Where’s
the director
when you need him? Last week’s council meeting probably amounted to little more
than the mid-week episode of a bad mini-series: dramatic tantrums, staff
bunglings, bus-chase scenes, and Abbott & Costello routines on the dais.
Mad-cap fun and drama, but then, this isn’t supposed to be the Second Street
version of The Thorn Birds, is it?
The day’s press-bait — the ER (Eric/Ronney) tag-team’s grandstand to
downshift Capital Metro’s sales tax collections, led the day’s agenda for
dramatic overkill. Capitalizing on voter disgruntlement with the transit
authority’s perceived piracy last year when they increased sales taxes without
voter approval, Mitchell requested that the board reduce the amount it collects
from a full cent per dollar to three-fourths of a cent. Mitchell’s resolution
would re-channel the difference, as much as $20 million, to the city’s
emaciated police, fire, and EMS budgets. Reynolds’ main thesis, summed up
rather briefly: The transfer would prevent a $20 million bond sale down the
road. The transfer is a long shot, since the Austin-bashing state Legislature
would have to find enough kindness in its heart to approve it. But there was no
dissuading ER. Mitchell stormed into the ring, shadowboxing and Capital
Metro-slamming a la the recent council campaigns. His initial momentum then
rolled into a super soliloquy, as Mitchell bitched that few truly cared for
Austin’s long-term needs for public transportation, challenged the rest of the
council to overcome the “politics, posturing, and B.S.” and told them to
originate their “own bright ideas.”
Gus Garcia did just that, recovering from the onslaught with a motion to
reduce the sales tax, but to forego the $20 million transfer, since he doubted
the likelihood of persuading the state Lege to give the city the money. Slusher
seconded Garcia’s motion for reasons comparable, and offered a personal account
of his regular bus rider status, apparently to justify his authority in the
matter. Goodman knocked both motions for prematurity; Capital Metro is now
under the searchlight of performance and financial audits. Garcia’s substitute
motion passed 4-2, Goodman voting plain “No,” and Mitchell voting “No, No, No,
No!” Reynolds surrendered without protest, nimbly leaping from Mitchell’s
sinking ship and onto Garcia’s compromise.
The ER/Capital Metro bout followed a blistering exchange between three
parties, two of which were actually interested in the truth. Advanced Micro
Devices (AMD) wanted a $2.9 million reimbursement for the extension of a
wastewater line to its newest chip factory, Fab 25. Daryl Slusher filed the
lone protest vote since the reimbursement was $1.8 million beyond the
anticipated cost approved by council in 1993. Backup agenda material indicated
the overrun was the result of an engineering error that required reconstruction
and ballooned the price tag. Randy Goss, pendragon of the Water and Wastewater
Utility, claimed the chip maker pushed ahead with the additional work lacking
the necessary thumbs-up from city staff or the council, making AMD appear
mighty renegade, even foolish, for jeopardizing $1.8 million. In response to
the company’s alleged come-uppance, Slusher dissented, “a message that when
you’re dealing with the City of Austin, you don’t just double the cost and
expect us to reimburse you.”
But night became day following a request from a puzzled Mayor Bruce Todd,
whereupon AMD engineer Clarke Veach debunked the company’s alleged cavalierism
with a city staff memo requesting an expanded line that would allow greater
service to peripheral East Austin. “We got 80-90% through with the design and
the city said we want you to do something different,” said Veach.
Therewith, Slusher switched his vote to an abstention, signaling accord with
AMD’s explanation and displeasure with city staff for disregarding council
notification. Todd applauded Slusher for sending the right message, and the
reimbursement passed, five to Slusher’s abstention, Ronney Reynolds absent.
Then matters turned serious. Garcia motioned to undo a unanimous council
decision from earlier in the day, which he had voted for, that renamed a street
in Southwest Austin from Family Land Drive to Real Catorce. Something had
seized him, perhaps the ghost of Isabella. He wanted the street renamed to the
Spanish-proper Real de Catorce. But the signs had been installed, at the
developer’s expense. The clerk called the role. Garcia refused to vote for his
own motion.
“This resolution ought to come to us before they put up the signs,” Garcia
groused. “Here we go again, renaming the damn signs the wrong way.”
The meeting unraveled; bad jokes prevailed. “It now has no legal name. Does
that make it `the street with no name?'” humored Hizonner.
The hubbub begat miracles. Griffith spoke, offering a counter-proposal to keep
the signs as posted to avoid additional expense — her only motion of the day.
It would have saved the developer less than $2,000.
Logic departed; Goodman got confused: “What is the motion we’re voting on?”
No one seemed to know, no one seemed to care. Deliverance came with a Goodman
request for a one-week postponement. The grave matter shall be reconsidered at
today’s meeting.
That finished, the council skimmed over a few zoning cases to the public
hearing on the budget. Panhandling prevailed. A parade of community groups,
kids and adults, virtually begged that this social service or that be whisked
from City Manager Jesus Garza’s chopping block.
The city manager’s more intrepid cuts, which the council has until September
to decide on:
* A $100,000 reduction from Jourdan Bachman Pioneer Farms, a microcosmic
retreat to life in the old days located outside Northeast Austin. The farm
nearly had its funding cut last year, but a public hanging of the council
nearly ensued. Things are a little quieter this year.
* A $245,000 reduction from the Austin Community Education program that offers
low-cost education to thousands of children and adults, and which has already
received a $245,000 financial boost from AISD. The city manager intends to
zilch out the city’s allocation.
n
This week in council: Slusher’s resolution to stall internal city
staff privatization efforts without council approval. Counter-resolution from
Todd and Reynolds to allow city staff privatization efforts. Final approval of
the East Austin entertainment center.
This article appears in July 19 • 1996 and July 19 • 1996 (Cover).