Travis County Commissioners Court
March 30, 2010,
Citizens Communication
Citizens communication is next this item gives residents an opportunity to address the court with any item not on the agenda.
and five citizens have signed in and one is holding slip number 4.
death ensnider is first and he will be follow -- kenneth snider is first and followed by dan who is followed by morris priest.
>> kenneth snider.
10 miles down the road, the third world, believe me, and I will fight it until I drop because we don't need stuff like this.
i'm going to bring more pictures and hopefully put it on the computer and show it out.
it has only about a month and it has water running out of the sides.
tomatoes in there will probably be already.
but this is uncalled for.
i went yesterday and the judge said there was a lot of paperwork involved and he wanted me to get the paperwork and I told him they already told me it has to go through the county, not us, just like it is before.
this is an on going problem.
i don't care about threats or anything like that, they can go check all the septic tanks and write them up with citations, it costs 10 to $15,000 just to throw a bunch of dirt out there, put it in the holes and pump it 0 out through the ditch like they're doing now.
there is going to be another outbreak.
if I can prove the outbreak caused my wife being in the wheelchair, believe me, I'm going to sue the devil out of somebody.
there is many people out there.
and miss brown wants to fight but her husband has a stroke and she has problems.
there is a health risk out there and the county can push a lot of weight and get the stuff done.
but I'm starting from the top and going down.
i guess I have to go to city council too in Austin and talk to them.
we not the got the water in, ite same program for the sewer.
we have an urgent need out there.
they've got the urgent need stuff on the computer says you go through the county and in 72 hours something has to be done and it is on the computer for urge end need.
there could be another 300 houses out there once we get sewer, and it is a big income for the city and county, a big income for them, we put the racetrack and built it up and they've got water and sewer and that is in Travis County.
on the other side is the brown rock, and they've got apartment houses and everything else.
right behind them, they don't even need a pump station.
i can they can make gravity flow, cheaper, and it won't cost as much as the water to put sewer line in there but we need somebody with heart to think about the people out there.
mostly hispanic.
they can't even talk english, a lot of them, there is no reason for us to suffer like we are out there.
i don't know if I will see it, I'm 60 years old and I don't know if I'm going to live much longer with all the con and contamination.
it too so many years to get the water and we can get the sewer and don't have to wait five or six years to get it started.
it is an urgent need problem anyway you look at it.
>> thank you, mr.
snider.
dan mansour.
>> good morning.
i'm pleased to introduce to you this morning michelle lefler, our intern from Austin community college and she has been working with us a few weeks and done a terrific job so we will assign projects she will be interacting with the departments so we thought it would be good to bring her by and introduce her.
>> welcome.
>> I've been going to acc for two years and I i am a psycholoy major and I had interest in government so I was given the opportunity to come here and do this internship and it has been a really great opportunity for me.
i've learned so much.
i've gotten to dabble in the different divisions, including compensation and the wellness program and worker's comp, pretty much everything.
the benefits, everything, and it's just been a really great opportunity and I wanted to thank everybody for taking the time out of their day to show me around and show me the ropes of everything.
thank you very much.
>> great.
thanks a lot.
we can really use your help.
>> morris priest.
who will be followed by scott johnson.
>> thank you, judge, Commissioners.
morris priest speaking on my own behalf.
i don't know if you got a chance to see the wounded warriors when they came to the capital, started at rick perry's doorstep and a brief stop at the elementary.
i hope you got a chance but if you didn't get a chance you can still log on to www.woundedwarriorproject.org.
i'm sure they would be glad to receive your support.
it was really a great event.
i did want to share some things with you that are going to be televised.
one is tavis smiley, you know him from pbs, he will have a special on Wednesday, I think you will all really be glad that you took part in.
you know, obama care is about control and it is unconstitutional.
i'm pretty sure it will be repealed.
but I do believe that this situation playing the blame game is really a common practice throughout our government at all levels.
we see this obama care package that's going to be mostly spent on paying off the bribes as some people call them, pay back, kick backs, to those who were cohearsed into voting for this.
i'm sure later on as time unfolds, much of this money will be given to china to keep our aaa bond rating.
but the blame game continues even here in Austin.
doesn't matter if it's the census or cole and lender causing problems with the relays but it is true, if you watch this video presentation on pbs, I do believe that obama will go down in history as our war president.
i know that when king was confronting lbj about the war, there were many conflicts many people thought he should have taken on but he stood for the truth.
speaking of issues we have here locally, 917 passengers will account for the first day that people paid to ride on cap metro and that is pretty sad numbers when you stop and think about it.
we look at our transportation plan.
we see issues such as things being put in the -- that aren't even in the 2030 plan, and our tips, campo.
we see numerous problems ranging from having situations where we need to put our money into maintenance and safety, we see the problems that we have on 71, and we see three large segments on 71 that are currently not funded.
and there's so many issues with safety and maintenance and other things.
we have people speaking about nonattainment all the time, but at the same time we have projects like amds at lantana, txi, too numerous issues to count where it is one example after another of failed leadership.
thank you.
>> thank you, mr.
priest.
scott johnson is next and followed by the person holding number four.
>> judge and Commissioners, my name is scott johnson, the project manager of the central Texas electric lawn mower program.
it is an annual program that seems to help people upgrade their gas powered mowers to an electric model for environmental reasons and because they are easier to use.
the program is this Saturday, the 3rd of April at the home depot in south Austin 8:30 to 2:00.
if folks would like to participate, they can make reservation at 389-2250 or going to the website and that information should be in the Austin american statesman this week, as well.
principally, the program seeks to reduce ozone-forming emissions, and as many of you know or all of you know now, the epa is set to lower or strengthen the ozone standard in the next two years.
if that's the case, we need to be doing more personally and more as a community to lower emissions that create ground level ozone.
in addition, this program helps reduce carbon emissions and I was excited to go to the cope hague enclimate summit last year and was energize by what I learned.
we are achanging the climate a bit this may be a step an individual can take, many can't take lifestyle changing to reduce driving 50% or reduce energy use 50% so this step is relatively easy.
there are cordless model options that allow people to charge the battery and use it up to a third of an acre, at least a quarter acre.
many think of the ones in the 70s and 80s.
those did not work that well.
the newer models work better so we would encourage people if they want to participate this is a one-day event only this Saturday, April 3, at the woodward home depot.
they can save 20% off the cordless model with a gas powered mower trade in and save 25% off the corded model that you plug in which is fine for small lawns if they trade in the gas powered lawn mower.
the -- we crush the gas-powered lawn mowers.
you're putting gas and oil in the mowers and can spill it and run into the water ways and create a water hazard.
there is a lot of reasons, maybe you don't have to pull the cord any more and get outside of the gas and oil business from storing that in your garage and breathing it in and breathes in gas fumes are definitely hazardous to your health.
i would be happy to answer any questions.
>> any questions?
thank you mr.
johnson.
>> you're doing a good job.
>> nice graphics too.
>> a great job.
>> bruce.
>> good morning, judge.
interintergovernmental relations coordinator.
members of the court, good morning.
this is census week here in the united states.
as you know, last Friday was celebrate the census day in Travis County.
we had events at all of our community centers, and all of our county employees were aware of it.
the good news this morning is that the census day is actually this Thursday.
the bad news is that Travis County lags behind other counties in the participation rate.
let me give you some statistics.
Travis County participation rate as of last night was 34%.
of the 30 biggest counties in the state of Texas, that ranked Travis County third from the bottom.
so we are behind all the big counties in the state of Texas in terms of our participation rate and Texas, according to the Texas tribune this morning, ranked 48th out of the 50 states in its census return rate.
so our challenge right now is to inform the public to let them know that the census form should be filled out, should be turned in.
it is very simple, takes only 10 minutes to do.
there is 10 questions.
most of my friends who do v done their census forms and turned them in said it didn't take me 10 minutes it takes more time, unless you have a big household and you answer the few questions for several people in the household.
it is very easy to do.
there is plenty of help available that bruce is going to talk about in case you need help filling out your form or getting an extra form you can but we want to encourage everybody in Travis County to complete the forms and turn them in.
the stakes are very high and constable lphant will talk about that.
>> thank you.
it's been estimated that Texas could pick up as many as four congressional seats in this, after this census, but that can only happen if we get everybody counted and the news that Texas is ranked 48th out of 50 in the Travis County is towards the bottom of the urban counties, doesn't bode well for us picking up these additional congressional seats that have been estimated.
the other big issue for Travis County and communities all over the country is the amount of federal funds that we can receive over the next decade.
each individual who completes the census is worth $15,000 in federal founds for Travis County.
that's for the county, for the city, for the universities, for the schools, that's for public works projects, for road projects.
each individual is worth $15,000.
if we miss 1% of our population, we have lost out on $150 million in federal funding over the next decade.
that's why it is so important that everybody who receives the census complete the census, mail it in.
if you didn't receive it, you have census form, you can contact 1-866-872-6868 and request a form.
if you need information in other languages, the census has information in 59 languages and braille.
or you can go to uscensus.golfgv and request a copy for the form.
but there is so much at stake for our community in terms of congressional representation and federal dollars that are so critical for so many other projects that we carry out here.
so we really encourage all our citizens, be a patriotic Travis County resident, fill in your form, mail it in, and by the way, it is the law.
thank you.
>> thank you.
which state leads the nation?
>> I think it is rhode island.
i just saw where we were and went.
wept.
>> worthy of weeping.
34%, that is scary bad.
>> it is bad.
as bruce said, the local, state and federal dollars go where the services and the people are, and the census is our way of figuring out where the people are so it is very important, dollars and service% go where the people are.
the census is the way to figure out where the people are and that is really our challenge in terms of completing this form.
it is very easy to complete.
everybody should complete it and send it in.
>> would you tell us again, we have spoken a lot about the carrots, how much money is left on the table.
speak again about the specific, if you don't send it in by April 1, how many people will come banging on your door.
if you fill out, nobody will bug you.
>> that is right.
if you census form is completed and returned, they're done with you.
if they have not gotten a response by April, I believe the final cut off deadline is April 17.
if they've not heard from you by then, you will have someone calling you or knocking on your door or both.
so the easiest way to participate in the census, which everybody is legally required to do constitutionally required to do, the easiest way to participate in the census is complete the form and send it back.
as bruce mentioned, there is an 800-number that you can call, that is 866-872-6868.
and if you are calling and want to speak to a spanish-speaking operator that number is 866- 866-922010.
we're going to post those numbers on the tctv and on the Travis County website.
>> afternoon I'm confident our constituents will be able to bring you much better news by next Tuesday.
>> thanks for all you're doing.
>> Travis County has always been a fourth quarter basketball team
>> [laughter]
>> there is a lot of good results between now and midnight April 1.
>> I believe so too, judge.
thank you very much.
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:
Tuesday, March 30, 2010 3:53 PM
