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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023/08/29 PUBLIC HEARING 10:30 AMFILED FOR RECORD DATE AT 3,0 O'CLOCK A, M EN-MCQUE N 4Z�OC�TY ERK By r BRAZOS COUNTY B RYAN, T EXAS PUBLIC HEARING BRAZOS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT BRAZOS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT WILL CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2023 AT 10:30 A.M. IN THE COMMISSIONERS COURTROOM OF THE BRAZOS COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, 200 SOUTH TEXAS AVENUE, SUITE 106, B RYAN, TEXAS 77803 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 Brazos County Administration Building, 200 S. Texas Avenue, Suite 106, Bryan, TX77803 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. The foregoing minutes of the Commissioners Court Public Hearing held August 29, 2023, have been examined and are approved in open Court this the 5th day of September 2023, in Bryan, Brazos County, Texas. Duane Peters County Judge Chuck Konderla Commissioner, Precinct 2 Wanda J. Watso Commissioner, inct 4 Attest: Karen McQueenu— County Clerk Steve Aldrich Commissioner, Precinct 1 Nancy Berry Commissioner, Precinct 3 MINUTES AUGUST 29, 2023 BRAZOS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT PUBLIC HEARING Call to Order 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 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 29, 2023 with the following members of the Court present: Duane Peters, County Judge, Presiding; Steve Aldrich, Commissioner of Precinct 1; Chuck Konderla, Commissioner of Precinct 2; Nancy Berry, Commissioner of Precinct 3; Wanda J . Watson, Commissioner of Precinct 4; 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. The County Judge called the meeting to order at 11:14 a.m. and invited the County Clerk Karen McQueen to speak. Mrs. McQueen presented her Records Management and Archival plan to the Court. Mrs. McQueen outlined the list of projects that have been completed thus far and those they are currently working on. She stated there will be an agenda item at the next Commissioners Court meeting to set the fees and once her list of projects are completed, the fee will be reduced. A copy of the Records Management and Archival Plan is attached. There were no citizens present to offer commentary for or against the proposed plan. Pg -I— of I BRAZOS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT ea+"*- DAY OF u -� , 20 _,QS c7 A /PM, Fob Name (PLEASE PRINT) t Li n 1�r— e e, Organization (PLEASE PRINT) r CA I Brazos County Clerk Records Management and Archive Plan I. Background (Statutory History) The 77th Texas Legislature passed HB 370 in 2001 to allow border counties to assess a $5.00 Records Management and Preservation Fee for the preservation of older records filed with the County Clerk. The 78th Legislature passed SB 1731 amending the original legislation allowing all counties 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 118.011 (b & f), to enable the Commissioner's Court to adopt a Records Management and 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. The 83rd Legislature passed HB 1513 amending Government Code, 118.011 (b & f) allowing the Commissioner Court to set and collect a Records Management and Records Archival Fee not to exceed $10.00 on non -court related filings. The 87th Legislature passed SB41 which repealed Government Code 51.317 which allowed the Commissioners' Court to set the fees collected for filing of court cases. II. Bill Summary Begins on approval of the County of Brazos 2024 Annual Budget. The fee must be set and itemized in the county's budget as part of the budget preparation process. Termination: The 79th Legislature extended this bill indefinitely. The $10.00 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, and marriage licenses). However, the 83nd legislature approved a sunset effective September 1, 2019 to reduce the amount collected back to an amount not to exceed $5.00. HB 686 passed the 86th Legislative Session removing the sunset date. The $5.00 fee is assessed on any original civil case filings. (Effective January 1, 2022 changed to $15.00 per SB41). The fee may be used only to provide funds for specific records management and preservation and archival projects, 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 1950s. The County Clerk's office is progressive in the preservation of current records, utilizing the original Records Management and Archival Fees 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. 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. • Construction of new records storage facility. V. Annual Revenue Estimate Official Real Property Records 31,000/annually Marriage Records 1,500/annually Civil/Criminal Filings 500/annually Total 36,000 Filings Annually X $ 20.00 = $ 720,000.00 Total 500 Civil Filings X $15.00 = $ 7,500.00 Total $ 727,500.00 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 Com`"leted Estimated $ 370,700 Phase 2• Back conversion of 1955 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 172. Estimated $ 167,000 Completedl lE 1.9'S6'"12:=31-1966, Approximately 204 volumes of Deed Records from Volume A To Volume 171 (sovereignty—12-31-1955) K(Comp'leted s'-o eregn y }current} Estimated $ 365,838.00 Re -indexing real property records from 1955 back to Volume A using the scanned images of the original record books: Data entry/conversion of approx 355,000 instruments. Estimated. $ Included above Phase 2a: Back conversion of 1955 to Volume A of the Deed of Trust records existing microfilm to electronic images and loading to computer by Book, Volume and Page. Approximately 49,000 images from Volume A To Volume 65 (sovereignty—12-31-1955) Estimated $ 170,530.00 :- - : W_- W ('Completed9soveregnty=current)) Phase 2b, c & d• Back conversion of 1955 to Volume A of the Release records, Oil & Gas records, Federal Tax records, State Tax records and Abstract of Judgment records existing microfilm to electronic images and loading to computer by Book, Volume and Page. Approximately 134 Volumes of miscellaneous records. 4Completed7souereignty Estimated: $ 186,843.30 Phase 3: Design and remodel an existing county building for a records storage facility. Approximately 3900 square foot building (Cornple ed 2� Ol'9) Estimated $ 460,000 Phase 4: Maps and Plats Conversion scanning and reindexing of all maps/plats and importing to existing computer system. Approximately 4,000 maps and plats Co leted 2©19�, Phase 5• Commissioner's Court Records Estimated $ 60,000 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 gages and 120,000 index entries Estimated $ complete - L1,ploaded to Laserfichel Phase 6• Vital Statistics Birth Records Scanning/Electronic Conversion of Brazos County birth records from sovereignty to present. Approximately 73843 birth records + conversion to microfilm. Qom feted soverei n , -198m5 Estimated $ 241,150.14 Phase 7• Vital Statistics Marriage Records Scanning/Electronic Conversion of Marriage Records from sovereignty to present. Estimated $ 322,809.00 Phase 7a: Scanning/Electronic Conversion of Marriage Records from Sovereignty to present. (18 books missed Estimated: $25,000.00 Phase 8: Probate Case Records Scannin /Electronic Conversion of Probate Case files from sovereignty to 1970. Estimated: $ 1,082,395.94 Phase 9• Military Discharge Records Scanning/Electronic Conversion of Military Discharge Records (DD214) from 1918- 1983. Estimate: None received Restoration Proiect: Restoration, Preservation and Imaging of Historical Books County Clerk Military Records, Commissioner Court Index Book, 1876 Application to Citizenship — (1800 —1915 records) (tComble ed 2023, Estimated $ 29,232.47 District Clerk Civil Minute Books, Docket Books, Embalming Record - (1853 —1914 records) (Completed 202;34� Estimated $ 129,242.00 Phase 10• Mobile filing system & Library Shelving Adding additional filing system to current system. Estimated $ 29,000.00 Phase 11: Probate Case Records Scanning/Electronic Conversion of Probate Cases filed from 1-1-1971 to 12-31-1982 Estimate: None received Restoration Proiect: Restoration, Preservation and Imaging of Historical Books Record of Election Results, Hospital Lien, Record of Registered Nurses (1844-1957) Estimate: None received VIII. Length of Projects It is estimated that these projects will take numerous 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.