Dear Neighbors,
Happy New Year! As I reflect on an eventful 2023, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve you and thankful for my amazing District 10 team and the thousands of City of Austin staff and community members who work hard to ensure Austin thrives. As your council member, in 2023 I prioritized safety, resilience, and the effective delivery of services. I am proud of everything we accomplished and pleased to share some highlights with you below. Many of the initiatives and investments I brought forward were the result of many years of work and collaboration.
Public Safety
911 Staffing Improvements/Response Times
Since 2021, I have sounded the alarm about 911 response times and staffing challenges in our call center. The lack of urgency surrounding the 911 staffing challenges prompted my actions to dismiss City Manager Cronk and I have regularly met with our new leadership to focus attention and resources to address this critical gap. Thanks to continued efforts, in 2023 response times have improved significantly and our 911 call center is anticipated to be fully staffed early this year.
Response to Sexual Assault
I have worked with survivors to improve the way the Austin Police Department investigates and responds to sexual assault cases since 2019. Building off of recommendations from an audit I commissioned and commitments made when the Council settled a pair of lawsuits brought by sexual assault survivors, Austin’s Collective Sex Crimes Response Model (CSCRM) Project brought key stakeholders to the table this year. The CSCRM is an ongoing collaboration between the Austin Police Department, survivors, and community advocates to implement systemic changes with how our city investigates and handles sexual assault cases. Read more about these efforts in this recent article.
During the 2023 budget process, I successfully championed ongoing funding for 10 Austin Police Department Victim Services counselors who support survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and other aggravated assaults.
Response to Hate
In 2022, I authored a budget amendment to create We All Belong, an anti-hate outreach and education campaign. Over the summer of 2023, the We All Belong Program officially launched, and I secured funding during the budget process to continue this critical work.
In addition to providing data and resources to report hate crimes, We All Belong hosts and supports community events celebrating Austin’s cultural richness, such as the Party at the People’s House celebration during Austin’s Pride weekend in August. Find resources to host your own event at AustinTexas.gov/AgainstHate.
Reducing Violence in Austin
I authored a budget amendment creating Austin’s Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) in 2020. In 2023 this office continued to implement a gun violence reduction strategy, a community violence intervention program, and an education campaign regarding safe firearm storage, which plays an important role in lowering the threat of gun violence. The OVP also was a critical part of the framework that led to the opening of Austin’s Harvest Trauma Recovery Center.
Wildfire Preparedness/Prevention
Last year brought record high temperatures and elevated wildfire risk across the state. To help Austin prepare and to prevent wildfires, the Council adopted a new Land Management Plan for Austin’s Parks and Preserves, which I had initiated. During the budget process I secured staffing and resourcing to implement the plan.
We significantly advanced my 2018 goal of building five new Fire/EMS stations in high wildfire risk areas. In February we opened the third of these joint stations, located in the Davenport/360 area in District 10. Two other stations at Goodnight Ranch (District 2) and Canyon Creek (District 10) should open in the next 16 months.
Eclipse Plan Resolution
Most areas in Austin will experience total darkness during the upcoming solar eclipse on April 8, and thousands are expected to visit central Texas to view this spectacular event. With these safety concerns in mind, I authored a resolution directing the City Manager to create and execute a plan supporting a positive, safe, and inclusive experience. The Long Center, Waterloo Greenway, and other community partners will host free viewing and educational events on April 7, 8, and 9–learn more here.
Access to Medical Care
While in office, I have worked to improve access to medical care and strengthen our EMS system. This year I supported a multi-year EMS contract that invests in and better compensates our EMS staff for their lifesaving work. A pilot program I co-sponsored, which stations EMS medics at the Austin airport, became permanent, and has improved response times for EMS calls at Austin-Bergstrom. Austin EMS implemented its life-saving program to administer in-the-field units of whole blood. We dramatically improved the EMS revenue and billing system, clearing the EMS billing backlog and exceeding revenue projections by $9 million. We also advanced plans to expand our low acuity response programs (the Collaborative Care Communication Center (C4) program and the Paramedic Practitioner Programs to operate 24/7. This will allow us to respond more effectively and efficiently to calls from patients that do not require ambulance transport or an emergency room.
Equity, Opportunity, and Supporting Austin’s Workforce
In 2023 I found several creative ways to advance equity and opportunity in Austin.
Expanding Access to Childcare - After Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment enabling municipalities and counties to provide a property tax abatement for qualifying child care centers, Council approved my resolution making Austin the first city in Texas to ensure a 100% property tax abatement for eligible child care providers.
Pilot Program Supporting Small and Local Businesses - I worked with small business leaders, local chambers of commerce, and the city’s procurement office to revise our existing city contracting tools and launch a pilot Small Business Local Preference (SBLP) program. This program will create more economic opportunities for Austin businesses and their workers, while also keeping our tax dollars in our local economy.
Free Pool Entry - In August, to address the record heat, I worked with the Austin Parks and Recreation Department and Go Austin Vamos Austin to provide free admission at all city pools (with the exception of Barton Springs).
Disaster Preparedness and Climate Resilience
I continued my efforts to bolster Austin’s preparedness for extreme events, achieve our zero-waste goals, and plan for the future of our water supply.
Continuation of Household Hazardous Waste Pickup Program - In 2022, I worked with Austin Resource Recovery (ARR) on a pilot program to help those living north of the river to safely dispose of household hazardous waste and help meet Austin’s zero-waste goals. I am proud to say this program is continuing and I am pleased with the positive response and utilization of the pilot by my constituents. Thank you for supporting this important initiative! District 10 residents in the ARR service zone can schedule a home pickup for items like paint cans, lightbulbs, batteries, and more here.
Resilience of our Water Utility- In 2022, after another citywide boil water notice, I commissioned an audit of Austin Water’s emergency preparedness, climate resilience, and response to recent failures. The findings were released in early 2023, and implementation of the report recommendations is well underway. I am heartened by Austin Water’s response and commitment to improved emergency preparedness.
Important District 10 Projects
I would also like to highlight a few of the projects that I have long worked to bring to District 10.
Last year, we celebrated a number of parkland acquisitions and park openings and improvements. These included a land acquisition along Spicewood Springs which will complete the Bull Creek trail from the District Park to St. Edwards Park, and the dedication of a 34-acre wildlife preserve to my constituent and friend, Carol Lee. We also completed renovations at Emma Long Park and Tarrytown Neighborhood Park, and launched a renovation project at Bull Creek District Park.
We also opened a new HEB on Lake Austin, and completed renovations at the Dell Jewish Community Campus. As I previously mentioned, District 10 gained a joint Fire/EMS station at Davenport/360, with construction on another D10 station in Canyon Creek beginning this month. We also furthered several mobility projects in the district: upgrades in the 360/Courtyard area are concluding the design phase, and construction for improvements in the Westlake/360 area, along 183, and along Spicewood Springs are underway.
Looking Ahead in 2024
Our work this year will center around additional childcare investments, hiring our next City Manager, and ensuring that the public safety policies and resilience initiatives that I’ve championed are fully implemented.
Thank you to the constituents, colleagues, and City staff who collaborated with my office in 2023. I am honored to serve as the District 10 Council Member.
In the remainder of this letter, you will find information on an emergency preparedness pop-up and office hours next week, updates on maintenance at Deep Eddy pool, cold weather safety tips, and more.
I wish you a wonderful start to the new year.
Regards,
