Ryan Rutan spoke about the progress of the Dorothy Johns Triangle Park project, which is being developed with the Neighborhood Share program. He alerted attendees to a drafted plan that is viewable on the HNA website. Plan includes water fountains, picnic tables, benches, and a walk trail around the triangle with handicap access. Planners are working on making electrical lights face inward and maintaining an open space for throwing frisbees, ball-play, dogs, et cetra. The current bill proposed will require some high-level funds (HNA has $2,000 earmarked), so HNA will need to organize volunteers to contribute labor to the DJTP project in order to mitigate costs for the HNA. Highland Neighborhood is the first neighborhood to utilize the Neighborhood Share program to do a project such as this. 

Ryan also asked attendees to contribute to a "service provider" list that is being compiled on the HNA website. If anyone regularly utilizes an electrician/plumber/gardener/babysitter/etc..., please contact Ryan Rutan through the website so HNA can build a recommendation list for the neighborhood. This list is for all services and hopefully by doing this, residents of Highland Neighborhood could receive discounts. Go to the website and click the "service providers" link on the left side of the screen for more information. 

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Lola Amador spoke next. On Saturday April 9th from 9 AM to 11 AM, volunteers will be meeting at University Hills Optimist Ball Field (7112 Northcrest BLVD) to clean up at Waller Creek as part of a city-wide "Clean Sweep Project" orchestrated by Keep Austin Beautiful. After the cleanup, there will be a volunteer party at Waterloo Park (403 E 15th ST) from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM. Looking for 7 to 12 volunteers. All supplies will be provided by Lola (gloves and devices for picking up debris) at the meeting site. E-mail request for volunteers will be on the listserv in coming days. 

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Highland Neighborhood has a new district representative from the Austin Police Department by the name of Steven Gordon, who spoke next. He is an 8-year veteran and is in his third year as a district representative. The purpose of the district representative is to be the "eyes and ears to the community" for any situations such as trend crimes or burglaries. It is the District Representative Officer's job to contact citizens to help police do their job better. They educate on crime trends and crime prevention and basically help citizens be better witnesses and avoid victimhood. They are basically liaisons for the neighborhood.  

Officer Gordon spoke about a recent string of daytime burglaries in the neighborhood. In response, the APD flooded the area with officers during the daytime. With assistance of regional support teams, the APD made several arrests around the area. Officer Gordon expressed interest in helping develop a comprehensive neighborhood watch program. 

Officer Gordon announced he will soon be following the HNA e-mail listserv. 

Officer Gordon said one of the most important things is that when you see something suspicious, talk to your neighbors and call 311 (Austin's non-emergency number) and it will get to his desk and other detectives.  

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Officer Gordon fielded questions from the attendees.  

(Regarding trying to move day laborers to one location); must talk to Mexican consulate, businesses at I-35 area, and will be a long-term project.  

The HNA president wants enforcement of front yard and side yard city ordinance. Officer Gordon says ordinance is complaint-driven. Biggest task a representative can do is educate "everybody" (The Yard Parking Ban is not a citywide ordinance --- it's sectional). In both English and Spanish, they'll go door-to-door to educate residents and after a reasonable amount of time, they will issue citations.  

Burglars in the daytime will pose as a salesman, or clipboard-carrying seemingly reputable persons. Lookout man may be at car while another is knocking on door (common scheme). If you see something suspicious, write down vehicle information (make/model/color/distrinct damage/color license plates; description of vehicle's driver, the more info the better).  

23 burgularies in the highland sector --- half of 'em entered through unlocked door or window. Simple solution: lock the doors and windows.  

(regarding animal ordinances):  Roosters, if causing sustained amount of noise, goes under loud animal clause. Roosters are banned in city of Austin. Chickens you can have in a chicken coop. Must be 50 feet from a residential house. That would fall under code enforcement. Report those things to 311.  

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Austin City Councilmember Randi Shade spoke next: 

She tries to keep up with neighborhood assocations. Learns a lot about neighborhoods in zoning situations (such a recent issue regarding Morrow Street westward traffic). She tries to visit all neighborhood associations as much as possible. There's no reason to not contact a councilmember if you desire to comment/questions. 

What's going on at City Hall? Stress over investigations (Open Meetings Act), record requests, and taking tons of time to be responsive. She was elected in 2008. She was last here in 2009. Councilmember Shade was late to HNA meeting because school district issues (her most important issue). Just met with demographer and president of school board and they took school closures off the table for now. Land use issues, and feeling pressure regarding the budget. Wants efficiency and not raising taxes. How can we share costs on afterschool programming or funding district. She's sorry there's a crisis eliciting discussion on school issues, but happy we're talking about it. We have a healthcare district in the city that's new. She wants to get Austin's hotel tax to help pay for art education. 70/80% of austin school population is AISD --- but she is also concerned about round rock and del valley districts. Every survey shows that people want to be in close proximity of good schools.  

Q: Austin Airport Advisory Commission recently voted unanimously to keep scanners out of Airport.  She voted against banning them. 

A: It is a TSA matter. It is not her #1 concerned about her daughter. She obviously not in favor of inappropiateness. She has concerns about radiation --- but TSA employees have similar concerns. This is a federal security issue, not really up to city. The resolution didn't do anything and seemed pointless. This isn't her big concern. She has 4 1/2 and 2 1/2 year old children. She came to UT from Dallas in 1984 as freshman. Worked at P&G went to Harvard business school, governor richards worked as Americorp, stayed on as Bush got elected, Texas got more money than any other state (americorp). Started business, sold business, Ann Richards was her mentor up until she passed away; she encouraged Shade to enroll in a class on how to apply private sector learnings to public service --- became local councilmember in 2008. Got active at park and couldn't get handicap swing installed in park due to city bureacracy and --- she has served on non-profit boards and for-profit boards and public sector boards. Job is hard due to wide array of issues and overwhelming amount of work required. She tries to stay focused to the bread and butter. The City is a 2.8 billion dollar operation with an airport, convention center, water/electric utility, park system, water system, and enforce public safety. Homeland security. A lot of work. She wishes she hadn't made an e-mail situation.  

Q: What is the "sanctuary city"? He views it as an assault against people like a particular undocumented college freshman. 

A:  The term gets used a lot about Austin. There has been an huge deportation since ICE has been in the local jails. We have a growing hispanic population, many whom are legal, and it's a real challenge. She doesn't know a lot about this legislation. Last time it was open to get documented was the 80s. It is not certain that if you marry an illegal immigrant, they'll automatically get citizenship. I don't know the answer -- outside of city control. Very concerned with regards to domestic violence or how it affects people's health, such as children being unable to get services. Resolution regarding Arizona legislation ---- got tons of angry e-mail for a resolution that didn't really do a lot. Help organziations that we help people who are here with Gateway programs and school programs. 

Q: How do you deal with Mexican consulate? 

A: Other than socially and knowing where she's located, Shade is not involved. Mexican Consulate is by Baylor and 6th ST. It is very expensive to go through Mexican consulate process. 

Q: Highland is unique to Austin, because we desire pro-growth and pro-density. I hope you can encourage the redevelopment of Highland Mall // Airport makeover. Wanting to make it a walkable neighborhood. 

A: I'd support those efforts. it is exciting to do it different with. It is wonky to be presented with different scenarios and plans ------ how will this effect people, what will it feel like to live in this neighborhood? 

Q: Form-based code is to encourage pedestrian traffic and looks uniform. Does look uniform, mean looking strip mall? 

HNA President Damon answered that form-based code applies to all of Airport BLVD, all of north side is zoned to handle six-story buildings from Lamar to 290 but that's not happening. It's hard to get a loan for development. Form-based code helps you get loan for redevelopment, question is "what's on either side?". To make sure properties on both sides will redeveloped in the same form and same standard as to not bring property values down. Airport BLVD should look like South Congress (which is not strip mall, obviously). Heights can vary. Wide sidewalks, parking behind buildings, less traffic on airport and slower speeds with a median featuring trees and bicycle lanes and Airport BLVD be a neighborhood street rather than a highway that goes nowhere. Concept is to bring it back to being a neighborhood street --- form based code will make it easier for people to get money to redevelop. 

A: Current zoning is about "use" of building, rather than "form". So formed-mased code would allow a store to be next to a living space next to a work space, rather than all uniform "uses". More about the aesthetic "form" of buildings. Obviously, this is a very bad economic time. Councilmember Shade loves that in Austin, we have not seen a lot of funding for new buildings, thus mobile food venders are flourishing. "Form-based code" will help get funding, but obviously it doesn't mean automatically the loans will be flowing. 

Q: Please talk about Morrow Street. WE are thankful that westward traffic is being scheduled to help ---- but will there be enough money for the change? 

A: I think things take longer than expected. But it's on track and the plan is moving forward. Will take time for sidewalk money, not pessimistic that it'll take forever. Maybe I'm a bit optomistic. We didn't have transportation department until two years ago. Should be funded and fine.  

The change comes from different pockets (sidewalk money and road change). But no reason to think it won't happen. 

(President gave details of how Morrow Street process went down --- took four years to get put on waiting list). Damon says Councilmember Shade has had an open-door to the neighborhood whenever a meeting desired.  

Damon said HNA has never been able to get a meeting with Councilmember Martinez.  

Q: What do you think about single-member district? 

A: She was in favor of the hybrid system during campaigning. They had a discussion the other day with Dallas people (where they have single-member districts) ------ she is getting cold feet about changing. She doesn't believe her issues are determined by her geographic location. Some of the most meaningful things she's done has been in opposition of someone in her neighborhood area. All other cities were court-ordered to do single-districts. Austin is the largest city where council members are elected at large. She is not sure. In Dallas it's all single-member district, except mayor (elected at large). They have same form of government (strong city management rather than strong mayor form). In Dallas, if you go to your person and they're not interested --- you're stuck. And then you have to go to the mayor. So, it takes away representation (in Austin you can speak with any councilmember, rather than being "stuck" with the representative in your single-district).  

The hybrid solution is 6 single-district members, and three at-large members (including mayor). Campaigning costs wouldn't go down, she claims. This all has been voted down in Austin six times. The Austin Chronicle has a great series of articles about this issue in past week. School district board members has a hybrid system, but it hasn't increased voter turnout.  

City government touches everything you do (driving on the road, or turning on electricity, et cetra). Wishes city council's actions would appear more relevant in people's lives to have more of the city population vote in city council elections.  

Drawing up districts for a single-member district City Council system is a problem in itself. (downfalls possible). Could need more councilmembers (having 9 instead of 7, perhaps).  

Currently there is a "gentleman's agreement" to ensure ethnic mix in city council at-large elections right now. Did it without court-ordered. Claims ethnic mix in Austin is different than other cities. Currently Asian-American population is eclipsing the African-American population). There is no "gay district" in Austin. Very unusual to have a council with three women (out of 7). There could be a situation with single-districts, where there'd be no women instead.  

She is the gay Jewish women. She is first openly gay councilmember. She wants to be more than just "the gay councilmember". She doesn't want anyone to feel un-represented.  

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Capital Metro Rail Train will begin running on the weekends this month.  

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