City of Austin Council Message Board

Colleagues,

Once again, I would like to thank you for your support of the SAVES Resolution to get meaningful support for our most threatened local industries. I also again thank our staff for the their quick and thoughtful response to the SAVES Resolution with proposed funding and recovery program options, along with necessary actions to form the Austin Economic Development Corporation as a tool to aid in our recovery.

Based upon the comments and questions we heard in our work session discussion yesterday, as well as what we are hearing from industry stakeholders, it seems there is support for acting quickly and decisively to aid these industries, but there remain some concerns and questions about the proposed funding sources. In order to allow us to move forward this week so that our staff may begin working as soon as possible to finalize and implement the relief programs, I offer the following recommendations for moving forward this Thursday and our next Council meeting on October 15.

I will move to amend item #52 to strike the amendments of the Pay for Success Reserve Fund Operating Budget (Ordinance No. 20200812-001) to transfer out and appropriate $4,800,000 to the General Fund Emergency Reserve Fund; and the Austin Transportation Department Mobility Fund Operating Budget (Ordinance No. 20200812-001) to transfer out and appropriate $3,700,000 to the General Fund Emergency Reserve Fund. I will post a motion sheet to this effect shortly.

I will also move to table item #53 indefinitely, as an increase to the Transportation User Fee would not now be necessary if Council does not take action this week on the temporary use of right of way fees. I would expect the TUF to potentially be revisited later if the Council decides to revisit the right of way fees at a later date.

In order to make up for the $8.5 Million from the stricken sources, Council Members Renteria, Flannigan, Ellis, Tovo, and I will offer a resolution for Council’s consideration at our October 15 meeting, directing $8.5 Million from the sales tax revenue collected this fiscal year in excess of budgeted projections. Link to draft resolution: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 84912.docx .

This action would allow us to move forward now with the SAVES activities, with the three relief funds at $15 Million total, with the hope and expectation that over the next several weeks Council and city staff will continue to explore these and other revenue sources to build upon the good start represented by the SAVES resolution to help preserve these critical industries, as we all seem to agree that more needs to be done than is possible within our existing local resources.

-s

Colleagues,
Please see the attached motion sheet on item 52:
http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 095011.pdf

On behalf of Council Member Pool:

Colleagues,

As I mentioned earlier this morning, I am bringing a few staff directions on Item 52, the SAVES funding.

1. I'd like us to have the option of using funds currently set aside for existing 380 agreements, so this is asking staff to identify how much is available over a two year period, and consider those options on October 15.
2. I am offering direction to re-balance the funds by industry sector so that we can have criteria established and fairly considered across applications.
3. This direction relates to my question about non-hotel occupancy tax revenue generated by the Austin Convention Center in our council Q&A document on page 65. I'd like the council to have the option on October 15 to look at using non-HOT revenue for relief to our music and arts venues, restaurants, and child care industry sectors.

Here are the links to my directions that our City Clerk has distributed to you via email.

Direction #1: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 114410.pdf
Direction #2: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 114431.pdf
Direction #3: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 114452.pdf

I look forward to offering these when we discuss Item 52.

Leslie

Council Member Pool,

I offer the following amendment to your Direction #1. http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 135307.pdf

Council Member Kathie Tovo
October 1, 2020
Proposed Amendment

Item 52
• By 10/8/20, the City Manager shall provide information about the impact on Chapter 380 businesses if economic incentives payments for performance in Fiscal Year 2021 were decreased by 75% or 50%.
 
• By 10/8/20, the City Manager shall provide information about the impact of temporarily using at least $10 million from Convention Center reserves to assist with the promotion and preservation of venues and businesses that serve Austin visitors.

• The City Manager shall return to Council with an item posted for the 10/15/20 meeting to replenish the Pay for Success Reserve Fund.


• The City Manager shall return to Council with an item posted for the 10/15/20 meeting to allocate to a Business Preservation Fund the Temporary Use of Right of Way revenue for projects outside the Rainey Street Historic District and Subdistrict for two years beginning on October 15, 2020. The amount posted should reflect a reduction for salaries and fees.

• The City Manager shall return to Council with an item posted for the 10/15/20 meeting to allocate to a Business Preservation Fund the revenue from encroachment agreements for projects located outside the Rainey Street Historic District and Subdistrict for two years beginning on October 15, 2020. The amount posted should reflect a reduction for fees.


• The City Manager shall return to Council with an item posted for the 10/15/20 meeting to allocate to a Business Preservation Fund the street and alley vacation fees for projects located outside the Rainey Street Historic District and Subdistrict for two years beginning on October 15, 2020. The amount posted should reflect a reduction for salaries and fees.

• The City Manager shall return to Council with an item posted for the 10/15/20 meeting to allocate $10 million from Convention Center reserves for the promotion and preservation of venues and businesses that serve Austin visitors.

• The City Manager shall direct the Live Music Working Group to finalize recommendations for the $2,368,540.18 in the Live Music Fund by October 15, 2020, so that the City Council can consider that guidance as it determines how to invest those dollars in the near term to sustain and enhance the live music ecosystem.

Colleagues,

I am proud to be a part of a Council focused and working hard to support our most threated local industries. With the direction passed by Council yesterday in Item #52 directing the Manager “to place on the October 15, 2020 council agenda the ordinances and instruments necessary to make at least $8,500,000 available from sales tax revenues for the purposes set out in the SAVES resolution (Resolution No. 20200917-062),” the Resolution Council Members Renteria, Flannigan, Ellis, Tovo, and I intended to file is no longer necessary. We have asked the Agenda Office not to post the item on the next meeting’s agenda.

-s