Highland Village Parents retains Environmental Attorney James Blackburn

By Faith Chatham - Aug. 26, 2007
Highland Village Parents have retained environmental attorney James Blackburn of Houston as counsel in the dispute over the route for Section 4 of FM 2499. Mr. Blackburn, a noted environmental attorney, is also representing the City of Frisco in the dispute over toll rates on SH 121. Blackburn, a partner in the Blackburn & Carter, specializes in urban quality of life, toxic torts litigation and community group representation. He has practiced environmental law in Houston for more than 30 years. His work with grassroots organizations has included a variety of cases, ranging from wetland, flooding, dam, hazardous waste, landfill, wastewater and air emission controversies. An environmental activist, he has participated in land use planning and design studies, taught environmental law and planning courses at Rice University and the University of Houston, and helped establish several conservation groups, including the Galveston Bay Foundation and the Matagorda Bay Foundation. Recently, he has written a book about the wonders and protection of the Texas coast, The Book of Texas Bays .
In 2003, for his work on urban quality of life he was granted honorary membership in the American Institute of Architects. Among his honors, he received the Robert C. Eckhardt Lifetime Achievement Award, for coastal preservation efforts, from the General Land Office of the State of Texas in 1998, the Jesse L. Walls award for work in preserving waterways and the Herman Rudenberg Coastal Protection Award by the Sierra Club in 1999. In 2001 he was awarded the Conservation Achievement Award in the Legislative/Legal category for extraordinary contributions to the conservation of wildlife and natural resources by the National Wildlife Federation.

The Book of Texas Bays, which focuses upon the current environmental health of bays in Texas and the efforts undertaken to protect them, has been published by Texas A&M press and is now in bookstores. Blackburn received both a B.A. in History and a J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.S. in Environmental Science at Rice University

Judgements Blackburn won in his clients' favor include an August 2000 $17 million dollar judgement on asbestos in James Blackburn, Et Al. V. Swan Transportation Company - Dallas County, Texas.

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TxDOT reverses position on releasing records

By Faith Chatham - Aug. 26, 2007
Susie Venable received a letter Aug. 25th from the Dallas District TxDOT attorney, Sue Reid offering to send her the "unobtainable" transcripts of the 2003 public hearing on FM 2499. The fee will be apx. $70.00 for photocopying.
Earlier this week in a telephone call, I advised Ms. Reid to confer with the Texas Attorney General's office regarding the legality of refusing to release materials based on copyright under Freedom of Information. I also mentioned that the Attorney General's office told me that they had not received a request from TxDOT for a waiver. Under Texas Law unless a request for waiver is received by the Open Records Division of the Texas Attorney General office within 10 working days of the receipt of the request for records under the Freedom of Information Act, the agancy must release the requested records.

Read more on OPEN GOVERNMENT.
The Open Records Division also provides an Open Government Hotline,
staffed by investigators who specialize in both the Public Information Act and the Open Meetings Act. These investigators can answer questions regarding these laws and can help resolve disputes involving the open government laws. However, the Hotline cannot provide legal advice to private citizens or governmental entities. The Hotline can be reached at (512) 478-OPEN (6736) or toll-free at (877) OPEN TEX (673-6839).

Public Information Handbook 2006 Texas Attorney General

2006 Administrative Law Handbook - Texas Attorney General

2006 Open Meetings Law Made Easy - Texas Attorney General

2006 Open Meetings Act Handbook - Texas Attorney General

2006 Public Information Act Made Easy - Texas Attorney General

2006 Eminent Domain Made Easy - Texas Attorney General

Other helpful publications:
2006 Public Officers: Traps for the Unwary - Texas Attorney General

2006 Conflict of Interest Laws Made Easy - Texas Attorney General

2006 Nepotism Laws Made Easy - Texas Attorney General

2006 Ethics, Gifts and Honorarium Laws Made Easy - Texas Attorney General

2006 Dual Office Holding Laws Made Easy - Texas Attorney General

Charges for Public Information
The Open Records Section of the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) discharges the mandates set out in Government Code, Chapter 552, Subchapter A, Section 552.009; Subchapter D, Section 552.205; and Subchapter F, Sections 552.261 through 552.274.
The OAG Cost Rules Administration administers the rules promulgated by the Attorney General to determine charges and methods for charging for copies of public information, complaints from requestors regarding overcharges for copies of public information, and requests from governmental bodies for exemption from the rules or part of the rules.

Additionally, the section provides advice to governmental bodies and requestors regarding the charges and their applicability.

OAG Rules for charges
Report on Charges for Public Information
Contact the Open Records Administrator:
Postal Mail:
Hadassah Schloss
Open Records Division
Office of the Attorney General
P.O. Box 12548
Austin, Texas 78711-2548
E-mail: hadassah.schloss@oag.state.tx.us
Telephone: 512/475-2497
Fax: 512/481-1992

Need More Information?
Charges for Public Information
Open Records in Texas
Open Records Rules (Secretary of State's website)
Agency Open Records Reports Login page
Instructions for Completing the Open Records Questionnaire
Open Records Questionnaire (Word97 format)
Report on Charges for Public Information: [2000 | 2002 | 2004]
Report Regarding the Posting Information on State Agencies' Web Sites (Word97 | PDF formats)

Senator nixes pollution study on FM2499

By LaKisha Ladson - Regional Roundup TxCN - Saturday, August 18, 2007


Opponents of the planned FM2499 extension through Highland Village were dealt another blow this week with a letter from state Sen. Chris Harris opposing their requests for a pollution study. Highland Village residents have formed numerous organizations to fight the project, most recently the Highland Village Parent Group. The group asked for a study to investigate whether traffic pollution could damage the lungs of children who live near the road. Mr. Harris wrote that he spoke with state transportation officials and physicians who assured him there was "no cause for concern," and that any delay on the project would hurt the city's development. Construction could start next year. The project would expand FM2499 from FM407 to FM2181.