City Council

Thursday, November 20, 2025, 10 a.m. (Austin time), Austin City Hall, 301 W 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701

Video of the meeting

On the agenda

Roll-call votes

Documents

Summary

The Austin City Council met on November 20, 2025, covering a consent agenda, eminent domain items, several public hearings, a 12:00 general public communication, a 2:00 zoning time certain, and—most substantially—the amended FY 2025-26 budget following the defeat of the Proposition Q tax rate election. After public comment and extended deliberation, the council adopted the budget amendment (items 4), ratified the property tax increase (item 5), and amended the tax rate ordinance to the voter approval rate of $0.52 per $100 valuation (item 6), all on 11-0 roll-call votes. The council also adopted a combined staff exhibit (Exhibit E) reconciling the city manager's amendment with a council substitute proposal funding EMS, EMCOT, parks, wildfire mitigation, and employee benefits. Zoning items included postponements to December 11 and approval of the Rosewood/Homewood Heights rezoning (items 74-75) with added use prohibitions read into the record.

Transcript

0:06 You are watching a meeting of the Austin City Council with Mayor Kirk Watson, Mayor pro, tim Vanessa

0:15 Fuentes, council members Natasha Harper, Madison, José velazquez, cheat, cheeto Vela, Ryan Alter, crystal lane, Mike Siegel, Paige Ellis,

0:38 zoe cadre, mark uchin, city attorney deborah thomas, city clerk erica brady, and city manager tc broad.

0:57 Good morning everybody. It's 10 o'clock in the morning on November 20th, 2025, and I will call to order this

1:04 regular meeting of the Austin City Council.

1:07 Uh, we are meeting in the City Council chambers, which are located at City Hall, which is at

1:11 3 0 1 west second street in Austin, texas, and we have a quorum of the City Council present both

1:16 in person and virtual.

1:18 We're joined virtually. Uh, so let me run through how we're going to, uh, conduct the meeting today.

1:25 Uh, I'm gonna read here in just a second, changes and corrections into the record.

1:29 Uh, then I will, uh, then what we will do is we will go to the consent agenda.

1:34 Uh, there have the only items that have been technically pulled from the agenda are those items related

1:40 to the budget. Those are items four, five, and six items four, five, and six.

1:45 We will take up, uh, public comment for the consent agenda, and then we will, uh, go to

1:52 what are broadly labeled non-consent items.

1:55 Those include items related to imminent domain and the public hearings that we will conduct, uh, by 12

2:02 o'clock, uh, or at 12 o'clock, regardless of where we are in the agenda.

2:07 At 12 o'clock, we will pause so that we can take up our time, certain posting, which is

2:12 public communication. We will probably take a little bit of a break there.

2:16 We will recess, uh, we will have live music, and then we will come back and I, and,

2:21 and I'll, I'll make the call on that as we get to it.

2:24 Uh, we will come back.

2:26 We have a two o'clock time certain and that are, those are our zoning items.

2:31 My intention would be that we will take up the budget items, items four, five, and six, uh,

2:37 at the, at the end of this regular scheduled agenda.

2:40 However, if during the course of the day we, uh, finish a, a, a section and we have

2:49 something that all we have left are things that are time certains, for example, the 12 o'clock time

2:54 certain or the two o'clock time certain, we will have public communication on those items, four, five, and

3:01 six at those times so that we have an efficient use of our time.

3:05 So that's, unless there's questions, yes.

3:07 Mayor proti. Thank you, Mayor.

3:10 I would just ask before we take up the budget items that we have an opportunity to meet

3:13 with our sub quorums, so a recess before, well, we we're gonna take a re we will take

3:18 our, our typical normal recess, uh, around the 12 o'clock time.

3:22 Okay. And then we'll come back at, we'll come back at like one 10 the way we typically

3:27 do, because about 12, we'll be taking public comment to 1230.

3:32 So that gives us about 45 minutes.

3:34 Right. Okay. I, I think that can work.

3:38 Okay, very good. So, member, uh, members, any other questions?

3:43 Great, then, uh, let me read into the record changes and corrections items.

3:48 30 48, 49, 50, 51,

3:55 And 54 have been withdrawn from the agenda items.

4:00 30 48, 49, 50, 51,

4:05 And 54 have been withdrawn from the agenda.

4:09 On item number 57, it should add Council Member page Ellis as a sponsor of that item.

4:17 And again, the only items that have been pulled from the consent agenda are items four, five, and

4:21 six, and those are items related to our budget.

4:24 So with that, we will go to, uh, speakers on the consent agenda.

4:29 Members. I want to note for the record that on the consent agenda, Council Member cadre has on

4:37 item number 44, he has direction that you have in your backup direction to the manager's office with

4:45 regard to item number 44.

4:47 So when the chair accepts a motion to accept the consent agenda as it's read, Council Member cadre's

4:54 direction on item number 44 will be a part of that motion.

4:58 Council Member cadre, you wanna say anything about that?

5:01 Okay. Very good. With that, I will now turn it over to the city clerk to help us,

5:05 uh, by calling out people to speak on the public communication when your name is called.

5:11 It's really helpful to us if you make your way to the front so that we know you're

5:16 here. And if there's a, an open chair in front of one of these microphones, please go ahead

5:21 and take that, and then we'll call on you in order, and you can state your name for

5:26 the record. So I'll turn it over to the city clerk.

5:28 Thank you, Mayor. First for item one, I have Mike minz and tios belay.

5:57 Please go ahead, just state your name for the record, please.

6:02 Uh, good morning. Uh, my name is <inaudible>.

6:04 Uh, I live in, uh, district one, and I'm with the us african institute.

6:09 Uh, good morning Mayor and, uh, members of the City Council.

6:12 Uh, our organization, us african institute, uh, is a national organization that, uh, empowers, uh, immigrant communities, uh,

6:21 in Austin and around the country.

6:23 And today, um, I'm here to urge, uh, all of you to not cut fundings for, uh, uh,

6:31 uh, critical social service and also, uh, legal immigration support for, uh, the immigrant communities.

6:37 Uh, our immigrant communities are already, uh, carrying the weight of economic hardship and discrimination and increasingly harsh

6:44 immigration policies and enforcement already, you seeing, uh, those supports and, and critical, uh, social supports, uh, to,

6:51 uh, not only to our immigrant communities, uh, but also, uh, uh, the residents of, uh, Austin, uh,

6:58 would deepen the, the struggle of, uh, our communities and also limit our community's ability to stay safe,

7:06 informed, and stable. And social service and legal immigration assistance are not extra.

7:12 They are essential, uh, tools, uh, that keep our immigrant families understand their rates, access protection, obtain legal

7:19 support, and navigate the complex immigration system that shape their daily lives.

7:24 When these service are defunded, people fall through, uh, the cracks and the, the entire community feels the

7:31 impact. Uh, Austin is a city of immigrants, and our strengths comes from the people who continue to

7:37 build their lives today and in, in the future here in Austin.

7:42 If we want Austin to remain a welcoming city for all of us, we must protect the programs

7:48 that allow, uh, allow, uh, immigrants in another re residents regardless of their immigration status.

7:55 And I urge you all, uh, to support, uh, all these, uh, uh, social supports and then critical

8:00 immigration support programs. Thank you so much.

8:02 Thank you. I have a remote speaker for item two qua bruce.

8:15 Ms. Brewster, are you there?

8:18 I am here. Hi, counsel and Mayor, my name is qua and I'm actually speaking on the item

8:25 four. I think that I May need to be replaced.

8:31 Sorry, we'll need to call on you later.

8:32 If you signed up on item four, we'll need to call you later.

8:37 Yes, thank, sorry about that, ma'am, you only signed up on item two.

8:48 Ma'am, if you're still there, you only signed up on item number two.

8:54 Do you wish to speak on item number two?

8:58 No. Okay. Thank you very much for item number eight.

9:05 Brad massing.

9:09 I,

9:17 brad, are you there?

9:26 Please go to the next one.

9:30 Monica guzman, item eight, and then brent davy for item 13.

9:39 I then have bill bunch for item 23.

9:42 Please come forward.

9:50 I, all right, my notes are not quite where they need to be, but good morning, Mayor and

9:57 counsel. I'm monica guzman, policy director at gava, sharing thoughts from various commissioners in the revised bylaws template,

10:05 specifically article seven, item j, lines 31, 2, 34.

10:09 There is verbiage about limiting speakers to three minutes and no less than two minutes per agenda item.

10:16 And there was concern about presenters.

10:19 How are they supposed to give presentations in such a short time?

10:23 Um, and, and that is the main thing, is allowing the commissions or the commissioners to set those

10:31 rules. They explained to me that, um, sorry, in my, like I said, my notes are a little

10:36 bit out of it here, like the, the board of the board of adjustments.

10:45 Um, I'm sorry, I apologize.

10:48 Like I said, these were texted to me.

10:50 But basically they're used to somebody else setting them, not council, having a one size fits all, and

10:56 they're just concerned about people not being able to present.

10:59 And I believe for anything going to be oa and community development commission, others that are critical to

11:06 what's going on in the community, they really need to be able to give the amount of time

11:10 needed for presenters. Thank you.

11:12 Thank you. Yes, sir.

11:14 Hi, council. I'm brent davy.

11:16 I'm a performing artist.

11:18 And, uh, thank you guys for having us.

11:20 It's actually absolutely terrific how open this council is.

11:24 Um, I am a recovering addict, and I've been going through the rehab process and I've been interfacing

11:32 with a bunch of assistance, you know, from state, local, uh, rise, community navigation center, um, the works.

11:42 And one of the issues, this is related to the work, uh, workforce board and the city's relationship

11:47 with it. Um, I think there might be an opportunity here.

11:50 What are the issues that I found coming up frequently, um, is even among the workforce clerks right,

11:59 that I'm interfacing with, is all of these notifications are sent by mail to people, and they're, these

12:06 people are typically transient.

12:09 You know, they're going through different housing situations.

12:12 Um, I didn't get a notice on my snap meeting till after the snap meeting <laugh>, right?

12:21 Um, so I kind of just thinking that we could, uh, email it, text it.

12:29 I don't know. It's 2025.

12:31 So, um, maybe the city can put some pressure with the state and develop a solution there, and

12:38 you might even save some money doing it.

12:39 That's all I have.

12:40 Thank you guys.

12:49 Good morning. Uh, bill blanc, uh, save our springs alliance, uh, district five.

12:54 I'm here speaking on item 23, which is $12 million, uh, for a couple of contractors to help manage

13:02 water and wastewater, uh, capital improvement projects.

13:06 Um, that budget is way bigger than it needs to be.

13:10 Um, the one project this mentions, and it's for managing a bunch of 'em, is the biggest one

13:16 in the water wastewater utilities budget.

13:17 That's the walnut creek wastewater treatment plant.

13:20 That is a project that really needs to be put on hold.

13:24 Uh, we're never gonna need the scale of expansion, uh, for that $1.1 billion project.

13:31 We're at a time at record or near record, uh, municipal bond interest rates.

13:37 Every single capital project that you have that's not urgent should be put on hold.

13:44 Certainly recognize this is not part of the general fund budget, uh, but these projects are driving these

13:52 water and wastewater rate increases, and that's directly affecting the budget.

13:59 Uh, at minimum, you should postpone this item until you reevaluate your wa your capital infrastructure, especially with

14:08 Mayor watson's announcement last night about, uh, basically abandoning the, uh, aquifer storage and recovery project, which is

14:18 the big kahuna in the middle of our water forward plan.

14:22 Uh, I hope this is, this is a radical re shift in realignment that we can all celebrate

14:27 towards conservation and reuse investments.

14:31 Um, and this, this item right here points directly to that because those projects that will save our

14:38 water future and make us sustainable aren't these big, big giant capital projects.

14:44 They're doing a whole bunch of other stuff that's small scale, and that's embracing the community to, uh,

14:52 thank you for different water culture.

14:55 I'm gonna try brad massengill one more time.

14:57 Brad massengill, item eight.

15:05 Brad, are you there?

15:07 Brad? Okay. Mr. Massing also signed up for 18 and 20.

15:13 Brad, are you there?

15:17 Yeah, sorry, I'm a little disorganized here.

15:22 Um, I, item 20 and in the items after it up to 20 street, the, the item that,

15:29 uh, mr. Bunch was just describing, um, I agree there, there's, there's a lot more room for trying

15:36 to figure out how to roll these out.

15:38 That's, that's a big expenditure, uh, on the part of the city.

15:42 And the other outlier, and this is something I I mentioned yesterday, when we're talking about these big

15:49 tie in projects and and large, uh, infrastructure projects, they involve our city employees and our resources to

16:00 make them happen. And some of those resources and people can be used elsewhere to do things that

16:06 are more closer to the community.

16:10 Um, thanks. Thank you for item 44, megan meisenbach.