Travis County Commissioners Court
October 31, 2006
Citizens Communication
Citizens communication is next. And this item gives residents an opportunity to address the Commissioners court on any matter not on the agenda. And several citizens, residents, have signed in. Jimmy castro is first. And scott johnson is second. If we can get mr. Johnson to sit right here, to mr. Castro's right. Third is jacob -- jacob, how do you spell your last name? Nativdad? Jacob, paul reynolds. They are altogether then. Maybe that's one of his -- okay. Mr. Castro.
>> thank you, judge, good morning, judge, Commissioners. My name is jimmy castro, here on speak on my own behalf, to remind everyone to take the time to vote in a very important election. The November 7th city of Austin bond election. Early voting is from Monday October 23rd, through Friday November the 3rd. Proposition 1 transportation. This proposition includes funding for streets, sidewalks, bicycle infrastructure and traffic signal improvements. Proposition 1 total amount is $103 million. Proposition 2, drainage and water quality protection, this proposition includes funding to implement the watershed protection master plan. Proposition 2 total amount is $145 million. Proposition 3, park facilities and parkland, this proposition includes funding to renovate and improve park facilities and parkland. Proposition 3 total amount is $68 million -- $84 million, excuse me. Proposition 4, community and cultural center facilities. This proposition includes funding to renovate and improve community and cultural center facilities. Proposition 4, total amount is $31 million. Proposition 5, affordable housing. This proposition includes funding for a rental house and development and home ownership programs. Proposition 5, total amount is $55 million. Proposition 6, central library. This proposition includes funding to construct a new central library. Proposition 6 total amount is $90 million. Proposition 7, public safety facilities, this proposition includes funding to construct, renovate and improve public safety facilities. Proposition 7 total amount is $58 million. The total bond package $567 million. Finally, let's do the right thing and let's pass all 7 bond propositions for Austin's future. So Austin can maintain its status as the most liveable city in america. Thank you, judge, Commissioners.
>> thank you, mr. Castro. Mr. Johnson?
>> good morning, judge and commissions. My name is scott johnson, here on speak on my own behalf. As all of you know Travis County is a signatory to what's called the clean air action plan which is also known as the early action compact. This plan was very brought at the beginning, got chipped away by the Texas commission on environmental quality and now we have some core programs that are still there, but the question is are they being implemented or implemented fully. Based on some research that I have done recently. I believe that's not the case. The first program, the most important one that we have in the region is the vehicle emissions testing program and while we do have a failure rate among many vehicles, some as young as four or five years old, rate now we are not doing audits through d.p.s. To -- to locate fraud and so that program is not necessarily reaching its potential. Once we spot fraud, then we will know that -- that that program is starting to reach its potential. The second program, a very important one, stage one vapor recovery. This happens when the gas is dropped from the tanker truck into the underground storage tank. That program right now, the enforcement for that is the Texas commission on environmental quality. And they have not cited any gas stations for failure to use the vapor recovery equipment. This does need to be addressed by the region in a comprehensive way. We have already had some dialogue with the city and county on this issue. The next program is the anti-idling or heavy duty diesel idling rule. One where the Travis County sheriff's office and the Austin police department can cite vehicles from April 1 to October 1 each year if they are idling more than five minutes and if their gross weight is more than seven tons or 14,000 pounds. Checking with a.p.d.'s municipal court, no violations were written from April 1 to July 30th of this year. I didn't check with the Travis County sheriff's office on this matter, but having checked with them on another air quality matter having to do with visible smoke from exhaust in the past, the violations written are very low or non-existent. These are three of the four main programs that we are relying on to keep us in at stainment. Employees keep in mind by the end of next week if we are not in attainment, there could be economic sanctions, a lot more potential cost for governmental entities and perhaps for businesses and individuals. So I would encourage Travis County to stay engaged on this issue. I know that the judge, when he attends these meetings, he's asking the most thought-provoking questions of any elected officials there. That's a good thing. However, if you look at the report, the early action compact report, which is a semi annual report. Look and see what measures are there. How they are being enforced. I think that you would also agree there are some short coming there. I would be happy to answer any questions.
>> questions? Thank you, mr. Johnson.
>> thank you for your time.
>> now, let me make sure who I have here. Okay. Paul reynolds is with this group and william swain is, too?
>> yes, sir.
>> joel robinson?
>> yes, sir.
>> best gerswitz.
>> yes, sir.
>> jacob
>> [indiscernible]
>> yes, sir.
>> thank you. I like the way you all say yes.
>> yes!
>> the floor is yours.
>>
>> [inaudible - no mic]
>> good morning, Commissioner Davis, Sonleitner, Daugherty, Biscoe. I want to thank you for this opportunity to address the court, also to thank you for the support and funding that you provide for -- for Travis County esd number 4 neighborhood fire training academy. October 16th was our state date, we started with 23 young people, everybody is young to me. We hope to graduate 23. That's three more than we normally start with. But we are looking for another year of continued success. Chief smith sends his request for not being here because he's at another meeting. He also wishes for the continued success of this program. I believe he submitted a proposal to you. That would allow that to happen. I would introduce to all of this but there's an awful lot of them. We signed up for the neighborhood -- for the citizens communication to buy some time. Of course all of those individuals will not speak. To my left I have joe robinson a graduate from class number 2. I would like to yield the floor to him as well.
>> thank you, Commissioners for allowing me to -- first and foremost, I would like to say five years ago I was standing in the exact same position as these cadets today. I was like -- the second academy class, the academy is a very, very helpful as far as getting us a foothold in the fire service. They are learning a lot of information. Once we graduated I was able to be hired on with the Travis County esd 4, which helped further my career. Now I'm a part of the member of the houston fire department. So like I said, the academy has helped me tremendously. I would like to see it continue. I yield the floor back to chief reynolds.
>> before you do that, did your nickname make its way down to houston?
>> no, ma'am. It has not yet.
>> would you care to fill everybody in as to what your nickname is?
>> it's honey buns.
>> I know.
>>
>> [laughter] I enjoy eating honey buns a whole lot.
>> by the case, as I recall.
>> yes. He got quite a few gifts when he graduated. So you all have to look forward to, this is as bad as it gets, getting an unusual nickname. I'm glad -- I heard that you had been injured on one of your first fires down there, I'm glad to see that you are -- that you have recovered.
>> thank you.
>> we'll do our best to keep that nickname here in Travis County.
>> yes, sir.
>> [laughter]
>> probably have another win for him down there.
>> [laughter]
>> speaking of mr. Robinson here, joe was involved in a fire that he lost a captain at that fire. However, when everything went really south, joe remembered his basic training and has told me that that's the only thing that saved his life was all the drilling that we went through, it just automatically took hold, he found the wall and made it out of the structure with some burns, but he did not lose his life. We are using joe, a member of class 2, and other members of the academy to come back and help educate, kind of a pay back, pay it forward, if you will, to -- to the new cadets coming in. So the information, the experience that joe has gathered is extremely helpful in developing this young group of cadets.
>> do you want to get the names, that mic will snap on, on the end if you want to give us your names, this is class number.
>> 7, sir.
>> class number 7.
>> this has the full 23?
>> yes, sir.
>> that started out.
>> that's correct -- yes, sir. My hair will be a lot whiter the next time you see me, about 20 is about my normal.
>> how are you doing, I'm, I am eric
>> [indiscernible]
>> aaron duval.
>> alex
>> [indiscernible]
>> >
>> [indiscernible]
>> chris
>> [indiscernible]
>> jerry seguda.
>>
>> [indiscernible] gwen.
>> brandtly cummings, joshua allen, brentton cooper.
>> chris.
>> brian,.
>> william swain.
>> adam tapia.
>> chedrikc lewis,.
>> yak lee.
>> veronica eddie.
>>
>> [indiscernible]
>> aaron iverson.
>> mike
>> [indiscernible]
>> elmer rodriguez.
>> art loscana, jacob natividad.
>> by the way, some of them already have nicknames.
>> in closing, I wanted to really thank you again for the support, your support that allows this to happen. Without your support, this would not be -- be possible.
>> I'm sorry. Who -- also supporting you is your family and your loved ones. I want to do a specific shout out to aaron iverson. I was sitting next to your mom on a flight, I was coming from port land and we were on the same leg back from houston, flying in from europe, she is unbelievable proud of you. Was telling me about this fire academy, she could not believe that the two of us wound subpoena sitting together. A -- wound up sitting together. A big shout out from your mom. She's very proud of you.
>> I understand you were coming back from two different legs, didn't know each other. She said the fire academy, when she explained it, it happens to be the academy that you were championing. A small world. You do not know how much trouble it was to get her seated next to you
>> [laughter]
>> turned out that way.
>> congratulations to all of you.
>> thank you.
>> thank you. Keep up the good work.
>> [ applause ]
>> anybody else for citizens communication whether you signed in or not.
>> please come forward, if you gives us your name we will be happy to get your comments.
>> good morning, judge. My name is william brewer. Excuse me, I'm lower to speak on my behalf. I'm a resident of a subdivision in Travis County called geneva estates. I have here a basic development permit that was issued to a gentleman who bought a lot in that -- in that subdivision to allow him or permit him, if you will, to put two mobile homes on that lot. That violates three of the recorded deed restrictions, which I have here, with regards to -- to dwelling size, a requirement that -- that 50% of the walls on the structure be made out of masonry or stone and also one of the restrictions is no trailer houses permitted on any lot as a dwelling. I believe this permit was issued because of an incomplete and/or misleading application. I -- I chased my tail for the last two weeks with the tnr and have had no success with them. In researching the Travis County code, I came across 48.013 which basically gives you guys purview over it, tells me to appeal to you. I guess that I'm here today to ask you to request that the t.n.r. Rescind this permit until such time as the application can provide them with a plan that meets the existing deed restrictions.
>> will he tell me your last name again.
>> brewer.
>> can you help us out on an address, that we know which of the four Commissioners precinct this is --
>> it's in mr. Courtty's.
>> I have heard of it. You haven't called my office, have you?
>> I sent you an e-mail about midnight last night. So you probably haven't even read it yet. But I wanted to come here today to officially put it on record that I am appealing to the Commissioners court because it seems like you have purview over this sort of thing.
>> if you will pop by my office on the fifth floor as you get out of the elevator, make sure that I get the numbers and everything to get in touch with you.
>> just take the documentation that I have up to your office then?
>> yes.
>> okay.
>> that's pretty much all that I have to say.
>> thank you.
>> thank you.
>> thank you very much.
>> anybody foley's citizens communication? Then let me make this -- anybody else for citizens communication? Then let me make this announcement. We did have the annual halloween festival last Friday here in Travis County. Many, many employees participated. A lot of folk had a little fun, we raised a little money, we raised these funds for combined charities. And those are the non-profit agencies in our community that provide a variety of programs and services to -- to some of our needy residents and the combined charities campaign is ongoing. And we are -- will probably last another three to four weeks. So in addition to thanking the employees who participated last Friday, let me issue a -- an -- additional words of encouragement to those who are annually participating. We need you to participate again, if you are not participating in the past we need you to participate at this time. We have a new chair, our county sheriff, this year. Last year the -- the chair and committee and county raised about $126,000, the new chairman -- he will raise at least 127. So --
>> all right.
>> I told him it would be good news to have my record broken.
>> that's right.
>> if we could assist him as much as possible, that would be good for our community.
>> as far as -- is there any deadline as far as participation, financial participation?
>> our goal is to -- the announced deadline is always October 31st. Annually we extend it at least 30 days. We have maintained the flexibility to -- to kind of like my pleecher back home, preacher back home, if we didn't raise it the first go around we would do it again. Hopefully by December 1 we hope to have collected all that we can and close it out. It certainly helps a whole lot of residents, it's a goodment pravment the other thing is that virtually all of the public entities in Travis County join in. The city of Austin which has a much larger workforce also raises a whole lot more money than we do. But we have been doing well. We need to keep doing that.
>> okay.
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, November 1, 2006 11:30 AM