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Welcome to my Newsletter!

We have a lot of accomplishments to take pride in during my first few months on Council:

I am currently serving as Chair of the Austin Water Oversight Committee, Vice-Chair of the Housing and Planning Committee, member of the Mobility Committee, Regional Affordability Committee, and Austin Energy Oversight Committee.

As a Council, we finalized the metrics of Strategic Direction 2023, a 5-year plan to gauge our success at accomplishing city-wide goals. We adopted the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan to assist with mobility planning for the next 20 years. And we have just recently begun discussions with CapMetro regarding a potential 2020 Transit Bond that would go to the voters for approval next November.

In District 8 news:

We have identified a location for a Fire Station to improve Travis Country’s emergency response times, which has historically had some of the longest response times in the city. It is expected to break ground in June 2020.
We have approved our portion of the funding for the Oak Hill Parkway.
We secured $5 million for funding for Austin Parks through proceeds from ACL Fest.
This October, we reopened the Hampton Branch Library at Oak Hill after months of infrastructure improvements.

I have led on approved resolutions relating to regional air quality, composting for multi-family residences, and universal access to diaper changing stations. I also co-sponsored resolutions on such topics as vehicle electrification, the Task Force on Gun Violence, Beer-To-Go, and labor protections.

In this newsletter, I’ll take a deeper dive into some of the issues that matter most to you: updating the 1984 land development code, revised camping ordinances for those experiencing homelessness, and wildfire preparedness. You will also be able to get to know the District 8 staff who is here to serve you.

Sincerely,
Paige

District 8 Issue Updates

Land Development Code

By now, you may have heard: the City of Austin is revising its 1984 land development code (LDC), something that hasn’t happened for about 35 years. This comprehensive LDC update is an opportunity to put Austin on a more sustainable path for how we grow and what effect that growth will have on our household affordability, mobility options, and the environment. The simplified and refreshed LDC also will make it much easier for homeowners to understand what kinds of changes they can make to their property and what changes will be allowed for their neighbors, as well.

Many of the successes Austin has enjoyed as a city come from the strong foundation of environmental and water quality protections that residents have worked hard to build over the decades. An updated LDC must reinforce this foundation while recognizing that if we don’t allow for better choices in terms of mobility and access to everyday necessities like grocery stores, medical care, schools, parks, and local businesses, it will be impossible to reach our climate protection goals and maintain Austin as the green city it has long been.

Following City Council policy direction in May, the LDC staff team released a draft code text and map in early October that implements Council’s direction. As our office examines these documents in preparation for first-reading action at the December 9 City Council meeting, and throughout this process, we welcome your input and questions! After first reading, the LDC staff will incorporate all the changes Council made on December 9 and bring a second draft back for further action in January.

Read more on the District 8 blog, including details on our upcoming Q&A event on November 19.

Homelessness in Austin As we're sure you've seen in the local news, homelessness is an issue that our city is working diligently to address. Along with a majority of the council, CM Ellis voted to revise the public camping ordinance on October 17.

The new public camping and sit/lie ordinance makes clear the expectations of our community and the responsibility of law enforcement officers. Camping is prohibited in certain areas around homeless shelters and in certain rights of way, as well as near operating businesses and when a public health and safety hazard is present.

At the same time, the council is working hard to identify new shelter beds, services, and permanent supportive housing. We know how to address homelessness issues, and we know how to help Austinites experiencing homelessness. It is simply a question of available resources and spaces.

We want to make sure that we are treating Austinites experiencing homelessness with dignity and respect, and that we are doing everything we can to identify services and support without unnecessarily penalizing them for struggling to survive. To that end, the new ordinance directs the City Manager to provide public documentation of the city's efforts, so there is further transparency in this process.

Homelessness and public camping are important issues for our city, and I am committed to a humane and effective approach that has been shown to work in other communities that also allows for law enforcement officers to do what they do best - keep us safe. I hope you will join me in lifting up and supporting Austinites who need our help, and working to remove the stigma around those experiencing homelessness. This is a problem we can solve together as a community.

Wildfire Preparedness

Wildfires are one of the most dangerous natural risks in and around Austin, particularly in the western parts of the city that border parks and preserved lands. Austin ranks fifth out of the fifteen largest metropolitan areas for potential rebuilding costs due to wildfires, according to a 2019 CoreLogic report. To proactively address this risk, the City of Austin established a wildfire division within the Fire Department.

While the city manages its wildlands proactively, there are strategies that homeowners can enact to mitigate risks, as well. One of the top strategies is to remove excess brush around structures and on your property. The wildfire-urban interface, or WUI, is the area between development and wildlands and is the focus of most proactive land management. The Fire Department has identified 647 square miles of WUI around Austin, and 72% of that is privately owned land.

The City provides regular brush collection at no additional charge twice a year, and Austin Resource Recovery customers can also drop off brush for free at two city-owned facilities. Customers can also request additional curbside pickup for a fee of $100, and non-customers can drop off brush at the city's facilities for $7 per yard.

You may also be interested to know that the new District 8 Fire Station is set to break ground in June 2020.

To learn more about brush collection or to find the city's pickup schedule, visit http://austintexas.gov/brush

To find the nearest drop-off center and to learn more about the city's services, visit http://austintexas.gov/dropoff

Paige Around Town

On November 7, I chaired the first meeting of the Austin Water Oversight Committee. It is tasked with reviewing issues related to the City's water utility, including mission, scope, and responsibilities of relevant advisory commissions and task forces, strategic plans, major capital purchases or transactions, and financial policies and the financial status of the utility.

Meet District 8 Staff

Deena Estrada Salinas, Chief of Staff
With nearly ten years of City of Austin service as an aide to former Council Member Bill Spelman and Boards & Commissions Coordinator for the City Clerk, Deena possesses a wealth of knowledge about city processes and departments. She loves Texas A&M (her alma mater) football, hiking, reading, and spending time with her husband Jim and two-year old, Rudy.

Julie Montgomery, Policy Advisor
An Austin native and UT Austin alum, Julie has over a decade of experience working in state, regional, and local policy and planning, with expertise in mobility, housing, land use, and environmental issues. On the weekends, Julie frequently can be seen at one of Austin’s many beautiful outdoor destinations with her husband, Andrei, chasing after their four-year-old son, Kepler, and one-year-old daughter, Evie.

Cristina Masters, Communications & Policy Aide
Cristina moved to Austin in 2011 after life as a military child and world traveler. She earned her Masters degree from the University of Edinburgh and has worked in state policy for most of her career. She lives with her husband and two sons, but they'll tell you the cat rules the roost.

Tony Garcia, Constituent Liaison
Originally from Houston, Tony graduated from Texas A&M and lives in the Central Texas area since 2017. He likes to volunteer for different organizations in the Central Texas area, like CASA and San Marcos River Foundation. Currently pursuing a second bachelor's degree in geographic information science, he is also an avid fan of Seinfeld.

Visit the Contact Page on the District 8 website to see staff assignments and contact information.

Community Events

November 19 - My office will be hosting an informational event about the Land Development Code at Abiding Love Lutheran Church (7210 Brush Country Drive, Austin, TX 78749) from 5:30pm-7:30pm. City Planning staff will give a brief presentation, followed by Q&A. You will have the opportunity to submit your question in advance when you arrive, and they will get through as many as possible. This is a great way to add your input to this process, and I strongly encourage you to attend. For more information on the Land Development Code, please see my blog post.

November 19 - Parent & Toddler Yoga at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

December 1 - Zilker Holiday Tree Lighting

December 10-23 - Austin Trail of Lights

December 12 - Movies in the Park at Zilker Park

Resources

Did you know that most Austinites can earn a $75 rebate on a home composting system? Visit The City of Austin Composting Rebate Program page to learn more!

Do you have items that you don't want, but aren't sure what options are available? Check out the City of Austin's What Do I Do With...? page to find out! From air conditioning filters to Ziploc bags, they have suggestions on how to dispose of or recycle hundreds of items.

Are you interested in adopting a tree? The Treefolks program, NeighborWoods, partners with the City of Austin to deliver more than 4,500 trees -- for free! Their next adoption event is taking place on November 16. Check out the NeighborWoods website to learn more.

Copyright © 2019 Office of Austin City Council Member Paige Ellis, District 8, All rights reserved.
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Office of Austin City Council Member Paige Ellis, District 8
301 W 2nd St
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City Council Member Paige Ellis · PO Box 1088 · Austin, TX 78767-1088 · USA