Travis County Commissioners Court
October 28, 2008
Item 14
Let's call back to order the voting session of the Travis County Commissioners court. We do expect Commissioner Daugherty to join us momentarily. 14. Consider and take appropriate action on interlocal agreement describing collaborative relationship between Travis County and all of the emergency services districts wholly within Travis County.
>> thank you very much, I'm danny hobby the executive manager for emergency services in Travis County. I have with me today the representatives of emergency services both Commissioners as well as fire chiefs. What we have decided to do is to shorted 10 this somewhat, you have a busy agenda. We need to say a few words because we feel like that this is a very important time for us in that we have joined together, Travis County and the emergency services districts, for the benefit of our citizens in regards to the delivery of emergency services. We feel like this is a critical time to do that because there's so much that's going on o. In the world, station and state but also in Travis County. I am pleased to give you today an agreement, a collaboration agreement that is signed by all 13 of the emergency services districts in Travis County. So this is an achievement in itself because we have folks willing to come together for the benefit of each other, but most importantly, the benefit of Travis County citizens. We are looking forward to the work ahead because this is only the beginning. We are not just signing a collaboration agreement. We know that there's a lot of work ahead, so we look forward to that. We know that bigger and better days are ahead and we will look back, we look forward. And doing it together is so important today, coming together and discussing issues. What you see is a communication model that I hope will be used by other folks because what it's going to do, it's going to allow us to sit down and discuss any issue, whether we agree or disagree, we're going to be able to discuss it and work through it and come to solutions that again are beneficial, especially in the emergency services world. I would like to -- if I could, be quiet for a moment, which is hard for me to do. I'm going to go to my left, don smith, who all of you know he's here quite often. He is with Travis County --
>> did you say quite often or too often.
>> no, sir, quite often
>> [laughter] because he as you know has the academy. Actually two people here with the academy, you all support those efforts, so it's not meant to do it that way. You don't have to have an academy to get up here. But it's appropriate that they be here today. And then of course in the back I wish that I could introduce everybody that's a part of all of this, there's so many names that are not only just here but everywhere that's been a part of this. And I'll mention a future -- a few of those in just a few moments. To my right, your left is Commissioner bob taylor with oak hill. Esd number 3. Let me just start off with don.
>> thank you, danny. Don smith, I'm fire chief for esd number 4. I want to start off by saying thank you so much for supporting the efforts of the emergency service districts in Travis County. I think that you would agree with me that over the last 10 years or so that we have seen some drastic improvements in emergency services provided by our smaller fire departments. With that said it has been very interesting to see the growth that is occurring in the county and those service districts. 2:00. Today we have the Commissioners from those esd's meeting on a regular basis to discuss the issues that affect their district and other districts. Those things have impacts on the citizens of Travis County. And I see us making improvements on a daily basis working out issues on how we respond to different types of calls. When I first came over to fire control, in '93, we we were really just responding to fire calls. Today you see that we are responding to hazardous material calls, we're responding to bio chemical issues. Spills. Water releases or products that release into the lake. You can see the fire department is involved in a lot of different missions, it's really nice to see it. This new effort that has now come before us allowing the esd's to have an actual relationship with you so that we have some type of working program that really allows us to move our efforts forward. I would like to commend all of those fire chiefs that are here today and those that are not here today for their efforts to make this come about. Without those fire chiefs working together, we would still be a long way away, we would probably still be fighting over whose boundary line we were crossing. Those days are long past. I see us working hand in hand. This relationship agreement is going to give us a lot of authority to work closer together and I think even build bigger on the -- on the future of what we need to provide the citizens of Travis County. So again thank you for allowing your staff to assist us in that effort.
>> thank you.
>> thank you.
>> judge is Commissioners, I'm bob taylor, president of the board of commissions of esd number 3. I want to -- excuse me, I want to reinforce what danny said earlier. The agreement that you have in front of you I think is a milestone. While in its exact context it only pro scribes a mechanism for us as sd's in Travis County emergency services to meet and confer and discuss issues. I think the longer term is this is really a backbone, a framework for what we expect to see going forward as we reach agreement on other types and details of how we're going to provide services in Travis County. I think it's -- I'm told that this is one of first time that we have gotten the esd's to -- to excuse me the esd's to actually put their name to a piece of paper collectively. There are independent governments. Obviously you appoint the Commissioners of the various esd's and then they operate independently. But they have come together to have come to realize I should say that citizens of the county and their districts are better served by working together than by working independently. We on behalf of all of the commissions and the esd Commissioners council that has been meeting on an ad hoc basis again I want to thank you for allowing danny hobby to work with our group and it has been like herding a -- herding cats to get it all organized. But he's done it. I'm not so sure anyone else could have done what he's done. Again my thanks to you for allowing it to occur and I certainly encourage you and would like to see you approve this agreement and I would fully expect that you will see other details in other agreements coming forward in the future. Thank you.
>> thank you.
>> thank you.
>> do we know of anyone other than what Travis County
>> [indiscernible] has come up with the same type of arrangement that this is going to undertake with this type of agreement and all of the esd's coming together. Is there any other county that -- that we are aware of in the state that's doing stuff, have a similar model or anywhere else? If so how effective is it?
>> I'm not aware, Commissioner, of -- of any other county doing this particular type of thing. That doesn't mean that they aren't out there doing it. What was so unique about this is that one thing just led to another to where it is basic needs that we all have and so that brought us together and then I think if you were to ask each one of us that's here how we got here, it was just really an interesting turn of events. But the bottom line is that we're here and we're glad to be here, we're glad to be working together. We meet on Saturday, the Commissioners meet on Saturday mornings which is a lot of people's prime time for their families and everything else and we have a really good attendance every time that we meet. We meet once a month. The chiefs have been meeting once a week and because there's just so many issues to discuss. So there's commitment here. There's dedication here. There's a goal in mind to -- to be more effective and more efficient in what we do. We each have our own boundaries of which we know we are responsible for. But we also recognize that when it comes down to the basic needs of the Travis County citizens, there are no boundaries and so we are open and receptive to new ideas, to change, to making things better. I would like to, before I leave today, though, is -- you don't get that feedback a lot of times. That is your role. You're responsible for us doing this. Allowing us to do the things that we have been doing because of your commitment. There's not a Commissioner up there that I haven't spoken to and discussed in your precincts the needs that are out there. You are very, very, very concerned about that. In particular, Commissioner Daugherty, four years ago I weapon to him and along with bob Moore of his office and we had already started meeting as chiefs and discussed with him would it be possible since you have the majority of esd's, put together a little Commissioners group. So it started from that. His commitment to that. And Commissioner we just really do appreciate your continued efforts. Commissioner sarah eckhardt, your staff, san dro ramos fit right in. Very first meeting she came to the chiefs meeting, now loretta farfbe. We have not just chiefs and Commissioners meeting, we have representatives from your office, edith. I could go through every office. The judge has always been very supportive of the esd's and Commissioner Davis your staff is excellent and you're real concerned about what's going on in your precinct. So again I just have to extend that to you as well because we're all in this together. And we thank you very much for allowing us to get to where we are.
>> judge, danny, thanks a million, you know, you leave yourself out of the mix here, I mean,, you know, we struggled for a number of years because we didn't have an executive manager in your spot. I think most of us knew if we could get you there that you could become the glue, I mean,, you know, all of your chiefs, all of y'all that have come down today thank you very much for participating in this. We all know at times you have turf wars out here. That was the hardest thing that I saw when I first came six years ago, I mean, it was somebody was -- was anxious over somebody else going to get something that somebody else doesn't have. You have really been able to stop that. The Commissioners that are here. You all are the ones that really need to be applauded y'all do it for no pay. At least everybody else has a job in here, us included. But you people willing to come and do your Saturdays, come back from vacation times, I know at times have to deal with spouses about you got to go where again? I mean I know because the spouse has said a few things to me like they have said to you. So I can't thank you enough judge, I mean I look forward I will move approval of this and thank you for taking your time to come down and for pulling this together, danny.
>> second.
>> yes, it is very, very good work and everybody who has been involved in it, yes, we have come a long, long way from those early days and so thanks very much for the efforts that everybody has put into this.
>> uh-huh.
>> any other comments?
>> still got some charges before us, though, it's not over.
>> we do.
>> thank you.
>> briefly, this seems to be an example of just that kind of scaffolding the county government can provide so that we have a really functional decentralized governing system for emergency services, I'm really looking forward to taking this model and exporting it to other areas where we have a very decentralized system of governance which doesn't have to be dysfunctional. It can be an incredible collaboration, I love what the agreement itself says, this is for the delivery of unified county-wide emergency service throughs a cooperative relationship. If I could get that in every form of governance that the county touches on, we would be in an even better place than we are now.
>> the other thing you all know this, that I mean at least from my office, I will be -- I will be working hard along with you all at the legislature because I know that most of you out there need more than 10 cents on the $100 value. I mean, the services that you all perform in a community, I do think that if you give the people the opportunity to take it from 10 cents up, they understand how important fire and e.m.s. Is to them. And I know that a lot of you can't, you know, stay at the 10 cents. It's not enough. I think we're going to have some, I'm encouraged that we're going to have the ability to take that up this year. That will always be done by referendum in each community. To me that's the way to do it. But you have to get that ceiling up there enough that you all can go out there and ask people in your community whether you can do it. So ...
>> all in favor? That passes by unanimous vote. We appreciate all of you and all that you do.
>> thanks very much.
>> thank you.
>> thank you all.
>> thanks to you all. Thank you very much.
>> I love the eyeball. The eyeball.
>> thank you.
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Last Modified:
Tuesday, October 28, 2008 1:38 PM