The Daily Hustle: 12/7/10
Your City Council catalog for this Thursday
By Wells Dunbar, 10:59AM, Tue. Dec. 7, 2010
This Thursday, City Council's set to tackle 78 items and a few real doozies: the E. 12th permanent supportive housing controversy, an unpopular zoning request along Barton Springs, Central Library action, and lots more.
We've got the agenda highlights after the jump.
Agenda highlights for City Council's Thursday, Dec. 9 meeting:
Item 3: 15 pages of amendments relating to board and commission makeup, and dissolving the Renaissance Market Commission.
Item 5: $1.5 million in ADA-required sidewalk and ramp improvements; paid for not from 2010 transportation bonds, but public works funds.
Item 6: Almost $90,000 in ADA improvements and restoration to the Austin History Center.
Item 9: Offering a $1 annual lease for space on Riverside to Austin-Travis County's Integral Care Safe Haven program for shelter and care to special-needs homeless.
Item 21: Authorizing a fee-in-lieu of providing affordable housing at the Bonneville Mixed Use project in the Plaza Saltillo Transit-Oriented Development district.
Items 27, 28: $150,000 from the state for APD to “conduct citywide targeted enforcement of adult transnational gang activity.” Cue the MS-13 hysteria!
Item 29: $500,000 in Safe Routes to School funds to build sidewalks near Metz and Blanton elementary schools.
Item 30: Approving the “Architectural Building Program” for the new Central Library downtown, the document that will guide the building's spaces and amenities, and adopting project funding that increase from $90 million to $120 million.
Item 47: One of five sleepy items from council; this one from Sheryl Cole, Mike Martinez and Randi Shade waiving application fees for instillation of a historical marker at the Victory Grill.
Items 54-56: Three 10:30am morning briefings, on Austin Energy's Resource Plan and Affordability Forecast, the African American Resource Commission, and the Small Business Workforce Development Pilot Program.
12pm Citizen Communications features several speakers weighing in on the Marshall Apartments housing proposal.
Items 59-73: The meeting's zoning agenda. Item 69, the return of the Park PUD, has mobilized plenty of neighborhood opposition by requesting Planned Unit Development zoning for the 0.8 acre parcel at 801 Barton Springs, across from the Palmer Events Center. The applicant is asking for 96 foot height, well above the 60 foot guideline in the Bouldin Creek neighborhood plan. Staff recommendation is not to approve. Also on tap: neighborhood plan rezonings for Heritage Hills and Windsor Hills (Items 72, 73).
3pm's Austin Housing Finance Corporation Board of Directors Meeting should be fiery, as Item 3 on their agenda approves $2.5 million in funding for the Marshall Apartments permanent supportive housing proposal; Item 4 submits private activity bond financing request to the Texas Bond Review Board for $6 million more for the project; Item 5 sets a public hearing on the $6 million issuance at council's January 13 meeting.
Item 74: The first 4pm public hearing covers the city's proposed economic development incentives for SunPower, with council approval likely.
What the hell else is happening?
On the city calendar: Capital Metro Board’s Finance and Audit Committee meets at Capital Metro headquarters, 2910 East Fifth, noon.
The Zoning and Plating Commission meets in Council Chambers at City Hall, 301 W. Second, 6pm.
And don't forget today's meet and greet with the Police Monitor candidates.
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