Proposed amendment to Short-Term Rental Resolution
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 1:08 pm
Council Member Pool offers the following amendment (context added for Message Board purposes) to Council Member Gallo's STR resolution (see CM Gallo's Friday, August 7 post). Special thanks to CM Pool's policy aide Michael Gaudini for his extensive research on this issue.
Amy Smith
Council Member Pool, District 7
Providing Neighborhood Advocates to Strengthen Code Enforcement Collaboratively
Council Member Pool’s amendment would:
• Direct the City Manager to develop and implement a Neighborhood Advocate pilot program, which would strengthen code enforcement, address problem properties, and improve quality of life in neighborhoods.
Neighborhood Advocate programs are a best practice for proactively addressing neighborhood public safety and code enforcement issues, such as short-term rental issues.
• Neighborhood Advocate programs allow prosecutors to collaborate proactively with the community and other stakeholders to identify, prevent, and solve problems on the front end, in addition to their duties prosecuting cases.
• Prosecutors in these programs work in neighborhoods to build long-term relationships and serve as the neighborhood’s “problem-solvers,” addressing code, nuisance, and quality of life issues.
• A recent University of Texas Law School report on repeat offender properties in the city recommended that the City of Austin adopt a Neighborhood Advocate program.
Peer cities have successfully implemented similar programs.
• A number of other cities have successfully implemented larger Neighborhood Advocate programs that could serve as a model for Austin, including: Seattle, Dallas, and San Diego, among others.
• The Travis County District Attorney currently has a small-scale version this program, focused exclusively on downtown Austin.
Amy Smith
Council Member Pool, District 7
Providing Neighborhood Advocates to Strengthen Code Enforcement Collaboratively
Council Member Pool’s amendment would:
• Direct the City Manager to develop and implement a Neighborhood Advocate pilot program, which would strengthen code enforcement, address problem properties, and improve quality of life in neighborhoods.
Neighborhood Advocate programs are a best practice for proactively addressing neighborhood public safety and code enforcement issues, such as short-term rental issues.
• Neighborhood Advocate programs allow prosecutors to collaborate proactively with the community and other stakeholders to identify, prevent, and solve problems on the front end, in addition to their duties prosecuting cases.
• Prosecutors in these programs work in neighborhoods to build long-term relationships and serve as the neighborhood’s “problem-solvers,” addressing code, nuisance, and quality of life issues.
• A recent University of Texas Law School report on repeat offender properties in the city recommended that the City of Austin adopt a Neighborhood Advocate program.
Peer cities have successfully implemented similar programs.
• A number of other cities have successfully implemented larger Neighborhood Advocate programs that could serve as a model for Austin, including: Seattle, Dallas, and San Diego, among others.
• The Travis County District Attorney currently has a small-scale version this program, focused exclusively on downtown Austin.