ORDER NO.30573 2007-2008 KERR COUNTY COMMUNITY PLAN Came to be heard this the 22nd day of October, 2007, with a motion made by Commissioner Williams, seconded by Commissioner Baldwin. The Court unanimously approved by vote of 4-0-0 to: Adopt the 2007-2008 Kerr County Community Plan for submission to the Alamo Area Council of Governments. ~os73 -~ COMMISSIONERS' COURT AGENDA REQUEST PLEASE FURNISH ONE ORIGINAL AND NINE COPIES OF THIS REQUEST AND DOCUMENTS TO BE REVIEWED BY THE COURT. MADE BY: Rosa Lavender MEETING DATE: October 22, 2007 OFFICE: Victim Services TIME PREFERRED: Anytime SUBJECT: Consider, Discuss and Adopt the 2007-2008 Kerr County Community Plan for submission to the Alamo Area Council of Governments EXECUTIVE SESSION REQUESTED: (PLEASE STATE REASON) NAME OF PERSON ADDRESSING THE COURT: Rosa Lavender ESTIMATED LENGTH OF PRESENTATION: 5 minutes IF PERSONNEL MATTER -NAME OF EMPLOYEE: Time for submitting this request for Court to assure that the matter is posted in accordance with Title 5, Chapter 551 and 552, Government Code, is as follows: Meeting scheduled for Mondays THIS REQUEST RECEIVED BY: THIS REQUEST RECEIVED ON: 5:00 P.M. previous Tuesday. All Agenda Requests will be screened by the County Judge's Office to determine if adequate information has been prepared for the Court's formal consideration and action at time of Court Meetings. Your cooperation will be appreciated and contribute towards you request being addressed at the earliest opportunity. See Agenda Request Rules Adopted by Commissioners' Court. Kerr County Community Plan 2007 - 2008 October 2007 Kerr County Community Plan Areas Represented ~, Incorporated Communities: ^ Kerrville ^ Ingram Unincorporated Communities: ^ Center Point ^ Mountain Home ^ Hunt School Districts: ^ Kerrville ISD ^ Ingram ISD ^ Center Point ISD ^ Hunt ISD ^ Divide ISD County Demographics: Kerr County is located in the South Central area of Texas and includes the cities of Kerrville and Ingram and unincorporated areas of Center Point, Hunt and Mountain Home. Kerr County celebrated their Sesquicentennial in 2006. The county's geographic area measures 1,106 square miles and includes rich farmlands along creeks and the Guadalupe River in the eastern part of the county and more rugged ranchlands in the western part. The headwaters of the Guadalupe River spring from limestone karst formations in the western part of Kerr County. The 2006 population estimate according to the U.S. Census Bureau was 47,254 residents with almost 96% of the population made up of Caucasian and Hispanic residents. Because undocumented workers and families are not likely to be counted by the Census, the number Hispanics living in the county is probably higher than recorded. Growth in Kerr County has been steady over the past decade. Population has grown 8.3% in the past six years from 43,653 in 2000 to 47,254 in 2006. Kerr County is a retirement community drawing people from atl over the United States to move here each year. The community's three hospitals, several retirement homes, assisted living facilities and nursing homes plus a strong medical community, the climate and location, and organizations and services to meet the needs of retirees lead to the projection that this growth will continue. Kerr County Community Plan page 2 The Dietert Senior Center which coordinates the Meals on Wheels program countywide and many other activities that appeal to seniors moved into a new state-of-the-art facility in early 2007. Kerr County has three local law enforcement agencies. The Kerr County Sheriff s Department has 45 sworn deputies, 33 jailers, 10 dispatchers and 10 clerk/secretary positions. There are 8 deputies in the Criminal Investigations Division and three in the Special Crimes Unit. One deputy serves as the D.A.R.E. officer for the county school districts. The Kerrville Police Department has 52 sworn officers including seven officers in the Criminal Investigations Division and three officers in a Special Crimes Unit. The department has one SRO assigned to the Kerrville School District, 11 dispatchers and 6 people in the administrative and clerical support category. The Ingram Marshal's Department employs 5 full-time deputies and 5 active part-time deputies. One deputy is a full-time investigator. The department has one full-time person who is their dispatcher and administrative aid on weekdays. The Sheriffs department dispatches for the department on weekends and nights. Additionally there are 4 constables and 2 deputy constables, 7 Department of Public Safety troopers, 2 game wardens in Kerr County and the Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission agent for this region is based in Kerr County. One Texas Ranger also is based in Kerr County. The county is served by three prosecutor's offices. The Kerr County Attorney's Office has the county attorney plus one assistant county attorney and four administrative and clerical staff. The 216th Judicial District that also covers Kendall, Bandera and Gillespie counties has one district attorney and two assistant DAs, and 3 administrative/clerical positions. The 1981 Judicial District which also serves Kimble, Mason, Menard, and McCullough counties has an two assistant DAs and a satellite office in Kerrville plus one additional assistant DA based in Junction plus 4 administrative/clerical positions. Both the 216th and 198th also have commissioned special investigators in their offices. In 2006 the Kerr County Court at Law disposed of 2,388 misdemeanor cases, down slightly from the previous year and but up almost 300 cases from five years ago. The first nine months of 2007 the CCL disposed of 1,628 cases but have 2,340 cases pending showing the increased number of misdemeanor cases filed in the court since the beginning of the year. The 216th and 198th district courts disposed of 589 cases in 2006, down slightly from 674 cases in 2005 but the numbers of cases indicted in the Kerr County Community Plan page 3 district courts is continuing to increase. As of Oct. 1, 2007, they have disposed of 547 cases in 2007 (up from 406 at the same time last year), but have 1,097 cases still pending (up from 907 cases in 2006) in the two district courts in Kerr County. (Statistics according to reports submitted to the Texas Office of Court Administration) Kerr County has one Crime Victims Coordinator funded by a federal Victims of Crime Act Grant. The coordinator maintains an office in the courthouse and works with victims referred by all of the law enforcement agencies and the prosecutors' offices. The coordinator has also worked with felony victims in selected felony cases this year in Bandera and Gillespie counties at the request of the prosecutor. Bandera County currently has no CVC and this is the second year for Gillespie County to have a designated person in the county attorney's office who works with misdemeanor victims. Within the county there are 17 public school campuses in five school districts plus several smaller parochial and private schools. Growth in the county's school population is slower because of the demographics of people moving to Kerr County, many of which do not have school-age children. School enrollment in the public schools in Kerr County in the fall of 2007 totaled 6,925 students, down slightly from 7,089 in the fall of 2006. The largest school district is Kerrville ISD with an enrollment of 4,774 students, down from 4,869 students in the fall of 2006. The smallest, Divide ISD, began the 2007-2008 school year with 15 students, down from 20 students in 2006. All of the Kerr County public school campuses are rated either "Academically Acceptable" "Recognized" or "Exemplary" by the Texas Education Agency. The latest available (2004-2005) school dropout rates, according to the TEA website, for Kerrville ISD was .6%, Ingram ISD was .1 % and Center Point ISD was 1 %. Statewide dropout rates for 2004- 2005 were .9%. Dropout rates for 2005-2006 will be posted in late November 2007 on the TEA website. Kerr County has three hospitals and several retirement, nursing and assisted living facilities. The three hospitals are Sid Pe#erson Memorial Hospital, the Kerrville State Hospital and the Veterans Administration Medical Center, a part of the South Texas Veterans Health Care System. Sid Peterson Hospital will become Peterson Regional Medical Center when it opens its new state-of-the art 125 bed, 250,000 square foot facility built on a 36-acre tract of land south of the downtown area in early 2008. The $75 million dollar hospital facility is the largest construction project in Kerr Kerr County Community Plan page 4 County history. Many new doctors' offices and other support facilities have been built in the area around the new medical center also. The City of Kerrville provides countywide Emergency Medical Services (EMS) plus designated fire services on a contract basis with the county. The county has an active First Responder Program that supports the EMS program in the rural areas. A total of 10 rural volunteer fire departments also provide fire and first responder services in various parts of the county. Two emergency service districts (ESDs) in the western part of Kerr County (Ingram and Mountain Home) have been approved and have taxing authority to help support the costs of the respective fire departments. The employment base in Kerr County is based on the growing healthcare industry and businesses that support healthcare services, a mixture of government jobs, retail businesses, service industry jobs, some manufacturing and the construction trades. The county's wage scale is lower than the state average but the unemployment rate is also low, currently at 3.5% (August 2007). An Alamo Worksource Center is located in Kerrville which draws persons from Kendall, Bandera, Gillespie and Kerr counties. The center provides information and guidance to persons who are looking for work or training to improve themselves in the job market. Both the Christian Women's Job Corps and Christian Men's Job Corps have active programs in Kerr County helping adults upgrade their job skills, work ethic and prepare them for jobs in the community. Both programs also provide job placement services for their graduates. The Kerrville Independent School District through its Club Ed program provides awide-ranging variety of community education classes that enhance job skills in many areas in Kerr and several surrounding counties. The vocational nursing program at Schreiner University also provides job training for Hill Country residents. Several groups in the community are working to identify educational needs of the unemployed and are working to address those needs in the future. There is no significant heavy industry in Kerr County. Several small corporations such as Mooney Airplane Company, Acrotech Industries and James Avery Craftsmen have larger numbers of employees. Agriculture is still a notable part of the county's economic base but tourism, the summer camping industry and hunting are also significant parts of the economy in the county. Kerr County Community Plan page 5 Kerr County Community Plan QuickFacts from U.S. Census Bureau People QuickFacts Kerr County Population, 2006 estimate ...................................................................... ........47,254 Population, percent change, April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006 ............................. ...........8.3% Population, 2000 .................................................................................. .........43,653 Persons, under 5 years old, percent, 2005 ................................................ ............5.6% Persons, under 18 years old, percent, 2005 ............................................... ..........21.6% Persons 65 years old and over, percent, 2005 ............................................ .........24.5% Female persons, percent, 2005 ............................................................... ............52% White persons, percent, 2005 ................................................................. ..........95.9% Black persons, percent, 2005 ................................................................. ..............2% American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2005 .......................... ...........0.6% Asian persons, percent, 2005 ................................................................. ............0.6% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, percent, 2005 ........................... ~ ............0.0% ~,, Persons reporting two or more races, percent, 2005 .................................... ...........0.8% Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2005 ..................................... ..........21.9% White persons, not Hispanic, percent, 2005 ............................................... ..........74.7% Living in same house in 1995 and 2000, pct age 5+, 2000 ......................................51.6% Foreign born persons, percent, 2000 ....................................................... ........... 6.6% Language other than English spoken at home, pct age 5+, 2000 ................... ..........18.2% High School graduates, percent of persons age 25+, 2000 ........................... ..........81.2% Bachelor's degree or higher, pct of persons age 25+, 2000 .......................... ..........23.3% Persons with a disability, age 5+, 2000 .................................................... .........10,156 Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16+, 2000 ......................... ............18.3 Housing Units, 2005 ......................................................................................21,192 `'~'' Homeownership rate, 2000 .................................................................... ..........73.3% Kerr County Community Plan Housing units in multi-unit structures, percent, 2000 ..................... ........................13.0% Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2000 ................... .......................$96,600 i.r Households, 2000 ................................................................. ........................17,813 Persons per household, 2000 .................................................. ...........................2.35 Per capita money income, 1999 ............................................... ......................$19,767 Median household income, 2004 .............................................. ......................$37,217 Persons below poverty, percent, 2004 ....................................... ........................13.2% Business QuickFacts Kerr County Private non-farm establishments, 2005 ...................................... .........................1,428 Private non-farm employment, 2005 ......................................... ........................15,226 Private non-farm employment, percent change 2000-2005 ............ ..........................6.4% Non-employer establishments, 2005 ......................................... ..........................4,351 Manufacturers shipments, 2002 ($1000) .................................... ......................111,136 Retail sales, 2002 ($1000) ...................................................... ......................528,960 Retail sales per capita, 2002 ................................................... .......................$11,801 Hispanic-owned firms, percent of total, 2002 .........................................................8.4% Women-owned firms, percent of total, 2002 .........................................................23.0% Federal spending, 2004 ($1000) .....................................................................343,932 Geography QuickFacts Kerr County Land area, 2000 (square miles) ..........................................................................1,106 Persons per square mile, 2000 ...........................................................................39.5 FIPS Code .......................................................................................................265 Metropolitan or Miropolitan Statistical Area Kerrville, TX Micro Area Kerr County Community Plan Community Planning Team In developing this Community Plan, members of the team were divided into several focus groups for the purpose of narrowing the scope of research and data that are incorporated into the Plan. Some members may serve in multiple capacities/categories. Communit Plannin Chair Person: Name Agency Address E-mail Phone Rosa Lavender Kerr County/ Victims 700 Main, CB 102 rlavender(a)co.kerr.tx.us (830) 792-2297 Services Kerrville, Texas I~~vr~nilp Services: --------- --- - Name ----- Agency Address E-mail Phone Chair: Jason Davis Kerr County Juvenile 700 Main, BA100 idavis(a)co.kerr.tx.us (830) 896-9013 Probation Department Kerrville, Texas Kevin Stanton Kerr County Juvenile 3501 Legion Dr. kstanton(c~co.kerr.tx.us (830 257-6110 Detention Facility Kerrville, Texas Pat Tinley Kerr County 700 Main ptinley(a~co.kerr.tx.us (830) 792-2211 Judge/Juvenile Judge Kerrville, Texas Vicki Barron Director K'Star P.O. Box 290962 kstartc~ktc.com (830) 896-5437 Kerrville, Texas Sheryl Howard Hill Country Crisis P.O. Box 291817 sherylhoward@hillcountry (830) 257-7088 Council Kerrville, Texas crisiscouncil.org Patsy Lackey Hill Country Crisis P.O. Box 291817 patsy@hillcountry (830) 257-7088 Council Kerrville, Texas crisiscouncil.org Diane Oehler Hill Country CASA P.O. Box 290493 hccasa(a~ktc.com (830) 896-2272 Kerrville, Texas Judy Sullivan Kids' Advocacy Place P.O. Box 291722 KAP2(c~ktc.com (830) 895-4527 Kerrville, Texas Patrick Cass Doyle School 110 W. Barnett patricc(a)ktc.com (830) 257-4446 Community Center Kerrville, Texas Bill Blackburn Partners in Ministry 301 Junction Hwy, bill@partnersinministry.com (830) 792-3131 Suite 341 Kerrville, Texas Victim Services: ------ ------ Name -- A enc Address E-mail Phone Chair: Sheryl Hill Country Crisis P.O. Box 291817 sherylhoward@ (830) 257-7088 Howard Council Kerrville, Texas hillcountrycrisiscouncil.org Rosa Lavender Kerr County Victims 700 Main, CB 102 rlavender(a~co.kerr.tx.us (830) 792-2297 Services Department Kerrville, Texas Patsy Lackey Hill Country Crisis P.O.Box 291817 patsy@hillcountry (830) 257-7088 Council Kemille, Texas crisiscouncil.org Judy Sullivan Kids' Advocacy Place P.O. Box 291722 KAP2(a~ktc.com (830) 895~t527 Kerrville, Texas Bobbie Lesser New Hoe 120 A ua Vista Dr Messer ktc.com 830 896-7150 Kerr County Community Plan Counseling Center Kerrville, Texas Goldie Henry Hill Country CASA P.O. Box 290965 hccasa(a~ktc.com (830) 896-2272 Kerrville, Texas Diane Oehler Hill Country CASA P.O.Box 290965 dloehler@ktc.com (830) 896-2272 Kerrville, Texas Criminal Justice (law enforcement, courts, corrections) Name A enc Address E-mail Phone Chair: Jeffrey Kerrville Police Dept 429 Sidney Baker JeffrevWC~Kerrville.org (830)-'><92~2704 Wendling Kerrville, Texas '13°! Rob McCutcheon Kerrville Police Dept. 429 Sidney Baker RobM@Kerrville.org (830) 792-2716 Kerrville, Texas Bill Hill Kerr County Sheriffs 400 Clearwater bhill(c~co.kerr.tx.us (830) 896-1216 Department Paseo, Kerrville, Texas Ilse Bailey Kerr County 700 Main, BA 103 ibailey@co.kerr.tx.us (830) 792-2225 Attorney's Office Kerrville, Texas Homeland Security/ Disaster Preparedness: Name A enc Address E-mail Phone Chair: Bill Amerine Kerr Emergency 911 819 Water St. WEA911(a7ktc.com (830) 792-5911 Network Suite 270 Kerrville, Texas Christine McEntyre CERT/CARRY 700 Main BA 103 cmcentyre(a)co.kerr.tx.us (830) 792-2226 Kerrville, Texas Mike Heath Kerrville Area Rural 2181 Goat Creek Rd mheath@michaelaustin (830) 367-3800 Firefighters Assn. Kerrville, Texas industries.com Laverne Boles Emergency Services 161 T Bar Ranch Rd rlboles(a)hctc.net (830) 866-3366 District #2 Mountain Home, Tx Sheila Brand Mountain Home VFD P.O.Box 277 rsbrand@omniglobal.com (830) 866-3637 Mountain Home, Tx Other: Health and Family Services Name A enc Address E-mail Phone Chair: Patrick Cass Doyle School 110 W. Barnett patricc(a~ktc.com (830) 257-4446 Community Center Kerrville, Texas Robin Amerine Sid Peterson Memorial 710 Water Street ramerine(a~spmh.com (830) 258-7628 Hospital Kerrville, Texas Jane Redmond Sid Peterson Memorial 710 Water Street iredmond(c~spmh.com (830) 258-7448 Hospital Kerrville, Texas Sharon Keith Sid Peterson Memorial 710 Water Street skeith(v7spmh.com (830)258-7482 Hospital Kerrville, Texas Rebecca McKenzie Kerrville ISD-Tivy H.S. 3250 Loop 534 Rebecca.mckenzie@ 830) 257-2213 Kerrville, Texas Kerrvilleisd.net Ext. 271 Kerr County Community Plan page 10 Kathy Banik Kerr County Child 700 Main CB 101 kbanik co.kerr.tx.us (830) 792-2295 Services Board Kerrville, Texas Pam Cann Kerr County Mental 900 Paschal Street scan(a)classicnet.net (830) 367-5350 Health Advisory Board Kerrville, Texas Meg Scott Johnson Doyte School 110 W. Barnett megdscott@ (830) 257-8338 Community Center Kerrville, Texas earthlink.net Kaeli Dressler Sid Peterson Memorial 710 Water Street Kdressler@spmh.com (830) 258-7342 Hospital Kerrville, Texas Kerr County Community Plan pale 11 Identification of Community Problems In each of the areas below, problems are identified and data is included that supports both the existence and severity of the problems as they are found in the County. Below is a discussion of the prioritized problems, data and statistics that explain the manner in which the problems are being reported, and strategically how responses to these community problems could be improved. Juvenile Issues (listed in order of priority, greatest need first) Priority #1: Establish a source of funding for the Kerr County Juvenile Mental Health Program allowing the Juvenile Probation Department to provide mental health services to underserved youth at risk of detention. Supporting Data: The Kerr County Juvenile Probation Department receives approximately 370 referrals from law enforcement on an annual basis. These referrals include some 265 unique children, ages 10-17, in need of supervision or who have engaged in delinquent conduct. The Texas Legislature removed mental health benefits from children served by the CHIPS program in the 2005 session. In October 2007, the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission announced there could be losses of eighty percent or greater in federal programs funding. Federal funds support the majority of mental health services provided by the Kerr County Juvenile Probation Department. Many of the children referred to the Kerr County Juvenile Probation Department are screened for services by Hill Country MHMR for placement in the TCOMMI program. MHMR does provide serves to a few of these children, however they are limited to providing services to only fifteen children at a time. Due to program limitations, MHMR is not able to effectively aid all youth in need of services. The Kerr County Juvenile Probation Department employs five officers. Due to the small size of the Department, it is often not eligible for many mental health programs available to larger departments in urban areas. Therefore, many of the basic services needed to aid children with mental health issues are not provided. At-risk youth in Kerr County do not have the opportunity to receive services such as psychological evaluations, substance abuse evaluations and treatment, and educational tutoring. The services that are available often come at too great of an expense for their families. The Juvenile Probation Department makes no less that 165 referrals to mental health, substance abuse, and tutoring programs annually. Lack of proper diagnosis, education, and treatment of youth in need of services, places these children at continued risk of recidivism and incarceration. Kerr County Community Plan page 12 Proposed Objectives: Secure funding to provide mental health services to at- risk youth in Kerr County, Texas. Increase availability of psychological evaluations, substance abuse evaluations and classes, and tutoring classes by providing them at no costs to families. Priority #2: Sponsorship for the Kerr County Leadership Is For Everyone (L.I.F.E.) Skills Program. LIFE Skills teaches 4H Leadership skills and techniques to at-risk youth. Supporting Data: According to the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission, there are 3,993 juveniles between the ages of 10 and 17 in Kerr County, Texas. This is known as the "juvenile age population". Of these, 260 are charged with some type of criminal activity annually. For some of these children, this will be there last official contact with the juvenile justice or adult criminal systems. However for many, the pattern-making of poor choices is never broken and the legal system becomes a part of life. The majority of juveniles referred to the justice system lack involvement in their communities, schools, and families. Youth services have attempted to invent and re-invent programs to address this for years. At-risk youth do not often have the opportunity to associate with groups and individuals engaged in positive and productive activities. Juvenile offenders lack education and leadership in ethics, decision making, and character. Nearly every child that comes in contact with juvenile justice services lacks the proper skills to make positive choices. There exists a great need for programs and individuals to guide our youth in positive and proven directions in an effort to reduce recidivism and deter detention and incarceration. Proposed Objectives: The Kerr County Leadership Is For Everyone (L.I.F.E.) Skills Program is collaboration between the Kerr County Office of Texas Cooperative Extension, the Kerr County Juvenile Probation Department and Kerr County. The L.I.F.E. Skills program utilizes Extension and 4-H principles and curriculum to serve "at-risk" youth in Kerr County, Texas. This pilot program is an exciting and original approach to assist our children. The L.I.F.E. Skills program teaches and guides "at-risk" juvenile offenders in ethical and socially responsible behaviors. Court ordered juveniles attend the program in an effort to deter detention. The program focuses on proven 4-H leadership skills in an effort to rehabilitate and improve the quality of life for these youths. L.I.F.E. Skills gives these juveniles an alternative to negative actions and behaviors by instilling positive reinforcement associated with character and leadership. During the process, the juveniles gain respect for themselves, others and the community. This program targets providing services for approximately 100 children annually. Numbers are based on referrals from courts and law enforcement. The partnership between the Kerr County Office of Texas Cooperative Ken County Community Plan page 13 Extension and the Kerr County Juvenile Probation Department introduces "at-risk" youth to 4-H and increase the awareness of local 4-H club programs providing youth with positive activities. This program is divided into two age groups, 10 to 14 and 15 to 17 years of age. Children attend weekly 2 hour meetings to educate youth in character traits and personal improvement through non-traditional classroom techniques such as open dialogs, group games, role play, along with the possibility of out-of-class activities. This program was created with the flexibility to change and/or enhance the subject of discussion as needed. Funding is needed to continue this exciting new program. Juvenile Issues Summary: Reductions in funding at federal and state levels have caused a crisis at the local level. Funds once allocated by federal and state programs to aid and assist children with mental health issues have been significantly reduced or terminated leaving youth throughout the state with little or no help. Diagnosis, treatment, and education of youth in need of mental health services, has taken a back seat to other concerns. As alternatives to detention are threatened; education, classes, and services at the local level become increasingly important to the success of our children. Collaborations between county, regional, and state agencies are necessary to support programs attempting to instill ethics, character, and leadership are needed to provide youth with the proper skills to make thoughtful choices. Identify Trends: Referral rates to the Kerr County Juvenile probation Department have remained fairly consistent over the past 5 years. However, petitions to the juvenile court increased 22% last year. This indicates that the level and degree of offences committed is rising. Identify Problems: Lack of public services in a rural area lead to lack of positive alternatives for youth. Identify Service Gaps: Gaps in funding have been created by the reduction of available funds at the federal and state level. Mental health and positive leadership skills are lacking. Identify Achievements: Kerr County has initiated numerous programs with federal and state aid. These programs include unconventional partnerships and proven techniques aimed at reducing recidivism and providing alternatives to detention. These programs provide services to at risk youth and families and children with mental health concerns. Kerr County Community Plan page 14 Victim Issues (listed in order of priority, greatest need first) Priority #1: Continue to provide Crime Victims with information and services to recover from the crime and trauma-related effects of victimization, with special emphasis on victims in rural (Outside of Census Reporting Areas) locations. Supporting Data: Not unsurprisingly, Kerr County is experiencing a growth in crime along with the fast growing population. The complex picture is best seen through the victim services providers. The County Victims Coordinator reports 383 crime victims were served this past year, up from 351 victims in FY 2005. The Hill Country Crisis Council reports 626 (up from 525 in 2005) Hill Country crime victims (domestic violence and sexual assault) served, with 188 identified as Kerr County residents (142, 2005), providing 2846 shelter days and screening for 44 Protective Orders. In index crimes against persons, murders were up from none reported in 2005 to 2 in 2006; with 39 assaults and 19 rapes reported in 2006. (Texas Department of Public Safety, from 2006 Uniform Crime Reporting Bureau data) TDPS also reports 272 incidents of family violence crimes in 2006, up from 258 in the prior year. Crimes against children (child abuse and neglect) has resulted in an almost doubling in two year of the number of cases handled by Hill Country CASA, from 87 children in 55 Kerr County cases in FY 2004 to 163 children in 84 cases in FY 2006. Kids' Advocacy Place reports 320 victims were served, with 180 forensic interviews of children and 140 non-offending family members receiving referrals, crisis counseling, etc. Proposed Objectives: 1. To continue existing services for victims through the county's Victims Services Department, Peterson Memorial Hospital, HCCC, KAP, K'Star'anc~other pnvate or religious based service organizations, including information, referral, personal and legal advocacy, counseling, emergency shelter and support. 2. To implement special outreach programs for rural residents and, if possible, address the transportation needs of residents to receive services offered. 3. To accelerate prevention activities based on the CDC directives for primary prevention initiatives in sexual assault, and Texas-based research on family violence programs. Kerr County Community Plan page 15 Priority #2: Address the increasing problem of child abuse in Kerr County with the goal to reduce the incidence of abuse through prevention activities, to provide more intervention for child victims and their families where abuse or neglect has occurred, and where possible to provide services to at risk families for more family preservation and fewer child removals. Proposed Objectives: 1. Initiate study into the likely causes of and/or factors encouraging abuse and neglect in children through consultation with local law enforcement and service providers. 2. Target awareness campaigns to the causes/factors identified. 3. Identify model programs and foster/encourage local development of such programs to support families at risk 4. Encourage non-profit organizations to engage in cooperative ventures to most efficiently provide prevention and intervention services. Supporting Data: Crimes against children (child abuse and neglect) has resulted in an almost doubling in two year of the number of cases handled by Hill Country CASA, from 87 children in 55 Kerr County cases in FY 2004 to 163 children in 84 cases in FY 2006. Kids' Advocacy Place reports 320 victims were served, with 180 forensic interviews of children and 140 non offending family members receiving referrals, crisis counseling, etc. This past year, the Crisis Council served 85 children in the emergency shelter (as primary and secondary victims of domestic violence) and 83 in non-residential services. K'Star housed 24 Kerr County children for a total of 294 days in 2006 and provided non-residential counseling services for 157 families in Kerr County in 2006. Child Protective Services removed 33 Kerr County children from the home in 2006, up from 21 in 2005 and 4 in 2004. CPS reported 616 alleged victims of child abuse/neglect, with 110 victims provided services (up from 105 in 2005 and 57 in 2004). Priority #3: Training for law enforcement, judicial and victims' service providers. Improved coordination of services for faster more effective response to crime victims. Kerr County Community Plan page 16 Supporting Data: Ongoing training is justified for multiple reasons: 1. Our small, rural law enforcement agencies experience turnover as many seasoned officers are attracted to higher salaries elsewhere or retire, and thus, continual training is required for new staff; 2. The ability to prosecute perpetrators and assist victims depends on first having more complete data collection in incident reports and such improved collection can occur with more training; and 3. Victim services providers and their partners in the criminal justice system (CJS) report inconsistent responses to crime victims within and across agencies. Improved coordination is needed to address these issues that result in delays in services to the victims. The delay often frustrates victims and can put them further at risk. Also, a delay in prosecuting increases the chances victims and other significant parties will move. Once contact is lost, prosecution is stymied, which not only wastes time and resources on the case, but also raises the possibility that those who would have been prosecuted are free to offend more victims in the future. Proposed Objectives: 1. More training initiatives with assistance from AACOG. 2. Establish an interagency task force to meet monthly to coordinate CJS and service provider activities in domestic violence and sexual assault cases. Priority #4: Seek a solution to address the lack of housing alternatives for victims of intimate violence who feel they have no choice but to return to the abusive living environment where they may be at risk for re-victimization. Supporting Data: Kerr County has only 72 subsidized housing units, with a 3 to 4 year waiting list for admission. HCCC reports extraordinary lengths of stay for some shelter clients with the average length of stay continuing to climb by 26% over 2005. Many do not need the safety and security of a 24-hour staffed shelter, but remain because no, safe alternative housing is available with the supports needed to ensure a successful transition to independent living free of abuse and violence. Proposed Objectives: 1. Develop a transitional housing program for crime victims where the lack of alternate housing options exposes them to additional risks for re-victimization. 2. Couple the transitional housing with a case management program to better Ensure the successful reintegration of such client/victims into independent living. Priority #5: Increase support services designed specifically for the Kerr County senior and disabled populations who are at high risk for crime victimization. Kerr County Community Plan page 17 --- Supporting Data: As a popular retirement destination, Kerr County is experiencing a growth in senior population--from 11548 in 2005, to 11,975 in 2006 (a 4% growth in one year)--and these seniors are largely imports to the area, lacking the family and social connections which can help prevent problems of senior abuse, neglect and self neglect, and can provide early intervention and assistance following crime victimization. (Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, 2006 Data Book) Similarly, the population (between 18 and 64 years of age) with a disability has risen, up from 2,672 in 2005 to 3,167 in 2006--a 19% growth. Adult protective services reports an increase in total intakes from 200 in 2005 to 219 in 2006; with 178 clients receiving APS services in 2006, up from 129 in the prior year--a 38% increase. Proposed Objectives: 1. Increase awareness of risk factors and prevention activities. 2. Assess perceptions of senior and disabled populations of access to help and redress from law enforcement, other elements of the criminal justice system, victim services providers, health care providers, etc. 3. Encourage non-profits to engage in cooperative ventures to most efficiently provide intervention and prevention services to these populations. Victim Issues Summary: With overall population increase, Kerr County service providers are seeing more crime victims needing emergency shelter, counseling, legal assistance, crime victims compensation assistance, advocacy, support and safe housing options. Coordinating services through the County's Victim Services Office has created real efficiencies in victims from Kerr and surrounding counties negotiating the criminal justice system and in receiving vital information about available services and accessing those services in a timely manner to assist in their recovery from crime victimization. Child maltreatment has been identified by all service providers as a priority issue, and this is supported by the data coming from Child Protective Services. Much discussion has occurred regarding the causes and how to prevent child victimization. All relevant providers have committed to researching this issue locally and working on collaborative intervention and prevention programs. More and ongoing law enforcement training remains a goal for the county. Reviewing the UCR data against client loads reported by the service providers shows that most adult crime victims (especially in the areas of family violence and sexual assault) are not fully accessing the criminal justice system. The need is clear to determine if there is a lack of awareness behind this phenomenon, or barriers facing victims with law enforcement, or even possibly some issues with coding and/or reporting that is creating the discrepancy. Housing alternatives remains a problem and a need for Kerr County crime victims. This is felt most acutely by adult women needing safe, subsidized housing with support services to improve their successful transition to independent living in the Kerr County Community Plan page 18 community free of abuse for themselves and their dependent children. Finally, Kerr County's attraction as a retirement location has resulted in many seniors moving into the area. This growth along with the geographic isolation these transplanted seniors have from extended family and other social supports has given rise to increases in elder abuse, neglect and self neglect, as is reflected in data reported by Adult Protective Services. Similarly the number of adults with disabilities under 65 years of age is growing, with increased need to provide interventions as well as to engage in prevention activities to protect these individuals from abuse, neglect and self neglect. Identify Trends: The important trends for Kerr County include overall population growth; the growth in crime victimization, especially family violence, sexual assault and abuse crimes against women and children; the growth in the senior population and in the population of adults with disabilities under 65. Identify Problems: Primary problems include insufficient funding to fully address these crime victim needs, which is exacerbated by the fact that rural service delivery can be considerably more expensive compared to metropolitan areas; insufficient resources to implement effective prevention programs, including funds to engage research on causes and effective prevention strategies; insufficient coordination among service providers and between service providers and the criminal justice system; and limited affordable housing/subsidized housing offering crime victims (primarily adult women and their dependent children) housing options safe from violence and abuse, -- Identify Service Gaps: Emergency shelter for crime victims is restricted to specific populations and limited in scope; transitional housing and permanent supportive housing is needed for at risk populations to avoid new victimizations; Kerr County tacks lead agency/organizations for key issues: homelessness, child abuse prevention, elder abuse/neglect prevention, elder abuse/neglect intervention, abuse/neglect of disabled populations, leading to less efficient services delivery; more clinical services are needed to address the trauma-related effects of crime victimization. Identify Achievements: From FY 07 compared to FY 06, more CVC funds have been distributed for crime victims, more crime victims received intervention and restorative services, more prevention services were provided especially among school age population, service providers have stepped up the discussions and planning for coordinated services, and various providers have been collaborating for 18 months to increase housing options for crime victims. Kerr County Community Plan. page 19 Criminal Justice (law enforcement, courts, corrections) (listed in order of priority, greatest need first) Priority #1: The purchase of reliable interoperable communications equipment, to include vehicle and hand-held radios, will allow different Emergency Services Agencies involved in a critical incident to communicate effectively with each other. Supporting Data: After each critical incident in recent history, the most glaring indication of success or failure by various Emergency Services Agencies has been their ability to effectively communicate with each other. If an agency waits until a critical incident occurs to consider how it will manage voice and data communications during that time, the odds of failure are greatly magnified. The importance of redundant and scalable communications solutions cannot be overemphasized. At the present time, inter-agency communications are limited due to the lack of sufficient number of equipment and the lack of technology specific equipment in place with all countywide policing agencies. The Kerrville Police Department has achieved narrow banding and started its migration to digital communications but the Kerr County Sheriffs Department, Ingram Marshal's Department, Kerrville Fire Department and all county volunteer fire departments do not have total compatibility. Emergency Service Agencies, specifically Public Safety, are mandated by the State to achieve narrow banding by January 1, 2007. The State and Federal governments by 2011 mandate the migration to a digital communications system. Proposed Objectives: Secure funding to purchase equipment for all local Emergency Service Agencies to achieve the goal of narrow banding by early 2009 and, over several years, to upgrade the equipment to the standards required by 2011. Priority #2: Establishing of a countywide computer information system for all law enforcement agencies to give the agencies the ability to seamlessly share information via a common computer system. Supporting Data: At the present time, a fully integrated information system does not exist between the county's Criminal Justice agencies. In 2007 the Kerrville Police Department had 52 commissioned officers, the Kerr County Sheriffs Department had 45 commissioned officers and the Ingram Marshal's Department had 10 commissioned officers. The 2006 Uniform Crime Report shows the three agencies investigated 1,298 cases where UCR crimes were alleged but the UCR does not reflect misdemeanor assault cases and family violence cases and does not differentiate sexual assault from aggravated sexual assault and indecency with a child. Also there is no category for injury to a child Kerr County Community Plan page 20 statistics. Enhanced Criminal Justice information integration and sharing is essential to improving the quality and effectiveness of local, county and state criminal justice information sharing systems. Integrated information technology can significantly diminish the unknowns that threaten officer safety. Access to criminal history records has proven to enhance officer and public safety. No access can create a potentially ineffective, even dangerous situation. Jurisdictions with fully integrated information systems can dramatically expand their ability to make better-informed and timelier decisions; more effectively pursue criminal investigations, and execute a more efficient level of command and control during critical incidents. Proposed Objectives: Secure funding to purchase the equipment to create a countywide computer information system for all law enforcement agencies. Priority #3: Provide more agency training for law enforcement to meet mandated and specialized training requirements. -- Supporting Data: Awell-trained, better educated officer will not only better serve the public but will also enjoy a safer career in law enforcement. Because we are a rural community, training opportunities are limited and some local agencies cannot afford to send their officers across the state to attend courses. Support of local instruction is key to officer education. Proposed Objectives: Offer more training opportunities in Kerrville through the Alamo Area Council of Government's existing training program, or other accredited training programs and encourage more sponsorship of training for local officers and support personnel when available. Criminal Justice (law enforcement, courts, corrections) Summary: As the population of Kerr County increases there will be more demand on law enforcement agencies and other emergency services to provide the necessary services to the community. The current problem with interoperability of the department radio systems makes coordination of critical incident responses very difficult. These providers can work very well together and have in past critical incidents but the upgrade to interoperability will enhance the safety of all Kerr County residents and visitors. Likewise providing computer interoperability will allow all law enforcement agencies to share information and will increase both the effectiveness of law enforcement and officer safety. Kerr County Community Plan page 21 Additional training programs by the AACOG academy will strengthen the entire community's law enforcement program. The use of the newly installed AACOG academy virtual classroom at the Kerr County Sheriff's Department will support this initiative. Identify Trends: Kerr County and the City of Kerrville continue to grow in population and consequently there has been a steady increase in "calls for service." This population growth and call increase impacts our Police and Sheriff's Departments, Fire, EMS, courts, prosecutors and all other areas of our judicial /public safety system. With finite budgets, judicial/public safety entities will have to seek alternative funding sources for needed equipment and personnel to meet the growing service demands. Identify Problems: Communications and information sharing systems are the areas needing upgrades. Through comprehensive planning and consensus execution, these areas can be improved. Funding will be the greatest hurdle. Identify Service Gaps: As service requests have increased steadily, judicial/public safety organizations will need additional personnel to process the increased call volume. Today, we are seeing the beginnings of the personnel staffing shortfall and the need for additional professional and support staff positions in the different organizations that comprise our public safety organizations. Identify Achievements: Kerr county law enforcement/judicial/public safety agencies continue to provide excellent service response to the community despite the lack of additional personnel to meet the growing demand. Homeland Security/ Disaster Preparedness Issues _ (listed in order of priority, greatest need first) Priority #1: Interoperable Wireless Communications for Volunteer Fire Departments & First Responders; Specialized Search & Rescue Equipment - i.e., Thermal Imaging Device. Supporting Data: Public Safety is a core function for local governments. Adequate wireless communications are essential to executing the Public Safety function promptly, effectively, and cost efficiently. Today our local Kerr County Community Plan 22 jurisdictions face major problems in public safety wireless communications. There is a general lack of interoperability between radio systems, between agencies, and between jurisdictions. In the interest of maintaining our regional emergency response systems, it is no longer practical for individual public safety agencies to build communications systems that do not communicate with each other. To be effective before, during and after an emergency response, public safety officials at all levels of government must be able to communicate with each other. This problem can be solved. The solution requires state funding to assist local governments as they buy much needed new equipment and rearrange existing equipment. Currently, public safety agencies have limited budgets and face challenges in keeping pace with advances in technology. Kerr County is serviced by nine rural /volunteer fire departments and dozens of individual first responders. Most if not all of their wireless communication gears is obsolete or compromised from excessive use and exposure. This equipment is for the most part interoperable with other local, state and federal public safety agencies. Agency Data: Kerr County is served by 10 volunteer fire departments, 220+ volunteer firefighters and 45 EMT trained first responders. Though many departments are well equipped with wireless communication gears many are in dire need of new equipment. Equipments Needs: • Hand-held Radios: 25 • Vehicle Radios: 10 • Base-unit Radios: 4 • Text Pagers: 85 Note: This equipment replaces obsolete or in some cases non- existence wireless equipment. America's volunteer fire service has faithfully served our nation for more than 300 years. Volunteer firefighters serve their communities with dedication and enthusiasm. Across our nation, volunteer fire departments and first responders save local communities billions-of-dollars per year- money that can be reinvested to improve local infrastructure, social programs and minimize the local tax burden. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, America has learned that local emergency responders are the community's FIRST line of response, regardless of the event. Community protection and well-being depends on the experience, expertise and tenure of local emergency service providers. The volunteer fire service faces significant challenges in overcoming a basic lack of resources-both financial and in human capital. Only by aggressively confronting both of these issues will we create the necessary atmosphere of stability that will allow volunteer fire and rescue departments to meet the new expectations and challenges of the 21st century. Unfortunately, there are few programs at the local, state or national level to assist fire chiefs and volunteer managers in acquiring the Kerr County Community Plan 23 knowledge and skills necessary for effective management and response to extraordinarycircumstances. Support from the local, state and federal levels is necessary to ensure that the volunteer fire service continues to be a full partner with all facets of homeland security response and effectively functions as the first line of defense within local communities. Volunteer fire departments in our area are in dire need of specialized rescue equipment. It does very little good to have volunteer departments without the proper tools and equipment to be effective, and due to a lack of these special tools the lives of our firefighters and the public are placed at risk. Agency Data: Due to the high cost, obtaining specialized rescue equipment becomes a real problem for the Volunteer departments. The main priority for us is the Thermal Imaging Camera. These cameras are an extremely useful tool in the following areas: Size-up -Thermal imagers can give firefighters important information early at an incident during size-up, which can help them develop a better plan for mitigation. At a structure fire, the thermal imager may help identify the location of the fire or the extent of fire involvement prior to firefighters being committed into the structure. At non-fire incidents, thermal imagers can help verify the number of victims at a vehicle collision. Fire Attack - As in size-up, thermal imagers provide information to the fire attack crew that they did not previously have due to poor visibility and building construction. Using this information, firefighters can immediately direct water to the seat of the fire and ensure that their hose streams are working effectively. A thermal imager can also help firefighters locate and isolate hidden fires, such as electrical fires behind walls. Search and Rescue - Of all the operations in which thermal imaging can improve a firefighter's efforts, this technology has the most dramatic impact on search and rescue. Withou# a thermal imager, firefighters search burning buildings by crawling on their hands and knees and groping their way through blinding smoke to find unconscious victims. Recovery rates in these operations are low, since firefighters are forced to rely on physical contact alone to locate victims. Firefighters using thermal imagers can see the scene, which enables them to quickly navigate and identify victims. In addition to allowing firefighters to see through smoke in burning structures, thermal imagers enable first responders to see in the dark to find victims who are lost or in danger. Police departments can also use these devices to search for fugitives. • Ventilation -Firefighters can use thermal imagers to identify areas of heat accumulation, possible ventilation points, and significant building construction features. This helps ensure proper and effective ventilation that successfully removes smoke and heat Kerr County Community Plan 24 from a building. Ventilation reduces the chances of backdraft or flashover, while possibly giving trapped victims a few more valuable seconds to be found. Identification of superheated gases also helps keep firefighters safer. • Overhaul -After the fire is out, firefighters overhaul a structure to ensure that there are no hidden fires or smoldering materials that could cause the fire to reignite. When using a thermal imager for overhaul, firefighters methodically scan each room for remaining hot spots. When firefighters find these hot spots quickly and efficiently, they minimize the risk of a rekindle, and they reduce property damage. Structural components can be identified easily with a thermal imager, helping firefighters remain safe while fighting fires in compromised structures. • Emergency Medical Service Runs -- For many fire departments, up to 85% of their emergency runs can be emergency medical service runs. Thermal imagers can help at these, too. Thermal imagers can help locate victims, help evaluate the extent of hypothermia, or even help find amputated body parts. Training -Using transmitter systems, incident commanders can observe in real time what is occurring inside the building. Training officers can monitor evolutions during practice exercises and videotape them for review and teaching later. • Hazardous Materials -Thermal imaging helps fire officials manage hazardous spills and other hazmat incidents more effectively. Firefighters can use thermal imagers to identify sources and movement of contaminants in bodies of water and on the ground. With the aid of the technology, firefighters can also determine product levels in sealed or pressurized containers. • Wildland Firefighting -Using thermal imagers, firefighters can quickly scan large areas for hot spots, aiding them in getting the fire under control quickly. Equipment Needed: • Thermal Imaging Cameras: 10 Proposed Objectives: Re-equip all volunteer fire departments and emergency medical first responders with new, interoperable-capable, wireless end-users radios (hand-held, vehicle based, and communication center base-units) and text/voice pager systems. At the local level, we must emphasize the importance of local and state support for this basic community service and provide appropriate levels of funding for specialized rescue tools for our volunteer fire fighters and emergency medical first responders. Ken County Community Plan page 25 Priority #2: Reverse Telephone Emergency Notification System Supporting Data: The Texas Homeland Security Plan 2005-2010, dated 1 November 2005, established the following objective: "9. Strategic Objective 3.9: Maintain effective ways to alert local leaders and the public about all hazards in their communities." Specifically, "3.9.4. Establish a reverse telephone public alert system for hazard information." Public officials statewide fight a constant battle against time to get the right message to the public during emergency events. The ability to notify affected citizens in the event of an emergency is a public safety imperative, and can minimize loss of life in a dangerous situation. A reverse telephone notification system would provide Kerr County officials with an effective and efficient tool to provide rapid notification to citizen in the event of an emergency or disaster. The transmission of information to the public and local leaders during an emergency is of utmost importance. To that end, Kerr County and all inclusive public safety jurisdictions desire to establish a reverse telephone emergency notification system. Proposed Objectives: Kerr County does not have an automated, time- sensitive method of notifying citizens of hazardous situations ordisaster-related incidents. The current method of door-to-door or loud speaker broadcast fall short of what is required to notify tens of thousands of citizens of time-sensitive information vital to their individual response or reaction to large scale public disasters. Several commercial offerings/technologies are currently available to address this imperative need. The generic characteristics of a reverse telephone emergency notification system are: 1. Compatibility with the 9-1-1 district's GIS Mapping System. 2. Enhanced 9-1-1 Data Ready -the capability to import existing E9-1-1 telephone database into the reverse telephone emergency notification system. 3. Support for multiple technologies/devices - In addition to sending recorded voice messages, the system should be able to deliver text message to wireless receivers, such as digital pages. 4. Geo-dimensional calling -Allows for the creation of custom geographic areas, such as "polygons, azimuth radiuses, threat spheres, etc. " shapes, that are defined by known factors, such as distance radius and directional progression. 5. Hosted on customer premise equipment and/or as an Internet based service. 6. Remote Launching Capability -The need to rapidly send messages can occur at any hour of the day or night. We must have the ability to launch a call session from anywhere we have touch-tone telephone or computer/Internet access. 7. TTY/TDD Calling -This optional protocol lets us send text messages to the hearing impaired that have the required equipment installed. Kerr County Community Plan page 26 Population of Kerr County, Texas is estimated at 47,254 as of 2006 census. Geographic Area: 1106 square miles. Public telephony access lines as of August 2006: 31,051 Other data: 1. Forty-three miles of Interstate Highway 10 traverses Kerr County. This is the main EastNVest corridor of commercial semi-trailer traffic through our area. Much of this traffic transports hazardous materials. Accidents involving this type of hazardous material would potentially affect thousands of Kerr County residents. 2. Kerr County has several flash-flood prone water ways; most notably the Guadalupe River and 17 named creeks. When these tributaries flood they have the potential to affect thousands of Kerr County's citizens and their properties. 3. Potential reverse telephone emergency notification system users: a. Law enforcement agencies i. Kerrville Police Department ii. Kerr County Sheriff iii. Kerr County Constables iv. Ingram Marshal's Department v. Texas Department of Public Safety b. Fire Fighting agencies i. Kerrville Fire Department ii. Ten Volunteer Fire Departments c. Other state, county and city officials d. Texas Department of Public Health e. Appropriate river authorities such as the Upper Guadalupe River Authority f. Kerr County CERT Team g. Public utility companies 4. If funded, a Reverse Telephone Emergency Notification System has obvious tangible dividends: a. Prevent the needless loss of human life and property, and timely emergency information dissemination to targeted/affected citizens. Priority #3: Community Emergency Response Team -Companion Animal Rescue $ Response Team Supporting Data: During emergencies and disasters, communities are re uired to have a plan to assist people AND their companion animals. Kerr County's first responders are trained to assist in evacuation and care of human victims, not animal victims or people's companion animals. They won't have to in Kerr County. Our community has a fully trained team of animal responders to help people with their pets during times of urgent need, if called up for assistance. However, the all-volunteer team of animal handlers is not funded Kerr County Community Plan page 27 by any entity. The CARRT team requires basic necessary equipment and continuing educational training for the team and the public. In addition to animal specific training, CARRT members are also trained by the Bexar County Office of Emergency Management in CERT response, in order to be fully able to assist people first, and their pets and animals second. CERT was developed by Homeland Security to enhance emergency response to a local incident utilizing NIMS & ICS systems, the CERT program was developed to assist communities and neighborhoods until emergency services are available to respond. If funded, maintained, and utilized, CERT and CARRT teams would be a great asset to any community and especially to first responders, by being able to assist with the immediate needs of individuals and citizens impacted by a major incident. Through educational presentations encouraging preparedness efforts, hazard identification and mitigation, CERT members can help to minimize the effects of a disaster and facilitate recovery in a community and the CARRT members can offer reassurance and relief to people that their beloved pets are being cared for by responsible, trained individuals. House Bill 3858 and Senate Bill 2548 (PETS Act) passed unanimously and REQUIRES local and state emergency preparedness authorities to include animal care and emergency temporary sheltering in their emergency plans. Local and state authorities MUST submit these plans in order to qualify for grants from FEMA and allows the provision of essential assistance for individuals with household pets and service animals, and the animals themselves, following a major incident. Individuals with pets cannot be denied evacuation or transportation. Communities must have a plan to assist people with their pets in times of emergencies and/or disaster events. -- Proposed Objectives: Kerr County has CERT and CARRT teams going through training in ICS, NIMS, mitigation, evacuation, emergency temporary sheltering, transportation, search and rescue, emergency first aid, response, recovery, animal handling, education and preparedness. These volunteer teams are not funded by any entity and require equipment, additional training, and the resources to obtain necessary tools, supplies and educational brochures, in order to be prepared for an emergency as well as to educate the public about preparedness issues for themselves and their pets in case of emergencies and disasters. Through education and training, we would be better able to help ease the burden on Kerr County's first responders. Population of Kerr County, Texas is estimated at 47,254 as of 2006 census. 29,293 are pet owners that own at least one companion animal (based on HSUS estimates of 63% of U.S. populations being pet owners). Broken down simply, there are an estimated 12,742 dogs, 11,043 cats, over 700 horses, 4,305 fish, 1,874 birds, 1,669 pocket pets, and 1,288 reptiles that our citizens consider as members of their families. There is a huge. potential for emotional and behavior related problems aris Kerr County Community Plan page 28 from the overtwenty-nine thousand people that own companion animals in our county during an incident. The emergency managers would potentially need to make plans to be able to assess a worst case scenario involving approximately 33,624 animals, their safe evacuation, transport, shelter care and return to their owners after the event has concluded. Keep in mind that the estimates are based on if a family has only one pet, not multiple, which is more often the case. Of course, hopefully, most of these animals: 1). would be in unaffected areas, 2). their owners would evacuate with their pets, 3). their owners will have other arrangements for their care and housing. Even if the number of animals affected would be only 1/4 of the estimated totals, the numbers would still be staggering (8,406 animals if they have only one pet each). Imagine 1/4 of the pet owners in Kerr County refusing to evacuate or worse, attempting to make it home to their pets -affecting our first responder's ability to keep the public safe and continue to maintain their highest level of quality response. The local CERT and CARRY'S mission, if funded, is to provide fully trained aid and assistance to families and their domestic companion animals during natural and man-made disasters. -- . Homeland Security/ Disaster Preparedness Issues Summary: America's first line of defense in any large-scale disaster is the "first responder" community -local police, firefighters, and emergency medical professionals. Properly trained and equipped first responders have the greatest potential to save lives and limit casualties. Currently, our capabilities for responding to large-scale disasters vary widely across our county. Some of our rural areas have little or no capability to respond due to lack of funding, training, and equipment. Our initiatives, if they realize fruition, will provide our first responder community with much-needed equipment, training and experience to respond to a full spectrum of man- made and natural disasters. Instrumental in that process is planning, exercises, purchases of equipment, and training of personnel. Planning. Our priorities will support State, county, local governments and citizen response teams in developing comprehensive plans to prepare for and respond to a terrorist attack or natural disaster. Equipment. Our priorities will allow county and local first responder agencies to purchase a wide range of interoperable communications gear, CERT support equipment, emergency notification capability and GIS tools to respond effectively to regional disasters. Training. Our first responder and CERT training initiative will provide for specialized training for volunteer firefighters, first responders and CERT members. And finally, to training GIS and emergency notification system end users on the proper and timely use of their systems. The benefits of building first responder and CERT capability are immediate and widespread -making our region safer from terrorist attacks, improving our collective emergency response to large-scale natural disasters as well as bolstering everyday response ca abilities. Identify Trends, problems, service gaps ~ achievements: Growth in population in Kerr County presents the same challenges in the area of homeland security as it does in many of the other services. Emergency responders need a way to communicate with one another on a common radio frequency and equipment available for all emergency Kerr County Community Plan page 29 responders. The ability of law enforcement to share information about suspects more readily will provide a safer place to live for residents and added safety for the officers as they go about their work of protecting the citizens. As the population continues to grow in the more remote areas of the county, more and more residents must depend on volunteer fire departments for their first responder needs both in fire protection and emergency medical situations. The addition of a reverse 9-1-1 system will provide better protection for persons living in all areas of the county, but especially those areas prone to river flooding. In disasters the evacuation of people and their animals is a priority. As the country watched in the Katrina and Rita stories in 2005, many people will not evacuate if they have to leave behind their beloved pets... planning for that possibility is very important in Kerr County also because of the potential for floods and tornados. Health ~ Family Issues (listed in order of priority, greatest need first) Priority #1: Expand low income and indigent medical and psychiatric care in Kerr County Supporting Data: Local hospital officials report the pending closure of the Salvation Army clinic. Local ofFcials in medical and mental health report increased need based on expanding population. Drug use statistics are increasing as are drug related problems with child abuse and crime. County population expanding while services shrinking. Statistics reflect increased client load at all social service agencies. Children heavily affected and need attention. School district (KISD) reports increased number of sexual disease problems. Teen pregnancies are on the rise. KISD also indicates that 60% of the enrolled students qualify for low income meal assistance, indicating an expanding low income population needing medical and mental health services. CASA reports case load has tripled in three years, as a direct result of increased drug usage. Proposed Objectives: Expand subsidized nursing program. Open critical case mental health facility for county and city. Provide skilled and licensed mental health workers to supervise medication dispensation and conduct follow up. Develop program to obtain low cost mental health medications. Priority #2: Address an expanding juvenile gang problem and juvenile crime problem by expanding both in-school and out-of-school activities for children. Focus on all ages by combining activities of YMCA, Doyle School Community Center, local school districts, religious based organizations, and child service agencies. Directly confront problems of gang formation, drugs, abuse, and increased sexual activity. Kerr County Community Plan page 30 Supporting Data: GENERAL: Kerr County includes Kerrville, Ingram, Center Point, Hunt, and Mountain Home. The county population has grown 8.3% in the last 6 years to an estimated 47.254. We have 17 public school campuses in Kerr County whose enrollment this fall totals 6,925 students. Kids under 18 make up 21.6% of the population, while kids under 5 make up 5.6% of the population (U.S. Census data 2006). In the 2000 census, 23.5% of our kids were living in single-parent families. That's almost 1 in 4. We have a lot of respect for single parents; their lives are incredibly stressful. POVERTY: Approx. 21 % of children in Kerr County are living in poverty - that's just over 1 in 5 -compared with 13.5% of the general population in this county. (2002 data from Kids Count website http://www.cppp.org/category.php) According to the superintendent of Kerrville ISD, our Head Start program four years ago served 80 kids; now it serves 100. These are among the most impoverished children in the county. The public elementary schools had one pre-K class two years ago -also serving lower income kids -and this year, we have four public pre-K classes. Our percentage of elementary kids on free and reduced lunch has grown from 45% four years ago to 60% this year. The federal definition of poverty in 2005 was $19,350 for a family of four (Federal Register, 2005 Poverty Guidelines for the 50 States). For 2006, it's roughly $20,000 for a family of four (Head Start 2006 guidelines). DIVORCE: The national overall projected divorce rate for first marriages is 43% and for remarriages is 60% (Christianity Today 3/06 interview with Elizabeth Marquardt). In 2003, our county had 393 marriages and 242 divorces (Kids Count website). In 2004, we had 259 divorces with 182 kids affected (Center for Health Statistics, Texas Department of Human Services). In 2005, we had 160 divorce cases filed with 104 cases pending (District Clerk's office). The counselor at one elementary campus, estimates at least a third of the students are children of divorce. The data are difficult to find, because we're not keeping track of this kind of information in our school district. ABUSE AND NEGLECT: The Kids Count website reports that in 2004, there were 6.1 confirmed victims of child abuse per 1000 kids in Kerr County; in 2003, 4.9 per 1000 kids were in family violence shelters. In 2005, reported family violence incidences rose from 251 in 2004 to 258 in 2005 (Texas Dept. of Public Safety 2005 Crime in Texas). Kerr County CPS reported that in 2003, 345 cases of child abuse or neglect were reported, increasing to 450 reports in 2004 then 441 in 2005. As of this month, 117 Kerr County children are out of their homes and in state custody, meaning that they are living in foster homes, group homes, relatives' homes, or treatment centers. The Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners at Peterson Hospital, in 2005, did exams for sexual assault on 25 victims age 18 or younger, 12 of which were on child victims age 5 or younger. From 1/1/06 through 8/31/06, exams were done on 23 victims age 18 or younger, 11 of which were on child victims age 5 or younger. For financial year 2005, Kerr County had funding for a special prosecutor for crimes against women. She handled 266 cases in that grant year, which Kerr County Community Plan page 31 ended 8/31/06. The children of those women had at least witnessed violence, even if they themselves were not abused. Sexually transmitted diseases as of August 2006 as reported by KISD - AIDS 0 Cancroids 0 Chlamydia 51 Gonorrhea 1 Hepatitis C 4 Births to Kerr County mothers 17 years old or younger in 2003 - 24 Reported pregnancies, births, fetal deaths and abortions for Kerr County females ages 13 to 17 - 20 Note that there is one pregnancy testing facility serving Kerr, Gillespie, Kendall, and Bandera counties. January to July 2006 - 362 tests performed. CASA reports case load of 277 in 2006. 2007 numbers should surpass 2006. This represents a three fold increase over three years ago. In 2006-2007, the CSB (also known as the Child Services Board) provided the following: Birthday monies: Average of 120 children per year (exact figures not available) Christmas gifts: 132 children in December 2006 School supplies: 100 school-age children in August 2007 Other: Approx. 10 children -miscellaneous (birth certificates, eye exams, orthodontia, etc.) The board gets its information from Child Protective Services. They are the best source of information, although I can tell you that the number of children in foster care or outside placement has been averaging about 130 for the last several months, and the numbers are increasing. Proposed Objectives: Expand after school programs offered by schools, churches, and non-profit organizations in Kerr County. Expand alternative activities for children in the community during school holiday periods. Broaden mentoring programs within local school districts. Target drug use and gang formation in youth and provide structured, supervised positive experiences. Encourage the city and county to expand summer youth activities. Devise programs modeled on successful intervention programs in other communities. Encourage non-profits to pool resources and support each other. Launch pilot programs in the low income sectors of communities in Kerr County. Priority #3: Attack the feeling of despair generated by poverty by developing and encouraging local and accessible job training programs. Drug abuse is a symptom of a larger problem. Alternative positive career choices must be available that allow low income citizens to move up the economic and social ladder, verifying that work and Kerr County Community Plan page 32 success are linked. Supporting Data: Low income is a common factor cited by local law enforcement when examining the sources of drug abuse in Kerr County. All area high schools have reduced their vocational educational programs in recent years as they focus on TAKS exams. No job training programs other than Christian Men's Job Corps and Christian Women's Job Corp exist in the Kerr County area. Their enrollments are limited and do not reach into the technical skills necessary to increase salaries for the employed. Access to job training is available in larger cities but transportation and housing limit the ability of local low income individuals to participate. Rising income levels resulting from better employment is linked to a more vibrant economy. Proposed Objectives: The contributing organizations agreed that a post secondary job training programs should be encouraged and developed in Kerr County to allow young men and women an opportunity to train for better employment. Representatives of Schreiner University have indicated their support for stand alone programs directed to the students and adults who are not college bound. Health .& Family Issues Summary: The need for medical services for low income individuals is growing, sometimes dramatically. The pending reduction in free or low cost medical services for county residents will place a heavy burden on the local hospital, which serves as a primary medical care center for low income and indigent populations in Kerr County. Mental health care is severely limited in Kerr County due to a lack of beds, facilities, limited availability of medications, and licensed psychiatric workers. There is a direct link between drug use, mental health disorders, child abuse, and criminal activity. A11 of these show significant increases in Kerr County, comparing unfavorably with counties with much larger populations. Gang formation and juvenile criminal activity are increasing both inside the schools, the communities, and in the more rural sections of the county. Multiple activities in schools and in after school programs are needed to address these issues and provide intervention before the children are involved in the criminal justice system. Examples of active intervention include church related programs, the YMCA middle school program, and the Doyle School Community Center after school program. All of these need to expand their scope and outreach. A persistent contributor to drug usage in Kerr County was a feeling of despair resulting from entrapment in poverty. The organizations all agreed that a post secondary job training program should be encouraged and developed in Kerr County to allow young men and women an opportunity to train for better employment. Representatives of Schreiner University have indicated their support for such a stand alone program. Kerr County Community Plan page 33 Identify Trends: Increased drug use, increased case loads for social service agencies, more child abuse cases being reported, increased number of cases in local courts involving children, larger numbers of children in juvenile system. Identify Problems: See summary above. Identify Service Gaps: Medical services for low income and indigent populations; lack of adequate psychiatric treatment and holding facilities; lack of adequate numbers of trained psychiatric case workers; no program for medicine for mental health clients; severely limited youth activities especially for low income children; no local job training programs in county. Identify Achievements: Non-profit organizations and county and city organizations increasing cooperation; greater awareness of root causes of drug problems; greater awareness of need to care for senior citizens and clients of MHMR. Kerr County Community Plan page 34 Resources Available Included below are resources identified by the County Community Planning Team that are available to provide services that could potentially help in closing criminal justice gaps: Juvenile Services: Name of Agency Agency Type Contact Information: Name, Address, Phone, E-mail Kerr County Juvenile Probation Juvenile Probation Jason Davis, Chief Probation Officer Department 700 Main Suite BA100 Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-896-9013, Idavis(a~co. kerr.tx. us Kerr County Juvenile Detention Short-term Residential Treatment Kevin Stanton, Director Facility 3501 Legion Dr. Kerrville, Texas 7802$ 830-257-6110 kcikCcD.ktc.com Victim Services: Name of Agency Agency Type Contact Information: Name, Address, Phone, E-mail Hill Country Crisis Council Victim/Children Services Sheryl Howard, Exec. Director P.O. Box 291817 Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-257-7088 shervlhoward(a~hillcountrycrisiscouncil. orq Hill Country CASA Le al Advocac g y Diane Oehler, Exec. Director, P.O. Box 290493, Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-896-2272 iccasa(a~ktc.com Victims Services Judy Sullivan, Exec. Director, Kids' Advocacy Place P.O. Box 291722 Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-895-4527 KAP(a~ktc.com K'Star Emergency Childrens Shelter Vicki Barron, Exec. Director, P.O. Box 290962 Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-896-5437 kstarCa~ktc.com Kerr County Community Plan page 35 Kerr County Victims Services Dept. Legal Advocacy, Support and Rosa Lavender Referral Services 700 Main Suite CB 102 Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-792-2297 rlavender(a~co. kerr.tx. us Criminal Justice (law enforcement, courts, corrections): Name of Agency Agency Type Contact Information: Name, Address, Phone, E-mail Kerr County Sheriffls Dept Law Enforcement Sheriff Rusty Hierholzer 400 Clearwater Paseo Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-896-1216 sheriff(a.co. kerr.tx. us Kerrville Police Dept Law Enforcement Police Chief John Young 429 Sidney Baker Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-257-8181 JohnY(~kerrville.orq Ingram City Marshal's Dept Law Enforcement Ingram City Marshal Rowan Zachry, 226 Hwy 39 Ingram, Texas 78025 830-367-2636 rzachry(a~ingramtx.com Texas Dept. of Public Safety Law Enforcement Sgt. Todd Cummins 311 Sidney Baker So. Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-257-7876 todd.cumminsCa~txdps.state.tx. us Kerr County Court at Law Misdemeanor Court County Attorney Rex Emerson 700 Main BA 103 Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-792-2220 remerson(a~co. kerr. tx. us Justice of the Peace (Precincts 1, 2, 3 Misdemeanor Courts County Attorney Rex Emerson and 4) 700 Main BA 103 Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-792-2220 remerson(a~co. kerr. tx. us 198` District Court Felony Court District Attorney Ronald Sutton Kerr County Office: 717 Sidney Baker St. Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-895-4480 da198(a~ktc.com Kerr County Community Plan page 36 216` District Court Felony Court District Attorney Bruce Curry 521 Earl Garrett Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-896-4744 216thda(a~bizstxrr/com Kerr County Jail Corrections Facility Sheriff Rusty Hierholzer 400 Clearwater Paseo Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-896-1216 (admin) 830-896-1257 (jail) sheriffCa~co. kerr. tx. us Health /Medical /Substance Abuse: Name of Agency Agency Type Contact Information: Name, Address, Phone, E-mail Any Baby Can Health Chuck Del Toro, Exec. Director 624 Earl Garrett Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-792-4222 chuckabc(a~omniglobal. net Hill Country Council on Alcohol Substance Abuse Treatment Jeannie Stevens, Exec. Director and Drug Abuse 1456 Sidney Baker N. Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-896-8884 jstevens(a~hccada.org La Hacienda Treatment Center Substance Abuse Treatment Art Vandiver, Exec. Director P.O. Box 1, 145 La Hacienda Way, Hunt, Texas 78028 830-238-4222 avandiver cni.lahacienda.com Starlight Treatment Center Substance Abuse Treatment Kirk Kureska, Exec. Director P.O. Box 317 Center Point, Texas 78010 830-634-2212 kkureskaC~crchealth. com Villa Del Sol Mental Health Janine Etter, Director 520 Witt Rd Center Point, Texas 78010 830-634-3370 jetter(a~hiltcountry.org Kerrville State Hospital Mental Health Stephen Anfinson 721 Thompson Dr. Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-896-2211 stephen.anfinson a(~.dshs.state.tx.us Kerr County Community Plan page 37 Kerr County Mental Health Center I Mental Health Hill Country Mental Health and Mental Retardation Center Special Opportunity Center Peterson Hospice VistaCare Hospice Peterson Regional Health Center Raphael Free Community Clinic Texas Dept. of Health City of Kerrville EMS Mental Health/Mental Retardation Mental Health/Special Needs Health Health Peter Steeghs, Director, 500 Thompson Drive Kerrville, Texas 7$028 830-257-b553 psteegh~hillcountry.org Linda Parker-Werlein, Exec. Director 819 Water St ,Suite 300 Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-896-0400 Iparker(a~hillcountry.orq Mark Paddock, Director 200 Francisco Lemos Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-896-4606 m~addock(a~hillcountry.org Liz Murray, Volunteer Services Dir. 1121 Broadway Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-258-7799 ImurrayCa.spmh.com Alex Mares, Exec. Director 1001 Water St. Suite B-100 Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-792-6200 a.mares vistacare.com Health Pat Murray, Administrator 710 Water Street Kerrville, Texas 7$028 830-896-4200 pmurrayCa~spmh.com Health Sister Marge Novak, Director 1807 Water St. Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-895-4201 Health Micheel Valdez 819 Water St. Suite 290 Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-896-5515 micheel.valdezCa~dshs.state.tx.us Emergency Intervention Eric Maloney, EMS Coordinator 87 Coronado Dr. Suite 200 Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-257-5333 EricM(a~Kerrville.org Kerr County Community Plan page 38 Faith Based Organizations: Name of Agency Agency Type Contact Information: Name, Address, Phone, E-mail Christian Assistance Ministry Intervention 624 Clay St. Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-257-4222 Salvation Army Intervention Judy Johnston, Case Manager 855 Hays Street Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-257-3620 judy iohnston(a~salvationarmy.org Salvation Army Lodge Intervention/Shelter (See Salvation Army) YMCA-Kerr County Prevention/Intervention Brenda Chapman, Exec. Director 200 Sidney Baker So Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-896-8000 brendac(a~ymcasatx.org New Hope Christian Counseling Prevention/Intervention 61.6 Barnett Center Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-257-3009 Partners in Ministry Intervention Dr. Bill Blackburn, Exec. Director 301 Junction Hwy Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-792-3131 bill at7partnersinministry.com Habitat for Humanity-Kerr County Intervention Steve Hamilton, Exec. Director P.O. Box 292104 Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-794-4844 Christian Women's Job Corps InterventionlEducation Kathleen Maxwell, Exec. Director 1840 Junction Hwy Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-895-3660 cwjc aC~.ktc.com Christian Men's Job Corps Intervention/Education Tom Jones, Exec. Director 110 W. Barnett St Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-257-3545 ttones(c~thechristianhunter.com Young Life Prevention/Intervention Kristi Foerster 600 Peterson Dr. P.O. Box 2110 Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-896-7565 younglife(a~ktc.com Kerr County Community Plan page 39 Kerr County 4-H Programs ~ Prevention and Intervention Lazinda Boyd Texas Cooperative Extension Service 5001 San Antonio Hwy Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-257-6568 LboydCa)_ag.tamu.edu Homeland Security/ Disaster Preparedness: Name of Agency Agency Type Contact Information: Name, Address, Phone, E-mail Kerr Emergency 911 Network Disaster Prepazedness, Bill Amerine, Kerr 911 Director Communication 819 Water St. Suite 270 Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-792-5911 WEA9l l cL.ktc.com Kerr County Sheriff's Dept Law Enforcement Sheriff Rusty Hierholzer 400 Clearwater Paseo Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-896-1216 sheriff a(~.co.kerr.tx.us Kerrville Police Dept Law Enforcement Police Chief John Young 429 Sidney Baker Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-257-8181 JohnYC~kerrville.org Ingram City Mazshal's Dept Law Enforcement Ingram City Marshal Rowan Zachry, 226 Hwy 39 Ingram, Texas 78025 830-367-2636 rzachry(cr~.ingramtx.com Texas Dept. of Public Safety Law Enforcement Sgt. Todd Cummins 311 Sidney Baker So. Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-257-7876 todd.cummins(a~txdps. state.tx. us Kerrville Fire Department Fire Suppression, Safety and Chief Raymond Holloway Prevention, and Disaster 87 Coronado Suite 200 Preparedness Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-257-8449 rholloway(c~kerrvi I le. orq City of Kerrville EMS Emergency/Disaster Intervention Eric Maloney, EMS Coordinator 87 Coronado, Suite 200 Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-257-5333 EricM~~kerrville.orQ Kerr County Community Plan page 40 Kerrville Area Rural Firefighters Fire Suppression, Safety and Mike Heath, KARFA chairman Association Prevention, and Disaster 2181 Goat Creek Rd. Preparedness Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-367-3800 mheath@michaelaustinindustries,com Kerr County CERT/CARRY Disaster Preparedness and Rescue Christine McEntyre of Animals (especially Companion 700 Main BA103 Pets) Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-792-2226 cmcentvre~?co.kerr.tx.us Hunt Volunteer Fire Dept Fire Suppression, Safety and Kirk L. Griffin Prevention, and Disaster Hunt VFD Preparedness P.O. Box 362 Hunt, Texas 78024 Ingram Volunteer Fire Dept Fire Suppression, Safety and Ray Lynch Prevention, and Disaster Ingram VFD Preparedness P.O. Box 271 Ingram, Texas 78025 Center Point Volunteer Fire Dept. Fire Suppression, Safety and Harvey R. Metcalf Prevention, and Disaster Center Point VFD Preparedness P.O. Box 294 Center Point, Texas 78010 Mountain Home Volunteer Fire Fire Suppression, Safety and Rex C. Brand Dept. Prevention, and Disaster Mountain Home VFD Preparedness P.O. Box 191 Mountain Home, Texas 78058 Divide Volunteer Fire Department Fire Suppression, Safety and James Dreiss Prevention, and Disaster Divide VFD Preparedness P.O. Box 259 Mountain Home, Texas 78058 Tierra Linda Volunteer Fire Dept. Fire Suppression, Safety and Mike Lannan Prevention, and Disaster Tierra Linda VFD Preparedness 406 Oak Alley Kerrville, Texas 78028 Elm Pass Volunteer Fire Dept. Fire Suppression, Safety and Mark Keeney Prevention, and Disaster Elm Pass VFD Preparedness 1247 Elm Pass Rd. Center Point, Texas 78010 Turtle Creek Volunteer Fire Dept Fire Suppression, Safety and J• Scott Arrington Prevention, and Disaster Turtle Creek VFD Preparedness 651 Upper Turtle Creek Kerrville, Texas 78028 Kerr County Community Plan page 41 Castle Lake Volunteer Fire Dept Fire Suppression, Safety and James McCarley Prevention, and Disaster Castle Lake VFD Preparedness P.O. Box 63742 Pipe Creek, Tx 78063 Comfort Volunteer Fire Dept Fire Suppression, Safety and Prevention, and Disaster Preparedness Barry L. Smith Comfort VFD 224 West Hwy 473 Comfort, Texas 78013 Other: Name of Agency Agency Type Contact Information: Name, Address, Phone, E-mail Families & Literacy Intervention/Education Cindy Duncan, Exec. Director 110 W. Barnett St Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-896-8787 crane(c~aggienetwork.com Art2Heart Children-Intervention/Prevention Lorraine LeMon, Exec. Director 110 W. Barnett Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-459-4590 art2heartcamp(a~aol.com WIC Intervention/Health 838-F Sidney Baker Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-257-4400 Center Point ISD Education/Prevention/Intervention Dr. Donna Smith, Superintendent P.O. Box 377 Center Point, Texas 78010 830-634-2171 lee ray(c~centerpoint.k12.tx.us Dietert Senior Center Senior Services/Intervention Tina Woods, Exec. Director 617 Jefferson (451 Guadalupe St after Jan.15, 2007) Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-792-4044 execdir(a~ktc.com Divide 1SD Education/Prevention/Intervention Bill Bacon, Superintendent 120 Divide School Rd. Mountain Home, Texas 78054 830-640-3322 bill.bacon(a~divide.k12.tx.us Kerr County Community Plan page 42 Doyle School Community Center Prevention/Intervention/Education Patrick Cass, Exec. Director 110 W. Barnett Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-257-4446 patricc(c~ktc.com Hunt ISD Ingram ISD Kerr County Child Services Board Kerrville ISD Texas Dept of Family & Protective Services Texas Dept. of Family & Protective Services Texas Rehabilitation Commission Texas Rio Grande Rural Legal Aid Education/Prevention/Intervention Education/Prevention/Intervention Intervention EducationlPrevention/Intervention David Kelm, Superintendent 115 School Lane Hunt, Texas 78024 830-238-4893 david.kelm(c~huntk12.tx.us Bruce Faust, Superintendent 510 College St Ingram, Texas 78025 830-367-5517 bruce.faust(a~ingramisd.net Kathy Banik 700 Main CB 101 Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-792-2295 kbanik(~co. kerr.tx. us Dr. Dan Troxell, Superintendent 1009 Barnett St Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-257-2201 dan.troxell(a~kerrvilleisd. net Legal Services ~ Allison Abascal-Roemer 819 Water St Suite 204 Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-792-4303 a.abascal-roemer(u~dsps.state.tx. us Investigations Debbie Austin 819 Water St Suite 204 Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-792-4303 deborah.austinCo?dsps.state.tx. us Education/Prevention/Intervention Anna Mendoza, LOCRST 516 Sidney Baker Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-896-3144 anna. mendoza(a~dars. state.tx. us Legal Advocacy/Intervention Steve Bartels, TRLA Attorney 4920 N. IH-3 S Austin, Texas 78751 512-374-2700 sbartels(a~trla.org Ken County Community Plan page 43 Texas Workforce Center Intervention/Employment Services Gaylyn Deringer, Exec. Director 819 Water St. Suite 116 Kerrville, Texas 7802$ 830-257-3171 gaylyn.deringer(a~twc.state.tx.us American Red Cross Kerr County Crime Stoppers and Campus Crime Stoppers Prevention/Intervention/Disaster Relief Crime prevention and rewards for crime information Hill Country Chapter ARC 333 Eazl Garrett Kerrville, Texas 78028 830-257-4677 hccarc(a~ktc.com Brad Alford, Board President P.O. Box 290772 Kerrville, Texas 78028 balfordCa?co. kerr.tx. us George McHorse, Coordinator 830-896-1216 gmchorse(c~co. kerr. tx. us Kerr County Community Plan page 44 Interagency Cooperation In the space below write a description of how the various resources listed in the previous pages cooperatively work together: The Kerr County Juvenile Probation Department works with law enforcement, prosecutors, and all of the school districts to identify and monitor juvenile offenders in school environments and in the community. Once a month a meeting between law enforcement representatives, school administrator, victim services, Crime Stoppers, and prosecutors is held to discuss problems in the community related to juvenile activity, identification of gang activity and what can be done to prevent juvenile problems from developing. Victims Services organizations work closely to provide crime victims with quick and complete intervention when needed. The Hill Country Crisis Council provides counseling, shelter and other services to both adults and children in crisis. K'Star provides shelter for children who have been displaced by criminal incidents or other events that create a dysfunctional family environment. Kids' Advocacy Place provides law enforcement aone-stop location for investigating crimes perpetrated against children and provides support for child victims and their non-offending family members. Hill Country CASA provides legal advocacy for children during the court process both for children who are victims and children who have been removed from their homes for other reasons. The Kerr County Victims Services Department works with all of the programs listed above and provides additional legal advocacy, support and referral for adult victims of crime. Included in the program is the filing of Crime Victim Compensation claims for victims, if needed, plus preparation of the Victim Impact Statement for the courts and working with both law enforcement and prosecutors to see that the rights of victims are protected during the process from the criminal incident through the adjudication of the case in a court of law. The Kerr County Sheriff's Department and the Kerrville Police Department have a multi-agency Special Operations Unit to respond to critical incident events. Members of the SOU are trained negotiators in addition to other special training to defuse such situation. The two departments also have a combined drug task force that was formed after the 216th Judicial District lost grant funding. The task force has been very successful in taking narcotics off the streets of Kerr County and in collaboration with local prosecutors, successfully prosecuting several high-profile drug cases in recent years. Kerr County Crime Stoppers has also worked closely with law enforcement to provide funding for tips that have led to several large drug busts in the community. Kerr County Crime Stoppers also works with the Kerrville, Ingram and Center Point school districts to sponsor very effective Campus Crime Stoppers Programs on all of the secondary campuses in the districts. In 2006 Kerr County Crime Stoppers paid out $4,155 for rewards in the campus programs and $12,300 in rewards in the adult program. Crime Stoppers receives funding from a Crime Stoppers fee paid by persons Kerr County Community Plan page 45 adjudicated in the County Court at Law and both district courts in Kerr County. The money is used for rewards for both the adult and school programs plus in the past two years, Kerr County Crime Stoppers has purchased over $50,000 worth of radio equipment, computers, video surveillance equipment, and other items for local law enforcement agencies through their Excess Funds Account. The Kerrville Area Rural Firefighters Association is made up of all of the volunteer fire departments. They meet monthly to discuss common issues. The county includes some funding for the VFDs in their annual budget but the VFDs must depend on donations and fundraisers to pay for most of their expenses. They cooperate with each other actual responses to fires but also in training, equipment purchases and other cooperative efforts. The Doyle School Community Center provides after-school mentoring to at-risk children in a community primarily of Hispanic and Black residents. The DSCC also provides office space and classroom space for the Christian Mens Job Corps, Families in Literacy, Art2Heart and works closely with several other organizations to provide help and assistance to the families in that area and in the community as a whole. The Kerr County Child Services Board uses funds provided by the county and from donors to purchase birthday gifts, school supplies and Christmas gifts for children who are in foster homes under Child Protective Services placements in Kerr County. Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid provides legal advocacy and intervention to victims of crime identified through the Hill Country Crisis Council and the Kerr County Victims Services Department. TRLA attorneys have been a great asset to help deserving families, not only crime victims, in this community for many years. Kerr County Community Plan 46 Historical Information (optional) In the space below write a description of the County: A complete description of Kerr County and its rich history can be found on the county's official website. Go to www.co.kerr.tx.us/historical This plan is formally known as the Kerr County Criminal Justice Community Plan, the purpose of which is to identify gaps in services regarding criminal justice issues and other related issues that impact the lives of the people of our county. The Criminal Justice Division of the Governor's Office (CJD) requires that each county in Texas have a Criminal Justice Community Plan and that it be updated on an annual basis with community input. The document represented here reflects the efforts of many people and organizations in Kerr County that are concerned with assuring that any gaps in services that are identified are closed in a way that will solve the problem and provide as great a benefit to the community as possible. This year we have made Law Enforcement and Homeland Security two different categories in the plan and added a category for Health and Family issues. So many times both health issues and family issues are entwined with the criminal justice issues in a community therefore we elected to integrate those issues with goals into our 2007-2008 Community Plan. We know funding for many of those issues is not available from CJ sources but hope to seek grants through other resources to address those needs and gaps in services. The final draft of this plan was completed for Kerr County in the fall of 2007. This plan is a work in progress. New criminal justice goals have been identified and changes in the participants in the planning group are reflected by this year's goals. The makeup of any county plan must change from year to year to reflect the changes in the county demographics and the needs of these people within the scope of criminal justice. The 2007-2008 Kerr County Community Planning Committee welcomes anyone interested to join in this ongoing effort to address the needs of the residents of Kerr County and those who may seek help who do not reside here on a permanent basis. Any questions you may have can be addressed to either Rosa Lavender, Community Plan Coordinator for Kerr County, or to the Criminal Justice Program of the Alamo Area Council of Governments. Contact information is provided in this document. The Kerr County Commissioners' Court supports the concept of community planning by providing staff support and resources for development and implementation of the Kerr Kerr County Community Plan page 47 County Community Plan. Additionally the Commissioners' Court supports grant applications from county departments, other governmental entities within Ken County as well as community organizations that address gaps in services identified in the Community Plan. Kerr County Community Plan page 48 Contact Information Coun Communi Plannin Chair Person Name Agency Address E-mail Phone Rosa Lavender Kerr County-Victim Services Dept. 700 Main, C6102 Kerrville, Texas 78028 ravender@co.kerr.tx.us 830-792-2297 Alamo Area Council of Governments County Community Planning Liaisons `fir Name Agency Address E-mail Phone Marcela Medina Alamo Area Council 8700 Tesoro, Suite 700 mmedinaCa~aacog.com (210) 362-5250 of Governments San Antonio, Texas 78217 Veronica Avalos Alamo Area Council of Governments 8700 Tesoro, Suite 700 San Antonio, Texas 78217 vavalos(c~aacog.com (210) 362-5290 Stephen Ramirez Alamo Area Council 8700 Tesoro, Suite 700 sramirez(a~aacog.com (210) 362-5216 of Governments San Antonio, Texas 78217 Brandi Hernandez Alamo Area Council 8700 Tesoro, Suite 700 bhernandez(a~aacoa.com (210) 362-5242 of Governments San Antonio, Texas 78217 This Plan is available on-line at vvvvw.aacog.com Kerr County Community Plan 49