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Quote of the Day
“We are going to do all of the things and incentivize and disincentivize people with every tool that we have.”
— Austin Water Director Director Shay Ralls Roalson, from Austin Water reports progress and challenges as drought persists.
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Austin Water reports progress and challenges as drought persists
From Mina Shekarchi:
In a presentation to the City Council’s Climate, Water, Environment, and Parks Committee, Austin Water shared its first quarterly progress report following updates to the city’s Water Forward, Drought Contingency, and Conservation plans last November. Water advocates have previously raised concerns that the conservation targets in the plans do not go far enough as the city faces climate change and increasingly severe droughts.
Austin has been under Stage 2 drought restrictions since August of 2023. Austin Water Assistant Director Kevin Critendon noted that the recent heavy rainfall, which led to disastrous flooding in Kerrville and parts of the Austin area, had somewhat replenished water storage. “But in the… context of 100-year water supply planning, you know, this is in fact a marathon and not a sprint,” he added.
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Airport live music back on schedule
After a series of recent personnel changes, live music performances at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport have returned to near pre-pandemic levels, with staff currently programming 25 shows per week across eight stages. Staff told the Music Commission that number is expected to hold steady through August, with an estimated 105 performances scheduled monthly. The airport now hosts live music Monday through Friday and has staffed up with two sound engineers to support operations. Temporary staff continue to assist with booking and coordination.
By Oct. 1, oversight of airport music programming will shift from airport staff to the city’s Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment Department, which is developing new administrative systems and intake processes for performers. ACME staff are currently coordinating with airport staff to manage technical and logistical details related to booking, equipment access, file sharing, and performer databases. The transition includes consolidating performer application materials into a single platform to improve coordination and transparency.
Several performances were canceled earlier this year due to unplanned staff departures, though most were rescheduled and artists were compensated. While some commissioners raised questions about future booking models, ACME indicated it plans to prioritize broad access to give as many artists as possible an opportunity to make the city’s standard rate for live music of $200 per person per hour.
— Chad Swiatecki
Staff improves compliance for delinquent Live Music Fund recipients
At Monday’s meeting of the Music Commission, staff from the Music and Entertainment Division reported steady progress in resolving delinquent reporting issues tied to the 2023’s Live Music Fund Event Program pilot. Since the last update, the number of non-compliant awardees dropped from 56 to 41, thanks to direct outreach efforts including phone calls, emails and one-on-one technical support. Many of the remaining non-compliant cases stem from technical and life challenges faced by grantees, such as outdated contact information, limited digital literacy and confusion stemming from the city’s switch early in the program from a centralized online portal to a patchwork of spreadsheets and email-based reporting.
Non-compliant awardees who do not submit required documentation by the end of August will be ineligible for future city funding opportunities for five years. Commissioners debated whether such penalties are too harsh for a first-time pilot program, and some supported leniency to reflect the learning curve and systemic flaws of the inaugural cycle. Others expressed concern about maintaining accountability, given that thousands of public dollars may remain unreconciled.
Erica Shamaly, director of the Music and Entertainment Division, suggested it may be unproductive for the city to try to recoup initial finding given to awardees who have become delinquent.
“Whether or not it’s decided by the city to claw back that is over my pay grade, and that’s something to discuss as an executive team and with our city manager’s office and our legal department… some of this was, you know, things we could have done better,” she said.
“We’ve done everything we can to get everybody in compliance. That’s a question of what does the city feel like it has to do at that point. If it’s flagrant year over year, you know, that’s one thing but this was a first of its kind grant for people who’ve never taken grants before.”
The city has already implemented major changes for the grant cycle, including the adoption of a professional grant management platform and larger, multi-year awards to reduce the number of awardees and the corresponding administrative burden. Staff plan to improve user experience and offer technical assistance to improve communication and compliance. A full accounting of outstanding fiscal year 2023 reports and funds is expected in September.
— Chad Swiatecki
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Elsewhere in the News
The Austin Free Press sat down with new(ish) Travis Democratic Party Chair Doug Greco to see how it’s going.
The Texas Education Agency has approved “turnaround plans” for Dobie, Burnet and Webb middle schools.
And, in other education news, KUT reports that Texas lawmakers are, once again, trying to kill STAAR tests.
KXAN brings us this month’s bird forecast.
And, of course, the machinations around the state’s redistricting continue. We, of course, recommend tuning in to the Texas Tribune to stay abreast.
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