Travis County Commissioners Court
Tuesday, November 30, 2010,
Item 17
Item number 17 is to consider and take appropriate action on proposed amendments and restatement of the articles of organization of the Austin-Travis County mental health and mental retardation center.
joe and others, I値l get to that slide presentation next.
I think that's what they were here on.
this is 17 that I just announced, ms. Fleming.
>> yes, sir.
item 17 has to do with the item 17 has to do with the reorganization of the board of directors or board of trustees for the Austin-Travis County mhmr, currently the -- let me make sure I say the name correctly.
the new name is integral care, which is the former Austin-Travis County mental health, mental retardation center.
back on August the 3rd we had a brief presentation from david evans, the executive director, who basically indicated that this request had been made through resolution from the board of trustees and was representative of the relationship that had developed since the formation of the Travis County health care district.
and so essentially this action will allow the Travis County health care district to have appointee trustees on the Austin integral care board of directors.
and in effect requests that Travis County and the city of Austin in effect give up an appointee to state capitol this number of three aves for the -- appointees for the health care district.
so your action today would approve that change in the organizational structure of the board of trustees for Austin-Travis County mhmr.
>> so the Travis County, the city of Austin and aisd.
>> yes.
>> have all voted to give up one appointee.
>> they have voted and/or indicated their intent.
we did -- this document is being circulated among the entities.
so I can't swear that every entity has approved the document.
I think we're all in the same -- within the same process.
so it has either been approved or they have indicated their intent to approve.
>> but Travis County did formally vote to do it.
>> you all took no action on August 3rd.
you received the information based on the minutes, but you did not take any action I think in an attempt to wait for the documents to come back before you, which is is what's being presented to you today.
>> I知 sorry.
>> I had a person that was going to be appointed to that deal and we made that reappointment to the board.
and of course, I wasn't willing to give up my authority appoint a person, and I知 still going to stand by that.
I want to make sure that who I appoint and the person that I did appoint is there, and it's an individual thing.
other Commissioners may not feel the way I feel, but I think appointments are very -- in my mind are very critical and should be overseen by the Commissioners that make that appointment.
and I知 just not willing to give up my authority to appoint a person to that board.
so that's where I知 at right now.
and I知 not going to change my mind on it.
>> judge, may I ask something of legal?
john, it's my understanding -- and I知 more than happy to have this understanding completely blown to hell.
mhmr has the independent authority to establish whatever bylaws they want, don't they?
>> this is a creature of statute, and there is the -- the continuing responsibility that the organizers, Travis County and the city of Austin and aisd, have to give the air of authority over that relationship.
and so that's -- that's mhmr -- integral care's expectation is they want the signoff of each one of the entities.
and --
>> was it in the nature of a courtesy, though?
because we have essentially --
>> it may be more than a courtesy.
>> really?
>> yeah.
that's my perception.
I致e not done all the research that marietta has done, but that is the perception that I had, that they were going to be coming to ask you for this.
>> to what degree have we delegated our authority over this area of mental health care in our community to our appointees?
because our appointees voted for this change in structure.
>> it still is more of like a recommendation that they are asking you to go ahead and bless their action that they have moved forward with.
they still need you to take this action.
>> okay.
>> I for one am very much in favor of empowering our appointees to do what they feel is best for their organization.
I think that -- even if I didn't feel this way, I think I would probably support them in this, but I do feel that the inclusion of the health care district or community care on the mhmr board is paramount.
and right now they have no representation on the board, correct?
>> that is correct.
>> I think that their relationship to mhmr integral care is -- already exists without the blessing of their representation on the board, but I think that it would be very much a step in the right direction for community care to assume representation on the board in equal measure with the city of Austin and Travis County.
>> the reason I think it's important is that since creation the health care district really has increased its investment in this community for mental health services.
and the city of Austin's position is that with the creation of the health care district and transfer of that part of their tax rate, they are out of the health business.
and they include mental health in that.
and we do some investments, but not nearly as much as we used to because we transferred that part of our tax rate to the health care district also.
but if we expect them to keep -- keep increasing their investment in mental health services, then it makes sense to me for them to be -- to have representation on the board.
I think it says a lot that aisd gave up its only appointment.
it only had one.
it gave it up.
but when I chatted with them, their conclusion is it makes sense for the health care district to have that one than for them.
and we're simply going from four to three.
and we can decide at a later date how we accomplish that.
either the expiration of terms or somebody who would gladly step off.
we may have issues if all four of ours are adamant about staying on, but when we wake up in January if we approve this, we really will have three slots instead of four.
but I think it will be easy for us to get there.
>> judge, I don't mind that -- that concept and the way you expressed that.
I just want to make sure that the appointment that I made, that -- in fact, richard hopkins -- is still intact and will not be harmed.
I want to make sure of that because we're saying Travis County 3, city of Austin 3, health care district 3.
I want to make sure that person is still intact.
>> and I think to judge Biscoe's point, Commissioner, your action today would approve the change in the articles of organization.
the court's decision about how you achieve your allotted number of appointees is a secondary decision from the decision that you're being asked to make today.
so I would imagine you guys would want to talk about that --
>> well, I guess my point is I致e already -- we've already taken action on that, the court has.
>> on the articles of organization?
>> no, on the appointment of richard hopkins to this -- to retain as a board member.
>> we've also taken on my appointment, mr. Snap.
so -- and I think that --
>> I want to make sure that --
>> I think in the last year or so we've taken a vote on your appointment perhaps too, Commissioner Huber.
but I think point is -- I think ms. Fleming's point is a about good one that this is a separate item from who actually serves if those three slots, but we have a work session this Thursday to discuss court wide appointments and process around that.
>> well, in other words, the appointment is good for so many -- a timeline, a time frame.
and of course I don't think the work session or anything else will overturn that appointment as far as the term of the appointment.
and so --
>> we all have appointments, though, that have terms. And so we will have to discuss how we handle that.
>> I understand.
I知 just telling you I知 not giving mine up.
>> move approval of this item.
>> second.
>> any discussion on the motion?
all in favor?
show Commissioners Eckhardt, Huber and yours truly voting in favor.
Commissioner Davis?
>> no.
I知 -- judge, let me say this.
hold on.
it's still for discussion, right?
>> it's for discussion of the motion, though.
it's not for discussion of a whole lot of other stuff that's not pertinent to this.
on how we get from four to three, we really ought to put that on the agenda and do it if we need to.
>> well, if it's going to disarrange an action that I致e already taken before by appointing richard hopkins to a term --
>> we will work to prevent that.
we will work to prevent that.
>> okey-doke.
okay.
>> we got four people and we need to get down to three probably in January.
they don't get paid for doing this, right?
>> no, sir.
>> and most of theme people have full time jobs.
and a lot thesm have been on the board a long, long time.
I don't know that it will be that difficult for us to get somebody to step up and say with a smile, thank you, I値l step down.
>> yeah.
>> but I do think that how we appoint them is not a good way.
and the purpose of the Thursday work session is for us to try to come up with a better one, but that's not the posting today.
>> okay.
>> and to address his concern, I can't tell you how to get from four to three.
but the existing trustees are addressed.
they call them the initial trustees, the initial folks who were on the board now, they are staying in their existing position.
I think that's your concern.
>> that's my concern.
>> I can't tell you whoops after their term is up.
>> okay.
right.
but right now that's my immediate concern is that.
>> all in favor?
>> that's the point.
>> everybody votes for it, miss porter.
don't be surprised.
this is a harmonious court.
>> hold off on that slide presentation since we have ms. Fleming here and ms. Fof met.
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Last Modified:
Tuesday, November 30, 2010 2:08 PM
