Travis County Commissioners Court
Tuesday, June 8, 2010,
Citizens Communication
Citizens communication is first and this item gives residents an opportunity to address the court on any matter not on the agenda. Kenneth schneider first, followed by gus pena, followed by charles williams.
>> my name is kenneth schneider, north ridge acres subdivision. We are in travis and williamson county, both. I don't know if you want me to bring a letter from them. I can bring a letter showing the old neighborhood.
>> [indiscernible] want me up here to get something done out there. I put this on the website the other day. It's a political website. I got so many calls, they're going to be calling y'all they told me. They can't believe we can't get human services like in the city of austin. That's what we're going with. I will be at the city council thursday. They called and told me that i am set up for it. I'm going to the state water board in a little while to get set up on their meeting, i'm going to talk to them again. I'm going to take and e-mail them a bunch of stuff. Trying to force this thing done. It's an urgent need out there. One guy told me from the -- from -- he told me, i can't remember now. He's saying people from the county, you don't need to send ditch diggers out there to did a look at the problem. Go out there and take a soil sample, see what the soil is like. Take and check the water table, and check the bacteria in the ground. Contamination, before went up like that movie outbreak that was on the other day. Of course you, you can drop a bomb on us that would be the end of it just like they did them people. This is a problem that's got to be fixed. Urgent need, needs to be fixed. I'm not going to wait no five years from now like we did on the water. Judge biscoe is a good guy. We wouldn't have got the water if it wasn't for judge biscoe. I do appreciate it, he may not think so, but i do appreciate it a lot. Talk to the water guys, they had to put a pump in the ground just to get the lines in the ground. He knows all of the problems they had. We have to get a that sewer out of the neighborhood. That's how come the table is so high, we're going to have mosquitoes this big now, it never goes dry, constitutional full of water. You can look all the way up that line where they dug that tank. Like they told me the guy from washington d.c. Told america the engineer, he said, how do -- who do they expect it to work when you have to pump the water out of the ground, put the tank in the ground, fill it up full of water, how do you expect it to work? It takes more than throw water. I guess there's going to be an outbreak out there before we get anything done. Three or four lots out there, we could have a tax base on. Like h.u.d. Building houses out here in austin, how are they going to take and build a house for them in these neighborhoods, three or $400,000 homes, taxes 3 or $400 a month in taxes, those houses are going to be empty in no time. They can come out to our place, put trailers out there. Cheapest thing that you can live in, buy a trailer for 3 or $4,000 stick it in there, they have got a home. They can work on the cars out there, make money, work out there. It's -- it just don't make sense to me. They take that h.u.d. Money, put it into our problem and fix ours, then put trailers out there because this is just a -- it's a health risk out there. Just waiting to happen. Just like this cat died. I was hoping the kids get out there and do it. I guarantee you it's a health risk. Y'all are going to be getting some calls. I got about 30 calls the other day on that website, political website.
>> thank you, mr. Schneider.
>> thank you.
>> mr. Pena.
>> good morning, judge, commissioners, gus pena. I told commissioner davis yesterday i was not going to be coming over here today, but there are some things that were brought to my attention.
>> happy birthday, gus.
>> thank you, commissioner. I told him not to mention that, but anyway thank you, i feel young.
>> [laughter] travel. There's an item in the agenda that i'm not going to speak to because we have to wait for the agendized item. Travel on the city side, we have problems with traveling. A lot of employees are being sent to washington d.c., san diego, et cetera, let's try to see if we can have a moratorium on travel, identify training that's closer to the employees here in the state of texas instead of going out there and spending all of this money for the -- that the taxpayers need for other basic issues. Let's look at that. Budget, see if we can start the budgetary process talking earlier. What i would like to suggest or recommend, judge, commissioners, is that we have a youth board that can advise you on youth issues. Sometimes a person like me as old as i am, i shouldn't be speaking about youth issues because they know more about their issues than i do. But it's good to have an adult talk about those issues, not talk from the group and maybe we can establish a youth advisory board, judge. And commissioners, summer job programs, continue to fully fund summer job programs, get the students and kids active. I want to shout out a thank you to attorney kevin boyd, of course, judge, one of my heros, judge joel bennett, always been there to support youth activities, trips, whatever, doing a great job. Kevin and judge benefit in it thank you very much. Also for your courtroom judge bennett, i have known you for many years.
>> [indiscernible] in austin, a lot of people are talking about how the economy is rebounding. Let me tell you something, folks, it's not. I can tell you about it personally because poverty problem is getting worse. Jobs, you need job creation. You hear it nationally, cnn, et cetera. We need jobs, people need to work. Keep kids active during the summertime, keep them involved, positive, productive, safe, organized activities and not organized crime. Summer school is going to be starting pretty quickly, be cognizant of the fact that it's 20 miles an hour or lower, keep your speed low so you don't hurt any students or parents trying to walk their kids to school. The last item that i would like to say is this, is that the city of austin was going to purchase the property for what was it, 15.5, $13.5 million? The property appraisal on that property was 3.5 million. This is not cost effective. This is not wise and predidn't you spending of our taxpayers' money, please, please, remain cognizant of the fact that we need to do a better job of spending our taxpayers' money, judge, commissioner, i want to thank y'all very much because when i come here, i know y'all listen, but sometimes throughout the employees and throughout sometimes the court there is a lack of respect. So i try to afford y'all respect and courtesy. I think that i have done that. Maybe i haven't sometimes. But i will apologize to you now if i haven't, but let's keep respectful of the people that appear here because even though we might not agree with them, they have righteous issue, thank you very much. A society's worth is measured by its treatment of the less fortunate. Thank you all very much. Have a good day.
>> thank you, mr. Pena.
>> mr. Williams?
>> good morning, judge, biscoe and commissioners. I'm charles williams, conservation coordinator for t.n.r. In travis county. This year t.n.r. Working with the facilities management roger el khoury are working together to accomplish the single largest recycling events and effort in travis county history. In two days more than 45,000 bikers will be coming into the city of austin attending the famous rop rally, republic of texas biker rally. Rot rally, we plan on recycling corrugated aluminum and plastic. Last year 27.4 cubic yards to the landfill, around 180 cubic yards of trash, enough aluminum was thrown away it could have built a 727. We plan on recycling 30 to 40% of last year's waste. By the way, the rot rally brings in more money than any other single events in the city of austin, just little tidbits. I would like to highlight the companies and entities working with us to make this happen. The city of austin is loaning us the recycling bin to collect the aluminum and plastic. They are excited to bring recycling to the rot rally. Pace setters, balcones recycling, commercial metals, steve lions representing jv manufacturing and showcasing new and innovative recycling equipment at the rot rally. After the rally's success, we move to the rodeo. Then from the rodeo to more than 1,000 events at the expo center, each one of them having their own recycling components. After the rot rally i'm putting in the grants to buy the equipment, recycling bins that i'm borrowing from the city of austin and a bunch of other material so we can establish this at the expo center to make every one of the events there recycling compatible. Judge, commissioners, that's what i have today.
>> thank you, mr. Williams.
>> thank you, appreciate it.
>> thank you so much. For anybody who is watching,
>> [indiscernible] goes to that grant that you are speaking of, we are very excited about it, hope to export the success broadly.
>> ronnie reeferseed. Followed by morris priest.
>> thank you, judge. And -- and happy birthday, gus and sure enough israel should get the hell out of palestine. God bless super patriot helen thomas, who by the way is 89 years old, who has been hounded out of her stellar career as the one number top notch journalist who stood up to every president until at least jfk, she chose to speak the truth to power about that criminal regime of israel, that bigoted socialistic totalitarian criminal repressive regime. Now she's finished. I predict here now this very tantrum by zionists against 89-year-old helen thomas along with their war like invasion of food aid ships to gaza that revealed hate street of them to everyone in all of its forms. Thus only exhilarating our liberation from zionist criminals. I'm ronnie
>> [inhale] reeferseed saying hey kids cherish your childhood. With your first swig of alcohol, welcome to the grown up world of bills, headaches, heart aches, stay out of it. Meanwhile we so-called grownups have been leaving quite a mess to clean up before this build a burger death waish was pronounced, that's the big news, they know about alex jones, alex jones now talked about the build a burgers. For decades jim tucker has been exposing these international criminal demons and their evil plots from massive human population reduction by their own evil design. That's right, people, massive killing by design. The elites answer to all problems, kill everybody. Oops. They forgot they won't have any skilled workers to keep their evil schemes operating. But these evil foundations and their think tanks have been writing white papers for years all about too many people and how to kill too many people. I know it's too much to conceptualize, but face reality. Whoever pulled off this 9/11 also wanted to launch this counter productive war on islam because of the love of death and blood the same criminals want us to wage another pointless unwinnable war of killing iran and servitudes of this bigoted zionists. We have not attacked anyone long before the cia executed coup in 1953 installing our puppet the evil shaw of iran, who was overthrown by iranian super patriots who prefer to choose their own religion and politics. Face it, people, it's not up to us. We have enough problems running our own nation. We have no business bossing anyone else like iran, we have already done them dirty many times like the cia, instead let's stand up to israel declare peace with islam. Call toll free for weekly updates from dr. Paul and of course infowars.com six days a week. Lots of articles, lots of info.
>> thank you.
>> thank you so much.
>> mr. Priest.
>> thank you, judge, commissioners, morris priest, speaking on behalf --
>> [indiscernible] i did want to mention to people that julie cohen is running for school board june the 12th, if you haven't voted for her, i would hope that you get out and support her. Also texas alliance for life has a walk this saturday june the 19th. Their information is (512)477-1244. Or you can log on at www.texasallianceforlife.org www.texasallianceforlife.org . We are having -- i saw in the statesman today an editorial piece, pretty watered down, but did hit the points of how our elected officials are undermining the authority of their bosses as gus -- as gus -- the senator we used to have here, gonzalo barrientos, used to refer to his constituents as his boss. And -- and, you know, it's just amazing that we have these lies because there's nothing else that it can be characterized other than just absolute blatant lying that's going on. We have a situation where we're told things are environmental issues when they are safety issues, most of this boils down to a fundamental core belief difference. Some of us are no more homophobic than murder phobic. Some of us don't believe in killing the unborn. Or subscribe to the belief -- that we should worship creation or creator. It's not about what life is about, it's about who life is about. Some of us subscribe to belief that are so different than what the court represent, dwoants live with an unforgiving spirit. Lies about what if we have two homes over here, 100 homes over here, can't we just switch it and maintain this road that has 100 homes. Yet we are going out here to 973 spending this enormous amount of money where there are no roads, where there are no homes, where there are -- where the public has -- has been told that we're going to get southwest 45 built. And -- and it's voted in. Where we're told we're going to get hamilton pool voted in. And then we're told oh, no, we have an environmental issue. And then we -- then when i get confronted by county employees that sits here that does not give her name for the record and i want this to be noted by our attorneys here, there's going to be an issue over this. County attorney accosted me, a county employee accosted me after my comments here, did not give her name on the record. Okay? Then after i leave, after making my statements, and i have been harassed in this courtroom, okay, in this commissioners courtroom, when i leave they go on and talking about well we should enlarge the two entrances to the park and we should make this
>> [buzzer sounding] one lane so somebody can do a pit maneuver, we should have a truck turn around. I want y'all to know that people are seeing the lies. Thank you.
>> thank you, mr. Priest.
>> thank you.
>> anybody else for citizens communication? Now, are you here for summer jobs youth? David? Nope? Then let me make this notice for two county managers. One of our major employers who annually accepts youth for summer work is unable to do so this year and so we have a lot more youth than we do employment opportunities. And these youth are able to to work on real jobs, and receive a -- a small stipend. The money is covered, the management is covered but the jobs are not. So we are asking county managers to step up to the plate and for more information about this you can call sherri flemming who just entered and sat. This program has been -- with us 10, 12 years, something like that. And -- and normally we have -- we would normally have a whole lot more youth than we can -- than we can enroll in the programs and historically we have had enough jobs to -- to provide at least one to those that we would deem eligible. This is a six-week opportunity. The kids have the other six weeks to -- to have fun and spend as they wish leisurely. But we try to give them an educational and real workplace employment opportunity. Again, the money is covered and we're just looking for departments that can accept young people from the ages of what, 14 to --
>> 18.
>> as many -- we do have some who may be almost 21, our youth with disabilities. So, thank you, judge, for making that announcement. I am happy to report that we have just about all of the kids in the first session placed. They actually began their orientation on yesterday, but never fear, we do have another session about mid summer that gets started right after the 4th of july holiday. So if there are departments who have interest in hosting a youth this summer, feel free to give us a call at 854-4100 and ask for the summer youth employment program. So thank you, judge, for that endorsement and i thank you to all of the departments, both in the city of austin and travis county who are participating in the program this summer.
>> for the record, the county judge has had an intern every summer that the program has existed. Some of them have been really bright, in my view and productive in the office and it's given me an opportunity to mentor for at least six weeks. Many of them have gone on, graduated, gone off to college. I have not received a christmas gift from any of them yet, but i'm assuming they are all doing well
>> [laughter]
>> i think that's correct. I know that many of the students have an opportunity to explore careers and we help to influence them that working in public life is a laudable profession. So, yes, we have had some wonderful interns who have some great experiences.
>> by the way, that christmas gift after career exploration, all right? After. Okay. 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, June 8, 2010 1:45 PM
