august2009 cac#1 meeting summary

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US 281 Environmental Impact Statement Community Advisory Committee

August 20, 2009, 6:00–8:00 p.m. Methodist Stone Oak Hospital

Meeting Summary

Name Organization Members/Alternates Present Palmira Arellano Methodist Stone Oak Hospital Gloria Arriaga Alamo Area Council of Governments Mel Borel San Antonio Toll Party Arthur Downey District 9 Neighborhood Alliance Cindy Griffin Timberwood Park Gina Groomer-Barbera Stone Oak Business Owners Association Tom Haynes Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance David Heidenrich Mountain Lodge Homeowners Association Todd Helmer Greater San Antonio Builders Association Diane Hoskins (sitting-in for Charles “Frosty” Forster) Professional Engineers in private practice Cindy Kovacic San Antonio Water System Daniel Lange San Antonio Real Estate Council/Bitterblue Keith Lindsey Lookout Canyon Property Owners Association Charles McBride Summerglen Homeowners Association Dick McNary North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce Viki Melton Stone Oak Property Owners Association Brigitte Perkins Northeast Independent School District Tim Rice Cavalo Creek Homeowners Association Al Rocha (sitting-in for Roger Placencia) BexarMet Elena Serna Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance Enrique Valdivia Aquifer Guardians in Urban Areas Susan Wright Cibolo Canyons Resort Community, Inc. Staff and Consultants Present Leroy Alloway Alamo Regional Mobility Authority Terry Brecthel Alamo Regional Mobility Authority Leigh-Ann Fabianke SMITH/Associates Pat Irwin Alamo Regional Mobility Authority MariAna Jimenez Ximenes & Associates, Inc. Sonia Jimenez Ximenes & Associates, Inc. Michelle Martinez Alamo Regional Mobility Authority Jim Robertson Jacobs Bob Thompson Alamo Regional Mobility Authority Board Linda Ximenes Ximenes & Associates, Inc.

Members/Alternates Not Present Jim Binkley Comal County Monette Fisher Big Springs Homeowners Association Charles “Frosty” Forester Professional Engineers in Private Practice Terri Hall Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom Jerry Morrisey Alamo Sierra Club Keith Parker VIA Metropolitan Transit Authority Annalisa Peace Greater Edwards Aquifer Authority John Pierret Cibolo Canyons Resort Community, Inc Roger Placencia BexarMet

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Desired Results of the Meeting:

⟨ Introduce the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) to the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority (Alamo RMA) staff, the consultant team and each other.

⟨ Discuss and get commitment from the CAC members to the CAC charter and their role and responsibilities as a CAC member.

⟨ Inform them of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process, the major milestones of the process and the CAC’s role in it.

⟨ Begin discussion of a vision for the US 281 corridor. ⟨ Review the meeting design for Public Meeting #1 and get feedback on it. ⟨ Begin to build a relationship among the Alamo RMA staff, the consultant team and the

CAC members. Welcome and Introductions Alamo Regional Mobility Authority Linda Ximenes, facilitator, began by introducing herself and welcoming everyone to the first meeting of the US 281 CAC. Ms. Ximenes then asked Terry Brechtel, Executive Director of the Alamo RMA, to kick-off the meeting. Ms. Brechtel also thanked everyone for joining and participating in the CAC in spite of everyone’s busy lives and schedules. She is looking forward to the CAC being an integral part of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Bob Thompson, Alamo RMA Board Member, also welcomed the committee members and explained how there has only been one other EIS conducted in Bexar County, so the concept is new to San Antonio and the region. The CAC will serve as a conduit for sharing information with the community and serve as a sounding board to assess the best way to communicate information with the public as the EIS study moves forward. CAC members have separate and unique opinions, much like the community at large, so they will be essential in helping identify what concerns and ideas the community has for improving the US 281 corridor. Boundary Breaker Activity Linda Ximenes, Facilitator, Ximenes and Associates Boundary Breaker exercises are designed to help build relationships and begin to understand the various CAC member viewpoints. The CAC members were divided into small groups and asked a series of questions. Below are these questions and some shared results: What brings you to this CAC meeting?

⟨ Desire to participate ⟨ Interest in the subject matter ⟨ Financial stake in the outcome of the study ⟨ Ability to provide technical support ⟨ Appointment to the Committee

What do you like least about the US 281 corridor?

⟨ Traffic ⟨ Environmental impacts ⟨ Potholes ⟨ Less gas mileage

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⟨ It is not functioning as it should What do you like most about the US 281 corridor?

⟨ Easy to navigate if traffic is flowing ⟨ If intersections are fixed, it’s a straight shot to downtown ⟨ Gateway to the Hill Country ⟨ It’s free ⟨ Excellent schools in the area

What is the most important element to consider in the EIS?

⟨ Actual progress; tangible end result ⟨ Solution should be constructed, owned, and operated locally ⟨ Smallest footprint possible; less concrete ⟨ Transparency ⟨ Property rights respected ⟨ Urgent progress ⟨ Protection of the Edwards Aquifer, endangered species, and water supply ⟨ Continual stakeholder communication

What would you like to see happen?

⟨ Aesthetically pleasing ⟨ Multi-modal system ⟨ Sound barrier walls for residents ⟨ Just fix it! ⟨ Easy access ⟨ Moving traffic

How would you like to contribute to its success?

⟨ Educating people ⟨ Providing technical information for the project ⟨ Voicing homeowners’ concerns ⟨ Providing feedback from business community ⟨ Operation/technical presence concerning utilities ⟨ Ensure that what’s being contributed is not only the opinion of the organization the

individual represents, but also have a focus on other issues related to US 281, like the aquifer.

⟨ Community regard There was then a discussion regarding alternate CAC members. It was decided that CAC members are expected to attend every meeting, but when unable to attend, they should send an alternate in their place. It is the responsibility of the primary member to keep their alternate informed and updated regarding the CAC. It is also the responsibility of the alternate to brief the primary on issues and discussion topics they may have missed in their absence. It was also decided that Methodist Stone Oak Hospital will be the location for future CAC meetings, unless unavailable.

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Action Item #1: Designated alternates will be added to the member roster and email list so they are updated and receive the same information as the primary member. Review of Charter and Acceptance of It Linda Ximenes, Facilitator, Ximenes and Associates Ms. Ximenes explained how the CAC was established to further ensure community concerns are heard and considered as the EIS moves forward. The CAC will advise the EIS team on the following aspects of the study:

⟨ Public involvement and communication activities with stakeholders and the general public related to the development of the EIS.

⟨ Development of the project’s need and purpose. ⟨ Identification of project alternatives. ⟨ Identification of the preferred alternative. ⟨ Consideration of potential social, economic and environmental impacts and mitigation

measures. Ms. Ximenes reviewed the proposed CAC charter with the group. This charter outlines the charge, organization, roles and responsibilities, meeting format, ground rules, and reporting mechanisms for the CAC. The group was then asked to accept the CAC charter as presented. By a show of hands, all members accepted, with the exception of one, who stated he had not had time to review the charter beforehand. Action Item #2: Ms. Ximenes will contact the member who did not accept the CAC charter at the August 20 meeting to discuss any concerns he may have. (The CAC Charter as presented to the Committee is attached to this meeting summary.) Overview of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Process and the Role of the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) in the Process Jimmy Robertson, Jacobs Mr. Robertson reviewed the EIS and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, EIS timeline, identified issues, and the complete range of information that will be presented at the first EIS Public Scoping Meeting on August 27, 2009 at St. Mark’s Catholic Church. At the next CAC meeting, there will be more time devoted to the information that will be presented at the second EIS Public Meeting, currently slated for November. He stressed the importance of community input throughout the EIS process. There are four public meetings and one public hearing scheduled to correspond with milestones in the EIS study. The meetings will be opportunities for the public to learn about the study and provide comments. Mr. Robertson also explained some important elements that are being considered throughout the study process like growth in the corridor, the functionality of US 281, safety, and community quality of life. Review of the Meeting Design for the First Public Scoping Meeting, August 27, 2009 Sonia Jimenez, Ximenes and Associates Ms. Jimenez reviewed the Meeting Plan, which includes the meeting design and meeting themes, for the first Public Scoping Meeting on August 27, 2009. Themes:

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⟨ This is a new study and we’re starting with a clean slate. The Alamo RMA, TxDOT Environmental Affairs Division and Federal Highway Administration are open to the consideration of all issues and a full range of preliminary alternatives.

⟨ The US 281 EIS is a separate and distinct project from other Alamo RMA projects (i.e., Super Street, 1604 Interchange, 1604 EIS).

⟨ We are “scoping” the project by asking, providing initial answers to, and seeking public comment on these questions:

o What is an EIS and why are we still “studying” the corridor? o Why does US 281 need to be improved? o What purposes should the improvements serve? o What range of alternatives should be considered? o What social, economic and environmental issues should be addressed? o How can members of the public become meaningfully involved?

⟨ We place a high propriety on community involvement. Additional “scoping” will occur this fall (November) with a focus on alternatives. A third public meeting will occur early next year (February 2010) regarding alternatives proposed for evaluation in the Draft EIS.

The meeting will be an open house format to allow attendees to come and go as they please. The meeting design will consist of seven stations with informational and interactive exhibits. Attendees may view all EIS information at their own pace and ask questions of the various EIS team members at each of the stations. Attendees have the option of depositing comment cards into boxes around the room, or using push-pins to post their comments on a designated wall for all to read. There will be chairs, tables, water and popcorn at a “Rest Stop” for people to sit, visit and fill out comment cards while viewing a looping PowerPoint presentation on the growth of population in the US 281 corridor. Comments will be accepted until September 8 for inclusion in the official record for Public Scoping Meeting #1. In addition to submitting comments at the meeting, comments can also be submitted via the web site at www.411on281.com/US281EIS, emailed to [email protected], or mailed to the Alamo RMA (Leroy Alloway, Director, Community Relations, Alamo RMA, 1222 N Main Avenue, Suite 1000, SATX 78212). Comments submitted after September 8, 2009, will be included in the official record for the Public Scoping Meeting #2. Action Item #3: The first EIS newsletter will be emailed to all CAC members, along with details and the location of the first Public Scoping Meeting on August 27 at St. Mark’s Catholic Church. (The Meeting Plan presented to the Committee is attached to this meeting summary) Closing Comments Ms. Ximenes thanked everyone for their participation in this first CAC meeting. A draft meeting summary will be emailed to all team members. Once approved, this summary will be available for public viewing on the EIS web site at www.411on281.com/US281EIS along with all the other meeting documents and materials. Meeting was adjourned at 8:00 p.m.

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Action Items AI #1: Designated alternates will be added to the member roster and email list so they are updated and receive the same information as the primary member. (COMPLETED) AI #2: Ms. Ximenes will contact the member who did not accept the CAC charter at the August 20 meeting to discuss any concerns he may have. (PENDING- communicating with the member to address his concerns.) AI #3: The first EIS newsletter will be emailed to all CAC members, along with details and the location of the first Public Scoping Meeting on August 27 at St. Mark’s Catholic Church. (COMPLETED) AI #4: At the request of one of the CAC members, CAC members will be provided with a list of regulations normally addressed in a transportation-related EIS. (The list will be distributed at the CAC meeting on November 4, 2009.)

august2009 cac#1 meeting summary

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