Travis County Commissioners Court
June 28, 2005
Item 30
30. Consider and take appropriate action on budget amendments, transfers and discussion items. Some of these are big, look like no commitments -- no objection from p.b.o. On budget amendments and transfers, move approval.
>> second.
>> discussion?
>> yeah, let me -- I guess -- I guess what you all did is basically sign-off, I think it's t 6.
>> yes.
>> what we discussed last week with the d.a. Was taking the numbers they brought back over to us, where we would find that -- that I guess the $314,000 that's the -- the 343, the grand total, for the -- for the 3 attorneys, the legal secretary and the specialist, we think that that -- that that is going to offset the million dollars, I think there was a 600,000 -- yeah. We bought off on the fact that 23,820 jail days saved would basically $40 a day, would be $952,000. So -- so $952,000 offset with the 343, we come out with about a $600,000. You all are -- you all are in agreement with that? Or we are at least going to try to show some performance measures that would yield that to us? Is that -- was that what you all predicated your -- yes, let's do this $343,000 spending on?
>> yes.
>> okay. We --
>> we in essence said in the absence of this intervention to reduce jail population, we would be predicting an average inmate population throughout '06 of 2,760. We believe the d.a.'s estimate and have scrubbed it, that this will owe owl reduce it by at least 65 inmates. So that as of today, we would be budgeted -- we would be recommending a budget for the sheriff's office based on 2695 inmates. There is an avoided cost of about $650,000 as a result of that action. This has an expenditure of $340,000. It's not a bad tradeoff. And we also believe that this is probably a minimum. That the d.a. And his staff was -- we believe, reasonably conservative and their experiences on rocket and missile dockets proved that out. So we may see a bigger impact. But it's not a -- not a bad bang for the buck.
>> well, no it's not. I mean, if -- if we are set up to -- to witness, you know, the -- the performance of that and I’m sure that you all are, I mean, or you wouldn't have taken the thing on. But if you are saying that that's what you are prepared to do, I mean, I’m in agreement. I think that it's probably, you know, worth a try.
>> well, we have one other thing. That is that -- tham the -- the -- that the office, the d.a.'s office is prepared that in the inmate count doesn't move this way that we still are going to need these people on the other side with the new district court. So we're going to be asking for -- for regular reports showing the progress and reducing of the jail population. So --
>> [indiscernible] due? That was the question. I never did get a chance to get --
>> you should be receiving regularly these reports as a member of the Commissioners court. -- [speaker interrupted -- multiple voices] the weekly report that is published and that information goes to everyone on the mailing list for the jail overcrowding task force. And if you are not on that mailing list, I -- I think that -- [speaker interrupted -- multiple voices]
>> I understand as far as the result of what the d.a. Is doing there, there's other things other than what this particular innovative activity is about. There's other things that calls some of these -- caused some of these problems, also. But for his direct input in this process, that is what I was referring to, it's not --
>> right.
>> we were doing this, investing this money as a direct result of investing this money, can they show a direct relationship on that jail reduction population-wise for this particular action that we are doing now.
>> we believe they can.
>> that's what I’m asking for.
>> and they are.
>> okay?
>> they are asking for six weeks to fill the position -- [speaker interrupted -- multiple voices] six week period after that they should be able to see the results.
>> those are the numbers that I’m looking for.
>> yeah.
>> okay.
>> any more discussion of the motion? All in favor? That passes by unanimous vote.
>> anything else on -- on budget amendments?
>> no, sir.
>> okay.
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Last Modified:
Tuesday, June 28, 2005 5:23 PM