Apr 26, 2023 Area Judges

AND WITH Y'ALL'S PERMISSION, I'LL JUST GIVE MY REPORT FROM HERE.

UM, I DID TAKE Y'ALL'S REQUEST, UH, TO BETTER UNDERSTAND IF THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY AND WHAT THE PROCESS WOULD BE TO T WC AND SPOKE TO THEM.

UH, AND I'VE INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKETS SOME INFORMATION FOR, FOR YOU.

THE FIRST IS FROM THE, UH, GOVERNMENT CODE WHERE IT LAYS OUT THE PARAMETERS FOR A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AREA.

AND THE AREA THAT'S RELEVANT TO THIS CONVERSATION IS THAT A WORKFORCE AREA MUST BE EITHER A LOCAL LABOR MARKET, UH, UH, MU HELTON STATISTICAL AREA, ONE OF THE 24 SUB-STATE PLANNING AREAS, OR ONE OF THE 10 UNIFORM STATE SERVICE REGIONS.

WELL, SINCE THE TWO REGIONS WOULD CONFORM TO NONE OF THOSE, IT'S REALLY THE LABOR MARKET THAT DICTATES OUR SITUATION.

SO WE'RE NOT ABLE, TILL WE HAVE MORE THAN ONE LABOR MARKET, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO SEPARATE.

AND THEY SAID THAT IT REALLY, THE STATUTE, UM, ENVISIONS MORE CONSOLIDATION THAN DIVISIONS.

WHO IS THEY? WHO IS THEY? UM, T WC.

AND THE, AND LEGAL.

AND THAT'S REALLY NOT A SURPRISE.

I WAS, UM, ANTICIPATING THAT MIGHT BE THE RESPONSE.

SO I HAD A FEW QUESTIONS TRYING TO GET AT THE SAME RE PRACTICAL IMPACT AND I SAID, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE EITHER UNDER THE INTERLOCAL OR THE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT OR THE MEDIATION THAT'S PROVIDED UNDER BOTH DOCUMENTS TO HAVE ONE AREA SINCE WE HAVE TO BE ONE AREA THAT HAVE TWO ADMINISTRATIVE AND FISCAL ENTITIES.

YOU COULD HAVE ONE ADMINISTRATIVE AND FISCAL ENTITY FOR THE RURAL AREA AND ONE ADMINISTRATIVE AND FISCAL ENTITY FOR THE RURAL AREA.

AND THEY UNIVERSALLY SAID NO, THAT WAS NOT ALLOWABLE EITHER.

SO WITH THAT, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO SEPARATE EITHER WORKFORCE AREAS OR HAVE DIFFERENT ADMINISTRATIVE FISCAL AREAS.

SO WE WILL, WE BE REMAINING AS ONE AREA AND ONE ADMINISTRATIVE FISCAL AREA.

I ALSO ASKED BECAUSE SINCE NEW BROTHELS IS NOW OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND IN POPULATION, UM, I KNEW, REMEMBER THAT A HUNDRED THOUSAND WAS A TRIGGER FOR SOMETHING.

200,000 WAS A TRIGGER FOR SOMETHING.

AND WHEN I ASKED, THEY RESEARCHED IT AND IT'S TO USE THEIR WORD, THE ANSWER IS NUANCED.

SO A MAYOR BECOMES, UH, I ASKED, DID A MAYOR BECOME A CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIAL UNDER WE A DEFINITION WHEN THE POPULATION SURPASSES A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OR 200,000? SO THEIR ANSWER, AND THIS IS IN YOUR BACKGROUND INFORMATION, IT'S CORRECT ON BOTH COUNTS REALLY, BUT NUANCED ACCORDING TO FLORIDA TECH, UH, MAYOR OF A TOWN WITH A POPULATION OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND OR GREATER IS CONSIDERED A CEO.

AND AS SUCH PARTICIPANT IN DISCUSSIONS OF BOARD CERTIFICATION AND RE-CERTIFICATION, NEITHER WE NOR GOVERNMENT CODE 2308 0.253 EXPRESSLY INCLUDES MAYORS IN A DEFINITION OF CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIAL.

AND NEITHER SUGGESTS A POPULATION LIMIT LOWER THAN 200,000.

SO THE END RESULT IS THAT HE NEEDS TO BE CONSULTED.

BUT YOU DON'T BECOME A CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIAL UNDER OLA UNTIL YOU, A CITY HAS A POPULATION OF 200,000.

SO THAT TAKES CARE OF THOSE ISSUES.

FOR YOUR BACKGROUND INFORMATION, A COPY OF THE EXISTING INTERLOCAL, WHICH IS AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND THE 12, OH, I'M SORRY, 13 COUNTY JUDGES.

I ALSO INCLUDED

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SO YOU HAVE THAT AGREEMENT JUST FOR YOUR FUTURE REFERENCE.

AND THEN I ALSO INCLUDED, UM, A CONSOLIDATION WHERE OUR ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT EXPORTED THE INFORMATION THAT WSA PROVIDED ON THE COUNTY BY COUNTY PROGRAM BY PROGRAM ALLOCATION AND EXPENDITURES.

I AM NOT SAYING THIS IS ACCURATE CUZ I'M AWAITING WSA VERIFYING IF WE'VE INTERPRETED THEIR, UH, INFORMATION CORRECTLY.

SO I'M PROVIDING THIS JUST FOR INFORMATION SO YOU CAN SEE YOUR COUNTY'S ALLOCATIONS FOR EACH PROGRAM AND THE EXPENDITURES THUS.

SO I HAD HOPED TO HAVE, UH, UH, A PRESENTATION ON THE FUNDING TODAY, BUT THE INFORMATION IT WAS JUST GETTING, WE NEED TO HAVE A WORK SESSION AT THE STAFF LEVEL AND HAVE, I THINK SOME CONVERSATIONS AND UNDERSTANDINGS CLARIFIED BEFORE WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT FOR YOU.

CUZ THERE WAS SOME, I THINK, SOME CLARIFICATIONS THAT'S NEEDED IN SOME OF THE FUNDING FORMULAS.

SO HOPEFULLY AT A FUTURE MEETING THAT WILL BE COMING TO YOU, DO YOU WANT ACTION THEN TO DO THAT? UM, IF, IF, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY, I THINK WE'VE REQUESTED A WORK SESSION, SO ANYTHING TO SUPPORT THAT WOULD BE VERY, VERY HELPFUL.

I THINK THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO HAVE THAT SUPPORT.

THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR MONTHS AND WE CAN'T GET THE RIGHT NUMBERS.

AND I'M GETTING VERY FRUSTRATED.

UH, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME I FINALLY READ THE INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT, MAN, IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT, YOU NEED TO.

UH, BUT BASICALLY WHAT IT SAYS IS, AND AND, AND I DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL TODAY, UNTIL THIS MORNING WHEN DIANE EXPLAINED IT TO ME THAT AOC DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH WSA AT ALL.

SHE IS OUR REPRESENTATIVE.

WE ELECTED HER TO REPRESENT US, UH, FOR, FOR THAT COMMITTEE.

UH, AND THE 12 RURAL COUNTIES ARE BASICALLY, WE DON'T HAVE A VOICE, IN MY OPINION, AND WE'RE CERTAINLY NOT BEING LISTENED TO.

AND SO MY CONCERN IS, AND I'VE TALKED TO JUDGE EVANS ABOUT IT, UH, AND YOU KNOW HOW HE IS, HE TELLS ME, , WELL, HOW IS HE ? I'M ABOUT TO TELL YOU THAT THIS WHOLE CONCEPT OF THE, UH, THE COMMITTEE OF SIX AND THE ALAMO AREA JUDGES, THIS MEETING THAT WE'RE HAVING RIGHT NOW, ALAMO AREA JUDGES, THERE'S NO SUCH ORGANIZATION.

IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A RECLA DISTANT, IT'S, IT'S CREATED IN THIS INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT.

AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, REALLY DOESN'T, THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS AN ORGANIZATION CALLED AREA JUDGES.

THEY DESCRIBE ONE HERE, AND THAT'S WHERE IT COMES FROM A DESCRIPTION OF SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T EXIST.

AND IN TALKING WITH DIANE, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE, WE'VE GOT 14, 13 COUNTIES IN THE CITY, RIGHT? AND I GUESS SHERMAN GETS TO, GETS TO DISCUSS WITH HIM, GETS TO SHOW UP AND DISCUSS, BUT HE CAN'T VOTE, WHICH IS WHAT THE MAYOR AGAIN, THE MAYOR, THE MAYOR, IT, IT FEELS LIKE WE'RE BEING DISENFRANCHISED.

AND I JUST WANT TO VO A VOICE.

AND I WANT, I WANT TO BE, I WANT TO BE RESPONDED TO, TO GET A RESPONSE.

AND I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE'RE GETTING THAT ADRIAN.

AND THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S A PROBLEM.

AND SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS LOOK INTO, CAN WE, IT SEEMS LIKE TO ME THE WAY WE OUGHT TO BE ORGANIZED IS WE'VE GOT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND 13 COUNTIES.

WE OUGHT TO HAVE A 14 MEMBER BODY REPRESENTING EACH EACH COUNTY IN THIS, IN THIS ORGANIZATION, UH, OVERSEEING AND SUPERVISING, UH, WORK, WORK WORKFORCE, SAN ANTONIO.

THAT'S WHAT IT SEEMS LIKE WE OUGHT TO DO.

UH, AND I'M JUST, YOU GOTTA REMEMBER, I, I HOUSE NEXT, NEXT DOOR TO JUDGE EVANS AND I KIND OF GET OPPOSITIONAL SOMETIMES, BUT THIS IS JUST GETTING RIDICULOUS.

JUDGE EVAN, NOT MUCH ELSE TO SAY.

IT'S, I'VE ALWAYS SAID, WE DON'T EXIST AS A BODY.

RIGHT? WE, WE MEET, WE GET ACOG STAFF SUPPORTS US, RIGHT OR WRONG, THEY VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME OR WHATEVER.

BUT WE OFFICIALLY, WE ARE NOT A BODY.

SO WHENEVER WE SELECT SOMEONE TO BE ON THE COMMITTEE OF SIX, IS THAT VALID

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OR NOT? THAT'S MY QUESTION.

BUT, BUT THE COMMITTEE, COMMITTEE OF SIX IS, IS ABOUT THE MOST AWKWARD THING I'VE EVER DEALT WITH IN MY LIFE.

IT'S BEEN GOING ON SINCE THE NINETIES.

WAY BACK WHEN I SAT HERE.

I'VE BEEN 30 YEARS AGO.

I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMITTEE SIX SINCE BEFORE.

THE ROCKS GOT HARD.

A LONG TIME .

SO, BUT IT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT HAS, WE'VE ALWAYS GONE THROUGH THE SAME ISSUES TIME AFTER TIME, AFTER TIME.

THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE 80 20 RULE AND ALL THAT.

WELL, THERE'S NO RULE.

PROBABLY 20 YEARS AGO I WAS SO MAD BECAUSE WE WERE GETTING 12% RULE.

THE REST OF IT WAS CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, BEAR COUNTY.

I SAID, THIS IS WRONG.

WE NEED TO BY POPULATION.

AT THAT TIME, IT WAS ABOUT 80 20.

THAT'S HOW THE 83 GOT STARTED.

IT'S NOT 80 20 ANYMORE.

WE'VE NEVER, THAT NUMBER WAS JUST PULLED OUT OF FRUSTRATION.

SO THERE NEEDS TO BE, IT NEEDS TO BE, AND I THINK BY STATUTE, IT'S DONE BY POPULATION, RIGHT? SO WE, I MEAN, IN THE COMMITTEE OF SIX, IF WE MEET COURSE, WE HAVE DIFFICULTY HAVING MEETINGS, SOMETIMES AT LEAST A COMPLETE MEETING BECAUSE CERTAIN PARTNERS, RIVERS WON'T STAY FOR THE FULL MEETING.

IF ONE BODY VOTES AGAINST SOMETHING, IT KILLS EVERYTHING.

SO IT'S, IT IS REALLY A, IT'S A VERY AWKWARD PROCESS TO BE HONEST.

I JUST DON'T, I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY CAME UP WITH THE COMMITTEE OF SIX, BUT IT, IT'S, UH, I, I WON'T USE THE TERM I USE, DESCRIBE IT IN PRIVATE, BUT IT, IT, IT'S REALLY, IT'S REALLY DIS I DON'T KNOW HOW IT WORKS.

WHAT REALLY BOTHERS ME IS ULTIMATELY WE'RE RESPONSIBLE AS THE JUDGES OF OUR COUNTIES FOR ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS AT WORKFORCE.

IF THERE'S A SUIT OR A SETTLEMENT, IF THE PROVIDER, THE CONTRACTOR DOESN'T MAKE IT WHOLE.

IF THERE'S NOT FUND BALANCE, IF THEY NEED TO MAKE IT WHOLE, THEY'RE GONNA ASSIST YOUR COUNTY IF THERE'S A SUIT.

SO YOUR COUNTY IS LIABLE, RIGHT.

THE BUCK STOPS THESE.

AND I DON'T LIKE TO BE LIABLE FOR SOMETHING.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.

I MEAN, WE'VE HAD, IT'S NOT THIS, IT'S JUST NOT ADRIAN.

IT IS, THIS IS GOING ON FOREVER.

WE, WE'VE ALWAYS, WE DON'T GET THIS REPORT.

WE DIDN'T MEET THIS TIMELINE DEADLINE.

WE DON'T DO THAT.

WE JUST NEED TO FOLLOW THE AGREEMENT.

AND WE NEED TO HAVE THE BODY THAT OVERSEES AND APPOINT BE 14 PEOPLE IN NOT COMMITTEE OF SIX.

THAT'S MY OPINION.

IT'S ALWAYS, THAT'S, THAT'S THE WORKFORCE.

DID THAT, UH, MR. KERRY, ISN'T IT? WELL, 14 THROUGH 13 COUNTIES, 13 PLUS THE MAYORS SAN ANTONIO, 13 COUNTIES.

AND THEN SINCE THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS ACQUIRED THAN 200,000, EXCUSE SAN ANTONIO, YOU HAVE 14 PLUS ONE MAYOR THAT GETS TO, TO BE THERE AND TO SAY WHAT HE THINKS, BUT HE CAN'T VOTE, WHICH DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL.

SO, BUT THAT, TO ME, THAT'S THE WAY WE OUGHT TO DO IT.

CUZ WE DON'T EXIST .

I MEAN, TECHNICALLY, UNLESS WE, UNLESS WE FORM A SUBCOMMITTEE OF ACOG AND CALL THE JUDGES, WE REALLY ARE.

WELL, I'VE BEEN ASKING THIS QUESTION FOR 20 YEARS.

HOW, WHAT ARE, HOW, SHOW ME HOW WE WERE REFORM.

WHAT ARE OUR BYLAWS? WE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY AND WE CAN'T ASK CLIFF TO LOOK INTO IT BECAUSE TECHNICALLY WE'RE NOT EVEN, THERE'S NOTHING TO LOOK INTO IT.

WE DON'T EXIST.

WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S FINE.

COMMITTEE OF SIX EXISTS ONLY IN THIS REGION.

I MEAN IT'S, IN MY VIEW, YOU'RE MORE OF AN ASSOCIATION THAN, THAN A COMMITTEE.

YOU'RE AN ASSOCIATION OF JUDGES THAT HAVE COME TOGETHER TO COOPERATE AND COLLABORATE.

YEAH, BUT WE HAVE NO FUNDING.

WE HAVE NO STAFF.

YEAH, YEAH.

WE HAVE NO LEGAL REPRESENTATION.

SO I, I DON'T, I, SOMETHING NEEDS TO GIVE DIANE WHO WOULD HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO CHANGE THE MAKEUP AND TRANSI TRANSITION FROM THE COMMITTEE OF SIX TO A LARGER, MORE INCLUSIVE RULE.

THE COMMITTEE OF SIX IS ESTABLISHED BY THE INTERLOCAL.

AND WHEN YOU READ THE LANGUAGE OF THE INTERLOCAL, ANY OF THE MEMBERS CAN DRAW BY GETTING NOTICE.

SO I WOULD HAVE TO SEEK LEGAL COUNSEL, BUT I WOULD ASSUME THAT BY DIFFERENT COUNTIES PULLING OUT, THAT WOULD CAUSE A NEW CONVERSATION TO DEVELOP ONGOING STRUCTURE.

I WILL SAY THAT UNDER FEDERAL AND STATE LAW, WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING, JUDGE KELLY, OF HAVING EACH COUNTY JUDGE AND THE MAYOR OF YOUR MAJOR CITIES IS WHAT IS ENVISIONED UNDER BOTH FEDERAL AND STATE LAW.

THIS

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IT DOESN'T EXIST IN PLACE ELSE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, NOR IN THE COUNTRY.

UH, YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE THE, THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIALS IN A COUPLE OF AREAS THAT ARE DELEGATED TO OTHER ENTITIES, SUCH AS TO A COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENT OR TO SOME, ESPECIALLY UP IN, UH, THE NORTHWEST.

IT'S DELEGATED SOME DIFFERENT AREAS UP THERE.

UM, BUT OTHERWISE IT IS WITHIN THE, IT'LL BE THE COUNTY JUDGES AND THE MAYORS THAT MEET.

I KNOW THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS WHOLE THING IS TRIGGERED BY THE FACT THAT WE, WE CAN'T GET ANY RESPONSE TO FIND OUT HOW THESE FUNDS HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED FOR EACH COUNTY.

UH, WE DON'T HAVE, WE'VE BEEN TRYING IT FOR MONTHS.

THE STRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE IS NOT WORKING.

AND AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT INCLUDES THE 13 COUNTIES AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.

AND THEN THEY CONTRACT WITH DIANE.

UH, AND THERE'S A PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT.

WELL, NO ONE CONTRACTS WITH ME.

WAIT, CAN I? THAT'S RIGHT.

I'M, HEY, YOU'RE RIGHT.

SHE'S A VOLUNTEER.

I'M VOLUNTEERING.

UH, TO REFERENCE TO STAFF YOU ALL, SINCE YOU HAVE NO STAFF.

SO THEY, UH, THE INTERLOCAL IS WHAT CREATED WS A, UH, CUZ IT WAS A VOLUNTARY COMING TOGETHER IN 1995 UNDER THE STATE STATUTE, WHICH PRECEDED FEDERAL LAW.

UH, SO IT WAS A VOLUNTARY COMING TOGETHER.

SO IT WAS THE INTERLOCAL AT THAT TIME THAT CREATED WORKFORCE SOLUTION FMO THAT DESIGNATED IT WOULD BE A NONPROFIT.

UM, CUZ THAT'S NOT THE CASE.

EVERY PLACE THAT DESIGNATED, UH, IN YOUR PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND WSA IS WHERE IT DESIGNATES WHERE YOUR, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE FISCAL ENTITY IS.

SO THE, UH, CREATION BY THE INTERLOCAL OF W S A AND THEN W S A IS A NONPROFIT WHO THEN FUNCTIONS, UH, AND IT'S A, IT'S AN AWKWARD RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE IT IS A NONPROFIT.

BUT THE NONPROFITS MEMBERS ARE APPOINTED UNDER FEDERAL AND STATE LAW BY YOUR CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIALS.

AND UNDER FEDERAL AND STATE LAW.

UM, THEIR BUDGET AND THEIR, UH, PLAN MUST BE APPROVED BY THE CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIALS.

AND FOR A COUPLE OF THEM, IT MUST GO BACK TO THE RESPECTIVE, UH, BODIES.

SO, UM, WHICH IS WHY ONE OF YOUR ITEMS IS COMING BACK TO YOU ALL TODAY FOR THE PLAN.

AND, AND, AND FOR THE NEW JUDGES, UH, THAT WEREN'T HERE LAST YEAR, UH, WHEN IT CAME TO THE BUDGET, WE, WE HAVE TO APPROVE THEIR BUDGET.

UH, AND I ASK A NUMBER OF POINTED QUESTIONS THEY COULDN'T ANSWER.

AND I VOTED NOT TO APPROVE THEIR BUDGET LAST YEAR BECAUSE I'M NOT GETTING INFORMATION.

UH, THIS IS A DYSFUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIP AND WE NEED TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO DO SOMETHING THAT'S LEGAL AND THAT IS PRACTICAL AND WORKS.

THAT'S WHAT TRICK, THAT'S WHAT TRIGGERED THE DISCUSSION ABOUT CAN WE GET OUT? HE ALWAYS SAID, NO.

I KNOW I'M PREACHING TO THE CHOIR, TALKING TO OTHER COUNTY JUDGES, BUT IT FEELS LIKE WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYTHING BUT IN CHARGE OF NOTHING.

ABSOLUTELY.

UM, THAT'S PROBABLY A GOOD WAY TO DESCRIBE THE JOB THAT WE ALL HAVE TO DO EVERY DAY.

VERY FAMILIAR.

EXACTLY.

BUT FROM THE, THE STANDPOINT OF, OF WSA, I DON'T THINK ANY OF US WOULD ARGUE THAT, I MEAN, BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF SAN ANTONIO AND BE COUNTY, THEY SHOULD RECEIVE A VAST MAJORITY OF THE RESOURCES FUNDING.

BUT IT ALSO FEELS LIKE, UH, A VAST MAJORITY OF THE TIME WERE TOLERATED INSTEAD OF VIEWED AS PARTNERS AND INCLUDED IN DECISION MAKING.

AND SO, I MEAN, OUR, I KNOW OUR COUNTY INDIVIDUALLY HAS BEEN, UM, BEEN, UH, IN A POSITION TO RECEIVE BENEFITS FROM, FROM ADRIAN AND THE GROUP.

AND WE'VE SEEN THAT.

BUT WE ALSO FEEL LIKE WE GOT TOLD ABOUT IT AFTER IT WAS ALREADY DECIDED.

UH, WE GOT, DIDN'T GET ASKED, YOU KNOW, HOW, WHAT ARE YOU SEEING? HOW ARE Y'ALL INVOLVED IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT? ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON.

I MEAN, WE HAVE ONE OF THE BIGGEST MANUFACTURING, YOU KNOW, UM, DEVELOPMENT AREAS IN, IN SEGUI, GUDO COUNTY GOING ON FOR THE LAST DECADE AND A HALF.

BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PARTNERSHIPS FOR OTHER WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS OUTSIDE OF, OF SAN ANTONIO WHEN IT'S A HUGE BENEFIT.

AND WE SHOULD BE WORKING HAND IN HAND.

WE DON'T HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

IT'S ALL AFTER THE FACT.

SO TO Y'ALL'S POINT, I MEAN, I THINK WE NEED TO FIND A PATH FORWARD TO BE MORE INVOLVED.

NOT TO TAKE CONTROL, NOT TRY TO GET MORE FUNDING THAT'S NOT OWED TO US.

JUST TO BE TRUE COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS THAT TALK TO EACH OTHER, CAN GET INFORMATION TIMELY MANNER TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS AND NOT JUST BE PUT UP WITH WHEN WE, WHEN WE CRY AND SHOUT TOO LOUD.

MAY I OFFER ONE CLARIFICATION ABOUT THE FUNDING FORMULAS? THE, UM, UNDER T WC RULES ALL FUNDS BY WHICH T WC RECEIVES

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FUNDS.

THAT SAME FORMULA IS USED TO DISPERSE THOSE FUNDS TO ALL THE LOCAL WORKFORCE BOARDS.

AND IN YOUR INNER, LOCAL, UNDER RESOURCE ALLOCATION, IT SAYS ALL OF RESOURCE ALLOCATIONS WITHIN AW D A SHALL, TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE.

AND PRACTICABLE CONSIDERING NEED BASED UPON THE FEDERAL AND STATE FORMULAS USED TO ALLOCATE FUNDS, UH, TO THE A W D A.

SO IT MIRRORS THE LANGUAGE, UH, THAT THE STATE USES TO DISPENSE FUNDS.

SO EACH FUNDING FORMULA HAS THOSE PARTICULAR CRITERIA UNIQUE TO THAT, THAT THAT PROGRAM.

SO LIKE, IF YOU'RE DEALING WITH CHILDCARE, AND I DON'T REMEMBER THE SPECIFICS, BUT IT'LL BE THE NUMBER OF KIDS, THE NUMBER OF KIDS IN POVERTY, THE NUMBER, THE DIFFERENT FACTORS.

IF YOU'RE DEALING WITH, UM, UH, W I A, LIKE DISLOCATED, THE NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED, YOUR UNEMPLOYMENT, YOUR NUMBER OF PA PLANT CLOSURES.

SO EACH ONE IS BROKEN INTO IT.

SO IT ISN'T A POPULATION BASE, BUT IT'S REALLY BROKEN DOWN ACCORDING TO THAT SPECIFIC FORMULA.

SO WITH, WITH THAT LANGUAGE, EVERY SINGLE PROGRAM THAT, AND FUND THAT W UH, SA HAS SHOULD USE THOSE SAME FACTORS TO ALLOCATE THOSE DOLLARS TO THE COUNTY.

UM, AND, AND THAT IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN REQUESTING.

AND I I, I HAVE RECEIVED, AND I'M JUST WAITING FOR CONFIRMATION THAT WE UNDERSTOOD CORRECTLY THE INFORMATION THAT WAS PROVIDED FOR THE ALLOCATION AND THE EXPENDITURES.

I HAVE ASKED FOR THE FACTORS FOR THE OUTSIDE, THE MAJOR, THE FIVE MAJOR PROGRAMS FOR ALL THOSE OTHER, WHAT THE FACTORS ARE.

AND I LOOK FORWARD TO RECEIVING THOSE FACTORS CUZ THEY, I'VE NOT RECEIVED THEM YET, BUT THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR EVERYONE'S EDIFICATION.

ALL RIGHT.

UH, SO ADRIAN, YES SIR.

YOU, UH, YOU'VE HEARD, YOU'VE HEARD THE COMMENTS AND, AND, UH, FRANKLY, I'D LIKE TO, I'D LIKE TO HEAR HOW WE'RE GOING TO, WE NEED TO BE ROWING OUR SHIP IN THE, IN OR ROWING OUR BOAT IN THE SAME DIRECTION.

AND IT SEEMS LIKE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE ROWING AGAINST EACH OTHER.

UH, YOU'VE HEARD NUMBER ONE, THAT, THAT WE'VE ASKED DIANE TO DO THAT.

YOU KNOW, DIANE HAS AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS BUSINESS.

SO WE LEAN ON HER A LOT TO GIVE US FEEDBACK.

AND SO, UH, THE, THE NUMBERS THAT WE GET, THE REQUESTS THAT ARE BEING DONE, YOU KNOW, WE, THERE HAS BEEN CONSTANT EMAIL BACK AND FORTH AND, AND ALL OF THAT.

SO, SO WHAT, WHAT I'D LIKE TO HEAR IS HOW ARE WE COOPERATING? HOW ARE WE GOING TO CONTINUE TO COOPERATE TO KEEP THIS BOAT GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION? OR, OR DO WE JUST HAVE TO IMPLODE THIS THING? AND, AND I MEAN, IT'S JUST, IT, IT REALLY, WE'VE, WE'VE GOT TO GET SOME TRACTION HERE CUZ WE'RE NOT, WE'RE WE'RE NOT MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER.

WE'RE JUST KIND OF, WE'RE JUST KIND OF FLOUNDERING.

AND I'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, I'VE HAD REALLY GOOD CONVERSATION WITH YOU GUYS IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS, OKAY? BUT I'VE ALSO, YOU KNOW, I'VE MET WITH YOU ONE OTHER TIME.

I MEAN, WE'VE GOT TO, WE'VE GOT TO GET THIS AND BE CONSISTENT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING.

AND SO I I I WANT TO, I WANNA SEE THE THINGS SUCCEED, HOWEVER WE CAN GET IT DONE.

AND I, I WAS THE ONE THAT TOLD CLIFF AND DIANE, IF WE CAN'T MAKE THIS THING WORK, LET'S DIVORCE.

YOU KNOW, I TALKED TO YOU AND PENNY THE OTHER DAY IN MY OFFICE ABOUT, HEY, IF, IF, IF WE'RE STUCK IN THIS BAD MARRIAGE TOGETHER, LET'S FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE IT A GOOD MARRIAGE.

AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S JUST MY, MY HUMBLE OPINION.

AND IT'S WORTH WHAT YOU PAID FOR IT.

BUT I JUST, UH, I REALLY WANNA SEE THIS THING GET RIGHTED AND I'M THE SMALL, I'M, I CALL MYSELF A DANGLING PARTISAN AND CUZ WE'RE BARELY DOWN THERE, BUT WE'RE HANGING ON AND, AND WE STILL, Y'ALL, Y'ALL GIVE ME A LITTLE VOICE EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE AND I TRY TO USE IT AND, BUT TELL, TELL US HOW YOU'RE GOING TO FIX THIS THING.

SO THANK, THANK YOU, JUDGE.

THANK YOU, JUDGE.

UH, FIRST OFF, UH, LIKE TO THANK DAN AND JUDGE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK HERE TODAY.

UM, WHAT, WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM, FROM YOU ALL OR FROM, UM, THE VARIOUS PARTNERS TO, WE HAVE TO BALANCE OBVIOUSLY RELATIONSHIPS WITH 1313 COMMUNITIES.

13, 13 COUNTIES.

UM, AND SO WHAT WE'VE HEARD, WE'VE HEARD FROM YOU ALL IS NOT NECESSARILY ANYTHING, IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, AND LEMME JUST BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT THAT.

UH, OUR INTENT IS TO BE PART, UH, TO ADDRESS ANY OF THE DYNAMICS, THE

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ISSUES THAT, THAT ARE CURRENTLY.

I WILL KINDA PROVIDE SOME, SOME CONTEXT IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S TRANSPIRED IN THE LAST THREE AND A HALF YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN THE CEO FOR ALAMO.

AND CERTAINLY THERE'S A TON OF HISTORY, RIGHT, LEADING UP TO, TO THAT POINT AND LEADING UP TO, TO TODAY.

UM, BUT I THINK ONE OF THINGS THAT, THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I FIND SORT OF SOME, SOME COMFORTING IS THE FACT THAT WE JUST EXPERIENCED, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY, UH, ONE OF THE MAJOR PROCESSES IN OUR LIFETIME, RIGHT? THE EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC.

UH, YOU LITERALLY HAVE COMMUNITIES AND ECONOMIES CLOSING DOWN.

UM, WE, UH, PROVIDED VIRTUAL SERVICES IN OUR CAREER CENTERS FOR ABOUT 30 DAYS AND VERY QUICKLY KNEW THAT'S NOT ENOUGH.

AND SO OUR COMMITMENT, COMMITMENT TO OUR COMMUNITIES WAS ABOUT REOPENING THOSE TENANTS CENTERS ABOUT 30 DAYS AFTER WE SHUT DOWN AND KEEPING OPEN ON THIS WHOLE TIMEFRAME.

OTHER WORKFORCE BOARDS BOARD DIDN'T MAKE THAT, UM, DIDN'T TAKE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT OPPORTUNITY.

THEY CONTINUED TO PROVIDE, UH, VIRTUAL SERVICES SERVICES.

SO THE ONLY REASON, THE REASON I SORT OF PROVIDE THAT IS TO HOPEFULLY DEMONSTRATE OUR COMMITMENT TO, TO EACH OF YOUR COMMUNITIES.

OTHER WORKFORCE BOARDS ARE ACTUALLY CLOSING CENTERS BECAUSE THEY'RE SAYING THERE'S NO NEED TO HAVE A CENTERS IN COMMUNITIES.

WE CAN PROVIDE VIRTUAL SERVICES.

THAT'S NOT OUR PHILOSOPHY.

UH, AND HAS A BEEN PHILOSOPHY OF OUR BOARD IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE, UH, REFERENCING REGARDS TO.

FOR EXAMPLE, SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT DIANE HAS BROUGHT TO, UH, TO THE TABLE.

GREAT QUESTIONS, RIGHT? WE WANT MAKE, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE RESPONSIVE AND, AND THERE'S BEEN BACK AND BACK AND FORTH IN TERMS OF, UH, QUESTIONS AND REQUESTS INFORMATION.

UM, SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS HAVE EVOLVED.

UM, AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET ANSWERS ASSOCIA BY THAT.

BUT TO BE CLEAR, 95% OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET ARE FORMING FAST.

SO THE HUNDRED 70, ACTUALLY WHATEVER, 43 50 8 MILLION I THINK ACTUALLY, UH, BASED ON THE AMENDMENT BUDGET, THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THIS TO WORK, UM, FUNDS, THAT'S ALL FORMULA APP ALLOCATION.

THOSE ARE DOLLARS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE REFLECTED DIANE'S SPREADSHEET.

SO THE 5% FOR LESS THAN 5%, ABOUT SEVEN AND HALF MILLION THAT ARE OTHER FUNDS, I AM CLOSE TO REALLY GREAT QUESTIONS.

WE'RE TRYING TO GET CONFIRMATION FROM TEXAS'S WORKFORCE COMMISSION TO ADDRESS THOSE, THOSE QUESTIONS WE FEEL CONFIDENT WE'LL BE ABLE TO ADDRESS, ADDRESS THOSE QUESTIONS.

UM, AND SO CERTAINLY I THINK FROM MY WE PERCENT OF THE BY ALLOCATION, BUT WE HAVE SOME QUESTIONS THAT WE CAN BE PART OF THE SOLUTION TO ANSWERING THOSE QUESTIONS.

SO, SO I CLEAR OBJECTION, THAT'S OUR, THAT'S OUR INTENT, RIGHT? UM, IN TERMS OF THIS SORT OF, UM, ADDRESSING ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH WHAT THIS LEGAL STRUCTURE STRUCTURE IS ABOUT AND HOW THE INTERACTION BETWEEN, UH, AREA JUDGES, ANTONIO COUNTY, HOW THAT, YOU KNOW, EVOLVES.

UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE AS AS WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS, WE WILL HELP FACILITATE THAT PROCESS.

WE DON'T HAVE AN OPINION WAY OR THE OTHER IN REGARDS TO ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE TO MAKE THAT DECISION AMONGST YOURSELVES AND HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.

WHATEVER THE, WHEREVER THE FINAL FINALIZES OR ENDS UP, WE'LL FOLLOW THAT DIRECTION.

UM, YOU KNOWS DISCUSSIONS ABOUT SORT OF POTENTIALLY RE-LOOKING AT THE METHODOLOGY ASSOCIA ASSOCIATED WITH DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.

UM, WE'RE OPEN TO THOSE CONVERS CONVERSATIONS.

WE'RE OPEN TO PROVIDE SCENARIOS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT AND THE, AND THE CONSEQUENCES AND BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH EACH OF THOSE SCENARIOS.

UM, APPRECIATE THAT.

UH, DIANE MENTIONED NEED FOR A WORKSHOP.

THAT'S A WORKSHOP.

IT'S HAPPEN I BELIEVE IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS BETWEEN, UH, PARTNER STAFF.

YOU'RE REPRESENTATIVE DIANE, REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AND I'M REPRESENTED FROM BE COUNTY TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THESE THINGS MORE CRITICALLY.

I KNOW IT'S A LONGWINDED ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, JUDGE.

UM, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, UH, WE ARE, WE DEFINITELY WANT TO ROLL IN THAT, IN, IN THE RIGHT WAY.

UM, IN THE SAME DIRECTION, I THINK WE HAVE DEMONSTRATED OUR COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITIES BY, BY KEEPING OUR DOORS OPEN, ALL BRINGING IN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS MORE.

UM, IF WE LOOK, YOU LOOK AT WHAT THAT ACTUAL NUMBER IS, ABOUT 600 MILLION MILLION IN THE LAST THREE AND A HALF YEARS OR WHERE WE'VE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR AND ONLY ABOUT 35,000 OF THAT WAS, THAT WAS ACTUALLY RESULTED IN, IN DISABLED COSTS.

SO ORGANIZATION AND AGENCIES RESPONSIBLE OVER 600 MILLION AND WE ARE HAVING ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH COST.

AND IT'S 35,000.

IT'S LESS THAN 0.0 0 0 0 5 5, RIGHT? UM, SO I UNDERSTAND, I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS ABOUT RISK AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.

I, I WILL ASSURE, ASSURE THAT THAT'S OUR CONCERN JUST AS WELL,

[00:30:01]

WHICH IS WHY, FOR EXAMPLE, WE'VE HAD CLEAN AUDIT, UH, IN THE LAST FEW TWO YEARS.

UM, WE HAVE, WE'RE JUST ABOUT WRAPPING UP OUR EXISTING AUDIT LAST FISCAL YEAR.

UM, THAT ONE INDICATIONS, IT'S GONNA BE CLEAR, WE HAVE NO LAWSUITS IN MY TENURE AS THE ADMINISTRATOR, UH, OR A CEO OF THIS ORGANIZATION.

WE BUILT THE RESERVE FUND TO BE ABLE TO TRY TO MINIMIZE ANY LIABILITY ASSOCIA WITH JUDGE JUDGES.

UM, WE'VE CONTINUED TO OPERATE IN THE BLACK.

UM, WE'RE NOT IN, IN, IN ANY FINANCIAL SITUATION THAT'S, THAT'S UPSIDE DOWN.

SO IF WE LOOK AT THOSE THINGS AND WE CONCENTRATE ON THOSE THINGS, SAY THINGS ARE ACTUALLY OKAY, OKAY, NOW DO WE HAVE SOME CONCERN, CONCERNS ABOUT COMMUNICATION AND INTERACTION TO JUDGE KUCHER A POINT ABOUT HEY, BEING ASKED PROPERLY, WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.

AND WE ARE TOTALLY OPEN, OPEN TO, TO THAT SITUATION AND TOTALLY OPEN, OPEN TO PART OF THAT SOLUTION.

UM, SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, OVERALL THE RESPONSE, UH, JUDGE IS TO SAY NOT ALL THINGS ARE, AND I KNOW THERE'S NOISE, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE THINGS THAT YOU WOULD SORT OF KIND EVALUATE AN AGENCY ABOUT, WHETHER IT'S SOUND OR NOT, ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE, THINGS ARE ACTUALLY, UM, PRETTY SOLID.

IS THERE ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT? ABSOLUTELY.

THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR, FOR IMPROVEMENT.

UM, OUR, OUR POSITION AS A, AS THE WORKFORCE BOARD IS, AND ALONG WITH MY LEADERSHIP CHAIRWOMAN, IS HERE, IS TO BE PART OF A SOLUTION TO RESOLVE WHATEVER UPSTANDING PROBLEMS EXIST.

CAN I SAY SOMETHING? YEAH, YEAH.

NOBODY WANTS WORKFORCE TO FAIL, RIGHT? I I NOBODY DOES.

BUT THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN FURNISHED THROUGH THE YEARS, AND IT'S NOT JUST THE YEAR THERE ADRIAN, BUT, UH, LAWSUITS, UH, FINDINGS ON, ON, UH, AUDITS, THINGS LIKE THAT.

THE PROCUREMENT, YOU'VE HAD PROCUREMENT PROBLEMS RECENTLY.

THE COMMITTEE SIX ALMOST HAD ANOTHER ONE BECAUSE OF THAT, THAT MOTOR HOME, IT COST HALF A MILLION DOLLARS FOR WHATEVER WE'RE GONNA USE IT FOR.

THINGS LIKE THAT.

THAT'S WHAT WORRIED ME THAT WE DON'T, THAT THERE'S NOT ENOUGH OVERSIGHT.

BUT IF, IF YOU JUST COMPLIED WITH THE AGREEMENT, THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD CURE ABOUT 80, 90% OF THE PROBLEM.

CUZ WE'RE, YOU KNOW, SOME THINGS ARE NOT BEING DONE TIMELY IN VIOLATION OF STATE AND FEDERAL LAW.

WE, WE SHOULD GET A REPORT.

WE HAVE LAWSUITS STILL PENDING FROM OTHER EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ACTIONS.

AND, AND I DON'T, WE HAVEN'T HAD A REPORT RECENTLY ON THE, WHERE WE ARE ON THOSE, BUT WE, WE SHOULD BE GETTING THOSE AS COMMITTEE SIX.

WE DON'T HAVE THE COMMITTEE SIX THAT WOULD COME INDIVIDUALLY TO THE COUNTY JUDGES AND, AND THE BEAR SAN ANTONIO.

BUT ULTIMATELY IT HAS TO GO TO THE COUNTY JUDGES.

BUT, UH, SO WE ASKED DIANE TO ATTEND AS STAFF.

WELL, WE, WE DON'T HAVE STAFF.

IT'S CRAZY.

I MEAN, SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE.

AND ANOTHER PROBLEM, I I THINK, AND I'VE ALWAYS SAID IT BACK WHEN WE HAD ADC, WE USED TO CONTRACT WITH WORKFORCE TO PROVIDE IN THE RURAL COUNTIES AT THE REQUEST OF WORKFORCE.

ALL OF A SUDDEN IT BECAME AN ISSUE BECAUSE ADC, HAG COUNTY JUDGES ON THE BOARD.

SO IT WAS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.

YET CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS THE SINGLE LARGEST CONTRACT THAT YOU HAVE TO DO CHILDCARE AND THEY'RE ON COMMITTEE OF SIX.

I GOTTA BE CAREFUL HERE.

OKAY, LET ME TAKE A DEEP BREATH.

IT'S BS IS, IS POLITICS OVER RIGHT AND WRONG? IF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO CAN DO IT, WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO IT.

IF WE COULDN'T DO IT, THEY SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO IT.

IF WE DIDN'T HAVE A COMMITTEE OF SIX BECAUSE OF THE WAY IT'S STRUCTURED, THEN THAT WOULDN'T BE A CONFLICT AS FAR AS COMMITTEE OF SIX.

BECAUSE THE BYLAWS SPECIFICALLY SAY THAT A MEMBER CAN BE A CONTRACTOR, WHICH IS CRAZY UNLESS YOU'RE AREA JUDGES.

SO IT IS JUST, YOU KNOW, IT JUST NEEDS TO BE CLEANED UP.

AND THE AGREEMENT WE HAVE, WHETHER IT BE COMMITTEE OF SIX OR WE GO TO 14 OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, IT NEEDS TO BE FOLLOWED AND WE NEED TO GET THE REPORTS.

WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PROCUREMENT, WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FINDINGS ON AGENCY AUDIT, UH, FUNDING AUDITS, THINGS LIKE THAT.

WE, WE, WE DON'T GET THAT.

WOULD YOU AGREE WITH THAT? WE DON'T, WE DON'T GET THINGS TIMELY.

SO, UM, SO JUDGE, I A COUPLE OF THINGS.

SO WHY DON'T, UM, IN TERMS, IN TERMS OF YOU'RE MEETING THE LETTER LETTER OF, OF THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT.

COULD THERE BE IMPROVEMENTS? ABSOLUTELY.

UM, IN TERMS OF MEETING THE OVERALL SPIRIT OF THE INTER LOCALS, UM, COUPLE OF THINGS HAPPENED.

ONE, UM, OUR BOARD MEETS ABOUT THE PLUS TIMES YEAR, UM, THE RELATIONSHIP

[00:35:01]

IN, IN TERMS OF HOW, UH, THE BOARD OPERATES.

THEY HAVE THE FIDUCIARY, UH, RESPONSIBILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE OPERATIONS AND THE DAYDAY OPERATIONS.

THEY NEED 30, 30 PLUS TIMES PARTNER STAFF FOR YOU REPRESENTATIVES.

IN THE CASE OF LIKE, UM, AND IN CASE OF MR. RAFF, IN THE CASE OF THE COUNTY, UH, BEAR COUNTY, UH, IT'S, UH, MS. MATTHEWS, THEY ATTEND EACH OF THOSE MEETING MEETINGS.

THEY GET THEIR PACKETS ASSOCIATED EACH, EACH PACKET PROVIDED TO THE BOARD AND LAYING OUT, UH, WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH FINANCES, WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH PRO PROGRAMMATIC PERFORMANCE, WHAT WE'RE DOING IN REGARDS TO PIECES AND THOSE TYPES THINGS.

ALL THAT INFORMATION IS PROVIDED.

UM, YOU KNOW, AND WHEN, WHEN WE'VE HAD, UH, OUR MONITORING REPORTS, WE HAVE PRESENTED THOSE COMMITTEE OF SIX, HAVE WE ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY SENT THOSE OUT TO, TO, UH, ALL THE CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIALS? THAT PROBABLY DIDN'T HAPPEN.

BUT IN TERMS OF SORT OF HAVING A LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY WE'VE HAD THAT CAN WE HAVE HAVE A HIGHER LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY? ABSOLUTELY.

ABSOLUTELY.

YOU COULD.

UM, AND SO AGREE TO AND JUDGE, AND IT'S NOT THE POINT TO SORT OF POINT, POINT HERE, I THINK AT THE END OF, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE MESSAGE THAT WE'RE SAYING FROM A WORKFORCE BOARD STAFF STANDPOINT IS WE'RE WE WANNA BE PART, PART OF THE SOLUTION.

UM, I UNDERSTAND SOME HISTORY ASSOCIATED WITH IN TERMS OF WHO CAN BE ELIGIBLE CONTRACTOR, WHO THE, AT THE TERMINATION WAS TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION.

AND I WANNA BE CLEAR THAT THAT'S NOT A DETERMINATION OF THE WORKFORCE REPORT ITSELF.

NOW, NOW WERE THERE ELECTED, ELECTED OFFICIALS INVOLVED INTO THAT CONVERSATION? I, I'M ASSUMING THERE WAS.

UM, UM, BUT I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THERE'S, THERE'S A DISTINCTION BETWEEN WHAT OUR RESPONSIBILITY, RESPONSIBILITY IS AS AN ORGANIZATION TO DELIVER SERVICES.

PLUS PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR JOBS IN LASTED WENT UP TO 13% UNEMPLOYMENT BACK DOWN TO ESSENTIALLY PRE PANDEMIC.

WE, WE PERFORMED AND MET THE NEED COMMUNITY, WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS.

I UNDERSTAND THERE'S JUST DISCUSSION ABOUT SORT OF WHAT HISTORY, UH, TRANSPIRED AND MAYBE SOME CONCERNS.

SOME OF THAT, QUITE FRANKLY IS ABOVE, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR LEVEL AND THAT THAT DOES HAVE, I WOULD SUGGEST TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT ELECTED OFFICIALS AS OPPOSED TO, WELL, I I'M PRETTY CONCERNED ABOUT THE OUTREACH IN THE RURAL COUNTIES, UH, CHILDCARE AND OTHER THINGS.

AND I, I WANT REHASH THE HEART CAUSE I, BUT, BUT THERE HAS, THERE HAS TO BE AT LEAST A MINIMAL AMOUNT OF OUTREACH IN THE RURAL COUNTIES BY THE CONTRACTORS.

AND THAT'S NOT HAPPENING.

I WOULD AGREE.

WOULD AGREE WITH THAT? YES, I WOULD AGREE.

SO THEN TO ME, AS FAR AS MY COUNTY CONCERNED, THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST MONUMENTAL WASTE OF MONEY THAT I'VE SEEN BY, BY AN AGENCY FOR MY COUNTY.

YOU GOT 150, 60, $70 MILLION AND NOBODY EVEN COMES OUT TO, TO TELL PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU NEED CHILDCARE, WE CAN HELP YOU.

IT'S NOT THERE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN LOG IN, COME DOWN HERE SOMEWHERE LIKE THAT.

SO IT'S LIKE, WHY CAN'T WE JUST HAVE OUTREACH TO THE RURAL COUNTIES? THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND, AND THAT'S, UH, I DON'T KNOW.

IT IS JUST FRUSTRATING.

I'VE, I'VE BEEN ON THIS COMMITTEE, DAMN COMMITTEE OF SIX FOR 25 YEARS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

AND, AND WE, WE DON'T MAKE PROGRESS.

AND IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT.

I MEAN, YOU, YOU INHERITED A MESS.

WE HAD A, WE'VE HAD A REAL, A REAL MESS, OKAY? AND WE, WE'VE HAD, WE CHANGED THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS MORE OFTEN THAN WE CHANGED THE CALENDARS FOR YEARS.

SO THERE HAS BEEN NO CO WE, WE HAD BOARD MEMBERSHIP.

THIS IS MAYBE NOT GOOD, BUT, BUT WE, WE'VE SOMEHOW, WE GOTTA FIX IT.

BUT THE SPIRIT OF THE AGREEMENT'S FINE.

BUT THE AGREEMENT, I'M A PROCESS PERSON.

IF YOU SAY YOU'RE GONNA DO THIS, YOU NEED TO DO IT.

IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA DO IT, LET'S CHANGE THE AGREEMENT SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT.

THAT'S, I MEAN, THERE'S NOT MUCH GRAY EXCEPT IN MY HAIR.

I LIKE IT.

BLACK OR WHITE.

IF YOU'RE GONNA DO IT, DO IT.

IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA DO IT, LET'S CHANGE IT SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT.

IN WHICH THE WORKFORCE BOARD IS EMBEDDED IN THAT AGREEMENT.

CHANGE IT.

SO WE JUST NEED TO CLEAN IT UP.

AND THE COMMITTEE SIX OUGHT TO GO AWAY SOMEHOW.

MS. RATH, I TRIED TO BE NICE.

SO YOU COMMENTED EARLIER THAT THE WAY WE'RE DOING THE COMMITTEE OF SIX IS UNIQUE TO OUR W D A.

CAN WE GET EXAMPLES OF OTHER AGREEMENTS FROM OTHER WD HOW, HOW ARE OTHER PLACES DOING IT? I GUESS IS, IS THE SHORT ANSWER MY QUESTION.

I WOULD BE GLAD TO TELL YOU.

UH, IN THIS STATE OF TEXAS, THERE'S UM, EIGHT, IF I REMEMBER THE NUMBERS RIGHT, AND I COULD BE OFF A LITTLE BIT.

I BELIEVE THERE'S EIGHT COUNCILS OF GOVERNMENT

[00:40:01]

IN THE OTHER, UM, THERE'S 28 WORKFORCE BOARDS WHEN THE OTHER 20, IT'S A FREE-STANDING ENTITY.

UM, AND ITS GOVERNING BODY HAS ALL THE COUNTY JUDGES AND THE MAJOR MAYOR, LIKE IF YOU'RE OUT IN CONCHO VALLEY, THERE'S NO CITY THAT'S OVER 200,000.

SO UNDER A STATE LAW, IT'S THE LARGEST CITY.

SO IT'S ST.

ANGELO.

SO YOU WOULD HAVE ALL THE COUNTY JUDGES IN SAN ANGELO.

IF YOU GO TO THE AREA AROUND ABILENE, IT'S ALL THE COUNTY JUDGES AND THE MAYOR OF ABILENE.

THE SAME THING FOR LUBBOCK.

THE SAME THING FOR THOSE, IF YOU'RE IN DALLAS COUNTY, WHICH IS A, A WORKFORCE BOARD, UH, UH, AREA UNTO ITS OWN, YOU HAVE THE MAYOR OF DALLAS AND A COUPLE OF OTHER MAYORS BECAUSE AS SOME OF THOSE SMALLER CITIES BECAME BIGGER CITIES, THEY HIT THAT THRESHOLD.

SO THEY'RE ALSO INCLUDED.

SO YOU HAVE THE COUNTY JUDGE AND THE MAYORS OF THOSE CITIES OVER 200,000.

UM, SO THAT'S HOW IT IS IN EVERY PLACE ELSE IN THE CITY.

AND I MEAN IN THE STATE AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY, IT'S YOUR, UH, AND THAT'S WHAT'S ENVISIONED IN THE STATUTE TO HAVE YOUR CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIALS OF WHICH ARE YOUR COUNTY JUDGES.

AND THEN YOUR MAJOR MAYOR, I SAY MAJOR MAYOR, THAT'S MY WORD, UH, BUT THE MAYOR OF 200,000 OR MORE WHO MAKE UP THAT, THAT GOVERNING BODY THAT APPOINTS THE MEMBERS, APPROVES THE BUDGET, APPROVES THE PLAN.

UM, AND THAT'S THE STATUTORY LANGUAGE, UH, IN TEXAS BECAUSE, UH, THE WORKFORCE LEGISLATION IN TEXAS AND FLORIDA PRECEDED FEDERAL, UH, WORKFORCE REFORM.

SO OUR STATE STATUTES WERE GRANDFATHERED AND OUR, OUR, UH, ENVISIONS WHAT I JUST DESCRIBED, BUT IT ALSO PROVIDES GREAT FLEXIBILITY CUZ IT RECOGNIZES LOCAL CONTROL.

MANY OF Y'ALL WILL SMILE AT MY REFERENCING LOCAL CONTROL IN THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT, BOSTON.

BUT, UH, IT REFERENCES LOCAL CONTROL.

AND SO WHEN WE, WHEN THIS AREA CAME UP WITH ITS OWN STRUCTURE, THAT WAS PERMISSIBLE AND ALLOWABLE BECAUSE ALL OF THE COUNTY JUDGES AND THE MAYOR DELEGATED THEIR AUTHORITY UNDER THE STATUTE TO THE COMMITTEE OF SIX.

SO THAT'S WHY IT WAS PERMISSIBLE IN THIS REGION, UH, BECAUSE THE, AT THAT TIME, 12 COUNTY JUDGES AND THE MAYOR DELEGATED THEIR RESPONS STATUTORY RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE COMMITTEE OF SIX.

AND WE'RE ALL, WE'RE ALL PARTIES TO THIS INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT.

IF WE DON'T LIKE IT, WE'RE, I MEAN LET'S TALK ABOUT AMENDING IT.

I MEAN, WE, I THINK, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK INTO WHAT OUR OPTIONS ARE, UH, BECAUSE WE, WE NEED TO HAVE, UH, BETTER CONTROL OF WHAT'S GOING ON CUZ WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR IT.

AND QUITE FRANKLY, I HAVEN'T GOTTEN INVOLVED IN, IN THE COMMITTEE OF SIX, CUZ I DON'T SERVE ON IT.

GLAD YOU DO.

UH, YOU WANT TO SERVE NO .

BUT, BUT THE MORE, THE MORE I LEARN ABOUT IT AS WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THESE ISSUES THE LAST FEW MONTHS, UH, IT'S EXTREMELY DYSFUNCTIONAL, UH, HOW WE OPERATE.

AND IF YOU SEE SOMETHING NOT WORKING, YOU FIX IT OR TRY SOMETHING.

AT LEAST TRY SOMETHING BETTER.

IF IT DOESN'T WORK, IT DOESN'T WORK.

I'VE BEEN SAYING THAT FOR A FEW YEARS.

I KNOW.

AND I'M, I'M, I'M FEELING GUILTY THAT I'M PARROTING WHAT YOU SAY .

SO ITEM ON WITH ITEM NUMBER FIVE.

UH, WE DO HAVE THE OPTION OF POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE INFORMATION THAT'S OUT.

WELL, WE CAN'T ACCEPT ANYTHING CUZ WE DON'T HAVE THE FINAL NUMBERS.

SO IT DIES FOR LACK OF A MOTION.

MAY I SUGGEST PERHAPS THAT, WELL THIS IS JUST THOUGHT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.

REQUEST THE COMMITTEE OF SIX CHAIR TO CONVENE A MEETING SO THAT YOU, AMONG THE COMMITTEE OF SIX, Y'ALL COULD DISCUSS OR ALTERNATIVE MIGHT BE ASKING A T WC ATTORNEY TO COME DOWN AND MEET WITH THE AREA JUDGES AND BRIEF YOU ALL ON OPTIONS.

I THINK MEETING WITH THE, YEAH, GO AHEAD SHANE.

I'M ONE OF THE NEWER, NEWER GUYS HERE, BUT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK AND, AND NO ACTION.

AND WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE HARM OF THROWING, GIVING THEM 90 DAYS TO SET UP A ACTION PLAN WITH CORRECTIVE MEASURES AND HEADLINES OF WHEN THEY'RE GONNA MEET IT AND IF THEY DON'T COMPLY, WE DIVORCE.

THAT MAY BE A LITTLE AGGRESSIVE, BUT SOUNDS LIKE YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN FIGHTING THIS FOR YEARS.

I DON'T THINK WE COULD GET A DIVORCE GRANTED , BUT ITEM ITEM FIVE, IT SAYS DISCUSS ON THE FEASIBILITY OF DIVIDING INTO

[00:45:01]

WE GOT THE ANSWER TO THAT.

SO, SO THAT ITEM FIVE IS, IS, IS IS MOOT.

MOOT, YEAH.

WE'VE GOTTA MOVE ON TO ALTERNATE.

SO WE CAN'T ALTERNATIVES TO WHAT WE DO.

SO WE CAN'T TAKE ACTION UNDER ITEM FIVE EXCEPT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DO.

WOULD IT YES.

WOULD BE PERMISSIBLE IF I CONVEY WHAT WHAT YOU JUST STATED TO WSA AND, AND THEY'VE HEARD YOUR REQUEST AND PERHAPS A STAFF, UH, WHEN WE HAVE OUR WORK SESSION, WE BRING A PRODUCT TO YOU ALL THAT HAS A TIMELINE.

WOULD THAT BE HELPFUL? IT'S BETTER THAN IT.

NOTHING BUT WE NEED, BUT WE NEED TO ADDRESS IS, IS THE AGREEMENT, DOES IT NEED TO BE MODIFIED EVEN IF WE DON'T HAVE A COMMITTEE OF SIX? I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S IMPORTANT.

IF, IF THERE ARE THINGS IN THERE THAT, THAT THEY CAN'T DO OR WE DON'T WANT 'EM TO DO, THEY JUST NEED TO BE TAKEN OUT.

ANYTHING THAT'S IN THERE IS, THAT'S NOT THE SPIRIT OF THE AGREEMENT.

THAT IS THE AGREEMENT AND IT HAS TO BE DONE TO COMPLY WITH THE AGREEMENT.

SO THERE'S NO MISUNDERSTANDING.

SO THERE'S REALLY THE INTERLOCAL AND THE PARTNERSHIP.

RIGHT? RIGHT.

SO PERHAPS, IF I'M HEARING Y'ALL CORRECTLY, IF IT WOULD BE HELPFUL WHEN WE HAVE OUR WORK SESSION WITH PARTNER STAFF, UH, WSA, WE COULD GO THROUGH IT AND SEE WHAT IS NOT POSSIBLE OR REALLY CLARIFY WHAT THE WORD STATE.

I THINK THAT THAT'S, THAT'S A, THAT'S AN ACO QUESTION.

I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S A QUESTION FOR AREA THAT IS WELL IT COULD BE STEP, IT'S, IT'S NOT REALLY AN ACO QUESTION.

ACOS NOT IN IT.

NO.

ACO A THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM.

IT'S US AS PART OF THIS IN LOCAL AGREEMENT DELEGATED TO A COMMITTEE OF SIX AND WSA BECAUSE WE'RE INDIVIDUALLY IN IT IS, IS COUNTY.

WE'VE ASKED HER TO BE OUR REPRESENTATIVE TO HELP US.

AND SHE'S VOLUNTEERED TO DO IT.

THAT AND CLIFF VOLUNTEERS ALONG WITH ME.

, WHAT I, WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS IF, BECAUSE ACOM DOES HAVE A ROLE, RIGHT? BUT WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS WHENEVER YOU MEET AT, WITHIN YOUR ROLE AS THE, AS THE DIRECTOR I REPRESENTATIVE, I DON'T MEET, I DON'T MEET MEET AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ACO.

CAUSE ACO DOESN'T HAVE DOG IN THIS HUNT.

I MEET AS THE AREA JUDGES' REPRESENTATIVE.

THAT'S WHY THIS IS A BASTARD GUY DEAL.

THIS IS PART OF YOUR, JUST FOR SOME OF OUR AREAS LIKE THAT, WHEN I FIRST, WE CAN'T SPLIT THAT.

I ASSUMED THE SAME ROLE MY PREDECESSORS DID AND THE AREA JUDGES WROTE A LETTER TO WSA DESIGNATED ME AS SHE REPRESENTATIVE AT THAT TIME.

MM-HMM.

NOT IS, NOT IS C EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS.

BUT WE, WE, WE JUST NEED IT NEEDS TO WORK.

WELL, I THINK, I THINK Y'ALL TALKING ABOUT IT AND REPORTING BACK TO US IS GOOD.

I THINK HAVING THE COMMITTEE OF SIX COME TALK TO US, UH, AND JUST THE DISCUSSION IS GOOD AND I THINK AT SOME POINT HAVING SOME SOMEBODY FROM T WC COME TALK TO US IS GOOD.

UH, I DON'T THINK THIS IS AN OVERNIGHT ANSWER, BUT WE'VE GOTTA START SOMEWHERE.

I GOT THREE YEARS LEFT.

I'D LIKE TO SEE IT FINISHED BEFORE I RETIRE.

WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY FROM, I MEAN FOR ADRIAN, AND I MEAN WSA, I THINK IF YOU LOOKED AT A POSSIBLE AMENDMENT, UM, WORKING TOGETHER ON THE INTERLOCAL THAT RESTRUCTURED THE COMMITTEE OF SIX TO A BOARD THAT HAD A MEMBER FOR EACH AREA AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT DIRECT INTERACTION WITHOUT Y'ALL AND STAFF HAVING TO RUN AROUND EVERY FEW WEEKS, ONCE EVERY SIX WEEKS TRYING TO MEET WITH 13 DIFFERENT ENTITIES.

I MEAN, THAT'S A NIGHTMARE WITH WHAT ALL'S GOING ON WITH A BOARD MAKEUP LIKE THAT YOU HAVE CONSTANT STRUCTURED INTERACTION IN A WAY THAT YOU CAN TALK ABOUT THOSE ISSUES.

ADDRESS CONCERNS, I MEAN, GIVE INFORMATION.

IT'S A PLATFORM FOR EVERYBODY TO BE TALKING TOGETHER.

I FEAR THAT IF WE GO THROUGH THIS MOTION FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS AND MONTHS AND EVERYBODY STARTS PULLING OUT INDIVIDUALLY, IT'S A BIGGER MESS LONG TERM.

AND THEN IT'S SOMETHING THAT MAY BROKE TO THE POINT WHERE YOU CAN'T PULL IT BACK TOGETHER.

I CAN SAY ONE THING.

YES MA'AM.

SORRY.

UM, WSA AND, AND STEPH, WE DON'T HAVE A ROLE IN INTERLOCAL.

WE CAN HAVE ROLE OF PARTNERSHIP CUZ THE INTERLOCAL IS STRICTLY AMONG THE ELECTED OFFICIALS.

I'LL BE THE, BUT WE CAN CLEARLY CLARIFY THE WORDS THAT ARE ON THE PAPER AND WHAT THE, WHAT THE DOCUMENT CALLS FOR.

OPEN COMMUNICATION CHALLENGE TO ENSURE THAT I'M MEETING WITH ALL THE JUDGES.

BUT IT, IN MY OPINION, WOULD BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL IF EVERYBODY WAS RECOMMENDING TO ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT THIS IS BENEFICIAL FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED.

UM, BECAUSE IF WE HAVE ELECTED OFFICIALS CALLING ADRIAN UP AND HE GOES, IT'S A BIGGER GROUP, MORE HEADACHES, NO THANKS, IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.

AND WE HAVE MORE CONTROVERSY, SUGGESTION, WE'RE OPEN TO, TO WHATEVER IT IS NECESSARY TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE DIALOGUE,

[00:50:01]

UH, IF THAT MEANS, THAT MEANS SIMPLY TO THIS VERY MORE OFTEN, THEN HAPPY TO DO THAT AS WELL.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE DISCUSSING EVEN INTERNALLY PROVIDING QUARTERLY REPORT OR YOU KNOW, YOUR REPORT TO YOU ALL, WHATEVER IT TAKES TO BE ABLE TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE BEING RESPONSIVE TO YOU AND, AND MAKING SURE YOUR ISSUES AND CONCERNS.

UM, ONE LAST THING I WAS JUST KINDA SAYING, I THINK YOU SAID IT EARLIER, JUDGE, AND I APPRECIATE YOU SAID THAT, WHICH IS THE LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT, ENGAGEMENT WITH, UH, DIFFERENT COUNTIES IS, IS DIFFERENT, RIGHT? UM, AND WHEN WE LOOK AT WHITE JUDGE, IT'S NOT BUDGET, IT'S ABOUT THE OTHER OPPORTUNITY EXIST, RIGHT? SO FOR EXAMPLE, SIGNED AN MOU WITH YOUR LOCAL EDC THAT'S GIVING THEM ACCESS TO A MILLION DOLLARS OF FUNDS THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE.

YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE BUDGET, BUDGET NECESSARILY, RIGHT? BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE A PARTNER PARTNERSHIP, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO OPEN COMMUNICATION AND DIALOGUE AND WORKING TOGETHER ON THOSE THINGS, WE CAN SEEK OUT ADDITIONAL, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.

AND SO I MENTIONED THAT BECAUSE THAT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE OF HOW OVERALL WE CAN DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT.

UM, BUT I ALSO JUST TAKE WHAT YOU SAID AND, AND ENCOURAGE THE ENGAGEMENT BECAUSE THAT'S HOW WE PROBLEM SOLVE, YOU KNOW, ISSUES AND WE CAN BRING ADDITIONAL, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO THE REGION.

SO WHAT DID WE DECIDE? I'M CONFUSED.

I DON'T HEAR A MOTION OUT.

WELL, THERE'S JUST NOTHING TO, THERE'S NOTHING.

I MEAN, OTHER ITEM FIVE IS ONLY DIVORCED OR STAY TOGETHER AND WE, WE HAVE TO STAY TOGETHER SO THERE'S NO ACTION.

WELL, I'M, I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ASK, UH, UH, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ACOG TO REPORT BACK TO US ON PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS WITH WSA FOLLOWING THEIR, THEIR, THEIR WORKSHOP AND INVITE, UH, EITHER THE COMMITTEE OF SIX OR REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE COMMITTEE OF SIX, UH, TO MEET WITH US IN A WORKSHOP SO WE CAN CON DISCUSS HOW WE WANT TO PROCEED GOVERNANCE.

I WOULD SECOND THAT WITH AN AMENDMENT AND ALSO REACH OUT TO T HER POSITION IS NOT THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF AK ON THAT.

WE HAVE A MOTION IN A SECOND.

ANYBODY NEED JUDGE KELLY? DO WE SPEAK, WHAT MOTION WILL, WILL THERE BE ANY NEED TO REACH OUT TO, I MEAN, YOU MENTIONED REACH OUT TO T WC.

T WC AND THANK YOU.

I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY.

SO I REPORT BACK ON THE DISCUSSIONS AFTER OUR STAFF WORKSHOP AND I THINK I HEARD YOU SAY ALSO REQUEST, UH, THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE.

SIX SCHEDULED COMMITTEE SIX WORKSHOP.

CAN I HEAR THAT CORRECTLY? WE WANT IT AS A WORKSHOP.

WE, WE NEED TO HAVE WORKSHOP.

IF YOU CAN GET 'EM ALL, GET 'EM ALL, GET 'EM ALL TO SHOW UP THAT AND THEN REPORT TO VERY REFRESHING TO HAVE EVERYBODY THERE TO THE, AND THEN I CAN THIS BOARD, THIS AREA JUDGES SOMETHING, WHATEVER WE ARE.

WHATEVER WE ARE.

AND THEN I HEARD CORRECTLY, UM, TO ASK T WC TO HAVE AN ATTORNEY COME BRIEF YOU ALL ON OPTIONS FOR THE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE.

I'D KINDA LIKE FOR US TO TALK ABOUT OUR GOVERNANCE ISSUES BEFORE WE INVOLVE THE T WC.

OKAY, WE'LL MOVE ON TO NEW BUSINESS THEN.

I WON'T DO THAT THEN I'LL PROCEED WITH THOSE.

WELL, I DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO ALARM 'EM.

DONE.

I KNOW , WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO STAY TOGETHER.

SO, SO WE COULD, THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.

ACTION ON ITEM NUMBER FIVE.

THAT MOTION YOU THINK MR. JERMAINE CORRECT? YES.

GUESS I GUESS IT WOULD BE YES.

SO THERE IS A MOTION TO SECOND, ALTHOUGH THE FILE BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND THAT OPPOS TO YOU GOT THAT RECORDED AND THE TAPE IS RUNNING.

[6. Consider and act upon the approval of the Workforce Solutions Alamo (WSA) 2021-2024 Two-Year Board Plan Modification. - Adrian Lopez]

ITEM NUMBER SIX, CONSIDER AN ACT UPON THE APPROVAL OF THE WORKFORCE.

ALAMO WSA 20 21, 20 24, 2 YEARS.

AND MODIFICATION.

MR. LOPEZ.

THANK YOU, JUDGE.

UM, I SET UP THE CONTEXT AND MY COLLEAGUE, UH, ACTUALLY PRESENTED ON THE ACTUAL ITEM.

BUT JUST, UH, AS A REMINDER, THIS IS, UH, OUR LOCAL, UH, PLAN THAT IS REQUIRED, REQUIRED BY, UH, BY LAW TO PRESENT, UH, NATIONAL.

THE PLAN ACCOMPLISHES A FEW THINGS.

ONE IS IT LOOKS AT, UM, OUR REGION AS A WHOLE AND LOOKS TO, TO TO SEE WHAT INDUSTRIES ARE GROWING, UH, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THOSE LOCAL ECONOMIES, UH, WHAT ARE WE SEEING, KIND OF JOB LOSSES.

AND SO THERE'S SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RESEARCH THAT IS LOOKED AT IN TERMS OF FROM, UH, BUSINESS AND DEVELOPMENT STANDPOINT.

IT STARTS TO FORECAST,

[00:55:02]

UM, WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA SEE GROWTH IN, IN PARTICULAR INDUSTRIES AND SECTORS.

ALSO, UM, OFFERS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SELECT OCCUPATIONS THAT ARE ACTUALLY PRESENT THEMSELVES AS, UM, EITHER KEY TO SUPPORTING THOSE INDUSTRIES OR ENTRY POINTS.

FOR EXAMPLE, TO GET POPULATION TO BE ABLE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, GET TRAINED, SCALED UP IN ORDER IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE JOBS.

SO IT'S ABOUT SUPPORTING EMPLOYERS, THE ECONOMIES, UH, BUT ALSO, UH, THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR JOB SEEKERS TO BE ABLE TO OPPORTUNITIES TO THOSE, THOSE SECTORS ALSO OFFERS THE OPPORTUNITY, OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ALIGN WITH OUR TRAINING PROVIDERS.

CAUSE WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS ELEMENT DOES NOT PROVIDE THE ACTUAL TRAINING.

WE MAKE AN INVESTMENT INTO AN INDIVIDUAL JOB SEEKER TO BE ABLE TO GO TO SOMEONE LIKE COLLEGE HALLMARK AND OTHER TYPES OF INSTITUTIONS TO BE ABLE TO, UM, GET THE, THE TRAINING OR EDUCATION THAT'S NECESSARY TO GET 'EM ON A PATH, UM, TO GET INTO THIS, UH, UH, CAREER PATHWAYS RATHER.

UM, SO THIS IS, THIS IS OUR, OUR TWO YEAR MODIFICATION.

UM, WE STARTED THIS PROCESS PROBABLY, UH, LATE PART OF, OF LAST YEAR, UH, SOLICITED, UM, SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF, UM, UH, BE BACK.

UH, SO THERE'S SOME CHANGES THERE.

UM, WERE REFLECTED IN IN THIS YEAR'S UPDATE.

UH, SOME OF THOSE I THINK REQUEST, UH, FROM, UH, RURAL COMMUNITIES IN REGARDS TO BEING RESPONSIVE TO THEIR LOCAL ECONOMIES.

SO TO OFFER SOME MORE DETAIL TO WALK INTO THE PRESENTATION, WE'RE GONNA HAVE MR. COMMITTEE PRESENT.

JUDGE, I WILL SAY THAT IN YOUR PACKETS THAT YOU RECEIVE, THAT HAS THE ENTIRE NEW, UH, PLAN, UH, THE COPIES THAT SUSIE HAS AVAILABLE IN PRINT FOR THE RED LINE VERSIONS OF THE PLANT.

SO IF YOU'D LIKE A RED LINE VERSION, SU HAS COPIES.

GOOD.

AND THE NEEDS OFFICER AT WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS.

ALAMO BEEN ON THE JOB FOR 60 DAYS, HAS BEEN EXCITING TO SAY THE LEAST, JUST RAPID CAREER IN ECONOMIC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REGION.

LAST COUPLE YEARS I WAS AS DIRECTOR OF DC AND SO VERY ATTUNED TO, UH, WORK THAT HAPPENS REGIONALLY FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE.

I HAPPY TO BE WALKING THROUGH THE MODIFICATIONS TO THE LOCAL PLANS TODAY.

IF WE CAN ADVANCE THE SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO, UH, TO RECAP, MR. LOPEZ SHARED, UH, THIS IS ESSENTIALLY A REQUIRED DOCUMENT BY THE DETECTIVE WORKFORCE COMMISSION IN WHICH THE, UH, LOCAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARDS LAYOUT IN BROAD STROKES THE OVERALL PROGRAMMATIC, UH, UNDERTAKINGS AS WELL AS BUDGET AND OPERATIONAL COMPONENTS.

IT'S REALLY A FOUR YEAR, YEAR PLAN BACK IN 2021.

THIS ACTUALLY TODAY ADOPTS TWO YEAR MODIFICATION TO THE POINT MR. LOPEZ, MAYBE EARLIER.

THE POINT OF THIS IS TO GO THROUGH THE EXERCISES, LOOKING AT WHAT HAS CHANGED IN YOUR ECONOMY, WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON, OBVIOUSLY, OBVIOUSLY POST COVID, EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT HAPPEN IN TERMS OF INDUSTRY GROWTH AND THE OCCUPATIONS WITHIN THOSE INDUSTRIES THAT WE CAN SUPPORT WITH DOLLARS.

UM, AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY WHAT THIS REPRESENTS.

TAKING A, A TEMPERATURE WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE REGION AT A TWO YEAR MILESTONE, FOUR YEAR PLAN TO SEE IF ANY ADJUSTMENTS HAPPEN.

UM, AND SO THE OPERATIONAL PLAN, OF COURSE, COVERS A BROAD STROKE TO WHAT THE UM, UH, AGENCY IS DOING.

A LOT OF FOCUS IS PLACED ON THE TARGETED OCCUPATIONS, OCCUPATIONS THAT, UH, THROUGH SERIES OF OF PUBLIC INPUT ENGAGEMENTS AND PUBLIC COMMENTS, UH, HAVE RISEN TO THE TOP AS TARGET OCCUPATIONS FOR US TO POTENTIALLY INVEST IN, UH, AS WELL AS CAREER PATHWAYS.

WHAT ARE THOSE PATHWAYS THAT WE'RE POINT TO FOR FOLKS TO ENGAGE IN THESE GROWING INDUSTRIES? UH, SO THAT'S REALLY THE INTENT OF THE PLAN AND WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO TO HIT THE HIGH POINTS IN TERMS OF WHAT IS BEING CHANGED IN THE PLAN FROM 2021.

UH, TWO YEAR UPDATE INCLUDES A BUMP UP FROM THE TARGETED AVERAGE WAGE, AND THIS IS THE AVERAGE WAGE PATHWAYS TALKING ABOUT FOR EACH OF THESE INDUSTRIES FROM 15 TO 17.

AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT EACH ONE OF THESE ELEMENTS A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL AS WE GO THROUGH.

WE'RE KEEPING THE SAME NUMBER, NUMBER OF CLUSTERS, AND WHEN WE SAY CLUSTERS, IT'S REALLY AMALGAMATION OF DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES.

SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT A CLUSTER IN TERMS OF MANUFACTURING AND AEROSPACE OVER ESSENTIALLY, ESSENTIALLY SHARING IN TERMS OF THE SAME TALENT, POOLS OR MATERIALS, ET CETERA.

DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES, SAME CLUSTER.

UH, WE'RE GOING FROM 11 INDUSTRY SECTORS, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY FOUR DIGIT MAKES INDU IN NERD SPEAK IN TERMS OF HOW MANY, UH, UH, MAKES WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR INDUSTRY.

WE'RE GOING FROM 11 TO NINE.

AGAIN, I'LL BREAK THAT DOWN A MOMENT.

AND THEN THE IN DEMAND INDUSTRY GOING FROM 22 TO 17, UM, THE CHARTER OCCUPATIONS, AS YOU MENTIONED, MENTIONED THESE ARE REALLY THOSE OCCUPATIONS THAT WE'RE INVEST INVESTING DOLLARS IN GOING FROM 63 OVER 2 72.

WE'LL DIP INTO THAT.

THESE DETAILED LISTS ARE APPENDIX TWO AND THREE, I BELIEVE IN YOUR, YOUR PLANS.

SO AS IT GETS GO TO THE BACK, ALL THE GOOD STUFF IN THE BACK AND THE APPENDIX, YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THE, THE DETAILED LIST OF EACH OF THESE OCCUPATIONS AS

[01:00:01]

WELL AS DATA AROUND WAGES, AVERAGE WAGES GROWTH, ALL THOSE GOOD THINGS.

UM, IF, IF YOU'RE INTO THAT, THAT SORT OF THING, UH, MOVING FORWARD HERE, DIPPING IN A LITTLE BIT FURTHER INTO THE WASTE STANDARD, HERE ARE SOME OF THE VARIABLES THAT TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION TO FALL TO THAT 17 PER HOUR.

SO YOU START TO SEE THE WAGE, THE FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE, THE POVERTY LINE AT THE HIGH END, WHAT THE AVERAGE WAGE IS FOR DEVELOPMENT AREA, AS WELL AS AS, UH, THE KIND OF WAGES SUSTAINABLE FOR SELF-SUFFICIENCY FOR FAMILIES IN OUR REGION.

AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THE PATH PATHWAYS ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TOOL IN TERMS OF ADVISE RESIDENTS OF TERMS. UH, THEY COULD POTENTIALLY ADVANCE DEPENDING ON WHERE THEY ARE IN THEIR EDUCATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE.

UH, THIS IS A GREAT GRAPHIC SHOWING THAT ENTRY LEVEL, UH, MAYBE IN CONSTRUCTION AS SOMEBODY GETS ON THE JOB EXPERIENCE, VERY SPECIFIC PROGRAMS THAT WE OFFER GOING INTO THAT, UM, PARTICULAR, UH, FIELD AND PATHWAY.

AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE TRAINING AND SUPPORT SERVICES REALLY HELPING THEM TO ACHIEVE THESE GREATER, GREATER, UM, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, UH, MILESTONES.

OBVIOUSLY SUPPORTING ALL OF THAT WITH CHILDCARE AND UH, REALLY WORKING WITH THE EMPLOYERS TO PROVIDE, PROVIDE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES THROUGHOUT.

SO GOING TO THE IN DEMAND INDUSTRIES, WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS THE 17, UM, INDUSTRIES ON, ON THE RIGHT, THE CLUSTERS ON THE LEFT.

AGAIN, THE CLUSTERS ARE JUST COMBINATIONS OF INDUSTRY THAT ARE SELF SUPPORTING OR INTEGRATED.

UH, THE THINGS YOU SHOULD SEE THERE IN YELLOW ARE THE THINGS THAT FELL OFF OF THE LIST BY UP THAT FALL OFF THE LIST BECAUSE AS WE LOOK AT THE ANALYSIS, UH, THE WAGE GROW OR THE NUMBER OF JOBS DIDN'T GROW OR THAT THE ACTUAL SECTOR, UH, IS NOT PERFORMING IN A WAY THAT SAYS, HEY, NEED TO INVEST MORE DOLLARS INTO.

WE HAVE ONE INDUSTRY WITH TRAVEL OR ACCOMMODATION THAT WAS INTRODUC THAT WAS, UH, INTRODUCED, UH, THIS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FOR LOT OF OUR RURAL PARTNERS OF, UH, TOURISM.

SAME THING OBVIOUSLY FOR DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO.

SO THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THAT LISTENING SESSION, UM, WORK THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH.

SO WE'RE ADDING THAT AS WELL AS ONE OF THE INDUSTRIES, UH, AND THEN THE INDUSTRY SECTOR SECTORS.

ALL THE SECTOR IS, IS YOU TAKE THOSE, THOSE INDUSTRIES AND YOU SHRINK DOWN THE TWO DIGIT BANKS.

SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS ELIMINATED THREE THERE AT THE BOTTOM AGAIN, BUT THE DATA WAS TELLING US, AND WE'VE HAD AN ACCOMMODATION, FOOD SERVICES FOR AS IND DEMAND SECTORS.

UM, AND THESE ARE ALL SORT, SORT OF PRESCRIBED DWC LIKES US TO, TO KIND COMMUNICATE THIS CUZ IT SEEMS LIKE FOUR DIFFERENT WAYS TO KIND OF SAY THIS TERMS OF THE INDUSTRY.

BUT THAT'S THE WAY IT'S DESCRIBED AS TO WAY WE EXECUTE AS, AS FAR AS ANALYZING THESE INDUSTRIES.

UH, GOING FORWARD, TODAY'S APPROVAL, UH, WE WILL BE TAKING THIS, IT'S ENTER BEAR COUNTY, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HERE, FIRST WEEK OF MAY.

PWC IS DOING A CONCUR REVIEW CURRENTLY TO GIVES US ANY FEEDBACK.

UH, WILL WE SUBMIT OFFICIALLY, UH, HERE REVIEW AS WELL WITHOUT GLAD ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS THE MOTION.

JUST A SECOND THERE.

I I WAS, I WAS CURIOUS.

WE HAVE AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR MECHANICS.

IS THAT PART OF ONE OF THE SUBSETS IN THERE? BECAUSE I MEAN, SO, UH, IT IS MOST LIKELY PART OF THE CAREER PATHWAY.

IT'S NOT A TARGETED OCCUPATION.

UH, WHAT WE'VE FOUND IS RELATED, UM, TYPES OF, UM, OCCUPATIONS THAT MAYBE MIGHT NOT HAVE THE GROWTH PAY RATE.

UM, WE'VE PUT IT IN THE PATHWAY AS PART OF THAT OVERALL PATHWAY.

SO IT IS INCLUDED AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE CONSIDERED CONSIDERED BUT MAY NOT BE THE ACTUAL TARGET OCCUPATIONS BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE HAVING A, A FAIRLY LARGE DEFICIT IN PEOPLE THAT FIX THINGS TO KEEP THE REST OF THINGS GOING.

YES SIR.

TO BE SURE WE DON'T FORGET THEM.

WE HAVE A, CUZ THEY'RE INTERNSHIPS FOR MECHANICS AND AC AND ELECTRICIANS AND ALL THAT.

MAKE SURE THAT WE FOCUS ON THAT MOTION.

I'LL SECOND YOU HAVE A MOTION IN THE SECOND, ALL THOSE FAVORS BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND.

ANYBODY OPPOS ANY ITEM NUMBER SEVEN.

[7. Briefing on the 2021 statutory changes to the provider eligibility to participate in the WSA childcare program and the implementation plan. - Adrian Lopez]

OKAY, ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, UH, IS THE BRIEFING ON THE 2021 STATUTORY CHANGES TO THE PROVIDER ELIGIBILITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE WSA CHILDCARE PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.

UH, THANK DAN FOR REQUESTING THIS PRESENTATION IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO, UM, BRING YOU UP TO SPEED ABOUT SOME OF THE LEGISLATIVE CHANGES AFFECTING CHILDCARE PROVIDERS, NOT ONLY IN THIS REGION, BUT ALSO IN TEXAS, TEXAS.

[01:05:01]

UM, WE'LL HAVE SOME, SOME EFFECT ON AND, AND WHAT, UH, WHAT, UH, THE OPERATIONS ARE DWC IS LARGELY MOVING TOWARDS ENSURING THAT EVERYBODY THAT WE CONTRACT WITH OR PROVIDE, UH, SUBSIDIES TOWARDS, UM, THAT THEY ACTUALLY CONSIDERED TEXAS RISING STAR, WHICH IS THE STANDARD THAT TEXAS UTILIZES FOR PROVIDERS.

SO TO PRESENT ON THAT ITEM, CATHERINE POLI, WHO'S GONNA, UM, PRESENT A FEW AND ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

THANK YOU ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.

OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU.

I THINK KIND OF THE IMPETUS BEHIND THIS, UM, PARTICULAR AGENDA ITEM WAS REALLY TO PROVIDE CLARITY ON HOW THIS EVOLVED.

AND SO I'D BE HAPPY TO DO, DO THAT.

YOU CAN FLIP TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

OH, I MY RIGHT HERE.

WE MAKE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS.

UM, SO TEXAS STAR ENTRY, ENTRY LEVEL DESIGNATION ACTUALLY CAME ABOUT THROUGH HOUSE BILL 26 0 7.

THAT WAS IN THE 87TH TEXAS LEGISLATURE, THEIR REGULAR SESSION IN 2021.

SO THAT REALLY REQUIRED T WC TO DEVELOP A PROCESS PROCESS THAT ALLOWS A CHILD PROGRAM TO ENTER, ENTER, ENTER INTO ENTRY LEVEL DESIGNATION WITH THE GOAL GOAL OF REACHING TEXAS RISING STAR CERTIFICATION LEVEL.

NOW THEY HAVE REALLY FRAMED, FRAMED THIS TO BE A 24 MONTH PROCESS IN COLLABORATION WITH THE DCS PROVIDER.

SO WE WORK WITH T W THEY ACTUALLY REVIEW THE PROVIDERS BASED ON 12 MONTHS OF THEIR LICENSING AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR DEFICIENCIES WITHIN THAT LICENSING.

IF THE CENTER MEETS, MEETS THE THRESHOLD, WHICH IS ABOUT 75 POINT THRESHOLD BASED ON THAT 12 MONTH LICENSING DEFICIENCIES, THEN THEY THEN DEEMED ENTRY LEVEL DESIGNATION.

IF THEY NOT, THEY DO NOT MEET THAT, OR IF THEY EXCEED THAT THRESHOLD, THEY DO NOT MEET ENTRY LEVEL DESIGNATION.

BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T WORK WORK WITH THEM.

SO WE ARE CONSTANTLY WORKING, WORKING WITH T WC TO UNDERSTAND THE CENTERS THROUGHOUT BOTH THE RURAL AND URBAN AREAS, WHAT SUPPORT THEY NEED NEED, WHERE THEY FOLLOWING THAT THRESHOLD, IF WE CAN MOVE THEM FORWARD AND ACHIEVING STAR CERTIFICATION QUALITY LEVEL OR IF WE NEED TO IMPLEMENT SOME ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS USING, UM, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY THAT CAN STEP IN AND WRAP AROUND SUPPORT.

SO THIS IS WHAT IT CURRENT CURRENTLY LOOKS LIKE.

AS OF MARCH THERE ARE 411 CENTERS ELIGIBLE FOR ENTRY LEVEL DESIGNATION, 302 OF THOSE ARE COUNTY AND 109 ARE IN OUR RURAL COMMUNITIES.

WE, FROM THERE THEN DEVELOPED, DEVELOPED OUR WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS, ALAMO QUALITY COHORT.

THAT'S REALLY A TRA TRAJECTORY FOR OUR CENTERS WHERE WE GIVE THEM WRAPAROUND SUPPORT SERVICES.

AND RIGHT NOW, UM, WE, IT, IT'S OPTIONAL THE CENTERS, BUT WE HAVE 6 56 BEAR COUNTY CENTERS AND, AND 15 BULL UM, CENTERS IN THAT AS WELL.

AND JUST NOTE, SEVEN PROVIDERS OF THE ALAMO REGION DID NOT MEET THE ORIGINAL THRESHOLD THRESHOLD.

AGAIN, THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T, CAN'T CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM.

IT JUST MEANS WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR DEFICIENCIES ARE, ARE AND LINK THEM TO RESOURCES THAT CAN SUPPORT THEM.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ENTRY LEVEL DESIGNATION BEFORE I MOVE INTO TO WHAT THOSE NEXT STEPS LOOK, LOOK LIKE? I WANTED TO PROVIDE KIND OF CLOSING THE LOOP FOR YOU ALL IN THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE GOING.

GREAT.

SO WORKFORCE, UM, WE HIGHLY FOCUS ON INCREASING ACCESS TO QUALITY.

SO MAKING SURE THERE'S QUALITY CENTERS THROUGHOUT, THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE ALAMO REGION.

THIS IS, IS A, A LIST OF SOME OF THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE.

THERE ARE TWO CHILDCARE BUSINESS SPECIALISTS THAT WE REQUESTED FROM T WC.

SO THEY'RE COMING, THEY'RE COMING ON BOARD AND WILL BE PROVIDING COMPREHENSIVE TO BUSINESS SUPPORTS TO STRENGTHEN THE CHILD CHILDCARE INDUSTRY.

CHILDCARE BUSINESS IS VERY, VERY DIFFERENT IN THE SENSE OF YOU'RE WORKING WITH FAMILIES POTENTIALLY CANNOT AFFORD CARE.

SO RAISING THE COST OF CARE IS NOT ALWAYS AN OPTION TO COVER YOUR COSTS.

SO WHERE DO YOU TURN TO? THERE ARE A COUPLE OF MODELS SUCH AS SHARED SERVICES, UM, THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR RURAL COMMUNITY TO EXPLORE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

WRAPAROUND SERVICES THROUGH WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS AND THE INVESTMENTS WE CAN MAKE.

UM, AND THEN ALSO IN OUR INVESTMENTS, REALLY STAFF BONUSES.

WE KNOW THAT OUR CENTERS ARE HURTING IN TERMS OF LABOR SHORTAGES AND STAFF STAFF RETENTION.

SO WE HAVE ACTUALLY ACTUALLY ISSUED, UM, FIVE QUARTERS, QUARTERS OF BONUSES TO THE TEACHERS THAT HAS ACTUALLY HELPED THEM RETAIN THEIR STAFF.

WE ALSO ARE SUPPORTING CENTERS AS THEY REACH TEXAS RISING STAR BY GIVING THEM INCENTIVES FOR THEIR STAFF AS A, A KUDOS AND AN AWARD FOR, YOU'VE REACHED THIS QUALITY LEVEL.

AND THEN IN THAT PROCESS WE ARE HELPING THEM INVEST IN QUALITY MATERIALS.

THAT COULD BE INDOOR OUTDOOR MATERIALS, THAT CAN BE DEVELOPMENTAL TOOLS, TOOLS, KEEP THEM ON TRACK UNDER THEIR CHILDREN'S MILESTONES, BUT REALLY JUST MAKING SURE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED, HOW CAN SET THEIR BUSINESS COSTS SO THAT THEY CAN REACH QUALITY AND MAINTAIN.

SO AGAIN, THIS IS JUST A LIST.

ONE OF THOSE THAT WE LISTED UP THERE.

WE USED TO PROVIDE COLLEGE TUITION INCENTIVES IN FISCAL YEAR 2022.

WE'RE ACTUALLY LEANING ON THE TEACH PROGRAM, WHICH IS A STATEWIDE PROGRAM

[01:10:01]

TO LEVERAGE OUR FUNDING.

SO BY ACCESSING THESE OTHER RESOURCES OF FUNDING, WE CAN PUT MORE DOLLARS INTO TO THE CENTERS.

THIS IS A BREAKDOWN OF BREAKDOWN OF WHAT THOSE RURAL ACTIVITIES AND THOSE INVESTMENTS LOOK LIKE ACROSS ALL THE COUNTIES.

COUNTIES YOU CAN SEE.

UM, FAIR COUNTY CAME THEN RIGHT AT ABOUT 40, 80% WAS THE INVESTMENT, UH, TOWARDS THE QUALITY EARLY LEARNING PROVIDER RETENTION BONUSES.

AND RURAL COUNTY HAD ABOUT 50, ALMOST 52% OF THAT INVESTMENT TO RETAIN THOSE TEACHERS.

I NOTICED MY COUNTY'S NOT UP THERE, MINE EITHER.

SO THAT WAS PROBABLY LARGELY BECAUSE OF, SO THIS WAS BASED ON OF CENTERS THAT WERE TEXAS RISING STAR.

IF THE COUNTY'S NOT UP THERE REFLECTED BASED ON THE NUMBER OF CENTERS IN THE COUNTY THAT ARE TEXAS RISINGS ARE IN MEETING THAT THRESHOLD.

AND I'M HAPPY TO PROVIDE YOU ALL THE MATRIX THAT WE HAD FOR DETERMINING THOSE BONUSES.

THEY DID NOT GO TO EVERY, EVERY SINGLE CENTER.

IT WAS A CENTER THAT WAS TEXAS RISING STAR LEVEL AND PURSUING QUALITY.

IS THAT, UH, IS THAT INFORMATION, UH, GIVEN TO, SO I MEAN THE, EACH CHILDCARE FACILITY, DO THEY GET AN ADVANCED NOTICE ON BEING A RISING STAR OR WHATEVER? YES SIR.

YES SIR.

WE SEND OUT LARGELY EXTRA EMAIL COMMUNICATION OR THROUGH PHONE CALLS.

SO WE WORK WITH THE CENTERS TO SAY, HERE ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES IF YOU SHOULD CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH TEXAS RISING START.

CAUSE IT'S OPTIONAL RIGHT NOW FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS.

WELL, A LITTLE LESS THAN TWO YEARS.

SO IT'S COMPLETELY OPTIONAL.

OPTIONAL IF THEY WANNA MOVE FORWARD ABSOLUTELY.

THEN WHAT THOSE SUPPORT SYSTEMS LOOK LIKE IF THEY CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD.

WE DO BREAKDOWN, HAVE BREAKDOWNS PER COUNTY.

SO WE JUST, UM, WE'RE ACTUALLY CONDUCTING, CONDUCTING COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS IN ALL OF THE RURAL COMMUNITIES.

SO WE HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF THE, THE NUMBER OF CENTERS THAT ARE QUALITY AND THE NUMBER OF, UM, ENTIRE CENTERS LOOK, DOES THAT DENOMINATOR LOOK LIKE AND WHAT ARE THE QUALITY CENTERS AS WELL.

HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT DATA TO YOU ALL AS WELL.

SO THIS IS, UM, ANOTHER, ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE, THE EARLY LEARNING INVESTMENTS THAT WE MADE IN TERMS OF MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES.

THE PRIOR ONE WAS THE BONUSES.

THESE ARE THE MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES FOR THOSE CENTERS THAT ARE PURSUING TEXAS RISING STAR OR OUR MAINTAIN TEXAS RISING STAR THROUGHOUT OUR RURAL COMMUNITY.

SO THIS LAST SLIDE, UM, JUST KIND OF HIGHLIGHTS THE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING IN OUR WHOLE COMMUNITIES.

ESSENTIALLY.

UM, THE SCHEDULE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, THAT MORE COLORFUL, UH, GRAPHIC THERE TELLS YOU WHERE WE WERE BEN AS OF DECEMBER AND KIND OF WHERE WE'RE GOING.

AND SO WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL, SEVERAL COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS FOR THE PURPOSE OF HEARING FROM BOTH PROVIDERS AND FROM THE COMMUNITY AND FROM OUR PARTNERS.

SO WE'VE HAD PROVIDERS, WE'VE HAD INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ACTUALLY RECEIVING THE CHILDCARE SCHOLARSHIP.

WE'VE HAD FAMILIES THAT ARE INTERESTED IN RECEIVING THE CHILDCARE SCHOLARSHIP SCHOLARSHIP AND SAID, I JUST NEED HELP NAVIGATING WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE.

WE HAVE HAD MAYORS ATTEND, WE'VE HAD, UM, CITY OFFICIALS.

SO WE'VE HAD SOME REALLY, REALLY GREAT ATTENDANCE.

BELIEVE WHAT THE OUTCOME OF THIS BEN IS THAT, UM, FAMILIES NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT WITH THEIR ENROLLMENT.

WE WANT TO STRENGTHEN THE COMMUNICATION THAT WE HAVE WITH FAMILIES ON HOW TO ACCESS THAT ENROLLMENT.

WE ARE PARTNERING, AS I MENTIONED, WITH THE RULE EDC TO SUPPORT, SUPPORT CHILDCARE EFFORTS.

UM, SO IN KE COUNTY, THAT WAS TWO OF THE TOP, TOP FIVE PRIORITIES THAT KE EDC DETERMINED.

SO WE ARE SITTING ON THEIR CHILD CHILDCARE COMMITTEE AND WE'RE ALSO LEADING THEM TO RESOURCES THAT TC CAN PROVIDE, PROVIDE, PROVIDE TO STRENGTHEN THAT.

AND WE'RE ALSO CONNECTING TO COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO T WC SUPPORTS.

AND WE'RE ROLLING OUT IN PERSON CHILDCARE SCHEDULE THROUGHOUT THE RURAL AREAS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO CHILDCARE, UH, CONTRACTORS.

SO WE'VE HEARD THAT LOUD AND CLEAR FROM THE COMMITTEE OR FROM THE UH, COMMUNITY.

AND WE HAVE ACTUALLY ALREADY STARTED ROLLING THAT OUT TO ENSURE THAT OUR RULE HAVE ACCESS TO AN IN-PERSON CHILDCARE EXPERT THAT THEY CAN EITHER HAVE HELP WITH THEIR PAPERWORK, FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE ENROLLMENT PROCESS, WHATEVER THAT MIGHT BE, JUST MAKING SURE THERE'S A FACE-TO-FACE OPPORTUNITY THAT THEY CAN ACCESS.

SO THIS IS OUR SCHEDULE FOR, AND THIS IS ACROSS THE COUNTY WE ARE WORKING WITH, WITH BANDERA, UM, TO DETERMINE A PARTNER WHERE WE, WE CAN HAVE KIND OF A CONSISTENT BASIS.

UM, THANK YOU JUDGE TEAL FOR OFFERING TO HELP US FIND SOME SPACE IN MCMULLEN COUNTY.

UH, WE SENT YOU THAT INFORMATION TODAY, SO WE'RE EXCITED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.

BUT THIS IS WHAT THIS SCHEDULE, SCHEDULE LOOKS LIKE AS OF RIGHT NOW AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO EVOLVE.

SO WHAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE IS, IS THAT THIS, THIS PROCESS IS AGILE AND IT'S RESPONSIBLE, RESPONSIVE TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS.

SO IF WE NEED TO BE IN OTHER AREAS MORE FREQUENTLY, WE ARE EXCITED TO DO THAT.

OUR UNDERSTANDING

[01:15:01]

IN KIND OF LOOKING AT, INTO THE HISTORICAL PROCESS OF THIS IS THAT THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATIVE ADMINISTRATION REMOVE CHILDCARE FROM THE RURAL COMMUNITIES REALLY THAT IN PERSON TO VIRTUAL.

AND WHAT WE'RE FINDING AND HEARING, I'M HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY IS, NO, WE WANNA WALK INTO A CENTER CENTER, WE WANT TO TALK TO SOMEBODY.

UM, SOMETIMES IT'S NOTS EASY TO UPLOAD THE DOCUMENTS.

SOMETIMES VIRTUAL DOES NOT WORK FOR EVERYONE.

SO HOW DO WE MAKE THIS MORE ACCESSIBLE TO FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE SEEKING CHILDCARE AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK OR GO TO TRAINING.

ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE'VE COVERED? COVERED? I, I HAVE A QUESTION.

YES.

DO YOU, DO YOU ADVERTISE WHEN YOU'RE GONNA BE IN THE COMMUNITY AND HOW DO YOU LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE THERE? YES, SO WE PUSH IT OUT THROUGH OUR SOCIAL MEDIA.

WE PUSH IT OUT THROUGH OUR PARTNERS.

WE ALSO PUSH IT OUT TO OUR CHILD CHILDCARE CENTERS SO THAT THEY CAN POST IT IN THEIR CENTERS.

ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE IN-PERSON OR FOR THE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS OR BOTH? ANYTHING.

ANYTHING.

SO THOSE ARE TYPICALLY OUR, SO WE PUSH IT OUT TO, TO THE 400 PLUS.

WE ACTUALLY TARGET IT BASED ON THE COMMUNITY WHEN WE'RE DOING COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS OR WHEN INDIVIDUALS GONNA BE THERE IN PERSON TO THE CHILDCARE PROVIDERS, TO ANY OF THE FAMILIES THAT WE, ON OUR LIST.

ALSO TO OUR PARTNERS.

WE POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WE ASK OUR PARTNERS TO POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND NEED ADDITIONAL AVENUES THAT WE, WE HAVE, IT'S USUALLY A, A GRAPHIC THAT WE PUSH OUT WITH THE DATETIME LOCATION.

HE'S GOT S**T TOGETHER.

MM-HMM.

, WE HAVE QUESTION.

INDIGENT DEFENSE BELONG.

HUH? INDIGENT .

I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE Y'ALL ARE AWARE THAT LESKY ISN'T INCLUDED ON THAT LAST SHOT.

I TALKING ABOUT THE, I APOLOGIZE.

THAT MUST HAVE MUST HAVE BEEN MY ERROR WHENEVER I COPIED IT PIECE THAT, BUT I CAN GET YOU ALL OVER REVISED SCHEDULE.

CAUSE I DO RECALL, RECALL THAT MIGHT HELP THE JUDGE QUESTION.

PARDON ME? PARDON? I SAID IT WAS JUDGE JONES FROM THE LESLIE GROUP.

OH, OKAY.

VERY GOOD.

I WANT MENTION, SO JUDGE, WE ARE WORKING WITH ONE OF YOUR FOUR GROUPS ACTUALLY MORE CLOSELY.

WE'LL GET YOU THE INFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.

UH, SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS, UM, I WILL SAY THAT, UH, FOR EXAMPLE IN KIRK COUNTY, WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY, UM, SOME GROUPS PURSUING ADDITIONAL DOLLARS.

UH, SO THAT GOES BACK TO MY COMMENT ABOUT WHAT I WAS SAYING.

WE HAVE OUR BUDGET ASSOCIATED, ASSOCIATED WITH THE EXPENDITURES, WITH WHAT ACTIVITIES WE, WE PURSUE AND WHAT WE DO ON A DAILY BASIS.

BUT WE ALSO WORK CLOSELY WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP THEM ACHIEVE, UM, AND SECURE ADDITIONAL CALENDAR.

SO WE'RE WORKING WITH ONE GROUP IN YOUR, IN YOUR COUNTY AND THEN, UH, PER COUNTY AS WELL.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

YOU QUESTION? OKAY.

WE AGREE ON ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, UH, ON THE PW JUDGE.

OH,

[8. Update on the TWC monitoring report on Procurement. - Adrian Lopez]

ITEM NUMBER EIGHT THEN IS THE UPDATE ON THE PWC MONITORING REPORT ON PROCUREMENT.

YES.

THANK YOU JUDGE.

ACCORDANCE WITH THE LEGAL DOCS WE WERE MENTIONING EARLIER, UM, WE ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE, UH, BRIEFING, UH, AND THE REPORTS ASSOCIATED WITH ANY KIND OF, UM, MONITORING VISITS.

UH, WE DID HAVE A VISIT, UH, FROM TWO WC BACK IN I BELIEVE ON OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER OF LAST.

UM, AND SO, UH, IT HAS SOME, SOME, SOME ISSUES OF CONCERN AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE STAFF WALK THROUGH THROUGH THOSE.

UH, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY DISALLOWED COST.

UM, AND SO I THINK, I THINK LARGELY WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, PRESENTING AN ACTUAL ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES IS FROM AN ADMINISTRATIVE STAND STANDPOINT, UH, TO BE ABLE TO TIGHTEN UP OUR PROCESSES TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION AS WELL AS DEPARTMENT, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, UH, LABOR, LABOR REGULATIONS, UH, SO TO PROVIDE SOME MORE DETAILS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM WALKING THE, I'M GONNA HAVE ANGELA PRESENT ON THAT.