OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Houston Forensic Science Center Board Meeting – May 8, 2026

Committees and Commissions — Friday, May 8, 2026
BodyHouston, Texas
SessionCommittees and Commissions
DateFriday, May 8, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:17:12

Transcript — Verbatim
0:22

Okay, thanks.

0:30

We're waiting on one more person.

0:32

We'll give it just another another minute or Natalie.

0:40

Oh no, I don't do that.

0:43

I don't think I was in third of Green.

0:52

If I had a ruler, I could be a nun, right?

0:55

We call that the Board of Education.

1:02

Any word from her net?

1:06

Okay, we've got a quorum.

1:08

Okay, we'll go ahead and get started.

1:10

We have a quorum.

1:11

I'd like to call us to order, please.

1:14

Madam Secretary, would you please call the roll?

1:18

Yes, Madam Chair.

1:20

I'll begin the roll call now.

1:21

Chairwoman Cohen.

1:23

Vice Chair Baird?

1:25

Here.

1:25

Director Vecz.

1:27

Director Durfee.

1:28

Here.

1:29

Director Suberman?

1:30

Here.

1:31

Director Corrales.

1:32

Here.

1:33

Director U.

1:34

Director Murzah.

1:36

Director Huff?

1:38

Here.

1:38

And Director Gush?

1:40

Here.

1:41

And that concludes the roll call.

1:43

Madam Chair, we do have a quorum.

1:45

With that, let's proceed to agenda item number three, please.

1:49

First, I'd like to send her well wishes to our chairwoman Cohen.

1:54

She's recovering.

1:55

We can't wait to see her back at the table with us.

1:57

She's had a bit of a difficult time over the past couple of months.

2:02

So hopefully she's on the mend and we'll see her at our next meeting.

2:06

But in her absence, I want to remind the board that next month our meeting will be held on July 10th, which is the week after the 4th of July holiday, that everybody will be celebrating 250, right?

2:19

So we know the summer schedules can get hectic, so please respond to our board secretary, Ms.

2:25

Visi Haley, to regarding attendance so we know if you're able to get a quorum and attendance for that date.

2:32

Natalie, is it Haley or Halley?

2:35

Haley, okay, thank you.

2:37

Um also Mother's Day is this weekend.

2:40

So happy Mother's Day to uh all the moms and grandmothers.

2:46

And uh I'm a mom and a grandmother too, so I'm excited about Mother's Day.

2:52

Uh lastly, directors, please keep an eye out for an email from Natalie regarding the financial conflict of interest form for fiscal year 2027.

3:01

Uh it's an annual requirement for us, and we need to respond in a timely manner so we have this taken care of and have that obligation fulfilled.

3:11

With that, I conclude my report, and now we'll proceed to agenda item number four, which is our public comment.

3:18

At this time, we'll open the floor for public comment and invite any member of the public that wishes to speak to the uh speak to come to the podium and address the board.

3:28

We ask all speakers to sign in at the front of the room so we are aware of your presence and that all comments are limited to three minutes.

3:36

You may speak on any matter concerning the board and HFSC.

3:41

So at this time, do we have anyone in the audience who has signed up for public comment?

3:47

Nobody ever shows up for public comment.

3:49

I guess that's a good question.

3:50

Is that thank you?

3:53

Uh seeing no members for public comment in our audience today who have signed up for comment.

3:58

I'll close the public comment period.

4:01

The public comment period will close at this time.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Technology and Innovation█████████████████████████████████████████████56%
Property and Evidence Management████████████████20%
Procedural████████████15%
Personnel Matters█████6%
Public Safety██2%
Engineering And Infrastructure█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Houston Forensic Science Center Board of Directors Meeting – May 8, 2026

The board convened with a quorum, Vice Chair Joni Baird presiding in Chairwoman Cohen's absence. The meeting covered operational updates, technology expansions, and administrative approvals. Key discussions included the multi-year transition of property and evidence storage from HPD to HFSC, lab backlog reductions, and the upcoming accreditation of rapid DNA technology. The board unanimously approved several consent items and a contract renewal, and after a closed session, voted to provide written notice of intent to renew President Dr. Peter Stout's contract.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the previous meeting were approved by unanimous voice vote.
  • Reappointment of Corporate Officers: Dr. Peter Stout (President), Dr. Amy Castillo (Vice President), Mr. David Leach (Treasurer), and Ms. Natalie Visi Haley (Secretary) were reappointed for one year, through May 2027, by unanimous voice vote.
  • Selection of Vice Chair: Director Joni Baird was reappointed Vice Chair for a term concluding at the May 2027 board meeting, by unanimous voice vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No members of the public signed up to speak; the public comment period was closed without testimony.

Discussion Items

  • Property and Evidence Transition: Dr. Amy Castillo, COO, presented the phased plan for HFSC to assume evidence intake and preservation from HPD (disposition remains with HPD). Highlights: over 8,000 sexual assault kits and test fires have been moved to the Jefferson facility; a new freezer room has been built; the giant walk-in freezer at Washington will be decommissioned, freeing space for gun storage. The transition is expected to fully execute in FY28, with nine HPD positions transferring to HFSC in FY27. Board members asked about the auditing function (checking shelves against inventory) and legal ownership (HPD retains ownership). Staff tours of the facility were offered.
  • Lab Operations and Backlogs: Dr. Castillo reported on current backlogs: forensic biology backlog is down to 5 sexual assault kits over 90 days; seized drugs backlog is under 800; firearms backlog is approximately 453 but expected to improve with two experienced examiners starting in August (reducing training from two years to six months). Three new drug analysts are in training. New technologies: 3D crime scene mapping (Matterport) is live; rapid DNA is being brought online for reference samples (cost $250/sample vs. $30 for traditional); YSTR testing will return in September; LCQ-TOF systems for toxicology and seized drugs are undergoing validation.
  • Rapid DNA Quality Report: Jackie Morale, Quality Manager, detailed the scope extension audit scheduled for May 11–12, 2026, to accredit rapid DNA under ISO 17025. She explained the technology (hands-free, single-source profile in ~109 minutes), limitations (cannot process mixtures), and the extensive preparation: 142-page validation, standard operating procedures, training, mock casework, and two satisfactory proficiency tests. The FBI's 2025 rule update allows crime scene sample uploads into CODIS, but the sample cartridge is not yet approved. The Texas Rapid DNA Working Group, including prosecutors, defense attorneys, law enforcement, and labs, is developing guidelines. Board members discussed demand (likely fewer than once a month for urgent cases), admissibility (will be admissible once accredited and approved by Texas Forensic Science Commission), and the importance of maintaining proficiency.

Key Outcomes

  • Unanimous approval of all consent calendar items (minutes, officers, vice chair).
  • Unanimous approval of the VersaTerm/Justice Track subscription renewal for $337,128.28, authorizing Dr. Stout to execute the agreement.
  • After a closed executive session, the board reconvened and unanimously voted to provide written notice to Dr. Stout of the board's intent to renew his contract, as required six months before expiration.
  • The meeting adjourned at approximately 10:15 AM.

Meeting Transcript

Okay, thanks. We're waiting on one more person. We'll give it just another another minute or Natalie. Oh no, I don't do that. I don't think I was in third of Green. If I had a ruler, I could be a nun, right? We call that the Board of Education. Any word from her net? Okay, we've got a quorum. Okay, we'll go ahead and get started. We have a quorum. I'd like to call us to order, please. Madam Secretary, would you please call the roll? Yes, Madam Chair. I'll begin the roll call now. Chairwoman Cohen. Vice Chair Baird? Here. Director Vecz. Director Durfee. Here. Director Suberman? Here. Director Corrales. Here. Director U. Director Murzah. Director Huff? Here. And Director Gush? Here. And that concludes the roll call. Madam Chair, we do have a quorum. With that, let's proceed to agenda item number three, please. First, I'd like to send her well wishes to our chairwoman Cohen. She's recovering. We can't wait to see her back at the table with us. She's had a bit of a difficult time over the past couple of months. So hopefully she's on the mend and we'll see her at our next meeting. But in her absence, I want to remind the board that next month our meeting will be held on July 10th, which is the week after the 4th of July holiday, that everybody will be celebrating 250, right? So we know the summer schedules can get hectic, so please respond to our board secretary, Ms. Visi Haley, to regarding attendance so we know if you're able to get a quorum and attendance for that date. Natalie, is it Haley or Halley? Haley, okay, thank you. Um also Mother's Day is this weekend. So happy Mother's Day to uh all the moms and grandmothers. And uh I'm a mom and a grandmother too, so I'm excited about Mother's Day. Uh lastly, directors, please keep an eye out for an email from Natalie regarding the financial conflict of interest form for fiscal year 2027. Uh it's an annual requirement for us, and we need to respond in a timely manner so we have this taken care of and have that obligation fulfilled. With that, I conclude my report, and now we'll proceed to agenda item number four, which is our public comment.

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