* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          SESSION. 
          UH, RIGHT. 
          THAT'S 
          [00:00:01]
WHY WE DON'T NEED A QUORUM. 
          ROBERT. 
          I GOT GOT, I GOT. 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          THIS, UH, COMMISSIONER COMMITTEE IS, UH, NOW IN SESSION. 
          WE'RE, UH, DOING THE SECOND PART OF OUR BUDGET HEARINGS, AND WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM, UH, GOOD NUMBER OF, OF DEPARTMENTS THIS, THIS EVENING. 
          JUST AS WE DID YESTERDAY. 
          I'M GONNA ASK THE DEPUTY CLERK TO CALL THE ROLE COMMISSIONER COOPER. 
          ABSENT. 
          COMMISSIONER GILL. 
          ABSENT. 
          COMMISSIONER LUCIANO. 
          HERE. 
          COMMISSIONER MERCADO. 
          ABSENT. 
          COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON. 
          HERE. 
          COMMISSIONER SIEBOLD. 
          ABSENT. 
          COMMISSIONER SERMONS. 
          COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT MURRAY THOMAS. 
          ABSENT. 
          COMMISSIONER PRESIDENT EZ. 
          HERE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WE'RE GONNA, UH, PLEASE STAND AND JOIN ME IN THE PROJECT AND ASK COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON TO JOIN, TO LEAD US IN THE SALUTE OUR PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 
          TO, TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. 
          I'M JUST GONNA ASK FOR A MOMENT IN SILENCE IN HONOR OF THOSE WE LOST IS THE LAST TIME COME TOGETHER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I HAVE BEFORE ME CERTIFICATION FROM DEPUTY CLERK THAT THIS MEETING IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS ACT. 
          AND AS I MENTIONED, THIS IS A COMMITTEE MEETING. 
          SO WE'RE GONNA BE HEARING, UH, FROM THE ADMINISTRATION IN VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS TODAY. 
          MR. JACKSON? GOOD EVENING. 
          GOOD EVENING, MR. PRESIDENT. 
          WHO ARE WE GONNA START OFF WITH TODAY? COUNTY COUNCIL. 
          MR. ST. 
          JOHN. 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          MR. ST. 
          JOHN, JUST FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION FOR THE RECORD. 
          UH, GOOD, GOOD EVENING, MR. PRESIDENT. 
          MY NAME IS JEROME ST. 
          JOHN. 
          I'M THE S COUNTY COUNCIL, AND I APOLOGIZE. 
          I'VE GOTTEN OLD AND DEAF IN SERVICE TO MY COUNTY. 
          , YOU KNOW WHERE THAT COMES FROM AND, UH, SO I, IF I CAN'T HEAR YOU, I KNOW FRANNIE'S GONNA HELP ME WITH IT, SO NO, NO APOLOGIES NECESSARY. 
          MR. ST. 
          JOHN, WHY DON'T YOU JUST TELL US, UH, GIVE US AN, AN OVERVIEW OF YOUR BUDGET AND THEN WE WILL ASK MR. MCINERNEY TO ASK ANY QUESTION HE MAY HAVE. 
          I'D BE HAPPY TO. 
          UH, THE COUNTY COUNCIL'S OFFICE OVERSEES THE OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL MENTAL HEALTH WELFARE AND, UH, AND, UH, SUPPORT. 
          UH, ALSO OBVIOUSLY LITIGATION, LABOR LAW, UH, YOU'VE ALL BEEN INVOLVED WITH MANY OF THOSE LABOR MATTERS. 
          THERE ARE NINE, THERE ARE NINE LAWYERS AT PRESENT. 
          THERE'S 231 ACTIVE CASES GOING ON. 
          UH, PLUS, UH, THERE ARE, UH, 391 TORT CLAIMS, UH, FILINGS THAT TOOK PLACE IN 2025. 
          MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN ROUGHLY A THIRD OF THOSE WILL TURN INTO ACTUAL LAWSUITS AGAINST THE COUNTY OF ESSEX. 
          UH, SO, SO THERE'S, THERE'S MANY MEN IN MATTERS. 
          AS ALL OF US KNOW, WE SETTLED ALL 27 CONTRACTS, SO THAT'S GONNA HELP THIS NEXT YEAR. 
          UH, AND I HAVE, UH, TWO IN IT, ABOUT TWO AND A HALF. 
          I HAVE TWO AND NOT ABOUT, I HAVE TWO AND A HALF OPEN POSITIONS IN THE COUNTY COUNCIL'S OFFICE AT, AT PRESENT. 
          SO THAT GIVES YOU, IN A NUTSHELL WHAT THE COUNTY COUNCIL'S OFFICE'S OFFICE DOES. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          MR. MACKIN, ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH, I'M SORRY. 
          I FILLED TAB IN PAGE NUMBER SO EVERYONE CAN FOLLOW TAB FOUR, PAGE 33. 
          THANK YOU, MR. TAB. 
          FOUR. 
          PAGE THREE. 
          THREE. 
          MR. JACKSON, TAB FOUR, PAGE 33. 
          MR. SO, UH, IN THE COUNTY COUNCIL'S OFFICE'S OFFICES, I LOOK AT, UH, PAYROLL NUMBER. 
          UM, I, I SAW THE 16 POSITIONS FILLED. 
          BILL, DO YOU HAVE THREE? DO YOU HAVE THREE? DO YOU HAVE THREE CS AT THIS TIME? YEAH, I THINK IT'S TWO AND A HALF. 
          YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE TWO AND A HALF VACANCIES? YES. 
          WHAT IS THE TWO FULL-TIME? TWO FULL-TIME. 
          ONE PART-TIME? YES. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE. 
          SO YOU'RE GONNA FILL THOSE POSITIONS? YEAH, I HOPE. 
          OH, OKAY. 
          UH, ALRIGHT, SO THAT SAID, THE ONLY, THE OTHER THING ON OTHER EXPENSES IS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, 300 SOMETHING THOUSAND DOLLARS. 
          I'M DOING IT FROM MEMORY. 
          WELL, YEAH, YOU'RE UP. 
          IF YOU, LAST YEAR, YOU, UH, YOUR MODIFIED BUDGET, WHAT STARTED AT 900, 10,000, AND THEN IT WENT TO 1,000,006, YOU NEED THE TRANSFERS IN OF OVER $700,000. 
          UH, YOU EXPENDED, YOU EXPENDED ALMOST ALL OF THAT. 
          AND THIS YEAR, YOUR, UH, HAVE A BUDGET FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES OF EXACTLY WHAT YOU HAD THE PREVIOUS YEAR OF 910,000. 
          SO WHAT'S THE CHANCE, CHANCE THAT YOU'RE GONNA NEED MORE MONEY IN THAT LINE ITEM? THAT IT'LL STAY AT THAT NUMBER? WELL, YEAH, I'M SAYING IT DIDN'T LAST YEAR, BUT I DON'T, I, I, I, UH, HERE, HERE'S WHERE WE ARE, FRANKLY. 
          I, I BELIEVE IN MANAGING OBJECTIVE AND, UH, SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE LINE. 
          IT'S GONNA BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. 
          [00:05:01]
EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. 
          SO, I MEAN, IS, I MEAN, I MEAN, I THINK, I THINK THAT WAS TRUE FOR THE PRIOR YEAR TOO. 
          SO, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT GETS TO A POINT WHERE YOU, WE REALLY SHOULD BE BUDGETING WHAT IS ANTICIPATED TO BE THE, UH, EXPENDITURES RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, UH, TRANSFERRING IN ALMOST A HUNDRED PERCENT OF WHAT YOU ORIGINALLY BUDGETED FOR. 
          YEAH. 
          SO I THINK IN TERMS OF THAT, IF WE ARE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO MY MEETING, I'M IN MY MEETING WIN CASES AT THE, THE INITIAL STAGES OF THEM, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO ACTUALLY TRY THEM OVER EXTENDED TRIALS. 
          UH, SO TODAY I WAS WORKING ON A BRIEF FOR AN, AN INJURY THAT TOOK PLACE AT THE PARK WHERE, UH, A CHILD THAT PALED HIMSELF ON OFFENSE, AND WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE MAKING THE ARGUMENT UNDER THAT ERUS VERSUS BERGEN COUNTY CASE, WE'RE IMMUNE FROM ALL LITIGATION. 
          THE JUDGE WILL BUY THAT AND HE SHOULD, THAT'S THE LAW. 
          NOW, UH, IF HE BUYS THAT, WE WON'T HAVE TO TRY THE CASE. 
          WE WON'T HAVE SEVERAL WEEKS OF TRIALS. 
          SO THAT'S THE KIND OF THING, UH, THAT I'M HOPING THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO BE SUCCESSFUL ON IN 2026. 
          RIGHT. 
          BUT SOME OF THE MATTERS, UH, THAT YOU GO, THAT GO BACK WITH THE CELL PHONE CASES AND OTHER THINGS. 
          YEAH, WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THOSE. 
          WELL, THIS, THIS WAS A CELL PHONE CASE, WASN'T THIS IN PART, THEY, THEY'RE NOT RESOLVED. 
          OKAY. 
          DOES ALL DEPOSITIONS HAVE TAKEN PLACE? UH, AND IT COMES DOWN TO WHERE ARE WE, IF THE JUDGE IN THE PRELIMINARY STAGES WILL RULE IN OUR FAVOR AND WE GET OUT OF THE CASE BEFORE A TRIAL, THAT'S A BIG BENEFIT TO US. 
          WELL, LAST YEAR WE HAD THE OTHER BIG CASE TOO, WHICH WAS THE AIR CONDITIONER CASE. 
          WE HAD THE, YOUR MICROWAVE CASE. 
          THE MICROWAVE AIR MICROWAVE, YEAH. 
          YEP. 
          THE VOID CASE. 
          SO HOW MUCH OF, HOW MUCH EXPENDITURES IN THAT PROFESSIONAL LINE ITEM WAS, DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH OF THAT WAS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THAT CASE? IS THE, THE, THE, THE ISSUE IS THEY'RE REPLACED BY NEW CASES. 
          IT'S, I MEAN, IT'S THAT SIMPLE, RIGHT? SO, NO, BUT I'M SAYING, WAS THAT EXTRAORDINARY? I WISH I COULD, I WISH I COULD SAY TO YOU THAT, UH, THE, THE BOYD CASE, UH, NOT HAPPENING IS GOING TO, IS GOING TO SAVE US A LOT OF MONEY BECAUSE, UH, THAT WAS A BIG ONE. 
          WE'RE STARTING INTO THE BIG ONE WHERE THE, THE CHILD WAS HIT CROSSING THE STREET IN, IN, IN NEWARK, UH, BY THE CAR. 
          AND AS LIGHT WILL HAVE LIFELONG CARE WILL HAVE TO BE, BE GIVEN. 
          I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY LIFE PERSONALLY. 
          IF THE COURT SEES, THE COURT SEES HER OUR WAY, UH,  WAY, IT'S GONNA BE SO THAT, THAT'S THE KIND OF THING, FRANK, THAT WE, THAT WE'RE FACED WITH. 
          RIGHT. 
          THE JUDGE IS GONNA LET US AND LET US OUT EARLY BEFORE WE HAVE TO POTENTIAL MONEY INTO THE CASES. 
          RIGHT. 
          BUT A LOT, AGAIN, JUST A LOT OF THE, A LOT OF THE EXTENT OF THE EXPENDITURE FOR 2000 THOUSAND 25 OR A GOOD AMOUNT OF WERE INCURRED AND PAID BECAUSE OF THAT CASE. 
          THAT LARGE CASE FOR THE MICHAEL YES. 
          TO BE REPLACED BY NEW CASES. 
          WE HAVE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE, UH, OVER 30 SEXUAL ASSAULT CASES. 
          RIGHT. 
          YEAH. 
          YOU KNOW, IF THEY HAVEN'T TRIED THIS BUDGET IS, IS GONE. 
          I CAN TELL YOU THAT IF, IF WE CAN RESOLVE THEM, WELL, I CAN TRY TO STAY WITHIN THE BUDGET. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT WE HAVE 30 SOMETHING OF THEM. 
          YEAH. 
          I KNOW THIS QUESTION ISN'T REALLY IN YOUR PURVIEW, UH, BUT YOU DID GET INVOLVED WITH IT. 
          AND IT IS SOMETHING, UH, THAT I'M CURIOUS ABOUT. 
          WE, WE MADE UP ON THE, UM, ECIA, WE MADE A CHANGE IN THE COUNCIL THAT'S REPRESENTING THE ECIA IN THE, THE, UH, THE, UH, THE POLLUTION. 
          THE POLLUTION, YES. 
          YES. 
          YEAH. 
          THAT IS SAVING US A, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY. 
          A TON OF MONEY. 
          THOSE, THOSE WERE, WE WERE, WE WERE PAYING MILLIONS, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. 
          AND WE HAVE IT DOWN TO ABOUT 20 SOMETHING THOUSAND DOLLARS A MONTH NOW. 
          YEAH. 
          SO NOT TO GO GO INTO A LOT OF DETAIL. 
          IS THAT CASE ANY SOONER TO BE RESOLVED? IS THAT STILL THE, THE, THE UPPER PASSAIC WAS SETTLED. 
          WE'RE NOW AT THE BOTTOM PASSAIC. 
          THAT'S, THAT'S THE LITIGATION. 
          AND THEN YOU HAVE NORTH BAY, SO NO, IT ISN'T. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THAT'S GONNA GO ON. 
          UM, THAT'S ALL I HAVE, JEROME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MR. MCINERNEY, YOU MAY RECOGNIZE COMMISSIONER COOPER HAS JOINED US. 
          COMMISSIONER, ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. ST. 
          JOHNSON? COMMISSIONER COOPER? NOT A QUESTION MORE. 
          I WANT TO COMMEND MR. ST. 
          JOHN FOR, UM, FOR HIS, UH, COMMISSIONER. 
          CAN WE JUST PUT NUMBER FOUR DOWN? MIC , WE CAN HEAR YOU. 
          UM, I WANNA THANK YOU, MR. ST. 
          JOHN, FOR THE WORK THAT YOU AND YOUR STAFF HAS DONE, YOUR STAFF HAS DONE WITH HOLDING THE LINE AND MANAGING THESE CASES, MANAGING THESE CASES, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT OUR ALWAYS, UH, FAVORABLE. 
          BUT YOU HAVE DONE A TMI A TERRIFIC JOB WITH MAKING SURE THAT WE STILL HAVE GOOD LEGAL 
          [00:10:01]
REPRESENTATION TO SETTLE SOME OF THESE, THESE VERY CHALLENGING TRYING. 
          SO I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          I WANTED TO TELL YOU THAT ON THE RECORD. 
          THANK YOU. 
          DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE THAT PARTICULARLY COMING FROM YOU? 'CAUSE YOU'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THESE THINGS CAREFULLY AND, UH, SO I KNOW THAT'S, THAT JUST AN IDLE STATEMENT, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YEAH, I THINK YOU'VE DONE OKAY, MR. ST. 
          JOHN. 
          THAT'S FINE. 
          THAT'S OKAY. 
          I'M TEASING YOU, BUT YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND, UH, I'M, AND PARTICULARLY I THINK THE BOARD WOULD AGREE THAT, PARTICULARLY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT, UH, ALL OF OUR CONTRACT, CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS ARE UP TO SPEED AND CURRENT. 
          AND THEY MOVED, THEY MOVED ALONG PRETTY QUICK IN 2025, YOU KNOW, AND INTO 26. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS. 
          ALRIGHT, MR. ST. 
          JOHN, THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. 
          THANKS TO ALL THE COMMISSIONERS TOO. 
          I, I, I APPRECIATE THE, ALL THE HELP YOU GIVEN ME. 
          YOU BETTER GO START ASKING YOU QUESTIONS. 
          YES, YES. 
          TO GO NEXT UP IS, UH, BY, BY, BY THE WAY, , I TOLD YOU, YOU GOT, I TOLD YOU. 
          YOU GOTTA GO. 
          YOU GOTTA, YOU GOTTA RUN OUTTA HERE. 
          GOODNIGHT, UH, UH, DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION. 
          THAT'S, UH, TAB 10. 
          PAGE 1 41. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WELL, WHO'S THE GUY WITH THE WHITE HAIR RIGHT THERE? ODDLY ENOUGH, COMMISSIONER. 
          I THINK I'VE SEEN A BUST OF A GUY THAT LOOKS JUST LIKE THAT SOMEWHERE. 
          ONE 10 SAID, RIGHT. 
          DID YOU SAY ONE 10 MR. JACKSON? YES, SIR. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          I'M TRYING TO MITIGATE, NO, I'M SORRY. 
          1 41. 
          1 41. 
          1 41. 
          I'M TRYING TO MITIGATE MY PAPER CUTS TONIGHT. 
          TAP 10, PAGE 1 41. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          1 41, THE HANDOUTS AND EVERYTHING. 
          OKAY. 
          YOU SAY SOMETHING MAYBE, UH, ADAM, IS ADAM AVAILABLE? CAN WE, CAN YOU COME ON UP AND GIVE US THE HAND? THANK YOU. 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          MR. ALANTE, JUST FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION AND TELL US WHO'S HERE WITH YOU TODAY. 
          OKAY. 
          COMMISSIONER PRESIDENT FOR MAYORS VICE PRESIDENT THOMAS AND THE ENTIRE ESS COUNTY, ESSEX COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS. 
          GOOD. 
          A, AN SANTE DIRECTOR OF THE COUNTY PARK SYSTEM WITH ME THIS EVENING, DEPUTY DIRECTOR KATE HARTWICK, AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT OF ASSISTANT JAMIE DONOFRIO. 
          IN ADDITION, WE HAVE CROWD FAVORS THIS MANAGER JOSHUA ZAS. 
          YEAH, MS. FAVOR, UH, SOME OF OUR HIGHLIGHTS IN 2026. 
          THIS BUDGET, UH, BRANCH BRICK PARK WILL BE CELEBRATING ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY FOR ITS CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL IN 2026. 
          THE MONTE IRVIN ORANGE PARK PLAYGROUND, AS WELL AS THE PLAYGROUND LOCATED AT THE WASES PARK EAST ORANGE SIDE, CURRENTLY ON THE RENOVATIONS WILL BE OPEN. 
          RIVERFRONT PARK WILL SEE IMPROVEMENTS TO ITS ATHLETIC FIELD, TENNIS COURTS, BASKETBALL COURTS, AND PLAYGROUND. 
          THE IRVINGTON PARK ATHLETICS FIELDS ARE SCHEDULED FOR RENOVATION THIS SPRING. 
          BURG PARK, BASKETBALL COURTS, AND THE RESTROOM BUILDING WILL HAVE IMPROVEMENTS FOR THIS SUMMER. 
          IN ADDITION, TURTLEBACK ZOO WILL BE OPEN ITS LEMUR EXHIBIT, WHICH WE WILL HAVE COMPLETED BY THIS SPRING. 
          WE ARE PREPARED TO DISCUSS OUR BUDGET AND MR. ZAS WILL RUN THAT PART OF THE OPERATION. 
          WE HANDED OUT THE 2025 GROSS REVENUE, YOU CAN SEE BY THE PIE CHART AND ON WHAT OUR REVENUES WERE IN 2025. 
          UH, JOSH, LEMME JUST LOOK THIS ONE HERE. 
          I GOTCHA. 
          OKAY. 
          THE 25 GRACE GROSS REVENUE. 
          AS YOU CAN SEE, TURTLEBACK ZERO WAS OVER 13 MILLION. 
          GOLF OPERATIONS WAS 5.55. 
          CODY ARENA WAS 3.2. 
          OUR, UH, CO-CHAIRS, OUR ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER AND OUR, UH, TRUST ACCOUNTS WAS 2.5 MILLION. 
          SO YOU COULD SEE OUR TOTAL AMOUNTS FOR OUR REVENUE FOR THE 2025 SEASON. 
          ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? WE'LL HAVE A FEW. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, MR. MCINERNEY, WHY DON'T WE BEGIN WITH YOU AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO COMMISSIONS. 
          YEAH, I, I'LL, I JUST WANT, I, I'LL GET BACK TO REVENUES, BUT LET'S JUST LOOK AT THE OVERALL BUDGET. 
          UM, YOUR BUDGET HAS, UH, OVERALL A 2% INCREASE IN SALARIES AND WAGES AND NO INCREASE IN OTHER EXPENSES. 
          UM, UM, OVERALL YOUR BUDGET IS 1% AND IT, IT'S BEEN PRETTY, PRETTY MUCH, UM, AT THAT LEVEL WITH NOMINAL INCREASES OVER, OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS. 
          SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN GET INTO SOME OF THE DETAILS HERE, WHICH I WANT TO, BUT OVERALL, I'M SAYING IT, THIS BUDGET DOES NOT 
          [00:15:01]
INCREASE BY ASTRONOMICAL AMOUNTS. 
          IT'S NOT, UH, REALLY PLAGUED BY ANY AMOUNT OF GROSS OVERTIME. 
          WE'RE, WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF OVERTIME IN A LOT OF OTHER AREAS WITH, WITH EXPLANATION. 
          BUT, UM, I THINK, UH, AND I'M, I DID SPEAK TO YOU PREVIOUSLY ABOUT IT. 
          THE, THE ISSUE I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS, IS THE TEMPORARY HELP. 
          AND YOU, YOU START TO SEE THAT POSSIBLY THE TEMPORARY HELP IS, UM, A LOT OF THE REASONS YOU POTENTIALLY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF OVERTIME. 
          SO, UM, I'LL JUST GET INTO THAT. 
          I'M, I'M LOOKING AT, UM, FIRST WE'LL GO TO, UH, I'M GONNA DO THIS IN A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT ORDER, DAN, 'CAUSE I'VE GOT IT BASED ON THE PAYROLL, HOW THAT GOES. 
          UM, IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL, THERE'S UM, THREE TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES IN THE ARENA. 
          THERE'S 33 IN THE ZOO, THERE'S 118 IN GOLF, THERE'S 22. 
          AND IN MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT THERE'S FOUR. 
          SO THERE'S 94 FULL-TIME POSITIONS IN YOUR DEPARTMENT AND 188 IF YOU WILL, PART-TIME POSITIONS. 
          THIS OBVIOUSLY DOESN'T INCLUDE WHAT COMES OUT OF OPEN SPACE, CORRECT? THAT'S, THAT'S SEPARATE. 
          CORRECT. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT LIKE ANOTHER 50 THAT COMES OUT UNTIL ABOUT 60. 
          ABOUT 60. 
          OH, OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, THAT SAID, AND I, UH, THERE'S 118 TEMPORARY POSITIONS NOW IN THE PAYROLL BEING PAID, UH, AT THE ZOO. 
          AND, AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD WAS, WHY, WHY IS THAT NUMBER SEEM HIGH AT THIS POINT IN TIME? OR, OR IS IT HIGH? SURE. 
          I'LL, UH, REFER THAT TO OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR, KATE HARTWICK. 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          UM, SO I BELIEVE WE WERE LOOKING AT PAYROLL TWO WITH THOSE NUMBERS. 
          YES, IT TOO PAYROLL. 
          I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM IT. 
          SO PAYROLL TWO FOR OUR, OUR SEASONALS, UM, INCLUDED ALL HOLIDAY LIGHTS AT THE ZOO 'CAUSE IT WENT THROUGH JANUARY 2ND. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          UM, HOLIDAY LIGHTS DID NOT CLOSE THIS YEAR UNTIL JANUARY 4TH. 
          SO THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS FOR, IS ONE OF THE REASONS FOR THE LARGE NUMBER, IT WAS OPEN 12 MONTHS OF THE YEAR RIGHT. 
          FOR THE YEAR. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO THERE ARE SOME SEASONAL STAFF WHO COME IN AND OUT, UH, THROUGHOUT THAT YEAR. 
          RIGHT. 
          WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE, IF I WAS TO LOOK AT PAYROLL, PAYROLL THREE, WHAT WOULD I SEE IN THE ZOO? TEMPORARY HELP ROUGHLY? JOSH, DO YOU HAVE A NUMBER ON PAYROLL? THREE. 
          UH, PAYROLL THREE. 
          THREE. 
          JOSHUA. 
          JOSHUA IS HS. 
          COUNTY PARKS? UM, I DON'T HAVE PAYROLL THREE IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I COULD JUST SAY CURRENTLY THERE'S 95 SEASONAL OR AT THE ZOO. 
          OKAY. 
          AND, AND, AND, AND AND, AND THEY GET INVOLVED IN ACT, UH, WITH ALL THE DOOF FEEDING THE ANIMALS. 
          AND SO YES, WE HAVE SEASONALS IN EVERY DEPARTMENT AT THE ZOO. 
          UM, A LARGE NUMBER OF THEM ARE CASHIERS, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH THE SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. 
          UM, THEY'RE SPLIT UP WEEKENDS VERSUS WEEKDAYS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND, AND IS THERE A POLICY BASICALLY TO MAKE SURE THEY STAY UNDER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF HOURS? IS THAT IN THE SCHEDULING? YES. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, ALRIGHT. 
          UH, AS, AS YOU LOOK AT THE REVENUES HERE, ARE, ARE YOU ANTICIPATING BASICALLY WHAT YOU REALIZED LAST YEAR? I, I THINK OF THE BUDGET IT'S $2 MILLION MORE. 
          CORRECT. 
          BASED ON OUR FEE INCREASE INCREASES. 
          WE JUST PASSED THAT. 
          WHICH WAS JUST PASSED. 
          CORRECT. 
          YEAH. 
          AND SO KIND OF DELINEATE SOME OF THIS AS FAR AS THE ROUNDS AT THE, AT THE GOLF COURSE. 
          IS THAT STAYING, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY ON, WELL, LAST YEAR'S, YOU RECALL LAST YEAR'S REVENUE DID NOT INCLUDE WEEK WAKE FOR THE FULL YEAR. 
          'CAUSE WE OPENED UP LATE IN THE SEASON, WHICH WAS IN AUGUST. 
          OKAY. 
          SO, UM, OUR OTHER TWO COURSES TOOK OVER MOST OF THE, THE ROUNDS THAT WE'VE MISSED THAT WEEK WEEK. 
          SO WE ANTICIPATE ALL THREE COURSES TO PROBABLY AVERAGE BETWEEN 35 AND 42,000 ROUNDS PER COURSE. 
          YEAH. 
          AND, AND, UH, AND WHAT IS, AND THE FEES NOW JUST WENT OUT. 
          JUST WENT UP LIKE WHAT? I THINK UP $5 A ROUND. 
          FIVE, $5 A ROUND. 
          ARE YOU GETTING ANY FEEDBACK FROM THAT? I KNOW. 
          OKAY. 
          YOU KNOW, WE DO, UH, A COMPARISON OF THE OTHER COURSES WITHIN THE COUNTY AS WELL AS PRIVATE PUBLIC, UH, AND ALSO MR. CHRIS IS INVOLVED WITH THE STATE ASSOCIATION ON GOLF COURSES. 
          SO WE GET A GOOD FEEL OF, UH, WHAT THE RATES ARE. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          LET, LET ME TAKE YOU THROUGH, UM, THE, UM, THE, THE POSITIONS NOW, UM, AND AGAIN, I'M WORKING OFF OF PAYROLL TOO. 
          I, UH, IT MAY BE DIFFERENT THAN PAYROLL THREE. 
          JEFF, YOU HAD FIVE POSITIONS IN ADMIN THAT, THAT ARE BUDGETED? I HAD IN THE PANEL ONLY FOUR. 
          IS THERE A VACANCY IN THAT, IN THAT DEPARTMENT? YES, THERE IS ONE VACANCY. 
          OKAY. 
          IS THAT, AND THAT'S GONNA BE FILLED? I, I ASSUME? YES. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          I HAD, UH, ALSO IN CULTURAL AFFAIRS, I UH, SEEN EIGHT POSITIONS PAID FOR AND ONLY 
          [00:20:01]
SEVEN OF THOSE POSITIONS WERE FILLED. 
          IS THERE A VACANCY THERE AS WELL? CORRECT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, LET'S LOOK AT ENVIRONMENTAL. 
          I ALSO HAVE A VACANCY FIVE VERSUS FOUR, IS THAT CORRECT? YES, IT IS. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          AND, UM, THE GOLF I HAVE 16 AND THEN AND 16 BUDGET AND 16 FILLED, IS THAT CORRECT? IS THAT CORRECT? OKAY. 
          AND THE SAME WITH PARKING. 
          AND UM, THE SAME WITH ENGINEERING, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S ONLY ONE POSITION AND MAINTENANCE. 
          I HAD, UH, YOU HAVE NINE POSITION, I SAW SEVEN FILLED. 
          IS THERE TWO VACANCIES THERE? THERE IS TWO VACANCIES CURRENTLY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          SO REALLY FOR THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT, YOU ONLY HAVE FIVE VACANCIES IN FULL-TIME POSITION, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          UM, I, I REALLY, I MEAN, AGAIN, GIVEN THE FACT THAT, THAT THERE'S NO INCREASES HERE AND, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT AN INCREASE IN THE ANTICIPATED REVENUES OF OVER $2 MILLION IN DOLLARS. 
          EXCUSE ME. 
          UM, THING I, I DO HAVE IS CAN YOU RUN ME THROUGH SOME OF THE TRUST ACCOUNTS, UH, THAT YOU HAVE? I KNOW THERE'S SEVERAL OF OF THEM THAT, UM, BUT YOU STILL HAVE THAT ONE UP. 
          UH, THERE WAS ONE UP IN, UH, EAGLE ROCK FOR, CORRECT. 
          SO YOU HAVE A TRUST ACCOUNT AT THE, UH, EAGLE ROCK FOR THE HIGH LAWN FOR ACTUALLY FOR THE, UH, EAGLE, UM, THE RESERVATION, WHAT, IS THAT STILL 25,000 OR IS THAT MORE THAN THAT NOW? NO, I THINK THAT'S, UH, IT'S FI IT'S THE, IT'S IT'S UP TO 60,000. 
          RIGHT? IT'S UP TO 60 AND, YEAH. 
          AND, AND IS THAT USED SPECIFICALLY FOR, STRICTLY FOR, FOR EAGLE ROCK? THAT'S IT. 
          AND, AND WHAT WOULD YOU TYPICALLY CHARGE AGAINST THAT, THAT TRUST? UM, IF WE'RE DOING ANY, UH, MAINTENANCE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE NINE 11 MEMORIAL, UH, WE'RE DOING ANY TREE WORK WITHIN THE RESERVATION, UM, YOU KNOW, LANDSCAPING, UH, FLOOD CONTROL, LIGHTING, THOSE TYPE OF, UH, IMPROVEMENTS TO THE FACILITY. 
          AND DO YOU PRETTY MUCH GO THROUGH THAT DURING THE COURSE OF THE YEAR? UH, THERE'S ALWAYS A BALANCE. 
          WE TRY TO KEEP A BALANCE 25, 30,000 IN THERE. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, AND THAT'S NOT IN THE BUDGET, YOU'RE NOT CHARGING THAT OFF TO YOUR BUDGET? THAT'S NO, THAT'S SEPARATE. 
          YOU CHARGE CHARGE IT DIRECTLY TO THE TRUST? CORRECT. 
          WHAT, WHAT OTHER TRUST DO YOU UH, WE HAVE ONE FOR A BEAUTIFICATION TRUST, UH, FOR THE, UH, MCCOMBS BOATHOUSE AREA. 
          RIGHT. 
          UH, I BELIEVE THEY PAY. 
          IS IT, IS THAT, NO. 
          OKAY. 
          WHICH IS FIVE. 
          I THINK JOSH IS TELLING ME IT'S FIVE RIGHT NOW. 
          UM, AND AGAIN, IT'S ONLY STRICT, IT'S RESTRICTED TO THAT AREA. 
          RIGHT. 
          UM, AND THERE'S NUMEROUS OTHER TRUSTS THAT WE HAVE. 
          UH, WE HAVE A BENCH PROGRAM. 
          UM, WE COULD, UH, SPONSOR A BENCH WITHIN THE PARK SYSTEM. 
          THERE'S SOME BEAUTIFICATION ONES FOR CHERRY BLOSSOM TREES. 
          BUT THOSE ARE SMALL, RIGHT? YEAH, THOSE ARE SMALL. 
          THOSE, THOSE ARE SMALL ONES. 
          ARE THERE ANY OTHER LARGER ONES, LIKE THE ONES THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED? THE ONLY OTHER ONE IS THE, THE, UM, THE ONES AT THE, UH, YEAH, SOUTH MOUNTAIN RECREATION COMPLEX. 
          THERE'S A TRUST ACCOUNT FOR THAT AS WELL. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND, AND, UH, AS FAR AS WHAT, WHAT'S THE ARRANGEMENT AGAIN WITH THE ZOO? WITH THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY? IT'S A, IS IT A DOLLAR A TICKET OR, OR SOME I CAKE. 
          WELL, WHAT IS IT NOW? SO THE ARRANGEMENT WITH THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY AT THE MOMENT IS THAT THEY PAY A SUBSIDY GRANT TOWARDS ZOO OPERATIONS AND THEY ALSO PAY A SUBSIDY GRANT INTO THE ENHANCEMENT FUND TO SUPPORT, UM, IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ENTIRE RECREATION COMPLEX. 
          OKAY. 
          WHAT, WHAT'S THEIR SOURCE OF OF REVENUES? REVENUES? DON'T THEY GET SOMETHING OFF THE TICKET OR? SURE. 
          ALL MEMBERSHIPS TO THE ZOO. 
          UM, AND THEN THEY RAISE PRIVATE FUNDS. 
          WHAT WAS THE LAST ONE? I'M SORRY. 
          THEY RAISE PRIVATE FUNDS THROUGH DONORS OR CORPORATE. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT WHERE, WHERE DOES IS IS THERE ANY ALLOCATION OF THE TICKET PRICE THAT GOES TO A TRUST FUND? YEAH. 
          YES. 
          THERE WE HAVE A USER FEE BUILT INTO THE ZOO ADMISSION. 
          UM, IT'S $2 OF EVERY ADMISSION IS GOING INTO MIC. 
          AND WHICH ACCOUNT DOES THAT GO TO? THATS, THAT'S TRUST FOR THE RECREATION. 
          COMPLEX. 
          COMPLEX. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THERE'S OPEN SPACE, WHICH YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO UTILIZE FOR SOME MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS. 
          NOT OPERATIONAL, STRICTLY MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS, WHICH HAS WORKED OUT VERY WELL. 
          UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, MR. PRESIDENT. 
          THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WAS VERY THOROUGH. 
          MR. SANTE. 
          APPRECIATE, LEMME RECOGNIZE COMMISSIONER GILL HAS JOINED US FOR THE MEETING. 
          I, I'D LIKE TO ASK, UH, MR. SANTE A QUESTION, JUST A GENERAL ONE. 
          IF YOU COULD ADDRESS, BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES WHEN MR. ZAS COMES HERE, HE'S VERY WARMLY WELCOMED BY COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON TO START. 
          AND THEN HE, UH, A LOT OF WHAT HE'S DISCUSSING ARE A GOOD NUMBER OF, UH, GRANTS AND TRANSFER OF FUNDS THROUGH RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE MAY HAVE WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. 
          CAN YOU DISCUSS, UH, JUST KIND OF GIVE FOR THE SENSE FOR THE PUBLIC REALLY TO UNDERSTAND 
          [00:25:01]
THE KIND OF EITHER PARK ALLIANCE, IS THERE ANY GROUPS THAT YOU WORK WITH THAT DO HELP THE PARKS DEPARTMENT? SO WE HAVE SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS, UM, THAT YOU CAN CLASSIFY AS A CONSERVANCY ORGANIZATION OR PARK SUPPORT GROUP. 
          UM, THEY VARY IN, IN DIFFERENT WAYS. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, IF I USE BROOKDALE PARK, IF FOR AN EXAMPLE, THEY HAVE A LARGE ORGANIZATION OF VOLUNTEERS, UM, THAT HELP ACTUALLY MAINTAIN THE PARK AND TAKE ON PROJECTS ON THEIR OWN WHERE THEY, UH, RAISE FUNDS. 
          UM, GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. 
          THE ROSE GARDEN IN BROOKDALE PARK IS MAINTAINED BY THE, UH, CONSERVANCY. 
          UH, A LOT OF PLANTINGS, GENERAL CLEANUP IN THE PARK IS DONE BY THE VOLUNTEERS. 
          I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. 
          THE PARK SYSTEM IS ASSISTING ON ANY OF THOSE TYPE OF PROJECTS. 
          WE WOULD PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, MANPOWER TO HELP THE DAY OF A CLEANUP, UH, HAVE VE HAVE A, UH, DUMP TRUCKS AVAILABLE IN FORTH FORTH. 
          SO WHATEVER CLEANUP WE'RE DOING, WE CAN, YOU KNOW, FINISH IT BY THE END OF THE DAY. 
          UM, AND THE SAME IN VERONA PARK. 
          WE HAVE, WE HAVE BRANCH BROOK PARK, UH, WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE WEEK WAKE. 
          UM, ANY OTHER ONES OFF THE TOP? GROVER, CLEVELAND'S ANOTHER ORGANIZATION. 
          UH, THEY TAKE ON PROJECTS, UH, THEY CHECK WITH US FIRST. 
          UH, WE KIND OF AGREE ON WHAT THEY WANT TO DO AND THEY'LL GO OUT AND RAISE FUNDS FOR THAT PROJECT AND THEY WILL, UH, WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT IN MAKING SURE THAT THE PROJECT GOES AS PLANNED. 
          SO THEY RAISE FUNDS AND PROVIDE A LOT OF VOLUNTEERS, A LOT OF SWEAT EQUITY. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          AND SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPLEMENT THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT, IS THAT CORRECT? EXCELLENT. 
          VERY, VERY GOOD. 
          COMMISSIONERS. 
          ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR MR. SALANT AND HIS TEAM? COMMISSIONER COOPER? WHO WOULD BE THE CONTACT FOR, FOR ORGANIZATION THAT'S LOOKING TO CREATE, I REFER THEM TO JOSH. 
          SOMEONE TO BE SILLY ASKING. 
          SO YOU, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A A 5 0 1 C3, A NONPROFIT, UM, A GROUP OF FOLKS LOOKING TO CREATE A FRIENDS OF ORGANIZATION FOR ORANGE PARK. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I TOLD 'EM I THINK THAT'S A FANTASTIC IDEA. 
          UM, THEY WANTED TO KIND OF REPLICATE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY SAW HAPPENING AT WEEK WAY PARK AND AT BURG PARK. 
          SO I REFERRED THEM TO JOSH AND THAT THEY NEEDED TO GO THROUGH THE, UM, INCORPORATION PROCESS. 
          BUT THAT THEY SHOULD CERTAINLY TALK TO YOU ALL FIRST. 
          CORRECT. 
          TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, UM, WELL THOUGHT OUT PARTNERSHIP. 
          SO JOSH IS THE CONTACT. 
          YEAH, THAT'S FINE. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          SO JOSH, LOOK, LOOK OUT FOR EMAIL CALL. 
          YEAH. 
          IF, IF I MAY, I I FEEL LIKE SOMEONE FROM ORANGE CALLED ME. 
          YES. 
          WITHIN THE LAST MONTH OR SO REACHING OUT. 
          I I GIVE THEM A WHOLE NONPROFIT PACKET THAT THEY COULD USE. 
          ALRIGHT, PERFECT. 
          UM, I DID HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION. 
          SO, AND ALSO WITH THOSE COMMUNITY GROUPS, YOU GUYS FUNDRAISE TOGETHER, RIGHT? SOMETIMES THEY APPLY FOR, I THINK IT'S GREEN ACRES FUND OR SOMETHING OR ANOTHER. 
          YES. 
          SO WHEN WE'RE DOING A PARK PROJECT THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR ASSISTANCE, WE WILL FOLLOW, UH, THE GREEN ACRES ACRES GUIDELINES WHERE A NONPROFIT CAN APPLY FOR THE GRANT FOR THE PROJECT. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          AND IF THEY WANTED TO DO A CLEANUP, YOU GUYS CAN SUPPORT THEM WITH ? SO BASICALLY, YES. 
          YEAH, SO, SO BASICALLY, UM, WHEN WE DO CLEANUPS AT ONE, WE ASK THE ORGANIZATION TO GIVE US AMPLE TIME. 
          'CAUSE THERE ARE MANY GROUPS THAT WANT TO DO CLEANUPS. 
          AND THEN WE'LL PROVIDE TRASH BAGS, HAND TOOLS IF NECESSARY. 
          AND MANPOWER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AS A FOLLOW UP TO THE, UH, ASIDE FROM THE ALLIANCE OF THE CONSERVANCIES, YOU HAVE A, A GOOD NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS AT THE ZOO FOR SURE. 
          AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL, CAN YOU JUST GIVE US A ROUGH IDEA OF HOW MANY THAT IS? I MEAN, I DON'T NEED A PRECISE NUMBER, BUT CAN YOU GIVE, JUST FOR THE, ON BEHALF OF THE PUBLIC ASSESS HOW MANY VOLUNTEERS YOU HAVE? I, I WOULD SAY AT LEAST 2,500. 
          WOW. 
          THAT'S SIGNIFICANT. 
          BROOKDALE UH, COMMISSIONER GILLS, YOU KNOW, THAT AREA IN BROOKDALE, THERE'S USING THEM AS AN, AS AN EXAMPLE, THEY'LL HAVE 200 PEOPLE ON A CLEANUP DAY ON A SATURDAY. 
          UM, UM, YOU KNOW, AND TAKE OVER HALF THE PARK WITH THEIR PRO PROJECT. 
          AND THEY DO THAT THROUGHOUT THE SEASON. 
          IT'S NOT LIKE THERE'S TWO WAYS WE DO THIS. 
          YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE GENERAL CLEANUP, YOU WANNA COME FOR THE ONE DAY AND DO IT, AND THAT'S SAY GOODBYE. 
          BUT THEN YOU HAVE THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WILL WORK WITH US EVERY, YOU KNOW, MONTH, WEEKEND SEASON, AND SO FORTH AND SO ON TO TAKE THE PROJECT ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE END. 
          SOME OF THE BEAUTIFICATION PROJECTS, WHICH WE ENCOURAGE IS WE WANT YOU TO MAINTAIN IT ONCE IT'S DONE. 
          THAT'S THE HARD PART. 
          RIGHT. 
          THAT'S STILL A STAGGERING NUMBER. 
          THAT'S VERY IMPRESSIVE. 
          YES, IT IS. 
          AND IT'S GOTTA BE A LOT OF WORK TO MANAGE. 
          ALL. 
          CORRECT. 
          UH, KATE UP AT THE ZOO THERE, THEY HAVE MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT COME, COME. 
          IT'S PART OF THEIR, UH, THEIR COMPANY, YOU KNOW, UM, CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY TYPE, RIGHT, EXACTLY. 
          WHERE THEY COME OUT AND VOLUNTEER TIME AND SO FORTH. 
          SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT THEY DO UP AT THE RESERVATION A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEPTH WHERE, UH, LIKE PUBLIC SERVICE WILL COME OUT AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL COME OUT WITH A FORCE, A HUNDRED, 150 PEOPLE AND REALLY 
          [00:30:01]
TAKE A PROJECT ON IT FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END. 
          GOOD. 
          COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON, START A QUESTION. 
          JUST A COMMENT IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW WELL YOU TAKE CARE OF THE PARKS AND THE ZOO AND THE, AND THE GOLF COURSES. 
          YOU, YOU AND YOUR TEAM DO A PHENOMENAL JOB AND I TEASE ZAS A LOT, BUT HE DOES A LOT , HE'S BEEN FOR YEARS, BUT HE DOES A PHENOMENAL JOB REPRESENTING YOU, UH, WHEN HE COMES FOR THIS BODY. 
          UH, AND ALL OF YOU DO, I JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT AND YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN RESPONSIVE. 
          ANYTIME I HAD ANY ISSUES ABOUT ANY PARK SITUATION, ANY QUESTIONS, YOU GUYS ARE ALWAYS VERY RESPONSIVE. 
          UH, AND SO I JUST APPRECIATE THAT AND WHAT YOU DO FOR US, MR. PRESIDENT, YOU KNOW, I MIGHT SIT IN THE CHAIR AS A DIRECTOR, BUT IT'S A TEAM EFFORT FROM GARY ARLEY TO KATE, TO JOSH TO JAMIE AND EVERYBODY WHO THAT WORKS FOR THE DEPARTMENT. 
          I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          THOSE, THOSE WORDS. 
          THOSE WORDS. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I WANNA, UM, ECHO COMMISSIONER RICHARD RICHARDSON. 
           DO A PHENOMENAL, PHENOMENAL JOB WITH THE PARKS. 
          THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL. 
          I HAVE ANOTHER QUICK QUESTION AND SOMEONE JUST ASKED, CAN KEN, IS THE DAKOTA GREENER OPEN FOR RENTAL? AND IS THAT FORM ALSO ON THE WEBSITE, LIKE THE OTHER FORMS AS FAR AS RENTING IT FOR, FOR AN EVENT? YES. 
          YES. 
          IT CAN BE RENTED AND THE FORMS ARE ONLINE DOWN BEHIND YOU. 
          SO I'LL JUST CLARIFY. 
          IT IS AVAILABLE FOR RENT, BUT THE FORM IS NOT ONLINE. 
          YOU DO HAVE TO CALL THE ARENA TO CONFIRM AVAILABILITY. 
          YEAH, THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          SEEING ALL THE QUESTIONS, LEMME SAY STRONG BUDGET HAS NOT, UH, BRINGS A LOT OF REVENUE. 
          IT'S THE BEST COUNTY PARK SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY. 
          NO DOUBT A FACT. 
          ABSOLUTELY MAKE US VERY PROUD. 
          SO I SAY YOU SHOULD, YOU SHOULD GO NOW WHILE IT'S GOOD. 
           NO, SERIOUSLY, MR. PRESIDENT, I JUST, COMMISSIONER LUCIANO, THANK YOU. 
          THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. 
          I JUST, AGAIN, BEEN IN THIS SEAT FOR MANY YEARS. 
          I, I DO WANT TO SAY, UH, YOU KNOW, HATS OFF TO THE DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND THEIR TEAM, YOU KNOW, ALSO TO JOSH HOLDING IT DOWN AT OUR MEETINGS. 
          HE'S AT EVERY MEETING. 
          UM, BUT I DO ALSO WANT TO PUT ON RECORD THAT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT ALSO DOES GREAT THINGS BECAUSE THEY WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH OUR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR WHO'S SITTING BACK THERE. 
          IF YOU GUYS DIDN'T REALIZE THAT HE'S NOT ONLY PUBLIC WORKS, BUT HE'S PART-TIME PARKS BECAUSE I KNOW HIM AND HIS TEAM ARE IN THERE HELPING OUT WITH THE PARKS ALL THE TIME. 
          SO I WANTED TO GIVE THE PLUG THAT OUR DEPARTMENTS WORK COLLABORATIVELY. 
          GREAT. 
          IT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT, COMMISSIONER. 
          AND I'M SURE HE'LL GET HIS, HE'LL GET HIS, UH, HIS 2 CENTS AS WELL. 
          SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          AND IF YOU EVER NEED A VOLUNTEER FOR THE ZAMBONI MACHINE, GIMME A CALL. 
          . 
          IT'S ONE OF MY LIFELONG DREAMS TO DROP THE ZAMBONI. 
          THANK YOU EVERYONE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALL RIGHT, MOVING RIGHT ALONG ALONG MR. JACKSON. 
          WE HAVE PUBLIC WORKS. 
          NEXT, NEXT UP, WHICH IS, UH, TAB NUMBER SEVEN, PAGE 78. 
          7 78. 
          ALRIGHT, DAN. 
          THANKS. 
          YOU WANT ME? GOOD EVENING. 
          MR. FAIZ. 
          JUST WHEN YOU'RE SETTLED DOWN, PLEASE JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION FOR THE RECORD AND PLEASE INTRODUCE ANYONE WHO'S HERE WITH YOU. 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          UH, MY NAME IS SANJI VARGAS. 
          I'M THE COUNTY ENGINEER WITH ME. 
          UH, THIS IS LYDIA SANWELL. 
          SHE, THE FISCAL ANALYST I WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE WILL RECORD WITH ME, MY ASSISTANT BEFORE HE SHOWED UP. 
          YES, COME OVER HERE. 
          AND HE'S THE ASSISTANT COUNTY ENGINEER. 
          OKAY. 
          JUST PUT THE MICROPHONE A LITTLE CLOSER, SIR, BECAUSE IT'S A LITTLE WEAK THERE. 
          THANK YOU SISTER. 
          AGAIN. 
          JUST GIVE, GIVE A BRIEF, UH, DESCRIPTION OF THE DEPARTMENT. 
          THE DEPARTMENT HAS SIX DIVISIONS. 
          UH, PROBABLY MOST OF THE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IT. 
          UH, WE HAVE ENGINEERING, WHICH DOES THE CAPITAL PROJECTS. 
          WE HAVE PLANNING WHO DOES THE PLANNING BOARD AND EVERY DEVELOPMENT IN THE WHOLE COUNTY COMES TO THE PLANNING BOARD, MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS. 
          THEN WE HAVE BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS, WHICH TAKES CARE OF ALL THE BUILDINGS. 
          YESTERDAY WE HAD A MISHAP AT THE SOUTH FIFTIES OF CLINTON. 
          WE HAD TO SHUT DOWN THE, THE BUILDING BECAUSE THERE WAS A, A PIPE BROKE. 
          AND, UH, AND WE ARE FIXING IT. 
          EVERYTHING IS BACK TO NORMAL. 
          THEN WE HAVE ROADS AND BRIDGES, WHICH TAKES CARE OF THE, THE WHOLE ROAD TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM. 
          THEN WE HAVE A FLEET REPAIR SHOP, WHICH TAKES CARE OF ALL THE VEHICLE. 
          [00:35:01]
WE HAVE LIKE 800 VEHICLES IN THE, IN THE COUNTY. 
          THEN WE HAVE THE MOSQUITO CONTROL. 
          WE ALSO HAVE TWO BOARDS, PLANNING BOARD AND THE BOARD OF, UH, CONSTRUCTION APPEALS, WHICH WE HAVE MONTHLY MEETINGS. 
          UH, WE HAVE 117, UH, POSITIONS IN THE DEPARTMENT, 107 UP FILLED 10 VACANCIES. 
          WE HAVE SOME, UH, SEASONALS. 
          SOME OF THEM ARE E EQUIPMENT OPERATOR WE CALL THEM. 
          THEN WE HAVE SNOW. 
          SOME ARE JUST RETIRED PEOPLE WHO COMES AND HELPS US A COUPLE OF HOURS EVERY DAY. 
          AND SOME OF THEM ARE REGULAR MOSQUITO CONTROL, UH, SEASON EMPLOYEES. 
          THERE ARE 21 OF THOSE. 
          AND THAT IS THE WHOLE PERSONAL STAFF AND THAT IS REFLECTED IN THE, THE PAYROLL. 
          NUMBER TWO. 
          HAVING SAID THIS, I'M READY FOR ANY QUESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU SIR. 
          MR. MCNA, WE'RE GONNA START WITH MR. MCINERNEY QUESTIONS, THEN WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO COMMISSIONERS. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, SO LET'S, LET'S TAKE IT BY, BY DEPARTMENT. 
          WE'LL START WITH, UH, ENGINEERING. 
          UM, THERE ARE 15 POSITIONS THAT ARE, ARE, ARE, UH, ARE BUDGETED FOR 2026. 
          UM, WHEN I WENT THROUGH THE PAYROLL, I ONLY COUNTED 13. 
          ARE THERE VACANCIES IN ENGINEERING? THERE WERE TWO VACANCIES THAT TIME AND ONE WAS FILLED AND THE ONE IS STILL A VACANCIES. 
          SO THERE'S TWO VACANCIES. 
          RIGHT. 
          THAT WAS, ONE WAS FILLED AFTER THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          AFTER THE PAYROLL TOO. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          UM, AND IN ENGINEERING THERE'S A NEW POSITION THAT'S ADDED. 
          LAST YEAR THERE WERE 14 POSITIONS. 
          THIS YEAR THERE'S 15. 
          THAT'S, THAT'S ACTUALLY ACTUALLY MOVING, UH, MOVING FROM ANOTHER DIVISION TO, UH, TO RECONCILE WITH THE LGS. 
          IT'S NOT A POSITION. 
          IT'S MOVED FROM ANOTHER DIVISION, WHICH WAS THE DIVISION BRIDGES FROM ROADS AND BRIDGES. 
          OKAY. 
          SO IT CAME FROM ANOTHER DEPARTMENT. 
          YEAH, ANOTHER DIVISION. 
          SO YOU'LL SEE THAT REDUCTION IN THAT. 
          SO WE'LL SEE A REDUCTION IN ROADS, ROADS AND BRIDGES. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, O OVERALL, UH, IN ENGINEERING THERE'S LIKE $40,000 WORTH OF, UH, OVERTIME BUDGETED. 
          LAST YEAR YOU HAD 63,000 THAT WAS EXPENDED. 
          YEAH, WE, WE HAD A LOT OF PROJECTS. 
          UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF GRANTS COMING IN AND WE HAVE A LOT OF PROJECTS ENGINEERS ARE WORKING THROUGH. 
          AND THEN WE HAVE EXCEEDED THE OVERTIME LOADED LAST YEAR. 
          SO THAT'S WHY WE PUT SLIGHTLY MORE MONEY THERE. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          UH, YEAH, YOU PUT $10,000 MORE THAN WHAT WAS BUDGETED PRIOR YEAR. 
          ALRIGHT, LET'S, LET'S TAKE PLANNING. 
          UM, PLANNING ONLY HAS A, UH, 5%. 
          I I, THERE ARE THREE PEOPLE THAT ARE, ARE BUDGETED IN PLANNING. 
          UM, FOR SOME REASON I SAW FOUR ON THE PAYROLL. 
          IS THERE, I DON'T KNOW IF I, ONE IS A SEASONAL, ONE IS A SEASONAL, I'M TALKING ABOUT A PLANNING. 
          THERE'S ONLY THREE FULL TIME AND ONE, ONE IS A SEASONAL. 
          SO ONE, ONE IS PROBABLY A SEASONAL THAT I WAS LOOKING AT, RIGHT? YES. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          NOW THAT, THAT DEPARTMENT HAS NO  IN THE STAFFING, UM, ABSOLUTELY NO INCREASES IN OTHER EXPENSES. 
          UM, SO LET'S MOVE ON. 
          SO LET'S MOVE ON FROM THAT. 
          UH, WE GO BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS ADMINISTRATION AND THAT HAS A, IN, UM, SOME WAGES, UM, A LITTLE BIT EXTRA I GUESS IN, UH, OVERTIME PAY. 
          UM, EXTRA 5,000, BUT EXTRA 5,000. 
          BUT ALL THE POSITIONS, I MEAN IT'S, IT'S ONE, IT'S ONE SALARY. 
          SO IT'S, IT'S NOT I'LL ASKING YOU FOR 500,000 MORE IN PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. 
          YOU EXPLAIN WHAT IT WAS BUDGETED FOR. 
          UH, FIVE 5,000,646. 
          AND THIS YEAR IT'S 6 MILLION 1 46 COURT. 
          YEP. 
          LAST YEAR, UH, WE, WE FUNDED FOR THE FAMILY COURT BILLING FOR SIX MONTHS. 
          SO GOING FORWARD WE'LL BE HAVE 12 MONTHS. 
          SO WE FUNDED THE FULL YEAR THIS YEAR. 
          SO, SO THIS IS BASED ON, ON THAT PROJECT? YES. 
          FAMILY COURTS. 
          LAST YEAR WAS ONLY FOR SIX MONTHS BECAUSE WE COMMISSIONED IT IN JUNE OR JULY. 
          AND UH, AND THAT WAS ONLY HALF OF THE EXPENDITURES. 
          SO THE REST IS FUNDED. 
          THIS YEAR WE FUNDED THE FULL FULL AND, AND WHAT, WHAT SPECIFICALLY WAS FUNDED? WHAT, WHAT KIND OF EXPENDITURES? IT'S FOR THE, THE MAINTENANCE AND THE JANITORIAL, ALL THOSE THINGS. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THAT'S, OKAY. 
          SO THAT'S REALLY, IT'S IT'S EXPENDITURES ON A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT THAT'S, IT'S NOT CAPITAL. 
          IT'S OPERATING BECAUSE IT'S, THE MAINTENANCE IS DONE BY OUTSIDE OUTSOURCED, UH, BY DCO. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND THEN THE JANITORIAL IS PRIVATE COMPANY. 
          WE ONLY COMPANY WE ONLY FUNDED FOR SIX MONTHS LAST YEAR. 
          SO, OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          REST HAS TO COME. 
          ALRIGHT, SO, SO SOMETHING THAT COULD HAVE BEEN CAPITALIZED. 
          [00:40:01]
THIS IS, IS AN OPERATING NO, IT CANNOT BE, IT'S BE IT'S OPERATING BUDGET AND WE GOT AWAY FROM CAPITALIZING A LOT OF EXPENSES YEARS AGO. 
          WE CAME BACK FROM THERE BECAUSE THAT WAS TESTED. 
          WE'RE NOT GOING THERE AGAIN. 
          NO, NO. 
          IT'S, SO THEN NEXT, NEXT YEAR WOULD WE SEE A REDUCTION IN THAT LINE ITEM? THAT WOULD BE CONSTANT. 
          THAT'LL BE GOING FORWARD FOR THE, THE SAME BECAUSE WE HAVE IT, THAT'S THE OPERATING COST. 
          THERE'LL BE SLIGHT INCREASE BECAUSE OF THE COST OF COST OF LIVING. 
          SO IT STAYS WITH THE BUILDING. 
          UM, AND AGAIN, THERE'S, THERE'S JUST THAT, THAT'S A SMALL INCREASE IN THE STAFF SALARY THERE, RIGHT THERE ON UM, LET'S MOVE ON TO, UH, BUILDINGS. 
          BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS BUILDINGS, MAINTENANCE. 
          THERE ARE, UH, FOUR, FOUR EMPLOYEES THERE. 
          I I SAW FOUR EMPLOYEES AS WELL. 
          THERE'S SOME TEMPORARY HELP I THINK YOU HAVE, YOU BUDGETED FOR, FOR TWO. 
          UM, AND THERE'S UH, THERE'S NO INCREASES IN ANY OF THE OTHER EXPENDERS. 
          UH, AND JUST A 1% INCREASE OVERALL. 
          AND THAT'S, THAT'S BASICALLY IT. 
          UH, THE INCREASE IS REALLY THE LARGER PART OF THAT INCREASE IS IN TEMPORARY HELP. 
          WHY IS THAT UP? 'CAUSE WE HAVE COUPLE, SEVERAL, UH, SEASONALS ACTUALLY TEMPORARY WORKERS AND UH, LAST YEAR WE, THAT LINE ITEM WE EXCEEDED A LOT. 
          SO WE HAD TO, AT THE END WE HAD TO DO TRANSFERS AND TO FIX IT. 
          WILL, WILL THAT GO DOWN IN, IN A SUBSEQUENT YEAR? SEE I USUALLY ABSORB ALL, ALL THESE SEASONALS DURING THE, SO IT'LL EITHER FILL THE VACANCIES. 
          RIGHT, RIGHT. 
          AND, AND IF I FILL THE VACANCIES, IT'LL GO DOWN. 
          IT'LL GO DOWN. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          THIS IS HERE. 
          AND OTHER EXPENSES EITHER REQUIRE, UM, LET'S GO ON TO THE WHOLE OF RECORDS COMPLEX. 
          AND UM, THERE'S 34 POSITIONS HERE. 
          I ONLY COUNTED ON THE PAYROLL 30. 
          ARE THERE FOUR VACANCIES THERE AT THIS POINT? THERE ARE THREE VACANCIES THERE. 
          THREE VACANCIES? YES SIR. 
          OKAY. 
          MAYBE SOMEBODY HAS HIRED SINCE SECOND PAYROLL. 
          THERE'S UH, THERE'S NO INCREASE IN ANY OTHER EXPENSES. 
          YOU'RE STAYING THE SAME WITH LAST YEAR AND THERE'S A MODEST 3% INCREASE IN, IN, UH, SALARIES AND WAGES. 
          CORRECT. 
          WHICH IS CONTRACTUAL. 
          SO LET'S MOVE ON TO, UM, BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS GENERAL REPAIR. 
          AND THAT'S STRICTLY OTHER EXPENSES THAT STAYS, UH, STAGNANT AT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS. 
          SAME AS, AS AS THE PREVIOUS YEAR. 
          LET'S GO TO THE OFFICE OF DIRECTOR FOR ROADS AND BRIDGES AND WE HAVE NO INCREASES IN OTHER EXPENSES. 
          AND YOU'RE ACTUALLY REDUCING BASE SALARIES HERE, UM, BY A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT. 
          197,000. 
          UM, WHAT, WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS THAT A RESULT OF? SOME, SOME PEOPLE IS THAT WHERE YOU MOVED ONE EMPLOYEE OVER TO THE BEGINNING? YEAH, WE MOVED ONE PERSON HERE. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE ONLY THING. 
          YES. 
          SO THAT SALARY WAS EQUAL TO A 197,000 OR YEAH. 
          THAT, THAT, THAT GAINED ON THE OTHER, UH, THE ONE WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE BEGINNING. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          AND AGAIN THOUGH, THIS WENT FROM, SO ONE EMPLOYEE MOVED OVER, BUT YOU WENT FROM 26 EMPLOYEES DOWN TO 22. 
          SO THAT'S FOUR LESS. 
          ONE IS THREE. 
          SO YOU ACTUALLY REDUCED THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE IN THIS DEPARTMENT? NO, THERE'S NO ACTUALLY HEADCOUNT REDUCTION, IT'S LIKE MOVING PEOPLE SO THAT IT SETS THE RIGHT PLACES. 
          I DID, YEAH. 
          I DIDN'T SEE THE INCREASE IN THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS. 
          DO YOU HAVE THEM? THIS IS JUST RECONCILED WITH THE LGS AND THE MSI. 
          'CAUSE THERE WAS DISCREPANCIES IN THE NUMBERS, SO WE WERE JUST MAKING SURE THAT IT'S AT THE RIGHT PLACES. 
          SO, SO EFFECTIVELY OUTSIDE OF THE VACANCIES WHEN WE GET TO THE BUDGETED AMOUNT, YOU'RE SAYING THAT IT'S ALL THE SAME WITH THE PRIOR, IT'S THE SAME, YES. 
          IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH. 
          YES. 
          UM, THE OFFICE OF DIRECTOR, UM, IS TWO EMPLOYEES. 
          AND AGAIN, THERE'S A, A SMALL PERCENTAGE INCREASE REALLY, UH, JUST IN TEMPORARY HELP. 
          THIS IS NEW IN THIS DEPARTMENT. 
          YOU'RE PUTTING 67,000 OF TEMPORARY HELP HERE. 
          WHY? WHY IS THAT? IT'S THE SAME THING I EXPLAINED BEFORE. 
          MY TEMPORARY HELP, UH, BUDGET EXCEEDED LAST YEAR, LAST 20, 20, 25. 
          AND WE WENT BEYOND MY ALLOTMENT. 
          SO WE HAD TO TRANSFER MONEY BACK AND THIS IS A REALISTIC NUMBER. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THAT, YEAH. 
          AND, AND THIS WILL STAY CONSTANT GOING FORWARD OR 
          [00:45:01]
NO MINOR VARIATIONS HERE AND THERE, BUT, BUT THIS IS EXACTLY WE ARE PLANNING TO DO. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          AND AGAIN, UM, WE'LL, WE'LL MOVE ON TO FLEET, WHICH IS, UM, LARGER EXPENDITURES HERE. 
          THIS HAS 13 EMPLOYEES. 
          I DID NOT HAVE A, A NUMBER FOR THIS ALL TO PAYROLL. 
          ARE, ARE THERE ANY VACANCIES THERE AT THIS POINT OR THERE'S ONE WHERE CAN SEE THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          AND THERE'S AND THERE'S NO INCREASES IN, UH, OTHER EXPENSES SAYING IT'S THE SAME, IT'S THE SAME EXPENSE. 
          SAME EXPENSE. 
          SO, SO, SO BASICALLY THROUGHOUT YOUR BUDGET THERE'S A, THERE'S A, THERE'S, THERE'S MOVEMENT FROM ONE DEPARTMENT TO ANOTHER DEPARTMENT, UM, WITH REGARD TO THE POSITIONS AND SALARIES AND WAGES. 
          AND OVERALL, THERE'S UM, ONLY THOSE AREAS THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT PREVIOUSLY, UM, WHERE THERE'S TWO $500,000 INCREASES IN, UM, IN BUILDINGS OF GROUNDS, UM, ADMINISTRATIVE OF THE BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS MAINTENANCE. 
          SO OVERALL THERE'S LIKE A 6% INCREASE IN THE BUDGET. 
          UM, CORRECT. 
          OVERALL, UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER LARGE CAPITAL PROJECTS? CAN YOU GIVE US A LITTLE RUNDOWN ON THE ONES THAT ARE, ARE COMING TO AN END AND, AND AGAIN, PROBABLY JUST NEW LARGE ONES. 
          UH, WE ARE PLANNING TO BUILD A STORAGE FACILITY. 
          WE ARE RENTING A LOT OF PLACES AT DIFFERENT FOR THE, SO WE ARE STILL IN THE PLANNING AND THE DESIGN OF THE STORAGE PLUS THE, THE SPECIAL TRANSPORTATION TO COMBINE THEM TOGETHER SO THAT WE CAN SAVE MONEY FROM THESE RENTS WE ARE PAYING. 
          IT'S LIKE WE ARE PAYING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN RENT AND IF IT'S OURS, IT'S OUR OWN OWN FACILITY AND WE HAVE THE CONTROL AND WE CAN PROBABLY SAVE THE MONEY. 
          RIGHT. 
          IF WE, IF WE AMORTIZE IT TO 20 YEARS, PROBABLY WE'LL SAVE THE MONEY. 
          SO, SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE DEBT SERVICE COVERED BY THE ELIMINATION OF, OF THE, OF THE ANNUAL RENTS ON THE STORAGE? YES. 
          WHEN, WHEN DOES THAT PROJECT TAKE PLACE? DO YOU KNOW? OR, OR I MEAN, IT'S ALREADY, IT'S ALREADY DESIGN WITHIN, IT'S 90% DONE IN DESIGN AND WE HAVE THE PROPERTY WHICH WE BOUGHT. 
          UM, PROBABLY IN A MONTH WE WILL GO FOR BID. 
          OH, HAVE YOU COME TO THE BOARD ALREADY ON THAT OR FOR PURCHASING THE, THE, FOR THE DESIGN? YES. 
          WE CAME TO THE BOARD. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING YET IN TERMS OF WE ARE 90% DONE. 
          WE ARE RUNNING IT BY THE OFFICE OF, UH, THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE SO THAT IT'S A BIG PROJECT SO IT HAS TO RUN BY THEM. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ANSWER. 
          THANK YOU MR. THAT, THAT STORAGE FACILITY IS ALSO DOING ELECTION MACHINES, CORRECT? YES. 
          SO IT'S GONNA REALLY SOLVE A LOT OF, CONSOLIDATE A LOT OF EXPENSE FOR SURE. 
          I REMEMBER WE, WE TALKED ABOUT IT A LOT IN 25. 
          WE, UH, WENT ABOUT A FEW TIMES ABOUT THE BIG PROPERTY. 
          WASN'T IT THE OLD VERIZON, UH, BUILDING. 
          YES. 
          THE OLD IN CORONA. 
          YES. 
          YEAH, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION BEFORE I TURN OVER THE COMMISSIONERS. 
          YOU HAD MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT, UH, EARLIER ABOUT THE OVERTIME, BUT THAT'S IN PART BECAUSE OF THE EXTRA GRANT YOU'VE GOTTEN BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN SO BUSY, CORRECT? YES. 
          THIS YEAR WE HAVE AT LEAST 60 MILLION, 60 PLUS MILLION DOLLAR GRANT. 
          SO SOIL TRANSPORTATION. 
          YEAH. 
          UH, 40, $45 MILLION IN, IN, UH, SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THROUGH N-J-T-P-A, UH, WHICH IS JUST APPROVED. 
          WE GET 10 MILLION FROM THE ANNUAL TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM. 
          WE GET THREE, $4 MILLION FOR THE BRIDGE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS, THEN SPECIAL DISCRETIONARY GRANTS. 
          YEAH. 
          THAT, THAT'S VERY AGGRESSIVE. 
          AND IT'S A LOT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH IS, IS I'M SURE DESPERATELY NEEDED BECAUSE OF THE AGE OF THINGS. 
          AND PROBABLY WE ARE THE ONLY COMPANY WHO'S GOING AFTER THIS GRANTS AND GETTING THIS KIND OF MONEY. 
          SO DOES ANY OTHER COUNTY DO THIS KIND OF WORK? I MEAN, IT'S, BECAUSE IT'S A LOT OF PAPERWORK. 
          THEY, THEY DON'T BOTHER DOING PAPERWORK. 
          IF YOU DON'T FINISH A JOB, THEY WON'T GET MORE MONEY. 
          SO WE FINISH THIS JOB TIMELY MANNER AND WE GET MORE GRANTS. 
          YEAH, I'D SAY THE OVERTIME WAS WELL SPENT IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE HITTING HOME RUNS HERE AND I, I THINK THAT'S FANTASTIC. 
          YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN, YOU'RE HERE A LOT. 
          SO I KNOW MR. ANTONIO PRESENTS A LOT BEFORE. 
          SO A LOT OF PROJECTS MR. KINON HAS, HAS THE DOT GRANT STAYED APPROXIMATELY THE SAME FROM FROM YEAR TO YEAR? THE DOT IT'S THE SAME AMOUNT, BUT IT WENT DOWN A LITTLE BIT, LIKE FEW HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, BUT IT'S GONNA COME BACK BECAUSE THEY, THE TRUST MONEY WENT UP A LITTLE BIT. 
          OKAY. 
          SO NEXT YEAR IT PROBABLY WILL GO UP. 
          OKAY. 
          WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT 9 MILLION OR 10? 9 MILLION. 
          IT WAS 9 MILLION, THEN IT WENT TO 8.9. 
          RIGHT. 
          BUT THE, THE TAX, THE GAS TAX WENT UP A LITTLE BIT. 
          SO THAT IS REPLENISHED SHOULD MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS. 
          ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER COOPER? UM, THANK YOU MR. PRESIDENT. 
          I ACTUALLY HAVE A COMMENT, NOT A QUESTION. 
          I WANT TO THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR BEING RESPONSIVE, UM, TO ME AND, UM, FOR CONSTITUENTS COMPLAINTS AND CONCERNS WITH TRAFFIC ISSUES. 
          YOU GUYS HAVE INSTALLED A GOOD NUMBER OF LIGHTS IN 
          [00:50:01]
RESPONSE TO THOSE MUNICIPALITIES CONCERNS, AND I WANNA THANK YOU FOR BEING RESPONSIVE FOR DOING THE ANALYSIS, DOING THE WORK, AND, AND MAKING THOSE CHANGES IN NEWARK, EAST ORANGE AND IN SOUTH ORANGE. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR THAT VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          THERE'S ONLY ONE OTHER THING THAT I'M LOOKING FOR IS THE, THE TRAFFIC, UM, PART. 
          CAN WE, YOU KNOW, UM, THE, THE TRAFFIC SIGNAGE IS SOMETHING I HAVE TO FOLLOW UP WITH MR. JACKSON, UH, FOR EXACTLY WHAT THE REQUEST WAS RELATED TO THE SPEEDING AND THE TRAFFIC SIGNS. 
          I THINK YOU TOLD ME WHAT TO DO, BUT I HAD TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU. 
          BUT I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR BEING REALLY RESPONSIVE TO CONSTITUENTS CONCERNS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YOU'RE TALKING TO SCOTLAND ROAD. 
          YEAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          LET ME KNOW WHAT EXIT. 
          ANY OTHER COMMISSIONS? COMMISSIONER LUCIANA. 
          UH, JUST TO COMMENT, TO PIGGYBACK ON THE, MY COLLEAGUE, I TOO HAD TO REACH OUT, UH, TO THE DIRECTOR REGARDING SNOW ON SIDEWALKS ON, UH, PARK AVENUE AND MAIN STREET AND WEST ORANGE. 
          IT WAS TAKEN CARE OF THE DAY OF. 
          SO AGAIN, THANK YOU DIRECTOR AND YOUR TEAM. 
          I THINK FOR ALL OF US HERE, WE COULD ALSO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS. 
          ESSEX COUNTY ROADS, UH, UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE STORM WERE, UH, FIRST TO BE CLEANED AND THE SAFEST TO DRY. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. 
          SO YOU GUYS WERE OBVIOUSLY CLOSED HAND IN HAND WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND THOSE YES, THOSE PROJECTS ARE FANTASTIC. 
          THEY'RE TOPNOTCH. 
          SO I WANT TO COMMEND YOU FOR THAT WORK. 
          I KNOW WE GIVE THEM A LOT OF CREDIT. 
          WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU SOME CREDIT TOO FOR A LOT OF THAT STUFF. 
          JUST LET DAN ALANTE KNOW. 
          , WHAT'S IT WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU. 
          YOU CAN TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF DAN ALANTE'S THUNDER. 
          HOW'S THAT? IS THAT OKAY? AND SERIOUS? IT'S, UH, GREAT WORK. 
          I MEAN, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PROJECT SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES AND, UH, I THINK, UH, OTHER CANDIES SHOULD BE ENVIOUS OF, UH, OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT. 
          SO IT'S A TESTAMENT TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          THAT BEING SAID, GO BEFORE WE ASK ANY MORE QUESTIONS, . 
          THANK YOU. 
          HAVE A GOOD NIGHT, MR. O AND EVERYONE ELSE, MR. JACKSON? THANK YOU. 
          UH, NEXT UP IS, UH, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND REHABILITATION. 
          UH, TAB NINE, PAGE ONE 19. 
          AND THERE'S ALSO, UM, FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, UH, WITH PAGE 1 39. 
          OKAY. 
          39 TIMES ONE. 
          ONE. 
          YEAH, ONE. 
          UH, LEMME FIND OUT. 
          MISS, MR. PRESIDENT, JUST QUESTION FOR YOU. 
          UM, HOW DO YOU WANT TO HANDLE THE BREAK? SO, DO YOU WANT SOME MORE PEOPLE? I WAS GONNA ASK YOU, SO WE'RE RUNNING A LITTLE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. 
          DO YOU WANT TO, WE HAVE OTHER FOLKS I SEE FROM HERE. 
          UH, YOU WANNA MOVE ANYBODY UP RIGHT AFTER HEALTH AND KEEP GOING. 
          ONE MORE? YES. 
          UM, WHO, WHO WOULD YOU HAVE NEXT SO WE CAN GET THEM ALL READY TO GO? YEAH, WE CAN ALSO, WE CAN HAVE HASSAM. 
          IT'S GOT A WHOLE BUNCH AT THE END. 
          WE COULD DO ALL OF HASSAM, UH, AND THEN WE'LL GET ABLE TO COME TAKE A LOOK. 
          YEAH, OKAY. 
          THAT SOUNDS GOOD. 
          WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. 
          SO LET'S GO THROUGH HEALTH, UH, AND THEN WE WILL, WE'LL REEVALUATE THE ORDER THAT MAKES SENSE HERE BASED ON THE STAFF THAT'S HERE A LITTLE EARLY. 
          SO GOOD EVENING. 
          PLEASE JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION FOR THE RECORD, ALTHOUGH WE CERTAINLY KNOW WHO YOU ARE. 
          GOOD EVENING, MR. PRESIDENT ADAM FRANK DELGAUDIO, DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND REHABILITATION. 
          ALONG WITH ME IS MAYA HARLOW, WHO'S THE DIRECTOR OF DIVISION OF PUBLIC HEALTH, OFFICE OF PUBLIC HEALTH MANAGEMENT AND ALSO THE COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          PLEASE JUST GIVE US AN OVERALL, UH, OF THE BUDGET AND THEN WE'LL ASK QUESTIONS. 
          SURE. 
          SO, UM, WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING ON, UM, THE END OF THIS MONTH WILL BE 19 YEARS IN THE NEW HOSPITAL FACILITY. 
          SO WE'RE PURGING OUR 20TH ANNIVERSARY IN THE NEW BUILDING. 
          HOW TIME FLIES? THE HOSPITAL CENTER IS, UM, DIVIDED UP INTO FIVE DIFFERENT COST CENTERS, UH, PLUS ONE FOR THE, UM, THE, UH, MENTAL HEALTH ADMINISTRATOR, WHICH IS NOT A HOSPITAL EMPLOYEE, BUT IS FUNDED THROUGH THE HEALTH AND REHAB BUDGET. 
          UM, SO FOR THE COMMISSIONERS THAT WEREN'T HERE LAST, UM, BUDGET HEARING WHERE 180 BED PSYCHIATRIC SPECIALTY HOSPITAL, TREATING THE SEVERELY AND CHRONICALLY MENTALLY ILL. 
          UH, WE SERVE AS ESSEX COUNTY, MIDDLESEX COUNTY, PASSAIC COUNTY, AND WE ALSO DO HAVE SOME PATIENTS FROM OTHER COUNTIES THAT, UH, WE RECEIVE REVENUE FROM A HUNDRED PERCENT REVENUE FROM. 
          WE HAVE CURRENTLY THREE PATIENTS FROM OTHER COUNTIES OTHER THAN THE ONES I'VE MENTIONED. 
          SO THE FIVE, UH, AREAS OF OUR BUDGET CONSISTS OF ADMINISTRATION, GENERAL SERVICES, MEDICAL SERVICES, THERAPIES, THERAPEUTIC SERVICES, AND NURSING. 
          NURSING IS OUR LARGEST DEPARTMENT. 
          UH, THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE OUR NURSES, HOSPITAL ATTENDANCE, UH, NURSE SPECIALISTS. 
          UM, AND UM, THAT'S JUST A BRIEF OVERVIEW. 
          YOU HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH SEVERAL SCHOOLS OF NURSING. 
          CAN YOU JUST DESCRIBE THE, AT A HIGH LEVEL, WHO THEY, WHAT SCHOOLS YOU'RE WORKING WITH? SURE. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION BECAUSE THEY CONSTANTLY KEEP, KEEP COMING IN. 
          A LOT OF 'EM SOMETIMES ARE FOR 
          [00:55:01]
AN INDIVIDUAL STUDENT LOOKING TO DO ANY TYPE OF, UH, MOSTLY COMES THROUGH OUR THERAPIES DEPARTMENT, RECREATION, MUSIC THERAPIST. 
          WE HAVE THREE WITH NURSING SCHOOLS RIGHT NOW. 
          WE HAVE, UM, CALDWELL IS ONE, FELICIA SETON HALL. 
          UM, WE'RE WORKING WITH A AGREEMENT WITH RUTGERS UNIVERSITY NOW. 
          UH, WE HAVE AGREEMENTS ALSO WITH MONTCLAIR STATE KAE FOR OUR REHAB SERVICES. 
          UM, AND THE LIST IS GROWING. 
          WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, REQUESTS FROM INDIVIDUALS. 
          IF THEY'RE COUNTY RESIDENTS, WE TRY TO HELP THEM OUT IF THEY'RE AN ONLINE TYPE SCHOOL. 
          RIGHT. 
          BUT WE GO THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS WITH AN AFFILIATION AGREEMENT WITH THE ONLINE TYPE UNIVERSITIES. 
          GREAT. 
          I THINK WE JUST APPROVED ONE. 
          THAT'S WHAT PROMPTED ME TO THINK. 
          AND I'M HAPPY TO SEE TWO OF MY ALMA MODELS ARE IN THAT LIST THOUGH, BUT THAT, THAT'S GREAT WORK BECAUSE IT'S A TEACHING INSTITUTION IN ADDITION TO SERVING PEOPLE. 
          SO I, UH, YOU KNOW, VERY PROUD OF THAT. 
          MR. MCINERNEY, WHY DON'T YOU, UH, TAKE OVER FROM HERE AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO COMMISSIONERS FOR QUESTIONS. 
          ALRIGHT, LET'S, LET'S START WITH THE REVENUES, FRANK. 
          I WANTED TO, UH, TOUCH BASE ON THE HOSPITAL FEE. 
          THE PILOT PROGRAM THAT IS, UM, MOVED FROM, UH, 4.4 MILLION COLLECTED LAST YEAR AND 8 MILLION ANTICIPATED LAST YEAR. 
          NOW IT'S UP TO 18 MILLION. 
          I KNOW THAT THIS WAS, UH, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT STARTED A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, BUT IF YOU CAN JUST, UH, INFORM THE, THE, UH, COMMISSIONERS HOW THAT WORKS AND IN THAT PROGRAM. 
          SURE. 
          SO YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, UH, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, THIS IS NOT A REVENUE STREAM FOR THE HOSPITAL CENTER. 
          IT'S A, IT'S A COUNTY REVENUE STREAM. 
          SO IT COMES UNDER YOUR PURVIEW, DOESN'T IT THOUGH? YES. 
          BUT IT IS NOT REVENUE DIRECTED TOWARDS THE HOSPITAL. 
          HOSPITAL SITE. 
          CORRECT. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          IT'S REVENUE FOR IT'S OVERALL COUNTY REVENUE. 
          SO WHAT THIS PROGRAM, IT CAME IN ABOUT, IT CAME TO FRUITION IN 2022. 
          SO, UM, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS A PROGRAM IN EVERY STATE IN THE COUNTRY, EXCEPT FOR ONE, I BELIEVE, MISSISSIPPI. 
          AND WHAT IT DOES IS IT GIVES A FAIR, UH, MARKET VALUE FOR MEDICAID PATIENTS. 
          SO THE PROGRAM IS TWOFOLD. 
          THEY'RE TRYING TO INCREASE MEDICAID PARTICIPATION BY HOSPITALS AND ALSO GIVE A FAIR SHARE OF THE HOSPITALS THAT ACTUALLY SEE THE LION'S SHARE OF, OF MEDICAID PATIENTS. 
          AND IN ESSEX COUNTY, WE HAVE QUITE A FEW, ESPECIALLY UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL AND, UM, NEWARK BETH ISRAEL. 
          SO WHAT HAPPENS IS THESE FEES ARE CHARGED TO THE HOSPITALS, WHICH THE BOARD APPROVED. 
          UM, WE DO, IT'S ALL THROUGH AN ACCOUNTING FORMULA, WHAT THE FEES SHOULD BE, AND THERE'S CAPS ON WHAT THE FEES CAN BE CHARGED. 
          THAT MONEY IS THEN PUT BACK INTO THE MEDICAID PROGRAM. 
          THEN WHAT HAPPENS IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DISPERSES THOSE FEES TO THE HOSPITALS BASED ON THEIR, UM, NUMBER OF MEDICAID DISCHARGES. 
          THE REASON WHY THE NUMBERS HAVE WENT UP, THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR TO 2026 MODEL IS THE FIRST YEAR WE'VE PUT IN OUTPATIENT VISITS BY MEDICAID PATIENTS. 
          SO THAT'S WHY IT, IT, UM, DOUBLED ON IT. 
          YEAH, IT WAS 9 MILLION, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE YEARS AGO I THINK, AND NOW IT'S, NOW IT'S UP TO 18 MILLION. 
          UM, YES. 
          THAT, THAT DOESN'T COME UNDER THE HOSPITAL. 
          BUT IF I WAS GONNA ASK A QUESTION ABOUT IT, I I BE, YOU ACTUALLY GOT INVOLVED IN ALL THAT IN THE BEGINNING WITH THE ACCOUNTING FIRM THAT DOES THE COST OUTS, I BELIEVE ON THAT OR, OR WELL, MONITORS THE INS AND FLOWS. 
          MR. PRESIDENT. 
          WELL, THE WHOLE ADMINISTRATION, MR. JACKSON, UH, PHIL, YOU WERE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE RFP PROCESS, SELECTING THE ACCOUNTING FIRM, UM, WAS A GROUP EFFORT. 
          IT'S NOT JUST ONE PERSON. 
          IS IS THERE, THERE'S SOMETHING WITH THAT WHERE THE HOSPITALS HAVE TO, UH, THERE'S ONE HOSPITAL THAT WASN'T PAYING OR, OR WHAT WAS THE SITUATION WITH THAT'S CORRECT. 
          THERE. 
          WE WERE PUT ON A PAYMENT PLAN AND THEY'RE PAYING, WE'RE HAPPY TO SAY THEY ARE PAYING, ALL HOSPITALS ARE PAYING ACCORDING TO THE PAYMENT PLAN. 
          THERE'S ONE RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH. 
          WE'RE TRYING TO, UM, I'M NOT, THAT'S NOT AFFECT, I'M NOT GONNA SINGLE ANYONE OUT, BUT WE'RE WORKING NO, I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO, BUT, BUT THAT'S NOT GONNA AFFECT THAT NUMBER THERE THAT YOU HAVE IN . 
          NO. 
          WHAT HAPPENED WAS THE 26TH PLAN HASN'T BEEN APPROVED YET, SO IT'S CAUSING A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKLOG NOT ONLY FOR US, BUT FOR THE HOSPITALS. 
          SO WHAT HAPPENS, THE HOSPITALS, WHEN THEY RECEIVE THIS FUNDING, THAT'S HOW THEY PAY THEIR FEES. 
          SO THEY TAKE THE MONEY, THEY RESERVE OUT WHAT THEY GET, AND THEN THEY PAY THE COUNTY. 
          THEY HAVE THAT MONEY IN RESERVE TO PAY THE COUNTY WHAT THE FEES ARE. 
          SO IF THAT MONEY IS NOT COMING IN NOW, SINCE WE HAVEN'T SEEN IT FOR THE, THEY WORK ON A SIX ONE FISCAL YEAR. 
          SO WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANY PAYMENTS IN SIX ONE TO THE COUNTY OR THE HOSPITAL. 
          SO WE HAVE AN INVOICE YET. 
          SO THAT IS WHAT WE'RE WAITING FOR TO COME IN TOMORROW. 
          IT COULD COME IN NEXT MONTH. 
          WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR APPROVAL FROM THE FEDS FOR THE APPROVAL OF OUR PLAN. 
          YEAH. 
          I MEAN, BUT THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT BOOST FOR THE COUNTY'S REVENUE. 
          $18 MILLION IS CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT. 
          CAN'T HURT. 
          NOPE. 
          SO, UH, 
          [01:00:01]
ON THE OTHER REVENUE ACCOUNT, CAN YOU JUST RUN THROUGH TO ALSO LIKE THE PER HOW WE FIGURE OUT WHAT WE GET PAID BY THE STATE AND, UM, I, I LIKE TO HEAR THIS TOO, JUST TO REFRESH MY MEMORY. 
          SURE. 
          SO THE, THE HOSPITAL, IT'S BASED ON A COST REPORT OF WHAT THE PER DIEM RATE IS. 
          SO CURRENTLY FOR 2026, OUR PER DIEM RATE IS, UH, $1,017. 
          SO FOR EVERY HOSPITAL DAY THAT A PATIENT IS IN THE HOSPITAL, WE'RE CHARGED BACK TO THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY. 
          UH, THAT RATE, THE COUNTY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR 15% OF THAT COST FOR ESSEX COUNTY RESIDENTS. 
          THE OUT OF COUNTIES, WE RECEIVE 100% REIMBURSEMENT. 
          SO WE AVERAGE AROUND 91 TO 92% REIMBURSEMENT BASED ON OUR CENSUS AND THE OUT OF COUNTY PATIENTS THAT WE HAVE. 
          SO THAT'S PUT IN BY A MONTHLY VOUCHER SYSTEM GOES IN. 
          IT'S, UH, LOADED HEAVILY MORE AT THE END OF THE YEAR THAN THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AT THE WAY THE FORMULA WORKS. 
          AND THEN THE RATE IS DETERMINED THE FOLLOWING YEAR BASED ON OUR COSTS FROM, IT'S ACTUALLY A TWO YEAR LAG ON THE COST REPORT. 
          AND, AND THAT FOR THIS YEAR WOULD BE UNDER THE, UM, THE, UH, STATE PATIENT, UH, COUNTY PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL REVENUE ITEM, WHICH IS 64 MILLION. 
          YEAH. 
          SO, UM, THROUGH YOUR MR. PRESIDENT, WHAT HAPPENS IS WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR, THE COUNTY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ESSEX COUNTY RESIDENT WITH LEGAL RESIDENCY STATUS IN ESSEX COUNTY THAT IS IN ANY OTHER PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL. 
          SO WE TRY TO HAVE THEM ALL IN OUR HOSPITAL, BUT WE DO HAVE THE MOST PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY OUT OF ANY COUNTY. 
          SO THEY'RE ALL OVER THE STATE HOSPITAL. 
          SOME ARE IN, UM, HUDSON COUNTY. 
          SO WE HAVE TO PAY 15% OF THAT COST, WHICH IS A BIG NUMBER. 
          HOWEVER, THE STATE HAS HELPED US, UH, IN OUR BUDGET YEAR LAST YEAR, AND THIS YEAR WE'RE TRYING TO, UM, GET SOME MONEY BACK FOR THOSE COSTS. 
          'CAUSE WE DO HAVE THE HIGHEST EXPENSE IN THE STATE ALSO. 
          UM, BUT OUR, BUT OUR, OUR REVENUE, I WAS LOOKING AT THE REVENUE AMOUNT. 
          I KNOW THAT'S, THAT'S A SEPARATELY, UH, A SEPARATE APPROPRIATION CORRECT. 
          WHAT YOU'RE SPEAKING ABOUT. 
          RIGHT. 
          THAT'S, UH, THAT'S IN THE BUDGET THOUGH. 
          IF YOU SEE IN THE BUDGET, THAT'S A COST IN OUR BUDGET, WHAT THAT NUMBER IS. 
          UH, OUR, OUR REVENUE IS, UM, ACCORDING TO THIS, OUR REVENUE WAS UP ABOUT 7.6 MILLION THE ANTICIPATED? THAT'S CORRECT. 
          THAT'S FROM THE ASSISTANCE, UH, THAT WE HAD IN THE STATE BUDGET. 
          IS THAT FOR THE OFFSET OF THE PATIENTS THAT ARE IN OTHER PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALS. 
          OKAY. 
          SO IF THE DAY THE PER DIEM RATE WAS, WAS SLIGHTLY DOWN, BUT, UM, OVERALL WITH THAT FUNDING, IT REALLY WAS A BIG ASSISTANCE. 
          OKAY. 
          GIMME, LEMME JUST FOR THE RECORD, RECORD RECOGNIZE COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT, UH, MARY THOMAS HAD JOINED US. 
          AND THOSE ARE THE PER DIEM NUMBERS THAT PO ASSOCIATES PUTS TOGETHER FOR. 
          ARE THEY STILL DOING THE WORK ON THAT? WELL, THEY, THEY OUT WITH THE COST REPORTING. 
          OKAY. 
          OUR NUMBERS ARE SUBMITTED THROUGH OUR CENSUS AND OUR BUSINESS OFFICE PREPARES OKAY. 
          THE VOUCHERS, THE COST REPORTING, AND THEN WHAT'S CHARGEABLE BACK TO THE STATE AND WHAT'S NOT IS DONE BY OUR, OUR FINANCIAL CONSULTANTS. 
          OKAY. 
          SO IF I CAN, IF I COULD START, UH, THAT WAS LIKE, BASED ON THE REVENUES, WE'LL LOOK AT THE APPROPRIATIONS. 
          IF WE CAN, UM, GO TO HEALTH AND REHABIL HOSPITAL CENTER ADMINISTRATION, UM, THAT HAD BUDGETED 17 EMPLOYEES. 
          I, I WAS ON, I LOOKED AT THE PAYROLL FOR PAYROLL NUMBER TWO, I SAW 14. 
          DO YOU HAVE VACANCIES IN THAT, IN THAT, UH, IN THOSE SALARIES AND WAGES? WE, WE DO HAVE A FEW VACANCIES, BUT WE ALSO HAVE SOME, UM, WE HAVE TWO PER DIEMS THAT ARE WORKING RATHER, UH, SEASONAL EMPLOYEES THAT ARE WORKING IN THE DEPARTMENT. 
          RIGHT. 
          UM, THERE ARE A FEW, ONE OF THOSE POSITIONS WE WILL SPEAK LATER ABOUT FOR THE, UH, FOR PUBLIC HEALTH, WHERE WE TOOK SOME OF THE SALARY FROM THAT POSITION TO FUND THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC HEALTH MANAGEMENT. 
          BUT WHATEVER YOU, WHATEVER THOSE VACANCIES, ARE YOU GONNA FILL THEM OR ATTEMPT TO FILL THOSE, UM, TO BE DETERMINED. 
          OKAY. 
          ONE IS, ONE WILL BE, ONE IS ONE WAS ALREADY FILLED, BUT IT WASN'T IN PAYROLL ONE. 
          OKAY. 
          AND I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S A 1% INCREASE IN SALARIES AND WAGES. 
          UH, THERE'S A, UH, SMALL INCREASE IN THE, UH, IN THE AMOUNT OF, UH, TEMPORARY HELP. 
          UH, BUT OVERALL THERE'S ON 1,000,007, THERE'S ABOUT A $44,000 INCREASE IN THAT, IN THAT BUDGET. 
          LET'S GO ON TO GENERAL SERVICES. 
          UM, SO THAT HAS, UH, BASICALLY A 3% INCREASE IN SALARIES AND WAGES BASED ON TEMPORARY HELP, WHICH IS, WHICH IS NEW IN THIS DEPARTMENT. 
          DIDN'T HAVE IT LAST YEAR. 
          [01:05:01]
AND THEN THERE'S NO INCREASE AT ALL IN, IN OTHER EXPENSES HERE. 
          AND, UH, THERE'S 11 POSITIONS HERE. 
          I I SAW NINE FILLED. 
          CORRECT. 
          ARE THERE VACANCIES THERE AS WELL? YES. 
          WE HAVE A TRUCK DRIVER. 
          THE PATIENT TRANSPORT DRIVER. 
          ANY GROUNDSKEEPERS OR VACANCY. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THERE'S THREE VACANCIES THERE RIGHT NOW, OR TWO? JUST TWO, THREE. 
          TWO. 
          THAT'S WHAT I'VE GOT. 
          UM, ON MEDICAL SERVICES, UM, THERE'S A 5% INCREASE IN SALARIES AND WAGES AND, UH, 0% INCREASE IN OTHER EXPENSES. 
          UH, OVERALL, THERE'S A 3% INCREASE IN THE TOTAL BUDGET HERE OF 313,000. 
          THERE'S, UM, UH, 55 EMPLOYEES, UH, LISTED HERE AS BUDGETED. 
          UM, I HAD LIKE 49. 
          THERE ARE A LARGE AMOUNT OF VACANCIES THERE. 
          I ACTUALLY HAD 44 MEDICAL SERVICES AND THEN SOME, IT WAS MEDICAL SERVICES EDUCATION. 
          I HAD FIVE EMPLOYEES, SO I REALLY HAD 49 ALTOGETHER. 
          WE HAVE, UM, I, WE CURRENTLY HAVE TWO PSYCHIATRIST VACANCIES, AND, UM, ONE OF THE VACANCIES HAS BEEN FILLED. 
          WE ALSO HAVE A, UM, SOME THAT PROBABLY MOST, MORE THAN LIKELY WILL NOT BE FILLED, BUT WE WILL ATTEMPT THE MEDICAL RECORDS. 
          UM, ADMINISTRATORS A REQUIRED POSITION. 
          RIGHT. 
          UM, BUT WITH THE, YOU KNOW, THE INTRODUCTION OF ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS, THE POSITION ISN'T ALL THAT NECESSARY. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO IF WE COULD FIND SOMEBODY, WE FUNDED THE POSITION, WE WOULD LIKE TO FILL THAT. 
          BUT, UH, THEY'RE VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND NOW. 
          THEY'RE IN VERY HIGH DEMAND, THE ONES THAT WORK. 
          HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO FILL THE, UH, PSYCHIATRIST POSITIONS? HAS THAT BEEN A PROBLEM? OR? IT, IT WAS LAST YEAR, BUT WE HAVE CANDIDATES. 
          WE DO HAVE SOME CANDIDATES. 
          WE'RE WORKING ON SOME OFFERS WITH THEM. 
          OKAY. 
          LET'S MOVE ON TO NURSING. 
          THIS IS OBVIOUSLY THE LARGEST ONE. 
          UM, AND WE SPOKE ABOUT THIS EARLIER, UM, A LITTLE BIT. 
          UM, THERE'S 274 POSITIONS THAT ARE, UM, THAT ARE BUDGETED FOR, UH, IN 2026 FOR $18 MILLION, WHICH INCLUDES OVERTIME AND, AND SOME M PRE INCREASES. 
          UM, IN THAT DEPARTMENT, I HAD ABOUT 230. 
          I HAD A LARGE AMOUNT OF, OF, UH, VACANCIES THERE, ABOUT 44. 
          DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SO, UM, MANY OF THE POSITIONS ARE THE PER DIEM SPOTS. 
          RIGHT? SO YOU HAVE, UH, THE, THE BUDGET SHOWS THAT THE, THE PER DIEM, THE POOL NURSE FOR THE HOSP NURSES, WE HAVE 21, UM, IN THE BUDGET, ONLY SEVEN WERE FILLED WITH 11 VACANCIES. 
          AND THEN PER DIEM HOSPITAL ATTENDANTS, WHICH HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT TO FIND, UM, WE HAVE 13 VACANCIES, SO THAT MAKES UP 24 RIGHT THERE. 
          UM, THE HOSPITAL ATTENDANT, UH, WE'RE SHOWING 10 VACANCIES, SO THAT'S WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THE VACANCIES ARE. 
          SO THAT'S LIKE 34 THERE. 
          RIGHT. 
          24. 
          WE'VE, UM, HAVE FOUND A DIRECTOR OF NURSING CANDIDATE THAT WE'RE WORKING TO ONBOARD. 
          UM, WE'VE COMPLETED OUR INTERVIEWS FOR THE CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALIST THAT'S SHOWING A VACANCY, UM, WHERE WE HAVE A, A CANDIDATE IN-HOUSE CANDIDATE, WE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE. 
          SO WE ARE GONNA FILL, WE HAVE ALL PLANS TO FILL THOSE VACANCIES. 
          YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY NURSING, WE USED TO TRANSFER A LOT OF MONEY OUTTA NURSING. 
          IT WAS USED TO BE LIKE A FAIL SAFE. 
          THAT'S NOT THE CASE ANYMORE HERE. 
          WELL, FROM A FULL-TIME STANDPOINT, WE HAVE 61 RNS, GRADUATE NURSES BUDGETED. 
          WE HAVE 60 OF THOSE POSITIONS FILLED. 
          THAT'S GREAT. 
          YEAH. 
          SO, WHICH IS A VERY DIFFICULT POSITION TO FILL. 
          OUR, OUR PRIOR DIRECTOR OF NURSING WAS, I THINK SHE COULD OPEN UP A CONSULTANCY FIRM ON HOW TO DO HEALTHCARE RECRUITING BECAUSE SHE WAS FABULOUS AT JUST BRINGING IN PEOPLE. 
          SHE WAS A, UH, ADJUNCT PROFESSOR. 
          SO SHE HAD ALL THE CONNECTIONS AND DID A GREAT JOB OF ONBOARDING SOME REALLY GOOD QUALIFIED NURSES. 
          THAT'S GOOD. 
          THAT'S GOOD. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, AND THEN ON TO, UH, THE, UH, HOSPITAL CENTER FACILITY MAINTENANCE. 
          THERE'S NO INCREASES THERE. 
          UH, WE'LL, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THERAPIES. 
          UM, I DIDN'T SEE THE, I DIDN'T HAVE THE PAYROLL ON THIS TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, BUT THERE'S, UM, A 12% INCREASE IN BASE SALARIES. 
          MAYBE YOU COULD JUST GIVE US A LITTLE EXPLANATION OF WHY THAT'S AS LARGE AS IT IS. 
          SO, THE MAJORITY OF THE THERAPIES EMPLOYEES ARE IN, UM, THE AF SME COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT. 
          AND AFSCME THE WAY THEY WORK ON THEIR MERITS, THEY CAN GET UP TO A 5% INCREASE. 
          SO THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE, THERE'S SOCIAL WORK AND WHICH IS UNDER MEDICAL SERVICES. 
          AND THE REC THERAPISTS, MUSIC THERAPISTS 
          [01:10:01]
ARE ON UNDER AFSCME AND THEIR MERIT INCREASES ARE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE REMAINDER OF THE OTHER UNIONS. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THAT'S CAUSING THE YES. 
          THE NEED FOR AN INCREASE THERE. 
          THERE'S NO INCREASE THERE IN OTHER EXPENSES. 
          UM, AND I DID NOT HAVE, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF THOSE POSITIONS ARE FILLED IN IN THERAPY. 
          SO I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T SEE THAT. 
          WE HAVE CURRENTLY HAVE TWO VACANCIES. 
          TWO. 
          OKAY. 
          AND, UM, WE KNOW WHAT THE MAINTENANCE OF, OF, UH, A PATIENT IS, AS YOU DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY. 
          AND, UH, UH, IN TERMS OF THAT, A MAINTENANCE OF PATIENTS AND STATE INSTITUTIONS, THAT PRETTY MUCH STAYS THE SAME. 
          IT LOOKED, DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THAT INCREASED MUCH OVER THE LAST YEAR. 
          FEW HUNDRED THOUSAND. 
          YEAH. 
          IT REMAINS PRETTY STEADY. 
          NOW WE'RE DOING SOME WORK THROUGH COUNTY COUNCIL'S OFFICE TO TRY TO SEE IF WE COULD CONTROL THOSE NUMBERS A BIT. 
          UM, DOING SOME MORE BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS TO DETERMINE THE RESIDENCY OF THE PATIENTS IN THE STATE HOSPITALS. 
          RIGHT. 
          UM, SO WE WE'RE DOING A LITTLE MORE WORK ON THAT. 
          AND THE LAST ONE HERE, WELL, NOT THE LAST ONE, BUT THE, UH, THE ONE IN MENTAL HEALTH, THE LAST ONE IN MENTAL HEALTH IS, UM, THE OTHER INSTITUTION EXPENSES. 
          WHAT IS, WHAT IS THAT? I DON'T RECALL THAT. 
          IT'S DOWN FROM 1 MILLION, 1,000,002 DOWN TO 700,000 OTHER IN WHAT PAGE IS THAT ON? THAT'S PAGE 1 35. 
          MENTAL HEALTH, OTHER INSTITUTIONS, 1, 3 5. 
          OF COURSE, MY BOOK ISN'T, ISN'T NUMBERED. 
          DO YOU THE ANSWER, PLEASE? YEAH. 
          MR. MOHAMED KNOWS THE ANSWER, PLEASE. 
          MS. MOHAMED. 
          UH, HUAN MOHAM, UH, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE. 
          THIS IS FOR, UH, S COUNTY PATIENTS, UH, WHO ARE ADMITTED IN DIFFERENT HOSPITALS, ESPECIALLY. 
          UM, THE HUDSON COUNTY AND BERGEN COUNTY AND BUDGETED WAS 700,000. 
          AND LAST YEAR WE HAD, UM, SO MANY OUTSTANDING BILLS. 
          SO WE HAD TO, TO TRANSFER FUNDS TO COVER ALL THESE OUTSTANDING BILLS. 
          BUT THE BUDGET AMOUNT FOR 26 STAY AT 700. 
          SO IF YOU WERE TO LOOK AT LAST YEAR AND JUST WHAT WAS INCURRED IN LAST YEAR? 'CAUSE YOU SAY YOU WERE, YOU WERE KIND OF CATCHING UP ON BILLS. 
          IT WAS, IT WOULD BE EQUIVALENT TO WHAT YOU'RE BUDGETING FOR IN 2026? NO, ACTUALLY LAST, LAST YEAR WAS, WAS EXCEPTIONAL. 
          WE ACTUALLY HAD MORE BILLS THAN USUAL. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND THAT'S WHY WE TRANSFER FUNDS TO COVER THAT. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND WE, WE DISPERSE AROUND 1,000,002. 
          UH, BUT FOR 2020, UH, SIX, WE, WE JUST DID THE SAME BUDGET AS 2025, 700,000. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THAT'LL BE ADEQUATE TO COVER THAT YOU'RE SAYING? WE BELIEVE SO. 
          WE'RE NOT SURE YET. 
          UM, UH, WE, WE ARE, UH, AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE'RE UP TO DATE ON ALL THE OUTSTANDING BILLS. 
          THERE IS NO ANY OUTSTANDING BILLS RIGHT NOW. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THERE'S THE, UM, AFTER THAT THERE'S THE OFFICE OF DIRECTOR. 
          I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT. 
          THAT'S ACTUALLY, UH, REDUCTION FROM THE, FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR IN THE ENTIRE BUDGET. 
          WHAT IS THAT? WHAT, WHAT'S GOING ON THERE? WELL, TO YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. 
          SO, UM, THE MENTAL HEALTH ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE FIRST TIME, UH, WE RECEIVED GRANT FUNDING. 
          IT WAS A, PREVIOUSLY, THERE WAS PARTIAL GRANT FUNDING FOR THE POSITION. 
          OH, THAT'S, AND LAST YEAR, AND THIS YEAR WE RECEIVED, UM, SOME PARTIAL GRANT FUNDING FOR THAT. 
          SO, SO THAT'S NOW SETTING UP THE PUBLIC HEALTH MANAGEMENT, WHICH WE NEVER HAD BEFORE. 
          I ALWAYS USED TO WONDER WHAT DR. 
          FESTER WAS DOING AT BUDGET HEARINGS. 
          'CAUSE HE NEVER, HE NEVER HAD A BUDGET. 
          THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR PUBLIC HEALTH IS GETTING ITS OWN BUDGET, UH, IN THE HISTORY OF THE, OF THE BUDGET OF COUNTY. 
          SO. 
          RIGHT. 
          IT'S A GOOD MOVE. 
          IT REALLY IS. 
          SO WITH THAT TOO, IS THAT OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES, WHERE WE HAVE ABOUT 54 EMPLOYEES, IS 100% GRANT FUNDED. 
          THAT'S WHY WE DON'T PRESENT THE BUDGET FOR THAT DIVISION. 
          RIGHT. 
          UM, THE THING ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH MANAGEMENT, UH, WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO RECEIVE LOTS OF GRANTS. 
          COVID SPURRED ALL KINDS OF GRANTS THAT CAME INTO THE COUNTY. 
          SOME OF THOSE ARE EXPIRING. 
          SO WE FELT WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE THE MOMENTUM, AND WE'RE ASKING FOR THE FIRST TIME TO HAVE AN ACTUAL OPERATING BUDGET FOR OFFICE OF PUBLIC HEALTH. 
          NOW. 
          I THINK IT'S LONG OVERDUE. 
          YEAH. 
          IT'S EVEN GOOD TO SEE EV EVEN IF IT DOES KIND OF WASH OUT WITH THE GRANTS, UH, IT'S, IT'S GOOD TO SEE THE COST THERE. 
          I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH, FRANK. 
          THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. 
          VERY THOROUGH. 
          REVIEW COMMISSIONERS. 
          ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER MARY THOMAS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I DEFINITELY WANNA ECHO MR. MCINERNEY, UH, AFFIRMATION OF HOW IMPORTANT IT'S THAT WE HAVE OUR OWN BUDGET FOR PUBLIC HEALTH. 
          AND SO KUDOS TO YOU AND THE ENTIRE TEAM FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU AND EVERYONE ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT DOES. 
          IT'S A, A, A INQUIRY AROUND THE NURSING VACANCY AND ANY SYNERGIES THAT EXIST BETWEEN FILLING THOSE VACANCIES AND ESSEX COUNTY COLLEGE. 
          YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A REALLY STRONG NURSING PROGRAM THERE. 
          IS THAT A PARTNERSHIP 
          [01:15:01]
THAT TYPICALLY EXISTS OR IT CURRENTLY EXISTS? AND IF SO, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE AS FAR AS CREATING A PIPELINE BETWEEN OUR STUDENTS AND OUR, UH, PERSONNEL NEEDS THROUGH, SO, THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION BECAUSE WE DID START AN AFFILIATION WITH ESSEX COUNTY COLLEGE, BUT THEY STOPPED SENDING US STUDENTS. 
          THEY, THE AFFILIATION AGREEMENT, UM, WAS TO RENEW. 
          AND WE COULDN'T GET IN TOUCH WITH ANYONE TO RENEW THAT. 
          AND SO, UNFORTUNATELY WE DID HAVE TWO STUDENTS ON THAT. 
          WE HAD KEPT, WE ONBOARD UNTIL THEY GOT THEIR DEGREES. 
          AND THEY HAVE SINCE MOVED ON RECENTLY, THOUGH, JUST RECENTLY. 
          SO WE WILL FOLLOW UP AGAIN TO TRY TO GET, BECAUSE IT IS A GOOD, THEY HAVE A VERY GOOD NURSING PROGRAM THERE, AND IT IS A GOOD PIPELINE FOR US. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COMMISSIONER COOPER. 
          UH, THANK YOU. 
          UH, QUICK QUESTION, WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND. 
          WE'RE GONNA FRONT LOAD THE MONEY, MR. MCINERNEY, FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH PART, AND THEN WHEN THE GRANTS COME IN, IT'LL WASH OUT BECAUSE WE, WE HAVE TO . 
          YEAH. 
          UNLESS THEY COME IN SIMULTANEOUSLY. 
          I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW HOW, WHAT THE TIMING OF THAT IS, BUT, BUT AS LONG AS THEY'RE IN BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, UM, ONCE THEY'RE APPROVED, THEY'RE, THEY'RE PART OF THE BUDGET. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          THEN THEY BALANCE IT OUT. 
          UM, MR. DEL GARO, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU. 
          YOU GUYS DO INCREDIBLE WORK IN YOUR DEPARTMENT. 
          I KNOW LAST YEAR YOU HELPED ME WITH SOME ISSUES THAT I WAS HAVING WITH MY FAMILY FROM THE MENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVE. 
          I WAS CURIOUS, UM, AFTER WORKING WITH YOU, HOW DO PEOPLE FIND OUT ABOUT YOUR PROGRAMS? DID YOU GUYS HAVE SOME GREAT PROGRAMS THERE? AND WHEN YOU GO THROUGH A SITUATION, LIKE I'VE WENT THROUGH YOU, YOU KNOW, UH, I STRUGGLED TO FIND RESOURCES, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT REACHING OUT TO YOU, WELL, THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, UNFORTUNATELY, WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE, UM, WE DON'T DO MENTAL HEALTH SCREENING. 
          SO THE SERVICES ARE INPATIENT ONLY. 
          AND THE WAY THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY WORKS IS THAT THERE ARE SCREENING CENTERS THAT ARE LICENSED BY THE STATE THAT RECEIVE FUNDING TO DO MENTAL HEALTH SCREENING. 
          SO THE HOSPITALS IN ESSEX COUNTY, YOU HAVE CAR KAWELL, WHICH IS EAST ORANGE, NEWARK, BETH, CLARA MOSS, MOUNTAINSIDE AND UNIVERSITY. 
          SO WHAT THEY DO IS IF A PATIENT COMES INTO THE EMERGENCY ROOM, IF THEY'RE PICKED UP BY THE POLICE OR A FAMILY BRINGS THEM THERE, THEY'RE SCREENED. 
          AND THEN THEY'RE BROUGHT BEFORE A JUDGE IF THEY FEEL THEY NEED TO BE COMMITTED OR NEED FURTHER MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT. 
          SO WITHIN TWO OR THREE DAYS, THEY'RE BROUGHT BEFORE A JUDGE. 
          AND IF THEY'RE COMMITTED, THEY'RE THEN REFERRED TO OUR HOSPITAL FOR ONGOING TREATMENT. 
          SO WHAT HAPPENS IS, EVERY DAY WE SEE A REFERRAL LIST COMING FROM AND OUT OF COUNTIES TOO. 
          WE SEE THE REFERRALS COMING THROUGH, AND THEN OUR, UM, ADMISSIONS TEAM MEETS AND THEY GO THROUGH EVERY REFERRAL TO US. 
          SOME ARE NOT APPROPRIATE FOR OUR HOSPITAL, OTHERS. 
          AND THAT'S WHERE OUR PATIENT BASE COMES FROM. 
          SO WE DON'T ALLOW ANYONE TO WALK THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR. 
          THE STATE DOESN'T PERMIT IT. 
          WE WOULDN'T BE REIMBURSED FOR THOSE, ANYBODY WHO CAME THROUGH AND WE'D HAVE TO TURN THEM AWAY. 
          IT HAPPENS EVERY NOW AND THEN. 
          BUT WE WOULD SEND THEM TO THE SHORT TERM SCREENING FACILITIES. 
          SO THEY'RE REALLY, THEY'RE ONLY REIMBURSED FOR 30 DAYS IN THOSE SHORT TERM. 
          SO THEY HAVE TO DO A GOOD JOB TO GET THE PATIENT PLACED ONCE THEY'RE COMMITTED. 
          AND THEN THEY CAN ALSO COME VOLUNTARILY IF THEY'RE NOT COMMITTABLE AND THE PATIENT SAYS, HEY, I NEED FURTHER TREATMENT, THEY THEN CAN COME SIGN VOLUNTARY PAPERWORK AND COME TO US THAT WAY TOO. 
          SO I WANNA MAKE SURE I, UM, CAN YOU REPEAT THOSE REFERRAL POINTS? I KNOW YOU SAID KAWELL HOSPITAL, KAWELL, NEWARK, BETH MOUNTAINSIDE, CLARA MAAS, AND UNIVERSITY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COMMISSIONERS. 
          ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SEE NONE. 
          EXCELLENT JOB. 
          I KNOW, UH, YOU GUYS COME OFTEN AND YOU DO EXCELLENT WORK AND ARGUABLY ONE OF THE TOUGHEST BUSINESSES AROUND. 
          SO I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE EXCELLENT WORK THAT YOU AND THE SERVICES THAT YOU PROVIDE. 
          AND BEFORE YOU GO MY, UH, YOU'RE IN THE PROCESS OF ACCREDITATION, CAN YOU JUST GIVE US AN UPDATE ON, UH, YES. 
          SO FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, NURSE, UH, FOR SUPPORTING THE, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH INITIATIVE. 
          UM, JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, WANTED SAY, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED HERE, UM, WE WERE A, UH, VERY SMALL SOLID WASTE MAN, SOLID WASTE, UH, ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. 
          WE HAVE NOW BECOME THE COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AGENCY AS CONTRACT SECURITY MESSAGE FOR NJ D. 
          YOUR COMPUTER HAS BEEN LOCKED UP. 
          EXCUSE ME ONE SECOND. 
          HOLD ON. 
          ADDRESS WITHOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE FOR CONSENT TO VISIT WEBSITES THAT CONTAINS IDENTITY THEFT. 
          SORRY, I CAN'T SHUT, APPARENTLY FRANK'S GETTING HACKED RIGHT NOW. 
          WE, CARL, ARE YOU ON THIS? I HAD TO SHUT DOWN. 
          WE HAVE ALSO, IT, IT'S A SCAM. 
          THAT'S WHAT IT'S, IT'S A SCAM. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          HOLD ON. 
          WE HAVE ALSO BECOME, UH, THE, UH, LEADING PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY RESPONSE ENTITY. 
          WE HAVE BECOME THE CO-CHAIR FOR THE UI, UH, REGION, UH, WHICH MEANS, WHICH IS SEVEN COUNTIES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED AS HIGH RISK AREAS. 
          SO WE SERVE ON THAT. 
          [01:20:01]
UH, LAST WEEK. 
          UH, ROBERT JACKSON, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PARTICIPATING. 
          UH, WE HAD OUR FINAL, UH, FAB ACCREDITATION, WHICH IS THE PUBLIC HEALTH ACCREDITATION BOARD. 
          AND WHAT THAT SAYS IS ESSEX COUNTY WILL BE DELIVERING WORLD CLASS SERVICES. 
          WE WILL BE A NATIONALLY ACCREDITED HEALTH DEPARTMENT. 
          UH, WE WILL BE ONE OF THE FIRST IN THE NORTHERN AREA, WHICH KIND OF LOOKS LIKE WE DO. 
          OTHER THAN THAT, WE'LL BE THE THIRD COUNTY IN THE STATE TO BE ACCREDITED. 
          UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. 
          ON TOP OF IT, WE HAVE BECOME A, UH, FIRST COUNTYWIDE, UH, IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY ACADEMIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WHICH MEANS WE'RE TEACHING HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR THE NEXT, UH, GENERATION OF WORKFORCE IN PUBLIC HEALTH. 
          UH, WE ALSO JUST, UH, OUR SECOND MOBILE UNIT, THANKS TO OUR COMMISSIONERS, BECAME A FULL FLEDGED MEDICAL FACILITY. 
          WE JUST WENT THROUGH STATE LICENSING YESTERDAY. 
          WE JUST GOT APPROVAL YESTERDAY FOR THAT AS WELL. 
          EXCELLENT. 
          WE'LL BE ABLE TO, UH, PROVIDE, UH, FULL PEDIATRIC, UH, PHYSICALS FOR CHILDREN WHO ARE UNINSURED. 
          WE ALSO ARE THE ONLY MOBILE, UH, VACCINE FOR CHILDREN PROGRAM IN THE STATE. 
          UH, WHICH MEANS WE GIVE VACCINES FOR CHILDREN WHO DON'T HAVE INSURANCE. 
          WE'RE ABLE TO ACTUALLY GO TO WHERE THEY ARE. 
          WE FUNCTION THREE TIMES, UH, A MONTH AT OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS IN ESSEX COUNTY. 
          UH, THIS STAFF THAT DOES THIS IS THE ONES THAT YOU GUYS ARE SUPPORTING. 
          THEY'RE AN INCREDIBLE GROUP OF PEOPLE. 
          THEY'RE THE ONES THAT TOOK THAT SMALL FLEDGLING DEPARTMENT OF A FEW PEOPLE OUTTA WHAT IT IS NOW. 
          AND IT IS RECOGNIZED FULLY BY THE STATE, IF NOT NATIONALLY. 
          SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND EVERY TIME THAT I COME UP HERE, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH TO OUR ADMINISTRATION AS WELL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WE'RE GLAD. 
          UH, IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT NUMBERS TODAY FOR SURE. 
          SO WE THANK YOU FOR SHARING THOSE VERY IMPORTANT UPDATES. 
          I KNOW WE, WE ALL KIND OF KEEP TRACK OF IT, RIGHT? BECAUSE ESPECIALLY SINCE THE, UH, PANDEMIC, WE'VE BEEN MUCH MORE IN TUNE WITH PUBLIC HEALTH THAN WHAT ESSEX COUNTY HAS TO PROVIDE. 
          AND CERTAINLY WE HAVE BEEN A LEADER THANKS IN GREAT PART TO FOLKS LIKE YOURSELF AND THE PEOPLE YOU WORK WITH. 
          SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          ALRIGHT, LET'S, UH, MOVE ON. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YOU'RE OFF THE HOOK, MR. JACKSON? YEP. 
          WE'RE MOVING RIGHT ALONG. 
          WE'RE A LITTLE EARLY. 
          SO WHAT, WHO CAN WE BRING UP NEXT? UH, DIRECTOR RAMOS, UH, DEPARTMENT OF CITY SERVICES. 
          EXCELLENT. 
          THAT WOULD BE, UH, TAB EIGHT, PAGE 1 0 4. 
          OKAY. 
          8 1 0 4. 
          GOOD EVENING DIRECTORS. 
          GOOD TO SEE YOU. 
          WHEN YOU'RE SETTLED DOWN, PLEASE JUST INTRODUCE YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD AND YOUR AFFILIATION AND JUST GIVE US AN OVERALL OF YOUR VERY, VERY LARGE RESPONSIBILITIES HERE WITH ALL THESE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          GOOD EVENING, UH, COMMISSIONER, PRESIDENT, UH, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. 
          UH, MY NAME IS VAL UH, RAMOS JR. 
          AND I HAVE THE HONOR OF SERVING AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CITIZEN SERVICES. 
          OUR DEPARTMENT IS MADE UP OF, UH, SIX DIFFERENT DIVISIONS. 
          UH, FOR THE PURPOSES OF TODAY'S, UH, CONVERSATION, WE WILL BE DISCUSSING THE COUNTY FUNDED, UH, PORTION OF OUR DEPARTMENT, WHICH INCLUDES THE DIVISION OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS, OUR JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER. 
          UH, WE HAVE A FEW SMALLER FUNCTIONS THAT ARE CONNECTED TO OUR DEPARTMENT. 
          UH, THE OFFICE OF CONSUMER SERVICES, WHICH PRIMARILY, UH, UH, INCLUDES THE, UH, WEIGHTS AND MEASURES RESPONSIBILITY. 
          THE COUNTY HAS INDIGENT BURIALS, UH, WHICH AGAIN FALLS WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT. 
          WE HAVE A REQUIRED, UH, COUNTY FUNDED MATCH FOR OUR MOSTLY, UH, GRANT FUNDED DIVISION OF SENIOR SERVICES. 
          AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR, UH, WHICH IS A SMALL OFFICE, UH, UH, THAT, THAT REPORTS TO ME, WHICH SUPPORTS, UH, THE SIX DIFFERENT DIVISIONS THAT MAKE UP OUR DEPARTMENT. 
          YOU KNOW, SO AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN IT UP, UH, FOR ANY QUESTIONS AND AS WE GO THROUGH THE CONVERSATION REGARDING THE VARIOUS DIVISIONS, I CAN PROVIDE SOME HIGHLIGHTS, UH, FROM FROM 2025, UH, IF YOU ALL, UH, WANT US TO. 
          SOUNDS GOOD. 
          THANK YOU, MR. ARY. 
          WHY DON'T WE BEGIN? OKAY. 
          SO, UM, I'M GONNA START WITH THE MORE SIMPLE ONES. 
          WHEN I GET TO THE PAYROLL ENABLERS, SO MANY SUBDIVISIONS THAT RUN THROUGH THE PAYROLL SYSTEM, AND IT'S JUST BEAR WITH ME AS YOU GO THROUGH. 
          I HAVE SHEETS. 
          YES. 
          WELL, I'M NOT GONNA ONE, SO I'M, LISTEN, I I'M NOT GONNA GO THERE. 
          UH, BECAUSE A LOT OF THAT IS REIMBURSABLE. 
          I'M GONNA LOOK AT THE DEPARTMENTS THAT, YOU KNOW, I HAVE MY ARMS AROUND HERE AND BE ABLE TO MAKE SENSE OF THAT. 
          IT'S JUST VERY DIFFICULT TO, UH, INCLUDE ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS YES. 
          INTO ONE SCHEDULE. 
          SO, UH, LET'S LOOK AT OFFICE OF DIRECTOR. 
          UM, THERE'S NO CHANGE IN OTHER EXPENSES. 
          UM, THERE IS, UH, YOU KNOW, A DECREASE HERE OF, UH, OF, OF POSITIONS AND OBVIOUSLY A DECREASE IN SALARIES. 
          WAGES WENT FROM 10 POSITIONS LAST YEAR TO EIGHT POSITIONS THIS YEAR. 
          UM, DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT WHAT WAS ELIMINATED? YEAH. 
          AND, AND, AND AGAIN, THE OFFICE OF 
          [01:25:01]
THE DIRECTOR INCLUDES OBVIOUSLY MYSELF. 
          UM, A PERSON WHO'S IDENTIFIED AS A SUPER SUPERVISOR, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES, ACTUALLY OUR NEWLY APPOINTED DEPUTY DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR WHO'S ON VACATION AND IS NOT HERE. 
          UM, MY, MY CFO WHO, WHO WORKS ON A PART-TIME BASIS, NOT HERE 'CAUSE HE HAS THE FLU. 
          UM, AND, AND, AND SOME OF THESE FOLKS FOR, FOR THE MOST PART, ARE OFFSET BY GRANTS BECAUSE THEY DO SPEND A LOT OF TIME SUPPORTING A NUMBER OF DIVISIONS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT. 
          UH, LIKE THE DIVISION OF TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT, DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. 
          SO WE'RE ABLE TO TRACK THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT PERSONNEL THAT'S ASSIGNED TO THE OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR, FA UH, UH, THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THEY SPEND WITH THESE DIFFERENT DIVISIONS. 
          AND INSTEAD OF CHARGING THE COUNTY A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THEIR ACTUAL, UH, SALARY AND WAGES, WE'RE ABLE TO OFFSET A BIG PORTION OF THAT TO, TO THE GRANTS. 
          THERE'S, THERE'S A LITTLE DECREASE. 
          THERE'S A DECREASE IN THE GRANT FUNDING, UH, FROM 2025 TO 2026, UH, IN THIS DEPARTMENT FROM 123,000 TO 19. 
          I, I, I IS THAT JUST TIMING WITH THAT THE GRANT DIDN'T COME IN YET OR DIDN'T GET APPROVED? YEAH, I, I, I WOULD HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK THAT BECAUSE, UM, SOME OF THE PERSONNEL, LIKE AL FUSCO, FOR EXAMPLE, YEAH, HE SPENDS A LOT OF TIME OVER THE DIVISION AND TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT. 
          SO, SO MOST OF HIS SALARY ACTUALLY SHOULD BE OFFSET, UH, BECAUSE IT SHOULD BE COVERED BY THAT PARTICULAR DIVISION. 
          SO I'M NOT SURE WHY THIS DISCREPANCY IS HERE. 
          UH, SAME THING WITH, UM, UM, UH, MS. VALLEJO. 
          SHE SPENDS MOST OF HER TIME SUPPORTING OUR DIVISION OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS, AND ACTUALLY OUR DEPUTY DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, UH, RIGHT NOW SPENDS A LOT OF HIS TIME SUPPORTING THAT DIVISION AS WELL. 
          SO WE'RE ABLE TO CHARGE BACK, UH, SOME OF THESE HIGHER SALARY POSITIONS TO, TO THE GRANTS OR PARTIALLY GRANT FUNDED DIVISIONS. 
          BUT, BUT I'LL, I'LL COME BACK TO YOU ALL WITH A, UH, REVISED PROJECTION AS FAR AS HOW MUCH WE CAN OFFSET TO GRANTS. 
          UH, THE DFAB, UH, CHARGEBACK, YOU KNOW, THAT IS PARTIALLY GRANT FUNDED. 
          YEAH, I JUST WANT TO NOTE THAT. 
          BUT, BUT AS FAR AS THE, UH, POSITIONS THAT ARE CHARGED BACK A HUNDRED PERCENT TO THE GRANTS, I THINK THE 19,000 IS A, A LOW PROJECTION. 
          SO I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT NUMBER GOT IN THERE. 
          I'LL, I'LL DOUBLE CHECK WITH CARLOS AND DEFINITELY GET BACK TO THE BA SO THAT HE CAN SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU. 
          BUT, BUT YOU DID, YOU DID DROP TWO POSITIONS OR DID YOU, DID YOU MOVE, DID YOU MOVE THOSE ELSEWHERE? UM, YEAH. 
          UH, ONE OF THE POSITION COORDINATOR OF MAINTENANCE SERVICES IS, IS REGGIE GEORGE, WHO, UH, MANAGES THE PHYSICAL PLANT OVER AT 3 23 21 UNIVERSITY AVENUE. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO HE'S NOW FUNDED, UH, BUDGETED THROUGH DFA. 
          OKAY. 
          'CAUSE HE'S NO LONGER OUT OF THE OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR. 
          AND, UM, I, I BELIEVE THE PERSON WHO WAS CHARGED AS A COMMUNITY SERVICE AIDE, UH, WAS ON ANOTHER CIVIL SERVICE LIST AND ENDED UP TRANSFERRING OUT TO ONE OF OUR DIVISIONS BECAUSE THEY WERE ABLE TO TEST INTO ANOTHER POSITION. 
          AND WE, WE DIDN'T FEEL WE HAD TO BACKFILL. 
          AND, AND I BELIEVE TWO OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE CHARGED TO THE OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR DON'T NECESSARILY WORK IN OUR COMPLEX, BUT WORK WITH US. 
          THAT'S THE, UM, UH, MR. BLEDSO WHO WORKS OUT OF THE COUNTY, UH, ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE AND THE DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF MR. PAYNE AS WELL. 
          AND PART OF THAT GETS CHARGED OUT OF YOURS. 
          YOU'RE SAYING IT'S ALL, IT'S ALL ON THE COUNTY BUDGET, RIGHT? RIGHT. 
          CORRECT. 
          SO, OKAY. 
          ON, UH, CONSUMER AND CONSTITUENTS SERVICES, UM, THERE'S ACTUALLY, UH, THERE'S REALLY GRANTS HERE THAT, THAT ARE DIFFERENT AND A CHARGE TO, I'M, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THIS WAS THE W AND M TRUST FUND THAT WAS THERE LAST YEAR TOO, BUT I'M, YEAH, THAT, THAT, THAT THAT'S, UH, PART OF THE REVENUE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO, TO, TO GENERATE THROUGH WAYS AND MEASURES. 
          UH, WE USE PART OF THAT, UM, OKAY. 
          TRUST FUND TO OFFSET, UH, THE COST OF SALARY AND WAGES. 
          I, I JUST WANT TO STATE FOR THE RECORD, AND I'M, I'M ALWAYS VERY UPFRONT AND HONEST THAT THAT 2025 WAS NOT A GOOD YEAR FOR US AS FAR AS REVENUE COLLECTION FOR WEIGHTS AND MEASURES COMPARED TO OTHER YEARS. 
          UH, OUR SUPERINTENDENT BEEN WITH THE COUNTY 25 PLUS YEARS. 
          UH, MR. TURKO RETIRED. 
          SO IT TOOK US A PERIOD OF TIME IN ORDER TO GET ONE OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS TO, TO GET CREDENTIALED TO BECOME THE SUPERINTENDENT. 
          I ALSO MADE THE DECISION TO BRING BACK OUR, OUR SUPERINTENDENT ON A PART-TIME BASIS AT THE END OF LAST YEAR TO ASSIST THE RELATIVELY YOUNG TEAM, UH, THAT'S IN THAT OFFICE. 
          UH, REVENUE COLLECTION IS NOT OUR GOAL, RIGHT? LIKE, WE'RE, WE'RE THERE TO SERVE RESIDENTS. 
          WE'RE NOT TRYING TO PENALIZE BUSINESSES. 
          AND, AND I BELIEVE THAT THE NUMBER OF INSPECTIONS LAST YEAR WAS, WAS A DECREASE OVER PREVIOUS YEARS, BUT IT WASN'T A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE. 
          SO, SO THAT HOPEFULLY TELLS US THAT THE BUSINESSES ARE DOING A BETTER JOB OF, 
          [01:30:01]
OF PROVIDING GOODS AND SERVICES THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE, AS OPPOSED TO, UM, HAVING VIOLATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED. 
          BUT, UH, LOSING MR. TURKO DEFINITELY IMPACTED OUR OPERATION, BUT I THINK WE'RE IN A POINT NOW WHERE WE HAVE, UH, THE TEAM THERE TRAINED AND CERTIFIED, AND WE HAVE ACCESS TO LEWIS A FEW HOURS A MONTH. 
          AND, AND THEN THERE WAS A GRANT YOU RECEIVED THIS YEAR AS WELL, THAT WASN'T THERE LAST YEAR. 
          THAT WAS SOMETHING NEW. 
          YEAH. 
          THE, THE DIRECTOR THERE, UH, WHAT WHAT HAPPENS IS THE DIVISION OF COMMUNITY ACTION, WE, WE, WE HAVE A REQUIRED MATCH FOR THAT DIVISION. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO WHAT WE DO IS WE BUDGET THE DIVISION DIRECTOR THERE WHO HAPPENS TO BE TERRENCE MCCOY. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND, AND HIS ENTIRE SALARY SHOULD BE OFFSET BY GRANTS BECAUSE RIGHT NOW HE'S COVERING NOT ONLY THE DIVISION OF COMMUNITY ACTION, BUT HE'S ASSISTING US WITH SENIOR SERVICES. 
          SO THAT PROJECTION AS FAR AS CHARGE TO GRANT WILL GO UP BECAUSE OF THAT RECENT APPOINTMENT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, WE LOOK AT FAMILY ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS, AND I GOTTA BE HONEST, THIS IS QUITE A BIG, YOU KNOW, BIG BUDGET HERE. 
          UM, REALLY THE BULK OF, OF YOUR OPERATION. 
          UM, THERE'S, UM, YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY WE USUALLY SEE A LOT OF VACANCIES HERE. 
          UM, I DIDN'T GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADD UP THE 800 SOME ODD, UH, POSITIONS HERE THAT ARE BUDGETED, BUT IT'S ONLY SHOWING THAT 835 POSITIONS ARE RECOMMENDED AND, UH, ADOPT POSITION 8 33. 
          WHAT, WHAT ARE, I MEAN, TYPICALLY THIS, YOU HAVE A LOT OF VACANCIES HERE. 
          YEAH. 
          I MEAN, CURRENTLY WE HAVE 82 VACANCIES, RIGHT. 
          BASED ON THE LATEST POSITION CONTROL REPORT. 
          UM, WITH THE, THANKS TO THE SUPPORT OF THE ADMINISTRATION, WE, WE, WE ARE, WE'RE CONSTANTLY HIRING, RIGHT? RIGHT. 
          AND OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD SOME ISSUES BECAUSE CIVIL SERVICE HAS NOT CONSISTENTLY CALLED EXAMINATIONS FOR, LET'S SAY, THE FAMILY SERVICE WORKER TITLE, WHICH IS THE TITLE THAT WE UTILIZE TO PROVIDE A LOT OF THE INCOME ELIGIBILITY AND BENEFITS ELIGIBILITY. 
          UH, WE'VE, WE'VE WORKED WITH THE STATE, THEY'VE ASKED US TO CONSIDER USING SOME OTHER TITLES LIKE A FAMILY SERVICE TRAINEE, UH, CLIENT SERVICES REP. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING TO HIRE, IT'S AN ORGANIZATION THAT UNFORTUNATELY WITH 830 EMPLOYEES, YOU'RE ALWAYS GONNA HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF VACANCIES. 
          WE GET RETIREMENTS, UH, ON A REGULAR BASIS. 
          UH, BUT I, BUT I HAVE TO REPORT TO THE BOARD THAT, THAT ALL OUR INDICATORS ON, ON THE DFA SIDE ARE, ARE VERY STRONG. 
          RIGHT NOW. 
          OUR TIMELINESS AS OF THE, THE FIRST WEEK IN FEBRUARY IS THE BEST THAT IT'S BEEN SINCE THE PRE COVID NUMBERS WE'RE OVER 90 PERCENTILE AS FAR AS SNAP TIMELINESS, OUR MEDICAID AND A BD NUMBERS ARE, ARE AMONGST THE STRONGEST IN THE STATE. 
          AND, AND MEDICAID WAS ALWAYS AN AREA WHERE WE STRUGGLED WITH BACKLOG BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY INDIVIDUALS IN THIS COUNTY THAT RECEIVE HEALTH INSURANCE, UH, THROUGH MEDICAID. 
          AND, UH, CURRENTLY, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, THE, THE STATE RECOGNIZES THAT ESSEX COUNTY AS ONE OF THE STRONGEST COUNTIES, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, PROCESSING MEDICAID APPLICATIONS TIMELY. 
          UH, AND, AND A BD HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF OUR BEST AREAS. 
          AND, AND THE LONG LINES LEADING UP TO, UH, OUR COUNTY WELFARE OFFICE, UH, HOPEFULLY ARE THING OF THE PAST. 
          WE HAVE KIOSKS THAT ARE NOW SET UP AT, AT OUR, UH, WAITING AREAS AT BOTH 50 SOUTH CLINTON STREET AND, UH, UNIVERSITY AVENUE. 
          AND WE'RE ABLE TO, TO GET RESIDENTS IN AND OUT MORE EXPEDITIOUSLY. 
          IT'S, IT'S NOT PERFECT. 
          RIGHT. 
          WE STILL DEAL WITH COMPLAINTS. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE WHEN I GET CALLS, UH, EMAILS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TRY TO DO OUR BEST TO GET BACK TO RESIDENTS, UH, AS, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. 
          ONE OF THE, UH, ITEMS IN THE, UH, IN THIS BUDGET IS SALARY SAVINGS OF NEARLY $2 MILLION. 
          UM, TYPICALLY WHAT I'M FINDING OUT FROM SOME OF THE LARGER DEPARTMENTS IS THAT THERE'S A, UH, A TENDENCY FOR EMPLOYEES TO, UM, NOT COME TO WORK AT TIMES WHERE WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT VACATION, UH, REQUESTS, OR WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT SICK LEAVE REQUESTS. 
          WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, I JUST DON'T SHOW UP. 
          AND SO MY, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW ENDEMIC IT IS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, BUT I KNOW IN THE LARGER DEPARTMENTS, I'VE SEEN SIMILAR NUMBERS, VERY LARGE NUMBERS THAT, UM, ARE A RESULT OF THIS. 
          UH, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA CALL AN ATTITUDE OR, OR PRACTICE. 
          UH, ARE YOU EXPERIENCING THAT AS WELL IN, IN YOUR DEPARTMENT, UH, UH, THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT? I MEAN, THE, THE ISSUE OF SALARY SAVINGS IS, ESPECIALLY IN A DIVISION AS LARGE AS, UH, DFA AND A LOT OF IT'S ATTRIBUTED TO, TO VACANCIES THAT WE CARRY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. 
          RIGHT. 
          BUT, BUT YOU BRING UP A, A VERY 
          [01:35:01]
IMPORTANT POINT IS THAT WE DO HAVE STAFF MEMBERS THAT SOMETIMES RUN OUT OF AC CREW TIME. 
          UH, AND, AND BECAUSE THEY NO LONGER HAVE TIME ON THE BOOKS, THEY'RE, THEY'RE DOCKINGS RIGHT? THEY'RE DOCKED, ESSENTIALLY FOR PAY. 
          SO PART OF THAT, UH, OVERALL SALARY, SALARY SAVINGS NUMBER IS GENERATED BECAUSE OF THESE DOCKINGS. 
          AND WITH AN ORGANIZATION, OR WITH OVER 760 EMPLOYEES THAT ARE ON THE ACTIVE PAYROLL, YOU WILL GENERATE, UH, SALARY SAVINGS BECAUSE OF INDIVIDUALS WHO'VE MAXED OUT ON THEIR ACCRUED TIME AND, AND STILL CALL OUT OR, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE NOT IN AN APPROVED LEAVE OF ABSENCE, UNFORTUNATELY. 
          SO, I MEAN, WHEN, WHEN YOU LOOK OVERALL ON, ON THE SALARIES AND WAGES FOR FAMILY ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS, UM, THERE'S 64,639,000 THAT ARE, THAT'S BUDGETED FOR THE 2026, UH, YEAR AT, WHICH IS, UH, TWO POINT, UH, I CAN'T READ THAT NUMBER. 
          $2.8 MILLION MORE THAN, THAN THE, THAN THE PRIOR YEAR. 
          UM, AND THAT TAKES IT INTO CONSIDERATION, THE SALARY SAVINGS AND, AND THE CHARGE OFFS THAT, THAT YOU DISCUSSED. 
          UM, I THINK A LOT OF THAT, UM, TOO HAS TO DO WITH, I, I THINK, WELL, LAST YEAR THERE WERE CONTRACT RESERVES THAT YOU HAD TO BUDGET FOR. 
          THOSE ARE NOW ALL IN THE, UH, IN THE SALARIES AND WAGES. 
          BUT THAT'S, THAT'S A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE. 
          BUT A 5% INCREASE OVERALL, MAYBE IT'S NOT SO SIGNIFICANT BASED ON THE NUMBER, BUT TYPICALLY EVEN GIVEN THE SALARY SAVINGS THAT'S BUDGETED FOR, YOU TYPICALLY DON'T, UH, SPEND OR ALL OF YOUR, ALL OF YOUR, UH, SALARIES AND WAGES THAT, THAT GETS TO THE POINT OF THE REIMBURSEMENT NUMBER AND ALL OF THAT. 
          UM, MAYBE YOU COULD EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT TOO. 
          UM, WE JUST HAD HEALTH AND REHAB IN HERE THAT GAVE US SOME IDEAS THAT GAVE THE COMMISSIONER SOME IDEA HOW THAT, HOW THAT WORKS. 
          BUT YOU, YOU, YOU GET REIMBURSED FOR A LARGE PART OF, OF THIS BUDGET. 
          SO IF, UM, IF YOU ARE SPENDING MORE, THE THEORY IS THAT YOU ARE BEING REIMBURSED MORE. 
          IS THAT A FAIR THING TO SAY? UH, UH, THROUGH YOU, MR. CHAIR? YES. 
          I MEAN, WE, WE DO GET, UM, AN AVERAGE LEVEL REIMBURSEMENT BETWEEN 55 AND 60%. 
          UH, SOME PROGRAM AREAS OF REIMBURSEMENT LEVEL IS HIGHER, LIKE CHILD SUPPORT, UH, REIMBURSEMENT RATE IS HIGHER THAN YOUR, UH, TRADITIONAL WELFARE PROGRAMS. UH, UH, THERE, THERE, THERE WILL BE A SHIFT, UM, AT THE END OF THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT ARE HAPPENING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, THE SNAP PROGRAM, WHICH IS A FEDERAL ENTITLEMENT PROGRAM. 
          UH, THE ADMIN, FOR THE MOST PART, UH, UH, A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF IT HAS BEEN COVERED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. 
          AND, AND STARTING THE LAST QUARTER, UH, OF THIS YEAR, THAT PART OF THOSE, UH, COSTS ARE GONNA BE SHIFTED BACK TO THE STATES. 
          AND, AND IN MANY INSTANCES, SOME OF THAT COULD BE SHIFTED TO THE LOCAL AREAS, MEANING THE COUNTIES. 
          SO, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S, THAT WE ANTICIPATE WILL, COULD BE A CHALLENGE FOR US, UH, ALONG WITH THE ISSUES OF, UM, YOU KNOW, WORK REQUIREMENTS NOW BEING MANDATORY FOR SNAP RECIPIENTS. 
          AND THEN FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE RECEIVING MEDICAID, YOU KNOW, THEY TYPICALLY HAVE TO RECERTIFY ONCE A YEAR. 
          A VERY CUMBERSOME PROCESS. 
          YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN THROUGH IT PERSONALLY WITH MY FATHER. 
          YOU KNOW, A LOT OF US HERE HAVE BEEN THROUGH IT WITH OUR LOVED ONES. 
          THAT'S, THAT CERTIFICATION PROCESS STARTING NEXT YEAR IS GONNA BE REQUIRED TWICE A YEAR. 
          SO, SO THAT'S GONNA BE A BIG CHANGE FOR US AS WELL. 
          IT'S GONNA BE A BIG CHALLENGE FOR YOUR STAFF. 
          YES. 
          AND WE'RE, WE, WE HAVE A MEETING WITH THE, OUR STATE FOLKS ON FRIDAY. 
          WE'VE BEEN PLANNING THIS PROCESS OUT. 
          UM, BUT JUST TO GO BACK TO YOUR ORIGINAL POINT, UH, UH, ABOUT 55 TO 58% OF THE DFAB BUDGET IS REIMBURSABLE. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, THIS HAS TO BE YOUR, YOUR WELFARE BUDGET HAS TO BE APPROVED BY THE STATE, CORRECT? THROUGH YOU, THROUGH YOU, MR. CHAIR. 
          YES. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          SO HAS, HAS THAT BEEN DONE YET? HAVE YOU RECEIVED THE STATE APPROVAL, UH, THROUGH YOU, MR. CHAIR? YES. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, SENIOR SERVICES, THERE'S REALLY VERY LITTLE CHANGE FROM THE PRIOR YEAR. 
          UH, VERY SMALL AMOUNTS. 
          LET ME JUST CATCH UP. 
          AND THEN, UH, I'M, I'M SKIPPING RIGHT OVER TO YOUTH SERVICES. 
          UM, AND THIS TOO IS, IS AN AREA WHERE I HEAR, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT ISSUE ABOUT, UM, UH, NON-PAID LEAVE OR, UH, IS, YOU KNOW, IS ALSO AN ISSUE. 
          I, I LOOKED AT, UM, SOME OF THE SALARIES IN THIS DEPARTMENT, AND THEY DO START OFF LOW, BUT THEY DO, YOU KNOW, AS YOU STAY, SOME OF THOSE SALARIES DO, DO INCREASE. 
          SO, UM, WHAT, WHERE ARE YOU NOW WITH REGARD TO HAVING 
          [01:40:01]
ENOUGH, UM, UH, JUVENILE OFFICERS TO, YOU KNOW, TO TAKE CARE OF THE POPULATION THAT NOW EXISTED? AND IF YOU MIGHT, WHAT, WHAT IS THAT POPULATION, UH, THROUGH, THROUGH YOU, MR. CHAIR? I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M PLEASED TO, UH, I HAVE OUR, UH, I DON'T WANT TO CALL HIM NEWLY MINTED 'CAUSE HE IS BEEN ON BOARD WITH US FOR A LONG, FOR A WHILE. 
          UH, DIRECTOR TODD BIFF HERE REPRESENTING THE JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER. 
          AND, AND I JUST WANNA STAY FROM MY PERSPECTIVE AND I WANNA THANK THE ADMINISTRATION, UH, BECAUSE I FEEL THAT WE HAVE PROBABLY, UH, THE LARGEST COMPLIMENT OF, UH, JUVENILE DETENTION OFFICERS THAT WE'VE SEEN IN A LONG TIME. 
          WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING FROM ORGANIZED JOB FAIRS, UH, AT 50 SOUTH CLINTON STREET, UH, TO REACH OUT TO, UM, YOU KNOW, CORRECTIONS, WHENEVER THEY HAVE ENDED IT IN THE ACADEMY THAT MAY NOT HAVE, UH, MADE IT OVER TO THE ADULT, THE ADULT SIDE. 
          SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'VE TAKEN ON A WHOLE BUNCH OF STRATEGIES IN ORDER TO ENABLE US TO RECRUIT MORE JUVENILE DETENTION OFFICERS. 
          AND IT'S A, IT'S A PRETTY DIFFICULT JOB TO RECRUIT FOR BECAUSE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT NOW, PEOPLE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS FROM LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS, UH, TO SHERIFFS TO CORRECTIONS, WHICH TEND, TEND TO BE A LITTLE MORE ATTRACTIVE OPTIONS AS OPPOSED TO BEING A JUVENILE OFFICER. 
          BUT, UM, THANKS TO THE SUPPORT OF THE ADMINISTRATION, WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN WE'VE BEEN IN THE PAST. 
          AND I, I'LL ASK TODD TO ANSWER ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, UH, ON THE FACILITY, AND I'LL PITCH IN, IF ANYTHING. 
          WELL, WELL, IF YOU COULD JUST GIVE US A RUNDOWN. 
          I MEAN, THAT, THAT IS, THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE THAT'S BEEN THE BIGGEST PROBLEM, UH, AT THE, UH, AT THE JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER IS, IS TRAINING NOT ONLY, UH, HIRING, BUT TRAINING AND, AND, AND KEEPING, UH, JUVENILE OFFICERS ON, ON THE PAYROLL. 
          SO IF YOU WANT TO JUST EXPAND ON THAT, FEEL FREE TO DO SO. 
          UH, GOOD EVENING, MR. CHAIR. 
          UH, CURRENTLY WE HAVE, UH, JUST IDENTIFY YOURSELF. 
          UH, GOOD EVENING. 
          UH, TOP  DIRECTOR AS THIS COUNTY JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER, MR. CHAIR. 
          CURRENTLY WE HAVE, UH, 122 UNIFORM STAFF MEMBERS THAT ARE, UH, WORKING AT THE DETENTION CENTER. 
          WE HAVE, UH, 10 CURRENT VACANCIES. 
          UM, WE ARE ACTIVELY RECRUITING AND HIRING. 
          UM, UNFORTUNATELY THERE ARE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES RIGHT NOW. 
          SO WE ACTUALLY, UH, HAVE OFFICERS WHO WILL BE RECRUIT BY, UH, LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. 
          SO, UM, THE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES OFFER A HIGHER PAY AND SOMETIMES BENEFIT BENEFITS. 
          SO THE YOUNGER OFFICERS, UH, TEND TO LEAVE AFTER, UM, A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. 
          BUT WE ARE REPLACING THEM, UH, ON A, ON A REGULAR BASIS. 
          MR. BAR, I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO BRING THE MICROPHONE A LITTLE BIT CLOSER. 
          OKAY. 
          JUST SO THAT WHEN THEY DO THE TRANSCRIBING, THEY DON'T GET UPSET AT US FOR NOT HAVING THE MICROPHONE CLOSER. 
          YES, SIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO, AS OF TODAY, UH, OUR FACILITY COUNT IS 95. 
          WE HAVE RESIDENTS FROM CUMBERLAND, ESSEX, HUDSON, MERCER, PASSAIC UNION, AND, UH, THE US MARSHAL SERVICE. 
          I, I THINK TOO THAT, THAT THE STATE, WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION WITH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, MYSELF AND THE PRESIDENT LAST YEAR. 
          THERE WAS DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE RECOGNITION OF THE STATE THAT REALLY, UH, ESS COUNTY'S DETENTION CENTER IS BECOMING MORE OF A, A STATE DETENTION CENTER IN THE SENSE THAT EVERYBODY FROM THE STATE SEEMS TO BE, YOU KNOW, WINDS UP IN OUR FACILITY. 
          AND SO I THINK THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS YEAR, BECAUSE WE SAW A LARGE REVENUE ITEM FROM THE STATE WITH REGARD TO, UH, OUR DETENTION CENTER. 
          IT'S A $20 MILLION ANTICIPATION, WHICH OBVIOUSLY WASN'T THERE LAST YEAR. 
          SO, UM, I, I DON'T, I IMAGINE THAT TOOK A LOT OF, UH, A, A LOT OF, UH, EFFORT AND NUDGING TO GET, UH, THE STATE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. 
          'CAUSE WE DISCUSSED, THIS WAS DISCUSSED LAST YEAR, I'M SURE IT'S BEEN DISCUSSED EVEN BEFORE THAT, TO GET THE STATE TO RECOGNIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, ESSEX COUNTY CARRIES THE, UH, THE WEIGHT OF A, A LOT OF THE COUNTIES IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY. 
          AND SO, UM, UH, IT WAS NICE TO SEE THAT ITEM IN, IN, UH, IN, UH, YOU KNOW, REVENUES THIS YEAR. 
          UM, YOU SAID YOU HAD 121 OFFICERS, THERE'S 132 BUDGETED. 
          SO IF YOU ONLY HAVE 11 VACANCIES, THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST RECORDS THAT I'VE SEEN IN A WHILE. 
          YES. 
          UM, AND THAT'S, IT'S ALSO, UM, ARE ALL OF THEM TRAINED? UH, DO THEY ALL HAVE TRAINING OR ARE THEY IN, SO ALL OF OUR OFFICERS, UM, WHEN THEY'RE ACTUALLY HIRED, THEY RECEIVE 40 HOURS OF, OF IN-SERVICE TRAINING. 
          UM, AND THEY HAVE TO ATTEND THE, UH, POLICE ACADEMY WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE DATE OF HIRE. 
          SO IN ADDITION TO THAT TRAINING, THERE'S QUARTERLY IN-SERVICE THAT'S MANDATED BY THE STATE. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO, I MEAN, THEY BASICALLY GET ON THE JOB 
          [01:45:01]
TRAINING 'CAUSE THEY'RE WORKING WELL, AND THEN THEY, OVER A PERIOD OF YEAR, THEY HAVE TO GO TO THE ACADEMY AND CORRECT. 
          SO THEY COME ON, ATTEND THE IN-SERVICE, AND WITHIN A YEAR'S TIME, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO ATTEND THE, UH, ACADEMY, UH, AT THE STATE. 
          AND THEN ONCE THEY GET THE ACADEMY, YOU ARE, YOU ARE, WHAT'S PROBLEMATIC IS THEY HAVE A TENDENCY OF MOVING ON TO SOME OTHER JOB. 
          THEY DO HAVE THE OPTION TO TRANSFER TO, UH, OTHER DETENTION CENTERS. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I, I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON, ON THE YOUTH SERVICES, AND I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON ANYTHING ELSE. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COMMISSIONERS. 
          ANY QUESTIONS FOR DIRECTOR RES THROUGH YOU? MR. VICE PRESIDENT? THANK YOU. 
          AND THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR INSIGHT, UM, AND FOR YOUR WORK, UH, DIRECTOR RES, YOU'VE BEEN PARTICULARLY HELPFUL FOR ME IN THE PAST. 
          I MEAN, FOR MEAN SINCE CERTAINLY THIS ENTIRE TERM WHEN FAMILIES AND CONSTITUENTS HAVE NEEDS AND, YOU KNOW, YOU ALWAYS MAKE YOURSELF AND YOUR TEAM AVAILABLE. 
          SO I'M, I'M, I'M SUPER HELPFUL AND YOU, YOU AND I ARE ALWAYS IN CONVERSATION AND SEEING HOW WE CAN BE SUPPORTIVE OF THE WORK AT THE YOUTH SERVICES DEPARTMENT. 
          SO JUST, UH, GRATEFUL FOR BOTH OF YOU IN YOUR WORK. 
          JUST WANNA GET A BETTER SENSE OF THE VACANCIES AND WHAT THE GAPS ARE IN THE AREAS OF SUPPORT. 
          UH, I'LL START WITH DFAB, DIRECTOR RAMOS. 
          I KNOW YOU SAID THERE ARE 83 VACANCIES, OR, OR MORE OR LESS, I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD PROVIDE, OR IF THERE'S A ROUGH BREAKDOWN OF WHICH DEPARTMENTS, OR RATHER, WHICH AREAS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT HAVE THOSE VACANCIES SO WE CAN SEE WHERE THE STAFFING GAPS ARE. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. 
          I, I CERTAINLY CAN. 
          UH, THE, THE LARGER TITLES WHERE WE HAVE VACANCIES ARE, ARE CLERICALS. 
          WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE OVER THE LAST 12 MONTHS TO HAVE PROMOTED A NUMBER OF OUR CLERICAL STAFF WHO HAVE TESTED INTO HIGHER POSITIONS. 
          WE GET A LOT OF REFERRALS, UH, FOR, FOR CLERICAL STAFF, BUT WE ALSO HAVE INDIVIDUALS THAT, LIKE I MENTIONED, MAY TEST INTO, UH, ANOTHER POSITION. 
          INDIVIDUALS WHO, UNFORTUNATELY IT'S THE LAST THING THAT WE WANNA DO IN THE AGENCY, UH, COULD GET TERMINATED BECAUSE OF PERFORMANCE OR RESIGN. 
          UH, THE FAMILY SERVICE WORKER TITLE IS, IS THE TITLE THAT'S MOST COMMON AS FAR AS DOING INCOME ELIGIBILITY AND CASEWORK. 
          BUT IT'S A TITLE THAT'S, THAT'S CIVIL SERVICE, RIGHT? SO UNLESS THE STATE CALLS FOR A TEST ON A REGULAR BASIS, WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO A LIST, UH, TO HIRE FROM. 
          WE, WE, WE, WE DO, UH, ON OCCASION HIRE PROVISIONALS. 
          UH, THEY CALLED FOR AN EXAM IN, IN THE EXAMPLE OF THE FAMILY SERVICE WORKER TITLE ABOUT SEVEN OR EIGHT MONTHS AGO, BUT THEY HAVEN'T SCHEDULED THE TEST. 
          SO WHAT THAT DOES FOR ME AND, AND OUR TEAM AT HANDCUFFS US, BECAUSE WE CAN'T BRING IN PROVISIONALS BECAUSE TECHNICALLY ONLY THOSE INDIVIDUALS, UH, WHO REGISTER FOR THE EXAM WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR THAT TITLE. 
          ONCE THE LIST COMES OUT, WE, WE DO HAVE THE OPTION, UH, OF HIRING FAMILY SERVICE WORKER TRAINEES, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT THE ADMINISTRATION, UH, HAS GIVEN US PERMISSION TO DO. 
          AND THE STATE HAS ENCOURAGED IT AS AN INTERIM STEP. 
          UH, A TRAINEE ESSENTIALLY IS, IS SOMEONE WHO HAS THE QUALIFICATIONS TO BE A FAMILY SERVICE WORKER. 
          UH, THERE WOULD BE SOME KIND OF IN-HOUSE ASSESSMENT, UH, TO, TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE THE QUALIFICATIONS, COLLEGE DEGREE, UH, ET CETERA. 
          AND THEY WOULD GO THROUGH LIKE A 12 MONTH WORKING TEST PERIOD. 
          SO EVERY MONTH, UH, THAT TRAINEE RECEIVES AN EVALUATION. 
          THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY PROVISIONAL, UH, FOR A 12 MONTH PERIOD PRIOR TO, UH, BEING ELIGIBLE TO BECOME PERMANENT. 
          SO WE'RE TRYING TO RECRUIT A GROUP OF TRAINEES RIGHT NOW THAT WE CAN PUT INTO A CLASS SO THAT WE CAN DEPLOY THEM, UH, TO THE VARIOUS OFFICES. 
          SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE UTILIZING EVERY TOOL AT OUR DISPOSAL TO HIRE. 
          UH, WE, WE HAVE BEEN VERY AGGRESSIVE ABOUT PUTTING STAFF IN AREAS WHERE WE NEED, UM, MORE STAFF TO SERVE CLIENTS. 
          AND THAT SOMETIMES CREATES A LITTLE BIT OF FRICTION. 
          UH, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, BASED ON OUR PERFORMANCE INDICATORS, YOU KNOW, THAT STRATEGY IS WORKING. 
          WE'VE REDUCED COMPLAINTS FROM CLIENTS, WE'VE INCREASED TIMELINESS ON THE SNAP SIDE SIGNIFICANTLY. 
          WE'VE, WE'VE REDUCED OUR BACKLOG ON THE MEDICAID A, B, D SIDE SIGNIFICANTLY, EVEN WITH THE VACANCIES THAT WE'RE CARRYING. 
          YEAH. 
          THAT ACTUALLY THROUGH MR. PRESIDENT GETS AT MY, MY LAST QUESTION. 
          THAT'S WHAT I WAS SO, UH, REALLY IMPRESSED BY. 
          SO EVEN WITH THE VACANCIES, EVEN WITH SOME OF THE SYSTEMIC GAPS, YOU KNOW, THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE KIND OF NAVIGATING AS FAR AS THE STATE CONDITIONS AND THE CIVIL SERVICE, YET THERE'S THIS IMPROVEMENT IN THE PROCESSING. 
          THERE'S THIS DECREASING IN THE BACKLOG. 
          I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE STRATEGIES YOU GUYS HAVE EMPLOYED TO HAVE THOSE IMPROVED PERFORMANCE INDICATORS, AND WHAT CAN THE COUNTY, WHAT CAN WE DO TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE CONDITIONS THAT ALLOWS THOSE NUMBERS TO IMPROVE? BECAUSE WHEN THOSE NUMBERS IMPROVE, THAT MEANS OUR RESIDENTS ARE HAPPIER, HEALTHIER, AND PROVIDED FOR. 
          AND SO HOW CAN WE SUPPORT THOSE CONDITIONS? 
          [01:50:01]
I MEAN, WE, WE, WE DEFINITELY HAVE BENEFITED FROM INVESTING AND IN TECHNOLOGY, UH, WE USE, UH, INTERNAL CLIENT INFORMATION SYSTEM CALLED WECARE. 
          THAT'S ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT'S IN THE BUDGET THIS YEAR. 
          UM, AND, AND WHAT WECARE REALLY DOES, IT CREATES KIND OF A TICKETING SYSTEM WHERE I CAN GO IN AND TRACK WHERE A PARTICULAR, UH, CASES, RIGHT, AND WHO'S TOUCHED THAT CASE, AND HOW LONG IT TAKES A WORKER, UH, TO REVIEW THAT PARTICULAR CASE AND TAKE ACTION ON IT. 
          AND THE CLIENT THEMSELVES ARE ABLE TO ACTUALLY ENTER COMMENTS INTO WECARE. 
          SO I THINK WECARE HAS BEEN VERY, VERY HELPFUL. 
          IT'S AN INTERNAL SYSTEM. 
          IT'S NOT A STATE MANDATED SYSTEM. 
          WE STILL GOTTA NAVIGATE, UH, THOSE, UH, INCLUDED IN, IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET AS WELL IS, UM, AN INITIAL INVESTMENT IN, IN COMPUTERS. 
          WE, WE DID SOMETHING AS SIMPLE IN ONE OF OUR OFFICES AS HAVING STAFF HAVE ACCESS TO DUAL MONITORS. 
          'CAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HEARD BACK FROM THEM THAT, THAT COULD EMPOWER AND ASSIST THEM IN, IN BETTER, UH, NAVIGATING CASES. 
          SO OUR, OUR, THE, THE NEW APPS OFFICE, WHICH IS THE FRONT END THAT PROCESSES THE NEW APPLICATIONS, MOST OF THAT TEAM HAS ACCESS TO DUAL MONITORS. 
          SO ONE OF THE ITEMS IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, UH, INCLUDES A REASONABILITY. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A DECENT INVESTMENT IN, IN NEW TECHNOLOGY. 
          WE HAVEN'T HAD NEW COMPUTERS IN PROBABLY 10 YEARS. 
          SO SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO OVER A THREE YEAR PERIOD. 
          SO, SO DEFINITELY INCLUDING TECHNOLOGY, UH, BETTER TRAINING OUR STAFF AND DEPLOYING WORKERS IN AREAS WHERE WE NEED THEM. 
          AND HAVING METRICS WHEN WE DO OVERTIME, LIKE NOW WHEN WE DO OVERTIME, LET'S SAY ON A SATURDAY, WE'RE ABLE TO TELL HOW MANY CASES OF WORK OR PROCESSES WITHIN THE FIRST HOUR. 
          AND IF YOU HAVE POOR PERFORMANCE ON THAT SATURDAY, WHEN WE DO OVERTIME, WE'RE ABLE TO REMOVE YOU OFF THE ROTATION FOR FUTURE OVERTIME BECAUSE WE HAVE TO DO OVERTIME BECAUSE OF THE UNION CONTRACT BASED ON SENIORITY, RIGHT? MM-HMM. 
          SO IF PEOPLE APPLY FOR OT, WE HAVE TO RANK THAT LIST BASED ON SENIORITY. 
          WE QUEUE PEOPLE UP FOR, FOR THAT PARTICULAR SATURDAY, LET'S SAY, FOR EXAMPLE. 
          AND THEN WE'RE ABLE TO TELL WHAT WORKER X DID DURING THEIR FIRST HOUR, SECOND HOUR. 
          AND THEN WE'RE IN CASES WHERE WE DON'T GET THE PERFORMANCE THAT WE NEED, WE'RE ABLE TO REMOVE THEM OFF THE LIST FOR FUTURE OT. 
          SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I THINK HAVE REALLY HELPED US. 
          THAT'S HELPFUL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ONE LAST QUESTION. 
          THANK YOU, DIRECTOR RAMOS FOR THE DIRECTOR OF YOUTH SERVICES, IF WE HAVE TIME, BUT I, I KNOW THIS SPACE FOR OTHER QUESTIONS. 
          SO GO, GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER. 
          UM, I JUST WANTED TO FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPORT AND THANK YOU BOTH, UH, FOR YOUR REPORT. 
          UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE LOW NUMBER OF VACANCIES, BUT STILL, YOU KNOW, WHEN FOLKS GO THROUGH THE POLICE ACADEMY, THERE'S THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, GO ELSEWHERE. 
          UM, AND THEN IN GENERAL, OF COURSE, PEOPLE, IT'S KIND OF A COMPETITIVE POOL BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF OPTIONS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT. 
          I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD GIVE US A GENERAL SENSE OF THE RETENTION NUMBERS FOR OFFICERS, UH, THE CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS IN THE JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER, WHICH TEND TO BE THE LARGEST SHARE OF PERSONNEL THERE. 
          WHAT'S THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF YEARS OR TENURE OF, UH, AN AVERAGE WORKER? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO START OFF BY SAYING IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE THE JUVENILE DETENTION OFFICERS THAT, UH, WORK IN THE DETENTION CENTER. 
          THEY'RE NOT SWORN LAW ENFORCEMENT. 
          THEY DO, UH, ATTEND THE POLICE ACADEMY, BUT IT'S FOR JUVENILE DETENTION OFFICERS. 
          SO THEY ARE BASICALLY CIVILIANS WHO ARE TRAINED. 
          THEY DO NOT HAVE, UH, POLICE POWERS THE SAME AS CORRECTION OFFICERS. 
          SO WHAT WE'RE FINDING HERE, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT FIGURES. 
          I WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK AND ACTUALLY GET WHAT I WILL TELL YOU. 
          WE, THE OLDER OFFICERS WHO HAVE BEEN THERE FOR 10 PLUS YEARS, THOSE ARE THE OFFICERS WHO HAVE THE SENIORITY, THE NEWER OFFICERS WHO HAVE COME ON WITHIN THE LAST FOUR TO FIVE YEARS. 
          THOSE, UH, APPEAR TO BE THE OFFICERS THAT ARE EXPLORING NEW OPPORTUNITIES, UM, TO THE WORK IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY PRESENTS ITSELF. 
          GOT IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND YEAH, THOSE GENERAL, UH, TRENDS ARE, ARE FINE. 
          SO YOU, YOU COULD FOLLOW UP WITH THE NUMBERS, BUT JUST GETTING THAT SENSE IS, IS HELPFUL. 
          I KNOW YOU AND YOUR TEAM HAVE BEEN WORKING EXCEPTIONALLY HARD, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THINGS ARE WORKING WELL THERE. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, AMID ALL THE DIFFICULTIES AND JUST THE CHALLENGES OF STAFFING IN GENERAL. 
          UM, SO YEAH, THAT'S HELPFUL TO HEAR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ONE OF, UM, THE THINGS THAT HELP WITH OUR, UH, STAFFING, THE CHIEF OF STAFF ALLOWED THE DIRECTOR OF CORRECTIONS. 
          WE USE THE RECRUITMENT TEAM, UH, FOR THE ESSEX COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS TO PROCESS OUR HIRES. 
          SO WHAT WE'RE BRINGING IN NOW IS LARGER, A LARGER NUMBER OF RECRUITS. 
          SO IN THE PAST, THE DETENTION CENTER WOULD SEE THREE TO FOUR OFFICERS, UM, COME IN AT A TIME DURING THE PROCESS. 
          BUT NOW, UH, ON AVERAGE WHEN WE BRING IN A GROUP, WE'LL BRING IN A GROUP OF 10. 
          UM, SO WE ARE SEEING, AND THAT'S HOW WE WERE ABLE TO CATCH UP ON THE NUMBER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GOOD, COMMISSIONER, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER COOPER? THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. 
          UM, 
          [01:55:01]
DIRECTOR RAMOS, I WANNA COMMEND YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE STAFF IN THE ADMINISTRATION FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING, ESPECIALLY AROUND CODE BLUE. 
          I WANNA REALLY SHOUT OUT, UM, MR. TERRANCE, WHO HAS BEEN AVAILABLE IN THE WEED HOURS OF THE NIGHT WHEN PEOPLE HAVE CALLED, BECAUSE WE HAVE HOMELESS FOLKS THAT ARE OUTSIDE AND GOING THROUGH THEIR CHALLENGES. 
          YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN TREMENDOUS, AND I APPRECIATE YOU AND THE COUNTY EXEC, MR. JACKSON, YOU GUYS, FOR OPENING UP THOSE ADDITIONAL BEDS, UM, THAT WAS NEEDED TO GET PEOPLE OFF THE STREET DURING THE FRIGID TEMPERATURE. 
          SO I REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS BEING RESPONSIVE TO CONSTITUENTS ISSUES AROUND, UM, THEIR BENEFITS AND THE TIMING. 
          I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING A BETTER JOB BECAUSE WE ARE NOT GETTING PICTURES ANYMORE OF THE LONG LINES, IF YOU RECALL THOSE. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, I WOULD BE CALLING MR. JACKSON AND TEXTING HIM AS PEOPLE WERE CALLING US. 
          SO THAT RIGHT THERE IS A TESTAMENT THAT I KNOW THAT THERE'S BIG IMPROVEMENTS, UM, IN YOUR DEPARTMENT. 
          I WANT TO ASK, UM, HOW DO PEOPLE APPLY FOR SOME OF THE VACANCIES THAT YOU HAVE? ARE THEY POSTED ON THE COUNTY'S WEBSITE, LIKE UNDER HR? HOW DO THEY APPLY? WELL, I MEAN, AS, AS, UH, DIRECTOR  EARLIER SAID, THERE'S, THERE'S, WE'RE KIND OF CONSTRAINED NOW BECAUSE OF THE LIST, RIGHT. 
          WITH THE HOLISTIC ISSUE. 
          UM, BUT AS WE, UH, A FAMILY TRAINER, UM, WHAT'S THAT? THE TRAINING ONE IS WHAT I'M THINKING ABOUT. 
          YEAH. 
          FAMILY, FAMILY SERVICE WORKER TRAINING. 
          YEAH. 
          BUT THEY COULD GO ONLINE AND SAY THAT'S THE POSITION THAT THEY WANT TO, AND THAT INFORMATION WILL BE GIVEN TO THE DEPARTMENT. 
          BUT AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE SOMEWHAT HAMSTRUNG BY THE FACT THAT THIS LIST IS OUT THERE AND WE CAN'T DO WITH SO MUCH AS A RESULT. 
          YEAH. 
          IF, IF I CAN ADD THROUGH YOUR CHAIR IF, AND OCCASIONALLY IF I GET A LET PEOPLE SEND ME A RESUME, YOU KNOW, I'LL FORWARD IT OVER TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. 
          UH, MOSTLY LIKE CLERICAL OPENINGS. 
          WE, WE, OKAY. 
          DEFINITELY ALWAYS LOOK FOR CANDIDATES. 
          UH, WE, WE HAVE A POPULATION THAT'S VERY DIVERSE AND WE, WE, WE NEED BILINGUAL. 
          CLERICAL. 
          AND WHEN I SAY BILINGUAL, I DON'T NECESSARILY MEAN JUST SPANISH SPEAKING. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, FRENCH CREOLE IS A, A BIG PART OF OUR CASELOAD AS WELL. 
          SO WHEN WE GET INDIVIDUALS THAT CAN COMMUNICATE WITH, WITH, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR HAITIAN, UH, CLIENTS, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A PLUS. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU ALL KNOW OF INDIVIDUALS, PLEASE FORWARD THE RESUMES OVER TO THE BA AND THE CHIEF OF STAFF. 
          ANOTHER QUESTION. 
          THE WECARE PROGRAM, I KNOW THAT YOUR STAFF WILL CALL CLIENTS ON THE OUTSIDE. 
          DOES IT ALSO TRACK? DO THEY HAVE TO INPUT IN THAT SYSTEM AS WELL? WHEN THEY MAKE THE PHYSICAL PHONE CALLS TO CLIENTS? SEE WHAT WE'VE DONE. 
          LIKE IF YOU WALK INTO 3 20, 3 21 OR 50 SOUTH, THAT WE HAVE THESE BIG MONITORS SET UP. 
          SO IT'LL SAY, LET'S SAY IF I CHECK IN, YOU KNOW, MY NAME NOW POPS UP AND, AND WE'RE ABLE TO TELL HOW LONG THAT INDIVIDUAL HAS BEEN SITTING IN THAT WAITING AREA. 
          OKAY. 
          AND, AND THAT WAS, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT VERY POPULAR WHEN WE DID IT, BECAUSE NOW WE COULD TELL LIKE, THIS PERSON BEEN HERE FOR TWO, THREE HOURS. 
          RIGHT? UM, AND, AND IT'S, IT HOLDS PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE, RIGHT? MM-HMM . 
          LIKE YOU HAVE A RESIDENT WHO CAME IN, THEY SHOULD NOT BE SITTING IN THAT WAITING ROOM FOR MORE THAN 10 MINUTES IF THEY'RE THERE TO DROP OFF DOCUMENTS. 
          SO NOW WE HAVE A DOCUMENTS WINDOW IN, IN OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER. 
          SO THOSE, THOSE ARE JUST THINGS THAT, THAT WE'RE WORKING ON. 
          WE'RE NOT WHERE WE WANNA BE YET, TO BE HONEST. 
          LIKE, THERE'S, THERE'S THINGS THAT WE CAN IMPROVE ON AND WE KNOW IT. 
          UH, BUT I THINK HOLDING, UH, YOU KNOW, OURSELVES AND OUR TEAM A LITTLE MORE ACCOUNTABLE WHEN IT COMES TO PROVIDING A MORE TIMELY SERVICE IS, IS IMPORTANT. 
          'CAUSE YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, LABEL COUNTY WELFARE AGENCIES AROUND THE, THE COUNTRY AS PLACES, YOU DON'T WANT TO GO THERE, RIGHT? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU COULD SIT THERE FOR HOURS FOR A SIMPLE TRANSACTION. 
          AND I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE, THANKS TO OUR TEAM AT, AT DFAB, WE WE'RE CHANGING THAT. 
          YOU'VE CERTAINLY MADE SOME, SOME GREAT CHANGES. 
          COUPLE MORE, TWO MORE QUESTIONS FOR THE YOUTH DETENTION SIDE. 
          IS THERE A CURRENT ADVERTISEMENT RIGHT NOW FOR YOUTH DETENTION OFFICERS? YES. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          IT'S STILL ACTIVE. 
          SOMEONE LITERALLY JUST ASKED ME HOW TO BECOME AN OFFICER, AND SO I'M HAPPY THAT YOU WAS HERE TODAY TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION. 
          IS THAT ALSO POSTED ON THE COUNTY'S WEBSITE? IT IS ALONG WITH THE EMAIL ADDRESS TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          AND THEN I RECALL LAST YEAR, SOME TIME THAT THERE WERE SOME CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT WERE NEEDED AT THE YOUTH HOUSE. 
          DID WE MAKE ALL THOSE? WE BUDGETED AND, AND CLARIFIED ALL THOSE THINGS. 
          ALRIGHT, PERFECT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          COMMERS, WE'RE GOOD. 
          THANK YOU BOTH FOR COMING TODAY. 
          UH, WE APPRECIATE THE VERY GOOD WORK THAT YOU DO. 
          I KNOW THE FOLKS THAT I'VE, THE CONSTITUENTS I'VE REFERRED TO YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HANDLED IN AN EXCELLENT MANNER. 
          SO WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE, I'M SURE EVERYONE HAS HAD SIMILAR EXPERIENCE. 
          MR. JACKSON IS NOT A LITTLE PAST SIX. 
          CAN WE TAKE OUR BREAK NOW AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK AT SIX 30? SURE. 
          WE WILL, UH, WE'LL TIGHTEN THAT BREAK A LITTLE BIT SO THAT WE CAN GET BACK 
          [02:00:01]
ON SIX 30. 
          WE ARE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE, BUT WE WANT TO GO BACK TO SIX 30 OUR, OUR TIME. 
          SO WE'LL COME BACK. 
          WE'LL ADJOURN TO SIX 30. 
          [02:31:57]
YES 
          [02:31:57]
SIR. 
          [02:31:59]
SECURITY 
          [02:31:59]
OPERATION. 
          [02:32:02]
ALRIGHT, 
          [02:32:02]
WE'RE COMING BACK FROM ADJOURNMENT. 
          I'M JUST GONNA ASK THE DEPUTY COURT TO CALL THE ROLE. 
          COMMISSIONER COOPER. 
          HERE. 
          COMMISSIONER GILL. 
          ABSENT. 
          COMMISSIONER LUCIANO? HERE. 
          COMMISSIONER MERCADO. 
          ABSENT. 
          COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON. 
          HERE. 
          COMMISSIONER SEABOLD. 
          ABSENT. 
          COMMISSIONER SERMONS HERE. 
          COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT MURRAY THOMAS. 
          ABSENT. 
          COMMISSIONER, PRESIDENT POIS HERE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MR. JACKSON. 
          WHAT DO WE HAVE NEXT? UH, DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS. 
          THAT'D BE TAB SIX. 
          UM, STARTING PAGE 62. 
          THANK YOU, DIRECTOR. 
          WELCOME. 
          AND PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD AND THE TEAM THAT YOU HAVE ASSEMBLED HERE TODAY. 
          THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. 
          UH, RON CHARLES, DIRECTOR OF CORRECTIONS. 
          UH, WITH ME TONIGHT, I HAVE TO MY RIGHT, UH, CAPTAIN ORLANDO CAMACHO, WHO IS, UH, THE COMMANDER OF THE OMB DIVISION WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT. 
          UM, SEATED BEHIND ME IS THE POLICE ACADEMY DIRECTOR, GUY CILLO. 
          UH, NEXT TO HIM IS THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR REGINA MARROW. 
          UH, NEXT TO HER IS DEPUTY DIRECTOR ROBERT CERO. 
          AND DR. 
          ROXANNE VEGA HAS THE FLU, SO, UH, SHE PROBABLY WILL NOT BE JOINING US TONIGHT. 
          THAT'S GOOD. 
          YES. 
          NO OFFENSE, BUT NO ONE ELSE HERE NEEDS TO, WE ALL FEEL THE SAME. 
          WE ALL FEEL THE SAME. 
          LET ME RECOGNIZE VICE PRESIDENT, UH, MURRAY THOMAS HAS JOINED. 
          PLEASE, UH, DIRECTOR, WHY DON'T YOU JUST GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF YOUR BUDGET AND THEN WE'LL PROCEED WITH MR. MCINERNEY AND WE'LL ASK SOME QUESTIONS AND THEN FOLLOWED BY COMMISSIONERS. 
          SURE. 
          UH, MR. PRESIDENT, IF I MAY, I'D JUST LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE DEPARTMENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT WE ACHIEVED IN 2025. 
          'CAUSE I THINK, UH, WE NEED TO PUT THAT ON THE RECORD AS IT HAS BEEN A, A AMAZING 2025. 
          IN 2025, THE DEPARTMENT EARNED NATIONAL RE-ACCREDITATION THROUGH THE AMERICAN CORRECTIONAL ASSOCIATION. 
          UH, WE SCORED A PERFECT SCORE ON ALL MANDATORY STANDARDS WITHIN A 99.68 SCORE. 
          OVERALL, ONLY 13% OF THE JAILS IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE THIS ACCREDITATION OUT OF 3,100, UH, JAILS IN THE UNITED STATES. 
          ADDITIONALLY, WE EARNED NATIONAL RE-ACCREDITATION ON THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CORRECTIONAL HEALTH. 
          THAT IS FOR OUR MEDICAL SERVICES. 
          ONLY 10% OF THE JAILS NATIONWIDE ACHIEVED THIS DISTINCTION. 
          WE MAINTAINED A NATIONAL CARF ACCREDITATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. 
          WE ACHIEVED A HUNDRED PERCENT SCORE ON THE NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS ANNUAL INSPECTION. 
          THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE ACHIEVED THAT. 
          IN OVER SIX YEARS, WE ESTABLISHED A MENTAL HEALTH STEP DOWN UNIT. 
          THIS IS THE ONLY ONE KIND OF IT IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, IN ANY, IN ANY COUNTY JAIL. 
          AND I'LL SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE LATER ON EXACTLY WHAT THAT IS. 
          WE CREATED A MENTAL HEALTH DRUG AND ALCOHOL DIVERSION PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COURTS, THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, THE PUBLIC DEFENDERS, AND THE SILVER LAKE HOSPITAL RIGHT THERE IN NEWARK. 
          AND WE EXPANDED THE INMATE PROGRAMMING TO INCLUDE CULINARY ARTS, 
          [02:35:01]
OCEAN CERTIFICATION, AND CDL LICENSING. 
          AND FROM THE, ON THE FISCAL SIDE, WE, THE DEPARTMENT GENERATED $85 MILLION IN, IN REVENUE. 
          SO YOU SEE, IT'S BEEN A, A STELLAR YEAR THAT WE, WE WERE MOST PROUD OF. 
          UM, OUR GOAL THREE AND A HALF YEARS AGO WAS TO CREATE A CENTER OF EXCELLENCE. 
          AND WITH THE HELP OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE DEPARTMENT AND THE EXECUTIVE TEAM BEHIND ME, UH, WE HAVE REACHED THAT GOAL AND WE'RE, WE'RE WELL ON OUR WAY BECOMING, UH, THE NATIONAL GOLD STANDARD IN, IN, IN CORRECTIONS. 
          LOOKING FORWARD AHEAD TO 2026, UM, THE BUDGET BEFORE YOU HELPS US MAINTAIN OUR FOCUS CORE MISSION OF MAINTAINING A SAFE AND SECURE FACILITY, DELIVERING HIGH LEVEL OF PROGRAMMING FOR INCARCERATED PERSONS AND PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY SERVICES TO THE CITIZENS OF ESSEX COUNTY IN A COST EFFECTIVE MANNER. 
          WITH THE CONTINUOUS SUPPORT OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, THE CHIEF OF STAFF, AND THIS BOARD, WE WILL CONTINUE TO DELIVER EXCELLENCE AND CORRECTIONS. 
          MY TEAM IS HERE TONIGHT AND PREPARED TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. 
          UM, THE BOARD MAY HAVE THANK YOU, DIRECTOR, AND CONGRATULATIONS ON THE A ACCOLADES OF NATIONAL CERTIFICATION AND ALL OF THOSE THAT YOU, UH, REFERENCED MOMENTS AGO. 
          MR. MCINERNEY, I I JUST WANT TO, UH, GO TO THE REVENUE ITEMS THAT YOU WERE TALKING BEFORE. 
          I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, GOING THROUGH, UM, THE ANTICIPATED LOCAL REVENUES, TRYING TO PICK OUT THOSE THAT, UH, PERTAIN TO YOUR DEPARTMENT. 
          I, I DIDN'T COME UP WITH 85, BUT I'M SURE I'M MISSING SOMETHING. 
          CAN YOU, CAN YOU BREAK THAT DOWN TO $85 MILLION? YOU JUST SURE. 
          YOU JUST REFERENCED MR. ERONI, UH, THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, DO YOU WANT WHAT WE'RE PROJECTED FOR 2026 OR WHAT WE YEAH. 
          WHATEVER COMES TO THAT 85 MILLION. 
          SO I KNOW THE FEDERAL INMATE PROGRAM MM-HMM . 
          AND WE'VE GOT, UH, THE STATE INMATES, UNION COUNTY CORRECTIONS. 
          BUT I, I DIDN'T COME UP WITH THAT. 
          I, I I JUST WANT YOU TO BREAK IT DOWN SO I UNDERSTAND THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          WITH THAT. 
          SO I'M, I'M GONNA TALK FIRST ABOUT THE 2025 REVENUE. 
          HOW WE GOT THAT 85, 85, WHAT'S IN THE BUDGET RIGHT NOW FOR 2026 IS 82000000.5. 
          SO IN 2025, THE REVENUE, OUR, OUR PROJECTED, UH, NUMBER WAS, WAS 80,800,000. 
          WE COLLECTED 86,289,000. 
          HOW WE GOT THERE WAS WE COLLECTED 29,300,000 FOR THE US MARSHAL SERVICE. 
          THE UNION COUNTY CONTRACT WAS $14.4 MILLION. 
          THE STATE PRISONER REIMBURSEMENT WAS $2.6 MILLION. 
          UH, THE STATE AID, THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE, UM, WAS, THAT WAS A GRANT WAS 23 MILLION. 
          THAT'S INCLUDED IN THAT NUMBER. 
          THE STATE PAROLE VIOLATORS PROGRAM WA WE BROUGHT IN $16.4 MILLION. 
          AND THE MISCELLANEOUS AND COPAYS EQUAL TO ABOUT ANOTHER 500,000 ALL TOTAL. 
          THAT'S, SO THAT'S HOW WE GOT TO THE 86. 
          SO TAKE ME THROUGH THAT AGAIN. 
          29 8 29. 
          3 29. 
          3 14 4. 
          RIGHT. 
          2.6. 
          RIGHT. 
          23 MILLION. 
          RIGHT. 
          16 FOUR. 
          16 4 16 4. 
          AND THEN FIVE. 
          YEAH, IT THROUGH THE COPAYS AND MISCELLANEOUS IS ABOUT JUST ABOUT 500,000. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          JUST GIMME A SECOND HERE. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, ALRIGHT, LET'S, LET'S GO THROUGH SOME OF, SO THE US MARSHAL PROGRAM, UM, AND, AND YOU'RE THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE. 
          THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT'S WHY I IT'S STILL LABELED THE DELANEY HALL. 
          YEAH. 
          THE DRUG TREATMENT. 
          BUT THAT'S, SO YEAH. 
          SO THAT, THAT YOU WOULD KNOW IT AND I WOULD KNOW WOULD'VE STARTED AT THE FINE. 
          I'M NOT, I'M NOT MAKING A, A BIG DEAL OUTTA THAT. 
          AND THEN THE 29 3 FEDERAL INMATE, UM, AND THEN THE 14, 14 4 WAS, EXCUSE ME, THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. 
          14 FOUR WAS THE UNION COUNTY. 
          RIGHT. 
          GOTCHA. 
          UNION COUNTY CORRECTIONS. 
          GOTCHA. 
          14 4 61 AND THEN THE SUB, AND THEN THE STATE WAS 16 FOUR. 
          THE STATE PAROLE VIRUS WAS 16 FOUR. 
          THAT'S CORRECT. 
          THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER CATEGORY STATE SENTENCE, WHICH IS 2.6. 
          I SEE. 
          RIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          I UNDERSTAND THAT BETTER NOW. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          AND THOSE REVENUES, THE WHAT'S ANTICIPATED FOR 2026 IS ACHIEVABLE AS FAR AS YOU'RE CONCERNED WITH CORRECT. 
          WITH EVERYTHING ELSE. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          UH, SO IF WE CAN GO TO YOUR, UH, CORRECTION BUDGET. 
          I, UH, I MEAN YOU HAVE TO EARN VERY LARGE BUDGET IN TERMS OF, UH, 
          [02:40:01]
THE SALARIES AND WAGE AS WELL AS OTHER EXPENSES, OTHER EXPENSES, UM, OTHER EXPENSES IS, UH, IS THE SAME AS IT WAS FOR 2000 2025. 
          BUT I DO WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT, UH, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. 
          THEY WERE 17,000,854 IN THE 2025 BUDGET. 
          THE MODIFIED BUDGET WAS 19,000,454, AND THE EXPENDITURES WERE 19 234. 
          SO, EXCUSE ME, YOU BROUGHT THAT NUMBER BACK DOWN FOR THE TWO 20 2026 BUDGET AMOUNT TO NINE TO 17, 854. 
          SO WHY IS THAT NOT GONNA BE THE SAME AS LAST YEAR? YEAH. 
          WHAT, WHAT'S DIFFERENT IN 2000? SO A LARGE, UH, THAT NUMBER IS FOR THE MEDICAL SERVICES. 
          RIGHT. 
          UM, AND THE MEDICAL CONTRACT IS OUT FOR, FOR BID. 
          UM, SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT NUMBER'S GONNA COME BACK IS. 
          WE WANT IT TO REMAIN FLAT. 
          FLAT. 
          WE DID, WE DID HAVE A LARGE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO WERE IN OUR MAT PROGRAM, WHICH IS THE MEDICATED ASSISTED TREATMENT PROGRAM. 
          AND SOME OF THE MEDICATIONS WERE VERY HIGH WHEN WE FIRST STARTED. 
          RIGHT? YEAH. 
          SO THAT'S WHY THE NUMBER. 
          BUT NOW WE'VE, WE'VE RENEGOTIATED SOME OF THAT MAT CONTRACT MONIES AND WE BELIEVE THAT WE CAN HOLD IT AT FLAT, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE RFP UH, SUBMISSIONS TO COME BACK IN, WHICH IS ABOUT ANOTHER TWO WEEKS. 
          IS IS THIS, DOES THIS ENCOMPASS JUST ONE CONTRACT OR A NUMBER OF CONTRACTS? UH, IT'S JUST THE ONE MEDICAL, THE ONE PRETTY MUCH THE MEDICAL TRACK. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          SO ONCE WE GET THAT, WE'LL KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THIS HOLDS UP OR NOT. 
          CORRECT. 
          TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          SO THAT, THAT WAS THE QUESTION I HAD THERE. 
          AS FAR AS YOUR, YOUR PAYROLL GOES, I HAD, UM, WHAT DID I COME UP WITH? I THINK I HAD, UH, 838. 
          NOW I'M, I'M GOING OFF THE PAYROLL. 
          SO HOW MANY VACANCIES DO YOU HAVE NOW IN YOUR, SO ORGANIZATION, UM, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE UNIFORM STAFF YEAH. 
          FOR YOU, FOR YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. 
          UM, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY, UH, VACANCIES IN THE UNIFORM STAFF. 
          WE ARE ACTUALLY OVERSTAFFED. 
          WOW. 
          THE CHIEF OF STAFF AND ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE HAVE, UH, ALLOWED ME TO FILL IN FOR THE VERY LARGE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WE HAVE EITHER OUT SUSPENDED, NO PAY OUT ON FMLA, BOTH CONSECUTIVE AND NON-CONSECUTIVE, AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT, UM, NO PAY, UH, STATUS. 
          WE WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT A SECOND, BUT, UM, UM, SO I, UH, LET'S LOOK AT THE OVERTIME. 
          I I, I KNOW LAST YEAR YOUR, YOUR OVERTIME, UM, WAS, WAS BUDGETED FOR 9 MILLION AND IT CAME IN, CAME IN AT 12 MILLION. 
          UM, THIS YEAR. 
          I, I LOOKED AT, AT THE SECOND PAYROLL, UM MM-HMM . 
          UM, OR I SHOULD SAY PAYROLL NUMBER. 
          AND I NOTICED THAT, THAT WHEN I TAKE THAT DEBT OVERTIME, WHICH WAS, UH, ROUGHLY ABOUT FOUR, ABOUT FOUR, IT WAS $416,000 IN PAYROLL. 
          NUMBER TWO OR TWO WITH ROUGHLY 6,000 HOURS OF OVER TO ANNUALIZE. 
          THAT, ASSUMING THAT THAT'S A STABLE NUMBER, UH, I WOULD COME OUT WITH 10,000,800 TO 7,000. 
          AND OF COURSE THAT'S, THAT'S A PROJECTION THAT BASED ON ONLY ONE PAYROLL. 
          BUT THAT, THAT'S MUCH MORE IN LINE. 
          YOUR BUDGET OF AMOUNT THIS YEAR OF 11 MILLION, UH, 816,000 IS, AND THIS APPEARS TO BE A LOT MORE AND MORE IN LINE THAN IT WAS THE PRIOR YEARS BECAUSE I HAD THIS CONVERSATION. 
          THE PRIOR YEARS. 
          ALWAYS. 
          YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT BUDGETING IT ENOUGH IN OVERTIME TIME. 
          SO, SO THAT'S, THAT'S GREAT THAT YOU GOT IT THERE. 
          AND, AND I GUESS YOU'LL STILL START SEEING IN SUBSEQUENT PAYROLLS WHAT PAYROLLS, WHETHER OR NOT THAT THAT NUMBER HOLDS AND HAVE A LITTLE ROOM THERE BASED ON WHAT I, WHAT I JUST PROJECTED. 
          UM, UM, I I WANTED TO ALSO TOUCH ON WHAT I'VE DISCUSSED WITH DEPARTMENTS AS WELL. 
          NOT JUST THE OVERTIME, UH, BUT THIS ISSUE OF, OF TIME NOT PAID FOR AND HOW THAT IS IMPACTED ON SOME OF THE LARGER DEPARTMENTS THAT WE HAVE. 
          AND TYPICALLY WHAT'S HAPPENING IS PEOPLE ARE TAKING TIME OFF WITHOUT PAY, UM, AND WITHOUT SUBMITTING, UH, FOR THAT TIME OFF. 
          SO COULD YOU GIVE US A SENSE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN YOUR DEPARTMENT AND HOW YOU'RE DEALING WITH IT AND, AND HOW ENDEMIC IT IS TO, TO WHAT'S, WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE COUNTY OVERALL? YEAH. 
          SO THE, THE, THE STATE OF THAT FOR OUR DEPARTMENT IS THIS, CURRENTLY WE HAVE 240 UNIFORM STAFF ON INTERMITTENT FMLA. 
          WE HAVE 14TH ON CONSECUTIVE FMLA. 
          UM, WE HAVE 30 THAT ARE UNPAID CONSECUTIVE SU SUSPENSIONS. 
          WE HAVE 17 ON MODIFIED DUTY, WHICH DUE, DUE TO MEDICAL REASONS. 
          AND WE HAVE A HANDFUL ON MEDICAL LEAVE. 
          SO 
          [02:45:01]
WE ARE, THAT'S WHY THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND THE CHIEF OF STAFF HAS ALLOWED ME TO GO OVER BECAUSE A LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT COMING TO WORK, QUITE FRANKLY, UH, AND SOME OF 'EM, TO BE HONEST, RUN OUT OF TIME. 
          SOME OF 'EM ARE OUT OF TIME ALREADY. 
          YEAH. 
          RIGHT. 
          FOR THE YEAR. 
          UM, AND THEN THEY GO THE WHOLE YEAR OF EITHER WHEN THEY CALL OUT BEING NO PAY STATUS. 
          UM, WE'VE STARTED A PROGRAM, UM, AT THE END OF THE LAST QUARTER OF, UH, OF 2025. 
          UM, WE'RE MONITORING IT EVERY DAY. 
          UM, WE'RE, WE'RE PUTTING PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE IN PLACE AS, AS NEEDED. 
          UM, AND THE ORLANDO'S, UH, OFFERS OF MANAGEMENT BUDGET IS ACTUALLY MONITORING IT IN, IN REAL TIME, DAY TO DAY SHIFT TO SHIFT ACTUALLY ON, ON, SO WE CAN MAKE SURE WE STAY. 
          UH, TRADITIONALLY WE HAVE ABOUT BETWEEN FIVE TO $7 MILLION OF NO PAY STATUS, WHICH, UM, IF YOU LOOK OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, UM, THAT'S BEEN THE NUMBER. 
          UM, SO THAT'S SORT OF LIKE THE STATE OF WE ARE AS FAR STAFFING AND, AND THE NO PAY STATUS. 
          AND, AND THE BIG RESULT OF, OF THAT ALSO IS, IS, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IS HOW THAT IMPACTS ON YOUR OVERTIME. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          SO, SO THERE'S A, THERE'S A PORTION OF THAT, IF NOT A LARGE PORTION OF THAT, THAT, UM, GENERATES THE OVERTIME. 
          SO EFFECTIVELY, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT OVERTIME, YOU ALMOST HAVE TO NET THE TWO, I WOULD SAY, OR AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE NO PAY TIME AGAINST THE OVERTIME BECAUSE IT'S A DIRECT RESULT OF THAT. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          AND THEN YOU HAVE INDIVIDUALS ON YOUR DEPARTMENT. 
          I SAW FIVE IN PAYROLL, NUMBER TWO THAT HAVE OVER 200 HOURS. 
          UM, UH, I MEAN, IT'S ONLY FIVE GUYS, BUT IT'S 200 HOURS IN A, IN A, IN A ONE PAYROLL PERIOD. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S 120, 140 HOURS OVERTIME. 
          YOU GOT THE GUYS THAT REALLY WANT TO WORK. 
          CORRECT. 
          AND I GUESS IT GETS TO A POINT OF EFFICIENCIES TOO. 
          YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH YES. 
          WHEN YOU WORK THAT MUCH TIME. 
          UM, BUT YOU HAVE THOSE GUYS THAT DO WANNA WORK AND THEN YOU HAVE THE PEOPLE THAT CALL UP AND JUST SAY, I'M NOT COMING IN. 
          THAT'S CORRECT. 
          WE HAVE BOTH, BOTH ENDS OF THE SPECTRUM HERE. 
          YEAH. 
          AND WE, AND WE'VE ALWAYS HAD LIKE 41 YEARS. 
          THAT'S JUST, IT'S JUST THE NATURE OF THE BEAST. 
          SO, SO GIVEN THAT, UM, ONE, ONE OF THE OTHER ONES, AND I, I MEAN, I'M LOOKING AT, I I ONLY HAD ONE QUESTION ON YOUR OTHER EXPENSES MM-HMM . 
          WHICH, WHICH ARE 27 MILLION, BUT IT WAS ONLY THAT ONE ITEM THAT DEALT WITH THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE HOSPITAL CONTRACT, THE MEDICAL CONTRACT. 
          UM, UM, BUT I DO WANNA, UH, DEAL WITH A LITTLE BIT THE, UH, FEDERAL MARSHALS PROGRAM AND, UM, HOW YOU MAY VIEW IT. 
          THERE'S, THERE'S, UH, THERE'S A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT COMES IN ON IT, AND OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT, THAT IS EXPENDED ON BEHALF OF THAT, OF THAT PROGRAM. 
          IS THERE ANY ANALYSIS, UM, THAT MIGHT, UH, OR IS THERE ANY FEELING YOU MAY HAVE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THAT PROGRAM, UM, REALLY, UH, HAS A, UH, A DECENT PROFIT MARGIN TO IT? NOW, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT FIXED OVERHEAD, LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A BUILDING, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF STAFF, ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF. 
          I'M TALKING ABOUT THE VARIABLE COST. 
          HAS THERE EVER BEEN ANYTHING THAT, THAT, UM, HAS BEEN PREPARED THAT, THAT MIGHT CHECK THAT NUMBER, CHECK THAT OPERATION TO SEE IF IT REALLY IS MAKING US MONEY? YEAH. 
          SO EVERY TIME THE CONTRACT IS RENEWED WITH THE US MARSHALS, UM, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UH, STIPULATES THAT WE HAVE TO FILL OUT WHAT IS CALLED THE JOEY FORM, JOEI. 
          AND WE HAVE TO ITEMIZE THE, THE SALARY CONTRACTS, UM, ARE, ARE, ARE, ARE, UH, LINE ITEMS, UM, OUR OVERTIME NUMBERS AND EVERYTHING'S PUT INTO THE FORMAT. 
          AND THEN IT COMES UP WITH A PER DEM, UH, DAILY RATE. 
          UM, AND WE ARE, THE US MARSHALS IS A PROFIT PROFITABLE NUMBER, NUMBER MM-HMM . 
          UH, RIGHT NOW. 
          UM, AND THEN THAT'S WHY WE NEGOTIATE NOT ONLY THE PER DIEM RATE, BUT ALSO WE HAVE A MILEAGE PARADE FOR US PICKING UP, UH, THE INMATES IN NEW YORK, UH, PICKING UP THEM UP IN SOUTH JERSEY, PICKING THEM UP IN, SO WE GO AS FAR AS PHILADELPHIA AND THEN UP TO BOSTON TO CONNECTICUT SOMETIMES. 
          UM, SO THAT'S ALL FACTORED IN, UM, AS WELL. 
          UM, IF THERE'S ANY, UH, MEDICAL EXPENSE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PAYS THAT DIRECTLY, UM, TO THE HOSPITAL. 
          SO THAT'S NOT, IT'S, IT'S NOT, UH, COMING OUT OF OUR, UH, BUDGET, UM, PER SE. 
          SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, IN ENSURE THE US MARSHALS, UH, CONTRACT AND PROGRAM DOES, IS PROFITABLE FOR, FOR THE DEPARTMENT OR FOR THE COUNTY, BUT I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S A FACTOR THERE. 
          AND I'M GOING TO ASK YOU WHETHER OR NOT THAT GOES INTO YOUR CALCULATION. 
          WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS, UM, INABILITY TO GET PEOPLE TO COME IN ON TIMES AND HOW THAT GENERATES A LOT OF ADDITIONAL OVERTIME. 
          THAT'S NOT REALLY, REALLY PERTAINED TO ANY ONE PROGRAM. 
          IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A PHENOMENON THAT'S HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND PROBABLY THROUGHOUT, UH, THE COUNTRY WHERE PEOPLE JUST, UH, FEEL UN OBLIGATED TO SHOW UP 
          [02:50:01]
FOR WORK EVERY DAY. 
          UM, HOW DOES THAT GET FACTORED INTO THAT? SO WHEN YOU DEVELOP A STAFFING PLAN, UM, THE STAFFING PLAN, UM, HAS SOMETHING THAT'S CALLED A RELIEF FACTOR. 
          AND THAT ACCOUNTS FOR TRAINING DAYS, VACATION DAYS, PERSONAL TIME OFF, AND YOU USE NATIONAL NUMBERS, RIGHT? WHERE WITH, WITH THE TRENDS ARE, ARE WHEN YOU HAVE, WHEN YOU STAY WITHIN THOSE NUMBERS, THE OVERTIME NUMBERS PRETTY MUCH ARE LOW AND HAVE BEEN LOW OR, OR WHAT THE ISSUE THAT WE HAVE IS THAT WHEN YOU FACTOR 10 OR 12% OF PEOPLE CALLING OUT SICK OR BEING OFFERED A DAY, WE'RE, WE'RE OKAY WITH OUR NUMBERS WHEN WE'RE GETTING 38, 48, 50 2% PEOPLE CALLING OUT A DAY. 
          THAT'S WHAT THEN FORCES THE OVERTIME AND THEN FORCES THE OVERTIME NUMBER NUMBERS TO GO OUT. 
          I MEAN, BIG DAYS, LIKE THE DAY AFTER THE SUPER BOWL, THE SUPER BOWL DAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GETTING OVER 110 SICK CALLS, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, RIGHT? UH, MOTHER'S DAY WE'RE GETTING OVER A HUNDRED, YOU KNOW, 4TH OF JULY, DAY AFTER 4TH OF JULY. 
          UM, SOME OF THOSE BIG, BIG DAYS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE TO ACCOUNT FOR IT. 
          BUT WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT A RELIEF FACTOR, YOU CAN ABSORB 10, 12, MAYBE EVEN 12, 13% WHEN WE'RE GETTING 40% NO JAIL OR NO DEPARTMENT CAN ABSORB THAT, BUT, SO THAT'S WHY THAT GETS INTO THE ATION, THE NECESSITY TO FILL THE POSTS. 
          IT'S NOT LIKE THESE ARE ADMINISTRATIVE POSTS, RIGHT? WE CAN SAY, OKAY, FOR THAT DAY, AND THEY'LL FILL OUT THE PAPERWORK. 
          THESE ARE ALL ALL CUSTODY POSTS, RIGHT? SECURITY POSTS. 
          SO THEY HAVE TO BE FILLED. 
          THEY'RE EITHER FILLED ON A VOLUNTEER BASIS OR TO FILLED ON A MANDATORY BASIS. 
          SO, AND THAT NUMBER THEN DRIVES UP THE OVERTIME. 
          YEAH. 
          AND THAT, THAT CAN'T BE ALL FACTORED INTO ANY ONE CONTRACT. 
          NO, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT, NOBODY'S GONNA PAY. 
          IT'S, IT'S AN UNKNOWN VARIABLE. 
          YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          SO, UM, AND THEN I ASSUME ONCE, ONCE YOU COMPLETE THAT ANALYSIS AS TO WHAT THE PER DIEM IS FOR THE FEDERAL MARSHALLS PROGRAM, THERE'S, THERE'S GOTTA BE A, A PROFIT MARGIN THAT'S, UH, ASSOCIATED WITH THAT PERCENTAGE ON TOP OF THAT IN ORDER TO GENERATE, CORRECT. 
          SO IT'S NOT A, A BREAKEVEN YOU, YOU DON'T WANNA RUN A BREAKEVEN OPTION. 
          NO. 
          SO IS THERE ANY PARTICULAR FACTOR THAT IS IN THAT, THAT YOU COULD RECALL? WHAT SO I THINK, I THINK THE EASIER THE WAY OF FIGURING OUT IS THAT CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW IT COSTS ABOUT $140 A DAY, UM, TO HOUSE A A, A PRISONER IN OUR FACILITY. 
          AND THE, WE'RE GETTING ABOUT 156, $6 FROM THE FEDERAL MARSHALS. 
          SO WE'RE, WE'RE PROFITABLE, WE'RE PROFITABLE THERE BY ABOUT, IT'S ABOUT A 10%. 
          YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A BIG PROFIT, I, I ASSUME. 
          NO, NO, IT'S OKAY. 
          WELL THAT, THAT MAKES IT VERY CLEAR TO ME THAT I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH. 
          UM, SO AS FAR AS, UH, I GUESS THE NEXT ONE OUT COME OFF CORRECTIONS AND, UM, YOU, YOU'RE HANDLING THE POLICE ACADEMY AS WELL? YES. 
          SO REALLY, UM, NOTHING TO THAT. 
          THE OPERATION OPERATING EXPENDITURES STAY STAYED THE SAME THAT WAS BUDGETED IN 2025 AND THERE'S A SLIGHT INCREASE IN, UH, IN SALARIES AND WAGES. 
          RIGHT. 
          UM, I THINK WE GOT THAT. 
          UM, I, UH, ONE OF, JUST TO, SO THE COMMISSIONERS ARE AWARE THAT THAT NUMBER, UM, FOR 2025 THAT WE SPOKE OF, I DUNNO, IT WAS THE NUMBER BUDGETED, OR I GOT THE ACTUAL NUMBER. 
          I THINK IT WAS WHAT WAS BUDGETED, WAS ONE 1,429,269. 
          AND THEN FOR 2026, THIS NO PAY WAS 4 MILLION 932 129. 
          I SEE WHERE THE HELL I GOT THOSE NUMBERS FROM. 
          UM, I DIDN'T GRAB NONE THE AIR, BUT SO, SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS THIS YEAR, YOU'RE ACKNOWLEDGING OF A GREATER AMOUNT OF NO TIME THAT, OF THAT NOTE THAT NO PAY. 
          UM, AND YOU HAD, YOU HAD MADE A STATEMENT TOO, THAT LAST YEAR, I THINK THAT NUMBER WAS CLOSER TO SIX OR SIX OR 7 MILLION, YOU SAID. 
          YEAH. 
          SO, SO THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY SIGNIFICANT. 
          YES. 
          I MEAN, THAT, THAT COULD REALLY BLOW YOUR WHOLE BUDGET. 
          YEAH. 
          THAT, THAT CAN, WE HOPE WE, UH, WE DON'T GET THAT FAR. 
          YOU KNOW, WE, WE HOPE THAT THE DISCIPLINE STEPS, THE PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE WE'RE TAKING, THAT PEOPLE ARE COMING TO WORK, UH, INCENTIVIZE THEM, GET THEM TO COME TO WORK. 
          UH, BUT WE, WE DO, WE DO TRADITIONALLY OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS OR SEVEN YEARS, HAVE THAT NUMBER YEAH. 
          DIRECTOR, IT'S NO REFLECTION ON YOUR DEPARTMENT. 
          IT'S, IT'S HAPPENING. 
          AND I'VE TALKED WITH THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR ABOUT IT. 
          IT, IT, IT'S HAPPENING COUNTYWIDE. 
          YEAH. 
          AND I THINK IT'S HAPPENING NOT ONLY IN THE COUNTY, 
          [02:55:01]
BUT I THINK IN OTHER PUBLIC SERVICE, UH, UH, ENTITIES AS WELL, MORE ON THE PUBLIC THAN IN THE PRIVATE SIDE. 
          I DON'T THINK YOU GET AWAY WITH IT AS MUCH ON THE PRIVATE SIDE, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THESE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS TOO THAT MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO, TO TAKE ACTION. 
          SO, UM, I DON'T REALLY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE FOR YOU. 
          I WANT TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ANSWERING THOSE QUESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU FOR MAKING YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          THANK YOU, MR. MCKINNA. 
          COMMISSIONERS QUESTIONS. 
          COMMISSIONER COOPER. 
          UH, THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. 
          I WANNA THANK DIRECTOR CHARLES AND HIS STAFF FOR DOING A GOOD JOB OVER THERE AT THE JAIL. 
          IT'S GOTTEN A LOT BETTER SINCE YOU'VE COME AND STABILIZED A LOT OF THE ISSUES. 
          UM, TWO QUICK THINGS. 
          THE FOOD CONTRACT, DID THAT GO BACK OUT TO BID RECENTLY? I REMEMBER THE LAST MEETING WE HAD IT, IT WENT OUT TO BID, UM, ORIGINALLY IN JANUARY, UH, MAYBE END OF DECEMBER, BEGINNING OF JANUARY, AND THEN IT WENT BACK OUT, I THINK THREE WEEKS AGO. 
          AND SOME OF THE ISSUES AND CONCERNS THAT YOU HAD WHEN WE TALKED A YEAR AGO, YOU'RE EVALUATING THAT AS A PART OF THE OVERALL PROCESS? CORRECT. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          UM, THE, AND WHEN WE TOURED A YEAR AGO, YOU HAD SOME CAPITAL ITEMS THAT YOU WANTED TO GET DONE. 
          DID THOSE THINGS GET ADDRESSED, LIKE OVER THIS LAST YEAR? OR YOU BUDGETING FOR THEM NOW? SO WE, SOME OF THEM, WE STARTED, UH, WE WE'RE IN, IN THE FIRST STAGE OF, WE HAD THE PLANS DRAWN UP. 
          THE, THE SYSTEM WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE DURES SYSTEM, WHICH I KNOW COMES TO MIND. 
          UM, WE HAVE, UM, WORKED WITH VENDORS. 
          WE PUT OUT THE SPECS, WE GOTTEN THE SPECS BACK. 
          UM, THE WIRING, UM, IS, IS AN ISSUE. 
          THE BUILDING IS 20, WE'VE ABOUT 23 YEARS OLD. 
          UM, SO SOME OF THAT STUFF FROM AN IT STANDPOINT WE'RE WORKING OUT. 
          UM, BUT THAT'S PROBABLY GONNA SEE THAT KICKED OFF PROBABLY WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS. 
          AND WERE YOU ABLE TO GET THAT, UM, SOFTWARE YOU WANTED? SOME SOFTWARE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE OFFICERS? YOU GOT THAT, THAT THAT'S THE, WHAT WE CALL THE DUR REST SYSTEM. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL THAT'S WRAPPED IN. 
          SO ALL THAT'S WRAPPED IN ALL RIGHT. 
          YEAH, WE, WE DID ALSO, UM, WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, WERE, UM, WHEN, WHEN YOU CAME DOWN FOR YOUR VISIT, UM, WAS THE, THE UPGRADE AND THE, THE, THE MASTER CONTROL AREA AS FAR AS, UH, THE CAMERAS AND THE TVS THAT, THAT, THAT WAS DONE, UM, THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE BUILDING. 
          SO THAT'S, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS VERY, THAT WAS VERY MUCH NEEDED. 
          AND THAT'S ALL DONE. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          PERFECT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COMMISSIONER. 
          IS IT AGAIN? COMMISSIONER LUCIAN. 
          THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, THROUGH YOU. 
          I JUST WANTED TO PUT ON THE RECORD, UH, YOU KNOW THAT OVER THE LAST AT LEAST FEW YEARS, UH, OUR DIRECTOR, DIRECTOR, RON CHARLES AND HIS TEAM, UH, HAVE ALWAYS, UH, BEEN VERY TRANSPARENT. 
          THEY GO TO WORK EVERY DAY WITH A SMILE ON THEIR FACE, EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW THAT THE CLIMATE IS VERY TOUGH BEING IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CORRECTIONS. 
          UM, THERE'S NO HIDING THAT, THAT A FEW BAD APPLES HAVE, UH, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, COST THE BUNCH TO BECOME UNDER THE MICROSCOPE. 
          WE KNOW WHAT YOU DO. 
          I, I THINK THIS ADMINISTRATION UNDER THE COUNTY EXEC, UM, AND YOUR LEADERSHIP AS PRESIDENT HAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT IF THERE IS ANYTHING YOU GUYS NEED THAT WE CAN HELP OUT, UM, IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM OR FACET, WE ARE HERE FOR YOU. 
          AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR DOING THE JOB YOU'RE DOING UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WE APPRECIATE THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER, MAYOR THOMAS THROUGH MR. PRESIDENT ECHOING, CERTAINLY MY FELLOW COMMISSIONER SENTIMENTS. 
          AND PERSONALLY JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOU, DR. CHARLES AND YOUR ENTIRE TEAM. 
          I SEE MANY, UH, FAMILIAR FACES, UH, JUST FOR THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN DOING, PARTICULARLY AROUND, UH, SERVICES FOR OUR OFFICERS. 
          I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF JOINING OUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND OUR CHIEF OF STAFF ABOUT A WEEK OR TWO AGO, UM, AT THE GRAND OPENING FOR THE RENOVATED GYM. 
          AND I KNOW FOLKS ARE READY FOR US TO GET UP OUT OF THERE SO THEY COULD GO AHEAD AND USE THE MACHINES AND THE, THE SPACE. 
          AND IT WAS JUST SUCH A BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE. 
          UH, JUST THE PRIDE THAT WAS BEAMING THROUGHOUT THE, THE SPACE BECAUSE THE STAFF SAW THAT A CONTINUED INVESTMENT THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM HAS OF THEM REFLECTED IN THE SPACE AND CERTAINLY, UH, THAT, THAT VALUE THAT OUR ADMINISTRATION HAS IN THE DEPARTMENT AS WELL. 
          UM, AND SO THAT WAS REALLY BEAUTIFUL TO SEE, AND THEN EVEN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW IT'S NOT JUST THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE WELLNESS PIECE THROUGH THE GYM, BUT ALSO WELLNESS AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND PROGRAMMING IN GENERAL. 
          UM, THAT'S AN INVESTMENT, UH, FOR OUR STAFF. 
          AND SO I JUST WANTED TO COMMEND EACH OF YOU, UM, AND ALL THE, THE, THE WORKERS AND AND STAFF ATTACHED TO YOUR WORK, UH, BECAUSE SEEING THAT FIRSTHAND WAS REALLY, REALLY POWERFUL AND GRATEFUL TO HAVE HAD THAT EXPERIENCE. 
          I DID HAVE A QUESTION, AND I'M GLAD THAT, UM, UH, VICE PRESIDENT, UH, IN MY HEAD, HOLD ON. 
          LET ME, MY VICE PRESIDENT, ALWAYS MY VICE PRESIDENT IN, IN SOME WAYS, OF COURSE. 
          BUT, UH, COMMISSIONER COOPER MENTIONED THIS, UH, THE FOOD CONTRACT ACTUALLY GOT A, A OUTREACHED BY A CONSTITUENT, MAYBE A DAY OR TWO AGO, QUESTIONING, RESPONDING 
          [03:00:01]
TO SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED WITH A FAMILY MEMBER OF THEIRS WHO WAS INSIDE. 
          AND IT WAS ABOUT THE FOOD. 
          AND IT WAS PRETTY ABYSMAL. 
          I MEAN, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, UH, A A A RESIDENT OR AN INMATE HAD FOOD THAT HAD LIKE, UH, MAGGOTS OR SOMETHING CRAZY ATTACHED TO IT. 
          AND SO I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW WHERE THAT STANDS. 
          AND CERTAINLY, I'M THINKING BACK TO MY SCHOOL BOARD HAT, WHEN I SERVED ON THE BOARD OF EDUCATION IN NEWARK, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WOULD HAPPEN WHEN IT CAME TO FOOD. 
          UH, SOMETIMES IT WOULD JUST BE TRANSPORT, RIGHT? FOOD IS FINE, BUT WHEN IT GETS TO THE FACILITY OR TO THE SCHOOL, SOMETHING HAPPENS. 
          SOMETHING IS LEFT OUT FOR TOO LONG OR IN THE WRONG PLACE, AND THEN THE QUALITY OF THE FOOD ERODES. 
          OR SOMETIMES IT'S ACTUALLY AN ACTUAL ISSUE WITH THE SUPPLIER. 
          SO I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO KIND OF INVESTIGATE AND LEARN MORE PARTICULARLY ABOUT WHAT OCCURRED WITH THIS PARTICULAR PERSON. 
          BUT I WANTED TO FLAG THAT AS YOU GUYS ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT YOUR FOOD CONTRACTS, UH, MAKING SURE THAT ISSUES LIKE THAT ARE THINGS THAT WE'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO. 
          AND THEN WE'RE ALSO FLAGGING WHAT IS THE ISSUE IN THE PROCESS THAT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENING. 
          'CAUSE EVEN IF IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME, UH, WHAT ARE THE WAYS THAT WE CAN PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE? THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. 
          MR. REY, DO YOU WANNA COME BACK? YEAH, I JUST HAD ONE OTHER QUESTION. 
          WE, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER BROUGHT UP THE, THE FOOD CONTRACT. 
          I KNOW THE BOARD HAD APPROVED, UM, AN INCREASE IN, UH, THE FOOD CONTRACT BASED ON AN INCREASE IN POPULATION. 
          HAS HAVE, HAVE THOSE INCREASES BEEN, UM, INCLUDED IN THE, IN THE, IN THE ? YES. 
          THEY HAVE. 
          YES. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          FRANK. 
          COMMISSIONER COOPER, UH, THANK YOU, DIRECTOR. 
          I DO, I DO HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION. 
          SURE. 
          I RECALL THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION CONCERNS ABOUT SOME OF THE INMATES THAT YOU GUYS WERE SEEING, UM, RELATED TO THEIR MENTAL HEALTH, UM, CHALLENGES MM-HMM . 
          UM, AND I KNOW WE HAD MADE SOME INCREASES OVER THE YEARS TO GIVE YOU MORE, UM, FUNDING FOR, TO IMPROVE YOUR EFFECTIVENESS WITH DEALING WITH THEM. 
          BUT I, HOW, HOW ARE THINGS GOING WITH THAT? OKAY. 
          UM, SO WE'VE ADDED MORE SOCIAL WORKER STAFF, MORE, SOME MORE, UH, CLINICAL STAFF. 
          AND IN THE NEW RFP THAT'S OUT FOR THE MEDICAL, WE'VE INCREASED THE MENTAL HEALTH WORKERS, UH, FOR THE VENDOR. 
          WE INCREASED IT BY SIX POSITIONS. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, WE ARE GETTING THE OFFICERS WHO ARE ACTUALLY ASSIGNED TO THAT MENTAL HEALTH STEP DOWN UNIT, THEY ARE GETTING SPECIFIC TRAINING ON HOW TO DEAL MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID, UH, THROUGH UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, UM, SIGNS OF A MENTAL ILLNESS. 
          THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE ASSIGNED TO THAT UNIT ACTUALLY HAVE VOLUNTEERED TO WORK THERE. 
          UM, WHICH WA WAS A TREMENDOUS AT, AT FIRST. 
          I DIDN'T THINK WE WERE GONNA GET ANYBODY REALLY WILLING TO WORK THERE, BUT WE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WANTED TO WORK IN THERE WHO WANTED TO GO FOR THE EXTRA TRAINING. 
          UM, WE THINK IT'S PAYING OFF. 
          UM, I, I JUST, I DIDN'T NOTE THOUGH, WHEN THE N-C-C-H-E WAS HERE IN THE A CA, UM, THAT PROGRAM, THE STEP STEP DOWN UNIT, THEY ARE NOMINATING THAT FOR THE PROGRAM OF THE YEAR, ALONG WITH THE SILVER LAKE HOSPITAL. 
          UM, UH, THROUGHOUT THE, WE WILL KNOW MORE, UH, IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR IF WE ACTUALLY, UM, ARE AWARDED THAT. 
          BUT THEY, THEY, THEY WANT US TO BRING THAT PROGRAM ON THE ROAD, SO TO SPEAK, AT THE CONVENTIONS BECAUSE THE LEVEL OF CARE AND THE COOPERATION THROUGH ALL PARTS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS BASICALLY UNHEARD OF IN THE UNITED STATES. 
          UM, SO, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE PROUD OF THAT. 
          UM, WE'RE PROUD OF THE INTERNAL PROGRAM, THE STEP DOWN UNIT, UM, AND THEN THE SILVER LAKE, UH, PART OF IT, UM, AS FAR AS THE DRUG AND ALCOHOL OR PROGRAM. 
          AND SO WE'RE HOPING THAT WE'RE KEEPING OUR FINGERS CROSSED THAT, UH, WE DO WELL ON IT. 
          BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED IS, IS A BIG FACTOR. 
          I'M EXCITED TO HEAR THAT. 
          I THINK THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT, UM, PROBABLY COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON AND I WOULD WANNA FOLLOW UP IS YOU DID A GOOD JOB WITH STABILIZING THESE PEOPLE, AND THEN WHEN THEY WERE LEAVING THE, THE FOLLOW UP, THE, THE CONTINUUM OF CARE, HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN ABLE TO KIND OF BRING THAT PART TOGETHER TOO? YEAH. 
          SO DOC, DR. VEGA IS WORKING WITH THE OUTSIDE, THE NON-GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, THE, UH, ORGANIZATIONS, THE COMMUNITY, RIGHT? SO WHEN THEY LEAVE US, THEY, AND THEY LEAVE, THEY DON'T GO TO STATE PRISON AND THEY'RE STAYING, THEY'RE BEING RELEASED TO THE COMMUNITIES. 
          WHAT, WHAT DO THEY NEED? HOW CAN WE ACT, ACT, WE PROVIDE JOBS FOR THEM. 
          DRIVER'S LICENSE IS ALWAYS A BIG ISSUE. 
          UM, GETTING THAT, UM, WORK. 
          UM, WE STARTED THAT CULINARY ARTS PROGRAM. 
          UM, SO THEY'RE GETTING THEIR, THE CULINARY ARTS CER CERTIFICATION, SO THEY CAN, THEY CAN APPLY FOR JOBS THAT, THAT NEED THAT. 
          SO WE'RE REACHING OUT TO, UM, DRUG AND ALCOHOL FACILITIES, UM, FAITH-BASED, UH, ANNUITY. 
          SO WE'RE TRYING TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY. 
          AND IF THE COMMUNITY HAS ANY PROGRAMS THEY WANT TO BRING IN INSIDE, I'M CERTAINLY, WE'RE WILLING TO HEAR ABOUT THAT. 
          WE, WELL, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE TASK FORCE, THE CIVILIAN TASK FORCE AND GOVERNOR MCGREEVY AND, UH, ACTUALLY MEETING TODAY ABOUT, UH, EXPANDING SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE GOING TO BE, UH, 
          [03:05:01]
UPON RELEASE AND DISCHARGED. 
          WELL, THANK YOU, DIRECTOR FOR THAT RESPONSE. 
          I APPRECIATE IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU ERS. 
          ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SEE NONE. 
          DIRECTOR CHARLES, THANK YOU TO YOU AND TO YOUR ENTIRE TEAM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          IT'S, UH, IT'S UNFORTUNATELY YOU HAD TO HOG UP ALL THE TIME AND THEY DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO SAY A WHOLE LOT. 
          THEY, THEY ARE, THEY ARE FREE TO SPEAK IF THEY WOULD . 
          WE'RE JUST TEASING UP FOR US. 
          WE JUST TRY TO KEEP A LIGHTS. 
          IT'S A LONG NIGHT. 
          YES, YES. 
          SO, BUT WE SINCERELY THANK YOU, UH, CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN ON THE ACCOLADE THAT YOU REFERENCED IT IN THE VERY, UH, BEGINNING OF YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          AND I'M SURE WE'LL SEE YOU, UH, AGAIN SOON HERE AT THIS RE YES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY, MR. JACKSON, WE HAVE OUR ESTEEM PROSECUTOR NEXT. 
          YES. 
          YES. 
          AND HE IS ON, UM, TAB SIX, PAGE 69. 
          THANK YOU. 
          PAGE 69, EVERYONE. 
          CAN I BRING MY, I MEAN, MY COAT WITH ME ? I THINK, I THINK WE CAN, UH, ALLOW TO SLIDE THIS TIME  AS LONG AS IT'S GOT NO ROMAN, NOT RUM, COKE, . 
          SO BY ALLEY, BUT NOT TODAY. 
          GOOD EVENING, MR. PROSECUTOR, PLEASE FOR THE RECORD, JUST, UH, STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION AND, UH, INTRODUCE US, ANYONE WHO MAY BE HERE WITH YOU. 
          GREAT. 
          MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE ESTEEM COMMITTEE. 
          THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TODAY. 
          UH, MY NAME IS THEODORE STEVENS, AND I AM THE ESSEX COUNTY PROSECUTOR. 
          ALONG WITH ME IS E ETHAN, MATT MATHIS, WHO IS, UM, OUR, UH, BUDGET CONSULTANT OFFICER OF JACK OF ALL TRADES, UH, FOR THE OFFICE. 
          UH, AND, UH, VERY HELPFUL IN PUTTING OUR BUDGET TOGETHER. 
          UH, AND MR. MCNARY, HOW ARE YOU, SIR? GOOD, MR. STEVENS. 
          GOOD TO SEE YOU, MR. PROSECUTOR. 
          UM, IN 2025 AND CONTINUING TO 2026, ASES COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE HAS BEEN COMMITTED TO MEET THE CHALLENGES, UH, ASSOCIATED WITH MODERN PROSECUTING. 
          UH, WE'VE HAD THE USUAL ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH WHAT WE DO AS THE LARGEST AND THE BUSIEST PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY. 
          SO THOSE CHALLENGES CONTINUE. 
          BUT IN ADDITION, THERE ARE OTHERS. 
          UH, OUR WORKLOAD, FOR INSTANCE, HERE IN ESSEX HAS INCREASED, UH, FAIRLY DRAMATICALLY BECAUSE, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME, THERE'S ALMOST A FULL COMPLIMENT OR A FULL COMPLIMENT OF CRIMINAL JUDGES HERE IN ESSEX COUNTY. 
          FOR YEARS, THE COUNTY HAS OPERATED WITH, UH, LESS THAN A FULL COMPLIMENT NOW THAT I BELIEVE THERE ARE 18 OR 19 CRIMINAL COURTS GOING. 
          AND SO THAT OUR, UM, RESOURCES ARE FURTHEST TRUST, MAKING SURE THAT WE COVER ALL OF THEM, UNLIKE ANY OTHER COUNTY ON ANY GIVEN DAY. 
          THERE ARE MULTIPLE TRIALS GOING ON HERE IN ESSEX COUNTY THAT IS GOOD FOR THE YOUNG APS THAT COME AND WANT THAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE. 
          BUT AGAIN, IN TERMS OF THE NUMBERS, UH, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE HAVE TO SPREAD AROUND, IT'S CHALLENGING TO MANAGE THAT. 
          BUT SO FAR, SO GOOD IN TERMS OF MOVING THAT ALONG. 
          IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ARE, UM, CONTINUING TO, AS WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, TO ENGAGE AND ENHANCE OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. 
          UM, WE BELIEVE IT'S ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE NOT BE A STANDALONE ORGANIZATION, BUT ONE ACTUALLY THAT'S INVOLVED AND EMBEDDED IN THE COMMUNITY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. 
          BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T PROSECUTE OUR WAY INTO A BETTER COMMUNITY. 
          IT'S GOTTA BE DONE IN A COLLABORATIVE FASHION WITH THE COMMUNITY. 
          SO WE DO THAT TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN. 
          SO WE DO THE BEST WE CAN TO INCREASE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THIRD PARTIES AND TO GET INVOLVED IN VARIOUS ACTIVITIES THAT ARE GOING ON IN ORDER TO, UH, MAKE FRIENDS AND HAVE THE INFORMATION ALSO COME TO US AS WELL. 
          ONE OF THE COLLABORATIONS, THOUGH, IS CLOSER TO HOME IN TERMS OF HAVING A YOUTH INITIATIVE COLLABORATION THAT WE'VE JUST EMBARKED UPON WITH THE SUPERIOR COURT. 
          UH, JUDGE VENABLE, EVEN THOUGH SHE IS GOING TO LEAVE US VERY SOON, WAS VERY INTERESTED IN GETTING THAT OFF THE GROUND. 
          SO, UM, WE PUT TOGETHER A MEETING WITH THE SUPERINTENDENTS HERE IN ESSEX WITH THE HELP OF JORA, AND WE MET AND HAD A BREAKFAST WITH THEM. 
          AND SO WE ARE NOW ON THIS MONTH GOING TO START AN INITIATIVE WHERE WE ARE KIND OF DOING AN ENHANCED CIVICS CLASS, GOING TO VARIOUS SCHOOLS TO, TO HELP TO GENERATE THE NEXT GENERATION, IF YOU WILL, OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE GONNA BE GOOD CITIZENS, UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE JURY PROCESS IS ALL ABOUT, WHAT THEIR GOALS SHOULD BE, EXACTLY HOW THEY CAN INTERACT, AND WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO INTERACT WITH, UH, THE, UM, AS PART OF THE PROCESS AND PART OF THE GOVERNMENT, IF YOU WILL, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF ALL THE NEGATIVE INFORMATION THAT'S FLOATING AROUND 
          [03:10:01]
TODAY. 
          I THINK THAT THIS IS, UH, AN IDEA TRULY WHOSE TIME HAS COME. 
          SO WE'RE GONNA START AT BARRINGER HIGH SCHOOL IN NEWARK. 
          UM, BEING A KID WHO FROM EAST ORANGE PLAYING BARRINGER, THAT'S ALWAYS AN INTERESTING PLACE TO GO TO, BUT NONETHELESS, WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT. 
          AND, UH, OH, WELL, WE'RE GONNA GET SOME RIVALRY GOING HERE. 
          I THINK WAY THE COUNT EXEC'S NOT HERE, SO I CAN SAY THAT TODAY. 
          HE'S NOT. 
          YOU GOT A BLUE BEAR RIGHT HERE, BROTHER. 
          YOU GOT ONE THERE TOO, RIGHT? THAT'S ALL RIGHT. 
          THAT'S RIGHT. 
          I LOST THE BARON TRUTH, AS I CAN SAY, THAT RESULT, ROBBIE WRIGHT WAS THERE. 
          SO THAT WAS A GOOD TEAM. 
          AND, UH, ALSO, UM, THEN WE'RE GOING TO ALSO THEN, UH, EVEN CLOSER TO HOME, WE'RE GONNA GO TO DONALD PAYNE TECH, UH, FOR OUR SECOND STOP. 
          SO WE'RE GONNA AT LEAST DO THOSE TWO. 
          UM, HAD SOME REALLY GOOD EARLY INTERACTION THERE. 
          SO WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT THAT'S REALLY GONNA SET THE TONE. 
          SO THE SECOND PART OF THAT WILL BE HAVING THEM COME INTO THE COURT COMPLEX WHEN THE WEATHER FINALLY BREAKS, ABOUT JULY OR AUGUST OR WHENEVER IT DOES. 
          AND, UH, WE'LL HAVE THEM COME IN AND THEY CAN SEE JURIES OPERATE AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          SO WE'RE REAL HOPEFUL THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA BE VERY LONG LASTING AND WILL SURVIVE BOTH, BOTH, UM, THE ASSIGNMENT JUDGE, AND EVEN ME FOR THAT MATTER IN TERMS OF WHERE WE CAN, UH, HELP MAKE A, A, A BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY. 
          UM, AND WE STILL STRUGGLE WITH, UH, THE USUAL HIRING ISSUES, WHICH WE'VE, I'VE TALKED ABOUT EVERY PARTICULAR YEAR AS EVERY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE DOES IN THE COUNTRY. 
          I RECENTLY CAME BACK FROM A NATIONAL DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON LAST WEEK, UH, WHERE IT WAS AN ADVOCACY DAY, SORT OF A PROGRAM WHERE WE HAD INTERACTION IN TALKING ABOUT THE ISSUES, WHICH WERE IMPORTANT TO EVERY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, HIRING, BEING PART OF THAT. 
          SO WE MADE SURE WE EMPHASIZED CERTAIN PIECES OF LEGISLATION TO OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS. 
          UM, I HAPPENED TO PLAY, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH CONGRESSWOMAN MACGYVER, AND SHE WELCOMED US WARMLY, AND WE TALKED TO HER ABOUT THAT. 
          AND I THINK SHE'S FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF A COUPLE OF HER KEY INITIATIVES. 
          ONE BEING AN ACT CALLED THE HIRE ACT, IF YOU WILL, THAT IS GONNA BE MODELED AFTER COPS, WHICH HAS BEEN VERY INSTRUMENTAL AND, AND SUCCESSFUL IN MAKING SURE THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT AT THE, THE POLICE LEVEL HAS, UM, MADE SOME STRIDES. 
          SO WE'RE HOPING TO DO THAT ON THE PROSECUTORIAL OR THE DA LEVEL AROUND THE COUNTRY. 
          AND ALSO, THERE'S A NEED TO MAKE SURE THERE'S A STEADY FUNDING SOURCE FOR VOCA. 
          NOW, VIOLENT CRIME, IT, WE NEED THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND, AND THAT ARE OUT THERE TO INTERACT WITH THE VICTIMS OF VIOLENT CRIME. 
          WE, UM, HAPPEN TO GET A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY AND IT FUNDS FOUR OR FIVE OF OUR, UM, ACT, UH, UH, OUR INDIVIDUALS WHO WORK IN THAT PARTICULAR, UH, UNIT. 
          UM, WITHOUT THEM WE'D BE SHUT DOWN, BUT WE HAVE ABOUT 11, THAT'S FOUR OR FIVE. 
          SO WE NEED THOSE FUNDS TO CONTINUE TO COME FOR OUR VICTIM WITNESS ADVOCATES. 
          EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. 
          SO WE GOT THAT INFORMATION OUT THERE. 
          UM, SO WE CONTINUE TO KIND OF WORK IN THAT VEIN. 
          BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS, FOR SOME REASON THAT THE, UH, ASSISTANT PROSECUTOR, I GUESS THE PIPELINE HAS OPENED UP QUITE NICELY FOR US. 
          AND AT THIS POINT, WE ARE POISED, UM, YOU KNOW, ABSENT PEOPLE LEAVING NOTWITHSTANDING, YOU NEVER CAN TELL WHEN THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, BUT WE ARE PROBABLY GONNA HAVE FOR THE FIRST TIME A FULL COMPLIMENT OF 127 ASSISTANT PROSECUTORS, UH, COME THIS SEPTEMBER. 
          WE HAVE A, AT THIS POINT, A WAITING LIST OF INDIVIDUALS WE'RE TRYING TO GO THROUGH AND VET FOR THE LAST THREE OR FOUR POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE OPEN. 
          SO THAT HAS BEEN VERY WELCOME NEWS. 
          WE, AT SOME POINT IN TIME, TO BE TOTALLY HONEST WITH YOU, WE'RE TAKING PEOPLE WITH A PULSE AND A LAW DEGREE, UH, IN TERMS OF TRYING TO FILL SOME OF THESE, UH, UH, POSITIONS, BUT WE ARE NOW ABLE TO BE MUCH MORE CIRCUMSPECT ABOUT THAT. 
          AND, UH, I THINK WE'RE ABLE TO KIND OF FILL SOME SPECIFIC NEEDS. 
          SO THAT HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY BENEFICIAL. 
          SIMILARLY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE SAME SORT OF OPPORTUNITIES AT OUR INVESTIGATORS LEVEL AND ALSO AT OUR SUPPORT LEVEL, BECAUSE I THINK WE NEED THAT. 
          WE'RE HAVING SOME OF THE ATTORNEY, THE APS DO SOME THINGS THAT WE NEED, SOME PARALEGALS AND THINGS TO DO. 
          SO, SO WE'VE, WE'VE GOT A REAL OPPORTUNITY HERE TO I THINK, PUT THE OFFICE WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE. 
          THE CHALLENGE IS GONNA BE THOUGH NEXT YEAR, NOW THIS YEAR, WE ARE, UH, CLEARLY GONNA BE ABLE TO WORK WITHIN THE, THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET, WHICH I'VE SPOKEN TO THE ADMINISTRATION ABOUT THAT. 
          AND MOST SPECIFICALLY, PHIL, ELIJAH, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT AND WE WERE, WE WORKED WITH THE ADMINISTRATION. 
          WE ALWAYS HAVE, AND WE'RE ALWAYS HAPPY TO DO BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE PART OF THE GREATER COMMUNITY. 
          AND EVERY YEAR, I THINK THIS ESTEEM BODY SAYS, DO WE HAVE ENOUGH TO REALLY GET THROUGH? AND THE ANSWER HAS BEEN YES, BECAUSE WE ARE ALWAYS ABLE TO DO SOME KIND OF, UH, SWITCHING AT THE END OF IT BETWEEN THE SALARY LINE, BECAUSE WE'VE HAD, WE'VE NEVER HAD A FULL COMPLIMENT THERE, SO THERE'S ALWAYS SOME MONEY LEFT 
          [03:15:01]
OVER. 
          BUT IF WE'RE SUCCESSFUL AS I THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE IN TERMS OF FILLING THESE POSITIONS NEXT YEAR, COULD BE ONE WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT IT AND WE'RE MAY NEED SOME HELP, ONE TO MAYBE GET SOME ONE OR TWO POSITIONS BACK. 
          AND NUMBER TWO, JUST TO GET SOME MORE FUNDING INTO FUND THESE INDIVIDUALS. 
          AND WHAT FURTHER EXACERBATES THAT IS THE NEED FOR TECHNOLOGY, WHICH HAS BEEN NONSTOP. 
          UM, THE, UM, WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND OUR TECHNO TECHNOLOGICAL CAPABILITIES HERE AT THE ESTES COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE. 
          IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS, WE'VE EXPANDED OUR CYBER AND TECHNOLOGICAL CAPABILITIES WITH NEW INITIATIVES SUCH AS LICENSE PLATE READERS, I DUNNO IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THOSE, BUT THEY'RE A STAPLE IN THE COM IN THE COUNTY. 
          ANYWHERE YOU GO, YOUR LICENSE PLATE IS BEING READ, TRUST ME, OR CITYWIDE CAMERA SYSTEMS, DRONE OPERATIONS, DIGITAL FORENSICS, CRIME SCENE, PROSECUTING AND PROCESSING. 
          ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. 
          AND WE PROCURED, UH, A DIGITAL EVIDENCE DEVICE CALLED BODY WORN CAMERAS. 
          EVERYBODY KNOWS ABOUT THOSE, RIGHT? , UH, AXON IS THE, OUR VENDOR. 
          AND THAT WE'VE, WE'VE NOW SETTLED ON THEM AFTER STARTING WITH, UM, THE PANASONIC SYSTEM. 
          AND I GUESS THERE WAS SOME, I GUESS SOME EMPHASIS, UH, ATTEMPT TO USE THEM SINCE THEY HAD MOVED INTO THE CITY OF NEWARK. 
          AND SO, UM, WE ATTEMPTED TO USE 'EM, BUT FRANKLY, THEY DIDN'T WORK. 
          SO AXON IS THE, UM, STANDARD MODEL THAT'S THE PLATINUM MODEL, AND THEY'RE USING THAT. 
          AND IT WAS, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO MANDATE THAT MUNICIPALITIES USE THAT IF WE ARE NOT FULLY, UH, EQUIPPED TO DO THAT. 
          SO WE HAVE, UH, INCREASED OUR CAPABILITIES WITH REGARD TO THAT AS WELL. 
          NOW, THE COST OF THAT, AS WE ALL KNOW WITH TECHNOLOGY, UM, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. 
          I USED TO WORK, MY FIRST JOB WAS WITH UNISYS CORPORATION, THAT WAS, I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT COMPUTERS AND I COULD WRITE A CONTRACT, BUT, UH, IN TERMS OF HOW THEY WORK, DON'T ASK ME. 
          BUT WE USED TO SAY IN THAT BUSINESS, ANYBODY CAN MAKE A MISTAKE, BUT TO REALLY MESS IT UP, IT TAKES A COMPUTER. 
          AND THAT CERTAINLY CONTINUES TO BE TRUE TODAY, BUT WHEN IT WORKS, IT'S TREMENDOUS. 
          AND SO THAT'S AN ASSET THAT WE CONTINUE TO NEED, JUST SO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THE NUMBERS ON THAT, AND MUCH OF IT IS THE SO-CALLED FUND UNFUNDED MANDATES THAT COME IN FROM, UM, THE AGS OFFICE THAT REQUIRE US TO HAVE CERTAIN THINGS. 
          BUT LONG STORY SHORT IS THIS, IN 2022, OUR FORENSIC ANALYSIS AND CYBER TECHNOLOGICAL SERVICES HAD A AGGREGATE SPEND OF $429,000 A YEAR. 
          AND I COULD BREAK IT DOWN IF YOU NEED TO HEAR THAT, BUT THAT WAS OUR SUM THAT WE SPENT IN 2026. 
          IT'S GOING TO BE $1,375,000 A YEAR. 
          AND THIS IS NOT FOR ANYTHING THAT IS AN EXOTIC SORT OF WANT TO HAVE. 
          THESE ARE MUST HAVE ITEMS IN TERMS OF SOMETHING AXON, AS I TALKED ABOUT, THE BODY-WORN CAMERAS, CELLEBRITE GRAY KEY, WHICH ALLOWS US TO GET INTO CELL PHONES, UH, LICENSE PLATE READERS, DRONE, ALL OF THAT IS NECESSARY FOR US TO CONTINUE TO DO OUR WORK, WHICH IS AN APPROXIMATELY A 220% INCREASE OVER THAT PERIOD OF TIME. 
          AND THE THREATENS TO GET WORSE FROM HERE, BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN THE STATE OF BEING ABLE TO CAP SOME OF THOSE, UH, DOLLARS. 
          AND THE COMPUTER COMPANIES KNOW THAT THEY KIND OF HAVE US WHERE THEY NEED TO HAVE US, AND THOSE COSTS ONLY GO IN ONE DIRECTION. 
          SO ACQUISITION IS ONE THING, MAINTENANCE AND UPGRADE IS ANOTHER, AND THAT'S WHERE WE CONTINUE TO SEE THE INCREASES COMING. 
          SO WE AS A, AS AN, AS PART OF THE, UM, PROSECUTOR'S ASSOCIATION, CAH, WE ARE GOING TO LOBBY THE NEW ATTORNEY GENERAL TO SEE IF THE STATE CAN TAKE ON SOME OF THESE COSTS SINCE EVERYBODY HAS BASICALLY THE SAME AMOUNT OF COSTS AND HAVE THE AGS OFFICE EITHER FUND THEM AND OR AT LEAST NEGOTIATE PROBABLY STATEWIDE SYSTEMS THAT COULD BE HELPFUL TO KIND OF MODERATE SOME OF THOSE COSTS AS WELL. 
          SO, SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT SPECIFICALLY IN, UH, IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD. 
          SO THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING IN MY SPARE TIME, UH, SINCE THE LAST TIME I SPOKE WITH, UH, THE ESTEEM BODY IN TERMS OF OUR, OUR BUDGET, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'VE, WE ARE PRETTY MUCH, I THINK, UM, SELF-EXPLANATORY IN TERMS OF WHAT OUR, OUR NEEDS AND OUR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE. 
          AS I SAID, THAT SOME OF THE, THE LINE ITEMS YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE BUDGETED COSTS VERSUS THE SPENDS, AND, UH, SOME OF THOSE MAY LOOK A LITTLE BIT AS IF THEY WERE, UM, THEY MODERATED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE INITIAL BUDGET, BUT A LOT OF THAT WAS, UM, I GUESS, UM, MADE LESS, UH, UH, SUBSTANTIAL BECAUSE THERE WAS THIS EXTRA, 
          [03:20:01]
THESE OVER, UM, POT OF MONEY, THIS EXCESS, IF YOU WILL, FROM THE SALARY LINE THAT WAS ABLE AND CERTAINLY BEEN ABLE TO COVER ALL OUR EXPENSES GOING FORWARD. 
          BUT AS I SAID IN THE VERY BEGINNING, I'M PRETENDING THAT IN THE FUTURE THAT MAY BE A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, DIFFICULT TO KIND OF DO IT THE SAME WAY. 
          UM, SO AS YOU THINK, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BOTTOM LINE, GRAND TOTAL OF 447,000,030, UH, 32,446, A 6% INCREASE, UH, WHICH COMES TO A 2 MILLION, UH, $576,249 INCREASE OVER WHAT WE WERE DOING LAST YEAR. 
          AND A LOT OF THAT IS, OF COURSE, SALARIES, UM, UNION NEGOTIATED, UH, CONTRACTS, AND, UM, VERY LITTLE OF IT, AS I SAID, A WISHLIST, ALL OF THAT BEING MANDATORY ITEMS. THE, UM, I WANT TO THANK THE, THE, UH, COUNTY ADMINISTRATION THOUGH, UH, ESPECIALLY, UM, MY FRIEND MAYOR JACKSON, WHO HAS, UH, BEEN EXTREMELY GREAT TO WORK WITH. 
          UM, HE AND PHIL AND THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN GREAT, UH, TO, UM, ADDRESS ANY PARTICULAR NEEDS WE HAVE. 
          UH, IT'S BEEN A SORT OF THING WHERE I THINK THAT WE'VE BUILT UP TRUST OVER THE YEARS. 
          THEY KNOW IF WE COME TO THEM, IT'S A VERY SERIOUS, UM, WE NEED IT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT JUST, WE DON'T HAVE LIKE, SAY A WISHLIST SORT OF AN APPROACH TO IT. 
          AND THEY'VE BEEN AS ACCOMMODATING, I THINK, AS THEY CAN BE UNDER THESE VERY TRYING CIRCUMSTANCES, TRYING TO KEEP EVERYBODY WITH HEALTH INSURANCE. 
          SO, UM, UH, WE UNDERSTAND ALL OF THAT THAT GOES ON. 
          SO THAT'S MY BUDGET. 
          I'M HERE FOR QUESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU, MR. PROSECUTOR, FOR VERY THOROUGH OVERVIEW. 
          WE APPRECIATE YOUR HARD WORK FROM YOUR DEPARTMENT AND YOURSELF, OF COURSE. 
          UH, AND, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S CERTAINLY A CHALLENGE. 
          IT'S NO STRANGER. 
          WE'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU FOR YEARS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, NONE OF IT IS A REAL SURPRISE, A TECHNOLOGY ONE, I DON'T THINK PROBABLY SURPRISES ANYBODY REALLY, BUT, BUT IT IS, UH, THE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT NOWADAYS. 
          I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MR. MCINERNEY TO ASK SOME BUDGET QUESTIONS, AND I'LL OPEN IT UP TO THE COMMISSIONERS. 
          YEAH, REALLY, UH, THIS IS MORE OF AN OBSERVATION TOO. 
          UH, WHAT, WHAT YOU SAID IS, IS, IS VERY TRUE. 
          LIKE WHAT HISTORICALLY HAS BEEN THE NORM FOR YOUR OFFICE IS THAT WE WOULD, WE WOULD SEE THIS, UM, UH, AMOUNT OVERTIME AND, AND WE'D HAVE TO PICK IT UP THROUGH, UH, YOU KNOW, THE VACANCIES, YOU, YOU, IT'S TOTALLY TURNED AROUND. 
          UM, WE'RE, WE'RE NOW WHAT YOU'RE BUDGETING, THE, THE, WE SEE TRANSFERS OUT OF YOUR DEPARTMENT FOR $3 MILLION A COUPLE YEARS BACK. 
          WE'RE JUST NOT, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DO THAT ANYMORE. 
          SO WHEN I LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THE OVERTIME THAT WAS BUDGETED FOR TWO POINT, UH, SEVEN AND 2.6 WAS EXPENDED, THAT, THAT IN AND OF ITSELF, THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO MATCH THOSE TWO NUMBERS UP IS, IS GREAT BECAUSE IT'S BEEN DIFFERENT. 
          AND THE FACT THAT THE SALARIES AND WAGES CAME IN ALMOST AS TO WHAT WAS BUDGETED AS WELL, UH, WAS DIFFERENT. 
          IT WAS JUST FROM, I DON'T KNOW, I GUESS LAST YEAR WAS DIFFERENT TOO, BUT I, I CAN TELL YOU THAT IN THE LAST HALF A DOZEN YEARS THAT I CAN RECALL, THAT NUMBER WAS ALWAYS, UM, WE WERE ALWAYS MAKING UP ONE WITH THE OTHER SALARIES AND WAGES AND, AND YOU WERE ALWAYS GIVING MONEY BACK, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. 
          SO THAT, THAT'S CHANGED DRAMATICALLY. 
          UM, THE ONLY, UH, SO WHAT I'VE TRIED TO DO IS LOOK AT YOUR PAYROLL AND IT'S, IT DOESN'T HAVE, ON THE PAYROLL, IT DOESN'T HAVE TITLES ANY LONGER. 
          IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO LINE UP THE POSITIONS IN THE PAYROLL WITH THE POSITIONS IN THE BUDGET. 
          SO I DO HAVE A QUESTION. 
          THERE'S PEOPLE THAT ARE, UH, RECORDED IN THE PAYROLL AT 80 HOURS PER PAY PERIOD OF PEOPLE RECORDED AT 75 HOURS PER PAY PERIOD. 
          ARE ARE, CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE TWO? UM, THOSE ARE THE, UH, CONTRACTUALLY, SOME INDU INDIVIDUALS STARTED RIGHT, 75, UH, LONGER. 
          UH, WE'RE NOT REQUIRED TO DO THE 80 HOURS. 
          SO THOSE CONTRACTS, SO YOU'LL SEE LESS OF THAT AS, UM, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUALS RETIRE, AGE OUT, WHATEVER. 
          SO I THINK EVERYBODY WILL BE AT THE 80 HOUR. 
          UH, THAT WOULD BE MY EXPECTATION. 
          AND SO HOW, HOW ARE YOU DOING WITH THE COMPETITIVENESS OF YOUR SALARIES, ESPECIALLY YOUR ENTRY SALARIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT? WHERE DOES THAT START AND HOW IS THAT, UM, IN TERMS OF COMPETITIVE WITH ? SURE. 
          UM, I, I, I, I, IT'S A TESTAMENT REALLY JUST TO PEOPLE DEDICATION TO WANT TO DO THIS JOB. 
          PEOPLE COME TO THE ESEC COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE COME BECAUSE THEY WANT TO DO THE JOB, THEY WANNA WORK. 
          UH, IT IS A SALARY WHICH IS COMPETITIVE, BUT BY NO MEANS IS IT THE TOP THREE OR FOUR, UH, IN THIS STATE, ESPECIALLY WHEN, LOOK, WHEN COMPARED TO THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT GETS DONE. 
          I MEAN, I, IT MAY SOUND LIKE A BROKEN RECORD, BUT I MEAN, WE ARE ONE OF 21 PROSECUTORS' OFFICES, YET WE HAVE ONE THIRD OF THE VIOLENT CRIME 
          [03:25:01]
IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, ONE THIRD. 
          AND SO THAT MEANS EVERYBODY WORKS. 
          BUT FORTUNATELY WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO COME HERE TO EITHER A, GET GOOD AT WHAT THEY'RE DOING. 
          AND THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE WHERE ON ANY WEEK, AS I SAID, THERE ARE MULTIPLE TRIALS GOING ON, AND YOU GO TO SOME COUNTIES, THEY MAY HAVE ONE CRIMINAL TRIAL A YEAR. 
          I MEAN, THERE'S JUST NO COMPARISON. 
          SO, SO FORTUNATELY THAT AT, AT, WHILE THAT IS WORK, THAT'S OUR DRAW, IF YOU WILL. 
          SO WE'VE TRIED TO INCREASE, OR SINCE, SINCE, UM, I'VE BEEN HERE, WE'VE INCREASED THE SALARIES. 
          UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, ABOUT 75 NOW? RIGHT? AND THAT'S GOING UP FROM 60 66. 
          FROM 66, YEAH. 
          ALRIGHT, SO IT'S GOING FROM 6 66 TO 75 IN THE SEVEN YEARS I'VE BEEN HERE. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          I REMEMBER THE 56 NUMBER THAT I DO RECALL. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO, SO WE, WE ARE MAKING STRIDES. 
          BERGEN, I JUST TALKING INTO MY, MY, MY COUNTERPART THERE, MY GOOD FRIEND, UH, PROSECUTOR, MISS SELLER, THEY, THEY START PEOPLE AT A HUNDRED. 
          SO OBVIOUSLY IF WE LOSE SOMEBODY TO BERGEN, I, YEAH. 
          I'M NOT SAYING I LIKE IT, BUT AS CHRIS ROCK SAID, I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST IT'S SO WE CAN, WE KNOW WHERE WE'RE AT. 
          UM, BUT YOU HAVE THE SAME KINDS OF ISSUES THOUGH GOING ON WHERE, YOU KNOW, THEY MAY NOT WORK DOING THE KIND OF WORK WE DO. 
          THEY DO GOOD WORK IN BERGEN, VERY GOOD. 
          BUT THEY, THEY JUST DON'T DO WHAT WE DO HERE. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, WE DO WHAT WE CAN. 
          WE HAVE 127, THEY HAVE 80 MAYBE, AND YOU KNOW, THEY, A PLACE LIKE, UH, GLOUCESTER HAS 50 AND THEY PAY MORE. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, SO I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBERS, THE WORK, THE ECONOMICS, WE UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE. 
          UM, BUT DESPITE THAT, PEOPLE WANNA COME HERE AND WORK. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING WITH THAT, WHATEVER THAT MEANS. 
          BUT MS. PROSECUTOR, YOU STILL HAVE OPTIONS TO, UM, TO, NOT ARBITRARILY, BUT, BUT SOME DISCRETION AS TO WHO GETS MURDER INCREASES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. 
          SO IF YOU'VE GOT A SHINING STAR AND YOU WANT TO KEEP 'EM, YOU DO HAVE FLEXIBILITY WITHIN YOUR BUDGET TO ALLOCATE. 
          YOU'RE NOT TIED TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING OR NO. 
          SOME OTHER STRATEGY FOR ASSISTANT PROSECUTORS? NO. 
          THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE INVESTIGATORS HAVE A CONTRACT, OF COURSE. 
          YEAH. 
          THEY'RE, THEY'RE GOOD. 
          UM, NO HAVE JUST A REGULAR MANAGEMENT ISSUES THAT GO ALONG WITH THAT. 
          YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY GETS A INCREASE, SOMEBODY ELSE SAYS, WHY NOT ME? AND SO, SO WE'RE CIRCUMSPECT ABOUT MANAGING PEOPLE WITH THAT. 
          NOW THERE'S SOMEBODY WE ARE OFTEN, WE DO, WE'RE WE'RE MAKING THOSE KIND OF, UM, DECISIONS BASED ON PROMOTIONS. 
          SO BECAUSE AS PEOPLE LEAVE, THEN THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BEST SUITED AND MOST, UM, I GUESS WORTHY OF MOVING UP, WE'RE MOVING THEM UP. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK VERY CAREFULLY LOOK AT IT AND TO THE POINT WHERE NOBODY'S HAD A PROBLEM WITH PROMOTION WE MADE SO FAR, WHY ME? WHY THEM? THE PERSON HAS BEEN WORTHY TO, TO MOVE UP, UM, AT SOME POINT IN TIME THAT MAY BE AN ISSUE, ABLE TO MANAGE IT THAT WAY INTO THAT WAY, UH, TO CREATE SOME POSITIONS AND, AND TO, UM, FILL SOME SUPERVISORY POSITIONS. 
          SO IF WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MANAGE IT THAT WAY SO FAR. 
          BUT I MEAN, AS YOU GET UP, I'M LOOKING AT, I'M ASSUMING THAT THE 80 HOURS AS I GET UP ARE, ARE BASICALLY ASSISTANT PROSECUTORS. 
          UH, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT AREN'T, AREN'T REDUNDANT. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THE SAME FOR A PERIOD FROM THE LIKELY REPRESENT A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING, UH, UNIT. 
          UM, BUT THEY, THEY DO GET UP A HUNDRED SEVENTY FIVE, A HUNDRED SEVENTY SIX, A HUNDRED EIGHTY. 
          YEP. 
          OH YEAH. 
          NO, BUT SOME PEOPLE, THEIR SALARIES, THOSE THAT STAY LONG TERM, YOU KNOW, THEY DO MAKE A DECENT SALARY AND, UM, IT'S, AND IT'S GREAT WORK SO THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE USED TO IT AND IT'S A GREAT PENSION. 
          WHAT HELP WAS VERY HELPFUL, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. 
          YEAH. 
          WITH THE LEGISLATION THAT BROUGHT BACK THE PROCESS. 
          VERY HELPFUL. 
          SO PEOPLE THAT IS IN THE, UH, NON-PROFESSIONAL, THERE WAS 200,000 BUDGET, YOU EXPENDED ALMOST TWO 90 AND YOU'RE ONLY ASKING FOR 200 AGAIN. 
          IS THAT, UH, IS THAT ACHIEVABLE 
          [03:30:01]
IN THAT ONE LINE ITEM? NON-PROFESSIONAL SERVICES? WELL, IT, IT'S ACHIEVABLE BASED ON THE SAME, UH, UH, UM, APPROACH WE'VE BEEN MAKING SO FAR. 
          UM, I THINK WE ARE. 
          WHICH, WHICH LINE ITEM IS THAT? WHICH ONE? UM, NON-PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. 
          NON-PROFESSIONAL. 
          WHERE'S THAT HERE? IT'S BUDGETED FOR THE SAME RIGHT THERE AS IN 2025, BUT IT'S, OH YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          THAT IS, UM, IT'S INTERESTING. 
          THAT'S REALLY PART OF OUR TECHNO TECHNOLOGY COSTS. 
          UM, UH, IT, OUR XEROX COST LEXINEXIS, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A NUMBER. 
          I GUESS WE WOULD 2 2 88. 
          YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE, AM I GONNA, AM I GONNA GET UNDER 200,000? NO, I'M NOT GONNA MAKE THAT. 
          IT'S GONNA BE MORE THAN THAT. 
          IT'S GONNA BE CLOSER TO THE TWO 80TH. 
          WITHOUT QUESTION. 
          I HAD THAT SAME QUESTION ON STATIONARY AND OFFICE SUPPLIES. 
          I DON'T, IT WAS 200,000 BUDGETED, NEARLY 400,000 EXPENDED. 
          AND IT'S BACK, IT'S DOWN AT TWO 50. 
          RIGHT. 
          IS THAT SOMETHING TYPICALLY YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD THINK WOULD, WOULD STAY IN LINE OR, OR WOULD BE MORE THAN THE TWO 50 BUDGETED? WELL, THAT SHOULD STAY IN LINE BECAUSE WE ARE, UM, WE ARE EMBARKING, UH, TRYING TO GET PERMISSION TO GO TO A PAPERLESS OFFICE. 
          SO, UM, WE NEED PERMISSION, I GUESS, WHAT IS THE ORGANIZATION? DOOR DIVISION OF REVENUE AND ENTERPRISE SERVICES? A GROUP I'D NEVER HEARD OF UNTIL TRYING TO EMBARK ON THIS. 
          BUT, UM, THEY NEED TO APPROVE US TO GO INTO A PAPERLESS ENVIRONMENT, UH, TO REALLY TAKE ADVANTAGE FULLY OF THE TECHNOLOGY WE HAVE. 
          UM, SO ONCE WE GET THAT APPROVAL, WHICH WE'RE EXPECTING TO GET, THEN THAT SHOULD MODERATE THOSE COSTS AS WELL. 
          AND YOU HAVE THE SOFTWARE IN PLACE TO, TO PICK UP THAT. 
          YEAH, WE DO HAVE THAT. 
          YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          I, I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. 
          AGAIN, I THINK ALL, MOST OF THIS IS REALLY IN THE PAYROLL AND AS I SAID, IT, IT, IT'S, IT'S DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS IN PREVIOUS YEARS. 
          YEAH. 
          IT'S, THINGS ARE MATCHING UP AS IF, AND THERE'S NOTHING LEFT OVER. 
          RIGHT. 
          WHICH IS IT'S BEING BUDGETED ACCORDING TO, YOU KNOW, YOUR NEEDS. 
          THAT'S WHY I'M SOUNDING THE ALARM FOR NEXT YEAR. 
          OKAY. 
          WE HEAR IT. 
          THANK YOU, MR. MCKINNEY. 
          COMMISSIONERS. 
          COMMISSIONER LUCIANO. 
          THANK YOU, UH, MR. PRESIDENT. 
          THANK YOU, MR. PROSECUTOR. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          UM, AGAIN, I DO REMEMBER WHEN YOU SAT IN THAT CHAIR AS SURROGATE HOW YOU ARE A PROSECUTOR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALWAYS FOR A GREAT PRESENTATION. 
          UM, QUESTION I HAD, AND FORGIVE ME IF I MISSED IT. 
          IN YOUR PRESENTATION IN ESSEX COUNTY, ARE WE WHOLE, WHEN IT COMES TO JUDGES? I KNOW FOR YEARS WE HAD SAID THAT WE WERE NOT WHOLE, THAT WE WERE DOWN. 
          WHAT IS YOUR ANALYSIS OF WHERE WE'RE AT NOW? I I DID START WITH THAT. 
          WE ARE AT A HUNDRED PERCENT. 
          YOU'RE AT A HUNDRED PERCENT RIGHT? YEAH. 
          SO WE HAVE, AND YOU DON'T FORESEE THAT EVER DIPPING DOWN LIKE A MASS EXODUS OR, UH, I, I JUST, I KNOW SOMETIMES PATTERNS ARE CYCLICAL WHEN IT COMES TO THIS STUFF, SO I I, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE A WHOLE RIGHT NOW MM-HMM . 
          I MEAN, YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, I TALK ABOUT IT IN LINES OF, YOU KNOW, CHESS, WE DON'T REALLY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT WHEN IT HAPPENS. 
          IT'S NICE TO KNOW YOUR MOVE BEFORE IT HAPPENS. 
          DO YOU GUYS FORESEE THAT CHANGING IN THE, IN THE, IN THE NEAR FUTURE? I DON'T KNOW WHY IT WOULD PERSONALLY. 
          I MEAN, THAT'S REALLY A, A, A QUESTION FOR THE, THE COURTS IN TERMS OF HOW THEY SEE, UM, WHETHER OR NOT THE APPROACH TO FILLING VACANCIES HAS CHANGED OR, YOU KNOW, MODERATED WHATEVER GOING FORWARD. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, AS, AS, UM, PEOPLE GET NOMINATED AND THEY GET SWORN IN, THEN, YOU KNOW, WE WORK WITH THEM. 
          SO, UM, OUR, OUR SITUATION IS FILLING THEM BECAUSE WE ALWAYS WANT TO HAVE MULTIPLE, UM, PROSECUTORS SO ASSIGNED TO A COURT. 
          THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THERE WERE THREE, MAYBE IN SOME CASES, FOUR PROSECUTORS ASSIGNED TO A COURT. 
          AND THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN ANYMORE. 
          NOW IT'S TWO. 
          SO THAT, UM, EVERYBODY'S GOTTA BE A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THEIR GAME. 
          GOT IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND AGAIN, I I MUST HAVE STEPPED OUT, I THINK IN THE BEGINNING OF YOUR PRESENTATION, SO I APOLOGIZES THAT I MISSED. 
          THAT'S, AND I GUESS THE OTHER QUESTION, AND, AND AGAIN, MAYBE YOU TOUCHED UPON IT, UM, AS FAR AS COURT GOES, IS EVERYTHING IN PERSON OR IS THERE ANYTHING VIRTUAL? I KNOW SOME COUNTIES I HAD READ STILL HAD A VIRTUAL, I THINK EVEN JURY SELECTION, RIGHT? I, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT, IS THAT THE CASE HERE IN ESSEX? OR ARE WE, ARE WE ALL IN PERSON? IT'S A HYBRID SITUATION. 
          I THINK THAT THE, THE INITIAL STAGES IN TERMS OF JURY SELECTION IS DONE ON A HYBRID BASIS, AND THEN THEY COME IN FOR, UM, THE IN, IN INTRODUCTION. 
          AND THEN CERTAINLY FOR JURY SELECTION, THAT'S ALL BEING DONE IN, IN, UM, IN LIVE, IN PERSON. 
          UM, TRIALS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN IN PERSON IN TERMS OF THAT. 
          AND MOST HEARINGS ARE, I THINK, UM, EVERYTHING. 
          THE, UH, GRAND JURY, JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING IS IN PERSON RIGHT NOW. 
          BUT THOSE, A FEW ASPECTS OF IT ARE EARLY ON. 
          THE PRELIMINARY ONES MAY BE DONE REMOTELY. 
          MM-HMM . 
          [03:35:01]
OKAY. 
          THANK YOU FOR THOSE UPDATES. 
          THANK YOU, MR. WELCOME, PRESIDENT. 
          YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          YES. 
          COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON. 
          YES. 
          UM, MR. PROSECUTOR, ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE YOU. 
          ALWAYS DO A FANTASTIC JOB. 
          THANK YOU AT WHAT YOU DO. 
          BUT WHAT JUMPED OUT AT ME IS, AND THIS CONVERSATION THAT I HAVE ALL THE TIME WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT CONSTITUENTS AND JUST PEOPLE IN GENERAL, AND YOU TALK ABOUT YOUNG FOLKS AND, UH, SCHOOL'S NOT TEACHING CIVICS. 
          SO I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT YOU'RE GOING AROUND, ESPECIALLY TO MY ALMA MA INITIALLY, UH, TO TALK ABOUT CIVICS. 
          UH, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. 
          IT'S SOMETHING THAT OUR PEOPLE AND YOUNG FOLKS ARE MISSING, AND IT IS PROBABLY HAS A LOT TO DO WHILE THEY DON'T GET INVOLVED IN POLITICS BECAUSE THEY DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND IT AND HOW IT AFFECTS EVERYONE IN THEIR EVERYDAY LIFE. 
          SO LAST MONTH I WAS INVITED BY, UM, JUDGE SPENCER. 
          UH, I HAD A ROOM FULL OF KIDS UP IN THE WEST ORANGE LIBRARY, AND IT WAS THE JACK AND JILL PROGRAM, AND WE WERE TALKING CIVICS. 
          AND THESE KIDS, THEY'RE LIKE 10, 11 YEARS OLD, WERE REALLY ENGAGED. 
          SO I WAS ENCOURAGED BY THESE KIDS. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, I DEFINITELY WANT TO KEEP DOING IT. 
          SO WHEN YOU GO TO BARRINGER, IF YOU, IF MY, UH, TIME PERMITS, MY SCHEDULE PERMITS, I'D LOVE TO GO WITH YOU ON THE 19TH AND GO TO, UH, PAYNE, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S VITAL. 
          IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE UNDERSTAND CIVICS. 
          MM-HMM . 
          AND WE NEED TO PUT IT, IT NEEDS TO GO BACK INTO THE CURRICULUM, UH, IN OUR SCHOOLS. 
          SO I LOVE THAT. 
          YEAH. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          I WAS ONE OF THE 19TH AT BARRINGER AND THE 24TH AT PAYNE 19TH. 
          UM, YEP. 
          WHERE THOSE ARE TWO DATES. 
          SO, UM, 9:00 AM 9:00 AM I'LL SEND THAT OUT IF I CAN THROUGH, UH, MADAM CLERK, SO THAT THE, UM, ENTIRE PATIENT, OH, IS THAT MONDAY? THE, NO, I DON'T THINK SO. 
          I THINK IT'S 19TH OF THIS MONTH. 
          UM, LET'S SEE WHAT IT'S AT. 
          THAT IS THE, NO, IT IS THE THURSDAY. 
          THE THURSDAY. 
          THURSDAY THE 19TH AND THE TUESDAY THE 24TH. 
          RIGHT? YEAH. 
          SO, BUT, BUT YEAH, I, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S, IT'S AMAZING THE, UH, FROM A PERSONAL STANDPOINT, UH, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT I DO THIS AND I, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES, WHETHER THE FRAT OR WHATEVER GOING ON BECAUSE, UM, I, WHEN I SEE KIDS, UH, PROFESSIONALLY, IT'S REALLY THE WORST DAY OF THEIR LIFE. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE IN THE, THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS. 
          WE'RE GETTING READY TO SENTENCE 'EM OR SOMETHING ELSE HAS HAPPENED, AND THAT'S JUST THE NATURE OF WHAT THE JOB IS ALL ABOUT. 
          SO ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO TRY TO DO THAT, I KEEP, I TELL, I WAS TALKING TO A GROUP OF PEOPLE THE OTHER DAY AND SAID, MY JOB IS TO TRY TO PUT MYSELF OUT OF BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, TO TRY AND PUT WHERE THERE IS NO NEED FOR THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE. 
          NOW, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, THE ODDS OF THAT HAPPENING OR REMOTE, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO MAKE STRIDES WHEREVER WE CAN. 
          SURE. 
          UM, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE ABLE TO, UM, JUST EDUCATE SOME FOLKS BECAUSE THEY TALK, YOU KNOW, KIDS TALK AMONG THEMSELVES. 
          I HEAR ALL PEERS DO. 
          SO WE GET THAT INFORMATION OUT THERE AND THEN IT KIND OF, UH, MAYBE DEVELOPS A LIFE OF ITS OWN GOING FORWARD SINCE WE CAN'T GET TO EVERYBODY. 
          SO WE'LL KIND OF TRAIN THE TRAINER, SO TO SPEAK, AND THEN LET THEM GO OUT THERE AND DO THEIR THING. 
          COMMISSIONER BARRY THOMAS. 
          THANK MR. PRESIDENT. 
          THANK YOU, PROSECUTOR STEVENS FOR YOUR REPORT, FOR YOUR ENTIRE TEAM AND YOUR DEPARTMENT, NOT JUST FOR YOUR REPORT, BUT FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO. 
          UM, IT'S INTERESTING. 
          I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU MENTIONED THE CIVICS PIECE, COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON. 
          UH, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, BARINGER, PARTICULARLY YOU GUYS HAVE THE POLICE ACADEMY AND THE JUSTICE ACADEMY, AND SO THERE'S ALREADY KIND OF A CIVIC THREAD EMBEDDED INTO THE SCHOOL. 
          THE LAST TIME I WAS AT PAIN TECH, I GOT TO, I THINK I VISITED A, A AP GOVERNMENT CLASS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          AND THAT WAS MY FIRST TIME GOING INTO THE COURTROOM STYLE CLASSROOM THAT THEY HAVE IN THE SCHOOL. 
          AND SO THE KIDS, THESE ARE KIDS WERE SOPHOMORES AND JUNIORS. 
          THEY WERE SO ECSTATIC ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TELLING ME ABOUT THE THINGS THAT THEY ALREADY KNOW ABOUT MY JOB AND THE WORK THAT ALL OF US IN THIS ROOM DO. 
          RIGHT. 
          WHICH IS TO CONTRIBUTE TO OUR LOCAL DEMOCRACY, UM, AND TO BE AN ACTIVE PART OF THAT. 
          AND SO I'M JUST SO GLAD TO HEAR THAT THAT WORK IS BEING CONTINUED AND INVESTED IN THROUGH YOUR DEPARTMENT, AND HOWEVER WE CAN CONTINUE TO SUPPORT, I, I, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. 
          I DID HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE VCA PIECE. 
          I WAS REALLY GLAD THAT YOU BROUGHT UP MM-HMM . 
          UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS ONE OF THE MANY, UH, AREAS WHERE, YOU KNOW, UNDER THIS CURRENT FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION, THERE WERE CUTS OR THREATS OF CUTS, UH, ACROSS THE COUNTRY. 
          AND CERTAINLY A NUMBER OF, OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT I HOLD DEAR TOMORROW HERE IN NEWARK THAT DO A LOT OF ANTI-VIOLENCE AND COMMUNITY, UH, COMMUNITY BASED VIOLENCE PREVENTION WORK, WERE AFFECTED BY SOME OF THE KIND OF CUTS THAT OCCURRED. 
          UH, I, I'M FORGETTING IF THEY WERE EXPLICITLY RELATED TO VOCA OR JUST KIND OF COMMUNITY BASED PREVENTION, VIOLENCE PREVENTION WORK IN GENERAL. 
          I, I AM CURIOUS THOUGH, IF YOU COULD REFRESH 
          [03:40:01]
US AND YOU SHARED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT, WHICH THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT'S CURRENTLY COVERED BY VOCA FUNDING. 
          I KNOW IT'S SOME VICTIM ADVOCACY, THE VICTIM WITNESS ADVOCATES. 
          THAT'S RIGHT. 
          THAT'S RIGHT. 
          AND ROUGHLY HOW MANY POSITIONS, JUST IF YOU COULD JUST GIVE A QUICK BROAD STROKE, BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A, WE'RE TIGHT ON TIME, BUT I WANNA GET A BETTER SENSE OF REALLY WHAT'S AT STAKE SURE. 
          AND WHAT'S BEING SERVICED BY THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM. 
          WELL, THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT. 
          OUR, I'M ALWAYS HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT OUR VICTIM WITNESS ADVOCATE PROGRAM. 
          UH, IT'S HEADED BY A WOMAN NAMED PAM MCCAULEY, WHO IS THE YES, NO, MCCAULEY. 
          YES. 
          UH, LONGEST STANDING, UM, SUPERVISOR OR, OR PROFESSIONAL, IF YOU WILL, IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY ON, UM, UM, VICTIM WITNESS ADVOCACY. 
          SHE'S RUNS A PROGRAM WITH 12, UH, INDIVIDUALS. 
          AND SO THEY GET INVOLVED IN ALL ASPECTS OF A PARTICULAR CASE, UM, FROM THE VICTIMS, OBVIOUSLY, WHO ARE INVOLVED IN, UH, THE CASE. 
          THEY KEEP THEM INFORMED. 
          THEY'RE THE, REALLY THE GO-BETWEEN, BETWEEN THE ASSISTANT PROSECUTOR AND THE INVESTIGATOR AND, UH, THE VICTIM AND THEIR FAMILY. 
          UM, THE INFORMATION. 
          THEY KEEP THEM INFORMED OF WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE CASE. 
          THEY GIVE THEM THE OPTIONS IN TERMS OF HELPING TO, UM, TO, UM, BASICALLY EXPLAIN WHAT THEY MAY HAVE HEARD, UH, FROM AN AP. 
          AND THEY CAN, THEY'RE MORE COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY BASED. 
          SO SOMETIMES THEY CAN BREAK IT DOWN OR CONTINUE TO EXPLAIN IT IN A WAY WHERE FINALLY JUST BREAKTHROUGH. 
          UM, THEY'RE HELPFUL IN TERMS OF PROVIDING JUST ASSISTANCE IN THE COURTROOM DURING THE TRIAL. 
          AND THAT HANDHOLDING THAT'S SO NECESSARY TO GET THROUGH THE TRAUMA OF A, OF A HOMICIDE OR A, A VERY, VERY SERIOUS MATTER THAT UNFORTUNATELY WE DEAL WITH ON A REGULAR BASIS. 
          AND THEY'RE PART OF THE, UH, OUTREACH, THE COMMUNITY GROUP. 
          WE HAPPEN TO HAVE A DEDICATED, UH, VAN, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, APPROPRIATELY MARKED, UH, INDICATING THAT WE, THEY'RE THE VICTIM ADVOCACY, THE JUSTICE UNIT, IF YOU, WELL, THAT'S WHAT WE CALL, IN FACT, I USUALLY WEAR, DO I STILL HAVE THAT THING? I THINK I HAVE IT HERE. 
          YES. 
          OUR COMMUNITY JUSTICE BAND, WHICH WE HAVE HERE, THAT, THAT JUST LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT JUSTICE. 
          YOU KNOW, STAY SAFE. 
          YOU KNOW, OUR, THE MISSION, THE MISSION OF OUR OFFICE, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, IS TO SEEK JUSTICE, SERVE JUSTICE, AND DO JUSTICE. 
          AND SO THAT'S THE, THE ARM OF WHAT WE DO THAT IS A HUNDRED PERCENT DEDICATED TO MAKING SURE THAT THAT INFORMATION GETS OUT THERE TO THE PUBLIC, AND THAT THEY'RE REMINDED AND THEY'RE ASSISTED AND THEY BRING BACK INFORMATION TO US IN TERMS OF WHAT THE, THE COMMUNITY NEEDS AS WELL. 
          SO IT'S AN ESSENTIAL GROUP IN EVERY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, UH, NATIONALLY. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          AND, AND SO IT'S THE SORT OF THING WHERE IT HAS BEEN FUNDED JUST SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THROUGH FINES AND FEES AND A COUPLE OF KIND OF, UM, UM, UM, LARGE VERDICTS THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS ACQUIRED OVER THE YEARS. 
          AND IT'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, LARGE VERDICTS, MULTIMILLION DOLLAR, BILLION DOLLAR VERDICTS. 
          AND SO THAT'S KEPT IT AFLOAT. 
          BUT FINES AND FEES, AS YOU MAY NOT KNOW, IS SOMETHING THAT HAS DWINDLED OVER THE YEARS, AS THERE IS AN EMPHASIS TO TRY AND GET PEOPLE BACK INTO THE WORKFORCE. 
          SO INDIVIDUALS, IN ORDER TO GIVE THEM A SECOND CHANCE, IF THEY'RE SADDLED WITH FINES AND FEES, OFTEN THEY GET WIPED OUT IN ORDER TO GIVE SOMEBODY A FRESH START. 
          WHICH MAKES SENSE. 
          I UNDERSTAND THAT. 
          I MEAN, HAVING BEEN A JUDGE, I'VE HAD PEOPLE WHO WERE IN CUSTODY FOR WEEKS 'CAUSE THEY COULDN'T PAY A $500 BAIL. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS DON'T MAKE SENSE SOMETIMES. 
          BUT THE, THE END, THE RESULT IS THOSE FINES AND FEES WE'RE PAYING FOR CERTAIN PROGRAMS THAT NOW ARE NOT AS WELL FUNDED BECAUSE THEY DON'T EXIST ANYMORE. 
          SO THERE NEEDS TO BE A DIFFERENT REVENUE STREAM TO SUPPLEMENT THAT. 
          WHAT TYPES OF ASSURANCES ARE WE GETTING FROM EITHER THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR WHEREVER OUR KIND OF INTERMEDIARIES ARE, THAT THAT FUNDING WILL BE PROTECTED EVEN IN LIGHT OF THE PRECARITY THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING TO? WELL, YOU KNOW, UM, ASSURANCES ARE DIFFERENT THINGS. 
          I THINK IT MEAN DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY AT THAT LEVEL. 
          SURE. 
          BUT I WOULD SAY THAT THERE WAS NOT A LEGISLATOR. 
          WE MET WITH A CONGRESS PERSON, A SENATOR, WHO DID NOT INDICATE THEY WERE IN FAVOR OF FINDING A SOURCE. 
          SO AT LEAST WE'RE GETTING THE LIP SERVICE TO SAY THAT THEY'RE WITH US, EVEN THOUGH NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT WAS, UM, THAT WOULD PASS MUSTER. 
          SO AT LEAST WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING THE, THE, THE S THE, THE SUPPORT WE GET VERBALLY. 
          WE JUST NEED TO HAVE SOME ACTION. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GOOD. 
          WE'RE GOOD. 
          COMMISSIONER COOPER. 
          THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. 
          THANK YOU MR. PROSECUTOR FOR DOING AN AWESOME JOB. 
          UM, I HAVE A QUESTION. 
          HOW MANY KIDS DID YOU BRING IN FOR YOUR SUMMER? UM, PROGRAM? 80. 
          AND WHEN DO THEY START AND, AND HOW LONG IS IT? UM, THEY START IN JUNE. 
          THEY GO THROUGH, IT'S A SIX, SIX WEEK PROGRAM. 
          AND WHAT DO THEY DO AS A PART OF THEIR PROGRAM? DO DO YOU LOOK FOR A CERTAIN KIND OF KID WHO'S LOOKING TO GO INTO LIKE, PRE-LAW OR POLITICAL SCIENCE? OR IS IT OPEN TO EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW? UM, YOU KNOW, THE SELECTION PROCESS 
          [03:45:01]
IS ABOVE MY PAY GRADE. 
          I, THEY, UM, I LEAVE THAT FOR EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT PROSECUTOR, GWEN WILLIAMS AND HER CREW. 
          UH, BUT ESSENTIALLY WE ARE LOOKING FOR A WELL-ROUNDED GROUP. 
          UM, PEOPLE WHO, UM, HAVE SHOWN THAT THEY HAVE THE DESIRE REALLY TO GIVE IT A HUNDRED PERCENT. 
          IT IS. 
          THEY DO. 
          IT'S A GREAT SIX WEEKS. 
          EVERYBODY SAYS IT'S, UH, MY MAIN, I HAVE FRIENDS WHOSE, WHOSE KIDS HAVE GONE THROUGH IT. 
          AND ONE OF THEM INDICATED TO ME, I DUNNO IF YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW GREG TINES IN, UM MM-HMM . 
          IN WEST ORANGE. 
          AND HE SAID IT WAS LIKE THE FIRST TIME THAT HIS, HIS KID CAME HOME AND TOLD HIM ACTUALLY WHAT HE DID THAT DAY, . 
          SO, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, SO THEY, THEY HAVE A, A VARIED, UH, AGENDA. 
          THEY'LL DO THINGS HERE IN THE COMPLEX. 
          THEY GO, THEY HAVE OUTSIDE TRIPS THEY GO TO, TO, UM, UM, PHILADELPHIA GOING TO NEW YORK USUALLY. 
          AND THEN THEY HAVE SOMETHING CALLED TROOPER, UM, UM, TROOPER WEEK. 
          WHAT? YEAH, TROOPER WEEK, WHERE THEY GO DOWN TO THE STATE POLICE, UH, ACADEMY IN SEAGER AND SPEND A WEEK DOWN THERE, WHICH I UNDERSTAND IS RIGOROUS. 
          I MEAN, THEY DO A BOOT CAMP KIND OF A WEEK WHERE THEY'RE UP AT FIVE OR SIX IN THE MORNING AND THEY'RE EXERCISING ON THE BEACH AND DOING ALL THOSE KIND OF THINGS. 
          SO IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S A VARIED, UH, SORT OF AGENDA THAT EVERYBODY SEEMS TO GET A LOT OUT OF. 
          WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          I'M GONNA REFER Q2 TO YOUR PROGRAM. 
          SURE. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          ALRIGHT, COMMISSIONERS, WE GOOD? ALRIGHT. 
          MR. PROSECUTOR HAS TO GO HOME AND GET RUSSELL YOU CAN FIGHT CURRENT TOMORROW. 
          THANK YOU, MR. PROSECUTOR. 
          THANK YOU AS ALWAYS, SIR. 
          THANK YOU FOR JOINING AS WELL. 
          PLEASURE. 
          I BELIEVE I NEED TO. 
          THANKS, SIR. 
          OKAY. 
          MR. JACKSON, I THINK WE'RE CLOSING OUT THE SHOW WITH THE, UH, YEAH. 
          MR. HAM'S GONNA MR. HAM SHOW. 
          RIGHT, MR. AND HE'S GONNA BE KIND OF LIKE ALL OVER THE PLACE, BUT WE'LL START WITH THE TAB THREE. 
          PAGE 15. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          15. 
          WE'RE GOTTA FINISH STRONG HERE. 
          MR. MOHAMED, WILL, YOU ARE READY. 
          YOU MAY START. 
          JUST PLEASE REMEMBER TO STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION FOR THE RECORD. 
          SURE. 
          UH, HUAN MOHAM, UH, THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE. 
          UH, I'M JOINED HERE BY MRS. AN DE BLASSIO. 
          SHE'S OUR, THE BACKBONE OF OUR OFFICE. 
          UM, FIRST IS THE ADMINISTRATION FINANCE, UM, UH, DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION FINANCE HAS EIGHT DIVISIONS, OFFICE OF DIRECTOR, UH, COUNCIL AND CONTROL MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY, HUMAN RESOURCES, PUBLIC INFORMATION, UM, PURCHASING OFFICE AND TREASURY OFFICE. 
          UM, SERVICE AND WAGES IS ONLY REFLECTING THE CONTRACTUAL INCREASES. 
          UM, OTHER EXPENSES, UH, ARE FLAT. 
          THERE IS NO INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR. 
          UM, CURRENTLY THE DIVISION HAS FOUR E NINE ACTIVE EMPLOYEES AND FOUR VACANCIES. 
          AND I'M HERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS. 
          MR. MCINERNEY ARE THE FOUR VACANCIES OF ACCOUNTS AND CONTROLS, UH, ACTUALLY ACCOUNTS AND CONTROL AND, UH, HUMAN RESOURCES. 
          HOW MUCH ARE IN ACCOUNTS AND CONTROL? 'CAUSE I GOT FOUR VACANCIES THERE. 
          UH, THREE. 
          THREE. 
          YES. 
          THREE OR THERE. 
          OKAY. 
          YOU OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, JUST AN OVERVIEW THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO INCREASE IN IN ANY OF THE, UH, OTHER EXPENSES. 
          UM, AND A VERY, UH, MODEST INCREASE IN, IN SALARIES AND WAGES. 
          YES. 
          COMMISSIONERS. 
          ANY QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, MS. MOHAMED, PLEASE PROCEED. 
          ONE PAGE 1 68. 
          SO THE NEXT ITEM IS THE CENTRAL EXPENSE AND INSURANCE. 
          UM, THIS, UM, LINE ITEM, UH, BUDGET LINE ITEM REPRESENT INDIRECT COST, UH, SUCH AS, UH, POSTAGE, UM, COPY MACHINE LEASES, UH, MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS, UH, RENT, UH, FOR, UH, OFFICES, UH, OFFICE SPACE, UH, PARKING, SENIOR TRANSPORTATION MATCH, AND, UH, JORC, UM, GRANT MATCH. 
          AND, UM, THERE WAS A, A SMALL, UH, INCREASE IN THAT, UH, JORC MATCH, UH, FROM THE STATE. 
          IT WENT UP, UH, SLIGHTLY. 
          UH, PLUS WE HAVE THE, THE SECTION FOR CENTRAL KITCHEN. 
          AND THIS REPRESENT THE MEALS FOR YOUTH HOUSE AND CORRECTION AND HOSPITAL CENTER, UM, SERVED MEALS. 
          UM, NEXT IS THE INSURANCE LINE. 
          LET, LET ME, LET ME ASK A QUESTION. 
          IF I CAN JUST EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT'S LABELED AS TREASURY RESERVES AND THEN THE INCREASE IN NON-PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. 
          YES. 
          UM, TH THIS IS, UM, UM, UM, THIS MONEY SET ASIDE FOR POTENTIAL CONTRACT INCREASES. 
          AND WE HAVE, I GOT, I GOTCHA. 
          YEAH. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          [03:50:01]
YEAH. 
          UM, UH, ONE OF THEM IS THE, THE C THE, UM, THE HEALTH, UM, UH, FOR THE CORRECTION FACILITY. 
          'CAUSE IT'S UNKNOWN AS OF RIGHT NOW. 
          SO, AND, AND JUST FOR THE ENCY, ALL THOSE RETROACTIVE, UH, INCREASES THAT CAME FOR THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND CORRECTIONS AND SOME OF THE OTHER CONTRACTS THAT WENT IN FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. 
          I, I MAY BE, THIS MAY BE PART OF 24 AND 25, I'M NOT SURE, BUT WE HAD LIKE A $33 MILLION IN RESERVES AT ONE POINT IN TIME. 
          YES. 
          WE, WE DID, AND WE, WE PAID OFF, UH, ALL THE OUTSTANDING RETROS FOR ALL, ALL THE DEPARTMENTS WERE REALLY GREAT. 
          UM, THE, THE, AS, AS OF RIGHT NOW, THE RESERVE AROUND 8 MILLION. 
          AND THIS WILL BE FOR THE PENSION LIABILITY, UM, YOU KNOW, ON ON THE RETROS? YES. 
          ON THE RETROS, YES. 
          OKAY. 
          SO JUST SO, UH, THE COMMISSIONER UNDERSTAND WITH ALL THOSE RETROS THAT WERE ALL AWARDED IN ONE YEAR, THE ADMINISTRATION, UH, MADE SURE THAT DURING THE COURSE OF THAT PERIOD OF TIME, THEY WERE BUILDING A RESERVE SO THAT WHEN THAT LARGE RETRO CAME IN, IT DIDN'T HIT ON A CASH BASIS IN ONE YEAR, IT WAS ALREADY SET UP IN A BALANCE SHEET AS RESERVE PREVIOUSLY APPROPRIATED. 
          OR AT LEAST, UH, IF IT WASN'T APPROPRIATED IT, IT WAS RESERVES THAT, THAT LAPSED. 
          UM, AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN YOU HAVE THAT MANY YEARS THAT GO BY WHERE SOMEBODY'S NOT GETTING AN INCREASE, YOU HAVE TO SIT UP TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO APPROPRIATE THOSE AMOUNTS IN EVERY YEAR, EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT USED. 
          AND THEN THEY GO TO THE RESERVE AND THE BALANCE SHEET. 
          AND THEN WHEN THAT BILL FINALLY COMES DUE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE HITTING A BANK AS OPPOSED TO YOUR, YOUR OPERATING BUDGET. 
          SO THANK I THINK THAT REALLY IS, IS, UM, UH, A A LOT TO BE SAID FOR CONSERVATIVE WAY. 
          THE ADMINISTRATION, UH, DEALS WITH THE BUDGET, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ADEQUATE RESERVES. 
          WE ALSO HAVE RESERVES FOR SNOWPLOWING AND THINKING, WELL, IT'S CALLED SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY NOW. 
          YES. 
          HOW MUCH IS THAT RESERVE NOW? THE, THEY CALL IT A STORM RESERVE. 
          THE STATE ACTUALLY WIDENED THE PURPOSE FOR THE, FOR THE SNOW RESERVE, SO I CAN USE IT FOR ANY STORM. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND, UM, UH, WE ENDED THE YEAR AROUND 7.2 MILLION. 
          AND, UM, UNFORTUNATELY THIS, UM, THE, YEAH, YOU HIT, THE RECENT SNOW STORM ACTUALLY HITS OUR RESERVE. 
          IT'S DOWN TO 5 MILLION RIGHT NOW. 
          IT IT'S DOWN TO 5 MILLION. 
          YES. 
          5 MILLION. 
          YES. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT, BUT THE POINT IS, THE SNOWSTORM CAME AND INSTEAD OF HITTING IT ALL IN THE ONE YEAR, WE HAD MONEY SET ASIDE THAT WE DIDN'T USE FROM PRIOR YEARS. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO WE DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF SNOW. 
          WELL, WE DIDN'T JUST PUT THAT INTO FUND BALANCE. 
          WE SET UP A SEPARATE RESERVE, I SHOULD SAY. 
          THE ADMINISTRATION SET UP A SEPARATE RESERVE. 
          AND SO IT WAS PRUDENT WHEN THAT BILL CAME DUE WHEN YOU FINALLY HAD A BAD SNOW, IT WENT AGAINST THE RESERVE AND NOT AGAINST THE ANNUAL BUDGET. 
          SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALL CONSERVATIVE. 
          THAT'S WHY WE'RE DOING, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE FUND BALANCE. 
          WE HAVE FUND BALANCE WE HAVE IS REAL. 
          'CAUSE THERE'S RESERVES SET UP FOR THOSE CONTINGENCIES THAT DON'T HAVE TO COME OUT OF FUND BALANCE. 
          YES. 
          TO THAT POINT, WE JUST ONE QUESTION WITH THE, UM, AS THE WHITE, JUST, I BELIEVE MR. MOJAVE SAID $8 MILLION IN THE FUND THAT WE HAD DEDICATED FOR THE RETROS, FOR THE PENSION, FOR THE RETROS, THE RETROS AL ALREADY WAS PAID. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND THIS IS POTENTIAL LIABILITY WHEN STATE WILL BE BILLING US FOR THE, THE, THE EMPLOYER SHARE OF THE RETROS FOR THE PENSION. 
          OKAY. 
          AND SO THAT WILL ALWAYS HAVE SOME FUNDS IN IT, OR WOULD THIS GET OUT? WELL, YOU HAVE TO APPROPRIATE, YEAH. 
          I MEAN, WE DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT WON'T BE ZEROED OUT OR ANYTHING ANYTIME SOON BECAUSE WE SETTLED SO MANY CONTRACTS IN, IN, UH, IN, UH, RECENTLY, LIKE LAST YEAR. 
          RIGHT. 
          UH, AND A YEAR BEFORE. 
          SO WE, WE PAID ALL, ALL THE APPLICABLE RETROS TO THE EMPLOYEES AND WE DIDN'T GET THE, THE PENSION BILL FROM THE STATE YET. 
          I SEE. 
          SO WE'RE STILL WAITING ON THAT PORTION OF IT. 
          YES. 
          SO WE WILL, AT SOME POINT, DOES THIS GET ZEROED OUT OR IF THERE ANY LEFTOVER GOES TO ZERO? UH, IT'LL, IT'LL BE PAID TO THE STATE. 
          IF WE THERE IS A NEED TO, TO RESERVE MORE FUNDS, WE WILL, WILL DO. 
          BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW, ALL, ALL THE DEPARTMENTS ARE, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A, A, A CONTRACT UNTIL 2028. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT I THINK THE POINT IS THOUGH, THAT, THAT THOSE FUNDS WILL BE DOWN, DEALT WITH THOSE RESERVES FOR THE CONTRACTUAL, IT WOULD, WOULD BE BASICALLY WIPED OUT BASED ON THE FACT THAT WE RIGHT. 
          WE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAD TO USE IT. 
          YES, WE DID. 
          SO WE'LL START OVER AGAIN. 
          YES, YES. 
          WELL, HOPEFULLY NOT THE 28TH THREE. 
          MR. PRESIDENT, I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION ON THAT. 
          SAME, GO AHEAD COMMISSIONER ITEM, PLEASE. 
          HOW LONG HAVE WE HAD THIS PRACTICE IN PLACE AS FAR AS KIND OF PREPARING FOR THE WORST BEFORE WE CAN GET TO THE WORST AS FAR AS OUR RESERVES AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ALREADY PREPARED, WE'RE ALREADY PREPARED APPROPRIATION WISE, ABOUT HOW LONG HAVE WE HAD THOSE KIND OF FISCAL PRACTICES IN PLACE? I, I'D SAY MAYBE A FEW YEARS AFTER THIS ADMINISTRATION TOOK CONTROL. 
          THAT'S QUITE 
          [03:55:01]
A WHILE. 
          YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF CUTTING WENT ON IN THE BEGINNING. 
          I CAN REMEMBER THIS BOARD CUT OVER, UH, WELL THIS WAS WHEN JOE WAS THE FREE PRESIDENT CUT OVER 2.2 MILLION OUT OF THE BOARDS. 
          WE DIDN'T HAVE A LOT, BUT THEY CUT 2.2 MILLION OUT OF THIS BUDGET. 
          BUT GOING FORWARD, UH, YOU KNOW, TO BUILD THAT IN THE BEGINNING THERE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE IN THE HOLE. 
          SO IT, IT TOOK A WHILE AND THEN I, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, IT DEPENDS ON, UM, HOW MUCH HAD LEFT OVER. 
          BUT I THINK IT'S BEEN THE POLICY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE RESERVES SET ASIDE SO THAT ALL OF ONE HIT DOESN'T, DOESN'T DESTROY ONE YEAR'S BUDGET. 
          ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE, YOU KNOW, THE RETROS. 
          AND IS THAT COMMON ACROSS OTHER COUNTIES OF OUR SIZE? I'M CURIOUS IF WE, I KIND OF IN OUR OWN LANE. 
          I DON'T KNOW SPECIFICALLY. 
          I KNOW, I KNOW THERE'S TOO MANY MUNICIPALITIES, AT LEAST I'M AWARE OF THAT DON'T RESERVE THEIR RETROS AND THEN WHEN THEY COME DUE, IT'S A CATASTROPHE. 
          RIGHT. 
          'CAUSE YOU ALSO HAVE, YOU ALSO HAVE A, UH, ACCOUNT ON YOUR, ON YOUR APPROPRIATIONS THAT YOU CAN'T INCREASE YOUR APPROPRIATIONS OVER A CERTAIN AMOUNT. 
          SO, UM, NO, I, WE JUST, THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN VERY PRUDENT ABOUT THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, AFTER IT GOT ITSELF OUT OF THE WOODS FROM PRIOR ADMINISTRATION, IT, IT WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, IT DID THIS, IT, IT BUILT UP A SURPLUS OF A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS AT ONE POINT. 
          IT'S NOT THAT NOW, I DON'T BELIEVE. 
          UH, BUT ALSO THAT DIDN'T INCLUDE THE RESERVES, SO, YOU KNOW, GOOD. 
          THAT'S WHY WE GOT, THAT'S WHY WE WENT TO AAA BOND RATING. 
          I THINK WE'RE A LITTLE LOWER THAN THAT NOW, BUT THAT'S WHY WE, UH, CAME OUT OF A JUNK BOND RATING AS WELL. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          QUICKLY, COOPER, SIR COOPER QUESTION. 
          UM, NOW THAT ALL OF THE CONTRACTS HAVE SETTLED, WE'VE PAID ALL OF THE RETRO PAY, ALL OF THE RETRO PAYMENTS, WE'RE ALL UP TO DATE WITH ALL OF THAT, RIGHT? YES. 
          WE THAT, YEAH. 
          ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. 
          UH, LET'S MOVE ON. 
          UM, THE LINE HAS ALSO THE INSURANCES. 
          UM, WE HAVE WORKERS' COMP INSURANCE AND LIABILITY. 
          AND THIS WAS, UH, FLAT. 
          WE HAD ENOUGH, UH, BUDGETED FROM LAST YEAR. 
          UH, THE BIG INCREASE WAS FOR THE, UM, THE GROUP INSURANCE, WHICH IS THE HEALTH BENEFIT. 
          WE ARE PART OF THE STATE HEALTH BENEFIT PLAN AND THE STATE WENT UP 36%. 
          UM, AND THIS TRANSLATE TO $24.5 MILLION EXTRA FROM FROM 2025. 
          OKAY. 
          WE GOOD MS. ERY? YEAH, WE'RE GOOD. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT'S, THAT'S THE CONCLUDE THIS SECTION. 
          SO LET'S MOVE ON. 
          UH, QUESTIONS. 
          I, OR KEEP GOING? YEAH, LET'S KEEP GOING. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          THE DEBT, I MEAN, UNLESS YOU WANNA TAKE ANOTHER YEAH. 
          NO DEBT SERVICE IS 180 9. 
          YEAH, I KNOW WE REVIEWED SOME OF THIS AT THE, UH, BUDGET PRESENTATION THAT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE DID, BUT WE TALKED ABOUT IT THEN A LITTLE BIT. 
          ALRIGHT, MR. MOHAMAD, PLEASE. 
          180 9, EVERYONE. 
          YES. 
          UH, IN 2024, UH, IN 2025, THE DEBT SERVICE WAS 101 MILLION. 
          IN 2026, IT ACTUALLY DROPPED TO 87 MILLION, UH, 80, 87 0.5 MILLION. 
          UM, WE, UM, WE TRIED TO, TO TRY TO STABILIZE THE, THE, THE LIABILITY FOR THE DEBT SERVICE. 
          THAT'S WHY WE HAD $10 MILLION, UH, PAYING OFF SOME, UH, BOND ANTICIPATION NOTES. 
          AND, UM, WE HAVE, WE, WE DIDN'T ACTUALLY BOND FOR TWO YEARS BECAUSE THE RATES WERE EXTREMELY HIGH. 
          UH, AND WE EXPECT, YOU KNOW, UM, RATES CAN GO DOWN. 
          SO THAT'S WHY WE DID A ONE, ONE YEAR NOTE. 
          AND WE PLAN, UM, FOR THIS YEAR ALSO, WE PLAN TO, TO ISSUE ANOTHER NOTE. 
          AND HOPEFULLY BY NEXT YEAR WE WILL ACTUALLY BOND EVERYTHING. 
          WE, WE THINK THE INTEREST, INTEREST RATES WILL DROP TO, UM, UH, ACCEPTABLE LEVEL AND WE CAN ACTUALLY BOND IT FOR, FOR 25 YEARS OR 30 YEARS. 
          SO THAT'S, THAT'S BASICALLY OUR STRATEGY. 
          AND THE 2027, THIS IS INCLUDE, UH, LIKE THE POTENTIAL, UH, DEBT SERVICE INCURRED EVERY YEAR, THE 20 MILLION SELF-IMPOSED LIMITS EVERY YEAR TO BE, TO BE, UH, ISSUED AS DEBT SERVICE, MR. PRESIDENT. 
          YEAH. 
          SO, SO WE HAD THIS, UH, DROP OFF. 
          IT WAS MUCH MORE SUBSTANTIAL AT ONE POINT IN TIME WHERE WE SAW THAT DEBT SERVICE WAS GOING TO DROP, UH, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NUMBER 15, UH, TO 67 MILLION. 
          MILLION 60 IT WAS GONNA BE. 
          UM, BUT THEN WE PUT ON I THINK $168 MILLION FOR THE FAMILY COURT. 
          YEAH. 
          THE COUNTY COURTHOUSE. 
          SO I'M ASSUMING YOU STRUCTURED THAT DEBT IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT, THAT USED UP SOME OF THAT UM, UH, YES. 
          DEDUCTION. 
          NOW THE, THE, THAT SERVICE IS MORE LEVELED AND WE EXPECT IN 
          [04:00:01]
2027 WILL BE AROUND 88 MILLION. 
          THAT'S STILL AN ESTIMATE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, BASED ON AN INTEREST RATE. 
          BUT WE, WE THINK FOR THE FUTURE YEARS IT'LL BE, IT'LL BE ALMOST LEVELED. 
          YEAH. 
          SO, SO THERE WAS, THERE WAS THE ABILITY TO, TO STRUCTURE THAT $168 MILLION AMORTIZATION OF, OF, UH, DEBT SERVICE OF, UH, PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST IN A WAY THAT, UM, WHERE WE DON'T HAVE THE CLIFF ANYMORE, WHERE WE WE GET THAT WE KIND OF FILLED IN THE YES. 
          YOU KNOW, SO THAT, THAT IT'S MORE EVEN, IT'S, IT'S MORE STABLE FOR, FOR THE FUTURE YEARS. 
          YEAH. 
          SO THERE'S NOT, THERE'S NOT GONNA BE ANY OTHER REAL DEPTHS, NOT IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS. 
          RIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THAT'S CONCLUDE THAT SERVICE. 
          UH, ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH, LET'S MOVE ON TO, UH, UNCLASSIFIED AND DEFERRED CHARGE. 
          PAGE 180 1, UH, UNCLASSIFIED. 
          UM, AND DEFERRED CHARGE AND UTILITIES. 
          UM, THIS IN, UM, INCLUDE THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AND THIS TO, TO PAY FOR THE AUDIT, SINGLE AUDIT FEE AND THE WEBSITE, UH, FEES AND THE MEMBERSHIP TO NACO AND NJ. 
          UH, AND TO ALSO INCLUDE THE DEVELOPMENT FUND WHEN THIS IS FOR, UM, UM, UH, ONE OF THE UNIONS IS 0.1, 0.7 MILLION. 
          UM, THE UTILITIES THERE WAS THE, UH, INCREASE IN UTILITIES FOR A COUPLE REASONS. 
          FIRST, THE RATES ARE, ARE UP AND PLUS WE ADDED, UM, ANOTHER BUILDING, WHICH IS THE FAMILY COURT. 
          SO THIS IS REQUIRED MORE UTILITIES. 
          SO THIS WAS AN INCREASE IN, IN THE UTILITY LINE. 
          UM, AFTER THAT WE HAVE STATUTORY EXPENDITURES AND THIS, UM, INCLUDE THE CONTRIBUTION TO PUBLIC EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT SYSTEM, UH, PERS. 
          UM, AND THIS ACTUALLY WENT DOWN, UM, THE STATE, UH, REDUCED THE RATE, UH, FOR, UH, FOR THE EMPLOYER SHARE. 
          WHICH, WHICH PAGE? WHAT PAGE? THEY, UM, THIS IS 1 1 91. 
          1 91. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, THIS, THIS INCLUDE THE, THE CONTRIBUTION TO, UH, TO DCRP, UH, THE FUND CONTRIBUTION PLAN AND ERS, WHICH IS, UH, THE COUNTY PENSION PLAN, UM, UH, FOR PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY BEFORE PERS AND, UM, THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT SYSTEM. 
          AND THIS ACTUALLY WENT DOWN BECAUSE THE STATE RATE WENT DOWN THIS YEAR AND FOR THE POLICE AND FIRE, AND THIS ACTUALLY WENT UP BECAUSE WE, WE PROCESS, UM, SOME OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE, BASED ON THE NEW CONTRACT THAT THE SALARIES WENT UP SIGNIFICANTLY. 
          AND, UH, AND THE PENSION BILL WENT UP, UH, BY, BY THAT 'CAUSE IT'S WITH MULTIPLE YEARS OF SALARIES, WERE HIT ONE TIME. 
          ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH, I'M GOOD. 
          REVENUES ARE ON 1 93. 
          SO, UM, THE, THE REVENUES, UH, THE, THE BIGGEST ITEM IN THE REVENUE IS THE, THE TAX, THE COUNTY TAX. 
          AND, UM, THIS YEAR WE HAVE, UH, INCREASE IS 1.74%, WHICH IS $8 MILLION INCREASE TO THE, UH, TO THE TAX LEVY. 
          AND THIS IS WAY BELOW THE, THE, UH, THE 2% LIMIT. 
          UM, OF, UM, UH, WE HAVE, WE WILL ACTUALLY HAVE, UH, CAB BANK THIS YEAR, LIKE EVERY YEAR. 
          AND WE HAVE ANTICIPATED THE REVENUES, UH, WE ARE ALLOWED TO ANTICIPATE REVENUES UP TO THE AMOUNT COLLECTED IN THE PRIOR YEARS. 
          UM, AND WE HAD, UM, WE HAD SOME INCREASE IN SOME OF THE REVENUES, LIKE THE YOUTH HOUSE THAT ACTUALLY WENT UP TO $20 MILLION. 
          UM, AND THE HOSPITAL CENTER GET MORE RELIEF AND WE GOT MORE MONEY, UH, THIS YEAR. 
          ANY QUESTIONS ON THE REVENUES? LEMME UH, YEAH, SO I, I JUST WANT TO TAKE THE, THE COMMISSIONERS THROUGH THIS IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL, UH, ON SOME OF THE BIGGER ITEMS. SO YOU COULD SEE ON PAGE 1 94 THAT SOME OF, WE JUST HIT SOME OF THE LARGER ITEMS. THE DELANEY HALL, THAT'S THE 23 MILLION WE SPOKE ABOUT WITH, UH, DIRECTOR CHARLES. 
          UM, THAT COMES INTO THE, UH, CORRECTIONAL FACILITY. 
          [04:05:01]
UM, NOW THE $18 MILLION FOR THE HOSPITAL FEE PROGRAM TO BE DISCUSSED WITH, UM, DIRECTOR, UM, DUBIO, UH, AND THAT, THAT IS SUBSTANTIALLY OVER WHAT WE HAD, UH, LAST YEAR. 
          UM, ONE OF THE OTHER ITEMS IS INVESTMENTS, INTEREST ON INVESTMENTS AND DEPOSITS, WHICH REALLY GOES UP AND DOWN BASED ON WHAT THE INTEREST RATES ARE. 
          SO THE HIGHER THE INTEREST RATES, THE HIGHER THAT NUMBER WILL BE WITH OUR EXCESS FUNDS THAT ARE INVESTED. 
          AND THIS YEAR WE, WE BROUGHT IN 7.6 MILLION. 
          WE ONLY BUDGETED 6.3. 
          UM, SO WE ACTUALLY COLLECTED MORE THAN THAT. 
          UM, SOME OF THESE OTHER ITEMS, THE, UH, WE HAVE THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS, WE WENT OVER WITH DIRECTOR SANTE TWO 3,000,650. 
          UH, IT'S BUDGETED $2 MILLION MORE BASED ON THE, UH, THE ORDINANCE THAT WE PASSED THE OTHER NIGHT. 
          UM, WE ALSO LOOKED AT THE REGISTER'S, UH, UP THE REGISTER'S OFFICE. 
          WE'RE ACTUALLY BUDGETING LESS THAN WHAT WE COLLECTED LAST YEAR. 
          UM, FOLLOWING PAGE, WE HAD THE SALE OF THE COUNTY PROPERTY. 
          WE DID NOT CONSUMMATE THAT SALE FOR THE, UM, THE LA UH, GIBRALTAR BUILDING. 
          AND, UH, UM, I'M ASSUMING IT, IT'S, IT'S IN THE, IT'S IN THE BUDGET, UH, FOR THIS YEAR. 
          SO CAN YOU GIVE US ANY DETAIL AS TO WHERE THAT'S AT? UH, YES, I CAN. 
          WE ARE, UM, FINALIZING, UH, SORT OF AN AMENDED A AGREEMENT WITH THE GROUP. 
          UM, THEY ARE GETTING THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY TO LEASE SPACE THAT THE SPACE THAT WE ARE IN NOW THAT WE'RE AT NOW OUT OF. 
          RIGHT. 
          UM, SO THEY'RE FINALIZING THAT AND I I I, I'M ANTICIPATING LIKE A FALL CLOSING. 
          OKAY. 
          THEY'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING WITH THOSE STATE TAX BONDS, ARE THEY? UH, I, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY'RE, WHAT THEY'RE DOING, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THEY ARE, BUT THEY, THEY DON'T HAVE A LEASE WITH THE STATE AS OF YET. 
          CORRECT. 
          THEY, AND SOME OTHER, ANOTHER SPACE THEY DO. 
          AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY MOVING, I THINK THEIR PLAN IS TO MOVE THE STATE FROM THE BUILDING AND I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHERE IT IS, BUT TO MOVE THEM NOW IN FROM THERE INTO OKAY. 
          THE, WHERE WE ARE AND THEN I MAYBE EVEN CONVERT THE OTHER BUILDING INTO, UH, MAYBE RESIDENTIAL OR SOME OTHER KIND OF USE. 
          SO, BUT WE'RE STILL HOLDING 250,000 OF THEIR MONEY? CORRECT. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, THE OTHER ONE IS THE STATE AND FEDERAL PARTICIPATION IN THE WELFARE. 
          UM, NO, THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S FRANK'S AS WELL. 
          UM, AND THE SURPLUS ANTICIPATED IS THE SAME AS, AS LAST YEAR, 36 MILLION. 
          AND THE ONLY RELEVANCE OF THAT WILL BE AT THE END OF EVERY YEAR WE COME UP WITH LIKE A PROFIT AND LOSS STATEMENT. 
          IT'S CALLED THE RESULTS OF OPERATION. 
          AND THE QUESTION IS, ARE YOU, YOU KNOW, WHAT DID WE GENERATE IN TERMS OF, UH, A POSITIVE RESULTS OF OPERATION? IF IF WE, IF WE DID $36 MILLION OR ABOVE, THEN, THEN WE'RE FINE. 
          IF WE DID LESS THAN 36 MILLION, WHICH I THINK WE DID THIS YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO BE EATING INTO OUR SURPLUS A LITTLE BIT OR, OR A LOT. 
          I I DON'T KNOW IF WE, WE ONLY, LET'S JUST SAY WE DID OUR RESULTS OF OPERATION OF 2025 WAS OUR REVENUES EXCEEDED OUR, OUR, OUR APPROPRIATIONS BY, UH, 26 MILLION. 
          THEN 26 HAS ADDED TO FUND BALANCE, BUT WE'RE PULLING 36 OUT TO PUT IN THE CURRENT YEAR'S BUDGET. 
          SO WE'VE JUST REDUCED OUR FUND BALANCE BY 10 MILLION. 
          I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT. 
          UM, AND THEN WE TALKED ABOUT UNION COUNTY CORRECTIONS WITH DIRECTOR CHARLES AND, UH, THE WELFARE MISCELLANEOUS IS ALSO UP 5 MILLION FROM PREVIOUS YEAR. 
          I THINK THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT. 
          ANY QUESTIONS? THE STATE? YEAH. 
          STATE A COMMISSIONER COOPER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WHY, UM, DID THE STATE, MAYBE I MISSED THE CONVERSATION. 
          THE STATE INMATE'S ITEM DROP OFF SO MUCH STATE INMATES ITEM UNDER THE ANTICIPATED REVENUE. 
          IS IT A DELAY IN FUNDING COMING FROM THEM STATE ON PAGE 1 94? YES. 
          THE, THE STATE INMATE, THIS, THIS, UH, AMOUNT WAS PROVIDED BY THE DEPARTMENT. 
          THE FELT THE ACTIVITIES FROM THE STATE IS LESS THAN IS GONNA BE EXPECTED TO BE LESS. 
          SO THE ANTICIPATE LESS, LESS FUNDS AND THEY HAVE MORE ON STATE ON PAROLE, LIKE STATE INMATE ON PAROLE AND THE INCREASED THAT LINE ITEM. 
          SO HE DECREASED ONE LINE ITEM AND INCREASED ANOTHER ONE. 
          YES. 
          IT JUST OFFSETTING CLASSIFICATION. 
          YES. 
          WHAT WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE PROSECUTOR'S PILOT PROGRAM THAT DIED OUT? UH, IT IS INCLUDED. 
          IT'S $7 MILLION. 
          YES. 
          OKAY. 
          IT'S THERE. 
          [04:10:01]
I SEE IT. 
          THAT'S ON STATE AND FEDERAL GRANTS ON PAGE 1 95. 
          CORRECT. 
          UM, AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION WOULD BE, UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THE HEALTH BENEFITS GOING UP. 
          HOW ARE WE MANAGING THAT WITHIN, IS THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE NOW, UM, REFLECTING IN THIS BUDGET OR WE EXPECTING IT TO BE HIGHER THAN WHAT IT IS NOW? THE, THE NUMBER FOR THIS YEAR IS REFLECTED IN THE BUDGET, EXCUSE ME. 
          UM, THE CHALLENGE BECOMES FOR NEXT YEAR. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, IF THERE'S A SIMILAR INCREASE, WHICH ALL I, RIGHT NOW, ALL THINGS POINT TO THAT, THAT IT'S GONNA BE, UH, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST AS MUCH, UM, NEXT YEAR. 
          'CAUSE WE HAVE PEOPLE DROPPED OUT. 
          UM, MERCER COUNTY JUST DROPPED OUT OF, UH, STATE HEALTH BENEFITS AND SOME MUNICIPALITIES ARE DROPPING OUT. 
          AND THE PROBLEM BECOMES, WELL, EXCUSE ME, THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DROPPING OUT OR THE BETTER, UH, BETTER PEOPLE ENTITIES BECAUSE THEY CAN GET INDEPENDENT. 
          RIGHT. 
          UM, WE WENT OUT AND LOOKED FOR, UH, PRIVATE INSURANCE AND SOME OTHER THINGS. 
          AND EVERY, THE OTHER OPTIONS THAT WE LOOKED AT WERE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN WHAT WE HAVE NOW. 
          SO, UM, WE'RE BETWEEN NOW AND, AND NEXT YEAR, WE'RE GONNA REALLY EXPLORE A SELF-FUNDED MECHANISM, UH, WHICH WE, WHICH WOULD SAVE US MONEY. 
          UM, BUT THERE'S SOME INHERENT RISK. 
          RIGHT? RIGHT. 
          BUT WE COULD PERHAPS INSURE AGAINST THAT. 
          UM, SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO PLAY WITH IT. 
          'CAUSE BECAUSE WE CANNOT SUSTAIN ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, 25, $30 MILLION INCREASE IN HEALTH BENEFITS. 
          UM, IT, IT'S JUST NOT, WE JUST CAN'T DO IT. 
          SO RIGHT. 
          WITHOUT COMPLETELY, UH, ERODING OUR FUND BALANCE. 
          YOU JUST CAN'T, YOU KNOW, CAN'T DO IT. 
          BECAUSE THIS YEAR, DID WE HAVE TO TAKE FROM THE FUND BALANCE WE DID TO, TO COVER SOME OF THE COSTS BALANCES DOWN FROM LAST YEAR? UH, I, I THINK ABOUT 10. 
          WAS IT ABOUT 10? UH, BY 7 MILLION. 
          THAT'S RIGHT. 
          BECAUSE WE CHANGED. 
          YEAH. 
          7 MILLION. 
          WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T KEEP NO, YOU CAN'T. 
          NO. 
          SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME CHANGES TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. 
          MAYBE A HYBRID APPROACH. 
          I'M SEEING SOME FOLKS LOOK AT DOING A PART SELF-FUNDED AND FUNDED TO, TO MAKE EVERYBODY'S LOOKING AT THAT. 
          MM-HMM . 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT'S IT. 
          THAT'S IT. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          FRANK, I THINK WE'RE ON THE LAST ONE. 
          THAT'S, UH, FRANK SHAW, THIS GUY'S JOB OVER HERE, MR. MCINERNEY, IT'S ON, UH, THAT'S, UH, TAB TWO, PAGE NINE. 
          THE LAST IS IN THE FRONT, HUH? YEAH, I, UH, FIRST SHALL BE LAST AS IS. 
          WE, UH, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THE LEGISLATIVE OFFICES IN, IN THE, IN THE, UH, THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. 
          THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY CUT AND DRY. 
          I MEAN, EVERYBODY WHO IS GETTING A SALARY HERE IS ON BY ORDINANCE. 
          UM, AND, UH, OBVIOUSLY THE, IN THE, UH, COMMISSIONERS ARE PAID IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ORDINANCE AS WELL AS THE CONFIDENTIAL AIDES. 
          THE ATTORNEYS, MYSELF, UM, WE'RE ALL ON BY ORDINANCE. 
          SO THIS IS A PRETTY, UH, UH, STABLE NUMBER. 
          YOU CAN SEE THE OTHER EXPENSES AREN'T, UM, UH, ARE THE SAME AS WHAT THEY WERE IN THE PRIOR PERIOD. 
          UM, AND WE'VE SPENT LESS THAN WE DID IN THE, IN THE PRIOR YEAR IN, IN THIS YEAR. 
          AS FAR AS THE, UM, THE, THE CLERK'S OFFICE, UM, WE, I HAVE, UH, REALLY HAVEN'T, UH, ADJUSTED THIS YET. 
          I KNOW THE ADMINISTRATION HAS, BUT, UM, THERE ARE SOME POSITIONS THAT I'VE TALKED TO THE PRESIDENT ABOUT, UH, THAT WE WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT. 
          WE MAY BE ABLE TO MAKE SOME OF THAT UP IN OTHER EXPENSES. 
          UM, BUT THIS IS GONNA, THIS IS GONNA CHANGE. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, AND I'LL, I'LL HAVE THAT DONE SHORTLY. 
          UH, BUT AGAIN, IT'S NOT MUCH DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS OUR, OUR BUDGET HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY, UM, HAS REALLY NOT INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY OVER THE LAST, I'D SAY 10 YEARS. 
          IT'S BEEN PRETTY STABLE. 
          I HATE TO SAY THAT THIS MIGHT BE THE END OF THE PARTY TONIGHT DISCUSSION THOUGH, RIGHT? YES. 
          , WE HAVE, UH, MAYBE A FEW QUICK COMMENTS. 
          YES. 
          BEFORE YOU MR. MARY THOMAS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          BEFORE, THIS IS JUST TO MR. NERNEY, UM, AND I APPRECIATE THE KIND OF QUICK OVERVIEW, BUT I HAD A, A QUESTION, TWO SMALL QUESTIONS. 
          SO ONE, MAYBE THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT MAY CHANGE WITHIN THE CLERK'S OFFICE. 
          I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD ILLUMINATE SOME OF THOSE PROSPECTS THAT YOU'RE CONSIDERING OR THAT ARE FLOATING FOR YOU. 
          AND THEN SECONDLY, WHEN I SAW THIS, A SLIGHTLY SLIGHT DECREASE, AND I'M IMAGINING THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE VACANCIES CURRENTLY WITHIN VACANCIES, THE OFFICE, YEAH. 
          CHANGE. 
          YEAH, THAT'S GONNA CHANGE. 
          OKAY. 
          AND WHEN YOU SAY IT'S GONNA CHANGE, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WILL PROBABLY, THAT'LL COME UP AT ANOTHER MEETING? OR, 
          [04:15:01]
OR, OR JUST YEAH, I MEAN, I CAN MAKE YOU AWARE OF WHAT THE CHANGES ARE GONNA BE. 
          GOT IT. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT'S ALL I'M TRYING TO GET A SENSE OF. 
          ABSOLUTELY IS. 
          PERFECT. 
          PERFECT. 
          OKAY, GOOD. 
          THANKS. 
          OKAY, COMMISSIONER COOPER. 
          UH, THANK YOU. 
          UM, I, I APOLOGIZE FOR THIS QUESTION. 
          I MEANT TO ASK IT WHEN WE WERE ON THAT TAB, WHEN WE WERE AT THE CORRECTIONS OFFICE DIRECTOR CHARLES SECTION. 
          WHAT IS THAT? NO PAY DUE. 
          NO PAY DUE. 
          NEGATIVE $4.9 MILLION. 
          THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE WERE DISCUSSING. 
          WHAT IT IS, AND IT'S ALSO IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. 
          IT'S PEOPLE WHO DON'T SHOW UP FOR WORK. 
          OH, THAT'S THE NO SHOW UP. 
          SO WHAT HAPPENS, HAPPENS IS YOU HAVE AN INCREASE IN OVERTIME TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE OR OTHER PEOPLE HAVE TO FILL THAT SPOT. 
          AND THAT'S ACTUALLY QUANTIFIED. 
          THAT'S THE NO SHOW UP PEOPLE. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALL GOOD EVERYONE. 
          THANK YOU MR. JACKSON, TO YOUR TEAM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE, UH, DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS WHO CAME AND GAVE US EXCELLENT PRESENTATIONS. 
          THIS IS ABOUT AS SMOOTH AS A LONG TWO DAY HEARING COULD BE. 
          I THOUGHT IT WENT. 
          I WANT TO THANK OUR STAFF LED BY OUR DEPUTY CLERK. 
          AND FOR EVERYONE HERE, THESE ARE LONG EVENINGS. 
          SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU ALL AND TO OUR COLLEAGUES AND, UH, TO THE STAR, OUR SHOW MR. ERNIE, FOR ASKING ALL THE HARD QUESTIONS. 
          AND WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. 
          MOVE IT. 
          RICHARD, SECOND BY COOPER. 
          YES. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. 
          AYE. 
          MR. GOOD LOOKING BOOK. 
          NICE BOOK. 
          BEAUTIFUL. 
          OH, THANK YOU. 
          WHAT IS IT? YOU SAID THE DESIGN. 
          YEAH, IT IS NICE.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.