Additionally, Interim Director Stirrup announced that Torchy’s Tacos will be giving $5 gift cards to the first 500 individuals to get vaccinated at the Delco Activity Center this Saturday, May 22, from 10a.m.- 3p.m.
Please share this information with your friends and neighbors, and join Austin FC in encouraging others to “Take the Shot” with this PSA! Getting vaccinated is as important as ever, and we all have a part to play. As you read above, the vaccine is extremely effective. Data shows that COVID vaccines are 50% more effective than any flu shot has ever been.
So protect yourself, protect your loved ones, and protect your community by getting the vaccine!
Homelessness and Possible Sanctioned Campsites
Many of you have written and called about the potential sanctioned campsite locations identified in today's work session presentation to Mayor and Council. I would like to clear up some confusion about what was and was not shared with Council today and provide some context.
I want to emphasize that what was released today was not a list of recommendations for campsites. We received a list of sites that are or were being vetted and it included the list of criteria the staff have used or will be using to vet sites. Of foremost consideration among the public safety criteria is:
No camping in areas considered drainage or creeks, as they could flood or be overrun with water during heavy rains.
No camping in high wildfire-risk areas.
As you can tell, those two criteria alone make the Bull Creek Park site, in particular, wholly unsuitable.
As part of their presentation, staff released a list of properties to provide public transparency about the sites across the city that they are or were vetting. They also published their criteria for identifying a safe camping area.
Please know that I do not support sanctioned camping in high wildfire risk areas nor flood prone areas. I also am personally skeptical about camping in parks in general, and I continue to have concerns and legal questions about the utilization of parkland for this purpose.
At this stage, the Council has made no commitments to creating these campsites, in any size or number. We are determining whether sanctioned campsites are a viable next step (among many) as we work to implement Proposition B. Our staff are reporting about whether this type of option (similar to Camp Esperanza or a site with tiny home structures) can be suitable and how it might be done, and where.
While it is clear that Bull Creek Park is unsuitable, if any other District 10 site were to be identified, I would ensure a public meeting was conducted before that site were to advance in any process. Such a step may prove unnecessary if the vetting process reaches the conclusion that no District 10 city owned site is suitable per the criteria outlined by staff. The stage we are at today was merely to be transparent about the citywide list of sites that the staff looked at and the criteria they are using.
The staff will be updating the Council in June and I will provide information as soon as it becomes available. If you have questions you may email my Chief of Staff at kurt.cadena-mitchell@austintexas.gov.
Regards,
Alison Alter
Council Member, District 10
