Monday Morning Report
September 24, 2007

Internal

The Austin-San Antonio Corridor Council is now accepting credit cards for membership dues, sponsorships, etc.  If you wish to use a credit card please fill out the authorization form and fax to 512-558-7360.  ASACC now accepts American Express, Discover, Master Charge and VISA credit cards.  Details here.  Credit Card Authorization form here.

About 75 people attended the San Antonio General Membership meeting last week (9/19) to hear Austin mayor Will Wynn discuss his global warming city initiatives and honor Senator Jeff Wentworth for his contributions toward transportation issues in the recent Legislative session. San Antonio's Richard Perez and Austin's own Bob Huthnance of Frost Bank presided as this year's chairmen of the Corridor Council. Ross Milloy gave a project status update and discussed preparations for the 2009 Legislature. For details, email council@thecorridor.org.  See photos here

Infrastructure

San Antonio was a finalist but New York’s school system, the largest in the country, last week won the Broad Prize, given to an urban school district that makes great improvements in student achievement, particularly in closing gaps between white and minority students. Details.

Just over a year before it is scheduled to open, the San Marcos Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center projects are on schedule and within the budget, project managers said last week. The 10-story, $50 million hotel is about 35% complete. The $21 million conference center is about 30% complete.

Round Rock became the latest city to implement a red-light camera program last week. The city council approved an ordinance laying out the process and penalties, setting the fine amount at $75 and specifying the violation as a civil infraction as opposed to the criminal infraction motorists receive if ticketed for the same offense by a police officer. Details here.

The fate of that controversial New Braunfels 'tuber-fee' that charges outfitters for renting equipment and giving rides to tubers on the area's rivers will be decided in court this week. Some are claiming the fee ($1.25) is unconstitutional and a judge's ruling should settle that question by Friday. More here.

Austin will be one of the test sites for a federally funded study on replacing the gas tax with a charge on the mileage people drive. About 450 volunteers will be outfitted with a Global Positioning System receiver and an on-board computer that will collect the data and periodically dump it into a billing system. Details here.

TxDOT and San Antonio officials are sparring over who will build and manage toll lanes along Loop 1604, either the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority or a private company in a state-managed contract. Everyone is 'playing nice' at the moment, but key questions of local control and millions - maybe billions - of dollars are at stake. Details from the Express-News here.

The San Antonio Express-News also had a story over the weekend about emails TxDOT has received about proposed toll projects and the potential of tolling Interstate highway lanes. Some included death threats and a few comparisons of TxDOT to Saddam Hussein - a new high in rhetorical overkill. See some of these doozies here.

Economic Development

Kyle's city council unanimously voted to approve an incentive package, the city's largest to date, that will give Seton Family of Hospitals and SCC Development Co. $48 million over the next 20 years. The project will be located on 205 acres in Kyle.

Round Rock-based Dell Inc. will open its first retail store in Russia next month. The Moscow store is Dell's second in Europe.

The Greater Austin Area added approximately 30,000 jobs last year. Austin and Round Rock districts added about 4,300 jobs just in August according to the Texas Workforce Commission. The unemployment rate in the region is 3.5 percent, which is lower than in the State of Texas and the entire nation, 4.1 and 4.6 percent respectively.  Find out more here.

Scott & White Health System has hired Breeze Marketing, an Austin-based firm, to handle its advertising. The marketing firm will handle media planning and placement for the hospital's advertising campaigns. Scott & White is a three-hospital health care system with a flagship hospital and clinic in Temple.

Austin's Michael Dell, chief executive of Dell Inc. ranked No. 8 on Forbes magazine's latest list of the top 400 wealthiest Americans. His fortune rang in at $17.2 billion this year. Microsoft Founder Bill Gates snagged the No.1 spot for the 14th consecutive year with a $59 billion fortune. Investor Warren Buffett came in below Gates wit a net worth of $52 billion.

Thought for the week:

Small things, done in great love, bring joy and peace.  --Mother Teresa

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© 2007 Austin-San Antonio Corridor Council