City of Austin Council Message Board

Colleagues, This week’s agenda has an item from the Planning and Neighborhoods Committee concerning the implementation of a density bonus through the MF-6 rezoning category. This recommendation is a small portion of a broader resolution I have moving forward concerning changes to our density bonus p...

Hi all. In reviewing the annotated "Initial Funding Requests" document that Ed sent out on Friday, I find that I have an additional potential amendment for HHS, and the following questions for APD: Amendment: Contract funding for permanent supportive housing for Housing First: $600,000 (wh...

Sorry - forgot a few references for my proposed amendments:

Item #13 is supported by budget question 299
Item #17 is supported by budget questions 282 and 297
Items #18 and #19 are supported by budget question 154

Colleagues, Here is my draft list of budget amendments. Please note these are ONLY the amendments I added to the concept menu or, in a few instances, are proposed options or revisions to amendments that have been advanced by others. This list is not meant to reflect those amendments from others of w...

Thanks for the feedback and thoughts on this proposal. I’m glad to be having a dialogue about the issue. Council Member Troxclair, you raise an important point and a need for clarification on my part: this model does not assume that any budgetary cuts will be offset in the same amount by additions; ...

Colleagues, I apologize that I missed the tail end of yesterday's meeting and thus our brief discussion about next week's process. I'd like to suggest that we at least consider the budget adoption process which has been used for the last 2 or so years as it seemed to keep the discussion moving forwa...

Christopher: Are the resolutions to which you refer items that came before the Council and were postponed or passed but not implemented? Or do you mean those proposed resolutions that community members may have suggested to Council Members but for which they did not obtain sponsors? thanks -- Best, ...

I prefer boards and commissions for the reasons CM Houston notes above -- it's easier and more conducive to talking among ourselves and the staff. Given that we have large and bullky budget materials, I would suggest arranging the tables so that we can attach an additional one on the east and west s...

Colleagues: During the discussion about the Garza tract, I submitted the several questions through the agenda process; I have re-posted these below with the answers. I have also submitted additional questions to staff. In light of agenda item #5 on tomorrow's Mobility Committee, I thought I'd post t...

Colleagues, I will be making the following nominations at tomorrow's Council meeting, and I do not believe they will be included on Changes and Corrections: Building & Standards: Kurt Cadena-Mitchell Mexican American Cultural Center Advisory Board: Julia Aguilar MBE/WBE and Small Business Enterp...

Colleagues, At Tuesday's work session, several of you expressed concerns about the language contained within Item 26 ("Approve a resolution related to the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization 2040 Plan"), and my co-sponsors and I have worked to revise the resolution to address t...

For my Audit and Finance colleagues: One of our candidates for the Municipal Civil Service Commission has withdrawn from the process; given that information, I would like to suggest that we consider expanding our applicant pool to include the additional three individuals we discussed on Wednesday. P...

Colleagues: As you are aware, the Audit and Finance Committee was asked to review this item. On March 25, the committee unanimously voted in favor of several changes to the original proposal. These changes are reflected below and will be proposed as formal amendments tomorrow. The message board does...

Thank you, Council Member Kitchen. Can you please confirm that next week's meeting will be televised? I'm keenly interested in the issues that the Mobility Committee will be covering, but as this first meeting overlaps with our regular Audit and Finance Committee meeting, I will be unable to attend ...

Colleagues, Actually, the group I referred to above is officially known as the "Low Income Consumer Working Group" and has been focused - at least in part - on making recommendations related to Arrearage Management. As I stated above, AE staff are clear on the group to which I am referring...

Correction: I miswrote when I referred to the Low Income Advisory Task Force. I instead should have asked that the Arrearage Management Program working committee present its recommendations to our Council subcommittee. I believe AE staff are clear on the request as we spoke to them last week, but at...

Thank you, Council Member Gallo. I'd like to request that when we discuss arrearage management, we hear a presentation from the Low Income Advisory Task Force. That group has been reviewing Austin Energy's policies as well as arrearage management plans offered by other utilities, and they have recom...

Colleagues: We've re-posted a meeting of the Audit and Finance Committee (AFC) for Monday, March 9, at 12 p.m. to discuss Item 40 from the 2/26 agenda and the various proposed amendments: "Approve a resolution directing the City Manager to identify funding options from the current budget for fi...

Colleagues: We've posted a meeting of the Audit and Finance Committee (A & F) for Tuesday, March 3, at 2 p.m. to discuss Item 40 from last week's agenda and the various proposed amendments: "Approve a resolution directing the City Manager to identify funding options from the current budget ...

Colleagues, As referenced in this weekend's article about the use of public parks, a past Council resolution asked staff to explore with stakeholders the impacts that events have on our most highly used public parks and the neighborhoods which surround them. I will be bringing forward a resolution o...

For the AE chair and vice chair (to be determined on Thursday): please consider this a request to put items on the next AE Committee agenda related to the Customer Assistance Program and the Arrearage Management Plan recommendations that came forward from the task force. Thanks! Kathie Tovo Mayor Pr...

Thanks, Greg. Do you anticipate making any changes to the resolution based on the memo the City received yesterday from the Department of Justice?

Many thanks,

Kathie Tovo
Mayor Pro Tem
Council Member, District 9

I assume this message board is the appropriate place to submit names for these presentations; John Michael, can you please let us know what names you or staff have received for Thursday's presentation? I am compiling some suggestions for the presentation this week and next. Thanks! Kathie Tovo Mayor...

The Psychiatric Stakeholders Committee has also had representation from the Council in the past; Mayor Leffingwell was the representative, and I served as an informal proxy. I'm happy to speak with anyone who is interested about this group.

Thanks, John Michael I look forward to reviewing. The posted link, however, isn't working for me -

Best,

Kathie Tovo
Mayor Pro Tem
Council Member, District 9