[1. Opening Items]
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FIRST AGENDA ITEM IS CALLED TO ORDER.
THE TIME IS 10:31 ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 24TH, 2023, AND WE HAVE A QUORUM.
AND IT'S 2023, IN THE BEGINNING OF THE 88TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
AND PART OF TODAY'S AGENDA WILL BE AN UPDATE FROM OUR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS TEAM ON HOW THAT IS GOING.
AS WE LOOK BACK ON 2022, IT WAS A CHALLENGING YEAR.
IT WAS A CHALLENGING YEAR FOR OUR COUNTRY.
IT WAS A CHALLENGING YEAR FOR THE WORLD.
IT IS ALWAYS A CHALLENGE AND MOST PEOPLE DON'T LIKE IT.
AT LEAST THEY DON'T LIKE IT INITIALLY AND MAYBE LIKE'S NOT THE RIGHT WORD.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR GRAHAM IN THE DIRECTION THAT YOU'RE LEADING US IN YOUR NEW TEAM.
AND SO WE HAVE SUPREME CONFIDENCE IN YOU, THEM AND OUR AGENCY.
THANK YOU. ONE THING THAT WE HAVE TO ALSO REFLECT ON AS WE LOOK INTO A NEW YEAR, THIS IS FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, IT'S TIME OF GOAL SETTING AND MISSION STATEMENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT ONE THING THAT HAS NOT CHANGED IS OUR REALLY THE PRIMARY MISSION OF OUR AGENCY AND ANY AGENCY IN THIS STATE IS THAT AND THAT IS TO MAINTAIN AND EARN THE TRUST AND CONFIDENCE OF THE PEOPLE FOR WHOM WE WORK.
AND SOMETIMES THAT'S TOUGH IN GOVERNMENT, BUT I KNOW THAT THIS AGENCY IS UP TO THE TASK.
AND AS I MENTIONED IN A CONVERSATION THAT I HAD WITH SOME OF THE STAFF LAST WEEK, AS THE OLD PROVERB SAYS, WHEN YOU HAVE A LIGHT, YOU DON'T HIDE IT UNDER A BUSHEL, YOU DON'T PUT IT UNDER THE BED, YOU HOLD IT OUT FOR PEOPLE TO SEE.
WE'LL MAKE MISTAKES IN THE FUTURE.
BUT AS LONG AS OUR FOCUS AND OUR TRUE NORTH IS TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF THIS GREAT STATE WITH INTEGRITY, HONESTY AND HARD WORK AND PROFESSIONALISM, THEN THE FUTURE IS INDEED BRIGHT.
AND SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO OPEN IT TO MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS IF YOU HAVE ANY OPENING COMMENTS.
NO, I DON'T THINK ANYONE SHOULD FOLLOW THAT.
AND ALSO, 2022 HAD THE HOUSTON ASTROS WINNING THE WORLD SERIES.
SO OUR FIRST OUR NEXT ORDER OF BUSINESS.
THIS DAY IS TO PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO OUR GREAT NATION.
THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS APPROVAL OF COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES FOR NOVEMBER 15TH, 2022.
I SO MOVE. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. COMMISSIONER MACK.
THANK YOU, SIR. WE HAVE A SECOND.
ALL RIGHT. NEW FACES, NEW PEOPLE, NEW CHALLENGES.
FIRST AGENDA ITEM IS INTRODUCTION OF OUR NEW LICENSING DIRECTOR.
[2. Reports]
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NOT NEW FACE, BUT PERHAPS NEW RESPONSIBILITY, DIRECTOR FLETCHER.ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING, CHAIRMAN.
COMMISSIONERS, FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS AMANDA FLETCHER, DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES.
TODAY, I'M HONORED TO INTRODUCE TO YOU OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF LICENSING, MS. JULIE ROSS.
JULIE ROSS WAS PROMOTED TO DIRECTOR OF LICENSING ON DECEMBER 1ST.
SHE HAS SERVED TEXAS FOR THREE DECADES IN ABC'S LICENSING DIVISION.
SHE BEGAN HER CAREER IN 1989 AS A CLERK.
SHE LEFT THE AGENCY IN 1991 AFTER MARRYING HER HUSBAND, WHO WAS A MARINE IN THE MARINE CORPS.
JULIE BECAME THE SUPERVISOR OF THE LICENSING RESOURCE SUPPORT TEAM IN 2014.
BEFORE BECOMING DIRECTOR, SHE SERVED AS THE DIVISION'S DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF RESOURCE AND PLANNING.
COMMISSIONERS DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WOULD YOU LIKE A PHOTO? SURE. DO YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? I JUST WANT TO SAY THERE'S NO PRESSURE THERE.
VERY APPRECIATIVE TO CONTINUE MY JOURNEY HERE.
WELL, COME ON, LET'S GET A PHOTO WITH THE AGENCY AND JUST EXCITED TO WORK WITH THE NEW LEADERSHIP.
WELL, CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU.
RIGHT. THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS FISCAL YEAR 23 BUDGET REPORT.
GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS. GOOD MORNING.
I'M CONRAD SWAN, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.
I'LL PRESENT AN UPDATE OF OUR BUDGET USING DATA AS OF DECEMBER 31ST, 2022.
SO OUR FIRST PRESENTATION IS GOING TO SHOW YOU OUR BUDGET BY STRATEGY.
YOUR CURRENT BUDGET SITS AT $53.6 MILLION.
WE'VE GROWN THE BUDGET BY $3 MILLION.
WHERE THAT COMES FROM IS OUR AUTHORITY TO TAKE UNEXPENDED BALANCES FROM 2022 AND MOVE THEM FORWARD THAT AUTHORITIES PARTICULARLY RESIST EXIST IN OUR CAPITAL BUDGET ITEMS. SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ABOUT $2 MILLION TO MOVE FORWARD FROM 22 FOR AIMS. WE ALSO HAVE ADDED A LITTLE BIT OF AUTHORITY FOR OUR GRANTS THAT WE GOT AWARDED FROM THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR FROM TXDOT.
SO YOU'LL SEE A LITTLE MOVEMENT THERE, BUT THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE TOTAL FOR YOUR MOVEMENT.
THE NEXT COLUMN OVER IS YOUR YEAR TO DATE OBLIGATIONS.
WE SET AT $48.6 MILLION OBLIGATED AMONGST OUR SEVEN STRATEGIES.
WHAT THAT IS, IS THAT IS EFFECTIVELY JUST A SUMMATION OF OUR EXPENDITURES PLUS OUR ENCUMBRANCES.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THAT, WE'RE ABOUT 90% OBLIGATED FOR THE YEAR.
SO THE COLUMN FROM THAT IS JUST THE DELTA, RIGHT? THAT REMAINING BALANCE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM LINE, THAT $5 MILLION THERE DON'T GET TOO EXCITED.
THAT IS NOT MONEY THAT WE EXPECT NOT TO HAVE SPENT THROUGHOUT THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO YOU DON'T SEE THOSE NUMBERS MOVING INTO YOUR YEAR TO DATE OBLIGATIONS UNTIL THEY SPEND.
BUT IF YOU'LL PUT A PINCUSHION THERE, WE'LL GET TO IT.
AND NOW A PICTURE WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS.
ALL OF THOSE NUMBERS YOU CAN SEE ILLUSTRATED IN THAT PICTURE.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR ACTIVITY OCCURS IN ENFORCEMENT.
THAT'S YOUR TALLEST BAR IN THAT BAR CHART THERE.
A FEW REMINDERS ABOUT OUR STRATEGIES.
THE FIRST FOUR THAT YOU SEE ENFORCEMENT LICENSING COMPLIANT PORTS OF ENTRY.
WE CAN MOVE MONEY FREELY BETWEEN THOSE STRATEGIES TO AN EXTENT 20%, I THINK.
BUT WE CANNOT MOVE MONEY OUT OF THOSE FOUR TO THE LAST THREE.
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SO YOUR CENTRAL ADMIN, YOUR INFORMATION RESOURCES AND OTHER SERVICES, MONEY CAN'T FLOW IN THAT DIRECTION, BUT WE CAN TAKE MONEY FROM THOSE INDIRECT AREAS AND MOVE THEM TO THE FIRST FOUR CHARTS JUST AS A REMINDER.AND FINALLY, THOSE FINAL THREE.
WE CAN MOVE MONEY FREELY BETWEEN THOSE THREE.
MOVING ON TO YOUR NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
NOW, THIS WHOLE THING ISN'T EXACTLY OOES THERE'S A COUPLE OF CHEATS AT THE BOTTOM THAT WE USE INTERNALLY FOR OURSELVES, FOR BRP, JUST MONITORING THAT IN OUR ONE TIME, AND I'LL SPEAK TO THOSE HERE IN A MOMENT.
THAT'S 75% OF THE AGENCY'S BUDGET.
BUT REMEMBER THAT UB I WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT IT SORT OF CHANGED THE WEIGHT, RIGHT? SO THAT'S WHY IT'S NOW DOWN TO 75% INSTEAD OF 80.
AND THEN AS PROMISED, WELL, BEFORE WE GET THERE, WITHIN THIS CURRENT BUDGET, OF COURSE, SALARY 75%, YOUR PROFESSIONAL FEES, OTHER BIG ITEMS, RIGHT? PROFESSIONAL FEES AND SERVICES, 2.4, 2.2 IN RENT BUILDING.
I THINK THOSE ARE PRETTY SELF APPARENT.
AND THEN OF COURSE YOU HAVE YOUR CAPITAL BUDGET.
YOUR ONE TIME WITH THAT $900,000 YOU SEE THERE IS THAT'S OUR VACANCIES.
THAT IS US FORECASTING FOR THE AMOUNT OF SALARY AND WAGES THAT WILL GO UNSPENT.
SO THAT'S A FORECASTED NUMBER AT THE MOMENT OF ABOUT $900,000.
BUT WE USE THAT TO FILL IN HOLES IN THE BUDGET AS WE LEARN ABOUT PRIORITIES AND OTHER NEEDS.
THAT'S THE LINE THAT WE'LL LOOK TO TO HELP OURSELVES MAKE GOOD ON THOSE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO.
THERE ARE THINGS THAT, AGAIN, GO UNENCUMBERED.
THE FIRST TWO LINES, SALARY AND WAGES.
WE HAVE OVERTIME EXPENSES FOR GRANTS THAT WE'VE LOADED UP INTO THE BUDGET.
THOSE DON'T GET ENCUMBERED. THE ONE AND A HALF PERCENT THAT WE PAY OUT AS PAYROLL CONTRIBUTIONS THAT DOESN'T GET ENCUMBERED, FEELS AND LUBRICATION IS UNENCUMBERED, TRAVEL GOES UNENCUMBERED.
AND SO THOSE ARE SOME PRETTY BIG ITEMS THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THAT $5 MILLION.
THAT IS WHY I'M SAYING DON'T EXPECT TO SEE THAT AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
THOSE THINGS WILL EXPAND AND THEY'LL MOVE OVER TO THE YEAR TO DATE OBLIGATED COLUMN.
WE JUST WANTED TO SHOW YOU WHERE YOUR CAPITAL BUDGETS ARE.
THOSE FIT A SPECIFIC DEFINITION.
THOSE FALL HERE AS A CAPITAL BUDGET ITEM.
SO WE WANTED TO SHOW YOU WHAT THOSE WERE.
WE HAVE SIX PRESENTLY AT THE MOMENT.
OUR LARGEST BUBBLE THAT YOU SEE THERE, OF COURSE, IS FOR THE LICENSE AND TECH REPLACEMENT OR AIMS. SIMILAR TO THAT FIRST SLIDE WHERE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BUDGETS BY STRATEGY.
WE DO HAVE SOME RESTRICTIONS ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO WITH OUR CAPITAL BUDGET.
SO YOU CAN MOVE A SMALL AMOUNT, 25% FROM ANY SINGLE ONE OF THESE BUBBLES TO ANOTHER BUBBLE.
AND IF WE DON'T HAVE A CAPITAL BUDGET ITEM AND WE NEED ONE THAT HITS THAT DEFINITION THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, WE CAN CREATE IT, BUT WE HAVE TO STAY WITHIN SOME BOUNDS AND USING THESE MONIES. SO AGAIN, THERE ARE SOME ALLOWANCES TO MOVE BEYOND THAT AND THEY INVOLVE TALKING TO THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, TALKING TO THE LBB AND THAT'S THE SAME THING FOR MOVING OUR STRATEGIES, BY THE WAY.
FOR EXAMPLE, LICENSING AND TECH IS SHOWING A REMAINING BALANCE OF $700,000 THAT'S ONLY THERE BECAUSE WE'VE HAD LESSONS LEARNED AS AN AGENCY AND ABOUT ADMINISTRATIVE AND PIVOTING THAT WE KNEW WE DIDN'T WANT TO FRONTLOAD AN ENTIRE INCUMBRANCE, BUT WE DO HAVE A PLAN FOR THAT.
SO DON'T EXPECT THAT $1.5 TO BE SITTING THERE AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
AND OUR FINAL SLIDE IS JUST AN OPPORTUNITY FOR QUESTIONS, IF I MAY.
[00:15:01]
QUESTIONS. NO, THANK YOU.ALL RIGHT. EXCELLENT. WELL DONE.
THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS BORDER IMPORTATION OPERATIONS AUDIT RECOMMENDATION REPORT.
CHIEF RENEY, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, SIR.
GOOD MORNING CHAIRMAN COMMISSIONERS.
FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JOHN RENEY.
I'M THE CHIEF OF BORDER IMPORTATION OPERATIONS.
I WILL REFER TO THAT TITLE AS BIO AS WE MOVE FURTHER.
SO THIS THIS REPORT IS A RESPONSE TO THE BIO AUDIT THAT WAS CONDUCTED OR COMPLETED IN JULY OF 2022.
THE REPORT IDENTIFIED FINDINGS, IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO ON THE RECOMMENDATION ONE, IT WAS TO CONDUCT A COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF CURRENT STAFFING LEVELS.
SO IT DEALT WITH OUR SITUATION AT THE TIME WHEN WE WERE AUDITED, WE HAD 29 VACANCIES.
WE WERE USING SYSTEM SUPERVISORS TO HELP MANDOLIN AND KEEP BRIDGES OPEN AND STUFF.
SO ACTIONS TAKEN, WE DID CONDUCT THE COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS AND WE AND BIO BELIEVE THAT FILLING 14 OF THE 29 VACANCIES WOULD GET US TO A POINT WHERE WE CAN BE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE.
WE MET WITH THE EXECUTIVE STAFF.
THEY APPROVED THE HIRING OF INDIVIDUALS TO FILL THOSE 14 VACANCIES.
WE WORK WITH HR AND WE HAD ALL THE POSTINGS UP UP AT THE END OF DECEMBER.
WE HAVE HIRED SEVERAL OF THOSE POSITIONS IN EL PASO, PRESIDIO, DEL RIO, COUPLE, A COUPLE OF POSITIONS IN LAREDO, ONE IN ROMA, AND WE'RE WORKING ON THE REST.
SO WE'RE MAKING GOOD HEADWAY THERE.
NEXT SLIDE. RECOMMENDATION NUMBER TWO ASKED THAT BIO EXPLORE OPTIONS FOR IMPLEMENTING AN ALERT OR PANIC SYSTEM FOR THE BIO PORTS OF ENTRY.
WE DID. WE DID A LOOK AND WE HAVE AUDIBLE ALARMS AT WORKING AT 14 OF THE 22 LANDLORDS.
AND JUST TO INFORM YOU ALL THAT ALL OUR BIO PORT LOCATIONS ARE INSIDE A SECURED FACILITY AT A FEDERAL PORT OF ENTRY, WHICH HAS LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND FEDERAL SECURITY OFFICERS THAT PATROL THE PORTS AND ARE WITHIN SIGHT OF OUR EMPLOYEES.
NEXT RECOMMENDATION. NEXT SLIDE.
THIRD RECOMMENDATION ASKED THAT BIO [INAUDIBLE] RESEARCH OPTIONS FOR PROVIDING A MORE SECURE OPTION FOR COLLECTING AND OR DEPOSITING CASH.
THERE'S TWO WAYS THAT WE COLLECT REVENUE AT OUR PORTS OF ENTRY.
ONE IS CASH AND ONE IS CREDIT CARDS.
IT DOES NOT USE ANY KIND OF CASHLESS MOBILE APPS AT ALL.
WE'VE LOOKED AT VENDING MACHINES IN THE PAST.
VENDING MACHINES ARE, WE BELIEVE ARE VERY COST PROHIBITED AND ALSO BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE CUSTOMERS COMING TO OUR LOCATION VOLUNTARILY.
WE'VE LOOKED AT A THIRD PARTY COURIER FOR DEPOSITS.
WE TOOK A LOOK IN 2017 AND IT IS VERY COST PROHIBITIVE WITH BIO, WE STRUGGLE TO MAINTAIN A BALANCE OF HOW MUCH IT'S COSTING THE AGENCY TO TO IMPLEMENT THAT STRATEGY AND HOW MUCH REVENUE WE TAKE IN FROM THE PUBLIC.
[00:20:06]
AND THAT'S DONE BY THE [INAUDIBLE] SUPERVISOR, AND WE HAVE TRAINING WITH THEM.WE TALK TO THEM ABOUT PROCEDURES THAT THEY SHOULD USE TO MAINTAIN SAFETY WHEN THEY MAKE THESE DEPOSITS TO PUT THE CASH UNDERNEATH THEIR SEAT, TO VARY THEIR TIMES OF GOING TO MAKE THOSE DEPOSITS, TO VARY THEIR ROUTES OCCASIONALLY, AND TO BE AWARE OF ANY SUSPICIOUS PEOPLE AT THE BANK. AS YOU ALL KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THE MEDIA, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF BANK HEIST CALLED JUGGLING, WHERE PEOPLE WAIT IN THE PARKING LOT TO BANKS AND FOLLOW YOU TO BACK TO YOUR HOUSE OR BACK TO YOUR PLACE OF BUSINESS.
I MEAN, ANYBODY CAN BE ROBBED AT ANY TIME.
IN THE MEANTIME, OBVIOUSLY, WE WE ROLLED OUT A NEW POINT OF SALE SYSTEM IN SEPTEMBER OF 2022.
WITH THAT NEW SYSTEM, IT HAS IT HAS ENHANCED OUR ABILITY TO ACCEPT CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS.
AND IN THE MEANTIME, FROM SEPTEMBER TO TO THE CURRENT TIME FRAME, OUR CREDIT CARD USAGE HAS RISEN FROM A ROUGHLY ABOUT 13% BIOY TO 25%.
AND YOU'LL SEE SOME GREAT STATISTICS IN THE NEXT PRESENTATION OF WHAT WE DID DURING PAISANO SEASON.
BUT WE OUR GOAL IS TO GET CREDIT CARD USAGE UP TO 50%.
WE'RE ALSO STUDYING THE LONG TERM IDEA OF GOING CASHLESS.
IT MAY TAKE US SEVERAL YEARS THAT WE CAN GO TO A CASHLESS FORM OF PAYMENT USING CREDIT CARDS.
AND OF COURSE, THERE'S GOING TO BE AN OCCASIONAL SITUATION WHERE WE MAY HAVE TO ACCEPT CASH, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE REALLY LOOKING AT MOVING FORWARD IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS. NEXT SLIDE.
RECOMMENDATION NUMBER FOUR BIO SHOULD ENHANCE THEIR CURRENT PROCEDURES TO DETECT THE REGULATOR IRREGULARITIES, EVALUATE MONITORING AND AVOID FRAUD, AND THAT'S INTERNAL FRAUD.
SO I WILL TELL YOU THAT OUR OLD PROCESS, OUR OLD PROCEDURES AND POLICIES DID HAVE PROCEDURES AND POLICIES TO TO DETECT IRREGULARITIES.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WHEN WE ROLLED OUT OUR NEW POINT OF SYSTEM POINT OF SALE SYSTEM, WE DID COLLABORATE WITH OUR SUPERVISORS AND OUR MANAGERS AND LOOKED AT WAYS TO FURTHER UPDATE OUR PROCEDURES TO TO PROTECT THE AGENCY FROM INTERNAL FRAUD.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID WAS WE LOWERED THE THRESHOLD OF ERRORS THAT EMPLOYEES CAN MAKE BEFORE WE ISSUE A WRITTEN COUNSELING AND MAKE THEM MAKE THE EMPLOYEE TAKE TRAINING.
SO WE USED TO HAVE A THRESHOLD RATE OF IF THEY MADE EIGHT ERRORS, WE WOULD WE WOULD HAVE THEM, WE WOULD COUNSEL THEM AND AND HAVE THEM PROVIDE HAVE THEM DO MORE TRAINING.
AND WE LOWERED THAT THRESHOLD TO FIVE OR LOWER.
SO WE'RE CONSTANTLY TRAINING OUR EMPLOYEES AND REVIEWING THE OPERATIONS THROUGH OUR SECURITY SYSTEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE DOING THEIR PROCESSES RIGHT AND TO TO MITIGATE INTERNAL FRAUD.
ANOTHER THING THAT WE'RE DOING, OBVIOUSLY, IS REQUIRING MORE FREQUENT PETTY CASH REVIEWS.
SO OUR OLD PROCEDURES REQUIRED US TO LOOK AT OUR PETTY CASH REVIEWS SEMIANNUALLY.
NOW WE'RE DOING IT MONTHLY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MONEY IS CORRECT.
AND WE PROVIDE MANDATORY ANNUAL CASH HANDLING TRAINING TO ALL EMPLOYEES.
AND THAT'S A CONTINUOUS TRAINING CYCLE.
NEXT SLIDE. RECOMMENDATION NUMBER FIVE IDENTIFY A COST EFFECTIVE AND SECURE WAY TO RECORD DAY TO DAY ACTIVITY OCCURRING AT THE PORTS OF ENTRY, AND THAT COULD BE REMOTELY MANAGED BY BIO SUPERVISORY PERSONNEL.
SO CURRENTLY WE INSTITUTED A SECURITY CAMERA.
[00:25:03]
WE INSTITUTED SECURITY CAMERAS AT ALL BIO LOCATIONS IN 2014.SO IT BASICALLY CONSISTED OF MOST BOOTHS HAD FOUR CAMERAS, TWO INTERNAL, TWO EXTERNAL AND A HARD DRIVE, AND IT'S A CONSTANT LOOP FEED, BUT WE HAD NO OTHER WAY TO REPLACE THOSE CAMERAS OR THE HARD DRIVES AS THE SYSTEM BECAME OLD AND STARTED MALFUNCTIONING.
SO WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 12 LOCATIONS THAT WORK WELL RIGHT NOW, AND THEN THE OTHERS HAVE.
WE'VE LOST THE HARD DRIVES, WE LOST CAMERAS AND DON'T FUNCTION.
AND WE'VE HAD SOME NEW PORTS WHERE WE DID NOT INSTALL CAMERAS.
SO WE ARE IN NEED OF A NEW CAMERA SYSTEM.
AND WHAT THAT CAMERA SYSTEM DOES IS THE INTERNAL CAMERAS ARE POINTED BASICALLY AT THE WORK STATION WHERE THE MONEY IS PUT.
SO THOSE TWO CAMERAS INSIDE THE BOOTH STAY ON STAY ON THE MONEY AT ALL TIMES.
SO WE'RE WORKING WE HAVE A WE INSTITUTED A WORKING GROUP IN SEPTEMBER OF 22 IN ORDER TO TO PROVIDE SPECIFICATIONS TO OUR TECHNOLOGY GROUP TO UPDATE OUR CURRENT CAMERA SYSTEM.
SO WE'VE MET THREE TIMES SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER AND JANUARY, AND OUR TECHNOLOGY GROUP IS WORKING WITH FIVE VENDORS AS WE SPEAK, AND WE PLAN TO PRESENT OPTIONS TO THE EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP IN SPRING OF 2023 FOR A FINAL DECISION ON ON WHAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO PURCHASE BASED ON WHAT KIND OF FUNDING WE GET DURING THE 88TH LEGISLATURE.
SO WE'RE ACTIVELY SEEKING A NEW CAMERA SYSTEM.
NEXT SLIDE. RECOMMENDATION NUMBER SIX WAS CONSIDER MOVING BIO DIVISION UNDER THE ENFORCEMENT UMBRELLA AND STAFFING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENTS WERE APPROPRIATE.
LET'S SLIDE ANY QUESTIONS? HAVE A QUESTION ON THE CASH LIST.
HAVE YOU GUYS DONE A STUDY TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT IF GOING TO A FULL CASHLESS SYSTEM IS WHAT OUR OUR CUSTOMERS WOULD BE ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM? I MEAN, DO WE KNOW THE DATA REGARDING THEIR ABILITY TO PAY CASHLESS? AND IF THAT'S A SYSTEM, IF WE MOVE TO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WOULD THAT BENEFIT US? CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT? WELL, WE HAVEN'T STARTED THE STUDY YET, BUT THAT THAT'S WHAT I'M PROPOSING, THAT WE'RE GOING TO START A STUDY.
AND LIKE YOU SAID, LOOK AT WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS NEED AND WANT ALONG THE BORDER.
AND THERE ARE NO LEGAL RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE FOR US TO GO THAT ROUTE.
IF WE DID DECIDE TO DO THAT, WE DON'T NEED ANY CHANGES IN LAW AND OR OUR INTERNAL POLICIES TO GO CASHLESS? I DO NOT KNOW THAT THE ANSWER TO THAT I HAVE NOT CONFERRED WITH WITH OUR GENERAL COUNSEL ON THAT.
YOU KNOW, THE PERCENTAGE OF US CITIZENS VERSUS MEXICAN NATIONALS THAT COME THROUGH NO, SIR. OKAY.
AND IT'S A TREND THAT'S STARTING TO CHANGE SOME.
BUT IT IS VERY MUCH A CASH BASED COMMERCE SYSTEM.
AND YES, THERE IS A TREND, BUT CORRECT IN A THREE YEAR PERIOD, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GO.
NO, IT MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO BE DONE IN THREE YEARS.
I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND WELL THAT THAT OUR CUSTOMER BASE DOES A LOT OF TRANSACTIONS WITH CASH ALONG THE BORDER, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO SLOWLY PHASE IN IF WE DID IT.
BUT I DO GOT SOME GOOD NEWS ON THE NEXT PRESENTATION.
SO I THINK I THINK WE'RE HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
QUESTION ON THE ON THE 14 HIRES THAT WE MADE, HOW WAS THAT RECRUITING PROCESS? WHERE WERE YOU HAVING DIFFICULTY FILLING THAT SPOTS? IT SOUNDS LIKE WE WERE ABLE TO GET THOSE 14 RELATIVELY QUICKLY.
[00:30:04]
WELL, WE WE STARTED OFF WITH A BANG AND WE'VE STARTED NOW HAVING SOME ISSUES WHERE WE HAVE PLENTY OF PEOPLE THAT APPLY FOR THE JOB.BUT THEN WHEN WE CALL THEM FOR AN INTERVIEW, WE HAVE MAYBE 40% OF THEM ACCEPT THE INTERVIEW.
BUT THEN ON INTERVIEW DAY, WE ONLY HAVE 10% TO SHOW UP FOR THE INTERVIEW.
YOU KNOW WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS? I DON'T WELL, IN LAREDO, I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE THE ECONOMY IN LAREDO IS PRETTY HEALTHY.
EMPLOYMENT IS PRETTY LOW IN LAREDO BECAUSE OF THE IMPORT EXPORT BUSINESS.
OUR PAY IN CONJUNCTION TO WHAT THE PAY IS FOR LAREDO IS PRETTY LOW.
RCO ONE START AT $2,498 A MONTH AFTER YOU TAKE OUT THE 20% OF RETIREMENT, FEDERAL WITHHOLDING MEDICAID AND THE 1% FOR 401K, THEY USUALLY GET A CHECK FOR ABOUT $1,800 BUCKS.
AND THAT'S NOT INCLUDING IF THEY WANT TO BUY INSURANCE FOR THEIR FAMILY, WHICH MOST DON'T.
SO OUR STARTING PAY IS VERY, VERY, VERY LOW.
AND IN BIGGER CITIES LIKE LAREDO AND EVEN IN THE VALLEY, WE HAVE A HARD TIME FINDING PEOPLE TO TAKE OUR JOBS BECAUSE THEY CAN GET PAID HOURLY AT WAL MART MORE THAN THEY MAKE HOURLY FOR US.
OUR HOURLY RATE STARTING OUT AS AN RCO ONE IS ABOUT $13.50 AN HOUR.
AND SO THOSE ARE OUR CHALLENGES.
WHAT I'VE SEEN IN THE SIX YEARS THAT I'VE WORKED FOR BIO IS THAT IF WE CAN GET AN EMPLOYEE HIRED AND KEEP THAT EMPLOYEE FOR FIVE YEARS, MORE THAN LIKELY THEY'RE GOING TO STAY WITH US.
BUT THE CHALLENGE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, WE'VE HAD A 20-22% TURNOVER RATE, ROUGHLY, IS THAT THOSE YOUNGER GROUPS OF CANDIDATES THAT ARE JUST COMING OUT OF COLLEGE LOOKING FOR A FIRST TIME JOB, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR PAY.
WHAT'S HOW MUCH MONEY CAN THEY GET? THEY DON'T EVEN CARE ABOUT THE BENEFITS.
AND THEY AND THEY TELL ME THAT I'VE TALKED TO A LOT OF OUR YOUNG GUYS THAT WE HIRE.
AND THEY'RE THEY'RE MORE ABOUT GETTING MONEY RIGHT NOW BECAUSE LIVING ALONG THE BORDER IS ALSO A TRICKY, AS YOU WELL KNOW.
COMMISSIONER ATKINS, BECAUSE A LOT OF LOT OF PEOPLE DO GO TO MEXICO FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL.
THEY DON'T NEED THE INSURANCE.
I TALK TO OUR EMPLOYEES ALL THE TIME.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE MAIN DRIVERS OF HAVING A HARD TIME HIRING PEOPLE.
WE'LL HAVE 100 TOTAL FTES, INCLUDING THE SUPERVISORS, MANAGERS AND MYSELF.
SO OF THOSE, I GUESS I'M NOT CLEAR THE 14 VACANCIES, HOW MANY HAVE WE FILLED? WE HAVE FILLED THREE IN EL PASO, TWO IN PRESIDIO.
DEL RIO, ONE IN DEL RIO, ONE IN ROMA AND ONE IN LAREDO.
ALL RIGHT. AND THE TOTAL VACANCIES IS 29.
IS THERE A PLAN TO DO THE OTHER 15 AT SOME POINT? WELL, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK, NOW THAT WE'VE ROLLED OUT THE POINT OF SALE SYSTEM, THE NEW POINT OF SALE SYSTEM, WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW WHEN WE USED TO PUT STAMPS ON CONTAINERS, IT USED TO TAKE US ON AVERAGE FOR A REGULAR SALE, ABOUT 2.5 MINUTES PER CONTACT WITH THE NEW POINT OF SALE SYSTEM.
OUR CONTRACT HAS GONE DOWN TO ABOUT 30 SECONDS TO A MINUTE.
SO OUR EFFICIENCY IS A LOT GREATER EVEN WITH THE CREDIT CARD SYSTEM.
SOMETIMES WE HAD TO TYPE IN THE NUMBER MANUALLY.
SO WE LOOKED AT ALL THAT WHEN WE WERE GOING TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO ASK FOR POSITIONS.
[00:35:05]
AND WE BELIEVE THAT THE 14 THAT WE ASKED FOR WOULD WOULD GET US EFFICIENT.I MEAN, THE PROBLEM WITH BIO IS THAT AT A CITY DECIDES WE'RE GOING TO OPEN UP A NEW BRIDGE SOMEDAY, WE'RE GOING TO NEED MORE FTE, FTE TO FILL THOSE SLOTS. SO THAT'S HOW THAT'S HOW IT WORKS WITH BIO.
WELL, WHAT IS AN ENTRY LEVEL LICENSING PROFESSIONAL PER YEAR? JULIE, OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD.
OUR OUR REVENUE OFFICERS STARTED ABOUT 31 PER YEAR.
HAVE WE THOUGHT ABOUT? THAT'S NOT REALLY EVEN A LIVING WAGE, $29,000 A YEAR.
IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A PROBLEM DOWN THERE IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE PAYING.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE LOOKING AT TO SEE IF WE CAN SOLVE IT.
YOUR COST OF LIVING, THOUGH, IS FAR LESS.
UNDERPAID. I MEAN, 15 WOULD BE FAR MORE COMPETITIVE.
IT'D BE BETTER. WHAT I'M SAYING.
YEAH. IS THAT SOMETHING WE CAN TALK ABOUT? THINK ABOUT. FIGURE IT OUT.
YES, SIR. I MEAN, THE BORDER IS OBVIOUSLY IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
OUR OUR ROLE AT THE BORDER IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT, EVEN IF IT'S I CALL IT DETERRENCE BY PRESENCE.
SOMEBODY WEARING UNIFORM, WHETHER THEY'RE CARRYING A WEAPON OR NOT.
THAT'S ALL PART OF THE FORCE MULTIPLICATION OF TRYING TO PROTECT OUR BORDER.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S INCUMBENT UPON US TO NOT NEGLECT OUR EMPLOYEES THAT ARE DOWN THERE WORKING AND DOING, I THINK, A WONDERFUL JOB FOR LESS THAN EXTRAORDINARY PAY.
YEAH. QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONER [INAUDIBLE] SUCH AN IMPORTANT JOB.
THANK YOU, SIR. YOU SURVIVED . WE'RE GOING TO BE A LOT HARDER ON YOU ROLLING INTO THE NEXT ONE.
SO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS, IS THE PAISANO SEASON OPERATION.
I'D LIKE TO SHOW YOU ALL A LITTLE PRESENTATION THAT OUR MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES CREATED.
THEY'RE OUR LATEST PAISANO OPERATION.
[VIDEO] WE WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT IT'S SAFE TO BRING ALCOHOL TO TEXAS.
WE'RE HERE TO HELP YOU DO IT BY FOLLOWING THE LAW.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE TEXAS ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE COMMISSION.
I SAW IT WAS A VERY BUSY TIME FOR EVERYBODY.
HELLO. WHAT DO YOU HAVE FOR [INAUDIBLE] TODAY, SIR? BY ENSURING ALCOHOL IS BROUGHT INTO TEXAS LEGALLY.
THAT'S AN ILLICIT BEVERAGE BECAUSE IT'S NOT LABELED OR SEALED CORRECTLY AND IT'S JUST HOMEMADE.
OUR AGENCY IS DOWN HERE ON THE BORDER TO HELP YOU BRING ALCOHOL ACROSS.
WE WANT TO HELP YOU DO IT THE RIGHT WAY AND THE LEGAL WAY.
AND WE'RE GOING TO BE HERE TO SUPPORT TO HELP MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JOHN RENEY.
I'M THE CHIEF OF BORDER INFORMATION OPERATIONS.
I'LL BE GIVING YOU A PRESENTATION ON OUR PAISANO EVENT THAT JUST OCCURRED.
SO THIS YEARS PAISANO EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN DECEMBER 30TH AND JANUARY 9TH AT ALL LAND PORTS.
WE HAD ALL OUR FIELD ON DECK EVERY DAY DURING THOSE TEN DAYS.
AND WE ALSO USE ADDITIONAL GRANT HOURS TO TARGET MINERS IMPORTING ALCOHOL INTO TEXAS.
WE UTILIZE 12 ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL TO ASSIST BIO AT THE LAREDO PORT OF ENTRY.
[00:40:04]
THEY DIRECTED TRAFFIC.NEXT SLIDE. SO FOR THE TEN DAYS WE HAD PAISANO AT ALL LAND PORTS, WE SOLD OVER $200,000 CONTAINERS OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES.
OUR TOTAL REVENUE COLLECTED WAS OVER $700,000.
AND THIS IS WHAT I'M PRETTY PROUD OF DURING THAT TEN DAY PERIOD, WE WERE PROCESSING CREDIT CARDS 45% OF THAT $714,000 WAS COLLECTED USING CREDIT CARDS AND 55% WAS CASH.
SO WE KNOW THAT WE CAN GET THE CREDIT CARD USAGE UP TO AT LEAST 50%.
IT'S A LOT FASTER PROCESS FOR THEM AND IT'S AN IN AND OUT.
I MEAN, JUST LIKE CHICK FIL A, I MEAN, IT'S [INAUDIBLE] GONE.
BUT AT ALL THE PORTS OF ENTRY, WE STOPPED 1,530 EXCESSIVE CONTAINERS COMING INTO THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND YOU CAN SEE BY THE SLIDE, MOST OF THE CONTAINERS THAT WE STOP ARE CASES OF BEER.
IF YOU LOOK THERE, THAT ONE BOTTLE HAS SEVERAL DISTILLED SPIRITS IN THERE.
SO EACH CONTAINER OF DISTILLED SPIRITS IS COUNTED AS ONE, BUT EACH CASE OF BEER IS COUNTED AS ONE.
THAT'S A LOT OF BEER THAT WE'RE STOPPING COMING INTO THE STATE OF TEXAS.
OR DURING THAT TIME FRAME, WE HAD 18 CUSTOMERS OR 18 CONTAINERS THAT WE DISALLOWED FOR FROM PERSONS THAT REFUSED TO PAY, 551 CONTAINERS THAT WERE UNDECLARED.
SO THE TOTAL CONTAINERS DISALLOWED WAS 3,253, AND THAT WAS DURING THE TEN DAYS.
SO OUR FOLKS, OUR SALES AND GET AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB DURING THAT TEN DAYS.
AND I WANT TO THANK OUR ENFORCEMENT AGENTS.
BASICALLY, WHEN THE CUSTOMER DRIVES UP AND WE AND THEY SHOW US WHAT THEY'RE WHAT THEY'RE WANTING TO PURCHASE OR WHAT THEY'RE BRINGING INTO INTO THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THE RCO OBVIOUSLY USES THE HANDHELD TO COMPUTE HOW MUCH THE TAX IS GOING TO BE.
DO YOU WANT TO PAY BY CREDIT CARD OR CASH? YEAH, AND MOST OF THEM HAVE COME ACROSS SO MANY TIMES THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CUSTOMER THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE THE $20 BILL OUT OR THEY'RE CHANGE OUT OR THEY HAVE THEIR CREDIT CARD READY TO GO.
[00:45:04]
SIDE. WE HAVE THE ABILITY OF TWO SIDES, BUT ONE SIDE IS USUALLY CLOSED BY CUSTOMS. SO WE CAN ONLY OPEN ONE SIDE UP.LIKE IT WHEN WE MOVE FAST, SIR.
THEY LIKE IT WHEN WE MOVE FAST.
THEY DON'T LIKE TO SEE ANY KIND OF LINES, BUT.
BUT IT'S VERY EASY TO DO A STUDY ON TIME.
EVEN IF WE USE ONE LANE THE WAY OUR TRAFFIC COMES THROUGH.
I MEAN, WE CAN WE CAN DO THE STUDY PRETTY EASY AND AND FIND OUT EXACTLY HOW MUCH TIME IT'S TAKEN FOR THE NEW SYSTEM TO PROCESS A CUSTOMER USING CASH VERSUS USING CREDIT CARD.
THAT'S JUST A IF IT'S AN OPTION, CAN YOU TRY A LOCATION THAT HAS THE TWO OPTIONS [INAUDIBLE].
WE CAN LOOK AT LAREDO LIKE, YEAH, WE CAN USE THE RIGHT.
SO WE'LL WORK WITH THEM AND SEE WHAT WE CAN COME UP WITH.
WE HAVE ANOTHER SLIDE. WE'RE DONE.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON THE CASH TRANSFER.
ARE THOSE RCOS UNACCOMPANIED WHEN THEY GO TO THE BANKS? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SUPERVISORS.
YEAH. BUT DURING THE REGULAR DURING REGULAR NORMAL OPERATIONS, THEY ARE NOT.
AND THEN HAVE WE EVER LOOKED, CHIEF, HAVE WE EVER LOOKED INTO I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LEVEL OF SECURITY OFFICER TRAINING SO THAT YOU CARRY A WEAPON ON DUTY JUST FOR SELF PROTECTION.
HAVE WE EVER LOOKED INTO THE POSSIBILITY OF DOING THAT? MIGHT ALSO BE A BENEFIT THAT THEY DON'T PREVIOUSLY HAVE? SO IF WE EVER LOOKED AT THAT, WE'VE NEVER LOOKED AT CREATING SECURITY GUARDS? NO, SIR. WELL, I'M NOT SAYING CREATING SECURITY GUARD.
I'M SAYING THE CAPABILITY TO CARRY A WEAPON IN A CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE YOU'RE TAKING MONEY TO A BANK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IF THERE'S NOT A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER THERE TO ACCOMPANY THEM.
I'M JUST ASKING I'M NOT ASKING FOR AN ANSWER.
IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVEN'T THOUGHT ABOUT THAT.
AND I'M NOT TRYING TO TURN THEM INTO SECURITY GUARDS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, A LEGAL WAY TO PROTECT YOURSELF IS KIND OF IMPORTANT.
CHAIRMAN, WE'RE LOOKING AT A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SAFER DOWN THERE, WHETHER IT BE SOME KIND OF SERVICE, WHETHER WE TRAIN OUR FOLKS IN A DIFFERENT WAY MAYBE WE LOOK AT THAT, WE CAN ADD THAT TO THE LIST OF THE OPTIONS WE'RE LOOKING AT.
YEAH, I MEAN, THE LEVEL OF SAFETY IS CONCERN ON THE BORDER AT ALL TIMES FOR ALL PERSONNEL.
RIGHT. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR PEOPLE ARE PROTECTED.
ALSO ON THE CHARTING THE PAISANO SEASON, IT'S 714,000.
THAT'S A BIG NUMBER FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
IF WE COULD, I'D LIKE TO SEE AN ANNUAL CHART OF HOW THAT'S VARIED OVER THE YEARS.
YES. RIGHT. CAN'T DO PRE COVID POST COVID DURING COVID, ETC..
AND THEN I'D ALSO LIKE TO KNOW WHAT IS THE PERCENTAGE.
THIS SHOULD BE EASY OF THE THE REVENUE COLLECTED DURING PAISANO AS A PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL REVENUE GENERATED.
OKAY. AND DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA BALLPARK? IS IT 20%? IS IT.
I WANT TO SAY I DON'T REMEMBER EXACTLY.
THERE WAS A FIGURE THAT ONE TIME I WANT TO SAY IT WAS IN 2019, WE WERE COUNTING THE WHOLE MONTH OF JANUARY BECAUSE JANUARY IS OUR BUSIEST MONTH PERIOD.
THAT'S FINE. YOU CAN COUNT THE WHOLE MONTH OF JANUARY.
AND IT WAS LIKE IT WAS LIKE 20% OF THE TOTAL REVENUE DURING THAT MONTH FOR ALL.
AND I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE AND THE DILIGENCE OF THAT, THOSE 30 DAYS.
RIGHT, RIGHT. FOR RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND ALLOCATION.
AND LAST WERE THERE ANY INSTANCES, OBVIOUSLY, WE CERTAINLY HEAR THE TRAGEDIES OF FENTANYL EVERY DAY.
HAVE WE DO WE HAVE ANY SITUATIONS WHERE I KNOW IN THE PAST WE FOUND FENTANYL LACED BOTTLES AND CONTAINERS? LATELY WE HAVE NOT RUN INTO THE LAST SIX MONTHS.
WE HAVE NOT RUN INTO ANY CASES OF CONFISCATING ANY DRUGS.
[00:50:01]
THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY JUST COMING UP WITH MORE CLEVER WAYS TO GET IT ACROSS THE BORDER.WELL, CUSTOM DOESN'T LIKE TO LOSE ONE, SO THEY DON'T LIKE IT WHEN WE FIND SOMETHING.
OBVIOUSLY, THEY PROBABLY DOING A BETTER JOB TRYING TO CATCH IT ALL.
OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAD A COUPLE OF COMMENTS FOR JOHN THE CHIEF.
FIRST OF ALL, AND THIS IS JUST GOING TO COVER THE LAST PRESENTATION IN THIS PRESENTATION, BECAUSE YOU SITTING UP THERE, AUDIT IS NEVER FUN TO GO THROUGH.
AND I JUST APPLAUD YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR PIVOTING AS QUICKLY AS YOU DID ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS, KNOWING THAT YOU HAD PAISANO SEASON AND SO MANY OTHER THINGS THAT WERE COMING DOWN THE PIKE AND APPRECIATE THE TIME AND EFFORT THAT YOU AND YOUR STAFF TOOK TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES AND MAKE A PLAN TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES THAT AUDIT BROUGHT UP.
SO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT AND THEN SHARING THOSE ALSO IN TIME WITH US AS WELL.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO BE CAREFUL WHEN WE DO BRING UP SOME OF THOSE FINDINGS IS THAT WE DON'T SHARE TOO MUCH IN THE PUBLIC OF HOW WE SECURE CERTAIN ASSETS SO WE DON'T SHARE WITH THE GOOD OR THE BAD GUYS KIND OF WHAT WE'RE WHAT WE'RE DOING IN OUR OPERATIONS. SO JUST KIND OF WANT TO BE MINDFUL OF OUR CONVERSATIONS MOVING FORWARD AND THEN JUST WANT TO THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR WHAT THE EXTREME AMOUNT OF WORK THAT YOU DO DURING PAISANO SEASON.
AND I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH ALL OF THE COMMENTS HERE, RAISING RAISING THE PAY FOR THOSE THAT ARE DOING THE WORK, AS WELL AS MAKING SURE THAT OUR OUR AGENTS AND OUR STAFF ARE SECURE, WHATEVER THAT MEANS IN THE AGENCY, WHAT WE DECIDE TO DO.
BUT AGAIN, JOHN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM AND DOING WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
YOU'RE WELCOME TO KIND OF GET US TO THIS POINT.
SO LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR FUTURE PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANKS.
THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS THE TABC CALL CENTER UPDATE DIRECTOR SCHWALLER.
GOOD MORNING, CHAIRMAN AND COMMISSIONERS.
I AM THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, KEVIN SCHWALLER, AND I'M HERE TO UPDATE YOU TODAY ON A CALL CENTER APPROACH THAT TABC IS MOVING FORWARD WITH IMPLEMENTING TO HELP BETTER SUPPORT BUSINESSES.
NEXT SLIDE. SO FIRST, TABC IS THE WAY IT HANDLES PHONE CALLS IS IN NEED OF AN UPDATE.
IF YOU SEE THIS GRAPHIC HERE ON THE SCREEN, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE WAY TABC HAS HANDLED PHONE CALLS IS TO HAVE PEOPLE CALL THEIR REGIONAL OFFICE, WHICH IS GOOD FOR THE MOST PART IN THE SENSE THAT IF YOU'RE IN EL PASO OR AUSTIN OR HOUSTON, DALLAS, SAN ANTONIO, YOU'RE GETTING SOMEBODY WHO'S FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, WHICH IS A GOOD THING.
BUT AS YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TRANSITIONED TO AIMS, THINGS ARE MUCH MORE CENTRALIZED.
WE CAN HAVE PEOPLE ACROSS THE STATE HELPING ON VARIOUS APPLICATIONS.
THE LICENSING PERSONNEL CAN GET INTO THAT SYSTEM AND HELP.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO IS FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE ABLE TO MAXIMIZE THE STAFF THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY EVEN SOMEBODY FROM A DIFFERENT DIVISION, IF THEY'VE GOT THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION, THEY'RE A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION SO THAT PEOPLE CAN GET THOSE.
SO UNTIL THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN ASKED TO CALL THEIR REGIONAL OFFICES.
AND YOU CAN SEE HOW IN SOME CASES THAT COULD BE FRUSTRATING IF THERE'S LIKE FEWER STAFF, FOR EXAMPLE, IN A REGIONAL OFFICE VERSUS FOLKS AT HEADQUARTERS, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT STAFF ARE AVAILABLE.
SO CURRENTLY THAT'S HOW IT'S DONE AND THAT'S HOW IT WILL BE DONE GOING FORWARD.
BUT THE WAY THE AGENCY HAS IT SET UP IS EACH REGION HAS ITS OWN PHONE SYSTEM.
EVEN HERE AT HEADQUARTERS, THERE'S A MAIN PHONE TREE SYSTEM THAT THEN GOES TO DIFFERENT DIVISIONS.
THOSE DIVISIONS ARE ALL SET UP SEPARATELY.
AND AGAIN, THINGS ARE THERE'S NOT THE CONSISTENCY THAT WE WANT TO SEE.
SO THAT'S SOON GOING TO BE CHANGING.
SO WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT? IT'S A CALL CENTER APPROACH IS WHAT IT'S CALLED.
SO IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT LIKE WHAT YOU WOULD IMAGINE WHEN YOU CALL ANY SORT OF CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE, WHEN YOU CALL FOR HELP WITH YOUR COMPUTER OR ANYTHING ELSE, YOU WILL CALL THERE WILL BE HOLD MUSIC OR MESSAGES.
[00:55:05]
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF IT'S ONBOARDING INTO AIMS, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT SOME OF OUR AUDITORS HAVE SOME EXPERTISE IN.SO IF THEY SELECT THE OPTION THAT THEY NEED HELP WITH CLAIMING THEIR BUSINESS, WE CAN HAVE AN AUDITOR OR A MEMBER OF THE AUDIT STAFF ANSWER THAT PHONE CALL IN ADDITION TO LICENSING. SO IT HELPS US GET SOME MORE PEOPLE ON THE LINE FOR THOSE THINGS.
SO WE CAN ACTUALLY LEAVE SLOTS FOR BLANK SPACES, FOR EXAMPLE, SO THAT RIGHT NOW, IF THERE WERE TO BE OR TODAY IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE, INCLEMENT WEATHER WHERE TWO OF OUR OFFICES IN AMARILLO AND LUBBOCK ARE CLOSED AND EL PASO HAD A DELAYED OPENING THIS MORNING, WE COULD RECORD A VOICE MESSAGE TO PUT THAT AT THE FRONT OF THE PHONE TREE SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.
THE LAST THE LAST TWO THINGS HERE ARE REPORTING AND DATA.
IS IT A LICENSING ORIGINAL APPLICATION? THOSE ARE THE BUTTONS THEY PRESSED TO GET TO TALK TO OUR STAFF.
WE NOW KNOW WE GOT X MANY CALLS A MONTH ON ORIGINAL APPLICATIONS SO WE CAN HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE INSIGHT INTO WHAT PEOPLE ARE CALLING ABOUT, WHAT THEY NEED THE MOST HELP WITH, WHICH ALLOWS STAFF TO HAVE MAKE SOME BETTER DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR RESOURCES.
AND THE FINAL THING HERE IS REDUCING DIVISION BARRIERS AND REGIONAL BARRIERS, WHICH IS WHY I'M PRESENTING THIS TODAY, BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY IT AND LICENSING ARE REALLY THE TWO MAIN DIVISIONS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THIS.
AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS GET AN APPROACH WHERE EVERYBODY'S WORKING BETTER TOGETHER AND IT'S REALLY FOCUSED ON WHAT THE BUSINESS NEEDS AND NOT NECESSARILY WHAT THE DIVISION TABC IS.
SO REALLY MAKING SURE THAT IT'S BUSINESS FOCUSED THERE.
SO THIS STARTED IN THE LICENSING DIVISION.
IT WAS A VERY SOFT ROLLOUT ACTUALLY IN THE SUMMER OF 2022.
LICENSING KICKED THIS OFF WITH THE IDEA ORIGINALLY FOR THIS TO BE JUST LICENSING.
I WILL GO INTO WHAT WE'VE SEEN FROM THAT IN THE NEXT SLIDE HERE.
SO WE'LL GET TO THAT IN JUST A SECOND.
BUT I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
WE STARTED TALKING WITH DIR ABOUT IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO USE THIS APPROACH FOR OTHER DIVISIONS? AND THAT'S WHEN IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS WE REALIZED WE CAN SWITCH THE ENTIRE AGENCY TO A CALL CENTER RATHER THAN HAVING ALL OF THESE DESPERATE, THESE DISCONNECTED SYSTEMS. IN DECEMBER, WE ACTUALLY MADE THE SWITCH, IF YOU REMEMBER, FOR AIMS. WE WERE ASKING EVERYBODY EMAIL THE STAKEHOLDER INBOX BECAUSE THAT WAY WE COULD GET A LITTLE BIT OF DATA ON WHAT THEY WERE ASKING.
AND WE WERE ALSO BEING ABLE TO FUNNEL THAT TO THE RIGHT DIVISION.
AND SO IN DECEMBER, WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE THAT SWITCHOVER.
YOU JUST HAVE TO CHOOSE WHAT YOU'RE WANTING TO ACCOMPLISH FROM THE MENU.
SO WHERE WE ARE NOW IS IN THE ACTUAL DEVELOPMENT OF THAT AS WHAT WE'VE WHAT I'VE TALKED ABOUT THERE.
WE NEED TO HAVE THE PHONE SCRIPTS LIKE THE RECORDED MESSAGES THAT PEOPLE WILL ACTUALLY HEAR.
[01:00:05]
AND SO ONCE WE FINALIZE THOSE SCRIPTS AND ALL OF THAT MAPPING, IT'S HANDING IT OVER TO THE FOR INFORMATION RESOURCES SO THEY CAN ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT IT.AND THEN THERE WOULD BE NO CHANGE IN THE ACTUAL PHONE NUMBERS PEOPLE ARE CALLING NOW.
SO THERE'S NOT AN EDUCATION AS TO CALL THIS NUMBER INSTEAD.
SO HERE'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING FOR THE LICENSING PILOT.
THE ONE THING I DO WANT TO POINT OUT IS THAT BECAUSE THIS WAS INITIALLY PUT INTO PLACE FOR LICENSING TO BETTER HELP CALLERS AND IT WAS DONE AS A KIND OF A FIRST TRIAL, IT DID NOT HAVE THE THINGS LIKE THE THE HOLD MESSAGES AND THE CALLBACK OPTION THAT WAS NOT PART OF THIS.
ONCE WE STARTED ASKING PEOPLE TO CALL IT.
SO SOMEBODY IS THE CALLER IS ESSENTIALLY ON HOLD UNTIL IT ROLLS TO SOMEBODY THERE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT A STATEWIDE 250, 270 PHONE CALLS A DAY.
SO YOU CAN DO THE AVERAGE THERE.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT YOUR LICENSE.
THIS ISN'T JUST AIMS. OBVIOUSLY. THIS IS QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW WHAT KIND OF PERMIT DO I NEED AND THINGS AS WELL.
AND IN DECEMBER, THAT DIPPED A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE WE HAD THE HOLIDAYS.
AND THIS DOESN'T INCLUDE ANY OUTGOING CALLS LICENSING MAKES.
THIS IS JUST INBOUND CALLS TO THE CALL CENTER.
AND THE LAST PIECE THAT I DIDN'T TALK ABOUT TOO MUCH IS SUPERVISORS ARE ABLE TO WITH THE CALL CENTER, THEN MONITOR WHAT THEIR EMPLOYEES ARE DOING, LOOK AT THE CONVERSATIONS THEY'RE HAVING.
THERE'S ACTUALLY A FEATURE WHERE SUPERVISORS CAN EVEN JUMP IN ON THE CALL IF THEY NEED TO.
AND IF THEY SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, SOMEONE STEPPED AWAY FROM THEIR DESK AND THEY DIDN'T MARK THEMSELVES AS AWAY THEY CAN MAKE SURE TO DO THAT, SUPERVISORS WILL THEN ALSO BE ABLE TO GET PERFORMANCE METRICS ABOUT WHAT'S COMING IN.
WE HAVE HEARD I KNOW WHEN AIMS ROLLED OUT CHAIRMAN, YOU ASKED ABOUT HAVING SOME MORE PHONE OPTIONS.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TOO, TO JUST PROVIDE THIS CONTINUOUSLY IS TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO SPEAK TO SOMEBODY AT TABC AND HOPEFULLY NOT HAVE TO WAIT VERY LONG TO DO SO.
AND WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU GUYS ARE REALLY LISTENING WHEN WE MAKE SUGGESTIONS AND BEHIND THE SCENES, YOU'RE PUTTING TOGETHER A REALLY GOOD WORKOUT UP TO TO ANSWER THE CALL, NO PUN INTENDED. SO THE DATA THAT YOU'RE CREATING OR GENERATING FROM THIS, CAN THAT BE PART OF OUR QUARTERLY COMMISSION UPDATE DOCUMENTS? I'M INTERESTED TO SEE KIND OF WHERE WE'RE GETTING THE CALLS IN.
IS EL PASO LICENSING ONLY IS HOUSTON.
AND THEN WE CAN WORK WITH DIR ON THE PERFORMANCE METRICS.
DOES THE DIR PROVIDE THE TRAINING FOR STAFF, SO THERE IS SOME ONLINE TRAINING AND THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WHY WE DON'T HAVE OUR ROLLOUT RIGHT NOW UNTIL APRIL IS ONCE WE HAVE EVERYTHING SOLIDIFIED, HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO OF WHAT WE ACTUALLY WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE.
WE NEED TO GO THROUGH WITH STAFF AND MAKE SURE IT'S.
SO WE DON'T BELIEVE THE TRAINING CURVE IS GOING TO BE TOO BIG.
[01:05:01]
WHO RIGHT NOW ARE FIELDING A LOT OF CALLS FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT DIVISIONS.SO I JUST I THINK THAT THE TRAINING IS VERY IMPORTANT.
IT'S GOING TO MAKE THIS VERY SUCCESSFUL.
IT'S GOING TO BE ADOPTING NEW TECHNOLOGY.
IT'S JUST IT WILL BE CRITICAL TO THE SUCCESS.
YOU HAD MENTIONED IN YOUR PRESENTATION THAT IT COULD BE AN AVERAGE OF TEN CALLS PER DAY POSSIBLY.
MY QUESTION IS, ARE THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE TAKING THE QUESTIONS, IS THAT ALSO IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES THAT THEY HAVE AT THE AGENCY AND THIS IS NOW ON TOP OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING? OR IS THIS ALREADY SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE FIELDING? AND IT'S JUST GOING TO MAKE THAT JOB MORE STREAMLINED? YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND I'M TRYING TO THINK OF THE SIMPLEST WAY TO EXPLAIN IT.
SO IT'S GOING STRAIGHT TO THEM WITHOUT EVER GETTING TO ANOTHER DIVISION.
SO SOME OF THESE DIVISIONS ARE STILL GETTING THE PHONE CALLS.
THEY'RE JUST GOING TO BE GETTING THEM FASTER.
WITH AUDIT, FOR EXAMPLE WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THAT DIVISION IS YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
AND THE WAY THIS WORKS IS EACH REPRESENTATIVE CALL CENTER REPRESENTATIVE IS ASSIGNED A SKILL.
SO IF YOU ARE ASSIGNED THAT SKILL, YOU CAN ANSWER ANY PHONE CALL WHERE THAT OPTION IS PRESSED.
SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THE STAFF SERVICES OFFICERS WHO ARE FIELDING LOTS OF PHONE CALLS SHOULD ACTUALLY SEE A REDUCTION IN THOSE PHONE CALLS AND ONLY GET THE ONES THAT THEY'RE FULLY CAPABLE OF ANSWERING.
INSTEAD OF GETTING SENT TO VOICEMAIL AND ASKING FOR A CALL BACK OR SOMETHING.
SO I DON'T BELIEVE AT THIS POINT IT SHOULD BE DRAMATICALLY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF PHONE CALLS THAT ANY INDIVIDUAL IS GETTING, BECAUSE STILL OUT OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ANSWERING CALLS KIND OF IN THAT MAIN ROTATION, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT ADDING A HANDFUL OF AUDITORS TO THE CURRENT LICENSING STAFF.
THE OTHER STAFF, ALTHOUGH THEY'LL TECHNICALLY BE PART OF THE CALL CENTER, IT'S REALLY GOING TO TRANSFER TO A NORMAL PHONE LINE THAT PEOPLE ARE STAFFED TO PICK THAT UP, THAT HAVE CUSTOMIZED MESSAGES.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE SOME DIVISIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, NOT TECHNICALLY A DIVISIONS, A DIVISION OF A DIVISION, YOU KNOW, A TEAM THAT HAS TWO PEOPLE ON IT, WE CAN'T AND THEY'RE THE ONLY TWO PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERTISE IN THAT AREA.
WE OBVIOUSLY THEY NEED LUNCH BREAKS.
THEY NEED THINGS LIKE THAT. SO THAT TEAM IS GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE A LINE THAT THEY CAN PICK UP AND A MESSAGE THAT SAYS, HEY, WE'RE NOT AVAILABLE BETWEEN THESE TIMES OR WHATEVER, WHATEVER IT IS.
SO THEY SHOULDN'T SEE AN INCREASE IN THOSE CALLS COMING THROUGH.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T SOLVE ONE PROBLEM AND THEN CREATE ANOTHER PROBLEM ON THE OTHER END, WHERE WE DO HAVE ONE OR TWO PEOPLE NOW THAT ARE FIELDING ALL THESE PHONE CALLS. SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'LL BE ABLE TO REALLY KIND OF GET THAT INFORMATION AND THE DATA SO WE CAN SEE WHERE EVERYTHING IS GOING.
SO WE MIGHT HAVE TO STAFF UP IN A CERTAIN AREA.
WE'LL HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY TO DO SO BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT WE'LL BE GETTING.
YEAH, AND THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
WE CAN ADD AND SUBTRACT THOSE SKILLS I WAS TELLING YOU ABOUT AS WE DESIRE, LIKE IN THAT SYSTEM.
[01:10:07]
THEM TO REDO THE WHOLE SYSTEM OR SOMETHING.WE CAN CHANGE THOSE ASSIGNMENTS.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE ISSUE WITH THIS SYSTEM RIGHT NOW IS BECAUSE IT'S MULTIPLE SYSTEMS WORKING TOGETHER, IT'S REALLY HARD TO MANAGE, WHEREAS THIS WILL ALLOW US SOME MORE FLEXIBILITY. SO YOU'RE MAKING A POINT FOR ME, WHICH IS A GREAT ONE, WHICH IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THE DATA CAN LET US DO IS ADAPT IF WE DO RUN INTO ANY OF THOSE ISSUES.
BUT THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WHEN WE SEND OUT THE MAPPING, THE FINAL MAPPING AND EVERYTHING TO DIVISIONS TO GET FEEDBACK TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DON'T BELIEVE THAT ANY INDIVIDUAL IS GOING TO START TO GET OVERLOADED BECAUSE OF THIS.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? GREAT. THANK YOU.
THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS AIMS UPDATE.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR SANCHEZ, THANK YOU.
GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING, CHAIRMAN.
COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT HERE TODAY ON THE AIMS UPDATE.
FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS LAURIE SANCHEZ.
I'M THE INTERIM DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF IT.
WE WANTED TO PROVIDE A FINAL CLOSE OUT ON THE ONBOARDING METRICS, WHICH WERE TRACKING THE ONE YEAR LONG EFFORT OF ONBOARDING BUSINESS ENTITIES FROM THE LEGACY INTO THE AIMS APPLICATION.
AND WE CONDUCTED OUR LAST ONBOARDING SESSION IN JUNE OF 2022 FOR LICENSES TO ONBOARD IN JULY, AND THERE WAS A TOTAL ELIGIBLE BUSINESS ENTITIES WHERE 44,513 THAT WERE NOTIFIED TO ON BOARD THROUGHOUT THIS YEARLONG EFFORT AND 33,290 OF THOSE ENTITIES ONBOARDED.
FOR THE REMAINING 25%, WE WILL BE REACHING OUT TO THOSE LICENSEES VIA EMAIL AND LETTER WHEN IT IS WHEN THEY ARE UP FOR RENEWAL, ENCOURAGING THEM TO ONBOARD INTO AIMS AND FILE THEIR RENEWAL APPLICATION.
MOVING ON TO THE BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS, WE'RE GETTING AN UPDATE FROM THE USAGE PERSPECTIVE FROM AIMS. THE LAST UPDATE WAS ABOUT SEVEN MONTHS AGO.
SO FOR THE ORIGINAL APPLICATIONS, WE SAW AN INCREASE IN 10,000 APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED AND ARE APPROVED TO SUBMITTED RATIO INCREASE FROM 80% TO THE 91% FOR RENEWAL APPLICATIONS.
THESE RATIOS WITHIN THE KIND OF THE SPOTS THAT YOU GUYS ARE LOOKING FOR, ARE THEY OFF? CAN YOU GIVE US SOME..
THEY'RE PRETTY CONSISTENT BECAUSE THE GAPS THERE.
SO THE REMAINING TO THE 100%, WHATEVER IS REMAINING THERE ARE APPLICATIONS THAT ARE IN PROGRESS THAT HAVE BEEN WITHDRAWN OR DENIED OR KIND OF IN THOSE OTHER STATES, BUT PRETTY, PRETTY CONSISTENT. MOVING ON TO PHASE TWO.
WE'VE IMPLEMENTED THE INDUSTRY FIXES AND ENHANCEMENTS.
THE MOST NOTABLE ENHANCEMENT ITEMS ARE THE UPDATE PRINCIPLE PARTIES AND THE PAYMENT CARD FEATURE.
SO AN EXAMPLE WOULD BE GIVING SOMEONE ACCESS TO PERFORM ONLY COMPLIANCE REPORTING FUNCTIONS AS WELL AS ONLY ASSIGNING SELECT LICENSES TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS. AND THEN THE LAST ITEM THERE FOR [INAUDIBLE] IMPLEMENTED IS A MASS COMMUNICATIONS MODULE, WHICH IS FOR OUR INTERNAL USERS TO USE TO EXPORT CONTACT INFORMATION ON LICENSEES AND USE THAT IN OUR AGENCY PLATFORM FOR NOTIFICATIONS.
FROM A PLAN PERSPECTIVE AGAIN, THIS IS IN PROGRESS AND UPCOMING WE'RE WORKING ON THE PAYMENT DUE FUNCTIONALITY WHICH WOULD ALLOW OUR AGENCY USERS TO REQUEST FUNDS FROM INDUSTRY OUTSIDE OF AN OPEN APPLICATION.
[01:15:03]
LEGAL CASE MANAGEMENT OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS.AND THAT FEATURE IS JUST A SEARCH FUNCTIONALITY TO ALLOW US TO SEARCH FOR RECORDS AND APPROPRIATELY AND EASILY PULL THE INFORMATION FROM THE SYSTEM IN A FORMATTED IN A IN A FORMATTED.
FOR EXPUNGEMEN THAT'S THE LAST ITEM THERE.
AND THAT ONE AGAIN, HAS A ABILITY TO SEARCH FOR SPECIFIC DATA ELEMENTS AS WELL AS UPDATE THOSE ITEMS BASED ON EXPUNGEMENT ORDERS. THE PHASE TWO DEVELOPMENT IS FOCUSED ON IMPLEMENTING THE PRIORITY SCOPE FOR AGENCY FUNCTIONS, AND IT'S WORKING TOWARDS ACHIEVING A STEADY STATE FOR THE APPLICATION. THE OVERALL GOAL WITH OUR TECHNOLOGY TRANSFORMATION IS TO REACH A STEADY STATE.
FROM THE CURRENT FUNDING PERSPECTIVE, IN THE LAST AMES UPDATE, WE SPOKE ABOUT THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT, WHICH WAS FUNDING BEING DISTRIBUTED BY DIR BASED ON LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE.
AND THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS BACK THEN WERE THOUGHT TO BE TO HAVE BEEN MADE BY THE SUMMER.
WE HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED A DECISION ON THOSE FUNDS.
SO FROM THE AIMS PERSPECTIVE, OUR PROJECT CONTRACTORS WERE ONLY INITIALLY CONTRACTED TO THROUGH THE FIRST I'M SORRY, THROUGH FEBRUARY OF 2023. AND IF WE WERE NOT ABLE TO RENEW THOSE CONTRACTORS, THE DEVELOPMENT WORK THAT OUR VENDOR WOULD BE DOING, WE WOULDN'T HAVE THE RESOURCES INTERNALLY TO CONTINUE TO MOVE WITH THE SPEED THAT WE'RE MOVING WITH THEM.
FROM AN AIMS DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE.
WE HAD TO POTENTIALLY DECREASE THE AIMS SCOPE BASED ON THE OVERALL FUNDING.
AND THEN FOR THE ENTERPRISE DATA SOLUTION DEVELOPMENT, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO CONTINUE THE BUILDING OF OUR DASHBOARD REPORTING, WE HAD TO MINIMIZE THAT OVERALL DEVELOPMENT.
AND IT REALLY IS ONLY PUT ON A BAR FOR INTERNAL RESOURCES TO CONDUCT THAT DEVELOPMENT.
SO THEREFORE IT'S MOVING A LOT SLOWER THAN IT COULD IF WE WERE ABLE TO BRING ON A VENDOR FOR THAT.
CAN YOU CLARIFY THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN PLEASE? CLARIFY MEANING. WHAT IS IT? SURE. I ACTUALLY HAVE THAT HERE.
SO THE LEGISLATOR, THROUGH HB 4018, ALLOCATED $200 MILLION IN THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDS FOR CYBERSECURITY PROJECTS SUPPORTING THE IMPROVEMENT AND MODERNIZATION OF STATE AGENCY INFORMATION RESOURCES.
THE JOINT OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ON INVESTMENTS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENT AND MODERNIZATION PROJECTS, WITH SUPPORT FROM THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION RESOURCES, IS WORKING TO EVALUATE ALL PROPOSED SECURITY CYBERSECURITY PROJECTS.
SO WE ARE ANTICIPATING GETTING FUNDING FROM THAT AND HOW MUCH IS WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING.
SURE. SO WE WE REQUESTED $4.2 AS A PART OF THAT ARPA FUNDING AND ANTICIPATE AT LEAST BACK THEN IN THE SUMMER IT WAS WE WERE TOLD THAT WE WERE GOING TO GET THAT FUNDING.
AND SO IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF TIME AND WHEN THEY AWARDED THAT FUNDING.
HAS ANY AGENCY BEEN AWARDED? NO. SO IT'S NOT WE'RE NOT BEING ISOLATED, CORRECT.
OTHER QUESTIONS. I HAVE A QUESTION.
FIRST OF ALL, THE MORE AIMS INFORMATION, THE BETTER.
AND OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING WE NEED TO KEEP A VERY CLOSE EYE ON, GIVEN ITS GIVEN ITS HISTORY HERE.
I NOTICED IN YOUR CURRENT FUNDING SLIDE, IT SAYS PROJECT IMPACT THE AIMS FIXES CHANGE REQUESTS THAT IT CEASED ALL CHANGE REQUESTS.
CAN YOU CAN YOU TELL US WHAT THAT WHAT THAT MEANS? MAYBE BY WAY OF EXAMPLE IF YOU HAVE IF YOU HAVE AN EXAMPLE OF A CHANGE REQUEST AND THEN WHAT IT WHAT IMPACT CEASING THE CHANGE REQUEST MAKES WOULD MAKE, PLEASE?
[01:20:03]
SURE, SURE. SO WE HAVE A CHANGE REQUEST THAT'S BEEN SUBMITTED ABOUT THE ABILITY TO BASICALLY CHANGE DATA OR MERGE DATA IN THE AIMS SYSTEM BECAUSE DATA IS COMING IN FROM NOT FROM TABC STAFF INPUTTING IT ANYMORE.AND THAT FUNCTIONALITY CURRENTLY IS DEEMED AS NOT CRITICAL.
SO IT'S NOT CRITICAL MEANING MEANING THAT PEOPLE CAN STILL THAT IT'S NOT ADVERSELY IMPACTING THE PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO TO TO USE AIMS OR IS IMPACTING THEM.
IS THAT THE IDEA? THAT'S CORRECT. IF THE ARPA FUNDING DOESN'T COME THROUGH, IS THERE ANOTHER PATH IN WHICH WE CAN..
WE'VE MADE ADJUSTMENTS TO OUR REQUEST FOR EXCEPTIONAL ITEMS. WE'LL BE BRINGING IT TO YOU IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.
BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN DIGGING THROUGH FOR THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS IS EXACTLY WHAT DO WE NEED TO GET TO STEADY STATE AND PHASE THREE AND LET'S LET'S ASK FOR THE WHOLE THING SO WE CAN GET IT DONE.
IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THE ARPA FUNDING IS GOING TO COME THROUGH.
SO HOW WAS THAT? I WAS ASKING ABOUT THE EFFECT OF CEASING ALL ALL CHANGE REQUESTS, AND IT WAS DESCRIBED AS KIND OF A NON CRITICAL PROBLEM.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? NON CRITICAL, NON CRITICAL CHANGE REQUESTS IS WHAT I'M REFERRING TO.
SO THE EXAMPLE THAT I HAD THERE WAS THAT'S NOT CRITICAL TO INDUSTRY.
IT'S NOT STOPPING INDUSTRY FROM COMING INTO THE SYSTEM AND FILING APPLICATIONS.
SO WE'VE MOVED THAT TO A FUTURE SCOPE IF WE NEED TO IMPLEMENT THAT IN THE FUTURE.
IT'S ON THE BACKLOG, IF YOU WILL, OF SOMETHING WE NEED TO IMPLEMENT IN THE APPLICATION.
SO IT'S NOT AFFECTING PEOPLE'S ABILITY TO USE AIMS, CORRECT? CORRECT. I'M SORRY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
ALL RIGHT. THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION BRIEFING.
DIRECTOR STAPLES AND DIRECTOR MORLOCK, WELCOME.
GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIRMAN AND COMMISSIONERS.
I'M JARED STAPLES, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS.
AND I'M JOINED BY MY COPILOT AND OUR LEGISLATIVE ENDEAVORS THIS SESSION.
MARIANN MORELOCK, DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS, INTERIM DIRECTOR, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS.
SO WE'RE TWO WEEKS INTO THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION SO FAR, AND TODAY WE'VE GOT AN UPDATE FOR YOU ON WHAT'S HAPPENED THUS FAR, WHAT HAPPENS OVER THE NEXT 18 WEEKS, AND WHAT THE AGENCY'S ROLE IS IN THIS WHOLE PROCESS.
SO FAR, LEGISLATORS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FILE BILLS SINCE ABOUT MID NOVEMBER, AND THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR HAVE ALL BEEN SWORN IN AND INAUGURATED.
JUST LAST WEEK ACTUALLY HAVE FILED THEIR INITIAL PROPOSED STATE BUDGETS FOR THE NEXT BIENNIUM.
ADDITIONALLY, JUST YESTERDAY, THE NEW GOVERNOR ANNOUNCED HIS SENATE COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT DECISIONS.
CAN CAN YOU IS THERE ANYWHERE ON HERE, THE COMMITTEE CHAIRS OF THE COMMITTEES THAT MOST AFFECT US? YES, SIR. WE'VE GOT THAT LATER IN THE PRESENTATION.
SO WE'LL BE WATCHING OUT FOR THAT.
IN MARCH, OTHER COMMITTEES WILL BEGIN HOLDING HEARINGS ON POLICY BILLS.
[01:25:03]
AND THEN AFTER THAT, THE GOVERNOR HAS UNTIL JUNE 18TH TO SIGN AND VETO ALL LEGISLATION.SO LONG PROCESS TO GO THROUGH TO GET TO ALL OF THAT.
BUT GOING TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TABCS ROLE IN THIS WHOLE PROCESS.
SO A STATE AS A STATE AGENCY, OUR PRIMARY ROLE IS TO BE A RESOURCE FOR THE LEGISLATURE.
WE REQUEST FUNDS AT THE AGENCY NEEDS TO PERFORM ITS STATUTORY DUTIES, AND WE PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO LAWMAKERS AND INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS WHEN THEY ASK TO TABC FOR INPUT ON HOW TO AFFECT AND IMPLEMENT THEIR VARIOUS POLICY PROPOSALS.
BUT ONE THING WE AS A STATE AGENCY MUST BE CAREFUL NOT TO DO WHEN WE ENGAGE IN THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS IS TO DO ANYTHING THAT'S REMOTELY CLOSE TO ADVOCATING FOR POLICY POSITIONS OR ANYTHING THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED LOBBYING OR INFLUENCING LEGISLATION.
AND SO WITH THAT IN MIND, THOUGH, WE FEEL THAT THE AGENCY IS AND OUR TEAM IS PERFECTLY PREPARED TO BE HELPFUL RESOURCE TO THE LEGISLATURE AND OUR INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS DURING THIS SESSION.
SO ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE IN THE BUDGET PROCESS.
SO AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE HOUSE AND SENATE LAST WEEK RELEASED THEIR INITIAL PROPOSED STATE BUDGETS FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS, AND BOTH PROPOSALS FOR TABC ARE IDENTICAL.
THEY'VE SO FAR PROPOSED $106.2 MILLION FOR THE AGENCY FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
TO ENSURE THE AGENCY RECEIVES THE FUNDING, WE NEED TO PERFORM OUR STATUTORY DUTIES AND TO PROVIDE THE TYPE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE INDUSTRY EXPECTS AND DESERVES FROM THIS AGENCY.
SO WE WILL BE DISCUSSING THAT AND OUR OUR FIRST COMMITTEE HEARING WHERE WE'LL GET TO FORMALLY LAY THOSE ITEMS OUT AND MAKE THOSE REQUESTS WILL BE ON FEBRUARY 9TH WITH THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO SWITCH FROM BUDGET TO POLICY.
SO WE MONITOR ANY BILL THAT HAS A POTENTIAL IMPACT ON THE AGENCY.
SO FAR, ABOUT 2,000 BILLS HAVE BEEN FILED.
ON AVERAGE, 6,800 BILLS ARE FILED.
SO WE HAVE ABOUT SEVEN WEEKS TILL THE FILING DEADLINE.
SO THERE WILL BE MANY MORE TO COME.
RIGHT NOW, ABOUT 60 IMPACT EITHER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CODE AND THE REGULATORY SIDE OR LAW ENFORCEMENT, WHETHER THAT'S HOW LAW ENFORCEMENT DOES BUSINESS OR PENALTIES, ANYTHING RELATED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.
SO WE DO THAT WORK ON THOSE EVERY DAY.
KEEP IN MIND, OUT OF THOSE 6,800 THAT AVERAGE, ONLY 20% MAKE IT TO THE GOVERNOR'S DESK.
SO MONITOR JUST IN CASE THEY DO PASS AND THAT THEY IMPACT THE AGENCY.
THE PROCESS WE GO THROUGH IS BASICALLY ASSIGN A BILL TO A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT AND THEY LOOK AT IT AND DETERMINE HOW WILL THIS IMPACT THE AGENCY FROM AN OPERATIONAL STANDPOINT, POLICIES, PROCEDURES.
AND THEN FROM A FISCAL POINT, ARE THERE FISCAL IMPLICATIONS IF THIS BILL PASSES, WILL WE NEED MORE FTES OR TECHNOLOGY OR DESKS OR VEHICLES? WHAT IS IT THAT WE MIGHT NEED? AND SO I'VE LISTED A COUPLE OF THE BILLS THAT HAVE BEEN FILED THUS FAR.
THEY DO IMPACT THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CODE.
BUT I'M GOING TO GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
CAN YOU BACK UP, PLEASE? [INAUDIBLE] WHOSE SB 191 THE LAST ONE.
WHO'S THAT? WHO'S FILING? [INAUDIBLE]
[01:30:07]
THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION [INAUDIBLE] HAD PUT TOGETHER A SPREADSHEET THAT TRACKED THE BILLS BEING FILED THAT WAS GOING TO IMPACT INDUSTRY.AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE TRACKING THAT.
IS THAT SOMETHING YOU CAN SHARE WITH US? I KNOW HE SHARED IT BEFORE AND IT WAS JUST HELPFUL TO SEE WHAT'S OUT THERE.
THANK YOU. NONE OF THESE HAVE A FISCAL IMPACT ON THE AGENCY OR OPERATIONAL IMPACT, RIGHT? THAT LAST BILL YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT, SB 191 IS BY SENATOR [INAUDIBLE] MILES.
ANY OTHER BILLS AFFECTING HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND OR ENFORCEMENT THAT PERTAIN TO US.
THERE ARE ALWAYS BILLS ABOUT HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
SO FAR, NONE DIRECTLY RELATED TO US OR HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT.
PLEASE PROCEED. SORRY. SO WE'VE COVERED BILLS AND BUDGET AND POLICY BILLS.
SO THE NEXT BIG STAGE FOR A BILL TO HAVE A COMMITTEE HEARING.
SO FOR BUDGET BILLS, THEY GO THROUGH SENATE FINANCE AND HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE.
AND SO FOR SENATE FINANCE, IT'S LED BY SENATOR HUFFMAN.
EXCUSE ME. AS JARED MENTIONED, THOSE BUDGET HEARINGS.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, BUDGET HEARINGS WILL START SOON IN THE SENATE SIDE.
AND THEN WE WILL PROVIDE INVITED TESTIMONY FEBRUARY 9TH TO TALK ABOUT OUR EXCEPTIONAL ITEM REQUEST AND JUST THE BUDGET IN GENERAL AND TAKE QUESTIONS FROM THE MEMBERS. ON THE HOUSE SIDE IS THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE, AND IT SAYS REPRESENTATIVE GREG BONNEN NOW AND REPRESENTATIVE GONZALEZ.
BUT THOSE COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS HAVE NOT YET BEEN MADE FOR THE 88TH LEGISLATURE.
BUT THE HOUSE TENDS TO BREAK WHAT THEY MEET AS A WHOLE, BUT THEY ALSO BREAK INTO SUBCOMMITTEES, SO TABC IS IN THE SUBCOMMITTEE FOR ARTICLES ONE, FOUR AND FIVE, WHICH IS GENERAL GOVERNMENT, JUDICIARY AND PUBLIC SAFETY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE.
SO WE'RE UP FEBRUARY 9TH AND NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, UNLESS YOU ALL HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
SORRY. PREMATURE, FORGOT ABOUT POLICY BILLS.
SO WE'RE BILLS THAT IMPACT THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CODE.
SENATOR SCHWENTNER IS THE CHAIR OF B AND C FOR THIS SESSION, AND REPRESENTATIVE THOMPSON WAS THE CHAIR LAST SESSION, BUT THAT IS SUBJECT TO THE ASSIGNMENTS OF THE SPEAKER IN THE COMING WEEKS. NOW, WE ALSO MONITOR OTHER COMMITTEES LIKE BORDER SECURITY AND CRIMINAL JURISPRUDENCE, HOMELAND SECURITY AND PUBLIC SAFETY, ANYTHING THAT COULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE AGENCY.
THOSE ARE PARTICULAR LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT WE DON'T TYPICALLY TESTIFY IN THOSE COMMITTEES.
BUT FOR B AND C AND LAB, WE DEFINITELY DO TESTIFY AND WE'RE THERE FOR EVERY HEARING.
AND WE'LL PROVIDE INVITED TESTIMONY.
WE'RE PREPARED TO PROVIDE TESTIMONY WHETHER WE'RE ASKED TO OR NOT.
AND WE PREPARE, WHETHER IT'S GRAHAM OR WHOMEVER IT IS FOR TESTIMONY BY GATHERING THAT INFORMATION FROM THOSE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS THAT WE'RE ANALYZING BILLS AND PROVIDING FISCAL IMPLICATIONS.
SO REGARDLESS OF BILLS OR TESTIMONY, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THAT WE COLLECTIVELY AND IN PARTICULAR THESE TWO, WE HAVE GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH LEGISLATORS AND STAFF THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, NOT JUST DURING SESSION, AND THAT WE ARE RESPONSIVE TO THEIR REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION, WHETHER IT'S ABOUT A BUDGET ITEM OR A CONSTITUENT MATTER OR PHRASING OF A BILL TO DO WHAT THEY WANT IT TO DO.
AND WE REGULARLY MEET WITH STAFFERS, WHETHER IT'S LEGISLATORS OR LEGISLATIVE STAFF OF GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, LBB, SPEAKER'S OFFICE, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, COMPTROLLER.
[01:35:03]
AND THEN WE'VE HAD THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MEET WITH DIFFERENT LEGISLATORS IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS.BUT IT WILL BE A MUCH MORE ACCELERATED MEETING SCHEDULE IN THE COMING WEEKS LEADING UP TO THAT FIRST BUDGET HEARING AND THEN EVEN AFTER THAT, TO VISIT WITH LEGISLATORS AND THE KEY COMMITTEES THAT WERE ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE TO EXPLAIN OUR EXCEPTIONAL ITEMS AND PROVIDE INFORMATION TO SUPPORT THOSE REQUESTS. NEXT SLIDE.
HAS ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? NO, SIR. ALL RIGHT.
THE NEXT ITEM IS CONSIDERATION OF POTENTIAL ACTION ON ADOPTION OF REPEAL OF RULES 31.10 AND 31.11.
[4. Rules]
MR. HORTON, WELCOME.GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIRMAN. COMMISSIONERS, MY NAME IS SHAINA HORTON.
FOR THE RECORD, AND FOR THE PAST THREE AND A HALF YEARS OR SO, I'VE BEEN YOUR RULES.
ATTORNEY AND JUST TO NOTE, WHILE WE'RE HERE TOGETHER, THIS WILL BE MY LAST MEETING WITH YOU ALL.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE FINISHED WHAT YOU'RE VOTING ON TODAY ARE ADOPTIONS OF THE LAST RULES FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE OVERHAUL OF THE RULEBOOK THAT WE STARTED AFTER THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION THAT INCLUDED THE SUNSET BILL.
SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'D LIKE TO THANK A COUPLE OF FOLKS HERE.
I ALWAYS THANK MARIANN MORELOCK, WHO HELPED US KEEP EVERYTHING ON TRACK.
BUT I ALSO WANTED TO THANK ALL THE MANY, MANY DOZENS OF PEOPLE AT THIS AGENCY.
MEMBERS OF THE RULES COMMITTEE WHO ADDED THIS TO THEIR LISTS OF ALREADY LONG LISTS OF TASKS FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND HAVE PUT A LOT OF WORK AND THOUGHT INTO IT AND HELPED ME UNDERSTAND THE AGENCY BETTER.
GAVE US A PERSPECTIVE THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO THE PROCESS.
THANK YOU. I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU.
YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN EXTREMELY AVAILABLE, INFORMATIVE.
THAT SAID, ITEM 4.1 IS ADOPTION OF THE REPEAL OF SECTIONS 31.10 AND 11.
THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THE REPEAL IS COMBINED INTO THE NEW SECTION 31.10 COMPLAINTS, WHICH YOU WILL BE VOTING ON SHORTLY, AND WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSED REPEALS. THIS IS BEFORE YOU FOR YOUR VOTE.
I MOVE TO APPROVE ADOPTION OF REPEAL OF RULES 31.10 AND 31.11 AS RECOMMENDED BY STAFF.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER ADKINS.
ALL OF OUR VOTES HAVE BEEN RECORDED.
THIS ITEM IS THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE RULES IN CHAPTER 31.
WE DID OUR FOUR YEAR REVIEW AND THIS IS THE REST OF THOSE RULES AS EITHER RE ADOPTED OR AMENDED.
AND WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY ANY COMMENTS ON THESE RULES.
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT. I MOVE TO APPROVE ADOPTION OF NEW AND AMENDED CHAPTER 31 ADMINISTRATION AS RECOMMENDED BY STAFF.
ALL OF OUR VOTES HAVE BEEN RECORDED.
[01:40:10]
COMPLETION OF REVIEW OF CHAPTER 31 IS THE NEXT CONSIDERATION OF POTENTIAL ACTION.THE REMAINING THREE RULES 31.2 AND 31.12 AND 13.
THEREFORE, WE PUBLISHED IT FOR COMMENT, PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE RECEIVED NO PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND SO WE ARE ASKING YOU TO ADOPT THE RE ADOPTION OF THESE RULES AS THEY EXIST.
ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. I MOVE TO APPROVE ADOPTION OF COMPLETION OF REVIEW OF CHAPTER 31 ADMINISTRATION AS RECOMMENDED BY STAFF IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND, MR. ADKINS. THANK YOU, SIR.
VOTES ARE RECORDED. THE MOTION IS APPROVED.
THIS ITEM IS THE RULE THAT WILL IMPACT A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF APPLICANTS WHOSE APPLICATIONS GET THROUGH THE AIMS PROCESS PRIOR TO THEIR CHECK CLEARING AT THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE, AND WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF THOSE RETURNED.
THIS AMENDMENT WOULD PROVIDE A PROCEDURE FOR OUR LICENSING TEAM TO DEAL WITH THAT NARROW CIRCUMSTANCE, AND WE DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY COMMENTS ON THIS RULE AS PROPOSED EITHER.
ANY QUESTIONS? CAN YOU GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THAT WOULD HAPPEN? ESSENTIALLY, IF THEY GIVE WELL, ACTUALLY, I COULD ASK SOMEONE FROM LICENSING WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THIS BETTER.
WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE PAST IS SOMEONE SUBMITTED THEIR RENEWAL OR THEIR APPLICATION IN AIMS. WE APPROVED IT, AND IT WASN'T UNTIL AFTER THAT APPROVAL THAT WE GOT THE RETURN CHECK BACK.
AND THEN WHAT WE NORMALLY DO IS WE WOULD QUESTION FOR THAT REPLACEMENT MONEY.
AND THERE HAD BEEN SOME INSTANCES WHERE WE WE DIDN'T GET IT.
SO IT'S AN AVENUE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT MONEY.
AND IF WE CAN'T GET THAT MONEY TO DO SOMETHING WITH THE LICENSE OR PERMIT AFTER THAT.
ALL RIGHT. I MOVE TO APPROVE ADOPTION OF AMENDED 33.55 CONDITIONAL APPROVAL AS RECOMMENDED BY STAFF.
IS THERE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER MARINO THANK YOU.
THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS CONSIDERATION OF POTENTIAL ACTION ON ADOPTION OF NEW RULE 35.1 REPORTING A BREACH OF PEACE , MS. HORTON. YOU MAY RECOGNIZE THIS RULE WAS PROPOSED A COUPLE OF COMMISSION MEETINGS AGO.
WE RECEIVED ONE COMMENT AND COMMISSIONER BOATWRIGHT HAD ASKED US TO TO LEAVE SOME MORE TIME FOR THAT COMMENT OR TO REVIEW THE RESPONSE BECAUSE IT WAS NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL THE DAY BEFORE THE MEETING.
THAT TIME WE HAVE GIVEN HIM THAT TIME NOW AND HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING BACK FROM THAT COMMENTER.
AND SO THIS ESSENTIALLY IS THE SAME AS WAS BEFORE YOU FOR ADOPTION PREVIOUSLY.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
CAN YOU CLARIFY THE REPORTING OF A BREACH OF PEACE? THE REPORTING. YOU WANT ME TO JUST EXPLAIN HOW THE RULE ESSENTIALLY THE RULE THAT THE CHANGES TO THE RULE THAT I THINK THAT THE COMMENTARY WERE WAS DISCUSSING IS THE DEFINITION OF THE PREMISES.
THE DEFINITION OF THE PREMISES IS GOING TO INCLUDE EVERYTHING THAT'S UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE LICENSE OR PERMIT HOLDER, WHETHER OR NOT THAT IS WITHIN A DIAGRAMED PREMISES NECESSARILY.
AND SO THAT THAT'S THE CLARIFICATION, THE PARKING LOT ISSUE, ESSENTIALLY.
[01:45:03]
AND THE POINT OF THIS IS JUST WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE PUSHING SOMETHING OUT TO THE PARKING LOT AND THEN SAYING IT'S NOT OUR PROBLEM.WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE THAT TO BE REPORTED AS WELL.
SO THAT'S THAT'S THE MINOR TWEAK TO THIS RULE.
OKAY. ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS? QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
I MOVE TO APPROVE ADOPTION OF NEW RULE 35.1, REPORTING A BREACH OF PEACE AS RECOMMENDED BY STAFF.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MACK.
NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS CONSIDERATION AND POTENTIAL ACTION ON ADOPTION OF REPEAL OF RULE 35.32 REPORTING BREACH OF PEACE, MS. HORTON.
THIS IS JUST THE REPEAL OF THE PRIOR BREACH OF THE PEACE RULE.
WE'VE MOVED IT ALL THE WAY BACK TO 35.1.
WE'VE ELIMINATED SO MANY RULES IN CHAPTER 35 THAT WE'RE JUST ESSENTIALLY CONDENSING BACK DOWN TO THE FIRST SEVERAL NUMBERS SO THAT THE CONTENT OF THAT RULE IS HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN WHAT YOU JUST ADOPTED ON YOUR LAST ITEM.
COMMENTS. QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. I MOVE TO APPROVE ADOPTION OF THE REPEAL OF THE RULE 35.32 REPORTING A BREACH OF PEACE AS RECOMMENDED BY STAFF.
IS THERE A MOTION? SECOND? SECOND. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MACK.
I HAVE A SECOND. WE'LL NOW VOTE.
THIS WAS A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF CHAPTER 50.
A FEW CHANGES THAT WERE SUGGESTED IN THE PROPOSAL INCLUDE CHANGES THAT ARE NECESSARY TO INCORPORATE THE AIMS, TECHNOLOGY AND OTHER NEW TECHNOLOGY, AND SENT TO CLARIFY SOME QUESTIONS THAT HAVE ARISEN OVER THE YEARS.
FOR OUR PROGRAM STAFF, THERE WERE NO COMMENTS RECEIVED AND THIS IS NOW BEFORE YOU FOR ADOPTION.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT. I MOVE TO APPROVE ADOPTION OF AMENDED CHAPTER 50 SELLER SERVER TRAINING AS RECOMMENDED BY STAFF.
IS THERE SECOND? SECOND. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER ADKINS.
OUR VOTES HAVE BEEN RECORDED. THE MOTION IS APPROVED.
MS. HORTON, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
THANK YOU. THE NEXT ITEM IS THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THE COMMISSION WILL NOW GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION ON GOVERNMENT CODE 551.074 AND 0.071 AND 0.089.
[5. Executive Session]
THE TIME IS NOW 12:19 P.M.THE DATE IS TUESDAY, JANUARY 24TH, 2023.
THE NEXT ANNOUNCEMENT IS THE NEXT MEETING DATE, WHICH IS TUESDAY, MARCH 28TH.
[6. Closing Items]
SO IF YOU WOULD ALL, PLEASE CHECK YOUR PERSONAL CALENDARS TO MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO CONFLICTS.GOOD. COMMISSIONER BOATWRIGHT, ARE WE GOOD? THUMBS UP. COMMISSIONER MARINO, 28TH WORK FOR YOU.
THE COMMISSION IS SCHEDULED TO MEET ON TUESDAY, MARCH 28TH, 2023.
[01:50:06]
NEXT IS ADJOURNMENT. THE TIME IS NOW 12:46, AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.STAY SAFE, EVERYBODY.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.