Travis County Commissioners Court
May 2, 2006
Citizen Communication
Citizens communication is next, this gives resident an opportunity to address the court on any matter not on the agenda. And the following citizens have signed in. Harvey Davis, number one. Bob barstow is number two. And this timer is at the end of the table, when it goes off after 3 minutes, the speakers need to conclude. Harvey Davis, number one. Bob barstow if you would come forward have a seat, you are number two.
>> good morning, I知 harvey Davis, manager of the Travis County housing finance corporation. I wanted to use my three minutes to inform the public about two excellent housing programs at the Travis County housing finance corporation is offering Travis County residents who are first-time home buyers to purchase a home. The first program that -- that we have is called the american dream down payment initiative. This program offers residents $8,300 in the form of two forgivable 10-year deferred loans. The loans are on forgiven 10 percent each full year that the home buyer occupies the home. The -- the -- they are -- there are income limits for this program. For example, for -- for family of two, their income has to be below w45 $500. $45,500. The home buyer has to complete an 8-hour home buyer education course that is given by consumer credit counseling. The home buyer has to -- to buy the home in Travis County but outside the city limits of Austin. The city of Austin also has similar programs to the american dream down payment initiative. The second program that we have is a 5.95% mortgage loan and 4% down payment assistance grant program. This program offers below market mortgage loans. I think the current mortgage rate for a home is about six and a half percent for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage. The size of this program is $15 million. It does provide a -- a grant that is equal to 4% of the original morning loan. The income limits are -- are higher than for the american dream down payment initiative. It is -- it is $71,100 for a family of two or fewer and $81,765 for a family of three or more. This program is available for homes purchased in Travis County, including the city of Austin. If you purchase a home in the city of Austin, and -- and it's newly constructed it has to be smart compliant and the home buyer has to take the home buyer education course. I have an example of a -- of a home buyer that is a family of two and their income is below $45,500. They can access both of our programs and -- in purchasing their home. They would receive -- in this example, they have $125,000 mortgage. Their mortgage rate is 5.95% for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage. Their down payment requirements would be about $9,000. The program would offer them assistance of $13,300. So -- so they would really have some true equity in -- in their home purchase. So these -- these are really two excellent programs that I want to make sure that Travis County residents are aware of. To find out more information, they can call me at 854-4743 or visit our website, thank you very much.
>> thank you.
>> mr. Barstow?
>> and he will -- mr. Barstow will be followed by vincent may.
>> judge, Commissioners, I am bob barstow, you have seen me before. I own windy point park or one of my companies does. Out on Lake Travis, it's a spectacular piece of land. It's a trophy piece of land. It's on the map as windy point park. Possibly the most unusual piece of land on Lake Travis, the most attractive. If you -- you don't have to be a goat to get to the waterfront. It has beautiful waterfront of its own and the problem is that it also includes use of your land next door to reach the waterfront. This has been a source of problems between us. As I can into this I want to quote winston churchill. He had something to say about truth, I want you to pay attention to what truth is. Churchill said you can deny it, you can hide it, and you can distort it, but truth is always there and I want you to remember that in our situation. Commissioner Sonleitner, particularly you. I think you are prejudiced against the truth, I hope that you will reexamine the truth in light of these statements. The truth is I put my property into public service to let the public come out and enjoy this beautiful piece of property that I could have been selfish about. No one had to come out. I don't imagine any of you have let the public into your back yard or your front yard tonight joy it. Why don't you? I did, I enjoy it, I enjoy sharing it with the public. Our problem is you manage the land under an easement that I own and I manage the easement. You do not manage the easement and I do not manage the land under -- under the easement. That means that we have two managers. We are competing to put the public in the water in the same place. You don't have any authority over my use of that easement and I don't have any authority over the use, over your use of the land under your easement. It's a big-time problem. The way it's solved is one of us must have a priority to use the land. I happen to have the priority. You signed a contract with the lcra, when you took over management of the land that you would honor all easements. In addition to that, we have a judgment that says you will not interfere with easement users in any way. That means to me, and I think others, that my use dominates your use. My use is the highest use of the lcra property there is. And you folks ought not to interfere with it. You do. Every day. You put rocks up to keep me from going to the waterfront when I have a judgment that says I may. Now, what do the words may mean to you? I may go to the waterfront, I may drive a reasonable means of transportation and my guests to the water's edge. I may go in the water. Those are absolute rights and you are subordinant to those rights and you are managing your park as if those rights do not exist. For my -- for my part, the public in my park. I want you to do that, to manage it accordingly. You are creating an unsafe condition at the waterfront. You have loaded up a boat ramp with your guests and it's dangerous for me, and you require me to use it. It's dangerous for me to back through those people, back into the water where you have loaded up with swimming people in the channel leading to that ramp. You know? Consider who is the trouble maker on this. John hilly who was here a few minutes ago.
>> mr. Barstow.
>> told me that I was the trouble maker.
>> you are about four minutes now.
>> but I did not cause this problem and I知 trying to be a good american and let the public use my land and you folks are contesting that. I don't know why. You just got in over your head when you leased this land from the lcra and did not run a title check, which is a lawyer error and we need to -- to get it resolved. I want you to -- I insist that you -- that you not exceed the lcra's property rights and let me serve the public according to the right that I purchased.
>> thank you, mr. Barstow. Vincent may is next, followed by scott johnson.
>> good morning, judge. I知 here representing keep 290 free. That's a group in east Travis County that represents the will of probably 100,000 or more people who avoid -- who want to avoid having toll roads in east Travis County. Especially keep 290. What brings me here today is first I知 going to reminds you of what happened two years ago at the intersection of parmer and mopac. Txdot, which is building a toll road there, indicated that it was going to toll that bridge. The underpass, which has been there and exists, it's free. They were going to convert it, a legal term, to toll status. There was a public outcry that people up there said no, you can't take something away that we have now a free ride. And txdot backed down and said that they would make a -- make arrangements, put in distributor, collector lanes so that those people who live north of parmer could get free access to their homes. At that time I decided since 183 has quite a few bridges, ed bluestein boulevard, I decided to go to the Texas transportation commission and asked them how we would be treated. And on 10-28-04 I presented my concerns to the commission. Commissioner Williamson asked mr. Bob day of campo and txdot here in the centex area to respond. Mr. Bob day: I would be happy to. We are very well aware of concerns such as this. We have modified this schematic drawings to provide distributor collectors to allow people a non-tolled route around those signals where they have a non-tolled route around those signals today. So once again, as mike barens has pointed out, if you can drive that way today non-toll, you will be able to drive -- that way tomorrow non-tolled. You will be able to drive that way 10 years from now non-tolled if that is your will. Judge, I just got a copy of the latest plans that ctrma is proposing for -- for highway 183 s. Ed blew stein boulevard. Ed bluestein boulevard. They are proposing to toll springdale road which is currently free and montopolis drive which is currently free. That means that they are converting those roads to toll status. 7 now, something has changed since 10-28-2004 when I spoke to the commission. Since then, last year, the legislature passed house bill 2702. And it says that any future conversions can only be done if the county Commissioners of the county where it's located vote to allow it. I知 calling upon you, to have a public vote and say yes or no to whether or not ctrma can do this. Convert our existing free roads to tolled status. And I would point out to you, that the people of parmer kept their free road, that the people at william cannon, campo voted to allow them to have their free road, which was not even existing, it was in construction. And since then, txdot and ctrma have decided to build a free non-tolled route crossing 620 at 183. Now, on the west side you give free bridges to people. Not legally entitled to them. On the east side, campo is proposing to take away free bridges that we have enjoyed for 30 and 40 years respectively. Our parents paid for them, we have been paying to maintain them. You complaint take them away. Judge, you have got to show some leadership. I知 asking mr. Ron Davis, since springdale, the springdale bridge is in his district.
>> about four minutes.
>> okay. Well, I知 going to -- thank you for listening to me.
>> thank you, mr. May.
>> thank you, mr. May, scott johnson is next, scott johnston will be followed by jennifer gale. I知 scott johnson, the project manager for the central Texas electric lawn mower program. We've had this program every year the past five years. The purpose of the program is to try to improve air quality, promote the idea that people can upgrade, trade in their gas powered lawn mowers for an electric model that's exhaust free. There are two types, one is a cordless model, has a battery pack and runs about an hour and 15 minutes per charge. And that's good for people with larger lots. There is a smaller option which is accorded model, plugs in and that's going for people with smaller lots. I would like to draw your attention to the flier that you have. On Saturday, may 6th from 8:00 in the morning until 2:30 in the afternoon, there will be a sales event day at the home depot on south i-35 at woodward. We ask people to come out and -- and go to the website beforehand, which is on their -- their cmpbs.org/electriclawn mower. It tries to address this pollution, lawn mowers, when people try to fill their small reaccept kels with grass and oil, this fouls our waterways, creeks and lakes. Also these models are mulching models, we try to have the people put the grass back on the lawn, that diverts lawn trimmings from the very overused, very overused landfills here in Travis County. Many people don't know that these are maintenance free, in essence. If you buy a cordless model, you will have to replace the battery in five, six, seven years, but the cost of ownership is less than a gas-powered model which is something that you would have to tune-up each year for 40 or $50. The corded model on the other hand it's one that you plug in, you never have any maintenance associated with that. I would like to encourage people to consider their choices, their purchasing options here in Travis County. We do have, we are under watch by the epa and tceq, if we are not able to lower ozone levels stashly or become -- substantially or become compliant by next year, this is a possibility that Travis County, hays county, Williamson county would in essence be sanctioned by the state and federal authorities. We do already have an emissions testing program. There's some other possible programs that could be enacted. This is one way, perhaps one of the greatest ways that people can reduce their emissions, gas-powered lawn mowers, pulling a great deal more than a car does. Even though you are only using the lawn monther for 25 to 30 hours per year, whereas you are using a car for an hour a day or more. Thank you very much for your kind attention. The discount on the cordless model is $108 with the trade in on that particular day. Thank you for your kind attention.
>> thank you, mr. Johnson.
>> thank you.
>> jennifer gale is next.
>> hi Travis County. County Commissioners Margaret Gomez, Gerald Daugherty, Karen Sonleitner and my own Ron Davis, good morning judge Sam Biscoe, this is election week throughout Travis County. You can vote for your school board, Austin community college and your own city council. You can read about all of the candidates inside, if you are online it's league wv.org. And you can learn about all of the candidates. And see a picture of them. My name is jennifer gale. We have a great many concerns in the city of Austin. Health care is our number one priority. We can't survive without really good health care. I think everyone should have a full physical exam every year. Have a dental visit at least once a year. And an eye exam by paying in monthly, even the poorest person can afford a few dollars to pay in for their own health care, knowing full well that it will keep them healthy and possibly living to 150. I also think that we need representation. Through weekly meetings. Like meeting at reagan, crockett, anderson or travis high schools. By meeting weekly with the people, we can find out what the needs and wants are. Right now, we have -- you can read about the proposition 1 and 2, the open government amendment and save our springs right here in Austin. That affects Travis County. They are lying in this. The city of Austin wrote that language. Our seven councilmembers, including the mayor lied to us. And then they tried to -- to offer up -- an alternative, this last week, saying that that isn't advocating for or against. If they are offering a change they are clearly advocating against. We need open government. We need it at the county level, at the city level, at the state level and our federal level. We don't know what's going on. So if we had immediate access then proposition -- we need to pass proposition 1. I am advocating for it because I would have initiated that had I -- had I been elected years ago. We need recognition of gay and lesbian relationships. We don't have that. You can't visit your loved one in the hospital. You have to worry about power of attorney and insurance. Our pets want a no-kill policy. They are tired of getting out of the house and then being picked up by town lake center and being put to death. If they are not able to find a home for them. We need foster care and volunteers that can take care of our pets that might get away. Our kitties and our puppies. We don't have that. We kill over 13,000 of our pets a year. That's a loss of a great amount of money. Well, we need to educate our children in law, physics, chemistry, calculus, put them into college in 12th grade. Expanded bus routes throughout Travis County. Neighborhood integrity. Voter choice, maintaining aquifer bypassing proposition two. I want to wish everyone a very happy and fun cinco de mayo. Thank you.
>> thank you.
>> anybody else under citizens communication? That's to address the court on any matter not on the agenda? Even if you didn't sign in.
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:
Wednesday, May 3, 2006 11:17 AM