Garcia announcement brings out

Diverse members of community

Public safety is first priority among many

Former City Council Member Gus Garcia officially launched his campaign to become Austin’s next Mayor on Monday after delaying his original announcement, which had been scheduled for September 11th. Garcia was flanked by some of the major figures in Austin’s political scene like Mayor Pro Tem Jackie Goodman, Travis County Democratic Party Chair Scott Ozmun, environmentalist Robin Rather, president of the Republican Club of Austin Robert Kleeman and neighborhood activist Jim Walker. Also attending were Shankar Reddy, chair of the Austin Asian Network, Daryl Pierce, representing both the Capital City Chamber of Commerce and the NAACP, a number of prominent Austin attorneys and representatives of both fire and police political organizations. Goodman told In Fact Daily she was not attending the announcement in her official capacity, but as a longtime friend of Garcia’s.

Garcia covered all the political bases during his announcement speech, setting public safety as his first priority. “Whether it’s protecting our citizens and the city’s infrastructure or reducing crime, we have to make sure Austin is up to the challenge. I will direct my energy to see that our preparations are at the highest level. Our citizens have a right to feel safe in our community,” Garcia said. But he also touched on transportation, the environment, the economy, housing affordability and education. Although the mayor’s office does not have control over the AISD, Garcia pledged to “use the influence . . . we’re not going to call it the ‘bully pulpit’, just the influence . . . of the Mayor’s office to energize our citizens to work for real education reform.” Garcia served on the AISD school board and was also a founding member of the Austin Community College Board.

While Garcia’s speech included the broad areas that would be his priorities, it also contained some specific proposals and programs he plans to support. Garcia called for buying land and building a “destination park” in East Austin. As part of the 1998 bond package, voters approved up to $27.5 million for parkland on the East side. Garcia also called for the creation of a “transportation specialist” position to deal with traffic problems cause by construction. “Long-term planning is necessary,” Garcia said. “But we must also address traffic congestion today, and I am committing to see that this happens.” Other specific transportation projects mentioned included SH-130 and the extension of Highway 290 in Oak Hill.

Garcia also pledged to help local businesses deal with the impact of the changing economy. “My focus will be on seeing what our city can do to assist small businesses, which are the major job generators in our community,” Garcia said. While he did not specifically address incentives for larger companies like AMD or assistance for high-tech firm dealing with layoffs, he did indicate an interest in long-term economic planning. “I am also going to work with business leaders, large and small, to develop initiatives to protect the future of our region’s economy,” Garcia said.

Austin’s economy could make it difficult for Garcia to successfully balance his diverse priorities. If elected, he would be coming into office with the city’s budget and tax rate for the 2001-2002 fiscal year already in place. The City Manager’s office is already looking at the budget for 2002-2003 with a special focus on the slowing growth and possible decline in sales tax revenue. But in light of the events of September 11th, Garcia told reporters after his speech some budget priorities could be reevaluated. “Fire, police, EMS may have to be realigned as far as expenses . . . we may have to allocate some more resources,” Garcia said. “At this juncture, I don’t know.” Water customers, Garcia suggested, could fund part of the increased security for the city’s water supply. “It may mean a higher water rate. The Water and Wastewater Department is an enterprise fund,” so such expenses would be borne by that department.

Garcia predicted that his years of public service, experience as a CPA and lessons learned growing up during World War II would prove valuable. “Some people have asked me ‘do you want the job at this time?’ I think I’m particularly well prepared for that . . . I think that working with the Council, with the city manager, we can ensure that the basic services get to the people of this community.”

Other candidates who have filed for Mayor are: Jennifer Gale, Allen Phillips, Dean Zegub and Leslie Cochran. The filing deadline is one week from today, Oct. 9. Absentee voting begins Oct. 22.

Politics dictates more work

For city commissions, staff

Boards will be briefed on criteria for land sales

With some environmental critics questioning even the smallest actions of the City Council—such as selling Proposition 2 land with conservation easements in order to fund other purchases of sensitive land—the Council decided Thursday afternoon to advise various commissions on the criteria staff uses to select land for sale. The action came on a motion to reconsider Thursday morning’s vote authorizing the staff to arrange, but not complete the land sales.

On a motion by Mayor Pro Tem Jackie Goodman, the Council voted once again to authorize city staff to advertise three tracts of land for sealed bid offers and negotiate final offers. The tracts are known as McClure at 11218 Fitzhugh Road (182.9 acres), Bending Oaks at 10301 Hwy. 290 West (361.9 acres), and Paschall at 8517 Young Lane (143.4 acres). Proceeds from the sale will be deposited in the Water and Wastewater utility’s operating fund to repay a loan made for purchase of other land, such as Rutherford Ranch.

Council Member Daryl Slusher, who may face an opponent from the Save Our Springs Alliance (SOSA) in next year’s election, said, “I want to point out from the very start of the Prop. 2 program, the City Council and people in the environmental community were talking about and recommending that once we bought properties, we could sell some of the least environmentally sensitive parts and put conservation easements on them, so people could put a house on it, for real low intensity development. That would prevent any more development than that. Then we could take the money to buy more land because, as we know, our funds are very limited.”

Mayor Kirk Watson added, “In some instances, in order to be able to purchase land that many of us and many in the environmental community wanted us to purchase, we have used different funding mechanisms and they require us to pay them back. For example, in purchasing a piece of property where it was almost unanimous that people wanted us to buy—the Rutherford tract—we borrowed money . . . from the Water and Wastewater utility. And (that sort of funding) was specifically talked about back during the (Prop. 2) election.”

Staff was directed to explain to the Parks and Recreation Board, the Environmental Board, the Zoning and Platting Commission and the Planning Commission the standards that were used regarding watershed protection, public access and other conditions that were considered for proposal for sale. Goodman told In Fact Daily that staff would also brief the Water and Wastewater Commission on the same points.

Bill Bunch, executive director of SOSA, sent out an email alert to members Thursday morning, asking them to send emails to the City Council. A sample letter begins, “Please do not vote to authorize the City Manager to sell any Barton Springs watershed protection lands until such time as the Environmental Board, the Planning Commission, and the public have had ample opportunity to provide input into how, when, and under what conditions such land sales should be authorized.”

2001 In Fact News, Inc. All rights reserved.

Fireside chats for Austin? . . Mayoral candidate Gus Garcia referenced Franklin Delano Roosevelt during his campaign announcement on Monday, and could wind up emulating FDR’s “fireside chats.” Garcia told reporters he would consider a weekly radio address, or “Saturday morning chats,” as a means of communicating with the public. He also suggested attending neighborhood meetings with representatives from the City Manager’s Office and various departments as frequently as twice a month . . . Free yoga begins Wednesday . . . The Downtown Austin Alliance and Yoga Yoga are offering a free yoga class weekly, beginning at 7am tomorrow in Republic Square Park. So if you’re an early bird who needs to get stretched out first thing, you can try it out this morning . . . Notable rabble-rousers plan festival . . . Authors Molly Ivins, Kinky Friedman and Jim Hightower will be hosting a benefit for their favorite rag, the Texas Observer, Sunday from 7-11pm at La Zona Rosa. Marcia Ball, James McMurtry and others will provide musical entertainment for the First Annual Rabble-Rouser Roundup & Fat Cat Schmoozefest. For information on tickets and the pre-show reception, call Susan Morris at 477-0746 . . . Hefty Fine proposed . . . The Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission proposes to fine the City of Buda$56,000 for polluting creeks and failing to comply with regulations for operating a wastewater disposal operation. Patrick Crimmins, TNRCC spokesman, agreed that it was a very high fine given the size of the offending city. Buda city bookkeeper Suzie Bishop said her office received notice of the proposed penalty on Monday, the first day of FY 2001-2002. The total city budget for the coming year is $3,988,270. So the fine could put a dent in a very small budget. Crimmins said Buda will have twenty days to present its version of events “and that will start a negotiating process.” Such cases often end with an agreed order, but it is too soon to tell what will happen in this case.