Austin council adopts No Wrong Door oversight plan with quarterly reports and a community advisory group

The Austin City Council on Thursday put new reporting rules and a community advisory group around No Wrong Door. The program coordinates police, EMS, health care and homeless services for the people who cycle most often through jails, emergency rooms and the streets.

The council adopted "version two" of item 45 without objection. Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison was absent, according to the meeting record. The program has drawn praise for its early results and complaints from defense lawyers and civil-liberties groups about how it handles clients' rights. The vote sets the rules for how the city will measure the program and who gets a say in it.

What the council approved

Our record of the item, 26-2940, says the resolution directs the city manager to:

• set up a reporting and tracking process;
• give the council quarterly reports and updates on legislative efforts;
• convene a sub-quorum of council members to guide legislative goals;
• respond to concerns raised by community organizations;
• create a community advisory group for the program.

The Public Health Committee sent the item to the full council, and its chair, Council Member Vanessa Fuentes, presented it. Her part asks staff to add measures based on client outcomes, such as connections to housing and services, and to report every quarter to her committee. Council Member José Velásquez wrote the advisory group and stakeholder sections. At the dais he addressed what many speakers had asked about: nowhere in the motions, he said, "did it ever indicate or direct the removal of APD." He moved the version two amendment, and Fuentes seconded it.

Council Member Mike Siegel said defense attorneys must be included in the program's "case conferencing" meetings about their clients. Mayor Kirk Watson said he would vote for version two and gave a long defense of the program. He argued that progressive government "ought to be measured by something pretty basic, progress", and that under Texas law police have a role in emergency mental health detentions. Council Member Marc Duchen repeated staff figures: about 950 high utilizers in Travis County, each costing about $144,000 a year. That comes to about $137 million, which he called roughly 9% of the general fund.

What the public said

Twenty people spoke on item 45 before the vote. Our meeting summary sorts their positions. Business, downtown and provider groups backed the program, and several cited figures that 99 participants had about 31% fewer crisis contacts. Many asked the council not to push police out of the partnership. Defense and civil-rights groups also said they support the goal. They asked for defense counsel to be written into the program's agreements and questioned why police lead it. A speaker for the Austin Police Association asked the council to vote no, or at least drop the advisory group.

How we got here

The program launched in April out of the city manager's office, KXAN reported. At an Oct. 6 work session, staff and partners told the council that 17 organizations have signed agreements. They also said early police data shows fewer crisis contacts for the top 99 users, and about 40% of those have signed consent agreements. Staff said the Cicero Institute is not involved in designing the program.

The next day the Public Health Committee approved three motions. Velásquez's advisory group motion passed 3 in favor, with Vice Chair Duchen objecting. Duchen said he would approach it differently, noting that some 300 nonprofits work in this area. We covered that committee meeting here. Before Thursday, KXAN reported that a lawyer with the Capital Area Private Defender Service said an advisory seat was not enough for the lawyers who represent participants.

What's next

The quarterly reports go to the Public Health Committee, and staff still have to set up the advisory group and the sub-quorum. The committee's original discussion item, 26-2681, holds the motion sheets, the Oct. 6 presentation and staff memos. Fuentes and Duchen are listed as its sponsors.