[D. PUBLIC COMMENT: This section provides the public the opportunity to address the Commissioners Court on any issues within its jurisdiction. The Commissioners Court may not take formal action on any requests made during the Public Comment period which are not on the Agenda, but can refer such requests to County staff for review if appropriate.]

QUORUM IS ESTABLISHED AT THIS TIME. I'LL MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND RECOGNIZE JOE A GONZALEZ.

>> THANK YOU, JUDGE. COMMISSIONERS ON BEHALF OF THE NUECES COUNTY SHERIFFS ASSOCIATION, I'M PRESIDENT, AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT OUR HAZARD PAY OR LACK THEREOF, RIGHT. LAST YEAR IN MARCH, OUR COVID NUMBERS STARTED EXPLODING HERE. OUR AGENCY HAS TAKEN A BIG HIT OVER THAT TIME. WE HAVE OVER 60 VACANCIES ALL TOGETHER, INCLUDING FIELD OPERATION, THE GUYS IN THE FIELDS, PLUS THE CONSTABLES, RIGHT. AND SO WE DEFINITELY ARE HERE TO ADVOCATE AS A GROUP AS ONE UNITED FRONT THAT WE ARE IN FAVOR OF HAZARD PAY FOR ALL COUNTY EMPLOYEES AND INCLUDING OURSELVES. HOWEVER, WE DO BELIEVE, JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS, OUR EXPOSURE TO COVID IS A LOT GREATER THAN THAN MOST COUNTY EMPLOYEES. SO WE WOULD LIKE FOR YOU GUYS TO KEEP THAT IN MIND. WE ARE A DIFFERENT GROUP. I UNDERSTAND WE'RE ALL NUECES COUNTY EMPLOYEES, AND WE AGREE WITH THAT. THE BUT YOU KNOW, ALSO WE WANT TO PLANT THAT SEED IN YOUR HEAD THAT OUR EXPOSURE IS A LOT GREATER. FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE GUYS RIGHT NOW WORKING IN OUR JAIL THAT ARE WORKING WITH COVID-POSITIVE INMATES. AND THEY HAVE TO INTERACT WITH THEM.

THEY HAVE TO PUT THEIR HANDS ON THOSE GUYS. THEIR EXPOSURE IS A LOT HIGHER THAN A REGULAR COUNTY EMPLOYEE. I WANT TO PLANT THAT IN YOUR HEAD. AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE TIME COMES, I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO RECESS FOR TOMORROW. TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION WITH OUR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING GROUP VERSUS THE REGULAR COUNTY EMPLOYEE. BUT LIKE I SAID, WE ALL STAND UNITED. AND THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE LIKE THE GUYS IN PUBLIC WORKS, LIKE ROCKY THAT WORKS AT THE ANNEX, HIM AND HIS

[00:05:01]

GUYS HAVE TO DEAL WITH THOSE PEOPLE. THERE'S SOME PEOPLE THAT HAVE CLOSE CONTACT WITH COVID. AND OUR GUYS, YOU KNOW, THAT SERVE WARRANTS, OUR PATROL GUYS, THEY COME IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH PEOPLE THAT HAVE COVID. I WANT TO BRING THAT AWARENESS TO THIS COURT. AND WE'VE BEEN PATIENT. WE'VE WAITED OVER A YEAR AND A HALF OR WHATEVER TO WAIT FOR THAT HAZARD PAY. WE'VE BEEN KIND OF SITTING QUIETLY ON THE SIDELINE. BUT, JUDGE, AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE HURTING, AND WE NEED THIS PAY. AND GOING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, WE CONTINUE TO FALL BEHIND. WE APPRECIATE ALL THE MONEY THAT THE COURT ALLOCATED TOWARDS OUR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT, BUT WE CONTINUE TO FALL BEHIND.

THERE'S OTHER AGENCIES THAT ARE PAYING SO MUCH MORE. I JUST CAME BACK FROM DALLAS. WE WERE AT A CONVENTION. AND IT'S ALMOST HEARTBREAKING TO HEAR HOW MUCH EVERYBODY ELSE MAKES. AND WE'RE JUST THE TRAINING GROUNDS FOR EVERYBODY ELSE, AND THAT NEEDS TO STOP. OKAY. THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT TO SAY. WE'LL BE BACK TOMORROW AS A GROUP. I HOPE WE MADE AN IMPACT ON YOU GUYS. TONIGHT, WHEN YOU GO TO BED, I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A REGULAR COUNTY AND EMPLOYEE AND SOMEBODY WHO HAS A PUT THEIR HANDS AND GO HANDS-ON WITH SOMEBODY WHO IS COVID-POSITIVE. THAT'S REALLY ALL I'VE GOT TO SAY, COMMISSIONERS. WE THANK YOU FOR TAKING THIS INTO CONSIDERATION.

OKAY. >> THANK YOU, SIR. AND THANKS TO ALL OF YOU THAT CAME HERE INTO COMMISSIONERS' COURT TODAY.

THIS IS YOUR HOUSE AND FORUM. WE THANK YOU FOR THAT.

>>> I DID SIGN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ONLY TO LET YOU AGAIN KNOW AND THE AUDIENCE KNOW BECAUSE THIS WAS A POSTED MEETING THAT I INTEND TO RECESS SHORTLY. BUT WE WILL BE BACK.

MY RECESS WILL BE UNTIL TOMORROW. WE'LL COME BACK ON THE RECORD AT -- YOU KNOW, JENNY, I WAS GOING TO ASK IF WE CAN DO IT AT 2:00 P.M., DUE TO THE FACT THE GENERATORS WILL BE TESTING TOMORROW AT 9:00 A.M. I KNOW THAT'S A LITTLE MORE THAN THE 24 HOURS. IS THAT ALL RIGHT? I COULD DO 1:30, AND THEN, TAKE A REALLY, REALLY LONG BATHROOM BREAK.

(LAUGHTER) >> I BELIEVE YOU'RE FINE.

YOU'VE GOT THE CODE AND FALL UNDER EITHER ONE.

>> THANK YOU. A QUICK UPDATE. YOU CAN FIND MYSELF AND REST OF THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM ON THE FIFTH FLOOR ALONG WITH YOUR FOLKS REPRESENTING THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IN OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS COMMAND CENTER. TROPICAL STORM NICHOLAS DOES LOOK LIKE IT'S GOING TO MAKE LANDFALL MAYBE THIS EVENING.

LOOKS LIKE MATAGORDA BAY, CALHOUN COUNTY IN THE BULL'S EYE. WE'RE EXPERIENCING STRONG WINDS AND SURGE IN PORT ARANSAS, OUR PRECINCT 4 AREA. THIS IS WHY I'M RECESSING. IT'S NOT BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. IT'S SIMPLY THAT WE NEED TO KEEP OUR THOUGHTS ON PUBLIC SAFETY. IF I CAN BE ON THE 5TH FLOOR AND HERE, I WOULD DO IT, BUT I HAVEN'T FIGURED THAT ONE OUT YET. WE ASK THAT YOU HAVE PATIENCE WITH US. COME BACK TOMORROW. AND ALSO, PLEASE NOTE FOR ALL THOSE ONLINE AND COMMISSIONERS, OUR HOT LINES ARE OPEN AT 888-0111 FOR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. IF YOU ARE LISTENING AND YOU NEED TO REPORT A SITUATION THAT INVOLVES, OF COURSE, SAFETY, YOU'LL WANT TO DIAL 911. BUT IF IT'S A SITUATION REGARDING A ROAD THAT YOU THINK NEEDS CLOSING, OR ANYTHING THAT JUST MIGHT BE A RESULT OF A CROPICAL STORM NICHOLAS, THAT IS OUR NUMBER TO CALL. ALSO, YOU CAN ALWAYS REACH THE COUNTY JUDGE'S OFFICE AT 888-0444. AND AGAIN, MY THANKS TO ALL WHO CAME HERE TODAY EXPECTING A FULL MEETING.

WE WILL RECESS IT NOW. AND THE TIME IS 1:43 P.M

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.