Nov 08, 2021 Commissioners Court

[00:00:01]

GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY IN COMMISSIONERS COURT.

WE'RE GOING TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER ON MONDAY, THE 8TH DAY OF NOVEMBER 2021 AT 9:00 A.M.. COMMISSIONER ROLAND, WOULD YOU LEAD US IN THE INVOCATION, PLEASE? YES, SIR, I'D BE HAPPY TO.

I WOULD.

OUR GOD, WHICH ART IN HEAVEN? THE FATHER OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR.

JESUS CHRIST.

FATHER.

THIS MORNING, THIS COURT HAS A REAL DIFFICULT AGENDA TO GO BY.

AND LORD, I ASK YOU TO COME IN HERE, COME IN HERE RIGHT NOW AND BE WITH US LORD LEAD US, GUIDE US AND SEND US IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

LORD, MY WHOLE MIND AND BODY HAS BEEN CONSUMED THE LAST TWO WEEKS WITH WITH WITH THE AGENDA THAT WE HAVE BEFORE US RIGHT NOW.

BUT I PRAYED AND I HAVE PRAYED AND I HAVE PRAYED.

HELP US LORD TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS TODAY.

THESE AN ALL BLESSED CAN I ASK IN JESUS NAME? AMEN.

[Announcements]

NO ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM ME JUDGE.

COMMISSIONER SHELTON.

YES, SIR, I HAVE THREE ANNOUNCEMENTS.

I GOT A WONDERFUL CALL FROM THE MCMAHON VOTING LOCATION OF HOW WONDERFUL THE SETUP FOR THE VOTING WAS PREPARED.

MANY THANKS TO THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT, THEY SAID.

EVERYTHING WAS THERE.

THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO GO HUNT FOR ANYTHING.

&SO I HOPE IT WAS THAT WAY IN EVERY OTHER VOTING PRECINCT.

IT WENT SMOOTHLY.

THE MCMAHON VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS HAVING THEIR FUNDRAISER ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH A LIVE AND SILENT AUCTION STARTS AT 4:00 P.M.

THIS IS THEIR FIRST FUNDRAISER THEY'VE HAD IN TWO YEARS, AND WE KNOW WE NEED TO SUPPORT OUR VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS.

IT'LL BE AT THE FIVE HOUR, FIVE R RESTAURANT ON HIGHWAY 304 AND 713, AND ON NOVEMBER THE 20TH, IN LULING THE 36TH ANNUAL ARTS AND CRAFTS SHOW AT THE THUMP PAVILION FROM NINE TO FOUR.

THEY MOVED IT FROM THE WEEKEND OF THANKSGIVING TO THE WEEKEND PRIOR, SO THEY'LL HAVE A LOT OF STUFF DOWN THERE IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOME EARLY HOLIDAY SHOPPING.

OK.

COMMISSIONER THERIOT.

COMMISSIONER ROLAND, YOU GOOD? STAFF, ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS?

[Citizens' Comments]

OK, CITIZENS COMMENTS.

SARAH CHINN.

SHE'S NOT HERE, I DON'T THINK .

BARRY HOGAN.

I'D LIKE TO REMIND EVERYBODY, YOU HAVE FOUR MINUTES FOR CITIZENS COMMENTS.

OUR RANCHES OPPOSED ANY SUBDIVISION TO BE PLACED WITHIN OUR SUBDIVISION AND ON OUR ROAD UNTIL THAT ROAD MEETS THE CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE STANDARDS, AS OUTLINED IN THE CALDWELL COUNTY PLANNING ORDINANCE.

OTHERWISE, SUCH APPROVAL WOULD BE UNSAFE.

K&L RANCHES SUBDIVISION WAS PLATTED AND REVIEWED BY THE CALDWELL COUNTY ENGINEER IN 1970.

IT HAS NEVER BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE COUNTY BECAUSE THERE WERE NO REQUIREMENTS IN 1970 FOR SUBDIVISION TO BE REGISTERED, AND THERE WERE NO REQUIREMENTS FOR THE STANDARD FOR CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE IN 1970.

THEREFORE, THE ROAD WHICH IS MEETS THE DEFINITION OF PRIVATE GRAVEL ROAD, ACCORDING TO THE PLANNING ORDINANCE, IT PROVIDES VEHICULAR ACCESS TO OUR TRACKS, WHICH AT THE TIME WERE ALL AND STILL ARE ALL GENERALLY 50 ACRES OR GREATER.

IT'S A PRIVATE EASEMENT AND IT'S MAINTAINED BY THE CITIZENS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

THE PROPOSED SUBDIVISION OF BUY LAND SELL TEXAS WOULD INCREASE THE NUMBER OF HOUSES BY AS MANY AS TWENTY THREE, ACCORDING TO YOUR PLANNING ORDINANCE.

THAT WOULD INCREASE THE NUMBER OF TRIPS PER DAY BY AS MUCH AS OVER 200.

CURRENTLY, WE HAVE ABOUT 20 TRIPS PER DAY ON THAT ROAD, SO WE OBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF ANY SUBDIVISION WITH OUR NON WITHIN OUR NON-CONFORMING SUBDIVISION.

PLACING A MODERN SUBDIVISION IN A NON-CONFORMING SUBDIVISION CIRCUMVENTS THE

[00:05:05]

PLACES ANY SUBDIVISION ON A PRIVATE GRAVEL ROAD IS PROHIBITED WITHOUT FIRST BRINGING THE OPERATION OF THE PRIVATE GRAVEL ROAD UP TO CURRENT STANDARDS ALL THE WAY TO THE PAVEMENT.

THAT'S IN THE PLANNING ORDINANCE.

SO WE HAVE A LETTER.

I'VE GOT SOME ATTACHMENTS AND ADDENDUM TO PASS OUT LATER BY THE COUNTY ATTORNEY.

WE HAVE LETTERS FROM DELHI FIRE DEPARTMENT AND FROM THE LULING EMS OPPOSING THIS SUBDIVISION.

I'VE ALSO PROVIDED A NUMBER OF LETTERS FROM THE COMMUNITY, A LETTER FROM THE 92 YEAR OLD DEVELOPER WHO ENGINEERED THE ORIGINAL ROAD.

THERE'S AT LEAST 10 MORE LETTERS THAT HAVE GONE DIRECTLY TO COMMISSIONER SHELTON.

I ALSO HAVE PROVIDED IN THAT PACKET EXCERPTS FROM THE PLANNING ORDINANCE AND SPECIFICALLY TALK TO THE RESPONSIBILITY AND INTENT TO KEEP THE ROADS SAFE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU.

THAT WAS NOT FOR YOU.

IF YOU STILL HAVE A MINUTE, IF YOU'RE NOT DONE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT WAS.

I'LL USE EVERY MINUTE YOU CAN GIVE ME.

IF WE LOOK TO THE DEFINITIONS, WE MEET THE DEFINITION OF NONCONFORMING SUBDIVISION.

WE ALSO, IF YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THE DEFINITIONS OF ROADS WITHIN THE PLANNING ORDINANCE, IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT THAT OUR ROAD MOST MEETS THE DEFINITION OF PRIVATE GRAVEL ROAD, WHICH IS LESS THAN 100 TRIPS PER DAY AS PER TABLE B2.

IT ALSO PRIVATE GRAVEL ROADS MAY BE APPROVED TO PROVIDE VEHICULAR ACCESS TO FARM RANCH AND OTHER RURAL TRACTS THAT ARE GENERALLY 50 ACRES OR MORE IN SIZE.

AND WHEN THERE ARE NO EXISTING PUBLIC ROADS, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE HAD IN 1970.

IF WE LOOK AT B5 E SUBDIVISIONS, WHICH CHOOSE TO USE, THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE BROUGHT UP TO STANDARD ALL THE WAY TO THE PAVEMENT.

SO EITHER THE COUNTY OR THE DEVELOPER NEEDS TO BRING THAT ROAD ALL THE WAY TO THE PAVEMENT UP TO STANDARD BEFORE THIS COURT SHOULD APPROVE IT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU, SIR.

EDWARD MOSES.

HOWDY.

HELLO.

MY NAME'S EDWARD MOSES.

I LIVE IN 207 WEST AUSTIN, LULING, TEXAS.

I'M HERE SPEAKING ON NUMBER 16 ABOUT THE EVACUATION CENTER.

I FEEL LIKE THE EVACUATION CENTER SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED IN LULING FOR A FEW REASONS.

ONE THING WE'VE ALWAYS HAD EVACUATION CENTER THERE.

THERE'S ALWAYS COME, ANYTIME THERE'S BEEN A DISASTER ANYWHERE.

IF THE GULF COAST OR IN CALDWELL COUNTY, WE ALWAYS OPENED UP THE SCHOOLS.

THE SCHOOLS OPENED UP.

I REMEMBER, SOME OF YOU ALL WEREN'T HERE, BUT I KNOW JOE WAS IN 98 WHEN HE HEADED MARTINDALE FLOOD.

I WAS AT THAT TIME I WAS WORKING FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND I DRIVE THE SCHOOL BUSSES AT LIKE THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING TO GO PICK UP PEOPLE IN MARTINDALE.

AND AT THE END OF THE PICKING UP, PEOPLE WOULD START PICKING UP ANIMALS AND THEN WE HAD TO GO TAKE THE ANIMALS TO THE CIVIC CENTER.

BECAUSE THE SCHOOL WAS FULL, WE WOULDN'T THEM INTO SCHOOL, SO IT TOOK THE ANIMALS.

SO I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO HAVE A PLACE FOR ANIMALS ALSO.

I'M JUST GOING TO TELL YOU ALL THAT BECAUSE IT DOES HAPPEN.

AND AS I WAS COMMISSIONER, WE HAD SEVERAL FLOODS AND HURRICANES AND ALWAYS WE ALWAYS HAD THE FLOODS OR HURRICANES.

WE ALWAYS OPENED UP THE SCHOOLS.

WE DIDN'T REALLY OPEN UP THE CIVIC CENTER.

WE OPENED UP THE SCHOOLS AND THE CIVIC CENTER WAS LIKE FOR THE OVERFLOW AND FOR EVERYTHING ELSE.

WE ALWAYS HOPED UP THE GYMS FIRST.

THAT WAS THE FIRST THING WE OPENED UP AND THEN WE OPENED UP THE CIVIC CENTER.

BUT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL REMEMBER, IN OCTOBER THE 31ST 2013, WE HAD THE HALLOWEEN FLOOD THAT WAS A BIG FLOOD.

I MEAN, WE HAD WE HAD IN THE COMMAND CENTER WAS ALWAYS SET UP AT THE POLICE STATION.

WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A COMMAND CENTER.

IT'S POLICE STATION.

THEN WE HAD IN 2015, WE HAD THE MEMORIAL DAY FLOOD IN 2005, 2015, OCTOBER, OCTOBER 15, WE HAD THE ALL SAINTS FLOOD.

I MEAN, WE HAD FLOODS BACK TO BACK AND HAD ALWAYS BEEN TO COME TO LULING.

THEY ALWAYS COME TO OPEN UP TO THE SCHOOLS.

THEN WE OPEN UP THE CIVIC CENTER.

THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN THERE.

AND THEN WE HAD HURRICANE HARVEY.

THAT'S WHEN WE HAD EVERYBODY GO GETTING SANDBAGS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, AND WE ALWAYS HAD TO SET UP A COMMAND POST THERE IN LULING.

THAT'S THE POLICE STATION I CAN REMEMBER.

I WENT TO ALL THE MEETINGS.

I WENT TO ALL THE ALL THE DISASTER MEETINGS.

WE ALWAYS WENT TO ALL THE MEETINGS TO GO TO SEE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.

HOW ARE WE GOING TO DISPERSE EVERYBODY? SO IT'S ALWAYS IN THE EVACUATION CENTER ROUTE.

IT COMES TO LULING.

IF YOU IF YOU GO THROUGH, GO FROM CORPUS TO GALVESTON, ANYWHERE YOU'RE COMING UP,

[00:10:06]

AND WE ALSO OUR AREA OUT THERE, WE HAVE ROOM FOR EXPANSION.

SO IF YOU EVER IF ONCE WE BUILD THE BUILDING FOR EVACUATION CENTER AND WE NEED TO EXPAND, LET'S SAY FOR ANIMALS, WE HAVE THE AREA OUT THERE TO DO IT WITH.

WE HAVE MORE LAND IF YOU NEED IT AS WE NEED ALSO ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURES OUT THERE.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE.

IT'S ALREADY THERE.

SO I SURE APPRECIATE Y'ALL LISTENING TO ME, AND I WISH Y'ALL CONSIDER PUTTING IN AN EVACUATION CENTER IN LULING TEXAS.

THANK YOU, LULING TEXAS, CALDWELL COUNTY.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

GOOD MORNING.

GOOD MORNING.

EVERYBODY GET THEIR FIX OF YELLOWSTONE LAST NIGHT.

MY NAME IS TOM KNIGHT.

I'M A COUNTERPART TO BARRY HOGAN THERE.

I WANT TO ADD MY VOICE TO THE PROPOSED TRACK SUBDIVISION IN 50 ACRES THAT LIES BETWEEN LOUIS LANE AND NIGHT LANE, ALTHOUGH I DON'T THINK THE COUNTY RECOGNIZES THESE NAMES.

THE COUNTY REFERS TO OUR ROADS AS K&L1, K&L2 AND K&L3.

[INAUDIBLE] THE BAT IT DEPERSONALIZES WHAT THE COUNTY ENGINEER GAVE TENTATIVE APPROVAL TO A DEVELOPER WHO HAS NO DESIRE TO IMPROVE INGRESS AND EGRESS OF THE TRACKS HE WANTS TO SELL.

HE HAS MADE THE STATEMENT.

HE DOES NOT PLAN ANY WORK ON OUR ROADS.

MY FATHER AND HIS PARTNER, ED LEWIS, DEVELOPED K&L RANCHES IN 68 TO 70.

THEY PUT IN THE ROADS THAT WE USE NOW.

MY DAD AND I HAVE BEEN THE PRIMARY MAINTAINER K&L RANCH ROAD, KNIGHT LANE AND LEWIS LANE WITH SOME HELP OF OUR NEIGHBORS.

I PICKED IT UP FULL TIME IN OCTOBER OF 99.

MY WIFE, JACKIE AND I MOVED HERE FULL TIME.

BARRY HOGAN AND HIS FATHER HELPED AND THAT THEY SUPPLIED THE ROAD GRADERS TO MAINTAIN THE ROAD AND WHAT LITTLE MATERIALS ON THE ROAD.

THE REASON FOR MY DAD AND I WORK IN THE ROAD IS EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN CONSTRUCTION, PARKING LOTS OF COMMERCIAL JOB SITES, RESIDENTIAL PARKING AND ROADWAYS TO APARTMENTS.

UNIQUE KNOWLEDGE OF NOT ONLY DEALING WITH THAT IS NOT RIGHT.

YOU FIND WHERE I'M AT NOW.

KNOWLEDGE IS NOT ONLY DEALING WITH THE ACTUAL MAINTENANCE OF THE ROADWAY, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, HOW THE ROAD IS DRAINED.

WE HAVE DONE SO WITHOUT THE USE OF CULVERTS.

IF THE DEVELOPER WANTS TO PUT 15 LOTS ON A 50 ACRE TRACK INSIDE ALMOST RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF KNL RANCH ROAD WITHOUT IMPROVING THE ROAD, THEY INSTANTLY QUADRUPLE TRAFFIC HE WILL BRING OR DESTROY WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF SELLING OVER HALF THE TRACKS, I MIGHT ADD 15 TRACKS WILL BE EQUAL TO ALL THE PROPERTY OF THE CURRENT OWNERS.

INSIDE K&L RANCH CONFINES, K&L STARTED WITH 21 TRACKS AND MINIMUM 50 TO 120 ACRES.

THIS IS NOW DOWN TO 15 OWNERS BUYING AND CONSOLIDATION.

THE COUNTY HAS TO THIS POINT, REFUSED TO TAKE OVER K&L DUE TO THE WIDTH OF EASEMENT, WHICH IN THE EARLY 70S COUNTY REGULATED AT 40 FEET.

NOW, CONVENIENTLY, THEY SAY 50 FEET LIKE SAND HILL ROAD.

THE COUNTY WON'T TAKE IT OVER FROM PAVEMENT TO K&L DUE THE WIDTH.

SO EVEN IF WE SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO BRING K&L TO COUNTY SPEC, THEY STILL WOULDN'T TAKE IT OVER.

I COULD POINT TO NUMEROUS COUNTY ROADS AT LESS THAN 40 FEET, BUT WOULDN'T HELP OUR MATTER HERE.

THE DEVELOPERS ALREADY MADE THE STATEMENT TO ONE OF OUR LANDOWNERS THAT HE WASN'T GOING TO DO ANYTHING WITH K&L.

NEITHER WILL WE.

SO WHEN THE ROAD BECOMES UNPASSABLE DUE TO GREED AND COUNTY OFFICIALS WHO THINK THEY ARE GOING TO PAD THE COFFERS WITH MORE TAXES, THEY MAY WANT TO RETHINK THE APPROVAL OF A SMALL TRACT DEVELOPMENT THAT WILL DESTROY AN EXISTING PRIVATE ROAD, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TRAFFIC THAT WON'T SUSTAIN.

ALL I CAN SAY IS THE COUNTY WON'T HAVE ANY CHOICE TO TAKE IT OVER IF FOR NOTHING OTHER THAN THE EXCESS FOR 911 RESPONSE, WHICH ALREADY SLOWED TO THE SHAPE OF THE ROAD.

RIGHT NOW, THE MOST TRAFFIC IS NOT OUR RESIDENTS, BUT FEDEX, AMAZON PRIME, FLUID AND GARBAGE TRUCKS.

SOME OF OUR RECORD 30 SECONDS LEAVE FOR WEEKS AT A TIME.

MY WIFE AND I ONE OF THEM.

I THANK YOU FOR Y'ALL'S TIME.

THANK YOU, SIR.

THAT IT.

GOOD MORNING, RAYMOND DE LEON.

[00:15:07]

I SPEAK HERE OUT OF CONCERN OF THE PROPOSED REDISTRICTING MAPS THAT WILL BE DISCUSSED LATER ON THIS MORNING.

I KNOW THAT EVERY 10 YEARS AFTER A CENSUS, WE MUST REALLOCATE POPULATION SO THAT EACH PRECINCT CAN HAVE AN EQUAL NUMBER OF POPULATION WITHIN THEIR AREA.

BUT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THE MAPS WERE.

THE PROPOSED MAPS ARE BEING DRAWN, PARTICULARLY IN TWO AREAS OF PRECINCT FOUR.

WE'RE GOING TO HEAR SOME TERMS TODAY.

PROBABLY YOU'RE GOING TO GET TIRED OF HEARING IT, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST AND THERE ARE DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS OF WHAT A COMMUNITY OF INTEREST IS.

BUT WHAT I WANT TO FOCUS ON IS COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE A HISTORICAL ARE THAT HAVE A COMMON HISTORY WITH EACH OTHER.

NOW THE AREA IN 401 WAS NOW CURRENTLY 401.

IT CUTS IT DOWN WITH PONCHO TO CHIHUAHUA IN BETWEEN LOVER'S LANE, CUTS THAT OUT, SEPARATES IT FROM THE REST OF THE EAST SIDE.

AND THEN WE COME ON WHAT IS KNOWN HERE LOCALLY AS TANK TOWN AND NORTH OF THE TRACKS TAKES THEM AWAY.

COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE HAD A HISTORICAL BOND THAT HAVE BEEN INTACT FOR THE 20 YEARS THAT I'VE REPRESENTED THEM, AND EVEN BEYOND THAT, THOSE COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN TOGETHER.

NOW I KNOW THAT AGAIN, Y'ALL HAVE TO.

PRECINCT FOUR HAD THE HIGHEST POPULATION, SO NUMBERS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE TAKEN AWAY.

AREA IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE TAKEN AWAY, BUT THERE IS A WAY TO DO IT WITHOUT DISRUPTING THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE A COMMON HISTORY, THOSE COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST.

MAYBE I FEEL PRESSURED TO APPROVE THESE MAPS BY A CERTAIN TIME PERIOD BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE FILING PERIOD WE PROPOSE FILING PERIODS BEGINS NOVEMBER 13TH.

THE LEGISLATURE PUT THIS ON, Y'ALL, BUT I ASK YOU NOT TO RUSH THIS MAP.

GO BACK, TAKE A LOOK AT IT.

AND AGAIN, I AM SPEAKING HERE, NOT AS A PERSON WHO'S RUNNING FOR REELECTION.

I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT MY JOB.

I AM RETIRING AT THE END OF MY TERM.

I'M JUST SPEAKING AS A CONCERNED CITIZEN OF PRECINCT FOUR.

SO PLEASE, I ASK YOU TO TAKE YOUR TIME IN APPROVING THESE MAPS.

HE'S GOING TO WAIT TILL THE PUBLIC HEARING.

GOOD MORNING, JUDGE.

GOOD MORNING, MORNING, COMMISSIONERS.

MY NAME IS ALFREDO MUNOZ.

I LIVE IN 1201 PLUM STREET.

I KNOW ALL OF Y'ALL AND I'VE WORKED WITH MOST OF Y'ALL, AND I CONSIDER SEVERAL OF Y'ALL VERY GOOD FRIENDS.

WHEN I SERVED AS COMMISSIONER, I WORKED HARD TO EDUCATE MYSELF ON ISSUES AND MATTERS BEFORE THE COURT THAT WOULD AFFECT MY CONSTITUENTS AND ASKED FOR THEIR THOUGHTS AND CONCERNS AND FOR THEIR INPUT.

TODAY, I ASK YOU TO PLEASE CONSIDER.

I STRONGLY URGE MORE TRANSPARENCY AND TIME FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO GIVE THEIR INPUT ON THE ISSUE OF REDISTRICTING.

FOLKS, I KNOW THAT Y'ALL ARE PUT UNDER A TIME CONSTRAINT AND I KNOW THIS IS A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION Y'ALL ARE IN, BUT I WOULD REALLY HOPE THAT WE COULD POSTPONE APPROVING THESE MAPS AND GET SOME COMMUNITY INPUT.

IT'S ALWAYS HELPFUL THAT WAY PEOPLE WILL BUY INTO THE WHOLE SYSTEM INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT IT FROM ONE SIDE.

SO I APPRECIATE YOU ALL VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, SIR.

HELLO, MY NAME IS SARAH CHEN, AND I'M AN ATTORNEY WITH THE TEXAS CIVIL RIGHTS PROJECT.

WE ARE A NONPROFIT LEGAL NONPROFIT BASED IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, WITH OFFICES AROUND THE STATE.

WE BECAME CONCERNED WITH THE PROPOSED MAPS FOR PROCESS REASONS AND ALSO FOR REASONS THAT WE ARE CONCERNED DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT WITH RESPECT TO HISPANIC REPRESENTATION.

I SENT THE COMMISSIONERS A LETTER YESTERDAY AND THE COUNTY JUDGE, DID YOU RECEIVE THIS LETTER? IF NOT, I HAVE PAPER COPIES FOR YOU NOW.

THAT DESCRIBES OUR CONCERNS IN MORE DETAIL.

MAY I APPROACH? MA'AM, WE IF YOU'LL WAIT TILL THE HEARING, WILL TAKE YOUR HANDOUTS THEN.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

ANYONE ELSE? OK, THANK YOU.

[CONSENT AGENDA]

ARE THERE ANY IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON CONSENT? NOT, I'D LOOK FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE.

I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.

WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

WE HAVE A MOTION AND SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE.

OPPOSED, HEARING NONE.

MOTION CARRIES.

[SPECIAL PRESENTATION]

[00:20:05]

CONNECTED NATIONS WILL BE THE FIRST.

I'M GOING TO ASK THAT YOU KEEP THIS WITH TO TEN MINUTES BECAUSE WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING AT 9:30.

THANK YOU, JUDGE.

I APPRECIATE IT AND I KNOW YOU HAVE SOME IMPORTANT THINGS ON YOUR DOCKET.

SO WITH THAT, I CAME TO YOU ABOUT A MONTH AGO WITH CONNECTED NATIONS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND ACTION PLAN.

AND TODAY AND AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE COULD NOT GET THE INTERNET UP FOR MR. SPAN, CHIP SPAN TO PRESENT THE INTERACTIVE MAPS AND HIS FIELD STUDY THAT HE DID IN THE COUNTY.

WE FELT THIS WAS IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND AND AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT BROADBAND, HE IS ABSOLUTELY THE MAN TO TALK TO.

HE IS AN ENGINEER AND DID THE STUDY.

SO WITH THAT, CHARLES, ARE YOU WITH US, CHIP? I KNOW HE'S WITH US.

HIS MIKES OFF.

YEAH.

HE GOES ON AND ON.

COULD YOU PLEASE REPEAT THAT? SURE.

CAN JUDGE.

WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING HERE IN CALDWELL COUNTY, AND HE'D LIKE US TO LIMIT THIS TO ABOUT 10 MINUTES IF POSSIBLE.

OK, OK, OK.

CAN EVERYBODY SEE THE SCREEN FOR YOUR CHIP? OKAY.

SO I WAS ENGAGED TO [INAUDIBLE] IN CALDWELL COUNTY AND TRY AND DO MY BEST TO TRY AND DISCOVER WHERE YOU HAD BROADBAND THAT WAS BEING REPORTED BY PROVIDERS.

THAT WAS CLEARLY ERRONEOUS OR OVERSTATED ENTRIES, AND I KIND OF LIKE TO DIG INTO THAT FOR JUST A MOMENT.

BROADBAND PROVIDERS ARE REQUIRED BY LAW TO FILE DATA WITH THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION TWICE PER YEAR.

THAT HAPPENS IN MARCH AND IT HAPPENS IN SEPTEMBER, AND THEY DO SO BASED ON WHAT'S CALLED, YOU KNOW, A CENSUS BLOCK FILING.

NOW, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE PROBABLY MY AGE AND CAN REMEMBER MR. ROGERS, WE'RE GOING TO GO TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF MAKE-BELIEVE FOR A SECOND.

WE'RE GOING TO PRETEND THAT YOU'VE GOT AN EIGHT AND A HALF BY 11 DOT ANYWHERE ON THAT PAPER THAT YOU WANT TO.

THAT DOT REPRESENTS THE SINGLE PERSON IN THE CENSUS BLOCK THAT HAPPENED TO BE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE END OF CHARTER'S LINES, OR THE END OF CENTURYLINK LINE THAT THEY COULD ACTUALLY GET SERVICE FOR BROADBAND.

EVERYTHING ELSE, ALL THE OTHER SPACE THAT'S LEFT ON THAT EIGHT AND A HALF BY 11 SHEET OF PAPER.

THAT'S THE AREA THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BELIEVES ALSO MUST HAVE ACCESS BECAUSE THAT SINGLE CUSTOMER DOES.

AND IN COUNTIES LIKE CALDWELL, WHERE YOU'VE GOT HUGE CENSUS BLOCKS IN RURAL FARMLAND, THAT CAUSES A DRAMATIC AMOUNT OF OVERSTATEMENT.

SO I'M GOING TO START WITH THE ENGINEERING MATH THAT I USED AND I'M GOING TO SEGUE TO THE TO THE INTERACTIVE MAP THAT YOU GUYS HAVE NOW IN ORDER FOR US TO TRY AND DETERMINE WHERE WE THOUGHT THERE WERE ISSUES WITH BROADBAND.

WE HAD TO GO LOOK AT ALL OF THAT FCC FORM 477 DATA.

SO I'M GOING TO TURN SOME THINGS OFF AND ON HERE THAT I BELIEVE ARE NOT CONFIDENTIAL.

SO I DON'T THINK I'M SHARING ANYTHING WITH YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT COULD NOT BE REPRODUCED OR PUBLICLY ILLUSTRATED.

THE MAJORITY OF THESE ITEMS THAT I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU CAME FROM FCC FORM 477 DATA.

FOR EXAMPLE, IN CALDWELL COUNTY, THIS HUGE BLOCK OF REAL ESTATE SUPPOSEDLY HAS SERVICE FROM A COMPANY CALLED CABLE ONE OR SPARK LIFE.

WHEN I WAS THERE, THERE WAS NOTHING BUT GRASS AND CATTLE IN THAT ENTIRE AREA.

SO WE SUGGESTED THAT THIS BE REMOVED FROM THE MAP AND THAT CABLE ONE BE REMOVED AS A PROVIDER FROM CALDWELL COUNTY BECAUSE WE COULDN'T FIND ANY EVIDENCE THAT THEY EXISTED THERE.

THE SAME HOLDS TRUE WITH COMCAST.

WE NOTICED THAT THERE WERE A FEW BLOCKS IS KIND OF POPPED UP RANDOMLY WITHIN THE AREA WHERE WE COULD NOT FIND EVIDENCE THAT COMCAST EXISTED.

AND SO AS WE WENT DOWN THIS MAP EACH TIME WE FOUND SOMETHING.

BY THE WAY, YOU LIKE THIS ONE, AND I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU HOW SMALL, AND MINUTE THIS IS.

ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, GOOGLE FIBER ACTUALLY OFFER SERVICE TO ONE SMALL SECTION OF THE TOWN OF LOCKHART.

AND YET, AFTER SPENDING CLOSE TO AN HOUR DRIVING THROUGH THIS AREA AND TRYING TO DETERMINE WHO THEY COULD POSSIBLY BE SERVING, NOT ONLY COULD WE NOT FIND ANY EVIDENCE OF FIBER OPTIC CABLE, WE COULDN'T FIND ANY EVIDENCE OF GOOGLE FIBER AS A

[00:25:01]

SO A LOT OF THESE AREAS WERE THEN LISTED ON THE NEW INTERACTIVE MAP THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR POSSESSION AS A SECTION THAT LIKELY NEEDS TO BE REMOVED BECAUSE IT HAD AN OVERSTATED COVERAGE AND OVERSTATED BOUNDARY.

AND WE'LL GET BACK INTO THIS, INTO YOUR MAP IN JUST A MOMENT.

SO AS WE CONTINUE THROUGH THIS PARTICULAR MAP, WE FOUND A LOT OF SMALL THINGS LIKE THIS THAT HAD BEEN LISTED.

WE FOUND A COMPANY CALLED IN-TOUCH THAT SUPPOSEDLY NOT ONLY OFFERS CABLE TELEVISION SERVICE TO THIS VERY SMALL STRIP OF PROPERTY, BUT THEY ALSO OFFER FIBER TO THE HOME.

NOW I'M GOING TO CHANGE THIS MAP SO THAT YOU CAN SEE VISUALLY WHERE THAT'S AT.

AND AS YOU LOOK AT IT, YOU SAY TO YOURSELF, THAT JUST DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.

THAT LOOKS LIKE THAT'S THE PROPERTY BETWEEN TWO DRIVEWAYS.

AND THUS, THIS IS WHY USING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S MAPS HAVE BEEN SO, SO HORRENDOUS OVER THE YEARS WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO DETERMINE WHAT WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

CENSUS BLOCKS ARE JUST A SET OF NUMBERS, AND ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TRANSPOSE TWO NUMBERS.

AND SUDDENLY, INSTEAD OF REPORTING THAT YOU'RE PROVIDING SERVICE IN CALDWELL COUNTY, YOU MIGHT BE NOW PROVIDING SERVICE IN NOME, ALASKA.

WELL, ALL THESE PROVIDERS JUST DON'T DOUBLE CHECK.

SO OUR JOB PART OF WHAT WE DO THROUGH BROADBAND MAPPING AND FIELD VALIDATION, OUTSIDE PLAYING, AUDIT ETC.

IS TO GO INTO YOUR COMMUNITY AND TRY AND FIND WHAT WE BELIEVE IS THE FACT AND ELIMINATE FICTION.

NOW, AS WE'RE DOING THAT, WE'RE TAKING PICTURES OF THINGS ALONG THE WAY.

HOPEFULLY, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING ON MY SCREEN RIGHT NOW IS A PICTURE OF SOME TELEPHONE DEVICES.

AND THEN THE CENTER, YOU SEE THIS THING ATTACHED TO A FENCE POST.

WELL, THAT THING HAPPENS TO BE A VDSL NODE.

AND SO WHEN WE'RE OUT IN THE FIELD, WE'RE LOOKING FOR THIS SORT OF EQUIPMENT BECAUSE THIS TELLS US NOT ONLY WHO THE OWNER IS OR WHO THE OPERATOR IS, BUT WHAT TYPE OF SERVICE POTENTIALLY IS BEING OFFERED IN THAT AREA.

WE'RE LOOKING FOR THINGS LIKE THE TELEPHONE COMPANIES CENTRAL OFFICE.

THIS DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT SOMEBODY OCCUPIES THE BUILDING IN THE CENTRAL OFFICE IS A TERM THAT'S BEEN USED IN THE TELEPHONE INDUSTRY AS FAR BACK AS I CAN REMEMBER AS BEING THE PLACE WHERE ALL OF THE ALL OF THE COPPER LINES COME TOGETHER, EVERYTHING FOR THAT COMMUNITY KIND OF TERMINATES INSIDE THIS BUILDING, AND THIS CONTROLS ALL OF THE TELEPHONE LINES AND ALL OF THE DSL THAT COULD BE GOING IN AND OUT FOR A SPECIFIC LOCATION.

WE'RE LOOKING FOR THINGS LIKE FIXED WIRELESS ANTENNAS AND WHICH DIRECTION THEY'RE POINTING SO THAT NOT ONLY CAN WE DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT FIXED WIRELESS IS BEING OFFERED, WE CAN TRY AND FIGURE OUT FROM WHAT TOWER, WHO THE OWNER IS, HOW WIDE THE CHANNEL MAY BE AND WHAT SORT OF SPEED IS BEING OFFERED IN YOUR COMMUNITY.

SO ALL OF THAT KIND OF GOT HOMOGENIZED DOWN INTO THIS INTERACTIVE MAP WE'VE PRESENTED TO YOU.

NOW BASED ON SOME CONVERSATIONS I HAD WITH JUDGE HADEN.

THERE WERE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR THAT WERE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.

SO LET ME MAKE SURE THAT I'M COVERING THOSE.

FIRST AND FOREMOST, THE JUDGE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS A MAP THAT SHOWED ALL OF THE INFORMATION FOR THE REGISTERED TOWERS, THOSE TOWERS THAT ARE REGISTERED WITH THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION OR THE FEDERAL AVIATION COMMISSION.

SO THAT LAYERS HERE.

AND WHEN YOU CLICK ON ONE OF THESE ICONS, WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN FOR YOU IS IT GIVES YOU THE REGISTRATION NUMBER, THE LATITUDE, THE LONGITUDE, THE PHYSICAL ADDRESS AND LOCATION, IF AVAILABLE, WHO OWNS THE PROPERTY, ET CETERA.

I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT'S BEEN HERE FOR YOU.

IN ADDITION TO THAT PARTICULAR LAYER, I KNOW THIS KIND OF LOOKS LIKE A MESS AND THIS IS THE PRELIMINARY VERSION, BUT THERE'S ALSO ADDITIONAL TESTING, THAT ARE NOT REGISTERED WITH THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION BECAUSE THEY'RE LESS THAN 200 FEET IN HEIGHT OR THEY DON'T SIT IN THE FLIGHT ZONE.

SO WITH THE COMBINATION OF THIS MAP NOW YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING THAT'S LIT WITH A LITTLE TRIANGLE AND EVERYTHING THAT...

CHIP, CAN YOU HEAR ME? REGISTRATION ICON YEAH, WE'RE RUNNING.

WE'RE I'M GOING TO HAVE TO CALL PUBLIC HEARING TO ORDER HERE VERY SHORTLY SO.

CHIP, HE'S GOING TO NEED YOU TO WRAP UP.

OKAY, SO ALL OF THIS INFORMATION IS IN HERE.

THERE'S PHOTOGRAPHS, ETC.

IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE MAPS OR WHAT THEY MEAN, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO GIVE US A CALL.

OTHERWISE, JUST KNOW THAT WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO ENSURE THAT

[00:30:04]

THANK YOU AND HAVE A NICE DAY.

THANK YOU CHIP.

I WILL PULL THIS OUT IN, YOU KNOW, HOW TO GET A HOLD OF ME.

WE CONTINUE TO WORK IN YOUR COUNTY AND WE'RE WORKING [INAUDIBLE].

OK.

WITH THAT, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CALL THIS PUBLIC HEARING TO ORDER AT 9:31A.M.

[PUBLIC HEARING (a), 9:30]

TO RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON REDISTRICTING OF COUNTY ELECTION.

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE AND COMMISSIONERS COURT PRECINCTS AFTER PUBLIC HEARING, COMMISSIONERS WILL TAKE UP FOR CONSIDERATION AND TO TAKE POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING ONE OR MORE ALTERNATIVE PLANS FOR REDISTRICTING OF COUNTY COMMISSION OR COURT PRECINCTS.

THE COURT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE ANY AND ALL APPROPRIATE ACTIONS REGARDING THE REDISTRICTING OF CALDWELL COUNTY POLITICAL BOUNDARIES, INCLUDING THE ACCEPTANCE OF NEW BOUNDARIES FOR THE COMMISSIONERS, COURT PRECINCTS, MODIFICATIONS OF ANY BOUNDARIES AND OR TABLING THE PENDING PROPOSALS FOR LATER CONSIDERATION AND OR ACTION.

OK, WE ARE OPEN TO COMMENT AT THIS TIME.

GREEN LIGHT ON ON YOUR MIC THERE? OK, MUCH BETTER, GOOD MORNING JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK THIS MORNING WELL, THE REASON I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE LEAGUE OF UNITED LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS FOR COUNSEL [INAUDIBLE] AND THE FIRST THING HERE, HERE, HERE AND HERE, MY OBJECTION IS TO THE MAP, TO A PROPOSED BY THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HERE.

I BELIEVE IT VIOLATES THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT.

AND NOT ONLY THAT, IT CUTS AND DESTROYS AND CRACKS TWO MINORITY MAJORITY PRECINCTS HERE.

IT ALSO ELIMINATES THE POLLING PLACE.

NOW, AS YOU UNDERSTAND, UNDER THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE SUPREME COURT CASE IN THIS COUNTY, BASICALLY DEFINE THOSE TWO AREAS THAT WE DEFINED AS THE TANK TOWN ZUCKERBERG MONEY

[00:35:16]

SO THE IDEA OF YOU BREAKING THEM UP HERE IS IN VIOLATION OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT.

SO I'M HERE IN BEHALF OF LULAC TO PROTEST THE MAP THAT YOU HAVE HERE BECAUSE IT IS CRACKING AND DESTROYING COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST.

AND THE INTENT HERE, AS I BELIEVE, IS TO DILUTE THE VOTING STRENGTH OF THOSE AREAS.

SO I WANT YOU TO RECONSIDER EITHER POSTPONING OR GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.

THESE MAPS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE.

THANK YOU JUDGE.

THANK COMMISSIONERS.

THANK YOU.

MORNING, COMMISSIONERS DAVID GRATT [INAUDIBLE] HERE IN LOCKHART, I WANTED TO ADD A COUPLE OF OTHER THOUGHTS ON THIS TOPIC, BUT FIRST I WANTED TO ENCOURAGE YOU.

YOU CAN DO BETTER, YOU CAN DRAW A MAP THAT IS IN A FAIR WAY THAT DOESN'T DIVIDE COMMUNITIES AND THAT DOESN'T DILUTE MINORITY VOICES IN GENERAL.

I'M SORRY IN GETTING READY FOR TODAY, I ASKED A FEW COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO CONSIDER COMING TO SPEAK HERE TODAY, AND SEVERAL OF THE FOLKS THAT I TALKED TO HADN'T REALLY HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THESE NEW MAPS.

OR IF THEY HAD, THEY THOUGHT THERE WAS GOING TO BE SOME, SOME MORE TIME TO PROVIDE INPUT.

AND THEY WERE SURPRISED THAT THEY HADN'T HEARD ABOUT TODAY, AND THEY WERE REALLY SURPRISED THAT THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY OTHER CHANCE FOR THEM TO CONTRIBUTE.

BUT I MUST SAY THAT A COUPLE OF FOLKS THAT I TALKED TO SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF WHICH FIGURES THAT THAT IS, THEY WEREN'T SURPRISED THAT THIS COURT WOULD PASS NEW MAPS WITH FOUR DAYS NOTICE AND WITHOUT GIVING A REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE INPUT.

AND SO I WANTED TO FIRST SORT OUT SORT OF PUT A PIN IN THE IDEA THAT THERE ARE FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT SHOULD HAVE A VOICE.

BUT BECAUSE OF THE WAY THIS IS ALL PLAYED OUT, HAVING ONE MEETING OR ONE HEARING AT 9:30 A.M.

ON A MONDAY WITH LITTLE NOTICE THAT BECAUSE OF THAT, THERE ARE FOLKS THAT SHOULD HAVE A VOICE, BUT THAT WON'T GET A CHANCE TO BE HEARD.

AND THAT'S SORT OF SYMBOLIC OF THE WHOLE SITUATION I THINK.

THAT THIS SHORT, QUIET NOTICE SILENCES VOICES WHO WILL THEN BECAUSE OF THAT ACTION OR INACTION, HAVE THEIR COMMUNITY SILENCED AND DIVIDED FOR THE NEXT DECADE.

SOUNDS LIKE A MOVIE SCRIPT, RIGHT? FOUR DAYS THAT DETERMINED A DECADE.

SO I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER AND CONSIDER THOSE SILENCE VOICES WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR DECISION TODAY.

YOU KNOW, I SPENT A LOT OF TIME SINCE THURSDAY RUNNING THROUGH DIFFERENT MAPS AND COMING UP WITH ALTERNATE SCENARIOS, AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT MAPS THAT SATISFY THE CONCERNS THAT YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT TODAY.

AND SO LET ME ASSURE YOU THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO DRAW A MAP THAT DOESN'T DIVIDE COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST, AND IT IS POSSIBLE TO DRAW A MAP THAT AVOIDS DILUTING THE VOICE OF MINORITY VOTERS.

I'VE SEEN SEVERAL SUCH MAPS, AND HOWEVER, IN ORDER TO DRAFT MAPS THAT SATISFY ALL YOUR REQUIREMENTS, ONE NEEDS ALL THE INPUT.

AND RIGHT NOW, IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT WAYS, WE DON'T HAVE ALL THAT INPUT.

FOR EXAMPLE, I UNDERSTAND ONE OF YOUR REQUIREMENTS IS TO DRAW MAPS THAT KEEP THE COMMISSIONERS AND THE JP'S AND THE CONSTABLES HOMES IN THEIR OWN DISTRICT.

AND SO WHILE I DRAW UP SEVERAL, SEVERAL MAPS THAT WOULDN'T SORT OF DISCRIMINATE IN THE WAY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, I SUSPECT SOME OF THOSE MAPS MIGHT HAVE DRAWN ONE OF YOU OUT OF YOUR OWN, YOUR OWN DISTRICT.

AND SO EVEN THOUGH I CAN DRAW POLYGONS AND QGIS OR SOME OTHER GIS MAPPING APPLICATION WITHOUT HAVING ALL THE INPUT, I CAN'T DRAW A MAP THAT WILL SATISFY THAT REQUIREMENT.

SO I SHOULD SAY THAT DESPITE MR. MCGEE'S SUGGESTION THAT ALTERNATE MAPS MIGHT COME FROM THE PUBLIC IN SOME UNDEFINED WAY WITHOUT THAT INPUT OR AT LEAST KNOWING THE NEIGHBORHOOD, OR MAYBE A COUPLE OF BLOCKS THAT I CAN'T TOUCH WELL, I CAN'T GIVE YOU A MAP THAT WILL SATISFY THAT REQUIREMENT AND SORT OF SIMILARLY AND MAYBE MORE IMPORTANT.

THERE ARE OTHER INPUT WE ARE CURRENTLY MISSING, AND I THINK Y'ALL HAVE HEARD ABOUT COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST BEING DIVIDED UP.

AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT YOUR PROPOSED MAPS WILL CAUSE PEOPLE IN MINORITY COMMUNITIES WHO HAVE VOTED IN CERTAIN LOCATIONS FOR DECADES TO NOW HAVE TO VOTE IN NEW LOCATIONS.

BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAN EVEN CAPTURE ALL OF THE CONCERNS LIKE THAT WITH FOUR DAYS NOTICE.

AND I DON'T KNOW HOW WITH FOUR DAYS NOTICE, WE CAN INCLUDE ALL THE VOICES THAT WE SHOULD INCLUDE.

AND I UNDERSTAND YOU'VE GOT A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME TO DO THIS IN, AND SOME OF THAT IS OUTSIDE OF YOUR CONTROL.

BUT YOU ALSO HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT.

YOU MET ON OCTOBER 22ND AND YOU CAME UP WITH THE MAPS THAT WE WERE VIEWING TODAY, THIS MAP HERE.

AND YET THOSE MAPS ARE NOT MADE PUBLIC UNTIL 13 DAYS LATER ON NOVEMBER 4TH.

AND THEN YOU SCHEDULED THIS MEETING FOUR DAYS LATER FOR NOVEMBER 8TH AND YOUR LEGAL COUNSEL AND YOU HAD THREE TIMES LONGER THAN THE PUBLIC DID TO GIVE UP TO REVIEW THESE MAPS.

AND SO WHILE I UNDERSTAND THE LEGISLATURE HAS GIVEN YOU A SHORT RUNWAY, YOU ALSO OWN SOME OF THIS YOURSELF.

AND FRANKLY, EVEN IF YOU MOVE THIS OUT TO FRIDAY MAYBE, I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S STILL ENOUGH TIME.

YOU SHOULD AT LEAST GIVE THE PUBLIC A COUPLE OF WEEKS SO THAT THEY HAVE AS LONG AS YOU HAD AND YOUR LEGAL COUNSEL HAD TO REVIEW THE MAPS.

AND FOUR DAYS IS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO GATHER INPUT FOR THE VOTERS OF MARTINDALE OR CLEVELAND OR OUT IN LINTON SPRINGS OR OTHER PLACES LIKE TANK TOWN THAT YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT TODAY.

AND YOU CAN DO BETTER AND YOU CAN AND MUST DRAW A MAP THAT IS FAIR AND THAT DOESN'T DIVIDE COMMUNITIES AND DOESN'T DILUTE MINORITY VOICES.

THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU.

GOOD MORNING.

MY NAME IS ANDREA GIFFORD.

I'M CO-FOUNDER OF PROGRESS RURAL ENRICHMENT PROJECT, WE'RE A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION FOCUSED ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION INITIATIVES THAT SUPPORT BIPOC AND RURAL AREAS BIPOC, MEANING BLACK, INDIGENOUS AND PEOPLE OF COLOR.

THE FOLLOWING IS A STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF OUR ORGANIZATION REGARDING THE

[00:40:02]

ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH, IT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION THAT THE CALDWELL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT INTENDED TO VOTE ON THE REDISTRICTING OF CALDWELL COUNTY TODAY, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH.

OUR ORGANIZATION FULLY UNDERSTANDS THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS AND THE RESPONSIBILITY OF COUNTY OFFICIALS TO ENSURE THAT THE PROPER PROCESSES ARE CARRIED OUT.

AFTER REVIEWING THE PROPOSED MAPS PROGRESS RURAL ENRICHMENT PROJECT TAKES SERIOUS ISSUE WITH THE LACK OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION USED TO REACH SUCH A PROPOSAL.

AS YOU MAY KNOW, THE PROPOSED MAPS REVEAL MAJOR CHANGES TO DISTRICT FOUR WHICH WE ALSO RECOGNIZE TO BE DISTRICTS THAT ARE HEAVILY OCCUPIED BY PEOPLE OF COLOR.

THEIR CURRENT PROPOSED CHANGES COULD HAVE SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS FOR THESE ELECTORAL DISTRICTS, INCLUDING, EXCUSE ME, VOTE DILUTION AND VOTER CONFUSION.

WE TOOK WHAT TIME WE HAD TO SPEAK TO SOME OF THE CONSTITUENTS OF THESE DISTRICTS TO ASK IF THEY WERE AWARE OF THE NEW PROPOSED MAPS.

SADLY, WE COULDN'T FIND ONE PERSON, NOT ONE.

COUPLED WITH A PUBLIC HEARING ON SUCH A SUBJECT AT 9:30 A.M.

ON A MONDAY AT HOURS, WHERE MOST CONSTITUENTS WHO MAY HAVE COMMENTARY ARE REQUIRED TO REPORT TO WORK OR SCHOOL.

THIS IS A RED FLAG FOR US.

WE SEE THIS AT BEST AS A MISSTEP BY THE COUNTY THAT UNINTENTIONALLY EXCLUDED THE VOICES OF ITS BIPOC COMMUNITY AND AT WORST, AN INTENTIONAL LACK OF AN INTENTIONAL LACK OF TRANSPARENCY BY THE COUNTY.

WE ARE INCLINED TO BELIEVE THE FORMER RATHER THAN THE LATTER.

WE STRONGLY BELIEVE IN THE INTEGRITY AND THE MORAL AND ETHICAL COMPASS OF CALDWELL COUNTY AND ITS ELECTED OFFICIALS.

THIS IS WHY WE ARE REQUESTING TODAY THAT THE VOTE ON REDISTRICTING BE POSTPONED TO GIVE TIME FOR ALTERNATIVE PROPOSALS TO BE PRESENTED THAT MAY BE MORE EQUITABLE IN NATURE.

INCLUSION WORKS WHEN YOU INCLUDE DIVERSE VOICES INTO YOUR DECISION MAKING.

YOU WILL FIND THAT YOU GET THE VERY BEST OUTCOMES FOR THE COMMUNITY.

FAILING TO DO SO CREATES CRACKS IN THE FOUNDATIONS OF TRUST THAT THESE COMMUNITIES HAVE FOR YOU, AND THOSE ARE THE CONSEQUENCES THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO ASSIST YOU IN AVOIDING.

OUR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR HAVE BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH.

LET'S GET THIS DONE THE RIGHT WAY.

PLEASE POSTPONE YOUR VOTE.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

GOOD MORNING.

GOOD MORNING.

WOULD YOU LIKE PHYSICAL COPIES OF THE LETTER THAT I REFERENCED? YES, PLEASE.

AND IS MR. ERIC MCGEE HERE AS WELL? I HAVE A COPY FOR HIM.

HE IS NOT.

HE IS, HE IS.

THEY'RE STILL WORKING IN OTHER COUNTIES.

HE HAD WELL OVER A HUNDRED COUNTIES THAT HE WAS WORKING IN.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

AS I STATED EARLIER, MY NAME IS SARAH CHEN, AND I'M AN ATTORNEY WITH THE TEXAS CIVIL RIGHTS PROJECT.

WE ARE A 501C3 LEGAL NONPROFIT BASED IN AUSTIN THAT FOCUSES ON VOTING RIGHTS WORK, NONPARTISAN VOTING RIGHTS WORK ACROSS THE STATE.

CALDWELL COUNTY WAS ALREADY ON OUR RADAR DUE TO SOME POLLING PLACE CLOSURES AND OTHER INSTANCES OF DISCRIMINATION, BUT IT WAS THANKS TO RESIDENTS OF CALDWELL COUNTY REACHING OUT TO US ABOUT THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT THIS RUSHED REDISTRICTING PROCESS AND THE SINGLE MAP PROPOSAL THAT YOU GAVE TO THE PUBLIC JUST FOUR DAYS BEFORE THIS PUBLIC HEARING.

THAT CAUSED US TO JUMP IN.

AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS LETTER, WE HAVE SOME SERIOUS CONCERNS WITH VOTING RIGHTS ACT COMPLIANCE.

SECTION TWO OF THE FEDERAL VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965 IS STILL IN OPERATION, AND IT PROTECTS THE VOTING RIGHTS OF RACIAL MINORITIES.

CALDWELL COUNTY GREW IN POPULATION BY OVER 20 PERCENT, BUT THE WHITE POPULATION ACTUALLY DECREASED IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, AND THE HISPANIC OR LATINO POPULATION IS NOW FIFTY FIVE PERCENT OF THE COUNTY.

NOT TO MENTION FIVE PERCENT BLACK POPULATION.

THESE ARE THE POPULATIONS PROTECTED BY FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS LAW AND IN ORDER TO COMPLETE IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH YOUR OBLIGATIONS TO REDISTRICT SO THAT THESE COMMUNITIES HAVE A VOICE AND HAVE THE ABILITY TO ELECT THE CANDIDATES OF THEIR CHOICE, WE BELIEVE THAT IT IS THAT IT IS INCUMBENT ON YOU TO DRAW COMMISSIONER ACCORD PRECINCT MAPS WITH AT LEAST TWO MAJORITY MINORITY PRECINCTS AND BY MAJORITY MINORITY WE MEAN MAJORITY CITIZEN VOTING AGE POPULATION BECAUSE THAT IS THE METRIC RECOGNIZED BY THE COURTS BY THE 5TH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS TO MEASURE TRUE ELECTORAL INFLUENCE.

IT CANNOT JUST BE A BARE MAJORITY OF TOTAL POPULATION.

IT CANNOT BE JUST VOTING AGE POPULATION.

IT MUST BE CITIZEN VOTING AGE POPULATION, WHICH IS DATA AVAILABLE TO YOUR ATTORNEY CONSULTANT AND TO YOU VIA REDISTRICTING AND MAPPING SOFTWARE THROUGH THE 2019 AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY.

SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO LISTEN TO THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY THAT YOU'VE HEARD THAT THERE ARE THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES, THERE ARE ALTERNATE CONFIGURATIONS POSSIBLE THAT WILL DRAW MAPS THAT HAVE AT LEAST TWO CITIZEN VOTING AGE MAJORITY HISPANIC OR LATINO POPULATION THAT WILL COMPLY WITH THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT TO DO OTHERWISE RISKS A SECTION TWO LAWSUIT.

IN ADDITION, YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT PROCESS PROBLEMS. I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH THE STATEMENTS ALREADY MADE THAT YOU HAD MORE NOTICE AND MORE TIME.

AND OF COURSE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE LATE RELEASE OF CENSUS DATA DID POSE PROBLEMS, AND I EMPATHIZE COMPLETELY WITH THE COMMISSIONERS COURT IN DEALING WITH THIS RUSH TIMELINE.

THAT BEING SAID, PLEASE GIVE THE PEOPLE OF CALDWELL COUNTY AT LEAST UNTIL THIS FRIDAY, WHEN THEIR CANDIDATE FILING DEADLINE OPENS TO COMPLETE SUBMIT MAPS TO GIVE MORE TESTIMONY ABOUT THEIR TRUE LIVED COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST, WHICH PEOPLE SAY HAVE BEEN SPLIT BY THIS PROPOSED MAP, AND TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER THE POINTS MADE IN THIS LETTER, AND THAT I'VE MADE TO YOU TODAY ABOUT CONSIDERATION OF CITIZEN VOTING AGE POPULATION TO PROTECT MINORITY VOTING INFLUENCE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM NOW.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

NO MORE COMMENTS.

OK, SO I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS A FEW OF THE THINGS THAT WERE MENTIONED, AS YOU SAID, WE WERE ON A VERY OH YES, SORRY, I DO NEED TO WELL, DO WE HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING? YEAH, WE'LL TAKE.

WE'LL DISCUSS THE REST OF IT.

YOU'RE IN ACTION.

SO WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 9:50, ACCORDING TO PURSUANT AT THE CHAPTER FIVE FIVE TO THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE.

PUBLIC HEARING IS HEREBY CLOSED THIS 8TH DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2021.

OK, COMMISSIONERS, WE CAN, IF YOU'D LIKE, MOVE TO THE ITEM THAT DEALS WITH THIS SO THAT FOLKS CAN BE ON THEIR WAY, AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.

SO WE WILL MOVE TO ITEM 13 DISCUSSION ACTION.

CONSIDER THE APPROVAL OF APPROVAL ORDER ADOPTING REDISTRICTING PLAN FOR CALDWELL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT PRECINCTS.

AS I AS I STARTED TO SAY WE, WE WERE ON A VERY SHORT LEASH ON THIS WE HAD LITERALLY HAD THIS MEETING AT THE FIRST AVAILABLE OPPORTUNITY OF ALISSON, BASS, AND MAGEE AND ERIC MAGEE TO COME HERE.

WE POSTED THIS WORKSHOP PUBLICLY.

WE SENT IT TO ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WE NORMALLY SEND IT TO.

WE SENT IT TO BOTH PARTIES AND BOTH PAPERS AND A MYRIAD OF OTHER PEOPLE.

WE HAVE A VERY LONG LIST OF PEOPLE THAT RECEIVE NOTICE OF THAT WORKSHOP.

WE THEN HAD THAT WORKSHOP AND WE WERE HERE FOR HOURS GOING THROUGH THIS.

[00:45:14]

SO WE HAD TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO GIVE UP SOME OF THAT PRECINCT AND NOT SPLIT COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST.

AND WE WE WORK VERY HARD AT THAT.

WE WERE PARTICULARLY COGNIZANT OF SAINT JOHN COLONY TO NOT ENCROACH UPON ST.

JOHN.

AND I THINK COMMISSIONER ROLAND WAS WAS AWARE THAT WE WERE DOING THAT AS WELL AS WAS I.

I ACTUALLY MENTIONED IT OUT LOUD NUMEROUS TIMES THAT WE WERE COMING DOWN TOO FAR FROM THE NORTH OR COMING UP TOO FAR FROM THE SOUTH OR COMING IN TOO FAR FROM THE WEST THAT WE WERE ENCROACHING ON ST. JOHN.

SO WE WE MADE A REAL EFFORT NOT TO DO THAT AND THAT THAT IN AND OF ITSELF, BECAUSE ST.

JOHN IS IS A IS A COMMUNITY THAT'S BEEN THERE SINCE THE 1800S.

SO IT DEFINITELY QUALIFIES IN THAT CATEGORY.

AND SO IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO THEN BEGIN TO ENCROACH FROM THE NORTH BECAUSE YOU DON'T GO VERY FAR NORTH BEFORE YOU START GETTING INTO ST.

JOHN.

IF YOU COME UP FROM THE SOUTH, YOU'RE IN DALE BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, WHICH IS HISTORICALLY KIND OF A PART OF ST.

JOHN.

IF YOU COME FROM THE WEST, YOU'RE DEALING WITH THESE NEIGHBORHOODS, THEY IN QUESTION RIGHT NOW.

AND SO WE TRIED VERY HARD TO DO THAT.

ONCE THEN WE WAITED FOR THE OFFICIAL MAP TO COME BACK FROM OUR ATTORNEY, WHICH TOOK SOME TIME BECAUSE ALISON BASS AND MAGEE IS REPRESENTING A LOT OF COUNTIES AND WE'RE ALL ON A VERY SHORT LEASH.

MR. GRATT STOPPED BY MY OFFICE.

WE LOOKED OVER THE MAP TOGETHER, SITTING OUT ON MY TABLE IN PLAIN SIGHT.

SO WE DID WORK VERY HARD ON THIS AND WE DID IN FACT INCREASE MAJORITY MINORITY POPULATION IN ONE, THREE AND TWO AND MANAGED TO ONLY LOWER THAT POPULATION BY ONE PERCENT IN FOUR.

SO WE WERE VERY COGNIZANT OF THOSE THINGS.

WE DID POST THAT WORKSHOP AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN WONDERFUL TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE HERE.

WE SENT IT, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, WE SENT IT TO BOTH PARTIES.

WE TRIED TO MAKE EVERYONE AWARE THAT'S ON OUR NORMAL POSTING LIST THAT WE WERE HAVING THAT WORKSHOP.

I KNOW THAT IT'S HARD TO GET HERE DURING THE DAY, BUT ON SOMETHING THIS IMPORTANT, I THINK IT'S WORTHWHILE TO COME HERE AND WE HAD TO HAVE THAT ONE DURING THE DAY TO ACCOMMODATE MR. MAGEE'S SCHEDULE.

WE THEN POSTED THIS HEARING.

SO I MEAN THIS, WE POSTED OUR HEARING SO THAT YOU COULD COME AND BE HEARD.

AND WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND OPEN THIS UP TO THE COMMISSIONERS FOR ANY COMMENTS.

AND IF IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO COME BACK UP AND ADDRESS THE COURT, I'M FINE WITH THAT DURING THIS AGENDA ITEM, BUT I JUST ASK THAT WE DO IT IN THE ORDERLY FASHION, PLEASE.

OK.

I WOULD LIKE TO START IT OFF.

I THINK EVERYONE ON THIS COURT KNOWS THE RESPECT AND TRUST THAT I HAVE IN EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.

I THINK WE ARE REALLY FRIENDS AND I THINK WE DID A REALLY, REALLY GOOD JOB TRYING TO PUT THIS TOGETHER.

BUT, YOU KNOW, AFTER LOOKING AT IT, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY CLOSE.

I THINK THERE IS SOME ROOM FOR TWEAKING IT A BIT, YOU KNOW, TO LIKE THESE COMMUNITIES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THERE.

EVER SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE COURT THAT [INAUDIBLE] AND OVER HERE ON EAST MARKET STREET, ALL THOSE ARE FAMILIES IN THAT RAILROAD TRACK WILL DIVIDE SOME OF THAT FAMILY

[00:50:01]

[13. Discussion/Action to consider the Approval Order Adopting Redistricting Plan for Caldwell County Commissioners Court Precincts (Part 1 of 2)]

SO, I MEAN, IF WE COULD TWEAK IT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE CAN TURN IT ALL THE WAY AROUND, YOU KNOW, BUT I THINK WE MIGHT COULD TWEAK IT AND WE, THE YOUNG LADIES ASKED FOR UNTIL FRIDAY, CAN WE AFFORD TO WAIT TILL FRIDAY? WE CAN, BUT WE HAVE TO POST IT BY THIS AFTERNOON IN ORDER TO HAVE IT FRIDAY.

WHAT IS OUR DEADLINE JUDGE? WELL, SO THE DEADLINE TO FILE BEGINS ON THE 13TH.

I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE IF WE'RE UNDER A SPECIFIC DEADLINE OR NOT TO GET THIS MAP COMPLETED BY THE 13TH, BUT IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR CANDIDATES FILE UNLESS THEY KNOW WHAT PRECINCT THEY'RE FILING IN.

SO REALLY, THE 13TH IS KIND OF WHAT WE'RE UP AGAINST WOULD BE THE LAST DAY THAT WE HAVE TO DO THIS.

I WANT TO ASSURE YOU ALL.

I THINK I THINK MOST OF YOU KNOW ME AND KNOW THAT I WOULD NEVER TRY TO GERRYMANDER SOMETHING TO BE IN ONE PARTY'S FAVOR OR THE OTHER.

IN FACT, I HAD A MAP SENT TO ME BY A CONSTITUENT FROM ANOTHER COUNTY SUGGESTS IT WOULD HAVE MET ALL THE MINORITY RULES, AND IT WOULD HAVE COMPLETELY REDRAWN THIS COUNTY IN A WAY THAT WOULD HAVE ENSURED THAT IT WAS WAS A REPUBLICAN PARTY STRONGHOLD, FOREVER MORE.

THAT MAP WAS NEVER INTRODUCED AND NEVER SUGGESTED BECAUSE IT'S NOT THERE.

SO I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE DID GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS OF TRYING TO BE AS FAIR AS WE POSSIBLY COULD AND COMMISSIONERS, I'LL THROW THAT OPEN THE AUDIT IF ANY OF Y'ALL HAVE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO INTERJECT.

I MEAN, I'LL ADD THAT THE TWO, THE TWO AREAS UNDER DISCUSSION, SPECIFICALLY WITHIN THE CITY OF LOCKHART, THERE WASN'T ANY INTENT TO SEPARATE THEM OUT INTENTIONALLY OR ANYTHING WE WE HAD MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS WITH DURING THAT PUBLIC HEARING.

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT COMMISSIONER ROLAND COMMENTS.

SINCE IT'S IT'S HIS PRECINCT THAT WE'RE HAVING TO MOVE POPULATION OUT OF AND TO BE COGNIZANT AND FAIR AND REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT HIS WISHES WERE AT THAT TIME.

I FELT THAT WE THAT WE TOOK THOSE VERY SERIOUSLY DURING THAT PUBLIC HEARING WHEN WE DREW THOSE, THOSE AREAS.

IT IS, THOSE WERE THOSE WERE NOT THE FIRST ONES DRAWN OUT.

THOSE THOSE CAME BY AFTER A COUPLE OF HOURS OF SITTING IN HERE JUST BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT THE POPULATION IS DISPERSED WITHIN PRECINCT FOUR.

SO THAT'S THAT WAS MY INTERPRETATION OF HOW IT WENT.

AND I BELIEVE WHOLEHEARTEDLY THAT WE WENT THROUGH THAT PROCESS WITH AS MUCH OPEN MINDEDNESS AND FAIRNESS AS WE COULD.

WELL, I KNOW THAT I APPROACHED UP THERE WITH A THE MAP WITH MR. MAGEE, AND WE MOVED THINGS AND CHANGE THINGS, TRYING TO STAY VERY CONSCIOUS OF WHAT WE WERE DOING.

THERE WAS A COMMENT MADE EARLIER THAT THERE WERE NO NUMBERS ATTACHED TO TODAY'S AGENDA, BUT THOSE NUMBERS WERE ATTACHED AND THE NUMBERS WE WERE DEALING WITH ON THE DAY THAT WE HAD THE WORKSHOP THAT WAS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, WHICH WAS PUBLICIZED ON THE COUNTY'S WEBSITE ON THE NEWSPAPERS, AND THAT WAS OPEN FOR ANYONE TO COME AND HELP US DO THAT.

AND WE WERE HERE WITH NO OUTSIDE ANYBODY HELPING US.

AND AS HE SAID, IT WAS SENT TO BOTH OF THE PARTIES CHAIRPERSONS.

SO, YOU KNOW, AT THAT POINT, THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE BEGINNING OF WHERE SOMEBODY SHOULD HAVE CAME FROM, EITHER PARTY, WHEREVER, WHATEVER PRECINCTS, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WATCHING AND NOT DOING ANYTHING THAT HURTS ANYBODY.

I THINK JOE HAD ABOUT 4000 PEOPLE.

AM I CORRECT IF I'M WRONG? AM I RIGHT? HE HAD ROUGHLY 4000 PEOPLE THAT HAD TO BE MOVED OUT OF HIS PRECINCT.

SO THAT MEANS, YES, WE ARE GOING TO HURT SOMEWHERE AND WE MOVED AND JOE SAID, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.

I WANT TO KEEP THAT.

AM I CORRECT, JOE? AND WE MOVED AGAIN AND WE MOVED AND WE WORKED ON THAT FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS IN HERE TO MAKE SURE WE WERE TRYING TO BE FAIR, BECAUSE IT'S NOT FAIR.

IF YOU LOOK AT IT IN ALL ASPECTS, IT'S NOT FAIR BECAUSE HE'S HAD THOSE PEOPLE ALL THESE YEARS, BUT EVERYBODY, THE MOST CONCENTRATED POPULATED PLACE WE HAVE MOVED UP INTO THAT AREA, SO WE HAVE TO TAKE AWAY AND WE HAVE TO TAKE AWAY WHERE THERE'S NUMBERS.

[00:55:06]

AND IT'S BECAUSE IT'S NOT AS POPULATED.

SO I HAVE 50 PERCENT OF THIS COUNTY AND I EVEN HAD TO TAKE IN MORE IN ORDER TO SHIFT OUT OF HIM TO ME TO IN ORDER TO TO SHIFT THE WHOLE CLOCK.

SO IT WAS IT WAS A CHORE TO SIT HERE, AND I'VE STUDIED THIS MAP FOR ABOUT THREE WEEKS PRIOR TO US HAVING THAT WORKSHOP.

AND I KNOW THESE COUNTY ROADS AND THESE AREAS.

AND SO I, WHEN I FIRST STARTED, THEY'RE LIKE, OH NO, NO, WE DON'T WANT TO TAKE ANY OUT OF ONE.

WE NEED TO DO IT OUT OF FOUR.

I SAID NO, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ROTATE A LITTLE.

WE'RE GOING HAVE TO SHIFT IN ORDER TO PULL THAT OUT OF HIS PRECINCT.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID FOR THOSE TWO HOURS IN RESPECT OF WHAT JOE WAS.

NO, NO, NO.

I GOT TO KEEP THAT AREA AND WE DID.

WE DID THAT.

AND I UNDERSTAND IT IS HURTFUL THAT WE HAVE TO PULL PEOPLE, BUT WE HAVE TO PULL THEM WHERE THERE'S NUMBERS TO BECAUSE OUT IN MY PRECINCT, I GOT THESE LITTLE AREAS THAT HAD TWO VOTERS.

YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE BLOCKS, THE CENSUS BLOCKS.

I HAVE TWO PEOPLE IN IT.

I, YOU KNOW, BUT YOU GET INTO SOME OF THOSE WHERE JOE IS AND WESTRIDGE SECTION, THERE'S LIKE 700 PEOPLE IN THERE.

THAT'S A BIG NUMBER.

SO YOU HAVE TO PULL FROM THOSE NUMBERS TO MAKE THIS THING WORK.

IT'S NOT AN EASY TASK.

AND WE HAD THOSE NUMBERS AND MR. MAGEE HAD THE NUMBERS OF THE CENSUS BLOCK ON THE MAP THAT WE WERE DOING.

SO IT WASN'T THAT IT WASN'T HAD THE NUMBERS AND IT WASN'T THAT IT DIDN'T HAVE INFORMATION.

WE HAD ALL THE INFORMATION WE WOULD HAVE ACCEPTED AND LOVED TO HAVE THE PUBLIC INPUT OF THIS.

BUT NO ONE SHOWED UP.

THIS HAS BEEN PUBLICIZED IN THE NEWSPAPER THAT THE COUNTY'S BIG LETTERS FRONT PAGES THE COUNTY'S REDISTRICTING.

WE ALL KNOW WHEN THAT CENSUS CAME OUT, THIS IS WHAT WAS HAPPENING.

WE ALL KNOW IF WE WANTED TO PUT INPUT, WE NEEDED TO BE HERE AND WE NEEDED TO DO SO.

BUT NO ONE DID.

NO ONE SHOWED UP TO HELP US, EXCEPT FOR WE WERE TRYING TO BE RESPECTFUL OF PRECINCT FOUR SAVING WHAT HE HAS, WHERE HE WANTED, TO MAKE SURE HE KEPT THOSE THAT HE KNEW WAS VERY CONCENTRATED FOR THE ELECTION FOR HIM.

THAT'S WHAT WE DID.

WE HONORED WHAT HE ASKED.

AND YES, 4000 PEOPLE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE TO HAVE TO PULL OUT OF ONE PRECINCT.

BUT WE HAD TO DO IT.

WE WERE 50 PERCENT.

WE HAD TO GET UNDER 10 PERCENT.

THERE'S A NUMBER.

WE HAVE TO BE UNDER 10 PERCENT.

SO WE TRY TO DRAG IT DOWN AS FAR AS WE CAN SO THAT IN THE YEARS THAT THESE PEOPLE THAT AREN'T VOTING AGE, BUT THEY'RE 15 AND 16 NOW.

BUT IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS, THEY'RE VOTERS.

SO WE HAD TO MAKE SURE WE GET THAT NUMBER DOWN AND WE WANTED IT BELOW FIVE PERCENT.

WE NOW HAVE IT WITH THAT MAP AT 3.04, AND THAT'S FOR THE GROWTH OF ALL THOSE KIDS WHO ARE GOING TO GROW UP AND THEY'RE GOING TO VOTE IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS.

WE HAVE TO LOOK INTO THE FUTURE.

SAME LIKE IF YOU BUILD A SCHOOL, YOU NEED TO PREPARE TO HAVE ENOUGH ROOM.

WE HAD TO PREPARE TO HAVE ENOUGH ROOM IN ORDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GROW.

AND WE'RE GROWING, FOLKS.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REALIZE THAT LOOK AROUND YOU, EVERY CORNER IS GROWING.

IT STARTED IN PRECINCT TWO, SO I'M GOING TO POPULATE MORE.

I'M GOING TO GROW BECAUSE THAT I HAVE THE OPEN AREA OUT THERE THAT DON'T HAVE THE AMENITIES OF THE GROCERY STORE FIVE MINUTES AWAY.

IT DOESN'T HAVE WAL-MART 20 MINUTES WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO DRIVE 30 MINUTES TO GET FROM MY PART, TO GO TO A WAL-MART, YOU KNOW, I HAVE THE CITY OF LULING.

THEY HAVE AWESOME THINGS ON THERE, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE A WALMART, SO YOU'VE EITHER GOT TO COME TO LOCKHART, GO TO GONZALES.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE YOU GET OUT IN THE VERY WEST PART OF THAT COUNTY.

LOOK AT THAT MAP OR THE EAST PART AND YOU'LL SEE THAT'S ALL SAND HILL STUFF.

THERE'S NOTHING OUT THERE.

THERE'S NOT CONVENIENT MARTS.

YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T JUST DRIVE AND GET A GALLON OF GAS.

YOU GOT TO FILL UP BEFORE YOU GET OUT OF A TOWN AND BEFORE YOU, GO HOME TO MAKE SURE YOU GOT GAS.

SO WHAT WE TOOK IN CONSIDERATION FOR JOE AND HIM BEING HERE IS HIS OWN REPRESENTATIVE TO DO IT AND US ALL BEING THOUGHTFUL OF THAT.

I THOUGHT WE DONE A GOOD JOB, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW THIS DOESN'T.

IT DIDN'T REALLY AFFECT ME.

I WAS PRETTY MUCH EVEN ON THAT ON THOSE NUMBERS THAT WE HAD.

I REALLY DIDN'T HAVE TO MOVE WITH ANYTHING.

I MEAN, MY NUMBERS WERE GOOD IN ALL OF MY RACE POPULATIONS.

EVERYTHING, MY NUMBERS WERE ALL GOOD.

AND BUT WE KNEW WE HAD TO TAKE THAT CLOCK AND TURN IT, AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID WITH THAT.

AND WE'RE HOPING WE GAIN THE RESPECT OF THE PUBLIC TO REALIZE THOSE KIDS WHO ARE 14.

WHAT LET'S SAY THOSE KIDS THAT ARE 12, THEY'RE GOING TO VOTE BEFORE THE NEXT CENSUS.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAD TO TAKE IN ACCOUNT AS WELL.

THANK YOU.

IS THERE ANYONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO COME UP AND ADDRESS THE COURT? YES, SURE, PLEASE.

ABSOLUTELY.

I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID.

IT WAS A IT WAS A TOUGH PROCESS.

DURING THE WORKSHOP, I WASN'T HAPPY WITH HOW PRECINCT THREE ENDED UP, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT THE MATH THAT WE WERE DEALING WITH WAS FORCING US TO LOOK

[01:00:11]

YOU JUST CAN'T MAKE UP THAT GROUND IN RURAL AREAS.

SO I WANT THIS TO BE INCLUSIVE.

I DON'T PARTICULARLY HAVE A PROBLEM HAVING A WORKSHOP ON FRIDAY OR IF THAT'S THE WILL OF THE COURT.

I THINK WE'LL JUST HAVE TO HAVE A REGULAR MEETING AND THEN AN ITEM TO VOTE.

YEAH.

SO YEAH, I KNOW I DON'T THINK THE JUDGE IS GOING TO BE HERE.

I HAD PLANNED ON BEING GONE, BUT I MAY I MAY NOT SO.

WELL, AND I'M NOT SURE ABOUT ERIC'S AVAILABILITY AND I'D WANT WANT HIM TO BE PART OF THAT ALSO.

BUT I DO.

I DO WANT EVERYONE TO FEEL LIKE THAT.

WE'VE WE'VE REVIEWED ALL POSSIBLE OPTIONS.

I KNOW, I FEEL, I FEEL THAT, THAT WE DID.

JOE REPRESENTED HIS AREA WELL AND WE MADE LOTS OF CHANGES TO TRY TO TRY TO MAINTAIN WHAT WE COULD.

BUT THAT'S WHERE I'M AT ON IT.

OK.

[INAUDIBLE] I'M THE DEMOCRATIC CHAIR FOR CALDWELL COUNTY, AND I NEVER RECEIVED ANY KIND OF NOTIFICATION, HAVE TO EXCUSE ME, MY ALLERGIES ARE REALLY BAD.

CAN YOU PUT YOUR MIC DOWN JUST A LITTLE BIT? THANK YOU.

MY ALLERGIES ARE BOTHERING ME, SO I CAN'T TALK VERY WELL.

BUT AS THE COUNTY CHAIR FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY HERE IN CALDWELL COUNTY, I NEVER RECEIVED ANY KIND OF NOTIFICATION ABOUT THE MEETING THAT WAS WAS OCCURRING BECAUSE IF I HAD, THEN I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEND OUT AN EMAIL TO A LOT OF THE CONSTITUENTS THAT ARE DEMOCRATS THAT I KNOW OF.

BUT I NEVER RECEIVED ANY KIND OF NOTIFICATION.

WE'LL HAVE TO CHECK AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE YOU GOT YOU GOT ONE FOR THIS.

DID YOU GET ONE FOR THIS? SO WE NEED TO CHECK YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS BECAUSE WE DO HAVE ONE ON THERE SO YOU'RE NOT GETTING THE EMAILS AND WE NEED TO GET THAT CORRECTED.

OK.

YES, SIR.

COMMISSIONER, EARLIER THERE WAS A QUESTION AS FAR AS DEADLINES GO.

I'M GOING OFF WITH A PREVIOUS EMAIL WITH MR. MAGEE AND IT IS NOVEMBER 13.

OK.

AND IF THE COURT IS LOOKING TO SPEAK TO HIM, HE DID SAY HE WOULD TRY TO BE AVAILABLE BY CELL PHONE.

THAT'S NO GUARANTEE THAT HE IS, BUT HE DID MAKE.

HE SAID HE WOULD MAKE THE ATTEMPT ON FRIDAY.

SO WHAT I THINK COMMISSIONER THERIOT IS SUGGESTING IS AND I WILL ASK ONE OF OUR STAFF TO CALL MR. MAGEE RIGHT NOW AND SEE IF HE COULD BE AVAILABLE FRIDAY.

IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT HE BE HERE BECAUSE WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO PUT THE MAP UP.

WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO USE THE SOFTWARE AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO CLICK ON THE CENSUS BLOCKS AND SEE HOW ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE MAKE NOT ONLY AFFECT POPULATION, BUT EXACTLY AS EVERYONE HAS SAID, MAKING SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN THE MAJORITY MINORITY IN THESE PRECINCTS.

AND WE IN FACT INCREASED IT IN TWO AND ONE AND THREE, IT WAS ACTUALLY INCREASED, NOT DECREASED.

SO BUT, YOU KNOW, I SUPPOSE WE'RE WILLING TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE ONE MORE STAB AT IT, BUT THE 13TH WOULD BE IT.

AND AND JUST SO EVERYONE BEARS IN MIND BEFORE WE GET IN HERE AND WE START SEEING THESE CENSUS BLOCKS PULL UP, I WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS IT.

IT WAS SUGGESTED TO ME BY A CONSTITUENT THAT WE BRING THIS.

YOU CAN SEE THIS MAP OVER HERE THAT WE BRING THAT PURPLE AREA A LOT FARTHER DOWN INTO THE INTO THE PRECINCT AND THEN KEEP THOSE TWO NEIGHBORHOODS INTACT.

IF YOU DO THAT, IF YOU GO VERY FAR, THEN YOU'RE ENCROACHING ON ST.

JOHN COUNTY.

SO YOU REALLY HAVE TO BE COGNIZANT OF THAT BECAUSE THAT SITS RIGHT SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT PRECINCT AND AND THERE IS NOT A LOT OF POPULATION.

SO YOU HAVE TO GOBBLE UP ENORMOUS CHUNKS OF THAT PRECINCT IN ORDER TO KEEP THOSE OTHER TWO NEIGHBORHOODS INTACT.

AND THAT WAS THE THAT WAS WHAT WE WERE FACED WITH AND 4000 PEOPLE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE TO MOVE OUT OF ONE PRECINCT.

AND SO AND THOSE ARE CENSUS THOSE THAT'S JUST THE CENSUS POPULATION.

I SUSPECT IT'S QUITE A LOT MORE THAN THAT.

SO ESPECIALLY WITH COVID, I THINK OUR CENSUS COUNT WAS LOW.

SO.

SO BEAR IN MIND WHEN YOU COME IN THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO GOBBLE UP THE WHOLE ANOTHER NORTHERN HALF OF CALDWELL PRECINCT FOUR AND MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF ST.

JOHN.

YEAH.

SO IT'S IT'S A DIFFICULT TASK AND BUT IT'S AN IMPORTANT TASK, AND IT'S ONE THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT OUR COUNTY FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.

A DECADE.

YEAH, I SUPPOSE WE, ESSIE COULD YOU PLEASE, WE'RE GOING TO PROBABLY MOVE ON FROM THIS, BUT I CAN COME BACK TO THIS ITEM THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO CLOSE IT, BUT SEE IF ERIC WOULD HAVE AVAILABILITY ON FRIDAY, AND WE WILL TRY TO GET HIM IN HERE SO THAT WE CAN WORK WITH THAT MAP.

BUT I THINK YOU'LL BE SURPRISED TO FIND OUT WHEN WE START DOING IT THAT IT'S IT'S NOT QUITE AS EASY AS EVERYONE THINKS IT'S GOING TO BE TO GET THAT NUMBER AND NOT IMPACT A SINGLE COMMUNITY OF INTEREST.

IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE MATHEMATICALLY.

YEAH, AND WE'RE WILLING TO GIVE IT A TRY.

I THINK I'LL LEAVE THAT UP TO THE COMMISSIONERS TO MAKE A MOTION.

YEAH, WE'LL WAIT AND SEE IF ERIC'S AVAILABLE.

LET ME MOVE ON FROM 13.

WE'LL COME BACK TO IT.

WE'RE GOING TO LEAVE THAT ITEM OPEN FOR NOW UNTIL WE HEAR ABOUT MR. MAGEE'S AVAILABILITY.

HOPEFULLY, HE'LL BE ABLE TO COME IN AND HELP US WORK THROUGH IT.

BUT I THINK IF YOU GET YOUR HANDS ON A ON THE DATA, YOU'RE GOING TO FIND THAT AND YOU CANNOT DRAW OUT ANY COMMISSIONERS.

NO, I WOULD MAKE ONE SUGGESTION.

COMMISSIONER ROLAND AND WHERE YOUR RESIDENCE IS MAKES IT REALLY DIFFICULT BECAUSE IT TAKES A BIG SLICE OUT OF A HEAVILY POPULATED AREA.

AND AND, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S JUST REALLY DIFFICULT.

I MEAN, LOCKHART HAS GROWN A LOT AND AND BUT THE GROWTH IN PRECINCT FOUR, QUITE FRANKLY, SORT OF SURPRISED ME EVEN WITH THE LOW CENSUS COUNT.

IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT JUST GREW EXPONENTIALLY COMPARED TO THE OTHER THREE PRECINCTS.

AND SO WE YOU'LL FIND THAT IT'S NOT QUITE AS EASY AS YOU THINK IT IS TO GO

[01:05:02]

I'M ALL EARS, BUT IT'S IT'S NOT GOING TO BE AS EASY AS YOU THINK IT IS.

I DON'T I UNDERSTAND TRYING TO MASSAGE THE MAP A LITTLE BIT MORE, SO TO SPEAK, ON FRIDAY, BUT I WILL SAY THAT IT'S GOING TO BE MY OPINION.

YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO MOVE ENOUGH PEOPLE WITHOUT MOVING WITHIN THE CITY OF LOCKHART.

I JUST THE NUMBERS DON'T BEAR THAT OUT BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT THE POPULATION IS DISTRIBUTED WITHIN PRECINCT FOUR, I ECHO JUDGE'S SENTIMENTS.

IT'S GOING TO BE VERY DIFFICULT WITHOUT WITHOUT DOING THAT.

I'LL AGREE TO THAT.

IT'S GOING TO BE DIFFICULT.

I ACTUALLY SLEPT WITH THOSE MAPS AND WHEN I WAS TALKING ABOUT WAS NOT A WHOLE BUNCH OF MOVING, YOU KNOW, JUST TWEAKING IT LIKE IN TOWN AND WHICH WOULD PROBABLY I KNOW IT'D PROBABLY MOVE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE, YOU KNOW, OUT IN THE COUNTRY.

AND PLUS I CAN AFFORD TO LOSE SOME OF NOT SAINT JOHN, BUT LITTON, YOU KNOW, GOING TOWARD LITTON.

JUDGE, I'LL MOVE THAT WE HOLD THIS ITEM UP UNTIL WE DETERMINE ERIC'S AVAILABILITY AND WE MOVE ON ON THE AGENDA.

OK.

WE HAVE A MOTION TO HOLD THIS ITEM OPEN UNTIL WE FIND OUT IF MR. MAGEE IS GOING TO BE AVAILABLE ON FRIDAY.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? WE HAVE A MOTION, A SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR.

SAY AYE.

OK, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM 14.

OH, HANG ON, LET ME BACK UP.

THIS THIS IS ABSOLUTELY WHY I HATE TO SKIP ROUND.

ALL RIGHT.

ITEM NINE, DISCUSSION ACTION REGARDING BURN BAND.

HECTOR.

GOOD MORNING, JUDGE, COMMISSIONER, STAFF AND GALLERY.

I JUST WANTED TO BRING YOU UP TO DATE ON OUR FIRE DANGER FOR CALDWELL COUNTY, OUR CURRENT NUMBERS ARE THE MINIMUM ARE 11, THE MAX IS 76 AND WE'RE AT 40 WITH A PLUS FIVE OUR HAINES INDEX IS AT FIVE.

WE'VE HAD SUBSTANTIAL MOISTURE IN THE GROUND AND EVERY MORNING YOU SEE A LOT OF DEW ON THE GRASS, SO THAT KEEPS OUR FIRE DANGER DOWN.

I'M RECOMMENDING THAT WE KEEP THE BURN BAN OFF ANOTHER TWO WEEKS.

OKAY, THANK YOU, HECTOR.

[INAUDIBLE] LEAVE THE BURN BAN OFF.

I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE LEAVE THE BURN BAN OFF ON OR OFF OFF.

OK, SECOND, YEAH, OFF WE HAVE A MOTION, A SECOND TO LEAVE THE BURN BAN OFF ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE, AYE.

OPPOSED? HEARING NONE MOTION CARRIES.

ITEM 10 DISCUSSION ACTION CONSIDER RESOLUTION 8-2022 ADOPTING A POLICY OF ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE RELATED TO COVID 19 COMMISSIONERS.

WE OUR COVID LEAVE POLICY EXPIRED IN SEPTEMBER.

WE CONTINUE TO HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE COMING DOWN WITH COVID.

SOME OF THEM NEVER TOOK ANY TIME OFF DURING THE PANDEMIC AND HAVE BEEN VACCINATED.

OUR LAST OUR LAST STATEMENT ON THIS WAS THAT IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN VACCINATED THAT YOU WOULD NEED TO USE YOUR OWN TIME IN ORDER TO TAKE OFF.

WE'VE HAD SEVERAL EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE BEEN VACCINATED AND AND STILL HAVE THE 80 HOURS THAT'S AVAILABLE TO THEM UNDER FEDERAL GUIDELINES.

AND SO WHAT WE'RE SUGGESTING HERE WITH THIS IS THAT WE IF YOU'VE BEEN VACCINATED AND YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TIME AVAILABLE UNDER THE UNDER THE FEDERAL GUIDELINES THAT WE ALLOW THOSE EMPLOYEES TO TO RECOVER FROM COVID AND NOT USE THEIR PTO.

DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT? SURE.

THAT'S OK.

JUDGE YES.

MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND THROUGH WHAT DATES THAT THIS LEAVE POLICY WILL BE IMPLEMENTED.

YES, WE'RE GOING TO READ THE RESOLUTION RIGHT NOW, AND I THINK IT HAS THE EFFECTIVE DATE ON IT.

RESOLUTION 8-2022 BY THE COMMISSIONERS COURT OF CALDWELL COUNTY BE IT KNOWN WHEREAS IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ENACTED LAWS AND POLICIES INTENDED TO ASSIST WORKING FAMILIES FACING PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES ARISING OUT OF COVID 19 PANDEMIC.

AND ON APRIL 17, 2020, CALDWELL COUNTY ADOPTED PROCEDURES FOR ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE RELATED TO COVID 19, INCORPORATING AND IMPLEMENT, IMPLEMENT APPLICABLE LAWS AND REGULATIONS.

AND WHEREAS ON JULY 28, 2020, JANUARY 12, 2021 AND MAY 25TH, 2021 CALDWELL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT ADOPTED AMENDMENTS AND EXTENSIONS TO ITS PROCEDURE FOR COVID 19 ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE.

AND WHEREAS CALDWELL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT SEEKS TO CONTINUE THE POLICY RELATED TO ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE RELATED TO COVID 19 AND FACILITATE CONTINUED IMPLEMENTATION OF APPLICABLE FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL REGULATIONS.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY COMMISSIONERS, COURT OF CALDWELL COUNTY, THAT SECTION EIGHT POINT ONE, ONE OF THE CALDWELL COUNTY EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK IS AMENDED, REPLACED OR SUPERSEDED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY THE POLICY ATTACHED HERETO AS EXHIBIT A.

ORDERED THIS 8TH DAY OF NOVEMBER 2021.

COMMISSIONERS DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT RESOLUTION 8-2022? SO MOVED, WE HAVE A MOTION.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE, AYE.

OPPOSED? HEARING NONE.

MOTION CARRIES.

JUDGE, WE WE SKIPPED THE WESTERN CALDWELL COUNTY TRANSPORTATION.

[INAUDIBLE] I'VE GOT TO JUMP ON THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CALL AT 10, ABOUT 10:45.

COULD WE POSSIBLY HAVE THAT REAL QUICK? YES, ACTUALLY, I'D LIKE TO.

SINCE YOU BROUGHT THAT UP, I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND SKIP TO ITEM 16 SO THAT WE CAN GET THAT ONE OUT OF THE WAY BEFORE YOU BEFORE YOU HAVE TO GO.

ALL RIGHT.

ITEM 16 DISCUSSION ACTION AND CONSIDER THE APPROVAL OF THE LOCATION FOR THE CALDWELL COUNTY EVACUATION CENTER.

COMMISSIONERS YOU SHOULD HAVE IN YOUR BACKUP PROPOSAL FROM THE CITY OF LOCKHART PROPOSAL FROM THE CITY OF LULING.

EACH OF THEM HAS GIVEN US A SITE.

LOCKHART HAS A TWENTY ACRE SITE NEAR WAL-MART, AND LULING HAS APPROXIMATELY A HUNDRED ACRE SITE THAT WE CAN SELECT LAND FROM JUST ABOUT FOUR MILES NORTH OF LULING, PROPER NORTH OF DOWNTOWN, ABOUT SEVEN MILES SOUTH OF THE LOCKHART LOCATION.

AND WITH THAT COMMISSIONERS.

IS THERE ANY COMMENTS OR OR QUESTIONS REGARDING THE TWO PROPOSALS? I'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE PART OF THE CITY OF LULING AND HAVING IT DOWN THERE.

THEY ARE ON THE I-10 CORRIDOR.

[01:10:02]

I THINK THAT ONCE PEOPLE ARE TRAVELING OUT OF A CONGESTED AREA, THEY'VE BEEN SITTING IN TRAFFIC FOR HOURS THAT THEY'D LIKE TO GET TO A PRETTY WIDE OPEN SPACE.

AND I BELIEVE THE AREA IN LULING WOULD PROVIDE THAT THEY WOULD GET OFF.

THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, HOSPITAL AMENITIES.

THEY HAVE HOTELS.

THIS SPACE WOULD ALLOW US IF WE WANTED TO EXPAND AND, YOU KNOW, CREATE A LITTLE DOG PARK AREA FOR PEOPLE WHO DO HAVE ANIMALS.

WE KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THEIR ANIMALS OR THEIR KIDS.

IT'S A POSSIBILITY WE COULD PUT IN SOME RV HOOK UP FOR PEOPLE WHO COME OUT OF THERE WITH THEIR RV TEMPORARILY AND HOOK UP TO STAY.

WE WOULDN'T BE RESTRICTED.

WE COULD BUY MORE LAND THAN 20 ACRES AND THE LIKE, THEY SAID.

THE INFRASTRUCTURE'S ALREADY THERE.

WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO WAIT ON ANY OF THAT.

I JUST MY PERSONAL OPINION IS IT'S A MUCH BETTER OPTION THAN WHAT WE HAVE PRESENTED TO US FROM THE CITY OF LOCKHART.

JUST BUY THE SPACE IF YOU COMPARE APPLES TO APPLES.

LULING HAS JUST AS MANY RESTAURANTS.

LIKE I SAID, THEY HAVE THE HOSPITAL, WHICH LOCKHART DOESN'T HAVE.

THEY HAVE STORES.

THEY HAVE A GROCERY STORE.

THEY HAVE JUST PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING YOU'LL FIND IN LOCKHART.

IT'S A GOOD LITTLE TOWN.

THEY HAVE A LOT OF THINGS THAT GO ON THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THAT PEOPLE COULD UNWIND AND ENJOY.

SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO THROW THAT OUT THERE ABOUT IF YOU I HOPE YOU'VE READ THE THINGS THAT WAS PROVIDED TO US FROM BOTH CITIES AND LET THAT WEIGH IN A LITTLE BIT ON WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.

WE HAD TALKED ABOUT, POSSIBLY IF WE WANTED TO BUILD A LITTLE REC CENTER OR SOMETHING, THAT WE WOULD HAVE SPACE TO DO THAT OUT.

SO THAT'S JUST HOW I FEEL.

OK? ONE THING I WANTED TO MENTION COMMISSIONERS AS FAR AS THE PRICE OF THE LAND AND THE WILLINGNESS BY EITHER CITY TO COVER THE MATCH.

THOSE THOSE ARE THOSE ARE BOTH IN THE PROPOSAL OF EACH CITY.

[9. Discussion/Action regarding the burn ban]

OH, YEAH.

I HAVEN'T HAD A LOT OF CALLS FROM CITIZENS FROM LULING, AND I'VE HAD ONLY ONE CALL FROM LOCKHART.

I AM, YOU KNOW, I WORKED IN LULING FOR A LOT OF YEARS AND SO I GOT CLOSE TIES WITH THEM.

AND OF COURSE, I LIVE IN LOCKHART, SO IT'S A TOUGH DECISION.

BUT I MEAN, I DEAL IN REAL ESTATE, SO I KNOW THAT WE LIVE IN IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE THE BEST PLACE BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE REAL, CONGESTED OR WORRIED ABOUT EXPANDING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, LIKE BARBARA SAID.

SO ITS A TOUGH DECISION, BUT I WOULD HAVE TO MAKE IT, I THINK LULING IS GOING TO BE

[10. Discussion/Action to consider Resolution 8-2022, adopting a policy of Administrative Leave related to COVID-19.]

OK COMMISSIONER THERIOT.

WE RECEIVED TWO REALLY STRONG PROPOSALS AND I WANT TO THANK LULING AND LOCKHART FOR FOR THE EFFORT THEY PUT INTO THIS.

I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK.

THE THE DEAL LOCKHART ARRANGED WITH WAL-MART WAS REALLY IMPRESSIVE AND I KNOW HOW DIFFICULT THAT WAS BECAUSE THAT LAND LAND VALUE IS MUCH HIGHER THAN THAN THAN WHAT THEY NEGOTIATED.

THERE ARE SEVERAL FACTORS THAT ARE GOING IN INTO THE INTO MY THINKING ON THIS, AND IT BOILS DOWN TO FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY OF WHAT WHAT WE'RE TASKED WITH WITH ADMINISTERING THROUGH THE GRANT AND THE LOCATION OF THE FACILITY AND LONG RANGE

[01:15:09]

THE THE LULING FACILITY IS IS LESS CONSTRAINED BOTH PRESENTLY AND LONG TERM THAN THE LOCKHART.

THE LOCKHART FACILITY IS 20 ACRES.

IT'S GOT SOME EASEMENTS CROSSING IT.

WE COULD DO AN EVACUATION CENTER AND A CONVENTION CENTER ON THE SITE, BUT THAT'D BE PROBABLY IT FOR FOR THE LONG TERM.

I WOULD BE CONCERNED THAT IF WE TRIED TO GET ADDITIONAL ACRES THERE, THAT WE'D PROBABLY BE LOOKING AT COMMERCIAL LAND PRICES AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS.

THE LULING FACILITY, WE WE'VE PROBABLY GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE MUCH MORE LAND IF NEEDED.

THE JUDGE AND I VISITED THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY COMMUNITY CENTER AND AND EVENTS CENTER, AND IT WAS VERY IMPRESSIVE.

THEY HAD EVERYTHING FROM LIVESTOCK SHOW FACILITIES, CONVENTION CENTER VENDORS, MUSIC VENUES, ALL TYPES OF THINGS AND JUST AND THEY WERE HAD FUTURE EXPANSION PLANS ALSO, AND THEY WERE COVERING ABOUT 35 OR 40 ACRES JUST WITH WHAT THEY HAD.

THE LOCATION CENTER, YOU KNOW, THE GRANT ITSELF IS FOR AN EVACUATION CENTER.

IF ANYBODY'S EVER CROSSED I-10 DURING A MASS EVACUATION OF HOUSTON, YOU'LL KNOW THAT CONTRAFLOW, EVERYTHING'S GOING WEST.

YOU'LL HAVE FOUR LANES BALLING OUT OF HOUSTON, AND SOME AN EVACUATION CENTER NEEDS TO BE IN PROXIMITY TO I-10.

YOU'VE GOT YOU'VE GOT 80, YOU'VE GOT 183, 90 ALL ALL CONVERGING ON THAT POINT.

[16. Discussion/Action to consider the approval of the location for the Caldwell County Evacuation Center.]

I'VE ALSO GOT CONCERNS WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE COST ASSOCIATED WITH THE WITH THE LOCKHART SITE.

I KNOW THE CITY OF LOCKHART HAS GENEROUSLY HAS PROPOSED TO FUND THAT, THAT INFRASTRUCTURE.

BUT BUT IT'S ALIVE AND AND IT'S CONSUMING A LOT.

A LOT OF THE THE THE CITY'S A BIG CHUNK OF CITY FUNDING TO GET THAT DONE FOR STREETS, WATER AND SEWER.

THE LULING FACILITY, WE'VE GOT THOSE PRIMARY FACILITIES RIGHT UP TO THE EDGE OF THE PROPERTY.

SO I ONCE AGAIN, I JUST THANK YOU BOTH THE COMMUNITY LEADERS THAT PUT THESE THESE PROPOSALS TOGETHER, AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT'S GONE INTO IT.

COMMISSIONER WESTMORELAND, I'M PROBABLY GOING TO BE THE ODD MAN OUT HERE.

LIKE COMMISSIONER ROLAND.

I DID RECEIVE CALLS ON THIS.

I HAVE RECEIVED A LOT OF CALLS FROM FROM MY CONSTITUENCY WITHIN THE CITY OF LOCKHART.

THERE'S THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF INTEREST FOR IT HERE.

I WORK WITH THE CITY TO HELP ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS FOR THEM ON THE SPECIFICS OF THE GRANT PROPOSAL AND NOT GUIDE THEM, BUT JUST PROVIDE INFORMATION SO THEY COULD PREPARE THIS DOCUMENT.

I WILL SAY THAT IT'S A BOTH CITIES HAVE DONE AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS PROJECT POSSIBLE.

I WANT THAT TO BE KNOWN.

I'M IN FULL SUPPORT OF THE PROJECT.

I OBVIOUSLY DO FEEL THE LOCATION SHOULD BE IN LOCKHART JUST DUE TO INFRASTRUCTURE, AVAILABLE GOODS AND SERVICES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

I UNDERSTAND AND FULLY COGNIZANT OF ABILITY TO EXPAND AND FUTURE USE IS BEYOND THIS, THIS THIS FACILITY AND WHATNOT.

BUT IN ORDER TO BE RESPECTFUL OF MY CONSTITUENCY, THAT'S WHERE I AM.

CURRENTLY, OK.

VERY GOOD.

[01:20:01]

BOTH CITIES WORKED VERY HARD AT THIS TO GIVE US SOME OPTIONS, WHICH IS MUCH APPRECIATED.

FOR ME, IT BOILS DOWN TO TWO THINGS IT BOILS DOWN TO FINANCES, AND A NEED FOR SPACE AND PROXIMITY TO I-10.

THOSE ARE THE THOSE ARE THE THREE THINGS THAT I CONSIDERED.

OBVIOUSLY, THE THE LULING SIDE IS MUCH CLOSER TO I-10.

THE FACT THAT LULING HAS A HOSPITAL PLAYED INTO MY THINKING.

THIS CENTER IS IS AN EVACUATION CENTER FIRST AND FOREMOST, THAT'S WHAT THE GRANTS FOR.

THAT'S WHAT IT'S THERE FOR.

WE WE WILL BE ABLE TO USE IT FOR OTHER THINGS, BUT ITS PRIMARY FUNCTION IS AN EVACUATION CENTER, AND WE HAVE TO BEAR THAT IN MIND WHEN WHEN WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS LATER TODAY WITH GLO, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ABOUT A COMMUNITY CENTER.

IT'S GOING TO BE ABOUT AN EVACUATION CENTER.

SPACE WISE WE HAVE MUCH MORE SPACE.

WE COULD GET AS MANY AS 40 ACRES AND BE WELL WITHIN OUR BUDGET, WHICH WOULD ALLOW US SPACE TO EXPAND IN LULING TO TAKE IN SOME FACILITIES THAT COULD DOUBLE AS ANIMAL SHELTER BECAUSE NOBODY WHEN THEY MOVE, WHEN THEY EVACUATE, NOBODY LEAVES FEBE BEHIND.

THEY TAKE THEM WITH THEM AND WE HAVE TO HAVE A PLACE TO SHELTER THOSE ANIMALS.

OUR ANIMAL SHELTER HERE IS BEYOND CAPACITY ALL THE TIME, SO WE WILL HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT OPTION.

SO ALL THOSE THINGS BEING SAID, I WOULD PROBABLY LEAN TOWARDS LULING.

WE DO NEED TO CALL THE VOTE.

I THINK WE'VE ALL WEIGHED IN.

SO I WOULD I WOULD ASK FOR A MOTION AT THIS TIME.

I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE LOCATION OF THE CONVENTION CENTER AT THE LULING SITE.

WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE EVACUATION CENTER AT THE LULING SITE.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND, OK, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR OF OF SELECTING THE LULING SITE AS THE SITE FOR THE CALDWELL COUNTY EVACUATION CENTER SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE, AYE.

OPPOSED? NAY.

ONE ONE NAY, THE MOTION PASSES.

ITEM 11.

ED, LET'S GO AHEAD AND JUMP TO THE CAMPO PRESENTATION REAL QUICKLY SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO SIT THROUGH THE REST OF COMMISSIONERS COURT.

YEAH, OURS ARE ON TO GO THE ONE BEHIND ME IS.

NOT SURE WHY THAT'S NOT COMING ON.

WE CAN ALL SEE IT, BUT YOU CAN'T SEE IT UP THERE.

I'M NOT SURE WHY IT'S NOT COMING ON, WE CAN SEE IT, THOUGH, ON OUR SCREENS.

WOULD YOU GO AHEAD AND WANT ME TO GET STARTED? GO AHEAD AND GO AND I'LL SEE IF I CAN GET IT TO COME UP.

OK.

GOOD MORNING, JUDGE COMMISSIONERS.

MY NAME IS WESLEY [INAUDIBLE] WITH BG, I'M YOUR PROJECT MANAGER FOR THE WESTERN CALDWELL COUNTY TRANSPORTATION STUDY PROJECT AND EXCITED TO BE HERE TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON OUR PROGRESS AND THE STATUS OF THE PROJECT IN OUR SCHEDULE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ME.

TODAY, I HAVE RYAN COLLINS FROM CAMPO, THE SHORT RANGE PLANNING MANAGER.

ASHBY JOHNSON, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CAMPO, AND AARON GONZALES WITH BG.

MY RIGHT HAND PERSON TO KIND OF KEEP ME OUT OF TROUBLE.

SO THANKS AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AND WANTED TO JUST START OUT WITH THE DISCUSSION OF THE PURPOSE AND NEED OF THE PROJECT.

PRIMARILY, WE WERE LOOKING TO IMPROVE THE REGIONAL MOBILITY AND PROVIDE SYSTEM

[01:25:11]

JUST A LITTLE BIT OF REMINDER.

WE STARTED THIS STUDY QUITE A WHILE AGO AND OBVIOUSLY, AS YOU ALL TALKED ABOUT A COUPLE OF PREVIOUS ITEMS THE COUNTY IS EXPERIENCING AND HAS EXPERIENCED A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF GROWTH.

WE STARTED THIS PROJECT IN OUR SCOPE WAS INITIALLY TO LOOK AT FM 150 AND THE EXTENSION OF THE ARLINGTON ROAD FROM HAYS COUNTY INTO AND THROUGH WESTERN CALDWELL COUNTY PORTION, OR WESTERN CALDWELL PUSH INTO THE WESTERN CALDWELL COUNTY.

SO JUST KEEPING THAT IN MIND, WE YOU KNOW, OUR OUR ORIGINAL SCOPE BASICALLY HAD SET UP TO DO THE STUDIES FOR EACH OF THOSE TWO ROUTES TO SEE IF ONE OR BOTH WERE FEASIBLE.

OUR SCOPE HAD ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCHEMATICS FOR FOR BOTH OF THOSE ALTERNATIVES, IF A FEASIBLE ROUTE FOR EACH OF THOSE ALTERNATIVES COULD BE IDENTIFIED.

SO BASICALLY, WE'VE GONE THROUGH TWO PREVIOUS COMMUNITY OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES, AND WE ACTUALLY STARTED THIS EVEN BEFORE THE COVID.

WE MET WITH SEVERAL SOME OF THE MAJORITY PROPERTY OWNERS HERE IN THE COURTHOUSE AND FROM FROM THE ONSET.

EVERYONE WE'VE TALKED TO IN PERSON AND A LOT OF THE COMMENTS WE'VE RECEIVED FROM OUR VIRTUAL PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES HAS BEEN VERY POSITIVE.

THE NEED AND THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS SOME ENHANCEMENTS TO PROVIDE THE SAFE, EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN 130 AND I35 IS VERY MUCH NEEDED.

THE CORRIDORS, THE NETWORK SYSTEM THAT'S EXISTING IS SOMEWHAT LIMITED AND MAYBE EVEN UNSAFE.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE SAW OR NOT AS SAFE AS WE WOULD LIKE IT TO BE.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE SAW FROM A LOT OF OUR PUBLIC COMMENT.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE BIGRAPH THERE, A LOT OF THOSE COMMENTS HAVE TO DO WITH WHETHER IT'S SPEED, WIDE THE ROADWAY WIDTH AND IN SOME, SOME OF THE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE FROM PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT HAD TO DO WITH ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS, MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE COGNIZANT OF ANY WATER LAND USE AND IN OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS, CEMETERIES, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

THE OTHER COMMENT WAS TO MAXIMIZE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE EXISTING RIGHT AWAY, WHETHER IT BE ON SYSTEM, STATE ROADWAYS AND OR COUNTY ROADS.

AND SO WE'VE TAKEN A LOT OF THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.

AGAIN, WE STARTED OUT WITH OUR FIRST PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITY HAD TO DO WITH JUST THE CONSTRAINTS MAP, REALLY NO LINES ON THE ON THE PAPER AS WE MOVED INTO AND RECEIVED THOSE COMMENTS.

WE THEN WENT INTO THE RANGE OF ALTERNATIVES.

OBVIOUSLY, WHAT WE WENT IN PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT NUMBER TWO OPPORTUNITY, I THINK WE HAD LIKE FIVE DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES.

WE STARTED OUT WITH ABOUT 10 FEASIBLE ALTERNATIVES AND NARROW THAT DOWN FROM OUR DECISION MATRIX AND OUR CONSTRAINT CONSIDERATIONS TO THE TOP FIVE THAT WE TOOK BACK TO THE PUBLIC IN OUR IN OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH OPPORTUNITY NUMBER TWO.

MOST OF THOSE ARE ACTUALLY ALL OF THOSE ROUTES FROM FROM MAXWELL TO 130 UTILIZE THE SH 142 CORRIDOR FROM THERE.

THERE WERE SOME EXTENSIONS THAT THAT STAYED CONSISTENT WITH 142 ALL THE WAY TO OVER

[01:30:32]

AND THEN THERE WERE A COUPLE OF ROUTES THAT WENT UP TOWARDS THE YARRINGTON AND EXTENDED THROUGH SOME OF THE SOME OF THAT PORTION OF THE COUNTY THAT THAT IS REALLY NOT TREMENDOUSLY SERVED WITH SOME OF THE EXISTING NETWORK.

FROM FROM THE FROM THE OPINION OR THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED IN THAT PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITY OPPORTUNITY NUMBER TWO, WE HAVE GONE DOWN AND GONE THROUGH OUR DECISION MATRIX ASSESSMENT, WHERE WE'VE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS, AND I THINK IN OUR LAST PRESENTATION WE WENT THROUGH IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL EACH OF THOSE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.

AND THIS IS BASICALLY A DEPICTION OF WHAT WE'RE CONSIDERING OUR PREFERRED OR TECHNICALLY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE.

AND IT REALLY HAS TO DO WITH UTILIZING ALL OF THE STATE HIGHWAY 142 FROM 130 OVER TO 80 AND THEN A BLUE ROUTE THAT EXTENDS FROM 140 TO JUST SOUTH OF MAXWELL, UP TO VERY NEAR THE YARRINGTON ROAD INTERSECTION.

THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT CONSIDERATIONS AS TO WHY IT DOES NOT NECESSARILY TIE INTO YARRINGTON ROAD AT AT TWENTY ONE.

BUT THERE'S THERE HAS BEEN CONVERSATION WITH THE CITY OF SAN MARCOS AND WITH HAYS COUNTY, AND THEY ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT ADJUSTMENTS AND CONSIDERING ADJUSTMENTS TO THEIR THOROUGHFARE PLAN AND A STUDY TO DETERMINE IF A FEASIBLE ROUTE COULD BE EXTENDED AS AN EXTENSION OF THE WILLIAM PETTIS ROADWAY THROUGH HAYS COUNTY OVER TO THE PROPOSED EXTENSION OF FM 110.

BASICALLY, OUR PREFERRED OPTION INCLUDES BOTH OF THOSE ROUTES BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT JUST 142, THERE'S NOT REALLY AN ENHANCEMENT AS TO HOW TRAFFIC CAN ACTUALLY GET OVER TO THIRTY FIVE.

CAMPO WILL BE MOVING FORWARD WITH A STUDY ON 80.

AND SO THERE'S THERE'S SOME POTENTIAL ENHANCEMENTS OF 80, ESPECIALLY A LITTLE BIT LONGER LIMITS OF 80.

BUT BUT FOR SURE, FROM WHERE 142 CONNECTS THAT INTERSECTION ALL THE WAY OVER TO THE FM 110 INTERSECTION.

AND SO THINKING THAT THAT POTENTIAL ALIGNMENT OR THAT QUARTER IS GOING TO BE ENHANCED AS WELL.

BASICALLY, OUR STUDY WOULD STOP AT THE INTERSECTION OF 142 AT 80, BUT 142 WITHOUT THE BLUE ROUTE OR THE BLUE ROUTE WITHOUT 142 THE LEVEL OF SERVICE REALLY DOESN'T SEE AS MUCH ENHANCEMENT AS WHEN YOU COMBINE THOSE TWO ROUTES.

AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE REALLY GOING BACK WITH THE PUBLIC FOR FURTHER OPINION AND FEEDBACK.

BUT IT'S THE COMBINATION OF THOSE TWO ALIGNMENTS CAN CONSIST OF OUR PREFERRED OPTION.

SO BASICALLY, LIKE I SAID, OUR OUR AS WE WOULD MOVE FORWARD THROUGH THE PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT WE WILL.

THIS PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT OPPORTUNITY WILL BE OPEN FROM THE OPEN AS FRIDAY.

SO IN ENTICE ANYONE AND EVERYONE TO GO INTO THE WEBSITE, GIVE US THERE'S AN INTERACTIVE MAP THERE.

PLEASE GO IN AND GIVE US OPINION, INPUT, WHETHER IT'S IN FAVOR OF OR SOME SUGGESTIONS ON ON SOME ADJUSTMENTS.

YES, SIR.

WES CAN YOU? I'M SORRY FOR RUSHING THIS, BUT I'M FIXING HAVE TO GO.

[01:35:01]

CAN YOU TELL US EXACTLY WHAT THE DELIVERABLE IS ON THE WHEN WHEN YOU COMPLETE YOUR WORK? YES, UNDER THE BUDGET THAT'S BEEN SET UP BY CAMPO AND THE COUNTY.

WHAT TYPE OF DOCUMENTS AND WHAT LEVEL OF ENGINEERING WILL BE COMPLETED? OK.

YES, SIR.

ABSOLUTELY.

SO BASICALLY, YOU'LL SEE THE SECOND BULLET THERE FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECT OF OUR PROJECT.

WE'RE BASICALLY DOING A PRE NEPA ENVIRONMENTAL CHECK REPORT.

WHAT THAT WHAT THAT WILL DO IS BASICALLY SUMMARIZE ALL OF THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT EFFORT THAT'S THAT'S BEEN UNDERTAKEN, ANY OF OUR ASSESSMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH ANY ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS, ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE NEPA PROCESS SUCH THAT IT SETS IT UP, THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT CAN BE MOVED INTO THE NEPA PROCESS.

ALONGSIDE THAT, AND ALONG WITH THAT, WE ARE ALSO GOING TO DO A CLASSIFICATION LETTER WHICH WILL SET THE BOUNDARIES AND REQUIREMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROJECT MOVING FORWARD.

SO IT'S A CLASSIFICATION LETTER AS WELL AS THOSE PRE NEPA TECH MEMOS, AND THAT WE'RE SO BASICALLY THE TIME FRAME FOR THAT TO OCCUR.

WE'VE GOT TO GO THROUGH THE DECEMBER 10TH TIMEFRAME.

WE'LL WE'LL TAKE ABOUT THREE TO FOUR WEEKS TO ASSESS ALL THE COMMENTS.

RESPOND TO THOSE COMMENTS, COMPILE THE LANGUAGE ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE COMMENTS.

AND THEN BY EARLY IN THE JANUARY, WE'LL HAVE THAT ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECT OF IT READY TO MOVE INTO THE NEXT PHASE OR.

WHAT FROM THE PLAN SET STANDPOINT, WHAT WE HEAR THE TERM 30 PERCENT PLAN IS THAT IS THAT THE THE PRODUCT? SO ON THE DESIGN SIDE, WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING A SCHEMATIC BASICALLY BE A FINAL, A FULLY DEVELOPED SCHEMATIC, WHICH WILL BE TO A 30 PERCENT [INAUDIBLE] IF YOU WANT TO CALL IT THAT OR A 30 PERCENT DESIGN.

RIGHT AWAY FOOTPRINT WILL BE IDENTIFIED CONSTRAINTS ASSOCIATED WITH DRAINAGE.

WE'LL HAVE A FULL BLOWN TYPE OF SECTION.

WE'LL HAVE A PHASED OR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND IN A PRELIMINARY TCP TRAFFIC CONTROL PLAN TO IMPLEMENT THE OVERALL PROJECT.

SO IT IS BASICALLY A 30 PERCENT [INAUDIBLE].

AND THEN WE MOVED INTO [INAUDIBLE] WHEN THE CONSTRUCTION.

SO WHEN WILL THOSE PLANS BE COMPLETED? SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A COORDINATION EFFORT THAT HAS TO BE THE DESIGN ASPECT CAN BE DONE VERY QUICKLY, ALTHOUGH YOU CAN'T FINALIZE YOUR SCHEMATIC UNTIL THE ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT IS FULLY APPROVED AS WELL.

THAT MEANS YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS AND GET THE FEEDBACK FROM FROM ALL THAT EFFORT AS WELL.

SO BASICALLY, WHAT I UNDERSTAND, OUR FIRST FOCUS WILL BE TO GET A 60 PERCENT SCHEMATIC, WHICH IS MY OPINION WILL BE MARCH TIME FRAME.

WE'VE ALREADY GOT IT FLOWN THE PROJECT OF THIS PREFERRED OPTION AND A LITTLE BIT OF AREA OUTSIDE OF THIS, THIS FOOTPRINT OR THIS, THESE BIG FAT LINES HAS BEEN FLOWN AND WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING A FINAL DTM, WHICH WILL HELP US IN OUR DESIGN EFFORTS.

SO WE'VE GOT THAT MOVED ALONG.

I'M GOING TO SAY BY MARCH, WE'LL HAVE A 60 PERCENT SCHEMATIC AND THEN DEPENDING ON FEEDBACK FROM TXDOT IN THE REVIEW PROCESS THERE, I FEEL LIKE BY JUNE TO JULY AT THE LATEST, WE'LL HAVE A 90 PERCENT SCHEMATIC.

NOW, THE ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT WON'T MOVE THAT THAT QUICKLY.

I'M GOING TO GUESS THAT WE'LL BE READY TO GO TO A PUBLIC HEARING SOMETIME IN THAT JULY, AUGUST TIMEFRAME, SEPTEMBER, MAYBE IF THINGS DON'T NECESSARILY MOVE AS QUICKLY AS AS WE WOULD LIKE TO ON SOME OF THE REVIEW AGENCY REVIEWS.

BUT I WANT TO I WANT TO SAY THAT BY LATE 2022, AT THE LATEST EARLY JANUARY OF 2023, THIS PROJECT WILL BE SET UP AND READY FOR ANY CALL FOR PROJECTS FROM CAMPO.

AND THAT'S WHAT I'M REALLY.

CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? [INAUDIBLE] WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL THAT'S MAYBE PASSED NOW? DOES IT LOOK LIKE THERE'S GOING TO BE ANY FUNDING PUT FORWARD THAT MIGHT TRIGGER A LETTING MIDYEAR NEXT YEAR? YES, OR SO.

THE THE FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE BILL WAS PASSED LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

THE ROADWAY PORTION OF IT IS 110 BILLION WITH A B.

WE WE DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH WE'RE GOING TO GET YET, BUT I WAS ON THE PHONE WITH WASHINGTON AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN HERE.

SO I'M HOPING TO HAVE A BREAKOUT OF ROUGH NUMBERS SOON, AND I'M GOING TO SEND A MEMO OUT TO THE POLICY BOARD IN DECEMBER, SINCE WE'RE NOT HAVING A MEETING THAT WILL

[01:40:06]

SO NORMALLY IN A IN A IN A NORMAL YEAR, WE GET ABOUT 38, 39 MILLION IN FEDERAL MONEY.

WE KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO BE CONSIDERABLY MORE THAN THAT, BUT WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH YET.

WE KNOW IT'S GOING TO GO THROUGH THE FORMULA, THE DISTRIBUTION FORMULA.

BUT WE JUST DON'T HAVE AN ESTIMATE FROM THEM YET, BUT I KNOW THEY'RE WORKING ON IT.

ASHBY, I'M SORRY.

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHEN, WHEN THE CALL MIGHT TAKE PLACE? YES, SIR.

SO WHAT WE'VE BEEN TELLING THE BOARD IS WE'RE LOOKING AT A CALL THIS TIME NEXT YEAR.

IT MAY ADJUST A LITTLE BIT.

WE WEREN'T ANTICIPATING THE FEDERAL BILL PASSING, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.

SO WE MAY ADJUST THAT A LITTLE BIT TO GIVE FOLKS TIME TO SORT OF GET THINGS READY TO GO.

AS WES WAS SAYING, OUR INTENT FROM THE BEGINNING OF THIS OF THIS STUDY WAS TO TEE CALDWELL COUNTY UP FOR THE.

WE WANT TO BE READY FOR THAT LETTING WITH THIS PROJECT.

YES, SIR.

AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY IS DEPENDENT UPON THAT CALL.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS PROJECT IS SET UP AND TEED UP FOR, THIS FOR THIS FUNDING CYCLE.

OK.

JUST ASK ONE OTHER QUESTION, BASICALLY.

I DON'T MEAN TO QUESTION YOU'D ASK ABOUT THE BUDGET ON OUR ON OUR PROJECT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE IN ABOUT 45 PERCENT OF ITS SPENDING, AND THAT'S ONE POINT.

WHAT WAS THE BUDGET? TWO POINT ONE I'M SORRY, I SAID I'LL DEFER TO CAMPO ON THAT.

[INAUDIBLE] WE'RE ABOUT I'M GOING TO GUESS WE'RE ABOUT 55 PERCENT COMPLETE.

OBVIOUSLY, WE WE WE HAD A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPENDED.

BECAUSE OF COVID AND THE VIRTUAL PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITY AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

[INAUDIBLE] LIKE I SAID, WE HAD SOME EXPENDITURES SET UP FOR A SURVEY OF OF OBSCURED AREAS.

WE JUST FOUND OUT THAT WE DO NOT HAVE ANY OBSCURED AREAS, SO THERE'LL BE SOME STUDIES IN THAT REGARD AS WELL.

OK.

ANYTHING ELSE, COMMISSIONERS? ALL RIGHT.

CAN I ASK YOU A BRIEF UPDATE ON A FEW OTHER THINGS WHILE I'M HERE? YES, PLEASE.

SO BACK IN SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR, CAMPO STAFF ASKED THE TRANSPORTATION POLICY BOARD TO ALLOCATE 7 MILLION IN 130 CONCESSION MONEY THAT WAS SET ASIDE FOR CAMPO BACK IN 2012.

WE ASKED FOR THAT MONEY SO WE COULD ADVANCE MORE WORK LIKE WE'RE DOING FOR CALDWELL COUNTY ON THIS STUDY.

SO WE CAME UP WITH A LIST OF QUARTERS AND ASKED THE BOARD TO APPROVE THOSE QUARTERS.

SO IT ENDED UP BEING 10 QUARTERS ACROSS ALL SIX COUNTIES IN PARTICULAR TO TO THIS BODY WAS US 80 FROM ROUGHLY FROM SAN MARCOS, OVER TO 183 I-10.

AND WHAT WE WERE LOOKING TO DO ON THAT IS TO ADVANCE THE WORK THAT WE DID FOR CALDWELL COUNTY AS PART OF THE LULING [INAUDIBLE] STUDY AND WE WOULD TRY TO TAKE THAT STUDY TO THE NEXT LEVEL NOW AND TEE UP SOMETHING THAT COULD THAT COULD GO FORWARD FOR [INAUDIBLE] PROJECTS.

SO AT TODAY'S BOARD MEETING, WE'RE ASKING THE BOARD TO APPROVE.

WE PUT OUR [INAUDIBLE] TO HIRE A GENERAL ENGINEERING CONSULTANT.

WE'RE ASKING THE BOARD TO APPROVE THAT CONTRACT FOR THAT 7 MILLION FOR THAT GENERAL ENGINEERING CONSULTANT.

AS IT TURNS OUT, BGE WILL BE THE FIRM THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING FOR THAT OUT OF THE SEVERANCE OF MEDALS THAT WE RECEIVED.

SO WE WOULD BE COMING BACK TO YOU ALL SOON TO START TALKING ABOUT THAT WORK AS WELL.

IN ADDITION, I PROMISED THAT WE WOULD UPDATE YOUR THOROUGHFARE PLAN FOR YOU.

I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU ALL KNOW THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN SITTING IDLE, EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING FROM US.

WE'VE BEEN DOING WORK IN THE BACKGROUND.

WE WILL BE PREPARED TO TO START THE PUBLIC OUTREACH INITIAL PUBLIC OUTREACH PROCESS, PROBABLY IN JANUARY, NO LATER THAN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, BUT THAT THAT WORK WILL PROCEED.

AND AS I'VE INDICATED BEFORE, WE'RE DOING THAT ON OUR DIME.

WE'RE NOT CHARGING CALDWELL COUNTY FOR THAT.

WE APPRECIATE THAT.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

OK.

APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

YES, SIR.

THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONERS, I HAVE RECEIVED WORD WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO ITEM 13 THAT MR. MAGEE CAN BE HERE ON THE 13TH AND THAT WE CAN HAVE ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING ON THE 15TH AND THEN A VOTE SO.

YEAH, HE'LL BE HERE ON FRIDAY.

HE'LL BE HERE FRIDAY THE 13TH AT 9 O'CLOCK.

I THINK THAT'S THE 12TH.

YES, YEAH, FRIDAY.

SO WE WILL POST A ANOTHER WORKSHOP FOR THE 13TH.

JUDGE, I'M SORRY.

I MEAN, THE 12TH I KEEP SAYING THE WRONG DAY IT WOULD BE FRIDAY, THE 8TH FOR THE WORKSHOP.

FRIDAY, THE 12TH FRIDAY.

SORRY JASON.

GO AHEAD.

SO THE COURT IS AWARE BY HAVING THE MEETING ON FRIDAY MEANS THAT ANY LATER NOTICE TO ACTUALLY ADOPT THE PROPOSED MAP FOR THE NEW PROPOSED MAP WILL PUT US OUT OF STATUTORY COMPLIANCE BECAUSE IT WILL BE PASSED THE 13TH WHEN WE COULD HAVE OUR NEXT SPEAKERS].

OK, WELL, I'LL SPEAK WITH ERIC ABOUT IT.

WE MAY HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING TO FOLLOW, BUT HE I JUST HEARD FROM HIM AND HE SAID

[01:45:13]

SO I DON'T KNOW.

I'M JUST LETTING, OK, I'LL FIND OUT.

WE'LL EITHER WELL, EITHER HAVE A WORKSHOP AND A HEARING IMMEDIATELY TO FOLLOW ON FRIDAY OR A WORKSHOP AND THEN A HEARING ON THE 15TH, DEPENDING ON WHAT I HEAR FROM ERIC.

WE'LL GET ALL THAT POSTED UP TODAY, IF POSSIBLE.

HE TOLD ME THAT WE BASICALLY HAVE TO POST THE PUBLIC HEARING AND HAVE TO HAVE 72 HOUR NOTICE, SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE HAVING THE MEETING ON MONDAY.

I KNOW IT IS STATUTORY.

STATUTORILY, IT SAYS WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE IT ON THE BY THE 13TH, SO HE NEEDS TO GET CLEAR ON THAT AND LET US KNOW.

ALL RIGHT.

BUT I'M GOING TO SEND OUT THE NOTICE TO THE PAPERS RIGHT NOW.

SO LET'S WAY LET'S WAIT BEFORE WE NOTICE UP, OK, BECAUSE WE MAY WIND UP HAVING THE WORKSHOP AND THEN THE HEARING IMMEDIATELY TO FOLLOW.

OK, WE CAN POST THEM BOTH 72 HOURS IN ADVANCE IF WE DO THAT TODAY, AND THAT MAY BE THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE THIS.

[13. Discussion/Action to consider the Approval Order Adopting Redistricting Plan for Caldwell County Commissioners Court Precincts. (Part 2of 2)]

ALL RIGHT.

SO DO I HAVE A MOTION TO TABLE ITEM 13? I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION.

WE HAVE MOTION TO TABLE ITEM 13 PENDING POSTING OF A WORKSHOP AND POSSIBLE PUBLIC HEARING ON FRIDAY, THE 12TH.

WE HAVE A MOTION AND DID WE GET A SECOND? WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE, AYE.

OPPOSED HEARING NONE MOTION CARRIES.

NOW BACK TO ITEM 11 DISCUSSION ACTION TO CONSIDER RESOLUTION 9-2022, AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY JUDGE TO EXECUTE THE INNER LOCAL AGREEMENT FOR 911 GIS DATABASE MANAGEMENT.

AND I'LL READ THE RESOLUTION RESOLUTION 9-2022 RESOLUTION CALDWELL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT, WHEREAS CAPITAL AREA COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS, [INAUDIBLE] IS A REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION AND POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, ORGANIZED AND OPERATING UNDER THE TEXAS REGIONAL PLANNING ACT OF 1965, AS AMENDED CHAPTER 391 OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE.

AND WHEREAS CALDWELL COUNTY IS A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, WHEREAS CHAPTER 791 THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE AUTHORIZES LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO CONTRACT WITH ONE ANOTHER WITH EIGHT AND WITH AGENCIES OF THE STATE FOR FUNCTIONS NORMALLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE ROUTINE OPERATION OF GOVERNMENT.

AND WHEREAS THE COUNTY AND [INAUDIBLE] PARTIES HAVE NEGOTIATED AN AGREEMENT FOR 911 GRAPHIC IMAGES, GRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM DATABASE ALLOWING FOR PARTICIPATION AND MAINTENANCE OF RELEVANT GIS DATABASE FOR PUBLIC ROADS AND ADDRESS NUMBERS IN UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF THE COUNTY.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CALDWELL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT THAT THE COUNTY JUDGE IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED TO EXECUTE THE INNER LOCAL AGREEMENT FOR 911 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM DATABASE ORDER THIS 8TH DAY OF NOVEMBER 2021 COMMISSIONERS DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 9-2022? SO MOVED.

WE HAVE A MOTION, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE, AYE.

[01:50:01]

MOTION CARRIES ITEM 12 DISCUSSION ACTION TO CONSIDER RESOLUTION 10-2022 REGARDING THE VOTING BALLOT FOR CANDIDATES TO THE CALDWELL COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS COMMISSIONERS IN YOUR BACK UP, YOU WILL SEE A LIST OF POSSIBLE CANDIDATES.

WE HAVE A TOTAL OF ONE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED AND SIXTY NINE VOTES FROM THE COURT.

TRADITIONALLY, WE HAVE JUST DIVIDED THAT NUMBER BY, HOWEVER MANY NUMBER OF CANDIDATES THERE ARE AND CAST THOSE EVENLY.

WE CAN DO IT THAT WAY, OR WE CAN DIVVY UP THOSE ONE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED SIXTY

[11. Discussion/Action to consider Resolution 9-2022, authorizing the County Judge to execute the Interlocal Agreement for 9-1-1 Geographic Information System Database Management.]

ANY WAY WE SEE FIT.

I BELIEVE IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, I BELIEVE LAST TIME WE DIVIDED THEM UP BETWEEN THE THE NOMINEES THAT WERE FROM THIS, THIS BODY, NOT THE THE ENTIRE LIST THAT COULD BE MISTAKEN.

I THINK THAT'S THAT'S FINE.

SO THAT WOULD GIVE YOU THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT I MEANT TO SAY.

THAT WOULD GIVE YOU EACH.

THESE EVENLY BETWEEN [INAUDIBLE]? WELL, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT.

YOU GET ONE OF US IS GOING TO GET IF YOU DIVIDE THAT NUMBER BY FOUR IT COMES TO FOUR SEVENTEEN POINT TWO FIVE.

SO UNLESS WE'RE WILLING TO CUT SOMEBODY'S LEGS OFF, WE GOT TO DIVIDE THIS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.

YOU EACH GET APPROXIMATELY FOUR HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN VOTES.

YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO JUST PICK ONE TO HAVE.

SO FOUR SEVENTEEN YEAH, WE'LL LEAVE THE POINT TWO FIVE OFF.

SO I'LL JUST GO.

ACTUALLY, WE CAN DIVIDE IT BY FIVE.

SORRY, I DIVIDED IT BY FOUR COMMISSIONERS.

SO THAT'S THREE.

LET ME DO IT AGAIN, JUST MAKE SURE MY MATH IS RIGHT.

THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTY THREE VOTES TO CAST FOR SOMEONE.

COMMISSIONER WESTMORELAND, I'M FINE WITH THAT.

I MEAN, OK, YOU WANT TO CAST YOUR LOT THERE? OH, I'LL CAST MY LOT FOR SALLY DANIEL, OK? IT'S TRUE.

OH, YES.

SO WE'RE BACK TO SEVEN SO SIXTEEN SIXTY NINE DIVIDED BY FOUR.

IT'S FOUR HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN.

I'LL CAST MINE FOR [INAUDIBLE] CADE.

COMMISSIONER ROLAND.

WELL.

[INAUDIBLE] COMMISSIONER ROLAND CAST HIS FOR ALFREDO MUNOZ.

OK, I'M GOING TO READ THEM BACK.

YEAH.

SO I CAST FOUR HUNDRED SEVENTEEN FOR [INAUDIBLE] CABE, COMMISSIONER WESTMORELAND CAST FOUR HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN FOR SALLY DANIEL, COMMISSIONER SHELTON CAST FOUR HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN FOR LINDA [INAUDIBLE] AND COMMISSIONER ROLAND CAST FOUR HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN FOR ALFREDO MUNOZ.

I KNOW WELL, IT'S AN ODD NUMBER, SO WE CAN'T I MEAN, WE'VE ONLY GOT FOUR OF US, SO IT'S IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK OUT TO A NICE EVEN NUMBER.

ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONERS.

SO.

[INAUDIBLE] WELL, INTERESTING.

ALL RIGHT, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND READ THE RESOLUTION WITH THOSE THOSE NUMBERS IN IT, RESOLUTION NUMBER 10-2022, WHEREAS CALDWELL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT MET IN REGULAR SESSION ON THE 8TH DAY OF NOVEMBER 2021, AND WHEREAS IT HAS COME TO THE ATTENTION OF CALDWELL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT THAT IT IS TIME TO VOTE BY WRITTEN RESOLUTION FOR CANDIDATES TO THE CALDWELL COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

AND WHEREAS IT IS INCUMBENT UPON COMMISSIONERS COURT TO SEE THAT THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT BOARD IS COMPRISED OF DEDICATED INDIVIDUALS AND NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CALDWELL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT, THE FOLLOWING PERSONS BE

[12. Discussion/Action to consider Resolution 10-2022 regarding the voting ballot for candidates to the Caldwell County Appraisal District Board of Directors.]

[INAUDIBLE] CADE FOUR HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN VOTES.

SALLY DANIEL FOUR HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN VOTES, LINDA HINKLE, FOUR HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN VOTES.

AND ALFREDO MUNOZ FOUR HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN VOTES ADOPTED AND PASSED ON THIS 8TH DAY OF NOVEMBER 2021.

COMMISSIONERS DO I HAVE A MOTION TO PASS RESOLUTION NUMBER 10-2022 AS READ.

WE HAVE A MOTION.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE AYE.

OPPOSE HEARING NONE.

MOTION CARRIES.

WE'RE DONE WITH 13 ITEM 14 DISCUSSION ACTION TO CONSIDER THE PROCLAMATION DECLARING FEBRUARY AS CALDWELL COUNTY FAIR HOUSING MONTH.

THANK YOU, JUDGE COMMISSIONERS.

THIS PROCLAMATION IS ONE OF THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS WE MUST HAVE WITH THIS GLO GRANT THAT WE'RE UNDER CONSIDERATION.

LET ME READ THE RESOLUTION.

IT'S FAIR HOUSING MONTH PROCLAMATION [INAUDIBLE] TITLE EIGHT OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1968, AS AMENDED, PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION IN HOUSING AND DECLARES IT A NATIONAL POLICY TO PROVIDE WITHIN WITHIN CONSTITUTIONAL LIMITS FOR FAIR HOUSING IN THE UNITED STATES.

AND WHEREAS THE PRINCIPLE OF FAIR HOUSING IS NOT ONLY NATIONAL LAW AND NATIONAL POLICY, BUT A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN CONCEPT AND ENTITLEMENT FOR ALL AMERICANS.

AND WHEREAS THE NATIONAL FAIR HOUSING LAW DURING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL AMERICANS TO RECOGNIZE THAT COMPLETE SUCCESS IN THE GOAL OF EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY CAN ONLY BE ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE HELP AND COOPERATION OF ALL AMERICANS.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE NOW.

THEREFORE, WE, THE COMMISSIONERS COURT OF CALDWELL COUNTY, DO PROCLAIM FEBRUARY AS FAIR HOUSING MONTH IN THE COUNTY OF CALDWELL AND DO HEREBY URGE ALL THE CITIZENS OF THIS LOCALITY TO BECOME AWARE OF AND SUPPORT THE FAIR HOUSING LAW IN WITNESS WHERE WE FIX OUR SIGNATURES AND SEAL ON THIS 8TH DAY OF NOVEMBER 2021, I REQUEST YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THAT PROCLAMATION.

OK.

COMMISSIONERS THE MOTION TO ACCEPT PROCLAMATION FOR FAIR HOUSING MONTH.

SO MOVED.

WE HAVE A MOTION, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? OPPOSED HEARING NONE.

MOTION CARRIES.

EXCUSE ME.

ITEM FIFTEEN DISCUSSION ACTION TO CONSIDER RATIFICATION OF GLO CDBG MITIGATION GRANT CONTRACT OF SEVENTEEN MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED AND NINETY FOUR THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED FIFTY TWO DOLLARS.

FEDERAL SHARE SEVENTEEN MILLION SIX HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED SIXTY FOUR DOLLARS.

LOCAL SHARE ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY SIX THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY EIGHT DOLLARS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF A MULTI-PURPOSE EVACUATION SHELTER FACILITY IN CALDWELL COUNTY.

THANK YOU, JUDGE.

IT WAS ON SEPTEMBER 8TH OF 2020 THAT THE COMMISSIONERS COURT APPROVED RESOLUTION 36-22 AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY TO APPLY TO THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE, WHERE CDBG MITIGATION GRANT IN OUR EARLY DISCUSSIONS WITH THE GLO.

WE WERE ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT A GRANT AND IF ANY FUNDS REMAIN, WE'D HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUBMIT A SECOND GRANT.

YOU MAY RECALL THAT THE OPTIONS FOR GRANT APPLICATIONS AND SOLICITATIONS WERE DESCRIBED IN OUR RECENTLY, FEMA APPROVED 2020 2025 CALDWELL COUNTY HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN.

ACTUALLY, OUR FIRST GRANT THAT WE SUBMITTED OUR FIRST GRANT WAS FOR FORTY NINE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED SOMETHING THOUSAND DOLLARS TO CONDUCT SOME WATER FLOW SENSING DEVICES, REPLACE ANTIQUATED BRIDGES AND REPAIR SOME ROADS THAT WERE IN THE 2013 CALDWELL COUNTY TRANSPORTATION PLAN.

WE TOOK IT UPON OURSELVES TO GO AHEAD AND SUBMIT A SECOND APPLICATION, AND THAT WAS AN EVACUATION SHELTER FOR THE COUNTY.

SO WE CONTINUED TO WATCH AND MONITOR THE PROPOSAL'S ADVANCEMENTS THROUGH THE PROCESS.

AND I MUST TELL YOU THAT WE REALLY DEPENDED UPON OUR PROJECT MANAGER SUPPORT WITH LANGFORD COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT SERVICES AND JESSICA [INAUDIBLE], WHO HAPPENS TO BE HERE TODAY, WAS VERY HELPFUL IN US CROSSING T'S, DOTTING I'S AND STAYING ON TOP OF ALL THE DUE

[01:55:07]

AND EVENTUALLY, THE EVACUATION SHELTER PROJECT WAS SELECTED FOR FUNDING AND THE MITIGATION CONTRACT WAS RECEIVED IN OUR OFFICES THE LAST WEEK OF OCTOBER 2021.

WITH ALL THAT HISTORY BEHIND US, I NOW COME BEFORE YOU TODAY ASKING YOU TO RATIFY THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE GLO CDBG MITIGATION GRANT THAT HAS BEEN AWARDED TO CALDWELL COUNTY, SEVENTEEN MILLION SIX HUNDRED EIGHTEEN THOUSAND TEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY FOUR DOLLARS FEDERAL SHARE ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY SIX THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY EIGHT DOLLARS ONE PERCENT LOCAL SHARE.

THE GRANT CONTRACT BEGINS OCTOBER 28, 2021 AND THEN DATES JANUARY 31 OF 2025.

THIS IS ONE OF THOSE WE ARE NOW HEARING.

THIS IS ONE OF THOSE ONCE IN A GENERATION OPPORTUNITIES THAT OUR COUNTY HAS BEEN SO LUCKY IN BEING ABLE TO RECEIVE.

I ASK THAT YOU SEEK RATIFICATION OF THIS GRANT CONTRACT, WHICH HAD BEEN SIGNED BY THE JUDGE A LITTLE EARLIER BECAUSE OF SOME TIME TIME SENSITIVITY OF WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, INCLUDING A GLO KICKOFF MEETING THIS AFTERNOON.

SO I ASK FOR YOUR APPROVAL OF RATIFICATION OF THIS CONTRACT.

COMMISSIONERS, DO I HAVE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL FOR RATIFICATION OF GLOS CDBG MITIGATION GRANT CONTRACT IN THE AMOUNT OF SEVENTEEN MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED NINETY FOUR THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED FIFTY TWO DOLLARS? SO MOVED.

WE HAVE A MOTION DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.

WE HAVE MOTION AND A SECOND ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE.

OPPOSE HEARING NONE.

MOTION CARRIES.

WE'VE DONE ITEM 16, ITEM 17 DISCUSSION ACTION TO CONSIDER RESOLUTION 11-2022 TO AUTHORIZE SIGNATORIES FOR CONTRACTUAL AND FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS PERTAINING TO THE GLO COMMUNITY SERVICES DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT MITIGATION CDBG MIT PROGRAM INFRASTRUCTURE CONTRACT NUMBER 2-085-024-D265 DENNIS? AGAIN, THIS IS A REQUIRED DOCUMENT THAT WE MUST HAVE TO SUBMIT WITH THE GRANT APPLICATION.

I'LL READ THE RESOLUTION.

RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING SIGNATORIES A RESOLUTION BY COMMISSIONERS COURT OF THE COUNTY OF CALDWELL, TEXAS, DESIGNATING AUTHORIZED SIGNATORIES FOR CONTRACTUAL DOCUMENTS AND DOCUMENTS FOR REQUESTING FUNDS PERTAINING TO THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT MITIGATION PROGRAM CDBG-MIT CONTRACT NUMBER 22-085-024-D265.

WHEREAS THE COUNTY OF CALDWELL, TEXAS, HAS RECEIVED A 2020 GLO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK MITIGATION AWARD TO PROVIDE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS.

AND WHEREAS IT IS NECESSARY TO APPOINT PERSONS TO EXECUTE CONTRACTUAL DOCUMENTS AND DOCUMENTS FOR REQUESTING FUNDS FROM THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE AND WHEREAS AN ORIGINAL SIGNED COPY OF THE CDBG-MIT DEPOSITORY AUTHORIZED SIGNATORIES DESIGNATION FORM IS TO BE SUBMITTED WITH A COPY OF THIS RESOLUTION.

AND WHEREAS THE COUNTY OF CALDWELL, TEXAS, ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IN THE EVENT THAT AN AUTHORIZED SIGNATORY OF THE COUNTY CHANGES ELECTIONS, ILLNESS, RESIGNATIONS, ET CETERA, THE COUNTY MUST PROVIDE GLO WITH THE FOLLOWING.

A RESOLUTION STATING WHO THE NEW AUTHORIZED SIGNATORY IS, NOT REQUIRED IF THIS ORIGINAL RESOLUTION NAMES ONLY THE TITLE AND NOT THE NAME OF THE SIGNATORY AND A REVISED CDBG-MIT DEPOSITORY AUTHORIZED SIGNATORIES DESIGNATION FORM.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMISSIONERS COURT OF THE COUNTY OF CALDWELL, TEXAS, AS FOLLOWS.

THE COUNTY JUDGE AND COUNTY AUDITOR BE AUTHORIZED TO EXECUTE CONTRACTUAL DOCUMENTS BETWEEN THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE AND THE COUNTY FOR THE 2020 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT MITIGATION PROGRAM.

THE COUNTY JUDGE, COUNTY AUDITOR AND PURCHASING AGENT BE AUTHORIZED TO EXECUTE THE FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR REQUESTING FUNDS APPROVED IN THE 2020 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT MITIGATION PROGRAM, PASSED AND APPROVED BY COMMISSIONERS COURT OF THE COUNTY OF CALDWELL, TEXAS, ON NOVEMBER 8, 2021.

I ASK FOR YOUR APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION.

COMMISSIONERS DO HAVE MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 11-2022? WE HAVE A MOTION DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND IT.

WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.

AYE.

OPPOSED HEARING NONE.

MOTION CARRIES.

ITEM 18.

DISCUSSION ACTION TO CONSIDER THE RESOLUTION RESOLUTION 12-2022 CIVIL

[14. Discussion/Action to consider the proclamation declaring February as Caldwell County -Fair Housing Month.]

I'LL READ THE RESOLUTION NUMBER 12-2022.

WHEREAS THE COUNTY OF CALDWELL, TEXAS, HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AS COUNTY OF CALDWELL, HAS BEEN AWARDED CDBG MITIGATION FUNDING THROUGH A CDBG-MIT GRANT FROM THE TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICE HEREIN REFERRED TO AS GLO.

WHEREAS THE COUNTY OF CALDWELL, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 109 OF THE TITLE ONE OF THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ACT 24 CFR 6 THE AGE DISCRIMINATION ACT OF 1975, 42 U.S.C.

6101-6107 AND SECTION 504 OF THE REHABILITATION ACT.

OF THE 1973 TWENTY NINE U.S.C.

SEVEN NINETY FOUR AND FOR CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS GREATER THAN $10000 MUST TAKE ACTIONS TO ENSURE THAT NO PERSON OR GROUP IS DENIED BENEFITS SUCH AS EMPLOYMENT, TRAINING, HOUSING CONTRACTS PRESENTED BY THE CDBG ACTIVITY ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, SEX, NATIONAL ORIGIN, AGE OR

[02:00:02]

WHEREAS THE COUNTY OF CALDWELL IN CONSIDERATION FOR THE RECEIPT AND ACCEPTANCE OF FEDERAL FUNDING, AGREES TO COMPLY WITH ALL FEDERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS, INCLUDING THOSE RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING CITIZEN PARTICIPATION AND CIVIL RIGHTS PROTECTIONS.

WHEREAS THE COUNTY OF CALDWELL, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION THREE OF THE HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 1968 AS AMENDED AND 24 CFR PART 135 IS REQUIRED TO THE GREATEST EXTENT FEASIBLE TO PROVIDE TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO LOWER INCOME RESIDENTS AND CONTRACT OPPORTUNITIES TO BUSINESSES IN THE CDBG PROJECT AREA.

WHEREAS THE COUNTY OF CALDWELL, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 1041 OF THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ACT AS AMENDED, AND STATE CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AT 24 CFR 91.325B6 MUST ADOPT AN EXCESSIVE FORCE POLICY THAT PROHIBITS THE USE OF EXCESSIVE FORCE AGAINST NONVIOLENT CIVIL RIGHTS DEMONSTRATIONS.

WHEREAS THE COUNTY OF CALDWELL, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 504 OF THE REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973, DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF DISABILITY AND AGREES TO ENSURE THAT QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES HAVE ACCESS TO PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES THAT RECEIVE FEDERAL FUNDS.

AND WHEREAS THE COUNTY OF CALDWELL, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 808E5 OF THE FAIR HOUSING ACT, 42 U.S.C.

THREE SIXTY, 368E5 IT REQUIRES HUD PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES TO BE

[15. Discussion/Action to consider ratification of GLO CDBG-Mitigation Grant Contract of $17,794,952 (Federal Share: $17,618,764; Local Share: $176,188) for the construction of a multi-purpose evacuation shelter facility in Caldwell County.]

AGREES TO CONDUCT AT LEAST ONE ACTIVITY DURING THE CONTRACT PERIOD TO THE CDBG CONTRACT TO AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHER FAIR HOUSING.

WHEREAS THE COUNTY OF CALDWELL AGREES TO MAINTAIN WRITTEN STANDARDS OF CONDUCT COVERING CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND GOVERNING THE ACTIONS OF ITS EMPLOYEES ENGAGED IN THE SELECTION AWARD AND ADMINISTRATION OF CONTRACTS.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMISSIONERS COURT OF THE COUNTY OF CALDWELL, TEXAS, THAT THE COUNTY OF CALDWELL ADOPTS THE FOLLOWING.

ONE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PLAN AND GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES.

TWO SECTION THREE POLICY.

THREE EXCESSIVE FORCE POLICY.

FOUR SECTION 504 POLICY AND GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES.

FIVE FAIR HOUSING POLICY.

PASSED AND APPROVED THIS 8TH DAY OF NOVEMBER 2021.

I SEEK YOUR APPROVAL OF THIS RESOLUTION.

COMMISSIONERS, WE HAVE MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 12-2022.

WE HAVE A MOTION DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

MOTION AND A SECOND ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.

AYE.

OPPOSE HEARING NONE.

MOTION CARRIES.

ITEM 19 DISCUSSION ACTION CONSIDER AMENDMENT ONE.

CALDWELL COUNTY GRANT ADMINISTRATOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES CONTRACT WITH LANGFORD COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT SERVICES FOR GLO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT MITIGATION CDBG -MIT PROGRAM INFRASTRUCTURE CONTRACT NUMBER 22-085-024-D265.

AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE REFERS TO FUNDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE GRANT TO HELP PAY FOR CALDWELL COUNTY GRANT ADMINISTRATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES CONTRACT FEES WITH LANGFORD COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT SERVICES OF ONE MILLION FOUR HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED THIRTY EIGHT DOLLARS AND FIFTY ONE CENTS.

I SEEK YOUR APPROVAL OF AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE DEALING WITH CALDWELL COUNTY GRANT ADMINISTRATION, ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES CONTRACT.

COMMISSIONERS DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE CALDWELL COUNTY GRANT ADMINISTRATOR AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES CONTRACT WITH LANGFORD COMMUNITY SERVICES MANAGEMENT.

WE HAVE A MOTION.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

WE HAVE MOTION AND A SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.

AYE.

OPPOSED HEARING NONE.

MOTION CARRIES, ITEM 20 DISCUSSION ACTION CONSIDER THE AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE CALDWELL COUNTY GRANT ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT FOR GLO COMMUNITY SERVICES DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT GRANT MITIGATION CDBG-MIT PROGRAM INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS CONTRACT NUMBER 22-085-024-D265 COSTS TWO MILLION ONE HUNDRED TWO THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED NINETY NINE DOLLARS AND SIX CENTS.

AGAIN, THIS IS AN AMENDMENT TO AWARD FUNDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE GRANT FOR OUR ENGINEERING SERVICES THAT WILL BE REQUIRED ON THE GLO PROJECT.

I ASK FOR YOUR APPROVAL OF AMENDMENT ONE FOR CALDWELL COUNTY GRANT ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT [INAUDIBLE] AND ASSOCIATES FOR TWO MILLION ONE HUNDRED TWO THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED NINETY NINE DOLLARS AND SIX CENTS.

COMMISSIONERS DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM 20 AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE CALDWELL COUNTY GRANT ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT FOR GLO COMMUNITY SERVICES CDBG-MIT PROGRAM INFRASTRUCTURE CONTRACT.

SO MOVED.

WE HAVE MOTION DO WE HAVE A SECOND? MOTION AND A SECOND ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.

AYE.

OPPOSE HEARING NONE.

MOTION CARRIES, ITEM TWENTY ONE.

DISCUSSION ACTION TO CONSIDER FY 2022 FERAL HOG ABATEMENT GRANT, INNER LOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN CALDWELL COUNTY AND THE TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE EXTENSION SERVICE CO., PAYING 50 PERCENT OF ESTIMATED HOG BOUNTIES COST TO THE COUNTY IS SIX THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS.

AGAIN, CALDWELL COUNTY HAS BEEN AWARDED A FROM THE TEXAS AGRILIFE EXTENSION CENTER SERVICE AN AWARD OF UP TO $20000 FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 22 FERAL HOG ABATEMENT GRANT.

A LOT OF, I THINK THE REASON WE CONTINUE TO RECEIVE THESE GRANTS IS BECAUSE WE HAVE A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM WELL KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE STATE.

THIS GRANT INCLUDES GENERAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT WITH MEADOW CENTER FOR WATER AND ENVIRONMENT OF TWELVE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS, WHICH INCLUDES SUCH THINGS AS WEBSITE MAINTENANCE, WEBINARS, OUTREACH EVENTS, REMOTE OPERATIONAL FERAL HOG TRAP SHARING COOPERATIVE, COORDINATE BOUNTY COLLECTION EVENTS AND DEVELOP THE FINAL REPORT.

THE BOUNTIES WE'RE PROJECTING 2500 HOGS AT $5 PER HOG.

THAT'S TWELVE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED.

WE'RE COUNTY'S ELIGIBLE OR LIABLE FOR 50 PERCENT OF THOSE, WHICH IS SIX THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS.

WE ARE SUGGESTING WE'RE GOING TO HARVEST MORE HOGS THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE WERE LIMITED THIS LAST YEAR BECAUSE OF COVID, AND WE THINK THAT THAT WE'LL BE HARVESTING MORE HOGS.

[17. Discussion/Action to consider the Resolution 11-2022 to authorized Signatories for Contractual and Financial Documents pertaining to the GLO Community Development Block Grant-Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) Program, Infrastructure Contract Number 2-085-024-D265]

IT SHOULD SAY 2500 HOGS INSTEAD OF TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY HOGS.

AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT CORRECTION.

SO I SEEK YOUR APPROVAL OF ACCEPTING THE FISCAL YEAR 22 FERAL HOG ABATEMENT GRANT THAT'S BEING OFFERED BY TEXAS AGRILIFE EXTENSION CENTER FOR SERVICE.

EXCUSE ME, COMMISSIONERS DO I HAVE MOTION TO APPROVE THE FY 2022 FERAL HOG ABATEMENT GRANT INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN CALDWELL COUNTY AND TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE EXTENSION SERVICES.

SO MOVE.

WE HAVE A MOTION, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.

AYE.

OPPOSE HEARING NONE, MOTION CARRIES.

ITEM 22 DISCUSSION ACTION CONSIDER COUNTY JUDGE FOR BEGINNING NEGOTIATION BETWEEN ATMOS ENERGY PIPELINE AND CALDWELL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.

JUDGE I'M GONNA NEED TO RECUSE MYSELF IN THIS ITEM.

ALL RIGHT.

AND THEN THERE WERE THREE.

WE STILL HAVE A QUORUM, SO WE HAVE ANOTHER PIPELINE COMING THROUGH CALDWELL COUNTY AND JUST TO KIND OF GET IN FRONT OF IT.

WE'RE LOOKING TO I'M CERTAIN AT SOME POINT THEY'RE GOING TO APPROACH US, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY FIGURE OUT WHAT OUR CONSTRUCTION FEES ARE GOING TO BE.

AND SO JUST AS WE DID WITH KINDER MORGAN, WE WILL PROBABLY BE PUT IN A POSITION TO NEGOTIATE SOME AGREEMENT.

SO ALL THIS IS AT THIS TIME TO GIVE ME THE AUTHORITY TO BEGIN THOSE NEGOTIATIONS AND REPORT BACK TO COURT AS WE GO ALONG.

I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IF THIS ALL COMES TO IS THAT WE PUT IN OUR DOCUMENTS THAT WE

[02:05:03]

I HAD AN AREA IN MY PRECINCT.

WE DIDN'T QUITE HAVE THAT WITH KINDER MORGAN AND THEY WORN A TURNOFF WORN A TURNOUT.

I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE MAKE THEM HOLD TIGHT TO THAT.

I CAN'T AFFORD FOR MY ROADS BE TORE UP.

OK.

AND LAST TIME, WE ALSO GOT A GRANT FROM THE STATE TO REPAIR ANY ROAD THAT TOUCHED THE PIPELINE.

BUT IF IT DIDN'T TOUCH THE PIPELINE, THEN IT WAS UP TO KINDER MORGAN.

SO IT WAS ACTUALLY A ROUTE THEY EXITED OFF THE CURVE AND THEY WENT IN AND OUT FOR SOME STATIONS.

OK.

BUT YET THEY DIDN'T REPAIR IT.

OKAY.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL AWARE OF THAT.

BUT WE COULD HAVE APPROACHED THEM AND ASKED THEM TO DO THAT, AND WE WILL MAKE SURE WE GET THAT DONE THIS TIME.

BUT ANYWAY, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ALLOW FOR BEGINNING OF ANY NEGOTIATION SHOULD THAT BECOME NECESSARY? JUDGE.

YOU GOT SOMETHING [INAUDIBLE].

FOR THE RECORD TRACY BROUGHTON, I JUST WANT TO ADDRESS THAT COMMISSIONER SHELTON.

USING AUTHORITY FROM ABOUT A YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF AGO WHEN THE COURT ADOPTED SOME CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS AND AUTHORIZE THE UNIT ROAD AND THE CALDWELL COUNTY ENGINEER TO ADOPT CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS.

SINCE THAT TIME, WE'VE BEEN PUTTING A PROVISION IN THE TEMPORARY DRIVEWAY PERMITS HAVE BEEN ISSUED SINCE THEN THAT REQUIRES A NOTE IN THE CONSTRUCTION PLANS, THAT CONTRACTORS ARE REQUIRED TO REPAIR ANY DAMAGE TO THE ROADWAY FOR TEMPORARY CONSTRUCTION DRIVEWAYS, AND ALL THE ARWA PERMITS HAVE THAT PROVISION IN THEM.

NOW ARWA HASN'T BEGUN IT'S CONSTRUCTION ACROSS MOST OF CALDWELL COUNTY, BUT IT DOES INCLUDE THOSE PROVISIONS AND ANY NEW TEMPORARY CONSTRUCTION DRIVEWAYS FOR PIPELINES GOING FORWARD WILL CONTAIN THAT PROVISION.

OK, WE'VE GOT TO BE A LITTLE BIT CAREFUL HERE BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING A LITTLE OFF THE ITEM, WHICH IS WHETHER OR NOT I CAN NEGOTIATE.

WE GOT WHAT WE CAN GET IN ON THE TERMS OF ALL THAT LATER.

YES.

SO DO WE HAVE A MOTION ALLOWING ME TO NEGOTIATE SHOULD THAT BECOME NECESSARY? I SO MOVE.

WE HAVE A MOTION DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE.

OPPOSE HEARING NONE.

MOTION CARRIES.

ITEM TWENTY THREE DISCUSSION ACTION CONSIDER PROPOSED CALDWELL COUNTY ROAD

[18. Discussion/Action to consider the Resolution 12-2022 the Civil Rights Policies for the GLP Community Development Block Grant-Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) Program, Infrastructure Contract Number 22-085-024-D265]

SO, COMMISSIONERS, THIS WAS BEFORE US ONCE BEFORE, AND WE MADE AN AMENDMENT TO IT, SO IT.

HAVE Y'ALL HAD A CHANCE TO TO LOOK IT OVER AND HAVE YOU IDENTIFIED ANY OTHER ISSUES WITH IT, IF NOT I'D LOOK FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE OUR ROAD DISTRICT POLICY AS IT'S PRESENTED .

I HAVE NO OTHER, NO OTHER PROPOSED CHANGES.

OK.

ANYBODY ELSE? OK.

I LOOK FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CALDWELL COUNTY ROAD DISTRICT POLICY.

I SO MOVE.

WE HAVE A MOTION.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR.

SAY AYE.

AYE.

OPPOSE HEARING NONE.

MOTION CARRIES.

ITEM 24 DISCUSSION ACTION TO CONSIDER STEVE LEWIS FOR CALDWELL COUNTY MUNICIPALITY, FOR THE CALDWELL COUNTY MUNICIPALITY TO THE TEXAS INNOVATION CORRIDOR TRANSPORTATION ALLIANCE.

WE'VE ALREADY APPOINTED COMMISSIONER THERIOT FROM CAMPO AND CITY MANAGER STEVE LEWIS IS GRACIOUSLY AGREED TO DO THIS.

SO DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE STEVE LEWIS FOR THE NOMINATION OF THE CALDWELL COUNTY MUNICIPALITY FOR THE CALDWELL COUNTY MUNICIPALITY TO THE TEXAS INNOVATION CORRIDOR TRANSPORTATION STUDY REPRESENTATIVE.

I SO MOVE.

WE HAVE A MOTION, DO WE HAVE A SECOND.

SECOND, WE HAVE MOTION AND A SECOND ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE.

OPPOSED HEARING NONE.

MOTION CARRIES.

ITEM TWENTY FIVE DISCUSSION ACTION AND CONSIDER REAPPOINTMENT OF BARBARA SHELTON TO THE CARTS BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR A TWO FOR A FOR A TWO YEAR TERM BEGINNING JANUARY 1ST, 2022, COMMISSIONERS.

I DEFINITELY WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THAT BARBRA BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE IN THIS ROLE.

SHE'S DONE A GOOD JOB.

YEAH, SO MOVED.

WE HAVE A MOTION DO WE HAVE A SECOND.

SECOND.

WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.

AYE.

OPPOSED.

HEARING NONE.

MOTION CARRIES.

ITEM TWENTY SIX DISCUSSION ACTION TO CONSIDER APPROVAL OF BUDGET AMENDMENT NINE TO ENCUMBERED FUNDS FROM FY 2021 CONTINGENCY LINE ITEM 001-6510-4860 TO COMPUTER SUPPORT 001-6610-4185 TO PAY FOR THREE HUNDRED LICENSES OF MICROSOFT THREE SIXTY FIVE.

COMMISSIONERS THIS WILL, BARBARA TELLS ME.

THIS IS THE VERY LAST ONE FOR FY21.

NO MORE.

I THINK HER HEAD WILL EXPLODE IF ANYBODY SUGGESTS OTHERWISE, SO I WOULD LOOK FOR

[02:10:01]

I SO MOVE.

WE HAVE MOTION.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.

WE HAVE MOTION AND SECOND ALL IN FAVOR.

SAY AYE.

[19. Discussion/Action to consider the Amendment #1 "Caldwell County Grant Administrator & Environmental Services Contract" with Langford Community Management Services for GLO Community Development Block Grant-Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) Program, Infrastructure Contract Number 22-085-024-D265.]

OPPOSED HEARING NONE MOTION CARRIES.

THIS WILL ALSO GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE INTO THE 21ST CENTURY WITH OUR IT SERVICES.

SO KIND OF EXCITED ABOUT IT.

[INAUDIBLE] YES.

ITEM TWENTY SEVEN DISCUSSION ACTION TO APPROVE PURCHASE ORDER 01336 FOR SIXTY FIVE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED FIFTY FOUR DOLLARS FOR A PAYMENT TO MICROSOFT OFFICE 365 LICENSES.

DO HAVE MOTION TO APPROVE PURCHASE ORDER 01336? I SO MOVE.

WE HAVE A MOTION.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ALL IN FAVOR.

SAY AYE.

AYE.

OPPOSE HEARING NONE.

MOTION CARRIES.

WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.

OK.

COMMISSIONERS, ON THE ADVICE OF OUR COUNCIL, WE'D LIKE TO OPEN FOR RECONSIDERATION RESOLUTION ITEM 8-2022 AND ADD AN END DATE TO THE POLICY.

WHAT ABOUT MARCH 31ST? THAT WORKS FOR ME.

SO YES, THAT'S ABOUT WHAT I WAS THINKING SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE AMEND RESOLUTION8-2022 WITH AN END DATE OF MARCH 31, 2022.

OK, WE HAVE MOTION IN A SECOND ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.

AYE.

OPPOSE HEARING NONE.

MOTION CARRIES.

ALL RIGHT NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 551.071 CONSULTATION WITH COUNCIL REGARDING PENDING OR CONTEMPLATED LITIGATION OR SETTLEMENT OFFERS.

WE WILL FOLLOW THAT WITH THE EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.074 DELIBERATION REGARDING APPOINTMENT, EMPLOYMENT EVALUATION, REASSIGNMENT DUTIES, DISCIPLINE OR DISMISSAL OF A PUBLIC OF A PUBLIC OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE.

POSSIBLE ACTION MAY FOLLOW IN OPEN COURT.

WE ARE BEGINNING EXECUTIVE SESSION AT 11:24.

OK, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CLOSE EXECUTIVE SESSION.

TIME NOW IS 11:49 EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.071 CONSULTATION WITH COUNSEL REGARDING PENDING AND CONTEMPLATED LITIGATION.

NO ACTION TO FOLLOW EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE

[20. Discussion/Action to consider the Amendment #1 "Caldwell County Grant Engineering Services Contract" for GLO Community Development Block Grant-Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) Program, Infrastructure Contract Number 22-085-024-D265.]

POSSIBLE ACTION TO FOLLOW IN OPEN COURT.

EXECUTIVE SESSION IS NOW CLOSED AT 11:50.

COMMISSIONERS, I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT THE PATRICIA REASSIGNMENT TO SENIOR TECH IS APPROPRIATE AND WE'VE AGREED TO THE SALARY OF $55000.

DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THOSE PARAMETERS.

SO MOVE.

WE HAVE A MOTION.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.

WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.

AYE.

OPPOSED HEARING NONE.

MOTION CARRIES.

ITEM 29 ADJOURNMENT.

MOTION TO ADJOURN.

I MAKE A MOTION WE ADJOURN.

WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

WE HAVE MOTION AND A SECOND ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.

AYE.

OPPOSED HEARING NONE.

MOTION CARRIES.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.