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City CouncilNov. 19 meeting

The Nov. 19 agenda is out: $55 million for a sludge plant, $51 million to move water lines for I-35, $23 million more for arts grants, and the Muny deal

The council's last November meeting has 93 items. Here are the biggest dollar amounts, the policy votes we have covered, and the hearings that draw speakers.

By Austin Politics staffUpdated

The Austin City Council's Nov. 19 agenda was posted last week. It has 93 items, the Muny agreement among them, and a long list of utility contracts. Here is a guide, in the order the money runs. Item numbers are from the Legistar agenda. The city's meeting page will post changes and actions.

The biggest dollar items

Hornsby Bend, $55.3 million (Items 14-16). Austin Water would hire Matous Construction for two projects at the Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant. The first is a new headworks and sludge receiving station, up to $22,420,200. The second is a new ammonia removal facility with drainage work, up to $32,906,529. A third item adds $1,658,313 to Stantec's engineering contract for the ammonia project.

Moving water lines for I-35, about $51 million (Items 62-65). Four advance funding agreements with the Texas Department of Transportation would pay to relocate water and wastewater lines that conflict with the I-35 Capital Express Central project. The totals are $9,104,119 downtown and $10,177,475, $20,497,444 and $11,193,227 for roadway packages 1-2, 3-4-7 and 5-6. Together that is $50,972,265, including 10% contingencies.

Paying down water bonds, $43.2 million (Items 10 and 61). A resolution would defease, or pay off early, some outstanding water and wastewater revenue bonds. A budget amendment moves $9.2 million from Austin Water's capital plan toward the same goal.

Boardwalk and Tracor Lane, $36.4 million (Item 11). An amendment to the city's agreement with the Austin Public Facilities Corp. covers up to $11,375,000 for a city property at 6500 Tracor Lane and up to $25 million for the "Cap Ex Central Mitigation Boardwalk." Item 52 is a TxDOT agreement for a boardwalk on the south bank of Lady Bird Lake next to the Hyatt Regency.

Austin Energy. Item 12 adds $26 million to the Brackenridge substation contract, for a total of up to $59,947,201. Item 13 adds $15,757,999 for a downtown chilled-water line on Sixth Street. Item 30 is up to $20 million over two years for overhead transmission staffing.

Arts grants, $23 million (Item 35). The Long Center administers the city's hotel-tax-funded cultural grants. This amendment raises its contract to up to $123 million. Staff wrote that the city has distributed more than $75 million through 2,328 grants. Without more contract authority, they wrote, the city "will be unable to distribute grant funding to more than 750 expected recipients." Our Oct. 30 story explains why hotel tax money is up.

Policy votes we have previewed

Hearings

  • Emergency demolitions (Item 85): the 96-hour process.
  • 5811 Southwest Parkway (Item 87): the Save Our Springs amendment, postponed from Nov. 5.
  • Hancock Golf Course (Item 86): temporary use of about 9,482 square feet of parkland for Austin Water work, with a $188,215 payment to Parks.
  • Arena Hall (Item 84): a waiver from the rule that businesses selling alcohol be at least 300 feet from a public school, at 108 W. Gibson St. The backup includes a letter of support from the Bouldin Creek Neighborhood Association.
  • Zoning: 3601 Davis Lane, postponed from Nov. 5, rezonings on East Howard Lane and Menchaca Road, and a request to end a restrictive covenant at 601 W. Braker Lane.
  • An appeal (Item 88): of a Planning Commission decision approving a conditional use permit for the Girls' School of Austin at 2007 McCall Road.

What's next

Council members can still add or pull items until the meeting. The council is also expected to canvass the election on Nov. 17.