City Council Approves Pursuing One-Year Agreement with the Austin Police Association

Feb 15, 2023 04:52 pm

The Austin City Council today approved on a 9-2 vote pursuing a one-year contract with the Austin Police Association (APA) to begin when the current contract expires on March 31, 2023. Council Members discussed providing voters an opportunity to weigh in on two ballot measures in May related to police oversight prior to agreeing to a long-term contract.

The Council approved directing the City Manager to negotiate for a new meet and confer agreement with the APA that achieves the following goals:

-Maintain or improve existing terms, conditions, and privileges of employment for Austin Police Department officers.

-Preserve or enhance the City’s existing civilian oversight program for APD officers as established in the current APA labor contract and City Code Chapter 2-15.

-Provide for incorporation into the new agreement of any civilian oversight program enhancements that may be approved by Austin voters in the May 2023 elections.

-Have a term of no more than one year from the expiration date of the current meet and confer agreement.

Last week, the City of Austin reached a tentative agreement with the APA for a four-year contract after almost a year of negotiations. Today, the City Council took action to pursue a one-year agreement instead.

“The Austin City Council sets policy. We will follow their direction through the Interim City Manager and approach the Austin Police Association to start negotiations for a 1-year contract in accordance with the provisions of the resolution passed,” Sarah Griffin, the City’s Interim Labor Relations Officer, said.

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Prescribed Burns Planned to Help Restore Native Grasslands on Austin’s Water Quality Protection Lands

Feb 15, 2023 12:34 pm

AUSTIN, TX – Austin Water plans to conduct a prescribed burn on the Water Quality Protection Lands on Friday, February 17, 2023. Smoke may be visible in the area as trained crews work. With favorable conditions in the forecast, crews plan to safely treat up to 100 acres with prescribed fire.

The Water Quality Protection Lands (WQPL) program actively manages more than 30,000 acres to benefit the quality and quantity of water recharging the Edwards Aquifer, which provides water to both Barton Springs and to groundwater wells in Hays and Travis Counties. Austin Water’s Wildland Conservation Division manages the lands.

 “Prescribed fire is a key tool used to manage this land and improves the quality and quantity of groundwater entering the Edwards Aquifer,” said Matt Lore, Austin Water Wildland Conservation Division. “Beyond our core mission of improving groundwater quality in Central Texas, the use of prescribed fire also improve landscape resilience, promoting a diverse and vibrant ecosystem above the aquifer.” 

Prescribed burns mimic the natural fire cycle in a way that can be planned and organized to limit fire intensity. And by reducing accumulations of wildland fuels, these efforts serve both natural landscapes and human communities by reducing the intensity of potential wildfires. In savannah ecosystems such as those found on the WQPL, wildflowers and native grass communities flourish after prescribed fires. Wildlife also benefits. For example, immediately post-fire, grassland birds like quail and northern harrier hawks benefit from newly open habitat for nesting and feeding.

Prescribed burns are implemented with a great deal of care and planning. A team of trained professionals ensures that safety is their primary objective. Partnerships with agencies such as the US Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, the Wildflower Center, the Texas Forest Service, and Travis County Natural Resources as well as coordination with the Austin Fire Department, neighboring fire departments and emergency service districts may all contribute to successful prescribed burns.

All personnel meet specific training, experience, fitness and personal protective equipment requirements for the position they perform on the fireline. The prescription for each fire takes into account weather conditions– including wind and past precipitation – and requires specific parameters for the burn to ensure the fire behavior will meet objectives and can be safely controlled.

Follow updates about this prescribed burn at: www.twitter.com/austinwater
For more information, please visit www.austintexas.gov/rxfire.

Sign up for notifications about prescribed burns on the Water Quality Protection Lands. https://bit.ly/rxburnnotification

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Austin City Council Votes to Change City Leadership

Feb 15, 2023 12:22 pm

Today, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, the Austin City Council voted 10-1 in a special called session to remove Spencer Cronk from the position of Austin City Manager effective Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023 and named Jesús Garza as Interim City Manager.

“I serve at the pleasure of the Mayor and Council and acknowledge their decision.  In our Council-Manager form of government, the elected officials ultimately decide whether I am the right choice for them to lead our organization,” said Cronk. “I stand proud of our organizational accomplishments under my tenure.  I thank the Austin community for the opportunity to lead this great city, and I thank our City employees for their consistent commitment to providing the very best public service.”

Mayor Kirk Watson thanked the City Manager for his service and wished him well in his next endeavor. “Running a big, dynamic city such as Austin is an enormous job, and Spencer has been a committed public servant throughout his time as City Manager,” Mayor Watson said.

The City Council appointed Jesús Garza to serve as the Interim City Manager. Garza previously led Austin as City Manager from 1994 to 2002. He was named Public Administrator of the Year by the American Society for Public Administration/Centex Chapter, Public Official of the Year by Governing magazine and received a Lifetime Achievement award from the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

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More to read:
City’s HEAL Initiative Closes Encampment at Pack Saddle Pass and US Highway 71
Over $2 Million in Grants Awarded to Protect and Preserve Austin’s Historic Places
December 2022 passenger, cargo traffic at AUS & year-end numbers for 2022
Community Celebration of New Northern Walnut Creek Trail Extension
Austin Mobility News: Drivers reminded to share the road with cyclists as crews remove storm debris

For more City of Austin news releases, visit AustinTexas.gov.