Travis County Commissioners Court
Tuesday, September 13, 2011 (Agenda)
Citizens Communication
First item is citizen's communication.
this item gives residents an opportunity to address the court on any matter not on the agenda.
any matter not on the agenda for up to 3 minutes.
charles williams is number 1.
number 2 is gus pena.
number 3 is dr. John k.
kim.
>> good morning, commerce court I am jr Williamson, environmental and today we are for the 17th annual cleanup which was Sunday 9/11.
this is one of the largest underwater cleanups in the state of Texas and probably surrounding states.
it was fan at that time tick far 800 people attended and each one of our partners will talk about the underwater cleanup but I want to make sure that they understand this is a partnership between Travis County, lcra -- they couldn't attend today, keep Austin beautiful and the colorado foundation.
and it works because there is a lot of logistics, planning and work and we made it work and I want to say I appreciate Commissioner Huber for her help on that and also doing it on 9/11.
we appreciate that.
>> good morning, I am the executive director of keep Austin beautiful.
I want to thank you for your leadership and your support of environmental initiatives in this city.
I also want to thank you for your support on keep Austin beautiful and our mission to keep Austin clean and beautiful.
we have the privilege of working with over 25,000 volunteers every year to keep this county clean and beautiful, and we could not accomplish that task without the by the Commissioners.
the Lake Travis underwater cleanup started with a handful of divers in 1994.
this year we had 848 volunteers as a part of this event.
every year we are amazed at how much support we receive from the community and how many people come out to help.
we all know how important Lake Travis is to us as an environmental resource.
it is something we use this times of need as we have had to with our tragic fires that are taking place, but as well something that all of us enjoy as a recreational source as well.
but I want to thank you all for your support and we definitely look forward to partnering with you again for the 18th annual Lake Travis underwater cleanup.
thank you.
>> thank you.
>> thank you, rodney.
>> good morning Commissionerses, I am melissa miller with the colorado river foundation and we are one of the partners here, also.
and part of our mission at the colorado river foundation is protection, stewardship and environmental education, so this aligns right with our mission that we are able to get out there and with all of the volunteers and protect our river.
so part of what we handle is the fundraising aspect and it's not a fundraising event, obviously.
it talks about $11,000 to run and we -- our generous sponsors return every year and to support Travis County as well -- through the support of Travis County as well we are able to participate every year and we raised just enough to cover the funds.
and there is an epic drought going on and it is a advantage this year to pick up so much more trash because there is more shorelines exposed, so we are able to pick up more but we are also finding throughout the years, our mission is working because there is as not as much trash to pick up.
we are finding that
>> [indiscernible] are picking up trash.
is so we are able to pick up quite a bit but it is great to see that there is less there year after year and so it is an upside of the drought.
thank you again for your support and we look forward to having your support again for next year.
>> thank you.
>> thank you.
if we could get you to complete a citizen's sign in sheet on the way out.
>> yes.
>> we will make it legal retroactively.
>> [laughter]
>> I want to say a special thank you for the leadership role and the ongoing role you have with this program and I really truly believe this translates into dollar savings for Travis County taxpayers because people learn how to take care of the parks and they do take care of them through the volunteer efforts, so I really do appreciate this program very much.
>> keep up the good work.
>> thank you.
>> Commissioner Huber is pretty good supervisor?
>> [laughter]
>> gus pena is second.
>> good morning, judge, Commissioners, gus pena, native east Austin proud united states veteran served in vietnam.
judge, Commissioner, I know you have been following -- maybe you haven't been following the republican presidential debates.
very interesting.
we are in a world of hurt.
I pray for the good lord to help us, help us, help us, because we need help to find good leadership.
anyway, thanks to the first responders and not only helping combat the fires in bastrop, Leander, Cedar Park, you know, even southwest Travis County, you name it.
you put your life on the line for us and for the people there.
we greatly appreciate it and thank god we didn't lose anybody to the fire, first responders.
I know we lost two lives, last I heard.
anyway -- may they rest in peace -- I want to thank the cardiac ward at breckenridge hospital and seton and an assistant named mel of manage an old man guide him through the system and the road to recovery.
job well done.
hopelessness.
a lot of people -- homelessness.
a lot of people becoming homeless in Travis County.
the social service agents are being inundated with needs, request for help.
the funding is not out there.
I know the city of Austin passed their budget yesterday.
it didn't look too good but I am asking you here as much you can increase the funding for social services agencies.
people who are homeless not only to the fire but because you lose your job.
they talk about economic development, I do, too.
but remember, create jobs with a livable wage and benefits.
not just minimum wage jobs an no benefits.
it doesn't do any good.
you make 5, $6 an hour, you spend it quickly.
you can't make a living for your family.
truancy, dropout prevention is on increase.
only the third week of school.
please become a mentor or tutor.
you will safe a child's life and let that child become a graduate for productive members of society.
I will end it with this, because I am going to speak to the -- of the issues, but anyway, don't forget higher a vet.
we have veterans coming back from iraq and afghanistan.
thank them.
a lot of veterans from vietnam received nothing but hate when they came back.
especially thanking them and especially the female veterans that health care issues aren't being made.
they have distinct issues.
mental health is tough.
we talk a good talk.
let's walk the walk, also.
Commissioner, judge, thank you very much.
I will be here for item 22.
thank you very much.
>> thank you.
dr. Kim is next.
>> thank you, sir.
good morning, everyone.
I have been here to pray and appreciate american government and Texas government and the Travis County government as the best government ever in human history, and I also have been here to do my best to improve american democracy and american government and the Texas government as it was said, ask not what the government can do for you, but ask what you can do for your government.
so I am going to do what I can do.
livable alien is an alien trust.
my son is not an alien trust, but at the time of government of george w.
bush.
at the time of governor perez, threatened the government from the
>> [indiscernible] to south korea.
if south korea would not have accepted my son, all of the korean people would not receive american visa.
that's how south korean government had issues, illegal, inconstitutional.
>> [indiscernible] to the u.s.
that's how u.s.
ins can keep my son from Travis County to south korea since December 13th, 2000.
one.
I contacted all of the branches across the united states, Texas, and south core row for almost 12 years but all of of the city branches -- the city government -- denied to review this case.
this is the evidence involved.
this is from the san antonio district of the u.s.
department of justice, now
>> [indiscernible] department.
the evidence to take my son to south korea.
may 11 this year, president obama wrote to me american broken immigration system.
president obama wrote to me saying in this email, may 15th, american immigration system was broken, which means all of the city branches of american government have been broken, because it has been broke.
have been broken.
the reason immigration system is related to all of the city branches and also to the whitehouse.
this one, August 29th, I had an interview for two hours.
the city officials of san antonio immigration officers made we wait two hours in the lobby.
they collected all of the papers they needed.
they did nothing until 4:00 o'clock.
(alarm buzzing (.
>> and then another letter from the department of justice, 2011, on behalf of president obama, thank you for your letter dated December 15, 2010, almost nine months ago, I contacted president obama, but home security department send this kind of trash.
they refuse to review and correct, one more, this one is --
>> thank you, dr. Kim.
thank you.
>> thank you.
>> judge yvonne williams.
>> good morning, Commissioners.
I am throwing myself at your mercy and I am a little bit different than the norm.
I recognize that.
I just want to bring to your attention communication that was just sent to your office.
I understand the budgeting process.
I am hoping to be on the budgeting consideration when y'all do meet and talk about next year's budget.
I just is to direct your attention to the communication we sent to everybody about the emergency request for funding over in jp precinct 1.
just because I am a neophyte when it comes to the budgeting process, I am hoping you won't penalize the citizens of precinct 1.
we do need to keep our temporary positions and I have with it a spread sheet.
I have already apologized to joe of making him alvarez instead of alvarado.
but we have a spreadsheet that esays we will lose $225,000 in revenue of what we have been bringing in.
in other words, it was there but let them know they have not been twiddling their phones.
they have become so important that they were literally integrated into our workforce and this is what they do in exchange for $89,000, so please consider that when you do the budgeting.
I understand now and am doing a fast learning curve that there is a 3 -- a 4 and I have seen the paper that the budgeting office has sent us about what y'all choose to actually consider and I hope that money is still around but we really do need these temp positions and I hope you will take that into consideration.
it is pretty much explained in the communication I sent to you.
we are also starting a scanning program something we never have done.
it is set up, montgomery and her staff have been very diligent and wonderful in assisting us.
we have the machinery, the equipment.
we need these folks to do things like that and we have that moving and going.
if we lose two positions, we would be thoroughly crippled.
secondly, we have 30,000 items, I understand, and something called temporary salary savings, again, something I am learning about because I thought salary savings were salary savings, and there is something permanent versus temporary and I found that about 40 days ago and I've got about 15 days left to spend it.
well, where is it going to go?
I can certainly use it and my staff.
I am asking that you all consider -- because only you all can do this -- putting that money into permanent salary so that I can keep it, because otherwise, I lose it and it goes where?
I need it.
please leave it in precinct 1.
I can use that for positions that I am moving on items with.
I have these listed as 1, 2, 3, the third one, of course is the position -- (buzzer alarming] I will wrap up right now.
I can use that money to buffer the position.
the position I have the senior planner which is the original position, I am going to lose that person.
as I look around to find people who can do that job, they make more than me, because I am out looking for the people that do the kind of networking that I need that person to do, those people make more than we do as jps, I will tell you that.
so a mid 60,000 for that position is a breeze.
I thank you for letting me intrude right now but I want you to know I am trying to do all I can to get before you to let you know that is extremely important.
>> thank you.
>> thank you, judge Williamson.
>> tom petechan.
>> sorry, sir, I would like to wait for number 23.
and I would appreciate that.
>> okay.
those persons who signed in to speak on the citizen -- those are the persons who signed in to speak on the citizens communication.
item number 1 -- judge.
>> yes.
>> before you go to the agenda, on the citizens communication, I would like to express the sympathy to the families who have lost loved ones during this -- the fires.
not only here in Travis County but over in bastrop county.
it has been devastating and of course one of the constables here, I understand --
>> precinct 2.
>> yes, precinct two, lost and he has a family and I want to make sure we send our sympathies to kevin agner, who is a constable in precinct 2 and to the family that -- that we want the family to embrace the sympathy as we are in court today.
I would like to express that.
>> we will do that, judge.
>> thank you.
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