Government
BY HALEY MCLEOD & BEN THOMPSON
City cleanup initiative ends after state sweeps A three-week city initiative to clear dozens of encampments ended Nov. 8 on the heels of a sep- arate state operation to remove homeless people from public areas in Austin. What happened Gov. Greg Abbott announced the state cleanup Oct. 21. He said dozens of encampments with thousands of pounds of debris were removed, while dozens of arrests and extensive drug seizures were made. The move surprised local ocials, who labeled the operation as a “show of force” without long-term benet. They said Texas agencies didn’t notify Austin after the city started its wider encampment management initiative days before. “It’s not the way government ought to be working, especially when we’re talking about our most vulnerable Texans,” Mayor Kirk Watson said of the state operation. Homeless Strategy Ocer David Gray said the Texas Department of Transportation regularly clears out encampments and debris from state rights of way like highway frontage roads and underpasses, and that city leaders had been holding weekly coordination calls with the agency. However, TxDOT’s work hadn’t crossed over into city property and parkland until mid-October. Since then, multiple Austin departments coordinated to prioritize dozens of clean-ups and connect homeless residents with resources and shelter under the city-led program. Gray said the eort was meant to get ahead of impacts from severe weather and a cold winter season. It con- cluded Nov. 3-8 with a focus on “harder-to-reach”
Austin-San Antonio rail study launched Travis County ocials approved a $124,953 feasibility study exploring commuter rail options between Austin and San Antonio. The big picture The study into an initiative long cham- pioned by county Judge Andy Brown will evaluate passenger rail options on state-managed land along major highways, including existing rail infrastructure, with potential service options from the Amtrak station in San Antonio to the Austin-Berg- strom International Airport. It’ll examine rail on existing transportation corridors without requiring signicant private land acquisition, making the route potentially more feasible and faster to develop. “If we got on it quickly, we can build it before I-35 construction is nished,” Brown said. The theoretical path would run from downtown Austin to the east along Hwy. 71 past the airport, south down SH 130 and west into San Antonio along I-10, Brown said. He noted the study is currently only expected to look at SH 130 and I-10. Brown said proponents of a commuter line have long hoped to partner with Union Pacic—which operates existing freight lines along I-35—on passenger rail, but the railroad has prioritized freight operations. A summary report on project manage- ment, engineering and other information is expected in 175 days.
Austin Resource Recovery crews addressed hundreds of encampments this fall.
Encampment response
• 669 encampments cleaned • 1,212 people found at encampments
• 181 moved to shelters • 87 connected to services
• 1.35M pounds/ 673.86 tons of debris removed • 71 citations and 22 arrests
CITY OF AUSTINCOMMUNITY IMPACT
public land deeper in city greenbelts, parks, and nature preserves. The initiatives took place under a 2021 state law that bans camping in public, as well as Austin’s local camping ban reinstated by city voters the same year. What’s next Renewed focus on public encampments is continuing in Austin after the recent city and state initiatives. City Council voted Nov. 6 to expand city-led out- reach to those living on the streets, and to launch an encampment management dashboard with improved processes for public reporting. Updates are expected in the coming months.
City o cials OK internal hires to lead Austin Energy, auditor’s o ce
interim Austin Energy GM Stuart Reilly to that role on a full-time basis starting Nov. 2. Reilly, who has nearly 20 years of public utility experience including six as an Austin Energy executive, will now earn a $470,000 salary. And after selecting him for the role in October, City Council approved the hire of Deputy City Auditor Jason Hadavi to lead that oce Nov. 6. The 20-year auditor’s oce veteran will earn a $216,341 salary.
Austin ocials approved internal hires for two city leadership positions this fall. What happened National searches for a new Austin Energy gen- eral manager and city auditor launched this year. The recruitment eorts came after former Austin Energy General Manager Bob Kahn’s retirement in the spring, and ahead of City Auditor Corrie Stokes’ planned departure in late 2025. City Manager T.C. Broadnax appointed former
Stuart Reilly, Austin Energy General Manager
Jason Hadavi, City Auditor
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