© 2003, Guidry News
Service
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
© 2003, Guidry News
Service
|
Story Links: University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston Park Board of Trustees Harris County-Houston Sports Association
University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston Park Board of Trustees Harris County-Houston Sports Association
University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston Park Board of Trustees Harris County-Houston Sports Association
University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston Park Board of Trustees Harris County-Houston Sports Association
University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston Park Board of Trustees Harris County-Houston Sports Association
University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston Park Board of Trustees Harris County-Houston Sports Association
University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston Park Board of Trustees Harris County-Houston Sports Association
University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston Park Board of Trustees Harris County-Houston Sports Association
University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston Park Board of Trustees Harris County-Houston Sports Association
University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston Park Board of Trustees Harris County-Houston Sports Association
University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston Park Board of Trustees Harris County-Houston Sports Association
|
University of Texas Medical Branch President Dr. John Stobo reported to students, faculty, other employees and the general public about Governor Rick Perry's request for a seven percent cut in expenditure of state funds on UTMB. Listen At his regular Town Meeting in Levin Hall, Stobo said Perry's edict requires a reduction in state spending of $15 million, for the remainder of this year. UTMB and other state agencies must cut 13 percent in the next fiscal year. Stobo said there will be no across the board reductions in force or salary freezes. Instead each program will be evaluated as to its effectiveness and cost. There will be a "flexible hiring freeze" at the discretion of "entity leaders," heads of departments or other high level administrative officials. Travel restrictions will be imposed on trips that would be financed with state funds. A review of all capital expenditures will be imposed, postponing or delaying spending of state funds until the expenditures are evaluated as to effectiveness versus cost. State funding provides about one-third of the UTMB budget. Stobo cautioned UTMB employees not to try to fund state programs from other areas. "That is not appropriate," Stobo insisted. "It is inappropriate." Programs that are being evaluated for effectiveness include the hyperbaric medicine program, inpatient rehabilitation services and the heart transplant department. The employees of the hyperbaric medicine program are currently on paid, administrative leave pending the evaluation. Stobo said the study of inpatient rehabilitation is intended to discover and eliminate "redundancies in administration." He said the heart transplant department is not doing a sufficient number of operations to maintain Medicare certification. Stobo
said the UTMB community and the public will be kept informed
about the cuts as they are made. The San Jacinto College District has responded to Governor Rick Perry’s request to trim seven percent from 2002-2003 state agency budgets by initiating several cost-saving measures, which are effective immediately. Dr. Bill Lindemann, interim chancellor, announced the measures after a meeting with his executive management team. The cuts affect the part of the college’s budget funded through general revenue appropriation. San Jacinto joins other public universities who are also taking cost-cutting actions to address the state’s estimated $9.9 billion budget deficit. “This reduction will help to balance the state budget for this fiscal year,” Lindemann said. “San Jacinto College is working with the other community colleges and universities across the state to do our part.” Lindemann said the cuts will trim about $3 million from the college's operating budget The measures include a hiring freeze on new or replacement positions and a case-by-case review of new requests for temporary help. The college also has issued a moratorium on all new requests for out-of-state travel, choosing only to honor travel plans for conference presenters that have already been established. A final measure calls for vice chancellors and campus presidents to carefully evaluate all capital purchases in their area and put a “hold” on all purchases not deemed critical to the educational mission. “We were expecting a shortfall in the state’s budget which would affect community colleges for the next biennium,” said Lindemann. “But this action from the state was unexpected for this year. We will be looking at revenue generating ideas and cost cutting measures for the 2003-2004 budget since it is projected more cuts will be instituted by the state.” Concerning future cuts in this year’s budget, he stressed that any reduction associated with students or the learning process would be the last to be implemented. “Our executive management team continues to place teaching and learning as our number one institutional priority. So, while the cuts being made are not what we would like to do, we feel they are the most prudent based on the current situation,” he said. Lindemann informed the college faculty and staff of the impending cuts via e-mail correspondence, adding that he will keep the college family up-to-date as plans unfold from the state and his office. The executive management team will meet today to discuss further expense reduction scenarios for this 2002-2003 budget and possibilities concerning the upcoming 2003-2004 budget. Galveston Park Board of Trustees The Galveston Park Board of Trustees Mardi Gras/Special Events Committee voted to approve an agreement with Kevin O'Brien to manage beverage sales at the 2003 Mardi Gras Celebration. The Committee approved a request by Simpson's Gallery and AMPCO Systems to include their areas within the Strand Entertainment District, to permit them to operate vendor booths during the festival. The committee also reviewed staging options for the downtown entertainment. The
full Park Board of Trustees also met on Thursday to discuss
several items in executive session, but took no
action. Topics of discussion included Martin Lackey v.
the Park Board of Trustees and Park Board of Trustees v.
MAPA Law Firm; the position of advertising manager, and land
acquisition and real estate opportunities for a water park. The Galveston Chamber of Commerce presented awards at its annual banquet Thursday night at Moody Gardens Hotel. Business
Expansion Awards - Commercial Business
Expansion Award - Institutional Business
Expansion Award - Small Division Renaissance
Awards Business
of the Year Award Community
Service Award Chamber
Service Award Volunteer
of the Year Award Christie
Mitchell Beachcomber Award There was no speaker at the banquet. Instead, Jimmy Rasmussen, Garry Kaufman and others "roasted" Galveston Economic Development Partnership President Jeff Sjostrom. Print
Version Harris
County-Houston Sports Authority The Harris County-Houston Sports Authority Board of Directors voted to pay $500,000 in construction acceleration funds to Hunt Construction for the new multi-purpose arena downtown. Hunt
engineer Mike Fratianni said that the roof should be
completed by month’s end, and that interior construction
would begin then. Fratianni told the board that, in order
for the building to be ready by September 1, even more money
would be needed to speed up construction. Board
member Grover Jackson asked Fratianni why the project is off
schedule and who is responsible for the delays. Jackson said
“The extra cost needs to be shared,” and that Hunt
needed to do whatever was necessary to get the arena open on
time. Fratianni said “I’m 100% certain that it can be
delivered.” The Houston Rockets will begin playing in the new arena next season. HC-HAS Chief Executive Officer Oliver Luck spoke with Guidry News Service about Houston sport’s facilities. Listen State Senator Rodney Ellis, acting as a consultant to the Rockets, presented the board with a Minority/Women Business Enterprise Plan. Ellis said the Rockets are committed to making sure that at least 30 percent of their expenditures are from businesses owned by minorities or women. Board member Howard Middleton asked Ellis how the board could ensure that the Rockets would comply with the M/WBE target. “I’ll stake my reputation on it,” Ellis said. The
board approved its operating budget for 2003. All
agenda items were approved unanimously. Federal Bureau of Prisons Halfway House Opposition is growing to a halfway house proposed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Nederland. "The citizens became very much upset when they learned of the possibility of this happening," said Congressman Nick Lampson. "We have been working with everyone involved to see that it doesn't happen; or at least that it doesn't happen in that location." Listen The bureau is planning to establish the facility in the old Church on the Rock building at 2005 North Petersen Street. A
Neighborhood Watch meeting on the facility is scheduled for
next Tuesday at 6 p.m. at C. O. Wilson Middle School.
Lampson has asked the bureau to send a representative to the
meeting. Galveston Symphony Orchestra 'Mini-Season' ticket packages will be available through February 16. The package of single adult tickets to each of the three symphony concerts in the second half of the 2002-03 season is $33, a saving of $12 off the regular price. Students and seniors can purchase the 'Mini-Season' package for only $24, a saving of $12 off the regular price.
The three remaining concerts of the symphony's 2002-03
season at the
historic Grand 1894 Opera House are: The critically acclaimed orchestra, now in its 23rd season, performs under Richard W. Pickar, music director and conductor. Pickar was principal clarinetist with the Houston Symphony Orchestra for 31 years, until 1990.
UTMB and other discount offers such as KUHF-FM Classic Card
do not apply
to the 'Mini-Season' package. To purchase 'Mini-Season'
package tickets
or individual tickets, call the Grand 1894 Opera House at
(409)
765-1894, or toll-free at (800) 821-1894. Tickets for
individual
concerts can also be purchased at www.thegrand.com. UTMB Children's Advisory Board The
University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston Children's
Hospital will hold its annual "Come Out and Play"
event, February 12 from 5:30-8:30 p.m., at Levin Hall on the
corner of 11th and Market Streets in Galveston. Past
projects of the Children's Hospital Advisory Board have
funded several important additions to the hospital,
including a playground and a children's garden. Cartoonist
Al Mainwaring offers a reflection on the loss of seven
astronauts in the space shuttle disaster. Scheduled
Meetings Today,
February 7
Saturday, February 8 Sunday,
February 9
Monday,
February 10 |
Story Links, on the left side of this page, is composed of "bookmarks" to the stories in the newsletter. Click on the link to go directly to the article. Print individual articles by first clicking on the "Print Version" link, then using your regular print program. On The Online News Station, if you click on an audio cut and the photos stop loading, click on Refresh or Reload and they will resume. Gulf Coast E-news, published by Guidry News Service, provides comprehensive coverage of posted public meetings in Galveston, Harris and Jefferson Counties.
This electronic newsletter replaces, and expands on, the mission
of Galveston Fax, established by Jim and Lynda Guidry on
Galveston Island in Galveston County reporters, covering the city council meetings of all 13 municipal governments plus several school boards and special utility districts, include Jinelle Boyd, Drew Gilbert, Shannon Hall, Kristina Weaver, Tom Foster, Jo Ann Gowing and Dedra Kratts. Weaver, Foster, Gowing and Kratts also cover the Harris County entities surrounding Clear Lake. Scott Nowell covers Harris County Commissioners Court, Houston City Council, and meetings of organizations in downtown Houston. Carl Guidry, representing Guidry News Service in Jefferson County, covers Jefferson County Commissioners Court, Beaumont City Council and Port Arthur City Council. We are seeking additional reporters to expand our coverage in Jefferson County. Gulf Coast E-news also will continue coverage of regional organizations in the Gulf Coast area. Gulf Coast E-news is interactive with The Guidry News Service Online News Station, providing coverage of special events and public meetings with photos and audio. Terry Arnold and Barbara Ward are marketing representatives for The Online News Station. Marketing representatives are being recruited in Harris and Jefferson counties. Subscriptions to Gulf Coast E-news are $300 per year, or $75 per quarter, plus sales and use tax. A fax-only version of the newsletter is available for $350 per year or $87.50 per quarter, plus tax. Current subscribers to Galveston Fax or Clear Lake Area E-news will automatically receive Gulf Coast E-news.
Guidry News Service has
offices at 926 Broadway |
|||||
