1 1 2 3 KERR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' COURT 4 Regular Session 5 Monday, July 29, 2024 6 Immediately following Budget Workshop 7 Commissioners' Courtroom 8 Kerr County Courthouse 9 Kerrville, Texas 78028 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 PRESENT: ROB KELLY, Kerr County Judge ANNE OVERBY, Commissioner Precinct 1 24 RICH PACES, Commissioner Precinct 2 JONATHAN LETZ, Commissioner Precinct 3 25 DON HARRIS, Commissioner Precinct 4 2 1 I-N-D-E-X 2 NO. PAGE 3 1.1 Use of Flat Rock Park for Upper Guadalupe 4 River Authority(UGRA) Annual River Clean Up 4 to be held on rescheduled date of September 7, 2024 from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. 5 Commissioners' Court previously approved the event to be held July 27, 2024, but it has 6 been postponed due to flooding. 7 1.2 Consider, discuss and take appropriate 4 action to authorize submission of application 8 to Upper Guadalupe River Authority(UGRA) for the Water Resources Preservation Grant for 9 rainwater catchment system and other possible conservation methods (if applicable) at the 10 new animal control facility. 11 1.9 Consider, discuss and take appropriate 10 action to extend the Declaration of Local 12 State of Disaster relating to the severe storms and flooding beginning on July 22, 13 2024, and authorize County Judge to sign the same. 14 1.3 Consider, discuss and take appropriate 16 15 action to approve going out for bid for the new animal control facility. 16 1.4 Consider, discuss and take appropriate 19 17 action to obligate remaining ARPA funds. 18 1.5 Consider, discuss and take appropriate 24 action to appoint a Grievance Committee 19 pursuant to Texas Local Government Code, Section 152.014 in the event that a grievance 20 is filed by an Elected Official regarding the "Proposed salaries for Elected Officials for 21 Fiscal Year 2024-2025." 22 1.6 Consider, discuss and take appropriate 30 action to approve Fiscal Year 2024-2025 23 Kerr County wage adjustment. 24 25 3 1 I-N-D-E-X 2 NO. PAGE 3 1.7 Consider, discuss and take appropriate 33 action to approve "proposed salary increases 4 for elected county and precinct officials for Kerr County Fiscal Year 2024-2025, and 5 authorize County Clerk to publish same on August 14, 2024. 6 1.8 Consider, discuss and take appropriate 36 7 action to approve the base salaries for Elected Officials for Fiscal Year 2024-2025. 8 *** Adjournment. 38 9 *** Reporter's Certificate. 39 10 * * * * * * 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 4 1 JUDGE KELLY: Court will come to order. It 2 is Monday, July 29th, 2024. It's 10:20 in the morning 3 and this is a Special Commissioners' Court meeting 4 which now comes to order. Remind you to turn off your 5 cell phones so they don't interrupt the proceedings. 6 And then we have public input. And Ms. Bushnoe, did you 7 want to -- public input or do you want to wait for the 8 agenda item. 9 MS. BUSHNOE: I can go to the -- I put that 10 for 1.2. Yeah. 11 JUDGE KELLY: Okay. So we'll wait for that. 12 Any other public input? 13 Okay. There being none, we'll move on to 14 the consideration agenda, and Item 1.1 is use of Flat 15 Rock Park for Upper Guadalupe River Authority Annual 16 River Clean Up to be held on rescheduled date of 17 September 7, 2024 from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. 18 Commissioners' Court previously approved the event to be 19 held July 27, 2024, but it has been postponed due to 20 flooding. Ms. Bushnoe. 21 MS. BUSHNOE: Just thank you very much for 22 letting me put this onto the special agenda. And yeah, 23 I checked with Shane right away when we decided we were 24 going to reschedule it because -- 25 COMMISSIONER HARRIS: I move for approval. 5 1 COMMISSIONER PACES: Second. 2 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: Yep. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: And a third. 4 JUDGE KELLY: I've got a motion and a second 5 to approve rescheduling the use of Flat Rock Park for 6 the annual river clean up for September the 7th. Any 7 discussion? Those in favor say aye. Opposed? Motion 8 carries. 9 Item 1.2 consider, discuss and take 10 appropriate action to authorize submission of 11 application to Upper Guadalupe River Authority for the 12 water resources preservation grant for rainwater 13 catchment system and other possible conservation methods 14 (if applicable) at the new animal control facility. 15 Commissioner Letz. 16 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yes. I put this on and 17 we're a little bit under -- we've been working on this. 18 It's been -- Wellborn Engineering is doing a little bit 19 of work for us as well and a lot of this is included 20 under Peter Lewis's work. But we really need to get 21 this application submitted before our next court 22 meeting. Hopefully by the end of this week so we can 23 get some timeline up at UGRA. 24 I handed out a -- the biggest portion of 25 this is a rainwater catchment system. The two big 6 1 numbers. First two items that are there, the 38,980 for 2 the larger tank and the 20,975. Those came from an 3 actual contractor of rainwater systems that's done tanks 4 for us in the past. 5 Then the bottom two numbers, I've done quite 6 a bit of installation of a lot of this and those are the 7 numbers that I came up with. I think they're pretty 8 accurate for those costs added to the contingency so 9 that this portion of that probably going to be around 10 114,000. 11 I have another estimate coming in from 12 another contractor that we will, you know, narrow that 13 number down a little bit. The discussions with UGRA and 14 Noel has been working on it and Commissioner Overby and 15 myself, this will be a 90-10 ask. Where we will be 16 requesting 90 percent of the cost of the system, and 17 some additional filter strips and things with vegetation 18 around the thing will be paid for by UGRA through their 19 grant program and then we'd be responsible for ten 20 percent of the total cost. Our ten percent is probably 21 already -- well, it's in the building plans because all 22 of the -- the bottom two numbers that I estimate is 23 going to be almost 35,000. That's already in the 24 contract that's out for bid right now or will go out for 25 bid very shortly. 7 1 So there's really no additional funds that 2 will come from the Court other than what we're already 3 spending out there. 4 There's a couple of other items. There's 5 the bioswale we're looking at doing, which is the way to 6 catch runoff and let it slowly percolate back into the 7 ground, and then also some filter strips which make 8 planting vegetation where runoff goes to help that. And 9 those are kind of the items that we're looking at. 10 This afternoon Noel and myself and 11 Commissioner Overby are going to meet with Connor Odom 12 to kind of go over a few of those numbers. So what I'd, 13 you know, like to ask for the Court to approve 14 submission of the grant; not accepting the grant. It's 15 just to have the application based on Noel and myself 16 and Commissioner Overby finalizing the paperwork for it. 17 Mainly because we don't meet again as a court until the 18 12th, I think? 19 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: Yeah. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Ninth? Anyway, later in 21 August. And to meet the UGRA time, they would like to 22 have it before their board this month. So, Tara, did I 23 get all that right? 24 MS. BUSHNOE: Yes. Yes. Our process is 25 that the committee will review the application and make 8 1 a recommendation to the Court. And to get in the 2 deadline for our August board meeting, then it would be 3 helpful to have this before y'all meet again. And I'm 4 available if you have any questions about the rain 5 program. And the time is anything specific this year. 6 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: I'll make a motion 7 that we authorize submission of this grant to UGRA at 8 this time. 9 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Second. 10 JUDGE KELLY: Got a motion and a second. 11 COMMISSIONER PACES: So do I understand that 12 the grant would be approved in August then or -- 13 MS. BUSHNOE: Yes. If the project should be 14 selected for this grant program at our August 28th board 15 meeting, if we're able to get the application so that 16 the committee can review it prior to then. 17 COMMISSIONER PACES: Yeah. 18 MS. BUSHNOE: And then the next process 19 would be to have a contract with the County that would 20 outline the terms of the grant. And, of course, that 21 would come back to the Court. 22 COMMISSIONER PACES: Sure. Okay. But I 23 mean it could be a done deal as soon as whenever your 24 board meeting is in August? 25 MS. BUSHNOE: Yes. 9 1 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yes. 2 COMMISSIONER PACES: Okay. 3 JUDGE KELLY: I have one question. 4 MS. BUSHNOE: Yes, sir. 5 JUDGE KELLY: In looking at the diagram, is 6 the bioswale this area right here? 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: No. The bioswale is up 8 on the northern area -- or not the northern, on the 9 upper area above the parking or above the road. 10 MS. BUSHNOE: Uh-huh. 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: That black 12 oblong-looking thing is a walking trail. 13 JUDGE KELLY: Okay. 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: The bioswale is on the 15 upper side of the -- kind of the upper driveway and it's 16 to get the water to run off from that side into it, and 17 then it'll percolate slowly into the ground rather than 18 running off. 19 JUDGE KELLY: Okay. Just curious. 20 Anything else? 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Did we vote? 22 JUDGE KELLY: Yeah, but -- 23 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: No, we haven't. 24 JUDGE KELLY: No, we don't. We've got a 25 motion and a second. Those in favor say aye. Opposed? 10 1 Motion carries. 2 MS. BUSHNOE: Thank you. 3 JUDGE KELLY: Thank you. 4 I'm looking down here. Dub, you're on an 5 addendum agenda, right? 6 MR. THOMAS: Yes, sir. 7 JUDGE KELLY: And you've waited through this 8 whole workshop and you're probably just wait -- waited 9 through this. Let's go take 1.9 out of order and get 10 you guys out of here. 11 MR. THOMAS: Thank you, sir. 12 JUDGE KELLY: This is item 1.9 consider, 13 discuss and take appropriate action to extend the 14 Declaration of Local State of Disaster relating to the 15 severe storms and flooding beginning on July 22, 2024, 16 and authorize County Judge to sign the same. Dub 17 Thomas. 18 MR. THOMAS: Yes, sir. So what we're asking 19 is for the declaration for the flood from last week be 20 extended for at least another week. We're going to try 21 and get some ISTAT data that the public needs to report 22 in, just like they did for Winter Storm Uri. We've put 23 it out there. There's a QR code for damages and if 24 they've already had some clean up done, they can upload 25 the receipts for that work done. They can upload 11 1 pictures, videos of all their damages, those types of 2 things, to try to get us up to our threshold. 3 COMMISSIONER HARRIS: Okay. 4 MR. THOMAS: So we're go to have an ISTAT 5 team here on -- from TDEM on Wednesday. They'll be at 6 the Sheriff's Office training room from 10:00 a.m. to 7 2:00 p.m. I can hold them up there longer if I need to, 8 but folks that had their damage and they've got pictures 9 or whatever and maybe they don't have a computer or they 10 don't have access to one, or if they're just not 11 comfortable trying to put all their information into 12 that ISTAT, representatives from TDEM, and ISTAT team, 13 will be at the Sheriff's Office from 10:00 to 2:00 to do 14 that for them. 15 And I'm looking at trying to have another 16 date probably next week sometime. We'll find a place in 17 Ingram to actually do that. So maybe it's a little bit 18 closer for some people. 19 COMMISSIONER HARRIS: Would it be a 20 possibility to do it at the west Kerr annex? 21 MR. THOMAS: If there's a spot big enough at 22 the annex. I think we need something like -- 23 COMMISSIONER HARRIS: Well, I mean 24 they're -- y'all are officed there. 25 MR. THOMAS: Yeah. A conference room or 12 1 something over there. Yes, sir. We're -- we've talked 2 about that and we're looking at it. 3 COMMISSIONER HARRIS: Okay. 4 JUDGE KELLY: Anything -- and would you 5 introduce -- 6 MR. THOMAS: Oh yes, sir. This is -- I 7 think I've introduced him once before, but this is 8 Shorty Harmon. 9 JUDGE KELLY: Let's get him up and let 10 people see him. 11 MR. THOMAS: Right. Come over here and 12 stand right here. He's our County liaison officer from 13 TDEM. 14 JUDGE KELLY: Okay. 15 MR. HARMON: Good morning, Judge and 16 Commissioners. I met y'all before from -- a few months 17 ago when I came to Commissioners' Court. I'm your Kerr 18 County liaison officer for TDEM. And I've been working 19 closely with Dub and with everything Emergency 20 Management line. 21 JUDGE KELLY: Well, I -- last Tuesday I was 22 out at the west Kerr County annex working with your 23 counterpart. And he actually got -- we got over seven 24 inches of rain where I live in West Kerr County and he 25 had over nine. And -- 13 1 MR. HARMON: A lot of rain there. 2 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: That's a lot of rain. 3 JUDGE KELLY: -- I want to thank y'all, and 4 letting you know that we appreciate what you did. I bet 5 I've talked to Dub a dozen times during the course of 6 this, just to keep me updated as to the status. And 7 now, Tuesday morning I did not come in on 39 because it 8 was backed up. 9 MR. HARMON: Uh-huh. 10 JUDGE KELLY: So I went the long way around. 11 Took an extra hour to get to the state hospital for my 12 hearing. And I got a chance to look at Johnson Creek 13 and I got a chance to look at the river, a chance to see 14 it all, and it was a mess. And I didn't -- I saw a lot 15 of water. I didn't see a whole lot of damage. 16 But in one of the reports from Dub, he went 17 out to Ingram ISD and those schools are just ripped 18 apart. 19 MR. HARMON: Yeah. 20 JUDGE KELLY: We heard over $300,000 worth 21 of damage. It was time to trigger the threshold for 22 TDEM's assistance. 23 MR. HARMON: Sure. 24 JUDGE KELLY: And so I went ahead and 25 declared a state of disaster on the basis of those 14 1 reports. 2 COMMISSIONER HARRIS: When you see a blue 3 dumpster floating down the street at the Y in Ingram, 4 you know something's up. 5 JUDGE KELLY: Okay. Thank you. 6 MR. HARMON: I appreciate you. 7 JUDGE KELLY: They wear a different symbol 8 on their shirt. That's why I knew -- 9 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So we need to -- 10 JUDGE KELLY: So we need just to -- 11 COMMISSIONER HARRIS: Yeah, I move that we 12 extend the declaration of local state of disaster 13 beginning July 22nd, 2024. 14 JUDGE KELLY: Well, we did the 22nd. We -- 15 the first one -- 16 COMMISSIONER HARRIS: We need to extend it 17 another week? 18 JUDGE KELLY: We did it for the 29th and we 19 have to extend it for one more week. 20 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: One more week. 21 COMMISSIONER HARRIS: One more week? Okay. 22 I didn't see it like that. 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Second. 24 COMMISSIONER HARRIS: Okay. 25 JUDGE KELLY: Well, that's what he told me. 15 1 MRS. STEBBINS: It is extended until you 2 stop it. So you don't have to extend it and vote on it. 3 COMMISSIONER HARRIS: Oh we don't? 4 MRS. STEBBINS: No, huh-uh. 5 COMMISSIONER HARRIS: Okay. 6 MRS. STEBBINS: You just have to vote on it 7 within seven days to discontinue it. 8 COMMISSIONER HARRIS: Okay. 9 JUDGE KELLY: That's why I told him to 10 extend it today. 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So we extend it today. 12 So the motion is to extend it. 13 COMMISSIONER HARRIS: Yeah. 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. And that's why I 15 seconded it. 16 JUDGE KELLY: Okay. We have a motion and a 17 second to extend the declaration of local state of 18 disaster. Any discussion? Those in favor say aye. 19 Opposed? Motion carries. 20 Thank y'all. You may be excused. 21 MR. THOMAS: Thanks, Judge. 22 JUDGE KELLY: Next item is 1.4 consider, 23 discuss and take appropriate action to obligate 24 remaining ARPA funds. 25 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I believe we -- 16 1 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: Yeah, 1.3. 2 COMMISSIONER LETZ: -- skipped 1.3. 3 JUDGE KELLY: Consider, discuss and take 4 appropriate action to approve going out for bids for the 5 new animal control facility. I apologize. I thought we 6 already did that. 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Well, we authorized 8 Peter Lewis to get -- to move that direction. We now 9 have a proposed timeline of the various opening bid 10 dates, you know, mandatory meeting, all that stuff. 11 I make a motion that we approve the proposed 12 timeline and authorize going out for bids. 13 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: I'll second that 14 motion. 15 JUDGE KELLY: We got a motion and a second 16 to approve the timeline bid for the new Animal Control 17 facility. Any discussion? 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I see a question over 19 here. 20 MRS. GRINSTEAD: Yeah, just a couple of 21 questions. On that timeline, we have just two 22 publications. Do you want it more than twice or do you 23 want it in a larger -- do you want a San Antonio Express 24 News? Do you want it something larger than local 25 newspapers? 17 1 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I was going to ask. 2 There's a -- I want to say tech share. It's not tech 3 share. There's a -- there's a website that building 4 projects are posted statewide that contractors use. It 5 needs -- that's where it needs to go. Peter Lewis 6 oughta know that or -- or I can get it. 7 JUDGE KELLY: Kelly knows. 8 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Or Kelly? 9 MS. HOFFER: I don't know, but Charlie has 10 used it. Charlie would know exactly. 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yeah. Is that -- 12 wherever that website is, that's where most contractors 13 look for projects of this type. 14 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: Okay. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So I think we need to do 16 it at the level -- I don't think putting it in the 17 San Antonio Express News is necessary. I think if we 18 post it on the -- 19 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: I agree. 20 COMMISSIONER PACES: That makes sense. 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: -- appropriate -- I can't 22 think of the name of it. Anyway. 23 MRS. GRINSTEAD: Then the only other thing 24 is on there we had a mandatory pre-bid meeting with a 25 date to be determined. Peter Lewis is suggesting August 18 1 15th. So if you want to put the time on August 15th for 2 the mandatory pre-bid. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think it would be 4 August 15th and I would let Peter Lewis coordinate that. 5 I mean because he's the one who needs to be there and -- 6 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: We have a budget 7 workshop on the 14th? So that would be a Thursday. He 8 can't do it on the 14th, on the same day? 9 COMMISSIONER LETZ: But it -- that meeting 10 won't be here necessarily. It will be at -- well, I 11 don't know, it may be here. I'll let -- 12 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: Could be. 13 COMMISSIONER LETZ: But Jody, I'll let Peter 14 set that date and time as part of the bid package. 15 MRS. GRINSTEAD: Okay. I know he picked the 16 15th, but I'll ask him another time. 17 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. 18 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: Okay. 19 JUDGE KELLY: Okay. 20 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: We've got a motion and 21 a second. 22 JUDGE KELLY: We've have a motion and a 23 second? 24 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: Yep. 25 JUDGE KELLY: Well then, those in favor say 19 1 aye. Opposed? Motion carries. 2 Now moving on to item number 1.4 consider, 3 discuss and take appropriate action to obligate the 4 remaining ARPA funds. 5 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I put this on the 6 agenda. Did I put this on the agenda? 7 JUDGE KELLY: Yeah. It's got -- 8 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: It's got your name. 9 JUDGE KELLY: -- your's and Ms. Putnam. 10 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I put it down because -- 11 largely because of the AG barn situation of needing to 12 go out and getting architect, engineer or something, and 13 I just put it on here mainly because we need to keep 14 moving forward to get this done because we have to go 15 out for bid to make sure we get this money obligated 16 before the end of the year. And I guess, what's the 17 process we want to use to hire someone to do the 18 specifications, that's basically my question. And you 19 met -- you're meeting with Peter Lewis? 20 COMMISSIONER PACES: Well, I'm meeting with 21 Peter Lewis at 1:30 this afternoon and so I'll have his 22 input. And I've already talked with Jake, and Jake is 23 trying to coordinate kind of, like, a pre-bid meeting 24 with the roofing contractor so that we can talk to them 25 about options and specs before we actually decide on 20 1 what spec to use. But we -- we'll get an engineer 2 involved. 3 MS. PUTNAM: Your Honor, in order to do 4 specs I may -- we will need to most likely go out for 5 bid for -- 6 COMMISSIONER LETZ: For the engineer. 7 MS. PUTNAM: -- bid for qualifications for 8 the engineer, and the ARPA -- to be -- in order to be 9 fair and competitive for the companies, and there are 10 some steps and requirements to that. So that's going to 11 take, at minimum, like four or five weeks to -- to do 12 that. Because you've got -- you have a certain 13 amount -- I mean you have to advertise in the newspaper 14 and we have to wait two weeks to advertise again, 15 depending on which paper we do. We could do it within a 16 week. But it takes some time to go out for bid to do 17 that. And we have to create the request for 18 qualifications and get it approved by the County 19 Attorney and also by GrantWorks before that can be 20 submitted in order to hire an engineer. 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yeah, my goal was to 22 have something to come back at our first meeting in 23 August to vote to go out, you know, for RFQ, I guess. 24 And -- 25 MS. PUTNAM: If we have the information put 21 1 together, I can get that over to Heather and GrantWorks 2 ASAP. If we know what -- what the scope of work is 3 going to be to put out there and make sure that ARPA 4 language is in there and that the timeline is in there 5 as far as, like, the pre-bid meeting and when -- when 6 things are going to be -- when we have a timeline. 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So I guess it's -- the 8 direction is that to try to have the RFQ ready for our 9 first meeting in August. 10 MS. PUTNAM: That would be great. That 11 would be perfect. We have the RFQ ready, which would 12 include your scope of work and your timeline. And then 13 I can get you a list of what is required, like pre-bid 14 meeting, things of that nature, time frames once we have 15 a good guess on when to actually target. 16 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So I think if -- Charlie 17 is probably a pretty good -- I mean at least on the RFQ 18 part to help with that. I don't think it should be real 19 complicated. We're talking about insulation in the 20 roof. 21 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: Yeah. 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So I mean -- 23 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: It's the easiest one, 24 yeah. 25 COMMISSIONER PACES: But my -- my fear 22 1 actually is -- 2 MS. PUTNAM: Charlie is good with that. 3 COMMISSIONER PACES: -- that we don't get an 4 engineering firm that interested in taking the work 5 because its too small a scope. But what's -- we'll sure 6 try. 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Well, I think we have to 8 at least try. 9 MR. PUTNAM: You have to try. There is an 10 option on most of these if you do not get a bid or you 11 do not get an engineer, if you just get one -- 12 COMMISSIONER PACES: Right. 13 MS. PUTNAM: -- or none, there are letters 14 and things that you can do to document that there was an 15 attempt. 16 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: Surely we -- 17 COMMISSIONER PACES: Okay. 18 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: -- can find somebody 19 who will take that on. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Oh okay. 21 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: Yeah. 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So -- 23 MS. PUTNAM: But we have to make the 24 attempt. 25 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Well, I'll leave it to 23 1 Commissioner Paces and you to figure out how to get an 2 RFQ on the next agenda. 3 COMMISSIONER PACES: I'll take care of it. 4 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: Yeah, not until the 5 12th. 6 COMMISSIONER LETZ: The 12th. And then 7 hopefully it can be then and start the process. Because 8 I'm just -- reading up on it, I'm just concerned that -- 9 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: We're going to run out 10 of time. 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: -- things are -- the 12 fall starts getting eaten up real quick and we have 13 to -- 14 COMMISSIONER PACES: Sure. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: -- put it out for bid 16 within 30 days and then the contract and have to keep 17 moving. 18 COMMISSIONER PACES: Yeah. Okay. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay? 20 JUDGE KELLY: So we haven't voted on this 21 yet, have we? 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: There's -- 23 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: No action. 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: -- no action. It's 25 really just direction and -- 24 1 JUDGE KELLY: And we just calendar those 2 events. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yeah. 4 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: Yeah. 5 JUDGE KELLY: Okay. Moving on to Item 1.5 6 consider, discuss and take appropriate action to appoint 7 a grievance committee pursuant to Texas Local Government 8 Code, Section 152.014 in the event that a grievance is 9 filed by an elected official regarding, "Proposed 10 salaries for elected officials for Fiscal Year 24-25." 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Who did we used to put 12 on the grievance committee? 13 MRS. STEBBINS: The -- there's backup in 14 there. The statute allows you to put several elected 15 officials, along with three members of the public, or 16 you can choose nine members of the public. And you 17 don't need to appoint the particular members of the 18 public at this time. It will have to come through the 19 District Clerk's Office if a grievance is filed. 20 But either way, you can choose the members 21 of the -- their elected officials plus three, or the 22 nine that are all members of the public. 23 JUDGE KELLY: Say that again. I want to be 24 sure. 25 MRS. STEBBINS: I'm sorry. You want me 25 1 to -- 2 JUDGE KELLY: Yes, please. 3 MRS. STEBBINS: Okay. 4 JUDGE KELLY: I'm trying to figure out what 5 this Court does and what I do. 6 MRS. STEBBINS: Okay. The District Clerk 7 will use her jury system to get the members of the 8 public for the committee. 9 JUDGE KELLY: How many do we need? 10 MRS. STEBBINS: They'll ask three or nine. 11 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: It's either three or 12 nine, depending what option you take. 13 MRS. STEBBINS: Depending on which option 14 you take. 15 JUDGE KELLY: Three member committee or nine 16 member committee, right? 17 MRS. STEBBINS: No. No, sir. 18 COMMISSIONER HARRIS: Three from the public. 19 MRS. STEBBINS: Three from the public. The 20 others will be elected officials within the County that 21 are listed there. It's me, the Treasurer, the Sheriff, 22 the Tax Assessor, District Clerk is one. There's one 23 more. County Judge? County Judge is one but not a 24 voting member. 25 COMMISSIONER REEVES: County Clerk. 26 1 MRS. STEBBINS: County Clerk as well. Thank 2 you. 3 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: Here it is. Sheriff, 4 Tax Collector, Treasurer -- 5 MRS. STEBBINS: And that's the team -- 6 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: -- County Clerk, 7 District Clerk. 8 MRS. STEBBINS: -- that's the committee that 9 was appointed the last time and so -- 10 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: And three others. 11 MRS. STEBBINS: -- there were three members 12 of the public. 13 JUDGE KELLY: So what we're doing today is 14 starting the wheel to move in motion to be able to get 15 this committee? 16 MRS. STEBBINS: Yes, sir. 17 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Which we'll -- and we 18 select -- 19 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: We need to pick one or 20 the other. 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: -- which one we're going 22 to do -- 23 MRS. STEBBINS: That's right. 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: -- here today. 25 MRS. STEBBINS: That's right. So you can 27 1 select the elected with three members of the public or 2 nine members of the public. 3 JUDGE KELLY: How many elected? 4 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: Six. 5 MRS. STEBBINS: Six, sir. 6 COMMISSIONER LETZ: It's a nine member 7 committee. It's either three public -- 8 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: Yeah. It's -- it's 9 not random -- 10 COMMISSIONER LETZ: -- and six elected or 11 nine public. 12 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: -- members. 13 MRS. STEBBINS: That's right. 14 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: It's listed here who 15 is doing it. 16 JUDGE KELLY: And then we bring those names 17 back to the Court and the Court appoints them? 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: If there's a grievance. 19 MRS. STEBBINS: If there's a grievance 20 filed, that's when you'll have the members of the 21 public. 22 COMMISSIONER HARRIS: We've only had one 23 since you and I have been on the Court I think. 24 MRS. STEBBINS: But when we had that one, it 25 was a scramble because there wasn't a committee -- there 28 1 wasn't a choice made which -- 2 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: We make it now. 3 MRS. STEBBINS: -- type of committee it was. 4 So this is -- is put in place so it's a little bit more 5 efficient this time. 6 JUDGE KELLY: So it's nine public or six 7 elected and three public? 8 MRS. STEBBINS: Yes, sir. 9 COMMISSIONER HARRIS: Right. 10 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: Yeah. 11 JUDGE KELLY: So it's a nine -- nine person 12 committee? 13 MRS. STEBBINS: Yes, sir. 14 JUDGE KELLY: Okay. 15 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: And then you chair it 16 but don't vote. 17 JUDGE KELLY: I'm not going to vote. 18 COMMISSIONER HARRIS: I'll move that we -- 19 we do the route with three from the public and six 20 elected -- 21 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: I think so too. 22 COMMISSIONER HARRIS: -- for our grievance 23 committee. 24 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: I'll second that 25 motion. 29 1 JUDGE KELLY: We got a motion and a second 2 to do the nine member committee being composed of three 3 members from the public and six elected officials. 4 COMMISSIONER PACES: What's the process if 5 one of the members of the committee are one of the 6 grieved elected officials? 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think they still vote, 8 as I recall. 9 MRS. STEBBINS: What was the question, I'm 10 sorry? 11 COMMISSIONER PACES: What happens if one of 12 the members of the committee are an aggrieved elected 13 official? 14 MRS. STEBBINS: They still get to vote. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: They get to vote. 16 That's what happened before. 17 JUDGE KELLY: We had to -- had to have -- 18 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: We picked one of the 19 nine. 20 COMMISSIONER PACES: I don't like that 21 though but -- 22 MRS. STEBBINS: Bob just reminded me that 23 the three members of the public or if it's nine are from 24 the grand jury wheel. 25 COMMISSIONER PACES: Yeah. 30 1 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: Okay. 2 COMMISSIONER PACES: That's better. 3 JUDGE KELLY: We got a motion and a second 4 for the three-six form of committee. Any other 5 discussion? Those in favor say aye. Opposed? Motion 6 carries. 7 Item 1.6 consider, discuss and take 8 appropriate action to approve the Fiscal Year 24-25 Kerr 9 County wage adjustment. Miss Zapata. You have been 10 waiting for awhile now. 11 MS. ZAPATA: Y'all were given the handout 12 with different percentages. 13 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: Which one are you 14 looking at now? 15 JUDGE KELLY: Wage adjustment. 16 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Wage adjustment. 17 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: Got it. 18 JUDGE KELLY: And this is -- this is when we 19 make the decision as a Court? 20 MS. ZAPATA: Correct. 21 JUDGE KELLY: Well, then I will make a 22 motion, which I rarely do these days, but this is my 23 proposed budget and I'll own it. I will make a motion 24 that we adopt a four percent wage adjustment for this 25 year's budget. 31 1 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: I'll second that 2 motion. 3 JUDGE KELLY: Discussion? 4 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I have a question. And 5 it's to the Tax Assessor, Mr. Reeves. You may want to 6 go up and -- so you can answer. The question is to make 7 sure I understand and, really, a question from 8 Commissioner Paces. Earlier today, you made comments of 9 the no new tax rate. 10 And from what you said, I want to clarify 11 that I understood this correctly. That the -- the -- 12 based on a no new tax rate, the actual tax rate goes 13 down slightly. Very -- you know, not much. It's a 14 slightly lower tax rate, it looks like, than last year, 15 which means if your appraised value is the same as last 16 year, you'll have a slight reduction in taxes? 17 MR. REEVES: That's correct. And for an 18 example, I did a study of 14 properties. Over all the 19 precincts, homestead, multi-family, whatever, I took the 20 values from two years, two of the values went up, one 21 went down. That taxpayer paid $32.00 more next year. 22 So basically no change. 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yeah. No change. So 24 with a four percent increase, there will be a slight tax 25 decrease. And it's very slight, but a slight tax 32 1 decrease but certainly not a tax increase, and that's 2 built into the current budget. 3 COMMISSIONER HARRIS: But we've made changes 4 in the workshop earlier. A few minor. 5 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I don't -- most of those 6 were with the ARPA contract. 7 JUDGE KELLY: We stayed within the frame 8 of -- we stayed within that spreadsheet. 9 MR. REEVES: Regardless of the budget -- 10 JUDGE KELLY: We stayed in it this time. 11 MR. REEVES: Regardless of the budget 12 changes, the no new revenue would stay the same. 13 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Then that answers -- 14 then I'll stay with -- I'll go with the four percent. 15 COMMISSIONER HARRIS: Well, we had a good 16 argument for that 3-2 the last time we met. 17 COMMISSIONER PACES: Yeah. 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yeah. 19 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: Got new information. 20 COMMISSIONER PACES: Well, we also have the 21 new core PTE year on year data of only 2.6 percent. So 22 you're right, there's new information to be considered. 23 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: Yep. 24 COMMISSIONER PACES: I think four percent is 25 too high. 33 1 JUDGE KELLY: Any other discussion? Those 2 in favor of the wage adjustment of four percent say aye. 3 Opposed? 4 COMMISSIONER PACES: Aye. 5 COMMISSIONER HARRIS: Aye. 6 JUDGE KELLY: Motion passes 3-2. 7 Item 1.7 consider, discuss and take 8 appropriate action to approve proposed salary increases 9 for elected officials -- elected county and precinct 10 officials for Kerr County Fiscal Year 24-25, and 11 authorize the County Clerk to publish same on August 12 14th. Miss Zapata. 13 MS. ZAPATA: Ilda's passing out the -- based 14 on four percent. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I move we approve the 16 base salaries of four percent for all the elected 17 officials. The base salaries as presented. 18 MRS. SHELTON: I think we're on Item 1.7, 19 and that's 1.8. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Oh, I'm sorry. Are we 21 talking about a percentage is all, is that all 1.7 is? 22 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: We need one more. 23 JUDGE KELLY: But agenda Item 1.7 is on the 24 base of it and then Item 1.8 is on -- 25 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. Then on 1.7 -- I 34 1 made my motion on 1.7. 2 JUDGE KELLY: Right. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: To approve the four 4 percent base salary for all elected officials as 5 presented. 6 MRS. GRINSTEAD: That's eight. 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: No, that's seven. 8 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: No. Eight -- eight 9 is -- 10 MRS. GRINSTEAD: Seven is the current. 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Oh, I'm sorry. You're 12 right. 13 MRS. GRINSTEAD: Eight is the base for newly 14 elected. So seven is your current elected officials. 15 That should be the long one that's going to be posted. 16 JUDGE KELLY: So do we need to take action 17 on -- 18 MRS. GRINSTEAD: Both. 19 JUDGE KELLY: -- both? 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I'll make a motion 21 that -- to approve the proposed salaries for elected 22 officials as presented. 23 JUDGE KELLY: And so that we're all looking 24 at one -- each other, let me hold it up. This is the 25 document we're talking about, right? 35 1 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: Yep. Got it. 2 JUDGE KELLY: Okay. 3 COMMISSIONER PACES: And that says, what, 4 four percent is built into it or what? 5 JUDGE KELLY: No. But -- 6 MRS. GRINSTEAD: Yes. That has the four 7 percent. 8 JUDGE KELLY: This does? 9 MRS. GRINSTEAD: They prepared one for two, 10 three -- we were all prepared for whatever you decided. 11 This is with the four percent. Yes. 12 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: Okay. 13 MRS. STEBBINS: Does that motion also 14 include authorizing the County Clerk to publish the same 15 on August 14th, 2024? 16 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yes. 17 MRS. STEBBINS: Okay. That's good. 18 JUDGE KELLY: Okay. We've got a motion and 19 a second to approve the proposed salary increases for 20 elected County and Precinct officials for the Fiscal 21 Year 24-25, and authorize the County Clerk to publish 22 same on August the 14th. 23 MRS. GRINSTEAD: Who was the second? 24 MS. ALFORD: Who was the second? 25 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I made the motion. 36 1 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: I'll second. 2 JUDGE KELLY: Okay. Any other discussion? 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I will make a note 4 there's a slight typo on here, for tax assessor? It 5 says TAC Assessor. But this should be -- that's why -- 6 I didn't want this to get handed to the paper and have a 7 typo on it. 8 JUDGE KELLY: Okay. No other discussion? 9 Those in favor say aye. Opposed? Motion carries. 10 Now we'll go on to Item 1.8. 11 COMMISSIONER PACES: Okay, wait. I just 12 want to state I'm against four percent but the fact that 13 the Court's already approved four percent for all staff, 14 hence a yay. 15 JUDGE KELLY: Item 1.8 consider, discuss and 16 take appropriate action to approve the base salaries for 17 elected officials for Fiscal Year 24-25. And that's 18 this last one. 19 MS. ZAPATA: Yes. This is the first one we 20 passed out, yes. 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I'll make a motion to 22 approve the base salaries as presented that incorporate 23 the four percent increase. 24 COMMISSIONER OVERBY: Okay. I'll second 25 that motion. 37 1 JUDGE KELLY: Got a motion and a second to 2 approve the base salaries for elected officials as 3 presented. Any discussion? 4 COMMISSIONER PACES: I'll make the same 5 statement. I'm against the four percent increase but 6 since it's been approved by the Court with a vote of 7 three to one -- three to two, I will vote in favor of 8 this. 9 JUDGE KELLY: Any other discussion? 10 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I'll just -- I'll make a 11 comment just for the public on why we do base salaries. 12 I don't know, years ago it was built in because we have 13 to keep everyone kind of the same, that there are -- 14 what do we call the longevity, what's the new word for 15 longevity? 16 COMMISSIONER PACES: There's a new one? 17 MRS. STEBBINS: Market adjustment? 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Market adjustment. 19 There's a market adjustment built in to elected 20 officials that, based on how long you've been in office, 21 you get paid more. So there's a savings to the 22 taxpayers. But Commissioner-Elect Holt is coming in at 23 a much lower salary than -- not much lower, a lower 24 salary than I was making. So there's a savings to the 25 taxpayer there. 38 1 COMMISSIONER PACES: We could lower it 2 further, I mean -- 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yeah. 4 COMMISSIONER HARRIS: Well, you pay for what 5 you get. 6 MR. HOLT: Don't let me get on the mic. 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: All right. That's all. 8 JUDGE KELLY: All right. We got a motion and 9 a second to approve the base salary as presented. Any 10 other discussion? Those in favor say aye. Opposed? 11 Motion carries. 12 Is there any other business before the Court 13 today? There being none, we are adjourned. 14 * * * * * * 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 39 1 STATE OF TEXAS * 2 COUNTY OF KERR * 3 I, DEBRA ELLEN GIFFORD, Certified Shorthand 4 Reporter in and for the State of Texas, and Official 5 Court Reporter in and for Kerr County, do hereby certify 6 that the above and foregoing pages contain and comprise 7 a true and correct transcription of the proceedings had 8 in the above-entitled Regular Commissioners' Court. 9 Dated this the 10th day of August, A.D. 10 2024. 11 12 /s/DEBRA ELLEN GIFFORD Certified Shorthand Reporter 13 No. 953 Expiration Date 04/30/2025 14 * * * * * * 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25