Austin City Council—Nov. 6

City Council will now draft a contract for the city of Cedar Park to purchase 215.4 acres of land outside Austin city limits for $4.1 million. However, the deal must return to council before any sale is authorized.

The delay is due to environmental concerns raised by Councilwoman Laura Morrison during the Nov. 6 meeting. She requested that Austin's stricter environmental regulations be attached to any land sale before the property—a large limestone quarry—is acquired by Cedar Park. The property is surrounded by Cedar Park city limits.

Mayor Lee Leffingwell opposed the attempt to control how Cedar Park regulates the land they wish to purchase.

"I'm very uncomfortable with going forward with a process that will allow the city of Austin to reach into the city of Cedar Park to impose our regulations," Leffingwell said.

Cedar Park Mayor Matt Powell and his staff already negotiated with the current business operators of the land, Ranger Excavating, at the request of City Council. Ranger no longer wishes to compete for the purchase of the land after reaching a compromise with Cedar Park for when business operations on the land will cease.

Vote: 4 "yes" votes, 2 "no" votes with Leffingwell and Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole voting "no" and Councilman Bill Spelman absent.

Decker Lake Golf Course makes another step forward

(Posted 4:20 p.m.)

City Council waived a portion of City Code to allow for development of a pro-quality golf course at Walter E. Long Metropolitan Park to come closer to being reality.

Construction has not yet been authorized, but council did agree to a waiver that allows city officials to discuss the project with the developers proposing the project.

The fenced-off public property is zoned as parkland, but plans for decades have called on the land to be converted for golf use.

Vote: 6 "yes" votes, 0 "no" votes with Councilman Bill Spelman absent.

Prohibition of source of income discrimination close to becoming law

(Posted 5 p.m.)

Section 8 voucher holders are one step closer from gaining protection against landlords potentially refusing their method of rental payment.

A Section 8 voucher is a form of government-approved funding used to help those with low incomes pay for housing. The ordinance that passed City Council on second reading would exempt landlords with five or less rental units from complying.

Opponents of the ordinance, including the Austin Apartment Association and the Apartment Association of Greater Dallas, said that it will create negative or unintended consequences and make it harder to evict problem tenants.

Supporters of the ordinance, which included local landlords, ADAPT to Texas and Austin Tenants Council, said that Section 8 voucher holders are typically reliable tenants and when there is a need to evict someone, it as not as complicated as opponents make it seem.

"So many of our members have vouchers and have struggled to find places to live. ... I think we all deserve an affordable, accessible integrated place to live," said Jennifer McPhail with ADAPT to Texas, a disability rights advocate organization.

The ordinance will come back to City Council for potential passage on third and final reading. It was not passed on third reading to allow Councilman Bill Spelman to participate in the discussion of its passage. Spelman was absent from the meeting due to illness.

Vote: 6 "yes" votes, 0 "no" votes with Councilman Bill Spelman absent

New bicycle master plan adopted

(Posted 8:20 p.m.)

The 2014 Bicycle Master plan was unanimously adopted Nov. 6 by City Council.

The plan is the most recent update since 2009. The newly adopted plan calls for creating an extensive bicycle path and trail network of 247 miles costing $151 million. Nathan Wilkes with the city's Transportation Department told council members that city staff hope to complete the project in the next 10 to 15 years.

As bike lanes are added to the anticipated new network, more people are likely to turn to bicycles as a reliable mode of transportation, Wilkes said.

Supporters of the plan echoed Wilkes in their testimony. No residents spoke in opposition of the plan.

"I ride bicycles for recreation and transportation," said Sue Anderson of advocacy group Bike Austin. "I'm really depending on this updated bicycle plan to provide me that compact, connected and also liveable Austin that I want to see."

Vote: 6 "yes" votes, 0 "no" votes with Councilman Bill Spelman absent

Split votes temporarily kill high-profile items

(Posted 10:15 p.m.)

With Councilman Bill Spelman absent, a shorthanded City Council split the vote and failed to make a decision on how best to approach the city's land development code rewrite process and whether micro units development standards should be lightened.

Councilman Mike Martinez, who is preparing for a Dec. 16 mayoral runoff election against challenger Steve Adler, voted both times the same as Councilwoman Kathie Tovo, who will face Councilman Chris Riley in a District 9 runoff election. Martinez and Tovo voted against a top-down rewrite of the development code, while they both approved a micro-unit ordinance that relaxes some parking requirements.

The council will bring both matters up for reconsideration at later council meetings. Ultimately, the outcome of these two items may rest on Spelman's vote. He was absent during the Nov. 6 meeting due to illness.