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Whispers
Friday, August 9, 2019 by Tai Moses
82 AISD schools will give kids free breakfast and lunch
For the 2019-20 school year, the Austin school district is bumping up the number of schools participating in the national school lunch and breakfast program from 43 to 82 campuses. The free meals are given at no cost to qualifying students. All families at the participating schools will be encouraged to complete a meal benefits application to determine if their kids are eligible for the program. “By providing complimentary breakfast and lunch to all students at eligible schools, we are ensuring that every child has the opportunity to come to class well-nourished and ready to learn,” AISD Food Services and Warehouse Operations Executive Director Anneliese Tanner said in a press release. More information about the meals program can be found here.
Thursday, August 8, 2019 by Chad Swiatecki
PACs duel over convention center expansion
PHAM PAC, the political action committee formed in opposition to the Proposal B ballot measure that seeks to place limits on an expansion of the Austin Convention Center, will hold a launch press conference today at 9 a.m. at City Hall Plaza on West Second Street. Members of the local music and arts communities, supporters of programs to reduce homelessness and representatives of the Save Palm School Coalition are scheduled to make appearances. City Council is expected to consider an ordinance at today’s meeting which, if enacted, would force a public vote at the November general election for all improvements to the convention center costing more than $20 million. Council is not expected to adopt the ordinance, which is the product of a successful petition drive by the Unconventional Austin PAC.
Thursday, August 8, 2019 by Tai Moses
2018 housing bond to fund construction of 300 affordable homes
Austin City Council is set to vote Thursday on funding the construction of several hundred new affordable homes, courtesy of the $250 million from the 2018 affordable housing bond. Today’s vote will be the first instance the bond funding will be used to build brand-new homes. The homes will be in areas around the city that have experienced gentrification as well as high-opportunity areas that currently have little affordable housing available. A news release about the vote says about 300 of the homes will be reserved for families making less than half the income of the average Austin household, and 50 of those will be earmarked for families earning less than 30 percent of the income of the average Austin household. “Over 140 of the affordable homes will be for those with disabilities, those experiencing homelessness, or those with other critical needs that require supportive housing,” Council Member Greg Casar, who chairs the city’s Housing and Planning Committee, said in the news release. “Austinites have demanded that we fight gentrification. They’ve demanded that we get off the list of most segregated cities. They want change. Using the affordable housing bond, the City Council can begin to make that change.” The new bond will fund affordable housing four times a year. Of the 18 applications that were competing for funding, eight are being funded by the city this quarter.
Thursday, August 8, 2019 by Jack Craver
County commissioners hope to stop hotel tax increase
Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt and the other four members of the Commissioners Court will be at City Hall today in the hopes of discouraging Council from approving a 2 percent increase in the Hotel Occupancy Tax. If Council approves the increase in order to fund an expansion of the convention center, total hotel taxes will reach 17 percent, the maximum allowed under state law. That would prevent the county from pursuing plans to build a new expo center in eastern Travis County by levying a separate 2 percent hotel tax (called a venue tax). Unfortunately for the county, the state’s complex law on hotel taxes allows Council to implement its tax immediately, while the county can only do so with voter approval. In a statement Wednesday, Eckhardt expressed hope that Council members will at least debate the issue before approving it. “All of us on the Commissioners Court have reached out to Council members on the Expo Center, Hotel Occupancy Tax, Palm School and various other possibilities that would serve our mutual interests without much success to date. Meeting the City Council in its voting session is our next best opportunity,” she said.
Thursday, August 8, 2019 by Elizabeth Pagano
City officials urge continued caution over algae, close Red Bud Isle
City officials continued to urge caution Wednesday, warning dog owners away from Lady Bird Lake as they await tests to determine whether algae blooms in the lake are producing neurotoxins. Assistant City Manager Rey Arellano told reporters gathered at an afternoon press conference that the city had taken the precaution of closing Red Bud Isle – a popular dog park surrounded by water now filled with algae – until tests sent to the University of Texas at Corpus Christi come back. Preliminary results of those tests are expected Friday, and the full results, which were performed both upstream and downstream of the blooms, are expected Monday. In the meantime, Arellano advised the Austin public to keep their pets clear of the lake. At the press conference, a representative from Austin Public Health said that they had not seen any illness reported in humans related to the algae, but officials reminded those in attendance that swimming is not allowed in the lake.
Thursday, August 8, 2019 by Jo Clifton
Austin Water loses assistant director
City employees who knew Chris Chen, the assistant director of engineering services at Austin Water, are mourning his sudden loss. Chen died on Tuesday as a result of a fall this past weekend. Austin Water released a statement Wednesday saying that Chen was surrounded by his wife Amy, his sons Justin and Bryan, and other loved ones during his last moments. Chen joined the water utility in June 2013 after a successful career with a national consulting firm. In addition to his many duties at Austin Water, he served as a volunteer with the city’s Mentor and Tutor Program and was active in the city’s Combined Charities Campaigns and the Asian American Employee Network. Austin Water Director Greg Meszaros said in a written statement, “Chris was an inspiration to work with and embraced Austin Water in every way possible. He especially excelled at mentoring staff and reaching to achieve excellence. Chris had a kind and genuine spirit. We will strive to work on in his memory and spirit.”
Wednesday, August 7, 2019 by Jessi Devenyns
Amid controversy, city hires new animal services officer
After animal advocates called for a reevaluation of the hiring process for the new animal services officer last week, a Facebook post from Don Bland’s personal account surfaced yesterday with the news that the city had hired him. A spokesman for the city confirmed that Bland has been selected to fill the position. Bland, who was previously the executive director of the Humane Society of Central Texas, was one of two candidates in the running to replace Kimberly McNeeley, who has been serving as interim chief animal services officer since Lee Ann Shenefiel left in January. Larry Tucker, who in conjunction with Austin Pets Alive! president Ellen Jefferson took the lead on calling for the redo of the hiring process, told the Austin Monitor now that the official decision has been made, “We are more than willing to roll up our sleeves and help Don Bland in any way possible.” Bland could not be reached for comment.
Wednesday, August 7, 2019 by Elizabeth Pagano
Lucas officially director of Development Services
In what has proved to be a busy week for hiring top City Hall brass, Assistant City Manager Rodney Gonzales has appointed Denise Lucas director of the Development Services Department, making her current position permanent. Before serving as interim director of the department, Lucas held a number of roles with the city, including deputy purchasing officer and deputy chief information officer. According to a press release about the appointment, “Denise holds a Master of Business Administration degree in Business Management from St. Edwards University, Austin, TX, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resources Management from Friends University, Wichita, Kansas. She is a mentor for the International City/County Management Association and a member of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators.”
Wednesday, August 7, 2019 by Jo Clifton
New voting machines provide paper trail
Travis County voters will have a chance this November to use a brand-new voting machine that creates a paper record – which county voters have been seeking for “a very long time,” Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir told Council at Tuesday’s work session. Not only did she discuss the machine, she brought several with her so that anyone at City Hall, including an Austin Monitor reporter, could take it for a spin. It was easy to use and staff members from DeBeauvoir’s office were standing by to explain each step of the process. One staffer, Drew Dillard, explained, “This is not a computer. It doesn’t have a hard drive. It will not remember what you did. So everything that you did will only be on the written ballot.” So obviously, it’s very important that the written ballot reflect what the voter intends. You put your paper ballot into the slot and choose your candidate for each race. When you’re done, you push the button to print the ballot and the machine spits it out. If you change your mind about any of your selections, you can give your ballot to the official in charge of ballots and get a new one. Once you verify the ballot, you put it into the ballot box, which creates an electronic record and keeps the paper copy in case it’s needed later. DeBeauvoir told Council, “We keep the paper, we use the electronic copy to make fast and accurate results available on election night.” She said her office will be using what are called “risk limiting audits,” which confirm the accuracy of the election. She said this type of audit will not require a candidate with standing to request it. “On the authority of the elections administrator you can use the risk limiting audit … without the burden placed on the losing candidate,” or the expense. At least 46 other counties in Texas will be using these new machines this year.
Wednesday, August 7, 2019 by Tai Moses
As summer temps climb, county issues burn ban
Citing an “increased risk in fire potential,” the Commissioners Court has voted to issue a burn ban for the unincorporated areas of Travis County. The burn ban will be in effect until Wednesday, Sept. 11, unless the court or the fire marshal elect to lift it. “With moisture levels steadily dropping and not forecasted to rebound in the near future, this burn ban is necessary to ensure public safety,” Travis County Chief Fire Marshal Tony Callaway said in a county news release. Official prescribed burns are not subject to the burn ban, nor are “outdoor welding, cutting or grinding operations and outdoor hot works operations conducted in accordance with the guidelines established by the Travis County Fire Marshal’s Office.” Campfires are not permitted while the ban is in effect; however, barbecuing in county parks and parks managed by the county is allowed, “as long as the fire is within a closable container or a container with a lid.” Officials recommend having water nearby in case of a fire. Read a FAQ about the burn ban or sign up for text messages sent when the status of the ban changes.
Tuesday, August 6, 2019 by Elizabeth Pagano
Council doesn’t adopt convention center petition
In a remarkably brief meeting Monday, Austin City Council opted not to adopt the convention center petition. Council had the choice of adopting the petition, as written, as part of city code or sending the matter to an election to be decided by voters. With no discussion but a brief clarification on the vote, Council unanimously decided against the first action by not taking any action on the item.
Tuesday, August 6, 2019 by Tai Moses
City names new homelessness czar
After an exhaustive search “to find the right candidate who not only has extensive experience in working with programs and organizations to help the homeless, but also a drive to work with city leaders to coordinate the city’s homeless response activities with multiple departments and community organizations,” City Manager Spencer Cronk has named Lori Pampilo Harris as the city’s new Homeless Strategy Officer. Harris replaces Veronica Briseño, who has temporarily filled the role since March. Harris, who starts her new role Sept. 9, has a wide-ranging background working on homelessness issues from many angles. Her most recent position was as senior adviser on homelessness and social services for the city of Orlando, where she reduced homelessness by 23.6 percent in one year, according to Cronk’s news release about the hire. Prior to that, she worked for Habitat for Humanity International, holding various leadership roles for nearly 14 years, including spending four years in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. “I am honored to serve the city of Austin, with homelessness being its top priority,” Harris said in the release. “Creating a comprehensive plan in which the public, private, philanthropic and local homeless providers are working together to achieve transformational results is critical. The city of Austin is willing to take a fresh look, with hopeful eyes, at one of our most intractable issues, homelessness. We want the discussions and strategy to be about ending homelessness for our most vulnerable community members, not just coping with homelessness.”