1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 KERR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT 9 Budget Workshop 10 Friday, July 14, 2000 11 9:30 a.m. 12 Commissioners' Courtroom 13 Kerr County Courthouse 14 Kerrville, Texas 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 PRESENT: FREDERICK L. HENNEKE, Kerr County Judge 23 JONATHAN LETZ, Commissioner Pct. 3 LARRY GRIFFIN, Commissioner Pct. 4 24 ABSENT: H. A. "BUSTER" BALDWIN, Commissioner Pct. 1 25 WILLIAM "BILL" WILLIAMS, Commissioner Pct. 2 2 1 On Friday, July 14, 2000, at 9:30 a.m., a budget workshop 2 of the Kerr County Commissioners Court was held in the 3 Commissioners' Courtroom, Kerr County Courthouse, Kerrville, 4 Texas, and the following proceedings were had in open court: 5 P R O C E E D I N G S 6 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. Let's call to order 7 this workshop of the Kerr County Commissioners Court. It's 8 9:30 on Friday, July 14th. Let the record reflect that a 9 quorum of Commissioners is available. First budget for 10 discussion this morning is the County Attorney. Mr. Motley, 11 are you going to be presenting that? 12 MR. MOTLEY: Yes. 13 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. Whenever you're ready. 14 MR. MOTLEY: Well, I don't know -- when you 15 say "present," I'm not exactly sure what you -- I assume 16 this is kind of a question situation? 17 JUDGE HENNEKE: Well, first of all, what 18 we've done with the other people is tell us anything in 19 particular you want us to know about the budget. 20 MR. MOTLEY: Okay, sure. 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: And any changes, up or 22 down. 23 MR. MOTLEY: Well, I do have some changes, 24 and I think I can just go through them this way. I would 25 say the first change that is of some significance is that we 3 1 want -- and I don't know if this is the place for this, but 2 we want Wayne Morock (sp?) reclassified from clerk to legal 3 secretary, and whatever increase in salary that would 4 generate. We would like that done, and we've already 5 included that in our budget. The increases that I've asked 6 for, in order -- the gasoline is up, so in 101, Travel, 7 we've asked for a 50 percent increase, and -- in the travel. 8 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: What number? 9 MR. MOTLEY: Excuse me, 001, I think. Or 10 it's the first one on our budget, Travel. 11 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Okay, got it. 12 MR. MOTLEY: Number two -- let's see. We are 13 talking -- well, that's not a budget item, per se. That's 14 more of an item I need to talk to Tommy about, I suppose, on 15 that. 103, I have felt like that -- and this, again, maybe 16 is more -- this is probably borne out by the -- by the study 17 that the Nash group completed. I think assistant salaries 18 in general have been low, and I -- I have wanted to get the 19 salaries up to be able to hire and keep qualified persons, 20 and so I have asked for $90,000 on that, just as a higher 21 amount of money, 50 and 40 for the positions. 22 On Item 105, I -- looking at a one-step on 23 each of those persons, and I know this is going to be 24 considered at another time, the budget -- I mean the 25 salaries and personnel, but that's $14,897. The -- the 4 1 matter I mentioned I initially, Wayne Morock, reclassifying 2 him from a clerk, 12-2, to a legal secretary, 14-2, at 3 $1,782 a year. He's been performing duties more than a 4 clerk. He is not functioning as a clerk, and his duties 5 have been that of a legal secretary. And, again, the Nash 6 Group recognized that and recommended that he be given that 7 title. 8 On the Item Number 112, we had $2,000 in the 9 previous year budget for what we're calling Overtime. That 10 has not been adequate. It's not -- I don't know that we're 11 going to make it through this year. I mean, we are -- the 12 working budget I have was printed April 25th, so probably 13 about halfway through the year, and -- and we are spending 14 at a rate -- if you doubled that, we're spending a rate of 15 over $1,800. We didn't have but $1,322, I believe, in the 16 budget, so that's not going to be adequate. 17 206 is a relatively minor item, but $225 for 18 Notary Public Bonds for different personnel in the office. 19 We have been using -- we've -- we're handling our juvenile 20 cases in a different way. We have to do a lot more 21 reproduction of offense reports and distributing directly 22 from our office to the defense counsel. We have seen a huge 23 increase in the amount of paper that we're using as a result 24 of this. We're asking for an increase in Item 311 from $400 25 to $800 to cover that additional paper. 315 is books and 5 1 such, and I really think maybe -- see if we've got this 2 right -- we really have never had enough money to purchase 3 the books that we needed. We funded at $4,000 last year. 4 We're asking for $5,000 this year. 5 Attorney's fees, which was for attorneys to 6 hire in to cover on hearings where we can't cover, that was 7 $1,000 last year. There's no change on that. We have, I 8 would say, an amendment to our budget request on Item 420. 9 $4,000 is all of our telephone. That's local service, that 10 is long distance and internet. We had $4,000 last year. We 11 had asked for a $1,000 increase to cover the difference in a 12 different internet provider, different internet service that 13 we were getting. It runs approximately $111 a month for 14 this. We actually underestimated it. We thought it was 15 about $90 a month, and the net -- net result of that is 16 instead of $5,000 on that item, I think $5,500 would be more 17 in line with what we're talking about. 18 We have no need to change Machine Repair, 19 456. Maintenance Contracts, 457, we see no need at this 20 point to increase the cost of the lease copier. Those 21 figures are fairly firm from last year. The insurance 22 Liability, in the past we've usually asked for -- for 23 10 percent more than the previous year's premium. Now, 24 that's for three attorneys, right? In -- 25 MS. HANNAH: Mm-hmm. 6 1 MR. MOTLEY: We've also asked for 10 percent 2 more, but they don't publish the rates for us in time for us 3 to have them here, so we've always asked for 10 percent to 4 be sure that we've covered. But it looks to us like now we 5 may not be experiencing that increase, so we're asking that 6 just to be flat, the $3,053 in Item 480. Conferences, we 7 probably -- we have an increase, a net increase in 8 attorneys, and so we ask that the -- the amount of monies 9 that have been allocated for conferences be increased by 10 50 percent, from $2,000 to $3,000. 11 Statement of Facts is fine where it is, at 12 $500. Miscellaneous is fine as-is. Computer Hardware and 13 Computer Software. The maintenance for the software is 14 fairly fixed by The Software Group. Computer Supplies have 15 been adequate. We do have a request of $5,000 for Capital 16 Outlay, and this goes for -- and I need to talk a little bit 17 more about this, but this goes for furniture, stuff that we 18 will need for -- to properly furnish an office for the third 19 attorney. 20 One of the things that we need to -- and 21 again, I don't know that this is the time or the day, but we 22 need to -- I need to find out pretty clearly what might 23 happen as far as office space in our office. We had -- 24 we've talked around it. We've talked about it a little bit. 25 Right now, the office space is not really workable in our 7 1 office for -- for the third attorney. We had gone to a 2 private draftsman and asked for him to draw a plan up that 3 we thought would be fairly affordable, which included taking 4 in a portion of the undesignated space, which is, I guess 5 you'd say, west of our office, knocking a hole through the 6 wall, and making that part of the office. 7 When -- when -- when all of this was done 8 downstairs to first convert this into office space, that 9 large area down there was called "undesignated space." It 10 was originally envisioned to be space where elections could 11 be held, early voting could be held. And after some time, I 12 think either Pat or Jannett, somebody thought that the 13 parking would not be adequate for that, and so it's kind of 14 just become a general purpose room, which is used quite a 15 bit, of course, by Judge Tench for court. It is a large 16 room -- a large amount of room for court, but we have been 17 told a long time ago, and I think Glenn Holekamp can 18 probably verify this for you, that -- that the idea was if 19 we had to expand, that we could expand in that direction. 20 And, we -- it's not very workable to not have some privacy 21 to be able to discuss cases by phone or in person. It's not 22 a -- it's not an ideal situation. 23 Now, I've been told that some arrangements 24 have been made with the Historical Commission to preserve 25 the old bench and jury box out of the district -- the 8 1 existing district courtroom, and that perhaps they're going 2 to be placed in that room. And, if that is the case, that 3 would maybe not leave enough room to wall off a portion of 4 that -- that undesignated space. I'm not sure what the 5 plans are with that -- with those objects. I don't know 6 what's going on with that, and so I had thought, well, maybe 7 there's a possibility -- and I understand there's a space 8 study going on, but I understood that there's a possibility 9 that we might be able to go through the wall on what is the 10 south side of the office and put an office in there some 11 way, and then hook it in. 12 But -- and I know we're not, per se, here to 13 talk about office today, but I feel like this is a 14 legitimate time to talk about it. But it's really not a -- 15 it doesn't seem to me like this is an item that's, per se, 16 in our budget. It would be more of a general county 17 expenditure. But I thought I need to at least broach the 18 subject, because we -- we really are going to need that, and 19 I think the sooner, the better. And, obviously -- I mean, I 20 understand that there's construction going on and 21 everybody's proceeding as fast as they can. 22 The only other thing I would have to mention 23 or highlight is, our fax machine is old. The computer 24 network is old. And we have been upgrading and sort of 25 patching, and so some of the $5,000 that we've requested in 9 1 Line Item -- I think it's 570, some of the $5,000 -- excuse 2 me, I'm saying this wrong. Just a moment, let me look. 3 What I'm looking at -- yeah, some of the $5,000 we're 4 talking about would be for fax machine replacement. We are 5 having to carry it to San Antonio; it's hard to find any 6 kind of service for this machine, much less when we were 7 under warranty, we had a difficult time determining who 8 would honor our warranty. 9 The server is -- you know, it's just kind of 10 a day-to-day thing on the server, and so we have patched on 11 that for a while. So, we are looking at -- and I can't tell 12 you specifically. I would think we're looking at a server 13 and probably at least a couple-three workstations on -- on 14 our little network, and a fax machine as far as outlay. And 15 that's, I guess, the highlights, but that basically is the 16 whole budget. We do have items -- you know, I would say 12 17 areas that we're requesting increases in, and I'll be happy 18 to try and answer any questions y'all might have. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: One I have -- and I don't 20 know if -- it's really to, probably, Larry as much as to 21 David. Where are we on the internet? 22 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Well, I was going to 23 raise the same question. 24 MR. MOTLEY: Yeah. 25 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: We -- and Tommy, I 10 1 don't remember. Do -- have we covered in Nondepartmental 2 the -- the cost of that? We -- you know, we probably really 3 ought to work that, because for a much lower -- for about 4 what -- about twice what you're paying for internet access, 5 we can do the entire County. 6 MR. MOTLEY: Mm-hmm. 7 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: For internet access. 8 And -- and that's a rough number, but if we spring with what 9 we're going to do. But, as I recall, we don't have that 10 right now in the Nondepartmental, do we? 11 MR. TOMLINSON: There's -- 12 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Remember, we had a 13 number that KTC had given us? 14 MR. TOMLINSON: Right. There's -- 15 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: I thought it was $291 16 a month, I believe. 17 JUDGE HENNEKE: A hundred eighty-something. 18 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: A hundred 19 eighty-something. That's what it was, 180-something. 20 MR. MOTLEY: One-eighty-something a month for 21 County -- for all internet access? What type of access are 22 y'all talking about? 23 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Unlimited. 24 MR. TOMLINSON: DSL. 25 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Yes, DSL access, 11 1 unlimited. 2 MR. MOTLEY: That's a great deal. We don't 3 know -- 4 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: That number is as many 5 e-mail accounts as we want. Now, there's no -- 6 MR. MOTLEY: Sounds good. We didn't know 7 where that stood, Larry. The reason we -- we were not able 8 to make a choice on it, our -- our computer -- the guy that 9 sold us the computer and services this computer had his own 10 web site and had some kind of arrangement with HillCo Net, 11 so -- 12 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Right. 13 MR. MOTLEY: -- that -- that relationship 14 between Computerease and HillCo Net disappeared, and so we 15 were needing some internet service. 16 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: What I suggest we do 17 on this, Judge, is that we -- we need to relook at probably 18 all the levels for internet access in the next cycle of the 19 budget. Look at all of the numbers that are in there for 20 internet access, and probably do some adjusting between all 21 of these at the court level on funding that, showing that 22 funding for now in Nondepartmental, because it will be a 23 county-wide -- does that make sense? 24 JUDGE HENNEKE: Yeah. I think we need to 25 make sure we put the necessary funds in Nondepartmental to 12 1 complete the internet access. 2 MR. MOTLEY: If we were to do that, that 3 would take a hunk off of our bill. We would still have our 4 long distance and our regular service. 5 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Right. 6 MR. MOTLEY: By the way, when I said earlier 7 Item 103 and I talked about $40,000, $50,000, total of 8 $90,000 for salaries for assistants, the Nash study had -- 9 and I don't know if I have the paperwork with me, but it did 10 make note that they felt that the position -- the Assistant 11 County Attorney position was underfunded substantially, and 12 they equated to it a certain number of grades and steps, and 13 I don't know exactly what it came out, but I -- and I don't 14 think I have that. I did have it at some point. But, in 15 any event, they are recommending -- they recommended or they 16 noted that that -- they felt that that -- that position, the 17 Assistant County Attorney, was underfunded. 18 JUDGE HENNEKE: What step and grade did you 19 hire your two new Assistant County Attorneys at monthly? 20 MR. MOTLEY: Well, we don't have step and 21 grade. They're exempt. 22 JUDGE HENNEKE: But how can you equate the 23 Nash study to any increases if you don't have a step and 24 grade? 25 MR. MOTLEY: No, I'm saying Nash, but the 13 1 item numbers in there like that, I'm saying you could look 2 at -- you could look at what the salary is, and a step and 3 grade and get some estimate of how much each one is. I'm 4 not saying that we would want to convert to that sort of a 5 system, but -- 6 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. What dollar amount did 7 you hire your two new assistants at? 8 MR. MOTLEY: Thirty-five and 37,5. 9 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. 10 MR. MOTLEY: I'm just saying that, you know, 11 we -- we need to be able to -- in order to function, we need 12 to be able to hire and retain qualified persons. And -- and 13 I will tell you that qualified persons oftentimes are able 14 to get employment for considerably more money than we can 15 pay. That's about the best I can tell you. 16 JUDGE HENNEKE: Are you suggesting Mr. Lucas 17 is not qualified, since he accepted the salary at that 18 level? 19 MR. MOTLEY: I didn't say that. I said 20 oftentimes they're able to get more. That's not what I -- 21 certainly not what I meant. I'm extremely pleased with the 22 two people that we've hired. And -- 23 JUDGE HENNEKE: Well, there are other avenues 24 for salary supplements for your assistants, but we'll look 25 at what -- what Nash has to say. 14 1 MR. MOTLEY: He was -- 2 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I've haven't seen the 3 Nash study. 4 MR. MOTLEY: I saw a summary of something, 5 and it said that that was an underfunded -- underfunded 6 area. 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: On Capital Outlay -- 8 MR. MOTLEY: Yes? 9 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Well, we need a list of 10 exactly what -- you said fax machine, which we need a fax -- 11 something that's a relatively inexpensive item. 12 MR. MOTLEY: Can I supplement with this? 13 Would that be all right? 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Sure. 15 MR. MOTLEY: Give you a cost list, give us a 16 list of exactly -- of that, and any computer hardware I 17 need. 18 THE WITNESS: I'd be happy to do that. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: But the confusion I had 20 was on the -- in the backup, you have -- well, that's next 21 year. 22 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Next year. That's 23 2001. 24 MR. MOTLEY: Let me look at that. I may not 25 be on the same page. 15 1 COMMISSIONER LETZ: There were two different 2 numbers, but it was different years. 3 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Right. 4 COMMISSIONER LETZ: And then I guess on the 5 additional office space, that will be handled, I think, 6 probably as part of the courthouse renovation project and 7 will be handled -- and Commissioner Baldwin's kind of 8 heading up that space allocation. 9 MR. MOTLEY: That's fine. I just -- I want 10 to, I guess -- and I know this is long project. By the way, 11 it just seems to me to be proceeding very well. I've heard 12 a lot of nice comments in the community about the appearance 13 of the extension here. But, I just guess I want to say that 14 there is some urgency to try and get this done, and I know 15 everybody feels that, so I don't want to -- you know, 16 emphasize that. But, I mean, I don't want to try to put 17 pressure on anybody. But, I mean, we really need some 18 space. I think, in a way, this -- this may have played a 19 factor in Rex leaving the office. He just was not able to 20 conduct his work in private, and I think he just kind of got 21 a little fed up with the situation. And -- you asked me a 22 question about something, I think, Jonathan. What, on 23 Capital Outlay? 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: It was a mistake. I 25 had -- there was two different years. 16 1 MR. MOTLEY: Okay. 2 COMMISSIONER LETZ: No further questions on 3 it. 4 MR. MOTLEY: Okay. Yeah, you're talking 5 about the two-year outcast -- or forecast. Yeah, we're 6 talking about for this -- we're talking about furniture. 7 Now, workstation improvement. I mean, the fax machine works 8 when it works, and -- and when it goes down, we have to take 9 it to San Antonio, and we're without it for a two- or 10 three-week period. 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: And repairs on those is 12 usually more than the cost of a new one. 13 MR. MOTLEY: I don't know about that. This 14 was a good fax machine. I mean, there was nothing wrong 15 with it; it's been used a lot. 16 COMMISSIONER LETZ: But I'm saying, if you 17 need a fax machine, I don't see that as a big deal. 18 MR. MOTLEY: Our laser printer is old, but, 19 you know, the contract that we have, the 5-K, is $300 a 20 year, and they take care of it. If something goes wrong 21 with it, they're going to make it work. So, so far, that's 22 been a real good contract for us. We had something similar 23 on the fax machine. I don't know that $300 would -- would 24 be a good price, because they're not as expensive. But, I 25 mean, if you had something for around $100, $150 a year for 17 1 the fax machine, that would probably be a good investment. 2 COMMISSIONER LETZ: In my opinion, fax 3 machines are such a low price on the market now that you're 4 not -- 5 MR. MOTLEY: They're down. 6 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Let them have -- use one 7 for three years and throw it away. 8 JUDGE HENNEKE: Yeah. 9 MR. MOTLEY: Yeah. And that's the way a lot 10 of this stuff really is. You're talking about some of the 11 computers and stuff that -- they, in essence, are really 12 more -- should be more considered office supplies, in a way, 13 than -- than some sort of permanent capital -- because 14 they become outmoded and they just wear out pretty quick. 15 And -- 16 JUDGE HENNEKE: That's way it should be. 17 Larry, do you want to make the statement or do you want me 18 to make it? If we had a purchasing department, we would 19 have a schedule for regular replacement of things such as 20 computers and fax machines. 21 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: That's right. 22 JUDGE HENNEKE: Anything else? 23 MR. MOTLEY: That's all that I have. I would 24 be happy to answer any questions that y'all might have. 25 That's what I was primarily coming up here for. 18 1 JUDGE HENNEKE: Any other questions? 2 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Thanks, no. 3 JUDGE HENNEKE: That's it. Thank you. 4 MR. MOTLEY: Is there -- do we want to have 5 -- I mean, is there generally going to be some sort of a -- 6 like, a second round of hearings or something like that? 7 Or -- 8 JUDGE HENNEKE: We have to match money with 9 requests, and that will be the next round. 10 MR. MOTLEY: Okay. All right. Well, thank 11 you. 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think the -- as a 13 general sort of several, you know, departments here, I think 14 our view is to look at the salaries probably first and try 15 the get those in line as much as possible, and then other 16 things may get cut. I mean, a little bit different than 17 we've done in prior years. 18 MR. MOTLEY: We will provide you a list on 19 that -- on that Capital Outlay, and while we're at it, I'll 20 be ahead and find that reference I made that Mr. Nash had 21 put together. Again, he -- he made recommendations on 22 salaries for assistant attorneys. 23 JUDGE HENNEKE: You don't have to worry about 24 that; I'll take care of that. 25 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: We got to do all of 19 1 them anyway. 2 COMMISSIONER LETZ: All we needed was the 3 Capital Outlay items. 4 MR. MOTLEY: We will get it for you. 5 COMMISSIONER LETZ: And the other, I guess, 6 general notes. I don't remember the numbers, but we're -- 7 between the requests and -- between the salary adjustments 8 we think we're going to have to make and the requests that 9 have come in, we're about $700,000 over? 10 JUDGE HENNEKE: Eight. 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: $800,000 over. So, you 12 know, some of these items may have to be deferred, because I 13 think we have a priority on the Court to get the salaries in 14 line th is year. 15 MR. MOTLEY: Yeah, I hear what you're saying. 16 I think that's part of the study, is to kind of follow up on 17 it. But, we had figured that -- that you would personally 18 write the check for the -- for the difference. 19 (Laughter.) 20 JUDGE HENNEKE: We had thought you might use 21 part of your State supplement to make up the difference. 22 MR. MOTLEY: That's -- let's not get into 23 State supplements. 24 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: We have a negotiation 25 set out, then, don't we? 20 1 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. Thanks, David. 2 MR. MOTLEY: Thanks a lot. Appreciate it. 3 - - - - - - - - - - 4 JUDGE HENNEKE: Howard, do you want to take 5 off? 6 JUDGE HENNEKE: Sure. 7 JUDGE HENNEKE: Next we'll do Adult 8 Probation, which is 17. 9 MR. HOLLIMON: Good morning. I'd like to 10 start off by saying thank you for all the support and help 11 that I've had from the Commissioners Court in the past. 12 Before we get into what I'm asking for, I'd just like to say 13 thank you for what-all you've done for me in the past. 14 You've been very good to me, and I appreciate it. 15 JUDGE HENNEKE: We appreciate you. 16 MR. HOLLIMON: Mine is pretty simple. I'm 17 asking for exactly the same thing that I asked for last 18 year. There's no increase in any line item. The top line 19 item on this form, if you notice, I left blank, if you have 20 have the same form that I have, because this is a line item 21 that we have in there for accounting purposes. It has to be 22 put someplace, and it's on the a request for funds. It's 23 something that the DOEP instructor -- what that is, is a 24 contract that the Probation Department has with Kerr County 25 to hire and run a program that I'm not authorized to, and 21 1 then I reimburse the County for any expenses, and then the 2 County does make a little bit of profit on it, because there 3 is a -- a fee for taking the class. So, that's why that one 4 is -- is blank. 5 JUDGE HENNEKE: Howard, we do need to -- we 6 have to put a number in there in order to spend any money? 7 MR. HOLLIMON: Okay. The number that I 8 anticipate would be at this -- this money actually comes out 9 of my State funding for probation, and what that is, is I -- 10 I do my State budget, and I anticipate that it would be the 11 same as it was last year, this $15,000. 12 JUDGE HENNEKE: So, we need -- I understand 13 what you're saying; I appreciate that. But, by law, in 14 order to write a check, we have to have a line item and have 15 money in that line item. 16 MR. HOLLIMON: Yes, sir. Yes, sir. And I 17 can -- I can give you the exact figure once I start re -- 18 actually, there is an exact figure right now, which is 19 $15,000. But, I have just been in the process of finding 20 out how much I'm getting from the State, so that may change 21 a little bit, but I don't think so. I think it's going to 22 be that, and I will -- my budget with the State is my annual 23 budget, but that's in name only, because they tell me at the 24 end of the first year that I have to -- to rearrange it to 25 make it fit what they give me from the State funds, and it's 22 1 going to be a little bit different. 2 As far as the County's concerned, the 3 telephone -- that's just the base rate for the telephone. 4 It's not long distance or anything of that nature. 5 Utilities and Maintenance is self-explanatory. Janitorial 6 is self-explanatory. Equipment, I have $500 in that line 7 item, because the Government Code says that the County's 8 supposed to furnish office equipment for my department. I 9 really don't anticipate spending that $500. If you notice, 10 it's in there from the current year and I haven't spent it. 11 Don't really anticipate spending it next year, but I have to 12 have something in that that line item for the State to see 13 that the County is participating like the Government Code 14 requires. The rent, to my knowledge, has not been 15 renegotiated, has not gone up any. That will be something 16 beyond my control, so if something were -- down the line, it 17 would go up, that would be the only change I anticipate. 18 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. Any questions for 19 Howard on the Adult Probation? 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Pretty straightforward. 21 JUDGE HENNEKE: How's things going? 22 MR. HOLLIMON: Going great. Going great. 23 Like I say, I -- I know y'all don't hear it often enough, 24 but I thank you very much. I think y'all have been very 25 good to me, and I -- I really appreciate it. 23 1 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. 2 COMMISSIONER LETZ: All right. 3 JUDGE HENNEKE: All right. Thanks, Howard. 4 MR. HOLLIMON: Thank you. Have a nice day. 5 - - - - - - - - - - 6 JUDGE HENNEKE: Come on up, Kevin. You're 7 just in time. We do have a supplemental Juvenile Probation 8 budget -- 9 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Right. 10 JUDGE HENNEKE: -- which I passed out a memo 11 dated July 6th. 12 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: That's the reason I 13 was flipping back and forth. 14 JUDGE HENNEKE: Essentially the same as -- as 15 what is under Tab 17, except it includes the cost of one 16 additional Juvenile Probation Officer, which, by TJPC 17 standards, we have to -- we have to fund. 18 JUDGE HENNEKE: Kevin, tell us a little bit 19 about the budget. 20 MR. STANTON: Well, like Judge Henneke said, 21 basically it's the same, except for the additional $30,000 22 increase to hire a new probation officer. That would be 23 starting out; their salary is $21,500. And, basically, TJPC 24 mandates that for every hundred referrals, you have to 25 have -- I believe it's one probation officer. And, for the 24 1 last three years, we've averaged right at 405 to 406 2 referrals a year. So, with this additional -- with these 3 additional referrals to our department, TJPC has mandated 4 that we need to hire one additional probation officer, but 5 everything else is identical. 6 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Again, pretty 7 straightforward. 8 JUDGE HENNEKE: Yeah. 9 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Yeah. 10 JUDGE HENNEKE: Why don't you take a minute 11 and tell us what you're doing with your probationers this 12 summer. Are you washing cars again and painting benches? 13 MR. STANTON: Yeah. We're washing cars over 14 at the police department. We've got -- next week we're 15 scheduled to go over to Peterson and paint the gym and do 16 some stuff over there. Week after that, we're hoping to be 17 in Center Point for about three to four days cleaning up the 18 park out there and doing some different stuff with the 19 community out there. So, we've kept them pretty busy this 20 summer so far. I'm hoping that -- right now, we're doing -- 21 doing it once a week, and in two weeks we'll be starting up 22 where we have it twice a week to start doing some other 23 stuff with the kids. 24 JUDGE HENNEKE: Any questions about either 25 the budget or about the -- the program? 25 1 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Are y'all looking for any 2 more places to do work? 3 MR. STANTON: Yes, sir, we sure are. 4 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Because I was going to 5 give you a call. At Flat Rock Park they could -- there's 6 probably things that can be picked up, or just such as 7 picking up trash and cleaning up brush and things like that, 8 piled up. 9 MR. STANTON: Oh, yeah. 10 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Whenever we can have 11 probationers instead of employees -- 12 MR. STANTON: And when we can't find anything 13 to do, we usually end up out at the Detention Center working 14 out there, piling up brush and stuff, but we're always 15 looking for different projects to do. 16 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. 17 MR. STANTON: Things to do. 18 JUDGE HENNEKE: Do you want Kevin reporting 19 to you or to Glenn? 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Probably Glenn would be 21 easier. Just get Glenn Holekamp and just -- you know, I 22 know there's always either falling down limbs or -- 23 MR. STANTON: Okay. 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: -- trash, other things 25 out in Flat Rock Park that can always be picked up and 26 1 cleaned up. And hopefully, before long, we'll have some 2 dumpsters down there that we can start putting the garbage 3 in, but right now it has to be hauled off. 4 MR. STANTON: Yeah. 5 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. 6 JUDGE HENNEKE: All right. 7 MR. STANTON: Thank you, sir. 8 JUDGE HENNEKE: Thank you, Kevin. 9 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Thanks. 10 JUDGE HENNEKE: Next one's scheduled for 11 10:15, which will be County Court at Law, so we can take 12 about a 10-minute sabbatical if we want to. Neither Barbara 13 nor Spencer's here yet. 14 MS. PIEPER: Last time I looked, he was on 15 the bench. 16 JUDGE HENNEKE: He'll probably send Barbara 17 down. We'll take a short recess, reconvene at 10:15. 18 (Recess taken from 10:05 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.) 19 - - - - - - - - - - 20 JUDGE HENNEKE: Judge Brown, we're ready when 21 you are, sir. 22 JUDGE BROWN: All right. What do you want to 23 -- what do you want to know? 24 JUDGE HENNEKE: Well, we just -- 25 JUDGE BROWN: Barbara sent you over the 27 1 information? 2 JUDGE HENNEKE: We're just asking you -- 3 JUDGE BROWN: You know about as much about it 4 as I do. 5 JUDGE HENNEKE: Well, Barbara may be -- 6 we're -- we're just asking to you give us any highlights of 7 the budgets submission, and I mean your numbers are right 8 on, you're right online. 9 JUDGE BROWN: I guess if you want to start 10 over here on this sheet -- 11 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. 12 JUDGE BROWN: I've got it highlighted. The 13 only changes that I see are the 105, court coordinator I've 14 asked for a merit raise for Barbara, two-step merit raise, 15 which is a 5 percent raise. And, I have attached a break -- 16 breakdown of, number one, the employee performance 17 evaluation form, along with my comments as to why I think 18 she should get a merit raise. 19 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. 20 JUDGE BROWN: And, they're -- they're for you 21 to review and look at. And then, going on down the page, we 22 apparently reduced the telephone. We don't think we need 23 $1,200; we're going to put it at $1,000. Machine Repair, 24 we're talking $100 -- knocking $100 off that. Conferences 25 are $2,500. We're going to leave that. You might note that 28 1 we've only used $74 so far on conferences, but actually all 2 the conferences -- like, next week is my criminal law, and 3 then in a couple weeks, family law, and then this civil law, 4 and they're all in San Antonio, so we're not going to have 5 to spend any -- hardly any money on conferences this time. 6 But, next year they'll be in Houston, Dallas, et cetera, 7 so -- 8 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Right. 9 JUDGE BROWN: Looks like we're not using that 10 money, but -- we're not this year, but next year we'll have 11 to have it, you know. And then Capital Outlay, they feel 12 like I need a new chair. My chair is about to fall. It's 13 in pretty bad shape. 14 MS. HOLMES: That chair has been there since 15 1984. It's falling apart. 16 JUDGE BROWN: The thing under there -- well, 17 y'all know the way you have to sit. 18 JUDGE HENNEKE: You've been talking to 19 Commissioner Williams; he wants a new chair, too. 20 MS. HOLMES: Does he? Okay. 21 JUDGE BROWN: Barbara's idea. She felt like 22 I needed a new chair. I didn't say anything, you know, but 23 it's really -- I do think it's in pretty bad shape. It 24 might just fall off there one day. It's kind of -- 25 COMMISSIONER LETZ: We don't need anyone 29 1 falling out of chairs around here. 2 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Don't want to do that. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: We had that once. 4 MS. UECKER: I have a good chair in my 5 office. 6 JUDGE BROWN: Over there on Page 63, the -- 7 we've changed that. Jury Fees dropped to $2,000 from 8 $3,000, because we use a lot of Linda's juries now. She -- 9 she gives us juries, and so we don't use as -- we don't 10 think we'll need to spend as much on juries. And then we 11 just reduced the special court reporter. We haven't had -- 12 I guess we just didn't use it. 13 MS. HOLMES: Well, you know, Kathy's so good 14 about being accommodating when we need someone. We try to 15 arrange it so we can use Kathy, so we haven't had to -- only 16 one time, I think, have we had to use anyone else. 17 JUDGE BROWN: Yeah. There was an interpreter 18 deal we were -- that's our wish list, okay? The big item, 19 to me -- number one, the big item is Barbara's merit raise, 20 but the second thing, I think, is we need a computer in the 21 courtroom. I'll let Barbara explain how it works. Can you 22 explain to them about that computer? 23 MS. HOLMES: Yeah. 24 JUDGE BROWN: We're using a little computer 25 now, but it doesn't print out anything. It's just a -- 30 1 MS. HOLMES: It's a laptop that belongs to 2 the County Attorney's office, and they have to bring it up 3 every week and Wayne has to tape everything on the floor. 4 And they're using it to generate new addresses, update any 5 personal information on our defendants. And if we had a PC 6 that they do actually go in, Nell could sit down, work up 7 the judgments as the County Attorney dictates it to her. 8 They could print the judgments out right there. It would be 9 much faster, a lot more efficient, but save a lot of running 10 back and forth that -- 11 JUDGE HENNEKE: Where would it be located? 12 Would it be permanently installed? 13 MS. HOLMES: Permanently located and 14 installed in the courtroom. 15 JUDGE HENNEKE: Where would it be, 16 physically? 17 MS. HOLMES: Probably on the wall. You know, 18 in the courtroom, where the Clerk's office is. Probably be 19 over against the wall. 20 JUDGE BROWN: Right now Nell has to sit there 21 and individually fill them out by hand, and it takes quite a 22 while. If she had that computer, she could just -- and it 23 will just print the judgment out, you know, just like that. 24 I mean, it would speed the process up. 25 MS. HOLMES: And a printer -- we've asked for 31 1 a printer, yeah. And I spoke with Tommy, and he seemed to 2 think that probably $1,600 would be sufficient for that 3 particular item. 4 JUDGE HENNEKE: Just so we get everything in 5 the right hole, would you -- what you're asking for is a -- 6 an increase in your -- the County Court at Law Capital 7 Outlay, of $1,600 for that computer and printer? 8 MS. HOLMES: Mm-hmm. 9 JUDGE HENNEKE: Is that correct, Barbara? 10 MS. HOLMES: That's correct. 11 JUDGE HENNEKE: Then what you're asking for 12 on the jury for County Court at Law is an $800 increase to 13 take your Interpreter line item from $200 -- 14 MS. HOLMES: That is correct. 15 JUDGE HENNEKE: -- to $1,000. 16 JUDGE BROWN: Right. 17 MS. HOLMES: That's correct. 18 JUDGE HENNEKE: And you actually have space 19 under your County Court at Law -- 20 MS. HOLMES: We do have $200 in that line 21 item. 22 JUDGE HENNEKE: -- to make that increase? 23 MS. HOLMES: Yes, we do. 24 JUDGE HENNEKE: So, that's something I would 25 -- the interpreter is something we really have to do; have 32 1 no alternative. 2 JUDGE BROWN: We're getting more and more of 3 these people from Mexico in here daily, every week we get 4 more and more of them that don't speak English. 5 JUDGE HENNEKE: 496, we should take up to 6 $1,000, add an additional $800. 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. 8 JUDGE HENNEKE: As far as Barbara's merit 9 increases are concerned, I'm not arguing the merit of it. 10 We're going to look at all of the salaries together in light 11 of the Nash recommendation, and not going to make a decision 12 on anybody's salary adjustments until we have a chance to 13 look at the overall impact on the budget. The Court is 14 pretty much agreed that our first emphasis this year is 15 going to be salaries. We're going to get the employees back 16 in line with where they should be and make some adjustments 17 that will hopefully carry us forward so we don't get so out 18 of line in another four or five years, so that's where we 19 are on that. Do you have any -- Larry or Jonathan, have any 20 questions about the County Court at Law specifically? 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: No. 22 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: No. 23 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. Good work. Well done. 24 MS. HOLMES: Thanks. 25 - - - - - - - - - - 33 1 JUDGE HENNEKE: Mr. Russ, what do you want to 2 tell us about the Collections Department? 3 MR. DUNCAN: May I approach, sir? Through 4 fault of my own, I failed to give you my increases and 5 decreases on my budget when I furnished you my line item. 6 Also attached there is a little -- I know y'all get 7 number-crunched to death, but it's a little bit of the 8 activities that we have done in Collections and managed to 9 improve on, and so I thought I would give that to you as a 10 little justification of some of the things I'm asking for, 11 sir. 12 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. 13 MR. DUNCAN: I -- basically, my increases are 14 all dealing with personnel issues. If, indeed, the Court 15 does not approve any number one priority, then the 16 priorities for the increases in telephone and -- and some of 17 those would have to be amended, because without the extra 18 staff, I wouldn't produce the extra work or the extra 19 expenses, so that, you know, they're kind of tied together 20 there. So, basically, the budget as-is is probably what I 21 would probably request. 22 JUDGE HENNEKE: So, what -- what you're 23 asking for is just now going straight to that. Your budget 24 is fine. We -- it looks good. Does anyone have any 25 questions about the actual budget? 34 1 COMMISSIONER LETZ: No. 2 JUDGE HENNEKE: What we'd like to call the 3 "wish list" is, you want a full-time -- 4 MR. DUNCAN: Yes, sir. 5 JUDGE HENNEKE: -- Collections Manager. 6 MR. DUNCAN: It's -- well -- 7 JUDGE HENNEKE: Manager? 8 MR. DUNCAN: Manager, assistant, whatever I 9 can get, Your Honor. Whatever you want to call him. My 10 problem is that, originally, I'm supposed to be here 19 and 11 a half hours a week. I couldn't do that. I -- that just -- 12 that wouldn't cover the courts for 19 and a half hours a 13 week, and I'm putting in far more than that. We have so 14 much old money out there, there's so much behind in so many 15 places right now, just roughly, we are producing somewhere 16 in the neighborhood $2,000 to $4,000 a day in old money that 17 we're finding and getting on payment agreements and trying 18 to collect. So, we're getting a lot of this old money in 19 place, and that old money can be District Court, it can be 20 District Clerk's, it can be Judge PCs, it can be old -- 21 right now I'm working on cases from 1983 forward to 1989, 22 and in County Court at Law, that amounts to some $242,000, 23 approximately. And we're getting -- trying to get some of 24 that money and we're having some luck at that, and we're 25 doing some docket reviews and some other things. But, it's 35 1 just a lot for one person. I mean, I've got District 2 Courts, County Court at Law, A.G.'s court, trying to do 3 collections, trying to interview people, put them on payment 4 agreements. Like this morning, I've got District Court 5 going on upstairs. I'm up there. I've got my temporary 6 person working downstairs writing up payment agreements for 7 the people that are coming from the court, and it's just a 8 little hard for me to do both. When I do do it, it's 9 running back and forth. I'm getting tired, Judge. 10 JUDGE HENNEKE: Well, I -- you and I have 11 spoken about this before. Just -- what would you say that 12 your -- how do I word it? -- your department has increased 13 the collections by? A hundred percent? Just roughly. 14 MR. DUNCAN: Oh, our collection rate has gone 15 from -- there's diverse figures of anywhere from 26 to 16 54 percent, was what they were. We're running right now 17 between 85 and 92 percent, depending on the month of the 18 year, because some months you collect more than others. 19 But, basically, we're running around 85, just for an 20 average, 85 percent collection rate. 21 JUDGE HENNEKE: Is it fair to say that since 22 your department was established, that -- that you are 23 collecting twice as much money as happened before? 24 MR. DUNCAN: Easily. 25 JUDGE HENNEKE: In an order of magnitude of 36 1 somewhere in the nature of $300,000 to $400,000 a year? 2 THE WITNESS: 3 MR. DUNCAN: Yes, sir. 'Cause that 4 attachment I just gave you, just to give you a for-instance, 5 going from -- I started the actual Collections program in 6 mid-June of 1987, and I -- 7 JUDGE BROWN: '97. 8 MR. DUNCAN: And the County Court at Law 9 alone, just giving you a reading to -- to current -- to July 10 3rd, assessed was $1,492,399.26. Paid is $1,272,205.05. 11 There's $202,194.20 that is outstanding, that you would call 12 delinquent, but it's not really, because most of that is on 13 paper in agreements that it's collectable money. That is -- 14 that's in the works. Now, when you go down to look at the 15 delinquent County Court at Law prior to 1996, you see 16 $437,500. And we're working like we can on that to get that 17 in, and I'm going to tell you that I think over half -- 18 probably three-quarters of that is collectable and doable. 19 I don't think we should write it off. I think we've got a 20 chance to get it. 21 What we're doing is something we've never 22 done before, is we look at every docket and we review every 23 docket. And if we have -- find people on any docket that 24 that owes money, we catch them there, and mostly people are 25 repeat offenders. We're finding people coming to the County 37 1 Court at Law that has owed money since 1986, and they've 2 been to court seven or eight times, but nobody ever 3 collected. We're finding the same in District Courts, we're 4 finding old money that we're catching. We're doing 5 everything we can do to close the crack. See, there's a 6 very simple function here about fines. A fine is not 7 punishment until it's paid, and right now when we don't 8 collect the money, it's disrespect to the -- for the Court, 9 and I hold that dearly. 10 The other thing I'd like to point out is the 11 warrants, which are not so big in the money field, but when 12 I started, there were 914 warrants; 176 were violation of 13 probations. Currently there are 556 outstanding warrants, 14 and 113 of those are those of violation of probation. We 15 issue about 125-plus warrants a month in County Court at Law 16 alone. In District Court, figures are about the same. 17 We've gone from filing probations from almost 300 in the 18 216th to 114 in the 216th. Now, I think, 98 down to 11. We 19 don't put them in jail, but we help find them and get them 20 put in jail. And -- but I've got to give credit -- a great 21 deal of these numbers have come down since our new Sheriff 22 has come in, because -- just to give you a for-instance, one 23 day Deputy Gray put 40 people in jail on warrants. I mean, 24 so that can be done. That kind of work was not done before. 25 We didn't have that emphasis. 38 1 The other thing is, the warrants -- also 2 people that get arrested, warrants have outstanding monies, 3 so we get to collect monies -- I mean, it's all a vicious 4 circle, and it all goes -- you can't talk about one without 5 the other, but I must -- and I stand here self-serving, of 6 course, but I must tell you that we are doing a good job in 7 collecting money. And, right now, in the 198th today, we'll 8 probably produce somewhere in the neighborhood of $8,000 to 9 $10,000. In County Court at Law last week, our -- our 10 figure was close to $22,000 that went on the books. So, 11 there's a significant amount of money. And fines help our 12 Road and Bridge. Court costs and attorney's fees, which 13 have sorely been cut, that money goes back in the coffers. 14 Now, that -- that County Attorney's fees are 15 funded, and we get that money back to the General Fund, 16 court costs. We don't get a lot of that, but we get, what, 17 25 percent of it, I think? So, that money is generated for 18 court. $25 one-time payment fee is money -- half of that 19 comes back in. And, plus we're generating, because of that 20 legislation I did last year, $2 every time somebody makes a 21 payment in the District Clerk's office or County Clerk's 22 office. There's a $2 transaction fee, and we're generating 23 money every month off of that. So, I mean, we're not -- 24 we're not a -- a deficit spending department. We're 25 actually producing what we're asking for, Your Honor. 39 1 JUDGE HENNEKE: So, if we get -- if we give 2 you your initial person, the office would be -- would 3 consist of you -- on a part-time or full-time basis? 4 MR. DUNCAN: Well, I'm here, Judge. 5 JUDGE HENNEKE: And one other person. 6 MR. DUNCAN: Someday I would hope to retire, 7 Judge, but it's not in the next few years, I don't think. 8 JUDGE HENNEKE: Not till you get all this 9 cleaned up. 10 MR. DUNCAN: I know, I don't plan to. 11 JUDGE HENNEKE: But there -- there would be 12 two people in the office? 13 MR. DUNCAN: Yes, sir, there would be. 14 JUDGE HENNEKE: Right now there are two 15 people, but one is a part-time? 16 MR. DUNCAN: Part-time casual, and thanks to 17 the -- to the District Clerk, we're funding till 1st of 18 October with that body. 19 JUDGE HENNEKE: Anybody have any questions of 20 Mr. -- 21 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: No. 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: There's two now? 23 MR. DUNCAN: Yes, and I have -- I have 24 temporary help down there right now till October 1st, until 25 we see whether we're funded by Commissioners Court. 40 1 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So, you're looking at 2 basically making that person full-time? 3 MR. DUNCAN: If that's appropriate, yes, sir. 4 That's -- a decision has not been made yet, but I would 5 probably perceive that to happen. 6 JUDGE HENNEKE: Linda, are you down here in 7 support? 8 MS. UECKER: Yes, sir, certainly. And just 9 recently, Russ and his helper have been very instrumental in 10 collecting old civil cases that we have issued executions on 11 in the past for costs, but haven't been able to collect 12 them, and sending them to the Sheriff's Department, they all 13 came back null a bono. Well, they have been instrumental in 14 locating these people. And, you know, I can kind of gauge 15 what's going on in the Collections Department because we 16 used to make, you know, two, maybe three deposits a week. 17 We're now making deposits almost every day because of the 18 money that -- that Russ and his department is bringing in. 19 So -- and there -- it's something that they're good at, they 20 know how to do. We, of course, can send out bills of cost. 21 We can issue executions, but my office can't go out there 22 and -- and get the money, get the people without some help 23 from either law enforcement or someone like Russ. 24 JUDGE HENNEKE: Thanks. 25 MS. HOLMES: In answer to your question you 41 1 had asked earlier about can we safely say collections have 2 doubled, and yes, I've generated reports off the computer, 3 and it does show that we're collecting more than twice as 4 much now. More money's been assessed, but the percentages 5 show that it's up. And I would ask Tommy if -- if his 6 disbursements show that, you know, there's a lot more 7 collections coming through. 8 (Mr. Tomlinson nodded his head.) 9 MR. DUNCAN: Just to give you a for-instance, 10 too, that we're one of the highest fine producers in the 11 state, I -- there are now 23 collections managers throughout 12 the state in counties. The average fine in County Courts at 13 Law is $100, $200. Our average fine is $600 to $800, so we 14 have the heavier fines. Court costs are under the law, I 15 mean, but our court produces some of the heaviest fines in 16 the state. One other thing I might point out is, for 17 instance, that -- that the mental health money that's out 18 there, about $400,000, Judge, that we had talked about, that 19 money can be collected. That sum, that is collect -- that 20 is doable money. 21 JUDGE HENNEKE: The money from the 22 individuals? 23 MR. DUNCAN: Yeah, and judgment nisi's. 24 We're trying to run a report on some of this stuff, and we 25 just can't get the system to -- we fight the system daily to 42 1 get reports. We try to give you the best figures we can, 2 but in some cases we just can't. But -- like judgment 3 nisi's. 4 MS. PIEPER: Tax cases. 5 MR. DUNCAN: Tax cases. We just can't give 6 you a report; we don't have them. 7 (Discussion off the record.) 8 JUDGE HENNEKE: Any questions? Gentlemen? 9 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: I have a comment. You 10 make a compelling argument, I think. You know, we've all -- 11 we all say from time to time that county government ought to 12 be run like a business, and in business you look for what -- 13 where are the revenue producers so that you can, in 14 business, make a profit. But here, to cover our costs and 15 perhaps take in the monies that the County has coming that 16 can be used for County operations. So, I just think that 17 it's a very compelling argument. If, by making this kind of 18 investment, we collect a lot of revenue, then we'll have to 19 look at that very carefully. 20 MR. DUNCAN: Well, if we had been running a 21 private business the way we've been running the government 22 fines and courts costs over the years, you'd have gone out 23 of business, go bankrupt. But, we're finding people from 24 the '80's cases who've never paid a penny. I mean, they've 25 just never paid a penny. 43 1 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: So that, to continue 2 the analogy, then, this is sort of a turnaround in the 3 business, if you will. 4 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think another kind of 5 argument should be able to be made, that this is also 6 freeing up Linda's and Jannett's and Barbara's -- all their 7 time to do what they're really, you know, more trained to 8 do. 9 MS. PIEPER: Actually, it's not freeing up, 10 because we didn't have the time before, so it has not been 11 done. 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: But -- but it's 13 allowing -- well, it's allowing -- you know, it's kind of by 14 hiring one person here, you're helping all the other 15 departments that don't need something. 16 MS. HOLMES: It's taken some of the load from 17 me. What I can tell is we've got this, this is what you 18 need to do, but I don't have time to do it. I've tried to. 19 MS. UECKER: And Russ' department has also 20 gotten attention statewide, and -- and, you know, I feel 21 real honored that we have the type of Collections program 22 that we do, and I have clerks calling me all the time, you 23 know, saying, how are you -- I heard about your Collections 24 program and how well it's working, and, you know, they want 25 to know what's going on. And I think it's some -- I think 44 1 we're fortunate to be on the ground floor of this. 2 MR. DUNCAN: I've assisted eight other 3 counties in starting their Collection programs. 4 JUDGE HENNEKE: As part of the general 5 discussion, are you -- do you have adequate space if we give 6 you a new -- a full-time -- 7 MR. DUNCAN: Currently I have adequate space. 8 And I know due to construction, I'm not making any requests, 9 because I'm waiting for y'all to get through, and if I can 10 find a little more space, for instance, if -- if our 11 Treasurer's office happens to move, I would sure like that 12 space closer to the top floor and clerks; I run up and down 13 those stairs a hundred times a day clearing books and boxes, 14 and it gets a little old. But I will -- I will stay where 15 I'm at. I -- I'm going to -- see, I don't -- the dungeon is 16 fine, because that's -- that's the atmosphere I work in down 17 there, and the people kind of get the message when they come 18 down there. But we are -- we're fine where we're at, but we 19 would like a little bit better space to grow, but we're 20 getting along fine. That's the reason I didn't ask. 21 MS. UECKER: Access to the public, I think, 22 would make it easier to -- 23 JUDGE HENNEKE: Well, you'll have to talk 24 that over with the County Clerk. 25 MS. PIEPER: He and have I spoke before about 45 1 how much easier it would be on both of our departments if he 2 was located in my office someplace, or near it. 3 MR. DUNCAN: that's why we were looking at 4 the Treasurer's -- if she moves, that space would be ideal. 5 There used to be a door through there. 6 MS. PIEPER: Used to not be walls. 7 MR. DUNCAN: Are there any more questions I 8 could answer, Your Honor? I need to get back into court. 9 JUDGE HENNEKE: No, I think we're done. 10 Thank you, Russ. Appreciate it. Thanks, everybody. 11 MR. DUNCAN: Thank you. 12 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. 13 MS. HOLMES: Thank you. 14 (Discussion off the record.) 15 JUDGE HENNEKE: We'll be in recess till -- 16 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Could we -- I mean, I 17 guess we -- I was looking further down the list. Is there 18 anybody we can call to get them up here sooner? 19 JUDGE HENNEKE: I'm sure there is. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I mean, I don't know if 21 the constables or J.P.'s probably plan to come in. What 22 about on the General and All Others? 23 JUDGE HENNEKE: That's County-sponsored, 24 City/County, Permanent, General. It's just us, for the most 25 part. We can do those. 46 1 JUDGE HENNEKE: Megan? 2 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: She's going to come. 3 JUDGE HENNEKE: Why don't you call her and -- 4 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: I'll ask her. 5 JUDGE HENNEKE: Have -- have Tammy call her 6 and see if she can be here at -- 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Say at 2:00? 8 JUDGE HENNEKE: 2 o'clock. 9 COMMISSIONER LETZ: We can go through the 10 County-sponsored, Permanent Improvements, and General 11 starting now, as we as we have time. Then we could finish 12 up about 2:00, 2:15. 13 JUDGE HENNEKE: County-sponsored is going to 14 be real easy; it's going to be exactly the same as last 15 year, so why don't you ask Tammy to call her and see if she 16 can be here at 2:00. Larry? 17 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Okay, 2 o'clock for 18 Megan. 19 JUDGE HENNEKE: Yeah. 20 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: And -- yeah, okay. 21 (Discussion off the record.) 22 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. We'll be back at 23 11:00, unless we gather up somebody ahead of time. 24 (Recess taken from 10:36 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.) 25 - - - - - - - - - - 47 1 JUDGE HENNEKE: All right. We'll call back 2 into session this budget workshop of of the Kerr County 3 Commissioners Court. Scheduled for consideration at this 4 time is 216th District Court and District Attorney, and the 5 198th District Court and District Attorney: Becky, are you 6 here to talk about both courts? 7 MS. HENDERSON: Yes, sir. Judge Prohl was 8 here too, but he had to take a -- he had to go take a phone 9 call, so I guess it would be me. 10 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. Basically, we've asked 11 people to just highlight anything we need to know about the 12 budgets they're responsible for. 13 MS. HENDERSON: Mainly -- you want to do 14 216th first? 15 JUDGE HENNEKE: Sure. 16 MS. HENDERSON: Salaries and things, the 17 Judges upped those a little bit, have asked for a little 18 increase in those. Our -- let's see, what changed? I'm 19 going to highlight mainly what changed. Receptionist 20 position. We have asked for a receptionist position for the 21 198th and 216th District Courts. We've asked for all the 22 counties, so it will be a salary that will be divided, 23 hopefully, between eight counties. And, she -- whoever it 24 is will work for the 198th District and the 216th District 25 Courts. 48 1 JUDGE HENNEKE: But that's -- that's a 2 position that you wouldn't be in a -- we wouldn't be able to 3 utilize until we get into the new space? 4 MS. HENDERSON: Right. That would -- that 5 wouldn't be until we get over there. We've really needed 6 one for years. We've needed somebody else for years. I've 7 been here 12 years, and our docket's over doubled, and we've 8 over doubled. We really need another person, mainly just to 9 answer the phone, help us with the mail and stuff, but we 10 can't use that person until we get in the Annex, so if it's 11 September, October, November, whenever, that's when that 12 would -- 13 COMMISSIONER LETZ: January. 14 MS. HENDERSON: Next year. 15 JUDGE HENNEKE: Keep going. 16 MS. HENDERSON: 2002. This may be on next 17 year's budget. What else? Let's see. Any other changes 18 that we've made? Postage stayed the same, Office Supplies 19 stayed the same. Special District Judge, we were able to 20 drop that by a little bit, able to drop that $800. The 21 Title 40 Master, we are paying her right now $200 a month 22 for office space that she's renting; she's supposed to be in 23 the courthouse. We're going to be able to drop that. I 24 just put in $600 because, not noticing when we're going to 25 get next door, she doesn't have an office next door. That 49 1 probably we wouldn't use, but I did just put that in there 2 just in case we needed it. Special Trials, again, there's 3 no way of knowing what we're going to need for that, so we 4 just kind of put a figure in there. Hopefully, that will be 5 enough. Telephone stayed the same, Travel, Maintenance, 6 Conferences stayed the same. 7 JUDGE HENNEKE: Special Trials, how do you 8 come up with that number? 9 COMMISSIONER LETZ: 19426. 10 MS. HENDERSON: I think that's kind of worked 11 in our budget deal. You know, we had to be a certain 12 amount. 13 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Got to have one number 14 that floats. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. 16 MS. HENDERSON: It just seemed to fit in 17 there. 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Just seemed to fit. 19 MS. HENDERSON: You never know. I mean, 20 sometimes we won't use $5,000; sometimes we use $50,000, if 21 we have capital murder trials. In the 216th, we do have one 22 pending. Right, Bruce? One? Three? In Kerr County? 23 MR. CURRY: No, I'm sorry. 24 MS. HENDERSON: We just have one here. 25 MR. CURRY: I have two. 50 1 MS. HENDERSON: Do you think they'll both go 2 in the next -- one of them may go in this budget in August 3 or September, so I just figured on one. For transcripts, 4 same. Capital Outlay, we were able to drop that some. The 5 Capital Outlay that we're asking for is two computers and 6 printers. That will be divided evenly among the four 7 counties for 216th, one printer is for -- and computer is 8 for Judge Ables' office. He does not have one. And the 9 other one's for the new receptionist position, and it will 10 cost the 216th $1,000 for that. 11 JUDGE HENNEKE: Questions? 12 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: No. 13 COMMISSIONER LETZ: All right. 14 MS. HENDERSON: The 198th is pretty much the 15 same thing. Receptionist's salary was divided, between the 16 two districts, hopefully between eight counties. We're also 17 talking to the other Commissioners to see if they'll go 18 along with it. Can't see anything really in special trials, 19 capital murder trials. 20 MS. COLEMAN: Luckily, at this point, I do 21 not have a capital murder. 22 MS. HENDERSON: So, see, we may not even use 23 that. We need to put something in there because we don't 24 know if we're going to have special trials. That's 25 something we don't know. We hope we don't. 51 1 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Easy to transfer from the 2 216th if you have to. 3 MS. HENDERSON: If we needed to use -- we've 4 done this before. If we had one in the 216th, we could 5 transfer from the 198th. I don't see anything else that 6 we've made any big changes to. Capital Outlay in the 198th 7 dropped considerably. We're asking for a desk, a chair, and 8 a telephone and a filing cabinet for the receptionist 9 position, if we get that. 10 JUDGE HENNEKE: Any questions? 11 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: No. 12 JUDGE HENNEKE: We're going to -- we're 13 telling everyone, Becky, we're going to address salaries 14 overall. At this point, we're not sure what we're going to 15 do, but it's the Court's first priority as far as allocating 16 funds. 17 MS. HENDERSON: No problem. Is that it? 18 JUDGE HENNEKE: That's it. 19 MS. HENDERSON: Thank you all. 20 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. Thank you, Becky. 21 Okay, 216th District Attorney, Bruce Curry. 22 MR. CURRY: Good morning. 23 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Morning. 24 JUDGE HENNEKE: Go ahead. 25 MR. CURRY: All right. The -- as far as the 52 1 budget goes, there's -- it's, I think, exactly the same, if 2 I'm not mistaken, except for two items. And one, as you 3 say, you may not be addressing, is the Assistant District 4 Attorney's salary. I put in for about a -- I don't know; I 5 put a 3 percent -- I don't know. Anyway, from 44 to 47. 6 And then the Books, Publications, and Dues from six to 7 seven, and that was just based on our expenditures. We were 8 running out last year, so that I think we would -- well, 9 actually, it was, what, a seven -- I've got $6,000 noted 10 here. Anyway, we put in $7,000; thought that it would cover 11 it. Other than that, I think the -- I'm looking at a figure 12 that says original, but I may be looking at the wrong 13 figures here, but I believe that that will be the only 14 changes. 15 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. Any questions? You 16 know what our space situation is. Y'all have made requests 17 for space in the Annex. 18 MR. CURRY: Yes. 19 JUDGE HENNEKE: When we get it done. 20 MR. CURRY: In the grant. 21 JUDGE HENNEKE: Right. 22 MR. CURRY: Yes, sir. Now, this is just 23 my -- 24 JUDGE HENNEKE: I know. I just wanted to 25 make sure you understood where we are on the space in the 53 1 Annex, which is at such time as we get to a position where 2 we can look at that, then we will. 3 MR. CURRY: I wanted to address, if I can 4 switch over to that, the grant situation for -- 5 JUDGE HENNEKE: Well, before we do that, does 6 anyone have any questions of Bruce? 7 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: No. 8 COMMISSIONER LETZ: No. 9 MR. CURRY: As to the -- the grant, as you 10 may or may not be aware, I just asked Tommy -- I don't think 11 he's talked to you about it. We did not get approved on 12 that grant. As it turned out, they sent me a letter. I'm 13 going to talk to -- I believe we were number -- I believe it 14 was eight, and they approved seven out of 139 grants or 15 something, and all of the seven were previously granted, so 16 they were just renewing that; they didn't grant any new 17 ones. But, we were on the top of the list following that, 18 and what they told me was that there was a fairly good 19 possibility that, midyear, that they may give us the 20 opportunity to take the grant as funds become available or 21 something like that. Sounded like hocus-pocus to me. 22 That's what's they told me. The problem was, as I 23 calculated it, by then our budget's in place and we don't -- 24 you know, you have to amend. I was talking to Tommy about 25 this. If this opportunity arose -- and it's pure 54 1 speculation at this time, although the lady I talked to told 2 me there's a very good chance of that -- would be to go in 3 and request at this time that it be funded. And, kind of -- 4 Tommy suggested, as I understood it, to put that in some 5 sort of a separate account or item and just never use it if 6 we don't get it approved, kick it back into whatever. But 7 if we did, then we would have it available to -- to put it 8 in place. 9 JUDGE HENNEKE: I didn't understand there was 10 a -- there is a county match that comes out of your budget? 11 MR. CURRY: It's 25 percent and 75 percent, 12 is what it would amount to. And, the -- if we get the 13 grant. And part of that is the -- the match of the -- the 14 floor space, and then part of it will be cash match that 15 we're going to come up with. And that's what I was 16 concerned about, was the cash match portion. I think it's 17 going to total -- I understand this would be divided among 18 the counties, but at this point, rather than go to each 19 Commissioners Court and try -- I was going to see if we 20 could do it within the counties. It would be, as I read it, 21 $23,200, and then if it gets approved, then I'd go get the 22 counties. There would be the -- the rebate, in effect, on a 23 pro rata basis. So, Kerr County's portion of that, 24 guestimate would be around $12,000 total for the year. Now, 25 that's an annual figure. Again, this would be a half a 55 1 year, so it would probably -- that would come back, but I 2 was just trying to cover the bases in the event that they do 3 give us that grant, since they're on that funny -- you know, 4 our -- the annual budget years are six months off. It's 5 real difficult to make those at the time, so I wanted to put 6 that out, anyway, for consideration. In the event that we 7 did get it, I want to try to have that available. 8 COMMISSIONER LETZ: That makes -- I mean, the 9 way to handle it, it makes sense to put it in the budget, 10 and if you don't use it, you don't use it. Just, I mean -- 11 MR. CURRY: We'd know in November, and it 12 just would go back to the General Fund or wherever you would 13 put it. 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: What's the amount that 15 we'd be -- 23? 16 JUDGE HENNEKE: The total match, but 17 that's -- 18 MR. CURRY: That's a full year. 19 JUDGE HENNEKE: That's for everybody. 20 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: That's right. 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So, if we go half a year, 22 our match would be about $6,000, $7,000. 23 MR. CURRY: That would be the amount. What I 24 was trying to request to do it was to get that all set aside 25 and then get the rest of it from the other counties. 56 1 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Is there any option from 2 the other counties, from their standpoint, and they -- 3 MR. CURRY: They could decline or refuse. 4 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Right. 5 MR. CURRY: I suppose this is kind of like 6 the task force grant, and they could do it. I don't -- I 7 don't really anticipate that. I've kind of talked to them 8 generally about it, and everybody seems to be in favor, but 9 theoretically, they could. 10 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I guess my concern would 11 be if they didn't budget for it like we're -- we are, they 12 may not be able to come up with the money midyear to 13 reimburse us, even though it's -- I mean, the amount for the 14 other counties is not going to be a tremendous amount. 15 MR. CURRY: No, it wouldn't be very large. 16 City would be -- well, I'm not city. The -- or not the 17 city. I'm trying to think. The -- the mix-it-up with the 18 task force, theirs would be, you know, substantial enough 19 probably I could talk to them and see if they can put that 20 in. But they don't have any figures set aside whatsoever at 21 this point. 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: That would be -- my only 23 concern would be maybe we can put it in our pro rata amount, 24 and then if the grant did come through, then you can go to 25 the other counties and if they chose not to fund it, then 57 1 we'd have to make a decision. I mean -- 2 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: That would work, too. 3 JUDGE HENNEKE: Yeah. 4 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I mean, and we just -- if 5 they didn't fund it then, you know, turn down the grant, 6 sure. 7 JUDGE HENNEKE: Don't accept it. 8 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Or let's or do it all 9 ourselves. 10 JUDGE HENNEKE: Yeah. 11 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: But that -- we'd have 12 some flexibility to do that. 13 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yeah. Either way, I 14 think it's better to put it in the budget now. 15 MR. CURRY: Pro rata would actually be closer 16 to 12, because of the half year; it's only for a half year 17 by the time our budget came around. In other words, the 18 next time we'd be already into the other, so it would really 19 be half of that 23. 20 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: All right. 22 JUDGE HENNEKE: Any other questions? Thank 23 you, Bruce. 24 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Okay. 25 MR. CURRY: I brought Mark; he's working on 58 1 this grant. I'm sorry. 2 MR. SHURLEY: I'll answer any questions you 3 might have. I'm still, of course, working for Bruce and 4 contributing my time, and so is Lamar Smith. And, you know, 5 just as a taxpayer. I'll tell y'all that -- that, you know, 6 Lamar Smith and I are both doing it free, gratis. And then, 7 like Abraham Lincoln said about lawyers, you know, your only 8 method of getting -- your time is your stock-in-trade. So, 9 anyway, that's all I have, unless you have some questions. 10 JUDGE HENNEKE: Anyone have any questions? 11 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: No. 12 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. Thanks, Mark. 13 MR. CURRY: Thank you. 14 JUDGE HENNEKE: All right. Donnie, do you 15 want to tell us about your office account? 16 MS. COLEMAN: Yes. Good morning. We 17 haven't -- we didn't have a whole lot of changes overall in 18 our budget. We've had some changes in our office. For 19 example, until September -- or, no, up until June of this 20 year, Ron and I have been officed in separate buildings. I 21 had my private office, which I still have, when I went to 22 work for him. And we have combined, starting this summer, 23 and I have literally moved down to his office. And, so, 24 there is a request for an increase in rent of $100 a month. 25 Prior to my moving in, the County had rented that space 59 1 from -- for $200 a month, and there was a payment of $100 a 2 month that was going to the owner of the building I was in, 3 or my office was in, for space in that. So, this would be 4 an increase, in essence, of $100 a month, and that's what 5 that reflects there. We're still working on getting moved 6 in and all of us being in one place, but it seems to be 7 working out fairly well. 8 The other thing that I think y'all probably 9 know is that we took over the -- Mason County last 10 September. Mason County became a part of our district. 11 Before that, it was Concho County. I had not been to Paint 12 Rock in seven years, and Ron had been up there, like, twice, 13 because we had an overlap with the 51st or one of the 14 casework out of San Angelo. Everyone told us if we took 15 Mason, that there really isn't any crime in Mason, but I 16 knew if we went there, crime would follow. And, sure 17 enough, it has. So, we are finding that we are spending 18 time in Mason and we're doing Mason cases, and my trial last 19 week -- week before last was a Mason case. 20 So, it's also necessary not only for me to 21 travel back and forth to Mason, but our investigator, who 22 would never have had to go to Concho, is working with the 23 officers in -- in Mason County too. And, of course, the 24 price of gas has gone up tremendously, as everybody knows, 25 so probably our biggest increase is the -- the expense down 60 1 where it's out -- the out-of-county expense has gone up from 2 about $6,000 to -- we're estimating $7,500. That's our 3 biggest thing. Within the -- with regard to the 4 investigator's salary and the secretary's salaries, we've 5 had some kind of changes of duties as we've combined 6 offices, and also, as we found out some of the things that 7 other investigators do around the state, that we're having 8 Todd -- and y'all may or may not know that Todd Burdick is 9 our new D.A. investigator, once Rusty took the Sheriff's 10 job. He's doing a great job and he's really nice to work 11 with. But, there have been some adjustments between the 12 salary figures with regard to the secretaries and the 13 investigator. 14 The other thing is, by combining the offices 15 like we have, it's cutting down on some of the -- the 16 secretarial costs of having to have phones answered in two 17 places. For example, historically, the family violence/ 18 pervert cases were in my office, so that if someone -- an 19 attorney wanted to call and had a question about something, 20 they would call my -- my office and my number, and so if I 21 was in trial, and Garvey (?) sometimes goes to trial with 22 me, someone would need to be there. So, now we don't have 23 to worry about that overlap when she's gone with me in 24 trial. The other two girls who work for Ron are there. 25 We also starting, in June, a new task force 61 1 in Junction, and we're getting a little bit of income 2 they've started to pick up. Before this, our budget 3 included two-thirds of Carla Modford's salary, and now it 4 has dropped down so that the task force is covering half of 5 her salary. So, it's dropped -- our County's proportion is 6 down to just 50 percent. You might notice that we don't 7 have things on there like conferences, and very little in 8 library money; we don't have anything down there. I don't 9 even -- I can't even tell you the last time we came to you 10 for equipment of any kind. And, in case that looks strange 11 to you, the druggies who travel up and down Interstate 10 12 and go through Kimble County pay for that portion of our 13 offices. Sheriff Chapman and his drug interdiction, they 14 are the ones that pay for cars and all of the computers we 15 need. 16 JUDGE HENNEKE: Our share of your proposed 17 budget is 88,584? 18 MS. COLEMAN: Yes. I think that's a little 19 bit of an increase from last year, but it's -- and I don't 20 have any figures with me, because I didn't get this unpacked 21 and brought with me, but I think it's a very small increase 22 from last year, maybe $1,500. 23 JUDGE HENNEKE: Any questions? 24 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: No questions. 25 JUDGE HENNEKE: Donnie also asked for 62 1 permission to address us about child -- Kids Advocacy Place. 2 Currently, the County provides $3,000 toward -- 3 MS. COLEMAN: Our original request to the 4 County had been $6,000, and we had no -- nothing to tell 5 you, nothing to show you why we should get any of that 6 money. And -- but you very graciously gave us $3,000 to 7 start with so we could build a track record, and I think I 8 sent a cover letter with our statistics in it. For a small 9 area, we've done a tremendous amount of work. Our total 10 overall budget for the Kids Advocacy Place is $75,000, and 11 that's everything. That's the salaries, that's the 12 operating expense, that -- and we have -- we pay only one 13 salary, and that's the Executive Director, who is the -- the 14 everything person. 15 We are doing some of the child interviews on 16 contract, if it's someone that does -- is involved in a 17 particular office. We've received funding money from Kids 18 Advocacy Centers of Texas, which comes in through the 19 Attorney General's office, which gives them the money; then 20 they give it to us. They require that a minimum of $5,000 21 of the $30,000 that we get from them each year go to 22 training, and so we have been able to provide a good deal of 23 training for Kerr County officers, both last year and this 24 year, through that budget. In addition, they've sent, I 25 think, Carol Twist and some other officers to some 63 1 additional specialized training. And our office -- the 2 D.A.'s, out of that nice druggie money, and Motley's office, 3 out of some of his hot check money, I believe, have -- have 4 helped pay for training last year for Rusty and Motley and 5 Carol, and then again this year. Carol Twist, who's with 6 the Kerr County Sheriff's office, handles 90 -- maybe not 7 90, but at least 80 percent of all the child abuse cases in 8 this county. For some strange reason, and I don't -- I'm 9 not going to go into -- maybe I don't know. But, at any 10 rate, for some strange reason, even though the county has 11 fewer people, the county has way more child abuse cases than 12 the city. It -- it is kind of strange, so it's actually the 13 county that is doing those investigations and doing a good 14 job on them. 15 And, our building is over there, except we 16 don't know the address. It used to be 1300 East Main, but 17 if you'll ever decide -- if you want to go over there and 18 look at it, we'd be really happy for you to, but they keep 19 telling us they can't tell us what our address is now 20 because they put that new street in there and they don't 21 know if we're on East Main or some other little street that 22 all comes in right there, because we're on the corner and we 23 haven't been able to get a street address. 24 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: At our meeting with 25 911 next week, we'll see what we can do. 64 1 MS. COLEMAN: Would you see if you could get 2 us a street address? Because I'm still putting 1300 East 3 Main on everything, but they tell us that's not our address. 4 Y'all have any questions about that? 5 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. 6 MS. COLEMAN: Or other budgets? 7 JUDGE HENNEKE: No, I don't think so. 8 MS. COLEMAN: May I be excused? 9 JUDGE HENNEKE: Yes, you may. 10 MS. COLEMAN: Thank you. Thank y'all. 11 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Thanks. 12 JUDGE HENNEKE: Mr. Hall, do you want to talk 13 to us about your Weights budget? It's under 18, boys. 14 MR. HALL: I'll see if y'all got any 15 questions. I appreciate the money. This year is the year 16 that I buy a radar, so that -- I think they run about $2995, 17 is what they run, so I threw an extra $5 in there to even it 18 out, is what I did on the Capital Outlay. There is a 19 possibility, if the Legislature sees fit, they're going to 20 put another License and Weight trooper here in Kerr County. 21 That's the number one priority with my captain, and he 22 covers everything from Waco down to San Antonio, and his 23 number one priority is here in Kerrville. 24 JUDGE HENNEKE: Is that because of the 25 increase in 18-wheelers running up and down I-10? 65 1 MR. HALL: That's right. That's exactly 2 right, and they found out what a productive station this is. 3 But, to put it -- I mean -- 4 JUDGE HENNEKE: Yeah. 5 MR. HALL: We haven't had a license and 6 weight trooper here but for -- oh, I want to say seven 7 years, and it's just increasing the traffic. And, of 8 course, with what Mexico -- with their new president, 9 there's no telling what Nafta is fixing to put on us. If 10 they -- if they open up that Free Trade Agreement, well, 11 we're going to be -- I'm going to be swamped. 12 JUDGE HENNEKE: If we build that new highway, 13 too, going through Junction. 14 MR. HALL: Yes, sir. Yes, sir, if they -- if 15 they make 283 into I-27, like they're talking about, well -- 16 and I cover that. I cover from Kimble County, Kerr County, 17 Kendall County, and Real County right now is what I have to 18 cover. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: What do you do with your 20 old radars? 21 MR. HALL: We either trade them in or 22 sometimes we keep them and -- keep them as a spare or give 23 them to the County, to the Sheriff's Office to use. Because 24 those things -- whenever you -- it just depends on how they 25 -- how the radar companies want to do it. If we can get -- 66 1 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: They'll sometimes take 2 them in trade. 3 MR. HALL: Yes, sir. Yes, sir, they'll take 4 them in trade. That's what we've done for the past few 5 years, is take them in trade or trade them in on the -- the 6 newer models. And they -- and they might give us $300 or 7 $400 for them or knock off $300 or $400, I guess. 8 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Why do you need two 9 radars? Isn't there just one officer? 10 MR. HALL: All I'm asking for is one. 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: You said two radars. 12 JUDGE HENNEKE: That's the other budget. 13 MR. HALL: That's Highway Patrol. 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Oh, that's Highway 15 Department, they wants two. 16 MR. HALL: Highway Patrol has got four cars, 17 and they trade out every other year like I do. 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. All right. That 19 answered that question. 20 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Got to be on the right 21 page. 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I'm trying. 23 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. Any other questions 24 for Trooper Hall? 25 MR. HALL: I appreciate it. 67 1 JUDGE HENNEKE: Thank you for coming in. 2 MR. HALL: Only other thing I would ask, 3 would y'all might consider a burn ban? 4 COMMISSIONER LETZ: We're looking at it on 5 the next agenda. 6 MR. HALL: Thank you. 7 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: It will be on the next 8 agenda. 9 MR. HALL: Thank you. 'Cause it's getting 10 awful dry out west. 11 JUDGE HENNEKE: That's timely. 12 THE WITNESS: I didn't know whether anybody 13 said that, but I wanted to ask y'all that. 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: And we've thought about 15 it already. 16 MR. HALL: Thank you. I knew you -- I knew 17 you had, but I just had to put my two cents' worth in. 18 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay, thank you. 19 MR. HALL: Thank y'all. 20 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Stand by for Monday, 21 unless we get a sudden rainstorm -- I mean a week from 22 Monday. 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Week from Monday, 24 probably. 25 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: 24th. 68 1 MR. HALL: 24th? Real good. We're burning 2 big time everywhere. I don't know what it -- I've noticed 3 stuff out west this week is just flat turned brown. 4 JUDGE HENNEKE: Yeah. The last week, they've 5 just pulled the plug on everything; it seems everything has 6 really caught up with us. 7 MR. HALL: We need to do rain dances or 8 something. The sergeant ought to be here in a little bit. 9 I reminded him to be here at 11:30 on his. 10 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay, we'll wait for him. 11 MR. HALL: He'll be here. 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: All right. 13 MR. HALL: Thank y'all. 14 JUDGE HENNEKE: Thank you. 15 (Discussion off the record.) 16 (Recess taken from 11:20 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.) 17 - - - - - - - - - - 18 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay, J.P.'s. Who wants to 19 start? Did Bill have to leave, or did he just step outside? 20 I know Vance is not going to be here. 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Vance doesn't really have 22 any changes. Two? 23 JUDGE HENNEKE: Dawn? Do you want to tell us 24 about anything about your budget requests? 25 JUDGE WRIGHT: Okay. Do you have mine in 69 1 front of you? 2 JUDGE HENNEKE: Hmm? 3 JUDGE WRIGHT: Do you have mine? 4 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yeah. 5 JUDGE WRIGHT: Questions? 6 JUDGE HENNEKE: Why don't you just highlight 7 anything you want us to be conscious of, is how we've been 8 doing it. 9 JUDGE WRIGHT: Well, I'm still within budget. 10 In fact, I'm still under budget. I've moved some around. 11 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. You've asked for an 12 increase in the Travel budget, and we know there's an 13 increase for -- as well as an increase for Lynn. Increase 14 in the telephone budget is the main thing. As far as Lynn 15 is concerned, we're going to deal with all salary issues as 16 a whole. The Court has reached a consensus, in my opinion, 17 that that's the first priority if we have any available 18 funds is to address salary inequities, so we'll be dealing 19 with that as a whole. 20 JUDGE WRIGHT: I'm going down on the Books, 21 Publications and Dues because this is an off year, an off 22 Legislative year. Next year it will be back up again, 23 because next year's when we get the new ones. 24 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Only question I have 25 is Capital Outlay. Is there a list? 70 1 JUDGE WRIGHT: That was what I requested last 2 year. You told us to turn in a wish list a year or two 3 years ahead of time. It was some furniture for my office. 4 I didn't know if I was supposed to put it on there or leave 5 it off. If it comes off and you add it, then we'll under 6 budget. If not, then -- 7 JUDGE HENNEKE: So -- 8 JUDGE WRIGHT: It is under. 9 JUDGE HENNEKE: It's fine for it to be on 10 there. I think what Larry's suggesting is that we need a 11 list of exactly what that $1,200 is. 12 JUDGE WRIGHT: Okay. It's attached in the 13 back of my budget. 14 JUDGE HENNEKE: Oh, is it? 15 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Furniture and 16 shelving, shelving credenza? 17 JUDGE WRIGHT: Yes. 18 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. Okay. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: The question I had is on 20 Conferences. Is that more people going, or you just want -- 21 JUDGE WRIGHT: No. They're increasing the 22 number of schools that they're offering us each year. 23 Before it was just one, and now their funding has been 24 increased so they are able to offer us more. They had two 25 or three others this year that I wasn't able to go to. I'm 71 1 going to one week after next on inquests in Austin, but I've 2 turned down two or three of them because of lack of funding 3 in my budget, and I'd like to be able to attend -- not all 4 of them, but more of them. And -- 5 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. 6 JUDGE HENNEKE: Any other questions? Thanks, 7 Dawn. 8 JUDGE WRIGHT: That's it. 9 JUDGE HENNEKE: Appreciate it. Who's next? 10 Bob? 11 JUDGE HENNEKE: Yours is pretty much straight 12 down the line. 13 JUDGE TENCH: Yes. I would like to make a 14 modification to it that I wasn't aware was going on. I 15 would like to increase my travel to $200 a month, $600 on 16 that. 17 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. All right. 18 JUDGE TENCH: I also spent everything I had 19 on conferences this year, but I'm not going to ask for any 20 more on that one. 21 JUDGE HENNEKE: All right. 22 JUDGE TENCH: Computer hardware, I may have a 23 problem. I'm starting to experience problems with the 24 existing equipment that I have. It's been suggested that I 25 do something to check it out, and I'm going to do that this 72 1 weekend. I may have a major buy on computer requirement. 2 Not because I want to, but because it -- it is starting to 3 give us problems. And, Judge Wright just recently had to 4 replace hers, and it's the same age as mine and same age as 5 Ragsdale's, so I don't know what the problem is. Other than 6 we bought low bid. 7 JUDGE HENNEKE: Remember when you buy low 8 bidder that "low" is in there, right? 9 JUDGE TENCH: Yeah, right. 10 JUDGE HENNEKE: If that becomes necessary, 11 you need to just get with us. 12 JUDGE TENCH: Yes, I will. I don't know 13 that. I don't know specifically that it's going to happen. 14 JUDGE HENNEKE: Well, if -- we'll take care 15 of it when it happens. 16 COMMISSIONER LETZ: You need a computer that 17 works. 18 JUDGE TENCH: I've also -- if you'll notice, 19 I've put in there for computer software, Apollo is supposed 20 to give us Windows; we got to pay for it. We've had it in 21 our budget the last two years and haven't spent it, but 22 I continue to put it in there. 23 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: That's the 24 Windows-based package? 25 JUDGE TENCH: Yes, sir. Yes, sir. We're 73 1 using -- we're still using the DOS-based package. You know, 2 they came and gave it to us one time, and we had it about a 3 month and it didn't work, and they took it back, and they've 4 been fixing it ever since. And that's been over a year. 5 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. Any questions for 6 Judge Tench? Okay. 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Is that -- on the 8 software, is that just for your computer, or would that 9 cover all -- 10 JUDGE TENCH: No. No, though -- that's just 11 for my office computer -- the two computers in my office. 12 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: They gave you a quote 13 on that? 14 JUDGE TENCH: Yes, sir. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I was wondering how we 16 should handle that budget-wise. If the new software does 17 get finally out and works, we're going to need it for all 18 the J.P.'s, I would think, at the same time. 19 JUDGE TENCH: We had -- we -- all of us had 20 it in there two years ago, and I've just been carrying it 21 along. It's not spent. It's an item that carried over from 22 the previous year. 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Right. I just wondered, 24 do we need to -- 25 (Discussion off the record.) 74 1 JUDGE HENNEKE: We don't know when it will be 2 available. 3 JUDGE TENCH: No, I haven't -- 4 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I'm almost more inclined 5 to put whatever the current maintenance is in that category, 6 and then if that software does come open, we could address 7 it out of either Nondepartmental Contingency or out of, you 8 know, emergency -- something that, I think, we -- you need 9 to get, but -- 10 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Yeah. The low -- it 11 potentially greatly overstates the budget. 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Right, but it's a pretty 13 big item to just carry. 14 JUDGE TENCH: Yes, it is a big item. 15 JUDGE HENNEKE: Do y'all have any feel for 16 when that is likely to be available? 17 JUDGE RAGSDALE: Somebody told me the other 18 day that -- that they have gotten the most recent updated 19 version of Windows and it works great, but that doesn't mean 20 we have to use it till next year. 21 JUDGE TENCH: I don't know. 22 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: All right. 24 JUDGE HENNEKE: Bill? 25 JUDGE RAGSDALE: Yes. 75 1 JUDGE HENNEKE: Anything you need to tell us? 2 JUDGE RAGSDALE: No. 3 JUDGE HENNEKE: I notice that you also ask 4 for an increase in your travel. 5 JUDGE RAGSDALE: Well, I'm almost tempted to 6 ask for another increase, because if our -- our census does 7 go over 50,000, then I will be adding about 400 miles a 8 month to my travel, having to drive to the courthouse every 9 day. 10 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think that's something 12 that can really be addressed if that happens. We could be 13 over 50,000, but -- I mean, if -- I look at that as if our 14 census goes up and that's the reason we have to go in and 15 redo our budget, because of some new state requirements or 16 federal requirements that come because of that, that's the 17 reason to do a one-time emergency and to readjust all those 18 at one time. 19 JUDGE RAGSDALE: Okay. So that's a 20 commitment from -- I'm not going to get chewed out for not 21 having put it in my budget? 22 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: No. No. 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Unless I forget. 24 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Unless we forget. 25 JUDGE RAGSDALE: Well, because that's -- the 76 1 increase I did in Conferences was, again, like Judge Wright 2 said, that we didn't have a large Conference budget because 3 no conferences were being offered except for what was 4 mandated by law. Now there are others that are being 5 offered that are appropriate and that we can go to if we're 6 financed to go to it. That's why I had to ask for a line 7 item budget amendment earlier this month, was because they 8 weren't being offered. All of a sudden, now they're being 9 offered. We do our budget several months before the 10 state -- the state, they apparently do theirs on the last 11 day, and so on October 1st, they send out a letter saying, 12 well, we're going to have more conferences. Well, we had 13 already -- the ink had already dried on our budget months 14 before. That's why it wasn't in there. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: On Conferences, is there 16 any -- that's one area that I think we should try to keep 17 equal between the -- in case the J.P.'s -- and the ranges, 18 you know, we have $900, $1,200, $1,250, and $1,400. Is 19 there a -- 20 JUDGE RAGSDALE: I just didn't want to get 21 chewed out again for not having enough in there. 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I'm trying to arrive at a 23 uniform amount that would be -- you know. 24 JUDGE RAGSDALE: $1,400 would be good for 25 everybody. 77 1 COMMISSIONER LETZ: That's the highest 2 number. 3 JUDGE RAGSDALE: Well, there wouldn't be any 4 budget amendments. 5 COMMISSIONER LETZ: The other side of it 6 is -- you know, and the way we've been budgeting last year 7 and this year is if they wanted to put more of it towards 8 conferences than other areas, we give them that flexibility, 9 so kind of -- 10 JUDGE HENNEKE: I think Conferences is 11 something that needs to -- each elected official tailors to 12 their particular needs, so if they need more or less and 13 they have the ability to do that, put the money where they 14 need it. 15 JUDGE RAGSDALE: Well, some people -- you're 16 not required by law to send your clerk to -- to school. 17 You're dumb not to, but -- because it's very cheap 18 insurance. If -- if you get -- if something should happen 19 where you're called into question, they say, what did you do 20 to train your clerk? Oh, well, I decided not to send her to 21 training. That's -- that's a pretty bad reflection on our 22 part. 23 JUDGE HENNEKE: Utilities. Your budget pays 24 for the -- all the utilities on that facility? 25 JUDGE RAGSDALE: That is correct. 78 1 JUDGE HENNEKE: Is that correct? 2 JUDGE RAGSDALE: That's correct. 3 JUDGE HENNEKE: That's what I thought. Okay. 4 JUDGE RAGSDALE: And I think that's it. 5 JUDGE HENNEKE: All right. 6 JUDGE RAGSDALE: Thank you. 7 JUDGE HENNEKE: Thank you, Bill. 8 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Only thing you should 9 note, Judge, is that on that second page -- 10 JUDGE HENNEKE: Right. 11 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: -- the $1,600 computer 12 software maintenance should be $760 instead of $1,600. 13 JUDGE HENNEKE: Oh, should be $760? 14 JUDGE RAGSDALE: I've been -- that's -- Judge 15 Wright informed me that software maintenance was supposed to 16 be $760 for the office. 17 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. 18 JUDGE RAGSDALE: And I'm going on that basis. 19 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: She just left. That's 20 okay. 21 JUDGE RAGSDALE: All of a sudden, I feel 22 quite abandoned. You can tell we stick together here. 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: That's right. 24 JUDGE RAGSDALE: Thank you. 25 JUDGE HENNEKE: Thank you, Bill. 79 1 JUDGE HENNEKE: Turn to Constables. 2 Constable McClure came in earlier and said he had to 3 transport a prisoner this afternoon and would not be in. 4 The only -- I think his budget is exactly the same as it was 5 last time, so we'll applaud him and move on. Mr. Ayala, do 6 you want to come up for your first crack at bat? 7 MR. AYALA: How are you doing? I don't have 8 a copy of my budget with me, but I didn't change anything, 9 other than transferring some vehicle -- I think there -- 10 there was $3,500 in vehicle repair that I transferred up to 11 the travel. 12 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Right. 13 MR. AYALA: Only change I made. 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: That's easy. 15 JUDGE HENNEKE: How is the training coming? 16 MR. AYALA: Almost over, first part. 17 JUDGE HENNEKE: Are you burning up the roads? 18 MR. AYALA: Burning up the roads, ready for 19 it to be over. 20 JUDGE HENNEKE: I'll bet you are. 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yeah, looks good. 22 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. Thanks, Joel. Angel? 23 MR. GARZA: Good afternoon, Judge Henneke, 24 commissioner Letz, Commissioner Griffin. I'm sorry, almost 25 said Baldwin. On my budget, gentlemen, as you see, I 80 1 basically left it alone. I just moved some things around. 2 On the travel, from before, I moved up to $100 more. And, 3 on the training school, I had a little bit more, because I 4 do attend training schools THAT I'm required as -- you know, 5 as part of my duties as constable, updates. And, basically, 6 that's all I have, gentlemen. Of course, the wish list is 7 just a wish list. I was hoping maybe I -- the amount that I 8 have in my first one is maybe a lesser amount, you know. If 9 y'all would consider it, I'd appreciate it. If not, you 10 know, I understand. 11 JUDGE HENNEKE: Your radio equipment? 12 MR. GARZA: Yes, sir. 13 JUDGE HENNEKE: Angel, just like when we get 14 around to redoing the Sheriff's radio communications, it is 15 our intent and desire to replace all the radios out there at 16 that time. Hopefully we'll be able to -- to give you a 17 radio so you will be more compatible with the Sheriff's 18 Department. 19 MR. GARZA: Thank you, Your Honor. That's 20 all I have. And I love doing the job and I love serving 21 Kerr County. 22 JUDGE HENNEKE: All right. Well, thank you. 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Thank you. 24 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Thanks. 25 JUDGE HENNEKE: Mr. Terrell? 81 1 MR. TERRELL: That's my boss right there, 2 sir. 3 JUDGE HENNEKE: Going to let the boss do it 4 one more time? Okay. 5 MR. HALL: Since Mr. Terrell is going to be 6 taking over after the 1st of the year, I'll relinquish my 7 budget deal to him to prepare his own budget to where I 8 didn't -- it won't be my budget, so I'm letting him. We 9 have prepared some activity -- just to show you what we have 10 been doing. 11 JUDGE HENNEKE: Thanks. 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: You probably can keep all 13 these and make a book out of them. 14 JUDGE HENNEKE: Probably so. 15 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: I was just thinking 16 the same thing. Story behind every one of them. 17 MR. TERRELL: You have to be there to 18 appreciate them. 19 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Yeah. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Interesting, though. 21 Forty-four on mine; that is since January 1. 22 JUDGE HENNEKE: Right. Any questions or 23 comments? 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Just reading about the 25 county. Looks good, no changes. 82 1 MR. HALL: I'll turn it over to Mr. Terrell. 2 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Okay. Thanks, Bob. 3 MR. TERRELL: Your Honor, Commissioners, 4 my -- my main request here is the increase in the travel 5 budget. That's due to the increase in costs of -- fuel 6 costs. I think we're all suffering from that. And, the 7 second request is to bring the Precinct 4 constable's salary 8 up to an equitable level with the other constables in -- in 9 the county. The reason that we have that discrepancy and 10 that, I know it's because my boss has relinquished his 11 raises at times to pass it over to me on his budget to just 12 make everything work a little better. You all have the 13 figures. 14 And, as far as the -- the rest of our things, 15 T.D. and I both own our own vehicles and radio equipment. 16 We maintain them all on our own. The obvious advantage of 17 having a far west deputy -- if this is not the right time to 18 bring this up, please warn me off. But, when I do take 19 office, I intend to -- on the 1st of January, then I'll beg 20 T.D. Hall, my current boss, to stay on out there and 21 continue in a capacity as a -- as a deputy out there at 22 about the -- in about the same capacity and salary range 23 that I currently hold myself. And I believe we can talk him 24 into that. And, the obvious advantages of that are all the 25 safety and those things that you can -- you can see in his 83 1 report, where he has been the first and at times the only 2 officer on the scene where there's a life-threatening 3 situation out there. 4 JUDGE HENNEKE: Mm-hmm. 5 MR. TERRELL: And, of course, he knows the 6 county out there better than anyone that I've ever met out 7 there. And, therefore, the obvious savings to the County of 8 having an on-site deputy in that area, rather than having 9 more frequent patrols by the Sheriff's Department or some of 10 the other agencies. That way, he's actually been able to -- 11 and always has for many years -- prevented and just held off 12 so that a deputy didn't have to respond that far out. 13 JUDGE HENNEKE: Any questions or comments? 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think -- just in 15 response, I think it's something we're going to have to look 16 at. I think it's -- while there's a need out there to have 17 two, there's probably a need to have two in each of the 18 precincts. I mean, y'all's precinct's little bit larger out 19 there, and the arrangement of the -- I guess the Court has 20 taken some time to get the salaries equal at a certain 21 level, and T.D. pretty much divided his by his own choice. 22 So it's kind of -- that's basically adding -- you know, 23 opening up, adding a number of more employees in all the 24 other precincts as well. I don't think you could do one 25 precinct and not the others. But, anyway, we can look at 84 1 it. 2 MR. TERRELL: Appreciate your consideration 3 for it, sir. 4 JUDGE HENNEKE: Thank you, Mr. Terrell. 5 Thank you, Bob. 6 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Thanks. 7 JUDGE HENNEKE: All right. Let's go ahead 8 and mover along. We'll jump down to City/County, because 9 Megan's here to talk to us about the airport. That happens 10 to be Tab 19. 11 MS. CAFFALL: Y'all are are far too congenial 12 for a budget session. 13 JUDGE HENNEKE: We're just waiting for you. 14 MS. CAFFALL: The airport budget this year 15 is -- as a primary emphasis, I'm building the T-hangars as 16 the project for the budget year. The rest of the budget is 17 reduced to a strictly maintenance and operation budget. 18 There are two -- we do have a professional development line 19 in there. There's two conferences a year I need to go to 20 with the F.A.A. and State Aviation Division, but other than 21 that, everything that we have in the budget this year is 22 just operational expenses for the airport. We won't have 23 any grant matches this year because we don't have a project 24 scheduled to start within that year, so our only grant match 25 is $20,000 for the grant project, which will include -- 85 1 which will be used for T-hangar paving, so that's rolled 2 over into our T-hangar project and gives us a 50 percent 3 discount on our paving there. The County share of the 4 budget this year, if we go ahead and build the T-hangars, is 5 $178,000. That's $146,000 more than the share last year. 6 JUDGE HENNEKE: How does that break down? 7 How much is for the T-hangars and how much is for 8 operations? 9 MS. CAFFALL: The T-hangars and paving are 10 approximately $400,000. 11 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: And -- 12 JUDGE HENNEKE: I mean, how much of our 13 other -- 14 MS. CAFFALL: Oh, your share? 15 JUDGE HENNEKE: Yes. Can you break it out 16 that way? 17 MS. CAFFALL: If you break it out that way, 18 it's close to $200,000, because the T-hangar buildings 19 themselves are 320 and the associated paving and utilities 20 is about 80, so you're looking at $400,000 for those two 21 items, divided by two. 22 JUDGE HENNEKE: I'm confused. You said our 23 combined budget was $172,000? 24 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: 178. 25 MS. CAFFALL: 178. 86 1 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: That's 146 -- 2 MS. CAFFALL: That's a contribution above the 3 revenues that the airport makes. 4 JUDGE HENNEKE: That's what I'm asking for. 5 How much of that -- is the 148, 147 for the T-hangars, and 6 the balance is operations? Is that where we are? 7 MS. CAFFALL: That would be close enough, 8 yeah. 9 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: That's about it, 10 because actually part of the 32 includes some of the match 11 on the paving, right? 12 MS. CAFFALL: That did include the match on 13 the paving and other -- 14 JUDGE HENNEKE: We need to budget them 15 separately. I mean, we need to budget "X" amount for 16 T-hangars -- 17 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: But, see -- 18 JUDGE HENNEKE: -- and "X" amount for 19 operations, so we need those -- 20 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: I think it would be 21 about the 146 -- well, or we could show it -- maybe it would 22 be better to show it at one -- probably about, what, 155? 23 For the paving and -- in that area, and the T-hangars? 24 MS. CAFFALL: Well, I think what Judge 25 Henneke is indicating is that if we schedule this and this 87 1 budget is prepared on -- assuming that funds will be 2 available lump-sum for the project -- which we have to have. 3 We have to have funds in the -- funds available before we 4 can advertise and take bids on the building. 5 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Right. 6 MS. CAFFALL: We could stage the bidding so 7 that the paving would be a separate bid, so that could come 8 two to three months after budget. But, the actual amount 9 that we'll be needing for the T-hangars and the pavement out 10 of this budget is $200,000 each. 11 JUDGE HENNEKE: No, no, no, no, no. Last 12 year we gave you $32,000, which included our part of the 13 match for paving or whatever, grant requests. 14 MS. CAFFALL: Mm-hmm. 15 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Yeah. And -- 16 JUDGE HENNEKE: So we have that shown as 17 Airport Operation. What I need to know is how big a -- you 18 know, is the size of the check that the County will have to 19 write for the T-hangars, and then the size of the 20 contribution the County will have to make to the Airport 21 Operations. I think you've given me a total, which is 178. 22 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: So, how is that 178 23 breakdown between -- 24 JUDGE HENNEKE: How is it broken down between 25 construction of T-hangars and -- 88 1 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Everything else. 2 JUDGE HENNEKE: -- operation? The question 3 is, assume that your operation is still $32,000, then the 4 T-hangars is 146. 5 MS. CAFFALL: Right. But -- but if I go 6 along on the assumption that when we go out to bid for the 7 T-hangars, we will have to have more than $146 thousand at 8 that time. 9 JUDGE HENNEKE: Well, you'll have the City's 10 half. 11 MS. CAFFALL: Right. 12 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Well -- 13 JUDGE HENNEKE: I mean, the 178 is an okay 14 number; I'm not quibbling with 178. I just need -- I think, 15 Tommy -- Tommy, am I off base here, or do we need it broken 16 down? 17 MR. TOMLINSON: I'm following you. I -- I 18 don't see how we can get it to 200. 19 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Yeah. If you're only 20 putting in 178 total, then our share of the T-hangars has 21 probably got to be a hundred and -- including the paving, 22 would be something like 160, right? 23 MS. CAFFALL: Well, that will do the 24 building. See, the airport is generating revenue, as well, 25 and so -- 89 1 MR. TOMLINSON: I see. 2 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: See, there's a -- 3 MR. TOMLINSON: I'm beginning to get the 4 picture. 5 JUDGE HENNEKE: She's -- the airport's 6 offsetting the excess revenue against the cost, but what I 7 want to do is I want to show a one-time line item for 8 T-hangars for "X" number of dollars, and then the continuing 9 line item for Operations. So, if we want to say, 146 for 10 T-hangars and 32 for operations, I really don't care what 11 the breakdown is. 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think probably the 13 T-hangars and paving at one number. 14 JUDGE HENNEKE: But the paving has always 15 been included in Operations because that's been match. All 16 we have to do for Operations is put up our share of the 17 match. Correct, Megan? 18 MS. CAFFALL: Right. 19 JUDGE HENNEKE: So -- like, last year we had 20 the same -- we had a grant request about the same amount. 21 We don't show it separately; it's part of the -- 22 MS. CAFFALL: Right. 23 JUDGE HENNEKE: -- the 32. 24 MS. CAFFALL: Right. 25 JUDGE HENNEKE: If you want to make it into 90 1 three different numbers, that's fine. What I'm trying to 2 get at, I'd like to see a number which is, in my mind, like 3 a one-time improvement number, and then an operation number, 4 or if you want to put a grant match number in there, I don't 5 care, but I want something in there that shows what our -- 6 MR. TOMLINSON: I think I understand. 7 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Because she's got to 8 have it in the budget on October 1st so she can commit those 9 funds. 10 MR. TOMLINSON: Because the revenues -- 11 JUDGE HENNEKE: The revenues come about 12 later. 13 MR. TOMLINSON: -- are not going to come in 14 until through the year. 15 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: I see what -- so it 16 wouldn't -- or would it? Not be okay to indicate that the 17 178 would be broken down as whatever our share of the 18 T-hangars would be, out of those funds available on 19 October 1st, including all of them, all $178,000, if 20 necessary, and show zero for this one year for Operations. 21 Because what we do is we'd replace Operations money with the 22 revenues. 23 MS. CAFFALL: Right. 24 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Would that work? I 25 mean, would that -- would that -- do you see what I'm 91 1 saying, Tommy? We make 178 the -- 'cause that's our total 2 share. We could say that, for this year, that all goes to 3 the T-hangar project, and then what you would show in your 4 budget is that those Operations funds, then, that are being 5 used up front for the T-hangars would be replaced later with 6 hangar revenues. Would that work? 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Seems to me it would be 8 easier to increase the T-hangars to what it's going to cost 9 up front and decrease Operations. 10 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: That's what I'm 11 saying. You said it better than I did. Would that work, so 12 that -- so that you've got the funds shown as being 13 available when you need them? 14 MS. CAFFALL: I think it would, because the 15 -- we have to bid the T-hangars as a capital improvement, 16 and like y'all were saying, the pavement does come under 17 another line item, another description, another bidding, and 18 you can't pave until the T-hangars are completed. 19 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Right. 20 MS. CAFFALL: So, that would -- and I do have 21 the gentleman who built the Stephen Drane hangar out 22 there -- we sat down and priced out -- got a building price 23 for Metco, priced out an estimate on doing it at $320,000. 24 So, I'd hate -- I'd like to have the $320,000, at least, 25 which is at least 160 from each entity, October 1st so I can 92 1 bid the buildings and not have it come in -- if we go 2 strictly with $300,000, it may come in over and then I have 3 to throw everything out and start over. 4 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So, we need 160 for the 5 capital improvement and to keep it in balance for 6 Operations? 7 MS. CAFFALL: Yeah, that's the way you need 8 to split out -- I mean, my estimate of the capital 9 improvement will be $320,000. That's what's included in the 10 budget. 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Is there any, I guess, 12 risk from the -- I guess -- see, we don't keep -- we don't 13 count revenues. We don't do this budget like we do the rest 14 of ours. We have revenues on one page over there that we 15 don't really worry about. Do we have a net amount at this 16 time? Or can we count the revenues later, as an offset? 17 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: See, this is really 18 -- normally, what we've done -- correct me if I'm wrong, 19 Megan, but in the past we have -- we have dribbled the money 20 in, the $32,000 as it was this year. We don't do all that 21 up front, do we? 22 MR. TOMLINSON: No. 23 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: So, we've dribbled it 24 in. Megan's problem is -- is that to do the T-hangars, 25 she's got to have the money on-hand to be able to bid the 93 1 project. 2 JUDGE HENNEKE: Why? 3 MS. CAFFALL: That's our legal requirements 4 at the City. Because -- also because we will have to pay 5 for them. 6 JUDGE HENNEKE: We haven't appropriated 7 funds; you don't have to have them sitting in a separate 8 account. 9 MS. CAFFALL: Well, I was told that I would 10 have to have the money, and -- and it had to be there if I 11 wanted to bid the one -- the project bids, or when I ask 12 counsel for authorization to go out for bids, the money has 13 to be in the account. 14 JUDGE HENNEKE: The City will transfer 15 $160,000 into a separate account on October 1st? 16 MS. CAFFALL: That's what I want. And I've 17 made Dane Tune aware of that. 18 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: So, what I'm -- what 19 I'm getting at is -- is that if -- if we, for this year, 20 showed $160,000 available October 1st, that is a one-time 21 deal, and our Operations side of that and our breakdown -- 22 it really doesn't make any difference to Megan, but the -- 23 our ops breakdown would be $18,000 for this year, and next 24 year, you know, we'll go back to some other -- back to the 25 old formula for figuring out what we -- 94 1 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Is there a way that on 2 these joint operations, that -- where there's a revenue 3 stream coming in and an expenditure stream, that we show 4 both the revenue and the expenditure on this? Because it's 5 kind of what's being done, if I understand this, is we're 6 holding out the revenue against the operations. 7 JUDGE HENNEKE: Right. 8 COMMISSIONER LETZ: And, to me, it would be a 9 lot easier if we could have a projected revenue, a projected 10 operations, and a projected capital improvement. 11 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Megan prepares that 12 kind of thing for the Airport Board. I can bring that back 13 to the Court. That's no problem. 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Seems to be easier to 15 keep track of it, rather than to have two line items. 16 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: 'Cause you show 17 that -- you have the flowage thing and you show all the 18 stuff this is going to be outlining in there. Hangar rents 19 will be another line. 20 MS. CAFFALL: It's lumped in with lease 21 revenues. 22 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Lease revenues. 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: That way we can also see 24 what we're doing. I mean, how much it's really costing out 25 there and how much we're getting. 95 1 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: I would be glad to 2 take that as an action item to work with Megan when you put 3 out those reports. I'll just make sure we bring that back 4 to the Court. Because you -- you do that every quarter, 5 probably, as I recall? 6 MS. CAFFALL: We have printouts that I can 7 get now, what we have now. But our budget that will be 8 approved for next year will be presented to council 9 mid-August. 10 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Okay. 11 MS. CAFFALL: This year we're slightly behind 12 y'all, because we have a new City Manager starting 13 August 7th. 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: We're just ahead of 15 y'all. 16 MS. CAFFALL: Just ahead. 17 JUDGE HENNEKE: So, the way we're going to 18 show this, we're going to set -- do we need -- should we set 19 up a line item, like a 450 showing County operations, 20 Airport T-hangars? Is that the best way to do it? 21 MR. TOMLINSON: Yeah, I think so. I can 22 rename one of these -- one of these accounts that's already 23 in there. 24 JUDGE HENNEKE: We'll have a separate line 25 item, which will be County Operations, Airport T-hangars. 96 1 It will show $160,000 in our existing line item, County 2 Operations. Airport Operations will show $12,000 -- 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Eighteen. 4 JUDGE HENNEKE: $18,000. Okay. All right, 5 that's what we agreed to. 6 MS. CAFFALL: And I'll get you -- or try and 7 break it down, the way -- we do things differently, and I'm 8 getting caught with exact same thing you're talking about 9 with -- with our budgets, because I get grants in, they're 10 not shown anyplace as revenues. I have to have a line item 11 to spend them, and it gets offset. And this year, I'll need 12 to split it further out than we have it, because Stephen 13 still hasn't told me how he wants to do it in ours. They 14 get jumbled together and they really skew your revenue 15 figures or your percentages just go all off. It's very 16 confusing. 17 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: And maybe with a 18 little effort, maybe we can split out some of the airport 19 stuff. I can do that. 20 MS. CAFFALL: I can split it out for you, 21 just put down what's for what. It will all add up to the 22 same number. It will show here, but be more descriptive for 23 y'all. 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: That would be helpful. 25 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: That's right. 97 1 JUDGE HENNEKE: All right. Thanks, Megan. 2 MS. CAFFALL: Did you want to hear anything 3 about the landfill? 4 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Sure. 5 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Yeah, tell us about 6 the landfill. 7 JUDGE HENNEKE: We don't do anything with the 8 landfill. Recycling center? 9 MS. CAFFALL: The County has contributed 10 towards the recycling center. This year our revenues are up 11 significantly. We have a third buyer in San Antonio who has 12 helped the market. There has also been some market changes; 13 some things have come up. Traditionally, the County has 14 contributed $10,000 towards that budget. In light of the 15 fact we're doing the T-hangar thing this year, and also I 16 think there's some fairly significant contributions with the 17 library, if the Commissioners Court is amenable -- I mean, 18 of course, if you want to give me $10,000, that's wonderful, 19 but it would -- it would be -- we're doing better, 20 revenue-wise, than we anticipated. I can never project 21 revenues as high as they're going to be because, of course, 22 the market will take dives too, and then we have to operate 23 on what we get. But, we have a healthy fund balance in that 24 -- in my landfill account, and it would be nice if the 25 County would continue to contribute to this account and 98 1 possibly send me a letter or something saying that, you 2 know, we'll consider doing it in future years, but this 3 year, because of the airport and the library, that -- and in 4 light of the market being so good, that they might take a 5 pass on this year and -- you know, it's whatever y'all want 6 to do. 7 JUDGE HENNEKE: We'll be glad to do that. 8 We'll be happy to send you a letter saying, in light of the 9 increased revenue at the recycling facility, we understand 10 no contribution is necessary this year, but we're still a 11 joint operation. 12 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: We still support it. 13 JUDGE HENNEKE: Support it and all that good 14 stuff. 15 MS. CAFFALL: And you do provide the -- the 16 land and the building, which -- and things are still 17 increasing there; we're doing great. The tonnage at the 18 landfill is up 16 percent this year, and I suspect some of 19 it's population growth, but I think a lot of it is your Code 20 Enforcement and -- and illegal dumping that you cause to be 21 cleaned up with that program. So, I think that, on the 22 whole, we still plan on having our two hazardous materials 23 paint recycling events and hazardous waste events that are 24 open for the whole county. We get good county 25 participation, so the recycling center is a good place to be 99 1 joint partners on. 2 JUDGE HENNEKE: Excellent. 3 MS. CAFFALL: Appreciate your time. 4 JUDGE HENNEKE: Thank you. 5 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Let me just say, 6 Megan, before you leave, 'cause I'd like to just say it on 7 the record publicly, that, Megan, you're doing a fantastic 8 job for both the City and the County on the airport, which 9 I'm most familiar with, and we all owe you a debt of 10 gratitude for really pulling all that together and making 11 sense out of it in business fashion. And it's something 12 that we -- we all will benefit from, and it's a great asset 13 to Kerr County. 14 MS. CAFFALL: Well, thank you. 15 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: I just want to thank 16 you. 17 MS. CAFFALL: It's nice to have comments like 18 that when I'm asking for money. And our new City Manager is 19 a private pilot, so -- 20 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Well, good. 21 JUDGE HENNEKE: He doesn't jump the line for 22 a T-hangar, does he? 23 MS. CAFFALL: No, he has to put his form in 24 just -- I have more forms than hangars at this point, but 25 some of them will fall out. 100 1 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Just don't lose mine. 2 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. The only other 3 City/County is the library, and we don't have anything there 4 to discuss on that yet. All I've put in for a library 5 budget is what we contributed last year, so -- okay, let's 6 go back to County-sponsored, which is 21. It shouldn't take 7 us long. I've put -- the only thing is -- only things that 8 have changed is water development and the KCAD contract. 9 The KCAD contract number, which is up about $3,000, is based 10 on the figures they sent to me. And, Jonathan, I don't know 11 whether we're going to have the same call on Region J or 12 not. I kind of cut it in half, but I don't know if that's 13 the -- 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: The note is -- this is 15 really accurate that you had. 16 JUDGE HENNEKE: Right. 17 COMMISSIONER LETZ: But, yeah, 'cause 18 Region -- we'll continue to go on forever until the 19 Legislature decides they don't like this plan any more, 20 start over with something new. But, the -- but on the 21 dollar side, our hope is that we can get through because of 22 our fund balance and our sort of expenditures. We're 23 cutting it to be able to get things done cheaper than we 24 thought. We're not going to ask for any contribution this 25 year. 101 1 JUDGE HENNEKE: We can zero it out. 2 COMMISSIONER LETZ: We can zero it out; 3 however, it will likely come back in the next fiscal year. 4 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. 5 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I don't think this year 6 we're going to ask. We have -- 7 JUDGE HENNEKE: Donnie Coleman, when she was 8 before us earlier, did ask for an increase for Child 9 Advocacy from $3,000 to $6,000. I'm not inclined to do 10 that, unless you all are so inclined. They do good work, 11 but so does everyone else on this list. And my philosophy 12 on County-sponsored activities is that we provide seed 13 money, and through our money we provide attainable evidence 14 of support, but we're not underwriting their operations. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I agree with that. 16 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: I agree with that. 17 COMMISSIONER LETZ: The Historical 18 Commission, I just note that -- I mean, because of the 19 budget amendment, that went up quite a bit this year, but I 20 agree that we should hold it at where it was budgeted this 21 year, not what we spent this year. 22 JUDGE HENNEKE: It went up for that marker. 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: A thousand -- well, that 24 was probably -- percentage-wise, it was a real big increase, 25 but -- 102 1 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. Let's go ahead and 2 move on to Permanent Improvements, which is 25, and Parks, 3 which is 2. We'll do Permanent Improvements first. Keith 4 Longnecker tells me that we should anticipate about another 5 $250,000 for the Annex in the coming year. That's a 6 dismaying number. 7 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Was that -- 8 JUDGE HENNEKE: 250. 9 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: 250? 10 JUDGE HENNEKE: That's a dismaying prospect, 11 but Keith continues to tell me that when we get it done, not 12 if we get it done, it will be something we'll all be happy 13 with. So -- 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: And I visited with Keith 15 yesterday, and his comment was if you add the cost -- well, 16 if you do add the cost overruns to the bid that we're 17 paying, we're still at or slightly below the second high 18 bid, which is -- which still doesn't help a whole lot. 19 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Which is one way of 20 looking at it. 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: But my question on that 22 is, does that $250,000 include renovating the first floor? 23 JUDGE HENNEKE: No. 24 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: That's just actual 25 renovation? 103 1 JUDGE HENNEKE: Right. That's overruns on 2 the Stoddard contract. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: On the contract, okay. 4 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: And do we have 5 anything left in that fund? Is there anything left of the 6 contingency in the -- we had a little bit of money. 7 JUDGE HENNEKE: There's a little bit. 8 MR. TOMLINSON: Still some left. 9 JUDGE HENNEKE: There's a little bit left in 10 it. 11 MR. TOMLINSON: But we have two months to 12 go -- three months to go. 13 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Yeah. And we haven't 14 gotten any -- in a couple of court sessions, we haven't had 15 any hits, and so I know they're out there. 16 JUDGE HENNEKE: We have a big one coming. 17 Change Order Number 3 will probably be presented first 18 meeting in August. That's going to be about $100,000, so -- 19 but we do need to keep in mind that I guess it would go in 20 Permanent Improvements, the money for the finish-out of the 21 lower floor of the Annex, and that's $50 a square foot. 22 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: How many -- 23 JUDGE HENNEKE: I don't know. Glenn, what's 24 the -- what do you think is the -- 25 MR. HOLEKAMP: Oh, the basement down there? 104 1 Is that what we're talking about? 2 JUDGE HENNEKE: Right. 3 MR. HOLEKAMP: I did some numbers on that the 4 other day. It's approximately -- to fill the needs of the 5 three departments that we've discussed previously, which was 6 the District Attorney's -- 7 JUDGE HENNEKE: Treasurer. 8 MR. HOLEKAMP: The Treasurer. 9 JUDGE HENNEKE: And Juvenile. 10 MR. HOLEKAMP: And Juvenile, that D.A. was 11 that special -- 12 JUDGE HENNEKE: The D.A. needs to be changed 13 in there, too. I think they want 1,200 square feet. 14 MR. HOLEKAMP: And about a thousand something 15 -- yeah, about a thousand. 16 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. 17 MR. HOLEKAMP: My calculations is somewhere 18 around 3,300 to 3,500 square feet. Really, that would be -- 19 have to be plugged in, because the rest is going to be, 20 like, storage, unfinished storage space for, you know, boxes 21 of our stuff, which does not need to be finished. 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think there's also -- I 23 mean, there's a lot of people that have put in for that 24 space, but there's -- I mean, we may not be able to afford 25 to relocate some of those people this year. 105 1 MR. HOLEKAMP: And the County Attorney's 2 office has asked for an additional approximately 240 square 3 feet, which is two offices. That's -- 4 JUDGE HENNEKE: We're looking at about 5 $200,000 to do what has been requested so far, mas or menos. 6 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I'd say we're just going 7 to have to look very, you know, carefully at those and see 8 if we can afford any of them. 9 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: So you say roughly 10 4,000 square feet? 11 JUDGE HENNEKE: No, 2,000 -- 4,000 square 12 feet. 13 MR. HOLEKAMP: Approximately, yeah. Give or 14 take. 15 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Yeah. At how much? 16 MR. HOLEKAMP: $50 a square foot. That's 17 rough figures from the preliminary requests that I've 18 received. I think Buster had the same ones. I have only 19 one permanent improvement item that I would like to address. 20 It's approximately $5,000 for shelving for our records 21 storage. That's the building out behind the jail, that 22 metal building, storage building. What they did is they 23 moved a bunch of old wooden shelving and they've been 24 moved -- Jannett, what, three or four times? 25 MS. PIEPER: At least. 106 1 MR. HOLEKAMP: And they're falling down. And 2 if we went with metal shelving attached, we could put in a 3 whole lot more records storage in there, if it was organized 4 properly and build some proper shelves. The other day in 5 the meeting with Linda Uecker -- she is doing a good job of 6 getting a lot out of there. She has really done a good job, 7 but we really need to get that organized. We have got some 8 problems with the organization, because it's just been 9 shoved in there, 'cause there is no place to organize it. 10 So, I'd like to start on this this coming year with building 11 shelves and placing them in there to where elected officials 12 or department heads can go in and actually find their boxes. 13 They can't do that at this time. 14 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Which line item would 15 that go in? 16 MR. HOLEKAMP: Just be under Permanent 17 Improvements. 18 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Would it be a new line 19 item? 20 MR. HOLEKAMP: Well, you -- 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think it would be 22 really more Courthouse and Related Buildings. 23 MR. HOLEKAMP: That -- that would be 24 Courthouse and Related Buildings, wouldn't it? 25 MR. TOMLINSON: Yeah, we could -- I mean, 107 1 they're fixtures, so they're not attached to the buildings, 2 so I think we could -- 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So I think -- 4 MR. TOMLINSON: -- put them in his regular 5 budget. 6 MR. HOLEKAMP: Well, whatever. I mean -- 7 JUDGE HENNEKE: Put it under Budget 13 -- Tab 8 13-B, which is Courthouse and -- 9 MR. HOLEKAMP: All right. 10 (Discussion off the record.). 11 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Capital Outlay? 12 JUDGE HENNEKE: No. 13 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Would be a -- 14 MR. HOLEKAMP: That's a major repair, or 15 would you -- it would probably fit under major, wouldn't it? 16 MR. TOMLINSON: Yeah. I -- 17 MR. HOLEKAMP: Or Leasehold Improvements. 18 JUDGE HENNEKE: No, it's -- 19 MR. HOLEKAMP: It's not lease. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I'd put Repairs and 21 Maintenance. 22 MR. HOLEKAMP: Okay, yeah. 23 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. 24 MR. HOLEKAMP: All right. 25 MR. TOMLINSON: I have a question. Did -- 108 1 and I didn't pay a lot of attention to your -- your 2 Maintenance budget. Did you add any utility costs for the 3 operation of this third floor? 4 MR. HOLEKAMP: No, sir. And the reason I 5 didn't, Tommy, is that I'm running real good. I'm still at 6 about 40 -- 43, 44 percent at the rate where it's supposed 7 to be 25 percent, and the air-conditioners have been on now 8 for four months up there, and I feel like I can do it within 9 my budget with -- with some management of these thermostats. 10 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Good. 12 MR. HOLEKAMP: I'd like to think I can, 13 Tommy. 14 MR. TOMLINSON: Well, I just -- 15 MR. HOLEKAMP: I'm being optimistic. See, 16 one of the things is a lot of -- and we're going to see it. 17 Now that we've closed off the basement, we don't get the 18 cold coming in the floor in the -- this level like we did in 19 the past. It should cut down on the heating. And also, we 20 have an insulation effect with the floors, that it should 21 control the temperature a little bit better. 22 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: I'd like to just back 23 up a second on Permanent Improvements. That $200,000 for 24 the lower floor build-out would also have a furniture and 25 fixtures component if we did it, right? 109 1 JUDGE HENNEKE: That $200,000 does not 2 include furniture and fixtures. 3 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: That's what I'm 4 saying; we would have, in addition, -- 5 JUDGE HENNEKE: Yes. 6 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: -- to do that. So -- 7 JUDGE HENNEKE: But most of the people we're 8 talking about moving in there have their own furniture, so 9 we're not talking about significant additional furniture. 10 Now -- 11 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: We shouldn't, perhaps, 12 be thinking about -- I will bet that if somebody's moving in 13 there, they're going to have a requirement for some new 14 furniture and on and on; more computers and blah, blah, 15 blah. I'm just saying that $200,000 might build it out, but 16 we sure haven't furnished -- furnished it or fixtured it at 17 that point. And I just think we -- going along with what 18 Jonathan said, we just may not be able to build it all out 19 next year. We need to do what has to be done, and defer 20 some of it to the following year. 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think get the upstairs 22 finished before we worry about the downstairs. 23 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Yeah. 24 JUDGE HENNEKE: Anything else, Glenn? 25 MR. HOLEKAMP: That's all on Permanent 110 1 Improvements. Parks. 2 JUDGE HENNEKE: Parks? 3 MR. HOLEKAMP: That's part of that one; is 4 that correct? 5 JUDGE HENNEKE: Tab 2. I just put a -- put a 6 number in there for Flat Rock as -- 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Have to spend. 8 JUDGE HENNEKE: Have to spend it. 9 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think it will be gone. 10 I don't think it will be there by -- I think we'll spend up 11 to the entire grant. 12 JUDGE HENNEKE: You think it ought to be 13 zero? 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think it's zero. 15 JUDGE HENNEKE: For Parks? 16 MR. HOLEKAMP: Are you talking about for the 17 tables and -- 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yeah. The only two 19 expenditures left are the tables and the restrooms. 20 MR. HOLEKAMP: Okay. 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think it would be -- I 22 think it will be done. 23 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. 24 MR. HOLEKAMP: The budget that I prepared 25 here, and it was kind of haphazard, not knowing for sure 111 1 what the -- how much we were going to be involved at the 2 time when I turned these in, I placed -- and I need a -- I 3 need to change one number on there, but I -- I'll -- the 4 salary is -- that is a current employee that I really 5 believe that he's going to be designated approximately, oh, 6 20 hours a week to park maintenance. It's not going to be 7 full-time. I -- and the other half of the time, he would be 8 working as a utility maintenance at other facilities with 9 grounds and that sort of thing. 10 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So, it would be half that 11 salary? 12 MR. HOLEKAMP: Yeah. I just -- I didn't 13 know. Do you want to divide the salaries in two different 14 budgets? 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yes. 16 MR. HOLEKAMP: If I do, I really need to go 17 back and redo them because of the FICA and all of that. If 18 y'all -- if you would give me till the beginning of next 19 week, I can redo it. Let me go through and I will reflect 20 it where it belongs. Is that what you want? 21 JUDGE HENNEKE: That's what we'd like to do. 22 Otherwise, we don't know what it costs us to run a park. 23 MR. HOLEKAMP: Okay. But the other thing -- 24 well, while I am here, on the the Capital Outlay item, after 25 talking with the City Parks Department, they indicated to me 112 1 that they -- a piece of machinery, a piece of equipment that 2 we really need to use is a -- it's a -- it's a heavy-duty 3 lawnmower, but it's a shredder thing out in front with a 4 seat on it, with the wheels. And it costs approximately the 5 $7,500. That's expensive, but they have told me that it 6 has -- it's made money back for them with the lack of 7 repairing. You don't have a tractor and a -- a flail -- 8 flail machine behind it. You can get closer to everything; 9 you can do a good job, and it minimizes weedeating. They 10 have told me that if you have some money in the budget to 11 get a piece of equipment, that's the one to get. Adele 12 Howard over at the City Purchasing said it's been a very, 13 very good piece of equipment. 14 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: What's it called? 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Lawnmower? 16 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Lawnmower? 17 MR. HOLEKAMP: Yeah. It is a -- it's a -- I 18 forget now the name; I didn't write it down. I'll get you 19 some information on it. 20 JUDGE HENNEKE: We will need a list of the 21 Capital Outlay item by item. 22 MR. HOLEKAMP: Yes, sir. I did have that 23 when I put this thing together, that -- 24 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: That's like a skid 25 steer loader. 113 1 MR. HOLEKAMP: Almost. 2 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Why would you skid a 3 steer up the loading -- why don't you just let him walk? 4 MR. HOLEKAMP: Well, if it's all right with 5 the Court, then, can I come back with this -- 6 JUDGE HENNEKE: Yes. 7 MR. HOLEKAMP: -- Parks deal revised, and it 8 will also revise the Exhibition Center budget, too, then if 9 I do that. 10 COMMISSIONER LETZ: All right. And, also -- 11 JUDGE HENNEKE: Just so it all comes out 12 even. 13 COMMISSIONER LETZ: You'll need to have -- 14 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Yeah, don't add -- 15 don't do that one. 16 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Trash pickup, I think, 17 probably needs to be included in the park. I really need 18 a -- a dumpster, probably, in the locked area, hopefully, to 19 minimize the community using it at night when the gates are 20 locked. 21 MR. HOLEKAMP: I had a suggestion on that, 22 if -- if y'all wish. Currently we have four dumpsters up at 23 the Ag Barn. I would like to place barrels in the park, and 24 pull liners out of those barrels or the barrels, and take 25 them up there and put them in the dumpsters, so we would not 114 1 have the people constantly dumping their household garbage 2 in those dumpsters. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: That's fine. I mean, 4 it's -- to me. 5 MR. HOLEKAMP: I just feel -- I'll guarantee 6 you, it will become a regular stop for people to put their 7 garbage if you put it in the park. 8 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Drop kids off at the 9 school, get rid of the trash at the park. You're right, 10 and -- I mean, I just think we need to have some kind of 11 waste disposal out there. 12 MR. HOLEKAMP: I can calculate that into this 13 budget, the cost of one dumpster or whatever. Because 14 they're not picked up on a regular basis. We call when 15 they're full to have them picked up. It's not like it's 16 picked up every two days days. All right? 17 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. Any other questions? 18 All right. Thanks, Glenn. 19 MR. HOLEKAMP: Thank you. 20 JUDGE HENNEKE: I think we're pretty well 21 wrapped up. Tommy, do you have any comments? 22 MR. TOMLINSON: I don't -- I think we're 23 squared away. 24 JUDGE HENNEKE: We know what everybody wants. 25 We just have to decide what everybody gets. 115 1 MS. PIEPER: As long as you give me what I 2 want, I don't care. 3 JUDGE HENNEKE: You're here the most so you 4 get the most of what you want. 5 MS. PIEPER: That sounds good to me. 6 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay. We are adjourned. 7 (Workshop concluded at 2:55 p.m.) 8 - - - - - - - - - - - 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25