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Environmental Services & Special Projects |
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Environmental Services & Special Projects |
PROGRAM SUMMARY
The Environmental Services and Special Projects Division works with member governments to support an array of activities that address environmental, economic development and social services issues in targeted communities in the region.
The Rio Grande Council of Governments (RGCOG) serves as the administrative entity and public involvement coordinator for the Far West Texas Water Planning Group, a citizen body tasked with developing a 50-year regional water resources management plan under Texas Senate Bill 1 (75th Legislative Session). This project, funded by the Texas Water Development Board and by contributions from local government entities and water supply districts, has enabled our region to prepare a legislatively mandated regional water plan for a seven county planning region in West Texas.
The RGCOG’s role in the regional water planning process has three broad aspects: (1) providing administrative support for the Far West Texas Water Planning Group; (2) providing fiscal management of Texas Water Development Board funds which have been passed through to technical consultants to the Planning Group; and (3) developing and implementing a comprehensive public involvement strategy to maximize local input and buy-in to the planning process. The RGCOG therefore acts as fiscal agent and project manager for the regional planning effort.
The RGCOG administers a regional solid waste management program funded through a share of solid waste disposal fee revenues from the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission. The RGCOG is the state’s designated regional solid waste planning agency, and was responsible for the preparation in 1996 of the regional solid waste management plan “Municipal Solid Waste Plan for Far West Texas”. The plan seeks to identify and address problems in solid waste management, maintain information on current solid waste disposal technologies and best practices, and recommend strategies for improving current management practices to accommodate future disposal needs. In the coming year, the RGCOG will prepare a comprehensive amendment to the regional plan to update baseline information and revise its goals to reflect progress made in the past years.
The purpose of the solid waste management program is to support local and regional solid waste projects that address the goals of the regional plan. These goals are promoted through pass-through grants that support the plan. The recipients of these grants represent an array of stakeholders including cities, counties, and school districts.
The RGCOG is also conducting an inventory of closed landfills in the region, which will become part of the regional plan. The inventory entails field verification of closed landfill units, preparation of a GIS database, site mapping, and landowner and public notification.
The El Paso County
Dispute Resolution Center is a project of El Paso County, and has operated under the
direction of the Rio Grande Council of Governments since it was created in 1988. The
Center provides an alternative in settling disputes through the process of mediation and
other forms of alternative dispute resolution, such as moderated settlement conferences
and arbitration.
Mediation is the
most requested method because it is less expensive, less time-consuming, and can resolve a
dispute so that each party benefits from the session. With the assistance of impartial
mediators, the parties are able to come to a lasting agreement. When parties shape the
agreement themselves, they are more likely to comply with the terms of that agreement.
Each party wins because each party participates.
The El Paso County Dispute Resolution Center conducts a 40 Hour Basic Mediation Training, and a 32 Hour Family Mediation Training annually, to train mediators in accordance with the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. Community outreach and educational sessions in conflict resolution methods are also offered.