY UNTIL WE GO TO SEPTEMBER 30TH, AND THERE'S A COPY IN THERE FOR JENNIFER AND COPY THERE FOR KAMIE.
WE'RE NOT GONNA ACT UNLESS WE ACT AS A COURT.
AND I WILL BE HAPPY TO READ THIS INTO THE RECORD.
SO I WOULD MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION OF THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT OF ROCKWALL COUNTY, TEXAS REGARDING THE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN ROCKWALL COUNTY, TEXAS AND INNOVATIVE TRANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS, INC.
WHEREAS ROCKWALL COUNTY, TEXAS, THE COUNTY ENTERED INTO A TRANSPORTATION SERVICES CONTRACT.
THE AGREEMENT WITH INNOVATIVE TRANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS, INC.
A TEXAS CORPORATION ITS, FOR THE PROVISION OF TRANSPORTATION CONSULTING SERVICES, WHICH AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED BY COUNTY JUDGE FRANK NEW ON SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2025, AND BY JOHN RR POLLSTER, PRESIDENT OF ITS ON AUGUST 21ST, 2025.
AND WHEREAS THE AGREEMENT PROVIDED FOR A CONTINUATION THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2026 OF TRANSPORTATION CONSULTING SERVICES THAT ITS HAS PROVIDED TO THE COUNTY SINCE 2006, AND WHEREAS THE PURSUANT TO SECTION EIGHT OF THE AGREEMENT, THE COUNTY IS ENTITLED TO WITHDRAW FROM THE ENGAGEMENT UPON 30 DAYS WRITTEN NOTICE BY THE COUNTY TO ITS.
AND WHEREAS ON THIS DATE, THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT OF ROCKWALL COUNTY, TEXAS, THE COURT HAS CONSIDERED A PROPOSED RESOLUTION, TERMINATING THE AGREEMENT AND ALL RELATED ISSUES AND HEREBY INTENDS TO CLARIFY CERTAIN MATTERS REGARDING THE AGREEMENT.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT OF ROCKWALL COUNTY, TEXAS.
THAT SAID, COURT HAS DETERMINED, HEREBY, DETERMINES, ACKNOWLEDGES AND ORDERS AS FOLLOWS, RESOLVED THAT THE AGREEMENT AND THE SERVICES
[03:15:01]
PROVIDED THERE UNDER ARE IMPORTANT TO THE COUNTY'S PURSUIT AND COMPLETION OF ROAD CONSTRUCTION AND IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.AND THEREFORE, THAT TERMINATION OF THE AGREEMENT PRIOR TO THE END OF ITS STATED TERM SHOULD ONLY BE DONE BASED UPON A THOROUGH REVIEW AND ANALYSIS BY THE ENTIRE COURT.
TWO, FURTHER, FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE AGREEMENT SHALL ONLY BE TERMINATED BY THE COUNTY PRIOR TO THE END OF ITS STATED TERM BY AN AFFIRMATIVE VOTE OF A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS OF THE COURT APPROVING SUCH TERMINATION AT AND DURING A REGULAR MEETING OF THE COURT AT WHICH THE ROCKWELL COUNTY JUDGE AND ALL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ARE PRESENT.
THREE, RESOLVE FURTHER OR FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE COUNTY JUDGE HAS NO AUTHORITY TO CANCEL, RESCIND, OR TERMINATE THE AGREEMENT OR TO SUSPEND, INTER INTERRUPT OR TERMINATE THE PROVISION OF SERVICES UNDER THE AGREEMENT PRIOR TO THE END OF ITS STATED TERM.
UNLESS ANY SUCH ACTION IS APPROVED BY THE COURT AT AND DURING A REGULAR MEETING AT WHICH THE ROCKWALL COUNTY JUDGE AND ALL ROCKWALL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ARE PRESENT.
FOUR FURTHER RESOLVED THAT NEITHER THE ROCKWALL COUNTY JUDGE NOR ANY ROCKWALL COUNTY COMMISSIONER SHALL HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ENGAGE OR DIRECT LEGAL COUNSEL TO PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE OR LEGAL SERVICES TO THE COUNTY WITH RESPECT TO THE MODIFICATION, INTERPRETATION, CANCELLATION, RESCISSION OR TERMINATION OF THE AGREEMENT OR SUSPENSION, INTERRUPTION OR TERMINATION OF SERVICES THERE UNDER, WITHOUT THE PRIOR APPROVAL OF THE COURT PURSUANT TO AN AFFIRMATIVE VOTE REQUESTING SUCH ENGAGEMENT, LEGAL ADVICE OR LEGAL SERVICES AT A, AT AND DURING A REGULAR MEETING OF THE COURT AT WHICH THE ROCKWELL COUNTY JUDGE AND ALL ROCKWELL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ARE PRESENT.
FIVE FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THIS RESOLUTION MAY NOT BE AMENDED, MODIFIED, CANCELED, TERMINATED, OR RESCINDED UNLESS SUCH ACTION IS TAKEN BY THE COURT PURSUANT TO AN AFFIRMATIVE VOTE AT AND DURING A REGULAR MEETING OF THE COURT AT WHICH THE ROCKWALL COUNTY JUDGE AND ALL ROCKWALL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ARE PRESENT.
SIX FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THIS RESOLUTION MAY BE SIGNED BY EITHER THE ROCKWALL COUNTY JUDGE OR THE JUDGE PRO TEM OF THE ROCKWALL COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
AND EITHER OR BOTH SUCH OFFICERS ARE HEREBY AUTHORIZED TO SIGN THIS RESOLUTION.
AND THIS RESOLUTION IS TO BE ENTERED INTO THE OFFICIAL RECORDS OF THE COURT AND THE COUNTY.
AND IF THERE'S A SECOND, I'LL BE HAPPY TO DISCUSS, DISCUSS.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER LICHTY.
WE HAVE A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER M**K.
UH, I'VE GOT A PROBLEM WITH SOME THINGS OKAY.
UH, NUMBER THREE NOW UNDER THE NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED YEP.
FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE ROCKWALL COUNTY JUDGE HAS NO AUTHORITY TO COUNSEL, RESCIND OR TERMINATE THE AGREEMENT OR TO SPEND, INTERRUPT OR TERMINATE THE PROVISIONS OF SERVICES UNDER THE AGREEMENT.
I DON'T HAVE THAT AUTHORITY NOW.
I HOPE DON, AND YOU PUTTING IT I DON'T, I I I DO NOT.
I CAN TELL YOU I ACTIVELY DO NOT HAVE THAT AUTHORITY.
IT WOULD TAKE AN ACTION OF THE COURT.
BUT YOU PUTTING IT IN THIS DOCUMENT GIVES THE IMPRESSION TO THE, THE WORLD AT LARGE THERE THAT I DO HAVE IT AND YOU'RE SOMEHOW TAKING IT FROM ME THAT THIS COURT IS POSITIONING ME TO BE THE RECKLESS JUDGE THAT YOU HAVE TO REEL IN.
AND AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS YOUR INTENTIONS OR NOT, UH, BUT I CAN TELL YOU, I'M, I'M NOT THE RECKLESS JUDGE THAT YOU HAVE TO REEL IN.
I DIDN'T SAY YOU WERE RECKLESS JUDGE.
I DON'T KNOW FRANKLY WHAT THE EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY IS.
AND I DIDN'T WANNA CALL OUR LEGAL COUNSEL TO GET INTERPRETATION, BUT I DON'T.
BUT I KNOW IN CORPORATIONS AND BUSINESS ENTITIES, PRESIDENTS, WHO YOU'D BE AKIN TO HAVE A LOT OF AUTHORITY THAT THEY CAN ADDRESS.
IF I'M TOLD BY OUR LEGAL COUNSEL THAT YOU DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO ANY OF THAT, I AM MORE THAN WILLING TO REMOVE THAT PER PARAGRAPH.
SO, UH, WELL, LET'S, CAN WE GET AN OPINION ON THAT? YEAH.
WHILE HE'S WORKING ON THAT OPINION.
REALLY NICELY INTO NUMBER FOUR.
SO A PREVIOUS COURT, WE, WE DID, UH, MAKE THE DECISION THAT ALL LEGAL QUESTIONS WOULD COME THROUGH THE JUDGE AND THEN I WOULD ASK IT BECAUSE WE HAD DIFFERENT COURT MEMBERS ASKING SIMILAR QUESTIONS, SOME COURT MEMBERS ASKING QUESTIONS, TRYING TO POSITION THEMSELVES TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE COUNTY AND NOT PROTECT THE COUNTY.
SO WE HAD IT ALL FUNNELED THROUGH ME WHEN THIS COURT WAS SEATED.
I SAID, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
EVERY COMMISSIONER HAS ACCESS.
ACCESS TO THE ATTORNEYS, PLEASE FIRE AWAY.
SO I'VE, I'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF ISSUE OF THAT UNLESS WE WANT TO GO BACK TO EVERYTHING THAT'S FUNNEL THROUGH ME.
NO, I'LL BE HAPPY TO TELL YOU WHY I PUT THAT IN.
IT'S NOT BECAUSE IT LIMITS WHAT WE AGREED UPON BEFORE, BUT ON THIS ISSUE, WE, THIS WAS ALL BROUGHT TO US.
YOU AND COMMISSIONER STACEY HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR OVER
[03:20:01]
A MONTH.AND WE'VE, I HOPE WE'RE SETTLING IT TODAY UNTIL, AGAIN, NOT PERMANENTLY, BUT UNTIL THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR.
AND SO WHAT IT SAYS IS YOU CAN'T GET ADVICE.
BOBBY CAN'T, JOHN CAN'T GET ADVICE AND WE CAN'T SPEND MORE LEGAL FEES.
THAT'S WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT.
WE SPENT 5,500 PLUS IN LEGAL FEES ON THIS ISSUE, WHICH WE DIDN'T NEED TO SPEND IN MY OPINION.
AND ALL I'M SAYING IS ON THIS ISSUE THAT THEIR CONTRACT, WE'RE NOT GONNA CRANK UP THE LAWYERS AGAIN UNTIL WE ALL LOOK AT EACH OTHER AND SAY, LET'S CRANK UP THE LAWYERS AGAIN.
IT'S LIMITED TO THIS CONTRACT.
MAYBE WE COULD WRITE THAT IN, IN, UH, AND I'M NOT A LAWYER IN THE POSITIVE SENSE, INSTEAD OF THE NEGATIVE SENSE, NEITHER THE JUDGE NOR THE ROCKWALL COMMISSIONER'S COURT, CAN WE WRITE THAT WHERE IT SAYS LEGAL EXPENSES TO TERMINATE THE CONTRACT WOULD NEED TO BE APPROVED BY THE COURT.
IT SAYS NEITHER THE ROCKWALL COUNTY JUDGE, NOR ANY COUNTY COMMISSIONER SHALL HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ENGAGE OR DIRECT LEGAL COUNSEL TO PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE OR LEGAL SERVICES WITH RESPECT TO THE MODIFICATION INTERPRETATION, DA DA DA, OF THE AGREEMENT.
SO AGAIN, YOU WE'RE NOT CHANGING HOW WE PLAY ON OTHER THINGS, BUT ON THIS AGREEMENT, I HOPE WE'VE SETTLED IT FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.
BUT IF WE DECIDE TO, IF, IF YOU OR COMMISSIONER GANA OR COMMISSIONER STACY SAYS IT'S JUST GETTING INTOLERABLE, WE GOTTA GET, WE GOTTA MAKE SOME DECISIONS, THEN LET'S HAVE A MEETING AND SAY, LET'S TALK TO THE LAWYERS ABOUT IT AND THEN WE TRY SUSPEND LEGAL FEES.
AND DOES THAT JUST APPLY TO THE CONTRACT WITH ITS? THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? THAT'S, I SAID ONLY THAT'S ALL THIS APPLIES.
WE'RE INVESTIGATING OTHER, CAN WE SAY THAT SPECIFIC TO ITS? CAN WE PUT THAT IN THERE? I BELIEVE THAT IT DOES.
BUT I'LL, IF, IF IT'S NOT I'M, THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO LIMIT IT TO.
IF I CAN, CAN JUST THROW IN THIS LITTLE BIT AND YOU'RE ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS AND, AND YOU'RE ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE TO THE, TO THE CITIZENS THAT ELECT YOU.
UM, THE, WHETHER THE COURT CAN ACTUALLY LEGALLY TAKE ACTION ON THIS RESOLUTION IS A BIG QUESTION IN MY MIND.
UH, THIS IS UNDER ALL RELATED ISSUES.
I KNOW IS A CAVEAT THAT, UH, MANY GOVERNING BODIES PUT IN THEIR AGENDA ITEMS TO COVER THIS.
BUT THIS IS A, A, IT'S NOT ONLY JUST A 180, THIS IS A TOTAL DIFFERENT SPINOFF OF WHAT'S ACTUALLY UNDER AGENDA ITEM 25.
UM, THIS IS A RESOLUTION TO LOOK, I'M GONNA TAKE YOUR ADVICE ON THAT.
BUT LET'S READ ITEM 25, DISCUSS ON THE ACT ON THE APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION TERMINATING THE TRANSPORTATION CONTRACT WITH INNOVATED AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.
THIS DEALS, IN MY OPINION, AND IF, AND IF YOU SAY NO, I PULL IT OFF NOW, BUT THIS DEALS WITH WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO TERMINATE A CONTRACT WITH ITS.
IT SETS FORTH PROCEDURES AND HOW WE GO ABOUT DOING THAT.
BUT THAT'S HOW I TRIED TO TAILOR IT.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THE RESOLUTION THAT WAS POSTED, UH, WAS A TERMINATION.
THIS IS, THIS IS A, A MUCH MORE THAN THAT.
THIS IS A RESOLUTION THAT'S LIMITING THE POWER OF THE, OF THE COURT, POTENTIALLY THE JUDGE HIMSELF.
UH, AND, AND ADDING A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER RESTRICTIONS BESIDES WHAT'S POSTED ON THE AGENDA FOR, FOR PUBLIC NOTICE.
SO YOU'RE SAYING WE DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO CONSIDER THIS? UH, YES.
THEN I WITHDRAW MY MOTION AND I WILL SAVE MY FURTHER COMMENTS.
BUT I THINK YOU GET MY POINT, RIGHT? IIII GET YOUR POINT.
SO, UH, WE'RE, LET'S GO BACK TO AGENDA ITEM 23.
WE'RE NOT TAKING ACTION ON 24.
WE ARE NOT TAKING ACTION ON 25.
IF THE AUTHOR IS, I HAVE NO OBJECTIONS TO EITHER OF THOSE.
ALRIGHT, SO LET'S GO BACK TO 23.
[23. Discuss/Act on the appointment of a Rockwall County Representative to the Surface Transportation Technical Committee (STTC), and all related issues; (Commissioner Stacy) ]
ON THE APPOINTMENT OF ROCKWELL COUNTY REPRESENTATIVE TO THE SURFACE TRANSPORTATION TECHNICAL COMMITTEE AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.COMMISSIONER STACY, I DID BELIEVE THIS WAS ALL IN ONE CLUMP, BUT, UM, THIS IS THE IDEA TO PUT, UH, ERICA ON THE SURFACE, UH, TRANSPORTATION TECHNICAL COMMITTEE, WHICH IS AN OFFICER OF THE RTC CURRENTLY.
BRENDA CALLAWAY IS OUR REPRESENTATIVE.
UM, I, UH, I DO THINK THAT ALL THREE OF THESE GO TOGETHER IN, IN MY OPINION.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT, UH, THAT THIS WOULD BE NECESSARY BASED UPON THE DISCUSSIONS THAT THE COURT HAS, BUT IF THE COURT'S WILLING TO DO IT, THAT WAS THE STATED GOAL OF THIS AGENDA ITEM.
DO DO WE WANT TO DISCUSS IT NOW? I MEAN, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OPPOSITION TO THIS? DOES ANYBODY? WE'RE JUST OFF, YOU MEAN WE'RE JUST, DO WE HAVE OPPOSITION? JUST FOR HIM TO SAY IT'S NOT, WE'RE NOT GONNA
I MEAN, WE CERTAINLY CAN ACT, WE DON'T HAVE TO ACT, BUT WE, WE WE'RE ALL HERE WE CAN DISCUSS.
I, I THINK AT THIS POINT, 'CAUSE WE CAN, WE'RE GONNA BE BRINGING BACK PROBABLY SOME OF, SOME OF THESE OTHERS.
I'D RATHER JUST KEEP BRENDA CALLAWAY ON IT.
'CAUSE WE'RE KIND OF ON A ROLL RIGHT NOW WITH, WITH WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
IF WE, IF WE TAKE A DIFFERENT DIRECTION THAN I WOULD, I WOULD BE, I WOULD BE
[03:25:01]
IN FAVOR OF THAT FOR, FOR ERICA, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S NECESSARY RIGHT NOW UNLESS YOU THINK IT'S A LEARNING OR, I, I, I AGREE WITH YOU IN WHAT YOU JUST SAID.DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY COMMENTS BEFORE WE MOVE ON? HEARING NO COMMENTS.
SO 23, 24 AND 25 ARE GONNA SET, ENACTED UPON,
[26. CONSENT AGENDA]
AND WE'LL MOVE INTO AGENDA ITEM 26, CONSENT AGENDA.PLEASE TELL ME WE DON'T HAVE TO ARGUE OVER CONSENT AGENDA, JUDGE, I MAKE A MOTION.
WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
UH, 26 A THROUGH I I HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER STACY, I'LL SECOND IT.
IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES NOW, PLEASE.
[27. PROPERTY ACQUISITIONS/DISPOSITIONS]
US TO AGENDA ITEM 27, PROPERTY ACQUISITION DISPOSITIONS.MOTION TO APPROVE PROPERTY ACQUISITION DISPOSITIONS A THROUGH C.
GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GOANA.
STACY, IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES NOW PLEASE.
[28. NON-EMERGENCY BUDGET TRANSFER(S)]
TO AGENDA ITEM 28, NON-EMERGENCY BUDGET TRANSFERS TRANSFER A THOUSAND DOLLARS WITHIN THE COUNTY JUDGE'S GENERAL FUND TO COVER TRAVEL AND TRAINING FROM BONDS RESULTING IN EXPENDITURES, EXCEEDING BUDGETED FUNDS.MOTION TO APPROVE NON-EMERGENCY BUDGET TRANSFER A.
GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GALANA.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER STACEY.
[29. APPROVAL OF ACCOUNTS, BILLS, CLAIMS, AND PAYROLL(S)]
ZERO.THAT BRINGS US TO AGENDA ITEM 29, APPROVAL OF ACCOUNTS, BILLS, CLAIMS, AND PAYROLL.
I'M SUBMITTING TO THE COURT PAID CLAIMS THE AMOUNT OF $54,778 AND 69 CENTS, AND I ASK FOR THE COURT'S APPROVAL.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER M**K, I'LL SECOND.
I GOT OUT OF THE GATE TOO HARD.
GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER M**K, A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER LICHTY.
I ALSO SUBMIT, ADMIT TO THE COURT, UH, UNPAID CLAIMS IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,017,264 AND 10 CENTS.
AND I ASKED FOR THE COURT'S APPROVAL.
I'LL SECOND MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GUANA, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER LICK.
D IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES.
COMMISSIONER LICK D, REGISTER YOUR VOTE.
LASTLY, I'M UH, SUBMITTING TO YOU THE PAYROLL REPORT FOR THE PAY PERIOD ENDING FEBRUARY 28TH, 2026.
THE AMOUNT OF $1,247,359 AND 47 CENTS.
AND I ASK FOR THE COURT'S APPROVAL.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER IGUANA.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER LICHTY, IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES, PLEASE.
JUDGE, MAY I ASK YOU TO READDRESS NUMBER 28? THE, THE AGENDA ITEM? UH, I BELIEVE IT'S MY FAULT HOW IT WAS SUBMITTED.
DID, DID WE REVERSE BONDS AND TRAVEL? YES, SIR.
AS SOON AS YOU SAID IT OUT LOUD, I WAS LIKE, THAT DOESN'T SOUND RIGHT.
I I IT, IT TRIGGERED IN MY MIND, BUT I KEPT GOING.
YEAH, I THOUGHT SURELY I'M, I'M THINKING OF IT WRONG.
THE BACKUP, THE ACTUAL DOCUMENT IS CORRECT.
[30. EXECUTIVE SESSION]
BRINGS US TO EXECUTIVE SESSIONS COMMISSIONER QUARTER.DO WE, DO WE STATE THE VOTE WRONG? WHAT WAS THE ISSUE? GIVE US, GIVE US ONE SECOND FOR, DID THEY READ IT AS THE DID WHEN THEY MADE THE MOTION? WAS THE, WAS THE TWO AND FROM SUBMITTED TO THEM? I MEAN, DID THEY SAY THAT IN THEIR MOTION IT WAS NON-EMERGENCY BUDGET TRANSFER IDA PAYING OTHER THAN, OKAY, GOOD.
THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT OF ROCK WALL 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 MEETING SUBCHAPTER D TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE OR TO SEEK THE ADVICE OF ITS ATTORNEY.
ON THOSE ITEMS WILL BE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION ON PENDING OR CONTEMPLATED LITIGATION AND ATTORNEY-CLIENT INFORMATION.
NUMBER ONE, DISCUSSION OF DR. HORTON LITIGATION AND MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICTS.
NUMBER TWO ITS CONTRACT REVIEW.
NUMBER THREE, ATTORNEY FEE INVOICES.
WE WILL BE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION ON PERSONNEL MATTERS DISCUSSION REGARDING THE OPEN FIRE MARSHAL POSITION, DISCUSSION REGARDING EMPLOYEE NUMBER 9 3 4 IN CONNECTION WITH PROMOTIONAL SALARY.
[03:30:01]
EMPLOYEE NUMBER 1 9 6 8 IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROMOTIONAL SALARY.INCREASE DISCUSSION REGARDING EMPLOYEE NUMBER 4 8 4 FOR PROMOTIONAL SALARY INCREASE AT 1239.
WE'RE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION ORDER.
[31. RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION]
RIGHT.WE'RE GONNA RECONVENE INTO OPEN 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.
WELL JUDGE, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO APPROVE THE REALLOCATION OF THE RADIO ADMINISTRATOR POSITION TO A SWORN POSITION ALLOWING FOR THE PROMOTION OF EMPLOYEE 4 8 4 FROM A SERGEANT TO THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT.
I HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER STACEY.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GOANA, IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES, IT PASSES FOUR ZERO.
AND JUDGE, I HAVE ONE MORE MOTION I'D LIKE TO MAKE.
I WOULD LIKE TO APPROVE THE SALARY OF 65,000 FOR EMPLOYEE 9 3 4 EFFECTIVE APRIL 1ST FOR THE POSITION OF ELECTIONS.
I HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER STACEY.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER M**K, IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES NOW IT AGAIN PASSES UNANIMOUSLY BY THOSE PRESENT.
UH, AND DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER, OH, WE NEED TO
[21. Discuss/Act on revisions to the FY26 Rockwall County Performance Pay Plan, and all related issues; (Commissioner GaIlana) (Part 2 of 2)]
GO BACK TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 21 THAT WE WENT AROUND AND IT IS DISCUSS AND ACT ON REVISIONS TO THE FY 26 ROCKWALL COUNTY PERFORMANCE PAY PLAN AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANT TO TAKE THIS UP OR, UM, JUST LEAVE THIS FOR ANOTHER DAY.
JUDGE, WITH THIS COMING BACK, I MEAN WE'RE, WE'RE TWO OR THREE COURTS AWAY FROM BRINGING THIS BACK, SO I THINK IT MIGHT BE BEST JUST TO NOT DEAL WITH IT RIGHT NOW.
WELL THAT, UH, I SEE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT.
SO WE WILL CONSIDER AGENDA ITEM 21 CLOSED.
[32. COMMISSIONERS COURT REPORTS]
TAKE US BACK TO AGENDA ITEM 32.UH, WE HAD, UH, AN EVENT LAST SUNDAY FOR, UM, AMBASSADORS FOR ISRAEL AT CHANDLER'S LANDING.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO, UH, THE ROCK WALL PD WHO, UH, ACTED ON VERY SHORT NOTICE TO MAKE SURE THAT EVENT WAS SECURE WITH ALL THAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD.
UM, AND TO THE, UM, SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR COORDINATING SOME OF THAT COMMUNICATION AGAIN ON VERY SHORT NOTICE.
AND I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO REPRESENTATIVE KATRINA PEARSON, UH, FOR TAKING TIME OUTTA HER BUSY SCHEDULE TO BE THERE FOR US AS WELL.
UM, SINCE OUR NEXT MEETING WILL WON'T BE UNTIL NEARLY HALFWAY THROUGH THE MONTH, NEARLY HALFWAY THROUGH THE MONTH OF APRIL, I JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THAT.
UM, APRIL IS NATIONAL COUNTY GOVERNMENT MONTH.
UM, AND SO, UM, WE MIGHT WANNA HAVE A PARTY AT SOME TIME.
I DON'T KNOW IF, TAKE OUR OWN PICTURE.
OH, I THINK WE SPENT ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY MONEY TODAY.
I, TODAY I WAS ABOUT TO SAY, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE GONNA, I WAS ABOUT TO SAY, I'M NOT SURE HOW WE'LL PAY FOR IT, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD DEFINITELY DO THAT.
CONTINUING ON MY THEME OF WHERE WERE WE 250 YEARS AGO ON MARCH 25TH, 1776, THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS AUTHORIZED A GOLD MEDAL TO BE PRESENTED TO, AS THEY SAID, HIS EXCELLENCY GEORGE WASHINGTON.
THE MEDAL WAS AUTHORIZED TO HONOR GENERAL WASHINGTON AND THE MEN UNDER HIS COMMAND FOR THEIR WISE AND SPIRITED CONDUCT IN THE SIEGE AND ACQUISITION OF BOSTON.
THIS WAS THE FIRST MEDAL EVER APPROVED BY THE CONGRESS, AND THE MEDAL REMAINED IN WASHINGTON'S FAMILY UNTIL 1875 WHEN A COMMITTEE OF 50 PROMINENT BOSTON CITIZENS PURCHASED THE MEDAL FROM THE DESCENDANTS OF GEORGE WASHINGTON'S NEPHEW, GEORGE STEPTOE, WASHINGTON.
THE MEDAL WAS THEN PRESENTED TO THE CITY OF BOSTON TO COMMEMORATE THE CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE.
THE MEDAL IS NOW PART OF THE COLLECTION OF THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY.
COMMISSIONER STACY, I HAVE NOTHING TO ADD, SIR.