[Houston Forensic Science]
[00:00:22]
ALL RIGHT.I AM GOING TO CALL THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING TO ORDER.
JUST AS A NOTE FOR OUR MEMBERS TODAY, WE HAVE, UH, FAB VOICE VOTES, AND UH, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE EXECUTIVE SESSION TODAY.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO IS THE ROLL CALL.
MADAM SECRETARY, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLE? YES, MADAM CHAIR.
CHAIR, UH, CHAIRWOMAN MITCHELL.
WE HAVE A QUORUM, SO WE WILL CONTINUE.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE IS OUR PUBLIC COMMENT.
AT THIS TIME, WE WILL OPEN THE FLOOR IF A 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 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 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 AND OUR AUDIENCE WHO HAVE SIGNED UP, I WILL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS THE, UH, DRAFT MINUTES FROM OUR JANUARY 12TH, 2024 BOARD MEETING.
UH, NOW WE WILL CONSIDER THE MEETING MINUTES FROM THAT MEETING.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY CORRECTIONS OR ADDITIONS TO THE MIN TO THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED? HOPEFULLY EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THEM.
AT THIS TIME, WE'LL HAVE A VOICE VOTE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? OKAY.
UH, DIRECTOR BAIRD IS THE MAY THE MOTION DIRECTOR, HUFF DID THE SECOND.
ANY FURTHER COMMENTS OR DISCUSSION? OKAY.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ANYONE OPPOSED? OKAY.
THE MEETING MINUTES ARE APPROVED.
ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS THE CHAIR'S REPORT.
THIS IS A MONTHLY UPDATE OF ACTIVITIES AND OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS.
I DO NOT HAVE MUCH TO REPORT THIS MONTH, BUT I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT A FEW, UH, TOPICS.
FIRST, I WANT TO WISH EVERYONE A SAFE AND ENJOYABLE SPRING BREAK FOR THOSE WHO HAVE CHILDREN IN THE HOUSTON AREA, SCHOOL SYSTEMS OR IN COLLEGE.
I KNOW SOME OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS ARE ABSENT TODAY BECAUSE OF SPRING BREAK, SO WE WISH THEM A PLEASANT BREAK AND, AND A GOOD TIME.
I ALSO WANNA THANK, UH, DIRECTORS CALABRESE AND BAIRD FOR JOINING ME THIS WEEK AT THE VIRTUAL HFSC COMPANY MEETING.
I APPRECIATE BOTH OF YOU TAKING TIME OUT OF YOUR VERY BUSY SCHEDULES TO ATTEND AND TO GET TO KNOW, UH, MORE ABOUT OUR STAFF AND, AND, UH, THE INNER WORKINGS OF HFSC.
I'M SURE YOU SHARE MY SENTIMENTS REGARDING HOW WELL THE MEETING WENT AND HOW NICE IT WAS TO SEE OUR STAFF MEMBERS' PERSONALITIES THROUGHOUT THE MEETING FOR OUR OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, PLEASE KNOW THE INVITATION TO ATTEND A COMPANY MEETING IS A STANDING INVITATION FOR ALL MEMBERS, AND MS. ZI WILL BE SURE THAT YOU HAVE ALL THE CALENDAR INVITES FOR FUTURE DATES.
LASTLY, I WANNA MAKE THE BOARD AWARE OF A CONTRACT AMENDMENT AND BUDGET ADJUSTMENT THAT WAS MADE, UH, DURING THE LAST FEW WEEKS.
THIS AMENDMENT WAS FOR AN, AN EXISTING GRANT FUNDED CONTRACT THAT THE BOARD APPROVED DURING THE JANUARY, 2023 BOARD MEETING.
THE AGREEMENT IS WITH SIGNATURE SCIENCE FOR DNA OUTSOURCING SERVICES, AND IT IS FUNDED BY THE FY 2022 B-J-A-D-N-A CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT AND BACKLOG REDUCTION GRANT.
DUE TO A SECOND ROUND OF COST SAVINGS, WE WERE ABLE TO INCREASE THE BUDGET AGAIN, UH, TO A $1,733,966, WHICH IS SIGNIFICANT FOR OUR OUTSOURCING NEEDS AS A REM AS A REMINDER, THE ORIGINAL, UH, INITIAL BUDGET FOR THIS PROJECT WAS JUST A LITTLE OVER 1.1 MILLION BECAUSE THIS IS AN, UH, WAS A TIME SENSITIVE AMENDMENT TO A GRANT FUNDED CONTRACT.
THE BOARD HAD PREVIOUSLY CONSENTED TO MY APPROVAL OF THESE AMENDMENTS ON THE BOARD'S BEHALF WHEN NECESSARY, AS WAS THE CASE HERE.
SIMILARLY, IT IS MY PRACTICE TO UPDATE THE BOARD ABOUT ANY AMENDMENTS I AUTHORIZE AS I AM DOING RIGHT NOW.
AS ALWAYS, WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING, ESPECIALLY FROM OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS.
SO THANK YOU DR. CASTILLO AND YOUR TEAM FOR ALL THE HARD WORK ON GETTING THIS DONE AND MOVING FORWARD.
[00:05:01]
AND WITH THAT, WE WILL PROCEED TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX, WHICH IS A REPORT FROM DR. PETER STOUT, OUR PRESIDENT, AND CEO, INCLUDING AN OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS, TECHNICAL UPDATES, AND OTHER CORPORATE BUSINESS ITEMS. DR. STOUT, YOU HAVE FOUR? GOOD MORNING, Y'ALL.CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? ALRIGHT, FIRST UP, A FEW JUST BROADER UPDATES OF THE WHOLE ORGANIZATION.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 30 STAFF MEMBERS IN TRAINING.
THAT IS ABOUT 15% OF THE ORGANIZATION THAT IS SOMEWHERE IN TRAINING.
UH, THE GOOD NEWS OUTTA THAT IS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HIRE A LOT OF FOLKS, WHICH IS, WHICH IS GREAT.
THE RECRUITING'S BEEN GOING WELL.
I MEAN, THE, THE DOWNSIDE OF IT IS, IS THAT IS A LARGE TRAINING DEMAND.
UM, I WILL SAY I HAVE BEEN TALKING WITH A VARIETY OF LABORATORIES AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT THIS IS A PRETTY COMMON SITUATION OF LOTS OF PEOPLE IN TRAINING.
UH, 'CAUSE WE'VE ALL BEEN STRUGGLING BASICALLY WITH THE SAME KIND OF SITUATION.
OUT OF THAT, WE'VE GOT FIVE, UH, IN FIREARMS EXAMINER TRAINING.
WE HAVE SEVEN IN DNA ANALYST TRAINING, AND WE'VE GOT THREE NCS DRUGS ANALYST TRAINING.
SO AS THOSE PEOPLE COME ONLINE AND IN PRODUCTION, WE WILL START TO SEE SOME SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS TO CAPACITY IN THOSE PARTICULAR DISCIPLINES, WHICH CLEARLY HAVE BEEN THE DISCIPLINES EVERYBODY'S OUTSIDE IS MOST INTERESTED IN.
UM, WE HAVE NOW, UH, IN LATENT PRINTS AND MULTIMEDIA, BOTH OF THOSE HISTORIC BACKLOGS HAVE BEEN CLEARED.
WE ARE SUSTAINABLY OPERATING ON CURRENT CASES.
SO THAT'S BOTH THE LATENT PRINT EXAMINATIONS AS WELL AS THE LATENT PRINT PROCESSING.
SO I THINK THERE'S, YOU KNOW, A REAL CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THOSE TEAMS. THEY'VE DONE A REMARKABLE JOB THAT IS NO SMALL TASK, NO EASY TASK, AND SOMETHING THAT'S EASY TO GO, OKAY, YEAH, NOW WHAT'S NEXT? BUT GIVING 'EM A MINUTE TO ENJOY THE FACT THAT THEY'VE REALLY DONE SOMETHING PRETTY REMARKABLE THERE.
UM, MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S CLEAR OF THAT.
UH, IN TALKING WITH OUR OUTSOURCED VENDOR LAB THAT WE USE IN DNA, THEY HAVE MADE PROGRESS IN THEIR TRAINING AND RECRUITING AND RETENTION, AND THEY ARE EXPECTING TO BE CLOSER TO THE 60 DAY, UM, TURNAROUND TIME.
THAT IS WHAT THE EXPECTATION IS IN THE CONTRACT.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT WILL ALSO HELP IN CAPACITY AND THROUGHPUT AND WHAT THE REST OF THE WORLD IS SEEING IN DNA RESULTS HERE SOON.
LAST ONE THAT I PUT ON THERE, I WANNA MAKE SURE IT WAS CLEAR THAT I'M INVOLVED IN THIS, BUT ALSO THAT IN OUR NEXT NEWSLETTER, NANCY AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT, UM, WAYS THAT WE CAN HIGHLIGHT HOW, UH, OTHER STAFF WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION THAT ARE INVOLVED IN SOME PRETTY REMARKABLE THINGS.
WE CAN HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND OTHER THINGS THAT PEOPLE ARE DOING.
BUT I WAS JUST NOMINATED TO A NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES STUDY SECTION.
UH, THIS ONE IS SPECIFIC ON THE REPORTING OF DEATH AND CUSTODY CASES.
AND PARTICULARLY THE INTEREST IS, UNFORTUNATELY, THE DEATH AND CUSTODY SITUATION IN THE COUNTRY IS A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM, AND IT HAS BECOME A TOXICOLOGY CHALLENGE AS WELL.
DEATHS FROM OVERDOSE IN CUSTODY ARE SIGNIFICANT.
AND HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THAT? SO IT'S, UH, I LOOK AT THE, THE GRO THE FIRST MEETING OF IT IS HERE, THE FIRST PART OF APRIL.
UM, THE COMMITMENT TO IT IS AN 18 MONTH SEC STUDY SECTION.
SO THERE'LL BE MULTIPLE MEETINGS ACROSS THAT FOR A ULTIMATE REPORT.
IT PROBABLY, THE NAS DOESN'T DO TERRIBLY.
MANY OF THESE, UH, OTHER NAS REPORTS, WE STILL REFER TO THE ONE THAT THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES DID ON FORENSIC SCIENCES THAT CAME OUT IN 2009, IS STILL A CENTRAL DOCUMENT THAT ALL OF US LOOK AT THESE, THESE REPORTS TEND TO HAVE LARGE IMPACT.
SO IT'S A HUGE HONOR TO BE PART OF IT.
IT'S A LITTLE INTIMIDATING TO BE ON A COMMITTEE THAT'S FULL OF FEDERAL APPELLATE COURT JUDGES AND
BUT NO, IT'S, IT'S BEEN A REAL HONOR, BUT I, I ALSO WANT TO, YEAH, SURE I'M THERE, BUT REALLY WE'VE GOT STAFF THAT ARE INVOLVED IN AN AWFUL LOT OF THINGS LIKE THIS.
SO WE'LL WORK ON MAKING SURE THAT WE MAKE THAT EVIDENT.
ANY QUESTIONS ON JUST GENERAL UPDATES? NO.
SO, UH, ONE THING TO MAKE SURE WE SENT OUT, UM, SOME INFORMATION ON THIS TO BOTH THE DA'S OFFICE AND HPD ALREADY.
'CAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE MOST INVOLVED WITH THIS.
WE ARE MAKING A CHANGE IN FIREARMS ON WHAT WE CALL TRIGGER PULL MEASUREMENTS.
SO THE LITTLE REPEATING VIDEO THERE THAT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
YOU'VE GOT BASICALLY A MEASURING DEVICE TO MEASURE THE PRESSURE THAT IT TAKES TO DEPRESS
[00:10:01]
A TRIGGER AND FIRE A WEAPON.UM, WE GET, EH, NOT A WHOLE LOT OF REQUESTS FOR THIS.
MOST OF THE REQUESTS WE GET ARE IN ASSOCIATION WITH O UH, OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTINGS.
BUT THIS IS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S ON THE SCALE OF FIVE TO 10 REQUESTS A MONTH.
AND THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE AS WE'RE EVALUATING A NEW STANDARD THAT HAS COME OUT, UM, A-C-A-S-B BEST PRACTICE RECOMMENDATIONS BPR 1 0 7 FOR TRIGGER PULL ANALYSIS, IT HAS MADE US STOP AND THINK AS WE TRY TO IMPLEMENT THIS, WE'RE LOOKING AT TOO MUCH VARIABILITY IN THOSE MEASUREMENTS.
UM, NOW THAT HAS A WHOLE BUNCH OF REASONS UNDER IT.
UH, WE WILL BE REACHING OUT TO LABORATORIES TO SEE WHAT OTHER LABORATORIES GET IN THIS.
ARE THERE WAYS THAT WE CAN REDUCE THE VARIABILITY IN THIS MEASUREMENT, BUT IT'S TOO VARIABLE.
UM, THIS IS A RESULT THAT GETS USED IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
AND THIS IS ALSO WHAT WE'RE PARTICULARLY CONCERNED OF, IS HOW DO WE REDUCE THE RISK IN THIS FOR THE REST OF THE SYSTEM, THE SYSTEM, HOW WE EDUCATE THE SYSTEM ABOUT THE APPROPRIATE USE.
EVEN IF WE'RE ABLE TO REDUCE THE VARIABILITY TO SOMETHING THAT WE DEEM ACCEPTABLE AND FITS THE NEW REQUIREMENTS, THERE STILL IS A RISK OF INAPPROPRIATE USE OF THESE RESULTS.
SO OUR CHOICE HAS BEEN, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE TAKING A PAUSE ON DOING THIS.
UH, AND JACKIE WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, THE IMPLICATIONS FOR THAT IN ACCREDITATION, BECAUSE WE'VE HAD TO TELL OUR ACCREDITING BODY TELL TFSC THAT WE'RE PAUSING ON THIS REMOVED FROM OUR, UM, SCOPE OF ACCREDITATION TEMPORARILY.
THERE'S, THERE'S OTHER IMPLICATIONS THAT GO WITH THAT, AND JACKIE WILL HELP DESCRIBE THAT.
BUT EVEN AFTER WE EVALUATE ALL THIS, JUST TO KIND OF GIVE PEOPLE SOME BACKGROUND ON THIS, OUR EXAMINERS, HFSC EXAMINERS HAVE NEVER TESTIFIED ABOUT THE INTENT.
THIS IS A NUMBER, THE NUMBER DOESN'T REALLY TELL YOU ANYTHING ABOUT WHETHER SOMEBODY INTENDED TO PULL THAT TRIGGER OR IF IT WAS AN UNINTENTIONAL DISCHARGE OR THOSE THINGS.
SO OUR FOLKS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN REAL CAREFUL TO TESTIFY THAT THIS IS A NUMBER.
THERE REALLY ISN'T ANY DATA SET OR VALIDATIONS TO TRY AND INDICATE SOME NUMBER ACTUALLY MEANS SOMETHING.
SO WHERE THERE'S NO DATA THAT THEY CAN GO TO LOOK AT, THERE'S NO WAY TO EVALUATE AN EXPECTED STANDARD TRIGGER PULL.
THERE IS A LARGE VARIABILITY IN THIS BETWEEN WEAPONS.
THERE ARE VARIOUS TRIGGER FUNCTIONALITIES THAT FLY IN THE FACE OF MAKING THIS.
SO, UH, ONE IN PARTICULAR IS CALLED A BINARY TRIGGER THAT FIRES BOTH WHEN YOU DEPRESS THE TRIGGER AND WHEN YOU RELEASE THE TRIGGER.
SO HOW DO YOU MEASURE THE PULL WEIGHT OF BOTH OF THOSE ACTIONS? UM, ALL OF THESE THINGS GO INTO THIS.
SO YOU CAN'T REALLY DIFFERENTIATE UNINTENTIONAL FROM INTENTIONAL.
UH, SO EVEN IF WE ARE ABLE TO REDUCE THE VARIABILITY TO SOMETHING ACCEPTABLE, THAT'S NOT GONNA CHANGE IN HOW WE TREAT REPORT AND TESTIFY ABOUT THESE RESULTS.
ON THE OTHER SIDE, WE WILL STILL EVALUATE FUNCTIONALITY OF WEAPONS.
UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CONTINUE TO DO, HAVE ALREADY DONE TESTIFY TO THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE WEAPON THAT THE SAFETIES AND ALL THE THINGS WORK AS EXPECTED ON A WEAPON.
BUT THIS TRIGGER PULL PART IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO TAKE A PAUSE ON.
UH, SO WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA PAUSE FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS WHILE WE EVALUATE THIS.
IT IS A SMALL ENOUGH NUMBER OF REQUESTS.
THERE IS THE REAL QUESTION OF IF IT IS ECONOMIC FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO IT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS.
'CAUSE WHAT WE MAY NEED TO DO IN THIS, TO DO IT APPROPRIATELY MAY BE REALLY MORE COSTLY THAN IT MERITS FOR FIVE REQUESTS A MONTH.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS? I CAN ANSWER.
JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT'S CLEAR TO EVERYBODY WHAT WE'RE DOING.
I JUST HAVE A GENERAL QUESTION.
OH, WHEN I READ ABOUT AN ACCIDENTAL DISCHARGE MM-HMM
OF A FIREARM, AND MOST RECENTLY, I THINK I READ ONE ABOUT, I THINK I'M RIGHT, A 2-YEAR-OLD, BUT MAYBE IT WAS A 3-YEAR-OLD, BUT I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT THEY, YOU HAD TO HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PRESSURE TO BE ABLE TO PULL THAT TRIGGER.
AND I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT BEING THE CASE WITH A TWO OR 3-YEAR-OLD.
I KNOW IT DOESN'T HAVE TO DO SPECIFICALLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
SO, BUT I WAS SORT OF CURIOUS.
TOXICOLOGIST NOT A FIREARMS EXAMINER.
SO, YOU KNOW, LIKE A LITTLE BIT, A LITTLE BIT OUTSIDE OF MY EXPERTISE.
BUT THE, THE THING IS, IS THERE ARE NO REQUIREMENTS ABOUT WHAT IS AN APPROPRIATE TRIGGER PULL WEIGHT.
[00:15:01]
SO DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU PULL IT ALONG THAT TRIGGER, THE PRESSURE NEEDED IS GONNA BE DIFFERENT ALONG THE TRIGGER.UM, DIFFERENT FUNCTIONALITIES DO VERY DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY 2-YEAR-OLD CAN PULL A FAIR BIT OF WEIGHT.
SO EVEN SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD THINK, AND THIS IS, THIS IS WHAT I MEAN BY THE NUMBER MEANS VERY LITTLE.
UM, AND THERE REALLY ISN'T SOME MAGICAL NUMBER ABOVE WHICH A 2-YEAR-OLD COULDN'T PULL IT AND SOME NUMBER BELOW WHICH YOU WOULD THINK IT'S POSSIBLE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THAT? ALL RIGHT.
SO BUDGET, THE BIG PART, IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR TO TALK ABOUT BUDGET.
DAVID WILL GO OVER SOME MORE OF THE DETAILS IN THIS.
I JUST WANTED TO COVER KIND OF THE HIGH LEVEL STRATEGY AND NEEDS IN THE BUDGET.
THIS IS A BUDGET THAT WE ARE PROPOSING AFTER DISCUSSIONS WITH, UM, MAYOR'S OFFICE ABOUT HOW WE SHOULD GO AT THIS.
AND AS EVERY YEAR THERE'S WHAT WE PASS THIS TIME, THERE WILL BE MORE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CITY ABOUT ALL OF THE DECISIONS THAT THEY'VE GOT TO MAKE AND HOW THIS FITS IN ALL OF THAT.
I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF WE'VE GOT TO COME BACK WITH A REVISED BUDGET.
BUT OUR PURPOSE WITH THIS IS TO TRY AND PUT OUT THERE WHAT WE THINK WE WOULD NEED TO ACTUALLY MAKE SOME PROGRESS.
REMEMBER, LAST YEAR'S BUDGET WAS REALLY ABOUT TRYING TO JUST SIMPLY STABILIZE THINGS.
THIS ONE IS TO TRY AND MAKE PROGRESS.
NOW, TO BE REALLY CLEAR IN THAT, THAT'S TO BEGIN TO MAKE PROGRESS.
NOT ACTUALLY SOLVE ANY OF THESE BACKLOGS, BUT ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO MAKE PROGRESS ON THEM.
UM, I THINK EVERYBODY SEEMS TO HAVE IN THEIR HEADS UNDERSTAND, BE ABLE TO SEE THERE ARE NO INSTANTANEOUS SOLUTIONS TO ANY OF THIS.
UM, IT TAKES TIME TO TRAIN PEOPLE.
IT TAKES TIME TO RECRUIT PEOPLE.
IT'S GONNA TAKE TIME TO MAKE REAL IMPACT.
BUT IF WE DON'T START INVESTING NOW, THIS ONLY GETS WORSE OVER TIME.
SO THIS BUDGET IS ABOUT STARTING TO MAKE THAT PROGRESS.
WHAT'S IN THE FY 25 BUDGET, UH, IN FORENSIC BIOLOGY IS BASICALLY A STRATEGY OF MONEY THAT'S THERE.
THAT OVER THIS YEAR AND THE COMING YEARS, WE CAN BALANCE HOW MUCH WE OUTSOURCE AND HOW MUCH WE ADD OF PERSONNEL.
WE'RE TARGETING ADDING ABOUT FOUR NEW ANALYSTS TO THE GROUP OVER THE COMING FIVE YEARS, AND THEN SCALE THE DIFFERENCE OF WHAT WE WOULD BE OUTSOURCING.
SO PRETTY MUCH AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS, WE WOULD OUTSOURCE FAR LESS BECAUSE WE'VE GOT ADEQUATE ANALYSTS IN PLACE, AND NEXT YEAR WE WOULD OUTSOURCE MORE.
ALSO, KEEPING IN MIND THE FEDERAL MONEY THAT WE CAN PREDICT WILL BE THERE IS NOT KEEPING PACE WITH THE COST AND PACE OF THINGS WE NEED TO OUTSOURCE.
SO WE'VE GOTTA MAKE UP THAT GAP BETWEEN WHAT WE WOULD STILL BE OUTSOURCING USING FEDERAL DOLLARS, BUT WE DON'T GET ENOUGH FEDERAL DOLLARS TO OUTSOURCE AT THE COST AND PACE THAT WE NEED TO.
UH, WE ARE LOOKING TO ADD FIREARMS EXAMINERS IN THIS, UM, AND ANTICIPATING THE EVER INCREASING COMPLEXITY OF THINGS WITH MORE PERSONNEL IN PLACE.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING TO ADD TO SUPPORT FUNCTIONS, SPECIFICALLY QUALITY R AND D.
AND KEEP IN MIND R AND D IS OUR SECTION THAT PRECIOUS OVER THERE IS, CAN ARTICULATE VERY WELL.
THEY, THEY DO ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT SUPPORT ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION.
SO IT'S NOT JUST SIMPLY WHAT YOU WOULD THINK OF IN R AND D.
THEY HAVE BECOME OUR SECTION THAT FILLS IN JACK OF ALL TRADES KINDS OF STUFF AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS ACROSS THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION.
CLIENT SERVICES, CLEARLY ALL THE DOCUMENTATION DEMANDS, ALL OF THE REQUEST DEMANDS, ALL OF THOSE INTERACTIONS WITH DAS INVESTIGATORS, OTHERS, UH, OUR LEGAL GROUP HAS BECOME A CENTRAL COMPONENT IN DEALING WITH LITIGATION MATTERS THAT ARE PART OF THE WORK PRODUCT.
HOW DO WE DEAL WITH LAST MINUTE SUBPOENAS AND DEMANDS FROM JUDGES AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT FALLS TO ALA'S GROUP.
SO WE NEED MORE SUPPORT IN THERE.
UM, WE HAVE A, SOME CAPITAL INVESTMENTS WE NEED TO MAKE IN IT, UH, TO KEEP UP WITH SECURITY DEMANDS AND AGING EQUIPMENT THERE.
AND THEN JUST SIMPLY MORE PEOPLE MEAN MORE IT DEMANDS AND MORE FACILITY DEMANDS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING TO ADD TO THOSE.
AND THERE'S ALSO SOME ANTICIPATION LOOKING AT THE LAST ITEM IN THERE OF, AS WE LOOK TO POTENTIALLY
[00:20:01]
TRANSITION PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE IN NEXT FY THOSE SUPPORT SERVICES ARE GONNA HAVE ADDITIONAL DEMANDS.SO WE'RE TRYING TO ANTICIPATE THE NEEDS THAT ARE GONNA BE THERE.
BACK TO TALKING ABOUT THE QTOF IN TOXICOLOGY.
UH, REMEMBER THAT IS THE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY, TANDEM SPECTROMETRY WITH TIME OF FLIGHT, ACCURATE MASS, BIG MOUTHFUL.
IT'S AN INSTRUMENT THAT IS SPECIFICALLY ALLOWS US TO HAVE GREATER IT.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A LESS SPECIFIC INSTRUMENT.
IT GIVES US GREATER ABILITY TO DETECT MORE DRUGS WE USE, WOULD USE IT AS A SCREENING INSTRUMENT BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY MORE DRUGS TO TRY AND DETECT IN BOTH IMPAIRED DRIVING CASES AND IN DRUG FACILITATED SEXUAL ASSAULT CASES.
UM, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS INSTRUMENT FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS.
WE'VE PUSHED IT OFF AND PUSHED IT OFF.
UM, THE GROUP HAS MANAGED ALONG QUITE WELL, BUT WE NEED TO GET IT IN PLACE.
YOU KNOW, I'VE TALKED A NUMBER OF TIMES ABOUT THE GENERATIONAL SHIFT THAT WE ARE SEEING TO MORE DRUGS ON BOARD.
THE, THE YOUNGER THE DRIVER IS, THE MORE LIKELY THEY ARE TO BE DRUGGED, NOT DRUNK.
THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS ABOUT INCREASING TRAFFIC INTERDICTION AND ENFORCEMENT.
UM, THAT'S GONNA MEAN MORE DEMAND ON THIS.
SO WE NEED TO START GETTING THE INSTRUMENTATION IN PLACE.
SO THERE'S ACCOMMODATION FOR THAT INVESTMENT IN THERE.
THERE'S ACCOMMODATION FOR INVESTING IN EXPANDING CRIME SCENE.
AGAIN, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS FOR YEARS.
UM, OUR 27 TO 30 CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATORS THAT COVER THE ENTIRETY OF THE GEOGRAPHIC SPACE OF HOUSTON 24 7 IS JUST NOT EVEN CLOSELY KIND OF, SORT OF POSSIBLY ENOUGH.
WE HAVE THREE TO FOUR PEOPLE ON A SHIFT.
AND, UM, THE, THE LAKEWOOD SHOOTING WAS A CLASSIC.
WE HAD PEOPLE FROM TWO SHIFTS OVER AT LAKEWOOD CHURCH DEALING WITH THAT SCENE AND ANOTHER HOMICIDE THAT DROPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.
THIS IS WHAT THEY FACE ALL THE TIME.
SO THE PROPOSAL IN THERE IS TO ADD TWO ACADEMY CLASSES, BASICALLY TWO GROUPS THAT WE WOULD TRAIN AS A COHORT OF SEVEN CSIS EACH TO TRY AND ADD ABOUT 14 CSIS TO CSU ACROSS NEXT YEAR.
AND THEN, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE'VE GOT ANTICIPATING AND IF, IF WE'RE REALLY GONNA DO PROPERTY, THERE HAS TO BE RESOURCES IN THERE FOR MOVE COSTS, FOR DESIGN COSTS, FOR CONSULTING COSTS TO HELP IN ALL OF THAT EFFORT AND WHAT WE WOULD SPEND IN THE ADDITIONAL LEASE COSTS.
SO THAT'S ALSO ANTICIPATED IN THIS BUDGET.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, DAVID WILL TALK THROUGH MORE OF THE SPECIFIC NUMBERS ON THIS, BUT YOU CAN SEE IN NEXT YEAR, WE ANTICIPATE THE ARPA FUNDING, THE AMERICAN RECOVERY ACT MONEY THAT WE HAVE BEEN USING THAT IS ALL GOING AWAY.
SO THAT'S A NEGATIVE IN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER FROM OUR CURRENT FISCAL YEAR INTO NEXT FISCAL YEAR, WHAT THE DIFFERENCES ARE.
AND THEN EACH OF THE VARIOUS CHUNKS FOR EACH OF THE VARIOUS SECTIONS THAT WE WOULD ANTICIPATE ADDING TO THE BUDGET.
ARE THERE STRATEGIC AND HIGH LEVEL QUESTIONS I CAN ANSWER ABOUT THE BUDGET RIGHT NOW? CERTAINLY COULDN'T ANSWER MORE QUESTIONS AS DAVID WALKS THROUGH THE BUDGET.
YEAH, IT'S, IT'S A BIG, IT'S, IT'S A BIG CHUNK.
KEEP IN MIND A LOT OF THAT IS BASICALLY REPLACING WHAT WE HAVE HAD IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET IN ARPA THAT WAS VERY SPECIFICALLY PROGRAMMED.
COULD YOU GET ANY SENTENCE FROM MAYOR WHITMEYER HOW HE FEELS ABOUT THIS? UM, I HAVE NOT TALKED WITH MAYOR WHITMEYER DIRECTLY.
I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU I I'VE TALKED WITH SENIOR STAFF.
UM, THEY, THEY SEEM SUPPORTIVE OF THE IDEA.
WHAT I SAW IN THE PAPER THIS MORNING WAS HE'S ASKING FOR A 5% CUT.
WE'RE GOING, WE'RE GOING DIRECTLY IN OPPOSITION TO THAT.
UH, BUT AS, LIKE I SAY, AS I'VE TALKED WITH SENIOR STAFF, THEY'RE, THEY'RE SUPPORTIVE OF IT.
HPD IS CERTAINLY SUPPORTIVE OF IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND LIKE I SAY, I MEAN THE, WE WERE ASKED TO PROPOSE SOMETHING THAT WOULD MAKE PROGRESS THIS YEAR.
THIS IS WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO MAKE PROGRESS.
AND I FULLY APPRECIATE THE CITY HAS IMPOSSIBLE DECISIONS TO MAKE.
WE MAY HAVE TO COME BACK AND RECONSIDER WHAT WE'RE DOING, BUT YOU KNOW, AT LEAST GIVING THEM THE INFORMATION SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE A CLEAR EYE CHOICE ABOUT WHAT RISKS TO ACCEPT AND WHAT THINGS TO FUND.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
[00:25:01]
NOW MOVING TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SEVEN.THIS IS, UH, FOR THE BOARD TO CONSIDER APPROVAL OF AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN HFSC AND TART COUNTY TEXAS MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE FOR FIREARMS EVIDENCE COMPARISON OUTSOURCING SERVICES, AND RELATED ACTION.
UH, THE, UH, AGREEMENT BEFORE YOU TODAY WILL ASSIST WITH THE CURRENT FIREARMS BACKLOG BA BY OUTSOURCING SELECTED CASEWORK TO THE TARRANT COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE.
AS DR. STOUT HAS UH, MENTIONED IN PREVIOUS MEETINGS, HFSC DOES NOT HAVE MANY OPTIONS FOR OUTSOURCING IN THIS SECTION, BUT HE AND THE TEAM HAVE WORKED DILIGENTLY TO FIND US AN OPTION.
THE TOTAL ALL, UH, ALLOTTED BUDGET FOR THIS PROJECT WILL NOT EXCEED A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AND SINCE THIS IS AN AGREEMENT WITH ANOTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENTITY, THE CONTRACT WILL BE IN THE FORM OF AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT.
AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN THE FLOOR TO DR. STOUT TO ADD ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS.
ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD? HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON IT.
WHAT I WILL SAY IS, TARRANT COUNTY HAS TWO FIREARMS EXAMINERS UP THERE.
I ALSO KNOW THAT TEXAS DPS HAS CONTRACTED WITH THEM FOR SOME WORK.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE, THIS IS NOT A MAGICAL SOLUTION.
UH, THERE IS SOME CAPACITY THERE.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR ANY AND ALL PLACES THAT WE CAN HELP MOVE THINGS ALONG.
THIS WILL HELP, BUT IT'S NOT GONNA SOLVE.
UM, I APPRECIATE, UH, JODY KLEIN IS THE DIRECTOR UP THERE HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL WITH US.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK EVERYBODY'S, THE LABORATORY COMMUNITY IN TEXAS IS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF EACH OTHER.
WE ALL KNOW EACH OTHER, WE ALL KNOW EACH OTHER'S CHALLENGES.
UM, WE REALLY DO TRY TO HELP WHEREVER THEY CAN.
AND THIS IS, THIS IS PRETTY MUCH IT FOR ANY PLACE THAT WE CAN SEND SOMETHING.
AND THAT'S ON CHAIN OF CUSTODY, BECAUSE I NOTICED THERE WERE TRANSPORTATION COSTS IN THERE.
AND IT MADE ME WONDER, SO WE'RE SENDING AT UPS YEAH.
WELL, PROBABLY SOME OF THIS STUFF WILL GET, AND BASICALLY SOMEBODY WILL TAKE IT UP THERE.
EVIDENCE MOVES THROUGH UPS AND FEDEX AROUND THIS COUNTRY ALL THE TIME.
UM, IT IS, IT IS AN ACCEPTED WAY OF DOING THINGS THAT IS A NORMAL FUNCTION.
I MEAN, LITERALLY MILLIONS OF ITEMS MOVE AROUND THE COUNTRY LIKE THAT.
WHAT IS A REALITY IS EVEN WITH BEING ABLE TO GET THE TESTING DONE THERE, THERE STILL IS GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE FOR THE COURTS IN TESTIMONY ON THESE CASES, BECAUSE NOW YOU'VE GOT, THOSE ANALYSTS ARE GONNA HAVE TO COME HERE.
THEY'RE GONNA HAVE THE SAME CHALLENGE THAT EVERY COURT HAS.
AN ANALYST THAT'S SITTING HERE IN THE COURTHOUSE ISN'T THERE GETTING STUFF DONE.
AND NOW YOU ALSO HAVE THE TRIP FROM THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH AREA DOWN TO HOUSTON.
AND THAT THIS, WE, WE STRUGGLE WITH THIS WITH ALL OUTSOURCING IS WHEN IT COMES TO THE TIME FOR TESTIMONY, SUPPORT OF IT, IT GETS COMPLICATED FOR EVERYBODY.
WE WILL NOW HAVE A VOICE VOTE TO APPROVE THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN TARRANT COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE AND THE CORPORATION FOR FIREARMS EVIDENCE COMPARISON OUTSOURCING SERVICES.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? OKAY.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS? OKAY.
UH, THIS IS, UH, UH, FOR ANOTHER AGREEMENT FOR US TO CONSIDER APPROVAL OF THE PURCHASE OF DNA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT FROM, IS IT KAIGEN? IS THAT HOW THEY PRONOUNCE IT? OKAY.
I GOT IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.
UH, TO BE FUNDED BY THE FY 2023 BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE COMPETITIVE, DNA CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT AND BACKLOG REDUCTION FEDERAL GRANT, THAT'S A LOT.
UH, THE TOTAL BUDGET IS NOT TO EXCEED $527,090.
UM, AS A REMINDER, UH, WE WERE RECENTLY AWARDED THIS, UH, GRANT TO REPLACE EQUIPMENT USED FOR DNA EXTRACTION THAT IS AGING OUT AND WILL NO LONGER BE SERVICEABLE IN THE COMING YEARS.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT BGA HAS OFFERED A COMPETITIVE VERSION OF THIS GRANT.
AND HFSC WAS AWARDED THESE FUNDS TO CONTINUE WORKING THROUGH OUR SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS, WHICH IS A PRIORITY FOR THE CORPORATION.
AND OF COURSE, OUR STAKEHOLDERS DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF THE PURCHASE.
DR. STOUT IS BRINGING THIS TO THE BOARD FOR A VOTE.
UH, DR. STOUT, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD ABOUT THIS? I THINK WHAT YOU EXPLAINED THERE COVERS IT PRETTY WELL.
THESE ARE CENTRAL PIECES OF EQUIPMENT.
WE NEED TO REPLACE 'EM AND IT'S GRANT FUNDED, SO.
[00:30:01]
RIGHT.SINCE THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, WE WILL NOW HAVE ANOTHER VOICE VOTE TO APPROVE THE PURCHASE OF THE DNA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT FROM QIAGEN.
UH, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED.
YOU, YOU TWO CAN ARGUE IT OUT AND FIGHT IT OUT.
I'LL HAVE THE MOTION BY DIRECTOR HUFF AND THE SECOND BY DIRECTOR BAYER.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ANYONE OPPOSED? OKAY.
OKAY, NOW WE'RE MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER NINE, WHICH IS A PRESENTATION FROM MR. DAVID LEACH, WHO IS OUR TREASURER AND CFO REGARDING THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2025 BUDGET.
DAVID, TURN ON YOUR MICROPHONE.
HOPEFULLY THAT WILL MAKE EVERYTHING EASIER AS FAR AS, UH, THE DISCUSSION.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF NUMBERS.
UM, JUST LIKE TO GET IT OUT THERE TO YOU BEFOREHAND SO YOU HAVE TIME TO KINDA GET FAMILIAR WITH IT A LITTLE BIT.
AND, UH, SPEED, UH, THE TIME UP HERE TO MAYBE MORE MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SOME DETAILS IF NEED BE, INSTEAD OF JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
SO LET ME, LET ME DO IT THIS WAY.
I, I JUST WANNA LAY A PICTURE, UH, OUT FOR YOU IN THE, IN THE WAY FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND THIS OR, OR THE APPROACH THAT I TAKE ON THIS, UH, THE FISCAL YEAR.
WE, WE START WITH WHERE WE ARE THIS YEAR.
SO I DON'T HAVE ALL THE NUMBERS FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR, RIGHT? I'VE GOT ACTUAL NUMBERS THROUGH JANUARY, AND THEN I, I PREDICT OR FORECAST, ESTIMATE THE REST OF THE YEAR.
SO IN ALL OF THESE CHARTS WHERE YOU SEE THE STARTING POINT, THAT'S THE STARTING 0.7 MONTHS OF ACTUALS, RIGHT? AND THEN THE REST OF THE YEAR ESTIMATED ON WHERE WE'LL SPEND THE YEAR.
AND THEN WHAT I TRY TO DO IS SAY, OKAY, IF WE STARTED THERE, RIGHT, AND NEXT YEAR WAS THE SAME, THEN YOU WOULD JUST SEE THE STARTING POINT.
THE ENDING POINT IS JUST THE SAME, BUT IT'S NEVER THE SAME.
I TRY TO SHOW YOU HOW DO YOU GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B? WHAT ARE THE PIECES, RIGHT? SO ASKING YOU TO APPROVE THE STARTING POINT OF WHERE WE ARE, RIGHT? AND THEN THE CHANGES, UH, DR. STOUT JUST SPOKE ABOUT THE PROGRAMS. I'M GONNA SLAP SOME DOLLARS ON THOSE PROGRAMS THAT GET US FROM HERE TO THERE.
SO BEFORE WE DO THAT THOUGH, THERE'S, THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS THAT CHANGE IN THE BASE ASSUMPTION.
OKAY? SO WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT GETTING THE ARPA FUNDS, RIGHT? THAT'S ABOUT THREE AND A HALF A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, RIGHT? SO THAT'S A TAKEAWAY, OKAY? UM, BUT THE WORK STILL NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
UM, OR SOME, SOME FORM OF THAT.
WE HAVE, UH, AROUND 200 EMPLOYEES ON AVERAGE, WE GET AROUND THREE TO A THREE AND A HALF PERCENT PAY INCREASE.
SO THAT'S AN INCREASE YEAR OVER YEAR, RIGHT? HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS, WE KNOW THAT THOSE ARE GOING UP ABOUT 10%.
SO I, I KNOW THAT THAT INCREASES IN THERE YEAR OVER YEAR.
AND THEN I THREW ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN THERE.
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THE COST OF OUTSOURCING AND WHAT WE NEED TO OUTSOURCE, UH, IS NEEDED.
SO THE STARTING POINT HAS THAT BAKED IN.
AND THEN THE PROGRAMS. SO WHAT YOU'LL BE ASKED TO APPROVE IS THIS YEAR LESS ARPA, THOSE CHANGES PLUS THESE, THE DOLLARS FOR THESE PROGRAMS. SO THAT'S BIG PICTURE, OKAY? MAKE SENSE? ALRIGHT, SO LET'S SLAP SOME NUMBERS ON IT.
OKAY? SO IF YOU'LL GO TO THE SECOND SLIDE, AND THEN WHAT I'LL DO IS AFTER WE TALK ABOUT ALL THIS, THE LAST FIVE SLIDES, SLIDE 15 THROUGH 20 IS A DETAIL LINE BY LINE ITEM OF WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO APPROVE.
ALL THOSE NUMBERS APPEAR IN DETAIL.
I'M NOT GONNA GO OVER EACH LINE ITEM, BUT THE SUM OF THOSE LINE ITEMS ARE WHAT I'M SUMMARIZING FOR YOU AS FOR YOUR VOTE TO APPROVE THAT.
OKAY? SO BIGGER PICTURE YOU SEE ON THE LEFT WHERE WE ARE THIS YEAR, THESE ARE JUST PERCENTAGES.
THIS, THESE ARE PERCENTAGES BASED UPON THE BUDGET OF TH OF 33 MILLION, RIGHT? IT'S, MOST OF OUR COSTS ARE PEOPLE COST 63%.
THOSE OF YOU HAVE BEEN AROUND, WE'RE ALWAYS BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, 63 TO 70% PEOPLE COST.
THAT'S WHERE MOST OF OUR MONEY IS.
REALLY THE ONLY CHANGE BETWEEN PERCENTAGES BETWEEN FISCAL YEAR 24 AND THE BUDGET IS THE CHANGE IN THE ARPA, RIGHT? THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
THAT, THAT'S A, A MEANINGFUL CHANGE.
SO YOU HAVE 7% IN FISCAL YEAR.
24 OF OUR SPENDING WILL BE GRANTS AND AR AND I'M PREDICTING ABOUT WHERE THE BUDGET IS AROUND 4%.
OTHER THAN THAT IS BUSINESS AS USUAL.
NOW THE REASON CASH IS IMPORTANT IS BECAUSE WE'RE DESIGNED TO RUN OUT OF CASH EVERY YEAR.
WE DON'T SEE RECEIVE A MULTI-YEAR BUDGET AND WE DON'T HAVE AN ENDOWMENT FUND OR SOMETHING THAT WE'RE SITTING ON TO COVER THE GAPS, RIGHT? WE, IN A PERFECT WORLD,
[00:35:01]
I WOULD SIGN A CHECK THAT MAKES THE BANK ACCOUNT BALANCE GO TO ZERO ON JUNE 30TH, AND THEN WE WOULD RECEIVE A DEPOSIT AT MIDNIGHT ON JULY 4TH, AND WE'D GO ON FOR THE NEXT YEAR, RIGHT? BUT IF WE LIVED IN A PERFECT WORLD, WE WOULDN'T BE HERE.SO THAT, THAT'S NOT THE WAY IT WORKS.
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS, RIGHT, IS I ASK FOR A BUDGET TO FUND THE PEOPLE, WHICH IS THE MAJORITY OF OUR COST.
AND THEN WE EXPERIENCE TURNOVER, RIGHT? RIGHT NOW WE'RE AROUND 2020 EMPTY SEATS.
SO WE HAVE THE BUDGETED DOLLARS FOR THOSE SEATS, BUT I'M NOT INCURRING THE EXPENSE FOR THOSE SEATS, BUT I HAVE TO HAVE THE MONEY FOR IT, FOR US TO BE ABLE TO HIRE IT, RIGHT? SO I, OTHERWISE WE COULDN'T PAY 'EM AND NOBODY'S GONNA COME WORK FOR IT.
SO YOU'VE GOTTA ASK FOR THE AMOUNT AND THEN HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET CLOSER TO, YOU KNOW, PERFECT.
NOW WE'LL NEVER BE THERE, SO I ASSUME A 3% VACANCY ON THAT, BUT THAT, THAT CREATES A GAP IN CASH THAT WE HAVE FOR THE BUDGET AND CASH ACTUALLY SPENT.
AND WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL TRY TO GO THROUGH AS, AS THE EXECUTIVE TEAM AND ALLOCATE THAT EXTRA CASH.
BUT IT ALSO GETS A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED.
SO YOU'LL SEE HISTORICALLY THE CASH BALANCE, UH, 2017, AROUND 2 MILLION, IT GOES DOWN IN 2000.
AND IN 19 AND 22, I WAS HONESTLY, UH, WONDERING IF I WAS GONNA BE ABLE TO MAKE PAYROLL IN JULY.
BECAUSE ONCE THAT BALANCE GETS AROUND A MILLION DOLLARS SINCE, UM, THE CITY GETS US MONEY QUICK BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE SITUATION WE'RE IN, BUT IT STILL TAKES 'EM A PAYROLL OR TWO PAYROLLS BEFORE THEY CAN FUND OUR ACCOUNT.
WELL, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T TELL PEOPLE THAT I CAN'T PAY YOU UNTIL AUGUST.
I, I'VE GOTTA MAKE PAYROLL IN JULY.
SO THERE'S THAT BALANCE A LITTLE BIT TO DO THAT.
AND THEN ALSO THE TRICKY PART OF THIS IS WE'RE COMING IN ASKING FOR AN INCREASE, RIGHT? THE MAYOR JUST SAID, EVERYBODY TAKE A 5% HAIRCUT.
WELL, FIVE PERCENT'S AROUND $2 MILLION FOR US, RIGHT? SO WE, WE DON'T REALLY KNOW AT THIS POINT WHERE WE'LL LAND, RIGHT? YEAR OVER YEAR, OUR COSTS ARE GOING UP.
SO EVEN IF WE DON'T DO THESE SPECIAL PROJECTS RIGHT, WITH PAYROLL, RIGHT? UNLESS WE FREEZE IT, WHICH WOULD CAUSE MORE TURNOVER, BUT SEPARATE SUBJECTS, SO YEAR OVER YEAR COSTS ARE GOING UP SOME.
SO I HAVE TO BE CONSERVATIVE ENOUGH, RIGHT? TO BE ABLE TO SURVIVE THE NEXT YEAR, ASSUMING WE'RE FLAT.
THANKFULLY WE'VE NEVER GONE BACKWARD, BUT WE HAVE HAD YEARS WHERE THE BUDGET WAS FLAT.
SO I, I NEED TO HOLD ONTO ENOUGH MONEY IF POSSIBLE, TO BE ABLE TO SURVIVE NEXT YEAR.
IF THE MESSAGE COMES BACK AND SAY, YOU GET WHAT WE GAVE YOU LAST YEAR AND BE THANKFUL FOR IT, WHICH WE WOULD, RIGHT? BUT YOU, YOU GOTTA HAVE TO KIND OF MANAGE THAT, OKAY? SO THIS YEAR YOU JUST, THAT'S WHY THE CASH BALANCES ARE THERE.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE TREND IN THE CASH BALANCES.
THE CASH BALANCE THIS YEAR THAT WE'RE FORECASTING IS HIGHER THAN IDEAL, BUT TURNOVER HAS BEEN HIGHER.
OR THE TIME IT TAKES US TO FILL SEATS HAS BEEN HIGHER THAN EXPECTED.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT CASH? ALRIGHT, I'LL LEAVE THAT ONE ALONE.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE IS THE ONE THAT DR. STOUT ALREADY PUT UP THERE.
THE TOTAL CASH INCREASE THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS 6.5 MILLION OR 22%, AS HE SAID.
THAT'S A, THAT'S A BIG INCREASE.
WHAT THAT FUNDS IS THOSE THINGS THAT I TALKED ABOUT IN THE BASE BUDGET AND THEN ALL OF THESE PROJECTS, THE FIREARMS, THE FIO, ALL, ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS.
AND I'LL GO INTO ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WHAT MAKES UP THOSE NUMBERS.
BUT THAT'S HOW YOU GET FROM FISCAL YEAR 24 TO FISCAL YEAR 25.
ALRIGHT? HEY, I'LL GIVE YOU A SHORT PAUSE AND IF I DON'T HEAR ANYTHING, I'M, I'M MOVING, YOU CAN ASK ME TO GO BACKWARD, BUT IF I WAS SITTING IN YOUR SEAT, I WOULD WANT YOU TO KEEP MOVING.
NEXT ONE IS THE DETAIL OF THOSE PROJECTS.
WHAT YOU CAN SEE HERE IS THE HEAD COUNT.
SO LET'S, LET'S JUST PICK ONE FOR EXAMPLE.
IF WE LOOK AT FBO, WE WOULD LIKE TO BRING ON SEVEN ANALYSTS, UH, WHICH TOTAL ALL IN WAGES TO DO, THAT'S 533.
YOU NEED SERVICES OF 2,004,000, 2 MILLION OF THAT IS OUTSOURCING.
AND THEN YOU HAVE, THEY HAVE IT NEEDS, THEY NEED EQUIPMENT AND STUFF.
SO THE TOTAL ASK FOR FIO O IS 2.6 MILLION.
THAT'S A YEAR OVER YEAR INCREASE.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE, YOU COME DOWN TO A TOTAL THAT IF EVERYTHING IS ABLE TO HAPPEN AND WE GET APPROVAL FOR THIS RIGHT FROM YOU IN THE CITY, WE WOULD BE BRINGING ON 34 PEOPLE.
OKAY? AND THEN THOSE ARE THE DOLLARS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECT.
WE HAVE END OF LIFE, WE HAVE A LOT OF STUFF THAT'S GOING END OF LIFE.
WE NEED TO, UM, BRING IN SOME MORE EQUIPMENT.
UH, THE PROPERTY ROOM, THAT'S JUST YEAR ONE.
IF THIS GETS APPROVED OF A MULTIPLE YEAR
[00:40:01]
PROJECT THAT INCLUDES A PROJECT TEAM TO BRING ON TO DO THE WORK, UH, TO HELP DO THIS.AND IT INCLUDES HALF A YEAR OF RENT, THAT'S WHAT MAKES UP THAT MILLION DOLLARS.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THE DOLLARS ALLOCATED TO THESE PROJECTS? DR. STOUT ALREADY TALKED ABOUT WHY WE NEED THEM, BUT THESE ARE THE DOLLARS ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
AM I, ARE YOU DOING THIS FOR ME? 'CAUSE I'M NOT PUSHING ANY BUTTONS.
UH, SLIDE SIX IS THE SPENDING WE SPEND, UH, THE SPENDING IS HIGHER THAN THE ASK FOR THE INCREASE.
AND THAT'S WHERE THAT CASH BALANCE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR COMES IN, RIGHT? SO WE, IF WE HAVE CASH OVER, RIGHT, WE'RE SPENDING MORE THAT IDEALLY THE CASH BALANCE WILL BE GOING DOWN BECAUSE I'M DIPPING INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT.
THIS BREAKS IT UP BY CATEGORY THAT YOU'RE USED TO SEEING ON THE INCOME STATEMENT OR P AND L PROFIT LOSS STATEMENT.
IT'S THE SAME NUMBERS, IT'S JUST LOOKING AT IT FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE.
YOU SEE THE START FOR THIS YEAR, WE'RE EXPECTING TO SPEND $33.1 MILLION.
YOU'VE GOT AN INCREASE IN PERSONNEL COST.
NOW THIS INCLUDES EVERYTHING IN, RIGHT? ALL THESE SPECIAL PROJECTS, THE FIO, EVERYTHING ALL IN.
YOU HAVE A ALMOST A 4 MILLION INCREASE IN SALARY IN, UH, PERSONNEL COST.
YOU HAVE SERVICE INCREASE OF 3.5 MILLION.
CAPITAL SPENDING OF, UH, 660,000.
THE DECREASE IN, EXCUSE ME, ARPA SPENDING FOR A TOTAL SPEND IN THE BUDGET OF 38 MILLION.
THAT JUST SHOWS YOU HOW WE GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B.
THAT FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WANNA LOOK AT THE NUMBERS AND SEE IT, IT JUST SHOWS A LITTLE BIT OF A TREND.
IT SHOWS WHERE THE REVENUE COMES IN IN FISCAL YEAR 23.
YOU CAN SEE THE FORECAST FOR 24.
YOU SEE THE BUDGET IN 25 AND YOU CAN SEE A DIFFERENCE.
PEOPLE LIKE TO SEE THINGS IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
SHOWING IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
YOU CAN SEE AT THE BOTTOM JUST SO IF YOU WANNA, UH, TICK AND TIE AT THE BOTTOM WHERE IT SAYS TOTAL EXPENSES BEFORE DEPRECIATION.
I DON'T INCLUDE DEPRECIATION 'CAUSE IT'S A NON-CASH ENTRY IS FOR US ACCOUNTANTS.
UM, YOU SEE THE 33,144 IN FISCAL YEAR 24.
THAT'S THE BAR ON THE LEFT OF THAT WATERFALL CHART THAT I JUST SHOWED YOU.
AND THEN THE CHANGES TO 38 1 0 8, THAT'S THE BAR ON THE RIGHT OF THE CHART.
SO IT'S JUST THE SAME INFORMATION, SHOWING IT IN A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT WAY.
OKAY? UH, SLIDE EIGHT, JUST A COUPLE THINGS ON THIS.
UH, IT JUST SHOWS YOU, UH, THE TWO PARTS THAT I HAVE STARRED THERE.
IT SHOWS YOU THE INCREASE IN THE REQUEST, UM, FROM THE CITY, THE 6.6 MILLION, AND THEN THERE, THERE'S A DECREASE OF THE ARPA FUNDS THAT WE HAVE THIS YEAR.
OTHER THAN THAT, THE INFORMATION IS REALLY THE SAME.
ALRIGHT, SO LET'S, LET'S LOOK AT HEAD COUNT A LITTLE BIT.
63% OF OUR COST ARE PEOPLE COST.
WE HAVE FOUR, FOUR BUCKETS FOR PEOPLE.
UH, WELL, YOU HAVE THE TOTAL, WHICH IS THE TOP LINE, THE YELLOW ONE.
YOU HAVE HFFC EMPLOYEES, WHICH ARE BLUE.
THESE AREN'T DOLLARS, THESE ARE HEAD COUNTS.
AND THEN YOU HAVE, UH, YOU HAVE CITY OF HOUSTON EMPLOYEES, WHICH I THINK WE HAVE TWO OR THREE OF THOSE LEFT AT THIS POINT.
UH, IT USED TO BE A LOT BIGGER NUMBER.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT IT, YOU HAVE, UH, ON FISCAL YEAR, OUR CURRENT YEAR, FISCAL YEAR 24, WE'RE AVERAGING ABOUT 18 OPEN POSITIONS.
SO WE'RE RUNNING AROUND 18, 20 POSITIONS.
HOPEFULLY THAT WILL CHANGE IN THE LAST QUARTER.
WE CAN BRING PEOPLE ON, BUT WE'RE ALREADY TRAINING.
WE'VE GOT 30 PEOPLE IN TRAINING ALREADY.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S HARD TO MAINTAIN OPERATIONS AND TRAIN THAT PEOPLE.
AND WE STILL HAVE 18 MORE SEATS AND THAT ASSUMES NOBODY ELSE QUITS.
OKAY? SO THAT, THAT'S ONE OF THE STRUGGLES OPERATIONALLY THAT, UH, AMY'S HAVING TO DEAL WITH ON A DAILY BASIS AND OTHERS FOR THE BUDGET, RIGHT? I ASSUME THERE AREN'T ANY OPEN SEATS BECAUSE WE NEED THE MONEY TO, WE CAN'T HIRE SOMEBODY IF WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS TO PAY 'EM, RIGHT? SO, UH, BUT FOR THE DOLLARS, I ASSUME A 3% VACANCY BECAUSE, WE'LL, WE'LL EXPERIENCE AT LEAST A 3% VACANCY.
THIS JUST SHOWS THE DOLLARS OF THE EMPLOYEE COST THE TREND OVER TIME.
OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A BIG INCREASE BETWEEN FISCAL YEAR 24 AND 25 BECAUSE WE'RE ASKING FOR, YOU KNOW, 34 EXTRA PEOPLE.
THOSE ARE THE DOLLARS ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
UM, NEXT SLIDE IS A WATERFALL CHART THAT, UH, SHOWS HOW ALL THOSE PIECE PIECES THAT MAKE UP THE 24 MILLION
[00:45:01]
SHOW UP.SOME OF IT IS, UH, A VACANCY RATE THIS YEAR, RIGHT? THAT WE HOPEFULLY WON'T HAVE NEXT YEAR.
YOU HAVE PAY INCREASES OF AROUND 3.5%, AND THEN EACH ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO APPROVE, THERE'S DOLLARS FOR PEOPLE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
SO THAT'S HOW WE GET FROM THIS YEAR TO NEXT YEAR, OKAY? THAT'S THE SAME APPROACH THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE FOR SERVICES AND, AND THE OTHER ONES PROCEEDING FOR SERVICES.
YOU SEE, I HAVE TO, I PULL OUT THE GRANT MONEY AND THE ARPA SPENDING JUST SO YOU CAN SEE A WATERFALL CHART, SEE HOW IT PROGRESSES FROM YEAR OVER YEAR.
UH, SO THERE'S $1.6 MILLION OF SERVICES SHOWN IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, UH, FORECAST THAT I PULL OUT BECAUSE I SHOW ALL OF THOSE DOLLARS IN A DIFFERENT BUCKET.
UM, AND THEN YOU SEE THE MONEY FOR EACH OF THE PROGRAMS, UH, THAT, THAT IS NEEDED FOR EACH OF THESE PROGRAMS, FOR SERVICES, UH, FOR SUPPLIES.
THE NEXT SLIDE, IT'S FLAT, I'M ASSUMING FOR SERVICES THAT WHAT WE SPEND THIS YEAR WILL SPEND NEXT YEAR.
AND, UH, THOSE PROGRAMS, THE MONEY ALLOCATED FOR THE PROGRAMS, NONE OF IT GOES TO SERVICES.
SO IT'S JUST FLAT YEAR OVER YEAR.
SO I WISH I COULD SAY THAT I PUT THIS MISTAKE IN THERE ON PURPOSE JUST TO SEE HOW CLOSELY YOU GUYS LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, BUT IT'S, IT'S JUST A MISTAKE.
UH, ONE PLUS ONE PLUS FOUR PLUS ONE EQUALS SEVEN, NOT SIX.
SORRY, I JUST DIDN'T EXTEND MY FORMULA DOWN TO THE NEXT CELL.
UM, SO, BUT OKAY, SO WITHIN THIS, THERE'S UH, THE TRIPLE QUAD THAT DR. STOUT SPOKE ABOUT.
IT'D BE A FIVE YEAR LEASE THAT'S A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
UH, IF WE BRING ON THE CSU PEOPLE, THEY NEED A VEHICLE TO BE ABLE TO GET TO THE CRIME SCENE AND THEY NEED THEIR, THEIR STUFF, UH, THEIR EQUIPMENT.
IT INFRASTRUCTURE'S AROUND 400,000 THAT'S NECESSARY.
AND THEN THERE'S JUST OTHER THINGS THAT HAPPEN DURING THE YEAR.
SO THAT'S ABOUT 700,000 FOR CAPITAL SPENDING.
THAT'S THE DETAIL AT HIGHER LEVEL AS I CAN GIVE IT AND STILL FEEL COMFORTABLE IN ASKING YOU TO APPROVE IT WITHOUT GOING SO DEEP THAT YOU GUYS FALL OUTTA YOUR CHAIR FALLING ASLEEP ON ME.
THE NEXT SLIDES ARE THOSE NUMBERS IN DETAIL, WHICH I'M ASKING FOR YOUR APPROVAL, SO I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.
I KNOW I WENT OVER A LOT OF STUFF, A LOT OF INFORMATION THERE.
UM, SO SPECIFIC THINGS THAT, UH, I CAN TRY TO ANSWER FOR YOU.
I SENT YOU A QUESTION ABOUT, UH, ONE OF THE LINE ITEMS FOR I THINK IT WAS CONSULTANTS.
AND, AND THAT WAS, UH, SO FOR THE IT FOR THE MOVE FOR THE PROPERTY MOVE, UH, WE ARE PLANNING ON BRINGING CONSULTANTS TO HELP DO THAT.
IT, IT, IT IS A, I I USED TO DO MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS AND I WAS THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING IT SUCCESSFUL.
WELL, SOMETIMES NOT SO MUCH, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF PLANNING THAT GOES INTO SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
OR YOU'RE GOING TO BE PAYING FOR NOT PLANNING IT WELL FOR DECADES, RIGHT? SO WE ARE ALREADY BURNING THE CANDLE ON BOTH ENDS.
IT IS NOT WITHIN THE EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW TO MAKE THIS SUCCESSFUL.
THERE'S ABOUT 500,000 IN THE, IN THE MILLION DOLLAR NUMBER FOR THE PROPERTY ROOM TO BRING ON A PROJECT TEAM TO HELP MAKE THIS SUCCESSFUL.
DAVID, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I'VE BEEN, UH, ON THIS BOARD FOR A FEW YEARS NOW AND NUMBERS IS NOT MY, UH, KEEN, UH, ANYWAY, UM, BUT I DO WANNA SAY I APPRECIATE HOW YOU EXPLAIN THINGS.
UM, IT'S VERY CLEAR, YOU KNOW, OPEN TO OUR QUESTIONS AND I APPRECIATE IT.
I'VE BEEN ON ENOUGH BOARDS WHERE PEOPLE GLOSS OVER AND YOU KNOW, WHATEVER.
AND KUDOS ON THE WAY YOU DID THE SPEAKING POWERPOINT.
I'VE NOT SEEN ONE OF THOSE BEFORE.
ALRIGHT, IF IF THERE AREN'T QUESTIONS, THEN YOU KNOW IT, IT'S UP FOR YOUR GUYS' APPROVAL OR NOT.
I THINK THERE'S AN OFFICIAL WAY I'M SUPPOSED TO ASK THIS, BUT I'LL, I'LL LEAVE THAT TO YOU,
NO, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HARD WORK ON THIS.
AND YES, THE ANNUAL POWERPOINT IS ALWAYS VERY WELCOME,
[00:50:01]
QUESTIONS, WE WILL NOW HAVE A VOICE VOTE TO APPROVE THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 BUDGET AS PROPOSED.DO I HAVE A MOTION? OKAY, DIRECTOR COHEN MADE THE MOTION.
SECOND DIRECTOR VASQUEZ GOT THE SECOND.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? DISCUSSIONS? OKAY, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ANYONE OPPOSED? OKAY, GREAT.
ALL RIGHT, MOVING TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 10 IS A REPORT FROM MS. JACKIE MORRELL, OUR QUALITY DIRECTOR.
THIS WILL INCLUDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE BLIND QUALITY PROGRAM, QUALITY UPDATES, AND ANY DISCLOSURES.
UM, THE FIRST TOPIC I'M GONNA BE COVERING TODAY IS HER BLIND QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAM.
I'M VERY PLEASED TO INFORM THAT WE HAVE METH OR SUBMISSION METRICS FOR BOTH THE MONTH OF JANUARY AND FEBRUARY.
I DO WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO HIGHLIGHT A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE THAT WE'VE REACHED.
UM, WE IN THE, AS OF THE MONTH OF MARCH, WE HAVE SUBMITTED A TOTAL OF 1000 BLIND QUALITY CONTROL CASES IN THE CEASE DRUG SECTION.
AND, UM, I WILL ALSO LIKE TO IN THIS MOMENT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO THE QUALITY DIVISION, RIGHT, FOR ALL OF THE HARD WORK IN MEETING THE SUBMISSION METRICS MONTH AFTER MONTH.
AND ALSO EXTEND MY GRATITUDE TO ALL OF THE FORENSIC DISCIPLINES, SPECIFICALLY IN THIS CASE FOR CEASE DRUGS FOR ALL OF THEIR HELP AND SUPPORT IN MAKING THIS A STRONG AND, UM, A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM.
NOW GOING ON, ON QUALITY UPDATES, I KNOW I'VE BEEN TALKING REPEATEDLY ABOUT THE A A B PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE ACCREDITATION PROGRAM, BUT I WANTED TO PERSONALLY AND FORMALLY NOTIFY YOU THAT WE DID REACH AND RECEIVED AN OFFICIAL ACCREDITATION CERTIFICATE AND NOTIFICATION IN JANUARY 24TH, UM, OF THIS YEAR.
IT WAS RIGHT AFTER OUR MEETING.
UM, I DO WANT TO, UM, HIGHLIGHT THAT WE ARE THE FIRST ORGANIZATION TO BE ACCREDITED TO THIS PROGRAM, AND THIS IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PROGRAM FROM THE 17 0 2 5 ACCREDITATION.
SO WE, THE QUALITY DIVISION, HAVE BEEN MAKING A LOT OF SYNERGISTIC PROCESSES ON THE BACKEND, UM, IN ORDER TO MAKE OUR PROCESSES MORE EFFICIENT AND, AND, AND CAPTURING AND CONFORMING TO BOTH, UH, SETS OF ACCREDITATION PROGRAMS. UM, I KNOW THAT DR. STOUT, UH, COVERED EXTENSIVELY WHAT IS A TRIGGER PULL MEASUREMENT AND RELAYED A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE REASONINGS BEHIND THE DECISION THAT HE AND DR. CASTILLO TOOK IN, UM, HALTING AND ULTIMATELY PAUSING THE, THE SERVICE TO OUR STAKEHOLDERS.
UM, HOWEVER, I DO HAVE SOME UPDATES OR WOULD LIKE TO UPDATE, UPDATE YOU FROM A QUALITY PERSPECTIVE ON THIS SERVICE.
SO ONCE AN ORGANIZATION OR LABORATORY IN THIS CASE BECOMES ACCREDITED, UH, YOU RECEIVE THIS BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED CERTIFICATE.
HOWEVER, THAT CERTIFICATE COMES ATTACHED WITH A SCOPE DOCUMENT THAT IN MY EYES, THAT IS OVERALL THE MOST IMPORTANT DOCUMENT THAT'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE CERTIFICATE BECAUSE THAT DOCUMENT OUTLINES ALL WITH, FOR EACH FORENSIC DISCIPLINE, ALL OF THE COMPONENT PARAMETERS, ALL OF THE TECHNOLOGY AND THE TYPE OF ITEMS THAT YOUR LABORATORY, UM, IS ACCREDITED UNDER OR COVERED BY THE ACCREDITATION UMBRELLA, ALL OF THOSE SERVICES.
SO THEREFORE, ANY SERVICES OR MODIFICATIONS OR PAUSING OR REMOVAL OF SUCH SERVICES UNDER THIS SCOPE DOCUMENT REQUIRES NOTIFICATION TO A AND A B, WHICH IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IN ADDITION TO INFORMING OUR STAKEHOLDERS ABOUT THE SERVICE, BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S A PART OF OUR ACCREDITATION UMBRELLA, WE ALSO HAD TO NOTIFY A A B AND, AND ALSO TFSC ABOUT THIS DECISION.
SO ULTIMATELY, UM, I HAVE A DIAGRAM UP THERE OF A SNAPSHOT OF OUR OLD SCOPE, UM, FOR THE FIREARMS DISCIPLINE, A AND A B, IMMEDIATELY AFTER WE NOTIFY THEM UP, THEY UPDATED THE SCOPE.
SO AS YOU, UM, THE NEW SCOPE DOES NOT HAVE DEAD WEIGHTS OR FOUR SKATES, FOUR SKATES TO DEVISE THAT CAPTURES AND, UM, COLLECTS A TRIGGER PULL MEASUREMENT, UH, POUNDAGE OF THAT MEASUREMENT.
AND SO AS A RESULT, BECAUSE THIS IS NO LONGER IN OUR SCOPE, WE CANNOT OFFER THE SERVICE OR INDICATE THAT WE ARE ACCREDITED TO THIS SERVICE OR INCLUDE THE A NAB LOGO IN ANY OF THIS REPORTS FOR THIS SERVICE UNTIL WE NOTIFY A NAB WHAT IS ULTIMATELY OUR DECISION.
START ALSO COVERED A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE HALTING AND WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING.
I JUST WANTED TO INDICATE THAT THIS IS NOT A STATIC PAUSE.
THE HALTING OF THE SERVICE, THERE'S A LOT OF BACKGROUND WORK BEING CONDUCTED BY THE FIREARM SECTION.
THEY ARE ACTIVELY REACHING OUT TO OTHER LABORATORIES TO SEE IF THEY HAVE OTHER METHODOLOGIES WHERE THEY CAN PROVIDE MORE RELIABLE AND ACCURATE INFORMATION.
IN ADDITION, AS PART OF THIS RISK ASSESSMENT, UM, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING THE MID AND TO SEE WHAT ARE THE RISKS AND POSTS ON THIS, UM, ON THIS MEASUREMENT AS WELL.
RIGHT? IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT
[00:55:01]
WHILE WE COULD HAVE A MEASUREMENT THAT'S REALLY RELIABLE, DOES IT, DOES THIS MEASUREMENT HAVE A RISK TO BE MISUSED? UM, AS TO THE INTENT OF FIRING OF A GUN, RIGHT? WHILE OUR FIREARMS EXAMINERS DO NOT TESTIFY TO THIS IN COURT, IT'S A PIECE OF INFORMATION THAT COULD THIS BE USED OUTSIDE OUR OF OUR CONTROL, UM, AND HAVE AN IMPACT IN INVESTIGATION OR LEGAL PROCEEDING.SO OVERALL, AFTER WE ASSESS, UM, AND DETERMINED THIS RISK ASSESSMENT, WE'LL NOTIFY A A B OF OUR, OUR DECISION FOR MY LAST QUALITY UPDATE.
UM, WE HAVE OFFICIALLY ENTERED INTERNAL AUDIT SEASON.
UM, AT THE END OF MARCH, WE START, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE VERY, VERY BUSY MONTHS AHEAD OF US.
THE PURPOSE OF INTERNAL AUDITS, IN ADDITION FOR THESE BEING, UM, BEING AN ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENT THAT WE HAVE TO COMPLETE THIS ON A YEAR ON A, ON A YEARLY BASIS.
UM, THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THESE IS TO VERIFY COMPLIANCE.
TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR TECHNICAL PROCEDURES ARE QUALITY MANUAL, ALL RECORDS WE HAVE SUCH AS TRAINING DOCUMENTS, VALIDATION STUDIES, CASE FILES, PERFORMANCE REVIEWS, UM, VERIFICATIONS.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF PLETHORA OF DIFFERENT RECORDS.
UM, WE HAVE TO REVIEW AND ENSURE THAT THESE ARE CONFORMING TO ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENTS.
SO WHILE THE QUALITY SPECIALIST TYPICALLY LEAD, UH, THESE AUDITS FOR EACH FORENSIC DISCIPLINE AND NOW CSCM, AND, UH, WE USUALLY OPEN THE, UH, AUDIT TEAM FOR OTHER VOLUNTARY MEMBERS FROM ADMINISTRATIVE AND TECHNICAL DISCIPLINES.
UM, WE LOVE TO DO THIS BECAUSE IT INCREASE COLLABORATION, IT INCREASES QUALITY AWARENESS.
IT ALSO INCREASES THE PERSPECTIVE OF, YOU KNOW, FOR AN ANALYST OR A MANAGER SUPERVISOR CONDUCTING THIS OF LIKE, WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT AN ASSESSMENT, RIGHT? WHEN A E BECOMES, WHAT ARE THEY GONNA BE LOOKING AT? SO IT IS, UM, WE FIND THIS, UM, A REALLY GOOD COLLABORATION AND LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYBODY AND THEY GET THE SECTIONS, GET TO MEET OTHER SECTIONS AS WELL, UH, WHEN THEY COMPLETE THIS.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, SOME OF THE SYNERGISTIC PROCESSES THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER IS THAT NOW WE HAVE OFFICIALLY INCLUDED CSCM AND OR IN OUR INTERNAL AUDIT SCHEDULE BECAUSE, UM, INTERNAL AUDITS ARE ALSO A YEARLY REQUIREMENT IN THIS NEW ACCREDITATION PROGRAM.
SO THIS IS JUST ONE OF THE FEW EXAMPLES WE HAVE.
UH, THIS IS MY LAST, UH, QUALITY TOPIC BEFORE I MOVE ON TO DISCLOSURES.
FOR MY LAST TOPIC FOR TODAY, I WAS TRYING TO KEEP IT SHORT SINCE WE HAD A LOT OF BUDGET AND OTHER THINGS.
UM, I WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE FOR THE LATEST, UH, TEXAS FORENSIC SCIENCE COMMISSION MEETING.
WE HAD TWO DISCLOSURES THAT WERE IN THE AGENDA THAT WERE DISCUSSED.
UH, THE FIRST ONE WAS FOR THE SE FOR THE LADEN PRINT SECTION.
UH, THE COMMISSION VOTED ON THIS DISCLOSURE AS TO TAKE NO FURTHER ACTION NEEDED, MEANING THAT THE COMMISSION BELIEVES THAT WE HAD A VERY THOROUGH ROOT CROSS ANALYSIS AND THAT ALL OF THE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS AND MEASURES THAT WE IMPLEMENTED WERE SUFFICIENT TO REMEDIATE THE ISSUE AT HAND.
NOW, TO KIND OF GIVE A LITTLE SHORT RECAP, 'CAUSE IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE TALKED ABOUT THESE DISCLOSURES, AND WE HAVE NEW BOARD MEMBERS, UM, THIS SITUATION INVOLVED, UM, THE FBI NOTIFIED THE LADEN PRINT SECTION, THAT THEIR AFIS SYSTEM HAD A GLITCH RELATED TO WHEN PALM PRINTS, WHEN THEY WERE, UH, REGISTERED INTO THE SYSTEM, IF A LOCATION FILTER WAS USED IN THAT PALM PRINT, THAT LOCATION FILTERED, ACTED AS A GLITCH AND PREVENTED THAT PRINT FROM CONDUCTING REVERSE SEARCHES, RIGHT? SO AT THE TIME WHEN IT WAS IMPLEMENTED, THE SYSTEM, IT CONDUCTED A SEARCH, BUT IT WAS UNABLE TO CONTINUE SEARCHING IN THE SYSTEM AS NEW PRINTS ARE ADDED.
THIS GLITCH AFFECTED 92 CASES THAT WENT BACK ALL THE WAY TO 2014.
SO THE SECTION HAD TO INVESTIGATE AND LOOK AT EVERY SINGLE CASE.
AND THEY SAW ULTIMATELY THAT 20 CASES WERE THE ONES AFFECTED WHERE WE HAD NEW HITS THAT HAD NOT BEEN DOCUMENTED, OR WE DIDN'T GET THIS HITS BECAUSE OF THAT GLITCH.
SO WE DID WORK, UM, AND NOTIFYING THE HARRIS COUNTY, UM, DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE OF THE SITUATION AS WELL AS HPD AND, UH, FOR THE OTHER 72 CASES, WHILE THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY HITS, THE SECTION STILL WORKED AND THEY RE-REGISTERED THIS POM PRINTS INTO THE SYSTEM WITHOUT THE LOCATION FILTER FOR THESE TO BE ABLE TO, UH, PERFORM REVERSE SEARCHES.
UM, BEFORE I MOVE ON TO THE OTHER DISCLOSURE, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT BOTH THE LATENT PRINTS AND THE BIOLOGY DISCLOSURES, THE, THE, ACTUALLY WHAT THEY HAVE IN COMMON IS THAT THIS WAS NOT A RESPONSIBILITY, RIGHT? THIS WAS SOMETHING, UM, A GLITCH OR A SYSTEM.
UM, IT WAS OUTSIDE, IT WAS A GLITCH THAT EXTENDED OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL.
HOWEVER, THE SECTIONS HAD TO REMEDIATE AND MAKE CORRECTIVE MEASURES WITHIN, IN ORDER TO PREVENT THIS SYSTEM GLITCHES FROM AFFECTING THE RELIABILITY OF OUR PROCESSES.
[01:00:01]
UH, FOR CONDUCTING CHANGE REGARDLESS OF WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IT IS FOR THE FORENSIC BIOLOGY.UM, THE, WE DID, WE WERE UNABLE TO CLOSE THIS CORRECTIVE ACTION WITH ENOUGH TIME TO ALLOW THE COMMISSION TO REVIEW THIS, UM, BEFORE THEIR JANUARY MEETING.
SO THEY DECIDED IN THE MEETING TO TABLE THIS, UM, BECAUSE THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE OTHER LABORATORIES AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO SCHEDULE A MEETING TO DISCUSS WITH OTHER LABORATORIES THAT ARE USING.
UM, AND I'LL EXPLAIN THE, THE DISCLOSURE, UM, THE PROBABILISTIC GENOTYPING SOFTWARE TO SEE AND DISCUSS SOLUTIONS ON HOW TO ADDRESS THE SITUATION AND SEE, UM, AND JUST BE MORE INFORMED AND, UM, GET MORE INFORMATION IF WHAT WE DID IN OUR END WERE, WAS SUFFICIENT TO REMEDIATE THIS, UH, FOR THE FORENSIC BIOLOGY, UH, THE SECTION IDENTIFIED AND THAT THERE WERE SOMETIMES SOME INSTANCES, RIGHT? I, MY BACKGROUND IS NOT BIOLOGY.
THERE'S ALLELES AND LIKELIHOOD RATIOS.
UM, BUT THEY DETERMINED THAT THERE, IN SOME INSTANCES THERE COULD BE INHERENT SUBTLETIES IN THE PRO LIST OF GENOTYPING, GENOTYPING SOFTWARE THAT COULD RESULT IN A REPORTING ISSUE OR REPORTING AN ADDITIONAL, UM, REPORT.
SO BECAUSE THEY SAW, 'CAUSE AGAIN, THIS WAS CONNECTED TO A REPORT AND WE STAND BY THE RELIABILITY AND VARSITY OF ALL OF OUR REPORTS.
THEY ACTUALLY HAD TO GO ALL THE WAY BACK AFTER THEY VALIDATED AND IMPLEMENTED THIS SOFTWARE AND USING CASEWORK.
SO THEY HAD TO GO ALL THE WAY BACK TO 2019 AND A LOT OF WORK AND CALCULATIONS WERE DONE.
SO THEY HAD TO PHYSICALLY LOOK INTO EIGHT MORE THAN 8,000, UM, CALCULATIONS THAT WERE FROM A THOUSAND AND 153 CASES.
SO IT WAS A VERY MANUAL PROCESS AND THAT'S WHY IT TOOK A LITTLE BIT LONGER TO CLOSE THIS OUT.
ULTIMATELY, WE DID IDENTIFY FIVE CASES THAT NEEDED A SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT TO BE ISSUED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND THAT IS, UM, WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE HOPEFULLY DISCUSSING SOON, UM, WITH TFSE AND OTHER LABORATORIES.
SO I'LL KEEP THE, I'LL, I'LL KEEP THE BOARD INFORMED AS I KNOW MORE UPDATES ON THIS DISCLOSURE.
AND WITH THAT I CONCLUDE MY, UM, MY PRESENTATION.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE A QUESTION I HAVE TO ASK.
UH, ANSWER IT WITH WHAT'S GOING ON AT HPD NOW AND THE 254,000 CASES THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT, HOW IS THAT GONNA ADD TO OUR WORKLOAD? YOUR WORKLOAD? YEAH.
UM, BEEN ASKED THAT QUESTION IN A FEW FRONTS.
UM, VERY DIFFICULT TO TELL AT THE MOMENT.
UM, IN MY EXPERIENCE, WHEN YOU'VE GOT SOMETHING LIKE THAT THAT GOES ON, IT'S GONNA TAKE A WHILE TO UNDERSTAND HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE DUPLICATIVE, HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE OTHERWISE ERRONEOUS, HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE MATERIAL, WHAT KINDS OF CASES THEY'RE ACTUALLY GONNA AFFECT.
WE JUST REALLY DON'T KNOW YET.
UM, CONCERNING THE
NOW, WHILE WE'RE PAUSING IT, THERE IS ULTIMATELY A PROBABILITY AFTER WE COMPLETE THE RISK ASSESSMENT FOR US TO COMPLETELY REMOVE THIS, FOR THIS TO BE A PERMANENT REMOVAL FROM OUR SCOPE.
WOULD THAT HURT US? OH, THAT'S, THAT'S, OR THE, YOU KNOW, THE WAY HFS ALL OTHERS.
OH, IN TERMS OF OTHER LABORATORIES, NO.
EVEN IN OUR CONVERSATIONS ALREADY WITH LABORATORIES, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S A REALLY MIXED BAG AROUND THE COUNTRY OF WHAT LABS EVEN DO IT.
WHAT LABS HAVE STOPPED DOING IT.
UM, FOR MUCH THE SAME REASONS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IT, THAT OKAY, WE CAN MAKE A MEASUREMENT OF THAT, BUT WHAT DOES THAT NUMBER MEAN? THE RISK OF SOMEBODY MISUSING THAT NUMBER INAPPROPRIATELY.
CAN WE REPRODUCE THAT NUMBER EFFECTIVELY? UM, AND IS IT REALLY WORTH DOING? SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK WE WOULD STICK OUT AS THE ONLY ONES.
I FULLY APPRECIATE THOUGH WE ARE A VERY VISIBLE LABORATORY, WE ARE VERY VISIBLE ABOUT MAKING DECISIONS LIKE THIS.
SO THAT PROBABLY WILL SPUR ALONG CONVERSATIONS THAT MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE OCCUR.
BUT THAT'S PROBABLY A GOOD THING.
I'M JUST CURIOUS ON HOW FAR WE'RE WILLING TO TAKE.
I AGREE THAT IT'S NOT RELIABLE.
IT'S NOT RELIABLE, OR IF THERE'S STILL THAT RISK THAT IT COULD POTENTIALLY BE MISUSE.
I THINK WE, WE NEED TO INTEGRATE THAT INTO DECISION FOR SURE.
[01:05:01]
YOU ALL.ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WE'RE NOW MOVING TO AGENDA ITEM 11, WHICH IS EXECUTIVE SESSION IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTIONS 5 5, 1 0.07, ONE OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE WITH CONSULTATION WITH OUR ATTORNEY.
AND SECTION 5 5 1 0.074 A ONE TWO DELIBERATE OR HEAR PERSONNEL MATTERS RELATED TO DR. STOUT, PRESIDENT AND CEO.
AT THIS TIME, THE HFSC BOARD OF DIRECTORS WILL GO INTO A CLOSED MEETING, ALSO KNOWN AS EXECUTIVE SESSION, AS PERMITTED BY THE TEXAS OPEN MEETING ACT.
THE CLOSED MEETING WILL NOT BE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC, AND WE WILL ASK OUR STAFF TO STEP OUT UNTIL THE THE TIME, UH, FOR THE TIME BEING.
UM, EXCEPT FOR DR. STOUT AND DR.
AND MS. MANZ, 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 THE BUSINESS HAS INCLUDED, UH, IS HAS CONCLUDED THE TIME IS NOW 10 0 7.
UH, PLEASE STOP THE RECORDING AT THIS TIME.
IT'S 10 49 AND WE ARE GONNA RECONVENE AND OKAY.
ARE WE LIVE NOW? ARE WE STREAMING? WE ARE.
UH, IT IS 10:50 AM UH, A-H-F-S-C BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS RECONVENING THIS OPEN MEETING FOR THE RECORD.
WE STILL HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT.
UM, AT THIS TIME, THE BOARD WILL CONSIDER ANY, UH, DISCUSSION OR ACTION RELATED TO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I I'M OPENING THE FLOOR FOR ANY MOTIONS OR DISCUSS DISCUSSION FROM THE BOARD RELATED TO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, NAMELY THE RECEIPT OF A COMPLAINT FROM A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC REGARDING PERCEIVED NON-COMPLIANCE WITH HFSC POLICIES.
UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION FROM THE BOARD? OKAY.
UH, THERE'S A MOTION TO TAKE NO ACTION ON THE PUBLIC COMPLAINT RECEIVED MARCH 1ST, 2024 AND TO FORMALLY CLOSE THE COMPLAINT.
AND DIRECTOR COHEN, YOU MADE THE MOTION, DID SECOND DIRECTOR HUFF HAS SECOND IT.
ANY DISCUSSION? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY.
THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
WE'RE NOW MOVING TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 13, WHICH IS ADJOURNMENT.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? I OKAY.
WE ARE NOW AT 10:51 AM CLOSING THE MEETING.