Travis County Commissioners Court
January 10, 2012 (Agenda)
Item A2
There is -- mr. Jeffreys is here.
where is that item regarding the briefing?
what number is that?
>>
>> [ inaudible ].
>> that's why I couldn't find it in the body of the agenda.
a-2, and mr. Eckstein, if you will head this way, we will call up a-1 next.
a-2, receive status update on progress to date with ernst & young on the feasibility analysis of a public-private partnership for a new civil and family courthouse house.
I think we'll delete that second house there.
>> good morning, again.
I'm roger jeffreys, county executive for justice and public safety.
I'm here with belinda powell with pbo, planning manager.
last week you all approved a contract with ernst & young who will be advising you all on possible procurement methods for a new civil and family courthouse.
it went from the procurement process last week to now an execution of the contract or implementation of the contract, overseen by the civil and family courthouse internal team, which you all appointed I believe last spring that has representation from the county attorney's office, transportation and natural resources facilities, pbo, the auditor's office, the purchasing office, and in September y'all asked me to take over as chair, which made me project executive, and belinda powell, project administrator.
and in our internal team meeting last week we thought it would be helpful if -- because this particular contract is relatively short.
it's only an 11 to 12-weaken gauge., and things are going to happen really fast.
they've already started happening really fast once the contract was signed, that we would come heard include, possibly even weekly if necessary, to give you an update about what's happened, what's prospectively going to happen in the coming week or two.
so that's what we're doing today.
it's not really 'update on that they've done, but what the schedule looks like for you.
the folks from ernst & young are coming, several of their principals are coming beginning on Thursday the 12th.
they'll be meeting with the internal team.
it's the official kickoff.
it's actually a deliverable within the contract.
they're actually arriving on Wednesday the 11th and they have scheduled interviews with members of the court.
we will also be working with them to prepare for the public meetings, which are coming up the following year.
so actually two that are scheduled within the contract period to receive public input on the various procurement methods.
and then we will also be working with them to finalize any scheduling going forward.
they will then come back on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.
they'll be meeting with the civil judges.
and again, we'll be executing our first public -- meeting for public input.
and belinda will describe that for you in a second.
and finally, something to put on your radar is they'll be coming back -- it's scheduled for them to come back on the 24th to give you a report on the rfi's that were submitted back last spring.
that's their first deliverable to you.
it's under task a of the contract.
do you want to talk a little bit about the public input piece?
how we're going to do that?
>> when ernst & young is here, again we'll go over setting up actual contact cards and how the first meetings will be, but the first meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 17th here in the Commissioners' court in the evening.
we are preparing email blasts today.
we're starting with the basis of anyone who signed in for public comment or was invited to focus group initiative or appeared at any time on our comment website on the central campus plan as a starting point.
we are also planning to get that posted on channel 17, trying to get it out to the community centers in a hard copy as well as targeting some news letters that go out, like the Austin alliance has a weekly newsletter that goes out.
if there are any particular local papers that you would like us to also send a notice to, please go ahead and email my office and we'll be happy to put them on the list as well.
I have some, but it would be nice if we had current updates, so I could contact your offices or you could have them contact me.
but those are things that we're trying to accomplish today to get the word out about next week.
and then to follow-up, there will be another follow-up meeting the first week of February and before we send the email blast today we know whether that will be the evening of the first or the second of February, but we are targeting two meetings, one right after the other as well as some individual, more focused group meetings that we have some key individuals that we'll be contacting as well.
so if there's anyone in particular or any method that you would like us to use in addition to physical postings, newspaper postings, email postings, just let us know.
we're also planning on I think getting it to channel 17 to run on the public announcement board.
>> and just to reiterate, we would be available anyway, but just to reemphasize, again, this is such a quick process.
belinda and I are available at your -- any convenience to answer any questions or to address any concerns that you have.
>> I notice on January 24th is a report on the rfi's.
those are about seven months old now.
do you think that's going to be -- I guess it will also report to us whether those need to be updated or not.
>> we'll get a preview of what they're looking at when they come in town this week.
they've actually -- the rfi's have already been up loaded to them and they already have been working on them.
they'll give us an idea of their first impressions when we meet with them this week.
so we'll have a good sense of that for you.
>> but is that going to be the final report or no?
that's just the report before the public hearings?
>> it is their analysis of the key findings that are in those documents for you.
>> the rfi's?
>> just in the rfi's.
>> that will be the final deliverable on the 24th.
>> but it's not the end of the process, just that one piece.
>> so the evening meeting on January 24th would be in this courtroom.
>> that's -- actually, we'll schedule -- on January 24th we'll be here in Commissioners' court with the posted items that will be presented.
on the 17th it will be an evening meeting here in this courtroom.
>> okay.
24th it will be just a regular Commissioners' court meeting starting at 9:00.
>> right.
>> on the 17th there's a public meeting that is not a Commissioners' court meeting, it's just you and the consultants meeting with whatever citizens want to come by and discuss it.
>> right.
>> and any of you might attend as well.
we're having it posted --
>>
>> [ inaudible ].
how will you make folks aware?
can you go over that again?
>> we're sending out email blasts and also trying to get it in community papers.
we're also putting it on channel 17 and having it physically posted at some of our county facilities.
there will also be a posting in the courthouse for people who come to the court building to see it as well.
and then any other direct mail or direct email or mail that you would like for us to do, but it's a very quick turnaround on the first one.
meeting announcement actually has both aids data on it so they can be aware of the 17th:
>> and that's from what time to what time?
>> 5:30 to 7:30.
>> we had quite a few residents, I guess, provide input when we had the public meetings regarding the master space plan?
>> yes, sir.
>> we have their names and contact information?
>> yes, I do and they're part of our email blast that will go out today.
anyone who signed in or left or was invited, but didn't attend, I have that full roster and we'll start there.
as an initial blast as well.
>> then I heard a second public hearing.
was that February 2nd?
>> yes.
>> same time, same place?
>> yes.
and it will be on the same public announcement.
>> do we think the public hearing, is that close together?
>> it's an 11-week project, so one of the things they wanted to do is have a general listening at the very beginning and talk about what it is they're actually looking at for you about the site.
get some feedback at that point and then come back with -- to get additional feedback, but also a summary of what they heard.
and what some notions and objectives are as they work through the process.
so they are very close together.
we're pushing really hard to try to get good turnout for them, but it is a very short project.
we expect to be completely finished with their analysis for you by mid March.
would you like to talk about a different date?
>> I'm trying to remember a time when we had good public input a week later.
>> it's two weeks later, yeah.
>> 24th and the second?
>> sentth and the second.
17th and the second.
>> the 24th is an interim report to you on the rfi.
>> okay.
17th.
>> and the second.
>> it helps a little bit, I think.
we always have a right to change our minds later on, right?
okay.
remember I asked about that.
>> yes, sir.
>> anything else?
>> that's it for now unless you have any questions.
>> thank you very much.
>> thank you.
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