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HomeMy WebLinkAbout027935 RES - 11/11/2008RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI'S STATE AND FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM FOR 2009. WHEREAS, the 81st Texas Legislative Session of the Texas Legislature convenes in January 2009; WHEREAS, a new Congress will convene in January 2009; WHEREAS, both legislative bodies will consider many measures that may effect the City of Corpus Christi; and WHEREAS, it is necessary to provide guidance for the City's officers and representatives in conducting the City's legislative efforts and relations; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS: SECTION 1. The City Council adopts the City of Corpus Christi State and Federal Legislative Program, which is attached to and incorporated into this resolution. SECTION 2. The Legislative Program remains in effect until amended by the City Council. SECTION 3. The City Manager is directed to distribute this Legislative Program to the local legislative delegation and solicit their advice and support. ATTEST: THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI Armando Chapa Henry Garre City Secretary Mayor APPROVED: 3rd day of November, 2008. R. day eining First ssistant Ci y Attorney For City Attorney 027935 2009 Legislative Program Resolution Corpus Christi, Texas . , ' . of NOUS , 2008 The above resolution was passed by the following vote: Henry Garrett Melody Cooper Larry Elizondo, Sr. Mike Hummell Bill Kelly rentPriscilla G. Leal John E. Marez U Nelda Martinez Michael McCutchon At 027935 2009 Legislative Program Resolution 2 C TY OF CORPUS I City of Corpus Christi State and Federal Legislative Program Primary Contact: Rudy Di Garza. Directori intergovernm ntal Relations City of Corpus Christi 361-826-3082 or rudynaaectexasicorn Approved by CityCouncil - November , 2008 Introduction and 81st Legislative Session Outlook Prior to the commencement of each legislative session, the City of Corpus Christi staff, working with input from the City Council, key stakeholders from the community, the Texas Municipal League, National League of Cities and our legislative consultants in Austin and Washington, prepares a recommended legislative program for City Council consideration and approval. The legislative program, after consideration and approval by the City Council, is then transmitted to our local legislative delegation and forms the basis for the City's activities during the 140 days of the State legislative session as well as our ongoing efforts in Washington. In each legislative session, the number of bills that are introduced is massive. For example, in the last regular legislative session (2007), there were more than 6300 bills and resolutions introduced in the House and Senate, approximately 1,500 passed, with over 1,200 of the bills City -related, of which 120 passed. A large percentage of the efforts by cities throughout the State are continually directed at simply preventing legislation from passing which would negatively impact cities. Over the last few legislative sessions, the City of Corpus Christi, with the support of our local legislative and congressional delegations, has had very good success in not only stopping bad bills from passing, but also in the proactive passage of legislation important to our community. The upcoming 81s` Legislative session will undoubtedly consider many issues that are extremely complex, many of which could be potentially detrimental to cities. The session's outlook appears challenging at this time with a large number of city related issues under review by legislative committees. During the upcoming session we anticipate addressing proposals on a number of city programs ranging from revenue and taxation to utility and transportation to land use and development related issues. In addition, while major water legislation was filed and passed during the waning hours of the last legislative session, water related legislation will continue to be a focus of our efforts due to the fact that Corpus Christi has adequately planned, made preparation for, and paid for water resources sufficient to serve our citizens, which we must protect. As in the past, the City anticipates working very closely with our legislative delegation. We will also continue to work closely with the Texas Municipal League (TML) and the very active lobbying teams of the largest cities in Texas. of which Corpus Christi is a participating member. The following legislative program is broken down into sections each representing a major part of municipal govemment beginning with a general statement of operating procedures. A separate section of Federal legislative issues is included at the end of the program and is considered to be a part of our overall legislative efforts. At the federal level, we utilize the National League of Cities for information and joint advocacy when appropriate. The execution of this legislative program is coordinated by the Director of Intergovernmental Relations, under the general direction of the City Manager upon approval of the program by the City Council. The Mayor and City Council Members, as well as members of City staff including the City Manager, Police and Fire Chiefs, the City Attorney and her staff, and key department heads may be called upon to testify in Austin and in Washington, in support of this legislative program as necessary. 1 1. GENERAL POLICY AND PROCEDURES a. The City will SUPPORT legislation and/or administrative actions that: 1. Protect and enhance City revenues. 2. Reduce costs to the City. 3. Support local control. 4. Protect policies previously established by City leadership through the Charter. ordinances, resolutions, and master plans. 5. Provide increased educational opportunities for the citizens of Corpus Christi and the Coastal Bend region. 6. Increase economic development opportunities for the Coastal Bend region. b. The City will OPPOSE legislation and/or administrative actions that: 1. Undermine the principle of home rule and local control by the City. 2. Result in the loss of revenue or negatively impact potential revenue growth to the City. 3. Diminish the authority of cities to regulate and manage their growth and development. Nullify or undermine the City's policies contained in existing provisions of the Charter, ordinances, resolutions, and master plans, unless such changes expand the City's ability to manage its own affairs. 5. Impose unfunded mandates that require any expenditure by the City unless all costs, including administrative as well as direct costs, are fully reimbursed by the mandating governmental entity. 6. In any way endangers, nullifies, or transfers any of the City's water rights. c. The City Council will determine the City's position on all legislative issues. d. The City's Boards, Commissions, and Advisory Groups may not represent in oral testimony or in writing a position on proposed legislation or administrative action unless that position is first approved by the City Council. e. Positions on legislative and/or administrative actions originating outside of the City Council, but within the City's govemmental framework, shall be submitted to the City Manager for review prior to consideration by the City Council. 2 f. The legislative or administrative positions herein approved, and others separately approved by the City Council, shall be communicated to the legislative and congressional delegations, to the Texas Legislature and U.S. Congress, in general, and/or to the appropriate legislative committees, committee members, and administrative agencies or to others by the Mayor, the City Manager, the Director of Intergovernmental Relations, other City staff, legislative liaisons and others designated by the City Manager. g. Where possible and where there is a commonality of interest, the City will coordinate its legislative and administrative program with other political jurisdictions and other key community stakeholders in the region and provide assistance to those entities. h. The city will support the legislative programs of the Texas Municipal League and the Texas Municipal Retirement System, except to the extent a conflict exists with any policy or legislative position herein. It is recognized that this policy will often be implemented in the context of great numbers of voluminous proposals being considered within short time periods. City representatives, under the direction of the City Manager, shall be authorized to act on behalf of the City consistent with the necessarily broad policy concerns set forth in this policy. In this policy, items are classified under three levels of importance, Priority, Actively Support, and Endorse, as follows: 1. Priority means that the City will actively pursue and support (or oppose, as specified) the policy including, if necessary, seeking introduction and passage of legislation. This would include purely local Corpus Christi bills, as well as very important legislation of statewide application. 2. Actively Support means the City will aggressively attempt to obtain passage of a measure if it is introduced by some other entity (or actively oppose, as specified). 3. Endorse means that the City will make its (support or opposition) known, but will not actively pursue the issue. II. FINANCIAL INTEGRITY PRIORITY a. Franchise Fees. The City unalterably opposes any measure which would reduce the City's existing franchise fees, the growth of those franchise fees, or its ability to charge franchise fees, and any measure which, would prevent the City from requiring utilities to bear 100% of costs associated with relocations of utilities required by the City or which would impair City regulation of use of rights-of-way. Franchise fees are essential to continuation of basic services. A vote to reduce franchise fees would be a vote to increase local ad valorem taxes or reduce basic local services such as police, fire, roads, and parks, and would constitute a gift of public property for private purposes. 3 b. Hotel Occupancy Tax. The City supports expanding eligible expenditures under the Hotel Occupancy Tax for Large Coastal Municipalities to include Packery Channel related projects. ACTIVELY SUPPORT b. Liability Law. The City supports legislation to reduce potential liability of municipalities and municipal employees for torts and other actions and opposes legislation which would increase such liability. c. Prompt Payment Statute. The City opposes legislation increasing the requirements of the prompt payment statute. d. Indemnity Provisions. The City opposes legislation limiting or prohibiting indemnity provisions in public works contracts. e. Mandated Fees. The City opposes legislation which would impose requirements of a city to raise municipal fees and remit those revenues back to the state, unless use of the monies would be dedicated for programs beneficial to the City. ENDORSE f. Municipal Court Costs. The City opposes additional State or County fees or court costs on municipal courts. g. Sale of Tax Liens. The City supports legislation to authorize cities to sell tax liens. III. ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE PRIORITY a. Water. 1. Protection of Water Rights. As its highest priority, the City supports legislation to be adequately compensated for and to protect the City's water supply and water rights, and to enable the City to expand its water supply and rights, and strongly opposes legislation which would diminish or challenge such water supply or water rights or the City's ability to expand such supply or rights. 2. Desal and other Water Development Projects. The City supports legislation to provide special set-aside funding for desalination programs and other technology innovation projects for water source development. 3. Aquifer Storage and Recharge. The City strongly supports the ability of cities to form, operate, and expand aquifer storage and recharge districts 4 under recently passed water conservation legislation. ACTIVELY SUPPORT b. Transportation. 1. Resources. The City strongly supports legislation assuring the equitable allocation of transportation resources from the State, particularly legislation which impacts continued development of the I - 69 corridor along U.S. 77 linking Corpus Christi to both Houston and the Lower Rio Grande Valley. 2. Funding for Construction and Maintenance. The City supports legislation that would increase the level and availability of state transportation funding for construction and maintenance and restoration of funding cuts in response to major budgetary shortfalls at TXDOT during the interim of the 80th legislature. 3. Sunset. TXDOT is up for Sunset review during the 81s' legislative session. The City will be monitoring proposals by the 81st Legislature to restructure TXDOT and will support proposals that benefit the Corpus Christi District and oppose proposals to our detriment. In addition, the City supports increasing local input into the decision making process at TXDOT. c. City Streets/Maintenance. Maintenance of City streets throughout the State is chronically under funded. The City strongly supports legislation which would allow cities to have additional local revenue sources specifically earmarked for street maintenance in our city. IV. COMMUNITY PROTECTION AND DEVELOPMENT PRIORITY a. Development. The City strongly opposes legislation which would erode municipal authority to regulate development for the public safety, health and welfare, including, but not limited to, locations of manufactured housing, annexation, condemnation, platting, zoning, extraterritorial jurisdictions and building and housing codes. b. Regulation of Location of Manufactured Housing. The City opposes legislation that would erode the authority of cities to regulate the location of manufactured housing. c. Annexation Authority. The City opposes legislation that would erode current annexation authority. d. Alcoholic Beverage Regulation. The City supports legislation to protect and strengthen city authority to regulate alcoholic beverage sales and consumptions and to provide flexibility to cities to undertake and contract for alcoholic beverage sales in city -owned facilities. 5 ACTIVELY SUPPORT e. Affordable Housing. The City supports affordable housing initiatives that do not undermine the City's regulatory authority to protect the public health, safety, and welfare. f. Building Codes. The City supports maintaining and expanding municipal authority to select building codes and make local amendments as determined by local city councils, and opposes legislation eroding such authority such as by mandating adoption of particular codes. g. Nuisance. The City supports legislation to strengthen municipal enforcement authority with respect to nuisances. h. Condemnation Authority. The City opposes legislation that would erode condemnation authority. J• Dune Protection. The City supports city administered dune protection within a city's limits and ETJ. The City also supports expanding existing dune protection programs to meet the ecological and public safety needs of our specific area to address the narrowing of beaches along North Padre Island beaches. Redemption Periods. The City supports a further reduction in the redemption period for tax foreclosed properties in order that a more aggressive infill redevelopment program may be established. ENDORSE k. Group Homes. The City supports legislation to protect and strengthen city authority to regulate group homes. V. CHILDREN AND YOUTH ACTIVELY SUPPORT a. Juvenile Crime. The City supports legislation to reduce crime and delinquency among children and youth, to promote their development and well being, and continued funding of Community Youth Development programs. b. CHIP funding. The City supports expansion of the Children's Health Insurance Program to the greatest extent possible so that no child is left uninsured in the State of Texas. 6 VI. EDUCATION PRIORITY a. Higher Education. Texas A&M University — Corpus Christi. The City supports legislation to advance and obtain sufficient support for higher education in this area, especially legislation to enable Texas A&M University -Corpus Christi to continue to operate as a strong and viable four-year university, including special item funding for the establishment of a mechanical engineering degree program through legislation and/or administrative action. Del Mar College. The City supports legislation to insure adequate funding for the operation and programs of the Del Mar Junior College District, including Full Formula Funding and expansion of the District to adequately reflect its service area. b. Support of Local School Districts. In general, the City supports the legislative programs of local school districts leading to enhancement of educational opportunities for the citizens of Corpus Christi. c. Support for Job and Vocational Training. The City strongly supports the continuation and expansion of the Skills Development Fund. In addition, the City supports the efforts of vocational training in our public schools as well as programs at Del Mar. d. Dropout Prevention. The City strongly supports legislation for programs and funding to address our area's high dropout rate. ENDORSE e. Texas Public Libraries. The City supports legislation that would increase support of Texas public libraries through TexShare and the Library of Texas for improved access to electronic information. VII. PUBLIC SAFETY AND HEALTH PRIORITY a. Emergency Service District. The City supports legislation permitting 1/8¢ over the 2¢ local Sales Tax cap for Emergency Service Districts or enabling legislation to utilize capacity under the sales tax cap for this purpose when it becomes available. b. Vehicle Registration Fee. The City supports legislation to amend current law to allow for an increase in optional vehicle registration fees for programs such as child 7 safety and allow cities to impose the fee. c. Crime Control District. The city supports legislation or administrative action that clarifies that for crime control districts, services subject to the 1/8 cent sales tax assessments includes telecommunications and electric services. ACTIVELY SUPPORT d. Photographic Traffic Signal Enforcement: The City opposes legislation that would prohibit or hamper cities effectively employing photographic traffic signal enforcement. e. 911 Emergency Service Systems. The City opposes legislation that would hinder the City's operation of its 911 system, which would inequitably affect the Corpus Christi area on 911 funding, or which would limit its ability to charge an appropriate fee for 911 services. f. Court Appearance. The City strongly opposes any effort to allow a defendant to waive their personal appearance at a Municipal Court Trial other than those who also waive their right to a jury trial. g. Public Smoking Ban. The City supports statewide efforts to protect the public from second hand smoke by strengthening the law to prohibit smoking in indoor public areas and worksites. h. Graffiti Crimes. The City supports legislation that strengthens penalties for property damage associated with graffiti crimes, expansion of the graffiti definition to include all types of paints, and increased funding for graffiti removal programs. 1. ADA Placards. The City supports legislation that creates a grace period for renewal of handicap parking placards and subsequent dismissal of traffic violations associated with an expired handicap placard offense. J• ENDORSE Felony Forfeitures. The City opposes legislation which would detrimentally change the existing felony forfeiture statute. VIII. UTILITIES PRIORITY a. Compensation for Right -of -Way Use by Utilities. The City strongly supports the ability of a city on behalf of its citizens to be adequately compensated for the use of city lands and right-of-ways by utilities. b. Right -of -Way Control. The City opposes legislation that would erode the authority of cities to manage and control their rights-of-way and other public property. 8 c. Video/Cable Regulation. The City opposed the ability of a video/cable operator to cancel existing franchise agreements and supports an adequate compensation for the use of city rights-of-way as well as local oversight of video/cable with regard to service quality and customer service. d. Solid Waste. The City opposes any legislation that would negatively affect the financial viability of municipally owned and operated solid waste collection and disposal facilities. e. WiFi. The city opposes any legislation that prohibits or obstructs the ability of a city to provide WiFi services for its citizens. IX. ENVIRONMENT PRIORITY a. Air Quality. The City supports continued allocation of financial resources for near non -attainment areas, which is essential for those communities striving to remain within recently reduced federal guidelines for air quality. Specifically, the city will protect funding for our Pollution Prevention Partnership by opposing efforts at the staff level of the TCEQ to dilute funding through Rider 8, by expanding programs to additional communities without adequate funding to support such an expansion. With adequate funding, the city could support such an expansion. Additionally, the city supports continued local input over air quality programs. b. National Estuary Program. The City of Corpus Christi actively supports State funding of the local National Estuary Program. It is an important priority that the program continue to be funded, possibly at an elevated level. c. Regional Water Planning. The City supports continued funding of regional water planning and expansion of innovative programs to enhance water source development and funding initiatives under the state water plan. d. Parks and Recreation Funding. The City strongly supports increased funding for the Texas Recreation and Parks Account Local Park Grant Program. ACTIVELY SUPPORT e. Beach Cleaning. The City supports full State funding of the beach cleaning program. f. Oil Spill Response Program. The City supports continued and expanded State support for the Oil Spill Response Program and the location of a major center in the Corpus Christi area. 9. Drainage/Stormwater. The City opposes further unfunded mandates with respect to drainage and stormwater, and supports increased State programs to assist local communities in solving such problems. 9 h. Solid Waste. The City supports legislation that would enhance its ability to maintain adequate funding for the operation of its present and future landfills or that would strengthen city authority over landfill operations, and the City opposes legislation that would undermine adequate funding of city landfills, impose regulations more stringent than federal law, or erode city authority over landfill operations. X. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PRIORITY a. Military. The City supports continued funding and legislative support of the Texas Military Preparedness Commission, increased funding for BRAC related activities, and other efforts to preserve existing military bases in Texas and specifically those in the coastal bend region. b. Economic Development Areas. The City strongly supports legislative initiatives to provide stronger and more powerful economic development tools for local, State or federally created or designated economic development areas. c. Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) and Texas Emerging Technologies Fund (ETF). The City supports a more regional and industry specific approach to the awarding of funds through the Governor's TEF and ETF programs, as established by the legislature, so that all communities in Texas, both large and small, benefit from these programs. d. Texas Enterprise Zones. The City strongly supports the creation of three additional enterprise zone slots per biennium above the current allocation of six slots as allowed by the Federal Government due to our community reinvestment zone designation. ACTIVELY SUPPORT e. Economic Development Authority. The City opposes legislation which would erode municipal economic development authority ENDORSE f. Workforce Development. The City supports local control over employment training programs, continuation of Smart Job training grants and the Skills Development Fund, and State funding for adult literacy programs. 10 XI. EFFICIENT ADMINISTRATION PRIORITY a. Uniform Election Date. The City supports a clarification to the existing election code to ensure a valid election is held in Corpus Christi in accordance with guidelines established by the Secretary of State and Comptroller of the State of Texas with respect to both ballot measures and officer elections for the April election in odd numbered years. In addition, we support extending this clarification for all governmental entities including Del Mar College and Corpus Christi area school districts in establishing a valid uniform election date for our community. b. Open Meetings Act. The City opposes making the Open Meetings Act more restrictive and supports a clarification to the Open Meetings Act to allow for Mayor and Council Member Updates that do not involve any action being taken by the Council in response to an opinion on the issue by the Texas Attorney General. ACTIVELY SUPPORT c. Sales Tax Exemption. The City opposes legislation that would enact a sales tax exemption that isn't a local option exemption. d. Property Tax Exemption. The City supports legislation that creates a property tax exemption for oil, gas and mineral interests that are owned by a municipality. e. Delinquent Sales Tax. The City opposes legislation that would abolish the authority of cities to sue for delinquent sales taxes or to join in an attorney general's suit. f. Notification of Delinquent Amounts of Sales Taxes. The City opposes legislation that would repeal the requirement that the comptroller notify cities of delinquent amounts of sales taxes. g. Rate Case and Complaint Dockets. The City supports legislation that would establish the right of cities to recover expenses related to utility rate cases and complaint dockets within a reasonable time and require utilities to recover rate case expenses out of stockholders' equity when a utility rate case is found to be unjustified. h. Water or Wastewater Permittees Fees. The City opposes legislation that would increase fees paid by water or wastewater permittees. i. Sales Taxes. The City supports allowing the pledge of local sales tax revenues for other priorities and financial obligations outside of economic development, as determined by the local governmental entity. j. Municipal Courts. The City supports a mechanism to be able to remove an appointed municipal court judge from the bench for justifiable disciplinary reasons. Currently, a Judge is only replaced as a result of death or by resignation. 11 FEDERAL LEGISLATION/ACTION A. CDBG/HOME Funding. The City has found Federal funding of the CDBG and HOME Program to be essential to the continued well being and revitalization of the City. Therefore, the City strongly supports continued and increased funding for the programs. B. Renewal Community Designation. As one of only 40 communities in America, and one of two communities in the State of Texas with such a designation, the City supports the reauthorization of the Renewal Community Program through HUD in 2009. C. Diversion to State. The City supports direct Federal funding of programs to cities and generally opposes funding to cities being routed through State govemment. In the event such programs continue to be diverted through the state, reporting periods for both governmental entities should be consistent. D. Homeland Security. Due to greatly increased costs of local security activities, the City supports continued and increased direct federal funding of homeland security to cities and expansion of programs to enhance a federal agency presence in the Coastal Bend area. E. Military. The city strongly supports legislation/funding/actions to maintain and expand our local areas' military facilities as one of the City's highest priorities, specifically funding for expansion plans at NAS Corpus Christi/CCAD and the redevelopment of Naval Station Ingleside. F. Coordination with Local Agencies. Whenever possible and particularly where there is a commonality of interest, the City will support local agencies and organizations such as the County, RTA. the Port, our educational institutions and others in their efforts to secure favorable legislation and/or funding for the betterment of our community at the federal level. G. Protection of Right of Way Fees and Authority. The City strongly supports its traditional authority to charge rental value to private companies for the use of valuable public rights of way, and to reasonably regulate the rights of way for the benefit of the public. The City strongly opposes any dilution of its traditional authority. H. Water Resources Development Act. The City supports additional funding for channel maintenance and development of recreational areas surrounding the Packery Channel in FY 2009. The City also supports funding programs to study erosion and nourishment programs for targeted beach areas of North Padre Island. Transportation. The City supports action by the federal govemment to restore and reauthorize sufficient funding for the Highway Trust Fund, increase programs and investment in rail infrastructure, and support of public transportation systems in our country. 12 ATTACHMENT City of Corpus Christi Governmental Relations Consultant Biographies HilICo Partners (State Legislative Consultants): Dan Pearson is a widely recognized environmental expert. The former Executive Director of the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC), Pearson possesses vast expertise on a wide range of air. water, waste management and waste -water issues. Prior to heading up the TNRCC, Pearson served as Deputy Comptroller for eight years under former Texas Comptroller Bob Bullock. There, he was primarily responsible for developing the State's current tax system where he earned a reputation as a straight- shooting expert in state fiscal matters. Since joining HillCo, Pearson has been responsible for assisting a wide array of private sector clients as they navigate the bureaucratic administrative agencies and gaining them access to key lawmakers at the Capitol. Due to his reputation as an expert on environmental related issues, Pearson has been invited to participate in every major legislative debate dealing with air and water issues over the last decade. Snapper Carr joined HillCo Partners' Local Government Practice in 2006. Prior to is current role, he was the Legislative Counsel and Associate for the Texas Municipal League (TML) from 1998 to 2006, representing municipal interests before state and federal legislative, administrative and judicial bodies. While at TML, Carr earned a reputation as an expert in the fields of land usage, utilities, and open records laws. From 1994 to 1998, he was Chief Committee clerk for two Texas House committees; the Committee on State Affairs and the Committee on Land and Resource Management. He has also provided media and issue consulting services for numerous political and public relations campaigns in Texas. Carr is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Communications and Government and a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the UT School of Law. Brandon Aghamalian is a public affairs consultant for HilICo Partners with expertise in economic development issues, property taxes, insurance, and homeland security issues. His primary focus is representing the needs of local governments before the Texas Legislature. Before joining HillCo Partners, Aghamalian was the Director of Governmental Relations for the City of Fort Worth from 2002 to 2006. Aghamalian has also worked as the Chief of Staff for then Representative Kim Brimer (R -Fort Worth) where he assisted in the passage of HB 1200, the Texas Economic Development Act, which provides incentives for capital intensive industries to build or expand in Texas. He has also served as the Director for the House Committee on Business & Industry and was the Legislative Director for Rep. Todd Smith (R -Euless). Aghamalian is a graduate of Texas State University in San Marcos where he was an NCAA scholarship track athlete and student body vice- president while he earned a Bachelor's degree in accounting. In 2000, he earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the UT School of Law and a Masters of Public Affairs from the LBJ School. Meyers & Associates (Federal Legislative Consultants): Larry Meyers has over 34 years of experience since coming to Washington with then Senator Lloyd Bentsen (D -TX), former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and former Secretary of the U.S. Treasury. After four years with the senator, serving as legislative director, he received an appointment in the Carter Administration being named Director for Congressional Affairs - U.S. Department of Agriculture, responsible for both USDA and White House lobbying activities. He began independent consulting in 1981, and in 1989 was named by Beacham's Guide to Key Lobbyists as one of the top 125 lobbyists out of the several thousand in Washington. For the last twelve years, he has served as guest lecturer at the National Defense University on the topic of "lobbyists and lobbying." Larry also serves on the Board of Directors of Washington First Bank in Washington, D.C. The Corpus Christi community has retained Meyers & Associates since 1993 and past involvement of the firm with the efforts of the City of Corpus Christi includes: the 1993 and 1995 BRAC processes; protection of the Naval Air Station; Choke Canyon Dam debt delay (credited by city financial staff at a $20 million savings); the Mary Rhodes Pipeline; federal funds for the acquisition of the site for the American Bank Center and Bayfront Plaza expansion; and the North Padre Island Project (Packery Channel) authorization and funding. In each case, the firm's work with the members of the Texas congressional delegation representing Corpus Christi were critical to each project's success. The firm also represents Corpus Christi A&M for the purpose of facilitating federal research dollars to come to the university.