| | Dear Neighbors,
One year ago this week, City Manager Cronk released his draft revisions to the Land Development Code (LDC). As I have stated in previous newsletters, the City's code revision and process, originally named "CodeNEXT," were seriously flawed, which is why I voted against them at every decision point. In March, Judge Jan Soifer agreed that the LDC process illegally denied public notice and protest rights.
I continue to receive questions from constituents about the status of the Land Development Code revisions. I would like to provide a brief status update.
In May of 2019, a majority of the Council directed the City Manager to draft a land development code that went further than CodeNEXT. I was one of three Council Members who opposed that direction.
In my view Austin deserves a code revision that works for everyone and has widespread support among the community. That is why in December of 2019, I voted in support of Council Members Pool's and Tovo's motions to recognize Austinites' right to formally protest the rezoning of their property or nearby property. Under state law and city ordinance, a valid protest triggers the requirement of a three-fourths vote on the Council to pass the rezoning, representing broader community buy-in. If successful, those December 10th motions would have recognized residents’ rights, avoided a lawsuit, and potentially kept us on a path towards consensus.
Throughout this process, the public had little meaningful opportunity to understand how their lives and their community would be affected by proposed changes to the LDC. When I spoke out about this on February 12, 2020, the day before the draft was adopted on second reading, I was voicing the profound concerns of constituents. You can watch those remarks here or by clicking the photo below. |
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| | On March 8, 2020, District Judge Jan Soifer ruled that public notice and protest rights apply to the City's code revision and that the City of Austin acted illegally in denying them. On April 9, 2020, I voted to oppose an appeal of the District Court's judgment, but the Council majority are pursuing that appeal.
That is where we are today.
A court ruling affirming the state requirements for a supermajority vote can lead to a consensus-based process, but only if at least three votes on the Council insist on that. I believe that we should strive for consensus and move forward a revision that helps solve problems and does not give developers an outsized voice. I remain vigilant against any proposed strategies that seek to evade the initial court ruling. As always please contact my office if you have questions about this policy or any other topic.
In the rest of this newsletter, you will find a council recap, information on how to get your flu shot, details about a new emergency preparedness app for Central Texas, an invitation to a virtual musical performance, and an alert about scammers posing as Austin Public Health employees. Keep an eye out for my next newsletter, which will focus on the safety improvements we've been making through the Safe Routes to School program.
Kind Regards,
Alison Alter
Council Member, District 10
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| | Table of Contents - Council Recap
- Get Your Flu Shot!
- Central Texas Emergency Preparedness App
- Scam Alert: Scammers Posing as Austin Public Health Employees
- Romeo and Katrina Virtual Performance – Oct. 10
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Last Thursday, City Council took the next steps on funding the Save Austin’s Vital Economic Centers (SAVES) resolution, which allocated a total of $15 million to support Austin’s restaurants, childcare centers, bars, music venues, and arts organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The $15 million is split between three funds of $5 million each: the Music Venue Preservation Fund, the Legacy Business Relief Grant, and the Childcare Provider Relief Grant. More information on how to apply for these relief grants will be available in the coming days. You may review currently available economic recovery programs at atxrecovers.com.
I was proud to author a unanimously-approved resolution directing the City Manager to:
- identify the feasibility and timeline for the safe resumption of regular Austin Resource Recovery services, and
- review compensation and training practices, and explore opportunities to improve ARR operator retention, compensation, and satisfaction.
Over the past few months, my office has worked with city staff to identify a path towards resuming regular ARR service. Over the course of that work, we found that workforce retention issues were disrupting service. Despite doing one of the most dangerous jobs in America, we learned that ARR operators typically earn much lower hourly wages compared to their private sector counterparts. Therefore, this resolution seeks to address both the immediate needs of the public and to ensure the City is doing what we can to support and retain our workforce.
As a result of my efforts, in the coming days and weeks you will begin to see ARR services (such as brush and bulk collection) come back online. You may view the updates and what they mean for your address at https://www.austintexas.gov/department/austin-resource-recovery. Please note the timetable for any resumptions is address-specific.
Item 55 created the Austin Economic Development Corporation (AEDC), a new local government corporation tasked with managing economic development projects in Austin. I was proud to be a co-sponsor of last year’s resolution directing the City Manager to begin working on the creation of what has now become the AEDC. Getting the organization up and running is particularly pressing in light of the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I look forward to the City and the AEDC working closely to address the urgent needs of our local economy in the coming months. |
| | | Get Your Flu Shot!
Last week, my family went to get our flu shots. Getting a flu vaccine every year is the best way to protect yourself and others from the flu, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone six months of age and older get vaccinated for the flu every year. High-risk individuals include:
- Adults over 65
- Pregnant women
- People with chronic medical conditions
- Health care workers
- Individuals who live with and/or care for high-risk individuals
Flu shots are available at Shots for Tots/Big Shots clinics for children who are uninsured or Medicaid recipients and for uninsured adults. The flu vaccine costs $25 for adults, $10 for children, and is free for children with Medicaid. No one will be denied services if they are unable to pay. For an appointment, please call 512-972-5520.
For those who are insured, visit VaccineFinder.org to find a location with flu shots near you. |
| | | | Central Texas Emergency Preparedness App
The City of Austin Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the Travis County Office of Emergency Management have partnered to deploy an emergency preparedness mobile application called Ready Central Texas. The new Ready Central Texas app provides resources and information for citizens across the Central Texas area to better prepare for natural disasters and other emergencies, as well as updates about COVID-19. The mobile app has a news section, preparedness resources, emergency plan checklist, informational videos, a document library, and COVID-19 resources from Austin, the State of Texas and the federal government.
The application is available on Android and iOS devices. You can download the application from the Apple Store here and on the Google Play Store here. The application is free to download and use. This mobile app is another tool for Central Texans to be prepared for and alerted about emergencies. Residents are also encouraged to register with Warn Central Texas to receive critical local alerts for natural disasters, weather warnings, evacuation notices, and more by text message, phone call or email.
For more information visit www.austintexas.gov/prepared.
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| | | Scam Alert: Scammers Posing as Austin Public Health Employees
Austin Public Health (APH) has been made aware of individuals or groups that are attempting to scam Austin-Travis County residents using the guise of being APH employees.
These individuals or groups are operating through a “spoofed” phone number using the APH Environmental Health Services main line (512-978-0300) to attempt to scam individuals. At this time, our City teams are still working to stop the individual or group from using APH’s phone number.
As a reminder, APH employees will never ask for Social Security, Medicaid, insurance, immigration, or financial information. There are instances when a member of the Austin Public Health Department will reach out via phone or email, but staff will properly identify themselves and provide contact information for additional questions. Staff will usually verify or confirm information that they already obtained from hospitals or labs instead of initially asking you to tell them that information.
If you believe the call you are receiving is a scam call, request the name, title, and call back number from the Austin Public Health employee. You can verify the information with City of Austin by contacting 311 to ask for that person. This will ensure that they are speaking directly with an APH staff member.
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| | | Romeo and Katrina Virtual Performance – Oct. 10
Color Arc Productions and the Austin Parks and Recreation Department’s Asian American Resource Center (AARC) are proud to virtually present the opening scene of Romeo and Katrina, a new musical set in post-Katrina New Orleans three years after the hurricane. Romeo and Katrina is a love story centered on Romeo Tran, a working-class Vietnamese American, and Katrina “Trina” Batiste, a Black upper class young woman. This musical explores love, family, community, tragedy, recovery, and renewal.
The virtual event will be held on October 10, 2020, at 7 p.m. and registration is free. The 20-minute virtual presentation of Romeo and Katrina: Scene 1 (“Prelude -- Live It Up”) will be followed by a discussion with creators Christine Hoang and Tyler Mabry, director Ya’Ke Smith, the cast, and the virtual audience. Discussions will be moderated by the AARC and the George Washington Carver Museum and Genealogy Center.
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