For additional notes on the presentations, a copy of “2012 Water for Texas,” or help with the TxWRAP viewer, please contact Bruce Barr, bruceb@county.org.
By Bruce Barr
TAC County G.I.S. Analyst
Two senior agency officials gave presentations to county judges on the recently released 2012 Water for Texas plan, the current drought and a recap of the record 2011 fire season at the TAC Fall Administrative Workshop in Corpus Christi Nov. 14.
Carolyn Brittin, Texas Water Development Board deputy executive administrator for Water Resource Planning and Information, led off the discussion by going over the history of the state water planning process, the primary drivers and the expected impacts on Texas if projected conditions are realized.
Key components of the 2012 Water for Texas forecast are the projections that the Texas population is expected to increase from 25.4 million in 2010 to 46.3 million in 2060 — an increase of 82 percent. That growth increase will spur municipal water demand from 4.9 to 8.4 million acre-feet. (An acre-foot is the quantity of water required to cover one acre to a depth of one foot; equivalent to 43,560 cubic feet, or 325,851 gallons.)
The plan sees agricultural use declining by 2060 from 10 million acre-feet to 8.4 — the same as municipal use — and manufacturing, electric power generation and livestock watering to increase slightly.
“Unfortunately, surface water supplies are expected to decrease from 17 million acre-feet in 2010 to about 15.3 million acre-feet in 2060. We have an immediate need of 3.6 million acre-feet, and by 2060, that need will reach 8.3 million acre-feet,” Brittin said.
Currently, there are 562 water supply projects that will raise the 2010 production numbers by 2 million acre-feet and increase the 2060 water supplies by 9 million acre-feet. Regarding state water plan capital costs, Brittin stated that by 2060, if all recommended strategies are implemented, capital costs are projected to be $53 billion dollars. Those costs only include developing new water supplies, delivery of water to a supply system and limited water treatment.
A New Drought of Record?
The latest water plan, and its 50-year estimates, are based on the “Drought of Record,” generally considered stretching from about 1950 to 1957, but both Brittin and Tom Boggus, state forester and director of the Texas Forest Service, believe the current Texas drought will replace the ’50s as the new Drought of Record.
Boggus stated that not only was the current stretch the driest, but that last summer was the hottest summer of recorded history.
Most of Texas also had a significant rain period prior to the drought which started a growth spurt in vegetation. As the vegetation dried, it provided an enormous fuel potential. Add in the La Nina climate effects and Texas ran head-long into what Boggus called the “perfect firestorm.”
Beginning with the April 2011 wildfire outbreaks and culminating with the Labor Day firestorms, Texas fire departments and the Texas Forest Service (TFS) have responded to a total of 28,740 fires covering nearly 4 million acres. Because Texas is becoming more urbanized, 25,286 of those fires were within 2 miles of a community.
Adequate Response
Because of good foresight, a significant number of resources were preplaced before the outbreaks. Boggus reported to the judge’s group that during the April firestorms TFS resources in Texas stretched 660 miles north to south and 640 miles east to west.
He also said that the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) was another reason for the relative success during the 2011 fire season. Using TIFMAS, which was set up for local support of hurricane, flood and wildfire response, there were seven mobilizations this year involving 354 engines and 1,280 firefighters from 204 fire departments.
The use of air resources included a DC 10, C130s, and other aircraft for a total of 16,920 flight hours, 54,475 drops with more than 34 million total gallons dropped of both water and retardant.
“Texas has more than 60,000 active firefighters, more than half of them volunteers,” Boggus said.
He also noted that volunteer fire departments respond to 90 percent of the wildfires in Texas — departments with little to no money.
Boggus continued his presentation by describing how TFS is the incident management team responsible for Texas response and how it coordinates with the other southern states and state agencies for a unified response to extreme weather events.
TxWRAP
Boggus concluded by introducing the Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal (TxWRAP) to the judges. TxWRAP is the primary mechanism for the Texas Forest Service to deploy risk information and create awareness about wildfire issues across the state. The portal has three different GIS base use levels, a public viewer, a professional viewer and a fire occurrence explorer.
About the Water Plan
The first Texas water plan, explained Brittin, was driven by the ’50s drought — until now considered the drought of record. At that time, the Texas Legislature passed the various water codes that established the Texas Water Board and the State Water Plan. Not wanting to create a system that was state centric, the state plan is based around the 16 regional water plans and more than 3,000 local water user groups. The state water plan is developed on a five-year planning cycle with a 50 year planning horizon and looks at the future needs of irrigated agriculture, municipal use, electrical power generation, manufacturing and livestock watering.
More Info
For additional notes on the presentations, a copy of “2012 Water for Texas,” or help with the TxWRAP viewer, please contact Bruce Barr, bruceb@county.org.
By Laura Garcia
TAC Deputy Legislative Director
Congress recently approved, and the president signed, H.R. 2112, legislation which includes the FY 2012 appropriations bills for several federal agencies, including those with jurisdiction over issues relating to criminal justice, rural development, as well as transportation. The bill includes some reductions to county-related programs from the FY 2011 appropriated amounts. Below is a breakdown of some of the funding impacting counties:
State and Local Law Enforcement Activities Provides $2.2 billion, which is $570 million, or 20 percent, below the FY 2011 funding level, for grants to assist local and state law enforcement.
Transportation
Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) formula program
Rural Development
Three-Percent Withholding Mandate Repealed
Legislation that repeals the federal mandate requiring certain state and local governments to withhold three percent from certain payments was recently approved by Congress and signed by the president. The legislation, H.R. 674, sponsored by Rep. Wally Herger (R-California), repeals a provision of the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 that requires counties that spend $100 million or more annually to withhold three percent of their payments for certain goods and services and remit the amount to the Internal Revenue Service. The mandate was scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2013.
By Laura Nicholes
TAC Legislative Staff
Governor Rick Perry appointed 13 members to the new Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) board Nov. 8.
The TJJD was created in the most recent legislative session through the passage of Senate Bill 653, in which the Texas Youth Commission and Texas Juvenile Probation Commission were abolished and their separate roles and responsibilities were combined into a new agency. The intent of the merger was to create a new probation-driven and community-focused agency.
Washington County Judge John Brieden, Ellis County Judge Carol Bush and Midland County Commissioner Jimmy Smith were selected by the governor to serve on the TJJD board. These appointments will provide Brieden, Bush and Smith the opportunity to bring the perspectives of their peers to the state agency table and represent a broad range of county interests.
The effect and impact of the juvenile system on local governments are far reaching and include the areas of administration/funding local juvenile probation departments; juvenile detention facilities; access, resources and ability to support community based initiatives.
Also appointed to the board were three county chief juvenile probation officers representing small, medium and large juvenile probation departments: Jane King of the Randall County Juvenile Probation Department; Michael Made of the Fort Bend County Juvenile Probation Department; and Melissa Weiss of the Austin County Juvenile Probation Department.
The addition of juvenile chiefs to the agency board will allow practical input from the perspective of people involved in the daily operational, implementation and programmatic issues within juvenile departments.
Additional noteworthy county appointments include Joseph Brown, criminal district attorney of Grayson County, and Laura Parker, judge of the 386th Juvenile District Court in Bexar County.
Next Step: Selection of Executive Director
The TJJD transition team has been working on the business continuity plan for merging the two agencies. The TJJD board will meet on Dec. 1 to begin the process of selecting an executive director.
The job description and application process are being vetted and the position will be posted on the current websites of the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission, Texas Youth Commission and the Texas Workforce Commission when approved by the board.
Among the responsibilities of the transition team is the establishment of a transition plan for combining the agency budgets and maintaining necessary support, programs and services in both agencies, as well as defining a funding mechanism for the new intervention and prevention initiative. This initiative was zero funded by the Legislature.
Currently, counties and property taxpayers contribute a statewide average of about 75 percent of funding toward the support and implementation of programs in local juvenile probation departments and detention facilities operated by juvenile probation departments. Secure state-run facilities for housing the most dangerous juvenile offenders (TYC facilities) require adequate funding to operate and provide the intensive treatment and educational services mandated by law. These facilities and services are wholly funded by the state.
Among the concerns relayed to legislative committees by advocate groups and county representatives during the legislative process on SB 653 was that in times of state budget reductions, probation funding might be cut and deemed a “cost savings” to the state since the institutional side is dependent on state funds.
The TJJD transition team will accept stakeholder input, including input from county officials and juvenile probation departments, regarding general aspects of the transition plan at a Dec. 7 meeting in Austin. For further information, contact Laura Nicholes at (800) 456-5974 or lauran@county.org.
By Laura Nicholes
TAC Legislative Staff
The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) met Nov. 2-3 under the leadership of Burnet County Judge Donna Klaeger. The agency is continuing its review of minimum jail standards.
The Commission is encouraging sheriffs, county commissioners courts, jailers, advocacy groups and others interested in jail standards to participate in discussions and submit comments regarding support or concerns to specific standards. TCJS will host quarterly workshops the afternoon prior to each of its quarterly meetings.
The first workshop was held Nov. 2; comments and discussions primarily included the processes and procedures by which TCJS will review jail standards in 2012. Klaeger set a goal to review all the minimum jail standards in an organized, time efficient manner in an open forum by year end 2012. A standardized form for submitting comments is being prepared by TCJS staff and will be forwarded to stakeholders through list serves, County Progress magazine and the commission website.
“[The workshops] will allow TCJS to hear comments, have open discussions on Standards, and to receive input and information so that we will be able to make informed decisions during the review process,” said Klaeger. “There will be no action taken during the workshops.
“Some issues will require more information, history, possible legal opinions, and stakeholder input. In those instances, the chair will appoint a committee of stakeholders to meet as needed to discuss, with the goal to bring a consensus recommendation on the issue back to the commission.”
Timelines to review each of the 36 chapters of standards are as follows:
Comments received by the deadline will be posted as an attachment to the corresponding Workshop Agenda to provide an opportunity for review. TCJS will include a review of history, legislation and legal actions pertaining to the standards as points of reference prior to posting.
“We have set up a very precise schedule so that you will know well in advance what standards are up for review,” Klaeger said. “Members of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards are looking forward to hearing from you during this review process.”
Klaeger encouraged those interested in jail standards to take the time to discuss the issues with county stakeholders, including judges, commissioners court, sheriffs, jailers and bailiffs.
If you have suggestions about the process, forward them to Chair Judge Donna Klaeger at countyjudge@burnetcountytexas.org.