1992-001-RES WHEREAS, in 1991, State Comptroller John Sharp presented to the Texas Legislature his Texas
RESOLUTION NO. 92~OOl
WHEREAS, in 1991, State Comptroller John Sharp presented
to the Texas Legislature his Texas Performance Review Plan
designed to save money by reducing inefficiency in state
government; and,
WHEREAS, included in Sharp's plan was a
that the number of Texas Department of
district offices be reduced; and,
recommendation
Transportation
WHEREAS, Sharp's plan recommended that the rural
interests of Texas be preserved in the consolidation; and,
WHEREAS, the Texas Legislature, on August 26, 1991,
passed House Bill 9, which required that the number of Texas
Department of Transportation district offices be reduced from
twenty-four to not more than eighteen, and that the Texas
Transportation Commission decide where the eighteen district
offices should be located; and,
WHEREAS, the Texas
executive session, closed
to discuss the respective
offices; and,
Transportation Commission met in
to the public, on November 6, 1991,
locations of the eighteen district
WHEREAS, the four different proposals considered at the
meeting were not and have not yet been made available to the
public; and,
WHEREAS, discussion of the closure of district offices
is a matter of great interest and importance to the public
and does not qualify for an exemption from the Texas Open
Meetings Act; and,
WHEREAS, the cr iter ia used by the Texas Transpor tat ion
Commission in making its decision were not made available to
the public prior to the decision; and,
WHEREAS, no input from the public was solicited by the
Commission prior to the decision; and,
WHEREAS, the
unrelated to the
Transportation; and,
criteria
mission
used by
of the
the Commission were
Texas Department of
WHEREAS, the
in contravention
intent; and,
criteria were biased against rural areas,
of Sharp's plan and the Legislature's
WHEREAS, six of the seven district offices that were
eliminated are located in rural areas; and,
WHEREAS, the Texas Transportation Commission ordered that
a new district office be established in Laredo, Texas, where
none existed before; and,
WHEREAS. the Laredo location was not required to meet
1991, ignored the intent of the Legislature; that there was
no opportunity for public input prior to the decision, in
violation of the Open Meetings Act; and that the criteria
were neither objectively developed nor objectively applied
with regard to rural areas; therefore, the City Council of
the City of Paris, Paris, Texas, does hereby request that the
Texas Transportation Commission, and the Texas Department of
Transportation reconsider their decision to align their
district offices as ordered by the Commission, and that a new
decision be made in accordance with State law, with due
consideration being given to rural Texas.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that if the Texas Transportation
Commission does not reconsider their decision, gIvIng due
consideration to rural Texas, that Governor Ann Richards be
requested to add the transportation issue to the agenda of
the Third Called Session of the 72nd Legislature for full
reconsideration of the reorganization of the Texas Department
of Transportation in order that the interests of rural Texas
may be protected.
Passed and adopted this 3rd day of January, 1992.
~ :/~
G o~sher
ATTEST:
am, City
City Attorney