Travis County Commssioners Court
January 28, 2003
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Item 31
31 is to discuss legislative issues, give direction and take appropriate action. What I would like for us to do is decide how we plan to deal with the areas bills that come to our attention. Especially the ones in which we have some interest. Because we think they are good, not good, or where we think the county ought to be over and provide resource information. Previously we had this item posted on the Tuesday agenda, every Tuesday, and I think every other Friday we had a Friday morning posting in the event that we needed it. I know we don't need that Friday morning session now. But my guess is in about a month, month and a half when things kind of pick up, we would want to give ourselves an opportunity to be responsive to different issues.
>> that Friday thing kind of kicked in the last 60 days of the session. It was not necessary in the early part.
>> when do you think a good time to have a meeting to discuss these legislative deals, you know, to kind of get things set in motion?
>> I think on Tuesday we did the 11:00. And I think we about 10:00 or 11:00 every other Friday.
>> do you want to keep the same format or switch it around?
>> as I recall, those times worked out for us last time. The other thing is that we do need the legislative consultants to be available. And those times were good for them during the last session. Fridays are kind of slow right now.
>> [inaudible] committees yet.
>> the other thing is that, based on e-mails that I have received, different county departments are interested in different bills being considered. And the consultants have to wonder where we expect them to spend their time.
>> right. So we're going to have to prioritize those?
>> I think we need to, and we need to know what's going on also. I mean every elected official has a right to go over and take a position, but you don't have a right to indicate that the county has a position unless the commissioners court is formally taking one.
>> there's a preface where they came by to get a resolution from the court. That's what those Tuesdays at 10:00 -- did we say 11:00?
>> yes.
>> that works for me.
>> that works for me.
>> judge, I understand, is bob can, is he our only person?
>> bob and two others. Chris shields and [inaudible]?
>> I think he's gone, but I guess they have somebody else.
>> are they of one firm or --
>> uh-huh.
>> so the three of them basically are a team?
>> right.
>> they are a team.
>> we cut one check. The three of them divide it as they see fit.
>> do you think that we would be interested in talking to anyone else, I mean, that might be able to help?
>> no.
>> no?
>> i'll be real honest, it really worked very well. I thought we got an incredible amount of bang for the buck as opposed to having to higher a million dollar team or two million dollar team. Bob and chris have an incredible team that's been formed through conference of urban counties, if you heard at the luncheon, he is considered part of the team related to all of the c.u.c. Advocates that work together on things that are not just our county, but all urban counties. So I think the taxpayers would be quite pleased to know how effective and efficient we are with a very limited amount of money that gets us a long way over there.
>> yeah, the only thing I was thinking, obviously there is a much different regime over there right now and just trying to read the tea leaves as to who can be, you know, the most effective. And I don't know.
>> they do it real well.
>> never having watched them work. But if there is ever a time to consider, I mean knowing what has happened with the city and their being some real [inaudible] about who has gone to work over there and maybe that's been a defense mode or whatever. But, you know, i'll take the lead on the court with the experience that you've got, defer to your expertise.
>> we have friends on both sides of the aisle through chris and bob. We were thinking that several years ago when they were hired on that they weren't -- [inaudible] changing leadership over at the state capitol. So we've got that conferred related to both sides of the aisle.
>> well, we actually work with them throughout the year also. So we have done some work in preparation for the session. But if we think it would be appropriate to maybe issue an r.f.p. To consider others, I would recommend after the session. We pay them $60,000 plus expenses, total. And when the r.f.p. -- when we issued the r.f.p. Last time, their fee was substantially less than second place proposal. That may have changed because this was, like, four years ago.
>> this is the third session.
>> third session. But we started -- we hired them in the middle of the session, so three or four years, but they are going on three sessions. Okay? Plus, I think the current contract -- I'm sure it runs through the session. It may run through --
>> and the interim too.
>> yeah, because they do interim work.
>> we can find that out, though. So in terms of our approach, a Tuesday posting and try to have a time certain at 11:00.
>> okay.
>> and I guess let's wait and see when it's necessary -- yeah, when the workload demand that we start Fridays and we'll just identity then. But I do think we need an audience with bob camm pretty soon so maybe we can ask him to come next Tuesday, bob or chris and whoever wants to. For the other county departments, it seems to me it makes sense to have a work session where we give them an opportunity to lay out whatever bills they are interested in. And I know that should be five to ten, but I wouldn't be surprised if many others took advantage of the opportunity and we have to deal with, like, 15 or 20. But it seems to me a work session would be a whole lot better than a Tuesday voting session. So should I try to get christian to contact court members and see when there's a convenient time for a work session?
>> for Thursday afternoon?
>> right.
>> okay.
>> and we'll coordinate that with chris and bob also. Anything else on number 31? This item really is just to enable us to focus or attention to start getting ready. Okay? And we'll take those actions for the court.
>> judge, is it also possible in terms of bob's briefing -- I apologize, that he could also give us a sense of what they already know has been pre-filed by our legislative delegation in terms of its not only him knowing what our priorities are, but we need to know what some of our legal delegations priorities are as well, and I would include representative krusee since he is going to be handling all the r.m.a. Legislation. It may be helpful to find out things our delegation is doing that would have an impact on Travis County related to thing they file.
>> okay. Fine with me. That's for the work session. If we can have it -- do we want to try to get a work session together next week?
>> I think we should. The sooner the better.
>> that would be the 6th?
>> right.
>> I can do it.
>> check the calendar and ask christian to do it on the 6th, and if it's not convenient, let him know and we'll try to work around his schedules. Okay.
>> I'm available.
>> I'm available.
>> that would be about an hour?
>> probably about --
>> a couple hours?
>> probably about two hours.
>> and I'm available, judge.
>> okay.
>> now, as far as doing the backup and things like that for preparation for the issues that we bring up dealing with the legislature this year, how will that be done? Will we still have -- I don't remember commissioner Gomez was working on that last time, as far as having the material ready as we go through this process. The backup.
>> I believe my office had already volunteered that when it comes to xeroxing, copying duties and making sure the book gets distributed or whatever the court would like in whatever form it wants, that we would help out in whatever way we could to get it all organized with bob and working with the department.
>> okay.
>> and I think -- well, bob has a list of all of the legislative analysts who work with them, and I think my office is on there, and your office may be on there. I mean, we're ready to [inaudible].
>> whenever we get instructions as to what to do.
>> great. Great. Thanks.
>> judge, I know that next Wednesday and next Thursday I'm not available for this. And it may be better also, I mean, given that these committee assignments, and I understand that they may get done after tomorrow, but -- the committees -- it usually takes a week or more to know what's going off. I would like to be part of this thing and I know next week I cannot do it.
>> the following week?
>> the following week we already have a work session on fire marshal and a number of other things.
>> let's see how many things we have on the 13th. And maybe we can get part of them done if not all of them. What that would mean is in all probability, it would go on to five. So from 1:30 to 5:00. My guess is we probably could make room for the legislative part.
>> okay.
>> so we do it the following week 1:30 to 5:00, so that would be, like, the 13th?
>> uh-huh.
Last Modified: Wednesday, April 2, 2003 10:25 AM