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Whispers
Wednesday, November 4, 2015 by Elizabeth Pagano
Flood fills shelter with lost pets
Austin Animal Center is at capacity, and officials are urging Austinites who lost pets during last week’s storms to come claim them. Given the recent flooding, the shelter is waiving the reclamation fees through today. According to a press release, “The Austin Animal Center provided a place for animals that were displaced by the storms as well as took in almost 200 lost pets from the weekend storms. Many of these pets are still waiting for their owners to claim them.” Chief Animal Services Officer Tawny Hammond said, “If you, a friend or neighbor is missing a pet, come to Austin Animal Center. There are so many animals we know must have owners out there.” The center is also seeking volunteers, foster homes and donations to deal with the influx of pets. More information can be found here.
Wednesday, November 4, 2015 by Elizabeth Pagano
Parks launches ADA transition plan
On Thursday, Nov. 19, the city’s Parks and Recreation Department will hold its first community meeting to get public input on an Americans With Disabilities Act Self-Assessment System-Wide Transition Plan. The meeting, which is the first in a series, will introduce the project and timeline. In a statement to the press, Parks and Recreation Department Director Sara Hensley said, “Knowing what a vital role our public parks play within the lives of city residents, we want to make sure our parks and programs are accessible, inclusionary and welcoming for all. So we are excited to begin this process of creating a comprehensive transition accessible to all citizens.” The meeting will be held by the parks department and consulting group Altura Solutions at the Asian American Resource Center from 7 to 9 p.m.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015 by Elizabeth Pagano
How to help flood victims
Those looking to help Austinites impacted by recent flooding can check out the city’s website, which lists volunteer opportunities as well as what and how to donate in one handy place.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015 by Elizabeth Pagano
Adler takes on new staff member
Today, Mayor Steve Adler announced that Jason Stanford will be his new communications director. Stanford replaces Jim Wick, who is now Adler’s policy initiative and advancement director. According to a press release about the hire, Stanford is a longtime Austin-based national political consultant who “has written a nationally syndicated column, contributed regular op-eds to the Austin American-Statesman, and provided political analysis on Fox 7 as well as occasionally on MSNBC.”
Tuesday, November 3, 2015 by Elizabeth Pagano
HBRC to review applications this week
On Thursday, the Housing Bond Review Committee will review applications for proposed rental housing developments, and the public is invited to attend. The group reviews projects to be funded with General Obligation Bond funds and ensures that applications are scored in compliance with guidelines, in an advisory capacity. This year’s applications are available online here. The HBRC will meet Thursday, Nov. 5, at 3 p.m., in the Street-Jones Building, 1000 E. 11th St., in Room 200A.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015 by Elizabeth Pagano
City continues to assess flood damage
As of yesterday afternoon, the city’s Code Department had assessed 419 properties following weekend floods. Inspectors found that, of those properties, 10 were “dangerous,” 202 were “substandard” and the status of 39 properties remained pending. Assessments continue in the areas of the city affected by the flood, so those numbers continue to grow. According to the Code Department, “Dangerous conditions are considered issues that cause an immediate risk to the health and safety of the resident, while substandard conditions are issues that may not be life-threatening, but do not meet the minimum standard of the code.” More details about those categories are available here, and a real-time map of flood damage assessments is available online here.
Monday, November 2, 2015 by Nora Ankrum
Palm Elementary closed due to flooding
During the storms on Friday, parts of 23 classrooms at Palm Elementary School were flooded with 4 to 5 inches of water. Although cleanup began Saturday, today’s classes are canceled. When classes resume, some students will be transported to the Allan Center “until other solutions are realized, which may include bringing portables” to the school, according to a press release from the Austin Independent School District. AISD personnel will bring students back to the school at the end of the day so that students can walk home with their siblings and participate in after-school programs. Classes and other activities will continue in the undamaged half of the building, but school officials estimate that the school won’t return to full operation for three to four weeks. The school district will hold two parent meetings on Monday to answer questions and share information about plans.
Monday, November 2, 2015 by Jo Clifton
City drops sales price disclosure request
In its lawsuit against the Travis Central Appraisal District over valuation of commercial property and vacant land, the city of Austin has dropped its claim for mandatory disclosure of real estate sales prices. The city’s lawyers say they are no longer pursuing that request in their response to a motion for summary judgment filed by the defendant Junk Yard Dogs LP. Junk Yard Dogs owns the building where Protax, an appraisal protest business, is located. “The city is only seeking a fair tax process where all parties are taxed using the same value – market value – meeting the constitutional mandate of ‘equal and uniform’ taxation,” the city says. The decision to drop the claim that real estate sales prices be disclosed eliminates one of the grounds the defendants used to argue that the city’s suit should be dismissed. The city’s response was filed on Friday. The parties will gather at the courtroom of Judge Tim Sulak this Friday to argue about whether the suit should continue or be dismissed. The state of Texas intervened in the lawsuit last week, claiming that the city was attempting to usurp legislative duties in the realm of tax policy.
Monday, November 2, 2015 by Elizabeth Pagano
This week’s Council committees
This week, the Austin Monitor has its eyes on just one City Council meeting: Monday’s Health and Human Services Committee meeting, which will take place at 4 p.m. Although the committee’s agenda is posted online, at the time of publication that link was broken, so that’s about all of the information that was available. All will (obviously) be revealed at the actual meeting. Also, as a reminder, there is no Council meeting this Thursday.
Monday, November 2, 2015 by Elizabeth Pagano
City and county compile flood resources
In response to devastating flooding in the region, the city has compiled resources for those impacted and those wanting to help. Information is available at austintexas.gov/help or by calling 3-1-1 for information. The website offers information about shelter locations, legal clinics, child care and housing issues, as well as information for those looking for ways to assist residents impacted by the flooding. Austin/Travis County public safety officials have established a shelter for people who need it at the Dittmar Recreation Center, located at 1009 W. Dittmar Road. Over the weekend, Austin Animal Center took in 200 animals, and the city is encouraging those looking for lost pets to visit the shelter. According to a press release from the city, “Financial donations can be made to the Red Cross, Austin Disaster Relief Network (ADRN), Salvation Army or United Way.” ADRN is also accepting donated goods, which can be dropped off at a mobile trailer at Teri Road Baptist Church, 1844 Teri Road, Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Gently used men’s, women’s and children’s clothing and shoes are being accepted, as are new pillows, blankets, socks and undergarments.
Friday, October 30, 2015 by Elizabeth Pagano
Zimmerman holds Halloween town hall, blood drive
This Saturday, Oct. 31, City Council Member Don Zimmerman will hold a town hall meeting to discuss “current Council issues,” including high water bills, festival fees and transportation network companies such as Uber and Lyft. According to a press release about the event, Texas Department of Transportation representative Bruce Byron will also be on hand to give an update on the FM 620 Corridor Study. The District 6 meeting will take place at the Anderson Mill Limited District Office, which is located at 11500 El Salido Parkway, from 1:30 until 4 p.m. Following that, Zimmerman will be celebrating Halloween with a blood drive and party at his field office, located at 10401 Anderson Mill Road, Suite 101, next to Shipley Do-Nuts. The event runs from 1 to 4 p.m.
Friday, October 30, 2015 by Jo Clifton
State of Texas seeks to join city appraisal suit
Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a motion to intervene in the city’s lawsuit challenging the Travis Central Appraisal District’s valuations of commercial and vacant properties. The state of Texas “seeks to intervene in this case to defend against the City of Austin’s invalid attempt to take control over Texas tax policy from the Legislature by challenging the constitutionality and the validity of” certain sections of the Texas Tax Code, according to the petition filed Thursday afternoon. The attorney general’s petition states that although the city limits the relief it is seeking to the appraisal of commercial properties, “its claim challenging the constitutionality of the state’s tax appraisal system applies to all Texas property owners, residential and commercial alike.” Because Judge Tim Sulak granted TCAD’s motion to strike the attempted intervention by six homeowners, the state claims that “homeowner taxpayers have been deprived of a voice in the city’s attempt to rewrite Texas tax law.” The city, TCAD and commercial property owners are scheduled to return to court for a hearing on a motion to dismiss the case filed by Junk Yard Dogs LP next Friday morning. Junk Yard Dogs LP is the owner of the building in which the property tax protest business, Protax, is located.