Dear Neighbors,
As the City Council and the City Manager work on next year’s budget, I invite you to provide input on your fiscal priorities. There are several ways to engage with city budget staff, and with me and my office in the coming weeks to help shape the way that your tax dollars are invested throughout the city.
Engaging with City Staff The City Manager will present his budget on Friday, July 9th. In advance of the staff budget presentation, residents are encouraged to submit their feedback via the City’s budget survey, which you may fill out here. To stay connected throughout the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) budget process, view presentations, and review materials, visit https://www.speakupaustin.org/budget-2022.
Connecting with the District 10 Office on the FY22 Budget Over the coming weeks through the adoption of the budget in early August, District 10 residents will have several opportunities to share your priorities and feedback with me and my office.
The District 10 Budget Survey is now live. Fill out this Google form to share your thoughts on where you’d like to see investments for the upcoming fiscal year.
My office will be holding three in-person budget office hours in July. Feel free to drop by and ask any questions you may have about the proposed budget at the following dates and locations: Friday, July 16th from 10:00 am -12:00 pm at Coffee Shark on 2222 Monday, July 19th from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm at Rudy’s in Rosedale Friday, July 23rd from 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm at Galaxy Cafe on Mesa Drive
Additionally, please save the date for the District 10 Budget Town Hall, to be held on Wednesday July 21st. Additional details on the town hall and how to attend will be made available in the coming weeks, so please keep an eye out.
I also would like to highlight two recent increases to the city’s homestead exemptions. I have voted to increase the senior and general homestead exemption each time this issue has gone before the City Council during my time in office. This year I co-sponsored the proposal to raise the homestead exemption to the legal maximum of twenty percent, which Council approved on June 10th. I also co-sponsored a $25,000 increase to the senior homestead exemption, which was approved June 3rd.
In the remainder of this newsletter, you will find a recap of the most recent Council meeting, an update on the state legislative session, and more.
Regards,
Alison Alter Council Member, District 10 P.S. If you enjoy the District 10 newsletter, please take a moment to invite your friends and neighbors to subscribe at bit.ly/d10newsletters. Thank you! | | Council Recap Legislative Update Upcoming Austin Energy-Led Meetings APD Reimagined Cadet Academy Is Underway Head of Office of Violence Prevention Hired Austin Civilian Conservation Corps Call for Applicants Alliance Children’s Garden Ribbon Cutting Zilker Park Vision Plan Meeting – June 29th Summer Pool Schedule Bryker Water and Wastewater Renewal Online Public Meeting – June 30 City of Austin Employee Retirement System Call For Applications Vacancy on the Building and Fire Code Board of Appeals Austin Public Health Asks Community Organizations and Businesses to Co-host Vaccine Events
| | | American Rescue Plan Allocations: Over the last month, I worked extensively with my colleagues to create a spending framework for the approximately 188 million dollars that will be disbursed over two years to the City of Austin through the American Rescue Plan. The Treasury Department released guidelines detailing eligible and ineligible types of expenses, and in early May Council allocated a significant portion to fund public health expenses related to COVID. For our discretionary spending, I championed $11 million in transformative investments in early childhood and out-of-school time crafted by United Way and Success by Six that we believe will have a significant positive impact on children and our economy. I also championed a $6 million investment in Austin’s Civilian Conservation Corps which is a jobs program that will train and provide work for unemployed Austinites while allowing us to advance critical community needs such as wildfire mitigation and trail improvements. I also led in earmarking another $15 million towards workforce development programs that train Austinites for well-paying jobs that strengthen our economy and enhance individual self-sufficiency. Other investments in this spending framework include funding to tackle food insecurity, resiliency investments to better prepare for extreme weather events like Winter Storm Uri, rental assistance, and additional financial relief for non-profit arts organizations and other support for our live music and creative sector. The ARP funding also provides our community an opportunity to join together to fundamentally transform our homelessness response system to make homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring. Together with Council Member Kathie Tovo, Mayor Adler, and other colleagues, I offered various amendments to ensure that new spending related to homelessness will be contingent on receiving philanthropic and other matches and align with a strategic plan crafted with external stakeholders, including downtown business owners and leading philanthropic organizations in Austin. This approach will allow us to leverage our federal dollars with private and hopefully County contributions to maximize our opportunities to tackle this challenge. Nonprofit Assistance: At the June 10th Council meeting, I sponsored a resolution allocating $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to support Austin’s nonprofit organizations engaged in arts and culture. This infusion of funding will help provide relief to arts and culture organizations that continue to struggle with unmet needs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and builds off the funding I initiated for nonprofit relief in the spring of 2020. | | |
With the close of the 87th Legislative Session, I would like to update you on several bills debated in the legislative session which directly impacted Austin and that were not covered extensively in the media.
APRS Pensions Reform: HB 4368 is an agreed-to bill between the City of Austin and Austin Police Retirement System (APRS) that makes fundamental and necessary changes to the member and city contributions of the Austin Police Retirement System. As Chair of the Audit and Finance Committee, I took part in a City Council working group to help improve our APRS pensions system, ensure its fiscal viability, and secure legislative approval of changes. I am pleased to see the bill pass and especially grateful to Rep. Eddie Rodriguez for facilitating an approach that is fair to our retirees and our taxpayers and that addressed the key weaknesses of the system.
Save Historic Muny District: HB 681 authored by Rep. Donna Howard and SB 390 authored by Sen. Sarah Eckhardt were companion bills which extended the Save Historic Muny District until May 31, 2023. This legislation was signed by the Governor and will allow the Save Historic Muny District to continue working towards a long-term solution that preserves the Lions Municipal Golf Course as public open space. Thank you to all the advocates for this beloved community asset who worked to ensure this bill’s passage.
Cloud computing: SB 58 makes it possible for the City to issue debt for the purposes of cloud computing to modernize our IT systems. Currently, governmental entities can issue debt for computer hardware and equipment, but not cloud computing. This bill was brought forward following my efforts to champion this fiscally responsible approach to modern computing requirements in Austin’s legislative agenda. Thank you to Rep. Israel for advancing this work.
Austin Sound Ordinance Preemption: H.B. 3813, was a bill authored by Rep. Cody Harris which would have pre-empted the City of Austin’s amplified sound ordinance and allowed amplified sound for live music venues or bars in residential neighborhoods. I want to thank neighbors and constituents who called legislators to register opposition on the impacts of this bill. Fortunately, Representative Gina Hinojosa effectively killed the bill by calling a point of order on the House Floor. Thank you Gina!
You may read a comprehensive update on a variety of state bills impacting Austin residents here. | | | Upcoming Austin Energy-Led Meetings
I joined Austin Energy at their first two area-specific meetings last week to discuss their vegetation management efforts and to address electric reliability issues. Three more virtual meetings are coming up, starting this week. Please review my last newsletter for full details on meeting dates, areas covered, and links to join. Once all sessions are complete, we will include the meeting recordings in a newsletter for those who were not able to make it to the session for their area or neighborhood. | | | APD Reimagined Cadet Academy Is Underway
This month, we welcomed 100 cadets into the Pilot Reimagined APD Cadet Academy. My council colleagues and I have worked closely with city staff, community advocates, and policing experts to reform the APD training academy. Our goal is to ensure all new cadets receive the best training, experience positive and supportive learning environments, and build connections with the community they will serve. This class, the 144th cadet class, will be the first to complete training using new curriculum and expanded community engagement programming. You can read about the reforms to the APD training academy in this newsletter.
Reimagining public safety in Austin can lead our city to better quality of life for all Austinites, and I’m committed to continuing to improve our public safety system as a whole. | | | Head of Office of Violence Prevention Hired
This month, the City of Austin announced Michelle Myles will serve as the City’s new Office of Violence Prevention Program Manager. The Office of Violence Prevention was created to bring a public health approach to prevent violence by addressing root causes with data-driven and proven strategies that interrupt violence.
In August of 2019, I authored a resolution to create a Task Force on Gun Violence to advise Council on actions the City can take to reduce gun violence at the local level. A key recommendation was to create an Office of Violence Prevention, modeled after initiatives in several other major cities. During the 2020-2021 budget process, I then authored a budget amendment to establish an Office of Violence Prevention to craft policy and coordinate violence reduction and community safety strategies throughout the city. I echo the sentiments of our Interim Police Chief Joseph Chacon who stated, “We look forward to incorporating Austin Public Health into our overall plan to address gun violence within our community”. You may read more about Ms. Myles’ background and credentials here. | | | Austin Civilian Conservation Corps Call for Applicants
The Austin Civilian Conservation Corps (created by my initiative last May), in partnership with American Youthworks, is currently hiring for a wildlands fire mitigation crew. The crew will consist of two crew leads and six crew members, and focus on clearing brush and other potential wildfire fuels, creating fuel breaks, and making our landscapes more resilient to wildfire threats. This ACCC program will be critical in reducing Austin’s wildfire risk, and providing more equitable access to conservation jobs.
The crews will work 40 hours per week for eight months. Crew leads are paid $17/hour and crew members $15/hour, and no prior experience with this type of work is necessary. The program includes services such as case management and an emergency stipend to give our crew members the support they deserve as they transition into these new careers. Participants will receive extensive training and certifications in the technical aspects of wildland firefighting, and will be well positioned to continue their careers in this or other conservation-related fields after the program ends.
The City will hold a virtual information session during the week of June 14 where potential applicants can find out more about the work, the ACCC, and the crew selection process. You can learn more about the ACCC and available opportunities here. Please share with your networks.
The ACCC was created to improve equitable access to conservation- and sustainability-related careers while providing income for Austinites, and pursuing critical environmental goals in the Austin area. To date, the program has provided 100 opportunities to participate in a variety of program types, from public art to green building to landscape conservation.
KXAN recently ran a story on the ACCC and my efforts to add additional funding and make the program permanent. The story features interviews with current ACCC participants, and is available here. You may also learn more about the work of the ACCC via this video. | | | Alliance Children’s Garden Ribbon Cutting It was my pleasure to attend the ribbon cutting announcing the opening of the Alliance Children’s Garden at the Michael Butler Park at Town Lake. One of the greatest joys I have as a council member is being able to see to fruition our work to preserve and enhance Austin’s outdoor spaces. The 2-acre recreational area within Butler Park is the culmination of a multi-year plan providing Austinites with a spectacular multi-purpose cultural park. I encourage everyone to visit and enjoy this beautiful new space with your children and families. You're never too old to play! | | | Zilker Park Vision Plan Meeting – June 29th
Join the Austin Parks and Recreation for the first community meeting for the Zilker Metropolitan Park Vision Plan. This is the first of five meetings to engage the community in planning for the future of one of Austin’s most-loved parks. During the meeting, PARD will share the outcomes of the recent site analysis and needs assessment, a review of what the team heard during small group discussions, and the community survey. Based on this information, draft Guiding Principles and Goals for the vision planning process will be shared for community feedback. Virtual Community Meeting #1 Tuesday, June 29, 2021, 6 p.m.
The meeting will be hosted virtually on Zoom and Facebook Live on Tuesday, June 29 at 6 p.m. A recording of the meeting will also be posted on the project webpage: AustinTexas.gov/ZilkerVision.
Spanish interpretation services will be provided.
Community members can also share stories or feedback at any point on the SpeakUp Austin page. | | |
Many neighbors have written asking for details on our summer pool openings. As a parent and a parks advocate, I understand your frustrations on this issue. The most recent PARD memo on our aquatics facilities is available here.
Facilities in or near District 10 that are currently open include Deep Eddy and Shipe Pools. Facilities in or near District 10 which are anticipated to open in July include Reed and Westenfield pools. The memo includes details for each pool so view the link above to see the plans for the pool(s) closest to your family.
As a longtime parks advocate, I’ve long championed increased investments in our aquatics facilities. Prior to COVID, our staff made significant strides in opening our pools on-schedule for the summer season, for instance by revamping our lifeguard recruitment approach and schedule. The unique challenges of hiring and training lifeguards during the pandemic, coupled with the widespread damage facilities suffered during Winter Storm Uri, has created significant hurdles to opening all the pools. If you or other neighbors know anyone in the neighborhood interested and willing to be a lifeguard, please direct them to LifeGuardAustin.com. | | | Bryker Water and Wastewater Renewal Online Public Meeting – June 30 Austin Water is planning improvements to water and wastewater lines in the Bryker Drive area. The project, known as the Bryker Water and Wastewater Renewal Project, will begin construction later this month and is part of Renewing Austin, an Austin Water program to replace and upgrade aging water lines. Austin Water is protecting our city's water infrastructure by investing in upgrades and repairs of the existing water lines. Water line breaks are well documented in this area and the project is necessary to avoid further expenditures to maintain water lines that have broken frequently and to restore reliability.
Please join an online public meeting to learn more and ask questions.
Bryker Water and Wastewater Renewal Online Public Meeting June 30, 2021 6 p.m. via Zoom Join by Phone: 1-346-248-7799; Webinar ID: 979 8122 8897; Passcode: 361272
Please share this update with neighbors and encourage them to sign up for updates using this link. | | | City of Austin Employee Retirement System (COAERS)
The City of Austin is seeking residents interested in serving as a trustee on the City of Austin Employee Retirement System (COAERS). This position, appointed by the Austin City Council, is a volunteer position with a four-year term. Pension system trustees are fiduciaries of the pension plan and fulfill the following responsibilities: oversight of investment decisions and asset allocation of the fund; with the assistance of professional staff including the executive director, investment officer and plan actuary, establish the actuarial assumptions and determine contribution requirements; hiring and evaluation of the executive director; approval of system consultants; approval of the budget; oversight of benefit payments; approval of disability retirement applications.
To qualify, applicants must have been city residents for the preceding five years and must not be City of Austin employees, former employees, or officers of an employer. How to Apply: If interested, please submit a 500 word or less statement of interest and a current resume to city.clerk@austintexas.gov with the subject line “City of Austin Employee Retirement System - Statement of Interest.” | | | Vacancy on the Building and Fire Code Board of Appeals
After years of service to the City of Austin, Pieter Sybesma, our appointee to the Building and Fire Code Board of Appeals has retired. Pieter had an extensive background in fire planning and safety and also served as a longtime neighborhood leader for Highland Park Balcones West Neighborhood Association. Please consider whether you or someone you know would like to contribute to our community by serving on this Board. Additional information about the board is available here and you may submit an application to serve using this link. | | | Austin Public Health Asks Community Organizations and Businesses to Co-host Vaccine Events
The Austin Public Health Mobile Vaccination Program (MVP) has recently launched an online form that businesses and organizations can complete to request a pop-up COVID-19 vaccination clinic at their facility. The MVP has held events recently demonstrating the success of pop-up clinics, including at apartment complexes, churches, and businesses. The MVP also works to vaccinate homebound individuals, their families, and caregivers by providing home vaccination visits. Individuals interested in scheduling a home visit can call 3-1-1 or 512-974-2000 and leave your name and phone number. To date, more than 5,900 vaccines have been administered through this program.
While APH continues to make it easier to access the vaccine, we encourage vaccine providers and businesses who have the means to provide vaccine perks in our community to do so. The City of Austin has started a SpeakUp Austin page, where businesses and community members can share where to get vaccine perks. For additional COVID-19 information and updates, visit www.AustinTexas.gov/COVID19. | |
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