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KERR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT
Special Session
Monday, January 22, 2007
9:00 a.m.
Commissioners' Courtroom
Kerr County Courthouse
Kerrville, Texas
PRESENT: PAT TINLEY, Kerr County Judge
H A. "BUSTER" BALDWIN, Commissioner Pct. 1
WILLIAM "BILL" WILLIAMS, Commissioner Pct. 2
JONATHAN LETZ, Commissioner Pct. 3
BRUCE OEHLER, Commissioner Pct. 4
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I N D E X
January 22, 2007
--- Commissioners' Comments
1.1 Considerjdiscuss, take appropriate action to
rescind Court Order 30098; authorize participation
in HGCD water availability workshop scheduled for
2 p.m. Monday, January 22
1.2 Consider/discuss, take appropriate action to
approve contracts with KEDF, Mountain Home VFD,
and Ingram VFD, allow County Judge to sign same
1.4 Consider/discuss 2006 Child Services Board
year-end report
1.5 Considerjdiscuss, take appropriate action to
approve new board member, Kathy Carpenter, for
the Child Services Board
PAGE
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1.6 Consider/discuss, take appropriate action regarding
approval of purchase of a 2003 Ford pickup for the
Sheriff's Office using funds in Capital Outlay,
with balance paid out of Sheriff's seizure fund 25
4.1 Pay Bills 29
9.2 Budget Amendments 33
4.3 Late Bills --
4.4 Approve and Accept Monthly Reports 37
1.3 Considerjdiscuss structural change in Maintenance-
Custodial Department (Executive Session) 38
1.7 Considerjdiscuss, approve application to USDOJ
Safe Haven: Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange
Program, for 3-year grant to be administered under
MOU with Hill Country Crisis Council 39
1.8 Consider/discuss, take appropriate action on
reducing registration fees to $1.00 during Rabies
Drive, February 3-17, 2007 53
1.9 Considerjdiscuss, take appropriate action regarding
report from Eric Maloney, First Responder Coordinator 57
5.1 Reports from Commissioners/Liaison Assignments 83
--- Adjourned 99
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On Monday, January 22, 2007, at 9:00 a.m., a special
JUDGE TINLEY: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
Commissioners Court scheduled for this time and date, Monday,
January the 22nd, 2007, at 9 a.m. It's that time now. If you
would, please rise and join me in a moment of prayer followed
by the pledge of allegiance.
(Prayer and pledge of allegiance.)
JUDGE TINLEY: Thank you. At this time, if there's
any member of the public that wishes to be heard on any matter
that is not a listed agenda item, this is the time for you to
come forward and be heard with respect to that. If you wish
to be heard concerning an agenda item, we would ask that you
fill out a participation form at the back of the room. It's
not essential, but it helps me know that there's someone tnat
wants to be heard with regard to that item. If, for some
reason, you want to be heard concerning an item and you
haven't Pilled out a participation form, get my attention in
some manner and I'll see that you're recognized. Sut right
now, if there's anyone that wishes to be heard concerning any
matter that is not a listed agenda item, please feel free to
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I -- I'd like to recognize today our county
weren't able to transact our normal business here at the
courthouse for safety reasons, but we had a number of county
personnel -- of course, we had the Sheriff's Office; their
people were out assistinq the citizens, as they always are.
Road and Bridge was very active through the day and night
providing whatever assistance they could, and, of course, our
maintenance people performing their functions that had to be
performed irrespective of the conditions. So, bear in mind
that we have some of our folks that -- that don't get a break
when that sort of a thing happens, and they're -- they're
there and they're doing their thing, and doing it for the
benefit of a]1 of us.
The other thing I'd like to mention is the stock
was a success. I see Mr. Walston here; I suspect maybe he'll
give us a little report later on today. But my mention of it
has to do with something I mentioned a few weeks ago, and
that's volunteers. We -- that whole function out there is
primarily the work of volunteers, and it takes a whole bunch
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of them, and they do fantastic work. And the bottom line
result is, all that effort goes for the benefit of the youth
of our community, and that's a good thing, so we appreciate
the work of all those volunteers and look forward to future
success of that show. That's all I got today. How about you,
Commissioner 1?
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: i agree with everything you
just said. Volunteers are the greatest organization on earth,
and dittos.
JUDGE TINLEY: Commissioner Williams?
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Thank you, Judge. I, too,
had a good time at the stock show. I had an opportunity to
work with Commissioner Oehler. He and I have 16 years of
experience on this court, but three weeks working together, so
it was a good opportunity to get to know Bruce a little bit
better and watch him in action. Now, this is interesting,
because just about every class of hogs, swine, pigs, or
whatever you want to call them that came into that arena,
after about 15 minutes of their walking around, you seeing
little pig butts going in front of your eyes all the time,
this quy picks the winner just about all the time. That's
amazing. So, why are they spending money out there hiring
judges when we got one right here that can do that work for
them? (Laughter.) You know, I enjoyed it, Commissioner, and
learned a little bit about pigs and about each other. Had a
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people, the board members who stage it, work all year long to
make that thing happen, is just incredible. Enjoyed it.
JUDGE TINLEY: Commissioner Letz?
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Just agree with everything said
JUDGE TINLEY: Well, we'll go to our pig expert
here. (Laughter.)
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: I'm not a pig expert, and I'm
not going to judge any shows and be put in that position.
Several things to say. One thing about the stock show that
was noted by the -- by the swine judge at the end of the show
was that -- that he felt like that it was maybe one of the
better shows as far as the actions of our youth being polite
and being kind to one another that he has ever seen. That
says a lot about the people that are having something to do
with those kids, the 4-H and FFA leaders, as well as the
parent leaders and all the other people that are involved in
it. Other thing is, I have met with TexDOT twice now since
the last meeting over the proposed bridge project on Highway
39 and Highway 1340 in the Hunt area. They are proposing to
have two more public hearings, if you want to call it public
hearings. They are tentatively scheduled for the week of
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February the 19th, to be in Commissioners Court at some point;
another public meeting at the Hunt School sometime that same
week. Also, met with them on a project that I'll bring
forward at the next meeting to do with the Cade Loop Bridge
project, but that'll be posted on another agenda and we'll
talk more about it then. That's it.
JUDGE TINLEY: Anything else? Thank you. Let's
move forward with our agenda today. Our first item on the
agenda is to consider, discuss, and take appropriate action to
rescind Court Order Number 30098, authorize Commissioners
Court participation in the water availability workshop under
the auspices of Headwaters Groundwater Conservation District
scheduled for 2 p.m. today, Monday, January the 22nd, 2007.
Commissioner Williams?
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Judge, after our meeting two
weeks ago, I -- I followed the Court's instructions and
forwarded a copy of our agenda item that listed all the
various topics and questions that we had in mind to both
Mr. Wilson and to Ms. Summerlin. Subsequent to that, I think
some concerns about our agenda item. That resulted in a
telephone conversation between Commissioner Letz and
Ms. Summerlin, and I'm going to let Commissioner Letz share
the sense of that conversation with you, which was -- prompted
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this particular agenda item. But I have to say that, based on
the information that is contained in this glossy Power Point
COMMISSIONER LETZ: The -- first of all, the -- the
reason for wanting to do the format that we're going to have
today is that she did not think it is appropriate for the
Commissioners Court to be the -- the lead agency questioning
their employee, being Mr. Feather Wilson; that that
information should be coming -- that they're -- they oversee
him,	and that	any kind of	-- a lot of our questions were	kind
of, I	guess,	announcing to	the public what he is doing,	and
they	thought	that that --	or she thought that should be	done
by th	eir boar	d, not by us.	I can understand that point	of
view	a little	bit, but I -	- I explained to her in, I thi	nk,
rather strong terms -- probably a good way to say it -- that
if that entity or organization, being Headwaters, is going to
I
be critical of this Court on our water availability that we
have put in our subdivision rules, that we want our answers --
our questions answered. And Mr. Wilson seems to be the one
that -- that they're designating to answer those questions.
So that my view is that we go along with a workshop,
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at that workshop. I'm not sure she posted it that way from
their organization, but I think we've posted it. So, I'm not
sure what's going to happen on that side of it; be more
confidence about that in a minute. But my view is -- and I
tend to share -- after reading the presentation handout that
we received of what Mr. Wilson's going to give today, I share
a lot of the questions -- or, I guess, concerns about whether
~ we're going to get our questions answered or not. And -- but
what I've done also, for what it's worth -- you can do --
y'all can all do what you want. I wrote down some questions
that I wrote based on my reading of his presentation. Some of
them are -- you know, I truly -- I haven't -- you know, I
don't know the answer to. Some of them I do know the answer
to, at least I think I know the answer to. But -- and this, I
think, is a -- 1 did this for the reason that I, I think, deal
with water issues more than anyone else on the Court, but at
the same time, I don't want to get in a situation where I'm
the only one asking questions.
So, these are things that came to my mind. If y'all
want to ask some of these, fine. If not, I may or may not ask
some of or all of them. I doubt I'll have time to ask all of
them. But a lot of what -- what I read in this is -- I --
somewhere there was a question about this. This is not new
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worded, basically, what I see is that he is taking existing
maps produced by state agencies mostly, changed the color, and
put his name and seal on them, and I have a question about
that. As I said, you know, I don't see this as being new.
Most of this -- I'd say 90 percent of this document, I could
write the same thing off the -- go into the Texas Water
Development Board website and the Soil Conservation and a few
other entities that have these maps available. So, I'm very
concerned about what the actual product is that Headwaters is
getting, if they expect us to use it. I mean, they can
obviously do what they want with their taxpayer funds. And I
think this is a good effort for them to get a better
groundwater model. But if they're going to expect this
Commissioner to use that model to change our water
availability, they better get a lot more specific than what I
see so far. And that's where a lot of my questions did ga.
Another issue I have is exactly what aquifers, and
hopefully we can at least find this out today, their model.
There's a lot of talk about the Trinity and Middle Trinity,
and some of the Edwards Trinity. Two-thirds of the county
doesn't have the Trinity, period. It's all west of Edwards
Trinity, and I don't hear a whole lot of talk about the
Edwards, which is where the bulk of the water in the county
is. The eastern part of the county, I would -- I'm very
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interested as to what they've looked at, at existing wells and
where they are drilled to. My feeling is that most of the
wells are in the Glen Rose. They may not be good wells; they
may be pretty sorry water, but the models -- and everyone
talks about the Trinity, and Trinity is very good water and
it's a lot deeper, but, you know, I would dare say that during
the last drought, there wasn't a Trinity well, other than
maybe in the city of Kerrville, certainly in the eastern part
of the county, and those wells kept on producing for those
families and that livestock. So, I hope that they're
including the Glen Rose as -- as a source, because it clearly
is a major source. And he does mention the Glen Rose in his
backup here.
So, that's kind of where we are. I think it will be
put a lot of the questions that I've written, and others
probably, in a formal letter to the Headwaters Board and -- I
mean, and ask them to bring Feather to us and let us ask these
questions directly. And if they say no, that's their choice,
but I think that will tell the public, you know, something as
well. I think that a lot of -- of hope is being put into this
study by the public as to determining how much groundwater is
there, and unless he's going to -- has a lot more information
that he's going to present than what's in here, I don't see
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discussion. If you go to Page 7, you see some questions that
really need to be answered, but they're not going to propose
the answer here. All they're doing is putting the questions
on the screen and saying, "These are some of the questions
that we have attempted to answer, and it's an ongoing
process." Which tells you if you flip that screen up and go
to the next screen, you're not going to get the answers. And
then the other thing that really bothers me is on Page 33,
notwithstanding this fine list that you put together, "Please
fill out any questions you have on the cards provided, and
we'll respond." We'll see.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: But I think in my final -- and I
don't know how it's going to play out up there. I'm certainly
going to leave a lot of this up to the Judge as to how he
handles our workshop, but it was -- it has been very clear
from the beginning that this was intended to be a joint
meeting between Headwaters and Kerr County -- Headwaters
consultant and Kerr County.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: That's right.
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COMMISSIONER LETZ: There's never been any question
about that. The way -- based on the letter that I saw from
Ms. Summerlin, she has totally ignored the Commissioners
Court, and I have a bit of an issue with that, of -- of being
presented to us and being told one thing, and then all of a
sudden, having this thing framed in the manner that I don't
even see a place for the Court to be a participant in the
workshop the way they've done it. And I think that -- I think
it's interesting information to listen to, but I'm very
disappointed if we are not allowed -- and I use the word
"allowed" -- we are not included in the discussion. One thing
I find very interesting in her letter to the Court, she talked
about the panel of experts. One of the panel members is
somebody from Region J. I'm chairman of Region J, and
Region J was not approached with this to provide panel -- an
expert. So, I don't know if she's expecting me to be that
person, or if she's contacted our consultant and maybe he
chose to come without telling me. I really don't know who
that expert is, and I find it interesting. I'm a little
concerned about that, about -- you know --
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Jon, are we going to be able
to ask questions or not?
COMMISSIONER LETZ: My view is, yes, we should be
able to. But --
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Are we going to?
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COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think we --
JUDGE TINLEY: Let me answer that. I -- I was
concerned that we were all going to be in the same place at
the same time, and like Commissioner Letz, I perceived it as a
kind of a ioint meeting. Because one of the issues that
if the Commissioners Court was going to participate, and if
y'all recall, there was some discussion about, from
Ms. Summerlin's standpoint, that, well, it was necessary that
it be held at the courthouse, because Commissioners Court was
participating and we needed to meet at the courthouse. This
issue's come up before, so that was the reason that we hit
upon Courtroom Number 2 upstairs in our initial discussions of
where we were going to have this. So, that being the case, I
went ahead and posted it as a workshop, so it's posted. And
we have the -- the only thing we can't do, obviously, is take
any formal action, which we don't in workshops. But workshops
are probably the best place for us to gather information by
asking questions and seeking additional information and -- and
discussion with whomever may have information on the subject
that's under review. So, yeah, I see it as being able to --
subject. Now, I -- I noted Commissioner Letz initially talked
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COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yes, he is.
JUDGE TINLEY: Is it Headwaters' present position
that the only information this consultant is authorized to
release is that which the Headwaters Board authorizes him to
release? Is that the impression you got?
COMMISSIONER LETZ: No. No, I did not get that
impression. The -- the impression I got was -- let me try to
clarify that point. Ms. Summerlin -- what I heard her tell
me -- and, you know, I don't want to speak for her, certainly,
but what I heard her tell me was that if -- if Headwaters is
going to announce the results of the -- of their consultant's
findings, they should be the ones to do it, not under the -- a
Commissioners Court meeting. We talked about -- several times
about one of my issues that I have with Mr. Wilson is the fact
that he has, according to my memory, three times done press
releases in this county that have been put in the Kerrville
Daily Dimes. And she says, "Well, he's doing that as a
citizen." And I'm saying, "Well, that's -- that's a real
difficult issue for a consultant to do that on his own when
he's working for Headwaters." In my mind, I think it confuses
the public, much as if I would go out and make a press
release. I can't -- it's very difficult for me to do it as
a -- a citizen and say I'm not a Commissioner. I mean, I'm a
Commissioner. You can't -- I can't do things publicly and not
be a Commissioner.
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I think -- I think a good example of how the public
perceives that is the -- I think the discussion over the UDC.
The County Judge made some comments from him personally, and
it was taken by the public and the City Council and everybody
else that he was speaking as Judge. And it's real hard not to
speak as Judge; he's a County Judge, so when he talks -- I
mean, we obviously all have the right to speak as individuals,
but it's very difficult to divorce ourselves from our public
position, and I think the same thing goes for our consultant.
When he speaks publicly about wells in Center Point and wells
in west Kerr County and anywhere else, as he has, he's kind of
speaking for Headwaters, in my mind. So, that's why I have a
little bit of a disconnect there, but hopefully we can resolve
these before we get started with the workshop, and it will all
work out.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Well, I don't have any
intention of grilling their employee as a big, bad
Commissioner.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: No.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: That doesn't even cross my
mind. However, there's another side to this thing, and that
is that we are elected officials. We're the county fathers,
and we're hired to take care of the people's business. And
this document here in Mr. Featherspoon -- what's his name?
Featherspoon Wilson?
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COMMISSIONER LETZ: It's Feathergail.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Feathergail Wilson, excuse
me. That's taxpayers' money, and we're sent up here to
protect the public from these kind of things, and we have
absolutely, 100 percent, every right to ask questions.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: I agree.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: No question.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think the other thing everyone
needs to keep aware of, including Headwaters Board and
certainly the public, is that the Legislature has decided that
groundwater districts are responsible for watching over
groundwater and the wells drilled; however, they gave
Commissioners Court the sole authority of water availability
in the county. So, there is a -- a -- you know, a
collaborative effort that is necessary there, so I don't think
that Headwaters can look at this modeling if they expect us to
use it without us having input into it.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Absolutely.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: And that is something I think is
very, very important to stress, is that the Legislature has --
didn't give the authority to them -- to Headwaters or any
other groundwater district. They gave it to the Commissioners
Court, and that is the reason that I think it's very critical
that we be a full participant when it comes to this
groundwater model if it's going to be used by the Court.
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COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I agree.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think the public has some
expectation that we work together with Headwaters on that
model, so we'll see what happens.
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: It just seems to me that, you
know, if you're going to do a four-year study, how can you
start changing things after two years?
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Good question.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Well, I would agree.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Move the agenda item.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Second.
JUDGE TINLEY: Motion made and seconded for approval
of the agenda item. Any further question or discussion? All
in favor of the that motion, signify by raising your right
hand.
(The motion carried by unanimous vote.)
JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign.
(NO response.)
JUDGE TINLEY: That motion does carry. Let's move
to Item 2, if we might. Consider, discuss, and take
appropriate action to approve the contracts with Kerr Economic
Development Foundation, Mountain Home Volunteer Fire
Department, and Ingram Volunteer Fire Department, and allow
County Judge to sign same. I put this on the agenda because
we've got these contracts back before us. One question
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quickly for the County Attorney. I assume there's been the
appropriate review. I know on the VFD contracts, those were
done and sent out with approval before they were sent, --
MR. EMERSON: Correct.
JUDGE TINLEY: -- number one, and the KEDF contract
is a contract which is the same model as we've had previously,
if I'm not mistaken. Is that correct, sir?
MR. EMERSON: That's correct.
JUDGE TINLEY: Okay. So that's where we are legally
on those.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Move approval.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Second.
JUDGE TINLEY: Motion made and seconded for approval
of the agenda item. Any question or discussion? All in favor
of that motion, signify by raising your right hand.
(The motion carried by unanimous vote.)
JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign.
(No response.)
JUDGE TINLEY: The motion does carry. On Item 3,
let's defer action on that item, because it appears that it's
going to have some executive session involvement, so we'll
defer on that and come back to that. We'll move to Item 4;
consider and discuss the 2006 Child Services Board year-end
report. Commissioner Baldwin, this could be interesting, hcw
you could enlist the support of Ms. Banik in presenting this
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report and her take a verbatim transcript of this meeting at
the same time.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Well, she can do that.
JUDGE TINLEY: I knew that.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: But I'm not asking her to do
that. We're going to make an end run on you, and we have
Constable Billeiter coming up to give the report. But before
-- while he's coming, I just wanted to say that the Child
Service Board very easily -- in my mind, it is the finest
organization in Kerr County that we deal with. These guys --
we lay out a little money at the end of the year to support
these troubled, hurting kids, and -- and they go out on their
own -- and I don't know how much they raised for Christmas
gifts, but it was tremendous, and they raised so much they
ended up giving each child two gifts. Oh, I'm giving your
report, I'm sorry.
MR. BILLEITER: That's all right.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: David Billeiter. Would you
please join me in welcoming him.
~' MR. BILLEITER: Got part of it anyway, Buster.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I'm sorry.
MR. BILLEITER: Our year-end report, in this last
year we lost three members, but we also gained three new
members. The Rainbow Room, which is our supply closet, was
restocked and reorganized in March. That was quite a chore.
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April was Child Abuse Awareness Month. Commissioners Court
I believe it was more than that, wasn't it, Kathy? I think we
had around 127, if I remember right. Board members -- we
asked for donations. We were trying to raise $3,000, or
around $3,000. We received an estimated $8,000 in gifts.
Kerr County citizens gave so generously that we were able to
double the gifts to the children. Instead of them getting a
$25 gift card, each one received a $50 gift card. Funds that
were not earmarked for Christmas gifts will be used to help
the children in the future. We have some upcoming plans and
projects. We're going to have a review and audit of financial
available by -- hopefully by April of '07. Restock the
Rainbow Room, which is the supply room. Plan for Child Abuse
Awareness Month in April. Recruit new board members, set
terms of current board members, appoint board treasurer and
other officers. Review board expenditures and discuss types
of expenses board should pay. Plan fundraisers for upcoming
events. And starting real soon, plan for Christmas of '07. I
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think this next year, we're going to try to have gifts for the
children instead of gift cards. That's something that we're
thinking about. And, of course the tri-county Christmas party
will be coming up. And that's about it.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I wanted to make a comment on
the Rainbow Room, if I could, just real quick. You know,
these children that we're dealing with here sometimes are
taken out of their homes in the middle of the night, in
pajamas only, and so this Rainbow Room -- they have it stocked
with, you know, diapers, a toothbrush, comb, those kinds of
things that -- and that's what we provide from this Court.
And that's what they keep it stocked with, so that when the
kid is removed in the middle of the night, they can
immediately go to the Rainbow Room and have supplies for that
child. So, it's really a super neat thing.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Commissioner, does the service
board accept clothing -- children's clothing and things of
that nature?
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Nod your head. Yes.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: So, I mean -- but -- I mean, but
they do accept that type, as long as it's in good condition,
any kind of clothing?
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yes.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Things of that nature? That
would be helpful if that's taken to the Rainbow Room as well.
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COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: A box of diapers, any size,
you know, up and down. Those kinds of things, yes,
absolutely.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Where's the Rainbow Room
I located?
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: It's confidential
information.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: If you tell me, you have to
kill me? Is that the deal?
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Something like that.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Okay.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: All right.
JUDGE TINLEY: I was really, really astounded at the
result when the announcement was made here in open court just
prior to Christmas, that -- suddenly looked up, and the number
of children you had to provide Christmas for was considerably
more than what had happened -- what you'd had in previous
years, and the suggestion was made that maybe we could get the
public's help, and I think by the end of that day, the coffers
were starting to fill up pretty good.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Sure was.
JUDGE TINLEY: That's the kind of thing you like to
see, people exhibiting the spirit of Christmas. So, that was
a -- a great thing.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Commissioner, do they help
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children all over the county, or just within the city?
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: All over the county. All
over the county. And we're kind of -- kind of partners with
Fredericksburg, Boerne, and Bandera as well. I don't know how
that works as a region, but we're kind of partners in that.
And sometimes when we -- they have the Christmas parties, all
those counties gather together to have Santa Claus and hand
out the gifts and those kind of things. So -- and many times,
when they have meetings in other counties, some of our board
members go to them and, you know, stay in touch and see what
the needs are and that kind of thing, and help each other.
It's a neat organization, guys. Super neat.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Thank you, David.
MR. BILLEITER: You're welcome.
JUDGE TINLEY: Let's move -- anything further on
that particular item?
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: No, sir.
JUDGE TINLEY: Let's move to Item 5, if we might.
Consider, discuss, and take appropriate action to approve a
new board member, that being Kathy Carpenter, for the Child
Services Board. Commissioner Baldwin again.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: We have Kathy Landrum
Carpenter that is -- has agreed to serve on our board as a new
board member. Kathy, would you -- there you are. Is there
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anything you'd like to say to us?
MS. CARPENTER: No.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Well, I'd like to say thank
you very much for offering, and you can see on her little
sheet here the skills and what she brings to the table, and
truly another professional, and we thank you very much for
your service. Thank you.
MS. CARPENTER: Honored to be asked.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I move we approve Kathy
Landrum Carpenter as a member of the Kerr County Child Service
Board.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Second.
JUDGE TINLEY: Motion made and seconded for approval
of the agenda item as indicated. Any question or discussion
on the motion? All in favor of that motion, signify by
raising your right hand.
(The motion carried by unanimous vote.)
JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign.
(No response.)
JUDGE TINLEY: The motion does carry. Let's move to
Item 6, if we might. Consider, discuss, and take appropriate
action regarding approval of purchasing a 2003 Ford pickup for
the Sheriff's Office using funds in the amount of $6,818.69 in
Capital Outlay, with the balance to be paid out of the
Sheriff's seizure fund. Sheriff?
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SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Okay. Originally, during the
first start of the budget year, we had zero in Capital Outlay.
What happened in the last three or four months, I ended up
with two cars getting totaled. Both of those -- one was our
fault; one was not our fault. The total settlement -- these
were such good cars, narcotic vehicles -- was $6,800 from the
insurance company. Tommy put that in Capital Outlay, and I
need to replace those cars. I replaced one and paid for that
car totally out of seizure fund. This one I'm replacing, as
y'all can see what it is on there. I am asking for that 6,800
that was settled on the insurance, that I have a hand check
for it to go to the car company, and then the remainder of the
balance of that vehicle, I'm also paying out of seizure fund.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: So moved.
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Second.
JUDGE TINLEY: Motion made and seconded for approval
of the agenda item. Any question or discussion?
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah, I have a question.
Now, are you going to rig this thing up, like, with lights and
sirens?
SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: No.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: All that stuff?
SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: No.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Did you just tell us why and
I missed it? Or --
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SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: No. This --
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Why not?
SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: These vehicles aren't used in
that capacity. These aren't patrol vehicles. These are --
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: What are they? That's my
question.
SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Narcotics unit.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I did hear you say that,
okay.
SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Out of our Narcotics unit.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: What are you going to use
the pickup for?
SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Narcotics unit.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Okay.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Can you tell us the color and
the --
SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: No. Thank you.
JUDGE TINLEY: Sheriff --
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: What kind of wheels you got
on it?
JUDGE TINLEY: Nice chrome wheels. Sheriff, I
notice there's a mention of the Peterson Foundation grant.
Has --
SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Pardon?
JUDGE TINLEY: Am I just confused about that?
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SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: I guess you're confused on
that. I don't know why --
COMMISSIONER LETZ: It's in the backup.
SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Maybe she attached something.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Under "RE:" it says Peterson
Foundation Grant.
SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Okay. That probably -- she
typed that wrong.
JUDGE TINLEY: Okay.
SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: When we first started that --
it's actually part of Cailloux, not Peterson. There was some
donated funds, but most of it's out of seizure.
JUDGE TINLEY: Okay.
SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: All right?
JUDGE TINLEY: Any other question or discussion on
the motion? All in favor of the motion, signify by raising
your right hand.
(The motion carried by unanimous vote.)
JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign.
(No response.)
JUDGE TINLEY: The motion does carry. We've got two
options, gentlemen. We can go ahead and take care of our
bills and whatnot, or we can go into executive on Item 3.
What's the Court's preference?
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Do them both, Judge.
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JUDGE TINLEY: Might be able to. Let's go ahead and
do the bills right quick, if we might, and -- and if we've got
any time remaining, we can come back and do that other. That
moves us to Section 4 of the agenda, item 1, payment of the
bills.
	COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS:	Move we pay the bills.	
	COMMISSIONER BALDWIN:	I'll second that.	
	JUDGE TINLEY: Motion	made and seconded to pay	the
bills.	Any question or discussi	on? I have one question	here.
Page 1	1. We've got more Court-a	ppointed services here,	it
looks	like for the 216th. That	budget's on a further tr	ain
wreck	for those items?		
	MR. TOMLINSON: Yes, I	have a budget amendment	for
that purpose.
JUDGE TINLEY: Okay. And it's going to cover those
two, obviously?
MR. TOMLINSON: Yes.
JUDGE TINLEY: Okay. Any other questions or
discussion?
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Let's go back to that page.
And, Tommy, through my 15 years of being here, I know I've
asked this question five, 600,000 times. I still don't get
I it. It's because I disagree with it, is what it is. The
court reporter, the second one -- second item there, is paid a
large salary. Large salary. And here we are paying her
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another $1,000 to transcribe, in my opinion, the work that
we've already paid her to do. I don't get that, sorry. And I
never will get that, because it's not right.
MR. TOMLINSON: They must have a good lobby.
~ COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: We71, all we have to do is
~ say no.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Is that the answer?
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I can answer that one. We
can say no and find out how good they are. But -- do y'all
see what I'm saying? I mean --
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yeah.
MR. TOMLINSON: You're not alone in your opinion.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I don't know how much this
county pays, but isn't it a kind of a -- other counties pay
in, one of those deals? And -- Rex?
MR. EMERSON: By statute, we don't have a choice.
And I can tell you, I've researched it extensively trying to
figure some way around it. And there is one small
possibility, but that would require the cooperation of the
judges, because technically, the court reporter works for the
judge. And theoretically, as a contract employee for the
judge, you could put it in their contract that they weren't
going to bill the county for transcripts provided to the
county.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: What contract? Do we have a
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contract?
MR. EMERSON: But that's -- I
MR. TOMLINSON: I have --
MR. EMERSON: -- that's a whole 'nother battle.
MR. TOMLINSON: This -- most of the transcripts that
we pay for go to --
JUDGE TINLEY: Indigent.
MR. TOMLINSON: It's for indigent defendants, as
well as going to another agency. Especially -- that's
especially true for appeals. That's generally when you have a
transcript, is --
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: The other agency is that
higher court --
MR. TOMLINSON: Yes.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: -- that it's appealed to?
MR. TOMLINSON: Yes.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Is that a state court?
MR. TOMLINSON: Yes, it would be.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Bingo.
MR. EMERSON: I'm going to throw my two cents in.
The exception to that is that if the defendant appeals -- for
instance, if it's in Judge Brown's court, if the defendant
appeals, we have to turn around and order a copy of the same
thing and pay for it so that we can answer the appeal.
JUDGE TINLEY: The copy, fortunately, is cheaper
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than the first cut.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Right.
JUDGE TINLEY: But if the defendant is indigent and
desires to appeal, the transcript must be provided to the
defendant, and that's how it gets charged up here.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: So that would be the case in
this particular one?
JUDGE TINLEY: Yes.
MR. TOMLINSON: They are -- they are reimbursable
on -- on capital murder cases. I mean, that's the only
exception that I know of. But you can -- the County can apply
for reimbursement through the state on -- on capital cases.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Does -- I mean, maybe I'm, I
guess, ignorant in this area. Doesn't the court reporter
automatically transcribe what they've -- they don't
transcribe?
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I don't know if you've
noticed or not, but this court has a court reporter.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: And it's transcribed. That's
why I thought --
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: And she transcribes all the
time, and I've never seen a bill, because that seems like
that's part of her job, and we pay her a salary to do that.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yeah.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Duh.
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COMMISSIONER LETZ: For some reason, I just -- I
always thought they were all -- I thought it was always done
like ours, that they're all transcribed.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: So I've got a losing battle
here again. See you next month. Nice try.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Keep trying.
JUDGE TINLEY: Any other questions or discussion?
All in favor of the motion, signify by raising your right
hand.
(The motion carried by unanimous vote.)
JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign.
(No response.)
JUDGE TINLEY: Motion does carry. Budget
amendments. Budget Amendment Request Number 1.
MR. TOMLINSON: Okay. Number 1 is for the County
Treasurer. The request is to transfer $172.58 from Office
Supplies to Office Equipment -- Operating Equipment.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Operating Equipment. That's
a copy machine? Or --
MR. TOMLINSON: It's for a computer monitor.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Oh.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: For what?
MR. TOMLINSON: A monitor for a computer.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Move approval.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Second.
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JUDGE TINLEY: Motion made and seconded for
approval. Any question or discussion on the motion?
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Did it -- now, these kind of
things -- this is just a question. These things still go
through the computer guru?
MR. TOMLINSON: Yes.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Purchasing? Okay.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Purchase.
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: So he has blessed this one?
MR. TOMLINSON: Yes.
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Okay.
JUDGE TINLEY: Any other questions or comments? All
in favor of the motion, signify by raising your right hand.
(The motion carried by unanimous vote.)
JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign.
(No response.)
JUDGE TINLEY: That motion does carry. Budget
Amendment Request Number 2.
MR. TOMLINSON: Number 2 is for the Jury Fund. We
need to transfer $741 from Jury Fees to Interpreters for
the -- in the 198th District Court.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: So moved.
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Second.
JUDGE TINLEY: Motion made and seconded for
approval. Any question or discussion?
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COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Question. So we budgeted
$4,000 -- a little over $4,000 for interpreters, and we're two
months into the budget, and we've already busted that, and
there's probably going to be more?
MR. TOMLINSON: Very well could be.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Amazing. I'm just amazed.
JUDGE TINLEY: Commissioner, I think the one case
that consumed the vast majority of that was the case in which
the Mexican Consulate was involved, the case that came back
from the appellate court for -- for review here locally.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Are you defending this?
JUDGE TINLEY: No, I'm just telling you -- telling
you where it got 'et up at.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Thank you.
JUDGE TINLEY: Any other questions or comments? All
in favor of the motion, signify by raising your right hand.
(The motion carried by unanimous vote.)
JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign.
(NO response.)
JUDGE TINLEY: Motion does carry. Budget Amendment
Request Number 3.
MR. TOMLINSON: Number -- Number 3 is for the case
that the Judge just mentioned, and it's for the 216th District
Court. We need a transfer of 2,284.01 from the
Court-Appointed Attorneys to Court-Appointed Service line
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item. It's for -- that's for expert witnesses for the case
you just mentioned.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: So moved.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Second.
JUDGE TINLEY: Motion made and seconded for
approval. Any question or discussion? All in favor of the
motion, signify by raising your right hand.
(The motion carried by unanimous vote.)
JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign.
(No response.)
JUDGE TINLEY: The motion does carry. Do we have
any more budget amendments?
MR. TOMLINSON: No.
JUDGE TINLEY: Late bills?
MR. TOMLINSON: Well, there's no late bills, but the
Sheriff mentioned a hand check.
JUDGE TINLEY: Hand check to Cecil Atkission Motors
for 16,000 --
SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: No, just for that six --
whatever is in that Capital Outlay.
JUDGE TINLEY: Okay.
SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: And then I'll write a seizure
check.
MR. TOMLINSON: 6,818.69.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I move for approval.
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COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Second.
JUDGE TINLEY: Motion made and seconded for approval
of the hand check issuance to Cecil Atkission Motors in the
amount of $6,818.69 from the Sheriff's Capital Outlay budget
line item. And any question or discussion?
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah. We don't have to
approve your fund?
SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Not seizure.
JUDGE TINLEY: Any other question or discussion?
All in favor of the motion, signify by raising your right
hand.
(The motion carried by unanimous vote.)
JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign.
(No response.)
JUDGE TINLEY: That motion does carry. I have
before me monthly reports from Justice of the Peace, Precinct
4; County Clerk, both general and trust fund; activity report
for Justice Court, Precinct 2 for December 2006; the Kerr
County District Clerk; and Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1.
Do I hear a motion that these reports be approved as
presented?
COMMISSIONER LETZ: So moved.
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Second.
JUDGE TINLEY: Motion made and seconded. Any
further question or discussion on the motion? All in favor of
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the motion, signify by raising your right hand.
(The motion carried by unanimous vote.)
JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign.
(No response.)
JUDGE TINLEY: That motion does carry. At this
time, we will recess the open or -- or public portion of the
Commissioners Court meeting at 9:47, and we will go into
executive or closed session to discuss personnel matters, as
indicated on Agenda Item Number 3.
(Discussion off the record.)
(The open session was closed at 9:97 a.m., and an
executive session was held, the transcript of which
is contained in a separate document.)
JUDGE TINLEY: Okay, we are back in public or open
session again at 10:33. Does any member of the Court have
anything to offer as a result of what was discussed in open
session?
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Closed session.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: No.
JUDGE TINLEY: Okay. Hearing nothing there, we'll
go to our 10 o'clock item before we take our break. That is
to consider, discuss, and approve application to Department of
Justice, United States, Safe Haven, Supervised Visitation and
Safe Exchange Program for three-year grant to be administered
under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Hill Country
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Crisis Council.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Thank you.
JUDGE TINLEY: You don't look like Ms. Bailey.
MS. HOWARD: She's in court. She said if you need
her, Judge, she would be happy to come over.
JUDGE TINLEY: All right. If you'll tell us who you
are for the record and your address, please?
MS. HOWARD: Thank you. Appreciate being here
today. My name is Sheryl Howard with the Hill Country Crisis
Council. I also have with me today another Council staff
member, Letty Turkett. Members of the Court, the Crisis
Council, you may know us as the battered women's shelter, rape
crisis center for Kerr County and surrounding areas. We also
do the prevention training in public and private schools to
make the schools and students safer, including anti-bullying,
safe touch, date rape, sexual harassment, sexual assault,
dating violence prevention work. And after the Alzheimer's
Association office closed here in Kerrville last summer, we
picked up all of their services and added to that a new
division called Senior Care, so we're workinq with issues of
senior abuse and neglect, and particularly related to medical
crisis, which can throw seniors and their families in crisis.
But one of the things that we've noticed over the
years in working with families, particularly in the domestic
violence/sexual assault area, there's a big glaring hole in
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the service delivery package of the Hill Country Crisis
Council in those situations where there's a divorce or child
custody dispute, the lack of a -- what's called a Safe Haven
project, supervised visitation and safe exchange programs.
Many communities around the state have them, and there is a
national network supporting those programs. Most recently,
the U.S. Department of Justice has released a grant
application request, and I'll go over the materials in the
packet in just a second, and it gives us an opportunity to
kind of correct that problem and fill this hole by developing
a Safe Haven program. I have before you in this -- in this
book some information which you may find useful, and I'll be
happy to answer any questions.
The first is a briefing paper under Tab 1, which
just explains what a Safe Haven project is in summary form.
It would be a program, whether it's under a referral of a
court in a child custody case or from Child Protective
Services, where it is ordered that a fami]y either have
supervised visitation or supervised exchange of a child, and a
contingent situation that you do it in a neutral site, and
~ what we're doing is proposing to do that. The U.S. Department
of Justice grant proposal is for $400,000. It's a three-year
grant, but it does require that it -- that the grantee be a
local unit of government. So, the request today is for the
Commissioners Court to allow us to partner with Kerr County on
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this project and seek application for those funds.
Tab 2 is an actual copy of the grant application
information from the U.S. Department of Justice, and it
includes the breakdown of how that money would be spent from
which do not have a Safe Haven project today, so this is a
development grant. The first year is just to -- is for
$50,000, just to do the development and implementation work,
and then the next two years would actually be operations. Of
that $400,000, $50,000 has to be set aside for the Office of
Violence -- on Violence Against Women at the Department of
Justice, technical assistance. So, it's 400,000 less their
$50,000 chunk of the change there.
Tab 3 is a proposed memorandum of understanding
between the Crisis Council and the County. We did the draft
on this. We sent to it Ms. Bailey. The copy that's in this
packet includes the revisions from Ilse Bailey, and basically
what it does is, it answers some questions that didn't come up
earlier; makes it very clear that the Crisis Council would be
responsible for the work and for all the -- both performance
and financial data to the County, and that we would indemnify
the County from any financial liability back to the Department
of Justice if there's any weakness or failing under the grant.
It also specifically has language in there that says that at
the end of the three-year grant, that the Council understands
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that it would not seek continuation of funding from the
County, and we would -- the grant application anticipates
providing a continuing funding plan as part of the proposal,
and we would do that without looking to the County for future
There are a couple things that -- while we -- the
Department of Justice. They are very involved proposals, and
you kind of wonder what you're getting yourself into when you
do this. There are a whole bunch of deliverables that have to
happen in order to make this application. The first is
actually due tomorrow, and it's a nonbinding letter of intent.
A draft of that is under Tab 4 in your packet. And then under
Tab 5 are all of the other pieces, which I would need to work
with somebody on County staff -- we'd have to work with
somebody to get this filled out. It's financial
accountability questionnaires and some standard forms and
assurances, all this type of thing, and we're prepared to make
the same assurances and provide the same information back to
the County as part of that for -- through your use.
And then, finally, at the back of the notebook are
some background documents on the Crisis Council, just so that
you can feel secure in the rinancial stability and operations
of the Council. It includes our most recent annual audit, a
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copy of our current financials through the end of December, a
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Is there any -- with the letter
withdraw it?
MS. HOWARD: It's a nonbinding letter, yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: For the benefit of the
we talked about this to get some familiarity with what it's
all about. I think you need to tell the Court exactly what
eligible to apply for this grant. What's our ongoing
obligation in terms of following the assurances of the grant,
and who's going to monitor the performance standards that make
certain that these things are accomplished and so forth?
Would you -- would you talk to us about those things?
MS. HOWARD: Sure, As I understand it from talking
to the grant manager at Department of Justice, the reason why
they've done the grant, unlike some others that are currently
on the table right now, through a local unit of government is
they want to insure that in operating this program, there's
very close collaboration between not only the Safe Haven
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provider, but also the domestic violence advocacy program,
putting it with the local units of government, in this case
the County, what you're doing is you're helping us facilitate
that collaboration with the county courts and with law
enforcement here. So, that's the reason for this -- the flow
In terms of. accountability, the proposal and then
the subsequent contracts with Department of Justice would have
specific performance measures on units of service delivery,
you know, dates of operation. They don't really have any
quality measures built into the proposal. Do you remember --
I don't remember seeing anything. I don't know how you would
But in terms of just units of service, that would all be part
of the contract, what the -- what an anticipated delivery
would be. What we would do, then, is report to you every
month what was actually occurring, you know, the units of
service, and then the records would all be open to the County
if you actually wanted to have somebody come in and monitor
services. Much as, say, the Attorney General does on our
sexual assault grants or the Health and Human Services does
for us on our domestic violence grants through the state on
the financial side, you would just get a financial report, and
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we would actually prepare the documents in electronic form;
that after you review it, you could just send it on, so that
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Do the funds from the
are -- then are measured out to you based on requests --
requisitions for funding based on services performed? Or do
MS. HOWARD: The funds would come through the
County, and the Department of Justice would audit -- or would
review monthly, and then on the quarterly performance reports,
both financial and performance measures, and at the end of the
year -- at the end of the grant, the information submitted by
the County, which would be information submitted by the Crisis
Council. And, as I said, and that would be -- that's the
reason for the language in the memorandum of understanding, is
that to the extent there was a problem today, that they
would -- we would either rectify the problem, or if they came
back for money as a result of the problems the Department of
Justice finds, we would indemnify the County on those funds.
COMMISSIONER WILLSAMS: Who would indemnify the
County?
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MS. HOWARD: The Crisis Council. We'd be
responsible for the funding.
JUDGE TINLEY: A couple of questions, if I might.
Number one, the -- the initial letter of intent that's due not
later than tomorrow, I understand, is not binding? If the
Court were to commit to that -- to issue that today, our total
options would be open insofar as the actual application itself
that's due to go in in mid-February?
MS. HOWARD: Yes, sir, it's due February 13th.
JUDGE TINLEY: The purpose -- there is no -- there
is no county match, either in funds or in-kind?
MS. HOWARD: No, sir.
JUDGE TINLEY: The -- I note that there's not a --
there's no requirement that we obligate ourselves to continue
the program if, in fact, we apply and it's awarded, beyond the
period of the funding that's actually granted by the D.O.J.;
is that correct?
MS. HOWARD: That is correct.
JUDGE TINLEY: I note that there's no proposed
budget. I assume that would come with -- with the actual
application itself before this Court made any commitment to'
authorize going forward with the actual application on
February the 13th; is that correct?
MS. HOWARD: There is not a proposed budget packet.
Now, I have done some real rough numbers on a budget, and
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we'll be happy to share that with you, but we've got some
~ significant woodshedding to do on the actual personnel and
other expense side of this. I actually did it -- again, very,
very rough, and of the $400,000, I came up with $399,996. I
didn't do that on purpose, but that's the way it came out.
The -- and I'll be happy to share that with you. I brought
copies if you want to see that, just kind of my thinking about
this. But, as I say, we need to do some work with that. And
Mrs. Turkett has been trained in operating Safe Haven
programs, and actually was in the process of starting one
here, and then coincidentally came to work for us in a
different area and we started talking about putting it
I
together. So, all that set aside, she's the one that knows
I more about the actual day-to-day operations, not me. Let me
~ go back to your first question. The whole purpose of the
letter of intent, as explained in the grant application kit,
is so the Department of Justice gets an idea of how many
review panels they need to have to look at applications.
They're just trying -- that's just planning for their part; it
doesn't obligate you to anything.
JUDGE TINLEY: The -- when I was referring to the
budget, in the event a letter of intent is issued today --
MS. HOWARD: Yes, sir.
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want you to sign off on," at that point in time there would be
an actual budget that must be submitted as part of the
application; is that not correct?
MS. HOWARD: Yes, sir, and in several different
formats.
JUDGE TINLEY: Okay.
MS. HOWARD: You'll see both the proposal itself has
to have a personnel breakdown and budget included in it, as
well as all the performance measures that we're -- we're
committing to. And then you'll see in the attached documents,
there are several forms that even talk about -- basically
regurgitating the same information in a different format.
JUDGE TINLEY: But we'd have the option to look at
all that information as part and parce] of the application
before we authorize it to go forward in final form?
MS. HOWARD: Yeah. And that would be important to
know, because those would be the numbers that we would be
reporting against each month and each quarter, and then at the
end of each grant year and the end of the grant, as to whether
or not we were in compliance with the grant.
JUDGE TINLEY: Okay. The Auditor, I think, may have
had a question.
MR. TOMLINSON: Yeah. I think that -- is this a
reimbursable account?
MS. HOWARD: Yes.
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MR, TOMLINSON: Where you expend the funds and then
apply for reimbursement?
MS. HOWARD: Yes.
MR. TOMLINSON: My question would be, who -- who
funds the program up front? I mean --
JUDGE TINLEY: Upon which to seek reimbursement.
it MR. TOMLINSON: Right. So, what I'm hearing is, if
the grant's awarded, we'll be responsible for paying the funds
up front; then after we pay them, we would receive
reimbursement from the D.O.J. under the terms of the grant?
That's my question.
MS. HOWARD: No. No, you would not -- you wouldn't
have any obligation to Crisis Council for any up-front moneys.
The way it would be structured is just that we would fund
operations with unrestricted revenues, and then submit a -- a
statement, St would go through the County. When you get
reimbursed, the money comes back to us and pays it
retroactively.
JUDGE TINLEY: Okay. Does that answer your
~ question?
MR. TOMLZNSON: Yeah, that does, Because most of
the time, the County winds up paying up front the first
quarter's expenses before we apply for reimbursement. So --
MS. HOWARD: No, this is -- just to answer your
question, this is the same way we as handle our two grants
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with the Attorney General's office, through the Sexual Assault
Prevention program, and -- or Victims Assistance grants, as
well as the two grants through the Governor's office.
DODGE TINLEY: Okay.
MR. TOMLINSON: In the budget, are there -- do they
allow for any -- any funds for a single audit?
MS. HOWARD: Well, we're required to do a single
' audit every year.
MR. TOMLINSON: Yeah, but if the funds come to us,
we have to do the single audit.
MS. HOWARD: I see what you're saying.
MR. TOMLINSON: Because, I mean, the threshold for a
single audit is 500,000. So --
MS. HOWARD: 500,000 a year?
MR. TOMLINSON: In a year, right. So if --
MS. HOWARD: In federal grants?
MR. TOMLINSON: Federal grants. And so my question
would be, if -- if there was a provision in the grant that
would reimburse the County for any expenditures the County
might make for a single audit. Some years, we -- we qualify
and some years we don't. So, if -- you know, if a third of
that 400,000 pushed us into a single audit position, then --
then would there be any way to retrieve any -- any funds to
pay for that?
MS. HOWARD: There is provisions in the grant
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request for putting in the budget for indirect expenses. It
doesn't specifically -- as I recall, doesn't specifically talk
about audits, but we were also thinking that -- I actually
hadn't thought about the audit. But thinking about any other
administrative expenses the County might have doing the
reviews and, you know, processing the documents, both ways. I
guess that would just be something we have to sit down and
look at.
MR. TOMLINSON: Well, but it would be --
MS. HOWARD: You're talking about $150,000 a year
for the two years of implementation. Remember, $50,000 goes
to -- back to the D.O.J.
MR. TOMLINSON: Well, we -- we sometimes are -- are
subject to single audits and sometimes not, depending on the
amount. So, you know, a hundred and -- 100,000 might push us
into a single audit.
JUDGE TINLEY: Our single audit obligation is
triggered as a result of all federal grants that we receive?
MR. TOMLINSON: That's right.
JUDGE TINLEY: It's not applicable to just
individual programs?
MR. TOMLINSON: No.
JUDGE TINLEY: It's the combined total of all
federal grants?
MR. TOMLINSON: That's correct.
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COMMISSIONER LETZ: The -- just a quick question,
and I'll make a motion. When's the grant due? The 13th, you
said?
MS. HOWARD: The application is due, both in
electronic and hard copy format, on February 13th.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. Our next Commissioners
Court is February 12th.
MS. HOWARD: Timing is everything.
MS. TURKETT: Timing is everything.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: I'll make a motion that we
approve the nonbinding letter of intent based on the sample
provided, and hopefully between now and then you can work with
the County Attorney and the Auditor to make sure -- some of
these other questions I know they both have.
MS. HOWARD: If you could just give me a date that
you'd like to see a proposal by, so that then on the 12th
you're not seeing it cold?
COMMISSIONER LETZ: It will be due for our agenda
package on the 7th, I believe.
MS. HOWARD: 7th?
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Second.
JUDGE TINLEY: We have a motion and second as
indicated. Any further question or discussion on the motion?
All in favor of the motion, signify by raising your right
hand.
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(The motion carried by unanimous vote.)
JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign.
(NO response.)
JUDGE TINLEY: That motion does carry. The next
item we have is a timed item for 11 o'clock.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Thank you.
JUDGE TINLEY: So we'll be in recess until, oh,
about five minutes after 11:00.
(Recess taken from 10:50 a.m. to 11:07 a.m.)
JUDGE TINLEY: Okay, let's come become to order, if
we might. We were in recess, and we'll now go to Item 8,
which is an 11 o'clock timed item. Consider, discuss, and
take appropriate action on reducing registration fees to $1
during the Rabies Drive on February the 3rd, 2007, through
February the 17th, 2007. Ms. Roman?
MS. ROMAN: Good morning.
JUDGE TINLEY: Morning.
MS. ROMAN: Well, as you know, our Rabies Drive is
quickly approaching, and my department is just asking that we
-- or that y'all reduce the -- the registration fee to $1
beginning on February 3rd, and it will go through
February 17th.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: This is what we did last
year?
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MS. ROMAN: Yes, sir. This is an annual thing.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: And doesn't the rabies --
doesn't the rabies shot -- aren't they lasting, like, three
years now?
MS. ROMAN: Well, it's three years in the county.
One year in the city, yeah.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Rabies --
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Is it watered-down vaccine in
the city? What is it?
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Is rabies worse in the city
than they are in the county?
MS. ROMAN: No. No. Why the City hasn't changed it
yet, I have no idea. The City's working on that.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Are they working on it?
MS. ROMAN: Yes.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay.
JUDGE TINLEY: Diligently.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: So, if I took my dog last
year and got a rabies shot, I can wait two more years?
MS. ROMAN: Well, it depends.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: And if I'm in the city --
MS. ROMAN: Well, the majority of the vets give a
three-year vaccine anyway, whether you live in the city or the
county.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Right.
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MS. ROMAN: But you -- the owner of the animal has
to request that, the vaccine that they've -- in other words,
they have to request that the vaccination certificate is a
three-year certificate. Otherwise, we have to -- we can't
honor it.
JUDGE TINLEY: Unless you request it, you're going
to get a one-year certificate?
MS. ROMAN: Right. Right.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: So the vaccine is actually the
I same?
MS. ROMAN: The vaccine is a three-year vaccine.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Not watered down.
MS. ROMAN: Right. And a lot of the vets -- what a
lot of the vets will do is, a lot of the vets -- like I said,
if you don't request that you get a three-year certificate,
then they'll just do it for one year. And people will come in
and register their animal and say, well, you know, this is
just a -- a one-year vaccine. I tell them yeah. You know,
it's just -- it's really confusing.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Do you all send -- I guess this
is the question. Do you send renewals out on --
MS. ROMAN: Registrations? No, we don't. It would
just -- we can barely keep up with the registration program
right now.
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Be much easier if everybody
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would get a lifetime registration on their pet.
MS. ROMAN: Exactly.
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: I have one on mine.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: We might want to look at that,
the cost of doing that, because I think -- I mean, you forget.
I've got one -- I think right now it's current.
MS. ROMAN: Most people are really good about it.
Most people will -- because we send forms to the vet's office,
so when they take their animal in to the vet to get it
vaccinated, the vet will give them a form, and they send us a
copy of the vaccination certificate with the fees. And so
most people register their pets at the same time that they
vaccinate them, so it works pretty well, actually.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay.
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: You don't know about the
lifetime registration? Mine's number four in the county.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Maybe I got a ]ifetime. I don't
know. I don't know what I got.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: What took you so long to get
there? (Laughter.)
~ COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Judge, I move we approve
reducing registration fees to $1 during the Rabies Drive of
February 3rd, '07, through February 17th, '07.
COMMISSIONER LETZ; Second.
DODGE TINLEY: We have a motion and second for
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approval of the agenda item. Is there any question or
discussion on the motion? All in favor of the motion, signify
by raising your right hand.
(The motion carried by unanimous vote.)
JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign.
(No response.)
JUDGE TINLEY: That motion does carry. Thank you,
I Ms. Roman,
MS. ROMAN: Thank you.
JUDGE TINLEY: Let's move now to Item 9. We're a
minute or two ahead of time. We're always ahead of the curve,
of course. Consider, discuss, and take appropriate action
regarding report from Eric Maloney, First Responder
Coordinator. Mr. Maloney?
MR, MALONEY: Morning, Judge.
JUDGE TINLEY: Morning.
MR, MALONEY: Morning, Commissioners. How are y'all
this morning? Actually, I was requested to come before y'all
today from Buster Baldwin, who I've been in contact to in
regards to the First Responder program, and give y'all just a
little bit of update where we're at. It's probably been about
a year and a half, I think, since I've addressed the Court,
and so just -- I'll go through a little review and just a
little refresher for those who don't remember.
The actual First Responder program that we have
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designed is actually through the Kerr County budget; actually
in the county that provide First Responder assistance in
emergency cases, either medical or trauma, where they actually
take their volunteer -- it's a volunteer organization. They
get there first before any of us and provide medical care,
contact EMS, kind of give a patient update and so forth. And
we do that for the entire county. We divide the county up
into five different zones to actually provide that care, to
Currently, we have 31 total First Responders for the
that is non-Kerrville Fire Department. So -- excuse me.
These members are -- Jeff Lavender is one; he's in the First
Responder program. In the past, we've had everyone from Tim
Ahrens, who was the chief out at Turtle Creek; Scott Gross was
a First Responder, so we do have a -- very, very certified
individuals through the state. They are certified as EMT
basics at a minimum to actually respond and work under the
protocols of Dr. Nail. we also have 15 fire department
I members, and these members also volunteer their time off duty
to actually respond to calls. They live out in the county in
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COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Fifteen city of Kerrville
MR. MALONEY: Yes, sir. Yeah, 15 city of Kerrville.
So -- which gives us -- you know, everyone volunteers their
time. It's all off duty, so the fire department doesn't pay
them to actually respond, so it's still volunteer, but I do
kind of separate the two. Just to let you know that we do
have 16 people that actually volunteer their time who have
different jobs, various jobs throughout the day, and actually
do provide this care.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Eric, while we're on numbers, --
MR. MALONEY: Yes, sir?
COMMISSIONER LETZ: -- what do you do with Comfort
Volunteer Fire Department? Do you count the Kendall County --
MR. MALONEY: They are actually -- we utilize them.
They don't actually respond under our protocols, not under our
designation as a First Responder program. We actually have to
certify through the State of Texas, through the Department of
State Health Services to actually be a First Responder
organization, and we are certified as a First Responder
organization. Therefore, I have to actually give them a list
of actually individuals who respond for the organization.
First Responder organizations must be affiliated with an EMS
transport service, which is the Kerrville Fire Department, and
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they work under their protocols, is how they do it. Comfort,
they provide first response, but they actually work under
Kendall County, and Comfort Fire Department does all first
response for -- I believe it's the same as their fire
response. I believe they take that same district. More than
positive.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: So, I guess their -- when a Kerr
County/Comfort Volunteer Fire Department area comes in, say
Hill Country Ranch Estates, that call comes in, they
internally, through Kendall County, let those First Responders
know?
MR. MALONEY: Actually, that will come through our
dispatch center here, so when the call comes in, our dispatch
center will look at the street of where it is and will show
actually who needs to respond with the fire department and who
the First Responder zone is, and it either says Zone 1 through
5 or Comfort Fire Department. Then they will dispatch out
Comfort Fire Department to respond as First Responder for that
call. So, we get one response. So, as far as tones going
out, we can either send Zone 2, which is the Center Point
I
area, or we send Comfort Fire Department, depending on who's
on our list.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Does the 30 -- does the 16
non-Kerrville Fire Department, does that include the Comfort
Fire Department?
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MR. MALONEY: No, sir, they are not.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: And so, actually, there`s more
than 31 if you're counting the Comfort Fire Department, which
covers a good part of eastern Kerr County.
MR. MALONEY: Right. Officially, we only have 31.
I guess, unofficially, we utilize Comfort. We've used Tierra
Linda before; the fire department out there has assisted us
out there, 'cause that's a little different. Because it
actually is in Gillespie County, so it's a little bit
different. And we've utilized other services on the far
reaches of the west end of the county, so -- but we do
actually have responders out there. So, we lost two great
First Responders, two responders that have been with us since
the beginning, and that was Tim Ahrens, who has moved out a
little further to the west, so actually he's out in Utopia, I
believe is where Tim is, out there. So, we lost him. And he
was obviously the fire chief of Turtle Creek, so he moved on.
We also lost Scott Gross, who was another one of our First
Responders who was in Zone 2, and he decided not to respond
any more. So, we did lose two who have been here since the
beginning for that, but on the same note, we are adding more
to the program.
I just completed an EMT basic course, and that
finished up last September, and with that course -- upon
completion of the course, we were adding four people to the
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First Responder program who have received their certification,
~ the EMT basic, so we're going to be moving up the numbers
again, which is good. And there is a future course planned in
May of 2007, in which case T do hope to bring more First
Responders over. If we can -- if we could add 40, 50 First
Responders, it would be a great thing out there. So,
obviously, covering a vast area of 1,100 square miles can be
very difficult, Other things -- any questions regarding the
First Responders or the EMT basic --
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah.
MR. MALONEY: -- course?
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah, I do have some
questions. I want you to tell us about how -- how it works.
How -- if I want to become a First Responder, how do -- I
mean, are you conducting a school? Do I meet you out at
Chili's and drink beer? How do we do this thing?
I MR. MALONEY: To actually become a First Responder,
saying that I start where I do not have any certifications
with the state of Texas, I am acquiring a basic EMS
Coordinator for the state of Texas, which means I can actually
hold an education class that will get them -- not certified as
an EMT basic, but actually get them a course completion. So,
at the end of that course, when they come in and take the EMT
basic course, they will get a course completion. From there,
they can take that course completion that allows them to sit
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for the National Registry exam. They can sit for that exam
After they become an EMT basic, then they have to
apply for the First Responder program, and that's just a
simple application, demographics, where they live and what's
going to work out best for us. And, basically, from there we
bring them into the program. If you're already certified as
an EMT basic, then it would be a matter of meeting with me.
Dr. Nail, our medical doctor, requires that you have a minimum
of an EMT basic certification to be a First Responder, to be
part of our First Responder organization. Tierra Linda,
Comfort can do as they wish. They don't work under our
protocols, so -- but he requires the basic because there is an
ECA certification which is kind of a First Responder -- it's a
40-hour course that is similar to, like, the Red Cross first
aid course, and -- but he does require the EMT basic
certification.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: How many levels of training
MR. MALONEY: The EMT basic -- there's the ECA,
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which is beginning. The EMT basic is your first step in the
professional level. From there, there is the
intermediate-slash-paramedic. That paramedic has a
certification course which takes approximately one year to
actually complete that. From there, the next step after that
is actually a licensed paramedic, and that is basically the
same certification as a paramedic, but that means you have a
degree behind it, so -- an associate's degree behind it.
I
i COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: You and I e-mailed back and
forth recently.
MR. MALONEY: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: And I appreciate you helping
with all this. I want to read a couple of sentences from your
e-mail; I want you to explain it to us, please.
MR. MALONEY: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: It says, "The EMT basic
certification course costs 5800. GEM Training Center, Eric
Maloney, offers the course once a year to anyone who wants to
apply." Tell us about that.
MR. MALONEY: The GEM Training Center is actually
myself doing business as GEM Training Center. That is a
private company that was set up to actually provide the EMT
certification course through the state. I had to set up
something as far as -- let me think here. I have to be
recognized for the state, so I actually applied for the
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course. It's a long -- probably about a four-month process to
actually apply for the course. Has to be some sort of
business name, so I chose GEM Training Center for that. And
once getting approved by the State to hold a certification
course from there, then it actually is just an application
process with tuition, because it is private; it actually is
under my dime. So, people do apply for the course and pay
$800 tuition for that, ~
i COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Let me tell you -- let me i
tell you what I'm seeing, and then you tell me where I'm
seeing it wrong. Obviously, you will.
I
MR. MALONEY: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I am seeing that the County
sends moneys over to the City. Part of it's the EMS contract,
part of it's for Dr. Nail, and part of it's for you. Now, the
equipment is a separate item.
MR. MALONEY: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Separate line item. So,
I'm -- I'm seeing us send money over there for you to instruct
and certify the First Responder people, and then you turn
around and charge them another $800 to do the same thing.
MR. MALONEY: Okay. Clarification on that is that
my instruction and certification for the First Responders, our
current First Responder list of individuals, is with the
continuing education and the CPR certification, is what we
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offer them and try to get them -- instruct them for. So,
that's management of the actual First Responder program. Any
individual who is actually enrolled in the EMT certification
course is not an actual First Responder, so it's not part of
the organization. Myself teaching the course, being program
director, I am not affiliated with the fire department at that
point or the county First Responder program. So, this is kind
of a separate, on-the-side certification for that. So, it
I
i isn't fire department related; it isn't Kerr County related,
as far as the two.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I understand that, and I --
and that's exactly the way I understood it. But I've always
understood that it worked the way that I just described to
you, as far as us providing certification for individuals from
the ground level. Classroom -- those classroom hours,
whatever the subject might be, someone sits down and teaches
those classrooms, and you hold a -- and I'm just giving you an
example here. You have a one-hour class every Tuesday night
for 16 weeks, and these people become certified because you
cover all the areas that the State requires. And I've always
been under the understanding that that's what we pay you to
do.
MR. MALONEY: No, sir. That is actually the
continuing education to keep them certified. They are
required by the State, as an EMT basic, to get 72 hours every
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four years, so part of my responsibility for that is to make
sure they maintain that 72 hours. So, that is the one-hour
teaching increments that we do every other month. We get
together, we have our bimonthly meetings, or we do the
certification for the CPR. The actual instruction for the
course has to be in a classroom setting, by the State, so you
can't break it into one-hour -- well, we'll get together, talk
about the subject for an hour. It has to be very structured.
Excuse me. It has to be very structured through the State, so
actually bringing someone from ground zero up does not
necessarily mean that they're going to be in the First
Responder program for that, since the other individuals -- the
other eight individuals chose not to be actually in the First
Responder program. So --
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: First time I've ever heard
that.
MR. MALONEY: Sorry?
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: It's the first time I have
ever heard all that.
MR. MALONEY: In regards to -- I mean, everything?
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Everything that you just
described.
MR. MALONEY: Okay.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: I actually never thought about
it, so -- I mean, first time I've heard it, but I've never
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really thought about it before. i presume you have to be a
basic EMT to be a city paramedic, or you have to be above --
that or above?
MR. MALONEY: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: if somebody wants to be a
paramedic and is not licensed, do they have to go through the
same -- I mean, not necessarily your program, but a program
similar to that? Or does the City pay for that?
MR. MALONEY: Okay.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: To get your basic EMT?
MR. MALONEY: As far as the City of Kerrville --
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Say I want to be a paramedic
with the City of Kerrville.
MR. MALONEY: Okay.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: And I'm not an EMT or anything
I e]se.
MR. MALONEY: You would actually have to apply or
enroll in a course at San Antonio College, the Health Science
Center, or Bulverde Training. Those are probably the three in
the area that actually do the intermediate/paramedic training
for that, so -- we don't provide that training here, as far as
i that.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay.
MR. MALONEY: Then, when you obtain the course
completion for that, you can pass the National Registry exam,
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apply with the state, and actually become a certified
paramedic.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: I guess your question, --
MR. MALONEY: Then apply --
COMMISSIONER LETZ: -- if someone wants to be a
paramedic with the City of Kerrville -- or any other entity,
but I'll use City of Kerrville since you work with the City
also. They are responsible for getting their training to get
licensed before they can get hired?
MR. MALONEY: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: They're not hired and then given
the training by the City?
MR. MALONEY: Yes, sir. If we actually -- on
occasion in the past, we actually have hired firefighter
basics on the understanding that they are going to go to
paramedic class at our choice, which has usually been
Bulverde, Spring Branch Training Center, and they have to pass
in order to maintain their employment with the City of
Kerrville. But, yes.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Who pays that?
MR. MALONEY: The City of Kerrville does. So, if -- ~
i COMMISSIONER LETZ: That's where, I guess, it seems
like a little bit of a difference.
MR. MALONEY: If we decide to actually hire the
firefighter basic -- which, typically, most of our testing is
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for firefighter paramedic, because a one-year -- it's a very
intensive course, and it's very expensive to send somebody to
that course. The course is $3,000 or $3,500 tuition with
Bulverde Spring Branch.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Let me ask you a question,
just following up on yours.
MR. MALONEY: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Say I respond to an
advertisement; I'm just off the street and I want to become a
First Responder. I don't know a thing about it. Sounds like
something that I'd like to do with my spare time. And I -- I
show up your firehouse, or I show up in Center Point or
wherever, and I -- and I say, "Okay, I want to do this." Who
i pays for that training? Me? Or is that -- is that basic
I training provided through you or through the City EMT, and
funded partly by the County? How does that work?
MR. MALONEY: That would be all your responsibility
as far as the --
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: My responsibility?
MR. MALONEY: Any expenses to get -- to obtain your
certification would actually come from you.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Okay.
MR. MALONEY: If the Court chose to actually pay for
this tuition, it would, obviously, have to come through y'all
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and have to come through the budget, if y'all actually chose
to pay for the tuition and allow for people to go through the
course, or whatever it may be for something like that. But it
actually would have to go through the budget for something
like that, for approval. So -- but they are responsible for
that. Yes, sir?
JUDGE TINLEY: In your training programs that you've
put on, what percentage of those that complete the educational
requirements and obtain their appropriate license througn
National Registry actually come into the First Responder
program, and what percentage don't?
MR. MALONEY: Currently, we got -- we got four out
of eight, is what we got. So, we got a third right now, so a
total of 12 people completed the course, and we got four First
Responders out of this last program, is what we ended up
receiving. Some more maybe interested, but at this time, they
were looking to either further their education, to go take
paramedic, or take a job as an EMT basic on an ambulance in
San Antonio.
JUDGE TINLEY: So, a third of them elected to go
into First Responders, two-thirds of them probably in some
sort of an educational or job opportunity?
MR. MALONEY: Yes, sir. Yeah, for job enhancement,
whether they -- one moved to Tennessee. So, it just kind of
depends.
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JUDGE TINLEY: Okay.
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: How much are we currently
spending on the First Responder program through the City?
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Well --
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Do you know, Buster?
JUDGE TINLEY: About 10, as I recall.
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: 10,000?
MR. MALONEY: 10,400.
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: What are we getting for our
~ money?
MR. MALONEY: $10,400. You are -- for that, it is
the basic gear bag and equipment. So, I turned in the budget
for the year with the anticipation for this year actually to
put four people on, 'cause I kind of anticipated I would get
at least four people out of the course. So, your bag and
equipment, portable radio, and some basic equipment
replacement. The City of Kerrville takes care of some of the
equipment replacement, but some of the more expensive stuff is
a first-time buy. So, the actual County sets up a First
Responder one time with all their equipment actually in their
bag -- their equipment bag; all the medical supplies, portable
radio, Sterling flashlight, portable vest -- which, actually,
the vests are coming --
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: How much for each one of
those?
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MR. MALONEY:	Which	one in particular?	
COMMISSIONER	OEHLER:	Well, a setup for a n	ew First
Responder, the bag and	all the	things you described.	
MR. MALONEY:	That's	almost $1,000.	
COMMISSIONER	OEHLER:	Okay.	
MR. MALONEY:	Just u	nder, I believe. That'	s what
the total was. So, it'	s -- it	does cost a lot to get	set up.
COMMISSIONER	OEHLER:	So, what's the --	
MR. MALONEY:	The me	dical equipment behind	it may
I cost more.
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: What does the rest of the
money go for?
MR. MALONEY: The rest of the money is our C.E.
renewal. We purchased maps this year. We purchased some maps
last year for the -- for the First Responders. We're
finishing up the rest of the maps this year, so we have good
maps -- code mapping of the entire county, I believe. This
year we're getting some more safety reflective vests, so we're
going to start purchasing those. The fire department chose
the vest that the fire department's going with, and we want to
get one very similar for the First Responder program. That
way, in the event of a mass casualty, we'll all kind of look
the same. We play the same game out there, so we're getting
the vests, which are the safety reflective Class 2 vest.
We're going to do -- we're increasing this year with the
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intubation, sort of advanced airway kit, so this year,
actually as a First Responder program -- we changed the
designation a year and a half ago to ALS, so we went from BLS
First Responder program to ALS, which means we can provide
more care and more service out there, definitely in the far
reaches of the county. So, paramedics out there start IV's.
Currently they're approved through the state, and what's
coming is advanced airway procedures out there. So, those are
the two, and then oxygen refills. So, for a grand total of
10,400.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: What's the stipend, I guess you
call it, that you get for the coordination? You get paid
something to do this.
MR. MALONEY: It's --
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Well, what do we pay the City to
get you to do it? Whichever way it works.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: It's hard to find these days.
I'm in the process of finding those numbers as we speak.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. All right.
MR. MALONEY: I don't actually -- I never receive
anything separate that is coming from the County. I just
receive one check. I believe it was -- it was a quarter of --
of the pay. I want to say somewhere around 10,000, but I'm
not actually -- I believe that's --
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Quarter of the pay. That's
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exactly it. We did the same thing with Dr. Nail, but you
don't see it. It just goes to the City, and then the City
pays these guys.
MR. MALONEY: That's the all-inclusive, which is
part of that. So --
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay.
MR. MALONEY: You know, this budget specifically
that was mentioned for -- on the Commissioner does come out of
Kerr County, so that actually is in the budget every year.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: As supplies.
MR. MALONEY: Yes, sir, and I turn that in with --
with Mr. Baldwin specifically.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Eric, there's still one thing
I'm a little bit unclear about. Now, when you go to Chili's
once a month and y'all visit about issues and equipment
problems and all those kinds of things, is that different from
your C.E.U. program?
MR. MALONEY: Yes. What we changed, and actually
what the Court approved, was we went to an online continuing
education with the First Responder program. What we found
was -- the difference is, before, we were doing two hours I
every month of continuing education when I first came in.
Well, it's very tough logistically to ask First Responders to
take more time to try to come up for a two-hour C.E., and
people were falling short and having to spend money to
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actually maintain their certification to volunteer for the
First Responder program. So, we changed -- we went to an
online continuing education program, actually through
eGenesis. That's coming up for renewal this year, and that
allows each individual -- each First Responder to get his
required continuing education at his leisure, and also for
whatever his requirements --
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: And we approved that -- or we
had this chat a year ago, or year before last; I can't
remember.
MR. MALONEY: Year before last, sir.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Year before last.
MR. MALONEY: Yes, sir. It's coming up for renewal
this April, actually, is when we renew that. And it's been --
everyone seems to enjoy the online C.E.; it works better
logistically, 'cause sometimes it was difficult. And you're
required by the State to do certain content areas, so you have
to maintain so much C.E. in about six different content areas,
and it's a tough thing to schedule for logistics. If everyone
could make it every time, it would be relatively easy. But if
you're doing airway this month, you may not come back to
airway for six months.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah.
MR. MALONEY: Therefore, if somebody misses it, they
would have to make the next one, and it does ask a lot
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sometimes.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Are you finding anybody out
there any more that doesn't have a computer?
MR. MALONEY: Not really.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: There's not anybody out
there.
MR. MALONEY: No, sir. Actually, we started the
program with the First Responders with the County, and we
moved on, and we're now doing it with the fire department
also. So, we're using the same eGenesis online for the fire
department, and it works very well. It really does. Most
people have computer access.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Were we before the City got
~ involved?
MR. MALONEY: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: So we were first.
MR. MALONEY: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Okay, very good.
MR. MALONEY: Actually, --
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I'm feeling better about it.
MR. MALONEY: -- you were the test run, so I went
through y'all to make sure everything worked, and I got a
great response on the First Responders and it worked well, and
so we implemented it with the fire department. We put all the
fire department personnel on there too. So --
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COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I wanted to ask you -- you
have a student back there -- if the computer program is -- is
that working for you?
MR. LAVENDER: The computer program that we use
I for --
JUDGE TINLEY: Would you tell the court reporter
your name, please?
MR. LAVENDER: Jeff Lavender. The computer program
that we use that Eric set us up with, I guess about a year or
so ago, we actually go online and get a preface to what was
going to be taught in this lesson, we get the lesson content,
we get photographs to view in the lesson, we get objectives
that need to be met in that lesson, and then there is a post
examination upon completion. Usually takes about an hour to
an hour and a half, depending upon which lesson you choose,
and then your credits are based on the time that was spent in
the course. Some are one credit, some are two credits, some
are five credits. Those usually take two to three hours to
do. So, you can start a lesson, get into it, spend 30, 40
minutes in it, put it on hold or suspend it, come back to it
at a later date, pick up the same place you left off. And it
may take three days to complete a two-hour C.E. course, so if
you only had 30 minutes a day for the next three days, you
could go in and do that. So, the course that we get in
continuing education through online computer is very good.
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COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: So that sounds like to me
that's better than sitting and listening to him flap his gums.
MR. LAVENDER: Well, it gives you a chance to
absorb, and we can back up and relook at things and look at it
again. We don't have to do it just once; we can go through it
two or three times.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah.
MR. LAVENDER: And we can get out of it, you know,
what is required at the end. If we have to go back and look
into it, we can go back into the course and look and get the
answers to the examination so that we grasp the knowledge.
So, yes.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Heck, yeah.
MR. LAVENDER: A lot of times it is better, and
logistically it's better. To try to get a shift person that
works a 3:00 to 11:00 or 11:00 to 7:00 at a 10 o'clock meeting
on a Tuesday morning for training for your volunteers, they
go, "Oh, I'd rather sleep." It's worked out real well for us,
and we all -- almost all the First Responders I know have
computers. We e-mail back and forth and we communicate with
Eric via e-mail a lot. But that training outside through the
computer through eGenesis is wonderful for us, and I like it a
lot. I really do.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Now, your original
certification, you went where to get that?
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MR. LAVENDER: I went through the Kerrville Fire
Department when they had a letter -- this has been three years
ago now -- two and a half, three years ago. I went through
the Kerrville Fire Department, and they were looking for First
Responders, and I filled out an application form through them
and then went through an EMS or EMT course that was given out
of Station 3.
', COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Who taught that course?
MR. LAVENDER: Kyle. Kyle Young.
MR. MALONEY: Program director.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Did they charge $800?
MR. LAVENDER: Did they charge me? We paid for
books and tuition, and that class -- and I believe the County
at that time had picked up the course content, but it was a
totally different setup from what Kyle was teaching as to what
Eric is teaching. Not in the curriculum, but in the way the
two were set up.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Okay, thank you.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: And your training is basic
or advanced?
MR. LAVENDER: I am an EMT basic.
MR. MALONEY: Actually, his wife just completed my
last course in September, so she will be a First Responder,
Beverly Lavender.
MR. LAVENDER: We'll have two out of one household.
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COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: You live in Precinct 1, don't
you, Jeff?
MR. LAVENDER: Precinct -- I live in Center Point.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: He lives in my precinct, 2.
MR. LAVENDER: Two? Okay.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: You're in 2.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Twice as good as Precinct 1.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: His mother and daddy live
in 1.
MR. LAVENDER: I cannot answer that question.
JUDGE TINLEY: Okay.
MR. MALONEY: Few other things, briefly. He brought
up the meeting. We do meet bimonthly. Typically, I do keep
in touch with the Court via Mr. Baldwin, so I'll usually send
him a c.c. on an e-mail that we're meeting, or I'm trying to
keep in contact with the responders out there. And I just --
we meet for dinner at Chili's, where we're currently meeting,
and we do 6:30 and just kind of do discussions, go over things
that we can improve, what can we do for next year, and I pass
out things at that meeting. CPR is offered for free, with the
exception of buying the certification card, through Brandy
Miller or myself. Brandy Miller owns Goldstar CPR in town,
and he does -- is willing to do that for any of the First
Responders. He teaches probably twice a week around town,
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and -- or they can actually get the certification through me,
and all they have to do is pay $2 for the card, which is a
good deal. So -- and, actually, the last year, just to make
sure everyone is aware that KPUB did donate those AED's, so
they were generous to donate some AED's to us last year which
went in the First Responder program, which gave us a total of
24 out there right now. We have 24 AED's in the county.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Are they all out in the
field?
MR. MALONEY: Yes, sir, they are all out in the
field. So, we -- we tried to strategically place them in
different zones so that we get as many in each zone as
possible. And, per KPUB, they are going to do this again, so
this is a wonderful thing.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: This will be three years in a
i row.
MR. MALONEY: Yes, sir. Yes, sir, it will be a
great thing, so -- really. Is there anything else I can --
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Thank you very much.
MR. MALONEY: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Thank you.
MR. MALONEY: My pleasure.
JUDGE TINLEY: Appreciate it.
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: And Eric's always a great person
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to track down with EMS problems, if you have them. If someone
calls and complains, I always call Eric. Eric is very good at
looking at the run sheet, whatever it is, and seeing what the
problem was, if there was one.
MR. MALONEY: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Appreciate it.
JUDGE TINLEY: Thank you. Okay. Do we -- do we
have any reports from any of the Commissioners in connection
with their liaison/committee assignments or otherwise?
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I've already forgotten what
~ they are.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Just a couple notations
here, Judge. Just a reminder, Al Notzon's 40 years of service
to AACOG will be celebrated at a retirement party event at
Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center next Sunday from 2:00 to
5 p.m. And then one other note here, just a comment. I had
an e-mail from Mr. Richard Mosty of the Mosty law firm with
respect to the name of "Las Colinas," which he had platted at
his home place back in the '80's, and then suddenly there's
another Las Colinas that came into being in the ETJ. And
then -- Kerrville's ETJ. Are you familiar with this? Read
the e-mail, and I'll tell you what the answer is. And so we
checked on it, and of course, that was platted by -- under the
interlocal agreement between Kerr County and the City; was
platted by the City, and the name "Las Colinas" was never
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researched, and so, therefore, we have two of them. It did
come before me, the County Attorney reminds me, as a -- as a
concept plan several months ago, but not the name issue. So,
I guess all of that is to wonder aloud, have we managed to
obtain coordination with the City in terms of subdivision
rules coordinated with Kerr County, or is that still hanging
out there in the balance?
COMMISSIONER LETZ: I made the mistake of relaying
to the City Manager, I think, in retrospect, that there was no
rush in finalizing that agreement. I mean, as long as things
were working. And --
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: February.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yeah, and February is when the
new deadline is. So, February is now the deadline that the --
hopefully, the City is working towards. So, I have heard
nothing from the City on this issue since we had the -- since
September.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I haven't either, but part of
the agreement is that anytime the city issue comes up, they
immediately contact County Road and Bridge. I mean, that
communication has got to be open.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: And --
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Apparently that didn't
happen here, or the name "Las Colinas" would -- which our
folks at Road and Bridge knew about --
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	COMMISSIONER	BALDWIN:	Yeah.
	COMMISSIONER	WILLIAMS:	-- would have come into
play.	Somebody would	have said,	"There's already a Las
Colinas platted." So,	obviously,	that didn't happen.
	COMMISSIONER	LETZ: But	the response to Mr. Mosty, I
would	say the one the	City approv	ed recently has to change,
not Mr. Mosty's.		
	COMMISSIONER	WILLIAMS:	Well, the response went
back,	he needs to take	this issue	to the City, who issued the
plat.	Am I correct, M	r. County A	ttorney?
	COMMISSIONER	BALDWIN:	I think so.
	MR. EMERSON:	It's not	a County issue; it's a City
issue.
JUDGE TINLEY: You have anything?
COMMISSIONER LETZ: No, I don't.
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Well --
COMMISSIONER LETZ: I'm done.
JUDGE TINLEY: Commissioner 4?
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: I have an annual report from
ESD Number 2. Everything seems to be in order on that. The
Library Board meeting has been changed because of weather last
week, when we were scheduled to meet. I think it's going to
be the 30th of this month. And I also got a copy of -- of the
Board of Directors' thoughts about maybe priorities to come in
the future, and they do not necessarily go along with the
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librarians' suggestions.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: That would be novel.
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: So I will find out more when
the meeting occurs on the 30th, and will report back with my
findings at the next meeting.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: I do have one, actually. You
said -- brought up the library, which made me think of the
City of Kerrville, which made me think of -- somewhere,
someone asked me about a joint meeting. I think it was Irene
at the City. Maybe it was Jody here. Anyway, are we having a
joint meeting in February?
JUDGE TINLEY: I got a communication from people at
the City last week, and I have -- I have instructed
Ms. Grinstead to give you guys copies of it, suggesting we
need to try and light on a date for a joint meeting, and also,
if there -- there were some issues or areas outlined in that
letter; whether there were additional ones that need to be
considered or put on the table. So, you should have copies of
those things in your box -- I did my dictation over the
weekend, and so either today or tomorrow. And the -- one of
the items specifically mentioned had to do with the issue of a
library district, as I recall, in that letter. But you'll get
copies of those, and to determine your availability for a
joint meeting, and also issues that you want to lay on the
table.
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COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Judge, does it -- does it
mention who's buying the food?
COMMISSIONER LETZ: They are.
JUDGE TINLEY: I don't think there's any mention in
there about food at all.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Someone told me that they were
buying breakfast at KPUB; they're providing breakfast. It was
a morning meeting.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: I haven't heard or seen
anything about it.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: I'm not sure. I could have
dreamt this information, too. I'm not sure where it came
from.
JUDGE TINLEY: I think I read both of those letters
that came, and I don't recall it being in either one. And,
actually, I think I read them over the weekend, so that's
fairly recent. I think I'd remember, but maybe not.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: One thing that -- just to toss
out, that I think we need to get on the table is a -- a
long-term EMS plan for eastern Kerr County. The -- the issue
with Falling Water and Reserve seems to be floundering for the
third year now. I don't know that the City doesn't want to do
it -- you know, or I'm not sure where the problem is. I mean,
it's in their court currently, but there continues to be more
and more development. I know that we approved one the other
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day, Lasso Ranch up almost in Gillespie -- Kendall County,
very remote, far northeastern Kerr County. There's growth
around Center Point continuing. If there's other development
out Lane valley, we're talking about a large area there, and I
think that somewhere, that we're obligated, you know, from our
residents' standpoint, to figure out how we're going to handle
that remote part of the county, or far eastern part of the
county, much as -- you know, I think your area as well. I
think that that needs to get on the table. I don't think we
need to resolve it right now, but we need to figure out how
that's going to get resolved, because we need to act at some
point. If the City of Kerrville is not willing to expand into
some of these areas to get a little bit closer coverage, I
think we need to look at other options.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Rex, aren't you tired of
hearing about this?
MR. EMERSON: For the 40th time?
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah. Can -- do you think
that you and I can get with the City -- do they have a City
Attorney these days? Get with the City Attorney and whoever
their liaison is, and sit down have a visit about this, and
see if we can't get something moving down the road?
MR. EMERSON: I'm sure we could. But it -- I've
inquired about it, and I think Commissioner Letz has inquired
about it, and my understanding is the contract is sitting at
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City Hall somewhere waiting to be developed to be sent out to
Kendall or Boerne or whoever it is that handles that area.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: And that's one of the -- the
current contract is -- it's kind of strange. It's in my lap,
but the County's not a party to it.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Well, wait a minute, now.
I'm -- we're fixing to get the -- just in a few minutes, get
the copy of the EMS contract, our EMS contract. Doesn't it
say in there that they cover all of Kerr County?
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Right, they do. But the issue
at the far eastern part that we're trying to get Kendall
County to respond to, we can't get that out of the City, that
-- and there are some issues as to how you handle the
logistics of a 911 -- when you dial 911, what happens to your
phone call --
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: -- is a hangup. But --
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: But as far as we're concerned
and your citizens in Falling Water are concerned, when they
have a fire, --
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Kerrville.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: -- we have a contract with
the City to -- or not a fire, but a car wreck, the City of
Kerrville goes down there and takes care of it.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Correct, and they are. They're
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doing it. They -- you know, they're way out there, I know.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: So if they have a problem
with doing that -- providing that service, they need to work
it out with Kendall County. Isn't that the -- am I wrong
about that?
COMMISSIONER LETZ: They're right -- you're right.
But the -- my constituents don't -- I mean, they have nothing
to do with City of Kerrville.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: And they have nothing to do with
Kendall County, so by default, it comes to me, because I'm
kind of the one that can coordinate the two entities. Even
though, technically, it's not a county -- it's a county
problem, 'cause we have a contract with -- or a county issue,
only because we have a contract with City of Kerrville to
provide the service, and they're unhappy with the level of
service because of the distance issue. It's not the quality.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: The time frame.
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Pretty much the same thing as
with Y.O. Ranchland.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Exactly.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: But the problem -- the
difference, I think, is that east Kerr County is getting so
much more development now -- I mean, The Reserve and Falling
Water alone, those two subdivisions probably have 80 homes
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now, and they're continuing to grow. And there's all -- the
new one, Lasso Ranch, which was just approved is another 17
lots. But I know that most of those -- a lot of those lots
approval. There's contracts on a lot of that. Something is
going to happen out Lane Valley, whether it's the 200 lots
that are envisioned by the developer, or 50 lots. Either way,
there's going to be a significant number of homes that are
very remote out there, so we're looking at -- you know, you're
looking at very easily 150, probably, homes that didn't exist
five years ago in far eastern Kerr County, and that's -- and
that has to be addressed as to how that's going to be handled,
'cause that growth's going to continue out there.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: In the Y.O., if I remember
right, we all had this big pow-wow.
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Mm-hmm.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: And everyone agreed to what
we were going to do. Kendall County was going to provide --
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Kimble.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I'm sorry, Kimble County was
going to provide service, and we put together a contract and
sent it up there, and they never signed it and sent it back.
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Oh, really?
COMMISSIONER LETZ: But they're responding --
they're -- my understanding is they're responding, but they
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didn't want a contract.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Right.
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: It was my understanding they
wanted a contract at the beginning, which was what was holding
up the process.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yeah.
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: I mean, I kind of got into
this a little bit before I became --
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: We don't have a contract.
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: -- before I was seated in this
chair here.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: We don't have a contract with
Kimble County.
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: They just have a contract with
the landowners?
COMMISSIONER LETZ: They just have an agreement.
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: An agreement to provide
service?
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yeah, I think.
COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Which is all they really
needed to start with, in my opinion.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: I do have one other quickie
if we're off of EMS, and that has to do with the consultant
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that the Airport Board is going to choose, funded 90 percent
by TexDOT. We met to select that consultant; there was the
mayor, Guy Overby and me, and we did select a consultant. But
prior to that meeting, we talked to TexDOT about the date that
they had in their letter of transmittal, to make sure that
wasn't a drop-dead date, and tell them that we are engaging --
hope to engage a consultant to do a broad study of Kerr
County, and that we would not like this thing to go off on its
own without some coordination between the two. TexDOT didn't
have any particular problem with that. I will recommend to
the Airport Board at its next meeting, whenever we meet, the
selection of consultant, and the -- we will be delaying the
start of that work by about 60 days to give the other one an
opportunity to get started and get some coordination going.
And there will -- we'll also be talking about maybe changing
the scope of work for us somewhat to take up some issues that
need to be addressed.
JUDGE TINLEY: Okay.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: The reason we're not sure we're
going to meet, the Airport Manager's on extended vacation, so
we're not sure when we're going to meet.
JUDGE TINLEY: He's in Germany.
COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Who is?
COMMISSIONER LETZ: Dave Pearce. He's -- where is
he? In Germany?
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JUDGE TINLEY: Germany, from what I understood.
He's --
COMMISSIONER LETZ: He's gone for a month.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Good.
COMMISSIONER LETZ: So we're, you know, not sure
what -- I mean, we tried to -- the meeting got canceled during
the ice storm, so we don't know if we're going to meet for
another month or not, even though we have a huge agenda
already.
JUDGE TINLEY: Okay. Is that all from the
Commissioners? Any elected officials have reports? Anything
else? We stand adjourned.
(Commissioners Court adjourned at 11:54 a.m.)
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STATE OF TEXAS
COUNTY OF KERR
The above and foregoing is a true and complete
transcription of my stenotype notes taken in my
capacity as County Clerk of the Commissioners Court
of Kerr County, Texas, at the time and place
heretofore set forth.
DATED at Kerrville, Texas, this 25th day of
January, 2007.
JANNETT PIEPER, Kerr County Clerk
BY : __ ~~ ~1=~~~ -
Kathy Ba~ik, Deputy County Clerk
Certified Shorthand Reporter
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ORDER NO. 30112
RESCIND COURT ORDER NO.30098 REGARDING WATER
AVAILABILITY WORKSHOP
Came to be heard this the 22nd day of January, 2007, with a motion made by
Commissioner Williams, seconded by Commissioner Baldwin. The Court
unanimously approved by vote of 4-0-0 to:
Rescind Court Order No. 30098, and authorize Commissioners' Court to
participate in the water availability workshop under the auspices of HGCD
scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on Monday, January 22, 2007.
ORDER NO. 30113
APPROVAL OF CONTRACTS
Came to be heard this the 22nd day of January, 2007, with a motion made by
Commissioner Williams, seconded by Commissioner Baldwin. The Court
unanimously approved by vote of 4-0-0 to:
Approve the contracts with the Kerr Economic Development Foundation,
Mountain Home Volunteer Fire Department and Ingram Volunteer Fire
Department, and authorize County Judge to sign same.
ORDER NO.30114
APPROVE NEW CHILD SERVICES BOARD MEMBER
Came to be heard this the 22nd day of January, 2007, with a motion made by
Commissioner Baldwin, seconded by Commissioners Letz. The Court
unanimously approved by vote of 4-0-0 to:
Approve the appointment of Kathy Landrum Carpenter as a member of the
Kerr County Child Services Board.
ORDER NO.30115
PURCHASE OF 2003 FORD PICKUP FOR SHERIFF'S OFFICE
Came to be heard this the 22nd day of January, 2007, with a motion made by
Commissioner Letz, seconded by Commissioner Oehler. The Court
unanimously approved by vote of 4-0-0 to:
Approve the purchase of a 2003 Ford Pickup for the Sheriffs Office, using
funds in the amount of ($6,818.69) in Capital Outlay, with the balance to be
paid out of the Sheriffs Seizure Fund.
ORDER NO. 30116
CLAIMS AND ACCOUNTS
Came to be heard this the 22nd day of January, 2007, came to be considered
by the Court various Commissioners Precincts, which said Claims and
Accounts are:
Accounts Expense
10-General	$	138,162.92
15-Road & Bridge	$	24,524.05
18-County Law Library	$	65.00
31-Parks	$	21,090.00
50-Indigent Health Care	$	19,128.48
76-Juv Detention Facility	$	6,811.83
TOTAL
$ 209,782.28
Upon motion made by Commissioner Williams, seconded by Commissioner
Baldwin, the Court unanimously approved by vote of 4-0-0 to pay the claims
and accounts.
ORDER NO. 30117
BUDGET AMENDMENT # 1
COUNTY TREASURER
Came to be heard this the 22nd day of January, 2007, with a motion made by
Commissioner Williams, seconded by Commissioner Baldwin, the Court
unanimously approved by vote of 4-0-0 to transfer the following expense
codes:
Expense Code Description
10-497-569 Operating Equipment
Amendment
Increase/()Decrease
+ $172.58
10-497-310 Office Supplies - ($172.58)
ORDER NO. 30118
BUDGET AMENDMENT #2
JURY FUND
Came to be heard this the 22nd day of January, ?007, with a motion made by
Commissioner Letz, seconded by Commissioners Oehler, the Court
unanimously approved by vote of 4-0-0 to transfer the following expense
codes:
Expense Code Description
10-434-496 Interpreters
Amendment
Increase/()Decrease
+ $741.00
10-434-492 Jury Fees - ($741 00)
ORDER NO. 30119
BUDGET AMENDMENT #3
216th DISTRICT COURT
Came to be heard this the 22nd day of January, 2007, with a motion made by
Commissioner Baldwin, seconded by Commissioners Williams, the Court
unanimously approved by vote of 4-0-0 to transfer the following expense
codes:
Expense Code Description
10-435-401 Court Appointed Services
Amendment
Increase/()Decrease
+ $2,284 01
10-435-402 Court Appointed Attorney - ($2,284.01)
ORDER NO.30120
HAND CHECK
SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT
Came to be heard this the 22nd day of January, 2007, with a motion made by
Commissioner Baldwin, seconded by Commissioners Williams, the Court
unanimously approved by vote of 4-0-0 to issue a hand check to Cecil
Atkisson Motors in the amount of $6,818.69, to be taken out of the Sheriff s
Capital Outlay Budget Line Item.
ORDER NO. 30121
MONTHLY REPORTS
Came to be heard this the 22nd day of January, 2007, with a motion made by
Commissioner Letz, seconded by Commissioner Oehler, the Court
unanimously approved by vote of 4-0-0 the following monthly reports:
JP #4
County Clerk -General and Trust Fund
Activity Report for Justice Courts, Pct. #2, December, 2006
District Clerk
JP # 1
ORDER NO. 30122
LETTER OF INTENT TO USDOJ SAFE HAVEN
Came to be heard this the 22nd day of January, 2007, with a motion made by
Commissioner Letz, seconded by Commissioner Williams. The Court
unanimously approved by vote of 4-0-0 to:
Approve the non-binding Letter of Intent, based on the sample provided, to
the Office of Violence Against Women, United States Department of Justice
for the OVW FY 2007 Safe Havens: Supervised Visitation and Safe
Exchange Programs, CDFA 16,527; OVW-2007-1525, fora 3 year grant to
_, be administered under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Hill
County Crisis Council.
ORDER NO. 30123
2007 RABIES DRIVE
Came to be heard this the 22nd day of January, 2007, with a motion made by
Commissioner Baldwin, seconded by Commissioner Letz. The Court
unanimously approved by vote of 4-0-0 to:
Approve reducing the Registration Fees to $1.00 during the Rabies Drive
from February 3, 2007 through February 17, 2007.