Travis County Commissioners Court
January 10, 2012 (Agenda)
Item A1
Mr. Eckstein is here, so let's call up the item regarding the opportunity to visit with our state officials.
and that is a-1, consider and take appropriate action on legislative activities related to interim charges, including a, senate intergovernmental relations committee meeting on Thursday January 12th, 2012.
b, senate transportation and homeland security committee meeting on Tuesday, January 17th, 2012.
and c, invitation to comment on interim charge on wildfires.
>> members of the court, deece eckstein with intergovernmental relations, for the record.
as the judge indicated in reading out the agenda item, there are some committee meetings coming up that are going to be looking from different perspectives as a topic of drought and wildfire preparation, preparedness.
obviously a very important topic getting the experience that the whole state and particularly Travis County went through during the last year.
these topics were all -- these interim charges were you will all issued by governor dewhurst back in October and now the committees are begin to go staff up and hold their hearings.
there is a hearing this Thursday of the intergovernmental relations committee, and they're really going to focus for purposes of their committee hearing on the committee of housing and transportational and emergency housing for people who are caught in these wildfire events.
we're very excited they're looking at that issue.
they are hearing invited testimony only and we will not have the opportunity to give input there, although we intend to meet with members of the committee and continue working with the committee staff on that.
next Tuesday the senate transportation homeland security meeting committee is meeting to talk about really emergency response and preparedness, which is much more germane to our experience here in Travis County.
and chairman williams has been kind enough to invite judge Biscoe to testify next Tuesday.
because the court will be in session next Tuesday we have suggested to the committee staff that judge Biscoe provide written testimony, a draft of which you have in front of you, but that pete baldwin or perhaps some other representative of the county, be there to actual testify live.
so far they've been very ameanable to that suggestion.
so you do have some draft language for written testimony.
I want to apologize to the court for fact that we just got this out to you yesterday afternoon.
we didn't know about the invitation to the committee until Thursday afternoon, so we've been scrambling a little bit, but I think we've gotten some input and feedback from some of the county executive managers on the draft testimony you have in front of you.
we're happy to take any testimony you have and then I think we'll try to create a final version of the document that reflects the court's thinking on this.
>> there is -- I'm danny hobby, the county executive for emergency services.
there is one additional thing that I would like to adhere, and that is -- add here, and that is in addition to your comments as well as pete baldwin appearing, I think it would be advise for us to also invite jim lenardis, who is the chief who has extensive wildfire experience and I think it would be good for him with the steiner fires to be able to give testimony as well.
I'm going to be working with deece and the committee to see if we can't get both pete and the chief, unless have you a problem with that, to go together.
the chief will also be representing the Texas fire chief association at that particular hearing, but he can speak and do whatever he wants to on that behalf.
but I think we need to specifically be talking about Travis County because as you know, we did not have the state resources available to us.
and even though I think we were all proud of the effort that everyone put forth locally, that this hearing I think is for the purpose of seeing what the state can do for us.
so we need to be there and have the right people speaking on our behalf.
>> and by the way, I got that notice myself from the -- it came from the lieutenant governor's office.
>> it came from ryan la reduction the committee director for -- la rue, at the committee directors request.
>> it came to me on Thursday at 4:46 it looks like, and at 5:00 I shared it with the court.
and everybody but deece it looks like.
but I think that on written comments, the question is how do we look at the draft and put something in final form?
the deadline for comments, by the way, is tomorrow.
>> tomorrow afternoon.
they would like everything submitted by tomorrow afternoon.
>> and I guess we could provide input to deece, have hit put it in a master plan, and I sign it on behalf of the court and submit it, right?
and then we have appropriate persons going to that meeting and providing additional input.
I would hate to pass up the opportunity to provide written input, although the deadline is -- is real short.
>> I think from the perspective of the county telling the state what its experience was and what suggestions we have for the state, danny hit it right on the head.
the question really for us is what can the state do for us more than what it's already doing?
and obviously there's an issue of resources.
we hope we never have a summer like we did last summer with the wildfires literally all over the state.
but the state does provide some resources for fire fighting through the forest service and through other entities.
and there may be some need to enhance those resources.
the other question is a question of what kind of authority do we have as a local governing body to do our own hazard mitigation to ask other people to do hazard mitigation, and that raises some issues that I think the legislature would do well to wrestle with.
so I think what we tried to do in the draft language that you have before you is try to raise both those issues.
both the issues of level of state resources for firefighterring and emergency management generally and what is the appropriate statutory authority, the county's need in order to really help protect their citizens, their lives and their property.
>> yes?
>> I thought that the draft language that was provided to us is really good.
I think that what the committee is asking us to do is to set the table, not bring the meal.
at this point.
we can bring the meal later.
we'll bring it.
I think the court would be confident in leaving it in your hands to do the -- to do the written testimony without having to have input with the rest of the court since the time frame -- turnaround is so short.
>> I think so.
I came in this weekend and if you look at the four bullets, judge, that they want to talk about, I put some narrative to that.
deece took that and took the after action report which actually gives a good solid response from all the first responders and emergency service providers, and he just simply took that and mixed it in.
so I thought he did a very good job of putting those all together where I think we've addressed the points.
>> and the after action report will be attached to the commentary.
>> it's a public record and I think it would be a good reference.
>> I think it would be good to attach it.
and there are a myriad of specifics that we could -- that we should go into at a later date, that they're probably not prepared to even hear at this point.
things like improvement to the burn ban statute for greater flexibility, fireworks regulation, mandatory building code for residential, fire flow requirements, adequate evacuation, roadway infrastructure.
that's the meal.
they're just asking for us to set the table.
>> Commissioner Huber?
>> I would agree that I think the silverware needs to be on the table.
first of all, I want to say thanks.
this is an opportunity to say thanks to danny and pete and steve and the whole plethora of our group who has worked in the follow-up of the wildfires.
to add one thing that danny mentioned in getting chief lenardos involved, he is currently heading the wildfire prevention taskforce, which is a collective effort of representatives from different county departments, the different esd's.
and I think I would like at a minimum, an danny may be planning to do this anyway, is to get some of the specifics like Commissioner Eckhardt just bulleted, at least interjected into this, into the written comment in the appropriate places or at least for consideration for the judge, because I think those will -- may help outline the next levels that the legislature addresses.
I think it's fortunate we have this opportunity and hopefully we can plug in the input from that taskforce as well because they're kind of the feet on the ground right now and they have categorically very specific things that they're addressing.
and I think the feedback from them, from what may be needed from the legislative standpoint, is really important.
>> do they have a report or -- a set of recommendations?
>> Commissioner Huber, I'm really you brought that up.
they're doing a great job and meeting every week and they have an outline of -- I'll provide you with that.
I think you're exactly right, that should be in that report.
sorry, steve, I know you've been working on that.
>>
>> [ inaudible ].
the legislative arm of this, looking at our state legislature and also our state legislative body here within Travis County delegation, how and when will they get involved I guess as far as what we're doing here today?
I mean, it has to be -- everyone is aware of what our problems are and I think it's ineloquently described by Commissioner Eckhardt and Huber and as well as the judge as far as what we're trying to do here.
but at some stage of all of this, this is setting the table and then the meal coming later, well, why not all at once?
but some stage of all of this, it just seems to me that there has to be an aggressive way of dealing with our needs as far as the the legislature is concerned as far as wildfires.
maybe not sitting around, but I want to know if there's any possibility about what we're doing here, can we share it with those persons that make decisions on what we're trying to accomplish here and the direction that we're doing?
so that was just laying it out and I'm basically throwing that out to see what you all are thinking about there?
>> Commissioner, I think that that's exactly what we want to do.
and I think this is that first step in that direction of connecting to this committee and getting their attention, but also following up with the committee and also making sure that all the other stakeholders -- in fact, what's going to be interesting about this particular hearing is there's going to be many other stakeholders besides just us there that are going to try to either leave a written comment or speak on behalf of the needs of our community.
>> I just wanted to make sure that what we're doing is shared extensively with the legislative arm of Travis County, which is our Travis County delegation.
and because every county is going to be represented by somebody what it is as far as the legislature is concerned.
and I understand what we're doing, per se, but I just want to make sure that it's all inclusive whereby no one will escape the opportunity to be involved in this massive project.
because this is -- this is a big deal.
it really is.
and we don't want to be caught again with not having the proper resources and everything else, even though we did a heck of a job, but I think we can do better.
and of course, I just want to make sure that happens.
that's where I'm coming from.
>> Commissioner, I think that's a wonderful comment that you made.
senator watson is the vice-chair of this committee.
senator wentworth is a member of it.
I was planning to meet -- once we have our packet together, I was planning to meet with both of their offices this week to prep them for next week's meeting.
but I think you're right, this is probably a teachable moment to reach out to the other members of the Travis County delegation, both in the house and our other senators, and visit with them about this situation and about some of the unique perspectives of Travis County on how to better prepare for future events.
>> thank you.
>> so on c, a-1-c, was a response to the invitation to give comment.
and so I move that we basically try to put the comments in final form, have the judge sign on behalf of the Commissioners' court and submit those.
>> second.
>> discussion on that?
all in favor?
that passes by unanimous vote.
and there are two other meetings.
we talked about one, the one for January 17th.
we have county representatives and the esd number 6 attend basically and provide oral testimony.
what about January 12th?
>> they are only taking invited testimony, and so we will not have opportunity to do that.
but what we could certainly do is submit a letter to the committee over your signature, judge, of maybe that includes our testimony to the other committee simply to let them know we're very interested in this issue.
senator royce west, the chair of that committee, we have a very good relationship with him and we'll be meeting with him staff to talk about where they plan to go with their particular piece of preparedness puzzle that their working on.
so this may be a good opening sally in that conversation.
>> all right.
so a motion for us to attend the meeting, appropriate county staff and the esd 6 representative, in b would be appropriate?
>> yes, sir.
>> move approval.
>> second.
>> discussion?
all in favor?
that passes by unanimous vote.
now, what, if anything, on a-1-a?
>> well, I think -- I plan to be at the hearing.
we will be talking to senator west and to his staff before and after the hearing.
I think that that's going to be an ongoing conversation.
unfortunately because of the format of the hearing, I don't think while have an opportunity to give at least oral testimony at this hearing.
but as I suggested earlier, we might want to just send senator west and his -- and the members of the committee a copy of the testimony that we're going to prepare for the other committee to let them know we're very interested in this subject matter and would like to be of any assistance we can to the legislature.
>> do you think that would be appropriate?
>> yes, sir.
>> that's why I move approval.
>> second.
>> discussion?
all in favor?
that passes by unanimous vote.
anything else?
>> no, sir.
>> thank you very much.
>> thank y'all.
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