Monday Morning Report
February 25, 2008 

Internal

The Executive Committee of the Austin-San Antonio Corridor met Feb. 20.  Agenda items included updates on the commuter rail project, Federal funding requests changes, TxDOT cutbacks, and a review of 2008 Goals and projects. Minutes available later in the week.

The Economic Development Committee‘s tour of the Central Texas Technology Center, (CTTC) and Airport in New Braunfels is scheduled this Wednesday, February 27^th.  Please RSVP to jeffwebb@thecorridor.org if you haven’t done so or call 512-558-7360 for more information.

The next meeting of the Austin-San Antonio Commuter Rail District Board will be held in San Antonio in the Alamo Area Council of Governments conference room on March 7, 8700 Tesoro St, at 10:00 am.

The Transportation Task Force Steering Committee will meet Friday, Feb. 29, 2008, at the Council offices in San Marcos, 304 C.M. Allen Parkway.

Infrastructure

The Austin Chamber of Commerce hosts its annual trip to Washington D.C. beginning April 7, 2008. Fifty regional business leaders and elected officials will work on important issues at the Federal level, from taxes to transportation, share community concerns with Congress and honor the work of Texas members of Congress at a Texas Congressional BBQ reception on Capitol Hill. Contact shentges@austinchamber.org.

That $1 billion "accounting error" that led TxDOT officials to a showdown with members of the Texas Senate earlier this month will now lead to a comprehensive review of the entire financial process of the agency. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Tom Craddick called for an audit of TxDOT last week, citing "significant weakness and questionable accounting procedures" the agency is using for financial forecasting and reporting.

Rail projects continue across Texas: The Denton County Transportation Authority has asked the Regional Transportation Council for $194 million for construction of rail stations and other projects scheduled to begin in 2010. Last month, the RTC approved $57 million toward the purchase of 12 light rail vehicles to be used in the 21-mile rail line connection between Denton and Carrollton.

Our colleague Neal Peirce has been writing about transportation and urban issues for many years with the Washington Post Writer's Group, but since these columns don't always get carried by the local newspapers you can sign up to receive them directly here.

Economic Development

Cedar Park city leaders have agreed to build a $55 million entertainment center and ice rink with Hicks Sports Marketing Group. The firm is owned by Tom Hicks, who also owns the Texas Rangers and Dallas Stars baseball and hockey teams.

JetBlue Airways Corp. is adding more daily nonstop flights from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The new flights will start service to Fort Lauderdale, Fla; Orlando, Fla. and San Francisco, Calif. on May 1. The airline also announced a new daily nonstop flight between Austin and L.A./Long Beach, Calif. last week that will also start May 1. The new flights bring JetBlue’s nonstop destinations form Austin to six.

Downtown Austin is getting a Westin Hotel. The 18-story, 300-room hotel will go up on the site of the former Bitter End bar in the Warehouse District. The Westin will feature 15,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, a spa, street-level restaurant, and a landscaped pool deck and bar on the third floor that will overlook Third Street.

H.E. Butt Grocery Co. (H-E-B) and the Wind Energy Corp. are joining forces to study the commercial application of wind energy. Beginning in March, Wind Energy will install a wind turbine at H-E-B’s Weslaco Retail Support Center and spend 18 to 24 months collecting data and researching the wind power potential.

Leadership Austin Engage Speaker Series Topic 6:  The Global Economy:  “The good, the bad and the ugly,” sponsored by Compass Bank will take place Tuesday, March 4 at Chez Zee Gallery, 5406 Balcones Drive beginning at 7:30am. Speakers include Blake Hastings, VP, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas in San Antonio and Senator Kirk Watson.  Details and registration here

Thought for the week:

“Blessed are the young, for they will inherit the national debt."