City Council

Name: Austin City Council meeting
Start: 2026-05-28T15:00:00+00:00
Location: Austin City Hall

Thursday, May 28, 2026, 10 a.m. (Austin time), Austin City Hall

Video of the meeting

On the agenda

Roll-call votes

Documents

Agenda

Summary

The Council held its regular meeting on May 28, 2026, with Council Members Harper-Madison and Fuentes absent. The consent agenda was adopted after discussion of the St. John redevelopment (items 2-4), the Texas Gas Service franchise, a rental fee transparency ordinance (item 45), park items, e-motorbike safety (item 59), and four resolutions (items 98-101) addressing emissions, mitigation, siting equity, and EV/battery programs related to the gas peaker plants approved the prior week. Council approved a $35 million settlement of the yogurt shop murder wrongful-prosecution claims (item 87), for which Mayor Watson issued a public apology, and adopted financial policy changes (item 102) and a resolution directing development of a possible 2026 bond package (item 97), with the Mayor and Council Member Duchen voting no on both on fiscal-discipline grounds. At the 2:00 p.m. time certain, Council adopted the downtown density bonus update (items 67 and 75, with two Qadri amendments), after which staff withdrew item 92; zoning postponements and consent items, including the Hill-Thompson House historic landmark designation, were also adopted.

Transcript

0:09 You are watching a meeting of the Austin City Council with Mayor Kirk Watson, Mayor pro, tim cheadle,

0:18 Vela council members Natasha Harper Madison, Vanessa Fuentes, José velazquez, Ryan Alter, crystal lane, Mike Siegel, Paige Ellis, zoe

0:41 cadre, mark uchin, city attorney deborah thomas, city clerk erica brady, and city manager tc broadnax.

1:00 Good morning everybody. It's 10 o'clock in the morning on May 28th, 2026, and I will call to order this

1:07 regular meeting of the Austin City Council.

1:09 Uh, we have a quorum of the City Council present.

1:12 We are meeting in the City Council chambers, which are located in City Hall at 3 0 1 west second

1:18 street in Austin. Um, members, what I'll do is I'll give a rundown of what the day's gonna

1:24 look like, and in a moment I'll read changes and corrections into the record, and then we will

1:29 go from there to, uh, our consent agenda and the speakers that have signed up on the consent

1:36 agenda. Members, right now, the items that have been pulled from the consent agenda are, item number 41

1:43 has been withdrawn. Item number 60 has been withdrawn.

1:48 Item number 90 has been pulled, and item number 92 has been pulled.

1:53 Uh, members. I would also point out that item number 97 will be taken up after item 1 0 2.

2:02 Just as we go through the day.

2:04 We'll, uh, we'll hear from the speakers.

2:06 We will get a motion, a second, and comments and discussion on the consent agenda.

2:11 Once the consent agenda is complete, we will then go to probably the Austin housing finance corporation board

2:18 of directors meetings. So what I will do is I will recess the council meeting, call that board,

2:23 uh, meeting to order.

2:24 We will deal with that, adjourn it, and then come back to the council meeting, at which point

2:28 we will take up pooled items.

2:31 We also have other non-consent items.

2:33 We have one item that's coming from a council committee.

2:36 We have imminent domain items.

2:38 We have public hearings at noon.

2:41 We will, wherever we are, we will stop at noon and we will take up our general, our

2:46 time, certain general public communication.

2:49 There will be no music today and at two o'clock we will also have a time.

2:53 Certain members, um, we typically know that we have zoning matters at a time certain, but we will

2:59 also have item number 67, which is a public hearing, but we will take that item up at

3:05 2:00 pm because it relates to zoning item number 75, and for those that are here to speak at

3:12 the public hearing on item number 67, that will be brought up at two o'clock.

3:18 Then item number 92, uh, will be taken up at 2:00 pm with, uh, the zoning item number 75.

3:27 And, um, and here's the way that's gonna work, and just so that you 'cause it, if I

3:32 say it later, I won't say it a couple of times.

3:36 One is if 67 and 75 don't pass, then we will take up item number 92.

3:43 If they pass item number 92, will we be withdrawn by the staff?

3:49 And then of course, we will take up our zoning items.

3:51 So, um, get your money in on the pool, what time you think we'll finish today.

3:57 Lemme now read changes and corrections into the record.

4:00 Item number 41, as I indicated, has been withdrawn.

4:03 Item number 58 should add Council Member Ryan Alter as a co-sponsor.

4:08 Item number 59 should add Council Member José Velásquez as a co-sponsor.

4:13 Item number 60 is withdrawn.

4:16 Item number 67, as I indicated, this public hearing item will be taken up with the 2:00 pm zoning.

4:22 Item number 75, item number 92 has been coop pooled from consent to be heard with the 2:00 pm

4:29 zoning. Item number 75, item 73 and 1 0 4.

4:35 When those public hearings are taken up, these items will be postponed to July 23rd, 2026.

4:43 Um, also for the record, Council Member Harper Madison and Council Member, uh, Fuentes are not going to

4:54 be here today. So they will be listed as absent on votes that we take.

4:59 And when I call the vote as we go through the day, I probably will not each time

5:05 call out their names as absent, but the record will reflect that they are not present and not

5:10 voting. Um, so members, unless there's questions or objections, we will turn to the city clerk and ask

5:18 that the city clerk start calling out names.

5:20 For people that are speaking on our, uh, consent agenda, please begin.

5:26 Thank you, Mayor, for item one, jeffrey bowen.

5:29 And then for item two, three, and four zenobia, joseph.

5:32 Alright, as mr. Bowen comes forward members, I want to talk about item one as he comes forward, um,

5:39 in your backup. So the way it was originally posted, there was a number put into item number

5:45 one. This is related to the, uh, tax exemption in your backup.

5:51 There is a blank in part four, line 18 that needs to be filled in.

5:58 When we adopt the ordinance, our financial staff has told us that the amount necessary to provide equivalent

6:05 tax relief to what was provided by the exemption we adopted last year is $204,000, $204,000.

6:16 When I take a motion on the consent agenda, the motion will include that the ordinance be approved.

6:23 Item number one, the ordinance be approved with the amount of the exemption in part four, line 18

6:30 being set at $204,000, which as I've indicated our financial staff has informed us, is the amount necessary

6:38 to provide equivalent tax relief to what was provided by the exemption we adopted last year.

6:44 Sorry to take up, uh, time, mr. Bowen, but I wanna make sure we have all the information out

6:49 there. And now the floor is yours.

6:52 Uh, thank you mr.

6:53 Mayor. Uh, morning ladies and gentlemen, mr.

6:55 Mayor, City Council members, uh, jeffrey bowen, district eight.

7:00 Uh, that was one of the questions I had, sir, and I appreciate you helping me fill out

7:04 the blank there. Uh, I didn't bring my big chief, uh, crayola to, to fill that in, but,

7:08 but we did that.

7:10 Um, so as a member of the city of Austin, that actually, uh, was looking forward to my

7:18 hitting 65 and being able to get my exemption.

7:22 I appreciate that. I appreciate the fact that we are doing those type of exemptions, and here comes

7:28 the, but, but I also have a question regarding, um, how's that working towards us that we have

7:35 to keep increasing exemptions because of affordability issues?

7:40 How well are we actually working on that, that premise of saying we're trying to make things more

7:46 and more affordable? Uh, when I looked through the agenda this last, uh, over the last several days,

7:52 uh, I noticed there's a lot of money going here, going there.

7:57 So I, again, I appreciate the fact of, uh, the increase.

8:02 I imagine, uh, my, some of my senior friends, I know my elderly aunt would appre is appreciating

8:08 the exemption. Um, and there are many others that are disabled that are appreciating this.

8:14 But again, the question comes back down to how well are we working on the affordability issues in

8:21 order to have, to keep offering these exemptions?

8:25 So my question to you is, please, please, uh, be considerate when you're looking at items that you're

8:33 trying to do, or you're looking at programs you're wanting to try to fund and figure out how

8:38 that works within this affordability window that constantly be, seems to be, uh, a constant conversation, not only

8:45 here, but across the city.

8:47 Again, mr. Mayor, thank you for letting me fill in that blank on my, uh, on my cheat

8:51 sheet. Thank you so much.

8:53 Let us know when you turn 65.

8:56 I'm sorry, sir. So just let us know when you turn 65.

8:58 Uh, I will as soon as I'm able to get my, uh, my, uh, transportation deduction.

9:02 So

9:08 ms. Joseph, there you are.

9:22 Thank you, Mayor. Counsel, I'm enovia joseph.

9:25 My comments are on two, three, and four.

9:27 Does that mean six minutes?

9:28 Mayor, you get to speak on two, then you get to speak on three and you get to

9:32 speak on four. So, yep.

9:34 <Laugh>, certainly. So item two is the $5 million defiance item specifically related to the st.

9:41 John property, which is 19 acres.

9:45 I just wanna call to your attention and back.

9:47 It actually references the October 5th, 2023 action that you took.

9:54 I am still confused as it relates to the third option.

9:58 It says that the city cannot or chooses not to exercise options one or two.

10:04 Option one was for the housing authority of the city of Austin or our public facility corporation, our

10:10 Austin housing finance corporation, to take over the property after 60 years.

10:15 Option two was for the city to purchase the property at fair market value after 60 years.

10:21 But option three specifies that if you don't exercise options one or two, the property reverts to market

10:27 rate for the remainder of the 99 year ground lease, 39 years with no affordability component at the

10:34 end of which the city can buy the property back for $1.

10:39 I am having some difficulty finding where that language disappeared to.

10:44 I emailed oli, which was in backup and didn't get a reply back.

10:49 So it would be helpful, Mayor, if you were transparent with the public or the city manager who

10:55 appears to be paying attention.

10:57 Uh, while you're not, uh, specifically I want to call your attention that the reason that you're breaking

11:05 this 19 acres into two parcels is because the investors want a better return on investment.

11:11 As best I understand.

11:13 It says, uh, specifically following a comprehensive review of the st.

11:17 John, and it has south development and north development.

11:20 It says walker and dunlap concludes, and item three continues with the same project, uh, that the market

11:31 rate development is not financially feasible under current market conditions given prevailing rent levels and investor return requirements

11:40 in Austin, texas. I'm not sure what the return requirements are.

11:44 If you could be a little bit more transparent, that would be helpful.

11:47 I can tell you that the reason the property has only 30 of 526 3 bedroom units is because

11:55 the developer was transparent after the african american resource advisory commission chair asked, uh, once upon a time

12:03 why there weren't very many three bedroom units for families to return.

12:07 Uh, specifically, uh, understand that if the developer created only one unit, then they would need three of

12:15 those one bedroom units to create the three bedroom unit, and then they wouldn't get a good return

12:20 on investment. So it's a little disingenuous because the backup is not transparent.

12:26 I would just ask you to recognize that on item three, you're specifically talking about connectivity and access

12:31 to amenities that exist.

12:34 I want you to recognize that capitol metro has eliminated or removed the bus stop that was actually

12:39 across from the senior development, which is adjacent to this old home depot site at st.

12:45 John's and I 35, and on the west side of I 35, right at the gas station there,

12:52 capitol metro eliminated the bus stop that is near the school.

12:57 So I want you to understand that while it sounds good to put connectivity in the backup, that

13:03 specifically, uh, is disingenuous.

13:07 I'm not sure if there's something more to the information that you're sharing with the public.

13:13 Um, but as it relates to what is actually in existence today, uh, capitol metro is not trying

13:20 to connect black people or hispanic specifically, uh, to the amenities on the west side.

13:26 Um, specifically Mayor, item number four, well, that was four, Mayor.

13:32 Oh, okay. I thought that was three.

13:34 Sure. They're all interrelated.

13:37 So <laugh>, um, I don't, I don't know that I have much more to add other than to

13:42 give the acreage for the public to know what we're talking about.

13:45 So the st. John north would be 13.6 acres, $79.7 million.

13:51 St. John's south is 5.5 acres, $41.9 million.

13:56 If you want more information about this project, May 21st, 2026 specifically, is when the housing authority of the city

14:03 of Austin had their meeting to discuss.

14:06 The, now approximately 70% of the units will be income restricted.

14:11 I know that sounds good, but I would just ask you to recognize, Mayor, that this is a

14:15 concentration of poverty. I understand that there'll be select, uh, income restricted units in the southwest corner of

14:22 the property, and specifically, uh, you are not in compliance with the fair housing act, um, 1968, I

14:31 want you to recognize that across from this development is an income restricted, affordable development for senior citizens.

14:37 So it would be helpful for the city manager to provide an overlay in the future so that

14:44 the public can actually know what the area median income is in this area.

14:48 And I would ask sheet Vela to look at the transportation conditions today and recognize that the people