BG Reads | News You Need to Know (November 17, 2021)
Texas Capitol Extension
[AUSTIN METRO NEWS]
Welcome to Musklandia: Austin adjusts to life with Tesla and its eccentric billionaire boss Elon Musk (Austin American-Statesman)
Welcome to life in Musklandia. As Elon Musk's sphere of influence in Austin and across Texas seems to expand by the day, the eccentric Texas-based billionaire is taking the region and the state along on the wild and often weird roller-coaster ride that is his life. It's been a little more than a month since Musk announced Oct. 7 that Tesla is moving its headquarters to Austin, but even before that, Musk was already spending an increasing amount of time in Austin. He has been moving more of his companies into the region since at least 2020, most notably with Tesla's $1.1 million manufacturing facility currently being built in southeastern Travis County. As Austin becomes ground zero for all things Musk, that leaves the rest of us figuring out how to navigate the new landscape — good, bad and odd. "Musk is a modern-day Albert Einstein in the eyes of many, and the richest person in the world by a wide margin. He's going to bring a lot more limelight and focus on Austin," said Dan Ives, an analyst with Wedbush Securities.
Musk and Austin are likely to become inextricably linked in the coming years, Ives said. "When the average person in the world thinks Austin, Texas, they're not going to the music festival or Dell or for the great city it is. Tesla and Elon Musk are going to become synonymous with Austin," Ives said. Roger Kay, an analyst with Endpoint Technologies, said Musk's status and personality are sure to have an impact on Central Texas. "He's the richest guy in the world, which is interesting. So what he'll do immediately is upstage (Dell Technologies founder and CEO) Michael Dell, at least on that," Kay said. "Michael has been the kind of king of Austin, I would say, all up until this point." While the $1.1 billion Tesla manufacturing facility and Tesla's planned headquarters move to Austin have drawn the most attention, Musk's ventures have been quietly expanding in Central Texas for some time now. They include Musk's tunneling and infrastructure company, the Boring Co., which has facilities in Pflugerville and Bastrop; a potential SpaceX expansion somewhere in Austin; a potential Neuralink office; and the headquarters of his private foundation, the Musk Foundation… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
30-degree temperature swing expected in Austin with midweek cold front, forecasters say (Austin American-Statesman)
A dry cold front expected Wednesday will reset Mother Nature’s thermostat in Central Texas: Say goodbye to the recent stretch of unseasonably warm days and hello to more winter-like mornings.
November, when Central Texas weather grudgingly surrenders the warm breezes of fall for chilly winter winds, is no stranger to wild temperature swings and to experiencing aspects of all four seasons within its four weeks. The National Weather Service on Tuesday noted some of the historic conditions that have occurred in November.
"In 1951, Austin hit 91 on Nov. 13, but in 1955, snow fell there on the 8th," the agency said on Twitter. "Flooding can also happen in Nov., like in 1974."
On Nov. 8, 1955, up to 3 inches of snow fell in West Austin and 2 inches fell at then-Bergstrom Air Force Base, according to the weather service. From Nov. 23-24, 1974, Bergstrom recorded about 8.7 inches of rainfall. The severe flooding led to the deaths of 10 people in Austin and two in San Marcos… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Project Connect update shows early work on schedule for construction (Austin Monitor)
With City Council having recently approved the joint powers agreement that affirms the roles of the city, Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Austin Transit Partnership in Project Connect’s completion, last week’s Mobility Committee meeting was focused mostly on updates on the many facets of the $7.1 billion project.
Sam Sargent, director of strategy for ATP and Capital Metro, gave the committee largely favorable news about progress of the Orange and Blue lines, along with expansions to the Red Line and what’s ahead for the planning of the Green Line that will service East Austin near the Colony Park transit-oriented development project.
Improvements to the MetroRapid bus service are underway as planned, including a number of new neighborhood circulator routes to areas such as northern Oak Hill and south Menchaca, and deployment of new technology intended to make bus service easier for customers to access. The bus service is also expected to take delivery by Dec. 22 of the first electrified buses that are part of an order of 197 that will eventually save 115 tons of greenhouse gases that would have been generated by mass transit using internal combustion engines.
In the next major steps for the development of the Orange and Blue lines, work is progressing on environmental impact statements that will allow for further engineering plans and applications for federal funding to supplement the bond funding voters approved last year. Sargent said the full funding plans for those lines should be finalized by 2024.
The transit station at McKalla Place, which was one of the city’s requirements connected to the land deal that enabled the creation of the nearby soccer stadium, is moving ahead on schedule in the design phase. Thus far 30 percent of the design is complete, and Sargent said construction contracts will be awarded in January with site work on pace to start in May to allow for a fall 2022 opening… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Taylor ISD approves Chapter 313 incentives for Samsung as final decision looms (Austin Business Journal)
Leaders in rural Taylor have nailed down the final piece of an incentives strategy meant to lure Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.'s $17 billion chipmaking plant.
Taylor Independent School District trustees approved a Chapter 313 agreement with a subsidiary of Samsung at their Nov. 15 meeting that could ultimately lead to $292 million in property tax savings for the technology giant, if it chooses the Taylor area for its massive project. That's on top of the incentives already approved from the city and county.
Samsung has been considering sites in Central Texas, Phoenix and upstate New York for its massive project, which will be one of the largest foreign investments in U.S. history. Though, it appears the city of Austin — where the company has had a chipmaking factory for 25 years — may be out of the running. A Chapter 313 application for the same incentives with Manor Independent School District was withdrawn last week. Executives have said incentives will play an important part in the decision.
Michele Glaze, spokesperson for Samsung, said Taylor ISD's approval of the Chapter 313 agreement was part of the district's "due diligence." She maintained at publication time that a decision has not yet been made.
Chapter 313 allows a school district to cap a portion of the taxable value of a property at $10 million to $100 million for up to 10 years. The tool has been used by numerous companies making massive investments in Texas, such as Tesla Inc.’s $1.1 billion facility rising in Travis County. However, the program will expire at the end of 2022… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Dripping Springs considers extending development moratorium (Community Impact)
Dripping Springs City Council considered extending the development moratorium at its regular Nov. 16 meeting.
The moratorium means the city will not accept permit applications for new developments in the city or its extraterritorial jurisdiction where a waiver or exception has not been approved, according to the ordinance.
On Nov. 22, council will vote on extending the moratorium to 90 days. It could be extended further or terminated by a vote of the council at any time. If council does not vote to extend the moratorium taking effect Nov. 18, it will end Nov. 27.
“This is not going to shut down construction,” said Mim James, chair of the planning and zoning commission, who spoke at the Nov. 16 meeting.
The city estimates there are over 5,000 homes in the process of being built that will be unaffected by the moratorium due to prior approvals, James said… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[TEXAS NEWS]
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott must define Beto O’Rourke early, avoid turning off new voters, experts say (Dallas Morning News)
With a single tweet Monday morning, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott laid out his strategy against Beto O’Rourke by saying the former U.S. House member from El Paso wants to “defund the police, kill good paying oil and gas jobs, allow chaotic open border policies, support the failing Biden agenda, impose socialism and take your guns.” Although voters won’t get to weigh in for nearly a year, Abbott opens as a favorite to win his seventh statewide general election since he secured a full term on the state Supreme Court in 1998. However, experts said Monday there are four vital tasks for the two-term Republican incumbent if he’s to win again in 2022:
Don’t underestimate O’Rourke’s appeal with new voters. In rounds of interviews before his announcement, O’Rourke noted there were 7 million eligible Texans who didn’t vote in 2020. Since his failed presidential campaign, he’s been trying to get them registered. Now, he’ll try to woo them over – and mobilize them to vote. Jeronimo Cortina, associate professor of political science at the University of Houston, said the state’s more than 17 million voters include an impressive number who are newly registered or new to the state. The net increase of 1.2 million voters to the rolls since 2018 could scramble Republican strategies that have worked in statewide races for 30 years, Cortina said. Define O’Rourke early. Austin public relations executive Matt Hirsch, a former Abbott deputy chief of staff, said the incumbent won’t underestimate O’Rourke. “He and his campaign have started this race on offense, reminding voters about O’Rourke’s previous statements and positions, and I would expect them to continue to implement this game plan over the next year,” said Hirsch, who called Abbott “one of the best campaigners in the modern era of Texas politics.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Texas' pandemic housing madness is cooling - a little bit - as would-be buyers sit it out (San Antonio Express-News)
After going on a tear during the coronavirus pandemic, the Texas housing market is showing signs of cooling. The number of sales and prices are moderating as the supply of homes available for sale is increasing, said Luis Torres, a research economist at Texas A&M University’s Texas Real Estate Research Center.
One reason for the slowdown: Prospective buyers are sitting it out, waiting for prices to come back to earth. “Prices have increased at such a high rate,” Torres said. “A lot of people have found themselves priced out of the market, so that’s weakening demand somewhat.” It’s a shift from the narrative that’s been playing out since last year. Activity accelerated as families kept at home by the pandemic sought more space to spread out, took advantage of low mortgage rates and used federal stimulus checks to help with down payments. Some moved to another area because the pandemic allowed them to work remotely and skip commuting. The sales surge came on top of an already-crimped supply of homes, driving prices higher. Current homeowners concerned about finding another home to move into — or about allowing strangers in to look around their home during a pandemic — opted to stay put. And February’s winter storm left properties damaged and delayed closings. While the state’s housing market is still strong — and homes are still selling fast — it’s returning to “more healthy” and “sustainable” levels, Torres said. That does not mean prices are falling, but that price growth is moderating, he said… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Harris County won't launch independent investigation into Astroworld disaster, despite Hidalgo's plea (Houston Chronicle)
Harris County will not launch an independent investigation into the Astroworld festival disaster after commissioners declined to support a plan by County Judge Lina Hidalgo to do so. Instead, the group on Tuesday voted unanimously to conduct an internal review, at the request of Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia. “I proposed a more thorough and detailed scope to increase the likelihood of objectivity and an impactful outcome,” Hidalgo said. “While this scales back my proposal, I am happy to see the court move as a unit on some next steps.” Garcia, a former Houston Police Department officer, made a motion to support that agency’s investigation. The motion also directed the county administrator, Harris County Sports Authority and Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation to examine safety regulations for outdoor concerts.
“There’s a lot of moving pieces in this particular event, so my motion is intended to help us move forward in the spirit of making sure that we are coordinating and collaborating, but at the same time looking forward,” Garcia said. He expressed concern that authorizing a new investigation would expose the county to lawsuits. Ten concertgoers died after collapsing during Travis Scott’s headlining performance at the festival Nov. 5. The Harris County medical examiner has yet to release their causes of death, though fans reported being crushed by the surging crowd near the stage, which had no seating. At the suggestion of Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle, court members spent nearly two hours in executive session discussing how to proceed on Astroworld and one other issue, the county’s I-45 lawsuit. “This is a great tragedy and immense sorrow, and overwhelming sadness at what has occurred here at this concert,’ Cagle said. “I have a number of questions I want to address to the county attorney, in executive session, because I don’t want my words, my grief and my sorrow to move us into an inappropriate place with regard to our responsibilities.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[NATIONAL NEWS]
As the nation awaits a Kyle Rittenhouse verdict, some raise eyebrows at the judge (NPR)
Even to those who had never stepped foot in a Wisconsin courtroom, it was clear from the moment jury selection began that Judge Bruce Schroeder — the judge presiding over the state's highest-profile criminal trial in years — would prove memorable.
As the cameras switched on and livestreams began for the first moments of the highly-watched criminal trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, the 18-year-old accused of homicide after fatally shooting two people during unrest last year in Kenosha, Wis. — the judge was playing Jeopardy with the potential jurors.
"Alphabet City for 600. 'I': It's the only major city that straddles two continents, Asia and Europe," Schroeder said. After a juror answered correctly ("Istanbul"), Schroeder had a follow-up: "Okay, can you sing the song?" he said, drawing a round of laughter.
As Rittenhouse's trial has unfolded in the weeks since, Schroeder has alternately drawn cheers and criticism among legal experts and other observers of the trial. While some of his actions were inconsequential, others — including a strong admonishment of the lead prosecutor last week — could be pivotal to the trial's outcome.
"I think what people are surprised by is some of these ... little quirks, maybe, that they're not used to seeing in judges. There are all sorts of personalities that are on the bench, all across the country," said Julius Kim, a defense attorney and former prosecutor based in Milwaukee who has appeared before Schroeder… (LINK TO FULL STORY)