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Whispers
Monday, April 8, 2019 by Jessi Devenyns
Sexual assault exams on the rise in Austin
Non-report evidence collection for sexual assaults is up. But that’s a good thing, Jenny Black, the director of forensic nursing at SAFE Alliance’s Eloise House, told the Public Safety Commission at its April 1 meeting. “I think it’s important that we have strong numbers of non-reports,” said Black, explaining that having collected evidence allows victims time to make a decision on whether or not they want to press charges at a later date. According to her, the average time an evidence kit sits on a shelf before an assault is reported to law enforcement is 9.5 weeks. Due to the traumatic nature of sexual assault, under-reporting of the crime is rampant. Data shows that in Texas, only about 9 percent of sexual assault victims report their assaults to police, and an even smaller percentage (3.5 percent) ever see a sexual assault nurse. At Eloise House, the numbers are higher, and those who see a nurse but don’t report has risen from 8 percent of patients in 2015 to 22 percent last year. While no one wants to see more patients that would help increase those numbers, Black noted that she is hopeful the numbers will continue to rise in order to give more survivors a path to justice when they are ready to pursue it.
Monday, April 8, 2019 by Jessi Devenyns
Austin’s changing demographics cause for concern in the Barton Springs Zone
It’s no secret that Austin’s population is exploding, and forecasts that the city’s population will expand to 1 million by 2020 is a subject of concern for many. What is surprising about this boom is that it is actually nothing new. Since 1900, Austin’s population has doubled every 20 years, according to Environmental Commissioner Hank Smith and city demographer Ryan Robinson. Robinson came to the April 3 meeting of the Environmental Commission to give commissioners an overview of the changing demographics and the corresponding changes in the cityscape and its effect on the environment. In Austin proper, it turns out that growth is declining. However, that decrease in humanity is made up for by the meteoric growth in surrounding suburbs and counties, especially northern Hays County. Robinson said the sheer population growth in this area should have environmentalists and residents concerned about the preservation of water quality within the Barton Springs Zone. Commissioner Pam Thompson pointed out that water is of great concern in the Central Texas region, and that “it would be interesting to see water use and how that has been affected (by population growth).” While Robinson didn’t have any data on water usage, he did have data on housing – and prices are rising dramatically. The average median home price in 2000 was $144,500; by 2018, it had risen to $325,000. Robinson said the steep rise is a result of continued demand for high-end home stock and that the challenge for the city could require widening the definition of “home” to something other than a single-family house with a yard. Beyond that, he added, “To me, the ultimate fix is high-capacity transit.”
Friday, April 5, 2019 by Tai Moses
Bus or light rail? FTA wants your input
Interested in Austin’s transportation future? If so, this public meeting on the future Orange Line rapid transit corridor is your chance to help transportation authorities choose between light rail, bus rapid transit and autonomous rapid transit. The meeting is hosted by Capital Metro and the Federal Transit Administration and takes place Monday, April 8, 3-7 p.m. at Austin Central Library, 710 W. Cesar Chavez St. After hearing the proposals, you’ll be able to tell city, federal and agency leadership what you want to see on the 2020 ballot.
Friday, April 5, 2019 by Tai Moses
Find your dream job at city job expo
Looking for a new job or thinking of switching careers? Sometimes there really is a good reason to attend a job fair. The Austin Career Expo is hosted by the city in the interest of building a more vibrant – and gainfully employed – community. The expo features a wide range of local employers all hoping to attract talent; check out this impressive list of all the employers who have registered to attend the expo. The free event is on April 17, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Road. As the expo’s motto says, “Keep Austin hired!
Friday, April 5, 2019 by Jessi Devenyns
Wildland-Urban Interface Code under development a year past original adoption date
As Austin tops lists for U.S. cities at risk of wildfire damage, having a code that accounts for everything from managing vegetation to fire-safe requirements for new development is crucial. However, after Council provided a plan and a timeline for adoption in November 2016, the Austin Fire Department’s Wildland-Urban Interface Code has still not been implemented. Originally, the WUI was to be adopted in January 2018, but KXAN reported that as early as summer 2017 there were delays in its implementation. The timeline has continued to be pushed back, and in an update to the Public Safety Commission on April 1, the Austin Fire Department’s Wildfire Division gave a revised timeline that said, “Due to extensive engagement with key partners … a reasonable target for Council adoption would be early summer of this year, May or June, with actual implementation as early as January 2020.” However, implementation will be contingent on approval of program and personnel funding, neither of which were listed in the fire department’s preliminary 2020 budget.
Thursday, April 4, 2019 by Jessi Devenyns
City searches for consultant to review APD sexual assault cases
After Council mandated an independent review of police handling of sexual assault cases, the city manager’s office has been busy laying the groundwork to engage a consultant to examine sexual assaults reported to Austin police over the past seven years. Joe Silva from the city manager’s office came to the April 1 meeting of the Public Safety Commission to inform the commissioners that city management expects to have the engagement process finalized in the next couple of weeks. On April 8, the department will release the solicitation for consultant which will be available for a month before the application is closed and the procurement process begins. Silva said that they anticipate coming before Council in August with a proposed contract. To better participate in the procurement process, Chair Rebecca Webber initiated the formation of a working group that will comprise herself; Rebecca Gonzales, an expert in contract procurement and consulting; and Rebecca Bernhardt, a subject matter expert in sexual assault victim advocacy. Silva also cleared up the confusion surrounding the age of victims and when an assault should be classified as statutory rape or rape; the age limit is 17 years old.
Thursday, April 4, 2019 by Tai Moses
A civil rights history maker comes to Kealing
Dr. Terrence Roberts, one of the famed Little Rock Nine, will be speaking with Kealing Middle School seventh-graders today, Thursday, as part of the students’ Civil Rights and Social Justice Seminar. The Little Rock Nine was a group of African-American teens who became the first black students ever to attend classes at Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas in 1957. Roberts was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President Bill Clinton in 1999. Roberts will speak with two groups of students, at 9:30-11:30 a.m. and 1- 2:30 p.m. at Kealing Middle School, 1607 Pennsylvania Ave.
Thursday, April 4, 2019 by Elizabeth Pagano
Coming soon: State of the City
Mayor Steve Adler will deliver this year’s State of the City at a familiar venue: Austin City Hall. Adler will deliver his speech on Wednesday, April 17, from 5-6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but those hoping to catch the action live should reserve a ticket. Those OK with watching from their couch can catch the event on the city’s television station, ATXN.
Wednesday, April 3, 2019 by Chad Swiatecki
RECA offers its help with land use code reboot
The Real Estate Council of Austin has weighed in on the future of the city’s land use code rewrite, and wants local leaders to take aggressive steps to add housing supply as an answer to the growing affordability crisis. Last week the group submitted a two-page memo responding to City Manager Spencer Cronk’s five policy questions for City Council members related to the now-idle CodeNEXT process. The memo advocates for a whole new land development code and zoning map, a goal of adding 287,000 new housing units, gradually expanding the variety of allowed housing types to address “missing middle” options to add density, relaxed compatibility standards especially along transportation corridors and transit-oriented developments, and reducing on-site parking requirements. In a letter to members, RECA explained its positions and offered information or other expertise to those leading the rewrite once it is rebooted in the coming months. The letter restated the group’s emphasis on policies that can address affordability by making it easier and less expensive to add new housing to the Austin market.
Wednesday, April 3, 2019 by Tai Moses
Monarch butterflies running out of time
Monarch butterflies started showing up last month on their annual flutter through town. According to local butterfly watchers, Austin is seeing the biggest spring migration in recent memory. Despite this, the fragile black-and-orange insects are under threat from many quarters, including pesticide use, habitat loss, illegal logging, and severe weather events caused by climate change. Their populations have crashed by 80 percent over the past 20 years and their long-term survival is in serious doubt. Yesterday, an alliance of 105 conservation organizations urged Congress to increase spending on monarch conservation programs by $100 million per year. The funds would pay for restoring a million acres of milkweed habitat a year (milkweed is the only plant the monarch caterpillar can eat). Said Stephanie Kurose, an endangered species policy specialist at the Center for Biological Diversity, in an announcement about the funding request, “These beautiful butterflies are running out of time. Congress needs to take effective action to save the monarch before it’s too late.”
Tuesday, April 2, 2019 by Elizabeth Pagano
2020 census effort launched
Yesterday, the city of Austin and Travis County launched a campaign to ensure an accurate 2020 census. A press conference about the effort noted that undercounting Texas residents by 1 percent could result in at least $300 million in lost federal funding determined by the census. A press release explained, “This year campaigners are concerned about a potential addition of a citizenship question added to the Census. This decision is pending and awaiting response from the U.S. Supreme Court. Additionally, the underfunding of the Census Bureau and changing demographics in the State could add up to a significant undercount for Texas.” To combat that, the city, county and the Austin-Travis County Complete Count Committee will work over the next year to raise awareness and increase participation in the census. Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt said, “Because the 2020 census is a year away, the hard work to make certain we have an accurate count must begin today. Whether it is protecting our voting rights during redistricting or the allocation of federal funds to local communities, census data plays a critical role in all our lives.”
Tuesday, April 2, 2019 by Jessi Devenyns
Public Safety Commission gets a new chair
It was the end of an era at the April 1 meeting of the Public Safety Commission. After serving four and a half years as chair, Rebecca Webber yielded the post to Ed Scruggs, the District 8 representative on the commission. Webber, whose term extends until 2021, will continue to serve as vice chair and parliamentarian simultaneously. With nine years of experience on the commission, Webber was the first woman to be appointed to the post back before Austin had a 10-1 Council and there were seven commission members. After a long career steering the ship, she noted that it was time to step down. After nominating Scruggs to take the position of chair, she sang the commissioner’s praises, saying that the commission would be in good hands going forward. The Public Safety Commission voted unanimously to appoint him. Scruggs reciprocated the niceties, saying that the advisory body had “come a long way” since Webber was appointed as chair. When no one volunteered to perform the role of parliamentarian, Webber volunteered for the task. In keeping with her ethos of smoothing waves and operating in a straightforward manner, she noted that it would take a bit of study on her part to be sure she could keep the commissioners in line with Robert’s Rules of Order when the occasion arises.