City of Austin Council Message Board

Colleagues,

We are still working on these items with staff and stakeholders and need additional time before the items are ready to be considered by council. I will be asking for a postponement to the Dec 12 meeting. Thank you.

Chito

Colleagues, The Office of Police Oversight (OPO) recently released its previously confidential disciplinary recommendations to the public. These files used to be considered G-file material and confidential. Thanks to OPO for releasing these materials. We also understand that a public information req...

Colleagues, I am posting the legal memo released by the City Attorney yesterday in response to my questions about how police personnel records are treated under the proposed contract, particularly G-file type records. Our City Attorney says that under the contract and relevant court rulings, all rec...

Colleagues, I’m glad the City of Austin and the Austin Police Association have reached a handshake agreement on the terms of a potential contract. My top priority is ensuring we have a good public safety system, which requires a mutually-supportive relationship between the City and our employees. A ...

Thank you, Mayor Watson, for publicly sharing valuable information surrounding the Texas Gas Service rate case. My office has been closely following the developments surrounding these utility rates. Given the understandably needed improvements to our electrical grid in light of extreme weather incid...

Colleagues, My office will add the following amendment to our list of budget amendments for this year. Vela 5: Adjust Pool & Golf Fees - $0 (http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincouncilforum/FC-202408226105256.pdf) This cost-neutral amendment proposes lowering the pool fees to the FY24 level and ...

Colleagues, My office will pursue the following four amendments in the FY25 budget. This year, we focused on improving public safety and city services, both within District 4 and throughout Austin. I would like to invite any of you who are interested in co-sponsoring these amendments to reply to thi...

Thanks to CM Ryan Alter for sparking this important conversation. His suggestion of "no later than November 2026" language is a good one. A public process reviewing the various planning documents/projects and suggesting possible climate bond investments could be ready for the November 2025...

Thank you for this resolution, Mayor. Please add me as a co-sponsor.

Chito

Colleagues, Over a year after its victory at the polls, key provisions of the Austin Police Oversight Act (APOA) remain unimplemented. The city is currently defending itself against a lawsuit from criminal justice reform advocates who demand the city open up the secret “(g) file” disciplinary record...

Colleagues, This is Version 2 of my Item 5, Amendment 1 on Transit Infrastructure http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincouncilforum/20-202405137162022.pdf For Item 6, I will be withdrawing Amendment 1: MFI Buy Down. We learned from staff that existing rules would allow us to require participation in ...

Colleagues, I plan to offer the following amendments: Amendment 1: MFI Buy down http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincouncilforum/AD-202405135102810.pdf Item 5 ETOD Overlay: Amendment 1: Project Connect Infrastructure http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincouncilforum/AD-202405135102902.pdf Amendment 2...

Colleagues, We have now had several weeks to absorb and consider the police response to the recent protests at the University of Texas at Austin and will be briefed on the issue today. Before the briefing, I’d like to convey my understanding of the laws and principles surrounding speech protected by...

Colleagues, Trans children and families are being denied safe, legal access to lifesaving and medically recommended care, while doctors are being forced to make critical, intimate healthcare decisions under threat of prosecution. Tomorrow, my co-sponsors and I are bringing item 64 to deprioritize cr...

Thank you for your support of arts and culture in our beautiful city, Councilmember Harper-Madison. The Urban Music Fest is a great event well-timed to coincide with the Texas Relays...another great event! I'm happy to support them with a fee waiver and want to ensure that Austin continues to host a...

Colleagues,

Here is Version 2 for item 34, my resolution initiating changes to the Crestview TOD.

http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 161330.pdf

Chito

Colleagues, I plan to offer the following amendments at tomorrow's meeting. Amendment 1: Definition of affordable units http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincouncilforum/E0-20240366191059.pdf Amendment 2: 6 month study and additional direction http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincouncilforum/E0-20240...

Colleagues, I plan to offer the following amendment to Item 73, DB90 http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincouncilforum/97-20240260095316.pdf I will also be postponing Item 61, my resolution initiating changes to the Crestview TOD Station Area Plan, to the March 7th meeting to work on some small chang...

Colleagues: Please see attached my proposed amendments to Item 25 on Thursday's agenda. I believe these changes will provide important clarifying notes to our climate goals. Amendment 1 (http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincouncilforum/3B-20240243165240.pdf) is designed to maximize federal reimburse...

CM Ryan Alter, This is an excellent proposal and I would like to be added as a co-sponsor. Our city's infrastructure was built in an age where we had different priorities and concerns. We must upgrade our public infrastructure to meet today's challenges. One item that immediately comes to mind is fl...

Version 2 of Amendment 4: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 104634.pdf

Based on a recommendation from CM Ryan Alter, it adds "at the same or greater level of affordability" to our amended language.

Chito

These are my amendments for Item 54 Amendment 1: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincouncilforum/F4-20240232090513.pdf Amendment 2: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincouncilforum/F4-20240232090532.pdf Amendment 3: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincouncilforum/F4-20240232090544.pdf Amendment 4:...

Colleagues, Thank you for starting this conversation. Given my membership on the Cap Metro board, I’d like to take CM Fuentes’s spot on the Mobility Committee. Being on both the Cap Metro board and the Mobility Committee will give me better insight in all of our transportation challenges, a policy a...

Colleagues,

Here is the language for CM Vela Amendment 3 for street side yard setbacks: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 094450.pdf

Chito

Colleagues, I plan to bring the following amendments on Thursday. We are working with law for exact amendment language, but wanted to post the ideas as soon as we could. AMENDMENT 1: FLOOR TO AREA RATIO. DRAFT LINK: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincouncilforum/61-202312339201804.pdf 1) For 2 and...