TipSheet: Travis County, 1.30.18

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. Approve proclamation recognizing Major Wes Priddy for his service to Travis County. (Judge Eckhardt)

Monitor’s Take: After 32 years with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, Maj. Wes Priddy is calling it quits. A familiar face in county circles, Priddy spent the last four years serving as the head of the Corrections Bureau. During that time, he has helped reshape the video visitation policy and played a role in the ambitious master planning effort to overhaul the aging county jail campus in Del Valle.

22. Consider and take appropriate action regarding a license agreement with Cannonball Productions for use of a portion of Reimers Ranch Park as a filming location in Precinct Three. (Commissioner Daugherty)

Monitor’s Take: Apparently, Reimers Ranch Park is the hot new place for film production. Last week, the court approved an agreement to allow a production company to shoot the second season of the AMC television series “The Son” on the western Travis County parkland. This week, the court will decide whether to allow a Rooms To Go commercial to be filmed at the park. Your first inclination might be that a chain furniture store’s TV ad might not be quite as cool as a prestige cable drama, but get a load of this description: “The filming will be of two ladies driving a vehicle on the park roads, then meeting at a couch that will be placed along the roadway.” We heard a rumor that this is exactly the same script that Sergio Leone began shooting “Once Upon a Time in America” with and that the actors simply improvised the rest.

24. Consider and take appropriate action regarding Travis County appointments to the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) Board of Directors. (Judge Eckhardt)

Monitor’s Take: David Armbrust, Charles Heimsath, Amy Pattillo, Amanda Brown, Donny Hamilton and John Langmore. Six applicants, two open seats. Four people will go home brokenhearted on Tuesday while the last two standing will rise to the powerful CTRMA Board of Directors. County Judge Sarah Eckhardt has indicated that the court will likely return one of the two incumbents – Armbrust or Heimsath – while sending along some fresh blood to help direct the toll road authority. But strange things are often afoot, and politics makes for unexpected outcomes, and each of the four new faces presented strong qualifications for the position during last week’s interviews.

The Austin Monitor’s work is made possible by donations from the community. Though our reporting covers donors from time to time, we are careful to keep business and editorial efforts separate while maintaining transparency. A complete list of donors is available here, and our code of ethics is explained here.