Meetings

The council meets Thursdays as needed at 10 a.m. Check the city's website for meeting dates.

• Austin City Hall
• 301 W. Second St.
• 512-947-2497
• www.austintexas.gov/department/city-council

Terms and compensation

In 2012, Austin residents voted to amended terms for the mayor and council members to serve four-year staggered terms. Compensation is $65,956 for most council members and $77,688 for the mayor.

TV coverage

Meetings are televised live on cable Channel 6 and streamed online at www.austintexas.gov/department/channel-6

Big decisions made in 2012

• Short-term rentals — In August, Austin City Council adopted an ordinance that went into effect Oct. 1, requiring residents operating a short-term rental (STR) property to register with the city. STRs are divided into two types of rentals, depending on whether the homeowner lives in the residence.
• 10-1 geographic representation — Austin residents voted in November for a change to Austin City Council's representation by approving a 10-1 geographic representation system. The expanded council will have one member elected from each district with the mayor still being elected at-large.
• Waller Creek project designer selected — Michael Van Valkenburg Associates and Thomas Phifer & Partners were affirmed in October by Austin City Council as the winners of the Design Waller Creek: A Competition. The Waller Creek Conservancy is working with the designer to establish a budget and timeline for the project that will develop and revitalize about 28 acres of downtown land.

Top issues for 2013

• Land development code revision project — After adopting the Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan in June 2012, city officials and staff will look to revise Austin's development regulations and processes. The revision process is expected to take about 2 1/2 years and begins this spring with a series of listening and education sessions with the public and major stakeholder groups.
• Single-use bag ban — The bag ban ordinance, passed in March 2012, goes into effect this March. The ordinance bans single-use paper and plastic bags with a few exceptions, including plastic bags used to carry dry cleaning, plastic bags used to carry out liquids from restaurants and disposable bags used by local food banks.
• Downtown wayfinding system — The City of Austin will continue to progress on its downtown wayfinding system in 2013. The system is expected to help residents, commuters and tourists find destinations and attractions. The project is now in its third phase.