Three new players to assist with water projects in Texas...

TCEQ, TWDB collaborate on HB 4, Proposition 6 if it passes

Water projects in Texas are taking shape thanks to legislation passed during the recent 83rd Texas Legislature. More projects could be added if Texas voters approve Proposition 6 during statewide elections on Nov. 5.

House Bill 4 from the 83rd Regular Session creates a fund to assist the Texas Water Development Board in providing low-cost financial assistance to local and regional water providers for projects currently identified in the 2012 State Water Plan.

Since passage of House Bill 4 by the legislature, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), at the request of the Governor's office, has established a water project liaison. Brian Christian (top left) will fill that spot within the agency to assist and coordinate with the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) in implementing House Bill 4.

Christian currently serves as director of the Small Business and Environmental Assistance Division of TCEQ. A veteran of more than two decades of service to the state, he joined TCEQ in 1994 and has served in numerous capacities, including executive assistant to the chair and commissioners, program administrator for alternative fuels and mobile source programs and legislative affairs specialist focusing on issues relating to the State Implementation Plan, air permitting, public participation and waste management.

As TCEQ's water project liaison, Christian will assist the reorganized agency by helping the state take a leadership role in working with business, utilities, local governments and citizens in prioritizing and developing essential water-related projects and water management strategies. He will be coordinating with the TWDB to ensure that the agency attends regional meetings of water planning groups and other stakeholders as well as providing assistance and support on water supply development.

One of the first steps as a result of the implementation of HB 4 was the dissolution of the previous board at TWDB and the appointment by the governor of a three-member, full-time, paid board. Those three members were sworn in on Sept. 3 and promptly named a new executive administrator - Kevin Patteson - two weeks later. Filling in some of the vacancies within the agency, Patteson this week announced a new deputy executive administrator and general counsel for TWDB.

Patteson named John Steib (bottom right) as his deputy executive administrator and selected Les Trobman (bottom left) as the agency's general counsel.

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Hess Hsu selected as general counsel to Texas Supreme Court

Nina Hess Hsu (pictured) has been selected as the new general counsel for the Supreme Court of Texas. She replaces Jennifer Cafferty, who left in September. Hess Hsu is former corporate counsel at Texas Mutual Insurance Co. in Austin, having served in that post since April 2011.

Hess Hsu is also a former associate at Vinson & Elkins LLP, where she served more than three years. Her stint at Vinson & Elkins followed her two years as judicial clerk to U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks in Austin.

As general counsel, Hess Hsu will be advisor to the Court and responsible for relations with the Texas Legislature and the Governor's Office, while also handling internal administrative functions. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Duke University, where she was Phi Beta Kappa, and graduated with honors from The University of Texas School of Law.

McClendon announces resignation from Texas A&M executive post

Rodney McClendon (pictured), vice president for administration at Texas A&M university since February 2011, has announced his resignation, effective Oct. 31. In his role as vice president of administration, McClendon is in charge of non-academic issues related to facilities, utilities and energy management, risk management, business auxiliaries and safety and security.

McClendon is a former chief of staff to former TAMU President Robert Gates. His career at the university began in 1995 when he was named coordinator of student retention and development for the Department of Multicultural Services. He also held executive-level positions at Texas A&M University-Galveston, including executive associate vice president and chief operating officer and acting vice president and chief executive officer. He also is a former senior associate vice president for administration and senior vice president for operations at the University of North Texas.

McClendon holds a bachelor's degree from Morehouse College, a law degree from Emory University School of Law and a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University. 

Moody's downgrades credit rating of toll road company

A default on its debt related to a Texas toll road between Seguin and Mustang Ridge is a real possibility for the Spanish-based and San Antonio-based companies that built and operate the road. The toll road has been plagued by low traffic. Earlier this week, Moody's Investors Service again downgraded the credit rating of that company.

The collaboration, called SH 130 Concession Co., cut the company's credit rating from B1 to Caa3, which is dubbed junk status. The more than 40 miles of toll road, designed to offer a way for motorists to bypass I-35 and its constant congestion, has not lived up to its expectation for number of users.

Texas 130 was the first public-private toll road in the state. While the Texas Department of Transportation owns the road, the SH 130 Concession Co. has leased the highway for 50 years and must maintain and operate it during that time. In spite of previously downgrading the company's credit rating in April, when traffic counts were about half what was predicted. In spite of the highway not generating enough revenue to meet its debt service payments, company officials said they are confident opening of two other segments of SH 130 will benefit the road and increase users. 

Texas Tech taps Duncan as vice president for research

As part of their efforts to become a tier one national research university, Texas Tech University officials recently selected Robert V. Duncan (pictured) as the new vice president for research.

Currently the vice chancellor for research at the University of Missouri, Duncan begins his new duties at Texas Tech on Jan. 1, 2014. Duncan also was the founder and interim director of the Sidney Kimmel Institute for Nuclear Renaissance at Missouri and a founding director of New Mexico Consortium's Institute at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. He also was a visiting professor at Caltech, a professor at the University of New Mexico and a teaching assistant at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Duncan earned an undergraduate degree in physics from MIT and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

University of Texas draft plan eliminates 500 jobs

Officials of The University of Texas recently began work on a plan to consolidate jobs now performed in several departments to eliminate 500 positions in an effort to cut costs at the Austin campus.

Texas State Employees Union officials obtained a copy of the "UT Shared Services Plan" and released a recent copy that calls for merging jobs in purchasing, personnel, finance and information technology to a achieve a savings of about $120 million to $140 million after 10 years. UT currently has about 12,000 administrative employees.

A spokesperson for UT confirmed the document is the latest version of a draft plan. He also noted that UT officials hope to achieve most of the staff reductions through attrition. None of the positions under consideration for being eliminated are faculty positions, the spokesperson said.

South Plains College expands Plainview Center using grant

The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) recently awarded a $475,000 grant to South Plains College to provide funding for construction of the new $1 million SPC Plainview Technology Center.

The proposed 10,000-square-foot facility is needed to provide training to  employees displaced by the recent closing of a meat processing plant earlier this year, said Dr, Kevin Sharp (pictured), president of SPC. Construction of the new center, which will feature both classroom and laboratory space, should be completed in September 2014, he said.

Training to be offered at the new facility includes industrial manufacturing, welding technology, heating, ventilation and air conditioning technology, electrical, plumbing, construction work and other trades, Sharp said. College officials plan to use a $276,625 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to buy equipment for the job training, he added.

Texas Tech University approves $19.3 million for building projects

Regents for the Texas Tech University System recently approved a $19.3 million construction project to build a new research and administrative facility in a partnership with Bayer CropScience, a research firm.

Current plans are to renovate the University College building by adding new offices, a new laboratory and more space for research and development that will be linked by a pedestrian walkway with a new building across the street. The new facility will house the BCS Trait Development program and a 31,020-square-foot greenhouse, according to Larry Anders, vice chairman of the board of regents for the Texas Tech System.

Texas State to begin design phase to upgrade student center

Texas State University officials recently began the design phase of a plan to renovate the LBJ Student Center.

To gather the information on improvements that students and faculty would most like, university officials are meeting with representatives and will share that information with architects who are expected to start writing plans in November, said Jack Rahmann (pictured), director

Current plans call for enlarging the student center to provide more room for student activities, more administrative space, a new ballroom and a larger area for performances and events, Rahmann said. An expansion of food service options also is being considered, he said.

TML supports Texas A&M-Corpus Christi drone plan

Texas Municipal League (TML) officials recently agreed to support an application by Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi to be one of six federal test sites selected for unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones.

Support by TML should boost the application as the resolution noted the huge financial impact the Federal Aviation Administration designation would have on every community in the state, said Nelda Martinez, president-elect of TML who also is mayor of Corpus Christi. A recent study indicated the economic impact on Texas would range from $6.5 billion to $8 billion over the next 10 years, she said.

HCC approved to offer continuing education for teachers

Texas Education Agency officials recently approved Houston Community College as a new provider of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) for teachers in this state.

In Texas, teachers are required to renew their classroom standard certificate every five years by completing 150 hours of CPE training.

The TEA recognizes certificate renewals issued only from approved, registered providers to help ensure teachers have the necessary skills to improve student achievement, a TEA spokesperson said.

Certified teachers from throughout Texas can now complete the certificate renewal requirements online through the HCC program that will offer more than 60 continuing education training courses focusing on teaching and education. An instructor leads all of the CPE courses, which are interactive and offered in a six-week format, HCC officials said.

Kilgore College taps architect to develop master plan for campus

Kilgore College trustees recently approved a $115,464 contract with Thacker Davis Architects to develop a new master plan for campus upgrades. The new plan will replace the current master plan developed 14 years ago, said Bill Holda (pictured), president of the college.

The architectural firm, which has designed four buildings on the campus and has been involved in several renovations on campus, will examine aesthetics, traffic, pedestrian flow, signage, landscaping and the campus image, Holda said. The architects also will examine the infrastructure of several existing buildings to prepare the new master plan, he said.

Mission to issue $7.6 million in bonds for roads, wastewater system

Mission City Council members recently agreed to allow the Mission Redevelopment Authority (MR) to issue about $7.6 million in bonds to pay for projects to upgrade the wastewater system and to improve roads.

Current plans are for the MRA to spend $5.1 million to install two more lift stations to expand services in areas to attract more businesses, $1 million to expand Walsh Street and $500,000 to purchase property to expand Inspiration Road, said City Manager Martin Garza (pictured).

Expanding Walsh Street from Business 83 to Interstate2/Expressway 83 is needed to attract a big-box development that Garza declined to identify because negotiations with the city are ongoing. 

La Joya approves new tax increment reinvestment zone

After discussions that began in 2008, the board of aldermen in La Joya recently approved creation of a new tax increment reinvestment zone (TIRZ) expected to raise almost $5 million during the next years to develop infrastructure.

The property included within the new TIRZ is located near a future expansion of a diversion to US83 and is primarily vacant, according to a consultant the city hired to assist in the development of the TIRZ. The consultant also warned that the revenue from a TIRZ is generated slowly.

Before the TIRZ is created, however, Hidalgo County commissioners must approve the new reinvestment zone that affects only new development in that zone. The current county judge is not supportive of TIRZ and is focusing, instead, on creating a new transportation reinvestment zone, according to the consultant.

Texas Municipal League selects Jordan, Martinez to lead entity

Texas Municipal League (TML) members recently elected Jungus Jordan (left), a Fort Worth City Council member, as the new president of the organization formed in 1913 as a forum for cities to focus on municipal issues. TML also elected Mayor Nelda Martinez (right) of Corpus Christi as the new president-elect of the organization that represents 1,130 cities in Texas.

Jordan has served as a chairman of the North Central Regional Transportation Council and as a member of the Tarrant Regional Transportation Coalition, the North Central Texas Regional Transportation Council, the North Central Texas Clean Air Steering Committee and Rail Texas. He said he plans to focus on infrastructure needs in Texas, especially transportation issues, in preparation for the next legislative session.

Martinez, who also spent six years on the city council, has served on the board and several committees for TML, on committees for the United States Conference of Mayors and the board of the Gulf Coast Strategic Highway Coalition. She will become TML president in 2015 during the 84th legislative session. Transportation funding, water supply issues and an educated and well-trained workforce are among her top priorities for the TML agenda, Martinez said.

El Campo ISD eyeing 2014 bond election to pay for new facilities

El Campo Independent School District board members recently continued discussion on the feasibility of scheduling a bond election in 2014. Such a bond vote would be to ask voters to approve funding to buy land for a new agriculture center, build a high school auditorium and a new baseball complex.

District officials are working with an architect on the new auditorium to explore how the project could be phased in, the district's superintendent said. The district also is close to finalizing a facilities use agreement for the proposed baseball complex.

Marshall ISD eyeing bond proposition to renovate older facilities

Trustees for Marshall Independent School District recently began discussions with architectural and financial advisors to discuss a recent facilities study and the feasibility of asking voters to approve bonds to pay for capital improvement projects.

Superintendent Marc Smith outlined four options, including a $183.5 million plan to build four new elementary schools, a new middle school or high school and to renovate the high school into a middle school or a high school. The second option calls for renovation of an early childhood center and building four new elementary schools, a new middle school and a new campus for seventh and eighth graders at a cost of $169.1 million.

The third option calls for spending $148 million to renovate the early childhood center, the high school and four elementary schools while building a new middle school and a new seventh- and eighth-grade campus. The fourth option calls for renovating the five campuses, transforming the current high school into a middle school and building a new high school at a cost of about $167.3 million. Trustees took no action on the bond discussion or proposed facility upgrades.

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North Texas Tollway Authority to issue $20 toll tags

Hoping to attract more motorists to toll roads, North Texas Tollway Authority officials recently began offering a new $20 TollTag, half the price of the current $40 TollTag.

Motorists using the new $20 tag instead of ZipCash will save 50 percent, said a spokesman for the NTTA. The majority of those using ZipCash are infrequent users who were reluctant to spend $40 to recharge the toll tag, he noted.

Benefits of using the new $20 Starter TollTag include the lower toll rates, a free mobile application to manage and update accounts, free roadside assistance 24 hours a day and discounted pass-through and terminal parking at DFW International Airport, NTTA officials said.

McKinney to partner in construction of new hotel, conference center

McKinney city officials announce the construction will soon begin on a delayed public-private partnership project to build a new $38 million hotel and events center near the Sam Rayburn Tollway.

Plans call for a 186-room, full-service Sheraton hotel connected to a 20,000 square-foot events center that will provide meeting space and hotel accommodations for corporate clients, civic organizations and tourists, noted Mayor Brian Loughmiller (pictured). The new hotel should be open for business in February 2015, he said.

The project is funded with contributions from the city, private equity and financing, with the city paying for building the conference center and also retaining ownership of the center. 

El Paso approves agreement to cap cost of ballpark at $64 million

El Paso City Council members recently approved a supplemental agreement with MountainStar Sports Group to guarantee that the city will pay no more than $60 million on a new baseball stadium for a Triple-A baseball team in the downtown area.

The sports group also provided the city with a letter of credit for $8 million to pay for construction. Officials of MountainStar agreed to pay for design construction, utilities and any other property issues, the project engineer noted. The city will retain ownership of the new stadium, he said.

Paris approves $35 million for 89 infrastructure projects

Paris City Council members recently approved 89 capital improvement projects totaling about $35 million to be paid for by the proceeds of a $45 million bond project voters approved in May.

Among the larger projects approved were the replacement of all water and sewer lines on Pine Bluff Street, upgrades to water and sewer lines in the downtown area and a project on 19th Street to improve infrastructure in an industrial area, according to City Manager John Godwin (pictured). Construction on the capital improvement projects should begin in early spring of 2014, he said. 

McKinney eyeing new $9.7 million multisport facility

McKinney City Council members recently approved a proposal by the Plano Sports Authority (PSA) to the McKinney Community Development Corporation (MCDC) to build a new $9.7 million, 90,000-square-foot multisport facility.

The new facility, to be located at Gabe Nesbitt Community Park, will feature indoor court space, concessions, meeting rooms and space for sports such as basketball, soccer and volleyball, noted Lemuel Randolph (pictured), director of the McKinney Parks, Recreation and Open Space Department (PROS). PROS already serves 2,500 youth participating in basketball and volleyball and 14,000 in sports such as football, baseball, soccer, softball and lacrosse. But, Randolph said the new sports facility will benefit the city by increasing the level of participation in sports as city sports venues are overcrowded and have limited space available.

The agreement calls for the development corporation to provide PSA with a $3.2 million loan to be repaid in four years. In return, the sports authority agreed to provide financing for the remainder of the new facility. It also will operate the new facility with no further participation or financial commitment from the city. PSA already operates two multi-sports facilities and is scheduled to open another new sports complex in Murphy on Nov. 1. 

Heavy rains net flooding, but

not much impact on area lakes

Recent rains in Central Texas have led to the wettest October in more than 15 years, according to local weather experts. And although "every little bit helps," according to Becky Motal (pictured) general manager of the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), "We need a lot more." In fact, said Motal in a television interview this week, Central Texas needs "continued rain throughout the fall season."

Although rainfall last weekend and earlier this week was heavy in certain areas - up to 12 inches in some - that localized rainfall flooded areas, but did not necessarily add to the Highland Lakes watershed to help fill the Highland Lakes. Motal said the Highland Lakes supply water for 1 million people, but also contribute to the local economy through money spent on tourism and recreation in the area.

Lakes Travis and Buchanan, which are the region's water supply reservoirs, are still only 34 percent full, according to LCRA.

Paris approves $5.5 million for water, sewer lines to airport

Paris City Council members recently approved $5.5 million to extend water and sewer lines to Cox Field Airport. Funding for the project is from a $45 million bond proposal approved in May.

The water and sewer project can be completed in a matter of months, noted Shawn Napier, the city engineer. City officials also approved $500,000 to design the project.

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