Travis County Commissioners Court
Tuesday, March 22, 2011,
Item 23
Item 23, consider and take appropriate action on request for planner position for truancy cases in precinct one or all precincts.
several individuals, elected officials are here on this item.
>> judge.
>> jess.
>> when this came up before, last week, there was some very interesting uncovering of a lot of information with the jp's, but a lot of questions that I had posed because I wanted to try to get to the bottom of it as much as I could possibly get to it as far as precinct one was concerned.
I'm not saying other precincted don't have the same similar concerns, but I do know precinct one has a very high significant truancy rate, nonattendance rate as far as schools are concerned.
of course, with that, I asked last week for some numbers that I think would indicate what those truancy cases would be or what are the amount of truancis through the school district within precinct one and those numbers weren't available to us last week.
according to the backup, there is some numbers that have been brought forth to us today.
I'm not trying to get ahead of anybody, but I just think, well, let me put it like this.
with 3,552 truancy cases that we have, this is just precinct one, I feel, basically this is for schools, that we are basically looking at reagan, justin, manor isd, I guess all of manor isd, and of course lbj, Austin, community academy, those five schools are just mentioned, but my concern then became this, judge, in looking at just some of these numbers, that is significant in itself.
but my concern now is to see if this is all the schools that are reporting.
because one thing that I have been able to garnish, their reporting mechanism may not be same or consistent.
I'm looking at a precinct one school, looking at other schools in the area, the elementry schools, harris, the list just go on.
I'm just wondering if these are just short, the numbers that we have now are probably not telling the full picture.
I think it's a lot more severe than what it is.
of course, I'm not going to get ahead of the folk, but there's a lot of situations and conditions for this.
we want to make sure that the collaboration and efforts that I think can be demonstrated here will take place.
that is among the schools, county, hopefully hhs and its part and also the jp's, constables, the whole nine yards and also this Travis County Commissioners court.
I just think it's going take all of us to do this, to overcome a very serious problem.
somewhere along the line, I forgot to ask the question, and we need to get the research on this, is when a person actually misses school for nonattendance, a failure to attend school, can someone tell me how many federal dollars that we lose out of the system because of a child not being present in school.
and there are certain conditions of why persons aren't in the school, but the federal dollars on top of of all these other dollars that we seeing that are being lost is a number that I'm trying to also garnish.
>> is it federal dollars or state dollars that we lose?
with nonattendance.
>> yes.
>> Commissioners, I don't know.
I think you have to get that information from the school district.
>> ntea.
>> yes, ma'am.
>> if a child is not present after ten in the morning, that child, the population for that day is deducted by that child.
>> I don't know when the cutoff is.
we have a different standard for truancy cases than they have for attendance dollars.
>> makes no difference whether they are truent or it was a dental appointment.
>> right.
I'm just trying to go back.
there's doubt that truancy is a huge problem and a huge concern.
not only to me but I think the whole court.
gosh, your what year we started the asap program as a pilot project to work with certain schools in eastern Travis County as well as western, I believe, so that we could address that whole issue and the fact the schools would get more money from the state in all these kids were in attendance.
so they were losing out some money.
cons --consequently tax payers were too.
I remember we had that as a pilot project and had it for a while in the constable office.
they were utilizing their staff as well as reserve deputies to visit the homes of the kids as they were delinquent and identified.
I don't know how fast they were identifying them by the schools, but there were visits that were being done to the homes.
we figured that at the end of that pilot project, that it was a worth while project and that we would look for other ways to improve on getting kids back in school.
then we moved to having a, I think it came from the juvenile department, judge muir and other folks over there also focusing on the truancy.
and we had a special judge who went out to mendez and Travis County as a pilot project to see if it would work.
I believe the report has been good and I asked for that report and I haven't gotten it yet.
so really, judge, I think I need the look at that material before I'm ready to make a decision.
because I think that we do need to give some resources to the different offices to address sh issue because it's a serious issue.
it truly is.
I think I need to make sure that we're moving along in a progressive manner, covering all our bases, and there's no doubt that eastern Travis County has a huge huge issue with this.
but I think the rest of Austin does as well.
if I remember, I'm trying to, as that is why I asked for the report.
I don't recall.
it may be that it came while I was out.
but I still need to see that report on the numbers how many kids they got back in school, how many graduated.
because it's a serious enough issue for me that I don't want to play games with this.
I don't want to invest resources if ner not going to get those kids back in school and get them educated and graduated.
and into, you know, maybe acc.
or retraining or whatever.
I don't want to lose those kids.
I don't want to lose a single kid anymore.
so that is my concentration.
but I think we have done a lot of work in the past on this issue.
I think it's a matter of us trying to gather all of that information together.
then the other thing, we had after school projects in the schools to try to address this issue as well.
the asap program was supposed to address the wrap around services.
excuse me, the allergies are awful.
the asap program also addressed the wrap around services that some students did need.
and it's true.
some of them don't go to school because they don't have shoes, they don't have clothes, or they don't have food.
that was what the asap program was also going to address.
but I don't know what happened after that.
and I'm sure those issues are still around.
but in addition to that, what I have found out just observing, is that we are also dealing with parents who are dropouts themselves.
it's not that they don't appreciate the value of education.
it's that they are thinking about other things.
not just one job or two jobs.
and then taking care of kids, not having childcare, and so they don't really have time to talk to their children about let's do home work, go to bed early, get up early so you can eat breakfast, a good meal, so you can concentrate in school when you get there on time.
you go school on time and you have your home work done and you turn it in.
it's just a huge huge deal here that I think we need to gather all of our experiences and resources together before we decide that, you know, we can start giving out some resources.
I'm not doing this to delay, I'm simply doing this to make sure that we're comprehensive in the way that we approach this issue.
I truly do not want to lose another kid to dropout and winding up in our criminal justice system.
there's no reason that they can't learn.
they learn.
>> Commissioner.
>> let me ask three questions, please.
>> yes, sir.
>> one, so I understand exactly what is before us, what is it?
>> it is taking funding from the juvenile case manager fund 067 for the planner senior position.
>> how much?
>> prorated for this year about $20,000 for the rest of this year.
>> what is that figure annualized?
>> about 38 with the benefits and everything.
>> how much?
>> about $38,000 with the benefits and everything.
something like that.
>> I thought I read in the backup that precinct one will use a current position but enhance that position to a planner level.
so the differential there is annually $38,000?
>> yes, once you do the benefits and stuff.
what is in the generally fund budget increasing for the planner senior is at entry level.
judge wants to hire at higher level.
>> what is the tote --tote.
>> judge, on February 8 the court already approved the senior planner position.
that is a done deal.
the senior planner is a done deal at level one.
confusion is this is to increase the level one to a higher level by using funds from the juvenile case manager fund.
that is the way it was presented to us.
>> I'm trying to find what the differential is.
so whatever we funded I guess is a certain amount.
>> already in her budget internally, correct.
>> what is that amount?
>> oh, I didn't bring the amount.
it's like $42,000, right around there.
it's a salary.
>> funded the salary for 42.
and the request it was add additional funds so they could go to a what?
>> a 20.
>> would that be $50,000 salary?
$60,000?
>> planner senior, pay grade 20, starts at $48,530.
and at level 7 it's $58,718.
>> let me ask, my question is, the difference between 42,000, which is already funded, right?
>> uh-huh.
>> and 58,000 is 16,000.
>> correct.
however, the judge's proposal, what I'm understanding, it would be a 60-40 split of the $58,000 salary.
it would be 50 percent and 50 percent so there would be enough time of the planner in the juvenile case manager fund doing case management work.
and 40 percent of the 58,000 with benefits.
>> and two years.
just the two-year.
>> it would have an end date.
>> in two years.
>> right.
it's as obvious as the nose on your face that the need and the work and the.
it's clear.
we are not only going have to fund but going to have to do serious, think Commissioner Gomez mentioned comprehensive.
it has to be have comprehensive to turn this thing around.
precinct one has a lot of poor people in it.
a lot of poor folk.
precinct one has a lot of language language barriers in it.
one also has to, schools that I think need to collaborate.
school district information a lot better.
we have hhs here.
who , you mention social needs and social hardships.
clothes, food.
reason why parents may not let their children attend.
parents attribute to nonattendance for these students.
we need to mention, as I mentioned earlier, we need to collaborate this effort internally first of all.
we have hss, health and human services, who provide a lot of social services to needy persons in this community.
we need to be about the business of turning this thing around, upfront now, foremost.
I don't speak, sometimes I get a little emotional about stuff.
and that is all right though.
sometimes we got to get emotional about stuff in Travis County.
I would like to see, in my opinion, hss work in collaboration with the jps.
I'm saying all of them because every jp here in this, before this Commissioners court here today, has truancy si --truancy problems in the representation area that is here before us today.
of course precinct one, jp one, judge williams is in the same precinct I represent, but I do know the devastation of what happens if we do not do a collaborative effort.
what I think we end up with not only truancy, we end up with juvenile type situations that can lead to other things that may not be digestable to Travis County.
>> Commissioner Davis, could I speak to that, sir?
>> yes.
>> I think we are in agreement that we with like to collaborate.
the problem is that four of us are having is that the most junior jp has perceived a need for planner which we don't perceive.
we think money can be better spent.
she has established a position at her precinct, hired the person, and we are attempt to go utilize the services without any consultation.
we would like to put this on a work session to explore this more fully with y'all and more openly.
>> the backup does state that the intention of jp 1 is for this position to be collaborative.
right?
that is the statement in the memo.
yet I have four jps here saying--
>> if I might speak please.
>> please, judge.
>> first of all, I spent my colleagues a letter on February 3 after talking to them about this, mentioning this, and giving them very much a nice brief outline.
other than word from judge ste that she didn't think it was conducive to the taxpayer, I didn't get a lot of feedback.
but I have, and I'll share with you the copy of the letter.
>> this is after the proposal was submitted.
>> if I could, judge, please, if I might.
so the other thing.
>> represent the facts, please, judge.
>> the other thing that needs to be, that is important here, I have 10,000 cases.
10,000.
it's here.
it's in tab one.
you can look at it.
there's 10,000 outstanding cases in my court.
4600 them are active truancy cases and the other 5,000 are nontruancy juvenile related cases.
that is something I need to deal with.
and please understand, every month, every month I have a workload of some 405 cases that go through my court.
now, I have only been there 82 days counting today.
but of the time I have been there, and I decreased the docket that I'm looking toot 15 just so--at to 15 so I can get up to speed.
the former judge did 20 to 25.
but 15 cases per docket, the number of dockets I have give me 330 cases for the truancy and 75 a month for the nontruancy cases.
now, about the numbers, whether or not I'm a junior judge or not what is important is that the tax payers in precinct one elected me to be justice of the peace for that area.
one of the things that was very clear during the race and now, because I have been approached by community organizations, by leaders, but activists, I'm also working along with the constable in precinct one.
what is very clear to everybody there is that this issue must be addressed.
so then I ask you, ank thank you for cutting right to the chase, that was going to be my first points.
to cut right to the chase, I'm asking for less than $30,000 for this year.
and I'm asking for right at $32,000, which is an entry level position, for next year.
on a $one million fund.
focus, a $1 million fund that gets 180 grand popped in every year.
now, I also agreed when I talk to pbo, mr. Nellis at planning and budget along with ms. Ramirez, and they were very frank.
they said if everybody gets one fund the at level we are talking about, a pay scale 14 starting at 32, we might run out of money.
and we talked about that last time, we said it's probably ten years.
well, I said, so they said what about, judge, if you take this for two years.
would you be willing to do this as pilot for would years?
I says of course I will take it as pilot.
so what I'm here for today is a pilot program that will disappear in to years the you don't think it's worth it.
the person hired knows that they don't have a job in two years.
I'm asking on the fund of a million dollars to get, what, 20 000 this year and 38 next year.
and we can't da that for the citizens of precinct one?
>> 1.2 million.
it's 1.2 million.
that is how much is in that fun.
>> okay.
>> doesn't both me not one bit to suggest that we move approval of this and :imove forward toda because as I stated earlier, to be in this precinct and to live in this area where you do have these challenges that I mentioned, we need to address them today, not next week, not next year.
no, today.
we need to move forward today so it can provide some relief to a the lo of situations.
as I stated earlier, every time there is a child that is not in school, and I do not know the figure today but I'm going on get the answer, how much does it cost, how much does the federal government lose in other words for that investment of money coming down.
that is a lot of loss of revenue right there.
we did not afford to lose our children in this community.
we need to get them in a streamline, but let's look at the causation.
that is what the clab rigs effort is coming from.
>> --collaboration effort is coming to.
>> let me add.
I think each of the jps can give the number of their truancy cases.
on the other hand, when we went to the other pilot project with juvenile and had the judge go to the schools, we did that because the jp's said they had other work to do and couldn't handle all the truancy cases, that that would have taken all of their time.
you know, things have changed, I'm sure.
but at that time that was the situation.
but if we are talking about no you wealth to go back and have the jps deal with it, that is why I think that I need some additional time.
>> jp have been trying to deal with that all along.
>> I know but we need to be on the same page.
>> you are talking about it's cost prohibitive.
the per student cost in that is a whole lot higher than the jp's have ever had.
on the juvenile board, I know that.
>> it's only four middle school.
>> let me ask, what salary savings does precinct one?
>> about maybe 15,000 left, 10,000.
>> yes.
>> that will cover it.
>> no.
>> okay, the jp's, you all are concerned about this money coming there the truancy fund.
the one million plus.
for y'all it's a source of funding issue.
my view is--
>> we have other concerns.
>> my view is as an elected official, while we want you all to cooperate and collaborate, y'all are not the same any ee elected official has the right to ask the court for additional resources to put in place programs and services in his or her precinct.
we are used to that.
now, we try to promote sameness.
in my view one problem is a lack of a master plan or one system that we can try to implement account wide and at--county wide and at some pint pry to bring the city in.
seems to me the way to make progress is somebody who just works on truancy matters.
so my view would be that if this is a good request, if we want to put a pilot program in place, there are other places to get the 20 or 30,000 that is needed.
allocated reserve, salary savings, what have you, and just leave the truancy fund alone.
but in the end, everybody should benefit from whatever good results come about.
and if the results aren't good, we ought to look, modify, eliminate and save the funding.
but I have been one to argue that we have to do better with the truancy cases for all of the advantages.
>> judge Biscoe--
>> so I'm asking the court right now, and we're going to let you all finish, I'm asking the court maybe today what we ought to consider doing is coming up with another source of funding to put this in place.
then we look at it quarterly to try to figure out where it's going.
>> judge, may it?
>> if we can funds two years, fine.
if we know short of that that it's not working, then I think we ought to face that.
>> what recommended funding?
>> I looked at salary savings plus look at allocated reserve.
this is not a huge amount of money.
but every dollar counts.
we want to be sure we spend it correctly, Commissioner Eckhardt first then back to you then judge steedthen then judge davi.
>> we had past attempts at collaboration and the cost associated.
dedicated truancy cort has come up at least twice and not funded because it is a much higher cost per child.
also the efforts of the con tables going out on the cases also was a much higher cost per child.
one thing I'm concerned about is in judge williams proposal, it's an idea on how to collectively use a planner, I did go look aup the numbers of planners that we have both in criminal justice and health and human services.
we have seven.
and I know of at least three separate efforts on thuence and dropout issues that are ongoing.
building communities brick by brick by --which I know all the jp's have been in contact with, as well as the task force.
several other efforts.
I would be very reluctant to place a manner one specific jp.
I would prefer to see the effort occur at a centralized for the benefit of all the schools and all the school districts.
I am reluctant to do this for only two years and only in one precinct.
I want to see this effort be comprehensive and collaborative across the entire county with all of the school districts.
because it is that major of an issue.
and we already have seven planners that I know of with expertise that touch on this area.
I would be reluctant to put another planner in one jp.
>> judge williams is next and judge steedand judge evans.
>> and Commissioner Davis.
>> let's just giver them an opportunity to have their say and then come back to the court.
judge williams.
>> thank you.
I appreciate your concern, Commissioner Eckhardt.
but we have to start somewhere.
that is my dilemma.
what I gave you as figures, if you look through these figures, please understand, under tab two that I gave you, those are the highest concentration of at risk students and dropout rates in Travis County.
that is in my precinct.
they are all there.
if you take that in connection with tab five, I want to direct you to, you asked us to do some research, I have done it for you.
and I'm going to direct you back to the figures under tab five.
if you look through there, and I have drawn lines through the schools that are mine in precinct one, and if you compare them to the schools that appear back here in tab two under other precinct, you will see by far my population is at risk and has a very high dropout rate.
kwee talk about this for days and years and weeks and months, but we have to do something.
the other thing I want to mention while I have the floor, I have been doing the research.
I have gone out there and I have met with the building bridges program that the sheriffs department started.
I have met with prairie view and with southwest key and with these people.
these people are coming back to me all the time saying, let's do it.
I have met with the superintendent over at manor and with those principals.
I'm out there hustling, if you will, trying to get the resources.
here is what I found.
>> working hard.
>> working hard.
thank you.
working hard.
here is what I found.
if you look at tab three, and that is what is very important.
tab 3, the failure to attend school proceedings.
the whole point is there, the court of criminal procedure 45.054 is is to really match the students with resources.
if look at the law, the law says those of you who are dealing with juveniles in the court system, here is what you ought to do.
now, let's talk about where we are now.
attorney generally eric holder just literally two weeks ago dealt with this.
everybody is talking about it.
did I don't think we disagree with you.
>> what I'm saying is there's urgency and a plan, what I'm trying to let you understands, there really is a plan.
at some point someone has to go forth and do something.
I have put together a program, a position that will complement what the ongoing juvenile case manager position does.
that is all I have done.
it's going to complement by seeking those resources and bringing those resources in.
at some point I have got to get started.
I have people saying well, we're ready to go.
I have got to find out if the resources out there are working and I have to collect some more.
you are telling me there's this and that, but I don't see them.
>> I'm just saying there's no reason to go it alone.
>> judge steedis next.
thank you, judge williams.
>> by creating the senior planner position, which the court approved at its February 8 meeting, you have already created inquety in the justice courts.
there was no discussion with the other courts about the need for this po igs is.
in fact, judge williams may be reinvent the the wheel with some of the things they shas this position doing.
she has personally refused all my invitations to come to my court to visit with me.
in her materials with you--
>> not true.
>> she says she visited with me and judge gonzalez.
that is not true.
gentlemen, we met at a few lunch meetings where we discussed social things and a variety of topics but no specific meetings on this topic.
>> my opinion is still there--
>> let's just steedfinish.
>> sorry, I thought she was.
>> today without any action by the court, judge williams can hire a very planner and pay that person $48,000 a year.
however, judge will I think has preselected a person for that position who apparently doesn't want to work for 48,000 a year and wants you to use money from the juvenile case manager fund.
yes, it has noise reserve, to make up this difference.
this person is, I believe, her former campaign manager who is here present in the court today.
so $58,000 is a lot more than most county employees make.
we can finds somebody in this job market in Austin, we're fortunate having a job market here that we can probably find a very qualified person for $48,000 to do the very things that judge williams wants to do.
I applaud her for wanting to do those.
this is nothing about the goal.
this is about finding moment at a reasonable level that won't exhaust our funds and won't be a burden on the tax payers.
by the way, you have asked us each to give you a five percent reduction in our target budget for 2012.
all of my budget is pretty much tide up in salary.
to do that, I will have to be cutting position and my colleagues may have to do the same.
so I find it a little bit, doesn't make sense here we are trying to pump up a salary and trying to cut on the on they are end.
playing by the rules.
judge williams has asked a set request to use additional funds from the says manager fund to proper up the juvenile case manager position, which she has today.
that is a second position.
she already has a senior planner and a case manager position.
funded at level one.
she has asked you today to vote for additional funds to raise that to level.
six.
to my knowledge she hasn't offered or interviewed, however, she should follow the sales rules I have.
last week I brought my news case manager in to visit with you.
I did not hire at level one.
I was told by pbo use your current budget salary savings, fund the position and we'll deal with that in the 2012 budget cycle.
I'm asking that precinct one play by the same rules that we play by.
if she finds a candidate and there's offer more than the base salary, there are rules in place for how we accomplish that.
I am a fiscal conservative.
judge--
>> we all are.
>> judge, I want to take a moment here, personal privilege.
nothing personal by any of this.
but I want to disagree with you about your comments last week about we have this big reserve, let's spend more of it now.
I happen to see an image last week, think many of you shared on tv, of the helicopter flying over the nuclear reactor with a bucket of water.
and it dropped the bucket of water.
>> judge, it's after 12 noon.
>> let's be on point.
>> you drop the bucket of water, what did it do, nothing.
that is our juvenile case manager reserve fund.
tomorrow I go get my truancy docket and may see a sixth grader who is repeating for the second time.
my measure is that student getting his or her diploma.
we can't use that fund unwisely.
I just ask at this time that judge williams proceed with the two positions she has fully funded for this fiscal year and go through the rules that we all play by if she needs additional funds.
I appreciate your time.
>> judge everance--everens.
>> thank you--evanz thank you, sir.
if judge williams had consulted with us, and there was none.
the only thing I got was her submission to her.
if she had, what I would have suggested, I would have reminded her of the pilot project that we had and suggested to her that caseworkers is what is going help her the most.
and I would have said that rather than hiring a planner, that she should hire a couple caseworkers.
I think that is far more effective.
all of us agree it's something we need the improve as a community how we deal with truancy.
just throwing money into a planning position seems to be to me a misallocation of resources.
this is not a reinvention of the wheel.
working with at risk kids, we have been doing it for years.
nothing magic about it.
the judge needs to learn what programs are out there, needs to have a staff member to help him with placing the students in those programs and getting back reports, and then it's face time judge to family, judge to student.
that is what works and what works in the truancy program.
the pilot project that was so effective that judge mccan set up and you paid for at the juvenile court.
I just think this particular proposal was hastily put together, not staffed with us, and we are expected to utilize a po says we don't particularly think is necessary and have no say in what is going to be selected to do it.
I don't think that is going to work.
all the other collective position weeze have, we jointly agree on the criteria, the person to fill the role.
that is not happening here.
that is why we are objecting.
I don't have any objection to her doing it on your own.
if you want to fund that, sure, try everything.
it may work.
I mab be wrong.
may be that a planner will help.
I have been wrong before.
I'm sure some of y'all remember when I have been wrong.
but I just think the way this has come about has engendered our options.
>> judge bass.
>> certainly no lack of passion for the issue here today.
I think that that is a testimony that each of us have for the subject matter here.
my courtroom will fill up this afternoon for the truancy docket.
that is not the basis of any objection that I have to this.
my objections rest merely upon the fact as has been shared, the lack of clab rakes, the fact there hasn't been transparency with regard to a position that may have some influence or input with the way my court is conducted.
I completely respect judge williams and my other peer's rights to conduct their court as they wish if operating within their .
my problem is that it uses fund from another source, the same that we are dependent upon for our juvenile case managers.
as has been raised here, potential builds a position arounds a person as opposed to giving us the benefit of approval on position here and being involved in the hiring process as.
as Commissioner Eckhardt has eloquently shared, appears to be some duplication with regards to number of planners.
I heard the number of seven that exist in the county already.
I too am a fiscal con sivetive and believe we need to spend resources wisely, so I don't know this is a wise use of the resources.
however, as relates to her court if it's within her budget, I think that is a matter for her court and this Commissioners court to take up and not a matter for me to weigh in.
but where I do feel compeled and an obligation to weigh in is that it uses a fund that I am dependent upon as well or if it has to do with the direction of an issue that is within my court.
and that is the bulk of my objection to this.
>> judge.
>> finally.
>> thank you, judge and Commissioners.
no doubt that truancy--
>> name, please.
>> juan gonzalez, precinct four.
no doubt truent is an issue.
because of the language issues the families weese we have are lower income and economically challenges.
I think there's some additional need on the east side of town you may not have on the west sides.
I think addressing this would be better spent in the juvenile case manager positions on the ground and not through a planner.
I think judge williams did come please with me and my juvenile case manager one day.
we did talked about the issues.
I don't know exactly what plans she has, which I think are good, but I think have not been run ly the other jp's as we have represented to you.
I do applaud your efforts.
however, I do think that some of the things that we, she is proposing this planner position would do, some of the things we do as judges with our juvenile case manager and truancy clerk.
that is, I feel that is parts of my job, my role, to be out in the community and find out what those resources are and have the juvenile case manager do that.
if the need is that great, I think maybe more positions in the juvenile case manager position doing that job, not just the planner.
I think the planners here, the case manager is the one in the ground meeting in the schools, the resources, and reporting to the judge.
if that is how she wants to run her court, things her prerogative.
that is not how we are doing it and I don't know that it should be used from the juvenile case manager fund for that reason.
>> Commissioner Davis.
>> my point is this.
>> last opportunity, by the way, court members.
we will go to everybody for final say.
Commissioner Davis.
>> thank you.
my point is that, as stated earlier, judge was an independent electioned official just as I am and just as you are.
if I see something that I need to do within my office, I thrike do that.
to better the situation, to improve the situation.
you know, there is a run-away fire up there.
and if there is someone that steps up to the plate and is willing to extinguish a fire such as this one, my hat goes off to them.
I'm going ask for a motion as soon as everybody is finished, I'm going to move that we approve this, judge williams request on item 23.
because yurf did every one of you sees things through your jurisdiction and your judge ship.
I have to say that we need to respect the judgments of judge williams in the same regard, because she thinks there is a need, and I live there and know what the needs are per se.
she is able to eradicate or reduce the dropout rate, reduce the truancy, then my hat go off to her.
and whatever tool she needs as an elected official to reduce that, where it won't cost so much money on the other end, by being proactive on the front end was that this is all about, folks.
not about individual silos, as we collectively say, but a collective effort that will help fully reduce costs for the tax payers of Travis County.
with that I'm going make a motion to approve.
>> I will not recognize a motion at this time.
>> I say when everybody gets through speaking.
>> very brief comments, mr. Spaino?
while you are the way up.
>> I must reply, judge.
>> no, no, we'll get back to you in just a minutes.
did hrmd have an opportunity to look at this position?
do you know?
>> yes, sir.
>> judge, I will--
>> hold on.
>> go ahead.
>> this is human resources here.
precinct one jp brought that position to human resources.
>> correct.
late November.
>> and briefly, what was your conclusion?
>> briefly, our conclusion was that based on the duties that were summarized to us in the paq filled out for it, that we determined that a senior planner was the best recommendation of the titles within our classification system.
>> thank you mr. Pen zarks d--pena, thank you, judge, I am a former education from east Austin, low ses and esl individuals, not just inclusive east Austin by southeast also.
I respect everybody here and this is a very good dialogue.
I would ask, judge and justice of the peace, I know all of you, when I was at municipal court, judge precinct four also, there is an item on the agenda at city council, number 17.
I forgot to get you a copy.
this is about money or funding for software pilot project to reduce chronic absent eeism and estimated amount not though exceed $16,000 et cetera.
let me recommend this.
this is not just a county issue.
that is city issue.
Austin independent school district issue.
and other entities also.
can we not get some funding from the city of Austin collaborative initiative to get funding from the school district and know the budgetary process problems that they have, just as the city and county, but let's have a collaborative efforts of getting funding from aisd.
city of Austin has funding also.
so we can be on page, item number 17, clab aretive effort between aisd, city of Austin and Travis County.
and Margaret Gomez, you know me judge evans, I am one of the statistical data of having a nephew who is in front of a judge because of truancy, absent eeism, and some is not correct because some I allude to the fact the attendance clerk did not do they are jobs in know --notating notes I sent to the school.
let's work with other governmental entities.
I thank you for your passion and share it also.
truancy if you remember, I have been dealing for the issue more than 25 years under the adcap program, Austin Travis County advocate program established in 1994.
the judge is one of my heros and knows we have cut down on truancism, but let's go ahead and work collaboratively to get some more funding.
they bear the burden, not just us.
I applaud everybody here because this is a good dialogue.
I thank you for your passion and what you do for the kids.
>> judge williams, final word since this is your request.
>> I must respond to judge steed's implication of my hiring.
one, I have the ability to hire as I do, as I please.
and doing so, I'm going do so according to the law.
I'm going to hire people that are qualified, well qualified to do what needs to be done.
I have three or four people in mind when I thought about this position.
the whole point becomes,ed it to be executive level so that it would be a person that I would have more control over in that sense, number within.
number one.
number two, I reserve the right to ends is you all copies of the e-mail that I sent to my judges as well as replies that I received from judge steed saying you know what, judge williams, if you do this, let's see, could we use the person too?
that is how that started.
if you have a planner would you make it available to all of us.
that is how it started and the dialogue somehow fell off right there.
I want to get that out.
and I will send it to you for your package.
>> court members.
anything else before I recognize Commissioner Davis.
>> I would just say that we have dwindling resources.
we are likely to see a high degree of unfunded mandates coming from the state.
we have a $27 million shortfall at the state.
we have to finds collaboration on these issues like truancy.
it does concern month e that the other four jp's don't feel a senior planner at pay grade 20 is the most efficient use of the funds for this purpose.
I again would urge we need to find the collaboration and trouble and triple bang for buck.
we already have 20 pay grade 20 senior planners, seven of them, as well as other planners at other pay grades who have already touched on this issue.
this is not the first time this issue has come before the court.
this jp isn't the first to tackle this bear of an issue if our community.
I think we need a comprehensive approach instead of doing a two-year pilot in one precinct.
>> I don't think we are fair to ourselves to assume planners in other areas know anything about truancy and we can use them there.
the planners in health and human services know human services issues.
the one in transportation and natural resources know transportation and natural resources issues, not truancy.
this has been a big problem for us since I have been on the court.
the little problem I'm having, I guess, is an elected official on the campaign trail makes a lot of promises.
also hears from a lot of constituents who have various concerns.
truancy is a big issue.
what I'm hearing today indicates to me it's a source of funding question more than anything else.
my recommendation would be for us not to tap the juvenile case management fund further, but to try to find money in the jp one budget, alternatively to hit the allocated reserve.
the other thing is, we can see how the planner is used, we can request reports from the precinct one jp periodically.
the other thing is that when I became county judge, one thingd to do was try it the judge Biscoe county judge way, not necessarily everything the previous judge had done.
I don't know that we ought to hold a new jp to the same standards the other jp's have held themselves to.
this court, to my knowledge, has never approached any jp and attempted to tell y'all how to run your offices.
and when you have come for funding, what I have tried to do is be as understanding and as cooperative as possible.
I would fund this and urge any good results be shared with the other jp's, and at the same time ee elected officials make the call about whether to accept that assistance or not.
I'm used to that and can continue to live with it.
I think ultimately you all will work toward working together in your own way.
the court can promote that as much as we can but we can't mandate it.
we do have a whole lot of problems we're facing and a shortage of resources, but this is one of those big issues that is getting bigger all the time.
I think that we ought to get there and do what we can to address it.
>> Commissioner Davis.
>> yes, judge, I'd like to move--
>> can I comment?
>> go ahead.
>> just a comment, to kind of finalize my thoughts.
county government it's all about collaboration.
there are so many elected officials and we all have our own way of doing business and different constituencies.
but when we get here, though, we have to work with other people.
like on this court.
takes a minimum three votes to make policy.
it's great when it's four votes and super when it's five to zero.
that is through collaboration.
that is coordination and through communication.
we don't violate the open meetings act.
reading our information and reaching a decision that will have the best effect on our con stit wins.
and this obviously is for too much constituents, trying to make sure they make it just like everybody else in this communities.
I think we certainly encourage the jp's to work together to get things done.
we have to focus on the people who really need our services.
in this particular case, it's about the kids.
children, leaders of tomorrow, the wage earners of tomorrow.
they don't get this education and we don't address it, they are not going to earn anything in the future.
we're going to, and I don't know if future want to put money into health and huge services.
I don't know.
and what would they do if there isn't any money for that purpose.
the constables are also encouraged to work together along sometimes with the sher ef because it's all law enforcement.
so it's just a given.
we have to collaborate at the county so that we can have as many three-zero or four-zero or five-zero votes in order to move forward in a good manner.
I think that yes, Travis County the school system and the city of Austin all have something to benefit from if we keep our kids in school.
and especially I think the school system, they get state money for kids being in school.
but we don't.
but we don't want those kids to come to criminal justice.
we don't want to have to spend our money, I don't want to spend my money on them in that manner.
but perhaps we can with after-school programs like we do with health and human services, with health and human services, other programs, as well as trying to job training and to try to serve them in much more positive manner than being in jail, being in juvenile court and graduating to county jail and graduating to state prison.
I don't want to go there.
>> I would just say you pretty much covered it for me in your summary.
I think we need to recognize the differences and similarities and we need to also recognize process, viva la difference of trying new ideas.
and viva the process that keeps balance in the way we allocate our funds.
>> Commissioner Davis.
>> yes, judge, I'd like to move approval of item number 23 and I'd like for the source of funding to come from allocated reserve.
>> I second that motion.
is it friendly to have planning and budget get with judge williams, go over that budget and see if there are savings in any line item that we can use, either supplement that or if full from allocated reserve so we know what that is.
>> that is very friendly.
>> thank you.
any discussion on the motion?
all in favor.
show Commissioner Davis, county judge voting in favor.
those who oppose.
show Commissioners Gomez, Eckhardt and Huber voting against it.
that motion fails by a vote of 3-2.
thank you all very much.
move that we recess until 1:30.
>> second in all in favor.
that passes by unanimous vote.
The Closed Caption log for this Commissioners Court agenda item is provided by Travis County Internet Services. Since this file is derived from the Closed Captions created during live cablecasts, there are occasional spelling and grammatical errors. This Closed Caption log is not an official record the Commissioners Court Meeting and cannot be relied on for official purposes. For official records please contact the County Clerk at (512) 854-4722.
Last Modified:
Tuesday, March 22, 2011 6:49 PM
