Travis County Commssioners Court
May 25, 2004
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Item 41
Now, we have a long item in 41. Here's what I recommend, 41 a, b, c, and d, were given to me by the county attorney and my guess is that we need legal advice on those. Before acting on them, that would be good.
>> that would be good.
>> okay. What was that judge, I stepped off the dais there for a second. That we take 41 a through 41 d in executive session to get advice of council at the appropriate time.
>> okay.
>> e, f, g and h, were added by yours truly. A couple of them I think are real simple, let's see how simple they are.
>>
>> [one moment please for change in captioners]
>>
>> ... They are ready to serve when called upon, and what I mean by that is as we approach different issues, we have the luxury of asking certain members of the committee 0 help, rather than trying to convene the whole committee because at times they're like 30 people or so.
>> oh, yeah.
>> but there are subcommittees too, so it may be that we need the subcommittee of 7 or 8 people at a certain time so they are available. My last theory us attempt to be more subtle than appears, but it says may be needed to assist dimmit county collaboration. There are some issues we could reach disagreement on. May have permanent citizens of our community to help with that. The other thing at the bottom, I thought of the name change, I think it's a little deal, but steering committee has more of a connotation that advisory committee, I said what they would be doing is in advisory capacity to advise us upon request. Now, I don't know, my guess is that this will be an easy dealtor the city, too. They're representing a valuable asset, it would be wise for us to keep them available and when we need them we call upon them. Everybody seems to be comfortable with that at the meeting of the steering committee which was last Wednesday or Thursday.
>> and it's broken down into subcommittees but I think will be extraordinary useful.
>> there's finance, there's legislative sort of things, I think it will be helpful to have those standing committees on standby in case they are needed for assistance. That's a motion, I would second it.
>> that's a motion.
>> second by Commissioner Sonleitner, any discussion? Now, I say the hospital district citizen advisory committee on transition, anything added to that, I'm assuming the city would agree to this.
>> we just take the word steering out there buzz it really does con notate a campaign.
>> I have participation within this particular advisory committee at this point.
>> they're on it.
>> I think they will.
>> okay.
>> I think they had because they were put together by the city and county a long time ago, so I'm thinking this ought to be a no brainer for both of juice okay. Okay.
>> actually in terms of something...
>> this type of action come before the city council, on what we're doing here today, will that be a follow-up with them, I guess hopefully soon?
>> they are meeting...
>> Thursday.
>> Thursday this week, then I think they don't meet for what, a couple of weeks?
>> yeah.
>> now, most of the staff has been working on this and they were present at the last meeting. So to answer your question I really don't know. The second part is they would want to address it real soon.
>> real soon. That's what I was suggesting.
>> some city staff people have been meeting and working on this anyway, though.
>> would it be friendly to add to the motion and we encourage the council to adopt their own language basically to be a part of working with the hospital district steering committee and to encourage to change the name to advisory committee.
>> it don't matter to us the city tells us to mind our own business...
>> the other thing is that the one nice thing is about this going back to an advisory committee, there was the very good participation of toby futrow over the city of Austin who was able to help when it was kind of the kreagz of the formulation when it was an advisory committee and the minute it switched over into a political situation, toby had to withdraw because she could not be on a political advocacy mission. This will allow us to bring back in a true advisory role some people that were senior very critical and did a lot of good work during this campaign.
>> any other comments? Questions? 3-1-1. N't think there's any question that the city is going to be involved probably as much as we would want them to be. I mean I guess everybody else got this city of Austin interlocal agreement sheet, it's pretty obvious to me they've been thinking about this for quite awhile.
>> yes, sir.
>> and I'm sure that they're going to be at the table and very involved.
>> right. All in favor. That passes by unanimous vote. The appointment of internal transition team to work with the city of Austin and citizens advisory committee. What I did was put together a list of 7 people that I think have been working on this anyway. Commissioner Sonleitner and I have been working with the steering committee. Stephen williams has been working. Christian smith, susan satarro. Beverly came back a few days ago and showed an interest. What I had in mind, too, is not necessarily these individuals but these individuals plus, so there may be a meeting at which where susan wants to send some of her folks who have been working on the issue, same plus stephen or christian, et cetera, we can add to this list or delete. What I tried to do is figure out who would like be the point people with Travis County and who has been working on these issues anyway. This would not keep us from sending additional people as different issues come up, but looks like people are kind of headed in this direction already so we need to, I would say, formally bless a group of people with the understanding that as the issues and needs dictate, we would either send this group or a smaller group or a larger group.
>> when you say david essential -- escamilla, it would be his call to say it's me or me plus, however many?
>> right.
>> second.
>> what I tried to keep in mind, too, is there are other issues at the county that have to be worked on, so there are other people that you may -- we may not want to put on this committee but know that when we need them hopefully they will be available.
>> for example, I think there will be issues related to whether purchasing, will it's not according to the county purchasing act or the city of Austin, that is part of that thing that draft interlocal.
>> the first issues, the first agent for us to be involved.
>> absolutely.
>> that is one issue of many that need to be addressed.
>> we need you on the mike.
>> would you repeat that?
>> i've got Biscoe, Sonleitner, stephen williams, christian smith, susan satarro, basha, david escamilla, when I say david, I'm talking about Travis County attorney's office plus. And at a certain meeting she needs a couple, three of her staff people present, fine. Same with stephen. When the purchasing issues surface, the purchasing agent would be there.
>> what.
>> the issues that involve other kind of departments, those folks would be there. Facilities issues and our facilities people will be there. See what I'm saying? I don't know that we would expect somebody from facilities to obtain each meeting -- attend each meeting involving Travis County health or hospital district. Here is my thinking. Right? Now, the other thing that I assume we have to do I think is come up with the whole list of issues, look at the list that has been put together and there are legal issues and there are other problematic issues. My guess is it would be easy to generate, four or five list of issues. I'm thinking this is a core committee that will work. Anymore discussion of this list or additions or dheetions.
>> when we say stephen, we mean stephen and his successor because obviously that is something that will have to come up.
>> I thought it made more sense to put a person rat than, you know, say a county attorney, make more sense the name county attorney, stephen williams and...
>> judge, my question is there's been some discussion on Commissioner's court representative, does that come under a different part or do you include in the transition team any subcommittee of the Commissioner's court?
>> Biscoe and son lightner. I do not expect an immediate resignation from us in order to take advantage of this public service opportunity.
>> and those are the people that I'm going to look to as, you know, the Commissioner's court to get some information about direction to take. And I would certainly have every expectation that Commissioner Davis and Commissioner Gomez and Daugherty would feel free to offer all sorts of advice and input, et cetera, on this issue.
>> I believe there will be plenty of work for everybody.
>> ooh, yeah.
>> that's what I'm thinking. Anymore discussion? All in favor? That passes by unanimous vote. Now. G is adoption of charge to the internal transition team. My recommendation will be that we ask the committee to come up with a draft charge for the consideration at a future time.
>> okay. Do we want to put it...
>> I think we do need a charge. Right?
>> uh-huh.
>> time line, those kinds of things.
>> now, this group try to get back with us in a week or two? Which one is more appropriate, a week or two weeks?
>> two.
>> should be able to prep the charge in one week.
>> one. One week.
>> we don't meet, we have a holiday next Monday so we lose a day here. So it has to be during this week.
>> that's fine.
>> I think we need to try to do it if we can.
>> I the with you ought to try.
>> let's try to have the draft by next Tuesday which is June 1.
>> June 1. Very good.
>> that gets us -- I guess at some point understand what the city will be off for a couple of weeks after this week's session, is that my understanding?
>> that's what I heard from councilmembers slusher I was at that meeting with them.
>> my concern is whatever we do, I want to make sure that those persons are aware of what we're doing and the direction we're heading in. I think one of the most important things that can happen is not being on the same page, and I think exposure to what we're doing each with a charge and all these other things, I know there will be a part of the process, the timeliness, implementation, speedy implementation as we go through this process is I think a very, very key, so I'm still concerned again about the city's involvement in this whole process, and just wanted to...
>> I understand. My hope is... We do like an internal assessment, preparations, so when we get with the city we will be singing from the chief ourselves. If we do that next Tuesday an share that with the city immediately there after, then I think we will be ahead of the ballgame, in the ballgame.
>> and perhaps this is a time to go ahead and put something out there in term of I absolutely -- we need, expect and desire the full cooperation of the city of Austin on this. That vote this last weekend was also the voters of Travis County saying it's going on a countywide basis and the people who are going to have a huge direct involvement in this related to the approval of the budget and the setting of the tax rate is the Travis County Commissioner's court. So we are expected to take the lead on this and have the full involvement of this court and everything our organization does. We're not the minor player in this. We are now the major player in this and...
>> I certainly feel when I'm asked to approve or disapprove the tax rate, I feel an enormous duty.
>> right. We're not a bit player in this by any means and we have a whole lot of people that under the previous structure related to the city of Austin taking the lead and I appreciate all that. A whole lot of people are there because they will be taxed at the exact same rate as anybody within the city of Austin, we have a whole lot of people who are depending on us to be their representative and their voice and their advocates.
>> any objection to us basically working on this next Tuesday.
>> not at all.
>> we'll do that without a vote. Now, h is a catch-all for us to take any other actions that we legally do today. The county attorney may have some advice on that as well.
>> we'll deal with that in executive session.
>> it's 11:45. My guess is we would need a lot more than fifteen minutes worth of advice on a, b, c and d., If we break for lunch now, do you want to try to get back at 1:15?
>> okay.
>> is that okay? That will give us an hour and a half for lunch which we normally do...
>> 1:30 is fine.
>> I don't think we've got very much left in the afternoon.
>> yeah. Yeah. Some of us were gone last week and came back to 247 e-mail, so there's still left over work to get...
>> that will give ourselves at least an opportunity to take the time we need to. When we break from lunch and get back this afternoon, I think the only thing left is executive session anyway.
>> so moved.
>> they got preparations but they will be...
>> i've got one quick question this came up. I was talking to somebody last night, and I don't know the answer, I'm laying out there so somebody can find the answer. What funds will the hospital district operate under? Let's assume this starts October 1. The property tax monies do not start rolling in until end of November? Big dump comes at the end of December and the next big dump comes at the end of January. Is this an end balance. We are used to having an ending fund balance which is our beginning fund balance which is what we operate on. What will we be living on for those first couple of months until the new tax dollars generated come forward because there's no ending fund balance which will be beginning fund balance.
>> under h.
>> okay. I was looking at that last night and I was like... Then I can wait. I wanted to make sure that was like...
>> go executive session, present the county officials helping on this matter, if we invite them, they are -- it's okay for them to be in executive session to get the briefing also, right?
>> the only person who probably won't be coming in will be jim collins who has pretty well advised you he's considering himself advising the hospital district, whatever that means, but i've already talked with susan and stephen and it will be very helpful to have them be hearing the same...
>> christian, too.
>> yeah, christian is in here.
>> yeah, absolutely.
>> encourage them to be in there so they're hearing the same thing, we're on the same playing field.
>> okay.
>> okay. A motion to recess until 1:30? I move. That passes unanimously.
Last Modified: Friday, May 26, 2004 7:00 PM