Council met earlier this week to consider a new report on Austin Police Department practices and could also vote to settle lawsuits related to APD Jan. 27. Council is scheduled for a work session and voting meeting next week.
Court updates on hold
A proposal to create a new city marshal office to provide security at Austin's municipal court was up for council consideration Jan. 27, but was postponed this week to allow more time for "stakeholder engagement," according to city staff.
The $2.78 million marshal program was funded in the city's approved fiscal year 2021-22 budget, but was met with resistance from council, community members and some court officials last year when it came time to formally approve the office's creation.
"This is not what we wanted," said Sherry Statman, the municipal court's presiding judge, during a November discussion of the proposal.
On Jan. 24, members of the city's Public Safety Commission also voted in favor of a recommendation that council drop the marshal office concept in favor of continuing to use APD officers for court security.
While questions around the municipal court remain, council could also hold off on approving funding for the Downtown Austin Community Court's permanent move.
The rehabilitative court mainly handles cases involving those experiencing homelessness; it relocated to a temporary home at One Texas Center last year.
Several items on council's Jan. 27 agenda would kickoff renovations at Austin's 115-year-old Municipal Building, located at 124 W. Eighth St., to allow the community court to move in late next summer. If approved, the $25.75 million renovations would begin this September.
However, feedback from the community could lead council to vote to push a vote on the court's move into February. District 9 Council Member Kathie Tovo said a Jan. 25 community meeting had nearly 90 people registered to comment on the issue and requested a postponement to allow officials to consider their feedback. A Jan. 24 letter to council from the Downtown Austin Alliance also asked for the court relocation to be shelved temporarily.
"[M]any downtown property owners, business owners and residents have expressed concerns, primarily over the lack of a transparent process. For the downtown community to make an informed decision and develop a position, they deserve to hear and provide input on plans for security, parking, accessibility, and cost. Additionally, any potential impact to neighboring residents or business owners, or the possibility of co-locating it in other city-owned facilities, should be addressed," said Dewitt Peart, the Downtown Alliance's president and CEO.
Airport expansion takes off
A yearslong expansion of Austin's airport could also move ahead this week with council's approval of a $46 million contract to set the stage for an update of the Barbara Jordan Terminal.
The first portion of the broad expansion plan, which totals hundreds of millions of dollars across multiple phases, will see several new gates, security stations and ticketing areas added to the airport's main terminal. According to staff, the $46 million contract with JE Dunn & Clark Construction would provide an initial investment for pre-construction planning for the addition of three terminal gates as well as passenger "bus gates" for boarding. A preliminary estimate for the western gates' construction is $70 million, a figure that could be adjusted as designs are finalized.
A public meeting to address concerns related to a new jet fuel storage site at the airport, which officials said is needed to support Austin-Bergstrom's growth, is scheduled for Jan. 29.
Eviction support
A pair of contracts totaling $1.1 million could also continue city-backed support for Austin residents facing eviction.
The items include a one-year, $220,000 agreement with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid for eviction counseling and related services and an $880,000 agreement with El Buen Samaritano for rental and relocation assistance. Both measures were developed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a projected increase in eviction filings city staff expect to see now that pandemic-related eviction protection measures expired.
