Government
BY HALEY MCLEOD & BEN THOMPSON
Eligible Austinites to get ood insurance aid A new pilot program launching this year will give lower-income Austinites impacted by ooding access to new nancial assis- tance for ood insurance. What’s happening City Council members have sought to address rising insurance costs and local risks in the area known as “Flash Flood Alley.” After Austin’s ood mitigation e orts earned its residents an extra 5% discount on insurance policies last year under a federal program, city o cials funded the new local initiative now rolling out. The project Council voted March 6 to advance the $130,000 program through a contract with the Del Valle Community Coalition. The project kicked o in March and the DVCC is expected to begin reaching out to residents about available support soon. Details about qualifying are to be determined.
Drying out Travis County and other Central Texas counties remain in extreme drought conditions.
Abnormally dry
Moderate drought
Severe drought
Extreme drought
Exceptional drought
100%
March
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
SOURCE: TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD COMMUNITY IMPACT
New transparency standards set for public safety labor talks Negotiations with Austin’s police, re and emergency medical services labor groups will now be fully accessible to the public, after materials used during last year’s bargaining with the Austin Police Association were withheld. Central Texas watering restrictions ramp up The Lower Colorado River Authority, or LCRA, enacted Stage 2 outdoor water restrictions March 3 in response to continuing drought conditions. The details All customers, including municipalities like Austin, will be limited to outdoor watering once a week. The LCRA aims to cut water demand by 20%. The maximum once-per-week watering restric- tion a ects residents, businesses, industries and lakeside property owners that draw water from the Highland Lakes.
The LCRA determined the e orts were nec- essary after reported declines in water levels of Lakes Buchanan and Travis—the primary reser- voirs in the Highland Lakes system. “These actions are needed to help preserve and extend our water supplies in the face of a drought that shows little signs of easing over spring and summer,” John Hofmann, LCRA executive vice
president of water, said. What you need to know
“By providing this pilot program around ood insurance, we really will be making
O cials encourage utilizing low-water landscap- ing that can thrive on no more than once-a-week watering, and to: • Use drought-tolerant plants • Cover swimming pools when not in use • Add mulch to landscapes and compost to turf
a big di erence in our community.” VANESSA FUENTES, DISTRICT 2 COUNCIL MEMBER
The big picture The recent labor talks between the city and APA led to a ve-year deal hailed by both sides as a step forward in the political relationship between City Hall and the police force. Although meetings between Austin and the APA were open to attend and livestreamed, the public couldn’t view any documents like draft agreements or nancial information related to the contract—a di erence from previous years. That came at the APA’s request, with o cials citing state law that makes police labor agreements and related materi- als public only after a nal deal is signed.
What happened Despite the state public records provisions, a resolution from council member Ryan Alter approved on Feb. 27 will require future labor talks to be publicly recorded and broadcast, and make all documents publicly accessible during the process. Private negotiations could be allowed if needed, with formal council approval. APA President Michael Bullock pressed against the update, saying it runs afoul of the state stan- dards that inspired last year’s change.
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