More agenda items that were approved include a request to raise the minimum wage for city employees to $22 an hour and the reduction of speed limits across the city as traffic fatalities rise.
Disaster preparedness guide, tool kit and webpage
The council approved an agenda item that would require City Manager Spencer Cronk to make a disaster preparedness guide and tool kit. In addition to those, there will also be a website for non-city entities who are interested in hosting a resilience hub.
The project will also include the resources that are available to support the initiative, with the funding for this project included in the fiscal year 2022-23 budget.
“At a minimum, the funding should be sufficient for signs at community climate centers, and online and printed disaster preparedness guides, and to consider whether to partner with and to compensate the community organizations that have developed similar materials to expedite this process,” Council Member Kathie Tovo said.
Redevelopment of the city’s fleet services department building
The fleet services department property at 1190 Hargrave St. will be relocated, and the property will be redeveloped.
The fleet services department manages over 7,000 fleet vehicles across 25 departments, including EMS, the Austin Fire Department, the Austin Police Department and Austin’s owned utilities. The department also manages the acquisition of, budget, repairs, maintenance, make ready, disposal and accident management of fleet vehicles.
Although nothing specific has been decided on what will happen to the property, members of the council suggested either outdoor recreation space or mixed-income housing.
“The science really shows that residents at all levels benefit from living in mixed-income communities. And I think the market-rate housing really should stay on the table, on top of the fact that market-rate units could be leveraged to subsidize more restricted units,” Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison said. St. John site redevelopment plans progressing
Two city-owned properties in the St. John neighborhood area are moving toward their redevelopment to address housing, economic and recreational opportunities for the needs of those in St. John and surrounding areas.
The 7211 I-35 N. location is a former Home Depot, and 7309 I-35 N. is an empty lot. Both are in the St. John neighborhood. The exclusive negotiating partner of the city for the site redevelopment is the partnership of Greystar and the Housing Authority of the City of Austin, or HACA. The lease on the two properties is for 99 years, and once the lease is up, the city has the option to repurchase the properties for $1. This protects the city from losing the land.
According to a resolution approved June 16 and sponsored by District 4 Council Member Chito Vela, future development on these properties will “honor and respect the rich Black and Hispanic history of the St. John neighborhood.”
The document also states that the land will become a district of mixed-use and mixed-income with access to affordable housing for current and former residents. There will also be space for recreation as well as for retail and support services specific to the neighborhood. Those plans were pulled together last year after the Greystar and HACA partnership was selected as the city's development partner on the property.
“We want to thank [the] mayor and council, and we look forward to continuing working with the city of Austin through the Master Development Agreement process as we put together a community driven vision for the St. John's property," Katherine Nicely, senior land use planner with Metcalfe Wolff Stuart & Williams representing the Greystar and HACA partnership, said in an email.
