I'd love to.

All right, we'll call this meeting of the legislative and intergovernment affairs committee to order.

First business is approval our October 14th minutes.

Do I have a motion?

All those in favor?

Great.

Action items, municipal court judges appointment, reappointment.

Thank you, Chairman Crane, committee members, staff.

William Remley, Municipal Court Director, and also Chief Judge Simon Gonzalez.

We're here today to address the full-time judge appointments.

And so let's see if this is gonna work.

There we go.

All right, so real quick authority to appoint judges under uh chapter 30, Texas Government Code and also Section 10.3 of the City of Fort Worth Code ordinance.

Um and so this is again for our full-time judges every two years on even uh years.

We have 10 full-time judges that includes the chief judge, deputy chief judge, a set seven associates, and um one vacancy that we'll talk about.

So there's nine occupied positions, one judge retiring and not seeking reappointment as of March 31st.

Uh that is Judge Carla Kelman.

She has notified us that she is not seeking reappointment.

We do want to take a moment to thank her for her service, almost 20 years as a part-time substitute judge, and then four years as a full-time judge.

So we we really appreciate that.

Her service.

Um these are full benefit positions, and they're again appointed for two year terms on even numbered years.

Uh, the reason for this uh immediate recruitment process is that one judge retiring.

And so there was overage position uh approved to fill the vacancy through March 31st, 2026, creates an immediate operational need, and the temporary measures we've used to use part-time judges is not sustainable long term due to limit of hours and uh budget constraints.

Uh so our recruitment process uh was in January, received eight applicants for the position of municipal judge.

We had two applicants withdraw, one was unavailable for interview, the other one was unwilling to work the shift, which is at our arraignment facility, i.e.

the jail from midnight till 8 a.m.

We interviewed six applicants.

Um the committee was uh Chief Judge Gonzalez, you'll see the other ones on there as well.

Um the panel selected current substitute judge Karen Boyd Williams.

Uh, prior to being a substitute judge, she was also a substitute hearing officer for the city.

Um, and by selecting Judge Williams, a position for substitute judge will be vacated and is to be filled at a future date.

So these appointments will begin April 1st.

Their current terms end March 31st.

So our request is to consideration of approve the recommendation to reappoint nine full-time Fort Worth municipal court judges for a two-year term commencing April 1st, 2026 through March 31st, 2028.

Uh approve the recommendation to appoint Karen Boyd Williams as a full-time municipal court judge from her current uh substitute position for a two-year term commencing the same term.

Um upon the city manager's office and uh my recommendation uh in concert designate Simone Gonzalez as the chief judge for his second consecutive term, and per Judge Gonzalez recommendation designate Andrew T.

Bradshaw as deputy chief judge for a second consecutive term.

Um approve the recommendation of the human resource department city manager's office with regards to setting judicial compensation.

One note is the original posted agenda had a substitute position that we were looking at moving forward.

We withdrew that.

So I just want to note that for anybody online who saw the agenda prior.

Uh so these are the judges that are we're uh put bringing forth for full-time uh positions to begin April 1st.

Um I'm just gonna go through these real quick, but we would like you to note is simply these are by date of appointment.

And so uh our current chief judge, uh Judge Gonzalez is since 2002, uh Judge Bradshaw since 2006, who's the deputy chief judge, uh Judge Martinez since 2011, uh Judge Raquel Brown since 2012, uh Judge Summers since 2014.

Um note that she was also a part-time judge prior to that appointment for many years.

Uh Judge Houston's who you heard from earlier in the prior committee, um, and is with us uh is uh 2018 as well as Judge uh Uwuchi, and then Judge Genosa and Judge Henderson are our two most recent uh appointees, and then uh Judge Karen Boyd Williams, who again was a hearing officer for us for a short time, and um is a substitute judge currently.

So from a judicial pay standpoint, working with HR and CMO, these are the recommendations for the next two fiscal years.

This also includes the part-time judges based on the recommendation from the mayor and counsel prior, and so this moves us forward as a reminder.

Every time we do do appointments, we go out and work with HR to see the market, see what's appropriate, and so um we base these recommendations um that.

short time and um is a substitute judge currently so from a judicial pay standpoint working with hr and cm o these are the recommendations of for the next two fiscal years this also includes the part time judges based on the recommendation from the mayor and council prior and so this moves us forward as a reminder every time we do do appointments we go out work with HR to see the market see what's appropriate and so um we base these recommendations um that so again the requested action today is to um reappoint uh andrew t Johnson raquel brown laura gonosa judge gonzales uh joseph henderson melanie houston thadia suuji uh claudia martinez and patricia summers as municipal judges for a two year term so these will all be reappointments commencing april first and ending march 31st appoint Karen Boyd Williams as full time municipal court judge who is she's currently substitute for a two year term that same amounted term uh and then uh pro city manager office and court director recommendation designate judge conzales as chief judge for a consecutive term and just real quick I want to note a couple accomplishments for uh our chief judge so he did implement the youth diversion plan that was required by state law um he reinstituted uh walk in court five days a week rather than three days a week as it was before he's ensured that all our uh court settings and operations ensuring that the uh warrant reviews are brought up to date he's revised the court rules he's instituted cross training um and cross scheduling for judges um a lot of work put into place um strong recruitment process and then working with tarrent county for three programs the veteran veterans treatment court uh in concert with them the rise program which is reaching independence through self-empowerment and department of family and protective services our community uh our kids OCOK and so those are several things that he's done in his term in the last two years and then uh adopt the recommendation again related to the setting of judicial compensation next steps would be if approved by you all to recommend this afternoon's um mayor and council work session to move these recommendations forward and then uh march 10th it would go to M and C to mayor and council we would bring back to council later to fill the vacant substitute position um at a future time any questions committee second you got a motion yes and I have some language to read in uh on the item from municipal court judge appointment uh reappointment and related salary recommendations I move to approve municipal court judges appointment reappointment and recommended salary related salary recommendations consideration recommendations on reappointment of nine full-time judges appointment of one new full time judge designation of Simon Gonzalez as chief judge designation of Andrew T.

Bradshaw as deputy chief judge and related salary recommendations great beck has a second all those in favor and posed great motion approved thank you for your work on the court appreciate all those highlights that you made and thank y'all for being here today appreciate it thank you Mr.

Chairman thank you all right anything else okay future agenda item yeah um we know that uh the Texas legislature allowed municipal courts to become the court of record for nuisance abatement properties I'd like to get an update on where the city of Fort Worth is in creating that court and um and handling those cases I'd also like us to look at the uh possibility of including our uh enforcement of our boarding home ordinance in that court as well and if state law doesn't allow us then I'm looking at TJ to add that to the state legislative um agenda for next time to include that in the realm of possibilities that we can um we can use municipal courts as the court of record to enforce all right anything else okay meeting adjourn