Callout: Today’s newsletter is supported by “Austin Parks Foundation’s Party for the Parks”
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Quote of the Day
“I am pleased we have reached a tentative agreement that invests in our firefighters, ensuring not only pay increases, but also a work schedule that prioritizes firefighter wellness.”
— City Manager T.C. Broadnax, from After heated talks, Austin, firefighters reach a deal on a four-year labor contract
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Council adopts changes for Austin Animal Center and Austin Pets Alive!
From Jo Clifton:
After the vote, Watson said, “The vitriol with which people speak to each other is a real problem. And it needs to be addressed and everybody needs to address it. This has become, (evident) even prior to Council Member Laine making attempts to make good changes… and I agree with Council Member Duchen that it can’t be just one person. . .This has become almost partisan politics and we’ve got to get past partisan politics or we’re not going to be making good decisions.”
After heated talks, Austin, firefighters reach a deal on a four-year labor contract
From Andrew Weber, KUT News
The agreement late Friday ends a weekslong stalemate after the Austin Firefighters Association rejected of a proposal that it said wouldn’t substantially increase wages for its personnel. The AFA agreed to a deal that would raise wages by at least 3 percent over four years. The contract also would eventually reduce firefighters’ hours to fewer than 50 per week, a key provision that the city pushed back on.
In a statement, City Manager T.C. Broadnax said the deal is “an important step in the right direction.”
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Today’s newsletter is supported by “Austin Parks Foundation’s Party for the Parks”
Join Austin Parks Foundation for the 11th Annual Party for the Parks, featuring Passion Pit! This beloved event is happening under the lights at ACL in Zilker Park on Wednesday, October 8th.
Partygoers will enjoy delicious dining options, libations from Austin’s premiere beverage brands, games, a live auction and an intimate concert—all while helping raise funds for our city’s nearly 400 parks, trails and green spaces. Click here to get your tickets and join the fun!
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City Council trolled during public comment
Public opposition to a now-dropped proposal to install surveillance cameras in some Austin parks turned the public comment portion of Thursday’s City Council meeting into something of a circus marked by low-grade civil disobedience, Simpsons-worthy fake names and a humorous if overlong riff on “bong hits” from Mayor Kirk Watson.
At the start of the session, Watson noted that several people with suspicious or obscene names had signed up to speak about a pulled agenda item covering the proposed $2 million contract with Utah-based LiveView Technologies to provide mobile security cameras for parks properties that had experienced a rash of car break-ins. One of the presumed-fake names was “Anita Bong” (sound it out slowly to get the joke), which prompted Watson to acknowledge and mildly appreciate the attempt at grade-school humor.
“If Anita Bong is really here, I mean, I haven’t seen any bong hits in a long time… even though bong hits have long been an iconic part of Austin, Texas and brought much happiness to our city,” Watson said, in part. “In fact, if any of the bong hits are here, it would be a high point in our day for us to get to hear from ’em.”
Once public comments began, more than a dozen speakers who had signed up to speak on a different agenda item attempted to mask their remarks to express opposition to the surveillance camera issue.
Catching on to the trick, Watson began ruling those speakers out of order and dismissing them as soon as their comments began to stray from whatever their designated agenda item was about. Sensing what was likely ahead, Watson remarked, “That was crafty, but we’re not going to be talking about surveillance cameras today,” to the first speaker’s attempt at undermining the public comment rules.
While Anita Bong was screened out as a fake name, a look through the public speaker list for Thursday’s meeting showed “speakers” using names such as notorious U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy, novelists George Orwell and George Moore, and professional wrestling personalities Vince McMahon, Eddie Guerrero, Tully Blanchard, and Hiroshi Tanahashi, several of which were called to come to the microphone to give their thoughts.
— Chad Swiatecki
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Elsewhere in the News
A new investigation by the Austin American-Statesman finds that, despite the budget crunch , Council has approved larger office budgets for themselves.
City services, however, are being streamlined.
Austin police will hold a press conference this morning to discuss new information in the Yogurt Shop Murders case.
The San Antonio Business Journal reports on a new trail that will link us to San Antonio. ($$)
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