BG Reads | News You Need to Know (November 9, 2021)
Sam Houston Building, Texas Capital Complex
[MEETING/HEARINGS]
Special Called Meeting of the Austin City Council (Today at 9AM)
Joint Meeting with Travis County Commissioners Court
Update on Covid-19 related matters.
Regular Meeting of the Austin City Council (Thursday, November 18 at 10AM)
[AUSTIN METRO NEWS]
Audit report: Austin was 'unprepared' for winter storm; planning, communication failed (Community Impact)
A new report from the city auditor's office details several ways Austin came up short in its response to Winter Storm Uri last February despite years of previous warnings and recommendations.
The draft audit report, released Nov. 8, is the latest of several city reviews of the winter disaster to be released this month. City Council previously heard briefings from Austin Energy, Austin Water and the city's office of emergency management on Nov. 4. Council will also consider the new report during its Nov. 10 Audit and Finance Committee meeting.
The findings from City Auditor Corrie Stokes' office cover Austin's reaction as temperatures dipped and power systems failed.
The report also delves into overall shortcomings in city preparations for severe winter weather events, insufficient communication with residents before and during the disaster period, and Austin's inequitable planning structure.
"While the storm was exceptionally severe, the city’s lack of preparedness for Winter Storm Uri led to a less effective and disorganized response. Additionally, the city has not implemented many past recommendations that may have improved its response to the storm, and has not historically prioritized disaster preparedness or community resilience," the report states… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Cultural trust leaders lay out priorities for $16.9M to help arts and music spaces (Austin Monitor)
The city plans to set up a pipeline of creative spaces to invest in and preserve in the coming years using dollars allocated after $16.9 million currently dedicated to that purpose is exhausted.
Leaders of the new economic development corporation that will execute the real estate deals envisioned with those dollars told the Music Commission last week that they plan to identify areas of need that could be helped through a combination of future bond proposals, hotel tax funds, philanthropy and other sources. The EDC plans to release later this month the request for proposals for Austin Cultural Trust, with existing and proposed creative spaces in line to have their properties purchased and managed in partnership with the city.
Anne Gatling Haynes, the EDC’s chief transactions officer, said the early goal is to preserve up to two “iconic” music venues that are under threat of closure or redevelopment, and establish one or two creative hub spaces that could offer space to a collection of creative groups. The $16.9 million comes from three sources: $12 million in creative spaces bond funding, the $2.4 million iconic venue pool that is funded by hotel tax revenues, and $2.5 million in General Fund dollars the city committed to cover losses in hotel tax receipts due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The first deadline for the cultural trust RFP is Dec. 17, which Gatling Haynes said will allow staff to evaluate which projects are already in operation but at risk, or in progress but may need assistance for completion.
“We’re hoping that by developing a pipeline we can really identify how much money it will potentially take to secure the existing arts, music and cultural ecosystem in the city for the long term,” she said. “The goal is to continue to look at avenues for raising additional funds. Right now we’re focused primarily on the bricks-and-mortar development side, and there’s certainly other things this ecosystem needs, from programming endowments to efficiencies in operations.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Public documents tie Elon Musk associate to hundreds of acres near Tesla (Austin Business Journal)
Elon Musk’s assemblage of land in eastern Travis County appears to be growing.
Public documents show that an LLC tied to one of Musk’s top associates has purchased hundreds of acres just across the Colorado River from the rising $1.1. billion Tesla Inc. gigafactory.
It was unclear by publication time what the additional acreage will be used for, though the land purchases provide some idea of just how large Musk’s plans are for the area — he's already amassed more than 2,500 acres on the other side of the river — as the world's richest person continues to grow roots in Central Texas. He recently announced that Tesla (Nasdaq: TSLA) would relocate its headquarters to Austin from Palo Alto, California, and his other companies — tunneling startup The Boring Company, brain implant startup Neuralink Corp. and space exploration company SpaceX — are increasingly running operations through the region.
Property records filed with the Travis County Clerk's office indicate that a group called Horse Ranch LLC purchased up to 620 acres earlier this year from William McMorris Jr. and his wife, Susan, and Barbara Gill, on behalf of the estate of Robert Gill Jr. However, it wasn't immediately clear exactly how many acres were transferred. Records filed with Travis Central Appraisal District corroborate some of the land purchases, though it only shows nearly 300 acres tied to Horse Ranch LLC.
The McMorris family operates a horse riding facility called Rio Vista Farm on some of the land, and it appears to still be in operation. A memo was also filed with Travis County in July that outlines a lease agreement that allows the McMorrises to lease the land from Horse Ranch LLC for up to five years. The McMorrises did not return requests for comment.
Jared Birchall, who manages Musk’s family office and sits on the board of Musk's philanthropic foundation, was listed as the manager of Horse Ranch LLC on the property records and in filings with the Texas Secretary of State's office. Last year, TechCrunch also reported that Birchall was CEO of Neuralink, which could be planning a facility in the region. The company previously posted a job opening for a head of construction, though that has since been taken down… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Jennifer Virden announces 2022 run for mayor of Austin (CBS Austin)
Businesswoman Jennifer Virden officially announced Monday she will be running for the Austin mayoral office in 2022.
In November 2020, Virden ran against incumbent Alison Alter for Austin City Council District 10. The two then faced off in a December 2020 runoff election where Alter took the win.
If Virden is elected, she will become the first woman to hold office in 40 years. Carole Keeton McClellan was the last female mayor of Austin from 1977-1983.
"We all love Austin, and it's time to get serious about undoing the damage that is being done to our city," said Jennifer Virden, candidate for Austin Mayor.
"Together we can bring the competent, common-sense, and compassionate leadership Austin needs now more than ever. I'm committed to restoring police staffing to pre-2020 levels, honestly addressing the still-unresolved homeless camping crisis, streamlining permitting for homebuilding and other development, making sensible changes to the land development code, and adequately funding the proper maintenance of our parks and green spaces at a world-class level."… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[TEXAS NEWS]
Elon Musk reportedly eyeing San Antonio for ‘Teslas and tunnels’ project (KSAT)
The Alamo Regional Mobility Authority is soliciting proposals for a potential transportation project between San Antonio International Airport and downtown. San Antonio Express News reports that The Boring Company, owned by Elon Musk, is interested in bringing such a plan into reality.
“By going out to the private sector, it opens up the opportunities for what might be possible,” said Greg Griffin, program leader and assistant professor in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Texas at San Antonio. “And whether that leads to a specific project or not, it certainly opens up people’s imaginations and conversations about what an appropriate solution is for San Antonio.”
The company has been working for years to eventually bring high speed or hyperloop travel to several markets. The Clark County Commissioners in Nevada approved a major expansion of a loop project in the Las Vegas region. An initial loop underneath the Las Vegas Convention Center opened earlier this year.
A true hyperloop, with fully autonomous and high-speed travel, may be years in the future. The current offering allows passengers to be driven in Teslas to their destination.
The convention center loop serves three stations and is equipped to handle 4,400 passengers per hour. The eventual Vegas loop projects would handle 57,000 passengers per hour with 51 stations.
“I’m not sure that anybody’s discussing this possibility as like a congestion mitigation solution,” Griffin said. “Whether or not the future of a Tesla and tunnel type project is a larger vehicle that’s more like a transit capacity with more than 10 people, maybe up to 40 or 50 people like a typical bus, would be interesting versus a four to five-person capacity that you see in a car right now.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Delta-8 is legal in Texas — for now — after Travis County judge blocks state from criminalizing the cannabis extract (Texas Tribune)
Delta-8, the popular cannabis extract that was recently and suddenly outlawed in Texas, is temporarily legal again.
State district court Judge Jan Soifer on Monday granted a temporary injunction against the state to ensure selling or obtaining delta-8 is not a felony offense. It came as Hometown Hero, a CBD dispensary based in Austin, requested the judge block the state from listing delta-8 as a Schedule I drug, which effectively made it illegal.
The company argued an injunction was needed because the Texas Department of State Health Services’ Oct. 15 online notice, classifying delta-8 as a Schedule I drug, did not adequately notify retailers. The order from the Travis County judge said the action from DSHS didn't comply with the state's rule-making requirements. (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Houston chief says he met with Travis Scott before concert (Houston Chronicle)
Houston's police chief said Monday that he expressed concerns about safety to Travis Scott before the rapper performed at a sold-out music festival where eight people died and hundreds more were injured in a crush of fans as Scott took to the stage.
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner did not elaborate on his specific safety concerns voiced Friday at the Astroworld festival, an event founded by Scott that was attended by some 50,000 people. His department has launched a criminal investigation into what went wrong.
“I asked Travis Scott and his team to work with HPD for all events over the weekend and to be mindful of his team's social media messaging on any scheduled events,” Finner said in a statement tweeted by the department. “The meeting was brief and respectful, and a chance for me to share my public safety concerns as Chief of Police.”
Representatives of Scott, who has said he was “absolutely devastated by what took place,” did not respond to an email from The Associated Press on Monday… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[NATIONAL NEWS]
Fact Sheet: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal (The White House)
This Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will rebuild America’s roads, bridges and rails, expand access to clean drinking water, ensure every American has access to high-speed internet, tackle the climate crisis, advance environmental justice, and invest in communities that have too often been left behind. The legislation will help ease inflationary pressures and strengthen supply chains by making long overdue improvements for our nation’s ports, airports, rail, and roads. It will drive the creation of good-paying union jobs and grow the economy sustainably and equitably so that everyone gets ahead for decades to come. Combined with the President’s Build Back Framework, it will add on average 1.5 million jobs per year for the next 10 years.
This historic legislation will… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Big Bird got 'vaccinated' against COVID-19, drawing outrage from Republicans (NPR)
Big Bird ruffled some conservatives' feathers this weekend by announcing that he had been vaccinated against COVID-19.
The beloved Muppet tweeted on Saturday that he had gotten the shot, which is newly available for Americans between the ages of 5 and 11. Big Bird has been a fixture of children's television since 1969 but is officially 6 years old.
"My wing is feeling a little sore, but it'll give my body an extra protective boost that keeps me and others healthy," he wrote.
Twitter users sounded off in the comments, with many thanking the character for doing his part to keep Sesame Street safe and set a positive example for kids. President Biden and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky were among those who offered their thanks and praise.
Others were not as appreciative.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, decried Big Bird's tweet as "government propaganda."… (LINK TO FULL STORY)