1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 KERR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT 9 Special Session 10 Monday, June 25, 2007 11 9:00 a.m. 12 Commissioners' Courtroom 13 Kerr County Courthouse 14 Kerrville, Texas 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 PRESENT: PAT TINLEY, Kerr County Judge 23 H. A. "BUSTER" BALDWIN, Commissioner Pct. 1 JONATHAN LETZ, Commissioner Pct. 3 24 BRUCE OEHLER, Commissioner Pct. 4 25 ABSENT: WILLIAM "BILL" WILLIAMS, Commissioner Pct. 2 2 1 I N D E X June 25, 2007 2 PAGE --- Commissioners' Comments 5 3 1.1 Consider/discuss, take appropriate action 4 concerning Environmental Health review of Kerr County Revisions of Plat and routing process 8 5 1.2 Consider/discuss, take appropriate action on 6 request to approve use of Hill Country Youth Exhibit Center for HILCO annual membership meeting 7 on Feb. 8, 2008, at same rate as previous year 21 8 1.3 Consider/discuss, take appropriate action on guidelines for reviewing comprehensive drainage 9 plans required for multi-unit residential developments, manufactured housing communities, 10 business parks, or other similar uses where on-site sewage disposal is to be used -- 11 1.4 Consider/discuss, take appropriate action on 12 proposed agreement to house Juveniles from Cameron County in case of natural disaster 25 13 1.5 Consider/discuss, take appropriate action to 14 review Kerr County Rainwater Harvesting Program, Court Order #27352, and discuss process 28 15 1.6 Consider/discuss, take appropriate action to 16 accept an Amish Country Gazebo as a gift from Mr. Gene Lehmann in honor of his late wife, 17 Francis Lehmann 31 18 1.7 Consider/discuss, take appropriate action to authorize representative(s) of Kerr County 19 Commissioners Court to engage in discussions with City of Kerrville elected officials concerning use 20 of county property adjacent or near Kerr County Law Enforcement Center by City of Kerrville for City 21 Police and/or courts and other law enforcement related uses 36 22 1.8 Consider/discuss, take appropriate action to appoint 23 Ray Garcia to Kerr County Child Service Board 44 24 1.9 Consider/discuss, take appropriate action to set up Budget Workshops in July 2007 45 25 3 1 I N D E X (Continued) June 25, 2007 2 PAGE 1.10 Consider/discuss, take appropriate action to 3 accept resignation of Bruce Baker from Library Advisory Board 50 4 1.11 Consider/discuss, take appropriate action on 5 proposed updates and/or measures of courthouse security plan 51 6 1.12 Consider/discuss, take appropriate action to 7 finalize Youth Exhibit Center and Union church Reservation and booking policy and procedures 72 8 1.13 Consider/discuss, take appropriate action to add 9 web page link to Kerr County web site to inform employees of non-official information (fundraisers, 10 birthdays, etc.), to be posted and maintained by Kerr County I.T. Department 82 11 1.14 Consider/discuss, take appropriate action to 12 obtain repayment from former employee of over- payment of wages (Executive Session) 90 13 14 4.1 Pay Bills 90 4.2 Budget Amendments 91 15 4.3 Late Bills -- 4.4 Approve and Accept Monthly Reports 99 16 5.1 Reports from Commissioners/Liaison Committee 17 Assignments 99 18 3.1 Action as may be required on matters discussed in Executive Session 101 19 --- Adjourned 102 20 21 22 23 24 25 4 1 On Monday, June 25, 2007, at 9:00 a.m., a special 2 meeting of the Kerr County Commissioners Court was held in the 3 Commissioners' Courtroom, Kerr County Courthouse, Kerrville, 4 Texas, and the following proceedings were had in open court: 5 P R O C E E D I N G S 6 JUDGE TINLEY: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. 7 Let me call to order this regularly scheduled meeting of the 8 Kerr County Commissioners Court scheduled and posted for this 9 date, Monday, June the 25th, 2007, at 9 a.m. It's past that 10 time now. I asked my good friend, Reverend Frankie Enloe, to 11 be with us this morning to give us a word of prayer before we 12 begin. If you'd all rise, please? 13 (Prayer and pledge of allegiance.) 14 JUDGE TINLEY: Thank you very much. At this time, 15 if there's any member of the public that wishes to bring any 16 matter to our attention or to address us on any matter that is 17 not a listed agenda item, feel free to come forward at this 18 time. If you wish to be heard on an agenda item, we'd ask 19 that you fill out a participation form. There are forms at 20 the back of the room. It's not absolutely essential, but it 21 helps me to be aware that there is someone that wants to speak 22 on that item, and -- and hopefully not overlook you when we 23 get to that item. But if you do want to be heard on an agenda 24 item and you have not filled out a participation form, when we 25 get to that item, get my attention in some fashion and I'll be 6-25-07 5 1 sure and recognize you so that you can be heard and have your 2 say with regard to it. But if there's some -- some item that 3 you want us to be aware of that is not a listed agenda item, 4 anything on your mind, feel free to come forward at this time 5 and tell us what's your mind. I don't see anybody coming 6 forward, so we'll move on with our agenda. Commissioner 7 Baldwin, what do you have for us this morning? 8 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Judge, I don't have a whole 9 lot on my mind. I wanted to point out my good friend Frankie 10 Enloe and his service, and say thank you personally to him. 11 You know, there's lots of folks in this community that serve 12 others, and that's what makes the thing work. And Frankie's 13 one of those guys that has committed most of his life to 14 serving others, and the rest of it, he's a guitar-picker. But 15 I guess that's service, too. I see where some local -- local 16 Tivy kids and the Comfort kid made All-State baseball. 17 That's -- that's -- the Kerrville kids, one was a junior and 18 one was a sophomore, so that's kind of interesting. I could 19 just go on and on, Judge, but we have a big agenda. Thank you 20 for allowing me to speak this morning. 21 JUDGE TINLEY: You bet. Commissioner Letz? 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Only comment I have, I just keep 23 pinching myself to figure out that it's almost the first of 24 July, and we're having these 80-degree days and beautiful 25 weather. I'm just kind of confused, but I hope it continues. 6-25-07 6 1 It's nice. That's it. 2 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Well, I was driving coming in 3 through Ingram this morning, and I looked up on the marquee at 4 the Bank of the Hills, and there was a big sign saying that 5 the Kerr County 4-H team -- wool judging team won the national 6 championship. I thought that was pretty neat. And they're 7 real active in a lot of ways, but that's another way that they 8 do things. That's pretty neat, I thought. Second thing is, I 9 -- I passed this letter out to the media, but we are going to 10 have a new traffic signal at the intersection of Goat Creek 11 Cutoff Road and Highway 27. I was asked by Windmill Ridge 12 Subdivision people to -- they got a petition together and 13 petitioned, basically, the -- basically, I guess, Kerr County 14 to -- to initiate the project to TexDOT. 15 And within 30 days of submitting their -- their 16 petition, and the Judge and I wrote a letter in support of it 17 and asked them to do a traffic impact study, we get a letter 18 back saying that they're going to do it and it's not going to 19 cost us anything, which was not what we were expecting. We 20 were expecting to have to pay something. But there's no -- 21 there appears to be no cost to Kerr County in this thing, and 22 it's a really hazardous area coming onto 27 off Goat Creek 23 Cutoff, and this should be a big asset. It'll also help the 24 Greenwood Forest entrance, you know, both going and coming. 25 So, I'm pretty excited about that, to get something from 6-25-07 7 1 TexDOT once again this year; after many good things, to get 2 something else from them in such a short amount of time, it's 3 nearly unbelievable. So, I'm pretty happy with that. That's 4 it. 5 JUDGE TINLEY: I think we all maybe look at TexDOT 6 in a -- with a mixed view. We see what's going on out here on 7 Sidney Baker, and we have to put up with that turmoil and -- 8 and difficulty, and maybe we think ill of TexDOT, but those 9 folks do excellent work. We've got a number of projects 10 underway that they're involved in. Our resident engineer, 11 Mike Coward, does some great work. I sent a memo to -- I 12 dictated a memo to the members of the Court dealing with how 13 we're going to handle this -- or propose to handle the 14 landscaping out here in front on the Sidney Baker side because 15 of the sidewalks that are put in there. But they've got a lot 16 of projects going on here locally, and they do a lot of good 17 for -- for all of our citizens, and those are your tax dollars 18 at work, and they're doing good work. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Judge, I might add on the TexDOT 20 topic that a lot of the reason I think that we did get a lot 21 from TexDOT in this county is because I know Road and Bridge, 22 through us, worked very closely with TexDOT. It's kind of 23 a -- I do know some of the other counties that surround us, 24 they don't have as good a relationship between their court -- 25 and the City of Kerrville, include them as well -- of working 6-25-07 8 1 with TexDOT, and they don't get the projects and support that 2 we get in Kerr County. So, I think it's -- you know, it's 3 kind of a two-way -- TexDOT helps those that help them. And I 4 think hats off to Road and Bridge, 'cause from our standpoint, 5 they deal with them more than anybody else, and they've worked 6 very closely and worked with TexDOT. So, it's kind of worked 7 both ways. 8 JUDGE TINLEY: The other programs they've got 9 underway are to give us the ability to do more with off-site 10 bridges also, as a result of a project that Commissioner 11 Oehler's working with them on. With regard to the -- the 12 local team winning the 4-H wool judging, Roy Walston, our 13 local Ag Extension agent, engaged me in a discussion here a 14 week or so ago. He's got the trophy out there at their -- at 15 their building, and he talked about the possibility of 16 bringing it down and maybe exhibiting it here somewhere in the 17 courthouse, where -- where more members of the public can see 18 it. It's a gorgeous trophy; goes back many, many, many years, 19 and hopefully we can get that done so that more people can, 20 number one, be aware of their accomplishments, and number two, 21 view this trophy that goes back many, many years. 22 Let's get on with our agenda, if we might. Item 23 Number 1 is to consider, discuss, and take appropriate action 24 concerning Environmental Health review of Kerr County 25 revisions of plat and the routing process. Mr. Odom? 6-25-07 9 1 MR. ODOM: Yes. Good morning, Judge. I want, to 2 start off, to give kudos to the young people. I think it is 3 quite an honor that anybody that wins all-state -- makes 4 all-state is exceptional, and to win a national 5 championship -- like a national championship, but a national 6 trophy, the parents should be complimented, because that had 7 to do with parents pushing and encouraging their children to 8 exceed and excel, and that's the exception, it seems like, 9 today. So, my hat's off to the parents of those young people. 10 And I'm not running for office, either. So -- (Laughter.) 11 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Sure sounded like it. 12 MR. ODOM: There's been some discussion as to 13 whether Environmental Health needs to review and/or sign 14 revisions of plats when it combines lots. At the last 15 Commissioners Court, you asked that we place this item on 16 today's agenda. I'm sure there are issues which the 17 Environmental Health and the County Attorney would like to 18 address on this item, but the only issue for Road and Bridge 19 is the routing process. Since we are not familiar with 20 O.S.S.F. rules, we don't feel comfortable making the decision 21 as to whether Environmental Health should review and/or sign 22 the final plat. Therefore, we ask that the routing slip 23 continue to go through Environmental Health for review of the 24 statement for correctness, and for them to determine if they 25 need to sign the final plat. Attached is a copy of the 6-25-07 10 1 routing slip currently being used for alternate plat process 2 to assure all entities and departments have been notified. On 3 Page 2, you will notice that utility companies sign the 4 routing slip, even if they do not sign the final plat. We 5 feel this would be an appropriate way for the Court to see 6 that Environmental Health received the information they need. 7 Please let us know what changes you want us to make so that 8 this process works for the surveyors, Environmental Health, 9 and us. 10 Below, you see an example that we have of what we 11 thought that is similar to what the utility companies do now. 12 They -- they need to know what changes are there, and I think 13 Environmental Health needs to do the same thing; i.e., Center 14 Point school and where the sewer was at. I mean, there are 15 issues that are -- that I don't -- not familiar with, but that 16 information needs to be out there. They need to have some 17 input. But other than that, we just need to know the routing 18 process. So, I'm open for suggestions, or -- or my comments 19 may be acceptable; I don't know. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: On the first page, it seems to 21 me the easiest way to do it is, on the first page under Item 22 3, which says, "Submit one copy of plat to O.S.S.F.," add 23 another check box below it that just says, "Permit and fee not 24 required," and then let them sign there and date it, and we're 25 done. And we can pass the court order today that says that 6-25-07 11 1 they are not required to sign it if it's -- if it's combining 2 lots. To me, that's a -- 3 MR. ODOM: That's -- 4 COMMISSIONER LETZ: -- simple way to figure it. 5 MR. ODOM: Go ahead. 6 MR. VOELKEL: Don Voelkel. One thing we talked 7 about before when we went through this the first of the year 8 is, when we're moving a lot line to create -- like, if 9 someone's built a house too close and they have a large enough 10 tract where they can move a lot line 10 feet, well, the way we 11 looked at it in January was, as long as you're not creating 12 any new lots in the configuration you end up with, you're not 13 having any review to be done by Environmental Health. So, I'd 14 like -- and Lee and I talked. Lee had a doctor's appointment, 15 but he was going to be here, but he deputized me. He wanted 16 -- he and I were talking about maybe adding that language too, 17 if you're not -- as long as you're not creating any new lots, 18 moving a lot line a few feet to accommodate some, you know, 19 fence problem or house problem, and combining lots. 'Cause 20 those are the two situations we run across a lot. 21 MR. ODOM: We have -- that has come up before, but 22 we determined that we weren't creating anything and that they 23 didn't need to sign that. 24 MR. VOELKEL: Right. And I'm not saying that they 25 shouldn't -- Environmental Health shouldn't be aware of that, 6-25-07 12 1 but I don't see a need for a fee and all in this same 2 situation we're talking about, combining lots as if you're 3 adjusting a lot line. 4 JUDGE TINLEY: Don, on adjusting a lot line, if 5 you've already got one of those lots improved with a septic 6 facility in place, it occurs to me that they need to review 7 that to be sure that the line's not being moved too close to 8 those facilities, and that they might need to be in that 9 routing process for that purpose, would they not? 10 MR. VOELKEL: It -- possibly. 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: They need to be -- I don't -- 12 that's why I like this option here. They still get it. They 13 just -- there's really not a fee or an application. And I 14 think if it's a minor change -- and that's going to be a 15 little bit subjective, like if it's a -- if you're on an old 16 half-acre lot, a minor change can be pretty significant as to 17 what they can do. So, it's going to be some subjectivity 18 O.S.S.F. is going to have to look at. 19 MR. VOELKEL: It may be something that the surveyor 20 should submit that plan with it saying, "Here's the new lot 21 line; here's the septic. There's not a problem." 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think you need to make -- 23 MR. VOELKEL: Make it easy for them to look at it 24 and say, "Oh, yeah, we don't have a problem." Or if they say, 25 "Hey, there is a problem, we need to review it," I think that 6-25-07 13 1 ought to be an option that they could have, instead of, you 2 know, for everything that comes through the thing have to pay 3 the fee and do the -- you know, all that review when it may or 4 may not be necessary. 5 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I have no problem with that. I 6 mean, as long as -- 7 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: I think there's a difference, 8 though, between -- between moving a lot line than there is 9 removing. When you remove one, then I'm not sure that the -- 10 that O.S.S.F. needs to -- or Environmental Health needs to 11 review it. There'd be no reason for them to review on that 12 one. Now, if you're adjusting a lot line, if you're moving it 13 onto part of another tract and reducing one in size and adding 14 size to the other one, I think that's a -- that's totally 15 different. But as far as taking one completely out, I don't 16 believe that there needs to be a review on that one. 17 COMMISSIONER LETZ: But they need to go through -- 18 they need to go down there; otherwise, their records aren't 19 going to be complete. 20 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Well, that's true. Go down 21 and just have a copy. 22 MR. ODOM: Their records would indicate where that 23 septic system is, if they moved it outside the lot or not. 24 And that's been the situation. 25 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: What I'm saying is, when you 6-25-07 14 1 take a lot line out and there's an existing structure there, 2 that's going to even make a better situation than adjusting 3 the lot line. 4 MR. ODOM: That's true. 5 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: When you remove it, I see no 6 need, other than for their records, to see what the lot is now 7 and what it was before. 8 MR. ODOM: That's -- you know, development is a 9 man-made change, and that's an arbitrary line, an imaginary 10 line that's been removed, and I don't see the change that 11 would strike -- I'm not a lawyer, so -- but, I mean, I don't 12 see it striking a man-made change, just moving an imaginary 13 line. 14 JUDGE TINLEY: Leonard, is your question as to 15 whether or not we merely eliminate any fee involved? Or are 16 you also suggesting maybe it shouldn't even be reviewed, even 17 for informational purposes, by O.S.S.F.? 18 MR. ODOM: I say that it should be reviewed, that 19 the surveyor should take it to them. The fee, I could care 20 less. That's -- that has nothing to do with me. I don't even 21 need it on the -- on the routing slip. But I believe that 22 they should review it, and they should be able to sign. The 23 -- the question has been, they say that they have to sign 24 everything. What -- my opinion doesn't make any difference. 25 It makes a difference with the Court. It sounds like there's 6-25-07 15 1 unanimity as far as removing the line doesn't make a change. 2 I mean, that's what we want do; we want to take three lots 3 into one lot. 4 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: That needs to be very easy and 5 cost very little. 6 MR. ODOM: Very little. And you've already paid the 7 fee for one, so I don't know whether you need to -- that's 8 something you need to do. That's not mine; that's 9 Environmental Health. But they should review it, because they 10 -- they have the records on that to see where that system is 11 at. And we've had that in play, something that Mr. Voelkel 12 did -- not Don, but Lee -- with Center Point schools, and that 13 lot line showed that when it was all said and done, it was 14 outside what they had changed -- or what they created. So, 15 they need to review it, there's no doubt. But they just need 16 to sign for my purposes for final plat, or for -- for the 17 final so that they've had it and they've reviewed it, and they 18 get with it and resolve the issue with the engineer or the 19 surveyor. 20 JUDGE TINLEY: Wouldn't you agree that -- that 21 O.S.S.F. needs the information, whatever may occur? 22 MR. ODOM: Whatever may occur. 23 JUDGE TINLEY: Whether elimination of a lot line, 24 moving of a lot line, or anything under the alternate process? 25 MR. ODOM: That's right. 6-25-07 16 1 JUDGE TINLEY: All right. 2 COMMISSIONER LETZ: All right. 3 JUDGE TINLEY: So, it occurs to me that we can 4 certainly eliminate the fee, but the only way we're going to 5 know that they got that information is if they continue to 6 sign off on that plat. 7 MR. ODOM: Absolutely, just like the utility 8 companies do. That way I know, for a final, that they've 9 reviewed it. 10 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I'll make a motion that we amend 11 the -- 12 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Whoa, whoa, whoa. 13 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Just amending the routing slip. 14 Let me say this -- 15 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I want to hear -- I want to 16 give Environmental Health an opportunity to -- 17 COMMISSIONER LETZ: We're not voting; I'm just 18 making a motion. I'm making a motion that we amend the 19 routing slip to add a box under Section 3 to say, "Permit and 20 fee not required." 21 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Second. 22 JUDGE TINLEY: Motion made and seconded as 23 indicated. Now, any question or discussion on the motion? 24 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I just thought maybe, you 25 know, in all of our wisdom here, that possibly we would let 6-25-07 17 1 the other side tell us what they think. I -- would you like 2 to say something? 3 MS. HULETT: Sure, be glad to. 4 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Thank you. 5 MS. HULETT: I'm Tish Hulett with the Environmental 6 Health Department, and I like the proposal that we do see all 7 changes. And we'll review these. If we feel there's 8 additional information that we need, we can let them know at 9 that time. 10 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Okay. And then were we going 11 to include the language that Mr. Voelkel -- 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: That will be a second motion. 13 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: That's a separate motion? 14 All right. And I'm going to ask you to -- we're -- we want to 15 see something in writing, how the verbiage is really laid out, 16 before I vote on something like that. 17 JUDGE TINLEY: Any other questions? 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: All I want to do is the routing 19 slip. As soon as we vote on this one, I can make a second 20 motion. I could do them backwards. 21 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: No, this -- this is fine 22 right here. 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: All right. 24 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: You're doing good. 25 JUDGE TINLEY: Any other questions or comments on 6-25-07 18 1 the existing motion? All in favor of that motion, signify by 2 raising your right hand. 3 (The motion carried by unanimous vote.) 4 JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign. 5 (No response.) 6 JUDGE TINLEY: The motion carries. 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I'll make a motion that there 8 will be no fee or application required whenever a lot line is 9 removed between two or more lots, or there is a minor revision 10 to a plat. And the minor revision is subjective, and 11 determined by Environmental Health Department. 12 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Second. 13 JUDGE TINLEY: Motion made and seconded as 14 indicated. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Tish, do you like that one? I 16 heard her swallow a little bit hard when I said that, 17 "subjective." 18 JUDGE TINLEY: Any question or discussion on that 19 motion? 20 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Now, is -- are we calling 21 this a policy change? 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Mm-hmm. 23 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Okay. 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Tish? 25 MS. HULETT: As long as there's not additional 6-25-07 19 1 information needed, I don't -- I don't have a problem with 2 that. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: That's why I think it's 4 subjective. And just a little bit further, a lot of times -- 5 and I'm thinking of Falling Water as a good example. We've 6 shifted those lines a couple of feet here and there for who 7 knows what reason, but we did it a lot, and it really didn't 8 affect anything. But if you're going to -- if you're on a 9 3-acre lot and you move it a -- you know, make it -- or a 10 5-acre lot or 6-acre -- anyway, significant changes of acreage 11 and boundaries where it may have an impact, then I think it 12 needs to go through the process. 13 MR. VOELKEL: And I think when you have -- like, 14 Falling Water, when we did a bunch of those tweakings, for 15 whatever reason that they wanted to do them, and there were no 16 improvements out there at all, that would be easy for us to 17 submit it with the routing slip to Tish to say, "We're moving 18 this lot line. There are no improvements on either lot line, 19 so it's not going to affect any septic." Or the alternative 20 is, "There's a house over here; the septic tank's on the other 21 side. We're moving it over because the garage encroached," so 22 that she knows what we're doing and why, and is able to be 23 able to make the call, you know, where if we just submit the 24 plat, she's not going to know anything. So, I think it needs 25 to be on our end to give her enough information to make that 6-25-07 20 1 call. 2 JUDGE TINLEY: That's why it's a subjective call on 3 her part. 4 MR. VOELKEL: Right. 5 COMMISSIONER LETZ: On her part. If she says no, 6 it's no. 7 MR. VOELKEL: And if she doesn't get much 8 information from us or anybody, she needs to tell us. 9 COMMISSIONER LETZ: That the answer is no. 10 MR. VOELKEL: What you're doing, why you're doing 11 it, or else you're going to have to pay 75 bucks. 12 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I've got another question. 13 Mr. Voelkel's in the room, but there are other companies out 14 there that do business with us. How do you -- are you going 15 to notify them of this change? Or we're just going to wait 16 till they come through and not do it the way we want to, and 17 make them go back through again? Or how are we going to do 18 that? How are we going to notify the other Voelkel-type folks 19 that there's been a change? 20 MS. HULETT: We can send them a -- a notice. 21 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: You're going to do it? 22 MS. HULETT: I can do that. 23 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Thank you. 24 JUDGE TINLEY: Any other questions or comments on 25 the motion? All in favor of that motion, signify by raising 6-25-07 21 1 your right hand. 2 (The motion carried by unanimous vote.) 3 JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign. 4 (No response.) 5 JUDGE TINLEY: The motion does carry. Let's move to 6 Item 2; consider, discuss, and take appropriate action on 7 request of the Court to approve the use of the Hill Country 8 Youth Exhibit Center for annual membership meeting on Friday, 9 February 8, 2008, at the same rate as previous year, that 10 being $162.50. That's for the HILCO Credit Union, which is 11 owned by County, City, and State employees in Kerr County. 12 Ms. Uecker. 13 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Linda, I've got a question 14 before you take off. Is that a comma after 162? 15 MS. UECKER: Looks like it. 16 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Oh, yeah, it is. 17 MS. UECKER: Well, I've been on the Board of 18 Directors of Hill Country Federal Credit Union for the county, 19 city, and state employees for about 10 years now, and we hold 20 our annual membership meeting that's required by CUNA, I 21 think, every year out at the -- at the barn at the Youth 22 Exhibit Center. And, you know, we're not stuck on the 162.50 23 or the 16,250. But on behalf of the credit union, I'm asking 24 the Court to allow us to rent that space on February the 8th 25 at a reduced rate, as has been done in the past. 6-25-07 22 1 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: So, what -- 2 JUDGE TINLEY: Is the facility available on that 3 date? 4 MS. UECKER: I think so. I think they've already -- 5 JUDGE TINLEY: Penciled you in? 6 MS. UECKER: Mm-hmm, penciled us in. 7 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: How much is the fee today? 8 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Well, I think we really need to 9 table this until after we -- we're relooking at all this, and 10 we're not going to lose as much money as we have been losing 11 out there. And I think it's going to be discussed today some, 12 but probably really at our next meeting, we're going to have 13 who's on that list and who isn't to get reduced fees and how 14 we're going to handle that. And I think, you know, at this 15 point, I'd just rather -- I mean, I don't mind some sort of 16 reduced fee, but I'm not sure what the amount's going to be. 17 MS. UECKER: Okay. What's the regular rate? 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: For that building? 19 MS. UECKER: Mm-hmm. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: 350, I think. 21 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: What is -- how many people are 22 going to be at the meeting? 23 MS. UECKER: Usually about 150. 24 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: So, you're going to need 25 tables and chairs and all that stuff set up too? 6-25-07 23 1 MS. UECKER: Mm-hmm. 2 COMMISSIONER LETZ: What we're looking at, so you 3 don't have to stay all day, is we're doing a -- everyone's 4 going to be on an approved list. If the Court approves it, 5 they'll get a percentage reduction off the standard rate, and 6 we're trying to figure out right now what it's actually 7 costing us out there based on the usage we're getting. 8 MS. UECKER: Okay. 9 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Then there will be a discount. 10 Obviously, 4-H will get free use, continued discounts to 11 certain agencies. I would think this qualifies. I don't have 12 a problem with that at all. It's just a matter as to what the 13 discount is. 14 MS. UECKER: You think we do qualify? Is that what 15 you said? 16 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yeah. 17 MS. UECKER: Okay. Yeah, because I just -- you 18 know, just -- that's fine. I don't have a problem with that. 19 As long as -- you know, you already know, and I've told you 20 before that, you know, this credit union is owned by county 21 employees, as well as city employees and state employees. 22 That's our field of membership. And -- like I need that. But 23 at what point do you think you will know what that -- if we 24 qualify, and when will you make that decision? 25 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Probably at our first meeting of 6-25-07 24 1 July. At the latest, our second meeting in July. 2 MS. UECKER: Okay. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Is that right, Bruce? 4 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Uh-huh. That's the way I feel 5 about it. 6 MS. UECKER: Okay. 7 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: When is your meeting? 8 JUDGE TINLEY: February 8th. 9 MS. UECKER: February 8th of '08. But we had to go 10 ahead and schedule it because of, you know, the use of the 11 facility, and that's our one-year around that period. 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: But -- and, like I say, go ahead 13 and book it through standard booking. 14 MS. UECKER: Okay. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Through Alyce. 16 JUDGE TINLEY: Anything else on that agenda item, 17 gentlemen? Let's move to the next item; consider, discuss, 18 and take appropriate action on guidelines for reviewing 19 comprehensive drainage plans that are required for multi-unit 20 residential developments, manufactured housing communities, 21 business parks, or other similar uses where on-site sewage 22 disposal is to be used. Subsequent to the agenda being 23 finalized and published, there was communication from the 24 Environmental Health Department that they wish that this 25 matter be withdrawn from consideration today. Is that still 6-25-07 25 1 your request? 2 MS. HULETT: Yes, sir. 3 JUDGE TINLEY: Very well. We'll move on, then, to 4 Item 4, consider, discuss, and take appropriate action on 5 proposed agreement to house juveniles from Cameron County in 6 case of natural disaster, with Cameron County furnishing the 7 personnel. Mr. Emerson? 8 MR. EMERSON: Gentlemen, basically, I'm filling in 9 for Kevin Stanton. And it's my understanding that previously, 10 the County had made the facility available for emergency 11 hurricane evacuation to the juveniles from Cameron County, and 12 Cameron County has approached Mr. Stanton about doing that 13 again, and that's in the backup material that's been presented 14 to you. I did tell Mr. Stanton when he approached me that 15 there was an issue with an M.H.M.R. facility out of Houston 16 that had approached y'all last year about the same thing, and 17 he did the research, and I believe it's attached, where the 18 other facility made a presentation. Everybody was in 19 agreement that that was an option that was available, but the 20 other facility was going to generate a memorandum of 21 understanding, and to my knowledge, they have never done so. 22 I know our office has not received one, and according to 23 Mr. Stanton, there's not one on file with the clerk's office. 24 So, there shouldn't be any conflicts. 25 JUDGE TINLEY: My response -- my suggestion would be 6-25-07 26 1 that it include, at a minimum, two things. Number one, space 2 available, and number two, that they provide personnel for the 3 staffing of -- of their residents that they may put there. 4 'Cause we're not in a position to, number one, guarantee 5 space, or number two, we don't have the staffing. 6 MR. EMERSON: That's my understanding from reading 7 the material that Mr. Stanton gave me, is that it's subject to 8 those two requirements. 9 JUDGE TINLEY: Okay. 10 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Need a motion to that effect? 11 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Rex, you're comfortable with 12 this -- doing this kind of thing? 13 MR. EMERSON: It's -- I don't think the County has 14 any problem with it. It shouldn't be any cost to the 15 taxpayers, because it's subject to space availability, like 16 the Judge said. So, if the facility's leased out, as is 17 currently being discussed, then we just don't have any open 18 space. Then that's not an issue. And if the other county 19 covers all the expenses, utilities, staffing and so forth, 20 then once again, the County doesn't have any expense. 21 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: And we did this last year? 22 JUDGE TINLEY: I think, essentially. 23 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Did they use it? 24 JUDGE TINLEY: No. 25 MR. EMERSON: No. 6-25-07 27 1 JUDGE TINLEY: Never became necessary, because of no 2 hurricanes in the valley. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So, we have an agreement already 4 with them? Or we're going to -- we need a motion to get an 5 agreement? 6 MR. EMERSON: I do not think there's currently a 7 written agreement; I think it's been verbal in the past. And 8 when Kevin approached me about it, I told him -- I said, "You 9 really need a written agreement if this is what you want to 10 do." 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Shouldn't they then bring it 12 back for approval when we have an agreement? 13 MR. EMERSON: I think they want to bless the 14 concept. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. 16 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: I'll move that we make space 17 available to Cameron County in the event of a disaster to 18 house juveniles, providing they -- there is space available 19 and that they provide staffing to handle the children that are 20 placed here. 21 JUDGE TINLEY: And pay all other expenses? 22 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: And pay all expenses incurred. 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Second. 24 JUDGE TINLEY: Motion made and seconded as 25 indicated. Any question or discussion on the motion? All in 6-25-07 28 1 favor of the motion, signify by raising your right hand. 2 (The motion carried by unanimous vote.) 3 JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign. 4 (No response.) 5 JUDGE TINLEY: That motion does carry. We'll move 6 to Item 5; consider, discuss, and take appropriate action to 7 review Kerr County Rainwater Harvesting Program, being Court 8 Order Number 27352, and discuss that process. Commissioner 9 Letz? 10 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I put this on the agenda, and 11 I -- I think Diane may have some information, I'm not sure, or 12 Rex may have some information. In a past court order from 13 2001, we authorized a credit to give, but anytime anyone has 14 tried to do this, they've been told that -- that there's no 15 such credit, being the Appraisal District who passed that on. 16 So, I think if we're going to have this court order and do it, 17 we need to figure out how we're going to do it, because 18 currently it's not being done. And I believe that there is 19 some issue as to -- Diane has -- the Tax Assessor was looking 20 into it. 21 MS. BOLIN: It's called a legality issue. 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: The legality of us giving the 23 credit for this reason. Rex? 24 MR. EMERSON: Can I add my two cents? 25 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Please. 6-25-07 29 1 MR. EMERSON: Diane asked me to look into this, and 2 I received a call from the tax attorney in Austin that 3 represents the County. He's basically said he could not find 4 any statutory authority for the County to issue that tax 5 abatement. I've gone in and looked extensively on 6 Lexis-Nexis; I have not been able to find any statutory 7 authority. I've asked Bill Williams to look into it, since he 8 was originally the sponsor of it. I talked to David Motley, 9 since he was in office at the time, and nobody's been able to 10 come up with any statutory authority for the Court to issue 11 that tax credit. 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Can -- in lieu of the credit, is 13 it -- is there any authority for the County just to give a -- 14 a payment? I mean, is there -- I don't know how it's called. 15 I mean, is there -- 16 MR. EMERSON: Possibly, after research. You know, 17 as the Court's well aware, the County can't give, you know, 18 citizens tax money for private development on private land. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Right. 20 JUDGE TINLEY: Is the agenda item, as couched this 21 morning, adequate to -- to rescind the referenced court order 22 there? 23 MR. EMERSON: I would think so, Judge. 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I'll make a motion, since we 25 can't do it, that we rescind Court Order 27352 dated 6-25-07 30 1 December 10th, 2001, relating to a tax credit for rainwater 2 harvesting. And we will continue -- we will look at this and 3 see if there's any -- if we need to bring it back in the 4 future or not. 5 JUDGE TINLEY: But the motion is to rescind the 6 court order? 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yes. 8 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I second that. 9 JUDGE TINLEY: We have a motion and a second to 10 rescind Court Order Number 27352 dated December 10, 2001. Any 11 question or discussion on the motion? 12 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I just want to make a point. 13 In 2001, when this court order was passed, Commissioner Letz 14 and myself voted against. (Laughter.) Knowing that it wasn't 15 the right thing to do. That's all. 16 COMMISSIONER LETZ: But we lost. 17 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: But we lost. But we were 18 right. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: We were right. 20 JUDGE TINLEY: Do you care to add that the other two 21 that are present here today weren't even here then? 22 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: And the other two that are 23 here today weren't even here then. 24 JUDGE TINLEY: Any other questions or comments? 25 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Sorry I brought it up. 6-25-07 31 1 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: It's only taken six years to 2 figure out it wasn't right. 3 JUDGE TINLEY: All in favor of the motion, signify 4 by raising your right hand. 5 (The motion carried by unanimous vote.) 6 JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign. 7 (No response.) 8 JUDGE TINLEY: The motion does carry. Let's go to 9 Item 6, please. Consider, discuss, and take appropriate 10 action to accept an Amish Country Gazebo as a gift from 11 Mr. Gene Lehmann in honor of his late wife, Frances Lehmann. 12 Commissioner Baldwin. 13 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Thank you, sir. I apologize, 14 I left my book. Would you go into my office and get that book 15 of gazebos? There's a photograph in there. Thank you. As 16 the backup states, Mr. Lehmann, one of his folks approached me 17 last week and requested that he donate a gazebo for the 18 courthouse lawn. And as we talked about it -- thank you very 19 much -- we talked about it, we thought it would be a good idea 20 to replace the fountain, the old fountain that hasn't worked 21 in years, with this gazebo. And here's a -- here's a 22 photograph, Judge, if you'd like to pass that around, please, 23 that Mr. Lehmann has chosen. And it's my understanding that 24 he will make -- he will purchase the entire gazebo, send it in 25 here in a kit form, and Tim and his staff will put it 6-25-07 32 1 together. There's some small details that we will have to 2 discuss at some point, like I think there's a probably 3 electricity still out there for the fountain, so this thing 4 has lights in it and a ceiling fan, and so we're going to need 5 some electricity at least out there, and getting those kind of 6 things wired up. Tim seems to think that he can put it 7 together, and the particular one that Mr. Lehmann chose, 8 that's beautiful, and I think it would be a great addition to 9 our courthouse lawn, replacing the fountain that doesn't even 10 work, so it just kind of makes sense to me. Tim, do you want 11 to -- what are you going to add to it? 12 MR. BOLLIER: I think it's a great idea. That's all 13 I got to say. I think it'll make the front of the courthouse 14 look really well. It'll complement the courthouse. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: What's it made out of? 16 MR. BOLLIER: It's vinyl, made out of that vinyl 17 stuff that it's going to be -- it won't -- it will be 18 maintenance-free, more or less. All you'll have to do is kind 19 of go out there, replace a light bulb here and there every now 20 and then, probably go out there and wash it off with a water 21 hose every now and then. And other than that, there's not 22 much maintenance to it. 23 JUDGE TINLEY: For those of you that may not be 24 aware of Mr. Gene Lehmann, he -- he and his late partner, 25 Gordon Monroe, were responsible for a great deal of 6-25-07 33 1 development in this area, virtually all of Kerrville South, 2 the area south of the river. He donated the land upon which 3 the ambulatory care center is now located. I believe he also 4 donated a portion of the land for the -- where the new 5 hospital is being built. So, he's been a tremendous asset to 6 this community and this area, and this is just one more 7 demonstration of his -- 8 MR. BOLLIER: Did you mention the park? 9 JUDGE TINLEY: Just recently, for enhancement of the 10 Louise Hayes Park, a new section for it, to the City. That 11 was just recently dedicated also. So, this is just another 12 example of his gratitude to the community that's been awfully 13 good to him, and in honor of his wife of many years, who 14 passed away several years ago. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Buster, there is a -- my 16 recollection is that there's another plaque on that fountain. 17 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: That's correct. 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: How do you propose -- or how 19 does someone propose to acknowledge that family as well as -- 20 you know, put two plaques on the gazebo? Or I presume some 21 kind of recognition will be on the gazebo. 22 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I have spoken with the 23 original family that put in the water fountain, and it's been 24 two years, two and a half years ago since I've had this 25 conversation, but he felt like that there -- there was no 6-25-07 34 1 problem. You know, the family didn't have an interest in it. 2 I don't know how to word it without stepping on toes, but they 3 just simply didn't have a problem with us -- at that point, we 4 were talking about tearing -- just tearing it down and putting 5 a new fountain up, and he says the family didn't have a 6 problem with us doing that. There's not a name on that 7 plaque, just "pioneer family." 8 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Pioneer family? 9 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah. I don't know if it 10 would be appropriate to put their plaque on Mr. Lehmann's -- 11 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Would there be somewhere 12 within the courthouse or somewhere on the courthouse grounds 13 that it could be maintained, the one existing plaque? 14 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah. Yeah, that'd be fine, 15 sure. 16 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: I think it's a great idea. I 17 can remember years past, when the fountain was working, it was 18 a target for some of our juveniles around that put various 19 things in it that caused lots of problems, and the pumps 20 didn't last very long. And I support the idea. 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think it's a good idea. This 22 is one of the few courthouse additions that I'm in favor of 23 from a grounds standpoint. 24 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: As you can see, it's an 25 absolutely beautiful -- this choo-choo train on top's got to 6-25-07 35 1 go. That's not going to work. 2 MR. BOLLIER: Well, I suggested, on the weather vane 3 that's up on top, that maybe we have a weather vane on top 4 that -- and the weather vane be an outline of Kerr County. 5 And I think that would be -- 6 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I agree with you on that. 7 MR. BOLLIER: -- appropriate. 8 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: So I move that we accept the 9 gift from Mr. Lehmann, the gift of a pagoda -- 12-foot pagoda 10 gazebo. 11 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Second. 12 JUDGE TINLEY: Motion made and seconded as 13 indicated. Any further question or discussion on the motion? 14 MR. BOLLIER: Just one other thing. We didn't 15 discuss this, but there's the color of it, the color of the 16 shingles that go on there, that maybe we might just discuss 17 what color we do want on there. 18 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I think Mr. Lehmann needs to 19 make that decision. 20 MR. BOLLIER: Okay. 21 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah. 22 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Long as it's not purple, pink, 23 or -- 24 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah, we don't want purple 25 and pink. 6-25-07 36 1 MR. BOLLIER: Well, no. 2 COMMISSIONER LETZ: It's probably going to be green 3 or dark red or something like that, or gray. 4 JUDGE TINLEY: I'll trust Gene's decision on that. 5 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Absolutely. Personally, if I 6 were going to make the decision, I would do the cedar shakes 7 to relate to our local -- but I like what's on there, what 8 we're seeing. 9 MR. BOLLIER: Yes, sir. 10 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: And it could be blue and 11 gold, as far as I'm concerned. 12 MR. BOLLIER: I was fixing to say the same thing. I 13 agree. 14 JUDGE TINLEY: Any further question or comment? All 15 in favor of the motion, signify by raising your right hand. 16 (The motion carried by unanimous vote.) 17 JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign. 18 (No response.) 19 JUDGE TINLEY: That motion does carry. Let's go to 20 Item 7; consider, discuss, and take appropriate action to 21 authorize representatives of Kerr County Commissioners Court 22 to engage in discussions with elected officials of the City of 23 Kerrville concerning use of Kerr County property adjacent or 24 near Kerr County Law Enforcement Center by the City of 25 Kerrville for city police and/or courts and other law 6-25-07 37 1 enforcement-related uses. Commissioner Baldwin, I believe you 2 had floated this idea originally sometime back, and after we 3 discussed it, we put on it the agenda. The Sheriff had 4 mentioned he's got a good deal of space out there. So, I'll 5 let you run with it. 6 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: All right. I'll get it 7 started, and then we'll all hop in. This Court appointed 8 Commissioner Letz and I to meet with the City folks to see if 9 this was a feasible idea for them. And I want to say this at 10 the outset here; that I don't see -- there is zero benefit to 11 Kerr County, itself. There's a benefit to the taxpayers and 12 the protection of the life and property of the taxpayers, but 13 as far as a benefit to Kerr County, it is not. It is a major 14 benefit to the city of Kerrville, in my opinion, and that is 15 allowing the City to build a new police station on our 16 property adjoining the Sheriff's Office, and combining some 17 functions so law enforcement will -- in all of the entire 18 county will be together. Rusty, are you going to -- are you 19 going to comment on this in any way? 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: After I comment. 21 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah. 22 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Not unless I'm requested to. 23 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: But we had our committee 24 meeting, and with Rusty and the Police Chief and volunteer 25 fire department, and I think Commissioner Letz has reported on 6-25-07 38 1 that meeting. The Police Chief seemed to think that it wasn't 2 a good idea because of the city plan that is moving forward, 3 whatever that is. I saw some of it in the paper last week. 4 But -- so, in our committee meeting, he kind of nixed it or 5 was a little bit negative to it, and, personally, I don't 6 understand that. So, I personally want to take it to the next 7 level. I want -- I want Commissioner Letz and I to be able to 8 go to City Council -- City Council members that they have 9 chosen to deal with this, and I want to take them to the 10 County Jail and Sheriff's Office and have a walk-through so 11 that we -- you know, hands-on, play in the dirt type thing, so 12 they can see exactly what we're talking about. We're not 13 trying to, again, do anything to take away from the City to 14 benefit the County. That's -- that's not the point. The 15 point is to -- to enhance law enforcement in this county, and 16 that's the only thing that we're trying to do. So, I guess 17 I'm coming to you today to ask for permission from the Court 18 to stay the course and keep moving forward with it. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: My comment is -- I'll just 20 backtrack just a little bit. The -- I mean, the meeting that 21 Commissioner Baldwin referred to was a joint dispatch meeting. 22 I think, you know, us on the Court understood that, but to 23 make sure the audience knows as well, that we met on joint 24 dispatch, and the Sheriff came up with a proposal to kind of 25 -- or floated this idea and concept at that meeting, that 6-25-07 39 1 there's property out there that the County owned that they did 2 not see any long-term use for the jail. If that was -- the 3 jail's extended at some point, it would go a different 4 direction, and that it was a way that joint dispatch could 5 work, if, you know, we had the two facilities, being the 6 police -- the city police station and the Sheriff's Department 7 and jail, all located in near proximity. As Commissioner 8 Baldwin said, it didn't receive an overly enthusiastic 9 reception by the Police Chief, but, you know, I agree with 10 Commissioner Baldwin; I think it needs to go to the next 11 level. They are doing a long-range plan. I said 12 nonenthusiastic; let me backtrack. The Police Chief, I 13 recall, said it was not in their five-year planning horizon. 14 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Correct. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: That was what his actual words 16 were, and didn't see pursuing it, really. My understanding, 17 from what I read in the paper, the City is going through a new 18 comprehensive plan, looking at facilities and things of that 19 nature, and I think that we just -- the -- I agree with 20 Commissioner Baldwin. Let's, you know, sort of shelve the 21 dispatch idea; let's go to the next level that would help get 22 to the joint dispatch. It would be to formally talk to the 23 City about that property is available, and would be a huge 24 benefit to the taxpayers of this county, and especially in the 25 city. I mean, I don't know what that land's worth, but I 6-25-07 40 1 would suspect it's in the million dollar area for the -- the 2 amount of acreage that we would be willing to give -- to give 3 or long-term lease to the City at no cost, 'cause we think it 4 is a benefit to the community. And I think that it's a -- 5 hopefully the City will take it very seriously, look at this. 6 And we're basically giving them -- or offering them 7 free real estate -- prime real estate, I might add -- to build 8 a new jail on -- or new police station on, which they 9 overwhelmingly say they need. And as a part of that, 10 long-range, it would also solve their court problem, because 11 we have a court -- J.P. 2 uses the courtroom out there, which 12 is under-utilized; it's available. It would solve that whole 13 problem for them, the space standpoint of having a court. It 14 would be a way to jointly use some facilities that the County 15 has. And I think there's some other things that the Sheriff 16 has talked about, about. You know, you may have a joint break 17 room and a few other -- joint training. We already have a lot 18 of training equipment that we -- that the County has that can 19 be made available at no cost to the City. The joint break 20 room would get law enforcement people throughout the county 21 together, mingling, talking, hopefully solving problems. So, 22 I think it is a tremendous offer, and I hope the City takes it 23 seriously. And I -- if Commissioner Baldwin makes a motion, 24 I'll be glad to second that. 25 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: That we appoint ourselves? 6-25-07 41 1 COMMISSIONER LETZ: That we appoint ourselves to 2 continue talking with the City on this issue. 3 JUDGE TINLEY: The key issue is that y'all will be 4 talking to the elected officials. 5 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: That's correct. 6 JUDGE TINLEY: That are making the political 7 decisions -- 8 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah. I'm through talking to 9 Rusty about it. 10 JUDGE TINLEY: -- that affect the taxpayers. And I 11 think there are a lot of efficiencies that can be gained for 12 both organizations, and I think they need to, at a minimum, be 13 explored, and I think it's a good idea. 14 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I tell you, all of those 15 things are neat that you brought up, Rusty, but my favorite 16 thing is that training room and how that thing is wired, 17 computerized, two big screens; you can sit there with an 18 instructor out of San Antonio or Austin and be trained -- 19 certified, trained. And I -- that is neat. That's a neat 20 thing that we have there. 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: And I think, you know, just one 22 other thing. I mean, this is -- we're not talking about 23 joining or anything. They're still going to be a -- the 24 City's going to run their own deal; the County's going to run 25 their deal. We're just going to share some facilities to the 6-25-07 42 1 benefit of the taxpayers. That's the bottom line. 2 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Absolutely. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: And it's a -- you know, to me, I 4 don't see any negatives to certainly pursuing it. 5 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: There is one addition that came 6 up after our meeting that I think should be looked at. And I 7 guess it will be out very soon anyhow; it was made official to 8 me last week, is the Kerrville D.P.S. station is shutting down 9 their dispatch. Sheriff's Office, unbeknownst to us, until we 10 were informed, will be doing all the dispatching for all the 11 highway patrol and D.P.S. in this area, in Kerr County. 12 Either us or San Antonio will be. But they have elected to 13 close their dispatch office. Don't ask me why; I can't tell 14 you. You could ask the sergeant to come in. They didn't tell 15 us officially, so we're adopting that. And the City has a lot 16 of dispatch, and that would put our dispatch center for all 17 law enforcement, which I think is just an additional reason to 18 really consider it seriously at this time. We're not trying 19 to take over anything. And that training room can dub as an 20 E.O.C., an emergency operation center that has direct contact 21 with Austin, San Antonio, and everywhere else around here. 22 It's just -- I think it's a feasible idea. 23 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I see that -- 24 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: I really hope the City takes 25 us seriously and really looks at it hard. It's an opportunity 6-25-07 43 1 to enhance the program that already exists and get them on the 2 same piece of property, where it makes everything so much 3 easier to do. Whenever they arrest somebody, whenever they 4 need training, whatever, it's just a good -- it's a win-win 5 deal, looks to me like. 6 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah. 7 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: And I can't imagine them not 8 taking advantage of this opportunity, to -- to at least 9 explore the idea and the cost, and at least start planning in 10 the future for this, and not -- not just -- just forget about 11 it. They need to put it on the front burner, in my opinion, 12 and go forward. This is a really good opportunity for 13 everybody. 14 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: The whole bottom line -- 15 you're absolutely right. The whole bottom line is an 16 opportunity to save lives and property for our citizens. And, 17 you know, we're all -- you know, law enforcement is expensive, 18 and we all understand that. But it's also something that is a 19 necessity, and the taxpayers demand it, and us, as leaders, 20 are going to provide it. And that's what -- that's what the 21 whole thing is about. 22 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Well, I make a motion that 23 Commissioner Baldwin and Commissioner Letz -- authorize them 24 to have a meeting with the City Council to offer a plan to 25 build a new police station on county property. 6-25-07 44 1 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Second. 2 JUDGE TINLEY: Motion made and seconded as 3 indicated. Question or discussion? All in favor of the 4 motion, signify by raising your right hand. 5 (The motion carried by unanimous vote.) 6 JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign. 7 (No response.) 8 JUDGE TINLEY: That motion does carry. Let's move 9 to Item 8; consider, discuss, and take appropriate action to 10 appoint Ray Garcia to the Kerr County Child Service Board. 11 Commissioner Baldwin? 12 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Thank you, sir. We have an 13 opening on our Kerr County Child Service Board, and Mr. Garcia 14 came through last week and voiced an interest in it. And we 15 had him in the board -- the last board meeting, and he 16 indicated to us that he would be willing to serve. And his 17 resume -- or his background, of course, is in the -- in the 18 agenda -- I mean in the packet here, so -- and we all know him 19 anyway. And so it's good to see a young man come in and 20 willing to serve, and in other places than just his paid job. 21 So, with that, Judge, I will move that we appoint Ray Garcia 22 as a member of the Kerr County Child Service Board. 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Second. 24 JUDGE TINLEY: Motion made and seconded as 25 indicated. Any question or discussion on the motion? All in 6-25-07 45 1 favor of the motion, signify by raising your right hand. 2 (The motion carried by unanimous vote.) 3 JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign. 4 (No response.) 5 JUDGE TINLEY: That motion does carry. Item 9; 6 consider, discuss, and take appropriate action to set up 7 budget workshops on the following dates, first one being 8 July 17th, 2007, that being City/County joint operations, 9 employee health benefits, reorganization issues, and Human 10 Resources. July 18, '07, organizational development, step and 11 grade schedule, Nondepartmental, Commissioners Court, 12 Information Technology, District Courts, District Attorneys. 13 July 24th, '07, County Clerk, County Court at Law, Juvenile 14 Probation, Adult Probation, District Clerk, J.P.'s 1, 2, 3 and 15 4, Constables 1, 2, 3 and 4, County Attorney, County Auditor, 16 County Treasurer, Facilities and Maintenance. And July 31, 17 2007, Sheriff's Office and Jail, D.P.S., Road and Bridge, 18 Juvenile Detention Facility, Environmental Health, Extension 19 Service, County-sponsored, and Collections. We've got at 20 least three that -- four, actually, that I don't see in here. 21 One is Animal Control. 22 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: That's Jody's fault. I did 23 my part. 24 JUDGE TINLEY: I see. Now, we have County Judge and 25 County Court, and then we have Juvenile Probation. 6-25-07 46 1 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: And Courthouse Security. 2 MS. BOLIN: And the Tax Assessor. 3 JUDGE TINLEY: You're not there? 4 MS. BOLIN: No, I'm not there. 5 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Just a minor one. 6 JUDGE TINLEY: There's a reason you're not there. 7 MS. BOLIN: I was beginning to wonder. 8 JUDGE TINLEY: We're going to let you operate out of 9 the Sheriff's budget this year. 10 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Oh. 11 MS. BOLIN: Oh. Okay, Rusty, look out. 12 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: No. 13 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think the Tax Assessor would 14 fit on July 24th. 15 JUDGE TINLEY: Yeah. 16 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think Courthouse Security 17 would go on the 31st. 18 JUDGE TINLEY: Yeah. Yeah, that's -- 19 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Let me say something before 20 we get too far into this thing. Jody and I just simply took 21 last year's meeting dates and just kind of mirrored them with 22 the -- the schedule that we had from last year, and I kind of 23 fixed the dates that, of course, fit my schedule. But -- 24 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Obviously. 25 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: So this -- this is simply a 6-25-07 47 1 recommendation. If we need to change dates and that kind of 2 thing, that's -- you're not going to upset me, Jon, in any 3 way. 4 JUDGE TINLEY: The only mention I would make, most 5 of these are on Tuesday. 6 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yes, sir. 7 JUDGE TINLEY: I don't have a problem with that, as 8 long as we can start, say, beginning about 10:30. If you want 9 to move them all to Wednesday, that's great; we can start at 10 9:00 if you want to do that. 11 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: That's fine. 12 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: I like that idea. Start 13 early. 14 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah, I do too. That's fine. 15 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Too late in the day to start 16 anything at 10:30. 17 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I don't have a calendar -- or 18 do I? 19 JUDGE TINLEY: Yeah. 20 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Sure do. 21 JUDGE TINLEY: Yeah. Be 18, 25, and August 1 -- 22 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Correct. 23 JUDGE TINLEY: -- if they were all Wednesdays. Of 24 course, then you got July 17. 25 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Why not do the 11th, 18th, and 6-25-07 48 1 25th? 2 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: That's groovy, dude. 3 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: 11th, 18th, and 25th. 4 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Every Wednesday. 5 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: 25 -- 6 JUDGE TINLEY: And then August 1. 7 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: August 1. 8 JUDGE TINLEY: 9 a.m.? 9 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: 9 a.m. Be here, be square. 10 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Just plug in anything that's 11 missing. 12 JUDGE TINLEY: Yeah. 13 MS. BOLIN: And you're going to put me on the 25th, 14 right? 15 JUDGE TINLEY: Pardon? 16 MS. BOLIN: I'm going to the 25th? 17 JUDGE TINLEY: Yeah. 18 MS. BOLIN: Okay. 19 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: If you're not here, we'll take 20 care of it for you. 21 MS. BOLIN: Okay. 22 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Be careful. 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: On the 11th, can we add 24 personnel policy to that? 'Cause I think -- 25 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Surely. 6-25-07 49 1 COMMISSIONER LETZ: It looks like that's Ms. Hyde's 2 day. So -- and any revisions. 'Cause didn't the personnel 3 policy -- doesn't all that -- we've been talking about we need 4 to look at -- make sure it's all together and proper. 5 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Think we can make that 6 determination? 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I hope she can. All right. 8 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: And these are strictly budget 9 workshops, no action to be taken out of these -- or during 10 these times. 11 JUDGE TINLEY: Okay. 12 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Hopefully, we'll come out of 13 there and take some action at some point. 14 JUDGE TINLEY: Okay. I don't think we need to have 15 any formal motion on that. Do you, gentlemen? 16 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: No, that's fine. I just 17 wanted to bring it up so we can get it going. 18 JUDGE TINLEY: Okay. 19 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Thank you. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: When do we have our city 21 meeting? 22 JUDGE TINLEY: That's still in development. We've 23 had a number of dates proposed, and the ping-pong match is 24 underway. 25 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think we -- yeah. 6-25-07 50 1 MS. GRINSTEAD: August 6th was what they think. 2 COMMISSIONER LETZ: August 6th looks like a 3 possible? Okay. 4 JUDGE TINLEY: Okay. Anything else on that 5 particular item, gentlemen? We'll move to Item 10; consider, 6 discuss, take appropriate action to accept the resignation of 7 Bruce Baker from the Advisory Board of the library. 8 Commissioner Baldwin? 9 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Thank you. I just happened 10 to be here last week when Mr. Baker came in and turned in his 11 resignation, and I just happen to be his -- his Commissioner. 12 And I -- so I think that's the reason he came to me, and that 13 it didn't have anything to do with library appointments. But 14 I'd like to read his -- his letter into the record, if I may. 15 "Dear Buster: I believe the mindset of the present 16 Administration makes it impossible for me to provide a 17 positive contribution to the work of the Library Board. 18 Likewise, current trends limit the library's ability to serve 19 the Kerrville/Kerr County community. Therefore, I submit my 20 resignation as a county representative on the Advisory Board 21 of the library. Please convey to the rest of the Court my 22 appreciation..." Signed, Bruce Baker. So, I move that we 23 accept his resignation, and then I guess we start -- 24 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: I'll second it. I had no -- 25 we had a Library Board meeting last week; he didn't say 6-25-07 51 1 anything about it. 2 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Can we not accept it? 4 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Well, he wasn't -- he wasn't 5 real happy. I didn't spend a lot of time with him, but 6 there's lots of things said outside these written words, so I 7 don't think that he has much interest in -- 8 JUDGE TINLEY: Continuing? 9 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: -- continuing. 10 JUDGE TINLEY: We have a motion and second to accept 11 the resignation. Any question or discussion? All in favor of 12 the motion, signify by raising your right hand. 13 (The motion carried by unanimous vote.) 14 JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign. 15 (No response.) 16 JUDGE TINLEY: That motion does carry. We'll move 17 to Item 11; consider, discuss, and take appropriate action on 18 proposed updates and/or measures of the courthouse security 19 plan. I put this on the agenda. Over the past year or so, 20 there have been a few instances in which things have occurred 21 here in the courthouse that have indicated that there might be 22 a need for a little bit better security. I asked the -- the 23 individuals who are in charge of courthouse security, Chuck 24 Brecher, and -- and Dan Thomas to give me some ideas, some 25 very simple ideas -- I didn't want an elaborate anything -- 6-25-07 52 1 that we might consider that might, by taking just a few simple 2 measures, improve the security here and make things a little 3 bit better. And they -- they have made a few minor 4 suggestions. I'll try and summarize them very quickly. 5 On the lower level of the courthouse, there's access 6 there that, if access is being controlled through the first 7 floor, access can come through the lower level of the 8 courthouse, get to the second floor, and you never know 9 they're here in the building. So, one suggestion was that 10 those doors downstairs that provide access to the lower level 11 be kept locked during normal business hours. There are crash 12 bars on -- on all of them, so that in case of fire or other 13 emergency, people can exit the building from down there, but 14 otherwise, that would allow access of the public in through 15 the first floor. In some instances, there might be a need to 16 control access where these east and west doors coming into the 17 new part of the courthouse up the ramps come in. In the case 18 of a high-profile trial with special security procedures, they 19 suggested, on a case-by-case basis, it might be necessary for 20 that purpose only to lock the front doors of the courthouse 21 facing Main, control all access so that they do have a handle 22 on what's going on. 23 Upstairs, the magnetic doors that go back into the 24 secure area of the courthouse, apparently sometimes those 25 magnetic doors don't always work as planned. There -- there's 6-25-07 53 1 been an instance or two in which persons have been found back 2 in the secure area as a result of, apparently, those magnetic 3 doors failing. As a result, the recommendation was that -- 4 that we have deadbolts put in place on those two doors, and 5 during nonbusiness hours, that those deadbolts could be 6 activated, and that way we know things are secure during 7 normal business hours. If there's a particular reason, again, 8 such as the instance of a high profile trial with special 9 security measures in force, to activate the deadbolt on one of 10 them and require the other one to be monitored, there's a lady 11 there to monitor those. 12 The other mention had to do with parking spaces, 13 maybe getting Road and Bridge to make new signs on reserved 14 spaces by number, rather than by individual or office, to 15 prevent elected officials or other persons being targeted by 16 vandals or other persons that may be displeased with the 17 activities or actions or decisions of a particular individual. 18 Certainly, that's not meant to supplant any long-term security 19 plans. I know we've got an office upstairs on the second 20 floor in which the long-term intent, according to my 21 understanding, is to put in monitors there, to -- to have feed 22 from security cameras in various parts of the courthouse as we 23 move forward with a permanent long-term security plan. But 24 the ones here are just some pretty simple measures that would 25 require little or no expenditure of funds in order to just put 6-25-07 54 1 in some safety gaps where -- where there otherwise had been 2 some problems. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Only question I have is on 4 the -- well, the only -- magnetic strip doors. 5 JUDGE TINLEY: Mm-hmm. 6 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Why don't we just fix the 7 magnetic strip doors? I mean -- 8 JUDGE TINLEY: Good question. I'm told that -- that 9 they're not infallible, and occasionally they don't always 10 work as intended. And one way to be sure that they're being 11 effective is by the deadbolt procedure. Of course, during 12 normal business hours, why, that deadbolt would be -- would be 13 open. 14 MR. EMERSON: I think part of the problem with those 15 doors, Jonathan, is that in mediations and a number of other 16 instances where there's meetings that are held in those jury 17 rooms, a lot of people are given access to that code, and the 18 code is not regularly changed, necessarily. Because of that, 19 people that shouldn't have access beyond their limited time 20 period do. 21 JUDGE TINLEY: The -- securing the lower level of 22 the courthouse and allowing access to only those with keys, 23 the Sheriff has some -- has expressed some concerns about 24 anytime you have an employee that departs, if you don't secure 25 all the keys, then you got to rekey. Seems like we may have 6-25-07 55 1 that problem anyway, but, you know, there may be a better 2 long-term solution; key pads, electronic magnetic strip cards, 3 or something of that nature. What I'm looking at is something 4 little or no cost, short-term benefit, until we can -- until 5 we can come up with something a little bit more permanent, and 6 hopefully not too much more expensive. 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: On the deadbolt -- on those 8 magnetic strip doors, then, I mean, there's only going to be a 9 reason to add a deadbolt to the one without the -- without the 10 window where someone's watching and can let people in, right? 11 I mean, there's no reason -- this one already has -- that one 12 over here has the window there where someone can be let in 13 there. It seems that -- I hate to have too much limited 14 access, start having deadbolts on there. Then the Sheriff's 15 not going to be able to get in if he has to get in. I mean, I 16 can see locking people in or locking people out. 17 JUDGE TINLEY: The deadbolt would primarily be in 18 order to make sure that it's secure during non-business hours. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: If you have a deadbolt and 20 something happens in there and they go run and lock the 21 deadbolts, I see that can be turned around, you know, to our 22 detriment, or the Sheriff's possible detriment. I don't know. 23 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: May I speak? Number one, if 24 somebody has concerns about security at the courthouse, I wish 25 they would first come to me, since I'm in charge of security 6-25-07 56 1 at the courthouse, and not read it on an agenda item. Number 2 two is, deadbolts will not work on those doors because of fire 3 escape hazards and ways to get out. Number three is, it's not 4 the magnetic strips that are failing. It's when they forget 5 to lock a courtroom door, and you can go in through the 6 courtroom and go out into the hallway the other way. It's not 7 the deal. Now, what Rex brought up is a good point, because 8 unfortunately, other employees up there will give the code out 9 to other ones that come in. Not the security personnel, but 10 the codes to get around. And you end up gradually, after a 11 time, having to recode. Maybe it's time to recode it. 12 For the last number of years, I have brought up 13 things during budget time, and that's normally when I bring it 14 up, because it is an expense to upgrade and do things with the 15 courthouse. The first deal was in the old '05-'06 budget, we 16 asked for a lot. It was a complete camera system that was 17 recorded along with panic buttons and everything. The total 18 was about $96,000. The Court opted at that time not to do 19 that. In '06-'07, this year, I do have a second employee up 20 there, and we did upgrade a metal detector -- bought a new 21 metal detector, so we have done some. I did send the two 22 courthouse security officers through a courthouse security 23 school this year too, which is also why you have other ideas 24 come up. The renumbering and redoing the parking spaces 25 downstairs, that's a simple fix, and I think it should be 6-25-07 57 1 done, and that can be done at zero or very low cost, maybe 2 even getting Maintenance just to assign numbers instead of 3 names. It helps with security for certain individuals when 4 somebody doesn't like them. 5 My understanding is the courthouse is locked at 6 night. It is unlocked about 6:00 in the morning, when 7 Maintenance gets here, and it's in between that time, or maybe 8 sometime before it was locked at night, when they've had a 9 late trial, somebody sneaks in and sleeps in a bathroom or 10 something. That can be addressed short-term by me changing my 11 courthouse security's working hours, and have one come on 12 early and one come on late. I don't have a problem -- and 13 check the doors and check everything in the courthouse before 14 they go home. You will see in this year's budget, when we get 15 to that, there is a plan of $9,000 to put key pads on all the 16 bottom floor doors, and I think that is by far the best 17 solution. We have gone through issuing keys, and you never 18 get them back. Somebody loses one, and you end up having to 19 rekey a whole lot of locks. And the expense, that just adds 20 up. Glenn Holekamp and I went through that quite a bit. So, 21 I think the key pads are much wiser. Now, if you look -- 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Rusty, before you leave key 23 pads, what's the cost difference between using magnetic strip 24 cards as opposed to key pads? 25 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Well, the key pads is a basic 6-25-07 58 1 operation. If you look in the budget -- and there is 2 something in there. We haven't got to budget, but on a letter 3 dated May the 9th from Guardian, who we got the 4 recommendations from, it says, "Equipment listed will allow 5 you to control entry by assigning codes to employees needing 6 entry." It will also be the basic equipment to allow a true 7 access control system, where you provide a key tag or badge 8 which can be placed in proximity to a card reader, which will 9 allow you to have an audit trail, a trail of all employees who 10 enter. Add the controller cards will not only provide an 11 audit trail, but if an employee leaves, you simply take them 12 out of the system. If they do not return the badge and try to 13 use it later, you will be alerted of the attempted entry. It 14 logs all that. 15 Also, this system will soon work in conjunction with 16 the camera system, which can be for the future upgrades, and 17 if you click on a particular employee who has badged in, you 18 will be able to see a video of that entry to make sure it is 19 that employee. So, it's a long-range solution, gradually. I 20 think the Court's done real well, okay? We've doubled the -- 21 doubled by putting another person here. We have upgraded 22 metal detectors. It's just when you go to actual entries, 23 this courthouse has a lot of entries that are unknown to the 24 public, because this is a very old courthouse. It's got a lot 25 of ways to move around in it. We have brought over the 6-25-07 59 1 Special Operations Unit of the city and county and even 2 exercised in this courthouse at night for security reasons. 3 But a lot of it's going to be -- right now it's easier 4 man-on-man. But the proposal that I put in budget this year 5 is $10,000. I'll wait till budget time to see if that goes 6 through. If you want to do that sooner, believe me, as head 7 of courthouse security, I have no problem in doing it sooner, 8 but I put it in the budget. 9 Now, there is another system that was presented 10 before, too, which is $31,000, and I think in emergency 11 situations, it would be by far the best system, and it was a 12 system that not only goes with the key pad entry and that -- 13 it's additional, but it's a button system, panic button, 14 where, number one, your two courthouse bailiffs have pagers or 15 radios on them. One button is if anybody in the courthouse in 16 any area needs some assistance, they can push it. It just 17 goes to that security officer, goes to his radio, telling him 18 they need security. The other button is an emergency button, 19 which if anybody pushes that button, it goes to every patrol 20 car I have on the street and tells them there is an emergency 21 at the courthouse, where they're running here with lights and 22 siren. So, it depends on what you want to do. And all these 23 have been presented. Now, I will hang the first employee that 24 presses that emergency button when it's unneeded. The Tax 25 Assessor -- 6-25-07 60 1 MS. BOLIN: You've been here when we had those 2 little panic buttons in our office. 3 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Those panic buttons don't work. 4 MS. BOLIN: That's true. 5 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: This one is not for that. One 6 just calls the -- the security officer. The other one goes 7 county-wide on our primary radio system and tells them there 8 is an emergency. So, this -- but I think these solutions have 9 been brought up. I think we're on the right trail. I think 10 this County's done right in adding another person to it, 11 'cause to me, there's nothing better than actual people 12 walking through. But I don't agree with keys, because keys 13 just end up being lost, forgotten, then you rekey everything. 14 I know y'all can remember how many times we've rekeyed 15 different areas in this courthouse, that just -- they don't 16 work. 17 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I always try to move away -- I 18 would agree with that, totally get away from keys in all entry 19 doors, and use the swipes or magnetic, whatever those little 20 reader cards are. They're more -- much more secure. 21 JUDGE TINLEY: Sheriff, I'm a little confused about 22 your statement that your first knowledge of these matters was 23 reading an agenda item. The discussions I had with the 24 designated courthouse security personnel that -- that I have 25 direct contact with, that I asked for very simple 6-25-07 61 1 recommendations, brought me a draft, and indicated that -- 2 that they were forwarding it directly to you. And, of course, 3 it indicates on its face that it was forwarded to you more 4 than 10 days ago. 5 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: The draft was forwarded to me, 6 and I had a talk with the security personnel about doing that 7 kind of stuff. And the first time I knew that anybody was 8 going to put anything on the agenda, other than what we have 9 already talked -- and you have a copy of my budget request, 10 Judge -- was when you put on it the agenda. And my deal is, 11 I'm not that concerned about it. I think we're all headed in 12 the right direction, and courthouse does need to be addressed. 13 I just -- if I'm in charge of the budget, I'd like to know 14 what's going on before I see it in the agenda. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: The -- 16 JUDGE TINLEY: Well, I want to be clear. So, then, 17 your -- you indicated you were first aware of these only when 18 you saw the agenda item. You were actually aware of the 19 specific proposals before then, but you just weren't aware 20 they were going to be put on the agenda. 21 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: The first recommendation I 22 got -- and I don't know if you even got it, because it's when 23 we talked about what we were going to do for courthouse 24 security -- was the recommendation that came in in April, and 25 that's what I've been working off of, until they were told to 6-25-07 62 1 give you a recommendation last week or week before. 2 JUDGE TINLEY: Okay. 3 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: And I think you'll find that's 4 a different letter. 5 JUDGE TINLEY: Well, the one I'm looking at is 6 addressed to you dated June 14. 7 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Yes, and I got it after you 8 did. And we had already put those -- I don't discuss all my 9 plans on what we're going to ask for in the budget with all my 10 employees every time. I don't think it's necessary. So, if 11 there were questions, you had my budget and you had what I was 12 putting in it. 13 JUDGE TINLEY: Well, I didn't perceive this to have 14 any significant budgetary impact. 15 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Okay. But I think we are 16 headed in the right direction. There are some additions, 17 especially with this courthouse, that can definitely be made. 18 And I brought up certain ones every year at budget time, and 19 if this county can afford them, we'll go with them, and if 20 not, we'll do the best we can. 21 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I want to point out 22 something. We've talked about people getting from outside in 23 the courthouse. I happened to be here last week in the 24 evening time, and a trial ended upstairs. I was just up there 25 watching, and it was evening, and there was this herd, or 6-25-07 63 1 maybe it was a covey, of lawyers wandering around the hallway 2 that couldn't get out. Doors were locked. And, boy, I'd have 3 given anything if I'd have thought through that and just left 4 them in here, but I had to unlock the door with my key to let 5 them out these side doors. 6 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: There was most likely a 7 security person still upstairs taking care of the -- 8 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Absolutely, there was. There 9 was still two here. And also, there's a door that you just 10 mash the bar around the corner. But I'm a Commissioner and 11 they're lawyers, so, you know, there wasn't enough brainpower 12 there to open the door. (Laughter.) 13 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Well, it's -- even, like, in 14 this last month was a good example of what happens. The 15 security personnel up there normally work the same hours 16 everybody else does at this courthouse. This last month 17 alone, I've turned in 22 hours of overtime for one of them 18 because of the late trials and staying late to make sure 19 things are secure. And if the Court wishes -- and it may be 20 something I need to consider about redoing some work schedules 21 on those two to put them first here and last to leave every 22 day the courthouse is open, so they can check these offices 23 and rooms. 24 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I think we unlock the doors 25 in the morning too early. I do. 6-25-07 64 1 JUDGE TINLEY: One of the recommendations on here 2 that was given to me was that we can unlock them at, you know, 3 quarter to 8:00, thereabouts. 4 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah. 5 JUDGE TINLEY: As opposed to 7:00 or before. 6 Q (By Sheriff Hierholzer) Well, you do have some 7 officials that I know, and some judges -- you know, District 8 Court -- that do get here very early, because they're getting 9 their stuff to go to another county or something. Those, we 10 do have keys with. There's no -- no problem there. But the 11 general courthouse, that can very well be considered as to 12 upgrade the security, is not unlocking quite as early as we 13 do. But I -- you know, some of this -- and we have to always 14 keep in mind such as if we go to the key pad, then the fire 15 department and them are going to have that key, okay? Or that 16 code to be able to get in, because it's not only the pushbar 17 to get out to equal the fire code; it's getting firemen in, as 18 was pointed out to me a while ago. And if you go to locks, 19 just regular key locks, then you've got to have that secure 20 area where the lock is kept. And I know there's one here, but 21 every time you change it, you've got to remember to change 22 them. So, there's a lot of things that affect when you look 23 at it. 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Have you looked in your -- you 25 gave us two budget items, an $11,000 one and -- I think 6-25-07 65 1 11,000 -- and a 31,000. 2 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: And a 96,000. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: And a 96,000. Do one of those 4 cover putting the magnetic strip -- 5 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: The 11,000 -- 9,900-something. 6 COMMISSIONER LETZ: That's all doors in the 7 courthouse? 8 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: That's for all the lower doors 9 in the courthouse. 10 COMMISSIONER LETZ: "Lower" being basement? 11 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Yes. 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: What about -- 13 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: This is what's in the budget 14 proposal for this year. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Well, I mean -- 16 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: That's the basic. For the -- 17 the additional, you can build onto that same system without 18 replacing. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Do you have a number, or can you 20 have a budget number to do all doors in the courthouse with 21 that -- with a reader system? 22 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: What do you do on the public 23 access ones? 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: You open the door during the 25 day, but if Commissioner Baldwin comes in Sunday, he has to 6-25-07 66 1 use that reader card where it keeps a record of it, as opposed 2 to using a key. Get rid of all the keys. 3 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Oh, I can get you that type of 4 bid. There's no problem there. That company does that. 5 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think if we can get away from 6 keys, it's probably better. 7 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: I think our normal public 8 entrance, like up here, is not included in that bid. 9 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I mean, I'd just like to know 10 what it would cost to do all of them so we can keep track of 11 it, 'cause I think that's also a way to -- I would expect that 12 with that, you could electronically lock down all the doors 13 instantly. 14 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Probably could. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Which I think would be -- 16 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Now, remember, that 9,000 is 17 the -- is the basic part. It's the key pad downstairs, and 18 it's not the camera that logs in and shows it, okay? But it's 19 the foundation for it all to be added onto. I was trying to 20 upgrade it in sections. But if you want a full proposal for 21 already having that, I'll be more than happy to get you one by 22 August 1st, before our budget discussion. 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I'd like to see what it costs to 24 do the whole courthouse, the electronic system. 25 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: No problem. 6-25-07 67 1 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Are we doing anything today? 2 JUDGE TINLEY: It's your pleasure. 3 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: If you want to start with the 4 9,000 -- if you want to take some type of action today, I can 5 tell you, you know, if it's -- if y'all would like, I'll redo 6 work schedules to help that part out. Some areas, it may 7 cause a little bit more overtime. Other areas, it won't. If 8 you want me to get with Maintenance -- 'cause even before -- 9 or while Glenn Holekamp was here, all keys were issued out by 10 Maintenance, and they kept a log. I doubt if they keep that 11 log any more. But if you want me to take back over some of 12 those issues, I can sure do that. Or if you want to go with 13 the preliminary of 9,000 before budget time, then I can do 14 that. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Why don't you come back at our 16 next meeting with specific -- you know, with -- 17 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: I'll be out of town on your 18 next meeting. I can have one of my people -- be more than 19 happy to. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Some of this stuff didn't have 21 any cost attributed to it. We can't just authorize doing 22 something on it without having -- knowing where the money's 23 coming from. The only one that I can see we can really do 24 today out of this is the -- 25 JUDGE TINLEY: Lower level. 6-25-07 68 1 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Well, I was thinking of the 2 signs, the renaming. 3 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: The signs on the spaces is a 4 simple fix. If you want me to go ahead and do that, we can 5 get initiated on that. And then, I think, between that and 6 changing some shifts or working hours, then I can take care of 7 a lot of this other. 8 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: You're talking about parking 9 signs? 10 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Parking. It's not signs. 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Instead of saying 12 "Commissioner." 13 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: So, I become a number? 14 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: You become a number. That's 15 all you've been for a long time, Buster. 16 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Can I have my picture put on 17 it with my number? 18 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Yeah, yours will be the only 19 one out there, so everybody knows who to target. 20 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah. 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: And -- 22 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: The only other thing, the 23 courthouse employees do have a problem where -- like I 24 understand, and I told Eva this when she told me about it, 25 last Thursday, I guess, was the first day I knew it, where she 6-25-07 69 1 walked in and there was a transient or somebody in one of the 2 restrooms. If that happens, I want to know about it 3 immediately so that I can address it and see what we can do. 4 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So, we can start locking the 5 basement doors. We can -- 6 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Well, I'm not sure -- the 7 basement doors are locked. They're locked at night. It's 8 just what time they're open in the morning, and who it is that 9 checks them at night. And if you've got somebody from 10 Juvenile Probation that comes in during the night and leaves 11 or whatever, okay, all doors to the courthouse are locked at 12 night. It's just what time they get opened and what kind of 13 check is made when they are locked. 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Why do -- why do they need to be 15 opened? 16 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Well, they get opened for 17 employees to come in. A lot of them stay locked. Pushbar 18 doors normally stay locked. The glass door in front of Rex's 19 normally stays locked, but they are pushbar. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I don't see the reason why any 21 of those need to be unlocked from the outside. If you need to 22 get -- 23 JUDGE TINLEY: On the lower level? I don't either. 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think they all be should be 25 locked from the outside all the time. 6-25-07 70 1 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: That's just an instruction; I 2 don't have a problem doing it. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: If someone has a key, they can 4 get in. If not, they use -- 5 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Come around. 6 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Come up here. I think that's -- 7 yeah, I'm in favor of that. 8 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: I agree with that. 9 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: I think we can handle a lot of 10 this until budget time with what we have. 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: The other thing you can do -- so 12 you can do that one. The shift change can be done, and then 13 we start the -- 14 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Parking space. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: -- parking space. 16 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: What about -- what about not 17 unlocking the doors before 7:50? 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yeah. That goes, to me, with 19 shift change. 20 MR. ALFORD: I've walked in here -- especially on 21 Tuesdays, when we have court, there's guys in here at 7:20, 22 7:15 in the morning, and I'm always kind of leery to walk 23 around the corner and go, "Oh, good morning." Most of them 24 get here about 7:15. We got the keys anyway. 25 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: I know sometimes we do have to 6-25-07 71 1 bring inmates over about 7:30, things like that. I would 2 recommend let's not unlock them until 7:30. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: 7:30 is okay. 4 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: If we do, I'll have one of my 5 courthouse security individuals do the unlocking. 6 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. 7 JUDGE TINLEY: I think -- I'm not sure about the 8 need to be adjusting schedules. Oftentimes when court's in 9 session -- I can understand we have to stay over if a -- if 10 one of the courts carries a case late in the evening. But -- 11 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Well, one thing I would like, 12 if an employee like Eva walks into a restroom down there and 13 there's a transient sleeping in it, and it is early in the 14 morning before 7:00, I'd like to know that one of my guys is 15 here already to deal with that. Now, not -- 16 JUDGE TINLEY: And if we're not opening the 17 courthouse until at least 7:30, -- 18 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: That's why -- 19 JUDGE TINLEY: -- lower level doors are locked, 20 we've pretty well eliminated that occurring, as opposed to 21 opening things up at 7 o'clock. 22 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: And what I'm saying, 23 dependent -- the work schedule would be dependent on what time 24 you want the courthouse open in the mornings. 25 JUDGE TINLEY: Okay. 6-25-07 72 1 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: That's when I'll have them come 2 in. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: If we open the courthouse at 4 7:30, I'd let them be at 7:00. One starts at 7:00, one get 5 off at 6:00. 6 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: It's no -- it's just a work 7 schedule change. That doesn't matter. 8 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Pretty minor. 9 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Right. 10 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. 11 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Okay? 12 JUDGE TINLEY: Okay. We thrash that one out all 13 we're going to do today? 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think so. 15 JUDGE TINLEY: Okay. Why don't we take about a 16 15-minute recess, then? 17 (Recess taken from 10:32 a.m. to 10:53 a.m.) 18 - - - - - - - - - - 19 JUDGE TINLEY: Okay, let's come back to order, if we 20 might. We were in recess for a few moments. Next item on the 21 agenda is Item 12; consider, discuss, and take appropriate 22 action to finalize Youth Exhibit Center and Union Church 23 reservation and booking policy and procedures. I believe 24 Commissioners Letz and Oehler have been working on this item. 25 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Ms. Hyde, do you have more of 6-25-07 73 1 those copies for everybody else? I don't think they're in 2 the -- in part of the backup. 3 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah, I'd like to bring up a 4 point. There is no backup. 5 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Well, there is. 6 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Here it is? 7 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: You just now received it. 8 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Before -- let me make one 9 introductory comment before I turn it over to Bruce. The 10 intent isn't to act today. This is -- it's a lot to do, a lot 11 to look at. Let's kind of go over it, and then have everyone 12 think about it, adjust it, and hopefully at our next meeting 13 or the meeting after that, try to finalize this and put it to 14 bed for the next year, or longer. But we've spent -- Eva's 15 been a great help in going through a lot of the old records, 16 and we've been going through trying to figure out exactly what 17 we've been doing out there, trying to get everything into 18 bringing in a policy, and -- and we'll be talking more about 19 where we need to go. 20 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Have you received the booking 21 information for the present year, up through the present time 22 and the rest of this budget year from Ms. Davidson? 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I got everything I asked for. 24 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Okay. So, you did not ask for 25 the stuff that -- 6-25-07 74 1 COMMISSIONER LETZ: The real current, I thought we 2 had the current. 3 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: We do not. We have not 4 received it. We've asked for it -- this will be the third 5 time. And so, you know, if you would do that, that would be 6 good, if we have that information to know where we are on our 7 bookings for the present year and into the future, past today. 8 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I -- what I -- 9 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: To know what kind of income 10 we're supposed to be getting, and we can make some projections 11 of costs and various things like that. I like what -- 12 Jonathan and I both met with Ms. Hyde a couple weeks ago and 13 went over this proposed policy and made a few changes, and I 14 think it pretty well covers most of what we feel like needs to 15 be done. And I do think it's a good idea for you to read it 16 and go over it and ask questions and whatever, and -- and 17 maybe at the next meeting, be able to have good knowledge of 18 what -- what it is that we're looking at. And also, by that 19 time, the rates that you see over there on Page 2 are the 20 rates that we're presently charging, supposedly. And this can 21 all be and will be on the computer, so that whenever a booking 22 is done, it'll give you the bottom line total of how much is 23 owed for that event, and that will be electronically 24 transmitted from the booking agent directly to us and the 25 County Treasurer, the County Auditor, and Maintenance, so that 6-25-07 75 1 everybody knows what is coming up and what money is supposed 2 to be collected, and how much is supposed to be deposited. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: What we're looking at also, 4 we've been trying to go back through the past two years, kind 5 of figuring out how -- we know how much it costs out there 6 annually, which is a big number, and we're getting a handle on 7 the number of days it's used. We'll take that cost, divide it 8 by the total number of days, and that's what, on average -- I 9 mean, of course, it'll vary a little bit depending on what 10 facilities are being used, but on average, that's how much we 11 should receive each day that place is booked. Now, this Court 12 may decide that we're going to -- and I think the Court will 13 decide that we're going to absorb all the 4-H dates, so it's 14 not -- we're not saying we're going to try to break even on 15 it. We're just saying that if we were collecting every time 16 it's used, we should be able to break even, and then we're 17 going to have some -- obviously, some discounted people that 18 use it, and we're going to have 4-H going to have it free. 19 So, we're not trying to balance it, 'cause that'll never 20 happen, but we're trying to -- at least if we were charging 21 every day, that's based on what we should be able to break 22 even at. 23 The current system has different percentage 24 reductions and different rates and all that. We've tried to 25 eliminate that. We're trying to come up with one rate 6-25-07 76 1 schedule, and then there's a -- depending on who it is, it's a 2 percentage reduction off the total, rather than have so many 3 different columns. If it's this person, you're on this 4 column; this person, you're on this column. We used to have 5 all these different rates, and we're trying to have one set of 6 rates. Then we can discount that based on if it's a certain 7 nonprofit that we choose to discount. So, we're changing it. 8 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: The bottom line wouldn't 9 change. 10 COMMISSIONER LETZ: It's how you get there. It 11 will -- so someone just goes through, and if you want -- 12 you're going to use the indoor arena, and you -- or say you're 13 going to use the Exhibit Hall; you pay 350. If you're going 14 to use the chairs, you're going to pay 75 cents apiece; 100 15 chairs, you fill in the numbers. This is in Excel. It will 16 calculate it all, it will total it, and that's your total. 17 Pretty simple. And then if you're going to give a discount to 18 it, you apply that discount rate, and half of that amount is a 19 deposit. It's a way to track it. There's a permanent record 20 for each one, so I think it'll work a lot better on keeping 21 the long-term tracking of the facility. Not sure exactly how 22 much changes Bruce and I are going to recommend on the rates. 23 Probably not a whole lot, because we don't really have a whole 24 lot of historical -- enough history really to look at it, see 25 where we're going, and we don't want to just make a bunch of 6-25-07 77 1 changes that aren't appropriate. So that we're headed -- you 2 know, there will probably be another adjustment a year from 3 now. 4 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Well, it just appears that -- 5 that we have not been getting the amount that is -- is stated 6 to be the rate, but that's maybe not because the money 7 wasn't -- the money wasn't charged. I think that there's been 8 too much leeway given to the booking agent to say, "Well, 9 okay, you can have -- you can get 75 percent off." You're 10 only paying 25 percent, and those kinds of things are really 11 supposed to come to the Court. 12 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Let me give you -- 13 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Unless you're on this list. 14 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Let me give you an example 15 here, and that's Linda Uecker's issue. They were charged last 16 year 162.50, and just looking at the chart that you provided, 17 I -- I can't see how you get to 162.50 anyway. 18 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Exactly. So, anyway, I think 19 that -- and I think the most important statement on this whole 20 thing is the very last one, and that is there will be no 21 exceptions to rates unless so ordered by Commissioners Court. 22 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Mm-hmm. 23 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: You know, that has not been 24 there, evidently, in the past, and it needs to be there. And 25 we're using taxpayer dollars to fund this facility, and it's 6-25-07 78 1 way past time to start generating more revenue to offset the 2 cost of that thing. And we're talking about doing some things 3 that are going to enhance it, and to be able to justify to the 4 taxpaying public that we're going to be doing the right thing, 5 and utilization of the money that comes in, that they pay us. 6 So, I -- you know, I feel like this is a good policy, and I 7 think -- like I said, I think everybody needs to digest it. 8 And if you have other -- other input, we need to have it 9 before the next meeting so that we can -- if it needs to be 10 included, we can include it. 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: There is -- there's currently -- 12 and part of this, if we ever get to a court order, this is 13 going to cancel all previous orders related to the facility. 14 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Exactly. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: There is a notebook full of 16 court orders as to who gets what rate when. And -- you know, 17 and different rates. And, I mean, that book Ms. Hyde's 18 holding up, that is all court orders related to charging 19 people for this facility. And, I mean, it's no telling -- or 20 no wonder that it's confused out there. 21 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: What do you -- and you may 22 have gone through this, Bruce, and I was in a coma there for a 23 minute, but what do you do about -- or what is going to be 24 your proposal on Linda's issue that's a nonprofit, partially 25 owned by Kerr County employees and that kind of thing? Is 6-25-07 79 1 there a -- is there a category in there that you give 2 50 percent reduction or 75 percent reduction? Or -- 3 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Yeah, there's -- and I think 4 that's what -- it's on Page 2. 5 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: 75 percent? 6 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: It lists the types, and those 7 types will be listed on the back page showing what they are. 8 So, that gives you an automatic of what -- you know, what the 9 discount will be for those specific organizations. And 10 they're -- if an organization comes and they're not on the 11 list, they're going to have to bring it to the Court to get -- 12 to get that rate. 13 COMMISSIONER LETZ: And I think the Court's going to 14 have to look at -- it's on Page 3 in here, the last two lines. 15 The most -- in 2001, we did an order that says 75 percent 16 discount to Kerr County nonprofits that have a 501(c)(3), and 17 50 percent discount to non-Kerr County nonprofits with 18 501(c)(3). That's where we are right now. I'm not sure 19 that's good. I'm not sure -- I mean, I think that's a 20 discussion this Court needs to have. 21 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah. You're not sure that 22 it's bad either. 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Not sure that it's bad, not sure 24 it's good. But I do think that it needs to be a 501(c)(3) by 25 the I.R.S., and we need that certificate, period. 6-25-07 80 1 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Okay. 2 COMMISSIONER LETZ: You know, and approved by the 3 Court. It needs to be on our list. I mean, I think it's -- 4 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: I feel like that we -- you 5 know, we are obligated to do some subsidy to some 6 organizations, but then there are others that just need to 7 pay. I mean, we're -- the taxpayers are funding, you know, 8 all the -- all the staff and the equipment and everything it 9 takes to run that thing out there, and it costs money to put 10 on any kind of an event, because there's setup time and 11 there's tear-down time and there's cleaning and all that sort 12 of stuff to do. And it just -- it can't be free to anything, 13 to my mind, other than 4-H. It's -- it's just -- I don't 14 think it's fair. You know, if somebody wants to come out 15 there and set up the thing and take it down and do all of 16 that, that's another consideration, but that's probably not 17 going to happen very often. They expect for it to be set up 18 when they get there. And we have trash that's generated by 19 that thing, an unbelievable amount of trash that we have to 20 pay for to be taken to the dump. And all the sweeping and 21 mopping and caring for that thing costs money, and it just 22 needs to be charged for accordingly. 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Probably one of the areas of a 24 big change is going to be on the deposit. Right now, for a 25 lot of events, I think it's like -- it's $150. Say you have 6-25-07 81 1 500 people out there at a party. They have -- okay, they can 2 clean it up and get their $150, or they can say, "You keep the 3 $150; see you later," and that's what they do. And who 4 wouldn't? I mean, who wants to -- for 150 bucks, they'd be 5 cleaning up that whole thing. It's a lot of work. 6 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Mm-hmm. 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: And so what's happening is that, 8 you know, yeah, there are people forfeiting that $150, but 9 we're having to spend $500 to clean up the dadgum thing. So, 10 I think that's going to stop, that type of thing. 11 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Well, I know of an event 12 that's coming up in -- I think it's -- I believe it is over -- 13 let's see, the 25th or 26th of September, and that is the Hill 14 Country Telephone annual meeting. And at this moment, we 15 don't have the information on that booking to see what they're 16 paying for that facility. And that's a -- you know, that's a 17 co-op. It's a great organization, and it should probably get 18 some discount. But they're going to have 900 people there, 19 and they're going to have a meal, and so you can imagine what 20 kind of a trash detail that's going to create. And so, you 21 know, that's that stuff, in my opinion, that has got to be 22 paid for. We don't know at this moment, because we haven't 23 gotten the information from our booking agent, how much 24 they're being charged for that event, so we're hoping to get 25 that in the very near feature so we can kind of see where we 6-25-07 82 1 are. We have had some more income since January, and I can't 2 explain why, but the income is up out there by about 4,000 3 over all of last year, and we still have several months left 4 in this year. And the thing is booked -- I'm pretty sure it 5 was booked the last two weekends that I've seen. So, anyway, 6 we're going to get the information somehow or another in the 7 next few days to make more determinations. 8 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Bottom line is, Bruce and I are 9 working along with Ms. Hyde on getting all this stuff put 10 together, and we're about to -- at the point to come to the 11 recommendation, probably at our next meeting or the one after 12 that. Probably the next meeting, really. 13 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: It needs to be the next 14 meeting. There's no reason, I don't think, to delay it too 15 much. 16 JUDGE TINLEY: I appreciate the work of both of you 17 guys and Ms. Hyde in trying to assimilate all this information 18 together and get it in a cohesive state so that it's workable 19 and we've got a decent control over it. Anything else on that 20 particular item, gentlemen? Let's move to Item 13; consider, 21 discuss, and take appropriate action to add a web page link to 22 the Kerr County web site to inform employees of nonofficial 23 information, such as fundraisers, birthdays, and other 24 events, same to be posted and maintained by the Kerr County 25 I.T. Department. 6-25-07 83 1 MS. HYDE: We've had several situations this year 2 where it's not official county business, but people have asked 3 to use our e-mail or use our web site. And so, in talking 4 with John and talking with some of y'all, it seems like it 5 would be easier to put something on the web site that is 6 unofficial; you have a page so that we can put things like the 7 links for Hill Country Veterans or the V.A., if they want to, 8 but we can also put on unofficial events for the county, if we 9 have a spaghetti supper or if it's somebody's birthday and 10 they're going to have a birthday party or, you know, just -- 11 just unofficial things that people would like to get out there 12 that anyone can look at. 13 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I don't know about birthdays. I 14 don't -- but I think events, I don't have a problem with. But 15 I guess my question comes, who's -- who's updating this? 16 MR. TROLINGER: Brad Alford is doing the updating. 17 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think if we're going to do 18 that, there's got to be some checks and balance. 19 MS. HYDE: Well, the person has to take it to their 20 elected official or department head. Their department head 21 then -- or elected official then turns it in to I.T. via 22 e-mail. E-mail can be approved or disapproved and sent to 23 Brad and put on the site. 24 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I'd like to add -- add to 25 that. You may have some -- when you're talking about -- you 6-25-07 84 1 listed a few things. We have -- like, the Judge has a car 2 show or a military -- 3 MS. HYDE: Yeah. 4 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: -- thing that happens on the 5 courthouse square on weekends, and he approves it, 'cause 6 we've given him that authority to do that. And he feels like 7 he has it anyway. But -- that's the only jab of the day, 8 Judge. But somehow, between he and Jody, I think -- I mean, I 9 would like to know about those things. 10 MS. HYDE: Yeah. 11 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Ahead of time. And sometimes 12 I drive up here and there's this neat thing going on on the 13 courthouse square, and I don't know anything about it. And if 14 I'd have known, I may have taken a bath, you know, any number 15 of things, and participated in it. But to me, those things 16 are important. To me. To where, you know, hey, there's a car 17 show. There's a -- there's two or three times a year that the 18 -- there's a military something happen out here, and it's 19 those kinds of things that -- that I think that we need to put 20 forth an effort in attending. I don't know about the car 21 show, but the military stuff, I think that we need to attend, 22 but I don't know about it. 23 MS. HYDE: Right. 24 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: And those kind of things need 25 to be on the web site, in my opinion. Now, we can throw rocks 6-25-07 85 1 at Jody, I guess, for not doing that. But -- 2 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Is -- I mean, I don't have a 3 problem with doing this. I don't think we need a court order 4 to do this. I think -- but I'd like to -- whoever's updating 5 it, tracking it -- and I haven't talked to Jody about it, but 6 I'm wondering if Jody could be -- could learn how to update 7 some of this, rather than having to use Brad. Let Brad be 8 fixing things. Just a thought. I see an awful lot of e-mails 9 about I.T. issues; just leave it at that. So, I hate to be 10 stretching our I.T. resources any thinner than they already 11 are by something that's really not critical. 12 JUDGE TINLEY: I suspect they can eventually get 13 that worked out if it's something that she can do, figure out 14 a way to transition it to her. If it's not, we'll just leave 15 it with Brad for now. 16 MR. TROLINGER: It sounds like a great idea to 17 distribute the input capability, but it really needs to be 18 centralized in order to stop it from getting out of control. 19 The -- the chain of command, so to speak, or the -- the 20 sign-off's need to go through a specified path and end up with 21 a -- with one person, I believe, in order to keep control over 22 it. 23 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Do we have to have -- 24 MR. TROLINGER: Brad's got good judgment about those 25 things, and knows who to talk to. 6-25-07 86 1 MR. ALFORD: We normally update the web page about 2 three to four days a week, anyway. We're constantly doing 3 something on it. And I think once we get the foundations set 4 up, the initial, I don't think it will be that big of a deal. 5 Right then, if it does become a burden, then maybe we can look 6 at training Jody on the software and stuff like that. 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think it's a good idea; I 8 think it's a good public service. I just -- we just need to 9 figure out a little bit as to how to do it. Sheriff, you have 10 a question? 11 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Well, there is an I.T. policy 12 for the county on computer usage and that. If they just want 13 to update that policy to state whatever the policy would be on 14 -- on the chain and funneling that, I think it would help with 15 departments. 16 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I'm a little confused on the 17 chain issue. I mean, when you mention that, I would think -- 18 I'll use Little League. Say Little League wants to have their 19 registration dates on there. It shouldn't have to come 20 through a county person to do that; it should come from Little 21 League to do it. A county person needs to be a designated 22 person that they can contact. I mean, you know, we -- 23 otherwise, it's going to be -- if you're not affiliated with 24 an organization -- or an event isn't affiliated with the 25 county somewhere, you won't ever get it. The idea is to get 6-25-07 87 1 that kind of public service information out to the public. 2 MS. HYDE: Well, then they can e-mail or contact 3 Jody, who could start the chain. 4 MR. ALFORD: That's what -- I was wondering the same 5 thing. If y'all -- the Judge signs off on something, you 6 just -- Jody can drop me a copy of it, and that way I'll have 7 the right language and everything else, and we can go on with 8 it. 9 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think that -- however it gets 10 done, I think Jody is a good, logical person to funnel through 11 so I.T. isn't getting all these calls. 'Cause I definitely 12 don't want it going through I.T. Not that I want them going 13 through Jody either, but I think they can be screened there a 14 little bit, because something like the Little League thing, I 15 mean, that doesn't need to be approved by -- we don't need to 16 have a policy that getting that on the web site link needs to 17 be approved by someone on this Court. That just needs to be 18 done, and give her the discretion to kind of look at that, and 19 if she has a question, maybe she can contact the Judge or one 20 of us. 21 JUDGE TINLEY: Would it be appropriate for Ms. Hyde 22 to maybe work up a policy change or amendment to our I.T. 23 policy to reflect this? 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: By our next meeting? 25 JUDGE TINLEY: Well, I don't think there's any -- 6-25-07 88 1 any big rush on it. But -- 2 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Judge, I think it's 3 appropriate for John to do that. 4 JUDGE TINLEY: Okay. 5 MR. TROLINGER: Well, if you look at it, this is an 6 electronic version of the glass cases that we have out in the 7 hall and outside the courthouse. 8 JUDGE TINLEY: Mm-hmm. 9 MR. TROLINGER: So, what is the procedure or policy 10 to handle posting of those? I felt it would be the same basic 11 concept. 12 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: We don't know where that 13 information comes from. (Laughter.) 14 JUDGE TINLEY: You had a comment? 15 MR. EMERSON: Well, I think John just hit on it, but 16 I just wanted to make sure that the Court takes into account 17 the fact that you need some kind of policy on the posting. 18 Otherwise, there's nothing to keep Buster from selling his 19 Avon on there or, you know, somebody else publish a 20 disparaging comment. 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: That's why I think we need to 22 have a policy, and then give the policy to whoever we 23 designate to kind of -- the stuff flows through, and if 24 there's a question, that comes to the Court. 25 JUDGE TINLEY: You can handle that? 6-25-07 89 1 (Low-voice discussion off the record.) 2 MR. TROLINGER: But do we agree that it's a posting 3 policy? It's not necessarily an Information Technology 4 policy; it's a posting -- 5 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Right, posting policy. 6 MR. TROLINGER: Be glad to help with it. It can be 7 inserted in the Information Technology policy, but -- 8 JUDGE TINLEY: We understand you're dodging, John, 9 and that's okay. That's the reason I suggested that -- 10 MS. HYDE: I'll have a posting policy for the next 11 meeting. 12 MR. TROLINGER: Or the one after. No rush. 13 MS. HYDE: Along with the policy and procedures. 14 MR. TROLINGER: Should be no different from someone 15 wanting to come in and throw some flyers on y'all's desk. 16 MS. HYDE: But you did bring up a good point. We 17 could have people that want to sell their Avon, or they're 18 going to have a -- you know, other things that we wouldn't 19 imagine that they'd want to use it for, but then they would. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Or a rally that we don't think 21 is appropriate. 22 MS. HYDE: Absolutely. 23 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Or a garage sale. 24 MS. HYDE: Absolutely. So -- okay. 25 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: And, for the record, I do not 6-25-07 90 1 sell Avon. 2 JUDGE TINLEY: What do you sell? 3 MS. HYDE: Polo? 4 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Confidential information. 5 JUDGE TINLEY: Okay. Are we through with that one? 6 What's the pleasure of the Court on Item 14? Would you rather 7 go ahead and complete the other portions of the agenda and 8 come back to 14? 9 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yes, sir. 10 JUDGE TINLEY: Let me go ahead and call 14; 11 consider, discuss, and take appropriate action to obtain 12 repayment from former employee of overpayment of wages. Any 13 member of the Court have anything to offer in open or public 14 session with regard to that item at this time? Okay, we'll 15 come back to it in executive. Let's go to Section IV, which 16 is the approval agenda. Number one, payment of the bills. 17 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I move we pay the bills. 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Second. 19 JUDGE TINLEY: Motion made and seconded to pay the 20 bills. Any question or discussion? Sheriff? 21 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Yes, sir? 22 JUDGE TINLEY: $3,500 for vehicle repair. What in 23 the world happened to that one? Or is that more than one? 24 Krauss Garage. 25 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: That's their monthly bill. 6-25-07 91 1 That's going to be more than one. 2 MR. TOMLINSON: Who's it payable to? It's more than 3 one. 4 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: It's more than one. 5 JUDGE TINLEY: Whole series of them. 6 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: That's going to be oil changes 7 and everything, some minor repairs. 8 JUDGE TINLEY: Okay. 9 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Alternators went out, things 10 like that. 11 JUDGE TINLEY: Okay. Any other question or comment? 12 All in favor of the motion, signify by raising your right 13 hand. 14 (The motion carried by unanimous vote.) 15 JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign. 16 (No response.) 17 JUDGE TINLEY: Motion carries. Budget Amendment 18 Request Number 1. That should read Juvenile Detention, as 19 opposed to Juvenile Probation, shouldn't it? 20 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Huh? 21 MR. TOMLINSON: Yeah. 22 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: That sure changes my 23 questions. 24 JUDGE TINLEY: Yeah. 25 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: What is Probation doing 6-25-07 92 1 buying a bunch of food? 2 MR. TOMLINSON: This is -- I brought this to you 3 last meeting, and I didn't have all the details. So -- but 4 this is a request from Kevin Stanton, basically, to realign 5 his -- the amounts in his line items to -- to reflect what's 6 actually happening in his operations for the rest of the year. 7 JUDGE TINLEY: Okay. 8 MR. TOMLINSON: Do you want me to read these off? 9 Or -- 10 JUDGE TINLEY: Any member of the Court want each one 11 of them read individually? 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: No. I'll move approval. 13 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Second. 14 JUDGE TINLEY: Motion made and seconded for 15 approval. Any question or discussion? 16 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Just one quick question, 17 Tommy. On the utility issue, we budgeted with both buildings 18 going, and now we have one shut down, and so we have some -- 19 MR. TOMLINSON: That's -- this was the first year 20 that we had a budget for only one facility, so that made a 21 huge difference in these operations. 22 JUDGE TINLEY: Any other question or comment? All 23 in favor of the motion, signify by raising your right hand. 24 (The motion carried by unanimous vote.) 25 JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign. 6-25-07 93 1 (No response.) 2 JUDGE TINLEY: Motion carries. 3 MR. TOMLINSON: I would add that that -- that the 4 operations net-net for that operation is much better than we 5 anticipated. 6 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Good to hear. 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: That's good. Now he's going to 8 want a raise. (Laughter.) 9 JUDGE TINLEY: Budget Amendment Request Number 2. 10 MR. TOMLINSON: Number 2 is for the County Jail, to 11 transfer $6,313.43 in Jailer Salaries, with 105.93 to Employee 12 Medical Exams, 1,063.66 to Operating Supplies, and 5,143.84 to 13 Prisoner Medical. 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So moved. 15 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Second. 16 JUDGE TINLEY: Motion made and seconded for 17 approval. Any question or discussion? All in favor of the 18 motion, signify by raising your right hand. 19 (The motion carried by unanimous vote.) 20 JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign. 21 (No response.) 22 JUDGE TINLEY: That motion does carry. Budget 23 Amendment Request 3. 24 MR. TOMLINSON: Okay. Three is for the 25 Commissioners Court, Nondepartmental, to transfer $1,350 from 6-25-07 94 1 the Independent Audit line item to Notices. And I do have a 2 late bill, cash payable to Kerrville Daily Times for $286.20. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So moved. 4 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Second. 5 JUDGE TINLEY: Motion made and seconded as 6 indicated. Any question or discussion? 7 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Question. Independent audit? 8 MR. TOMLINSON: Yes. 9 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: That is the firm that we hire 10 to do the annual audit? 11 MR. TOMLINSON: Yes. 12 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: And we have paid them? 13 MR. TOMLINSON: Yes. 14 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: And we have 1,350 -- at least 15 1,350 left over? 16 MR. TOMLINSON: That's correct. 17 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: How did they -- how did we 18 save money on that deal? 19 MR. TOMLINSON: Well, we -- we had to anticipate 20 what the cost would be, and it just came in under what we 21 budgeted. 22 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: That's very interesting. 23 MR. TOMLINSON: We don't have an exact number from 24 them, because at the beginning, we don't know how much time 25 they're going to have to spend on the single audit, and so it 6-25-07 95 1 just -- the amount of time they spent was reduced. 2 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Thank you. I think the 3 letter of engagement indicated a cost not to exceed 25,000, 4 wasn't it? And it just came in under? 5 MR. TOMLINSON: I think it was 28,000, because we 6 paid -- let's see. Juvenile Probation pays part of it and 7 Adult Probation pays part of it, so we -- we charged all of 8 their share that was budgeted to pay -- 9 JUDGE TINLEY: So we got the excess? 10 MR. TOMLINSON: Yeah, we got it, right. 11 JUDGE TINLEY: You like that better, Buster? 12 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah, sort of. 13 JUDGE TINLEY: Okay. 14 THE CLERK: We have a motion and second. 15 JUDGE TINLEY: All right. Any other question or 16 comments? All in favor of the motion, signify by raising your 17 right hand. 18 (The motion carried by unanimous vote.) 19 JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign. 20 (No response.) 21 JUDGE TINLEY: That motion does carry. Budget 22 Amendment Request Number 4. 23 MR. TOMLINSON: Okay. Four is for the 198th 24 District Court and County Jail, to transfer -- don't cry now, 25 Rusty -- $3,716.50, with $2,663.50 to Court-Appointed 6-25-07 96 1 Attorneys and $980 to Civil Court-Appointed Attorney line 2 item, and $73 to Court Transcripts. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So moved. 4 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Second. 5 JUDGE TINLEY: Motion made and seconded for 6 approval. Any question or discussion? All in favor of the 7 motion, signify by raising your right hand. 8 (The motion carried by unanimous vote.) 9 JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign. 10 (No response.) 11 JUDGE TINLEY: Motion does carry. Budget Amendment 12 Request 5. 13 MR. TOMLINSON: Okay. Five is for the 216th 14 District Court, to transfer $7,916.88 from Jailer Salaries, 15 $125.58 to Office Supplies, $348.50 to Court-Appointed 16 Services, and $7,440.95 to Court-Appointed Attorney, and $1.85 17 to Civil Court-Appointed Attorney line item. 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So moved. 19 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Second. 20 JUDGE TINLEY: Motion made and seconded for 21 approval. Any question or discussion? 22 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: May I make one comment? 23 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: No. 24 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Thanks, Bruce. We don't have 25 that many openings any more, and I do have some medical bills 6-25-07 97 1 coming that are going to be horrendous. We've had some 2 inmates spend over a week in ICU, things like that. So, just 3 for preparation. 4 JUDGE TINLEY: What's the -- what's the procedure 5 about putting them on bond? 6 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: When it's a T.D.C. blue 7 warrant, and not a local warrant, you can't. We're stuck. 8 JUDGE TINLEY: Okay, thank you. Any other questions 9 or comments? All in favor of the motion, signify by raising 10 your right hand. 11 (The motion carried by unanimous vote.) 12 JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign. 13 (No response.) 14 JUDGE TINLEY: That motion does carry. Budget 15 Amendment Request 6. 16 MR. TOMLINSON: Well, 6 is for Constable, Precinct 17 1. This is actually to increase the budget by $50.05, and to 18 recognize a contribution for the purpose of his office. 19 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: So moved. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Second. 21 JUDGE TINLEY: Motion made and seconded for 22 approval. Any question or discussion? 23 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Just want to point out, this 24 happens kind of on a regular basis. I wonder if it's the same 25 person donating. 6-25-07 98 1 JUDGE TINLEY: Any other questions or comments? All 2 in favor, signify by raising your right hand. 3 (The motion carried by unanimous vote.) 4 JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign. 5 (No response.) 6 JUDGE TINLEY: Motion carries. Budget Amendment 7 Request 7. 8 MR. TOMLINSON: Okay, 7 is for the County Treasurer. 9 She's requesting a transfer of $100 from the FICA line item, 10 $204 from her Retirement, $50 from Bond line item, and $243.35 11 from Postage. She wants to transfer $104 to Group Insurance, 12 $300 to Office Supplies, $135 to Conferences, and $58.35 to 13 Software Maintenance. 14 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: So moved. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Second. 16 JUDGE TINLEY: Motion made and seconded for 17 approval. Any question or discussion? I like her comment, 18 "Guesstimated expense through 9-30-07." Any other comments? 19 All in favor of the motion, signify by raising your right 20 hand. 21 (The motion carried by unanimous vote.) 22 JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign. 23 (No response.) 24 JUDGE TINLEY: That motion does carry. Do we have 25 any more budget amendments? 6-25-07 99 1 MR. TOMLINSON: No, that's it. 2 JUDGE TINLEY: Do we have any late bills? 3 MR. TOMLINSON: None. 4 JUDGE TINLEY: I've been presented with monthly 5 reports from Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4, District Clerk, 6 Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1, County Clerk, both General 7 and Trust Funds, Constable, Precinct 3, Racial Profiling 8 Reports for 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006, and Road and Bridge 9 Department. Do I hear a motion to approve these reports as 10 presented? 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So moved. 12 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Second. 13 JUDGE TINLEY: Motion made and seconded as 14 indicated. Any question or discussion? All in favor of the 15 motion, signify by raising your right hand. 16 (The motion carried by unanimous vote.) 17 JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign. 18 (No response.) 19 JUDGE TINLEY: That motion does carry. 20 (Discussion off the record.) 21 JUDGE TINLEY: Do we have any reports from any of 22 the Commissioners in connection with their committee or 23 liaison assignments? 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Buster 1's asleep -- or 25 Commissioner 1. 6-25-07 100 1 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Barbecue. 2 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Barbecue. Just a reminder that 3 there's a reception in honor of Dr. Davis, who's going off the 4 Airport Board, this Thursday at 5:15 at the airport terminal. 5 Everyone's invited to attend that. I believe he was -- 6 maybe 19 years, something like that, some incredible amount of 7 time he's been on either the advisory board or the permanent 8 board. He's been a big asset. And I think that's it. 9 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Well, I had a Library Board 10 meeting last week, and it seems like the budget's still going 11 to be proposed to be unchanged for the current year -- or 12 upcoming year. Environmental Health, I think we've been 13 dealing with them on a regular basis, trying to sort out 14 office procedures and various things that they need to -- 15 needed help on. I've met with them, and Ms. Hyde and I and 16 have both met with them on occasion. Been out to the Ag Barn. 17 Jonathan and I met the other day with Roy Walston and Bob -- 18 what's Bob's name? -- Bob Cook on starting the process and 19 actually getting the project done, creating the space, and 20 improving the space for -- for 4-H projects. For kids that 21 don't have a place to raise animals. There was some caution 22 that there were funds coming from private sources to -- to 23 fund most, if not all, of that first phase. And we kind of 24 decided where the thing was going to be divided off and how it 25 was going to be divided and what kind of materials, and we're 6-25-07 101 1 going to do a lot of it with donated labor and donated money. 2 I think it's going to be positive. Roy's looking forward to 3 having the facility. And Bobby Balser was even there; met 4 with him. You missed that. 5 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I missed that. 6 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: You missed that one. I was in 7 on that one; I wasn't in on the other one. But, anyway, 8 that's the update on that particular thing. I guess that's 9 about all I have to report. 10 JUDGE TINLEY: Do we have any reports from any 11 elected officials or department heads? Okay. Unless any 12 member of the Court's got something else, it appears we're 13 ready to move to Item 14 in executive session. Ready to go? 14 We're going out of public or open session at 11:31. 15 (The open session was closed at 11:31 a.m., and an executive session was held, the transcript of which 16 is contained in a separate document.) 17 - - - - - - - - - - 18 JUDGE TINLEY: Okay, we are back in open or public 19 session at 11:39. Does any member of the Court have anything 20 to offer in connection with matters discussed in closed or 21 executive session? 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I make a motion that we 23 authorize the County Attorney to pursue collection of funds 24 that were overpaid to a former employee. 25 COMMISSIONER OEHLER: Second. 6-25-07 102 1 JUDGE TINLEY: Motion made and seconded as 2 indicated. Any further question or discussion on that motion? 3 Yes? 4 MR. EMERSON: Does the collection authorization 5 include litigation, if necessary? 6 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yes, it does. 7 JUDGE TINLEY: Any further question or discussion? 8 All in favor of the motion, signify by raising your right 9 hand. 10 (The motion carried by unanimous vote.) 11 JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign. 12 (No response.) 13 JUDGE TINLEY: That motion does carry. Anything 14 else to come before the Court this morning, gentlemen? We 15 will stand adjourned. 16 (Commissioners Court adjourned at 11:40 a.m.) 17 - - - - - - - - - - - 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 6-25-07 103 1 STATE OF TEXAS | 2 COUNTY OF KERR | 3 The above and foregoing is a true and complete 4 transcription of my stenotype notes taken in my 5 capacity as County Clerk of the Commissioners Court 6 of Kerr County, Texas, at the time and place 7 heretofore set forth. 8 DATED at Kerrville, Texas, this 29th day of 9 June, 2007. 10 11 JANNETT PIEPER, Kerr County Clerk 12 BY: _________________________________ Kathy Banik, Deputy County Clerk 13 Certified Shorthand Reporter 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 6-25-07