| | Dear Neighbors,
In this crisis, our work at the City has not stopped. Recently, we advanced several initiatives that I have long prioritized, such as the Wildland-Urban Interface Code and the Austin Energy Resource Plan. These are in addition to the many COVID-19 related items discussed in recent newsletters (available here and here).
I want to thank the stakeholders and city staff for their dedication and service to our community. Many of these items are the results of months or years of collaboration and innovation between Council, city staff, and the community. While creating Austin's Wildland-Urban Interface Code, for example, stakeholders generated specific safety adjustments to fit our city's wildfire needs. I have faith that Austin will continue to do this important long-term work and remain a respected, innovative leader for other cities.
Below you will find summaries of these initiatives, as well as details about the 2020 Census, a District 10 opening on the Environmental Commission, and an opportunity to advocate for individuals with mental illness through Disability Rights Texas. Later this week, I'll send another newsletter with updates on the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to mitigate its economic and health impacts on our community. In the meantime, if we can help connect you with resources, please reach out to us at District10@austintexas.gov.
Take Care,
Alison Alter
Council Member, District 10
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| | Table of Contents → Wildland-Urban Interface Code
→ Austin Energy Resource Plan
→ Safe Routes to School
→ Barton Springs Recharge Zone Land Acquisition
→ Lady Bird Lake Algae Mitigation
→ Land Development Code Update
→ North Burnet Gateway Plan and Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU)
- Complete the 2020 Census!
- District 10 Opening: Environmental Commission
- Disability Rights Texas Advisory Council Opening
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| | | Wildland-Urban Interface Code
Last week, Council unanimously approved the adoption of the Wildland-Urban Interface Code (WUIC), which supplements our building and fire codes to mitigate the risks of wildfire within Austin’s wildland-urban interface. It will apply to new construction within the wildland-urban interface.
The adoption of this code represents years of effort on the part of the wildfire mitigation community, city staff, and stakeholders, including many District 10 constituents. My office has been working on wildfire mitigation since I entered office, and I am pleased that Austin has a WUIC to build upon. The code is an important step in protecting Austinites from the threat of wildfire.
The next step in the process includes addressing fuels mitigation and vegetation management. I brought forth direction to ensure we create a process to incorporate these additional WUIC strategies into our wildfire prevention efforts. This process will include extensive stakeholder engagement with wildfire mitigation experts, members of the environmental community, homeowners, and entities that manage tracts of wildland or wildland urban interface land.
Austin Energy Resource Plan
On March 26th, Council approved the Austin Energy Resource Generation and Climate Protection Plan to 2030 (2030 Plan). This resource plan represents a step forward in achieving both our climate and economic goals through the Reduce Emissions Affordably for Climate Health (REACH) approach. This new and innovative method will retain affordable rates while reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2035, at an 8% reduction each year.
As we enter this time of economic uncertainty, the flexibility built into this plan will serve Austin well.
My office is working closely with City staff on the implementation of Safe Routes to School projects. Through our work on the Murchison and Doss improvements, we identified an opportunity to work more efficiently with AISD and install better transportation infrastructure for our students. On March 26th, Council approved an agreement with AISD to partner on transportation projects. Since AISD is working on many of their own bond-funded projects, this agreement allows the Safe Routes to School program to cost-share with the district and enables shared use of right-of-way for construction. In practice, this collaboration will leverage resources to create better projects, such as 8 foot-shared use paths instead of smaller 5-foot sidewalks.
Barton Springs Recharge Zone Land Acquisition
In 2018, 84% of Austin voters approved Proposition D to fund up to $184 million of land acquisition for flood mitigation, open space and water quality protection. On March 26th, Council approved a significant acquisition of 450 acres of land in the Barton Springs Recharge Zone for the City of Austin Water Quality Protection. The tract borders two existing WQPL properties, is entirely over the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone, contains both sides and over 7,000 feet of two tributaries to Little Bear Creek, and has known and suspected caves and sinkholes and a rare recharge zone spring. The acquisition will prevent pollution from potential development entering the aquifer or impacting downstream aquatic resources.
Lady Bird Lake Algae Mitigation
On March 26th, Council approved a multi-term contract with the University of Texas at Austin to provide screening for toxic algae in Lake Austin and Lady Bird Lake for up to five years. After the 2019 harmful algal bloom, we must increase our tracking and mitigation of the toxins that can negatively impact recreational uses of Austin’s reservoirs. Early detection of the algae will enable targeted management strategies and hopefully prevention of future blooms.
Land Development Code Update
Last year, a group of local property owners sued the city for denying them protest rights within the context of the Land Development Code revision process. Acknowledgement of the protest rights would require a Council supermajority, rather than a simple majority, to approve any changes to your zoning or, in some cases, the zoning of properties near you.
The lawsuit came before the 354th District Court. In March Judge Jan Soifer issued a ruling in favor of the property owners. She found the City had violated the Texas Local Government Code in two ways:- By failing to provide property owners with adequate public notice of the proposed zoning changes; and
- Through its decision to not recognize their right to protest the rezoning of their property and adjacent properties.
You may read Judge Soifer's final judgement here.
I believe Judge Soifer was right. At the April 9th Council meeting, Council Members Kitchen, Pool, and Tovo joined me in urging my colleagues to accept Judge Soifer’s findings and not pursue an appeal. Unfortunately, on a 7-4 vote, the Council majority decided to appeal Judge Soifer’s ruling (Item 64). I invite you to read my full statement here.
North Burnet Gateway Plan and Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU)
I believe in an alternative path to increasing density in our city. This path does not accelerate the demolition and displacement of existing neighborhoods and neighbors. On April 9th, I co-sponsored two items to illustrate that path: Item 31 and Item 80.
Item 31 initiated code amendments to increase the allowable density and development in the North Burnet Gateway adjacent to the Domain. The Domain area was long-intended to promote density and transit oriented development in a mostly industrial area. It is my hope that the additional development rights in this area will allow for additional growth without accelerating the displacement of existing residential neighbors.
Item 80 builds on an analysis by the University of Texas which found the increase in Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) construction in Austin was most likely completed by developers rather than by homeowners. The report found that financing remained a major barrier to low and middle-income homeowners wishing to build an ADU.
Item 80 directed the City Manager to find ways to promote the construction of owner-developed ADUs to help families age in place. Some of this direction included:
- Exploring the viability of a tax abatement or grants for property owners who construct income-restricted ADUs to offset increases in property valuations.
- Exploring partnerships to provide homeowners with a menu of pre-approved ADU models as part of a streamlined permitting process.
- Exploring eligible funding sources that could be used to provide low-interest loans for homeowners constructing ADUs.
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| | | Complete the 2020 Census!
As of this morning, Austin's Census completion rate is still sitting below 50%. According to the City Demographer, much of District 10 has already filled out their census forms, with the Northwest Hills area leading the district at about 70% completion. Some pockets of District 10 still have a ways to go. As of last week, neighbors in the Far West/Spicewood Springs/Hart Lane area and residents around the Austin State School only had about 45% completion.
Please help spread the word to your friends and neighbors! The census responses directly influence funding our community will receive for healthcare, school funding, school lunch through increased funding of SNAP, transportation infrastructure, and more. You can fill out your census form online here.
To help increase awareness about the census, Austin Asian Impact is sponsoring the "Ready, Set, Create" project. The project draws on the creative talents of young people to carry the message of the census to Asian American communities.
Submissions include creative ways to express that every person needs to be counted and explain why the census is important to the community. This virtual event is open through June 15th and is available to students at any school in Central Texas. Submissions are being accepted online here. If you have questions, please email austinasianimpact@gmail.com. For video submissions, email Seema Govil at govilseema@gmail.com. |
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| | | District 10 Opening: Environmental Commission
If you are interested in volunteering for this commission, please send your resume and a short memo with the following information to my office at district10@austintexas.gov:
- What is your assessment of the top three policy questions your commission will be dealing with over the next four years?
- A statement of the expertise and experience that you bring to these issues.
- A statement of what issues you anticipate emphasizing in your work supporting your commission.
Please join me in thanking departing commissioner Wendy Gordon for serving so well in this role since 2017. Feel free to share this opportunity with your friends and neighbors. |
| | | Disability Rights Texas Advisory Council Opening
Disability Rights Texas is looking for volunteers to serve on the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) Advisory Council (PAC). Members of the PAC will work on establishing and operating a protection/advocacy system for individuals with mental illness and will protect the rights of such individuals by ensuring the enforcement of federal and state statutes. Persons with mental illness, family members and professionals are all represented on the Council.
If you would like to learn more about serving on the Advisory Council, you can find an FAQ page here. Applications are available through this online portal and should be submitted no later than July 1, 2020, to be considered for service beginning October 1, 2020. |
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