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LIKE WE'RE GOOD TO GO.[1. Meeting called to Order. - Chairman Wade Hedtke]
OKAY.WE ARE HERE, UM, FOR OUR, UH, AREA JUDGES MEETING.
TODAY'S THE 24TH OF JULY, 2024.
UM, CAN YOU GIVE US A ROLL CALL, PLEASE, MA'AM? UH, JUDGE HECK IS HERE.
UH, JUDGE CAMACHO, GREG CALLIO FOR JUDGE CAMACHO.
JUDGE K COMMISSIONER GILLESPIE FOR JUDGE K.
UH, JUDGE LUTZ, HE HAD TO LEAVE.
HE HAD, HE HAD TO LEAVE FOR AN MEETING.
HE GO, UH, JUDGE SIC, DID HE LEAVE? UH, JUDGE TEAL HERE.
JUDGE WHITMAN, I THINK, UH, COMMISSIONER AIKEN IS STILL, HE'S STILL HERE.
UH, AT THIS TIME, ITEM NUMBER THREE.
DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
[4. Consider and act upon the recommendation to approve the September 27, 2023 Area Judges Meeting Minutes.]
WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR.CONSIDER AN ACT UPON THE RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE SEPTEMBER 27TH, 2023 AREA.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND.
ANYBODY OPPOSED TO THE MINUTES? OKAY, WE'RE GOOD TO GO THERE.
[5. Consider and act upon the election of the 2024 Area Judges Chair and Vice Chair.]
ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS TO CONSIDER AND ACT UPON THE ELECTION OF THE 2024 AREA.JUDGE'S CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR, UH, TALKED TO JUDGE KELLY AND JUDGE LUTZ, AND THEY'VE OFFERED TO SERVE IN THEIR CAPACITY AS CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.
UH, SO IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? MOVE TO APPROVE.
WHO'D HE SAY? JUDGE KELLY AS THE CHAIR.
AND JUDGE LUTZ AS THE VICE CHAIR.
WE HAVE A MOTION ON ONE SECOND.
WE HAVE A MOTION FROM JUDGE TE AND A SECOND JUDGE EVANS.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND.
ANYBODY OPPOSED TO ME SLIDING OVER AND LETTING JUDGE KELLY SLIDE IN? SO WE GOING DO THAT? THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, JUDGE HEAD.
[6. AACOG Written Program Reports A. Alamo Area Agency on Aging - Will McKnight B. Regional Services - Claudia Mora C. Weatherization Assistance Program - Alicia Avila-Penalver]
ITEM NUMBER SIX IS THE, UH, WRITTEN REPORTS, UH, MR. MCKNIGHT? NO.WRITTEN REPORTS JUST GO IN IT'S RECORD.
[7. Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA) Program Reauthorization Update - Adrian Lopez, WSA CEO]
SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, WHICH IS THE REAL PURPOSE OF TODAY.ANYWAY, UH, WORKFORCE IN IT'S, UH, SEVEN IS WORKFORCE INNOVATION AND OPPORTUNITY ACT PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION UPDATE.
UH, I'M GONNA TAKE THE TIME TO BRIEF YOU ON A COUPLE OF ITEMS. UM, THIS FIRST ITEM IS, UM, ON OUR, WE ARE REAUTHORIZATION.
SO IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO FOR REAL, IT'S THE WORKFORCE, UH, ADDRESS AN OPPORTUNITY.
IT'S BEEN IN EXISTENCE SINCE APPROXIMATELY 2016.
UM, HAS BEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, SINCE 2014 RATHER.
UM, THIS IS ONE OF, OF OUR MAJOR FUNDING SOURCES AS PART OF, UH, THE TORONTO DOLLARS THAT WE RECEIVE.
UM, WE RECEIVE ABOUT, ABOUT 30 DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES AS PART OF OUR TEXAS WORK WORKFORCE COMMISSION DOLLARS THAT COME TO US.
UH, AND OF COURSE, WE'RE COVERING 13 COUNTIES.
UH, HERE ARE SOME OF THE SORT, KIND OF BACKGROUND FACTS ASSOCIATED WITH OLA.
AND SO, UH, WE USE THESE DOLLARS NOT ONLY TO SERVE, UH, INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE LOOKING FOR, UH, WORK.
UH, SOME OF THOSE MAY BE DISPLACED, UH, WORKERS OR DISLOCATED WORKERS, BUT ALSO WE ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, BALANCING THOSE SERVICES AGAINST, UM, THE SERVICES THAT, UH, OF EMPLOYERS AND ENSURING THAT, THAT WE ARE, UH, MEETING EMPLOYER NEEDS AS THE LOCAL ECONOMIES CONTINUE TO GROW, UH, IN THE 13, 13 COUNTIES.
UM, SO THESE ARE, SOME OF THESE ARE SOME OF THE, UM, YOU KNOW, ITEMS THAT WE DO.
WE RUN UTILIZE THESE FUNDS, FUNDS TO RUN OUR 16 CAREER CENTERS IN THE 13 COUNTIES AS WELL.
UM, SO IT'S A COMBIN COMBINATION OF UTILIZING THESE DOLLARS WITH, UH, THE OTHER FUNDING RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO DO, UH, THE WORK THAT WE DO.
SO AS OF LAST YEAR, OR THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, PROBABLY HAD ABOUT 70,000 THOUSAND CUSTOMERS THAT CAME TO OUR 16 CAREER CENTERS, EITHER IN PERSON, UH, OR VIRTUALLY, UH, AND A FEW THOUSAND OF THEM THAT ARE ENROLLED INTO, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR PROGRAMS. NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SO ONE, ONE OF THE, UH, THINGS THAT, THAT'S BEEN, UH, DISCUSSED, DISCUSSED RECENTLY IN THE HOUSE, UM, IS, UH,
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THE REAUTHORIZATION.SO THIS CONVERSATION'S BEEN GOING ON FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
UM, AND DECEMBER, THERE WAS, UH, AN INTRODUCTION OF, UH, THE, UH, HR 66, 6 55, UM, IN THE HOUSE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT, UM, POTENTIALLY, UM, AMENDING THE LAW TO INCREASE, UH, SOME OF, SOME OF THE ITEMS. AND SO, ONE OF THE THINGS TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF SKILLS DEVELOPMENT PROVIDED IN THE LAW THROUGH OUR ELIGIBLE TRAINING PROVIDER LIST, UM, AND LOOKING AT THE VALUE THAT CAN BE BROUGHT, BROUGHT TO PEOPLE AND BUSINESS PROVIDERS, UH, STRENGTHENING CONNECTION CONNECTIONS BETWEEN EMPLOYERS AND THE WORKFORCE BEST SYSTEMS. SO ONE APPROACH, UH, WHICH IS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE CURRENTLY DO, WHICH IS THE ONE STOP, UH, OPERATIONS OF THOSE 16 CAREER CENTERS ON THE, UH, HOUSE SITE, UH, THAT HR 6 55, 5 MONTHS PASSED.
UM, AND SO, UH, AND THE SENATE, UH, THEY'VE HAD, UH, AN INTRODUCTION OF A BILL, UM, AND HAD HAD A COMMITTEE HEARING, UH, EARNED MID PART OF JUNE.
UH, SO TODAY, I WANT, I WANTED JUST TO PROVIDE YOU SOME, UH, SOME OF THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS IN THE COMPARISON BETWEEN, UH, THE TWO DIFFERENT BILLS.
SO, UH, SOME OF THIS ANALYSIS COMING THROUGH THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WORKFORCE BOARD, WE ARE PART OF THAT ASSOCIATION.
UM, BY STATUTE, BY LAW, WE ARE PROHIBITED FROM LOBBYING, PROHIBIT TAKING A POSITION, UH, ON ANY TYPE OF LEGISLATION.
HOWEVER, WE CAN EDUCATE AND WE CAN INFORM, AND WE USUALLY WILL BE WORKING, WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE ASSOCIATIONS, UH, WHETHER IT'S THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OR WORKFORCE BOARD BOARD, OR THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, UH, A WORKFORCE BOARD FOR THEM TO TAKE, UH, POSITIONS ON, UH, UH, THESE TYPES OF MATTERS.
SO, ON A HOUSE SIDE, UM, THERE WAS, UH, A MANDATE FOR 50% OF THE DOLLARS BE DEDICATED TO TRAINING.
UH, WHAT THAT MEANS, MEANS THEN IS THAT, UM, THE DOLLARS THAT WE WOULD OTHERWISE BE UTILIZING TO SUPPORT OUR CENTERS AND THE OPERATIONS OF OUR 16 CENTERS AND MANY OTHER THINGS, THAT THERE WOULD BE POTENTIALLY A 3.6 MILLION IMPACT, UH, TO, UH, OUR BUDGET.
MEANING THAT IF WE ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO OPERATE, UH, IF THIS MA MANDATE, UH, AND THE LAW, UH, PROCEEDS AND IS PASSED AND IS SIGNED BY THE PRESIDENT, UH, WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK FOR, UH, AN ADDITIONAL $3.6 MILLION TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE THIS 16.
UH, I KNOW FOR THIS, THIS BODY AS WELL, AS WELL AS FOR, UH, ALL OF OUR CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIALS, UH, HAVING A PRESENCE, PRESENCE IN THEIR COMMUNITY WITH THESE WORKFORCE CENTERS, UH, IS IMPORTANT.
UH, QUITE FRANKLY, FOR US, WHEN WE HAD, UH, THE PANDEMIC, UH, WE, UH, ONE YEAR I THINK SPOKE, UH, UPWARDS OF A HALF A MILLION PEOPLE THAT WE'RE SEEKING OUT OUR SERVICES BECAUSE THEY WERE LOSING OR NEEDED BENEFITS AND NEEDED, UH, NEED TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES TO SCALE UP.
UM, AND SO, UH, SO THE POTENTIAL IMPACT, UH, IF THIS TRAINING MANDATE, UM, PASSES, UH, IS GONNA HAVE A SIGNIFICANT, UM, UH, UH, EFFECT ON OUR, OUR BUDGET.
UH, THE OTHER THING THAT, UH, IS, UH, IN THE, UH, SENATE, UH, VERSION IS, UM, THE, AN ACTION MOTIVE OF THE SENATE.
AND THE HOUSE IS A POTENTIAL RE-DESIGNATION OF, OF LOCAL AREAS.
AND SO WHAT THAT MEANS, I KNOW THAT THIS HAS BEEN, UH, ONGOING DISCUSSION, UH, IN RECENT YEARS WITH THIS BOARD IN PARTICULAR.
UM, AND SO THERE IS, IS, UH, SOME LANGUAGE IN, UH, BOTH OF THE BILLS THAT SAY, THAT HAVE PASSED, UH, THAT THEY WOULD REQUIRE A RE DESIGNATION OF, OF LOCAL AREAS.
NOW, THIS, UM, EMPOWERS, UH, THE STATE OF SEC, UH, TEXAS TO PROTECT, POTENTIALLY CONSOLIDATE RURAL AND URBAN AREAS, OR CREATE LARGER REGIONS, UH, FOR A STATE LIKE TEXAS 200 PLUS, UH, COUNTIES, UH, AND 28 WORKFORCE BOARDS.
UM, DOES THAT, DOES, DOES HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT FOR SOME OF THE OTHER, UM, UH, STATES, LIKE FOR STATE, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE STATE OF NEVADA THAT ONLY HAVE TWO WORKFORCE AREAS.
IT'S NOT THAT BIG OF AN IMPACT IMPACT, UM, FOR US, POTENTIALLY THERE IS, UH, AN IMPACT ASSOCIATED WITH WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, UH, IF THIS PROCEEDS, UH, AS CURRENTLY WRITTEN.
SO, UM, THERE ALSO ARE SOME, UM, IMPLICATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH WHAT WOULD, UH, UH, ANOTHER POINT THAT WOULD BE TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF, UH, THE SET ASIDE THAT WOULD BE, UH, SET ASIDE FOR THE GOVERNOR GOVERNOR'S OFFICE.
UH, CURRENTLY THERE IS A 15%, UH, SET ASIDE THAT, THAT THE GOVERNOR AND TEXAS WORK WORKFORCE COMMISSION KEEP AND REDISTRIBUTE THOSE DOLLARS AS THEY SEE FIT.
UH, THERE IS LANGUAGE IN BOTH THE HOUSE TAB AND THE SENATE, UH, THAT WOULD, UH, INCREASE THAT FOR ADDITIONAL 10%.
IF THAT PASSES AS CURRENTLY WRITTEN, THAT WOULD MEAN AN ADDITIONAL $1 MILLION LOCALLY THAT WOULD BE, UH, WILL REMAIN AT, AT
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THE STATE.AND SO IT'D BE LESS DOLLARS, UH, BEING DISTRIBUTED TO LOCAL, LOCAL, UH, COMMUNITIES IN THE, IN THE 13 COUNTIES.
AND SO, UM, THE, THERE'S, THERE'S FUNDING RIGHT NOW.
UH, BILL DOES NOT PROPOSE SPECIFIC FUNDING AT, AT AT THIS POINT.
HOWEVER, THERE IS SOME, UM, SOME, SOME CURRENT, UH, ACTION, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE HOUSE APPROPRIATE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE THAT IS PROPOSING APPROXIMATELY ABOUT A 25% ACROSS THE BOARD, UH, FUNDING CUTS FOR DEPARTMENT OF LABOR DOLLARS.
UH, SO WE HAVE THE CONVERSATION THAT'S GOING ON WITH, UH, WEOA REAUTHORIZATION, BUT ALSO YOU HAVE, UH, CONVERSATIONS THAT, THAT ARE HAPPENING, UH, AT THE, UH, UH, AT LEAST IN THE HOUSE OR, UH, THE APPROPRIATION SITE.
UM, IF THOSE TWO THINGS CONVENE, THEN POTENTIALLY YOU'RE LOOKING AT, UH, EVEN LESS THAN COMING TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES.
AND SO I WANTED TO PROVIDE A QUICK BRIEFING TO, TO YOU ALL TO AT LEAST INFORM YOU, UH, ABOUT WHAT, UH, HAS, UH, BEEN, BEEN TRANSPIRING IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS.
HAD A CONVERSATION WITH JUDGE TEOS, UH, RECENTLY ABOUT THAT.
HE SUGGESTED THAT WE, UH, CONNECT, UH, WITH THE, UH, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES.
UH, WE HAVE CONNECTED, UH, OUR NATIONAL ASSOCI ASSOCIATION OF WORKFORCE BOARD, ALONG WITH THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF THE COUNTIES.
AND THEY'RE WORKING TOGETHER, UH, OUTLINING, UH, SOME OF, UH, THE ITEMS AND SOME OF THE POTENTIAL, UH, SIMILAR, SIMILAR TYPES OF CONCERNS, UH, THAT BOTH, UH, BODIES HAVE, UM, HAVE ADDRESSED.
THE REASON I'M BRINGING THAT FORWARD, FORWARD TO YOU IS SO THAT YOU ALL ARE AWARE, AND IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A POSITION ON THAT, SIR, YOU CAN DO THAT EITHER THROUGH YOUR ASSOCIATIONS OR YOUR DIFFERENT, UH, BODIES THAT YOU MAY BE PART OF.
SO AT THIS, FINE, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
ANY QUESTIONS LIKE THE PARTY'S GETTING TO BE OVER, HUH? PARDON?
HELP ME UNDERSTAND CLEARLY, WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE COUNTIES AND WSA COUNTIES AND WSA? YES.
SO, UM, FAMILIES, UH, OF COURSE THROUGH, UH, BACK IN THE MID, UH, NINETIES, UH, AS CHIEF ELECTED TOGETHER TO BE ABLE TO FORM, UH, THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AREA.
AND SO THAT WAS ESTABLISHED PROBABLY AROUND 90 19 95.
AND THAT'S COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM ACCO, CORRECT? CORRECT.
AND SO WHAT WAS, WHAT, WHAT WERE THE COUNTIES LOOKING TO HAVE DONE FOR THEM OR BY THEM, AND WHAT WAS THE EXPECTATION OF WSA TO PROVIDE OR DEAL WITH THE COUNTIES? YEAH, SO THE MAJOR RESPONSE RESPONSIBILITIES IS THAT, UM, WHEN THE COUNTIES CAME TOGETHER TOGETHER, ONE DESIGNATED AN AREA.
SO IT'S THOSE 13TH, ACTUALLY, I THINK AT THE TIME IT WAS PROBABLY 12.
UH, WE ADDED, UH, MCMULLAN, UH, SOMETIME AROUND PROBABLY 2013 TO THAT EFFECT.
UM, AND SO ONE IS TO DESIGNATE THE AREA, AND FOR WE WERE THERE TO BE COOPERATIVE OR INTER LOCAL AGREEMENTS BETWEEN ALL THE 14 CHIEF ELECTED, WHICH IT'S THE 13 COUNTY JUDGES AND, UH, THE MAYOR OF SAN ANTONIO.
UH, AND YOUR LOCAL AGREEMENT TO DO WHAT? SO TO DESIGNATE THE AREA, AND THEN TO DESIGNATE, UH, THE, UH, CORPORATE, UH, CORPORATION OF THE NON-PROFIT, WHICH WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS ALAMO, THAT'S ACTUALLY OUR DBA.
IT'S THE FORCE DEVELOPMENT, UM, AMO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INCORPORATE, UH, THAT'S THE LEGAL, UM, THE ENTITY THAT ACTUALLY IS THE FISCAL AGENT THAT RECEIVES THE DOLLARS TO THEN DELIVER SERVICES, UM, TO THE 13TH COUNTIES.
AND OKAY, SO YOU'RE THE FISCAL AGENT AND THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE, THE DOLLARS THAT ARE COMING THROUGH, UH, TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION.
AND THOSE DOLLARS ARE FEDERAL DOLLARS OR STATE DOLLAR, LARGELY THEY'RE FEDERAL DOLLARS.
THERE'S VERY FEW, UH, STATE DOLLARS THAT ARE DEDICATED WORKFORCE.
AND THOSE DOLLARS ARE EARMARKED FOR THESE, THESE COUNTIES, CORRECT.
UH, AND YOU ADMINISTRATE THAT YOU ADMINISTER? YES.
AND IS THERE A, WE HAVE DIFFERENT AGREEMENTS IN PLACE, IS THAT RIGHT? YES, SIR.
THE, YES, THERE'S THE INTER-LOCAL AGREEMENTS.
AND THEN, UM, THERE'S A PARTNERSHIP PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT THAT'S, UH, EXISTS, UM, THAT BASICALLY OFFER THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE NONPROFIT TO BE ABLE TO BE THE ORGANIZATION THAT IS ADMINISTERING THE FUNDS.
IS THAT WHAT WE CALL THE COMMITTEE OF SIX? THE COMMITTEE OF SIX IS, IS ESSENTIALLY THE PROXY FOR THE 14 CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIALS.
SO YOU HAVE TWO, UM, MEMBERS FROM THE RURAL JUDGES, TWO MEMBERS FROM BEAR COUNTY COUNTY, AND TWO MEMBERS FROM THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
THEY ARE THE OFFICIAL, UH, BODY THAT, UM, UH, BASICALLY DO A NUMBER OF THINGS.
ONE IS APPROVE OUR LOCAL PLAN, THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
TWO IS APPROVE APPOINTMENTS TO THE BOARD, 27 BOARD MEMBERS, AND THEN THREE AS TO, UH, THE ANNUAL BUDGET, WHICH IS ON THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT,
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UH, MEETING RIGHT AFTER THIS.AND IN READING THE AGREEMENTS, IT APPEARS THAT WE HAVE, UH, UH, NOTICE REQUIREMENTS IF WE WANNA WITHDRAW FROM THE AGREEMENT.
AND THAT'S WHAT END OF JUNE, I BELIEVE THERE'S A TIMEFRAME.
I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT, THE DATE.
UM, THERE, THERE IS THAT OPPORTUNITY COUNTY WERE TO ELECT TO DO THAT.
AND HOW WOULD A COUNTY, UH, RECEIVE THE DESIGNATED FEDERAL BENEFITS IF THEY WITHDREW FROM, IT'D HAVE TO FIGURE, FIGURE OUT, UM, WHETHER IT WOULD HAVE TO BE ATTACHED TO A, ANOTHER WORKFORCE.
SO THE SURROUNDING WORKFORCE FROM US IS RURAL CAPITAL TO OUR NORTH, UM, COASTAL BEND TO, UH, THE EAST, UM, COCHO VALLEY TO THE WEST, UM, AND THEN RIVER TO THE SOUTHWEST.
BUT WE, WE WOULD HAVE TO BE, EXPLAIN THAT TO ME AGAIN.
PERFECT EXAMPLE WOULD BE, UH, MCMULLAN COUNTY, RIGHT? MCMULLEN COUNTY WAS PART OF, UH, COASTAL BEND.
THEY ELECTED TO OPT OUT OF COASTAL BEN, AND THEN TO BE INCLUDED INTO, UH, THE ALAMO REGION.
IS THERE ANY REQUIREMENT THAT WE HAVE TO BE, UH, IS THAT, IS THAT FEDERAL LAW? CORRECT.
THAT'S WHY THE, UH, THE DESIGNATION AND WHAT I MENTIONED THEN, UH, REAUTHORIZATION, THAT THAT IS A REQUIREMENT AS PART OF THE, THE LAW.
AND SO WE HAVE TO BE A PART OF SOME, UH, WORKFORCE BODY.
AND THAT'S BASED ON FEDERAL LAW, CORRECT? CORRECT.
MAY I ASK A QUESTION, JUDGE? SURE.
DOES ADRIAN, DOES THAT REQUIRE TWC APPROVAL AS WELL, OR FROM THE GOVERNOR APPROVAL? YES.
SO YOU WOULD HAVE, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH, UH, I THINK TRICK, UH, WHICH IS THE TEXAS WORKFORCE INVESTMENT COUNCIL, UM, GET OFF AUTHORIZATION TO THERE FOR EVENTUALLY TO THE, THE GOVERNOR TO SIGN OFF.
I KNEW THERE WAS SOME SORT OF STATE AUTHORIZATION REQUIREMENT OF SOME SORT, BUT THANK YOU.
BUT I THINK THEN WE HAD TO VOTE TO ACCEPT MAY MULLEN, CORRECT? CORRECT.
YOU MAY, AFTER ALL THAT WAS DONE.
WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE THAT, UH, THE FEW BENEFITS THAT WE'VE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT NOT GETTING OUR FAIR SHARE OF ARE GONNA BE REDUCED.
THAT'S PRECISELY WHY THAT'S PRECISE.
WHY I'M BRINGING, UH, THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION.
IF THERE WAS CONCERN, CONCERNS ABOUT SORT OF THE AMOUNT OF RESOURCES, UM, THEN POTENTIALLY WHAT IS BEING AUTHORIZED IS GONNA HAVE, UM, AN IMPACT ON THAT, UM, AND COULD POTENTIALLY BE, YOU KNOW, WORSE.
UM, SINCE, SINCE WE'RE ALL TOGETHER, I MEAN, IS THERE A, IS THERE A COMMON GROUND ASK THAT, THAT WE COULD, THAT WE COULD MAKE OF WORKFORCE ALAMO TO, YOU KNOW, A VERY, A VERY DIRECT APPROACH TO WHAT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT IS A LENGTHY PO PROCESS TO CHANGE.
AND SO I WOULD SUBMIT TO YOU THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE CHANGE, THERE'S GOING TO BE, IT'S GONNA BE MORE, THE MORE OF THE SAME ANGST.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO, I JUST WANT TO SEE IF THERE'S SOME COMMON GROUND ANSWER HERE THAT WE CAN COME TO THAT.
WHAT, WHAT WOULD MAKE US HAPPY? WELL, I THINK FIRST OF ALL, UH, A, A DEDICATED MEETING FOR US TO AIR GRIEVANCES WOULD BE A START.
UH, AND LET EVERYBODY GET PREPARED AND, AND, UH, COME AND, AND PRESENT THEIR SITUATION.
UH, I KNOW THAT THERE IS A MEDIATION CLAUSE.
UM, UH, AND WE COULD REQUEST MEDIATION, UH, WHICH MIGHT BE AN ORDER.
UH, THERE'S ALSO A TERMINATION CLAUSE, BUT I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING FROM YOU, ADRIAN, IS THAT THE TERMINATION CLAUSE IS, IS TIED TO REASSOCIATING WITH ANOTHER WORKFORCE ENTITY.
IF YOU'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO RECEIVE SERVICES.
NOW, I'M NOT AN ATTORNEY, SO I DON'T THE SPECIFICS ABOUT THAT, BUT, UM, YOU WOULD HAVE, WE HAVE TO BE ASSIGNED TO ANOTHER WORKFORCE COURT SOMEWHERE IF WE'RE GONNA RECEIVE BENEFITS, CORRECT?
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WELL, I DON'T KNOW ONE OF US THAT'S HAPPY ABOUT THIS, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT.BUT I DO KNOW WE CAN'T KEEP DOING THE SAME THING AND INSPECT A DIFFERENT RESULT.
AND SO SOMETHING'S GOTTA MOVE.
AND, UH, ON BEHALF OF THE AREA JUDGES, UH, I WILL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE EXPLORE WHAT OUR OPTIONS ARE WITH REGARD TO HOW TO DEAL WITH, UH, WSA, UH, AND THAT'S A VERY BROAD CHARGE.
UH, AND MAYBE PUT TOGETHER AN AD HOC COMMITTEE OF THREE OR SOMETHING TO THREE OR THREE OR FIVE.
ALWAYS AN ODD NUMBER, BUT PUT TOGETHER SOME OF US TO, UH, BE ABLE TO COME, UH, BRIEF US THE AREA JUDGES AT THE NEXT AREA JUDGE MEETING, WHICH WOULD BE WHAT, NEXT QUARTER TO BE DETERMINED.
BUT I THINK WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
AND, UM, 'CAUSE IF WE DON'T, THEN WE'RE JUST SLOWLY GETTING CHIPPED AWAY HERE.
SO, JUST SO I'M CLEAR THAT YOU'RE MAKING REFERENCE YOUR REAUTHORIZATION, THE, YOU, YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THIS.
UH, AND WE APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING IT TO US AND AT LEAST, UH, LOOKING AS FACE TO FACE TO TELL US ABOUT IT.
BUT IT IS NOT IMPROVING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH WSA MM-HMM.
UH, AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT, I THINK THE AREA JUDGES HAVE TO, UM, DISCUSS IT AMONG OURSELVES AND, UH, TRY TO COME UP WITH SOME SORT OF ORGANIZED, UM, ASK OF SOME SORT.
WE CAN SEE IF WE CAN, UH, REACH AN ACCOMMODATION.
AND IF NOT, MAYBE YOU GO AHEAD AND INITIATE THE MEDIATION PROCESS.
SO LET ME OFFER, OFFER UP, UH, SOMETHING THAT IT, THAT IS A PLATFORM, AND IT IS, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY.
SO, UH, THE LOCAL, UH, IS, UH, WE ARE GONNA BE, UH, STARTING THE PROCESS PROCESS TO ACTUALLY TAKE THAT.
SO IF THERE ARE SOMETHING THINGS FROM A STRATEGIC STANDPOINT OR SERVICE DELIVERY OR, UH, WHATEVER IT MAY BE THAT YOUR COUNTY SPECIFICALLY, UH, WANTING AND THAT YOU'RE GONNA CODIFY THAT, THAT'S THE RIGHT TO ACTUALLY QUALIFY IS THROUGH THE APPROVAL OF THE LOCAL FILE.
AND SO ONCE YOU LAY OUT THE STRATEGIES IN WHICH YOUR SERVICE DELIVERY IS, AND THOSE, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, THAT'S WHERE, WHERE THAT WOULD HAPPEN WOULDN'T NECESSARILY HAPPEN IN LEGAL DOCUMENTS.
THE LEGAL DOCUMENTS JUST KIND OF PROVIDE SORT OF A FRAMEWORK, RIGHT.
WHICH WE SORT, KIND OF HAVE, UH, THE ABILITY TO, TO WORK TOGETHER.
BUT IT DOESN'T, DOESN'T SAY SPECIFICALLY WHAT EXACTLY EXACTLY WE NEED.
SO GENERAL SORT THE LOCAL PLAN DOES OUTLINE STRATEGIES NOW GIVE YOU, GIVE YOU SOME, SOME EXAMPLES.
SO, UH, WORKING CLOSELY WITH JUDGE K, UH, AND COMMISSIONER CAN, CAN, CAN ATTEST TO THIS, UM, WE, UH, INVESTED SEVERAL OF THE DOLLARS INTO, UH, THE CREATION OF HER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM.
RIGHT? SOMETHING THAT, UH, WAS BORN, BORN LOCALLY.
THE JUDGE LAST YEAR IN HIS STATE OF THE COUNTY, UM, ANNOUNCED THAT HE, HE WANTED TO HAVE THE CREATION OF, OF THAT, UM, INITIATIVE, WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS THAT WE WILL INVEST DOLLARS IN.
SO WE CAN ENSURE THAT WE'RE SORT OF, KIND OF MEETING OUR GOALS THERE, UH, THAT, THAT ARE MUTUAL TYPES OF GOALS.
UM, BECAUSE WE DO SUPPORT THINGS LIKE WORK EXPERIENCE AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, RIGHT? WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO, UH, JUDGE TE, UH, IN REGARDS TO BRINGING TOGETHER, UH, THE MHMR, WHICH I THINK IN THIS CASE IS M AND OUR TEAMS TOGETHER TO SUPPORT, UM, THE WORK LABS THAT EXIST FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
UM, AND FIGURING OUT HOW WE CAN INPUT, UH, WORKFORCE SERVICES ON THERE.
SO IF TODAY WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF EVENTS AND COORDINATION BETWEEN THOSE TWO, UH, FACTORS, AGAIN, A LOCALLY SORT OF BORN, UM, INITIATIVE THAT WE CAN BE RESPONSIVE TO.
SO THOSE ARE KIND OF TWO GOOD EXAMPLES OF HOW WE CAN TAKE THE LOCAL PLAN AND IF THERE'S A CONCERN ABOUT A SERVICE DELIVERY.
'CAUSE I KNOW THE LAST, UH, DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD IN REGARDS TO THIS MOST RECENTLY LAST YEAR WAS ABOUT THE BUDGET.
AND WE HAVE, UH, INFORMATION TODAY TO BE ABLE TO ARTICULATE THE AMOUNT OF DOLLARS WE WERE, WERE ALLOCATED TO EACH OF THE COUNTIES.
AND THE AMOUNT OF EXPEND EXPENDITURES AND WHAT IT SHOWS ACROSS THE BOARD IS 14 COUNTIES RECEIVING, UH, A LEVEL OF INVESTMENT.
RIGHT? WE CAN ARGUE THE SEMANTICS ABOUT THAT.
UH, BUT ONE THING THAT WE, WE MADE CLEAR, UH, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET BUDGET IS THAT THE BUDGET ALLOCATION GOES, IT'S, IT'S APPROVED BY, BY ALL THE BODIES, BUT THE EXPENDITURES WILL FOLLOW, UM, THE NEED, FOR EXAMPLE, FREE ACCOUNT, UM, IS ABOUT TO LOSE 600, UH, JOBS IN ONE
[00:25:01]
OF THEIR FACILITIES, UH, THAT THEY HAVE FOR THEIR IMMIGRATION FACILITIES.AND THERE'S GONNA BE INVESTMENT THAT POTENTIALLY WAS NOT, NOT ALLOCATED TO THAT COUNTY.
BUT THAT'S BECAUSE WE'RE, THAT'S PART OF OUR JOB IS TO BE ABLE TO ENSURE 600 PEOPLE LAND UNDER TWO, UH, TWO FEET.
RIGHT? SO, BUT BACK TO THE POINT ABOUT THE, UH, THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LOCAL PLAN PLAN, BECAUSE THAT, THAT IS THE VENUE BY WHICH WE HAVE LOCAL INITIATIVES THAT YOU WOULD LIKE, THAT'S, THAT'S A PLACE TO, TO ACTUALLY DO.
AND, AND, AND I'LL TOUCH ON ON THE TWO THAT, THAT ADRIAN JUST TALKED ABOUT WITH, UH, MCMULLEN AND ATASCOSA.
I REACHED OUT TO ADRIAN, UH, SIX MONTHS AGO AND JUST GOT CRAZY BUSY WITH BUDGET.
AND, UH, JUDGES KNOW HOW THAT GOES.
UH, BUT TO, UM, WORK HAND IN HAND WITH, WITH COASTAL BEND COLLEGE TO CREATE A TRADE SCHOOL AND A, A, SOME TYPE OF TRADE SCHOOL AREA IN COS COUNTY THAT CAN, OUR KIDS THAT, THAT ARE GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL, THAT DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO GO TO COLLEGE, UM, TO GO TO SOMETHING THAT ONE WILL PROVIDE JOBS IN, IN MY COMMUNITY FOR TEACHERS, UH, GIVE OUR KIDS A, A DIRECTION, WHETHER THEY WANNA BE WELDERS.
OBVIOUSLY, I'M GONNA SEND MY DAUGHTER TO BE A WELDER.
THEY MAKE MORE MONEY THAN THAN ANY OF 'EM.
SO, UH, SHE CAN BE A PIPE PIPELINE WELDER.
SO I, I THINK THAT, THAT IF YOU DON'T, IF YOU'RE NOT REACHING OUT, YOU JUST DON'T KNOW.
AND, AND WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT ALL THOSE SERVICES AND THAT, AND THAT IDEA, WHEN, WHEN I CAME UP WITH THAT IDEA, I SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS.
AND SO ADRIAN WAS ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER A MEETING WITH ME, UH, MYSELF, UH, THE, THE COASTAL BEND, THE DEAN.
SO I THINK IT'S MORE OF, IF, IF WE'RE NOT REACHING OUT, WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT WSA IS DOING FOR US.
I THINK THAT IF WE SET UP A MEETING, UM, WITH THE AREA JUDGES AND WSA AND SAY, WHAT SPECIFICALLY ARE YOU DOING FOR CONN COUNTY? MM-HMM.
UH, AND YOU BROUGHT YOUR STAFF.
UH, AND I ASKED THOSE VERY QUESTIONS.
AND, UH, UH, I ENCOURAGED YOU TO VISIT WITH THE OTHER JUDGES ONE-ON-ONE AS WELL.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH PROGRESS WE'VE MADE ON THAT, BUT NO, IT IS, IT IS BEEN DOING THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD, WE HAD WITH JUDGE LU IS WE HAD, UM, SPONSORSHIP OF, UH, WHAT'S CALLED THE ACE RACE, UH, WHERE WE WERE WORKING CLOSELY WITH MENA VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL AND, UM, HAD A LOCAL INITIATIVE WHERE THEY, THESE KIDS BUILT OUT THESE ELECTRIC CARS AND COMPETED, UH, HUMAN COUM.
IT'S THOSE TYPES OF THINGS THAT WE WORK CLOSELY, CLOSELY WITH, UH, LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO OUTLINE WHAT ARE THEIR PRIORITIES, UH, AND HOW WE CAN ALIGN, UH, IN KE COUNTY.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE LOCAL EDC THAT, UM, MOST RECENTLY THERE'S BEEN DISCUSSION ABOUT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THE CORPORATION INVESTING INTO CHILDCARE.
RIGHT? THERE'S A SURVEY THAT THAT'S ABOUT TO, UH, GO OUT, UH, WITH KATIE, UH, AND, AND, AND THOSE FOLKS, RIGHT? WE'VE OFFERED THE SUPPORT IN REGARDS TO, UH, THE INFORMATION FOR DATA, WHICH CHILD CARE PROVIDERS EXIST IN THE AREA? HOW MANY CHILDREN ARE WE SERVING? HOW MANY KIDS ARE ON THE WAITING? WHAT'S THE AVERAGE COST OF THOSE THINGS? SO AS WE'RE MAKING AN IN INVESTMENTS INTO, UM, YOU KNOW, INITIATIVE INITIATIVES SUCH AS THAT, WE ALSO ARE WORKING CLOSE CLOSELY WITH, UM, SOME OF THE LOCAL, LOCAL FOLKS TO BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH SPECIFIC THINGS THAT'S PERTINENT TO THEIR, TO THEIR COMMUNITY, WHICH MAY BE, MAY NOT BE REGIONWIDE, IT MAY BE, YOU KNOW, UH, SPECIFIC TO THAT, TO THAT COMMUNITY.
WELL, I'VE BEEN ON COMMITTEE SIX A LONG TIME.
BUT, YOU KNOW, MY CONCERN IS, AND IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN, WE IDENTIFY, WE WANT TO TRAIN, IT CHANGES FROM COUNTY TO COUNTY.
AND WE'VE, YOU KNOW, WE FINALLY GOT HOSPITALITY PUT INTO THE, THE PROGRAM.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE THAT THAT, THAT DO THE, THE WORK TO KEEP THINGS GOING, WE SORT OF, THEY'RE NOT RAS, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT TECHNICIANS.
THEY'RE PEOPLE THAT WORK THAT HAVE A SKILL SET.
I, AND I THINK WE NEED TO FOCUS A LOT ON THAT.
'CAUSE, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO FIND A PLUMBER, TRY TO FIND SOMEBODY THERE, CONDITIONING.
AND I THINK THE FURTHER YOU GET AWAY FROM BE COUNTY, THE MORE IMPORTANT THAT IS.
[00:30:01]
SO I THINK WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO CUSTOMIZE THAT.IT, AND IT, IT REALLY TEARS ME UP TO SEE WHAT Y'ALL PAY FOR PARKING DOWNTOWN.
THAT'S NOT YOUR FAULT, BUT IT'S A LOT OF MONEY.
I MEAN, WHAT'S, WHAT'S YOUR RENT FOR THAT PARK IN DOWNTOWN? FOR GOD'S SAKES.
I KNOW WHAT IT IS, AND I, I DON'T WANNA SAY I CHOKE, BUT, BUT IT'S, THERE'S NO REASON FOR THAT.
IT NEEDS TO GO OUT TO THE COUNTIES, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S, WE ARE THE ONLY, WE'RE THE ONLY WORKFORCE BOARD THAT HAS A COMMITTEE OF SIX AND ALL THIS OTHER JUNK WE'RE GOING THROUGH, WHICH IS RIDICULOUS THAT WE HAVE, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE CUSTOMIZED TO THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES FREE NEED? WHAT DO I NEED? WHAT IS CURRENT? YOU KNOW, CUSTOMIZE IT.
WELL, WE HAVE THIS GRAND PLAN, YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT CHILDCARE.
I'VE GOT A WAITING LIST IN MY COUNTY.
HOW COME, WELL, HOW COME SAN ANTONIO DOES NOT? THE FACT THAT THEY, THE CONTRACT FOR THE PROGRAM, I SURE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT, BUT IT ALWAYS STICKS IN MY CROWD THAT THEY'RE THE CONTRACTOR AND WE GET THE SHORT END OF THE STICK.
AND I'VE SHARED THIS WITH YOU BEFORE.
I MEAN, YOU'RE GONNA PUT A CENTER IN MY COUNTY.
I'M, I'M HOPING WE'LL NAME THE JUDGE EVER CENTER.
I'VE BEEN ON THIS THING FOR 20 SOMETHING YEARS, AND IT TOOK A WHILE TO GET IT.
BUT THAT'S WHAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED, YOU NEED TO CUSTOMIZE IT FOR THE COUNTY.
WHAT I NEED IN BANDERA IS NOT WHAT THEY NEED.
INCUR, MAYBE, OR WILL SL OR FIELD, I'M SURE MC, MULLEN, MC MULLEN, I MEAN, HE HAS MORE MONEY.
HE JUST TO FIGURE HOW TO SPEND IT
BUT NO, SERIOUSLY, WE NEED TO CUSTOMIZE, CUSTOMIZE THAT.
AND IF WE'VE MADE, WE'VE MADE SOME PROGRESS.
BUT I, I THINK WE HAVE A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM THAT'S BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME WITH OUR GROUP.
BEFORE YOU, THREE OR FOUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS BEFORE YOU, WE'VE HAD THE SAME, YOU'VE BEEN THE LONGEST EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WE'VE HAD IN YEARS.
IT'S, SOMEBODY MUST BE PRAYING FOR ME.
I'LL TELL YOU, YOU MAY, YOU MAY OWE THE RECORD.
BUT, BUT WE JUST NEED, WE JUST NEED TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE IDENTIFY WHAT THE COUNTY NEEDS AND TRY TO PROVIDE IT.
MR. CHAIR, MAY I SUGGEST THAT WE, I MEAN, CAN WE COME TOGETHER IN SOME KIND OF WORK WORKSHOP FORMAT TO TRY TO, LIKE YOU SAID, GIVE, GIVE US ENOUGH TIME TO KIND OF IRON OUT WHAT THE ASK IS AND COME IN? YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE IN IT.
THERE JUST NEEDS TO BE A FEW OF US AND, AND SOMEBODY TO BE ABLE TO SCRIBE AND, AND, AND, AND WRITE DOWN WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THE STRENGTHS IN THIS DEAL? WHAT ARE OUR WEAKNESSES? WHAT ARE OUR OPPORTUNITIES, AND WHAT ARE OUR THREATS, YOU KNOW, AND OR, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND, AND, UH, KIND OF, KIND OF FIGURE OUT A STRATEGY MOVING FORWARD.
UH, OR I MEAN, WHAT I, I JUST, IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE A STRUGGLE ANYWAY FOR THE RURAL, FOR THE RURAL COUNTIES.
SO, SO, JUDGE, I, I THINK, UM, I'D BE HAPPY TO PUT INTO A COUPLE OF WORK SESSIONS THAT WEIRD.
UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE BECAUSE WE'RE ABOUT TO HAVE PROBABLY ABOUT A COMMUNITY MEETINGS, UH, JUST TO SOLICIT FEEDBACK ON THE LOCAL PLAN, THE LOCAL PLAN, WE EVENTUALLY COME, COME BACK TO YOU RIGHT AFTER WE GET, UH, FEEDBACK FROM STAKEHOLDERS.
AND WE'RE INVITING EVERYTHING FROM CHILDCARE PROVIDERS TO LOCAL CHAMBERS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS, YOU KNOW, ALL SORTS OF WORKFORCE ECOSYSTEM.
AND WE'RE ASKING THEM TO, UH, PROVIDE THEIR FEEDBACK.
UM, AND SO IF YOU WANT TO, AS PART OF THAT, WE CAN INCLUDE AREA JUDGES MEETINGS AS WORK SESSIONS FOR THAT LEADING UP TO THIS.
'CAUSE THIS IS EVENTUALLY GONNA BE, BE, UH, I BELIEVE, UH, PRESENTED FOR, UH, YOU DEVELOPED AND PRESENTED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AROUND THE NOVEMBER OF DECEMBER TIMEFRAME.
AND THEN WE STILL HAVE TIME TO KIND OF GO AND ACTUALLY GET ALL THE BODIES TO APPROVE.
BUT NOW'S THE TIME TO BE ABLE LAY THAT OUT.
IF THERE ARE SOME SPECIFIC THINGS THAT YOU WANT US HAVE TO CONSIDER IN THE USE OF THE DOLLARS, THEN YEAH.
AND THEN THE, THE BUDGETS THEN FOLLOW UP TO THAT, RIGHT? 'CAUSE THEN WE COME BACK TO THE BUDGET AND SAY, THIS BUDGET ALIGNED IS, IS, OR THIS BUDGET THAT IS ALIGNED TO THE LOCAL PLAN THAT YOU OWE COMMUNITIES DEVELOP.
AND, AND HERE'S THE, THE FUNDING ASSOCIATED WITH THE THINGS THAT YOU OUT WITH IN YOUR LOCAL PLAN.
SO WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY WAS LIKE, THE LOCAL PLAN IS YOUR,
[00:35:01]
YOUR INSTRUCTION MANUAL.THAT'S HOW YOU TAKE THE, TAKE THE DOLLARS AND, AND, AND THUS THE, THE WORKFORCE AND GO OUT AND DO YOUR JOB.
IS THAT WHAT, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I ABSOLUTELY HAVE LEARNED TODAY.
AND HOW MANY, HOW MANY HERE HAVE SEEN THE LOCAL PLANTS? WELL, I MEAN, WE'VE SEEN, WE'VE SEEN IT EVERY, I KNOW WE'VE APPROVED IT EVERY YEAR.
THAT, THAT IT, I WOULD, IT COMES UP, I WOULD EQUATE JUDGE THE, THE LOCAL PLAN ADS.
AND MAYBE THIS PROBABLY RESONATES MORE WITH YOU ALL WHEN YOU ALL ARE, UH, LOOKING AT CITY AND COUNTY PLANS.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT YOUR MASTER PLAN, GONNA FOCUS ON WATER STREETS, UM, YOU KNOW, SEWER, YOU KNOW, MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT LIKE, HERE'S HOW THE, THE COMMUNITY'S GOING TO GROW AND WE NEED TO MAKE INVESTMENT INVESTMENTS IN OUR NORTH, UH, WEST PART OF THE COUNTY, COUNTY, WHATEVER THAT IS.
RIGHT? AND SO THESE TYPES OF INVESTMENTS, WE NEED SO MUCH IN STREETS.
AND THOSE, IT IS, THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS VERY SIMILAR, RIGHT? BECAUSE THEN YOUR MASTER PLAN, WHEN YOU SET THAT UP, THEN YOUR BUDGETS AND YOUR GRANT FUNDING AND WHATEVER YOU'RE PURSUING, YOU KNOW, GET RESOURCES TO FUND THAT.
THAT'S, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT, WHAT OUR LOCAL PLAN IS TO, TO LARGE EXTENT, RIGHT? I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT TRADITIONALLY HASN'T BEEN PRESENTED THAT WAY.
WSA IS PART, TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, BUT ALSO ABOUT HOW THIS KIND OF, THE SYSTEM DOESN'T LOOK AT IT FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.
WHAT I'M SEEING THE LOCAL PLAN AT, IT'S OUR MASTER PLAN, THE REACH FROM A WORKFORCE STANDPOINT.
SO WE WANT TO FOCUS ON, UH, POPULATIONS WITH DISABILITIES.
WE WANT TO FOCUS ON FOSTER, FOSTER KIDS.
WE WANT FOCUS ON, UM, CHILDCARE CENTERS.
IT'S THE COMBINATION OF ALL THOSE THINGS THAT GET ACCORDING TO THE LOCAL PLAN TO SAY THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT.
SO THAT A YEAR OR TWO, TWO YEARS FROM WHAT YOU GUYS DO, THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, WE FOCUSED ON THE PRIORITIES THAT WERE OUTLINED IN THE LOCAL PLAN THAT WAS APPROVED, UH, BY THE DIFFERENT BODIES.
IT, IT, AND DAVID, THE, THE LAR LARGEST SINGLE EXPENDITURE WE PROGRAM IS CHILDCARE.
RIGHT? AND THE FURTHER YOU GET AWAY FROM BEARD COUNTY, THE WORSE IT GETS.
WE'RE LOSING CHILDCARE CENTERS.
YOU DON'T HAVE MANY RISING STARS CENTERS.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T, WE DON'T GET A LOT OF SCHOLARSHIPS.
SO TO ME, WE NEED TO, TO CONCENTRATE ON THE RURAL AREA.
I MEAN, WE'RE ABOUT OUT OF CENTERS IN OUR COUNTY.
I KNOW SOME OTHER COUNTIES, BUT YOU KNOW, WE, I THINK WE NEED TO REALLY BE SURE WE, WE CONCENTRATE ON.
UH, SO HERE, HERE'S WHAT WE MAKE ABOUT $120 MILLION INVESTMENT INTO CHILDCARE.
THAT'S INTO SUBSIDIES TO HAVE ABOUT 12,000 KIDS ON A DAILY BASIS INTO CHILDCARE.
UM, WE ALSO ARE MAKING, MAKING INVESTMENTS INTO CHILDCARE QUALITY.
MEANING WE'RE WORKING WITH CHILDCARE PROVIDERS.
NOW, A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, JUDGE, THAT WERE, UH, AN ISSUE.
THE, UH, THAT YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, IS THERE, THERE IS A, A, A, A WAITING LIST FOR THE WHOLE REGION, BUT THE, THE RURAL AREAS DO RECEIVE PRIORITY WHEN IT COMES TO THE SLOT THAT ISN'T, THAT IS AVAILABLE.
UM, AND SO, SO EVEN THE URBAN AREAS DO HAVE A WAITING LIST.
AND THAT'S, IN LARGE PART, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS IS WE MAY HAVE DOLLARS THAT ARE, UH, AVAILABLE, BUT, BUT THE OTHER PART OF IT IS SLOT AVAILABLE.
THERE'S GOTTA BE A CHILDCARE PROVIDER THAT SAYS, WE WILL ACCEPT YOUR SUB SUBSIDY TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT, UM, THE, UH, UH, CHILDCARE, UH, INDIVIDUAL CLIENT THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA SEND TO US.
NOW, A COUPLE OF THINGS WE'VE TALKED WITH CLIFF, UM, AND HOW WE CAN BETTER SERVE THE, THE RURAL COMMUNITIES FROM A CHILDCARE PERSPECTIVE IS LOOKING AT HOW DO WE BRING, BRING IN, FOR EXAMPLE, THE US DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE TO INVEST INTO THINGS LIKE COMMUNITY FACILITIES THAT COULD HAVE MULTI-USE TO, IT COULD HAVE A CHILDCARE COMPONENT TO THAT, RIGHT? IT'S AN INITIAL DISCUSSION DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE HAD.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT POTENTIALLY WE COULD OUTLINE, FOR EXAMPLE, AGAIN, IN THE LOCAL PLAN TO SAY, AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT LEADING UP STRATEGIES FOR THE RURAL COMMUNITIES, WE SHOULD LOOK AT NOT ONLY THE RESOURCES OF THE, UH, WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS BUDGET, BUT LOOKING AT, WELL, I CAN'T PAY FOR FACILITIES.
I CAN'T PAY FOR BRICKS AND STICKS WITH THOSE DOLLARS.
HOWEVER, WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH USDA TO SAY, HOW DO WE BRING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, CAN PAY FOR BRICKS AND STICKS TO RURAL COMMUNITIES TO FOCUS ON CHILDCARE.
AND SO THAT TYPE, TYPE OF STRATEGY ADDRESSES NOT ONLY THE DOLLARS POTENTIALLY INVEST INTO, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE CHILDCARE, BUT INVEST INTO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE
[00:40:01]
CREATION OF ADDITIONAL CHILDCARE SLOTS THAT MAY NOT EXIST TODAY.IT'S THOSE TYPES OF DYNAMIC CONVERSATIONS.
AND WE CAN OUTLINE THAT REALLY SET THE PACE FOR SORT OF WHEN SOMEBODY ASKS THE QUESTION GETTING FOR, FROM WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS OUT, WELL, KIND OF GETTING A COMBINATION OF THINGS.
YOU CAN LOOK AT JUST THE INVESTMENT ITSELF.
OR YOU CAN SAY, WE WANT TO DEVELOP A STRATEGY TO TAKE THE INVESTMENT THAT TODAY AND BE ABLE TO COUPLE, UH, COUPLE THAT WITH, UH, OTHER ITEMS. UH, CLIFF AND I HAVE TALKED, TALKED ABOUT HOW WE BEEF UP, UM, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
CLIFF IS LOOKING AT, UH, DEVELOPING HIS INTERNAL TEAMS, INTERNAL GRANT TEAMS, BRING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TOGETHER.
THE QUESTION THEN SHOULD BE IS, OKAY, WELL WHAT'S THE RESPONSE WITH WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS ALAMO TO FEED THAT JUST BROUGHT ONE OF, UH, OUR COLLEAGUES, UM, AND I THINK SHE JUST LEFT IDA, UH, INTRODUCED, UM, UH, THE HER TO, UH, CLIFF.
'CAUSE CLIFF WAS RUNNING A MAJOR WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM AND, AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS BROUGHT, UH, IDAHO WAS AN ENGINEER TO SAY, HOW DO WE CREATE A TRAINING PROGRAM TO BE ABLE TO FACILITATE TRAINING PEOPLE TO BECOME INSPECTORS AND TO BECOME INSTALLERS? AND THERE WAS A WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM, THE CREATION OF THAT DIRECT RESPONSE, A NEED THAT EXISTS.
BUT IT'S THOSE TYPES OF CONVERSATIONS THAT REALLY SORT OF PUSH AND MOVE THE NEEDLE.
BUT IF YOU'RE JUST LOOKING AT SORT OF THE BUDGET AND SAYING, WELL, WHAT ARE WE DOING? UH, WHAT ARE WE GETTING FROM WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS, ALAMO, YOU CAN CERTAINLY HAVE THOSE QUESTIONS.
MAYBE A CONVERSATION SHOULD BE AROUND SORT OF LIKE THE NEEDS LIKE THAT WITH DISABILITIES, YOUTH WEATHERIZATION, THOSE THINGS, BECAUSE THOSE THINGS CAN HAPPEN AND, AND COULD BE THE FOUNDATION TO BE ABLE TO SET UP BETTER RELATIONSHIPS AND BETTER SERVICE.
SO WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? WELL, I DON'T KNOW.
WELL, WE'VE ALL KNOWN THAT THIS DAY WAS COMING.
BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S THAT MUCH DISCONTENT AMONG THE AREA JUDGES.
AND, UH, WE HAVE A STRAINED RELATIONSHIP.
I THINK WE'LL ALL AGREE TO THAT.
AND THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GONNA MAKE THIS RELATIONSHIP BETTER, UH, IS IF WE WORK TOGETHER OR SEPARATE, IS IF THE TWO BASIC WAYS YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE RELATIONSHIP, RIGHT? UH, AND SEPARATION LOOKS LIKE IT'S A, A DIFFICULT ROUTE.
SO IF WE'RE GONNA TRY TO IMPROVE THE RELATIONSHIP, WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM US? A ADRIAN? WE, WE WILL, UH, IF WE CAN GET A, A SCHEDULE, MAYBE CLIFF OF THE, THE NEXT AREA JUDGES MEETING MEETING, OR WE CAN SCHEDULE SOME WORK SESSIONS, UM, WE WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU ALL, UM, COME TO THOSE COMM COMMUNITY MEETINGS THAT WE ALREADY, UH, SCHEDULING WITHIN YOUR COMMUNITIES SO THAT WE CAN HEAR YOUR FEED FEEDBACK, BRING THE FOLKS THAT YOU WANT US TO TALK TO, TO INTERSECT WITH AS PART OF THE LOCAL PLAN, UH, FEEDBACK.
UH, AND WE'LL, WE WILL LISTEN.
I MEAN, I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, HAVING THE ABILITY TO TALK TO JUDGE, JUDGE EVANS AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WE ARE ABOUT A MONTH OR TWO FROM OPENING UP A CENTER IN, IN BANDERA COUNTY, I THINK DEMONSTRATES GOODWILL AND DEMONSTRATES, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BE RESPONSIVE.
LAST YEAR WHEN WE HAD A LITTLE BLOW UP, WE HAD LIKE 36 MEETING MEETINGS THAT WE WENT UP TO EACH OF THE COMMUNITIES.
WE CAME UP WITH SOME GOOD STRATEGIES AND CAME UP SOME NEW THINGS THAT WEREN'T DOING, UH, THAT WE ARE NOW DOING.
AND SO I THINK THIS, THIS IS KIND OF A PROCESS.
THE COMMUNICATION AND THE EXPECTATIONS, YOU KNOW, WILL EVOLVE.
UM, BUT COMMUNICATION IS GONNA BE KEY REGARDS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO MAINTAIN A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP.
SO WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? STILL HAVE THE QUESTION, GONNA HAVE A, HAVE A WORKSHOP.
IN MY OPINION, WE NEED TO HAVE A WORKSHOP THAT DOESN'T HAVE A HARD STOP MM-HMM.
SO WE CAN ACTUALLY WORK THROUGH IT IF IT TAKES HALF A DAY OR WHATEVER, AND JUST SIT OUT AND YEAH.
JUST THIS IS GONNA BE, AND MAY I, I'M HESITANT TO SAY ANYTHING BECAUSE I DON'T THINK ANYBODY KNOWS LESS ABOUT THESE ISSUES THAN I DO.
UM, I'M NOT THE BEST PERSON ON THIS.
Y'ALL HAVE SO MUCH MORE EXPERIENCE THAN I DO.
BUT I DID WORK WITH DIANE ON THE ISSUES THAT AROSE LAST YEAR.
AND I, I THINK THAT ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES THAT ARISE IS IN MY MIND, LIKE I SAID, I HAVE VERY LIMITED EXPERIENCE IN THIS.
AND ADRIAN, YOU CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, UH, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BIG THINGS IS, IS THE STATE MAKES ALLOCATIONS RECOMMENDED ALLOCATIONS FOR EVERY COUNTY, DON'T THEY? YES.
[00:45:01]
IS A ATTACK.THERE'S A WHAT? IT'S A LAW'S ATTACK.
AND, AND SO I THINK I'D, I, I THINK THAT PART OF THE ISSUES THAT WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IS WHAT ARE THE STATE ALLOCATIONS AND HOW CLOSELY ARE YOU FOLLOWING THEM? MM-HMM.
AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IF IT WON'T BE, BUT IF WE KNEW WHAT THE BASE FROM THE STATE IS AND WHAT'S HAPPENING, AND THEN WHAT YOUR CONTRACTOR IS DOING.
AND I CAN SAY THAT LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, JUDGE EVANS AND I HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION ONE TIME, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THE CATEGORY WAS, BUT THERE WAS CERTAIN AMOUNT OF DOLLARS ALLOCATED TO PROVIDE SOME SERVICE.
MAYBE IT WAS $10,000, MAYBE IT WAS A THOUSAND DOLLARS.
BUT THE ACTUAL MONEY THAT WAS SHOWING UP ON THE BUDGET OF ACTUAL ALLOCATION WAS $27.
SO I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW YOU SPEND $27.
BUT MY POINT IS, IS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CONTRACTOR, YOUR VENDOR THAT'S PERFORMING THIS SERVICES IS GETTING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY TO FILL THOSE LINE ITEMS AND MEET THOSE BUDGET REQUIREMENTS.
AND PART OF THE CONFUSING PART FOR ME IS, AND I UNDERSTAND AND I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S VERY COMPLEX, BUT, AND AS YOU POINTED OUT, THERE IS A NEED TO REDIRECT FUNDS AS THEY ARISE.
IF SOMETHING'S NOT BEING SPENT IN A COUNTY, YOU SURE DON'T WANNA WASTE TIME LEAVING THAT MONEY UNSPENT WHEN IT'S DESPERATELY NEEDED SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND YOU HAVE TO REDIRECT THOSE FUNDS.
BUT WE DON'T, AT LEAST I NEVER WAS ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, HOW IT HAPPENS, WHY IT HAPPENED.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE, IT'S, IT'S A COMMUNICATION ISSUE.
I DON'T THINK ANY ONE OF THE JUDGES AT LEAST, AND I DON'T PURPORT TO SPEAK FOR 'EM, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT ANYBODY IS UNREASONABLE THAT IF IT'S NOT BEING SPENT IN MCMULLIN COUNTY, BUT IT CAN BE SPENT IN COURT, IT OUGHT TO BE SPENT.
BUT I DON'T THINK THEY KNOW WHEN THAT'S HAPPENING AND WHY IT'S HAPPENING.
AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
AND I, AND I THINK THAT IT'S NOT ENOUGH IN MY MIND BECAUSE IT WAS VERY COMPLEX TRYING TO GO THROUGH THESE AND LOOK THROUGH THESE AND WORK THROUGH THESE.
AND I'M NOT A GREAT BUDGET GUY ON TOP OF THAT
BUT FOR SOMEBODY THAT'S NOT TERRIBLY FAMILIAR WITH IT, YOU CAN'T LOOK AT THE NUMBERS AND UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING.
AND IF THERE WAS A A AND I KNOW THAT WHEN WE ASKED FOR, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, WE HAD A GREAT WORKING.
I, I FEEL LIKE THAT WE HAVE HAD A GREAT WORKING RELATIONSHIP SINCE I'VE BEEN INVOLVED.
AND ADRIAN, UH, THAT HAS, HAS BEEN HUGE.
I GOT YOU BOTH THE ADRIAN, SO A AP AND AL HAVE BOTH BEEN GREAT TO WORK WITH AND I APPRECIATE WORKING WITH YOU, BUT IT'S, WHEN ASKING FOR NUMBERS, IT TAKES TIME TO GENERATE THOSE FROM YOUR, FROM YOUR PROVIDER AND INTO A USABLE FORMAT AND FOR, FOR US TO EVEN REVIEW.
AND I THINK IT WOULD BE GREATLY BENEFICIAL.
AND I, AND MAYBE IT'S NOT POSSIBLE, BUT TO HAVE A MONTHLY REPORT OF THE DOLLARS THAT ARE BEING SPENT AND WHERE THEY'RE BEING SPENT IN YOUR COMMUNITIES.
AND THAT'S JUST A, A, A, IN MY SUGGESTION, BECAUSE IT WAS VERY HARD TO TRACK WHAT'S HAPPENING ON A MONTHLY BASIS, AT LEAST FOR US IN A, IN A FORMAT.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S POSSIBLE TO GENERATE THAT, BUT I THINK IF WE COULD SEE WHAT THE STATE ALLOCATION IS, AND THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO MEET THAT STATE ALLOCATION AND WHERE THE GAPS ARE AND HOW WE FILL 'EM, IF THEY'RE NOT, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A HUGE, A HUGE HELP.
AND I'M SPEAKING, LIKE I SAY, I'M SPEAKING, UH, ON JUST MY EXPERIENCE, BUT, AND IF THE JUDGES DON'T THINK THAT'S BENEFICIAL, THAT'S FINE.
BUT I MEAN, IT WAS HARD TO TRACK THE NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, HARD TO TRACK THE DOLLARS.
SO TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT CLIFF'S SAYING AS WELL, THE, THE, I THINK, AND, AND ALSO JUDGE KELLY, YOU KNOW, MAKING IT MAKE SENSE IS WHAT, YOU KNOW, YES.
SITTING IN A WORKSHOP, MAKING IT MAKE SENSE.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE MACMULLEN DEAL.
WE'VE, WE'VE DONE A FEW THINGS, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A COUNTY WITH A THOUSAND PEOPLE, MORE OR LESS WITH LESS THAN A 2% UNEMPLOYMENT RATE.
AND ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE LADIES WAS IN MY OFFICE THE OTHER DAY AND SAID, HEY, WE'RE TRYING TO HIRE A, WE'RE TRYING TO HIRE A FULL-TIME PERSON FOR MCMULLAN COUNTY.
YOU KNOW, WHERE, WHAT, WHAT DO WE DO WITH THIS PERSON? WHAT, WHERE DO WE PUT THEM? YOU KNOW, SO, SO I JUST THINK WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE GOT SOME, WE'VE GOT SOME VISITING TO DO ON HOW THE, HOW THE PROCESS, HOW THE PROCESS WORKS,
[00:50:01]
BECAUSE I'D MUCH RATHER SEE THAT PERSON GO TO AND GO TO ATASCOSA COUNTY AND ME BE ABLE TO PICK UP THE PHONE AND SAY, HEY, COULD YOU MAKE A DAY TRIP, MORNING TRIP AND TEND TO THIS ONE LITTLE ISSUE WE GOT, OR ONE LITTLE REQUEST WE'VE GOT, AND THAT'S ALL I NEED.AND SO I, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR DEAL IS MUCH SIMPLER, YOU KNOW, BUT MAKING IT MAKE SENSE, THE, THE, THAT DEAL IS THE SAME THING AS JUDGE EVANS'S COMMENT ABOUT THE PARKING.
JUST MAKE IT ALL MAKE SENSE FOR US.
AND, AND WE CAN, WE CAN GET THERE.
SIR CLIFF, UM, APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING UP THE COMMENTS.
UM, WHAT I HAD STAFF DO STATED SOMETHING THAT WAS GONNA BE ASKING, THIS IS A BREAKDOWN.
EACH COUNTY THE EXPENDITURES, SHOULD YOU SEE THE BUDGET AMOUNT AND THEN THE EXPENDITURES THAT BE, YOU KNOW, SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT IN EACH OF THE COUNTIES.
UM, YOU KNOW, BUT AT LEAST THIS, OR IT KIND OF TELLS YOU, OR ARE YOU GETTING DOLLARS, DOLLARS ARE BEING, IS THEIR INVESTMENT IN THE COMMUNITY IN REGARDS TO SORT OF THIS STRATEGIC STUFF? I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S A BIGGER CONVERSATION THAT WE CAN COME UP WITH.
UH, ONE THOUGHT THAT, UM, I HAD TO, TO YOUR, UH, POINT JUDGE KEEL WAS, UM, AS IT RELATES TO, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR WORK EXPERIENCE.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT I BELIEVE THAT STAFF WAS ASKING, ASKING YOU ABOUT OR, OR THINKING ABOUT, IS TO DO A, A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS SO THAT IF COUNTIES OR COMMUNITY OR EMPLOYERS WANT TO RESPOND TO THAT SAME SAYING, YEAH, WE WILL TAKE, YOU KNOW, TWO OF THOSE, FIVE OF THOSE, 10 OF THOSE, RIGHT? SO THAT WE CAN COME BACK TO BE ABLE TO SAY, HERE'S THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN INVESTED INTO YOUR, INTO YOUR COMMITTEE.
IT TAKES, IT'S A LITTLE LONGER TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT, THAT DATA, UM, BUT AT LEAST SORT OF FISCAL DATA IS STARTED TO BECOME MORE REFINED.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN DO THIS IN A CASES, IT'S MORE ON A QUARTERLY BASIS, D AMOUNT OF, OF INVESTMENT INTO TRY TO GATHER THE, THE DATA.
UM, BUT YOU'LL SEE THAT ACROSS THE BOARD, EACH ONE OF THE COUNTIES IS RECEIVING AN INVESTMENT, UM, AND THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH ON PAR WITH WHAT WAS ALLOCATED, HOW DID THEY COME UP WITH THE ALLOCATIONS.
SO THE ALLOCATIONS ARE BASED PRETTY COMPLEX.
UH, PROCESS WE SET WITH JUDGE KELLY FOR ABOUT THREE HOURS ON ONE MEETING AND TO GO OVER, UM, EACH OF THE, SORT OF THE METHODOLOGY.
SO IT'S BASED ON SORT OF WHAT'S OUTLINED IN THE LAW, BUT IT'S ALSO WHAT'S FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, SOME COMMUNITIES HAVE A HIGHER LEVEL OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN, UH, LIVING BELOW THE POVERTY RATE, UH, OR POVERTY LINE.
UH, SOME COMMUNITIES MAY HAVE HIGHER, UH, TANF UH, PARTICIPANTS, WHICH STAFF PARTICIPANTS, SOME COMMUNITIES MAY HAVE HIGHER LEVELS OF DISLOCATED WORKERS.
SO LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, I MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT RIO COUNTY, THOSE 600 FOLKS, THEY'RE GONNA SHOW UP ON, ON MAYBE NOT NEXT YEAR'S ALLOCATION, THE ALLOCATION TWO YEARS.
BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA LOOK AT, WELL, THIS COMMUNITY HAD 600 PEOPLE, LET'S JUST SAY FOR SIMPLICITY SAKE, THERE'S A, UH, A LABOR FORCE OF, OF 10,000, 600 PEOPLE HAVE 10,000.
THAT'S A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT.
SO THEN THE ALLOCATION WILL SAY THAT COMMUNITY NEEDS MORE MONEY BECAUSE THEY EXPERIENCE, RIGHT? UH, OR THE COMMUNITY NEEDS MORE MONEY BECAUSE THEY HAVE A HIGHER LEVEL OF PEOPLE LIVING BELOW THE POWER THAT, SO IT'S A COMBINATION OF ALL OF THOSE TYPES OF FACTORS THAT GET PUT INTO, UH, THESE FORMULAS TO, UH, ALLOCATE THE DOLLARS COUNTY BY COUNTY.
UH, I JUDGE, I KNOW YOU MAY BE PRESSED FOR TIME.
WE HAVE COMMITTEE AND I, I DO HAVE BUDGET ON, AND I'M NOT SURE HAVE OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS THAT ARE, ARE ON A, A TIMELINE AS WELL, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND, AND OTHERS THAT I KNOW WE GOT A FEW MORE ITEMS WHEN YOU WANTED TO PRESENT.
I THINGS HAVE GOTTEN BETTER CONSIDERABLY.
AND I THINK PART OF THAT IS YOU, ADRIAN, AND PART OF IS, IS YOUR, OUR BOARD LEADERSHIP.
AND I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT WE DO HAVE SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE MORE ENGAGED AND MORE, UH, FAIR, I THINK WITH WHAT THEY DO.
YEAH, I, I THINK I, ONE OF THE BEST BOARD CHAIR IN, IN THE STATES, STATES, LESLIE
WELL, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET BACK ON OUR AGENDA AND GET THIS MEETING CLOSED.
UM, ITEM NUMBER, UH, YOU, YOU DID ITEM NUMBER SEVEN.
[8. Introduction to JCB Manufacturing- Adrian Lopez, WSA CEO]
NUMBER EIGHT IS INTRODUCTION TO JCB MANUFACTURING.UH, WE WANTED TO BRING, UM, UH, UH, LOCAL FOLKS FROM JC JCB.
IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH JCB.
[00:55:01]
UH, THEY ARE EUROPEAN COUNTRY THAT IS, UH, MOVING, UH, TO THE SOUTH SIDE TO, UH, BUILD, UH, LARGE CITY THAT'S GONNA RECRUIT ABOUT 15, 200 JOBS.UH, DAVID CARVER IS, UM, THEIR OPERATIONS DIRECTOR IS HERE TODAY ALONG WITH ANGELA
WE THOUGHT WE WOULD BRING, BRING THEM TO ONE TO HAVE AN INTRODUCTION BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE BUILDING A FACILITY AS LARGE FACILITY AND PRODUCING SANTA MONICA JOBS, THAT HAS A REGIONAL IMPACT TO THIS, UH, TO THIS COMMUNITY.
SO TO LATCH ON TO ALL THE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION THAT WE'RE JUST HAVING RIGHT NOW ABOUT HOW DOES WORKFORCE INTERSECT WITH OUR COMMUNITIES, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT, UH, WHEN WE LOOK AT, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, LESLIE'S COMPANY AND, AND THE EFFECT THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, THE TOYOTA CO COMPLEX GUYS, WHERE YOU HAVE, UH, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING EMPLOYED, THEY'RE NOT ALL FROM BEAR COUNTY, THEY'RE COMING FROM MANAS, COSA MEINA FROM RIO, FROM AL, FROM GUADALUPE, COMING FROM ALL OVER THE REGION, RIGHT? AND SO WE HAVE, UM, SOMETHING LIKE JCB THAT COMES TO, UH, TO THIS COMMUNITY THAT HAS REGIONAL IMPLICATIONS.
AND SO I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE PRUDENT FOR US TO INTRODUCE DAVID TO, UH, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, UH, THIS PROJECT.
AND I'D LIKE TO HEAR BACK ON HOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO INTERSECT IT, UH, WITH THIS EMPLOYER.
UH, AFTERNOON, UH, EVERYONE AS YOU CAN PROBABLY HEAR, UH, LOCAL SECTOR, IT'S FEBRUARY THIS YEAR, BUT, UM, MORE OF A EASTERN TEXAN THAN
UH, THANK YOU FOR TO TALK TO THIS AFTERNOON.
UH, SO FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT, UM, DUNNO MUCH ABOUT JCB, WE TRYING REALLY HARD TO GET EVERYBODY IN SAN ANTONIO TO UNDERSTAND A BIT MORE ABOUT J CCB.
UM, J B'S BEEN IN EXISTENCE SINCE 1945.
IT'S A, IT'S A FAMILY OWNED BUSINESS THAT'S A UK CENTRAL.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING TO BUILD A 720,000 SQUARE METER FACILITY NEAR TO THE SOUTH SIDE IN SAN ANTONIO, UH, CLOSE TO THE TOYOTA.
UH, WE'RE GONNA MANUFACTURE MACHINES IN THE FACTORY THAT ARE CURRENTLY MANUFACTURED FOR THE UNITED STATES, OR ARE MANUFACTURED EITHER IN, IN JOY PORT IN INDIA, OR ARE MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, AND ARE BOTH SHIPPED ACROSS THE, THE WORLD, WHICH DOESN'T MAKE SENSE FOR, FOR THE US OR FOR THE CASE OF IT ITSELF.
UM, SO THE FACTORY WOULD BE THE SECOND NORTH AMERICAN FACTORY.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE A FACTORY IN
I THINK THE, THE VIEW BUSINESSES THAT THE, THE SIZE AND THE, AND THE SCALE OF THIS PLANT, UH, THIS COULD BECOME, UH, IN, IN THE FUTURE, THE, THE CENTER FOR GT OPERATIONS OPERATIONS IN NORTH AMERICA.
UM, ON THE SCREEN, THE, IS THE SITE LAYOUT OF OUR, OF OUR FACILITY.
UM, WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF PHASE ONE.
SO WE STARTED THE MUST RATING AT THE SITE A FEW WEEKS AGO, AND WE'RE LOOKING TO GO FIRST WITH THE BUILD IN NOVEMBER, UM, SITE, UM, AS I SAY, TOYOTA, UM, THE, UM, THE, THE FIRST DEVELOPMENT IS TO BUILD THE BUILDING THAT YOU SEE ON THE, ON THE ACTUAL PICTURE THAT WHICH WORKS OVER ON THE WAY WITH, AND THEN THERE'S FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THINGS SUCH AS, YOU KNOW, LIKE, UH, WITH, WITH TOYOTA THEY'VE GOT SUPPLIER PARKS AND OTHER MANUFACTURERS COMING IN TO SUPPORT THE BUSINESS.
SO, SO FOR US, IT'S A, A THREEFOLD PROCESS REALLY.
WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, THE RECRUITMENT OF PEOPLE, WHICH IS, UH, WHY ADRIAN HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT, UH, WE'RE LOOKING FOR LOCAL SUPPLIERS, UH, OR, YOU KNOW, OTHER COUNTY SUPPLIERS TO SUPPLY PARTS, UH, FOR THE MACHINES.
UH, AND THEN THE THIRD PARTY IS WITH TRAIN OF THOUGHT THERE.
BUT, UM, SO, SO IT IS THE PEOPLE TO PARTS AND THE, UM, AND THE PROCESS EQUIPMENT THAT WE NEED FOR THE, FOR THE FACILITY ITSELF AS WELL, WHICH AGAIN, WE'RE LOOK, WE'LL GET TO PROCURE LOCALLY.
SO WE, WE'VE BEEN, UM, FIRST PERSON TURNED UP IN SAN ANTONIO IN NOVEMBER LAST YEAR.
MYSELF AND ANOTHER TEAM MEMBER FROM FROM THE UK ARRIVED IN FEBRUARY.
WE'VE RECRUITED DATE, UH, ANOTHER EIGHT LOCAL PEOPLE, UH, WITH A VIEW, SMALL NUMBER PEOPLE THIS YEAR, BUT OVER 1500 PEOPLE FOR THE PROJECT OVER THE NEXT, UH, OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
SO, UH, EXCITED PROJECT FOR IN PROJECT JCP WE'RE EXCITED TO BE IN, IN SAN ANTONIO.
THE, UM, UH, WE'VE BEEN MADE VERY WELL WELCOMED BY EVERYBODY THAT WE'VE, WE'VE SEEN AND SOME GREAT TALENTED OPPORTUNITIES, UH, ACROSS THE, ACROSS THE GLOBE.
WE HAVE 22 FACILITIES, THE ONE IN SAN ANTONIO.
WE OUR 23RD, AND WE EMPLOY OVER SEVEN, 17,000 EMPLOYEES
[01:00:01]
ACROSS THE GLOBE.UH, IN TERMS OF THE DIFF DIFFERENT MODELS.
SO, UH, MAINLY CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT, CONSTRUCTION, AND AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT.
UM, SO THERE'S HEAVY LINE EQUIP EQUIPMENT, MID RANGE COMPACT, AND THEN THINGS LIKE JET SETS AND THE ACCESS EQUIP EQUIPMENT THAT WE'RE GONNA MAKE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
UH, AND AGAIN, ON THE STREET, STREET NOW IS THE PICTURE OF THE, OF THE VARIOUS DIFFERENT PROJECT PRODUCTS THAT WE'RE GONNA, THEY'RE GONNA MANUFACTURE HERE.
AND, UH, JUST AS A, A POTENTIAL, UM, I MENTIONED THAT WE MOVING THE MANUFACTURING TO THE RIGHT, THE RIGHT AREA FOR THE MANUFACTURING, THAT'S PROBABLY ABOUT 50% PERCENT OF WHAT WE'VE ALSO STILL GOT THEM REMAINING OUTSIDE.
SO IN TERMS OF GROWTH FOR THE SITE, UH, IF WE GET THIS PROJECT, SOME POTENTIAL FOR, FOR MOVING EVEN MORE PRODUCTS IN INTO THE US.
SO HEADCOUNT IS, IS 1500 PEOPLE.
WE'VE MAPPED THROUGH THE, UH, THROUGH THE PHASES.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THE, UH, THE MAJORITY OF THE STAFF, STAFF COME ON BOARD IN 20 26, 20 27 WHEN WE, UH, OPEN A FACILITY.
WE'VE GOT A SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE HERE NOW IN 2024.
AND, UH, AND WE'LL START THAT RECRUITMENT.
UH, WE'VE GOT THE FIRST PERSON IN THAT WE'VE RECRUITED IN SAN ANTONIO THAT'S GOING BACK TO THE, UH, TO WHERE THE PRODUCT'S BUILT IN THE UK GONNA SPEND SIX MONTHS LOOKING AT THE PRODUCT.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S A STRATEGY THAT WE WE'RE LOOKING AT.
UH, THINK OF USING AGAIN TO USE OUR LOCAL PEOPLE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO AND GET THEM FAMILIAR WITH THE PRODUCT WHERE IT'S BUILT.
TODAY, A GREAT ADVANTAGE IS EVERYTHING THAT WE MAKE IN IS ALREADY BUILT, SO IT BECOMES QUITE AND, UH, EASIER TO TRY ON.
UH, JUST QUICKLY TOUCH ON SOME OF THE DIFFERENT ROLES.
JUST SAY YOUR DAUGHTER IS, IS A, IT'S BEEN A WELDING COURSE WHERE WE'RE LOOKING FOR QUITE A FEW HOURS, SO IF THERE'S A, IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THERE, BUT, UM, THE, THE JOBS WILL BE, UM, I I'D SAY, UM, MEDIUM TO LOW SKILLED JOBS ON ASSEMBLY.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE ARE LOOKING FOR, UM, UM, A NUMBER OF ASSEMBLERS, ABOUT ABOUT 40% OF OUR WORKFORCE OF THE ASSEMBLY RELATED.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING FOR WELDERS, MACHINISTS, PAINTERS, MAINTENANCE PEOPLE, LOGISTICS TEAM LEADERS, THOSE, UH, MIDDLE SENIOR MANAGEMENT ROLES.
UM, SOME SKILL TECHNICIANS, UM, YOU KNOW, AND THEN SOME, SOME OTHER ROLES.
AND THEN CIRCA 180, SORRY, 120, UH, UH, STAFF ROLES THAT IN SUPPORT OF THAT WORKFORCE.
UH, SO BEEN IN SINCE, UH, FEBRUARY INTO SAN ANTONIO.
UM, TEAM HAVE BEEN REALLY GOOD IN, IN SHARING THE LEARNING THEY'VE HAD FROM THE LIKES OF TOYOTA AND TOYOTA TO ANOTHER.
MR IS COMING ON BOARD AND WE'VE MAPPED UP REALLY WHAT ANTONIO NEEDS FROM JCB IN TERMS OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE VARIOUS DIFFERENT, UH, ELEMENTS OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE ARE IN TOUCH WITH BASICALLY RIGHT HAVEN FOR HOPE FOR THE HOMELESS.
HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE GET SOME OF THE HOMELESS HOMELESSNESS NEEDS TO BE INTO THE WORKPLACE? WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, MENT UNEMPLOYMENT, LOOKING AT SECOND CHANCE, UH, HIRING, UH, LOOKING AT VETERANS, UH, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, AND THEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH WHAT A LARGE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS IN TERMS OF GETTING KIDS TRAINED AND, AND IN EDUCATION.
SO OUR NEXT TWO YEARS WILL BE HIGHLY FOCUSED ON THAT.
HOW DO WE, UM, HOW DO WE HELP THAT AND SUPPORT THAT? SO, UM, I THINK THAT'S IT FOR US.
IT'S REALLY EXCITING FOR US TO BE HEARING AND ANTONIO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF JC BASICALLY TO, UM, OUR CHAIRMAN, LORD BAMFORD'S, REALLY PROUD, UH, TO, TO BE WORKING WITH THE, WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UH, AND WE WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO OPENING THE FACTORY.
AND, UH, ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS? YOU'RE THE ENGLISH CATERPILLAR,
LOVE TO, WE'VE RECENTLY TAKEN, SEEN THE PEOPLE OVER TO THE, TO THE, UH, TO THE UK JUST TO LOOK AT THE OPERATION AND WHAT WE DO.
AND AGAIN, THERE'S A WELCOME THERE.
EVERYBODY WANTS TO VISIT JESSE BIT, A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, I'M AVAILABLE FOR THAT TOO.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THANK YOU.
SO, SO BEFORE DAVID LEAVES, I DO WANNA, UH, MENTION, UH, ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT'S ONGOING WITH JCB IS, UH, EVERY CONVERSATION WE'RE HAVING, FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE REPORTER WITH THIS MAY REPORT IS WE'RE INFUSING INTO OTHER CONVERSATIONS LIKE CHILDCARE.
THERE IS A CONVERSATION HERE, THERE IS SOME INTEREST POTENTIALLY HAVING LIKE CHILDCARE.
THE REASON, SIR, I MENTIONED THAT TO YOU ALL IS, UM, THAT'S HOW SORT OF THIS THING KIND OF STARTS TO MAKE SENSE, RIGHT? SO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, CHILDCARE SHOULD BE KIND OF A, A COMPREHENSIVE CONVERSATION.
SO I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION, UH, AND THE OPENNESS FOR NOT A PRODUCING JOB, BUT ALSO ADDRESSING THE CHILDCARE ISSUE.
[9. Next scheduled meeting is scheduled is TBD.]
[01:05:02]
UH, THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE NEXT MEETING WOULD BE TO BE DETERMINED.AND OTHER THAN THAT, WE HAVE NO OTHER BUSINESS.