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I'LL CALL THE ALAMO AREA COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENT'S AREA.THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING JUDGE.
IS IT HERE? JUDGE STEEL? HERE.
HAVE A FOUR, RIGHT? THANK YOU.
ITEM THREE IS PUBLIC COMMENTS.
IS THERE ANYBODY THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE AREA JUDGES UNDER PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO, SIR.
[4. Regional Resiliency Assessment Program (RRAP) - Luu Do, Protective Security Advisor (South Texas District) - Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) DHS]
WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM FOUR UNDER PRESENTATION.THAT'S THE REGIONAL RESILIENCY ASSESSMENT PROGRAM.
PROTECTIVES SECURITY ADVISORS.
SOUTH TEXAS DISTRICT CYBERSECURITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY AGENCY.
I'LL STAND AND I'M KIND OF A WALKER AND TALKER.
I AM THE PROTECTIVE SECURITY ADVISOR FOR SOUTH TEXAS.
I WORK FOR SISS, A CYBER SECURITY INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY AGENCY.
UM, THE AGENCY IS A FAIRLY NEW AGENCY SIGNED OFFICE IN 2018 FROM THE LEGACY PROGRAM AND PPD OR THE NATIONAL PROTECTIVE PRIORITIES DIRECTORATE.
PRIMARY MISSION IS TO FOCUS ON CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT BOTH CYBER AND PHYSICAL, UH, UM, UH, RISKS AS IT RELATES TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO A PROTECTIVE SECURITY ADVISOR.
UM, I LIVE HERE LO COVER A LARGE DISTRICT THAT COVER DEL RIO OVER TO CORPUS CHRISTI.
I HELP IN ADVISING, UH, HELPING WITH MATURING THESE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE ASSETS.
RIGHT? UM, SO THE RE REGIONAL RESILIENCY, THE ASSESSMENT PROGRAM, THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY.
THE REGIONAL RESILIENCY AS ASSESSMENTS PROGRAM IS KIND OF OUR CREME DE LA CREME.
IT IS AN ASSESSMENT PROGRAM THAT IS AT NO COST.
WE DO, THIS IS NOT AN I GOTCHA MOMENT.
THIS IS TOTALLY A WAY TO RESOLVE AND IDENTIFY INFRASTRUCTURE, SECURITY, RESILIENCY, UH, GAPS, RISKS, UM, IDENTIFY DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES OR STRATEGIES THAT WE CAN, UM, HELP, UH, UH, UH, MITIGATE THOSE RISKS.
SO, WHAT WE DID, UH, HERE IN, IN SAN ANTONIO, UH, WORKING WITH BAYER METROPOLITAN 9 1 1, WE SUBMITTED A NOMINATION FOR THE 9 1 1 SYSTEM.
WHAT WE DID IS WE LOOKED AT THE OVERALL NASHVILLE INCIDENT AND LOOKED AT SAN ANTONIO AND SAID, WHAT IF THE NASHVILLE INCIDENT HAPPENED HERE? WHAT WOULD BE OUR SINGLE POINTS OF FAILURE? WHAT WOULD BE OUR DIVERSITY, OUR REDUNDANCY? HOW COULD WE MAKE SURE THAT OUR 9 1 1 SYSTEM IS, UH, RESILIENT ENOUGH, UH, TO, TO WITHSTAND ANY, ANY INCIDENT, RIGHT? SO THAT'S WHAT THE RF DOES.
IT REALLY SOUND, UM, LOOKS AT THE OVERALL INFRASTRUCTURE, BREAKS IT APART, AND THEN WE IDENTIFY GAPS, VULNERABILITIES, DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF IT THAT WE CAN POTENTIALLY MITIGATE.
UH, TO DATE, CISA HAS CONDUCTED SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF REGIONAL RESILIENCY ASSESSMENTS.
UM, UNDERSTAND IT IS FROM INFRASTRUCTURE OF ALL TYPES.
WE'VE DONE OIL, WE'VE DONE, UH, TRANSPORTATION, CYBER ASSESSMENTS.
WE'VE PARTNERED WITH MANY STAKEHOLDERS ALL ACROSS THE NATION.
THIS NOMINATION, UH, PROCESS IS AN EXTENSIVE PROCESS.
IT'S LIKE A THREE YEAR ASSESSMENT THAT WE DO.
SO WE REALLY DIG IN DEEP IS THE LAB, THE NATIONAL LABORATORIES.
UM, THE NOMINATION PROCESS IS ALL 50 STATES AND TERRITORIES HAVE THE ABILITY EVERY THREE YEAR TO SUBMIT A NOMINATION.
AND IN THAT NOMINATION PROCESS, ONLY 12 GETS SELECTED.
SO WE ARE LUCKY THAT WE'VE SELECTED, BUT WE'VE GOT, GOT SELECTED WITH A PILOT PROGRAM, WHICH IS THE 9 1 1 SYSTEM.
NOBODY HAS EVER DONE NINE ONE A 9 1 1 STUDY LIKE THIS.
THE FANTASTIC PIECE OF IT IS WE'VE ALREADY STARTED DEVELOPING NATIONAL LEVEL PRODUCTS THAT CAN HELP MATURE OTHER 9 1 1 SYSTEMS NATION.
SO WHEN WE LOOK, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RESILIENCY, I ALWAYS LOVE TO HIGHLIGHT THE BATHTUB CURVE.
CAUSE WE'RE CON, WE'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT WHAT PREVENTS US FROM AN EVENT HAPPENING.
WHAT'S THE RESPONSE OR WHAT'S THE
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IMPACT? AND THEN WHAT'S THE CONTINUITY OF THE RECOVERY PIECE, RIGHT? SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THOSE ASPECTS IN TERMS OF RESILIENCY TO TO STUDY THE 9 1 1 SYSTEM.WE REALLY TAKE A TOP DOWN APPROACH.
SO THE ONLY, UM, THE ONLY THING THAT THAT IS OF COST IS YOUR TI IS THE TIME, THE TIME OF THE STAKEHOLDERS.
WE NEED THE PEOPLE TO COME TO THE TABLE TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS, RIGHT? AND THAT IS THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GONNA REALLY BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND, DIG DOWN, AND THAT WE NEED.
UM, SO AGAIN, TOP DOWN, BOTTOM UP APPROACH.
WE WORK WITH THE SINGLE STAKEHOLDERS.
WE WORK WITH THE INDIVIDUAL PSAPS, THE ALL THE SUPPLY SUPPLIERS OF DEPENDENCY.
AND WE REALLY DIG DOWN UP AT OVERALL RESILIENCY.
UM, SO THAT IS THE STUDY THAT WE ARE WORKING ON, UH, TODAY.
I CAME TO PRESENT THAT TO Y'ALL, UH, FOR VISIBILITY AND UNDER UNDERSTAND THAT I AM IN THE DISTRICT REACHING OUT TO ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS AND PARTNERS TO GET THEM INVOLVED INTO THIS, THIS STUDY.
UH, THE MORE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE, THE MORE, UM, UH, RESILIENCY WE CAN BUILD O OFF OF THIS STUDY.
UM, SO YES, THE FIFTH AND THE SIXTH, I HAVE MY TEAM FLYING IN FROM DC.
WE'LL BE HOLDING A MEETING WITH THE PSAPS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE ACOG.
UM, AND HIGHLIGHTING THE OVERALL PROJECT.
UH, THE, MY, MY, OUR ANALYSTS FROM THE NATIONAL LABORATORIES WILL BE HERE.
THEY, THEY'LL BE PROVIDING THE, THE APPROACH AND THE DATA, UH, GOING OVER SOME OF THE TOOLS THAT WE'LL BE USING, UH, KIND OF GIVING DEMONSTRATIONS ON ALL THAT.
UH, AND THEN, UH, THE SIXTH, WE HAVE ALL THE, THAT SUPPORT, ALL THE PRO UH, THE, THE PUBLIC, UH, SERVICE POINTS, UH, WHERE THEY WILL BE COMING IN, ALL WATER WASTEWATER, UH, EVERYTHING THAT THE, THE PAP ARE DE DEPENDENT ON.
THEY'LL BE COMING IN FOR, UH, UH, AN OVERVIEW AS WELL.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. DO THIS? ALL THE PSAPS IN ACOG? YES, SIR.
SO WHAT WE DID IS WE DIVIDE, WE BROKE THEM UP INTO DIFFERENT AUTHORITIES.
UH, SO BEAR METRO IS ONE AUTHORITY.
JBS A AND DOD ARE ALREADY A PART OF, UH, THE STUDY.
UH, WE HAVE THE ACOG, WHICH HAS THE, THE RURAL COUNTIES.
AND THEN KE AND ME ARE, WE'LL, WE'LL BE INCLUDING THEM AS WELL.
HEARING NO OTHER CONVERSATION.
[5. Consider and act upon the recommendation to approve the January 25, 2023 Area Judges Meeting Minutes.]
CONSENT.ITEM FIVE, CONSIDER AN ACT UPON THE RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE JANUARY 25TH, 2023 AREA.
HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM JANUARY 25TH.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
OPPOSED? SAME SIGN, HEARING, NO OPPOSITION.
THAT MOTION PASSES NEW BUSINESS.
[6. Discussion and possible action regarding the failure of WSA to perform as agreed with the terms of the Partnership and Interlocal Agreements.]
ITEM SIX IS DISCUSSION.POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE FAILURE OF WSA WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS, ALAMO, TO PERFORM AS AGREED WITH THE TERMS OF THE PARTNERSHIP AND INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS.
SO I'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND.
I'M GONNA PASS IT OVER TO, TO, UH, MS. RATH, IF YOU WANT TO GO OVER, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF THE HAPPENINGS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON.
AND THEN I, UH, ANTICIPATE JUDGE EVANS WOULD LIKE TO DO THIS.
THIS IS ON THE Y'ALL'S AGENDA AT THE REQUEST OF THE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMITTEE OF SIX BY BACKGROUND FOR OUR NEW JUDGES, CUZ WE HAVE SO MANY UNDER FEDERAL AND STATE LAW.
UM, THE WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT ESTABLISHES THAT THE POLICY MAKING BODY THAT APPOINTS YOUR WORKFORCE BOARD MEMBERS, THAT APPROVES THEIR BUDGET AND THAT APPROVES THEIR PLAN, IS APPOINTED BY YOUR, UH, LEAN ELECTED OFFICIALS, YOUR CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIALS.
THAT INCLUDES THE COUNTY JUDGES OF EACH COUNTY AND THE, AND OUR FEDERAL LAW, THE MAYORS OF THOSE CITIES OF 200,000 AND ABOVE.
SO, LIKE IF YOU'RE UP IN DALLAS, YOU'VE GOT SEVERAL MAYORS.
UH, WE HAVE ONE, WHICH IS, UH, THE MAYOR OF SAN ANTONIO.
THIS TIME IT'S 13 INDIVIDUALS.
IN 1995, WHEN THE SYSTEM WAS FIRST DEVELOPED IN TEXAS, UH, THOSE CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIALS AT THE TIME DECIDED THAT WAS CUMBERSOME, AND THEY'D RATHER HAVE A COMMITTEE OF SIX.
SO THEY WOULD HAVE TWO REPRESENTATIVES OF FAIR COUNTY BECAUSE OF THE SIZE TWO OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AND TWO FROM THE AREA JUDGES, WHICH IS NOT A FORMAL LEGAL ENTITY AS
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BEAR COUNTY AND THE CITY IS.SO THIS INFORMAL REPRESENTATION MAKING UP THE COMMITTEE OF SIX.
AND SO THAT BODY IS WHO APPOINTS THE, UH, MEMBERS OF THE WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS ALAMO BOARD.
UH, THE REASON, UH, THE CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE SO INVOLVED IS BECAUSE YOU ARE LEGALLY LIABLE.
YOU HAVE ALL FINANCIAL LIABILITY IF THERE ARE ANY DISALLOWED COSTS THAT THEY CANNOT REIMBURSE.
SO THE LEGAL LIABILITY, THE FINANCIAL LIABILITY, REVERTS TO THE CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIALS AND UNDER BOTH FEDERAL AND STATE LAW, THAT IS THE SYSTEM.
OUR STATE LAW IS VERY PERMISSIVE.
AND INSTEAD OF REQUIRING ALL COUNTY JUDGES PLUS THE MAYOR, THEY RECOGNIZE AND ALLOW THE FLEXIBILITY TO HAVE THIS COMMITTEE OF SIX.
SO THAT COMMITTEE OF SIX HAS ALL RESPONSIBILITIES DELEGATED TO THE CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIALS UNDER FEDERAL AND STATE LAW.
AND SO YOUR REPRESENTATIVES ON THE COMMITTEE OF SIX ARE JUDGE EVANS, WHO BEEN THEIR, SINCE IT STARTED.
AND, UH, JUDGE KUTCHER AND JUDGE TEAL, UH, FORMERLY, UH, JUDGE SHART WAS ALSO ON THAT COMMITTEE UNTIL HE HAS ROLLED OFF.
UM, AND SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF THE BACKGROUND.
THEY, UH, DEVELOPED IN THE EARLY DAYS, AND IT'S BEEN AMENDED THREE TIMES AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT.
SO ALL THE CITY AND ALL THE COUNTIES DEVELOPED THEIR INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT OUT.
AND THAT'S REQUIRED UNDER BOTH FEDERAL AND STATE LAW, HOW IT WOULD OPERATE.
AND THAT COPY IS INCLUDED IN YOUR, UM, NOTEBOOK, UH, THAT REALLY HAS CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS, CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE THE DUTIES OF THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, HOW THIS PROCESS WILL WORK.
THAT IS WHAT ALLOWED WSA TO BE A NONPROFIT.
THAT IS WHO DESIGNATES THE ADMINISTRATIVE ENTITY.
THAT IS WHAT CREATED AND EMPOWERED WSA.
WITHOUT THAT INTERLOCAL, THERE IS NO WSA.
UM, IT LAYS OUT THE EXPECTATIONS AND HOW WSA WILL OPERATE, UH, WITH REGARD TO THE MEMBERSHIP, WITH REGARD TO THE BUDGET, WITH REGARD TO RESOURCE ALLOCATION, A WIDE RANGE OF ACTIVITIES SUBSEQUENT TO THE FORMATION AND THE APPOINTMENT OF WSA IN 96, 97.
UM, A PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT, WHICH IS ALSO REQUIRED UNDER BOTH FEDERAL AND STATE LAW, WAS DEVELOPED BETWEEN ALL OF YOUR LOCAL OFFICIALS.
SO ALL 13 LOCAL OFFICIALS AND WSA THAT WAS LAST AMENDED IN 19, I MEAN, 2015 OR 2016, BEEN AMENDED ABOUT THREE OR FOUR TIMES ALSO, UH, THAT REALLY LAYS OUT THAT WORKING RELATIONSHIP AND WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS ARE FROM WSA TO THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND LAYS OUT THE TERMS OF THAT WORKING ARRANGEMENT, WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE.
BOTH OF THOSE ARE LEGALLY BINDING DOCUMENTS BECAUSE THEY HAD TO BE, UH, PRESENTED AT, APPROVED, OR ACCEPTED BY, UH, TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION, WHICH IS THE LEAD AGENCY IN THE STATE.
SO THAT'S THE BACKGROUND OF IT.
SO AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE OUR 13 COUNTY REGION.
WSA IS A NONPROFIT FUNCTIONING WITH A BOARD THAT IS APPOINTED BY, UH, THE COMMITTEE OF SIX.
UH, THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR HIRING THEIR STAFF, AND THE WORKFORCE BOARD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THAT ALL THE AGREEMENTS, FEDERAL LAW, STATE LAW, THE POLICIES ARE ADOPTED.
UH, THEY HAVE SIGNIFICANT RESPONSIBILITY, THE AGREEMENTS ARE FOLLOWED AND ADHERED TO.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT GIVES THE APPROPRIATE BACKGROUND.
UH, NO, JUST A LITTLE STRUCTURE.
I MEAN, TO THE AGREEMENT, WHAT'S GOING ON? I MEAN, JUDGE EVANS, DO YOU WANNA CHIME IN AT THIS POINT? YEAH, I, IF THERE'S ANYTHING MORE YOU WANT ME TO ADD, I'LL BE HAPPY TO.
WHO, AS DIANE SAID, I'VE BEEN THERE SINCE BEFORE.
BUT, UH, THIS, IT, THE MOST DYSFUNCTIONAL THING I'VE EVER BEEN.
REMEMBER OF HONOR, UH, WE TRIED TO HAVE A MEETING HOW LONG AGO WE COULDN'T EVEN FINISH THIS MEETING CUZ ONE OF THE PARTNERS HAD SESSION B.
AND THEY, SO WE HAD TO, SO WE DIDN'T EVEN GET TO HAVE THE PLAN PRESENTED TIME FROM THAT.
WE HAD A SCHEDULED FOR A COUPLE MONTHS.
UH, MAYOR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OR WHOEVER COULDN'T ATTEND.
SO IT'S VERY, IT'S DIFFICULT TO HAVE CONTINUITY.
WE STILL DON'T HAVE A FINAL PLAN.
AND WHENEVER WE LOOK AT AMENDMENTS OF THE BUDGET OR PROCUREMENT, WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GONNA COME.
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WITH THE, THE MOBILE, WHATEVER THAT MONSTROSITY IS, THEY'RE GONNA BUY.THE, THE PROCUREMENT WAS TOTALLY WRONG.
SO WE, IF WE, IF IT CAN BE A SIX AND THAT'S WRONG, YOU HAVE TO STOP.
IT'S LIKE, WHO, WHO'S, WHO'S, WHO'S WATCHING IT? WHENEVER YOU CAN'T HAVE A MEETING AND FINISH A MEETING BECAUSE SOMEBODY HAS TO LEAD.
BECAUSE EVERYBODY HAS TO BE HERE.
ONE RIVER FROM EACH AND THREE BODIES HAS TO BE, OR YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING.
WE DID THREE AGENDA ITEMS AND THEN CLIP.
I MEAN, I, WHEN YOU DRIVE DOWN, YOU COME TO A MEETING, YOU PLAN, YOU CHANGE YOUR SCHEDULE, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN SOME MAYOR MAKES THE SESSION BE WHEN HE KNOWS THEY SHOULD BE HERE.
DOING THAT IS LIKE, THEY REALLY DON'T THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT APPARENTLY.
YOUR COUNTY, SOMETHING GOES WRONG.
WE, WE'RE NOT A FORMAL OFFICER.
WE LEANED ON CLIFF BRAD TO TAKE CARE OF US, BUT ACTUALLY WE, WE DON'T EXIST.
IT'S GONNA, IT'S GONNA COME BACK.
THEY SCREW UP, THEY COME BACK, WE GET A, WE GET A SUIT.
OKAY, UH, COUNTY, WE NEED A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OR WE GONNA DEFEND THE SUIT.
WHO GONNA PAY TO DEFEND THE SUE? WE DON'T HAVE LEGAL COUNSEL.
WE WOULD HAVE ENTIRE INDIVIDUAL.
OKAY, WHAT, WHAT'S, WHAT'S GOING TO EAST COUNTY? WE ASK AND WE ASK AND WE ASK.
WE STILL DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY IS BEING SPENT IN EAST COUNTY.
AND MAYBE IT'S RIGHT, MAYBE IT'S NOT, BUT WE DON'T KNOW.
WELL, BUT 80 20 MAY NOT BE RIGHT ANYMORE BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S GROW.
UH, YOU'RE GROWING LIKE MAD, YOU'RE GROWING SO SAN ANTONIO.
SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PERCENTAGE SHOULD BE.
ON A PERSONAL NOTE, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET A WORKFORCE OFFICE IN MY COUNTY SINCE I'VE BEEN JUDGED.
I LOOK AT THE, THE BUDGET TO, WE'RE GONNA, AT THE PORT SAN ANTONIO, WE'VE SPENT HUNDRED HUNDREDS OF THOUSAND DOLLARS TO OUTFIT THIS NEW THING AND MAKE A, A BIG SPLASH IN THE PAPER.
I CAN'T EVEN GET AN OFFICE, THE STAFF FULL TIME.
AM I FRUSTRATED? PASS FRUSTRATION.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BOARD AUTHORIZES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR EXECUTE AS FAR AS CONTRACTS.
I MEAN, WHEN I FIRST CAME ON COMMITTEE SIX, BACK WHEN JUDGE KREER WAS HERE AND WE MET DOWNTOWN, WE HAD MORE LAWYERS AND WE HAD MEMBERS BECAUSE THE CEO AND THE CFO HAD DONE CONTRACTS GONE BEYOND HERE A LITTLE BIT AND ALL THAT STUFF.
WELL, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD HAS TO DECIDE THAT.
WE SHOULD KNOW WHAT THE LIMITS ARE.
WE, WE SHOULD KNOW WHAT LAWSUITS ARE PENDING.
I DON'T THINK I'VE GOTTEN ANYTHING.
HAVE YOU GOTTEN ANYTHING? NO, I HAVEN'T.
UH, I JUST, I'M, SO, I CERTAINLY ECHO Y'ALL'S FRUSTRATION.
THE DAY I WALKED THROUGH THE DOOR, I STARTED LEARNING ABOUT A FEW THINGS.
AND, AND, UH, COMMITTEE OF SIX WAS ONE OF 'EM.
IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN A, IT WAS A MYSTERY FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.
AND SO NOW I'M STARTING TO, STARTING TO UNDERSTAND THE MYSTERY A LITTLE BIT AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, THE HISTORY.
BUT, UH, THING IS, IS, IS I THINK, UH, I THINK WHERE I'M AT IS, IS I NEED GUIDANCE ON WHAT TO DO.
I MEAN, IF, IF COMMITTEE OF SIX IS, IS NOT THE WAY TO GO ABOUT THIS DEAL, LET'S DEVOL DISSOLVE COMMITTEE OF SIX.
IF THERE, IF, IF WE CAN, AND THEN IF, IF, IF A RURAL AREA DEAL.
I KNOW THAT'S NOT PART OF THIS CONVERSATION, BUT IF, UH, IF, IF WE NEED TO BREAK APART FROM THE URBAN COUNTIES, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT AND, AND DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
CAUSE MAN, I'M, YOU KNOW, 15, 20 YEARS OF, YOU KNOW, I THINK EINSTEIN SAID, DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN, EXPECTING DIFFERENT RESULTS IS INSANITY.
AND SO WE, WE, WE APPROVED THIS THEORY YEAH.
SO, I MEAN, I, I JUST COUNSEL D GOT IT.
BUT I KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT WORKING FOR THE COMMITTEE OF SIX, BUT AREA JUDGES, YOU CAN AT LEAST TRY TO HELP US SOMEWHAT.
WELL, I AM GONNA DEFER TO DIANE.
SHE HAS SO MUCH MORE EXPERIENCE IN THIS THAN I DO.
BUT I, I KNOW THEY'VE TALKED ABOUT GOING UP TO T WC AND TALKING ABOUT IT, AND WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THE PROCESS.
AND SO I'M GETTING UP TO SPEED ON IT NOW AS WE SPEAK.
BUT I WOULD BE, UH, REMISS AND PRETENDING TO BE AN EXPERT IN THIS.
DIANE'S GOT FAR MORE EXPERIENCE THAN I DO.
I WOULD SAY THAT IT IS A COMPLEX ISSUE.
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CERTAINLY NEED TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS IN THAT DIALOGUE BECAUSE, UH, AREA JUDGES REALLY WANTED TO SEPARATE WELL BACK WHEN KEVIN WOLFE WAS CHAIRMAN STILL, UH, BECAUSE IT WAS NOT FUNCTIONING GOOD THEN.AND, AND WHEN COMMISSIONER WOLF WAS CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE OF SIX, HE TOTALLY SUPPORTED TRYING TO SEPARATE IT OUT.
UM, IT, IT IS, THE AREA DESIGNATIONS ARE DONE BY, UH, AN ENTITY IN TEXAS CALLED THE TEXAS WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD.
UH, AND THEY ESTABLISHED CRITERIA WHICH WE'RE GOING TO PULL DOWN AND LOOK AT THAT CRITERIA.
UM, AND THAT, THAT RECOMMENDATION THEN GOES TO THE GOVERNOR WHO FINALLY MAKES THE FINAL DESIGNATION.
WE DID THAT PROCESS WHEN MCMULLEN COUNTY JOINED, AND WE HAD TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS TO HAVE MCMULLEN MOVE FROM COASTAL BEND TO WORKFORCE.
UH, I MEAN TO, UH, YEAH, TO, UH, WSA CUZ IT WAS KIND OF THAT GOT FORGOTTEN WHEN THE OVERALL CHANGE CAME.
SO WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THAT PROCESS JUST A FEW YEARS AGO.
UM, TO START WITH, UH, I, I THINK THAT THAT CERTAINLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FAILURES TO ADHERE TO THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT AND THE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT, THEY ARE DOCUMENTED.
IT'S NOT JUST WHINING OR ARE ARE NOT BEING HAPPY.
THERE'S REALLY SIGNIFICANT ISSUES THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ADHERED TO.
UM, BEFORE WE'RE ABLE TO RECONCILE WHAT THE ALLOCATION SHOULD BE AND WHAT THE EXPENDITURES ARE AND THE SERVICE THAT IS OR IS NOT BEING DELIVERED.
CUZ RIGHT NOW WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT SHOULD BE OCCURRING.
I THINK THAT THAT CERTAINLY IS WORTH A CONVERSATION AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO EXPLORE AND, AND HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS.
UM, SO CERTAINLY IF THERE IS INTEREST IN SEPARATING, WE'LL BE GLAD TO, TO GET ALL THE LEGAL RESEARCH, UH, BRING IT BACK AND REPORT BACK TO YOU ALL.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA ADD TO THAT OR, I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S IT.
LIKE, AS DIANE SAID, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF PULLING, I'M TRYING TO PULL ALL THE RULES AND REGULATIONS AND THE STATUTES, AND I'M GETTING UP TO SPEED.
A MATTER OF FACT, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE WORKFORCE INVESTMENT COUNCIL NOW AND ALL THE REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR DESIGNATION OF THE DEVELOPMENT.
UH, IN 95, HISTORICALLY THIS REGION, IF YOU GO BACK TO THE EARLY SIXTIES WITH THE FIRST FEDERALLY FUNDED WORKFORCE PROGRAMS, SAN ANTONIO HAD THEIRS, BEAR HAD THEIRS, AND AOC HAD THIS SURROUNDING RURAL AREAS.
UH, THEN WHEN THESE AREAS WERE DESIGNATED IN 1994, SO 4 95, UM, SOME OF THOSE REMAINED, YOU HAVE THE CITY OF DALLAS AND THE COUNTY OF DALLAS IS ONE WORKFORCE BOARD.
YOU HAVE THE CITY OF FORT WORTH, AND THE COUNTY OF TARRANT IS ONE WORKFORCE BOARD.
AND THEN THERE'S, SURROUNDING 12 COUNTIES IS ANOTHER WORKFORCE BOARD.
YOU HAVE THE SAME THING IN AUSTIN WHERE YOU HAVE AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY IS ONE WORKFORCE BOARD SURROUNDED BY, UH, RURAL CAPITAL, WHICH IS THE SURROUNDING WORKFORCE BOARDS.
YOU HAVE BROWNSVILLE AND CAMERON COUNTY, WHICH IS ONE WITH THE ADJACENT THREE COUNTIES IN ANOTHER, UH, HOUSTON ORIGINALLY WAS HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, AND, UM, THE, THEIR RURAL COUNTIES.
THEN THEY CAME TOGETHER WITH HOUSTON AND HARRIS, AND THEN IT ALL CAME TOGETHER.
AND THEY'VE HAD, THEY'VE HAD A LOT OF ISSUES DONE IN HARRIS COUNTY ALSO.
UM, I MEAN, IN H GAG THEY, THEY'VE HAD SOME STRUGGLES TOO.
UH, I THINK THE OTHER THING THAT'S BEEN DIFFICULT IN THIS REGION IS THE, I'LL USE THE WORD INSTABILITY, AND I APOLOGIZE IF THAT'S THE WRONG WORD.
WE'VE HAD SEVEN OR EIGHT WORKFORCE DIRECTORS.
UH, DALLAS HAS HAD ONE, TERRENCE HAS HAD ONE, CENTRAL TEXAS HAS HAD ONE, AUSTIN HAS HAD THREE, HOUSTON HAS HAD TWO, UH, VALLEY LAL HAS HAD TWO.
SO I THINK THAT, THAT, THAT HAS LED TO DIFFICULTIES.
I THINK THAT'S BEEN AN ADDED THING LEADING TO IT BECAUSE IT'S LIKE WE'RE AND LAW, NUMEROUS LAWSUITS, NUMEROUS SETTLEMENTS.
UM, AND THANK YOU FOR ADDING THAT BECAUSE EVERY TIME ONE LEAVES, THERE'S A SETTLE LITIGATION AND A SETTLEMENT.
SO I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT.
CAN I GO AHEAD AND FINISH SPINNING? YES, SIR.
A A D C WAS FORMED TO PROVIDE WORKFORCE SERVICES TO THE RURAL COUNTY AT THE REQUEST OF THE STATE, I BELIEVE, ELEMENT
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AREA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.THEN IN THE INTERIM, THERE WAS, I GU I THINK IT WAS PERSONALITY CONFLICTS AND TERRITORIAL CONFLICTS.
THE STATE SAID YOU CAN'T DO THAT BECAUSE THE ADC HAS JUDGES ON THE BOARD.
SO WE WENT UP THERE AND WE FOUGHT, AND I WON'T SHARE THE CONVERSATION I HAD WITH THESE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
I WAS CHAIRMAN, IT WASN'T PLEASANT.
IT WAS, YEAH, YOU WEREN'T THERE,
SO WE FIND AN ESCAPE OF, AND WE DISBANDED, UH, AND, AND DIDN'T DO IT.
THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS THE LARGEST SINGLE CONTRACT THROUGH WORKFORCE.
MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
IT'S OKAY FOR THAT, BUT IT'S NOT OKAY FOR US.
THAT'S BS IT'S EITHER RIGHT OR IT'S WRONG.
IF IT'S WRONG, SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE.
IF IT'S RIGHT, THEN WE STILL DISBANDED A D C.
BUT EVERY TIME WE TURN AROUND, SOMEBODY'S CLUBBING US AND WE DON'T HAVE THE POLITICAL CLOUD AT THE CAPITOL TO PROTECT OURSELVES.
I JUST, IF I COULD GET OUT OF THIS WORKFORCE AREA, I WOULD LEAVE TOMORROW.
I'M SO FRUSTRATED IF IT WASN'T FOR CHILDCARE.
THAT'S THE ONLY THING MY COUNTY GET IS SOME CHILDCARE.
COUNTY IS SAN ANTONIO BECAUSE WE NOT, WE'RE NOT RISING STARS BECAUSE, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE, ALL THIS STUFF YOU GO THROUGH.
BUT IT'S, IT'S LIKE, IT'S THE MOST MONUMENTAL WASTE OF MONEY.
I THINK THE STATE HAS EXCEEDED IN DOING, IN MY OPINION.
WE'VE ASKED FOR A COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS.
BUT ANYWAY, I'M GONNA VET I'M THROUGH.
IF I CAN LEAVE, I'M GONNA LEAVE.
HE SAYS I PROBABLY CAN'T, BUT
I HAVEN'T BEEN AS INVOLVED AS LONG, UH, NOT EVEN CLOSE TO JUDGE S AND JUDGE TEAL AND OTHERS.
UM, NOT TO REVISIT ALL THOSE THINGS, BUT THERE'S BEEN NUMEROUS TIMES THAT JUST FEELS DISCONNECTED.
THERE'S NOT A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE'RE TASKED WITH, OUR LEVEL OF RESPONSIBILITY, UM, AND OUR INVOLVEMENT FROM A LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVE OR DECISION MAKING PERSPECTIVE.
WHEN WE ASK FOR INDIVIDUAL DETAILED CLARIFICATION IN A TIMELY MANNER, UM, SEPARATE AND APART FROM THE FOCUS ON PROVIDING SERVICES TO SAN ANTONIO AND BEXAR COUNTY, I THINK THAT'S HUMAN NATURE AND ORGANIZATION TO FOCUS ON THOSE BIGGER AREAS.
BUT YOU CAN'T LET THAT OVERSHADOW THE REAL NEED THAT'S OUT IN THE RURAL AREAS THAT WE ALL KNOW ABOUT.
BE COUNTY SAN TO DESERVE THE MOST OF EVERYTHING.
THERE'S A BIG CHUNK OF EVERYTHING, RIGHT? BUT, BUT WE'RE HARRY TRUMAN, THE BUCK STOPS HERE WITH THE COMMITTEE OF SIX.
RIGHT? HOPEFULLY IF SOMETHING'S BAD, WE'VE, WE'VE NOMINATED PEOPLE.
WE'VE, WE'VE GOTTA APPROVE, WE'VE PUT BUCKS AND WE'VE APPROVED ALL THESE, THE PLAN AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
SO ULTIMATELY IT COMES BACK TO THE COMMITTEE OF SIX, WHICH MEANS IT COMES BACK TO ALL OF US, RIGHT? CAUSE YOU ELECT US TO, TO BE THERE AS YOU'RE REPRESENTATIVE.
IT'S, IT'S JUST, UH, IT'S A VERY, TO ME, IT'S A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATION TO BE IN.
SOME OF THE MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD, UM, LAST YEAR, AND I MEAN THE LAST MEETING YOU WERE REFERRING TO, IT'S BEEN REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE.
JUST TRYING TO MAKE SIMPLE DECISIONS THAT ARE BENEFITING THE PEOPLE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE SERVING.
WELL, YOU CAN'T FINISH, YOU CAN'T FINISH A MEETING.
WELL, AND WE'VE ASKED FOR RIDICULOUS FOR, UH, RECENT BUDGET ALLOCATION PAPERWORK.
THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AN EMAIL RETURNED ABOUT TWO WEEKS.
IT'S BEEN RIGHT AT THREE WEEKS UNTIL NOW.
RECEIVED AN EMAIL 1115 THIS MORNING PRIOR TO OUR MEETING.
AND, AND THERE'S NUMEROUS EXAMPLES LIKE THAT.
UM, DON'T WANT TO JUST TALK BAD ABOUT ANYBODY, BUT ALSO EVERYBODY THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE TO AND, AND SERVE DESERVE US.
UM, TO BE VERY HONEST AND OPEN ABOUT, ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE TO DO AND THE DECISIONS WE'RE MAKING FOR THE BENEFIT OF, OF THOSE FOLKS.
SO PERSONALLY, I THINK WE'D BE BETTER OFF, UM, SEPARATING, UM, STILL TRYING TO WORK WITH THEM AS WE MOVE FORWARD, BUT HAVING A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE TO THOSE RURAL AREAS OUTSIDE SAN ANTONIO AND BE COUNTY.
UM, IS ANYBODY, I MEAN, HEARING THIS DISCUSSION, TALKING DAVE, UM, HEARING COMMENTS FROM MR. RATH AND, UM, AND CLIFF, WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS, BUT IS ANYBODY ADAMANTLY OPPOSED TO US MOVING FORWARD SEEKING THOSE DETAILS ON HOW WE COULD MOVE FORWARD AND POTENTIALLY SEPARATE? I ADAMANTLY SUPPORTED
SEEMS LIKE I, FOR ONE, APPRECIATE THIS CONVERSATION,
CAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE'RE AN UNDERDOG OVER HERE,
SO I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THIS CONVERSATION.
BUT MY, MY COMPLAINT IS NOT THAT BEAR COUNTY'S GETTING TOO MUCH.
UH, THEY, THEY SHOULD GET WHAT THEY DESERVE TO GET.
BUT WE SHOULD GIVE WHAT WE DESERVE AND WE SHOULD
[00:30:01]
KNOW WHAT WE'RE GETTING.WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT WE'RE GETTING.
I'VE BEEN WATCHING THIS FOR A LITTLE OVER FOUR YEARS.
I'M NOT AS NEW AS SOME OF YOU, BUT RELATIVELY NEW.
AND I KEPT HEARING ABOUT THE COMMITTEE OF SIX AND I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY DID.
STILL KIND OF DON'T, KIND OF MAFIOSO
BUT WHAT I HAVE OBSERVED IS THERE IS A COMPLETE LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY, UH, IN MANAGEMENT OF WORKFORCE SAN ANTONIO AND THEIR ACCOUNTABILITY BACK TO THE BOARD.
UH, AND LAST YEAR, SOME OF YOU MAY REMEMBER THEM, UH, THEY CAME IN, WE PROVED THEIR BUDGET, UH, AND I ASKED A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS AND ADRIAN COULDN'T ANSWER 'EM.
SO I VOTED AGAINST THE PROVEN THE BUDGET.
YOU REMEMBER THAT? ABSOLUTELY.
UH, STILL DON'T HAVE ANY ANSWERS.
UH, IT, HE, FROM MY LIMITED PERSPECTIVE, HE DOES WHAT HE WANTS TO DO.
AND DOES, THERE'S NO ACCOUNTABILITY BACK TO THE COMMITTEE OF SIX AT ALL.
SO AT, AT THIS POINT, AGAIN, THESE WERE JUST DISCUSSION ITEMS WE
[7. Discussion and possible action on the feasibility of dividing the WSA region into two regions: rural and urban.]
HAD ON THE AGENDA, BUT WHAT I'M HEARING IS GIVING CLEAR DIRECTION TO, TO MS. RAFF AND, AND MR. HERBERG TO, TO LOOK AT THE DETAILS AND THE FEASIBILITY OF POTENTIALLY DIVIDING INTO TWO REGIONS.AND Y'ALL WILL BRING THAT BACK TO, UH, UH, ANOTHER AREA JUDGE'S MEETING.
IF I UNDERSTAND JOEL, WE WILL MEET WITH BOTH TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION AND THE TEXAS WORKFORCE INVESTMENT COUNCIL TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS AND POSSIBILITY AND THEN BRING THAT BACK FOR Y'ALL'S FINAL DECISION.
IF, IF THAT'S Y'ALL'S PLEASURE.
SOUNDS LIKE, SOUNDS LIKE IT IS.
THERE IS A TIMELINE INVOLVED CUZ IT, IT HAS TO DO WITH THE TIMING OF FEDERAL ALLOCATIONS.
AND SO IT'S SOMETIMES IT'S A TWO YEAR PROCESS.
WE HAVE TO GIVE SIX MONTHS NOTICE, SIX MONTHS DISBAND AND ALL THAT.
LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE IF WE, I THINK IT'D BE OKAY.
EXHIBIT WHAT'S POSTED FOR ACTION OF TWO THINGS.
WELL, BUT THIS IS ABOUT THE AREA JUDGES.
SO WE DON'T, WE DO NOT FORMALLY EXIST.
SO WE WE'RE ASKING, UH, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF AOC AND GENERAL COUNSEL OF ACO TO DO THIS JOB.
NOW WE HAVE TO ASK THE ACOG BOARD FOR THEM TO DO THAT CAN VOLUNTEER OUR TIME.
I WAS GONNA SAY IT'S FOR ON BEHALF OF MEMBERS MM-HMM.
I DON'T, AND IT'S NOT GONNA COST ANYTHING.
I DON'T, WELL, I DON'T SEE ANYTHING MORE THAN A MEMBER SERVICE.
YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT, BUT I JUST MAKE SURE WE ON SO IN SOLIDLY GROUND, I I DON'T SEE IT AS A NECESSARY UNLESS JOURNEY OF NOTICE ISSUE TO THEM, TO THE BOARD AS A WHOLE.
I DON'T THINK IT'S REQUIRED LEGALLY IN THE FOLLOW UP.
SHOULD WE CONSTITUTE HEARING JUDGES AS A FORMAL GROUP? I, I DEFER TO THE ATTORNEY.
WELL, CAUSE I'VE BEEN ASKING THAT BEFORE YOU WERE HERE.
YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE, WE'RE A CLIENT DISTANT GROUP OF JUDGES WHO WE'RE
WELL, WHAT WOULD IT FALL UNDER? I MEAN, WHAT WOULD IT BE AS AN ADMINISTRATIVE ADVISOR? JUST LIKE AN ANOTHER ADVISORY BOARD.
HOW WOULD, HOW WOULD THE, I'M NOT SURE.
I HAVEN'T GOVERNED A MOMENT'S THOUGHT TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, BUT, UM, HOW WOULD IT, YEAH.
WE ONLY EXIST IN THE IDENTIFICATION IN THE INTERLOCAL ARENA.
AH, I DON'T THINK THERE'S NOT A LEGAL ENTITY OF ANY KIND EXCEPT WE TAKE ACTION.
WE POST AGENDA THIS AND WE IMPOSE RE COMMITTEE AS AREA JUDGES TO, TO SELECT THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE OF SIX AND THE WSA BOARD.
OR THE COMMITTEE SIX, COMMITTEE OF SIX WOULD BE NOMINAT.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT STEPPING OFF INTO IT.
I SAID IT WAS ON FOR DISCUSSION.
IT DOES SAY DISCUSSION AND ACTION WITH YOU.
UM, WHATEVER'S DIRECTIONAL PLEASURE IS, I THINK I HAVE CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION OF THE DIRECTION.
SO I THINK WHATEVER Y'ALL ARE MORE COMFORTABLE WITH, UH, IF YOU WANT US TO BRING BACK INFORMATION OR IF YOU WANNA GIVE DIRECTION AND THEN WE REPORT BACK WHATEVER Y'ALL'S PLEASURE IS, BECAUSE MY FAULT.
I'M, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE LEGAL RELATIONSHIPS.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WORKFORCE SAN ANTONIO WSA, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE PROBLEM IS.
IT'S NOT, NOT, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT ACO.
NO, NOT ACO TO MY UNDERSTANDING.
SO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS WHETHER OR NOT SEPARATE WORKFORCE.
[00:35:01]
MM-HMM.NOW I WILL SAY NO, NO SEPARATION WITH ACOG.
JUST SEPARATION FROM WORKFORCE THERE.
BECAUSE I WILL SAY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, WELL, IN FACT, NATIONALLY ALL OVER THE PLACE, UH, IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, THERE'S EIGHT COUNCILS OF GOVERNMENT THAT DO HOUSE WORKFORCE BOARDS.
UH, FACT HVAC DOES, UH, NORTH CENTRAL COG DOES EAST TEXAS, NORTH TEXAS, THERE ABOUT EIGHT.
I KNOW THERE'S EIGHT OF 'EM THAT DO.
SO YOU ALL COULD DECIDE ONCE YOU HAVE A DESIGNATION IS A SEPARATE WORKFORCE AREA, THEN IT WOULD TAKE THE THIR, THE 12 COUNTIES MAKING UP THAT AREA, PLUS THE, UH, MAYOR OF THE LARGEST COMMUNITY.
UH, CUZ IF YOU DON'T HAVE 200,000, IT'S THE LARGEST, WHICH WOULD BE NEW BRAUNFELS AT THIS TIME.
SO THE MAYOR OF NEW BRAUNFELS WOULD CONSTITUTE THAT AREA'S CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIALS.
AND THEN YOU ALL WOULD FOLLOW THAT SAME PROCESS.
YOU WOULD DEVELOP YOUR INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT ON HOW YOU'RE GONNA WORK TOGETHER AND ESTABLISHING A WORKFORCE BOARD THAT YOU CAN DESIGNATE THAT ALL THE DUTIES OF THAT WORKFORCE BOARD AND THAT THE ADMINISTRATIVE ENTITY, THE FISCAL ENTITY, ALL THOSE DUTIES WOULD BE CARRIED OUT BY THE COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENT.
THAT'S WHAT THOSE OTHER EIGHT HAVE DONE.
UM, AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR BEING THE ADMINISTRATIVE ENTITY AND FISCAL ENTITY OF THE BOARD.
YOU WOULD STILL HAVE A WORKFORCE BOARD.
SO THE 12 COUNTIES AND THE MAYOR WOULD APPOINT THE WORKFORCE BOARD MEMBERS WOULD HAVE UNDER FEDERAL AND STATE LAW, THE, THE SAME BODIES, SAME RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES AND OBLIGATIONS THAT THE BOARD OF WSA HAS.
UH, SO THAT PROCESS WOULD BE EXACTLY THE SAME.
UH, CUZ WE HAVE 28 WORKFORCE BOARDS.
SO THERE'D BE 29, UH, ONLY THE ADMINISTRATIVE ENTITY.
UH, AND THE FISCAL AGENT WOULD BE THE, AND THE STAFFING WOULD BE DONE BY THE COG IF THAT WAS Y'ALL'S DECISION.
CUZ YOU CAN DESIGNATE ANYBODY TO DO THAT.
IS THERE ANY CONFLICT OF INTEREST OR ANY CROSSOVER THAT WOULD BE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST? NO, SIR.
Y'ALL WOULD CHARGE WHATEVER TO THE, TO THE, UH, EACH GRANT HAS VERY STRICT RESTRICTIONS ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE ENTITY AND WHAT CAN BE CHARGED.
AND SO THAT, AND THAT'S TRUE IN YOUR FORMER LIFE.
I HAD PROJECTS IN WASHINGTON STATE, NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, WHERE THE WORK, WHERE THE COG DID THE WORKFORCE REPORT.
BUT IF I UNDERSTAND IT CORRECTLY, ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING IS DIVORCING STILL FROM SAN ANTONIO AND BEX COUNTY'S WSA, IT WOULD BE TAKING THE ONE WORKFORCE AREA OF 13 COUNTIES AND SPLIT AND SPLITTING IT SO THAT SAN ANTONIO AND BEX COUNTY WAS ONE.
AND THEY WOULD CONDUCT ALL OF THEIR BUSINESS AS ONE, JUST LIKE DALLAS AND TARENT AND CAMERON AND TRAVIS DO THAT WOULD BE ONE.
AND THEN ANOTHER ONE WOULD BE THE RURAL ALAMO AREA.
PROBABLY RETAINING THE NAME ALAMO.
ANYHOW, THE RURAL ALAMO AREA, UH, WHICH WOULD DO IT JUST LIKE RURAL CAPITAL AND NORTH CENTRAL AND THO THOSE WOOD IS WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING.
HOW DOES THE FUNDING RATIO BREAK OUT? WE DON'T KNOW.
THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR, FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
UM, WHEN I, WHENEVER WE ASK, THE PRESENTATION IS ALWAYS 80 20, BUT 80 20 IS NOT WHAT THE INTERLOCAL REQUIRES.
THE INTERLOCAL REQUIRES THAT THE SAME FORMULA WHEREBY WSA RECEIVES ALLOCATIONS FROM THE STATE, SHALL BE USED FOR THE ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES TO EACH COUNTY.
AND WE'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THAT.
UM, 80 20 IS USED IF THERE'S DISALLOWED COSTS AND THERE'S A FORMULA FOR WHO PAYS BACK WHERE THE SERVICE IS DELIVERED.
BUT IF YOU CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHERE IT'S DEVELOPED, THEN IT'S 80 20.
BUT THAT'S THE ONLY PLACE 80 20 IS MENTIONED.
IT'S A DEFAULT FOR DISALLOWED COSTS ONLY, NOT FOR THE ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES.
IT, SO, UM, THE EXACT FIGURES, LIKE DEPENDING ON YOUR, ON WHAT GRANT IT IS, LIKE IF IT'S CHILDCARE, THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN, THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN POVERTY, THE DIFFERENT GRANTS THAT THE FEDS DO TO THE STATE OF TEXAS AND THAT THE STATE OF TEXAS DOES TO THE WORKFORCE AREA.
AND IT'S A VERY COMMON REQUIREMENT IN MANY MULTI-COUNTY WORKFORCE AREAS WHERE THEY HAVE THAT SAME REQUIREMENT.
AND THEN SAY IF MCMULLIN COUNTY WAS ENTITLED TO $27 OF CHILDCARE, THEN THEY WOULD GET THEIR 20.
SORRY, BUT THAT'S AN EASY NUMBER.
UM, AND YOU WOULD RUN IN WHAT HAPPENS IN OTHER AREAS.
[00:40:01]
ALLOCATION AND THEN YOU WOULD HAVE WHAT THE EXPENDITURES ARE.I MEAN MAYBE BARELY SHOULD GET 95% FOR ALL WE KNOW.
UH, BUT, BUT RIGHT NOW NOBODY KNOWS AND WE'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO OBTAIN THAT.
SO, ALTHOUGH APPARENTLY WE MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN IT TODAY, CUZ IT'S BEEN THREE WEEKS SINCE I REQUESTED THAT ON BEHALF OF THE COMMITTEE AND LONGER THAN THAT, THAT I REQUEST THREE WEEKS.
IS THIS THE LAST TIME? BUT THE PROBLEM HERE IS THE LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE MANAGEMENT OF WSA.
IF I MAY ADD FROM AN OUTSIDER LOOKING IN, I DON'T GO TO MANY OF THE WSA MEETINGS.
I'VE GONE, WHEN DIANE HAS ASKED ME TO GO AND SEE WHEN THERE'S A PROBLEM THAT'S ARISEN.
I MEAN THEY REALLY, THEY REALLY LOOK AT THE AREA OR THE COMMITTEE OF SIX AS AN OUTSIDER.
THEY'RE NOT CONSIDERED A FULL PARTNER IN MY MIND.
I MEAN, IF I HAD TO LOOK AT 'EM, THEY LOOK AT SOMEBODY THAT THEY TALK, THEY LOOK AT AND, AND IT'S A BIG PROBLEM BETWEEN THE BIG COUNTIES AND ALL ALWAYS HAPPENS.
BUT, UH, IN MY VIEW, AS AN OUTSIDER LOOKING IN, IT LOOKS LIKE SOMEBODY WHO'S BEING TOLERATED AND MODERATELY ACCOMMODATED AS OPPOSED TO BEING SEEN AS A FULL PARTNER IN THE PROCESS.
DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT TO YOU? MM-HMM.
I THINK THE FAILURE, THE LACK OF UNDER UNDERSTANDING THAT THE LIABILITY OF THE ELECTED OFFICIALS IS NOT RECOGNIZED.
BUT THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY LOOK AT YOU AS A GADFLY AS OPPOSED TO A FULL PARTNER.
LIKE I SAID, THAT'S PURELY FROM THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN WHEN I SEE IT.
BUT THAT'S JUST MY, UH, PERSONAL TAKE.
NOT AS A LAWYER, BUT JUST AS SOMEBODY WATCHING THE PROCESS.
NO, UH, JUDGES, I MEAN WE WANT TO CONSIDER A MOTION TO GIVE CLEAR DIRECTION TO MS. WRATH AND COUNSEL TO MOTION.
YEAH, WE DO HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND GIVE, UH, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND, UH, LEGAL COUNSEL ACON DIRECTION TO LOOK INTO THE DETAILS AND FEASIBILITY OF DIVIDING OR FORCE SOLUTIONS, ALAMO NOR REGION INTO TWO REGIONS, WHICH WOULD BE RURAL AND URBAN.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? AND THEN DID THEY COME BACK WITH A REPORT? YES SIR.
AND THEN DISCUSSION IF WE, IF WE DECIDE TO GO FORWARD, THEN WE HAVE TO GO TO THE COMMISSION.
WELL, IT'D BE, IT WOULD BE SUBMITTING ALL THE REQUIRED PAPERWORK AND DOCUMENTS TO THE TEXAS WORKFORCE INVESTMENT COUNCIL.
UH, AND THEN THEY MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE GOVERNOR.
T WC DOES NOT HAVE A STRICT ROLE IN THAT ENDEAVOR.
UM, TWI DEFERS AND WORKS VERY CLOSELY WITH T WC CAUSE THEY ARE THE, THE LEAD FOR ALL THE, THE PROGRAMS UNDER THEIR JURISDICTION AND THEY'RE GOVERNING, UH, STATUTE WAS GRANDFATHERED IN.
SO THAT'S A VERY CLOSE WORKING RELATIONSHIP.
SO I THINK IT'S A DUAL TRACK OF MEETING WITH T WC AND ALSO MEETING WITH TWK.
CUZ TWK IS WHO WE, UH, HAD TO APPEAR AND GET THE ACTION FROM TO BRING MCMULLEN IN.
BUT WE WOULD CONSIDER THAT AFTER YOU COME BACK WITH YOUR REPORT.
BUT DOES SOMEBODY GO AND OUTLINE WHAT THE PROCESS, IF I WILL SAY IF IT'S POSSIBLE ANY, SINCE WE'RE TAKING FORMAL ACTION, IF, IF THIS MOTION IS APPROVED, UH, I WOULD ASK THAT MS. RAT AND MR. HERBERT THEN PROVIDE OFFICIAL NOTICE TO THE ACOG BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
UM, IT'S NOT JUST AN INFORMAL REQUEST.
WE WE'RE, WE WE'RE TAKING COG RESOURCES TO WORK FOR US.
WE HAVE YOU AS A LAWYER IS LOOKING AT THIS, THIS INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT IS BETWEEN UH, THREE CEOS AND 12 COUNTIES.
AND THEN WE ALL, ALL OF US HAVE ELECTED THE COMMITTEE THREE TO REPRESENT THE JUDGES.
SO AS WE HAVE MEETING OF PROOF THAT DOESN'T EXIST.
WELL, AND TECHNICALLY THE THREE CEOS DON'T EXIST.
BUT THE INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT IS BETWEEN CEOS, WELL, INTER LOCAL, THE BACK SIGNATURE PAGES.
IT HAS ALL THE COUNTIES AND THE MAYORS, RIGHT? YES.
AND CUZ IT'S A LOT GETTING ALL 13 SIGNATURES IN.
AND I MEAN, BASED ON THE, THE COMMENTS, UM, WITH GIVEN DIRECTION OR AT LEAST INFORMING THE BOARD, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT'S A NECESSARY STEP? TO WHAT, WHAT LEVEL SHOULD THAT BE
[00:45:01]
DONE? SHOULD WE BE KEPT IN THE LOOP OR BROUGHT IN? MAYBE ONCE WE GET THAT INITIAL UM, KIND OF INFORMATION BACK? I WOULD SAY I'M VERY COMFORTABLE GETTING THE INFORMATION.SO I CLEARLY THINK THAT PART OF BEING DUES PAY MEMBERS AND ENTITIES REQUIRES A, A BROADER RANGE OF SERVICES.
SO I, UH, AM VERY COMFORTABLE MOVING FORWARD AND REPORTING BACK TO YOU ALL AND SEEING IF IT'S EVEN POSSIBLE.
I WOULD PROBABLY BE MORE COMFORTABLE DOING THIS INFORMALLY RATHER THAN REPORT MM-HMM.
SO WE CAN GATHER THE INFORMATION BEFORE WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION BEFORE WE DO SOMETHING.
CAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE NOT EVEN SURE IF IT'S POSSIBLE.
WELL, WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO, WHO THE PARTIES ARE.
SO, UH, SO THEN THAT BRINGS UP THE NEXT POINT THEN COUNSEL.
IS, ARE ANY OF THE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE HERE, LIKE, LIKE CONSENT AGENDA, PUTTING ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? ARE THOSE THIS IS, THIS IS STRICTLY FOR THE, UH, THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AREA.
RIGHT? I I I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I'M SAYING WHENEVER IF, IF WE'RE SPLITTING HAIRS LEGALLY, IF THIS DEAL DOESN'T EXIST AND WE'RE MAKING, YOU KNOW, THE FEW OF US ARE MAKING DECISIONS ON BEHALF OF, OF THE, THE, THE BIGGER BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
IS THAT AN ISSUE? THEY DON'T, BUT YOU REALLY DON'T.
I MEAN THERE REALLY AREN'T ANY, UM, CUZ YOU RECEIVE REPORTS AND, UH, IT'S REALLY GOVERNING THE DELIVERY OF SERVICES IN YOUR AREA.
WE MAKE A DECISION WHETHER TO MOVE IT TO THE FULL BOARD OR, OR NOT.
IS THE, IS THE POINT THAT, AND I'M JUST, I'M JUST PLAYING DEVIL'S ADVOCATES ALL I'M DOING TODAY.
AND I DON'T MEAN TO BO THINGS DOWN, BUT I'M NOT, I'M NOT, I CAN'T THINK OF ANY, I'M, I'M SORRY.
I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU.
I CAN'T THINK OF ANY ENTITY THAT Y'ALL HAVE MOVED CUZ BUDGETS DON'T GO, UM, APPOINTMENTS DON'T GO.
AND I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING EITHER DIANE, EXCEPT JUST WANT, I THINK IT'S MORE ADVISORY BODY THAT THEY WOULD GO AFTER GRANTS.
BUT ALL THAT GOES TO FULL, BUT THAT GOES THE FULL, MY POINT IS THEY FORWARD TO US, BUT WE DON'T TAKE, WE WOULD RECOMMEND TO THE BOARD, I THINK IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.
I WOULD SAY, FROM WHAT I CAN RECALL OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, NORMALLY THE AREA JUDGES FUNCTIONS MORE AS AN ADVISORY BODY.
UH, ADVISING THE BOARD BECAUSE, SO MOST OF THE ISSUES GO TO THE FULL BOARD.
I CAN'T THINK OF ISSUES THAT DON'T WORKFORCE GO TO THE FULL BOARD EXCEPT WORKFORCE.
WORKFORCE IS THE ONLY ONE THAT DOESN'T, THE REST OF EVERYTHING THAT I CAN THINK OF GOES TO GOES LIKE THE PLAN FOR ART FOR WEATHERIZATION.
ALL THOSE PLANS ARE APPROVED BY THE FULL BOARD.
THEY REPORT TO YOU ALL ON THE SERVICES IN YOUR AREA, BUT THAT'S A REPORT THAT'S NOT ACTION.
CAN YOU THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE? YEAH, I, I AGREE WITH THAT.
NO, AND I I I, I AGREE WITH, I JUST, WHILE I THINK IT'S, WHILE WE'RE GOING DOWN THAT RABBIT TRAIL, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THERE WASN'T ANYTHING ELSE IN A COMMITTED WSA IS THE ONLY ONE THAT IS SEEMINGLY AUTONOMOUS.
THEY HAVE THEIR OWN BOARD, THEIR OWN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
AND THEY'RE NOT ACCOUNTABLE TO Y'ALL.
YEAH, BECAUSE I REALLY THINK THE AREA, AND I KNOW I'M REPEATING MYSELF, BUT I THINK THE AREA JUDGES FUNCTIONS AS AN ADVISORY BODY.
WE HAVEN'T IMPLEMENTED THE THEORY VERY WELL.
WE STILL DO HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND, UH, ON THE TABLE.
IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE DIRECTION GIVEN TO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LEGAL COUNSEL TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND BRING IT BACK RIGHT HEARING? NO OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON THAT ITEM ON ITEM SEVEN? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
OPPOSED? SAME SIGN, HEARING, NO OPPOSITION.
[8. AACOG Program Reports A. Alamo Area Agency on Aging - Will McKnight B. Alamo Regional Transit - Sean Scott C. Regional Services - Miguel Segura C. Weatherization Assistance Program - Alicia Avila-Penalver]
PROGRAM REPORTS.ITEM A ACO PROGRAM REPORTS ITEM A ALAMO AREA AGENCY ON AGING.
IM THE DIRECTOR OF AGING AND MILITARY AFFAIRS, AND I KNOW YOU ALL RECEIVED TONS OF BRIEFINGS, SO I THOUGHT IT'S APPROPRIATE THE FIRST, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS HERE.
SO, UH, WHAT WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS HIGHLIGHT THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE UNDER THE AAA THAT, THAT SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITIES.
AND EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE'RE GONNA HIGHLIGHT OUR PERFORMANCE.
AND FOR MOST PART, WE'RE COVERING A 90 DAY PERIOD.
AND THEN FOR A FEW OF OUR CATEGORIES BASED OFF OUR SERVICES PROVIDE, I'M ONLY FOCUSED
[00:50:01]
ON, UH, THAT CURRENT MONTH.BUT I WILL HIGHLIGHT THAT AS I GO THROUGH THE BRIEF.
SO, WITHOUT BEING SET FOR, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, LET'S GO TO OUR FIRST SLIDE.
HERE, UH, WE'RE FOCUSED ON OUR ALAMOS CON CONNECTION AND WHAT THE ALAMO SERVICE CONNECTION DOES WITHIN THE ACOG.
AND LET ME JUST SAY FIRST AND FOREMOST THAT THIS CALL CENTER RECEIVES THE HIGHEST CALL VOLUMES WITHIN THE STATE OUT OF ALL OF OUR COUNTERPARTS, WHAT I'VE DONE IS, IF YOU SEE HIGHLIGHTED, IS WE'RE HIGHLIGHTING OUR DECEMBER, JANUARY, FEBRUARY PERFORMANCE.
AND THEN WHAT YOU HAVE TO THE FAR RIGHT SIDE, MY LEFT, UH, YOUR LEFT POTENTIALLY, DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU'RE SITTING IS WHAT THE AVERAGE IS.
AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IS WE ARE DEVELOPING SYSTEMS TO REALLY TRACK WHAT THESE REQUESTS ARE.
SO OUT OF THIS, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE GETTING THE MOST CALLS OUT OF COAL MALL AND GUADALUPE COUNTIES.
AND OF THOSE REQUESTS, THE REQUESTS ARE COMING IN FOR HOME REPAIR, TRANSPORTATION AND BENEFITS COUNSELING.
AND I KNOW DURING THE BOARD MEETING, I, I WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO JUST STRESS THIS WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE GROUP, THE ENDING OF THE CONTINUOUS MEDICAID COVERAGE, THE ENDING OF SNAP AND, AND OR MODIFICATIONS, SNAP BENEFITS.
WE'RE ALREADY SEEING, AS I'M SEEING PRELIMINARY NUMBERS FOR THIS CURRENT MONTH, THE MONTH OF MARCH, WE'RE SEEING INCREASES IN INCOME SUPPORT REQUESTS.
AND WE'RE ALSO SEEING INCREASES IN REGARDS TO, UH, PARTICIPATION LEVELS AT DIFFERENT, UH, EATING SITES.
SO WE'RE SEEING THE IMPACT OF THAT.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH YOU KNOW ABOUT THE ENDING OF THE CONTINUOUS MEDICAID COVERAGE.
I KNOW WE DISCUSSED IT, UH, DURING THE PREVIOUS MEETING, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS IT'S NOT ONLY A REQUIREMENT TO TO RE-CERTIFY UPON RECERTIFICATION, MOST FOLKS WILL BE PUT IN ONE TO THREE BUCKETS.
ONE, THEY'LL HAVE A MODIFICATION AND THEN MAINTAIN THE CURRENT BENEFIT THAT THEY'RE ON.
TWO, THEY'LL THE BENEFIT WILL BE LOWERED.
AND THIS IS A COST CUTTING MEASURE THAT'S, THAT'S BEING IMPLEMENTED ACROSS THE BOARD FOR WHERE WHAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING IS MOST PEOPLE WILL HAVE THE BENEFITS CUT.
AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE A THIRD BUCKET OF PEOPLE WHO WILL BE DEEMED INELIGIBLE FOR ANY NUMBER OF DIFFERENT REASONS.
AND WE HAVE THE EXACT SAME THING GOING ON WITH SNAP BENEFITS, WITH SNAP BENEFITS.
UH, SOME OF THE REPORTS ARE SAYING THAT AN INDIVIDUAL WILL RECEIVE PROBABLY BETWEEN A 70 TO $80 CUT OUT OF THEIR MONTHLY SNAP BENEFIT.
AND OUT OF A FAMILY IT'S ABOUT 77, 65 TO $70.
SO YOU CAN ALREADY SEE THE IMPLICATIONS IN MANY OF OUR RURAL COUNTIES AND IN OUR POPULATIONS HERE AND WHAT THE IMPACT OF THIS AS, AS IT CONTINUES TO GO OVER TIME.
SO AGAIN, IN, WE WANT TO KNOW, AND WE'VE ALREADY PUT SYSTEMS TOGETHER, WE PUT VIDEOS OUT, UH, THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING PUBLISHED, THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE HAD MEMBERS OF MY TEAM OUT FOR OUTREACH AT EACH OF YOUR OFFICES, WORKING WITH YOUR STATES W WORKING WITH YOUR STAFFS TO LET YOU KNOW WHAT BENEFITS THAT WE HAVE AT OUR, OUR DISPOSAL.
AND THE FACT THAT THE OUTREACH THAT WE'RE DOING, AND DIANE HAD ALLUDED TO IT, THE OUTCOMES THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY SEEING BASED OFF OUR NUMBERS IN THE RURAL AREA, WE'VE SEEN A DRASTIC IMPROVEMENT.
SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS, I, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU BECAUSE ONE, THE WORD IS GETTING OUT BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING, THE NUMBERS ARE COMING IN.
BUT AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO CONTINUE AT.
SO I, I'VE MADE THIS MY NUMBER ONE PRIORITY TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING OUTREACH OUT TO THE RURAL COUNTIES.
AND JUST LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE A STAFF MEMBER THAT HAS NOT HAD ONE OF MY TEAM OR, UH, REPRESENTATIVES FROM OUR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE VISIT YOUR YOUR OFFICE.
WE WANT TO GET UP AND PRE PRESENT IN FRONT OF YOU.
WE WANT THE COMMUNITIES TO KNOW THE RESOURCES WE HAVE AT OUR DISPOSAL.
THIS IS OUR BENEFITS COUNSELING.
AND, AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT, WHAT OUR BENEFITS COUNSELING TEAM, UH, DOES ON THE, UH, THE, THAT LEFT SIDE OF THE SLIDE THERE.
AND THE BOTTOM LINE IS WHAT WE HAVE HERE, UH, IN FRONT OF OUR ACOG BUILD.
AND WE HAVE THE BENEFITS ENROLLMENT CENTER, AND IT'S ONLY, THIS IS ONE OF FOUR IN THIS STATE.
UH, SO, AND WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON IS LEGAL ASSISTANCE SENIOR MEDICARE PATROL.
AND WHAT YOU SEE IS THESE TWO CATEGORIES HERE.
AND YOU CAN SEE OUR TOTAL NUMBERS AT THE BOTTOM, UH, IN RESPONSE TO EACH RESPECTIVE, UH, COUNTY.
AND THEN YOU SEE THE LEGAL SERVICES.
SO WHAT I WANT TO FIRST DIVE INTO IS THE APPLICATIONS AND WHAT AC WHAT DOES THAT ACTUALLY MEAN? SO APPLICATIONS, AS WE'RE LOOKING AND DIVING INTO THESE NUMBERS AND WHAT THEY'RE TELLING US AT THIS POINT, OUR APPLICATIONS ARE FOR FOOD STAMPS, THEY'RE FOR LOW INCOME SUBSIDIES AND THEY'RE FOR THE MEDICAID SAVINGS PROGRAM AND ALSO MEDICAID APPLICATIONS.
BUT THE MOST ALARMING CONCERN I HAVE IS THE NUMBER ONE REQUEST THAT WE'RE GETTING TO OUR APPLICATIONS IS FOR FOOD STAMPS.
SO AGAIN, WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT SNAP BENEFITS BEING MODIFIED, WE'RE SEEING INCREASES IN REQUESTS FOR FOOD STAMPS.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE WATCH.
AND I AT THE BOTTOM, THE AL THIS ALAMO UNDUPLICATED,
[00:55:01]
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'M REALLY, REALLY PROUD OF BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE AS WE'RE GOING FROM DECEMBER TO JANUARY TO FEBRUARY, WE'RE SEEING THAT INCREASE.AND THIS GOES BACK TO THE OUTREACH.
SO THE WORD IS GETTING OUT AND I, I WANT TO CONTINUE TO GET THE WORD OUT AND WE'RE GONNA, AND WHEN I COME BACK IN FRONT OF YOU AGAIN, I WANT, I WANT THESE NUMBERS TO CONTINUE TO GROW.
SO THIS BREAKDOWN HERE, SO WHAT YOU HAVE TO YOUR, TO MY LEFT IS A BREAKDOWN OF THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE UNDER THE CARE COORDINATION UMBRELLA AND THE EXCEL SPREADSHEET THERE.
THIS IS ONLY COVERING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY.
OKAY? SO I WANTED TO MAKE THAT DELINEATION FOR YOU.
SO OF THESE, AND OF THESE NUMBERS HERE, WE'RE HAVING OUR RESIDENTIAL REPAIR HAS BEEN THE NUMBER ONE REQUEST FOR SUPPORT, UH, BA I'M SORRY, NOT REQUEST FOR SUPPORT, BUT SUPPORT PROVIDED UP TO THE, TO DATE FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY.
AND THEN WE HAVE A TIE FOR THIRD BETWEEN HEALTH MAINTENANCE AND CHORE MAINTENANCE.
AND AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THOSE CORRESPONDING DEFINITIONS AND WHAT THEY ACTUALLY SUPPORT.
BUT AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CONTINUE TO MONITOR BECAUSE I HAVE A FEELING OVER TIME, ESPECIALLY AS THE, UH, THE IMPACTS OF THE CONTINUOUS MEDICAID COVERAGE KICKS IN THESE NUMBERS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE FOR SPECIFICALLY FOR THE INCOME SUPPORT.
AND THOSE, THOSE REQUIREMENTS THAT, THAT ARE, ARE MET WITH THAT.
SO NEXT SLIDE, CAREGIVER SUPPORT.
THIS IS ACTUALLY NOT A CHART, UH, THAT IDENTIFIES PERFORMANCE.
WHAT I'M IDENTIFYING HERE IS PRETTY MUCH WE HAVE THREE HHS APPROVED EBI COURSES, EXERCISE, SELECT THE MATTER OF BALANCE AND BINGO SIZE.
AND WE'RE JUST SHOWING YOU WHERE WE ACTUALLY CONDUCT THOSE, UH, WHICH COUNTIES WE ACTUALLY CONDUCT THOSE TRAINING, THOSE TRAININGS, THAT TRAINING, OR THAT THOSE CLASSES ARE ALSO CONDUCTED IN A VIRTUAL FORMAT AS WELL.
SO WE WANTED TO ALSO BRING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION.
I MEAN, I, I, I CANNOT STRESS TO YOU THE, UH, THE POPULARITY OF ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS AND SOMETHING THAT'S JUST IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO, TO PROVIDE.
THIS HAS BEEN, WE ARE JUST ABOUT TO SURPASS, AND I'M ANTICIPATING FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH THAT WE WILL ACTUALLY SURPASS PRE COVID NUMBERS.
SO OUR NUMBERS HAVE BEEN VERY STRONG HERE.
UH, AND FOR THE RURAL COUNTIES SPECIFICALLY, WE HAVE A TOTAL OF, UH, SEVEN PROVIDERS THAT SUPPORT THE RURAL COUNTIES, UH, FOR, FOR CONGREGATE MEALS, VALIDATED CONGREGATE MEAL LOCATIONS, AS WELL AS, UH, THE HOME DELIVERED MEALS TO, AGAIN, THE OBJECTIVE HERE IS TO REDUCE THE FOOD INSECURITY FOR THESE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS TO WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO.
I, I'VE SAT DOWN WITH MY COUNTERPARTS IN HOUSTON AND DALLAS AND, YOU KNOW, LARGER, UH, URBAN AREAS AND THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY OUR NUMBERS ARE SO MUCH, UH, BETTER THAN THEIRS.
THEY ARE STRUGGLING, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO CONGREGATE MEALS.
AND PART OF THEIR PROBLEM AS WE'RE WE'RE DISCUSSING IT, IS THE CONDITION OF THE CONGREGATE MEAL SITES THAT THEY HAVE.
AND REALLY WHAT THIS GOES TO IS THE SEVEN CONGREGATE MEAL SITES THAT WE ARE PROVIDING MEALS FROM ARE TOP NOTCH.
SO THE WORK THAT HAS GONE INTO THEM HAVE MADE THESE LOCATIONS ALL VERY INVITING.
THESE ARE PLACES WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO GO.
THEY WANT TO SHARE MEALS, THEY WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.
AND THIS IS WHY OUR NUMBERS ARE SO STRONG.
SO AGAIN, AS YOU SIT DOWN WITH THOSE, UH, THOSE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS AT THOSE LOCATIONS, JUST PLEASE, I, I THANK THEM ROUTINELY, BUT THEY ARE DOING EXCEPTIONAL JOB TO MAKING SURE THAT THOSE FACILITIES ARE THE MOST INVITING FACILITIES.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY FOR OUR NEW JUDGES, CUZ THEY DRINK FROM A FIRE HOSE WHEN THEY FIRST COME IN TO REALLY UNDERSTAND LIKE EXAMPLES OF THOSE CONGREGATE MEALS.
CUZ I KNOW WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET A LOCATION IN FRIO FOR YEARS AND HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO.
SO I KNOW IT'S SILVER SAGE, UH, IN BANDERA AND KAMAL SENIOR CENTER, WE HAVE KAMAL SENIOR CENTER, UH, WE HAVE D DIRK IN CURVILLE, WE HAVE GILLESPIE COUNTY, UH, UH, UH, GOLDEN AGE HUB.
WE HAVE MEDINA SENIOR CENTER, WE HAVE RERO SENIOR CENTER IN IN BURN.
WE HAVE SILVER SAGE IN BANDERA.
AND THEN WE HAVE NATURALLY, MEALS ON WHEELS HAS, UH, CERTAIN SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS FOR THE HOME DELIVERED MEALS, WHICH THEY'RE, THEY'RE AUGMENTING, UH, CERTAIN SEGMENTS OF THE, THE RURAL COUNTIES AS WELL.
BUT AGAIN, IF YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO THESE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS, JUST THANK THEM FOR WHAT THEY'RE DOING BECAUSE WE ARE TRULY LEADING THE STATE IN REGARDS TO GETTING MEALS OUT TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS ABOUT.
SO THIS, THIS IS REALLY A SUCCESS STORY.
SO THIS IS A TOTAL OF THREE ACOG EMPLOYEES AND A CADRE OF 19 VOLUNTEERS THAT THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR KIND OF IDENTIFYING
[01:00:01]
TRAINING, GETTING THEM CERTIFIED.UH, AGAIN, BASED OFF THE, THE AMOUNT OF SENIOR CENTERS THAT WE HAVE IN THE RURAL COUNTIES, THEY, THEY STAY BUSY.
YOU, YOU ALL UNDERSTAND THE DIVERSITY OF OUR, OF THE, THE RURAL COUNTIES AND THE DISTANCES THAT THEY COVER.
BUT AGAIN, THIS IS A EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM THAT'S PROVIDING THE SUPPORT NEEDED TO ADVOCATE FOR THOSE RESIDENTS AND RESIDENTS, RIGHT? SO I I I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR EFFORTS ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND IF I CAN, FOR OUR NEW JUDGES, UH, THIS PROGRAM TO ME IS SOMETIMES FRUSTRATING.
THEY DO SUCH A SUPER JOB AND TRULY OUR TWO OMBUDSMAN, CUZ WE HAVE ONE IN FAIR AND ONE IN THE, IN THE UH, UH, AREA, THEY ABSOLUTELY, AND ALAMO AAA IS A LEGAL ENTITY CUZ WE HAVE TWO, WE HAVE FAIR, UH, UH, AGING AND WE HAVE ALAMO AGING UNDER STATE, UM, DESIGNATION.
UM, BUT THEY REALLY ENSURE THAT THE RIGHTS OF THOSE RESIDENTS IN AN ASSISTED LIVING OR IN A SKILLED NURSING FACILITY ARE FOLLOWED.
SO IF THEY ARE BEING ABUSED, FINANCIALLY ABUSED, IF THEIR WISHES AREN'T BEING FOLLOWED, IF THEY WANT SOMETHING TO HAPPEN, THEY VISIT WITH THAT, THAT INDIVIDUAL AND ENSURE THEIR WISHES AND THEIR RIGHTS ARE RESPECTED.
AND THEY HEAR SOME HEARTBREAKING CASES OUT THERE.
THEY ARE NOT A REGULATORY BODY.
IN FACT, THEY ARE PROHIBITED FROM REPORTING REGULATORY VIOLATIONS UNLESS THE INDIVIDUAL GIVES THEM PERMISSION TO.
SO I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO DISCRIMINATE THEIR RULES.
SO I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT, BUT I WANTED TO ELABORATE JUST A LITTLE BIT ON THAT.
AND THEN, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA GO TO OUR FINAL SLIDE HERE AND IT'S, IT'S A QUESTION SLIDE.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE OPEN THE FLOOR FOR QUESTIONS.
AND THEN I HAVE, SINCE I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE IN FRONT OF YOU, I DO HAVE AN ASK.
SO I'LL, YOU ALL I'M SURE ARE ACCUSTOM THE BRIEFINGS WHERE YOU HAVE A ASK AS PART OF THAT
SO, SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE A ASK NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO MY ASK IS WE HAVE THE ASAC.
SO RIGHT NOW EACH COUNTY HAS TWO REPS AND ONE ALTERNATE.
AND RIGHT NOW WE ARE SHORT OF OUR TO NOMINATION.
SO FOR BANDERA, I ONLY HAVE, I NEED, I NEED AN ADDITIONAL REP AND AN ALTERNATE, SAME THING FOR AL, FOR FRIO, INITIAL ONE REP AND AN ALTERNATE GILLESPIE, KARNS, KERR, MC, MCMILLAN AND MC MEDINA, SAME THING.
AN AN ADDITIONAL REP IN ONE ALTERNATE.
SO IF YOU ALL CAN HELP ME WITH BETTER SHAPING, PROVIDING THAT, THAT NECESSARY SKILLSET SET, THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO PUSH ALL OF THESE INITIATIVES TO SUPPORT THE RESIDENTS OF RURAL GREATLY, GREATLY APPRECIATE.
IT'S UP TO YOUR QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.
HOW DO THE, UH, LONG TERM, THE CARE PORTION, HOW DO THEY CONTACT Y'ALL? UH, TYPICALLY, UH, WE, WE JUST GET PHONE CALLS FOR THE MOST PART.
THEY DO GO AND THEY HAVE, THEY GO TO SCHEDULE VISITS.
THE OMBUDSMAN DO GO TO CERTAIN FACILITIES ON A, ON A SCHEDULE.
UH, BUT TYPICALLY IF SOMETHING IS WRONG, WE ACTUALLY GET CALLS FROM RESIDENTS SAYING, HEY, THIS IS WRONG.
CAN YOU HAVE SOMEONE COME TALK TO ME? AND WE WILL REFER THE OMBUDSMAN TO VISIT THEM AT THAT LOCATION.
THEY HAVE FAMILY COUNCIL MEETINGS IN EACH FACILITY.
UH, THEY ORGANIZE THOSE, THEY HOLD THE MEETINGS.
UH, THEY'RE VISIBLE IN THE FACILITIES, YES, AS WILL SAID.
SO, UH, AND THEN PHONE EVEN SOMETIMES, LIKE THEY COME TO ME.
UM, OR SOMEBODY IS AWARE OF SOMEBODY ELSE WHO'S BEING FINANCIALLY ABUSED OR IT, IT'S WORD OF MOUTH.
AND WE HAVE AN EX OURS DO A GREAT JOB OF RESPONDING AND GETTING OUT THERE AND IT'S, IT'S, SOMETIMES IT'S HORRIFYING TO SEE THE NUMBERS THAT COME IN SOMETIMES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
AND WILL, MOST OF THE TIME WHEN PEOPLE HAVEN'T ASKED FOR JUDGES, IT'S FOR MONEY.
YOU'RE GOOD FOR NOT ASKING FOR MONEY.
THOSE ARE THE EASY ONES RIGHT THERE.
ALL WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO ALAMO REGIONAL TRANSIT.
MR. SCOTT, ALL GOOD AFTERNOON.
I'M THE TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR HERE FOR ALAMO AREA COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA START REAL QUICK, A UH, A A FEW BASIC, BASIC STATISTICS OF OUR SYSTEM.
THEN I JUST WANT TO, AT THE END TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CENSUS IMPACTS THAT, UH, ARE AFFECTING ALAMO REGIONAL TRANSIT AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
HEY, JUDGE CROSLEY JUST LEFT
SO, UM, THE FIRST SLIDE THAT I NORMALLY HAVE, MAYBE IT'S NOT THERE, BUT I THINK IT'S Y'ALL, Y'ALL WERE SET THE REPORT IN YOUR PACKET, BUT, UM, WE, WE TALKED JUST ABOUT PASSENGER BOARDINGS BY, BY THE YEAR.
AND SO THAT'S JUST AN OVERALL TRIP COUNT OF WHAT WE DO.
THE REASON I SEND THAT TO YOU IN A STATISTICAL DEAL
[01:05:01]
IS, OR IN A STATISTICAL FORMAT, IS BECAUSE THIS STARTING THIS YEAR AND MOVING FORWARD IS, UH, THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND FEDERAL TRANS ADMINISTRATION ARE GOING TO AWARD US A LITTLE MORE FUNDING BASED UPON PERFORMANCE.THAT INCLUDES A 2% GROWTH IN OUR, IN OUR ANNUAL RATE.
SO THE FIRST SLIDE I GIVE YOU IS A PASSENGER BOARDINGS, UH, BY CALENDAR YEAR, JUST TO LET Y'ALL SEE THAT WE'RE THERE.
AND SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE UP ABOUT 6%.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE DOING BETTER THAN ON TARGET.
UM, THE NEXT SLIDE I NORMALLY SHOW IS PASSENGER BOARDINGS BY COUNTY.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE MAJORITY OF OUR COUNTIES WERE DOING REALLY WELL.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU ATASCOSA AND GUADALUPE ARE, ARE LEADING THE PACK RIGHT NOW AND THAT THE CONNECT SEGUI IN, IN GUADALUPE COUNTY AND CONNECT IN ATASCOSA COUNTY, BOTH THOSE ARE FIXED DROUGHT SYSTEMS AND THEY'RE ACCOMMODATING A LOT OF RIDERSHIP.
THE CONNECT SEGUI IS BACK PRE COVID NUMBERS, SO THAT'S A GOOD NUMBER.
WE STARTED COWBOY CONNECT DURING COVID, SO IT, IT WAS KIND OF DIFFICULT TO START GAUGING IT, BUT THE ROUTER SHIP WAS REALLY GOOD.
UH, ALMOST 800 TRIPS LAST, LAST MONTH.
SO IN, IN FACT, I THINK IT WAS 798, SO TWO TRIPS SHORT.
UM, WE HAVE A ISSUE MAINTAINING DRIVERS IN KE COUNTY, UM, AND THAT CAUSES AN IMPACT KIND OF ON WHOLE REGION, INCLUDING BANDERA.
AND, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT THERE.
UM, A NEXT SLIDE THAT'S USUALLY IN YOUR TALK ABOUT THE, UH, THE, UH, THE MEDICAID RIDERSHIP.
THE REASON WE TALK ABOUT THAT IS THAT ONE, WE DON'T CONTROL THE GROWTH ON VERY MUCH.
WE CAN CONTROL HOW MUCH WE'LL ACCEPT, BUT WE REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S COMING TO US MONTH TO MONTH.
AND SO WHEN YOU REFER BACK TO WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT, THE 2% ANNUAL GROWTH, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT KEEP THINGS THAT WE DON'T HAVE COMPLETE CONTROL, THE RIDERSHIP, UH, AT A, AT A MAINTAINABLE LEVEL.
AND SO MEDICAID RIDERSHIP AT 6% AND WE FEEL THAT'S A COMFORTABLE LEVEL THAT IF THAT RIDERSHIP WENT AWAY, FILL IT WITH OTHER RIDERS.
THERE'S DEMAND'S ALWAYS, ALWAYS HIGH FOR, FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND THERE'S USUALLY NOT ENOUGH CAPACITY ANYWAY.
UM, THE LAST THING I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IS JUST FILL YOU IN ON SOME OF OUR, UH, RECENT, UH, RECENT CENSUS COUNT THAT, UH, IS AFFECTING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
SO THE MAIN IMPACT IS WE'RE GONNA SPLITTING THE, THE UZI INTO TWO SEPARATE URBANIZED ZONES.
SO CURRENTLY IT'S CALLED THE SAN ANTONIO NEW BRAUN FOOLS UZI, UM, AND ART SERVES THE CITY OF BRAUN FOOLS.
AND THEN WE SERVE SHIRTS, SYLO QUEENIE UNDER AGREEMENT BETWEEN, UH, THE, THE, THE CITIES, THE COUNTY, AND WITH VIA TRANSPORTATION.
SO THE CHANGES THAT ARE GONNA BE BECOMING ON THIS IS THAT MARION MCQUEENEY WILL GET TO DROP BACK INTO THE RURAL SECTOR, WHICH THAT'S GONNA BE A REALLY GOOD THING FOR THE FORWARD TO HAVING THEM BACK IN THE RURAL SECTOR, MUCH EASIER TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION.
THE THE RESTRICTIONS OR REQUIREMENTS ARE, ARE NOT NEAR AS MUCH.
RURAL TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, THE CITY'S ASSURANCES.
AND SY CAN I INTERRUPT YOU ONE MINUTE? THE REASON WE'RE ABLE TO DO A SCHEDULED ROUTE IN SEGUI AND A SCHEDULED ROUTE IN OSIS, CUZ IT'S IN THE RURAL AREA.
THAT'S WHY WE HAD TO STRUGGLE TO TRY TO GET ONE IN NEW BRAUNFELS BECAUSE THEY'RE UNDER DIFFERENT RULES WHEN THEY'RE UNDER VIA.
SO I JUST WANTED TO ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT ON THAT.
THE, THE VIA ALL THE, ALL THE FUNDING UNDER V FOR STRICTLY DEMAND RESPONSE, IT, IT, THERE'S NOT A, THERE'S NOT AN AVENUE TO HAVE OPERATING MONEY THROUGH THAT KIND OF PROGRAM FOR SMALL, SMALL GROUPS.
SO, UM, SHIRTS AND SYLO, THEY'RE GONNA REMAIN IN THE, THE, THE SAN SAN ANTONIO A AND WE, WE EXPECT TO CONTINUE OUR CURRENT AGREEMENTS THAT WE HAVE WITH THEM TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES THERE.
NEW BRAUNFELS IS GONNA BECOME ITS OWN UEA NOW, AND THEY'RE GONNA HAVE THEIR OWN DEDICATED TRANSPORTATION FUNDING FOR BOTH THE FTA AND FROM THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
UM, THESE CHANGES ARE EXPECTED TO BE ENACTED ON OCTOBER 1ST, 2023.
SO THAT'S NOT MUCH TIME AND THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE.
SO CURRENTLY WE'RE WORKING RIGHT NOW WITH THE CITY OF, OF NEW BRAUN FOOLS, THE FT A, THE ALAMO AREA, M P O X DOTS ON WHAT OUR NEXT STEPS ARE MOVING FORWARD AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
AND AS WE GET MORE INFORMATION, I WILL KEEP YOU ALL INFORMED OF ANY PROGRESS THAT'S GOING ON.
YOU'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT NEW BRAUNFELS VERSUS KAMAL COUNTY.
UM, KAMAL COUNTY WILL CONTINUE TO BE RURAL.
UM, IT, IT, THE, UH, THE, THE, IT'S THE CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS.
AND SO IF YOU WATCHED THE CENSUS COUNT, THEY, THEY KIND OF TOOK AWAY, THEY WENT TO DENSITIES ON HOUSE, I BELIEVE IS THE BEST WAY TO SAY THAT.
BUT THE FTA AND TRANSPORTATION HAS DECIDED TO STAY WITH THE 50,000 POPULATION.
SO NEW BRAUN FALLS FALLS INTO WHAT WE CALL A SMALL URBAN SYSTEM.
AND SO, UH, THE, THE SURROUNDING AREAS, THE COUNTY WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE, THE, THE URBAN SYSTEM.
IT'S GOING TO STAY WITH ALAMO REGIONAL TRANSIT
[01:10:01]
AS A, AS RURAL TRANSPORTATION.AND THAT'S THE WAY, IN MY OPINION, IT SHOULD HAVE STAYED DURING THE LAST CENSUS INSTEAD OF EVERYBODY FIGHTING TO HAVE IT INCLUDED BASED ON A PARKING LOT, ON 35 FOR IMPERVIOUS COVER CONNECTION.
WE COULD HAVE BUILT UP TO THIS, BUT I MEAN, IT, EVERYTHING HAS WORKED OUT AND IT'LL CONTINUE TO WORK OUT AS LONG AS EVERYBODY KEEPS PLANNING TOGETHER IN A REGIONAL CAPACITY.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO ACOG AND ALL Y'ALL'S EFFORTS, SEAN, UH, FOR, FOR ALL THE FOLKS, NOT ONLY IN GULU COUNTY, BUT IN THE REGION THAT Y'ALL HELPED PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION TO.
I HEAR NOTHING BUT GOOD POSITIVE COMMENTS, SO, SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.
UH, SEAN, I WANT TO ECHO THAT.
AND I, I, I GO THROUGH JUDGE COOS COUNTY.
I DON'T SIX OR SEVEN TIMES A WEEK PROBABLY
AND, UH, EACH TIME I SEE AN ARC BUS, I MAKE A MAKE A POINT TO GO OVER AND SHAKE HANDS WITH WHOEVER YOU KNOW AND LISTEN, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN LISTEN FOR LAUGHTER, YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, AND, AND IT'S JUST, IT'S ALWAYS JUST A JOY TO TALK.
I I TALKED TO TWO DIFFERENT LADIES IN THE LAST MONTH THAT, THAT WERE DRIVERS AND JUST ABSOLUTELY JUST AIMING ABOUT THEIR JOB AND THEIR BUS AND THE, THE PASSENGERS WERE IN THERE, YOU KNOW, JUST LAUGHING AND, YOU KNOW, AND THAT WAS, THAT'S A GOOD THING.
SO THAT'S, UH, I JUST WANTED TO CABBAGE ONTO WHAT YOU WERE SAYING.
I'LL MAKE SURE I RELAY THAT TO THE DRIVERS CAUSE THEY, THEY DO WORK HARD.
I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THEY DO AND THEY DO KEEP POSITIVE WITH ATTITUDES AND I GUARANTEE YOU THEY'RE NOT DOING IT FOR THE MONEY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? TOM? THANK YOU.
DID YOU KNOW SOMEBODY THAT WANTS TO BE A BUS DRIVER AND CURB? LET 'EM SEND THEM OVER OR DISPATCH COMPUTERS, JUST ANY KIND OF SKILLS BECAUSE WE HAVE THE BUILDING THERE, WE HAVE TO GET THEM OPEN BACK UP.
ALL RIGHT, WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM C, REGIONAL SERVICES.
MIGUEL, I'M SORRY, HOW ARE YOU? I'M SORRY.
I LOOK UP, I'M SAYING MIGUEL AND MIGUEL'S LIKE NO, TODAY.
UH, MR. CHAIRMAN AND AREA JUDGES.
I'M CLAUDIA MOK, I'M THE REGIONAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATOR AND I'M HERE TO GIVE THE REGIONAL SERVICES REPORT.
ONE OF THINGS HAPPY TO REPORT ON TODAY IS THE UPCOMING NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, ALSO KNOWN AS NOFO.
UH, ED HAS INFORMED US THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BE COMING OUT WITH THREE FOS FOR THREE DIFFERENT GRANT PROGRAMS. UH, ONE IS FOR ECONOMICALLY DISTRESSED COMMUNITIES, AND THAT'S GONNA BE, UH, BASED ON HOW IMPACTED, UH, A COMMUNITY HAS BEEN IN LOSING COMPANIES, LOSING JOBS, UH, LOSING, UH, A GOOD PART OF THEIR ECONOMIC, UH, UH, WELLBEING.
THE SECOND ONE IS DISASTER IMPACTED COMMUNITIES.
ED STILL HAS NOT DEFINED THE DISASTERS OR, UH, HOW, WHAT THE CRITERIA IS GOING TO BE, BUT WE HOPE THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE, UH, HAVING THAT SOON.
ANOTHER PROGRAM HAS, UH, BEEN DEVELOPED AND IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR, UH, LEAST A FEW MONTHS, BUT THE NOFO HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED ON IT, AND IT'S, UH, FOR TECH HUBS.
AND WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR IS TO SET UP SOME TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION DEVELOPMENT AROUND, UH, THE STATE OR AROUND THE COUNTRY ACTUALLY.
UH, THEY'RE GONNA FOCUS ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND JOB CREATION.
NOW, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE FOCUSED ON COMMUNITIES LIKE AUSTIN AND SAN ANTONIO.
THEY ARE LOOKING AT, UH, RURAL COMMUNITIES TO SET UP SOME OF THESE TECH HUBS.
AS SOON AS WE GET THAT INFORMATION, WE WILL SEND IT OUT TO YOU DIRECTLY.
AND, UH, ACOG IS ALWAYS HERE TO HELP WITH, UH, GOING THROUGH THE NOFO WITH YOU, UH, HELPING YOU, UH, PREPARE GRANT APPLICATIONS.
AND, UH, WE WOULD ENTER INTO AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT OR AN ILA TO ASSIST YOU WITH THAT.
UH, SOME OF THE COUNTIES HERE WE'VE WORKED WITH IN THE PAST TO, UH, SET UP, UH, A MEANS TO, UH, APPLY FOR GRANTS AND ALSO TO ADMINISTER THEM, AS WE'VE SAID.
UH, AND AS YOU HAVE SEEN WITH THE VARIOUS REPORTS EACH MONTH, WE DO HAVE THE STAFF IN PLACE TO ADMINISTER THE GRANTS AND DEFINITELY DO THE FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION OF THOSE GRANTS.
IN FACT, YESTERDAY WE MET WITH U S D A ON THE RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
IN PARTICULAR THE SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING REPAIR LOANS AND GRANTS.
UH, WE MET WITH THE AREA DIRECTOR AND, UH, HE TALKED TO US ABOUT THE LOAN PROGRAM.
THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT FOR THAT GRANT WOULD BE $40,000, AND THAT'S USED TO REPAIR, IMPROVE OR MODERNIZE HOMES OR TO REMOVE HEALTH AND SAFETY HAZARDS.
THE OTHER PROGRAM IS THE GRANT PROGRAM,
[01:15:01]
AND THE MAXIMUM FOR THAT IS $10,000.AND THAT IS, UH, TO BE USED TO REMOVE HEALTH AND SAFETY HAZARDS.
NOW, THOSE GRANT MAXIMUMS ARE PER HOUSE, NOT PER LOCATION, IT'S PER HOME THAT'S ACTUALLY BEING WORKED ON.
AND THEY'RE GOING TO SEND US SOME, UH, DETAILED INFORMATION SO THAT WE CAN LEARN HOW TO ASSIST YOU IN, UH, IN YOUR COMMUNITIES TO GET SOME OF THESE HOUSES REPAIRED OR REDONE.
AND, UH, AS SOON AS WE HAVE THAT, WE WILL ALSO SEND THAT INFORMATION TO YOU AND SET UP APPOINTMENTS TO COME OUT AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT AND FIND A MEANS TO IDENTIFY THOSE HOMES.
THE OTHER THING THAT, UH, YOU HEARD ABOUT EARLIER TODAY FROM STRAT WAS THE COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, ALSO KNOWN AS THE SAIDS.
WE DO HAVE A COMMITTEE MADE UP OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM AROUND, UH, THE REGION.
AND WE'RE HAVING MEETINGS, UH, IN APRIL ON THE FOURTH AND AGAIN, JULY 12TH AND SEPTEMBER 13TH.
AND THIS IS THE LAST YEAR OF THE CURRENT.
AND WE'RE ALSO PREPARING FOR THE NEW SETS.
NOW THE SETS LAST FOR FIVE YEARS, SO WE, UH, HAVE BROKEN UP, UH, SOME OF THE COMMITTEES INTO DIFFERENT SECTORS, UH, DIFFERENT POINTS OF INTEREST.
AND SO IF YOU HAVE ANYBODY WHO'S INTERESTED OR IF YOU YOURSELF ARE INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH US, UH, PLEASE CONTACT, UH, ME OR MIGUEL.
UH, SOME INFORMATION ON ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION.
WE HAVE THE RESOURCE RECOVERY COMMITTEE, ALSO KNOWN AS THE RRC.
IT'S AN ADVISORY BOARD TO THE ACOG BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
AND THEY, UH, ACTUALLY PROVIDE INFORMATION, UH, RELATED TO SOLID WASTE AND SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT.
WE NEED SOME, UH, I'M GONNA HAVE AN ASK, NOT AS ELOQUENT AS WILL, BUT I DO HAVE AN ASK AND, UM, NOT GONNA WAIT.
I'M GONNA GIVE IT TO YOU RIGHT NOW.
UH, WE HAVE POSITIONS ON THE RRC THAT NEED TO BE FILLED.
UH, WE NEED A REPRESENTATIVE COUNTY, GILLESPIE COUNTY, BARNES COUNTY, AND MCMULLEN COUNTY.
UH, THE OTHER THING THAT WILL, OH, SO IF YOU HAVE ANY, UH, PLEASE, UH, SEND THOSE TO ME.
UH, MY EMAIL IS C MORA CM O R A ACOG.COM.
WE'RE CLOSING OUT THIS GRANT PROJECTS AND WE'RE EXPECTING TO PUT IN A CALL FOR APPLICANTS FOR THE NEW BIENNIAL.
AND THE BIUM IS EVERY TWO YEARS, SO WE'LL BE DOING 24 35 AND WE EXPECT TO DO THAT LATE SUMMER.
SO WE'LL HAVE A PRESENTA, A COUPLE OF PRESENTATIONS TO THE BOARD REGARDING THAT PARTICULAR GRANT AND THOSE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES.
FINALLY, I WANNA CLOSE UP, UH, WITH THE UPCOMING, UH, WORKSHOPS.
I KNOW THAT MS. RATH, UH, PROVIDED THOSE TO YOU EARLIER IN HER REPORT.
WE DO HAVE A LEGAL DUMPING THAT'S COMING UP, UH, ON APRIL 19TH, ALONG WITH THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE ON JUNE 16TH.
ELECTED OFFICIALS, UH, WOULD BE ON JUNE THE 23RD AND PLANNING AND ZONING ON AUGUST THE FOURTH.
UH, WE WILL SEND OUT THE INFORMATION TO YOU, UH, VIA EMAIL.
WE'LL ALSO POST IT ON THE WEBSITE.
THERE WILL BE, UH, A LINK TO REGISTRATION.
WE'LL, WE WILL TAKE A HEADCOUNT FOR THAT.
WE ARE PLANNING TO OFFER IT AS A HYBRID BEING IN PERSON AND, UH, FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO CANNOT MAKE IT OR IF THE WEATHER'S BAD AND, UH, THEY DON'T WANNA MAKE THE THE TRAVEL INTO, UH, THE SAN ANTONIO AREA, WE WILL HAVE IT ON GO TO MEETING.
UH, AT THIS TIME I WOULD ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY.
IF NOT, UH, UH, I HOPE YOU HAVE A SAFE TRIP BACK.
LET ME ASK, DID THE U S D A GUY HAVE ANY HOME PROGRAMS FOR HOME BUILDING? UH, YES, HE MENTIONED THAT HE DID.
SO WE'RE GONNA GET SOME OF THAT INFORMATION SPECIFICALLY FOR, UH, THE, THE REQUEST AND WE WILL PROVIDE THAT.
THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT AND FOR THE PHONE CALL YESTERDAY.
THE LAST THING WE HAVE ON IS WEATHERIZATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
ALICIA, HOW ARE YOU? I'M DOING GOOD.
I AM THE PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE WEATHERIZATION DEPARTMENT.
I AM HERE TO REVIEW OUR DEPARTMENT'S, UM, MONTHLY OR QUARTERLY REPORT.
THE WEATHERIZATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM OPERATES WITH FUNDS FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND THE US DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, LOW INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
WEATHERIZATION IS DESIGNED TO HELP LOW INCOME CUSTOMERS CONTROL THEIR ENERGY COSTS THROUGH INSTALLATION OF WEATHERIZATION MATERIALS AND EDUCATION FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY GRANT.
UH, THAT WILL BE CLOSING IN JUNE OF 23 OR THIS, THIS SOON.
WE HAVE 18 UNITS IN INSTALLATION.
FOUR OF THOSE UNITS ARE IN ATISA, FRIO, AND WILL COUNTIES.
UM, WE HAVE EXPENDED 33% OF THE GRANT.
AS I SAID, IT DOESN'T IN IN INDENT JUNE, I'M SORRY, I'M CHECKLISTED TODAY.
SO WE ARE LOOKING FOR MORE APPLICANTS, ESPECIALLY IN OUR RURAL COUNTIES BECAUSE
[01:20:02]
A LOT OF THE HOMES THERE ARE MISSING A LOT OF THE INSULATION AND THAT IS THE PRIMARY, PRIMARY REASON THAT WE'RE OUT THERE IS TO HELP THEM CONSERVE THEIR ENERGY FOR LIE HEAT 22, WHICH ENDS AT THE END OF THIS MONTH.WE HAVE WEATHERIZED A HUNDRED FOR THE GRANT AND WE HAD A GOAL OF 88.
WE HAVE SPENT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE FUNDING AND WE ARE NOW BEGINNING OF OUR LIE 23 GRANT.
WE HAVE 20 HOMES IN INSTALLATION AND UM, THAT WILL BE CLOSING OUT IN DECEMBER OF THIS YEAR.
WE ARE WORKING WITH BOTH THE DIVINE AND PIOL HOUSING AUTHORITIES AND WE ARE WEATHERIZED WEATHERIZING, THEIR MULTI-FAMILY HOMES.
SO IF ANY OF YOUR COMMUNITIES ARE LOOKING FOR MULTI-FAMILY ASSISTANCE, WE ALSO WORK WITH THAT.
AND IT CAN BE HOMEOWNERS OR RENTERS.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE, UH, JUST A HOMEOWNER.
UM, FOR THE AMY YOUNG PROGRAM, THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES ACCESSIBILITY, HOME MODIFICATION TO LOW INCOME FAMILIES.
FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM IS VERY LIMITED, I'M HAPPY TO SAY.
WE DO HAVE FOUR PROJECTS AND AN INSTALLATION, TWO IN BEAR AND TWO IN MEDI.
WE ALSO HAVE FOUR QUALIFIED THAT WILL BE SUBMITTED ON APRIL 4TH.
UH, ANOTHER TWO BEAR, BUT ANOTHER TWO IN MCMULLEN.
SO THIS FUNDING IS AVAILABLE TO ALL 13 COUNTIES.
IF I, IF WE HAVE ANYBODY THAT NEEDS, WE JUST NEED 'EM FILLED OUT BY THE END OF THIS MONTH SO THAT WE CAN SEND THEM TO THE RESERVATION SYSTEM.
HOUSING FOR PROTECT HEROES, UH, THIS GRANT ASSISTS VETERANS VETERAN HOUSEHOLDS WITH SPECIFICALLY MODIFICATION HOME REPAIRS AND WEATHERIZATION.
WE HAVE COMPLETED NINE CASES AND WE HAVE TWO OTHERS IN INSTALLATION IN BOTH BAYER AND MEDINA COUNTIES.
WE ARE ACCEPTING, UM, HOUSING PROTECT HEROES APPLICATIONS FOR THE NEW GRANT THAT WILL BEGIN IT IN JULY AND THAT WILL BE ANY VETERAN THEIR, UH, SURVIVING SPOUSE AND DEPENDENTS WOULD QUALIFY.
AND AS OF RIGHT NOW, THE CAP PER HOUSE IS $15,000 THAT WE CAN GO IN AND ASSIST WITH.
UH, HOME REPAIR CAN BE ELECTRICAL ROOFING, PLUMBING, UH, WE ALSO DO ACCESSIBILITY MODIFICATIONS.
THE BIGGEST REQUEST IS USUALLY BATHROOM MODIFICATIONS.
SO WE ARE LOOKING FOR, UM, ABOUT 10 APPLICANTS FOR THAT PROGRAM.
SO AGAIN, IF THERE'S ANYBODY OUT THERE PLEASE LET US KNOW AND WE WILL GET THEM AN APPLICATION.
AS ALWAYS, WE ASK FOR ASSISTANCE IN IDENTIFYING RESIDENCE IN YOUR COUNTIES, ESPECIALLY THE RURAL COUNTIES, UH, WHO MAY NEED WEATHERIZATION OR HOME MODIFICATIONS.
I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
ONE IS IF YOU'RE WONDERING, MY MCMULLEN ISN'T IN MOST OF THOSE SQUARE SQUARES, IT'S BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONE PROGRAM THAT DIDN'T TRANSFER OVER TO US.
THEY'RE WITH VICTORIA EXCEPT I REALLY WANNA THANK AND RECOGNIZE ALICIA CUZ SHE REALIZED ON AMY YOUNG THAT THERE NOBODY HAD GRABBED, NOBODY HAD GRABBED MULLEN'S MONEY AT THE STATE LEVEL.
SO SHE REACHED OUT TO THE JUDGE AND WAS ABLE TO DRAW THAT MONEY DOWN FOR AMY YOUNG.
SO EVEN WE WERE, WE COULD DO THAT FOR AMY YOUNG.
SO I REALLY WANNA APPRECIATE HER NOTICING THAT AND THEN AGGRESSIVELY GOING AFTER IT CUZ YOU'VE GOT TWO HOMES COMING AND, UM, UH, AND ALSO RECOGNIZE THE JOB ALICIA IS DOING BECAUSE WE GET A REPORT EVERY MONTH OR SO NOW IT'S ONLY COME UP THE PAST FEW MONTHS THAT REALLY TALKS ABOUT HOW EVERYONE THAT HAS A CONTRACT WITH, UH, THE STATE AGENCY, HOW THEY'RE DOING WITH THEIR EXPENDITURE.
AND WE'RE UP AT THE TOP ALL THE TIME AND IT'S AMAZING TO SEE THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT IS NOT BEING SPENT BY SOME OF THEIR GRANTEES.
AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY DON'T DAB IT.
UM, BUT ALICIA DOES A REALLY, REALLY GOOD JOB AND, UH, WE SPEAK UP VERY FREELY WHENEVER ANY ADDITIONAL DOLLARS BECOMES AVAILABLE.
CUZ IF YOU SPEND YOUR MONEY, THERE'S CHANCES ARE YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET MORE.
AND SO SHE REALLY SPENDS IT FAST SO WE CAN HOPEFULLY DRAW DOWN MORE DOLLARS.
THAT WASN'T ALWAYS THE CASE, BUT SHE DOES A VERY GOOD JOB.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? THANK YOU.
[9. Next scheduled meeting is scheduled is TBD.]
OUR NEXT SCHEDULED MEETING IS TO BE DETERMINED.ANY OTHER COMMENTS BEFORE WE GET OUTTA HERE? NO.
WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM 10 AND WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 1:25 PM.