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As the Austin Monitor reported yesterday, Mayor Steve Adler believes he may have found a way out of the transportation network company conflict that has preoccupied City Hall for several months running. With the clock ticking on a potential election, however, he is going to need to win the support of at least five of his City Council colleagues by Thursday. Whether that is in the cards may become apparent during today’s work session, but at least one voice has already weighed in against the new plan. On Monday, Council Member (and Mobility Committee Chair) Ann Kitchen posted her opinion on the City Council Message Board. She explained that she could not support the new plan. Kitchen wrote, “I do not support the proposed MOU as written, in particular Paragraph 4.1, because the provision essentially negates the purpose of the Thumbs Up Program and prohibits the City from using the most significant tools for recognizing and encouraging drivers who voluntarily choose to obtain fingerprint based background checks. Preferred areas must be ‘either the same or separate and equal in location and hours’. Also areas are assigned by ‘public blind draw’ between fingerprinted and nonfingerprinted drivers.”