Travis County Commissioners Court
August 24, 2004
Citizens Communication
Citizens communication is next, three citizens have signed in. First is tom
bryan. This is to give residents an opportunity to address the court on any
matter not on the agenda. Any matter not on the agenda for up to a full three
minutes. Second today is phillip dick, if I could get the two of you to come
forward. Third is pat johnson. Mr. Bryan if you will give us your full name,
we will be happy to get your comments.
>> sure, my name is tom bryan. I live out in -- in -- south
on brodie lane and I’m celebrating an anniversary of sorts today. Hardly seems
a full year ago that I came before you to raise the issue of the restoration
of the brodie lane south of slaughter after the disastrous water line project.
And the temporary road cut patches that were causing tremendous road in the
unfinished shoulder that was tremendously dangerous. After that meeting, of
approximately a year ago, a lot of falderal and wing flapping occurred with
plans and promises. I’m only hear this morning to openly express my disappointment
in what that -- actually has not happened since then, which is zero. The road
cuts are still deteriorating. The trucks and buses are still exploding as
they roll over them. The shoulder is almost unwalkable. As my neighbor will
tell you, as he was trying to walk back to his house on wildwood, fell down,
faced oncoming traffic, had to be rescued by his family. And promises have
been made about what the city and the county are going to do together. A wonderful
sidewalk that would have happened or should have happened but unfortunately
nothing has happened. And I only want to express my disappointment as well
as the disappointment of all of my neighbors in that fact. Thank you.
>> thank you.
>> thank you, mr. Bryan.
>> [indiscernible] city council, because that's their water
line, their project, it's their everything. I understand that this is impacting
you, but have you talked to the Austin city council?
>> I have talked to the city and county transportation people.
And there was supposedly some plans to resolve the contractor conflict. Cooperating,
coordinating between the city and the county transportation folks. The county
transportation folks said if nothing else there would be an overlay put down
and reimbursement from the city of some sort. But everything seems to -- for
at least six month, be a total standstill. And it just is not my position
to run back and forth trying to find out who did what to whom. We didn't ask
for it.
>> are you going to go see the Austin city council during
citizens communication.
>> pardon me.
>> are you going to go to Austin city council during citizen
communication to tell them about their project?
>> I have written letters to all of the city councils. No,
I hadn't planned to go to the city council --
>> I would heartily think about that, it's their project.
>> your zip code?
>> pardon.
>> 78739.
>> we will see if we can get you a status report. Ms. Dick,
would you please come forward. We also need pat johnson to come forward. Is
pat johnson here? Please come forward. It will save us a minute and a half,
if you do. Ms. Dick?
>> yes, sir.
>> good morning.
>> good morning.
>> my name is ms. Phillipa dick. Of course you know I am
here about my inmate son, roosevelt hutchins, junior, my group of concerned
inmates. Okay. I was here last Friday -- last Tuesday and I left from here
and I went to different, you know, places to obtain more information about
my son of -- you know of the alleged conviction, the second conviction, which
he's not guilty of. I went to del valle correctional center and from there
they told me that I had to come back to Austin to the jail, the -- the --
this here, what is it? Where is it? Tjc. Okay, I went to the tjc, tcj, I was
advised their records only went back to 1999. So he advised me to talk to
pat hill over to the jailhouse. I went back around over there. Talked with
them, they were running off the copies that I needed. Okay. I found out that
my son was incarcerated, true enough, for six months which equal to 180 days
at del valle. They were overcrowded in 1993, so they took and transferred
some of those inmates to wakenhut. From wakenhut, my son, they put him over
there and he best of my knowledge a trustee. I found out from the sheriff
-- where is it? Sheriff robber benefit obin, orbin, she was telling me that
they must have taken his good time or did something. From there, my son was
transferred, instead of getting out for six months -- you know, his six months,
they transferred him from -- from wackenhutto amarillo, clemens unit. My son
still have never minded, his feet never hit the ground. They said they released
him, but he never was actually released to come out of their doors. So now
this alleged crime that mr. Bates have -- mr. Bates from the criminal search
department. Which typed all of that stuff on his record, he, my son is innocent.
He was not out at the time on may 14th, 1993. He was incarcerated. So he couldn't
have committed the crime that they are claiming that he did to -- to -- to
get 15 years. That's just not true because he was incars rated. He left --
incarcerated. He left Texas correctional center at del valle, they transferred
him to wackenhut. From there they transferred him to clemens unit in amarillo,
Texas. And from there he was transferred to -- to eastham unit, I believe
it was. From eastham he's in the gatesville unit now. So my son have been
sitting in prison 11 years, he was only supposed to have served six month,
equal to 180 days, they never, they said they released him, they showed me
the release thing, but my son never came home, he never got out of the doors.
They transferred him. So my son couldn't have committed this crime under this
cause number, which they -- three representatives from the criminal justice
department of criminal search department had already told me that this was
not a case number and it was not a -- there was never a file that existed
under that. To make someone between the correctional center, wackenhut, typed
15 years on my sons records to get him shipped away from here.
>> you are more than a minute over. You are more than a minute
over.
>> oh, okay. I talked to mr. Arthur adams and they --
>> you want somebody to find out the status of your son's
case and let you know in writing?
>> okay.
>> I would be happy to do that for you.
>> okay. Because I really need him released because he's
innocent.
>> I can -- I can tell you what they say about that, too,
if you want me to.
>> okay.
>> I will need your phone on this sign-in sheet. Do you have
a phone number? Give me a couple of days, we will get that information for
you.
>> okay. I sure thank you.
>> ms. Dick, that information that you received from me last
week, did you follow up on it?
>> yes, I did. I went straight over there.
>> okay.
>> I went straight over to the -- to that street and took
care of everything and I found out that my son is innocent.
>> I will give in writing to you what the state says the
facts are in a few days. Okay.
>> thank you.
>> thank you.
>> mr. Johnson.
>> how are you all doing? This is my first time to come up
here with you all, I have been an opponent to the -- of the Austin city council
for the first six months, but they are kind of like a herd of sheep up there
wandering around waiting for staff to give them an affirmative answer on what
to do. You know it's sad that the residents of our county and the visitors
that come here are taking the beating that they are taking a beating of by
the towing companies on the price of a [indiscernible] tow. Congress gave
the political subdivisions of the states the authority to regulate a non-consent
tow price and safety. And safety, of course, includes insurance, the permitting
of wrecker drivers. But the court, if you live in an apartment complex, you
have a young family, everything, you don't want a wrecker driver out there
riding around your parking lot at nighttime, convicted sex offender. Travis
County doesn't have anything because Travis County only regulates the towing
companies that are on their rotation list. That's it. There's no reason people
live out there west of 620 on 2769 at the lincoln villas should have to pay
a towing company over 2 nowndz a tow -- $200 for a tow fee when right across
the street there, where the city limit butts up to it, it's 9 five dollars.
There's no -- $95. I have talked to people in the sheriff's department, they
say we are regulated by a government code. I said a government code, a state
statute cannot take aaa right guaranteed -- cannot take away a right guaranteed
by federal law. Just cannot. What the Texas legislature did, after congress
gave the political subdivisions this authority to regulate the fee, would
allow them to pass through a fee on a governmental fee that the vehicle storage
facility collects from the vehicles owner when he picks up his vehicle or
that vehicle is sold at public auction. Those fees are earmarked specifically
for law enforcement. To enforce the Texas towing statute and the vehicle storage
facility act. You have vehicle storage facilities and towing companies laying
outside there in the e.t.j. Of the city that are specifically ripping off
the people and they know they can get away with it because rick patrion has
kicked them off the rotation list. They are under no law enforcement investigation.
Yet they come in the city limits and they know they are towing cars illegally,
engaging in organized criminal activity when you have an apartment manager
conspiring with a towing company to commit fraud by towing cars from their
property that don't comply with the statute. As soon as that tow truck driver
takes that car off the property, you have got three individuals that's engaged
in an organized crime. [buzzer sounding] that is another tool that the legislature
gave law enforcement to deal with the problems directed to the public. All
that I am asking for the county Commissioners to take a serious look, look
at this realistically of governmental fee, that's collected every vehicle
stoarmg facility in Travis County. Storage facility in Travis County. A.p.d.,
They are collecting that fee from south side. I told. By futrell that'snot
even the s. That vehicle fee fits passed through to the owner, this fee, the
funding of this fee is going to be used to protect you from towing companies.
Towing companies because the immigrant companies are the one that's really
being lifted right now because they are out there towing these people's cars
off for an expired inspection sticker on site. Robert rangel told me a lady
came up here from mexico, brownsville, to visit her daughter, her car got
towed because the inspection sticker was expired and the legislature in the
last session amended that statute that you have to send a vehicle owner a
certified letter telling them that you have 10 days to get that car fixed
or its going to be towed.
>> you are more than a minute over mr. Johnson.
>> okay. But these are issues that you all can use. These
are tools that you have that the federal government gave you and the Texas
legislature gave you to address these issues and to stop this price george
w. Bus -- price gouging. Towing drivers you have them out there that all they
do is steal for a living.
>> mr. Johnson, you go -- would you go to my office in room
500 and see bob Moore, tell him this story.
>> I sent all of you all a couple of weeks ago about this
issue.
>> okay. Go up and make sure that bob Moore in my office
knows.
>> I can't hear.
>> go upstairs, room 500, see bob Moore in my office let
him know the story.
>> I noticed last night after watching the meetings on tv,
the voice is not the same as the -- as the tape, maybe when you all start,
when you play the reruns, because you try to watch someone's voice, with the
audio and video is different.
>> okay.
>> thank you.
>> thank you. We will let the media folks know.
>> I will be back next week. I will be coming up here every
week until we do something about it.
>> being osm thank you.
>> we look forward to seeing you, mr. Johnson.
>> do what?
>> we look forward to seeing you.
>> it's all about protecting the public.
>> that's true.
>> anybody else for citizens communication? That's to address
the court on any matter not on the agenda.
>> a $10 fee [indiscernible]
>> we are done.
>> don't use next week's time now [laughter]
>> generated $1.4 million to go in the county's --
>> we really will look into it now.
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.
Last Modified: Friday, October 28, 2005 8:23 AM