Local leaders attend Pearland Day in Austin
published Mar. 29, 2011
Support for efforts to increase traffic capacity on State Hwy 288 was just
one of the requests the delegation of local leaders and citizens presented
at their meeting with the Texas Department of Transportation Commissioners
during the Fifth Annual Pearland Day in Austin held on February 23 and 24.
Delegates also asked legislators to support pending legislation that will
increase state funding for additional highway projects to reduce congestion
and increase safety.
More than 60 city and county officials, staff from the Pearland Economic
Development Corporation, members of the Pearland Chamber, and interested
citizens made the trip to Austin to carry their concerns to legislators and
agencies.
Transportation has been at the top of the list of issues every year of the
Pearland Day in Austin program, but it is by no means the only issue
discussed. Some of the other issues carried to state officials this year
included a recommendation that the legislature not disproportionately target
community colleges when cutting financial support to higher education; a
recommendation that the legislature support pending legislation that will
add at least one member of the Gulf Coast Water Authority Board who would
represent Brazoria County; a statement of support for the continued funding
of the
Texas Enterprise Fund and the Texas Emerging Technology Fund in order to
keep Texas Competitive in both industry and talent recruitment.
The delegation also carried the message that Pearland opposes any
legislation that diverts economic development sales tax dollars for uses
already supported by other dedicated taxing jurisdictions and that Pearland
supports the continued funding of the Skills Development Fund at levels
capable of addressing the workforce needs of both existing and prospective
industries.
Participants worked approximately four months in advance of the event
prioritizing their issues, developing their talking points, establishing
teams for the visits, and scheduling appointments with legislative and
agency personnel.
But the day was not entirely spent trekking from one
office to the next. A noonday luncheon gave participants an opportunity to
be listeners instead of presenters; Aaron Demerson, Executive Director of
the Governors Office of Economic Development and Tourism, was the featured
speaker. His entire office staff attended the luncheon and remained
afterward to answer questions from the Pearland delegation.
A well-attended evening reception at the historic Austin Club gave
participants an opportunity to relax and interact with legislative and
agency personnel in an elegant but relaxed environment.
In a follow-up
letter to participants, Pearland Day in Austin committee chairman Walt Sass
said, "This event was the most well attended Austin effort since we started
a few years ago. Our agency and legislative visits went effectively and
smoothly, and our reception netted the most State Representative, Agency
Directors, Senators, and Chiefs of Staff that we have ever had. Texas
Transportation Commissioners Ned Holmes and Fred Underwoods attendance with
us for over 3 hours at our reception and sponsor dinner was an education for us and will certainly pay dividends for our group. A chief aide even
declared our name branding and issue presentation to be number one in the
Texas Legislature."
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More than 60 city and county officials, staff from the Pearland Economic Development Corporation, members of the Pearland Chamber and interested citizens made the trip to Austin to carry their concerns to legislators and agencies.
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