Monday Morning Report
January 7, 2008

Internal

Reminder: The January meeting of the Austin-San Antonio Commuter Rail District Board was canceled by the District Board at their December meeting.

Sad Times, Glad Times: Condolences to Corridor Council Vice President for Economic Development Jeff Webb, whose mother passed away in December. On a brighter note, office manager Ann Rogers became Mrs. Ann Rogers Gromer on New Year's Eve.

The Austin-San Antonio Corridor Council Executive Committee meets Wednesday, January 16, 2:00 pm at the Corridor Council offices in San Marcos. RSVP to sarah@thecorridor.org.

Infrastructure

The San Marcos Municipal Airport is getting closer to attracting commercial flights following two significant December funding developments: about $1.9 million in Federal dollars toward a new terminal and air traffic control tower and a TxDOT matching grant ($2.2 million) to improve the primary runway. Details.

New government data shows that Texas could pick up as many as four new Congressional House seats after the 2010 census. Projections based on a July 2007 population snapshot from the Census Bureau show that Florida could pick up two, while Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina could add one each. Full story.

Construction starts this week on the demolition of the Hackberry/Grainger Road Bridge on IH 35 at Salado, about 19 miles south of Temple. TxDOT will be adding one additional lane both northbound and southbound.

After a tempestuous meeting with about 150 local residents, Emerald Correctional Management representatives announced last week that the company has abandoned plans to build a 1,000-bed deportation facility in Caldwell County. "The residents made it clear they don't want the facility," said a spokesman. Read more. 

Economic Development

A new 'hyper-local' news service has started in San Marcos, covering Hays County and the IH-35 Corridor between Austin and San Antonio: http://newstreamz.com/. The site covers politics, local news, Texas State University events and local business news.

Guadalupe Regional Medical Center in Seguin has begun a $100 million expansion project that includes 141,000 square feet of new construction, remodeling of 65,000 square feet and allows the hospital to substantially extend its health care services for a seven county area

The Texas Leadership Institute presents a course on Tax Increment Financing Tools at the LCRA Riverside Conference Center in Bastrop on Feb. 15. Topics include Municipal Management Districts, Public Utilities Districts, Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones, and Public Improvement Districts. Go to www.texasleadership.org for more information/details.

Thought for the week:

“We have so much time and so little to do.  Strike that, reverse it.”

Roald Dahl (1916 – 1990