NOW WE'RE GOING TO OPEN OUR BUDGET WORKSHOP.
[Call Meeting to Order]
[00:00:10]
WE'RE GOING TO OPEN THE BUDGET WORKSHOP 26TH DAY OF JUNE 2023 AT 9:24.COULD I GET A MOTION COMMISSIONERS TO SKIP THE INVOCATION AND PLEDGE AND ANNOUNCEMENTS? SO MOVED. WE HAVE A MOTION.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. MOTION AND A SECOND.
MOTION CARRIES. DO WE HAVE ANY CITIZENS COMMENTS? NO CITIZENS COMMENTS.
OKAY. WITH THAT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE WORKSHOP.
[1. WORKSHOP: To Discuss proposed department request budget for FY 2024 for the following departments: JP Pct. 1, Constable Pct. 1, County Judge, District Clerk , JP Pct. 3, JP Pct. 2, Auditor, Grants, County Treasurer, Purchasing, Constable Pct. 4, County Court at Law, Human Resources (HR), Constable Pct. 3, Emergency Management Coordinator (EMC), County Extension Agent Office, Constable Pct. 2, JP Pct. 4, County Clerk, District Attorney, District Judge, Veteran Service Office (VSO), GIS - 911 Sanitation.]
WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT.WE'VE ACTUALLY FINISHED WITH ALL OF OUR MEETINGS, ALTHOUGH WITH ELECTIONS.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE THAT THEY'RE NOT HERE.
AND THERE ARE 2 OR 3 OF THEM THAT WE JUST RECENTLY HAD TOWARDS THE END OF LAST WEEK.
SO BEFORE YOU HAVE ONE CONSTABLE, ONE COUNTY JUDGE, DISTRICT CLERK.
JP3, JP2, AUDITOR, GRANTS COUNTY TREASURER, PURCHASING CONSTABLE, PRECINCT FOUR COUNTY COURT AT LAW, HUMAN RESOURCES, CONSTABLE PRECINCT THREE, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR, COUNTY EXTENSION AGENT, OFFICE CONSTABLE.
PRECINCT TWO, JP PRECINCT FOUR, COUNTY CLERK.
DISTRICT COURT. DISTRICT JUDGE, VETERANS SERVICE OFFICE, GIS AND SANITATION.
SO THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE FEEL LIKE WE HAVE FAIRLY SETTLED AT THIS TIME.
SO I'M CURIOUS IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THOSE.
AND WE'LL IF WE DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER RIGHT AWAY, WE'LL TRY TO GET IT FOR YOU.
AND I'M ALSO CURIOUS TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR PRIORITIES, COMMISSIONERS, WHERE WE'RE ONCE AGAIN SHORTER ON EXTRA REVENUE THIS YEAR THAN WE WERE LAST YEAR.
WE OUR TAX RATE FELL ABOUT, I THINK, 11 PENNIES FROM WHAT, FROM 14 PENNY DROP OF LAST YEAR.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE WAY SB 2, YOU KNOW, FORCES US TO CALCULATE THINGS.
SO WE'VE GONE AND SINCE SB 2 PASSED, WE'VE GONE FROM HAVING $2 MILLION OF EXTRA FUNDS TO LAST YEAR, A MILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS OF EXTRA FUNDS TO THIS YEAR, $800,000 OF EXTRA FUNDS.
AND IF WE CONTINUE ON THAT TRACK, PROBABLY NEXT YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO TO THE VOTERS AND ASK THEM TO ALLOW US TO SEEK. THAT'S THE CAP.
3.5% CAP IN ORDER TO HAVE ENOUGH MONEY JUST TO OPERATE.
EVERYONE CAME UP DURING THIS SESSION.
THE LEGISLATURE SEEMS REALLY HAPPY WITH THEIR WORK.
THERE SEEMS TO BE NO BOTTOM TO IT.
SO WE'RE GOING TO MORE THAN LIKELY NEXT YEAR HAVE TO HAVE TWO BUDGETS, A BUDGET THAT IS AT 3.5% CAP AND A BUDGET THAT WE TAKE TO THE VOTERS TO ASK THEM TO ALLOW US TO GO ABOVE THE CAP AT SOME AMOUNT, WHICH I WON'T KNOW UNTIL PROPERTY VALUES ARE DONE NEXT YEAR AND ALL THAT STUFF.
SO, JUDGE, THE DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS ARE NOT SUBJECT.
THAT'S RIGHT. TO THAT, RIGHT? THAT'S RIGHT. THEY FALL UNDER INS AND WE CAN TAKE THOSE OFF, WHICH WE DID.
ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES, I GUESS, TO LOOK AT EQUIPMENT PURCHASES, THOSE KIND OF THINGS THROUGH COS? YES. THAT WE COULD? THERE ARE, WE CAN STILL DO THAT.
WE CAN'T, WE CAN NO LONGER DO LIKE BUILDING COS AND THAT KIND OF THING.
I THINK EQUIPMENT PURCHASES ARE STILL ALLOWED UNDER COS WHICH MIGHT HELP OFFSET THAT A LITTLE BIT.
YEAH, BUT THAT WON'T THAT'LL BE FOR NEXT YEAR, WHATEVER WE DO.
SO WE MAY WANT TO START CONSIDERING SOME OF THAT KIND OF STUFF AS WE GO FORWARD.
THERE ALSO MAY BE SOME OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS FROM SOME SOME FOLKS THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED IN THE PAST TO HELP OFFSET OUR SHORTFALL OUT.
HOW DO THE GIFTS THAT WE RECEIVE OR CONTRIBUTIONS, DO THEY COUNT? THEY DON'T HELP US.
[00:05:10]
DID. SO BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT THIS YEAR.THE RATE WENT UP, THE PROPERTY VALUES WENT UP ABOUT 28%, RESULTING IN A 11% DROP IN OUR RATE.
WE'VE ALREADY SUBTRACTED THE INS AND EVERYTHING THAT WE FEEL LIKE WE CAN OUT.
WE'VE YET TO GET THE CERTIFIED ROLES AND WON'T GET THOSE UNTIL TOWARDS THE END OF JULY.
AND THEN THIS COULD THAT MIGHT CHANGE.
YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR THAT CHANGED PRETTY SIGNIFICANTLY.
WE'RE A LITTLE MORE PREPARED FOR IT THIS YEAR.
SO I THINK THAT OUR ESTIMATIONS GOING TO BE FAIRLY CLOSE, UNFORTUNATELY.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH.
KEEPING THAT IN MIND, WITH RARE EXCEPTIONS, WE'VE DONE 3% RAISES ACROSS THE BOARD.
THERE WERE A COUPLE THAT, FOR INSTANCE, DEPUTY CONSTABLE KENNY, BECAUSE OF HIS WORK WITH THE RIVER PATROL, BECAUSE OF HIS WORK WITH THE TOBACCO GRANT AND BECAUSE OF HIS WORK WITH PRAIRIE LEAGUE SCHOOL, THEY'RE ALL, YOU KNOW, ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT NORMALLY HE WOULD BE REQUIRED TO DO.
HE GOT A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A THAN SOME, BUT BY AND LARGE, IT'S 3% RAISE ACROSS THE BOARD.
MANY DEPARTMENTS CAME IN ASKING FOR MORE AND WE JUST COULD NOT DO IT BECAUSE OF OUR BUDGET SHORTFALL, BECAUSE EVEN AT 3%, WHEN IF YOU DO A 3% RAISE AND WE PAY OUR OUR INCREASED INSURANCE RATES, THAT GOBBLES UP HALF OF THE MONEY THAT'S THAT'S THERE AND AVAILABLE, LEAVING LESS THAN $400,000 TO SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY FOR ANYTHING FOR ROADS, FOR ANYTHING EXTRA.
SO AND THAT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF MONEY BUT IT'S NOT.
AND SO ONCE WE GET OUR CERTIFIED TAX ROLLS IN JULY, WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO GO BACK IN HERE AND TAKE A HARD LOOK AND MAKE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS ABOUT SOME THINGS.
IT'S EVERY RURAL COUNTY IN THE STATE THAT'S GOING THROUGH THIS SAME PROBLEM.
THIS BILL WAS INTENDED TO SORT OF PUNISH SOME OF THE LARGER COUNTIES, HARRIS COUNTY, TARRANT COUNTY, TRAVIS COUNTY, BUT INSTEAD OF BRACKETING IT TO COUNTIES WITH POPULATION OVER 1000 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEY JUST DID THE SHOTGUN APPROACH AND APPLIED IT TO ALL 254 COUNTIES.
I DO WANT TO GET YOUR PRIORITIES FOR YOU KNOW, WHAT WHAT YOU WANT US TO PAY THE CLOSEST ATTENTION TO SO THAT IF WE GET THE WHEN WE FINALLY GET OUR CERTIFIED ROLES AND WE KNOW EXACTLY HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, WE HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT YOU GUYS WANT TO SEE, WHAT YOUR PRIORITIES ARE, THEIR ROADS OR THEIR LAW ENFORCEMENT OR ARE THEY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT? YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THEY? SO I'LL LET Y'ALL KIND OF GO ONE AT A TIME IF YOU WANT TO OR IF YOU JUST WANT TO WAIT AND SEE WHERE WE LAND AND DO IT AT THE NEXT BUDGET SHOP.
WELL, I GUESS I HAVE TO ALWAYS START, SO.
NUMBER ONE. UH, I PROBABLY AM IN THE POSITION WHERE I DO THINK IT'D PROBABLY BE BEST TO KIND OF WAIT ON SOME OF THOSE PRIORITIES TO SEE WHAT HOW THIS EXACTLY SHAKES OUT.
THERE IS ONE THING I WANT TO BRING UP.
AT SOME POINT WE PROBABLY NEED TO TACKLE AND THAT IS, IT IS WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER AFFORDABLE.
BUT IT MAY NOT BE DOABLE IN THIS BUDGET TO START TO TALK ABOUT THE PROCESS, ABOUT HOW WE DEAL WITH THE DATA MANAGEMENT IN SANITATION, SPECIFICALLY IN RELATIONS TO OUR DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE AND HOW WE TACKLE OUR CURRENT PERMITTING SITUATION.
[00:10:10]
PLATFORM THAT A LOT OF MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES AROUND US USE THAT'S ACTUALLY HOSTED OUT OF OUT OF LOUISIANA.AND IT'S A, I'M NOT GOING TO SPEAK TO THE COST SIDE.
I'LL LET COMMISSIONER THERIOT SPEAK TO THAT.
HE HAD A LITTLE BIT BETTER GRIP ON IT THAN I DID TO START TO TRANSITION INTO A BETTER WAY TO MANAGE THE VOLUME, SO TO SPEAK, THAT CASEY'S OFFICE IS DEALING WITH AT THIS POINT, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DA'S OFFICE, ON HOW THEY'RE HAVING TO HANDLE THE CODE ENFORCEMENT ISSUES THAT THEY'RE HAVING TO TRY TO KEEP TRACK OF AS WELL.
AND I'LL LET COMMISSIONER THERIOT SPEAK ON THE ACTUAL COST, SO TO SPEAK.
BEFORE WE GO MUCH FURTHER, I'LL LET YOU KNOW THAT WE DID BUDGET THAT SOFTWARE AND BUDGETED A PART TIME OR GOING TO FULL TIME, FULL TIME IN CASEY'S OFFICE AND AN EXTRA POSITION.
SO THAT'S ALREADY BAKED IN TO THIS.
NOW DID WE INCLUDE? THERE'S SEVERAL DIFFERENT MODULES.
ONE IS KIND OF A PERMITTING MODULE GENERALLY WITH ALL OUR PERMITS THAT THAT ARE INGRAINED IN IT. AND THEN THERE'S A CODE ENFORCEMENT MODULE.
WE DID THE CODE ENFORCEMENT MODULE OR NOT.
AND THEN THERE WAS A DECENT AMOUNT, SO I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WOULD BE INCLUDED.
AND THEN THERE WAS A SEPTIC ONSITE WASTEWATER SYSTEM MODULE THAT IN ADDITION TO HELPING ON THE PERMITTING, IT WOULD ALSO KEEP TRACK OF ALL THESE ANNUAL MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE FOR CERTAIN SEPTIC SYSTEMS AND WOULD GENERATE THOSE LETTERS AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS THAT GO OUT IN THAT ENFORCEMENT OF THAT.
THE TOTAL ON THE THREE MODULES WORKED OUT TO ABOUT 10,000.
IT WAS ABOUT 800 A MONTH, MORE OR LESS.
THEY'LL HAVE TO COME IN AND ACTUALLY SEE WHAT OUR NEEDS ARE BEFORE THEY CAN GIVE US A HARD NUMBER.
RIGHT. I'M JUST LOOKING TO SEE WHERE WE'RE AT HERE.
I SEE A TAB THESE WHERE I CAME IN SO I CAN FIND THEM QUICKER.
DO YOU GUYS REMEMBER, EZZY, WHERE WE PUT THAT? DID WE PUT THAT UNDER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES OR? THEIR CODE ENFORCEMENT MODULE THAT CASEY WANTED? I'LL HAVE TO CHECK, COMMISSIONERS, I DON'T REMEMBER WHERE WE PUT IT BECAUSE THERE WERE THREE DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED WITH THAT CONVERSATION, SO I'LL HAVE TO CHECK AND SEE WHERE WE PUT IT. WE MAY NEED TO DOUBLE CHECK THAT CASEY HAD BEEN LOOKING AT ANOTHER SYSTEM. OKAY.
THAT KIND OF JUST DEALT WITH WITH HER END OF IT FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THE SEPTIC SYSTEM TRACKING.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
OKAY. SO BUT I DON'T REMEMBER IF IT HAD ALL THREE OF THESE MODULES INCLUDED IN IT OR NOT.
[00:15:07]
AEROBIC SYSTEMS THAT AUTO POPULATES THE RENEWAL LETTERS.WELL, THIS PROGRAM THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, I MEAN, IT'S GOING TO JUST, IS IT JUST GOING TO BE THE FOR THE PERMITS AND ENVIRONMENTAL? YEAH, IT'LL BE PERMITS, YOU KNOW, BUILDING PERMITS OR THAT TYPE OF THING SO THAT THEY KNOW IF THEY HAVE ONE OR NOT, THEY HAVE A SEPTIC PERMIT OR NOT BEFORE.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH IS, YOU KNOW, THEY GET A COMPLAINT AND INSTEAD OF GETTING A REPORT SO THEY HAVE A LIST OF THE PERMITS THAT HAVE GONE OUT, THEY THEY'RE HAVING TO DO A LOT OF BACKGROUND WORK.
SO WILL IT GO WITH? WILL IT ALL INCLUDE WITH LIKE UNIT ROAD? BECAUSE ANYTHING OVER TEN ACRES, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN DRIVEWAY PERMITS, DRIVEWAY PERMITS.
AND YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? DISTRICT CLERKS, I MEAN, THEY STAMP IT AND, YOU KNOW.
ALL THOSE TYPE OF PERMITS, THEY CAN ALL BE PART OF ALL LOADED UP.
AND THEN SO THAT'S WHAT WILL BE IN THE DATABASE.
YOU WON'T HAVE IT, IN OTHER WORDS, AND THEN HAVE TO GO.
NO, THAT'S GREAT. NO. AND JUST LOOK ON THIS.
ONE OF THE REAL BENEFITS THAT WAS EXPLAINED TO US LAST WEEK WAS THAT IT IS SCALABLE.
SO THEY KIND OF JUST BUILD IT AS YOU WANT IT.
BUT IF YOU GET TO A POINT WHERE YOU NEED TO, THAT'S ALL YOU KNOW, THE REASON WHY I'M ASKING, I WOULD LOVE ON THOSE TYPE OF THINGS, ESPECIALLY WHERE WE'RE GOING TO SPEND 10 OR $20,000. IF WE COULD HAVE THEM COME TO COURT.
WE TALKED TO THEM ABOUT THAT ALSO.
THEY'RE MORE THAN WILLING TO,THEY TYPICALLY DO THEM THROUGH ZOOM.
THEY HAVE DONE THEM IN PERSON BEFORE OR THEY ARE, THEY CAN DO THAT.
WE DID ASK THEM ABOUT THAT LAST WEEK.
YEAH, THAT'S WHY I ASKED THEM TO COME IN PERSON.
YEAH. SO IT'D BE MUCH BETTER IF THEY CAN COME IN PERSON AND DO IT IN COURT.
IT'S NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO ZOOM, BUT IT'S HARD TO ZOOM AND GET IT ON THE RECORD.
WE LEFT IT LAST WEEK WITH WE TOLD THEM THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE THIS BUDGET HERE, THIS BUDGET WORKSHOP TODAY, AND THAT WE NEEDED TO BRING THIS TO THE REST OF THE COURT AT THIS.
YOU GUYS, YOUR UNDERSTANDING, THOUGH, RIGHT NOW IS IT'S ABOUT 10K FOR ALL THREE MODULES.
NOT PER MODULE? NOT PER MODULE ROLLED UP.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT'S ALWAYS KIND OF A GOTCHA IS RENEWAL FEES.
THEY, IT'S ACTUALLY A QUASI GOVERNMENTAL THING AND THEY WE'LL HAVE TO DO AN MOU WITH OUR COG BECAUSE THEY'RE A COG OVER THERE AND AND WE GET IT AND THERE'S NO UPFRONT CHARGE OR PURCHASE PRICE OR LEASING PRICE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
THERE'S JUST THESE MONTHLY PAYMENTS AND COVER MAINTENANCE AND SET UP AND ALL THAT.
AND ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE COG IS IT UNDER, DO Y'ALL KNOW, IS IT ALAMO OR IT'S.
NO, I THINK IT'S I THINK THE MOU THAT THEY HAVE IS WITH CAPCOT.
BUT WHO. OKAY SO THEY HAVE AN MOU WITH CAPCOT THEY ARE THEY ARE A COG.
THAT'S THE NAME OF THE COMPANY.
[INAUDIBLE] NOW IS THAT THE NAME OF THEM OR ?ISN'T IT MY GOVERNMENT ONLINE.
MY PERMIT NOW IS IS THE SOFTWARE SYSTEM.
BUT THEY'RE RIGHT AROUND NEW ORLEANS.
THEY DON'T THEY'RE BUT I'D HAVE TO FIND IT.
LOUISIANA DOESN'T CALL THEM COGS.
THEY CALL THEM DEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS.
AND SO I THINK THEIRS IS SOUTH.
I'LL HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE NAME. SO THEY'RE THEIR ENTITY.
THEY'VE DEVELOPED SOFTWARE AND THEY GOT AN MOU WITH OUR COG.
AND THEN WE HAVE TO WE HAVE TO ENTER OUR COG TO GET IT.
OKAY. THERE ARE SEVERAL CITY OF SAN MARCOS, HAYS COUNTY, THAT WE WENT THROUGH THE LIST.
WE WERE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IT WAS APPLICABLE TO OUR AREA.
AND THERE WERE MULTIPLE, I THINK, HAYS COUNTY ON IT.
MULTIPLE MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES UP AND DOWN THE 35 CORRIDOR.
SO I USE IT A LOT WITH ALL THESE JURISDICTIONS AND IT'S EASY AND ONLINE AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO STAND AROUND AND PERMIT CENTERS TO GET THINGS DONE.
I JUST I JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE I BUDGET IT RIGHT AND HAVE BUDGETED IT RIGHT.
I ASKED ROUGHLY HOW LONG IT TAKES FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
YOU DO NOT PAY DURING THAT TIME.
YOU ONLY START THE MONTHLY PAYMENTS ONCE THE WEBSITE IS ACTUALLY ACTIVE.
[00:20:01]
SO AND I'M JUST GOING TO ASK THIS QUESTION IN CASE I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTINGENCY MONEY.IF WE DECIDED WE WANTED TO DO THIS SOONER THAN LATER.
YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A BAD START.
ALL RIGHT. YEAH. AND THEN I'LL JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE IT IN THE BUDGET GOING FORWARD.
SO. ALL RIGHT, WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT.
WHAT ELSE? THAT'S REALLY FOR ME.
I MEAN, THAT'S ALWAYS OUR PRIORITIES.
AND SO, BUT THIS ONE WAS IMPORTANT.
I'M GLAD YOU ALL BROUGHT THIS UP.
AND IF YOU GUYS COULD GET THEM HERE SOONER OR LATER, IT'D BE GREAT IF THEY CAN DO A PRESENTATION.
WELL, I THINK I'M NEW AT THIS, SO OF COURSE IT'S THE FIRST ONE.
I'M LISTENING. YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, THE UNIT ROAD AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND CASEY HAS BEEN 100% HELPFUL TO ME, THE UNIT ROAD AND THE SHERIFF OFFICE, EVERY TIME I'VE. SO OF COURSE, WITHIN OUR MEANS, I'D LOVE TO TAKE CARE OF THEM.
BUT. AND WE DO, UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW.
AND BUT WE'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, DO WHAT WE CAN.
SO THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE EXPIRING.
ALL RIGHT. ONE MORE THING, JUDGE.
I'M SURE WE WILL GET SOME REQUESTS FOR MORE THAN THE 3% INCREASE, YOU KNOW, FOR FOR STAFF MEMBERS.
WE HAVE. AND I WAS JUST EVERYBODY.
YEAH. AND I GUESS THE ONES THAT YOU FEEL WARRANTED AND BRING, YOU KNOW, FORTH WITH THE BUDGET IF WE COULD TRY TO STAY CONSISTENT WITH IN THE PAST YOU KNOW REMEMBER WE'VE WE'VE ALWAYS TRIED TO IF THEY'RE IF THEY'RE INCREASING BEYOND WHAT THE NORMAL RAISE IS SHOW US WHAT IN THEIR JOB DESCRIPTION IS IS CHANGING TO WARRANT THAT AND THAT HAS LIKE WITH STEVE HAS CHANGED HE'S KIND OF TAKEN JUST TAKING THAT NONE OF THAT STUFF'S EVEN IN HIS JOB DESCRIPTION SO MAYBE HE MIGHT NEED TO JUST BE ADJUSTED OR.
OKAY. SO, YES, SIR, WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
WHAT ELSE? IS THERE ANYTHING ON THE EVACUATION CENTER OR? YEAH, I GAVE YOU SOME UPDATES.
NOW, WE'RE RIGHT NOW WE'RE HAVING A TAKEOFF DONE WITH THE CONSULTANT.
WE'VE GOTTEN THE DESIGN OF IT PRETTY WELL DONE.
YOU KNOW, YOU ALL SAW THAT IN COURT HERE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
MOST OF THE SITE WORK IS DONE.
WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO TACKLE WITH THE WITH THE LOAN FROM THE STATE FROM TXDOT, WHICH IS A VERY FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, IT'S JUST A LOAN PROGRAM THAT'S OKAY FOR COUNTIES PARTICIPATE IN ONE OF THE FEW WHERE WE CAN GO AND BORROW MONEY FROM THE STATE TO DO THINGS LIKE THE TURN LANE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE IN FRONT OF THAT.
SO IT'S NOT GOING TO BE PART OF OUR OUR BUDGET, OUR GRANT BUDGET.
WE SHOULD HAVE THOSE HERE PRETTY QUICKLY.
WE HAD A MEETING TWO WEEKS AGO, I THINK, WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING THE TAKEOFF ON IT AND THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO REPORT BACK HERE FAIRLY SOON, HOPEFULLY WITHIN THE WEEK, AND WE'LL HAVE A PRETTY SOLID BUDGET NUMBER AT THAT POINT.
A SOLID AS BUDGET NUMBER CAN BE IN THIS DAY AND AGE.
AND WE'VE MADE SOME CHANGES ALONG THE WAY TO TRY TO BRING THE COST DOWN ON THAT ON THAT THING.
WE MADE SOME PRETTY WHOLESALE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO IT FROM THE FIRST GO AROUND.
AND THEN BECAUSE THE FIRST GO AROUND WAS GOING TO BE THE TAJ MAHAL, THE EVACUATION CENTERS, AND JUST THE BUILDING WAS GOING TO BE APPROXIMATELY $25 MILLION IN OUR ENTIRE BUDGET START TO FINISH WITH 17.
[00:25:04]
YOU'LL ALL RECALL THAT WE HIRED JOHN [INAUDIBLE] TO KIND OF RIDE HERD OVER THAT PROJECT.SO IS IT A TIME LIMIT ON THAT OR? YOU JUST? THERE IS AND WAS.
WE'VE ASKED FOR AN EXTENSION QUESTION.
DENNIS, WAS THERE A TIME LIMIT ON THE GRANT? AND YES, THERE IS, BUT WE CAN GET AN EXTENSION IF WE NEED ONE.
SO WE'VE ALREADY GOTTEN, I THINK, ONE EXTENSION.
SOME OF THE DELAY WAS WAS CALLED A URA.
SO SOME THERE ARE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE THERE THAT WERE THERE AFTER THEY WERE EVICTED BASICALLY THAT CLAIM THAT THAT BECAUSE OF OUR PURCHASE OF THE PROPERTY TO DO THE EVACUATION CENTER ON THAT THEY HAD BEEN DISPLACED AND COMPLAINED THE HUD AND THAT'S WHERE THE MONEY GENERATED FROM.
AND WE HAD TO GO AND CONTINUE TO GO THROUGH A LONG PROCESS WITH THOSE CLAIMANTS.
WE'RE ALMOST TO THE END OF THAT NOW.
WE'LL DEAL WITH THIS WHEN THE TIME COMES.
SO AND WE'LL HAVE HOPEFULLY SOON A REPORT TO YOU ALL ON HOW THAT TURNS OUT.
MY LAST THING WAS, IS IT TIME? DOES THE COURT THINK IT'S TIME TO START LOOKING OR AT MORE OFFICE BUILDINGS OR? WE HAVE BEEN. SO WE WE GOT THE THE PRECINCT FOUR BUILDING OUT THERE, WHICH IS $10 A MONTH.
AND WE MOVED EVERYBODY THAT WAS IN THIS BUILDING OVER HERE OUT.
WE LOOKED AT THERE'S SOME DAYCARE BUILDINGS THAT WERE AVAILABLE.
STATUTE SAYS THAT WE CAN ONLY OFFER WHAT AN APPRAISER APPRAISES THEM AT THE LIST.
PRICE WAS $1.8 MILLION AND THEY APPRAISED AT LESS THAN 800.
SO WE SAID WE CAN OFFER YOU THAT AND NEVER HEARD BACK.
BUT WE ARE LOOKING FOR SOME SPACE TO BUILD A BUILDING AT THIS STAGE SINCE WE CAN'T DO COS WE WOULD LITERALLY HAVE TO GO TO THE VOTERS AND GET A BOND TO BUILD A BUILDING.
AND I THINK WITH THE, WE HAVE SOME OTHER BONDS THAT ARE COMING DOWN THE PIKE FROM OTHER ENTITIES.
SO I DON'T THINK NOW IS A GREAT TIME TO GO OUT AND ASK FOR YET ANOTHER BOND.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT SOMETHING REASONABLE THAT ALREADY EXISTS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO TO PURCHASE.
WE'RE KIND OF CASTING AROUND LOOKING, BUT WE HAVEN'T REALLY FOUND ANYTHING.
WE ACTUALLY HAD AN APPRAISER COME LOOK AT THEM.
THE PROBATION OFFICERS ARE STAYING THERE.
ALL RIGHT. ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY. IF NOT, THEN I THINK WE'LL LOOK FOR A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
I MOVE, WE ADJOURN. WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
MOTION CARRIES. WE'RE ADJOURNED AT 9:52.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.