Harris County may turn toll roads over to private operator
County commissioners launch study to explore options

After an investment bank concluded that a private firm might pay up to $7 billion for the right to operate Harris County toll roads, Harris County commissioners this week authorized a study to investigate the possibility.

If the envisioned 50- to 75-year deal goes forward, the multibillion-dollar windfall could be invested, and interest earned on it would pay for future road projects. Expensive road bonds likely could be a thing of the past, Harris County Judge Robert Eckels (pictured) said.

The county would still maintain ownership of the toll roads, decide whether the system should expand and possibly set limits on future toll increases even if it hands over operations to a private firm, officials said.

Houston estimates $111 million in hurricane damages

City and county officials in the Houston area released figures Thursday pointing to $111 million in damage caused by Hurricane Rita. So far the death toll from Hurricane Rita has surpassed 80. About 345,000 residents in Southeast Texas are still without electricity today.

"Restoring power is one of the most critical humanitarian challenges that we face in the aftermath of this natural disaster," Gov. Rick Perry said.

Lotto chairman calls for 'creative' jackpot prizes

Harley Davidson motorcycles, Corvettes and other lavish luxuries might be thrown into the Texas Lottery's jackpot if an idea from the chairman of the Texas Lottery Commission comes to fruition. With Lotto Texas sales having dropped from $715 million in 1999 to $306 million last year, Chairman C. Tom Clowe Jr. urged his peers recently to investigate more creative prizes. The agency is expected to consider the possibility.

Jones elected chairwoman of Railroad Commission

Elizabeth Ames Jones, a former San Antonio lawmaker, was elected chairwoman of the Texas Railroad Commission on Tuesday. Jones (pictured) replaces Commissioner Victor G. Carrillo, who had served as chairman since September 2003.

Jones represented Northeast San Antonio and part of Bexar County in the Texas House from 2000 until earlier this year. Gov. Rick Perry appointed her to the commission after former Commissioner Charles Matthews left the panel to become the Texas State University System chancellor. Jones will remain chairwoman of the commission, which regulates the state's oil and gas industry, until the November 2006 elections, when she said she will seek re-election.

Spotlight on State Leaders: Judge Shelia Taylor of SOAH

As the chief administrative law judge at the State Office of Administrative Hearings Shelia Taylor has accomplished a lot. Mostly under Taylor's leadership, the quasi-judicial agency that resolves contested cases for state agencies has grown from a single-office agency with six judges and two staffers to an entity with field offices across the state and 111 full-time employees.

Managing an agency that has grown exponentially over the past 13 years is quite a challenge, but in the eyes of Taylor her work on the dais and in the office is only half the story.

"One of my greatest challenges has been to perform well my duties as Chief ALJ while simultaneously trying to be a good mother," Taylor said. "Balancing a career and parenthood is not easy, but I find both to be very much worth the effort. I must say, however, that when it's all said and done, I am most proud of being 'Brianna's Mom.'"

Taylor's second passion is public service, of which she learned of at an early age as a self-proclaimed military brat. Her own career in government, however, began during her third year in law school, when she worked as a law clerk for the Public Utility Commission in Texas. After that her desire to work as a servant to the public was clear and went unabated. She became SOAH's chief in 1996.

Taylor isn't the typical legal eagle. As chief administrative law judge she performs the duties of executive director, and because SOAH does not have a governing board or commission she is also the policy and final decision maker for the agency.

"Our growth indicates the confidence the Legislature has placed in SOAH through legislation that, among other things, transferred various in-house agency hearing functions to SOAH," she said. "Additionally, workload has increased as some agencies choose to refer work to SOAH voluntarily. One of the most significant factors affecting SOAH's operations is the uncertainty of service demands. Like a court, SOAH does not initiate work, but instead must respond as work is generated externally."

On the topic of leadership, Taylor believes attitude - not just experience - is important.

"It helps to have a sincere interest in being a leader and manager - expertise in a subject matter does not necessarily equate to a desire or capacity to manage," she said. "Model core values such as fairness, honesty, and integrity and a willingness to learn patience, persistence, and how to maintain a positive attitude during tough times, or when desired change comes slowly, are very helpful. One must understand that as difficult as it is to sometimes fail, you cannot be afraid to try."

Rita may forces some school districts to stay closed for a month

A handful of school districts in East Texas will be closed until power is restored, and that could take up to a month, some officials predict. Texas Education Commissioner Shirley Neeley, along with Steve Hyden, executive director of Education Service Center V in Beaumont, are working with affected districts to address the problem.

El Paso, Texas Tech kick off $25M fundraiser
Money raised will help finish medical school, send message to lawmakers

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in El Paso initiated this week an ambitious $25 million fundraising drive in hopes of progressing a plan to establish a four-year medical school.

The two-year 'Infinity Campaign' will be the largest capital fundraiser in the city's history and attempts to show the Texas Legislature that the community supports converting the health sciences center into a full-fledged medical school, said State Rep. Joe Pickett of El Paso (pictured).

El Paso Electric donated $5 million to the campaign on Wednesday to jump-start it. For months Texas Tech officials have been waiting for state leaders to allocate $38.5 million to the project, but so far the money has been tangled and tied up in the debacle to finance public schools - an issue that has not yet been resolved.

FEMA may select private contractor to run shelters

The Federal Emergency Management Agency may pay a private contractor to manage San Antonio's hurricane evacuee shelters. The selection could happen as early as this weekend, San Antonio city officials said. The contract would call for a company to provide food, medical services, security and other services to those displaced by the recent hurricanes.

Dallas passes $2.18 billion budget

Dallas City Council on Wednesday passed a $2.18 billion budget for the coming fiscal year, which starts in October. The budget provides funding for 50 new police officers and almost doubles the size of the city's economic development staff. Almost $94 million will be spent on street improvements in the coming year, and a 32 percent increase to the city's development department is expected to further bolster economic growth.

Harris County wants waived tolls reimbursed

Harris County plans to seek federal reimbursement for up to $7 million in tolls it waived during the massive evacuation prompted by Hurricane Rita. The county also wants the feds to reimburse it for public safety expenses, but those costs are much smaller than the waived road fees.

Reports of price gouging stacking up

$20 for a dozen eggs. $6.37 for a gallon of gas. More than $250 for a night in a modest motel. During the past week Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott (pictured) has seen more than 500 complaint of price gouging in the wake of Hurricane Rita. No legal action has taken place yet but AG officials said to expect activity in the coming weeks. Businesses that gouge could face civil fines of as much as $20,000 per violation under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and additional fines as much as $250,000 if the victims were older than 65.

Lottery commissioner leaves to become judge

Texas Lottery Commissioner Rolando Olvera has stepped down from his post to become a state district judge in the Rio Grande Valley. Last week, Gov. Rick Perry appointed Olvera to the 138th Judicial District Court, serving Cameron and Willacy counties. The governor will appoint his replacement to the three-person Lottery Commission.

Governor's division awards $10.1 Million to 111 criminal justice programs

The Governor's Criminal Justice Division (CJD) has awarded more than $10 million in grants to 111 programs that focus on reducing crime and improving the Texas criminal and juvenile justice systems. Included in these awards is a $1,365,541 grant to the Comptroller of Public Accounts to fund the Special Prosecution Unit's investigation and prosecution of felony offenses committed by prisoners of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) and investigation and prosecution of crimes committed by TDCJ employees. A list of the grant recipients is online.

Guard postpones Muster Day

The Texas National Guard has been acutely involved in rescue and support missions related to hurricanes Katrina and Rita and has consequently postponed its annual Muster Day at Camp Mabry in Austin. The event, originally scheduled to take place Oct. 1-2, will instead be held in April.

Muster Day traces its roots back to when Texas was a republic. During the days of the Texas Republic, the men of the Texas Army were required to report for muster day once a year. Mustering of the troops served two purposes, first to verify if the individual was still alive, and secondly to verify they had a weapon to fight with. Today the Texas National Guard holds an annual Muster Day at Camp Mabry to honor Texas soldiers past and present.

Interested in securing hurricane-related contracts? Here's how to start!

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

The wake of destruction left behind by hurricanes Katrina and Rita have yielded more than $65 billion worth of damage. Congress has appropriated billions of dollars for relief and cities and rural areas all along the Gulf Coast are beginning the long and arduous process of clean-up and reconstruction. They need contractors to help them - and they need to have the work begin immediately.

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]

State provides another $1M for Alamo RMA

The Alamo Regional Mobility Authority in San Antonio is receiving $1 million from the Texas Transportation Commission. The funds will allow the RMA to be included in the process of reviewing the proposed US 281 and Loop 1604 toll project, which would add toll lanes to those existing roads.

ACC enrollment up 37%

Austin Community College is crediting a 37 percent enrollment increase to a new program that requires some high school seniors to at least apply to the school. The program, which lured 1,103 students to ACC this fall, has already gotten the attention of several other community colleges and state officials.

DART drives billions to Dallas' economy

Dallas Area Rapid Transit, based on a new study by economists at the University of North Texas, estimates its rail lines in the Dallas area have spurred at least $3.3 billion in residential and commercial development in the eight years since 1997. DART has ambitious plans to expand its light rail system.

Houston police reopen DNA division

Houston police crime lab's DNA division was reopened this month after being shut down three years ago. Vanessa Nelson, who was a senior DNA analyst for Harris County, assumed leadership of the lab. The division was shut down in 2002 after an audit found contaminated evidence and that staffers were inadequately trained.

Poll: Most Central Texans don't like tolls

The widespread assumption that most Central Texans don't like the proliferation of toll roads is true, according to a new poll conducted by the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority. The authority, builds toll roads, said their telephone poll of 1,060 people revealed that 60 percent don't want new roads to have tolls, and 78 percent are against turning an existing road into a toll road.

Federal grant to preserve land near Austin

The Williamson County Conservation Foundation received $725,000 in federal grants to buy 64 acres of preserve land north of Austin. The money, part of $70.5 million awarded to 26 states by the U.S. Department of the Interior, will buy land in the Cobb Preserve. The property contains the Coffin Cave mold beetle and the Bone Cave harvestman, and will benefit the Georgetown salamander, the foundation said.

Calif. governor vetos same-sex marriage bill

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday vetoed landmark legislation that would have allowed same-sex couple to marry in that state. Texas will consider in November amending its constitution to ban such marriages.

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]

WANT TO DO MORE BUSINESS WITH THE STATE GOVERNMENT?

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.

Event Links

Homeland Security Conference: Mexico/Texas Border - 10/6/05

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 - 9/30/05

Resources

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

Strategic Partnerships, Inc. (SPI) is a research and consulting firm offering business development and public affairs services. Founded in Texas in 1994 by former government executives and public sector experts, SPI has developed a national reputation as the premier marketing partner dedicated to helping companies secure contracts in the $1.5 trillion state and local government marketplace. To learn more about SPI services click here or contact our sales department at 512-531-3900.

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NAPT Conference in Austin

The National Association for Pupil Transportation will hold its 31st Annual Conference and Trade Show at the Austin Convention Center October 30-November 3. Details can be found on NAPT's Web site.

51st Annual Vital Statistics Conference

Texas Vital Statistics and the Texas Public Health Association will host the 51st Annual Vital Statistics Conference in Austin Dec. 4-6. The conference will address topics such as online birth registration and the new 2006 death certificate. Click here for more information.

2005 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.