Border violence, security take center stage
Border sheriffs get $9.7M in grants to curb violence

Growing violence between drug cartels and the always looming threat of terrorist attacks has prompted Gov. Rick Perry to come up with a plan to invest more state resources in border security.

"This border security plan will increase the law enforcement presence in the border region, provide new investigative tools, improve communications among law enforcement officials, and make our border region more secure," Perry said. "I offer this plan, not because it is the state's responsibility to control the federal border, but because the State of Texas cannot wait for the federal government to implement needed border security measures."

Perry's Border Security Plan consists of the following six action areas:

• Fully support local law enforcement.
• Reduce violent crime along the border.
• Accelerate radio interoperability.
• Develop a Bi-lateral All-Hazards Response Plan.
• Leverage the expertise and experience of the National Guard to provide training and participate in response exercises.
• Pass legislative reforms, including the expansion of state wiretap authority.

Perry praised recent federal efforts that provide for 1,000 new border patrol agents and greater investments in technology at crossings, but said that congress must do much more. Perry called on the federal government to hire many more border patrol agents; expand the use of technology at, and between, ports of entry; authorize homeland security funding to pay for law enforcement positions and overtime to expand patrols; designate the entire border region in Texas a high-threat area so border communities have the same eligibility for homeland security funds as our large urban areas; and significantly expand federal detention facilities.

As part of Perry's six-point border security plan, sheriffs in border counties are receiving $9.7 million in federal grant money to boost security along the border. The money, deployed by the governor's criminal justice division, is in response to border concerns about spillover violence from warring drug cartels. The Texas Department of Public Safety is expected to assign 54 criminal investigators to the border to permanently back up local officers and the U.S. is dispatching federal agents to curtail violence in Laredo.

Corpus Christi attorney named UT System regent

Attorney Colleen McHugh of Corpus Christi was appointed Tuesday by Gov. Rick Perry to the University of Texas System Board of Regents. Her term on the board will expire in February 2011. McHugh was appointed in 1998 as the first woman to serve on the Texas Public Safety Commission, which she has chaired since 2001. Perry also named her to the Task Force on Homeland Security. She is a past president of the State Bar of Texas.

Stabeno named assistant DSHS commissioner

Debra Stabeno has been hired as assistant commissioner for the Department of State Health Services' Division for Prevention and Preparedness Services. She has been serving since June 1 as the acting assistant commissioner of the division.

"Debra has shown incredible leadership during the past four months," said DSHS Commissioner Dr. Eduardo Sanchez. "With the support of her staff, she has led the division through several difficult and high-profile tasks, namely helping to finalize cooperative agreements with both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Health Resource and Services Administration. She and her staff also distinguished themselves during the Strategic National Stockpile exercise in August. Finally, hurricanes Katrina and Rita have put us all through a difficult test. Debra, along with many people in Austin and the regions, continues to work long and hard to provide the best possible response to those in need."

House members appointed to Sunset Commission

Speaker Tom Craddick has released the names of House of Representatives appointees to the Sunset Advisory Commission.

Craddick designated Rep. Vicki Truitt (pictured) of Keller, who has served on the commission since 2003, as vice chair of the commission. She will serve in that position until September 1, 2007. New appointees are Rep. Glenn Hegar of Katy, Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon of San Antonio and Rep. Carl Isett from Lubbock. Each appointee will serve a four-year term.

The chairmanship and the vice-chairmanship alternate every two years between the Senate and the House. The next chairman and new Senate members of the advisory commission are to be named by Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. The Sunset Advisory Commission is a 12 member body of legislators and public members appointed by the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives. They are assisted by a staff whose reports provide an assessment of agency programs. The Commission then draws conclusions about the agencies under review based on the reports and testimony from the agency and public.

Pool of lottery chief candidates whittled down to 8

A search committee seeking a new Texas Lottery Director has narrowed the pool of candidates to eight. Final interviews begin today.

Lottery Commission Chairman Tom Clowe (pictured) said honesty, integrity and reputation are key qualities for the replacement of former Lottery Director Reagan Greer, who resigned earlier this year amid questions about inflated jackpot advertisements. According to Lottery Commission applications, the nine remaining candidates are:

• Juan Cabezas, vice president of a holographics company;
• Gordon Hickman, former director of application development at the Texas General Land Office;
• Mark Hutchinson, president of a Nevada-based lottery marketing and consulting firm;
• James Loyd, former executive director of the Texas Health Care Information Council;
• Stephen Malutich, education director for a Houston aviation school;
• Sue McNabb, an assistant attorney general in Louisiana;
• Dawn Nettles, publisher of the online Lotto Report; and
• Robert Shipe, former executive director of the Texas Workers' Compensation Commission

Spotlight on State Leaders: Dr. Eduardo Sanchez, DSHS

To say that Dr. Eduardo Sanchez has been busy recently would be an understatement.

As the commissioner of the new Texas Department of State Health Services, Dr. Sanchez has overseen a massive reorganization of the state's health departments that resulted in the merger of the Texas Department of Health, the mental health component of the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse and the Health Care Information Council. As the state's chief health official, Dr. Sanchez has been at the forefront of a successful effort to ensure the health and safety of an untold number of hurricane victims.

Such work, while demanding, suits Dr. Sanchez just fine. Dr Sanchez served as the Austin/Travis County public health officer during much of the 1990s but left the public sector in 1998 to practice medicine. The excursion into the private sector didn't last long. After three years he longed to again serve the public on a wider basis and successfully went after the commissionership of what was then known as the Texas Department of Health.

As demanding as the past year has been, Dr. Sanchez expects much of the same for the foreseeable future.

"I believe that the role of public health will continue to grow in the next 5 to 10 years," Dr. Sanchez said, citing concerns related to bioterrorism, natural disasters, an influenza pandemic and the rising cost of medical care

Dr. Sanchez and DSHS have three primary goals: To get out the message that good health involves both the mind and the body; to bolster the state's health-related prevention efforts; and to establish more partnerships.

"A state government agency with the charge of optimizing the overall health of Texans must do so in partnership with the myriad organizations, associations, sister state agencies, local governments, federal government agencies, and individuals with common objectives," he said. "The Texas State Legislature is a key partner, as well, and public/private partnering is essential to achieving the goal of a healthy Texas."

Earlier this week Dr. Sanchez' work was recognized by the American Academy of Family Physicians. He was only one of 11 doctors in the country honored and the accolade was bestowed onto him due to his outstanding contributions to improving the health not only of individual patients but of the entire population of Texas.

"I never know what the day will bring," Dr. Sanchez said, "but I am certain to go home feeling pretty good about what was accomplished and, always, with a great story to tell."

Four universities in the running for Bush library

The list of potential sites for the $200 million George W. Bush Presidential Library has been narrowed to four. The finalists are:

• Baylor University;
• Southern Methodist University;
• The University of Dallas; and
• A 10-city coalition that would base the library at Texas Tech University.

The finalists, winnowed from seven competitors that included the University of Texas System, were chosen by a three-member selection committee composed of Don Evans; Marvin Bush, the president's brother; and Craig Stapleton, the husband of one of Bush's cousins.

Lubbock works to secure $35M in road funding

Lubbock transportation officials have come up with an innovate blueprint for funding the county's high-priority projects. The hope is that the plan will be deemed creative enough to tap at least $35 million in state funds. If successful, the state funding, which would come from the Texas Mobility Fund, could help shave eight years off the construction schedule for the Marsha Sharp Freeway and other major projects.

The new plan is currently being shopped around at the Texas Department of Transportation. If approved, possibly by the end of the year, the final stage of the Marsha Sharp Freeway would go to bid in 2014 instead of 2022 and be completed by 2017. If the current funding plan stays in place the freeway would open in 2025.

UT secures $13M, new name for ball field

Disch-Falk Field, the baseball stadium at the University of Texas in Austin, is getting a new name and a revamped look. Beginning Aug. 1, it will be known as UFCU Disch-Falk Field, as a result of $13.1 million that University Federal Credit Union has agreed to contribute to UT over the next 15 years. The money will go toward an $18 million renovation of the stadium that will include 1,400 new seats, new concessions, new restrooms and new locker and weight rooms. Coach Augie Garrido (pictured) will be heavily involved in the planning. Construction is scheduled to begin after the 2006 baseball season, which could be after the College World Series in June.

Northeast Texas RMA welcomes new board members

Gregg County commissioners approved Ken Cunningham, a White Oak attorney, and David Spurrier, a financial consultant in Longview, as replacements to fill two vacancies on the board of the Northeast Texas Regional Mobility Authority. The RMA will help formulate the future of transportation for East Texas.

UT Southwestern awarded $9.7M for clinical research

UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas has received a highly competitive five-year, $9.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to promote clinical investigations that will have a significant impact on improving health and preventing disease.

"Our goal is to create an environment where we can take people who have enormous energy, great ideas and the willingness to commit themselves to a career in clinical research and give them the support and tools they need to become independent, peer-review-funded clinical investigators," said Dr. Milton Packer, director of UT Southwestern's Center for Biostatistics and Clinical Science and principal investigator on the grant.

New barbering, cosmetology boards created

The Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation has appointed the members who will serve on newly created advisory boards that will provide technical expertise and advice to the Commission on the cosmetology and barbering professions. The new board members of the Advisory Board on Cosmetology:

• Clive Lamb, of Addison, was appointed as a representative for shop owners not affiliated with a chain. Mr. Lamb also was appointed presiding officer of the board.
• Allison Leigh Kincy, of Carrollton, was appointed as a representative of a chain of beauty shops.
• Glenda Jemison, of Houston, was appointed as a representative for beauty school operators.
• Kerin Haney, of Georgetown, was appointed to a seat designated for the holder of an operator's license.
• Zelda Moore, of Cedar Park, was appointed to a seat also designated for the holder of an operator's license.

New board members of the Advisory Board on Barbering:

• Linda G. Connor, of Austin, was appointed as a representative of barbershop owners. Ms. Moore also was appointed presiding officer of the board.
• Joseph B. Grondin, of Round Rock, was appointed to a seat designated for the holder of a Class A barber license who does not hold a barbershop permit.
• Dwayne Childers Jr., of Waco, was appointed to a seat designated for the holder of a Class A barber license who does not hold a barbershop permit.
• Aldene (Dean) Hudson Jr., of Arlington, was appointed as a representative of barbershop owners.
• Ronald Brown, of Dripping Springs, was appointed as a representative of barber school operators.

UTSA boosts biotech efforts

The University of Texas at San Antonio received a $1 million grant from The Tobin Endowment to create a new Margaret Batts Tobin Distinguished Chair in Biotechnology. UTSA President Ricardo Romo called the grant "an important next step" in the school's long-term efforts at becoming a premier "tier one" research university.

The endowed chair is being established in connection with the opening of the Margaret Batts Tobin Laboratory Building, a new 22,000-square-foot, $14 million research facility at the UTSA Loop 1604 Campus. The new biosafety level 3 laboratory will open in November, where scientists will conduct research for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to fight bioterrorism. Romo will appoint Garry T. Cole as the first holder of the Tobin Distinguished Chair in Biotechnology. He will join UTSA's faculty in November. Cole is currently chairman of the Department of Microbiology at the Medical College of Ohio.

Perry lays out plan for industry clusters

Gov. Rick Perry has announced the results of a study by the Industry Cluster Initiative Task Force, a group of business leaders charged by the governor with determining how to accelerate the development of industry clusters, or groups of related technology employers located in the same geographic area. The report includes recommendations from more than 700 industry leaders across the state on improvements to education, workforce training, transportation and regulatory policies.

The recommendations include:

• Establishing a "Just in Time" education system that equips public school students with the skills employers will need at the time of their graduation. Curriculum must be adaptable to changing workforce needs. Applied math, science and technology programs should also be strengthened.
• Helping technology employers develop apprenticeship programs for secondary students so they are ready to succeed in the workplace.
• Reassessing and revising regulatory policies that inhibit collaboration between industry sectors, government, academia and local workforce development boards, and streamlining the permitting process.
• Removing bureaucratic roadblocks that prevent university employees from participating in the management of companies that market their products. Oftentimes inventions created in Texas are licensed to out-of-state firms because of current rules, taking jobs and investment with them.

Austin sets aside $90,000 for technology projects

The Austin City Council has set aside $90,000 for the Grant for Technology Opportunities program, which is designed to support digital technology projects that show promise for the community. Applications and information are www.ctiaustin.org/gtops/application available now online. A grant question-and-answer session and writing tips workshop will be scheduled for early December. Competitive grants will be awarded for projects focusing on digital opportunities and the digital divide.

Argentine vice president to keynote WCIT 2006

The World Congress on Information Technology 2006 (WCIT 2006) announced that Daniel Scioli, vice president of Argentina, will be a keynote speaker during the Innovation Exchange Program. Scioli's knowledge and support of multicultural communications and technological development will further WCIT 2006's mission to enable social and economic development around the world through the exchange of policies, ideas and technology.

WCIT 2006 is expected to draw 2,000 business, government and academic leaders from 80 countries to Austin, Texas, on May 1-5, 2006 and will focus on three main Global Impact Program topics: Privacy and Security; Digital Access: A Global Progress Report; and Healthcare IT in the 21st Century. The event's goal is to explore these issues and to make specific, actionable policy recommendations to both the global IT community and government officials throughout the world.

Industry veteran joins the SPI team

Strategic Partnerships Inc. is pleased to announce that J. Lyn Carl, whose public sector experience includes stints at the Texas Public Utility Commission and with two state senators, has joined SPI as a senior consultant. She was most recently the director of operations at the political media outlet Gallerywatch.com.

Members of transportation financing, eminent domain committees named

Speaker Tom Craddick today announced the Texas of House of Representatives appointees to the Study Commission on Transportation Financing and an interim committee studying the use of eminent domain power.

On the transportation financing committee, Rep. Mike Krusee (pictured) of Round Rock will serve as a Joint Presiding Officer. Other appointees include Rep. Warren Chisum of Pampa and Harris County Judge Robert Eckels.

On the eminent domain committee, Rep. Beverly Woolley (pictured) of Houston will serve as co-chair. Other appointees are Rep. Frank Corte from San Antonio, Rep. Aaron Pena of Edinburg, Rep. Marc Veasey of Fort Worth and Rep. Phil King from Weatherford.

Emergency center in SA may be expanded

U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of San Antonio is trying to secure federal funds to expand the scope of a planned $24.5 million city-county emergency operations center in San Antonio. Cuellar is trying to secure funding for the project and recently received assurances that $5 million would be available for the project, but it needs approval by the House Appropriations Committee and the full chamber. If the funding comes through the center would serve rural counties around San Antonio.

UNT breaks ground on Dallas campus

The University of North Texas has turned dirt on the first building of the future University of North Texas at Dallas. A 264-acres site has been set aside for the university near the southeast corner of Camp Wisdom Road and Houston School Road in southern Dallas. The site is north of Interstate 20 and east of Interstate 35. UNT says the building will be ready to hold classes in January. Utility and road work at the site began in July. Initial development of the land and the first building is being funded by state authorized bonds of $25.5 million.

DART mulls service cuts

A growing number of North Texas commuters are riding buses and trains in the Dallas Area Rapid Transit but the agency is still considering service cuts to help balance its budget. DART ridership has increased more than 11 percent in the past year but the additional passengers have not helped the agency's finances. The problem: a lower-than-expected sales tax revenue forecast for 2006 throughout the region, and increased fuel costs.

ERCOT names new CFO, VP

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas Inc., which regulates the state's power grid, has a new vice president and chief financial officer. Steve Byone, who had been serving as an ERCOT consultant, will assume the new responsibilities. He has been developing ERCOT's Internal Control Management and Enterprise Risk Management programs and has filled in recently as ERCOT's acting vice president of finance.

LCRA to host SH 130 forums

The Lower Colorado River Authority, which provides water and electricity to parts of Central Texas, is planning to hold a series of meetings in November to help governments learn what changes State Highway 130 might bring along its path east of Austin. The 49-mile,$1.5 billion toll road is expected to spur development and economic growth in several small and mid-sized towns. No dates for the forums have been announced yet.

Houston mayor names his choice for new library director

Houston Mayor Bill White has nominated Dr. Rhea Brown Lawson to be the sixth director in the 101-year history of the Houston Public Library. Lawson has served as deputy director of the Detroit Public Library since 2003 and as chief of the Central Library in Brooklyn, N.Y., from 1999-2003.

"With only six library directors in a century, we don't name them often so we know we have to pick the best," White said. "We think we've done just that. Houston has more libraries open than ever before and we feel we have chosen someone who can help us meet the challenges of the future for urban libraries, with efficiency and customer service as our highest priorities."

Kyle hires economic development director

The bustling city of Kyle south of Austin has hired Diana Blank to be the city's first director of economic development. Blank spent the past six years as the director of economic development for the Cuero Development Corp., in Cuero, Texas. There, she played a leadership role in a wide range of development projects, including business retention and recruitment, marketing, public relations, and infrastructure projects.

UTD to advance research

In a move designed to position the University of Texas at Dallas as a premier research institution, university President David E. Daniel appointed UTD's first vice president for research and development. Da Hsuan Feng was named to the position. He will be responsible for helping recruit senior-level faculty, promoting cross disciplinary research and marketing UTD's research capabilities. Feng has served as the university's vice president for research and graduate education for the past five years.

UTMB nabs grant for health research

The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston has been awarded a $2.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to help fund a program to train physicians and scientists whose research focuses on women's health. The grant will be paid out to UTMB over five years through NIH's Office of Research on Women's Health.

McCaul to chair homeland security subcommittee

Freshman Congressman Michael McCaul of Texas has been named chairman of the Subcommittee on Investigations for the United States House of Representatives' Committee on Homeland Security. Committee Chairman Peter King of New York made the appointment.

State grants Rita-related renewal extension for some documents

The Texas Department of Public Safety has granted a 90-day reprieve on renewing expired driver's licenses, vehicle registrations or auto inspections for persons living in 17 Texas counties affected by Hurricane Rita. Harris County is not on the list. Residents of the affected counties whose driver's license, vehicle inspection or auto registration expires in September, October or November now have until Dec. 31 to renew them.

WANT TO DO MORE BUSINESS WITH THE STATE GOVERNMENT?

Contact Reagan Weil, SPI's business development manager, today to ask about SPI's business development and research services. 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 the Dallas Business Journal]

Event Links

2005 Lawsuit Survival Courses for County Officials - 10/12/05-11/3/05

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

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

Federal Reserve Bank in Dallas' "Policy Changes for the New Millenium" - 11/15/05

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

2006 Courts & Local Government Technology Conference - 1/31/06-2/2/06

Texas Government Insider Archives

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

Resources

TBPC Vendor Guide

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HUB Forms Library

State Contract Management Guide

State Procurement Manual

Who Represents Me? Texas Districts By Address

Diagram of Texas' Biennial Budget Cycle

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2005 Survivor Course for County Officials

The Texas Association of Counties and the Texas District & County Attorneys Association is hosting a series of events throughout Texas until Nov. 3. The courses will give county employees and officials valuable tools to avoid common problems associated with lawsuits. Click here for event details.

Texas Public Funds Investment Conference

The 2005 Texas Public Funds Investment Conference covers a variety of issues for all professionals responsible for local government investments. Sound investment principles and statutory responsibilities are examined for basic and advanced learners at this year’s conference, which begins Nov. 17 in Houston.Click here for details.