Austin City Council approved a resolution Oct. 1 voicing its intent to provide longer voting hours and open more voting locations.
The resolution states that council is concerned with voting hours and locations because it wishes to maximize engagement from constituents. The measures instruct city staff to ensure city-owned facilities are used as voting stations, and negotiations should begin with possible partners to open polling stations at facilities not owned by the city.
Council hopes to standardize voting hours at citywide locations and allow early voting on the same days and hours at all voting locations city wide. Council approved the measure with 10 "yes" votes. District 6 Council Member Don Zimmerman abstained from the vote.
During the November 2014 election, 36.6 percent of eligible voters made it to the polls compared with only 28.3 percent of Texas voters, according to the resolution. For Austin, 40.4 percent of eligible voters cast a ballot in November's general election with 15.6 percent returning for the December run-off election.
Other highlights:
• Council approved a 15-year agreement for 118 megawatts of solar-generated electricity and a 20-year agreement for about 182 megawatts of solar-generated electricity for a total of $695 million. Council approved the item with 9 "yes" votes and 2 "no" votes from Council Members Ellen Troxclair and Don Zimmerman.
• Council approved an encroachment to allow a pedestrian skybridge to be constructed over Red River Street from the future Fairmont Hotel to the Austin Convention Center. Council approved the item with 10 "yes" votes while Council Member Greg Casar was off the dais.
• Council approved a cost-share agreement not to exceed $130,078 with Austin Board of Realtors. City funding would be added to ABoR’s funding for a dedicated left-turn lane and drainage improvements on Spicewood Springs Road from ABoR’s east property line to its west property line at 4800 Spicewood Springs Road. Council approved the item with 10 "yes" votes while Council Member Greg Casar was off the dais.
•Council approved the prohibition of engine brake or retarder use within city limits as well as 5,000 feet outside of city limits. Council approved the item unanimously.
•Council approved a resolution directing City Manager Marc Ott to develop code amendments to add oversight and compliance requirements for neighborhood contact teams. Council approved this item unanimously.
•Council approved an ordinance amending the city's Imagine Austin plan to include Vision Zero, the goal for Austin to have zero traffic fatalities in one year. Council also added the South Austin Combined Neighborhood Plan to Imagine Austin. Council approved the item with 9 "yes" votes and 2 "no" votes from Council Members Ora Houston and Don Zimmerman.
•Council approved a resolution to begin a code amendment process changing how PUD applications for unzoned properties are approved. Council approved the item unanimously.
