CITY& COUNTY
News from Austin & Travis County
Austin City Council Meets Feb. 1 and 15 at 9 a.m. and Jan. 27, Feb. 3 and 17 at 10 a.m. 301 W. Second St., Austin www.austintexas.gov Travis County Commissioners Court Meets Feb. 1, 8, 10, 15 and 22 at 9 MEETINGSWE COVER HIGHLIGHTS AUSTIN The special election for City Council District 4, covering parts of Central and North Austin, took place Jan. 25. Greg Casar decided to step down from the role to run for Congress. Results are available at communityimpact.com. AUSTIN On Jan. 4, Council Members Mackenzie Kelly, District 6, and Leslie Pool, District 7, were appointed to serve one-year terms on committees for the National League of Cities. Pool will serve on the Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee, and Kelly will serve on the Public Safety and Crime Prevention Committee. Both groups shape the NLC’s agenda for federal advocacy. TEXAS The Department of State Health Services raised its estimate of the number of people who died during February 2021’s Winter Storm Uri to 246. The estimate includes 36 more deaths than previously counted. The update was released in December as part of DSHS’ sixth and nal report on storm-related fatalities. No new deaths were added to Travis County’s total of 28. AUSTIN The city-run animal shelter announced Jan. 11 that it will no longer be open to the public on Sundays due to COVID-19 related sta ng shortages. AUSTIN As of Jan. 17, businesses are required to post their COVID-19 safety measures and city health recommendations or face a $1,000 ne.
Encampments remain as housing e orts continue
A GROWING HOMELESS POPULATION The estimated number of people experiencing homelessness in Travis County rose more than 18% over the course of 2021*.
BY BEN THOMPSON
AUSTIN E orts to house the thousands of people on the streets in Austin and Travis County, including a regional plan to end homelessness, are continuing amid the enforcement of the city’s reinstated public camping ban and the continued presence of homeless encampments citywide. In early January, 20 people were moved to temporary shelter through Austin’s Housing-Focused Encampment Assistance Link, or HEAL, which is aimed at clearing camps and connecting people with services. This was the second clear out of Phase 2, which has a goal of relocating at least 200 people by October. Last summer, council voted to spend around $6 million on the second round of the program for scal year 2021-22. Nearly 150 people were relocated through the rst phase. “HEAL operates citywide, but the assessment of poten- tial sites does take into consideration whether an encamp- ment is creating barriers to the general public’s access to community resources,” a city spokesperson said.
3.5K 3K 2.5K 2K 1.5K 1K 500 0 Sheltered Unsheltered
+11.74%
+48.89%
*DATA FOR JANUARY AND DECEMBER WAS NOT AVAILABLE AS OF JAN. 21
SOURCE: ENDING COMMUNITY HOMELESSNESS COALITION COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
The estimated number of individuals facing home- lessness in Austin increased 18% in 2021, according to nonpro t Ending Community Homelessness Coalition.
City continues emergency preparations
Formermayor dies
AUSTIN Bruce Todd, former mayor and Travis County commissioner, died Dec. 25 at age 72. Todd’s political pursuits included BY BEN THOMPSON
BY BEN THOMPSON
storm response—that many key readiness proposals of the past were neglected prior to Uri—as a trend to avoid going forward. “There’s a real concern that I imagine that all of us share to make sure that we don’t repeat the mistake of the past and that the recommendations that can be put forward do get implemented,” Alter said. While discussion mainly stemmed from Uri, Alter noted the city should not remain focused only on winter emergencies. She high- lighted the recent Bastrop wild re as one sign that more preparation for res and other possible disasters in Central Texas is still needed.
AUSTIN The city is moving forward with emergency response and community outreach improve- ments outlined in several reports that criticized Austin’s handling of Winter Storm Uri. At a Jan. 19 City Council audit committee meeting, sta said ve of the 32 high-priority recommen- dations, including conducting an annual emergency management drill, have been completed. A dozen more are in the works. In total, the reports include over 100 recommendations. District 10 Council Member Alison Alter referenced a nding of the city’s internal audit on
planning for growth in Austin and Travis County through the 1980s and 1990s. Todd served as a county commis- sioner for a total of ve years and spent six years as Austin’s mayor. Todd died due to Lewy body disease complications. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Christian; son Jeremy Todd; step-daughter Alexan- dra Rose; and ve siblings. Bruce Todd
a.m. 700 Lavaca St., Austin www.traviscountytx.gov
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CENTRAL AUSTIN EDITION • JANUARY 2022
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