Travis County Commissioners Court
May 9, 2006
Citizens Communication
Citizens communication is next. And three citizens have signed in. Valerie bristol, citizens number one.
>> judge and Commissioners court I知 here on behalf of the nature conservancy of Texas, to announce that we have chosen Travis County for the leadership conservation award for 2006. This award represents not just your actions this year on that wonderful park package, but your actions over a long period of time. And your thoughtful and contract supplying of parklands for constituents throughout the county. For again the passing of the largest county bond package for parks I believe ever passed in the state of Texas. Leadership is outstanding in that area. Also in the balcones canyonlands plan which you have brought close to fruition your leadership that been outstanding in bringing in $64 million in federal funds to add to the money from this county. And now we have a well managed preserve system for Travis County. We also salute the people of Travis County for supporting these efforts year after year. A team efforts of the citizens and your leadership. On that behalf of the nature conservancy we look forward to giving you this award in September. I have invited bob benson to briefly tell you about the luncheon where you will receive the award.
>> this is the 12th year for the event. We expect over 700 business leaders, community leaders to come out and recognize your efforts. We are excited to also have entertainment during that luncheon. It's going to be a thrilling day, Wednesday, September 27th at the hilton downtown. Up be receiving additional -- you will be receiving additional information about the event in short order.
>> we look forward to seeing you all at the luncheon.
>> thank you very much. Good news. [ applause ]
>> > vincent may is next.
>> good morning, judge.
>> good morning.
>> in recent week goes I pointed out the fact that ctrma with campo's blessing is building free roads and free bridges in person Travis County west of i-35 and in Williamson county. I have also pointed out the fact that in eastern Travis County there are no -- no new capacity free roads or bridges being built. In fact campo intends to take existing free capacity and eastern Travis County and convert it to toll roads. I知 here today to ask us for specific action. Neither ctrma nor campo has made available the maps of these free roads to any citizens other than those who are dogged and -- in their determination to obtain copies and wait weeks or months in violation of the open records act. You can easily rectify that by getting copies of the maps and putting them online so that the citizens can see what is coming. That would be very low cost, take an hour of time to get those maps. The pictures of 183 south, 71 east, which I have not been able to obtain yet. One of the reasons I知 interested in that is I suspect that the overpass at 71 and 183 south will be converted to toll. The citizens are unable to find out until they can see the maps. I知 asking you to take that simple step on behalf of the citizens of Travis County to make this information public. Finally, I consider both campo and ctrma to be out of control agencies. They are not response toiferb the public, not responsible to the public, ctrma is an unelected board and -- and I致e been bringing my concerns to you. I would like to ask you what you are doing about it. How do you intend to rectify it, the concerns of at least 100,000 people in Travis County. I spoke to the park springs neighborhood association last night. Not a single person supports to go at -- tolling at 290 east. I spoke to the black land prairie concerned citizens association, not a single person supports tolling 290 east. We support having modest improvements to the road that will make it free flowing for the next 20 years. Perhaps buying the right-of-way, so eventually our children can have a place to -- to upgrade it when they need that done. But what are you doing? Thank you.
>> thank you, mr. May.
>> did you get with joe gieselman last week with our t.n.r. Department?
>> no, I didn't.
>> okay. I want you to give him a call and if there's any maps that you are looking for, t.n.r. Should be able to help you acquire that.
>> my hope that is the water, the 800,000 that live in Travis County can see them, too, there's no way if I get the maps I can forward them to those people out there where I live we are on very slow modems, I get 26 k dialup and that's all that I have available. So I can't forward these things to other people. It will be very easy for Travis County to do that so that the people could be informed. But thanks for the -- thanks --
>> I知 bringing it to joe gieselman's attention on this particular request. He's our t.n.r. Department person and if you would like to talk to him directly, you can also do that. 854-9383. And joe gieselman. So please give him a call on this particular request that you are making.
>> okay. I -- I very much hope that you would schedule a vote to vote on whether the sense of the -- of the Commissioners court on whether or not roads should be converted from free to tolled status in east Travis County. It part of the law in the state of Texas, passed last year, one year ago this month, house bill 2702. And that's -- that's something about it going to have to happen, why wait until the last minute. Thank you.
>> thank you, mr. May. Phillip dick is next.
>> good morning, everyone. As you all know, I have been coming here quite often, talking about my -- my group. And talking about my innocent son, roosevelt hutchins, jr. This morning I am here to ask for donations, if -- if -- to donate to my son's cause. He needs an attorney and I知 not ably financed to support all of the money that's needed for the attorney fees. So I知 here asking for donations this morning. A mother fighting to save son's innocent life. Donations are needed to help pay lawyer fees for the immediate release and transfer of innocent roosevelt hutchins, jr. All credit cards, cash, checks, money orders are needed and accepted as soon as possible regardless of size of donations. Please send all donations to account number 315-2358 greater Texas federal credit union, the address is 1180 airport boulevard, Austin, Texas, 78702. Please help with your donations and thank you for each an everyone's donations and I知 hoping and praying that, you know, the donations will come so that an innocent person can be released. One other thing that I would like to say about the inmates that -- that's in -- incarcerated. We have a lot of them innocent in there. The thing that I have discovered and a lot of my group members discovered is that the cause numbers are being charged in order to hold them there. The cause numbers are being charged -- changed from the original cause to another cause number and that causes a big -- a big confusion when you go to research these cause numbers and they don't draw up under the name of that inmate. It draws up under the name of another inmate. And this have concerned me and it has concerned group the members of my group that has went to, you know, check on their inmate loved ones. That is the same thing that my son fell up under. His cause number was changed. That's the problem that he's going through now. They changed his cause number from the original cause number and then placed a 15 year drug possession case on him while he was already incarcerated in Travis County jail. So I would appreciate all donation, I知 hoping and praying that -- that -- the donations come so that we can get an innocent person out. Thank you.
>> thank you.
>> again, all of the things that I have suggested for you to do, you have done those things, right?
>> yes, I have sir. I have been down every avenue. Guess what I知 still going down both avenues. When I leave from here I知 going back to all of those places where I told you that I have been. Calling, leaving messages, I am doing, going right back over the same grounds. I have even tried to get his story printed in the newspapers, I can't even get that done. It's just hard to get the information out, you know, about it when it's come to an inmate. Thank you all.
>> did mr. Hutchins supposed to be released sometime soon.
>> no, sir. They moved that's another thing. I want all people to watch out not only for cause numbers but --
>> do you know the discharge date?
>> they gave him -- his projected date, he doesn't have a discharge date they keep moving it. It moves. It was in '93 '95, now it's 2008. They keep moving it. He never gets out. They keep moving it. They call it a projected date.
>> being on. The -- the information that I gave you that I got from the warden, it has a specific date.
>> I called ms. Barbara, I have tried to get in contact. I haven't received anything from her yet. I have been calling leaving messages for ms. Barbara and nothing because I wanted to send her the facts about my son's statement about him being in fear of his life on the unit that he's on. I want her to read his letter about that. And then he was badly abused and carried out on a gurney. So please thank you for your donations.
>> thank you.
>> anybody else for citizens communication?
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Last Modified:
Wednesday, May 10, 2006 1:15 PM