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Informal Meeting Minutes Monday, September 26, 2022 9:30 AM BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Maricopa County, Arizona (and the Boards of Directors of the Flood Control District, Library District, Stadium District, Improvement Districts and/or Board of Deposit) "The mission of Maricopa County is to provide regional leadership and fiscally responsible, necessary public services to its residents so they can enjoy living in healthy and safe communities” Board Members Bill Gates, Chairman, District 3 Clint Hickman, Vice Chairman, District 4 Jack Sellers, District 1 Thomas Galvin, District 2 Steve Gallardo, District 5 County Manager Joy Rich Clerk of the Board Juanita Garza Meeting Location Supervisors’ Auditorium/Sullivan Conference Room 205 W Jefferson/301 W Jefferson, 10th FL Phoenix, AZ 85003 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS The Board of Supervisors of Maricopa County, Phoenix, Arizona, convened in an Informal Session at 9:30 AM on Monday, September 26, 2022, in the Supervisors’ Auditorium/ Sullivan Conference Room 205 W Jefferson /301 W Jefferson, 10th Floor Phoenix, AZ 85003, with the following members present: Bill Gates, Chairman, District 3; Clint Hickman, Vice Chairman, District 4; Jack Sellers, Supervisor, District 1; Thomas Galvin, Supervisor, District 2; Steve Gallardo, Supervisor, District 5. Also present: Juanita Garza, Clerk; Joy Rich, County Manager; Andrea Cummings, Legal Counsel; Kelly Gardiner, Minutes Coordinator; Mia Vargas, Minutes Coordinator. PRESENTATION 1. COUNTY ATTORNEY UPDATE County Attorney update regarding innovation and changes at MCAO and Legal representation of County clients. (C-19-23-031-X-00) Chairman Gates opened the meeting and asked the Clerk to call the roll. Chairman Gates stated the Board of Supervisors has had the statutory responsibility to appoint two County Attorneys over the last few years due to vacancies in the position. The most recent appointment was the result of the passing of Allister Adel, and he said the Board was fortunate to have very strong candidates apply for the position. The Board’s selection of Rachel Mitchell was based on experience in the office as well as her qualifications. Chairman Gates said this meeting was intended to allow the public to hear from Ms. Mitchell and her vision for the County Attorney’s office. Ms. Mitchell said she appreciated the faith the Board has in her and thanked them for the opportunity to give an update from the County Attorney’s office. She thanked her staff and said she could not have done it without them. Informal Meeting Minutes Monday, September 26, 2022 Page 2 of 10 Ms. Mitchell said her approach in the County Attorney’s office was “three pronged” as listed on the slide above. She said her presentation has been broken down into these three areas. The slide above was reviewed by Ms. Mitchell with an emphasis on recruitment to fill the vacancies in the County Attorney’s office as listed on the slide. A recruitment agency was hired to assist with this task. Informal Meeting Minutes Monday, September 26, 2022 Page 3 of 10 She thanked the Board for the increase in pay to help remain competitive in the field and retain some of the staff. Ms. Mitchell reviewed the slide above and talked briefly about the incentives that were offered. Ms. Mitchell reviewed the details of the recruitment campaign stating she was very proud of this campaign. She indicated the focus was not only on attorneys, but paralegals and support staff as well and out of state people. She spoke about the goal of the County Attorney’s office being more than putting people in prison, “making a difference while making a living” was the motto. Informal Meeting Minutes Monday, September 26, 2022 Page 4 of 10 She talked about maximizing the dollars spent for recruitment and looking at other states that have high reciprocity with a Bar license in Arizona and a high rate of migration to Arizona. Ms. Mitchell reviewed the above slide that lists the platforms used in the process of recruiting which included targeting historically black colleges for diversity in the County Attorney’s office. Supervisor Gallardo asked about the diversity aspect and what was the response from those colleges. Ms. Mitchell said recruitment of lawyers is seasonal, based on graduates and bar exam results so the full impact is not yet known. Informal Meeting Minutes Monday, September 26, 2022 Page 5 of 10 In the slide above, Ms. Mitchell reviewed the results of the campaign deliverables and explained the results of the marketing efforts. Ms. Mitchell said the County Attorney’s office is seeing some returning employees. There has also been a streamlining of the on-board process which has contributed to increased hiring results. Informal Meeting Minutes Monday, September 26, 2022 Page 6 of 10 Ms. Mitchell talked about the above photo of the 33 new hires, naming four of them who are rehires that have been employed elsewhere until their return to the County Attorney’s office. The above slide was reviewed, and Ms. Mitchell focused on officer involved shootings. The strategy she talked about was sorting them into “straightforward” cases vs “more complex” cases. This allowed the County Attorney’s office to prioritize the cases while still giving each one the necessary consideration. She stated that the backlog of cases has been reduced overall. Informal Meeting Minutes Monday, September 26, 2022 Page 7 of 10 The targeted initiatives as noted on the slide above were reviewed. Ms. Mitchell said there is a need to focus on each of these areas. A Task Force was established to address the organized retail theft and it is known there is a need for more officers and attorneys to follow up on the cases to reduce repeat offenders. Supervisor Galvin asked Ms. Mitchell to expand on the item that covered plea policies related to crimes involving guns. Ms. Mitchell said there will be a crackdown and the message will be that these felons who continue to use guns in the act of committing a crime will no longer be tolerated. Supervisor Hickman asked about property crimes in different districts and stated he wants to know about cases in his district and be kept in the loop regarding property/retail crimes. Ms. Mitchell said she would welcome the continued involvement of the Board as these initiatives progress. She also mentioned the need for funding law enforcement so they can respond to these cases in a timely fashion Supervisor Gallardo talked about the rampant nature of crime of all sorts. He stated it takes cooperation and hard work at every level of government and the community, with a lot of people coming together. He stated his interest staying involved to help tackle this huge problem. Ms. Mitchell agreed with the need to have many agencies involved and added that additional funding will be necessary to but enough officers on the street to respond to these problems in a timely fashion. Informal Meeting Minutes Monday, September 26, 2022 Page 8 of 10 Ms. Mitchell reviewed the slide above. She said she recognized there was a lack of communication with law enforcement and called for a roundtable with the Police Chiefs and the Sheriff’s office. She said demonstration protocols extend beyond the strategies on the street and need to include how investigations are handed over to the County Attorney’s office so that first amendment rights are protected. Ms. Mitchell emphasized the importance of improved communication at every level of law enforcement. The above slide was reviewed by Ms. Mitchell, and she talked about the various ways to build trust by increasing transparency within the community. She mentioned a parent information event to be held at Independence High School to educate parents on the dangers of fentanyl. Informal Meeting Minutes Monday, September 26, 2022 Page 9 of 10 Ms. Mitchell reviewed the final slide above and talked about the importance of working with County government and the ways that the County Attorney’s office interfaces with County departments. She spoke about the current Merit rules regarding promotion and the probation period and the need to be updated. Ms. Mitchell concluded her presentation and asked if there were any questions from the Board. Supervisor Hickman confirmed that the County Attorney’s office helps keep the Board operating within the Arizona Revised Statues. He asked about the community feedback on the elections. Ms. Mitchell said there is a lot of talk on both sides and many who continue to be concerned about elections. Likewise, there are many people who are confident that the elections were run appropriately. Ms. Mitchell said it is important to continue to inform the concerned citizens of the steps being taken to conduct a safe and fair election because when people do not believe things are right, it undermines our system of government. Supervisor Galvin asked about the morale within the County Attorney’s office from her perspective. Ms. Mitchell said the morale has improved. She said the County Attorney’s office has been highlighting the efforts of the individual attorneys, acknowledging case successes. Ms. Mitchell said morale is not where it needs to be yet. She said she has taken steps to talk with employees and share her vision for the County Attorney’s office and her concept of justice. That vision includes not painting with a broad brush but handling individual cases on an individual basis. Supervisor Sellers talked about the pride in appointing Rachel Mitchell to be County Attorney. He asked about the training of new employees and the importance of giving them a solid start. Ms. Mitchell said that the County Attorney’ office has an extensive training program headed up by experienced attorneys who do the mentoring. Supervisor Gallardo talked about the importance of diversity on all sides of the equation. How do we talk with citizens who do not get involved on subjects from COVID to crime. He said he is in favor of a grassroots approach to educate and to be in the field to reach the people. He wants to be part of the community and to dispel the idea that the County Attorney is all punitive but can bring justice when citizens have been wronged. The process takes time and Informal Meeting Minutes Monday, September 26, 2022 Page 10 of 10 engagement of the community is necessary. Supervisor Gallardo is in favor of the second amendment but believes there needs to be more common sense when it comes to gun control. Ms. Mitchell said she also has concern about firearms and said the Public Information Officer in the County Attorney’s office is Spanish speaking and that helps with media communication in the communities. She acknowledged that the rebranding of the County Attorney’s office is coming to educate the public that the County Attorney’s office is more than punitive. Supervisor Hickman applauds this forum today highlighting the County Attorney and her office. He said it was a great idea to share the accomplishments and bring the Board up to speed. Supervisor Hickman talked about diversity in recruitment and the backlogs in the system that are coming down. He appreciated Ms. Mitchell going to Independence High School to talk with parents on the impact of the fentanyl problem affecting our young people. Chairman Gates echoed his colleagues’ comments and thanked the County Attorney’s office for all the work being done. He asked Ms. Mitchell what the Board can do for her to support the current efforts. Ms. Mitchell said she appreciated the offers made to attend meetings and the willingness to support the diversity efforts. Presentation only. No action taken. 2. EXECUTIVE SESSION Vote to convene in Executive Session to consider the items on the Executive Agenda dated Monday, September 26, 2022, for Board of Supervisors and relevant Special Districts pursuant to the statutory authority listed for each item. Motion to approve by Supervisor Clint Hickman, seconded by Supervisor Thomas Galvin Ayes: Bill Gates, Clint Hickman, Jack Sellers, Thomas Galvin, Steve Gallardo MEETING ADJOURNED After discussion on the Executive Session items and there being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned. ___________________________ Bill Gates, Chairman of the Board ATTEST: ____________________________ Juanita Garza, Clerk of the Board