MINUTES

 

SENATE COMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS

Thursday, January 12, 2012

10:00 AM

Capitol Extension, Room E1.028

 

*****

 

Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule 11.10 and 11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Relations was held on Thursday, January 12, 2012, in the Capitol Extension, Room E1.028, at Austin, Texas.

 

*****

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:		MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Royce West, Chair		Senator Mario Gallegos, Jr.
Senator Robert Nichols, Vice Chair		Senator Jeff Wentworth
Senator Dan Patrick

 

*****

 

The Chair called the meeting to order at 10:00 AM.  The following business was transacted:

 

The Chair laid out the interim committee charge to review housing and development codes, and guidelines for structures in areas prone to natural disasters, and make recommendations on how these structures can be 'hardened' to avoid loss.  In addition, make recommendations to educate and enable private landowners to use best practices in fire risk mitigation, fuel reduction, and urban forest management to reduce exposure to wildland fires.

The Chair called 3 panels of the following persons to provide invited testimony on this interim committee charge.  See attached witness list.

At 10:25 AM Senator West resumed the Chair.

 

At 11:00 AM a quorum was established.

 

Senator Nichols moved adoption of the minutes from the previous hearing held on November 2, 2011.  Without objection, it was so ordered.

 

The Chair laid out the interim committee charge to analyze ways to better coordinate existing federal, state, and local housing resources to increase access to affordable housing following a disaster that caused the loss of homes.  Review best practices for fulfilling emergency short-term housing needs and developing long-term housing opportunities using existing tools, such as land trusts, land banks, and other available incentives.

 

The Chair called a panel of the following persons to provide invited testimony on this interim committee charge.  See attached witness list.

There being no further business, at 12:32 PM Senator West moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of the Chair.  Without objection, it was so ordered.

 

 

__________________________________________

Senator Royce West, Chair

 

 

__________________________________________

Tiffany White, Clerk