Texas health practitioners, hospitals to register for incentives

 Beginning of transition to electronic health records will start on Jan. 3, 2011

The upcoming new year will ring in what state and federal officials are hopeful will be landmark changes in health care that will benefit both patients and health care providers. Starting Monday, Jan. 3, 2011, eligible health practitioners and hospitals will begin registering for the Medicare and Medicaid electronic health record (EHR) incentive programs. The goal of these programs is to encourage the use of electronic records that are expected to lead to the better, safer and more efficient delivery of health care. 

Texas will join Alaska, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee in the January registration period. Registration will open in February for California, Missouri and North Dakota. Remaining states are likely to begin registration for their incentive programs next summer.

"It's great to finally get this project started," said Stephanie Goodman, spokesperson for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC). "I think the incentives will help doctors, especially those in small practices, put in electronic records systems that help improve coordination of care and ultimately help us achieve better health outcomes."

According to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, as of this week, approximately 30,000 physicians nationwide have already enrolled with the 62 regional extension centers that are providing hands-on assistance to them as they transition to electronic health records.

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SPI offices closed Friday; Lone Star column returns next week

This week's edition of the Texas Government Insider is being published a day earlier than usual and is an abbreviated version because of the Friday, Dec. 31, holiday for New Year's. Our Lone Star column will resume in our next edition on Friday, Jan. 7, 2011. The SPI offices will be closed Friday and reopen at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 3, 2011. Have a safe and happy New Year's celebration.

HHSC Inspector General Bart Bevers announces resignation

Bart Bevers (pictured), who has served as inspector general of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission since 2007, plans to leave the position Jan. 7, 2011.

As inspector general, Bevers oversees about 600 employees who investigate fraud, waste and abuse in programs such as food stamps, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. The office saves the state about $900 million in cost recoveries and cost avoidance each year.

In explaining the career decision, Bevers said that he "got some really interesting opportunities" recently.

President names Patterson to gulf restoration task force 

Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson (pictured) was recently appointed to the multistate Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force, which is aimed at rebuilding after the recent BP oil spill. 

Patterson, a Republican and outspoken critic of President Barack Obama, was a state senator representing Harris, Galveston and Brazoria counties before winning statewide election in 2002.

TWDB approves $170 million in financial assistance for projects
The Texas Water Development Board recently approved financial assistance totaling more than $170 million for a variety of water-related projects. The funding and projects include:

• City of Corpus Christi - $1.855 million from the Water Infrastructure Fund to finance development costs of a water supply project;
• Cypress Creek Water Supply Corporation (Tyler County) - $495,000 from the Rural Water Assistance Fund to finance water system improvements;
• Guadalupe Blanco River Authority (Hays, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Comal, Bastrop, Lee and Kendall Counties) - $2.5 million from the Water Infrastructure Fund to finance development costs of Simsboro Water Supply Project;
• Guadalupe Blanco River Authority (Gonzales, Caldwell, Hays, Comal, Guadalupe and Kendall Counties)  - $4.4 million from the Water Infrastructure Fund to finance development costs of the Mid-Basin Water Supply Project;
• Montgomery County Municipal Utility District No. 8 - $645,000 from the Water Infrastructure Fund to finance development costs of a water supply project;
• Montgomery County Municipal Utility District No. 9 - $645,000 from the Water Infrastructure Fund to finance development costs of a water supply project;
• City of Nassau Bay (Harris County) - $2.445 million from the Texas Water Development Fund to finance wastewater system improvements;
• Polk County Fresh Water Supply District No. 2 - $145,000 from the Economically Distressed Areas Program to finance wastewater system expansion and improvements;
• City of San Angelo - $120 million from the Water Infrastructure Fund to finance water system improvements;
• San Antonio Water System on behalf of the City of San Antonio (Bexar and Wilson Counties) - $24.44 million from the Water Infrastructure Fund to finance water system improvements;
• Village of Vinton (El Paso County) - $1.21 million from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund-Disadvantaged Communities Program to finance wastewater system improvements; and
• West Harris County Regional Water Authority - $11.195 million from the Water Infrastructure Fund to finance development costs of a water supply project.

Percentage of lottery players plunges by one-third in Texas
A study recently released by the Texas Lottery Commission revealed that the percentage of Texans who play the state's lottery games has dropped to one-third, the lowest level measured in the state.

The decline in overall lottery participation has occurred for the last 15 years, but the drop from 41.7 percent to 33.8 percent in fiscal year 2010 is the second largest year-to-year decline since the lottery began in Texas in 1993. In 1995, more than 70 percent of Texans participated in lottery games, lottery officials said.

The plunging participation in 2010 occurred in nearly every lottery game, including Lotto, Pick 3 and instant scratch-off tickets. Every geographic region of the state also experienced a decline in the percentage of people playing lottery games. The total amount of money spent on lottery tickets in Texas, however, has held steady. Revenue from the lottery is used to help fund public schools in the state.

DPS to continue holiday patrols through New Year's holiday
Troopers from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) will continue increased patrols watching for drunken drivers and speeders through the New Year's holidays. The stepped-up patrols began on Christmas Eve.

The troopers will conduct focused patrols in high-risk locations, said Johnny Hernandez, a spokesman for DPS. The patrols will run through Saturday, Jan. 1, 2011, he said. During the 2009 Christmas period, DPS troopers arrested 350 drivers for driving while intoxicated, issued 9,212 speeding tickets and handed out 658 citations for failure to wear a seat belt.

TFS employees complete first leadership training program

Eight Texas Forest Service (TFS) employees are the first graduates of the agency's 18-month Leadership Enrichment Program. When agency officials realized that 60 percent of TFS' top 25 leadership positions were eligible for retirement, Professional Development Coordinator Stacy Overby's was asked by TFS Director Tom Boggus to design a program to train existing employees. "We had no formal process to train leaders internally, outside of what they do in their individual departments," Overby said.

The result was a program to train TFS employees who were identified as potential leaders for the agency. The participants toured Texas, Montana and Michigan soaking up information on leadership styles and practices. They also attended supervisory and leadership classes and participated in team projects. 

The participants represent a variety of geographic regions and divisions of TFS. A new class is expected to begin in March.

Graduates of the first class (pictured) include: District Forester Rich Dottellis, Regional Forester Joel Hambright, Program Coordinator Justice Jones, Program Coordinator Jason Keiningham, Regional Forester Wes Moorehead, District Forester Todd Nightingale, Forester Karen Stafford and Program Coordinator Shawn Whitley.

TxDOT eyeing expansion of Adopt-a-Highway program
In an effort to raise more funding for highway maintenance, Texas Department of Transportation officials are examining the possibility of allowing corporate sponsors to fund programs such as highway mowing or to gain naming rights on a piece of construction equipment.

TxDOT officials hope to pursue sponsorship for picnic areas and the Mobile Assistance Patrol program, said Toribio Garza, maintenance director for TxDOT.  Possible projects are to add a sign reading "sponsored by" with the corporate sponsor's name on maintenance trucks, allowing sponsors to mow or trim trees along rights of way or for a corporate sponsor to be responsible for a designated 10-mile stretch of interstate highway, Garza said.

Commissioners directed TxDOT staff to finalize specifics for the proposal and bring it back for action in the next year.

Carrillo to serve on board of Magnum Hunter Resources Corp.
Victor Carrillo (pictured), who will step down as a commissioner at the Texas Railroad Commission on Jan. 3, recently won appointment as one of nine members of the board of directors for Magnum Hunter Resources Corp. The appointment is effective on Jan. 5, 2011.

Carrillo also will serve as executive vice president for Zion Oil and Gas once he leaves his position on the Railroad Commission. Carrillo previously worked as a petroleum geophysicist for an oil company and also served as an assistant city attorney in Abilene, was a member of the Abilene City Council and served as the Taylor County judge until he was appointed to the Texas Railroad Commission in 2003. He later won re-election to a full term on the commission.

Carrillo has a bachelor's degree from Hardin-Simmons University, a master's degree from Baylor University and a law degree from the University of Houston.

EPA challenges Texas over rules on emissions
After a year of threats and lawsuits, the federal Environmental Protection Agency has declared Texas state officials unfit to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and seized control of carbon dioxide permitting at new and expanding facilities - mostly power plants and oil refineries.

Top state officials, who have refused to implement federal regulations, deny the scientific basis for regulating greenhouse gases and warned that the rules will harm Texas' economy.

Under the EPA rules, expanding industrial plants that want to increase greenhouse-gas emissions by 75,000 tons per year will have to seek a permit starting Jan. 2, 2011. Also, new plants that emit more than 100,000 tons annually will have to seek a permit starting in July.

Founding director of police institute to join UT-Dallas faculty
Robert W. Taylor (pictured), founding director of a national policing strategies "think tank" in Dallas, will join The University of Texas at Dallas in January. He will initially serve as a public affairs professor in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, but in the fall will ascend to public affairs program head.

In his new role, Taylor wants to strengthen and help train students for emerging fields such as transportation planning, environmental studies and public administration.

Taylor worked 15 years at the University of North Texas at Dallas and, three years ago, helped start the Caruth Police Institute there. The institute, which was started with a $9.5 million grant, was created to help develop leaders and solve complex policing problems. 

Taylor earned a master's degree from Michigan State University and a Ph.D. from Portland State University.

Alvin approves $75,000 to buy land for future city park
After receiving a donation of 48 acres of land, including a 16-acre lake, Alvin city officials recently approved $75,000 to buy a 5-acre tract of land for expansion of the city's parks system.

The combined acreage of the donated and purchased land is 53.71 acres, valued at nearly $1.6 million for the new park, the mayor said.

The man-made lake on the additional property will provide large water detention capacity equaling 100 acre-feet of new retention capacity, which should reduce flooding in the area, city officials said.

Police, sheriff in El Paso exploring consolidation efforts
Officials of the El Paso Police Department and the sheriff's office are each working on proposals for consolidating the county sheriff's office and the city's police department into a single law enforcement agency.

After promoting consolidation of the two departments during his campaign for office, Sheriff Richard Wiles is working on a proposal while city employees are working on a separate proposal, said Joyce Wilson (pictured), city manager.

Wilson said council members and county commissioners should meet together soon to discuss consolidation and attempt to reach a consensus because the task is so complex.

Carroll school district sells $13.8 million in bonds
The Carroll school district in Tarrant County recently sold $13.8 million in Build American Bonds, special cost-saving bonds offered through the federal stimulus package, to take advantage of the program slated to end this year. 

The bonds are part of a $138 million bond package that voters OK'd in 2009 to pay for technology improvements, two new schools and a stadium expansion. 

The district gets a 35 percent rebate on interest payments, which is expected to net about $333,000 per year through 2036. The money can pay debt, go into the district's fund balance and possibly go toward day-to-day expenses.

Hidalgo County agrees to reopen its satellite tax office
Hidalgo County officials recently agreed to reopen a satellite tax office in Alamo that was previously closed because of budget constraints.

The tax-assessor collector closed the satellite tax office in September when a county-wide mandate forced him to cut $118,000 from his budget and lay off three temporary employees after he determined that supplies, postage and other costs could not be adjusted under the directive to cut at least 8 percent in expenses.

After Commissioner Tito Palacios (pictured) reported he had received many telephone calls complaining that the satellite office was no longer available, commissioners agreed to reinstate funding for the office.

Austin chooses Spencer to lead housing development efforts
Austin city officials recently appointed Betsy Spencer to manage the city's Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Office.

A 24-year veteran in community development, Spencer became the acting director of the department in June. She previously was the chief operations officer for the San Antonio Alternative Housing Corp., a nonprofit housing developer. Spender has a bachelor's degree from Old Dominion University.

Carroll ISD to try again to drill water wells on district campuses
In an effort to save on utility costs, officials of Carroll Independent School District recently decided to try again on their plan to drill water wells on each of their campuses.

In early 2010, district officials estimated it would cost about $500,000 to drill water wells to provide outdoor irrigation systems and received bids from several drilling companies that ranged from $1.4 million to $1.8 million, said Sherri Williams (pictured), vice president of the board of trustees. Board members then decided to reject all three sealed bid proposals and to repost the project with a more specific scope of work, she said.

Wildlife refuge in Hondo nabs $230,000 grant for upgrades
The Federal Transit Administration recently awarded a $230,000 grant from the Paul S. Surbanes Transit In Parks program to the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge in Hondo.

Grant funds will be used to replace aging tour vehicles to continue and expand the interpretive trail program. The goal of the parks transit program is to improve public and alternative transportation within the grounds of national parks and public lands in an effort to reduce pollution and congestion. The grant funds can be used for items such as shuttle buses and bicycle trails in national parks and other public lands.

Round Rock approves $3.35 million land for event center
Round Rock City Council members recently approved $3.35 million to buy 22.65 acres of land near Old Settlers Boulevard and Chisholm Trail for a new indoor event center.

An indoor event center is needed because Round Rock advertises itself as the "Sports Capital of Texas," but has no sporting events during winter months, noted Mayor Alan McGraw (pictured). An event center for indoor sporting events and conventions would help draw visitors to the city year-round, McGraw said. Council previously had approved $4.6 million for a 43-acre tract of land near University Blvd. That land purchase, however, was never finalized.

Preliminary plans call for building a 60,000-square-foot event center with a cost estimate between $12 million to $18 million.

Farmers Branch council OKs referendum on forming school district
City leaders in Farmers Branch have made moves to form a new school district for area children, who currently attend private schools, the Carrollton-Farmers Branch district or Dallas district. The May ballot will contain a nonbinding referendum, which will only determine if city residents want to form a district. 

Farmers Branch residents and businesses, which include expensive office parks, send the two public school districts about $48 million in property taxes each year. 

"Just imagine what we could do with $48 million," said Mayor Pro Tem Harold Froehlich (pictured). 

Federal government to fund airport safety improvements
The Federal Aviation Administration has plans to install a new 60- to 80-foot antenna at Victoria Regional Airport that will make flying safer. 

Aircraft with the proper equipment will be able to communicate with each other and see air traffic around them, without the expensive radar systems that commercial airlines use. Although most aircraft do not currently have the necessary technology, as pilots upgrade their instruments, the options will become available. 

As an added benefit of the new antenna, air traffic controllers will be able to see the neighboring Houston Center's space, which contains aircraft that are handed off and received by Victoria controllers. Seeing more means an increased level of safety, airport officials said.

Dallas launches workforce training funded by Department of Labor
A partnership between the City of Dallas, Cedar Valley College and Greater Dallas Workforce Solutions recently received a $186,000 federal grant that will fund a workforce training program for young adults. 

The program, which begins in January and runs through summer, offers free entry-level logistics classes to unemployed or underemployed southern Dallas residents ages 18 to 25. Participants will learn skills that can be used to get jobs at factories, warehouses and distributions centers. 

This program, funded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment Training Administration, "will provide future jobs to the community in a much-needed field," said council member Tennell Atkins (pictured).

Huntsville wins $392,000 grant for drainage upgrade
Huntsville recently won a $392,000 grant to pay for preparing engineering plans for the proposed Town Creek drainage system. The grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality was awarded through the Houston-Galveston Area Council. 

The funding will be used for environmental, hydrology studies and determining building elevations that should be completed before any more grant funds are awarded, city officials said. FEMA has asked for more information on the cost benefit analysis, said a community development specialist for the city.

Preliminary plans call for the Town Creek drainage project to use retaining ponds to beautify the area, create bridges, a walking trail, a playground and water features while improving drainage throughout the area at a cost of about $11.1 million. City officials hope to pay for the drainage project using state and federal grants.

Lake Travis ISD to create bond advisory committee
Lake Travis Independent School District officials recently moved closer to calling a bond election in November 2011 by approving creation of a bond advisory committee.

Members of the committee are scheduled to begin meeting in February and research which projects should be included in a bond proposal, noted Superintendent Rocky Kirk (pictured). Once the bond advisory committee develops a priority list of projects, committee members will present their recommendations to board members who will then make a final decision on whether to stage a bond election and, if so, on which projects.

District officials also have held workshops and discussed building a third middle school for about 1,200 students and converting the current Lake Travis Middle School into a ninth-grade center for Lake Travis High School, Kirk said.  Officials note that if the district does not address the expected growth in enrollment, the use of from 34 to 52 portable buildings may become necessary.

Cameron County moving forward on $1.1 billion highway project
Officials of the Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority (RMA) recently said they are seeking a partnership with a private company to bring transportation and infrastructure improvements to the area.

RMA officials in October issued a request seeking qualified developers to begin the planning and execution of improvements to support economic growth in Cameron County. Two development firms submitted proposals this week to develop, design, construct, finance and potentially operate and maintain the proposed $1.1 billion State Highway 550 project and also provide development services for five additional toll projects through a public-private partnership, said Peter Sepulveda Jr., coordinator for Cameron County RMA.

Plans call for the projects to include portions of State Highway 550, relief routes for U.S. 77, West Parkway, an Outer Parkway, a second access road to South Padre Island and a connector to US 281, Sepulveda said.  Cameron County CMR officials expect to receive detailed proposals during summer 2011 and to finalize contracts after a studying the proposals, he added.

BexarMet general manager appeals his recent firing
Victor Mercado, the recently fired general manager of Bexar Metropolitan Water District, plans to appeal his termination. Earlier this month, the BexarMet board fired Mercado after he was indicted in Detroit on charges of racketeering, extortion and obstruction of justice. Mercado states the reasons for his termination "are false and without any factual support."

Mercado, who was head of Detroit's water and sewer utility from 2002 to 2008, is accused of working with the former Detroit mayor and others to extort money from contractors and funnel contracts worth tens of millions to a friend of the ex-mayor.

When the BexarMet board hired Mercado in December 2009, he never mentioned the investigation in Detroit. This year, when he was required to travel to Detroit several times to appear before a grand jury, he told the board repeatedly that he was not being investigated and did not expect to be charged. The indictment further damages the reputation of the BexarMet district, which was already being investigated by a legislative oversight committee because the former general manager reportedly wiretapped two employees' phones. 

Leadership Fusion Summit taking reservations for February event

"Leading with Vision - Igniting to Action" is the title for this year's Leadership Fusion Summit, scheduled for Feb 16-17, 2011, in Houston and sponsored by the Region 4 Leadership Solutions. Extraordinary leaders from both business and education will share a variety of best practices aimed at helping accelerate learning and success in school leadership. Among the speakers is Dr. Marshall Goldsmith, recognized by Forbes magazine as one of the 15 most influential business thinkers in the world. The first 300 to register will receive a free copy of Goldsmith's "MOJO - How to Get It, How to Keep It, How to Get It Back If You Lose It." Registration is open now and there is a reduced Early Bird fee through Dec. 17. For more information, click here. For the agenda, click here.

By Mary Scott Nabers, CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc.

Carruth resigns as city manager of Paris, Anderson now interim
Paris City Manager Kevin Carruth (top) recently resigned after negotiating a separation agreement calling for severance pay. City officials then appointed Gene Anderson (bottom) as the interim city manager.

City officials will decide in January whether to hire a consultant to conduct a search for a new city manager or for city council members and city staff conduct the search, Anderson said.

Lippincott leaving position

as TxDOT spokesman
Texas Department of Transportation spokesman Chris Lippincott (pictured) recently announced that he will step down from his state job. He plans to rejoin a global public relations firm.

Lippincott will continue to work in Austin at one of the firm's 24 North American offices. Lippincott previously worked at a statewide coalition of rape crisis programs, Texas Association Against Sexual Assault, between 2003 and 2006.

$15M in improvements set

for Galveston's seawall
Galveston's 10-mile seawall is expected to have improvements that total $15 million finished by May.

Big Spring ISD considering new $11 million elementary school
After learning of an estimated $9.7 million price tag for renovating Moss Elementary School, Big Spring Independent School District officials recently began considering whether to build a new $11 million elementary school rather than remodeling the old building.

Voters approved $60 million in bonds in May that included a proposal to renovate Moss Elementary. The additional funding for a new building could come from other projects that might come in under budget as district employees are performing some of the work, district officials said. Board members are expected to make a final decision in February on whether to renovate the elementary school or build a new school.

Burnet wins $10,000 grant

for local airport upgrades
Burnet City Council members recently were awarded a $10,000 grant from the Texas Department of Transportation to pay for improvements to the Burnet Municipal Airport.

Plans call for the grant to pay for routine maintenance and expansion plans outlined in the city's master plan for the airport, said City Manager Mike Steele.

Huntsville ISD taps Johnson

as interim superintendent
Trustees for Huntsville Independent School District recently appointed Dr. Steve Johnson as the interim superintendent. Johnson will replace Superintendent Richard Montgomery, who is scheduled to retire on Jan. 3, 2011.

Johnson currently works for the Region VII Service Center and previously served as superintendent and deputy superintendent for College Station ISD. He also was employed as adjunct faculty at Sam Houston State University and Texas A&M University.

Texas nets $300,414 federal grant to update building codes
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently awarded Texas a $300,414 grant to help pay for the adoption of updated, energy-efficient building codes. The state was one of 24 states to win a share of $7 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding as part of an effort to help families and businesses reduce their cost of energy.

The funding pays for technical assistance through the DOE's Building Energy Codes program that includes code training for the building community and adoption outreach to policy-makers. The goal is that each state records 90 percent compliance with energy code requirements by 2017. The building codes are related to the building envelope, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, service water heating, power and lighting.

Teacher incentive program reinstated by school district
After some debate, the San Felipe Del Rio school board recently voted to reinstate a $500-per-semester teacher incentive that was discontinued earlier this year due to funding problems. Last year, in the program's initial year, the district paid out $106,000 to teachers who maintained perfect attendance. District officials hoped the program would simultaneously reward teachers, promote student learning and cut costs related to substitutes.

 
The program was cut before district officials could evaluate its effectiveness - and, several months later, many teachers still had not heard about the program's demise. When the incentive money didn't arrive, some teachers began calling district officials. Although board members expressed doubt about the program's efficacy, they decided it should be extended with ongoing evaluation.

Burnet to spend $1.5 million

in tax notes for improvements
Burnet City Council members recently approved $1.5 million in tax notes to pay for several capital improvement projects. In addition to upgrading water and sewer lines, city officials also plan to buy new fire trucks and other large utility equipment, said City Manager Mike Steele (pictured).

Dehart to serve as Mount Pleasant superintendent

Mount Pleasant Independent School District trustees recently selected Dr. Lynn Dehart as the lone finalist for superintendent. Dehart currently serves as superintendent for Maypearl ISD. He previously was employed as a teacher, a department director and principal for Dallas ISD. He holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree.

Cherokee County Airport

to receive $440,000 grant
The Texas Transportation Commission recently approved a $440,000 grant from the Aviation Facilities Grant Program to pay for improvements to Cherokee County Airport. Plans call for the funding to be used for fencing improvements. Airport officials are expected to award a contract this spring.

Gieselman retiring as Travis County transportation manager Joe Gieselman recently announced he will retire as the executive manager of the Travis County Transportation and Natural Resources department. Gieselman, who worked for the county for 36 years, oversaw $450 million in road and bridge projects and $125,000 in park and open-space projects as the department manager.

Gieselman previously worked for the city manager in San Antonio. He has a bachelor's degree from St. Mary's University and a master's degree from Texas A&M University. He also earned a master's degree from The University of Texas.

Alvin tags Kelinske as new director of parks and recreation
Alvin city officials selected Dan Kelinske as the new director of parks and recreation. Kelinske previously worked for the parks and recreation department in Alvin, but had accepted another position in California. He replaces Ed Hersch, who recently retired.

• A Report on the Audit of the Teacher Retirement System's Fiscal Year 2010 Financial Statements
• A Classification Compliance Review Report on the Department of Licensing and Regulation
• Texas Water Development Board Biennial Report on Seawater Desalination

• William "Bill" Buchholtz, San Antonio, chair, Commission on State Emergency Communications
• Mitchell Fuller, Cedar Park, Commission on State Emergency Communications
• Tamela "Tammy" Gough, McKinney, chair, Texas State Board of Dental Examiners
• Jett Johnson, Goldthwaite, Lower Colorado River Authority Board of Directors

Alvin negotiating with Lucas

to become new city manager
Alvin City Council members recently authorized the city attorney to draft a contract to hire Interim City Manager Terry Lucas as the new city manager. Lucas has served as interim city manager since July. He previously served as a captain in the Alvin Police Department and as the city's emergency management coordinator.

Lake Travis ISD selects Winovitch as construction head

Officials of the Lake Travis Independent School District recently selected Robert Winovitch as the new facility resources, compliance and construction manager. Winovitch, a retired major in the Texas Army National Guard and U.S. Army, most recently worked as a project manager and architect for a private architecture firm which worked with public sector clients.

CPS Energy chooses former city finance director for board slot
The CPS Energy board of trustees, which oversees San Antonio's natural gas and electricity utility, recently nominated the city's former finance director to fill a vacancy. The city council must OK the decision for final approval.

Nora W. Chavez, who served as San Antonio's finance director from 1989 to 1998, was selected from a pool of 44 applicants because of her financial experience. She is currently managing director of a nationwide investment bank.

Chavez, who has 32 years of municipal finance experience, would help to replace outgoing trustee Stephen Hennigan, who is currently regarded as the board's financial expert. Hennigan has completed the maximum two five-year terms and will step down in January.