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More possible fallout from Minnesota bridge collapseCarona touts amendment to ensure funding for highways, bridgesA potential consequence of the Aug. 1 Minnesota bridge disaster could manifest itself during Texas' next legislative session.
Sen. John Carona of Dallas favors amending the Texas Constitution so lawmakers cannot divert gas tax revenues to pay for expenses tangentially related to construction and maintenance of roads and bridges. "We've got to stop the diversion of gas tax funds for other uses," he said at a recent meeting of the Senate Transportation Committee. Most of the current annual budget for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is funded from the motor fuels tax. However, the chairman of the U.S. House Transportation Committee, Rep. Jim Oberstar of Minnesota, recently proposed a 5-cent increase in the federal gasoline tax to establish a new trust fund for repairing or replacing structurally deficient highway bridges. [more]TPWD to hire 200 new employees
The positions will be posted on the TPWD Web site and advertised this month and in September. "We're looking for a broad spectrum of skills for different kinds of jobs, ranging from people with strong maintenance skills to help repair facilities, folks with the ability to explain and interpret park natural resources and history for visitors, and experienced professionals who can help manage and administer these sites," said Dabney in citing just a few of the examples of the types of positions available. Those employed may find themselves serving in parks with camping areas such as the one in the accompanying TPWD photo by Rob McCorkle at Lake Ray Roberts. Many of the jobs are entry level, but most require some special skills and experience that will be spelled out in the job descriptions. Among the types of positions available are: Park specialists (interpreters, park police officers, resource management, park superintendent trainees, park superintendents), program specialists (regional law enforcement coordinators, regional natural resource specialists, regional cultural resource specialists); architects; an interpretation and exhibits planner; Park Rangers (maintenance, utility plant operators, interpreters); maintenance assistants; maintenance technicians; administrative assistants; clerks and food service workers. Teachers escape new IRS tax rule implementationThousands of teachers across the state are breathing a sigh of relief after having been caught off guard by a new tax rule that will be implemented by the Internal Revenue Service. The rules for implementation of the law were issued in April, and the change in the law had "unintended consequences" for Texas teachers, according to Kristina Tirloni (pictured), spokesperson for the Texas Classroom Teachers Association.
Some school districts in Texas allow their teachers a choice of being paid in each of the months they actually work (usually August of one year through May of the next), or they can choose to annualize their salary and have it paid out over 12 months. The new law affects individuals who defer compensation from one year to the next. That is the case for many Texas schoolteachers because they chose the 12-month annualization. Tirloni said the rule was aimed at big corporations that sometimes pay out bonuses at the end of the year but those funds are not taxed until the next year. "Teachers just got caught in the net," she said. The result could have been that those teachers paid over 12 months for working part of the year could have been subject to an additional 20 percent tax on the money they were paid after the school year ended. [more]Strategic Partnerships salutes Texas' Lone Stars
This week's salute is to Mary Fields, CFO and Director of Administrative Resources at the Texas Parks and Wildlife DepartmentCareer highlights and education: Over 22 years of state financial experience, starting with the State Auditor's Office and after 10 years moved to the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) as the Director of Internal Audit. During my eight-year tenure at DFPS, I transitioned from audit to financial management serving in several roles including Acting Deputy Director of Finance and Director of Budget and Federal Funds. Currently serve as CFO and Director of Administrative Resources at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Graduated from Texas State University with a BBA in accounting and became a Certified Public Accountant in 1989. What I like best about my job is: Being the CFO at Parks and Wildlife has presented many challenges and opportunities to learn new things. Because the agency is very diverse, I have had the opportunity to expand my knowledge in several areas. We are one of the few revenue-generating agencies, we do construction, we buy and sell land, we have a fleet of vehicles, volunteer workers, state-owned housing, law enforcement, a foundation...the list goes on and each of these areas has a special set of rules relating to state government. It's been a true education for me, and I continue to grow and learn in the job. The best advice I've received for my current job: Know your own strengths and weaknesses and hire people who complement your weaknesses. A lot of times your strengths offset their weaknesses. This creates a good base to work from, and you can learn from each other and grow from your experiences on the job. Advice I would give a new hire in my office: Work is a place to learn, to grow and to share. Come in with an open mind, ready to learn and ready to share your expertise with others. Remember there's more than one way to get things accomplished and work together to find the best way to get the job done. That "best way" often comes through sharing of ideas. If I ever snuck out of work early, I could probably be found: out on the water. Swimming, boating, water skiing, fishing...if there is water involved, I'm there. People would be surprised to know that I: am a bit of a thrill seeker. I have sky dived, just recently became certified to scuba dive, and yes, I even ride Harleys. One thing I wish more people knew about my agency: Texas Parks and Wildlife is a conservation agency. It's not all about hunting and fishing and boating. It's important to preserve our water and wildlife and assist in managing the vast private lands in Texas while insuring public access to natural resources for the future, for our children. Water and land are finite things, and we need to respect and conserve them. That is our agency mission, and it's important for our future! Each week, the Texas Government Insider profiles a key government executive or decision-maker. If you would like to suggest a "Lone Star," please email us at editor@spartnerships.com. OAG Child Support Division wins national awardThe Texas Attorney General's Child Support Division has been recognized as the nation's best child support program by the National Child Support Enforcement Association (NCSEA). Alicia Key (right), Deputy Attorney General for the Child Support Division, was in Florida earlier this week to receive the association's Outstanding Program Award.
Attorney General Greg Abbott (left) praised the work of the Child Support Division employees for their efforts on behalf of young Texans. "Texans can rest assured that we remain committed to an efficient and effective child support process," he said. For 2006, the Texas program was the third most productive workforce in the country, collecting $760,000 per child support employee, nearly doubling the national average of $396,000 per employee. Texas ranked second only to California in the amount of collections for FY 2006, with more than $2.1 billion. That more than $2 billion was a nearly $230 million increase over the previous year, a trend in the state that has made Texas collections grow more than any other state in the country over the past 10 years. Cabrales named general counsel to governorDavid G. Cabrales (pictured) of Dallas has been named general counsel to Gov. Rick Perry, effective Sept. 4. Cabrales, an attorney and equity member of the law firm Locke Liddell and Sapp P.L.L.C., will replace Brian Newby, who was recently named Perry's chief of staff.
His practice focuses on insurance disputes, securities actions and business torts. Cabrales will give up his position on the Texas Racing Commission to accept the position with the governor's office. The Dallas attorney is a past member of the Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners, is a member of the Dallas Hispanic Bar Association and the State Bar of Texas, where he serves on the steering committee of the Texas Minority Counsel Program. Cabrales is also a member of the Dallas Bar Association and past chairman of the Securities Law Section. He formerly served as a judicial clerk in the Texas Supreme Court for Raul A. Gonzalez. Cabrales holds a bachelor's degree from Texas Tech University and a law degree from Southern Methodist University School of Law where he attended as a Hatton W. Sumners Scholar and graduated cum laude. Texas will not lose federal highway fundsWhen the Texas Transportation Commission reopened the bid process for the state's proposed Highway 121 toll road so that the local North Texas Tollway Authority could enter a bid against Spanish construction company Cintra, the Federal Highway Administration cried "foul." The agency even intimated that some federal highway funds might be withheld from the Lone Star State if it was determined that reopening of the bid process violated federal bidding rules. Texas stood to lose as much as $200 million.
When complete, State Highway 121 will be a 25.9 mile toll road connecting Collin, Dallas and Denton Counties, terminating near the Tarrant County line. DHS notes Web site for organ donor registrationThe Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has announced a new online organ donor registry to make it easier for Texans to become organ, tissue and eye donors. The registry is named for the late State Rep. Glenda Dawson, a kidney transplant recipient, who was a champion for organ donation.
The Glenda Dawson Donate Life-Texas Registry, at www.DonateLifeTexas.org, allows interested parties to register online as a donor. "One donor can save or enhance the lives of more than 50 people with gifts of organs, tissues and eyes," said Evelyn Delgado (pictured), DSHS assistant commissioner for Family and Community Health Services. Delgado said the Web site offers information to potential donors to make a more informed decision on organ donation. Delgado said the Web-based registry helps streamline the donation process and takes less than five minutes to register. The information is not made public and can only be accessed by authorized organ procurement organizations and tissue and eye banks. Officials note that there is a critical shortage of organs for transplant and that more than 400 Texans died last year waiting for transplants. Bearse to leave governor's office for private sectorGov. Rick Perry's director of communications, Eric Bearse, is leaving the governor's office to open a consulting business. Bearse has been Perry's principle speechwriter for nine years during which time he authored two inaugural addresses, the governor's initial oath of office speech, four State-of-the-State speeches and three Republican state convention speeches. He also oversaw message development in the Office of the Governor, working with policy experts to shape Perry's policy pronouncements and coordinating Perry's public communications schedule. In Perry's 1998 campaign for lieutenant governor, Bearse worked as Perry's deputy press secretary before becoming his press secretary in 2000. When Perry became governor, Bearse shifted into full-time speechwriting as deputy communications director, and in 2004 assumed the role of communications director. Ag commissioner appoints aquifer committee membersRader Gilleland of Uvalde County and Ray Joy Pfannstiel of Guadalupe County were recently appointed by Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples to the Edwards Aquifer Recovery Implementation Program Steering Committee. "The work of the committee and all associated stakeholders will help develop a balanced approach to endangered species recovery and water resource management activities in this vitally important area of our state," said Staples. Gilleland manages a Uvalde County farm focused on livestock and crop production. Pfannstiel's farm in Guadalupe County produces corn, grain sorghum, wheat and beef cattle. Rangel pharmacy school on track for accreditationThe Texas A&M Health Science Center Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy recently earned "candidate" status from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), putting it on track to earn full accreditation in 2010.
"This achievement represents another step in the ongoing efforts of the Texas A&M Health Science Center to meet the critical demand for health professionals throughout our state," said Nancy Dickey, M.D. (pictured), president of the Texas A&M Health Science Center and vice chancellor for health affairs for the Texas A&M System. "In particular, the need for pharmacists in the border region of Texas is acute, and the HSC-COP is educating and training the next generation of pharmacists that will address this need." The pharmacy curriculum consists of 146 semester credit hours beyond the minimum two-year prerequisite and core curriculum classes. Students must also complete 1,500 clinical practice hours to be licensed in Texas. Bridgeport plan includes event center, other itemsThe five-year capital improvement plan for the city of Bridgeport includes a new multi-purpose event center, an athletic complex, an industrial park, a recreation center and a new animal shelter. The estimated cost of the plan, which covers the period from 2007 to 2012, will be a little more than $54 million. The proposed event center will also include an indoor/outdoor arena and show barns, stalls, meeting and retail space, a restaurant and parking facilities. City officials also are considering the addition of a new $2 million fire station and the renovation of the old police station for use as a visitor center, museum and offices for the chamber of commerce, among other things. The youth athletic complex will include baseball, softball, soccer, football and outdoor basketball and sand volleyball facilities. Other projects for the five-year period include a new animal shelter, a library expansion, a recreational vehicle park and a recreation center that will feature basketball and racquetball courts, a weight room, showers, locker rooms, storage, office space, meeting rooms and other areas. Abilene ISD considers bond election
The district is considering a career and technology center and school officials indicate that could be added into a bond election, if one were to be called. Officials note that rising construction and labor costs have caused the projects approved in the 2004 bond election to exceed available bond money. East Texas COG to control public transitThe East Texas Council of Governments will take over decision-making for rural public transit operations in the area. The council contracts with a private company that will soon dissolve. All employees of the company will work for the council once the transition is complete. Program continuity and a more hands-on approach to operating the rural transit system are reasons why the council is assuming control. The council coordinates the environment, criminal justice, public safety planning, employment, training and aging services for the region, including Gregg, Rusk, Upshur and Harrison counties. UT-Arlington training hospital to open second phaseThe University of Texas at Arlington will soon open the second phase of its School of Nursing Smart Hospital™. The new 13,000 square-foot educational facility - the most advanced nursing education laboratory of its kind in the United States -will house human-like, life-sized "manikins" that bleed, have heart and lung sounds, pulses, can die and can even give birth to babies. The simulated patients can be programmed to present an array of health-care problems including gashes, gangrene and gunshot wounds. Students can assess a trauma victim with metal protruding from his head and treat a patient's foaming and watering eyes after a bioterrorism attack. West Orange-Cove CISD seeks $51.99 million bondThe West Orange-Cove Consolidated Independent School District hopes to hold a bond election on Nov. 6 in which they will seek voter approval of $51.99 million for a new elementary school, building additions and renovation of existing facilities. The bond would call for $29.8 million for a new elementary school; $7.6 million for a middle school addition; $1.1 million for auditorium renovations; $3.9 million to renovate the high school football stadium; $1.4 million for high school baseball field renovations including additional bleachers; and high school softball field renovations for $1 million including dugout and locker room additions. Arlington could institute tax for public safety needsOne of the few major cities in the North Central Texas area that is not at the 8.25 percent state sales tax cap, the city of Arlington could change that soon. City officials are considering a referendum to increase the sales tax by one-eighth of a cent. The proceeds would be used to put more police officers on the streets.
Mayor Robert Cluck (pictured) has proposed creating a crime control and prevention district in the city that would increase the number of police officers in the city. The tax, if approved, would raise more than $5 million per year, which could pay for an additional 60 police officers. Cluck is concerned that residents of the city fear for their safety, and cited the increase in violent crimes in the city as one of the reasons for that fear. If the referendum were to be approved in a November election, the city could begin collecting the tax as early as March 2008. Proceeds not only would pay for salaries for new officers, but also for equipment and crime reduction programs. Beaumont ISD officials question bond amountOfficials with the Beaumont ISD may have a hard sell for a proposed $443 million bond election. Chairman Ollis Whitaker (pictured) noted at a recent board meeting that "something else comes into the mix" each time there are efforts to reduce the bond amount. He is intent on there being a consensus and that all questions are answered before the issue is put to voters.
The district is looking at building "up" at some of its elementary schools, with two-story structures because of a lack of space for building "out." The board is also discussing whether building the most expensive projects first will reduce the impact of inflation and thus save money. Phase one - the rebuilding of existing schools and the building of new schools - would cost more than $160 million. Phase two, which includes building three new schools, has a price tag of more than $83 million. Phase three, building two new elementary schools, will cost $37 million. Tech center to be named for Laura BushFirst Lady Laura Bush will lend her name to the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center Women's Health Research Institute. University officials note that renaming the facility the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Laura W. Bush Institute for Women's Health will lend more prestige to the university, help increase enrollment and help recruit faculty. The first lady said she is "honored" by the tribute. Tech Chancellor Kent Hance said the renaming of the facility will be "huge" for Texas Tech and for women's health issues. The institute was established in Amarillo in 2000 and expanded institution-wide in 2006 to include campuses in Amarillo, El Paso, Lubbock, the Permian Basin and Abilene. The expansion of the women's institute brings together the strengths of TTUHSC's five schools - Medicine, Nursing, Allied Health Sciences, Pharmacy and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Walker County EMC now full timeWalker County has upgraded the deputy emergency management coordinator position from part-time to full-time for the remainder of the fiscal year. On Aug. 2, Charles Sturrock took the position in which he has served on a part-time basis since October 2006. His duties include emergency management planning, upgrading plans, attending meetings and overseeing the emergency command center when it is activated. The position's increased hours are needed because of enhanced regulations from the Governor's Division of Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as well as the fact that Walker County is the first shelter point for those leaving the Houston-Galveston area during a hurricane. Ever wonder about the officer who pulls you over?Texans concerned about civilians impersonating police officers may be reassured by a new law. House Bill 3613 stipulates that law-enforcement agencies create new identification cards and establish a 24-hour number so citizens can verify a card's validity. The law goes into effect Sept. 1, but some agencies have until January 2008 to comply.
"I've already received tons of questions on compliance from law enforcement agencies," said James Heironimus, director of enforcement and credentialing at Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (TCLEOSE). Beginning Sept. 1, drivers may ask to see the officer's ID and then use a cell phone to check on its authenticity. "HB 3613 applies to all law enforcement agencies, but it gives those that commission more than 1,000 officers the opportunity to comply until 2010," said Tom Gaylor (left), deputy executive director of intergovernmental affairs at the Texas Municipal Police Association. The bill requires that the officers' names, photographs, thumbprints and physical descriptions be included on the card, as well as the state seal and agency that commissioned the individual. Citizens can call a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week phone number and talk to police dispatchers - not automated machines - to verify an officer's identity.
"The ID is meant to assist law enforcement officers in this state and others to more quickly determine if someone is truly a commissioned peace officer," Gaylor said. Desalination plant goes online in El PasoAn $87 million desalination plant that will treat approximately 8,000 gallons of water per day and is expected to be at full capacity of 27.5 million gallons per day by October, went online this week in El Paso. Officials in other parts of the state and nation are watching the plant closely for possible plants in those areas as well - such as in San Antonio and Tucson, Arizona. The plant will play a key role in ensuring a water supply when the military population at Fort Bliss and the surrounding areas increases with the addition of thousands of military service men and women and their families to the base by 2011. Parker County considering jail privatizationThe Parker County Sheriff's Office needs nearly one-half of the county's operational budget for next year - $15 million - and that has stirred talks of privatizing the county jail. A new wing to the county jail is expected to be completed in the fall and half of the sheriff's budget request is related to jail expenditures. County officials this week heard from a private corrections facility operator and are interested in discussing how privatizing management of the jail could save the county money. The jail expansion will increase the number of beds in the facility from 170 to 446. Although the addition of the jail was intended to save money by keeping the county from having to send some of its inmates to other counties, the new addition will likely be at capacity quickly. If privatized, the jail operations that include managing and maintaining the entire facility, transporting most inmates, providing medical, dental, food and laundry services would be turned over to an outside contractor. The county would pay a daily price per inmate. Officials seem to believe it will save taxpayer dollars. Stephenson is Tarleton's interim executive director
Stephenson earned a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University, a law degree from the University of Denver and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Baylor University. Hurricane forecast lowered for current seasonForecast for the current hurricane season, which ends in November, has been lowered by government forecasters, but state officials will be the first to tell Texans not to let their guard down. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration originally forecast that the 2007 season, which began in June, would have up to 17 tropical storms, with as many as 10 to become hurricanes. Although that figure has been lowered to up to 16 storms and up to nine hurricanes, officials still predict that three to five of those hurricanes could be strong. Houston ISD board approves bond electionVoters in the Houston school district will go to the polls in November to cast their votes in a $90 million bond election. Included in the proposal are $27 million in safety upgrades, renovation of four middle schools and four high schools at $10 million each and improvements at three athletic stadiums at a total cost of $16.6 million. More than 20 new campuses would be built and more than 130 would face repairs and renovations. Comal County to sell bonds for various projectsComal County will issue more than $20 million in certificates of obligation to fund numerous capital improvement projects. Among the projects are a $6 million courthouse renovation, for which the county also is seeking funding from the Texas Historical Commission's fund to assist counties with courthouse restorations. Other projects include $6 million for a new office building, $5 million for a dam on Dry Comal Creek, $375,000 to expand justice of the peace and adult probation offices and $100,000 for a livestock barn. Sharkey appointed to prestigious health study groupJoseph Sharkey (pictured), associate professor in the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health, recently accepted an invitation to join the National Institutes of Health Community-Level Health Promotion study section. He will review grant applications involving large-scale, community-based and community-oriented intervention research projects.
Sharkey's current research includes efforts to better understand the influence of aspects of the home, neighborhood and community environments on nutritional health and the role of nutritional status and medication use in the maintenance of physical function among older adults. "Working with our target populations in the Brazos Valley and the Lower Rio Grande Valley gives me a unique perspective on community health issues and effective methods by which public health researchers address those issues," Sharkey said. Commuter study searches for corridor candidatesU.S. 290's railroad line is a top candidate for a commuter railroad corridor, according to a Regional Commuter Rail Connectivity Study conducted by The Harris-Galveston Area Council. The council will reveal the top five commuter railroad corridors in the region next week. The overall study should be completed by December. Once the top five are chosen, the project team will execute "travel demand modeling" on each of them to establish how many potential riders there are and where those riders want to go. The team will also calculate how much it would cost to construct and operate a commuter system on each corridor. Parker appointed to interim city manager postDan Parker, Gainesville's city finance director, was appointed the city's interim city manager - a post vacated by Mike Land. The position becomes official on Monday. Another temporary Gainesville appointee is Capt. Steven Flemming who is set to become interim chief of police when Carl Dunlap leaves on Aug. 24. Coulter to become UTHS vice presidentSusan H. Coulter (pictured) will become vice president of institutional advancement at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, effective Sept. 1.
Since 1998, Coulter has been vice president for university advancement at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) where she directed communications, public affairs, alumni relations, development and special events. Her office facilitated the "Here for the Health of Texas" branding initiative, conducted 60 "President's Outreach Visits" throughout Texas, the $250-million "Timeless Values, Pioneering Solutions" campaign and realized a fivefold increase in philanthropic giving to university programs. Coulter's previous positions include vice president for university advancement at Colorado State University, associate vice president for institutional advancement and executive director of the Creative Partnerships Campaign for the University of Houston and serving in several capacities with the Indiana University Foundation. She earned her bachelor's, master's and law degrees from Indiana University. El Campo school upgrade estimates establishedEl Campo school trustees are considering upgrades for district facilities, which would cost $12.4 million to $12.6 million to construct. The estimates presume all projects would start in April 2008. Potential upgrades for the high school include $3.5 million to bring it into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, increase the number of classrooms and laboratories, and build both boys and girls bathrooms on each floor; $2.9 million to convert the gym to a cafeteria; and $1 million to turn the old cafeteria into teaching space. Possible upgrades for the elementary schools include $2.9 million to consolidate administrative offices and add a new cafeteria and classrooms, and $60,000 to renovate an office and upgrade security. Building a track and football field, and installing bleachers at the new middle school are estimated to cost between $835,000 and $842,000. Replacing the track and installing artificial turf at Ricebird Stadium will probably cost between $1 million and $1.4 million. Socorro ISD planning $397 million bond electionEl Paso County voters will be asked to approve a November bond election worth $397 million by the Socorro Independent School District. The funds would be used for new schools, additions, refurbishments and other upgrades. Technology and security spending is also included. The money is needed to keep up with East Side growth and also to bring older campuses in the district up to standard with the newer facilities. The amount of the bond issue has more than doubled that of the last bond election in 2004, when voters approved a $188 million bond issue. Much of the growth in the district will be the result of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) action at Fort Bliss, which will infuse thousands of military personnel and their families into the area. Technology could help with traffic flow problemsTyler has become the second city in Texas to install sensors along city streets to help enhance traffic flow. The sensors will use radar technology to detect live traffic flow and then adjust traffic signal speeds every five minutes to assist with traffic efficiency. The systems are being installed at more than a dozen intersections. The sensors send out radar signals, show how many vehicles are on the road, how fast they are moving and whether there is approaching traffic. This data controls the speed and length of the signals. The new technology better handles random traffic variations caused by weather, holidays and new business growth, according to city officials. Houston colleges to share campus construction costsA proposed $35 million structure will be built at the Sugar Land campus of the University of Houston System and Wharton County Junior College. It will be shared by the two colleges as a way to overcome state budget crunches and provide educational resources in the two institutions.
"This partnership is receiving rave reviews in Austin as a model for moving forward in this time of competing funding priorities in the legislature," said Tim Hudson (pictured), president of UH-Victoria, which is the managing university for the Sugar Land campus. The new building will add 145,000 square feet of classroom and instructional space to the existing Sugar Land campus. The junior college will lease about two-thirds of the space from the UH System. The plan calls for more than 40 new classrooms, a performance hall, computer, science and nursing-skills labs, faculty offices, a bookstore, a weight room, an aerobics room and a student lounge. San Antonio seeks newly created Air Force unitSan Antonio could become the site for the new Air Force Cyberspace Command, whose mission is to secure the military's communications and data systems. The command was created in November. Texas trails the other states - Louisiana, California and Nebraska - that are trying to land the command, which is expected to employ several hundred Air Force personnel. Though Texas hasn't chosen a specific site for the command, Joe Krier with the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce said facilities at Lackland AFB or the adjacent Kelly USA industrial park are possibilities. "This is a big opportunity for us," he said, adding that San Antonio would offer expertise in the command field. Baylor's energy efforts earn national awardBaylor University has received an Innovation Award from the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) for utilizing wind power while saving money.
The award recognized Baylor in the resource enhancement category, which highlights universities that have successfully reduced costs, increased revenues or improved productivity in response to a campus need. Baylor's 10-year electricity deal with an energy services company led to receiving the award. The deal gives Baylor a predictable cost structure for its electricity needs for the next decade. Electricity currently costs Baylor approximately $13.5 million per year for its 735-acre campus and administrators expect to save about $2 million annually once the new contract takes effect in July 2008. "This is really a win-win financially and environmentally," said Don Bagby (pictured), director of facilities management at Baylor. "We are honored that NACUBO has acknowledged us as a leader among higher education institutions when it comes to energy procurement." El Pasoans to decide on children's hospitalFunding of a new and separately licensed children's hospital will go before El Paso voters in a referendum in November. The county this week decided to put the $120 million proposal before voters. Officials say the hospital would pay for its own operating costs once it is opened. Fate hopes to find new city managerFate's first city manager, Gerry Boren, has resigned from the post he held since Oct. 1, 2003. Sunnyvale's Larry Graves will serve as interim city manager until a permanent replacement can be found. Get your free copy of the Texas Government InsiderThe Texas Government Insider is a free weekly newsletter. If you are not a subscriber, or if you would like to sign up your friends or co-workers to receive a free copy, click here. |
Techies now the norm!
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Biodiesel Coalition of Texas hosts conference, expoMore than 70 exhibitors will be on hand for the annual Texas Biodiesel Conference and Expo, hosted by the Biodiesel Coalition of Texas (BCOT), scheduled for the Renaissance Hotel in Austin on Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 5-6. Leaders in the biodiesel industry will discuss commodity trading, biodiesel marketing, regulatory, economic development strategies and tax incentives. Dr. Perry McNeil, mayor of Denton, will deliver the keynote address. The conference provides networking opportunities for industry leaders, regulators and interested end-users. To view the conference schedule, click here. For more information and to register, click here. Chertoff to speak at UTEP border security conferenceThe University of Texas at El Paso is hosting the 4th annual Border Security Conference, Aug. 13-14. The conference is designed to focus on the challenges and opportunities facing the border region. Speakers will include Michael Chertoff, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Admiral James G. Stavridis, Commander of the United States Southern Command; and Mike McConnell, director of national intelligence. For more information and to pre-register click here. TARC Conference on Regionalism set in SeptemberThe 2007 Texas Association of Regional Councils' Conference on Regionalism is set for Sept. 5-7 at the Omni Southpark Hotel in Austin. Among the confirmed speakers for the annual event are: Texas State Sen. Kirk Watson; Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples; Dr. Ray Perryman, president of the Perryman Group; Texas State Rep. Mike Krusee; Austin Mayor Will Winn; and Billy Ray Hall, founding president of the Rural Economic Development Center. Some of the discussion sessions will center on topics that include school emergency preparedness and response, critical infrastructure protection, recycling and waste minimization and statewide interoperability. To view the agenda for the conference, click here. Exhibitor registration ends Aug. 3. To register online to attend the conference, click here. Attorney General's Office hosts fatherhood conferenceThe Texas Attorney General's Office is hosting a national conference on "The First Nine Months of Fatherhood: Paternal Contributions to Maternal and Infant Outcomes" August 20-21 in Houston. The conference is designed to present a sampling of the emerging research findings on the impact of paternal involvement and promising field practices. Legislative and policy staff, Health & Human Services/Administration for Children & Families administrators, health, social science, and public policy researchers, public agency administrators and others are welcome. For more information, visit http://www.oag.state.tx.us/conferences/fatherhood/. |
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For the first time in a long time, officials of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department are seeking approximately 200 individuals to fill new employee positions at parks throughout the state. The jobs came open after members of the 80th Texas Legislature appropriated what parks officials called much-needed funding to ensure the states park system's viability. The agency's operating budget was increased by more than $100 millon for the 2008-2009 biennium.
Positions at dozens of park sites throughout the state will be open, according to Walt Dabney (pictured), TPWD state parks director. Dabney said the department is looking for individuals "who are interested in a long-term career with Texas state parks."
State officials were concerned about losing funds after awarding the bid to the NTTA. U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (pictured) called U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters this week and asked if the state would be penalized for the way the Highway 21 bidding was handled. Hutchison reports the Federal Highway Administration "will absolutely not" penalize Texas by withholding any funds.
Officials of the Abilene ISD are considering taking a school bond issue to voters to help fund construction projects that are over-budget from a successful 2004 school bond issue. The 10 final projects from that bond election are expected to cost approximately $33 million, more than $15 million over what was budgeted. Superintendent David Polnick (pictured) is urging the continuation of the projects but the 2004 bond money is dwindling.
Though the date the cards will be ready for officers and their cost hasn't been established, John S. O'Brien (right), director of the Legislative Budget Board, notes that no significant fiscal implication to the state is anticipated. His report estimates that the Houston Police Department, with approximately 4,900 active and 6,900 retired officers, will pay $72,235 for supplies for issuing new identification cards and $156,751 in costs for having officers take time from normal duties to have their photos and thumbprints taken. This would bring the total cost to $228,986 each card cycle.
Dr. MacGregor Stephenson (pictured), associate vice chancellor for academic affairs for The Texas A&M University System, has been named interim executive director of Tarleton University System Center-Central Texas.
