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GOOD EVENING[Audit Committee Work Session Room of City Hall William E. Dollar Municipal Building 200 N. Fifth Street Garland, Texas June 24, 2025 2:30 PM]
EVERYONE.IT IS JUNE THE 24TH, 2025, 2:30 PM AND WE ARE AT THIS POINT IN THE AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETING.
WE HAVE WITH US BJ WILLIAMS, CHRIS OTT, WHO ARE ON THE COMMITTEE.
WE HAVE OUR CITY MANAGER, JUDGE REX, CITY ATTORNEY SCOTT LEVINE, OUR AUDIT DIRECTOR, JED JOHNSON, AND HIS SUPPORT STAFF.
WE HAVE ALSO OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR WITH US, MATT WATSON AND ALLISON STEADMAN.
AND A ROOM FULL OF EXCITED PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST READY TO GET INTO THIS AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETING FOR TODAY.
SO WITH THAT, THE AGENDA IS QUITE, UH, EXTENSIVE TODAY.
IT'S, UH, GONNA BE VERY, UH, CHALLENGING.
AND SO WITH THAT, WE'RE GOING TO, UH, GET RIGHT INTO IT.
WE DO HAVE A SPEAKER TODAY, AND, UH, WHAT HE IS ASKING, WE HAVE BOB DUCKWORTH WITH US.
AND WHAT HE'S ASKING IS THAT AT THE CONCLUSION OF EACH OF OUR PRESENTATIONS, HE WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD AND, UH, MAKE A PRESENTATION OR SAY A FEW WORDS.
UH, I'VE NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE, BUT SINCE THAT'S A REQUEST AND I DON'T SEE THAT THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH IT, WE'RE GOING TO ALLOW THAT TODAY AND SEE HOW IT WORKS.
SO, WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM, UH, MR. DOUGLAS AS WE GO.
WITH THAT, WE'RE GONNA TURN OUR MEETING NOW OVER TO OUR AUDIT DIRECTOR, JETT JOHNSON.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE TODAY, UH, TO GO OVER SOME OF THE AUDITS AND SOME OF THE REQUESTS AND SOME OF THE UPDATES THAT WE HAVE ON SOME OF THE PREVIOUS, UH, AUDITS.
UH, THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS AN AUDIT REQUEST THAT WE RECEIVED.
UH, IN FACT, WE RECEIVED THIS REQUEST, UM, FROM MR. DUCKWORTH AND THIS, HE WAS REQUESTING AN AUDIT OF THE POLICE SCHOOL RESOURCE PROGRAM, AND HE SENT AN EMAIL TO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN, AS WELL AS COUNCILMAN OTT.
UH, AGAIN, COUNCILMAN OTT REQUESTED THAT WE ADD THIS AGENDA.
SO, COUNCILMAN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING OR, UH, JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR, UH, FOR PUTTING THIS ON THE AGENDA.
IT'S SOMETHING, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, GOING FORWARD, THAT OUR AGREEMENTS, AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAD AN AUDIT IN THE PAST, AND MOSTLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS TO, UH, SEE WHETHER, UH, WHETHER THAT AUDIT, WHETHER THE, THE, UH, THE FINDINGS, WHETHER WE ACTUALLY HAVE FOLLOWED THROUGH ON THEM.
SO THANK YOU FOR, UH, PUTTING IT ON THE AGENDA.
SO I'LL GIVE A LITTLE BACKGROUND ABOUT THE AUDIT, UH, THAT WE DID IN 2021.
THAT'S THE LAST TIME WHEN WE DID THE AUDIT.
UH, AT THAT POINT, UH, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE BOTH THE CITY AND THE GISD WAS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.
UM, AND OF COURSE, OUR CHIEF IS HERE TODAY.
UM, WE HAD A FEW OBSERVATIONS, AND I KNOW SINCE THEN, UH, THE AGREEMENT HAS BEEN UPDATED.
UH, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE OBSERVED AT THAT POINT WAS THAT, UM, THE EQUIPMENTS OR THE VEHICLES WERE NOT BEING, OR THE EXPENSES AS IT RELATES TO THE VEHICLES WERE NOT BEING REIMBURSED, UH, TO THE CITY BY GISD.
BUT SINCE THEN, BASED ON MY REVIEW OF THEIR, UH, AGREEMENT, UM, GISD IS PAYING 50%, UH, ON THE VEHICLE EXPENSES.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE MAJOR THINGS THAT I OBSERVED IN THE AGREEMENT SINCE WE DID THE AUDIT.
AND I KNOW THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DID SOME INTERNAL CONTROLS, AND THEY ENHANCED THEIR INTERNAL CONTROLS SINCE WE DID THE AUDIT.
BY MY UNDERSTANDING, MR. DUCKWORTH, YOUR REQUEST WAS TO, UM, GET AN UPDATE, UM, ON WHERE THE STATUS OF THIS PROGRAM TODAY IS MAINLY FROM A FUNDING PERSPECTIVE.
UH, SO THAT'S THE REQUEST PER OUR CITY COUNCIL POLICY.
UH, AS YOU'RE AWARE, UM, WE HAVE ALREADY APPROVED THE ANNUAL AUDIT PLAN FOR THIS YEAR, BUT THE COMMITTEE CAN RECEIVE AND CONSIDER SPECIAL RETURN REQUEST FOR AUDITS.
UH, ACCORDING TO THE COUNCIL POLICY, IT SAYS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE CITY MANAGER.
SO I'M GONNA LEAVE THAT UP TO THE COMMITTEE TO MAKE THAT CALL.
UH, UH, I'M HAPPY TO, UM, ENTERTAIN, UM, AND PERFORM THIS AUDIT.
UM, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE TIMING OF THIS AUDIT, UH, IF, IF THE COMMITTEE COULD, IF, IF THE COMMITTEE'S DESIRE IS TO PERFORM THIS AUDIT, UM, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE TIMING.
DO WE WANT TO INCLUDE THAT AS PART OF THIS, THIS YEAR'S FISCAL YEAR AUDIT PLAN OR NEXT YEAR'S FISCAL YEAR AUDIT PLAN? UM, AS WELL AS WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE THE SCOPE, UH, OF THE AUDIT AND OR, THERE
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ARE A FEW WAYS TO GET THIS INFORMATION.I KNOW WE'RE GOING THROUGH A BUDGET PROCESS RIGHT NOW.
OBVIOUSLY, SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS CAN BE ANSWERED BY THE DEPARTMENT, THE CITY ADMINISTRATION.
SO THERE ARE A FEW, FEW AVENUES TO GET EXACTLY WHAT, UH, WHAT THE REQUEST IS.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S UP TO THE COMMITTEE AND THEN TO THE COUNCIL.
BASED ON THAT INFORMATION, LET'S, UH, DO A FEW THINGS HERE.
UM, MR. EDWARD, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK NOW OR WOULD YOU LIKE, UH, BECAUSE I THINK THAT WE NEED TO PROBABLY HEAR FROM OUR CITY MANAGER, WE PROBABLY NEED TO HEAR FROM OUR POLICE CHIEF.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK NOW OR YOU WANNA WAIT? I OKAY.
YEAH, SO WITH THE, WITH AN AUDIT RECENTLY COMPLETED, UM, AND NO CHANGES, AT LEAST THAT I'M AWARE OF TO THE CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE WITH GISD, AND I'M NOT SURE THAT AN, AN AUDIT WOULD BE THE, IS REALLY WHAT THE MECHANISM IS TO KIND OF CHECK FOR HOW, HOW PERFORMANCE IS GOING FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.
UM, SO I, I MEAN, WE WOULD, FROM MANAGEMENT'S PERSPECTIVE, WE'D BE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP ON THE PRIOR AUDIT AND JUST PROVIDE A GENERAL UPDATE, YOU KNOW, IF, IF SOMETHING MORE IN DEPTH AND, UH, THAN WHAT JED TALKED ABOUT IS HELPFUL.
UM, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THIS WAS AN AUDIT THAT WAS DONE PRETTY RECENTLY AND, AND NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO CONTRACTS, AT LEAST THAT I'M AWARE OF SINCE THEN.
MR. CHAIR, I, I DON'T WANT TO INTERRUPT WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, UM, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT THAT FIRST ON THE AGENDA SHOULD BE THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
WE DONE JUMPED RIGHT IN THERE,
SO I IF COULD JUST BRING YOU BACK TO ITEM NUMBER ONE FIRST AND THEN, YES, SIR.
LET'S, LET'S, LET'S GO BACK TO ITEM NUMBER ONE.
UH, COMMITTEE, YOU HAVE HAD OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE MINUTES, HAVE YOU NOT? YES.
HAVING, UH, HAD OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION, UH, TO, UH, RECEIVE THEM.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE, UH, WE APPROVE THE MINUTES AS THEY WERE PRESENTED.
UH, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE.
ALL OPPOSED? ALRIGHT, THE MINUTES HAVE BEEN RECEIVED.
UH, APRIL OF PUBLIC COMMENTS, I TALKED ABOUT THAT ALREADY.
SO WE'RE RIGHT BACK TO WHERE WE WERE.
UH, WITH THAT, UH, I HAVE, UH, ARE YOU SPEAKING ON THIS ITEM FOR US OR YOU WANT TO, YOU WILL NOT BE CHIEF, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME FORWARD AND SAY SOMETHING HERE? GOOD AFTERNOON.
I'M, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, LIKE JED MENTIONED, THE LAST AUDIT, UH, IT CAME BACK AND, AND WE WERE NOT CHARGING GSD FOR THE VEHICLES.
THEY'RE NOW PAYING 50% OF THE VEHICLES, AND WE ADJUST THAT THROUGH EACH, UH, MOU THAT WE SIGN WITH G-I-S-D-I THINK I MENTIONED THIS IN THE BUDGET MEETING SATURDAY, IS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT A FEW CHANGES.
IT'S NOT, WE'RE STILL KIND OF, UH, NEGOTIATING THROUGH THAT.
SO IF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE WISHES, I WILL UPDATE THE COUNCIL IN FULL ABOUT ANY OF THOSE CHANGES ONCE THEY'RE COMPLETE.
AND WE CAN GO THROUGH THE FINANCES AT THAT TIME IF YOU'D LIKE.
BUT, UH, I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU WANNA ASK.
SO IS IT YOUR SUGGESTION RIGHT NOW THAT WE, UH, DELAY A, UH, AN AUDIT AND, UH, IN LIEU OF THAT PROVIDE, AFTER YOU HAVE, UH, FINISHED WORKING WITH GISD, PROVIDE AN UPDATE FOR, FOR THE RECORD, MY SUGGESTION IS WE ALWAYS DELAY AN AUDIT, SO
UH, I WOULD SAY LET WORK THROUGH THIS.
UH, I'M HAPPY TO MEET WITH MR. DUCKWORTH AT ANY TIME.
IF, UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME IN, WE CAN DISCUSS KIND OF WHAT THE, THE PARAMETERS ARE ON OUR MOU.
UM, BUT YES, I'D, I'D SAY, LET ME, LET ME COMPLETE THIS.
LET ME BRING THE INFORMATION TO COUNCIL, AND THEN IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT DEEPER, THEN THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE A GOOD TIME.
UH, MR. DUCKWORTH, AT THIS POINT, BEFORE I GO TO THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, LIKE FOR YOU TO PLEASE COME FORWARD, IF YOU WILL, AND MAKE A CASE.
MR. MANAGER, COUNCIL, COUNCILMAN, UH, TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE, MY INTEREST IN THIS SUBJECT IS ABOUT A YEAR OR SO, WHEN Y'ALL, LAST YEAR, WHEN Y'ALL WERE GOING THROUGH THE BUDGET, UH, WENT TO THE LIBRARY, LOOKED AT THE BUDGET, AND I WAS INTERESTED IN THE SRO PROGRAM, AND I LOOKED FOR THE TERM SRO AND I FOUND IT TWICE, BUT I FOUND NO FINANCIAL INFORMATION IN THERE, NO NUMBERS, NO SPREADSHEETS, NO.
AND KNOWING MY BACKGROUND, I'M VERY INTERESTED IN THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
AND NOT ONLY PERSONALLY, BUT UH, AS Y'ALL KNOW, I, I'M VERY ADAMANT ABOUT WORKING FOR THE COMMUNITY, THE CITY, WHOEVER THE TAXPAYER MAINLY
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IS WHO WE ARE.AND THAT'S WHO Y'ALL REPRESENT.
SO, UH, I MET WITH, UM, THE CHIEF AND, UM, LAST YEAR, AND I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T GET AN ANSWER AND I, I DID NOT REALIZE THAT WE HAD DONE AN AUDIT IN 21.
AND SO I WENT AND LOOKED AT THAT AUDIT AND BASED ON THE MOU AND, AND SOME OF THE THINGS IN THE AUDIT, I COULDN'T SEE FROM THE MOU, UH, THOSE, THOSE TWO DOCUMENTS, YOU CAN'T PAIR THOSE TOGETHER AND SEE IF THE SUGGESTIONS ARE BEING FOLLOWED OR DONE.
OUR CHIEF JUST, UH, I THINK HE JUST, UH, INFORMED US THAT SOME CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE.
BUT, UH, I DID A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST.
THE LAST MOU, UH, IS DATED IN 22, I BELIEVE.
SO THE MOU IS, IS FAIRLY OLD, UH, BASED ON, IN MY OPINION, ON KEEPING UP WITH THINGS, UH, AND BASED ON THE CHANGES.
SO, UH, I WOULD, I WOULD SUGGEST, AND, AND THE CHIEF SAID HE'S GOING THROUGH THE MOU AND LOOKING AT THAT.
UM, BUT MY, THAT'S, THAT WAS MY REASON FOR, FOR ASKING FOR AN AUDIT WAS TO SEE IF WE, IN FACT, I, I DIDN'T, AT THAT TIME, I DIDN'T KNOW, WE DID NOT HAVE AN UPDATED, UH, MOU, THE MO U'S VERY OLD BECAUSE, UH, SAXE AND ROW BOTH ARE MUCH YOUNGER THAN OURS WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO, UH, AND THOSE DOCUMENTS PRETTY, YOU KNOW, UH, AS THE, UH, AS THEY SAY IF IT'S NOT IN WRITING, IT NEVER HAPPENED.
SO THAT'S KINDA WAY I WAS LOOKING AT IT.
I KNOW WE'RE LOOKING, WE'RE LOOKING AT A VERY TOUGH BUDGET TIME.
EVERYBODY'S LOOKING AT A TOUGH BUDGET TIME.
AND I JUST WANTED TO DRAW IT TO YOUR ATTENTION.
THE, THE COUNCIL THAT, AND CITY MANAGER THAT, THAT MOU DOES HAVE A ESCAPE CLAUSE AND IT HAS A 30 DAY DROP CLAUSE.
I MEAN, AND I'M TALKING IN WORST CASE SCENARIOS.
I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT, BUT, UH, I THINK, OR MR. UH, CHAIRMAN MOORE, I THINK YOU WERE VERY INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS ON THIS IN THE, IN THE WORK SESSION.
AND I TOO THINK THAT COUNCIL SHOULD LOOK AT, LOOK AT THIS THING FROM A BROAD SCALE OF HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? HOW MUCH WERE WE RECOVERING? WHAT'S THE NET COST TO THE CITIZEN? 'CAUSE I, I STILL COULDN'T, I COULDN'T GIVE YOU THAT NUMBER AND, AND SWEAR THAT THAT'S IT TODAY.
UH, SO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT MAYBE THROUGH THIS BUDGET TERM THAT WE GET SOME THAT Y'ALL GET A PRESENTATION ON SOME NUMBERS THAT TELL US WHAT IT'S REALLY COSTING THE CITIZENS THROUGH THIS, THROUGH OUR CITY, UH, PORTION OF THE TAXES ON THAT.
NOW, UH, I WENT THROUGH SOME REALLY TOUGH TIMES IN BANKING, SO I DON'T HAVE A HARD TIME MAKING SOME HARD CHOICES.
I TOOK A 20% LAW, UH, CUTTING SALARY ONE YEAR, UH, TO, FOR MY BANK TO SURVIVE.
AND I LAID OFF A LOT OF SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT WERE UNDER MY MANAGEMENT.
SO SOMETIMES WHEN WE GET INTO THESE KIND OF FINANCIAL THINGS, WE HAVE TO, UH, THINK OUT, WE HAVE TO THINK TOUGHLY ON HOW ARE WE GONNA SURVIVE THIS? AND I KNOW THE DISTRICT'S GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING, BUT I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE LOOK AT, LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, UH, REALLY HARD.
UH, AND I THINK IF WE'RE IN, IF WE'RE GONNA RENEGOTIATE, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO EITHER GO ONE DROPOUT, WE'RE GONNA DROP OUT OF IT.
AND I KNOW THAT GIVES US OFFICERS THAT I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE A PLACE TO USE 'EM OR NOT.
SO I BET THERE MAY NEED TO BE A, UH, A TIME PERIOD OF, OF, UH, LOOKING AT THIS PROCESS.
BUT IF, IF YOU WANT TO, IF I WAS GONNA GIVE YOU A SUGGESTION, AND I WILL, IS I THINK I WOULD RENEGOTIATE, RENEGOTIATE THAT MOU AND I WOULD ASK THAT WE HAVE EIGHT OFFICERS THAT ARE, THAT ARE PAID A HUNDRED PERCENT, UH, I'M ASSUMING, PLUS ALL ADDITIONAL COSTS.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING I'M NOT REAL CLEAR ON, IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WE SAY, EVERYTHING IS THAT UNIFORM BULLETS, SHOES, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF PIECES TO THAT.
UH, BUT I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE, UH, LOOK AT INCREASING THAT TO 75% OF THE OTHER, THE REST OF THE EIGHT OF, THERE'S 35 PEOPLE I BELIEVE, INVOLVED IN THIS, UH, SRO PROGRAM.
LEMME SAY THIS, 34 OFFICERS, AND LEMME SAY THIS, I DIDN'T SEE AT THE TIMER, UH, FOR YOU TO BEGIN.
SO I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO TRY TO SUM UP IF YOU CAN.
I THINK THAT WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF WHERE IT IS.
WELL, I'M JUST SUGGESTING YOU LOOK AT THAT AND MAYBE STAGE WHERE EVENTUALLY IN, IN A COUPLE OF YEARS AT THE LEAST OR THE MOST, THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS PICKING UP A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THAT.
THEY HAVE LIKE 60 SOMETHING PEOPLE IN THEIR OWN PROGRAM.
SO IT'S KINDA LIKE WE'RE RUNNING A DUAL SYSTEM.
THE CITY'S RUNNING A SYSTEM, THEY'RE RUNNING A SYSTEM.
SO I THINK FROM A TAXPAYER POINT, THAT'S THIS PROGRAM, THE SRO PROGRAM COULD BE, COULD BE, UH, MANAGED AND DONE MUCH MORE REASONABLE FOR THE CITIZENS WHO ARE PAYING FOR THAT PRODUCT.
LET, MAY I ASK YOU THIS, UH, BEFORE YOU TAKE YOUR SEAT? OKAY.
BASED ON WHAT YOU'VE HEARD COMING FROM THE CHIEF AND FROM THE, UH, CITY MANAGER, ARE,
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ARE YOU OPPOSED TO THEM WORKING THROUGH THIS SITUATION AND BRING IT BACK SUCH THAT WE CAN MAKE DECISIONS AS A RESULT OF WHAT THEY COME BACK WITH? OR ARE YOU STILL SAYING THAT, HEY, I I I'D LIKE FOR THIS AUDIT TO GO FORWARD, AUDIT TO GO FORWARD? NO, I THINK, I THINK THE, IF THERE'S AN AUDIT NEEDED TO, TO, UH, ENTER ALL THE QUESTIONS, BUT I THINK, I DON'T KNOW WHO DOES THE MOU, WHETHER IT'S THE CITY OR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, BUT I THINK THERE NEEDS SOME, SOME BE SOME FINE EYES PUT ON THAT.SO THAT, UH, I MEAN, PART OF THE SRO PROGRAM IS THE, UH, THE SRO OFFICERS, UH, MAY, AND I BELIEVE THE, UH, THE SENIOR STAFF OF THAT, UH, THEY MANAGE THE OTHER SROS WHO WORK OVERTIME FOR THE DISTRICT.
AND, UH, I, I YOU IF YOU KNOW THIS, BUT THERE'S INFORMATION AVAILABLE THROUGH THE DISTRICT OF, UH, OF WHAT THEY'RE PAYING.
AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS FOR, ACCORDING TO THE MOU, UH, ALL OVERTIME IS SUPPOSED TO BE, I GUESS, BACK CHARGED THROUGH THE CITY, AND THEN THE CITY BILLED THEM FOR THAT.
BUT SOME OF THE OFFICERS ARE BEING PAID DIRECTLY, UH, BY THE DISTRICT.
SO I'M NOT SURE HOW WE INTERPRET THE MOU AND THAT, I MEAN, THERE MAY BE SOME THINGS THAT I KNOW THINGS HAPPEN OVER TIME THAT THAT MAY NOT GET PUT IN WRITING.
BUT AGAIN, I, I JUST THINK THERE'S SOME VERY REAL TIGHTENING UP ON THE MOU AND THE FUNCTIONALITY OF IT.
AND I WOULD, AND I WOULD RELISH VISITING WITH THE CHIEF IF, IF HE WOULD LIKE TO, TO GET MY INPUT ON PERHAPS WHAT THE LOOK, I DON'T KNOW HOW, HOW MANY PEOPLE HE HAS LOOKING AT THAT MOU WITH HIM OR HOW THAT PROCESSES WORK.
BUT, UH, THE MANY MINES ARE BETTER THAN ONE I THINK IN, IN GOING THROUGH THIS.
UH, CITY MANAGER YOU'D LIKE TO ADD SOME, SIR.
I, I THINK, UM, COMMITTEE WHAT, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO PUT WORDS IN WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH, MR. DUCKWORTH, BUT I THINK WHAT YOU'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT IS A, IS A POLICY CONTRACT, UM, BUDGET ISSUE, NOT NECESSARILY AN, AN ISSUE THAT AN AUDIT WOULD RESOLVE.
UM, WE PUT FINE EYES ON THE MOU, WE, WE NEGOTIATE THAT TO THE BEST WE CAN, BUT REALLY THE, THE UNDERLYING BUSINESS TERMS OF THE MOU AND THE CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, UM, ARE, ARE WHAT THEY ARE.
AND, AND WE'RE THE RESULT OF GOOD FAITH NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE SCHOOL.
AND WHETHER, WHETHER IT'S A GOOD DECISION TO MAKE IS REALLY FOR THE FULL CITY COUNCIL TO MAKE SURE, AND NOT NECESSARILY FOR, UH, AN AUDIT.
AN AUDIT'S NOT GONNA NECESSARILY CHANGE THINGS.
AN AUDIT WILL SAY, YES, YOU DID, YOU ADMINISTERED THE CONTRACT, RIGHT.
BUT, UH, AS FAR AS WHETHER THAT'S A GOOD DECISION, I WOULD, I WOULD, MR. CHAIR, I'D DEFER OR WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU DEFER IT TO THE BUDGET PROCESS.
IN TERMS OF, UM, LOOKING AT THE, THE QUESTIONS THAT MR. DUCKWORTH, I THINK ASKING, IT'S REALLY A, A CORE ISSUE OF BUDGETING AND CONTRACTING, NOT NECESSARILY, UH, AN AUDIT, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO RETURN TO THE COMMITTEE NOW AND, UH, BELIEVE YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD TO THIS? NO, OTHER THAN, OTHER THAN, UH, BACK TO, TO CHIEF'S COMMENTS.
I THINK, UH, TO ALLOW HIM TO, TO, UH, CONTINUE TO EXPLORE THE OPTIONS AND COME BACK TO FULL COUNSEL WITH, UH, FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, I THINK THAT'S THE BEST, WHICH WOULD WOULD, WHICH MAY INCLUDE, UH, CERTAINLY IF, UH, MR. DUCKWORTH WANTS TO, UH, TOUCH BASE AS CHIEF, THEY COULD BE A PART OF THE EXAMINATION, UH, AND, UH, AND, UH, FINAL RECOMMENDATION.
BUT I THINK THAT, UH, I, I, UH, SUPPORT, UH, THE CHIEF'S FINDINGS ON THIS.
AND I, I DEFINITELY THINK THAT, UH, UH, HE, HE, UM, UH, WILL HAVE YOUR, YOUR EAR AND, AND WELCOME YOUR INPUT AND, AND THEN, UH, THE COUNCIL, UH, WILL GO FROM THERE MM-HMM
SO THAT, THAT WAS MY THOUGHTS.
COUNCIL MINOT, WELL, THAT I WOULD, I WOULD CONCUR WITH THAT ALSO, THAT I, I DO BELIEVE THAT, UM, THAT, UM, THAT MR. DUCKWORTH BRINGING THIS FORWARD HAS, UM, PUT A LIGHT ON IT TO WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE, UM, LOOKING AT THE CONTRACTS AND THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS.
I THINK THAT THAT'LL BE SINGLED OUT AND WE'LL HAVE A LOT OF DETAIL ON IT.
AND I'M CERTAIN THAT THE, SINCE THE CHIEF IS WELCOMED YOUR INPUT ON IT, I, I THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO RESOLVE THIS WITHOUT HAVING A FORMAL AUDIT ON IT.
UH, JED, IF YOU WILL, AT THIS POINT, I THINK YOU HAVE YOUR YEAH.
DIRECTIONS INSTRUCTION ON HOW WE WANNA PROCEED.
WHICH IS, CAN YOU SUMMARIZE WHAT YOU HEARD?
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WELL, MY UNDERSTANDING IS, UM, THIS IS GONNA GO THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS AND CHIEF IS GONNA PROVIDE THE DETAILS FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO MAKE APPROPRIATE, UH, AMENDMENTS OR CHANGES TO THE CONTRACT.OKAY, CHAIRMAN, THE NEXT ITEM IS TO COVER, UH, HIPAA PRIVACY AND SECURITY POLICY IMPLEMENTATION STATUS.
AS YOU MAY REMEMBER, WE DID A BENEFITS, UH, BILLING PROGRAM AUDIT IN 2021.
AND DURING THAT AUDIT, ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATION, UH, THAT WE MADE WAS TO COME UP WITH A HIPAA COMPLIANCE FRAMEWORK AND A TRAINING POLICY.
UH, HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THE CITY ADMINISTRATION, WE WORKED, UH, WITH A NUMBER OF DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING HR, UM, FIRE DEPARTMENT, POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND, AND VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS TO FORMULATE A HIPAA FRAMEWORK AND A POLICY.
MISTY PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THIS ONE, SO SHE ACTUALLY PREPARED A PRESENTATION FOR YOU.
MIKE'S NOT ON, I'M NOT HEARING IT, TESS.
SO MST ACTUALLY, UH, PREPARED A PRESENTATION FOR YOU.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA TURN THIS OVER TO HER AND SHE'S GONNA COVER THE DETAILS.
THANK YOU, UH, FOR YOUR TIME AND ALLOWING ME TO PRESENT THE POLICY.
I'LL BE BRIEF, BUT AT ANY TIME, OBVIOUSLY IF YOU WANT ME TO STOP, WE CAN GO OVER THE DETAILS, BUT THEN ALSO AT THE END, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU STILL HAVE.
SO, UH, FIRST OF ALL, AS FAR AS THE PURPOSE, I THINK JED ALREADY COVERED THIS, AND IT'S ALREADY BEEN BE BEFORE THE COMMITTEE, SO I CAN SKIP MOST OF THIS.
BUT, UM, WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT HOW TO CREATE THE FRAMEWORK, WE MADE SURE TO INCLUDE, AND PRIMARILY, AGAIN, IT WAS WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE MEETING ALL THE REQUIREMENTS FOR HIPAA.
UM, AND THEN WE INCLUDED THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, UH, AS NEEDED.
UM, THE POLICY DOES ADDRESS THE AUDIT FINDINGS FROM THE STANDPOINT OF CLARITY OF ROLES REDUCES IMPROPER PH UH, UH, SORRY, PUBLIC HEALTH INFORMATION EXPOSURE.
UM, IT ADDS TRAINING AND RISK ASSESSMENT EXPECTATIONS AND CREATES A DOCUMENTATION FOR BREACHES AND PROTOCOLS FOR ACCESSING INFORMATION APPROPRIATELY.
AS FAR AS THE KEY TERMS, SO THERE'S SOME DISTINCTIONS THAT ARE MADE IN THIS POLICY.
WE FEEL LIKE THAT, UM, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO THE AUDIT FINDINGS, THERE WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION, UM, AND SOMETIMES IT IS USED INTERCHANGEABLY FOR PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION VERSUS PUBLIC HEALTH INFORMATION.
SO WE MADE SURE TO MAKE THAT DISTINCTION IN THE POLICY SO THAT MOVING FORWARD, IT'S VERY CLEAR WHO ROLE IS WHAT, UM, AND WHY THEY'RE DOING, UM, WHY, WHY THEY HAVE ACCESS TO WHICH PIECES OF INFORMATION.
SO FIRST OF ALL, IT DOES DISTINGUISH THE CITY AS A HYBRID ENTITY, MEANING IT HAS SOME COVERED ENTITIES.
UH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EMS DIVISION IS A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER, SO THEY ARE AN ACTUAL COVERED ENTITY UNDER HIPAA.
IT ALSO, UM, THE CITY INCLUDES COVERED COMPONENTS.
SO THESE ARE THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT EITHER COLLECT OR SOMEHOW WORK WITH PUBLIC HEALTH OR, SORRY, UH, PHI INFORMATION.
SO THAT, UM, THOSE HAVE COVERED COMPONENT COMPONENTS OR FUNCTIONS SUCH AS THE HEALTHCARE PROGRAM, HR RISK, AND IT, UH, ALL UNDER THESE COVERED COMPONENT.
AND THEN IT IDENTIFIES AND EXPLAINS BUSINESS ASSOCIATES.
THESE ARE VENDORS OR CONTRACTORS WHO HANDLE, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH INFORMATION, UM, ON THE CITY'S BEHALF.
THIS IS WHERE THE INTERACTION BETWEEN HR AND, FOR INSTANCE, BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD COME IN.
UM, SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT COVERED DEPARTMENTS, AGAIN, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, EMS DIVISION IS THE ONLY COVERED ENTITY AS A PROVIDER.
AND THEN HUMAN RESOURCES, RISK MANAGEMENT AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ARE COVERED COMPONENTS.
THE POLICY ALSO ADDRESSES CITYWIDE CONCERNS, UM, WITH REGARD TO MEMBER INFORMATION IS PARTICULARLY IF THEY VOLUNTARILY PROVIDE IT TO A DEPARTMENT, HOW ARE WE GONNA MITIGATE THAT RISK AND HANDLE THE, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH INFORMATION CORRECTLY.
AND THEN, UH, THE MANAGEMENT OF THE AGREEMENTS WITH THE BUSINESS ASSOCIATES IS HANDLED IN THE POLICY.
WE OBVIOUSLY CAN'T IN THE POLICY IDENTIFY AND, UM, CREATE A BUNCH OF RESTRICTIONS FOR A CONTRACTOR.
THEY DON'T WORK FOR THE CITY, BUT WE CAN ADDRESS, UM, HOW THOSE AGREEMENTS ARE MANAGED BY THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
SO AS FAR AS IMPROVEMENTS, UM, FOR GOVERNANCE, WE, UH, THE IT DEPARTMENT IDENTIFIES A SECURITY OFFICER, AND THAT'S IN COMPLIANCE WITH HIPAA REGULATIONS.
[00:25:01]
EACH OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE COVERED COMPONENTS, UM, WILL IDENTIFY A DEPARTMENT PRIVACY OFFICER WHO HANDLES THOSE SPECIFIC COMPONENTS FOR THAT DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING THE VULNERABILITY CHECKS AND BALANCES FOR PROCESSES AND HUMAN ERROR.UM, MOSTLY WITH MAN MANAGING AND HANDLING THE, UM, PUBLIC OR THE PRIVATE HEALTH INFORMATION, UH, MANDATED TRAINING BY ROLE.
AND THEN AGAIN THE, UH, BUSINESS ASSOCIATE AGREEMENT MANAGEMENT, UH, FOR RISK MANAGEMENT CONTROLS.
UH, THE POLICY PROHIBITS, UH, PHI EXPOSURE TO THE DEPARTMENTS FROM RISK REPORTS.
SO WE IDENTIFIED A PROBLEM WHERE THE PROVIDERS WERE INCLUDING DIAGNOSIS INFORMATION ON THE REPORTS THAT WERE GOING THROUGH THE DEPARTMENTS, UM, THAT HAS BEEN FIXED.
AND NOW RISK IS REDACTING THAT INFORMATION BEFORE IT EVER GETS TO THE DEPARTMENT LEVEL.
SO WE NO LONGER HAVE THAT VULNERABILITY OF THAT INFORMATION LIVING IN THE DEPARTMENT.
NEXT WE ADDRESS THE BREACH RESPONSES.
UM, SO THESE ARE DEFINED AND CATEGORIZED THROUGH REGULATORY INFORMATION AS FAR AS LOW RISK AND SIGNIFICANT BREACHES.
SO WE MADE THAT CLARIFICATION IN THE POLICY AS WELL.
AND THEN THERE'S A FORMALIZED RESPONSE STRUCTURE, UM, INCLUDING WHICH DEPARTMENTS ARE INVOLVED, UM, THE PRIVACY OFFICERS, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, AND THEN THE SECURITY OFFICER.
SO DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF BREACH AND, UM, THE MAGNITUDE OF THE BREACH DETERMINES WHAT OUR RESPONSE IS, AND THAT'S ALL DOCUMENTED.
UM, AND WITHIN THE TIMEFRAMES THAT ARE, UH, EXPLAINED IN THE REGULATION, WE CENTRALIZE CONTROLS.
SO FOR THE CONTROLS, UH, UNDER THE POLICY, THE DEPARTMENTS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO RELEASE PHI INDEPENDENTLY WITH THE EXCEPTION OF EMS FOR ROUTINE REQUESTS BECAUSE THEY ARE A COVERED PROVIDER.
OTHER THAN THAT, ALL NON-ROUTINE REQUESTS AND THEN MORE INVOLVED COMPLEX REQUESTS GO THROUGH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
AND THEN ON THE IT PORTION, THEY HANDLE AND ENSURE SECURITY FOR SAFE OR DO SAFEGUARDS FOR SYSTEMS AT THE CITY MANAGERS.
UM, ANYTHING THAT'S BEYOND THAT, IF IT'S A SYSTEM THAT IS MANAGED BY A BUSINESS ASSOCIATE, THEN THAT THOSE CONTROLS AND SAFEGUARDS HAVE TO BE IMPLEMENTED THROUGH THE AGREEMENT WITH THAT CONTRACTOR.
INVOLUNTARY, UH, PHI DISCLOSURES BY MEMBERS.
SO THIS WAS ALSO A VULNERABILITY THAT WAS IDENTIFIED WHERE, UM, A DEPARTMENT MAY ASK FOR A NOTE FROM A DOCTOR, BUT THEN WHAT COMES BACK ON THAT NOTE IS ACTUALLY CONSIDERED, UH, PROTECTED INFORMATION.
SO, UH, TO TRY AND CLARIFY THAT, WE CREATED PROCEDURES AND PROCESSES WITHIN THE POLICY WHERE IF A DEPARTMENT, FIRST OF ALL, THE DEPARTMENT'S NOT ALLOWED TO ASK FOR ANYTHING THAT'S PUBLIC HEALTH INFORMATION OR PRIVATE HEALTH INFORMATION, SORRY, UM, GETTING MY ROLES IN PUBLIC HEALTH AND PRIVATE INFORMATION CONFUSED.
BUT ANYWAY, UM, SO FOR IF THE DEPARTMENT NEEDS A NOTE, YES, THEY CAN HAVE A NOTE, BUT IT DOES NOT NEED TO INCLUDE ANY PHI.
AND THEN IF IT DOES AND THEY GET THAT INADVERTENTLY, THEN THEY'RE TO TURN THAT OVER TO EITHER RISK OR HR, DEPENDING ON THE USE OF THE, THE INFORMATION.
AND THEN THEY HAVE TO DISPOSE OF IT SECURELY.
SO SHREDDING BASICALLY, UM, THEY ARE NOT TO PUT THAT OR STORE IT IN THE DEPARTMENT AT ALL ANYMORE.
SO WE FEEL LIKE THAT WAS A WAY TO PREVENT CITY LIABILITY.
AND THEN IMPROPER HANDLING OR RELEASE OF THE INFORMATION JUST, UH, AVOIDS THE STORAGE ISSUE THAT WE WERE CURRENTLY SEEING.
SO WHAT'S NEXT WITH THIS? UM, OBVIOUSLY THE PRESENTATION WAS TO GET QUESTIONS AND FEEDBACK FROM THIS, UH, COMMITTEE ON THE POLICY.
UH, WE WANNA FINALIZE THAT POLICY AT THAT POINT.
WE'LL SEND IT TO THE CITY MANAGER'S, UM, OFFICE FOR FINAL APPROVAL BY THE CITY MANAGER.
AND THEN ONCE EVERYTHING'S APPROVED, IT WOULD GO OUT FOR FULL IMPLEMENTATION RELEASED TO TEAM GARLAND.
THAT I WILL, IS THIS, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO GO THROUGH COUNSEL? NO, IT'S NOT.
NOW THIS, UH, THIS WOULD BE A, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY, UH, ISSUED UNDER THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
YOU'VE HEARD THE REPORT VERY THOROUGH.
I CAN YOU GO BACK SEVERAL SLIDES? OF COURSE.
CAN YOU, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE GOVERNANCE PIECE OF THAT? THE, THE, THE SECURITY OFFICER AND THE PRIVACY OFFICERS MM-HMM
SO FOR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION UNDER HIPAA, UM, IT, THERE ARE SEVERAL REGULATIONS, UH, THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE CODE.
[00:30:01]
TO HAVE A SECURITY OFFICER.THAT SECURITY OFFICER IS DESIGNATED TO MOSTLY SAFEGUARD THE ELECTRONIC, UH, PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION.
SO IF WE HAVE A SYSTEM THAT STORES INFORMATION, FOR INSTANCE, OR TO PROTECT IT FROM CYBER ATTACK, UM, THAT'S IT'S ROLE.
SO IT CONTROLS THE ACCESS TO THOSE SYSTEMS, UM, WITH, IN COORDINATION WITH THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ACCESS THEM.
BUT BASICALLY, DEPENDING ON THE PERSON'S JOB ROLE, IT WILL DETERMINE THEIR ACCESS LEVEL.
AND THEN IT CONTROLS THAT, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT NOT JUST EVERYBODY HAS ACCESS TO ALL THE SYSTEMS. UM, SO THEY ARE REALLY ON THE TECHNOLOGY PIECE OR THE ELECTRONIC PIECE, THE STORAGE PIECE, THAT'S THE SECURITY OFFICER'S ROLE FOR THE DEPARTMENT PRIVACY OFFICERS, THAT'S VERY SPECIFIC TO THE DEPARTMENT.
SO FOR INSTANCE, THE EMS DIVISION AS A COVERED ENTITY HAS FAR MORE HIPAA RESTRICTIONS THAN ANY OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
SO THEIR PRIVACY OFFICER IS GONNA BE MUCH BUSIER, UM, WITH REGARD TO WHAT THEY HAVE TO PROTECT.
BUT OVERALL, THOSE FOUR POINTS, THE ACCESS OVERSIGHT, ACCESS OVERSIGHT BY STAFF, UM, BREACH RESPONSE.
SO IF THERE IS ANY TYPE OF BREACH, UH, WE IDENTIFY THE LEVEL AND WHO NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED AND WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN WITH THAT BREACH.
UM, WHO IS RESPONSIBLE OR WHO NEEDS TO TAKE TRAINING BASED ON THEIR ACCESS LEVEL.
AND THEN FINALLY DOING VULNERABILITY CHECKS PERIODICALLY AND MAKING SURE THAT IF THERE IS ANY, UH, INADVERTENT RELEASES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THAT WE MITIGATE THOSE.
SO THAT IS THE FUNCTION OF THOSE DEPARTMENT PRIVACY OFFICERS.
HOW MUCH WORK THEY HAVE, DEPENDS ON WHICH DEPARTMENT THEY WORK IN.
UH, THE EMS DIVISION, THAT'S FULL-TIME POSITION PROBABLY, UM, FOR OTHER DEPARTMENTS IS IT'S AN ADDITIONAL DUTY, HONESTLY, THAT THEY'RE PROBABLY ALREADY PERFORMING.
THAT'S CURRENTLY, UH, IS IT CURRENTLY STAFFED OR IS THAT, UH, A WISH LIST? NO, IT'S, THESE ARE, UM, THESE WOULD BE ROLES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ALREADY EXIST.
THEY JUST, UM, WE ARE FORMALIZING WHAT WE'RE CALLING THAT POSITION.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE A POSITION, A FULL-TIME POSITION FOR THESE DEPARTMENTS.
UM, RISK, FOR INSTANCE, IT'S FROM TALKING TO JULIE WATMAN, THE DIRECTOR OF RISK.
IT WILL BE ONE OF HER DUTIES TO PERFORM THESE FUNCTIONS AS THE PRIVACY.
AND THE SECOND QUESTION IS, WHO DETERMINES THE CONTENT? UH, WHEN A, UM, AN EMPLOYEE IS, UH, RE REQUESTED TO PRESENT A LETTER FROM THE DOCTOR? CAN YOU, CAN YOU, UM, GIMME AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THAT PROCESS WOULD WORK? UH, LET ME MAKE SURE I ANSWER.
UH, I HOPE I ANSWER YOUR QUESTION CORRECTLY.
SO, IF A PERSON, FOR INSTANCE, IS OUT SICK MM-HMM
AND THE DEPARTMENT NEEDS AN EXCUSE OR A NOTE MM-HMM
THEN WHAT THAT NOTE FROM THE PROVIDER, ALL IT NEEDS TO SAY IS, YES, THEY WERE UNDER MY CARE AND, UH, IT WAS THESE DATES OR WHATEVER, OR THEY ARE, HAVE RESTRICTED DUTY OR WHATEVER THE LIMITATIONS ARE.
IT DOESN'T NEED TO PROVIDE ANY DIAGNOSIS INFORMATION OR ANY SECURE HEALTH INFORMATION.
UM, A LOT OF TIMES WHAT WE WERE SEEING IS THAT THE NOTES THAT WERE COMING FROM THE PROVIDERS VOLUNTARILY HAD THAT INFORMATION, WHICH IS THE REASON WHY IT'S ADDRESSED IN THE POLICY.
AND AT THIS POINT, IF, IF THEY COME BACK AND SAY, WELL, THIS PERSON WAS OFF BECAUSE OF BACK PAIN OR WHATEVER THE PROBLEM IS, UM, THAT WOULD BE, WE DON'T WANT THE, THE INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR HEALTH DIAGNOSIS.
SO ALL THE HEALTH CODES, THE DIAGNOSIS CODES, ET CETERA, WE DON'T WANT THAT ON THOSE DOCTOR'S NOTES THAT COME IN.
UM, SIMILARLY, THE CLAIM INFORMATION FOR INJURIES, THAT IS WHAT WE WERE SEEING IS THAT THE PROVIDERS WERE PUTTING THE DIAGNOSIS CODES ON THOSE DOCUMENTS.
UM, AND SO THAT'S THE REASON FOR THE PURPOSEFUL REDACTION OF THAT INFORMATION SO THAT IT DOESN'T MAKE IT TO THE DEPARTMENT.
AND, AND MY LAST QUESTION IS, IS TO THE CITY MANAGER WHO, WHO WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE THAT THE, UH, ONLY THE, THAT NEEDED INFORMATION IS, LET'S SAY IF A DOCTOR NEEDS A STATEMENT ON ME, ON ME RIGHT TO BEFORE IT GOES TO, UH, TO THAT EMPLOYEE THAT THAT, UH, THAT INFORMATION IS CONSISTENT WITH ACROSS THE BOARD IN THE POLICY? MISTY, DO YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT ONE? SURE.
SO I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S GOING TO BE, BECAUSE THOSE NOTES COME FROM THE PERSON THEMSELVES, THEN IT WOULD BE UP TO THAT PERSON TO DETERMINE OR HOPEFULLY ENSURE THAT IT DID NOT INCLUDE THEIR PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION.
NOW, WHAT ARE THEIR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION? WOULD THEY GIVE THAT NOTE? IS THAT WHO NOT TO INTERRUPT HERE?
[00:35:01]
OKAY.WHO WOULD I, AS AN EMPLOYEE, WOULD I, WHO WOULD, IF, IF, IF, IF, UH, MY SUPERVISOR SAYS, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO HAVE A DOCTOR'S NOTE, WHO WOULD I EXPLAIN TO ME THE, THE STEPS THAT WOULD GO IN ORDER TO, FOR ME TO, FOR, FOR, FOR YOU TO UH, UH, UH, DEVELOP THE DOCUMENT THAT, THAT, THAT, UH, UH, UH, SUPERVISOR NEEDS? AND SO I ASKED THE EMPLOYEE, THEN DO YOU HAND IT TO ME? ALRIGHT, NOW I TAKE IT BACK AND CASE CLOSE SOMEBODY, SOMEBODY HELP ME.
SO JUST, I WANNA JUST GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, CLARIFICATION.
SO WHERE WE HAVE RUN INTO GAPS WITH THIS, UH, ON THE EMPLOYEE SIDE AS FAR AS PROVIDING INFORMATION TO THEIR DEPARTMENTS IS NOT SO MUCH THE RETURN TO WORK NOTICES, RIGHT? THEY'RE GETTING THESE FROM MEDICAL PROVIDERS.
THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, PHI GUIDELINES THAT THEY'RE FOLLOWING.
WHAT WE SEE AS FAR AS GAPS MOST OFTEN IS AN EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN OUT ON SOME TYPE OF FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE.
UM, WE OUTSOURCE THAT FOR VERY SPECIFIC REASONS BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO, UM, BE HANDLING WITHIN HR PEOPLE'S PHI, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE AN EXTERNAL VENDOR THAT HANDLES ALL OF OUR REGULATORY LEAVE, LIKE FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE.
AND SO AS A PART OF THAT OUTSOURCING PARTNERSHIP, THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE THROUGH THE EMPLOYEES, UM, APPROVAL.
THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR GATHERING MEDICAL INFORMATION CERTIFICATION FOR THEM TO COME BACK TO WORK.
BUT BECAUSE EMPLOYEES ARE SO ACCUSTOMED TO, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN OUT WITH THE FLU AND HERE'S MY DOCTOR'S NOTE, THEY'RE ACCUSTOMED TO SHARING THAT KIND OF INFORMATION WITH THEIR DEPARTMENTS THAT REALLY DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING OTHER THAN A RETURN TO WORK DATE.
WE HAVE HAD INSTANCES OF EMPLOYEES PROVIDING, I'VE BEEN ON FMLA, HERE'S MY FMLA PAPERWORK TO RETURN, AND THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
SO, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE ANYTHING ELSE THAT IS NEW, IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE SOME TRAINING.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO, IN ADDITION TO THE PRIVACY OFFICERS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO EDUCATE THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS AND THE ADMINS AROUND WHAT THEY CAN AND CANNOT HANDLE.
UM, BUT WHEN THEY ARE PRESENTED WITH A SITUATION LIKE THAT WHERE AN EMPLOYEE IS COMING AND MAYBE PROVIDING SOMETHING THAT IS OUTSIDE OF THE SCOPE OF A SIMPLE RETURN TO WORK NOTICE, THEY SHOULD BE REDIRECTING THEM TO OUR OUTSOURCING LEAVE PARTNER.
THAT'S WHERE ALL OF THAT TYPE OF INFORMATION IS STORED.
SO THAT THE GOAL IS, UM, MAKING SURE THE DE THAT THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS AND THEIR ADMINISTRATORS ARE TRAINED, REINFORCING THAT WITH THE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE ON LEAVE, WHICH THEY ALREADY GET INFORMATION AROUND HOW THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO SUBMIT THIS INFORMATION.
UM, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, CONTINUING TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
BUT IT'S, IT'S NOT THAT I'M COMING BACK TO GIVE A DOCTOR'S NOTE TO SAY I'M, YOU KNOW, RETURNING AFTER A SIMPLE ILLNESS.
IT'S MORE OF THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN ON MORE PROTECTED OR REGULATORY LEAVE, NOT FULLY UNDERSTANDING HOW WE PARTNER WITH OUR LEAVE MANAGEMENT PARTNER VERSUS THE DEPARTMENT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT GAVE YOU MORE QUESTIONS OR ANSWERS.
IT GAVE, IT CREATED A LOT OF QUESTIONS, BUT OKAY.
BUT I WON'T, I WON'T HOLD YOU.
UM, BUT MR. MANAGER, IS THAT THE TRAINING THAT SHE REFERRED TO, IS THAT GONNA BE A PART OF THE, THE, THIS INITIATIVE AND GOING FORWARD, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THE, THE TRAINING THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN HAPPENS WITH THE EMPLOYEES OR THEIR SUPERVISORS THAT, THAT, THAT NEED TO HAPPEN? THAT WHAT WILL, WILL, WILL THE TRAINING WILL FORMALIZE CLASSES OR, OR SESSIONS OR HOWEVER YOU, WHAT DO YOU WANNA CALL IT? OKAY.
TO BE SURE THAT, THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT THAT, THAT, UM, THEY, THEY'VE AT LEAST HAVE BEEN INFORMED AND KNOW THE SCOPE OF THEIR AUTHORITY AND THE DOS AND DON'T.
HOW DO I ASK? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YES.
UM, WE'LL, WE'LL DO THINGS CONSISTENT WITH THE POLICY THAT'S GONNA BE ADOPTED.
AND WHO WILL HAVE THE, HAVE THE LEAD ON THAT AS FAR AS THE TRAINING GOES? YES.
UH, I THINK IT'S GONNA INVOLVE SEVERAL, IT'S HR, MISTY'S GONNA DO SOME OF IT WITH THE TEAM.
UM, PROBABLY GONNA BE SOME OTHERS INVOLVED AS FAR AS DIRECTORS AND AND SUPERVISORS AS WELL.
AND CAN I ALSO ADD, UM, CITY MANAGER THAT WHEN AN EMPLOYEE GOES ON ANY TYPE OF REGULATORY LEAVE, IT STARTS REALLY KIND OF A COMMUNICATION CHAIN.
SO THAT EMPLOYEE IS GETTING INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE, THEIR DIRECT MANAGER IS RECEIVING GUIDANCE AND WE ON THE HR SIDE ARE FOLLOWING UP WITH BOTH PARTIES AS WELL AS OUR, OUR VENDOR.
SO THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR REINFORCEMENT.
[00:40:01]
YOUR EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR REGULATORY LEAVE AS A PART OF THAT PROCESS, HERE ARE THE CITY'S HIPAA GUIDELINES.BE SURE IF THE EMPLOYEE ATTEMPTS TO PRESENT YOU WITH ANY INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, UNDER THESE GUIDELINES THAT THEY ARE THEN REDIRECTED TO OUR LEAVE MANAGEMENT PARTNER.
SO YES, THE INITIAL TRAINING, SO THE DEPARTMENTS UNDERSTAND AND HAVE THAT EX EXPECTATION, BUT, YOU KNOW, HAVING THAT REINFORCEMENT WHEN THEY'RE ACTUALLY FACED WITH THAT SCENARIO, I THINK WE HAVE, UM, GOOD AVENUES TO BE ABLE TO, UH, CONTINUE THAT TRAINING.
WELL, UH, I GUESS THIS IS A VERY DETAILED AND WELL THOUGHT OUT, UM, PROGRAM THAT YOU HAVE.
AND, UM, BY IMPLEMENTING THIS, WILL IT PUT US AHEAD OF THE REGULATORY AND LIABILITY CURVE? I'M, I'M SURE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AHEAD OF THE CURVE.
UM, I THINK IT MAKES US COMPLIANT OKAY.
UM, AND THAT'S BASED OFF OF OUR WORK WITH LEGAL, UM, TO CREATE THE POLICY IN THE FIRST PLACE.
SO IT VERY DEFINITELY, I, YOU KNOW, WE LOOKED AT WAYS TO MITIGATE THE RISK.
I THINK IT DOES HELP US MITIGATE THE RISK OF WHAT WE KNOW TO BE EXPOSURE, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN, ANY OF US CAN GET AHEAD OF THE CURVE ON THE LEGAL PIECE, BUT, UM, IT DOES TAKE A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND, UM, THIS, I'M SURE WE'LL NEED TO GET REVISITED IN THE FUTURE.
HOW OFTEN DO WE REVIEW IT? ONCE A YEAR.
EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS WELL START.
SO WITH THIS NEW POLICY, UM, THIS WILL BE AN, AN INTERIM POLICY THAT'LL GO OUT THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER, UM, AS SOON AS IT'S APPROVED.
AND, UM, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF REDOING ALL OF OUR CITY POLICIES, UH, WITH THAT SYSTEM, UM, WHICH IS SCHEDULED TO BE LIVE JANUARY 1ST OF 26.
SO WITH THAT SYSTEM, EVERY POLICY GETS REVIEWED EVERY YEAR OR AS NEEDED.
SO IF IT HAS TO HAVE AN UPDATE BETWEEN, UH, REVIEW CYCLES, THAT'S FINE.
IT CAN BE UPDATED AND THEN REPUBLISHED, AND THEN EVERYONE GETS NOTICES OF IT.
ADDITIONALLY, WE CAN TRACK TRAINING AND THINGS LIKE THAT THROUGH THAT NEW SYSTEM.
BUT THE, FOR THE INTERIM POLICY, UM, HONESTLY, THIS ONE MAY NOT GET REVISITED UNLESS WE FIND A MISTAKE WITH IT BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN WE RELEASE THE NEW SYSTEM.
BUT BEYOND THAT, AFTER JANUARY 1ST, THEY WOULD BE REVISITED EVERY YEAR.
AND OF COURSE, ANYTIME LEGISLATION CHANGES, WE HAVE TO GO IN AND REVIEW AND ADJUST POLICY, DO TWEAKS AND EVERYTHING.
ANYONE ELSE COMMENT ON THIS, AND WE'LL GET TO YOU IN JUST A MOMENT.
MY QUESTION IS, UM, WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR ACTUALLY ENFORCING THE PROGRAM? AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS I SEE THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF TRAINING, WE HAVE A LOT OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND RESPONSIBLE, BUT WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR ACTUALLY ENFORCING AND IDENTIFYING THAT A BREACH HAS OCCURRED OR WHOEVER THE CASE MAY BE? SO WITH REGARD TO ACTUALLY IDENTIFYING BREACHES SPECIFICALLY, THAT IS GOING TO BE, UH, WITH THE PRIVACY OFFICERS AND THE SECURITY OFFICER, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF BREACH.
SO FOR INSTANCE, UM, A CYBERSECURITY PROBLEM WOULD CREATE POTENTIALLY A LARGE BREACH.
UM, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THE CYBERSECURITY OFFICER, UM, WHICH IS ALSO THE SECURITY OFFICER WOULD DO RISK ANALYSIS FOR.
BUT THEN, UM, WHEN THEY IDENTIFY A BREACH, THEY ALSO WORK WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO IDENTIFY WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN WITH THAT BREACH.
BECAUSE DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE BREACH, SOME OF THEM REQUIRE, UH, PUBLIC NOTICES, FOR INSTANCE.
WE WOULDN'T DO THAT ON EVERYTHING, BUT IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S AN INCIDENTAL BREACH, IT'S ONE THING.
BUT IF IT'S A LARGE CYBERSECURITY INCIDENT THAT OCCURS AND RELEASES A LOT OF INFORMATION, THEN WHO, UM, IDENTIFIES THAT AS THE SECURITY OFFICER? UM, SPECIFICALLY WITHIN THE DEPARTMENTS, IT'S THE PRIVACY OFFICER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO LOOK AT NOT ONLY VULNERABILITIES OF THE PROCESS GOING FORWARD, BUT IDENTIFYING, UH, BREACHES OR INFORMATION, UM, THAT GETS RELEASED.
BEYOND THAT, IT'S, UH, REALLY UP TO THE DEPARTMENTS.
UM, IF THEY GET INFORMATION TO IDENTIFY THAT IT'S, UM, THAT THEY'VE GOTTEN INFORMATION INCORRECTLY AND THEN TAKE THE PROPER ACTIONS TO, TO MANAGE IT.
SO THAT'S NOT A BREACH, THAT DOESN'T COUNT AS A BREACH IF THEY GET VOLUNTARY INFORMATION, FOR INSTANCE, FROM AN EMPLOYEE, BUT THEY'RE HELD RESPONSIBLE AND ACCOUNTABLE FOR ACTUALLY FOLLOWING THE STEPS IN HOW TO MANAGE THAT INFORMATION IF THEY DO GET IT BY MISTAKE OR VOLUNTARILY.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT ANY ONE PERSON IS GONNA BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY POLICY, BUT IN THIS CASE, WE HAVE MULTIPLE CHECKS AND BALANCES OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND, UM, MAINTAINING THE, THE CONSISTENCY WITH THE POLICY.
BUT IT STARTS AT THE DEPARTMENT LEVEL.
UM, AND THEN THE PRIVACY OFFICERS
[00:45:01]
AND THEN THE SECURITY OFFICER, I, I'LL ADD TO THAT, ULTIMATELY THE BUCK STOPS RIGHT HERE WITH THE CITY MANAGER.THIS IS THE POLICY I ISSUE, AND ULTIMATELY IT'S UP TO ME AND MY OFFICE TO ADMINISTER IT AND MAKE SURE IT'S ENFORCED, UH, WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.
UH, IT'S A VERY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT.
UH, I, I GUESS MY CONCERNS BECOME AS A MEDICARE SPECIALIST, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DEAL WITH, OF COURSE, IS HIPAA.
AND, UH, WE DEAL WITH THE, I THINK IT'S A SITUATION OF WHERE YOU'VE ALREADY SAID THAT EVERY DEPARTMENT'S NOT GONNA HAVE, OF COURSE, A PRIVACY OFFICER.
I MEAN, THAT WOULD BE JUST GREAT TO EVEN TRY THAT.
I I'M JUST, IT'S NOW THE CYBER YEAH.
BUT I'M JUST WONDERING HOW YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO CATCH, UH, THESE INCIDENTALS, UH, BECAUSE THEY HAPPEN ALL THE TIME.
I MEAN, IT HAPPENS EVERYWHERE, UM, IN THE WAY OF YOUR ENFORCEMENT, SO YOU'RE RIGHT.
IT, IT, IT REALLY FALLS TO YOU TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT THE PROGRAM'S ENFORCED PROPERLY.
UH, I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT IT, BUT, UH, I'M, I'M, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE HAPPY WITH IT, MR. THE CITY MANAGER,
YEAH, NO, THIS IS, UH, WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME WORKING ON THIS AND I, I THINK WE NEED TO REWIND AND, AND I APPRECIATE WHAT KRISTEN DID, WHICH WAS, REMIND US WHERE THIS ORIGINATED.
UH, THIS CAME OUT OF A BENEFITS AUDIT, UH, THAT, THAT JED AND HIS TEAM CONDUCTED AND, UH, AS THEY DID IN THAT AUDIT THEY COULD DO IN THE FUTURE, WHICH IS HELP, HELP MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, UH, NOT AT RISK IN CERTAIN AREAS, IDENTIFY AREAS THAT WE ARE AT RISK WHEN IT COMES TO HIPAA COMPLIANCE.
AND SO I, I, I THINK THERE'S A PARTNERSHIP THERE AS FAR AS, NOT FROM AN ENFORCEMENT STANDPOINT, BUT JUST FROM A VULNERABILITY STANDPOINT, BEING AWARE OF WHAT RISKS ARE OUT THERE, UH, WHERE PHI IS, IS TAKING PLACE, IS ADMINISTERED, AND, AND, UH, REALLY, I, I THINK AUDIT CAN HELP US WITH THIS FROM TIME TO TIME.
AND I'M NOTICING TOO, THERE'S, I, I HEAR PHI, BUT I DON'T HEAR ANY PHII.
UH, SO THIS IS JUST A PHI POLICY.
IT'S ANY, ANY HEALTH INFORMATION, IT'S ANY HEALTH INFORMATION.
BUT THERE IS EVENTUALLY THERE, THERE'S GONNA END UP BEING TWO POLICIES.
UM, AND WE MAY END UP COMBINING THEM, BUT ONE WILL BE FOR PII, THE OTHER IS PHI.
UM, AND THERE'LL BE COMBINED INTO ONE POLICY.
BUT FOR NOW, THIS ONE WAS SPECIFICALLY TO ADDRESS THE, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, RELATED TO THE AUDIT AND WHAT THE CITY MANAGER COMMITTED TO, AND MAKING SURE WE HAD A FRAMEWORK TO FOLLOW.
SO THIS IS THE FIRST STEP IN DEVELOPING THAT FRAMEWORK.
AND THEN IMPLEMENTATION OBVIOUSLY IS THE NEXT PIECE.
AND THEN WE'LL LOOK AT OTHER VULNERABILITIES AS THEY COME UP.
CHAIRMAN, ME AND MISTY TALKED ABOUT IT BRIEFLY YESTERDAY.
UH, AND I THINK, UM, SHE INCLUDED, UM, THAT LAST, THE UNDER NUMBER TWO, THE LAST BULLET, UH, RISK CHECK AND BALANCE PROCESS AND HUMAN ERROR.
UH, SO PERIODIC RISK ASSESSMENT, EACH PRIVACY OFFICER WILL BE CONDUCTING THAT WITHIN THEIR AREAS.
AND I THINK ONE MORE THING WE POTENTIALLY COULD, UH, INCLUDE AS PART OF THIS IS PROBABLY A REPORTING MECHANISM.
MAYBE, UM, AN EMPLOYEE'S AWARE OF A-P-P-H-I, UH, VIOLATION OR HAVE A CONCERN MAYBE AS PART OF THE TRAINING.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONCE THEY KNOW, UM, YOU CAN CALL THE PRIVACY OFFICER AND REPORT THAT.
AND SO I THINK THAT WILL, YEAH, THE REPORTING IS IMPORTANT ALSO.
HOW DO, HOW DO YOU REPORT IT? DO YOU REPORT IT TO, AND, AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
AND DON'T GET ME WRONG, WHEN I READ IT, IT'S, IT'S A VERY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
THERE'S JUST A LOT OF THINGS THAT I'M NOT SEEING THAT YOU MAY WANT TO, UH, TO REVIEW.
SO, AND, BUT IF YOU'RE, YOU'RE THE, YEAH, AND I GOTTA, I GOTTA GIVE THEM CREDIT, ESPECIALLY MISTY AND CHRISTIAN AND, UH, EVERYONE WHO, WHO WORKED UNDER THIS, I KNOW THIS TOOK THEM AT ALL.
IT IT IS, UH, I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN OT.
IT IS A VERY COMPREHENSIVE, UM, I'M EXTREMELY PLEASED AND THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING PARTS.
OUR ORGANIZATION IS VERY COMPLEX.
UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT HAVE THEIR OWN REQUIREMENTS.
UM, HR HAS DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS.
SO, UH, TO PUT ALL OF THAT INTO ONE POLICY, IT'S DIFFICULT.
UH, BUT THEY DID THE BEST, I FEEL LIKE.
AND AS MISTY SAID, UH, THIS IS GOING TO BE AN INVOLVEMENT.
UH, YOU, WE CURRENTLY HAVE A DESIGN.
NOW THE NEXT STEP IS TO IMPLEMENT IT AND WE'RE GONNA LEARN NEW THINGS AND WE'RE GONNA UPDATE THE POLICY AND THEN CONTINUE TO MONITOR.
[00:50:01]
ABOUT IT TO THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE MOVING.ANYONE? MR. DUCKWORTH? NOT ON THIS ONE.
THE NEXT ITEM IS THE PARKING ENFORCEMENT, UM, AUDIT, UM, THAT WE DID.
AND, UH, IF YOU REMEMBER BACK IN DECEMBER, 2024 IS WHEN WE ISSUED THIS REPORT.
AND THE COMMITTEE, UH, WAS VERY INTERESTED IN THIS PROGRAM.
AND OBVIOUSLY THE PROGRAM WAS VERY EFFECTIVELY MANAGED BY OUR CITY MARSHAL'S OFFICE.
UH, HOWEVER, WHEN WE DID THE AUDIT, WE DID HAVE, UM, TO FURTHER ENHANCE THE PROGRAM, WE DID HAVE A NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THE CITY MARSHALL, UH, I GOTTA BE HONEST WITH YOU, UH, HE BARELY GOT SIX MONTHS.
I FEEL LIKE HE PUTS A LOT OF THINGS TOGETHER.
HE WAS HARDWORKING AND NOT HARDLY WORKING, BUT HE WAS, HE WAS WORKING HARD.
AND, AND, AND SO YOU WILL SEE THAT TODAY.
AND, UM, AND HE, MR. CITY MARSHALL CAN CORRECT ME, BUT I THINK WHAT THEY HAVE DONE, AGAIN, IS PUT A VERY GOOD DESIGN IN PLACE.
UH, AND HE IMPLEMENTED SOME OF THOSE DESIGN AS WELL.
BUT THERE ARE A FEW, UM, IMPLEMENTATION THAT IS YET TO TAKE PLACE.
AND, AND HE'S GONNA COVER THAT AND HE WILL NEED SOME INPUTS FROM YOU AS WELL.
SO, WITHOUT ME GOING OVER THE DETAILS, I'M GONNA TURN THIS OVER TO HIM AND HE'S GONNA COVER THE DETAILS.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON CHAIR, UH, COMMITTEE AFTERNOON AND MY DISTINGUISHED COLLEAGUES, UH, I DON'T NEED TO CORRECT JUDD.
I'VE WORKED VERY HARD AND PUT TOGETHER A LOT OF GOOD STUFF HERE.
UM, SO I, I PUT A LITTLE PRESENTATION TOGETHER TO HELP GUIDE US THROUGH THIS.
UM, WHAT I TRIED TO DO IS I WENT BACK THROUGH THE AUDIT AND I TRIED TO CATEGORIZE THE DIFFERENT AREAS THAT I WAS ASKED TO, UH, WORK ON.
AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE HERE.
UM, I'M GONNA START REAL GENERAL AND TRY TO DRILL INTO IT.
UH, IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION, JUST LET ME KNOW.
UH, SO YOU ALL, IF YOU RECALL IN DECEMBER, YOU SAID YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE ME BACK IN JUNE, HERE I AM.
ALRIGHT, THE SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS IN DECEMBER, UH, THERE WERE 22 RECOMMENDED ACTION ITEMS. UH, MAYBE 21.
ONE OF 'EM KIND COVERED TWO DIFFERENT AREAS, EIGHT RELATED TO, WE NEEDED A WRITTEN POLICY.
WE ACTUALLY DID SOME TRAINING ON IT.
I HAD MY PARKING DEPUTIES COME IN AND WE TRAINED ON THE SOP.
I WILL TELL YOU IT'S NOT COMPLETED AND THE FACT THAT I WILL CONTINUE TO REVISE IT, I'M GONNA CONSIDER IT A, A LIVING DOCUMENT THAT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO CHANGE AS WE WORK THROUGH THESE NEW PROCEDURES WE'VE PUT IN PLACE.
THERE WERE SIX REQUIRED DEPARTMENTAL PROCEDURAL CHANGES, THREE POSSIBLE ORDINANCE REVISIONS, THREE VENDOR UPDATES, AND TWO SOFTWARE CHANGES, WHICH IS ALSO VENDOR UPDATES.
BASICALLY FIVE THINGS THAT WE WE'RE RELYING ON OUR VENDOR ARE, THEY'RE CALLED TWO SITE OR T TWO SYSTEMS TO HELP US WITH.
AS OF JUNE 17TH, 18 OF THE 22 RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE BEEN RESOLVED IN SOME FORM.
I'M GONNA TELL YOU, THEY ALL ARE GOING TO SATISFY YOU.
UH, BUT WE HAVE RESOLVED THEM THE BEST WE CAN.
UH, PRIOR TO THE DECEMBER MEETING, THREE OF THOSE WERE RESOLVED.
WE, WE MADE A CHANGE TO OUR SOFTWARE SETTING.
UH, WE DID A VENDOR PERFORMANCE ISSUE ADDRESSED IN JANUARY.
IN FEBRUARY, I MADE ONE OF THE PROCEDURAL CHANGES.
AND THEN IN MARCH I WORKED WITH THE VENDOR AND RESOLVED THREE MORE ITEMS THERE.
UH, APRIL IS WHEN I ACTUALLY COMPLETED THIS WRITTEN.
SOP WE HAVE NOW IT'S ABOUT 60 SOMETHING PAGES LONG AT THE MOMENT, AND THEN WE TRAINED ON IT.
AND THAT COVERED SEVEN OF THE ITEMS. AND THEN APRIL WE HAD ANOTHER PROCEDURAL CHANGE.
TWO, ACTUALLY THEY'RE IN APRIL.
SO WE HAVE FOUR OUTSTANDING ITEMS, BASICALLY.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THREE OF THOSE DEAL WITH ORDINANCE REVISIONS AND ONE PROCEDURAL CHANGE.
UH, SO THIS DRILLS DOWN A LITTLE DEEPER INTO WHAT THE, UH, EIGHT WRITTEN PROCEDURES WERE.
WE, WE CREATED A PROCEDURE TO TIMELY MAKE AND FILE ORDERS OF LIABILITY FOR THE UNPAID TICKETS.
IF YOU RECALL, IN DECEMBER, THERE WERE THE, THE ORDERS HADN'T ACTUALLY BEEN FILED.
WE'VE CAUGHT UP WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SOME OF THE OLDER ONES, WHICH I'VE BEEN WAITING ON A COPIER.
I ORDERED THE COPIER IN JANUARY.
I'M HAPPY TO REPORT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE HERE BY THE END OF THE WEEK,
BUT ONCE WE GET THIS COPIER, UH, WE ARE GOING TO PRINT UP THE, THE BIGGEST PORTION OF THE OLDER ORDERS OF LIABILITY AND THE ORDER OF LIABILITY WHERE EITHER SOMEONE DIDN'T SHOW UP FOR THEIR HEARING.
SO WE DIDN'T ACTUALLY ISSUE THE ORDER WHEN WE SHOULD HAVE.
AND WE, WE'VE GONE BACK AND WE'RE WORKING ON THAT.
UM, SO AS SOON AS WE GET THE XEROX COPIER IN OUR OFFICE, WE'RE GONNA PRINT UP THOSE AND MAIL THEM OUT THE DOOR.
THEN THEY'LL BE FILED WITH THE CITY
[00:55:01]
SECRETARY.UM, WE CREATED A PROCEDURE FOR PERIODICALLY REVIEWING THE TICKET DATA ENTRY ACCURACY, AND TO ENSURE LATE FEES ARE APPLIED CORRECTLY.
A PROCEDURE FOR PROCESSING PARTIAL AND OVERPAYMENTS A PROCEDURE TO ENSURE ALL PAYMENTS ARE APPLIED TO TICKETS IN A TIMELY AND ACCURATE MANNER.
A PROCEDURE FOR SEMI-ANNUAL REVIEW OF USER RIGHTS TO THE SYSTEM, A PROCEDURE CREATED AND TRAINING CONDUCTED ON CAPTURING PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE VIOLATIONS.
SPECIFICALLY THE AUDIT, THEY FOUND SOME OF OUR VIOLATIONS DIDN'T CONTAIN THE VI THE, A PICTURE OF THE VIOLATION ITSELF.
IF YOU LOOK AT OUR, OUR ORDINANCE, IT SAYS A PICTURE OF THE VIOLATION WILL BE ON THE TICKET.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
AND THEN A PROCEDURE WAS CREATED TO FORMALIZE ALL THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES RELATED TO THE PARKING PROGRAM.
ALL THOSE THINGS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AND THEY'RE ALL PART OF THE SOP.
UM, HOW'S IT GOING? I ASKED LIEUTENANT ARNOLD THIS AFTERNOON.
I WANTED TO GET THE MOST RECENT UP TO DATE.
HE'S ACTUALLY REVIEWING VOIDED TICKETS, FOR EXAMPLE, ON A WEEKLY BASIS.
WE'RE IN THE SOPI SAID IT'D BE A MONTHLY BASIS.
SO EVERY WEEK HE SEES ANY VOIDED TICKETS THAT ANY OF THE DEPUTIES HAVE DONE AND HE REVIEWS IT.
HE'S ALSO DOING A WEEKLY, UM, SPOT CHECK ON DIFFERENT TICKETS AND, AND LOOKING FOR THE PHOTOGRAPHS.
HE SAID THAT WE'VE GOTTEN BETTER, BUT HE'S STILL FINDING ON OCCASION WHERE A FINGER OR THUMB LOCK THE PICTURE AND HE'S WORKING WITH THE DEPUTIES ON THAT.
UH, THE OTHER AUDITS, WE, WE CHECK THE SYSTEM FOR OUR USER ENTITLEMENTS.
WE, WE DID IT BACK IN DECEMBER, JANUARY, WE, WE'VE DONE IT AGAIN.
OR I SAY USER ENTITLEMENTS, USER PERMISSIONS WITHIN THE SYSTEM AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE STILL WHERE THEY NEED TO BE.
UH, WE HAVE BETTER CONTROL ON THAT.
NOW MOVING ON TO SOME OF THE PROCEDURAL CHANGES.
UH, UPDATED EIGHT CITATION RECORDS AND REFUNDED OVERPAYMENTS.
SO THE AUDIT FOUND THAT EIGHT TICKETS WHERE THEY LOOKED LIKE THEY WERE DOUBLE PAID AND, AND NO ONE HAD CAUGHT THAT AT THAT POINT.
UH, I WENT IN, RESEARCHED EACH ONE, PUT TOGETHER A PROCEDURE AS PART OF THE SOP NOW, AND WE DO A MEMO TO FINANCE.
THEY CUT A CHECK, WE SEND THE CHECK BACK FOR THE DOUBLE PAYMENT.
UH, WE'VE ALSO PUT IN PROCEDURES THAT THESE GET CAUGHT NOW, AND, AND I DON'T WANT TO GET TOO FAR IN THE WEEDS, BUT JUST TRUST ME WHEN I TELL YOU THERE'S A PROCEDURE NOW THAT WE WON'T HAVE THE DOUBLE PAYMENTS FILL IN NOTICE, UH, WE MOVED THE HEARING OFFICER TO CUS CUSTOMER SERVICE BUILDING.
SO IF YOU RECALL, THE HEARING OFFICER WAS AT THE MUNICIPAL COURT, AND I THINK IT WAS HIS RECOMMENDATION TO THE AUDITORS.
UH, HE SAID THAT SOMETIMES HE, HIS PEOPLE SHOW UP AND HE FINDS 'EM LIABLE AND THEY WANNA MAKE PAYMENT, BUT THEY HAVE TO DRIVE DOWNTOWN TO CROSS THE STREET TO MAKE THE PAYMENT.
AND HE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BETTER IF HE WAS IN THE SAME LOCATION AS WHERE THE PAYMENTS ARE YOU MADE IN PERSON.
HE HAD AN OFFICE RIGHT IN THERE IN THE SAME AREA WHERE PEOPLE CAN SHOW UP TO DO THEIR IN-PERSON PAYMENTS.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE HEARING OFFICER'S OFFICE IS.
UH, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, IT'S RUNNING VERY SMOOTHLY FOR 'EM.
IT ALSO, IT HAD AN UNATTENDED BENEFIT TO THE CITIZENS IN THE FACT THAT THEY MAY SHOW UP TO MAKE A PAYMENT AND TO DISPUTE IT.
NOW THEY CAN JUST WALK OVER TO THE HEARING OFFICER AND DO THAT WHERE BEFORE THEY WOULD'VE TO DRIVE A COURT.
OR IF THEY HAVE JUST GENERAL QUESTIONS, HEARING OFFICER'S THERE TIMES A MONTH AND THEY CAN PULL OVER TO ME.
I WORKED WITH MATT IN FINANCE AND HIS TEAM TO ENSURE THE REVENUE WAS BEING RECONCILED.
WE'VE PUT TOGETHER SOME MANUAL PROCESSES FOR THAT.
UM, MATT WAS VERY HELPFUL TO ME FOR SHARING THAT.
UM, I DO WANT TO CONTINUE TO TWEAK THOSE REPORTS THOUGH TO MAKE 'EM EASIER FOR MY LIEUTENANT TO RUN.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW I'M RUNNING THOSE REPORTS.
UH, EVALUATED THE NEED FOR CLERICAL STAFF AND DETERMINED IT WASN'T DOABLE FOR THIS UPCOMING CURRENT UPCOMING BUDGET YEAR.
UM, HOWEVER, WE FOUND AN ALTERNATIVE TO HAVING TO ADD AIRFLOW STAFF.
WE WORKED WITH IT MIKE BETS TEAM.
THEY GAVE US SOME, SOME SOFTWARE ASSISTANCE THAT HELPS US DO SOME OF THE TALLYING AND THE, THE BEAM COUNTING, IF YOU WILL.
UM, WE WERE HANDWRITING SOME ACTIVITIES STUFF AND THEN WAS HAVING TO BE ENTERED AND THEN WAS HAVING TO BE TOTALED AT THE END OF THE MONTH.
NOW THEY'RE DIRECTLY ENTERING IT INTO A SOFTWARE PROGRAM CREATED BY IT.
AND OF COURSE IT GENERATES, AUTOMATES THOSE REPORTS FOR US.
UM, SO I, I THINK WE CAN MANAGE WITHOUT THE CRITICAL STAFF, AT LEAST ANOTHER YEAR, MAYBE A COUPLE.
AND THEN WE HAVE ORDERED THE FIRST BARNACLE, AND IT'S ACTUALLY IN OUR POSSESSION.
IT'S STILL NOT UP AND RUNNING
UM, BUT WE HAVE IT IN THE, IN THE DEPUTY'S OFFICE OVER THERE.
AND WHAT WE'RE WAITING ON IS, UH, ONE COMPANY TOLD US THE BARNACLE, THAT'S THE BARNACLE COMPANY.
THEY PARTNER WITH TWO SIDE OUR SOFTWARE.
THERE'S ACTUALLY INTERFACE AND THAT'S BEING IMPLEMENTED, AND WE JUST HAD TO GET ON BOTH THOSE SOFTWARE, UH, VENDORS SCHEDULES.
I THINK WE WILL HAVE IT UP AND RUNNING IN AUGUST.
AND THEN ONCE IT'S UP AND RUNNING, OF COURSE, IF YOU REMEMBER, IT'S OUR WAY OF IMMOBILIZING A, A VEHICLE.
AND WHEN WE HAVE THREE UNPAID TICKETS IN A FOUR MONTH PERIOD, WE FIND THE CAR STILL ON THE ROAD.
WE CAN GO OUT AND PUT THE
[01:00:01]
POSSIBLY STILL WORKING THROUGH THE, WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO PAY OR NOT PAY.AND THEN THE BARNACLE ITSELF IS A FEE.
JUST TO GET IT OFF THE WINDOW.
AND THEN THE PENDING PROCEDURES, I TOLD YOU ONCE WE GET TO OUR COPIER, WE'RE GONNA PRINT OUT THESE REMAINING ORDERS.
THAT WAS THE, THE, THAT LAST PROCEDURE THERE.
AND WE'VE BEEN PRINTING ALL THE ORDERS ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
WE JUST GOTTA GO BACK AND CATCH UP FROM THE FIRST, UH, IT WAS ACTUALLY A 12 MONTH PERIOD, THE AUDITORS IDENTIFIED THAT SAID IT'D BE BENEFICIAL IF WE PRINT, AND IT'S GONNA BE AROUND 15,000 LETTERS WE'RE GONNA PRINT.
UH, THESE ARE YOUR VENDOR UPDATES.
THE, THE THREE THINGS WE'VE RESOLVED THERE.
WHEREAS, WELL, AND I SAY RESOLVED IT, IT, IT WASN'T SATISFACTORY, BUT BECAUSE THESE PAST TICKETS THAT DID NOT HAVE LATE FEES ADDED, HAD ALREADY GONE TO COLLECTIONS, AND WELL HAD BEEN SENT COLLECTION NOTICE, AND THIS IS THE DEBT YOU OWE, WE COULDN'T GO BACK IN AND, AND ADD THE LATE FEES AT THIS POINT.
SO THOSE LATE FEES ARE GONNA BE UNAIDED.
NOW, I HAVEN'T GONE BACK, AND I'LL TRY TO RUN THESE NUMBERS, MAYBE EVEN HAVE THE AUDITORS HELP ME RUN THESE NUMBERS TO SEE OUT OF THE TICKETS THAT DID NOT HAVE THE LATE FEES ADDED, HOW MANY OF THOSE HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN PAID? UH, MY GUESS IS THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE STILL UNPAID.
SO EVEN HAVING ADDED THE LATE FEE WOULDN'T HAVE HELPED US.
BUT I'LL, I'LL GET THAT NUMBER AND FIGURE THAT OUT.
UH, THE VENDOR WAS ALSO UNABLE TO CHANGE THE SYSTEM TO ALLEVIATE GAPS IN TICKET SEQUENTIAL NUMBERS.
AND IF YOU REMEMBER, THE AUDITORS POINTED OUT THAT IT'S, IT'S A STANDARD PRACTICE AND A BEST PRACTICE IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF REPORTER TICKET THAT IT'S SEQUENTIALLY NUMBERED.
THE WAY THE THE, THE SOFTWARE WORKS IN THIS SYSTEM IS IT, IT SPITS OUT A BLOCK OF NUMBERS FOR EACH DEVICE, AND IT'S NOT SEQUENTIAL.
AND IT'S, IT'S NOT FROM ONE TO 100 AND, AND THEY HAVE NO DESIRE AND NO PLANS.
AND SO THEY CANNOT HELP US FIX THAT PROBLEM AT THIS POINT.
SO IT'S A RISK THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE.
NOW, I'LL TELL YOU, I THINK THE RISK IS LOW IN THERE BEING ANY KIND OF FRAUD, WASTE, OR ABUSE ASSOCIATED WITH SOMEONE ISSUING A TICKET AND TRYING TO GET RID OF IT BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE SYSTEM WORKS.
WHEN THEY ISSUE THOSE TICKETS, THEY CAN'T DELETE 'EM OFF THE DEVICE.
THEY'RE GONNA GET UPLOADED SO THAT THE WHOLE POINT OF THAT BEST PRACTICE IS, SO YOU COULD SAY THAT A HUNDRED TICKETS WERE ISSUED AND WE'VE PROCESSED OR DEALT WITH A HUNDRED TICKETS.
I DON'T THINK THIS IS A SYSTEM WHERE WE'RE GONNA HAVE FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE TIED TO NOT HAVING THE SEQUENTIAL NUMBER.
I THINK IT'S A LOW RISK THERE.
AND THEN THE VENDOR DOES NOT HAVE A SOLUTION FOR ENSURING NOTICES WERE MAILED ACCORDING TO THE PROGRAMMING, OR REPORTING WHEN NOTICES WERE NOT MAILED.
UM, SO THERE WERE SOME NOTICES, SOME TICKETS WHERE THEY FOUND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE LEAVE THE TICKET ON THE CAR AND THEN WE HAVE A, AN AUTOMATED NOTICE THAT GETS SENT OUT THREE DAYS AFTER THE TICKET'S BEEN LEFT ON THE CAR, AND THEY FOUND OUT SOME OF THE NOTICES DIDN'T GO OUT.
UM, THE VENDOR CAN'T HELP US WITH THAT.
WE HAVE BUILT SOME REPORTS, THE, TO KIND OF GO IN AND LOOK AND SAY, HEY, WHEN WAS THE ISSUE DATE ON THE TICKET? AND DO WE HAVE A NOTICE? AND THAT'S HOW THE AUDITORS IDENTIFIED ON TO BEGIN WITH.
WE'RE GONNA MANUALLY CHECK THAT.
UM, WE'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTING THAT WITH THE LIEUTENANT ARNOLD, BUT IT'S DOABLE.
AND THE REPORT'S OUT THERE AND THEN COMPLETED SOFTWARE CHANGES, UH, BACK WHEN THE AUDIT WAS DONE OR BACK, WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM WITH THE LATE FEES, WHERE SOME, SOME OF THE VIOLATIONS WERE ADDED, THAT THEY WEREN'T ADDED TO HAVE LATE FEES.
WE'VE FIXED THAT IN THE SOFTWARE.
EVERY VIOLATION'S IN THE SYSTEM NOW SAYS TO HAVE A LATE FEE ADDED AT THE APPROPRIATE DATE.
WE CONFIGURED THE SYSTEM EVEN BACK BEFORE THE, THE DECEMBER, MY APPEARANCE IN DECEMBER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COULD ACCEPT THE PARTIAL PAYMENTS AND OVERPAYMENTS WE PUT INTO THE SOP HOW THAT PROCESS WORKS.
AND THAT HAS HELPED, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE WEREN'T ACCEPTING UNDERPAYMENTS, NOW WE'RE ACCEPTING THE UNDERPAYMENTS, WE'RE COLLECTING AT LEAST SOME OF THE MONEY WHERE WE WOULD'VE TURNED IT AWAY IF IT WASN'T THE EXACT AMOUNT BEFORE.
AND THEN THE ORDINANCE REVISIONS, THESE ARE THE THREE OF THE FOUR OUTSTANDING ITEMS. I'M WAITING TO SEE HOW ALL THIS PLAYS OUT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE BARNACLE.
I DON'T WANNA HAVE TO MAKE ORDINANCE REVISIONS AND THEN TURN AROUND AND MAKE MORE OR REVISIONS.
SO I'M ASKING THAT, UH, WE BE A LITTLE MORE PATIENT WITH ME ON THAT.
GIMME SOME GRACE HERE AND LET ME WORK THROUGH SOME OF THE NEW SOPS, THE, THE PROCEDURES SO THAT WHEN I MAKE THE ORDINANCE CHANGES, HOPEFULLY I CAN ONLY DO IT ONE TIME AND THEN THEY'LL BE GOOD FOR A LONG TIME.
UH, I ANTICIPATE HAVING SOMETHING IN FRONT OF COUNCIL TO WORK SESSION WITHIN THE NEXT THREE MONTHS.
UH, WE ARE ALSO, IF YOU'RE UNAWARE WORKING ON CODE, MOVING OVER TO A CIVIL ADJUDICATION PROCESS, IT'S ALSO GONNA REQUIRE SOME OF THE ORDINANCE CHANGES ALSO.
SO THAT MAY BE WHERE YOU JUST SEE 'EM ALL TOGETHER.
ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS MOMENT? GO AHEAD, COUNCIL.
UH, YOU, YOU GOT A LOT, A LOT IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
UM, RIGHT NOW YOU'VE GOT, I, I DON'T REMEMBER THE TIMEFRAMES, BUT YOU'VE GOT TWO TEST TEST LOCATIONS, UH, GOING, UM, HOW
[01:05:01]
IS THAT GOING IN FOUR, AND I THINK IT WAS FOUR AND, AND TWO, CAN YOU, CAN YOU SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, ABOUT HOW WE DOING, UH, ARE WE DOING THERE AND, AND HOW THE EDUCATION PIECE OF THAT IS WORKING? AND WHEN, WHEN WERE YOU ACTUALLY, UH, ACTUALLY, UH, GO SERIOUS, UH, AND START ISSUING TICKETS? CAN YOU, CAN YOU UPDATE US ON THOSE TWO PIECES? SURE.SO WHILE I WAS MAKING ALL THESE CHANGES AND REVISIONS, UH, FOR, FOR YOU ALL, UH, WE ALSO PUT IN PLACE THE NEIGHBORHOOD DIRECT ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM.
UM, AND I VISITED WITH YOU ALL SEPARATELY ON THAT, IF YOU RECALL.
AND THAT STARTED ACTUALLY IN MAY, OR, UH, WE DID A WHOLE MONTH OF IT IN MAY AND TWO AND FIVE, UH, FOUR TO BEGIN WITH.
CURRENTLY WE ARE IN DISTRICTS, SIX AND FIVE IS WHERE WE'RE AT NOW.
UH, WE'RE DOWN OFF OF, UM, IN LUX DISTRICT DOWN THERE OF BROADMOOR.
AND THEN WE'RE UP HERE UP NORTH.
UH, I FORGET THE NEIGHBORHOOD WE'RE IN UP NORTH, BUT THE FIRST MONTH WENT GOOD.
UM, WHAT I HAVE NOT DONE THAT I WANT TO SEE IS I, I'VE ASKED LIEUTENANT ARNOLD TO GO BACK AND DRIVE THAT NEIGHBORHOOD AND TALLY UP AND SEE WHAT VIOLATIONS ARE STILL THERE.
UM, I DO HAVE A REPORT WE'VE PUT TOGETHER THAT I HAVE NOT RELEASED.
I WILL EMAIL YOU ALL COUNSEL ON THE FIRST MONTH.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, EACH MONTH AS WE DO THIS, I'M GONNA EMAIL THE ACTUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, WHOSE DISTRICT WE WERE IN.
I'LL LET THEM KNOW AT THE EDUCATION PIECE.
LIEUTENANT ARNOLD, THE FIRST WEEK WE'RE OUT THERE.
HE SHOWS UP IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, HE SETS UP A TABLE, WE SET UP SOME SIGNS.
WE'LL LET PEOPLE COME AND TALK TO US.
UM, AS YOU'RE AWARE, WE'VE BEEN PUTTING OUT SOCIAL MEDIA, WORKING WITH THE, THE TEAM OVER HERE.
UM, TIFFANY'S TEAM, WE WE'RE ON FACEBOOK AND THERE'S COG NEWS, I BELIEVE WHEN I CHECKED THE FACEBOOK POST TALKING ABOUT THE PARKING PROGRAM.
UH, THE DIRECTED ENFORCEMENT, THERE'S LIKE 250 POSTS, COMMENTS WITHIN LIKE THE FIRST 12 HOURS OF PEOPLE, UH, STANDING.
AND SOME PEOPLE SAYING, WHAT ARE WE DOING
UH, I'D SAY PROBABLY MAYBE MORE, 74 AT 30 AGAINST IT.
UM, WE DID LOTS OF WARNINGS THE FIRST TWO WEEKS, JUST LIKE WE SAID WE WOULD.
WE'VE TOWED MORE CARS AND WE WROTE MORE TICKETS IN MAY THAN WE HAVE IN QUITE A WHILE.
UM, WHEN WE'RE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS, IF WE'RE GIVING OUT WARNINGS, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE WARNINGS THROUGH THE FIRST TWO WEEKS AND YOU'RE STILL IN VIOLATION, THEN YOU'RE LIKELY TO GET TICKETS.
SOME OF THOSE FIRST TICKETS IN MAY.
THEY'RE SOME OF THE BIGGEST TICKET NUMBERS WERE WRONG WAY.
UM, I'VE DISCUSSED THAT WITH THE TEAM.
AGAIN, IF YOU REMEMBER THE DIRECTION, WHAT THAT IS.
UNLESS IT'S A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE ON A CORNER, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THEY GOT CONFUSED IN MAY BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN GIVEN WARNINGS TO PEOPLE AND THEN THEY WERE STILL WRONG WAY PARKING, SO THEY ISSUED THOSE TICKETS.
UM, AND THE IN THE FUTURE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO ISSUE WARNINGS IF IT'S A NON-SAFETY HAZARD FOR THE WRONG WAY.
HOW, HOW DO THE NU HOW IS, HOW ARE, HOW ARE THE NUMBERS STACKING UP WHEN COMPARED TO DISTRICT TWO AND FOUR? HOW ARE THOSE, DO YOU KNOW YET? OR IS IT TOO EARLY TO TELL? I GOT OVERALL NUMBERS, BUT I, I DO NOT KNOW THEM OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
AND I DIDN'T BRING THEM HERE TODAY 'CAUSE I WASN'T EXPECTING OKAY.
UH, I'LL GET THEM OUT TO YOU THOUGH.
AND WE'LL SHOW YOU HOW THE, THE FIRST MONTH WENT AND I'LL, I'LL PROBABLY SEND IT TO ALL COUNCIL SO YOU CAN SEE HOW THE OTHER DISTRICTS ARE DOING.
UM, THE PROGRAM IS UP AND RUNNING THOUGH.
WE'RE LIVE, IT'S NO LONGER A TEST.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE THROUGH THE YEAR, UM, AT, WITH THE, THE LIST I SENT YOU OF THE SCHEDULE I SENT YOU OF WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE AND WHEN.
WELL, THIS IS GONNA BE VERY INTERESTING.
WHEN YOU ROLL OUT THE BARNACLE,
THEY COME OUT TO
IT'S GONNA, IT'S GONNA BE VERY, UM, INTERESTING.
I DID GO WITH JUST THE ONE, UH, THEY'RE $3,600 A YEAR TO LEASE.
SO I WANNA SEE IF WE, IF WE MAKE OUR MONEY BACK ON THE BARN COURT OR NOT BEFORE WE INVEST IN A LOT OF THEM.
AND, AND THIS IS FOR THE HABITUAL BAD GUY IS WHAT, WHAT WE'RE USING THAT ON FOR AND THEY CAN TO REMOVE IT, REFRESH MY MEMORY.
HOW DO THAT, HOW DOES, UH, THERE'S A NUMBER ON IT AND YOU CALL AND, UH, AND, AND PAY, OR HOW, HOW DOES IT FUNCTION? SO IT WILL TAKE A CREDIT CARD RIGHT THERE, SLIDE IT OR QR CODE IT
UH, YOU PUT A DEPOSIT DOWN, PUT IT IN YOUR TRUNK.
YOU BRING IT TO THE COURT, DROP IT OFF, YOU GET YOUR DEPOSIT BACK.
THE OTHER OPTION IS THEY, THEY CONTACT US, WE GO OUT AND THEY PAY, WE, WE'VE TAKE IT OFF.
I BELIEVE THE CURRENT ORDINANCE IS, IT'S A HUNDRED DOLLARS EACH TIME IT'S APPLIED.
SO IF SOMEONE HAS THREE UNPAID TICKETS, THE FIRST ONE WAS 20, THE SECOND 50, THE THIRD WAS 75.
AND THEN THEY GET THE BARNACLE ON THEIR FOURTH VIOLATION IN THE 12 MONTH, IT'S COSTING 'EM A HUNDRED DOLLARS JUST TO GET THE BARNACLE
[01:10:01]
OFF.AND THEY STILL HAVE THEIR UNPAID TICKETS TO TAKE CARE OF.
UH, COMPARE IT TO, IF THEY HAVE FIVE OR MORE, WE TOW IT.
AND THAT TOW FEE'S ABOUT THE SAME A HUNDRED, $120 FOR DAY ONE.
I THINK IF THEY LEAVE IT IN THE IMPOUND LONGER THOUGH, IT'S A DAILY CHARGE.
SO THE BARN UNCLE'S CHEAPER THAN THE IMPOUND, BUT THE IMPOUND WOULD BE THE NEXT STEP IF THEY CONTINUE TO LEAVE THEIR TICKETS UNPAID.
AND ARE THERE OTHER CITIES IN THE DFW AREA THAT ARE USING THIS DEVICE? OR ARE WE THE FIRST, I THINK WE'RE GONNA BE FIRST IN THE DFW AREA.
UM, MAYBE THERE ARE ONLY A FEW TEXAS CUSTOMERS USING THE BARNACLES, IS MY UNDERSTANDING.
NATIONWIDE, THEY'RE VERY POPULAR IN THE NORTHEAST.
SO I, I FULLY EXPECT TO SEE THIS ON SOCIAL MEDIA SHOULD BE
AND WE'RE GONNA START WITH THOSE THAT HAVE WAY MORE THAN THREE OUTSTANDING TICKETS.
RIGHT? THOSE ARE THE, THE FOLKS WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT.
SO MAYBE WE COULD BARNACLE THE, THE CITY ATTORNEYS, UH, VEHICLE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THE ONE, THE ONE THAT'S NOT HERE RIGHT NOW.
I WORK FOR YOU ALL, COUNSEL, WHATEVER I NEED TO DO.
UH, YOUR, YOUR REPORT IS VERY DE UH, IS A VERY DETAILED REPORT.
YOU HAD A LOT OF ACTION ITEMS AND THANK YOU FOR, UH, GETTING ALL THIS ACCOMPLISHED SO QUICKLY.
I MEAN, UH, DID YOU, DID YOU MENTION THAT IT, YOU HAD TO COPY 15,000 TICKET, UH, WHAT, WHAT WAS IT THAT YOU WERE HAVING TO COPY SO MUCH OF? WE'RE GENERATING, WE ARE CREATING A NOTICE AND AN ORDER OF LIABILITY FOR ABOUT 7,500, UH, FOLKS THAT DIDN'T SHOW UP FOR THEIR HEARING.
IT WAS BASICALLY THE 12 MONTHS BEFORE, UH, THE AUDIT.
SO NOVEMBER 24 UNTIL CURRENT, UH, TILL UNTIL SEPTEMBER.
FOR ANYBODY THAT HAS THREE OR MORE TICKETS IN THAT PERIOD, WE'RE GONNA SEND ORDERS OF LIABILITIES SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO USE THE WARRANT.
AFTER THE ORDER OF LIABILITY'S THE KEY, IT'S NOT THAT YOU GOT THE TICKET'S UNPAID, IT'S A, THERE'S BEEN AN ORDER LIABILITY AND IT'S STILL UNPAID.
AND IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO MAIL TO THEIR KNOWN ADDRESS? YES.
WE PURCHASED, UH, 20,000 ENVELOPES AND STAMPS BACK AFTER THE AUDIT AROUND DECEMBER.
AND MY TEAM HAS A, UH, ENVELOPE STUFFER PUT THE TWO PAPERS IN, IT FOLDS IT, TRIFOLDS IT, AND THEY PUT IT IN THE LOAD AND SEND IT OUT THE DOOR.
ON A MONTHLY BASIS WHEN WE'RE CAUGHT UP, IT'S NOT AS BAD.
UH, I THINK WE'VE BEEN MAILING 200, 300 AND WE'LL LOAD SOME.
WELL, SEAN, I THINK THAT, UH, HELLO.
ALL OF US CAN TRULY SAY THAT, UH, YOU HAVE, UH, TRULY HIT THE GROUND RUNNING.
YOU CAME IN AND JUST LOOKING AT THIS REPORT, IT'S VERY EXCITING.
AND IT, WHILE YOU WERE DOING ALL OF THAT, WHILE YOU WERE DOING ALL OF THAT, YOU ALSO TOOK CARE OF OUR QT STATION.
THAT, THAT'S MORE THAN ENOUGH THERE.
I MEAN, YOU COULD HAVE JUST SAID THAT AND WE'D PROBABLY BEEN OKAY, BUT NO, I'M JUST, UH, VERY PROUD OF THE MATTER BY WHICH YOU'VE COME IN.
WE CAN SEE THAT YOU'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND THAT, THAT MAKES IT NOT WORK AT ALL.
THAT THAT MAKES IT, UH, FUN TO BE DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
NOW, I HAVE TO SAY TO YOU THOUGH, BE VERY CAREFUL BECAUSE WITH, UH, ALL THE TICKETS AND THINGS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE HERE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA BECOME VERY, UH, FAMILIAR.
PEOPLE ARE GONNA GET TO KNOW YOU VERY WELL IN THE CITY,
SO KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, SIR.
I HEAR YOU SAYING THAT YOU'LL BE BACK BEFORE US IN ABOUT THREE MONTHS.
UH, NOT NECESSARILY BEFORE YOU ALL, UNLESS YOU SPECIFICALLY REQUEST ME BACK.
UH, MY INTENT IS TO GET THE DRAFTS DONE OF THE ORDINANCES AND JUST TAKE 'EM TO WORK SESSION OKAY.
IF I NEED TO BRING THEM BACK THROUGH HERE, I MOST DEFINITELY CAN.
I DON'T YOU, I DON'T SEE THAT HE NEEDS TO COME BACK HERE IN THREE MONTHS.
THAT'S, I MEAN, THAT'S UP TO Y'ALL.
BUT I, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE AUDIT'S COMPLETED THE FOLLOWUP'S COMPLETED AND, UM, THERE'S SOME OTHER WORK THAT'S GONNA BE COMING BACK THROUGH WORK SESSION, THE FULL COUNSEL.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THAT'S IT.
SO DO WE NEED TO DO ANYTHING WITH THIS AS FAR AS COUNSELORS CONCERNED? UH, I DEFER TO CHAD ON THAT.
UM, I THINK THE COMMITTEE WANTED AN UPDATE AS AN UPDATE AND, AND SEAN DID MORE THAN AN UPDATE, I FEEL LIKE.
UM, UNLESS IF YOU WANT PICTURES OF BARNACLES PLACED, DON'T I,
I'M SURE WE WILL, HOPEFULLY JUST
[01:15:01]
FROM ME, NOT THEIR CONSTITUENTS, BUT WE'LL SEE.THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REPORT.
OH, UH, DID YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THAT ONE? YES, SIR.
UH, MY, MY COMMENTS ARE GONNA GO BACK 62 YEARS.
I STARTED MY FIRST JOB WHEN I GOT OUTTA HIGH SCHOOL AT THE BANK ON THE CORNER OF MAIN AND, AND, UH, SIXTH STREET.
AND WHEN I WENT TO WORK, THEY HAD RENTED PROPERTY WHERE THE OLD GEN USED TO BE, WHERE THE, NOW THE SENIOR CITIZEN CENTER IS GONNA BE REBUILT, BUT I'LL REM ALWAYS REMEMBER MY BOSS SAYS, IF I EVER CATCH YOU PARKING ON THE SQUARE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK FOR ANOTHER JOB.
UH, I FOUND OVER THE YEARS, AND, AND THE REASON I'M SAYING THIS IS WE WE'RE, THIS IS THE HEART OF OUR CITY THAT WHEN I RAN THE MAIN STREET PROGRAM, THAT WAS THE TERM WE USED THE HARDWARE CITY.
AND YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB IN MAKING THE HEART OF THE CITY LOOK GOOD.
AND WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN WHEN PEOPLE COME TO VISIT, UH, FOR QUICK, YOU KNOW, I, I FIND WHEN I COME TO THE BANK, WHICH I BANK DOWNTOWN HERE, SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO GET A, A PARKING PLACE REALLY CLOSE, AND I DON'T MIND WALKING.
BUT SOME PEOPLE DON'T, DON'T LIKE TO DO THAT.
SO I, I, I CONGRATULATE SEAN IN HIS, HIS UPDATE ON THE, ON THE NEEDS TO DO, HAVING BEEN IN BANKING AND KNOWING WHAT COM, WHAT, UH, AUDITS AND COMPLIANCE IS ALL ABOUT.
THAT'S THE THING THAT, THAT PERHAPS Y'ALL MIGHT WANT TO THINK ABOUT IS COMP, HOW YOU HANDLE THE COMPLIANCE AFTER AN AUDIT'S DONE.
JUST MAKE SURE THOSE THINGS ARE ENFORCED AND MAYBE THIS MECHANISM IS THE WAY TO DO IT.
BUT I, I GUESS I WOULD, I WOULD GIVE YOU A STATEMENT HERE, W WHAT WITH THIS PARKING DEAL, AND, AND I THINK MY THEME IS THE DOWNTOWN AREA IS WE NEED TO MAKE IT EFFECTIVE, ENFORCEABLE, AND ENFORCED.
AND THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GONNA DO THAT, AND ROBERT WONDERLICH IS MAYBE A NAME THAT SOME OF YOU SEEN ON SOME OLD DOCUMENTS, BUT WHEN I WAS RUNNING THE BANK DOWNTOWN HERE, HE HELPED ME TO FIGURE OUT THAT A LOT OF THE VIOLATORS WERE PROPERTY OWNERS AND BUSINESS OWNERS.
AND, UH, IT, IT'S A REAL CHALLENGE TO, TO GET THOSE PEOPLE TO TRAIN THEMSELVES NOT TO TAKE THOSE PLACES.
AND I'M SURE WE STILL HAVE THAT.
SO, UH, I, I GUESS ANOTHER THING I WOULD SAY IN, IN CLOSING IS, UH, I WOULDN'T BE BEYOND, UH, I WOULD SUGGEST TO GUYS THAT YOU GUYS THINK MAYBE, AND SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE BUSINESSES DOWN HERE THAT HAVE SOME QUICK IN AND OUT TRAFFIC, THEY'RE DESIGNED FOR THAT, THAT MAYBE WE LOOK AT SOME SHORT, SHORTER TERM THAN THREE HOURS, MAYBE A ONE HOUR OR TWO HOUR TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GET IN AND OUT.
AND I, I KNOW THE CHECKING OF THAT IS A CHALLENGE MR. ARNOLD AND I VISITED.
AND SO MAYBE THERE'S A PROGRAM OUT THERE OR MORE AUTOMATED THAN ACTUALLY WALKING AND WRITING DOWN LICENSE PLATE NUMBERS THAT WE COULD LOOK FOR AND DEVELOP TO MAKE THAT, UH, MORE EE ACCESSIBLE AND IS EASY FOR THE STAFF TO DO IT.
AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS AND THE GREAT JOB THAT THEY'VE DONE, UH, ON THIS, UM, PROJECT, AND THANK YOU.
UH, LET ME GET A, UH, POINT OF ORDER OR A PROCEDURAL DIRECTION HERE WHEN WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
UH, IS THIS ALSO A SITUATION WHERE WE DO NOT COMMENT BACK TO THEM? ARE WE IT IS, IT IS.
UM, AND, AND, AND ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT, UM, IT, IT'S THE CHAIR'S PREROGATIVE OF THE CHAIR WOULD LIKE TO HANDLE, UM, PUBLIC COMMENTS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
UM, WE'RE IN A COMMITTEE, AND SO, AND SO OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE YES, YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH DOING THAT, AND THAT'S FINE.
WELL, I'M ONLY COMFORTABLE BECAUSE I WANTED TO HAVE NOT DONE IT BEFORE.
THIS IS REALLY SOMETHING THAT'S THE FIRST TIME I'VE EVER SEEN IT HAPPEN THIS WAY.
BUT I WANTED TO SEE JUST WHAT IT, HOW IT FELT.
AND AT THIS POINT, I'M THINKING THAT WE PROBABLY WANT TO DO IT ONCE VERSUS BEHIND EVERY ONE OF THE, UH, COMMENTS.
BUT, UH, TODAY I'M WILLING TO, UH, FOLLOW WHAT WE'VE ALREADY STATED.
WELL, AND, AND YES, THAT WOULD BE FINE.
BUT WE SHOULD NOT BE COMMENTING AFTER THEY THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
THEY CAN, UH, ANYONE WHO WANTS TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT CAN ADDRESS THE COMMITTEE.
UM, THE NEXT AUDIT THAT WE ARE GONNA COVER HERE IS THE HOME IMPROVEMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAM AUDIT.
AS YOU'RE AWARE, THIS PROGRAM WAS ESTABLISHED, UH, BACK IN 2018 BY THE CITY COUNCIL AS A STRATEGIC INITIATIVE AIMED AT ENHANCING NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITIES THROUGH THE INCENTIVIZED EXTERIOR HOME RENOVATIONS.
UM, BASICALLY, UM, SINCE WE IMPLEMENTED THIS PROGRAM, WE'VE NEVER LOOKED AT THIS.
SO JUST WANTED TO ENSURE THAT IF GRANTS ARE APPROVED AND DISTRIBUTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GUIDELINES AND PURPOSE
[01:20:01]
APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, I DO WANNA, UM, SAY A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT AS MAINLY ABOUT SCOTT AND LAURA.UM, BASED ON ZACH'S REVIEW OF THIS AUDIT, UM, THEY HAVE DONE A VERY THOROUGH JOB IN, IN MANAGING THIS PROGRAM.
UM, THEY REALLY HAD SOME GOOD INTERNAL CONTROL PRACTICES.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT THEY HAVE MANAGED IT VERY WELL.
I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE CITY MANAGER.
UM, THIS SHOWS THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND THE AUDIT OFFICE.
UM, JIRA ACTUALLY REQUESTED US TO DO A FEW EXTRA ANALYSIS BECAUSE HE WAS VERY MUCH INTERESTED IN THIS PROGRAM.
HOW DO WE EN ENHANCE THIS PROGRAM? UH, UH, I DO WANNA THANK JET FOR BRINGING THOSE IDEAS TO OUR ATTENTION.
AND WITH THAT, UH, ZACH ACTUALLY DID A VERY GOOD JOB IN PERFORMING THIS AUDIT.
HE HAS DONE A LOT OF ANALYSIS, UH, SO I'M SURE THIS IS GONNA BE HELPFUL FOR COUNCIL.
OUR JOB IS TO, UH, BRING, UM, TO DRAW A PICTURE TO YOU EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY.
THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE DONE SO FAR.
AND, UH, AND THEN COMPARE SOME OF OUR PROGRAMS WITH SOME OF THE OTHER PROGRAMS, UM, SURROUNDING TO US.
UH, SO WE FELT LIKE THIS WOULD PROVIDE SOME TRANSPARENCY AS WELL AS SOME, UM, IDEAS FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO FURTHER, UM, EVALUATE THIS PROGRAM AND, AND, AND TO, AND, AND THE CITY MANAGER AS WELL.
PATRICIA DID HELP ZACH IN, IN REVIEWING THIS AUDIT.
SO, UM, WITHOUT ME EXPLAINING FURTHER, ZACH IS GONNA HIGH LEVEL KIND OF EXPLAIN WHAT THIS PROGRAM, SOME OF THE REQUIREMENTS AND SOME OF THE ANALYSIS.
JUST FYI, OUR SCOPE WAS FROM JANUARY 22 THROUGH MARCH, 2025.
WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN THIS OVER TO ZACH AND HE'S GONNA COVER THE DETAILS.
UH, SO FIRST I'D LIKE TO JUST STATE THAT OUR OBJECTIVE PRIMARILY WAS, UM, LEMME GET BACK TO THAT.
CAN YOU HEAR? SO OUR OBJECTIVE FOR THIS AUDIT WAS TO DETERMINE IF THE GRANTS ARE APPROVED AND DISTRIBUTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GUIDELINES AND PURPOSE APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL.
UM, SO LET ME JUST JUMP INTO A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, OR, YES, MIC.
ALRIGHT, SO A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, BACKGROUND OR AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM.
UH, SO THE HIP OR THE HOME IMPROVEMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAM, UH, WAS ESTABLISHING 2018.
UM, AND IT'S AIMED TO ENHANCE THE NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY, UM, THROUGH INCENTIVIZED EXTERIOR HOME RENOVATIONS.
SO THIS IS ADMINISTERED BY THE, UH, OFFICE OF NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY, UM, WHICH YOU'LL SEE REFERRED TO AS ONV THROUGHOUT THE REPORT.
SO THE MAIN GOALS OF THE PROGRAM, UM, INCLUDE PREVENTING URBAN BLIGHT, INCREASING PROPERTY VALUES, AS WELL AS MOTIVATING THE REST OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, TO REINVEST AS WELL.
SO THE HIP OPERATES AS A REIMBURSEMENT WHERE THE HOMEOWNERS CAN UNDERTAKE ELIGIBLE, UH, IMPROVEMENTS, WHERE THEY THEN RECEIVE A 50% REIMBURSEMENT OF THOSE COSTS, UM, BY THE CITY UP TO $10,000.
UH, SO HERE'S A TIMELINE JUST OF A FEW CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE PROGRAM OVER TIME.
SO THE, LIKE I STATED, THE, UH, RESOLUTION WAS APPROVED IN 2018, AND THE FIRST YEAR THAT THE PROGRAM WAS ACTUALLY, UH, STARTED WAS IN 2020 WHERE THE HOME CAP, UM, HOME VALUE CAP WAS $175,000.
UM, THIS MEANS THAT IF YOUR HOME'S WORTH MORE THAN THAT, YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO PARTICIPATE.
UH, THIS YEAR WAS ALSO A $200 MATERIAL INCENTIVE.
UH, BONUS WAS ADDED, WHICH WOULD BE IF YOU WERE TO USE, UM, A SET OF CERTAIN MATERIALS, YOU WOULD RECEIVE MORE, UH, REBATE ON TOP OF THAT 50%.
AND THE ANNUAL BUDGET FOR THIS PROGRAM WAS SET AT $250,000 BY COUNSEL IN 2021.
UM, THEY LOWERED, UH, THE MINIMUM, UH, REQUIRED INVESTMENT.
UH, INITIALLY YOU HAD TO SPEND A MINIMUM OF $2,000 AS A HOMEOWNER.
NOW YOU ONLY HAVE TO SPEND 1000 STARTING IN 2021.
IN 2022, THEY, THE HOME VALUE CAP WAS RAISED AT $200,000.
THEY ELIMINATED THE MATERIAL INCENTIVE, THEY FOUND IT TO BE, UM, NOT EFFECTIVE.
AND THE ANNUAL BUDGET BY COUNCIL WAS RAISED TO BE $500,000.
UH, THE NEXT YEAR THEY, UH, THE COUNCIL INCREASED THE HOME VALLEY CAP TO $250,000, AND THEN ALSO REQUIRED THAT 50% OF THE PROJECTS BE WITHIN CDBG ZONES.
UM, AND AGAIN, THE NEXT YEAR, UH, THE NEXT FEW YEARS WERE JUST, UH, VALUE CAPS JUST GOING WITH THE MARKET, ALLOWING HOMES THAT HAVE HIGHER VALUES TO PARTICIPATE.
SO, JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION, UH, ABOUT THE HIP PROGRAM.
UM, SO IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE
[01:25:01]
IN THIS PROGRAM, YOU MUST BE THE HOMEOWNER TO APPLY, AND YOU MUST OWN A HOME WITHIN GARLAND THAT IS AT LEAST 30 YEARS OLD.IT CANNOT BE A DUPLEX MOBILE HOME OR TOWN HOME HAS TO HAVE, UH, A VALUE LESS THAN THE THRESHOLD SET FOR THAT YEAR.
STARTED IN AT $175,000, WHICH THEN INCREASED UP TO $300,000 INCREMENTALLY.
UH, YOU MUST BE CURRENT ON YOUR PROPERTY TAXES AND UTILITY ACCOUNTS.
YOU MUST HAVE PROPERTY INSURANCE BEFORE YOU START YOUR PROJECT.
YOU HAVE TO RECEIVE A NOTICE TO PROCEED, BASICALLY SAYING THERE, YOU CAN'T ASK FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR A PROJECT DUE TO THREE YEARS AGO AND WANT THE MONEY.
NOW, UM, YOU KNOW, PART OF YOUR APPLICATION, YOU ALSO HAVE TO PROVIDE AN ESTIMATE FROM A CONTRACTOR OR IF YOU'RE DOING IT YOURSELF, A MATERIAL PRICING SHEET.
SO THIS PROJECT ALSO, LIKE I SAID, FOCUSES ON EXTERIOR RENOVATIONS ONLY.
UH, SOME OF THEM ARE ROOFING, UH, DRIVEWAY REPLACEMENT, UH, EXTERIOR PAINTING OR FENCE REPAIR.
SO ONCE YOUR PROJECT IS COMPLETE, YOU HAVE TO SUBMIT, UH, A REBATE REQUEST PACKET, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE ALL, UH, RECEIPTS, A COMPLETED W NINE FORM, A TAX FORM, UH, FOR THE DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS, ONE TO TWO PHOTOS OF COMPLETED WORK.
AND THEN THE OFFICE OF, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY ALSO CHECKS WITH BUILDING INSPECTION TO ENSURE THAT PERMITS WERE RECEIVED FOR THOSE, UH, PIECES OF WORK, UH, THAT OCCURRED.
UH, SO LIKE J SAID, THERE WERE A FEW POSITIVE THINGS WE NOTED.
UM, FROM DECEMBER 31ST, UH, SORRY, FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE PROJECT THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2024, THIS PROGRAM HAS HELPED OVER 355 HOMES, AND WE HAVE DIS, UH, DISPERSED ROUGHLY $1.9 MILLION TO THE CITIZENS, UH, FOR THESE, UH, PROJECTS.
ADDITIONALLY, WE NOTED THAT THE DEPARTMENT WAS EXTREMELY THOROUGH.
AND, SORRY, THIS IS NOT ON THERE.
UM,
WE ACTUALLY HAD A CITY EMPLOYEE THAT WAS TRYING TO, UM, RECEIVE THEIR REIMBURSEMENT AT THE END OF THE PROJECT, AND WE WERE VERY, THEY WERE VERY THOROUGH IN MAKING SURE THAT THE PERMITS AND PAPERWORK WAS RECEIVED BEFORE THE, THOSE FUNDS WENT OUT.
SO, JUST A SHOUT OUT TO SHOUT OUT TO THE DEPARTMENT FOR THAT.
UM, SO NEXT I WANT TO SCROLL DOWN TO THE PROGRAM STATISTICS.
THIS IS JUST A BIT OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE PROGRAM.
UM, I'M NOT GONNA READ EVERY NUMBER TO Y'ALL, BUT, UM, BASICALLY THIS CHART HERE SHOWS, UH, IT STARTED OUT WITH $250,000 FROM COUNCIL.
THAT'S HOW MUCH WAS, UM, GIVEN TO THIS PROGRAM FOR THE FIRST FEW YEARS.
THAT WAS UP TO $500,000, WHICH HAS REMAINED, UH, STEADY THROUGH THE LAST THREE YEARS.
UM, AND BEGINNING IN 2023, COUNCIL ACTUALLY ALLOWED THE PROGRAM TO BEGIN CARRYING OVER ANY UNSPENT FUNDS INTO THE NEXT YEAR.
SO JUST A FEW STATS RELATED TO RENTAL HOMES AND CDBG ZONES.
SO EACH YEAR THERE WE CAN SEE THE, THE NUMBER OF HOMES THAT WERE SERVED, UM, AS WELL AS THE RENTAL HOMES, WHICH, WHEN I SAY RENTAL HOMES, THE HOME WAS OWNED BY NOT THE OCCUPANT, BUT RATHER A, AN OPERATOR.
HOWEVER, SINCE THEY APPLIED AND ARE THE OWNER, UH, THEY WERE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE.
AND WE CAN ALSO SEE BEGINNING IN 2023, UH, WHICH IS WHENEVER WE WERE REQUIRED TO START TRACKING THE CDBG REQUIREMENT, THEY WERE IN COMPLIANCE OF OVER 50% FOR BOTH 2023 AND 2024.
HERE WE JUST HAVE THE MOST POPULAR IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, UH, BY FAR REPLACING THE WINDOWS WAS, UH, THE NUMBER ONE, UH, IMPROVEMENT COMPLETED.
AND THEN HERE WE JUST HAVE A BRIEF CHART SHOWING THE TOTAL INVESTMENT INTO NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, THE BLUE LINE BEING CITY CONTRIBUTION, RED LINE BEING THE HOMEOWNER, AND GREEN BEING THE SUM OF THOSE TWO.
SO IN TOTAL, ROUGHLY $4.2 MILLION HAVE BEEN INVESTED INTO NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS GARLAND THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, UH, WHEN YOU COMBINE THE HOMEOWNER PORTION AND THE CITY PORTION.
SO BRIEFLY, I'M GONNA JUMP OVER TO THE OTHER DOCUMENT THAT I'VE GIVEN Y'ALL, THE GENERAL STATISTICS.
UH, SO LIKE JED WAS SAYING, WE WERE REQUESTED JUST TO BRING A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION RELATED TO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAM AS IT RELATES TO PROPERTY VALUES.
SO THE FIRST, AND THIS IS VERY HIGH LEVEL, BUT THE FIRST NUMBER I WANNA TAKE A LOOK AT HERE, WHENEVER WE COMPARED THE PROJECT, UH, HOME VALUE FOR EACH OF THESE, UH, PROJECTS, WHICH AS YOU CAN SEE HERE ON THE, ON THE SCREEN, WHAT WE DID TO GET THIS NUMBER IS WE TOOK THE DC AD VALUATION FOR THE JANUARY 1ST NUMBER FOR BEFORE THE PROJECT WAS COMPLETED.
WE SEE THAT IN ANY TIME DURING THAT YEAR, THE HIP PROJECT TOOK PLACE, THEY GOT A NEW ROOF, GOT A NEW DRIVEWAY, WHATEVER IT WAS, AND THEN WE LOOKED AT THE NEXT NUMBER FOR THE FOLLOWING JANUARY, AND WE SAW THAT DIFFERENCE, UH, IN VALUE, HOWEVER MM-HMM
[01:30:01]
WE DID TO AT LEAST MM-HMMTRY TO UNDERSTAND THE, UM, THE EFFECT, UH, THE EFFECT OF THIS PROGRAM IS WE YEAH, BACKED OUT THE OVERALL INCREASE FOR THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD SURROUNDING THAT.
AND WE DID THAT IN THE SAME, SAME WAY HERE.
WE JUST TOOK THE DECEMBER, UH, SORRY, THE JANUARY ONE VALUE FOR THAT YEAR AND COMPARED IT TO THE JANUARY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING YEAR FOR EACH OF THOSE PROJECTS.
SO ON AVERAGE, THE HIP AVERAGE VALUE INCREASE WAS 10.33% FOR THE PRE VERSUS POST PROJECT YEAR.
AND THAT IS, ON AVERAGE, 1.6800000000000002% HIGHER THAN THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO, SO IS THIS FOUR? OH, JUST A MINUTE, PLEASE.
I AM SCHEDULED TO BE IN, IN A MEETING IN, IN WITH, UH, TML IN AUSTIN THIS THURSDAY.
LET, LET, NN COUNCILMAN, NN NO, NO, LET'S, LET'S, UH, UM, TRY, TRY TO, UH, MOVE IT TO, TO ONE DAY NEXT WEEK.
COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN, WE'RE IN A MEETING.
WHEN I ASK THAT WE, UH, REFRAIN FROM TAKING CALLS WHILE WE'RE IN THE COUNCIL SETTING, IN THE COUNCIL MEETINGS.
ALRIGHT, SIR, PLEASE CONTINUE.
UH, SO NOW WE'RE GONNA JUMP TO THAT, UH, THAT HAND NOTE THAT I GAVE, OR SORRY, THAT WE, WE'VE SENT OUT, UH, FOR THE HIP GENERAL STATISTICS.
SO WHAT WE DID WANNA DO IS COMPARE THE WAY THAT WE, UM, HAVE OUR PROGRAM AND COMPARE IT TO A SURROUNDING CITIES THAT ALSO RUN THIS PROGRAM.
UH, THE CLOSEST CITY TO US THAT HAS A SIMILAR PROGRAM IS RICHARDSON.
SO JUST A FEW PIECES OF INFORMATION ABOUT RICHARDSON.
UH, THEY REQUIRE A $20,000, UM, MINIMUM INVESTMENT.
AND THE REBATE IS ACTUALLY PAID OUT IN FORM OF THE INCREASED PROPERTY TAX REVENUE TO THE CITY, MULTIPLIED TIMES 10.
SO IF, UM, MY PROJECT, UH, MY PROJECT LEADS TO A $300 INCREASE IN HOW MUCH I PAY TO THE CITY FOR PROPERTY TAXES, I WOULD THEN GET $3,000 BACK AS A REBATE.
SO WHAT WE DID IS WE COMPARED, UH, THE WAY WE DO PAYOUTS AND WANTED TO SEE WHAT, WHAT THE NUMBERS WOULD BE AS IF WE RAN IT THAT WAY, MINUS THE $20,000 REQUIREMENT.
SO WHEN WE, WE LOOK AT IT, UH, USING THAT WAY, MINUS THE $20,000 MINIMUM SPEND REQUIREMENT, LIKE RICHARDSON, UH, 287 OUT OF THE 347 HOMES ACTUALLY HAD A CITY TAX REVENUE INCREASE FOR THE YEAR BEFORE AND AFTER THEIR PROJECT.
IN HIGH LEVEL, THE TOTAL HIP PAYOUT, UM, THAT WE WOULD PAY OUT BASED ON THAT METHODOLOGY WOULD BE 346 ROUGHLY, UH, $346,000 COMPARED TO THE CURRENT PAYOUTS OF ROUGHLY $1.9 MILLION.
UM, AND WE GOT THAT JUST BY CALCULATING THE DCA CITY TAX VALUE TIMES THE, UH, TAX RATE FOR THAT YEAR.
SO JUST, UH, WE, WE HAVE ANOTHER TABLE THERE.
I'M NOT GONNA RUN THROUGH ALL OF THEM, UM, BUT WE CAN SEE THE, THE TAX INCREASE FOR ALL OF THESE PROJECTS.
UH, THE TOTAL TAX INCREASE FOR ALL PROJECTS IN 2020 WAS ROUGHLY $2,000.
AND WE SPENT ROUGHLY $177,000, UM, IN REBATES ON HAVING, UH, THOSE PROJECTS COMPLETED.
AND WE HAVE A FEW AVERAGES DOWN THERE TOO FOR YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT.
AND THESE CALCULATIONS WERE PERFORMED ONLY USING THOSE 287 HOMES.
UH, WE DIDN'T WANT THE 38 THAT HAD DECREASES IN CITY TAX REVENUE TO BRING DOWN THE AVERAGES OR ANYTHING.
SO THOSE WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE, IN THE CALCULATION.
SO NEXT I'M GONNA JUMP INTO THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS.
[01:35:01]
INTO THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT.SO FIRST WE HAVE THE WORKFLOW AND PAYMENT REVIEW.
SO OUR REVIEW OF WORKFLOW AND PAYMENT APPROVAL PROCESS FOR THE HIP PROGRAM REVEALED, UH, THAT ONE OF TWO DESIGNATED CASE MANAGERS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROCESSING PARTICIPANT APPLICATIONS, ALSO APPROVED PROGRAM PAYMENTS.
THIS, UH, PRESENTS A SEGREGATION OF DUTIES CONCERN AS IT CONSOLIDATES BOTH THE OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL APPROVAL RESPONSIBILITIES WITHIN A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL, UH, EFFECTIVE 2025.
UM, THE DEPARTMENT NOW ONLY HAS ONE INDIVIDUAL SERVING AS CASE MANAGER.
UH, INCONSISTENCIES WERE IDENTIFIED IN TRANSACTION DESCRIPTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH HIP REIMBURSEMENTS, WHERE SEVEN ENTRIES CONTAIN INACCURATE OR UNRELATED DESCRIPTIONS THAT DID NOT ALIGN WITH THE CORRESPONDING CASE FILES.
AND FURTHERMORE, THE DEPARTMENT WAS FOUND TO, UH, HAVE REUSED THE SAME CASE NUMBER ACROSS MULTIPLE DISTINCT PROJECTS ON FIVE OCCASIONS.
I RECOMMENDS THAT MANAGEMENT SHOULD DEVELOP COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM REPORTS THAT INCLUDE RELEVANT INFORMATION, SUCH AS CASE NUMBERS, HOMEOWNER NAME, PROJECT ADDRESS, IMPROVEMENT TYPES, INVOICE TOTALS, AND REBATE AMOUNTS.
THESE REPORTS SHOULD BE REVIEWED BY THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OR DESIGNEE FOR ACCURACY AND APPROPRIATENESS.
NEXT, MANAGEMENT SHOULD CONSIDER GRANTING READ ONLY ACCESS TO THE CASE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE, TO THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OR DESIGNEE TO PERFORM ONGOING SPOT CHECKS TO ENSURE FILES PROCESSED ARE APPROPRIATE AND ACCURATE.
DO YOU MIND TOO? BRING IT UP? YEAH, BRING IT UP.
SO, MANAGEMENT CONCURS AND THE ACTION PLAN STATES THAT THE CASE MANAGER WITH DUAL ROLE APPROVAL ACCESS IS NO LONGER WITH THE DEPARTMENT.
CURRENT CASE MANAGERS DO NOT HAVE FINANCIAL APPROVAL RIGHTS AND THEIR NEW NEIGHBORLY SOFTWARE ASSIGN AUTOMATED CASE NUMBERS, UH, REDUCING THE RISK OF DUPLICATION ERROR.
UH, THE DEPARTMENT'S DPC NOW HAS, UH, OR HAS NEIGHBORLY ACCESS AND WILL VERIFY DETAILS OF SUBMITTED PAYMENT REQUEST MANAGERS AGAINST THE NEIGHBORLY RECORD BEFORE PROCESSING AND THE ACCOUNTS PAYABLE SYSTEM ADDITIONAL RESEARCH WILL BE REQUIRED REGARDING SYSTEM REPORT GENERATION.
IN THE MEANTIME, THE MANAGING DIRECTOR HAS REQUESTED A NEIGHBORLY LICENSE RESULTING IN AN ADDITIONAL ANNUAL LICENSE IMPLEMENTATION DATE OF DECEMBER 31ST, 2025.
NEXT WE HAVE THE PROGRAM REQUIREMENT VERIFICATION.
SO THE HIP RESOLUTION, WHICH IS DATED NOVEMBER 8TH, 2018, LAYS OUT PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.
THE DEPARTMENT ALSO PUBLISHES A SET OF GUIDELINES ANNUALLY TO FURTHER COMMUNICATE DETAILS RELATED TO THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION AND QUALIFYING IMPROVEMENTS.
WE OBSERVED THE FOLLOWING INCONSISTENCIES WHEN REVIEWING A SAMPLE OF CASE FILES.
UH, THE HIP RESOLUTION STIPULATES THAT HOMEOWNERS MUST BE CURRENT ON UTILITY BILL PAYMENTS AS A CONDITION OF ELIGIBILITY.
UM, HOWEVER, THE OFFICE OF NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY DOES NOT CURRENTLY REQUIRE APPLICANTS TO SUBMIT PROOF, NOR DOES IT INTERNALLY VERIFY UTILITY ACCOUNT STATUS.
NEXT, THE HIP APPLICATION AND GUIDELINES STATE THAT CERTAIN TYPES OF IMPROVEMENTS REQUIRE OBTAINING A CITY ISSUED PERMIT.
AND IA NOTED THAT EIGHT OF THE 57 SAMPLED PROJECTS DID NOT HAVE CITY ISSUED PERMITS ON FILE.
FURTHERMORE, FURTHERMORE, OV DOES NOT MAINTAIN READ ONLY ACCESS TO THE CITY'S PERMITTING SYSTEM, LIMITING THEIR ACCESS OR LIMITING THEIR ABILITY TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY WHETHER REQUIRED PERMITS WERE OBTAINED OR INSPECTIONS WERE PASSED.
THIS HAS POTENTIALLY ALLOWED UN PERMITTED OR NONCOMPLIANT WORK TO RECEIVE REIMBURSEMENT UNDER THE PROGRAM.
UH, THE HIP RESOLUTION INCLUDES A REQUIREMENT FOR COMPLETED PROJECTS TO BE INSPECTED BY THE CITY.
HOWEVER, THE INSPECTION DOCUMENTATION PROCESS LACKS SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO SUBSTANTIATE THAT COMPLETED WORK COMPLIES WITH CITY STANDARDS.
CURRENTLY, OMV RELIES ON EMAIL CONFIRMATIONS FROM ASSISTING DEPARTMENTS AS PROOF OF INSPECTION.
AND THESE EMAILS OFTEN LACK SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION SUCH AS SIGN INSPECTION FORMS, PHOTOGRAPHIC VERIFICATION, OR FORMAL INSPECTION ENTRIES INTO THE CITY'S PERMITTING SYSTEM.
AS A RESULT, AUDITABILITY AND ASSURANCE OF WHERE COMPLETION QUALITY ARE DIMINISHED.
SO I RECOMMENDS THAT MANAGEMENT SHOULD CONSIDER OBTAINING READ ONLY ACCESS TO THE UTILITY BILLING SYSTEM, OR OBTAIN EVIDENCE OF ACCOUNT STATUS THROUGH THE CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO VERIFY THAT THE ACCOUNT IS IN GOOD STANDING AND SHOULD CONSIDER OBTAINING READ ONLY ACCESS TO THE PERMIT TRACKING THANK YOU PERMIT TRACKING SOFTWARE, OR OBTAIN INSPECTION AND PERMIT RECORDS FROM THE BUILDING INSPECTION DEPARTMENT TO VERIFY THE PROJECT WAS COMPLETE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CITY'S REQUIREMENTS MANAGEMENT CONCURS.
AND THEIR ACTION PLAN IS THAT READ ONLY ACCESS HAS BEEN GRANTED TO TWO OV CASE MANAGERS FOR THE BUILDING INSPECTION PERMITTING SYSTEM AT NO ADDITIONAL COST.
HOWEVER, PROVIDING READ ONLY ACCESS TO THE UTILITY CIS DATABASE WOULD REQUIRE THE ISSUANCE OF ADDITIONAL LICENSES, INCLUDING ADDITIONAL COSTS DUE THE POTENTIAL FOR MONTHLY VARIATIONS IN THE ACCOUNT STATUS BETWEEN APPLICATION APPROVAL AND APPLICANT REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT.
ONV WILL CONFER WITH THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE, UH, ON WHETHER OR NOT TO ELIMINATE THE UTILITY UTILITY ACCOUNT STATUS REQUIREMENT.
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WILL SUBMIT AN EMAIL TO THE DESIGNATED CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE WHO WILL PROVIDE A 24 HOUR TURNAROUND ON VERIFYING THE APPLICANT'S UTILITY ACCOUNT STATUS AT THAT MOMENT.THIS MAY AFFECT TURNAROUND TIME ON PROCESSING REIMBURSEMENTS TO APPLICANTS IMPLEMENTATION DATE OF DECEMBER 31ST, 2025.
NUMBER THREE, HIP RESOLUTION GUIDELINES UPDATES.
SO SINCE THE ADOPTION OF THE PROGRAM, MANY REQUIREMENTS HAVE BEEN CHANGED BY COUNCIL.
HOWEVER, THE RESOLUTION ITSELF HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED.
EXAMPLES INCLUDE THE USE OF DIFFERENT DCA MARKET VALUE METRICS, NUMBER OF CONCURRENT PROJECTS ALLOWED MAXIMUM REBATE AMOUNT AND THE REQUIREMENT OF A REAPPLICATION WAITING PERIOD.
SO NEXT, THERE IS A DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE PROGRAM'S GUIDELINES AND ITS ACTUAL ENFORCEMENT REGARDING PARTICIPATION FREQUENCY.
THE HIP GUIDELINES SPECIFY THAT APPLICANTS ARE LIMITED TO ONE PROJECT PER YEAR.
HOWEVER, IN PRACTICE, THIS LIMITATION IS APPLIED ON A PER ADDRESS BASIS RATHER THAN BY APPLICANT.
AS A RESULT, AT LEAST FIVE RENTAL PROPERTY OWNERS OR OPERATORS WERE ALLOWED TO HAVE TWO CONCURRENT PROJECTS UNDERWAY WITH ONE OPERATOR HAVING TWO IN ONE YEAR AND AN ADDITIONAL TWO THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
IA RECOMMENDS THAT MANAGEMENT SHOULD CONSIDER UPDATING THE HIP RESOLUTION TO ENSURE THAT IT REFLECTS ALL RELEVANT REQUIREMENTS AND TO REEVALUATE THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AND UPDATE THE HIP RESOLUTION AND GUIDELINES TO ALIGN ACCORDINGLY.
MANAGEMENT CONCURS AND THEIR ACTION PLAN IS TO CONFER WITH THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE TO AFFIRM IF STAFFS AND INTERPRETATION, UM, IF THE INTENT OF THE ONE APPLICANT PER YEAR WAS TO BE APPLIED TO THE PROPERTY RECEIVING THE IMPROVEMENT OR TO THE INDIVIDUAL SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION, OV WILL WORK WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER THE WORDING OF THE RESOLUTION, UM, TO ACCOMMODATE COUNSEL'S ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE HIP TERMS, AS WELL AS TO ACCOMMODATE THE FORMULA COUNSEL IMPLEMENTED THAT DIRECTS THE ELIGIBLE MAXIMUM APPRAISAL VALUE BE RESET ANNUALLY BASED ON THE MEDIAN MARKET VALUE OF GARLAND HOMES.
THE IMPLEMENTATION DATE OF THAT IS DECEMBER 31ST, 2025.
AND LASTLY, UH, PII STORED ON CITY SHARE DRIVE DURING TESTING OF HI PROJECT FILES, I IDENTIFIED THAT DOCUMENTS CONTAINING PII WERE RETAINED ON A CITY SH UM, SHARED CITY NETWORK DRIVE ACCESSIBLE BY ALL CITY EMPLOYEES.
UPON NOTIFICATION THIS ISSUE WAS RESOLVED IMMEDIATELY, I RECOMMENDS THAT MANAGEMENT SHOULD CONSIDER UPDATING THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO CLEARLY DEFINE HOW PII IS HANDLED AND SECURED MANAGEMENT CONCURS.
AND THEIR ACTION PLAN IS THAT ONV HAS IMPLEMENTED NEW PROCEDURES FOR HOW AND WHERE BOTH DIGITAL AND HARD COPY HIP FILES ARE PROCESSED, STORED AND SECURED.
A DRAFT POLICY FOR HANDLING HIP PII DOCUMENTS HAS ALSO BEEN WRITTEN AND ROUTED TO APPROPRIATE PERSONNEL FOR REVIEW, IMPLEMENTATION IMPLEMENTATION DATE OF JULY 31ST, 2025.
SO, CHAIRMAN, THAT'S THE, UM, CONCLUSION OF OUR REPORT.
UM, LIKE I SAID, UM, WE DID VARIOUS ANALYSIS TO BRING, UM, THE CRITERIA OF THIS PROGRAM, UM, TODAY, AS WELL AS, UM, SOME OF THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR FUTURE CONSIDERATION.
SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHANGE, UH, DIFFERENCES BETWEEN OUR PROGRAM AND CITY OF RICHARDSON IS WE HAVE A CAP.
UM, SO PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE CAN BE INCLUDED, UH, OR APPLY FOR THIS PROGRAM.
UM, BUT THEY DO HAVE A REQUIREMENT OF MINIMUM INVESTMENT OF $20,000.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE THAT REQUIREMENT.
OBVIOUSLY OUR DEMOGRAPHIC IS DIFFERENT.
UH, SO, AND PLUS, UH, WE CURRENTLY, UM, GIVE A REIMBURSEMENT UP TO 50%, UM, UP TO $10,000.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO AND THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY DO.
SO SOME OF THE ANALYSIS I SHOWED YOU, UM, IS IS BASED ON TAX PROPERTY TAX INCREASE TO THE CITY.
AND SO THERE ARE SOME VARIOUS CONCERN, VARIOUS DIFFERENCES BETWEEN OUR PROGRAM AND, AND THE CITY OF RICHARDSON'S PROGRAM.
SO, UM, WE JUST WANTED TO BRING THIS, THESE OPTIONS TO COUNCIL.
IT'S UP TO THE COUNCIL AND OBVIOUSLY JET, UH, REQUESTED SOME OF THIS ANALYSIS TO BE DONE.
SO I'M NOT SURE IF JET HAS ANY THOUGHTS OR ANY IDEAS OR ANY SUGGESTIONS.
AND, UM, THE INTENTION WAS FOR THIS TO GO TO, UH, AND I'LL USE QUOTES, LOW INCOME, UM, LOW INCOME PROPERTIES THAT, UM, NEED SOME EXTERIOR HELP
[01:45:01]
AND NEED A LITTLE BIT OF A FACELIFT.UH, IN REALITY, THERE IS NOT AN INCOME REQUIREMENT.
THERE'S A, A MINIMUM, OR, SORRY, A MAXIMUM PROPERTY VALUE REQUIREMENT, BUT WE DON'T CHECK THE INCOME OF, OF INDIVIDUALS AS PART OF THIS PROGRAM.
AND SO IF, UH, IF IT'S COUNCIL'S DESIRE TO CONTINUE KIND OF A, A, A LOW INCOME SUBSIDY FOR EXTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ONE WAY TO DO IT.
IF WE'RE TRYING TO ATTACK GARLAND'S CHALLENGE AND ADD PROPERTY VALUE AND HAVE, UH, AND TRY TO REPOSITION PROPERTIES, RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES SO THAT THEY'RE MORE COMPETITIVE IN THE MARKET, THERE'S DEFINITELY A A DIFFERENT WAY TO DO THAT.
AND SO, UM, I THINK IT JUST COMES DOWN TO PURPOSE AND, AND WHAT YOUR, WHAT WHAT COUNCIL WANTS TO DO HERE.
ONE IS THAT THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES COMMITTEE, I KNOW IS LOOKING AT A, A SIMILAR, UH, PROGRAM AS RICHARDSON'S, HOWEVER BOUNDED TO CERTAIN GEOGRAPHIC AREA.
UM, AND THE SECOND PART THAT I'LL MENTION IS THAT, UM, AND I'VE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE IN JULY, UH, YOU'LL BE RECEIVING, UH, KIND OF A FIRST UPDATE ON OUR HOUSING STUDY.
AND I, I THINK THAT'S REALLY GONNA HELP INFORM, UH, WHERE, WHERE A FOCUS OF OUR HOUSING EFFORTS SHOULD BE.
AND SO I THINK IT'S WORTH, UH, WHATEVER AND MAKING ANY DECISIONS SHOULD BE, WAIT, WE SHOULD WAIT UNTIL AFTER THAT PRESENTATION TO MAKE ANY MAJOR MODIFICATIONS TO THIS.
UM, THE OTHER THING I'LL MENTION TOO IS THAT, UM, FROM A BUDGETING STANDPOINT, AS WE PUT TOGETHER THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL 2026, WHICH WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'VE GENERALLY FUNDED THIS PROGRAM WITH KIND OF EXCESS FUNDS IN THE GENERAL FUND.
UH, NOT SURE WE'RE GONNA HAVE THOSE THIS YEAR.
AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER PIECE OF THIS THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER IS, UM, JUST THE FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY OF THE PROGRAM AS WELL.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT TO UNPACK.
THIS AUDIT REALLY HELPED US DO A DEEP DIVE INTO, UH, INTO THE PROGRAM.
SOME THINGS WE CAN DO BETTER, BUT ALSO SOME, UH, I THINK JUST SOME INSIGHTS OVERALL INTO THE, THE EFFECTIVENESS AND OF THE PROGRAM AND, AND ITS INTENDED PURPOSE.
UM, LET'S JUST GO NOW AROUND AND LET THE COMMITTEE, UH, DISCUSS IT.
UH,
IT'S, UM, COMPARING THIS TO RICHARDSON, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO, BECAUSE THAT IS, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I BROUGHT UP.
THE, THE IDEA OF, UM, STUDYING A BOUNDED, LIKE A BOUNDED THREE 80 AGREEMENT OR SOMETHING, UH, KIND OF GOT THE BALL ROLLING ON SOME OF THOSE IDEAS.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET MAXIMUM EFFECTIVENESS FOR THE DOLLARS, FOR THE, FOR OUR, UH, FOR THE DOLLARS THAT WE SPEND.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE DATA THAT WE HAD THIS PAST WEEKEND, RICHARDSON, UH, HAS, WHETHER THEY'RE ALMOST TWO AND A HALF TIMES THE PROPERTY VALUE AND OR PER CITIZEN, THE, THE DOLLARS THAT ARE BEING SPENT IN THEIR CITY.
AND SO THERE'S SOMETHING TO BE LEARNED FROM WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
SO I'M, I'M VERY MUCH INTERESTED IN WHAT THE REST OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE IN THE HOUSING STUDY AND, AND PUTTING THIS TOGETHER WITH THAT.
SO THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS REPORT TOGETHER, OBVIOUSLY TOOK QUITE A BIT OF TIME TO DO.
AND, UM, I, I THINK THAT WE'LL MAKE REALLY GOOD USE OF IT.
COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS? ALRIGHT, I, UH, I, UH, WANT TO ECHO THE SIMMONS.
UM, I THINK WE'VE GOT, UH, THIS, THIS, THIS, UH, UH, AUDIT AND CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, SIR.
UH, UM, UH, YEAH, THIS AUDIT PLUS, UM, PLUS, UM, THE ACTIVITY THAT WE'VE GOT GOING ON NOW, I THINK COMBINED, I THINK WOULD GIVE US, UH, UM, TOOLS TO DO ONE, TO DO AN ASSESSMENT, UH, AND THEN TO, UM, FORMALIZE IN THE ACTION WE THINK WOULD, WOULD BENEFIT OUR CITY.
SO, UM, I'M, UH, WAITING UNTIL, UH, WAITING FOR THIS, THIS, AND PLUS THE, THE, UH, OTHER, OTHER, UH, INFORMATION.
AND, UH, I'M, I'M INTERESTED IN, UH, WHAT, UH, UH, THE, UH, CITY MANAGER AND, UH, HIS TEAM IS GOING TO PROPOSE, BUT IT'S, UM, VERY, VERY, UH, VERY ENLIGHTENING, UH, SO IMMEDIATE TO, TO, UH, UH, WAIT FOR, UH, YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND WE CAN, WE CAN PARSE IT AT THAT TIME.
I TO, UH, UH, DO AGREE THAT, UH, THIS PROPOSAL, ESPECIALLY THE RICHARDSON PLAN
[01:50:01]
FOR ME, IT, UH, SAYS THAT THEN EVERY HOMEOWNER WOULD HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PLAN, BUT ALSO RECOGNIZING THE REASON FOR WHICH THE PLAN WAS ORIGINALLY ORIGINATED.IT WAS INDEED FOR, UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE CHALLENGED HOMES ARE VERY OLD.
AND, UH, SINCE 20,000, IS THE, IS THAT THE MINIMUM? YOU SAID 20,000? UH, THAT'S HOW RICHARDSON, UH, RUNS RICHARDSON RICHARDSON PROGRAM 20,000.
I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M A LITTLE HESITANT BECAUSE THAT'S GONNA PROBABLY CUT OUT A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO, UH, IN THAT LOWER INCOME BRACKET OR THAT NEED THE HOME, UH, IMPROVEMENTS THE MOST.
IT MAY CUT THEM OUT AND, UH, OF COURSE WE'RE GOING TO PROBABLY GET SOME, UH, SOME FEEDBACK AS A RESULT OF THAT.
BUT I DO AGREE WITH THE CITY MANAGER AS IT RELATES TO, BUT IN THE WAY OF HOW WE'RE ATTEMPTING AT THIS POINT TO GO FORWARD.
AND THAT IS, UH, WE'RE CERTAINLY GONNA HAVE TO INCREASE OUR PROPERTY VALUES.
AND ONE OF THE WAYS OF DOING THAT IS, OF COURSE, TO IMPROVE UPON THE HOME.
AND OF COURSE, THE WAY TO GO ABOUT DOING THAT IS TO ALLOW EVERY HOMEOWNER THE OPPORTUNITY.
UM, I THINK THAT, UH, YES, WE DO NEED TO PROBABLY TAKE THIS, UH, TO COUNCIL ALONG WITH THE OTHER STUDIES THAT ARE BEING CONDUCTED PRESENTLY, THAT THEY CAN ALL BE EVALUATED TOGETHER AND IN UNISON AS WE GO FORWARD.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, UH, THAT WOULD BE ALSO MY, MY, UH, MY SUGGESTION AS IT RELATES TO WHAT YOU JUST PRESENTED.
VERY GOOD REPORT, VERY COMPREHENSIVE.
UH, I THINK THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE CERTAINLY ARE GOING TO, UH, BENEFIT AS A RESULT OF.
WITH THAT, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS, ANY OTHER COMMENTS BEFORE WE HAVE, UH, DUCKWORTH, UH, MR. DUCKWORTH TO COME FORWARD? YOU GOOD ON MR. MR. DUCKWORTH? OKAY.
ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO ADD, I, I, I REALIZE I DIDN'T THINK, UH, THE TEAM, THAT THEY WERE VERY HELPFUL.
THEY WERE OH, DEFINITELY EXTREMELY, UH, COOPERATIVE.
THEY, THEY GAVE ME ALL THE INFORMATION DAY ONE, SO I'M, I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR THEM AND EVERYTHING THEY DID FOR ME DURING THIS AUDIT.
WE KNOW IT OF THE HEAD, NOT THE HEART.
BECKY, SCOTT, LAURA, THANK YOU.
UM, AND GREAT, GREAT AUDIT CLIENT.
OKAY, UH, CHAIRMAN, IS THAT IT? AND THE, ONE MORE, ONE MORE.
UH, A AS YOU'RE AWARE, UM, THE INTERNAL AUDIT DEPARTMENT FOLLOWS THE GENERALLY ACCEPTED GOVERNMENTAL AUDITING STANDARDS, UH, ISSUED BY THE CONTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES.
UM, THE STANDARD REQUIRES THAT, UM, THE DEPARTMENT, WE, UH, INTERNAL AUDIT GOES THROUGH AN AUDIT, OR THEY CALL IT IN THEIR MIND, PEER REVIEW.
UM, SO ONCE EVERY THREE YEARS.
SO, UH, WE WERE FORTUNATE TO HAVE THAT PEER REVIEW DONE THIS YEAR, AND I KNOW YOU WERE PART OF THAT.
UM, UH, WE HAD, UH, TWO AUDITORS, ONE FROM CITY OF ATLANTA, ONE FROM SIERRA DALLAS.
THEY CAME AND LOOKED AT OUR POLICIES, PROCEDURES, OUR INTERNAL MONITORING PROCEDURES.
WHAT WHAT IT MEANS BY THAT IS THEY LOOKED AT HOW WE DO RISK ASSESSMENT, HOW WE DO QUALITY CONTROLS, HOW WE, UH, ASSESS THE EVIDENCE THAT WE COLLECT, UH, OUR PROFESSIONAL JUDGMENT.
UH, SO THEY LOOK AT A TON OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
THEY ALSO SAMPLE SOME OF THE ENGAGEMENTS THAT WE WORKED ON AND, AND LOOKED AT OUR WORK PAPERS ALSO.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY, THEY'RE ALWAYS VERY KEY, UH, PER THE STANDARD, IS LOOKING AT OUR INDEPENDENCE.
WHEN I TALK ABOUT INDEPENDENCE, I'M TALKING ABOUT LOOKING FROM A STRUCTURAL PERSPECTIVE.
ARE THERE ANY THREATS FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE? SELF-INTEREST, THREAT, SELF REVIEW, THREAT BIAS, THREAT FAMILIARITY, THREAT, UNDUE INFLUENCE, THREAT MANAGEMENT, PARTICIPATION THREAT, STRUCTURAL THREAT.
SO THEY LOOK AT FROM ALL OF THAT PERSPECTIVE, UH, THEY ALSO LOOK AT OUR ETHICAL PRACTICES ETHICS, UH, BASICALLY, UM, JUST TO MAKE SURE WE FOLLOW, UH, COMPETE.
WE HAVE THE COMPETENCY, WE MAINTAIN CONFIDENTIALITY, WE MAINTAIN INTEGRITY, WE MAINTAIN PUBLIC INTEREST OR PUBLIC TRUST, AS WELL AS OUR PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR.
UM, THEY ALSO LOOK AT THE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES THAT, UH, MY STAFF GO THROUGH, UH, HOW, HOW WE INCREASE OUR COMPETENCIES IN CITY OPERATIONS AND NEW THREATS.
HOW DO WE DEVELOP OUR AUDITING STAFF AS PART OF THE PROCESS? THEY INTERVIEWED MY STAFF MYSELF AND ALSO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN.
SO IT WAS A VERY THOROUGH, UM, REVIEW AUDIT PROCESS.
AND UPON COMPLETION OF THIS PROCESS, UH, YOU, YOU CAN BE, THE RATING IS YOU EITHER PASS, YOU PASS WITH DEFICIENCY OR YOU FAIL.
AND OBVIOUSLY NO ONE WANTS TO FAIL.
UM, BUT HAPPY TO REPORT THAT, UM, UH, OUR DEPARTMENT PASSED WITH, UM, THE HIGHEST,
[01:55:01]
UH, RANKING THAT WE COULD ACHIEVE.AND I DO WANNA GIVE CREDIT, UH, NUMBER ONE TO GOD, NUMBER TWO TO, TO THE COUNCIL, MAYOR AND THE CITY COUNCIL.
YOU PUT THIS PROGRAM TOGETHER.
I TALKED ABOUT THIS STRUCTURAL INDEPENDENCE, UM, THAT, THAT IS, UH, IT'S KEY, UH, TO MAINTAIN THE INDEPENDENCE AND THE, UM, OBJECTIVITY OF OUR DEPARTMENT.
SO THANKS TO YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE PARTNERSHIP WE HAVE WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE AUDIT THAT WE JUST COMPLETED, IT SHOWS HOW WE WORK TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE THE SAME OBJECTIVE, WHICH IS TO SERVE THE CITY AND TO SERVE THE CITY COUNCIL MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
UM, UH, I CAN BE A COACH, BUT, UH, IF THE COACH CAN BE GREAT, BUT IF THE PLAYERS CAN EXECUTE, UM, YOU'RE NOT GONNA SUCCEED.
AND WITHOUT DAY IN, DAY OUT, HOW THEY WORK AND HOW THEY MAINTAIN THEIR INDEPENDENCE AND HOW, HOW HARD THEY WORK TO MAINTAIN, TO GO THROUGH OUR QUALITY CONTROL PROCESSES AND TO ISSUE THE REPORT.
UM, YOU SAW SOME OF THE ANALYTICS THAT THEY HAVE DONE.
SO PATRICIA, ERIN, ZACH, AND VIN, THEY HAVE WORKED DILIGENTLY FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS.
'CAUSE THE SCOPE OF THE AUDIT WAS THREE YEARS.
SO I DO WANNA APPRECIATE THEM FOR THEIR HARD WORK.
AND I ALSO WANNA THANK ALL THE MANAGEMENT, ALL THE SUPPORT THAT WE HAVE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO REPORT THAT TO YOU.
ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS IS WHETHER WE PASS, PASS WITH DEFICIENCY OR FAIL, WE HAVE TO REPORT IT.
AND TRANSPARENCY IS IMPORTANT.
SO JUST WANTED TO SHARE THE GOOD NEWS WITH THE COMMITTEE.
THAT'S THE LAST ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
WELL, WITH THAT, LET'S GIVE A
YES, I DID HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO SPEAK WITH THE, UH, PEER REVIEW AUDIT, UH, TEAM.
AND, UH, I HAVE TO SAY THAT, UH, I DIDN'T KNOW IF WE PASSED OR DIDN'T PASS, BUT I DID KNOW THAT UH, THERE WAS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF JEALOUSY IN ATLANTA AND DALLAS AS THEY GO BACK TO THEIR RESPECTIVE PLACES, UH, BECAUSE THEY REALLY DID, UH, ENJOY, THEY APPRECIATED, THEY RESPECTED THE MANNER BY WHICH OUR AUDIT TEAM IS FUNCTIONING AND THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING.
AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, OF COURSE, UH, I THINK THAT THEY TOOK SOME THINGS WITH THEM THAT THEY CAN TAKE BACK, UH, TO THEIR RESPECTIVE CITIES AND USE JDU DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB.
AND WE JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, THAT, UH, WE DO APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
AND AS I'VE ALWAYS STATED, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT IN THE AUDIT PROCESS THAT IT'S NOT A MATTER OF TRYING TO FIND FAULT WITH ANYONE, BUT TRYING TO FIND THE BEST RESULTS OF PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES BY WHICH WE CAN GO FORWARD AND WE CAN PREVENT FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE IN SUCH A MANNER THAT IT SAVES US WHAT WE NEED SO MUCH PRESENTLY, WHICH IS MONEY.
SO WITH THAT, WE DO APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU.
UH, COUNSEL, I JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY SAY I, I'M, IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE TO, TO GET TO KNOW JED OVER THE LAST TWO OR THREE MONTHS.
I HAD NO IDEA WHAT A, AN AMAZING DEPARTMENT HE RUNS.
AND, UH, LIKE CHIEF BRIAN SAID THE OTHER NIGHT, OTHER DAY, OFTEN WHEN THE POLICE SHOW UP, IT'S LIKE, OH NO.
AND, AND I HAVE THAT, I KNOW THAT FEELING WHEN IN, IN BANKING, WHEN THE AUDITORS CAME IN, THAT WAS THE DREADED DAY.
BUT, UH, AS, AS YOU SO ELOQUENTLY SAID, UH, WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT, WE HAVE TO PROTECT US FROM OURSELVES.
UH, SO WE NEVER KNOW WHEN WE'RE GONNA GET INTO A SITUATION TO BE, UH, TEMPTED TO DO SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULDN'T.
AND, AND THESE KIND OF PROGRAMS KEEP US FROM DOING THAT.
AND I KNOW THROUGH BANKING I LEARNED THAT, UH, THE HARD WAY BY NOT WATCHING SOME THINGS.
SO YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU CHARGE OFF A LOAN OR YOU, YOU, UH, CLEAR UP A, A PROBLEM.
BUT YET THANK YOU FOR UNION, YOUR DEPARTMENT AND, AND THE SENIOR MANAGER, JUDGE.
IT TAKES A TEAM, AS YOU SAID AND, AND SOUNDED LIKE WE GOT A GREAT ONE.
AND I'M SO GOOD TO, I, I LEARNED A WHOLE LOT TODAY.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? IF THERE ARE NOT, IT IS PRESENTLY LOOKS LIKE FOUR 30 ON THE DOT, IS THAT CORRECT? AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.