City of Austin Council Message Board

Thank you for the update, CM Qadri. On behalf of the Public Health Committee, I welcome CM Vela to our committee and look forward to working together on addressing homelessness and reducing the health disparities our communities face.

Yours in community,
Vanessa

Thank you, CM Vela, for bringing this item forward. I agree that extending our current police contract would benefit all parties involved. Austinites deserve to feel safe and assured that our police are held to the highest standard possible. At the same time, our officers deserve stability as negoti...

Thank you, CM Velasquez. I support your friendly amendment and appreciate your co-sponsorship of this item. Colleagues, I also plan to offer two minor changes to my Childcare Zoning IFC, Item 55. In order to clarify that the new “childcare services” use includes child daycare centers and early child...

As the outgoing Chair of the Austin Water Oversight Committee, I'd like to offer my full support for CM Ryan Alter chairing the committee moving forward. His expertise and the makeup of his district are well-matched to advance the priorities and scope of this committee.

Vanessa

Thank you, CM Vela and CM Harper Madison, for being willing and interested in serving as Chair of Public Safety and Housing. I strongly support and welcome your leadership and perspectives on these committees.

Vanessa

Colleagues, I have served as Vice-Chair of the Public Health committee for the last two years and would like to chair the committee this year. I’m also interested in continuing my service on the following committees: • Audit & Finance • City of Austin / AISD / Travis County Joint Subcommittee • ...

I’m also supportive of additional presentation time.

-Vanessa

Hello Colleagues, Under the current Tenant Notification and Relocation Ordinance, a landlord can evict all tenants and then apply for a zoning change without triggering the ordinance. My resolution (Item 39) seeks to close this loophole and ensure tenants receive proper notification and the opportun...

I also want to thank Mayor Adler for bringing this item forward and for providing further clarification on the goals and intent of this resolution so that our staff has the direction they need to craft policy that ensures we are not choosing between community benefits and housing supply. There is a ...

Thank you, CM Kitchen, for your strong leadership on this issue. I will also join you and CM Kelly in this request for a briefing. In addition to the briefing, I ask that Manager Cronk have a plan of ACTION for us to consider immediate and long-term strategies for the City of Austin to improve the 9...

Same. Friday meetings if necessary are preferred.

Thanks!
Vanessa

Dear Colleagues- Please find below the updated budget amendments, and I look forward to our discussion later today. 1- Living Wage Version 2- http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincouncilforum/B8-20220817084053.pdf The revised Living Wage budget amendment appropriates $7 million in General Funds to in...

Colleagues- Attached are my Budget Amendments and Riders, as discussed yesterday at Council. Amendments Fuentes 1: Livable Wage- http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincouncilforum/C6-20220812160307.pdf Purpose: Increase the living wage to $20 per hour in FY 23 for all employees of the city as well as ...

Goodnight Ranch Fire/EMS Station I plan to bring forward an amendment that would appropriate the remaining costs of construction in Certificates of Obligation to ensure the construction of the Goodnight Ranch Fire/EMS station. http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincouncilforum/84-20220811090444.pdf Th...

Colleagues, I plan to bring forward an amendment to establish an Enhanced Library Card program in Austin, similar to existing programs in San Antonio, San Marcos, Harris County, and soon Dallas. This card includes a photo, name, date of birth, and address. With this card you can access all library r...

Councilmember Kitchen, thank you for sharing your budget topics, the D2 Team and I will keep them in mind. I’d also like to list my budget priorities so that my colleagues are aware and have time for consideration. New priorities may be listed in the future as we continue to receive community feedba...

Thank you, CM Kitchen, MPT Alter, and CM Ellis, for your continued work on this important issue. I would also like to co-sponsor this item.

Yours in community,
Vanessa

Protecting abortion rights promotes health, supports individual autonomy, and addresses longstanding racial and economic inequities, which is why today’s SCOTUS ruling will have irreparable short and long-term effects across our entire country. The dismantling of Roe v. Wade leaves millions without ...

Colleagues, I’m bringing forward Item 53, which declares a public health crisis on Austin’s rising overdoses. Thank you to Public Health Committee Chair Tovo, Mayor Adler, CM Kitchen, and CM Harper Madison for co-sponsoring this resolution. Item 53 directs opioid settlement money toward: - harm redu...

Item 50 v2 is now posted and available in the backup: https://www.austintexas.gov/edims/docum ... ?id=385983

Colleagues, First, I would like to thank Council Member Kitchen, Council Member Tovo, Council Member Vela, and Council Member Renteria for Co-Sponsoring Item 50, the Living Wage Resolution. I will be offering Version 2 of Item 50 for Council consideration and will post a link to the document as soon...

Thank you for your leadership on this issue, CM Ellis! I’d also like to propose the following amendments for consideration regarding the equitable expansion of e-Bikes and equitable community outreach: Amendment #1: https://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=385454 Amendment #2: https://www.a...

For all the reasons that CMs Kitchen, Tovo, and Vela have pointed out, I join them in strongly supporting Item 65 and ask for consideration of this item as soon as possible and no later than June 16th.

Yours in community,
Vanessa

Colleagues, This week I began introducing a series of resolutions as part of the Fight Back for Reproductive Health Agenda. The recent directives by the Texas Legislature and the inevitable undoing of Roe v. Wade will present significant challenges for women, trans, and non-binary people to access t...

I'd also like to be listed as a co-sponsor.

Yours in community,
Vanessa