07.18.08
Let’s Start The SH 29 Corridor Discussion At The Beginning
Since the Williamson County Commissioners Court (WCCC) announced in May it’s SH 29 Corridor plan those in one of the “potential paths” have become engaged in the debate over which route to choose. Most not realizing the debate over whether to build this road in the first place never occurred. Being so concerned about saving their homes and communities many citizens don’t realize the WCCC was never forced to justify why this scheme. And more importantly they never asked the citizens of Williamson County if this is how they want their tax money for roads to be spent.
This plan has shocked residents so much that they’ve forgotten that their elected representatives never had a discussion with them about whether they want they’re tax money spent on this corridor scheme. Should we be spending our ever more scarce road bond money on a corridor, that’s a sop to developers, which is admittedly 15 – 20 years away, instead of using that money to build the roads we need now, to ease congestion? It would be much more useful if we built the roads we need now instead of “pie-in-the-sky” Perry-esque corridor scheme that does nothing to benefit the citizens of Williamson County.
Well the recent announcement at NoTo29North that Precinct 2 Commissioner Cynthia Long is planning an open house where the taxpayer funded, to the tune of $1 million, PR hacks will start earning their keep.
Back on March 25 of this year, Commissioners Court approved the hiring of Austin-based public affairs firm Martin & Salinas — at a starting contract of $1 million in taxpayer funds — purportedly to encourage “public involvement†in and support of the County’s various plans for roads and parks. Lisa Birkman, who is, according to posts here, working hard to be your group’s new best friend, and your own Cynthia Long led the Court to approve the contract.
Like County Road Bond Manager Mike Weaver, Martin & Salinas has close ties to CTRMA, the folks who brought us toll road 183A. Martin & Salinas partner Trey Salinas was Wal-Mart’s PR flack who fought to overcome citizen objections to having a Super Wal-Mart foisted upon them in Austin’s Northcross area. Martin & Salinas’ business partner in the $1 million PR contract with Williamson County is Linda Rife of Rifeline who has served as the “Community Relations Manager” for Waste Management, the company that runs the highly contentious Williamson County Landfill being fought so valiantly by the Hutto Citizens Group.
My educated and well-informed guess is that Commissioner Long asked your group for a moratorium because Wilco needs those five to seven days to strategize and get Martin & Salinas in full-out execution mode.
PR work to be performed under the $1 million Wilco-Martin & Salinas contract is a perfect fit for combating opposition groups such as “Say No to 29 North.” Martin & Salinas’ statement of work (SOW) for Wilco includes but is not limited to activities such as websites, paid advertising including “critical information needing guaranteed coverage and message control,” canvassing, neighborhood newsletters, message developing, logos, writing of Op-Eds and letters to the editor, public service announcements, and more.
The open house is set for Monday August 4th in Liberty Hill. Here’s all the information:
Open House for Hwy 29 Corridor Study on Monday, August 4th. Here’s all the information:
Williamson County will host an open house for the State Highway (SH) 29 Corridor Study on August 4 in the Liberty Hill High School cafeteria located at 13125 West SH 29. From 6 to 8 p.m., residents will have an opportunity to visit individually with the engineering firm leading the analysis, as well as representatives of the county. The primary objective for the evening is to provide a venue in which members of the community can provide feedback about the various alternative alignments under review and the plan to eliminate 13 alignments. No formal presentations are scheduled; the issues matrix for each alignment will be available for review, and engineers and other research specialists will be available to answer questions.
More information on the proposed plan is available by clicking details. Revised maps are available on the website. For more information, call 943-1195 or email roads@wilco.org.
Notice that that they’re beyond the fact of discussing whether or not this corridor will be built. While this is extremely disturbing for the people who live near this proposed corridor, it’s also a very serious matter for all residents of Williamson County. Because this is all of our money. Is this the best way for our road bond money to be spent? And aren’t there more pressing needs for roads in Williamson County now? Those are just a couple of questions I’d like answers to. But it’s doubtful our elected officials want to go back and start this at the beginning. They’re way beyond that, or at least they think they are.
ljobson said,
July 20, 2008 at 7:54 pm
What the Heck! No one has asked whether or not this road should be built? When I talked with commisioner Birkman, she told me that for RM620 they had a study done and it stated that they only needed 200ft for 620. SH29 has room for a third lane through Liberty Hill that would provide 7 lanes and it would not impact ANYONE or any existing businesses.
For the Commissioners that read this if you ask anyone in Liberty Hill if we want this I would imagine everyone that is living here would say that WE do not want nor do we need a new highway. Please fix the roads and bridges that need fixing. Yes it is good to plan, but a 400ft wide highway North or South or right down the middle of Liberty Hill is not needed nor is it wanted.
At the very least we the residence of Williamson County should be allowed to vote on this. A decision this big that would affect so many people should be decided by the people.
wcnews said,
July 20, 2008 at 11:22 pm
This plan is not needed and that’s the best point against it. Thanks for your comment.
One more thing, you can vote against this in November. Vote for Jaime Lynn, Greg Windham, Mike Grimes, and Diana Maldonado. Electing a slate of Democrats in November will put the fear of God into the rest of the elected officials in the county.
Accountability comes in November!
LHRiver said,
July 29, 2008 at 3:52 pm
It is NOT lost on us that no one in Liberty Hill wants this road to nowhere…and although there was a lot of saber rattling about us vs. them initially, we’re ready to tell the county as a whole that we don’t want this new Interstate 29.
–Michael “Fuzzy” Mauldin
http://LibertyHillRiver.ORG
info@LibertyHillRiver.ORG