2025 Council Committees and Intergovernmental Appointments

[Colleen Pate]

Council Members,

As we get ready to start the new year, I want to start organizing Council Committee assignments and the assignments from the Council to intergovernmental bodies for 2025. I’ve attached links to the Council Committees and Intergovernmental body appointments for 2024 with redlines so you can see current openings. All it does is show the Council Members who will no longer be on the dais in 2025. Of course, there may be other openings as Council Members make decisions about where they want to serve and they may choose to step off a current assignment. There may also be some other committees we want that will need appointees.

http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 152714.pdf

http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 152748.pdf

As a reminder, here’s a link to the code provision regarding these appointments:
https://library.municode.com/tx/austin/ ... -102MECOCO

I’m posting all of this a little early so people will have time to think about it over the holidays. However, let’s hold off on message board discussions about this until January 7th when we’ll have our three new members all on board and they can access the message board. The plan would be for the Council to then utilize the message board as a means of consultation under the code and to discuss desires and thoughts before appointments and the filing of the appointments with the clerk. We will, of course, address all of this at our first Work Session on January 28th.

I also think we should give some thought to how we would like to use committees so that we get best results for the city and for how we operate as a Council.

For example, we might consider whether there’s a way to use the committees to more fully vet or examine an item before it comes to Council, avoiding items (even ones that have had a sub quorum) just having about a week of public awareness (and awareness for Council Members not in the sub quorum) before it hits a Council agenda.

Another thought is how we utilize the committees to address Council priorities. The committees could make sure we’re fully evaluating approaches and looking at the items.

Those are just a couple of thoughts. I have others and, as we start the year, I’m sure there are things you all may want us to think through.
Let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Thank you,

Kirk

On behalf of Mayor Watson

[Julie Montgomery]

Posted on behalf of CM Ellis:

Mayor Watson, thank you for initiating the conversation around the 2025 Council committee and intergovernmental appointments. Moving forward, I would like to:

JOIN
- Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan Coordinating Committee [Position to be vacated by MPT Pool]
- CapMetro Board as a City Council appointee [Position to be vacated by MPT Pool; I currently serve on the CapMetro Board as CAMPO's appointee.]
- Austin-San Antonio Corridor Council [Open position]
- Vice Chair to the potential new Parks, Water, & Environment Council Committee, as long as I can still retain my position as Chair of the Mobility Committee.

RETAIN
- Chair of Mobility Committee

VACATE
- Housing & Planning Committee
- CAMPO Board [I am supportive of CM Qadri and CM Vela picking up the CAMPO positions vacated by CM A. Alter and me, and of CM Qadri becoming CAMPO's appointee to CapMetro.]
- Clean Air Coalition
- Clean Air Force Board
- Texas Colorado River Floodplain Coalition [To the best of my knowledge, this group no longer exists and hasn't for several years.]

I hope this is helpful as you start drafting the lists of appointments, and I look forward to our new Council Members’ input as they join our committee opportunities.

Thanks,
Paige