Read what happened at the most recent meeting of the Wooten Neighborhood Association.Wooten Neighborhood Association – May 8, 2017
Divine Redeemer Cafeteria
President Melinda Taylor presiding
Approval of March minutes
Melinda called for a motion to approve the minutes. Joel moved to approve the minutes and Dave second the motion. Minutes were approved.
Treasurer’s Report (Joanne Garrett)
General fund: $2,091.44
Park fund: $5,317.07
An estimated $40.00 donated during tonight’s meeting
Good News
The last Wootenanny was held at Night Owl and had a very good turnout. The Night Owl is a new local bar which recently opened off of Burnet and has a signature Wooten drink.
Mobility Committee Updates (Michael Gaudini and Melinda Taylor)
While mobility is a topic which is commonly discussed at Wooten Neighborhood Association meetings, there is not an official mobility committee for Wooten. Michael Gaudini from Councilmember Leslie Pool’s office, discuss the opportunity to form a more cohesive neighborhood driven mobility committee to address traffic issues, traffic calming and built environment. Another neighborhood association within CM Pool’s district, Milwood, has shown interest in this idea. There may be an opportunity to combine interest from Milwood Neighborhood Association and Wooten Neighborhood Association to share best practices and show increased community support around these types of issues.
Question, Answer and general comments with Michael Gaudini
Question: How does the City identify traffic issues, specifically what type of data sources are consulted?
Answer: Austin Police Department (APD) data is usually referenced. This is why reporting all issues is critical, so that accurate and complete records are available. An additional resource is the Vision Zero website which has a GIS map where safety issues can be reported and mapped. Here is a link to this resource; https://austintexas.gov/visionzero
Question: Is there an update on the quarter-cent tax approved in 2016?
Answer: For Leslie Pool’s district the funds from this tax will be focused on low-cost high return infrastructure for pedestrian safety. The traffic devices have been purchased. Expect the devices to be installed by end of 2018. Some pedestrian beacons are being planned in coordination with corridor development projects.
Comment from Wooten resident: Please use caution when using pedestrian crossing signals on Burnet, as some cars still speed through the red caution lights even though the crosswalk are not cleared.
Wooten Neighborhood Planning Contact Team updates and CodeNext (Adam Turner and Michael Gaudini)
Wooten Neighborhood Plan Contact Team (NPCT) will be meeting at Night Owl next Monday, May 15th at 7:00pm. The Wooten NPCT works with the City staff towards the implementation of the plan recommendations, review and initiate plan amendments, serve as community points of contact, and work on behalf of other neighborhood stakeholders. Anyone who lives or owns a business in the Wooten neighborhood is welcome to participate in the Wooten NPCT.
Michael provided a brief overview of the draft code which has been created by the Planning and Zoning department through the Code Next process. The purpose of Code Next is to ensure development throughout the City of Austin aligns with Imagine Austin which is the City’s comprehensive plan for growth, development, and improvement. Michael discussed some of the complexities around how the city code is being updated to address zoning and development.
Wooten residents might be interested in attending an upcoming presentation about the draft code on May 16th at 6:30 pm at Journey IFC Church in Crestview, physical address 7500 Woodrow Ave, Austin, TX 78757.
There are many opportunities to learn about Code Next in the near future. Stay connected with Code Next through social media
– Twitter: @AustinCodeNext
– instagram.com/codenext
– facebook.com/AustinCodeNEXT.
Michael asked for residents to provide feedback on the Code both on high-level overarching issues of the draft code as well as issues on a very granular level around and near the Wooten Community. Feedback is needed as soon as possible. Approval of the code will occur quickly and any issues need to be addressed as soon as possible. You can email at CodeNEXT@AustinTexas.gov
Question, Answer, and Comment were skipped due to time constraints.
Parks Committee Update (Laura)
This committee meets on a regular basis and coordinates regularly occurring activities. A park work day will be occurring soon. Please check social media for the date of the next park work day. New signs have been posted around Wooten Park indicating that dogs need to be leashed when in the park.
Community Watch Committee Update (Officer Chapman and Joanne Garrett)
There has been an ongoing discussion on Next Door regarding Zoe’s Place and issues of vandalism and safety associated with the facility. Shawn Hardy has reached out to residents of Wooten to create a community driven group to address these issues. You can reach Shawn through a private message on Next Door or Joanne can provide contact information.
Officer Chapman provided guidance on how to address issues with Middle School children who are being general nuisances when walking from school. Recommendations include:
-Talking to the Middle School the students are leaving.
– Call police if you see the students doing mischief.
– Call 311 if there has been vandalism issue, however, unclear on who the vandal was.
Question and Answer with officer Chapman
Question: What is the timeline for addressing issues about Zoe’s Places?
Answer: This is dependent on the type of violations which are occurring and their severity.
Property Tax Protest tutorial (Claire)
A two-page document was provided with general guidance on how to protest property taxes. This document can be found here, http://bit.ly/2pefXrV .The basic steps outlined in the document are:
– Scheduling a hearing
– How to prepare before the hearing
-What to expect at the hearing
Deadline to schedule a protest hearing or complete the online application is May 31st.
Melinda adjourned the meeting at 8:10 pm.