Texas Department of Transportation:

An Inventory of Transportation Commission Minutes and Agenda at the Texas State Archives, 1991-2005

Agency History

The Texas Department of Transportation is charged with the design, location, construction, and maintenance of transportation systems in Texas. This involves the following:

• the planning, designing, and right-of-way acquisition of state highways and other modes of transportation, plus transportation research to save lives and money;
• highway and bridge construction, and airport improvements;
• the maintenance of roadways, bridges, airports, the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway, and ferry systems;
• public transportation, vehicle titles and registration, vehicle dealer registration, motor carrier registration, traffic safety, traffic information, and auto theft prevention. (These last functions fall under the oversight of the affiliated boards: the Texas Motor Vehicle Board, the Texas Turnpike Authority Board, and the Texas Automobile Theft Prevention Authority Board.)

The Texas Department of Transportation was created in 1991 (House Bill 9, 72nd Legislature, 1st Called Session), merging the following agencies:

• the Texas State Department of Highways and Public Transportation, which had been created in 1975 by the merger of the Texas Highway Department (originally created in 1917) and the Texas Mass Transportation Commission (created in 1969);
• the Texas Department of Aviation (created as the Texas Aeronautics Commission in 1945, name changed to Texas Board of Aviation in 1989);
• the Texas Motor Vehicle Commission (created in 1971).

In 1991, the Texas Automobile Theft Prevention Authority Board was created as part of the Office of the Governor (House Bill 640, 72nd Texas Legislature, Regular Session); its functions were transferred to the Texas Department of Transportation in 1993 by means of an interagency contract, formalized by statute in 1995 (House Bill 2845, 74th Texas Legislature, Regular Session). The Texas Turnpike Authority, created in 1953 (House Bill 4, 53rd Texas Legislature, Regular Session), also merged with the Texas Department of Transportation in 1997 (Senate Bill 370, 75th Texas Legislature, Regular Session).

Two additional programs were transferred to the Department of Transportation: Oil Overcharge programs (transferred in 1993 from the General Services Commission's State Energy Conservation Office); and trucking regulation (transferred in 1995 from the Texas Railroad Commission to the newly created Motor Carrier Division of the Department of Transportation). The bulk of the work of the Texas Department of Transportation is accomplished within 25 geographic districts, each managed by a district engineer.

The Texas Department of Transportation's governing body is the Texas Transportation Commission, originally composed of three-members, increased to five in 2003 (Senate Bill 409, 78th Texas Legislature, Regular Session). Commissioners are representatives of the general public appointed by the governor with advice and consent of the senate for overlapping six-year terms. Since 2003, one of the members must represent rural Texas. The positions are part-time salaried positions, and the chair (appointed by the governor) was originally called the commissioner of transportation; since 2003, each member is referred to as a commissioner.

The six-member Motor Vehicle Board of the Texas Department of Transportation operates independently of the Transportation Commission. The same is true of the Texas Turnpike Authority Board and the Texas Automobile Theft Prevention Authority Board.

(Sources include: the Guide to Texas State Agencies, 11th edition (2001); the article "Texas Department of Transportation" by John D. Huddleston in the Handbook of Texas Online; the enabling legislation (1991, 1995, 1997, 2003); the Texas Department of Transportation web site (http://www.dot.state.tx.us/), accessed January 2006.)

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Scope and Contents of the Records

These records document the Texas Transportation Commission's oversight of the design, location, construction, and maintenance of transportation systems in Texas. The records consist of copies of minutes, and some agenda, of meetings held monthly by the Texas Transportation Commission, dating 1991-2005. These formal minutes include Minute Orders issued by the commission, which document in considerable detail the business of the commission. Minute Orders deal with the following agenda items: contracts (award or rejection of contracts for maintenance, building, emergency repair or highway construction; default and/or assignment of contracts for highways, public transportation, maintenance or building construction; etc.); funding authorization; contract claim resolution; programs (e.g. preventive maintenance programs, planning and feasibility studies, multi-modal transportation, etc.); routine minute orders (regular and construction speed zones; road and bridge load zoning; disposition of existing right of way and property; authorization of building and ground improvements; U.S. highway, state highway, and farm-to-market road projects; revision of prior programs); request for eminent domain proceedings; leasing of highway right of way; public transportation (authorization of distribution of public transportation funds, etc.); promulgation of rules and regulations; consideration of operating budget; authorization to enter into necessary agreements and take appropriate action; reports (e.g. financial report, report on railroad grade protective devices, report on status of right of way and project development, quarterly internal review report, Texas/Mexico report, etc.). In addition, the minutes contain summaries of public hearings regarding aviation projects; presentations of delegations before the commission; and other business. Agenda are also present in the files for some but not all meetings between 1992 and 1995.

Minutes are created to document in a thorough but summary fashion the official actions of the commission in its meetings.

To prepare this inventory, the described materials were cursorily reviewed to delineate series, to confirm the accuracy of contents lists, to provide an estimate of dates covered, and to determine record types.

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

None.

Restrictions on Use

Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and may be freely used in any way. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).

Technical Requirements

None.

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Related Material

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item), Texas Transportation Commission minutes and agenda. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information

Accession numbers: 1998/014, 1999/028, 2000/038, 2001/015, 2002/043, 2003/106, 2004/065, 2005/022, 2005/127, 2006/034, 2006/175

These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Texas Department of Transportation on September 26, 1997; September 30, 1998; September 29, 1999; September 28, 2000; October 9, 2001; January 24, 2003; November 14, 2003; February 14, 2005; and October 6, 2005; and by the Texas Legislative Reference Library on September 20, 2004; and January 9, 2006.

Processing Information

Tony Black, July 1998, March 1999, January 2006

Accruals

The Texas Department of Transportation regularly transfers copies of minutes to the Texas State Archives.

Other Formats for the Records

The Texas Department of Transportation has posted electronic copies of its commission meeting documentation for 2000-2006 on the agency's website (http://www.dot.state.tx.us/transcom/default.htm). As of January 2006, this includes: minutes from January 2004 to December 2005, agenda from January 2000 to February 2006, transcripts of proceedings from January 2000 to December 2005, and either video or audio excerpts from October 2004 to December 2005.

Location of Originals

The record copies of minutes and agenda are maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation.

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Detailed Description of the Records

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