BG Reads | News You Need to Know (November 23, 2021)
East Austin
[MEETING/HEARINGS]
Austin City Council Special Called Meeting Agenda (11.30.2021)
Joint Meeting with Travis County Commissioners Court
[AUSTIN METRO NEWS]
City Council to meet for special session on housing supply (Austin Monitor)
City Council is convening Nov. 30 to discuss what Mayor Steve Adler has called one of Austin’s “greatest present challenges” – housing supply.
In a City Council Message Board post last Wednesday, Adler outlined the strategy up for discussion at the special session: allowing residential housing units in commercially zoned areas.
In a proposed resolution, Council would begin the process of amending the Land Development Code to allow for residential construction in CS, CS-1, GR, LR, GO, and LO zoning districts, a number of areas that are currently zoned for commercial purposes.
The proposal would direct City Manager Spencer Cronk to put together an affordability bonus requiring that 10 percent of units built are affordable to households at 60 percent of the median family income.
The resolution also has some more granular objectives; for example, it includes a provision that would “provide an incentive” to raise the ground floor of buildings by 5-10 feet for retail spaces, though the finer points still need to be fleshed out.
The resolution draft is looking to add 46,324 housing units to the city’s housing supply as a result of these code changes. The figure comes from a 2018 estimate from a Planning Commission working group.
These changes to the zoning code come at a time when Austin’s housing market continues to be in a frenzy. In October, the median sale price for a home in Austin was $550,000, 20 percent higher than last year, according to Redfin. For renters, who make up the largest share of the population, the average monthly rent is now around $1,600 a month, according to Apartment List data.
So far, the proposal has strong support in Council. Posting to the message board, Council Member Leslie Pool wrote, “I support the concept of residential uses being permitted in certain commercial zoning districts. These specific amendments should increase the possibility of live-work spaces around the city, especially in areas of high transit opportunity, and with corresponding affordability requirements.”
Similar sentiments were echoed by Council members Greg Casar, Ann Kitchen and Kathie Tovo – though it’s also clear that more needs to be done to ease the city’s housing pains as demand continues to outpace supply… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Long Center seeks to act as administrative hub for new creative consortium (Austin Monitor)
Executives with the Long Center for the Performing Arts want the facility to serve as an administrative hub for local arts groups, providing shared services that could lower costs and eventually bring in major corporate donations to benefit member organizations.
At this month’s Arts Commission meeting, Cory Baker, CEO of the Long Center, presented the current plan for what is being described as Austin’s Creative Consortium, which has been in the works for most of this year. Baker said the concept will be discussed with focus groups of artists and representatives of possible member groups over the next three months.
While the nonprofit would operate within the Long Center, it would be created as a separate entity, with member groups deciding on its actions and functions.
Potential initial services could include human resources support and group health insurance plans, financial and accounting services, pooled purchasing, shared office and venue space, and ticketing and box office capabilities.
Baker said Pittsburgh’s arts community has seen the positive impacts of a hub system that supports smaller and new arts groups that need help with the business end of their operations.
“A lot of other cities have infrastructure and support services to create a sustainable creative sector, and that’s something that’s not been formally put together in Austin,” she said. “As a creative and as a producer you often become the accounting and HR person along with all these other things, and it’s to the detriment of not only your art, but your ability to be competitive in the marketplace.”
Baker said longer-term services could include collaborative fundraising and marketing, business development and strategic planning, and venue services. She didn’t disclose the cost associated with the initial plan, but said the Long Center is seeking funding for a three-year pilot program, with long-term funding coming from fees on tickets, membership dues, grants and donations.
After the focus group period is concluded, Baker hopes a cohort of initial members will come together to begin creating the bylaws and early offerings for the consortium.
The Arts Commission took no action on the presentation, but commissioners expressed support for the idea as a resource to help arts groups and eventually individual artists who need help managing their careers.
“I do think about the education component here, and people learning about how to become a business and how to better operate in terms of sustainability,” Commissioner Celina Zisman said. “I think about things like the creative worker grants from the city and how we served sound engineers and lighting techs and others that needed some help. Understanding that our arts ecosystem is about venues and these larger organizations, but it’s on the backs of the individuals that make the arts world go round here … keeping that in mind as a priority I’m going to advocate for individuals to get support.”
Commissioner Heidi Schmalbach said the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on local arts groups showed the need for a stronger support system for the creative sector… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Note: Bingham Group CEO A.J serves as Chair of the Long Center Board and is Vice-Chair of the Austin Monitor Board.
Capital Metro moves forward with funding for one of Project Connect’s ‘most complex’ intersections (Community Impact)
The Capital Metro board of directors authorized the public transit agency to put $4.7 million in federal funding toward a project at the intersection of North Lamar Boulevard and Airport Boulevard. The funding allows Capital Metro to take the next step in deciding if it will put the MetroRail Red Line above or below street level at the intersection.
Project Connect envisions the area as a critical convergence of MetroRail lines, as the system map shows the Red, Orange and Blue lines all running through the adjacent Crestview Station.
“That is going to be one of the greatest, most complex areas in all of Project Connect for us to get right,” Board Member Eric Stratton said. “That's because you're trying to connect an existing freight rail Red Line with now the light rail, plus the vehicle transportation [and] the cars in that area.”
As far as grade separation, Capital Metro still needs to decide if the Red Line will tunnel below or elevate above the intersection, said Sharmila Mukherjee, Capital Metro’s executive vice president for planning and development.
“We’re basically separating rail from vehicular traffic to limit congestion,” Mukherjee said. “It’s just a very tough intersection that affects our reliability.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Austin city manager discusses policing, homelessness and affordability in one-on-one with KVUE (KVUE ABC)
Austin City Manager Spencer Cronk said he hopes to begin new police cadet classes in the coming months but expects the city will need another year to 18 months before it has a proper number of police officers on the street.
Policing is one of three topics Cronk addressed in an interview with KVUE following recent months of controversial public policy debates.
Cronk also said that the city continues to address homelessness with efforts to find housing for thousands of unsheltered people on Austin streets. Earlier this year, Austin residents voted to restore a ban on public camping after city council members repealed it in 2019, making the city's homeless population more visible than it had historically been.
Cronk also shared his thoughts on why affordable housing is critical to Austin's future and the ongoing difficulty the city has in filling certain critical positions… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Bridget Grumet: Antisemitic agitators came to Austin for a reason (Austin American-Statesman)
It’s tempting to put the ugliness and hate we’ve seen in recent weeks in a box labeled “not from here.” After all, the college student accused of setting fire Oct. 31 to the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue, a brazen hate crime charring the entryway of a beloved Central Austin temple, lives in San Marcos. And the ringleader of the neo-Nazis who hoisted vile, antisemitic banners over MoPac Boulevard (Loop 1) a few weekends ago isn't even from Texas. We can dismiss such people as outsiders and express outrage that they would dare show up in our diverse, welcoming city. Or we can ask ourselves what makes such people think the door is propped open, even a tiny bit, for them to step inside.
To be sure, many in Austin swiftly condemned antisemitism and stood in solidarity with our Jewish neighbors. Hundreds waved signs of hope at last weekend’s Rally for Kindness outside the Capitol. More than 1,100 faith leaders, elected officials, business leaders and residents signed on to a letter by Interfaith Action of Central Texas condemning acts of intimidation and violence. More than $150,000 in donations have poured into Congregation Beth Israel to help with the extensive repairs needed, and a group of donors has pledged another $100,000 in matching funds. This is the Austin many of us know and hold dear. But we cannot tune out the low buzz of hate and intolerance that’s always humming in the background. Ignore it long enough, and someone will feel emboldened to turn up the volume. Bee Moorhead, executive director of Texas Impact, a statewide interfaith advocacy group, draws comparisons to the broken window theory. When people see that a certain level of blight is tolerated, bad actors believe they can get away with worse forms of misbehavior, and good people feel powerless to stop the demise. You don’t have to look hard to find the seedy corners of our public square… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[TEXAS NEWS]
Future of groundwater pumping in Texas unsustainable (San Antonio Express-News)
The future of water looks murky in the Lone Star State. Groundwater levels are declining in Texas, according to two reports published last week by Texas State University and the Environmental Defense Fund. Seven of 20 aquifer systems analyzed in the state are being overpumped, and that number could double by 2070, which would leave only six aquifers sustainable for future groundwater use in the state. Unsustainable pumping of aquifers can lead to wells drying up, less groundwater storage and the degradation of rivers and springs that depend on aquifers for their ecosystems.
For the Edwards Aquifer, groundwater is protected by the Endangered Species Act — limiting the amount of water pumped in order to protect creatures such as the blind salamander and the San Marcos Gambusia. Currently, the Edwards Aquifer is being pumped sustainably and will continue to be in 2070, according to the Texas State University report. But the Edwards is connected with the Trinity Aquifer, which stretches north from San Antonio through Texas Hill Country. “Most of the Edwards Aquifer’s recharge comes from rivers across the recharge zone that leak into the aquifer, and then most of that water flowing through those rivers is a source for the Hill Country,” said Robert Mace, a professor at Texas State University and executive director of the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment. “But there’s water that also flows underground from the Trinity aquifer into the Edwards, so if there’s less water in the Trinity, there’s going to be less water flowing into the Edwards.” While the Trinity Aquifer as a whole is projected to be managed sustainably in the future, the Trinity within the Hill Country is not, Mace said. The Trinity’s groundwater levels are projected to decline by 30 feet by 2070… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson won’t run for Congress to replace Eddie Bernice Johnson (Dallas Morning News)
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said Monday that he will not campaign to succeed U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson. “I love being mayor, and it’s the only job in American politics that I want right now, period, full stop, end of story,” Johnson told The Dallas Morning News. “This is the right job for me and for my skill set and my passion, which is the people of this city…If I’m going to be in American politics in any job, this is the one.” On Saturday, Eddie Bernice Johnson announced that she will retire when her term ends in 2022, capping a 30-year career as the representative for the Dallas-anchored Congressional District 30. Her decision has sparked what’s expected to be a crowded race to replace the trailblazing Democrat. Eric Johnson, a former state representative, would have been a frontrunner for the seat. He was mentioned as a potential successor for Johnson, when she considered retirement in 2019. But Johnson ran for mayor of Dallas.
During a mayoral debate that year at the Belo Mansion, Johnson insisted he would remain mayor, even if the District 30 seat opened. When Eddie Bernice Johnson made her announcement, Eric Johnson said his phone began ringing. “I have no doubt in my mind that if I threw my hat into the ring, I would be going to Congress,” Johnson said. “I have the job I want right now. I want to continue to be mayor.” Johnson said that Eddie Bernice Johnson knew he wanted to remain mayor. He was out of town with his family when she made her announcement. The mayor said he’d hope the longtime congresswoman would stay for another term. “I was one of the folks who was hoping she’d actually stay on, because we need her down there, especially right now when we’re trying to get these infrastructure dollars in Dallas,” Johnson said. “It’s going to be a competitive process to get some infrastructure money. It’s not going to just be given out on sort of a block grant type basis. So we need a real champion. Now is not the ideal time to go to Washington with a junior congressperson.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert joins Texas Republicans running against Attorney General Ken Paxton (Texas Tribune)
U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler, announced Monday he is running for attorney general, challenging fellow Republican Ken Paxton, in the already crowded primary.
"Texas I am officially running to be your next Attorney General and will enforce the rule of law," Gohmert tweeted after announcing his campaign on Newsmax.
Gohmert announced earlier this month that he would join the GOP lineup against Paxton if he could raise $1 million in 10 days. The 10th day was Friday. Gohmert said in an announcement video that he has “reached our initial goal of raising $1 million in order to start a run for” attorney general, though he did not confirm whether he was able to collect it in 10 days.
Gohmert is at least the fourth primary opponent that Paxton has drawn. The others include Land Commissioner George P. Bush, former Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman and state Rep. Matt Krause of Fort Worth. At least three Democrats are also running for the job.
The race has attracted intense interest due to Paxton's legal problems, which include a 2015 securities fraud indictment that remains pending. Paxton has also come under FBI investigation over claims that he abused his office to help a wealthy donor. He has denied wrongdoing in both cases. Gohmert has latched on to those legal issues, warning they could cause Paxton to lose the general election.
Gohmert was originally scheduled to announce his decision Friday on Mark Davis' radio show in Dallas, but he never called in and the show went off air without hearing from him… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[NATIONAL NEWS]
Texas ranks among worst in the nation for racial health disparities (Houston Chronicle)
Racial and ethnic disparities in medical treatment are among the worst in the nation in Texas, where Black and Latino populations are less likely to receive preventative care and more likely to have treatment delayed, according to a new study. Texas ranked in the bottom quarter of the states when it comes to both access to and quality of care for Blacks and Latinos, hinting at deep-seated racial and ethnic health inequities, according to the Commonwealth Fund, a health policy foundation in New York. Blacks and Latinos are also more likely to have worse outcomes from treatment than whites, according to the study. The study examined access, quality and hospital services used as well as health outcomes for racial and ethnic groups, producing a scorecard that ranked each state.
Texas ranked in the 22nd percentile for the health system’s treatment of Blacks and Latinos, putting it in the bottom fourth. It ranked in the 63rd percentile for treatment of whites, putting it in the top 40 percent. “The scorecard explores the vital question: are people of color having different experiences than white people in the same health system?” said Dr. David Blumenthal, president of The Commonwealth Fund. “The answer is almost always yes.” People of color were less likely to receive preventative health care because of long-standing historic and systemic barriers, Commonwealth researchers said They are more likely to have lower incomes and inadequate health insurance, reducing their access to health care. They also are more likely to live in neighborhoods that are far from doctors, hospitals and clinics without transportation to get to medical providers, the study found. Many of the disparities come from factors that don’t even involve the health care system, said Andrea Caracostis, CEO of Hope Clinic, which serves the working poor in southwest Houston. Although access to preventative care is important, she said, so is having safe places to live, enough to eat, and access to healthy food. “If you have a child with asthma, we can treat them,” Caracostis said, “But if they go back to an apartment with mold, they are going sick again.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
U.S. COVID-19 deaths in 2021 surpass 2020’s (Wall Street Journal)
The spread of the highly contagious Delta variant and low vaccination rates in some communities were important factors, infectious-disease experts said. The milestone comes as Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations move higher again in places such as New England and the upper Midwest, with the seven-day average for new cases recently closer to 90,000 a day after it neared 70,000 last month. Covid-19 has proven to be an enduring threat even in some of the most vaccinated places, many of which are confronting outbreaks again now, as the world prepares to live with and manage the disease for the long term. In Europe, parts of Austria, Germany and the Netherlands have imposed new restrictions in recent days after Covid-19 cases rose and hospitals came under strain. The 2021 U.S. death toll caught some doctors by surprise. They had expected vaccinations and precautionary measures like social distancing and scaled-down public events to curb the spread of infections and minimize severe cases. But lower-than-expected immunization rates as well as fatigue with precautionary measures like masks allowed the highly contagious Delta variant to spread, largely among the unvaccinated, epidemiologists say.
“Heading into this year, we knew what we needed to do, but it was a failure of getting it done,” said Abraar Karan, an infectious-diseases doctor at Stanford University. Among missteps, Dr. Karan said, public-health officials failed to effectively communicate that the purpose of vaccines is to protect against severe cases of Covid-19 rather than to prevent the spread of infection entirely, which may have led some to doubt the effectiveness of the shots. Authorities also failed to use testing to effectively prevent super-spreader events, Dr. Karan said. The Journal calculated when the number of known Covid-19 deaths in 2021 surpassed 2020’s figure by using Johns Hopkins and CDC data. The Johns Hopkins numbers reflect a near-real-time count from states, but can lag behind when deaths actually occurred. CDC death-certificate data don’t track the changing pandemic as quickly, but do reflect the actual day of death. The CDC’s count for 2020 may grow with further revisions. These records are also close to showing more deaths in 2021. Comparing the two pandemic years is imperfect because the first coronavirus-related deaths in the U.S. weren’t recorded until February 2020, while 2021 began in the grips of a wintertime surge. During just one week in January, the U.S. recorded a peak of nearly 26,000 Covid-19 deaths, CDC data show… (LINK TO FULL STORY)