Dear Neighbors,
Last Tuesday, Texas voters approved Proposition 2, a constitutional amendment enabling municipalities and counties to provide a property tax abatement for qualifying child care centers. This was a historic step for working families that depend on access to affordable child care. I, and my colleagues, are not wasting any time. On Thursday, Council approved my resolution, making Austin the first city in Texas to ensure a 100% property tax abatement for eligible child care providers.
This action will provide substantial relief to child care providers who are already operating on thin margins. The resolution also further directs the Interim City Manager to identify similar relief options for licensed or registered home-based child care businesses, which are not eligible for property tax relief under the state legislation. This effort was co-sponsored by Council Members Fuentes, Velásquez, (Ryan) Alter, Vela, Pool, and Qadri, and supported by Early Matters of Greater Austin, United Way for Greater Austin’s Success by 6 Coalition, Go Austin/Vamos Austin, the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Austin Chapter and the Central South Region of the Texas Restaurant Association, and other partners.
To qualify for the tax abatement, a child care facility must 1) be licensed, 2) the owner/operator must participate in the Texas Workforce Commission’s Rising Star Program, and 3) at least 20% of children enrolled must be subsidized by state child care funds. The resolution directs the City Manager to bring forth the necessary ordinance to finalize the tax exemptions on January 18–the first Council meeting of 2024.
We know that our economy can’t function without affordable and accessible child care. A recent Texas Association for the Education of Young Children survey revealed the severity of the ‘child care cliff’ our state is facing– “without more funding, up to 44% of child care centers in Texas could close their doors.” Further, earlier this year, Texas business leaders sent a letter to state legislators citing an estimate from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that “the lack of affordable child care costs Texas employers up to $7.59 billion per year.” Stabilizing and expanding Austin’s child care ecosystem has been one of my longstanding priorities, and I’m proud that Texas voters and my colleagues on the dais recognize this critical need for working families.
| | Source: United Way, Success by 6
In this spirit, I want to highlight another recent milestone in the child care space. The AVANCE Quality Child Care Matters (QCCM) program recently graduated 40 child care educators. This professional development program for home-based providers teaches strategies to enhance quality of care for children and better support families, and provides ongoing mentoring and peer support. The QCCM program was funded with the City of Austin’s American Rescue Plan Act allocation for early childhood education and development, which I championed and shepherded in 2021.
This program is an excellent model of innovation in the child care sector, and it exemplifies how these investments underpin higher standards of care in our community while also supporting small business owners and child care educators, who are primarily women and women of color. To learn more about Austin’s child care ecosystem, you can sign-up for one of the Success by 6 Coalition’s upcoming Lunch and Learns, which are offered in-person and virtually.
I will be working on other initiatives relating to identifying sustained funding for our local child care sector. If you would like to get involved or provide expertise or support as a parent, educator, or advocate, please email my Policy Director: ashley.richardson@austintexas.gov.
In the rest of this newsletter you will find information on a new Q&A portal for updates to the Land Development Code, opportunities to share your feedback about a CapMetro pickup shuttle route in West Austin, and more.
Regards,
| | Alison Alter Council Member, District 10 | | | | | Table of Contents
Council Recap
Council Member Alter in the Community Coming Together Against Hate Opening Austin’s Trauma Recovery Center Volunteering at It’s My Park Day Texas Gun Sense Annual Event Celebrating Women’s Entrepreneurship Day and Entrepreneurship Month Speaking at Launch of Concordia’s New Tuition System Proclamation for Retirement Security Month
Announcements
City Services Updates
Service and Public Input Opportunities
Safety Tips | | | | The Austin City Council held regular meetings on November 2 and 9. In addition to the childcare actions discussed above, here are some of the actions I believe will be of most interest to you:
Nov. 2: I authored a resolution directing the City Manager to create and execute a plan to support a positive, safe, and inclusive experience for viewing the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. This eclipse is one of the world’s most rare natural phenomena and is profoundly different from the partial eclipses that most of us have experienced. Ensuring the safe participation of our residents and visitors requires proactive planning well in advance of the event. My office also created a Resource Guide for the April 2024 eclipse which you may view here.
Council adopted Austin Resource Recovery’s 2023 Comprehensive Plan, the first update to this plan since 2011, which will help Austin meet its sustainability goals–including our zero waste goal–by 2040. I previously provided direction to staff to ensure that this plan aligns with components of the Austin Climate Equity Plan, such as electrifying Austin Resource Recovery’s fleet, implementing sustainable purchasing practices, and expanding programs including the Circular Economy Program, zero waste awareness, and bulk collection.
Nov. 9:
Partnership with Texas Harm Reduction Alliance: Our fight against the opioid crisis continues. Earlier this spring, the City accepted and appropriated a payment of our opioid settlement funding and made a plan to invest that funding to treat opioid use and prevent overdoses. Austin Public Health recently received federal funding to support public education to prevent overdoses, including the expansion of Narcan trainings. Last week, Council approved a contract with the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance to increase capacity for peer support specialists and provide additional resources for those seeking treatment. I am hopeful that this funding will aid us in combating this public health crisis. If you or someone you know is struggling with an addiction to opioids, the City’s webpage has some helpful local resources.
| | | | | Coming Together Against Hate On November 1, we gathered at Congregation Beth Israel to commemorate the second anniversary of the arson at our synagogue and share resources to combat the hate we’re seeing directed at Jews and Muslims around the country. We must all find ways to act locally to support love and community over hate. Thank you to our partners, the Austin Anti-Defamation League, ATXKind, and the City’s We All Belong program. For guidance on reporting hate incidents, information on community events, and digital resources to combat hate, visit AustinTexas.gov/AgainstHate. | | Photo from the Office of Council Member Vanessa Fuentes
Opening Austin’s Trauma Recovery Center On November 1, we opened Texas’ first Trauma Recovery Center. Through this partnership with the City, County, and the African American Youth Harvest Foundation, the Harvest Trauma Recovery Center will provide mental health treatment, legal assistance, and more to survivors of violence. We know that our violence prevention infrastructure needs to do more to support survivors–not just in the immediate aftermath of a crisis, but as they process their traumas and navigate the legal system. By helping to fill this gap, the Harvest TRC is a key investment in our community. | | Volunteering at It’s My Park Day It was so much fun to join Austin Parks Foundation and volunteers around District 10 to mulch, plant, and generally beautify our parks. I was joined by my Parks Board Commissioner Holly Reed and we saw some great teamwork at Ramsey, Great Hills, Seiders Springs, and Perry parks. THANK YOU to the many volunteers, Austin Parks Foundation, and Austin Parks and Recreation Department for bringing our community together twice a year to celebrate our favorite parks. | | Texas Gun Sense Annual Event It was a pleasure to connect with policymakers and advocates at the Texas Gun Sense annual event. Special thanks to my constituent, Nicole Golden, who is the executive director of TGS. To learn more about the work they do, visit TexasGunSense.org. | | Celebrating Women’s Entrepreneurship Day and Entrepreneurship Month I offered a proclamation to local entrepreneurs, Economic Development Director Sylnovia Holt-Rabb, Fang Fang of the Mayor’s Task Force for Austin Women Entrepreneurs, and representatives of Concordia’s Incubator CTX Program to celebrate Women’s Entrepreneurship Day (Nov. 19) and Entrepreneurship Month. Special thanks to Dr. Kristin Spindler! | | Speaking at Launch of Concordia’s New Tuition System I helped launch Concordia University’s Right Call Initiative, which supports a 40% tuition reduction and the bundling of tuition with textbook costs and other fees. I am proud that this university in my district is taking steps to make education more accessible in Central Texas. | | Proclamation for Retirement Security Month I presented a proclamation to Austin’s Chief Financial Officer Diana Thomas in honor of Retirement Security Month. We want to make sure our hardworking City staff and their families are set up for financial security–both now and in the future. | | | | | Cap Metro Survey for Exposition Pickup Zone
Cap Metro is currently gathering community input to determine if it will continue its Pickup service for the Exposition Service Zone. Pickup is CapMetro’s on-demand, shared ride shuttle service. The current Exposition Service Zone is underutilized, and Cap Metro will be considering both performance and community input from those who live and work in the area to determine if the service will continue to operate.
You can share your feedback now through November 17 by participating in the Pickup Exposition Community Feedback Survey.
| | Austin Animal Center Needs our Help Austin Animal Center (AAC) is out of kennel space for medium and large dogs. Now is a great time to foster or adopt, and adoption fees are currently waived. You can also help share AAC’s posts on Facebook and Twitter, or help purchase shelter supplies from their Amazon Wishlist. | | Senior Job Fair The City of Austin is holding a Senior Community job fair this Thursday from 11-2 at Texas Workforce Solutions to promote multigenerational workplaces and connect employers to job seekers. Please bring your resume and dress for success!
Register at AustinTexas.gov/JobFairs. For more information, contact (512) 974-3210 or employment.services@austintexas.gov. | | | | | City Q&A Portal for Updates to Land Development Code City staff are responding to City Council and Planning Commission questions related to the upcoming potential land code changes. You can view questions and answers in this online Q&A portal, which will be updated regularly. | | Community Police Academy Registration is Open Austin’s Community Police Academy is accepting applications for its spring 2024 term through November 27. This 14-week program aims to “increase the rapport between community members and police officers,” and shares updates from different departmental units. Weekly evening meetings run from February through May. Learn more and apply here. | | | | | Call for Municipal Civil Service Commission Applications The City is seeking applications to serve on the five-member Municipal Civil Service Commission. This commission decides on disciplinary cases for municipal civil service employees, recommends the adoption of civil service rules, and reports to the City Council. The time commitment for Commission business is typically 20 hours a month. Hearings of the Commission typically last an entire business day and are scheduled twice per month with the option to add additional meetings as needed. Commissioners serve on a voluntary basis. Applications will remain open until positions have been filled. Learn more and apply here. | | Project Connect Community Advisory Committee Seeking New Members The Austin Transit Partnership, City of Austin, and CapMetro are seeking applications for the Community Advisory Committee (CAC). The CAC advises all three partners on anti-displacement and equity matters related to Project Connect. Applications are open through November 17. | | ETOD Survey The City of Austin and CapMetro are working together to shape the future of the North Lamar & South Congress Transit Centers, as a part of Project Connect. Participate in the community feedback survey to help shape station area vision plans: publicinput.com/etodsurvey. The survey is available in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Vietnamese, and Arabic. | | | | | City Emergency Preparedness Hub Austin’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management has updated its digital emergency preparedness hub at ReadyCentralTexas.org. The newly redesigned website serves as a centralized hub for emergency preparedness for the types of hazards faced by Austin and Travis County and the larger region. The new design highlights the most frequent disasters seen in the central Texas region and how to prepare for them. | | Reminder: State Emergency Registry for Vulnerable Residents Do you know someone who would need special assistance in the event of an emergency evacuation? Austin Emergency Management is currently creating mapping and evacuation planning based on the State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry (STEAR) to better support Austin's more vulnerable residents during emergencies. Anyone with disabilities, mobility impairments, and other special needs is encouraged to register here. |
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