Governments look for green solutions
When Southern Methodist University decided to build a new engineering building, its leaders decided the project should serve as an educational exercise for its community.
As a result, students who walk through the doors of the million J. Lindsay Embrey building literally will be on the cutting edge of the hottest trend in construction design: green building. The $16 million structure, which recently opened, is expected to earn a coveted Gold status in the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system.
If the Gold rating is conferred, SMU will boast the first college building in Texas to earn the accolade, saving the private university an estimated $70,000 annually in energy costs.
Like SMU, state and local governments in Texas are striving to be good stewards of the public's money and the environment by turning to "green" innovations to reduce waste and pollution -and also to save money.
Vendors hoping to get an edge in the competition to earn government contracts should note that most purchasing decisions may be determined by a project or a product's environmental impact.
The state of Texas has several programs in place to encourage "green" buying. For instance, the State Energy Conservation Office publishes guidelines for local governments to use to increase energy efficiency. The Texas Building and Procurement Commission encourages the purchase of recycled products, primarily by advising state agency purchasers on how to locate them. The TBPC also keeps track of each agency's consumption of recycled-content products.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality both collects and markets recycled products and coordinates the National Recycling Coalition's Buy Recycled Business Alliance. The Texas Department of Transportation has conducted extensive research into the use of recycled materials in highway construction and has become a national leader in utilizing many recycled items, including automobile tires.
Local governments are turning green as well. Austin Energy's Green Building program offers educational services, rebates and other benefits to any member of the public embarking on a construction project. The city of Austin in 2000 passed a resolution requiring all municipal buildings to meet the U.S. Green Building Council's silver rating. Frisco has adopted a green building program similar to Austin's.
The McKinney Independent School District in 2000 built the state's first sustainable design elementary school, Roy Lee Walker Elementary (pictured), featuring natural light to cut down energy costs.
Next week, the 2006 Engineering Green Buildings Conference and Expo will be held at the Hyatt Lost Pines Resort and Spa, featuring training seminars on green-building topics-like energy efficiency, plumbing and indoor air quality for non-residential construction. Contact 1-800-438-6720 for more information.
TAMU-Corpus Christi to see expansion
Continuing annual increases in enrollment have officials of Texas A&M at Corpus Christi looking for space into which the campus can expand. "As we continue to grow, we have to know how we are going to accommodate growth," said TAMU-CC President Flavius Killebrew.
Although some building projects have already been approved, the university has hired a consultant to offer recommendations on how to use the university's space more efficiently. The campus currently uses 200 of its 240 acres. Under consideration are possible consolidation of buildings or making them taller. Purchase of land off the island also is being studied. Housing also is scarce, prompting school officials to approve a new residence building which is expected to be completed in the fall of 2008.
The university will open its new $21.7 million Wellness Center in February, which also will accommodate classes and emergency operations facilities.
DIR expecting continued growth
The Texas Department of Information Resources expects to handle $900 million in technology-related purchases for its customers next year through its cooperative contracting program, according to projections recently delivered to its board.
Fueling the growth is the customer centric approach DIR is taking to the cooperative contract program. By listening to customers, DIR is able to work with the vendor community to make the IT hardware, software and services the customers request easily available. For example, DIR is currently working on a procurement for surveillance cameras that are being requested by schools and cities alike. The increased depth and breadth of the program is the major driver in current and projected growth.
In addition, HB 1516, adopted last legislative session, allows DIR to sell out of state. According to Leslie Mueller, DIR Assistant Director of Customer Services, that change in the law will allow vendors to take contracts negotiated with the State of Texas and offer the same terms to governmental units outside Texas.
While state agencies are required to go through DIR for technology purchases (with some exceptions), about 83 percent of DIR's customers are local governments and school districts. Smaller cities and school districts can enjoy the savings negotiated in large volume by DIR. "They just don't have the leverage we do because they don't have the volume we have," said Mueller. "It's dollars and cents."
Because DIR has already negotiated contracts with vendors, cities, counties and schools can "eliminate both the time and soft costs of procurement."
UT names vice provost for health affairs
William M. Sage has been named vice provost for health affairs at the University of Texas System.
Sage, who has degrees in both law and medicine, will handle a multitude of duties: teaching at the law school, overseeing health affairs at UT Austin, working on UT System health-related projects and developing the Dell Pediatric Research Institute.
He has taught at Columbia University since 1995.
Temple to serve as president of NASWA
Larry Temple, executive director of the Texas Workforce Commission, is the newly elected President-elect of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA). NASWA is a national organization of state directors of workforce services whose mission is to coordinate local, state, and federal roles in workforce development.
A member of the NASWA Board of Directors since 2003, he has previously served as chair of the Administration and Finance Committee and co-chair of the Communications Committee.
Temple began his public-sector career in 1992 as deputy director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services. He moved to Texas in 1997 to take over as director of TWC's Office of Welfare Reform and was later named deputy executive director. He serves on the State's P-16 Council, which coordinates educational policy between Pre-K and 12 public education and higher education. He also serves on the Texas Workforce Investment Council that promotes an educated and highly skilled workforce.
Wright Amendment facing more hurdles
Despite last minute lobbying efforts by Dallas Mayor Laura Miller and the Texas congressional delegation, a bill that would repeal the Wright amendment was amended in a House committee this week, removing antitrust immunity from its language. While some said that could be a deal-breaker for the agreement reached earlier this summer among the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, Southwest and American Airlines and the DFW International Airport, others are still hopeful to get the compromise through the full House next week.
The bill would remove in 2014 previous limits on long-haul flights at Love field, as long as flights first stopped in one of the nine states in the perimeters outlined by the Wright amendment. It would also reduce the number of gates at Love Field from 32 to 20.
Patsy Henry gets new role at HHSC
Patsy Henry, chief operating officer of the state Health and Human Services Commission, will leave that role to head up the agency's sunset review, scheduled for next interim. Her official title is director of the HHSC enterprise sunset review project.
Les Butler, currently deputy director for regional administrative services, will step into the COO position.
Austin OKs pay increases, domestic partner benefits
The Austin City Council has approved a $2.3 million fiscal 2007 budget that calls for improved city employee pay and benefits, including, a 3.5 percent increase for all employees who meet expectations, an enhanced dental plan, supplemental retirement program funding and domestic partner coverage.
Responding to the city's surging population, the 2007 spending plan beefs up staffing in the areas of public safety, building inspection, code enforcement, zoning and plan review, health, libraries, parks and road maintenance.
The council set the property tax rate at 41.26 cents per $100 valuation. That translates to $1.70 in taxes per month, or $690 annually for homeowners with a median-sized home worth $167,203.The tax rate dropped by about 3 cents thanks to an expected increase in property tax revenues.
UNT's new president calls for reviews
New University of Texas President Dr. Gretchen Bataille has called for an independent review of five significant programs at the university - academic affairs, research, information technology, student development and advancement. Dr. Stephen Portch, a former chancellor of the Georgia university system, will lead the review team.
Bataille said the review will aid in the implementation of the a five-year strategic plan approved by the Board of Regents. She also plans to compare findings with universities that are similar to UNT. Another goal is to reallocate some funding to provide merit-based pay increases for faculty and other employees.
Bataille has also named Dr. Art Goven, chairman of the biology department, to serve as interim vice president for research while a search for Dr. T. Lloyd Chestnut's replacement continues. Chestnut resigned in August.
State board approves higher graduation standards
The State Board of Education voted yesterday to increase the number of credits for graduation from high school from 24 to 26, meaning most Texas students will probably have to take two more classes during their high school career than are required now.
The increase in credits goes hand-in-hand with a state requirement that goes into effect in 2011 and that requires every high school graduate to have four years of math and science. The law applies to students who take the recommended course curriculum plan, beginning in their freshman year. The board also voted to allow students in the eighth grade who take Algebra I to count that toward their four years of math.
Brazos Valley Council considers toll road
Faced with increasing transportation resource shortfalls, the Brazos Valley Council of Governments is studying the possibility of a toll road through the Brazos Valley as a means of raising funds. Officials of the seven counties in the Council gathered this week with experts from the Texas Transportation Institute and the Texas Department of Transportation to discuss the possibility of a toll road. They all agreed a toll road would be more acceptable to the public if it were on a new roadway instead of on existing transportation infrastructure.
One option being discussed is the planned Texas 249, dubbed the Aggie Expressway. It would run next to Texas 105, FM 1774 and Texas 249 from south of Navasota to Houston. Also discussed was the possibility of forming a regional mobility authority, which would allow multiple counties to operate and maintain a toll road. Creating that entity would require a vote by each county commission and a petition to TxDOT.
Randall County seeks courthouse repairs
Randall County officials will be looking to the Texas Legislature in January for funding to help renovate the county's circa 1909 courthouse in Canyon. This week, Judge Ernie Houdashell brought before the county commissioners court a final payment for approval to architects for completion of plans to be put out for bid. That funding was from a 2004 state grant.
The courthouse renovation is expected to cost some $5.8 million and although the Legislature did not appropriate funds for such renovations during the its last session, county officials are hopeful projects will be funded when the 80th Legislature convenes. Officials hope to fund the project without cost to Randall County taxpayers.
Brazos County approves joint operations center
Brazos County officials are the first of four entities to sign off on approval of a joint emergency operations center in downtown Bryan. The center would be a joint venture among Brazos County, Texas A&M University and the cities of Bryan and College Station. Currently Brazos County shares an EOC with the City of Bryan, while the City of College Station and Texas A&M each have their own EOCs.
The venture would include leasing a building in downtown Bryan, which would cost each of the entities between $58,000 and $73,000 over a 10-year period. The other entities will discuss participation in the venture at future meetings.
Private sector use of inmate labor clears first hurdle
Approval from state and federal authorities is all two public sector businesses need to begin hiring inmate labor at state prisons, after the Private Sector Prison Industries Oversight Authority Board Thursday gave their projects a nod of approval.
The two companies, one that makes muscle car kits and the other a clothing company, are seeking to set up shops at two state prisons later this year - the Boyd Unit in Central Texas and the Telford Unit in Northeast Texas. Several hundred low-risk Texas prison inmates already earn money working for private businesses in Texas. The program is part of the federal Prison Industries Enhancement Program.
Sometimes crime does pay, sheriff learns
The Lubbock County Sheriff's Office will begin firearms and tactical training in a new facility, thanks to a property seized in a 2004 criminal investigation into illegal firearms and drug trafficking.
U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper and Mike Colson, assistant special agent in charge of the Dallas Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives this week presented Lubbock Sheriff David Gutierrez with the keys to a property once known as the Lubbock Shooting Range, now renamed the Lubbock County Sheriff's Office Training Academy Gun Range.
The new facility will be used to train area law enforcement officers and, because of its size, also will accommodate tactical training, Gutierrez said.
Richardson ISD board donates to TIF
A plan to redevelop blighted areas of Lake Highlands got a boost this week from the Richardson Independent School District board, which agreed to contribute $10 million to the 20-year Skillman corridor tax increment financing district.
Seen as an economic development tool, TIFs allow taxing entities, such as cities and school districts, to refund tax money to developers to improve utilities, roads and other infrastructure.
A&M dean appointed to national board
Dr. Christopher C. Colenda, dean of the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, has been appointed to a four-year term as a member of the National Board of Medical Examiners representing the Association of American Medical Colleges.
The nonprofit NBME is dedicated to the protection of public health through assessment of health professionals, along with a major commitment to research and development in evaluation and measurement.
The NBME is responsible for the evaluation system for applicants seeking initial licensure to practice medicine in the United States. The 80-member board represents the academic community, national professional organizations, state licensing boards, students, residents, the federal government and the public.
Dallas takes first step in statewide communications
The City of Dallas this week took a giant step toward development of what officials hope will become a statewide communications system that will allow law enforcement and first responders to communicate through voice, video and data during natural disasters or emergency events.
The Dallas system will be based at Love Field and is what officials hope will become a statewide network that allows officials from all parts of the state to communicate with each other. The Dallas project was paid for by a nearly $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It could become a national model for addressing interoperability problems the state and nation faced during last year's hurricanes.
San Antonio seeking new A&M campus
San Antonio city officials are hoping for an agreement from the Texas A&M Board of Regents next week in support of bringing an A&M campus to the South Side. TAMU officials have confirmed that they will indeed be discussing the issue. Once a commitment in writing is made, city officials can begin site selection for a campus. The city has committed to spending $15 million to acquire a site, clear it and provide infrastructure for a campus. The city has previously committed to finding a 400-acre site by December, but is awaiting a legally binding agreement from TAMU before proceeding.
Aransas County contemplates jail addition
Aransas County commissioners may use revenue from housing federal prisoners to help pay for an expanded local jail. Commissioners on Monday considered ways to add space for 53 more prisoners to a jail that just opened in January 2005.
Officials anticipate the addition, expected to cost about $2 million, could be paid for with a steady flow of federal prisoners, which is expected to continue since neighboring Nueces County no longer houses federal inmates.
Denton names city manager finalist
Weatherford City Manager George C. Campbell has been named the lone finalist for the Denton city manager position. Campbell was one of nearly four dozen who applied for the position. He has served as Weatherford city manager since 2002.
If Campbell accepts the position, he will replace former City Manager Mike Conduff, who retired last December. Assistant City Manager Howard Martin has been serving as interim manager. Campbell began working in city government in 1970 as administrative assistant to the city manager and director of personnel in Pampa. He also has worked in city government in Lubbock, Coppell and Arlington.
Vidor Fire Department trading in tents for new station
Thanks to a $1.6 million low-interest loan and a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Office, the Vidor Fire Department is moving out of the tents it has been housed in since Hurricane Rita ravaged the fire station last year. The loan and the grant funds will be used to help rebuild the city's fire station. An additional $500,000 is coming from the station's insurance company.
Although the fire department station was still standing after the storm, it suffered heavy roof damage, resulting in the ceiling tiles starting to fall, creating unsafe conditions for firefighters, who moved their gear into three tents that were set up nearby.
Park land near Fort Worth to be sold
A conservation group has agreed to buy some 400 acres of park land from the state, with most of the land to remain parklands. The Trust for Public Lands has issued a letter of intent to raise the money to purchase the land, so the deal is not yet final. Probably fewer than 20 acres is all of the 400 acres that will not continue to be used for parkland. That small amount of the acreage will continue to be used for drilling.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will retain mineral rights on the more than $2 million land purchase, and Tarrant County will be charged with managing the Eagle Mountain Lake site. "The bottom line is, we'll have two parks where currently there are none," said Gov. Rick Perry. The state has owned the property since 1980 but never followed through with plans to make it into a state park or open space area.
Proposed toll bridge put on hold
Plans to build a toll bridge across the Brazos River near Richmond have been put on hold by Fort Bend County officials because a feasibility study showed the project would not be profitable. The study revealed that the bridge project, which was estimated to cost $22 million, would not generate enough traffic volume to pay for itself.
The study indicated that some 5,500 vehicles per day would have to pay tolls to cover the cost of the project, with the bridge alone estimated to cost $9 million. The project was originally intended to provide a direct, quicker route across the river.
Fort Bend ISD offers Jenney contract
After naming Timothy R. Jenney as their lone finalist for the top job in the Fort Bend ISD, school officials this week made a four-year contract offer to their new superintendent. Jenney will replace Betty Baitland, who is on paid leave until her retirement in January. Manuela Pedraza, who has been serving as interim superintendent since December, will be returning to her position as associate superintendent of human resources for the district.
Schools watch insurance premiums climb
If the thousands of dollars of damages from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita weren't enough to put a strain on Gulf Coast school districts' finances, the latest mail with those districts' wind-storm insurance rates provides even more bad news.
Fort Bend ISD's $1.65 million insurance tab on its buildings and their contents has more than doubled from last year's premium of $696,000. Lamar Consolidated ISD saw its premium triple, from $404,000 last year to $1.38 million this year. To add insult to injury, not only are coastal area schools paying more for their premiums, but their coverage amounts are declining by numbers that are just as big. In Alief, school officials saw insurance premiums more than triple, while the coverage for that amount has dropped from $500 million to $75 million.
New UNT Associate VP reports for duty
Dr. Troy Johnson -- an expert in the economics of higher education who has served in senior enrollment positions at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, and Sonoma State University in northern California - has been named as associate vice president for enrollment management at the University of North Texas. He replaces Joneel Harris, who has served UNT for 30 years.
As the university's enrollment manager, Johnson will head an ongoing, coordinated strategic plan to recruit, retain and graduate a diverse student body.
He will work in collaboration with the university's Office of Student Accounting and University Cashiering Services; the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies; the Division of University Relations, Communications and Marketing; the UNT Dallas Campus and extended areas across the university.
Anderson County courthouse due repairs
Anderson County commissioners have approved the next phase of renovations to the county courthouse and also approved the building's master plan, which provides for some $3.5 million in renovations and upgrades. Architects warn that the project's duration will depend on how much the county wants to spend each year - and construction costs will escalate each year.
Like other counties facing repair and renovation to their aging and historical courthouses that are landmark buildings in many counties, Anderson County will submit its master plan to the Texas Historical Commission, in hopes of securing grant money from the Texas Courthouse Preservation program.
League City library among grant recipients
The Helen Hall Library in League City has claimed a portion of $12,000 in Texas Reads Grant funding from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. The grant will be used to promote reading programs for senior citizens.
Library officials indicate they will use the grant money to purchase additional copies of books for three of its book discussion groups and to sponsor three poetry forums.
UTMB Dean of Medicine resigns
Dr. Valerie Parisi, dean of medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston has resigned for what she cites as personal reasons. She had temporarily stepped down from her position last month and two UTMB staff members were appointed to take over her duties until her return.
Dr. Garland Anderson, chair of obstetrics and gynecology, is serving as interim dean of the School of Medicine and Dr. Pam Watson, dean of nursing, is interim chief academic officer. UTMB officials say Parisi has been asked to continue as an adviser to the university, to ensure a smooth transition.
Ellisor joins development team at Sam Houston State
Rhonda Ellisor, executive vice-president of the Huntsville-Walker County Chamber of Commerce, will return to Sam Houston State University, her alma mater, as assistant development director.
Ellisor, who also serves as director of the Visitor and Convention Bureau, brings a wealth of experience and a "magnetic personality" to her new job, said Thelma Mooney, SHSU's director of development.
An SHSU business graduate, Ellisor began working at the Sam Houston State Visitor Center complex in October 1994. She is also designated as a certified tourism professional through the Texas Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus and currently serves on the executive board of this association.
Brooks, La Salle counties awarded grants
Planning grants totaling more than $110,000 have been awarded by the Office of Rural Affairs (ORCA) to Brooks and La Salle counties. The grants are designed to provide assistance with plan preparation, including completion of inventory, analysis and planning activities to promote solutions to colonia physical problems related to housing, water and sewer needs.
Brooks County was awarded $65,068 and La Salle County will receive $45,000 for the development of a countywide Colonia Comprehensive Plan. The plans are aimed at aiding problem solving, resource utilization, and improving the quality of life for a predominantly low to moderate-income population occupying the colonias.
ORCA Executive Director Charlie Stone said the grants help counties "ensure that living conditions are adequate and healthy throughout rural Texas." They help counties prepare eligible colonia areas for water, sewer and housing improvements by supporting basic inventories and analysis of colonias located throughout the county.
Lubbock County to begin using video conferencing
With a goal of cutting inmate transportation costs and improving security at the county courthouse, Lubbock County will soon install videoconference equipment to be used for court proceedings. Instead of transporting inmates from the county jail to the courthouse for court proceedings, the video hookup will allow the proceedings to be handled from a remote location, the jail, instead of the courthouse. The courts are expected to begin using the equipment later this month.
City of Dallas Ok's red light camera system
A camera system targeting motorists who run red lights has been approved by the City of Dallas. Officials entered into a five-year, $13.2 million contract for a company to install and operate the cameras.
The city plans not only to have some 15 functioning cameras in place by mid-November, but are hopeful installation of some "fake" cameras at unannounced intersections will also make motorists think twice about running red lights. There has been no announcement yet as to which intersections will be equipped with the cameras. The city has an option to expand the program by an additional 60 cameras.
Motorists who run red lights will have a photograph made of their vehicle's license plate and a ticket will be issued to the owner of the vehicle.
Nueces County making plans for grant funds
Public hearings are on tap in Nueces County, where officials are trying to determine how they will spend the $1.2 million per year they will receive over the next four years from the Coastal Impact Assistance Program. County officials have until Sept. 29 to formalize their plans for projects that are in line with the grant restrictions that the funds be used for coastal conservation or restoration and other public service needs.
County commissioners have set four priorities for the grant money: drainage and storm projects; colonia drainage and storm water improvements; improvements to Aransas Causeway and Aransas Channel; and expansion and improvements at a local park.
The funds are among $250 million allocated from 2007-2010 for states impacted by offshore oil and gas exploration.
Seguin celebrating new police station
Seguin's new 24,500 square foot, two-story police station is open for business.
At formal dedication ceremonies this week, Seguin Mayor Betty Ann Matthies called the new facility "long overdue" for a police force that "deserves it." Unlike its last home that had previously been a grocery store, the new facility is constructed expressly for a police building. If features a centrally-located dispatch office that is self-contained. The records department is housed in the building, when it had previously been located across a parking lot. There are also indoor kennels for the department's K-9 units and a large exercise room with showers and locker rooms for police staff and city employees.
Strategic Partnerships, Inc. expanding services
Strategic Partnerships, Inc. (SPI) continues to expand, finding new ways to meet its clients' needs. After recent successful public sector sales training seminars conducted by SPI consultants, SPI is offering individual sections of the seminars to interested parties based on their specific needs. "We realize that every company is at a different point in the procurement process and may not need an A-Z course in selling to the public sector," said Reagan Weil, SPI's business development manager. "Therefore, we're tailoring our training to address the specific needs of each of our clients." These individual sections of training, which SPI is calling Customized Tactical Public Sector Training Modules, will allow companies to focus their efforts and maximize their investment, because they can pick and choose which parts of the overall training seminar they want their professionals to receive. Training modules include:
- Understanding the Marketplace
- Getting Positioned
- Nuances of Public Sector Selling
- Meeting Decision-Makers
- Overcoming Obstacles
- Opportunity Capture
- Winning Business
- Closing Business
In addition, SPI is now offering individual services to companies who may not need or cannot afford its full-service package. "We're really trying to break away from the cookie-cutter sales approach," Weil said. "Now we can package any of our service offerings in any way the customer needs, or offer them a la carte." Most SPI contracts run for 12 months at a time, but some of the smaller services SPI provides can be delivered in as little as three to six months. Individual services SPI can offer include:
- Bid monitoring
- Lead identification
- Qualification of opportunities
- Identification, messaging, and strategy for teaming partners
- Introductions to potential teaming partners
- Assistance in getting on and leveraging contracting vehicles
- Background information on specific opportunities and/or public sector entities
- Budget analysis of public sector entities
- Monitoring and analysis of relevant legislation
- Hourly consulting
- Introduction to public sector decision-makers
- Public sector sales training
- Customized tactical public sector training modules
- And more!
For more information about SPI's service offerings, call Reagan Weil at (512) 531-3917.
Research center awarded $9.4 million grant
The University Clinical Research Center of the University of Texas Medical School at Houston has been awarded a $9.4 million grant over the next five years to support and expand programs. The grant comes from the National Center for Research Resources of the National Institutes of Health. This marks the fifth renewal of the grant since NIH's initial funding in 1986.
In the past 20 years, more than 30 clinical trials have been performed at the center by faculty members of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. The center is housed in its expanded new home on the third floor the Memorial Hermann Hospital. The center also includes four inpatient rooms, six outpatient rooms, a bionutrition room and a nursing station.
The grant will support the work of some 80 investigators, seven nurses, a biostatistician, an ethicist, a dietitian, a unit manager, a nursing manager, two clerical positions, a bioinformatics manager, two staff positions in the genetics core lab, a director and two associate directors. The center is home to investigators who study potential therapies for many types of diseases and injuries - from traumatic brain injury in children to pancreatic cancer to severe, sometimes fatal, autoimmune disorders. The center will also expand its services into the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
Perry seeks more disaster relief for counties
Gov. Rick Perry has added 20 more Texas counties to the list of those seeking federal disaster assistance in light of recent drought conditions throughout the state. Those counties include Anderson, Baylor, Callahan, Cherokee, Cooke, Cottle, Crockett, Dallas, Eastland, Fayette, Henderson, Kaufman, King, Loving, Nueces, Reagan, Rusk, Throckmorton, Upton and Van Zandt.
If approved, the counties will qualify for low-interest emergency loans and technical assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Forty-nine Texas counties have already been approved for the assistance, and requests for 39 others to be added are pending. The drought is estimated to have caused more than $4 billion in agriculture losses in the state.
Interim dean of Fine Arts named at SFA
Dr. John Goodall has been named interim dean of the College of Fine Arts at Stephen F. Austin State University.
In making the announcement, Dr. Baker Pattillo, interim president, cited Goodall's service as coordinator of undergraduate studies in music for seven years and as programming and development officer for the college.
Goodall replaces Dr. Richard Berry, who had served as dean since 1998 and is now serving as associate provost of SFA.
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Remembering Ann Richards
By Mary Scott Nabers, CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc.
Personal note: Ann Richards was my friend and I, along with so many other Texans, will grieve her death for a very long time.
Most of us realize at some age that childhood influences shape our future lives dramatically. I grew up as an only child who was taught from birth that it was normal to reach for every dream and believe that nothing was impossible. I lived in a home where news, politics and world events were discussed daily. My father, a newspaper publisher, talked politics seriously, and usually daily, with me until he died three years ago. Because of that, when my family moved to Austin in 1984 one of the individuals I wanted most to meet was Ann Richards. I was impressed that as a woman she had been able to break through the glass ceiling and she was making an impactful contribution to government in Texas.
I became a public servant in government in Texas in 1984 and Ann Richards and I became friends. She was the State Treasurer at that time and somehow found time to mentor and reach out to other women in hundreds of ways. I was only one of many that she touched. Many years later she appointed me to the Texas Railroad Commission. I remember well her words the evening she asked me to take the appointment. She said, "I doubt I am doing you any favor by putting you in this position, but if you can win this race, I believe you will be good for Texas." I felt a huge commitment to the job and I knew without a doubt that she expected me to give it my all. There was never any doubt in anyone's mind that Ann Richards loved Texas tenaciously and that she expected total commitment from everyone in government. And, while she had paid me a great compliment, she had also handed me a huge burden.
When I heard of her death this week, I like so many other Texans, found my mind flooded with memories. Emotions that cross all political and party lines will be raw for thousands of Texans for a very long time. Ann Richards was larger than life, a woman who will be remembered as one who worked tirelessly to leave a legacy and to open the doors of government service to women and minorities.
She was my friend and mentor and I am proud to have been able to serve with her in government in Texas.
* * * * * *
Richards, the first woman to win the Texas governor's office in her own right, will lie in state in the rotunda of the Texas Capitol on Saturday, Sept. 16, from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 17, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. She died Wednesday at her Austin home, after being diagnosed with esophageal cancer earlier this year.
A memorial service will be held Monday, Sept. 18, at noon at the Frank Erwin Special Events Center on the University of Texas at Austin campus.
Richards, a former county commissioner and state treasurer, entered politics relatively late in life, after years as a school teacher and stay-at-home mother of four children.
Her most notable achievement was opening the doors of government to people of color and to women. Approximately 44 percent of her appointees were female; 20 percent Hispanic; and 14 percent African-American. Her two predecessors in office had given more than 77 percent of their appointments to Anglo men.
She will be remembered fondly by elected officials from both political parties for her dedication to public service, lively wit and homespun wisdom.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial gifts be made to the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders, to open in August in the Austin school district, through the Austin Community Foundation, P.O. Box 5159, Austin, TX 78763, (512) 472-4483, or online at www.austincommunityfoundation.org.
Former Round Rock Mayor Stluka joins SPI team
Robert Stluka has joined Strategic Partnerships, Inc., as a senior consultant specializing in local government. A former mayor of the city of Round Rock, he brings more than a decade of experience as an elected local official to the SPI team, as well as a sophisticated understanding of issues ranging from transportation to health care.
With three years as mayor of Round Rock, and nine more years of service as a city councilman, Stluka is well aware of the challenges and opportunities facing municipal governments. He continues to provide leadership as a member of the Williamson County and Cities Board of Health and the Williamson County Children's Advocacy Center.
Stluka is an active member of the Round Rock and Greater Austin Chambers of Commerce. As a member of the Round Rock board, he serves as a member of the Government Relations Council. In Austin, he serves on the chamber's Transportation Committee and the CAMPO task force.
Stluka has spent 33 years in the public arena, developing expertise in government relations, public affairs, association management, political action committee management, private sector business development, strategic planning and organizational management and the public involvement process.
He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin, and additional training from the Institute for Participatory Management and Planning in Systematic Development of Informed Consent, Citizen Participation by Objective and Professional Ethics.
UTPB names new director for effectiveness
Denise Cabra Watts, wife of the University of Texas of the Permian Basin President David Watts, has been hired by the university to fill the newly created position of director of institutional effectiveness. In this new role, Denise Watts will be responsible for development with faculty and staff of a comprehensive program of assessment and improvement in excellence for all academic campus programs and services, with a focus on improving graduation rates and tracking the quality of academic programs.
Denise Watts brings a long history of higher education experience to her new job, having worked for Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University), Southeastern Louisiana University and the University of Montevallo in Alabama. She holds a bachelor's and master's degree from Southwest Texas State University and a doctorate in educational administration with a focus on higher education and institutional research from the University of Texas at Austin. She was one of 15 applicants for the position at UTPB.
Bush appoints Barraza to committee
Riccardo Barraza Jr. of El Paso has been named by President George W. Bush as a member of the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. The El Paso businessman will join 20 other members of the committee, formerly the President's Committee on Mental Retardation, to advise the president and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on programs and services for people with intellectual disabilities.
Beaumont purchases emergency response equipment
Purchase of a command post trailer and new radio equipment for city law enforcement is one of many steps being taken by the city of Beaumont to ensure the city's emergency preparedness, according to Mayor Guy Goodson. The city also will apply for more than $200,000 in grant funds from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to further enhance capabilities.
The new command post trailer will be outfitted with communication tools necessary in emergency situations from natural disasters to haz-mat situations. Goodson hailed the trailer for its "mobility" that will allow law enforcement to take a rolling command post to an emergency situation. The trailer includes a television satellite, large screen monitors, a surveillance system, video processor, weather station, telephone system, public address system and more. The grant funds that will be sought would pay for a night vision surveillance system, audio equipment for intelligence gathering and protective clothing such as vests, jackets and helmets for first responders.
Natalia ISD seeks expansions, renovations
Some $3.6 million in bonds are expected to be sold by the Natalia ISD to help fund renovations and expansions on its campuses and to refinance some existing debt.
In 2004, voters approved $2.8 million in upgrades to the elementary and junior high campuses, but that was contingent on the state picking up the tab for most of the cost through infrastructure facilities allotments. IFA funds were recently approved that cut the district's share of the costs to $560,000.
Conroe ISD sports facility delayed
A proposed 60-acre sports and swimming complex in the Conroe ISD will not begin construction until next year, thanks to a permit delay. School officials are awaiting a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to mitigate wetlands on some of the property before the project can begin. With the permit, the completion date is expected in August 2008.
CISD officials hope for a December groundbreaking ceremony for the 10,000-seat stadium. Three South County schools will share the facility.
Fort Worth chamber picks Whitson
The Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce has tapped Melonye Whitson as its director of local business development.
Whitson, who has been serving as the chamber's workforce development coordinator, will address business retention and other Fort Worth business issues.
She will also serve as a chamber liaison with city, county and state governments and try to recruit new age life science and biotechnology operations to Fort Worth.
City gets help with police chief search
The city of Austin has inked a $18,940 contract with a Georgia headhunting firm to help recruit a new police chief.
The firm, which also helped the city of Dallas hire a new chief, will identify potential candidates and conduct community forums to solicit citizen input.
The new chief will replace Stanley Knee, who resigned in June. The search is likely to extend into late 2007.
| Ask the experts |
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Q: What is the difference between funding municipal projects through General Obligation Bonds vs. Certificates of Obligation.
A: A city has various ways to finance projects, two of which are through General Obligation Bonds (G.O.s) or Certificates of Obligation (C.O.s) In the case of General Obligation Bonds, the principal and interest payments are secured by the full faith and credit of the issuer (city). This means that the city guarantees payment by virtue of its ability to levy enough taxes to cover the payments. This may or may not cause, depending upon the city's existing bond debt, an increase in the taxpayers' local property tax. General Obligation Bonds must be approved by an election of the voters.
On the other hand, a city may finance specific projects through the issuance of Certificates of Obligation. In this case these certificates may be issued by ordinance, must be designated for a specific project and must be limited to the aggregate of the contractual payments or the costs allocated or attributed to the capital costs of the project, as opposed to any maintenance or operating costs to be paid.
-Robert Stluka,
Senior Consultant, Strategic Partnerships, Inc.
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Mayor Pro Tem in Carrollton resigns
Carrollton City Council member and Mayor Pro Tem Ronald Branson has resigned his seat on the city council, citing health problems as the reason for his resignation. City officials will call an election in December to fill the vacancy.
Worried about budget cuts?
The chairmen of Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committees will be keynote speakers at the 5th Biennial Pre-session Legislative Conference on October 10th. The head of the Legislative Budget Board and the chief budget officials for the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker will all serve on panels. There is no better forum for learning about the financial issues that will be addressed in the 80th Session. The full conference agenda and registration information are available online. It is expected to be a sold-out event, so prompt registration is recommended.
Corinth won't participate in transportation authority
Officials of the city of Corinth this week turned thumbs down on a proposal to join the Denton County Transportation Authority. A similar proposal was turned down in a countywide public referendum in 2003. In August, city officials approved calling for another election, but their actions this week included a call to cancel the election.
Council member Ronnie Glasscock said the issue is money. "We can't afford it," he said.
Midland ISD to announce superintendent pick
Midland ISD officials are expected to announce their finalist for the district's new superintendent on Saturday, Sept. 23. Nearly three-dozen individuals applied for the job. The first round of interviews with candidates will begin on Sept. 18. At a Sept. 21 meeting, those to be asked back for a second round of interviews will be decided. The new superintendent will replace Robert Nicks, who will leave MISD on Nov. 30.
Balcones Heights to install red light cameras
Add the city of Balcones Heights to the growing list of municipalities in Texas that are installing red light enforcement cameras on streets in the city. The city council this week approved four of the cameras for intersections on city streets.
License plates of vehicles that run red lights will be photographed, and a ticket mailed to the owner of the vehicle. Each ticket will cost the driver of the vehicle $148, with $40 of the revenue given back to the company that installs and operates the cameras.
SPI updates homeland security research
In a continuing effort to keep SPI clients and TGI readers informed about the latest developments in homeland security and disaster preparedness funding, updates to the "Guide to Homeland Security Funding: A Report on Federal Programs that Provide Funding to the State of Texas" have been completed.
The revised report contains updated information about the Infrastructure Protection Grant Program, the Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program, the Emergency Response and Crisis Management Program and the National Bioterrorism Hospital Preparedness Program. The revisions also include a table of specific purchases made by local Texas entities for many of the grant programs covered. To view the guide, click here
Longview losing its city manager
Longview City Manager Rickey Childers will be vacating his position on Oct. 1, but could continue to provide professional services to the city for up to nine months. City officials say an interim city manager will be named later this month when the City Council will begin discussing how to proceed with a search for a new city manager. Childers has served Longview for seven years.
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