| Dear Neighbors,
On August 5th, City Manager Spencer Cronk presented his Fiscal Year 2020 proposed budget. Over the next few weeks, I will be reviewing the proposal and how it aligns with Strategic Direction 2023, District 10 priorities, and my commitment to fiscal sustainability.
I invite you to share your thoughts on the budget with me and with my colleagues. The first public hearing will be held at City Hall on August 22 at 1 p.m. as part of the council meeting, and the second will take place on August 28 at 6 p.m., also at City Hall. Budget adoption is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, September 10. If you plan to come down to City Hall for a budget hearing and would like to discuss your fiscal priorities directly with my office, please let us know. I will be listening to testimony, of course, but if you would like to chat with my policy advisors, you can call us at (512) 978-2110 or send us an email.
For those who cannot attend a City Hall hearing, my team will be holding office hours in the district at the following times:
- August 21, 5-7 p.m. (Rudy's on North Lamar)
- August 24, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. (Galaxy Cafe Northwest Hills)
- September 6, 8-10 a.m. (Mozart’s Coffee Roasters)
If you would like to speak with me personally, I look forward to seeing you at the August 24th office hours. We also will be hosting our regular office hours, which are open to all topics, on August 23rd. Find more details on the public hearings and all of our office hours in a separate section below.
This is a busy time for Austin, so this newsletter is full of important content, including need-to-know information about upcoming homelessness forums, a public health warning about harmful algae in Lady Bird Lake, and the current burn ban. Please take a moment to read through these items and share the information with your neighbors.
Regards,
Alison Alter
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Table of Contents - Budget Hearings and District 10 Office Hours
- Public Forums on Homelessness
- Council Corner – Gun Violence Prevention Resolution
- Council Corner – Climate Resolution
- Warning: Toxic Algae in Lady Bird Lake
- EMS Station 8 Reopening
- Travis County and Austin Parks Burn Ban
- Austin Water Utility Oversight Committee
- Shoal Creek Resurfacing
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| | Budget Hearings and District 10 Office Hours
Public Hearings
Thursday, August 22 1 p.m. Austin City Hall 301 W. 2nd Street
Wednesday, August 28 6 p.m. Austin City Hall 301 W. 2nd Street
District 10 Budget Office Hours
Wednesday, August 21 5-7 p.m. Rudy’s BBQ 3914 N Lamar Boulevard
Saturday, August 24
10 a.m.-12 p.m. Galaxy Cafe 8127 Mesa Drive #A100
Friday, September 6
8-10 a.m. Mozart’s Coffee Roasters 3825 Lake Austin Boulevard
District 10 Open Office Hours
Friday, August 23 12-2 p.m. Coffee Shark 7300 Ranch Road 2222 |
| | Public Forums on Homelessness
As our community continues conversations regarding the homelessness crisis in Austin, residents have several upcoming opportunities to participate in public discussions and listen to expert panels on the issue. To hear from me directly, please join me and my staff for the District 10 Town Hall on September 7. Details for all events can be found below.
Downtown Austin Alliance Forum
Wednesday, August 21
10-11:30 a.m.
Austin Convention Center, Ballroom A
500 East Cesar Chavez Street
LBJ School of Public Affairs/LBJ Presidential Library Homelessness Forum Details Forthcoming
Thursday, August 29 Evening, Exact Time TBD UT Austin: Thompson Conference Center Lady Bird Johnson Auditorium
2405 Robert Dedman Drive
District 10 Town Hall on Homelessness
Saturday, September 7 10-11 a.m. St. Matthew's Episcopal Church 8134 Mesa Drive
Leadership Austin Engage Breakfast on Homelessness
Wednesday, September 11 7:30-9 a.m. Austin Central Library
710 W. Cesar Chavez Street
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| | Council Corner – Gun Violence Prevention Resolution
At the August 8th Council meeting, I brought forward a resolution calling for the United States Senate to reconvene immediately and pass common sense gun violence prevention laws, such as the historic legislation approved by the United States House of Representatives earlier this year. The resolution also calls for the Texas Legislature to consider the recommendations from Governor Abbott’s own School and Firearm Safety Action Plan such as extreme risk protection orders.
Click here or on the photo below to watch our press conference on the resolution. |
| | We know we can prevent these horrific acts, and we must continue to do everything we can to bring attention and action to the epidemic of gun violence in our country. To that end, I will be bringing another gun violence prevention resolution (Item 69 on the Aug. 22 agenda) focused on additional steps we can take in the City of Austin, which my office was working on prior to the most recent mass shootings.
With respect to last week's emergency gun violence prevention resolution, I encourage everyone to write to their state and federal representatives and ask them to support our demands for legislative changes. We need our federal and state leaders to act on issues most Americans agree on, such as universal background checks on all gun sales and extreme risk protective orders.
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| | | Council Corner – Climate Resolution
Also at the August 8th meeting, City Council unanimously voted to approve a resolution I sponsored to declare a climate emergency, joining over 900 jurisdictions around the world. Austin is the first city in the South to declare a climate emergency, building on over a decade of taking proactive action to address the climate crisis.
The resolution also calls for an immediate and coordinated mobilization to restore a safe climate and identifies the following next steps: - The creation of an accountability and reporting structure to clarify climate leadership responsibilities
- Amplifying Austin's external and community engagement on climate policy to make the climate crisis a priority
- More aggressive targets to reach Austin's current net-zero goals
- Innovative policy ideas to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis currently being felt
- An alignment of emergency management plans around the climate crisis, to prepare for and respond to natural hazards
You can watch the press conference by clicking here or on the photo above, and you can read the full resolution here. |
| | | Warning: Toxic Algae in Lady Bird Lake
The City of Austin has confirmed the presence of potentially harmful algal blooms in Lady Bird Lake. The algae has been identified as a type of blue green algae of the genus Oscillatoria that can release neurotoxins. First confirmed on Aug. 4, the City issued a warning that all pet owners should keep pets from swimming in or drinking the water. Animals who ingest water contaminated with this toxin could have a number of symptoms. On the severe end, it could result in respiratory paralysis and death.
Most recently, testing found this type of algae at several locations along Lady Bird Lake including Red Bud Isle, Auditorium Shores and Barton Creek. Red Bud Isle is currently closed. People should avoid handling the algae and minimize their exposure to the water. Boating and paddle-boarding is still allowed at your own risk. Pets and people who come into contact with the water should rinse off. If symptoms develop, they should seek immediate medical attention.
The algae will naturally die off when cooler weather returns in the fall. At this time, the City of Austin has not identified a safe and effective way to treat or remove the algae, and it is likely that Red Bud Isle will remain closed for the next several weeks.
Drinking water remains unaffected by this situation. Austin Water regularly looks at algae levels on Lake Austin and Lake Travis and has not seen levels of concern for drinking water. Austin Water does not currently use Lady Bird Lake as a source for drinking water. |
| | | EMS Station 8 Reopening
On July 31st, the City celebrated the re-opening of Austin-Travis County EMS Medic Station 8. Over the course of 14 months, the station was renovated to accommodate more staff and improve response times. Station 8 is located on Balcones Drive, near RM 2222 and MoPac.
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| | | Travis County and Austin Parks Burn Ban
Due to the extremely hot and dry conditions in Austin, the Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) is temporarily prohibiting the building of fires and grilling in all City of Austin parks, greenbelts and preserves until further notice. This includes the use of wood or charcoal BBQ pits/grills/smokers. Propane stoves are allowed in designated picnic areas only. As a general reminder, smoking is always prohibited in City of Austin parks. The Austin Police Department’s Park Police and PARD's Park Rangers will enforce the ban in the City’s parks and greenbelts.
Additionally, the Travis County commissioners issued a burn ban for the unincorporated parts of the county until Sept. 11, 2019. To learn more about the county's burn ban, please visit this FAQ page. |
| | | Austin Water Utility Oversight Committee
In June, I was proud to be the lead sponsor on Item 95 which establishes the Austin Water Oversight Committee. This committee will have the ability to review issues related to the City’s water utility, including things like Austin Water’s climate resilience efforts, major capital purchases or transactions, and its financial status.
Austin Water (AW) is a city-owned utility with over $630 million in the 2019 budget, and it is important that we invest time in overseeing the many initiatives that AW manages. From issues related to zebra mussels, to our water supply and Water Forward (the city’s 100-year water-resiliency plan), to our infrastructure, it is vital to the future of our city that we pay attention, and I am looking forward to the opportunity to serve on this committee.
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| | | Shoal Creek Resurfacing
City of Austin crews have begun the implementation process for the Shoal Creek Boulevard improvements, which include a new two-way protected bikeway on Shoal Creek Boulevard between 38th Street and Foster Lane and a one-way protected bikeway on both sides of Shoal Creek Boulevard from Foster Lane to US 183.
Beginning in mid-August, the street segments represented in blue and red on the map below will be resurfaced, starting at US 183 and working down to 38th Street. All work is dependent on weather and any other unexpected delays.
Sections of Shoal Creek Boulevard being resurfaced this summer will receive a treatment called sealcoating. Residents are asked to avoid parking on the street for at least two to three days following the sealcoating process so that street sweeping crews can remove excess gravel from the roadway. The sealcoat process covers hairline cracks that can lead to potholes and after the "cure" period of one to two months and follow-up sweeping, results in a smooth surface. If you have any resurfacing related concerns, including areas of loose gravel, please call 3-1-1.
Installation of the one-way protected bikeway between US 183 and Foster Lane will begin in late September, after the newly resurfaced pavement has cured.
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