COMMISSIONERS' COURT AGENDA REQUEST
PLEASE F[TRNISH ONE ORIGINAL AND NINE COPIES OF THIS REQUEST AND DOCUMENTS TO BE
REVIEWED BY THE COURT.
MADE BY: Fred Henn OFFICE: County Judge
MEETING DATE: March 12, 2001
SUBJECT: (PLEASE BE SPECIFIC)
Consider and discuss
Communities in Texas.
TIME PREFERRED:
membership in Association of
EXECUTIVE SESSION REQUESTED: (PLEASE STATE REASON)
NAME OF YERSON ADDRESSING THE COURT:
ESTIMATED LENGTH OF PRESENTATION:
IF PERSONNEL MATTER -NAME OF EMPLOYEE:
Rural
County Judge

Time for submitting this request for Court to assure that the matter is posted in accordance with Title 5, Chapter
551 and 552, Government Code, is as follows:
Meeting scheduled for Mondays:
THIS REQUEST RECEIVED BY:
THIS REQUEST RECEIVED ON:
5:00 P.M. previous Tuesday.

All Agenda Requests will be screened by the County Judge's Office to determine if adequate information has been
prepazed for the Court's formal consideration and action at time of Court Meetings. Your cooperation will be
appreciated and contribute towazds you request being addressed at the earliest opportunity. See Agenda Request Kules
Adopted by Commissioners' Court.
ASSOCIA'
Date: February 12, 2001
To: Rural Leaders
1~RCIT
RU~L Coi~nvrr~s nv T'ExAS
From: Jim Dunaway, Elgin City Manager
Regarding: Rural Association Membership
L_ _ ,~~

It is my pleasure to introduce you to the Association of Rural Communities in Texas and to invite
you to join with us.
ARCIT was founded this year in response to an unprecedented level of attention focused on the
development needs of rural Texas by the Texas Legislature during the 2000 interim. As I am
finding out, some of the attention will benefit us, while some may end up working against our
struggle to grow and revitalize our small communities.
If you are like me, you are kept busy by your daily responsibilities and don't have enough time to
keep track of what the folks in Austin are up to. I have long thought that rural communities
lacked a united voice, despite the fact that more than three million of us live outside metropolitan
areas.
Together with Judge Deborah Herber of Atascosa County and Danny Fryar of the City of Stanton, I
helped found ARCIT as a Texas non-profit corporation to provide us with that voice.
Self-reliance has long been a hallmark of rural Texas, but dependence is becoming a way of life
for many small communities as our youth and our dollars flee to larger cities. I feel that we must
join together on those issues that are clearly in the best interests of rural communities so that we
have a say in where resources are allocated, how regulations are changed, and what we want our
communities to become.
Some of the programs and agencies serving rural areas that we plan to look at include the Texas
Community Development Program, the Texas Capital Fund, the HOME Program for housing
assistance, Texas Department of Agriculture, Texas Parks & Wildlife, TXDOT, and USDA-Rural
Development.
If you feel your community could benefit from ARCIT's mission to preserve and revitalize rural
Texas, please consider joining us. Enclosed are an information sheet and a membership
application for your consideration.
RCIT
of Rural Communities in Texas
Rural Texas is at a crossroads. Though a landscape of oil wells, cattle ranches, cotton
fields, and logging trails, held together by a network of good roads and small towns
symbolizes Texas here and around the world, this heritage is fading for many.
Development in hundreds of rural communities has slowed or reversed, with job losses,
business closings, declining infrastructure, and aging housing stock.
In some rural areas there is growth, but often it is uncontrolled and poor in quality.
Hundreds of illegal or poorly developed subdivisions, including the Colonias of South
Texas, present challenges in providing roads, water supply, and public services.
Leaders in local government have long been on the front lines of these and other issues
facing rural Texas. in concert with groups like economic development corporations and
rural water and sewer utilities, they must work with limited resources to make life better
for their communities.
The Association of Rural Communities in Texas was founded by leaders from rural
Texas to provide a new resource for preserving and improving our quality of life.
ARCIT is organized as a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization with anine-member board of
directors representing local governments and development organizations. Our primary
purposes are to study, address, promote, communicate and report on issues and
related challenges confronting rural cities and counties in Texas, particularly regarding
community resources, housing, infrastructure and economic development.
ARCIT members will have a voice that speaks not only as a representative of local
government or other development organizations but also as a representative of rural
Texas, with our own issues and perspectives.
Qualified voting members of ARCIT include:
(i) an incorporated city with a population of 50,000 or less;
(ii) a county with a population of 200,000 or less;
(iii) an economic development corporation formed and controlled by a qualified city
or county; or
(iv) a district or other entity formed under state law to provide water or sewer utility
services in a qualified city or county.
Membership for 2001 is $100.00. Dues will cover start-up expenses of the organization
and development of a policy agenda and lobbying effort during the 2001 session and
interim.
For more information, please contact Jirri Dunaway at the City of Elgin, (512) 281-5724
i1~RCIT
ASSOCIATIO OF RURAL COMMUNITIES IN TEXAS
VOTING MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Name of Applicant
Type of Entity City Economic Development Corp.
(check one)
County Utility District/Corporation
Communities Served:
(Not applicable if applicant is a city or county)
Name of Contact Person
Address for Notices
Telephone Number
Fax Number
Email Address
Name of Alternate
Contact Person
Membership fee for 2001 is $100.00, made payable to ARCIT.
Please send payment to:
ARCIT
c/o Jim Dunaway
City of Elgin
P.O. Box 591
Elgin, Texas 78621
Please be sure to address your envelope in care of Mr Dunaway to ensure proper processing.
Questions? Please call Jim Dunaway at (512J 281-5724.
1705 West Koenig Lane Voice (512) 420-0303
Austin, Texas 78756 Fax (512) 420-0302
austin@grantworks.net
TRANSMITTAL COVER
To: Local Official Date: 02/28/01
Group: Small City & Rural County Clients Project: N/A
Sub'ect: Rural Association Information
Remarks:
Here is some information regarding the Association of Rural Communities in Texas
(ARCIT) that we mentioned to you. Please look it over and consider joining with
them.
From what we have read and been told, it sounds like ARCIT is amuch-needed
resource for Rural Texas. The local government representatives, including Stanton
City Manager Danny Fryar, Judge Deborah Herber of Atascosa County, and Elgin
City Manager Jim Dunaway, who started ARCIT all have excellent reputations and a
commitment to rural issues.
We believe that it is time that small cities and rural counties had a bigger voice in
Austin. It is GrantWorks' policy to encourage rural development and improved
quality of life in our client communities whether or not we personally benefit, so we
are encouraging everyone to consider membership in ARCIT.
Membership dues appear to be very reasonable ($100 for 2001) as well.
If you rlecirlP to join nlPasP return the mPmhPrchi~ form ^nd fPP to ARr'IT ^t
addrass shown nn that form, nnfi to uc a+ [:rantWerkc,
Sincerely,
G~eEEy (.,olCier
Planning, Housing, and
Community Development Services
for Rural Texas Since 1979