1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 KERR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT 9 Budget Workshop 10 Tuesday, June 30, 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 June 30, 2015 2 PAGE 3 --- Participate in Budget Workshops with county departments, including, but not limited to: 4 County Judge 3 5 County Court/Commissioners Court 10 6 County Clerk 12 7 Preservation & Archival 15 8 County and District Clerk Records Management and Preservation 19 9 Technology fund 22 10 District Clerk 23 Jury 29 11 Law Library 29 12 Capital projects 38 13 --- Adjourned 54 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 3 1 On Tuesday, June 30, 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: All right. It's 1:30 p.m. on 8 June 30, 2015, the Kerr County Commissioners Court workshop 9 agenda meeting is -- is in session, open. And I guess this 10 is the one that starts off with the County Judge; is that 11 right? 12 MR. ROBLES: Yes, it is. 13 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. We'll do it just like 14 -- is Commissioner Baldwin here or not? 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I haven't seen him. He said 16 he'd be here. His door was closed. 17 JUDGE POLLARD: That usually means he's not here. 18 Okay. Well, we'll start off, then, with Mr. Moser. Do you 19 have any questions about that? 20 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Let me pull that up real 21 quick. County Judge. I had one question, and I think -- 22 let's see. The -- and we're going to talk about salaries 23 later, so no, I'll hold that. That's the only question I 24 had. 25 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. Anybody? Do you have any 6-30-15 bwk 4 1 questions? 2 COMMISSIONER LETZ: No. 3 COMMISSIONER MOSER: You're talking about the -- 4 COMMISSIONER REEVES: We're going to talk about 5 salaries later. I don't have anything on this. 6 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Yeah. 7 MR. ROBLES: We are going to talk about salaries 8 later, but you do get that -- 9 JUDGE POLLARD: I don't care; we can do it. 10 MR. ROBLES: -- that supplement. 11 JUDGE POLLARD: Whatever y'all want do. It's up to 12 you. 13 MR. ROBLES: I think you get an extra supplement 14 next year. 15 JUDGE POLLARD: Yeah, I do. 16 MS. DOSS: 10,000. 17 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I thought we were going to 18 talk about salaries later. 19 MR. ROBLES: Yes. It's a state supplement; he's 20 getting it either way. 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Let's do all of them at once. 22 But if he gets a state supplement, that needs to be -- go 23 ahead and put that in. 24 MS. DOSS: Right. 25 JUDGE POLLARD: It'll be in, yes. That bill, 6-30-15 bwk 5 1 probably a week or two into the session, Andy Murr told me it 2 was dead, and so I didn't pay any attention to it any more, 3 and I was quite surprised after the session was over to find 4 that -- that it had gone through. And it does increase the 5 state supplement by $10,200 to any county judge that 6 certifies that he spends at least 40 percent of his time on 7 judicial functions, okay. But, anyway, all right. Then 8 let's go to the next item, then, County Attorney. 9 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Wait, wait. We do have a 10 subset of mental health, County Court, Commissioners Court 11 under -- they're all under County Judge. Is that not right, 12 James? 13 MR. ROBLES: Yes, it is. 14 COMMISSIONER MOSER: So -- 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Those are -- 16 JUDGE POLLARD: It's not the way it is on my thing 17 here. 18 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Oh, are you on June 30th? 19 June 29th. 20 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. 21 COMMISSIONER MOSER: There's June 30th right there. 22 Okay, now you got it. 23 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. Mental health, Account 24 405. 25 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Right. I have a question. On 6-30-15 bwk 6 1 Court-appointed attorneys, big increase; 37,000, 40,000, 2 46,000. 3 JUDGE POLLARD: It jumped 9,000 the last time? 4 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Yeah, from actual. Jumping 5 9,000, which is, you know, a big percentage. 6 JUDGE POLLARD: Yeah. I'm just saying the Court's 7 required to appoint attorney ad litems on practically 8 everything now. 9 MS. BAILEY: Well, Judge, also you increased the 10 hourly rate for Court-appointed attorneys, so not only do we 11 have more juveniles, but each -- 12 JUDGE POLLARD: I mentioned that to them; we raised 13 it from something to $70 an hour. 14 MS. BAILEY: Fifty, I think. 15 JUDGE POLLARD: I think it's a $5-an-hour -- 16 COMMISSIONER LETZ: This is mental health. But it 17 was raised regardless of what capacity, correct? 18 JUDGE POLLARD: Right, across the board. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Across the board. 20 JUDGE POLLARD: Uniform across the board. Some of 21 them were $70, some were $65. 22 MS. BAILEY: It was raised to be same as the County 23 Court at Law Court-appointed attorneys. 24 JUDGE POLLARD: Yeah. 25 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Well, but going from $65 to 6-30-15 bwk 7 1 $70 is -- 2 JUDGE POLLARD: That's probably not going to 3 account for the total increase. 4 MS. BAILEY: I think you went from $50 to $70. 5 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Huh? 6 MS. BAILEY: I think it went from $50 to $70, 7 didn't it? 8 JUDGE POLLARD: Maybe it was. 9 MS. BAILEY: Yeah. 10 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Oh, from $50 to $70, so 11 that's -- 12 MS. BAILEY: We were not able to get attorneys to 13 come in and represent the juveniles. 14 COMMISSIONER MOSER: That's a 40 percent increase. 15 MS. BAILEY: Yes. 16 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Whoa. 17 JUDGE POLLARD: I still don't think that accounts 18 for it all. I think it's just more cases, and -- and the law 19 requires that we appoint attorney ad litems for them. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Do we not -- and this is to the 21 Auditor, I think. Don't we get revenue out of this also? 22 Don't you bill your time to a lot of these other counties? 23 JUDGE POLLARD: I do. 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So we have a -- there's a 25 revenue -- 6-30-15 bwk 8 1 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Offset. 2 COMMISSIONER LETZ: -- offset to a lot of -- to 3 some of this. 4 JUDGE POLLARD: Some of it. 5 MS. BAILEY: And the juveniles are ordered to pay 6 back the Court-appointed attorney's fees. Some of them do; 7 some of them don't, but that doesn't go back into the line 8 item. It goes into the general fund. 9 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Right. So, I'm saying that 10 there is an offset. 11 JUDGE POLLARD: There is. 12 COMMISSIONER MOSER: So -- so do we -- Brenda, 13 could we see something like that so we can look at 14 expenditures; if there's an offset, we can recognize that? 15 MS. DOSS: Yes, I think I can print that for you. 16 I don't have it right here, but I can -- 17 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I think we need to do that as 18 we come up with these things. It's just kind of hard to look 19 at one side of the equation without the other side of the 20 equation. 21 MS. DOSS: Okay. 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Because it increased our 23 budget, but -- and it's kind of one of those weird things 24 that we -- we can't account for. We look at our -- I mean, 25 it seems like it gets lost, to me. 6-30-15 bwk 9 1 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Right. 2 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Because it goes into the -- 3 it's coming out of this fund, but it goes into the general 4 fund, and I guess it's accounted for in the revenue side. 5 MR. ROBLES: We do have a juvenile Court-appointed 6 attorneys restitution line. 7 MS. DOSS: What is that? 8 MR. ROBLES: And mental health. 9 COMMISSIONER MOSER: What is that, James? It's not 10 here. 11 MR. ROBLES: It's in the revenue side. It's under 12 reimbursements. 13 COMMISSIONER MOSER: You see what I'm saying, 14 though. We're trying to look at an item, and we see the 15 expense part, but we don't see the revenue part. 16 MS. DOSS: Exactly. 17 COMMISSIONER MOSER: So, it's -- you don't know 18 what the net is. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: And J.P.'s is a good example. 20 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Right. Precisely right. So, 21 that would be helpful if we could have that visibility. 22 JUDGE POLLARD: There are more cases, though. I 23 don't think juvenile cases are up particularly on a yearly 24 basis, according to Jason, but there sure seems to be a spike 25 here lately, I want to say the last three -- well, since 6-30-15 bwk 10 1 school was out. 2 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Well, this is just mental 3 health -- 4 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. 5 COMMISSIONER MOSER: -- we're talking about here. 6 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. But mental health, 7 there is a spike. There is a lot more, it seems like, in 8 mental health, C.S.U. in particular. They're up. But 9 there's an element of reimbursement in that too, because we 10 get them from other counties too. I had one this morning 11 from San Marcos. 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Right. 13 JUDGE POLLARD: And that'll be billed out to that 14 county, and so we'll get reimbursed from that. 15 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. So, bottom line is 16 attorney's salary -- or fee increased $50 to $70, and then 17 just saying more cases in mental health, and there's some 18 revenue offset, which we don't know what it is. Okay. 19 That's all I have. 20 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. Let's go to the next 21 one, County Court. 22 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I don't have any questions on 23 that. 24 JUDGE POLLARD: Do you have anything? 25 COMMISSIONER LETZ: No. 6-30-15 bwk 11 1 JUDGE POLLARD: Bob? 2 COMMISSIONER REEVES: None. 3 JUDGE POLLARD: Commissioners Court? 4 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I don't have anything. 5 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. Any questions to 6 yourself? 7 COMMISSIONER MOSER: No. 8 JUDGE POLLARD: Do you have any, Jon? 9 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Looking at the budget, from 10 37,8, to 37,8, so that's -- and a little bit from the 11 previous one from salaries. 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: My only comment is that the -- 13 the conference line item looks light to me. I know it's kind 14 of where it's been, but it seems -- I'll be surprised if we 15 really get all our hours for $1,000 a piece. I think that's 16 probably not a realistic one. And I think Buster has decided 17 he's not planning to run for election, as far as I know, and 18 didn't go to any school this year, and just said there's no 19 reason to. I carried -- I only went to one. I didn't get my 20 hours last year, but I had some to carry over, I think. 21 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I think I've been to one in 22 two years, so -- 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: But, I mean, to get your hours, 24 that's not a realistic number. 25 JUDGE POLLARD: Well, I have to tell you, too, that 6-30-15 bwk 12 1 I understand TAC is beginning to fairly enforce that thing. 2 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. 3 JUDGE POLLARD: Buster has just said, "What are you 4 going to do to me?" I don't think you -- I don't recommend 5 you do that. 6 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Unless I don't run again, or 7 don't get elected, one or the other. Anyway, I think we 8 probably ought to, I don't know, increase that some. 9 JUDGE POLLARD: Yeah. 10 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Maybe to -- 11 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Six. 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think 5,000 ought to cover 13 it. 14 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. Costs about 1,500 to go 15 to one of those things. 16 COMMISSIONER LETZ: 6,000. 6,000, then. 17 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. All right. 18 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. Bob, do you have anything? 19 (Commissioner Reeves shook his head.) 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Well, there's one other one. 21 Maybe I'm on the wrong line. Oh, nevermind. I thought 22 out-of-county mileage was 2,500. I said that seems like it's 23 an awful lot, but it's not -- it's probably mostly for AACOG, 24 okay. 25 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. County Clerk. 6-30-15 bwk 13 1 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay, I have a comment, which 2 is a good, I mean, "attaboy." The current budget in office 3 supplies is 20,000 and the request is 12. Great. Is that -- 4 MS. BOLIN: Thank you. 5 COMMISSIONER MOSER: That's a big reduction, so -- 6 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Is that due to you not having 7 to, for lack of a better term, rebrand all of the documents? 8 MS. BOLIN: Exactly. We're not having to reorder 9 any more stamps. We're all up to date on our supplies, other 10 than envelopes and now marriage licenses. 11 COMMISSIONER MOSER: You say in your notes that you 12 still need more than the 10,000 generally requested. I'm not 13 sure what that means. 14 MS. BOLIN: Right. In years past, we only 15 requested 10,000. 16 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Oh, I see. 17 MS. BOLIN: I kept it above the 10,000 so that we 18 can replace -- 19 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. 20 MS. BOLIN: -- order envelopes and -- 21 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Thank you. Good job on that. 22 And then other one is the Nexis-Lexis software. What does 23 Nexis-Lexis do? 24 MS. BOLIN: That is our software company that we 25 use to help with collections and collecting on people who are 6-30-15 bwk 14 1 behind on their fines and court costs that we're unable to 2 locate. 3 COMMISSIONER MOSER: So that's new software that -- 4 MS. BOLIN: We've had it for -- 5 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I think I'm looking at the 6 right line item. It's 403-562. 7 MS. BOLIN: And that's a monthly fee that we pay. 8 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Well, I'm just saying it was 9 new last year, so is that -- has it been effective? 10 MS. BOLIN: Yes. Yes. Our collections clerk uses 11 that to help locate people where addresses are wrong, phone 12 numbers haven't been updated, that kind of information, to 13 search down the defendants to be able to send notices and -- 14 COMMISSIONER MOSER: So is this a one-time, or is 15 this an annual -- 16 MS. BOLIN: This is monthly. 17 MR. TROLINGER: It's an online service. It's a 18 subscription service from that company. That's the name of 19 the company for that service. 20 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. For that purpose, okay. 21 MR. TROLINGER: Yes, sir. 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Commissioner, I believe this is 23 an outgrowth of us splitting collections. 24 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. All right, that makes 25 sense. 6-30-15 bwk 15 1 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Or putting it back in -- 2 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Right. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Doing what we did, reorganizing 4 collections. 5 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay, thank you. That's all I 6 have. 7 JUDGE POLLARD: Anybody have anything else? 8 COMMISSIONER REEVES: None. 9 JUDGE POLLARD: Records management; that's 404. 10 Anything on that one? 11 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Nothing here. 12 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Nothing. 13 JUDGE POLLARD: Do y'all have anything? 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Nothing. 15 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. Records archival. 16 We're still doing that? 17 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I have a question here. 18 MS. BOLIN: Yes? 19 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Just looking at -- at the line 20 634-411, old records preservation. 21 MS. BOLIN: Yes. 22 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Boy, we've spent a lot of 23 money in the last few years. We've spent 100, 250, 350 -- 24 $350,000 is what -- including this request? Are we going to 25 get -- stop this? 6-30-15 bwk 16 1 MS. BOLIN: I hope so. This request covers the 2 records that we're required to keep by law. I have found 3 some waterproof, fireproof boxes that seal that I would like 4 to move our records out of paper boxes and off the floor into 5 these. 6 COMMISSIONER MOSER: So, $100,000 worth of those 7 suckers? 8 MS. BOLIN: I have three storage rooms worth of 9 boxes that I have to move over. 10 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Well, back to my question. 11 Once -- these are old records that you're -- 12 MS. BOLIN: Yes. 13 COMMISSIONER MOSER: -- preserving? 14 MS. BOLIN: Yes. 15 COMMISSIONER MOSER: And now you're going all 16 electronic, so someday we'll quit doing this? Or what's the 17 plan? 18 MS. BOLIN: All of the records from 1951 and 19 before, I have to keep the paper for them. 20 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Got it. Got it. So, are we 21 about through, or do you have six more years or what? 22 MS. BOLIN: Honestly, I don't know how much more I 23 have. I'm hoping this will take up the majority of it. I've 24 got Kofile coming in to do an assessment on all of the 25 remainder of our books, so I'll have a full assessment of all 6-30-15 bwk 17 1 of our records, and I'll give you my bottom line and time 2 frame. 3 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. So we're still going to 4 hang in there with $100,000 a year for some time; we don't 5 know how long? 6 MS. BOLIN: I'm hoping by the end of next year, 7 we're done and all the records are preserved -- 8 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. 9 MS. BOLIN: -- and stored away. 10 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. All right. 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Related question. This is a 12 dedicated fund that comes off court filings, I believe, or 13 one of the other things. 14 MS. BOLIN: Correct. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: What do we do -- what are our 16 options, or how can we use that money afterward? You're 17 preserving the old records. What else can this money be used 18 for? 'Cause it has to be used for -- 19 MR. TROLINGER: I'm not sure if it's this fund, but 20 we've also used it to pay for software support for the 21 electronic file management -- for the program that manages 22 the electronic files, the annual cost of software. I'm not 23 sure if it's this thick line item, though. 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: It's not an issue this year. 25 We have to get everything in the past done, but at some 6-30-15 bwk 18 1 point, I think Mr. Moser is right; we'll be caught up. And 2 then it's a dedicated fund; you can't use it for anything 3 else. You might have a big balance in there, if we can try 4 to use it for something that we're spending out of general 5 fund right now, so -- 6 MR. TROLINGER: That software line item was 7 about -- it's going to be about $19,200 this year. 8 JUDGE POLLARD: Now, it may be that that tax was 9 passed for that special purpose, and once that purpose is 10 gone, maybe that can't be collected again. I guess we need 11 some research on that by the County Attorney's office. 12 MS. BOLIN: We'd have to research that. I don't 13 know. 14 JUDGE POLLARD: If that were the case, maybe we 15 could do something that we have some room to levy another 16 kind of a fee to be collected, you know, to kind of take up 17 that slack right there. 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So -- 19 JUDGE POLLARD: Need to know the answer to that 20 question so we can make plans. 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Maybe we can defer -- or use 22 this for other general fund items that we're using right now. 23 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Yeah. Okay, that's all I had 24 on that records archival. 25 JUDGE POLLARD: Anything? Bob, do you have 6-30-15 bwk 19 1 anything? 2 COMMISSIONER REEVES: None. 3 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. All right, let's go to 4 County and District Clerk Records Management and 5 Preservation. We were just talking about that, weren't we? 6 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yes. 7 JUDGE POLLARD: County and District Clerk, Public 8 Fund 42. 9 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Robbin, is this the same kind 10 of thing? Just it's District Clerk as opposed to -- 11 MS. BURLEW: Yes, sir. We have records management 12 and the technology fund also, the same as the County Clerk. 13 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. 14 MS. BURLEW: And I think that old records 15 preservation, I think it was a plan that was put in for so 16 many years to get all the records preserved, and then once, 17 you know, that's done, then, you know, that -- we won't be 18 spending -- 19 COMMISSIONER MOSER: When it's done, it's done? 20 MS. BURLEW: That's right. 21 JUDGE POLLARD: No authority to charge -- 22 MS. BURLEW: Right. 23 JUDGE POLLARD: -- for it or fund for it any more. 24 MS. DIANE BOLIN: Can I ask a question? I know 25 when Linda Uecker was in office, there was a time that I did 6-30-15 bwk 20 1 some archival from records that we have to keep, and it came 2 out of one of the funds that y'all had. I don't know which 3 fund it came out of. Do you know, is this the fund for -- 4 MS. BURLEW: We do have an archival, but I'd have 5 to do some research. 6 MS. DIANE BOLIN: Is it something the other 7 departments can use? 8 MS. BURLEW: I'm not aware of that. I don't know, 9 you know. 10 MS. DIANE BOLIN: Well, it's something she told me 11 years ago. I still have some that needs to be done, but I 12 didn't know where it came from. I just know that she told me 13 to do it, and we got it. 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: It'd probably be helpful just 15 to kind of -- all these records preservation funds, to find 16 out what we have and just do, like, a sheet as to where that 17 money -- is it here forever? Is it -- what can it be used 18 for? Is it only for the District Clerk, or can it be used 19 for any county office? 'Cause there's, I think, about six or 20 seven of them -- 21 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Yeah, there's a bunch of them. 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: -- that are records management, 23 records preservation fees, because there are other offices 24 that can use them once the primary need is done. 25 MS. BURLEW: Well, I know we do have that records 6-30-15 bwk 21 1 preservation fund that we're actually getting rid of old 2 records, and we're -- it's coming out of that, one of my 3 funds, and it's for the whole county. 4 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Right. 5 MS. BURLEW: So -- 6 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. 7 MS. BURLEW: But I will check on that. 8 MS. DIANE BOLIN: I just didn't know what fund it 9 came out of. She had said she had it, and for me to -- 10 MS. BURLEW: Is that stuff you've got to archive? 11 Okay. 12 COMMISSIONER MOSER: That's the only question I had 13 on that particular thing. 14 JUDGE POLLARD: Mr. Baldwin? 15 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: No, sir, I don't have 16 anything. 17 COMMISSIONER REEVES: No. 18 JUDGE POLLARD: Do you have anything? 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: No. 20 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. Let's go to the next one. 21 County and District Clerk. 22 COMMISSIONER MOSER: On the technology line item -- 23 well, that's -- well, forget it. That's old records 24 preservation also. I'm with Commissioner Letz. It seems 25 like we got a lot of those. 6-30-15 bwk 22 1 JUDGE POLLARD: Mm-hmm. 2 MS. BURLEW: I would think that technology funds, 3 John, that would be something that you could benefit on that 4 fund, right? 5 MR. TROLINGER: Yes. So, what we've done in the 6 past is we've got some -- we've got two different systems for 7 scanning and -- and archiving the old records; basically took 8 the place of the microfilm reader in the District Clerk's 9 Office. Linda Uecker started that. It works great. They 10 send off a box to San Antonio to the company that does the 11 scanning, and they send us back a disk and we put it on the 12 computer, and, you know, we can do look-ups, and all the 13 records are right there; we don't have to pull up microfilm 14 and files any more. And I believe -- 15 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Is that what that is, John, 16 635-411? 17 MR. TROLINGER: I believe that 411 -- I recall that 18 we did -- that that has some part to play in that project. 19 MS. BURLEW: Yeah, in the technology. 20 MR. TROLINGER: And we're getting ready to replace 21 a server that does quite a lot of that. And I think the way 22 that it's been requested, the way that it's been encumbered 23 for this coming year will cover what we're doing. I don't 24 know what the -- 25 MS. BURLEW: Well, we -- 6-30-15 bwk 23 1 MR. TROLINGER: -- what the income side is. 2 MS. BURLEW: Well, the income right now is only, 3 like, about $3,000. 4 MR. TROLINGER: Right. 5 MS. BURLEW: So our -- 6 MR. TROLINGER: Sounds about right. 7 MS. BURLEW: Yeah. 8 MR. ROBLES: Well, it's probably more than that. 9 Once we get our -- 10 MS. BURLEW: Yeah, it will be more than that. But 11 right now, I only show a figure of 3,000. 12 COMMISSIONER MOSER: James, do we have some 13 duplicates in here? Because there's -- there's line 14 43-635-411, old records preservation, under -- that's County 15 and District Clerks. And then -- oh, no. No, I see. 16 43-635-411, same thing under County Court records 17 preservation. 18 MR. ROBLES: Right. We got about five of those 19 different funds. 20 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I give up. 21 JUDGE POLLARD: Any other questions? All right. 22 Go to the next one. 23 COMMISSIONER MOSER: District Clerk? 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: District Clerk. 25 COMMISSIONER MOSER: You got anything there, 6-30-15 bwk 24 1 compadre? 2 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Oh, I'm sorry. 3 COMMISSIONER MOSER: On District Clerk? 4 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: No, not right now. 5 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. I don't have any 6 questions. 7 JUDGE POLLARD: Well, if something comes to you, we 8 can come back. 9 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I will do that. 10 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I don't have anything, but 12 every once in a while I bring it up. I think Commissioner 13 Moser brought this up a while back on copiers, and I know we 14 -- I think I brought it up several years ago. We have so 15 many different copiers, and I bet we spend 100,000 a year on 16 copying. 17 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: And they come due all 18 different times of the year. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Is there -- John? 20 MR. TROLINGER: Yes, sir? 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: We spend over 100,000 a year, I 22 think, on copiers. I'm just guessing, every department. 23 MR. TROLINGER: Lease copiers are very expensive, 24 yes, sir. Printing presses, they're amazing machines. 25 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I'm just wondering, is there 6-30-15 bwk 25 1 any way to get to a system where we have more of a unified 2 approach? I know it would take years to -- 'cause all our 3 leases have to run out, and try to get them into something. 4 And I know each office has their own requirements and want -- 5 you know, but it just seems like, you know, that we should be 6 able to save money, the amount of money we spend on copiers. 7 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Especially if we had one 8 service company. 9 MR. TROLINGER: We have -- well, and, sir, that's a 10 good point. If we had one service company, I feel we'd lose 11 the competition, though. And right now, even though we're 12 getting the G.S.A. pricing, when it comes time to get Xerox 13 or Ricoh, the Canon dealer, the local Documation company, 14 they compete against each other. 15 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Let them compete for the 16 contract. 17 MR. TROLINGER: Well, and having one encompassing 18 contract is an issue, because the way the different offices, 19 different line items, the different entities -- 20 COMMISSIONER MOSER: That's not rocket science. 21 MR. TROLINGER: It's not. But -- and, Judge, 22 you've seen it in your court. The local printer that's in 23 one courtroom is not fast enough, and we need a bigger 24 printer. We need to -- you know, there's a desire to spend 25 money to upgrade the thing and get a bigger, faster machine. 6-30-15 bwk 26 1 JUDGE POLLARD: One that I know of, yes. 2 MR. TROLINGER: Fortunately, the Clerk's office and 3 H.R. cooperate with each other really nicely, and they share 4 the resources. And I'm sure the other offices do the same 5 when it's needed, so we do, on some limited basis, share 6 that. If it was John Trolinger in charge of printers and big 7 printing presses, one or two per floor would be the standard 8 in any large office building with a printing area, you know, 9 a kiosk where you go and there's a desk and -- and print. 10 And we've done that at the Sheriff's office. We've 11 consolidated -- the jail has consolidated down to one large 12 machine, and then the law enforcement and warrants are 13 consolidated down, so we have three machines for the entire 14 building. And here in the courthouse, it's difficult to do 15 because of the hours and the requirements of the different 16 offices. 17 COMMISSIONER MOSER: It may be not as part of this 18 budget process, but I'm with Commissioner Letz on that. It 19 may be a good activity to invite some of these companies in 20 and let them survey what we have and what they might 21 recommend, kind of like we did with the Ag Barn and the 22 management of the Exhibit Hall, the whole facility out there. 23 MR. TROLINGER: 2008-2009, I brought in a 24 contractor. He said, "I can supply all your toner and I can 25 provide all your maintenance on every printer for a flat 6-30-15 bwk 27 1 fee," and he came in with a really big price. And it looks 2 good at first, but to have a management company do that -- 3 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I'm not talking -- I'm talking 4 about having Xerox or somebody come in and say, "Let me look 5 at all your machines and all your needs, and here's what I'd 6 propose." And then have Ricoh come in and do the same thing. 7 MR. TROLINGER: Right. 8 COMMISSIONER MOSER: And then maybe go out for -- 9 MR. TROLINGER: Yes, sir. 10 COMMISSIONER MOSER: -- an RFP or something. And, 11 anyway, it may be a way to save a lot of money. 12 MR. TROLINGER: I understand what you're getting 13 at, and I agree; it's very expensive when you add up the 14 bottom line on these things. We are getting the best pricing 15 that we can get. We're getting the federal government G.S.A. 16 scheduled pricing when we purchase the equipment, and the 17 price per-page. And most offices let me see the contract, so 18 it's pretty efficient the way we're doing it right now. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. 20 MR. TROLINGER: But there's always the option of a 21 management company to try -- 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: We don't want a management 23 company -- 24 COMMISSIONER MOSER: We don't want a management 25 company. 6-30-15 bwk 28 1 MR. TROLINGER: -- to put an umbrella -- to put a 2 cap on it to try to reduce the -- 3 COMMISSIONER MOSER: No management company. 4 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Maybe -- you answered the 5 question. If you think it's efficient, that's probably 6 efficient. I know each office has their own demands and 7 needs, and likes the current system. It's just as long as 8 it's not costing us extra. 9 MR. TROLINGER: And I'll give you another example. 10 The Sheriff's Office is probably ideal, but here in the 11 courthouse, we have the Auditor's office, and the machine is 12 available for anyone that walks into the foyer. And 13 basically, it -- I believe -- I don't know if it's this year 14 it's funded from the -- I can't remember the fund, but it's 15 basically the courthouse copier if you need to go in and make 16 copies. It's not the Auditor's line item where lease 17 copier's coming from, so it's general purpose. If one of the 18 offices needs to make a bunch of copies or needs to print, 19 that's the place to go. So, we have kind of a floor by floor 20 and office by office, there's cooperation going on with the 21 big copy machines. 22 JUDGE POLLARD: Anything else? 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: No, sir. 24 JUDGE POLLARD: Let's go on to -- what is it, 25 District Clerk? 6-30-15 bwk 29 1 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Jury. 2 JUDGE POLLARD: Jury, yeah. 3 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I don't have any questions. 4 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Darned thing's gone up a 5 whole $1,000. Are you going to let that go by? 6 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Mm-hmm. Justified. Scrubbed 7 it hard. 8 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. Any questions or 9 comments on that one? All right. Let's go on to District 10 Clerk Records Management, Fund 33. 11 COMMISSIONER MOSER: No questions. 12 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. District -- the next one? 13 COMMISSIONER MOSER: County Law Library. 14 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Are you the librarian this 15 week? 16 MS. BURLEW: I am. 17 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Okay. 18 MS. BURLEW: I do a lot of stuff, you know, in my 19 office online, 'cause I help people that way where it just 20 seems to be more efficient for me to work off of the online 21 system rather than book-wise. 22 COMMISSIONER MOSER: If we lose that, who would 23 holler at us? 24 MS. BURLEW: Maybe a few attorneys, but, I mean, 25 that's probably about it. 6-30-15 bwk 30 1 COMMISSIONER MOSER: So we buy -- 2 MS. BURLEW: I mean, you can close it -- and, I 3 mean, we collect $30, you know, towards -- on each case 4 towards the Law Library. That would just mean we wouldn't be 5 collecting that $30 for each case. 6 JUDGE POLLARD: Do the District Judges use it? 7 MS. BURLEW: No, they usually -- they go -- well, 8 they have their own account as far as -- you know, I don't 9 know if we could keep the, like, Nexis-Lexis stuff for 10 online. That's what they use. Like, the J.P.'s use that. 11 And so, I mean, we could strictly, I guess, just close the 12 library itself, and just not do any books, and just do 13 online. 14 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Well, $60,000 worth of books 15 this year, and it's been almost 60,000 for the last umpteen 16 years every year for books for the library. 17 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Is that books? 18 JUDGE POLLARD: Aren't those mostly services? 19 MS. BURLEW: Yes. Mostly services, yeah. 20 JUDGE POLLARD: Instead of books? 21 MS. BURLEW: I hardly get any books. 22 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Pocket parts? 23 MS. BURLEW: Yeah, there's a few pocket parts. 24 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. 25 MS. BURLEW: Yeah, everything's online. So -- 6-30-15 bwk 31 1 JUDGE POLLARD: Nexis-Lexis, West Publishing, 2 there's all the different services. 3 COMMISSIONER MOSER: So if it went away, who would 4 be upset? And I guess the question is, is it worth -- 5 MS. BURLEW: I know the Law Library fund, you know, 6 buys all the books for the county. In other words, for all 7 the judges, all the J.P.'s and all that. So, I mean, they 8 would have to buy their own books as far as, you know, the 9 family law book and -- and the books that they do keep in the 10 courtroom. 11 COMMISSIONER REEVES: It's costing the County, 12 after the fee, about 14,000? Is that how I'm reading it? If 13 you go to the bottom where it's revenue under expenditures, 14 is that what we're looking at? 15 MS. BURLEW: Yes, sir. I mean, we could -- like I 16 said, we could either do away with it, or like I said, I'm -- 17 JUDGE POLLARD: Don't you charge some for your 18 filing fees, for Law Library fee? 19 MS. BURLEW: Yes, it's $30 per case, so right now 20 we've collected 17,000 so far this year on the Law Library. 21 So, I mean, that would be a fund that we wouldn't be 22 collecting any longer. But, I mean, we could -- like I said, 23 most all of that's online. I haven't hardly paid for any 24 books other than the J.P.'s and, you know, like one book. 25 Though sometimes when they purchase a book, it's $130 or, you 6-30-15 bwk 32 1 know, $200 or -- 2 JUDGE POLLARD: Then they got some of them pocket 3 parts. 4 MS. BURLEW: You'll have to keep one on the 5 benches. There's one in Courtroom 1 and Courtroom 2. 6 JUDGE POLLARD: I keep some. I buy the paperbacks 7 every year, but that comes in my budget, I think, not in 8 this. 9 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yeah. 10 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: What do you think, 11 counselor? 12 MS. BAILEY: Well, I don't know how much the public 13 uses it, but I think that that's one of the thoughts that we 14 had about putting those kiosks up there for lawyers and the 15 public to do legal research. I don't know what the revenue 16 versus expenditure is, but whatever we're spending, we're 17 getting most of that back in filing fees. It's really 18 important to us to have the books that Robbin was talking 19 about. When the Legislature is in session, they always 20 change the laws, and so we, at least every two years, have to 21 get a few books, and they do cost $150, $200 a piece. And we 22 need to have a Penal Code, public procedure, causes of 23 action, times three or four lawyers. 24 MR. TROLINGER: I go through the Library about 25 every day or every other day to check on the computers just 6-30-15 bwk 33 1 on my round of the I.T. spaces and whatnot. Last week there 2 were a group of teenagers in there. They were using the 3 computers and they were doing some kind of research project. 4 I don't know what it was about. Do you know, Robbin? 5 MS. BURLEW: No. 6 MR. TROLINGER: Past week or two, it's been some 7 school-age children in there. Nearly every day, there's 8 someone using the computer for something. I can tell, 9 because I go and check to make sure the printer's got paper 10 and the computers are working okay, so it gets regular use. 11 COMMISSIONER MOSER: The State has this thing where 12 each department or agency has to justify their existence 13 about every five years. Maybe we ought to look at -- at this 14 thing in that same light. Is it really justified? Probably 15 not, yeah. 16 MS. DOSS: This is a dedicated fund, so any of the 17 fees that are collected have to be used to support the Law 18 Library. 19 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I know. 20 MS. DOSS: If we don't collect the fees, we don't 21 -- I mean, we just -- if it's something we don't need, we 22 don't need to collect the fees. Save somebody some money, 23 too. 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Are we paying for library -- I 25 mean, of course, it looks like we are spending 14,000 out of 6-30-15 bwk 34 1 some fund. I mean, the rest of that's -- where is the 14 -- 2 MS. DOSS: It's in the fund balance. It's been 3 building up over the years. And then some years they'll 4 spend more, and they'll spend out of the fund balance. 5 MR. ROBLES: A lot of revenue hasn't been receipted 6 yet from the, you know, County Clerk fees, so we're not 7 really in the hole. It just hasn't been accounted for. 8 JUDGE POLLARD: The trend in the private law firms 9 is that most of them have their own service in their office, 10 use their own accounts. 11 COMMISSIONER MOSER: That's what I think. 12 JUDGE POLLARD: And -- 13 MR. ROBLES: We'd have to pay for a lot of other 14 departments' books if we didn't collect that fee, so if we 15 stop doing the library, we'd stop collecting the fees, and 16 other departments would have to start paying for their books. 17 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Do you have to have -- do you 18 have to have a library to be able to -- you can't, like, 19 reduce it? You need -- like, it's $30 or it's nothing? Can 20 you have a smaller amount and not have the library? Or you 21 have to have the library and you can't -- 22 MS. BURLEW: In order to collect -- 23 MS. BAILEY: Your library fund is $30. 24 JUDGE POLLARD: The $30 they collect has to be used 25 for library. 6-30-15 bwk 35 1 MR. TROLINGER: I do know that for the jail, the 2 law library there, which is a computer -- you know, they 3 don't issue books, but if they do have to get books, that 4 they come from this law library, or some -- there's some 5 transport of books so that it's available, the physical books 6 that are here if they're needed. But for the most part, as 7 far as I know, the jail's using the computer for their law 8 library, and it's tied in -- I'm not sure what the 9 subscription -- who pays from which line item at the jail. 10 JUDGE POLLARD: We may be getting into something 11 there where the law -- criminal law says we have to 12 maintain -- 13 MS. BAILEY: We're mandated to provide legal 14 research facilities -- 15 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I agree with that. 16 MS. BAILEY: -- if that comes out of the -- 17 (Several people speaking simultaneously.) 18 THE REPORTER: One at a time, please. Sorry. 19 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Picky, picky, picky. 20 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. 21 JUDGE POLLARD: I don't think it's as big a hit 22 as -- you know, if we look at the $59,000 there, I think a 23 lot of that amount is recovered. It's a lot smaller -- 24 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I look at it as one of these 25 things that if there's just one or two people that use it, it 6-30-15 bwk 36 1 needs to be provided as a service to the -- to either just 2 the lawyers or the community, either one. I think it's 3 needed. 4 MR. TROLINGER: Thank you, Commissioner Baldwin. I 5 agree. Personally, I agree with that. And there is one 6 other item on the Law Library. We've got electronic filing 7 coming up, mandated. The people that don't have an attorney, 8 that don't have any means of their own, are going to have to 9 be able to come in, sit down at a computer with a scanner and 10 a printer and be able to file a case online electronically. 11 I've talked to some other counties that are doing that, and 12 the clerk's offices end up helping a lot of those people. 13 But we're going to have to have a workstation, a place to put 14 that workstation. Other counties are putting it out in the 15 hallway, creating a kiosk, putting in some -- creating some 16 new space. And my plan was, here in the courthouse, to use 17 that Law Library; use one of those computer workstations, or 18 maybe even adding a fourth workstation. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: We'll move on, but I do want to 20 make sure that we get it in the record that Commissioner 21 Baldwin wants to help attorneys. 22 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah, I want to help 23 lawyers. That's really my goal in life; I've been kind of 24 hiding it all these years, but I'm coming out of the closet. 25 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Perfect timing. 6-30-15 bwk 37 1 COMMISSIONER REEVES: One question, if I can. 2 Under salary, down in your notes, it says reduction in salary 3 will still be available this year. The budget was 4,042. 4 The request is 4,280. And not that I care either way, but 5 that doesn't look like a reduction, based on my Tivy High 6 math. 7 MS. BURLEW: No, I think I actually put in there 8 only about $3,000, so I had reduced it by about 100. I mean, 9 I know that's what I initially had put in there, but -- 10 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So, you want 3,000 there? 11 MS. BURLEW: Yes, sir. 12 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Is that what you requested? 13 MS. BURLEW: Mm-hmm. 14 COMMISSIONER REEVES: To my Tivy High math, that 15 makes a reduction. 16 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah. Tivy fight never 17 dies. 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Good eye. 19 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. Anything else of her? All 20 right, let's go to the next one. 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yeah. 22 JUDGE POLLARD: District Records Management. 23 Anybody? 24 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Wait, where'd you go to? 25 COMMISSIONER LETZ: That was it. 6-30-15 bwk 38 1 JUDGE POLLARD: We did that one. That's it, huh? 2 All right. Before we get away -- 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: We have capital. 4 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. Capital projects, then. 5 Fund 16, yeah. 6 COMMISSIONER LETZ: You have a summary sheet. 7 John? 8 MR. TROLINGER: Yes, sir? 9 COMMISSIONER LETZ: It looks like you have 39,399 10 left, and then 190,317 left. 11 MR. TROLINGER: Yes, sir. 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Out of those two amounts, how 13 far is that going to take us into the future on capital items 14 you're going to need for I.T.? 15 MR. TROLINGER: 2017 is what I have planned. I've 16 got about $110,000 in capital planned for each year. This -- 17 the year before this, I'd underspent that a little. This 18 year I think I'm going to be on target, and next year I plan 19 on being a little bit over 110,000. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So the first year you're going 21 to need any capital items for I.T. is going to be 2018? 22 MR. TROLINGER: Yes, sir. 23 COMMISSIONER MOSER: That's good. 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: The other one -- the Sheriff 25 isn't here, is he? 6-30-15 bwk 39 1 MS. DOSS: No. 2 MS. DIANE BOLIN: Well, he's having a baby. 3 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I knew there was something 4 wrong with him. 5 COMMISSIONER MOSER: He looked -- 6 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: A little weird looking 7 yesterday. 8 COMMISSIONER LETZ: The Sheriff communications has 9 468,435 remaining right now. Do you know how much of that 10 he's going to spend? I'm sure all of it. 11 MS. DOSS: I don't know how much it is. 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: You might make a note just so 13 we don't -- you know -- 14 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: You know, and he tells us 15 that every week, how much he's going to spend on the radios. 16 Surely one of us remembers what he said. 17 COMMISSIONER LETZ: He changes. And he has 183,601 18 for cars -- patrol vehicles listed in here. Actually, I kind 19 of -- we need to make a note as to how far into the future 20 he's taken care of with that. Is he up to -- through 2017 21 also? 22 COMMISSIONER REEVES: He said yesterday -- I 23 believe it was yesterday -- that the vehicles he was going to 24 purchase, he was going to be -- like, it would be 184 and 25 some change, I think. 6-30-15 bwk 40 1 COMMISSIONER LETZ: That's right, he was short. He 2 had to -- yeah, little bit over that. 3 COMMISSIONER REEVES: So, I mean -- 4 COMMISSIONER LETZ: He's using that up this year. 5 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: And I think they have been 6 ordered, is what I understood him to say yesterday. 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: But he's ordered them under 8 this budget year? Or next budget year? 9 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I think under this thing 10 here. 11 COMMISSIONER REEVES: He had the -- it was -- 12 sounded like he had the exact amount -- 13 COMMISSIONER MOSER: No, I know it was just a few 14 dollars off. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Right. Did we -- did we 16 approve that for him to spend this in 2015? Do you know? 17 MS. DOSS: The 183? 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yes. 19 MS. DOSS: I think it was approved, yeah. It was 20 for the -- it's in the 2012 bond issue. 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I knew it was in the 2012, but 22 when we did that issue, everyone -- we told the departments 23 they were to project out four or five years, and then it was 24 kept in reserve for them. I'm just trying to look and make 25 sure that we're not going to be -- or what we're going to be 6-30-15 bwk 41 1 hit with in 2016. 2 MS. DOSS: Okay, I'll check it. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: We need to check if that's a 4 2016 expenditure or 2015 expenditure for those cars. 5 MS. DOSS: Okay, I'll check on that. 6 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think -- and on the 7 communications, how much does he estimate using of that? 8 'Cause it should be pretty close to being done, I think, on 9 communications stuff. 10 COMMISSIONER MOSER: He had that thing with the 11 tower that he didn't -- he had the requirements come in from 12 the F.C.C. about the structural integrity; there was still a 13 question. 14 COMMISSIONER REEVES: And I want to say that wasn't 15 that -- that issue was right at a million dollars, and the 16 towers were going to cost more, and that's what we're going 17 to be -- he's going to use all of this, and then we're going 18 to pay the balance out over three years or something. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Right. 20 COMMISSIONER REEVES: So I assume that money's 21 gone, too, once -- 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Right. We just need to make 23 sure -- I just want to verify where he is on that 468,000. 24 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. Is that all for -- 25 COMMISSIONER LETZ: And that leaves the -- a 6-30-15 bwk 42 1 hundred and -- almost 162,000 left for the Exhibit Hall, Hill 2 Country Youth Event Center. And we're going to leave that 3 where it is until we figure out what we're going to do with 4 the management contract. We know we need to buy tables and 5 chairs and all that. We'll see how that works. 200,000, 6 we're going to set that aside for Environmental Health to use 7 part of that, placed on our next agenda for Ray to come in 8 with what he wants to spend out of that. 9 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Originally, it was a 10 building of some sort. 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: It was going to be an addition 12 to the building, and it's now been decided -- the 13 recommendation is that they need a whole new building, so 14 it's pushed off. 15 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Oh, okay. 16 COMMISSIONER LETZ: The building's pushed off. But 17 he's going to come back, I think at our next agenda, with 18 about $40,000 worth of capital expenditures that will get him 19 through the next two or three years. 20 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: And that leaves the parks 22 amount. But we need to -- if we're going to spend any of 23 this money, do we need to budget it, or is it already kind of 24 budgeted? 25 MS. DOSS: I already budgeted -- 6-30-15 bwk 43 1 COMMISSIONER LETZ: You already budgeted, so we can 2 spend up to this amount without doing anything in these 3 categories, okay. 4 COMMISSIONER REEVES: These '09 and 2010 issues, 5 how close are we to, what is it, arbitrage on this? It's 6 been sitting there and not anything done with it, and I think 7 we need -- it just can't sit there forever. 8 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Well, I think I.T., he's going 9 to use the 39,399 pretty quick, right? 10 MR. TROLINGER: Yes. The 2009 issue, is that 11 the -- 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: 2010. 13 COMMISSIONER REEVES: The 2010 issue. 14 MS. DOSS: 2010. 15 MR. TROLINGER: Was there I.T. for 2010? Okay. 16 2009-10; it must be the same thing. I'm thinking it's about 17 39,000. Is that correct? 18 MS. DOSS: Yes, sir. 19 MR. TROLINGER: And I have it encumbered for about 20 7,500 right now. We just received the equipment, and there 21 are some other servers that I'm going to spend that line item 22 down before I use the 2012 issue. 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I guess the question is, when 24 are you going to spend it down? I mean, some of these funds 25 we've got to get spent. 6-30-15 bwk 44 1 MR. TROLINGER: Today I'm waiting for the invoice 2 for about 7,500, and then I have an $18,000 project -- the 3 microwave project that's just finishing up probably in July. 4 COMMISSIONER REEVES: That's 25. 5 MR. TROLINGER: And I have some servers, some other 6 equipment, so I'm planning on taking the majority of the 7 hardware and the projects out of that line item, that I.T. 8 Projects line item. 9 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Courthouse renovations, I don't 10 know that we have anything specifically designated for that. 11 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: What is the status of 12 upstairs? I see the carpet guys running in and out of here. 13 MR. ROBLES: It's finished. 14 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Completely? 15 MS. DOSS: Mm-hmm. 16 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I don't know of anything 17 else we had going on. 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: We could -- well, the war 19 memorial is going to be donations. 20 JUDGE POLLARD: Before we get away from here, there 21 was one -- there is something that was raised by Kathy 22 Mitchell. I should have raised the issue whenever we were 23 talking about constables. She says that the -- the 24 constables are reluctant to enforce traffic laws, and that 25 she cited, as an example, Angel, in seven years in working 6-30-15 bwk 45 1 for her, issued 27 tickets. And she's indicated that we've 2 had a steady decline in revenue from that sort of thing, and 3 she has suggested that there is a -- a fellow that's going to 4 retire from the D.P.S. over in Fredericksburg who used to 5 work over -- Coy somebody. 6 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yeah. 7 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. 8 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Coy Morales. 9 MS. BAILEY: Morales. 10 JUDGE POLLARD: Morales, I think. And she 11 suggested and he was -- she talked to him about it. He's 12 interested in being a deputy constable, and it's a way of, 13 you know, getting the -- getting the revenues back up and 14 enforcing the laws and public safety at the same time. I 15 didn't know if anybody was interested in something like that. 16 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think it's something to talk 17 about with personnel. I mean, I think it's interesting. I 18 mean, I think it's a -- there's definitely a revenue source 19 of the constables writing tickets. No question about that. 20 But as independent elected officials, they can do what they 21 want. 22 JUDGE POLLARD: Well, that's true. And -- but 23 their reasoning is, "These guys are going to elect me. Why 24 should I give them tickets?" That was a direct quote. 25 COMMISSIONER REEVES: See, it may be some 6-30-15 bwk 46 1 constables -- I got to disagree with what goes on in west 2 Kerr County, 'cause I've ridden with Gene, and what -- what 3 may be in one precinct is not in every precinct. 4 JUDGE POLLARD: Could be. I'm just passing on what 5 Kathy suggested. 6 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I think we ought to look at 7 that when we look at the emergency management coordinator and 8 the fire marshal and that kind of thing, if that's 9 appropriate, when we look at personnel. 10 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I don't know that it's -- I 11 don't know that I'd say it was related to those two, but I 12 think it's a personnel issue. But, you know, I have 13 struggled with this whole issue as long as I've been a 14 Commissioner, and I think Commissioner Baldwin -- one of the 15 things I wanted to do when I first was elected was abolish 16 constables. 17 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: We sure did. 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: We talked about it, and that 19 didn't go very far. So -- 20 JUDGE POLLARD: I made sort of a similar 21 suggestion, and it went about the same distance. 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So we went the other approach 23 and said, okay, let's give them cars and make them effective 24 so they can work. And I'm not sure that's done a whole lot 25 of good either on some things. They generally do -- they 6-30-15 bwk 47 1 work, but I'm not -- you know, they do what they want. They 2 do their constitutional duties, and that's, you know, up to 3 the individual employees. But is that position required by 4 state law? 5 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Oh, it's a Constitutional 6 law. 7 JUDGE POLLARD: It's a Constitutional -- 8 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yeah. 9 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Yeah. 10 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah. It's the oldest 11 police officer on earth. 12 COMMISSIONER MOSER: So, how do you eliminate a 13 position like that? 14 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: You can eliminate the 15 office. 16 COMMISSIONER LETZ: You can also reduce the number 17 of constables. 18 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah, you can consolidate. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: There's things you can do, but 20 it's just a matter of -- you know, it's -- 21 JUDGE POLLARD: The funding? 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: They do stuff. They do work. 23 You know, it's not -- they don't -- 24 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: They do their jobs which is 25 outlined in the law, and that's to serve papers and serve the 6-30-15 bwk 48 1 justice court, is what they do. 2 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Do you know what I've been 3 doing, too? If somebody calls me with something, you know, 4 somebody speeding or whatever, I just call -- call the 5 constable and ask him to go check on it, which he does, and 6 gets back, and it's been very effective that way with Charlie 7 doing it. 8 JUDGE POLLARD: See, there's another one I think is 9 an exception. 10 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yeah. It just -- I mean, it's 11 individuals, like any elected office. 12 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: This issue we're talking 13 about with Morales, Coy's an old friend of mine, good guy and 14 -- and an excellent police officer, and there's no question 15 in my mind he could go out -- and he's been doing that 16 interstate thing for years and years and years, and still 17 lives in Kerrville, although he's been stationed in the 18 Fredericksburg division. And I think he's totally through 19 now, totally retired, but great guy. But the thing is, is 20 we're gambling with taxpayers' money to do something like 21 this, you know, "You build it and they will come." And I 22 struggle with that kind of thing, myself. But I don't have 23 -- I've never questioned him as capable of doing what he says 24 he can do, I'll tell you for sure. 25 COMMISSIONER MOSER: But when Kathy brought this up 6-30-15 bwk 49 1 the other day, my question is, we've got four constables. If 2 this is to increase revenue by hiring a deputy, you know, 3 it's not obvious that that's a good investment. I guess the 4 question would be, you know, asking the four constables, you 5 know, how they see it. You know, 'cause there's some 6 decrease in revenue. Is that something that we need? I 7 personally kind of hate to see, "Let's go write more tickets 8 so we can get more revenue." That's -- you know, I don't 9 particularly like that. 10 JUDGE POLLARD: Well -- 11 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: That's what you're being 12 asked to do. 13 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I know. I don't care for 14 that. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Anyway, we can -- 16 JUDGE POLLARD: There is a public safety issue 17 involved in this, and if you look at Morales' -- he's got 18 certificates from his captains and all of that over there 19 saying that he's saved a lot of lives by his traffic 20 enforcement stuff in his career. 21 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: He's a super cop. 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: The other thing, the -- what 23 was Chapman's first name, in Junction? 24 JUDGE POLLARD: Mike. 25 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Mike? 6-30-15 bwk 50 1 JUDGE POLLARD: Mike Chapman. 2 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Anyway, there's a lot you can 3 do, you know, stops and stopping drug traffic, all that on 4 the interstate. 5 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Interdiction. 6 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Interdiction on the interstate. 7 And Rusty's never been a big fan of that, and largely -- but 8 largely because I think in Junction, there's not the 9 population, so you're not doing a whole lot of other stuff. 10 But they've certainly -- that's how the 198th was funded for 11 years, so that's another thing. 12 COMMISSIONER MOSER: So the question is, do we need 13 more constable-type work? I know -- you know, I know some of 14 them do a lot of outside work too a lot of times. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I don't know. 16 JUDGE POLLARD: They're an elected official, 17 though. 18 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I know they are. Precisely. 19 JUDGE POLLARD: Very independent. But I promised 20 Kathy I'd bring it back up. She wanted to know why we didn't 21 talk about it. I said I guess we forgot about it. 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I didn't forget. I thought it 23 was a personnel issue. 24 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. All right. I guess we're 25 adjourned, then? 6-30-15 bwk 51 1 MS. DIANE BOLIN: Can I ask a question before we 2 adjourn, please? 3 JUDGE POLLARD: Yes. 4 MS. DIANE BOLIN: The counters, especially on my 5 motor vehicle side, are caving in, and the doors don't lock 6 any more. We've had a locksmith out, and he's repaired them 7 as best he can. I've talked to Tim several times in the last 8 couple of years about how we can go about replacing those. 9 Is that something that comes out of capital outlay, or 10 something that comes out of my budget or his budget? 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Well, it -- let me ask a 12 different question first. 13 MS. DIANE BOLIN: Okay. 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Tim, have we finished all the 15 flooring work upstairs? You know, the tile and carpet, all 16 the stuff we were going to do? 17 MR. BOLLIER: They're still working up there. 18 They're putting in some molding. They were working 19 yesterday. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So, the courthouse -- I was 21 thinking the courthouse renovation line; that's where it was 22 coming from to do that work, was out of that line item, 23 correct? 24 MR. BOLLIER: Yes, sir. 25 COMMISSIONER LETZ: To answer your question, yes. 6-30-15 bwk 52 1 In my mind, if those need to be done, that is a capital item. 2 MS. DIANE BOLIN: Okay. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: It can come out of that line 4 item, the courthouse renovations. 5 MS. DIANE BOLIN: Okay. So, since I didn't put it 6 in this year, if I put it in next year, is that what I need 7 to do? I don't -- 8 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think it would probably make 9 more sense right now just to wait and see what Tim uses out 10 of this fund, and see if some of that -- if there's anything 11 left over. That fund especially, we need to use relatively 12 quickly. That's a good -- if it's something that's needed 13 and Tim concurs. 14 MS. DIANE BOLIN: I really need to do something. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Those counters have been there 16 a long time. 17 MS. DIANE BOLIN: Since before I was here. That's 18 been a long time. 19 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Ms. Auditor? 20 MS. DOSS: Yes, sir? 21 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Is there a particular amount 22 of money that -- a level that it becomes capital outlay? 23 MS. DOSS: $5,000 when it's capitalized. 24 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: $5,000. Is that our little 25 rule? Or -- 6-30-15 bwk 53 1 MS. DOSS: No -- well, it's -- yes, the County gets 2 to choose what amount they want to capitalize assets. 3 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I remembered it being 4 $5,000, but -- 5 MS. DOSS: And at one time it was 1,000 for Kerr 6 County, and I believe y'all voted to raise it to 5,000. 7 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Thank you. 8 JUDGE POLLARD: There's not an inflation adjustment 9 on that, huh? 10 MS. DOSS: No, sir. 11 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. 12 MS. DOSS: I mean, you can change it if you want. 13 COMMISSIONER LETZ: We can raise it to 10,000 if we 14 wanted to. But -- 15 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: So what did you just tell 16 the Tax Assessor/Collector? 17 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I said let Tim finish the floor 18 renovations that we're doing up in the District Courtroom 19 area, and if there's funds left, they could come back and 20 come with an estimate and see if that is -- if there's money 21 in that fund. 22 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: If it's over 5,000? 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Over 5,000 to redo those, 24 'cause they are -- they're antiques. 25 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: If it's under 5,000, we 6-30-15 bwk 54 1 can't do it. 2 MR. BOLLIER: Up in Diane's office, it's going to 3 -- all those -- all those old desktops and all that stuff 4 needs to be replaced, a lot of it. Because, I mean, those 5 doors are past fixing. There's just not a whole lot more you 6 can do to it. And her girls need to be able to lock up their 7 stuff. 8 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Why don't you get an estimate 9 for Diane on how much it will cost to replace pretty much 10 what's there, new cabinets, so we have a number. 11 MR. BOLLIER: Okay. 12 MS. DIANE BOLIN: Thank you. 13 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. We're adjourned. 14 (Budget workshop was adjourned at 2:27 p.m.) 15 - - - - - - - - - - 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 6-30-15 bwk 55 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 capacity as 5 official reporter for the Commissioners Court of Kerr County, 6 Texas, at the time and place heretofore set forth. 7 DATED at Kerrville, Texas, this 7th day of July, 2015. 8 9 REBECCA BOLIN, Kerr County Clerk 10 BY: _________________________________ Kathy Banik, Deputy County Clerk 11 Certified Shorthand Reporter 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 6-30-15 bwk