MOU assures possible turnover of some state roads totally voluntary for cities

The Highway Turnback Program would turn over some state highways to cities in a voluntary effort.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) created quite a stir last summer when the agency announced via letters to city officials its plans for a program to turn over ownership and maintenance of some state highways to cities. Although the state highways in question are used primarily for local traffic, the Texas Municipal League said in a press release that some city officials viewed the proposal as a "unilateral, unfunded mandate."

 

Originally called the "Highway Turnback Program," what went from an apparent misunderstanding is now chiseled in stone in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between officials of TxDOT, the Texas Municipal League (TML) and the Association of Texas Metropolitan Planning Organizations. TML is an association that advocates on behalf of its more than 1,100 member cities in the state. And, in that MOU, the program is now called the "voluntary" Turnback Program." The key word here - voluntary.

 

The program was, from the beginning, intended to be voluntary on the part of the affected cities, said TxDOT Spokesperson Mark Cross. It was never the intent for any city "to be forced" to take over any of the 1,900 miles of state highways in 59 urban areas that the agency identified as being primarily for local traffic, he said.

 

Once that was understood, all parties were able to come to the table to discuss how the program works and to agree on parameters. "We turned confrontation into cooperation," said TML President Jungus Jordan (pictured) in a press release after the MOU was signed.

 

According to the language of the MOU, a city that participates in the program and takes over a turned back highway will own and have local control over the highway, including access management, parking, signage, markings, speed limits, signals and other issues. And, before a state highway is turned over to a city, TxDOT will ensure the highway is in satisfactory condition. The one line of the MOU that will stand out for city officials is, "City participation in the program is voluntary."

 

As an incentive to cities, the MOU notes that TxDOT will use some of the money - up to $100 million total - saved by turning over maintenance of the highways for mobility, safety and preservation projects in the cities that take over the state roadways.

 

Other issues such as right-of-way transfer, development of a local implementation plan and financial issues are outlined in the MOU.

 

"Now we have an agreement on how cities and the state can work together to make road improvements that will benefit drivers in cities throughout the state," said Jordan.

 

A&M wind center wins $2.2M from Emerging Technology Fund

The Wind Energy Center of Texas A&M University (TAMU) recently won a $2.2 million award from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund. The award will support a project that joins researchers from four other universities in the state to develop and increase the capacity of offshore wind energy technology and deliver that energy to the market at a reasonable cost.

TAMU will partner with the Wind Resource Center at Texas Tech University, the Center for Electromechanics and Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, the Conrad Blucher Institute at TAMU-Corpus Christi and the School of Business and Department of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences at UT Brownsville on the project with a long term goal of developing a three-turbine installation on a proposed wind farm site in the Gulf of Mexico.

Plans call for the team of researcher to support development of new offshore wind farms, turbine and platform technologies working with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Offshore Wind Advanced Technology Demonstration Project. DOE officials have agreed to match the award from the state with a $50 million award. The project also is funded with an initial investment of $13.3 million from industry members of the GoWind consortium and $1 million from the four participating Texas universities.

Texas A&M Rural School of Public Health changes name

Texas A&M Health Science Center officials recently announced that the name of the School of Rural Public Health has changed to the School of Public Health.

The change in names is needed to broaden the role of the school founded in 1998 to promoting state and national public health concerns as well as rural public health, said Dr. Jim Burdine (pictured), interim dean of the Texas A&M School of Public Health (SPH). The new name became effective on April 4, the beginning of National Public Health Week, Burdine said. The school, however, maintains a strong focus on improving public health in rural areas, he added.

With a goal of educating leaders in public health service and research, the A&M SPH offers several new degree programs, including a Bachelor of Science in public health, a Master's of Public Health in occupational health and safety and an online Master's of Public Health degree in epidemiology. Existing programs include graduate programs in health administration, epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, health promotions and community health services and health services research.

University of Texas officials recently selected Page Southerland Page Inc. as the project architect for the new $102.4 million UT system headquarters to be built in downtown Austin.

The proposed 258,000-square-foot building is designed to consolidate system personnel currently located in five aging buildings as well as save between $2 million and $8 million a year in maintenance and energy savings and from revenue from leasing space now occupied by personnel from the UT System.

To be located on Seventh Street, the new headquarters building will feature nine stories, including six levels of parking. UT officials also plan to demolish buildings at Colorado and Lavaca now owned by the university and to lease space in two buildings now used as office space.

El Paso County approves $72 million in bonds for road projects

El Paso County commissioners recently authorized the issue of $72 million in bonds to pay for 16 major road projects included in the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority (CRRMA). One of the projects is a new road to connect the Tornillo-Guadalupe Port of entry to Interstate 10.

The regional mobility authority plan to issue the bonds is backed in part by a new $10 motor vehicle registration fee imposed on Transportation Reinvestment Zone Number One that became effective in January. The new fee has generated about $1.3 million so far and is expected to raise about $5.9 million by the end of this year, according to Wallace Hardgrove, the budget and finance manager for the county. The target was to collect $6 million, but the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles failed to impose the $10 fee on more than a thousand vehicle registration notices, Hardgrove added.

The agreement also calls for Ernie Carrizal, public works director for the county, to work with CRRMA in developing a budget and development agreement for the road projects, he said. Commissioners must approve each individual project before that road project can proceed, officials said.

UNT selects Janet Waldron as vice chancellor of finance

Janet Waldron (pictured) recently was chosen as the new vice chancellor for finance at the University of North Texas. She replaces Terry Pankratz, who resigned to accept a post as vice president of finance for The University of Texas at Dallas.

Currently the senior vice president for administration and finance at the University of Maine, Waldron also was the commissioner of finance and administration, or chief financial officer, for the state of Maine.

Waldron is on the board of The Harvard Kennedy School New England Alumni Association and a fellow for the Margaret Chase Smith Center at the University of Maine. She has a bachelor's degree from the University of New Hampshire and studied at Dartmouth College, the University of Maine and the Kennedy School at Harvard.

Amarillo to seek $3.6 million in grants for bus system

Amarillo City Council members recently authorized city officials to apply for federal and state funding to maintain and operate the bus system. City officials also have allotted $1.8 million in local funding for the bus system, according to Judy Phelps, transit manager. City officials plan on spending 80 percent of federal funding for some capital purchases such as benches and shelters and for preventive maintenance. Federal funds also pay for about half of the bus system's operating costs, Phelps said.

Agrawal chosen as UTSA vice president for research

C. Mauli Agrawal (pictured) has been appointed vice president for research at The University of Texas at San Antonio. He has been serving in that position in an interim capacity since May of last year. Prior to that time, Agrawal was dean of the College of Engineering at UTSA for nearly eight years.

Agrawal came to UTSA in 2003 as associate dean for research in the UTSA College of Engineering. He was appointed dean two years later.

Agrawal remains a faculty member in the College of Engineering, continuing to teach and do research.

Midland airport moving forward in quest for spaceport license

The application filed by Midland International Airport to win designation as a spaceport recently moved forward when it was published in the Federal Register on March 21. The publication set off the 180-day clock for the Federal Aviation Administration to make a decision on the spaceport application by Sept. 15, said Marv Esterly, director of airports.

FAA officials could decide at any time before September to grant the spaceport license needed to permit aerospace companies to launch vehicles into space from Midland, Esterly said. Airport officials also may be required to submit more information to the FAA, which could extend the 180-day deadline for a decision to issue the spaceport license, he added.

N. Texas group touts preferred parking for alternate fuel vehicles

The North Texas Commission (NTC), a nonprofit marketing group advocating regional issues and encouraging collaboration among stakeholders, recently kicked off a new program to establish preferred parking for vehicles that use alternative fuels.

The commission will provide signage (as seen in accompanying photo) to local businesses to designate parking spaces as "AFV-Preferred" to notify drivers of alternative fuel vehicles (AFV) of the option in an effort to help improve air quality in the region. A $99,000 grant from the North Central Texas Council of Governments and the U.S. Department of Energy in 2013 funded the parking signs in the first phase of an NTC effort to promote the use of AFVs in North Texas.

Bexar County to pay $6.5M for Federal Reserve Bank building

Bexar County commissioners recently approved an agreement with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas to pay $6.5 million to purchase a branch facility in San Antonio. The agreement includes the 90,980-square-foot building on Nueva Street and adjacent property, including an inspection facility and parking lot located just south of the Bexar County Courthouse in San Antonio. Bexar County officials plan to decide on how the facility could best be used and then have a consultant examine the condition of the building and recommend any renovations needed.

Parker County to open new Ric Williamson Memorial Highway

Parker County officials recently scheduled a ribbon cutting ceremony on April 22 to mark the opening of the final 5.6-mile segment of the Ric Williamson Memorial Highway (RWMH). The new highway will provide access from FM51 north of Weatherford to I-20, west of the city.

The RWMH project is part of an $80 million transportation bond program in a partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation and several cities in the county, noted County Judge Mark Riley (pictured). County residents approved the transportation bonds in November 2008, he said.

The new road also will foster more economic growth in that area as well as reduce truck traffic around the historic county courthouse, Riley said.

Brenham City Council members recently voted to provide notice of the intention to issue $4.1 million in certificates of obligation to pay for several capital improvement projects. The funding will be used to build a new animal shelter, renovate the library and purchase fire department vehicles, city officials said.

Marble Falls eyeing land for commercial development

Marble Falls Economic Development Corp. (EDC) officials recently began efforts to buy a tract of land located between the downtown area and Lakeside Park to develop a hotel and conference center, a performing arts center, or a retail, eatery, and lodging complex using a public-private partnership.

Christian Fletcher (pictured), executive director of the EDC, said his group has approved using about $4 million in bonds backed by sales tax revenues to purchase the land from eight current property owners. The land located between the historic downtown area and the park is ideal for a development because it connects two of the greatest assets in the city and would create more open space, Fletcher said. Seven of the eight property owners have agreed on the terms of sale on the property currently occupied by six houses and five mobile homes, he said.

Before the land purchase can be finalized, however, city council members must approve the agreement, Fletcher said. If council members approve the land purchase agreement, the EDC could complete the purchase by mid-June, he added.

McAllen receives proposals from developers for new civic center

McAllen city officials recently received proposals from four developers to build the McAllen Civic Center. Commissioners, however, declined to identify the developers who submitted proposals until negotiations are concluded. City officials requested new proposals to be submitted when negotiations between a developer who submitted an earlier proposal for the civic center project and the city failed.

City commissioners also plan to build a new theater near the McAllen Convention Center to be partially paid for using $10 million from the sale of the property on which the old civic center was located. Commissioners could consider the four proposals for developing the new civic center at their next scheduled commission meeting, city officials said.

Royse City eyes radio interoperability pact with Rockwall County

Rockwell County Commissioner Dennis Bailey (pictured) recently outlined details for a proposed new $10 million emergency dispatch center and upgraded radio system to the City Council of Royse City with a goal of reaching an agreement with city officials.

Under the proposed agreement, the county plans to purchase the radio equipment and lease it to Royse City and other municipalities with a goal of completing the new dispatch center in the summer of 2015. The new equipment would allow police, fire and medical response teams in surrounding communities to communicate with each other in about 95 percent of their respective zones, Bailey said. The county also plans to buy new equipment when the system must be upgraded, he said.

TxDOT to decide this summer on funds to upgrade Paris airport

Texas Department of Transportation officials are likely to approve a $600,000 grant this summer to build a new hangar at Cox Field Airport in Paris, said Matthew Felton (pictured), a planner for TxDOT.

Planning for the 10-unit airplane hangar is about 85 percent complete and the five commissioners for TxDOT plan to make a decision on the grant application this summer, Felton said. Under the agreement, federal funding will pay 90 percent of the cost of the project and the city will contribute 10 percent of the cost of the hangar, designed with a dual side entry to house five airplanes on each side of the facility, he said.

Paris city officials plan to hire an engineer later this year, finish the design process during the winter and begin construction on the new hangar during the summer of 2015, said Shawn Napier, director of city development and engineering who also serves as the airport director.

Groves to seek grant for new fire station/emergency center

City officials in Groves recently agreed to apply again for a federal Port Security Grant to pay for a new fire station/emergency operations center. The city also applied for a similar grant last year, but was not selected, noted Fire Chief Dale Jackson.

The federal grant could pay up to $1 million for the new fire station and emergency operations center needed to replace the current fire station that is almost 60 years old, Jackson said. City officials plan to use the 10,600-square-foot multi-purpose building to be completed soon as an emergency operations center, police station and court facility. The new multi-purpose building, which was built to withstand 150-mile-an-hour winds, was paid for with a $2.5 million Port Security Grant and $600,000 in city funding, Jackson said.

Brownwood approaching

deadline for water reuse plant

The clock is ticking on the availability of funds to build a water reuse plant for the city of Brownwood, City Manager Bobby Rountree recently told city council members. The Texas Water Development Board has made available funding to build a plant to recycle the city's wastewater - approximately $8.9 million - but the city must authorize the borrowing of these funds by the end of May.

If the city decides not to participate and authorize the borrowing of the funds, it will have to redesign some updates planned for the current wastewater treatment plant.

Rountree told city council members at a recent meeting that the plant would be of great importance for industries that provide the employment base for the city. "We have got to make a move, we need to have a solution of some kind," said the city manager. He noted that water is key to the city's economic growth and the reuse plant would mean another source of water in the city. "Our options in Brownwood and Brown County are limited," he said. The council is expected to discuss the issue and possibly take action within the next few weeks.

Eanes ISD selects Leonard

lone finalist for superintendent

Eanes Independent School District trustees recently selected Tom Leonard (pictured), superintendent of the Barrington 220 School District in Illinois, as the lone finalist for superintendent.

Once his contract is finalized after the required 21-day waiting period, Leonard plans to begin his new duties in July. He will replace Superintendent Nola Wellman, who is retiring in August. Leonard served as a teacher and administrator in several suburban school districts in Illinois before becoming superintendent of the Barrington district seven years ago.

Leonard has a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from Northern Illinois University and a Ph.D. from Loyola University Chicago. He was a member of the school board of the Rondout School District in Lake Forest from 1985 to 2004.

San Antonio hires two directors

to lead Pre-K 4 SA centers

San Antonio city officials recently hired two directors for the two Pre-K SA centers expected to begin operation late this summer. The pre-kindergarten program is a full-day preschool program with transportation services for 4-year-old students who qualify for state-funded preschool and live within boundaries of a participating school district. The city has plans for four of the pre-kindergarten centers to be located in each quadrant of the city.

Janice Marie Hammonds, a former principal at the Uphaus Early Childhood Center in Austin with 32 years in early childhood education, was named director for the east Pre-K 4 SA Center. Hammonds has a master's degree from Texas State University.

Christina Reck-Guerra, a former principal for the Northeast Independent School District, gained selection as the director of the Pre-K center on the west side of the city. Reck-Guerra holds a master's degree from Trinity University and has 23 years experience in elementary education.

Donna selects Fernando

Flores as interim city manager

Donna City Council members recently appointed Fernando Flores, who was the planning director, to serve as interim city manager. Flores replaces former City Manager Oscar Ramirez, who council members terminated in early April.

Prior to joining Donna as the planning director five years ago, Flores worked in community development for 20 years in Pharr. He previously announced plans to retire this fall, but told council he would remain as interim city manager until the city finds a permanent replacement.

Council members also selected Marga Lopez, who served as administrative assistant to Flores, as the interim planning director.

SPI is seeking additional outside consultants who have experience in county/city government in Texas.

Currently, there is a need for procurement consultants who are retired or former county or municipal elected officials, experts in health care, K-12 in the DFW, Houston, El Paso, Corpus Christi and South Texas/Lower Rio Grande Valley areas. If you are interested in this opportunity, contact lmatisi@spartnerships.com.

El Paso ISD names Miller

as new chief of staff

Superintendent Juan Cabrera of El Paso Independent School District recently selected Tom Miller (pictured) as the new chief of staff for the district.

Previously an area superintendent with the Ysleta school district, Miller replaces the former chief of staff, Terri Jordan, who resigned in December 2012 during an investigation into cheating that led to a felony conviction of the former superintendent, Lorenzo Garcia. Miller also has been a chief of staff, interim superintendent, an administrator and a teacher. He also worked as an assistant professor at New Mexico State University.

In his new job as chief of staff, Miller also will perform the duties of the assistant superintendent for academic support services. Along with the chief academic officer, Miller, who has a master's degree and a Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico, will report directly to the superintendent.

El Paso city official to narrow

list of finalists for city manager

Following the receipt of 119 applications to replace City Manager Joyce Wilson, El Paso city officials recently agreed to meet with a consultant on April 22 to narrow down a list of candidates to interview for that job.

Interviews with the short list of applicants are scheduled on May 7 and 8 at the Plaza Theatre, city officials said. Wilson has agreed to remain on the job until September.

Gonzalez to serve as interim

city manager in San Juan

Police Chief Juan Gonzalez (pictured) of San Juan recently agreed to serve as the interim city manager until city elections in May are completed.

Gonzalez, who has received public manager certification from The University of Texas-Pan American, replaces former City Manager J.J. Rodriguez, who is resigning to become deputy city manager in Mission.

City commissioners voted for Gonzalez to fill the city manager post until they perform a formal search after the city elections.

Three Tyler ISD administrators announce plans to retire

Three top administrators at Tyler Independent School District recently announced plans to retire on Aug. 29.

The administrators are:

• Gloria Ball, the director of Head Start, who began her career as an aide at an elementary school in the Tyler school district 35 years ago;
• Darlene Marshall, the executive director of elementary education for area 1, who spent 15 years of her 32 years in public education with the Tyler school district; and
• Dr. Karen Raney, director of assessment and accountability, who has worked in various jobs during her 29 years with that district.    

Gary Mooring to retire as superintendent of Tyler ISD

Superintendent Gary Mooring (pictured) of Tyler Independent School District recently cited health reasons for his decision to retire effective on June 30. He has served as superintendent since January 2013.

A public educator for 30 years, Mooring was a teacher and administrator for Bishop Consolidated ISD and Hutto ISD before joining the Tyler district as deputy superintendent in 2006. He also was director of dual credit at Tyler Junior College before rejoining the Tyler school district as the interim superintendent in August 2012.

Mooring has a bachelor's degree from West Texas A&M University and a master's degree and his superintendent's certification from The University of Texas at Tyler.

Public-private partnership

to help renovate Ellington Field

A public-private partnership will help renovate Ellington Field in Houston into a spaceport. Sierra Nevada, the developer of a winged spacecraft concept, and the city of Houston will partner for the project.

A former Army flying school, Ellington Field was purchased by the city in 1984 for general aviation use. It had previously served as an Army Air Corps, Air Force, NASA and Texas Air National Guard base.

Fate selects Michael Kovacs

as its new city manager

After declining to vote on two previous  occasions for a new city manager, Fate City Council members recently selected Michael Kovacs (pictured) as the new city manager. Kovacs replaces interim city manager Rod Hogan, who had served in that post since October 2013.

A former city manager in Galveston, Kovacs won selection over two other finalists for the job - Amy Buckert, a city administrator in Balcones Heights, and Cyndy Powell, a city administrator in Ovilla. Kovacs previously served as a city manager or administrator for the Park City Municipal Corporation in Utah, Surfside Beach, South Carolina, Aransas Pass and Presidio.

Kovacs has a master's degree from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

Sealy ISD hires Moore

as new superintendent

Trustees for Sealy Independent School District recently selected Sheryl Moore as the new superintendent, effective on April 14. She was a director for Montgomery ISD and will replace former Superintendent Scott Kana, who left that job in fall 2013.

Moore was a teacher and coach at Spring Branch ISD and an administrator at The Woodlands and Montgomery ISD. She joined the Montgomery district 16 years ago and has a degree from the University of Houston.

William Walker, who has served as interim superintendent for the Sealy district since Kana left that post in late 2013, will remain with the district to help Moore transition into her new job, district officials said.