After the 81st Legislative Session: What Happened? What Didn't? What's Ne xt?
Don't miss ECT's 81st Legislative Roundup Luncheon on Monday, August 31, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30
p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Austin. This is your opportunity to hear a panel
of Central Texas legislators discussing the wins, losses and frustrations of the
81st Texas Legislative Session, especially as they relate to regional
transportation and land use. Participants in the legislative luncheon hosted by the ECT Transportation and Land Use Committee include Senator Glenn Hegar, Senator Kirk Watson, Senator Jeff Wentworth, Representative Valinda Bolton, Representative Eddie Rodriguez and Representative Patrick Rose. The panel will also discuss future strategies and next steps on key issues between sessions and there will be an opportunity for questions from the audience. Tickets are $35 each, table sponsorships for eight are available for $500 and host sponsorships are $1,500. For more information, call 512.916.3067. To register online, click here.
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Advo cating for Tools and Resources
Jurisdictions in Central Texas need both planning tools and financial resources to address current and future growth challenges.
Unfortunately, many of the tools and resources needed for this planning
are inadequate or do not exist. In
the interests of furthering several of ECT's core principles, and in
anticipation of these issues being discussed in the 81st Texas
Legislative Session, ECT launched two Working Groups in January 2009 to examine
county growth management tools and local transportation funding options. Position papers were produced by each group and ECT staff and volunteers actively participated in work on these issues during the Session. While not as much was
accomplished this year as we might have hoped, there were some positive steps to report. Click here to read a report on ECT's advocacy efforts.
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Megaregion+Megaprosperity: Sustainable Economics for the Texas Triangle 
Megaregion + Megaprosperity: Sustainable Economics for the Texas Triangle
is the title of an exciting conference planned for September 24 - 25 in Houston. The event partners include Envision Central Texas, the University of Texas at Austin, Vision North
Texas, Houston Tomorrow and America 2050. The conference will focus on the Texas Triangle Megaregion and
investing in a 21st Century infrastructure for the nation, and will bring
together leaders from across the Texas Triangle Megaregion to begin
planning together for the future of Texas. For more information, visit this link.
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Comprehensive Planning Around the Central Texas Region Comprehensive plans serve a critical role in setting policy and direction for cities to address future growth and development. It is a vital way for citizens in those communities to express their priorities and values and help shape that future growth. The City of Pflugerville has recently undertaken a comprehensive planning process entitled "Pflugerville 2030: Your Choice, Your Voice". Hundreds of residents have participated in the values and visioning workshops in recent months, and a modeling the future workshop scheduled for August 6th. Click here to find out more. The City of Austin is in the planning stages of its comprehensive plan, the first in nearly 30 years. They are currently working with a consulting team to develop the scope of service, and anticipate public input beginning in Fall, 2009. You can get on the list to receive updates about the Austin Comprehensive Plan at their website.Other cities in the region, such as City of Kyle are gearing up to undertake another comprehensive plan. And still others, such as the City of Elgin, have recently updated their plans. For a good primer about comprehensive plans and how they are used, visit this City of Elgin webpage. |
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ECT Welcomes New Board Members
Several new community leaders have recently been elected to serve on the Envision Central Texas Board of Directors:
 Mayor Jeff Coleman, City of Pflugerville
Lynda Shanblum, Austin Regional Clinic
Tom Yantis, BWR Corporation
ECT also welcomes Kevin Kluge, representing Pflugerville Council of Neighborhood Associations and replacing Rod Reyna. We thank Rod for his service, as well as former board members Ashton Cumberbatch, David Foster, George Garver, Jay Hailey, Rufus Honeycutt, Jeff King, Bill McLellan, Robin Rather and Charles Urdy. You can view the complete Board of Directors list by clicking here.
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 Celebrating the 2009 CSA Recipients
Congratulations to the 2009 Envision Central Texas Community Stewardship Award Recipients! This year featured another diverse line up of people, projects and initiatives that are taking the elements of our region's common Vision and making them real today. Here is a list of the award categories and this year's recipients: - New Development - Capital MetroRail Red Line
- Redevelopment - The Alley Flats Initiative
- Pioneer - Sustainable Food Center
- Public Planning and Policy - City of Hutto
- Raising Public Awareness - Katherine Gregor
- W. Neal Kocurek Legacy Award - Pike Powers
ECT's Community Stewardship Awards are a great way to celebrate the many positive efforts that are helping ensure our region is one of the best places in the country to live. Be thinking now about the kinds of initiatives you would like to see recognized in 2010. The application process will begin in January '10 and we will be announcing the date of the awards luncheon soon. To learn more about this year's award finalists and recipients, click here.
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Greenprint Heads into Final Stretch 
In early June, a diverse array of citizens from Bastrop, Caldwell and Hays counties participated in county-wide stakeholder meetings to provide a final round of input on the Central Texas Greenprint for Growth.
The Greenprint is both a tool and a process that helps communities identify park and land conservation opportunities that are in alignment with their priorities, values and goals. Each County Stakeholder group agreed on their final "opportunity map" which highlights areas in their communities that meet multiple goals. They then worked together to identify specific action steps and various incentive, partnership and
funding strategies they could use to move forward on those goals. All of this input is currently being compiled into a comprehensive Greenprint report scheduled to be released this Fall. In addition to the report, the opportunity maps will be made available on an interactive website. In the meantime, you can learn more about the project by clicking here and logging on as a guest to the Greenprint website. |
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Newest ECT Contributors
Jon Beall
Valarie Bristol
Environmental Stewardship
Cid Galindo
Greater Austin-San Antonio Corridor Council
Jim Skaggs
2009 CSA Sponsors
PLATINUM SPONSORS
Capital Metro
City of Leander
City of Pflugerville
City of San Marcos
Hays County
Samsung Austin Semiconductor
Seton Family of Hospitals
Texas State University
Travis County
University of Texas at Austin
GOLD SPONSORS
DLA Piper
SILVER SPONSORS
Advanced Micro Devices
Fulbright & Jaworski LLP
Jacobs
McCarthy Building Companies
Senator Glenn Hegar
Southwest Strategies Group
Texas Gas Service
NON-PROFIT SPONSORS
Aqua Water Supply Corporation
Austin Community College District
Barton Springs-Edwards Aquifer Conservation District
City of Hutto
Downtown Austin Alliance
Environmental Stewardship
Hill Country Alliance
St. David's Community Health Foundation
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