[Houston Forensic Science Center: Board of Directors Meeting]
[00:00:19]
AND WELCOME TO THE HOUSTON FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING.IT IS NOVEMBER 17TH, AND IT IS NINE OH FOUR.
SO WE'LL CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.
UM, WE'LL KEEP MOVING THROUGH OUR AGENDA.
WE HAVE A PRETTY JAM PACKED AGENDA TODAY WITH LOTS OF VOTING ITEMS, AND SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, TO THE DISCUSSIONS.
AND THEN THE VOTE, UH, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO IS THE ROLL CALL.
MADAM SECRETARY, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLE? YEAH, MADAM CHAIR.
CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME? JUST FIRST OFF? OKAY, GREAT.
UM, CHAIRWOMAN MITCHELL, PRESENT VICE CHAIR GOODWIN.
PRESENT, DIRECTOR QUE DIRECTOR, HILDER.
DIRECTOR BAIRD? PRESENT DIRECTOR HERE.
WE HAVE A QUORUM AND MEMBERS DUE TO OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION TODAY.
PLEASE BE MINDFUL THAT IN OUR MEETING, WE, IT MIGHT MOST LIKELY WE'LL RUN UNTIL NOON.
IF YOU NEED TO STEP OUT OR LEAVE EARLY, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
UH, WITH THAT, WE WILL PROCEED ONTO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE, WHICH IS CONSIDERING THE APPOINTMENT OF MS. NATALIE VEY AS SECRETARY OF THE CORPORATION, AND POSSIBLE RELATED ACTION.
MEMBERS, AS YOU KNOW, MS. HENRY HAS BEEN SERVING AS OUR INTERIM BOARD SECRETARY SINCE HER APPOINTMENT AND SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR.
MS. HENRY STEPPED IN YET AGAIN TO ASSIST US WITH BOARD MEETINGS IN PREPARATION ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, MS. HEN, I WANT TO AGAIN THANK YOU FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO STEP UP IN THESE MOMENTS.
I HOPE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO WATCH THIS MEETING WHEN, WHEN YOU RETURN TO YOUR OFFICE SO YOU CAN HEAR OUR WORDS OF APPRECIATION.
NOW, LET ME TAKE A MOMENT TO INTRODUCE MS. NATALIE VEZY, WHO RE, WHO WAS RECENTLY HIRED TO SERVE AS H FSCS STAFF ASSISTANT, AND THE CANDIDATE FOR APPOINTMENT AS CORPORATE SECRETARY.
BEFORE WE CONSIDER MS. BEY'S APPOINTMENT, I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW THINGS ABOUT HER RESUME AND EXPERIENCE.
MS. VEY IS ACTUALLY AN INTERNAL PROMOTION COMING TO US FROM THE CLIENT SERVICES AND CASE MANAGEMENT DIVISION.
IN HER PREVIOUS ROLE, SHE HELPED ANSWER INQUIRIES AND FULFILL RECORDS REQUESTS FROM ATTORNEYS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND THE COURTS.
SHE BRINGS A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE TO THIS CURRENT, UH, POSITION, PARTICULARLY IN WORKING WITH OUR EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS.
PRIOR TO JOINING HFSC, SHE WORKED IN THE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY, WHICH IS ALSO HER ACADEMIC FIELD OF STUDY.
HAVING RECEIVED HER BA IN THE HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, MS. VIZI HAS ALREADY ASSISTED THE BOARD WITH VARIOUS TASKS AND HER PROMOTION, AND WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE HER ON OUR TEAM.
WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR ANY MOTIONS RELATED TO THE APPOINTMENT OF MS. VIY AS SECRETARY OF THE CORPORATION.
MOTION TO APPROVE MR. SILVERMAN.
ALRIGHT, ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY.
THIS IS A VOICE VOTE, SO PLEASE, EVERYONE UNMUTE YOUR MICROPHONES.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
YOU ARE NOW THE BOARD SECRETARY.
I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY.
OKAY, NOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR, WHICH IS OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
AT THIS TIME, WE WILL OPEN 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.
WE ASK ALL PUBLIC SPEAKERS TO SIGN IN AT THE FRONT OF THE ROOM SO WE ARE AWARE OF YOUR PRESENCE AND THAT ALL COMMENTS WILL BE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES.
YOU MAY SPEAK ON ANY MATTER, MATTER CONCERNING THE BOARD AND HFSC AT THIS TIME, DO WE HAVE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO HAS SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? OKAY.
SEEING NO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN OUR AUDIENCE TODAY WHO HAVE SIGNED UP FOR COMMENT, I WILL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS READING OF THE MINUTES FROM THE SEPTEMBER 15TH BOARD MEETING, AND WE NEED TO CONSIDER ANY PROPOSED CORRECTIONS AND ALSO APPROVE.
NOW WE WILL CONSIDER THE MEETING MINUTES FROM THE SEPTEMBER 15TH BOARD MEETING.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY CORRECTIONS OR ADDITIONS TO THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED? HOPEFULLY EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO READ THEM.
HEARING NO CORRECTIONS AT THIS TIME, WE WILL CONDUCT A VOICE.
[00:05:01]
TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.MAY I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? SO MOVED.
THE, UH, MOTION, UH, CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY AND THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX IS THE CHAIR'S REPORT, AND THIS INCLUDES A MONTHLY UPDATE OF ACTIVITIES, EXPRESSIONS OF CONGRATULATIONS, REMARKS REGARDING OUR NEWLY APPOINTED DIRECTORS AND OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS.
FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME OUR NEWEST BORN MEMBER, JONI BAIRD TO HFSC.
JONI IS A FORMER INVESTIGATOR FOR THE JEFFERSON COUNTY COLORADO SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, WHERE SHE INVESTIGATED MAJOR CRIMES AND WORKED CLOSELY WITH FORENSIC EXPERTS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
SHE EVENTUALLY JOINED JOHNS MANVILLE CORPORATION AND HELP START UP THEIR CORPORATE SECURITY DEPARTMENT BEFORE SHIFTING TO PUBLIC AFFAIRS, LEADING STAKEHOLDER AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, CORPORATE CONTRIBUTIONS AND ISSUES.
MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR BAIRD RECENTLY RETIRED FROM A DISTINGUISHED 10 YEAR CAREER AT CHEVRON, BRINGING, UH, DEVELOPING BOARD AND, AND, UH, RELATE RELATIONSHIPS THROUGHOUT THE HOUSTON REGION AS WELL AS STRONG STAKEHOLDER RELATIONSHIPS.
DIRECTOR BAIRD IS VERY INVOLVED IN THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY AND HAS ALREADY MADE AN IMPACT WITH HFSC IN HER NEW ROLE.
ADDITIONALLY, IT'S AL UH, SO WELCOME AND DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO SAY? I WANNA GIVE YOU A MOMENT.
I'M JUST DELIGHTED TO BE HERE WITH ALL OF YOU AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK ON SUCH AN IMPORTANT SUBJECT AS, UH, THE FORENSIC CENTER AND, UH, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH PETER AND SOME OF THE TEAM AND MY HONOR TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS.
AND WE ARE SO GLAD YOU ARE HERE AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
DIRECTOR SILVERMAN, I APOLOGIZE I WAS NOT HERE AT THE LAST MEETING.
THAT WAS YOUR FIRST MEETING, BUT WELCOME AGAIN, AND IT'S WONDERFUL TO MEET YOU AND WE'RE GLAD THAT YOU'RE HERE.
IT'S ALREADY THE HOLIDAY SEASON AGAIN.
UH, THIS YEAR THE HFSC IS PLANNING.
UH, THE EVENT PLANNING COMMITTEE HAS PLANNED A HOLIDAY LUNCH AND POTLUCK FOR THE STAFF ON DECEMBER THE 14TH AT HFSC.
AS ALWAYS, BOARD MEMBERS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME TO ATTEND AND CELEBRATE THE HARD WORK OF OUR STAFF.
DR. STOUT AND HIS TEAM WILL BE REACHING OUT IN THE UPCOMING WEEKS WITH MORE DETAIL ABOUT HOW THE BOARD CAN SUPPORT THIS EVENT.
LASTLY, AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS OUR FINAL BOARD MEETING FOR THE YEAR.
I JUST WANT TO TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO THANK EACH OF YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND DEDICATION TO THE HOUSTON FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER.
WE HAVE CERTAINLY HAD AN EVENTFUL YEAR FILLED WITH MANY SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES.
EACH OF YOU REMAINS A VITAL PART OF WHAT WE DO, AND I AM GRATEFUL FOR YOUR EFFORTS.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT 2024 BRINGS, AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES WE WILL HAVE TO CONTINUE HFS C'S SUCCESSES.
AND WITH THAT FINAL ANNOUNCEMENT, WE WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SEVEN.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SEVEN IS THE PRESIDENT AND CEO'S REPORT, WHICH WILL INCLUDE AN OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS, TECHNICAL UPDATES, AND OTHER CORPORATE BUSINESS ITEMS. DR. STOUT, I GIVE YOU THE FLOOR.
UM, UNDERSTANDING WE'VE GOT QUITE A BIT TO COVER TODAY.
I WILL ATTEMPT TO KEEP IT SHORT, BUT, YOU KNOW, I GOT A FEW THINGS TO COVER HERE.
SO, UH, FIRST OFF, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY AND I BRIEFLY INTRODUCED HERE, UH, OUR NEW HR DIRECTOR, UH, WHO IS A KEY COMPONENT OF THE SENIOR TEAM AND A KEY COMPONENT OF THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION.
UM, SHE'S GOT 17 YEARS OF HR EXPERIENCE, UH, MASTER'S DEGREE FROM A AND M.
I TRY NOT TO HOLD THAT AGAINST HER SINCE I NOW HAVE A KID WHO'S BEEN ACCEPTED TO A AND MII, I HAVE TO USE THE JOKE THOUGH.
YOU KNOW WHAT'S COMMON BETWEEN AGGIES AND LONGHORNS, RIGHT? THEY, THEY BOTH APPLIED TO UT AUSTIN,
FOR, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT KNOW, YOU DO KNOW, YOUR EVALUATION IS TODAY, RIGHT?
I COME, I COME FROM A LONG LINE OF LONGHORN.
SO, UM, SHE'S BEEN AT HOUSTON FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS AND I, SHE IS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT, TRAINING DEVELOPMENT.
WE, UH, THE, THE STAFF HAVE BEEN REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE HER ON BOARD INTERVIEWS.
TY, DO YOU WANT TO COME UP AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF A LITTLE BIT AND HIT THE, HIT THE BUTTON ON THE MICROPHONE THERE.
MY NAME IS TY AND I'M REALLY, REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE.
LOOK FORWARD TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, ADD MY EXPERIENCE AND EVERYTHING THAT I KNOW WITH HR TO SUPPORT THE, UH, HOUSTON FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER.
AND WE'RE SO GLAD THAT YOU'RE HERE.
YOU HAVE BIG SHOES TO FILL, BUT I AM SURE EVERY, FROM EVERYTHING I HEAR, IT WILL BE EASY.
[00:10:01]
THE DISCUSSIONS OF THE PAST FEW MONTHS, I FIGURED I WOULD AND THE FACT THAT WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF NEW PEOPLE ON THE BOARD, UM, AND I WAS JUST LOOKING, I THINK STACY, YOU AND I ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT HAVE BEEN, YOU WERE HERE WHEN I FIRST CAME.I THINK EVERYBODY ELSE HAS CHANGED OVER SINCE, SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.
I GUESS I'VE BEEN HERE A WHILE.
UM, BUT TO GIVE JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A PERSPECTIVE OF BACKLOG OVER TIME, AND INTERESTINGLY, I WAS, I WAS AT A MEETING THAT WAS THE INAUGURAL MEETING OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FORENSIC SCIENCE BOARDS IN AUSTIN YESTERDAY.
SO THERE'S BEEN AN EFFORT TO TRY AND ASSEMBLE ALL OF THE VARIOUS COMMISSIONS AND BOARDS AND ADVISORY BOARDS AROUND THE COUNTRY INTO AN ORGANIZATION SO THAT THEY CAN BETTER COLLABORATE AND WORK THROUGH ALL OF THE CHALLENGES OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A BOARD.
TEXAS'S FORENSIC SCIENCE COMMISSION IS LOOKED AT FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD AS THE COMMISSION THAT WORKS, UH, AND THE MODEL THAT EVERYBODY WANTS TO TRY AND EMULATE.
SO THAT'S WHY WE HAD THE INITIAL MEETING IN, IN TEXAS.
BUT BACKLOG STAFFING, THE RATHER CRITICAL NATURE OF STAFFING IN FORENSIC SCIENCES WERE BIG TOPICS YESTERDAY.
UM, BUT WHEN WE FIRST STARTED APRIL OF 2014, WHAT CAME ACROSS TO US WAS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT 12,000 REQUESTS.
SO JUST TO KIND OF PUT A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE ON WHERE WE'RE AT, IT HAS BEEN A LONG AND ARDUOUS ARC COMING FROM WHERE WE STARTED.
AND I ALSO PUT IN THERE SOME OF THE BIG EVENTS THAT IMPACTED BACKLOGS AND KIND OF A TIMELINE THERE.
SO IN MAY OF 2016, WE HAD AN ISSUE WHERE ABOUT 2,500 LATENT PRINTS HAD ENDED UP GETTING, I WON'T SAY LOST, BUT HUNG UP IN THE PROPERTY ROOM.
SO IN MAY OF 2016, WE HAD ABOUT 2,500 REQUESTS FOR LATENT PRINTS SHOW UP IN ABOUT 48 HOURS.
UH, SO THAT CLEARLY AFFECTED LATENT PRINTS.
JANUARY OF 2017 WAS WHEN WE PUT GLOBAL FILER ONLINE.
UM, THAT WAS AN FBI REQUIREMENT BECAUSE AT THAT POINT WE HAD TO MOVE TO THE CHEMISTRY THAT LOOKS AT 23 LOCI FOR, UM, ACCESS INTO CODIS.
THAT WAS AN ENORMOUS CHANGE FOR FORENSIC BIOLOGY.
UM, AUGUST OF 2017, HURRICANE HARVEY, THAT PRETTY MUCH AFFECTED EVERYTHING.
UH, STILL HAVE TO SAY THANK YOU TO CS, UH, TO THE CSU UNIT FOR RIDING OUT THE STORM IN THE BUILDING, UH, AND PLUGGING UP LEAKS THAT OCCURRED.
'CAUSE THIS WAS BACK WHEN WE WERE STILL IN 1200 TRAVIS.
WE HAD LEAKS ON EVERY FLOOR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BUILDING.
UM, IT WAS A REAL ADVENTURE FOR THEM.
THEY WERE SLEEPING ON THE FLOOR FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
UM, 20 18, 20 19 TOXICOLOGY INSTRUMENTATION.
AGAIN, WE WERE BACK IN 1200 TRAVIS.
UH, WE COULDN'T GET ELECTRICAL SUPPLY TO, UH, SUPPORT NEW INSTRUMENTATION.
SO I SPENT A COUPLE OF YEARS THERE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE BOAT ANCHORS OF THE GCSS.
BUT THAT HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON TOXICOLOGY ABILITY TO PROCESS.
IN SPITE OF ALL OF THAT, IN FEBRUARY OF 2019, WAS THE LOWEST POINT THAT WE, UH, HAVE HAD FOR BACKLOG.
AND KEEP IN MIND, OUR DEFINITION OF BACKLOG IS 30 DAYS FROM THE POINT OF REQUEST.
RIGHT AFTER THAT JUNE 10TH, 2019 HOUSE BILL 1325 WAS SIGNED INTO LAW AND TOOK EFFECT THAT IMMEDIATELY STARTED HAVING IMPACTS ON SEAS DRUGS BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT TO HOW WE HAD TO NOW TEST MARIJUANA.
THAT, THAT, THAT KIND OF PUT A WRENCH IN EVERYBODY'S GIDDY UP.
MARCH OF 2021 WAS THE COLOGNE DECISION.
UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NEW, WE CAN POINT YOU TO THE LINK TO THE 278 PAGE REPORT FROM TEXAS FORENSIC SCIENCE COMMISSION THAT ULTIMATELY CAME OUT ABOUT THAT.
IT HAS HAD FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES TO HOW EVERYBODY IN THE STATE HAS TO PRACTICE, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO TESTIMONY.
BUT THAT HAD AN ENORMOUS IMPACT ON DNA, UH, MAY, 2021, WE HAD SOME CSU RESTRUCTURING.
AND THEN FEBRUARY OF 2021 WAS WINTER STORM YURI, WHICH I PUT THAT IN THERE, NOT BECAUSE, 'CAUSE WE ACTUALLY KEPT POWER THROUGH, UH, THROUGH THE STORM.
UM, WE DIDN'T LOSE POWER, BUT IT MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO GET STAFF TO THE LABORATORY FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS IN THERE AND REPAIRS TO OTHER PARTS OF THE BUILDING.
ULTIMATELY ENDED UP WITH A MONTH LATER, A THREE INCH WATER SUPPLY LINE IN THE HVAC SYSTEM BURSTING ON THE 21ST FLOOR, WHICH IS SOME OF THE MECHANICAL OF THE BUILDING THAT FLOODED DOWN THROUGH, UH, THE MAIN ELECTRICAL CHASE AND BURN OUT THE MAIN ELECTRICAL BUST FOR THE BUILDING, WHICH THEN PUT US OUT OF POWER FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AFTER THAT.
SO HER, WHILE WE DIDN'T SUFFER ANY ACTUAL STRUCTURAL DAMAGE OR POWER OUTAGES IN THE STORM ITSELF, WE ULTIMATELY LOST AT LEAST A MONTH'S WORTH OF PRODUCTIVITY BECAUSE OF THAT STORM STRETCHED OVER A COUPLE OF MONTHS.
SO IN JULY OF 2021, THANKS TO ALL OF THOSE VARIOUS THINGS, BACKLOGS HAD INCREASED
[00:15:01]
TO 7,553, WHICH IS THE HIGHEST POINT WE'VE SEEN IN QUITE A FEW YEARS.UH, AND THEN NOVEMBER, 2020 1, 20 22 WAS THE MAVENS INCIDENT.
UM, WE HAD SOME ANALYSTS THAT WE HAD TO, UH, TERMINATE BECAUSE OF, WELL, YOU CAN GO, YOU CAN GO LOOK AT THE MEDIA REPORTS ABOUT THAT ONE.
BUT THAT LOST US ANOTHER FOUR, UH, DNA ANALYSTS.
SO HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IN OUR PRODUCTIVITY AND DNA.
BUT IN SPITE OF ALL OF THAT, RIGHT NOW WE'RE SITTING ABOUT HALF OF THAT BACKLOG.
SO WE'RE BACK DOWN TO ABOUT 4,000.
SO WE'RE PRETTY CLOSE TO THE LOWEST POINT WE'VE BEEN, YEAH, BACKLOGS GO UP AND DOWN IN LABORATORIES.
THIS IS THE SAME THING THAT HAPPENS LABORATORIES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, BUT WE'RE A THIRD OF WHAT WE STARTED AT WHEN WE STARTED THE ORGANIZATION.
UM, WITHIN THIS WE HAVE HAD DR STYLE.
UM, BACKLOGS, THEY ARE DEFINED DIFFERENTLY BY A CRIME LAB, AREN'T THEY? IT IS.
THERE'S NOT A STANDARD THROUGHOUT.
THERE IS NO STANDARD IN ACCREDITATION STANDARDS.
THERE IS NO STANDARD IN ANY DEFINITION ANY PLACE.
THE 30 DAY BACKLOG NUMBER ACTUALLY COMES FROM, UH, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE IN, WHEN THEY MANAGE THE CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT, BACKLOG REDUCTION, UH, MONEY, THAT WAS A NUMBER THAT THEY WOULD PUT ASK LABORATORIES REPORTING ON RESULTS FROM GRANT MONEY FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS.
UM, AND IT'S KIND OF BECOME A NUMBER THAT, BECAUSE IT WAS A FEDERAL AGENCY THAT WAS TIED TO THE ONLY FEDERAL SOURCE OF MONEY, THAT'S KIND OF, SORT OF A STANDARD.
BUT EVEN ON SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, A SEXUAL ASSAULT KIT IS NOT BACKLOGGED BY STATE DEFINITION UNTIL IT IS OVER 90 DAYS IF NO TESTING HAS STARTED.
SO THE STUFF THAT WE'VE OUTSOURCED, TECHNICALLY SPEAKING, WOULDN'T BE BACKLOGGED EVEN THOUGH IT MAY BE CONSIDERABLY LONGER THAN 90 DAYS.
UM, LABS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
IT IS A DE IT'S, THE DEFINITIONS ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE OF WHEN THEY WOULD START MEASURING AND WHEN THEY WOULD STOP MEASURING.
ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH, BUT AS LONG AS WE HAVE OUR DEFINITION AND FOLLOW RIGHT, IT THEN WE'RE GOOD WITH OUR ACCREDITATION AND OUR ACCREDITORS AND ALL.
AND AGAIN, THE, THE ACCREDITATION HAS, THEY HAVE ITEMS IN ACCREDITATION LIST THAT BASICALLY WE APPRECIATE TIMING MM-HMM
BUT THERE'S NO STANDARD OF REQUIREMENT IN IT.
SO WE HAVE HAD FIREARMS BACKLOGS BEFORE.
UM, ACTUALLY BACK IN WHEN WE, WHAT FIRST CAME ACROSS IN THOSE 12,000 WAS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT 300 ISH, UH, FIREARMS EXAMS WHEN WE ELIMINATED THAT BACKLOG PREVIOUSLY, LARGELY THROUGH ADDING STAFF AND THE LONG ARC OF GETTING THOSE FOLKS TRAINED AT THAT POINT.
SO SINCE NOVEMBER, I THINK IT WAS THAT WE GOT THERE, I CAN'T SEE IT ON THE SCREEN OVER THERE.
UM, NOVEMBER OF 2015, WE HAVE OPERATED WITH NO ACTUAL BACKLOG AND FIREARMS UP UNTIL MORE RECENTLY.
UM, SO IT'S NOT AS THOUGH THOSE BACKLOGS HAVE BEEN GROWING OVER TIME.
WE HAVE OPERATED LARGELY WITH NO BACKLOG THERE.
THE ARPA FUNDING THAT WE'VE RECEIVED HAS ACTUALLY GONE TO QUITE A FEW THINGS.
AND THESE ARE ALL SOME SLIDES THAT I USED ACTUALLY ON MONDAY THIS WEEK.
UM, TALKING WITH THE MAYOR'S, UM, COMMISSION AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE, UM, AND HELPING PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'VE DONE.
THE ARPA MONEY HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL TO US.
UM, TOXICOLOGY AND LATENT PRINTS, THOSE BACKLOGS ARE GONE QUITE DIRECTLY RELATED TO ARPA MONEY THAT WAS THERE.
AND THE BULK OF THAT ARPA MONEY WE HAVE BEEN USING FOR TRAINING STAFF.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS OVER AND OVER AND OVER IN TIME AND TIME AGAIN ABOUT THE CHALLENGES IN TRAINING STAFF.
WE'VE FUNDED AT LEAST 35,000 HOURS IN TRAINING, WHICH HAS ALLOWED US TO GET 15 STAFF SIGNED OFF AND INTO CASEWORK IN THE LAST ABOUT 18 MONTHS.
UM, IT HAS BEEN ESSENTIAL TO US TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
I THINK WE'VE GOT 17 PEOPLE RIGHT NOW THAT ARE CURRENTLY STILL, WE'RE USING ARPA FUNDING TO HELP WITH TRAINING ON THOSE FOLKS.
THAT INCLUDES TWO FIREARMS EXAMINERS THAT ARE IN THE PIPELINE.
UM, AND IT ALSO, THIS IS AN ITEM FOR VOTING HERE A LITTLE BIT LATER ABOUT THE PURCHASE OF THE 3D SCOPES IN FIREARMS. SO IT'S, IT HAS BEEN ESSENTIAL TO US.
BUT KEEP IN MIND TWO THINGS WE CAN'T DO WITH ARPA MONEY.
WE CAN'T HIRE STAFF ON ARPA MONEY 'CAUSE IT'S ONE TIME FUNDING.
AND WE ALSO CAN'T USE ARPA MONEY FOR OUTSOURCING DNA BECAUSE US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE GAVE US THE DETERMINATION THAT TO USE ARPA MONEY WOULD BE SUPPLANTING WITH OUR FEDERAL CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT BACKLOG REDUCTION MONEY.
SO WE CAN'T USE ARPA MONEY TO OUTSOURCE BIOLOGY.
BUT IF YOU LOOK ACROSS WHAT WE'VE DONE
[00:20:01]
BACKLOG WISE, EVEN IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS, IT HAS STILL GONE DOWN ABOUT 16% ACROSS THE LAST 12 MONTHS.AND EFFECTIVELY, CSU LATENT PRINT COMPARISON, UH, AND MULTIMEDIA, THOSE BACKLOGS ARE GONE.
UM, DRUG TOXICOLOGY WILL SHORTLY BE GONE, AS WILL LATENT.
PRINT PROCESSING WILL SHORTLY BE GONE.
THOSE HAVE GOTTEN TO BE PRETTY SMALL BACKLOGS, BUT YES, REALITY IS THE ONES THAT WE HAVE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT AND TALKING ABOUT FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS.
SEIZE DRUGS, FIREARMS, FORENSIC BIOLOGY, UM, THOSE ALL SIT AT THOSE NUMBERS THERE ABOUT 1632, 320 AND DNA IN ITS ENTIRETY.
SO BOTH SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS AS WELL AS EVERYTHING ELSE, ABOUT 1200.
A LOT OF THAT BACKLOG ON SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE COMMERCIAL LABORATORIES THAT WE USE, WE'RE SEEING TYPICALLY TURNAROUND TIMES FROM THE COMMERCIAL LABORATORIES ABOUT 120 DAYS BECAUSE THE COMMERCIAL LABORATORIES HAVE THE SAME STRUGGLES THAT WE DO.
IT'S DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO RECRUIT, RETAIN THE EXPERIENCED STAFF TO DO THAT WORK.
UM, WHEREAS, HMM, TWO YEARS AGO WE WERE GETTING ABOUT 60 DAY TURNAROUND TIMES OUT OF 'EM.
NOW IT'S PRETTY ROUTINELY 120 DAYS.
AND WE ARE OFTEN TOLD WE CAN ONLY TAKE SO MANY KITS THIS MONTH.
UM, SO THEY THROTTLE HOW MUCH WE CONSENT.
AND THOSE LABS ARE ALSO RECEIVING KITS FROM EVERYONE ELSE IN THE US, AREN'T THEY? YEAH.
I MEAN, THAT'S IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THERE ARE FOUR LABORATORIES THAT ARE ACCREDITED TO DO WORK IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
UH, ONE'S IN PENNSYLVANIA, ONE'S IN FLORIDA, ONE'S HERE IN TEXAS, AND ONE IS IN UTAH.
SO WE PREDOMINANTLY USE THE ONE THAT'S IN TEXAS.
AND THAT IS A COMBINATION OF COST, QUALITY AND TURNAROUND TIMES AND AVAILABILITY, UH, WITH THE NEW CYCLE OF FEDERAL MONEY THAT HOPEFULLY WILL SOON RELEASE, WE WILL HAVE TO DO A NEW SOLICITATION, UH, FOR THAT CONTRACT AND WE'LL SEE WHO GIVES US A BID.
LAST TIME AROUND, I THINK THE LAB FROM, UM, PENNSYLVANIA DIDN'T EVEN BID 'CAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE CAPACITY.
SO IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A HUGE CHALLENGE THAT REALLY WE'VE GOT ONE OR TWO LABS THAT WE CAN USE.
UM, NOW THIS WAS ALSO THE TOPIC OF A LOT OF CONVERSATION YESTERDAY.
AND THIS IS ONE JUST TO GIVE EVERYBODY SOME PERSPECTIVE WITH BACKLOGS.
THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A CHALLENGE WITH LABORATORIES AND BACKLOGS.
I WAS LISTENING TO A PODCAST ABOUT SOME, UH, ISSUES IN VIRGINIA BACK IN THE SEVENTIES AND BACKLOGS IN THE SEVENTIES BEFORE DNA EVEN EXISTED, RAISED BASICALLY THESE SAME QUESTIONS.
THIS HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT'S AN INHERENT PART OF WHAT LABORATORIES STRUGGLE WITH.
WHEN YOU GET A BACKLOG, WHAT GOES FIRST? I THINK YOU'VE HEARD MY FRAME ON THIS ONE OF YOU TELL ME WHICH, WHICH HORRIBLE, AWFUL, DEVASTATING LIFE ALTERING CRIME.
DO WE DO FIRST DOUBLE HOMICIDE OVER TRIPLE RAPE.
UH, WHAT GOES FIRST GENOCIDE? YOU TELL ME THOSE ARE THE DECISIONS THAT THE SYSTEM HAS TO MAKE WHEN THERE'S A BACKLOG.
HOW DO YOU DETERMINE THE PRIORITY AND THE ORDER OF WHAT WORK GETS DONE? THE LABORATORY IS ONE PART OF THAT.
WE CAN'T ACTUALLY DETERMINE WHAT THAT PRIORITY IS WITHOUT THE INPUT OF HPD AND THE DA'S OFFICE IN OUR CASE.
UM, BUT LABORATORIES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
IT IS A COMBINATION OF THE LAB, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, THE PROSECUTORS AND THE COURTS THAT HAVE TO DETERMINE WHAT ORDER THIS STUFF GOES IN.
SAME THING WITH HOW MUCH DO WE ACTUALLY TEST OUT OF THINGS.
THIS IS WHAT GIVES RISE TO CASE MANAGEMENT AND CASE ACCEPTANCE POLICIES THAT ALL OF US HAVE.
HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH UNDERSTANDING.
THERE ARE CASES THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO TEST EVERYTHING.
A DEATH PENALTY CAPITAL CASE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS BY LAW.
WE HAVE TO TEST ALL OF THE BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE.
I THINK WE'VE GOT THREE DEATH PENALTY CASES KNOCKING AROUND THE LAB RIGHT NOW.
ONE OF THOSE CASES HAS, I THINK 137 ITEMS IN IT.
UM, JUST THOSE THREE CASES ALONE WOULD PROBABLY OCCUPY THE ENTIRE CAPACITY OF FORENSIC BIOLOGY FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS IF WE DID NOTHING OTHER THAN THOSE CASES.
I THINK THE BIGGEST ONE WE'VE EVER DONE WAS LUCKY WARD, WHICH OVER THE SPACE OF ABOUT SIX YEARS, I THINK WE TESTED SOMETHING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 3000 ITEMS. THEY CAN BE EXTRAORDINARILY LARGE CASES.
SAME THING WITH FIREARMS. THE LARGEST SINGLE FIREARMS CASE WE HAVE IN-HOUSE RIGHT NOW HAS 1,102 CASINGS TO BE COMPARED TO TWO GUNS.
'CAUSE I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT FIREARMS, BUT HOW DO WE DETERMINE WHAT GETS TESTED WHEN WE DO WHAT THAT TESTING IS SO THAT WE CAN TRY AND APPLY THE RESOURCES OF THE LABORATORY EFFECTIVELY ACROSS ALL OF THE CASES THAT WE GET.
AND THEN THE NEXT PART IS WHAT'S GOTTA BE REWORKED AND WHAT CAN BE CANCELED BECAUSE THE DYNAMICS OF THE SYSTEM ARE CASES GET
[00:25:01]
FOR ALL KINDS OF REASONS DISMISSED AND DISPOSED.AGAIN, THIS IS A CHRONIC AND RECURRENT PROBLEM FOR LABORATORIES OF A CASE IS DISPOSED, IT'S IN OUR BACKLOG, WE DON'T KNOW IT'S DISPOSED AND WE END UP WORKING IT ANYWAYS.
HAPPENS ALL THE TIME TO LABS ALL OVER THE PLACE.
LAB BACKLOGS DON'T HAPPEN IN ISOLATION.
SO COURT BACKLOGS FEED BACK INTO OUR BACKLOGS BECAUSE STUFF GETS DISMISSED AND DISPOSED.
BUT ALSO WORK THAT AN ANALYST HAS DONE FOUR OR FIVE, SIX YEARS AGO, THAT ANALYST HAS NOW LEFT.
HOW DOES THAT EVIDENCE NOW GET INTRODUCED BACK INTO COURT? DO WE HAVE TO REWORK IT? CAN WE RE-REVIEW IT? CAN WE HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE TESTIFY ABOUT IT? AND THIS IS
SO WE'VE, WE'VE MADE SOME CHANGES TO THE EXTERIOR FACING WEBSITE TO TRY AND MAKE THIS SIMPLER FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT TURNAROUND TIMES ARE, THE AMOUNT OF PENDING WORK THAT WE'VE GOT, AND THE FACT THAT THERE IS THE ABILITY TO ASK FOR PRIORITIZATION.
WE HAVE CAPACITY TO BE ABLE TO MEET INVESTIGATIVE AND COURT DEMANDS, BUT WE NEED THE HELP OF OUR PARTNERS.
AND I GOTTA SAY BOTH THE DA'S OFFICE AND HPD HAVE BEEN EXTRAORDINARILY HELPFUL HERE.
UM, WE'RE MAKING I THINK A LOT OF PROGRESS ON THIS.
WE'VE HAD MANY, MANY, MANY MEETINGS ABOUT IT.
AND I REALLY HAVE TO GIVE THEM A LOT OF CREDIT FOR DIGGING INTO THIS AND HELPING US WITH THIS STUFF.
THINGS LIKE WE'VE GOT TODAY, LAUNCHING A NEW WORKFLOW IN OUR REQUEST PORTAL THAT HELPS US WITH THE DETERMINATION OF WHAT WORK IS GONNA GET EXPEDITED.
UM, IT IS NOT US SETTING THAT PRIORITY.
IT IS US COLLECTING THAT INFORMATION AND THEN WORKING WITH THE DA'S OFFICE AND HPD TO DETERMINE WHAT OF THOSE REQUESTS FROM THEIR INVESTIGATORS AND ADAS, HOW DO, WHAT, WHAT ORDER DO WE PUT IT IN? ARE THERE THINGS IN THERE THAT REALLY DO HAVE A NEED FOR SOMETHING IN THAT CASE THAT WE CAN'T SEE? THAT MEANS WE NEED TO PUT THAT AT THE TOP, PUT EVERYTHING TOWARDS IT AND GET IT DONE AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
ARE THERE THINGS THAT CAN WAIT A FEW WEEKS TO A COUPLE OF MONTHS, HELP US WITH THAT ORDER.
SO THIS INFORMATION GETS COLLECTED THROUGH THE WEBSITE FROM AN INDIVIDUAL INVESTIGATOR, A DA.
WE THEN TAKE THOSE REQUESTS, GO BACK TO CONTEXT THAT WE'VE ESTABLISHED WITH THE DA'S OFFICE AND HPD TO SAY, OKAY, HELP US WITH WHAT ORDER TO PUT THESE THINGS IN.
WE'LL, WE'LL SEE HOW THIS GOES.
SO WITH THE, UM, WITH THE STATEWIDE E-FILING SYSTEM, LIKE A PARTY, WHETHER IT'S THE STATE OR THE DEFENSE, UH, THEY'RE GONNA RECEIVE NOTICE.
FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN A CASE IS DISMISSED IMMEDIATELY, THE LAB, THERE'S NOBODY AT THE LAB THAT'S PRIVY TO THAT.
SO I MEAN IT SEEMS 'CAUSE THAT'S EASY.
WELL, I MEAN IT'S, IT'S, AND BECAUSE SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE, ESPECIALLY IN CONTENTIOUS CASES MM-HMM
WHERE MAYBE, YOU KNOW, I, IN MY EXPERIENCE, THE STATE DOESN'T PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL ME OR EXTEND ME A COURTESY EMAIL.
I WILL GET THE EMAIL FROM THE STATE FILING SYSTEM WHEN MY CASE IS DISMISSED.
AND IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THAT WOULD REALLY, SO IF THE LAB WAS INCLUDED ON THAT, ACTUALLY TO THAT POINT RIGHT HERE, UM, YEAH, YOU ACTUALLY, I CAN SPEAK TO THAT AS WELL.
SO SINCE WE'RE A NON-PARTY TO THE ACTUAL CRIMINAL CASE, I RARELY CAN ACTUALLY EVEN FILE IN, SOMETIMES THEY WON'T EVEN ALLOW ME ON THE DROPDOWN TO FILE IN AS A PARTY TO THE CASE.
SO EVEN ON JUST YOUR TYPICAL CASE, I'M ONLY GETTING ALERTS WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY IN A PARTY, LIKE THERE'S A SUIT AGAINST US OR IF WE FOR SOME REASON HAVE BEEN INCLUDED.
UM, SO WE DON'T EVEN HAVE THE ABILITY RIGHT NOW IN THE E-FILING SYSTEM TO SELF DESIGNATE.
WE WOULD NEED PROBABLY THE STATE OR THE CLERK'S OFFICE TO DESIGNATE TO, TO ALLOW US TO EVEN ADD IN.
BUT WHY, WHY CAN'T WE, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS EARLIER, BUT WHY CAN'T WE GET OR HIRE A COMPUTER PROGRAMMER? BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A REAL SIMPLE FIX WHEN THINGS ARE DISMISSED INTERNALLY, THE DA'S OFFICE ALSO HAS, UH, UM, THEY KEEP TRACK OF IT OF COURSE.
AND SO WHY CAN'T WE INTERFACE WITH THEM AND HAVE OUR OWN PROGRAM JUST BYPASSING WHAT'S OUT THERE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN? AND WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO RELY ON THAT.
SO THAT'S PRECISELY WHAT WE'RE WORKING.
AND THEN HAVE SOMEBODY WATCHING IT.
BECAUSE I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT SOMETIME IN THE PAST.
THAT IS, WE, THAT IS PRECISELY WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW WITH THE DA'S OFFICE IS HOW DO WE SHARE THIS DATA BACK AND FORTH SO THAT THEY SEE WHAT REQUESTS ARE THERE.
WE SEE WHAT CASES HAVE BEEN DISMISSED DISPOSED.
SO LIKE WITH RESPECT TO, LET'S SAY A PRETTY STANDARD DWI, UM, WITH A BREATH OR BLOOD TEST, I MEAN, YOU'RE FAMILIAR, YOU KNOW, WITH THE STANDARD LITIGATION PACKET MM-HMM
[00:30:01]
AND SO WHY IS IT WHEN THE TEST, UM, WHEN THE TEST COMES BACK FROM THE LAB, THAT THE LITIGATION PACKET ISN'T JUST INCLUDED? OH.
'CAUSE IF YOU, BECAUSE IF THAT, IF THAT HAPPENED, 'CAUSE THAT'S THE BIGGEST DELAY WITH THOSE CASES IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE BLOOD TEST COMES BACK AND THEN YOU HAVE TO FILE A DISCOVERY ORDER AND THEN THE DISCOVERY AND THEN THE DISCOVERY ORDER GOES TO THE LAB AND THEN WE DON'T HAVE WHAT WE NEED.
AND THEN THE JUDGE CALLS YOU AND SCREAMS AT YOU.
AND SO WHY ISN'T THE JUST LIKE, YEP, HERE'S THE LITIGATION PACKET.
I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA ASK FOR.
UM, AND AGAIN, THAT IS ANOTHER THING THAT LABORATORIES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY HAVE WRESTLED WITH FOR YEARS.
UM, AND THE REALITY IS BASICALLY LABORATORIES PRODUCE DISCOVERY ON REQUEST AND WE DON'T EVEN NEED THE ACTUAL DISCOVERY ORDER FOR IT.
IT IS JUST THANKS TO THE MICHAEL MORTON ACT A QUESTION.
HOWEVER, NONE OF US HAVE THE CAPACITY TO ACTUALLY PRODUCE THOSE DOCUMENTS ON EVERY CASE.
NOW THAT BEING SAID, THAT WAS EXACTLY THE BASIS FOR SENATE BILL, UM, 9 9 1 THAT PASSED IN THIS LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION THAT CREATES THE STATE MANAGED DISCOVERY PORTAL.
SO THAT'S WHAT'S NOW IN THE PROCESS OF BEING BUILT AND WORKING WITH, AND WE'RE, WE'RE A CENTRAL PART OF THAT BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY DO PRODUCE AS MUCH DOCUMENTATION BASICALLY ON THE WEBSITE AS WE DO.
BUT THE IDEA ON THAT IS THAT THE LABORATORY DOCUMENTATION WOULD GO INTO THAT PORTAL THAT, UM, ALL THE PARTIES TO THE CASE CAN GO THERE AND HAVE ACCESS TO THAT STUFF ON ALL THE CASES.
SO YES, IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT BASICALLY HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR ALL LABORATORIES TO THE POINT OF A LEGISLATIVE SOLUTION TO IT.
SO THAT'S, UM, DPS IS THE ONE WHO WILL MANAGE THE PORTAL.
THERE ACTUALLY WAS REMARKABLY MONEY THAT WAS APPROPRIATED AND ALLOCATED FOR IT TO HELP BUILD THAT.
UM, SO WE'RE DPS IS IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW OF SOLICITING AND PURCHASING THE SOFTWARE TO GO BEHIND IT.
THERE'S A WORKING GROUP THAT WE'VE GOT TWO PEOPLE ON THAT WORKING GROUP.
UM, AND THERE'S A STATEWIDE WORKING GROUP ON, ON BUILDING THAT RIGHT NOW.
'CAUSE IT'S, I MEAN, IT'S, YES, YOU'RE RIGHT.
AND EVEN SINCE, SO YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS CHAIR OF AMERICAN ACADEMY OF FORENSIC SCIENCES, TOXICOLOGY SECTION WAS WHEN, UH, THE MELINDA DIAZ HEARING WAS HEADING TO THE SUPREME COURT THAT WAS BASICALLY WENT TO THIS, IT'S A SIXTH AMENDMENT CONFRONTATION CLAUSE QUESTION.
IT WAS BASED OFF OF A SEIZED DRUG CASE IN VIRGINIA THAT HAD A REPORT OF JUST THE ONE LINE, THE STUFF BE BE COCAINE.
AND IT WAS ABOUT HOW THAT INFORMATION GETS INTRODUCED.
AND IT, WHEN I WAS, SO I, I GOT APPROACHED, I FORGET SOLICITOR GENERAL, I THINK IN MISSISSIPPI, UM, WAS TRYING TO GET THE ACADEMY TO DO AN AMICUS BRIEF.
UM, BUT IT OCCURRED TO ME AT THAT POINT THE REALITY THAT MANY OF THE CASES, MOST OF THE CASES THAT GO UP ON APPEAL HAVE LITTLE, BUT THAT'S ONE LINE REPORT IN THEM BECAUSE ALL THE REST OF THE STUFF ISN'T PART OF THE ORIGINAL CASE RECORD.
AND WOULDN'T IT BE NICE IF IT WAS, YEAH.
SO LIKE THE IMPORTANT PROPOSITION THAT CASE STOOD FOR IS THAT IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE INTRODUCED THE TEST, THEY HAVE TO BRING THE ANALYSTS THAT DID THE ANALYSIS INTO COURT TO TESTIFY.
NOW, BACK TO PHILLIPS OF WORKING ON THIS INTEROPERABILITY AND SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT HOW WE DEAL WITH DISMISSED DISPOSED, I WISH IT WAS AS SIMPLE AS WE DISMISSED IT.
THERE'S A LOT OF NUANCE IN IT BECAUSE IT MAY BE THAT THAT CASE WAS ABLE TO BE DISPOSED BECAUSE OF OUR RESULT.
SO WE'VE GOTTA WATCH OUT FOR THAT.
IT MAY ALSO BE THAT THE WORK COULD BE CANCELED.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE EARLY, EARLY LOOKS AT THIS, WE PROBABLY HAVE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN ABOUT 40 AND A HUNDRED REQUESTS A MONTH THAT ARE SOMEHOW TANGLED UP WITH A DISMISSAL OR SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN DISMISSED.
SO IT'S, IT'S A REAL NUMBER FOR US.
UM, THERE ARE CASES WHERE PARTICULAR CHARGES HAVE BEEN DISMISSED, BUT WE STILL NEED TO CONTINUE THE WORK BECAUSE OTHER CHARGES ARE STILL BEING PROSECUTED.
THERE MAY BE CO-DEFENDANTS, SO THE CHARGES WERE DROPPED AGAINST ONE DEFENDANT, BUT THE TESTING STILL NEEDS TO PROCEED BECAUSE THERE'S OTHER DEFENDANTS ON THAT CASE.
SO SOME OF THIS IS HOW DO WE WORK OUT A APPROVAL MECHANISM SO THAT WE DON'T END UP STOPPING WORK ON SOMETHING THAT STILL NEEDS TO BE PROCESSED BECAUSE A COMPONENT OF THAT CHARGE WAS, WAS DISPOSED.
YOU JUST DANCE, YOU JUST KIND OF ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION.
IT'S JUST, IT'S STILL A CODING QUESTION BECAUSE ALL, EVERYTHING THAT YOU JUST SAID YEP.
SHOULD BE LIKE A LINE ITEM THAT NEEDS TO BE FILLED OUT BY THE DA'S OFFICE YEP.
BEFORE IT CAN BE SUBMITTED AND THEN, THEN YOU CAN ANALYZE IT RIGHT THEN AND THERE AND KNOW THE ANSWERS AND WHETHER WE'RE DISMISSED OR NOT.
[00:35:01]
WORKING ON RIGHT NOW WITH, WITH THE DA'S IT PEOPLE.SO I'M, I'M OPTIMISTIC THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO GET SOME SOLUTIONS ON THIS RELATIVELY SOON BECAUSE THE LONG PART OF THIS WAS AS WE BUILT OUT THE REQUEST PORTAL, THE DA'S OFFICE, WHICH SITS BEHIND UNIVERSAL SERVICES IN THE COUNTY, WAS DELAYED IN GETTING INTO MICROSOFT AZURE, THE CLOUD, WHERE WE CAN BETTER SHARE THE INFORMATION.
SO NOW THEY'RE THERE, WHICH MAKES A LOT OF THIS STUFF EASIER.
SO AGAIN, I'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS.
COURT DELAYS MAKE RESULTS VULNERABLE FOR ANALYSTS AND PAST ANALYSTS.
AND I BRING THIS ALL PART ALL UP BECAUSE OF THE QUOTE THAT I PUT THERE IN THE MIDDLE RIGHT NOW OUT OF A SERIES OF DECISIONS AND YOU MENTIONED BULL CUMINGS AND WILLIAMS AND CAMPBELL AND MELINDA DIAZ.
THERE HAVE BEEN A SERIES OF SUPREME COURT DECISIONS AROUND THE SIXTH AMENDMENT CONFRONTATION CLAUSE THING THAT HAVE BASICALLY RESULTED IN THE CIRCUMSTANCE THAT LARGELY WORKS.
WHERE IF ANOTHER EXPERT LOOKS AT THE DATA AND COMES TO THEIR OWN CONCLUSION, THEY CAN TESTIFY TO THAT IN LIEU OF THE OTHER ORIGINAL ANALYST.
UM, IT'S VERY JURISDICTION DEPENDENT ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY.
IT'S EVEN VERY JURISDICTION DEPENDENT.
EVEN HERE, SOME JUDGES ARE MUCH MORE WILLING TO DO THIS THAN OTHERS.
UM, AND THIS IS ALL BEFORE WE EVEN CONTEND WITH THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT PEOPLE GO SPEND AT COURT.
BUT THERE IS A SUPREME COURT, UM, POTENTIAL DECISION COMING UP THIS SESSION BECAUSE THE SUPREME COURT JUST TOOK CERT IN THIS, UH, ARIZONA V SMITH CASE, UM, VERY SIMILAR TO MELINDA DIAZ.
AND WE WILL HAVE TO SEE VERY MUCH DEPENDS ON HOW THE SUPREME COURT RULES ON THIS COULD CHANGE THE BALANCE OF WHAT WE WOULD HAVE TO COMPLETELY REWORK OR WHAT WE COULD HAVE SOMEBODY RE-REVIEW.
UM, RIGHT NOW, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MEDICAL EXAMINERS, INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF IDENTIFICATION, SOCIETY OF FORENSIC TOXICOLOGISTS, AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CRIME LABORATORY DIRECTORS HAVE ALL JOINED IN WRITING AN AMICUS BRIEF ABOUT THIS.
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF FORENSIC SCIENCES IS STILL WEIGHING THEIR OPTIONS.
UM, BUT THIS, A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE FORENSIC COMMUNITY ARE, ARE KEEPING A VERY CLOSE EYE ON THIS ONE.
SO WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU WERE AWARE THAT THIS LURKS OUT THERE.
NOW, OTHER THING, AND THIS WAS PART OF WHAT I TALKED ABOUT ON MONDAY, IS PARTICULARLY IN FIREARMS, GETTING PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ALL GOES INTO A FIREARMS EXAM.
SO I PUT THIS TOGETHER AND IT ACTUALLY SEEMED PRETTY WELL RECEIVED WITH THE, WITH THE COMMISSION.
A TYPICAL FIREARMS, UH, REQUEST FOR US HAS ABOUT 10 ITEMS. SOME CASINGS, SOME BULLETS AND A GUN.
AND THE QUESTION OF DID THESE THINGS COME FROM THAT GUN, THE BULLETS WE GET ARE NEVER PRETTY BECAUSE THEY HIT SOMETHING AND THEY ARE ALMOST ALWAYS DEFORMED OR FRAGMENTED.
SO WHEN WE GO TO PROCESS THIS, WE'RE GONNA TAKE THAT GUN AND WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA SPEND ABOUT A HALF A DAY MAKING SURE THAT THE GUN IS SAFE TO FIRE, THAT IT'S OPERATIONAL.
WE MAY HAVE TO MAKE REPAIRS TO IT.
WE'RE GONNA MAKE THREE TEST FIRES OUT OF THAT, THAT BECOME THE EXEMPLARS THAT WE'RE GONNA COMPARE TO.
SO THAT'S GONNA GIVE US THREE CASINGS AND THREE BULLETS TO COMPARE.
SO NOW WE'RE GONNA TAKE THAT AND WE'VE GOTTA MAKE THE COMPARISONS REALLY BETWEEN ALL OF THE CASINGS AND THE BULLETS TO UNDERSTAND DID THOSE ALL COME FROM THE SAME GUN TO BEGIN WITH? 'CAUSE OFTEN WE WILL GET THINGS WITH CASINGS THAT MAY HAVE COME FROM MULTIPLE DIFFERENT WEAPONS.
THEN WE'RE GONNA MAKE THE COMPARISONS OF ALL THE CASINGS AND ALL THE COMBINATIONS AND PERMUTATIONS OF THE CASINGS TO THE CASINGS AND THE BULLETS TO THE BULLETS.
SO IT GETS PRETTY COMPLICATED, PRETTY DARN QUICK, LEAST ABOUT 30 DIFFERENT COMPARISONS IN THIS CIRCUMSTANCE.
AND I ALWAYS FORGET THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE THREE, UM, EXEMPLARS THAT WE MAKE.
SO, YOU KNOW, FROM THERE IT JUST GETS EVEN WORSE.
YOU GET MY POINT WITH THE SITE GAG THERE.
BUT THE REALITY OF THAT IS KEEP IN MIND, PARTICULARLY FOR BULLETS, WE OFTEN GET FRAGMENTED BULLETS THAT NOW IT'S A MICROSCOPIC 3D PUZZLE TO PIECE TOGETHER.
WHERE DOES THAT PARTICULAR FRAGMENT POTENTIALLY FIT THE EXEMPLAR BULLETS? SO THESE COMPARISONS OFTEN TAKE ABOUT A DAY EACH COMPARISON.
SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT THIS NOW MEANS IN TERMS OF LABOR HOURS, WE GOT ABOUT FOUR LABOR HOURS IN IT FOR THE INITIAL PREP.
EVEN IF WE DON'T HAVE TO DO ALL THE COMPARISONS, SOMETHING'S A LITTLE SIMPLER ABOUT IT.
SO SAY WE HAVE TO DO 20 COMPARISONS, THAT'S 160 LABOR HOURS JUST IN THE COMPARISONS.
AND BECAUSE OF ACCREDITATION STANDARDS AND GOOD PRACTICE, WE HAVE A SECOND EXAMINER THAT GOES THROUGH AND DOES THE SAME EXAMINATION.
SO WHAT'S CALLED VERIFICATION.
[00:40:01]
ANOTHER 160 LABOR HOURS AND IT'S 160 LABOR HOURS THAT HAS TO FOLLOW AFTER THE FIRST 160 LABOR HOURS 'CAUSE THEY RUN SEQUENTIALLY.AND THEN THERE'S SOME TIME IN THERE FOR REVIEWING AND REPORTING.
SO ROUTINELY A MODESTLY COMPLEX CASE IS GONNA HAVE ABOUT 350 LABOR HOURS IN IT.
AND KEEP IN MIND IN HERE THAT OUR OPTIONS IN THIS ARE PRETTY LIMITED.
THERE IS NO COMMERCIAL INDUSTRY LIKE THERE IS IN TOXICOLOGY AND DNA THAT WE CAN OUTSOURCE FIREARMS TO.
WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON A CONTRACT WITH TARRANT COUNTY WHO'S GOT A LITTLE CAPACITY, BUT I ALSO KNOW TARRANT COUNTY HAS RECENTLY CONTRACTED WITH DPS TO HELP THEM WITH SOME OF THEIR BACKLOGS.
SO WHAT LITTLE CAPACITY TARRANT COUNTY HAS IS ALREADY STARTING TO GET USED BY OTHERS.
AND OUT OF ALL OF THAT, REGARDLESS WHO WE USE AND WHERE WE USE, THERE'S GOING TO BE TESTIMONY ISSUES ON THE BACK END OF THAT, THAT THEY'VE GOT TO COME TO HOUSTON FOR TESTIMONY, WHICH MEANS WE'VE GOTTA MANAGE THE EXISTING CAPACITY AS BEST WE CAN.
SO THAT TAKES US BACK TO HOW DO WE DECIDE WHAT COMES FIRST, WHAT COMES SECOND, AND HOW MUCH DO WE TEST IN EACH ONE OF THESE? I HAD A QUESTION.
SO DOES THAT, LIKE WITH, WITH RESPECT TO FIREARMS THAT THOSE HAVE TO BE ASCL CERTIFIED LABS SAME, SAME CONCEPT IN TEXAS.
UM, FIREARMS EXAMINATION IS ONE OF THE IN SCOPE DISCIPLINES, WHICH MEANS IT HAS TO BE CONDUCTED IN AN ACCREDITED LABORATORY BY LICENSED PERSONNEL FOR IT TO BE ADMISSIBLE IN TEXAS CRIMINAL COURTS.
AND IS THERE ANY, UH, LAB, ARE THERE ANY LABS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR THAT HAVE THAT CERTIFICATION? THERE AREN'T ANY PRIVATE LABS THAT DO FORENSIC FIREARMS, PERIOD.
THERE'S A FEW CONSULTANTS, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO ONE-OFF CASES.
THERE IS NO LABORATORY THAT DOES FIREARMS. AND THOSE CONSULTANTS COULD COME IN AND IN A DALBERT 7 0 2 HEARING COULD YEAH.
BUT THERE'S VERY, VERY FEW OF THEM.
AND THERE, THERE USED TO BE A, A CONSULTING COMPANY HERE IN TEXAS THAT DID SOME, BUT THEY, THE GUY RETIRED AND NOTHING'S EVER FILLED THAT GAP.
I THINK I MAY KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS ONE, BUT, UM, BECAUSE LOOKING AT THE LABOR HOURS, IT'S KIND OF SHOCKING THAT IT TAKES SO LONG MM-HMM
AND SO IS OUR EQUIPMENT LIKE STATE OF THE ART AND IN, IN OTHER WORDS, I MEAN, ARE THERE THINGS COMING ONLINE THAT CAN ACCELERATE THIS PROCESS THAT WE DON'T HAVE? YOU CAN JUST KEEP JUMPING SLIDES ON ME.
HOLD THAT, HOLD THAT QUESTION.
I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT ONE HERE IN A MINUTE.
NOW I WAS, I WAS AT THE ASSOCIATION OF FIREARM AND TOOLMARK EXAMINERS MEETING, WHICH WAS IN AUSTIN ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO.
AND THERE WAS A LOT OF CONVERSATION THERE ABOUT THE FACT THAT THERE ARE BASICALLY A THOUSAND FIREARMS EXAMINERS IN THE WORLD.
SO THE SEVEN THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, UH, PLUS THE TWO THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY TRAINING AND THE THREE MORE THAT ARE IN THE PIPELINE, THAT MEANS WE'LL HAVE MORE THAN 1% OF THE ENTIRE WORLD'S POPULATION OF FORENSIC FIREARMS EXAMINERS IN OUR LAB.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH IN TERMS OF RECRUITING AND RETAINING.
THIS IS A TINY, TINY GROUP OF PEOPLE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, AND THAT IS THE ARPA DOLLARS WE PUT ON THERE.
THE ARPA DOLLARS THAT WE'VE GOT.
WE'VE GOT TWO THAT ARE IN TRAINING THAT WILL PROBABLY BE ONLINE IN ABOUT 10 TO 18 MONTHS.
THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THE TRAINING PROGRAM.
WE'VE GOT THREE MORE THAT WILL START IN MAY.
SO THEY'RE ABOUT 18 TO 25 MONTHS OUT BEFORE THEY'LL BE ONLINE AND ABLE TO DO SOME CASE WORK.
IT'S AN ISSUE AND IT'S AN ISSUE THAT IS WORRYING LABS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
UM, AND YOU TALK ABOUT THE LABOR HOURS IN THIS.
WE'VE GOT SEVEN EXAMINERS, WHICH MEANS WE'VE GOT ABOUT 14,000 LABOR HOURS.
YOU KNOW, 2020S KIND OF THE STANDARD FULL-TIME YEAR.
WE'RE GETTING ABOUT 400 FIREARMS REQUESTS RIGHT NOW PER YEAR.
WHICH MEANS IF WE TAKE, IF ALL OF THOSE WERE SIMPLE CASES, MAYBE TOOK ABOUT 70 LABOR HOURS, THAT MEANS WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT 28,000 LABOR HOURS NEED.
IF ALL OF THEM WERE WILDLY COMPLEX CASES, WELL NOT EVEN WILDLY MODESTLY COMPLEX, THAT'S 140,000 LABOR HOURS.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST NOT REALISTIC.
AND KEEP IN MIND, LIKE I SAID, THE LARGEST FIREARMS CASE WE HAVE IN HAND RIGHT NOW, 1,102 CASINGS TO COMPARE TO TWO GUNS.
THAT'S ABOUT 10,000 COMPARISONS RIGHT THERE,
HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT DOING THAT TO HELP SUPPORT THE END USERS? IT'S A REAL QUESTION.
NOW, I THINK I'VE MENTIONED THIS ONE BEFORE, BUT I'LL MENTION IT AGAIN.
IT TAKES TWO YEARS TO TRAIN AN EXAMINER.
AND THIS IS RATHER ESSENTIAL BECAUSE THOSE EXAMINERS, RIGHT NOW, THERE IS A SUITE OF DALBERT HEARINGS THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT PRESENT REAL CHALLENGES FOR FIREARMS. UM, THIS DECISION WAS OUT OF ILLINOIS BACK IN MAY WHERE DAUBERT HEARING RESULTED IN THE FIREARMS EVIDENCE AND THE TESTIMONY BEING COMPLETELY EXCLUDED BASED ON THE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
[00:45:01]
SCIENTIFIC VALIDITY OF HOW FIREARMS EXAMS ARE CONDUCTED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.THERE WAS ANOTHER DECISION IN MARYLAND A FEW MONTHS AFTER THIS WHERE THE FIREARM EXAMINER'S TESTIMONY WAS SIGNIFICANTLY CONSTRICTED IN WHAT THEY COULD TESTIFY TO.
I'M NOT GONNA NECESSARILY WADE INTO THE PROS AND CONS AND THE MERITS AND THE PROS, ALL OF THAT.
THE BLIND DATA THAT WE HAVE DEVELOPED HAVE BECOME A VERY CENTRAL PART OF A LOT OF THESE DISCUSSIONS.
UM, AND I'M NOT SURE NECESSARILY HOW THIS IS GONNA COME OUT, BUT THESE DAUBERT HEARINGS ARE A VERY REAL THING OUT THERE.
AND IT MEANS OUR EXAMINERS NEED TO BE THAT MUCH MORE PROFICIENT AND FACILE WITH ALL OF THE ASPECTS OF HOW FIREARMS EXAMS ARE CONDUCTED BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE GONNA HAVE TO EXPLAIN THIS.
WE'VE ALREADY HAD ONE EXAMINER HAVE A DAUBERT HEARING THAT I THINK SHE WAS ON THE STAND FOR ABOUT FOUR HOURS.
UM, I'M AWARE OF SIX OF THESE DAUBERT HEARINGS THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN TEXAS SO FAR.
SO THIS ISN'T AN IMAGINARY THING JUST IN ILLINOIS.
I THINK WE'VE SENT YOU THE LINK TO THE, UM, SPECIAL EDITION IN THE PROCEEDINGS IN NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.
I'VE GOT AN ARTICLE IN THERE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF OUR DATA AND SOME OF THE CHALLENGES IN THIS.
UM, A NUMBER OF THE EXPERTS THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THESE DAUBERT HEARINGS ARE ALL PUBLISHED IN THERE.
THEY'VE INVITED ME TO COME SPEAK.
I MEAN, THEY ARE, THEY ARE WORLD-CLASS SCIENTISTS.
UM, THIS IS, THIS IS A VERY REAL THING FOR ALL OF US TO WRESTLE WITH.
WHAT LIKELY IS THE ANSWER TO SOME OF THE SCIENTIFIC CHALLENGES? AND PHILIP, TO YOUR QUESTION OF HOW IN THE WORLD DO WE DO THIS WORK ARE THESE 3D SCOPES.
SO THESE ARE SCOPES THAT MAKE A MICROSCOPIC THREE DIMENSIONAL DI UM, DIGITAL REPRESENTATION OF THAT EVIDENCE.
UM, THIS THEN GIVES YOU A HOOK FOR OTHER STATISTICAL, UM, INTERPRETATIONS OF THOSE DATA.
IT GIVES A HOOK FOR MUCH BETTER DOCUMENTATION OF HOW THE DECISIONS WERE RENDERED.
HOWEVER, I WILL SAY LIKE STR MIX, WHEN THAT CAME IN FOR, UM, DNA MUCH BETTER DATA, MUCH BETTER ABILITY TO DO STUFF WITH THE DATA, BUT IT MEANT 50% MORE INFORMATION THAT PEOPLE HAD TO REVIEW.
SO IT ACTUALLY SLOWED THINGS DOWN.
THERE'S A GOOD LIKELIHOOD THAT I THINK THESE INSTRUMENTS MAY ACTUALLY END UP SLOWING THINGS DOWN BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED DATA AND THE INCREASED INTERPRETATION.
I KNOW BASED ON WHAT WE'VE SEEN WITH SDR MIX, THAT IT IS GOING TO TAKE TIME TO EDUCATE THE INVESTIGATORS, THE LAWYERS, THE COURTS ABOUT WHAT THIS INFORMATION MEANS.
WE'VE HAD STR MIX IN LINE NOW FOR FIVE YEARS, AND IT IS STILL VERY CLEARLY CONFUSING TO LAWYERS, INVESTIGATORS, JURIES, WHAT THE RESULTS ARE THAT STR MIX IS TELLING US.
THESE ARE GONNA BE THE SAME THING, BUT THIS IS WHAT IS COMING.
IT'S GONNA BE AN ESSENTIAL THING FOR US TO GET IN PLACE, BUT IT'S GONNA TAKE, IT'S GONNA TAKE US PROBABLY A COUPLE OF YEARS TO GET THEM VALIDATED AND IN PLACE AND EDUCATE OUR PEOPLE.
IT'S GONNA TAKE LONGER THAN THAT TO GET THE COURTS, THE INVESTIGATORS, EVERYBODY THAT'S GOTTA USE THESE DATA TO UNDERSTAND IT.
I WISH I HAD SIMPLE ANSWERS TO ANYTHING, BUT YOU PROBABLY ARE FAMILIAR NOW.
I DON'T HAVE SIMPLE ANSWERS TO ALMOST EVERYTHING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR GOOD QUESTIONS HERE THIS MORNING? THANK YOU.
YEAH, THE, THE QUESTION IS COFFEE.
OKAY, WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS AGENDA ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.
THIS IS A CONSIDER APPROVAL OF THE THIRD AMENDMENT TO THE FIRST INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE CORPORATION RELATING TO AMENDING THE DEFINITION OF FORENSIC OPERATIONS TO INCLUDE THE A, UH, HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT PROPERTY DIVISION AND RELATED ACTION.
THIS WILL BE A VOICE VOTE SO Y'ALL DON'T GO ANYWHERE.
UH, MEMBERS, IF YOU RECALL, OVER THE YEARS, DR. STOUT HAS PRESENTED IDEAS TO THE BOARD ABOUT PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE MANAGEMENT.
ALTHOUGH WE HAVE NEW BOARD MEMBERS WITH US, I KNOW THEY WERE ALSO PROVIDED SOME ACCESS TO SOME OF THOSE PREVIOUS MEETING MINUTES.
IN A PREVIOUS BOARD MEETING THIS YEAR, WE AUTHORIZED DR. STOUT TO CONTINUE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CITY ABOUT THIS CONCEPT TODAY.
WE ALREADY CONSIDER THE FIRST TWO AGREEMENTS NEEDED IN ORDER TO MOVE THE CONCEPT FORWARD.
DR. STOUT AND MR. LEACH, OUR CFO, AS WELL AS OUR GENERAL COUNSEL, MS. MANZ, HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE CITY ON THIS AMENDMENT BECAUSE ANY CHANGES TO OUR INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT MUST BE SUBMITTED TO CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.
MS. MANZ WILL EXPLAIN MORE ABOUT THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS IN THE PROCESS WHILE DR. STOUT WILL PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSAL THAT WOULD ASSIST THE BOARD IN ITS VOTE.
JUST TO REITERATE, IF WE APPROVE THE AMENDMENTS IN ITEMS EIGHT AND NINE, THAT
[00:50:01]
WILL NOT BE THE FINAL STEP.THE CHANGES NEED TO BE ADOPTED OR EXECUTED UNLESS AND UNTIL WILL NOT BE, I'M SORRY, WILL NOT BE ADOPTED UNTIL CITY COUNCIL APPROVES THE AGREEMENTS.
WITH THAT, I WILL TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO MS. MANZ AND DR. STOUT TO DISCUSS THIS ITEM FURTHER.
UM, I WILL LEAVE ANY SUBSTANTIVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROJECT TO DR. STOUT, BUT, UH, JUST TO REITERATE THE UH, ORDER OF THINGS HERE.
I'LL TAKE ITEMS EIGHT AND AND NINE TOGETHER IN TURN.
BUT THE AMENDMENT TO THE FIRST INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT, IF YOU WILL RECALL, AND FOR OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS, WE'VE AMENDED THAT DOCUMENT TWICE, UH, INITIALLY TO ALLOW US TO MOVE OVER TO 500 JEFFERSON.
SO THAT CHANGED THE LEASE THAT WAS DESCRIBED IN THE FOUNDING DOCUMENT.
THEN ALSO TO CHANGE THE AGREEMENT TO ALLOW FOR US TO, UH, RECEIVE ADDITIONAL FUNDING THROUGH EMERGENCY FUNDS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SO THAT ALLOWED US TO, TO GET ARPA.
IT WAS NOT IN THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT.
AND SO SIMILARLY HERE, UH, THE DEFINITION OF FORENSIC OPERATIONS ARE THE ORIGINAL DEFINITIONS FROM SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
AND IF WE INTEND TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ANY OF THE PROJECTS RELATED TO PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE MANAGEMENT, THAT DEFINITION JUST NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED TO ALLOW FOR IT IN ITS CURRENT LANGUAGE.
IT'S NOT BROAD ENOUGH TO INCLUDE IT.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DONE IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY TO ENSURE THAT THE LANGUAGE IS SUFFICIENT.
UH, AGAIN, IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PROJECT WILL ACTUALLY MOVE FORWARD.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WILL HAVE TO BE DECIDED BY CITY COUNCIL AT A LATER DATE.
BUT WE DO NEED TO CHANGE THE FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENTS SO THAT WE CAN EVEN BEGIN, UM, MOVING INTO A MORE FORMAL PROCESS.
SIMILARLY WITH, UH, ITEM NINE, SINCE IT IS RELATED, IT'S THE AMENDMENT TO THE SUBLEASE.
THAT'S THE SUBLEASE ON OUR CURRENT LOCATION.
AS YOU ALL MAY KNOW, THE SUBLEASE IS OBVIOUSLY GOING TO BE, UM, UNDERNEATH THE PRIMARY LEASE.
SO THE PRIMARY LEASE FOR OUR CURRENT FACILITY IS BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE LANDLORD, AS THE CITY IS ESSENTIALLY THE GUARANTOR OF THE, THE PAYMENT FOR, UH, YEARS TO COME.
AND THEN WE HAVE A SUBLEASE THAT REFLECTS THAT AGREEMENT.
SO WE WOULD BE CONSIDERING THE SUBLEASE ONLY.
HOWEVER, THE CITY WOULD BE CONSIDERING THE SUBLEASE WITH US, AS WELL AS THE PRIMARY LEASE WITH THE LANDOWNER.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE THAT DOCUMENT FOR REFERENCE AS IT IS, UH, AN EXHIBIT IF ALL OF THIS, UH, MOVES FORWARD.
SO ON THE LEGAL AND PROCEDURAL SIDE, THESE ARE THE AGREEMENTS THAT WE NEED TO SIGN OFF ON FIRST AND THEN THEY WOULD MAKE THEIR WAY TO CITY COUNCIL.
IT'S ACTUALLY HOW WE CONDUCT BUSINESS AS WELL.
WHEN WE WORK WITH VENDORS, WE HAVE THEM APPROVE IT FIRST, SIGN IT FIRST, AND THEN IT COMES TO OUR ORGANIZATION FOR FINAL APPROVAL.
THANK DOCTORS DO NOTHING SPECIFIC.
ALRIGHT, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY, WELL, WE WILL NOW HAVE A VOICE VOTE TO APPROVE THE THIRD AMENDMENT TO THE FIRST INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT TO BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE CORPORATION SUBSTITUTE SUBJECT TO CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL AND TO AUTHORIZE DR. STOUT TO EXECUTE THE AGREEMENT ON THE BOARD'S BEHALF.
DO I HAVE A MOTION AS PRESENTED? OKAY.
WE GOT A SECOND OVER THERE TOO.
ANY OTHER, UH, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY.
ANYONE OPPOSED? OKAY, THE MOTION CARRIES.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER NINE IS THE APPROVAL OF FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE SUBLEASE BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE CORPORATION FOR THE LEASE SPACE.
LOCATED AT 500 JEFFERSON STREET IN HOUSTON.
OKAY, DIRECTORS, THE AMENDED SUBLEASE AGREEMENT IS ALSO NECESSARY, UH, IN MOVING FORWARD THE PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE MANAGEMENT PROJECT.
UM, THE AMENDMENT PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK TO EXPEND, UH, EXPAND HSCS PHYSICAL FOOTPRINT AT ITS CURRENT LOCATION TO ACCOMMODATE ANY FUTURE EXPANSION.
AGAIN, THE PROPOSED CHANGES WILL NOT BE ADOPTED UNLESS AND UNTIL CITY COUNCIL APPROVES THIS AGREEMENT.
ALRIGHT, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SUB AGREEMENT OR THE SUBLEASE? OKAY.
NOW WE'LL HAVE A VOTE TO APPROVE THE FIRST AMENDMENT TO SUBLEASE BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE CORPORATION FOR A LEASE SPACE LOCATED AT 500 JEFFERSON STREET IN HOUSTON.
AND TO AUTHORIZE DR. STOUT TO EXECUTE THE AGREEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION AS PRESENTED MOTION? OKAY, WE'VE GOT DR.
ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALRIGHT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
THAT MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY AS WELL.
ALRIGHT, MOVING ON TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM
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IS AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 10, WHICH IS OUR PRESENTATION FOR MR. DAVID LEACH, WHO IS OUR TREASURER AND CFO OF THE AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023.MR. LEACH, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
SO ONCE A YEAR, AN INDEPENDENT, INDEPENDENT AUDIT FIRM COMES IN AND REVIEWS THE FINANCIAL INFORMATION TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT'S BEING PRESENTED, NOT ONLY TO YOU BUT TO THE PUBLIC IS ACCURATE.
OKAY? SO, UH, I HOPE THAT THERE ISN'T ANYBODY HERE WHO ACTUALLY READS THESE THINGS.
UM, I AS A NUT WHO LIKE THIS STUFF, I DON'T EVEN READ 'EM.
I MEAN, I READ OURS, RIGHT? BUT I DON'T READ OTHER PEOPLE.
SO LET ME JUST GIVE YOU A, A QUICK OVERVIEW OF WHAT'S THERE.
IF YOU GUYS WANT TO DIG INTO IT, I'LL DIG INTO IT WITH YOU EITHER HERE OR WHEREVER YOU WANT, AS MUCH AS YOU WANT, BUT I'M GOING TO ASSUME YOU'RE NOT AS FANATIC ABOUT THIS STUFF AS I AM.
SO ON THEY ISSUE A, AN OPINION ON THE FINANCIAL, IS THE FINANCIAL INFORMATION CORRECT? NOT, NOT PERFECTLY, BUT MATERIALLY ACCURATE.
SO THEY'LL GIVE AN OPINION ON THAT, AND THEN THEY ALSO GIVE AN OPINION ON THE INTERNAL CONTROL STRUCTURE IS, ARE THE PROCESSES THAT ARE IN PLACE TO GET US TO THE RIGHT FINANCIAL INFORMATION IS AT A GOOD CONTROL STRUCTURE.
SO THEY GIVE AN OPINION ON THE FINANCIALS.
THEY DON'T, DO NOT DO AN AUDIT ON THE INTERNAL CONTROLS, BUT WHEN TESTING THE FINANCIAL INFORMATION, THEY LOOK AT THE INTERNAL CONTROLS AND THEY TELL YOU WHAT THEY FOUND ABOUT IT, BUT IT'S NOT AN OFFICIAL OPINION.
OKAY? SO THAT, THAT'S JUST HIGH, HIGH PICTURE OF WHAT'S IN THIS REPORT I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH ON THIS REPORT, ON THE THINGS THAT I THINK THAT ARE IMPORTANT.
SO IN THE EIGHT YEARS, IN THE EIGHT THAT WE'VE HAD, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN REALLY QUICK BECAUSE EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT.
NOTHING WAS WRONG FROM AN AUDIT STANDPOINT, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THERE WASN'T ANYTHING WRONG, IT JUST MEANS THAT IN THEIR SAMPLING AND THEIR TESTING, THEY DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG.
THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR HERE WHERE THEY FOUND A CONTROL DEFICIENCY, NOT A DEFICIENCY IN THE NUMBERS, BUT THEY SAID, DAVID, YOUR, UM, PROCESSES THAT YOU HAVE IN PLACE COULD BE BETTER.
OKAY? SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I'M GOING OVER IT IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL THIS TIME.
UM, YOU'RE, CAN YOU, OH, I'VE GOTTA TURN IT ON.
YOU TOLD ME TO DO THAT, DIDN'T YOU? OKAY, SO ON PAGE, IF YOU HAVE IT AND YOU WANNA FOLLOW ALONG ON PAGE ONE, THEY SAY, IN OUR OPINION, THE ACCOMPANYING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS REFERRED TO ABOVE PRESENT FAIRLY IN ALL MATERIAL RESPECTS.
THAT MEANS THE FINANCIAL NUMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENTED, YOU PASSED, YOU DID A GOOD JOB.
OKAY? THAT'S WHAT THAT STATEMENT MEANS.
IF YOU GO THROUGH TO PAGE THREE ON THE REPORT THERE, IT SAYS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTING STANDARDS, WE HAVE ALSO ISSUED OUR REPORT DATED SEPTEMBER, UM, 14TH, 2023 ON OUR CONSIDERATION OF HFCS, INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING AND OUR TEST OF ITS COMPLIANCE WITH CERTAIN PROVISIONS, LAWS, REGULATIONS, CONTRACTS.
THAT'S JUST SAYING THEY ALSO LOOKED AT THE INTERNAL CONTROLS.
OKAY? UH, I'M GONNA GO DOWN, I'M GONNA SKIP A LOT OF PAGES BECAUSE EVERYTHING BETWEEN WHAT I JUST SHOWED YOU AND WHAT THEY HAVE IN THERE ARE THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
AND I GO OVER THOSE WITH YOU GUYS IN DETAIL.
WHAT I BELIEVE IN A WAY THAT MAKES A WHOLE LOT MORE SENSE THAN THE WAY IT HAS TO BE PRESENTED FOR GAP GENERAL ACCEPTED ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES.
SO I'M GOING TO TRY TO GET THIS ALL THE WAY DOWN.
THERE'S THE FINANCIAL NOTES, THERE'S THE NUMBERS.
AND AGAIN, I'M NOT TRYING TO HIDE ANYTHING.
YOU'VE ALREADY SEEN ALL THESE, THIS INFORMATION.
IF YOU WANT MORE DETAIL ON THE NUMBERS, I CAN GIVE THAT TO YOU.
I'M GOING TO SKIP DOWN TO PAGE 21, WHERE IT GETS INTO THE OPINIONS AND THE CONCLUSIONS THAT THEY CAME TO IN THEIR REPORT.
SO ON PAGE 21, YOU HAVE THE INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROLS.
ON THAT PAGE, THEY DEFINE WHAT A SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCY IS.
SO IN ORDER OF RANKING MATERIAL DEFICIENCY, REALLY BAD, SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCY, IT NEEDS TO BE REPORTED, YOU NEED TO DO BETTER.
A SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCY IS A DEFICIENCY OR A COMBINATION OF DEFICIENCIES IN INTERNAL CONTROLS THAT IS LESS SEVERE THAN A MATERIAL WEAKNESS, YET IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO MERIT ATTENTION BY THOSE CHARGED WITH GOVERNANCE.
SO THAT'S WHAT WAS REPORTED THIS TIME IS A, THEY CALL IT A, IT IS CALLED A SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCY.
AND IT'S A BIG ENOUGH DEAL TO THEM WHERE THEY SAY, YOU NEED, YOU NEED TO BE AWARE OF THIS, AND YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO MAKE YOUR CONTROLS BETTER.
UH, ALSO ON THAT PAGE, IT SAYS, GIVEN THE LIMITATIONS DURING OUR AUDIT, WE DID NOT IDENTIFY ANY DEFICIENCIES AND INTERNAL CONTROLS THAT WE CONSIDER TO BE MATERIAL WEAKNESSES.
[01:00:01]
WE IDENTIFIED A DEFICIENCY IN INTERNAL CONTROL, UH, DESCRIBED IN THE ACCOMPANIED SCHEDULE.SO THEY DIDN'T FIND ANY MATERIAL DEFICIENCIES.
THEY DID FIND ONE SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCY.
THEY COME TO THE STATEMENT OF THE INTERNAL CONTROL REPORT THAT SAYS, THE PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT IS SOLELY TO DESCRIBE THE SCOPE OF OUR TESTING OF INTERNAL CONTROLS AND COMPLIANCE AND A RESULT OF THE TESTING, AND DO NOT PROVIDE AN OPINION ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE ENTITIES INTERNAL CONTROL AND COMPLIANCE.
ALL THEY'RE SAYING THERE IS, WE LOOKED AT INTERNAL CONTROLS AS A PART OF OUR FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT, BUT WE DID NOT DO AN INTERNAL CONTROLS AUDIT.
OKAY? AND THEN IT GOES INTO, BECAUSE WE RECEIVE FEDERAL GRANT MONEY, THEY DO AN AUDIT OF THE FEDERAL GRANTS ON PAGE 23 THAT SAYS, EVERYTHING'S FINE, RIGHT? NO PROBLEMS FOUND, WE TESTED THINGS, EVERYTHING'S GOOD ON YOUR FEDERAL GRANTS.
UH, ON THE END OF PAGE ON AT THE END OF THAT, ON PAGE 24 AT THE BOTTOM, IT SAYS, GIVEN THESE LIMITATIONS DURING OUR AUDIT, WE DID NOT IDENTIFY ANY DEFICIENCIES AND INTERNAL CONTROLS OVER THE COMPLIANCE THAT WE CONSIDER TO BE MATERIAL WEAKNESS.
NOW, LET ME GET TO WHAT, IF I WERE A BOARD MEMBER, I WOULD WANT TO KNOW, RIGHT? EVERYTHING'S FINE.
ACCEPT WHAT'S THE ACCEPT ON PAGE 26 IS THE QUICK VERSION OF EVERYTHING THAT THEY ISSUED.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, UNMODIFIED OPINION.
THAT'S AS GOOD AS YOU CAN GET.
UH, SECOND BULLET, THEY SAY, YES, WE DID FIND ONE.
WELL, A SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCY FOR THE FEDERAL AWARDS.
EVERYTHING'S FINE, NO DEFICIENCIES FOUND.
WE STILL CONSIDER H-F-F-C-A LOW RISK CLIENT, RIGHT? WHICH, WHICH IS WHAT WE WANT.
THAT MEANS THAT THEY DON'T CONSIDER US VERY RISKY WHEN THEY DO THE AUDIT.
OKAY? NOW, FOR THE SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCY, I'LL READ IT FOR THE RECORD, BUT WHAT THE DEFICIENCY IS, IS FROM AN ACCOUNTING PERSPECTIVE, YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE OUTFLOW OF MONEY GOES IN THE RIGHT PERIOD.
THAT'S CALLED A CUTOFF ISSUE, RIGHT? IF IT HAPPENED IN FISCAL YEAR 23, YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED IN 23 APPEARS IN 20 THREE'S.
NUMBERS NOT 20 FOUR'S NUMBERS CUTOFF ISSUE.
THEY, THEY DID TESTING, THEY DID 50, A SAMPLE OF 50 ITEMS, AND THEY FOUND FOUR ITEMS THAT WERE IN THE WRONG PERIOD.
THEY WERE RECORDED, BUT THEY WERE RECORDED IN 22 INSTEAD OF 23.
THEY SAID, UH, HFFC, DAVID, YOU NEED TO STRENGTHEN YOUR CONTROLS AROUND CUTOFF ISSUES.
THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WAS IMMATERIAL, RIGHT? SO THE NUMBERS ARE RIGHT, BUT YOU NEED TO STRENGTHEN YOUR INTERNAL CONTROLS.
SO I PUT IN IMMEDIATELY, UH, MY TEAM AND I PUT IN THREE STEPS TO STRENGTHEN THE CONTROLS AROUND CUTOFF ISSUES.
OKAY? IT, THAT'S WHAT THE ISSUE IS.
ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU WANT ME TO ASK BEFORE I READ WHAT THEY ACT, HOW, HOW THEY WORD THAT CONTROL THAT CONCERN, OKAY.
THE WAY THEY WORD THAT IS AS A RESULT OF THE AUDIT.
AS A RESULT OF THE AUDIT, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT, I'M SORRY, TWO OUT OF 54% OF NON-PAYROLL DISBURSEMENTS WERE TEST TESTED, WERE RECORDED IN THE IMPROPER PERIOD.
EXPENSES TOTALING APPROXIMATELY 19,000 RELATED TO FISCAL.
THE CAUSE OF THAT IS, UH, YOUR CUTOFF CONTROL PROCEDURES AREN'T GOOD ENOUGH.
OKAY? I LIKE IT BETTER WHEN THEY COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT ACTUALLY SAYS, YOU SHOULD BE DOING THIS INSTEAD OF JUST SAYING YOUR PROCEDURES AREN'T GOOD ENOUGH, BUT THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
AND THEN THE RECOMMENDATION WAS, MAKE YOUR PROCEDURES BETTER.
OKAY? SO STRENGTHEN THE PROCEDURES TO CONSISTENTLY ACCRUE DISBURSEMENTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH GAP.
MY RESPONSE, OFFICIAL RESPONSE ON THAT IS ON THE NEXT PAGE, AND WE'RE GONNA DO THREE THINGS.
UH, IT, THIS IS ONE OF THE HARDER THINGS FROM AN ACCOUNTING PERSPECTIVE TO FIND, IF SOMEBODY DOESN'T SEND US AN INVOICE, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO KNOW THAT I OWE THEM MONEY.
USUALLY A COMPANY WANTS THEIR CASH IMMEDIATELY, SO THEY'LL USUALLY SEND YOU AN INVOICE BEFORE THEY EVEN SEND YOU THE PRODUCT.
BUT SOME OF OUR VENDORS DON'T DO THAT.
SO IT, IT'S KIND OF LIKE ME DOING THEIR JOB FOR THEM.
UM, SO WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO IS WHEN YOU GET TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR, MAY, JUNE, JULY, WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA GO THROUGH EVERYTHING IN OUR SYSTEM THAT IS OUTSTANDING, THAT HASN'T BEEN RECEIVED, AND I'M GONNA TALK TO ALL THE MANAGERS, MAKE A REQUEST OF EVERYBODY WHO PURCHASES THINGS AND SAY, HEY, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING OUTSTANDING THAT YOU
[01:05:01]
HAVEN'T BEEN INVOICED FOR? BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I SHOULD POTENTIALLY HAVE TO ACCRUE.THE OTHER THING THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS WE'RE GOING TO SEND NOTICES TO ALL OF OUR VENDORS BASICALLY SAYING, HEY, ARE THERE ANY INVOICES THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE SENT US THAT YOU HAVEN'T SENT US TO LOOK FOR THOSE? AND THEN ALSO, UH, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE VENDORS SEND THE INVOICES DIRECTLY TO THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, SEND IT INSTEAD OF SENDING IT TO THE PERSON WHO ORDERED IT, BECAUSE THE PERSON WHO ORDERED IT, THEY ARE AN ACCOUNTANT.
THEY DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT THAT SIDE OF IT.
I CARE ABOUT THE PAYMENT OF IT, SO I NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL INVOICES COME TO OUR DEPARTMENT.
SO BETWEEN THOSE THREE THINGS, IT WON'T CATCH ALL OF THEM.
RIGHT? BUT IT SHOULD CATCH IT.
SO HOPEFULLY THAT WILL COVER THIS.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AUDIT REPORT? OKAY.
UH, I THINK THIS HAS TO BE APPROVED, RIGHT? THE SUBMISSION OF THE AUDIT REPORT BY BLAZE AND LING, AN INDEPENDENT AUDIT FIRM, NO, NO, YOU DON'T, UH, PURSUANT TO OUR BYLAWS THAT IT IS JUST ORDERED FOR US TO DO IT ANNUALLY AND FOR YOU TO BRING IT TO THE BOARD AS WELL AS THE CITY.
AND THE DOCUMENT IS NOW ONLINE WITH OUR OTHER FINANCIAL AUDITS AND REPORTS.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 11, WHICH IS CONSIDER APPROVAL OF BOARD RESOLUTION 20 23 0 0 1 RELATING TO THE CORPORATION STATED INTEREST IN OBTAINING CO COOPERATIVE PURCHASING SERVICES FROM REGION EIGHT EDUCATION SERVICE CENTER THROUGH THE INTERLOCAL PURCHASING SYSTEM, OR TIPS AND RELATED ACTION.
UH, THIS BOARD RESOLUTION IS A NECESSARY REQUIREMENT FOR OUR PARTICIPATION IN A COOPERATIVE PURCHASING PROGRAM THAT OUR FINANCE, FINANCE DEPARTMENT INTENDS TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH FOR FUTURE PROCUREMENT NEEDS.
AND THE RESOLUTION IS THE FIRST STEP IN THE PROCESS, FOLLOWED BY CONSIDERATION OF THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH REGION EIGHT FOR THESE SERVICES.
UH, MR. LEACH AND MS. MANZ, THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS, UH, BOTH AGENDA ITEMS, AND SO I WILL TURN IT OVER THE, TO THEM TO EXPLAIN ANY PROCESSING, UH, AND THEN ANY ANSWER, ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY.
DAVID LEACH, CFO FOR HFFC IN THE PAST, WE, THIS IS A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT THAT DOES THE NEGOTIATIONS AND ALLOWS US TO PURCHASE FROM THEM BECAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY VETTED EVERYBODY AND MADE SURE WE'RE GETTING THE BEST PRICE, RIGHT? SO IT SAVES A LOT OF TIME.
UH, AND IN THE PAST, UH, IT'S MAINLY FOR IT.
WE HAVE PURCHASED THINGS THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, BUT WE'VE USED HPDS AGREEMENT TO DO THAT.
SO WE JUST WANT TO HAVE PERMISSION TO ENTER INTO OUR OWN AGREEMENT WITH THIS AG, UH, COOPERATIVE TO BE ABLE TO ALLOW US TO CONTINUE TO PURCHASE ITEMS THAT THAT'S WHAT IT IS.
UH, AND JUST SO JUST TO ADD ON TO THE PROCESS HERE, THE, UH, OTHER GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY HAS ASKED FOR US TO PASS A RESOLUTION DECLARING OUR INTENT.
IF, UH, FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS WHO WERE HERE, IF YOU'LL RECALL, WE DID IT WITH THE BANK OF TEXAS.
WHEN WE ENTERED INTO THAT AGREEMENT A FEW YEARS AGO, WE PASSED A RESOLUTION OF INTENT THERE, FOLLOWED BY THE ACTUAL AGREEMENT, BECAUSE THE ORGANIZATION WE'RE WORKING WITH IS ALSO A GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY.
BY STATUTE, WE CONTRACT VIA INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT.
SO INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT JUST MEANS GOVERNMENT CONTRACT, RIGHT? AND SO THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT HAS TO BE VOTED ON BY THE GOVERNING BODIES, WHICH IS YOU.
AND, UM, SO THIS IS ALL JUST PROCESS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO HOPEFULLY PROCURE SERVICES THROUGH THEM, UM, IN A COMPETITIVE WAY DOWN THE LINE.
ANY QUESTIONS? THIS IS THE RESOLUTION.
SINCE THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, WE'LL NOW HAVE A VOICE VOTE TO APPROVE THE BOARD RESOLUTION NUMBER 20 23 0 0 1, RELATING TO THE BOARD'S APPROVAL OF HSCS PARTICIPATION IN TIPS.
UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION AS PRESENTED? I'LL MAKE PIT MOVE.
SECOND DIRECTOR, SILVERMAN, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS? OKAY.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ANYONE, UH, UH, ANYONE TO, UH, DISAPPROVE? OKAY.
NOW WE'LL MOVE TO AGENDA ITEM 12, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN REGION EIGHT EDUCATION SERVICE CENTER, AND THE CORPORATION RELATED TO THE TIPS TO OBTAIN COOPERATIVE COOPERATIVE PURCHASING SERVICES.
UM, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, MS. VANCE, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD ABOUT THE AGREEMENT ITSELF? NOTHING FURTHER TO ADD.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AGREEMENT? I KNOW THAT WAS SENT OUT FOR EVERYONE TO LOOK AT PRIOR TO TODAY? OKAY.
SINCE I'M NOT HEARING ANY QUESTIONS, WE WILL NOW MOVE TO THE VOICE VOTE TO APPROVE THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN REGION EIGHT, THE EDUCATION SERVICE CENTER,
[01:10:01]
AND THE CORPORATION TO PARTICIPATE IN TIPS TO OBTAIN COOPERATIVE PURCHASING SERVICES AND TO AUTHORIZE DR. STOUT TO EXECUTE THE AGREEMENT ON THE BOARD'S BEHALF.DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED? SO MOVED.
SECOND, DIRECTOR, SILVERMAN, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ANYONE OPPOSED? OKAY, THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
ALRIGHT, NEXT IS AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE.
THIS IS CONSIDERED DELEGATING AUTHORITY TO DR. STOUT TONO TO NEGOTIATE AND ENTER INTO A CONTRACT BETWEEN CADRE FORENSICS AND THE CORPORATION FOR THE PURCHASE OF A 3D SCOPE TO USE FOR THE FIREARM SECTION AND RELATED SERVICES.
THE TOTAL BUDGET IS NOT TO EXCEED $420,000 AND, UH, $420,008.
UM, AT THE OUTSET OF THE MEETING, UH, LET ME PROVIDE ONE CLARIFICATION.
WE WILL NOT NEED TO VOTE ON THIS TO APPROVE THE CONTRACT OR DELEGATE THE AUTHORITY.
AS A REMINDER, DURING OUR MAY 20TH, 2022 MEETING, THE BOARD APPROVED AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HFSC TO PROVIDE THE CORPORATION WITH 1.5 MILLION IN AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDING, OR THE ARPA FUNDING.
THE AGREEMENT PROVIDED A BUDGET FOR A FEW AREAS, INCLUDING THE PURCHASE OF TWO 3D MICROSCOPES FOR THE USE IN THE FIREARM SECTION.
AT THE SAME MEETING, THE BOARD APPROVED A MOTION TO DELEGATE AUTHORITY TO DR. STOUT TO PROCURE THE TWO 3D MICROSCOPES AND EXECUTE ANY AGREEMENTS TO CARRY OUT THE PURCHASE.
OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO, HFSC HAS RECEIVED ADDITIONAL FUNDING FROM THE CITY THROUGH ARPA AND NAVIGATED A FEW DELAYS, BUT NOW HFSC IS READY TO MAKE THE PURCHASE AFTER HAVING COMPLETING ITS PROCUREMENT PROCESS.
UH, MS. MANZ, DR. STOUT, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU NEED TO ADD FOR, UH, ON THIS, ON THIS ITEM? I THINK I'VE COVERED WHY ON THESE THINGS.
YOU KNOW, WITH THE, THE SOURCE OF MONEY, AND, AND MAYBE I DON'T THINK WE MENTIONED IT ANYWHERE IN THERE, BUT UNDER ARPA, THERE ACTUALLY WAS A SPECIFIC INCLUSION OF GUN VIOLENCE, UM, IN THE ARPA FUNDING.
THIS GOES TO FIREARMS, IT IS KIND OF A GUN VIOLENCE THING.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF HOW THE ARPA MONEY CAN BE USED FOR THIS.
AND, UM, I WOULD ADD ON THE LEGAL SIDE OF THIS, DUE TO THE UNUSUALLY LONG DELAY BETWEEN THE BOARD'S ACTION AND WHEN THE, UM, RFP PROCESS CONCLUDED, WE, UH, THOUGHT IT'D BE MOST PRUDENT TO BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD TO REMIND YOU OF YOUR ACTION, AND THEN TO ALSO INFORM YOU REGARDING THE SUCCESSFUL VENDOR, THE ACTUAL BUDGET AMOUNT, WHICH IS WITHIN THE ALLOCATED 500,000 FROM THE CITY.
AND TO JUST ENSURE THAT THE BOARD WAS AWARE THAT, UM, WE HAD REACHED THAT POINT WHERE IN FINAL NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE VENDOR AND, AND BELIEVE THAT WE'LL HAVE THAT CONTRACT EXECUTED HERE WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY.
THEN WE WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM 14.
THIS IS A REPORT FROM MS. ASHLEY LANGFORD, OUR QUALITY SPECIALIST, WHICH WILL INCLUDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE BLY AND QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAM, UPDATES ON QUALITY AND PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE MANAGEMENT ACCREDITATION AND TESTIMONY METRICS.
SO MAYBE ONE QUICK THING BEFORE ASHLEY GETS STARTED HERE.
UM, JACKIE IS ACTUALLY IN AUSTIN RIGHT NOW WITH A NUMBER OF OUR FOLKS AT WHAT'S CALLED THE ASCL LEADERSHIP ACADEMY.
AMERICAN SOCIETY CRIME LABORATORY DIRECTORS LEADERSHIP ACADEMY, WHICH, UM, ACTUALLY TEXAS FORENSIC SCIENCE COMMISSION HAS FUNDED A STATEWIDE VERSION OF THIS, UM, AND HELP FUND, UM, PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE STATE TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND IT.
BUT THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHERE JACKIE'S AT.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE BOARD FOR ALLOWING ME TO PRESENT WHILE QUALITY DIRECTOR MORALE IS AT HER TRAINING CONFERENCE RIGHT NOW.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO START, UH, WITH AN UPDATE ON THE BLIND QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAM.
AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE GRAPHIC, UH, IN THE MONTHS OF SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER, HFSC MET OR EXCEEDED THE NUMBER OF BLIND QUALITY CONTROLS ENTERED INTO THE PROGRAM.
UM, SO YOU ALWAYS WANNA MEET OR EXCEED YOUR EXPECTATIONS.
AND WITH THAT, HFSC IS FORTUNATE ENOUGH THAT THE BLIND QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAM IS ONCE AGAIN GAINING POSITIVE ATTENTION.
UH, THE SECOND PUBLICATION, UH, FROM OUT OF HFSC TITLED THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A BLIND QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAM IN A FORENSIC LABORATORY WAS SELECTED BY THE JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES TO BE PUBLISHED IN A, UH, SPECIAL, SPECIAL VIRTUAL ISSUE, UM, IN WHICH THE JOURNAL WAS CELEBRATING THE NATIONAL FORENSIC SCIENCE WEEK BACK IN SEPTEMBER, UH, SEPTEMBER 17TH, UH, THROUGH THE 23RD
[01:15:01]
OF 2023.SO WE ALWAYS LIKE TO SEE THAT ALL THE HARD WORK THAT WE DO ON THE BLIND QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAM, AND THEN THE DOCUMENTS THAT WE PUBLISH OUT OF THAT INFORMATION IS GOING, UM, TO BE VIEWED BY OTHER PEOPLE.
AND JUST THE JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCE, IT HAS INTERNATIONAL VIEWERSHIP AND LOTS OF PEOPLE LOOK AT THAT.
SO YEAH, JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES IS THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF FORENSIC SCIENCES.
UM, AND IT'S IN THE, IN THE FORENSIC SPHERE, IT IS ABOUT THE HIGHEST IMPACT JOURNAL IN FORENSICS.
YOU KNOW, IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS, EH, NOT SO MUCH, BUT IN FORENSICS IT'S, IT'S, IT'S THE THING.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THE AUTHORS.
UM, OTHER HF, HFSC PUBLICATIONS ARE GAINING ATTENTION AS WELL, UH, THROUGHOUT THE RESEARCH COMMUNITY.
AS DR. STOUT STATED EARLIER, SOME OF OUR PUBLICATIONS ARE BEING USED BY THE RESEARCHERS IN DALBERT HEARINGS.
UH, AND WITH ALL THE CHALLENGES RELATED TO FIREARMS, WE WERE PLEASED TO HAVE TWO RESEARCHERS FROM ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY, UH, PRESENT AT HFSC LAST MONTH WITH THEIR LATEST PUBLICATION.
AND THEIR PUBLICATION IS HELPING TO DEMONSTRATE THE VALIDITY OF FIREARMS EXAMINATION THROUGH RESEARCH.
SO WE SAID THAT FIREARMS IS BEING QUESTIONED THE VALIDITY OF THE SCIENCE.
THESE RESEARCHERS ARE USING THEIR RESEARCH TO SHOW THE VALIDITY OF THAT FIREARMS, UM, EXAMINATION.
SO THE PUBLICATION WAS PUBLISHED IN THE PROCEEDINGS OF NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.
IT IS A PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL AND ONE THAT DR. STOUT HAS ALSO HAD, UH, THE SECRET LIFE OF CRIME LABS PUBLISHED IN AS WELL.
THE PRESENTATION WAS VERY WELL ATTENDED, AND WE OFFERED A VIRTUAL OPTION AND PROVIDED THE INVITATIONS TO TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF CRIME LABORATORY DIRECTORS, AS WELL AS THE HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
IN ADDITION TO LABORATORY STAFF, SPECIFICALLY THE FIREARMS SECTION, THE PRESENTATION WAS RECORDED AND THE PUBLICATION AND RECORDING CAN BE PROVIDED TO THE BOARD, IF SO DESIRED.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OVER BLIND QUALITY CONTROLS OR THE PUBLICATIONS COMING OUT OF THAT PROGRAM? I'M JUST INTERESTED IN SEEING THE INFORMATION YOU TALKED ABOUT.
SO I'D LIKE TO SEE THE PRESENTATION IF YOU CAN.
UM, SO MOVING ON TO QUALITY'S EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES.
UH, QUALITY DIVISION HELD MULTIPLE INTERNAL AUDITS THE FIRST WEEK OF OCTOBER.
AND IN THOSE AUDITS WE DID SAFETY, SECURITY AND FACILITIES WAS ONE OF THE SECTIONS.
AND ONE NON-CONFORMANCE CAME OUT OF THAT AUDIT.
IT WAS IDENTIFIED RE RELATED TO THE FIT TESTING OF EMPLOYEES.
SO BECAUSE SOME OF OUR EMPLOYEES GO INTO RELATIVELY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS, THEY GET FIT TESTED FOR GAS MASKS, N95 MASKS, MAKING SURE THAT THOSE, UH, SPECIFICALLY CRIME SCENE AND FIREARMS HAVE PROPER PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.
UH, WE HAD A COUPLE OF EMPLOYEES WHO SLIPPED THROUGH THE CRACKS LAST YEAR, HENCE THE NON-CONFORMANCE.
UM, HAPPY TO REPORT THAT WE HAD OUR FIT TESTING ON SITE, UH, LAST WEEK OR TWO WEEKS AGO.
EVERYONE HAS BEEN DONE THIS YEAR, SO WE'RE GOOD TO GO FOR THIS YEAR.
WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THAT NON-CONFORMANCE AGAIN.
UM, OUT OF THAT INTERNAL AUDIT, WE ALSO HAD FOUR OPPORTUNITY OR FIVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT.
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPROVEMENT IS SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T RISE TO THE LEVEL OF NON-CONFORMANCE.
WE ARE MEETING ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS, WE'RE DOING THINGS APPROPRIATELY, BUT THERE IS A RISK IN THE WAY THAT WE'RE DOING IT TO FALL OUT OF CONFORMANCE AT SOME POINT ALONG THE ROAD.
AND SO THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPROVEMENT IS A WAY FOR US TO STRENGTHEN OUR PROCEDURES IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T EVER FALL INTO A NON-CONFORMANCE.
SO THE QUALITY DIVISION IS WORKING WITH THE SECTIONS, UM, SECURITY HEAD ONE AND SAFETY HEAD FOUR.
UH, THERE ARE LIAISONS AT THE LABORATORY THAT QUALITY IS WORKING WITH THAT MONITOR THOSE SECTIONS OR RUN THOSE PROGRAMS TO ENSURE THAT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT ARE PUT INTO PLACE MOVING FORWARD.
THE SECOND INTERNAL AUDIT THAT OCCURRED WAS WITH THE CLIENT SERVICES CASE MANAGEMENT DIVISION.
AND THIS WAS IN PREPARATION FOR THE A NAB PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE ACCREDITATION PROGRAM.
SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT ABOUT PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE ACCREDITATION, UH, OR PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE IN GENERAL.
THE CSCM SECTION IS THE PART OF THE LABORATORY THAT WORKS WITH PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE.
THEY GO OVER TO HPD AND PICK IT UP, BRING IT BACK, DISTRIBUTE IT TO ALL OF THE LABORATORY SECTIONS, AND THEN ALSO RETURN IT BACK TO THE HPD PROPERTY ROOM.
UH, THEY'VE HAD ACCREDITATION IN THE PAST THAT ACCREDITATION, WE HAVEN'T HEARD MUCH ABOUT
[01:20:01]
IT.IT'S KIND OF FALLEN BY THE WAYSIDE, THE PROGRAM ITSELF, NOT THAT WE, WE ARE STILL ACCREDITED TO IT, BUT SINCE THAT PROGRAM IS FALLING BY THE WAYSIDE, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ACCREDITATION MOVING FORWARD THAT'S ACTIVE AND ACTIVELY COMING OUT TO WATCH MONITOR HOW WE DO THINGS.
SO WE ARE PREPARING FOR THE A NEB PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE ACCREDITATION PROGRAM, WHICH IS THE AR 31 81.
AND IN THAT CSCM INTERNAL AUDIT, NO NON-CONFORMANCES WERE NOTED.
UM, I KNOW THAT JACKIE HAS PRESENTED PREVIOUSLY OUR STAGES THAT WE ARE GOING THROUGH TO GET THE PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE ACCREDITATION.
SO, STAGE ONE, WE DID THE GAP ANALYSIS.
PROBABLY ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS THAT THERE WERE NO NON-CONFORMANCES, NOT THAT CSCM DOESN'T DO AN AMAZING JOB, BUT WE HAD TO DO A GAP ANALYSIS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR TO DETERMINE THE STANDARDS THAT THE PROGRAM HAS IN PLACE AND WHAT WE WERE ALREADY DOING.
SO STAGE ONE, WE LOOKED AT WHAT WE WERE DOING, WHAT THE STANDARDS SAID, AND THEN IN STAGE TWO, WE NOTED ALL OF THOSE UPDATES THAT HAD TO BE PUT INTO PLACE.
SO WE UPDATED OUR QUALITY MANUAL, WE CREATED, UM, A STRONGER CSCM TRAINING PROGRAM AND UPDATED THEIR SOP TO FALL IN LINE WITH THOSE STANDARDS.
THEN IN STAGE THREE, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON SINCE THE LAST BOARD BOARD MEETING IN SEPTEMBER, WE DID THE INTERNAL AUDIT.
THERE WERE NO NON-CONFORMANCES PROBABLY 'CAUSE WE JUST UPDATED ALL OF THOSE STANDARDS,
UM, WE PRO PRODUCED A MANAGEMENT REVIEW THAT WAS ONE OF THE ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENTS.
WE HAD TO GO THROUGH THE CSCM MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING WAS MEETING THOSE ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENTS OUTSIDE OF THE AUDIT.
AND THEN WE TOOK ALL OF THAT INFORMATION AND COMPLETED THE AR 31 81 CHECKLIST, WHICH IS A AND AB B'S REQUIREMENT WHERE WE TAKE ALL OF OUR DOCUMENTATION, UPLOAD IT INTO THEIR SYSTEM SO THEY CAN LOOK OVER IT BEFORE THEY COME FOR THEIR ASSESSMENT TO DO THE ONSITE VISUAL INSPECTION.
UM, THAT ONSITE VISUAL INSPECTION INSPECTION, THE ONSITE ASSESSMENT IS GOING TO BE DECEMBER 11TH, 2023.
SO BY THE NEXT BOARD MEETING, WE SHOULD HAVE SOME INFORMATION FOR YOU AS TO WHETHER WE'VE PASSED AND RECEIVED THAT ACCREDITATION IN CSCM.
YEAH, BECAUSE I KNOW QUALITY WON'T GIVE THEMSELVES CREDIT FOR AS MUCH WORK AS THEY'VE DONE IN THIS AR 31 81 DIDN'T EXIST ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO.
THIS WAS REALLY BECAUSE OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO IN PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE AND REALLY BEFORE THIS ACCREDITATION FOR PROPERTY OPERATIONS DIDN'T EXIST.
SO THIS IS BASICALLY ENTIRELY NEW.
I THINK WE'LL BE ONE OF THE FIRST ONES PROBABLY TO GO THROUGH THIS FIRST ONE.
UM, I MEAN, THIS IS, THIS IS COMPLETELY NEW TERRITORY IN LABS AND PROPERTY ROOMS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
SO THIS HAS BEEN A REMARKABLE THING FOR QUALITY.
JUST JUST TO POINT OUT THE ROCK STARS WE GOT.
WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT GOING TO COURT AND THE ISSUES THAT TESTIMONY PROVIDES FOR THE LABORATORY.
SO TO GO OVER SOME OF THE NUMBERS RELATED TO THE ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENTS AROUND A TESTIMONY AND THEN HOW MUCH WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO TESTIFY AS WELL.
SO THERE IS AN ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENT TO MONITOR YOUR TESTIMONY.
HFSC IS PUT INTO PLACE THAT WE'RE GONNA DO IT EVERY YEAR.
ANYONE WHO GOES TO BE MON OR GOES TO TESTIFY HAS TO BE MONITORED.
IT CAN BE DONE IN PERSON OR IT CAN BE DONE THROUGH A TRANSCRIPT REVIEW AFTER THE FACT.
UH, TO DATE, WELL, THROUGH OCTOBER OF 2023, THE END OF OCTOBER, UM, A TOTAL OF 76 STAFF MEMBERS WENT TO COURT, A TOTAL NUMBER OF 217 TIMES 74 OF THOSE STAFF MEMBERS.
SO TWO STAFF MEMBERS DIDN'T ACTUALLY TESTIFY, BUT 74 OF THOSE STAFF MEMBERS TESTIFIED A TOTAL OF 197 TIMES IN COURT FROM JANUARY THROUGH OCTOBER OF 2023.
AND IT'S NOTED THAT FOUR OF THOSE 74 MEMBERS THAT TESTIFIED, TESTIFIED IN NON HFSC CASES, SO THEY MIGHT'VE HAD TO GO BACK TO A PREVIOUS AGENCY AND TESTIFY THERE.
SO THE REST OF MY NUMBERS ARE ALL BASED ON THE 70 THAT TESTIFIED IN HFSC CASES.
SO FROM THE 70 THAT TESTIFIED FOR HFSC CASES, 63 OF THEM WERE MONITORED.
AND YOU CAN SEE IN THE GRAPHIC THAT THAT'S THE 90%.
UM, AND PREVIOUSLY AT THE BOARD MEETING, JACKIE, UH, PRESENTED THAT ONLY 76% HAD BEEN MONITORED.
SO YOU CAN TELL THAT WE'VE, AS MORE PEOPLE HAVE GONE TO COURT, AND AS WE'VE GOTTEN THOSE TRANSCRIPTS IN, WE'VE COMPLETED MORE OF THOSE MONITORING EVENTS RAISING THE NUMBER UP TO 90%, UM, A TOTAL
[01:25:01]
OF 172 HOURS WERE SPENT OUT OF OFFICE FOR THE MONITORING EVENTS.SO AGAIN, YOU CAN BE MONITORED VIRTUALLY OR IN PERSON OR THROUGH THAT TRANSCRIPT REVIEW, 172 HOUR OR 172 HOURS, OR JUST THE MONITORING.
SO THE PERSON WHO HAD TO GO WATCH THE OTHER PERSON TESTIFY, THEY WEREN'T ACTUALLY DOING THE TESTIMONY.
AND SO IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER, WE COULD END UP HAVING MORE PEOPLE GO AND BE MONITORED.
BUT CURRENTLY QUALITY IS WORKING WITH SECTION MANAGEMENT TO REQUEST THOSE TRANSCRIPTS FOR THAT 10% OR SEVEN PEOPLE THAT WEREN'T MONITORED ALREADY.
UM, SO THAT WE CAN GET THOSE REVIEWED BY THE END OF THE YEAR AND BE AT 100%.
AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR OWN PERSONAL, UH, STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES, UH, 4 20 23 TESTIMONY DATA.
THIS IS THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WAS SPENT IN COURT.
IT'S A TOTAL OF 859 HOURS SO FAR.
AND 174 OF THOSE HOURS WERE THE TIME THAT WAS ACTUALLY SPENT TESTIFYING.
SO THIS IS SOLELY BASED ON THE PERSON WHO'S GOING TO COURT TO TESTIFY, NOT INCLUDING THE MONITORING PERSON.
SO THAT WAS A SEPARATE NUMBER THAT I JUST GAVE YOU.
UM, THIS IS OUR ANALYST GOING AND SPENDING 174 HOURS ACTUALLY PRESENTING THEIR TESTIMONY.
AND THEN THE TOTAL TIME THEY WERE OUT OF THE OFFICE IS 859 HOURS.
YOU CAN SEE THAT CRIME SCENE IS A LITTLE BIT SKEWED ON THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THEY'RE HAVING TO SPEND OUT OF THE OFFICE TO GO TESTIFY, FOLLOWED BY FIREARMS AND BIOLOGY.
AND TO DIVE DEEPER INTO THIS NUMBER OF 859, UH, WE WANNA PUT IT IN A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
THAT 859 HOURS TRANSLATES INTO 107 EIGHT HOUR WORKING DAYS, WHICH IS A LITTLE MORE THAN 2140 HOUR WORKING WEEKS.
SO IF YOU HAD ONE PERSON AT HFFC AND ALL THEY DID WAS TESTIFY, IT WOULD TAKE THEM 2121 WEEKS OF THEIR TIME, WHICH IS ABOUT HALF, ALMOST HALF A YEAR.
UH, SO GRANTED IT SPREAD ALL OVER THE LABORATORY PERSONNEL SO IT DOESN'T
IT'S NOT THAT HORRIBLE, BUT IT'S STILL A GRAND AMOUNT.
I MEAN, THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT TIME.
SEEING FORCE AND TESTIMONY IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF WHAT WE DO.
COURT IS INHERENTLY UNPREDICTABLE.
IT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE, BUT THIS PRESENTS A REAL CHALLENGE FOR US.
I THINK ONE OF OUR CS EYES WHO'S GOT THE DUBIOUS DISTINCTION OF HAVING THE MOST TIME, I THINK HE'S GOT LIKE 2,400 MINUTES.
SO HE'S, HE'S BEEN IN COURT FOR AN ENTIRE WORK WEEK.
SO IF THEY'RE IN COURT, THEY'RE NOT BACK AT THE LAB REVIEWING, PROCESSING DATA, GETTING OTHER THINGS DONE.
AND THIS IS JUST THE TESTIMONY END.
SO REMEMBER I MENTIONED ABOUT COLON, COLON CHANGED REQUIREMENTS ALL OVER THE STATE FOR WHAT WE, WHAT PREPARATION MEANS.
SO EVERY SUBPOENA THEY GET, THEY'RE HAVING TO PREPARE FOR THESE CASES, WHETHER OR NOT THE THING GOES.
SO WE'RE WORKING ON HOW WE EVEN TRY TO ESTIMATE THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT PREPARATION FOR TESTIMONY EATS AS WELL.
SO IT'S PRETTY EVIDENT THOUGH FROM THE GRAPH THAT IN 2020 COURT WAS NOT IN SESSION DUE TO COVID.
AND SO SOME OF THE EXCESSIVE HOURS, THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE'VE BEEN GOING, MORE SO IN THE FEW, IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS HAVE BEEN THAT THE COURTS ARE TRYING TO CATCH BACK UP.
SO WE STILL HAVE TWO MONTHS TO GO.
WE'RE ALREADY, YOU KNOW, SURPASSED LAST YEAR'S TOTAL.
UM, BUT LIKE PETER SAID, IT IS, UM, THIS TIME DOESN'T INCLUDE THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT STAFF SPEND REVIEWING THE RECORDS AND CASE FILES OR ATTENDING PRETRIAL CONFERENCES.
SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT DATA MONITORED HERE.
UM, BUT THE LAB STAFF DO DO AN EXCELLENT JOB PREPARING FOR THEIR TESTIMONIES AND THOSE TESTIMONY MONITORING EVENTS SHOW THAT THROUGH OUR PROGRAM OF REVIEWING HOW THEY'RE DOING.
SO EVEN THOUGH IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME, IT IS A VERY GOOD SERVICE TO OUR CUSTOMERS AND I WOULD SAY WE'RE DOING VERY WELL AT IT.
SO, UH, THAT CONCLUDES THE QUALITY PRESENTATION.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING MONITORING TESTIMONY OR THE OTHER TOPICS DISCUSSED? NO.
AND THANK YOU FOR PINCH HEADING FOR MS. MORRELL TODAY.
OKAY, NOW WE'RE MOVING TO EX UH, ITEM NUMBER 15, WHICH IS EXECUTIVE SESSION IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTIONS 5 5 1 0.07, ONE OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE AND 5 5 1 0.074 A ONE PERSONNEL MATTERS TO DISCUSS AND FINALIZE DR.
[01:30:01]
OF DIRECTORS OF HFSC WILL GO INTO CLOSED MEETING, ALSO KNOWN AS EXECUTIVE SESSION, AND AS PERMITTED BY THE TEXAS OPEN MEETING ACT.THE CLOSED MEETING WILL NOT BE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC, AND WE ASK OUR STAFF TO STEP OUT UNTIL, UNTIL SUCH TIME, UM, THAT WE WILL RECONVENE.
WE WILL ASK THAT DR. STOUT AND MS. MANZ PLEASE REMAIN.
I DO NOT ANTICIPATE THE CLOSED MEETING RUNNING TOO LONG, BUT THE BOARD DOES NOT HAVE A SET TIME TO RECONVENE THIS OPEN MEETING.
WE WILL RETURN WHEN OUR BUSINESS HAS CONCLUDED.
PLEASE STOP THE RECORDING AT THIS TIME.
[01:35:30]
OKAY.THE TIME IS NOW 11:23 AM AND HFSC BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS RECONVENING THIS OPEN MEETING.
WE STILL HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT AT THIS TIME.
WE WILL MOVE TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 16, WHICH IS RECONVENING AND CONSIDER ANY ACTION DEEMED NECESSARY AS A RESULT OF THE CO OF THE CLOSED MEETING RELATING TO PERSONNEL MATTERS AND POSSIBLE OTHER RELATED ACTIONS.
AT THIS TIME, THE BOARD WILL CONSIDER ANY DISCUSSION OR ACTION RELATED TO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I AM OPENING THE FLOOR FOR MOTIONS OR DISCUSSION FROM THE BOARD.
DO I HAVE A MOTION REGARDING DR.
STOUT'S ANNUAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION? ALRIGHT, TURN, TURN YOUR THING ON.
SO
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION AT THIS TIME THAT, UH, DR. STOUT BE GIVEN A 3% RAISE, UH, FOR HIS, UH, LEADERSHIP.
UM, AND, UH, UH, WHAT IS LEADERSHIP OF THE, UH, ORGANIZATION? OKAY.
AND ANY DISCUSSION? I, I DON'T KNOW.
IN TERMS OF DISCUSSION, I'D JUST LIKE TO MAKE A REMARK THAT, UH, I THINK THAT, UH, DR. STOUT HAS DONE A SUPERB JOB, UH, LEADING THE ORGANIZATION AND IT'S NOT BEEN AN EASY YEAR.
UM, WE'RE OBVIOUSLY, UH, UH, FINANCIALLY, UH, OUR HANDS ARE TIED.
SO, UM, THIS REFLECTS, UH, WHAT WE BELIEVE TO BE, UM, THE, UM, THE, THE BEST WE CAN DO, UM, UH, FINANCIALLY, BUT, UM, ALSO OUR GRATITUDE, UH, TO HIM FOR, UH, TAKING LEADERSHIP AND BEING A VISIONARY IN THIS SPACE.
SO, PERSONALLY, I'D LIKE TO THANK HIM AND I THINK THE BOARD AS A WHOLE, BY DOING THIS, UM, UH, VOTING, THE MAXIMUM RAISE THAT WE CAN IS ALSO, UM, SIGNIFYING ITS, UH, GRATITUDE TO, UH, DR. STOUT.
ALSO, I'D JUST LIKE TO EMPHASIZE THAT ALTHOUGH THERE WERE A COUPLE OF GOALS THAT WERE NOT FULLY ACHIEVED, UM, THERE WAS DISCUSSION THAT THE, THE LACK OF ACHIEVEMENT WAS MINIMAL
SO EVEN THOUGH WE WANT TO HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE, WE FEEL LIKE WE ARE HOLDING YOU ACCOUNTABLE AND AGAIN, ACKNOWLEDGING YOUR, UM, EXCELLENT LEADERSHIP.
AND YOU ARE WORKING ON THOSE THINGS ACTIVELY.
UM, SO THAT, UH, AND THAT LEADS US INTO OUR NEXT ONE, SAY IN A MINUTE.
BUT, UH, WE DO APPRECIATE AND THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SERVICE AND HARD WORK AND LEADING THE ORGANIZATION AND REPRESENTING HFSC AND, UH, JUST REALLY LOOKING AT WHERE ARE WE GOING IN THE FUTURE AND BEING VERY FUTURE MINDED AND THOUGHTFUL.
AND I'LL JUST NOTE THIS WAS THE, UM, FIRST TIME ON THE BOARD GOING THROUGH A FULL SESSION, UM, WITH YOU SORT OF HELPING NAVIGATE THE BOARD AS TO WHAT IS HAPPENING AT THE LEGISLATURE AND HOW'S THAT GOING TO IMPACT F UM, HFSC.
AND I JUST REALLY APPRECIATED THE THOUGHTFULNESS THAT YOU TOOK, THE MEETINGS THAT YOU TOOK, AND ALSO TAKING US ALONG, UH, THE PROCESS WITH YOU.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORT THERE.
UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF, UM, LET'S SEE.
UH, PROVIDING A, A, OH, UH, GIVING A 3% RAISE TO DR. STOUT, PLEASE SAY AYE.
I GOTTA GO TO THE NEXT THING WE HAVE TO VOTE ON.
DO WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL MOTIONS OR DISCUSSION RELATED TO EXECUTIVE SESSION? UM, YES, WE DO.
UM, UH, OUR PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES THAT WE WANT TO HAVE FOR NEXT YEAR FOR YOU, DR. STOUT, ARE THE FIRST ONE IS TO ATTEND THE AMERICAN LEADERSHIP FORUM AND TO HELP THAT WILL HELP YOU ENGAGE MORE WITHIN, WITHIN THE COMMUNITY HERE WITHIN HOUSTON.
WE WOULD LIKE TO KEEP GOAL NUMBER TWO RELATED TO THE SUCCESSION PLANNING AND I WILL TALK TO YOU SOME MORE ABOUT SOME OF THAT.
UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE GOAL
[01:40:01]
NUMBER THREE WITH, UH, ACTIVELY WORKING WITH THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AS WE, UH, CONTINUE WORKING ON THE PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE MANAGEMENT.AND THEN WE ADDED A FOURTH GOAL, UM, TO EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY OF, UM, DEVELOPING SOME SORT OF A FORENSIC SCIENCE ACADEMY THAT CAN BE USED AS EITHER, UH, MORE VISIBILITY, UH, PIPELINES, UH, AND SUCH.
AND SO THAT'S, WE, THAT'S REALLY HIGH LEVEL.
THAT'S NOTHING THAT HAS TO BE LIKE WE HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN AND FUNDING IN THE NEXT YEAR.
IT'S JUST, LET'S JUST, LET'S HAVE MORE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT AND KEEP THAT ON THE RADAR.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE, UM, THE OBJECTIVES THAT WE DISCUSSED WITH, UH, DR. STOUT JUST A MOMENT AGO? SO MOVED.
ANYONE OPPOSED? OKAY, THE MOTION CARRIES.
OKAY, NOW WE'RE MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 17, WHICH IS THE ADJOURNMENT.
UH, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? MOTION? OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION FOR DR.
ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT AJO?
ANYONE OPPOSED AND WANTS TO STAY FOR A WHILE LONGER.
THE MOTION, UH, CARRIES AND WE ARE NOW ADJOURNED.
IT IS 11:29 AM THANK YOU SO MUCH.