BG Reads | News - August 4, 2022
[HEARINGS/MEETINGS]
Today
[AUSTIN METRO]
Austin ISD wants teacher housing in the 2022 bond, but some educators are skeptical of the plan (KUT)
The Austin Independent School District is gathering feedback on a proposal to include funding for teacher housing in the potential 2022 bond package. While bond dollars cannot be used for salaries, the money can be used for construction and renovation projects.
The Austin ISD board of trustees is considering two?draft bond proposals: one for $1.75 billion and one for $2.25 billion. An initial version of the larger package included $50 million for teacher housing. But, when district officials presented the plan to the public during a series of meetings in July, they faced questions and concerns about housing.
“I think we were taken a little bit aback by some folks’ potential reluctance to come around to this idea,” said Ali Ghilarducci, Austin ISD’s assistant director of community engagement and external communications. “And I think really what that had to do with was the initial proposal was $50 million. That is a lot of money for a relatively vague plan that folks did not have a lot of understanding around.”
In the wake of those community meetings, the?bond steering committee?— which developed the proposals the Austin ISD school board is considering — decided to remove the funding for teacher housing to free up money for other projects. But trustees could still decide to include teacher housing in the bond package it sends to voters in November. It would appear as a separate proposition on the ballot…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
Harper-Madison argues against increasing parkland fees (Austin Monitor)
Austin’s residential parkland dedication fees, which the city uses to buy parkland, more than doubled last year as the price of land increased. Now city budget writers are proposing to double those fees again for 2023. Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison?posted a message?to her colleagues on the City Council Message Board Tuesday, notifying them that she intends to introduce a budget amendment that would eliminate the fee increase for the 2022-23 budget year.
Harper-Madison wrote, “One of the most important obligations we as a municipality have is to provide adequate public open space for the enjoyment and health of our residents, particularly the hundreds of thousands of Austinites who live in apartments and condominiums that don’t have the luxury of private yards. At the same time, we must be mindful of ensuring that our pursuit of this important goal complements and supports our housing priorities.”
Noting the budget proposal would once more double those fees and push up the cost of housing, Harper-Madison said, “Even in our current red-hot real estate market, I’m concerned that these increases are outpacing rising property values across Austin and could negatively impact housing projects already struggling with inflated construction costs, all of which will ultimately get passed on to renters and buyers.” She said she will ask her colleagues to maintain the current fee for the upcoming year…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
Terry Black's to open more BBQ joints as they cook up ambitious real estate strategy (Austin Busiess Journal)
The twin brothers behind?Terry Black’s Barbecue LLC want to grow their business within the meats industry and outside of it through real estate — but just as one doesn’t rush smoking a brisket, Mark and?Mike Black?prefer to grow their footprint at a steady pace.
The 34-year-old twins behind?Terry Black’s, which has one location in Central Austin now and another in Dallas, are growing their brand by adding more locations, including an upcoming site in their hometown of Lockhart and one in Driftwood. But they are also scouring for real estate deals, buying any “cool properties” that come their way, such as the recent acquisition of the former Elks Lodge at 700 Dawson Road in Austin —?most recently known as The High Road on Dawson.
The twin brothers said they own about 10 properties across Texas and prefer to buy the dirt for every?Terry Black’s location, but so far have not been able to purchase their original spot located at 1003 Barton Springs Road in Austin.
Beside the upcoming?Driftwood location?that’s under construction south of Austin, the brothers decided it was time to bring their barbecue back to the town they grew up in — Lockhart, which is 35 minutes southeast of Austin. That location is slated to open in early September, and it will mark the entrance into arguably the hottest barbecue submarkets in the state…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
Parks board passes guidelines for the sale of alcohol in parks (Austin Monitor)
After much discussion, Austin’s Parks and Recreation Board has posted a?set of guidelines?that will help them decide when to approve conditional use permits that would allow for the sale of alcohol in city parks. With the recommended guidelines in mind, the board subsequently voted to approve a CUP allowing the sale of alcohol in downtown’s Republic Square Park.
The parks board has gone?back and forth?on the subject in several meetings, with members debating how they can vote on CUP requests for alcohol sales consistently and responsibly. After CUP requests were submitted by vendors like Salt & Time in?Republic Square?(which was taken over by Rosen’s Bagels) and the?Zilker Cafe?outside of Barton Springs, the board is expecting to continue receiving similar requests. Because the board has to make these decisions on a case-by-case basis, and because approving the permit permanently rezones the property for alcohol, the newly agreed upon guidelines will help them vote methodically. The Contracts and Concessions Committee weighed in on the guidelines to make sure they were written in a sound manner.
“The intended purpose of governing public recreation areas is to secure and preserve the fullest enjoyment of public recreation areas by the public,” the?guidelines?begin..?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
Hutto officials to discuss funding for critical infrastructure projects (Community Impact)
Hutto City Council is set to discuss funding options for several high-priority water, wastewater and transportation projects at an Aug. 4 meeting.
During a previous budget discussion July 21, council received a presentation outlining an array of projects with projected costs totaling nearly $356 million over the next five years.
The water and wastewater projects presented have total projected costs of $105.7 million and $165.7 million, respectively. The highest-priority projects include construction of several new lift stations, pump stations and water lines to improve the city's water and wastewater capacities.
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Projected costs for the outlined transportation projects total $93.5 million. High-priority projects include improvements at?several intersections?along FM 1660 and construction of new arterial roads near the?megasite.
At the Aug. 4 meeting, council will receive another presentation before discussing how to fund and prioritize the projects…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
[TEXAS]
Turner aide was offered more than $10K to help bar pass inspection, fast-track permit, records show (Houston Chronicle)
William-Paul Thomas, the mayor’s council liaison, was offered more than $13,000 by a local bar owner to help him pass a building inspection and fast-track a new permit to reopen a bar as a restaurant, newly unsealed court documents show. Thomas contacted the “relevant” fire official to ensure the unnamed business owner passed the inspection in May 2020, prosecutors wrote, and then he used his position in the mayor’s office to “pressure other officials” to approve the permit in July, as well. He was paid an undisclosed amount of money for his efforts. Thomas pleaded guilty on July 25 to one federal count of conspiracy to accept a bribe. He will appear for sentencing before U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen on Nov. 28.
The documents were sealed until Wednesday morning at the request of the U.S. Attorney’s office. The Chronicle published an article about the allegations Tuesday night. Thomas’ plea deal, however, remains sealed. It is unclear whether federal investigators are looking into the unnamed city officials Thomas allegedly worked with to get the certificate and permit approved, or if they are conducting a broader inquiry into City Hall affairs. A legal expert said Thomas’ quick guilty plea and his willingness to forgo a probable cause hearing before a grand jury means he likely agreed they had strong information against him. It also suggests Thomas may be part of a wider investigation by the Justice Department. Thomas abruptly resigned from his City Hall position last Wednesday, one day after pleading guilty. He told the mayor in an 11:30 p.m. email he was retiring due to health reasons…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
On third anniversary of El Paso shooting, a more subdued remembrance (Dallas Morning News)
He bears no resemblance to the man who left his home to go shopping on that tragic summer morning when bullets rang out, shattering this border region. “He was playful, full of energy, always active,” said Socorro Arias Cruz, 62, of her husband Eduardo “Eddie” Castro. “After the shooting at Walmart, it’s like the light went opaque. The trauma is always there.” Arias is referring to the massacre on Aug. 3, 2019, that killed 23 people here in El Paso. Eddie, 74, a U.S. permanent resident, witnessed the shooting from the meat department section of the store. He has since unsuccessfully sought help for what he calls “the sense of anxiety, trauma from the shooting. I relive it at all times of the day and night. I just feel paralyzed.” Three years after the shooting, residents, local and state leaders say the allocation of resources need to be better distributed between mental health, school security and border security. Texas does poorly on access to mental health care, ranking last among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, according to the 2022 State of Mental Health in America report.
On Wednesday, El Paso will mark the third anniversary of the shooting with a Day of Resilience ceremony at 8 p.m. at the Healing Garden at Ascarate Park, which will include a solemn Mass, County Judge Ricardo Samaniego said. “Due to the upcoming trial, there is such a sense of anxiety among relatives of the victims and our city in general that we decided a solemn ceremony is best,” said Samaniego, in an interview, referring to the federal trial of gunman and Allen resident Patrick Crusius scheduled for January 2024. “We’re constantly reliving the trauma because each time we try to heal, another massacre is in our face, Buffalo, then Uvalde. We empathize very closely with those cities, so we’re constantly retraumatized, and our resources are limited.”…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
Lina Hidalgo will continue to have private security detail under $321k contract (Houston Chronicle)
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo will remain shadowed by private security, after Commissioners Court on Tuesday approved more than $320,000 in spending. XMi Protection, LLC, will continue acting as “personal protective service” for Hidalgo, and at times other county officials. As was the case in April when Commissioners Court approved the plan to use private guards, the vote was 3-2 with Commissioners Tom Ramsey and Jack Cagle opposed. “I think it should be done by our constables or sheriff,” Cagle said, in the only comments on the plan prior to its approval Tuesday. It was far less debate than the initial proposal prompted. Hidalgo’s previous detail was provided by Harris County Precinct One Constable Alan Rosen, who was among a handful of county officials who have sparred with Hidalgo over funding and other matters.
Hidalgo has said her original security detail by the constable’s office was prompted by a barrage of threats directed at her early in her term. The private firm received $120,000 for the first three-month period, which expired July 25. The detail has continued, leading to a $23,904 charge for the interim. When combined with the new contract, which starts Wednesday and runs through Nov. 30, the total cost to the county is $321,376. Officials said hiring outside security allows for specialized training “without pulling law enforcement officers away from other duties,” according to a report prepared for the commissioners’ semi-monthly meeting. The contract includes personal protection for Hidalgo, but also “provide an additional resource for the protection of other county officials.” Officials in the report called the three month contracts a stopgap until a long-term bidding process can be created and a long term deal reached. A prior attempt at soliciting bids for a long-term contract failed…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
[NATION]
Texas Democrats see hope in Kansas abortion vote, but challenges remain (Texas Tribune)
Heading into a difficult election cycle, Democrats and abortion-rights supporters in Texas were energized by voters in Republican-dominated Kansas who on Tuesday resoundingly voted to keep the right to an abortion in their state constitution.
“This decision that came down from Kansas is a decision that has far-reaching consequences not just for the way people are approaching this fight on protecting a woman’s right to determine her bodily autonomy but also it gives people a lot more motivation to work toward electing Democrats in the state that can make that difference,” said Gilberto Hinojosa, chair of the Texas Democratic Party.
In a close election, Hinojosa said, an issue like the right to an abortion becomes critical for winning over moderates and independent voters — two groups that can help Democrats narrow the margins against the state’s long-dominant GOP…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
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