Membership/Public Relations Committee
Archived Minutes

Form of Government Task Force-12/9/04

Legislative Task Force - 12/17/04

September 7, 2006

TCMA Public Relations Committee
September 7, 2006
TML Offices - Austin, Texas

Members present were David Landis, Chair and City Manager, Perryton; Greg Vick Co-Chair, Assistant City Manager, Farmers Branch; Randy Criswell, Assistant City Manager, Canyon; Bill Funderburk, City Manager, Hamilton; Victoria LaFollett-Koenig, Deputy City Manager, Nacogdoches; Joe Dickson, City Manager, Santa Fe; Tom Yantis, Assistant City Manager, Georgetown; Jeff Howell, City Manager, Kilgore; Harold Sandel, City Manager, Granbury; Fred Stephens, City Manager, Cameron; Kerry Sweatt, TCMA Life member. TML staff included Kim Pendergraft and Kyle J. Jung.

David Landis called the meeting to order at 11:00 a.m. and welcomed those attending.

David Landis asked Jeff Howell to update the TCMA Public Relations Committee regarding the work of the City Council of the Year Award subcommittee. The subcommittee members reviewed the previous application and modified the previous format into questions for the applicant to answer. The subcommittee should have a draft application ready for the next Public Relations Committee meeting.

David Landis asked Tom Yantis and Jeff Howell to update the TCMA Public Relations Committee about the work of the Our Town, Texas subcommittee. The subcommittee will contact Larry Burnside to determine which Regional Educational Service Centers had been approached about training sessions to inquire if other presentations about the Our Town, Texas curriculum can be scheduled.

The subcommittee will contact members of the TCMA University Relations Task Force to determine the plan to develop a college level version of the Our Town, Texas curriculum.

The Corpus Christi ISD (CCISD) contacted TCMA and requested 41 copies of the Elementary version of the Our Town, Texas curriculum. Tom Yantis and Jeff Howell will inquire if the City Manager of Corpus Christi made the initial contact with the school district to thank him for assisting with this project. They will follow up with CCISD to determine if the elementary school curriculum is being used and if copies of the middle school curriculum are needed.

David Landis asked Greg Vick to update the committee about the Form of Government (FOG) subcommittee. Greg Vick contacted the University of North Texas to determine their interest in assisting with the collection of data regarding recent FOG elections and materials developed and used during those elections. Dr. Abraham Benavides from UNT expressed a strong interest and will begin this as part of a class project this semester in a graduate-level MPA class.

Greg Vick reminded the TCMA Public Relations Committee members to assist the FOG subcommittee in collecting names of possible advocates for the Crisis Team. Any suggestions for the Crisis Team can be sent to Greg Vick or Kyle Jung.

The TCMA Public Relations Committee discussed ways to generate additional funds for the Texas Foundation for Local Government including: 1.) a direct email request to all TCMA members to financially support the Foundation and 2.) a hard copy mailed request with the TCMA membership dues renewals to financially support the Foundation.

The next meeting was tentatively scheduled for March 9.

With nothing else on the agenda, the meeting was adjourned at 1:00 p.m.

(back to top)

Form of Government Task Force
December 9, 2004
TML Offices - Austin, Texas

Members present were Jim Dunaway, Chair and City Manager, Elgin; Tom Muehlenbeck, Vice Chair and City Manager, Plano; Mario Canizares, Assistant to the City Manager, Addison; Jeffrey Howell, City Administrator, Bridgeport; Craig Lemin, City Manager, Azle; Jim Jeffers, City Manager, Nacogdoches; Kevin Carruth, City Manager, Hillsboro; Susan Rash, City Manager, Alamo Heights; and Kerry Sweatt, TCMA Life member. TML staff included Gary Watkins and Kyle J. Jung.

Jim Dunaway called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m.

The task force reviewed the 2004-06 TCMA Strategic Plan as approved by the TCMA Board.

Jim Dunaway asked Gary Watkins to provide background on recent elections around the state where the Council-Manager form of government was an issue.

The Task Force discussed the need to develop a clear and consistent message that members can use when presenting to groups about the Council-Manager form of government. In order to develop this message, information about the state of the profession in Texas needs to be compiled. TCMA staff will draft a “State of the Profession” survey for the task force’s review. Mario Canizares volunteered the assistants organizations to research what information is available that may be useful in the development of the council-manager message. The development of the message should include methods for including minorities in the process of educating future leaders.

Once this information is collected, a presentation template will be produced and sent to the task force for review. The purpose of the presentation template is to ensure that a consistent message is eventually available to interested TCMA members and cities. A suggestion was made to determine if a professional public relations organization should be hired to help TCMA develop the presentation template and accompanying materials. This idea will be addressed at a future task force meeting.

Local leadership programs are possible organizations that TCMA can use to disseminate the developed message about the council-manager form of government. The TCMA staff will research statewide organizations that have interaction with local leadership programs as well as the League of Women Voters.

As part of future training, TCMA should consider co-sponsoring training programs with TML that would provide both elected and appointed officials with materials that could be used in their own cities.

With no other items to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 12:00 p.m.

(back to top)

Legislative Task Force
December 17, 2004
TML Offices - Austin, Texas

Members present were Lyle Dresher, Chair and City Manager, Keller; Larry Gilley, Vice Chair and City Manager, Abilene; Lori Iwanicki, Assistant to the City Manager, Lancaster; Chester Nolen, City Manager, Cleburne; Clay Phillips, Deputy City Manager, Coppell; Dion Miller, City Manager, Mineola; Paul Parker, City Manager, Lufkin; Joe Dickson, City Manager, Santa Fe; Vicky Rudy, City Manager, Montgomery; Frank Simpson, City Manager, Missouri City; Shannon Mattingly, Director, Planning and Regional Services, Central Texas COG, Belton; Kyle McCain, City Manager, Mexia; John Moran, City Manager, Lorena; and George Russell, City Manager, Marble Falls. TML staff included Frank Sturzl, Shanna Igo, Gary Watkins and Gwena Cearley.

Lyle Dresher called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m.

Lyle Dresher welcomed the members and guests and asked Frank Sturzl to discuss the TML Legislative Program for the 2005 Texas Legislative Session. Frank provided copies of the TML Legislative Program to the task force members and covered the salient parts of the document while he and Shanna Igo responded to task force members’ questions.

Several task force members asked what TCMA members can do to assist TML during the 2005 Texas Legislative Session. Frank indicated that TML relies upon TCMA members to not only stay informed, but help educate their elected officials on the issues and encourage them to testify or provide op-ed pieces when requested. He remarked that it is also helpful to identify key staff that can assist with TML’s fiscal impact program.

Frank was asked about the legislative prospects of mandatory training for elected city officials. He advised the task force that such a measure is viewed as an unfunded mandate. Shanna commented that the Texas Association of School Boards has indicated only 30% compliance among school officials. Frank indicated it is gradually happening through the cumulative effect of such measures as public funds investment, economic development, and now open government training.

Following Frank and Shanna’s departure, the task force discussed sending a letter to Frank requesting that city managers be notified when one of their city employees provides testimony in opposition to a TML legislative position. Clay Phillips moved and Kyle McCain seconded a motion to recommend that TCMA’s president provide a letter to TML asking Frank to alert a city manager when a city employee provides written or verbal testimony in opposition to a position taken by the Texas Municipal League. The motion was unanimously approved.

With no other items to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 11:30 a.m.

(back to top)

(back to index)