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Cities vie for $1B FutureGen project
Official site in Texas may be chosen in a matter of days

Rendering of the proposed FutureGen Plant

The FutureGen Texas Advisory Board this week announced that five sites are now on the board's short list of Texas locations. Odessa, Jewett, Baytown, Pearsall and Palestine are still in the running for the $1 billion project, which will attempt to build the world's first near-zero-emissions power plant, producing electricity and hydrogen from coal while making almost no pollutants.

Members of the FutureGen Texas Advisory Board, led by Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael L. Williams, must submit its proposed site or sites to the FutureGen Industrial Alliance - a consortium made up of the U.S. Department of Energy and nine companies - by mid-May, and a short list of national sites will be released by mid-to-late summer. The final site for the FutureGen project is expected to be announced in mid-2007. The plant is expected to be operational by 2012. Scott Tinker, director of the Bureau of Economic Geology and a member of the FutureGen Texas advisory board, told the Midland Reporter-Telegram that he expects the official Texas site to beMichael Williams named in about a week "and there may be two. There's nothing in the formal request for proposals specifying one site."

"Each site on this shortlist showcases Texas' strengths as a leading contender in the national FutureGen competition," said Williams (pictured). "After more than two years of preparation, the state of Texas is perfectly positioned to be chosen as the host site for this innovative clean energy project."


DFPS making reform of protective services a reality

A new report being delivered to the Texas Legislature this week indicates significant progress has been made toward reforming Texas' child and adult protective services. The report, produced by HHSC and the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), details specific improvements that have been made since the 79th Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 6, the protective services reform bill. DFPS is the agency responsible for Child Protective Services (CPS) and Adult Protective Services (APS).

Carey Cockerell

"In six short months we have made great strides implementing SB 6, making improvements that touch every aspect of the agency and its mission," said DFPS Commissioner Carey Cockerell. "We've hired hundreds of workers, increased training and rolled out new technology to help staff spend more time interacting with clients. Our staff have worked very hard because they know it will improve services. We think we have made significant progress but, of course, much remains to be done."


TEA taking applications for schools, training centers

As part of Texas' continuing effort to create an educated, competitive workforce for the 21st century, the Texas Education Agency has issued a call for applications to those who want to establish schools or training centers that focus on science, technology, engineering or mathematics. The academies and training centers are part of the $71 million Texas Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (T-STEM) initiative created by Gov. Rick Perry, TEA and Shirley Neeleyprivate partners involved in the Texas High School Project.

"These centers will be think tanks that create, refine and share the best methods for teaching math, science, technology and engineering. The potential impact of the centers is far reaching," Commissioner of Education Shirley J. Neeley said. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs requiring science, engineering or technical training will increase 24 percent between 2004 and 2014 to 6.3 million jobs nationally.


Deal to fund A&M Pharmacy School falls apart

County residents protested it, university regents declined it, and the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce threatened to sue over it, so a unique plan to use $3 million in Nueces County taxpayer money to help fund Texas A&M-Kingsville's beleaguered pharmacy school is dead.

Nueces County commissioners voted last week to give $1 million a year for three years to help open the Irma Rangel College of Pharmacy, located in neighboring Kleberg County. The $15 million building was completed last year, but sits vacant because lawmakers failed to provide the $5 million a year needed for operation. The county can't legally fund higher education so the 'gift' was set up as a consulting contract that would have given the university $3 million in return for general advice on engineering, health care and other issues.


Lens on Government: Primary Elections
By Len Riley, Strategic Partnerships

Roger Williams

Today ends early voting for the primary elections that will be held on Tuesday. Secretary of State Roger Williams stated "I want to encourage all Texans to take an active role in the democratic process in this state. Turnout for primary elections has historically been low, and it is an area where Texas can and must improve."

Secretary Williams' statement is very insightful and possibly a bit of an understatement. Voter turnout in the last mid-term (2002) election was only 13.48%. This is in spite of the fact that Texas has a pretty simple registration process and one of the country's most convenient early voting arrangements.

It hasn't always been the case that every qualified adult could vote in Texas primaries. Until the US Supreme Court in Smith v. Allright outlawed the practice in 1944, blacks were not permitted to vote in Democratic primaries. Similarly, until the US Supreme Court in Carrington v. Rash overturned Texas law in 1965, many military personnel living in Texas were not permitted to vote.

Click here to read the rest of the article.


TxDOT: NASCO link will further highway development

By joining North America's Supercorridor Coalition Inc. (NASCO) - an international organization founded in 1994 dedicated to developing the next generation in transportation infrastructure on this continent - the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) will be in a better position to expand and improve the state's highway system, according to state officials.

Ric Williamson

"The Texas Department of Transportation is formalizing its commitment to work closely with NASCO and its local, state and international members as the strongest voice on the continued development of I-35 and Trans-Texas Corridor 35," said Ric Williamson, chair of the Texas Transportation Commission. "Without question, NASCO has been the single most influential organization, not just in Texas, but the nation, when it comes to the development of I-35. They also know what it will take to meet the challenges of the next 50 years."


Texas schools being reimbursed for evacuee costs

John Cornyn

Additional funding is now on the way to Texas for costs incurred by schools educating students displaced or impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn announced Thursday. The funding was authorized by congressional action in December through the Hurricane Education Recovery Act. The first quarterly payment for educating displaced students will be $35 million. Funding for future quarters will be determined by the number of displaced students still enrolled in Texas schools.

In addition to the $35 million, more than $28 million is now on the way to fully fund the efforts to repair and rebuild Texas schools. The first installment of 'Restart Aid,' $50 million, was paid to the state last month.


Texas tops economic development list

Perry

Site Selection, a magazine that covers corporate real estate and economic development, awarded Texas its 2005 Governor's Cup. Texas claimed the award for having the most new and expanded corporate projects in the country - 842 in all. Ohio came in second this year with 598 projects. This is the second consecutive year for Texas to win the Governor's Cup.

"We're still taking aggressive steps to ensure that this state remains business-friendly," Gov. Rick Perry said. "Our economic development focus is not just for the major metropolitan areas. Quality of life and cost of doing business are assets that rural Texas has that are very appealing to companies."


Supreme Court takes up economic incentives

The U.S. Supreme Court is taking on what could be a landmark case surrounding the constitutionality of billions of dollars in economic incentives used to draw large corporations to various states. Although the case presented before the nation's highest court Wednesday involves a single corporation and a single state's economic incentives, the court's decision could have a resounding impact on state economies, pundits said.

News reports indicate a majority of the Supreme Court justices expressed doubts over whether the incentives violated the U.S. Constitution regarding taxpayers' rights. The case before the Supreme Court stems from a 1998 tax credit granted to DaimlerChrysler AG as an incentive for the automaker to build a $1.2 billion Jeep assembly plant near its existing plant in Toledo, Ohio.


Dallas County's homeland security chief seeks millions

Robie Robinson

Dallas County's new homeland security director, Robie Robinson, revealed big plans for improvement this week. During a commissioners court meeting, Robinson said Dallas County's preparedness for a natural disaster or terrorism meets only the most basic standard under Texas guidelines, and improving that will require a commitment of millions of dollars in new equipment, facilities and staff. He told county commissioners they probably should add several staff positions to focus on securing additional federal homeland security funds, and spend at least $5 million on a new emergency command facility.


Texas 87 project could cost $100M

Once the studies to rebuild Texas 87 between Sabine Pass and High Island are complete later this year, officials must tackle a bigger challenge: how to pay for the 20 miles of highway. It would probably cost about $100 million to build the road, protect the marsh and help curb the erosion on the beaches, John Barton, district engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation, said at a Greater Port Arthur Chamber of Commerce's Highways Committee meeting this week. Previous estimates had put the price tag at about $75 million. The highway has been washed out four times since the 1960s. On Tuesday, Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson flew over the washed-out highway with local officials.


College Station close to picking city manager

College Station is close to choosing its next city manager. The list of five candidates was narrowed down to three this week. They are: Interim City Manager Glenn Brown, Pearland City Manger Bill Eisen and former Assistant City Manger Steven Thompson from Virginia Beach, Virginia. The next step is for the council to receive more information about each of the candidates. A decision on the finalist is expected to be made by the end of March.


$3M grant from TEF spawns 1,000 new jobs in El Paso

Gov. Rick Perry this week announced that Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP), one of the world's largest providers of payroll and tax filing services, will open a new facility in El Paso, ultimately creating more than 1,000 new high-paying jobs for El Pasoans. A $3 million grant from the Texas Enterprise Fund helped lure the ADP expansion to El Paso, along with the region's highly-skilled, bi-lingual workforce and excellent quality of life.


Dallas, San Antonio can vie for Dem's convention

San Antonio and Dallas are among 11 U.S. cities offered to host the 2008 Democratic National Convention. The Democratic National Committee released the list of cities Monday. The convention is scheduled for the week of Aug. 25, 2008, and would require the hosting city to have at least 650,000 square feet of convention space, with about 100 sky suites overlooking the main meeting area. Additional preliminary requirements offered in a November letter from the DNC include a 180,000-square-foot transportation hub, 8,000 "highly qualified" volunteers, parking for 5,000 vehicles near the convention and at least 17,000 hotel rooms and 1,000 suites within 30 minutes' travel time to the convention. Adequate office space, media work space and security also are required. A formal response to the request for proposals is due May 19. The nine other cities expressing interest in the bid are Anaheim, Calif.; Denver; Detroit; Las Vegas; Minneapolis; New Orleans; New York; Orlando, Fla.; and Phoenix.


Cherokee County wants to join RMA

The Cherokee County Commissioners Court this week voted to make a request to join the North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority. If accepted into the RMA Cherokee County will be in a better position to compete for state transportation dollars. It also opens up the possibility for toll roads to be built in the county. "It's a way for rural East Texas to have a united voice in Austin," said County Commissioner Moody Glass. "It's going to be an economical development aspect in our region - to help provide jobs and help move people."


New DPD Academy would cost $82M

Some Dallas council members this week were surprised at the latest price tag for a new police academy. Council members must now decide whether to call a bond election this fall and if so, for how much. Voters already committed $25 million for building design and land acquisition in a 2003 bond election, but city staff now said it'll run another $82 million if they want a training center that'll last for decades. They say police are running out of room at their firing range and that officers don't have a proper track to be taught safe, high-speed driving, so those elements along with others should be included in the proposal.


Familiar name to lead FW's Trinity Uptown project

Model of the proposed Trinity project

J.D. Granger, son of U.S. Rep. Kay Granger from Fort Worth, has been hired to oversee the $435 million Trinity Uptown project championed by his mother. J.D. Granger, who has worked in various volunteer roles throughout the planning process for the ambitious redevelopment and flood control project in Fort Worth, will start work for the Tarrant Regional Water District, which is the agency spearheading Trinity Uptown, on Monday.

The project involves rerouting the Trinity River through north Fort Worth to promote economic development and increase flood protection. Part of the plan creates an urban waterfront with residential, commercial and recreational features. Plans call for a mix of federal and local funding.


TCEQ strengthens landfill regulations

A sweeping rewrite of the state's landfill regulations by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is expected to drastically affect how the state gets rid of 30 million tons of household trash and debris each year. The new rules, which take effect later this month, include more stringent runoff controls, increases the size of buffer zones, limits vertical expansions and increases ground water standards; they also shorten the time landfill operators have to reach compliance.

In the five months since the state first proposed updating the suite of regulations governing landfills, recycling facilities and sludge processors, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has received 21 applications for new landfills, and expansions of existing ones, from every corner of the state. In a typical year, the agency receives 13 such requests.


Projects in the pipeline

Mary Scott Nabers

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

SPI's Research Division is constantly scouring the state for business opportunities in the public sector and uncovers dozens every day. Here are some of this week's hot opportunities:

  • The Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services recently issued a Request for Information (RFI) for the development of an electronic health record system;
  • The Texas A&M System Board of Regents has approved a $100 million, 10-year plan to establish four-year medical-school programs in College Station and Temple. Millions of dollars will be allocated to building costs and to acquiring equipment;
  • UT's Health Science Center at San Antonio in February won state approval for a $95 million ambulatory clinic, which will perform outpatient care and clinical trials when its completed in 2009;
  • University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston has $7.9 million to renovate and expand the Moody Medical Library this year; and
  • The Texas Department of State Health Services has $3.6 million in 2006 and $5 million in 2007 to buy a variety of technology, including personal computers, servers and printers.

ONLINE POLL

Do you favor financial incentives from the government for private companies seeking to expand or relocate here?

(Results will be published next week)

Last week, 53% of respondents said they favor a new law to prohibit straight-ticket voting, requiring voters to vote for candidates individually. 47% were opposed to the idea.

Mansfield ISD OKs $241.5M bond election for May

Mansfield Independent School District trustees have called a $241.5 million bond election for May 13. The bond package includes six new schools, including a fifth high school for the North Texas district. Renovations and improvements to existing schools and facilities and an additional transportation facility also are included in the package.


Marlins eye move to SA

Talk of Major League Baseball's Florida Marlins relocating to San Antonio is getting louder. Bob DuPuy, president and chief operating officer of Major League Baseball, said San Antonio "has become the focus of [the] Marlins' relocation discussions," according to the Miami Herald. If the move occurs, it would be the first Major League Baseball team in Texas outside Houston or Dallas.


Dallas picks fire chief

A veteran Fort Worth firefighter will become the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department's new chief. Fort Worth Fire Department Executive Deputy Chief Eddie Burns will assume Dallas' top job April 19, City Manager Mary Suhm announced Wednesday in a memorandum to the City Council.


Report: Texas earns C for mental health system

Texas gets a C grade for helping adults with serious mental illnesses, according to the first state-by-state report on the U.S. mental health care system in more than 15 years. "Grading the States: A Report on America's Health Care System for Serious Mental Illnesses," financed by the Stanley Foundation, was released Wednesday by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Texas received a C for mental health infrastructure, a D for information access, a B-minus for services and a C for recovery support. The report gave an overall grade of D to the United States.


Cornyn calls on Congress to address border violence

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, chairman of the Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship subcommittee, called for swift action by Congress to address border violence at a hearing he chaired on Wednesday. Cornyn said "this situation is unacceptable, and Congress must act to end it now."


Ask the experts

Q: I keep reading about funding allocations being made to areas affected by last year's hurricanes. Is there a list of cities or counties receiving all this money?

Kirk Yoshida

A: Knowing where the money is going is essential to contractors and vendors that would like to participate in the rebuilding process, which in many places is more active than ever. The USDA recently published a list and a map that identifies all the counties along the Gulf Coast that were declared hurricane disaster areas by President Bush. These counties, and the cities and towns within them, are receiving the vast majority of hurricane-related funding.

-Kirk Yoshida,
senior research analyst at Strategic Partnerships, Inc.

Have a question for one of SPI's government affairs experts?
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Procurement articles online

Click here to view recent articles on government procurement authored by Mary Scott Nabers, president and CEO of Strategic Partnerships Inc., and published in the Austin Business Journal and Houston Business Journal.

[Editor's note: Mary Scott Nabers' procurement columns run regularly in the Austin Business Journal, Houston Business Journal, San Antonio Business Journal and the Dallas Business Journal]



Event Links

HUB Forums in March

Upcoming Executive Women in Texas Government events

Law Enforcement Regional Workshop - 3/8/06

DIR's Internet Security Forumn - 3/28/06

TASSCC Technology Education Conference - 3/29/06

CAPCOG's Austin-San Antonio Conference on Entrepreneurship and Regional Competitiveness - 4/7/06

Fiesta Informacion 2006 - 4/24/06-4/27/06

TCEQ's Environmental Trade Fair and Conference - 5/9/06-5/11/06

TAGITM Annual Conference - 5/16/06-5/19/06

Texas Hurricane Conference - 5/23/06-5/25/06

Texas Government Insider Archives

Volume 1, 2, 3 and 4 Archives - 11/7/03 - 2/24/06

Resources

The Role of States in Immigration Enforcement - NEW!

HRO’s Interim News- NEW!

Senate Interim Charges

House Interim Charges

2006 Election Calendar

Texas Fact Book '06-'07

LBB's Fiscal Size-up '06-'07

SAO report on full-time state employees for fiscal 2005

Texas Human Resources Management Statutes Inventory

TBPC Vendor Guide

State Budget Resources

HUB Forms Library

State Contract Management Guide

State Procurement Manual

Who Represents Me? Texas Districts By Address

Diagram of Texas' Biennial Budget Cycle


Celebrate Texas Independence Day

An array of events honoring Texas Independence Day are taking place at the Capitol today through Sunday. These events include a parade, barbeque cook-off and a 5K fun-run. Click here for more information.


TBPC Discussion Forum on purchasing methods

The Texas Building and Procurement Commission will host a one-hour discussion that will review the various purchasing methods used in Texas. The discussion is aimed toward purchasing and contract-management staff that would like to get up to speed on basic purchasing statutes, rules, politices and procedures. Contact Ange McCrary at (512) 463-3444 for more information.