The city announced a long-anticipated step forward Tuesday for the Planning and Development Review Department. As part of a pilot program, the department will now accept online payments for plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits and re-inspection fees. For now, the program (named “Austin Build + Connect,” or ABC) is open to a small group of contractors in a pilot phase. The site will become available to the public March 30. Though eventually an ABC website will replace the existing permitting and public search website, for now the service will be available through the current permitting website and will use customers’ current credentials.

Two Travis County Commissioners will sit on a special committee created by Austin’s City Council to examine issues regarding affordability in Central Texas. During Tuesday’s Commissioners Court voting session, Brigid Shea and Margaret Gómez were unanimously selected by their colleagues to represent the county on the Regional Affordability Committee. The new 10-1 Council voted during its first meeting in January to create the committee in order to “provide expanded opportunity for transparency, public input and collaboration between taxing jurisdictions to improve how we serve our community,” according to Council Member Delia Garza. Garza will be joined by Council Members Ann Kitchen and Ellen Troxclair as the city’s representatives on the committee. Other local jurisdictions invited to participate include Williamson County, Capital Metro, Central Health, Austin Community College and five school districts including Austin, Del Valle, Pflugerville, Round Rock and Leander. The committee’s first official meeting is scheduled for April 20.

Using his own salary to fund the positions, Mayor Steve Adler has hired two temporary employees as policy advisers. Brandi Clark Burton and Kazique Prince had been working as volunteers for the mayor and officially became city employees last week. City spokesman Bryce Bencivengo said they each will be earning $31.25 per hour, which is $65,000 a year. Burton is known for her expertise in environmental matters, and Prince has a background in education and diversity. Both had been volunteering in the mayor’s office for several weeks. Adler now has a total of seven employees. Two additional employees are on loan from city management: Sara Hartley, chief of staff for the Public Works Department, and Sly Majid, chief service officer for the city. Adler had wanted a 24-member staff — or more — but that idea proved highly unpopular with his colleagues. The City Council Audit and Finance Committee will be discussing options for providing additional staff for Council offices at its meeting Wednesday.

City Council Member Greg Casar is sponsoring an item on the March 26 Council agenda to formalize the city’s support for HB 594 and SB 270. The bills, filed by state Rep. Celia Israel (D-Austin) and state Sen. Kirk Watson (D-Austin), would direct the Texas Department of Transportation to provide reduced tolls for large trucks along the state-owned portions of State Highway 130 in an effort to divert traffic from I-35 through Austin. Casar said TxDOT studies have shown that previous toll discounts have increased truck traffic on SH 130 by as much as 45 percent. In 2014, I-35 in Travis County was ranked as the second-most congested roadway in the state and the most congested roadway for truck traffic in Texas. Casar’s resolution is co-sponsored by Mayor Steve Adler and Council Members Leslie Pool, Ann Kitchen and Sabino “Pio” Renteria.

City Council has adopted new interim development regulations for the South Lamar area to address drainage issues associated with infill development. The South Lamar neighborhood has experienced flooding due to recent increases in residential development, coupled with undersized, collapsed or nonexistent stormwater infrastructure. City officials say the ordinance, adopted in December 2014, will ensure greater compliance with state law and protect the health, safety and welfare of South Lamar residents by limiting development that would further overburden existing stormwater infrastructure. The requirements of the South Lamar Neighborhood Mitigation Plan apply to the area bounded by Oltorf Street to the north, the Union Pacific railroad to the east, U.S. 290/Ben White Boulevard to the south and South Lamar/Manchaca roads to the west. The regulations will remain in effect until more permanent solutions are put in place. Click here for more information.

The Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Office is currently developing its annual Action Plan, which outlines community needs, resources and priorities of federal funding provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Part of that process includes participation and input from Austin residents. The Needs Assessment Period will take place through April 24. This strategic planning document is Austin’s guide to utilizing limited resources to address the most urgent needs of the community. There will be multiple opportunities for public input, including public hearings before the Community Development Commission and the Austin City Council. The Community Development Commission meets at 6:30 p.m. April 14 at Town Lake Center, 721 Barton Springs Road. Council will hold its public hearing April 16 in Council Chambers at City Hall. Public comments may also be submitted by April 24 to NHCD@austintexas.gov or by postal mail addressed to: NHCD, Attn: Action Plan, P.O. Box 1088, Austin, Texas 78767. Click here for more information.

City Council Member Greg Casar, who seems unable to rid himself of his runoff opponent, Laura Pressley, announced last week that former Mayor Lee Cooke would be his campaign treasurer for a special officeholder account. As he explained to publisher Michael Kanin on the Monitor’s radio show, Pressley is currently suing him in an election contest. The city charter allows Casar to solicit and accept contributions to pay his fees for the election contest. Cooke served on the Austin City Council as a member from 1977 to 1979. He was president of the Austin Chamber of Commerce from 1983 to 1987. He defeated Mayor Frank Cooksey in a runoff in 1988. It may seem as if someone with Cooke’s background might not want to help a Council member with a Workers Defense Project background like Casar. But Casar described Cooke as “one of the most common-sense guys I’ve ever met,” and therefore perfect as his campaign treasurer.

The Austin Monitor and KUT News have entered the Knight Foundation’s Knight News Challenge, with our application, Engage & Destroy. The app is designed to engage voters and destroy low voter turnout by allowing users to rank candidates and win points by making their way through the voting process, encouraging others to participate in elections, and researching candidates. More information on the project can be found on the Knight News Challenge website. Visit and leave feedback!

City Council members will continue looking at different facets of public policy at their 9 a.m. meeting today. At that time, Assistant City Manager Rey Arellano and Travis County Justice & Public Safety Executive Roger Jefferies will answer the question, “What is the City’s approach to public safety service delivery? How does the City work with the County and other partners in delivering services?” Following this, Austin Police Monitor Margo Frazier, Greater Austin Crime Commission Executive Director Cary Roberts, former associate judge for Austin Municipal Court and former member of the Public Safety Commission Ramey Ko, and Texas NAACP President Gary Bledsoe will take a look at key community concerns and the community’s role in public safety. After that, Mike Levy and another speaker will address disaster recovery efforts. The discussion will also feature these speakers: Allen Graham, Mobile Loaves and Fishes; Nancy Hohengarten, Community Justice Council; Human Rights Commission; Center for Elimination of Disproportionality and Disparities; Mike Manor, Building Bridges Brick by Brick.

The city’s Public Assembly Code Enforcement, or PACE, team has been responding to calls related to downtown activities since the start of the South by Southwest Conferences and spring break. On Friday (the last day figures were available), the PACE team shut down 15 venues or facilities for unauthorized gatherings and issued another 15 citations for the same thing. It also issued 20 written warning and 63 verbal warnings for minor infractions. The Austin-Travis County EMS reports that it responded to 68 incidents, resulting in 34 patient transports. These numbers reflect calls for assistance within the area that encompasses SXSW-, South Congress- and other spring break-related events. The Austin Transportation Department’s Ground Transportation Enforcement team issued four citations Friday, in addition to parking citations or written warnings by parking enforcement officers. All four were for pedicab violations.

Next week, City Hall watchers will get their first real taste of what the new City Council Committee structure will look like. At 9 a.m. Monday, the entire Council will meet to learn about public safety and how the city “responds to citizen requests for service.” Then at 3 p.m., the Economic Opportunity Committee will meet for the first time. At 4 p.m., the Public Safety Committee will meet. On Tuesday, Council will hold its work session at 9 a.m. On Wednesday, both the Audit and Finance Committee and the Mobility Committee will meet at 9 a.m.; the Open Space, Environment and Sustainability Committee will meet at 2 p.m.; and the Housing and Community Development Council will meet at 4 p.m. On Thursday, Council members will hold their regular meeting.

Apparently, the city’s crackdown on non-sanctioned events during South by Southwest has made an impression, as the Public Assembly Code Enforcement, or PACE, team has been handing out fewer citations and has shut down fewer events in the last day or so. However, the PACE team continues to issue a large number of written and verbal warnings to revelers who bend the rules. As of midafternoon Thursday, the PACE team had shut down nine illegal venues and issued 32 citations, 13 written warnings and 99 verbal warnings. Meanwhile, the Austin-Travis County EMS reports that it responded to 53 incidents resulting in 23 patient transports. Those numbers reflect calls for assistance within the downtown footprint where SXSW events are occurring. In addition, the Transportation Department’s Ground Transportation Enforcement team reports that it has issued 46 citations since March 12. Most of the citations were given to pedicab and taxi operators who did not follow city regulations. This number is in addition to numerous parking citations and warnings written by parking enforcement officers. Also, the Austin Police Department says it has instituted its No Refusal policy for suspected drunken drivers through 5 a.m. Sunday. For the most up-to-date information, officials recommend monitoring City of Austin social media.