TipSheet: Travis County, 2.09.16

The Travis County Commissioners Court meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday. In the interest of space, we’ve decided not to post the entire agenda here. The County Clerk’s office hosts a copy at its website.

2. Consider and take appropriate action regarding an order to prohibit outdoor burning in unincorporated Travis County. (Judge Eckhardt)

Monitor’s Take: Looks like the meteorologists who called for a cold, wet winter were — brace yourself — wrong. Instead, the first few weeks of 2016 in Austin have been dry and warm — and, in the past few days, windy. Thus it is that we could very well see our first burn ban of the year, a largely symbolic bellwether of, well, the weather.

7. Consider and take appropriate action on economic development tools available to Travis County. (Commissioner Gómez)

Monitor’s Take: Ask any current mayor of Austin in 2016, and he will tell you that there are many tools in the toolbox when it comes to economic development. The same applies to Travis County’s toolbox, and it seems that staff would like to let the Commissioners Court consider its many tools — including tax rebates, tax-increment financing, and public improvement districts — and figure out priorities and projects for their implementation in the coming years.

17. Approve interlocal agreement between City of Austin and Travis County for fleet fueling services. (Judge Eckhardt)

Monitor’s Take: In case anyone was worried that the court’s deal to sell its service station at W. 10th Street and N. Lamar Boulevard last year would lead to a Mad Max hellscape of abandoned county vehicles littering the roadways, fear not. It seems the county and city have struck a deal to allow the former fill up its tanks at the latter’s service stations, all at a cool 18-cent premium per gallon.

19. Approve contract award for Business Class Cable Television Services with Time Warner Cable Enterprises, LLC. (Judge Eckhardt)

Monitor’s Take: Several heads of various county agencies submitted letters to the Commissioners Court requesting cable television at their facilities. Both the Sheriff’s Office and the County Clerk’s Office said they need to occasionally monitor breaking news situations, both locally and nationally. (Isn’t that what Twitter is for?)

21. Receive report from Public Information Subcommittee. (Commissioner Gómez)

Monitor’s Take: A subcommittee working for months on the ins and outs of creating a dedicated public information office for the county will deliver its 24-page report to the Court. No vote is scheduled to happen on Tuesday, but the scuttlebutt says that it could happen in the coming weeks.

24. Consider and take appropriate action on Schedule Delays notification received from Flintco, LLC on the construction of the Ronnie Earle Building. (Judge Eckhardt)

Monitor’s Take: Something is holding up construction on the new headquarters for the District Attorney’s Office, though it’s not clear yet what it is. What is certain, however, is that if the delays add to the cost of the project, Commissioner Ron Davis might not be his usual bubbly self.