On March 3, Austin City Council members took up items ranging from bees to safety.

Bee City designation

Council members unanimously voted to approve a mandate to designate Austin a Bee City. Mayor Steve Adler was absent.

“We need to be reminded of our responsibility to protect some of the smallest and most important members of our local wildlife,” Council Member Leslie Pool said. “Being a Bee City will help educate our community that pollinators are essential to a healthy ecology, and frankly, to our survival.”

Austin Parks and Recreation Department staff initiated the application more than two years ago. The goal of the program is to protect native habitats for pollinators.

Following the vote, the city will host a series of community activities focused on habitat installations for bees and other pollinators.

Safer Sixth Street

Council members also approved a series of safety measures under the Safer 6th Street plan.

Under the plan, a working group of representatives from the Austin Entertainment Services Group, Austin Police Department, Austin Transportation Department, Austin Energy, Austin Fire Department, Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services, Austin Code and the historic preservation office and other organizations are working to identify and implement solutions to make Sixth safer. The move follows a deadly shooting that happened in 2021.

The resolution directs staff to work on several safety tasks previously recommended by the working group, including working with venues to establish safety plans and to complete a comprehensive lighting survey in the area.

It also asks staff to provide an update on establishing an EMS staging area on Sixth and information on potentially re-establishing a gun buy-back program.

Police brutality lawsuit

The city approved a $2.95 million settlement in a lawsuit against the Austin Police Department. The suit alleged that the APD used excessive force against then 16-year-old Brad Levi Ayala during May 2020 protests. The motion was passed with support from all council members other than Mackenzie Kelly, who abstained.

Since the beginning of 2022, council has approved more than $13 million in settlements over cases accusing the APD of police brutality or mishandling sexual assault cases.