Travis County Commssioners Court
October 8, 2002
The Closed Caption log for this Commissioners Court agenda item is provided by Travis County Internet Services. Since this file is derived from the Closed Captions created during live cablecasts, there are occasional spelling and grammatical errors. This Closed Caption log is not an official record the Commissioners Court Meeting and cannot be relied on for official purposes. For official records please contact the County Clerk at (512) 854-4722.
Citizens Communication
Citizens communication is next. This is to give residents an opportunity
to address the commissioners court on any matter not on the agenda for a full
three minutes or less. Alicia perez is first. Kenneth schnieder is second.
Chris bramer is third.
>> good morning, alicia perez, executive manager for administrative
operations. I'm here today to recognize one of our own. Joe harlow has been
the chief information and chief technology officer with Travis County since
1999. Among his accomplishments, are -- are the development and the use of
video conferencing, the development of the intranet, his development in the
completion of the integrated justice system and his representation of Travis
County on the information technology committee that is responsible for developing
standards and e-filing. For these accomplishments and many more, last week
the fifth annual Austin technology executives awarded joe harlo as the i.t.
Executive of the year for public sector. I wanted to come to the court to
let you know of that, thank you also for the wonderful challenges that you
have provided, joe, so that he could accomplish so much for Travis County.
His staff is here, I want to say congratulations publicly to joe harlow.
>> thank you.
>> thank you.
>> this is a -- actually an award for -- for Travis County.
And certainly the projects and the things that we have accomplished could
not have been done without the excellent staff that it takes in the i.t. Area
to pull this off. It's -- that includes the i.t. Folks and all of the user
departments as well. And the commissioners court for sponsoring the technology
improvement projects and the improvement in the justice system that we have
been able to work on. So it's not just for me, it's for the county. Thank
you.
>> congratulations.
>> congratulations. [ applause ]
>> my name is kenneth schnieder, north ridge acres, capital
city colonial. I just talked to the reporter the other day, Karen Sonleitner
says that we live in this filth, she said she lied because how come we --
she says we like it -- the people in north ridge like to live in the unpotable
water, having water running down the hill, sewer running down the hill, that's
Karen Sonleitner's office, that's what the reporter told me. She don't want
nothing for us out there and everything. She said -- I would like to be on
tv, that I would like to be on tv, I shouldn't have to be on tv like this
here. Because we have spanish people out there. 90% hispanic out -- low income
area. They have rights just like anybody else. Should be potable water. Not
have sewer running down the streets. We are making stuff for halloween, that's
one of my dogs, we dress it up like a vampire. You drink the water out there,
you turn into a vampire, that's what he's telling everybody. Going on for
nine years trying to get basic human services, we deserve it likendy ridge,
we deserve to have potable water. People from mexico city coming up there,
they are going to bring a bus tour through there. They said this is ridiculous,
disgraceful. It's a disgrace to the city of Austin and to Williamson county.
Travis County and Williamson county. But we got to live in these conditions
out there. I think that's true. Everything. But -- but it's been going on
for so long, everything. How Sonleitner can tell reporters, I know she wants
to clear her name up, they saint done nothing for that neighborhood, I have
been out there 20 years, I know she ain't done nothing out there then. I doubt
she knows how to get out there personally. Hopefully this election will turn
things around. We need people like mike hanson up here that thinks of the
people and not worrying about the rich, worrying about the people. We need
people like mike hanson being commissioner, everything. Maybe he will bring
some followers in and everything. Think that's people come first, before they
raise taxes, puts them out of their home, stuff like that. I think we are
going to have to get somebody like mike hanson that thinks of the people,
build houses for people, churches, all of that kind of stuff, have somebody
up there saying nobody deserve to live in a capital city colonial, nobody
should live in these conditions, water from a fire hydrant. Pay $100 water
bills to the state and have water from a fire hydrant. Not here -- don't care
anything about mike hildenstein, he don't care about the people. All of the
elected officials worry about is the rich people. Vote raise his and stuff
for the elected -- raises and stuff for the elected officials. You all make
80, $90,000 and everything. I wouldn't mind you getting that kind of money
if you all deserved it. I don't think you deserve it when we have got to live
in has capital city colonial. Programs to fix the problem, we got a receiver
that's running the system, trying to borrow money there is no way we will
be able to pay him back. I know what it is, the county thinks the city will
take care of it eventually. [buzzer sounding] that's what the people told
me last time I left the capitol building. We are playing russian roulette
with you all's lives out there. They want to keep their hands out of it until
the city takes it over. I ain't worried about the city or anybody taking it
over. All I think we ought to have is basic human services. That's all I ever
ask for, basic human services, no matter what it takes to get it in there,
it's got to get in there. There is programs out there to fix this kind of
problem. But we have to take -- I think they ought to give you all a two or
three year term, that's it. Shouldn't be no reelections and stuff. I think
that you have been here too long, I thinker overusing your power, you have
too much power, you don't know how to use it right. Nine years, basic human
services --
>> is chris bramer here for citizens communication?
>> right here.
>> yes, sir.
>> judge Biscoe, commissioners, thank you for the opportunity
to address you this morning. I come before you as a father and a grandfather.
My son is a -- is a paid firefighter with southeast Travis County fire district.
Little known assetco. You might have been -- known as setco. There have been
some financial irregularities and so on with that body. However you might
not be aware that in July steps were taken by the setco board to correct that
difficulty. Unfortunately, esd 11, which is the controlling authority over
setco which has recently taken steps to overturn those improvements and I
wanted to call to your attention an opportunity to solve this problem. Tsd
11 is in violation of title 9, subchapter b, 775.082 which requires annual
audits by the county presented to the county commissioners. Since their inception,
none of these audits have been submitted. Follow section, 775.03, the esd
11 is required to file with the secretary of state the mailing address and
terms of office of each commissioner. I wanted to bring to your attention
that -- that according to the secretary of state, there are no current commissioners
in the esd 11. And this is a great opportunity before you because -- because
the district attorney has been provided with -- with a request to review the
circumstance and ask to remove these members since they are already removed
in fact because they haven't complied with state law. My hope is that you
would take advantage of this opportunity to appoint five new members, model
citizens of the community but do for the have their own agenda to grind. But
rather are interested in the cause of justice and of truth.
(Speaker continued but the last minute of his remarks were not recorded.)
Last Modified: Wednesday, April 2, 2003 10:25 AM