| | | Dear Neighbors,
This holiday season is very different for most people, and I'm grateful for our community's continued efforts to stay home, mask up, and slow the spread. I've enjoyed getting into the holiday spirit, attending the virtual Zilker Holiday Tree lighting ceremony as well as a virtual holiday recital from local dance/yoga studio Monsoon Dance. This week, my family will celebrate the start of Hanukkah and I want to wish all who observe the festival of lights a Happy Hannukah. |
| | | Before we know it, Christmas and the New Year will be here. Please continue to be safe and stay healthy through these cooler fall and winter months. You can stay up to date on Austin's COVID data, testing, and resources on the City's COVID website.
Below you will find a recap from last week's Council meeting, as well as information on how to vote in the current runoff election, new COVID resources and testing access, details about how to virtually enjoy the Trail of Lights and Zilker Tree, and more. Council will be meeting again this Thursday before the winter break, so be on the lookout for another newsletter coming to you soon with important Council action updates.
Regards,
Alison Alter
Council Member, District 10
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| | Table of Contents - Council Recap
- Voting Locations for Runoff Election
- New Website for the Wildland Urban Interface Code
- 24/7 COVID-19 Mental Health Hotline
- APH COVID-19 Testing Site Hours Extended
- Shop Local! Austin Small Business Shopping Guide
- Virtual and Drive-Thru Zilker Holiday Tree & Trail of Lights
- District 10 Student Wins First Place for Zilker Holiday Tree Art Contest
- Open Call for Local Artists: Temporary Public Art Exhibition
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| | | Council Recap
Last week, Council advanced several key items, including funding for the design of the Loop 360/Davenport Fire & EMS Station, new COVID-19 financial and administrative support for local businesses (restaurants, live music venues, childcare centers, etc.), a resolution I co-sponsored to expand affordable housing opportunities by changing state restrictions, and more.
Items 14 & 15: I’m pleased to share that Items 14 & 15 fund the design of the Loop 360/Davenport Fire & EMS Station, which should begin construction in 2021. In 2018, I secured this new station in District 10. This station will help reduce response times and aid in our work against the wildfire threat.
Item 11: Council authorized the creation of temporary Chapter 380 programs that support tenants operating a childcare business, live music venue, arts venue, or restaurant/bar.
Items 12 & 13: Council established enhanced program guidelines for both the Austin Legacy Business Relief Grant and the Austin Live Music Venue Preservation Fund. Each program is currently funded at $5 million each. You can view more information about Austin’s economic recovery efforts at atxrecovers.com.
Item 42: Council approved an ordinance amending our Community Development Block Grant (CBDG) funded programs to allow these federal funds to be used for healthy food retail investments. The purpose of the federal CDBG Program is to facilitate decent housing and economic opportunities, principally for persons of low- and moderate-income. These funds are already used for a variety of purposes including workforce development, childcare, mental health services, homelessness prevention and other needs. The ordinance will allow us to consider future opportunities to address food deserts as a public health and economic development strategy.
Item 44: Council approved a resolution I cosponsored supporting Texas House Bill 84, authored by Representative Gina Hinojosa, to repeal the state prohibition on inclusionary zoning. Texas is one of the only states in the nation which makes it illegal to require affordable housing when developers seek discretionary increases in development rights. Repealing this state prohibition would allow us to require affordable housing when developers seek increases in their building entitlements.
Item 48: Approve a resolution creating a new expanded partnership between Austin-Travis County Integral Care, the City of Austin’s Downtown Austin Community Court and the City’s Homeless Outreach Street Team (HOST) to provide expanded behavioral health resources for individuals experiencing homelessness. This new opportunity will create the opportunity for our Downtown Austin Community Court and HOST to direct appropriate individuals experiencing homelessness to this new team that will be able to address behavioral health, substance use disorders and other health needs along with intensive case management and housing navigation support. This team will provide services anywhere someone is as well as offering on-site clinical services at their facility at 3000 Oak Springs Drive. This important expansion will allow us to further pursue our strategy to stabilize individuals experiencing homelessness and transition them permanently into stable housing. |
| | | Voting Locations for Runoff Election
Early voting runs through December 11th and Election Day is December 15th. Find your nearest polling location and personalized ballot at VoteTravis.com. Please tell your friends and neighbors to vote! |
| | | New Website for the Wildland Urban Interface Code
Since entering office, I have pushed for stronger city action to combat the threat of wildfires in Austin. In April, City Council adopted a version of the Wildland Urban Interface Code (WUIC), one of the initiatives I championed. AFD will begin implementing the adopted code in January. As part of the WUIC process, I directed staff to plan for its implementation and create a process for considering provisions for fuels mitigation and vegetation management. That work is ongoing.
Now, AFD’s Wildfire Division has launched a website to encourage residents to become familiar with what the WUI Code entails, complete with printable and interactive maps so both residents and builders can find out if and how they might be impacted by these new rules. Although the main focus of the code is the application to new construction, there are cases where it will be relevant to older buildings as they are updated or renovated. |
| | | 24/7 COVID-19 Mental Health Hotline
The City of Austin’s COVID-19 Health and Wellness Support Line provides short-term counseling and support to Austin workers and families whose mental health has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Residents living in an Austin City Council District can speak with a counselor from Alliance Work Partners through a confidential 24-hour support line at 1-888-855-7483. Services are free and available in English, Spanish, and over 150 other languages. Alliance Work Partners’ counselors are expertly trained to support individuals experiencing stress, depression, anxiety, domestic violence, alcohol and drug abuse/dependency, marital and family issues, and more. Counselors also provide resources and referrals for various needs, including childcare, eldercare, legal, and financial support. Alliance Work Partners may offer additional resources and referrals to other providers that could require payment.
If a resident is experiencing a mental health crisis, Alliance Work Partners will connect the individual to Integral Care for immediate support through their free 24/7 Crisis Helpline (512-472-HELP/4357). Low and moderate-income employees and former employees working in customer-facing industries like food and beverage service, retail, hospitality, and personal services (i.e., barbershops, salons, residential cleaning, etc.) are highly encouraged to access these free resources.
The COVID-19 Health and Wellness Support Line with Alliance Work Partners is funded through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and will close on December 30, 2020 due to CARES Act requirements. For continued assistance, contact Integral Care for immediate support through their free 24/7 Crisis Helpline (512-472-HELP/4357).
Visit www.ATXrecovers.com for more information on COVID-19 recovery resources. |
| | | APH COVID-19 Testing Site Hours Extended
Austin Public Health (APH) has extended hours at several COVID-19 neighborhood test sites. APH test sites that formerly operated from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. will now be open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Little Walnut Creek, Givens, and Southeast Library testing site hours will be adjusted Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and the Montopolis testing site hours will be adjusted on Tuesdays.
For APH neighborhood testing sites, individuals are not required to arrive at the test site in a vehicle, and there are a limited number of slots available to individuals without an appointment. While there is more than enough capacity, APH encourages people to sign up for an appointment to limit their wait time at the site.
For complete COVID-19 testing site schedules, visit austintexas.gov/covid-testinfo. For more information about COVID-19, visit austintexas.gov/covid19.
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| | | Shop Local! Austin Small Business Shopping Guide
This December, Visit Austin is celebrating Small Business Season, the month-long movement to help support Austin’s small business community by making them your first stop for in-store and online purchases. As part of this effort, Visit Austin created an Austin Shopping Guide featuring more than 300 local businesses. Check it out and encourage your friends and family to shop local! |
| | | Virtual and Drive-Thru Zilker Holiday Tree & Trail of Lights
This year, access to the Zilker Holiday Tree and Trail of Lights will be different due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions. The Zilker Holiday Tree will be lit nightly from 6 p.m. to midnight through January 1, 2021 at Zilker Metropolitan Park. No onsite access is allowed this year due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions. Instead, the tree can be viewed from inside a vehicle from the roadway or virtually online here. One perk of the virtual 2020 Zilker Holiday Tree experience is that you will be able to still spin under the tree, safely from home in your pajamas. Visit austintexas.gov/zilkerholidaytree to watch this year’s tree lighting ceremony, see the holiday tree at night, and find a virtual tree spinning video.
Similarly, Trail of Lights is a drive-thru only experience this holiday season. Now through January 3, 2021, participants can access the Trail of Lights with a vehicle pass purchased in advance. No walk up or open-air vehicle access is allowed due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions. Vehicle tickets and more details are available at austintrailoflights.org.
Please remember: Austin Public Health recommends being cautious this holiday season by celebrating virtually or with members of your household only. If you choose to gather traditionally, follow the holiday safety guidance at austintexas.gov/holidaysafety. |
| | District 10 Student Wins First Place for Zilker Holiday Tree Art Contest
Please join me in congratulating District 10 student Aaliyah Webb for placing first in this year’s youth Zilker Holiday Tree Art Contest! Aaliyah created the beautiful piece below and won the top spot in the senior division (5th-8th grade). You can see all winners from the senior and junior divisions here. |
| | | | Open Call for Local Artists: Temporary Public Art Exhibition
The City of Austin Economic Development Department has announced a Request for Proposals from local artists for TEMPO 2021, its annual temporary public art exhibition. TEMPO 2021 offers paid opportunities for artists interested in public art and a platform to explore a range of materials and themes suitable for the outdoor environment. Proposals must be submitted by Thursday, January 26, 2021 at 5 p.m. through www.PublicArtist.org/AustinAIPP.
The intent of the TEMPO program is to promote tourism, cultivate curiosity, spark imagination, engage the community in a meaningful dialogue about public art, foster work by local artists, and cultivate exploration of Austin. Artists are encouraged to create artworks that reflect the site where they will exhibit their work, and design artwork that can be easily installed and de-installed. A minimum of 10 TEMPO 2021 proposals will be selected and artworks will be sited exclusively at library branches across Austin. Selected artists will also participate in a virtual speaker series in collaboration with the Economic Development Department and Austin Public Library.
Learn more about the program, eligibility requirements, and more online here. |
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