Dear Neighbors,
I’ll be hosting several engagement opportunities in the district this week. You can find more information below. I hope to see you at these events! | | | | Budget Town Hall & Resource Fair
Please join me this Thursday, July 27 at 6:30 p.m. for our District 10 Budget Town Hall and Resource Fair. We will meet in Huffman Hall at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church (8134 Mesa Dr.). The agenda will include a presentation from city budget staff, a discussion of my budget priorities, and time for questions. I’ve also invited several city departments and partners, including:
to provide resources at the town hall and to be available to answer specific questions you may have about city services.
The town hall will also include a virtual attendance option via Webex. You can tune in at this link, or by calling 1-408-418-9388 or 1-844-992-4726 (the U.S. toll free number). You will be asked to provide the following information:
For more information on the FY24 budget process, please see my recent budget newsletter. If you have specific budget questions, you can email the city budget staff at budgetqa@austintexas.gov. | | | | Office Hours Tomorrow- Note Time Change
I also will be holding summer office hours from 5:30-6:30 tomorrow (Tuesday, July 25) at 5280 Burger Bar (7032 Wood Hollow Dr.). Please note that the office hours have been moved from the previously announced time. I’ll be in the private meeting room behind the sliding glass doors.
In the remainder of this letter, you will find an update on burn restrictions in Austin, information on the launch of an anti-hate outreach and education program I initiated, and more. I wish you and your family a wonderful rest of the summer, and I hope to see you at my town hall or office hours this week.
Regards,
| | Alison Alter Council Member, District 10 | | Launch of Anti-Hate Outreach and Education Campaign Council Recap Burning Restriction in City Parks Open Central/Northwest Austin Pools City Wildfire Evacuation Education Program Opportunities for Austin Creatives: Artist Career Training and Nexus Grant Digital Opportunity Survey
| | | | Launch of Anti-Hate Outreach and Education Campaign On Friday, the City launched We All Belong, an anti-hate education and outreach program. I authored the budget amendment to initiate this program after a string of acts and incidents of hate in my district, and I’m proud of the ongoing collaboration between the City, Travis County, the Austin Anti-Defamation League, and our community partners to prevent and respond to hate.
You can watch the press conference and my remarks here.
Every Austinite has a responsibility to help stop the spread of hate when they encounter it. Learn how to report acts and incidences of hate and find resources to help stop the spread of hate in our community at AustinTexas.gov/AgainstHate.
Join me at City Hall for the next campaign event on Saturday, August 12 from 6-10 p.m. This family-friendly gathering will highlight the progress of the We All Belong initiative while sharing food and community. | | | Council met on July 20 and approved the following items that are of interest to District 10:
Parkland Acquisition: Item 88 was the next step in the process to acquire critical trail connections and parkland along Bull Creek on Spicewood Springs Road. I'm excited to see this potential parkland acquisition move one step closer to completion. This item, along with purchases across the City, helps us to expand our parks and trails to meet growing demand. Learn more about City parkland acquisitions in this video.
Back-Up Generators: On Thursday Council approved Item 10, which supported investments in back-up emergency power sources throughout 72 City locations that provide emergency services to our community during natural disasters, such as fire stations, warming centers, and resilience hubs. Some of these investments will be in District 10, including at Fire Stations 10, 19, 21, 33, 35 and EMS Stations 8 and 17. These investments will ensure that these critical public safety facilities remain in operation during times of crisis.
Neighborhood Zoning Regulations: I voted against Item 126, a resolution that initiated significant changes to the regulations for single-family neighborhoods. I believe our growth and density should be concentrated on our commercial corridors, and that we should add housing supply through community-based planning with neighbors, not through deregulation. I also voted against a resolution that would reduce the number of neighbors who receive notice of zoning changes near them and an ordinance that reduced the requirements for our professional staff to review the permits for multi-plexes.
You can listen to my full remarks on item 126 here. | | | | | | Due to dangerous fire conditions, Austin Parks and Recreation has issued a Parks Burning Restriction to minimize the wildfire risk in the City’s parks and greenbelts.
The burning restriction prohibits 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. Violations may result in a fine between $300 and $500. | | | Thanks to our council’s efforts to raise the living wage to $20/hr, streamline the application process, and support lifeguard recruitment year round, I am pleased to report that all pools located in (or adjacent) to District 10 opened for the summer, including: Canyon Vista Deep Eddy Murchison Ramsey Reed Westenfield
In the 2023 swim season, the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department hired over 1000 lifeguards, opened all 32 operational pools, and expanded hours at Deep Eddy Pool. THANK YOU to our aquatic team members who keep our community safe and our pools operational. Find the full summer pool schedule at austintexas.gov/pools. | | | City Wildfire Evacuation Education Program Austin Fire Department’s Wildfire Division and Austin Homeland Security and Emergency Management have launched the newly updated Ready, Set, Go! Program. This partnership with Warn Central Texas provides information about preparing for wildfire evacuations. Learn more about how to stay safe during a wildfire and create an evacuation plan for your family using Austin-Travis County Wildfire Coalition’s Personal Wildfire Action Guide. | | | Opportunities for Austin Creatives: Artist Career Training and Nexus Grant The Austin Economic Development Department is offering two programs for Austin-area artists and creatives:
The Artist Career Training program is a six-week business training on how to successfully manage a profitable business in the creative industries. Participants will learn business planning, marketing, and funding. Professionals from all disciplines are encouraged to apply online by Tuesday, August 15 at 5 p.m.
The Nexus Grant will offer $5,000 grants to new and emerging applicants by funding creative public projects. Grant funds may be used to cover expenses such as administrative costs, equipment and space rentals, marketing, and other eligible expenditures. Find more information on in-person and virtual Nexus workshops, Cultural Arts Virtual Open Office Hours, and application assistance here. For application assistance, contact Hello@almostrealthings.com or 512-814-8318. Full eligibility requirements, grant guidelines, and application are available online at austintexas.gov/nexus. Applications close Tuesday, August 15 at 5 p.m.
| | | Digital Opportunity Survey The State of Texas is poised to get as much as $130 million as part of the federal Digital Equity Act grant program. This program aims to expand internet service availability and access, especially to those neighborhoods that were overlooked or underserved in the past. So that the City gets its fair share of funding, I encourage you to complete the Digital Opportunity Public Survey by Thursday, August 31.
Feedback from the surveys will be used to create the Texas Digital Opportunity Plan, a roadmap for expanding affordable broadband and advancing digital opportunities for all Texans. The survey is also available in Spanish, Vietnamese and Mandarin. |
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