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AND I'M GONNA CALL[Meeting of the Houston Forensic Science Center: Board of Directors on September 15, 2023]
THE BOARD MEETING FOR THE HUGHES AND FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER TO ORDER.WE WILL PROCEED WITH, UH, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO.
MS. HENRY, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLE? YES.
CHAIRWOMAN MITCHELL, VICE CHAIR GOODWIN.
PRESENT, DIRECTOR VASQUEZ, DIRECTOR HILDER.
UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU JOINING THE MEETING TODAY, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR ESTEEMED CHAIRWOMAN, STACEY MITCHELL, IS NOT WITH US TODAY.
SHE IS SENDING HER REGARDS AND OF COURSE, WOULD LIKE TO BE HERE IN PERSON.
UM, BUT SHE'S UNDER THE WEATHER, AND SO, UM, PLEASE JOIN ME IN WISHING HER A SPEEDY RECOVERY, UM, IN HER ABSENCE.
I'LL BE PRESIDING OVER THE BOARD MEETING TODAY, AS PER IS PERMITTED UNDER OUR BYLAWS, AND I WILL DO MY VERY BEST TO PROCEED WITH THE SAME EFFICIENCY AND THOUGHTFULNESS THAT OUR CHAIRWOMAN BRINGS TO ALL OF OUR MEETINGS.
WITH THAT, WE WILL PROCEED TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE, WHICH IS TO CONSIDER THE APPOINTMENT OF, UH, MS. ASHLEY HENRY AS THE INTERIM SECRETARY OF THE CORPORATION AND POSSIBLE RELATED MATTERS.
UM, MEMBERS, AS YOU KNOW, OUR BOARD SECRETARY, MS. HAM, UH, RECENTLY RESIGNED AND RELOCATED.
UH, WE APPRECIATE THE WONDERFUL WORK THAT SHE DID FOR HFSC AND THE ASSISTANT SHE PROVIDED TO THE BOARD DURING HER TENURE.
UM, WE CERTAINLY WISH HER WELL IN HER NEXT JOURNEY.
UM, BUT AS A RESULT OF MS. HAM'S DEPARTURE, WE DO HAVE A VACANCY TO FILL IN SEVERAL LEGAL OBLIGATIONS, UH, TO CARRY OUT DURING, UH, THE INTERIM PERIOD.
HFSE IS CURRENTLY SEEKING QUALIFIED CANDIDATES FOR THE POSITION.
HOWEVER, WE DO NEED TO APPOINT AN INTERIM SECRETARY TO FILL THE ROLE.
UM, TODAY WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE MRS. UH, ASHLEY HENRY HSCS, MANAGER OF CLIENT SERVICES AND CASE MANAGEMENT.
SHE HAS GRACIOUSLY AGREED TO ASSIST US YET AGAIN.
AND WE HAVE CALLED ON HER MORE THAN A FEW TIMES OVER THE YEARS, AND WE CANNOT THANK HER ENOUGH FOR HER WILLINGNESS TO STEP IN AT THE DIRECTION OF CHAIRWOMAN MITCHELL.
MRS. UM, HENRY HAS ALREADY PROVIDED ASSISTANCE TO THE BOARD LEADING UP TO THE MEETING TODAY, AND SHE'S DOING A WONDERFUL JOB, AS ALWAYS.
WITH THAT, I WILL OPEN THE FLOOR FOR A MOTION RELATED TO THE APPOINTMENT OF MRS. ASHLEY HENRY TO THE INTERIM SECRETARY ROLE FOR THE CORPORATION.
UM, I PLEASE REMIND ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS TO PLEASE LEAN INTO YOUR MICS, UM, IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE DISCUSSING OR VOTING DURING THE MEETING.
UM, SO AT THIS TIME I'LL ASK, IS THERE A MOTION? SO, SO MOVE, UM, THE MOTION IS FROM DIRECTOR COHEN.
UM, AT THIS TIME WILL BE A VOICE VOTE.
WOULD YOU PLEASE UNMUTE YOUR MICS? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
AND WITH THAT, THE MOTION CARRIES.
CONGRATULATION, UH, MRS. HENRY, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU.
SO WE WILL MOVE TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR, WHICH IS OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
UM, WE ARE NOW OPENING THE FLOOR FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND INVITE ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC THAT WISHES TO SPEAK TO COME TO THE PODIUM AND ADDRESS THE BOARD.
UM, WE ASK THAT ALL SPEAKERS, PLEASE SIGN IN AT THE FRONT OF THE ROOM, UM, SO THAT WE ARE AWARE OF YOUR PRESENCE AND THAT ALL COMMENTS BE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES.
UM, YOU MAY SPEAK ON ANY MATTERS RELATING TO THE BOARD OR HFSC.
UM, AT THIS TIME, DO WE HAVE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO HAS SIGNED, UM, UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? SEEING NONE, UM, WE WILL NOW CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS THE READING OF THE DRAFT MINUTES FROM OUR AUGUST 14TH, 2023 SPECIAL BOARD MEETING, UM, A CONSIDERATION OF THE PROPOSED CORRECTIONS, UM, OF THOSE MINUTES.
SO, UM, BOARD MEMBERS, I TRUST THAT EVERYONE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE MINUTES PRIOR TO OUR MEETING TODAY.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY CORRECTIONS OR ADDITIONS TO THE MINUTES THAT YOU'D LIKE TO BE HEARD AT THIS TIME? APPROVAL, ARE YOU ASKING? OKAY.
UM, SO SEEING NO, UM, REQUEST FOR, UH, CHANGES TO THE MINUTES.
UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION? UM, IT SEEMS THAT DIRECTOR MOORE MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? MOVE? SECOND.
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IF YOU PLEASE UNMUTE YOUR MICS.UM, AT THIS TIME, IF YOU, UH, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ALL OPPOSED? UH, THE MOTION CARRIES AND WE WILL PROCEED TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX.
SO, UM, ITEM NUMBER SIX IS THE CHAIR WOMAN'S REPORT FOR THE CHAIR WOMAN'S REPORT.
TODAY I HAVE A FEW ITEMS THAT I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT ON BEHALF OF CHAIRWOMAN MITCHELL.
FIRST, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME OUR NEWEST BOARD MEMBER ATTORNEY, JED SILVERMAN.
UH, MR. SILVERMAN IS A WELL-RESPECTED MEMBER OF THE DEFENSE BAR AND CAN BE FOUND IN THE COURTHOUSE ALMOST EVERY DAY.
UM, HE'S A BOARD CERTIFIED SPECIALIST IN CRIMINAL LAW, AND HIS PRACTICE FOCUSES ON FEDERAL CASES, SEX CRIMES, DRUG OFFENSES, DWIS, AND WHITE COLLAR CRIMES.
HE IS THE PAST PRESIDENT OF THE HARRIS COUNTY CRIMINAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION AND HAS BEEN LISTED IN THE TEXAS MONTHLY SUPER LAWYERS FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
WITH OVER 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, DIRECTOR SILVERMAN WILL BRING A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE TO THE BOARD AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH HIM AND HAVING HIM ON THE BOARD.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD AND CHAIRWOMAN MITCHELL, I'D LIKE TO SAY WELCOME AND ALSO OPEN THE FLOOR IF YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS.
HI, I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY.
YEAH, I APPRECIATE, UH, MY APPOINTMENT TO THE BOARD AND, UH, YOU KNOW, BRINGING MY KNOWLEDGE OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, UH, HERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, UH, TO THE BOARD.
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR SILVERMAN.
NEXT, I'D LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE, UM, THAT WE ONLY HAVE ONE REGULAR MEETING SCHEDULED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR.
IT'LL BE NOVEMBER 17TH, WHICH IS THE THIRD FRIDAY OF THE MONTH DUE TO VETERAN'S DAY.
UM, HISC WILL BE CLOSED, UM, UH, FOR THE REGULAR MEETING DATE, WHICH IS USUALLY THE SECOND FRIDAY OF THE MONTH, AND OBSERVANCE OF THE HOLIDAY.
PLEASE REMEMBER THAT DURING THE NOVEMBER MEETING, WE'LL CONDUCT DR.
STOUT'S PERFORMANCE EVALUATION, UM, AND VOTE ON A LIST OF INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE GOALS.
THE BOARD WANTS TO SEE EXECUTED DURING THE 2024 FISCAL YEAR.
IN PREPARATION FOR THOSE MEETINGS, IF YOU HAVE, UM, ANY INFORMATION THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE PRESENTED ABOUT HSCS PERFORMANCE DURING THE 2022 AND 2023 EVALUATION YEAR, PLEASE SEND THOSE TO CHAIRWOMAN MITCHELL AND SHE WILL PASS THOSE ALONG TO DR. STOUT FOR INCLUSION IN HIS REPORT.
AS ALWAYS, CHAIRWOMAN MITCHELL WOULD LIKE THE ENTIRE BOARD TO BE IN ATTENDANCE FOR THAT MEETING AND THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
ON THE SAME NOTE, I DO WANT TO BRING TO THE BOARD'S ATTENTION THAT WE MAY NEED TO CALL ANOTHER SPECIAL MEETING, UM, POTENTIALLY IN EARLY OCTOBER.
UH, SPECIAL MEETINGS CAN BE DIFFICULT TO COORDINATE, BUT WE WOULD ONLY DO SO IF THERE ARE SORT OF TIME SENSITIVE MATTERS THAT REQUIRED US TO BE PRESENT.
UH, DR. STOUT AND OUR LEGAL COUNSEL, MS. VANCE, UH, HAVE INFORMED THE CHAIR THAT WE MAY NEED TO EXECUTE A FEW AGREEMENTS WITH THE CITY RELATED TO THE PROPERTY ROOM.
UM, AND SO THE STAFF WILL BE REACHING OUT TO US TO GET A FEW POTENTIAL DATES RESERVED ON THE CALENDAR IN CASE SUCH NEED ARISES.
LASTLY, I WANT TO TAKE, UM, THE TIME TO ACKNOWLEDGE HSCS HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR, UH, MRS. S YOUNG ON HER RETIREMENT.
UH, MRS. YOUNG, WE HAVE, UM, HAS BEEN WITH, UH, HFSC SINCE DECEMBER, 2013, AND WAS ONE OF THE FEW ORIGINAL HFSC, UH, EMPLOYEES WITH APPROXIMATELY 200 EMPLOYEES UNDER HER CARE.
MRS. YOUNG HAS INSURED OUR EMPLOYEES HAVE EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEED FROM HIRING UNTIL THE DAY THAT THEY LEAVE THE ORGANIZATION, AND OFTEN, UM, ASSISTING EMPLOYEES LONG AFTER THEY MOVE ON TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES.
MRS. YOUNG, THE BOARD RESPECTS YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE ORGANIZATION THROUGH MANY HIGHS, LOWS, AND ALL THE IN BETWEEN THAT YOU'VE SEEN OVER THE YEARS.
UM, WE ARE GLAD THAT WE ARE ABLE TO BE HERE IN PERSON TO SAY OUR GOODBYES, AND WE DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE AND HOPE THAT ALL STAFF WILL DO, UM, THE SAME THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
UM, PLEASE ENJOY YOUR RETIREMENT, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO HFSC AND A HUGE THANK YOU TO, UM, THE STAFF THAT ARE HELPING AND WORKING HARD TO KEEP THINGS GOING DURING THE TRANSITION.
I BELIEVE AT THIS POINT, DR. STOUT ALSO HAS A TOKEN OF APPRECIATION, UM, AS WELL.
SO YEAH, CARESS GOTTA EMBARRASS YOU A LITTLE BIT.
SO CARESS WAS LITERALLY, I THINK, EMPLOYEE NUMBER TWO.
UM, SHE'S THE FIRST ONE TO MAKE 10 YEARS WITH THE ORGANIZATION, SO WE'RE GONNA START HAVING 10 YEAR, YOU KNOW, I, I DO STUFF AT FIVE YEARS NOW I GOTTA FIGURE OUT WHAT AM IM GONNA DO AT 10 YEARS.
SO SHE'S THE FIRST TO HIT 10 YEARS.
HFSC HAS HAD ABOUT 460 PEOPLE THAT HAVE WORKED FOR HFSE.
WE STARTED OUT WITH 48, UH, CLASSIFIED OFFICERS AND 80 SOMETHING CIVIL SERVICE
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CITY OF HOUSTON EMPLOYEES.IN THAT 10 YEARS, WE ARE NOW DOWN TO TWO REMAINING THREE.
THREE REMAINING CITY OF HOUSTON EMPLOYEES.
SEE, THIS IS, I'M, I'M, I'M GONNA BE, I'M GONNA BE ADRIFT HERE WITHOUT HER.
UM, YOU, YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT THE, WHAT HR HAS HAD TO DO, I MEAN, THAT IS RECRUITING AND HIRING FOR 460 PEOPLE.
THAT'S, THIS IS LIKE 50 PEOPLE A YEAR THAT'S ONBOARDING ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE, ALL OF THE BENEFITS IN ALL OF THE PAYROLLS AND ALL OF THE QUESTIONS THAT CARESS HAS VERY PATIENTLY AND EXPERTLY ANSWERED FOR US TO HELP WHAT I THINK ANYBODY ON THE PLANET, AND ACTUALLY THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THE PLANET THAT LOOK AT US.
I THINK THEY ALL AGREE, WE HAVE A REMARKABLE GROUP OF PEOPLE AT HFSC, AND THAT IS NO SMALL CREDIT TO CARESS.
YOU AND I HAVE HAD OUR UPS AND DOWNS AS YOU WOULD HAVE WITH ANYBODY WHO IS EXCEPTIONAL AT THEIR JOB.
I APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO GO TOE TO TOE AND STAND UP FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE.
SO YEAH, I'VE GOT, I'VE GOT, I'VE GOT, I'VE GOT THE BOX FOR YOU.
YOU KNOW, I DO LOTS OF BOXES, SO I'VE GOT THE BOX AND BECAUSE YOU ALREADY HAVE A COIN, I GOT, I GOT YOU ONE OF THE CSU COINS IN THERE.
UM, BUT FIRST OF ALL, I'M RESH YOUNG DIRECTOR OF, THERE IT IS.
I'M CARES YOUNG DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES FOR HOUSTON HOUSTON FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER.
AND THAT'S THE LAST TIME I'LL BE ABLE TO SAY THAT.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU WHY I'M LEAVING A JOB THAT I LOVE.
I HAVE SO ENJOYED THE TIME THAT I'VE SPENT HERE.
UM, ANY SMALL PART THAT I HAVE PLAYED IN GETTING THE ORGANIZATION WHERE IT IS RIGHT NOW HAS BEEN MY HONOR AND MY PRIVILEGE TO DO SO.
AND I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY THAT I HAD TO SERVE THIS COMPANY.
IT'S INCREDIBLE WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED IN THE SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE'VE DONE IT.
AND THAT'S NOT ATTRIBUTED TO ME.
IT'S ATTRIBUTED TO THE TEAMWORK OF EVERYBODY THAT WE PUT TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS ORGANIZATION WHAT IT IS TO DR.
DAN GARNER WHO STARTED IT, PETER WHO CAME AFTER HIM, WHO HAS JUST TAKEN US TO A NATIONAL PRESENCE.
WE DON'T HAVE TROUBLE RECRUITING EMPLOYEES.
WE HAVE TROUBLE FINDING EXPERIENCED ONES, BUT NEW GRADS ARE WANTING TO COME WORK HERE BECAUSE OF THE PRESTIGE, BECAUSE OF WHO WE ARE.
AND THAT IS IN NO SMALL WAY ATTRIBUTABLE TO YOU, PETER, AND TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE HELPED PUT THIS TOGETHER.
SO I'M GOING ON A NEW ADVENTURE.
I'VE WORKED MOST OF MY LIFE, BUT IN THAT WORK I HAVE STRUGGLED LIKE MOST PARENTS DO WITH BALANCING CHILDCARE AND MY KIDS WITH MY WORK.
AND NOW I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FOCUS ON MY 10 GRANDCHILDREN.
UM, UH, TEENAGERS, NOT SO MUCH, BUT THE LITTLE ONES, UH, TEENAGERS ARE, THEY'RE STILL GREAT.
BUT, UH,
I SAID, I GUESS YOU'RE TOO OLD TO COME VISIT MIMI NOW.
AND THEY WERE LIKE, NOPE, WE'RE NOT EVER TOO OLD TO DO THAT.
UH, BUT MY YOUNGEST IS FOUR MONTHS.
MY OLDEST IS 16 AND LOTS IN BETWEEN.
AND SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO JUST FOCUSING ON THEM AND TO WHATEVER ELSE GOD HAS FOR ME TO DO.
I KNOW THERE'S SOMETHING, DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT IS RIGHT NOW, BUT I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES.
BUT THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY.
IT HAS BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY CAREER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN WITH, UM, UH, WITH THAT FINAL ANNOUNCEMENT, WE'LL PROCEED TO THE NEXT TWO AGENDA ITEMS. AGENDA ITEM SEVEN AND EIGHT, WHICH ARE GOING TO BE, UM, TAKEN IN TURN BY DR. STOUT.
UH, AGENDA ITEM SEVEN IS THE READING OF DR.
STOUT'S PRESIDENT'S REPORT AND AGENDA NUMBER EIGHT.
ITEM NUMBER EIGHT IS TO CONSIDER APPROVAL OF DR.
STOUT'S PROPOSED LIST OF ANNUAL CORPORATE PRIORITIES AND GOALS.
UM, AS YOU CAN TELL FROM THE AGENDA ITEMS, IN ADDITION TO DR.
STOUT'S REGULAR REPORT, HE'LL ALSO BE PRESENTING HIS CORPORATE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE CURRENT, UM, REVIEW PERIOD, WHICH NOW COINCIDES WITH THE ORGANIZATION'S FISCAL YEAR MEMBERS.
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WE ARE, YOU KNOW, AT THE STAGE IN THE ANNUAL BOARD SCHEDULE WHERE WE LOOK AT THE COMPANY'S PROGRESS FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR AND SET GOALS FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR.TODAY, DR. STOUT WILL PRESENT HIS PROPOSED CORPORATE PRIORITIES AND GOALS FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
AND THEN AT THE CONCLUSION OF HIS PRESENTATION, WE WILL VOTE A VOICE VOTE TO ACCEPT THOSE GOALS OR MODIFY THEM.
UM, IF THE BOARD DECIDES THAT ACTION IS APPROPRIATE, THE PROOF GOALS WILL BECOME PART OF DR.
SO AT THIS TIME, DROUT, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
SO I THE, TO EXPAND JUST A LITTLE BIT THERE WHILE THEY, WHILE THEY GET THE SLIDES UP, WE, UH, ORIGINALLY WE DID ANNUAL EVALUATIONS ON EACH INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEE'S, UH, ANNIVERSARY DATE.
CLEARLY WHEN WE CROSSED THE THRESHOLD OF ABOUT 150 EMPLOYEES OR SO, THAT STARTED GETTING PRETTY UNTENABLE.
SO A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE SHIFTED TO AN ANNUAL, IT SHIFTED EVERYBODY ONTO THE SAME ANNUAL CYCLE.
THAT WAS WITH THE CALENDAR YEAR.
AND THEN THE NEXT LOGICAL STEP OF THAT IS TO COINCIDE THAT WITH THE FISCAL YEAR BECAUSE THAT MAKES A LOT OF ALL OF THE REPORTING AND VARIOUS THINGS A LOT EASIER.
UM, SO THIS YEAR IS A LITTLE BIT OFF ON WHEN WE WOULD PROBABLY NORMALLY TALK ABOUT THESE CORPORATE GOALS BECAUSE WE'VE STILL BEEN IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING EVERYTHING SHIFTED THIS YEAR WAS GETTING EVERYBODY LINED UP ON THE, THE FISCAL YEAR, THE JUNE JULY FISCAL YEAR FOR THE, THE CYCLE.
SO THESE ARE GOALS THAT WE'VE ALREADY DISTRIBUTED TO THE, THE STAFF ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE, WHAT WE'VE GOT BUILT INTO THEIR EVALS FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR.
AND NEXT YEAR, THIS DISCUSSION WILL HAPPEN A LITTLE BIT EARLIER IN THE YEAR.
OKAY, SO IN MY REPORT, IF YOU GO, LET'S SEE, OKAY, I'VE GOT ONE HERE THAT I'M NOT SURE HOPEFULLY.
THE FIRST SLIDE YOU'VE GOT IS REQUESTS OVER 30 DAYS OLD AND FY 23.
AND IT'S GOT A GREEN LINE AT THE TOP THAT SAYS 36% REDUCTION.
IS THAT THE FIRST SLIDE YOU'VE GOT OR IS THAT THE THIRD SLIDE YOU'VE GOT? WELL GO TO THE ONE THAT'S GOT THE GREEN LINE AT THE TOP.
HOW ABOUT, UM, CLEARLY THERE ARE MANY ASPECTS TO WHAT IT IS WE NEED TO ACCOUNT FOR IN HOW THE LABORATORY OPERATES.
EVERYBODY IS INTERESTED IN GETTING RESULTS, BUT THEY ALSO NEED TO BE THE RIGHT RESULTS.
THEY NEED TO BE RELIABLE RESULTS, THEY NEED TO BE COST EFFECTIVE RESULTS.
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO MAKE RESULTS WHEN THE POWER'S OUT, WHEN THE CITY'S FLOODED, WHEN THE CITY'S FROZEN.
THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO TRY AND ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE OF OUR GOALS AND HOW WE TRY AND INSPIRE AND INCENTIVIZE THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION TO FOCUS ON THOSE.
BUT JUST A LITTLE BIT OF PERSPECTIVE FOR THE GOALS THAT WE'VE GOT SET OUT HERE OVER THE LAST YEAR, WE'VE REALLY MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS.
YES, THERE ARE STILL SOME SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES TO US, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE ENTIRE BACKLOG, IT DECREASED BY 36% OVER THE LAST YEAR.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALMOST ANY METRIC INSIDE OF BUSINESSES, FIVE 10% IS USUALLY BIG.
WE'RE TALKING A 36% REDUCTION AND THE TOTAL NUMBER OF THAT, ABOUT 4,000.
WHEN I FIRST CAME BACK IN 2015, AND CARESS WILL PROBABLY REMEMBER SOME OF THIS AS WELL.
WE WERE TALKING, THE ENTIRE BACKLOG WAS IN THE RANGE OF 2020 5,000, NOT 4,000.
SO OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST 10 YEARS, WE'VE MADE IMMENSE PROGRESS ON THIS.
THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT IT'S SOLVED.
AND IF YOUR CASE IS STILL IN THAT BACKLOG, THAT'S A PROBLEM.
SO WE'VE STILL GOT WORK TO DO ON THIS.
BUT IN THAT CSU IS, IS WE ESSENTIALLY MADE THAT ONE GO AWAY THIS LAST YEAR, THAT WAS A 99% REDUCTION IN THAT THERE ARE THE CURRENT, AND THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A HANDFUL OF CASES THAT EXTEND PAST OUR TARGET DATES BECAUSE OF COMPLEXITIES, BECAUSE OF THINGS THAT GO SIDEWAYS IN CASES.
YOU'LL RECALL THAT AS A BACKLOG THAT HAS BEEN AS LARGE AS ABOUT 3000 OVER THE YEARS.
WE ARE CURRENTLY SITTING RIGHT ABOUT 44 0 CASES LEFT IN THAT BACKLOG.
DRUG TOXICOLOGY HAS GONE DOWN BY 73%, CURRENTLY ABOUT 330 ISH.
DIGITAL MULTIMEDIA IS REDUCED BY 68%.
CURRENTLY ABOUT 68 CASES REMAIN THERE.
LATENT PRINT PROCESSING HAS REDUCED BY 42% AND THEY'RE SITTING CURRENTLY AT ABOUT 283.
SO IF YOU GO TO THE OTHER SLIDE, THAT MIGHT BE THE FIRST SLIDE OR MIGHT BE THE SECOND SLIDE.
THE THREE SECTIONS WHERE BACKLOGS HAVE INCREASED ARE SEIZE DRUGS, WHICH WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT A LOT FOR
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THE LAST, I THINK ABOUT THREE YEARS.THAT'S GONE UP 121% IN THE LAST YEAR TO ABOUT 1500.
UM, AGAIN, A PERSPECTIVE ON THAT.
ABOUT 10 TO 12 YEARS AGO, THAT BACKLOG WAS APPROXIMATELY 42,000.
UM, FIREARMS HAS INCREASED TO 36, INCREASED.
36% WE'RE CURRENTLY SITTING RIGHT ABOUT 296.
AND THESE ARE FIREARMS EXAMS. AND THEN FORENSIC BIOLOGY INCREASED ABOUT 18% OVER THE LAST YEAR.
NOW MOST OF THAT INCREASE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE INCREASE IN THAT TIME, HAS BEEN BECAUSE OF TIMELINES.
WE ARE NOW SEEING OUT OF THE COMMERCIAL LABORATORIES THAT WE OUTSOURCE TO THEIR TIMELINES BECAUSE THEY STRUGGLE WITH THE SAME THINGS THAT EVERYBODY ELSE IN THIS COUNTRY STRUGGLES WITH OF FINDING EXPERIENCED STAFF, RECRUITING, RETAINING.
UM, AND THEN ACTUALLY THE, IF YOU LOOK AT IT, THE, THE STUFF THAT WE WORK IN-HOUSE AND THE STUFF THAT WE WORK IN-HOUSE ARE TYPICALLY THE PRIORITIES.
WE PULL THOSE OUT OF THE SHIPMENTS AND WE WORK THOSE IN-HOUSE BECAUSE WE CAN GET THEM DONE FASTER IN-HOUSE THAN THE COMMERCIAL LABORATORY DOES.
THAT BACKLOG HAS GONE DOWN BY 8% IN THE LAST YEAR.
SO JUST SO YOU'VE GOT A PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT WE ARE, WHERE WE'RE AT, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOPEFULLY THE NEXT SLIDE AFTER THAT, WHICH ARE THE GOALS THAT WE'VE SET OUT FOR THIS NEXT YEAR.
NOW WE, WE WENT ABOUT THIS AS AN EXERCISE IN THE SENIOR TEAM OF LOOKING AT THE FRAMEWORK OF GOALS THAT WE'VE USED FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS.
STEPPED BACK, SET EVERYTHING ASIDE, STARTED FROM THE GROUND UP TO SAY WHAT ARE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO.
I GUESS THERE IS ONE SLIDE IN THERE OF THINGS WE'VE GOT GOING FOR.
THIS IS REALLY TOUGH WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO SEE WHAT SLIDES YOU'RE LOOKING AT.
UM, WE'VE GOT ONE THAT'S INITIATIVES UNDERWAY TO HELP WITH INCREASING BACKLOGS.
WHY DON'T WE TALK ABOUT THAT ONE FOR A SECOND, IF YOU FIND THAT ONE.
SO IN SEIZES DRUGS, UM, WE'VE GOT ONE ANALYST THAT HAS NOW BEEN SIGNED OFF.
WE'VE SIGNED OFF IN AUGUST AND WE'VE GOT THREE MORE THAT ARE IN TRAINING.
DON'T THINK THEY HAVE THAT SLIDE.
OH, IT'S JUST AFTER, IT'S JUST AFTER THIS PAGE PAGE.
GOING BACK TO THE ANALOG DAYS HERE,
NOW WE GOT SLIDES UP THERE THAT'LL MAKE STUFF THAT'LL MAKE STUFF A LITTLE EASIER.
UM, WE'VE GOT ONE ANALYST WHO IS, WAS SIGNED OFF IN AUGUST.
WE'VE GOT THREE MORE THAT WE'RE STILL OPTIMISTIC.
WE CAN GET THEM SIGNED OFF AND IN WORK BY THE FIRST OF THE CALENDAR YEAR AS THEY COME ONLINE.
THAT WILL MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE 'CAUSE THAT BASICALLY DOUBLES THE NUMBER OF ANALYSTS THAT WE'VE GOT WORKING ON CASES.
WE HAVE FOUND KIND OF A MIRACULOUS THING OF SOME CAPACITY IN A COMMERCIAL LABORATORY THAT IS ACCREDITED HERE IN TEXAS TO BE ABLE TO TAKE SOME OF THE SEIZES DRUGS CASES.
WE ARE PLANNING TO START SHIPPING ABOUT 500 CASES TO THIS LABORATORY.
THEY'RE UP IN THE DALLAS FORT WORTH AREA, UM, IN OCTOBER.
UH, SO THAT WILL CERTAINLY HELP THERE.
UH, IN FIREARMS, WE'VE GOT THE TWO EXAMINERS THAT ARE IN TRAINING THAT IS USING SOME OF THE ARPA DOLLARS TO FUND THAT TRAINING.
THEY ARE IN TRAINING THAT WE WERE BRINGING IN OUTSIDE PEOPLE SO THAT OUR FUNCTIONAL EXAMINERS AREN'T TAKEN OFF CASEWORK TO TRAIN.
UM, BUT THAT TRAINING WILL TAKE ALL OF THE NEXT YEAR AND THAT IS ABOUT HALF OF THE TRAINING THAT THEY NEED.
WE HAVE THREE ADDITIONAL EXAMINER POSITIONS AND TWO ADDITIONAL TECHNICIANS AT N TECH POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE MOVED OVER INTO FIREARMS. WE'VE MOVED THOSE POSITIONS OVER THERE FROM OTHER PLACES WHERE WE THINK WE CAN TOLERATE THE, THE SHIFT OF RESOURCES.
WE'VE GOT THE PURCHASING OF THE 3D SCOPES UNDERWAY.
UH, WE HAD ONE SCOPE THAT WE'RE BUYING ON AN R AND D GRANT FROM NIJ.
WE'VE GOT TWO SCOPES THAT WE ARE BUYING USING ARPA FUNDING.
AND THEN ALL THE TRAINING THAT'S GOING ON, THAT'S ALL ARPA FUNDED.
SO I THINK OVER THE NEXT YEAR TO TWO YEARS WE'LL SEE SOME SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN FIREARMS. AND THEN IN FORENSIC BIOLOGY, WE HAVE SEVEN ANALYSTS THAT ARE IN TRAINING IN FORENSIC BIOLOGY.
WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RECRUIT AND FILL BEHIND, UH, SIX POSITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COME IN AND GET HIRED.
LIKE CARESS SAID, WE REALLY DON'T HAVE TROUBLE HIRING NEW GRADS.
THEY, WE, WE GET INEXPERIENCED PEOPLE.
GETTING THOSE PEOPLE TO COME IN EXPERIENCED IS SOMETHING THAT'S JUST VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND.
THEY'RE EAGER LOTS OF POTENTIAL, BUT IT'S GONNA TAKE TIME TO TRAIN 'EM.
UM, WE STILL HAVE OUTSOURCING SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS AS WE'VE BEEN DOING.
AND I WILL ALSO, UH, IT'S KIND OF NICE NEWS TO REPORT.
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LETTERS ON THE MAJOR FEDERAL GRANT THAT WE GET FROM DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, WHICH IS CALLED THE SIBER GRANT OR THE CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT BACKLOG REDUCTION GRANT, WHICH IS FUNDING THAT COMES FROM THE DEBBIE SMITH ACT.WE WERE AWARDED, UH, 2.2 MILLION UNDER THAT.
AND THEN THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THEY'VE DONE IT.
BUT THEY HAD A COMPETITIVE SECTION ON THAT FOR FUNDING.
SO WE SUBMITTED A COMPETITIVE GRANT AND WE WERE AWARDED THAT, WHICH WAS, WE ACTUALLY WERE AWARDED MORE MONEY IN THAT THAN WE PROPOSED IN THE BUDGET.
I THINK THAT IS THE FIRST TIME IN 25 YEARS OF GRANT WORK I HAVE EVER HAD A GRANT GIVE ME MORE MONEY THAN I ASKED FOR.
SO, UM, THAT CERTAINLY HELPS IN BIOLOGY.
BUT REMEMBER, BIOLOGY IS THE ONLY PLACE WE CAN FIND FEDERAL MONEY WITH ANY KINDA REGULARITY.
SO ANY, ANY QUESTIONS ON KIND OF THE, THE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF STUFF? OKAY, SO NOW I ALREADY KIND OF GAVE THE BACKGROUND OF WHAT WE'RE HEADED FOR.
THE THING THAT WE LOOKED AT WAS LOOKING AT FOUR BIG COLUMNS OF WHAT WE THINK WE NEED TO HELP HFSC BE SUCCESSFUL.
ONE IS THE RELIABILITY OF ANSWERS.
YOU KNOW, WE ARE BASICALLY A HIGH RELIABILITY ORGANIZATION.
ERROR IS HUGELY EXPENSIVE WITHIN THE SYSTEM.
SO HOW DO WE PRODUCE RESULTS THAT EVERYBODY CAN RELY ON? HOW DO WE DO THAT AT A TIME THAT EVERYBODY NEEDS? SO THE TIMELINESS OF IT CLEARLY HAS TO BE SOMETHING IN THERE.
EVERYBODY'S INTERESTED IN COST EFFECTIVENESS.
NOW, I DO NOT MEAN CHEAP, BY THAT I MEAN COST EFFECTIVE FOR BOTH US AND THE ENTIRE SYSTEM.
WRONG ANSWERS COST THE SYSTEM ENORMOUS AMOUNTS.
SO COST EFFECTIVE MEANS AN APPROPRIATELY FUNDED RE RESULT THAT EVERYBODY CAN RELY ON.
AND THEN THE LAST, AND THIS IS PROBABLY THE PART THAT IS, IS A LITTLE NEW TO US THIS YEAR, BUT GIVEN THE NUMBER OF NATURAL DISASTERS AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, UH, THE CONCEPT OF ROBUSTNESS.
HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO FUNCTION AND BE ABLE TO GET RESULTS OUT THE DOOR WITH FLOODS, WITH POWER OUTAGES, WITH FREEZES, WITH PANDEMICS, WITH LABOR SHORTAGES, ALL OF THESE THINGS.
SOMEHOW WE STILL HAVE TO FIGURE OUT ENGINEERING SYSTEMS TO GET RESULTS OUT THE DOOR.
SO TRYING TO INCENTIVIZE WITHIN THE SYSTEM MORE THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE DESIGN ROBUST SYSTEMS TO ALL THE THINGS THAT LIFE THROWS AT US.
SO OUT OF THAT, UM, THESE GOALS PROBABLY LOOK PRETTY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'VE DONE IN YEARS PAST.
WE HAVE MAINTAINED THE, UH, GOAL OF ONE-ON-ONES WITH MANAGEMENT WITH THEIR STAFFS.
WE HAVE FOUND THIS TO BE A VERY EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT TOOL.
SO AGAIN, TRYING TO INCENTIVIZE THAT THERE'S AT LEAST A MONTHLY ONE-ON-ONE BETWEEN MANAGERS AND THEIR STAFF.
YOU WILL RECALL WE HAVE HAD A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE HAVE TRIED TO CONFIGURE PRODUCTION AND QUALITY GOALS.
IT IS VERY DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF THE WIDE DIVERSITY BETWEEN EACH OF OUR WORK LINES TO MAKE A SINGLE PRODUCTION AND A SINGLE QUALITY GOAL THAT FITS EVERYTHING.
SO THIS YEAR WE ARE WORKING AT THIS.
THAT SECTIONS HAVE WORKED BOTH WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS, THE MAJOR USERS OF OUR RESULTS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT TO HAVE EACH OF THE SECTIONS DEVISED PRODUCTION GOALS THAT ARE A FIT FOR WHAT THEY NEED TO DO.
AND THEN THIS IS BOTH THE TECHNICAL SECTIONS AS WELL AS ALL OF THE SUPPORT SECTIONS.
SO THE RATING ON THIS IS ACROSS THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION.
IF ALL 14 OF THEM HIT THEIR PRODUCTION GOALS, THAT'S A FIVE.
IF NONE OF THEM HIT THEIR PRODUCTION GOALS, YOU CAN FIRE MY BUTT AND THEY GET A ZERO.
UM, THAT'S HOW WE'VE, HOW WE'VE ARRANGED THAT.
AND THE SAME THING WITH THE QUALITY GOALS.
THEY'RE QUALITY GOALS THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO EACH OF THE SECTIONS.
AND THEN THE RATING IS BASED ON HOW MANY OF THE SECTIONS ACTUALLY MEET THEIR GOALS.
AND THEN THE LAST ONE ON THERE IS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'VE DONE IN PAST YEARS.
WE HAVE TALKED A LOT ABOUT WHAT WE DO AROUND STAFFING AND RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION.
STILL SEEMS LIKE THE BEST TOP END DIAL TO LOOK AT FOR HOW TO DRIVE THE PERFORMANCE THAT WE WANT ORGANIZATION-WIDE IS TO LOOK AT THIS VOLUNTARY TURNOVER RATE AND SETTING THE GOAL AROUND THE VOLUNTARY TURNOVER RATE OF 12 TO 15%.
NOW FOR US, THAT'S A PRETTY BIG NUMBER GIVEN OUR, HISTORICALLY OUR VOLUNTARY TURNOVER RATE HAS BEEN ABOUT 6%.
I WAS JUST AT A MEETING LAST WEEK IN ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND AT NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER LAB GEEKS.
AND IT IS PRETTY DAUNTING WHAT OTHER LABS ARE SEEING.
A LOT OF LABS ARE SEEING 20 TO 40% VOLUNTARY TURNOVER RATES TALKING WITH LABS THAT HAVE
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VACANCY RATES BETWEEN 20 AND 50% IN THEIR STAFFING.IT IS, I I I DON'T THINK I'M BEING HYPERBOLIC AND SAYING THERE IS A LABOR CRISIS IN FORENSIC LABORATORIES AROUND THE COUNTRY.
SO YES, WE HAVE STRUGGLED WITH OUR TURNOVER RATES AND OUR STAFFING, BUT RELATIVELY SPEAKING WE'RE IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE.
I REALLY, THERE ARE LABS AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT ARE REALLY STRUGGLING WITH THIS.
ANY QUESTIONS SO FAR ON THAT? OKAY, SO YOU'VE GOT IT.
I TOSSED IN THE PRODUCTION GOALS FOR EACH OF THE SECTIONS.
NOW I, I DID THIS JUST FOR THE PRODUCTION ONE.
I DIDN'T DO IT FOR THE QUALITY ONE AND, AND I'M, I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH THESE WORD BY WORD, BUT JUST SO YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCES IN HOW EACH OF THE SECTIONS HAVE APPROACHED WHAT THEY NEED TO DO.
SO LIKE IN SEIZE DRUGS, WE KNOW WE HAVE A BACKLOG.
WE KNOW WE HAVE STAFFING CHALLENGES TO FILL OVER THIS NEXT YEAR.
SO THE FOCUS OF THE UNIT IS ON THEIR ANALYSIS TURNAROUND TIME.
THAT IS THE TIME THAT THEY CAN REALLY CONTROL OVER THE NEXT YEAR.
AND RIGHT NOW THEY'RE AT ABOUT SEVEN DAYS.
SO MAINTAINING THAT SEVEN DAY TIME.
SO THIS IS, THAT'S, THAT'S THE TIME FROM WHEN WORK HAS BEEN ASSIGNED TO AN AL ANALYST AND WHEN THEY FINISH IT.
SO THAT'S REALLY PRETTY QUICK TURNAROUND TIME.
THE PROBLEM IS WE GOT FOUR PIPES TO PUSH WORK THROUGH RIGHT NOW.
SO THAT'S WHY THE BACKLOG, WHEN WE HAVE MORE PIPES TO PUSH IT THROUGH, THE TOTAL TURNAROUND TIME WILL START TO COME DOWN.
UM, IF YOU LOOK FORENSIC BIOLOGY, THERE'S KIND OF A MIXTURE OF THINGS THAT THEY'VE DONE THERE LOOKING AT EACH OF THE VARIOUS COMPONENTS OF THE PROCESS.
SO THINGS LIKE CODIS WE HAVE DONE PRETTY WELL, EVEN WITH THE P ABOUT TWOFOLD INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PROFILES POST SDR MIX THAT WE HANDLE IN ENTER INTO CODIS.
THEY'RE DOING A MARVELOUS JOB OF KEEPING UP WITH THAT AND KEEPING THAT AT A ZERO BACKLOG IN AN AVERAGE TURNAROUND TIME OF LESS THAN 30 DAYS FOR THE CODIS COMPONENT OF THE WORK.
SO THERE'S, THERE ARE THOSE THREE.
THE NEXT SLIDE IS SOME OF THE ONES FOR CLIENT SERVICES, LATENT PRINTS, CRIME SCENE UNIT.
UM, SO THIS COVERS EVERYTHING FROM DOCUMENTATION.
UM, AND ASHLEY RUNS THE CLIENT SERVICES GROUP AND DOES AN ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING JOB OF STUFF THERE.
WE WOULD, WE WOULD BE IN REAL TROUBLE WITHOUT ASHLEY AND HER GROUP.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THOSE SECTION GOALS? I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT? NOPE.
HAD A QUESTION ABOUT, YOU SAID THAT THE, IN THE SEIZE DRUGS, THE MARIJUANA REPORTS ARE EXCLUDED AND MEASURED FROM DATE OF ASSIGNMENT.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IT MEANS I HATE HEMP, UM,
UM, AND DEFINITELY WE NEED TO GET YOU AROUND FOR THE LAB SO WE CAN HAVE SOME MORE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS.
'CAUSE IT'S, I I, WE'VE HAD, I CAN POINT YOU AT SOME OF THE PAST BOARD MEETINGS WHERE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE INTRICACIES OF WHAT HAPPENED WITH HEMP POST HOUSE BILL 1325, BUT WE STILL STRUGGLE WITH, I'VE GOT ONE ANALYST RIGHT NOW AND ONE INSTRUMENT THAT WE DO MARIJUANA'S ON FOR THE SEMI-QUANTITATIVE OVER UNDER 1% DETERMINATION OF WHETHER IT'S MARIJUANA OR HEMP.
AND IT IS, HAS BEEN AN ONGOING CONVERSATION WITH BOTH THE DA'S OFFICE AND HPD ABOUT WHERE DO WE FOCUS, WHAT RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE.
I THINK ACTUALLY WE'RE HAVE GOTTEN TO A PRETTY GOOD PLACE OF WHERE WE CAN NAVIGATE A SUFFICIENT RESULT FOR THE DA'S OFFICE TO HAVE A LABORATORY BASED RESULT ON A MARIJUANA TO GO BACK TO COUNSEL AND DISCUSS AGREEMENTS AND WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED TO DO MORE EXTENSIVE TESTING ON A LARGER BULK OF MATERIAL.
SO WE CAN BE MORE EFFICIENT, UNDERSTANDS THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE HEMP AND THE MARIJUANA IS THE PROBLEM NOW.
BECAUSE HEMP TALKING TO THE YEAH, THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN HEMP AND MARIJUANA IS THE PROBLEM THAT THE LABS HAVE.
IT'S KIND OF A, A LEGAL QUESTION THAT'S IN FLUX RIGHT NOW IS THAT IF AN ACCUSED PERSON GOES TO TRIAL ON A MARIJUANA CASE, IS IT INCUMBENT UPON THE STATE TO PROVE THAT THE CONCENTRATION OF THC, IT'S T IT'S NOT JUST HEMP.
AND SO IT'S A PROBLEM WE DEAL WITH IN ALL THE COURTS RIGHT NOW.
AND IT, IT IS, I GUESS I WILL AT LEAST SAY THE LEGISLATURE DIDN'T BREAK IT ANY FURTHER THIS TIME.
UM, THEY DIDN'T IMPROVE IT, BUT THEY DIDN'T BREAK IT ANYMORE THIS TIME.
ALRIGHT, SO FOR QUALITY THE GOAL, AGAIN, THERE'S DIFFERENT QUALITY GOALS FOR EACH OF THE SECTIONS THAT ARE MORE PERTINENT TO THEIR SPECIFIC WORK.
BUT ALL OF THE SECTIONS HAVE A COMMON GOAL IN THERE OF FOCUSING ON HOW THEY CAN CONTINUE TO ENHANCE ROBUSTNESS AND RELIABILITY.
THOSE ARE TWO COMPONENTS OF QUALITY.
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SUPPOSED TO COMPLETE AT LEAST SEVEN QUALITY ACTIVITY OR AWARENESS EVENTS ACROSS THE YEAR.AND AT A MINIMUM, THOSE WILL HAVE AT LEAST ONE PREVENTIVE ACTION, WHICH IS A RISK ASSESSMENT OR PROCESS IMPROVEMENT IN THAT REVIEW PERIOD.
SO THEY CAN'T ALL JUST DO, YOU KNOW, ONE TYPE OF THING.
IT'S, IT'S TRYING TO SPREAD THAT OUT.
AND THEN WE'LL ALSO LOOK TO HOW THAT, THAT GOAL, THE RATING OF IT IS HOW MUCH IMPACT THOSE ACTUALLY HAVE ON THE SECTIONS.
RELIABILITY, TIMELINESS, AND ROBUSTNESS.
SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO DRIVE THEM TO LOOK AT QUALITY CONCEPTS FOR THEIR SECTION THAT HAVE A MEASURABLE AND SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THEIR ABILITY TO PRODUCE TIMELY AND APPROPRIATELY CORRECT RESULTS.
SO THAT PRETTY MUCH COVERS THOSE GOALS.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS I CAN ANSWER ON THEM? I AM GONNA HAVE THAT MADE INTO A BUMPER STICKER OF I HATE HEMP.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH DR. STOUT.
UM, SEEING NO ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD.
OKAY, WE CAN PROCEED TO THE VOICE VOTE THEN.
UM, PARTICULARLY ON AGENDA ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, UM, BOARD MEMBERS, PLEASE UNMUTE YOUR MICS.
UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE DR.
STOUT'S CORPORATE GOALS AS PRESENTED FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024? I MOVE, UH, I HAVE THE MOTION FROM DIRECTOR, UH, MOORE.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? HEARING NONE WILL PROCEED TO A VOTE.
ALL OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES.
WE CAN PROCEED TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER NINE, WHICH WAS GOING TO BE THE PRESENTATION BY DR. DAVID LEACH, THE TREASURER AND CFO OF OUR AUDIT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023.
BUT, UM, UH, MR. LEACH HAS, UH, ASKED US TO PLEASE POSTPONE THIS ITEM UNTIL THE NEXT BOARD MEETING.
UM, AS THE FINAL REPORT IS NOT YET AVAILABLE FOR OUR REVIEW.
IF THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS OR QUESTIONS, I WILL NEED A MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO POSTPONE THIS ITEM.
UM, UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING DO I HAVE A MOTION TO POSTPONE THIS ITEM? MOTION MOVED BY DIRECTOR COHEN AND SECONDED BY DIRECTOR MOORE.
SO WE WILL PROCEED ONTO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 10, WHICH IS TO CONSIDER APPROVAL FOR A ONE YEAR CONTRACT WITH DNA OUTSOURCING SERVICES BETWEEN THE CORPORATION AND SIGNATURE SCIENCE LLC FOR A TOTAL BUDGET NOT TO EXCEED $600,000 DIRECTORS.
YOU RECEIVED THE SUMMARY SHEET REGARDING THE TERMS, UM, BUT DR. STOUT WILL PROVIDE A LITTLE MORE CONTEXT ON THE CONTRACT AND GIVE US AN UPDATE ON ONE OF OUR KEY OUTSOURCING PROJECTS IN THE FORENSIC BIOLOGY SECTION, DR. STOUT.
SO THIS ONE'S PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
SIGNATURE SCIENCE IS THE LABORATORY THAT WE'VE BEEN USING FOR OUTSOURCING DNA FOR, FOR A WHILE.
KEEP IN MIND, JUST AS THE BACKGROUND, THERE ARE NOT MANY LABORATORIES IN THE COUNTRY THAT WE CAN USE AT ALL.
UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY TALKING A VERY SMALL POOL OF COMMERCIAL LABORATORIES THAT WE CAN OUTSOURCE TO.
AND SIG SAI HAS BEEN THE ONE THAT WE'VE BEEN USING.
UM, THAT 600,000 IS THE MONEY THAT WAS THE ADDITION TO OUR BUDGET THAT CITY COUNCIL APPROVED.
UM, SO THIS IS THE EXTENSION OF THE CONTRACT THAT WILL THEN CARRY US THROUGH UNTIL THOSE SEBER GRANTS, THE SEBER GRANT FUNDS THAT WE WERE, THAT WE JUST GOT THE AWARD LETTER, THOSE RELEASE, UM, IT'S NOT REALLY ANYTHING DIFFERENT IN THE CONTRACT THAN WHAT WE HAVE APPROVED PREVIOUSLY FOR HANDLING AND SENDING.
THIS IS JUST TO COVER THAT MONEY THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM THE CITY.
IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT IT, HAPPY TO ANSWER 'EM.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? SEEING NONE.
UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION FROM, UH, THE BOARD TO APPROVE THE CONTRACT FOR DNA OUTSOURCING SERVICES BETWEEN THE CORPORATION AND SIGNATURE SCIENCE WITH A TOTAL BUDGET NOT TO EXCEED $600,000.
UM, THE MOTION IS, UH, MADE BY DIRECTOR MOORE.
THE SECOND IS MADE BY DIRECTOR SILVERMAN.
ALL OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES.
DR. STOUT, PLEASE PROCEED WITH EXECUTING THE AGREEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE CORPORATION.
[00:40:01]
GOT A SHIPMENT THAT WE ARE SENDING OUT MONDAYSO NOW WE WILL FLY ON BY TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 11, WHICH IS THE REPORT BY MRS. JACQUELINE MORRELL, THE QUALITY DIRECTOR, INCLUDING AN OVERVIEW OF THE BLIND QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAM, UM, THE TEXAS FORENSIC SCIENCE COMMISSION DISCLOSURES, AS WELL AS TESTIMONY MATRIX.
THE FLOOR IS YOURS, MS. BROWN, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
UM, WELL, AS MENTIONED TODAY, I'M GONNA BE PRESENTING FOR THE QUALITY DIVISION.
THE FIRST TOPIC IS OUR BLIND QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAM AND QUALITY DIVISION UPDATES.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE FROM MY SLIDES, WE MET OUR SUBMISSION OR BLIND QUALITY CONTROL SUBMISSION GOALS FOR BOTH THE MONTH OF JULY AND IN AUGUST.
NOW, MOVING ALONG, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF UPDATES FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, I WANTED TO UPDATE YOU THAT THE QUALITY DIVISION HAS RECENTLY ACQUIRED A BALLISTIC BOX AND, UM, THIS WAS PURCHASED, UM, DUE TO SOME CHALLENGES WE'RE FACING IN THE FIREARMS BLIND QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAM.
I DID ADD A VISUAL UP THERE IN MY SLIDES BECAUSE WHEN THE FIREARMS MANAGER AND THE QUALITY SPECIALIST COORDINATOR FOR THIS PROGRAM CAME UP TO ME AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION, I DID HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A PROBLEM ENVISIONING HOW A BALLISTIC BOX LOOKED LIKE.
AND, UH, SO ONE OF THE CURRENTLY PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE WITHOUT DIVULGING ALL OF THE SECRETS BEHIND THE BLIND QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAM IS, UM, OUR SAMPLES ARE CURRENTLY CREATED AND THE FIREARMS WATER SHOOTING TANK.
UH, THE PURPOSE OF THIS WATER TANK FOR THE FIREARMS DISCIPLINE IS TO CREATE PRISTINE LIKE EVIDENCE TO RENDER, TO RENDER THEM, UM, FOR, TO, UH, UH, FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO, UH, UNDERGO COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS.
NOW, WHILE THIS IS ADVANTAGEOUS FOR THE FIREARMS DISCIPLINE, THIS IS PUTS US AT A DISADVANTAGE FOR THE BLIND QC PROGRAM SINCE WE ARE, YOU KNOW, SUPPOSED TO CREATE EVIDENCE THAT LOOKS REALISTIC AND LIKE EVIDENCE, UM, HOW FIREARMS, UM, EXAMINERS RECEIVE CASE WORK.
SO, UH, THIS HAS BEEN SOME OF THE CHALLENGES US TRYING TO EMULATE, UM, DISCHARGE, UM, FIREARMS. UM, BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN, THIS HAS SOMETIMES ACTED IN OUR, NOT IN OUR FAVOR BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A RED FLAG FOR THE ANALYSTS.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE FROM MY SLIDES, UM, THIS BALLISTIC BOX HAS SEVEN FEET OF WEDGED MEDICAL GREEN COTTON THAT ALLOWS US TO WEDGE WITHIN IT MATERIALS COMMONLY ENCOUNTERED IN CRIME SCENES SUCH AS SHEET ROCK OR WOOD.
SO WHEN WE FIRE INTO THIS BALLISTIC BOX, IT WILL CREATE REALISTIC OR DAMAGED AND SCRATCHED, UM, DISCHARGED CARTRIDGES, AND THEREFORE WE WOULD BE ABLE TO RECREATE AND MAKE THESE SAMPLES LOOK LIKE REAL CASE WORK.
SO WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR THEM TO BE, YOU KNOW, FOR THIS BOX TO BE SHIPPED.
UM, IN ADDITION, WE HAVE TWO MEMBERS OF OUR QUALITY DIVISION THAT ARE GONNA BE PRESENTING IN OCTOBER AT THE CONFERENCE FOR AQUA, WHICH IS ASSOCIATION OF FORENSIC QUALITY ASSURANCE MANAGERS.
WE'RE GONNA BE PRESENTING A WORKSHOP ON HOW TO SET UP A BLIND QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAM IN THE SEIZE DRUGS AND THE TOXICOLOGY SECTIONS.
UM, THIS IS REALLY BENEFICIAL BECAUSE CURRENTLY A LOT OF LABORATORIES ARE STARTING TO, UM, UNDERGO THE CHALLENGE OF IMPLEMENTING THEIR OWN IN-HOUSE BLIND QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAMS. SO WE'VE BEEN RECEIVING A LOT OF QUESTIONS FROM SEVERAL LABORATORIES.
AND SINCE THIS CONFERENCE IS HERE IN DALLAS, TEXAS, IT KIND OF GOES HAND IN HAND WITH THE TEXAS FORENSIC SCIENCE COMMISSION INITIATIVE AND PUSH FOR MORE LABORATORIES HERE IN TEXAS TO IMPLEMENT THESE, UM, PLAYING QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAMS. IN ADDITION, UM, FOR THE QUALITY DIVISION PRESENTING AND BEING IN ATTENDANCE IN THIS CONFERENCE, WE ALSO HAVE DR. STOUT AS THE OPENING GUEST SPEAKER FOR THIS CONFERENCE.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE SEVERAL VISITORS THAT ARE GONNA COME DURING THIS MONTH.
AND NEXT WE HAVE MS. ANNA HEVEY.
SHE IS THE QUALITY MANAGER AT THE PATH WEST LABORATORY ALL THE WAY IN AUSTRALIA.
SHE IS ALSO THE CHAIR FOR THE QUALITY SPECIALIST ADVISORY GROUP FOR THE A-N-C-P-A-A, WHICH IS AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND POLICING ADVISORY AGENCY, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FORENSIC SCIENCE.
AND WE, UH, DR. STOUT, MS. ERICA EC AND MYSELF PRESENTED FOR THIS ORGANIZATION IN A VIRTUAL FORMAT VERY LATE IN THE EVENING.
UM, SINCE IT WAS ALL AROUND, IT WAS IN NEW ZEALAND.
UH, WE PRESENTED TO THEM ABOUT HFSC AND HER QUALITY SYSTEM AND WE'RE JUST REALLY LUCKY NOW THAT SINCE MS. HEVEY IS ALSO GOING TO BE PRESENTING AT AQUA, SHE IS GOING TO STOP HERE IN HOUSTON TO GET TO KNOW HER FACILITIES, UM, AND TO GET TO KNOW US IN PERSON AND JUST EXCHANGE A LOT AND BRAINSTORM ABOUT QUALITY INITIATIVES.
IN ADDITION, IN OCTOBER, WE HAVE DR.
MAX GOYLE AND DR. STEPHANIE MADDEN FROM THE ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY.
THERE ARE GONNA BE GUESTS IN COMING HERE TO HFSC.
[00:45:01]
ARE COMING WITH THE PREMISE OF LEARNING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE FIREARMS DISCIPLINE AND THEIR COMPARATIVE AND ANALYTICAL WORKFLOW.AND ALSO TO LEARN ABOUT THE FARM'S BLIND QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAM.
THE INTENT OF THIS VISIT IS FOR THEM TO GET MORE FAMILIARIZED WITH OUR PROCESSES IN ORDER TO INSTILL FUTURE COLLABORATION PROJECTS WITH THEM IN ADDITION.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE HAVE MR. RAYMOND VALERIO.
HE IS THE DIRECTOR OF FORENSIC SCIENCE AT THE QUEENS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, AND HE'S GOING TO BE PROVIDING ETHICS TRAINING IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS TO OUR STAFF.
HIS TRAINING IS GONNA BE BASED OFF ON A FRY HEARING, HE LITIGATED IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
AND BASED ON THIS EXPERIENCE, UM, AND THIS FRY HEARING THAT, UM, THE FIREARMS DISCIPLINE AS A WHOLE, THE FIREARMS DISCIPLINE ADMISSIBILITY WAS PUT IN QUESTION AS A WHOLE RATHER THAN ON PIECES OF EVIDENCE.
AND, UM, HE'S ALSO GONNA BE PRESENTING ON THE SEVERAL CHALLENGES THAT FIREARMS DISCIPLINE IS ADDRESSING RIGHT NOW WITH ACADE, BOTH IN ACADEMIA AND IN THE LEGAL SYSTEM.
NOW, WE DO THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO KEEP OUR STAFF INFORMED OF CURRENT FORENSIC AFFAIRS AND, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THEM PREPARED.
AND ALTHOUGH THIS IS IN THE FIREARMS DISCIPLINE, THIS DOESN'T, THIS CHALLENGES THAT THEY'RE, UM, FACING RIGHT NOW DOESN'T PRECLUDE OTHER FORENSIC DISCIPLINES FOR FACING THEM IN A NEARBY FUTURE.
IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR, UM, FOR OUR UPDATES BEFORE I MOVE ON TO MY NEXT TOPIC? JACKIE, IF I CAN ADD JUST A LITTLE BIT ON THAT.
THE STUFF IN NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND IS ACTUALLY UNDERGOING SOMETHING NOT TOO DISSIMILAR TO WHEN THE BROMWICH REPORT CAME OUT HERE, THERE WAS A QUEEN'S REPORT ABOUT SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT ISSUES WITHIN THE AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND FORENSIC LABORATORIES.
AND THEY HAVE COME TO US PRETTY SPECIFICALLY, UH, LOOKING AT HOW THINGS HAVE EVOLVED HERE, WHAT WERE THINGS THAT WORKED, WHAT WERE THINGS THAT DIDN'T.
SO THEY'VE REALLY LOOKED AT US AT A MODEL OF, AS A MODEL OF WHAT TO DO TO RESPOND TO CHALLENGES THAT THEY'VE GOT AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL IN BOTH NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA.
AND THEN MAX GILLE AND STEPHANIE MADDEN ARE TWO OF THE ACADEMICS THAT ARE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE NATIONAL, I GUESS, SERIES OF DALBERT HEARINGS AROUND FIREARMS ADMISSIBILITY.
UM, WE'VE WORKED PRETTY HEAVILY WITH THEM AS WELL AS WITH NICK URCH AND DAVID FIGMAN, WHO ARE A COUPLE OTHER ACADEMICS THAT ARE WORKING IN THESE FIREARM DOWER HEARINGS.
I DON'T SEE MUCH CHOICE BUT TO KEEP PRETTY INVOLVED WITH THIS.
I MEAN, THIS, THIS MEANS THE DIFFERENCE OF WHAT FIREARMS EVIDENCE LOOKS LIKE IN THE FUTURE.
UM, AND THIS IS THE DRIVER BEHIND THE 3D SCOPES AND WHY WE NEED TO GET THOSE IN PLACE BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE TECHNOLOGY TO FUNDAMENTALLY TRY AND ADDRESS SOME OF THE CONCERNS AROUND HOW FIREARMS EVIDENCE IS DONE.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE, THESE ARE, THESE ARE ALL PRETTY BIG PERSONALITIES IN THESE AREAS.
AND NOW FOR MY NEXT TOPIC, I'M GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT ACCREDITATION UPDATES.
SO IN, IN THROUGH JULY 17 TO THE 31ST, WE HAD OUR SURVEILLANCE DOCUMENT REVIEW, UH, CONDUCTED BY A NAB, OUR ACCREDITING BODY, UH, OUR ACCREDITING BODY IS REQUIRED TO, UM, TO DO A CONFORMANCE ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY ON A YEARLY BASIS.
AND FOR THIS YEAR, WE HAD A SURVEILLANCE DOCUMENT REVIEW THAT FOCUSED ON THE SUBSET OF OUR MANAGEMENT ON OUR MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS.
UM, LAST YEAR WE HAD A VERY IN DEPTH, UH, ASSESSMENT.
AND FOR THIS YEAR WE DID GET A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK.
I DO WANNA UPDATE THE BOARD THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY NONCONFORMITIES NONCONFORMITIES NOTED DURING THIS, UH, DOCUMENT REVIEW.
NOW, ALONG THE TOPIC OF ACCREDITATION, WE DID TOUCH EVER SO SLIGHTLY BRIEFLY IN THE, AT THE LAST MEETING, UM, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR CLIENT SERVICES CASE MANAGEMENT SECTION, THE QUALITY DIVISION HAS IN ORDER TO PREPARE THEM FOR THE A A B PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE ACCREDITATION PROGRAM.
SO, JUST FOR A LITTLE BIT OF A HISTORICAL BACKGROUND, UM, CSCM BECAME ACCREDITED, UH, TO THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT ACCREDITATION PROGRAM FOR IAPE, WHICH IS THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AND EVIDENCE.
IN JUNE OF 2018, UM, IN AROUND APRIL, 2021, THE CSEM MANAGEMENT RECEIVED NOTICE FROM IAPE THAT THEY HAD INDEFINITELY, INDEFINITELY PUT IN PAUSE THEIR ACCREDITATION PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY WERE LOOKING AT REVAMPING THEIR ACCREDITATION STANDARDS.
UM, I SAY INDEFINITELY BECAUSE AT TILL THIS DATE WE HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING OR THOSE, UH, STANDARDS HAVE NOT BEEN PUBLISHED.
SO LAST YEAR, UM, BECAUSE THIS WAS PUT INDEFINITELY ON PAUSE, HFSC, DR. STOUT REACHED OUT TO A NAB OR CREATING A BODY WITH THE PREMISE OF COLLABORATIONS AND SEEING IF THEY COULD, IF THERE WAS SOME SORT OF A ACCREDITATION PROGRAM THAT TOUCHED AN EVIDENCE AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT FROM THEM.
SO THEY CREATED A COMMITTEE WHERE,
[00:50:01]
UM, MS. ERICA EC AND DR. STOUT WERE PART OF THAT COMMITTEE.AND THEY, UH, WORKED TO CREATE A STANDARD THAT WAS, THAT WAS COM THAT COMPLEMENTED A LOT OF THE 17 0 2 5 WORLD WHERE WE'RE CURRENTLY OPERATING IT, BUT IT WAS MOLDED TO FIT INTO A PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
SO IN JANUARY OF 2023, A A B LAUNCHED THIS NEW PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE ACCREDITATION PROGRAM AND WE FOLLOWED SUIT, WHETHER APPLICATION FOR ACCREDITATION IN FEBRUARY.
SO EVER SINCE THEN, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH CSCM AND PREPARING THEM FOR THIS ACCREDITATION PROGRAM SINCE THERE'S NO LONGER ONE AVAILABLE FOR IAPE.
AND I JUST WANTED TO WALK YOU A LITTLE BIT OF THE STEPS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, UM, IN GETTING THEIR PREPARATION WITH THEM.
SO THE FIRST STAGE THAT WE COMPLETED WAS A GAP ASSESSMENT.
AND THIS STAGE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID WAS LOOK AT ALL OF THE A NAB ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENTS AND PUT A SIDE ASIDE COMPARISON WITH ALL OF OUR POLICIES SUCH AS A-C-S-E-M, STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES THROUGH TRAINING MANUALS OR QUALITY MANUALS, SECURITY SAFETY.
AND FROM THERE WE IDENTIFIED GAPS IN OUR SYSTEM THAT WE NEEDED TO ADDRESS AND INCORPORATE NEW PROCEDURES OR MAKE CHANGES AND REVISIONS TO THESE POLICIES IN ORDER TO MEET, UM, THESE ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENTS.
THE SECOND STAGE, UH, WE'RE STILL ALMOST FINALIZING IT FOR NOW, UM, WE DID UPDATE THE C-S-E-M-S-O-P, THEIR TRAINING MANUAL, THEIR, THE SECURITY AND SAFETY.
UM, AND THE QUALITY MANUAL IS SOON TO FOLLOW IN TWO WEEKS.
ITS NEW REVISION IS GONNA BECOME EFFECTIVE ON SEPTEMBER 25TH, WHICH INCORPORATES A LOT OF THESE REQUIREMENTS, UM, INTO, INTO IT.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE DO HAVE PLANNED THE FIRST WEEK OF OCTOBER AN INTERNAL AUDIT FOR CSCM, WHERE WE ARE GONNA BE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT THE PROCESSES, AUDITING THE RECORDS TO MAKE SURE IT'S A DIFFERENT, IT'S A DIFFERENT, UM, IT'S A DIFFERENT STANDPOINT WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING HOW WE'RE MEETING THESE REQUIREMENTS AND ALSO OUR POLICIES.
WE ALSO HAVE TO CONDUCT A SUPPLEMENTAL MANAGEMENT REVIEW, WHICH AGAIN, IT'S A REPORT OR A REVIEW THAT FOCUSES MORE ON THE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOCUS.
IT'S A FOCUS ON THE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE A ROBUST QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
AND THESE TWO THINGS ARE REQUIRED TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE YOU CAN HAVE A NAB OR AN AN ACCREDITING BODY COME AND ASSESS YOU.
FOR THE LAST STEP, WE HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH A AND A B.
AND THE SECOND WEEK OF DECEMBER, WE HAVE SCHEDULED OUR, UH, ONSITE ASSESSMENT.
SO WE WILL BE KEEPING YOU UP TO DATE, UM, AS MORE AND MORE, UM, AS WE KNOW MORE UPDATES ABOUT THIS PROGRAM.
BUT TENTATIVELY WE LOOK FORWARD TO BEING ACCREDITED IN DECEMBER OF 2023.
ONE LITTLE, ONE LITTLE COMMENT ON THAT ONE, THIS WHOLE PROGRAM THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH A NAB TO STAND UP THESE ACCREDITATION STANDARDS IS BECAUSE THEY JUST, NOTHING EXISTS FOR PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE AND QUALITY.
AND ASHLEY'S GROUP HAVE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD TO GET US FAMILIAR AND FUNCTIONAL WITH THESE GUIDELINES IN WHAT WHAT WE HANDLE IN EVIDENCE INTERNALLY IS RELATIVELY SIMPLE, RELATIVELY SMALL.
BUT THE INTENTION IS, IS THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCED WITH THIS IF AND WHEN THE WHOLE PROPERTY ROOM CONCEPT COMES, THESE WOULD BE THE, THE GUIDELINES THAT WE WOULD BE HEADING FOR WITH THE ENTIRE PROPERTY OPERATION.
SO MY NEXT TOPIC, UM, IS ON OUR DISCLOSURES.
SO I, THE LAST TFSC UH, MEETING, THE QUARTERLY MEETING WAS IN JULY 21ST.
AND I WANTED TO UPDATE THE BOARD SINCE WE HAD THREE PREVIOUSLY DISCLOSED NONCONFORMANCES THAT WERE DISCUSSED AND REVIEWED BY THE COMMISSION AND WERE VOTED NO TO, UH, FOR AS NO FURTHER ACTION NEEDED.
THIS FURTHER, NO FURTHER ACTION NEEDED VOTE, UM, COINCIDED OR WAS DECIDED BASED OFF ON THE ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS THAT WE CONDUCTED AND ALSO ON THE DIFFERENT SECTIONS, UM, CORRECTIVE ACTIONS TAKEN IN ORDER TO REMEDIATE AND ADDRESS THE SITUATION AND ALSO TO PREVENT IT FROM REOCCURRING SINCE WE HAVE NEW BOARD MEMBERS.
AND IN ALL FAIRNESS, THE LAST TIME I TALKED ABOUT THESE DISCLOSURES WAS, I BELIEVE ALL THE WAY IN MAY.
I'LL JUST DO A SMALL RECAP FOR EACH ONE TO REFRESH YOUR MEMORY.
SO THE FIRST, UH, DISCLOSURE WAS FOR THE CEASE DRUG SECTION.
AND THEN IN THIS, IN THIS CASE, UM, IN THIS DISCLOSURE, WE HAD CASES THAT WERE ANALYZED USING THE INCORRECT SAMPLE VIALS, UM, THAT CAUSED THE RESULTS TO BE IMPROPERLY REPORTED.
UM, I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT THIS WAS VERY SPECIFIC TO ONE METHODOLOGY IN THE, IN THE SEIZE DRUG SECTION.
AND IT WAS A DECISION POINT ASSAY METHOD THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED AND VALIDATED AS A RESULT AS DR. STOUT AND, UM, DIRECTOR SILVER WERE TALKING ABOUT, ABOUT THE HEMP MARIJUANA LEGISLATION.
SO AS A RESULT OF THIS, UM, THE SECTION WENT BACK AND DID A RETROACTIVE AUDIT WHERE THEY IDENTIFIED 18 CASES THAT WERE, HAD, HAD BEEN IMPROPERLY REPORTED.
SO THEY IMMEDIATELY RECALLED THE EVIDENCE AND REANALYZED IT.
AND HOWEVER, THANKFULLY, THE RESULTS WERE STILL CONSISTENTLY WITH WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED, MEANING THEY HAD BEEN INITIALLY REPORTED AS MARIJUANA.
THEY WERE, THEY WERE CORRECTLY ANALYZED AND THERE WERE
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STILL MARIJUANA.SO IT DIDN'T HAVE ANY IMPACT TO THESE CASES.
HOWEVER, THE SECTION FOR THIS SPECIFIC METHOD, BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE ANALYSIS IS CONDUCTED, UM, A LARGE QUANTITY OF OF CASES NEEDS TO BE ANALYZED IN A BATCH.
AT THE SAME TIME, THEY IMPLEMENTED A VERIFICATION STEP WHERE, UM, AN INDEPENDENT STAFF MEMBER NEEDS TO VERIFY THAT THE LOADING INTO THE INSTRUMENT INTO THE INSTRUMENTAL SEQUENCE TABLE AND IN THE LOGBOOK, THEY'RE ALL CONSISTENT IN THE SAME AND ACKNOWLEDGES THAT REVIEW.
SO IN ORDER TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING, OUR SECOND DISCLOSURE IS IN THE FIREARM SECTION.
THIS WAS DISCOVERED AS PART OF OUR 2023 INTERNAL AUDIT.
SO ONE OF THE FUNCTIONS THAT WE HAVE TO CONDUCT IN, IN THIS INTERNAL AUDITS IS THAT WE NEED TO VERIFY EVIDENCE LOCATIONS TO MAKE, CAN YOU TO THE MIC RIGHT NOW? SORRY, CAN YOU HEAR ME BETTER? YEAH.
SO ONE OF THE FUNCTIONS OR TASKS THAT WE NEED TO COMPLETE AS PART OF THE INTERNAL AUDIT IS WE NEED TO VERIFY EVIDENCE LOCATIONS TO ENSURE THAT THE CHAIN OF CUSTODY IS THE PHYSICAL AND THE ELECTRONIC, UH, TRANSFERS MATCH IN ORDER TO ENSURE ACCURACY IN, IN THESE, UM, IN THESE CUSTODIES.
SO WHILE CONDUCTING THIS, THEY DISCOVERED THAT ONE ITEM OF EVIDENCE WAS, WAS MISPLACED OR COULDN'T BE FOUND.
UM, THIS ITEM OF EVIDENCE CONTAINED TEST FIRES THAT WERE OBTAINED OR CREATED FROM AN OFFICER'S FIREARM THAT WAS PART OF AN OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING.
THANKFULLY THIS CASE HAD, WAS PRESENTED TO THE GRAND JURY AND IT WAS A NO BILL.
SO THEREFORE IT WAS NOT AN ACTIVE CASE.
IT DIDN'T HAVE AN IMPACT TO THE CASE.
RE REGARDLESS, THE SECTION TOOK THIS VERY SERIOUSLY AND ENACTED DIFFERENT CHANGES INTO THEIR, UM, EVIDENCE HANDLING AND ALSO INTO THEIR AUDITING IN ORDER TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING.
AND I DO WANNA STATE THAT ALTHOUGH THE COMMISSION MAY HAVE CLOSED THIS AND HFSC MAY HAVE CLOSED THIS NONCONFORMANCE, BUT THE SECTION IS STILL ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR THIS ITEM OF EVIDENCE.
THEY HAVEN'T, UM, THEY'RE STILL, THEY'RE STILL LOOKING FOR THIS ITEM OF EVIDENCE.
FOR MY THIRD AND LAST DISCLOSURE THAT WAS DISCUSSED AT THE LAST MEETING, IT WAS, UM, FOR CRIME SCENE FIRST FOR THIS INSTANCE, WE HAD THREE CASE PACKETS THAT COULD NOT BE LOCATED.
THIS CASE PACKETS CONTAINED THE ORIGINAL OBSERVATIONS AND NOTES FROM THE CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATORS WHEN THEY ARE OUT IN THE FIELD BEFORE THESE CASE PACKETS.
UM, WERE MISPLACED OR NOT LOCATED, A DRAFT REPORT HAD BEEN DRAFTED.
SO WE WERE PUT IN A SITUATION WHERE WE HAD A DRAFT REPORT, BUT BECAUSE WE COULDN'T LOCATE THE ORIGINAL NOTES, WE COULDN'T AUTHENTICATE AND KNOW IF EVERYTHING WAS CORRECTLY TRANSCRIBED INTO THE REPORT.
SO PUT US IN A POSITION WHERE IF WE, WE COULDN'T REPORT OUT SOMETHING, WE COULDN'T CORROBORATE AND PUT SOMETHING IN QUESTION NOT ONLY OUR INTEGRITY, BUT ALSO THE CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATOR'S INTEGRITY.
SO WE DECIDED TO DISCLOSE THIS, BUT JUST MORE SPECIFIC ON THESE THREE CASES, THERE WAS ONE CASE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO RELEASE BECAUSE WE FOUND OUT THAT THE NOTES HAD BEEN SCANNED INTO THE CASE RECORD BEFORE THE CASE PACKET HAD BEEN MISPLACED.
AND FOR THE TWO OTHER, I, I DO HAVE GOOD NEWS FOR THE BOARD.
SO AFTER WE CLOSED OUT THAT REPORT, ONE OF THE CASE PACKETS WAS FOUND BY CRIME SCENE AND THANKFULLY IT WAS THE ONE CASE THAT WAS STILL ACTIVE IN THE LEGAL SYSTEM.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO TECHNICALLY REVIEW AND ADMINISTRATIVELY CLOSE OUT THAT REPORT AND DISSEMINATED.
WE DID UPDATE THE COMMISSION, THE DAS AND DEFENSE ATTORNEYS INVOLVED IN THAT CASE.
UM, AND THE QUALITY REPORT WAS AMENDED SHOWING THAT NEW DISCOVERY FOR THAT ONE.
SO THE ONLY OTHER CASE, UM, WAS NOT ACTIVE, I THINK IT WAS.
I I THINK IT'S A COLD CASE OR, UM, IT'S NOT ACTIVE.
SO, UM, BUT STILL THE CRIME SCENES UM, SECTION ALSO TOOK THIS VERY SERIOUSLY.
SO THEY DID A LOT OF CLERICAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES IN THEIR CASE PACKET TRACKING WHILE THIS IS UNDERGOING REVIEW.
AND EVEN NOW THEY'RE TRANSITIONING INTO AN ELECTRONIC SYSTEM WHERE THEY'RE PILOT TESTING IT NOW.
SO ELECTRONICALLY THEY'RE KEEPING TRACK OF ALL OF THESE CASE PACKETS TO KNOW WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED.
SO, AND IT MAKES SENSE THERE, THERE IS A LOT OF CASE PACKETS SOMETIMES INVOLVED IN A CASE RECORD BECAUSE YOU COULD HAVE A LOT OF CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATORS GO INTO A SCENE AND DO DIFFERENT TASKS.
SO THAT'S WHY IT'S, IT COULD BE EASILY TO LOSE A PIECE OF CASE PACKET 'CAUSE THERE COULD BE FIVE OR SIX TO ONE CASE FILE OR TO ONE, UH, SCENE.
SO AGAIN, ALL OF THESE DISCLOSURES WERE CLOSED OUT.
UM, AT THE LAST TFSE MEETING, I DO WANNA GIVE THE BOARD AN UPDATE.
WE DO HAVE TWO ACTIVE DISCLOSURES, UM, AND I, ONE IS IN THE FORENSIC BIOLOGY SECTION AND THE OTHER ONE IS IN THE LATENT PRINT.
BUT I DO WANNA MAKE A NOTE TO THE BOARD THAT THE COMMONALITIES BETWEEN THESE TWO, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE IN VERY DIFFERENT SECTIONS, IS THAT THE CAUSE OF THESE NONCONFORMITIES WERE OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL.
AND IT'LL MAKE SENSE UNTIL I, I, I, AS I GO THROUGH THIS, AND I'LL SUMMARIZE IT, SO OUR FORENSIC BIOLOGY HAD A SITUATION WHERE THE SECTION IDENTIFIED AN INHERENT SUBTLETY PRESENT IN THEIR PROBABILISTIC GENOTYPING SOFTWARE THAT THEY USE.
UM, THIS SUBTLETY COULD CAUSE A REPORTING ISSUE, A REPORTING
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ISSUE.SO ONCE THEY FOUND THAT IT COULD CAUSE A REPORTING ISSUE, THEY DID A RETROACTIVE AUDIT, BASICALLY ALL THE WAY BACK TO DECEMBER, 2019 WHEN THIS SOFTWARE WAS IMPLEMENTED.
SO THAT MEANT THAT THEY HAD TO REVIEW 8,359 CALCULATIONS FROM 1000 AND 153 CASES.
SO IT WAS A VERY, VERY, UM, EXTENSIVE AUDIT THAT THEY HAD TO DO, WHERE THEY IDENTIFIED FIVE CASES THAT WERE HIGH RISK, THAT NEED IN A SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT TO BE ISSUED TO CON THAT NEEDS TO CONTAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR STAKEHOLDERS.
SO RIGHT NOW WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE DA'S OFFICE AND RELEASING THE SUPPLEMENTAL REPORTS FOR OUR NEXT DISCLOSURE.
SO DO YOU, IS THERE ANY INTERNAL PROCESS WHERE THE LAB MAKES SURE THAT THE DA'S OFFICE IS SENDING OUT A NOTICE CONSISTENT WITH YOUR FINDINGS? SO YOU, YOU FIND, YOU FIND THESE PROBLEMS, RIGHT? SO, OR SOMETHING THAT'S OF CONCERN AND THEN, UH, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, I GUESS YOU NOTIFY THE LAB NOTIFIES THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, RIGHT.
AND THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE AS WELL.
AND THEN, UH, DOES THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, IS THERE ANY PROCESS AT THE LAB WHERE THEY SEND A NOTICE THAT THIS IS A NOTICE WE PLAN ON SENDING OUT, IS THIS CONSISTENT WITH YOUR FINDING? IS THERE ANY, IS THAT PART OF YOUR PROCESS? USUALLY THEY'LL GIVE US A COPY OF THE, THE BRADY LETTER THAT THEY'RE PLANNING ON SENDING OUT.
AND THERE'S USUALLY QUITE A BIT OF BACK AND FORTH BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA BE THE SOURCE OF LARGELY IDENTIFYING WHAT FORENSIC ANALYSES WOULD BE IMPACTED.
AND THEN THEY'VE GOTTA GO FIND WHAT CAUSE NUMBERS GOT IT, ARE GONNA BE IMPACTED.
AND THEN THAT WOULD BE WHO THEY'RE GONNA SEND THE BRADY LETTERS TO.
NOW IN THE CASE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS A CASE WHERE WE'VE GOT FIVE CASES IN THE CASE WHERE WE'RE TALKING SOMETHING THAT AFFECTS MUCH MORE BROADLY.
THAT WOULD BE MORE THE, THE GENERAL BRADY NOTICE THAT GOES OUT, NOT NECESSARILY SPECIFIC TO CASES.
NOW, FOR, UM, FOR THE LATE IN PRINTS, UM, FOR THE LATE IN PRINTS, UH, THE PRINT SECTION WAS NOTIFIED BY THE FBI THAT THEIR AFIS SYSTEM HAD A GLITCH WHEN THAT WAS, UM, THIS GLITCH WAS CREATED WHEN AN AREA LOCATION FILTER WAS SELECTED, WHEN PALM PRINTS WERE ENTERED INTO THE SYSTEM.
UM, THE GLITCH IN THIS, THE SITUATION IS THAT THAT FILTER PREVENTED THE PALM PRINT FROM, UM, TO CONDUCTING REVERSE SEARCHES, MEANING THAT IF THE PRINT COULD NOT BE CONTINUOUSLY SEARCHED AGAINST NEW RECORD PRINTS.
SO THE FBI, UM, TOLD US THAT WE HAD 92 AFFECTED CASES.
THESE CASES RANGED BACK TO 2014 ALL THE WAY BACK.
SO, UM, THE LATENT PRINT SECTION HAD TO RESEARCH, RE RESEARCH ALL OF THE AFFECTED PRINTS, UM, AND THEY HAD TO CONDUCT, SO 20 OF THESE CASES HAD NEW HITS, SO THEY HAD TO CONDUCT A, YOU KNOW, NEW COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS ON THESE 20, UH, CASES.
FOR THE OTHER 72 CASES THAT DID NOT HAVE HITS, UH, THESE PRINTS WERE RE-REGISTERED, UM, RESEARCHED AND RE AND WERE REGISTERED PROPERLY.
SO THEY'RE NOW ABLE TO BE, UH, CONDUCIVE TO DO REVERSE SEARCHES.
ALL THIS LIST OF CASES HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO THE DA'S OFFICE AND THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE, UM, FOR THEM TO BE AWARE AND TO HAVE A LIST OF THE, ALL OF THESE AFFECTED CASES.
NOW, I DO WANNA TIE BOTH OF THESE SITUATIONS TOGETHER.
AS I MENTIONED, THEY DO HAVE A COMMONALITY.
THE INSTANCES, THE GLITCH OR THE INHERENT SUBTLETY IN THAT SOFTWARE WAS OUT, WAS OUTSIDE OF THE CONTROL OF HFAC.
AND THE REASON WHY WE DECIDED TO TRACK THIS AS A NONCONFORMANCE WAS TO A WAY TO PROPERLY DOCUMENT ALL OF THE EFFORTS, ALL OF THE RETROACTIVE OC RETROACTIVE AUDITS, UM, ALL OF THE MITIGATION AND ALL OF THE ACTIONS THAT THE SECTIONS HAD TO DO IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THIS SITUATION.
ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT OUR NON-CONFORMITY, BECAUSE IT AFFECTED THE INTEGRITY OF CASES WE WANTED TO DISSEMINATE AND MAKE IT PUBLIC, UM, AND LET OUR STAKEHOLDERS KNOW AS WELL AS OUR ACCREDITING BODIES.
I THINK IF YOU ALSO THINK OF THE LOGIC OF WHY WE ARE CHOOSING TO DISCLOSE THESE TO TFSC IS TO HELP ENSURE THAT IT IS COMMUNICATED STATEWIDE OF THESE ISSUES THAT HAVE SHOWN UP IN THE SOFTWARE, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT ONLY SPECIFIC TO HFSC.
YEAH, THE, THE FBI BUG IN THEIR SOFTWARE IS GONNA AFFECT EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTRY.
UM, AND THE SDR MIXED STUFF IS A, IS A, IS A KNOWN SUBTLETY IN THE SOFTWARE THAT HAS AFFECTED ANYBODY THAT'S USING STR MIX.
IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE I MOVE ON? OKAY, SO FOR MY LAST TOPIC OF TODAY, IT'S GONNA BE ON TESTIMONY.
SO WE HAD A TOTAL OF 65 STAFF MEMBERS WHO COLLECTIVELY, UH, TESTIFIED A TOTAL OF 149 TIMES, UH, FROM JANUARY THROUGH AUGUST OF 2023.
FROM THIS, IN MY SECOND CHART, I,
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IN MY SECOND GRAPH, YOU CAN SEE MY PERCENT OF TESTIMONY MONITORED VERSUS UNMONITORED.WE DO, UM, FOR ANYBODY WHO IS TESTIFYING, WE DO WANT THEM TO BE AT LEAST MONITORED ONCE PER YEAR.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE 75% MEETING OR H-F-S-S-E MONITORING REQUIREMENT, WHICH IS STILL CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE WANT IT TO BE AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR.
NOW, FROM THIS TESTIMONY, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM FROM MY NEXT SLIDE, IS WE HAD A TOTAL OF 600 HOURS, UM, FROM THAT STAFF, THESE STAFF MEMBERS SPENT IN COURT.
UM, 125 OF THESE HOURS WAS JUST, WAS ACTUALLY TESTIMONY.
WHILE THE OTHER 477 HOURS JUST WAS OF IDLE TIME WAITING IN COURT PRIOR TO THEIR TESTIMONY, I DID SPLIT UP THE TIME OF HOURS WAITING TO TESTIFY IN MY SECOND GRAPH BY HOURS OF WAITING HOURS BY THE SECTION.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, CRIME SCENE IS STILL THE, THE, THE SECTION THAT IS THE MOST HIGHLY AFFECTED WITH 201 HOURS OF WAITING TIME AT COURT, FOLLOWED BY THE FIREARMS AND THE BIOLOGY SECTION.
I DID WANNA RENDER A SIDE-TO-SIDE COMPARISON, UM, FOR THE BOARD OF HOW WE MEASURE WITH PREVIOUS YEARS OF TIME SPENT IN COURT.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE ARE JUST, WE JUST HAVE THIS DATA TILL AUGUST AND WE'RE ALMOST SURPASSING 2022.
UM, FOR 2022 WE HAD 600, 619 HOURS, UM, SPENT IN COURT, AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT 6 0 2.
SO WE'RE EASILY GONNA BE SURPASSING THIS IN THE FOLLOWING MONTHS.
UM, BEFORE I END, I DO WANNA UPDATE THE BOARD AND LET THEM KNOW THAT ALL OF THIS DATA WE HAVE TO MANUALLY CAPTURE THIS AND PUT THEM INTO GRAPHS.
UM, SO THE QUALITY DIVISION IS CURRENTLY WORKING WITH OUR H-F-S-C-L-S-S PROJECT ENGINEER AND WE'RE WORKING IN CREATING A POWER BI, UH, TESTIMONY DASHBOARD WHERE IT'S NOT ONLY GONNA BE ACCESSIBLE AND REAL TIME DATA FOR THE QUALITY DIVISION, BUT FOR ALL STAFF MEMBERS IN ORDER TO HAVE ACCESS TO THIS DATA.
AND ALSO TO BE ABLE TO DOWNLOAD THE, DOWNLOAD IT IN CASE THEY NEED TO PROVIDE, UM, THE COURTS WITH ALL OF THE CASES THAT HAVE BEEN, THAT THEY'VE TESTIFIED PREVIOUSLY.
SO IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS AND TESTIMONY BEFORE I WRAP UP MY PRESENTATION? NO.
ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, UM, RELATED TO THE MATTERS THAT WERE JUST DISCUSSED? SCENE NONE.
WE CAN MOVE ON TO OUR FINAL AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS ADJOURNMENT.
UM, AT THIS TIME, DOES ANYONE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN THE MEETING? MOTION? IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND.
UH, THE MOTION IS MADE BY, UH, DIRECTOR SILVERMAN.
THE SECOND, UH, WAS MADE BY DIRECTOR HUFF.
ALL OPPOSED IF THAT THE MOTION CARRIES AND THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 10:20 AM THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME.