THUMBS UP!
Clean energy: Progressive! Innovative! Putting Austin out front! We can’t say enough good things about Austin’s embrace of renewable energy. We just hope City Hall’s ambitions continue to grow.
Smart Growth: The Next Generation: From West Campus to Mueller to Robinson Ranch, City Hall has finally found a way to take big bites of the growth-management apple that even the neighbors can swallow.
The One-Stop: If Toby Futrell’s really found a way to delegate authority down to the front lines of service delivery, then maybe City Hall can stop spending so much time adjudicating minor disputes.
THUMBS DOWN!
Lowe’s: The big, stinkin’ exception that disproves the rule that Austin has reached consensus about limiting growth over the aquifer. (Sometimes, “Fine – we’ll see you at the courthouse” is the only appropriate response.)
Smoking ordinance: We now have a silly, unworkable law that nobody supports – not even a majority of the Wynn council, which should have simply repealed the new ordinance. Commission a study of the pros and cons of a smoking ban in Austin (not in L.A., Dallas, or Round Rock), and tell ban backers to start gathering signatures for a ballot initiative.
Austin Music Network: Whether you support AMN as it works now, or want to see a different kind of music-TV marriage, or just want it gone, you have little reason to be happy with City Hall’s fumbling.
MIXED REVIEWS
The Budget Crisis: Despite the hype, the City Council didn’t really balance the budget last year, and isn’t guaranteed to this year. They made some hard cuts, but they didn’t answer (or really even ask) the tough questions about what future city services must look like if the city seeks true fiscal health.
The APD Crisis: When we asked our Usual Suspects to identify critical issues facing the city, not one (except Toby Futrell, in passing) mentioned last year’s No. 1 story – APD, East Austin, race relations, et al. Is that good news or bad news?
The Transportation Crisis: Do either the toll-road plan or the commuter-rail plan reflect much City Hall input? Is Austin ready to make the decisions on its end – mostly regarding land use – that will make either plan workable?
This article appears in July 9 • 2004.