City Council Notebook

Agenda highlights for the Thursday, January 31 meeting:

Items 7, 8: Amending Economic Growth and Redevelopment Services budgets to include budgets for the Austin Downtown Public Improvement District (PID) (a beginning balance of $618,446, revenue of $2,379,261, and requirements of $2,279,261) and East Sixth Street PID (beginning balance of $26,095, revenue of $86,408 and requirements of $82,408). That's a lotta dimes.

Item 12: $20,000 more (for a total up to $144,000) for outside legal counsel regarding Austin-Bergstrom's proposed low-cost airline carrier. Uhh, low cost for who?

Item 14: $444,768 from Housing and Urban Development to fund the city's "line of credit" on three projects, including repaying a loan to the Push Up Foundation. Drop and give me $157,000!

Items 17-36: Acquiring a shit-ton of lots under FEMA's Onion Creek voluntary flood buyout.

Items 52-72: Purchasing Office bonanza includes $69 million worth of electrical supplies, plus boiler and heat exchanger cleaning services, gas turbine repairs, liquid sulfur dioxide, 21 truck cabs and chassis, treatment services for certain Class B enhanced public intoxication offenders, and so much, much more …

Item 76: Creating a Live Music Task Force to examine noise ordinances, venue assistance, and getting Austin musicians their own weed-holders.

Item 78: Starting up, with the County's help, the Tax Increment Financing district for the Eastside's Homestead Preservation District.

Item 79: Jennifer Kim develops a Healthy Community Initiative Plan (?) for the Mueller neighborhood.

Item 80: Another Kim initiative, creating a pilot program for local businesses looking to open second locations. (Hmmm, two Kim items, each with no other sponsor than Sheryl Cole. Well at least the ladies are sticking together.)

Item 81: Negotiations to release Villa Muse for Austin's zoning regs, with a public briefing before council scheduled for March 6. Barreling forward, or calling VM's bluff?

Item 84: 10:30am presentation on the 51st Street Water Tower. Brewster, put down the spay can!

Item 90: 2pm briefing on the Waller Creek project.

Items 91-131: Zoning VMU opt-in/opt-out for Old West Austin (105) Govalle-Johnston Terrace (106) Central Austin (107), Judges' Hill (123), East MLK (124), and Hyde Park (125).

5:30pm proclamations: Will Wynn and Toby Futrell present Juan Garza with the Golden Parachute Distinguished Service Award.

Items 132-138: 6pm public hearings on affordable housing incentives, residential uses in mixed use, sidewalks, and taco carts, amongst other concerns. Are we done yet?