Travis County Commissioners Court
June 5, 2007
Item 19
>> number 19, we sort of reached impasse on that one. If I need to break the tie vote, 19 is to consider and take appropriate action on appointment of third person to serve as voting member of the capital area regional transportation organization. We have two elected officials willing to serve. Last time there was a vote of two for one, two for the other.
>> cheryl josive, tn r. Huh asked tnr to prepare some sort of criteria, for lack of anything else, I googled both mr. Gonzalez and mr. Sanchez and tried to come up with some criteria, education, length of time as elected official, response to the questionnaire and size of the city. I think this was just to give you a idea of some of the things to help you make that decision one of the things you might want to consider in addition to that, not in here, is the size of Pflugerville, probably the largest and fastest growing. That is is consideration. He would probably represent a larger constituent base on the reason side of Travis County.
>> this thing, let me ask this question. What is the charge of this particular organization as far as transportation is concerned? That is my concern, the transportation aspect of this whole process. From light rail, I mean from commuter rail to the whole nine yards. What is the relationship with this as far as dealing with the transportation needs?
>> this is a subcommittee of capcog.
>> right.
>> my an understanding is they deal with bylaws, they bring to you major transportation issues and work on the future impact of transportation. I think that joe probably could go even more deeper than I can because I don't know exactly.
>> really the area outside of the jurisdiction of calm calmpo, set up to be a metropolitan urban transportation process. Cartpo was funded in large part because the counties outside that area had no input into how tex dot spent money on the rural sill. This is really more the area outside the urbanized area, more rural transportation issues than urban.
>> what type of transportation issues are we talking about? Not just talking about roads.
>> I think mainly roads.
>> mainly roads ?
>> technically what tex dot is doing, allocating its discretionary money on highway projects outside the metropolitan area. Those are the type of issues that would probably be most forefront in what cartpo does.
>> if it's roads, again, there is a lot of significant roads in eastern Travis County, period. I still think that looking at the overall transportation picture, when you look at the transportation needs, there's real a lot going on in that part of the county. I think precinct 1 and 4 will probably experience that more than anywhere else because of growth. That is where I have some legitimate concerns because I think it's all intertwined inextricably, to the point where you cannot hardly separate anything. Just not roads, we're talking about a transportation network. So I think it's going to be very critical and important for whoever serves on this thing to really have a handle on that particular area experiencing a lot of growth with those particular as you mentioned, roads, but not only that, I want to throw rail into that. I think rail is something that is very up on us, cap me though though -- metro is dealing with a lot of rail projects, and these going in not only within Travis County but beyond, points further it would appear to me it is not just roads. I think it is the whole network. I know there's a the lo of expected experiences that we have to have a landel on in that part of the county. I'm not saying, as you know, last week I didn't, I voted, made a motion to the court, mayor--to support mayor sanchez because I think that is a big growing mecca, not that I disagree or do not support or could not support this other person from Pflugerville but give than he needd to have an opportunity to participate and also have a handle on those particular conditions, and I'm saying roads, they are everywhere over there, out of the urbanized area of Austin, unincorporated area of Austin, I think that the folks as far south running through precinct 4 also, a lot going on I thought it would be more uncomfortable to to--more comfortable to have a person right there.
>> mayor sanchez is just one of the county judges.
>> pardon ?
>> I move that we appoint mayor sanchez.
>> I second that motion. Similar motion I made last week. If you want to make it, just fine with me.
>> . Both of them I think will do a good job. Job.. Anymore disigsdiscussion on the motion ?
>> no.
>> all in favor.
>> show Commissioners Davis, dougherty, yours truly voting in favor. I move that we ask council member gonzalez to serve as the alternate.
>> second.
>> and indicate the chort's intention--Commissioners court's intention to appoint him if mayor sanchez becomes unavailable or is no longer on cartpo a. My thinking on that, it kind of helps to remain involve and informed so if you have to step in you will be a lot more available.
>> sure.
>> show a second. Discussion of that motion? All in favor. That passes by unanimous vote. Thank you all very much. Number 20 we will take up at two o'clock this afternoon.
>> .
>> number 22, judge, is already in the plan, isn't it ?
>> I think the intention was to do this position if necessary. We anticipate that sometime real soon there will be enough work for this person.
>> sure.
>> Travis County planning and budget office and auditor's offers. We have been meeting about this and they believe the expenditures are going to start showing up sometime I guess in the next month or two I think this is the auditor auditor's office want to go go ahead and post for the position for planning purposes we have already included the funding for the position in the preliminary budget in anticipation that they will need that position.
>> how much did you put in?
>> 82 grand.
>> I think right now we have 88,198. If the court approvers and they start early we could remove the one-time cost from next year's budget.
>> I'm sorry, I didn't hear your question.
>> this is in anticipation.
>> of the cdbg. And what we ended up doing, judge, as you know, the only reason we need the positions is because of the recipients recipients. That is the workload, the sub recipients. Had you done something without that, we could have handled the workload
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Last Modified:
Wednesday, June 6, 2007, 8:00 AM