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FEMA to rebid no-bid contracts for Katrina work

Paulison

The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced on Thursday that millions of dollars of no-bid contracts signed after Hurricane Katrina will be rebid. FEMA's acting chief, David Paulison, told Congress on Thursday that the contracts include four $100 million-plus contracts awarded to home constructors. So far FEMA has spent $19.5 billion of the $62 billion approved by Congress for areas affected by Katrina.

About $72 million has been funneled to Texas cities by FEMA. That money is intended to reimburse those cities for their Katrina-related costs. Houston has been reimbursed $38.7 million but San Antonio, which also has taken in tens of thousands of Katrina evacuees, has not yet received reimbursement funds.

[Editor's note: Contractors and prospective vendors can click here to gain insight into securing hurricane-related contracts.]


Blanck

UNT Health Science Center president to retire

University of North Texas Health Science Center President Ronald R. Blanck says he will retire when a replacement is found. Blanck, who has spent five years at the post, said he wants to spend more time with family. Blanck joined the UNT Health Science Center after a 32-year career in the U.S. Army. When he retired he was a lieutenant general serving as the Army's Surgeon General and commander of the U.S. Army Medical Command, which is responsible for more than 46,000 military personnel and 26,000 civilian employees throughout the world.


Governor forms evacuation task force in wake of Rita

Gov. Rick Perry has named 11 people to the Task Force on Evacuation Transportation and Logistics, a group established just after Hurricane Rita prompted the largest evacuation in the state's history. The task force, whose roots can be traced back to Houston Mayor Bill White and Harris County Judge Robert Eckels, will try to establish or improve evacuation procedures for major metropolitan areas in Texas.

Houstonian Jack Little, former president and CEO of Shell Oil Company, will chair the task force. A list of other appointees can be found online.

While the evacuation prior to Hurricane Rita is considered a success because coastal residents made it out of harm's way, the mass exodus did have its hitches - the most evident of which were clogged roads and depleted gas stations. State officials said that's because twice as many people fled than expected. Well more than 2 million people evacuated, but state officials said no more than 1.2 million people needed to evacuate coastal areas from Corpus Christi to Port Arthur.


Most Texas counties not ready for handicapped-voting mandate

About 63 percent of Texas counties have yet to demonstrate that they are ready to comply with new federal guidelines on handicapped-accessible voting systems, according to Ann McGeehan, director of elections for the Texas secretary of state.

Speaking to a group of county judges and commissioners recently, McGeehan said that 95 counties have procured new voting systems allowed under the 2002 Help America Vote Act. The other 159 counties have not told the secretary of state's office how close they are to meeting the federal mandate. The mandate calls for every voting precinct in the country to have at least one handicapped-accessible voting system by Jan. 1. Officials in the noncompliant counties will receive a letter soon from Secretary of State Roger Williams to remind them of the looming deadline.


Gov. Perry appoints seven to State Board of Public Accountancy

Gov. Rick Perry has appointed seven individuals to the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy. The board regulates public accountants and administers the certified public accountant exam in Texas. Melanie Thompson of Seguin, a certified public accountant with 24 years of experience in public accounting and an assistant professor at Texas Lutheran University, has been designated chair of the board to serve for a term at the pleasure of the governor. Other appointees are: James C. Flagg of College Station, Paula Mendoza of Houston, Greg Bailes of Austin, Dorothy M. Fowler of Corpus Christi, John W. Dunbar of El Paso and James W. Pollard of Canadian. These appointments are subject to senate confirmation.


First of seven state veterans cemeteries opens

Patterson

The first State Veterans Cemetery has opened near Killeen and the state plans to build six additional cemeteries around the state to make burial and visitation more convenient for families. The second state veterans cemetery is expected to open late next year in Mission. Abilene also has been designated, but the other four sites have yet to be decided.

"This is part of Texas' ongoing commitment to its veterans," Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson said, adding that a third of the 1.7 million veterans in Texas are older than 65. The new cemetery near Killeen can accommodate about 50,000 soldiers.

Editor's note: The Nov. 4th Lens on State Government article in TGI will focus on veterans' issues.]


Senators want review of Texas outsourcing contracts

Barrientos Shapleigh

Two Texas state senators are calling for a special legislative committee to investigate all current and anticipated Texas Health and Human Services Commission outsourcing contracts.

Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos of Austin (right) and Sen. Eliot Shapleigh from El Paso (left) said they are disappointed by a recent state auditor's report that showed the commission failed to achieve the $21.7 million savings expected from outsourcing its human resources and payroll functions. They are asking Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Tom Craddick to create a joint interim committee to study the issue.

Officials at the Health and Human Services Commission said such savings weren't supposed to be expected during the first year due to start-up costs.


Len Riley

Lens on State Government: Statewide Radio Interoperability
By Len Riley, Strategic Partnerships

With poor interagency communications cited as a key problem for a neighboring state during the recent hurricanes, it seemed timely to review what Texas is doing in this area.

The need for better interagency communications was identified as a key problem following the crash of an Air Florida plane into the Potomac River in January 1982. No place in our nation had a greater concentration of emergency responders. Officers from Virginia, Maryland, several counties, the cities of Arlington VA and Washington D.C., and numerous federal agencies all responded, but none could communicate with the others. 78 people died.

Click here to read the rest of the article.


State agencies, feds continue hurricane damage assessment, cleanup

State agencies are still buzzing with hurricane-related activity. According to the most recent situation report from Texas' State Operations Center, conference calls are occurring regularly between local government officials and state and federal agencies coordinating recovery efforts.

In all, more than 25 state agencies are involved. The Department of Public Safety is coordinating re-entry plans, the Department of State Health Services is working to control the mosquito population near the coast and helping those affected secure medication, and the Texas Department of Transportation has 420 employees clearing debris from roads and working with energy companies to clear electrical lines. Many counties remain without power, communications, water or basic services.

Preliminary damage assessments are underway, but state officials said reports are impeded due to lack of communications and the focus of local resources on basic and essential services.


No funding plan in place, but schools still get money
Pundits still awaiting overdue ruling from supreme court

State lawmakers failed to decide how schools will be funded, but that hasn't stopped the checks from rolling in to school districts across the state. School districts received their monthly allotment from the state Sept. 25, and that should satisfy their needs until the end of October, according to the Texas Education Agency. According to a state district court ruling, which ended in a declaration that the current funding method is unconstitutional, lawmakers were supposed to come up with a new funding plan by October 1. That ruling has since been appealed to the state Supreme Court but Texas' highest court has not yet issued a ruling.


Texas consortium gains $15M for nanotech research

The Strategic Partnership for Research in Nanotech (SPRING) has secured $15 million in new funding from the 2006 Department of Defense Appropriations Bill. SPRING is a consortium comprised of the University of Texas System, Rice University and the University of Houston. The money will build on an effort to establish a collaborative network of well-equipped research centers to rapidly develop and promote nanotechnology.


San Marcos outsources economic growth

The San Marcos City Council voted this week to hire a private firm to steer economic growth. Council members voted 5-2 to award a two-year contract worth $238,000 to a San Marcos marketing company. City staff tried to negotiate a contract with the Greater San Marcos Economic Development Council, which had worked with the city for almost 20 years, but was unable to agree on terms.


Fort Worth unveils ambitious transportation plan

The Fort Worth Transportation Authority has released a long-term plan that calls for express trains to zip between Fort Worth and Dallas in about 45 minutes. The current Trinity Railway Express service takes about 70 minutes to make the trip so Fort Worth planners intend to build express lanes in four to 10 years. The long-range plan also calls for a high-speed rail line between Fort Worth and Austin and bus-only ramps on freeways.


UT Southwestern secures $9.7M NIH grant

The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas has secured from the National Institutes of Health a five-year, $9.7 million grant to prepare independent clinical investigators. UT Southwestern will use the money to support its Clinical Scholars Program, which supports student researchers who agree to commit 75 percent of their time to an intense three-year educational and training program to prepare for careers as independent clinical investigators. The program leads to a master's degree in clinical science.


Former foes now support ACCD bond issue

Community leaders and politicians that previously were opposed to the Alamo Community College District's $450 million bond proposal now support it. The effort to raise money to expand campuses in and around San Antonio failed in February but is back on the ballot for Nov. 8. A contentious plan to move nursing and allied health programs from inner city campuses to the affluent Northwest Side has been dropped from the proposal, resulting in widespread support.


Dozens of stormwater dams in Austin to be improved, replaced

At least 57 dams throughout Austin on city-managed stormwater ponds are in danger of failing should a worst-case storm hit. The City Council has approved a $2 million contract with a private engineering firm to fix eight of the dams. City officials are evaluating remedies for the others.


DIR still seeking input for state strategic plan

Agency IRMs (information resources managers) that have not yet responded to the Department of Information Resources' survey on best practices and challenges in government IT, to be included in the state strategic plan, may still do so.

Gov. Perry issued a proclamation in September that authorized the suspension of agency rules and regulations during the statewide response to Hurricane Rita. Based on DIR's extensive assistance to evacuees from Hurricane Katrina and involvement in the state's response to Hurricane Rita, DIR will delay the submission of the State Plan for Information Management to the Office of the Governor and Legislative Budget Board until December 2005. Please contact Cathy Cox at (512) 475-0122 or cathryn.cox@dir.state.tx.us for a blank copy of the survey instrument. The state strategic plan will be presented to the DIR Board for review and approval at its December 14, 2005 meeting.


Few traffic delays expected for big game in Dallas

Officials with the Texas Department of Transportation expect a large number of football fans from both sides of the Red River to come together for the Texas/OU game this weekend at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas but they expect few delays. TxDOT said there should be no construction delays along major routes into the Dallas area. For the most current road conditions call TxDOT's statewide road condition hotline at 800-452-9292.

Local governments … more attractive than ever!

Mary Scott Nabers

By Mary Scott Nabers, CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc.

The vast majority of cities and counties across Texas have finalized and are now implementing new budgets. Almost every division, department and agency has new funding. Now is the perfect time for contractors of all types to make sure they know what initiatives, services, and products the budgets will fund in the coming year.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

[Editors note: Mary Scott Nabers' government contracting columns run regularly in the Austin Business Journal, San Antonio Business Journal, Houston Business Journal and Dallas Business Journal]


Samsung will likely build chip plant in Austin

Samsung, which has received millions of dollars worth of government incentives in the past for expansions, is expected to invest $3.5 billion to build a new chip plant in Austin. A formal announcement has not been made but sources said the company's site selection committee has recommended the plant be built in Austin.


Keeping an Eye on the High Cost of Fuel

Greg Abbott

By Greg Abbott, Texas Attorney General

High gasoline prices have increasingly pinched Texas consumers' pocketbooks over the past few months. Those already high prices were compounded by Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, which prompted complaints from Texas consumers about possible price gouging and oil and gas investment scams.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

UT gets $3.5M for drug development institute

The University of Texas received $3.5 million to finance an institute that will spur the development of new drugs. The university's Texas Institute for Drug and Diagnostic Development received the gift from the Welch Foundation in Houston. The institute will connect scientists researching diseases with drug development specialists, and speed more drugs into the commercial arena.


DART ridership increases with gas prices

Ridership on the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) system is up about 10 percent from a year ago. DART officials attribute the increase partly to rising gasoline prices.


Austin, firefighter agree on pay contract

Austin firefighters this week reached a tentative accord with the city that will increase pay to the tune of $27.5 million over the next three years. The deal must still be formally approved by the city council and the Austin Association of Professional Firefighters.


Teacher pay flat

Texas still ranks 30th nationally in teacher pay, according to a survey by the American Federation of Teachers. The average teacher in Texas makes $40,476 a year.


Rep. Crownover elected to energy board

State Rep. Myra Brownover of Denton was elected to serve as treasurer of the Southern States Energy Board. The board is an interstate compact comprised of governors and state legislators from 16 southern states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The board's mission is to promote economic development and enhance the quality of life in the South through innovations in energy and environmental programs and technologies.


Hutchison files bill to let police arrest illegal aliens

U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas on Wednesday filed legislation that would allow local law enforcement to arrest, detain and prosecute undocumented immigrants. Currently state and local law enforcement officers can only act on criminal violations of immigration law, such as stopping illegal border crossings they witness. Only federal officials right now handle civil violations, including apprehension and deportation. Some police chiefs and lawmakers in Texas are opposed to the measure, saying it would distract already busy police forces and create racial profiling issues.


Texas' economic recovery remains on track

The Dallas Fed's Texas Coincident Index, a business-cycle index of current economic conditions, rose by 3 percent in August, suggesting Texas' economy continues to expand moderately.


WANT TO DO MORE BUSINESS WITH THE STATE GOVERNMENT? Reagan Weil

Contact Reagan Weil, SPI's business development manager, today to find out how SPI can locate contracting opportunities recently uncovered. Reach Reagan at (512) 531-3917 or rweil@spartnerships.com.

Procurement articles online

Click here to view recent articles on government procurement authored by Mary Scott Nabers, president and CEO of Strategic Partnerships Inc., and published in the Austin Business Journal and Houston Business Journal.

[Editor's note: Mary Scott Nabers' procurement columns run regularly in the Austin Business Journal, Houston Business Journal, San Antonio Business Journal and soon the Dallas Business Journal]



Event Links

West Texas Regional Gang Investigators' Course - 10/18/05-10/20/05

Texas Municipal League Annual Conference - 10/26/05-10/28/05

OAG's 2005 Open Government Conference - 12/12/05-12/14/05

Texas Government Insider Archives

Volume 1, Volume 2 and Volume 3 Archives - 11/7/03 - 10/7/05

Resources

TBPC Vendor Guide

State Budget Resources

HUB Forms Library

State Contract Management Guide

State Procurement Manual

Who Represents Me? Texas Districts By Address

Diagram of Texas' Biennial Budget Cycle

Texas Fact Book

Policy Challenges in the New Millennium

"Policy Challenges in the New Millennium," hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, will examine the sweeping changes to the world and examine the resultant policy challenges. Presentations are designed to benefit those in the academic world entrenched in the areas of economics, finance, business, public policy, political science and education. Click here for event details.


Attorney General's Open Government Conference

The Texas Office of the Attorney General will host the 2005 Open Government Conference in Austin December 12-14. More information about the conference, which brings together residents, government officials and the media, can be found here.