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City water conservation being discussed Tuesday
Austin’s Water Conservation Implementation Task Force, which is crafting proposals for how the city should cut its water use, is holding a public meeting on Tuesday.
The meeting, which will co-hosted by the Austin Water Utility, will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at St. David’s Episcopal Church, 304 E. 7th St. To be unveiled at the meeting: a draft of the “Water Conservation 2020: Strategic Recommendations” report, which will make its way to the City Council for adoption.
Visit www.waterwiseaustin to view a draft of the task force’s policy document. For more information call the Austin Water Conservation Division at 974-2199.
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Cost of Trail of Lights? $257,000
The scaled-back version of the Trail of Lights cost the City of Austin $257,633, according to a final tally of costs and expenses the city released today. That’s good news because the city had expected to spend as much as $374,000 on the annual holiday event.
Total costs for the event were $382,921 and included expenses for things such as rentals, equipment, staffing, barricades and security. But the city made $33,584 from sponsorships and donations, $33,085 from concessions and $58,619 in parking fees.
Staffers from a few city departments, such as Public Works and Solid Waste Services, also helped set up the event, and that time was not included in the tally of costs.
A fun run that accompanies the event cost about $24,000, but registration fees covered that cost, officials said.
In prior years, the city spent as much as $1 million on the annual holiday trail of light displays and concessions. But a budget crunch forced the city to scale back the event in 2009. The city reduced the number of lighting displays in 2009 and held the festival over nine days instead of the usual two weeks. Admission remained free, and the city reduced the parking fee from $15 to $10 per car.
It’s not clear what the city will do with the Trail of Lights this December — continue the scaled-back version, produce the full-blown trail or contract with a private vendor to produce the event.
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Mayor, city leaders thank responders to plane attack
Mayor Lee Leffingwell and City Manager Marc Ott thanked the city’s public safety personnel this morning for their quick and efficient response to the plane crash into a Northwest Austin office building last week by Andrew Joseph Stack III.
In a ceremony at City Hall, Leffingwell honored Robin De Haven, a glass company employee who stopped his truck and used a ladder to help employees get out of the building. De Haven was awarded three ceremonial coins from the police, fire and EMS departments. He is the first person, including public-safety employees, to be honored with all three coins, a mayor’s aide said.
Ott said he was proud of the quick and collaborative response of Austin’s police, firefighters and paramedics.
Leffingwell noted that some people have used the word “hero” to describe Stack, who posted an anti-government manifesto online before driving a single-engine plane into the Echelon I building in Northwest Austin that houses Internal Revenue Service offices.
“My own view is simple,” Leffingwell said. “This was not a heroic act. It was a cowardly act… there is nothing about the perpetrator to honor.”
Leffingwell then led onlookers in a moment of silence to honor Vernon Hunter, an IRS employee who was killed in the attack.
A candlelight vigil is planned tonight from 6:15 to 7:15 on the frontage road of U.S. 183 near Stonelake Boulevard, across the highway from the crash site. People are asked to bring their own candles and to park in the Gateway Shopping Center.
“This vigil is held in consideration for those who died in the plane crash and for the loved ones they leave behind and is not religiously affiliated,”organizers said in a statement.
E-mail austinlabs@gmail.com for more information on the vigil.
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Memorials to honor plane attack victims, heroes
Two memorials are planned today for victims of last week’s plane crash into a Northwest Austin building that houses offices for the Internal Revenue Service.
Mayor Lee Leffingwell, City Manager Marc Ott and members of the police, fire and EMS departments will hold a moment of silence at 9:45a.m. at City Hall, located at 301 W. Second St.
Leffingwell and Ott will honor the various departments that worked to contain the incident, including Robin DeHaven, a glass company worker who helped evacuate people from the building using a ladder from his truck.
There will also be a candlelight vigil from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. on the frontage road of U.S. 183 near Stonelake Boulevard, across the highway from the crash site. People are asked to bring their own candles and to park in the Gateway Shopping Center.
“This vigil is held in consideration for those who died in the plane crash and for the loved ones they leave behind and is not religiously affiliated,”organizers said in a statement. E-mail austinlabs@gmail.com for more information on the vigil.
Official say a man disgruntled at the U.S. tax system flew his single-engine plane into the four-story building Feb. 18., killing himself and agency employee Vernon Hunter. Thirteen people were injured. Officials with the Travis County medical examiner’s office said Monday that they had positively identified the pilot as Andrew Joseph Stack III.
Authorities have said that before plowing his plane into the building, Stack, 53, set his North Austin home ablaze. He also left behind a lengthy Internet message, blaming many of his troubles on the U.S. tax system and the IRS.
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City of Austin can’t consider offer for free recycling
The City of Austin can’t consider or accept a private company’s offer to process Austin’s recyclables for free, a city attorney has concluded.
Texas Disposal Systems opted out of the normal city bidding process when it submitted a proposal earlier this month to recycle Austin goods for free for up to three years at a recycling plant it plans to open this fall in southeastern Travis County.
The offer was meant to counter another option the City Council was considering: extending a money-losing contract with Greenstar North America to haul Austin’s recyclables to a San Antonio plant and process them there. But it also came at the same time as seven companies submitted proposals to the City of Austin, through the usual bidding process, to build or partner with the city to build an Austin recycling plant.
Assistant City Manager Robert Goode and City Attorney David Smith said in a memo to City Council members today that the city can’t consider TDS’ offer because it was a response to the city’s request for recycling-plant proposals, yet TDS did not follow proper bidding procedures and did not submit the offer by the bidding deadline.
So the city’s recycling future is still in doubt. The City Council could either extend the Greenstar deal — an idea it is scheduled to vote on tomorrow — or wait for city staffers to review and score the recycling plant proposals submitted by other companies, which could take a few months.
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Travis County to buy third helicopter
Travis County commissioners voted unanimously late this morning to buy a third, STAR Flight helicopter.
They also voted unanimously to continue discussions with Seton Family of Hospitals and St. David’s HealthCare representatives, who proposed housing the new aircraft at their locations.
The purchase of the helicopter will be included in a bond package that commissioners are expected to consider this afternoon.
If the county buys a third helicopter this year, it would cost more than $7 million, according to county documents. County officials indicated that the buying the helicopter now is advantageous because they would get a discounted price and the aircraft is available to buy now.
Pros for buying a new helicopter include being better able to meet residents’ needs now and in the future and reducing missed responses because of scheduled maintenance, the documents show. Cons include increased debt expenditures, insurance cost and maintenance expense.
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Where should Austin get its electricity? Forum at 6 p.m. to explore proposal
Tonight at 6 p.m., Mayor Lee Leffingwell is hosting a public forum to dig into a proposal from Austin Energy to begin weaning the city off coal and onto wind, solar and other renewable energy over the next decade.
The forum is intended mainly to help City Council members reach a conclusion before the scheduled vote on the issue in late March. But the public will also be able to submit questions to a panel of experts. The forum is at the Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Rd.
Austin Energy is proposing that the city, which now gets 11 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, get 35 percent from renewables by 2020. The city-owned utility estimates this will raise bills 20 percent by the end of the decade. Austin would essentially stop taking electricity on most nights from a coal plant in Fayette County that it has part ownership of, and replace that lost electricity with wind.
The plan has the support of many of the city’s environmental activists and has been recommended by several bodies that advise the City Council. Some of the city’s large businesses say they have concerns that it would hurt their bottom line.
The utility also considered a range of other alternatives, including one to build almost no new electrical generation between now and 2020. That would have kept bills roughly flat, according to the utility. But it was not recommended because the utility concluded: it would run afoul of the city’s environmental goals; would expose the city to sharp price spikes if the utility’s forecasts are off; and would cause sudden price spikes shortly after 2020 if the federal government restricts the use of coal in hopes of combating global climate change.
On the other end, the most aggressive proposal called for Austin to cut ties with the coal plant perhaps by 2020. This was deemed too expensive over the next decade, raising bills an estimated 33 percent.
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Arbitrator says officer wrongly denied promotion
In a strongly worded opinion, an independent arbitrator has ruled that Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo wrongly withheld the promotion of a sergeant last year, citing the officer’s disciplinary history and work performance.
Arbitrator Chuck Miller of Austin ordered city officials to immediately promote Sgt. Kevin Leverenz to lieutenant, nearly three months after Acevedo declined to elevate him a rank. He also said that Leverenz should receive wages lost during that time.
Miller said that in bypassing Leverenz, Acevedo ignored “the plain wording” of state law and called one of the city’s arguments in the case “a nice try.”
In a move that both sides said is unusual, Miller issued the ruling based on written arguments from the city and Leverenz’s attorney, weeks before the dispute was set for a formal hearing.
“I felt the law was very clear and the arbitrator has also ruled that the state law was very clear,” said attorney Tom Stribling, who represented Leverenz and sought the early ruling. “It is important that the department follow the rules, just like individual officers have to follow the rules.”
Acevedo said the ruling was based on a technicality, not the merits of his decision.
“We thought it was important to pursue the bypass, based on the totality of the facts in this case,” he said. “Now the parameters have been clearly identified, and going forward, we will be able to use the tool more effectively.”
The case marks the second time that Acevedo’s decision to bypass an officer for promotion has been overturned on appeal. A third case is set for a hearing next month.
State law allows chiefs to withhold promotions if they have a “valid reason,” but officials have said Texas chiefs rarely exercise that right.
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Last chance to pay tolls, TxDOT says
The Texas Department of Transportation has begun mailing “last chance” letters to folks who haven’t paid off overdue toll charges. The letters explain how to avoid legal action by paying off toll bills within 30 days. Failure to pay tolls is a violation of state law.
During a three-month Toll Violation Recovery Program last year, TxDOT offered to reduce violation fees by 90 percent if drivers paid outstanding toll bills and opened a TxTag account. The agency received $850,000 on more than 265,000 overdue bills.
Drivers who can’t afford their toll charges can arrange a payment plan with the debt collection agency handling their account. But once TxDOT refers a case to court, customers can’t negotiate payment and must wait for a judge’s ruling. Also, court fees and fines of $350 or more might be applied to toll violations, TxDOT officials said.
Drivers can check the status of their accounts by calling the TxTag Customer Service Center at 1-888-468-9824 or visiting 12719 Burnet Road. Drivers whose violations have been sent to collection should call 1-866-934-7381 to work out payment plans.
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Vote on recycling contract postponed
Austin City Council members today postponed a vote on a major recycling contract until Feb. 25.
As we explained in a story this morning, the council was slated to decide today whether to extend a contract with Greenstar North America an extra year, through September 2011. Greenstar trucks Austin’s recyclables to a facility in San Antonio and processes them there. Austin has lost more than $2 million on the deal, and the extension was contingent on Greenstar lowering the fees it charges the city. But even with the lower fees, the city was projected to lose money.
A bunch of other factors have complicated the contract decision, including an offer made by Texas Disposal Systems this week to process Austin’s recyclables for free for up to three years at a recycling plant it plans to build this year in southeastern Travis County.
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West Lake Hills approves new tree rules
Late tonight, the West Lake Hills City Council adopted a revised set of rules that strengthen and clarify protections for trees.
The rules require residents to get a variance from the city’s Board of Adjustment to fell a tree 14 inches in diameter or larger, among others.
An environmental advocate said the rules are stricter than tree protection rules in Austin that were approved last week.
Read more about the rules in West Lake Hills in today’s story.
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West Lake Hills tree rules up for a vote tonight
At their meeting tonight, the West Lake Hills City Council is poised to consider adopting a revised set of rules that would strengthen and clarify protections for trees.
The rules would require residents to get a variance from the city’s Board of Adjustment to fell a tree 14 inches in diameter or larger, among others.
An environmental advocate says the proposed rules are more strict than tree protection rules in Austin, which were approved last week.
Read today’s story about the proposed rules.
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Assistant city manager tapped as interim Austin Energy chief
City Manager Marc Ott announced this afternoon that Robert Goode, an assistant city manager who oversees the public works, solid-waste services and transportation departments, will be temporarily taking over as head of Austin Energy.
Goode will replace Roger Duncan, who is retiring at the end of February.
The city has hired a search firm to look nationwide for a replacement for Duncan, a process that should take about four months. Goode will serve as interim general manager until a permanent replacement arrives.
Goode is coming on board as the City Council prepares to vote in late March on a much-debated proposal to increase Austin’s reliance on renewable energy. Duncan, the chief architect of the plan, says the utility should take steps to protect the environment and prepare for shifts in the industry by getting 35 percent of its electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar (renewables now account for around 11 percent of Austin’s energy).
The proposal would raise monthly electric bills around 20 percent between now and 2020, according to Austin Energy estimates.
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Austin Marathon will cause street closures this Valentine’s weekend
Travelers in Austin should be aware of potential traffic delays expected on Sunday, Feb. 14th in Central and North Austin from the 2010 Austin Marathon and Half Marathon.
Austin Marathon and Half Marathon
The Austin Marathon and Half Marathon is taking place on Sunday, February 14, 2010. The Marathon and Half Marathon begin at 7 a.m. on Congress Ave at 2nd Street and conclude on Congress Ave. near 10th Street. Street closures will affect roads from 3:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on February 14 on a rolling schedule. Below is a list of some of the major road closures:
Full Road Closures:
Congress Ave. from 11th St. to Cesar Chavez St.
South Congress Ave. from Cesar Chavez St. to Riverside Dr.
Ben White Frontage from Congress Ave. to South 1st St.
Veterans Dr. from Stephen F. Austin to Lake Austin Blvd.
Enfield Rd. from Scenic Rd. to Exposition Blvd.
Shoal Creek Blvd from Hancock Dr. to White Rock Dr.
Great Northern from White Rock Dr. to Foster Ln.
Partial Road Closures:
South Congress Ave. from Riverside Dr. to Ben White Blvd. (Open to North bound traffic)
South 1st St. from Ben White Blvd. to Riverside Dr. (Open to South bound traffic)
Cesar Chavez St. from Congress Ave. to Stephen F. Austin Dr. (Open to West bound traffic)
Lake Austin Blvd. from Loop 1 (Mopac) to Exposition Blvd. (One lane open in each direction)
Exposition Blvd. from Enfield Rd. to West 35th St. (Open to North bound traffic)
You can find the entire street closure schedule at: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/specialevents/downloads/austinmthonclosures021410.pdf
To see a map of the street closure, click here: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/specialevents/downloads/austinmthonmap021410.pdf
—Press release courtesy of the City of Austin
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Barton Springs “free swim” hearing tonight
Tonight the Parks and Recreation Department will hold a public meeting about whether to begin charging admission at Barton Springs Pool during two pool hours that are now free.
Currently, from 8 to 9 a.m. and 9 to 10 p.m. the pool has lifeguards and no admission fee. Officials say attendance has grown so large, especially after 9 p.m., that they must keep a full shift of lifeguards on duty.
The Parks and Recreation Department wants to charge admission during those hours to stop the 9 p.m. rush at the pool, spread out visitors over the rest of the night and stay within its lifeguard staffing budget.
Tonight’s meeting starts at 6 p.m. at 400 Deep Eddy Ave. Another will be held March 2. Then parks staffers will take the idea to the parks board and City Council for a vote.
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Barton Springs Pool to re-open
Barton Springs Pool will re-open today at 11 a.m.
The city closed the pool over the weekend because of flooding. The usual Thursday pool cleaning will be suspended this week so that the pool can stay open for swimming.
There is no admission fee at Barton Springs during winter months.
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City to begin first phase of Web site redesign
FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN:
City of Austin will launch Phase 1 of the Web site redesign project with City Council, City leadership and the selected vendor at 1 p.m. Feb 5 in City Council Chambers. The public is invited to hear from SteelSMBology Inc., the local company chosen to redesign the Web site.
Members of SteelSMBology Inc. will discuss their goals of making the new municipal Web site user-friendly, transparent and a reflection of Austin’s unique culture. Also, SteelSMBology Inc. will receive input from City Council regarding Council’s expectations for the project.
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Barton Springs Pool closed
City officials have temporary closed Barton Springs Pool because of flooding.
Deep Eddy Pool will have a revised schedule for the weekend: 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
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Mayor: state of the city is strong
Austin is faring better than other large cities and is poised to emerge strong from the recession, Mayor Lee Leffingwell said in his annual “state of the city” address today.
“There’s at least one thing I know about Austin. And that is that we do believe in the power of a creative mind and a determined spirit to solve any problem,” Leffingwell told 420 people at a Real Estate Council of Austin luncheon in a ballroom of the Four Seasons hotel downtown. “Austin is full of smart, driven people who make things happen.”
“For that reason … even during this monumentally difficult moment in history, the state of our city is strong,” he said.
He rattled off a list of accolades and No. 1 rankings the city has achieved, and said Austin has lost fewer jobs and had a more stable real estate market than other big cities. He noted that an incentives package the City Council just passed with Hanger Orthopedic Group would bring more jobs to town, and said council members will consider another economic deal in the coming weeks with the company LegalZoom.
Austin needs to diversify its economy by growing more jobs in the fields of tourism, renewable energy and creative media, he said, adding that he hopes to bring a major social media company such as Twitter to Austin. He said he’ll hold a summit on small businesses next month. And he gave a shout-out to the Pecan Street Project, a coalition of academics, businesses and city leaders that’s trying to create the electrical grid of the future. That effort has been shepherded by Brewster McCracken, Leffingwell’s former mayoral competitor.
Leffingwell touted the council’s 4-3 vote last year to build a new water plant, a project that split environmental groups and real estate professionals. And he said he’ll support a controversial new energy plan to increase Austin’s reliance on renewal energy if the plan is flexible enough to be changed down the road, as energy needs and technologies change.
Noting that Austin’s traffic congestion continues to hamper the quality of life here, he said he still plans to hold a transportation bond election this November that will include bike, pedestrian and road projects, as well as urban rail.
The mayor, seen as stern by some, seems to be getting more comfortable in front of podiums, peppering his speech today with self-deprecating remarks and trying to keep the mood light.
“We all know that the reason I’m such a popular keynote speaker is my intense personal charisma and my dynamic and inspiring oratory,” he joked at the start of the speech. “So in case you find yourself overcome with emotion during my speech, please, don’t be embarrassed to weep openly.”
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Barton Springs Pool reopens
Barton Springs Pool, which had been closed since Friday because floods washed debris into it, reopened earlier this morning.
The pool has returned to its regular hours of 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., said Jodi Jay, the city’s acting program manager for aquatics. Because it’s already been cleaned, the pool will also be open on Thursday, instead of closing from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the usual weekly cleaning.
Deep Eddy Pool, which had extended hours while Barton Springs was closed, will return to its normal schedule of 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on the weekend, Jay said.
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Police to begin ticketing for texting while driving
Austin police will begin issuing tickets today for people who text message while driving.
The ban took effect Jan. 1, but police said they would issue warnings for the first month to raise awareness of the new city ordinance.
Drivers can still talk on the phone while behind the wheel. The ban prohibits driving while using a mobile electronic device to send a text message or e-mail, surf the Web, play a game or adjust music settings or use iPhone applications.
Drivers can still use mobile devices while stopped at a stoplight. Other exemptions include using navigational systems or wireless devices permanently installed in a vehicle, using devices operated “solely in a voice activated or other hands-free mode” and texting in emergency situations.
The citations will be a Class C misdemeanor, which carries a fine of up to $500 and can be appealed in Municipal Court.
Police officials said it’s unclear how many warnings were issued in January for texting while driving because the department doesn’t keep track of individual violations, just total warnings.
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emm. thank you for this thread :)
... read the full comment by Amateur Granny Picks | Comment on Where should Austin get its electricity? Forum at 6 p.m. to explore proposal Read Where should Austin get its electricity? Forum at 6 p.m. to explore proposal
Strange you should write this piece today. Front page of ‘B’ section of this morning’s daily rag discusses a perpetual city valve water leak. How to save water 101.
... read the full comment by Mr. Big | Comment on City water conservation being discussed Tuesday Read City water conservation being discussed Tuesday
Strange you should write this piece today. Front page of ‘B’ section of this morning’s daily rag discusses a perpetual city valve water leak. How to save water 101.
... read the full comment by Mr. Big | Comment on City water conservation being discussed Tuesday Read City water conservation being discussed Tuesday
So the city can’t afford $256K for a trail of lights, but can somehow afford $1-4 Billion on a train? Much less $3 for a train proposal?
Yep that’s great thinking there.
... read the full comment by Matt Turner | Comment on Cost of Trail of Lights? $257,000 Read Cost of Trail of Lights? $257,000
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