BG Reads | News You Need to Know (December 9, 2021)
atx in front of Whole Foods N. Lamar (Austin, TX)
[BINGHAM GROUP]
The BG Podcast is back! EP. 148 features Jose "Chito" Vela III a candidate for Austin's Council District 4.
The immigration and defense attorney declared in early November, following Council Member Greg Casar announcing his candidacy for Congress (triggering an automatic resignation).
Bingham Group CEO A.J. and Associate Wendy Rodriguez discuss Chito's campaign and what he hopes to achieve if elected.
[MEETING/HEARINGS]
Austin City Council Regular Session Agenda (Today at 10AM)
NOTE: This will be the final Regular Session of 2021.
[AUSTIN METRO NEWS]
Austin ISD asks residents for ideas to repurpose closed schools (Community Impact)
Austin ISD is taking public suggestions for how to repurpose the campuses of schools that the district recently closed.
Staff plans to have decided on uses for the first three campuses by mid-May, Community Engagement Coordinator Gabriella Beker said during a Dec. 8 meeting with community members.
The district is asking community members to submit their ideas for the closed schools online. Beker said community members will have the opportunity to weigh in on those options for the first three schools to be repurposed—Anita Ferales Coy Facility, Pease Elementary School and Rosedale School—during public meetings that will begin in January.
Austin ISD plans to start public discussions about repurposing the next two schools in July, although the two schools to be discussed are not yet decided, Beker said. Those two campuses’s new uses should be decided by mid-November, and discussions about the sixth school to be repurposed will start in January 2023, she said… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Bastrop County redraws precincts as population soars by 31% in last decade (Austin American-Statesman)
Bastrop County grew by more than 23,100 residents in the past decade, to a total of 95,822, representing 31% of growth in population, according to the U.S. Census. Most of that growth was driven by Hispanic residents, which the county’s elections administrator said was the biggest factor the county's Redistricting Committee took into consideration when redrawing the area’s four precincts. The state Legislature redraws its electoral district boundaries for Congress, state House, state Senate and state Board of Education every 10 years, a process known as redistricting after the U.S. Census to reflect the changes in population. Similarly, county governments redraw their precincts and voting districts. Precincts are the jurisdictions of county commissioners. Voting precincts determine in which polling sites residents will cast their ballots.
When redrawing precincts, each one should contain the same number of people, known the ideal population. For each of Bastrop County’s four precincts, the ideal population in 2010, the last redistricting cycle, was 18,170 residents. The county’s ideal population grew to 23,956 after the 2020 census. Of the 23,100 new residents in the county, more than 17,100 are Hispanic, meaning that Hispanics accounted for 74% of the county’s population growth. The county’s population is nearly made up of equal parts white and Hispanic residents. Hispanics make up more than 42% of the county’s residents, meanwhile white residents comprise 47%. Precinct 3, which County Commissioner Mark Meuth currently represents, saw the most change in the new map the Commissioners Court approved last month, according to Kristin Miles, the county’s election administrator. Precinct 3, which encompasses the western corner of the county, is the only Hispanic-majority precinct. The new precinct map, which is set to be used for the 2022 primaries, removed western neighborhoods south of Texas 71 from Precinct 3, and added neighborhoods that were closer to the city of Bastrop… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Council pushing for infrastructure, operational improvements at COTA (Austin Monitor)
The city is preparing to use the coming renewal of Circuit of the Americas’ ability to receive state funding for major events as an opening to assess road and infrastructure improvements around the Southeast Austin facility, along with enhancing youth education programs for nearby students.
City Council was already set to consider the resolution that would have the Circuit Events Local Organizing Committee be the city’s designee to receive roughly $25 million annually from the state to cover expenses for the Formula 1 race held each fall at the racetrack.
Council Member Vanessa Fuentes has offered an amendment to that resolution that would require a comprehensive review of the race’s execution within 30 days of its completion, as well as conducting a study of the cost and possible timelines for road and public safety projects. Those projects include installation of sidewalks and bike lanes around the facility, expanding FM 812, installation of traffic signals at three major intersections impacted by event traffic, and improving signage and traffic personnel on event days.
Fuentes said she supports the CELOC renewal, but safety issues related to a pair of recent COTA events, including a Rolling Stones concert that caused hourslong traffic delays, make it necessary to take a closer look at the operations of the racetrack and concert venue.
“I wanted us to have a conversation because we’ve had two large-scale events recently at Circuit of the Americas where we had safety concerns and where there were significant traffic issues, and many of my neighbors in the district have reached out to share their concerns,” she said.
“For me it further magnified the gaps we have in our infrastructure and systems in the Southeast Austin community,” she added. “I’ve met with COTA representatives and with CELOC with the manager’s office and Austin Transportation Department to discuss the much-needed improvements.”
Fuentes’ amendment also directs the city manager to work with COTA leadership on the creation of a task force to address accessibility issues for the disabled. That issue was discussed at Monday’s Music Commission meeting, with some officials calling for the task force to take a wider view of accessibility issues at all music venues in Austin… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
$77M deal in place for World Class-owned site across from Austin Convention Center (Austin Business Journal)
Washington, D.C.-based Carr Properties OC LLC is on the brink of acquiring a coveted downtown Austin development site for $77 million, according to court documents filed Dec. 6.
The potential sale, which is set to be considered by a judge Dec. 15, could go down as one of the most expensive land sales in Austin history, measured by price per square foot.
Further adding to the intrigue around the deal: Nate Paul's World Class Holdings owns the property and has been embroiled for years in a legal fight over its future with a limited partner, the Mitte Foundation. World Class remains a significant landholder in Austin, though the firm has been under pressure in recent years due to a flurry of legal and financial issues.
The nearly one-acre property sits just across from the Austin Convention Center at 99 Trinity St. The property has enormous development potential — it is currently home to a single-story metal warehouse as well as a LAZ Parking lot leased month-to-month that generates average monthly income of about $15,000, according to court documents.
Surrounded by towers, 99 Trinity has long been seen as a likely high-rise location, and deep-pocketed Carr Properties now finds itself in a position to capitalize. The company made its first investment in Austin earlier this year, buying the 100 Congress office tower downtown… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Austin first responders don't get paid family leave. That could be changing. (Austin American-Statesman)
The Austin City Council appears motivated to level the playing field between uniformed and nonuniformed employees by delivering parental leave to first responders outside of labor agreements. At Thursday's meeting, the council will vote on a plan that, if successful, will require the city manager's office to develop a plan and provide funding options for extending paid parental leave to sworn employees of the police, fire and emergency medical services departments.
This comes at a time when labor contract negotiations are soon to begin for police officers and firefighters and are already underway for EMS. On Tuesday, City Manager Spencer Cronk said it's his preference for parental leave to be reached through those negotiations and not provided as a standard benefit.
"It has been our position that these would be part of the negotiations," he said… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[TEXAS NEWS]
Texas energy regulators, gas industry try to reassure the public that the state’s power grid is ready for winter (Texas Tribune)
Following Gov. Greg Abbott’s recent guarantee that the lights will stay on this winter, Texas energy regulators and the oil and gas industry tried to assure Texans on Wednesday that the state’s power grid is ready for colder weather.
In Austin, the Public Utility Commission of Texas, which regulates electric utilities and oversees the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the state’s grid operator, held a brief news conference amplifying Abbott’s promise.
The commission's chair, Peter Lake, summarized the regulatory agency’s efforts to better prepare power plants for extreme winter weather conditions, including new rules requiring a first phase for plants to outfit their equipment for extreme weather, a process known as weatherization.
"The ERCOT grid is stronger and more reliable than ever," Lake said. "We are going into the winter knowing that the lights will stay on."
The message comes 10 months after an unusually powerful winter storm left millions of Texans without power for days in subfreezing temperatures when the state’s power grid — which largely operates independently of the major grids that connect the rest of the country — experienced widespread failures. Hundreds of people died.
In Midland, the Texas Oil and Gas Association, one of the state’s most influential energy industry groups, gave reporters a tour of two oil and gas production sites and Todd Staples, the group’s president, said he’s optimistic about the shape of the power grid going into this winter.
“I feel very confident that operators … and our partners on the electric generation units and local distribution companies are all working together in a much more collaborative fashion,” Staples said. “All designed to improve and protect the lives of Texans.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
‘Dallas put most northern cities to shame’: ‘Condé Nast’ names city a top destination for Christmas (Dallas Morning News)
If the Christmas season starts with a tree, Dallas is a natural choice on Condé Nast Traveler’s list of the nation’s best places to visit at Christmastime. In promoting its alphabetized, unranked list of 23 destinations, Condé Nast showcased the four-story Christmas tree at the Galleria Dallas Ice Skating Center. This year’s 95-foot-tall tree was erected in mid-November. In a summary, Condé Nast editors described why Dallas should be among the traditional Christmas destinations — New England, New York and North Pole, Alaska, to name a few — with storybook backdrops: “Proving you don’t need cold temperatures to get in the Christmas spirit, the holiday celebrations in Dallas put most northern cities to shame,” they wrote.
Condé Nast editors also mentioned the Holiday at the Arboretum, a Christmas village with millions of lights animated to music and visits with Santa Claus. The travel magazine also recommended the Dallas Zoo Lights and the Miracle, a holiday-themed pop-up bar at Royal 38. Condé Nast also throws in the Hilton Anatole as a suggested place to stay. The Hilton Anatole features illuminated train rides, reindeer dance parties, snowman bounce houses and breakfast with Mrs. Claus and Santa. The list didn’t include the Enchant Christmas in Fair Park, “The Trains at NorthPark” or the numerous places to see Christmas lights. It also appeared to limit the Christmas-themed attractions to Dallas proper. In North Texas, you’ve got the Christmas Capital of Texas in Grapevine, Six Flags Over Texas’ Holiday in the Park in Arlington, Radiance: Frozen in Frisco, Prairie Lights in Grand Prairie, The Modern Lights of Fort Worth and many more attractions. The Condé Nast list also includes winter wonderlands in Ashville, N.C.; Kennebunkport, Maine; Senaca Falls, N.Y.; and Park City, Utah. The list also spotlights Christmas attractions with regional flair in Branson, Mo.; Chicago, Denver, Newport Beach, Calif.; and Santa Fe, N.M. Every section of the U.S. (except Hawaii) seems to be represented… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Dollar General fails to get approve amid debate in Arlington (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
The Arlington City Council unanimously rejected a development proposal Tuesday to build a Dollar General in north Arlington. The store was proposed for an empty lot at 2500 Ballpark Way with a Walgreens down the street and a Kroger about a 12-minute walk away. The developer can bring the proposal back to the City Council as many times as he would like, but council members hinted earlier in the day that they couldn’t see themselves approving the development. During a work session earlier in the day, council member Andrew Piel expressed concerns about how the Dollar General would look in the area. He questioned the degree to which the city could dictate architecture, branding and signage.
City officials told the council they could consider adding requirements in those areas, though branding would be difficult. City officials cannot require a business to change its branding, such as the yellow sign with “Dollar General” in bold black letters, entirely, but it could build specifications that might help the store blend with other establishments. Piel and other council members hinted they would vote against the Dollar General and even suggested zoning changes to prevent the store from coming to the neighborhood. Council members did express in an earlier work session concerns about whether Dollar General could sue the city for denying the store since zoning allows for such businesses in that area. City officials told the council they could not deny the store zoning rights but could deny a development plan to construct the store, because it would not be going into an existing structure. City Attorney Teris Solis said the council would have to closely listen to the applicant’s proposal and make the decision based on the development plan instead of making the decision based on the fact that it is a variety store… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[NATIONAL NEWS]
US businesses advertised near-record 11 million open jobs (Associated Press)
U.S. employers posted 11 million open jobs in October, nearly matching a record high reached in July and a sign that companies were confident enough in the economy to expand. A government report Wednesday also showed that the number of people quitting their jobs dropped slightly in October to 4.2 million, from 4.4 million in September, though that is still the third-highest number of monthly resignations on records dating back to 2000. The figures from the Labor Department's Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey, or JOLTS, show that with so many companies chasing relatively few unemployed people, job-seekers have the most bargaining power they have had in at least two decades. Wages are rising at a healthy pace, particularly for lower-paid employees, though much of that bump in pay is being eroded by higher inflation.
There were just 7.4 million people counted as unemployed in October, equal to just two-thirds of the 11 million open jobs. Before the pandemic, there were usually more unemployed people than available workers. Larger paychecks are luring many employees to leave their jobs for new work, pushing up the number of quits. A high number of resignations is a sign of a strong labor market because it shows that people are confident they can find a new job. The vast majority of people who quit do so to take new jobs. Separate data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta shows that people switching jobs are receiving bigger pay raises than those who stay put. Job openings rose about 4% in October to 11 million, just below July's peak of 11.1 million. The biggest increase was in restaurants, bars and hotels, where they leapt nearly 20% to 1.6 million. Manufacturing firms are also seeking more employees, even as many struggle to obtain supplies amid widespread supply chain bottlenecks. The number of available factory jobs jumped 6% in October, to just over 1 million, more than double the pre-pandemic level and the highest on record… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Crypto executives defend industry as Congress considers oversight (Wall Street Journal)
Cryptocurrency industry executives appeared before Congress on Wednesday to argue that their technologies hold promise for the future, as lawmakers and regulators wrestle with how to bring the more than $2 trillion market under government oversight.
The House Financial Services Committee, led by Rep. Maxine Waters (D., Calif.), called the hearing in hopes of improving lawmakers’ understanding of crypto assets and how the sector fits into existing regulations. While millions of Americans have invested in crypto assets, many experts say the asset class needs clearer rules of the road, which Congress could provide.
Cryptocurrency is a name given to a broad group of digital assets such as bitcoin. While the assets are criticized by some as volatile, opaque and presenting risks to users and the broader financial system, the industry executives said cryptocurrency can make financial transactions faster, less expensive and more accessible to users around the world.
“The industry has the potential to improve a lot of people’s lives,” FTX Trading Ltd. Chief Executive Sam Bankman-Fried told lawmakers… (LINK TO FULL STORY)