1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 KERR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT 9 Special Session 10 Tuesday, September 19, 2000 11 2:00 p.m. 12 Commissioners' Courtroom 13 Kerr County Courthouse 14 Kerrville, Texas 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 PRESENT: FREDERICK L. HENNEKE, Kerr County Judge H. A. "BUSTER" BALDWIN, Commissioner Pct. 1 24 WILLIAM "BILL" WILLIAMS, Commissioner Pct. 2 JONATHAN LETZ, Commissioner Pct. 3 25 LARRY GRIFFIN, Commissioner Pct. 4 2 1 I N D E X September 19, 2000 PAGE 2 3 1. Conduct Public Hearing on proposed FY 2000-2001 Kerr County budget 3 4 2. Consider and discuss setting vote on proposed 5 FY 2000-2001 Budget for 10:00 a.m. on Monday, September 25, 2000 10 6 3. Conduct Public Hearing on proposed FY 2000-2001 7 Kerr County tax rate 11 8 4. Consider and discuss setting vote on adoption of proposed FY 2000-2001 tax rate for 10:15 a.m. on 9 Monday, September 25, 2000 12 10 Adjourned 13 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 3 1 On Tuesday, September 19, 2000, at 2:00 p.m., a special 2 meeting of the Kerr County Commissioners Court was held in 3 the Commissioners Courtroom, Kerr County Courthouse, 4 Kerrville, Texas, and the following proceedings were had in 5 open court: 6 P R O C E E D I N G S 7 JUDGE HENNEKE: It's 2 o'clock on Tuesday, 8 September 19th, Year 2000. We'll call to order this special 9 Commissioners Court meeting. First item on the agenda is to 10 conduct a public hearing on the proposed Fiscal Year 11 2000-2001 Kerr County budget. 12 (The regular Commissioners Court meeting was closed at 2:01 p.m., and a public hearing 13 was held in open court, as follows:) 14 P U B L I C H E A R I N G 15 JUDGE HENNEKE: Just for everyone's 16 information, the budget has been on file with the Kerr 17 County Clerk since September the 1st, which meets the 18 statutory requirement that the budget be on file at least 19 15 days prior to the hearing. At this time, is there anyone 20 who'd like to address the Court on the issue of the proposed 21 Fiscal Year 2000-2001 Kerr County budget? Is there anyone 22 who would like to address the Court on the issue of the 23 proposed Fiscal Year 2000-2001 budget? 24 (No response.) 25 JUDGE HENNEKE: At this time, I'm going to 4 1 ask the Auditor, Mr. Tomlinson, to just very quickly 2 describe the budget amendments which he'll be proposing on 3 Monday when we adopt the budget. I believe everyone has a 4 copy of those, right? 5 MR. TOMLINSON: Everyone has a copy of them, 6 the ones that -- at least that I know about to-date. I went 7 over this with the Judge, and I think this is what we've 8 come up with currently. The first -- the first one is to 9 include the $60,000 for the computer system for 2000/2001. 10 The next item is for the receptionist's salary for the 11 District Court. What the budget asks for, $3,995, was the 12 gross amount, and what this amendment does is convert that 13 gross amount to net with -- with the benefits for the FICA, 14 group insurance, and retirement, and that's for both 15 District Courts. 16 And then the next -- the next item is for the 17 216th District Attorney's office. That changes from $55,152 18 to $61,276. This is a problem that I discovered within the 19 last week. At -- for the '99-2000 budget, when he had filed 20 his proposed budget with the Court, it included -- the 21 salaries included the '98-'99 salaries as they were. After 22 the fact, we -- we adopted the new salaries, and we did not 23 change his budget. So, based on '98-'99 salaries, I billed 24 all the other counties in the district based on those 25 totals. What's happened is, with -- with the change in 5 1 salaries, we've -- we've run out of cash in that -- in that 2 fund, and so what this change is is to -- to make up the 3 shortfall in -- in the -- in his budget for -- actually, it 4 was for -- for '99-2000. Everybody understand that? 5 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Mm-hmm. 6 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Yeah. 7 MR. TOMLINSON: Okay. The next item is for 8 the 198th District Attorney. It changes from $88,584 to 9 $89,833. Kimble County had never included the secretaries 10 in the D.A.'s office for retirement -- for District 11 Retirement System. This year they -- they are going to be 12 able to do that. This change is our share of that cost. 13 The next item is microfilm records for the District Clerk. 14 That was a -- that was an error in the original budget. 15 That should have been $5,000, so that changes from $4,000 to 16 $5,000. 17 The next item is for the 216th Task Force. 18 The $16,923 represents the benefits for the two Sheriff's 19 Office deputies in that program. Kerr County's match for 20 the grant for the -- for the 216th Task Force is the 21 benefits for those two employees. The Sheriff did not 22 include that amount in his budget, so what I opted to do was 23 show that in the General Fund under County-sponsored 24 Activities, to make -- in my mind, make this cost more 25 visible to -- to the public, as well as to the Court. So, 6 1 that changes from zero to $16,923. 2 The next item was for the office grant for 3 J.P. 4. Under the rental contract for that building, the 4 lease goes from $4,800 to $5,400 for this next year. Next 5 item is for Lion's Park. Commissioner Williams has -- has 6 plans to purchase or build picnic tables for that park. 7 Currently -- the current budget calls for relatively zero 8 balance as a -- as a fund balance for the end of '99-2000. 9 Plans -- his plans are to hold approximately $9,000 -- 10 COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: $900. 11 MR. TOMLINSON: -- $900 in the fund balance 12 to be carried over till next year, to -- to add to the 13 original $2,500 that was budgeted to pay for those picnic 14 tables, and so that change is from $2,500 to $3,400. The 15 last item is for telephone for Nondepartmental. Part of 16 that is for the $207 per month for internet services that we 17 left out of the budget -- the original budget. Also, 18 there's a -- there is a new telephone in the elevator, which 19 is $23 per month, and we didn't have a place to put it, so 20 we put it in Nondepartmental. And, we -- we are out of what 21 the phone company calls D.I.D. lines, which is Direct Inward 22 Dialing. And, we anticipate adding at least six phones in 23 the new courtroom area, and in order to do that, for them to 24 have direct inward dialing, we need more D.I.D. lines. That 25 would cost us $25 per month to get 50 more in -- inward 7 1 direct dialing. So, the total of that is -- results in a 2 change from $1,300 to $4,400. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Judge, I have one 4 additional one which I somewhat had forgotten about. On 5 Flat Rock Park, the bathrooms and the -- well, the balance 6 of that fund, I was hoping that -- and Freed and Barker are 7 working up the design, but I don't see that happening this 8 month. So, we'll carry over the balance of that grant into 9 next year in that line item, as well. 10 MR. TOMLINSON: Okay. 11 COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: How much is that 12 grant? 13 COMMISSIONER LETZ: About $20,000. I don't 14 have the exact figure, but whatever the balance is left in 15 there would go to the bathrooms, and anything left beyond 16 that would be to the picnic tables and frisbee golf course. 17 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: That's not -- 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: That's grant-funded. 19 Just carrying over unexpended funds in that line item. 20 MR. ODOM: Is it appropriate now, or wait 21 till after you close the public hearing? 22 JUDGE HENNEKE: This is a public hearing. 23 We're going to take no action today. All we can do is 24 receive input. 25 MR. ODOM: My name's Leonard Odom with Road 8 1 and Bridge. I'd like to address the Court on two matters; 2 has to do with personnel. One is the personnel slot that 3 I've budgeted for for the last several years, and on a 4 three-year budget. I did it last year. This year I 5 budgeted for a 14-1. And, to my knowledge, I was told that 6 600, 611 was exactly where it's at. It balanced to the 7 penny with that 14-1 added. And, apparently, that -- that 8 14-1 is not added to my -- to the budget, so that I'm one 9 man short, and I need that personnel. This is not -- this 10 is an individual that needs to go in there. It's been 11 planned for several years. The other matter -- and which I 12 would assume that I could put this on the agenda for Monday, 13 then, for action for the Court, but I'd like for you to 14 consider that. 15 The other one is an administrative assistant. 16 My understanding is, when we went through the budget process 17 and the Nash study, the administrative assistants, deputy 18 clerks, and I think there was a court coordinator that was 19 at a 19. Myself, personally, was on the committee and asked 20 Dr. Nash about that, why those discrepancies in those three 21 groupings. They were grouped together as one, and I was 22 told that there was a distinction -- the District Judges 23 made their own job description for this court coordinator, 24 and that the others fell under basically a 17, and that was 25 his recommendation. I understand that that's been changed. 9 1 There was nothing -- that went to the committee. It was 2 discussed, because I personally saw that and asked the 3 doctor about that, and then asked the ladies that were on 4 that commission to explain to me what the difference -- if 5 there was a difference. 6 I have an administrative assistant still a 7 17, and I -- I understand that other individuals have 8 been -- those same administrative assistants have been moved 9 from a 17 to a 19. I ask the Court to move my 10 administrative assistant from a 17 to a 19 also, and that's 11 something that I'll address in the agenda Monday, then. 12 JUDGE HENNEKE: Okay, thank you. Having 13 heard the proposed amendments, is there any comments from 14 the public on the proposed 2000-2001 Kerr County budget? 15 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: The only comments I 16 have, Judge, is something that we've tossed around back and 17 forth, and it's just a question, I think, that needs to be 18 settled. Are part-time employees going to get benefits from 19 the County? There were some that were, some that weren't. 20 It's something that's been -- and we've always been told 21 we'll discuss it during the budget. 22 JUDGE HENNEKE: There's a policy as to who 23 gets benefits as determined by how many hours they work. 24 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: But some were, some 25 weren't, and that's what I was wanting -- 10 1 JUDGE HENNEKE: Just needs to be -- policy 2 needs to be adhered to as to who gets benefits. 3 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Okay. 4 JUDGE HENNEKE: That -- I mean, that's the 5 answer to that. The policy is what the policy is. 6 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Well, they were going 7 to -- I think some of y'all talked about revisiting that 8 policy to get it straightened out, and I was just wondering 9 if that's been done, or what we're going to -- 10 JUDGE HENNEKE: We're straying a little bit 11 from the public hearing on the budget, so let's stick to the 12 budget. Seeing no comments from the public on the proposed 13 2000-2001 Kerr County budget, including the amendments as 14 described by the Auditor, we will close the public hearing 15 on the proposed FY 2000/2001 Kerr County budget. 16 (The public hearing was concluded at approximately 2:10 p.m., and the regular 17 Commissioners Court meeting was reopened.) 18 - - - - - - - - - - 19 JUDGE HENNEKE: Next item for consideration 20 is consider and discuss setting a vote on the proposed 21 Fiscal Year 2000-2001 budget for 10 o'clock a.m. on Monday, 22 September 25th, Year 2000. Do I have a motion to that 23 effect? 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So moved. 25 COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN: Second. 11 1 JUDGE HENNEKE: Moved by Commissioner Letz, 2 seconded by Commissioner Griffin, that the Court set the 3 vote on the proposed FY 2000-2001 budget for 10 o'clock a.m. 4 on Monday, September 25th, Year 2000. Any comments or 5 questions? If not, all in favor, raise your right hands. 6 (The motion carried by unanimous vote.) 7 JUDGE HENNEKE: All opposed, same sign. 8 (No response.) 9 JUDGE HENNEKE: Motion carries. The next 10 item is to conduct a public hearing on the proposed 11 FY 2000/2001 Kerr County tax rate. 12 (The regular Commissioners Court meeting was closed at 2:11 p.m., and a public hearing 13 was held in open court, as follows:) 14 P U B L I C H E A R I N G 15 JUDGE HENNEKE: As a method of introduction, 16 we'll point out that the tax rate is the same tax rate as it 17 has been for the previous five fiscal years. This will be 18 the sixth consecutive fiscal year that the Court has 19 maintained the same overall tax rate, which I think is 20 commendable, and we need to pay tribute to the department 21 heads, elected officials, and the Court for their 22 conservative stewardship of Kerr County citizens' taxes. 23 The rate as proposed will be .3513; is that correct, Paula? 24 MS. RECTOR: That's correct. 25 JUDGE HENNEKE: Overall. Is there anyone who 12 1 would like to comment on the proposed Fiscal Year 2000-2001 2 Kerr County tax rate? Once again, is there any citizen who 3 would like to address the Court on the proposed Fiscal Year 4 2000-2001 Kerr County tax rate of .3513? 5 (No response.) 6 JUDGE HENNEKE: Seeing no one, we will close 7 the public hearing on proposed Fiscal Year 2000-2001 Kerr 8 County tax rate. 9 (The public hearing was concluded at approximately 2:13 p.m., and the regular 10 Commissioners Court meeting was reopened.) 11 - - - - - - - - - - 12 JUDGE HENNEKE: Next item for consideration 13 is to consider and discuss setting a vote on adoption of the 14 proposed 2000-2001 tax rate for 10:15 a.m. on Monday, 15 September 25th, Year 2000. 16 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: So moved. 17 COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Second. 18 JUDGE HENNEKE: Moved by Commissioner 19 Baldwin, seconded by Commissioner Williams, that the Court 20 set a vote on the adoption of proposed Fiscal Year 2000-2001 21 tax rate for 10:15 a.m. on Monday, September 25th, Year 22 2000. Any further questions or comments? If not, all in 23 favor, raise your right hand. 24 (The motion carried by unanimous vote.) 25 JUDGE HENNEKE: All opposed, same sign. 13 1 (No response.) 2 JUDGE HENNEKE: Motion carries. If there's 3 no other business to come before us, we stand adjourned. 4 (Meeting adjourned at 2:16 p.m.) 5 - - - - - - - - - - 6 7 8 9 10 11 STATE OF TEXAS | 12 COUNTY OF KERR | 13 The above and foregoing is a true and complete 14 transcription of my stenotype notes taken in my capacity as 15 County Clerk of the Commissioners Court of Kerr County, 16 Texas, at the time and place heretofore set forth. 17 DATED at Kerrville, Texas, this 19th day of September, 18 2000. 19 20 21 JANNETT PIEPER, Kerr County Clerk 22 BY: _________________________________ Kathy Banik, Deputy County Clerk 23 Certified Shorthand Reporter 24 25