2009 Texas Conference on Regionalism Vendor Registration now open! New Sponsorship Opportunities are available. Visit our conference pages. Attendee Information and Registration coming soon.		New updates are now available including a list of grant opportunities, criteria, and updated allocation numbers as of March 2009!
		American Reinvestment and Recovery Act: Economic Stimulus Package On February 17, 2009, the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, more commonly known as the Economic Stimulus Package, was signed into law by President Obama. TARC has compiled preliminary information on the Act, along with several web resources that are continually being updated, as new information is provided. For additional information on the ACTT and these web-based resources, click here.

TARC July Quarterly Meetings
The next TARC Quarterly Meeting is scheduled for July 15-17, 2009, at the Hilton Austin Airport. We have been advised that the room block at the Hilton Austin Airport has been sold out. For your convenience, arrangements have been made at two overflow hotels less than one mile from the Hilton. They are the Hampton Inn and Suites and La Quinta Inn and Suites, both new hotels. Room blocks will be available until July 1, 2009.

Hampton Inn & Suites Austin-Airport
7712 East Riverside Drive
Austin, TX 78744
512-389-1616 or 1-800-HAMPTON
Room block: TARC-Tx. Association of Regional Councils

La Quinta Inn & Suites Austin Airport
7625 E. Ben White Blvd.
Austin, TX 78741
512-386-6800
Ask for State Rate; if they cannot offer you State Rate,
  ask for TARC Room Block

An updated schedule of meetings is provided here for your convenience.

Jim Reed Receives Award at the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) Annual Conference
Jim Reed, Executive Director of the Central Texas Council of Governments CTCOG and Immediate Past Chair of the NARC Executive Directors’ Council is the recipient of the 2009 Walter Scheiber Leadership Award. The Walter Scheiber Leadership Award recognizes the significant impacts an Executive Director has made at the local, state, and national levels.

Mr. Reed has served CTCOG for more than 15 years, during which he has been recognized through awards by the American Planning Association, the Texas Association of Regional Councils (TARC) and NARC for his service. He is a recognized advocate for regional solutions to transportation planning, emergency preparedness planning and emergency communications, among others. Mr. Reed’s dedication to regionalism has benefited his region and regional councils nationwide.

Funding for Broadband Access Now Available
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Source: Information courtesy of The Texas Department of Agriculture

USDA has funding available for improving broadband access in rural areas via the 2009 Community Connect Broadband Grant Program. The Federal Register announcement.

Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples wants rural communities to have an opportunity to pursue this federal grant. He has indicated that TDA is willing to help local communities with the (15%) local match that is required (the exact amount of the match will be determined based on the project proposed). State and local governments, corporations and Indian tribes are eligible to apply for grants from $50,000 to $1 million through USDA's Community Connect Grant Program, which was created to help rural residents tap into the tremendous potential of the internet. Community Connect grants will bring state-of-the-art broadband services to some of America's most isolated and economically challenged communities.

Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis and can be used to:

• Construct, acquire or lease broadband transmission services;
• Improve, expand or lease community centers that provide free access to broadband for at least two years before, during and after normal work hours and on Saturdays and Sundays;
• Purchase computer equipment; and
• Provide broadband to all critical community facilities - first responders, police, etc. - within the proposed Service Area.

The deadline for submitting applications is June 19th. The application guide for this grant program can be found at Broadband Grant Application Guide. You can also see the April 20 Federal Register.

For more information contact Judy Fort, Rural Economic Development, Texas Department of Agriculture, (512) 475-1608, Mobile (512) 529-4907.

Central Texas Officials Implement Warning System
(From the Texas Government Insider, a publication of Strategic Partnerships, Inc.)

Officials of the Heart of Texas Council of Government and six area counties are urging residents and business owners to sign up for a new emergency notification system that can deliver messages to area residents via telephone, cell phone, e-mail and text message. The emergency messages can target areas geographically and may range from weather alerts to a notification of a broken waterline in a neighborhood, said Harold Ferguson, homeland security coordinator for HOTCOG.

Up to four contact methods may be selected by each home and business that registers for the service. Landline telephone numbers for six counties already are loaded into the system and residents may call HOTCOG, city or county officials to remove their landline telephone numbers from the system if they prefer not to receive emergency alerts.

A federal grant paid for the notification system and implementation for the first year. Clifton, Crawford, Mexia, Bruceville-Eddy and Meridian are among the 17 municipalities participating in the new emergency warning system.

EDA NEWS – Funding available to areas devastated by natural disasters in 2008
EDA has announced that it is now accepting applications to support long-term post-disaster economic recovery efforts through an additional $400 million in emergency funding just made available. This Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) is in addition to EDA’s August announcement of the availability of $100 million through the First Supplemental Appropriations Disaster Relief Opportunity. For additional information on this Second Supplemental Funding available, and to access applications, click here. You can also contact Nicholas Johnson, TARC Economic Development Coordinator, for additional assistance. He can also be reached at (512) 275-9307.

Texas Association of Regional Councils
The Texas Association of Regional Councils is the state organization of Texas' 24 regional councils of governments. With 2000 plus local government members, the regional councils of governments join local governments, as well as state, federal, and private partners, to provide cost-effective, better planned, and more accountable public services in each region of Texas.

Texas Stimulus in Plain English: Who’s watching your money?

AACOG Weatherization Assistance Program gets a boost!

Citizens Seek Fair, Beneficial Stimulus Fund Allocations

2010 Budget Blueprint: Agency by Agency

Rio Grande Council of Governments Announces New Executive Director

2008-2009 TARC Officers Elected

Sour Lake, Ganado Form Sister-City Initiative

Federal Grant Allows for New Home Care Program

EDA Annual Report

Emergency Preparedness COG Spotlight – South East Texas Regional Planning Commission (SETRPC)

Prescription Medicine: Friend or Foe? NCTCOG Area Agency on Aging offers help

On The Calendar

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July 15-17, 2009
TARC Quarterly Meetings, Hilton Austin Airport - Austin, Texas

September 16-18, 2009
2009 Texas Conference on Regionalism, Isla Grand Beach Resort and SPI Convention Center, South Padre Island, Texas

December 9-11, 2009
TARC Quarterly Meetings, Hilton Austin Airport – Austin, Texas

September 15-17, 2010
2010 Texas Conference on Regionalism, Omni Hotel at the Colonnade, San Antonio, Texas