Preparations for a future bond election, a mass gathering permit approval and an overview of a proposed public improvement district were among the topics discussed today by Travis County Commissioners Court members at the Travis County Administration Building at 700 Lavaca St., Austin.
  1. Commissioners voted 4-0-1 to begin preparation for a potential bond referendum in 2017, with Commissioner Ron Davis abstaining. Staff asked the court for approval to move forward with planning for the next set of capital improvement projects, which first requires the establishment of a citizens bond advisory committee. The county holds a bond election on average every four and a half years, and its last bond referendum was in November 2011. The 2005 bond program will be completed by the end of 2017, and the 2011 bond program will be completed or substantially in progress by 2018, according to county documents.
  2. The court approved a mass gathering permit for Euphoria Music & Camping Festival, which takes place April 6-9 at Carson Creek Ranch in far East Austin. Scott Davidson with Code4Event Management noted his organization requested a waiver to extend times for amplified sound to midnight on weekdays and 2 a.m. on weekends. The court also approved permits for the festival last year following the approval of changes to the way businesses can apply to hold major events at Travis County outdoor venues, an issue that drew testimony from local residents who sought quieter evenings as well as those who want to support Austin’s “Live Music Capital” status.
  3. Bella Fortuna Bella Fortuna is a proposed development district east of I-35 in Travis County.[/caption] Members of the court heard a presentation about the Bella Fortuna public improvement district, a mixed-use, master-planned community on more than 158 acres within the city of Austin’s extraterritorial jurisdiction. The development, which would be located east of I-35 south of the Onion Creek neighborhood, would result in the construction of about 400 new single-family homes, according to presenter Rick Rosenberg. Commissioner Gerald Daugherty said safeguards put in place by the county’s PID program will support the project. “The best thing that can happen in Austin, Texas for affordability is to put more product on the ground, and whatever mechanism you use to do that, that is the only way that we are going to see any sort of correction,” Daugherty said.
  4. Local author Fred McGhee, who wrote a book about Austin's Montopolis neighborhood, asked commissioners to help preserve the Montopolis Negro School, a historic segregated school that was first established around 1891. Commissioners did not take action on the item, which requests the court offer a formal recommendation to Austin City Council to initiate historic zoning for the property and allocate funding and resources toward preserving the site as a park and museum.
  5. Travis County Commissioners Court meeting Dec. 20 The Travis County Commissioners Court meets Dec. 20. Commissioners took several actions during the meeting and recognized retiring Precinct 1 Commissioner Ron Davis for his years of service.[/caption] The court approved a call for applications to the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, or CAMPO, transportation policy board. Applications for the board will be due Jan. 20 at 5 p.m. The court appoints four seats on the 20-member board, with the judge and two commissioners filling three of those seats and the fourth seat being appointed by the court.
  6. Commissioners recognized retiring Precinct 1 Commissioner Davis, who was first elected to the court in 1998. Jeff Travillion was elected to fill his seat in November.
Other topics included acceptance of donations, a legislative activities update and a discussion about a class related to prostitution. Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt said the court would not take action on some items on the agenda, including an update on the civil and family courts capacity project, county efforts related to DNA testing in Austin and the North Campus redevelopment project on Airport Boulevard in Austin. For more information and other items discussed at the Commissioners Court meeting, view the agenda For more information and other items discussed at the Commissioners Court meeting, view the agenda here.