August 27, 2024 Hood County Commissioners' Court

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The Hood County Commissioners' Court met on August 27, 2024, to address proclamations recognizing overdose and suicide awareness, approve the hiring of a new Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension agent, and conduct a lengthy discussion on the Hood Central Appraisal District's 2025 budget, ultimately voting to disapprove it and mandate a forensic audit of prior expenditures. The court also approved an IT security assessment proposal, adopted a resolution opposing an air quality permit for Wood Hollow Number 2 power station, authorized an air ambulance membership program for employees, and approved several routine items including a 90-day burn ban, roadway acceptances, and facility use requests. Additional items included recognition of county employees for service, approval of safe sleep program materials distribution, and required public hearings for the fiscal year 2025 tax rate and budget.

• Call to order and pledgesThe meeting was called to order in the central jury room with invocation and pledges.
• Overdose Awareness ProclamationHood County designated August 31st, 2024 as International Overdose Awareness Day to recognize those affected and promote prevention.
• Suicide Awareness ProclamationHood County proclaimed September 24th, 2024 as Suicide Awareness Day to reduce stigma and support mental health resources.
• Texas A&M Extension Service updateJay Kingston from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service reported on programs led by Hannah in Hood County, highlighting 4-H membership and community health initiatives.
• Amanda Selenas hired as Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension agentJay Kingston introduced Amanda Selenas as the new County Extension agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources with over four years of extension experience.
• Service AwardsTwo county employees were recognized for five years of service, with Casey Broby present and Manuel Champion potentially out on transport.
• Citizens comments at largeTwo members of the public spoke on open microphone regarding Bitcoin mining noise impacts and county governance issues.
• Cooks Children's Safe Sleep Program brochure distributionChristine Leftwich presented and the court approved distribution of safe sleep program brochures to newborn birth certificate recipients.
• Acton Annex retaining wall and drainage assessmentThe court discussed contracting Kimley Horn and Associates for site analysis and planning regarding a failing retaining wall and parking lot drainage issues at the Acton Annex property.
• Property wall repair dispute and tabling motionThe court discussed unresolved communications regarding wall repair costs and liability with a neighboring property owner, ultimately tabling the matter for two weeks.
• Burn ban approval for Hood CountyThe court approved a 90-day burn ban for Hood County based on elevated fire danger conditions.
• Hood Central Appraisal District 2025 budget disapproval resolutionThe court considered disapproving the HCAD's 2025 adopted budget and requesting return of excess surplus funds and a forensic audit of prior expenditures.
• Rick Fry HCAD board chair testimonyRick Fry, HCAD board chair, argued the organization has operated within budget, maintained appropriate reserves, and that past financial decisions were lawful transfers of unspent funds.
• Jeff Law HCAD Chief Appraiser testimonyChief Appraiser Jeff Law, appointed September 2023, presented financial data showing returned funds, current fund balance status, and explained the distinction between past audit issues and future budget needs.
• Judge summarizes budget disapproval reasoningThe presiding judge clarified that the disapproval action addresses past misuse of funds already corrected (the $2 million return) and targets the current reserve level as excessive.
• Mayor Jared City of Granberry testimonyMayor Jared outlined the City of Granberry's resolution to disapprove the HCAD budget and reduce it by $500,000, citing governance issues, architectural expenses, and staffing inefficiencies.
• Jeff David Ferris taxpayer public commentTaxpayer Jeff David Ferris stated support for a mandatory forensic audit and expressed concern about maintaining excessive reserves at taxpayer expense.
• Judge explanation of resolution and budget analysisThe presiding judge outlined the resolution's basis in tax code compliance, identified unallocated budget line items, and noted the continued absence of formal audit planning at HCAD.
• Hood Central Appraisal District budget concerns and forensic audit requestCommissioner expressed concerns about HCAD overhead, spending patterns, and requested a forensic audit to examine past financial practices.
• Unauthorized funds, errors and omissions claim, and recovery mechanismsMayor Jarrett outlined the process for recovering misappropriated funds through insurance claims and identified specific dollar amounts potentially recoverable.
• HCABS budget excess and spending patterns over six yearsCommissioner detailed HCABS' pattern of excessive budgeting and non-justified spending, finding $2.8 million in excess funds across audit reports for 2018–2023.
• Resistance to auditing, unelected board structure, and governance concernsCommissioner raised concerns about resistance to independent audits and questioned the composition and authority of the unelected HCAD board of directors.
• Fund balance reserves, unassigned funds, and policy disagreementsCommissioner questioned appropriateness of HCAD holding substantial unassigned fund balance reserves when funding source is the taxing entities themselves.
• Staffing efficiency, parcels per appraiser metric, and overhead concernsCommissioner questioned the efficiency and overhead of HCAD staffing structure relative to workload and industry standards.
• Resolution disapproving 2025 budget and requiring forensic auditCommissioner read resolution disapproving HCAD 2025 budget, requesting return of surplus funds, and mandating forensic audit of prior five years of expenditures.
• Resolution operative clauses: disapproval, fund return, forensic audit requirements, and compliance directivesResolution's operative sections mandate budget disapproval, return of excess funds to taxing entities, forensic audit of prior years, and compliance with state law and interlocal agreements.
• Dissenting opinion: Opposition to 2025 budget disapprovalCommissioner Eagle opposed disapproving current budget while supporting forensic audit of prior years, viewing rejection as punishment of current board.
• Motion and vote on budget disapproval resolutionCommissioner called the question; vote taken with eyes having it (motion carries) on disapproving 2025 budget and requiring forensic audit.
• IT audit proposal and scope of work discussionGlenn Tilman presented five proposals from IT consulting firms for audit and assessment of Hood County's IT infrastructure, security, processes, and practices.
• SLG Technologies representative clarifies IT assessment approachEddie Gossip from SLG Technologies (Glenrose-based) addressed commissioners to distinguish IT assessment from financial audit and explain collaborative rather than punitive approach.
• Judge's perspective on IT department performance and prior security incidentJudge countered previous audit requests by citing IT department's proven track record in detecting and stopping a sophisticated external hack attempt.
• IT Security Assessment DiscussionA cybersecurity consultant discussed the value of conducting an external IT security audit for Hood County, addressing concerns about network vulnerabilities and compliance.
• Professional Credentials and Malpractice CoverageThe consultant addressed liability protection and comparison to legal review standards, establishing professional accountability.
• Assessment Scope and Previous County ExperienceThe consultant outlined the breadth of departmental review and cited successful prior work with other Texas counties.
• DPS Compliance and Sheriff's Audit HistoryCounty officials confirmed existing audit requirements and passed compliance history.
• Internal Expertise and External Validation ValueSheriff and commissioners discussed the benefits of promoting from within while leveraging outside expertise to identify systemic improvements.
• Infrastructure and Vulnerability Assessment FocusThe assessment purpose was clarified as examining underlying systems and security gaps, not personnel criticism.
• Post-Assessment Action and Risk PrioritizationCourt indicated findings will drive budget and implementation decisions based on risk level and cost.
• Timeline and Scope of Consultant LaborThe consultant outlined the assessment schedule and confirmed minimal disruption to IT department operations.
• Current IT Projects and Scheduling CoordinationIT director noted ongoing infrastructure projects and potential coordination with the assessment timeline.
• Risk Mitigation and Consultant's Cyber ExperienceA speaker from industry shared perspective on the constant nature of cyber threats and the value of routine assessments.
• Common Audit Findings and Cost ImplicationsSpeaker explained typical assessment discoveries often involve low-cost fixes and potential operational savings.
• Organizational Culture and Collaborative ComplianceSpeaker emphasized that professional organizations require external review and collaborative improvement.
• Risk Severity and Continued Threat AssessmentSpeaker reinforced the necessity of ongoing security reviews given constant threat evolution.
• Motion to Accept SLG Technologies ProposalThe court voted to accept the security assessment proposal from SLG Technologies at a specified cost.
• Suicide Prevention Awareness Proclamation and DecorationsStar Council on Substance Abuse presented a request to display suicide awareness materials and hold a vigil at county facilities during September.
• Suicide Awareness Campaign GoalsStar Council explained the purpose of the September campaign and stigma reduction messaging.
• Facility Use Agreement ConditionCourt required completion of a facility use agreement before approval of Gazebo use.
• Motion to Approve Suicide Awareness ActivitiesThe court unanimously approved the suicide prevention display and vigil with the facility use agreement condition.
• Wood Hollow Air Quality Permit Resolution OverviewThe court introduced a resolution urging TCEQ to deny an air quality permit for Wood Hollow Number 2 power station.
• Speaker Statement on Air Quality and EmissionsCindy Heath, reading her statement on behalf of the speaker, presented detailed concerns about proposed emissions.
• Proposed Expansion Details and Environmental ImpactThe statement outlined the specific turbine additions and resulting air pollutants.
• Hazardous and Greenhouse Gas EmissionsThe statement detailed specific hazardous air pollutants and unique concerns about mercury.
• Mercury and Water Quality ConcernsThe statement emphasized mercury's persistence and proximity to water resources.
• Support for Resolution and Call to ActionThe statement concluded with a call for court support and official action.
• Resolution Language and TCEQ PermitsThe court reviewed the resolution content addressing specific permit numbers and formal urging.
• Resolution Distribution and Official ActionThe resolution included directives for transmitting the court's position to relevant agencies and media.
• Motion to Adopt Air Quality ResolutionThe court unanimously adopted the resolution opposing the Wood Hollow permit.
• Air Medical Care Membership Proposal IntroductionAir Evac representatives presented a proposal to offer membership services to Hood County employees via payroll deduction.
• Air ambulance service capabilities and early activation protocolAir ambulance provider described operational protocols, treatment capabilities, and the advantage of early activation to reduce time to medical facilities.
• Membership coverage and insurance considerationsMembership does not determine flight eligibility but guarantees no out-of-pocket expense if transported by the service, with particular protection against high insurance deductibles.
• Household and uninsured family member coverageMembership covers all household members regardless of individual insurance status, addressing gaps in family coverage.
• County employee membership pricing and offeringsHood County is offered an upgraded membership rate below standard pricing due to existing Texas AMS site plan.
• Emergent and flying home membership optionsTwo membership tiers offer emergency ground-to-hospital coverage and optional repatriation service for those traveling outside the area.
• Flying home membership cost structure and payroll deduction detailsMembership pricing varies by term length and membership type, with employee payroll deduction rates disclosed for Hood County.
• Comparison with existing county air ambulance coverageCounty currently has insurance through Careflight for employees; new offering provides significantly larger network and additional non-emergency repatriation benefits.
• Membership as voluntary employee benefitService offering is strictly voluntary through payroll deduction and does not exclude other providers.
• Out-of-state and multi-provider coverage questionsMembership financial protections apply only to service's own network; likelihood of coverage high due to network size but not guaranteed outside network.
• Corporate structure and headquarters informationAired Care Network is part of Global Medical Response, a privately held company with headquarters in St. Louis and operational locations in Colorado and Lewisville.
• Motion to authorize Aired Care Network membership offeringCommissioners approved offering Aired Care Network membership to employees through payroll deduction effective October 1, 2024.
• Stop future Hood County YMCA payroll deductionsCounty will discontinue offering YMCA membership through payroll deduction while maintaining existing employee deductions and discount.
• Labor Day weekend festival parking lot use approvalCounty approved use of south side of historical Courthouse parking lot for Labor Day weekend festival.
• Public hearing for FY 2025 tax rateCounty conducted required public hearing for proposed tax rate of 0.395234 per $100 valuation for fiscal year 2025.
• Public hearing for proposed budgetCounty conducted required public hearing for FY 2025 proposed budget with no public speakers.
• Traffic regulation approval for Williams Drive stop signCounty established new stop sign on Williams Drive at Monteo Bay Boulevard following HOA request and staff assessment.
• Stewart Oaks development roadway acceptanceCounty accepted four completed roadways from Stewart Oaks development into county road system in Precinct 3.
• Royal Oaks public hearing schedulingCounty scheduled public hearing for Royal Oaks Edition plat replay for October 8, 2024 Commissioner's Court meeting.
• Heaven Hill addition final plat approvalCounty approved final plat for Heaven Hill addition subdividing 4.31 acres into two residential lots in Precinct 4.
• Approval of invoices and monthly financial reportsCounty approved 96 invoices totaling $4,563.62 and accepted monthly financial reports and bank reconciliations through mid-August.
• Meeting adjournment and executive sessionCounty adjourned Commissioner's Court meeting at 12:01 p.m. to executive session; no action taken in executive session before final adjournment at 2:09 p.m.