Friday, June 24, 2011

82nd Texas Legislature Wrap-Up POSTPONED

Please join us as we welcome Cathy Cunningham of Boyle and Lowry, Jonathon Bazan of the City of Irving and Amanda Wilson of NCTCOG for a networking lunch to learn about how the 82nd Texas Legislature will affect planners.

Cathy and Jonathon will provide a brief overview of the legislative process and political happenings during the session. In addition, they will provide an update on the 82nd Texas Legislature regular and special sessions and cover issues related to the planning profession. Amanda will provide an update on how transportation issues were addressed during the session. Speakers will also discuss issues that may return during future legislative sessions.

When: POSTPONED. Due to a speaker scheduling conflict, this session will be rescheduled for September. Registration 11:30am - noon, presentation: noon-1:30pm.
Where: Transportation Council Room - North Central Texas Council of Governments
Cost: $10.00 APA Members / $15 non-members. Box lunch from Jason's Deli included
RSVP: Amanda Wilson at awilson@nctcog.org or 817-695-9284
AICP: CM Legal credits have been requested. Approval is pending.

GIS Spatial Analysis Workshop

This three day/four-hour workshop series provides an overview of applied spatial pattern analysis using GIS and SPSS. The selected readings and the replication datasets may also be of interest in itself for some participants. The workshop is FREE for students. The course is oriented to spatial analysis for students and others committed to applied research in spatial analysis. Attendees, by replication, will develop confidence to scan different literature on analytical procedures or specific computing routines. This is a free, hands-on workshop. Please see the linked flyer.

These workshops will cover the following areas:
Monday: Spatial Autocorrelation (Concepts & Examples; Excercises & Case Studies)
Tuesday: Spatial Autocorrelation (Continuation) Identification & Visualization of Univariate and Multivariate Outliers
Wednesday: Classification & Visualization of Georeferenced Information and Intro to Spatial Regression.

When: Monday - Wednesday, June 27-29, 2011 6:00pm to 10:00pm
Where: Room UH 004 at University Hall, UT-Arlington
Cost: Free for students
RSVP: Majorie Dick at majorie@uta.edu or 817-272-3301
INFO: Ard Anjomani at anjomani@uta.edu

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Midwest Section Bylaws Election

Below is the link to the electronic ballot for the proposed revisions to the Midwest Section bylaws. The Section Executive Board has been working on an overhaul of our bylaws for the past year. Some of the revisions are needed to update language to how the Section currently does business, and many other changes were made to comply with mandates from the Chapter Board.
A copy of the proposed bylaws is linked - both a clean copy and a tracked-changes version. A general summary of the proposed changes is below.

The organization and section numbering is changed. Bylaws are considered “amended and restated”.

Article II Purpose. This section was expanded to better describe the mission of the Section.

Article III Membership. Members are now classified as “Section Members” rather than “Regular Members”. The section regarding termination of membership is deleted.

Article IV Fiscal Administration. The fiscal year was changed from the calendar year to the same fiscal year calendar used by the Texas Chapter. Budget and financial reporting requirements were amended to be consistent with directives from the Texas Chapter. The portions of this section regarding special assessments, vouchers and restrictions and dissolution were deleted.

Article V Elected Officers, Appointed Officers and Executive Board. Terms of office were expanded to two years as directed by the Texas Chapter. The position of “newsletter editor” is changed to “communications coordinator” to reflect expanded use of the internet and social networking tools. The professional development officer and student representative are moved from ex-officio positions to executive board positions. Duties of the officers is expanded to reflect actual duties and coincide with Texas Chapter position duties. Quorum is expanded from 3 to 4 board members.

Article VI Elections and Voting. The Section director is charged with administering elections. A specific election process and detailed calendar are added. Allowances added for electronic or written ballots. Officers assume elected position at the conclusion of the Chapter conference every October in odd-numbered year (instead of January each year) as directed by the Texas Chapter. A process is added to fill vacancies on the executive board should the need arise.

Article VII Meetings. Executive board meetings must be noticed via electronic or other means at least 15 days prior to the meeting, as directed by the Texas Chapter.

Article VIII Committees. Three standing committees are created to further Section business – programs committee, awards committee and conference planning committee. Members of these committees are appointed by the Section Director.

Article IX Amendment of Bylaws. Expanded the section related to the procedures for the amendment of the bylaws.

Access the ballot: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MWAPA-Bylaws-Election

Friday, June 17, 2011

Open Position - Assistant City Planner - City of Benbrook

Assistant City Planner - Assists the City Planner is administering the zoning, subdivision and development regulations for the City. Assists in the preparation of Comprehensive Plan elements and other special projects. Performs other related duties as required. Download job description to the right for full details.

Applications are available from and returnable to: Personnel Department, 911 Winscott Road, Benbrook, Texas 76126. Application deadline 4:00 p.m. Thursday, July 7, 2011. www.ci.benbrook.tx.us

Midwest Section Officer Elections

In the event the revisions to the Section bylaws are approved, officer elections will need to occur this September. Newly-elected individuals would take office at the conclusion of the Chapter conference in October, and all positions would be 2-year terms. The Section Board is seeking members interested in running for an officer position. The positions up for election are Director-Elect, Treasurer, Secretary, and Communications Coordinator (formerly Newsletter Editor). If you are interested in running for one of these positions or have any questions please email any of the following people on the Nominating Committee: Curvie Hawkins, AICP, Amanda Wilson, AICP or Richard Schell, AICP.

Midwest Section Bylaws Election

Next week, (beginning June 20) all Section Members will receive a copy of the proposed revisions to the Midwest Section bylaws and a link to the electronic ballot. The Section Executive Board has been working on an overhaul of our bylaws for the past year. Some of the revisions are needed to update language to how the Section currently does business and many other changes were made to comply with mandates from the Chapter Board. A more detailed explanation will be provided in the upcoming email. If you have immediate questions, email Clayton Husband, AICP or call 817-459-6668.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Transportation Challenges at Arlington Highlands

Hosted by the Transportation and Developmnet Institute of the Fort Worth ASCE chapter, hear a presentation by Jason Grimm, P.E., with the City of Arlington, presenting on the Arlington Highlands retail development and the transportation successes and challenges associated with that development.

When: Thursday, June 23, 2011, 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.
Where: Fort Worth ITC - 1001 Jones Street - Downtown Fort Worth
Cost: $10.00, light lunch included
RSVP: June 17 to bschock@mbakercorp.com
More Info: Brett Schock at bschock@mbakercorp.com or 817-987-4912

Central Texas Livability Summit

Hosted by CAMPO, the Texas Transportation Institute and the Federal Highway Administration, the Central Texas Livability Summit is a free workshop discussing best practices for transformative projects in Austin and Central Texas. A detailed agenda and RSVP form is available for download to the right.

When: Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Where: Austin City Hall - 301 W 2nd St - Austin, TX 78701
Cost: Free
More Info: Kirk D. Fauver at kirk.gauver@dot.gov

Thursday, June 2, 2011

The T Holds E. Lancaster Enhanced Bus Corridor Open House Meetings June 8 and 9

Improved service with 60-foot buses, faster travel, more rider amenities and technology to start this fall.

FORT WORTH (June 2, 2011) - The T (Fort Worth Transportation Authority) will hold open house meetings to give neighborhood residents and riders along East Lancaster Avenue a preview of the new enhanced bus corridor and related bus service improvements scheduled to begin operation this fall.

The meetings will be on Wednesday, June 8, from noon to 1 p.m. at The T's headquarters on 1600 E. Lancaster Ave. 76102 and Thursday, June 9 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Handley United Methodist Church on 2929 Forest Ave. 76112. They will include a presentation and a question and answer period.

"Enhanced bus corridors are a major project of The T's long -range strategic plan to make bus service along its busiest corridors, faster, more efficient, with more passenger amenities and more advanced technology," said Dick Ruddell, president of The T. "The goal of such corridors is to provide better public transportation experiences for the customer both at the stops and in the vehicles," Rudder said.

East Lancaster Avenue will be the first enhanced bus corridor in The T's service area. The Lancaster Avenue corridor that operates from Handley to the downtown Intermodal Transportation Center is the most heavily traveled corridor in The T's bus system.

Major improvements along enhanced bus corridors generally include transit signal priority for more immediate access through traffic signals at intersections to improve travel time; higher level passenger amenities at stops and shelters; 60-foot low floor buses to accommodate greater passenger loads; improved passenger information, more advanced technology, and a distinctive brand that differentiates the corridor from other bus service routes. The T's E. Lancaster enhanced bus corridor will result in changes to Route 2 and the addition of a new connecting bus route.

For more information, contact The T at 817-215-8600 or visit www.The-T.com.