Austin City Council UPDATED: 8:30 p.m. 2/12/15 The new 11-member Austin City Council has approved a new governing structure for leading the city, but one key component of that structure has yet been put into place. The regionally elected body during its Feb. 12 meeting will consider approving new council committees that allow City Council to take up items sooner. Each committee, other than one overseeing Austin Energy, will consist of four council members. Mayor Steve Adler met with each council member to learn his or her preference for committee assignments before announcing proposed assignments Feb. 9. The proposed committee assignments can be found here. Adler also floated the idea of moving zoning cases to another day beyond regularly scheduled council meetings. However, zoning items make up 28 of the 86 items on the Feb. 12 council agenda. City Council meetings will not separate zoning items and executive session from general items until the policy forums, formally known as deep dives, are done being held at the end of March, Jim Wick, director of community engagement for Adler's office, said. There are 51 items on the consent agenda, meaning council members will vote on all the items at once unless an item is pulled for public comment or further discussion. The council committee appointments laid out by Mayor Steve Adler were approved by City Council on Feb. 12 with 10 "yes" votes and District 6 Councilman Don Zimmerman abstaining from the vote. Consent agenda highlights:
  • Allow a council member to waive his or her salary to fund other office needs, such as additional staff. This item adds further clarification to an item council passed Jan. 29 that gave each member more flexibility with his or her budget. Pulled off consent agenda Feb. 12.
  • Consider approving potential loans and sending letters of support for various multifamily projects that are proposed throughout the Austin area designed for low-income residents. All related items pulled off consent agenda Feb. 12.
  • Consider creating a Parking and Transportation Management district in East Austin and Mueller, resulting in the creation of metered parking spaces. Item related to Mueller pulled from consent agenda Feb. 12. Item related to East Austin approved Feb. 12. with Councilman Don Zimmerman abstaining from the vote.
  • Consider accepting funding from the Texas Department of Transportation to install bicycle signals and traffic sensors in at 32 different intersections in Austin. Pulled off consent agenda Feb. 12.
  • Install traffic calming devices along Peaceful Hill Lane between West Dittmar Road and Ralph Ablanedo Drive and along Rolling Oaks Trail between Winding Oaks Trail and Talleyran Drive using contributions from the residents of the areas for the total cost of the projects. Approved on Feb. 12 with Councilman Don Zimmerman abstaining from the vote.
  • Direct City Manager Marc Ott to explore creating a general homestead tax exemption to replace the existing percentage-based exemption for Austin residents. Pulled off consent agenda Feb. 12.
  • Consider allowing construction of a two-story, 2,780-square-foot duplex at 5613 Joe Sayers Ave. with a 208-square-foot balcony and a 399-square-foot uncovered patio. The construction would encroach on both the 25-year and the 100-year floodplain of Hancock Branch and Shoal Creek. Approved on Feb. 12 with Councilman Don Zimmerman abstaining from the vote.
  • Possibly increase a contract with city's current virtual library provider by $1.5 million to meet demands of virtual library users in Austin area. Approved on Feb. 12 with Councilman Don ZImmerman abstaining from the vote.
Non-consent highlights:
  • Allow senior-level community and public policy experts to work for city council offices on loan from The Mayor's Better Austin Foundation, founded by former Austin mayor Kirk Watson in 2000. The extra staff would not be a cost to taxpayers.