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Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 1:00 PM 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 Jack Sellers, Chairman, District 1 Thomas Galvin, Vice Chairman, District 2 Bill Gates, District 3 Clint Hickman, District 4 Steve Gallardo, District 5 County Manager Jen Pokorski Clerk of the Board Juanita Garza Meeting Location Supervisors' Conference Room 301 W Jefferson, 10th Floor Phoenix, AZ 85003 SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES 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) Table of Contents Board Page Board of Supervisors 1 Improvement District No Meeting Flood Control District 34 Library District 35 Stadium District No Meeting Board of Deposit No Meeting Wednesday, January 24, 2024 1:00 PM Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 2 of 35 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Chairman Sellers opened the meeting and asked the Clerk to call the roll. The Board of Supervisors of Maricopa County, Phoenix, Arizona, convened in Special Session at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, in the Supervisors’ Conference Room 301 W Jefferson, 10th Floor Phoenix, AZ 85003, with the following members present: Jack Sellers, Chairman, District 1; Thomas Galvin, Vice Chairman, District 2; Bill Gates, Supervisor, District 3; Steve Gallardo, Supervisor, District 5 (entered meeting late). Absent: Clint Hickman, Supervisor, District 4. Also present: Juanita Garza, Clerk; Kelly Gardiner, Minutes Coordinator; Jen Pokorski, County Manager; Andrea Cummings, Legal Counsel. PRESENTATION 1. PRESENTATION REGARDING THE FY BUDGET 2025 MARICOPA COUNTY ASSESSORS OFFICE Eddie Cook, Assessor Dawn Marie Buckland, Chief Deputy Assessor Brent Vaughn, Director (C-06-24-453-X-00) Eddie Cook, Assessor, thanked the Board for their consideration of the budget requests and for the continued partnership with Maricopa County. He spoke about the past year and the business goals, strategic plan, and transformation that has taken place in the Assessor’s Office. Assessor Cook discussed the budget history comparison between the Population and Parcels. He said this shows how well the Assessor’s Office has done with respect to budget, actual spending, and the population growth. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 3 of 35 Assessor Cook spoke about the transformation of the business platform used in the Assessor’s Office. The previous platform was Project MARS (Maricopa Assessment Replacement System). A little over a year ago, the Assessor’s Office rolled out the Assessment Analyst–Geographic Aided Mass Appraisal (AA-GAMA) which is now the central business platform used in the Assessor’s office. Assessor Cook said having had one year to implement the new program, this budget request is now to support the Operations of the AA-GAMA platform. Assessor Cook highlighted the summary of requests on the slide. Details of each slide were discussed by Dawn Marie Buckland, Chief Deputy Assessor, on the following slides. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 4 of 35 Ms. Buckland talked about process development and improvement. She said with the increase in Valuation Relief Programs, there was an increased need for staff to handle those requests. Ms. Buckland said there is a better understanding of what is needed and the request for more clerks has merit. Ms. Buckland discussed the necessity for DocuSign and its implementation. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 5 of 35 Ms. Buckland talked about the merits of AA-GAMA Services. She indicated that after a year of adjustments, the program is doing well and can be relied on. She highlighted the four bullet points and the importance of continued smooth database reporting. Ms. Buckland said the subscription-based hosting of the program which includes maintenance and correction of problems if they occur. Chairman Sellers confirmed the cost of $15,000 monthly for maintenance of Azure hosting going forward. Assessor Cook said that was correct. Ms. Buckland briefly discussed the ongoing licensing requirements. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 6 of 35 Ms. Buckland said the Assessor’s Office will continue to partner with the Treasurer’s Office so that data can be transmitted between the two departments. She reiterated the summary amounts on the slide above. Supervisor Gates asked about the expense of DocuSign. Jen Pokorski, County Manager, said the cost of DocuSign will be an expense of the Assessor’s office that was previously shared with OET. Assessor Cook spoke about a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, used to centralize all the data and departments of Maricopa County in the future. Supervisor Galvin asked about the cost saving if a CRM were implemented? Assessor Cook said it is difficult to know the cost savings but the investment up front will be significant. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 7 of 35 Assessor Cook introduced Brent Vaughn, Director of STAR Call Center for the past four years, who would present the budget request. Assessor Cook talked about the switchboard shared between the Treasurer, Assessor, and Recorder (STAR) and the importance of a united front-line for Maricopa County. Mr. Vaughn briefly discussed the summary of requests on the slide above. Additional details of each topic would be on subsequent slides. On the Elections Staffing and Support slide, Mr. Vaughn talked about the importance of the “Stay Bonus” or incentive that would be given to the people who remain for the whole cycle (assignment). Assessor Cook mentioned the ability to collect and categorize the data of the incoming calls and how that data is used for improvement. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 8 of 35 Mr. Vaughn discussed the details of the slide above including the issue of turnover which is common in the industry. He stressed the importance of the Workforce Management Specialist to keep the Call Center running efficiently. Chairman Sellers agreed on the importance of maintaining staff and avoiding turnover. Mr. Vaughn talked about the need for sufficient training for both on-boarding and on- going as well as staff to oversee the daily conversations that take place in the Call Center. He said every call is recorded and memorialized for reference. Ms. Buckland said when they first began, there was a need for triage at the Call Center due to the lack of training and continuity. She added that Mr. Vaughn added a level of professionalism that has improved the Call Center in many ways. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 9 of 35 Mr. Vaughn discussed the Sales Force Services and the related equipment needed for those roles. Mr. Vaughn covered the needs for the recent relocation of the STAR Call Center. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 10 of 35 Mr. Vaughn talked about the temporary call representatives and equipment needed for the upcoming election cycle. Mr. Vaughn reviewed the STAR Call Center requests outside of the Elections staffing. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 11 of 35 Mr. Vaughn summarized the Elections Fund request. . Assessor Cook thanked the Board for their support and partnership. Presentation only. No action taken. 2. PRESENTATION REGARDING THE FY 2025 BUDGET MARICOPA COUNTY TREASURER John Allen, Treasurer Ingrid Garvey, Chief Deputy Treasurer Jordan Dale, Chief of Staff (C-06-24-452-X-00) John Allen, Treasurer, thanked the Board for their assistance. He said he appreciates the Recorder, Treasurer, and Assessor, and their relationship that has developed because of their shared use of the Call Center. Treasurer Allen discussed the statistical analysis that has given all these departments solid information as they work toward continuous improvement. Jordan Dale, Chief of Staff with the Maricopa County Treasurers Office, began the 2025 Budget Request. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 12 of 35 Mr. Dale introduced the highlights from 2023. Treasurer Allen added some details to lend perspective to the positive changes that have occurred, including smart investments. Mr. Dale continued to touch on each of the bullet items on the slide and Treasurer Allen added commentary. Supervisor Gallardo joined the Board on the dais. Mr. Dale stated there were no new funding requests and Treasurer Allen stated there would be a launch of Capital Projects in September 2024. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 13 of 35 Mr. Dale discussed the capital improvement project related to the new property tax software. Mr. Dale reviewed the next capital improvement project which focused on completing the website and its improved functionalities. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 14 of 35 Mr. Dale said the last capital improvement project is focused on accounting software, replacing out of date with new fully integrated software. Mr. Dale discussed the update of General Fund Department Revenue which have declined significantly over the last few years. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 15 of 35 Mr. Dale talked about the progress of the Qasimyar Project, which employs contractors and employees to process the necessary property tax resolutions. Treasurer Allen discussed the details of the case. Presentation only. No action taken. ~ Supervisor Gallardo entered the meeting during the Treasurer Presentation ~ 3. PRESENTATION REGARDING THE FY 2025 BUDGET MARICOPA COUNTY RECORDER Stephen Richer, Recorder (C-06-24-451-X-00) Stephen Richer, Recorder, introduced Richard Green, Director of Finance. He stated many things in the presentation are administrative rather than requests. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 16 of 35 Recorder Richer discussed the recurring request items listed which reflects the movement of FTE funds between the General and Surcharge Funds, based on the task, saying those FTE funds reflect an administrative adjustment. The PC/LAN is a new position request. Recorder Richer explained the slide above is a graphic of what was covered in the previous slide, showing surcharge estimated revenue vs surcharge estimated appropriation. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 17 of 35 Recorder Richer indicated this was one of the requests for administrative services and has not yet been filled. Recorder Richer said the Early Voting Services request is for two positions. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 18 of 35 Recorder Richer said the Election Request slide was a summary and would be covered by Scott Jarrett. Supervisor Gates asked about the cost of elections in 2020 compared to 2024. Mr. Green said it is significantly more for a variety of reasons. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 19 of 35 Presentation only. No action taken. 4. PRESENTATION REGARDING THE FY 2025 BUDGET MARICOPA COUNTY ELECTIONS Scott Jarrett, Director of Elections Day and Emergency Voting Zach Schira, Executive Director (C-06-24-450-X-00) Zach Shira, Executive Director, introduced the Elections budget for the 2024 Primary and General Elections. He clarified that the Elections Office, Board of Supervisors, does not have an above baseline request. He said the County has a separate Elections account, ELE1, that has been established for budget purposes. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 20 of 35 Scott Jarrett, Director of Election Day, explained that today’s presentation was a high- level budget based on the current information and plan. He said a more detailed plan would be presented in the May or June timeframe. Mr. Jarrett said when the budget is being built, one consideration is how the public will be casting their ballot. The slide above shows different methods and past behaviors of voters. Mr. Jarrett said the graph above shows the trend of voter registration since 2015. He said the anticipated number of voters for the November election is between 2.5 and 2.7 million. Mr. Jarrett explained how the active early voting ballots are sent out to voters and then the voter goes to a voting location either early or on election day and has a new ballot printed for them. This behavior drives the cost of elections up and it is done by approximately 36% of voters. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 21 of 35 Mr. Jarrett said this slide shows the Primary line-item detail and he highlighted the increases. Mr. Jarrett said the General election has very similar line-item increases, however, the costs are higher because the number of voters and ballots are higher. The increased staff and associated costs are higher for the General election. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 22 of 35 Mr. Jarrett showed the slides with totals of both the Primary and General Election Budgets. He said this total is $7.1 million more than the 2020 elections and he gave some detail of what those increased costs were from. Supervisor Gates asked Mr. Jarrett to explain the reimbursement from the Legislature. Mr. Jarrett explained the only reimbursement for Primary and General elections from the state is for the sample ballots. Additionally, there is a per voter reimbursment (projected to be 2.7 million voters) @ $10.62 per voter for both elections. The rest is paid for out of the County’s General Fund. Presentation only. No action taken. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 23 of 35 5. PRESENTATION REGARDING THE FY 2025 BUDGET MARICOPA COUNTY ATTORNEY Rachel Mitchell, County Attorney (C-06-24-449-X-00) Rachel Mitchell, County Attorney and Catherine Martin, Chief Financial Officer came forward. Ms. Mitchell commented on crime that has taken hold of many cities across the country and some of the increase in crime in Maricopa County is due to the importation of the criminal element into Arizona. Ms. Mitchell reviewed the MCAO highlights from the past year, and the progress being made. She said a recent recruitment effort has allowed MCAO to rebrand itself, with a focus on justice for all not simply throwing people in jail. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 24 of 35 Ms. Mitchell discussed the highlights of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. She talked about the false narrative that people are stealing to survive which is not true. There is a stealing and reselling of merchandise as part of organized crime and the result drives businesses out of business. Ms. Mitchell said she is working to build back community trust and address the issues listed above. Ms. Mitchell said she is committed to fiscal responsibility and she reviewed the items listed on the slide above and below. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 25 of 35 Ms. Mitchell discussed her budget request. She mentioned that MCAO staff experiences a lot of unrelenting stress and that affects quality of life. Ms. Mitchell said to avoid burnout and turnover, steps are being taken to relieve some of those stressors through the services of a wellness trainer. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 26 of 35 Ms. Mitchell touched briefly on some of the anticipated revenue declines and how to navigate some of those shortcomings. She said there is an ask of $450,000 to cover this through the end of the year. Ms. Mitchell said there is a personnel budget request that has been needed for some time. She reviewed the above positions and said they could be filled with a 6% Staffing Level increase. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 27 of 35 Ms. Mitchell reviewed the Services Budget Requests Ms. Mitchell mentioned the Attorney Loan Repayment and Ms. Martin contributed to the details of that program, saying the repayment of student loans that qualify, will start. Ms. Mitchell thanked the Board for their time and consideration on these budget items. Supervisors Gates and Galvin thanked Ms. Mitchell for all her efforts in the MCAO. Supervisor Gallardo commented on the illegal trends of our society and asked what is causing it? Ms. Mitchell stated it is a very complex issue and does not have a single answer. She stated that with organized crime, as an example, there seems to be a sense of entitlement by the perpetrators. Ms. Mitchell gave several other examples that were part of the answer. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 28 of 35 Presentation only. No action taken. Supervisor Gates left the meeting and would not return. 6. PRESENTATION REGARDING THE FY 2025 BUDGET MARICOPA COUNTY MANAGER AND ASSISTANT COUNTY MANAGERS Jen Pokorski, County Manager Valerie Beckett, Deputy County Manager Darcy Kober, Assistant County Manager Marcy Flanagan, Assistant County Manager (C-06-24-448-X-00) ~ Supervisor Gates left the meeting and would not return ~ Jen Pokorski, County Manager, began the presentation and thanked the Board for the opportunity to present the above baseline requests for the appointed offices. Ms. Pokorski opened with the Summary slide and said each office reviewed their existing budgets for efficiencies and cost reductions before requesting funds. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 29 of 35 Ms. Pokorski reviewed the Direct Reports for CM and she said Animal Care and Control had new leadership and have undergone some operational changes. She covered the various line items. Ms. Pokorski said the position for the Public Safety Committee initiated by Chairman Sellers in his address is being added. Chairman Sellers said a lot of progress has been made at MCACC since he joined the Board. Ms. Pokorski discussed the costs increase to maintain licensing with vendors, and is reflected in the line items on the slide. She said the County is also working toward a “single database/portal” for citizens to utilize for all their business needs and inquiries which is part of the strategic plan. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 30 of 35 Ms. Pokorski said these increased costs are due to needed technology. Darcy Kober, Assistant County Manager, presented the next two slides under her purview. She said Facilities Management is the only department making an above baseline request. Ms. Kober said that due to the scope of the department’s responsibilities, the requests cover many areas as listed on the slides. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 31 of 35 Ms. Kober asked if there were questions. Chairman Sellers asked if there has been any trouble hiring skilled trades people for the Facilities Management Department. She said there has been a little bit of a problem retaining staff because they come in at entry level and then move up in the organization. Valerie Beckett, Deputy County Manager, reviewed the slide as seen above. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 32 of 35 Marcy Flanagan, Assistant County Manager, presented the next two slides that include four departments with above baseline requests. She reviewed the line items above, providing some details about the individual position requirements. Ms. Flanagan said the Public Fiduciary’s main budget focus is on staffing and to balance the workloads between the licensed fiduciaries and unlicensed staff. She spoke briefly about Public Health and said Maricopa County Public Health will need to support the Medical Director position that was previously been funded by CDC. Supervisor Gallardo said thank you to Public Health for the work they do in the community. Presentation only. No action taken. Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 33 of 35 OTHER OFFICE - DEPARTMENT 7. MARICOPA COUNTY FY 2025 BUDGET GUIDELINES AND PRIORITIES Approve the "Maricopa County FY 2025 Budget Guidelines and Priorities." (C-18-24- 080-X-00) Motion to approve by Supervisor Thomas Galvin, seconded by Supervisor Steve Gallardo Ayes: Jack Sellers, Thomas Galvin, Steve Gallardo Absent: Bill Gates, Clint Hickman MEETING ADJOURNED There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned. _____________________________ Jack Sellers, Chairman of the Board ATTEST: ____________________________ Juanita Garza, Clerk of the Board Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 34 of 35 FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT The Board of Directors of the Flood Control District convened in Special Session at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, in the Supervisors’ Conference Room, 301 W Jefferson, 10th Floor Phoenix, AZ 85003, with the following members present: Jack Sellers, Chairman, District 1; Thomas Galvin, Vice Chairman, District 2; Steve Gallardo, Director, District 5. Absent: Bill Gates, Director, District 3; Clint Hickman, Director, District 4. Also present: Juanita Garza, Clerk; Kelly Gardiner, Minutes Coordinator; Jen Pokorski, County Manager; Andrea Cummings, Legal Counsel. 8. MARICOPA COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT FY 2025 BUDGET GUIDELINES AND PRIORITIES Approve the "Maricopa County Flood Control District FY 2025 Budget Guidelines and Priorities". (C-18-24-079-X-00) Motion to approve by Supervisor Thomas Galvin, seconded by Supervisor Steve Gallardo Ayes: Jack Sellers, Thomas Galvin, Steve Gallardo Absent: Bill Gates, Clint Hickman MEETING ADJOURNED There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned. _____________________________ Jack Sellers, Chairman of the Board ATTEST: ____________________________ Juanita Garza, Clerk of the Board Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 35 of 35 LIBRARY DISTRICT The Board of Directors of the Library District convened in Special Session at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, in the Supervisors’ Conference Room, 301 W Jefferson, 10th Floor Phoenix, AZ 85003, with the following members present: Jack Sellers, Chairman, District 1; Thomas Galvin, Vice Chairman, District 2; Steve Gallardo, Director, District 5. Absent: Bill Gates, Director, District 3; Clint Hickman, Director, District 4. Also present: Juanita Garza, Clerk; Kelly Gardiner, Minutes Coordinator; Jen Pokorski, County Manager; Andrea Cummings, Legal Counsel. 9. MARICOPA COUNTY LIBRARY DISTRICT FY 2025 BUDGET GUIDELINES AND PRIORITIES Approve the "Maricopa County Library District FY 2025 Budget Guidelines and Priorities" (C-18-24-078-X-00) Motion to approve by Supervisor Thomas Galvin, seconded by Supervisor Steve Gallardo Ayes: Jack Sellers, Thomas Galvin, Steve Gallardo Absent: Bill Gates, Clint Hickman MEETING ADJOURNED There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned. _____________________________ Jack Sellers, Chairman of the Board ATTEST: ____________________________ Juanita Garza, Clerk of the Board