Editors Note: Often we hear from people who signed up, but aren't receiving the Texas Government Insider™. In nearly all cases, the problem turns 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 wants to receive. If you have been unable to receive the Texas Government Insider™ or suddenly stop receiving it, we urge you to contact your information technology department to see if this was the cause.

Delisi to Serve as Governor's New Chief of Staff

Gov. Rick Perry has appointed Deirdre Delisi as his new chief of staff. Delisi replaces Mike Toomey who announced his resignation last week. Toomey, a former three-term state representative from Houston and former chief of staff for Gov. Bill Clements, had served as Perry's top aide since November 2002.

Delisi, 32, has served as senior deputy chief of staff since last November. She previously served as deputy chief of staff and directed Perry's 2002 campaign. Delisi started working for Perry when he was lieutenant governor. She has also worked for former state Sen. Bill Ratliff and has served as a policy adviser on President Bush's first presidential campaign. A graduate of Duke University, Delisi holds a master's degree in international policy studies from Stanford University.

Perry also promoted Jay Kimbrough to deputy chief of staff. Kimbrough has served as senior advisor, homeland security director and director of criminal justice for Perry. Phil Wilson will continue in his current position as deputy chief of staff.

Former SA City Manager to Serve as SAWS Interim Chief

Former San Antonio City Manager Alex Briseno has been selected by the trustees of the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) to serve as interim chief executive officer. He will replace Leonard Young who has served as interim chief since March after the early termination of former SAWS chief Eugene Habiger. The seven SAWS trustees returned Young to his former post as senior vice president of planning, programming and quality control and placed him on paid administrative leave "until further notice."

Briseno's temporary employment contract expires Dec. 14 but could be extended if a new permanent chief hasn't come on board by that time. Briseno has said he doesn't plan to seek the permanent position at SAWS. As interim chief, the 55-year-old Briseno will earn a salary of $19,500 a month plus an additional $3,000 a month to forgo benefits such as retirement, sick leave and medical, dental, life and disability insurance.

Briseno was appointed City Manager in April 1990. He began his career with the City of San Antonio in 1977 as Assistant to the City Manager. In 1980, he was promoted to Assistant City Manager. He holds a bachelor's degree in economics and master's degree in urban studies from Trinity University.

Texas School Districts May Soon Face Higher Building Costs

Under a plan approved by the State Board of Education's school finance committee, Texas school districts may soon face higher building costs. The 3-person committee unanimously agreed to ration assistance from the Guarantee Program for School District Bonds. The program, which was started almost two decades ago, has provided Texas school districts with hundreds of millions of dollars in debt assistance. Without rationing funds the program will run out of money by the end of this year, according to state officials. The rationing program still needs approval from the full 15-member education board. A vote is scheduled for today.

Through the program, the state's $19 billion Permanent School Funds lends its superior AAA bond rating to school districts. With that high rating, districts can sometimes save millions of dollars in interest when issuing bond debt.

Legislative Communications Conference Agenda

The agenda for Legislative Communications for the 2005 Session has been finalized. The conference, which is jointly sponsored by SPI and the LBJ School of Public Affairs, will be held October 7th at UT-Austin’s J.J. Pickle Center.

Agenda

8:00 a.m Registration (The Commons Lobby)

8:30 a.m. Welcome - Edwin Dorn, Dean, LBJ School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin; Conference Moderator: Mary Scott Nabers, President/CEO, Strategic Partnerships, Inc.

8:40 a.m. Opening Keynote - Bruce Gibson, Chief of Staff for Lieutenant Governor of Texas

9:15 a.m. "Government Organization & Reform" - Moderator: Gwen Grigsby, Associate Vice President for Governmental Relations, The University of Texas at Austin. Panel: Rodney G. Ellis, Chair, Senate Government Organization Committee; David Swinford, Chair, House Government Reform Committee and Chair, House Select Public School Finance Subcommittee on Governance; Albert Hawkins, Executive Commissioner, Texas Health and Human Services Commission.

10:15 a.m. Break

10:30 a.m. Breakout Sessions - 1) "The Role of Boards in the Legislative Process" - Moderator: David Duncan, Strategic Partnerships, Inc. Panel: Cyndi Taylor Krier, Vice Chair, University of Texas Board of Regents; Colleen McHugh, Chair, Texas Department of Public Safety; Tom Beard, Chair, Texas Building and Procurement Commission; Leonard Lawrence, Former Chair, Texas Youth Commission and 2) "Budget Priorities & Challenges from State Leadership's Perspective" - Moderator: Gay Erwin, Strategic Partnerships, Inc. Panelists: Don Green, Budget Director, Office of the Speaker; Blaine Brunson, Budget Director, Office of the Lieutenant Governor; Mike Morrissey, Director of Budget, Planning and Policy, Office of the Governor.

11:30 a.m. Lunch (The Commons Atrium)

12:30 p.m. Keynote Address - Steve Ogden, Chair, Senate Finance Committee

1:15 p.m. "Working with the Legislature" - Moderator: Billy Hamilton, Deputy Comptroller. Panelists: Judith Zaffirini, Senate Finance Vice Chair; Helen Giddings, House Business and Industry Committee Chair; Talmadge Heflin, House Appropriations Chair.

2:15 p.m. Break

2:30 p.m. "Working with Legislative Staff" - Moderator: Libby Martinez, Strategic Partnerships, Inc. Panelists: David Weber, Policy Analyst for Speaker of the House Tom Craddick; Lisa Kaufman, General Counsel for Senator Duncan and Committee Director for the Senate State Affairs Committee; Anita Zinnecker, Assistant Director of the Legislative Budget Board.

3:30 p.m. "Working with Legislators throughout the Year" - Moderator: Lynn Nabers, Strategic Partnerships, Inc. Panel: Jim Pitts, Chair, House Appropriations Subcommittee on Education, Co-chair, Joint Committee for Oversight of Electronic Government Projects, and Chair, House Select Public School Finance Subcommittee on High School; Vilma Luna, Vice-Chair, House Appropriations Committee and Vice-Chair, House Select Committee on Public School Finance. A 3rd panelist will be announced soon.

4:30 p.m. Closing Remarks - Barry Bales, Assistant Dean, LBJ School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin

For more information on the conference or to register, click here. Questions on the program contents can be addressed to Len Riley at lriley@spartnerships.com.

ORCA Executive Director Resigns

Robt. J. "Sam" Tessen, MS has resigned as executive director of the Office of Rural Community Affairs (ORCA). Tessen has served as ORCA's executive director since the agency's inception in January 2001. His resignation is effective October 1. Tessen once served as the executive director of the Center for Rural Health Initiatives, one of three program units comprising ORCA. He has also held an executive director position with the state's Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund (TIF) Board.

ORCA's executive committee will name an interim executive director soon. The committee hopes to hire Tessen's replacement by early December. ORCA was created by the 77th Legislature to develop policy specifically addressing economic and quality of life issues affecting small and rural communities across Texas.

TBPC Publishes Facilities Master Plan

The Texas Building and Procurement Commission (TBPC) is required to publish a master facilities plan biennially prior to legislative sessions. A new plan was released on September 1st, which covers fiscal years 2004-2009. The 197-page plan contains a comprehensive review of long-range planning information and specific recommendations to improve the efficiency of the state’s use of owned and leased facilities.

TBPC managed 25 million square feet of leased and owned facilities in 308 Texas cities in fiscal year 2003. The state incurred $197.5 million of building related expenses that same year.

State's Rainy Day Fund Grows to $878.1 Million

Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn has transferred $594.5 million into the state's Rainy Day Fund, bringing the fund's balance to $878.1 million. An unexpected surge in the natural gas severance tax is responsible for the large deposit into the fund. All three of New York's top bond rating firms gave their highest possible ratings to Texas' 2004 Series Tax and Revenue Anticipation Notes (TRANs).

The Rainy Day Fund, also known as the Economic Stabilization Fund, was created by the 70th Legislature in 1987 as a savings account to help offset fiscal instability during an economic downturn. The fund can grow by two ways - either by appropriations from the Legislature, which has never occurred, or when oil and gas severance taxes are above a benchmark year of 1987, 75 percent of the amount over that goes into the Rainy Day Fund. It takes either a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to make withdrawals from the Rainy Day Fund, or a three-fifths vote if the Comptroller's forecasts reduced revenue before a session or if a deficit hits after a budget is approved.

The Comptroller has stressed that the fund money should only be used for an emergency and that the fund should contain at least $3 billion or around 5 percent of Texas' General Revenue budget.

Legislators Lend Support To Valley Irrigators

Members of the Senate Select Committee on Water Policy are lending their support to Rio Grande Valley irrigators and farmers trying to win a $500 million claim against Mexico for previous failures to release water to the United States in accordance with terms set out in a 1944 treaty. The committee has told a panel of Valley claimants they will lobby federal officials to make a settlement with Mexico a top priority. The treaty requires Mexico to give water from the Rio Grande to the United States in exchange for water from the Colorado River. Although Mexico has exceeded its water payments during the last two years, claimants want to receive compensation for damages they suffered between 1992 and 2002, when Mexico was not abiding by the treaty. Claimants are also arguing that Mexico has violated the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) by taking water belonging to U.S. farmers and by discriminating against them by choosing to release water to their own growers. The claim, which was filed by 17 irrigation districts, 29 independent water rights holders and the North Alamo Water Supply Corp., was filed August 27. Under North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) rules, a settlement must be reached within 90 days or a three-member tribunal will take up the case.

TBPC Publishes Vendor Guide

The Texas Building and Procurement Commission (TBPC) recently published a vendor guide on “How to do Business with the State of Texas.” The 56-page guide includes information on applicable rules and statutes, CMBL registration, methods of procurement, the procurement cycle, and programs like HUB, Coop Purchasing, TXMAS and reverse auctions.

Agency Performance Reviews

HB7 of the 3rd Called Session of 78th Legislature stated that the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) “may review and analyze the effectiveness and efficiency of the policies, management, fiscal affairs, and operations of state agencies” and “The board shall report the findings of the review and analysis to the governor and the legislature.” The bill went on to say “The legislature may consider the board’s reports in connection with the legislative appropriations process.”

At the August 23rd meeting of the LBB, staff reported that it had begun 30 performance reviews at various agencies. They also reported development of a new web page for legislators, staff, state employees, and public citizens to provide cost savings ideas. This new page was part of a total redesign of LBB's web site. The LBB expects to consider preliminary performance reviews recommendations during its development of budget recommendations in the October-November timeframe.

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.

Governor's Latest Appointments

Robert Frost , Tim Shen, Johanne M. Ibsen-Wolford and Jennifer N. Anderson : Telecommunications Planning and Oversight Council

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

Designed for vendors interested in understanding and accessing the regional and local government markets developing as local governments, councils of governments, and the state devote more federal and Texas resources to homeland security, this seminar will review procurement processes and give you the tools to make your products available to this growing group of local, regional, and state government purchasers. Topics to be discussed include: Federal Homeland Security Grants in Texas, Local Non-Grant Spending, Councils of Governments’ Roles, Federal Prime Vendor Program, H-GAC Cooperative Purchasing Program, and Local and State Procurement Systems.

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 or to view the seminar information packet, click here.

Event Links

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

82nd Annual County Judges & Commissioners Association of Texas Conference - 9/20/04 - 9/23/04

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

Legislative Communications Conference - 10/7/2004

Texas Municipal League Annual Conference - 10/27/04 - 10/29/04

Fall 2004 Biometrics Summit - 10/26/04 - 10/28/2004

Mobile & Wireless Technology Forum for Texas Government - 10/28/04

Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Fall Institute - 11/7/04 - 11/9/04

2004 UST Management & Compliance Assistance Seminar 12/09/04

WIN TEXAS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS

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

Contractors can capitalize on military growth - 8/27/2004

Keeping country secure also can be profitable - 8/6/2004

Texas Government Insider Archives

Volume 2 Issue 35 - 09/02/04

Volume 1 and Volume 2 Archives - 11/7/03 - 8/27/04

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

Who Represents Me? Texas Districts By Address

Audit Report on HHSC's Administration of CHIP Exclusive Provider Organization Contract

Diagram of Legislative Process in Texas

Texas Fact Book 2004

Public Hearings/Meetings

Senate Finance Committee--9:00am, September 13 and September 14, Capitol Extension, E1.036

House Committee on Licensing & Administrative Procedures--1:00pm, September 15, Capitol Extension, E2.026

Sunset Advisory Commission--9:00am, September 16, Capitol Extension, E1.030

Signing Up for the Texas Government Insider™

We welcome you to add your friends and co-workers to the Texas Government 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 Texas Government 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 Texas Government Insider™ or suddenly stop receiving it, we urge you to contact your information technology department to see if this was the cause.

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 Council 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 www.txregionalcouncil.org/.

Healthcare: A Right or a Privilege?

The Texas Lyceum Association in conjunction with the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University, The Greater Houston Partnership and the Texas Institute for Health Policy Research is holding a public conference - Healthcare: A Right or a Privilege? - on October 15 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Houston. For more information, click here.

TML Annual Conference & Exhibition

The Texas Municipal League (TML) will host their annual conference October 27 - 29 at the AmericanBank Center in Corpus Christi. Presentations include: Capital Project Planning from A to Z: The Players, The Processes and The Products and Toward E-Government: Planning and Investing for Success. For more details, visit: www.tml.org.

E-Records 2004: Compliance and Conversion Solutions

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) and the Department of Information Resources (DIR) will host a one-day conference on November 18 for state government officials invovled in the management of electronic records. This e-records conference seeks to improve electronic records management in Texas government through the use of statewide standards and best practices. The conference will focus on the conversion from paper records to electronic records. The conference will be held at The Commons Center on the University of Texas' J.J. Pickle Research Campus in Austin. For more details, click here.

EWTG 18th Annual Professional Development Conference

The 18th Annual Executive Women in Texas Government (EWTG) Professional Development Conference will be held on November 22 at the Renaissance Austin Hotel. EWTG is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that develops and encourages leadership among women in Texas government and higher education. The theme of this year's conference is: Leadership for a Changing Texas. Texas Commissioner of Education Dr. Shirley J. Neeley will be the morning keynote speaker and Mary Scott Nabers, president and CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc. will give the afternoon keynote address. For more information on the conference, click here.