 A special session called by Gov. Greg Abbott reached its 30-day mark on Wednesday, but the Senate and the House wrapped up their final decisions on Tuesday. Abbott had 20 bills that were of high importance to him during the session, but not all of them made it through. There has even been some speculation that a second special session would be announced. Former Gov. Rick Perry called for three special sessions following the 83rd Legislative Session in 2003, three following the 79th Legislative Session and four following the 78th Legislative Session.
Former Gov. Ann Richards called for four special sessions following the 72nd Legislative Session and former Gov. William Clements held six special sessions following the 71st Legislative Session. The 85th Legislative Session has ended and on July 18, a special session followed. On July 20, Abbott formally added his priority agenda items.
Here is a list of Abbott's priorities and their outcome at the end of the special session:
Sunset bills - Passed. The first set of bills from the special session to make its way to Abbott's desk for a signature was Senate Bills 20 and 60. These bills will extend the operations of the Texas Medical Board, the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists, the Texas State Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists, the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors and the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners. Without the legislation, the agencies would cease operations at the end of the month.
Increasing benefits for retired teacher health care and creating a commission to study school finance - Passed. The House voted to adopt the Senate's plan, infusing public schools with $350 million, mostly going to smaller school districts and to kids with disabilities such as dyslexia and autism. This was $1.5 billion less than the House wanted. The package of two bills, House Bill 21 and House Bill 30, also boosts the retired teachers' health care benefits fund by $212 million. A statewide commission will be established to study and recommend improvements to the current public-school finance system and other school finance like the Additional State Aid for Tax Reduction.
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HHS awards Texas $4.7M to improve health center quality
 The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded nearly $105 million to 1,333 health centers in all U.S. states, territories and the District of Columbia as an investment in quality improvement. Texas received 72 awards totaling $4,755,625. Health centers will use these funds to further improve the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of the health care delivered to the communities they serve, according to HHS.
The Aug. 15 announcement came during Health Center Week, an annual celebration of the care that health centers have been providing for more than 50 years. Health centers are receiving these funds to continue improving their services based upon high levels of performance in one or more of the following categories: Improving Quality of Care, Increasing Access to Care, Enhancing Delivery of High Value Health Care, Addressing Health Disparities, and Achieving Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Recognition.
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 U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt announced that the State Wildlife Grants (SWG) program would be distributing $48 million nationwide to support imperiled species and habitats listed in approved state wildlife action plans. Texas state wildlife agencies will receive $2,503,634.
Projects funded through SWG involve research, monitoring, wildlife surveys, species and habitat management and other activities. SWG funds are administered by the Service's Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program and are allocated to states and territories according to a congressionally mandated formula based on population and geographic area. Grant funds must be used to address conservation needs, such as research, wildlife surveys, species and habitat management and monitoring identified within state wildlife action plans. The funds may also be used to update, revise or modify a state's plan.
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Amarillo ISD approves $100M bond package in November
 Amarillo Independent School District agreed to ask voters in November to approve $100 million in bonds to add $25.3 million in new classroom space, $36.3 million for projects to upgrade facilities and $39.4 million to update infrastructure.
Some of the larger projects included in the bond proposal are $11 million to add classrooms to a middle school, $5.5 million to add classrooms to a high school, $23 million to upgrade bathrooms and secondary locker bathrooms and a $5.2 million project to install bulletproof windows in all elementary schools. Other large projects on the ballot are $9.8 million for sanitary sewers, $7.4 million for drainage projects and $4.6 million for student drop-off and pick-up locations.
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Mineral Wells approves $17.2M bond election
 Mineral Wells City Council members scheduled a $17.2 million bond election in November that contains three propositions calling for upgrades to streets, a new water line and renovating a former bank to serve as city hall.
One of the three propositions on the bond ballot is a $7.5 million proposal to build and reconstruct several streets and roads along with replacing the water and sewer lines. The second proposition is a $5.8 million project to purchase a former bank building and remodel it into a new city hall as well as improving the existing city hall and annex building. The third proposition is a $3.96 million project to build and install a new water line along U.S. Highway 180 West.
Current plans are to begin renovations on the two-story, 29,302-square-foot building once all tenants have vacated the former bank facility. It is expected to cost $1.13 million to purchase the building. Architects presented two options for the new city hall. Council members showed support for placing only administrative offices in the new city hall and possibly asking voters to approve bonds next year to pay for a public safety facility for police, fire and emergency management operations.
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Grand Prairie moving forward with $33M project on Wildlife Parkway
 Grand Prairie city officials are moving forward with plans to widen 1.8 miles of the Wildlife Parkway to four lanes, to build a new bridge over the Trinity River, improve traffic signals and install lighting and sidewalks at a cost of $33 million.
The city will provide $7.4 million to pay for a portion of the road project and the remaining funding is from Dallas County and North Central Texas Council of Governments. The road project is needed to alleviate traffic congestion and to provide a trail connection between Good Link Trail and a trail to be constructed in the future and named the Ruthe Jackson Trail. It will be part of the network of trails in Dallas County. Construction on the road project is expected to begin by late 2018 after final plans are completed later this summer.
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Smith County reviews proposed $120M road and bridge plan
Smith County Commissioners are reviewing the first draft of a six-year road and bridge capital improvement plan covering 1,167 miles of the 1,182 miles of roadways in that county at an estimated cost of $100 million to $120 million. Prepared by County Engineer Frank Davis, the proposed plan is the first comprehensive road initiative the county has prepared. The plan proposes 86 miles of major road reconstruction and widening at an estimated cost of $45.6 million; 334 miles of overlay and reconstruction estimated to cost $33.9 million; and 110 miles of seal coat for $3.3 million.
The proposed road and bridge capital improvement plan also recommends $4.5 million for bridge and culvert replacements and purchasing right-of-way and improvements to Centennial Drive that would connect US Highway 69 and Jim Hogg Road. Planned projects continue with 175.8 miles of oil dirt rebuild for $3.16 million and $5.6 million for miscellaneous road projects. Prior to adopting the proposed road and bridge plan, commissioners will hold additional public meetings and have a website set up to provide county residents with a copy of the proposed plan and the opportunity to comment on the proposals.
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Lubbock weighs three options to fund $60M for public safety
 Lubbock City Council members are weighing three proposed options presented by Lubbock City Manager Jarret Atkinson to pay for a new police headquarters, three new police substations, a municipal court building and a property room for the police department.
While a small majority of the council expressed support to issuing certificates of obligation to pay for the capital projects, other council members argued that council should authorize a bond election to permit residents to decide on the projects. The third option being considered is paying for the projects as funding becomes available, which city officials said would delay the upgrades up to 11 years to public safety facilities that are currently needed. The cost of the proposed projects is expected to increase property taxes by 3-cents per $100 valuation.
City officials previously backed a plan to renovate the former city hall once city employees relocate to Citizens Towers, a facility that is being remodeled to serve as the new city hall. City council members who back the previous plan would support building a new police station if the new facility is less expensive than renovating the former city hall and if the city is successful in selling the former city hall facility. Council is deciding whether to vote on a resolution on funding the public safety projects at their next meeting or to hold public meetings to help educate voters on the need for public safety projects.
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BISD approves $88M bond package to expand and build schools
 A new middle school and upgrades and expansions at two high schools and two middle schools are the major propositions on a proposed $88 million bond proposal scheduled in November by trustees for the Bastrop Independent School District (BISD).
Board members are asking voters to approve $15 million to add 12 new classrooms to Bastrop High School and $13 million to add a second floor to Cedar Park High School, $12.6 million to build a new middle school and $14.4 million to expand two middle schools, said Superintendent Steve Murray. Also included in the bond proposal is a $7.9 million project to add classrooms, $10.8 million to convert an elementary school into the Colorado River Collegiate, Genesis and Service Center, $9.3 million on upgrades to fine arts, equipment, furnishings and technology and $1 million to expand career and technology pathways.
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Strategic Partnerships salutes Texas' Lone Stars
Sylvester Turner, Mayor, City of Houston
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| | Sylvester Turner |
Career highlights and education: Mayor Sylvester Turner is a life-long resident of Houston and still lives in the Acres Homes Community where he grew up with his eight siblings. He graduated from the University of Houston and holds a law degree from Harvard University. Before being elected as the 62nd Mayor of the City of Houston in 2015, Tuner practiced law at Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. and later founded Barnes & Turner Law Firm. After many years as a lawyer, Turner served in the Texas House of Representatives for 27 years as the representative for District 139. He worked on the House Appropriations Committee for 21 years and served as the Speaker Pro Tem for three terms. While serving in the house, he was appointed to several Budget Conference Committees and served on the Legislative Budget Board. Now, as the Mayor of Houston, Turner has focused on delivering city services in a more responsive and streamlined fashion. He has also launched his administrations signature Complete Communities initiative to raise the quality of life for Houston's citizens and is working on implementing a six point holistic plan to address homelessness. His administrations other initiatives include reducing flooding and improving drainage by delivering on flood relief and maintenance projects around the city.
What I like best about my job is: That it gives you the opportunity to get things done in real time. Literally you can identify an issue in the morning and get it fixed before the end of the day. I also get to work with people from all walks of life, an array of ethnicities and backgrounds.
The best advice I've received for my current job is: There will be matters that you will not be able to prevent or avoid and as a result you will simply learn how to manage them.
Advice you would give a new hire in your office: Enjoy the experience.
If I ever left work early, I could probably be found: Home.
People would be surprised to know that: The last time I drank coffee I was 6 years old.
One thing I wish more people knew about the city of Houston: It is the most diverse city in the nation.
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Highland Village schedules $7.2M bond vote in November
 The Highland Village City Council approved a $7.2 million bond election to pay for $2.86 million to upgrade streets and a $4.29 million proposition to improve parks and recreation. If voters approve the two separate propositions included on the ballot, city officials plan to rebuild 21 streets that are at the end of their life cycle and spend $2.54 million to improve Unity Park by adding a new softball field and improving drainage.
Also planned is a $922,300 project to build a new trail to connect to other trail systems, a $353,000 project to expand the parking lot at Brazos Park and $162,700 to develop Sunset Park, a small residential park near Lewisville Lake, by addressing erosion issues and safety concerns.
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Seguin approves design for $2.9M development services center
 Seguin City Council members approved the conceptual design for a new, $2.9 million Development Services Center to provide space for building inspectors, code enforcement staff, health inspectors, engineering activities and management of capital projects.
The center will be located in a former auto facility. The renovated space will provide 10 offices, two conference rooms, cubicles, a lobby, break area and open space, Assistant City Manager Rick Cortes said. Outside landscaping and exterior improvements will also be made at the building, located on East Mountain Street.
The current location of these services is at city hall and there is not enough space to effectively provide customer service. Several offices are shared and staff members sometimes meet with customers in hallways since the building has no lobby, Cortes said. City officials expect construction on the new service center to begin in March 2018 and be completed by the end of December 2018.
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Georgetown approves Williams Drive Corridor Study
 Georgetown City Council members approved a study that analyzed the best way to reduce congestion. The Williams Drive Corridor Study, funded by the city and the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), looked at multimodal transportation, land use, economic development, housing and the environment. The plan will include a $52 million project to upgrade the intersection of Williams Drive and Interstate 35, an $11.15 million project to rebuild and extend Northwest Boulevard to the east and a $10.5 million project to extend Rivery Boulevard north from Williams Drive to Northwest Boulevard.
Other projects and recommendations from the study include new pedestrian and bicycle facilities, turn lanes, coordinating traffic signals and sidewalks. Council members must approve each project before construction begins and runs over an 11-year period. Funding from the city, road bonds, the Texas Department of Transportation and possibly from CAMPO will be used to pay for the upgrades to the Williams Drive Corridor.
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Taylor approves $3.1M town square project
 Taylor City Council members approved a pared down design plan for a proposed $3.1 million town square project called Heritage Square. When the original design plan had a $4 million price tag attached, city officials removed some features but the plan still calls for an amphitheater, a stage structure, splash pad, landscaping, restrooms, Looney Toon statues and a plaza to use for festivals, celebrations and a farmer's markets.
Several council members questioned whether removing some features had reduced the cost of the project enough to proceed and why a project with mostly concrete and grass was so expensive. The consultant responded that more cost savings should be found as the final plan is completed and a more accurate cost estimate can be provided. Council members must approve a final plan before approving funding for Heritage Square. The goal is to complete the project in June 2018.
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Bastrop's city budget focuses on curb appeal and tourism
 Bastrop City Manager Lynda Humble proposed a $10.8 million city budget for fiscal year 2017-2018 that includes proposed funding for cleaning up the city to enhance curb appeal, increase tourism, repair drainage, boost development and hire more staff. The budget also calls for an increase in revenue to be funded by a 16 percent increase in property evaluations and is expected to translate into increased taxes for property owners.
The proposed budget includes $487,500 in unused funding from the general fund and $256,000 to pay for the design of a new skate park, a trail from Chestnut Street to Bastrop State Park, new equipment for information technology and a new CARTS bus route. Almost $500,000 in revenue from fines produced by red light cameras would be spent on building new sidewalks, adding road markings and purchasing new street signs to increase safety.
Focusing on development and tourism should expand the city's property tax base, result in more tourism and increase revenue from sales taxes, Humble said. The proposed budget also includes new staff positions such as a new planning director, assistant public works director, an administrator of information technology and a full-time television and broadcast employee.
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By Mary Scott Nabers, CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc.
 From Boston to Austin, autonomous vehicles are being tested on city streets. It's so common that the driverless cars are no longer head-turners.
Some estimates are that 10 million self-driving cars will be on the road by 2020. But, the introduction of new multi-passenger self-driving shuttles are still turning heads. These vehicles are grabbing the attention of public-sector officials in dire need of people-moving options.
In cities and on university campuses, driverless vehicles help people make connections to other modes of public transportation such as buses, trains and subways. While some loudly argue that malicious hacking into the computer networks or disrupting the artificial intelligence that manipulates autonomous vehicles is a critical threat, it appears that public acceptance of autonomous vehicles has been established.
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San Antonio seeks proposal for $37.5M telecommunications system
 San Antonio city officials are seeking proposals from telecommunications service companies to install a new telephone system and internet services for city employees, police and fire stations, libraries and to power the city's 3-1-1 service over a six-year period.
The city's current contract is expected to expire at the end of June 2018. The deadline for submitting sealed bids is Sept. 29, 2017. The new telecommunications contract is expected to begin in July 2018.
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$12.5M sports complex on Fredericksburg bond ballot
 Voters in Fredericksburg will decide in November whether to approve a $12.5 million expansion of the Oakcrest Sports Park in a bond election scheduled by city council members.
Current plans are to build six new baseball and softball fields, renovate three existing fields, nine soccer fields, two restroom/concession stands, playground facilities and 670 parking spaces, said City Manager Kent Myers. If voters approve the bond, construction on the new park will take about 18 months to complete and allow more than 1,000 participants in sports leagues to use the expanded facilities.
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Wylie ISD considers bond election for new facilities
 Trustees for Wylie Independent School District plan to vote on Aug. 21 whether to schedule a bond election in November to pay for new facilities necessary because of rapidly growing enrollment.
The bond funding would be used to complete the second phase of construction of a new elementary school, expected to be completed in 2018 after 28 new classrooms are added. Bond funding would also be used to build a new campus for students in grades 5 through 9 living in the northeast area of the district.
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Proposed budget for Little Elm includes $5.6M fire station
 The Little Elm City Council is considering a proposed $77.7 million city budget that includes funding for several capital projects. Tasks include a new $5.6 million fire station, $3.7 million to continue with phase two of a project to add a dog park, splash pad, restrooms, parking lots and trail extensions at McCord Park.
The proposed city budget also includes $2.5 million to complete the Hart's Branch Trail project by adding a 12-foot wide, 1.5-mile concrete trail, a $1.8 million upgrade to water meters and $1 million for street maintenance.
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Lamar CISD sets $445.4M bond election for new schools
Lamar Consolidated Independent School District trustees scheduled a $445.4 million bond election in November that will fund a new high school, a junior high school and three elementary schools.
Other proposals on the bond ballot will be $20 million to acquire land for new schools, $34.3 million for technology, $29 million for interior upgrades at existing schools, $24.4 million for athletics, $18.3 million for fine arts, $12.2 million for a new alternative learning center, $11.4 million for exterior improvements, $7.1 million for transportation and $3.35 million for food service. The new schools are necessary to handle a rapid increase in enrollment in the school district ranked as the tenth fastest growing school district in the state.
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Midland sets $100M bond election
 The Midland City Council called a $100 million bond election in November asking voters to approve two propositions, a $74 million proposal for street improvements and a $25.9 million proposal to improve the city's water and sewer systems.
The ballot will have two propositions on projects that will take place over a five-year period. The plan is to spend $59.8 million on paving projects, $10.4 million on projects to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), $3.87 for paving for paving and ADA consulting, $24 million on utilities and $1.48 million on utilities consulting. The projects include 26 roads in that city.
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Splendora considers property tax increase
 Splendora City Council members are considering a proposed 56 percent increase in property taxes in order to pay for several large capital projects such as a new $2.82 million police station, upgrading the water treatment plant and painting a water tower.
Council issued $3 million in certificates of obligation to move forward with the projects and need additional funding to repay that debt. Council is expected to consider the proposed tax rate at their meeting on Aug. 22.
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Roe selected as chancellor at University of North Texas
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Lesa Roe
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Lesa Roe, currently the second in command at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), was selected as the lone finalist as chancellor of the University of North Texas. Once the contract is finalized, Roe will replace Lee Jackson, who is retiring as chancellor after 15 years of service.
During her 32 years with NASA, Roe has helped manage projects such as the public-private partnership with a private space company, research projects at various universities and countries on projects like the International Space Station and managed 38 space shuttle flights. Roe earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Florida and a master's degree from the University of Central Florida.
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Edwards selected as Aransas Pass city manager
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| Gary Edwards |
Gary Edwards has accepted the title of Aransas Pass City Manager and will begin his position Sept. 28. Edwards has 20-plus years of experience in city government. He has been the city administrator since August 2011 in Sedalia, Mo.
Edwards has worked in city government, serving as city manager in Branson West, Mo.; Ste. Genevieve, Mo.; Festus, Mo.; Moberly, Mo; Wickenburg, Ariz. and Sedalia. He earned a bachelor's degree from the College of the Ozarks, finished legislative studies at the University of Central Missouri (UCM), completed a graduate degree from UCM and earned a master's degree from Missouri State University.
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Stockton to retire as superintendent of Conroe ISD
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| | | Don Stockton | |
Superintendent Don Stockton told teachers and staff of the Conroe Independent School District that he is retiring at the end of this academic school year.
Stockton has served as superintendent since 2003 and previously served as a teacher and administrator during his 33 years in public education. The school district has grown from 18,000 students enrolled when he joined the district to more than 61,000 students to enroll this year. The district is identified as exemplary by the Texas Education Agency and is the 13th largest district in this state.
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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.
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Sept. 17-20
Nov. 13-15
