TipSheet: Austin City Council 1.30.25

After a long holiday break, it’s time to turn our eyes back to local politics, with the first regular meeting of City Council in 2025. It’s also the first meeting for Council members Marc Duchen, Mike Siegel and Krista Laine. Fun! For those who want the full experience, the City Council agenda is posted online in its entirety here. Those who are more comfortable with best guesses and a brief overview of what might happen today are, of course, invited to read on. 

Though this meeting looks to be a fairly calm one, there are a number of items that did catch our eye. Council will consider a plan for homelessness spending over the next decade that could cost the city $350 million. (We covered the plan, which promises to “effectively end homelessness,” when it was at the Public Health Committee.) We’re also interested in a resolution from Council Member Chito Vela that dives into how mental health-related incidents are handled by the city. The resolution is a first step in changing how such incidents are handled, and it also asks for a lot of data about how things have been done up to this point, which should be illuminating. Late last year, the police union president asserted that they should stop responding to mental health calls and though the police chief assured the public that the department would continue to do so, she also touted work on a more “holistic” approach that appears to be the long-term aim of this resolution.

Council will also consider sweeping changes to its current parking policy, including increased fines and fees.

Given the recent fires in Los Angeles, and Austin’s own risk, you’d think any wildfire management by the city would be approved without controversy. Not so! Both of the items on today’s agenda – a proposed study and $7.5 million for vegetation management – are facing at least some pushback. As we reported today, critics say that the study replicates one done by Baylor University in 2009 and the management strategies – which include prescribed burns – could inadvertently increase fire risk. We’re expecting an interesting discussion.

After recently breaking ground on the Bergstrom Spur Trail, Council is set to approve more funding for the path. Not controversial in the slightest (despite the fact that the city may seek a $25 million federal grant), but it’s still fun infrastructure news (yes, that’s a thing).

In a redo that will allow comment from all members of the public this time around, Council will reconsider $600 million in funding for the Convention Center redevelopment. (It’s more than likely that Council will vote as they did on Dec. 12; we just think the fact that it’s back is interesting.)

Along with the razing of the Convention Center, the deaccession of four pieces of art (and four others) from the Art in Public Places program is also on the table today. At least one artist, John Yancey, and his supporters are calling for a delay in destroying his mural and an investigation into whether preservation is possible.

Though it won’t be discussed, we also noted that the budget for the legal fight over the Statesman PUD has been raised to $362,500.

Apparently, there are a number of parks across the city that are not zoned as city parks, and Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison is looking to fix that, starting with a resolution that will rezone the 330-acre John Treviño Jr. Metropolitan Park.

And, along with the Council committee appointments this week, Council is also doing a little shuffling and transforming the Austin Water Oversight Committee into a Climate, Water, Environment, and Parks Committee, adding an Economic Opportunity Committee and approving additional staff for the Audit and Finance Committee.

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