City of Austin Council Message Board

Colleagues, I would like to bring to your attention Item #72 on Thursday’s regular meeting agenda. Lakeline Station has carried a Transit-Oriented Development designation since the CapMetro Red Line opened in 2010. Sixteen years later the area remains significantly underutilized, despite being the o...

Colleagues, I'm glad to join you in this commitment. What we protect today serves Austinites now and shapes what our kids and grandkids inherit tomorrow. There is simply no place for hyperscale data centers within the City limits or its extraterritorial jurisdiction. Thank you for your leadership on...

Thank you, Mayor, for your leadership on this item. Given the significant impact data centers are having across the country, I join you and our colleagues in calling for a freeze on data center approvals in Austin, its extraterritorial jurisdiction, and utility service areas while we work through th...

Colleagues, I'd like to raise awareness of a gap in our emergency communications coordination and propose establishing an Office of Joint Emergency Communications that reports to the Assistant City Manager for Public Safety. While 911 response times have improved across most of the city center, outl...

Thank you, Mayor, for highlighting and clarifying our shared intention to preserve and sustain the services provided through our social service contracts. I concur with the idea of broadening the scope across all of the important focus areas that our social service investments support. Efficiency an...

Council Member Duchen, I appreciate your raising this, and in the interests of time during an exceptionally full meeting, I will share additional information related to each of your concerns via Message Board. Item 86 is a resolution directing the City Manager to begin the process of expanding the s...

Thank you, MPT Vela.  I also support postponing this item. The 2026 bond is one of the most significant decisions we'll make this year.  With today's meeting already exceptionally long, I don't believe this item will receive the attention it deserves.  If we allow the time for thoughtful discussion ...

Colleagues, I would like to start by thanking City staff across various departments, the Bond Election Advisory Task Force, and the community advocates who have worked countless hours to bring us to this week’s vote. Our staff and community members have faced the difficult challenge of creating a bo...

Colleagues, Across the nation, in Texas, and within our own community, libraries have faced increasing challenges to materials in their collections. Public libraries are not just a community amenity, but an important cornerstone of our democracy, providing access to information and a broad range of ...

Thank you Council Members Velásquez and Alter for highlighting the urgency around this important component of our city budget.  I also extend my support of this approach, and I look forward to discussing further during an upcoming Work Session.

Thank you,

Krista

Thank you, Mayor, for your leadership on this issue. Since discussions began last year, I’ve been vocal about my concerns regarding the City’s financial position and the rising construction costs associated with the I-35 Cap and Stitch program. What you’ve outlined is a fiscally responsible path to ...

Good afternoon Colleagues, I am proud to introduce Item 26 this Thursday, which provides clarifications and targeted adjustments to the HOME initiatives passed last year. This item builds on the original HOME reforms, led by several of my colleagues still serving on the dais who helped lay the groun...

Colleagues, Thank you for the work you have done to arrive at a model for the City’s next steps. I proudly represent the entire District 6 community, regardless of national origin or immigration status. I would like to add my name in support of your recommendations, and I look forward to future disc...

Council Member and Chair Fuentes, Thank you for bringing this item forward and welcoming my participation at the last Public Health Committee. Our social service providers play a critical role in keeping our communities afloat, especially our most vulnerable. One of my biggest priorities is to make ...

Colleagues, I would like to reiterate Mayor Watson’s thanks to our auditor, City Manager, and other professional staff for their work in support of this initiative. In these constrained fiscal conditions, the City must take a more systematic approach to evaluating how services are delivered and how ...

Colleagues, Council Member Ellis and Council Member Fuentes have been excellent partners in crafting this policy. I want to thank both of them, as well as their staff, for the comprehensive conversations we’ve had over the last several days. My motion sheet, which I’ve attached below, is a product o...

Colleagues, I agree with Council Member Ellis’s proposed changes, and I would like to emphasize the importance of flexibility within Council office budgets, given the disparate needs of each district. Thank you so much, Mayor, for outlining these common sense policies. I believe that, with the edits...

Mayor Watson, Thank you for outlining our 2025 committee and intergovernmental appointments. I have been honored to serve my current appointments, and I look forward to the year to come. Here are my plans for 2026. I would like to retain my positions on the Mobility Committee, CAMPO, and COAERS, and...

Colleagues, I'm grateful for our collective support for these vital priorities. My office has developed two additional budget amendments which reflect immediate funding gaps within our community. Laine Amendment 05 - Veterinary Services (100k): http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincouncilforum/20-202...

Mayor Watson,

Thank you for taking the lead on this City Council budget reform initiative. I would like to co-sponsor your efforts.

Best,

Krista

Council Member Qadri,

Thank you for bringing Item 122 to this week's agenda. I would like to add my name as a co-sponsor.

Best,

Krista Laine

Colleagues, The Council Members for Districts 6, 7, 8, and 9 have identified an initial set of shared priorities for the FY26 budget. As we all know, this is a particularly challenging budget cycle. We believe it’s especially important to prioritize shared values and goals as we make funding decisio...

CM Siegel, Thank you for drafting this analysis of our license plate reader program. While I understand the public safety function of these cameras, I also have serious concerns about implementation now that we have this data. Our residents have the right to privacy and freedom of movement. Thank yo...

Colleagues, I want to extend my sincere thanks to the City staff for their extensive time and effort on this, and to my colleagues for their thoughtful dialogue. This is a significant decision, and I believe it is essential that the process remains inclusive and participatory, with as much input as ...

I strongly support this direction, which is a great example of data-driven public safety policy. Wildfire mitigation is an extremely complex issue which requires intensive study and communication, and I am grateful to you for your leadership on this topic.

Thank you,

Krista