The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2012-08-09-10:00 AM-PUBLIC HEARING.. I BRYAN,TEXAS PUBLIC HEARING BRAZOS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT Thursday August 9, 2012 BRAZOS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT WILL CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 2012 AT 10:00 A.M. IN THE COMMISSIONERS COURTROOM OF THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, 200 SOUTH TEXAS AVENUE, SUITE 106, BRYAN, TEXAS COMMISSIONERS COURT WILL CONSIDER A PLAN FOR THE COUNTY CLERK ARCHIVAL FUND, AND HEAR COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSED PLAN. ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND SAID HEARING AND PRESENT THEIR CAUSE, IF ANY, FOR OR AGAINST THE PROPOSED PLAN. The Commissioners Courtroom of the County Administration Building, 200 South Texas Avenue, Suite 106, Bryan, Texas is wheelchair accessible. Handicap parking spaces are available. Any request for sign interpretive services must be made two working days before the meeting. To make arrangements, please call (979) 361 -4102. ol. I te 4 Pg. 191 v BRAZOS COUNTY MINUTES August 9, 2012 BRAZOS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT PUBLIC HEARING Signature Paoe.pdf File Stamped Agenda.pdf Sion in sheet.pdf A Public Hearing of the Commissioners' Court of Brazos County, Texas was held in the Brazos County Commissioners Courtroom in the Administration Building, 200 South Texas Avenue, in Bryan, Brazos County, Texas, beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 9, 2012 with the following members of the Court present: Duane Peters, County Judge, Absent; Lloyd Wassermann, Commissioner of Precinct 1; Sammy Catalena, Commissioner of Precinct 2; Kenny Mallard, Commissioner of Precinct 3, Presiding; Irma Cauley, Commissioner of Precinct 4, Absent; Karen McQueen, County Clerk. The attached sheets contain the names of the citizens and officials that were in attendance. COMMISSIONERS COURT WILL CONSIDER A PLAN FOR THE COUNTY CLERK ARCHIVAL FUND, AND HEAR COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSED PLAN.ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND SAID HEARING AND PRESENT THEIR CAUSE, IF ANY, FOR OR AGAINST THE PROPOSED PLAN. Archive Plan.pdf No public was present for comment. Karen McQueen, County Clerk reviewed the plan for the use of the archive funds which amount to approximately $164,000 per year. The hearing was closed at 10:06 a.m. Aga Vol. i Pg BRAZOSCOUNTY BRYAN,TEXAS The foregoing minutes of the Commissioners Court Public Hearing held August 9, 2012 have been examined and are approved in open Court this the I / day of e , 2012, in Bryan, Brazos County, Texas. Duane eters Lloyd assermann County Judge Commissioner, Precinct 1 , Precinct 2 Kenny Mallard Commissioner, Precinct 3 Irma Cauley \�, Commissioner, Attest: Vol I (o4 Page l R3 BRAZOS COU Ty COMMISSIONERS COURT MEETING ON 2012 AT le �00 Name (PLEASE PRINT) I Organization /DepagMe �� 1 A�a� �, �3" 1 _._._ t b 4 p Vol. Brazos County Clerk Records Management and Archive Plan I. Background (Statutory History) The 77 Texas Legislature passed HB 370 in 2001 to allow border county's to assess a $5.00 Records Management and Preservation Fee for the preservation of older records filed with the County Clerk. The 78 Legislature passed SB 1731 amending the original legislation allowing all county's to collect this fee with Commissioner's Court approval. The County Clerk is proposing to collect this fee at this time. This legislation amends Local Government Code, Section 118.01 (e), to enable the Commissioner's Court to adopt a Records Archive Fee for the preservation and automation of previously filed and recorded real property and vital statistics records as part of their regularly adopted annual budget. II. Bill Summary • Begins on approval of the County of Brazos 2012 -13 Annual Budget. The fee must be set and itemized in the county's budget as part of the budget preparation process. • Termination: The 79 Legislature extended this bill indefinitely. • The $5.00 fee is assessed on any instrument, document, paper, or other record that the County Clerk is authorized to accept for filing or recording (deed or official public records, assumed names, marriage licenses, civil case filings). • The fee may be used only to provide funds for specific records management and preservation, including for automation purposes — in accordance with this written plan. • Changes to the plan must be approved by Commissioner's Court. The plan may be modified as required. III. Purpose Some of Brazos County official records have been computerized and automated in electronic format since the late 1960s. The County Clerk's office is progressive in the preservation of current records, utilizing the original Records Management Fee from 1991 forward. However, this funding has not been sufficient to electronically preserve and restore the older documents that have a priceless historical value. In order to preserve and enhance the integrity of the existing system for recording and preserving public documents; the County Clerk seeks to preserve existing original records by restoring or re- creating old volumes, digitizing older microfilm and paper records, re- indexing old handwritten and typed indexed books and converting all older media into an electronic format and importing this newly created data into the existing computer system. Vol. I Pg. IV. The overall goal and vision of the County Clerk's office is to: • Modernize and upgrade old record systems in the office. • Continue to add records and information to your existing computer system. • Eliminate or reduce manual lookups and searches. • Expedite record searching by having more records available for electronic retrieval. • Create a complete electronic records back -up for disaster recovery. • Provide more public information to the citizens of the County via the Intra/Internet. • Continue to eliminate the need for paper records. • Preserving original records by reducing daily usage. • Reclaiming much needed space in the public records area. V. Annual Revenue Estimate Official Real Property Records 31,000 /annually Marriage Records 1,500 /annually Civil/Criminal Filings 400 /annually Total 32,900 Filings Annually X $ 5.00 = $164,500.00 VI. Restoration, Preservation and Automation Projects Real Property Records: Projects include computerized re- indexing and converting all real property records to electronic images and importing new records to the existing real property computer system. Phase 1: Electronic conversion of 1999 to 1967 existing microfilm to images, matching to the existing grantor /grantee index and importing to the computer and internet: Approx 674,000 Instruments filed 1967 to 1999 Estimated $ 370,700 Phase 2: Back conversion of 1966 to Volume A of Deed Records existing microfilm to electronic images and loading to computer by Book, Volume and Page. Approximately 1,167,000 images from 1966 to Volume A. Estimated $ 167,000 Re- indexing real property records from 1966 back to Volume A using the electronic images of the original record books: Data entry/conversion of aprox 3 5 5,000 instruments. Estimated $ 608,000 L} Pg l $fie Vol. � _.. W%. Phase 3: Maps and Plats Conversion/scanning and reindexing of all maps /plats and importing to existing computer system. Approximately 4,000 maps and plats Estimated $60,000 Phase 4: Commissioner's Court Records Electronic conversion and reindexing of all existing Commissioner's Court minutes and importing this data to existing computer system in a searchable format. Approximately 190,000 pages and 120,000 index entries Estimated $ 128,000 VIII. Length of Projects It is estimated that these projects will take approximately 4 to 5 years to complete and implement. Some projects may be considered as on -going and paid monthly as revenue is collected. Summary The Legislature has provided a means to raise revenue for the records management and preservation of older county property and vital records. This "user" fee is an alternative to raising taxes or spending general fund monies to accomplish these important projects. This plan will be implemented in "phases" as money is accrued and deposited into a special revenue account. The completion of the initial phases will preserve the original records, provide more space in the public records area, and continue to modernize the Clerk's office through available technology. (94 P 1x1 Vol. g•