TipSheet: Austin City Council, 3.23.23

City Council’s abbreviated work session didn’t offer many clues to this week’s agenda, as most of it was spent behind closed doors in an executive session. However, reading through the posted agenda, there are a few things that stood out.

It’s been about two months since Winter Storm Mara swept through Austin, and today’s Council meeting features a number of resolutions clearly inspired by its impact. Council members Vanessa Fuentes and Ryan Alter both have resolutions on today’s agenda that are intended to move forward with burying power lines across Austin. Alter’s asks for a plan to convert existing overhead lines, and Fuentes’ focuses on the viability of burying lines in city projects and rights of way.

In addition, a separate resolution from Mayor Pro Tem Paige Ellis asks the city manager to look into the supply and condition of backup generators at fire and emergency services stations, after reports that these systems failed during the storm.

Council also is set to take up scooters again, with a resolution from Council Member Mackenzie Kelly that suggests code amendments to increase enforcement of existing rules (including penalties), require users to take a photo to document proper parking, and ask the city manager to explore locking zones and geofencing, braking system requirements and safety requirements, among other things.

In housing news, Council Member Ryan Alter has a resolution that would create a “Technical Advisory Review Panel” of community stakeholders and city staff. The panel will review the city’s technical criteria manuals to identify challenges and improvements and, ultimately, work to make the creation of housing a little easier. Council is also conducting a public hearing regarding funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and where it should be applied, prior to making a draft fiscal year action plan available in May.

As we reported, the Ethics Commission approved tweaks to the city’s lobbying rules, and those proposed changes are now before Council.

Curious about the future of the Austin Public Library system? Today’s agenda also features the long-range strategic plan for Austin libraries, including the library buildings. Intrepid plan-readers can peruse the 118-page document themselves.

Council will also consider a couple of preservation-related items today. The first, which comes from Council Member Zo Qadri, seeks to align preservation incentives with the Equity Based Preservation Plan. The other increases the parks budget by more than $1.4 million for restoration and preservation projects.

In Violet Crown Trail news, Council will vote on a $2.1 million amendment that will allow work on the 30-mile trail to continue. The new trail segment will connect to the north segment of the trail where it crosses Slaughter Creek, and to existing Circle C trails.

And, finally, in terms of zoning, Council may take up the rezoning of a former tank farm on Springdale Road, a Montopolis mixed-use downzoning that caught some heat at the Planning Commission, a mixed-use zoning next to single-family homes that was rejected by the Zoning and Platting Commission, and a possible bar on Guadalupe that has the neighborhood up in arms.  And, of course, Council will finally (probably) take up the massive Brodie Oaks PUD after months of delay.

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