Newsletter December 2012

DECEMBER 2012
VOLUME #2012 - ISSUE #012
ADKISSON ADVOCATE
Report on Just Some of the
Accomplishments of 2012
With this year coming to a close, I thought it important to underscore just
some of the significant if not dramatic or glitzy achievements of 2012.
Commissioners Court confirmed the following:
Recycling for Bexar County and reaffirmed energy efficiency and solar
SPOTLIGHT:
text andfor
placeCommon
photo here.
TaskDelete
Force
Sense about Gun Violence
Texas Democratic Party Chairman,
Gilberto Hinojosa has named County
Commissioner Tommy Adkisson to CoChair with Texas State Representative
Senfronia Thompson of Harris County a
Task Force on a common sense
approaches to gun violence here in
Texas. The Task Force is charged to
suggest reasonable legislation to reduce
the carnage associated with gun crimes.
“I am honored to be asked by Chairman
Hinojosa to Co-Chair the Texas
Democratic response and approach to
the senseless shootings taking place in
our country”, said Commissioner
Adkisson. “It seems that a two-fold
approach is fundamental at the outset:
gun-related issues and mental health
support in Texas”, Adkisson added.
Bexar County Commissioner Tommy
Adkisson chairs the Bexar County ReEntry Council (for recidivism reduction)
and County Commissioners are charged
with stewarding mental health and the
Bexar County Jail. ■
energy contracts with Build San Antonio Green and Solar San Antonio.
The new recycling program expands paper recycling to all County-owned
facilities and includes a pilot program to recycle plastic bottles, aluminum
cans and glass containers in break areas, lunch rooms and cafeterias in
selected County buildings and in County Parks.
Regional Flood Control Program Bexar County’s $500 M regional
flood control program continues to move forward with the approval of
several contracts and agreements for projects County-wide. The flood
control program was created out of the Bexar Regional Watershed
Management after the floods of 1998 and 2002 to address flooding on a
regional rather than by political or jurisdictional boundaries, and is a result
of a partnership between Bexar County, the SA River Authority, the City of
SA and 20 suburban cities.
Projects Underway
The San Pedro/Huisache drainage improvement will alleviate flooding
along San Pedro in Alta Vista. The 2nd and 3rd phases together create about
4,500 linear feet of underground drainage.
The Rosillo Creek project will remove about 160 homes from the
floodplain. This project includes construction of multiple bridge structures
and channel improvements. Bridges are to be built on Old Seguin, Kirby,
Binz-Engleman and Ackerman Rd.
Continued on Page 2
BEXAR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT
Paul Elizondo Tower
101 W. Nueva, Ste. 1029
San Antonio, TX 78205
www.bexar.org
DECEMBER 2012
VOLUME #2012 - ISSUE #012
PAGE 2
Congressional Blvd. Road Project
Congratulations Felipe Elias!
Public Works Operations personnel from the Judson
Service Center recently completed a complex road
maintenance
project
on
Congressional
Blvd.
Congressional Blvd. is a roadway of approximately
16,988 sq. ft. that repeatedly received a high number of
work requests due to potholes, ponding water and overall
poor ride quality. The first challenge Public Works had
with this project was identifying who was responsible for
maintaining a section of this area. After researching
multiple resources it was determined that Bexar County
did, in fact, maintain this portion that deteriorated. The
roadway had been recently evaluated by an independent
contractor. The overall condition of the roadway
structure produced an index rating of 66.
Felipe Elias has worked as a Sign Fabricator II with
Bexar County Public Works since July 22nd of 1997. In
that time Mr. Elias has distinguished himself through
constant dedication to quality, service and safety. As
an example of his dedicated service, Mr. Elias has
won the Annual Safety Incentive Program award
since its inception in 2006. The Safety Incentive
Program was implemented to encourage safety,
maintain interest in an established safety program and
help build cooperation among employees when
management wants to launch a safety campaign that
focuses on a specific area of concern. Mr. Felipe Elias
is a shining example of what the Safety Incentive
Program was created to do. To be eligible for the
annual award an employee must have zero accidents,
no tardies and no leave without pay incidents for an
entire year. Mr. Elias has managed to do this for the last
6 years. This is a testament to Felipe Elias’ dedication
to maintaining a safe work environment. Felipe Elias
has set the bar high and leads by example for his fellow
employees at Bexar County Public Works. ■
To re-stabilize the failing roadway structure it was
decided to perform a Full Depth Reclamation (FDR).
During that process expansive clays and moisture
buildup in the ground were discovered. A french drain
was added to eliminate the moisture and poly-urethane
was injected into the soil for stabilization.
As part of our pavement restoration program the
roadway was sealed with FS coarse overlay. FS coarse
overlays are a popular approach to pavement
preservation because of their ability to provide improved
ride quality, reduced pavement distresses and reduce
life-cycle
costs.
Senior Equipment Operators, John Huston and Virgil
Fischer, were chosen to spearhead the effort of
completing this project on time and on budget. After
many long, hard days of construction it was finally
completed and ready for use. Director of Public Works,
Renee Green, had the pavement reevaluated for quality
and discovered that the Overall Condition Index, had
risen to a staggering 94.44. Not only did the project get
continued on Page 3
DECEMBER 2012
Congressional Road continued…
completed on time and on budget but this project was
completed with zero accidents thus maintaining the
integrity of Judson Service Center’s safety record. A
complex project like Congressional Blvd. is a testament
to the Operation Division’s commitment to delivering
high quality service to the citizens of Bexar County. ■
VOLUME #2012 - ISSUE #012
PAGE 3
property. This project will alleviate flooding along
Schaefer Road between FM 1518 and Cibolo Creek.
Perrin Beitel Bridge Expansion will provide
flooding relief to the homes in the Briar Glen Subdivision
and provide un-flooded access along Perrin-Beitel Road
for the 1% chance (100 year) storm event. The
improvements consist of rebuilding a portion of PerrinBeitel Road to raise the roadway and shape the Beitel
Creek channel from Vicar Road to Quail Creek.
Bexar County Began Process of Studying
Growth in Unincorporated Areas
Commissioners Court started to process to hire a
consultant to study the explosive growth in
unincorporated areas of Bexar County and provide
recommendations to manage it and deliver the services
expected in growing urban areas. From 2000-2010,
Bexar County population grew by almost 15%. Areas of
the County that were once rural are now more urban-like
and densely populated than ever.
Bexar County High Water Detection System
to Expand to 39 Sites
Thoughts continued…
Roland Road Bridge project consists of replacing two
existing low water crossings with bridges along Roland Rd.
to provide unflooded access during a 1% annual chance
(100-year) storm event. Roland Rd. will also be re‐aligned
to remove the sharp curves in this area and improve driver
safety. The project includes the construction of new hike
and bike trails and ties into the South Salado Creek
Greenway Project.
Schaefer Road Drainage Project consists of the
construction of an underground drainage system, street
reconstruction, and utility relocations along Schaefer Road,
as well as an open channel system along the southern
boundary of the Cibolo Creek Municipal Authority
The Bexar County High Water Detection System, part of
the $500 million regional flood control program has
added 39 county wide sites. Each site will include
flashing signals, signs, pavement markings and gates as
necessary. The detection system works by using a sensor
in the stream to send a signal to the master gauge stations,
which then activates the warning flashers on either side of
the crossing. The master gauge then signals the base
station, which sends a text message to the County’s
Public Works service center.
Record Budget, Record Rate Cut!
The FY 2012-2013 Adopted Budget for all funds totaled
$1.49 Billion. The adopted budget is balanced at a tax
rate of .32866 per $100 valuation, which is less than the
effective tax rate of .328123 per $100 valuation or a most
rare tax rate cut! ■
Road projects-2012/13
1. MPO Projects approved 2012 $133,750,162
total cost for Precinct 4 wide projects.
a. 1604 East Expansion, from I-10 East to
Highway 78.
b. Prospective Projects - New Sulphur
Springs Road, 1604 South–Hwy181
widening, TxDOT discussion on 1604
East at IH-35
VOLUME #2012 ISSUE #012
PAGE 4
DECEMBER 2012
Contact Us
Helpful Numbers
Public Works
Southon Service Center
(210)465-9004
Judson Service Center
(210)465-0512
Fire Marshal
(210)335-0300
101 W. Nueva, Ste. 1029
San Antonio, TX 78205
Dispute Resolution Center
(210)335-2128
Phone: (210)335-2614
Fax: (210)335-2926
Community Resources
Utility Assstance
(210)335-6770
Housing & Development
(210)335-6638
Mental Health Advisory
(210)335-6638
Veterans’ Services
(210)335-6737
Parks & Facilities Reservations
(210)335-PARK
(210)335-7275
Tommy Adkisson, Commissioner
[email protected]
Sheriff’s Office
(210)335-4500
Mario Llano, Chief of Staff
[email protected]
Bexar County Elections Office
(210)335-8683
Monica Martinez, Exec. Assistant
[email protected]
[email protected]
Burn Ban Information
On December 27th, Commissioners Court
issued an emergency 90-day ban on most
outdoor burning in unincorporated areas.
The ban, which becomes effective on
December 26 and expires on March 25, 2013,
restricts open fires outside city limits includes
burning trash, but barbecues are still allowed.
Residents still can incinerate household trash
in a barrel with a metal wire-mesh screen to
control sparks.
Precinct 4 Road Projects 2012/13 and Beyond!
1. MPO Projects approved 2012 $133,750,162 total
cost for Precinct 4 wide projects
a. 1604 East Expansion, from I-10 East to
Highway 78
2. County Road Projects include Foster Rd Phase II,
Walzem Rd, Candlewood Phase 1
3. Prospective Projects - New Sulphur Springs Road,
1604 South–Hwy181 widening, TxDOT, adjustment
on 1604 East at IH-35N