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Quote of the Day
“Looking at the progress from 2024, things are pretty much on track and we are not going to run into this kind of a situation again. For the pilot year, we are talking about a 15 to 20 percent delinquent status at this point and it doesn’t seem like a very significant number to me, even though 60 does seem like a pretty high number… I also appreciate that we are acknowledging that this is a community that is very new to grants, unlike folks on the art side and that we are offering grace and your support.”
— Commission Chair Nagavalli Medicharla, from Live Music Fund reforms see improved compliance among local musicians
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Live Music Fund reforms see improved compliance among local musicians
From Chad Swiatecki:
Of the 136 grants awarded for FY24, 135 recipients signed agreements, and all but two completed orientation and financial documentation. As of early July, more than 60 percent had received a second payment, and about 25 percent had already submitted final reports, even though the current cycle allows for a two-year completion window. Staff said the shift away from rigid project requirements and toward more flexible funding criteria has helped musicians stay on track.
During Monday’s meeting, representatives from the Office of Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment (ACME) outlined several contributing factors to the compliance issues in the pilot year. Among them were problems with a city-developed online portal that eventually had to be abandoned mid-program, a lack of grant experience among recipients and personal or logistical challenges that complicated reporting. Additionally, staff said the grant structure, which required applicants to deliver a narrowly defined project, proved incompatible with the unpredictable nature of the live music industry.
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Broadnax, Watson stand by fire chief
City Manager T.C. Broadnax and Mayor Kirk Watson both said Tuesday they are standing by Fire Chief Joel Baker despite a call by Austin Firefighters Association leader Bob Nicks for Baker’s dismissal. Nicks said Baker issued a standing order on June 6 preventing deployment of Austin firefighters to assist anyone outside of Austin and Nicks said he intends to hold a vote among firefighters to support his contention that Baker should be fired. That order prevented Austin firefighters from answering a call from Kerr County on July 3, Nicks said. Nicks said he texted the chief on several occasions as the flooding worsened but never heard back from him on allowing deployment.
On Tuesday, Broadnax put out a statement that said in part, “It is disappointing that the Firefighters Association would make these allegations and consider such a vote, especially while these communities continue to grieve and recover. It’s even more disheartening how quickly the Association’s claims spread because so many people are ready to place blame.” He cited AFD’s long history of helping people in neighboring communities. Watson reportedly told the Austin American-Statesman that he was disappointed in Nicks. He also “accused Nicks of ‘politicizing’ the flood as the city prepares to enter negotiations with the association over a new labor contract.” Council will be facing an extremely tight budget in the coming days and the city had hoped to receive funds from the state for work firefighters had already done in other communities before October 1, the start of the next fiscal year.
— Jo Clifton
City works to address continued mail theft
A 2024 City Council resolution aimed at mail theft got an update from Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis, who responded to direction that city staff “meet with community stakeholders to research the cause, local impact, and possible mitigation of mail theft and associated crimes; to create a mail theft awareness and prevention campaign; and to work with federal partners to take steps that will help promote secure postal delivery.” with a memo to Council.
The memo notes that mail theft increased almost 30 percent from 2022 to 2023 and remains a “widespread” issue in the community. In response to the resolution, APD District Representatives and Patrol Commanders have met with the community to discuss safety concerns and help “develop tailored response plans which may include directed patrols and security site assessments. APD District Representatives perform security site assessments to make specific recommendations for improved security at a location, such as additional lighting, camera installation, and changes to landscaping to help prevent crime from occurring.”
In addition, APD staff will be working with the city’s public information professionals to develop social media campaigns about mail theft precautions, reporting mail theft crime and how to request a security assessment from the police. “To further advocate for secure postal delivery and a decrease in the number of mail theft cases, APD staff will work with the City Intergovernmental Relations Office (IGRO) to push for legislative and process changes from the United States Postal Service,” the memo adds.
‘Tis the season
Budget season is upon us once again, with the official release of city staff’s proposed to be available online this Friday, July 11. After that, Council will get their crack at the proposed budget July 15, with Council budget work sessions July 23, 29, 31 and August 5 and 7. Community input and public hearings will also be held on July 23 and July 31. City Council is scheduled to adopt the budget and tax rate as early as August 13 and as late as August 15. More information on the timeline can be found on the City Council Message Board, where Mayor Kirk Watson outlined the process here.
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ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS
KUT has a comprehensive collection of the devastation wrought by the Central Texas floods, including stories about those killed in the Austin area and ongoing public health concerns.
Other local news outlets also continue to focus on the aftermath and cleanup of the widespread flooding and can be found where you might expect. Here’s the Texas Tribune resource on how to help, which continues to be updated.
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