TipSheet: Travis County, 8.27.19

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. Consider and take appropriate action regarding the appointment process for a judicial vacancy in County Court at Law Number 4 of Travis County. (Judge Eckhardt)

Monitor’s Take: County Court-at-Law Judge Mike Denton, who has been in office since 1999, is stepping down and is rumored to be exploring a run for county attorney. Today, the Commissioners Court will kick off the process of filling the vacancy by appointing a subcommittee to come up with a list of interview questions and finalists for the position. Next month, the court will interview the candidates and will make a final decision on Oct. 1.

7. Receive outcome and performance data on the Travis County Mental Health Jail Diversion Program through Pretrial Services and Integral Care. (Commissioners Daugherty & Gómez)

Monitor’s Take: Two weeks ago, the court voted to enter into an agreement with Integral Health to expand this program, but commissioners also expressed frustration with staff for not presenting data on the outcomes of the pilot. Notably, how often are people who benefited from the program returning to jail? Staff members are back with a presentation which includes some data that may or may not address the commissioners’ concerns.

26. Consider and take appropriate action regarding amendments to the following in order to implement House Bill 3167 and make cleanup revisions: A. Chapter 482, Travis County Development Regulations B. Title 30, Travis County-City of Austin combined code for subdivision development C. Chapter 464, Regulations for Floodplain Management and Guidelines and Procedures for Development Permits (Public Hearing 1) (Commissioners Travillion & Shea)

Monitor’s Take: A new state law imposes a 30-day deadline for local governments to reject or approve subdivision applications. City Council voted last week to amend city code to bring the city into compliance and now the county must make changes to its processes as well. Expect to hear serious concerns from commissioners and staff about whether the county – particularly in times of budget constraints – will be able to meet the new state requirements.

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