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- Austin’s airport is getting a new concourse and 20 more gates but not until the 2030s
- New rules in the works for electric vehicle charging stations
- Judge rules city can’t use taxpayer money for South Central TIRZ
- Budget deficit looms over city this year and beyond
- Save Our Springs Alliance sues City Council over Open Meetings Act
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Whispers
City career expo this Thursday
This Thursday, April 11, the city will host its annual Career Expo at the Palmer Events Center. The event is designed to provide opportunities for anyone seeking a job, and to offer a chance to network with employers and other work resources. According to a press release about the event, “The Career Expo will include several City departments, private employers, state agencies, higher education and technical schools, temporary staffing agencies, and many smaller businesses with skilled, customer service and labor job openings. There is no cost for job seekers to attend, and a professional photographer will be onsite taking headshots of attendees at no charge.” For reference, last year’s expo had about 100 employers present, with more than 4,000 jobs available. Registration is online at AustinTexas.gov/CareerExpo.
Friday, April 5, 2024 by Elizabeth Pagano
Zilker parking fees to change next month
The city is raising parking fees at Zilker Park, transitioning from the current $7 flat day fee to a $3 per hour rate staring May 25, 2024. In a memo to City Council, parks Director Kimberly McNeeley explains the change is expected to increase vehicle turnover and give the department more information about how long people are staying at the park, which will help in future parking plans. Despite the fact that a full day of parking will now cost more, McNeeley wrote that “PARD’s current data shows that many visitors park for less than two hours, making this change a reduction in fees for those who visit the park in shorter increments.” Parking funds collected in the park go directly to support maintenance and improvements within Zilker. In the memo, McNeeley also explains that a peak-season shuttle to off-site parking will return this year, in addition to a new circulator shuttle in the park. “The details of each program are being finalized and will be announced next month. It is important to note that there is no identified sustainable funding source for either the internal circulator or the off-site parking shuttle. Shuttle service funding availability is evaluated annually and allocated if feasible,” McNeeley wrote.
Updated Palm Park design coming this month
Waterloo Greenway will unveil a new vision for Sir Swante Palm Neighborhood Park at a pair of community feedback sessions on April 25 and 27. The design is a culmination of more than six months of outreach that involved feedback from more than 2,000 community members who shared input on future amenities, natural areas and an identity for the park. April’s events mark the final official chance for community input before the anticipated groundbreaking in 2026. The sessions will take place on:
- Thursday, April 25
Martin Middle School (1601 Haskell St., Austin, TX 78702) from 6 to 7:30 p.m. - Saturday, April 27
Eastside Early College High School (900 Thompson St., Austin, TX 78702) from 10 a.m. to noon
Both events are free and open to the public, with snacks and refreshments provided.
Thursday, April 4, 2024 by Elizabeth Pagano
Bland clarifies shelter’s ‘urgent placement’ list
The Animal Services Office has a new “Urgent Placement” section on its website that features dogs that face significant barriers to finding homes. A memo from Chief Animal Services Officer Don Bland to City Council explains that the list is modeled on KC Pet Project’s list. The Kansas City, Missouri, shelter – which is also no-kill – “found that providing concise, easy-to-digest information was the best method” to find placements for potentially at-risk dogs, according to Bland. “The list’s primary goals are to: 1. Identify the dogs that have significant barriers to adoption and facilitate their placement into appropriate foster or adoptive homes (and) 2. Notify stakeholders of which dogs could potentially be at risk of euthanasia,” wrote Bland, who emphasized that the normal euthanasia process that requires noticing at least 48 hours in advance would be followed, if necessary.
La Mujer: A Celebration of Women is planned for April 21
For the 13th year, the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center is hosting La Mujer: A Celebration of Women, this time at the women-owned Cathedral Art Gallery at 2403 E. 16th St. from 1-6 p.m. Sunday, April 21. The annual event aims for women in Austin’s Mexican American and Latina/o/x/e community to be seen, heard and empowered, with mental health and wellness programming from organizations such as Contigo Wellness and Austin Public Health, a BIPOC-centered marketplace by Frida Friday ATX, and visual art exhibits curated by Monica Ceniceros of the Cathedral. Indoor activities include a sound healing workshop with Andrea Cortez from the Mind, Body and Music Center, a rebozo (shawl) workshop with Irasema Reza-Bailey from Manos Magicas and a somatic writing workshop with poet and author Leticia Urieta. Outdoors, there will be food trucks and aguas frescas; an all-day artisan marketplace; free hands-on children’s activities; an “open pitch” for Austinites to speak about their business, craft or organization; and an open mic for music and poetry. Workshops and keynote require pre-registration; all other activities will be open to all attendees with no RSVP or ticket required. There will also be sound and movement and weaving family activities with Creative Action. Pre-register for indoor workshops at AustinTexas.gov/MACCLaMujer or on Eventbrite.
Wednesday, April 3, 2024 by Elizabeth Pagano
Garza announces new airport CEO and city HR director
In a memo sent to City Council, interim City Manager Jesús Garza announced that he has made interim Airport Chief Executive Officer Ghizlane Badawi’s position permanent, noting it was “imperative to bring stability to the AUS team now as we move forward in earnest with several key projects.” To wit, over the next few months, Council will consider billions of dollars in improvements to the airport as part of an ongoing modernization and expansion that is currently underway. Garza also announced a new human resources director for the city. Susan Sinz, who has served as HR director in the city of Largo, Fla., since 2003, was appointed to the position.
International Ride of Silence is set for May 15 in honor of victims of traffic violence
Texas remains one of the most dangerous states for people being killed in traffic crashes. In 2023, 105 people died while riding bicycles statewide. In response, the volunteer group Austin Ghost Bike Project installs white memorial bikes near the scenes of fatality crashes. The organization – along with Safe Streets Austin and Farm&City – is calling upon Austin, Travis County and Texas elected officials to reduce vehicular fatalities and serious injuries across the state to zero. All three groups urge government officials to:
1) Increase efforts to solve these and many other unresolved cold cases;
2) Increase the scope and speed of installing protected bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure; and
3) Commit to eliminating deaths and serious injuries on our roadways.
“Enough is enough,” said Adam Greenfield, advocacy director at Safe Streets Austin. “People should not be dying while moving around on Austin’s streets. It’s time for elected leaders at all levels to take the fight against the epidemic of vehicle-related deaths and serious injuries in Austin to the next level. We must take action to rapidly eliminate these tragedies on our streets.” The International Ride of Silence is scheduled for 7 p.m. May 15 at City Hall, where Austinites will join thousands of cyclists around the world to bike silently in honor of victims of traffic violence. Cyclists are welcome to join the short, slow and silent ride that will stop by several ghost bikes.
Tuesday, April 2, 2024 by Elizabeth Pagano
Another District 7 candidate enters the race
Former Planning Commission Chair Todd Shaw has thrown his hat into the ring for the soon-to-be-empty District 7 seat. Shaw will be the fifth candidate vying for the City Council chair, which is up for grabs for the first time as incumbent Leslie Pool will not be running again. According to a press release from the campaign, Shaw will prioritize more housing and housing options with an emphasis on consensus and collaboration. In addition, Shaw said in a statement to the press, “We must improve our infrastructure in a way that prepares for the changing climate such as increased flooding, drought, and wildfires with a focus on protecting the most vulnerable populations. Infrastructure resiliency is not a very exciting topic, but it will be the top public safety concern in Austin and other major cities in the years to come. My environmental and construction experience will provide missing expertise on Council to address this issue.” Also running for the position are Texas Housers’ Edwin Bautista; Pierre Nguyễn, a Public Safety and Asian American Quality of Life commissioner, firefighter and EMT; Adam Powell, a union organizer and SAFE Alliance board member; and former congressional Democratic nominee Mike Siegel, who co-founded Ground Game Texas.
Monday, April 1, 2024 by Elizabeth Pagano
$4M grant will expand local recycling
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will bestow $4 million to the city of Austin to construct and maintain a new reuse warehouse thanks, in part, to the efforts of U.S. Reps. Greg Casar and Lloyd Doggett. The Solid Waste Infrastructure Grant will allow the city to build a space for redistributing used furniture and building materials, among other things, as part of a larger effort to improve recycling in Austin. “Right now, far too many materials are wasted when they could be recycled and reused by people in need. Improved recycling not only lets these items have a second life – but they’ll be a lifeline to struggling Austinites,” Casar said in a statement to the press. “I’m grateful for the Biden Administration supporting this creative way of reducing waste while helping people get back on their feet.” The new warehouse will, according to a press release, “accept and redistribute used furniture at no cost to nonprofits and their clients, with a focus on furnishing the homes of those transitioning out of homelessness,” and will eventually expand to include building materials, reducing the waste sent to landfills.
Check out the eclipse in a local park
The Great North American Eclipse drops next Monday, April 8, and in preparation the city’s parks department has teamed up with UT Austin to provide eclipse glasses and telescopes with solar filters in all 10 City Council districts. The telescopes will be available for independent and guided viewing from noon to 3 p.m. at Colony Park, Onion Creek Soccer Complex, Roy G. Guerrero Metropolitan Park, Gus Garcia District Park, Mary Moore Searight Park, Pickfair Pocket Park, Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park, Zilker Metropolitan Park and Conley-Guerrero Senior Activity Center , which will also offer a livestream of the eclipse for people who want to remain indoors. “We are excited to partner with the City of Austin to enable eclipse viewing in our neighborhoods and Council districts,” UT’s president, Jay Hartzell, said in a statement to the press. “The scientists, researchers and other experts at UT are neighbors to the residents of Austin. We want to make sure that the entire city and its visitors benefit from having one of the top astronomy departments and research universities in the world right down the street.” Because of an expected influx of visitors and traffic, officials are advising everyone to stick close to home. Austin won’t be in the path of totality again for more than 319 years.
Friday, March 29, 2024 by Elizabeth Pagano
Save Austin … someday
The Save Austin Now Political Action Committee has filed a “motion to expedite ruling” this week, in an attempt to speed up its lawsuit against the city for what they say is a refusal to enforce the camping ban. In the May 2021 election, 58 percent of voters approved the ban, resulting in its reinstatement. However, in August 2021, the PAC filed a suit about the perceived lack of enforcement, which was dismissed in November 2022. In August 2023, Save Austin Now appealed that decision to the 3rd Court of Appeals, which has yet to issue a ruling. “This case has been ready for the Court of Appeals to decide for nearly 8 months, so today we filed a motion asking the court to render its decision soon,” Michael Lovins of the Lovins Law Firm, lead attorney for the Save Austin Now Prop B lawsuit, said in a statement to the press. “Regardless of the decision, we expect this case to go to the Texas Supreme Court. We are eager to get to the merits of this case and have the voters’ will enforced.”
Friday, March 29, 2024 by Jo Clifton
Former officer wins suit against city over retaliation
A Travis County jury has awarded $1.5 million to former Austin Police Lt. Johnny McMiller for retaliation during the tenure of former Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo. McMiller’s attorneys, Gary Bledsoe and Nadia Stewart, announced the decision in a news release this week. McMiller was forced to retire in 2015 after trying to “prevent discrimination against an African-American sergeant and an African-American Assistant Chief,” according to their statement. Although the jury found that the department had retaliated against McMiller, the court “threw out any claims of the race discrimination before trial,” the city said.
Bledsoe described McMiller as a rising star in the department whose advancement was stymied by Acevedo.
Bledsoe explained that McMiller was trying to help two other officers in a dispute related to their off-duty employment at Capital Metro. Under the “meet and confer” agreement the city had with the Austin Police Association, Bledsoe said APD should not have been allowed to consider the officers’ actions at their secondary employment.
Meghan Riley, city of Austin division chief in the Law Department, released the following statement: “While we very much appreciate the jury’s time and attention to this employment retaliation lawsuit stemming from a 2015 disciplinary decision, we were surprised and disappointed with the result. We continue to review the jury findings and will work with our client to determine the necessary post-verdict steps to take.”
Bledsoe responded: “If the City of Austin is truly serious about addressing the problems raised by this case (they should) follow the jury’s verdict and make McMiller whole … and adhere to the advice the jurors gave us, that APD brass follow the policies and procedures of the department and stop meting out discipline willy nilly.”