BG Reads | News You Need to Know (October 11, 2022)
[AUSTIN METRO]
Long Center makes sole bid to manage city’s Live Music Fund (Austin Monitor)
The Long Center for the Performing Arts appears almost certain to be named as the organization that will handle the application process and payments for recipients of grants from the city’s long-awaited Live Music Fund.
The fine arts center was the sole applicant for the third-party administrator contract, which was handled via a request for qualifications process only open to organizations that have previously performed equivalent services for the city. The update on the process was given at last week’s Music Commission meeting, with City Council expected to review the contract at its Nov. 17 meeting.
If approved, the Long Center will be in charge of a fund of roughly $3 million in Hotel Occupancy Tax revenues accrued since late 2019, when Council approved an ordinance change directing some of the hotel tax toward local live music without reducing the portion used for cultural arts or historic preservation. The initial batch of grants will be awarded in $5,000 to $10,000 increments to local musicians and event promoters who submit proposals for consideration.
Executives from the Long Center revealed plans last year to create a separate nonprofit entity within the organization that would help local arts groups and performers handle the administrative tasks related to grants and contracts funded with public dollars… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Austin city council members to vote on one of two energy rate hikes this week (KXAN)
Austin City Council members are set to vote this week on one of two proposed rate hikes for your Austin Energy bill, which would go into effect next month.
There are two major components of all residential and commercial customers’ bills, explained Austin Energy spokesperson Matt Mitchell, the base rate, and the pass-through rate.
Both are proposed to increase this year, and if city council members approve them, would total about $35 more per month for the average customer, Mitchell said… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Austin ISD electric bus fleet could help electric grid, advocates say (FOX 7)
The Austin ISD school board voted unanimously to transition their school bus fleet to all electric buses by 2035. This makes them the first district in Texas to make such commitment.
Austin ISD already planned to have three electric buses on the streets next year.
Advocacy organization, Environment Texas, along with local leaders and concerned Austin ISD parents wrote a letter to the school board encouraging them to commit to 100% electric school buses for the district.
The school board approved the resolution unanimously. The plan states starting next year, 25% of Austin ISD’s school buses purchased will be electric, 50% by 2027, and 100% by 2030, fulling transitioning the fleet over by 2035.
Austin ISD’s proposed bond, on the November ballot, sets aside funds to assist with the purchase of the first batch of electric buses. They also plan to use funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Runoff likely in Austin City Council District 3 election as six candidates battle for open seat (Austin American-Statesman)
[Front runner] José Velásquez, 42, is running on housing policy that focuses on affordability and anti-displacement measures. He wants to protect existing affordable housing stock and build more by expediting the permitting process. He graduated with a degree in psychology from Huston-Tillotson University and owns a communications consulting firm.
“We need to get creative on how we work on displacement, since it's property taxes that are pushing people out. I currently work with a nonprofit that helps people pay their property taxes and stay in their homes. As it stands, our current land code incentivizes displacement because it forces us to focus the majority of our new housing capacity inside Districts 1, 2and 3. Equal zoning does not lead to equity, and we need to work to expand all types of housing, especially multifamily housing types, across the city, not just along the eastern crescent," Velásquez said… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Key cog in semiconductor supply chain plans hundreds of hires, 'Headquarters 2.0' in Central Texas (Austin Business Journal)
Asked why Valex Corp. was expanding to the Austin area, Pete Sauvageau said the answer was simple: the industrial supplier needs more capacity, it needs more equipment and it needs more people.
As a leading global provider of stainless steel tubing used during the semiconductor fabrication process, California-based Valex has been left with historically long lead times caused by a level of industry demand never seen before.
"Six years ago, not every car had a computer chip in it. Refrigerators didn't have computer chips," Sauvageau said.
Now the "market is just absolutely insane," he said. Semiconductor companies sold a record 1.05 trillion chips worldwide for the 12 months through November 2021, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association, and in the second quarter of this year, sales were $152.5 billion, up 13% year over year… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[TEXAS]
Texas election chief speaks out on conspiracy “Nuts,” death Threats, and President Biden’s legitimacy (Texas Monthly)
Take pity on John Scott. In October 2021, Governor Greg Abbott appointed the Fort Worth attorney as Secretary of State, Texas’s top elections official. He immediately found himself in the hot seat, targeted by voting rights activists aggrieved by what they saw as Republican-led voter suppression and by conspiracy theorists inflamed by former president Donald Trump’s claims of a stolen election. Scott, who had previously served under Abbott as deputy attorney general for civil litigation and COO of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, told Texas Monthly at the time that his top priority was “bringing the temperature down.” This proved harder than he anticipated… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
The Texas voter registration deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 11. Here’s how to check your status and register. (Texas Tribune)
Tuesday, Oct. 11, is the deadline in Texas to register to vote to be able to participate in the 2022 midterm elections, where voters will cast their ballots on everything from the gubernatorial race between Gov. Greg Abbott and Beto O’Rourke to local races for county judge and state representative.
Texas is one of a handful of states with a voter registration deadline 30 days before the election. Here’s what you need to know about checking your status and registering to vote before the end of day Tuesday… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Texas Pete hot sauce isn’t from the Lone Star State. A Californian has a problem with that (Dallas Morning News)
A California man is suing the North Carolina-based company behind Texas Pete hot sauces, claiming he was deceived into believing he was purchasing an authentic Texas-made product when he bought a $3 bottle of the spicy sauce, even though the company has nothing to do with the Lone Star State.
The class-action suit, filed last month on behalf of Phillip White in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, claims Winston-Salem, N.C.- based T.W. Garner Food Co. put the word “Texas” in its sauces because “it knows the state of Texas enjoys a certain mysticism and appeal in the consumer marketplace and is known for its quality cuisine, spicy food, and hot sauce in particular.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[NATION]
LA City Council president resigns leadership post following leaked recording of racist remarks (Politico)
Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez resigned her leadership post on Monday morning over a recording in which Martinez made racist comments and discussed using redistricting to reshape power in the city.
“I take responsibility for what I said and there are no excuses for those comments. I’m so sorry,” Martinez said in a lengthy resignation statement. “Going forward, reconciliation will be my priority. I have already reached out to many of my Black colleagues and other Black leaders to express my regret in order for us to heal.”
While Martinez is resigning as president, she has not said she would give up her seat on the council despite intensifying pressure for her to do so, along with two other city council members and a prominent labor leader caught on the tape.
The audio rocked California’s political sphere over the weekend, spurring disgust and calls for Martinez to relinquish power, along with Councilmembers Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León and Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Delta to invest in flying-taxi maker to offer rides to airports (Wall Street Journal)
Delta is betting on flying-taxi rides to and from airports, announcing a $60 million investment in Joby Aviation Inc. and plans to offer service in New York and Los Angeles.
Delta Air Lines Inc.’s investment will give it a 2% stake in Joby, which also has been backed by Uber Technologies Inc. and went public last year. Delta said its investment could grow up to $200 million if certain milestones in the development and delivery of the service are reached.
Delta Chief Executive Ed Bastian said: “I’m optimistic that there are better ways, and certainly more sustainable ways, to get to the airport than sitting in one to two hour traffic jams on the way to JFK or LaGuardia or LAX.” He added that there could be more markets “down the road.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
THE WEEK AHEAD:
Tuesday
[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.
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