Naked City

Is there a neighborhoods/SOS split on the horizon? Nobody's willing to call it that for the record, but all is not well between these two groups, which usually stand united on most everything. Everything, that is, except two of a slew of candidates running for Place 5 on the City Council: neighborhoods activist Clare Barry and environmentally friendly downtown developer Will Wynn. Save Our Springs Alliance Chair Robin Rather and former executive director Brigid Shea have thrown their support behind Wynn, while neighborhood groups and even some of the SOS membership are going to bat for Barry. Her supporters believe SOS leaders gave Barry the undeserved short shrift with their hasty public backing of Wynn, who announced his candidacy, they say, all too soon after Place 5 Council Member Bill Spelman announced he wasn't running for a second term. The Wynn team, which includes a cross section of environmentalists and business leaders, seems just a little too "packaged," Barry supporters grumble. Is this the beginning of a neighborhoods vs. the new power structure showdown? Keep your eye on this doozy...

Austin political consultant Todd Main heads off to Washington, D.C., in March for an eight-month tour of duty with Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader. Main's mission as the party's national field director is to get Nader on the ballot in 50 states. Nader brings his campaign to Austin on March 12 for a rousing rally at Wooldridge Park, just south of the Travis County Courthouse...

Austin's assistant city managers have a new boss. Toby Futrell, who used to be their equal until moving up to the newly created deputy city manager's slot, is now in charge of operational services, overseeing the ACMs and their respective duties. Additionally, ACM Marcia Conner has been moved off the police and health and human services beats to look after watershed protection and development review and inspection. That move left local enviros a little stunned, but who knows what will happen since she's on a new job hunt anyway. A new ACM will be hired to oversee police, fire, and EMS, with Futrell filling in until then. How does Futrell rate with APD? The jury's still out, but they're willing to give her a chance. "I've seen her deal with the public in less-than-favorable circumstances during the annexation series," said Austin Police Assn. Prez Mike Sheffield. "And I think she handled the situation well." Sheffield will soon be sitting across the table from Futrell in what could also be less-than-favorable circumstances when they begin negotiating new police contracts. In other changes, Betty Dunkerley, formerly of financial services fame, is now in charge of community services. (Controller John Stephens takes over Dunkerley's job.) ACM Jim Smith stays put with his economic development job. Meanwhile, City Manager Jesus Garza has taken over direct management of Strategic Services, including Austin Energy, financial services, public information, and human resources...

We're not sure how far they'll get with this, but Reformers Appalled by Kirk's Ethical Transgressions (RAKET) are asking District Attorney Ronnie Earle or County Attorney Ken Oden to investigate the city's handling of its billion-dollar water agreement with the Lower Colorado River Authority. RAKET says documents obtained through Open Records bear out their claims that the City Council violated the Open Meetings Act during its decision-making process...

To no one's surprise, the SOS PAC has endorsed Dist. 48 candidate Ann Kitchen and Dist. 50 incumbent Dawnna Dukes in the March 14 Democratic primary. Given the litigious nature of SOS politics, the group wisely does not endorse in judicial races...