Austin City Council's wide-ranging Sept. 2 regular meeting saw officials approve a slate of contracts and resolutions ranging from cultural support in East Austin to contracts for homeless services and restoration of the city's iconic moonlight towers.

The meeting was also council's first since the start of the pandemic to be held with required in-person participation by members of the public due to a state rule change in effect as of Sept. 1. Several council members on Aug. 31 had discussed their preference to continue allowing virtual participation that had became commonplace over the last year and a half, but options such as using a new videoconference system and allowing residents to register to speak remotely could not be implemented in time for the Sept. 2 session, staff said.

Council's next regular meetings are scheduled during the last week of September.

Nov. 2 ballot language finalized

Following a Texas Supreme Court ruling related to the ballot language for Proposition A, one of two measures city residents will vote on Nov. 2, City Council unanimously voted to change the wording of the item.

Pushed by local political action committee Save Austin Now, Proposition A's headline feature would be a requirement that the Austin Police Department be staffed at a ratio of two officers per 1,000 city residents. Several other provisions related to the police force and training were included in the proposition plan, which City Council had edited weeks ago when adding the item to the ballot.

Save Austin Now sued over the city's revision and was granted a partial victory by the Supreme Court this week. Proposition A's language appearing on the Nov. 2 ballot will be in line with Save Austin Now's original petition, but will include a cost estimate for the staffing provision compiled by city staff. That projection is based on the addition of hundreds of new officers running the city between $271.5 million and $598.8 million over five years.

Several council members noted their skepticism of the proposition's contents and "misleading" ballot caption Sept. 2, but highlighted the court's inclusion of the cost clause and unanimously voted in favor of the mandated revision.

"I appreciate that it was seen that it would be misleading to not include that [cost estimate], so I appreciate that that remains because it is such an important feature on the ballot. I am troubled that some of the language we are being ordered to put onto the ballot in my view is misleading," District 4 Council Member Greg Casar said.

Service contract extensions

Council voted to send millions of dollars to various community organizations and local improvement Sept. 2, focusing on homelessness, early childhood education, and people living with HIV and AIDS. Items approved include the following.

• A three-year, $750,000 contract will expand dual-language preschool programs at Del Valle ISD in collaboration with the district and Travis County, which approved funding for the same initiative in early August. The funding comes from Austin Public Health's operating budget and American Rescue Plan Act dollars.

"What we’ve known is that for far too long our families in Del Valle have lacked adequate access to child care options," District 2 Council Member Vanessa Fuentes said. "With this funding we’ll be able to help families not have to deal with long waitlists or having to make difficult decisions on whether or not they have to quit their job to be able to stay home to take care of their kids. And so this really brings us one step closer to making sure that Del Valle is no longer a child care desert.”

• A contract of up to three years and $600,000 with Building Promise USA provides comprehensive re-entry programs for those returning home from prison.

“As a person who has transitioned from jails and prisons myself, I’m aware of the challenges and barriers that people face when they’re trying to reintegrate back into the community. We look forward to providing re-entry support services to all the folks that need those kind of services, and their families," said Reginald Smith, Building Promise founder and chair.

• A one-year, $264,519 contract extension with Foundation for the Homeless allows for shelter and housing of families experiencing homelessness; a one-year, $899,862 contract extension with LifeWorks provides shelter and resources for youth experiencing homelessness; and a one-year, $3.7 million contract extension with Caritas of Austin brings homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing services.

Mayor Steve Adler also called on city staff to include a data-gathering component in each contract to more closely track Austin's homeless support and housing systems over the coming year.

Iconic moontower restoration

Council voted in favor of a $1.9 million addition to a contract with Enertech Resources LLC, through Austin Energy, for ongoing repairs and improvements to Austin's landmark moonlight towers. Seventeen of the historic structures remain, with 15 standing throughout the city and two in storage. A $3.93 million maintenance contract was first approved back in 2014.

"I believe we are the last city in the country to still have moontowers," District 8 Council Member Paige Ellis said. "I know they’re very special to our community, and I just thought that was a good contract to be continuing on with as we enjoy things that are very special to Austin.”