City of Austin Council Message Board

Colleagues: As you are all aware, I joined MPT Tovo’s resolution to pursue a feasibility study and community engagement process for a soccer stadium focused on the city-owned McKalla Place site in District 7 – I did this to begin a full public conversation about the potential opportunities and chall...

Colleagues, last week Planning & Zoning staff checked with Council offices to advise that dates for Council's two CodeNEXT public hearings were being tentatively set for May 30 and 31, 2018. What wasn't evident at the time this was done was that graduation ceremonies for numerous area high schools a...

MPT Tovo, thanks for posting. Let's include the list of stakeholders as an exhibit, emphasizing that the list is not intended to be all-inclusive. If we've overlooked a group or interested party, then this list will help us identify them. The list is copied from PARD's memo sent December 14, 2017. I...

MPT Tovo, thank you for the questions to AWU relating to ammonia and sulfates levels in our water supply coming from industrial users. I am of the opinion that these customers should be fully financially and operationally responsible for removing or remediating any pollutants their industrial proces...

Dear Colleagues: On March 24, in response to the tragedy at Stoneman Douglas High school in Parkland, FL, the kids and families of March For Our Lives will take to the streets of Washington DC and in communities across the US, including in Austin, to demand their lives and safety become a priority a...

All, I wanted to provide some context for the dates for our Austin Energy Oversight committee meetings in 2018. AE General Manager Jackie Sargent and her staff prepared a proposal that moves our meetings from fourth Monday mornings at 9.30 a.m. to fourth Wednesdays at 1.30 p.m. specifically to align...

MPT Tovo, thanks for bringing your resolution relating to Major League Soccer. I am intrigued by the possibilities, too, and see the opportunities very broadly. So what I will propose when we bring this item up for discussion is to remove all names and specific team references so that we may have th...

CM Houston, I would be supportive of the more generic reference in place of the specific. Thanks for offering this.

Regards,

Leslie

Colleagues, this week’s agenda has an item (Item 6) approving an additional $2 million for Opticos to continue its work. This provides us an opportunity to have a conversation on some very pressing issues facing all of us on CodeNEXT -- namely, whether the hard April 2018 deadline we have set for ou...

Colleagues: I’d like to add a few topics to the CodeNEXT work sessions. 1. Open Space Changes from present code; new definitions and design models; relationship between “Open,” “Common,” and “Civic” space; applicability of Open Space related to parkland dedication requirements. 2. Watershed Protecti...

sorry - the entry I just posted here was intended for a different thread!

Leslie

Colleagues, thanks to all for the extra efforts and hard work dealing with the proposal the Mayor is offering. A number of questions relating to process and expected outcomes still need to be answered before any decisions are made to expand the Convention Center. This is a huge decision with far-rea...

Colleagues, thanks to all for the extra efforts and hard work dealing with the proposal the Mayor is offering. A number of questions relating to process and expected outcomes still need to be answered before any decisions are made to expand the Convention Center. This is a huge decision with far-rea...

Colleagues, I appreciate and support MPT Tovo's message. I, too, am looking forward to discussing the ways we can share the revenue the City receives via the Hotel Occupancy Tax. Additionally, I want to re-emphasize that our Legal staff reminds us that we cannot use HOT revenue to fund projects rela...

Addendum - go here for transcripts and presentations from the work group :: http://austintexas.gov/workinggroup

Colleagues, relating to our discussion on item 40 at today's meeting, and in advance of sending the work group's report, I'd like to direct you to the website for agendas and videos of the many meetings held with stakeholders to review the policy issues relating to our waste disposal policy and the ...

Colleagues, I write to indicate my support for the version 3.0 proposal CM Alter is recommending. Giving the commissions a chance to review the amended draft is a smart idea as it will allow our appointees to confirm that their edits and recommendations have been included as intended. All changes co...

Colleagues, Reporting back on two items: 1) The Working Group has asked staff to proceed with the Organics By Gosh draft contract for our June 22 agenda. You’ll recall that in March the Council indefinitely postponed this contract for curbside compost processing to allow a newly created Working Grou...

CM Houston, thanks for sharing the email message from Bob Ward. I am very interested in hearing more about the history of the Plaza Saltillo site, especially as it relates to an earlier African-American neighborhood, Masontown. I would welcome Endeavor and Capital Metro addressing the issue at their...

Greg, thanks for posting. I plan to attend.

Leslie

MPT, thanks - I may be able to attend. List me as tentative.

Leslie

Colleagues, here is an accounting of preferences indicated earlier today for committee participation. CM Alter: Housing & Planning; Mobility CM Garza: Health & Human Services; Mobility CM Kitchen: Health & Human Services, Housing & Planning; Mobility CM Pool: Audit & Finance; Housing & Planning OR M...

Kathie, this sounds like a good way to approach the need for all of us to be up-to-speed on the various initiatives underway downtown.

Thanks for organizing.

Leslie

CM Alter, I will support your request for postponement. Having been in similar shoes in the past, and knowing how much can be accomplished during a postponement, I fully support your request. I suggest this be announced at tomorrow's work session, too, to signal the postponement as early as possible...

Mayor, I would like to continue my service as co-chair, Balcones Canyonlands Coordinating Committee, and trustee, City of Austin Employees Retirement System. I will step aside from the Hate Crimes Task Force to allow another CM to pick up that assignment. Thanks.

Leslie