Public Defenders Office contract ready for approval

Hays County is finally prepared to sign on the dotted line for a Public Defenders Office.

The commissioners will discuss and take possible action on Tuesday to authorize the County Judge to execute an agreement between Hays County and Neighborhood Defender Service (NDS), Inc. regarding the operation of a public defenders office in Hays County.

The county has agreed to pay the contractor $11,282,910, or $2,256,582 annually for indigent defense. According to the agenda item, $5 million of the contract amount will be funded through ARPA allocation, and the remaining amount will need to be incorporated in the next budget cycle.

The contract stipulates NDS will take the equivalent of misdemeanor 1,434 cases annually over years two through five of the contract term, “where a misdemeanor case counts as one misdemeanor case and a felony counts a 1.87 misdemeanor cases.”

The movement to establish a Public Defenders’ Office was propelled by local advocacy groups Mano Amiga and the Public Defender Alliance in 2019, driven by a mission to fight inequities in the criminal justice system.

“To be truly holistic, we have to acknowledge the spillover effects that result from somebody’s involvement with the criminal legal system and its impact on family, housing, schooling, and more,” said Eric Martinez, Policy Director with Mano Amiga. “If somebody cannot afford an attorney under the criminal legal system, then they cannot afford an attorney to address civil issues much like the wealthy can. To be innovative and address this incarceration crisis here locally, we need a holistic Public Defender’s Office in Hays [County].”

Approximately half of the contractor’s cases will be for defendants who have been referred for a mental health evaluation, according to the document. The contractor has also agreed to support civil and social services for defendants.

Examples of these services are mental health and drug treatment assistance, housing and employment needs, child support adjustments, immigration proceedings, educational needs, access to veteran’s services, prevention of eviction, asset forfeiture proceedings, and public benefits and healthcare needs.

Also on Tuesday, the commissioners will consider awarding a contract for a Pet Resource Center Project Coordinator to Austin Pets Alive (APA).

In April 2022, Animal Arts and Team Shelter USA hosted a Needs Assessment Workshop to evaluate the needs of the San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter (SMRAS), which serves the entire Hays County region.

Based on the workshop results, the commissioners determined it was in the best interest of the county to establish a Pet Resource Center and issued RFP 2022-P12 for a Pet Resource Center Project Coordinator on Sept. 27.

The proposed center includes a 4,063 square foot combined Open-Door Veterinary and Spay Neuter Clinic, and a Pet Resource Center of 17,749 interior square feet and covered exterior of 5,950 square feet. The facility would cost Hays County approximately $23,361,928 with a 6% escalation.

A resolution to support the return of community cats to their home location is also under review.

At their Nov. 15 meeting, the commissioners discussed recommendations from Team Shelter USA’s feasibility study pertaining to the management of community cats.

Team Shelter USA suggested Hays County enroll its community cats, or free-roaming cats that may be socialized or unsocialized, into a Trap Neuter Return (TNR) program instead of automatically admitting them into the SMRAS.

The resolution will be discussed by the commissioners at Tuesday’s meeting.

In other business, the commissioners will discuss and take possible action to execute a Professional Services Agreement (PSA) between Hays County and BGE, Inc. to perform a corridor study regarding the possible extension of William Pettus Road from Hwy 21 west to FM 110 in Precinct 1.

The estimated fiscal impact of the corridor study is $1 million and will include preliminary engineering, schematic development, public involvement and NEPA compliance.

The commissioners court meeting will begin at 9 a.m. at the Hays County Historic Courthouse located at 111 E. San Antonio St.

Those looking to participate in public comments can submit a public participation/witness form to the county clerk before 9 a.m. on Tuesday.

For those not attending the meeting but are still wishing to submit public comments to be read during commissioners court, visit the Hays County website to fill out and submit a PDF form to publiccomments@co.hays.tx.us no later than 5 p.m. the evening prior to a commissioners court meeting.

To view the full meeting agenda or watch the commissioner court livestream, visit https://hayscountytx.com/commissioners-court/court-video.