1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 KERR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT 9 Budget Workshop 10 Tuesday, May 26, 2015 11 1:30 p.m. 12 Commissioners' Courtroom 13 Kerr County Courthouse 14 Kerrville, Texas 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 PRESENT: TOM POLLARD, Kerr County Judge H. A. "BUSTER" BALDWIN, Commissioner Pct. 1 24 TOM MOSER, Commissioner Pct. 2 JONATHAN LETZ, Commissioner Pct. 3 25 BOB REEVES, Commissioner Pct. 4 2 1 I N D E X May 26, 2015 2 PAGE Participate in Budget Workshops with county 3 departments, including, but not limited to: 4 Constable, Precinct 1 3 5 Constable, Precinct 2 8 6 Constable, Precinct 3 9 7 Constable, Precinct 4 9 8 Justice of the Peace 1 11 9 Justice of the Peace 2 28 10 Justice of the Peace 3 39 11 Justice of the Peace 4 41 12 J.P. Tech fund 43 13 Treasurer 46 14 Extension Office 48 15 Human Resources 52 16 Adjourned 57 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 3 1 On Tuesday, May 26, 2015, at 1:30 p.m., a budget 2 workshop of the Kerr County Commissioners Court was held in 3 the Commissioners' Courtroom, Kerr County Courthouse, 4 Kerrville, Texas, and the following proceedings were had in 5 open court: 6 P R O C E E D I N G S 7 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay, it's Tuesday, May 26, 2015. 8 It's 1:35 p.m., and the Commissioners Court is in session on 9 a workshop -- for a budget workshop. And it looks like we'll 10 start off with -- looks like we are starting off with 11 constables; is that correct? 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I believe so. 13 MR. ROBLES: That is correct. 14 JUDGE POLLARD: Any comments by anybody? Anybody 15 want to take them -- why don't you -- we'll start with 16 Commissioner 1 first. 17 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Okay. 18 JUDGE POLLARD: Questions? 19 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: What do you want to do? 20 JUDGE POLLARD: Whatever you want to do. If you 21 have any -- 22 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: What do y'all want? 23 AUDIENCE: A raise. 24 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Okay, we're through. 25 JUDGE POLLARD: Well, do you have any questions 5-26-15 bwk 4 1 about any of them? Comments? 2 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: No, sir, I don't at this 3 time. 4 JUDGE POLLARD: Mr. Moser? 5 COMMISSIONER MOSER: On Constable 1? Is that what 6 you're going to do? Or are we doing all of them at the same 7 time? 8 JUDGE POLLARD: Well, we can do it whatever you 9 want. 10 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Let's just do them one at a 11 time. 12 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. Then Constable Number 1, 13 Mr. Lavender. Anybody have any comments, questions about 14 that? Do you, Jonathan or Bob? 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: No. Just my general comment is 16 that, I mean, 4 is a little bit different -- I guess 1 and 4 17 are a little bit different, but I'd like to keep them as 18 uniform as possible overall from a budget standpoint. That's 19 the way I look at it, is that they're -- you know, we don't 20 have -- you know, vehicle expense in one is one number, and a 21 whole bunch of different things, and I think vehicles should 22 be consistent. That's kind of what I look at. I'm going 23 through, just making sure of that. But specifically for you, 24 John, I don't have any under yours. 25 COMMISSIONER REEVES: I agree with what 5-26-15 bwk 5 1 Commissioner Letz said in general. They should be close, but 2 I'll remind you that when you're looking at 4, Gene drives a 3 lot more miles just to get from Point A to Point B, and 4 that's got to be taken into consideration. 5 JUDGE POLLARD: Well, it is. I notice his gasoline 6 usage is quite a bit heavier than the others, because that's 7 apparently a long haul of roads. 8 COMMISSIONER REEVES: A long way from Methodist 9 Encampment to Three Mill Ranch. 10 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Right. 11 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. Anything else? None on 12 Lavender? Thank you. 13 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Just -- John, one thing. Wait, 14 wait, wait, John, don't go. 15 MR. LAVENDER: Oh. 16 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I have a question. 17 MR. LAVENDER: Judge, excuse me. I almost got 18 away. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Is there a -- your vehicle 20 repairs is higher than the other three; you have 1,500. 21 MR. LAVENDER: Talking about next year's budget? 22 Well, that's kind of an interesting story. I had one sensor 23 go out. I thought, well, I'll just keep pushing the reset 24 button. The second sensor went out. I went to Ford, and 25 $560 and some-odd cents later, we're back to having it fixed. 5-26-15 bwk 6 1 So, I had anticipated doing that in this budget, but I ended 2 up going over budget in this budget just to keep the car 3 workable, usable, however you want to nomenclature that. So, 4 that additional repair business may or may not occur, but 5 I -- I had planned to make it last until the end of this 6 budget year and do it next budget, is why I put it in there, 7 but that didn't work. Last week I had to have it fixed. 8 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So, we can take it down to -- 9 since you already did that repair, we can take it down to 10 1,000 for next year? 11 MR. LAVENDER: Yeah, we can, same as everybody 12 else's. That's the only reason for the difference, was I was 13 going to try to make it into next budget year with them, but 14 I didn't make it. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Didn't work, okay. 16 MR. LAVENDER: I got tired of pushing the reset 17 button on the computer. 18 COMMISSIONER MOSER: What sensor was it, out of 19 curiosity? 20 MR. LAVENDER: The tire pressure monitor sensors. 21 Every 16 miles, the lights and bells go off and it tells me 22 on the dash that I got a flat tire. So, I bought a pressure 23 tester deal; I tested my tires on the side of the road till I 24 got tired of that, and I didn't have a problem. But it just 25 continued to go off, and so that's been corrected now. 5-26-15 bwk 7 1 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. 2 MR. LAVENDER: It kind of put me over budget in 3 maintenance, and the Auditor said they could help me with 4 that by robbing from some other things. But sometimes you 5 got to do what you got to do. 6 JUDGE POLLARD: Commissioner Baldwin has mentioned 7 to me several times that you direct traffic out at the Nimitz 8 School every -- 9 MR. LAVENDER: "Direct traffic" is, to me, this. I 10 monitor the speed out there. I've got them in compliance. I 11 used to measure my success by citations. I now measure it by 12 compliance. Everybody's scared to death. He won't even 13 drive over there. (Laughter.) 14 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Sometimes I go around. 15 MR. LAVENDER: Well, I looked for you this morning, 16 and I decided you turned at the body shop, 'cause you never 17 came by, or you were late coming to the courthouse. 18 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I've actually pulled him 19 over before. That's true. 20 JUDGE POLLARD: For what? 21 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I don't remember what it 22 was, but -- 23 MR. LAVENDER: He wanted to ask me about something. 24 It's not too often that the citizen stops the cops, but he's 25 one of the few. 5-26-15 bwk 8 1 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. Thank you, John. Okay, 2 go to the next one. Precinct 2. 3 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Now, we're still -- I'm okay. 4 JUDGE POLLARD: You're okay? 5 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Mm-hmm. 6 COMMISSIONER LETZ: And this -- Charlie, this may 7 be a question more for the Auditor or H.R. Vehicle insurance 8 is basically -- why is there a difference between vehicle 9 insurance? Because of the different types of vehicles you 10 got? Aren't most of them -- some of them -- we have a pickup 11 and -- 12 MS. LANTZ: James does the insurance in the 13 Auditor's office. 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: One's 580 and two of them are 15 670. 16 MR. ROBLES: Just the age and the price of the 17 vehicle, yeah. They break it down -- 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. 19 MR. ROBLES: -- by vehicle, how much it costs. 20 JUDGE POLLARD: I hear lots of good things from 21 people out in your precinct about what you're doing out 22 there. 23 MR. HICKS: Thank you. 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Have fun this weekend? 25 MR. HICKS: Me and Pam were stuck for five and a 5-26-15 bwk 9 1 half hours on Elm Pass Road; we couldn't go or get to the 2 house or get back. 3 COMMISSIONER MOSER: So you worked -- 4 MR. HICKS: Sir? 5 COMMISSIONER MOSER: So you worked 24 hours one 6 day, then? 7 MR. HICKS: No, no, I was in my personal truck out 8 there. 9 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Oh, okay. I want to say lots 10 of visibility is paying off with a lot of respect. 11 MR. HICKS: Thank you. 12 JUDGE POLLARD: Anybody else have anything? All 13 right, thanks. We'll go on to Precinct 3. Angel? 14 COMMISSIONER MOSER: You're in awe. 15 MR. GARZA: I'm here. 16 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Pretty much in line with the 17 rest of them. 18 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Mm-hmm. 19 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Mm-hmm. 20 JUDGE POLLARD: Any other comments or questions? 21 All right. Thank you, Angel. 22 MR. GARZA: Thank you. 23 JUDGE POLLARD: What about Precinct 4? 24 Mr. Huffaker? 25 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Commissioner 1, I haven't had 5-26-15 bwk 10 1 to pull over Mr. Huffaker yet, but I know which school zone 2 on which day he's working. I go to the other one, so it's 3 real -- 4 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I see. 5 COMMISSIONER REEVES: You know, he was trying to 6 find somebody passing a school bus on 479 for a while, but I 7 also figured out what time he got there, so -- 8 JUDGE POLLARD: So you didn't pass it anyway. 9 COMMISSIONER REEVES: No. I figured that's why he 10 was sitting in the bar ditch before daylight. I wasn't going 11 to accuse him of anything else, but I was careful. 12 (Laughter.) 13 MR. HUFFAKER: Thank you. 14 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. 15 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I have a question, probably 16 not for him, but the -- I guess this would be for Dawn. On 17 group insurance, last year the budget was 11,000. This year 18 it's 7,000. The year before it was 6,000 or 7,000. The year 19 before, it was 6,500. What was last year's -- just out of 20 curiosity, why did it almost double? 21 MS. LANTZ: The Auditor's office adjusts that for 22 dependents. 23 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Oh. 24 MS. LANTZ: And that was part of the process when 25 they had to make those adjustments. 5-26-15 bwk 11 1 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay, got you. 2 JUDGE POLLARD: You furnish your own car; is that 3 correct? 4 MR. HUFFAKER: No, sir. 5 JUDGE POLLARD: No? County furnishes yours, too? 6 MR. HUFFAKER: Bob Terrill furnished his own car 7 prior to me. 8 JUDGE POLLARD: Oh, okay. Any other questions or 9 comments? All right. Thank you, sir. Let's move on to the 10 next department. 11 JUDGE POLLARD: Do you have any questions, 12 Mr. Baldwin? 13 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Sir, I do not. 14 JUDGE POLLARD: Mr. Moser? 15 COMMISSIONER MOSER: No, I'm okay. 16 JUDGE POLLARD: I don't have any questions. Do you 17 have any, -- 18 COMMISSIONER REEVES: None. 19 JUDGE POLLARD: -- Mr. Reeves? 20 MR. LAVENDER: I'll retroactively bring something 21 up. The Sheriff just remembered -- come here and be my 22 friend. 23 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Your friend? No, the only 24 thing I asked him, the chief deputy got a hold of him about 25 reprogramming all the radios, because when the new system 5-26-15 bwk 12 1 goes in, all radios will have to be reprogrammed. 2 MR. LAVENDER: We did not know that, nor put it in 3 our budgets. 4 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: I don't think anybody put it 5 in. With a car and a portable, you're probably talking about 6 $100 a piece. Okay, not each radio, but $100 per office. 7 MR. LAVENDER: So we'll just have to make our 8 budget more tight, I guess. 9 COMMISSIONER MOSER: But you can only do it after 10 the towers -- 11 MR. LAVENDER: We got three radios in the deputies' 12 cars here, too. 13 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: So Precinct 1, yeah, with 14 their three deputies and portables and all that, it could add 15 up more per precinct. 16 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. Let's go to -- 17 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Before we leave that one, 18 Judge, I'm looking at conferences. There's a -- a variance 19 between the J.P.'s there. It's 3,000 there, versus the other 20 ones, I believe, are 2,500. 21 JUDGE FRENCH: Mine was up last year. Mine was up 22 last year, and I dropped it down, but I don't know if it's in 23 line with the others, so -- 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: The others were, I believe, 25 2,500. 5-26-15 bwk 13 1 JUDGE FRENCH: And that's fine. 2 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. 3 JUDGE FRENCH: That's fine for me, too. I just 4 knew nine was up because I had the 80 hours, so I dropped it 5 down 500, but I wasn't sure if that was where it needed to 6 be. 7 JUDGE POLLARD: Don't you have -- being a 8 first-year -- 9 JUDGE FRENCH: I had to take 80 hours. 10 JUDGE POLLARD: You've already had them, though? 11 JUDGE FRENCH: I have had them. 12 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. 13 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. So -- 14 JUDGE FRENCH: Want me to stay or leave? 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Kathy? You're not up yet, but 16 yours is at 2,000? 17 JUDGE MITCHELL: Mm-hmm. 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: You need 2,500 in that line 19 item? 20 JUDGE MITCHELL: No, 2,000 is fine. 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: 2,000 is fine. Can everybody 22 else get along with 2,000? Going once? (Laughter.) 23 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Judge? 24 JUDGE RAGSDALE: I have put that in there in case 25 there was -- there were schools that I could go to. Of 5-26-15 bwk 14 1 course, I have not spent all the money in those things. If 2 you want to drop it down, okay, but it -- the idea was -- is 3 if I could go to the seminars, then I would. I just hadn't 4 been able to, so I haven't spent the money in that budget. 5 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I mean, I think -- 6 JUDGE FRENCH: I personally like the option, if 7 something comes up aside from our regular 20 hours. I'm just 8 big on education and staying on top of what we're supposed to 9 be doing, and for my clerk, 'cause it -- 10 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I think options, though -- 11 this is a budget; you're trying to hold it as low as you can. 12 COMMISSIONER REEVES: I disagree, though. With our 13 friends in session in Austin, we don't know what they may 14 have to go to that's mandatory, over and above. 15 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: There'll be several mandatory 16 legislative updates that law enforcement and them, 17 everybody's going to be required to go to this next year, 18 because it is that year. 19 COMMISSIONER MOSER: That's a good point. 20 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: You think you all will be 21 required to go to the legislative -- 22 JUDGE FRENCH: We'll have a legislative update, but 23 it may actually be within this budget year. 24 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Let's go back and talk about 25 those radios just for a second. Now, we're talking about -- 5-26-15 bwk 15 1 you're the head -- head cat daddy in Precinct 1, but you have 2 three deputy constables? 3 MR. LAVENDER: That's correct. 4 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: And each one of those guys 5 have a radio -- 6 MR. LAVENDER: In their vehicle and on their side. 7 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: -- in their car and a 8 hand-held on their hip. 9 MR. LAVENDER: Yeah. 10 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: That could be a song pretty 11 easy. But, anyway, so we need -- are you putting this stuff 12 down, James? 13 MR. ROBLES: Yes. 14 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Are you putting this line -- 15 this radio stuff, are you writing that down anywhere? 16 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Is that coming out of 17 Constables or Environmental budgets? 18 (Low-voice discussion off the record.) 19 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Well, he's saying it comes 20 out of Environmental. 21 MR. ROBLES: I would assume they would take care of 22 their own equipment. 23 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah, but they're deputy 24 constables. That's the reason they carry that equipment. 25 MR. LAVENDER: Regardless of the line item it comes 5-26-15 bwk 16 1 out of, it's going to be an expense. 2 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah. Let's make sure that 3 it goes in somewhere, so in Precinct 1 there's three of those 4 -- three of those guys. 5 MR. LAVENDER: Three deputies and the constable. 6 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: There's four of those guys 7 in Precinct 1. Then I don't know about the rest of them. 8 Just make sure you get those down so we can know. And you 9 said $100 each? 10 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: If you're -- well, it will 11 probably be less than that, okay? 'Cause we're trying to get 12 a group deal where we can get everybody's, you know, worked 13 in, get it done a lot cheaper. But worst case scenario would 14 be between $25 and $50 a radio. 15 MR. LAVENDER: That's the best case. Worst case 16 is -- 17 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Worst -- that's the most 18 you're going to spend, is $25 to $50 per radio. 19 MR. LAVENDER: Oh, okay. 20 MS. DOSS: So it's not 100. 21 MR. LAVENDER: Because each of us have two radios. 22 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yes, it's 100. 23 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Sheriff, is that something 24 that won't go out of your budget? Do we need to tell the 25 volunteer departments about it too, the fire departments? 5-26-15 bwk 17 1 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: No, they've been told they 2 have to. I thought the constables had been, too. You know, 3 and a lot of it, they will still be able to receive a signal, 4 be able to talk to us, okay. I can do it if they don't, but 5 most of those have the capability to be able to hear it, but 6 yes, that's all -- all that's going to have to be done, okay. 7 And I'm not sure what the timetable is, and that's why I 8 mention it, whether it will actually have to come out of this 9 current budget or next year's budget. Because that's what 10 we're looking at, is when the system goes online. It's 11 right -- 12 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Probably the one we're 13 working on right now, huh? 14 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: I just don't know. It could 15 be that we all have to try and scrape to get it done in this 16 current one we're in. If the system goes online October 1, 17 we could have to get them done before that. 18 JUDGE POLLARD: Any other questions or comments 19 about that one? 20 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Which one are you on now? 21 JUDGE POLLARD: Apparently, we're still on the one 22 with Lavender; we went back to Lavender. 23 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: The constables. 24 COMMISSIONER MOSER: But I thought we passed that 25 till somebody went back to it. 5-26-15 bwk 18 1 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Somebody explain what tentative 2 benefits are. 3 MR. ROBLES: That's -- 4 JUDGE POLLARD: Which one are you looking at? 5 COMMISSIONER LETZ: One. 6 MR. ROBLES: It's the requested salary raise. That 7 includes salary, FICA, and retirement, how much it would go 8 up. 9 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So that's a requested -- 10 MR. ROBLES: That's a special requested raise. And 11 in the front of your binder, you should have a salary and 12 raise request tab shown on there as well. 13 COMMISSIONER LETZ: To keep things from being lost, 14 I think we should take it out of the individual page so we 15 don't end up with a -- 'cause the other -- the other J.P.'s, 16 I don't believe, don't have it listed. Only J.P. 1. And 17 we've always kept their salaries uniform. 18 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Well, is that elected 19 officials, James, or is that -- 20 MR. ROBLES: You'll actually find it in J.P. 1 and 21 J.P. 4. It's in the department requested budget. J.P. 2 22 also requested one, but they didn't give me a number, so I 23 left that one blank. 24 COMMISSIONER REEVES: So these are salary 25 benefits -- 5-26-15 bwk 19 1 MR. ROBLES: These are for the clerks. They want 2 to get them more in parity, I guess, compared to J.P. 3 3 clerk. 4 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Do we handle that now or wait 5 till we do salaries? 6 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I'd like to wait to do it 7 all -- let's do it all at once. 8 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I do too. 9 COMMISSIONER LETZ: That's a different issue. 10 That's a personnel -- that's a whole different issue on the 11 clerks' salaries. 12 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I agree. 13 COMMISSIONER LETZ: As to why 3 is higher than the 14 others. 15 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Want to tackle that right 16 now? 17 COMMISSIONER LETZ: We can. 18 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I'd like to hear it again. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Well, I guess the reason -- my 20 understanding is -- and, Kathy, correct me if I'm not 21 correct. The reason the salary's higher is that the person 22 that went down to that spot was at a 19. 23 JUDGE MITCHELL: 19.9. 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: A 19. And our policy has 25 generally been not to reduce someone's salary; she just won't 5-26-15 bwk 20 1 get any more raises, pretty much, until such time as they get 2 caught up. And my understanding -- 3 JUDGE POLLARD: The others catch up with them? 4 COMMISSIONER LETZ: The others catch up with them. 5 That was my understanding as to why the J.P. 3 clerk is at a 6 higher step and grade than the rest of the clerks. Is that 7 right? That's not right? 8 MS. LANTZ: It's the step, the longevity. 9 COMMISSIONER LETZ: The step. 10 JUDGE MITCHELL: Longevity, how long she's been 11 here. 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Right, okay. But it's -- this 13 was the issue, though, is the -- 14 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Difference. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: -- the difference, and she came 16 down into that position. 17 JUDGE MITCHELL: I guess you'll have to ask them 18 what the difference -- why. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. 20 JUDGE RAGSDALE: I'll speak to it. 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. 22 JUDGE RAGSDALE: The -- if I'm not mistaken, I 23 think Cheryl, her clerk, has been with the county the same 24 length of time as the other three clerks, or at least two of 25 the other three clerks. But it was recommended in the last 5-26-15 bwk 21 1 study that we had -- the last personnel study that we had 2 that our clerks be at a higher -- I always get confused as to 3 which one is which. I think there's 19's, and they 4 recommended that they be 19's. We have had -- we've had 5 parity with the clerks for quite a few years now, and we 6 wanted to keep it that way so that all of the clerks got paid 7 the same. I don't know of any of the clerks that are less 8 qualified than another. I think they all get the same 9 education every year. I think they all have the same length 10 of time with the county. They have equal responsibilities. 11 Everything is equal, except one employee got more money 12 because they were allowed to have merit increases -- my 13 understanding, they were -- 14 JUDGE MITCHELL: That's not true. 15 JUDGE RAGSDALE: I'm sorry, I thought I had the 16 floor. 17 JUDGE MITCHELL: That's not true. 18 JUDGE RAGSDALE: Kathy, I apologize for 19 interrupting you. But, at any rate, we have never been 20 allowed -- the J.P. clerks have never been allowed to have 21 merit increases. We've always had -- the only increases they 22 ever got was time with the county, and so now all of a sudden 23 we have -- and I'm not saying that Cheryl's not worthy of 24 whatever she's getting paid. That's not my business, and I 25 wouldn't even say that. I think she's -- she's very well 5-26-15 bwk 22 1 worth what she's getting paid. But so is my clerk, and so is 2 Precinct 1 and so is Precinct 2's clerks. They do an equal 3 job with equal responsibilities. And there's not one -- like 4 I said, not a single one that's more qualified than another. 5 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I guess -- 6 JUDGE RAGSDALE: And, as a matter of fact, as far 7 as time being a court clerk or coordinator, Cheryl hasn't 8 been but a year -- 9 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Please don't use individual 10 names. 11 JUDGE RAGSDALE: Well, I'm sorry. 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Or we'll have to go into 13 executive session if we're talking about personnel issues. 14 JUDGE RAGSDALE: Okay. What I'm -- what I'm saying 15 is that, you know, one person who has not been a clerk for 10 16 years is getting paid more than a clerk that's been there for 17 10 years. 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. I guess I will ask Dawn 19 at a -- now or at a future time to just look at all of the 20 clerks; they should all be the same. Is it steps, first 21 number? 22 MS. LANTZ: We did look at that. We brought it to 23 the Court and did go into executive session with the Court. 24 And the explanation was made as to what -- how all the 25 variances were, and it was not only -- there was no merit 5-26-15 bwk 23 1 increases involved. There was demotions involved in some of 2 them, so that's how the disparity happened. And as far as 3 bringing the clerks up, that was through the court process 4 during budget. And so during the study -- and at that time, 5 they didn't -- the Court did not raise those to the next 6 grade, so they remained at a 17. 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: And at some point during this 8 process, Dawn, could you let -- give us a table, or just -- 9 it doesn't have to be one of these workshops, but of what 10 employees -- not individuals -- what positions were not 11 increased based on that last study? 'Cause I don't remember 12 which ones were or weren't, but if clerks were recommended to 13 go up -- J.P. clerks -- to a 19, I think we need to know 14 that, and if there's any others across the county that were 15 recommended to go up, we need to know based on this study. 16 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Is that what you're saying, 17 Judge Ragsdale, that they're at a lower level than -- 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: These -- 19 COMMISSIONER REEVES: -- than what was recommended 20 when that study was done? 21 JUDGE RAGSDALE: Well, I always -- like I said, I 22 think one person was at a higher grade because of the 23 position they were in. They took a position that was not as 24 high a level as the others. I think had we known that that 25 issue was going to come up, we would have put it in our 5-26-15 bwk 24 1 budgets to do that. This particular situation came up at the 2 very end of the budget process, and we were told that -- that 3 the positions we have for our clerks could not be adjusted 4 because the budget had been approved, had been -- you know, 5 everything had been done and the budget couldn't be changed, 6 but that it would be addressed this year to bring everybody 7 up to the same level. 8 COMMISSIONER REEVES: But what I'm asking, Judge, 9 is there -- forget -- I get step and grade mixed up too. But 10 the first number, the 17, and 1, 2, 3, 4 -- they're at a 11 17-something. 12 JUDGE RAGSDALE: Yes, sir. 13 COMMISSIONER REEVES: But when the study was made 14 years ago, whenever that was, they were recommended to be at 15 a 19? 16 JUDGE RAGSDALE: That was my understanding. 17 JUDGE POLLARD: Does anybody have any recollection 18 of that being the case? 19 JUDGE RAGSDALE: I'm sorry? 20 JUDGE POLLARD: Does anybody have any recollection 21 of that being the case besides the judge? 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Well, I mean, I remember that 23 there were some departments that did not get the raise 'cause 24 we could not afford it, and we were going to look at it this 25 year. I do recall that, and -- but it's not unique to the 5-26-15 bwk 25 1 clerks. There were some others, I believe, as well. 2 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Right. 3 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: I think the one thing the 4 study did, those that were here during both those last 5 studies, and this last one, it put everybody in the same 6 grade, the 16, 17, 18, what-have-you, okay, in that group. 7 And where the difference came in, is part of what Kathy is 8 saying is correct. Longevity is after one year, there's a 9 step; that's where you're starting to move up. Everybody's 10 starting pay with -- with no experience should always be the 11 one. Then they moved up a step, okay? And then after every 12 four years after that, three years after, they went up 13 another step. Law enforcement had the kind of advantage of 14 also having the educational, and if you have a law 15 enforcement officer that made it all the way up to the master 16 peace officer, that's equivalent to four steps, but it could 17 take him 20 years to do it. 18 And what the Court looked at doing at that time -- 19 and I don't remember; Dawn may, if they actually enacted it. 20 The courthouse employees that were not eligible ever to get 21 the educational-type raises, the Court looked at letting them 22 do a -- a total over a 20-year period of four merit raises, 23 so that way at the end of a 20-year career, whether you were 24 law enforcement or whether you were courthouse employees, you 25 could end up at the same step, which made it fair for 5-26-15 bwk 26 1 everybody. 'Cause courthouse department heads could give 2 them, over a 20-year period, a total of four steps, and law 3 enforcement and them could get a total of four steps by 4 educational, which nobody else was entitled to. But 5 everybody started at step one, and then your education, your 6 longevity, or your merit allows you to move up. 7 JUDGE POLLARD: Was that adopted as a policy? 8 MS. LANTZ: I don't know. That was prior to me. I 9 don't recall that, Rusty. 10 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think we need to, I think 11 during the budget process, relook at that policy, because we 12 also, during that period of doing -- I think Road and Bridge 13 has some, or had some education licensed certification 14 increases, and I think there was some discussion, I know, 15 about whether that was -- should there be or not be there. 16 I'm sure some will say it should. Some will say -- but as an 17 example, I think, like, a pesticide license. I mean, and I 18 think the discussion I recall having at some point was, well, 19 if it's a requirement for the job, it shouldn't be an added 20 increase to your salary. 21 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: I think there was -- there was 22 definitely a lot of that, and you're probably right; there 23 probably should be a hearing -- a discussion when we get to 24 salaries about that, to equal that out. 25 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think we need to equal that 5-26-15 bwk 27 1 out, look at the whole merit issue. So, I mean, you know, I 2 don't recall that we have a definite policy about what the 3 Sheriff is talking about, but I think we need to look at that 4 policy, because over time, there's certainly been a lot of 5 merit increases given out to people outside of the Sheriff's 6 Department. It's kind of done on a case-by-case, not all 7 kinds of different ways. 8 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Sounds like we need to do it 9 with our salaries, not each department. 10 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Right, I think have that 11 portion of our compensation package looked at during the 12 budget. I think for the time being, you know, I think that 13 the -- just to keep things from being left out, I think -- 14 JUDGE POLLARD: During this budget, do you think we 15 need to do it? 16 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yes. 17 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: J.P. 1 and J.P. 4 both have 19 tentative benefits; 2 and 3 do not have it listed, so I think 20 we need to deal with it all at one time. 21 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I agree with you. 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think they should come out 23 right now and then certainly, I guess, be discussed. 24 COMMISSIONER REEVES: We'll look at them at a later 25 time before this budget's approved. 5-26-15 bwk 28 1 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Under salaries. 2 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Okay. 3 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Right? 4 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Right. 5 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. Does that finish, then, 6 J.P. 1? Since we were jumping around? 7 COMMISSIONER MOSER: On J.P. 1, we reduced training 8 to 2,500, correct? 9 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Right. 10 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Jonathan was going to 11 negotiate with 2,000. 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: And then the tentative 13 benefits. 14 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. 15 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. Let's go to J.P. 2, 16 then. 17 JUDGE FRENCH: Anything further for me? 18 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Two. 19 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Do you want this back? 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think that was a yes. 21 JUDGE POLLARD: Howdy. 22 JUDGE HOYNE: Afternoon. 23 JUDGE POLLARD: Anybody have any questions or 24 comments? 25 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I'll see if I can stump him. 5-26-15 bwk 29 1 Who was your third grade teacher? 2 JUDGE HOYNE: Mrs. Moraldi. 3 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: God, the guy's good, isn't 4 he? 5 JUDGE POLLARD: That's impressive. Wonder if it's 6 true. (Laughter.) 7 JUDGE HOYNE: It is. 8 JUDGE POLLARD: It is true, okay. 9 JUDGE HOYNE: Yes. 10 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I don't have anything. 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Only question I have is, can 12 you explain the -- I guess, why you need a taser? 13 JUDGE HOYNE: That was at the request of my 14 constable. And Constable Hicks was unsure of the proper 15 route to obtain additional funds for courtroom security 16 issues, including having a taser, and so he just sought my 17 office out as at least one option. If anything, we could 18 shift things around during the budget hearings and take a 19 look at maybe either plopping that back onto his budget, or 20 like I brought it up on my own. I'd be happy to, through the 21 Commissioners Court generosity, pay for a taser for 22 additional court security so we have something more than just 23 a weapon in our courtroom for security purposes. 24 JUDGE POLLARD: Mr. Hicks? 25 MR. HICKS: The reason I asked the judge to go with 5-26-15 bwk 30 1 this courtroom security fund, it didn't come out of 2 taxpayers' money. It's not a taxpayer issue. 3 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. 4 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So if that's coming out of that 5 special fund, it shouldn't be on this page, James, should it? 6 MR. ROBLES: If y'all want to take it out of there, 7 I can remove it. 8 COMMISSIONER LETZ: The courthouse security is a 9 separate budget, isn't it? 10 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: That's courthouse security. 11 This is a different fund through J.P.'s. 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Well -- 13 MR. ROBLES: There's two J.P. -- 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: But is it still on this budget 15 page? 16 MR. ROBLES: Well, the J.P. tech fund, I don't know 17 if you can buy security equipment out of that. 18 JUDGE RAGSDALE: That's not the tech fund. 19 MR. ROBLES: Okay. Well, if that's the case -- 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So, is it coming out of the 21 general fund? It's not? 22 MR. HICKS: No. 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Not coming out of the general 24 fund. What fund is it coming out of? 25 JUDGE RAGSDALE: J.P. courtroom security. 5-26-15 bwk 31 1 COMMISSIONER LETZ: J.P. courtroom security? 2 Either way, shouldn't that be on a separate page in the 3 budget? 4 MS. DOSS: That's a separate fund. 5 COMMISSIONER LETZ: It's a separate fund -- needs 6 to be a separate fund. This comes out of the general fund on 7 this page. Then the next question would be, is that 8 something that is needed in the other J.P. courtrooms? 9 Ragsdale has one, and there's one downstairs for -- 10 JUDGE HOYNE: I defer to my fellow judges and 11 constables. 12 JUDGE FRENCH: What was the question? 13 MR. LAVENDER: Whether you need a taser in the 14 courtroom. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Mitzi, do you use the courtroom 16 downstairs, or do you use your office more? You use both of 17 them, don't you? 18 JUDGE FRENCH: Yes. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I mean, if something is needed 20 in the courtroom, it's needed in the courtroom. But, you 21 know, that's something I'll defer to others that know a whole 22 lot more about courthouse security. 23 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: It's an alternate use of 24 force, okay, that's not as bad as deadly force. I think more 25 and more, you're going with that, and it's just whether the 5-26-15 bwk 32 1 constables want to use it. Now, I will be honest; the 2 recommended training on it they may not want to do. 3 MR. LAVENDER: But I've already done it. 4 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: 'Cause normally it does 5 include getting tased. That's a unique experience we can 6 share with Commissioners. (Laughter.) 7 JUDGE RAGSDALE: Especially Buster. 8 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah. 9 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: But -- 10 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I'm not going to do it. 11 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: But with the close quarters in 12 a courtroom, okay, and more and more issues coming up in 13 courtrooms, it's not a bad idea to have that alternate. 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Judge Ragsdale, do you think 15 it's something worthwhile in your -- or necessary? 16 JUDGE RAGSDALE: We've never had that level of 17 violence in 25 years, but that doesn't mean that we couldn't. 18 We have Republic of Texas in there. We get kind of heated a 19 few times, but -- 20 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: I think it's really an issue 21 of whether the constables want it not, whether the J.P.'s 22 want it. 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: But, I mean, are the constables 24 always present in J.P. court? 25 JUDGE POLLARD: That's a good question. 5-26-15 bwk 33 1 JUDGE HOYNE: Yes. 2 JUDGE POLLARD: Do all of the constables provide 3 bailiff services every time J.P. court's in session? 4 JUDGE RAGSDALE: They're supposed to. 5 JUDGE HOYNE: Yes. 6 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: That's one of their -- 7 MR. LAVENDER: That's our constitutional duty. 8 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: And it's up to them. 9 JUDGE POLLARD: My question was are they doing it? 10 JUDGE RAGSDALE: Yes. 11 MS. LAVENDER: Yes, I do. 12 MR. GARZA: Yes, I do. 13 MR. HICKS: Yes, I do. 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Back to my question. I have no 15 problem on something like this for security. It's just a 16 matter of -- is it only Charlie that wants to get tased, or 17 do all of y'all want to get tased? (Laughter.) 18 JUDGE RAGSDALE: I volunteer my constable. 19 MR. HUFFAKER: If I get it, you get it. 20 JUDGE RAGSDALE: I withdraw that recommendation. 21 (Laughter.) 22 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Judge, we'll sell tickets 23 there in Ingram. 24 JUDGE RAGSDALE: Fundraiser. 25 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: The issue -- you know, the 5-26-15 bwk 34 1 main thing you have is, of course, either a sidearm, which 2 nobody wants to ever use, pepper spray, or the taser. Or 3 just physical force. The only issue about using pepper spray 4 in a closed environment inside a courtroom is everybody 5 that's present in that courtroom is going to feel the effects 6 of it if you use it, okay. And that's the issue; that's the 7 drawback on it. The taser is a very good weapon, if -- if 8 they want it. But if they don't -- you know, we use them in 9 the jail setting, because sometimes in a cellblock, it's 10 better than pepper spray, okay? I do not use them on patrol 11 yet, so -- 12 COMMISSIONER MOSER: You're saying it's -- it's a 13 good idea, and Charlie's the only one recommending it. 14 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: But it's an officer's -- it's 15 an officer's prerogative whatever he would like to have. 16 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Right. 17 MR. HICKS: Anything short of deadly force is 18 something we need to all -- 19 JUDGE POLLARD: I tend to agree with him, I think. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I mean, I think, one, it needs 21 to go out of the special fund to get it. 22 MS. DOSS: I think we need to clarify that. There 23 is a courthouse security fund for the Sheriff. 24 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: I ain't buying their tasers. 25 MS. DOSS: But there is not a J.P. security fund. 5-26-15 bwk 35 1 JUDGE RAGSDALE: I thought there was. 2 MS. DOSS: There's courthouse security. 3 MR. ROBLES: Courthouse security is Rusty's fund. 4 MS. DOSS: That's just Rusty. 5 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: And there's already -- the 6 courthouse security expenses are more than what is in that 7 fund each year, and -- 8 JUDGE RAGSDALE: Unless they took it off -- unless 9 the Legislature took it off. 10 COMMISSIONER MOSER: So, if J.P. -- if the 11 constable in 2 thinks it's necessary, and the judge goes 12 along with it, why don't we just let it be that? And the 13 others -- if they don't think they need it, they don't need 14 it. Keep it simple. 15 JUDGE POLLARD: I don't know. Do you think it's 16 necessary or not? 17 MR. LAVENDER: Me? 18 JUDGE POLLARD: Yeah. 19 MR. LAVENDER: I'm kind of with the judge; I've not 20 yet seen the need for it in our court. But when we see the 21 need for it, it's too late if you don't have it. 22 JUDGE RAGSDALE: Correct. 23 MR. LAVENDER: I've already been tased; thankfully, 24 I don't have to go through that part of it. But, you know, 25 it would be better than -- certainly better than pepper, and 5-26-15 bwk 36 1 I'm not interested in shooting anybody. So -- 2 JUDGE POLLARD: We're looking at situations here in 3 the last few years, you know, more recently where things are 4 getting a lot rougher. 5 COMMISSIONER MOSER: They are. 6 JUDGE POLLARD: And we just need to address this 7 kind of thing. We need to be more aware of courthouse 8 security-type stuff. 9 JUDGE FRENCH: While we're on the issue of 10 courthouse security, the only security issue that I have with 11 that downstairs courtroom is the one way in, one way out. 12 JUDGE POLLARD: I don't think there's much we're 13 going to be able to do about that. I've already thought 14 about that when we talked to Judge Harris about hers. I 15 don't think we're going to be able to do anything about that. 16 MR. GARCIA: I can tell you from personal 17 experience of actually running down people that escape from 18 this courtroom after a situation from upstairs, twice, that I 19 wouldn't have to run four blocks to chase one guy down if we 20 had a taser. I could have tased him and kept, you know, 21 everybody -- and that's happened here inside the building. 22 And then -- 23 MR. LAVENDER: The one I chased out of the building 24 was about this wide. I probably could have hit him with a 25 taser. 5-26-15 bwk 37 1 MR. GARCIA: The taser would have definitely 2 helped. But still, personal experience in chasing down guys 3 out here, which has happened twice for me, is it helps. 4 JUDGE POLLARD: How much are these tasers? 5 COMMISSIONER LETZ: $1,700. Seventeen -- 1,778 is 6 what's in the budget. That caught my eye. 7 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: That's -- 8 MR. HICKS: That's with everything, extra 9 cartridges. 10 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: That's also the one with that 11 video camera and everything, isn't it? 12 MR. HICKS: No, that -- they want -- the video 13 cameras are 3,000. That's for the training, plus extra 14 cartridges, two extra, the holster that it goes in, some 15 other -- it's got a downloading program; it's not a video, 16 but it tells you all the times -- 17 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: We could give him a bucket 18 of rocks and then talk about this next year. 19 COMMISSIONER MOSER: So, two want it; the others 20 haven't requested it, so -- 21 JUDGE POLLARD: Right now, that sounds like a 22 compromise deal. Two gets it, and when the others want it, 23 we'll talk about it. 24 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Come back, right. 25 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. 5-26-15 bwk 38 1 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Two gets it? You lucky 2 stiff. 3 JUDGE POLLARD: What do you mean by "gets it"? Are 4 we still talking about tasers? 5 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: The one thing that probably 6 does need to be looked at, like the Auditor said, we need to 7 look at the courthouse security fund, if that is something 8 that prior auditors or whatever have combined, all those, 9 whether they were still on the books. But J.P. courts and 10 for the courthouse, it may be something that I need to ask 11 for in my budget if that's what the constable wants. 12 JUDGE POLLARD: You might be able to transfer a 13 couple of your deputies' cost into it, permanently assigned 14 to the courthouse, huh? 15 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay, we're on tasers. 16 JUDGE RAGSDALE: What is 10-341-800? 17 MS. DOSS: That's a revenue. 18 JUDGE RAGSDALE: Yeah, but I'm saying is that the 19 court -- the J.P. courtroom security? 20 MS. DOSS: I have to -- James, do you have that on 21 the -- 22 MR. ROBLES: What was that, 341? 23 MS. DOSS: 341-800. 24 JUDGE RAGSDALE: 341-800. 25 MR. ROBLES: Yes. 5-26-15 bwk 39 1 MS. DOSS: Uh-huh. Courthouse security, J.P.'s, 2 mm-hmm. 3 JUDGE RAGSDALE: Thank you. 4 MS. DOSS: Thank you. 5 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I've never seen that before. 6 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Let's move it into that line 7 item if we can. Instead of taking it out of the general -- 8 out of the general budget, put it in that, out of that fund. 9 JUDGE POLLARD: Makes sense. 10 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: We need to see where that -- 11 MS. DOSS: Where that goes. You know, I don't know 12 where it goes right now. 13 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. 14 MS. DOSS: And is that all of them? 15 JUDGE RAGSDALE: It's all. 16 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. Are we up to J.P. 3 17 now, finally? 18 JUDGE HOYNE: Thank you, gentlemen. 19 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. Anybody have any 20 questions or comments about J.P. 3? 21 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Before we start on J.P. 3, I 22 think we're talking a little bit fast for the court reporter, 23 so if we could talk one at a time, she'll be happier. 24 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. Anybody -- well, let's start 25 with one. Let's try to regulate that. Mr. Baldwin? 5-26-15 bwk 40 1 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I've never heard of her. 2 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. Number two? 3 COMMISSIONER MOSER: A question on part-time 4 salary. Just looking at what it was actual in '14, like 5 700-something dollars, and it jumps up to 3,000, which was 6 even double what it was before. What was the -- what's the 7 increase in part-time salary? 8 JUDGE MITCHELL: The increase in part-time salary 9 is because the longer that your clerk is here, the more 10 vacation time that they get. And to go back to the issue of 11 the longevity, my clerk's been here quite a while, and so she 12 gets a lot more vacation, and plus sick time, conference 13 time. We have it there just in case. 14 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Mm-hmm. 15 JUDGE POLLARD: Well, when she switched jobs, she 16 probably needed more conference time for -- for learning the 17 stuff that -- in your court. 18 JUDGE MITCHELL: Probably so. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: It's -- pretty much all of them 20 are 3,000, 3,500. 21 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Yeah, I was just looking at 22 what the actuals were and what the budgets were before and 23 the big jump -- big increase, I should say. 24 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. 25 COMMISSIONER MOSER: You've got the answer. 5-26-15 bwk 41 1 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. Do you have anything, 2 Jon? 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: No. 4 JUDGE POLLARD: Bob? 5 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Not on Precinct 3. 6 JUDGE POLLARD: Thank you. 7 JUDGE MITCHELL: Thank you. 8 JUDGE POLLARD: Precinct 4, moving right along. 9 Mr. Baldwin? 10 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: J.P. 4? 11 JUDGE POLLARD: Yes, sir. 12 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Oh, I do have some things to 13 talk about, but I can't do that. 14 JUDGE RAGSDALE: Remember, I've been here as long 15 as you. I have some things, too. 16 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I can't do it in front of 17 ladies, though. No, sir, thank you. 18 JUDGE POLLARD: Mr. Moser? 19 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I'm just looking at the -- 20 what was -- oh, I see what it is, the tentative benefits. 21 Nevermind, I'm okay. 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: That's fine. 23 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. You got anything? 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: No. 25 JUDGE POLLARD: Bob? 5-26-15 bwk 42 1 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Like we said, Judge, we'll 2 look at the increased salaries at another time. I do need 3 help with your memory, and perhaps Jonathan and Buster's. 4 How long is the lease? I have heard that it may be going up, 5 but I couldn't remember how long we've been in the annex. 6 JUDGE RAGSDALE: I think we've been there five 7 years. 8 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Five years? So I think -- 9 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Didn't we do a -- a redo a few 10 years ago? 11 JUDGE RAGSDALE: Two years, perhaps, we did a redo. 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yeah, I think -- 13 COMMISSIONER REEVES: I have heard that, and just 14 with knowing ail of the other real estate functions, we may 15 see an increase in that. I've received nothing officially 16 yet, but we may need to leave that one a little open till 17 we're sure what that's going to be. 18 JUDGE POLLARD: We've maybe done that in the last 19 budget. 20 COMMISSIONER REEVES: We haven't done it last year. 21 We didn't do it last year. 22 JUDGE RAGSDALE: I think it was year before last. 23 COMMISSIONER REEVES: It was prior to me coming on 24 the Court. 25 JUDGE POLLARD: We may have talked about it, 5-26-15 bwk 43 1 though. 2 COMMISSIONER REEVES: I'm good with everything 3 else. 4 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. 5 JUDGE RAGSDALE: Thank you. 6 JUDGE POLLARD: Thank you. 7 MR. TROLINGER: Judge Pollard, can you call the 8 J.P. tech fund as part of the J.P.'s while they're here? 9 JUDGE POLLARD: J.P. tech fund? Okay. 10 MR. TROLINGER: Yes, sir. 11 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. Anybody have any questions 12 about that? Anybody have any questions about J.P. 13 technology -- tech fund? I guess that's what it is, huh? 14 MR. TROLINGER: James, can you look at the fund 15 balance? We're unsure what the fund balance is. Judge 16 Pollard, I wanted to make sure that we took maximum advantage 17 of the J.P. tech funds. A couple years back, we spent quite 18 a lot, about $22,000, to upgrade the courtrooms and do 19 various things. Mostly what J.P. tech does is it funds the 20 software maintenance line item. There are a couple of phones 21 on there. Judge Hoyne has requested a new printer because 22 he's helping out the -- that general purpose courtroom that 23 he's got; he wants to provide a copier/printer, and we're 24 going to get one. I think we've amended it this year, but I 25 wanted to look at our fund balance, and it's substantial. 5-26-15 bwk 44 1 MR. ROBLES: 51,741. 2 MR. TROLINGER: And I think for this year, it about 3 -- we get to about $19,700; is that correct? 4 MS. DOSS: Last year was 19,950. 5 MR. TROLINGER: Yeah, I think we need to be at 6 about 19,700. And what we can -- what we're doing is -- what 7 I'm finding is, the clerk -- and by the way, let me mention 8 this since we're on J.P.'s. The clerks use every bit of 9 technology -- computer technology and whatnot available, 10 including the software system, and they are fabulous at what 11 they do. Year over year -- I've been here ten years, and all 12 those offices have everything you can plug into the computer 13 and take maximum advantage of probably streamlining more than 14 we'll ever know, because the data entry and the things that 15 they do is -- is really important. Ten years ago, they had 16 two or three different systems, and nothing was integrated, 17 and they've done all that work and they've stuck with it over 18 all these years, and they've done a really, really good job. 19 The clerks are just, let me say, top of the line. I'm really 20 impressed year over year with J.P. clerks. But -- 21 JUDGE POLLARD: I'm sure they're all appreciative. 22 MR. TROLINGER: But for technology-wise, we've 23 recently added a dual screen monitor and things like that, 24 and instead of pulling it from the J.P. tech fund, I've been 25 pulling it from the capital, because it just wasn't budgeted 5-26-15 bwk 45 1 for this year. If we could budget the 19,7 this next year, I 2 think that will cover all these little items. There are a 3 number of cell phones on there. 4 MR. ROBLES: We can add a budget to that. I mean, 5 we don't have to wait till next year. 6 MR. TROLINGER: Right. Right. I think we've 7 amended this year, or we're asking for a budget amendment 8 on -- 9 COMMISSIONER REEVES: So I understand it, you're 10 wanting to increase the budget to how much? 11 MR. TROLINGER: 19,700 for J.P. technology. 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Plus the 1,778 for the taser? 13 MR. TROLINGER: I was actually -- 14 JUDGE RAGSDALE: Different accounts. One's 15 technology and one's courtroom security. 16 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Oh, one's security. 17 MR. TROLINGER: I was actually figuring that, 18 because the constables have mentioned to me -- Constable 19 Lavender has mentioned to me body camera, and we looked into 20 it, but we don't think the technology's quite there yet. At 21 least, John, not quite there yet. Maybe next year or the 22 year after's budget. And that would definitely have to be in 23 the constable's budget. I don't think we can use J.P. tech 24 funds for that. 25 COMMISSIONER MOSER: John, I'm confused. We're on 5-26-15 bwk 46 1 J.P. technology? 2 MR. TROLINGER: Yes, sir. 3 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Which is 7,600. What are you 4 talking about, the 19,000? 5 MR. ROBLES: That's a revenue page. 6 MS. DOSS: If you look at the next page. 7 MR. TROLINGER: That's how much we took in. 8 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Oh, next page, okay. 9 MR. TROLINGER: But the fund balance is in excess 10 of $50,000 -- $51,000, so the money's there. We just need to 11 allocate it and spend it for the J.P.'s instead of from the 12 general -- 13 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Right. 14 MR. TROLINGER: -- capital items for I.T. 15 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. 16 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. 17 MR. ROBLES: You wanted 19? 18 JUDGE POLLARD: Any questions or comments about 19 that expenditure? 20 MR. TROLINGER: Thanks very much. 21 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay, let's go to -- 22 COMMISSIONER MOSER: The Treasurer. 23 JUDGE POLLARD: I've got -- yeah, the County 24 Treasurer. Here it is. Mr. Baldwin? 25 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: No, sir. I wanted to see 5-26-15 bwk 47 1 what she has to say. 2 JUDGE POLLARD: Mr. Moser? 3 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I don't have a thing. 4 JUDGE RAGSDALE: Do y'all need us any more? 5 JUDGE POLLARD: No, thank you very much. 6 JUDGE RAGSDALE: Thank you. 7 MR. HICKS: Thanks, Commissioners. 8 (Low-voice discussion off the record.) 9 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I don't have anything for the 10 Treasurer. 11 JUDGE POLLARD: Do you? 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: My only question, is it going 13 to increase conferences about 1,000? Current budget's 3,354; 14 you went up to 4,000. 15 MS. SOLDAN: Did I? That's not on my printout. 16 COMMISSIONER LETZ: The requested I show is 4,000. 17 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: 4,000. 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Looks like projected year end 19 is a little over 3,000. 20 COMMISSIONER MOSER: It's been 5,000, 4,000, so -- 21 in '13 and '14. 22 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: And that includes your 23 certification to be a treasurer and your investment -- 24 MS. SOLDAN: Investment. 25 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: -- schools and whatever? 5-26-15 bwk 48 1 MS. SOLDAN: And now Affordable Care Act, working 2 with H.R. and that sort of thing. I don't remember 3 requesting increasing it, so you can put it back down. I 4 don't know why I would have requested 3,354 for the current 5 budget year. I'm wondering if maybe there was a budget 6 amendment. 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: How about 3,500? 8 MS. SOLDAN: Yeah, that would be fine. 9 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: 500? 10 JUDGE POLLARD: Is 3,500 enough, or is it too much? 11 MS. SOLDAN: I think that would be enough. 12 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Look what the actuals were in 13 previous years, 5,000 and 4,000. 14 MS. SOLDAN: That was when I first took office and 15 had to get all my hours in. 16 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Yeah. 17 JUDGE POLLARD: Is that it? Okay. Agricultural 18 Extension Office. Roy? 19 MR. WALSTON: Good afternoon. 20 JUDGE POLLARD: Howdy. 21 MR. WALSTON: Howdy. 22 JUDGE POLLARD: Any questions? Comments? 23 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Question on vehicle repair. 24 MR. WALSTON: I increased that this year, I 25 believe. And this year I debated as to whether to put in for 5-26-15 bwk 49 1 a new vehicle or to wait, and it's -- my pickup's sitting at 2 about 88,000 miles on it, and the van's at about 68,000, and 3 so next year we're going to be over 100,000 on it. And I can 4 leave that to y'all as to what you want to do. 5 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Sounds like it's broken in 6 good. 7 MR. WALSTON: It's a diesel. That's what I'd say, 8 but it's not -- 9 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I've got between 100 and 115 10 on mine. 11 JUDGE POLLARD: Is yours a diesel? 12 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Might need to replace tires 13 and stuff. 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Probably not a bad number to 15 leave in there for right now. 16 MR. WALSTON: It will probably need tires before 17 the end of next year. 18 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. 19 JUDGE POLLARD: Anything else? 20 MR. WALSTON: Haven't had any major problems with 21 it, but I have a feeling we're going to be -- 22 COMMISSIONER MOSER: That's what budgets are for. 23 MR. WALSTON: -- replacing belts and doing some 24 things. 25 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. 5-26-15 bwk 50 1 JUDGE POLLARD: Anything? 2 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: And the increase in 3 conferences, that's just a normal -- going to cost more next 4 year than it did this year, huh? 5 MR. WALSTON: The conferences? Well, now that 6 we've got three full-time agents on, and we -- 7 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I see. 8 MR. WALSTON: -- we had reduced it last year 9 because we hadn't used that money, and there were some of the 10 conferences that Laurinda hadn't gone to. And so, you know, 11 we've got three full-time -- 12 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Are you counting our 4-H 13 Coordinator when you're just saying an agent, even though 14 she's under the coordinator's position? You're calling her 15 an agent? 16 MR. WALSTON: As far as Extension is concerned, 17 she's an agent position. 18 COMMISSIONER REEVES: So she's an agent position 19 paid by A & M? 20 MR. WALSTON: No, paid by the county, but she's an 21 agent. 22 COMMISSIONER REEVES: But just so I get it 23 straight, with our policy manual and everything, so that's 24 what you're talking about. I don't have a problem with 25 going; I just want to keep it straight in my mind. 5-26-15 bwk 51 1 MR. WALSTON: Yeah. No, that's what -- 'cause she 2 can go to -- as a matter of fact, she can go to new agent 3 trainings, and -- and she'll be able to go to those this 4 coming year. 5 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Boy, it'd be nice to meet 6 her, I think. You know, have an employee like that to be 7 brought in here and introduced. 8 COMMISSIONER REEVES: You haven't met her? She 9 came through one day. 10 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I've been sitting right 11 here. 12 MR. WALSTON: We came up one day to meet y'all, and 13 y'all had -- 14 JUDGE POLLARD: Must have been one of your naps. 15 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Is she here today? 16 MR. WALSTON: No. We did miss y'all, but I will 17 bring her up. We had our Community Futures Forum; I thought 18 y'all might be at that. 19 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Awful busy during that time. 20 JUDGE POLLARD: I thought she came in here, too. 21 MR. WALSTON: No, I hadn't brought her to court. 22 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Yeah, you brought her by one 23 day. 24 MR. WALSTON: Brought her by one day, but not to 25 court. 5-26-15 bwk 52 1 COMMISSIONER LETZ: You ought to bring her to court 2 next time. 3 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I hear good things about 4 her. 5 MR. WALSTON: She's doing a good job. 6 JUDGE POLLARD: Anything else? Okay, thank you. 7 MR. WALSTON: Thank y'all. Appreciate it. 8 JUDGE POLLARD: Human Resources. 9 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Conferences? 10 MS. LANTZ: That's a court order, so you can 11 rescind it if you want. 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Well, it says -- the court 13 order says it's 5,000. You've only spent 1,800 projected 14 year end. 15 COMMISSIONER MOSER: And year before that was 16 3,500. 17 MS. LANTZ: I show projected year end 4,324 on 18 mine. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Oh. 20 MR. ROBLES: Depending on when you printed your 21 reports, they may show different. But I really wish they 22 would remove that projected year end. That is not -- 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: That's not a good -- 24 MR. ROBLES: That's not accurate. 25 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. 5-26-15 bwk 53 1 COMMISSIONER MOSER: But, you know, just -- Dawn, 2 if you just look at actuals in '14 compared to what's 3 requested, looks like a 40 percent increase. 4 MS. LANTZ: Where? I mean, I've decreased every 5 year. 6 COMMISSIONER MOSER: The 5,000. 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: It's 4,300 right now. 8 COMMISSIONER MOSER: No, but I'm looking at what 9 the actuals were in '14. 10 COMMISSIONER REEVES: I think a lot of that, we can 11 thank the new laws, can't we, Ms. Lantz? Affordable Health 12 Care and all of that good stuff? 13 MS. LANTZ: There's a court order behind that line 14 item. So, I mean, I can bring it back to court to have it 15 removed. 16 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I was just looking at that. 17 Well, even if it was -- I guess go back and look at the 18 budget for last year, why it increased the same amount. It's 19 just a big increase. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I mean -- 21 MS. LANTZ: It's been that way. I haven't 22 increased at all in -- 23 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Huh? 24 MS. LANTZ: It hasn't increased. It's at -- 25 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I'm looking at 3,500, which is 5-26-15 bwk 54 1 actual in 2014, and then the next year the budget request 2 jumped up to 5,000. It's 5,000 now, so I'm just saying what 3 was the big increase? 4 MR. ROBLES: She may have budgeted 5,000 last year, 5 but just didn't spend it all. 6 MS. LANTZ: I didn't spend it; I got reimbursed. I 7 got reimbursed from TAC as well. 8 MR. ROBLES: This doesn't show you what she asked 9 for; this shows you what she spent the prior years. 10 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I know. I'm just saying what 11 was -- the actual spent was 3,500, and so a 40 percent 12 increase in that is $5,000, approximately, right? 13 MS. LANTZ: I get reimbursements -- 14 COMMISSIONER MOSER: And it's a big increase. 15 MS. LANTZ: I also get reimbursements back, but I 16 have to pay it up front sometimes. They'll reimburse me from 17 TAC on several of the conferences, so I'll get that back. 18 And they sometimes excuse that as well. But -- 19 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I'm just trying to do apples 20 and apples. 21 MS. LANTZ: I understand. I mean -- 22 COMMISSIONER MOSER: So. 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Looks like it averages, since 24 2011 to now, about 4,000. 25 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Right. 5-26-15 bwk 55 1 COMMISSIONER REEVES: But if look back at the 2 footnotes, Court Order 32274, one year, H.R. conference, TAC 3 conferences, and then we added at some point regional 4 workers' compensation conference. Looks like we're adding 5 stuff to her all the time. 6 COMMISSIONER MOSER: That could be it, the stuff 7 we're adding. 8 MS. LANTZ: The changes in the law. 9 COMMISSIONER REEVES: And the changes I think we're 10 going to have to continually coming down the pike. I mean, 11 if anything, we need to make sure there's enough in H.R. 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. 13 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Another question on safety. 14 MS. LANTZ: Yes? 15 COMMISSIONER MOSER: That was a new line item in 16 2014 of $5,000, and then the next year -- that was actual. 17 Then the next year budget jumped to 7,000. What is "safety"? 18 What all's included in that? 19 MS. LANTZ: Those are the immunizations, the 20 pre-exposure vaccines for Animal Control, as well as for the 21 Sheriff's office. When his employees get a stick and we have 22 to have them do a pre-exposure at the hospital, we pay for 23 that, and it can be anywhere from $1,800 to $2,000 when they 24 go get those tests done. 25 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. 5-26-15 bwk 56 1 MS. LANTZ: So it's more on the safety precaution 2 of our employees. 3 JUDGE POLLARD: Something you got to have. 4 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Yeah, okay. All right. 5 COMMISSIONER LETZ: All right. 6 COMMISSIONER MOSER: And the part-time? 7 MS. LANTZ: I haven't used that yet, but I'm using 8 it this year. And I've pared that down -- 9 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Uh-huh. 10 MS. LANTZ: -- from what I had. I have a bunch of 11 scanning that needs to be done so I can -- I don't have any 12 storage any more. It was either buy filing cabinets and 13 spend more money there, or get all the documents scanned in, 14 so I'm going to try to get a lot of them done. 15 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. That's all I have. 16 JUDGE POLLARD: Anybody else have anything? 17 Anything? 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: No. 19 COMMISSIONER REEVES: No. 20 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. That's the end of it, 21 then. 22 COMMISSIONER MOSER: That's it. 23 JUDGE POLLARD: Want to adjourn? Anybody move for 24 adjournment? 25 COMMISSIONER MOSER: So moved. 5-26-15 bwk 57 1 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Second. 2 JUDGE POLLARD: Those in favor, indicate by raising 3 your right hand. 4-0. 4 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: When's the next one? 5 COMMISSIONER MOSER: June 1st at 11:00. 6 (Budget workshop adjourned at 2:38 p.m.) 7 - - - - - - - - - - 8 9 10 11 STATE OF TEXAS | 12 COUNTY OF KERR | 13 The above and foregoing is a true and complete 14 transcription of my stenotype notes taken in my capacity as 15 official reporter for the Commissioners Court of Kerr County, 16 Texas, at the time and place heretofore set forth. 17 DATED at Kerrville, Texas, this 3rd day of June, 2015. 18 19 REBECCA BOLIN, Kerr County Clerk 20 BY: _________________________________ Kathy Banik, Deputy County Clerk 21 Certified Shorthand Reporter 22 23 24 25 5-26-15 bwk