Travis County Commissioners Court
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 (Agenda)
Executive Session
>> now let's call back to order the voting session of the Travis County Commissioners court.
this morning we did discuss in open court, number 32, consider and take appropriate action lease agreement at 700 lavaca with Austin suites management and announced we would take this into executive session under the consultation with attorney and real property exceptions to the open meetings act.
33, receive briefing from the county attorney in Travis County, et al., versus quantum investments, jewels alan caplan resale deed, and take appropriate action.
consultation with attorney exception to the open meetings act.
34, receive briefing from the county attorney in Travis County, et al., versus paulino martinez and carmen martinez, malcolm gunnell resale deed, and take appropriate action.
consultation with attorney exception to the open meetings act.
35, receive briefing and take appropriate action in regina jackson and rudolph Williamson, individually and on behalf of the estate of rachel jackson, deceased, versus john a.
ford, md, and Travis County, Texas, ax number a-10-ca-522-ss.
consultation with attorney exception to the open meetings act.
we were asked by the county attorney to postpone item 36, colleagues.
item 36 will not be taken up.
37, receive legal briefing and take appropriate action regarding Travis County involvement in legal action objecting to congressional redistricting by the Texas let irrelevant.
38, receive briefing from county attorney and take appropriate action concerning the extension of administrative leave with pay for juvenile probation employee, slot 360.
consultation with attorney and personnel matters exception to the open meetings act.
we also announced this morning our intersection to discuss with legal counsel various -- intention to discuss with legal council regarding item 3, consider and take appropriate action on an order concerning outdoor burning in the unincorporated areas of Travis County so we'll do that under consultation with attorney.
we'll discuss these items in executive session but will return to open court before taking any action.
>> we have returned from executive session where we discussed the items that we announced.
beginning with item 33, the matter involving the proposed tax resale deed to jewels allen copland.
I move that we authorize the county judge to sign the proposed resale deed on behalf of the Commissioners' court.
to jules alan kaplan is what the item says and the deed does too, who has paid the sum of $65,000 in cash, seconded by Commissioner Gomez.
discussion?
all in favor?
that passes by unanimous vote.
34, I move that we authorize the county judge to sign the proposed tax resale deed on behalf of the Commissioners' court to malcolm gunnell, who has paid Travis County the sum of $26,116.78 in cash.
>> second.
>> seconded by Commissioner Gomez.
discussion?
all in favor?
that passes by unanimous vote.
35 is the matter involving the lawsuit against Travis County and john ford by the estate of rachel jackson, deceased.
move that we authorize the county attorney to file a rule 68 offer of judgment in the amount of $75,000.
>> second.
>> discussion?
all in favor?
that passes by unanimous vote.
and we should have this item back on the court's agenda next week just in case we need it?
okay.
36 we did not discuss.
we announced earlier that it had been postponed.
37 we discussed briefly, that's the matter involving the congressional redistricting lawsuit on which we received a court opinion recently.
we did receive the briefing.
our county attorney will take the appropriate action on behalf of Travis County, hopefully to preserve the final action taken by the district court in san antonio recently.
and in my view no further action required today, right?
we'll have it put back on the court's attacked we need it.
-- we need it.
38 was a request from the juvenile probation department for seven days of additional leave with pay.
that would be through Monday, December fifth, 2011, for the employee in slot number 360.
I move that we approve it.
discussion?
all in favor?
that passes by unanimous vote.
we also discussed item 3, the matter involving the burn ban and whether to reinstitute one, which we discuss understand court this morning.
Commissioner Huber has a motion.
>> yes.
I believe the risks of an accidental wildfire from burns -- under a lifted burn ban are higher than the risks of wildfire in the event of what could be burned off during the lifted ban.
and therefore I think that we should -- I move that we put the burn ban back in place on a two-week basis and direct staff to look at how we might carve out exceptions that would allow us to go in more safely and continue to rid some of the accumulated fuel that's out there.
>> is there a second?
that motion dies for lack after second.
I move that we take no action today, which means that the lift stays in place.
and that we basically authorize county staff, including the county executive, to meet with the fire chiefs of Travis County this coming Friday or as appropriate any time between now and next Tuesday, for ways that we can collaborate with them to provide greater fire protection and give us a chance to revisit whether to lift the -- leave the ban lifted or impose another one.
>> second.
>> that's seconded by Commissioner Gomez.
discussion?
>> I'd like to point out that my precinct is half of Travis County with a tremendous amount of ash juniper, which is highly volatile.
consider that, please.
>> any more discussion?
all in favor?
show Commissioner Davis, Eckhardt, Gomez and yours truly voting in favor.
Commissioner Huber voting against.
and if there's further clarification needed, y'all contact Commissioner Huber or any member of the court, okay?
that motion was -- it confused me as it came out.
32, the matter involving Austin suites.
on which we heard attorney holmes this morning.
I move that we authorize the county attorney to send an appropriate response to immediate issues that mr. Holmes raised, including a final note in which we asked him to let us know whether we should do further work to answer the questions that he put in his memo.
and also that we send him a copy of the letter to him by the attorneys for the previous owners dated July sixth, 2010.
>> second.
>> seconded by Commissioner Davis.
discussion?
n?
that enough, j
>> I can do that.
>> all in favor?
that passes by unanimous vote.
I'm happy to say that that is all of our business today.
>> move adjourn.
>> second.
>> all in favor?
that passes by unanimous vote.
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