In Texas, Article 1011m of the Texas Civil Statutes requires that applicants for state and/or federal assistance submit their applications for review to the appropriate regional planning agency(ies) and directs the governor to issue guidelines for carrying out such reviews. The resulting Texas Review and Comment System (TRACS) is our instrument for complying with these regulations.
When an applicant is instructed by the funding agency to submit a proposal to SPAG for review under the TRACS system, SPAG assigns a State Application Identifier (SAI) that remains with the proposal permanently. The number indicates the scope of the proposal (regional or multi-regional), the dates of receipt and staff review, and notation of any other councils of government involved.
The Government Applications Review Committee (GARC), which consists of no more than 20 members nominated by the SPAG Board of Directors, will offer advice and recommendations to the applicant. These members are drawn from city and county governments and interested citizens from the region and serve an advisory function to the SPAG Board of Directors. A representative of the agency or institution presenting the proposal must be present at both the Committee and the subsequent Board of Directors meetings to answer any questions either of those bodies may have for the applicant.
Most applicants make a short presentation to introduce their agency or project. When comment is offered, SPAG provides the applicant with a letter delineating that comment for their use and report the comment to the Single Point of Contact at the Office of the Governor. The TRACS system provides local officials the opportunity to review and make comment on various plans, grant proposals, and funding applications impacting their jurisdictions. Funding agencies often use the TRACS comments to assist in making planning decisions.
Important Links
Federal
Office of Management and Budget
National Environmental Policy Act
Demonstration
Cities and Metropolitan Development Program