BG Reads | News You Need to Know (August 1, 2022)
[HEARINGS/MEETINGS]
Today
Tuesday
(5PM) Urban Transportation Commission - Regular Meeting Agenda
(5:30) African American Resource Advisory Commission - Regular Meeting Agenda
Wednesday
Thursday
[AUSTIN METRO]
Austin job market continues to grow with the city (Community Impact)
As the Austin metro continues to grow, Austin’s job market continues to evolve as more people become Austinites and the city recuperates jobs lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. Austin is the eighth-best performing among the top 50 metros with a job growth of 6.4%, or 75,000 jobs, in the past year, according to a report from the Austin Chamber of Commerce.
The losses the metro area faced in the labor force and employment starting in February 2020 was recuperated in excess in June 2022 with Austin’s nonfarm payroll jobs growing to 1.2 million, according to the Texas Workforce Commission and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
By May 2021, Austin had regained all of the 2020 pandemic-related job losses it saw, the metro ranking first for job growth since the beginning of 2020, which was estimated at 1.14 million. The report from the Austin Chamber of Commerce said Austin was “the best performing metro in terms of regaining prepandemic jobs with an 8.7% change” from February 2020.
According to the chamber, 10 private industries in Austin surpassed their 2020 employment, and there is one industry that has yet to gain back the losses it saw in 2020… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Council funds further review of Austin police practices, culture (Community Impact)
A new round of reviews into the Austin Police Department’s practices and past alleged misconduct will proceed over the coming months.
City Council unanimously voted July 28 for a $350,000 contract extension with Kroll Associates, the consulting firm that has served as an outside evaluator of APD for nearly two years. Kroll has completed several deep dives into Austin police culture ranging from its cadet academy to overall law enforcement work.
Kroll’s next analyses will focus on several general subject areas including: APD’s compliance with both state and federal discrimination and harassment laws; the past decade of lawsuits and related settlements stemming from alleged police misconduct; and patterns of systemic racism as well as the effects of APD culture on its female, LGBTQ and minority employees. Kroll's reporting will also include action plans for implementing recommended improvements.
Once underway, Kroll’s assessment will last about six months. The city said it expects to provide the firm with the materials needed to begin its reviews “as quickly as possible” after council’s July vote… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Council approaches resolution on 12th Street conflict, but neighbors still dissatisfied (Austin Monitor)
The city came close to settling a monthslong dispute over East 12th Street last week, postponing updates to the Urban Renewal Plan and Neighborhood Conservation Combining District perhaps one last time.
With a valid zoning protest petition filed and Council Member Vanessa Fuentes off the dais, Council opted to table the ruling until Sept. 1. The less controversial update to 11th Street development standards still passed unanimously.
The conflict came to Council in April when Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison, who represents the district, proposed the addition of cocktail lounges to 12th Street’s list of conditionally permitted land uses. While Harper-Madison argues the move is geared toward economic and cultural revitalization, neighbors are concerned about interference with the area’s “family friendly” character.
“I don’t think we need another Sixth Street, Rainey Street or Red River here,” architect and general contractor Nicole Blair said.
“I appreciate the historical use of the area for entertainment,” Edward Winston said. “But the current use leans more toward family and single-family development.”
Neighbor Susan Oringer claimed there was widespread consensus among older residents, most of them people of color, in the surrounding neighborhood, but that they could not testify on account of disabilities and mobility issues. Michelle Hogan echoed this sentiment, reading a signed statement from a senior neighbor in Spanish.
“Please listen and honor those who I’ve spoken for who cannot be here today,” Oringer said.
The East Austin Urban Renewal Plan dates back to 1995, when former Council Member Eric Mitchell founded the Austin Revitalization Authority. Mitchell charged the organization with reanimating the once-vibrant center of African American culture through a combination of historic preservation efforts, housing investments, infrastructural improvements and responsible economic development… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[TEXAS]
As monkeypox spreads, health experts urge Texas universities to prepare for outbreaks (Texas Tribune)
Over the last two years, universities across Texas and the rest of the country have worked hard to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 on their campuses with virtual classes, masks and increased cleaning of public spaces.
Now, as colleges prepare for students to return to campus next month, a new disease is gaining steam around Texas and the country: monkeypox.
State health experts say universities should start communicating with students ahead of the fall semester about how to identify symptoms and avoid contracting the virus. They also say schools should consider how they would respond to an outbreak on campuses where students live in close proximity engaging in intimate behaviors and sharing beverages or food… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Uvalde survivors face bureaucracy and confusion as they struggle to stay afloat financially (NPR)
Before May 24, the smile of Jessica Treviño’s 11-year-old daughter was contagious. “She was always laughing,” Treviño said. “She would always come up to me, hug me, kiss me and just want to be next to me. Now? I don't know my daughter any more.” That drastically changed the day of the shooting at Robb Elementary School, which left 19 students and two teachers dead. Treviño’s daughter is one of the school’s nearly 600 students still reeling in the massacre’s aftermath. While the 11-year-old wasn't physically injured, since the shooting, stress has dominated the little girl's thoughts. “We have a soccer game this Saturday, and the first thing she asked me — ‘What if they shoot it up? What if I lose my brothers and sisters?’” Treviño said. “How do I respond to that?” Her daughter’s health has also deteriorated. Treviño said the girl’s cardiologist explained the trauma of the shooting has affected her cardiac health.
“She can't even ride her bike down the street because she gets so exhausted from her heart not being able to work right,” Treviño said. Since the shooting, Treviño’s weeks are full of trips to San Antonio, taking her daughter to see specialists and counselors. She said that’s costing the family about $2,000 per week. On top of that, she’s also paying for the mental health treatment two of her other kids are receiving. “And then you still have your house payments. I have a mortgage payment. I have a light bill. I have a water bill,” Treviño said. In the aftermath of the tragedy, thousands of people donated millions of dollars to help families and survivors. Now, those recovering — like Treviño’s family — say they need those funds. She’s paying most of it out of pocket with her savings from working as a housekeeper, and she has a GoFund Me account set up for her daughter… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[BG PODCAST]
Episode 160: Talking Public Relations, Career advice, and Austin with Kristin Marcum, CEO of ECPR
Today's special weekend episode (160) features Kristin Marcum, owner and CEO of ECPR, Austin's preeminent public relations firm.
Kristin and Bingham Group CEO A.J. discuss her path into PR and her career leading to the C-suite and ownership of the firm.-> EPISODE LINK
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