Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Preview of the 4/20/2010 meeting
NOTE: Unlike certain local newspapers, I LOVE feedback and comments!!! I accept anonymous comments or there are several ways to login without having to create a new account. Lately, I've gotten more comments in person than I get on the site. That's VERY cool, but hopefully people will have comments about the items I discuss telling me what you like and don't like. Let's start a conversation.
Most of all.....start a conversation with your council member. THEY represent YOU! They really like it when you ask them for information. I'm not sure they like it so much when you call or write to gripe about something, but if I were in their shoes I would prefer that to silence.
Here is the link to the full agenda: http://www.waco-texas.com/meetings.asp Click on the date to get this meeting's agenda.
I apologize for missing the last meeting. I did not see anything of great importance and the rest of my life got in the way. Although I'm still very busy, there are several things I would like to call attention to. I have learned that once it gets on the agenda it's pretty much a done deal, but we should still be aware of what our city council members are doing and tell them how we feel about it.
I'm short on time, so I can't go through every item. I also won't be able to attend the work session today. It's getting hard for me to miss work. I will try to catch it online or on TV and give an update.
PH-202 - This is approval of a permit to raze a building so that a new animal emergency clinic building can be built. This will be at 3901 S. Jack Kultgen Expressway. No money spent and not infringing on our personal liberties, but I thought it was cool and you might like to know about it.
PH-207, 208, 209, 210 - Several alleys are being abandoned. What is interesting about these is that the Planning Commission did not unanimously vote to approve all of them. There may be issues behind this.
PH-211 - Section 28-577 in Chapter 28 Zoning of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Waco will be changed to allow retail sales from 7pm to 12 midnight and from 5am to 7am by special permit in the O-3 Office-Limited Commercial District.
RES-213 - Authorizes the City manager to execute a 12-month lease agreement with Enterprise Rent-a-Car for nine lease vehicles with the amount not to exceed $90,000. There will be an option to allow renewal of the agreement for one additional twelve-month period. There may be reasons for leasing rather than purchasing a car. My calculations say this is an average of $833 per car per month. That sounds high to me. I suppose that maintenance is included, though.
RES-214 - The Waco McLennan County Economic Development Corporation will be giving $5 million to the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative. This is the renovation of the old General Tire facility. There are news stories available online about this. $2.5 million will be given by the City of Waco and $2.5 million by McLennan County. It is contingent upon a $20 million investment. I believe this to be a good investment, but citizens should know it is happening.
RES-215 - There is a change of amount from $944,900 to $890,100 on the contract with Kimley Horn and Associates, Inc. Irving, Texas for design services for the Ritchie Road Street Construction and Water Transmission improvement project.
RES-216 - The Waco Community Development Corporation is providing funding of $60,000 to World Changers 2010 Waco Roof Rehabilitation Project. It is not clear what roof will be rehabilitated. I searched for World Changers and found a Baptist church that does a lot of mission work. I'm not sure if it is the same entity. It sounds like something they would do. I have a question about this in to my councilman, Randy Riggs.
RES-218 and RES-220 - These two talk about a "Loan Committee", "Interim Construction Loan Program", and "New Acquisition Loan Program". I wrote my councilman, Randy Riggs, requesting more information about these programs. It almost sounds like the CoW is funding the building and purchasing of homes and protecting home buyers who are forced from their homes by condemnation. Does this bother anyone else? This is not the business of government. I may be wrong.
RES-229 - The city is going to purchase mobile data computers and docking stations from PCS Mobile of Denver, Colorado. The amount is not to exceed $84,212. It does not state what the computers are for.
RES-230 - Approves a resolution reappointing Christopher D. Taylor as Municipal Judge for a two-year term.
Remember: I LOVE feedback and comments, especially when you have more information to add to my understanding.
Most of all.....start a conversation with your council member. THEY represent YOU! They really like it when you ask them for information. I'm not sure they like it so much when you call or write to gripe about something, but if I were in their shoes I would prefer that to silence.
Here is the link to the full agenda: http://www.waco-texas.com/meetings.asp Click on the date to get this meeting's agenda.
I apologize for missing the last meeting. I did not see anything of great importance and the rest of my life got in the way. Although I'm still very busy, there are several things I would like to call attention to. I have learned that once it gets on the agenda it's pretty much a done deal, but we should still be aware of what our city council members are doing and tell them how we feel about it.
I'm short on time, so I can't go through every item. I also won't be able to attend the work session today. It's getting hard for me to miss work. I will try to catch it online or on TV and give an update.
PH-202 - This is approval of a permit to raze a building so that a new animal emergency clinic building can be built. This will be at 3901 S. Jack Kultgen Expressway. No money spent and not infringing on our personal liberties, but I thought it was cool and you might like to know about it.
PH-207, 208, 209, 210 - Several alleys are being abandoned. What is interesting about these is that the Planning Commission did not unanimously vote to approve all of them. There may be issues behind this.
PH-211 - Section 28-577 in Chapter 28 Zoning of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Waco will be changed to allow retail sales from 7pm to 12 midnight and from 5am to 7am by special permit in the O-3 Office-Limited Commercial District.
RES-213 - Authorizes the City manager to execute a 12-month lease agreement with Enterprise Rent-a-Car for nine lease vehicles with the amount not to exceed $90,000. There will be an option to allow renewal of the agreement for one additional twelve-month period. There may be reasons for leasing rather than purchasing a car. My calculations say this is an average of $833 per car per month. That sounds high to me. I suppose that maintenance is included, though.
RES-214 - The Waco McLennan County Economic Development Corporation will be giving $5 million to the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative. This is the renovation of the old General Tire facility. There are news stories available online about this. $2.5 million will be given by the City of Waco and $2.5 million by McLennan County. It is contingent upon a $20 million investment. I believe this to be a good investment, but citizens should know it is happening.
RES-215 - There is a change of amount from $944,900 to $890,100 on the contract with Kimley Horn and Associates, Inc. Irving, Texas for design services for the Ritchie Road Street Construction and Water Transmission improvement project.
RES-216 - The Waco Community Development Corporation is providing funding of $60,000 to World Changers 2010 Waco Roof Rehabilitation Project. It is not clear what roof will be rehabilitated. I searched for World Changers and found a Baptist church that does a lot of mission work. I'm not sure if it is the same entity. It sounds like something they would do. I have a question about this in to my councilman, Randy Riggs.
RES-218 and RES-220 - These two talk about a "Loan Committee", "Interim Construction Loan Program", and "New Acquisition Loan Program". I wrote my councilman, Randy Riggs, requesting more information about these programs. It almost sounds like the CoW is funding the building and purchasing of homes and protecting home buyers who are forced from their homes by condemnation. Does this bother anyone else? This is not the business of government. I may be wrong.
RES-229 - The city is going to purchase mobile data computers and docking stations from PCS Mobile of Denver, Colorado. The amount is not to exceed $84,212. It does not state what the computers are for.
RES-230 - Approves a resolution reappointing Christopher D. Taylor as Municipal Judge for a two-year term.
Remember: I LOVE feedback and comments, especially when you have more information to add to my understanding.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Churchill quote says how I feel about local government (editorial)
If you have ten thousand regulations, you destroy all respect for the law. ~ Winston ChurchillThis has been my thought all along, but this morning on Twitter (hat tip to @HenryJennings) I saw the sentence that said it succinctly.
I don't have studies by social scientists to back this up. I'm sure they are out there somewhere. These are my own thoughts based on my own feelings. In any situation where there are too many rules, I feel like I there is no way I can obey them all so I just give up. That's fine if it's a game or even a relationship. It's quite different when it's laws instead of rules and we are talking about life.
We've had civilized society for awhile now. There has to come a point where we have enough laws. They may need tweaking from time to time as new technology comes along or as attitudes change, but I think we pretty much have it covered. For example, we already have laws about reckless driving. Do we really need one against texting while driving? Are we also going to make laws against putting on make-up, reading, or eating while driving?
Bottom line is this....I hope we never get to a point where I'm afraid to leave the house because I might do something wrong that I forgot was illegal and get a ticket or a fine or worse yet go to jail.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Additional $500,000 grant to Waco Regional Airport for Safety Improvement
Click here to see an article about improvements to the Waco Regional Airport. I had questions about what was going to be done. This pretty much describes it.
http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices-us-federal-government/14204899-1.html
Highlights:
The airport received $13.1 million in federal funds last year for major runway improvements and safety enhancements. That funding will be used to extend the airport's main runway by 500 feet, rehabilitating both runways and regrading runway safety areas. Those improvements are expected to be completed by 2011.
http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices-us-federal-government/14204899-1.html
Highlights:
- The Waco Regional Airport will receive an additional $500,000 in grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Airport Improvement Program.
- The alpha taxiway will be separated from the two other taxiways. As it is now, planes must make a hard left or hard right at a certain time or risk going on the wrong taxiway.
- Add air conditioning and ground power units to the passenger-loading bridge - This eliminates the need for large generators on the ramps now used to cool airplanes during boarding and deboarding.
- Some overhead utilities in the runway safety areas also will be relocated underground on the airport's two runways to keep them from interfering with approaching airplanes.
The airport received $13.1 million in federal funds last year for major runway improvements and safety enhancements. That funding will be used to extend the airport's main runway by 500 feet, rehabilitating both runways and regrading runway safety areas. Those improvements are expected to be completed by 2011.
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