Austin City Council Meets June 7 and 9 at 10 a.m. and June 14 and 16 at 9:30 a.m. 301 W. Second St., Austin www.austintexas.gov/ austin-city-council Travis County Commissioners Court Meets May 24, 26 and June 7, 9, 14 and 21 at 9 a.m. 700 Lavaca St., Austin www.traviscountytx.gov/ commissionerscourt MEETINGS WE COVER Council Members Vanessa Fuentes, Chito Vela, Mackenzie Kelly, Leslie Pool and Alison Alter could be pushed into running two years early after a group of voters alleged they were disenfranchised through Austin’s 2021 redistricting process. A Travis County judge is set to rule on the case, but it is expected to go to the Texas Supreme Court. HIGHLIGHTS AUSTIN After a three-month pause, Austin Resource Recovery has restarted bulk and large bush pickup services. ARR paused the services in February due to staffing shortages and vacancies. The service resumed May 2. ARR is still experiencing driver shortages; however, the service is working with a contractor for the bulk services. TRAVIS COUNTY On May 3, commissioners approved a policy providing eight weeks of parental leave for Travis County employees. The program is expected to start in June. Employees will be eligible for the program after six months of working for the county. TRAVIS COUNTY The county medical examiner released a report on May 11 showing drug deaths were the leading cause of accidental death in 2021. AUSTIN Half of City Council’s seats could be in jeopardy this fall pending the outcome of a lawsuit alleging new council districts disenfranchised voters. Austin
South Terminal rejects city buyout
AIRPORT EXPANSION DEBATE The city aims to close the South Terminal to make room for other expansions. However, the Longhorn Management Group is pushing back.
AUSTIN Lonestar Airport Holdings rejected an offer from the city of Austin to buy out the remainder of its 40-year lease for $1.95 million. The city plans to close and demolish the South Terminal before its lease is up to make way for improvements on the main terminal. Representatives for the Lonestar group called the city’s offer “objec- tively offensive.” In a letter sent to the city April 27, Lonestar’s representatives said the offer is less than the company has invested into the South Terminal. BY DARCY SPRAGUE & BEN THOMPSON
The company began operating the terminal, which is home to low-cost airlines, in 2016 and opened it to the public in 2017. In a statement, an Austin spokes- person said closure of the terminal is necessary for the airport’s growth. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport CEO Jaqueline Yaft said the city’s next steps will be to send a final offer letter to the tenant as required by the Texas eminent domain statutes. In the letter, Lonestar’s represen- tatives said the company would be willing to take the case to court.
Main Terminal South Terminal
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Travis County pauses legal aid pilot program
GUARANTEED MONTHLY INCOME PILOT The city is piloting a program to give families on the brink of homelessness $1,000 per month. 85 families $1,000 a month $1.18 MILLION cost to fund program
BY DARCY SPRAGUE
TRAVIS COUNTY On April 26, Travis County paused a program due to staffing shortages that would provide some defen- dants with legal representation shortly after being arrested. It was funded through an agreement with Texas A&M Public Policy Research Institute in partnership with Arnold Ventures to study the effects of providing arrested individuals with public defend- ers before pretrial services. Less than two weeks after kicking off the program, Sheriff Sally Hernandez said it would not be possible at the planned pace due to staffing shortages. Most speakers on the issue, including attorneys, advocates, prosecutors and judges, urged the court not to allow the pause to last too long.
SOURCE: CITY OF AUSTIN/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
Austin tests guaranteed income program
BY BEN THOMPSON
sponsored the budget item, said it represents a possible way to reduce homelessness in Austin by investing in families at risk of losing their housing. “We spend so much money trying to get people out of tents and into homes,” Adler said. “It’ll be a lot less expensive if we can find some way to keep people from ending up in the tent in the first place.”
AUSTIN The city is set to begin a pilot program that will give 85 Austin families $1,000 monthly checks over the course of a year following an 8-1 City Council vote May 5. The $1.18 million guaranteed income pilot was initially funded in Austin’s fiscal year 2021-22 budget approved last August. Mayor Steve Adler, who
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NORTH CENTRAL AUSTIN EDITION • MAY 2022
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