ERCOT's New CEO Promises To Restore Public Trust in State's Electric Grid

Thomas Schrader, who took over the helm of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) earlier this week, has stated that one of his top goals as CEO is to restore public confidence and trust in the state's electric grid. ERCOT has come under fire recently for contract irregularities. An internal investigation revealed that a small number of ERCOT employees had engaged in inappropriate contract relationships. All employees accused of wrongdoing have either been fired or resigned. The Public Utility Commission (PUC), which has some oversight of ERCOT, has also announced they will audit the organization. Schrader said he will work closely with the PUC as it undertakes its audit of ERCOT.

Discussing his desire to restore public trust in ERCOT, Schrader said: "I fully understand the importance of having the public's confidence that ERCOT will maintain the reliability of the electric transmission grid and the fairness and integrity of the electricity market. ERCOT must provide these services in the most cost-effective manner possible, continually pursuing opportunities for improvement in its business processes and performance."

Shrader joins ERCOT with more than 30 years of experience in the utility and energy industries, including over 16 years in senior management roles. He holds Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Engineering and Applied Sciences from Princeton University. Currently, he serves as a trustee of the Froedtert Hospital Trust and has been on the Advisory Board to the Cancer Center of the Medical College of Wisconsin and on the boards of Goodwill Industries and the New Hope Project.

Restructured California Government Would Save $32 Billion in Five Years, According to Review

A panel created by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and co-directed by Billy Hamilton, Deputy Comptroller of Public Accounts of Texas is recommending a complete overhaul of California state government. Under the plan, more than 100 boards and commissions would be dissolved and dozens of state services would be consolidated and given stringent mandates in an effort to improve efficiency, reduce costs and improve performance. The proposals are spelled out in a 2,547-page report prepared by the California Performance Review (CPR), a team of specially appointed state employees, administrative officials and outside consultants who have spent the last five months evaluating California's government. The far-reaching recommendations have not yet been given the governor's approval and will most likely face opposition from interest groups and have difficulty getting through the Legislature. The report is expected to be released to the public soon.

Regarding his work on the CPR, Hamilton said: "The CPR is the resut of five months work by 265 state workers. They have gone over the state from head to toe, and they have come up with some great ideas for cutting costs and making the government work better." Hamilton says the team focused on ways to make the government run more effectively by using technology.

Hamilton designed and led the first Texas Performance Review in 1991, which identified savings for the state estimated at $4 billion and he led six subsequent performance review efforts for a combined estimated savings of $16 billion. He has participated in separate reviews of the Texas transportation system, the prison system and the electronic payments initiatives. He chairs the Texas Electronic Benefits Transfer Task Force, the Medicaid and Public Assistance Fraud and the Oversight Task Force. Additionally, he was involved in the creation of the Texas School Performance Review, an ongoing review of the Texas public school districts that saved an estimated $840 million for the schools in Texas. Hamilton will moderate a panel at the upcoming 2005 Legislative Communications Conference. For more information, click here.

Strategic Partnerships, Inc. and the Councils of Governments of Texas To Host Homeland Security Procurement Seminar For Vendors

So far, the federal government has sent more than $1 billion to Texas to fight terrorism. With the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) expected to dole out around $32 billion for homeland security initiatives and programs in FY2005, opportunities abound for vendors offering defense solutions and services. Strategic Partnerships, Inc., in partnership with councils of governments (COGs) from across the state, is co-sponsoring "Accessing Texas Homeland Security Markets," a procurement seminar designed to provide vendors with practical information on federal, state, regional and local procurement opportunities. Procurement officers from key federal, state, regional and local agencies will tell vendors how homeland security funds are being spent in Texas and walk them through the necessary steps for participating in established purchasing programs.

The seminar is being held September 21st at the Omni Hotel in San Antonio in conjunction with the Texas Conference on Regionalism, sponsored by the Texas Association of Regional Councils which will be held from September 22 - 24. For more information, visit http://www.txregionalcouncil.org.

Experienced TDH Executive to Head State's Adult Protective Services Program

Debra Wanser, currently the associate commissioner for family health for the Texas Department of Health (TDH), will take over management of the Adult Protective Services (APS) program for the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) on Aug. 9. In her new role as Assistant Commissioner, she will be responsible for the oversight of a corrective action plan for APS mandated by Gov. Rick Perry earlier this year after major problems were discovered with the program. The plan calls for ensuring sufficient staffing, conducting more thorough client evaluations and expanding local guardianship programs. A final report reviewing all actions taken to reform APS and recommended statutory changes is due by Nov. 1.

Regarding Wanser's appointment, Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Albert Hawkins said: "Debra's extensive management experience will benefit our Adult Protective Services program at a time when significant changes are being made."

For the past three years, Wanser has led the bureaus of children's health, kidney health, nutrition services, women's health and support services at TDH, where she has worked for the past 12 years. She holds a bachelor's degree from St. Edward's University and a master's degree from UT's LBJ School of Public Affairs.

Head of Homeland Security May Step Down After November Election

Tom Ridge, Director of the Office of Homeland Security, has indicated to several senior Homeland Security officials in recent weeks that he probably will resign after the November election, even if President Bush wins. Ridge, 58, has explained to colleagues that he needs to earn money to pay for his two teenagers' college education. Ridge earns $175,700 a year as a Cabinet secretary. He has also expressed frustration over the continuing difficulties of reorganizing the 22 agencies that form the Homeland Security Department. Ridge, who served as governor of Pennsylvania for six years, is the department's first secretary.

DHS to Solicit Bids to Evaluate Communication Gaps Among First Responders

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will solicit bids in the upcoming weeks for a nationwide evaluation of public safety wireless communications. That assessment will be linked to short-term requirements for wireless communications, which were released earlier this year, to determine what new technology and policy changes are needed.

Officials in the Safecom program within DHS' Science and Technology Directorate oversee national efforts to coordinate public safety communications policies, practices and technologies. Once a status assessment is completed, government officials will be able to move forward more quickly on technical and policy enhancements.

The solicitation will specifically seek a contractor to help Safecom officials formulate the best questions to analyze communications capabilities. The contractor will also help conduct the assessment, which will include interviewing people nationwide who are involved in wireless initiatives.

DHS expects to award the contract before FY2005 begins Oct. 1 and have a report back before the start of the next fiscal year.

Home Depot to Establish Technology Center in Austin

Home Depot will employ about 500 people within 18 months at a new data center it will build in Austin. The data center will house roughly $250 million in equipment and dole out about $30 million for its annual payroll.

The city has been trying to lure the data center here for months. In June, the Austin City Council approved a 10-year property tax exemption worth $7.2 million to help entice the home improvement retailer. Travis County commissioners offered Home Depot about $6.2 million in tax breaks by agreeing to refund half the incremental property taxes generated from land and improvement as well as all the taxes on business equipment over 10 years.

Home Depot also plans to open a customer service center in early 2005 in New Brunfels that will employ about 350 people. The two projects will result in an $800 million capital investment in the Texas economy. Home Depot will pay more than $36 million in annual salaries to the 843 employees planned for the Austin and New Braunfels locations.

Addition of Troops to Fort Bliss Could Pump $586 Million Into El Paso's Economy

The addition of 3,800 soldiers to Fort Bliss by 2006 could bring the El Paso area about $586 million and create 4,123 jobs, according to U.S. Representative Silvestre Reyes. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison has pledged to secure military construction money to expand Fort Bliss' infrastructure and amenities to accommodate the influx of troops. Gov. Rick Perry, who last week asked the Texas Transportation Commission to set hearings in August on building new roads and other infrastructure near Fort Hood, which is expected to add about 5,000 new troops next year, has also promised to provide funding for infrastructure projects in the Fort Bliss area.

$80 Million in Grants Available to Help Fight Air Pollution

The state has awarded more than $80 million in grants to businesses, individuals and governmental organizations to help reduce air pollution. The grants are part of the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) which aims to bring air quality in the state into compliance with air quality standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The money will be used to replace equipment and retrofit engines with pollution-reducing technology. About three dozen Austin area companies were awarded around $6 million. The Houston-Galveston area received the largest amount of money - $36 million for 43 projects. The Dallas-Fort Worth area received $29.6 million while the San Antonio area was awarded $2.5 million. The remaining grant money was distributed among projects in El Paso, Tyler, Victoria, Corpus Christi and the Beaumont-Port Arthur areas. The TERP program will continue to provide funds throughout the state in the amount of about $100 million per year through 2008.

$83 Million Central Texas Airport Scheduled to Open Monday

The Killeen-Fort Hood Regional Airport is scheduled to open for business Monday. The airport, which was built at a cost of $83 million, will contain a new terminal building adjacent to Fort Hood's Robert Gray Army Airfield. An existing 10,000 foot runway, owned by the military, will be used by airplanes that serve both facilities.

The 20-year-old Killeen Municipal Airport, 10 miles away from the new regional airport, is currently used for commercial travel. Because it has a short runway, it is unable to handle large aircraft which has limited air traffic in the area. The municipal airport will remain open as a host for smaller airplanes.

The economic impact of the new airport is estimated at $2.8 billion. The majority of the funding for the new airport has been provided by the Federal Aviation Administration, which contributed at least $50 million. The Texas Department of Transportation gave $13.4 million, Bell County, about $1 million and the City of Killeen, about $10 million. Passenger fees will cover the remainder of the building costs.

Update on 2005 Legislative Communications Conference

Nine legislators are scheduled to participate in this conference to be held on October 7th at UT-Austin’s J.J. Pickle Center. The agenda also includes agency executives, key legislative staffers, and agency board leaders. Questions on the program contents can be addressed to Len Riley at lriley@spartnerships.com.

Registration has now been open for two weeks and many people have been taking advantage of the online registration form. Agencies that prefer to register with hard copy can either email their paperwork to nlm@mail.utexas.edu or snail mail it to: the Office of Conferences and Training at The University of Texas at Austin, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, P.O. Box Y, Austin, TX 78713-8925. Questions about registration or payment can be addressed to nlm@mail.utexas.edu or 512-471-0820.

New Travis County Hospital District Board Now Complete

The Austin City Council made the nine-member Travis County Hospital District board complete this week by appointing its four representatives and agreeing on a joint member, Austin lawyer Carl Richie II, with Travis County commissioners. The council's selections for the new tax authority include three women. The county commissioners had no women among its appointees last week. By law, the city and county each were required to name appointees and choose the ninth together. In the event one of the council appointees can't serve, the city council announced an alternate: Henry Narvaez, who works at the Wright House Wellness Center and serves as vice chairman of the community clinic governing board.

Board members will not be paid for their oversight of the delivery of health care services to the county's indigent population. The board will assume responsibility for Brackenridge Hospital, Austin Women's Hospital, Children's Hospital of Austin (until it is replaced by a private hospital in 2007) and a dozen community clinics. The first tasks the board faces are hiring a CEO for the hospital district and finalizing a budget.

The appointees include: Dr. Thomas Coopwood - past president of the Travis County Medical Society, he is a recently retired trauma and general surgeon at Brackenridge Hospital; Victoria Hsu - the newly retired executive director of the Texas Board of Professional Engineers, she is co-owner of Hsu Realty Co.; Rose Lancaster - chairwoman of the city's Community Action Network's Homeless Task Force health committee, she is a member of the community clinics' governing board; and Rosa Mendoza - a public accountant who is a member of the Austin Travis County Mental Health Mental Retardation board and the city's Mexican American Cultural Center board.

Austin-Travis County Community Health Centers to Receive $600,000 in Federal Funds

Austin-Travis County Community Health Centers will receive $600,000 in additional annual federal funds to expand medical capacity at the Montopolis Community Health Center in Southeast Austin, according to U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett. The new funds will be used to serve an additional 5,133 new patients. The health centers provide family doctors for more than 45,000 Austinites, the majority of whom live below the federal poverty level.

More than 50 Vying for Job as President of UTD

A nationwide search for the next president of the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) has attracted more than 50 candidates, mostly from public and private universities. The 18-member search committee headed by UT System vice chancellor Teresa Sullivan met this week to start paring down the list. Between 8 and 10 candidates will be selected for face to face interviews. This fall, the committee will send its top picks to the Board of Regents, who will then select finalists and conduct interviews. The new president most likely will not start until January or possibly next summer, to coincide with the academic calendar.

The new president will succeed Franklyn Jenifer, who announced his retirement last fall. During Jenifer's tenure at the university, enrollment grew from about 8,500 to nearly 14,000 and the small campus which focused heavily on graduate studies grew into a full-scale university garnering national attention. The next president will try to help UTD reach its goal of becoming a major research university.

TJC Trustees Want to Raise Budget to $44.41 Million

Based on a recommendation from Tyler Junior College (TJC) president Dr. William Crowe, TJC trustees proposed a 4-cent tax rate increase for the first time in a decade in order to raise the budget 5.5 percent to $44.41 million. Crowe said additional revenue is needed for building renovations and construction. Funding generated by the proposed tax hike would be dedicated for needed capital projects. Crowe estimates that over the next 10 years, the college has capital needs totaling around $50 to $60 million. Projects currently included in the college's Campus Development Plan include a new student center, a new 80,000-square-foot academic building, additional parking and existing building renovations.

Strategic Partnerships, Inc. (SPI) is a Texas-based, nine year old research and knowledge based consulting firm offering business development and public affairs services. To learn more about SPI services click here or contact Crystal Kuhs at 512-531-3900.

Toll Road Plan Sparks Controversy in Houston

Austin isn't the only city where the debate over toll roads is fierce. Plans by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to convert part of a Northwest Harris County freeway into a toll road have been met with strong opposition by citizens. If TxDOT approves the proposal next year, it would be the first time an existing free state highway has been converted into a tollway. TxDOT has been advocating for more tollways across the state because revenue from the state's gasoline and motor-vehicle-registration taxes can't keep up with the road needs of the state's burgeoning population. Under current funding schemes, only one-third of needed highway projects can be funded, according to TxDOT officials.

Rister Selected as New Director for Texas GOP

Milton Rister, research director for Lt. Gov. Dewhurst, has been appointed the new executive director of the Republican Party of Texas. Rister has previously served as the party's political director, executive director of the House Republican Caucas, chief of staff to Sen. Jane Nelson and adviser to hundreds of Republican campaigns.

State Research Teams Get $7.5 Million in Federal Funding

Two university-led research teams were awarded a total of $7.5 million in federal funding last week. The University of Texas' Advanced Processing and Prototyping Center will receive $5 million. UT leads research at the center with participation by other research centers such as the Microelectronics Research Center, Texas Materials Institute, and the Center for Nano and Molecular Science and Technology. The money will be used for equipment, materials and processes to speed up the commercialization of advanced technology research. A biochemical countermeasures program, run by UT and other university medical centers around the state, will receive $2.5 million. The program was created to establish a better system of detecting biochemical threats, communicating with the public in the event of a threat and creating vaccines.

Budget Cuts Force Closure of Rehab Facility

Austin Recovery Family House, Austin's only residential drug treatment facility for homeless women and their children, will close next month because of state budget cuts. The Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse cut the 2-year-old program's $650,000 budget to zero for 2005. The program, which serves about 100 women and 170 children each year, is expected to close Aug. 31.

Event Links

EXPERIENCE IT 2004 Conference - 7/29/04 - 7/30/04

TASSCC 2004 Conference: IT Olympics--Go For the Gold - 8/9/04 - 8/11/04

Emergency Readiness Conference and Expo - 8/9/04 - 8/12/04

7th Annual Texas Transportation Summit - 08/10/04 - 08/13/04

Texas Association of Counties Annual Legislative Meeting and Trade Show - 8/11/04 - 8/13/04

itsGov: Technology Buying at Year End - 8/25/2004

Texas Association of School Administrators/Texas Association of School Boards 44th Annual Convention - 09/17/04-09/20/04

NASCIO 2004 Annual Conference - 9/19/04 - 9/22/04

Texas Conference on Regionalism - 9/22/04 - 9/24/04

WIN BUSINESS WITH TEXAS GOVERNMENT

For a FREE TRIAL of SPI's Future Opportunity Analysis and Bid Monitoring services click here.

SPI has a dedicated Information Services (IS) Division that researches governmental entities and analyzes data for future and current business opportunities. Our team studies and reviews strategic plans, legislative appropriations requests, appropriations bills, and budgets to identify potential business projects. IS provides these key services and products:

• Future Opportunity Analysis - email notification of new opportunities as they are discovered and updates to opportunities as new information becomes available



• Bid Monitoring - timely email notification of current procurement opportunities for over 500 state agencies, institutions of higher education, cities, counties, school districts, airports, and ports.



• Customized Research - specific intelligence on entities, opportunities, markets, trends, products, competitors, etc.



• The Guide to the Texas State Government Marketplace - This comprehensive report identifies funding allocations and projected timelines for projects as well as historical spending data in 20 key state agencies. The Guide also offers explanations and insight to potential opportunities in significant legislation from the Regular Session of the 78th Legislature.

Please contact SPI's Crystal Kuhs at ckuhs@spartnerships.com for more details.

Past ABJ articles by Mary Scott Nabers

Health care problems create opportunities - 7/23/2004

Texas roads paved with opportunity - 7/9/2004

Tracking water projects keeps revenue flowing - 6/25/2004

Texas Government Insider Archives

Volume 2 Issue 28 - 07/16/04

Volume 1 and Volume 2 Archives 11/7/03 - 7/9/04

News from Strategic Partnerships, Inc.

2005 Legislative Communications Conference

Registration is now open for Legislative Communications for the 2005 Session, a conference jointly sponsored by SPI and the LBJ School of Public Affairs. The conference will be held October 7th at U.T.'s J.J. Pickle Center. For more information on the conference or to register, visit SPI's website.

Upcoming Event: Mary Scott Nabers, SPI's CEO and President, will be a keynote speaker at the Executive Women in Texas Government (EWTG)18th Annual Professional Development Conference.

The conference will be held on Monday, November 22 at the Renaissance Austin Hotel. The 2004 conference theme is "Leadership in a Changing Texas."

EWTG is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to developing and encouraging women in Texas government and higher education by offering educational, interactive and professional growth opportunities. EWTG has over 400 members representing more than 100 state agencies and institutions of higher learning throughout Texas.

For more information, visit http://www.ewtg.org/conference.

Resources

Information for Small and Minority Owned Businesses

An Audit Report on the Department of Health's Implementation of Its Bioterrorism Preparedness Plans, SAO Report No. 04-036

Report on Contract Administration for the Texas Integrated Eligibility Redesign System.

NASBO Fiscal Survey of the States

Fiscal Year 2003 Quality Assurance Team's Annual Report

New Texas Fact Book 2004

Joint Select Committee's Report on Public School Finance, March 17, 2004

Public Hearings/Meetings

House Public Health Committee-- 10:00am, August 4, E2.014

House General Investigating Committee-- 9:00am, August 6, E2.030

Signing Up for the Insider

We welcome you to add your friends and co-workers to the Insider distribution. Simply click the Sign up for our mailing list icon near the top of this issue. Occasionally, we learn about people who signed up, but didn’t get the Insider. In nearly all cases, the problem turned out to be spam filtering on the receiving end. We strongly support the elimination of undesired email and applaud the use of technology to filter it. Occasionally, however, such filters prevent email that the recipient wanted to receive. If you have been unable to receive the Insider or suddenly stop receiving it, we urge you to contact your information technology department to see if this was the cause.

TCEQ Economic Opportunity Forum

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) will host an Economic Opportunity Forum August 11 from 8:30am - 11:30am at TCEQ's North Austin campus located at 12100 Park 35 Circle. The event will be held in Rooms A-172 and A-173 in Building A. For more information, contact Daniel Dominguez at ddomingu@tceq.state.tx.us or 512-239-1273.

2004 Texas Conference on Regionalism

The Texas Association of Regional Councils is sponsoring the 2004 Texas Conference on Regionalism September 22 - 24 at the Omni Hotel in San Antonio. The Alamo Area Concil of Governments is hosting the event, which will feature a series of dialogues and consensus building sessions on regional solutions to issues raised by economic, population, social, and political trends in Texas. Over 600 representatives from key state and federal agencies, decision-makers from regional councils of governments, civic leaders, executives and vendors are expected to attend. For more information on the conference, visit http://www.txregionalcouncil.org/.