 On May 6, 2017, registered voters went to the polls to decide if voting yes for a bond proposal was in the best interest of their community. Bonds approved in May totaled around $6.9 billion for these taxation districts and now governmental entities have entered into debt for the purpose of funding public improvement projects. A new round of bond proposals has made its way to the ballot and early voting begins Oct. 23, and runs through Nov. 3. Election Day is Nov. 7.
For those who are interested in knowing which cities, counties, school districts and others approved November for bond proposals can request a Texas bond package through Strategic Partnerships, Inc. (SPI) here. The recipient of this package will find out what the bonds will be used for and will also be notified of which bond votes passed or failed following Nov. 7. There is even a growing list of bond proposals for 2018.
The Humble Independent School District is looking ahead to 2018 for a possible bond election. If the community feels the bond is needed in 2018, Election Day will be May 5, and a decision is needed by Feb. 13 in order for a bond to be on the May 2018 ballot. If a bond is on the ballot and is voted in, the district plans to form a post-bond committee to track the progress of the new bond's implementation. The district's current student population of around 42,000 is anticipated to grow to 52,000 by 2025. Seven schools are over 40 years old, such as the 57-year-old Lakeland Elementary campus. The district doesn't have a competitive pool and would like to have a new natatorium.
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Permian Basin MPO approves $98M for seven road projects
 The public policy board of the Permian Basin Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) approved the 2017-2020 Transportation Improvement Program that includes $98.2 million in funding for seven projects to upgrade roads in Ector and Midland counties.
A $12.9 million project to upgrade an interchange at Fairgrounds Road and Loop 250 in Midland County is funded to begin this year while a $2.5 million project to realign Farm-to-Market Road 3503 in Ector County is funded to begin in 2018. Also approved to begin work in 2018 is a $17.7 million project to upgrade the interchange of United States Highway 385 and North Loop 338 in Ector County and a $4.5 million project to improve a ramp on Interstate 20 at Lamesa Road in Midland County.
Two projects, a $19.8 million upgrade to the I-20 interchange at County Road 1250 in Midland County and a $21.5 million project to improve an interchange at Loop 250 in Midland County, are set to begin construction in 2019. Board members also approved a $19.2 million project to upgrade the Loop 338 East interchange at Yukon Road in Ector County in 2020.
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Round Rock adopts new transportation master plan
 Round Rock City Council members adopted a new Transportation Master Plan that recommends the city spend $1.1 billion on road upgrades through 2040 to relieve traffic congestion and handle increased population. The adopted plan, that had not been updated since 2004, was assembled by an engineering firm that held four neighborhood meetings, two open houses and sponsored an on-line survey to gain public comment. The transportation plan urges city officials to spend $78.4 million on short-term upgrades, $273.8 million on mid-range improvements and $793 million on long term transportation improvements.
The new master plan also offers several strategies to pay for the improvements to transportation that includes local property tax revenue, asking local and state partners to contribute to the cost, economic development agreements, public-private partnerships and development fees.
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San Antonio transportation panel recommends $83.5M to ease congestion
 Members of a San Antonio transportation committee approved seven transportation projects at a cost of $83.5 million to recommend to the city council by the end of this year. The vote followed a briefing by Art Reinhart, the assistant director of Transportation and Capital Improvement, on the projects he supported that would be paid for largely with federal funds through the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. A $23 million overpass project at South Zarzamora and Frio City Road is one of the major projects that needs to be addressed, Reinhart said.
Other projects recommended include a road widening on South New Braunfels from Lyster to Loop 410; an $11 million project to improve pedestrian, bike and corridor mobility; and $10 million to add pedestrian and bike lanes to Harry Wurzbach Road. City officials will be required to contribute about $17 million, or about 20 percent of the cost of the transportation upgrades recommended by the transportation committee.
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Bellaire moves forward with new $137M high school
 Bellaire City Council members approved the site plan, a traffic study and granted a permit that will allow construction of a new $137 million high school campus by the summer of 2018. Voters in Houston in 2012 approved bonds to allow Houston Independent School District to rebuild 40 schools, 29 of those high schools.
Design on the proposed 425,000-square foot high school complex is underway on the 18-acre campus, said Michael McDonough, the principal of Bellaire High School. Plans also call for relocating existing athletic practice fields to another site and demolishing the former high school once the new campus opens in early 2021.
District officials also plan to begin construction on a parking garage and new athletic fields by 2021. Those two projects should be completed in a year once construction begins.
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Strategic Partnerships salutes Texas' Lone Stars
Ron Olson, City Manager, City of Killeen
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| | Ron Olson |
Career highlights and education:
I've been a city manager for more than 30 years, served in seven jurisdictions and five states. The cities I've worked in have ranged in population from 6,000 to 400,000. My budget responsibilities have ranged from $20 million to nearly $700 million. I have enjoyed each of my assignments, each for different reasons. My education includes both a bachelor's degree and Master of Public Administration degree from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.
What I like best about my public service:
I originally chose the city management profession because it was a way to serve people and make an important contribution to my community. Looking back on it, those were very altruistic reasons but they are the same reasons I continue to do this work today. Helping people and making a positive difference in my community is still what I like best about my job.
The best advice I've received for my current roll is: Believe in the future. Be positive. Be happy.
Advice you would give a new hire in your office: Learn how to communicate honestly and relate well with people. Learn how to evaluate a problem and make good decisions. Act courageously and retain moral authority by living the highest ethical standards.
If I ever left work early, I could probably be found:
My favorite thing to do is spend time with my wife, doing whatever spontaneous things we decide to do. Some of those things include movies and dinner, road trips, visiting national parks, hiking, camping and motorcycle riding.
People would be surprised to know that I: own and ride a loud and rumbling Harley Davidson motorcycle.
One thing I wish more people knew about the city of Killeen: We are a fast growing city with tremendous potential. We love and serve a large veteran population. |
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TxDOT revises freight mobility plan
 Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Commissioners are considering a proposed full freight mobility plan that identified more than 2,400 projects expected to cost about $65 billion. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) under the Fix America's Surface Transportation Act also requires the state to seek more stakeholder input into deciding the priority list. Texas and Florida have the most freight congestion and freight handled in Texas is expected to double by 2045.
Texas Transportation Commissioners are expected to consider and approve a five-year model and have earmarked $12 billion to improve freight handling. TxDOT has identified 800 projects on the freight side of the 2,400 in the freight mobility plan. The stakeholder committee has made more than 20 recommendations that urge better investment in multi-modal projects, improve and upgrade border crossings, make better use of a statewide traffic management system and integrate air and port cargo into spending decisions on transportation.
The FHWA allows Texas to spend 10 percent of freight-formula funding on non-road projects, and federal funding will be allocated after the new plan is submitted. If the state does not meet the Dec. 4 deadline, the state will still get its portion of federal freight funding but that funding would not be allocated.
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School districts hit by Harvey may need $1.64B or more
 School districts impacted by Hurricane Harvey may need an additional $1.64 billion in state funding to repair facilities and continue operating, according to early estimates by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). That estimate will increase as school districts determine the cost of repairing and replacing facilities or the loss of revenues because of lower property values, according to TEA Commissioner Mike Morath.
Kingwood Independent School District expects to spend $1.8 million this year alone to bus students to other schools, while Humble ISD expects the cost to repair one flood-damaged high school to be $40 million, he noted. Officials from some of the affected school districts spoke before the Public Education Committee last week. Several districts are waiting to find out how much they will receive from insurance companies and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Fort Bend ISD experienced $8.5 million in damages to facilities and has no insurance to help pay for repairs. More than 1.4 million students attend schools affected by the hurricane.
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Harris County and Houston libraries looking for federal assistance
 Harris County Public Libraries and Houston Public Libraries are in need of funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help pay for repair of seven branches of the Houston library system and four damaged libraries in the county system, according to Rhea Lawson, director of the Houston Public Library. Some of that FEMA funding also will be used to replace computers, furniture, collections and other supplies necessary for libraries to provide community services, she added.
County officials expect to spend $4.5 million on repairs and refurnishing needed to reopen its four closed facilities. The seven library branches in the Houston system are expected to reopen in a year to 18 months. During previous hurricanes such as Rita and Katrina, FEMA did not designate libraries as essential services, but in 2011 Congress revised the law to allow FEMA to recognize the role of libraries in disaster response by offering shelter, computers and other services during disasters.
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Dallas panel urges city to join in study on feasibility of removing I-345
 The Dallas Economic Development and Housing Committee voted to recommend that city council members join with the Texas Department of Transportation to study the impact of demolishing Interstate 345, a two-mile stretch of freeway between the downtown area and Deep Ellum that connects State Highway 75 with I-45.
Residents of both areas have complained that the raised two-mile section of I-345 disconnects the two neighborhoods in addition to the bad condition of that freeway section, where two southbound lanes were closed after pieces of concrete fell from the overpass. Supporters of the study point to San Francisco following a 1989 earthquake demolished a raised freeway and replaced it with surface roads along the waterfront that now is thriving with housing, restaurants and parks.
City council members are expected to vote in November on whether to participate with TxDOT in the study to investigate the possible impacts of replacing two miles of raised freeway with boulevards.
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El Paso to seek bids for $38M for road projects
 El Paso City Council members authorized staff to seek bids for a total of $38 million in resurfacing projects to be completed during the next two years. City officials are seeking bids for $21.6 million in street improvements approved earlier this year as well as $16.5 million in resurfacing projects approved earlier as part of a $218 million, 2012 Streets Capital Improvement Program.
The sealed bid process will be used even though the city previously issued low-bids for resurfacing projects, said Richard Bristol, interim director of streets and maintenance for the city. While costs will still be a factor, city officials also will consider financial strength and the history of past projects attempted by the company, Bristol said. The goal is to upgrade 25 of the city's busiest roadways that were selected by city staff who assessed road conditions and usage. Current plans are to award the resurfacing contract in early 2018 and begin construction in May. The goal is to complete the resurfacing projects by 2020.
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San Marcos earmarks $8.7M to reduce flooding along Blanco River
 San Marcos city council members earmarked $8.7 million in federal grants for an $11.5 million project to ease flooding along the Blanco River. City officials also are paying for the project with city revenue along with a $1.4 million loan from the Texas Water Development Board of which $900,000 will be forgiven, said Laurie Moyer, director of engineering and capital improvement.
The flood mitigation projects approved include $5 million project to build a new storm sewer through the Blanco Gardens area near Interstate 35 and River Road. The current timeline calls for design work to begin early next year and construction on the new storm sewer to begin in 2019 and be completed in 2021, Moyer said. A $4.2 million project to regrade existing roadways on Uhland Road and other county roads north of Aquarena Springs Drive also will begin the design phase early next year with construction to begin in 2019.
Smaller projects include a $2.5 million project to install a storm sewer on Clarewood Drive and Bugg Lane and regrading Barbara Drive. City officials expect to begin design of this project in 2018 and construction to begin in 2019. An $850,000 project is in the design phase to improve ditches and reduce flooding from the intersection of I-35 and Aquarena Springs Drive. The construction is scheduled to begin and be completed in 2018.
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Blinn College eyeing $4.5M in campus upgrades
 Blinn College trustees are considering a staff request to use $4.5 million in bonds approved in 2016 to renovate the Brenham Campus Student Center, the W.L. Moody Library and expand the W.J. "Bill" Rankin Agricultural Complex. Proposed upgrades to the library include revising collection and study spaces, upgrading technology, furnishings, lighting and improve the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.
Plans at the agriculture complex include adding a 6,000-square-foot livestock classroom building with space for a tack room, farrowing house, livestock pens and a livestock chute. Renovations at the student center include adding space for food serving and kitchen equipment, upgrades to lighting, landscaping, improving signage at the campus entrance and installing courtyard seating near the student center.
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By Mary Scott Nabers, CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc.
 Cyberattacks, data breaches and ransomware demands have become almost common in the public sector. Hackers intent on hacking into critical government networks have become a huge problem for public officials. The stress this creates for chief technology officers (CIOs) is great and because of that, most are very receptive to collaborative efforts with private-sector partners.
CIOs today must find ways to deal with an historic digital revolution where data is so abundant it must be stored in the cloud. Additionally, citizens want online transactions, access to data 24/7, applications for digital devices and online voting. Because most public-sector entities have old technology that simply cannot keep pace with private-sector capabilities, the difficulty of having to deal with all of these issues is extreme.
Almost every state has suffered a major data breach over the recent past. Hiring IT experts gets harder each year because of intense competition from private-sector firms that offer larger salaries because they, too, must protect their data networks. Last month, 21 states were told by the Department of Homeland Security that there had been Russia-affiliated efforts to hack their election systems. That alone is frightening enough to make technology gurus shy away from government job postings.
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Lakeway selects company to oversee design of $23M police facility
 The Lakeway City Council approved a company to oversee design and installation of a heating and air conditioning system for a new $23 million police facility. The council also approved the final 9.1-acre plat on which the proposed 31,000-square-foot, two-story building will be located at Lohmans Crossing.
The new police facility will house administrators, patrol officers, dispatchers and criminal investigators. The building will also provide space for property and evidence rooms, a temporary holding area and training and exercises, said Lakeway City Manager Steve Jones. City officials have not yet set a date for groundbreaking for the new police facility, but expects the contractor to begin this month seeking bids for subcontractors.
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Harlingen selects architect to design $8.5M park project
 Harlingen City Commissioners selected an architectural company to design and develop a proposed $8.5 million destination park. Commissioners authorized Harlingen City Manager Dan Serna to negotiate a $2.6 million contract for phase one of the park project.
The first phase of the project to be completed in five phases, includes an amphitheater, athletic courts, a sports field for special needs children, a dog park and discovery center, Serna said. The last phase of the project is to build a $1.2 million retractable roof over Harlingen Field. The park project will take as long as eight years to complete.
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Hidalgo County RMA seeks bids for toll road project
 The Hidalgo County Regional Mobility Authority (RMA) is requesting bids for a $168 million, 12.2-mile toll road project to improve the connection to and from the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge to southwest areas of the county, south of Mission.
RMA officials expect to award the contract on Nov. 28 and for construction on the new toll road to begin in March 2018, said Pilar Rodriguez, director of the RMA. The Texas Department of Transportation is funding $128 million in the project which is expected to be completed in September 2021.
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FEMA extends disaster relief deadline
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has a new deadline of Nov. 24 to register for funds. The extension is for Texas residents and counties impacted by Hurricane Harvey.
The extension for disaster relief also gives more time to take out low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration for losses not compensated for by insurance. Agency officials have been completing hundreds of thousands of home inspections each day, and the total amount of funding already approved for Texans has surpassed $1.1 billion. Register for disaster assistance here.
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Simmons selected as president of Prairie View A&M
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Ruth Simmons
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The Texas A&M University System named Ruth Simmons the sole finalist for Prairie View A&M's presidency.
Simmons has been interim president since July.
She was the president of Smith College in Massachusetts and Brown University in Rhode Island before retiring in 2012. Simmons, a Houston native, will formally assume the role after the A&M System's next Board of Regents meeting. She succeeds George Wright, who stepped down in June.
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Scott named Waxahachie city manager
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| | | Michael Scott | |
Michael Scott, who has served as interim city manager in Waxahachie since early September, agreed to become the new city manager for that city. He replaces Paul Stevens, who resigned in August.
Scott joined the city in 2002 as the downtown director, won promotion to director of planning and became an assistant city manager in January 2007. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas. Council also authorized Scott to select a new assistant city manager. A comprehensive search of the most qualified person will begin soon.
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Bellah to serve as interim superintendent at Woodson ISD
 Woodson Independent School District board members appointed Danny Bellah as the interim superintendent in a special called meeting following the sudden resignation of former Superintendent Gordon Thomas. Bellah previously served as an interim superintendent for Throckmorton ISD.
Thomas joined the Woodson school district about 20 years ago, serving as a coach and a principal. He was appointed superintendent in 2011 and continued coaching while serving in that position. Thomas gave no reason for his sudden departure at a staff meeting where he said his resignation was effective immediately.
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Bradshaw resigns as Port Lavaca city manager
 Following a meeting with city officials of Port Lavaca, City Manager Robert Bradshaw agreed to resign as city manager after serving in that post since June 2016.
City officials plan to use a consultant to provide an interim city manager to replace Bradshaw. City officials also agreed to pay out his contract, which expires on May 31, 2018. Bradshaw has agreed to remain as a consultant until mid-November to assist in a smooth transition. He previously served as a city manager in Port Aransas and in Fort Pierce, Fla.
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Gov. Greg Abbott has announced the following appointments from October 13-October 19:
- F. Parker Hudson, III- Austin, Correctional Managed Health Care Committee
- John Mills- Corsicana, Correctional Managed Health Care Committee
- Michael Lynd, Jr.- San Antonio, Presiding Officer of Alamo Regional Mobility Authority
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Dozens of public-sector jobs are available. New jobs added this week:
Click here to view more. Send postings to editor@spartnerships.com. |
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Texas Government Insider is a free weekly newsletter detailing important happenings throughout the state and summarizing current political issues relevant to individuals interested in government.
Publisher: Mary Scott Nabers
Editor: Kristin Gordon
TGI is published by Strategic Partnerships, Inc. (SPI), a research and consulting firm. Founded in Texas in 1995 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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