Dear Neighbors,
June is Gun Violence Awareness Month, an annual opportunity for us to re-examine how we can work together to address this public health epidemic.
No one should have to fear for their life or their loved ones as they attend school, pray in their congregation, shop at the supermarket, attend a movie theater, or otherwise go about their daily routines. Even as we mourn after mass shootings, we must recognize that many victims of gun violence don’t make the national news. The scourge of gun violence appears in the form of a suicide, a domestic dispute, an individual murder, or an accidental shooting of, or by, a child with access to an improperly stored gun. Each of these threats require tailored solutions, but together we can work to end the violence.
As a council member, I’ve long championed violence prevention strategies. I was proud to create Austin’s Gun Violence Task Force and the Office of Violence Prevention, and to support developing a Trauma Recovery Center. I’ve also worked with the County to develop policies to remove guns from perpetrators of domestic violence, and last year, I helped organize the first Austin-Travis County Gun Violence Summit.
While I am disappointed by our state government’s refusal to take meaningful action to prevent gun violence this session, I am proud of what we have achieved together at a local level. Over the past year, Austin’s violence-prevention ecosystem has continued to grow, and to form new partnerships. This month, the City, the County, and our non-profit partners came together for a second time to present updates. I share some highlights below.
City of Austin and Community Partners The Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) is working with the University of Texas and the Institute for Criminal Justice Reform to profile occurrences and risk of violence in Austin. The OVP has successfully leveraged grants and federal funds to develop firearm surrender protocols, and is currently working on the following initiatives: A partnership with Lock Arms for Life to provide free gun locks and information on safe gun storage A collaboration with Jail to Jobs and Life Anew to implement the Neighborhood Peace Project, which funds community outreach to support residents at-risk of violence A partnership with three local non-profits to invest in the health, connections, and skills of youth in higher-crime areas of Austin An education campaign focused on addressing stress before it escalates to violence
Travis County In 2022, County leaders passed the Safer Travis County resolution. The resolution supports a Prosecutor-Led Violence Intervention Program, which will redirect people accused of gun violence to support services, and a Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program, which will provide both medical care and mentorship to victims of gun violence.
Federal Legislation I also am pleased that our work at a local level is operating alongside bipartisan federal legislation, including the passage of a federal bill to close the so-called “boyfriend loophole,” incentives for states to pass “red-flag laws,” expansion of background checks, and several important federal investments in violence prevention programs. Additionally, in June of 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration launched their Comprehensive Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gun Crime and Ensure Public Safety. This plan includes the City of Austin as one of 15 jurisdictions participating in a Community Violence Intervention program to invest in violence-prevention infrastructure.
I believe gun violence is a problem we can solve. We don’t have to live like this. Our children don’t have to live like this. Each of us has a part to play in preventing and interrupting violence in our community, and I invite you to join in whatever way you are able.
I wish you and your family a safe summer. In the remainder of this letter, you will find information on my summer town hall on July 27 and office hours on July 25, updates from the June 8th Council meeting, and more.
Regards,
| | Alison Alter Council Member, District 10 | | | On June 8, I delivered a proclamation to kick off the second annual Austin/Travis County Gun Violence Summit. | | Budget Town Hall, City Department Meet-and-Greet, and Summer Office Hours
Council Recap
Featured District 10 Greenspace: Celebrate Pride at Pease Park!
Council Member Alter in the Community
City Services Updates Changes in Leadership Summer Pool Openings and Hours Austin Animal Center: New Adoption Matching Pilot Update on Citywide Smart Water Meter Installation
Announcements
Safety Tips and Updates | | | | Save the date! I’m hosting a Budget Town Hall at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 27 in Huffman Hall at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church (8134 Mesa Dr.). I’ve invited several City departments to provide resources at the town hall and to be available to answer specific questions you may have about City services. The town hall will include a virtual attendance option–more details to come in my July newsletter.
I also will be holding office hours from 12:30-1:30 on Tuesday, July 25 at 5280 Burger Bar (7032 Wood Hollow Dr.). I’ll be in the meeting room behind the sliding glass doors to the right of the host stand.
| | | | Approval of Phase 1 of Austin Light Rail Implementation On June 6th, the Council, the Austin Transit Partnership Board of Directors, and the CapMetro Board of Directors took important steps forward for our Austin Light Rail implementation and approved the staff recommendation for the first phase of the proposed light rail system path. You can watch the meeting here and view the plan here.
Vision Zero Update The city recently released its two-year update on Vision Zero, a strategy to reduce traffic injuries and fatalities through street improvements, policy, and education. The update provides a recap of the safety initiatives for 2021 and 2022. Highlights include the following from the Transportation & Public Works Department:
Completing 7 major intersection safety projects and initiating construction, design, or scoping on another 25 intersections. Installing low-cost, high-impact systemic projects at more than 40 locations. Completing rapid response safety interventions at 34 locations with recent traffic fatalities. Lowering speed limits on nearly 50 arterial streets and hundreds of residential streets. Leveraging local community bond dollars to secure over $27 million in federal funds for rapidly increasing the scale and scope of our work.
You can view the full report here to see how data, evaluation, and safe design all play into improving Austin’s road safety. While Vision Zero includes promoting safe behaviors and safety culture, the update also explains how and why focusing on redesigning streets to lower safety risks continues to be the most effective tool for improving safety.
June 8 Council Meeting - a few items of note:
Senior Homestead Exemption: We increased the tax exemption for homesteads of individuals 65 years of age or older and persons with disabilities to $124,000, an $11,000 increase. In the face of rising property values, this is a critical step that we can take to ensure that seniors and those with disabilities in our community can age in place and remain in their homes.
Fire Code Amendments: Last week, the City of Austin followed the precedent set by other surrounding communities and initiated amendments to provide minimum fire safety standards for facilities that house or hold animals on a 24-hour basis. I was pleased to co-sponsor this action (sponsored by CM Vela), which will help ensure the safety and welfare of animals as they wait to return to their homes.
Citywide Compatibility Changes: The majority of Council voted to initiate changes to compatibility requirements citywide. I voted against this change. The vote was 8-2-1 with Council Member Kelly joining me in opposition. With some exceptions for major transit corridors, our current compatibility regulations limit how high a building can be in proximity to single-family homes. Last week’s action is the first step to change that regulation.
I spoke against the proposed change and offered three separate amendments, two of which were voted down by my colleagues. One of those would have required an affordable housing contribution to access the new entitlements and the other would have excluded commercial properties which do not include new housing - including parking garages and storage facilities - from benefiting from these changes.
City staff will now draft the ordinance changes and conduct public hearings. We anticipate a Council vote to be held towards the end of the year. I believe the proposal is the wrong approach for our community and I do not support it. You can read the documents and watch the video discussion about the proposed change here.
Electric Vehicle Charging: I sponsored a resolution to make it easier to permit electric vehicle charging as a stand-alone business. By making a code that reflects the needs of new technologies, we can support new business models and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. | | | | | | | | Celebrating 20 Years of Impact Austin As a longtime member, I had the pleasure of offering a proclamation declaring June 5 as Impact Austin Day. Over the past 20 years, Impact Austin has empowered women to transform communities through philanthropy. To date, Impact Austin’s investment in Central Texas exceeds $8.4 million in grants! Congratulations on 20 years, and thank you for everything you do for ATX! | | | Congratulations to Jim Eno of Spoon Last week, we celebrated my constituent and the beloved drummer for the band Spoon, Jim Eno, with a proclamation at Antone’s. Jim, thank you for everything you have contributed to Austin’s music scene, and best wishes on your next adventure in the northeast. | | | | | | | Changes in Leadership Last week, Interim City Manager Jesús Garza announced several City leadership appointments, including Bob Kahn as Austin Energy’s next General Manager, Ken Snipes as Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, José Roig as Director of the Development Services Department, Michele Middlebrook-Gonzalez in the new position of Chief Strategic Communications & External Relations Officer, and the special assignment of David Gray, Assistant Director in the Economic Development Department, to a project focused on addressing homelessness. | | | Summer Pool Openings and Hours Thanks to our efforts to raise the living wage to $20, streamline the application process, and support recruitment, I am pleased to report that all pools located in (or adjacent) to District 10 are open for the summer, including:
Canyon Vista Deep Eddy Murchison Ramsey Reed Westenfield
Find the full summer pool schedule at austintexas.gov/pools.
| | | Austin Animal Center: New Adoption Matching Pilot Austin Animal Center is introducing the Meet My Match Program! On Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 11 to 3, the Austin Animal Center will be open by appointment only, and staff will offer individualized online and in-person services to improve the adopter process and experience. Through Meet My Match, interested adopters can schedule an appointment at bit.ly/aacmatch. | | | Update on Citywide Smart Water Meter Installation Austin Water recently marked the halfway point for the citywide installation of smart water meters through the My ATX Water program. As of last month, District 10 had 12,969 smart meters installed out of the district's total meter population of 26,388. You can check to see if your smart meter has been scheduled for installation using this map. The My ATX Water program also includes a customer portal that provides up-to-date water usage metrics and leak alerts. Sign up using your Austin Water utility account number and click here. | | | | | Happy Juneteenth! City offices will be closed on Monday, June 19th in observation of the Juneteenth holiday. This Saturday, The Greater East Austin Youth Association (GEAYA), in co-sponsorship with the City, is holding the Central Texas Juneteenth Parade and Festival from 9:30 am to 9 pm. The parade begins at MLK and Salina St. and ends with a day of activities at Rosewood and Boggy Creek Park. Learn more at juneteenthcentraltexas.com. | | | Grow Your Business or Sharpen Your Skills with Workforce Solutions Workforce Solutions Capital Area (WFS) offers tailored solutions at various levels of support to assist you with labor market insights, talent pipeline development, and earn-and-learn. Ultimately, WFS connects local people to the most in-demand industries with quality jobs. By understanding where local employers see the greatest need for talent, WFS is helping focus our community’s workforce development efforts to build the talent pool while addressing affordability and equity concerns through immediate economic advancement opportunities. Learn more at wfscapitalarea.com. | | | | | Free Firearm Locks and Safe Storage Tips with Lock Arms for Life As we mark Gun Violence Awareness Month, Lock Arms for Life is reminding Austinites that firearm-related accidents tend to increase during the summer. They are offering free firearm locks and tips for firearm storage and family conversations around gun safety at lockarmsforlife.org. | | | Update on Harmful Algal Blooms The City will apply lanthanum-modified clay on parts of Lady Bird Lake to help prevent the growth of harmful algae. The next applications are planned for July and August. It will look like a barge is spraying a gray slurry into the lake. The substance is safe for humans, the environment and wildlife, and will settle to the bottom in a few hours.
Avoid contact with algae, do not drink water directly from the lake, and rinse off after contact with the water. Do not allow dogs to lick their fur prior to rinsing. Note that swimming is prohibited in Lady Bird Lake. If a person has sudden, unexplained symptoms after swimming, contact the Texas Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222. For a pet, they should contact their veterinarian. Please also let the City know by completing the reporting form, found at austintexas.gov/algae.
| | | Heat Safety Tips With 100-degree temperatures upon us, City of Austin facilities, including rec centers and libraries, are available as cooling centers during business hours. Austin Homeland Security and Emergency Management is also sharing the following heat safety tips:
Drinking water throughout the day can prevent a heat-related illness. If your pet is outdoors with you, bring water for them as well. Always check the backseat of your vehicle for children, pets and adults before locking your vehicle. If you see someone locked in a hot car, call 911 immediately. Wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing, and reapply sunscreen throughout your time outdoors.
Learn to identify and treat heat-related illnesses at readycentraltexas.org. |
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