Leadership UpdateA Publication of the Texas Association of Regional Councils

1Texas Associat ion of Regional Counci l s 1

September 2014

Letter from the President

Getting to Know Chris Brown

Maurice PittsCommissioner,

Lee County

Executive Director, Ark-Tex Council of Governments

GettinG to Knowcontinued on p.2

TARCServing as Presi-

dent of the Tex-as Association

of Regional Coun-cils this year has been a rewarding ex-perience for me per-sonally and profes-sionally. In this role,

I’ve had the opportu-nity to work with and meet elected officials

from around the state who support re-gionalism and recognize how important it is that all of our jurisdictions work to-gether through our regional councils.

Looking at regional councils at a state level through our association, it is amaz-ing what we can share and do together. It has also been rewarding to work with the professional staff at each of the region-al councils, from Executive Directors to

planners and directors. Each of you bring so much innovation, value, and input to our state association, especially when we come together to share ideas and increase our effectiveness.

As President this past year, I have been able to work on behalf of each of you at the Legislature. TARC staff arranged opportunities for me to testify at inter-im hearings related to appropriations issues, particularly funding in dedicated accounts. We must continue to educate our legislators at home and in Austin about the importance of these accounts being used for their intended purpose and express our need for them locally. With the 84th Legislative Session almost upon us, it is more important than ever that we speak with one unified voice through TARC.

I encourage each of you to attend the September 24-26, 2014 TARC Staff

Training and Annual Board of Directors Meeting to not only discuss what we do well but also what we can do better as a group. TARC staff needs to hear about the issues you are facing and learn about each of you to be your advocates in Austin.

The next year will bring changes in legislative, agency and statewide lead-ership, but one thing that remains con-stant- our ability to use our association in Austin as a constant promoter and resource despite any changes in Austin.

I look forward to seeing you all in September as we work TOGETHER to strengthen the role of regional councils in Texas through YOUR association.

Sincerely,Maurice PittsTARC President

what would you liKe more people to Know about your reGion/CoG?

Northeast Texas has the former Dairy Capitol of the World on one end and an Army Depot and

base turned Industrial Park on the other. Throughout the region you will find pro-duction for paper, soup, juices and many other foods; a couple of coal mines; and I-30 that stretches across the counties carrying one of the highest freight traffic counts in Texas. The north part of our

region has teamed up to create a “Rail to Trail” project, that when complete, will have 130 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trail making it the longest in Texas and fourth in the nation. Oh, I should also mention the glass restrooms on one of our city squares.

where do you see reGionalism headed in the future?

A regional approach will be vital in or-der to bring new development. We have many great cities and resources that each can build on to advance their projects. Planning for transportation, water, tech-nology, industrial and agriculture growth

along with opportunities for education and tourism are vital to our area. We are competing with marketing efforts of sev-eral other states, including the two that border our north and east. Pooling our resources and using a community ap-proach only attracts more attention and show increased support for all areas we hope to retain and attract.

what was your first job?I’m not sure which came first, but my

first summer working I sacked grocer-ies at Winn Dixie, mowed yards with a

Texas Associat ion of Regional Counci l s2

TARC Leadership Update September 2014

Ginny Lewis, TARC’s Associate Director, was recently invited to participate in a leadership panel benefitting doctoral students from Hardin Simmons University. Organized by the Texas Department of Agriculture, Lewis was joined by staff from the office of State Representative Susan King.

Here at TARC we have been busy preparing for the September 24-26 TARC Staff Training and

Annual Board of Directors Meeting, including coordinating and developing agendas for the seven Staff Associations, the seven Program Committees as well as the policy committees and the Board of Directors. We have invited several out-standing speakers and special guests who will be joining us to share their knowl-edge and perspective relative to regional council programs and priorities.

Special guest at the TARC Board Meeting Friday morning will be State Representative Joe Pickett, Chair of the House Select Committee on Transporta-tion Funding, Expenditures and Finance and Chair of the House Homeland Se-curity and Public Safety Committee. An-other special guest at our Board Meeting will be Joe McKinney, Executive Direc-tor of the National Association of Devel-opment Organizations (NADO). Susan Howard, NADO Director of Govern-ment Relations & Legislative Affairs, will join us as a featured speaker at the Thursday afternoon Legislative Commit-tee Meeting and Collaboration Forum.

The training and meeting agendas of the Staff Associations are packed with substantive materials and excellent speakers. Lisa Nine-Accordini, Senior Associate, National Criminal Justice As-sociation, will provide 3 CPE hours of training highlighting OMB’s long-await-ed Omni Circular which becomes effec-tive in December. The Texas Associa-

tion of Area Agencies on Aging and the Health & Human Services Committee will focus on enhancing the T4A Net-work during their sessions. The status of the Legislative Appropriations Re-quest for 9-1-1 services will be discussed during the Emergency Communications Committee Meeting as well as potential legislative opportunities.

Even the casual observer can say with certainty that when the doors of the State Capitol open in January, 2015 for the 84th Texas Legislative Session many new faces will enter and many new challeng-es will emerge. And that may be all that can be said with certainty! We will have a new governor, lieutenant governor, comptroller, agriculture commission-er and land commissioner along with a host of new legislators. Much like the ancient fable of the blind men and the elephant, each will bring to Austin his or her own knowledge and experience (or lack thereof ) with regional councils. It is my sincere hope that most will arrive with a positive view and working under-standing of what you do at your COG. If so, that gives TARC a head start when addressing legislative issues of the great-est importance to you.

TARC takes seriously our obligation to educate legislators and state agencies about the great work of the regional councils and you make us more effective by laying a strong foundation for us at home.

We look forward to seeing you at the Hilton Austin Airport September 24-26!

$25 push mower and would lifeguard at the county club. My career began after I completed my junior year of college. I started working EMS in the Dallas area and completed my Paramedic License that brought me back to Hopkins Coun-ty. After a couple of years, I thought it best to complete my degree…in Con-struction Engineering.

when you are not worKinG, what oCCupies your time?

Tea parties, ball practice, dance recitals and grocery shopping for our three girls Katey (12), Talley (8) and Jobey (5). My wife, Lezley, and I have developed a habit of home projects (thank you HGTV and Pinterest!). After gutting and remodeling our last house, to include pulling brick off the front, we decided to take a break when we moved. Currently my ladder and nail gun are in the living room and sawdust is all over my garage. Check out our Instagram and you can see the re-stained cabinets and stairs. Some break!

who is the most interestinG person you have met over the Course of your Career? why?

I’ve had the honor to call several great people family and friends. Career-wise, one of the most interesting would have to be Charles Helm, a business and com-munity leader in Sulphur Springs. He has an incredible amount of passion for everything he does. While he is very calm and reserved in his approach, his desire to succeed is evident by his actions. As a very involved owner of several hotels, he maintains a strong connection with his family and friends. He continues to follow his father’s passions in his service to the community as well. He is not the guy making the speeches and accepting awards. By that time he is in the middle of the next project. He is the guy making the calls, helping others learn and keep-ing them on track. He has never hesitat-ed to use any resources, influence or time he has to help improve his community.

desCribe yourself in one word.Involved

GettinG to Knowcontinued from p.1 TARC is Working for You!

by Penny Redington, TARC Executive Director

TARC Talks Leadership

Texas Associat ion of Regional Counci l s 3

East Texas AAA Hosts Alzheimer’s Forum

The East Texas Area Agency on Ag-ing hosted the All About Alzhei-mer’s education forum over the

summer.During this event, participants learned

and discussed helpful tips, ideas and in-formation for those living with Alzhei-mer’s, their loved ones and care takers to utilize to ensure their life remains as

healthy and fulfilling as possible. Topics covered include: daily living

strategies; coping skills; legal and finan-cial information; healthy living; and community resources.

According to the Alzheimer’s Associ-ation, someone in the United States de-velops Alzheimers every 67 seconds. The association says the disease is the sixth

leading cause of death in the country.

September 2014TARC Leadership Update

ETCOG Studies Mental Health Spending

The East Texas Council of Governments (ETCOG) recent-ly released a survey of mental

health spending and services within the 14-county region.

Commissioned by the county judges who comprise ETCOG’s execu-tive board, the study looked at costs asso-ciated with addressing the mental health needs of the region’s residents.

Four local mental health authorities (LMHAs) serve the ETCOG region, but limited state funding for the LMHAs and the unknown impacts of the 1115 Medicaid Transformation Waiver, a So-cial Security Act funding pipeline that took in mental health services in 2012, prompted the study as county officials try to determine what resources are re-quired to meet the region’s needs.

As a result of limited services that pro-vide stability and ongoing support to res-idents, those with untreated mental and

behavioral health disorders often find themselves in the legal system.

Because of their condition, many are declared unfit to stand trial but are re-quired to stay in county jails for their safety. This places the burden of hous-ing and treating these individuals on the county justice systems.

“The costs of treating those with mental health needs throughout our

14-county region continue to grow for a variety of legitimate reasons,” said Gregg County Judge Bill Stoudt. “We must work together as a region to address these needs in a humane and effective manner. This report represents one step in the right direction toward a regional solution.”

A survey was developed with input from county judges and other elected officials within the region to collect ex-penditure data, the results of which were included, along with information on state funding for LMHAs, in a report compiled by Austin-based Morningside Reasearch.

This report will support ETCOG in the future development of a regional strategic plan for mental health.

The report can be found at: www.etcog.org/files/648-MentalHeal-thReport.pdf

Updates from the T4A Network

It has been an active summer for the Texas Association of Area Agencies on Aging (T4A) network and pro-

grams run by the Area Agencies on Ag-ing (AAAs) throught Texas.

The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (N4A) hosted their annual conference in Dallas in July. The T4A network, wanting to make sure the host state was properly represented at the conference, not only attended, but pro-vided a tremendous amount of support to the national event.

While there, T4A members had the

opportunity to network, exchange best practices, and discuss innovative projects with AAAs from around the country. Thank you to all of those who were able to attend.

The next meeting of the T4A network will be on September 24, 2014 at the Hilton Austin Airport in Austin, TX.

As we look toward 2015, there is a lot on the horizon for AAAs throughout the state. This meeting will cover a vari-ety of issues important to the network from the 84th Legislative Session to the 2015 Aging in Texas Conference. Input and insight from the network are vital to ensuring 2015 is a great year for AAAs and T4A.

We hope will join us and look forward to seeing you in Austin!

TARC Leadership Update September 2014

Texas Associat ion of Regional Counci l s4

Janice Chase, a 911 responder in Allen, takes a call in the 911 call center located in the Allen City Hall building. The city of Allen is a member of the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG).Mark Graham/ Texas Tribune

by Cathaleen Qiao Chen, The Texas Tribune

More Emergency Centers are Gearing Up to Receive 9-1-1 Texts

With eight of 10 Americans using their cellphones to send or receive text messag-

es, some emergency response centers are updating their technology. Among them are centers in 12 Texas counties, hoping to accommodate situations in which call-ing 911 may be risky or impossible.

The text-to-911 service is an early step in a national initiative to modernize the emergency call system. The initial de-ployment in Texas, where the service is available at 27 call centers for Verizon or T-Mobile users, is one of the largest so far in the country.

Text-to-911 technology, which allows a user to send a text to 911, also makes emergency response more accessible to the deaf community. Phone calls remain the priority, officials said, because voice calls have better location-targeting capa-bilities.

How common text-to-911 will be re-mains uncertain. The North Central Tex-as Council of Governments, a regional agency that dispatches emergency calls to police departments and county sheriffs, has introduced the technology at two dozen call centers since January 2013. So far, it has received six emergency text messages on complaints like loud noise, prowlers and disabled vehicles.

The technology has not been widely publicized because it works on only two networks and is not in use statewide. (It is in Vermont and Maine.)

“This is important because most 911 centers are tethered to last century’s voice-centered technology,” said Brian Fontes, chief executive of the National Emergency Number Association, which focuses on 911 policy and technology. “Today we have smartphones, yet 911 centers don’t have the same informa-tion-rich capabilities.”

In most of the United States, 70 to 80 percent of 911 calls come from mo-bile devices, and the percentage is grow-ing, Fontes said. His group has worked with the four largest carriers — Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T — and the Association of Public-Safety Commu-nications Officials to develop the text-

to-911 technology. While the technology exists on the

carriers’ end, it is not mandatory. It is up to local emergency call centers to request the service and allow residents to use it, according to the Federal Communica-tions Commission.

North Texas counties were among the early adopters, partly because the call centers run by the North Central Texas Council of Governments already had an Internet-based calling system that en-abled the cost-free installation of text-to-911. Call centers with older equip-ment would need to spend anywhere from $80,000 to $8 million to enable the service, depending on their size, said Christy Williams, the chief 911 program officer with the council.

LeAnna Russell, the system’s 911 database supervisor, said that while the several 911 texts sent in North Texas so far have not been the most dramatic of circumstances, they have been import-ant. “We’re just glad they’re using the system,” she added.

Williams, who will become the pres-ident of the National Emergency Num-ber Association next month, said the

long-term goal was to make sure emer-gency response technology kept up with cellular technology used by consumers.

“We’re ripping out and replacing an infrastructure that’s over 45 years old,” she said. “Once that’s done, we can pro-vide enhanced features for citizens and public safety responders.”

Potential future advances in 911 tech-nology include incorporating video and photo messaging in emergency response systems and allowing different 911 call centers to share maps and databases, which could cut costs and improve effi-ciency, Fontes said.

“In a next-generation 911 environ-ment,” he said, “when a car crash hap-pens, people could move around, take pictures of the scene and the license plates, and all of this information will be pushed through the responders and hos-pitals before they even arrive.”

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at http://www.texastribune.org/2014/05/30/more-emergency-centers-are-gearing-receive-911-tex/

TARC Leadership Update September 2014

Texas Associat ion of Regional Counci l s 5

Winners of the 31st Annual Governor’s Volunteer Awards were announced in August

and among them a resident active in the South East Texas Regional Planning Commission’s (SETRPC) Foster Grand-parent Program.

Oscar Cole of Beaumont was named OneStar Foundation’s 2014 Senior Corps Community Impact Recipient.

For 21 years, Oscar Cole, known throughout the region as “Grandpa,” has been volunteering his time as a Se-nior Corps Foster Grandparent with the youth at Boys Haven, Inc. The organi-zation serves boys ages 5 to 17, many of whom come from single parent homes and will stay until they graduate high school.

Described by SETRPC Executive Di-rector Shaun Davis as “compassionate and tough as nails,” Grandpa Cole has accumulated more than 20,000 hours of service to these young men. He is also a past recipient of the President’s Volun-teer Service Award.

SETRPC Volunteer Receives State Award

The South East Texas Foster Grand-parent Program provides meaningful volunteer opportunities for income-eli-gible persons, age 55 or over, to estab-lish supportive one-on-one mentoring

relationships with youth in local juvenile probation, prisons, hospitals, schools and child-care facilities, and Head Start programs.

The fostering of these relationships is important to meeting the goals set forth by numerous agencies to break the cycle of drug abuse, crime and other problems experienced by a growing sector of today’s youth. Foster grandparents participate as vital members of society by sharing their wisdom, convictions and experience.

Boys Haven, Inc. recently announced the addition of a new building to their campus. In recognition of the service and dedication Grandpa Cole has given to the organization throughout the past five decades, the new building will be named the “Grandpa Cole Education Complex” in his honor.

Grandpa Cole and the rest of the award recipients will be honored at a cer-emony on September 17 in Austin with their invited guests and the OneStar Foundation Board.

Besides being required to advance a police officer’s career, the inter-mediate crime scene in-service

training course allows departments and officers in the region to ensure evidence is properly handled and criminal cases are solved.

“In order to do an investigation, you are going to need all the tools available to you, and this goes over the basics with more details,” said Randy Holmes, Capital Area Council of Governments Regional Law Enforcement Academy chief instructor.

The course offers a chance for patrol officers to learn advanced techniques for preparing a crime scene investigation, finger printing, photographing a crime scene and more. It also can serve as a re-fresher for current investigators since it provides 32 hours towards required con-tinuing education to maintain a Texas Commission of Law Enforcement peace

officer’s license.Intermediate Crime Scene training

discusses the legal aspects of crime scene searches and the handling of evidence.

After taking the course, students are able to explain certain objectives and legal obligations that must be followed during a crime scene search. Objectives for a crime scene search include estab-lishing a crime was committed, identi-fying the type of crime committed and placing a suspect at the scene. The latter can be determined from items such as shoe impressions that may match those of a known suspect in the community or a witness’s description of the criminal.

While police and public safety depart-ments may have their own procedures and plans for handling crime scenes, this course helps ensure individual portions of those plans are correctly and legally handled, Holmes said. “All of that is crit-ical, because if you don’t do it right, very

guilty people can go free.”Major investigations, such as the OJ

Simpson murder case, can hinge on the evidence and how it was treated from start to finish. Handling evidence poorly

CAPCOG Law Academy Course Educates About Crime Scenes

Bryan Scogging, of Llano Police Department, and Jonathon Hodgkiss, of Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, investigate a mock crime scene during an intermediate crime scene training course. CAP-COG’s Regional Law Enforcement Academy offers a variety of courses to educate area officers.

Oscar “Grandpa” Cole and SETRPC Executive Director Shaun Davis. Cole was named OneStar Foundation’s 2014 Senior Corps Community Impact Recipient. Jake Daniels/ Beaumont Enterprise

law aCademycontinued on p.7

6 Texas Associat ion of Regional Counci l s

TARC Leadership Update September 2014

As the manager of the Texas Citi-zen Corps Program, TARC urg-es Citizen Corps volunteers and

emergency preparedness planners alike to get out in their regions and communi-ties to ensure jurisdictions and neighbors are ready for whatever hazards may come their way.

If your organization has an event planned, let TARC know about it. We’re happy to help spread the word. If you want to hold an event, but would like some ideas, give us a call - we can help with that, too!

The Summer of 2014 was a busy time for the Texas Citizen Corps Program and emergency preparedness in the state.

In June, TARC hosted a G517 Com-munity Emergency Response Team (CERT) Master Instructor class in Aus-tin. The 16 attendees are now certified to teach G428 Train the Trainer classes in their local areas. This is a great boost to the CERT program, enabling the pro-gram’s continued growth.

Continuing its partnership, TARC worked closely with the Texas Office of Homeland Security to help facilitate the planning of six Threat and Hazard Iden-tification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) workshops around the state this summer. These workshops allowed regional Emer-gency Preparedness Planners the oppor-tunity to receive hands-on training and assistance in developing and updating

their regional THIRAs.TARC also participated in the draft-

ing of the state’s 2015-2020 Homeland Security Strategic Plan (HSSP). By en-suring regionalism is represented in this important document, TARC aims to reinforce the vital role regional coun-cils play in emergency preparedness and strengthen the argument for greater homeland security program funding for regional jurisdictions from both the state and federal governments.

As we move toward fall, TARC will continue to work dilligently to ensure that the Texas Citizen Corps Program and regional homeland security and emergency preparedness priorities are voiced and realized.

The next meeting of the TARC Homeland Security Association of Texas will be September 24, 2014 in Austin. If there is anything we can assist you with, do not hesitate to call on us!

September is National Preparedness Month!

TARC Community & Emergency Preparedness Manager Jeff Cook (top right) joins students from the G-517 CERT Master Instructor course. As the manager of the Texas Citizen Corps Program, TARC sponsored the class held June 17 - 19, 2014 in Austin, TX.

COG Kudos TARC StaffPenny RedingtonExecutive Directorpredington@txregionalcouncil.org

Ginny LewisAssociate Directorglewis@txregionalcouncil.org

Jeff CookCommunity & Emergency Preparedness Managerjcook@txregionalcouncil.org

Keely HillAging Program Coordinatorkhill@txregionalcouncil.org

Kimberly LileMembership & Communications Coordinatorklile@txregionalcouncil.org

Contact us:512-478-4715

Submit news to:tarc@txregionalcouncil.org

Follow TARC on Twitter:

7Texas Associat ion of Regional Counci l s

TARC Leadership Update September 2014

@txregionalism

At the 2014 Esri User Confer-ence held in San Diego, CA in July, NCTCOG was presented with the Special Achievement in GIS Award in recognition of the outstanding geographic information system technology used by NCTCOG for their 9-1-1 system. The emergency communication system developed by NCTCOG is an extensive Next Gener-ation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) system that provides comprehensive geospatial func-tionality by combining GIS maps with real-time emergency caller location for their 9-1-1 call takers, allowing for more accurate location information to be provided to emergency responders.

may lead to a jury having doubts about the results of the investigation.

Since 2010, the CAPCOG Regional Law Enforcement Academy has con-ducted the intermediate crime scene training course 12 times. More than 200 officers inside and outside the region have attended the course since 2005. A course, which was conducted from June 23 to June 27 in Williamson County, in-structed nine officers.

Courses such as the intermediate crime scene training are often done at the request of law enforcement jurisdic-tions in the region. Police departments and sheriff offices look to ensure their officers are staying knowledgeable about new and best practices in the field and often want their officers to advance their careers.

Continued education and learning is

important for any field but especially for law enforcement, Holmes said.

“The more you know the better job you do,” Holmes said. “Being an expert in something is all about mastering the basics.”

Texas Transit Association (TTA) presented ETCOG’s GoBus public transit system, serving the 14counties of East Texas, the Outstanding Rural Transit System award for 2014. The award is given annually to a public transportation system that has de-signed and implemented programs that demonstrate innovative concepts or effective problem-solving tech-niques and have applied these suc-cessfully in the public transportation industry.

law aCademycontinued from p.5

upCominG eventsSeptember 21 - 24, 2014NARC Executive Directors’ ConferenceDes Moines, IA

September 24 - 26, 2014TARC Staff Training & Annual Board of Directors MeetingHilton Austin Airport, Austin, TX

September 29 - October 2, 2014Annual County Judges & Commissioners Association of Texas ConferenceLubbock, TX

September 30, 2014National Day of Preparedness

September 30 - October 3, 2014Texas Municipal League Annual Conference & ExhibitionHouston, TX

December 3 - 5, 2014National Rural Transportation ConferenceCincinnati, OH

Pre-registration required for all events. For more information, email: tarc@txregionalcouncil.org

Texas Association of Regional Councils701 Brazos Street • Suite 780 • Austin, TX 78701 • 512-478-4715 • FAX 512-275-9910

www.txregionalcouncil.org

The Texas Association of Regional Councils (TARC) was organized in 1973 by interlocal agreement among Texas’ 24 regional councils of governments. The statewide association assists the regional councils in strengthening their capabilities to serve their local government members; provides a forum for the regular exchange of information and ideas; educates other governmental entities, public and private organizations, and the general public about the services and functions of regional councils; and represents the councils before both state and federal agencies and legislative bodies. Each of the regional councils pays membership dues to participate.