Makeup of City Council committees slated for change

In addition to their work on City Council, Council members also serve on a variety of special committees, both within the city and with members from other entities, such as Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Travis County Commissioners Court.

In a City Council Message Board post, Mayor Kirk Watson indicated that he would be serving on the same committees as his predecessor, Steve Adler. Those include the Public Health Committee, Austin Fire Fighters Relief and Retirement Fund, the Texas Municipal League Board of Directors, Austin Transit Partnership, Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization as an alternate, and of course, the Austin Energy Utility Oversight Committee (which comprises all of Council), among others. He will not be on the Downtown Austin Alliance board, as he noted that the organization “has changed its bylaws so that elected officials no longer serve on the board.”

Council Member Paige Ellis put in her bid to join the Capital Metro Board of Directors. Writing on the Council message board, Ellis said, “I would also like to replace CM (Ann) Kitchen on the CapMetro Board, as CAMPO’s elected official appointee. I am hopeful the appropriate members of the CAMPO Board will take action on filling this vacancy at the February CAMPO meeting, and I would be grateful for my colleagues’ support.”

Ellis said she would like to continue her service on the committees and boards on which she has been serving, including the Mobility Committee, housing and public safety, and several intergovernmental panels.

Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison wrote on the message board that she would like to chair the Housing and Planning Committee. “Housing is my top priority and what I’m most passionate about. I will bring a great deal of knowledge, enthusiasm, challenges and most importantly work with my colleagues towards solutions,” she wrote. She added that she would like to step down from her current position as chair of the Public Safety Committee.

Council Member Chito Vela indicated that he would support Harper-Madison’s move to chair the housing committee. He said he would like to be chair of the Public Safety Committee, pointing out that his experience as a defense attorney would be useful to the position. Vela also said he would like to replace Council Member Pio Renteria on the Capital Metro board. This would not conflict with Ellis’ desire to serve as a representative of CAMPO.

New Council Member Ryan Alter said he would like to join the Audit and Finance Committee, which has lost Kathie Tovo to retirement. The District 5 Council member would also like to serve on the Housing and Planning and the Austin Water Oversight committees. Alter said he would be interested in chairing the water committee, “should that opportunity be available. I defer to more senior Council members who might also be interested, but believe I would be well suited to work on these issues.”

Council Member Vanessa Fuentes, who has served as chair of the Austin Water Oversight Committee, said on the message board that she would like to step down from that committee, leaving an opening. She said she would support Ryan Alter’s bid for the chair. The water committee still needs an additional member due to Council Member Kitchen’s retirement. Fuentes indicated an interest in serving on the CAMPO board and the Mobility Committee, continuing her service on the Audit and Finance Committee, and chairing the Public Health Committee.

Council Member Alison Alter, who chairs the Audit and Finance Committee, said she would like to continue in that position. Council Member Leslie Pool, the vice chair of that committee, also said she would like to continue her service there. Alter said she would like to discontinue her membership on the Mobility Committee to give another colleague the opportunity. She would like to continue her service on the Austin Water Oversight Committee and the Austin Energy Utility Oversight Committee.

In addition to Audit and Finance, Pool indicated she would like to continue as chair of the Austin Energy oversight committee, “and cycle off of Water Oversight. I am considering joining Mobility to expand on my work with Cap Metro, and possibly Public Safety,” she wrote.

New Council members José Velásquez and Zo Qadri had not indicated their preferences on the message board as of Tuesday afternoon. In her post for the mayor, Watson’s chief of staff, Colleen Pate, said he would like to vote on the assignments at the next meeting on Jan. 26.

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