Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission
Ad Hoc Infrastructure Committee

May 29, 2002

Commission Hearing Room
Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Headquarters Complex
4200 Smith School Road
Austin, TX 78744

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             7             BE IT REMEMBERED that heretofore on the 

             8    29TH day of MAY 2002, there came on to be heard 

             9    matters under the regulatory authority of the 

            10    Parks and Wildlife  Commission of Texas, in the 

            11    commission hearing room of the Texas Parks and 

            12    Wildlife Headquarters complex, Austin, Travis 

            13    County, Texas, beginning at 2:00 p.m., to wit:

            14    

            15    
                  
            16    
                  APPEARANCES:
            17    THE PARKS AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION:
                  Chair:   Katharine Armstrong Idsal, San Antonio, 
            18                   Texas, Chairman
                           Ernest Angelo, Jr., Vice Chairman, 
            19                   Midland, Texas     
                           John Avila, Jr., Fort Worth, Texas 
            20             Joseph B.C. Fitzsimons, San Antonio, 
                                 Texas   
            21             Alvin L. Henry, Houston, Texas  
                           Philip Montgomery, III, Dallas, Texas
            22             Donato D. Ramos, Laredo, Texas
                           Kelly W. Rising, M.D., Beaumont, Texas
            23             Mark E. Watson, Jr., San Antonio, Texas
                  
            24    THE PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT:
                           Robert L. Cook, Executive Director, and 
            25    other personnel of the Parks and Wildlife 
                  Department.




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             1                       MAY 29, 2002

             2                         *-*-*-*-*

             3          AD HOC INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE MEETING

             4                         *-*-*-*-*

             5                  CHAIRMAN IDSAL:  Thank you, Ernie.  

             6    Next committee meeting is ad hoc infrastructure 

             7    committee.  Mr. Avila?

             8                  COMMISSIONER AVILA:  Call to order 

             9    the ad hoc infrastructure committee meeting today, 

            10    May 29th, at 2:00 p.m.   The first order of 

            11    business is approval of the committee minutes from 

            12    the previous meeting.  We had no business for the 

            13    ad hoc infrastructure committee on April 3rd, 

            14    2002, but do have our last meeting minutes from 

            15    January 16th, 2002.  Do I have a motion for their 

            16    approval? 

            17                  COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY:  So moved.

            18                  COMMISSIONER AVILA:  Second? 

            19                  COMMISSIONER WATSON:  Second. 

            20                  COMMISSIONER ANGELO:  All in favor, 

            21    say "Aye."

            22                  ("Aye.")

            23       ACTION ITEM NO. 1 - CHAIRMAN'S CHARGES.

            24                  COMMISSIONER AVILA:  They are 

            25    approved.  Mr. Cook, do we have any chairman's 





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             1    charges? 

             2                  MR. COOK:  Part of the item number 2 

             3    that you're going to hear from today, staff will 

             4    present to you for your consideration by 

             5    resolution authorizing the issue of some of the 

             6    first $36 million of the $101 million prop 8 bond 

             7    authority. 

             8       ACTION ITEM NO. 2 - FY 03 G.O. BOND RESOLUTION.

             9                  COMMISSIONER AVILA:  And we're going 

            10    to have Steve do that.   Steve? 

            11                  MR. WHISTON:  Thank you, Mr. 

            12    Chairman, Commissioners.  My name is Steve 

            13    Whiston.  I'm the acting director of 

            14    infrastructure division.  This presentation this 

            15    morning is a briefing on our new general 

            16    obligation bond program and will conclude with a 

            17    proposal for the Commission action tomorrow to 

            18    adopt.  As Commissioner Avila explained, the bond 

            19    resolution which initiates the financing portion 

            20    of our new bond program for fiscal year '03.

            21                  As you recall, on November 6th of 

            22    this last year, the Texas voters approved 

            23    proposition 8, which is one of 19 constitutional 

            24    amendments that authorize the issue of $850 

            25    million worth of general obligation bonds from 13 





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             1    state agencies for facility repair and 

             2    construction.

             3                  Parks and Wildlife will receive 

             4    $101.5 million of that bond program over the three 

             5    biennium, beginning with this current '02-'03 

             6    biennium.  The first issue of these repair funds 

             7    are proposed to be released this coming September.

             8                  GO bonds for -- excuse me, let me 

             9    catch up with my slides.  I apologize.  I got 

            10    involved in the notes.

            11                  GO bond funds for Parks and Wildlife 

            12    include $15 million to complete the remaining 

            13    critical repairs that were identified in the FY96 

            14    infrastructure task force report.  54 million is 

            15    to be issued over the next five years for the 

            16    planned and scheduled repairs at parks, wildlife 

            17    management areas, fisheries, law enforcement and 

            18    administrative facilities statewide.

            19                  And lastly, 32.5 million for the 

            20    repair and renovation of five park sites that were 

            21    specifically identified by the 77th Legislature.

            22                  Funding for those five renovation 

            23    projects include $4.1 million for the Levi Jordan 

            24    plantation to begin the development of this new 

            25    state historic site interpreting the 





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             1    African-American heritage of Texas.  GO bond funds 

             2    will be used primarily for the development of site 

             3    and interpretive master plans, archeological 

             4    surveys, and the restoration of the plantation 

             5    house, shown here in the upper left-hand corner of 

             6    the slide. 

             7                  1.1 million is proposed for the 

             8    National Museum of the Pacific War or the Admiral 

             9    Nimitz for the repairs of the former Nimitz Hotel, 

            10    improvements to the visitor orientation facility 

            11    and landscaping. 

            12                  About 12.3 million is recommended 

            13    for the San Jacinto Battleground for the 

            14    restoration of the battlefield, for utilities, for 

            15    roads and the repair of historic structures.  

            16    Approximately 2.6 million is included in the 

            17    program for the construction of the Sheldon Lake 

            18    Environmental Education Center.  Our plan is to 

            19    redevelop this former fish hatchery wetland into a 

            20    giant natural outdoor classroom for inner city 

            21    school children.

            22                  Bond funds will be used for the 

            23    engineering, the design and the utility 

            24    infrastructure, roads, restrooms, and renovation 

            25    of facilities on this site.  And last but not 





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             1    least, the battleship TEXAS, $12.5 million is 

             2    planned for the towing and dry dock repairs to 

             3    this ship at San Jacinto.

             4                  The allocation of the total $101.5 

             5    million program over the three biennials is 

             6    outlined in this matrix.  I'm not going to take 

             7    the time this morning to go over the detail since 

             8    you have it laid out in your handbook and before 

             9    you in this slide.  But please note that the 77th 

            10    Legislature has provided the appropriation 

            11    authority for the first 36.68 million for the 

            12    '02/'03 biennium.  This issue -- this first issue 

            13    will provide $31 million as you see in the first 

            14    column this upcoming year for repairs to our 

            15    facilities and $5.68 million to begin the 

            16    renovation of San Jacinto, Admiral Nimitz, Sheldon 

            17    Lake, and Levi Jordan.  We expect and we will need 

            18    the approval from the Legislature -- the remaining 

            19    appropriation authority for the remaining bonds in 

            20    subsequent legislative sessions.

            21                  COMMISSIONER AVILA:  Let me ask a 

            22    question. 

            23                  MR. WHISTON:  Certainly.

            24                  COMMISSIONER AVILA:  On something 

            25    like the San Jacinto Battlefield, dividing that 





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             1    money up into two bienniums, the project won't 

             2    take that long, will it? 

             3                  MR. WHISTON:  Yes, sir, in fact, it 

             4    will.  Because of the size and scale of the 

             5    project.  In fact, that's how these issues were 

             6    planned and scheduled so that the funding would 

             7    coincide with the need for the funds to accomplish 

             8    the work.

             9                  COMMISSIONER AVILA:  Are we talking 

            10    about two-year increments there or one-year? 

            11                  MR. WHISTON:  Two-year. 

            12                  COMMISSIONER ANGELO:  Four years for 

            13    the San Jacinto project?

            14                  MR. WHISTON: Yes, sir.

            15                  COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY:  Are these 

            16    funding enough to manage the contracts we're 

            17    assigned?  I assume that there is.

            18                  MR. WHISTON:  I'm sorry, sir?

            19                  COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY:  The 

            20    contracts match these fundings, I assume?  

            21                  MR. WHISTON:  Yes, sir. 

            22                  COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY:  How does 

            23    this work?  Does this -- do was just go -- the 

            24    Commission has the authority to approve these and 

            25    they're available to draw on them -- the State 





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             1    issues the bonds and the bonds are drawn? 

             2                  MR. WHISTON:  Yes, Commissioner 

             3    Montgomery.  In this case, you know, we were 

             4    fortunate, unlike the prior revenue bond programs, 

             5    in that we're given the opportunity this time with 

             6    general obligation bonds.  They're going to be 

             7    issued under commercial paper, and so we'll be 

             8    able to draw funds as we need them.

             9                  COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY:  Do we 

            10    get -- do we pay the interest out of our budget or 

            11    do we amortize the debt? 

            12                  MR. WHISTON:  No, sir.  The debt 

            13    service is paid by the Texas Public Finance 

            14    Authority for general obligation bonds. 

            15                  COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY:  Okay. 

            16                  MR. COOK:  Assuming it's authorized 

            17    by the Legislature as they are issued. 

            18                  COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY:  Certainly.

            19                  MR. WHISTON:  The process for 

            20    putting together this $31 million repair program 

            21    has been a collaborative effort of all the 

            22    divisions.  I'd like to commend the hard work and 

            23    the extraordinary teamwork that's been provided 

            24    not only by the infrastructure staff, but all the 

            25    divisions involved in putting together this 





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             1    program for next fiscal year.

             2                  The effort this time was made 

             3    considerably easier because of all the progress 

             4    that all the divisions has made in implementing 

             5    our facility management system.  All the repair 

             6    needs were identified in the FMS database and 

             7    confirmed and prioritized by each division.  Each 

             8    division took part in the process of determining 

             9    the overall agency priorities.  And that was all 

            10    confirmed in a final meeting of the division 

            11    directors and their capital programs staff not too 

            12    long ago, where we then took the list of the 

            13    proposed repair projects to Mr. Cook for his 

            14    approval.

            15                  With the Commission's approval of 

            16    the bond resolution tomorrow, this bond package 

            17    will next be submitted to the Texas Public Finance 

            18    Authority next week to -- as I said, to initiate 

            19    the sale of the bonds and the financing process to 

            20    make those funds available to us in September.

            21                  The bond issue will be brought back 

            22    to you for final approval as a part of the 

            23    combined capital and operating budget for FY03 in 

            24    August.  And we anticipate the release, as I said 

            25    before, of these funds for our use in September of 





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             1    this year.

             2                  The proposed projects for the $31 

             3    million repair program fall in three major 

             4    categories.  37 percent of that total of this 

             5    issue, or $11.6 million, is dedicated for the 

             6    water and wastewater system renovation at 

             7    facilities statewide.  58 percent of the funds 

             8    anticipated, or 17.9 million, will be used for 

             9    facility repairs.  And 5 percent, or 1.5 million 

            10    for ADA, are to bring our facilities on the list 

            11    in compliance with the American With Disabilities 

            12    Act.

            13                  Preliminary schedules for the 

            14    implementation of these projects have already been 

            15    established so that as soon as the funds are 

            16    released, we can hit the ground running in 

            17    September and begin the process of getting these 

            18    projects started.

            19                  Just a few examples of some of the 

            20    proposed projects in next year's -- this coming 

            21    September's issue includes a $1 million project at 

            22    Sea Center Texas to repair the effluent canals and 

            23    install new pond liners.  $3.9 million at Possum 

            24    Kingdom Fish Hatchery for major hatchery repairs 

            25    and renovations, replacement of pond liners and 





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             1    disinfection of the lake water. 

             2                  Indian Lodge is a project on the 

             3    list for $3.3 million to complete the renovation 

             4    or repair of the lodge, the guest quarters, to 

             5    repair roofs and the swimming pool at that site.  

             6    There's a $1.8 million project -- or series of 

             7    projects at wildlife management areas, such as 

             8    Elephant Mountain and Black Gap.  Repairs will 

             9    include roofing, plumbing, electrical wiring, 

            10    erosion control, HVAC, and repairs to wildlife 

            11    watering systems.  And finally, the last example, 

            12    $1.2 million of this program is dedicated to 

            13    restore -- or proposed to restore and repair 

            14    historic structures at Goliad, Fannin 

            15    Battleground, and Saragosa's birthplace.

            16                  In order to provide us a head start 

            17    for the '04, the following bond program, 18 of the 

            18    projects on our $31 million list, or about 5 

            19    percent of the total, are design-only projects.  

            20    It's our intention, then, to come back in the '04 

            21    program and ask for the funds for the construction 

            22    component of those projects so that we'll be able 

            23    to go immediately into construction when those 

            24    funds are released in '04 and hopefully maintain 

            25    some of the momentum we've been able to create 





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             1    through the implementation of this next year's 

             2    issue. 

             3                  With that, we propose an action item 

             4    be placed on the agenda for tomorrow for your 

             5    approval, recommending the adoption of the bond 

             6    resolution.  As a final note, Lori just earlier 

             7    passed around to you an amended project 

             8    description.  That form needs to be substituted 

             9    for the document in your handbook on page 135, 

            10    Exhibit B.  Some last minute shifting of 

            11    priorities caused some of the percentages to 

            12    change since we went into print for handbook, so 

            13    this will substitute for that page.

            14                  With that, I conclude my 

            15    presentation and will be happy to answer any 

            16    questions you have about our '03 program. 

            17                  COMMISSIONER AVILA:  Steve, about 

            18    the only question I have is on these projects 

            19    where we're going to be -- like the Goliad and the 

            20    Indian Lodge, have we determined how much of that 

            21    we're going to do in-house versus CM?  Have you 

            22    gone that far yet?  Are you looking to do some of 

            23    that with our own forces?  

            24                  MR. WHISTON:  Yes, sir.  Portions of 

            25    that.  The majority of which, though, are going to 





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             1    be done by outside consultants.

             2                  COMMISSIONER AVILA:  Smaller value 

             3    ones or more remote ones --

             4                  MR. WHISTON:  Will be done, as 

             5    typically we have in the past, by our own in-house 

             6    design staff. 

             7                  COMMISSIONER AVILA:  Are there any 

             8    other questions?  If not, if there are no further 

             9    questions or discussions, without objection, I 

            10    will place this item on the Thursday commission 

            11    meeting agenda for public comment and action.  And 

            12    also I'd like to commend Steve and Scott for the 

            13    work they have done on the infrastructure 

            14    division.  For myself and Ernie, who are in the 

            15    twilight of our years here, when we first got 

            16    here, as many of the staff will know, that there 

            17    was a lot of knocking of heads between that 

            18    division and all the others.  And Mr. Cook, 

            19    himself, would comment on it to me from time to 

            20    time.  And y'all have become just a very, very 

            21    professional construction company, construction 

            22    management outfit, design firm, working well 

            23    within the divisions.  And you're to be commended 

            24    for that. 

            25                  MR. WHISTON:  Thank you. 





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             1                  COMMISSIONER ANGELO:  If there is no 

             2    other business, I adjourn the ad hoc 

             3    infrastructure committee. 

             4                  CHAIRMAN IDSAL:  Commissioner Avila, 

             5    if you could pass the gavel to Commissioner Ramos 

             6    for the outreach and education committee.

             7                         *-*-*-*-*

             8                   (MEETING ADJOURNED.)

             9                         *-*-*-*-*

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             1                 REPORTER'S CERTIFICATE

             2    STATE OF TEXAS   )

             3    COUNTY OF TRAVIS )

             4             I, MELODY RENEE DeYOUNG, a Certified 

             5    Court Reporter in and for the State of Texas, do 

             6    hereby certify that the above and foregoing 14 

             7    pages constitute a full, true and correct 

             8    transcript of the minutes of the Texas Parks & 

             9    Wildlife Commission on MAY 29, 2002, in the 

            10    commission hearing room of the Texas Parks & 

            11    Wildlife Headquarters Complex, Austin, Travis 

            12    County, Texas.

            13             I FURTHER CERTIFY that a stenographic 

            14    record was made by me a the time of the public 

            15    meeting and said stenographic notes were 

            16    thereafter reduced to computerized transcription 

            17    under my supervision and control.

            18             WITNESS MY HAND this the 29th day of 

            19    July, 2002. 

            20    
                  
            21                                                     
                           MELODY RENEE DeYOUNG, RPR, CSR NO. 3226
            22             Expiration Date:  12-31-02
                           3101 Bee Caves Road
            23             Centre II, Suite 220
                           Austin, Texas  78746
            24             (512) 328-5557
                  
            25    






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