Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission
Ad Hoc Infrastructure Committee

Jan. 19, 2000

      7      BE IT REMEMBERED that heretofore on the 19th
      8   day of January 2000, 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 3:30 p.m. to wit:
     14
     15
          APPEARANCES:
     16   THE PARKS AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION:
     17   AD HOC INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE:
          Chair:      John Avila, Jr.
     18               Lee M. Bass
                      Carol E. Dinkins
     19               Dick W. Heath (absent)
                      Nolan Ryan
     20               Ernest Angelo, Jr.
                      Alvin L. Henry
     21               Katharine Armstrong Idsal
                      Mark E. Watson, Jr.
     22
          THE PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT:
     23   Andrew H. Sansom, Executive Director, and other
          personnel of the Parks and Wildlife Department.
     24
     25
.0002
      1                   JANUARY 19, 2000
      2                      *-*-*-*-*
      3        AD HOC INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE MEETING
      4                      *-*-*-*-*
      5                COMMISSIONER AVILA:  We call to
      6   order the meeting of the ad hoc infrastructure
      7   committee, this January 19th, 2000.  And the
      8   first thing I need is a motion for the approval
      9   of the committee meeting minutes from our
     10   previous meeting.
     11                COMMISSIONER HENRY:  So moved.
     12                COMMISSIONER AVILA:  Second?  All in
     13   favor say aye.  Motion approved.
     14                (Motion approved unanimously.)
     15                COMMISSIONER AVILA:  Do you have a
     16   briefing or --
     17                MR. SANSOM:  The entire report
     18   directly flows out of the charges.
     19                COMMISSIONER AVILA:  Okay.  With
     20   that, Dan, show that you're overspending money
     21   since we met last.
     22                MR. PATTON:  Plenty of money, sir.
     23                Mr. Chairman, committee members, my
     24   name is Dan Patton, director of the
     25   Infrastructure Division.  Today we'll be talking
.0003
      1   about our capital program and the status of our
      2   projects, highlight some upcoming projects for
      3   you, and then also give you a program update with
      4   some of our later strategies.
      5                Our bond program, as you know, we
      6   issued $12 million almost two years ago.  This
      7   shows the status of the 91 projects.  To date
      8   we've issued around $8.7 million, or we've spent
      9   that much money.  And it shows that we've
     10   completed more than half of the projects.
     11   Another 45 percent are in construction, and just
     12   a few still in design.
     13                The $18 million that was issued last
     14   year, we've got a good portion either in
     15   construction or design, almost 80 percent of
     16   those, out of 142 projects.  $3.8 million has
     17   been spent to date.  These numbers are as of, I
     18   believe, December 31st.
     19                On the capital program, our goal for
     20   this fiscal year was $20 million to be expended.
     21   This is something that's kind of unusual.  We're
     22   $3 million ahead of schedule right now on
     23   expenditures, so it's just a reflection of all
     24   the active projects.  And, as we anticipated,
     25   once the projects got into construction, the
.0004
      1   money would really start flowing.  So we're in
      2   good shape as far as expenditures for this year.
      3   As you see, it's $81.7 million and over 600
      4   projects that we're currently tracking.
      5                As Jayna mentioned earlier today, we
      6   are anticipating the issuance of the next $20
      7   million issue on February 15th.  This is the
      8   breakdown of our program.  About six percent will
      9   be for ADA, 49 percent for water and wastewater,
     10   and 45 percent for general facility repair.  And
     11   the total is 127 projects.
     12                And as usual, I'd like to highlight
     13   some upcoming projects.  So as you're out in the
     14   field, you have the opportunity to visit some of
     15   our repair projects and other historical
     16   renovation projects that we have underway.
     17                Out in Hueco tanks, where we're
     18   renovating a water storage facility, the design
     19   work was outsourced and then construction was
     20   contracted out.  It's a $60,000 project, fairly
     21   small, but significant out there in the remote
     22   site.  We anticipate completion at the end of
     23   February.
     24                Caprock Canyons, we're installing a
     25   vault toilet that Walt and I had an opportunity
.0005
      1   to do a site visit about a month ago.  It will be
      2   ADA accessible.  It's at a remote camp site and
      3   it was designed in-house and is being contracted
      4   out for construction.  And that is anticipated to
      5   be completed at the end of this month.
      6                We're installing or constructing a
      7   new rest room out at Kickapoo.  It is ADA
      8   accessible.  It was designed in-house and is
      9   being built by our in-house force account crews.
     10   Again, that will be completed by the end of
     11   February.
     12                Lake Somerville Birch is an existing
     13   facility.  We're making it ADA accessible, so
     14   there's some demolition and then reconstruction
     15   designed in-house by our force account crew and
     16   complete at the end of February.
     17                Huntsville, which I think some of
     18   you have visited recently, we're completely
     19   renovating this -- or replacing sewer lift
     20   stations.  We're renovating the wastewater
     21   treatment plant.  It was designed by an AE firm.
     22   It's contracted out for construction.  It's
     23   almost a $300,000 project, to be completed at the
     24   end of March.
     25                Out at Lake Colorado City we're
.0006
      1   constructing 11 cottages using TDCJ labor.  As
      2   you can see, it's well under construction.  I
      3   believe they're pouring pads for those cottages
      4   as we speak.  We'll have heating and air
      5   conditioning for the cottages.  It was designed
      6   by infrastructure staff in its combined effort
      7   with TDCJ and a contractor.  $240,000 project due
      8   to be completed in September of this year.
      9                That's it for an overview of the
     10   projects.  I would hope I -- within the next
     11   couple of weeks, I'll be able to forward a report
     12   to y'all that shows the efforts that have been
     13   taking place, not only in the past three years
     14   but specifically in FY '99, to talk about how
     15   we've done financially, how we have performed as
     16   a division, and restructuring, how we lead
     17   through customer service, orientation, and then
     18   also team empowerment.  We'll talk about our
     19   strategic plan, how we plan for the future.
     20   We'll be looking at some of the initiatives that
     21   the division has undertaken for PR and ADA
     22   programs, the ADA committee that we've
     23   established.
     24                Under the project development we'll
     25   be talking about the project management systems,
.0007
      1   facility management systems, and other division
      2   specific projects that we've undertaken to be
      3   more efficient.
      4                Partnerships will get an overview of
      5   the TxDOT and TDCJ programs and how they've
      6   benefited the agency.  And then we'll talk about
      7   future initiatives and what we're going to do for
      8   immediate future improvements to the division.
      9                That concludes my last
     10   presentation.
     11                MR. SANSOM:  Members, when -- this
     12   is the largest construction program ever
     13   undertaken by the department.  It was commenced
     14   in a situation in which our construction and
     15   engineering program was somewhat in disarray.  It
     16   was a program which was very -- of deep concern
     17   to both the legislature and this board.  And we
     18   were fortunate enough to be able to recruit
     19   Mr. Patton to come here and pull this program
     20   together.  I believe that today it is as well
     21   organized a construction program as you'll find
     22   in State government.  And as you can see, he's
     23   ahead of his goal in several areas.
     24                Unfortunately the bad news is, he
     25   has been attracted by the private sector and will
.0008
      1   be no longer able to lead this program for us,
      2   which is an issue that I find a great deal of
      3   sadness in because he has done such a good job.
      4   We appreciate what you've done and wish you the
      5   best of luck.
      6                COMMISSIONER AVILA:  I want to echo
      7   Andy's sentiments as well.  Being in that
      8   business and seeing what Dan has done in applying
      9   both the funding and the military and then apply
     10   the private sector coming to us, he has done
     11   enormous work in laying out extensive well
     12   represented program where we had not had before.
     13   But most importantly, or as importantly, the
     14   staff that was here before Dan got here, and then
     15   some that he's added, have bought into this.  And
     16   so I think with the report that he's actually
     17   ready to issue, but you said, let's wait a couple
     18   of weeks so we don't confuse it with our normal
     19   annual report, he's done a good job here for all
     20   of y'all to see, we'll be able to continue.
     21                And then our challenge is to find
     22   someone from within or find somebody on the
     23   outside.  There are a lot of NFL coaches looking
     24   for jobs anyway, so we might be able to find one
     25   there.  But I do understand and we will stay in
.0009
      1   contact.  I guess you'll remain here in the
      2   Austin area.  May want to build for him next.
      3                MR. PATTON:  Well, I just want to
      4   say that it's been an honor to work for the
      5   agency and service commission.  It's been a long
      6   challenging three years.  But I'm confident that
      7   we've got the organizational structure or the
      8   systems and the leadership in place to continue
      9   making improvements to this program.  Thank you
     10   very much.
     11                COMMISSIONER AVILA:  There being no
     12   other business, this committee is adjourned.
     13                     *-*-*-*-*
     14                (HEARING ADJOURNED)
     15                      *-*-*-*-*
     16
     17
     18
     19
     20
     21
     22
     23
     24
     25
.0010
      1                REPORTER'S CERTIFICATE
      2   STATE OF TEXAS   )
      3   COUNTY OF TRAVIS )
      4
      5        I, MELODY RENEE DeYOUNG, a Certified Court
      6   Reporter in and for the State of Texas, do hereby
      7   certify that the above and foregoing 9 pages
      8   constitute a full, true and correct transcript of
      9   the minutes of the Texas Parks and Wildlife
     10   Commission on JANUARY 19, 2000, in the commission
     11   hearing room of the Texas Parks and Wildlife
     12   Headquarters Complex, Austin, Travis County,
     13   Texas.
     14        I FURTHER CERTIFY that a stenographic record
     15   was made by me a the time of the public meeting
     16   and said stenographic notes were thereafter
     17   reduced to computerized transcription under my
     18   supervision and control.
     19        WITNESS MY HAND this the 18TH day of
     20   FEBRUARY 2000.
     21
     22          MELODY RENEE DeYOUNG, RPR, CSR NO. 3226
                 Expiration Date:  12-31-00
     23          3101 Bee Caves Road
                 Centre II, Suite 220
     24          Austin, Texas  78746
                 (512) 328-5557
     25
          EBS NO. 37595