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TipSheet: Travis County, 12.3.19

Tuesday, December 3, 2019 by Jack Craver

The Travis County Commissioners Court meets every Tuesday at 9 a.m. To help our readers stay informed, each week we offer a selection of interesting items from the voting session agenda. The entire agenda is available at the Travis County website.

6. Receive update on jail population trends and diversion efforts in regard to women’s jail capacity. (Judge Eckhardt)

Monitor’s Take: When the Commissioners Court voted to fund a new women’s jail, it did so over the objections of activists who said the county should invest in diversion rather than incarceration. County Judge Sarah Eckhardt and other commissioners have been vocal proponents of reducing the jail population but they argued a new facility was still necessary to improve conditions for inmates. This report should be an opportunity to discuss whether the county is making progress on either goal.

28. Consider and take appropriate action on an exception from platting requirements for the Bentree RV Resort in Precinct Three. (Commissioner Daugherty)

Monitor’s Take: This may largely mirror the debate over an RV park that the Commissioners Court OK’d last month, despite objections from Commissioner Brigid Shea about a lack of secondary vehicle access. County staffers have taken the position that while RV parks should be treated as subdivisions, they do not have to be subject to all of the same requirements as brick-and-stick homes. Like the last RV park the court debated, this one has proposed sites for 35 RVs. Staff members have said that secondary access to the site should not be required for fewer than 100 RVs.

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Key Players & Topics In This Article

Travis County Commissioners Court: The legislative body for Travis County. It includes representatives from the four Travis County Precincts, as well as the County Judge. The County Judge serves as the chair of the Court.

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