City Counseling

With all the City Council action taking place off the dais last week in the election campaigns, it's no surprise this week's council meeting (May 14) has a relatively light agenda. The greatest excitement arrives with the 2pm briefings: After a report on the mayor's Mental Health Task Force comes the Arts, Culture & Music update from the city manager, his report on the possibility of creating the city Music Department as clamored for by the Live Music Task Force. A briefing on the 2009 Bicycle Master Plan update is also up today, and council is also set to schedule adoption of the revised bike plan as part of the Austin Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan.

Several development items are also on tap: Items 14-18 would modify loan terms for Eastside projects built by the Austin Revitalization Authority and other publicly contracted entities, while Item 19 would allow the city housing department to receive more than $5 million in federal stimulus dollars in block grants and funds to fight homelessness. Also, Item 36 from Laura Morrison and Brewster McCracken would revise open-space standards for developments while considering "the needs of families and children, including child-friendly features such as interactive play spaces, art, requirements for public access, bicycle and pedestrian connectivity, and the functionality of the open space provided."