Government
BY BEN THOMPSON
Austin o cials sworn in; elect mayor pro tem Six Austin City Council members were inaugu- rated Jan. 6 to start o the new council term. Council’s rst regular meeting of 2025 is Jan. 30, after press time. The big picture Three incumbents were sworn in after their reelection in the fall, joining three newly elected o cials: Krista Laine from District 6 in Northwest Austin, Mike Siegel from North Central Austin’s District 7, and Marc Duchen from District 10 covering Central and West Austin. All six will now serve at City Hall for four years. After taking their oaths of o ce, council members each spoke to their hopes and priorities for the coming term while pushing back against political divisions both locally and at higher levels of government. “If we come together, really setting aside personal and ideological agendas, it will make a big di erence today and a transformative one tomorrow,” Mayor Kirk Watson said. The action taken Following inauguration, the new-look council took its rst action by holding an election for mayor pro tem. That role’s responsibilities include running council meetings and serving as the city’s ceremonial head of government whenever the mayor is absent. Recent councils decided to split up mayor pro tem duties on an annual basis, a trend that will be continuing. District 2 council member Vanessa Fuentes was chosen for the role in 2025, and District 4’s Chito Vela is set to take over in 2026. Council ‘cleaning up’ board, commissions Some of Austin’s resident boards and com- missions could be combined or dissolved this year through a process started by city o cials to improve the bodies’ work. The big picture Austin's nearly 70 boards and commissions are led by appointed residents to o er policy oversight and recommendations, and serve as a connection
Thousands sheltered amid cold weather Austin sheltered nearly 4,000 people and responded to dozens of weather-related incidents through recent cold snaps. What happened As below-freezing temperatures rolled in through the past month, the city opened overnight shelter spaces serving hundreds of people nightly from Jan. 5-10 and 18-22. The service now operates under new policies made late last year to improve client registration and shelter activation processes. “Our decision to raise our cold weather shelter threshold from 32 to 35 degrees was done with the sole intention of saving lives, of preventing frostbite, of preventing hypothermia,” Homeless Strategy O cer David Gray said in an interview. Out in the community, two deaths were reported Jan. 20-21 out of nearly three dozen cold-related illness incidents citywide. Countering the cold Austin responded to dozens of incidents and sheltered hundreds of people during cold weather in January. • 3,922 people served in overnight cold weather shelters • 700 lane miles of roadway were treated • 84 cold-related medical responses, including 2 deaths • 89 potentially weather-related vehicle collisions • 23 weather-related ire incidents (Jan. 5-10 only)
Three returning and three newly elected Austin City Council members were sworn in on Jan. 6.
BEN THOMPSON COMMUNITY IMPACT
Austin City Council terms Six city o cials, including three newcomers, were sworn in for four-year terms in January. Five others are halfway through their current terms.
Mayor Kirk Watson
Vanessa Fuentes, District 2* Natasha Harper- Madison, District 1 José Velásquez, District 3
Chito Vela, District 4* Ryan Alter, District 5 Krista Laine, District 6 Mike Siegel, District 7 Zo Qadri, District 9 Paige Ellis, District 8 Marc Duchen, District 10
*SELECTED AS MAYOR PRO TEM
SOURCE: CITY OF AUSTIN COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCE: CITY OF AUSTIN COMMUNITY IMPACT
between community members and City Hall. Council member Ryan Alter said valuable discussions, reviews and community input take place at board meetings—but that some “clean-up” is now needed. “None of the proposed changes are because we think any commission is either wasting time or is doing work that is unimportant,” Alter told Community Impact . “What we’re really focused on is, how can we make the work they do more meaningful and how can we be more e cient from a city perspective?”
What’s happening This year, council and city sta will review policy updates to potentially adjust some board and commission functions, including the removal or consolidation of several bodies. Going forward, the city will look to roll out a sunset review process. O cials are also seeking to create a new website where board and commission recommendations can be easily viewed. Although he said he’s received some resistance to the commission review so far, Alter said he thinks Austin’s new-look governance bodies will combine the e orts of their members and keep the door open for discussion on items of public interest.
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NORTH CENTRAL AUSTIN EDITION
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