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Dear Neighbors,
As a proponent of fiscal sustainability, I believe it is imperative that the City of Austin make strategic, long-term investments if we want to deliver high-quality services to our residents. In my work as a council member and as chair of the Audit & Finance committee, I have championed moving out of expensive leased space into city-owned buildings and collaborated with staff to develop a plan to do so within 10 years.
At a recent Audit & Finance meeting, city staff Greg Canally and Alex Gale presented the new occupancy plan (powerpoint available here and video is here). Owning our own buildings is cheaper in the long run, frees up operating and maintenance funds, and provides the city with property assets and more attractive work environments. More specifically, our staff estimate that if the plan is implemented the city stands to save over $300 million over 30 years by owning rather than leasing. In addition, a shift to owning our own facilities will allow us to move approximately $22 million of operating & maintenance funding over to capital expenses annually, a significant opportunity in light of the recent imposition of revenue caps by the state legislature.
One of the tools the city likely will deploy in this process is a new approach for facility procurement which harnesses the commercial development community and shifts the financial risk to the developer. Under a P3 model the City agrees to a fixed price and delivery date and if the project goes over budget or is delayed, the developer must cover the costs. It is this process that is being followed for the development of the City’s new Planning and Development Center (PDC) at Highland Mall.
Earlier in January, I had the opportunity to tour the new PDC, located on a former surface parking lot at Highland Mall. When it opens, the center will house 750 employees across all departments involved in the permitting and development review process, providing customers with a “one stop shop.” The project broke ground in November 2018 and is on schedule for a May 2020 completion/purchase.
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| The PDC will have an Austin Energy Green Building rating of at least 3 Stars (likely to be 4 Stars) with rainwater/condensate collection for irrigation and a pilot reclaimed water system to process wastewater on site.
I’m looking forward to future City projects that invest in spaces like the PDC, which are the right choice for serving our residents and employees effectively and allow us to steward our budget responsibly over the long term.
Regards,
Alison Alter Council Member, District 10 |
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Table of Contents - Land Development Code Update
- Land Development Code Office Hours – Feb. 25
- Wildfire Risk Tours – Jan. 29
- Women's March ATX 2020
- Point in Time Count Recap
- Redbud Trail Bridge Project Open House – Jan. 30
- Budget Forum: Commission on Seniors – Feb. 4
- 2020 Census: Call for Volunteers
- High School Summer Internships
- Constituent Spotlight: Ahmed Moledina
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| | | Land Development Code Update
We anticipate an updated version of the draft Land Development Code and maps will be released on Friday, January 31. The new drafts will be available on the LDC website. There, you can also find upcoming events, additional resources, and more.
Please keep an eye out for an LDC-focused email from me following the release of the new drafts. As always, please do not hesitate to contact my chief of staff with questions or concerns at Kurt.Cadena-Mitchell@austintexas.gov. |
| | | District 10 Land Development Code Office Hours – Feb. 25
District 10 staff will be available on February 25th to listen to your comments and help answer questions regarding the Land Development Code. These will be walk-in office hours operating on a first come, first served during the hours detailed below.
Tuesday, February 25
9-11 a.m.Galaxy Cafe
8127 Mesa Dr #A100
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| | | Wildfire Risk Tours – Jan. 29
Tomorrow, January 29th, the Austin Firefighter’s Association is hosting individual community wildfire risk tours and discussions with local Firewise communities at the following locations. I highly encourage any resident who lives in a high wildfire risk area to take part in these discussions and learn more about what they can do to mitigate their personal risk.
- 10 a.m. – River Place – 4207 River Place Boulevard
- 12 p.m. – Long Canyon – 8511 Bell Mountain Drive
- 2 p.m. – Jester Estates – Jester Club, 7809 Jester Boulevard
- 4 p.m. – Travis Country – 4504 Travis Country Circle
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| | Women's March ATX
On behalf of my council colleagues and the over 50 hard-working women elected officials in Travis County, I had the honor of declaring January 18th Women's March ATX Day in Austin.
It is my hope that the attendees of the Women's March ATX - Rally at the Capitol left empowered, energized, and ready to be part of the solution to the many challenges we face as a society. The day was special for me because I got to enjoy it with my mother and my daughter. Big thanks to the organizers, volunteers, speakers and attendees for an inspiring afternoon!
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| | | | Point in Time Count Recap
On the morning of January 25th, my entire team and I joined nearly 1,000 volunteers for the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO) 2020 Point in Time Count. This is an annual census of the homeless population in the Austin/Travis County area. The data collected through the PIT Count helps the city obtain federal funding, as well as informs resource allocation and initiatives for the following year.
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| | | | Redbud Trail Bridge Project Open House – Jan. 30
Join Council Member Alter this Thursday to learn about the Redbud Trail Bridge Project. Staff from multiple City departments will be on-hand to share the latest update on the future construction of a new bridge, including current design considerations. Attendees may drop by at any time during the open house.
Thursday, Jan. 30 5:30-7:30 p.m. O.Henry Middle School 2610 W. 10th Street.
Residents will have the opportunity to provide feedback both during and after Thursday’s meeting. Following the open house, residents will be able to access information presented at the meeting and leave feedback by visiting austintexas.gov/redbudtrailbridge. |
| | | Budget Forum: Commission on Seniors – Feb. 4
It's that time again! The City of Austin's Commission on Seniors will host a Budget Community Engagement forum on February 4, 2020 at Gus Garcia Recreational Center.
Tuesday, February 4, 2020 1-3 p.m. Gus Garcia Recreational Center 1201 E Rundberg Ln.
*If Language Interpretation or ADA Services are needed, please call 311*
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| | | 2020 Census Call for Temporary Staff and Volunteers
The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting to fill hundreds of thousands of temporary positions across the country to assist with the 2020 Census. Both field and office positions are available, and a single application allows you to be considered for several positions, including census taker, recruiting assistant, office clerk, and supervisory staff.
Average hourly pay rates in Travis County are around $22. You can visit 2020Census.gov for more information about temporary, paid positions.
Additionally, the City of Austin and Travis County have partnered to create the Complete Count Committee. The committee will focus on facilitating participation and coordination by as many community partners as possible in spreading the word about, and encouraging participation in, the 2020 Census. Please email census@traviscountytx.gov or call (512) 854-6185 for more information about how to get involved with local outreach efforts. |
| | | High School Summer Internships
The City of Austin’s high school internship application will be open from January 31-March 6, 2020. These paid summer internships are available to 15-18 year old high school students in Austin. The City offers four different internship programs, and interns are placed at various locations based on their future career interests.
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| | | Constituent Spotlight: Ahmed Moledina
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