Travis County Commissioners Court
June 27, 2006
Item 3
Item no. 3 is to approve resolution recognizing pete katz on his retirement from the Travis County counseling and education services department. If mr. Katz and friends would come forth. Should I read his resolution.
>> yes, judge, good morning, judge, Commissioners, I'm carol coleburn with counseling and education services. I'm here with several of pete katz. He has reached his 24th anniversary with the county this summer. Has decided to take a well-deserved retirement. And I believe we do have a -- have resolution for you to read, judge. If you don't mind.
>> okay. It reads whereas pete katz began his career with track in 19 -- with Travis County in 1982 at the probate court and quickly moved on to become a manager in --
>> stands for.
>> citizens abuse and counseling.
>> and the various incarnations thereof which finally became counseling and education services in 1987. Pete has been the clinical manager over substance abuse services since that time. Whereas although pete katz is recognized in the Travis County community and the state of Texas as an authority in substance abuse assessment, he has also dabbled in other endeavors. Such as being the pasta sauce king with his -- with his previous.
>> pasta salsa, judge.
>> food business.
>> when this became too much to handle with his ever growing international political interests and his commitment to his committee, he gave up the spaghetti sauce business.
>> you can actually go back to it, can't you?
>> actually I'm still paying off those debts, judge.
>> don't go back to it.
>> whereas pete is also known for his annual fall sprawls, at his lake house where it takes in all -- takes him all day to cook, it's famous and unbelievable wonderful pasta sauce, at the fall sprawl we explore the surroundings where he showed up his secret grotto, we now visualize him during his retirement days setting up a desk in the grotto where he will create all kinds of wild ideas for his radio shows, live from the grotto. [laughter] was that the one that I was on?
>> it was. It was, judge. We missed you this year, too.
>> okay. People think that we are making this stuff up. [laughter]
>> whereas if you didn't know pete, anyone would be able to recognize him as he always wore a baseball cap and a rainbow colored scarf around his next and he never took it off. [laughter] but in preparation for retirement you are getting used to going without it.
>> actually, I did bring my hat, but it's too hot for the scarf.
>> whereas, we have all greatly benefited from his wisdom, experience and hard work. And are indebted to him for his outstanding service, wish to express our deep appreciation and gratitude. Whereas it is appropriate for us to honor mr. Katz for dedicated his career to serving those in the criminal justice system, now therefore be it resolved that we the members of the Travis County Commissioners court do hereby extend special thanks to pete katz for his years of dedicated service to Travis County and expend best wishes to him and all future endeavors and pete had nothing to do with the other two Commissioners not being present today. They had previous plans to be out of town. Had they known about this grand occasion, I am sure they would have figured out other ways to accomplish what they were out of town getting done. But I move approval.
>> thank you.
>> good morning.
>> good morning, judge. I have been told that I have to limit my comments to just two hours, so I'm -- [laughter] actually I -- those are very kind words, I want to thank carroll very much for those words, I think that captures a lot about my interests, those types of things. It's been a real privilege serving the county and serving the Commissioners court. To serve the members of the -- of Travis County and I actually started working for guy herman, but he wasn't in the probate court, he was in j.p. 5 when I first started back in 1982. I can remember getting involved with dial-a-ride. I think at some point the county or maybe the county's attorney's office decide that there may be a little liability about driving drunk people home at night and so the county discontinued that program. But it was really a very, very neat program and that's how I kind of got connected with the counseling service at that point and met some people and that type of a thing. But I just wanted to say that -- that again it's been a real privilege serving -- serving the county and there's a lot of folks behind the scenes that makes Travis County counseling and education services do what we do and -- and I don't want to -- I don't want to recognize anyone in particular, but it's just a wonderful organization and I think there's just a huge and growing need for its services. So -- so I look forward to my retirement and -- and I hope they don't get too overwhelmed with their work. [laughter]
>> well, our community does not have dial-a-ride per se, but we have something comparable, right?
>> I believe it's safe ride. I think that's what evolved from that, but I wanted to just make sure people knew who -- that Travis County conceived that whole program, actually I believe it was out of carol's office.
>> the county attorney's office.
>> it's kind of a cooperative kind of a deal between that and the old -- actually it was atacs, Austin Travis County alcohol counseling services. We had an office on sixth street, if you can believe that. That was where our service center was. So we've come a long way.
>> that was when if you worked on sixth street you had to go somewhere else to get a hamburger. Now -- now --
>> [multiple voices]
>> yeah. Anything else from -- from any co-workers?
>> I just wanted to say a couple of words.
>> have a seat, give us your name so your many, many friends out there will know who you are.
>> I'm larry torres, the social service coordinator for tcces, I have known pete katz for the past 10 years that I have been working for them forks the county and for the department. Working for the county and for the department. He is one of the lead elements, why I'm in this job. At this agency because I met him through another agency, and I guess you saw some of my potential when -- instilled me to apply for a job at this department, which I really appreciated. He was a very enthusiastic and very good at teaching co-worker, good manager as far as I'm concerned and I appreciate your time and effort and in all of the things that you did for me throughout the years. I really appreciate it, pete. Thank you.
>> thank you, larry, very much.
>> and I would just like to give credit where credit is due. The whole staff had a part in creating the resolution, judge Biscoe read. Not just myself. And just to say on behalf of the entire department, we really will miss pete and his expertise and hopefully we will see him around a little bit. But -- but, you know, we -- we wish you a happy retire.
>> thank you very much.
>> I know you are going to stay busy. You are not going to sit around and all of the other kind of stuff. What you got planned on doing, are you just going to --
>> actually, I'm going to be spending a lot of time. The radio show that was alluded to, I might as well use this opportunity to advertise it. It's on Mondays from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. On co-op radio, 91.7. It's a news and namtion kind of show, called bringing light into darkness. And I've -- I hope to be able to stay without working, writing and the addiction and social theory areas over the next nine months or until I have go go back to work. So it's -- it's -- as nice as the pension is, I do live out by the lake and property values, I just -- and the taxes and all of those things are kind of compelling me to -- to probably have to -- to wash windows at some point to help supplement my income. But I'm really looking forward to -- to having that opportunity and I've had a great opportunity with the county to -- to learn so much and to -- to put into practice things that we hope get people to look at behaviors and make some changes and it's been a very, very rewarding process and of the opportunity today to visit with you all is very rewarding as well. I really thank you for your time, I know that you are very, very busy.
>> well, if you run out of friends to -- to invite to your lake house, remember the Commissioners court. [laughter] up to two of us can come out there and join us.
>> I certainly will. [laughter]
>> all in favor? That passes by unanimous vote. As you know, we are not able to get rolex watches and other big bonuses upon retirement, but we can give you a beautiful proclamation here.
>> thank you. [ applause ]
>> you want a picture or two?
>> it was an active ground breaking ceremony, not a ribbon cutting for that new school. Clerk, if you would mind correcting that, it was a ground breaking, not a ribbon cutting. Leading toward that, though. Thank you.
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, June 28, 2006 11:13 AM