Next Tues/Wed (6/26 & 06/27) Council Work Session and CodeNE

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Steve Adler
Posts: 533
Joined: Fri Jan 16, 2015 2:12 pm

Next Tues/Wed (6/26 & 06/27) Council Work Session and CodeNE

Post by Steve Adler »

Colleagues,

For next week’s Council Work Session and CodeNEXT discussions, based on consultant availability, I propose the following schedule:

Tuesday, June 26

9 AM: Executive Session on Waller Creek (out-of-town counsel availability)
…thereafter: Briefing on Police Oversight (other two briefings pulled down by staff)
…thereafter: Pulled Items -- Council work session
…thereafter: CodeNEXT (if time is available before lunch)
12 PM: Executive Session during lunch (three remaining items)
…after lunch: Remaining pulled items (if any)
…thereafter: CodeNEXT Discussion
5:30 PM: Adjourn

Wednesday, June 27

9 AM: CodeNEXT Discussion
12 PM: Lunch Break
1 PM: CodeNEXT Discussion
5 PM: Discuss Next Steps
5:30 PM: Adjourn

Our CodeNEXT consultant (John Miki) doesn’t arrive until Tuesday night. Thus, best for us to begin discussion of Compatibility and Transitions on Wednesday morning with him.

Our CodeNEXT discussion on Tuesday, then, could cover Testing, a topic we discussed getting to this week. If there’s consensus, the Manager has indicated he would initiate testing during our July recess. (Note: My rationale for co-sponsoring a Testing item on our June 28 council meeting addendum was to allow discussion of Testing on Thursday, in case we don’t resolve the Testing issue in work session sufficient for the Manager to proceed.)

If there’s additional CodeNEXT time Tuesday or Wednesday, we would cover other topics as Council desires. I’d propose we consider the remaining income restricted housing topics. I’ll also post, shortly, for your consideration specific and significant statements on some of the remaining Topics around which I think there might be consensus. Maybe, by then, there will be some posted amendments to consider bringing forward for discussion. (Staff needs to let us know when the Amendment Portal is up for those of us wishing to post specific amendments.)
Mayor
Alison Alter
Posts: 211
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2017 3:52 pm

Re: Next Tues/Wed (6/26 & 06/27) Council Work Session and Co

Post by Alison Alter »

Mayor,

I would like to see us spend some significant time on Tuesday discussing the proposed bond. Given how the timing played out for our last meeting, as a whole council, we have not had an opportunity to discuss our goals on the size of the bond nor the particulars. I believe that public testimony on item 27 on Thursday will be more informed and our deliberations more effective if we devote some time this Tuesday.

Regards,
Alison Alter
Council Member, District 10
Leslie Pool
Posts: 231
Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2015 3:22 pm

Re: Next Tues/Wed (6/26 & 06/27) Council Work Session and Co

Post by Leslie Pool »

All, I agree that we should devote time at Tuesday's work session to discussing the bond proposals due to the time-sensitive nature of that decision. We should ensure we have time for pulled items before breaking for lunch and executive session, too.

Additionally, I must attend the City of Austin Employees Retirement System board meeting Tuesday afternoon. You'll recall that I've canceled attending the last two COAERS meetings that had been on my schedule since the first of the year when our meetings have changed to include CodeNext discussions. It's been increasingly difficult, but I've prioritized CodeNext over my trustee duties. This week, however, because a number of key decisions are on the COAERS agenda this Tuesday, I will have to leave our council work session by 1 p.m. I will rejoin the CodeNext discussion with you all on Wednesday.

Thanks so much for understanding - we all have so many demands on our time, and everyone is working extremely hard.

Leslie
Leslie Pool
Mayor Pro Tem
Council Member, District 7
Steve Adler
Posts: 533
Joined: Fri Jan 16, 2015 2:12 pm

Re: Next Tues/Wed (6/26 & 06/27) Council Work Session and Co

Post by Steve Adler »

Colleagues,

This week, it was our intent to focus on Testing and on Compatibility and Transitions.

Beyond that, it’s been suggested by some that we look at specific amendments. (I understand that staff will shortly stand up a portal to post amendments and then we’ll all be able to see what they look like.) Another option is to continue looking at specific policy directions that will enable staff to bring us a CodeNEXT version that would have support on Council. In this regard, there’s been some requests for the direction statements to be specific and to deal with some of the hard questions. This document (http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 182445.pdf) includes possible direction statements we might use to focus conversations on testing, compatibility and transitions.

We have set aside time at the end of Wednesday’s Council CodeNEXT discussion to address next steps. Maybe if we’ve made sufficient progress in finding consensus on significant areas of policy direction, a majority of Council would consider taking up the code on first reading when we return from our July recess?

We might discuss on Wednesday, as part of the “next steps” discussion, what we use as the “base” document to which we’ll direct changes. I’m not sure it matters that much, because we can end up with the same document regardless of where we start. Nonetheless, I would recommend that our base document be the staff recommendation (Draft 3) code text and map, including the staff recommended Draft 3 Errata and Addendum, but also including only those Planning Commission recommendations that were specifically adopted with 9 or more votes of the Commission (as indicative of a greater consensus recommendation by the Commission). I have asked our staff to give us a list/description of those consensus Commission recommendations for our consideration.

s
Mayor
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