January 2009 AACOG Region Newsletter

AACOG's Board of Directors and Area Council elected San Antonio Councilman Louis E. Rowe as Chairman for 2009 at their semiannual meeting on Wednesday, December 10. In addition to Rowe, AACOG elected Comal County Commissioner Jay P. Millikin as Vice Chairman. The AACOG Board elects a new Chairman and Vice Chairman every year. Rowe and Millikin were sworn into office at a luncheon directly following the semiannual meeting.

The establishment of a Rural Planning Organization (RPO) was also approved at the meeting. In 2009 AACOG will begin work towards establishing a policy board and committees for the new RPO. The RPO will allow local leaders from the counties surrounding Bexar County to develop transportation plans and programs for their specific service areas, have critical input into the Texas Department of Transportation’s transportation plans, and provide the general public with direct input during the RPO planning process and selection of major transportation projects.

Also discussed were changes to Chapter 418 Emergency Management provisions for declarations effective June 2007 by Senate Bill 11 relative to fireworks, and the possible options for the fireworks season.

CPS Energy's Sharon Luther-Minor was also recognized for her outstanding leadership. CPS Energy's community programs, and her dedication to the field of energy conservation. For the past six years, CPS Energy has provided nearly $2 million in funding to AACOG's weatherization program, enabling AACOG to weatherize nearly 2,000 elderly, handicapped, and economically disadvantaged households in Bexar and Atascosa Counties.

AACOG's 2008 Annual Report was also distributed at the meeting. At the luncheon following the semiannual meeting, Texas State Demographer Karl Eschbach gave a presentation entitled "Current Trends of Change in the Population of Texas and the Alamo Area".

For a listing of 2009 Board Meeting Dates, click here.

This monthly feature in the AACOG Region Newsletter spotlights our AACOG Board Members. This month we feature 2008 Board Chairman and Medina County Judge James E. Barden. Judge Barden has served on the AACOG Board of Directors since January 2003 and also serves on a number of AACOG Advisory Committees.

To read our spotlight on Judge Barden, please click here.

The Gillespie County Economic Development Commission recently hired Tim Lehmberg as their new Executive Director. Mr. Lehmberg replaces Greg Snelgrove who announced his retirement in September. Mr. Lehmberg holds a finance degree in finance from Texas A&M and spent 12 years in the banking industry before going into private business. background in finance and entrepreneurship. He officially started at the position on November 17, working with Snelgrove until he left at the end of November.

Each year AACOG’s Air Improvement Resources (AIR) Public Education Committee identifies local environmental leaders by reviewing Environmental Stewardship applications submitted to the committee by governments, businesses, and schools within the AACOG region. The AIR Public Education Committee selected four organizations from among this year’s applicants to recognize for their voluntary efforts to improve regional air quality and provide other environmental benefits.

Winners of the 2008 Environmental Stewardship Awards implemented a variety of policies within their organizations to conserve energy, limit use of fossil fuels, and sustain the natural environment. They are:

Rackspace (Category: Large Business)
Cintas Corporation (Category: Small Business)
Southwest Research Institute (Category: Large Institution of Learning)
Northwood Elementary School (Small Institution of Learning)

Connecting jobs with jobseekers in this uncertain economic climate is daunting, as is stretching ever-reducing public funding, but Workforce Solutions Alamo proved up to the task this year, winning the 2008 Texas Workforce Commission’s “Best Overall Large Board Performance Award” from among the seven large boards across the state. Workforce Solutions Alamo was named the number one large workforce board in the state during the opening day of TWC’s 12th Annual Statewide Conference being held in San Antonio for the first time (Dec. 3-5). Read this article on the Workforce Solutions Alamo Website.

Article submitted by the Texas Workforce Commission

A groundbreaking economic summit, Putting America Back to Work, will bring influential Texas business leaders to Austin on January 15 and 16 to address critical regional and national economic challenges. Hosted by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), the summit features experts on the economy, energy, and manufacturing, including:

·     Texas Governor Rick Perry

·     Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst

·     Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Todd Staples

·     BP Capital Management Chairman T. Boone Pickens

·     TWC Chairman Tom Pauken

·     Texas Public Utility Commission Chairman Barry Smitherman

·     Former Texas Comptroller John Sharp

“The United States is at an economic tipping point,” says TWC Chairman Tom Pauken. “Now is the time for serious, long-term thinking on major economic issues facing America.”

Panel discussions will address Lessening Our Dependence on Foreign Energy, The Texas Economic Model, Rebuilding Our Manufacturing Base, and Challenges of Our Business Tax Structure. The conference will be hosted at the Omni Austin Hotel at Southpark, 4140 Governor’s Row. Visit http://www.twc.state.tx.us/events.html#back2work for more information.

Small business is a driving economic force in the AACOG region and in Texas. Small businesses drive 80% of the Texas economy, and in these uncertain times, AACOG recognizes the importance in assisting small businesses to reach their potential. AACOG and the South Texas Women's Business Center (STWBC) are collaborating on a 2009 outreach plan to provide small businesses in Floresville and New Braunfels with technical assistance.

In December 2008, AACOG Government Services Manager Joe Ramos, AACOG Workforce Director Mike Kohler and Center Managers Barbetta Womack and Melissa De La Cruz, and STWBC Director Celina Peña met with Jesse Perez, Floresville Economic Development Corporation Director, and Rusty Brockman, Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Director. Each location discussed the potential for business classes and other forms of support for the region's small businesses.

STWBC provides business technical assistance ranging from individual counseling to seminars and learning lunches. STWBC is a program of the South Texas Business Fund, the City of San Antonio's non-profit lending arm and is funded in part by the Small Business Administration. For more information visit www.stwbc.com or contact Celina Pena at (210) 207-0117.

The City of San Antonio's Foreclosure Prevention Task Force will be hosting a free Workshop on Saturday, January 10, 2009 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The workshop is entitled, "Options to Keep Your Home," and will be held at the Rev. Claude Black Center located at 2805 E. Commerce on the city's eastside. Immediately following the workshop, attendees will be invited to meet privately with their respective lender or with a certified housing counselor for free counseling and advice on how to keep their homes.

AACOG is a member of the Task Force and will also have Housing & Weatherization Department personnel available to assist homeowners with weatherization and general housing assistance.

For more information, please call the City of San Antonio at (210) 207-5910. To view the event flyer, click here.

An expert panel consisting of state housing agencies, corporate and commercial organizations, and the media met to provide perspective and analysis on the state of the housing market. The panel focused specifically on the Texas region and its economic response to the growing mortgage foreclosure crisis. The symposium and roundtable took place on December 4th at AACOG and was free to the public. Many representatives from state and city departments and agencies were in attendance and also participated in the Q&A session, most notably The Honorable Jose Menendez from the Texas House of Representatives. To read this entire article, please click here.

Article courtesy of Texas Government Insider

Hondo Municipal Airport will be the home of the Hondo International Flight Training Academy at least through 2038, following a deal signed recently by the city of Hondo and Wright Flyers.

The flight company will invest $6.9 million in infrastructure improvements and aircraft at the airport over the first five years of the agreement, and another $2 to $3 million in off-airport infrastructure to house and train the domestic and international flight students who will attend classes in Hondo. The deal also is expected to provide jobs for flight instructors and mechanics.

The new 4,000-square-foot facility is expected to open with 25 employees and 10-12 training aircraft, with expansion to 75 employees and 40 aircraft expected. Phase One will include a 15,000-square-foot aircraft hangar with offices and classroom and Phase Two will expand the building to more than 42,000 square feet with student housing to be developed in the city. Eventually, the academy hopes to be able to train 200 students each year. "We are elated," said City Manager Robert Herrera.

USAA, a diversified financial services company headquartered in San Antonio, announced it is teaming up with NuRide, the nation’s largest commuter rewards program, to launch a regional commuter challenge in San Antonio in early 2009.

The goal of the USAA/NuRide commuter challenge is to significantly reduce the amount of miles driven in the San Antonio area by rewarding commuters who carpool, vanpool, bike, walk, telecommute, and take public transportation in lieu of driving alone. While AACOG has sponsored the Walk & Roll Challenge with the same goals in the past, we welcome the participation of two new and powerful partners in the effort, USAA & Nu Ride.

By promoting both NuRide as well as River Cities Rideshare for online-real time rideshare matches in the community, AACOG helps assure the greatest participation in the challenge works to certify the air quality improvements that ridesharing produces.

This year resolve to adopt simple changes that make a positive impact on the natural environment and community in the Alamo region by:

Recycling paper, aluminum, plastic and all other recyclable materials (check with your collection center or recycler).
Driving less and walking, cycling, or using mass transit more.
Using canvas/reusable bags to tote your purchases.
Keeping vehicles maintained and running in top condition (which will save money and reduce air pollution emissions).
Turning off lights and electronic equipment, such as TVs and computers when they are not in use.
Reducing waste by packing food and drinks for lunch in reusable containers; taking your name off mass-marketing mailing lists (check company web sites for options or find a mail reduction service on-line); and using rechargeable batteries.
Avoiding drive-through lanes at restaurants and banks if the wait is expected to be one minute or longer
Using less water by turning off the tap while you brush your teeth, or washing dishes in a fully-loaded dishwasher rather than under running water.

To find out more about what you can do to protect our planet and our air, visit www.cleanairdrive.com or www.aacog.com/resourcerecovery.

Apply. Buy. Try.
Consumers Urged to Prepare for the Switch to Digital TV
By Meredith Baker

Data Finds Many Hispanic Households Still Need to Prepare for the Switch

The switch to all-digital broadcasting is quickly approaching and will offer consumers a clearer picture and more programming choices. Television viewers with analog TV sets using a rooftop antenna or “rabbit ears” are at risk of losing their TV signal if they do not act now to request their converter box coupons.

Read this press release.

The AACOG Region Newsletter is compiled and distributed monthly
by Tiffany Harris, AACOG Public Relations.