TipSheet: Austin City Council, 8.29.24

Today, City Council will convene to hold its regular Thursday meeting and, to celebrate the occasion, we’ve put together a collection of things that caught our eye while reading through the agenda. Behold!

In February, Council approved a new density bonus program, DB90, to replace VMU2, which was eliminated by a court ruling. Now, DB90 is back for some fine-tuning. Of particular note is the proposed change to decibel limits for new construction, which was recommended by the Planning Commission, but not by Planning Department staff.

Council will also hold a hearing on proposed gas rate hikes today. The hearing is just one step in the process and, as Jo Clifton explained on Wednesday, Council won’t vote on the rate changes for quite a while. 

In an attempt to preserve that all-important “Live Music Capital” designation, despite various pressures pushing creatives out of the city, Council will consider a new density bonus program focused on preserving creative spaces (including music venues). More info on the new plan can be found here.

Council Member Paige Ellis has sponsored a resolution that asks TCEQ to take a more realistic view of air quality data and to keep the city in the loop moving forward.

Council Member Vanessa Fuentes has sponsored a pair of resolutions taking aim at state legislation. The first condemns the state’s new immigration law, Senate Bill 4, and asks the city to deprioritize its enforcement and look for ways to keep immigrant communities safe despite its existence. The second declares reproductive rights are human rights, despite every indication that the state Legislature disagrees.

Fuentes has also jumped into the Counsel at First Appearance issue with a resolution that essentially affirms support for the county getting the program started.

Council Member Leslie Pool has spearheaded the formation of a new bond election task force to get started on that climate bond package that was the source of much consternation last month.

After a bunch of fighting over setting parkland dedication fees, the state came in and changed the rules entirely, creating a formula for the fees based, in part, on average land values. With appraisals in with lower average land values, the fees will now be lowered accordingly.

In fun urban trail news, there are ordinances to extend the Northern Walnut Creek Trail, build a bridge over Boggy Creek on the MoKan Trail and allot $900,000 to build a trailhead for the Violet Crown Trail. And, in much more expensive transportation news, Council is also set to approve a whole mess of contracts to help with the ongoing airport expansion.

A new state law makes it easier for communities to leave the city. Today, Council will hear three separate hearings on community-driven disannexations – Lost Creek, which is 738 acres in District 8; River Place, which is 212 acres in District 10; and 28 acres in District 1.

Council will also hear a trio of land use appeals today. Would-be operators of an electric charging station are asking for a second chance at building their facility on Cesar Chavez. Two homeowners associations are appealing a site plan approval for the affordable Sunset Ridge Apartments on Southwest Parkway. And a different group of neighbors is, once again, asking someone to stop a planned accessory dwelling unit in the Robertson/Stuart & Mair Historic District.

In other zoning news, there are a mess of DB90 cases on today’s agenda. Both the Austin Neighborhoods Council and the East Austin Conservancy have asked for a postponements on the nine cases on today’s agenda, and ask that the city look at the distribution of the current active cases with a focus on equity, as half (20) of them are located in Central East Austin. 

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