City of Austin Council Message Board

DRAFT RESOLUTION NO _______________ WHEREAS, electronic billboard technology has become the best available and most environmentally-appropriate mechanism for displaying outdoor advertising over the past ten years; and WHEREAS, electronic billboards are more efficient than non-electronic billboards s...

ORDINANCE NO. AN ORDINANCE REQUIRING THAT MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR INVITE PERSONS, ON A ROTATION BASIS, TO OFFER THE INVOCATION AT THE OPENING OF CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS. PART 1. Only a person invited by the Mayor, or by a Councilmember, shall be permitted to offer an invocation at a ...

Council Member Colleagues, Please see the below analysis of the Austin Transportation (ATD) and Public Works Department (PWD) CIP FY2017 budget based on Budget Question #106 (ref: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/budget/cbq/index.cfm?action=pushFile&popup=true&FILE_ID=2054CCDACF). This pertains to...

CM Colleagues - I have cut and pasted the staff recommended ballot language (Agenda Item #3, 11-Aug-16 Regular meeting) which I will be voting AGAINST, if it comes to a vote. As I've said before, I'm insisting on a more public discussion of ballot language particulars. I've also received constituent...

CM Colleagues: Starting from Pg. 20 of ACM Goode's presentation, "Proposed 2016 Bond Package and Proposition" (Aug 2nd, 2016), I propose clarifying language shown in [brackets], all in section (i): The issuance of $720,000,000 transportation and mobility improvement bonds and notes for (i)...

CM Colleagues, I'm proposing the following Resolution in order to reduce downtown trips while increasing Council meeting participation options for constituents. Simply put, I'm asking Council to go forward with having noon citizen communication (on regular Thursday meetings) live testimony before Co...

Thanks for the posting. I will not be able to make the early morning hours, as I am committing more of my Monday's to meetings and work in District 6, so this conflicts with those objectives as well. Also to repeat a point I made during the 2014 Austin 10-1 Campaign, I believe Council must move in t...

Dear Council Colleagues, I am posting this regarding City Manager Marc Ott. Mr. Ott has been the City Manager of Austin since January 2008. He managed the City through the turmoil of the Great Recession. I appreciate his efforts during that period. Unfortunately, there seem to be systemic and chroni...

Dear Council Colleagues, I am excited with all the talk regarding a Mobility Bond. The City has gone far too long without a Congestion Relief Plan and adequate funding. Our residents have been imploring us to do something to relieve traffic congestion. Looking at the various bond proposals, ranging ...

CM Colleagues, We have crafted the following two Resolutions based on deliberations from the PSC meeting (23-May-16), which should become Items From Committee to Council for June 9th. If any PSC members wish to edit or clarify these Resolutions, please do so here. Item 3 - Resolution: The Public Saf...

CM Colleagues, I'm in strong opposition to the "tax swap" in principle. There is already a dubious co-mingling of tax dollars with Austin City taxpayers on the hook for over a million city tax dollars being directed at "programs" which AISD claims supports education - education w...

Dear Colleagues, I propose these simple amendments to the 2016 Drought Contingency Plan (DCP). The changes provide objective triggers to lifting restrictions, and restore 2x per week watering that existed in 2012 DCP. Item #3 Amend PART 4. (E) Conservation Stage and Drought Response Stage One Wateri...

CM Colleagues: I intend to postpone or amend Item #17 (21-Apr-2016 Agenda), "Authorize award and execution of a 36-month contract with ATMOS RESEARCH AND CONSULTING." The scientist for this project, Dr. Hayhoe, is an expert user of extremely complex super-computer based climate models whic...

CM Colleagues, Here are the 3 amendments I proposed today (requested posting from constituent). Item #5, Compassion Resolution – Zimmerman Amendment “A” Amend by adding a new 5th and 6th WHEREAS clause to read: “WHEREAS, Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fello...

CM Colleagues, The video clip below captures today's work session discussion over my objections to the "Compassionate Communities Campaign" Resolution. I still don't have an answer as to whether "...the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without excep...

http://austincouncilforum.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=449&p=1467&hilit=water#p1467 CM Colleagues, I am a co-sponsor of this Resolution because I'm still interested in a solution to the unexplained water bill spikes. Please see the link above -- I proposed a similar Resolution, and let me cop...

CM Colleagues - In advance of the release of the Manager's "Budget Forecast", I request a Council Resolution limiting city staff (non-sworn) pay increases to not exceed the median of our metro area pay increases. Here's a copy of our recent PR on that. AUSTIN—March 30, 2016, the federal Bu...

CM Casar, Consistent with requests from the Austin Chamber of Commerce and other groups and employment experts, I will move to postpone the vote on this unFair Hiring Ordinance until May (2016); if that fails, I will make several amendments consistent with the objections listed below, compiled in co...

Dear CM Colleagues, Over the past 3 days (from March 20-22), LCRA has released over 1.5 Billion gallons of water downstream to the Gulf of Mexico. Lake Travis was at 100% capacity on March 17, 2016 and more rain is in the forecast. However, the City of Austin is still in Stage 2 Drought Restrictions...

According to the March 23, 2016 Austin American-Statesman: Hays County Commissioners and Bexar County Commissioners have decided to withdraw membership. The City of San Antonio is considering reversing a pledge of $450,000 to the district. Before we send the taxpayers $49,500; I believe the Council ...

Link to Writ of Mandamus that was filed: https://assets.documentcloud.org/docume ... ection.pdf

Zimmerman Draft Resolution – Lone Star Rail (ver. 2) Whereas, the Lone Star Rail District is made up of multiple cities, counties, Planning Organizations, and Transit Authorities; according to the lonestarrail.com website, “The Union Pacific corridor that parallels I-35 is an important link for movi...

CM Colleagues, Here is the draft resolution to remove “CAP Discounts” for Tier 5 that was mentioned in the Austin Energy Oversight Committee yesterday (25-Feb-16). Please let me know if you are interested in co-sponsoring to bring before the full Council. Whereas, the vast majority of Austinites rec...

Council Colleagues, Based on the press conference this morning, which included a call for more transparency in the city manager's evaluation process, I will be move the following admendments to Agenda Item 16 (Process for performance reviews) CM Zimmerman AMENDMENT (ver. 1) for Item 16, Council Appo...

Mr. Mayor & Council Colleagues:
I have reviewed this and I SUPPORT the amendment, for the reasons enumerated.
Regards,
Don