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Local control is alive and well in Texas.
At least that is the case in the jurisdiction of the Eastern Central Texas Sub-Regional Planning Commission (ECTSRPC), where the four towns and school districts have used Chapter 391 of the Local Government Code to put a major roadblock in the Trans Texas Corridor I-35 segment.
On Monday, March 17, 2008, from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., in Lufkin, Texas, the strategy used by the ECTSRPC will be taught to others within the path of the TTC.
The workshop is sponsored by the American Land Foundation, Stewards of the Range and TURF, all of which have been actively fighting the corridor since it first took hold in Texas.
But it wasn’t until attorney and president of Stewards of the Range, Fred Grant, found a key provision in Chapter 391 of the Local Government Code, which requires state agencies to coordinate projects such as the TTC with local governments, that they had a way to stop the TTC.
“Forming a commission is a very simple procedure that took the ECTSRPC less than a month to complete,” commented Dan Byfield. Byfield is president of the American Land Foundation and will be showing the step-by-step process needed to form a 391 Commission at the March 17th workshop. He, along with his wife, Margaret Byfield, executive director of Stewards, have been helping direct the Commission’s formation and coordination efforts.
Once a Commission is formed, it is a political subdivision of the state and TXDOT has to coordinate the TTC with them. This gives local governments and citizens a meaningful opportunity to ensure TXDOT addresses the local impact and come up with either alternatives or solutions.
But while the ECTSRPC is in a good position to protect its citizens, until other communities take this same step, they will continue to be ignored by TXDOT and will have no way to prevent the TTC from coming through their area.
“We can’t count on the legislature to do the right thing. They have already had three chances to stop the largest land grab in the state of Texas, and have failed,” commented Byfield. “But we’ve seen what local governments can do through the 391 Commission, and how effective they can insist the local priorities and way of life are respected and protected.”
Time is of the essence on the I-69 Corridor. TXDOT only allowed less than four months of public comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and appears to have it on the fast track for final approval.
It may even be finalized before the I-35 Corridor, which has been delayed ever sense the ECTSRPC began insisting on coordination meetings with TXDOT and the Region 6 EPA office. TXDOT now says it will be June before they can send the DEIS 35 for final review to the Federal Highway Administration, when in October they informed the Commission their target date for final environmental clearance was January.
“The Commissions that are established now have a chance to insert themselves into the process and require the same accountability to their local issues as the ECTSRPC,” commented Margaret Byfield. At the workshop she will discuss the opportunities that local governments have to challenge the DEIS through the coordination process, which has been a key strategy used by the ECTSRPC.
“If we can get Commissions established up and down the I-69 Corridor we have a real shot at stopping this monster,” commented Hank Gilbert, Director of TURF, who will also be speaking at the workshop.
You can register today by calling 1-800-452-6389, or click here to reserve your seat on-line. Registration is $20 through Friday March 14th, and $30 at the door. A workbook and barbeque lunch will be provided.
Click here to read more about 391 Commissions, including the latest paper by Fred Grant titled “The Creation of the Eastern Central Texas Sub Regional Planning Commission.”