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Council Member Houston's Bond Amendments

Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2018 7:23 pm
by Genoveva Rodriguez
On behalf of Council Member Houston -

Colleagues,

I have reviewed the projects and amounts identified in the Bond Election Advisory Task Force Recommendation including work group reports, along with the staff updated bond proposal and all Q&A (Council & Bond). After giving this much thought, I have attached what I think is a good proposal for the 2018 bond that is fiscally responsible and sensitive to the taxpayers.

CM Houston 2018 Bond Proposal: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 191502.pdf

Reasoning for my amendments to staff's REVISED-Exhibit A below.

Affordable Housing
Increased each program proportionally with percent listed below.
• Rental Housing Development Assistance Projects at 45%
• Acquisition & Development Homeownership Program at 12%
• Land Acquisition at 31%
• Home Repair Program at 12%

Transportation
• Bridges & Structures: Clarify the need to leave in $50 M for possible bridge failure that accesses the Ulrich Water Treatment Plant; add $4 M back in according to the Task Force recommendation based on Staff’s request regarding infrastructure needs for bridges, culverts, and structures.
• Signals & Technology: reduce by $10.5 M, leave in $4.5 M to leverage as a CAMPO match.
• Neighborhood Partnering Program: reduced by half and placed other half in Parks and Recreation Category for program and staff flexibility.
Note: Transportation was not expected to have a major request in this bond because of the adoption of the $720 Mobility Bond in 2016.

Parks & Recreation
• Aquatics: Increase because of demand.
• Building Renovations: reduced by $10 M funding recommended by the Task Force for specific projects: Pharr Tennis Center, Kizer/Grey Rock Golf Course, and Norwood Project.
• Infrastructure: The Task Force recommendation identified $13.5 in this area, I stayed within the total amount. Reduced by $3.5 M for trails.
• Parkland Improvements: reduced the following: $4.5 M for Neighborhood and Pocket Parks (no specific need identified), $2.5 M for greenbelt work, and $1 M for Downtown Squares.
• Dougherty Arts Replacement Facility: reduced by $25 M to review for eligibility for Certificates of Obligation. The state of the facility and structure, and the recent flood event within the area and building justifies the emergent need.
Libraries, Museums & Cultural Arts Facilities Note: Name change to mirror the bond that passed in 2012
• Cultural Center Improvements: reduced by $15 M for Mexic-Arte
• Creative Space Acquisition: addition of $5 M because of high need for creative space throughout the city

Public Safety
Process these public safety needs via Certificates of Obligation.

Health & Human Services
No change.

Sincerely,
Council Member Houston

Re: Council Member Houston's Bond Amendments

Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2018 9:44 pm
by Leslie Pool
All, just a quick note in support of CM Houston’s proposal, below. I think this is a good starting point for our discussion tomorrow. I will have some items that I’d like to add back in, and I look forward to hearing from folks from District 7 and all across the city about what they’d like to see as part of the November ballot.

Regards,

Leslie

Re: Council Member Houston's Bond Amendments

Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2018 10:21 pm
by Ellen Troxclair
Thanks for posting. I think this is a good place to start our discussions. It seems like starting from here and talking about other change/additions individually would be a good approach. I appreciate your work on this.

Re: Council Member Houston's Bond Amendments

Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2018 10:02 am
by Leslie Pool
CM Houston, between your proposal and CM Kitchen's I feel certain that we'll be able to craft a solid bond proposal to take to our residents in November. My sincere thanks to both of you (and your amazing staffers!) and the City Manager for all of the very hard work that's gone into this item. My thanks and appreciation also goes out to the BEATF and the community groups who have gone to work to surface good projects for our consideration today.

Thanks to all,

Leslie

Re: Council Member Houston's Bond Amendments

Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2018 10:14 am
by Alison Alter
CM Houston, I greatly appreciate the thorough work you have done to build this sensible package. I do have some items I don’t see addressed within and will be ready to respectfully engage in conversation of the possibility for their inclusion when we get to this item. I am also pleased to see CM Kitchen's plan, and between the two we now have fertile ground for discussion to land on common ground across the dais.


Regards,
Alison Alter