TipSheet: Austin City Council, 3.7.24

Today, City Council will convene for a normal Thursday meeting, and we’ve put together a few of the items on this week’s (short!) agenda that caught our eye.

Proposed changes to environmental protections on the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail are on today’s agenda and, if it’s anything like the scene at the Parks and Recreation Board, we could be in for a bit of a fight. At the parks board, public speakers took issue with the changes, saying they could literally pave the way for a paved trail, among other concerns, during a two-hour debate over the new rules.

Council will take up a number of items (and hold a public hearing) on new water reuse requirements intended to help conserve. We have a recap of what those requirements are from when they were considered by Council’s water oversight committee, but essentially the new rules would make some water reuse mandatory for new development in an effort to help conserve water. In addition to the new rules, Council will also consider a new fee of 15 cents for every thousand gallons of water used to help expand the reclaimed water system in Austin – raising water bills by $1.47 each month for the average water customer and raising about $4.1 million for water reuse incentives and expansion.

In related news, Council Member Mackenzie Kelly has a resolution that will create an educational campaign for Austin Water’s rebate programs and look for other ways to help conserve water. 

Last week, Council approved a resolution from Council Member Ryan Alter that asked city landscapers to use more environmentally friendly tools. Today, Alter is tackling incentives for residents and small businesses that make the switch away from gas-powered lawn care equipment.

Mayor Kirk Watson has a resolution that looks to expand workforce development and the federal funds that go to the city for such initiatives from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.

The city is also considering seeking up to $4 million from the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program to help fund part of the John Treviño Jr. Metro Park Vision Plan Phase One Implementation project. (You can read about the plan, and what phase one entails, here.)

Speaking of plans, Council will hold a public hearing on the city’s application for federal (HUD) funding. Essentially, the city applies for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) and the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Program (HOPWA) by providing an overview of community need and preferences, and this is part of how they ascertain what those are. (Another hearing will take place on March 12 at the Community Development Commission.)

In terms of zoning, it’s a historically short agenda. On it is a potential historic zoning for the State Theater that was endorsed by both the historic landmark and planning commissions. Council may also weigh in on St. David’s HealthCare’s proposed South Austin expansion. We covered it when it was at the Planning Commission. And, on Burnet Road across from Top Notch, a proposed rezoning could make way for a vertical mixed-use project. And in kind-of zoning news, Council will also hold a public hearing as part of a change to the North Burnet/Gateway Regulating Plan that will allow sciences, lab and biomed uses.

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