[Houston Forensic Science Center: Board of Directors Meeting on November 8, 2024.]
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UM, I AM GOING TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.I'M CHAIR OF THIS BOARD, AND I'M GOING TO ASK THE SECRETARY TO PLEASE CALL THE ROLE.
I WILL BEGIN THE ROLL CALL NOW.
CHAIRWOMAN COHEN HERE, VICE CHAIR BAIRD.
DIRECTOR S SILVERMAN, DIRECTOR CORRALES.
AND THAT CONCLUDES THE ROLL CALL.
MADAM CHAIR, YOU MAY CONTINUE.
DO WE HAVE A QUORUM? THANK YOU.
ARE THERE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS OR, UH, UPDATES FROM ANYONE AROUND THE OKAY.
SO I'D LIKE TO BEGIN BY SAYING I'M VERY HONORED TO HAVE BEEN APPOINTED CHAIR OF THIS ILLUSTRIOUS BOARD, AND I'M EXCITED TO TAKE ON THE NEW CHALLENGE FOR ME FOR MY REPORT TODAY.
I'D LIKE TO WELCOME THE THREE NEW BOARD MEMBERS, UH, DIRECTOR CORRALES, DIRECTOR MRSA, AND DIRECTOR HUGH.
AND WE'RE PLEASED TO HAVE YOU AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
AND I ALSO THINK THIS WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO GIVE BRIEF INTRODUCTIONS.
I KNOW I'VE SERVED ON BOARDS WHERE I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW WHO I'M SERVING WITH.
WE SIT DOWN, CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.
WHEN THE MEETING'S OVER, WE ADJOURN AND WE GET UP.
AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT TIME TODAY FOR EVERYONE TO SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT THEMSELVES AND, AND, UM, I'M GONNA BEGIN WITH MYSELF TO TELL YOU SORT OF WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR.
I SPENT, UM, 10 YEARS AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF AN ORGANIZATION, UH, HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATION, THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE.
THEN I SPENT 18 YEARS AS CEO OF THE HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S CENTER, AND THEN TWO TERMS IN TEXAS LEGISLATURE, AND EIGHT YEARS ON CITY COUNCIL.
THE LAST FOUR OF WHICH I WAS MAYOR PRO TEM.
AND I, UM, HAVE BEEN SERVING ON THIS BOARD, I THINK FOR THREE YEARS NOW.
TIME FLIES WHEN YOU'RE HAVING FUN.
UM, AND I FOUND IT EXTREMELY INTERESTING, AND I FOUND THAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN THE CITY THAT I TALK TO DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DO.
SO FOR ME, IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO TRY TO GET OUR MESSAGE OUT AND WHAT WE DO.
AND, UM, THE FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER IS HEADED BY PETER THAT MOST PEOPLE KNOW, UM, PETER STOUT.
AND IT IS AN EXTREMELY CAPABLE HANDS.
SO I'M JUST GONNA GO AROUND THE TABLE.
IN FACT, I'M GONNA START WITH PETER.
PETER, YOU WANNA SAY A COUPLE WORDS ABOUT YOURSELF AND Y'ALL JUST PRESS YOUR MIC IN FRONT OF YOU, THE GREEN BUTTON.
UM, I THINK EVERYBODY HERE IS KNOWN.
I'VE MET OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS, PETER STOUT.
UH, JUST BRIEFLY, I GUESS HOW I GOT HERE.
BACHELOR'S BIOLOGY, MASTER'S ENGINEERING, PHD TOXICOLOGY.
MY WIFE SAID, WOULD YOU PLEASE GET A REAL JOB? I JOINED THE NAVY,
I RAN ONE OF THE NAVY'S DRUG SCREENING LABORATORIES.
UM, SO I JUST SHOWED UP ON BASE TO TESTIFY AGAINST 20-YEAR-OLD KIDS THAT HAD TESTED POSITIVE FOR DRUGS, UM, SEPARATED FROM ACTIVE DUTY.
AND THEN I RAN A COMMERCIAL LABORATORY IN NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE DOING SPORTS OPING CONTROL AND WORKPLACE DRUG TESTING.
WENT FROM THERE TO A NOT-FOR-PROFIT RESEARCH INSTITUTE IN NORTH CAROLINA, RTI INTERNATIONAL, WHERE I RAN A RESEARCH LABORATORY AND OVERSIGHT OF LABORATORY ACCREDITATION PROGRAMS. AND THEN HERE, THIS COMING FEBRUARY, I WILL HAVE BEEN HERE 10 YEARS.
BUT THIS HAS BEEN A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY.
I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE, UM, THIS BOARD AND ALL OF THE ITERATIONS OF THE BOARD BEFORE.
IT HAS BEEN A MARVELOUS WORKING ARRANGEMENT FOR 10 YEARS NOW.
I WAS IN CHARGE OF THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS, EXCUSE ME.
UM, I'M A FORMER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.
UM, I WAS AN INVESTIGATOR FOR A SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, AND THEN PRIOR TO THAT, I WAS THE, WITH THE US IN, UH, POSTAL INSPECTION SERVICE.
UM, IN MY CAREER, I'VE DONE A LOT OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE, UH, INVESTIGATIONS WHEN I WAS WITH JOHNS MANVILLE CORPORATION, WHERE I HELPED START UP THEIR CORPORATE SECURITY DEPARTMENT.
UM, I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD ABOUT A YEAR NOW, AND I,
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I AGREE WITH ELLEN.THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST FASCINATING THINGS, UH, THAT I'VE DONE.
IT REALLY LINKS ME BACK INTO MY EARLY LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREER, BUT ALSO THE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PART OF JOBS THAT I'VE HAD.
SO I BRING SOME OF THAT TO THE TABLE AND, UH, I'M SO HAPPY TO MEET OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS AND WORK WITH OUR CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS.
AND I ALSO AGREE WITH WHAT YOU SAID, WHAT AN EXTRAORDINARY STAFF.
I JUST FEEL SO HONORED TO BE A PART OF IT.
AND THANKS TO ALL OF YOU IN THE, UH, AUDIENCE AS WELL.
I'M A MOLECULAR BIOLOGIST AND A GLOBAL HEALTH PRACTITIONER.
I'M CURRENTLY, I'M THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER IN CO-FOUNDER OF CERIDIAN TECHNOLOGIES.
IT'S AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE STARTUP HERE IN THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER.
AND, UM, THE THINGS THAT I REALLY AM PASSIONATE ABOUT, AND YOU, YOU'LL SEE IT IN MY WORK, IF YOU EVER READ ABOUT IT, IS REALLY QUICK TURNAROUND TIMES WHEN IT COMES TO DIAGNOSTICS.
UM, QUICK, ACCURATE, AND EXTREMELY ACCESSIBLE.
SO I THINK THE BEST PLACE TO DO THAT IS SOMEWHERE LIKE HOUSTON, TEXAS.
I'M REALLY EXCITED TO JOIN THE BOARD AND LEARN MORE ABOUT IT DURING THE BOARD ORIENTATION.
I WAS HONESTLY JUST BLOWN AWAY BY THE WORK THAT HOUSTON FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER HAS DONE.
UM, AND I'M, I'M JUST VERY HONORED TO BE HERE.
MY NAME IS SONYA CORRALES, AND I CURRENTLY SERVE AS THE DEPUTY CEO AT THE HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S CENTER.
IT'S AN ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES SERVICES TO SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND TRAFFICKING.
AND I HAVE BEEN, MY ENTIRE LIFE HAS BEEN DEDICATED TO THAT MISSION AND TO THE MISSION TO STOP AND ERADICATE, UH, VIOLENCE.
UM, I HAVE EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA.
I'VE SAT ON MANY BOARDS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, AT THE STATE LEVEL, AND AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, UM, TRYING TO CHANGE POLICY AND CHANGE LAWS TO ADDRESS AND, AND RESPOND AND PREVENT, UH, DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE.
I TOO AM JUST SO EXCITED TO BE PART OF THIS BOARD.
I WAS ALSO COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY AT THE ORIENTATION.
I KNEW THAT, UH, THE HOUSTON FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER DID QUITE A BIT OF WORK, BECAUSE I WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM BEFORE, BUT I DID NOT KNOW THE, JUST THE EXTENSIVE, UM, JUST PROGRAMS THAT YOU HAVE.
I'M AN ATTORNEY WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
I'VE BEEN ON THIS BOARD FOR I THINK ABOUT SIX MONTHS NOW, AND I'VE REALLY BEEN ENJOYING IT.
UM, I WORK IN THE CRIMINAL LAW DIVISION FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND FOR ME, MARCH MAKES 10 YEARS, WHICH ONCE AGAIN IS SURPRISING HOW QUICKLY THAT GOES.
PRIOR TO THAT, I WAS REPRESENTING PEOPLE WHO WERE DETAINED WITH HOMELAND SECURITY, MOSTLY AT THE BORDER.
UM, AND I GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON LAW CENTER IN 2010.
UH, MY NAME IS, UH, JOHN YU, AND I'M A PROFESSOR OF FORENSIC SCIENCE, UH, AT ST.
UH, I THINK JUST LIKE MOST OF YOU, UM, I'VE BEEN THERE ABOUT 18 YEARS, UH, MEANING YOU HAVE THE 18 YEARS OF KIND OF WORKING EXPERIENCE.
UH, SO BEFORE THAT, I WAS A CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATOR, UH, IN TAIPEI CITY, UH, FOR MORE THAN EIGHT YEARS.
AND AFTER THAT EIGHT YEARS OF WORKING EXPERIENCE, I GOT MY PHD IN CHEMISTRY.
AND AFTER THAT, UH, I GOT MY PHD IN CANADA.
UH, AND YOU KNOW, THAT CANADA, NOT A LOT OF FORENSIC WORK,
UH, SO IN 2004, UH, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE AND, UH, THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF FORENSIC SCIENCES ESTABLISHED A NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL STANDARD, UH, FOR UNIVERSITIES, UH, THAT OFFER FORENSIC SCIENCE EDUCATION.
SO I WAS FORTUNATE TO, TO, UH, TO UNDERSTAND THE STANDARD AND THEN, AND THEN, AND THEN CAME TO SAM HOUSTON, AND THEN SAM HOUSTON'S, UH, FORENSIC SCIENCE EDUCATION GOT, UH, ACCREDITED, UH, BY PAC IN 2009.
AND RIGHT AFTER THAT, WE CONTINUED THE, THE SUCCESSFUL, UH, ACCREDITATION THROUGH, UH, PAC STANDARD, WHICH IS A NATIONAL STANDARD FOR FORENSIC SCIENCE EDUCATION.
UH, SO ANYWAY, I'M VERY HAPPY THAT, THAT I CAN, UH, PARTICIPATE WITH THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, UH, TO MOVE, UH, OUR FORENSIC SCIENCE INTO MORE INDEPENDENCE AND THE MORE, UH, QUALITY DRIVEN, UH, BECAUSE THIS IS THE COMMON GOAL IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, SO, UH, IN THE UNIVERSITY, WE OF COURSE, UH, DO THREE THINGS, UH, RESEARCH,
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TEACHING, AND THEN DO SOME COMMUNITY SERVICE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.UH, SO I'VE BEEN DOING TEACHING IN, IN ALL KINDS OF, UH, FORENSIC SCIENCE COURSES AND THEN RESEARCH, UH, WITH, UH, SOME, UH, FEDERAL RESEARCH NEED, UH, PROJECTS, UH, FUNDED BY N-I-J-N-S-F AND THEN DOD.
UH, SO RECENTLY WE, WE GOT SOME, UH, INTEREST IN JET FUEL, SO WE HAVE SOME JET FUEL FORENSICS, UH, PROGRAM THAT IS GOING ON.
SO NOW A LOT OF, UH, FORENSIC, UH, WORK.
BUT OVERALL, I THINK THE GOAL IS TO PUSH OUR, UH, WORK INTO A HIGH QUALITY, MORE RELIABLE AND A HIGHER STANDARD.
AND MAYBE IT IS A LITTLE BIT LONG, BUT I'LL BE VERY SHORT.
UH, UH, ONE MORE MESSAGE IS ABOUT, UH, THE HISTORY OF CRIME LAB.
UH, BECAUSE I, UH, IN A UNIVERSITY, I ALWAYS TALK TO MY STUDENT.
THE FIRST, UH, FORENSIC LAB OR CRIME LAB WAS ESTABLISHED IN FRANCE, LE YOUNG CITY.
UH, AND THAT WAS 1911, ROUGHLY.
AND AFTER A HUNDRED YEARS, UH, IN HOUSTON, WE ARE FORTUNATE, UH, TO ESTABLISH ONE OF THE FIRST, UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENT OWNED FORENSIC SCIENCE SERVICES, UH, PROVIDED TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, SO THIS IS A, A HISTORICAL MOMENT.
UH, SO I'M VERY, UH, HAPPY TO BE, UH, BE BE PART OF THE, UH, THE ORGANIZATION AND MOVE OUR FORENSIC SCIENCE SERVICE INTO THE NEXT LEVEL.
UH, AND, AND, AND IT'S, IT'S MY HONOR TO, TO BE ABLE TO BE HERE, UH, WITH US EVERY, UH, FOR THIS, UH, BOARD OF DIRECTOR, UH, DUTIES.
I'M A PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF GENETICS AT MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER.
MY, MY RESEARCH LAB'S INTEREST IS IN THE CANCER GENETICS OF A CHILDHOOD CANCER.
UH, PROBABLY MORE RELEVANT TO THIS BOARD POSITION IS I'M THE DIRECTOR OF MD ANDERSON'S CORE FACILITY, GENOMICS CORE FACILITY.
AND, UM, THIS CORE FACILITY BASICALLY PROVIDES CUTTING EDGE GENOMICS TESTING FOR ALL OF MD ANDERSON INVESTIGATORS.
ACTUALLY, ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO PAY FOR IT,
UM, AND I'LL JUST ECHO WHAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID IN TERMS OF MY TIME HERE.
AND I THINK I'M STARTING MY FOURTH, IT'S MY SECOND.
ANYWAY, I'VE BEEN HERE FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND I HAVE JUST BEEN OVERWHELMINGLY IMPRESSED WITH THE MEETINGS, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH TALKING TO INDIVIDUALS, JUST THE INTEGRITY, THE, UM, ATTENTION TO QUALITY, FAIRNESS.
I'M JUST, AND I'M CHOKING UP, ACTUALLY.
UM, I'M JUST SO PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS, THIS INSTITUTION, AND HAPPY TO DO WHATEVER LITTLE PART I CAN DO TO HELP IT KEEP GOING.
HELLO, MY NAME IS NATALIE VIZA, AND I RECEIVED MY HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT, UH, BACHELOR IN HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT WITH HONORS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON.
UM, I JOINED HFSD IN THE SUMMER OF 2022.
I WAS ON THE CLIENT SERVICES AND CASE MANAGEMENT TEAM, WHERE I FREQUENTLY PROCESS INQUIRIES AND REQUESTS FROM INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS.
AROUND THIS TIME A YEAR AGO, I JOINED THE, UM, LEGAL TEAM, AND I AM NOW THE BOARD OF SECRETARY AND STAFF ASSISTANT, AND I LOVE IT VERY MUCH.
NOW, ALL RIGHT, I'LL BRING UP THE REAR HERE.
UM, AKAH MANZ, I'M THE GENERAL COUNSEL AND DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS.
I'VE BEEN HERE AT HFSC FOR A LITTLE OVER SIX YEARS.
MY BACKGROUND, UH, WAS IN, UH, LEGAL BACKGROUND ANYWAY, IS THAT I STARTED IN 2008 AT THE HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
AS A PROSECUTOR, I WAS THERE FOR ABOUT SIX AND A HALF YEARS, AND THEN MOVED ON TO A LAW FIRM THAT REPRESENTS, UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES IN AND AROUND THE HOUSTON AREA.
AND SO BOTH OF THOSE TRAJECTORIES LED ME TO HERE.
MY PRIMARY, UH, RESPONSIBILITY IS REPRESENTING THE ORGANIZATION FROM TOP TO BOTTOM ON LEGAL MATTERS, WHICH INCLUDES, UH, REPRESENTING AND ADVISING THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HERE.
AND VERY EXCITED TO WORK WITH OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS AND ASSIST IN ANY WAY THAT I CAN.
UM, WE'LL CATCH UP WITH THOSE THAT ARE MISSING.
UH, AT THE NEXT BOARD HEARING, LET'S PROCEED TO ITEM AGENDA.
AT THIS TIME, WE'LL OPEN THE FLOOR TO PUBLIC COMMENT, WHICH WE SELDOM HAVE, AND INVITE ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC THAT WISHES TO SPEAK TO COME TO THE PODIUM AND ADDRESS THE BOARD.
WE ASK THE SPEAKERS TO SIGN IN.
SO, WHERE ARE THEIR PRESENCE? AND ALL COMMENTS BE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES.
YOU MAY SPEAK ON ANY MATTER CONCERN, UH, CONCERNING THE BOARD, EXCUSE ME.
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AND HFSC AT THIS TIME, DO WE HAVE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO HAS SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? OKAY.SEEING NO ONE, UH, TODAY, I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT.
NOW WE WILL CONSIDER MEETING MINUTES FROM THE JULY 12TH, 2024 BOARD MEETING.
IF YOU RECALL, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO MEET IN SEPTEMBER, SO WE DO NEED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM SEVERAL MONTHS AGO.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED? OKAY.
UM, HEARING NONE, CAN I HAVE A, AN AMENDMENT TO THE WELL, HEARING NONE.
DO I HAVE AN, UH, A MOTION? I COULDN'T PULL IT UP.
A MOTION TO, UM, ACCEPT THE MINUTES.
UM, MEMBERS, OUR NEXT BUSINESS ITEM IS THE SELECTION OF OUR BOARD VICE CHAIR.
THE VICE CHAIR IS TYPICALLY APPOINTED ANNUALLY IN MAY.
HOWEVER, OUR FORMER CHAIR, DR. MITCHELL, SUGGESTED WE DESIGNATE AN INTERIM VICE CHAIR IN MAY TO SERVE UNTIL THIS CURRENT BOARD WAS APPOINTED.
SHE WANTED TO ENSURE THAT THE DIRECTORS AROUND THE DEAS TODAY WOULD BE ABLE TO SELECT THEIR OWN VICE CHAIR, WHICH MAKES GOOD SENSE.
NOW THAT ALL OF THE BOARD VACANCIES HAVE BEEN FILLED, WE WILL PROCEED WITH SELECTING A VICE CHAIR FOR THE FULL TERM.
TRADITIONALLY, THE CHAIR HAS PUT FORWARD A NOMINEE FOR THE BOARD'S CONSIDERATION, SO I WILL CONTINUE WITH THAT PRACTICE.
AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO NOMINATE, AND I'M VERY PLEASED TO NOMINATE OUR INTERIM VICE CHAIR, JONI BAIRD, TO NOW SERVE AS OUR VICE CHAIR UNTIL OUR ANNUAL MEETING FOR APPOINTING OFFICERS IN 2025, I BELIEVE DIRECTOR BAIRD HAS DONE A WONDERFUL JOB, AND YOU HAVE INDEED, UH, DURING THIS INTERIM PERIOD, SHE'S AN ASSET TO THE BOARD AND HFSC, SO WE'RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE HER ON OUR TEAM.
I SPOKE WITH DIRECTOR BAIRD, AND SHE HAS GRACIOUSLY AGREED TO SERVE IN THIS ROLE.
IF THE BOARD APPROVES HER NOMINATION, DIRECTOR BAIRD, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS? THANK YOU, UH, CHAIR WARREN COHEN.
UM, IT REALLY HAS BEEN A PLEASURE SERVING IN THE INTERIM ROLE AND, UH, FOLLOWING WONDERFUL LEADERS THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST.
AND I AM SO COMMITTED TO CONTINUING YOUR SUCCESS IN BRINGING ANY ASSETS TO THE TABLE, UH, THAT I CAN.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION FROM THE BOARD? HEARING? NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.
WE WILL PROCEED WITH THE VOTE.
WE'LL CONDUCT A VOICE VOTE TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF OUR NEW VICE CHAIR, TO HAVE A MOTION TO APPOINT DIRECTOR JOANI BAIRD AS THE BOARD VICE CHAIR TO FULFILL THE REMAINDER OF THE TERM THROUGH MAY, 2025.
IS THERE A SECOND? IS THERE A SECOND? MEMBER? CAN SECOND
I FEEL A LITTLE SCARED THERE TOO.
EVERYBODY WAS SURE SOMEBODY ELSE WAS GONNA DO IT, SO THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
UM, OKAY, I, WE HAD A MOTION AND A SECOND.
UM, ANY DISCUSSION? PLEASE UNMUTE YOUR MICS AT THIS TIME.
CONGRATULATIONS, DIRECTOR BAIRD, AND THANK YOU.
I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.
WE'RE GONNA PROCEED TO AGENDA ITEM SEVEN.
THIS IS A REPORT FROM, UH, FROM DR. STOUT, PRESIDENT AND CEO, INCLUDING AN OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS AND TECHNICAL UPDATES AND A PREVIEW OF THE 89TH LEGISLATURE.
SO FOR OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS, THE LENGTH OF THIS MEETING GENERALLY VARIES DIRECTLY WITH HOW QUICKLY I SHUT UP.
SO, UM, I, I, THIS REPORT HAS DONE A VARIETY OF THINGS OVER THE YEARS.
UH, CERTAINLY IF WITH, YOU KNOW, NEW FOLKS COMING ONTO THE BOARD, IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO SEE IN THIS, SOMETHING THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE IN THIS, LEMME KNOW.
UH, THE POINT IS TO INFORM YOU ABOUT OPERATIONS SO THAT YOU CAN FULFILL YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES.
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I I I SAY THIS LOTS.WE'LL CONTINUE TO SAY IT AGAIN.
IT IS AN INHERENT PART OF THE ORGANIZATION.
I VERY FIRMLY BELIEVE THIS, THAT INFORMATION ABOUT THIS LABORATORY SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE.
TRANSPARENCY IS A FUNDAMENTAL COMPONENT OF THE LABORATORY.
SO AT ANY POINT IN TIME, THIS IS WHY WE HAVE QUALITY PRESENT DIRECTLY HERE.
I, I WANT BOARD MEMBERS TO FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO OUR QUALITY DIVISION.
THEY HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO ANY RECORDS, ANY INFORMATION THAT YOU FEEL LIKE YOU NEED, YOU SHOULD HAVE IT.
BUT WITH THAT SAID, UM, ALL RIGHT, TURN IT ON.
JUST A COUPLE OF HIGHLIGHTS, UH, OF WHERE WE'RE AT.
WE ARE MAKING SOME PROGRESS ON BACKLOGS, THE FIREARMS BACKLOG, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS MANY MULTIPLE TIMES.
IT IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST PAIN POINT, I THINK, FOR THE REST OF THE SYSTEM BECAUSE REMEMBER, WHAT THE COURTS ARE CURRENTLY STRUGGLING WITH IS LARGELY PROSECUTING ADJUDICATING VIOLENT CRIME.
AND MOST VIOLENT CRIMES INVOLVE A GUN.
SO FIREARMS EVIDENCE IS PARTICULARLY OF INTEREST TO EVERYONE.
WE'VE HAD A, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BACKLOG NOW FOR FOUR YEARS OR BETTER.
UH, IT'S HOLDING PRETTY STEADY.
UM, AND THAT'S ACTUALLY REALLY GOOD NEWS.
WE, WE KEEP HOLDING RIGHT AROUND 350 EXAMS, AND THAT REPRESENTS SOMETHING IN THE, IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 12 TO 18 MONTHS.
NOW, WE DO A LOT OF WORK ON THIS WITH BOTH HPD AND THE DA'S OFFICE TO ESTABLISH WHICH CASES NEED TO GET RUN IN ORDER TO TRY NOT TO HOLD UP ACTUAL TRIALS.
UH, WE'VE COME TO, I THINK, A PRETTY GOOD RELATIONSHIP OUT OF THIS WITH BOTH THE DA'S OFFICE AND HPD ON HOW WE HANDLE THIS.
UM, AMY AND MANY OF THE MANAGERS ARE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THAT.
WE HAVE WEEKLY MEETINGS AROUND THIS WITH ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS AND IT'S, IT'S COME TO A PRETTY GOOD PACE.
BUT FIREARMS BACKLOGS ARE A HUGE CHALLENGE NATIONALLY.
LAST WEEK I WAS AT THE SOCIETY OF FORENSIC TOXICOLOGISTS MEETING AND FIREARMS WAS PART OF THE CONVERSATION BECAUSE WHAT'S HAPPENING IS THE FIREARMS BACKLOGS ARE SO LARGE, THEY ARE AFFECTING OTHER DISCIPLINES LIKE TOXICOLOGY.
UH, THE CENSUS OF PUBLICLY FUNDED CRIME LABORATORIES, THEIR 2020 DATA SHOW THAT FIREARMS BACKLOGS HAVE BASICALLY DOUBLED IN THE NATION.
UH, ABOUT 101,000 BACKLOGGED FIREARMS REQUESTS NATIONALLY IN 2020, WHICH REPRESENTS, YES, I'M, I'M PUTTING TOGETHER A PRESENTATION ABOUT THIS FOR A PRESENTATION I HAVE TO NIST IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
THAT IS PROBABLY SOMETHING NORTH OF 7 MILLION LABOR HOURS IN THAT BACKLOG ALONE.
THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM NATIONWIDE.
UM, BUT SEIZE DRUGS, UH, THE JAIL CASES WE'RE MA WE'RE KEEPING THOSE UNDER 30 DAYS.
WE'RE MAKING SOME PROGRESS ON THE SEIZE DRUGS BACKLOG AND OUR DNA BACKLOG.
WE'RE MAKING STEADY PROGRESS ON THAT.
WE HAVE A LOT OF TRAINING GOING ON.
WE HAVE NO FEWER THAN 15 PEOPLE IN TRAINING AND DNA, WHICH WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT TRAINING AND THE IMPACTS OF TRAINING ON THE SIGNED OFF EXPERIENCED EXAMINERS 'CAUSE THEY'RE INVOLVED IN TRAINING.
BUT WE'VE GOT A LOT OF FOLKS IN TRAINING.
SO THERE IS, THERE WILL BE RELIEF COMING DOWN THE PIPE.
WE'VE GOT FIVE FIREARMS EXAMINERS IN TRAINING.
REMEMBER THAT THE FIREARM TRAINING ARC IS LONG.
IT IS A SOLID TWO YEARS TO CREATE A NEW EXAMINER.
AND THEN WE HAVE SIX AND SEIZE DRUGS THAT ARE IN TRAINING.
UH, ON, JUST BRIEFLY ON THE PROPERTY FRONT, AND I WASN'T GONNA GO INTO PROPERTY STUFF TOO MUCH THIS MEETING, BUT, UH, THE PERMITTING IS BACK ON THE LOADING DOCK.
UH, WE SHOULD HAVE CONSTRUCTION PLANS TO PERMITTING ON SOME OF THE OTHER STORAGE AREAS HERE SHORTLY.
AND WE'VE ALREADY STARTED THE CONSTRUCTION ON THE 12TH FLOOR TO BEGIN MOVING PERSONNEL.
SO WE'RE MAKING GOOD PROGRESS THERE.
ANY QUESTIONS SO FAR? ALRIGHT, SO THE NEXT, JUST SO YOU'VE GOT THE PATTERN OF WHERE THINGS ARE AT ON THE BIG THREE BACKLOGS, ONE THING YOU WILL CONTINUALLY SEE IN, UM, DNA BACKLOG.
REMEMBER WE ARE OUTSOURCING SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS.
THE COMMERCIAL LABORATORY THAT WE USE TYPICALLY HAS A TURNAROUND TIME OF ABOUT 60 DAYS.
SO THAT PLUS THE TIME OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO DO THE REVIEWS FOR CODIS ENTRIES, ALL OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
WE ARE TYPICALLY ABOUT 30 DAYS IN THAT.
SO WE'RE KINDA RIGHT AT THE EDGE ON 90 DAY BACK ON THE 90 DAY STATE, UH, REQUIREMENT.
SO WHEN WE'VE GOT A SHIPMENT THAT'S COMING BACK, BECAUSE WE BUNDLE THESE THINGS UP ACROSS A MONTH AND THEN SHIP 'EM OUT.
AND SO WHEN THEY RETURN, YOU'LL SEE KIND OF A BULGE.
BASICALLY AT THE POINT WE'RE EXPECTING WORK TO COME BACK, WHICH
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IS, WHICH YOU SEE THERE IN ABOUT SEPTEMBER.BUT AT MOST ANY TIME RIGHT NOW WE'VE GOT MAYBE A DOZEN SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS THAT ARE IN EXCESS OF THE STATE'S 90 DAY, 90 DAY TURNAROUND TIME REQUIREMENT.
AND THAT CAN BE FOR ANY VARIETY OF REASONS, INCLUDING THAT WAS A KIT THAT CAME IN AT THE FIRST OF THE MONTH TO THEN BE SHIPPED AT THE END OF THE MONTH.
OR IT'S JUST A KIT THAT HAS ADDITIONAL COMPLICATIONS.
'CAUSE SOME CASES ARE MORE COMPLICATED.
UM, FIREARMS, YOU CAN SEE WE'RE MANAGING TO HOLD PRETTY STEADY.
AGAIN, WE'VE BEEN MAKING REALLY GOOD PROGRESS WITH THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE DA'S OFFICE.
UM, AND THEY'VE BEEN HELPING WHEN WE CAN GET CASES OUT OF THAT BACKLOG, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT AND SEIZE DRUGS.
UM, THAT'S, WE'VE ESTABLISHED SOME INCENTIVE PROGRAMS FOR STAFF TO WORK, UH, ADDITIONALLY ON CASES.
AND THAT SEEMS TO BE MAKING SOME PROGRESS AS WELL.
FOR NEW FOLKS, UM, EARLIER IN THE YEAR, WE, OUR, OUR ANNUAL REVIEW CYCLE RUNS WITH OUR FISCAL YEAR.
AND WE'VE, WE'VE MOVED THAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS.
WHEN WE ORIGINALLY STARTED, WE DID REVIEWS ON AN INDIVIDUAL'S ANNIVERSARY DATE THAT WORKED GREAT WHEN WE HAD FOUR EMPLOYEES.
IT WASN'T WORKING SO GREAT WHEN WE HAD 200.
UH, SO WE FIRST MADE THE MOVE TO ALIGN EVERYBODY ON AN ANNUAL CYCLE.
AND THEN, UH, WE WENT THROUGH THE EXERCISE IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS TO MOVE THAT TO MATCH WITH THE FISCAL YEAR.
SO THERE'VE BEEN A FEW CHANGES IN THE TIMINGS OF WHEN THESE DO, WHEN THEY DO THESE THINGS.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE DO THE APPROVAL OF YOUR, YOUR INPUT ON WHAT OUR CORPORATE LEVEL, THE, THE INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL KIND OF GOALS ARE FOR THE ORGANIZATION DURING THE SUMMER.
AND THEN MY EVALUATION IS WHAT WE DO HERE IN THE FALL.
SO YOU, YOU, YOU IMPART YOUR EVALUATING ME, ME ON THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ORGANIZATION DID IN THE LAST CYCLE.
SO THESE ANNUAL COMPANY LEVEL GOAL RESULTS HERE ARE FOR THE LAST FISCAL YEAR CYCLE AND WHAT YOU'RE IMPART EVALUATING ME ON HERE TODAY.
UM, SO IT, I, I KNOW STEPPING IN HERE IN THE NOVEMBER MEETING AND WE CAN GET YOU INFORMATION ABOUT THE, THE GOALS THAT ARE, WE'RE, WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING TO, BUT THIS WAS THE, THE SET OF GOALS THAT WE HAD BEFORE.
AND WHAT I, TO GET IT ALL ON THE PAGE HERE, EACH OF THESE GOALS HAD BROKEN OUT WHAT A 1, 2, 3, 4, AND FIVE RESULT, UM, NEEDED.
SO THEY'RE PRETTY HARD OBJECTIVE.
YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO MAKE SMART GOALS.
UM, BUT YOU CAN SEE WE HAD, LET'S SEE, THE ONE-ON-ONES WE HAVE DRIVEN TOWARDS, UH, TRYING TO INCENTIVIZE ACTIVE MANAGEMENT, ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF MANAGERS WITH THEIR STAFF.
SO WE'VE HAD THIS GOAL OF MONTHLY, AT LEAST ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS BETWEEN MANAGERS AND SUPERVISORS AND THEIR STAFF.
UH, THE STAFF HAVE ALMOST ALWAYS EXCEEDED THIS ONE A LOT.
UH, BUT I THINK IT REALLY HAS PAID OFF OF, UM, REALLY PRETTY TIGHT RELATIONSHIP.
AND I, I THINK SOME OF YOU, IF YOU'VE BEEN TO MANAGEMENT, YOU'VE BEEN TO COMPANY MEETINGS, YOU SEE OUR, OUR MANAGERS KNOW THEIR PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE KNOW THEIR MANAGERS, AND IT'S, IT'S A PRETTY TIGHT RELATIONSHIP THERE.
BUT THAT WE GAVE A FOUR, THAT WE HAD ALL SECTIONS COMPLETED.
80% OF THEIR MONTHLY, UH, MONTHLY GOAL.
AND THAT'S MET QUALTRICS IS THE SYSTEM THAT WE USE TO TRACK THIS IN.
NEXT ONE IS AROUND THE PRODUCTION GOAL.
AND SO HERE AGAIN, HISTORICALLY WE HAVE HAD A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
WE HAVE TRIED TO CREATE GOALS AROUND THE PRODUCTIVITY OF THE ORGANIZATION THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS EVERY DIVISION IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO REPRESENT WHAT PRODUCTIVITY LOOKS LIKE FOR CRIME SCENE AND FOR DNA, THEY'RE VERY DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES.
SO EACH DIVISION HAS THEIR OWN SET OF PRODUCTION GOALS.
THIS INCLUDES EVERYTHING THROUGH THE ORGANIZATION.
SO EVEN HR AND FINANCE AND IT, THEY ALL HAVE A PRODUCTIVITY GOAL AND A QUALITY GOAL.
UH, WE HAD ONE SECTION THAT DIDN'T MEET ONE OF SOME OF THEIR GOALS.
THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY THE BIN TARGET BECAUSE WE HAD HIRED SOME ADDITIONAL N IBIN, UH, ANALYSTS THAT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY HAD FAMILY THINGS AND MOVED AWAY.
UM, SO THAT IMPACTED OUR N IVAN TARGET, AND THAT WAS THE ONE THAT WAS MISSED OUT OF THAT.
SO OF THE 14 SECTIONS, WE HAD ONE SECTION THAT DIDN'T MEET ALL OF THEIR GOALS.
SO THAT'S WHY WE GAVE IT A FOUR AND A HALF.
UM, SO FOR THE QUALITY GOAL, SIMILARLY, WE HAVE THE 14 SECTIONS THAT INCLUDES FINANCE AND ALL OF THAT.
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REALLY THE GOAL THAT WASN'T MET, MET FOR QUALITY ISSUES WAS IN, UM, HR BECAUSE WE HAD SET A GOAL OF TRYING TO RETAIN 90% OF NEW EMPLOYEES FOR AT LEAST A YEAR.IT WAS THOSE NIVAN EMPLOYEES THAT WE DIDN'T RETAIN FOR AT LEAST A YEAR.
SO WE RETAINED 81% THERE, WHICH MEANT WE MISSED THAT ONE.
AND THAT WAS 13 OUT OF 14 OF THOSE.
THE LAST GOAL WE'VE HAD IN THERE HAS BEEN FOR VOLUNTARY TURNOVER RATE.
AND YOU GUESSED IT, THOSE NEI EMPLOYEES WERE IN THERE AGAIN.
UM, BUT THAT WE WERE TARGETING 12 TO 15% TURNOVER.
YOU REALIZE, AGAIN, HISTORICALLY PANDEMIC, PRE PANDEMIC, WE HAD A TURNOVER RATE TYPICALLY BETWEEN ABOUT SIX AND 8% PANDEMIC.
IT JUMPED UP ON US TO ABOUT 16 TO 20%.
AND IT HAS BEEN COMING DOWN SINCE THEN.
UH, ACTUALLY IF YOU LOOK AT THIS CALENDAR YEAR, OUR TURNOVER RATE I THINK IS ABOUT 7%.
SO IT'S, IT'S BEEN IMPROVING ON US, BUT FOR LAST YEAR IT WAS AT 13.6%, WHICH WAS RIGHT IN OUR RANGE.
SO THAT'S WHY WE GAVE IT A THREE.
SO I KNOW PARTICULARLY FOR OUR NEW MEMBERS, YOU'RE COMING TO MY EVAL THIS TIME WITH RELATIVELY LITTLE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS, BUT ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE GOALS? YES.
WHENEVER WE HAVE QUESTION, WE JUST PUSH OR RAISE HAND.
YEAH, I, I, I THINK, UH, JUST SHORT QUICK QUESTION ABOUT, UH, PERFORMANCE.
UH, YOU, YOU MENTIONED DNA IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM CRIME SCENES MM-HMM
BECAUSE FOR DNAI CAN IMAGINE YOUR PERFORMANCE SCORE CAN BE JUST BACKLOG, RIGHT? YOU COMING IN SPECIFIC TIME FRAME, YOU SEND IT OUT.
SO HOW DO YOU DO CRIME SCENE KIND OF PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION? CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT? SO THIS IS ONE OF THOSE PLACES I GO, OH, AMY
SO ONE THING WITH THE GOALS THAT WE REALLY WORK ON IS WHAT IS THE PROBLEM IN THIS SECTION AT THE TIME? SO FOR EXAMPLE, TOXICOLOGY AND BLOOD ALCOHOL, RIGHT NOW, THEY DON'T HAVE A BACKLOG.
SO THEY GENERALLY DON'T HAVE A GOAL AROUND QUANTITY COMPLETED BECAUSE WE'RE COMPLETING THEM AS THEY COME IN THE DOOR.
SO IN THAT SCENARIO, WE WOULD FOCUS ON TURNAROUND TIME, LIKE WHAT TURNAROUND TIME DO WE NEED IN ORDER TO KEEP THAT UP VERSUS, LIKE YOU SAID, A SECTION THAT HAS A BACKLOG.
WE WOULD BE FOCUSING ON COMPLETING A CERTAIN NUMBER OF REQUESTS EVERY MONTH BECAUSE WE HAVE PLENTY OF REQUESTS TO COMPLETE.
AND THAT'S HELPING THAT SECTION GET THROUGH THAT.
UM, ESPECIALLY IF THEY HAVE BUILT THE RESOURCES TO GET THROUGH THE BACKLOG.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE WOULD BE SEIZE DRUGS, WHICH WE DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE PEOPLE IN TRAINING, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE STAFF NEEDED TO GET THROUGH THE BACKLOG.
AND SO THERE WE GET, WE FOCUS ON WHAT WE CALL THE ANALYSIS TURNAROUND TIME, WHICH IS BASICALLY WHAT TURNAROUND TIME THE ANALYSTS CONTROL.
SO IT'S FROM WHEN IT'S ASSIGNED TO AN ANALYST TO WHEN IT'S COMPLETED, SO THAT WE ARE GIVING THEM A GOAL THAT A SECTION GOAL THAT THEY KNOW THEY CAN WORK ON.
UM, VERSUS IF WE'RE SAYING WE KNOW WE'RE SIX STAFF SHORT, WE CAN'T SAY COMPLETE X NUMBER OF CASES, UM, BECAUSE THAT'S UNACHIEVABLE FOR THEM.
SO WE FOCUS ON WHAT THEY CAN CONTROL.
AND CRIME SCENE, WE FOCUS A LOT ON THAT TURNAROUND TIME AND REVIEW TURNAROUND TIME, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THEY COME BACK FROM SCENES, 'CAUSE ONE SCENE CAN HAVE MULTIPLE REPORTS THAT BASICALLY THOSE REPORTS ARE GETTING TO REVIEW IN A TIMELY MANNER AND ALSO THAT THEY'RE GETTING REVIEWED IN A TIMELY MANNER.
SO THAT'S WHAT THOSE SECTION, LIKE PRODUCTION WISE, THAT'S WHAT THOSE FOCUS ON.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE SAYING IT'S REALLY HARD TO ROLL THAT INTO ONE TURNAROUND TIME FOR THE COMPANY OR ONE BACKLOG GOAL FOR THE COMPANY AND WHY WE'VE GONE TO THESE SECTION GOALS BECAUSE IT MEANS FOR EVERY SECTION WE CAN REALLY LOOK AT WHAT ARE YOUR CHALLENGES RIGHT NOW? WHAT CAN YOU ACCOMPLISH RIGHT NOW? UM, WHAT'S GONNA HELP YOU AND LET'S MAKE THE GOALS AROUND THAT AND SOMETHING THAT CAN MOTIVATE STAFF THAT THEY KNOW THEY CAN, UM, REALLY WORK ON AND ACHIEVE.
SO THAT'S HOW WE COME UP WITH THOSE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON ANNUAL GOAL STUFF? OKAY.
I THINK ALL OF YOU KNOW, I AM ALSO PRESIDENT OF THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF CRIME LAB DIRECTORS.
SO IN TERMS OF LEGISLATIVE LIAISON, I'M KIND OF IT FOR FORENSIC LABORATORIES IN THE STATE.
WE'VE GOT A NEW LEGISLATIVE SESSION COMING UP AND I JUST WANTED TO, I I WILL, WHEN WE'VE HAD LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS, I'VE TYPICALLY GIVEN SOME UPDATES OF WHERE THINGS ARE AT.
CLEARLY THERE ARE ANY NUMBER OF POTENTIAL LEGISLATIVE THINGS THAT HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR CRIME LABORATORIES.
THIS, IT'S JUST, WE ARE A STRATEGIC PART
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OF THIS CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.CRIMINAL JUSTICE IS OFTEN A BIG LEGISLATIVE ISSUE.
UH, SO I FORESEE THIS SESSION BEING THE SAME AS ANY OTHER SESSION.
NOW WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF MAJOR TOPICS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO HELP EDUCATE ABOUT AND SEE IF WE CAN FIND SOME RESOLUTIONS TO, ONE IS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
THAT IS PROBABLY THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ONE.
NOW, I WILL ALSO SAY CITY OF HOUSTON'S GOVERNMENT RELATIONS FOLKS HAVE BEEN IMMENSELY HELPFUL FOR ME.
UH, I, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH GOOD ABOUT HOW WILLING THEY ARE TO HELP US OUT.
UM, BUT WE'VE ALREADY HAD LARGELY HAVE BEEN ON THE SENATE SIDE WITH THIS 'CAUSE WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR TEXAS HOUSE TO RESOLVE ITS LEADERSHIP.
'CAUSE THAT WILL DEFINITELY CHANGE THE STRATEGY OF HOW WE APPROACH WHAT MEMBERS TO DISCUSS.
BUT THE IDEA THAT SEEMS TO BE GETTING SOME TRACTION THIS YEAR IS A STATE FUNDED APPRENTICESHIP KIND OF PROGRAM.
SO YOU, YOU THINK OF THIS, WE KNOW MOST ANALYSTS ARE GONNA TAKE US ABOUT TWO YEARS TO TRAIN.
WE USUALLY ESTIMATE THAT AN ANALYST, AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, LABS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, IS GONNA COST SOMEWHERE BETWEEN ABOUT 300,000 AND $500,000 FOR US TO BUILD THAT ANALYST.
A LOT OF THAT IS LABOR BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA PAY THAT PERSON FOR THOSE TWO YEARS, PLUS YOU'RE GONNA PAY MOST OF AN EXPERIENCED PERSON FOR TWO YEARS TO HELP TRAIN 'EM.
WE CAN'T OFFSET ALL OF THAT, BUT AT LEAST WE COULD OFFSET SOME OF IT BY A STATE FUNDED MECHANISM TO PAY THE TRAINEE FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AND ALSO CREATE IN THAT SOME INCENTIVES TO STAY IN A LABORATORY.
SAY WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT A YES MA'AM, SO FINISH.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING WITH LEGISLATORS ABOUT A PILOT SCALE OF THIS MAYBE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 20 AND 52 YEAR APPRENTICESHIPS IN THIS NEXT BIENNIUM.
UM, AND THE TWO UNIVERSITY PARTNERS ARE THE TWO FPAC ACCREDITED PROGRAMS IN THE STATE GRADUATE LEVEL, UH, OF UNT AND SAM HOUSTON WOULD BE PART OF THE, THE MANAGEMENT OF THOSE PEOPLE COMING IN.
UM, YOU'VE GOT A QUESTION? YEAH.
THE QUESTION WAS WHERE DOES, WHERE DO YOU SEE THE MONEY BEING BUDGETED FOR OUR APPRENTICE PROGRAM? UM, HAVING THAT UP THERE, HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH HIGHER ED AS PROBABLY WHERE THEY, THEY SEEM INTERESTED AND SEEMED THE MOST LIKELY TO FIND THE APPROPRIATIONS OUT OF THE HIGHER ED.
UM, SO THAT IS SENATOR CREIGHTON.
AND SO WE'VE TALKED WITH SENATOR CREIGHTON, SENATOR HUFFMAN, UM, AND BETTEN CORE ALL SEEM VERY INTERESTED IN FINDING ROUTES TO THIS.
UH, NOW THE, IF YOU THINK ABOUT THIS, THE IDEA IS TO TREAT IT LIKE A FORGIVABLE LOAN PROGRAM OR SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT.
THAT IF THE INDIVIDUAL SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES THE APPRENTICESHIP AND THEN STAYS IN ONE OF THE TEXAS PUBLIC LABORATORIES FOR SAY, FIVE YEARS BEYOND THAT, UM, IT WOULD FORGIVE THE COST TO THE INDIVIDUAL.
SO THAT CREATES A, YOU KNOW, A FRAMEWORK TO TRY AND KEEP THE PERSON IN ONE OF THE PUBLIC LABORATORIES LONG ENOUGH TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR US, BUT ALSO PROBABLY LONG ENOUGH TO THEY'RE GONNA CREATE A LIFE HERE AND PROBABLY BE A LONG-TERM EMPLOYEE OF ONE OF THE PUBLIC LABORATORIES.
UH, THERE'S OTHER ASPECTS OF THIS THAT WE'VE TALKED WITH TEXAS FORENSIC SCIENCE COMMISSION THAT WOULD HELP MANAGE IT AND COULD USE THIS AS A MECHANISM TO HELP INCENTIVIZE PRACTICE IN LABORATORIES.
IF A LAB IS TO BE ABLE TO QUALIFY FOR ONE OF THESE APPRENTICESHIPS, THEY NEED TO HAVE IMPLEMENTED OSAC STANDARDS OR, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSION OF WHAT COULD GO IN WITH THAT.
BUT IT DOES CREATE, AGAIN, BASICALLY AN INCENTIVE SYSTEM FOR LABORATORIES TO PARTICIPATE IN IMPROVED PRACTICE.
UM, I TESTIFIED TO TEXAS SENATE CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE THREE OR FOUR WEEKS AGO.
THERE WAS AN INTERIM CHARGE OF A SECOND ROUND OF INTERIM CHARGES.
THIS ONE HAD LARGELY TO DO WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS, BUT IT WAS THE MAJOR PART OF THE TOP, UH, DISCUSSION THERE.
I THINK I'D ALREADY SENT THE LINK TO THAT TESTIMONY.
UM, BUT WE CAN RESEND THAT AGAIN, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN, IN SEEING THAT TESTIMONY AND BOTH UNT AND SAM HOUSTON WERE ON THE SAME PANEL WITH ME DISCUSSING THIS.
SO IT'S, IT'S, I THINK THIS WOULD BE THE FOURTH SESSION THAT I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN.
CERTAINLY THE MOST PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD AROUND THIS.
UH, SO IT'S PROMISING, BUT IT'S STILL VERY EARLY DAYS.
THE OTHER BIG TOPIC IS AROUND PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE DISPOSITION.
IN PARTICULAR, WE'VE, TEXAS DPS WAS THE ONE THAT BROUGHT THIS ISSUE OF STORAGE OF BLOOD TUBES FROM DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE CASES.
VAST, VAST, VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE ARE MISDEMEANORS, MEANING THEY'VE GOT A TWO YEAR STATUTE AND A MAX OF 180 DAY SENTENCE.
BUT DPS HAS A WAREHOUSE HERE IN HOUSTON WHERE THEY HAVE
[00:40:01]
SOME 50,000 PLUS TUBES IN REFRIGERATED STORAGE.THE AVERAGE AGE OF THOSE IS EIGHT YEARS OLD.
I THINK THE OLDEST ONE THAT THEY HAD IS ABOUT 16 YEARS OLD.
I'VE FOUND ABOUT 150,000 BLOOD TUBES IN HARRIS COUNTY ALONE BETWEEN WHAT HPD HAS SOON TO BE OURS.
UH, DPS, UH, WHAT THE COUNTY HAS, AND THEY'RE PROBABLY MORE THAN THAT.
THOSE THINGS DON'T JUST SIMPLY SIT THERE ON A SHELF.
THEY STILL COST MONEY TO MAINTAIN THE INVENTORY, MAINTAIN THE SECURITY, MAINTAIN THE SHELF FOR THEM TO SIT ON.
UM, AND THEIR BLOOD TUBES A 30, THE OLDEST ONE I'VE FOUND IS 35 YEARS OLD.
A 30 5-YEAR-OLD BLOOD TUBE IS, IS OF NO SCIENTIFIC VALUE.
UM, SO HOW DO WE FIND BETTER WAYS? NO ONE IN THE SYSTEM WANTS TO TOSS OUT VALUABLE EVIDENCE THAT COULD EITHER INCLUDE OR EXCLUDE SOMEONE.
BUT THE WAY YOU PROTECT THE VALUABLE EVIDENCE IS THAT YOU DON'T SPEND MONEY STORING THE VALUELESS EVIDENCE.
UM, THIS IS A PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD SITUATION.
IT SEEMS TO BE A COUPLE OF TURNS OF LANGUAGE IN SOME PAST AMENDMENTS THAT MAY ALLOW THIS TO BE EASIER.
AND BECAUSE IT'S A PRETTY CLEAN ISSUE, WE FIGURED THIS WOULD BE A GOOD ONE TO HELP LEGISLATORS UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF WHAT HAPPENS IN PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE AND DISPOSITION FOR FUTURE EFFORTS AROUND THIS.
THERE ARE MANY, MANY, MANY THINGS THAT NEED TO GET CHANGED IN ORDER TO HELP IMPROVE THE DISPOSITION AND HANDLING OF EVIDENCE.
THIS IS JUST ONE TYPE OF EVIDENCE IN ONE TYPE OF CRIME.
THERE'S AN EXERCISE AROUND THIS, AROUND MANY OTHER THINGS.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THERE.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE, YEAH, SO I'M JUST FROM MY OWN UNDERSTANDING, SO THAT REALLY THE HICCUP IS MORE A MATTER OF THE LANGUAGE OF EXISTING STATUES, RIGHT? NOT PEOPLE KNOWING HOW TO DO THIS.
IN EVIDENCE AND PROPERTY STORAGE.
THE, THE PROBLEM, AND THIS IS EVERYWHERE, THE PROBLEM IS DISPOSITION.
BECAUSE WHAT OFTEN HAPPENS, YOU GET UP TO THE POINT THAT YOU HAVE A STATUTORY AUTHORITY TO BE ABLE TO DISPOSE OF AN ITEM, AND THEN YOU START HAVING THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE AUTHORIZATION TO DISPOSE OF IT.
MEANING IT COULD BE 20 YEARS FROM NOW BEFORE THAT THING IS CUSTOMIZABLE AND 20 YEARS FROM NOW, NOBODY CARES ABOUT IT.
NOBODY HAS THE RESOURCES REALLY TO DO THIS.
AND BY THAT POINT IT JUST FALLS DOWN THE PRIORITY LIST.
YOU'VE GOT CURRENT CASES YOU'VE GOTTA DEAL WITH.
BUT WHAT IT MEANS IS AGENCIES ALL OVER THE STATE ARE STUCK HOLDING EVIDENCE THAT THEY CAN'T GET RID OF AND THAT COSTS RESOURCES THAT THEN AREN'T AVAILABLE TO PROTECT THE VALUABLE EVIDENCE THAT YOU NEED TO PROTECT AND HOW TO DO BETTER AT THAT.
THERE'S LEGISLATIVE CHANGES, BUT A LOT OF IT IS THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE STORY AND AGENCY, THE DA'S OFFICE AND THE COURTS, AND HOW TO MAKE THAT MORE EFFICIENT AS WELL.
I SUSPECT IT'S GONNA BE AN ISSUE AGAIN, THIS, UH, SESSION.
HONESTLY, AT THIS JUNCTURE, I CANNOT PREDICT WHERE IT'S GONNA HEAD.
UM, THERE IS A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT WHAT ARE CALLED THE SEMISYNTHETIC, TCS OR THE, IM IMPAIRING HEMP PRODUCTS.
I'M SURE YOU SEE THESE AROUND TOWN.
THE STORES THAT SELL DELTA EIGHT, DELTA NINE, DELTA 10, HEMP DERIVED THC, THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT NAMES FOR IT.
UM, FROM THE LABORATORY STANDPOINT, THE CONCERN IS THE COMPLEXITY OF TESTING AND WHAT THAT'S THEN GONNA MEAN FOR RESOURCES TO VALIDATE STAFF BUY EQUIPMENT FOR IT.
UM, IT, IT, I, THERE IS NO GOOD ANSWER ON THIS AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE ANSWER IS GOING TO BE OUT OF THIS SESSION.
UH, IT'S CLEAR THAT THERE IS ABUSES OF THE SYSTEM THAT EXIST.
THERE IS A ROBUST GRAY MARKET AREA THAT IS CREATING ALL KINDS OF CHALLENGES IN A VARIETY OF PLACES.
I SUSPECT THERE'S GONNA BE SOMETHING IN THIS SESSION, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT YET.
AND THEN LASTLY, UM, JUST FOR ALL OF YOU THAT GETS STUCK IN A ROOM LISTENING TO ME, IF YOU BECOME AWARE OF ANY BILL AT ANY POINT, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
UH, THE CITY IS VERY HELPFUL WITH ME.
WE ARE TRYING TO STAFF TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE
[00:45:01]
HELP FOR ME TO JUST SIMPLY KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR BILLS THAT GET FILED THAT MAY HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR, UH, LABORATORIES.BUT YOU KNOW, IN ANY GIVEN SESSION, THERE'S SOMETHING LIKE FIVE TO 8,000 BILLS THAT GET FILED.
IT'S A LOT TO TRY AND KEEP TRACK OF AND WE MISS THINGS.
SO IF YOU BECOME AWARE OF ANYTHING THAT HAS EVEN A REMOTE POTENTIAL IMPLICATION FOR FORENSIC LABORATORIES, I'D APPRECIATE IF YOU JUST GIVE ME A HEADS UP SO WE CAN KEEP AN EYE ON IT.
SO WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES WHAT I HAD PUT TOGETHER FOR TODAY AND, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO JANUARY AND THE START OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
UH, ANY ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? NO, MEMBERS, PLEASE NOTE THAT THE NEXT THREE AGENDA ITEMS INVOLVE CONTRACTS FOR OUR FORENSIC SECTIONS WHO ARE ADDRESSING BACKLOGS, HSCS, COO, DR. CASTILLO COMING BACK UP AGAIN, HAS BEEN WORKING ON THESE AGREEMENTS WITH OUR STAFF AND GENERAL COUNSEL, SO I'LL ASK HER TO PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION WE MAY NEED.
SO THE FIRST AGREEMENT IS WITH TARRANT COUNTY.
IT IS FOR OUTSOURCING FIREARMS EXAMINATION TESTING.
UM, THEY ALSO HAVE VERY LIMITED CAPACITY, SO IT'S A FAIRLY SMALL AGREEMENT.
HOWEVER, WE'RE WILLING TO USE WHATEVER HOPE WE CAN GET, UM, WITH OUR FIREARMS BACKLOG.
THE AGREEMENT THAT Y'ALL HAVE, THE PROJECT IS A TOTAL, I SHOULD SAY IS A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IS WHAT WE BUDGETED FOR IT.
WE ACTUALLY STARTED THE PROJECT LAST YEAR, HOWEVER, THE ILA WITH TARRANT COUNTY EXPIRED.
AND SO THEN WE NEEDED TO RENEW THAT ILA.
AND SO THE AMOUNT ON WHAT Y'ALL ARE APPROVING IS $88,140.
UM, BECAUSE THE WORK THAT WAS DONE IN THE LAST PART OF THE PROJECT, WE ALREADY SPENT THE OTHER PORTION OF THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND TOTAL.
UM, SO THAT IS WHAT THAT AGREEMENT IS ABOUT.
UM, DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT PROJECT? OKAY.
WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON THIS ON THIS ONE FIRST.
AGENDA ITEM EIGHT MEMBERS AGREEMENT BEFORE US WILL ALLOW OUR FIREARM SECTION TO CONTINUE SENDING CASES TO THE LABORATORY AT TARRANT COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE.
AS A REMINDER, WE SIGNED AN IDENTICAL AGREEMENT WITH TARRANT COUNTY BACK IN MARCH, AND OUR FIREARM SECTION HAS BEEN UTILIZING THE AGREEMENT TO BUILD CAPACITY.
BECAUSE THIS CONTRACT IS AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT, THE BOARD MUST APPROVE IT JUST AS THE TARRANT COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT HAS DONE.
DR. CASTILLO, CAN YOU PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION? UM, NOT, WELL, NOT MORE THAN WHAT I DID, UNLESS THERE'S MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? IF THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, WE'LL NOW HAVE A VOICE VOTE TO APPROVE THE AGREEMENT.
PLEASE UNMUTE YOUR MICS AT THIS TIME IF YOU HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
YOU HAVE A SECOND? SECOND COME ALL YOU SHY SECONDERS.
I'M GONNA START LOOKING AT YOU ALL.
AT THIS TIME WE'LL HAVE A VOICE VOTE.
OKAY, SO THE NEXT TWO ARE, ARE RELATED TO EACH OTHER.
UM, TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND IN FORENSIC BIOLOGY, REALLY SINCE RIGHT BEFORE COVID, WE HAVE BEEN USING OUTSOURCING AS A TOOL IN OUR TOOLBOX TO HELP MANAGE THE BACKLOG.
UM, WHILE WE DEAL WITH STAFFING ISSUES AND ALL, ALL THE ROLLERCOASTER EVENTS THAT HAPPEN IN FORENSIC BIOLOGY WITH REWORKING CASES, UM, NEW TECHNOLOGY COMING ONLINE, IT REALLY HELPS US GET THROUGH THOSE.
UM, IN THE RECENT BUDGET, THE CITY DID ACTUALLY GIVE US A BUDGET INCREASE FOR FORENSIC BIOLOGY TO GROW IT BY 20 STAFF MEMBERS, WHICH WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT.
BUT YOU CAN'T HIRE 20 STAFF MEMBERS AT ONE TIME.
AND SO OUR PLAN RIGHT NOW IS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS TO USE THAT FUNDING TO HIRE APPROXIMATELY FOUR STAFF A YEAR.
AND THEN THE REST OF THAT FUNDING WILL GO TO OUTSOURCING.
AND SO WHAT WE CAN DO IS CONTINUE THIS OUTSOURCING WHILE WE STAIR STEP UP ADDING THOSE 20 PEOPLE INTO FORENSIC BIOLOGY.
SO WHAT WE'LL ANTICIPATE SEEING IS WE'RE GONNA SPEND A LOT ON OUTSOURCING RIGHT NOW, BUT BY THE END OF THE FIVE YEARS, WE WILL BE WEANING OFF OF IT.
UM, BECAUSE WE WILL ACTUALLY HAVE THE TRAINED STAFF IN PLACE, WE NEED TO KEEP UP WITH THE WORK IN IN HOUSE.
SO AS YOU SAW, THE BACKLOG IS ALREADY DECREASING IN BIOLOGY.
THAT'S BECAUSE WHEN WE INITIALLY GOT THAT FUNDING, WE WERE ABLE TO AMEND A CURRENT CONTRACT WITH SOME OF
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THE FUNDING THAT THE CITY PROVIDED US.UM, SO YOU CAN ALREADY SEE THE RESULT OF HOW MUCH THAT'S HELPING US, BUT FOR THE REST OF IT, IT'S A VERY LARGE PURCHASE.
UM, FOR THE NEW CONTRACTS, WE WANTED TO DO A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE USING THE MONEY THE MOST RESPONSIBLY WITH THE VENDORS THAT WERE AVAILABLE.
AND WE JUST FINISHED THAT PROCESS.
IN THAT PROCESS, THE PANEL SELECTED BOTH VENDORS THAT RESPONDED.
HOWEVER, WE'RE SPLITTING THE WORKUP BETWEEN THEM.
AND SO ONE OF THE VENDOR'S SIGNATURE SCIENCE, WHICH IS, UM, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 10, WE'RE GOING TO BE SENDING ALL OF OUR SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS TO, WHICH IS WHO WE'RE SENDING THEM TO NOW.
SO THAT'S A LARGER PORTION OF THE FUNDING BECAUSE WE SEND ANYWHERE BETWEEN 80 AND 120 SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS A MONTH, UM, TO BE TESTED TO BODHI CELLMARK WITH, WHICH IS AGENDA NUMBER NINE.
WE'RE GONNA BE SENDING OUR NON SAK WORK.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE THAT, THAT AMOUNT IS COMING FROM IS BASICALLY OVER THE NEXT CALENDAR YEAR, HOW MUCH WE ANTICIPATE SPENDING WITH THEM ON THAT NON SEXUAL ASSAULT KIT WORK.
IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, WE'LL NOW CONDUCT A VOICE VOTE TO APPROVE THE FIRST CONTRACT BEFORE US.
THE BO CON, IS THAT THE VOTE? CONTRACT BODI BODI, YES.
UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE DR. STOUT TO NEGOTIATE AND ENTER INTO THE CONTRACT BETWEEN BODHI CELLMARK FORENSICS INC.
AND THE CORPORATION FOR DNA OUTSOURCING AND RELATED SERVICES? TOTAL BUDGET NOT TO EXCEED 550,000.
PLEASE UNMUTE YOUR MO YOUR MICS.
AND DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? COME NOW.
NOW I HAVE TO BE SURE I REALLY HAVE TO LOOK.
OTHERWISE I'M GONNA HAVE TO CALL INDIVIDUALLY.
SO I HAVE TO SEE YOUR MOUTHS MOVED.
IF YOU ARE A SECOND ONE, WE HAVE TO OKAY.
UM, AGENDA ITEM 10, CORRECT? YES.
CONSIDER DELEGATING AUTHORITY TO DR. STOUT TO NEGOTIATE AND ENTER INTO A ONE YEAR CONTRACT BETWEEN SIGNATURE SCIENCE LLC AND THE CORPORATION FOR DNA OUTSOURCING AND RELATED SERVICES.
TOTAL BUDGET NOT TO EXCEED 2,050,000 AND RELATED ACTIONS.
DO YOU WANNA DISCUSS? THAT'S THE LARGER CONTRACT THAT'S GOING TO SIGNATURE SCIENCE TO COVER SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS.
UM, TESTING FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
OKAY, DIRECTOR, SINCE WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS CONTRACT, LET'S PROCEED TO THE VOTE AND MO MUTE YOUR MICS AGAIN TO HAVE A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE DR. STOUT TO NEGOTIATE AND APPROVE THE CONTRACT BETWEEN SIGNATURE SCIENCE LLC AND THE CORPORATION FOR DNA OUTSOURCING AND RELATED SERVICES.
TOTAL BUDGET NOT TO EXCEED 2,050,000.
OKAY, WE'RE ON TO, UM, AGENDA ITEM 11.
ALRIGHT, PRESENTATION FROM MR. DAVID LEACH, TREASURER AND CFO OF THE CFO OF YEAR END REVIEW FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024.
I AM THE CFO FOR HOUSTON FORENSIC.
UH, LIKE, UH, DR. STOUT HAVE BEEN HERE APPROACHING 10 YEARS.
SO IT'S BEEN A, IT'S BEEN A PRIVILEGE.
SO I, I SENT, UH, THIS OUT, UH, AS A PART OF THE BOARD PACKET AND, UH, HOPEFULLY YOU HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT AND LISTEN TO IT.
IT MAKES IT WHAT, UH, IN MY EXPERIENCE, UH, FROM A FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE, A LOT MORE UNDERSTANDING IF YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT ONCE BEFORE BEING PRESENTED WITH IT FOR THE FIRST TIME HERE.
SO I'LL, I'LL GO AHEAD AND GO THROUGH ALL OF THIS, UH, TO GET IT ON THE RECORD AND TO, UH, ALLOW ANY TIME FOR DISCUSSION OVER SOME OF THE NUMBERS.
WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS WE ARE ON A, UH, JUNE 30TH YEAR IN, SO WHEN I TALK ABOUT FISCAL YEAR 24, IT REALLY COVERS TWO CALENDAR YEARS.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE.
ONE OF THE BAD THINGS ABOUT BEING AN ACCOUNTANT IS YOU'RE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT HISTORY.
YOU'RE NEVER TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE GET THE NUMBERS AFTER THE FACT, BUT IT'S STILL MEANINGFUL, UH, TO HELP UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE GOING, UH, IS ALWAYS GOOD TO UNDERSTAND THE PAST.
UH, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT JULY 1ST, 2023 THROUGH JUNE 30TH, 2024.
IN THESE NUMBERS, UH, ON THE FIRST SLIDE, WHAT YOU HAVE THERE IS A LOOK AT, UH,
[00:55:01]
HISTORY BACK TO 2018 AS FAR AS OUR REVENUE, UH, WHICH ALMOST ALL OF THAT COMES FROM THE CITY, BUT WE ALSO GET MONEY FROM GRANTS HISTORICALLY.AND THEN IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, WE'VE RECEIVED ARPA FUNDS.
SO THAT'S THE SPIKE OR THE INCREASE THAT YOU SEE IN REVENUE CAME FROM A $2 MILLION INCREASE IN GRANTS.
UH, WE SPEND IT FOR, WELL, WE GET IT APPROVED AND THEN WE SPEND IT AND THEN WE'RE REIMBURSED.
UH, A LOT OF THAT GOES INTO FBO MAINLY, BUT, UH, WE'RE STARTING TO GET SOME MONEY FOR SOME OTHER THINGS.
AND THEN ALSO IN THIS YEAR WE HAD ABOUT $850,000 INCREASE IN ARPA FUNDS.
SO THAT'S THE INCREASE THERE THAT YOU SEE THERE.
PAYROLL IS FAIRLY CONSISTENT YEAR OVER YEAR SUPPLIES, IT'S JUST A BLIP ON THE SCREEN.
YOU'LL SEE THERE'S AN INCREASE IN SERVICES AND THAT'S OUTSOURCING DOLLARS THAT, AND THAT'S MONEY THAT WAS RECEIVED FOR, UM, THE GRANTS AND FOR ARPA.
SO IT'S KIND OF A, ALMOST A ONE FOR ONE THERE.
AND THEN NON-CAPITAL AND CAPITAL, UH, NON-CAPITAL AND CAPITAL, IT'S, IT'S CAPITAL ITEMS, ITEMS THAT LAST LONGER THAN A YEAR.
BUT UNLESS IT HITS THE 5,000 THRESHOLD, WE THROW IT INTO NON-CAPITAL.
UH, ONCE IT'S OVER AND WE JUST EXPENSE IT, IF IT'S OVER 5,000, WE GO AHEAD AND CAPITALIZE IT.
OKAY, SO CAN YOU JUST ADJUST 'EM FOR ME SO I DON'T HAVE TO MULTITASK? YES, I APPRECIATE IT.
WE'RE JUST GONNA LOOK AT 24 AND 23 TO ZERO IN A LITTLE BIT.
UH, UH, AS WAS MENTIONED BY, UH, AMY, WE HAD A SIX, $600,000 INCREASE, ONE TIME INCREASE TO HELP HANDLE FIO THAT WAS SPENT ON BACKLOGS.
UH, THE OTHER REVENUE THERE, YOU SEE THE INCREASE BETWEEN GRANTS AND ARPA.
THERE'S A PRETTY BIG BUMP THERE.
PAYROLL STAYED FAIRLY CONSISTENT, WENT UP A LITTLE BIT.
UH, WE HAVE OPEN POSITIONS, YOU KNOW, TO WORK TOWARDS THE BACKLOG.
THEY'RE BUDGETED IS JUST A MATTER OF FINDING THE PEOPLE THAT, THAT, THAT'S REALLY ONE OF OUR, OUR KEY ITEMS OPERATIONALLY IS HOLDING ONTO PEOPLE AND THEN FINDING PEOPLE, UH, UH, SUPPLIES HAS STAYED CONSISTENT.
THE, THE CHANGE FOR GRANTS AND ARPA IN SERVICES AND THE NON-CAPITAL AND CAPITAL ARE PRETTY CONSISTENT.
I'M ASSUMING SOMEBODY WILL INTERRUPT ME WHEN YOU WANNA, UH, ASK A QUESTION.
ON THIS ONE, WE'RE LOOKING AT SPENDING, AND THIS IS VERY CONSISTENT YEAR OVER YEAR.
WE'RE VERY CONSISTENT WITH THIS.
OUR SPENDING, UH, BY FUNCTION PEOPLE ARE OUR BEST ASSET, OUR MOST IMPORTANT ASSET.
HISTORICALLY, WE'VE BEEN UP AROUND 68 TO 70% PEOPLE COST THIS PAST YEAR BECAUSE OF THE INCREASE IN OUTSOURCING DOLLARS THAT PUSHED IT DOWN TO 64%.
BUT WE WILL ALWAYS BE, UM, THE, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE SPEND WILL BE PREDOMINANTLY IN HUMAN RESOURCES.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE WHERE WE LOOK AT SERVICES, IS WHERE THE OUTSOURCE DOLLARS GO.
SO THAT, THAT'S GONNA BE THE BIGGEST PIECE OF THE PIE.
SO THAT, THAT, BETWEEN THOSE TWO, THAT'S WHAT YOU'LL CONSISTENTLY SEE YEAR OVER YEAR.
UH, WE'RE KIND OF IN A GROOVE NOW.
I HAVEN'T PRESENTED IT THIS WAY.
UH, THIS SH ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS, UH, THOSE OF YOU WHO COME FROM THE CORPORATE WORLD, YOU PROBABLY CALL 'EM BUSINESS UNITS.
UM, WHAT, WHATEVER NAME YOU PUT ON THEM, UH, THIS SHOWS THE, THE PERCENTAGE OF THE MONEY AND WHERE IT GOES.
THE ONES THAT ARE IN RED ARE OPERATIONAL.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE AT THE BENCH DOING THE WORK IN THE LAB THAT YOU'VE TOURED.
UH, THAT'S ABOUT 70% OF OUR TOTAL FUNDS GO THERE.
AND THEN YOU HAVE THE STRUCTURE OF THE ORGANIZATION, THE LAWYERS, THE ACCOUNTANTS, THE EXECUTIVES, INSURANCE COSTS, HR, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, IN THE ACCOUNTING WORLD CALLED OVERHEAD, UH, THAT'S AROUND 30%.
UM, IDEALLY WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE OPERATIONAL PERCENTAGE GET BIGGER BECAUSE THAT MEANS THAT THE DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE ARE GOING TO GETTING CASE WORK OUT VERSUS PEOPLE LIKE ME, RIGHT, WHO CUT THE CHECKS, ALTHOUGH THE PEOPLE REALLY APPRECIATE GETTING PAID.
SO IT'S KIND OF A NECESSARY EVIL.
SO THAT, THAT'S JUST A LOOK AT, AT THE ORGANIZATION FROM A, A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
NOW, LET'S JUST ZERO IN ON THAT 70% THE OPERATIONS, UH, THE LAB.
YOU SEE THE BIGGEST PIECE OF THAT GOING TO FIO AND CSU AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THAT'S WHERE OUR LARGEST HEAD COUNT IS.
IF HEAD COUNT IS OVER 60% OF THE TOTAL, WHOEVER HAS THE, MOST PEOPLE'S PROBABLY GONNA HAVE THE BIGGEST BUDGET.
BUT YOU CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT OPERATIONAL DOLLARS, UH, WHERE WE HAVE BACKLOGS OR NOT BACKLOGS, YOU KNOW, IS THAT THE BIGGEST PIECE OF, OF THE PIE ON THE PEOPLE OR THINGS LIKE THAT? YOU, YOU CAN START SEEING SOME RELATIONSHIPS THERE AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
BUT THIS GIVES YOU A LOOK AT WHERE THE DOLLARS GO BY DEPARTMENT.
[01:00:01]
UH, NEXT ONE IS SAME LOOK BUT HEADCOUNT BY DEPARTMENT.YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE IN THE DEPARTMENTS.
AND WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT THIS IS TURNOVER'S A BIG DEAL TO US.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF DIGITAL, WHICH IS ONLY EIGHT PEOPLE AND, AND 6% OF THE TOTAL PEOPLE, IF WE LOSE TWO ANALYSTS OR 25% OF THAT DEPARTMENT, I MEAN, IT CAN BE DEVASTATING, RIGHT? YOU JUST LOST 25% OF YOUR ABILITY TO DO THE WORK.
YOU'VE GOTTA FIND THEM, RIGHT? THEY'RE NOT ON EVERY STREET CORNER, YOU GOTTA TRAIN THEM.
YOU'VE GOTTA TAKE ANOTHER TWO PEOPLE AWAY TO TRAIN 'EM.
NOW YOU'RE DOWN TO 50% OF PRODUCTIVITY, RIGHT? SO THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THAT HAPPENED TO US, UH, I THINK, WAS IT TWO YEARS AGO? TWO YEARS AGO, WE LOST A, A CHUNK OF OUR ANALYSTS, RIGHT? AND THE BACKLOG STARTED TO GROW PRETTY QUICKLY, BUT THEN THEY GOT IT BACK UNDER CONTROL AS WE BROUGHT PEOPLE ON.
SO THAT WILL HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THE BUSINESS THERE AS FAR AS WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE.
UH, SINCE PEOPLE ARE REALLY WHAT DRIVES THE BUSINESS, I JUST WANTED TO SHOW YOU HEAD COUNT OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS BY DEPARTMENT, YOU CAN SEE THAT, AND AS DR. STOUT MENTIONED EARLIER, WE'RE CURRENTLY AT 208 EMPLOYEES.
WE STILL HAVE, UH, I BELIEVE AROUND 10 OPEN POSITIONS.
AND THAT'S AT A 7.5% TURNOVER, WHICH IS MUCH BETTER THAN WHAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED SINCE COVID.
SO THAT THAT TREND IS GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
THE NEXT SLIDE, SINCE WE'VE RECEIVED OR WILL RECEIVE OVER $5 MILLION IN ARPA FUNDS, WHICH IS A MEANINGFUL NUMBER TO US, I JUST WANTED TO SHOW YOU IN THE DIFFERENT AREAS THAT WE HAVE BEEN SPENDING THAT MONEY, HOW MUCH WAS APPROVED.
UH, IN 2003, IT WAS $1.4 MILLION THAT WAS SPENT.
AND HELPED US, UH, THIS PAST YEAR IT WAS 2.2 MILLION.
AND THEN BY, UH, BY THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR, BY DECEMBER, WE WILL SPEND ABOUT 1.5 MILLION.
WHAT'S IMPORTANT FROM THE BOARD'S PERSPECTIVE THAT I WOULD LOOK AT IS THAT MONEY'S GONE.
RIGHT? SO OVER THE LAST, THIS YEAR AND THE LAST TWO YEARS, WE'VE HAD A $5 MILLION HELP FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO WORK THROUGH THINGS.
SO, UM, WE WILL SEE HOW ALL THAT PLAYS OUT.
BUT THAT, THAT OPPORTUNITY HAS GONE AWAY WITH ARPA.
BUT IT'S BEEN VERY, VERY HELPFUL TO US.
$5 MILLION IS A LOT OF, IS A MEANINGFUL NUMBER TO US.
IT'S HELPED US WITH TRAINING AND OUTSOURCING AND SOME OTHER THINGS.
THE, THE LAST SLIDES, THIS IS JUST THE DETAIL.
UM, THIS IS THE SUPPORT OF ALL THE NUMBERS THAT ARE PRESENTED ABOVE.
I DON'T GO OVER THIS BECAUSE IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A MINUTIA.
PEOPLE DON'T TYPICALLY WANT TO GO THROUGH THE DETAILS, BUT IT'S THERE FOR YOU TO SEE AND GO THROUGH LINE BY LINE IF YOU WANT TO, BUT IT'S JUST THE SUPPORT OF EVERYTHING THAT I ALREADY SHOWED YOU.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE REVIEW OF 2024? UH, CAN YOU EXPLAIN ARPA? WHAT IS ARPA MONEY AGAIN? THE ARPA MONEY? YEAH.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT WAS APPROVED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THE CITY, DO YOU WANNA KNOW? I THINK IT WAS BUILDING.
KNOW WHAT ARPA STANDS FOR? YEAH.
IT IS BECAUSE OF COVID AND THE MONEY THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PUSHED OUT NATIONWIDE TO HELP RECOVER WITH THE, BUT WHAT'S THE ACRONYM? AMERICAN RECOVERY RECOVERY PLAN ACT.
ONE OF THE THINGS WITHIN THAT AND HOW WE ENDED UP SPENDING IT IN THE VARIETY OF PLACES, UM, THINGS HAD TO EITHER BE TO TIED TO AN IM IMPACT FROM COVID, OR THERE WAS ALSO, UH, AN ALLOWANCE WITHIN IT FOR GUN VIOLENCE.
SO WE, WE USED A LOT OF ARBIT DOLLARS TOWARDS FIREARMS BECAUSE IT WAS SEPARATE FROM COVID AND CLEARLY THERE ARE ISSUES FOR FIREARMS. GOOD.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM? OKAY.
DO I, AM I UP NEXT? YEAH, WELL, WE'RE GONNA PROCEED TO AGENDA ITEM 12.
SO THAT'S THE PRESENTATION FROM YOU, UM, OF AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 AND POSSIBLE RELATED ACTION.
UH, SO WE, UH, BLAZE AND VE LANE DOES OUR ANNUAL AUDIT, AND WE RECEIVED AN UNQUALIFIED OPINION, WHICH IS WHAT YOU WANT IN A AUDIT REPORT ON BOTH THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND ON THEIR AUDIT OF OUR GRANT FUNDS.
UM, THERE WAS ONE FINDING OUT OF THE AUDIT, UH, THAT I WANNA BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION.
I'LL JUST EXPLAIN IT TO YOU BEFORE I READ IT SO THAT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND IT.
UM, SO, UH, ON, ON MONEY THAT WE RECEIVED FOR ARPA, UH, WHICH DR. STOUT WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT, WE, UH, UH, PAID FOR TRAINING OF ANALYSTS.
[01:05:01]
IT'S A BIG DEAL.IT TAKES A LONG TIME, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE.
THEY HAVE TO BE TRAINED EXACTLY HOW WE WANT THEM TRAINED, BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO BE APPROVED TO BE ABLE TO DO OUR WORK UNDER OUR QUALITY CONTROL SYSTEM.
SO, UH, WHEN WE, WHEN WE DID THAT, IT, THIS IS A SMALL WORLD.
WE KNOW WHO MAKES THE MACHINES, WE KNOW WHO DOES THE TRAINING.
WE, THERE JUST AREN'T A WHOLE LOT OF CHOICES OUT THERE, RIGHT? IT'S NOT LIKE YOU GO OUT THERE AND YOU'RE ASKING TO BUY STEEL, RIGHT? THIS IS A VERY SMALL UNIVERSE THAT WE LIVE IN.
SO WE KNOW WHO'S EVEN CAPABLE OF PERFORMING THE TRAINING THAT WE NEED OF OUR ANALYSTS.
SO WE APPROACHED ALL 10 OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT COULD, THAT WE FELT COULD EVEN DO IT.
UM, AND ONLY THREE OF THEM RESPONDED.
AND THEN WE SELECTED, UH, FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY TO DO, TO DO THAT TRAINING.
OKAY? SO THAT'S THE PROCESS THAT WE WENT THROUGH TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GOT THE TRAINING THAT WE WANTED AND AT, AT THE BEST, YOU KNOW, PRICE FOR THE FUND.
SO THAT'S A PROCESS THAT WE WENT THROUGH.
THE AUDIT FINDING, DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THAT.
YOU KNOW, YOU OUTSOURCE IT, YOU FIND PEOPLE WHO CAN DO IT.
WHAT THE AUDIT FINDING IS, IS THE GOVERNMENT REQUIRES THAT WHEN, AND OUR PROCEDURES ALSO REQUIRE THAT WHEN YOU GO OVER A CERTAIN AMOUNT, YOU MAKE IT PUBLIC.
YOU SAY, UH, HFFC IS DOING THIS.
YOU PUT IT IN THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE OR SOMEWHERE.
SO ANYBODY ELSE IN THE UNIVERSE THAT WANTS A SHOT AT IT CAN TAKE A SHOT AT IT.
SO THERE'S AN AUDIT FINDING FOR THAT.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY ELSE WOULD'VE POPPED UP ON IT, BUT I CAN'T SAY FOR SURE BECAUSE WE DIDN'T DO IT.
SO THAT'S WHAT THE AUDIT FINDING IS.
UM, AND SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND READ IT.
IT SAYS, UNDER THE CRITERIA IT SAYS, ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVING FEDERAL AWARDS ARE REQUIRED TO CONDUCT PROCUREMENT TRANSACTIONS IN A MANNER PROVIDING FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION CONSISTENT WITH THE STANDARDS PRESCRIBED IN THE UNIFORM GUIDANCE.
SUBTITLE, THREE, PROCUREMENT STANDARDS AND CONFORM TO FEDERAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS.
OTHER, UH, AND OTHER CONTRACTUAL REQUIREMENTS.
UNIFORM GUIDANCE REQUIRES PUBLIC NOTICE.
THE PUBLIC NOTICE REQUIRES PUBLIC NOTICE OF PROPOSAL REQUEST PURCHASES OVER THE SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION THRESHOLD AS DEFINED BY THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION'S POLICY, WHICH FOR HFSC IS 150 K.
UH, THE CAUSE HFSC PERSONNEL DID NOT FOLLOW ITS PROCUREMENT POLICY.
THE RECOMMENDATION WAS TO DO WHAT YOUR POLICY SAYS.
SO WE'VE, WE'VE DOUBLED DOWN ON THAT.
WE'VE CURRENTLY, WE HAVE SOME PROPOSALS OUT THERE.
WE'RE LISTING THEM ON A PUBLIC SITE.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION WAS FOR EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE AUDIT PASSED.
IT'S WHAT YOU WANT FROM, FROM A COMPANY AND, AND FROM A CFO.
SO THAT IS, YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
IF YOU WANT A HARD COPY OF THE AUDIT, UM, YOU'LL BE THE FIRST EVER TO ASK FOR THAT.
BUT IF YOU WANT IT, I'VE GOT 'EM.
UH, BUT YOU HAVE ANY ELECTRONIC COPY.
ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE AUDIT? ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANYONE? OKAY.
MR. LEACH IS, UH, AKILA IS THERE ANYTHING THAT HAS TO BE DONE REGARDING THEM ACCEPTING THE AUDIT RESULTS? OR DO I JUST PRESENT IT? NO, IT JUST NEEDS TO BE PRESENTED.
OKAY, WE'RE GONNA PROCEED TO AGENDA ITEM 13.
REPORT FROM MRS. JACQUELINE MORRELL.
AM I SAYING IT RIGHT? MORAL OR MORALE? IT CAN GO EITHER WAY.
I GUESS IF YOU SAY IN SPANISH MORD, WHAT DO YOU PREFER? OR MORAL IS FINE
UM, INCLUDING AN OVERVIEW OF THE BLIND QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAM, UPDATES ON QUALITY TEXAS FORENSIC SCIENCE COMMISSION DISCLOSURES AND TESTIMONY METRICS.
SORRY, CAN YOU, SORRY, I THOUGHT YOU'D JUST SPOKEN.
UH, MY PRESENTATION TODAY IS GONNA BE BRIEF.
I DO HAVE JUST A COUPLE OF ITEMS TO PROVIDE TO THE BOARD.
MY FIRST TOPIC FOR TODAY IS THE BLIND QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAM.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE INFORMATION PROVIDED FROM THE SLIDES, WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, FULFILL OUR SUBMISSION GOALS FOR BOTH THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER.
NOW, I DO WANNA MAKE A NOTE THAT THE SUBMISSION, UH, NUMBERS MAY CHANGE SLIGHTLY IN THE UPCOMING YEAR BECAUSE WHAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO HERE IN ORDER TO CALCULATE OUR SUBMISSION GOALS EVERY YEAR IS WE LOOK AT THE OUTPUTS FOR THE SECTIONS PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROGRAM.
AND FROM THERE, WE GENERALLY DO A 5% OF THOSE OUTPUTS.
SO THOSE NUMBERS WILL BE CHANGING IN THE UPCOMING YEAR.
SO AT THE END, WE'LL DO THAT RECALCULATION, AND IT'S COMMON FOR ME IN JANUARY.
UM, IN ADDITION TO NOT ONLY GIVING YOU THE OVERVIEW OF THE SUBMISSIONS FOR 2024, I WILL ALSO GO AHEAD AND GIVE YOU THE NEW DATA OR THE NUMBERS THAT WE ARE FOR THE, FOR US, THAT'S OUR PRODUCTION GOALS.
[01:10:02]
MOVING ON TO MY NEXT, UH, TOPIC.I WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE REGARDING OUR AUDITS.
WE HAD LAST MONTH, WE HAD OUR SAFETY, SECURITY AND FACILITIES AUDIT THAT WAS CONDUCTED DURING THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 21ST THROUGH THE 25TH.
THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THIS AUDIT WAS TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS DEPICTED IN OUR HEALTH AND SAFETY AND OUR SECURITY MANUAL, OUR BEING COMPLETED.
AND IN ADDITION, WHILE THIS MAY NOT BE COMPLETELY ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENTS, WE DO GO AHEAD AND ALSO LOOK THAT THE FACILITY REQUIREMENTS AND SAFEGUARDS THAT ARE IMPLEMENTED ARE, ARE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY IN ORDER, UH, TO ENABLE OUR LABORATORY TO CONTINUE FUNCTIONING ON INSTANCES OF INCLEMENT AND VOLATILE WEATHER.
THAT I'M PRETTY SURE YOU'VE, IF YOU'VE LIVED HERE LONG ENOUGH, YOU KNOW HOW, WHAT A WIDE ARRAY OF DIFFERENT CLIMATES AND THE SPONTANEITY OF THESE ARE.
SO, AGAIN, VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ARE WORKING.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID DIFFERENT THIS YEAR IS FOR THIS SPECIFIC AUDIT.
IN THE PAST, WE EITHER ONLY HAD THE QUALITY DIVISION, OR WE HAD THE QUALITY DIVISION AND THE SAFETY COMMITTEE ONLY CONDUCTING THIS AUDIT.
WE ACTUALLY WENT AHEAD AND OPENED AND UP FOR ALL OTHER MEMBERS IN THE COMPANY, RIGHT? ALL THE TECHNICAL SECTIONS, ADMINISTRATIVE AND SUPPORT.
AND WE HAD A LOT OF, A LOT OF SUPPORT AND A LOT OF PEOPLE SIGN UP FOR THIS.
SO, AND, UM, THEY TOOK IT TO HEART BEING AN AUDITOR.
UH, THERE WERE STORIES WHERE LIKE, UH, SOME AUDITORS STOOD IN THE CORNER CHECKING THAT PEOPLE DID THE TWO AUTHENTICATION CODE.
THEN THERE WAS NO PIGGYBACKING.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY FUNNY, LURKING IN THE CORNERS AND MAKE CHASING PEOPLE DOWN TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR IDS, THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE CODE HIDDEN BEHIND IT.
SO ANYWAYS, IT WAS A VERY THOROUGH AUDIT AND WE WERE VERY PLEASED.
UH, WE DID HAVE TWO FINDINGS, TWO NONCONFORMANCES, ONE FOR SAFETY AND ONE FOR SECURITY.
BUT I DO WANNA MENTION THAT WE DON'T SEE NONCONFORMITIES AS A NEGATIVE THING.
WE SEE THOSE AS OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE OUR PROCESSES BETTER.
AND THE QUALITY DIVISION IS GONNA BE WORKING WITH THE SAFETY AND THE SECURITY COORDINATORS, UM, IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THOSE NON-CONFORMANCES.
BUT IN ADDITION, WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH THEM IN TRYING TO IMPLEMENT ALL THE RECOMMENDATION AND, UH, AND, UH, AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT IN ORDER TO PREVENT THOSE FROM, FROM HAPPENING, FROM BECOMING A NON-CONFORMANCE IN THE FUTURE.
NOW FOR MY LAST TOPIC, UM, I HAVE ASSESSMENT OR A AND A B ASSESSMENT UPDATES.
SO OUR CLIENT SERVICES CASE MANAGEMENT SECTION IS ACCREDITED TO THE AR 31 81 PROGRAM, WHICH IS A PROPERTY IN EVIDENCE, UH, FOR OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS.
UH, A AND A B JUST RECENTLY LAUNCHED THIS PROGRAM, UH, LAST JANUARY.
AND I'M VERY PROUD TO SAY THAT WE'RE THE FIRST AGENCY TO BECOME ACCREDITED TO THIS PROGRAM AT CSCM.
AND UH, LAST YEAR WE HAD OUR INITIAL ASSESSMENT, MEANING THAT WE GOT AUDITED TO ALL OF THE DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS DEPICTED, AND WE HAD TO SHOW THAT WE ARE CONFORMING TO, SO FOR THIS YEAR, BECAUSE IT'S REQUIRED TO THEM TO HAVE A YEARLY CONFORMANCE UH, VERIFICATION ACTIVITY THIS YEAR, WE DO GET A SMALL BREAK BECAUSE THIS IS GONNA BE A REMOTE SURVEILLANCE DOCUMENT REVIEW, AND THEY'RE ONLY GONNA BE FOCUSING ON A SMALLER SUBSET OF REQUIREMENTS, NOT ALL OF THEM IN THE ENTIRETY.
AND, UM, THIS IS GOING TO, WE ARE SCHEDULED FOR THIS TO HAPPEN DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER, ON THE WEEK OF DECEMBER THE NINTH.
AND I WILL PROVIDE UPDATES AS TO WHAT, UM, THE AUDIT FINDINGS ARE.
ANYTHING FOR THIS, BUT JUST SOMETHING TO NOTE THE DISTINCTIONS.
UM, 'CAUSE WE DO HAVE NEW BOARD MEMBERS.
WE ARE ACCREDITED TO A AND A B TO TWO INDEPENDENT AND SEPARATE ACCREDITATION PROGRAMS. SO FOR CSCM, FOR THE PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE, THIS IS A TWO YEAR CYCLE PROGRAM COMPARED TO THE 17 0 2 5.
THE 17 0 2 5 ACCREDITATION PROGRAM FOCUSES AND ACCREDITS ALL OF OUR FORENSIC TECHNICAL DISCIPLINES.
AND FOR THEM, THAT'S A FOUR YEAR CYCLE.
SO JUST KIND OF LIKE DENOTING HOW IT KIND OF WORKS SINCE LAST YEAR WAS THEIR INITIAL ASSESSMENT.
THIS YEAR WE GET, UM, A SMALLER SUBSET OF REQUIREMENTS THAT WE, THEIR, THAT THEY REVIEW REMOTELY.
AND THEN NEXT YEAR THEY'RE PLANNING TO COME ONSITE AND DOING, AGAIN, THE WHOLE REEVALUATION OF ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS.
SO THAT KIND OF RESTARTS THAT TWO YEAR ACCREDITATION CYCLE.
SO IT'S VERY CYCLICAL AND IT OPERATES THE SAME WAY IN THE OTHER PROGRAM.
UM, AND THEY INTER COLLATE IN BETWEEN SOME REMOTE AND ONSITE ASSESSMENTS AS WELL.
SO THEY KEEP US IN CHECK TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING ALL ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENTS ON A YEARLY BASIS.
SO, AND WITH THAT, I'LL JUST PROVIDE UPDATES IN JANUARY.
UM, AND WITH, AND I CONCLUDE MY PRESENTATION.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? NO, DR. SCOTT, DO YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING? I WAS JUST GONNA ADD ONE THING ON AR 31 81.
[01:15:01]
UM, THIS IS THE SAME STANDARD THAT WE INTEND TO WRAP AROUND PROPERTY OPERATIONS.AS THOSE TRANSITION OVER TO HFSC AND
UH, AND ACTUALLY OUR FORMER, UH, QUALITY DIRECTOR, ERIC ZEC AND I WERE ON THE GROUP THAT WERE BASICALLY WRITING THESE STANDARDS.
UH, I THINK NOW THERE ARE THREE AGENCIES THAT ARE ACCREDITED UNDER THIS.
I WAS JUST TALKING WITH, UH, NITA AT THE, AT THE MEETING, AND I THINK SHE'S GOT A NU OF FEW MORE THAT ARE IN THE PROCESS.
UM, I DO TEACH FOR A AND A B ON THE SIDE FOR THIS PROGRAM ON HOW TO GET YOUR AGENCY, UH, PREPARED.
AND THERE WERE A LOT OF DIFFERENT AGENCIES THAT WERE SIGNING UP FOR THIS.
AND, UM, WITH, WITH THE HOPES OF PREPARING THEIR AGENCY TO COME ALONG, MEAN IT'S AN IMPORTANT STANDARD.
'CAUSE THERE REALLY HASN'T BEEN ANYTHING PREVIOUSLY FOR
YOU KNOW, YOU'D KIND OF THINK THERE WOULD'VE BEEN SOMETHING, BUT NO, I THINK ONE OF THE IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF THIS IS THAT NOT ONLY IS IT IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF YOUR EVIDENCE, BUT THIS PROGRAM ALSO ENSURES THAT YOU HAVE TECHNICALLY COMPETENT AND YOU'RE DOING AND DOING THE PERFORMANCE MONITORING OF THEM, THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ESSENTIAL TO MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF IT.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS NOT REALLY, UM, THAT YOU FIND IN OTHER PROGRAMS. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND THANK YOU TO ALL THE PRESENTERS.
REALLY IT'S, IT, IT CONFIRMS THE, WHAT WE ALL SAY AND THAT IS WE HAVE THE VERY, VERY BEST STAFF.
UM, YOU ALL ARE TERRIFIC AND WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO FOR US.
NOW WE'RE GONNA GO INTO AGENDA ITEM 14, WHICH IS EXECUTIVE SESSION IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTIONS 5 5 5 1 0 71 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, WHICH PERTAINS TO PERSONNEL MATTERS TO DISCUSS AND FINALIZE DR. PETER STOUT, PRESIDENT AND CEO'S ANNUAL EVALUATION.
AT THIS TIME, THE HFSC BOARD OF DIRECTORS WILL GO INTO A 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 WILL ASK OUR STAFF TO STEP OUTSIDE UNTIL FOR THE TIME BEING EXCEPT DR. STOUT 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 OUR BUSINESS HAS CONCLUDED.
PLEASE STOP THE RECORDING AT THIS TIME.
ALRIGHT, THE TIME IS, UM, IS NOW, UH, 11, TIME IS NOW NOON, AND THE HFSC BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS RECONVENING THIS OPEN MEETING.
FOR THE RECORD, WE STILL HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT RECONVENING INTO OPEN MEETING AND CONSIDERING ANY ACTION DEEMED NECESSARY AS A RESULT OF THE CLOSED MEETING RELATING TO PERSONNEL MATTERS AND POSSIBLE RELATED ACTION.
AT THIS TIME, THE BOARD WILL CONSIDER ANY DISCUSSION OR ACTION RELATED TO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I'M OPENING THE FLOOR FOR ANY MOTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS FROM THE BOARD RELATED TO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
NOW I'M CALLING FOR THE MOTION.
DO I HAVE ANY MOTIONS REGARDING DR.
STOUT'S ANNUAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION? OH, YOU CAN JUST ASK HER, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? OKAY.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE A TWO, TWO AND A HALF? IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE A TWO AND A HALF PERCENT INCREASE IN DR.
STOUT'S SALARY EFFECTIVE ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE NEXT HFSC PAY PERIOD? SO MOVED.
ANY DISCUSSION OR COMMENTS ABOUT DR.
STOUT'S PERFORMANCE IN THIS YEAR? I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT, UM, AND THEN I'LL CALL FOR ANYBODY ELSE WHO WANTS TO, DR. STOUT, WE APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE THOUGHTFUL IN YOUR EXPECTATIONS AND YOUR DESIRES FOR YOUR SALARY INCREASE.
AND KEEPING IN MIND THE OTHER STAFF WERE SOLELY UP TO US, WE WOULD INCREASE YOUR SALARY PERCENTAGE CONSIDERABLY MORE THAN WHAT IT IS.
SO WE WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT SHORT OF DOING, YOU KNOW, HANDSTANDS ON THE BACK OF AN ELEPHANT, WE WANT YOU TO STAY
AND THE PERCENTAGE INCREASE IS
[01:20:01]
NOT AN INDICATION OF OUR GREAT APPRECIATION FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE, BUT IT ISN'T KEEPING WITH YOUR, WITH YOUR OWN PERSONAL, UH, REQUEST.AND I THINK, I THINK YOU ALL GET, I MEAN, YOU SEE WHAT OUR BUDGETS ARE AND THE WORK'S GOTTA GET DONE.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU WORKING WITH ME ON THAT.
DOES ANYONE ELSE CARE TO COMMENT? I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.
THANK YOU TO THANK YOU DIRECTOR CARTER.
AGAIN, WE VALUE YOUR WORK IMMENSELY AND AGAIN, WE WOULD EXCEED YOUR 2.5% REQUEST, BUT WE, WE RESPECT YOUR AND UNDERSTAND YOUR REASONING.
UM, NOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO VOTE, UNMUTE, MIC.
UM, ALL IN FAVOR OF INCREASING DR. STOUT SALARY BY TWO AND A HALF PERCENT.
ANYONE OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL MOTIONS? DO I HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL MOTIONS OR DISCUSSION RELATED TO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION? YES, MADAM CHAIR, UH, IF I MAY SPEAK PLEASE.
STOUT'S PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES, UM, UH, THREE THINGS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE CONSIDERED.
FIRST IS TO CONTINUE VISIBILITY AT NATIONAL AND STATEWIDE LEVELS.
YOU'VE DONE AN EXEMPLARY JOB WITH THAT.
WE, WE SURE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE YOU CONTINUE THEM.
SECOND, UH, INCREASE VISIBILITY FOR THE INSTITUTION, FOR YOU AND THE OTHER LEADERS AT, IN YOUR ORGANIZATION AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
AND PERHAPS CREATE A PLAN FOR THAT.
UM, YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB AT THE OTHER, BUT AS SOME OF US HAVE OBSERVED, OUR REGION JUST DOESN'T APPRECIATE YOU ENOUGH AND WE NEED TO GET THE WORD OUT THERE.
SO THAT WOULD BE OUR SECOND REQUEST.
AND THEN, UM, OUR THIRD IS TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THE STATEWIDE FORENSIC APPRENTICE AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
THERE'S SOME REAL OPPORTUNITY THERE AND YOU'VE GOT A GOOD START AND WE WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD CONTINUE THAT.
I THINK THOSE ARE ALL GOOD GOALS.
IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND TO THE MOTION.
I'LL SECOND DIRECTOR CORRALES.
ANYONE OPPOSED? THE MOTION PASSES.
NOW WE ARE MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM 16, CALLING FOR A MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT.
IS THERE A MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT? DIRECTOR CORRALES? IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL AGAIN.