Latest news with #VanessaFuentes
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Austin City Council to vote on I-35 Cap and Stitch funding
The Brief Austin City Council will vote Thursday, May 22, on funding for foundations of "caps and stitches" over I-35, shaping future city development. Council members are split, with one group proposing $49 million for partial funding and another seeking $200 million for full foundational elements. Mayor Kirk Watson is expected to cast the deciding vote and has stated support for the more scaled-back spending plan. AUSTIN - Austin City Council is set to vote on Thursday on a decision that will shape how the city could look for generations to come. The changes involve "caps and stitches" over I-35. Currently, the council is split on how much funding the city should commit to the project. The backstory Before the "caps," which are essentially park decks, can be built over the highway, the city has to fund the foundations on the bottom. The decision they make this week for the foundation will determine if caps are possible in the future. Members have split into two sub-quorums. Council Members Vanessa Fuentes, Mike Siegel, Krista Laine, Marc Duchen, and Paige Ellis have a more scaled-back spending plan, proposing $49 million for the foundations from Cesar Chavez to 4th Street, and 11th Street to 12th Street. That's compared to $200 million to do all five. The deadline to fund Phase 2 caps has been pushed to November 2026. What they're saying "I worry that if we end up spending hundreds of millions of dollars on retaining walls, we won't have any caps, and we won't have library improvements or parks or any of the other great things that our community asks us for year after year," Council Member Paige Ellis (District 8) said. The city's overall debt capacity is $750 million. Some council members say a smaller initial investment leaves more money for other needs in the 2026 bond package. "My point of view is the city has greater priorities and greater needs than funding a cover for the freeway. I would rather invest in putting roofs over thousands of people's heads than over putting a roof over a small part of I-35," Council Member Mike Siegel (District 7) said. Council members Natasha Harper-Madison, Jose Velasquez, Chito Vela, Ryan Alter, and Zo Qadri are fully committed to all the foundational roadway elements. Four of them led a rally outside City Hall on Tuesday. "I would like them to put it up to a vote. I would be willing to spend more in taxes to not have this huge blight in our city," Leila Levinson, who attended the rally, said. The council members say the city doesn't need to pay for roadway elements until construction starts, so they have time to figure out how to pay. It doesn't have to be in the 2026 bond. "What we're proposing is, let's fund those foundational elements. Make that investment now. Use the time we have to figure out how to fund the caps," Council Member Ryan Alter (District 5) said. He says it's not a "false choice" between the project and other priorities. "We know by looking at alternatives, whether it's the hotel occupancy tax, the car rental tax, other creative funding sources that allow for us to pay for the caps, they would have no impact on our ability to build parks, no impact of our ability to house individuals," Alter said. A city memo suggested some funding sources could not be used for cap and stitch, and others would need voter approval. Mayor Kirk Watson will likely be the deciding vote on Thursday. In a statement, he says he supports the scaled-back plan. "I've appreciated the thorough consideration and discussion this Council has had on the numerous issues related to this decision, including how we might best prioritize the needs of our city. From time to time, we will disagree on how to assess priorities and how best to pay for things," said Kirk. "After looking at the choices we face, including how best to balance our comprehensive city needs and our financial resources, I've decided to support the staff recommendation." What you can do To read more about the Common Sense Caps Plan, click here. To read the full funding proposal, click here. The Source Information in this article comes from the Austin City Council and attendees of recent related events.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Roundabout opens in Dove Springs area, bike lanes up next
Austin (KXAN) — The latest milestone is complete along South Pleasant Valley Road. It's part of a bigger project to improve safety and mobility along South Pleasant Valley Road from Oltorf Street to Onion Creek Drive. That's more than 15 miles of roadway. The City of Austin held a ribbon-cutting on Thursday, May 1, to celebrate the completion of the roundabout at the intersection of Teri Road and South Pleasant Valley Road. 'This area in Dove Springs, Southeast Austin, has been historically under invested in, so seeing these type of safety improvements come into our neighborhood does come a little bit of like, 'okay, what's going on?' It's a little, it takes a little bit of adjustment. But after you do it a couple of times, it becomes the norm. And this is really about normalizing safety,' said Vanessa Fuentes, Mayor Pro Tem and District 2 City Council member. The city says roundabouts typically reduce injury crashes by 75%. Plus, with the newly added bike lanes and a new MetroRapid line running through the neighborhood, city leaders say it benefits current residents and future Austinites. CapMetro celebrates launch of Dove Springs Pickup Zone 'We're bringing the necessary safety infrastructure to give people that choice, and once they have that choice, it is going to increase participation. So I think with us building out a strong bike network throughout our city is looking at what will future generations benefit from and what is the safety that current Austinites deserve,' said Fuentes. One neighbor we spoke with welcomes the change. 'We love it because we like alternative modes of transportation, I like the pedestrian crossings and the extra space. I've been out of a lot of places that the funding can go to. This is not one of the worst,' said Emmanuel Sanchez. The roundabout marks the completion of Phase 3 of the South Pleasant Valley Road project. The next phase of work will install protected bike lanes between Teri Road and Button Bend Road. From there, shared-use pathways south of Nuckols Crossing will begin construction. Funding for the South Pleasant Valley Road Corridor comes from the 2016 Mobility Bond. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas city sees a short-term rental shakeup. Who stands to win and who could lose from the move
Short-term rental operators in Austin, Texas are bracing for a financial curveball after the city implemented an 11% 'hotel occupancy tax' (HOT) on short-term rentals like those listed on Airbnb and Vrbo. City officials believe the lodging tax, which kicked in April 1, will help regulate the industry and generate revenue for local services. 'The issue is that we have these corporate-owned STRs that come into our city that buy up entire blocks,' Austin City council member Vanessa Fuentes said. "They're buying up affordable housing stock and impacting our affordability levels." I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) The city collects about $7 million annually from short-term rental operators — a figure expected to climb significantly with the tax hike. But the tax has drawn concern among local homeowners who have used short-term rentals to subsidize their housing costs. Blake Carter, co-founder of Cribs Consulting, a company that owns and manages about 85 short-term rental properties in Austin, has already seen the impact on guests. 'It looks like the platforms are adding it to the guest side so that the guests are paying more,' Carter said in an interview with Austin ABC affiliate KVUE. Read more: This hedge fund legend warns US stock market will crash a stunning 80% — claims 'Armageddon' is coming. Don't believe him? He earned 4,144% during COVID. Here's 3 ways to protect yourself That could force short-term rental operators to lower their rates to keep their fees steady — and avoid pushing guests away. On the bright side, Carter added, it could shift demand for short-term rentals to the suburbs. 'They can maintain their rates and still be priced the same as if they were in Austin,' he said, appealing to more attractive to budget-conscious travellers. If the tax ultimately causes some operators to shut down their short-term rentals, it could open up more long-term housing to local residents, who may currently be pushed out of high-density short-term rental neighbourhoods. As the summer travel season approaches, visitors and locals will be watching to see how this new tax changes the landscape — and who the winners will be. Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Appellate court finds Austin's marijuana ordinance unlawful
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Texas appellate court has reversed a Travis County judge's decision to throw out a lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton against the city of Austin over its marijuana decriminalization ordinance. 'We have inspected the record and find error in the order granting appellees' plea to the jurisdiction and the order denying appellant's application for temporary injunction. We therefore order the judgment of the court below REVERSED and REMAND the cause for proceedings in accordance with the court's opinion,' the ruling said. In 2022, more than 85% of Austin voters approved a proposition to decriminalize less than four ounces of the drug. 'This court ruling is a huge letdown. Austin voters made their voices loud and clear in 2022, and instead of respecting that, the State has chosen to ignore their will,' Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes said. 'Now, our police will be forced to waste time on minor marijuana cases instead of focusing on violent crimes. Once again, the State is stepping on local decisions that reflect the values Austin residents actually care about.' While this ruling opens the door for officers to resume citing people for possession, city officials say their focus remains on more serious crimes. 'Sometimes the court system, and in this case the attorney general, are not in agreement with Austin voters,' Austin City Council Member Ryan Alter said. Alter added that if the policy needs to change, Austin will comply. San Marcos got the same answer from the appellate court last Thursday. The court also issued an opinion siding with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, stating that San Marcos' marijuana decriminalization ordinance violates state law. In 2022, over 80% of San Marcos voters approved a proposition that ended low-level marijuana enforcement in the city. In 2024, Paxton sued San Marcos and other cities, including Austin and Killeen, over marijuana decriminalization ordinances passed around the same time or shortly after San Marcos. Appellate court finds San Marcos voter-approved marijuana ordinance unlawful 'The Texas Local Government Code prohibits the 'governing body of a municipality… municipal police department, municipal attorney, county attorney, district attorney, or criminal district attorney' from 'adopt[ing] a policy under which the entity will not fully enforce laws relating to drugs,'' the opinion filed in the Fifteenth Court of Appeals read. 'San Marcos, however, has passed a local ordinance prohibiting its police officers from issuing citations and making arrests for certain low-level marijuana offenses,' it continued. A Hays County district court judge dismissed the lawsuit in July 2024, but it is now likely to go to trial. In a statement to KXAN, the city of San Marcos confirmed it cannot enforce the marijuana ordinance 'pending a trial on the merits.' KXAN's Sam Stark contributed to this report. You can find his full report on San Marcos' ruling here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
LIST: Austin federal grant funding losses include $50M for flood mitigation, $15M for public health
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The city of Austin is starting to see the direct impact of federal cuts on its services and staff. In a work session Tuesday, Austin City Council members talked about the city's five-year financial forecast. While much of that discussion surrounded the state cap on property tax, and the impact that state law has had on local government, federal cuts are also a major concern for Austin leaders. 'We find ourselves in real financial pressure for this upcoming budget cycle and the needs of our community are great and they are increasing as more services are cut at the federal level,' Austin Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes said. In a memo from the city of Austin's Intergovernmental Relations Office, staff said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is ending a number of resiliency grants. The city of Austin expects to lose $50 million it was anticipating for hardening major infrastructure as a result. '[FEMA] is ending its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Grant Program and canceling all BRIC applications from Fiscal Years 2020-2023 if funds have not been distributed in communities. Staff is still reviewing the impact. There is an expected loss of a $50 million BRIC Flood Mitigation grant,' city staff wrote. A city spokesperson said that grant was earmarked for the Fallwell Lane Capital Renewal Project which would help protect the South Austin Regional (SAR) Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Austin Energy Sand Hill Energy Center (SHEC) from major flood events. 'It has been estimated that a single catastrophic flood event at the facilities could cause losses of over $1.6 billion at the site…both plants would be inoperable and unable to generate electricity or treat wastewater,' the city's website said. The city said that wastewater treatment plan represents half the wastewater treatment plant capacity for the city, and the energy center represents 24% of the base load power capacity. Because the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is cutting $11.4 billion in COVID-19-related funding, Austin Public Health (APH) said five grants and 27 full-time staff will be cut in their current capacity. APH said the city will work to move those employees to other vacant positions through the remainder of the fiscal year (end of September). 'To clarify, the annualized cost is $7.5M, but through multi-year grants, it may add up to approximately $15M. An additional 28 or more staff members may be affected by more cuts,' APH said. The city said because nearly all employees at the Institute of Museum and Library Services in Washington D.C. were placed on administrative leave, grants and contracts are unlikely to move forward. 'Austin Public Library (APL) submitted three grant applications that will no longer be considered, resulting in a loss of $275K in prospective funding,' the memo said. The Intergovernmental Relations Office said the Department of Energy has informed them it's finalizing a list of contracts to cancel. 'The City of Austin was notified that a $1 million grant for Advanced Grid Responsive Technologies for Existing Multifamily Properties may be included for cancellation,' staff wrote. The city's Intergovernmental Relations Office said it will continue to keep city leaders updated on further changes. 'We can only anticipate more,' Fuentes said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
