[1. Call meeting to order]
          [00:00:06]
          9 A.M. I'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT MEETING TO ORDER THIS MORNING, IF YOU PLEASE. RISE. WE'LL HAVE THE TWO PHRASES, AND THEN WE'LL PROCEED. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. HONOR THE TEXAS LIFE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THEE. TEXAS. ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE. WELL, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING. LET ME GET TURNED ON. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING. 
          IT'S KIND OF STRANGE HAVING A FRIDAY MEETING, BUT WE HAVE TO THIS WEEK BECAUSE SOME OF US ARE GOING TO BE GONE MONDAY, WHICH IS A HOLIDAY. I'LL ANNOUNCE THAT IN A MINUTE. IN THE SCHEDULE MEETING WOULD BE ON TUESDAY. SO SOME OF US HAVE TO BE UP IN COLLEGE STATION AT A CONFERENCE. SO WE WOULD HAVE A QUORUM. SO WE'RE SPEEDING IT UP A LITTLE BIT HERE. RUNNING ON A FRIDAY. COMMISSIONERS, OF COURSE, IS OUT OF TOWN AT A CONFERENCE. SO YOU MIGHT NOTE 
          [3. Citizens to be heard]
THAT IN A MINUTES FOR HIM, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO 1.3, WHICH IS OUR CITIZENS TO BE HEARD. FIRST OF ALL, I GOT TWO CARDS THIS MORNING. JORDAN, IF YOU WANT TO START OFF, JORDAN LIGHT, WHO IS OUR CHIEF APPRAISER FOR SAN PATRICIO COUNTY. HOWDY, HOWDY. I'D LIKE TO CONTINUE ON THE SAME THEME THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER IN THE WEEK, CHRONICLE WIND FARM. 
          AND AND I'VE GOT I'VE IDENTIFIED SOME AREAS IN THE ABATEMENT THAT I'LL BE, I'LL BE GETTING WITH MR. DORSEY AND, AND WE'LL BE DISCUSSING. BUT ONE AREA THAT I WANT TO COME AND POINT OUT IS PERTINENT TO THIS LAWSUIT. THEY HAVE GIVEN US THEIR VALUE, WE HAVE USED THEIR VALUE, AND THEY ARE SUING US. THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT IN THIS CASE, AND Y'ALL AS WELL, THROUGH THAT, FOR THE VALUE THAT THEY HAVE GIVEN US. AND 5.01 PARAGRAPH B STATES THAT THEY WILL FURNISH US THE THE DOCUMENTATION TO ESTABLISH THE APPROXIMATE VALUE OF THE SITE AND THE PERSONAL PROPERTY ON THE SITE. THAT'S WHAT WE USE TO VALUE THEIR THEIR PROPERTY FOR THE 2025 YEAR. AND WE'RE BEING SUED ON AND WE'VE USED THAT AND AND THEY'VE CHANGED THEIR MIND. 
          SO I JUST WANT TO IN THE DISCUSSION WITH THEM, THE REQUEST IS THAT Y'ALL, IF ABLE, ENCOURAGE THEM TO NONSUIT AS WE USE THEIR THE VALUES THAT THEY HAVE PROVIDED US. AND I THINK THAT WILL BE AN EXCELLENT WAY TO HELP SAVE THE DISTRICT AND BY EXTENSION, THE TAX ENTITIES SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF FUNDS. I THINK THAT PRETTY WELL WRAPS UP MY MY COMMENTS THIS MORNING. 
          WHAT WHAT ENTITIES ARE WE TALKING ABOUT BEING AFFECTED THE AFFECTED ENTITIES. WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF Y'ALL HAVE AN ABATEMENT AND WE HAVE TWO SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITH A 313 AGREEMENT. AND THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT NO LONGER HAS AN ABATEMENT. Y'ALL'S IS AT 60%. 
          Y'ALL ARE AFFECTED. MATHIS ISD HAS A 313 AGREEMENT, AND THAT'S A VALUE LIMITATION AGREEMENT. 
          IT LIMITS THEIR VALUE AT 20 MILLION ON THE NO SIDE. AND BUT THE PROBLEM IS ON THE INSIDE, APPROXIMATELY 140 I THINK $5 MILLION THERE. AND THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT THEIR BONDS. 
          SKIDMORE-TYNAN IS THE OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICT. THEY ALSO HAVE A VALUE LIMITATION AGREEMENT UNDER CHAPTER THREE, 13, 20 MILLION ON THE SIDE. AND AND I BELIEVE ABOUT 75, JUST SHY OF 75 MILLION ON THE INS SIDE. SKIDMORE-TYNAN. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENT. THANK YOU. 
          OUR SECOND CARD I HAVE IS FROM BILL WILSON, WHO IS PRESIDENT OF THE APPRAISAL. I GUESS THE APPRAISAL BOARD, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL. BILL. YEAH, YOU MOVED UP A STEP, I KNOW THAT. 
          WELL, YOU CAN GIVE ME CONDOLENCES. I'M BILL WILSON, I'M CHAIRMAN OF THE SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT BOARD, AND I WANTED TO INVITE THE COMMISSIONERS COURT TO ATTEND A LEGISLATIVE WORKSHOP THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE HOLDING ON THE 27TH OF THIS MONTH AT THE PORTLAND COMMUNITY CENTER. WE'RE INVITING ALL TAXING ENTITIES TO ATTEND. AND THE IDEA IS THAT WE WANT TO SEE IF WE CAN COLLECTIVELY CRAFT SOME LEGISLATION, AND WE'LL BE HAVING OUR LEGISLATIVE CONTINGENT ATTEND AND AND BE INVITED TO CURB SOME OF THE ABUSES THAT ARE TAKING PLACE WITH LAWSUITS ON PROPERTY TAX AND PARTICULARLY WITH RESPECT 
          [00:05:01]
TO PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENTS. SO WE HAVE SOME WE HAVE SOME OUTSTANDING INDUSTRIES IN OUR COUNTY THAT ARE THAT ARE GOOD CITIZENS, BUT WE ALSO HAVE SOME BAD PLAYERS AND BAD PLAYERS. I MEAN, THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE WHERE THE THE WINDFARM TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THE TAX ABATEMENT AND THEN TURNS AROUND AND SUES TO HAVE THEIR VALUATION LOWERED. THIS CASE, THEY'RE DOING IT WHILE THEY'RE STILL UNDER ABATEMENT, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, QUITE UNUSUAL. BUT THE COST OF THESE LAWSUITS IS ENORMOUS. AND THE COUNTY BETWEEN THE COUNTY'S TAX LEVY AND BOTH YOUR COUNTY TAXES AND YOUR YOUR ROAD AND BRIDGE TAX, YOU PICK UP THE TAB FOR ABOUT 21% OF OUR BUDGET. 
          AND THE LAST WINDFARM LAWSUIT THAT WE HAD TO FIGHT, WE SPENT ALMOST $400,000. AND THAT WAS AND WE NEVER EVEN WENT TO WENT TO COURT. I MEAN, THAT WAS JUST TO GET TO THE COURTHOUSE STEPS. 
          SO BASICALLY, IF WE HAVE TO REPLAY THAT, THE COUNTY WILL BE PICKING UP THE TAB FOR APPROXIMATELY $100,000 WORTH OF THAT, THAT COST. AND IF WE CAN KILL THIS LAWSUIT BEFORE WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS, IT WILL SAVE THE COUNTY AND BY EXTENSION, THE TAXPAYERS A LOT OF MONEY. AND AND WE NEED TO WE NEED TO GET SOME LEGISLATION PASSED WHICH WE ARE NOT AGAINST ABATEMENTS. BUT I HEARD I HEARD SOME INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES AT THE GROUNDWATER DISTRICT HEARING LAST WEEK MAKE THE COMMENT THAT THEY PAID $70 MILLION IN TAXES PER YEAR. AND THAT'S THAT'S ACCURATE. THAT'S TRUE. WHAT THEY DIDN'T SAY WAS SAN PATRICIO COUNTY INDUSTRY AND WIND FARMS COLLECTIVELY OVER SINCE 2012. AND YOU CAN GET THESE YOU CAN GET THESE NUMBERS FROM YOUR ESTEEMED TAX COLLECTOR. THAT'S WHERE I GOT THEM BETWEEN 2012 AND 2020 FOR INDUSTRY AND AND WIND FARMS IN SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY GOT 1 BILLION, $50 MILLION IN TAXES WAIVED. THAT'S TAXES THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE TO PAY. THAT'S EVEN GREATER THAN THE 70 MILLION. THAT'S ACTUALLY 85 MILLION A YEAR OF TAXES THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE TO PAY BECAUSE OF THE ABATEMENTS IN THE THREE THIRTEENS. SO IT'S PARTICULARLY OFFENSIVE WHEN THESE ENTITIES TURN AROUND AND IN, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TAX ABATEMENT SYSTEM AND THEN TURN RIGHT AROUND AND SUE. THEY'RE BASICALLY PUSHING THE TAX BURDEN DOWN TO THE SMALL BUSINESS AND THE RESIDENTIAL OWNER. AND WE WANT TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO PROTECT THE TAX BASE, WHICH IS WHAT THE TEXAS MIRACLES DESIGNED TO DO. SO I HOPE YOU'LL ATTEND. WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO BE PROACTIVE AND TRY TO DO SOME THINGS WITH THE LEGISLATURE, LEGISLATIVE CONTINGENT AND SEE IF WE CAN'T PROTECT OUR COUNTY'S TAX BASE. THANK YOU. 130 TO 430 IN THE AFTERNOON AND YOU'LL GET A YOU WILL GET AN OFFICIAL INVITATION. OKAY. AND FOR THOSE FOR THOSE TAXING ENTITIES THAT MIGHT HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT, WE WILL GIVE WE WILL GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO CALL THE MEETING AND AND COMPLY WITH YOUR PERFUNCTORY IS THERE. THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. ANY OTHER CITIZENS TO BE HEARD? I HAVE NO OTHER CARDS. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING IN, 
          [4. Report from Judge, Commissioner or Department concerning an item/report of community interest.]
JORDAN. BILL. THANK YOU. SO HEARING NO OTHER CITIZENS, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO OUR REPORTS. COMMISSIONER YARDLEY. MORNING, JUDGE. THANK YOU. MORNING, EVERYBODY. 
          WEDNESDAY, AS A MEMBER OF THE SOUTH TEXAS MILITARY TASK FORCE, I ATTENDED OUR MOST RECENT MEETING. AND THERE'S ACTUALLY SOME KIND OF DISTURBING NEWS THAT WE'VE BEEN TRACKING THERE FOR A WHILE NOW. SO THE CORPUS CHRISTI ARMY DEPOT BACK IN 2011, THEY EMPLOYED ALMOST 6000 PEOPLE. BY 2015, THAT NUMBER DROPPED BELOW 5000. BY 2021, JUST A LITTLE OVER 3000. THEIR PROJECTED EMPLOYMENT FOR 2026 IS 1000 EMPLOYEES. THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN MANPOWER OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. THAT WILL NOT ONLY IMPACT OUR ENTIRE REGION, THAT WILL IMPACT OUR COUNTY HERE AS WELL. I KNOW WE HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE THAT WORK ON THE BASE AND SPECIFICALLY AT KCAD. THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS KIND OF DRIVING THIS, ONE OF WHICH IS THE ARMY IS USING LESS HELICOPTERS, AND THAT TREND IS PROBABLY GOING TO CONTINUE AS THEY MOVE TO MORE DRONES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT THE REAL THING THAT'S DRIVING THAT IS A LOT OF THE WORK THAT USED TO COME TO THE DEPOT IS NOW BEING SENT OUT TO PRIVATE COMPANIES, CONTRACTORS TO DO THAT WORK, AND THERE'S ACTUALLY FEDERAL LAWS THAT PROHIBIT THAT, BUT NONETHELESS, IT'S STILL OCCURRING. SO THE SOUTH TEXAS MILITARY TASK FORCE, WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN DC. ADVOCATING FOR OUR BASE. SO THE WAY I KIND OF LOOK AT THIS, THIS ISN'T A BRAC. THIS ISN'T A BASE REALIGNMENT AND CLOSURE ACT, BUT THIS IS A DEATH BY A 
          [00:10:03]
THOUSAND CUTS. THAT'S WHAT THIS IS. SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR OUR MILITARY BASES HERE. IT I JUST I JUST SEE THIS AS A VERY DANGEROUS TREND. AND IT'S GOING TO BE VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN THIS AROUND. BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE AWARE OF. ON A LIGHTER NOTE, AS A JUDGE MENTIONED, NEXT WEEK WE HAVE THE VG YOUNG SCHOOL FOR COMMISSIONERS COURT, AND I BELIEVE MOST OF THE COURT WILL BE THERE. AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO A VERY USEFUL, ENLIGHTENING CONFERENCE. AGAIN, THAT'S ALL I GOT, JUDGE. THAT'S ONE OF THE BEST CONFERENCES THAT WE HEAR. COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ YES, WE GOT A TREE TRIMMING RIGHT AWAY. CLEARANCE UP THERE IN THE OLD SANDPIT AREA OFF COUNTY ROAD 1664 AND COUNTY ROAD 1718. WE'RE OPENING UP THE THE EDGES AND STUFF SO TRAFFIC CAN SEE. SO WE JUST GOT AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN, SOME OF THESE AREAS. SO WE'RE CUTTING ALL THAT BRUSH AREA OUT. WE GOT THE GRAPPLE TRUCK RUNNING IN THAT AREA ALSO. AND 1568 AND THE AREA WE GOT MOWERS GOING ON COUNTY ROAD 1568, COUNTY ROAD 1876 AND THE ODOM. WE'RE ALSO STILL HELPING PRECINCT FOUR WITH SOME MOWING. 
          ALSO, HE WAS HELPING ME WITH HIS WATER TRUCK IN THE COUNTY ROAD 502. HE SUPPLIED A MAN AND TRUCK OUT THERE. WE REALLY APPRECIATED THAT. WE HAD A PUMP THAT WAS DOWN. WE GOT CULVERT INSTALLATION ON COUNTY ROAD 2567, SITTING AREA CULVERT REPAIR ON COUNTY ROAD 798, IN THE SAINT PAUL AREA. WE'RE DOING THE SEALCOATING FINALLY GOT THE BRIDGE FINISHED ON COUNTY ROAD 1694. ALL THE CONCRETE WORK, ALL THE PAVEMENT, ALL THAT IS COMPLETELY. WE'RE WAITING FOR THE PINSTRIPING COMPANY TO COME IN NEXT WEEK AND PINSTRIPING AND WE'LL OPEN THAT UP. SO THAT WAS A BIG, BIG JOB THAT WE DID ON THE WE'RE GETTING THAT OPEN. WE'RE ALSO PROCESSING THE ROAD AND COUNTY ROAD 502, COUNTY ROAD 1470. AND WE'RE PROCESSING THAT ROAD. AND WE MOVED ON COUNTY ROAD 798 TO ANOTHER MILE AND A HALF OF ROAD PROCESSING CLOSER TO THE HORSESHOE. SO WE'VE STARTED ANOTHER MILE AND A HALF THERE. COUNTY ROAD 1674, IN THE OLDHAM AREA AND COUNTY ROAD 305, HIDDEN ACRES. WE DID A LOT OF PATCH WORKING OUT THERE ALSO ON FREEMAN STREET. WE WE DID SOME DIRT PATCH WORK OUT THERE. WE BLADED ROAD CLEANUP ON COUNTY ROAD 2367 IN OLDHAM, AND I SENT THREE GUYS TO THE PESTICIDE CERTIFICATION IN A&M. THE SOUTH PADRE ISLAND GOT THOSE GUYS DONE THIS WEEK. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NOTHING TO REPORT, YOUR HONOR. OKAY. DEPARTMENTS. ANY DEPARTMENT HEADS? STEPHEN. OKAY. WE'LL LET. I WAS GOING TO GET TO YOU, DOCTOR, I APPRECIATE IT. GOOD MORNING. JUDGE. COMMISSIONERS. I'M DOCTOR JAMES MOBLEY, HEALTH AUTHORITY FOR SAN PATRICIO COUNTY AND WHICH FOR 35 YEARS. 
          SO THAT'S PRETTY EXCITING. I'VE JUST GOT A LITTLE NOTE ABOUT THAT. AND THE JUDGE ASKED ME TO LOOK INTO TWO THINGS TODAY THAT I WANT TO UPDATE YOU ON. ONE IS CANCER AND THE OTHER IS IS THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. ARSENIC. WE'LL GET TO IT. CANCER TO START WITH. SO THIS IS NOT NEW. NEW SLIDE. NEXT SLIDE I WAS A BRAND NEW HEALTH AUTHORITY IN 1991. JUST GOT BACK FROM DESERT STORM. HOUSTON CHRONICLE CALLED ME AND SAID, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT ON WHY YOU HAVE ONE OF THE HIGHEST CANCER DEATH RATES IN THE STATE? AND I SAID, I DON'T KNOW. AND I LOOKED INTO IT. AT THE END OF THAT TIME, I STILL DIDN'T KNOW THEY PUBLISHED THING CALLED CANCER COAST AND ESSENTIALLY BLAMED IT ON PETROCHEMICAL REFINERIES THROUGHOUT THE GULF COAST. CALLER TIMES LOOKED INTO IT AT 2008. I. I'VE DONE A NUMBER OF UPDATES OVER THE YEARS. THERE'S A TENDENCY WHEN PEOPLE SEE MULTIPLE CASES OF CANCER, THEY THINK SOMETHING IS GOING ON. SO I TOOK A NEW LOOK AND HERE WE GO. NEXT SLIDE. SO THIS IS A MAP OF TEXAS. AND BASICALLY THE DARKER THE COLOR THE HIGHER THE CANCER RATE. AND I PULLED OUT SAN PATRICIO COUNTY. YOU'LL SEE THAT WE'RE KIND OF A ORANGEY THERE. AND IF YOU LOOK OUR CANCER RATE NOW THIS IS PER 100,000 POPULATION 446 CASES PER 100,000 POPULATION. BUT IF YOU LOOK, WE'RE AT 44.44 46.8. AND IF YOU LOOK UP ON THE THING THERE FOR 46.8 IS THE VERY BOTTOM OF THAT THIRD TIER, IF WE HAD ONE LESS CASE, WE'D BE A LIGHTER COLOR. SO WE'RE LITERALLY RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE ON THIS NEXT SLIDE. SO WHAT DO WE REALLY HAVE HERE. WE'VE HAD FOR AND THIS IS OUR LATEST DATA. THEY HAVEN'T PUT UP 2023. THEY KEEP PROMISING BUT THEY DON'T HAVE IT UP YET. 
          SO FOR THIS FIVE YEARS WE HAD 1700 CASES. AND AGAIN OUR RATE WAS 446.8. TEXAS TO COMPARE AGAIN PER 100,000 POPULATION IS 430. SO WE ARE SLIGHTLY OVER THE TEXAS AVERAGE. NEXT SLIDE. 
          [00:15:02]
SO HOW ARE WE DOING WITH OUR NEIGHBORS. WELL ABOUT IN THE MIDDLE AGAIN NUECES ALWAYS IS LOWER. THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, MUCH MORE ACCESS TO CARE THAN THAN ANY OF THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES. ARANSAS IS THE HIGHEST AND WE'RE JUST SLIGHTLY MORE THAN THE STATE. SO AGAIN, WE'RE SORT OF IN THE MIDDLE. NEXT SLIDE. SO THROUGH THE YEARS WE'RE NOT VARYING MUCH. 
          WE'RE A SMALL ENOUGH COUNTY THAT A COUPLE OF CASES WILL WILL JUMP THAT BAR ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. SO WE'RE WE'RE STAYING STEADY. BUT THERE'S SOME INTERESTING STUFF. NEXT SLIDE. WHERE DO WE GET CANCER. AND THIS IS THE NUMBER OF CASES WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT DEATHS IN A MINUTE. NUMBER OF CASES. PROSTATE AND BREAST ARE BY FAR THE MOST COMMON. BUT THERE'S A PRETTY GOOD AMOUNT OF LUNG. THAT'S ONE THAT THAT'S DEADLY. SO THAT ACTUALLY CONCERNS ME. AND YOU CAN SEE THE LIST THERE. NEXT SLIDE. SO LET'S LOOK AT MORTALITY. NOW THIS IS PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED OF CANCER. SO IF YOU GOT A BASAL CELL CARCINOMA ON YOUR FACE THIS YOU KNOW IT'S NOT THERE. THESE ARE THE FOLKS THAT DIED OF IT. AND AGAIN PER 100,000 DURING THAT FIVE YEAR PERIOD, WE LOST 172 OF OUR CITIZENS. AND YOU CAN SEE ONCE AGAIN, WE'RE IN SORT OF THE UPPER THIRD, THIRD QUARTILE. NEXT SLIDE. AND AGAIN, TO COMPARE, WE'VE SORT OF MOVED OVER ARANJUEZ STILL HAS A LOT MORE CANCER THAN ANY OF THE REST OF US, BUT MOST OF US ARE STILL HIGHER THAN THE STATE AVERAGE. AND FRANKLY, I DON'T KNOW WHY. 
          NEXT SLIDE. SO TAKE A LOOK AT HERE THOUGH. WHAT DO PEOPLE DIE OF LUNG CANCER? WHEN I DID MY FIRST EVALUATION BACK IN 1990, LUNG CANCER DEATHS ACTUALLY EXCEEDED CARDIAC DEATHS. AND THAT'S VERY, VERY RARE. NORMALLY, HEART ATTACKS FAR EXCEED ANYTHING ELSE. AND WE WERE HAVING HIGHER LEVELS OF LUNG CANCER DEATHS. SO I LOOKED INTO THAT. AND ONE OF THE THINGS I YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE RELATE THIS TO SMOKING. SO ONE OF THE THINGS I DID WAS CHECK TO SEE DO WE SMOKE MORE THAN OUR NEIGHBORS? AND I LOOKED AT OUR TAX REVENUES FROM, FROM TOBACCO. AND WE'RE ABOUT AVERAGE WITH WE SMOKE ABOUT AS MUCH AS EVERYBODY ELSE. SO UNLESS WE'RE RUNNING UP TO ONE OF THE PLACES AND BUYING OUR CIGARETTES, THAT DOESN'T GET TAXED. WE'RE ABOUT AVERAGE. AND SO WE AGAIN, I LOOKED AS BEST I COULD. IT'S HARD TO GET LOCATION DATA. I ASKED FOR IT THIS TIME BY ZIP CODE. AND THAT'S STILL IN A COUNTY THAT'S SMALL TO, YOU KNOW, TO IDENTIFYING. SO I CAN ONLY GET WHOLE COUNTY DATA. SO I CAN'T SEE, YOU KNOW, IS IT ALL OCCURRING IN ONE LOCATION? BUT AS BEST I CAN TELL, IT IS NOT FOR ANY OF THESE CANCERS. NEXT SLIDE. SO CANCER DEATHS ONCE AGAIN THROUGH THE YEARS 1 OR 2 WILL CHANGE THIS. BUT IT'S BEEN PRETTY MUCH STEADY OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS. BUT IF YOU LOOK ON THE LEFT BACK IN 1990 AND I DON'T HAVE COMBINED DATA, BUT IT WAS 284, REMEMBER, RIGHT NOW WE'RE AVERAGING 170, IT WAS 284 DEATHS FOR MALES AND 192 FOR FEMALES. AND IN 2002, OUR DEATH RATE WAS 369 AND FOR FEMALES 204. SO WE ARE MARKEDLY BETTER THAN WE WERE 15 YEARS AGO. I HAVE NO EXPLANATION FOR THAT. BY THE WAY, I'D LIKE TO TELL YOU IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE ALL DOING SUCH A GREAT JOB, BUT I REALLY HAVE NO DATA TO SUPPORT THAT. BUT I'M SURE HAPPY TO TELL YOU THAT OUR THAT OUR MORTALITY RATE HAS CERTAINLY DROPPED IN THE LAST 15 YEARS. 
          NEXT SLIDE. WHAT I DO THINK IS, IS DEFINITELY RELATED TO THIS AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES IS FRANKLY, LACK OF ACCESS TO PRIMARY CARE. WE'VE LOOKED INTO THIS FOR BIRTH DEFECTS. I'VE LOOKED INTO THIS FOR PEDIATRIC ASTHMA ADMISSIONS. AND IT APPEARS THAT IF YOU DON'T HAVE A LOCAL DOCTOR OR A LOCAL HOSPITAL, YOU JUST WAIT UNTIL IT'S WORTH TAKING THE TRIP ACROSS THE BRIDGE AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. AND THAT SEEMS TO BE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S INVOLVED. SO IF YOU LOOK HERE, WHAT ARE WHAT IS OUR RATIO OF DOCTORS TO POPULATION 5000 TO 1? COMPARE THAT TO TEXAS 1640 OR UNITED STATES 1310. SO WE'RE BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, HAVE A DOCTOR SHORTAGE. SAME THING WITH MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS. AND OF COURSE, I HAVE FAILED TO MAKE AN ADEQUATE CASE FOR WHY WE NEED A HOSPITAL. SO WE STILL HAVE ZERO HOSPITALS IN THE COUNTY. AND THAT IS A PLAYER IN BOTH THE MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY OF PRETTY MUCH ALL CONDITIONS. QUICK THING. BACK IN 1989, I WAS IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM ON NEW YEAR'S EVE AND GOT A GOT A CALL THAT A WE HAD A GUNSHOT WOUND TO THE HEAD COMING IN. IT WAS A 16 YEAR OLD GIRL. SHE WAS EIGHT MONTHS PREGNANT. BOYFRIEND PUT A 22 REVOLVER RIGHT THERE. PULLED THE TRIGGER. I FIGURED THIS IS GOING TO BE EASY. SHE'S NOT EVEN GOING TO MAKE IT HERE. 
          WELL, IT TURNS OUT THAT THAT THE BULLET LODGED ON THE ORBIT. WE. I GOT HER INTO THE HOSPITAL. 
          [00:20:05]
WE GOT THE BABY DELIVERED AND TRIED TO GET THE BULLET OUT, BUT THERE WAS TOO MUCH BLEEDING. 
          BUT WE WERE ABLE TO DELIVER. EMORY. HE IS GODLY. WHAT WOULD THAT BE? I GUESS HE'S IN HIS 40S NOW. IF THERE WAS NO HOSPITAL IN SAN PATRICIO COUNTY, MOM AND BABY WOULD BE DEAD. 
          THAT'S WHY HOSPITALS ARE HERE. IMPORTANT. EVEN THOUGH THEY SAY, OH YEAH, I CAN JUST GO OVER THERE. IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE A HOSPITAL HERE. NEXT SLIDE. SO MY ASSESSMENT THERE'S NO EVIDENCE OF A TOXIC SITE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT THAT'S CAUSING PROBLEMS IN SAN PATRICIO COUNTY. I'VE GOTTEN AERIAL PHOTOS FROM THE 50S. I MEAN, I'VE LOOKED EVERY WAY I CAN, ALTHOUGH IF ANYBODY HAS A SPECIFIC CONCERN, I WILL SEND THAT TO THE TEXAS CANCER DATA CENTER AND ASK THEM TO TO LOOK UP AND TELL ME IF THERE SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE. SO IF YOU GET A CALL AND SAY I'M WORRIED ABOUT A SPECIFIC EITHER TYPE OR LOCATION, I CAN ASK THEM TO LOOK AT IT FOR ME AND WE CAN GET YOU AN ANSWER. WE'VE GOTTEN BETTER. I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT I'LL I'LL TAKE IT AND WE'LL KEEP MONITORING THAT AGAIN. WE HAVE A SHORTAGE OF PRIMARY CARE AND ANY DOCTORS, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A HOSPITAL, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY SPECIALISTS. SO. SO WE JUST HAVE A DOCTOR SHORTAGE. AND AGAIN, I'VE NOT DONE AN ADEQUATE JOB OF OF INFORMING THE POPULATION ABOUT WHY WE NEED A HOSPITAL IN THIS COUNTY. SUBJECT TO YOUR QUESTIONS. THAT CONCLUDES MY CANCER DATA. ANY QUESTIONS? MORE THAN YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW. I JUST HAVE ONE, I GUESS. YES, SIR. I'VE BEEN HEARING FROM A FEW PEOPLE THAT WHEN SOMEONE DIES IN THE HOSPITAL FROM CANCER, THAT THE DOCTORS OR PHYSICIANS OR THE HOSPITAL DON'T LIKE PUTTING THE CAUSE OF DEATH AS CANCER ON THE DEATH CERTIFICATE IS WHAT IS THE LEGAL, THE FEATURE THAT YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW, IF THAT'S WHAT THE ACTUAL CAUSE OF DEATH WAS? WELL, IT'S A CHAIN. WHEN WE WHEN WE FILL OUT A DEATH CERTIFICATE, WE HAVE AN IMMEDIATE CAUSE OF DEATH DUE TO X DUE TO X, FOR INSTANCE, HEART ATTACK. AND DID SMOKING CAUSE THAT WAS THEIR PREVIOUS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE. SO YOU ACTUALLY PUT A CHAIN OF CAUSES IN THERE. SO IT COULD BE THAT, FOR INSTANCE, A PERSON HAD METASTASIS TO THE BRAIN THAT WOULD BE A STROKE SECONDARY TO THE CANCER. SO BUT WE ARE LEGALLY REQUIRED TO PUT THAT IN THERE. AND ANYBODY THAT'S NOT DOING THAT RISK THEIR LICENSE IN A WHOLE LOT MORE. NOW THE THE WILD CARD IN THAT IS CARDIOVASCULAR DEATHS. BECAUSE ANYTIME WE HAVE A PERSON AND WE HAVE NO IDEA WHY THEY DIED, WE KNOW THEIR HEART STOPPED. AND SO WE SIMPLY PUT, YOU KNOW, CARDIAC ARREST. AND THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION SAYS GOT ANOTHER. AND WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY. BECAUSE WE DON'T DO AUTOPSIES ANYMORE. WHY THEY DID DIE. SO OUR OUR CARDIOVASCULAR NUMBERS ARE REALLY SKEWED. HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH. BUT THEY ARE FOR THAT REASON. BUT WE ARE LEGALLY REQUIRED TO PUT THAT IN. 
          AND I'M CAN'T THINK OF ANY REASON WHY WE WOULDN'T. WE GET WE GET IN TROUBLE. DID SMOKING CONTRIBUTE TO IT. AND WHEN WHEN FAMILIES SEE THAT, THEY USUALLY GIVE ME A CALL AND GO, HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT HE QUIT SMOKING, YOU KNOW, FIVE MINUTES BEFORE HE QUIT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          AND SO WE HAVE TO BE A LITTLE CAREFUL IN HOW WE WORD THESE THINGS. BUT I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY PROBLEM WITH CANCER IN PARTICULAR. I WAS JUST WONDERING HOW, WHEN THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT, HOW THAT FIGURED INTO YOUR NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU'RE USING. YEAH, WE'RE WE'RE REQUIRED AND TEXAS CANCER DATA CENTER, YOU KNOW, PULLS IT THROUGH THE WHOLE STATE. AND THEY THEY HAVE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS, NOT JUST DEATHS BUT ALSO DIAGNOSES. 
          SO SO AND THAT'S A YOU KNOW, THAT'S A BIG ENOUGH POPULATION IN THE STATE THAT AT LEAST OVERALL IT'S PRETTY ACCURATE. WHEN YOU GET TO A LITTLE PLACE LIKE THIS. AND WHEN I LOOKED AT SOME OF THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES, THEY JUST EXIT IT OUT BECAUSE IF THEY HAVE LESS THAN TEN CASES, IT'S JUST THEY CAN'T STATISTICALLY USE IT. SO YOU JUST SEE AN NA THERE OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. NEXT DOCTOR CAME IN AND VISITED ME HIS WEEKLY VISIT ON THURSDAY. OR I KNOW IT WAS TUESDAY THIS WEEK BECAUSE WE'RE HERE LIKE FRIDAY. FRIDAY I CAN'T REMEMBER. BUT I DID ASK HIM BECAUSE THIS HAS COME UP IN A LOT OF THE WATER DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING NOW WITH THE EVANGELINE CITY OF CORPUS AND OUR WELL USERS HERE IN THE COUNTY, ABOUT THE ARSENIC LEVELS THAT CAN BE CREATED INTO THESE WATER WELLS FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE DRINKING AND STUFF, AND HOW THAT'S GOING TO BE AFFECTING US DOWN THE ROAD, BECAUSE EVENTUALLY CORPUS IS GOING TO GET THEIR RIGHT TO HAVE WATER OVER HERE. AND THEN WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN TELL THESE, WELL, USERS HOW THEY NEED TO BE SECURE IN THEIR WATER, THAT THEY WILL BE DRAWN OUT OF THERE. SO I ASKED HIM TO GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ON THAT, AND I THINK HE'S GOT US A PROGRAM HERE MORE THAN YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT ARSENIC. NEXT 
          [00:25:01]
SLIDE. SO YEAH. AND ROBSTOWN, WE'VE HAD WHAT WE CALL AN EXCEEDANCE. THEY HAD A HIGH LEVEL OF BASICALLY TEN PARTS PER BILLION IS THE FEDERAL LIMIT. AND THEY HAD 13. AND FROM THE LITTLE I KNOW IT LOOKS LIKE AN ISOLATED THING, BUT IT DOES BRING UP THE QUESTION OF WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND US. NEXT SLIDE. SO WHAT WHY DO WE CARE ABOUT ARSENIC. NUMBER ONE. YOU CAN YOU CAN SEE A PICTURE OF LOOKS LIKE THEY JUST BEEN, YOU KNOW WORKING ON THE CAR. BUT THAT'S ACTUALLY ARSENIC STAINS ON THE HAND. YOU CAN GET SKIN CANCER AND DISCOLORATION. ALSO STROKE AND HEART ATTACK RISKS LUNG CANCER NEUROLOGICAL AND NEUROPATHY WITH HEAVY METALS IS VERY COMMON. AND ALSO FOR IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN THAT ARE EXPOSED, IT CAN AFFECT THEIR DEVELOPMENT AND ALSO COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE. SO SO ARSENIC IS A REAL THING. NOT AS MUCH AS LETTER THOSE BUT IT'S IT'S LEGITIMATE. IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME. WE USED TO PUT IT IN ALL KIND OF THINGS AND HAD PEOPLE DRINK IT BECAUSE IT BASICALLY PINCH THE SKIN UP AND THEY THINK THEY'RE HEALTHIER. I DON'T THINK WE DO THAT MUCH ANYMORE, THOUGH. WHERE DO YOU GET ARSENIC? IT'S AROUND HERE. IT'S EVERYWHERE. SO. AND IT'S NOT ANYBODY DOING ANYTHING WRONG. YOU GET IT FROM, AS YOU CAN SEE, EROSION OF ROCKS. ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS THIS REALLY SURPRISED ME IN DURING THE DROUGHT, THE SOIL WILL OXIDIZE. AND WHEN WE FINALLY, IF IT EVER DOES, A DROUGHT ENDS AND THE WATER COMES BACK UP, THEN THE ARSENIC WILL LEACH OUT OF THESE OXIDATIVE OXIDATIVE SOIL. SO WE'VE GOT A LITTLE ARSENIC TIME BOMBS IN THERE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MONITOR VERY CAREFULLY. IF IT EVER RAINS AGAIN, WE'LL SEE. 
          FOREST FIRES CAN RELEASE ARSENIC. AND IT'S ALSO USED, AS YOU CAN SEE, PAINTS, DRUGS, MY BUSINESS DYES AND SOAPS. IT'S PRETTY MUCH EVERYWHERE. NEXT SLIDE. SO IN 1996 THEY PASSED THE SUPPLEMENT TO THE SAFE WATER DRINKING ACT AND SAID EPA PROPOSE A LEVEL. AND SO IN 2000, THEY PROPOSED FIVE PARTS PER BILLION. THEY SENT IT OUT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, AS THEY DO. AND IN 2002, LOOKING AT EVERYTHING, THEY SET THE LEVEL AT TEN PARTS PER BILLION. AND THEIR DESCRIPTION WAS THIS BALANCES THE COST WITH THE BENEFIT. THERE'S SOME PEOPLE, YOU KNOW THAT SAY, NO ARSENIC, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND. BUT THE COST OF THAT WOULD JUST BE UNBELIEVABLE. NEXT SLIDE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY OBVIOUSLY FOLLOWS THE FEDS. SO ONCE AGAIN TEN PARTS PER BILLION. ANY ANY TIME THEY HAVE AN EXCEEDANCE THEN THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE USERS WITH TREATMENT OPTIONS. AND YOU CAN SEE THE OPTIONS THERE. 
          HAPPILY WE DON'T NEED THAT NEXT SLIDE. SO THERE'S AN ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP. 
          NOW THAT'S A IT'S A PRIVATE THING. AND THEY'RE I YOU'LL SEE I HAVE A QUESTION MARK BEHIND INDEPENDENT BECAUSE THEY RECEIVE A LOT OF FUNDS FROM WATER PURIFICATION COMPANIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO THEY'RE THEY'RE INDEPENDENT. YES. BUT THEY, THEY RECEIVE A LOT OF FUNDS AND THEY DON'T CARE WHAT IT COSTS OR ANYTHING. THEY, THEY SIMPLY LOOK AT THE ZERO RISK. AND BASICALLY IN THIS CASE, A 1 IN 1,000,000 CANCER RISK. IT IS NOT A LEGAL LIMIT. BUT THEY RECOMMEND REMEMBER TEN IS THE FEDERAL LIMIT, 0.004 PARTS PER BILLION, OR ROUGHLY 100,000 TIMES, I THINK, LOWER THAN WHAT THE FEDERAL STATUTE IS. SOME PEOPLE WILL BRING THIS UP TO YOU AND SAY, SEE HOW AWFUL WE ARE? IT'S NOT A IT'S NOT ANYTHING YOU CAN REACH. NEXT SLIDE. SO WE HAVE 14 WATER PROVIDERS IN THE COUNTY AND THE TWO BIG ONES THE WHOLESALE ARE SAN PATRICIO AND CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI WATER. AND THEIR MOST RECENT ARSENIC LEVELS AGAIN TENDS TENDS TO LIMIT 3.6 AND 2.7. INTERESTINGLY THOUGH, LOOK AT THE STATE AND NATIONAL AVERAGE. WE HAVE A LOT OF ARSENIC HERE THROUGHOUT THE STATE, LESS THAN ONE THROUGHOUT THE NATION, LESS THAN ONE. SO WE ARE MORE EXPOSED TO ARSENIC HERE EVEN THOUGH WE'RE WITHIN THE FEDERAL LIMIT. NEXT SLIDE. SO REGULAR WATER SYSTEMS, THESE ARE ONES THAT USE THE SAN PATRICIO MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT. AND AGAIN THEY'RE THE 3.6. I TALKED TO SOME OF THESE FOLKS AND THEY SAID, YEAH, WE WE DON'T TEST. WE JUST USE THE SAN PATRICIO NUMBERS BECAUSE WE'RE JUST PASSING THE WATER ALONG. NEXT SLIDE. THESE ARE INDEPENDENT WATER SYSTEMS. AND ONCE AGAIN YOU CAN SEE MATHIS, WHICH GETS DIRECT FROM LAKE CORPUS CHRISTI FOR SINTON, WHICH USES THE AQUIFER. THAT'S OBVIOUSLY IN QUESTION RIGHT NOW. 3.1 RINCON LESS THAN ONE, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, SEABOARD 2.7 AND SAINT PAUL AT 6.4. SO ALL ARE WELL 
          [00:30:03]
WITHIN THE FEDERAL FEDERAL LIMITS. NEXT SLIDE. SO JUST TO SHOW YOU HERE THE COMPARISON OF ALL OUR WATER SYSTEMS. AND AGAIN, WHERE DID ROBSTOWN COME IN ON THIS. AND YOU CAN SEE THE LITTLE GREEN LINE DOWN THERE IS IS THIS UNREACHABLE LIMIT THE FEASIBLE LIMIT. WHAT CAN WE REASONABLY TECHNOLOGY TODAY GET TO IS THREE. AGAIN NOT COUNTING THE COST THOUGH. BUT THAT'S THE LOWEST WE COULD REASONABLY GET. WHEN YOU SEE NUMBERS LOWER THAN THAT, THAT'S BECAUSE IT'S JUST NATURALLY LOWER. NOT BECAUSE THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, USING SOME KIND OF TECHNOLOGY. NEXT SLIDE. 
          THE CONCERN THAT I HAVE IS THE PRIVATE WELLS. WE MONITOR PUBLIC. YOU KNOW, BY THE WAY WHEN YOU HEAR PEOPLE SAY, OH I DRINK BOTTLED WATER BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WATER COMING OUT OF THE TAP IS, YOU KNOW, NO GOOD OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. BY FAR. PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS HAVE THE PUREST AND BEST WATER PERIOD, HANDS DOWN. NOT NOT THE BOTTLED WATER OR ANYTHING ELSE. SO IF YOU WANT HEALTHY WATER, TURN ON THE TAP. THAT'S JUST I GUARANTEE YOU, THAT IS THE BEST WATER WE'VE GOT. BUT FOR PRIVATE WELLS, AGAIN, WE DON'T KNOW. THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED TO TEST. AND IT DEPENDS ON WHERE THEY ARE. AND THINGS ARE CHANGING ALL THE TIME. AND ESPECIALLY COMING UP WITH THE EVANGELINE PROJECT, I TRIED TO TALK TO SOME FOLKS AND THEY SAID, WE JUST DON'T KNOW. YOU KNOW, IT COULD GO UP. IT COULD GO DOWN. DEPENDS ON WHERE THE WELLS ARE AND HOW DEEP THEY ARE AND JUST ALL KIND OF THINGS. BUT IT COULD AFFECT OUR, OUR PRIVATE WELLS. AND SO I'M ASKING GABE IF HE EVER TALKS TO ANYBODY BECAUSE WE DON'T REGULATE THIS. SO WE DON'T GO OUT AND SEE THEM. BUT WE DO RECOMMEND THAT THAT THEY GET THEIR WATER TESTED. AND ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE, YOU KNOW, DURING A TIME OF DROUGHT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEY MAY WANT TO DO THAT LIKE YEARLY. AND SOMETHING LIKE GABE TELLS ME, IT'S $25 TO $50 TO GET YOUR WATER TESTED. SO IT'S NOT BAD. I THINK CORPUS CHRISTI DOES THAT TESTING. IF I REMEMBER THE LAST TIME I HEARD. AND SO THIS IS MY CONCERN BECAUSE THERE IS, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE A HIGH LEVEL OF OF GROUNDWATER IN ALL OF, EXCUSE ME, OF ARSENIC IN ALL THE COUNTIES AROUND US. AND THE ONLY WAY YOU KNOW IS TO GET IT TESTED. NEXT SLIDE. I THINK I HAVE A MAP OF OH, MORE THAN THAT, THESE ARE I GOT THIS OFF THE INTERNET. AND THEN GABE CORRECTED ME, APPARENTLY FOR A FULL PANEL INSTEAD OF $250, IT'S LIKE 50. SO THAT'S A BARGAIN. NEXT SLIDE. USE THE CERTIFIED LABORATORY RETEST AFTER DROUGHT. WELL, IT'S NOT AFTER DROUGHT YET, BUT AS THIS IS ONGOING, YOU MAY AGAIN, THE ARSENIC MAY GET CONCENTRATED. 
          AND AS THE DROUGHT ENDS WE MAY GET A SURGE OF ARSENIC AGAIN. SO IT'LL BE IMPORTANT FOR FOLKS TO TO WATCH THIS AND NOT AND NOT JUST ARSENIC. THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT IT COULD BE THERE. NEXT SLIDE. AND THE WILD CARD EVANGELINE GROUNDWATER PROJECT. WE DON'T KNOW. IT MIGHT IT MIGHT DO NOTHING. MIGHT GET BETTER MIGHT GET WORSE. THAT'S WHY YOU GUYS GET THE BIG BUCKS. I JUST SIT HERE AND GO AND SUBJECT TO YOUR QUESTIONS. THAT CONCLUDES MY BRIEFING. ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS ON THIS PRESENTATION. GOOD. JUDGE, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY ONE THING. SO I HAVE TO BE AT A MEETING LAST NIGHT WHERE THE CITY MANAGER AND MAYOR FROM PORTLAND WERE THERE, AND SO IS BRIAN WILLIAMS FROM SAN PATRICIO MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT. AND THIS TOPIC ACTUALLY CAME UP BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN SOME FALSE INFORMATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA. ONCE ROBSTOWN HAD THEIR ISSUE. THERE'S ALL THESE CLAIMS THAT OTHER CITIES, INCLUDING PORTLAND, ARE OUT OF STANDARDS, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY NOT THE CASE. 
          BRIAN WILLIAMS ASSURED ME LAST NIGHT THAT NO, EVERYTHING IS WITHIN STANDARDS. SO AGAIN, I WOULD SUGGEST NOT RELYING ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR PEOPLE TO GET ACCURATE INFORMATION, BECAUSE QUITE OFTEN WHAT IS OUT THERE IS NOT TRUE. ABSOLUTELY. GIVE US A CALL. WE'LL BE HAPPY TO COME HERE AND PUT YOU TO SLEEP ANYTIME YOU WANT. WELL THANK YOU DOCTOR. THANK YOU SIR. DO GREAT PRESENTATIONS. THANK YOU. OKAY STEVEN, I THINK YOU WERE HITTING UP GABE. I'LL LET YOU GO NOW. YOU GOOD? OKAY. GOOD. APPRECIATE IT. MORNING, JUDGE. COMMISSIONERS. ME, PRISCILLA ARE HERE TO SHARE SOME INFORMATION ON THE COUNTY'S WEBSITE ADA COMPLIANCE. SO I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND PASS IT ON TO HER. OKAY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF UPDATE ON OUR ADA WEBSITE COMPLIANCE WORK. I'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES AND OUR COUNTY WEBSITE. WE RECENTLY SCORED A 7.9 OUT OF TEN ON OUR ADA COMPLIANCE 
          [00:35:03]
EVALUATION. THIS SHOWS WE'RE MAKING STRONG PROGRESS TOWARDS MEETING THE NEW DOJ AND THE WCAG REQUIREMENTS. I WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH TAC TO MEET OUR FULL COMPLIANCE. THE PARTNERSHIP WILL ALSO REDUCE OUR COSTS FOR THE COUNTY AS PART OF THE NEW FEDERAL RULES. 
          ANY EXTERNAL WEBSITES LINKED TO OUR COUNTY SITE WILL ALSO NEED TO MEET THE ADA REQUIREMENTS. 
          THE STANDARDS THAT THEY HAVE. I'LL BE CONTACTING THE DEPARTMENTS WITH GUIDANCE SO THEY CAN MAKE THE NECESSARY UPDATES BEFORE APRIL 24TH OF 2026. THAT'S OUR DEADLINE. I WENT AHEAD AND GAVE YOU A HAND SHEET. THIS IS JUST SOME FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ADA COMPLIANCE AND REQUIREMENTS THAT WE'RE HAVING TO DO. SO IT JUST PROVIDES YOU A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND THE ANSWERS TO IT AND HOW IT CAN AFFECT US AS WELL AS, FOR EXAMPLE, IT CAN ALSO PROVIDE US A LOSS OF FUNDS, LEGAL ACTIONS, LAWSUITS, HEAVY FINES. SO IT GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT OF ALL THE INFORMATION. I ALSO ATTACHED A TEXAS ASSOCIATION COUNTY PRICE QUOTE ON THERE FOR YOU, JUST TO PROVIDE YOU ALL THE INFORMATION OF WHAT OUR COST IS FOR OUR WEBSITE. ANY QUESTIONS, ANYTHING. ANY QUESTIONS. I THINK THE COUNTY PROGRESS FOR TAC. I THINK AROUND A BIG ARTICLE ON THE CREATING THIS FOR SOLVING THIS PROBLEM. I GUESS WE HAVE ADA COMPLIANCE AND TAX BEEN WORKING WITH US COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO. 
          SO CORRECT IN YOUR MAGAZINES, GO BACK AND REREAD THAT ARTICLE. I MEAN IT'S PRETTY IT'S A VERY GOOD ARTICLE. VERY GOOD, VERY GOOD ARTICLE ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE IT'S A LOT OF REQUIREMENTS THAT HAVE HAVE TO BE DONE. BUT I HONESTLY GOT TO SAY TAC HAS BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH ME AND WE'RE WE'RE GETTING IT DONE. SO EVERYTHING SHOULD BE IN LINE WITH TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES WITH ADA FOR THE DOJ, DOJ AND THE I THINK IT'S WC AG. YEAH. SO THEY'LL BE DOING AN EVALUATION AGAIN. AND JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE. OKAY. I'M GLAD YOU'RE WORKING ON THIS BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS A VERY BIG UNDERTAKING. AND THE DEADLINE IS THIS APRIL CORRECT. THIS APRIL, BECAUSE OF OUR POPULATION, IT HAS INCREASED. 
          WE WERE ACTUALLY NOT SUPPOSED TO BE WE OUR DEADLINE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE UNTIL APRIL OF 2027, BUT BECAUSE OUR POPULATION HAS INCREASED UP TO I THINK IT WAS 71,000 NOW, AND THEY MOVED OUR DATE TO APRIL 24TH OF 2026. SO YES, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, YES. 
          THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK. OKAY. ANY OTHER DEPARTMENTS OKAY. THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO 1.5 
          [5.  PUBLIC NOTICES:  San Patricio County Offices will be closed Monday, February 16th, 2026 in observance of Presidents Day Holiday. Reminder: There will not be a Commissioners Court Meeting on Tuesday, February 17, 2026]
WHICH IS OUR PUBLIC NOTICE. AND I'LL REMIND YOU AGAIN, THERE WILL NOT BE A COMMISSIONERS COURT MEETING ON MONDAY THE 16TH. MATTER OF FACT, IT'S GOING TO BE A COUNTY HOLIDAY UNLESS YOU WANT TO COME UP HERE AND SIT BY YOURSELF, THAT'S UP TO YOU. AND AND YOU'RE NOT RIGHT. YEAH, WELL, THEY MIGHT BE. SOME OF THEM CAN GET IN IF THEY WANT TO AND STUFF. SO. AND THEN THERE WILL NOT BE A THAT WOULD BE OUR ALTERNATE SCHEDULE MEETING ON TUESDAY THE 17TH BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING THAT TODAY. NEXT WEEK WE WILL HAVE NOTHING. SO THAT'S GOOD OKAY. MOVING ON 
          [1. Approval of minutes]
TO ITEM TWO. FIRST OF ALL, WE GOT APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF OUR LAST COMMISSIONERS COURT MEETING. MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND. OKAY. I GOT A MOTION BY GILLESPIE, SECONDED BY CHARLIE, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES, I ASSUME, AS PRESENTED. OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SAY AYE. AYE. THOSE OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. OKAY. UNDER 2.2. FINANCIAL AGENDA. 
          [a.  Examination, consideration, and action on approval of all claims against San Patricio County Pursuant to section 113.064, Texas Local Government Code.]
EXAMINATION, CONSIDERATION AND ACTION OF ALL CLAIMS AGAINST COUNTY. MOVE TO PAY THE BILLS. 
          SECOND. MOTION BY GILLESPIE, SECONDED BY YARDLEY. ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THE BILLS PRESENTED THIS MORNING? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SAY AYE. 
          AYE. THOSE OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. 2.2 B IS A BUDGET LINE. ITEM TRANSFERS. WE 
          [c.  Consideration and action on accepting bank reconciliation, investment reports, and related matters by County Treasurer. ]
HAVE NONE THIS MORNING. 2.2 C IS A BANK RECONCILIATION. TREASURER'S REPORT, MISS GARCIA. 
          THANK YOU. JOSH. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. COMMISSIONERS. OUR HEALTH TRANSFER IS A TOTAL OF $38,600. OUR PRE CLAIMS IS A TOTAL OF $49,291.37. OUR POSTAGE IS $7,605.11. AND I'D 
          [00:40:01]
LIKE TO REPORT AND RECORD OUR JANUARY 2026 GENERAL FUND, PAYROLL AND ADULT PROBATION, BANK RECONCILIATIONS AND REPORT AND RECORDER JANUARY 2026 MONTHLY INVESTMENT REPORT. MOVE TO ACCEPT TREASURER'S REPORT. SECOND MOTION SECONDED BY GONZALO. ANY QUESTIONS OF MISS? I SEE NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SAY AYE. AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. 
          [3. Consent Agenda: All Consent Agenda items listed are considered to be routine by the Commissioners Court. Members of the Commissioners Court have been furnished documentation on each item, and all such items may be acted upon by one vote without being discussed separately unless requested by County Judge or a Commissioner:]
MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY, THEN WE GO INTO OUR CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS. WE HAVE FIVE THIS MORNING. IS ANY COMMISSIONER WANT EITHER ONE PULLED OFF FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION? NO, SIR. OKAY. HEARING NONE. SO WE'LL GO THROUGH THEM. 2.3 A IS ACCEPTING RECORD TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTORS MONTHLY STATEMENT OF COLLECTIONS OF MONTH ENDING JANUARY 31ST, 2026 2.3 B ACCEPT AND RECORD RENEWAL RENEWED INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN HAMPSHIRE COUNTY AND THE FOLLOWING CITIES TO ACT AS AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE. TO REGULATE AND ENFORCE 25 TEXAS ADMINISTRATIVE CODE. CHAPTER 228 TEXAS FOOD ESTABLISHMENT CODES 217 FDA FOOD CODE BY REFERENCE. ON SITE SEWER FACILITIES, TITLE 30, TEXAS ADMINISTRATIVE CODE, CHAPTER 285, AND IS PATRICIA COUNTY ON SITE SEWER FACILITIES ORDER. AND THAT CITY IS FOR TAFT. 2.3 B CONSIDERATION AND ACTION ON A REQUEST FROM ROSA GUZMAN AS PC FAIRGROUNDS ON CHANGE OF ORDER FOR OUR CURRENT TO TEN. EXTEND THE PROJECT EXPIRATION DATE TO MARCH 26TH, 2026, WITH NO CHARGE TO THE SCOPE AND FEES OF THE CONTRACT ORDER DOCUMENT NUMBER Q-317039 DATED 12 ONE OF 2025 2.3 D ACCEPT AND RECORD A CONTRACT AMENDMENT FOR RFP 2020 4-015. THE ANIMAL SHELTER CONSTRUCTION TO EXTEND THE CONSTRUCTION DEADLINE TO JUNE 1ST, 2026. 2.3 E IS ACCEPT AND RECORD A CONTRACT AMENDMENT FOR RFP 2024 016 JUVENILE EXPANSION TO EXTEND THE CONSTRUCTION DEADLINE TO APRIL 1ST OF 2026. 
          MOVE TO APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS 2.3 A THROUGH E. SECOND MOTION SECONDED BY CHARLIE. ANY QUESTIONS ON CONSENT? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED. 
          SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. UNANIMOUS. OKAY. GOING INTO INDIVIDUAL ACTION ITEMS 2.4 A. 
          [a.  Consideration and action on request from Margie Flores, District Attorney, to purchase two 2026 Toyota Collora LEs from Auto Nation Toyota for no more than $25,000 each. This purchase was included in the 2026 District Attorney Forfeiture Budget. The District Attorney allocated $50,000 for this purchase. These vehicles will be used by the prosecutors in the District Attorneys Office.]
2.4 A CONSIDERATION ACTION ON REQUEST FROM MARGIE FLORES, DISTRICT ATTORNEY TO PURCHASE TWO 2026 COROLLA, LA FROM AUTONATION TOYOTA FOR NO MORE THAN $25,000 EACH. THE PURCHASE WAS INCLUDED IN THE 2026 DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S FORFEITURE BUDGET. THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY ALLOCATED $50,000 FOR THIS PURCHASE. THESE VEHICLES WILL BE USED BY THE PROSECUTORS IN THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. MOTION TO APPROVE SECOND MOTION. THANK YOU. GONZALEZ. SECONDED BY GILLESPIE. ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED. SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. 2.4 B CONSIDERATION. ACTION ON A 
          [b.  Consideration and action on request from Victoria Pereida, Election Administrator, for a Joint Resolution between San Patricio County, Victoria Pereida, San Patricio County Democratic Party, and San Patricio County Republican Party to hold their 2026 Primary Election and Primary Run-off Election if necessary.]
REQUEST FROM VICTORIA PERROTTA, ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR FOR A JOINT RESOLUTIONS BETWEEN PATRICIA COUNTY VICTORIA PERERA, SAN PATRICIO COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND THE SAN PATRICIO COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY TO HOLD THEIR 2026 PRIMARY ELECTION AND PRIMARY RUNOFF ELECTION. IF NECESSARY. MOVE TO APPROVE SECOND MOTION BY GILLESPIE. SECOND. ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE HEARING? NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED. SAME SIGN. MOTION 
          [c.  Consideration and action on request from Commissioner, Precinct 4, Howard Gillespie to approve 2027 Kenworth T380 Dura Patcher in the amount of $247,554.00 which we are a Sourcewell member #21413.]
CARRIES 2.4 C CONSIDERATION AND ACTION ON A REQUEST FROM COMMISSIONER PRECINCT FOR HOWARD GILLESPIE TO APPROVE 2027. KENWORTH T 380 DEPARTURE AND THE AMOUNT OF $247,554, WHICH WE ARE A SOURCE. WELL, MEMBER NUMBER 21413 MOTION TO APPROVE SECOND MOTION BY GONZALEZ, SECONDED BY EARLY. ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? NO, I JUST WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT THAT THIS WAS IN OUR BUDGET. SO WE BUDGETED FOR THIS. OKAY. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? HEARING NONE. 
          ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SAY AYE. THOSE OPPOSED SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES 2.4 D 
          [d.  Consideration and action on an IT request for the purchase of Starlink equipment on-time cost $2,016, and MRC $123.04 for data and monitoring services, and will be paid from the IT Budget.]
CONSIDERATION AND ACTION ON AN I.T. REQUEST FOR THE PURCHASE OF STARLINK EQUIPMENT ON TIME COST $2,016 AND MRC $123.04 FOR DATA AND MONITORING SERVICE AND WILL BE PAID OUT OF IT. BUDGET 
          [00:45:11]
MOTION TO APPROVE. I'LL SECOND THAT, BUT I JUST WANT TO. IS THAT ON TIME COST OR ONE TIME COST? IT'S ACTUALLY BOTH. IT'S BOTH. YEAH. SO YOU GET A ONE TIME COST AND THEN YOU GOT A MONTHLY RECURRING COST. OKAY. YES, SIR. OKAY. SO THE ONE TIME COST IS JUST FOR THE I WAS JUST THE WAY IT WAS WRITTEN, IT SAID STARLINK EQUIPMENT ON TIME COST. THAT WAS A THAT WAS ON ME. THAT WAS A ONE TIME COST. YEAH. YEAH. FOR THE EQUIPMENT. OKAY. VERY GOOD. THAT'S ALL I NEED TO KNOW. 
          OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. OKAY. 2.4, 
          [e.  Consideration and action on an IT request for the purchase and installation of a security camera at Justice of the Peace, Precinct # 8 Office, located at 1155 Gregory Street, Taft, Texas 78390. The total cost of $434.00 will be paid from the Courthouse Security Fund. ]
CONSIDERATION AND ACTION ON AN I.T REQUEST FOR THE PURCHASE AND INSTALLATION OF A SECURITY CAMERA AT JUSTICE OF THE PEACE PRECINCT NUMBER EIGHT OFFICE LOCATED AT 1155 GREGORY STREET, TAFT, TEXAS. 783900. EXCUSE ME. THE TOTAL COST IS $434. WILL BE PAID OUT OF THE COURTHOUSE SECURITY FUND. MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND MOTION BY GILLESPIE. SECOND BY EARLY. ANY COST. 
          HOMER, WE'RE STILL GOOD ON SECURITY FUNDS SO FAR. YES, SIR. OKAY, JUST MAKE SURE WE'VE BEEN TAKING SOME OF IT OUT OF THERE LATELY. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE STILL GOOD. IT'S STILL THE START OF THE NEW YEAR, TOO, SO WE'RE. I THINK WE'RE OKAY. YEAH. EARLY. EARLY EARLY WE'RE EARLY. YEAH YEAH, YEAH. OKAY. OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SAY AYE. AYE. 
          THOSE OPPOSED SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUS. OKAY, 2.4 F NEED A MOTION TO BRING THIS BACK ON TO THE TABLE FOR DISCUSSION. SO MOVED. SECOND. GOT A MOTION. SECONDED BY GONZALEZ. GO BACK TO THE TABLE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? 
          [f.  Discussion, consideration, and action on a request from Melanie Cooper, Grants Manager, to Contract with Halff Engineering and Associates for RFQ2025-005 to assist in the project construction management for the GLO-CDBG Program, Contract #22-085-011-D239, not to exceed $522,463.50. Tabled from February 9, 2026 Commissioners Court Agenda.]
SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. 2.4 F. DISCUSSION, CONSIDERATION AND ACTION ON THE REQUEST FOR MELANIE COOPER, GRANTS MANAGER TO CONTRACT WITH HALF ENGINEERING ASSOCIATES FOR RFQ 2020 5-005 TO ASSIST IN A PROJECT CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT FOR THE CDBG PROGRAM. CONTRACT NUMBER 20 TWO. DASH 085011. DASH D 239. NOT TO EXCEED $522,463.50. MOTION TO APPROVE SECOND OKAY. GOT A MOTION BY ALLISON, SECONDED BY GILLESPIE. ANY QUESTIONS? MR. COOPER? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION 
          [3. PERSONNEL-Employment and current employee status changes in accordance with the current personnel policies, County Budget, and State law with notification of such changes to the payroll division of the Treasurer's office.]
CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. OKAY. CONCLUDED. AGENDA ITEMS WILL GO INTO 3.1, WHICH IS DELIBERATE, AND CONSIDER ACTION ON EMPLOYEES. SALARY. 3.1 A JIMMY FIKES EMPLOYMENT JUVENILE. THE SUPERVISION OFFICER JUVENILE DETENTION. FULL TIME REGULAR NONEXEMPT GRADE 107 STEP ONE AT $3,664 AND A PENNY PER MONTH WITH A $50 PER MONTH PHONE ALLOWANCE. EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 17TH, 2026, I MOVE TO APPROVE 3.1 A SECOND. A MOTION BY GILLESPIE, SECONDED BY GONZALEZ FOR APPROVAL. ANY QUESTIONS? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SAY AYE. 
          AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 3.2. ACCEPT AND RECORD EMPLOYEE STATUS CHANGES. WE HAVE NONE. EXECUTIVE SESSION NUMBER FOUR WE HAVE NONE THIS MORNING. MOVE TO ADJOURN. SECOND. ADAM GILLESPIE, SECOND BY YARDLEY FOR ADJOURNMENT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. UNANIMOUS.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.