BG Reads | News You Need to Know (April 27, 2021)
[BINGHAM GROUP]
BG Podcast EP. 139: Q1 20201 Review: COVID-19's Impact on the Built Environment with Michael Hsu
On today’s episode we speak with return guest, Austin-based Michael Hsu, Principal and Founder of Michael Hsu Office of Architecture.
He and Bingham Group CEO A.J. catch up from their June 2020 show, updating on impacts to the design/built environment sector through Q1 2021.
You can listen to all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and SoundCloud. New content every Wednesday. Please like, link, comment and subscribe!
[MEETING/HEARINGS]
Action taken by the City Council during the meeting of: Thursday, April 22, 2021
Next Regular Meeting of the Austin City Council: Thursday, May 6th (No Agenda Posted)
[THE 87TH TEXAS LEGISLATURE]
LINK TO FILED HOUSE BILLS (5,792)
LINK TO FILED SENATE BILLS (2,642)
[AUSTIN METRO NEWS]
Apple’s billion-dollar Austin campus nearly finished, move-in date set (KXAN)
Apple says employees will move to its $1 billion campus in north Austin next year.
In a news release Monday, the tech giant said it’s investing $430 billion across the country and adding 20,000 jobs nationwide over the next five years. The completion of the Austin campus falls in the scope of the company’s massive expansion.
Apple broke ground on its new north Austin campus in 2019. The sprawling 133-acre campus will initially have 5,000 employees and will provide a wide variety of engineering, research and development, operations, finance, sales and customer support jobs.
Apple opened its first office in Austin more than 25 years ago, the company said. Its existing campus is on Parmer Lane, and the new one is being built adjacent to it.
“At this moment of recovery and rebuilding, Apple is doubling down on our commitment to US innovation and manufacturing with a generational investment reaching communities across all 50 states,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook. “We’re creating jobs in cutting-edge fields — from 5G to silicon engineering to artificial intelligence — investing in the next generation of innovative new businesses, and in all our work, building toward a greener and more equitable future.”.
Apple says Texas will benefit from its multi-billion dollar investment in silicon engineering and 5G technology.
Apple is building another $1 billion campus, its first on the East Coast, in North Carolina…(LINK TO STORY)
Austin's homeless camping debate also playing out in Texas Legislature (Austin American-Statesman)
As Austin voters address the city's controversial homeless camping policies, a parallel debate is playing out at the Texas Legislature that could render the outcome largely moot.
Directed primarily at Austin's growing homelessness problem, companion bills from Republicans in the House and the Senate would ban public camping statewide and penalize any jurisdiction that lets it happen.
HB 1925, from Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Keller, appeared primed to clear a significant hurdle Monday before hitting a snag. After thwarting a number of Democratic attempts to soften the language, an undisclosed issue prompted Capriglione to cancel a scheduled vote and recommit the bill to the State Affairs Committee.
A staffer in his office said the issue was related to the bill's witness list. The staffer said she did not know more and was unsure when the committee might convene to correct it.
Capriglione did not immediately respond to a text message from the American-Statesman seeking comment.
The activity came on the eighth day of early voting in Austin, where voters are weighing whether to approve Proposition B, which would reinstate local criminal penalties for public camping that the Austin City Council canceled two years ago.
As of Sunday, about 8% of registered voters (60,000) had submitted a ballot in person or through the mail. Tuesday is the final day of early voting. Voters can also submit a ballot on election day Saturday.
Those in favor of reinstating the ban under Proposition B say it will eliminate the growing number of tent encampments in high-traffic areas by forcing unsheltered residents to find somewhere else to stay. They say a ban is needed for safety, as well as to maintain Austin's reputation as an attractive tourism destination. Opponents say ticketing people on the basis that they cannot afford housing is cruel. They argue that it leads to jailing — an expense footed by taxpayers — and makes it harder to forge a path out of homelessness… (LINK TO STORY)
Unilever to Acquire Onnit (Business Wire)
Unilever announced yesterday that it has signed an agreement to acquire Onnit, a holistic wellness and lifestyle company, based in Austin, Texas (US).
Onnit was founded in 2010 by Aubrey Marcus, who set out to inspire a journey towards ‘total human optimization’ - a 360-degree philosophy to achieve optimal health and wellbeing, through physical fitness, mental performance, and emotional wellness.
Onnit’s supplements are the foundation of the brand’s offering and are made with scientifically proven and high-quality ingredients to provide improved cognitive function, mood and relaxation, gut health and immunity support. The range includes Onnit’s hero product, Alpha BRAIN®, a brain supplement (nootropic) for better memory, focus, and mental processing. The brand also offers functional nutrition, fitness essentials, and a digital content platform that provides informative and motivational articles, interviews, advice, and fitness programs for its loyal and passionate consumer base.
Peter Kulve, President of Home Care and Health & Wellbeing at Unilever, said: “Onnit is a leading brand in the fast-growing nootropics segment. With its holistic health offering and digital-first model, Onnit perfectly complements our growing portfolio of innovative wellness and supplement brands that include OLLY, Equilibra, Liquid I.V., and SmartyPants Vitamins.”
Fabian Garcia, President of Unilever North America, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Onnit to the Unilever family. As a dynamic and purpose-led brand, Unilever is strongly aligned with Onnit’s vision to improve the health and wellness of consumers with scientifically proven solutions.”
Aubrey Marcus, founder of Onnit, said: “Since day one, my vision has been for Onnit to become a global movement, empowering people with the tools and information to reach their highest physical and mental potential. I am so proud of what we have accomplished, and now, with Unilever’s scale and presence, we are one step closer to inspiring millions more to take charge of their health and wellbeing.”.
Onnit will continue to be based in Austin, Texas, and led by CEO Jason Havey. Founder Aubrey Marcus will remain a Brand Ambassador.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions… (LINK TO STORY)
A reincarnation of Austin's beloved 'Graffiti Park' is revving up to open this summer (KUT)
Austin's beloved Castle Hill graffiti park is being reincarnated into a nearly 18-acre open-air cultural center fit with art exhibits, food and drinks, practice paint walls and a market. The project, which is set to open by the airport sometime this summer, is much larger than the original and less central. But it’ll take aspects of the original with it — including one of the walls itself.
When the graffiti park was created in 2011 by HOPE, a nonprofit that connects artists with social causes, it quickly became an Austin icon. It attracted people from all over to climb the concrete walls on Baylor Street to paint a temporary masterpiece or pick up a can of spray paint for the first time and think for a quick, exhilarating moment: Wait, isn’t this illegal?
But, like many Austin icons, HOPE Outdoor Gallery, as it was formally known, was temporary. When the park closed in 2019 to make room for development, local artists and visitors alike grieved. The founders saw this as a chance to expand, recognizing that the need for a free and open art space hadn’t gone away.
“I think HOPE historically has always kind of made things based on a need, and that's how we feel about the park now: that we're continuing to build a place that the community can enjoy and come to,” Andi Scull, HOPE Outdoor Gallery’s founder, said.
One of the original slabs is being saved from the old site to serve as a memorial to the project’s origin. Some of the rubble from the original location is also being recycled for use at the new park.
“We proposed to the developer there, since they have to demo those walls anyway, if they wanted to bring some of that demo here, we would recycle those walls in the ground and places where we could put that rubble,” Scull said.
The new park will still have walls where people can paint freely, but it will also include curated exhibits that change throughout the year. The space will showcase all types of art — creative technology, digital pieces and interactive installations, as well as culinary arts. Patrons will be able to order coffee, beer, wine, cocktails and food from local businesses. C.K. Chin, a HOPE partner and restaurateur behind Swift's Attic and Wu Chow, is curating the food and beverage offerings… (LINK TO STORY)
[TEXAS NEWS]
Texas will gain two seats in Congress as residents of color drive population gains (Texas Tribune)
Texas will continue to see its political clout grow as it gains two additional congressional seats — the most of any state in the nation — following the 2020 census, the U.S. Census Bureau announced Monday.
Thanks to its fast-growing population — largely due to an increase in residents of color, particularly Hispanics — the state’s share of votes in the U.S. House of Representatives will increase to 38 for the next decade. The new counts reflect a decade of population growth since the last census, which determines how many congressional seats are assigned to each state. Texas is one of six states gaining representation after the census. The other five states are each gaining one seat.
The 2020 census puts the state’s population at 29,145,505 — up from 25.1 million in 2010 — after gaining the most residents of any state in the last decade. More detailed data, which lawmakers need to redraw legislative and congressional districts to reflect that growth, isn’t expected until early fall. But census estimates have shown it’s been driven by people of color.
Through 2019, Hispanics had accounted for more than half of the state’s population growth since 2010, a gain of more than 2 million residents. And although it makes up a small share of the total population, estimates showed the state’s Asian population has grown the fastest since 2010. Estimates have also shown the state’s growth has been concentrated in diverse urban centers and suburban communities.
With its gain of two seats, the state’s footprint in the Electoral College will grow to 40 votes. But Texas will remain in second place behind California for the largest congressional delegation and share of Electoral College votes. California is losing a congressional seat but will remain on top with 52 seats and 54 votes in the Electoral College. The other states losing seats are Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Florida, Colorado, Montana, North Carolina and Oregon will each gain one seat.
The state’s political heft has been growing steadily for decades. Texas has gained at least one additional congressional seat after every census since 1950, according to the Census Bureau. It’s gained two or more seats after every census since 1980… (LINK TO STORY)
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson’s City Council candidates come up short in fundraising (Dallas Morning News)
Two Dallas City Council members received a windfall of campaign contributions after Mayor Eric Johnson endorsed competitors in each of those races, new campaign finance records show.
Incumbents Jaime Resendez and Adam Bazaldua handily outraised their opponents during the latest reporting period — pulling in about half their total contributions in the 72 hours after the mayor endorsed two of their respective rivals in mid-April, Yolanda Faye Williams and Donald Parish in Districts 5 and 7.
Council member Paula Blackmon also outraised her top competitor, John Botefuhr, in the District 9 race that has attracted the mayor’s attention but not a full endorsement.
Saturday’s City Council election — in which all 14 seats are in play — has become in part a referendum on the mayor, who was first elected in 2019, and his failed attempt to prevent his colleagues from cutting $7 million in police overtime pay last summer.
Council members serve two-year terms. Johnson is not up for reelection until 2023. Tuesday is the final day for early voting in the election.
The campaign reports that were filed Friday and reviewed by The Dallas Morning News, track contributions and expenditures between March 23 and April 21. They provide a final glimpse into the state of the races before the election.
Other findings from The News’ analysis:
Johnson — through his official campaign — donated to at least four candidates, including two incumbents.
Relatives of late Dallas developer Trammell Crow contributed more than $60,000 to council candidates.
The political action committees of several public safety unions, as well as housing and real estate organizations, donated thousands of dollars to several races.
Johnson gave $1,000 each to Williams, Parish and incumbents Cara Mendelsohn in Far North Dallas’ District 12 and Adam McGough in District 10, which includes the Lake Highlands area, records show.
In the latest round of fundraising, at least four more people who were past donors of Johnson also gave $1,000 apiece to Parish, Williams and Botefuhr… (LINK TO STORY)
Election will test power of San Antonio's police union (The Appeal)
For decades, San Antonio’s police union has served as a national model for winning outsize salaries and benefits, instating policies that shield officers from accountability, and aggressively building political power to silence elected officials who question these conditions. But that playbook may be nearing its final chapter this week as the Texas city’s residents consider a ballot initiative that would rescind the union’s collective bargaining rights. Last year, local ABC affiliate KSAT produced an investigative series about the city police department’s unusually high rate of officers who, despite being disciplined and fired, were ultimately reinstated. Since 2010, about two-thirds of fired officers have rejoined the force.
Some of the stories caused nationwide outrage, including that of Matthew Luckhurst, who was fired in 2016 for giving a homeless man a feces sandwich. His lawyers got him his job back. Lee Rakun, another officer, was reinstated six times despite being fired for behavior that included posting a bigoted epithet on social media, verbal harassment of an off-duty constable, abandoning his post for personal reasons, and even beating three women, including a girlfriend. In these cases, it was provisions in the San Antonio Police Association’s contract that enabled officers who committed egregious acts to return to work. The findings spurred local activists to found the police reform advocacy group Fix SAPD. “We took a deeper dive into the [KSAT] report and saw throughout the country that there’s a problem among officers who have grounds termination but stay on the force,” said Oji Martin, one of Fix SAPD’s founders. “If you look at each officer who killed an individual, there were some instances where they were reprimanded. But a consistent theme involved arbitration in the union contracts. That’s when we looked at the San Antonio Police Officers Association’s contract.” Now Fix SAPD is campaigning to repeal the laws that enable the union’s disproportionate advantage in contract negotiations. Their first test comes in the city election on Saturday with a ballot referendum, Proposition B. “Our primary question is why is it so hard for officers to be fired and held accountable for their actions? It went from a simple question to a ballot initiative,” said Ananda Tomas, Fix SAPD’s deputy director… (LINK TO STORY)
Texas lawmakers call for changes after Capitol staffer reports lobbyist drugged her (Dallas Morning News)
Texas lawmakers are rallying in support of a female Capitol staffer who recently accused a lobbyist of drugging her during an off-site meeting. The Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed it was investigating the incident over the weekend, as first reported by the Austin American-Statesman. In the days since, lawmakers have vowed to support the woman, and, in some cases, cut ties with the lobbying firm at the center of the allegations. Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, opened Monday’s session with a promise to establish an email hotline for members, staffers and Capitol visitors to report any accusations of sexual misconduct. All House members will be required to advertise the email account on a sign in their offices. The House’s sexual harassment training will also soon take place in-person, rather than online, Phelan said.
“These allegations shake our Capitol family to its core, and I am disgusted that this sort of predatory behavior is still taking place in and around our Capitol,” he said. “We can and we must do better when it comes to changing the culture in this building.” On Monday, more than 30 female Texas House members signed onto an open letter in support of Capitol staffers, praising the woman’s decision to report what happened to her despite “the stigma and retaliation that has stymied such reporting” in the past. “We will continue to monitor this incident and will be focused on ensuring appropriate actions are taken to support this complainant(s) and hope that this sends a clear message that we will not tolerate sexual harassment or abuse,” wrote the members, led by state Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin. “We believe you.”
State officials have withheld details about the allegation, including the names and employers of the Capitol staffer and the lobbyist involved, when and where the incident occurred; and how long the investigation is expected to take. DPS declined to answer those questions, saying in a statement: “This is an active and ongoing investigation, and no additional details can be released at this time.” HillCo Partners, a prominent Austin lobbying group, confirmed that one of its employees is a “person of interest” in the investigation. After receiving a tip from law enforcement late Friday or early Saturday that an employee might have been involved, founder Bill Miller said the group immediately hired outside counsel and a former law enforcement official to conduct an investigation… (LINK TO STORY)
[NATIONAL NEWS]
Restaurants can tap $29 Billion Covid-19 aid program beginning May 3 (Wall Street Journal)
The Small Business Administration will begin accepting applications May 3 for a $29 billion grant program aimed at boosting the restaurant industry, according to the agency.
The program, officially known as the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, is the first federal pandemic aid exclusively for restaurants, bars and other food-service businesses. It was authorized by Congress as part of its $1.9 trillion coronavirus-aid package that became law last month, and will be a key source of aid to an industry that has been hard hit by the pandemic.
Restaurants and bars reported sales of $659 billion last year, down by nearly a quarter from 2019, according to the National Restaurant Association. More than 110,000 bars and restaurants closed at least temporarily, according to the trade group’s estimates.
Restaurant owners lobbied Congress for months for dedicated funding for the industry, arguing that restrictions imposed on in-person dining to curb the virus’s spread harmed their ability to do business.
Grant recipients are eligible to receive funding equivalent to their pandemic-related revenue loss, up to $10 million per business, according to the SBA website. A single physical location can receive no more than $5 million.
Interested businesses can begin registering for the grant application portal on Friday, April 30, and applications will open at noon EST on the following Monday, according to the SBA. The agency earlier this month said it was testing the portal to address any technical issues ahead of the initiative’s public launch.
That announcement followed the rocky rollout of a $16 billion grant program for the live-events industry. The SBA was forced to close applications for the live-venue program shortly after launching on April 8 due to technical glitches. Following efforts to address the issues and additional testing of the application portal, the agency reopened that program on Monday.
The restaurant grants will add to several pandemic-aid programs the SBA is overseeing. The largest of those programs is the popular Paycheck Protection Program, which has approved 5.1 million forgivable loans worth roughly $248.5 billion to small businesses in 2021, according to SBA data as of April 25.
Beyond restaurants and bars, the SBA is allowing food trucks, caterers, cafes and some distilleries, breweries and inns to apply for the grants. Business owners can have up to 20 locations, and franchisees for major chains may apply. Public companies aren’t eligible, nor are live-music venues that have applied for funding through the SBA’s program targeting those establishments… (LINK TO STORY)
Effort to remove Calif. Gov. Newsom collects enough signatures to force recall vote (NPR)
Proponents of the effort to remove Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California from office have collected enough valid signatures for a recall election, the California secretary of state's office announced Monday.
The announcement kicks off a 30-business-day period in which those who signed the recall petition may withdraw their names. County election officials will then have 10 business days to report how many signatures have been withdrawn. If the threshold is still met, a recall election would take place after a budgetary review and scheduling process expected to last several months.
The recall drive began in June 2020, and a court extended the deadline for collecting signatures because of the coronavirus pandemic. The group running the signature drive — Recall Gavin 2020 — posted a lengthy list of grievances against the governor on its website: "Unaffordable housing. Record homelessness. Rising crime. Failing schools. Independent contractors thrown out of work. Exploding pension debt. And now, a locked down population while the prisons are emptied. Hold Gavin Newsom accountable."
Newsom and other Democrats have said the effort is led by extremists and pro-Trump Republicans. An Emerson College poll in mid-March showed that a narrow plurality of California voters would keep Newsom in office: 42%, versus 38% who said they would vote to remove him, with 14% undecided. Six percent answered they would not vote in a recall election.
If the recall election is held, voters would face two questions on the ballot: whether to remove Newsom from office and who should replace him. Newsom is not allowed to appear on the list of replacement candidates.
The only time a California petition succeeded in forcing a gubernatorial recall election was in 2003, when Democratic Gov. Gray Davis was removed and Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected to replace him. There were 135 names on the replacement ballot, and many are expected again should Newsom face a recall… (LINK TO STORY)
Lakeside Idaho City is America’s hottest housing market in New WSJ/Realtor.com Index (Wall Street Journal)
The picturesque lakeside city of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, tops the list of the country’s hottest emerging housing markets, according to a new ranking launched Tuesday.
The Wall Street Journal/Realtor.com Emerging Housing Market Index identifies the top metro areas for home buyers seeking an appreciating housing market and appealing lifestyle amenities.
After Coeur d’Alene, the top metro areas in the ranking are Austin, Texas, Springfield, Ohio, and Billings, Mont. Spokane, Wash., just across the state border from Coeur d’Alene, ranks fifth.
Buyers from other Western states are moving to northern Idaho in droves, seeking a more rural and less expensive place to live, said Kristen Johnson, a real-estate agent at Century 21 Beutler & Associates in Coeur d’Alene. Workers able to work remotely are also choosing to relocate, she said.
“Even though it’s a city, it’s definitely got those small town values,” said Erin Evans, who moved in December to Coeur d’Alene from Forest Grove, Ore., after her husband Will got a job at a nearby hospital. “People are friendly. Right now, I’m looking out my window and I see my neighbor’s kids playing outside. You feel that it’s a little more safe.”
They bought a three-bedroom house in November that includes a downstairs apartment, which they plan to rent out for extra income.
The median sales price in the Coeur d’Alene region rose in March to $476,900, up 47% from a year earlier, according to the Coeur d’Alene Association of Realtors. Finding a home to buy in the metro area of about 166,000 is getting tougher: Inventory of homes for sale shrank by 71% to just 337 homes. That amounts to less than a month’s supply.
“That’s not enough to go around—therefore, every listing gets 30 offers,” Ms. Johnson said. “Since the pandemic, our market has been crazy.”
About 70% of page views on Coeur d’Alene property listings came from outside the state in the first quarter, up from about 66% a year earlier, according to Realtor.com. The top metro areas for interest in Coeur d’Alene listings were Seattle, Spokane and Los Angeles…(LINK TO STORY)