BG Reads | News You Need to Know (October 27, 2021)
[MEETING/HEARINGS]
Special Called Meeting of the Austin City Council - Agenda (10.28.2021)
Discuss policy priorities, goals, and the potential impacts on governance for the City of Austin.
Special Called Meeting of the Austin City Council - Agenda (10.29.2021)
Joint Meeting with Captial Metro Board of Directors and Austin Transit Partnership Board of Directors
Regular Meeting of the Austin City Council - Agenda (11.4.2021)
[AUSTIN METRO NEWS]
Prop A would mandate 2 police officers per 1,000 residents. Where does that ratio come from? (KUT)
What’s in a ratio? A lot, if voters are being asked to mandate one. Proposition A, one of two local measures on the Nov. 2 ballot, asks Austinites if they want to set a minimum staffing ratio for the Austin Police Department: 2 police officers per 1,000 residents. Save Austin Now, the group behind Prop A, has latched onto this ratio, calling it a “nationally recognized ‘safe city standard.’” But it doesn't appear to be. Save Austin Now's website had attributed this definition to the U.S. Justice Department. But a search of the DOJ website turned up no such phrase. KUT reached out to the department to ask if it endorses a “safe city standard,” but did not hear back.
Save Austin Now could not show KUT where the definition originated. It later changed the attribution on its website to the National City Managers Association. But Matt Mackowiak, co-founder of Save Austin Now, did not provide KUT information to back this up, either. The ratio appears to come from an average of officer staffing at police departments across the country. A 2015 report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, for example, found that the average number of officers at municipal and township police departments was 2.1 per 1,000 residents. These were not necessarily departments in cities deemed "safe." Regardless, some police departments across the country began adopting this ratio as protocol. “This ratio is a common general guideline that many cities strive for,” Bill Sousa, a criminal justice professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, told KUT. While the APD no longer uses this ratio as a benchmark for staffing, it did so for years, according to a spokesperson and several former mayors. City leaders acknowledged back then that using a ratio for staffing was not ideal… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
US appeals court rejects mayoral candidate's challenge to Austin campaign limits (Austin American-Statesman)
A federal appeals court has rejected mayoral candidate Jennifer Virden's attempt to overturn an Austin ordinance that limits campaign fundraising to the year before an election. Virden, an unsuccessful candidate for Austin City Council last year, argued that the fundraising limit violated her First Amendment rights as she campaigns for mayor in the November 2022 election. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected that argument, upholding a July ruling in Austin's favor by U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman.
The U.S. Supreme Court has concluded that candidates and contributors have different free speech rights, the three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit said in an unsigned opinion. "The temporal restriction at issue does not prevent Virden from spending her own money to disseminate speech, nor does it prevent her from speaking," the appeals court said in a Monday evening opinion. "Virden, however, seeks money to speak 'more robustly.' But the First Amendment does not provide her that right." Contributors have a constitutionally protected right of association that can be expressed by donating money to candidates or causes, while candidates have a right to political expression that can be exercised by spending money on political ads and related endeavors, the court said. "In other words, Virden’s constitutionally protected interest is in spending money — not receiving it," the court said. The ruling means Virden is barred from soliciting or receiving campaign contributions until Nov. 8, 2021 — 365 days before the 2022 election, the court concluded. The appeals court panel consisted of Judges Carl Stewart, Catharina Haynes and James Graves. Stewart and Graves were nominated by Democratic presidents, and Haynes by a Republican… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Ingredients for safer Sixth Street include daytime activities, alternate land uses (Austin Monitor)
The city hopes a plan to increase daytime non-drinking activity, promote a variety of land uses and coordinate safety plans with bar owners will lead to a safer atmosphere in the Sixth Street entertainment district.
Following a recent report to City Council from Chief Joseph Chacon on Austin Police Department’s progress on improving safety in the district, the Downtown Commission received an update that focused on programming, public works and activating vacant spaces as some of the possible steps that could be used in coming years.
Brian Block, the city’s manager of entertainment services, said a variety of city departments are collaborating to fulfill the objectives set out by Council following a mass shooting on Sixth Street in June that killed one tourist and injured a dozen others.
Block said public safety components such as increasing lighting and increasing the presence and coordination of emergency services during crowded nighttime bar hours would work. There are also plans afoot to make the area more pedestrian friendly and active in the daytime with activities such a farmers market, which is being explored by the Pecan Street Owners Association.
Improved public space design, partnerships with bar owners to coordinate security protocols, and bringing theater or varied other uses into the area are the broad strokes of the plan Council expects to see by the end of the month. In particular, Block identified the many vacant storefronts between Interstate 35 and Red River Street as a target for pop-ups or alternative uses, with some programming likely to fold into live music promoted in the nearby Red River Cultural District.
Commissioners were in favor of the plans and offered a variety of guidance for staff, with Commissioner David Gomez pushing for Austin Public Health to be involved in safety planning related to intoxication and other high-risk behaviors… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
International homebuyers infused $634M into Austin-area housing market, report says (KXAN)
International homebuyers infused $634 million into the Austin-area housing market from April 2020 to March 2021, according to the Austin Board of Realtors' (ABoR) 2021 Central Texas International Homebuyers Report. That amount is $200 million lower than the same period the year prior due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
ABoR said even though the local housing market hit historical highs in both sales volume and median price over the past year, international home buying and selling activity slowed due to international travel restrictions and economic uncertainty.
"Over the last year, international buyers showed a preference for townhouses and condominiums for use as investment or vacation properties. The bottom line is that Austin continues to attract people from all over the world, and we welcome them to our community whether they are looking to relocate or invest," said Susan Horton, ABoR's 2021 president.
The $634 million from international buyers represented 3% of all residential sales dollar volume in the Austin-Round Rock area from April 2020 to March 2021. The median home price among those buyers was $428,100, notably higher than the Austin-Round Rock median price during the survey period ($320,000)… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Austin health authorities outline COVID-19 surge risks while eyeing possible shift to Stage 2 (Community Impact)
Local public health experts said they are encouraged by Austin's declining COVID-19 numbers but warned progress could be easily upended in the coming months if the community does not remain vigilant against the virus.
Austin-Travis County remains in Stage 3 of Austin Public Health's pandemic risk-based guidelines. However, as of Oct. 26, the Austin-area coronavirus hospitalizations are within the range for APH to consider a shift to Stage 2 with a seven-day moving average of 14.1 daily hospital admissions related to the coronavirus. The capital metropolitan area's hospitalizations first dipped below 15, the tentative threshold for Stage 2, on Oct. 22 and have oscillated in the days since.
APH has historically waited to see a persistent trend in staging data before announcing a shift while factoring in other considerations, including the testing positivity rate, the doubling time of new cases and intensive care unit capacity. Dr. Desmar Walkes, the Austin-Travis County health authority, said data projections from The University of Texas at Austin's COVID-19 Modeling Consortium points to the need to be cautious about a shift to Stage 2.
"Modeling shows ... that if we continue with the threshold for Stage 2, we may see two surges in the November-December time frame," Walkes said.
The potential for new surges, she said, is mainly as a result of reduced protective behaviors that would be predicted during Stage 2, including masking and social distancing—as has been the case in the United Kingdom and other European countries experiencing surges. Walkes said flu numbers could also be higher this season if the public's vigilance around masking is relaxed… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Formula One race weekend brings in welcome dollars for Austin businesses (Austin American-Statesman)
As Formula One driver Max Verstappen crossed the finish line Sunday to win the U.S. Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas in front of an estimated 140,000 cheering fans, the operators of hotels, restaurants and nightclubs throughout the Austin area had plenty of reason to join the celebration.
That's because the nail-biter of a Formula One race marked the triumphant return of one of Austin's top visitor attractions, canceled last year amid the coronavirus pandemic — and it pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into the local economy over the weekend of festivities, fueling optimism that tourists are finally ready to travel in full force again.
"F1 is a glitzy deal," said Jon Hockenyos, president of Austin-based economic analysis firm TXP Inc. “In terms of three-day events, it has got to be right near the top" when it comes to economic impact on the region.
By many measures, the race this year was a major success.
Bobby Epstein, chairman and founder of Circuit of the Americas, said the estimated 140,000 people who attended it Sunday constituted a track record — eclipsing the estimated 105,000 in attendance for the F1 race in 2019 by 33%.
In addition, the majority of attendees live outside Texas, a trend that economists say means their spending has an additive effect on the Texas and Austin economies beyond that of in-state residents. More than 65% of F1 attendees were expected to be from out of state, according to an economic impact study conducted before the event for the Circuit Events Local Organizing Committee, which is affiliated with the racetrack… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[TEXAS NEWS]
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson tests positive for COVID-19 (Dallas Morning News)
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson says he tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday. Johnson, who is fully vaccinated, said in a statement that he began feeling sick on Monday and was experiencing mild symptoms a day later. He said he was canceling all events he was scheduled to attend this week, including the City Council meeting on Wednesday. He did not specify what symptoms he was experiencing. His wife, Nikki, is also fully vaccinated and tested negative for the virus, the mayor said. The couple has two young boys and a baby daughter.
“I appreciate your thoughts and prayers on behalf of my family, and I look forward to a speedy recovery so I can get back to work with my colleagues on behalf of the people of Dallas,” Johnson, 46, said in the statement. “In addition, I want to take this opportunity to again encourage residents of Dallas to get vaccinated if they have not yet done so — and to receive a booster shot when they are eligible.” “The vaccines have saved lives and can make breakthrough cases, like mine, far less severe.” Johnson received his first vaccine dose in January at UT Southwestern Medical Center, saying he was eligible because of an underlying medical condition. He hasn’t disclosed what that is and a mayor’s office spokesman declined to elaborate… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
City of San Antonio considers devoting $30 million in stimulus funds to pay residents' utility bills (San Antonio Express-News)
The city of San Antonio may spend $30 million in federal stimulus funds to help residents cover past due utility bills after city-owned CPS Energy and the San Antonio Water System ceased customer disconnections at the start of the pandemic last year. Both utilities resumed disconnections for nonpayment this month, but the city Tuesday proposed using $30 million from the American Rescue Plan Act to shore up customers’ accounts.
CPS Energy would receive $20 million , and $10 million would go to SAWS. To be eligible, customers must live within San Antonio, be enrolled on a payment plan with either utility and show proof of financial hardship related to the pandemic. If a household’s income is below 125 percent of the poverty line — just over $33,000 for a family of four — their entire bill would be waived. For customers with incomes of more than 125 percent of the poverty line, CPS would be able to pay off account balances up to $1,000, while SAWS would credit up to $700. City Council is to consider the plan Nov. 18… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
FIFA officials to tour Houston as the city vies for a chance to host the World Cup in 2026 (Houston Business Journal)
FIFA officials are in Houston for a site visit that could determine whether or not H-Town becomes a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The officials landed in Houston on Monday, Oct. 25, and will spend 36 hours in the city to see what it has to offer.
After three years of planning, Houston 2026 World Cup Bid Committee President Chris Canetti said it all comes down to this visit.
"Tomorrow's a big day," Canetti said. "This one day is so meaningful. There are so many moving parts. It's our best opportunity to make our best impression and with that comes great pressure."
It's one shot to show FIFA why Houston deserves to be one of 10 cities to host World Cup matches in 2026. If selected, Houston would host six matches. That's the equivalent of six Super Bowls in a few weeks.
"It could be more than $1 billion in revenue to the city of Houston. It's huge," Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[NATIONAL NEWS]
Mark Zuckerberg sets Facebook on long, costly path to Metaverse reality (Wall Street Journal)
Mark Zuckerberg says he has long imagined a virtual world where people work, play and interact. Now he’s preparing to spend billions of dollars and years of effort at making that a reality so Facebook Inc. FB -3.92% can prosper.
Facebook on Monday said its spending on Facebook Reality Labs, where the company works on augmented and virtual reality, would dent total operating profit by around $10 billion this year. “I expect this investment to grow even further for each of the next several years,” Mr. Zuckerberg said.
Facebook’s chief executive has become one of the most vocal proponents of online worlds where people exist in immersive, virtual and shared spaces—increasingly referred to as the metaverse. Rooted in science-fiction novels like “Ready Player One” and “Snow Crash,” the metaverse represents a digital reality where people playing through avatars would be able to attend concerts with friends or try on clothes in stores, just as they would offline, out in the real world. In some visions, they cut across technology platforms.
“Over the next decade, these new platforms are going to start to unlock the kinds of experiences that I’ve wanted to build since before I even started Facebook,” Mr. Zuckerberg said Monday on an earnings call.
The move is emerging as central to Mr. Zuckerberg’s push to serve younger adults. The experiences the company will introduce as it creates the metaverse should lure and excite such audiences, he said.
But realizing that vision will be neither fast, nor cheap. Analysts say some of the fundamental building blocks for the metaverse don’t exist, yet, and will take time to build. “We see the full vision of the metaverse as decades away,” Jefferies analysts said, even as they expressed a bullish outlook for the concept.
Facebook’s total company expenses could jump as much as $27 billion next year, reaching $97 billion, the company said, as it spends on people and infrastructure. Capital expenditure on items such as network infrastructure and data centers is expected to jump almost 80% next year, the company said… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Jeff Bezos’ rocket company wants to build a space station (New York Times)
Blue Origin, the space company owned by Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, is teaming up with other firms to build a space station in Earth orbit. The group announced its plans on Monday, revealing the latest concept for a privately built orbital outpost that could replace or complement the International Space Station.
The influx of private space station proposals comes as NASA seeks a replacement for the 20-year-old, $100 billion laboratory in space, which is showing signs of its age. Whether any of the low-Earth orbit concepts will be ready to house astronauts by the time funding for the International Space Station lapses around 2030 is unclear, and depends largely on the funding NASA is able to get from Congress. The agency plans to allocate up to $400 million to private space companies to kick-start construction, eventually partnering with private operators the way it now relies on companies like Elon Musk’s SpaceX to get cargo and astronauts to and from the I.S.S.
The proposal by Blue Origin and its partners, called Orbital Reef, only exists in digital animations and drawings, and executives said it could be built by the end of the decade. It will have competition, from the very real Tiangong station that China expects to finish as soon as next year, as well as other proposed private outposts. Lockheed Martin and Nanoracks, a firm that facilitates research on the I.S.S., unveiled last week their own space station called Starlab. And Axiom Space, another entrant, has the go-ahead to launch the beginnings of a free-flying base that will first attach to the International Space Station.
The Orbital Reef project is expected to draw hefty financial backing from Mr. Bezos, who has committed to spending $1 billion per year of his fortune on Blue Origin, and has described a goal of creating the conditions for millions of people to live and work in space. The company, founded in 2000, has launched customers on short, up-and-down tourist flights to the edge of space. But it has not yet achieved other goals, such as building an orbital rocket or winning a NASA contract to build a lunar lander for astronauts… (LINK TO FULL STORY)