BG Reads | News You Need to Know (November 1, 2022)
[AUSTIN METRO]
Police union rejects city’s proposals to expand civilian oversight, raise pay (Austin Monitor)
With the city of Austin eager to reach an expedited agreement for a new police labor contract that expands civilian oversight, the police union is demanding higher wages for officers – or no deal.
Lowell Denton, an outside attorney and labor negotiator for the city, proposed a 10 percent raise over four years during the most recent negotiation session on Wednesday, countering APA’s proposal to raise wages up to 20 percent over the same period. The current contract includes across-the-board raises totaling 7 percent over four years.
APA’s bargaining team rejected this proposal, which members described as “insulting” and “disrespectful of our time.” Ron DeLord, an attorney for APA, also canceled two upcoming negotiation sessions – scheduled for Oct. 27-28 – to give the city’s bargaining team time to respond.
“There’s no way to get a deal this week from your position, and we’re not going to counter,” he said. “We gave you a fair offer, and you’re not within 10 miles of that offer.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Austin weighs controversial zoning change (The Real Deal)
Austin— a city with an increasingly tight housing inventory— is looking at a major significant zoning change.
With eager developers on one side and skeptical commissioners on the other, the potential change in the zoning code would allow housing to be built on land zoned for commercial use— possibly adding roughly 46,000 new homes to the market, according to a 2018 Planning Commission working group. A study cited by the Austin Business Journal found that more than 7,400 commercial parcels would be eligible to participate under the code change.
Introduced in late 2021, the code change is on the agenda for a November 8 meeting of the Planning Commission. After making the rounds through City Hall, it was postponed last week by the commission so the measure could be reviewed by the city’s Zoning and Platting Commission and the Environmental Commission, as well as City Council.
Back in March, a state appeals court ruled in favor of a citizen-led lawsuit against the city of Austin regarding its attempted sweeping changes to the land development code. The ruling struck a major blow to the city’s efforts for code reform. This latest zoning change is one of the many proposed policy tweaks aimed at boosting housing supply and creating more “missing middle” housing, such as duplexes and townhouses… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
BigAustin, BofA to bring affordable housing, workforce development center to Northeast Austin (Austin Business Journal)
The nonprofit BigAustin has big plans to build a $65 million resource center and 400 affordable apartments in Northeast Austin.
A community development financial institution, or CDFI, focused on building healthy, sustainable communities through small business and workforce development, BigAustin is partnering with a unique real estate arm of Bank of America Corp. called Banc of America Community Development Company LLC, or BACDC, to bring the project to fruition.
Called the Aspire development, the new center will focus on uplifting the community and is planned to rise at the northeast corner of East Braker Lane and Wedgewood Drive. Serving as BigAustin's new headquarters, the site will include a 20,000-square-foot Economic and Social Impact Resource Center, including the organization's administrative offices, flanked by the apartments.
The organization is currently located at Berkley Square at 8000 Centre Park Dr.
The new center will rise a few miles east of The Domain and south of Tech Ridge.
"ASPIRE will be a unique community-based business model, seamlessly aligned with the community and social impact goals and values of all parties involved, and we are thrilled to partner with BACDC, Bank of America and other industry leaders and advocates," stated Stacy Rhone, CEO of BigAustin. "As we expand our offerings in Northeast Austin and throughout Travis County, our team will continue to pursue meaningful opportunities to support entrepreneurs and job seekers in those areas with the fewest resources and housing options."… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
San Marcos selects Shaun Condor as director of engineering, capital improvements (Community Impact)
The city of San Marcos announced Oct. 28 the selection of Shaun Condor as the new director of engineering and capital improvements following a nationwide search. Condor will be responsible for development and administration, project management, master plan maintenance and more.
Condor has served the city of San Marcos since 2012, when he joined as a senior engineer and eventually moved up to become the assistant director of capital improvements.
Condor was promoted to assistant director of capital improvements in 2020 and was recently appointed the interim director of engineering and capital improvements, according to a press release… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Costume shop Lucy in Disguise celebrates its final Halloween before closing (KXAN)
After 38 years in business, Lucy in Disguise on South Congress Avenue is celebrating its final Halloween. This comes after the year-round costume store announced in August it would be closing by the end of 2022… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[TEXAS]
Texas’ plan to provide water for a growing population virtually ignores climate change (Texas Tribune)
“Surface water is one of, if not the most, susceptible [water] supplies to climate change,” said Robert Mace, the executive director and chief water policy officer for the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University.
But adding surface water is the centerpiece of Texas’ long-term water plan. And the Texas Water Development Board, the state agency charged with managing the state’s future water supplies, does not attempt to account for the effects of climate change in its long-term planning. Instead, Texas’ water plan relies on past droughts to determine how much water will be available and needed in the future as the state’s population is forecast to increase by 11 million people in the next two decades… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Texas Democrats lament loss of national party investment as midterms begin (Houston Chronicle)
In 2020, national Democrats were pouring money into Texas like never before, fueling efforts to take control of the state House of Representatives, flip a slew of congressional districts and unseat a Republican U.S. senator who had been in office for two decades. There was even long-shot talk of President Joe Biden winning the state. Just two years later, Texas Democrats are increasingly frustrated that those national reinforcements haven’t come this cycle, even after they made significant statewide gains in the 2020 presidential election. Instead, they see national Democrats going all-in to protect Senate incumbents and gain ground in once-red states like Arizona and Georgia… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
UIL strips Duncanville of 2022 6A state title for use of ineligible player (Dallas Morning News)
The UIL state executive committee stripped the Duncanville boys basketball team of its 2022 Class 6A state championship after ruling Monday it used an ineligible player who had sought a court’s decision to allow him to keep playing during much of last season. Duncanville, which went 35-1 last season and beat McKinney in the state championship game, must forfeit all games which Anthony Black — a five-star recruit who transferred from Coppell last summer — played in, including all postseason games. Duncanville coach David Peavy was also given a one-year suspension. The program was issued a three-year probation period and a public reprimand. The game will be listed as a 2-0 win in favor of McKinney in tournament records. All state tournament records for that game will be expunged, according to the UIL. The UIL declined to comment any further than what was said at the hearing… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[NATION]
Supreme Court seems ready to throw out race-based college admissions (New York Times)
The Supreme Court on Monday appeared ready to rule that the race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina were unlawful, based on questioning over five hours of vigorous and sometimes testy arguments, a move that would overrule decades of precedents. Such a decision would jeopardize affirmative action at colleges and universities around the nation, particularly elite institutions, decreasing the representation of Black and Latino students and bolstering the number of white and Asian ones. Questioning from members of the court’s six-justice conservative majority was sharp and skeptical. “I’ve heard the word diversity quite a few times, and I don’t have a clue what it means,” Justice Clarence Thomas said. “It seems to mean everything for everyone.” Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. asked a similar question about the term “underrepresented minority.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[HEARINGS/MEETINGS]
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[BG PODCAST]
Episode 168: Market Talk - Lobbying in Philadelphia with Mustafa Rashed of Bellevue Strategies
Today's episode (168) features a discussion on entrepreneurship and lobbying with Mustafa Rashed, Founder and President, of Philadelphia-based Bellevue Strategies.
He and Bingham Group CEO A.J. also discuss current municipal issues in the Philadelphia market.
Enjoyed this episode? Please like, share, and comment!