The Wednesday, June 18, City Council meeting had it all (well, the morning part we saw, at least): Major development deals! Disputes over arcane city commissions! Attorney Richard “Aw Shucks” Suttle! As Mayor Will Wynn said for his two retiring colleagues, “In honor of Mayor Pro Tem [Betty] Dunkerley and Council Member [Jennifer] Kim’s final meeting, we have a very full agenda.” Lucky them!
The action that rare Wednesday session – pushed up from the usual Thursday so as not to interfere with Juneteenth – centered around developer selection for the massive redevelopment of Downtown’s Green Water Treatment Plant. Or did it? Wynn pointed out a misspelling in the council agenda, one executing an agreement for redeveloping the “Green Water Treatment Plan” instead of “Plant.” Oops! “Make sure that ‘t’ is crossed,” he cracked. By midday, council finally named developers Trammell Crow/Constructive Ventures Inc./USAA the staff-recommended team.
But there were other unexpected dramas, mainly the near-abolishment of the Renaissance Market Commission, that most patchouli-scented of all boards and commissions. Apparently the bead and glass vendors at the market on 23rd and Guadalupe have their own commission – yet with only four serving members, the group, meeting once a month, has trouble attaining quorum and issuing vendor permits. Plus, with some market commissioners resistant to standardizing measures presented by the city to all boards and commissions (group size, bylaws, etc.), their future is in doubt. Or as Wynn put it, “I’m certainly supportive of abolishing those boards and commissions that don’t play by our rules.” The commission received a stay of execution until council’s next meeting, July 24, after summer break – but then expect city staff to take on permitting and the commission to be disbanded. Or in Drag parlance: cashed, man. Additionally, during noontime citizen communications, speakers from People Organized in Defense of Earth and Her Resources urged the council to shutter the Pure Castings Co. plant operating in an East Austin neighborhood.
But that’s only a half-baked highlights reel. As the Chronicle was rolling out to press, many contentious items were scheduled for 6pm public hearing and discussion: adopting an update to the Austin Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan, new approval requirements for Planned Unit Development zoning (for major development projects like the Concordia redevelopment and the Domain), and handicapped-accessible “visitability” requirements for new homes. Hell, if you’re reading this on Thursday, head on down to City Hall – for all we know, they may still be in session.
This article appears in June 20 • 2008.