Parks Update
- It’s my park day, cardboard the garden so weeding is not so painful next year.
Contact Team
- Toyota dealer on Lazy Lane is redeveloping and needs a conditional use permit. They received their first round of comments from the city. Contact team had conversations about what they will request in order to support the permit.
Treasury
- $2,600 in primary checking
- $5 in saving
- $2,506 in parks fund
President/Sustainability Report
Move to online system for membership payment called Zephy.
- Membership dues are now due.
- Zephy doesn’t charge money
Newsletter planning to go out the week after the meeting
New website will go live soon. Got web development services donated by former resident of the neighborhood.
Council Member Vela -Tax Rate Election Presentation
Copy of presentation can be viewed here.
- 17 state wide constitution amendments
- 1 city proposition Q
- In 2019, ledge passed property tax cap of 3.5%, prior cap was 8%
- Austin has operated under that 3.5% since it passed.
- Presents on how city gets funding
- 50% property tax
- 25ish% sales tax
- Utility transfer 15%
- Other
- Lease revenue
- Park fees,
- Etc.
- Budget is split into operating capital . TRE only impact operating budget. 80% of operating budget is staff in all the city depts.
- Also, utilities have separate budgets
- Homeless budget is large portion of TRE 30%
- Funding for marshalling yards
- Operations of salvation army shelter
- Bridge shelter operations
- People stay there for 180 days then moved somewhere else.
- Fire and EMS get 20% of budget.
- Trying to add more mental health response so police don’t have to come out as much.
- Wildfire mitigation
- Mostly a big deal in west/southwest Austin
- Fire fighter overtime
- Enhanced EMS response
- 20% affordable housing
- Tenant assistance and vouchers
- 20% public health to cover reductions from federal funding
- 10% goes to parks rec, mostly for better park maintenance
- Reserves have gone up, currently at 17%
- Bear interest, funding source
- Good for responding to disasters
- Federal funding lost
- Highway caps
- Solar power
- Flooding grant for onion creek
- If the TRE Doesn’t pass, some reserves will be used up.
- Tax efficiency?
- Digital meters, no longer need meter readers
- Basic life support ambulance. Small SUV with one EMS for non- emergency situations.
- Transit signal prioritization
- Holding the green light
- More parks and pools
- New park in Brownie neighborhood park
- Highland park
- Colony park pool
- 51st and Springdale trail head
- Large system of free pools
- Strong demand for kid summer camp programs.
- Senior centers packed
Wooten Elementary School Update
All Wooten neighborhoods kids will go to pillow. Wooten Elementary will be a non-zoned dual language school.
All Wooten students must be in dual language program
Meeting on the 16th at 6-7 pm for local PTA and other interested parties to discuss.
Will include car traffic as it becomes a regional school.
New Business
People trespassing in train ROW. Suggest calling Cap metro police and homeless strategy office.
Vacant tourism and veteran commission from CM Vela.
Amanda Marzullo
Running for Travis County Commissioner Pct. 2.
Progressive democrat, works as a civil rights attorney.
Austin ISD, leverage funding to central health to staff schools (so it’s not recaptured)
Increase county spending in the city. Most of the budget is courts and sheriff/jail.
Spending twice as much outside city as inside. Bond projects in the city.
Use County court system as a wall to shield residents from state and federal overreach.