Finance Committee

Wednesday, 9:00am, Nov. 3, 2004

Commission Hearing Room
4200 Smith School Road
Austin, TX 78744
Item No. Subject Public Hearing Agenda Item No.
  Approve previous Committee Meeting minutes.  
1. Chairman's Charges (Oral Presentation) Committee Only
2. Financial Review Update
Staff: Mary Fields
Committee Only
3. Legislative Overview
Staff: Robert Cook
Committee Only
4. Local Park Grants Rule Amendments – Chapter 61, Subchapters B-E
Staff: Tim Hogsett
Committee Only
5. Other Business  

Committee Agenda Item No. 2
Presenter: Mary Fields

Finance Committee
Financial Review Update
November 2004

I. Executive Summary: Staff will present a financial review for FY 2004 and a year-to-date financial review for FY 2005. This will include an update on revenues for Account 9, Game, Fish and Water Safety and Account 64, State Parks and an operating budget status. The Business Improvement Plan will also be discussed.


Committee Agenda Item No. 3
Presenter: Robert Cook

Finance Committee
Legislative Overview
November 2004

I. Executive Summary: Review department legislative strategy including appropriations and statutory issues.


Committee Agenda Item No. 4
Presenter: Tim Hogsett

Finance Committee
Local Park Grants Rule Amendments – Chapter 61
November 2004

I. Executive Summary: TPWD staff requests that proposed revisions to Subchapters B-E of Chapter 61 be published in the Texas Register for comment. As background, the Texas Recreation and Parks Account Program (TRPA) is funded through a dedication of a portion of the state sales tax on sporting goods. Chapter 24 of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Code requires the adoption of rules and regulations for grant assistance. Programs administered as part of TRPA include:

During the last nine months, staff has been preparing draft rules and regulations for administration of the Texas Recreation and Parks Account Program for consideration by the Commission. The last such general review of program guidelines was in 2000. Since January 2004 the following major activities have taken place in the process of preparing draft rules:

Date Major activities in the process of preparing draft rules
February 18 Staff meeting to begin a draft list of proposed changes
February 25 Survey mail out
March 31 Survey return deadline
April 21 Staff retreat
May 7 Focus group meeting
July 19 - September 17 Public Hearings: Lubbock, El Paso, Abilene, Arlington, New Braunfels, Harlingen, League City and Tyler.

Proposed rule changes include revisions in the priority ranking (scoring) systems used to distribute funds in the following general areas:

Other administrative changes being proposed include:

In general, the proposed changes in rule and scoring criteria are minor in scope and will not dramatically alter existing procedures.

II. Discussion: TPWD staff recommends that the proposed changes be published in the Texas Register for public comment.