Consultant helps revive ‘agent of change’ ordinance

The city has hired Jocelyn Kane, the former executive director of San Francisco’s entertainment commission, as a consultant to help revive the stalled process of creating and passing the so-called “agent of change” ordinance. Kane, who helped lead efforts to smooth over noise complaint disputes between residents and entertainment venues in her city, helped facilitate Wednesday’s community feedback session at Doris Miller Auditorium. That gathering is one of several that will help shape the ordinance that is expected to create expectations and possibly some legal requirements for either venues or residential buildings that open in proximity to each other. Kane will stay on as a consultant and will occasionally return to Austin early next year when the Music and Entertainment Division delivers its report and recommendations to City Council about how the ordinance should be structured. At Monday’s meeting of the Music Commission, Division Manager Erica Shamaly said Kane will bring credibility and experience to the process, which stalled in mid-2017 over disagreements between local hoteliers, venue operators and neighborhood groups over how to regulate the noise and quality-of-life issues.