SPECIAL CALLED MEETING OF THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2025 – 8:30 AM Permitting and Development Center – Room 1401/1402 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Dr. Austin, TX 78752 Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, please email preservation@austintexas.gov. COMMISSION MEMBERS: Ben Heimsath, (D-8) Chair Roxanne Evans (D-2), Vice Chair Jeffrey Acton (Mayor) Vacant (D-1) Kevin Koch (D-3) Judah Rice (D-4) Harmony Grogan (D-5) Carl Larosche (D-6) Jaime Alvarez (D-7) Bat Taniguchi (D-9) Trey McWhorter (D-10) CALL TO ORDER AGENDA PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first (10) speakers who register to speak no later than noon the day before the meeting will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. DISCUSSION ITEMS 1. 2. 3. Presentation and discussion on the Equity-Based Preservation Plan implementation Presenter: Cara Bertron, Historic Preservation Office Presentation and discussion on Commission bylaws Presenter: Kalan Contreras and Kim McKnight, Historic Preservation Office Presentation and discussion on Commission and Committee meetings Presenter: Historic Preservation Office staff ADJOURNMENT 1 The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call the Historic Preservation Office at 512-974-3393 for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Historic Landmark Commission, please contact Hunter Sturgill, Historic Preservation Planner II, at 512-974-3393; Austin Lukes, Historic Preservation Planner Senior, at 512-978-0766; or Kalan Contreras, Historic Preservation Officer, at 512-974-2727. 2
HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION OPERATIONS COMMITTEE Friday, October 17, 2025 – 11 a.m. Permitting and Development Center Conference Room 1401/1402 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Dr. Austin, TX 78752 Some members of the committee may be participating by videoconference Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item NOT on the agenda once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, email cara.bertron@austintexas.gov or call (512) 974-1446. COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Jeffrey Acton Trey McWhorter Judah Rice CALL TO ORDER AGENDA PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first ten (10) speakers who register to speak no later than noon the day before the meeting will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. ACTION ITEMS 1. Approval of minutes from Sept. 15, 2025 meeting DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. 3. Feedback on educational and outreach material use cases Potential update to historic sign standards 4. Ways to approach concerns about structural issues in older buildings 5. Cadence of in-person and hybrid meetings 6. Discussion of items for future Committee agendas ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call the Historic Preservation Office at 512-974- 3393 for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Operations Committee, please contact Cara Bertron at 512- 974-1446. COMMITTEE MEETING LOCATION City of Austin Permitting and Development Center 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Dr., Austin 78752 Directions: From the parking garage, enter the double doors (center blue line in above map). In the lobby, take an immediate left and walk past the tables in the open area. Conference room 1401/1402 is on the right after the double doors (circled in red on the map). 2025 COMMITTEE MEETING SCHEDULE Monday, September 15, 11 a.m. Friday, October 17, 11 a.m. Wednesday, November 19, 11 a.m. Wednesday, December 17, 11 a.m.
HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION PRESERVATION PLAN COMMITTEE Friday, October 17, 2025 – 11 a.m. Permitting and Development Center Conference Room 1215 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Dr. Austin, TX 78752 Some members of the committee may be participating by videoconference Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item NOT on the agenda once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, email cara.bertron@austintexas.gov or call (512) 974-1446. COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Roxanne Evans Carl Larosche Bat Taniguchi CALL TO ORDER AGENDA PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first ten (10) speakers who register to speak no later than noon the day before the meeting will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. ACTION ITEMS 1. 2. Approval of minutes from January 9, 2025 meeting Selection of Committee chair DISCUSSION ITEMS 3. 4. Process to develop and update implementation plan for 10-year span Review of the Progress Dashboard and Open Data Portal 5. 6. 7. Introduction to and discussion of Preservation Plan Summit Cadence of in-person and hybrid meetings Items for future Committee agendas ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call the Historic Preservation Office at 512-974- 3393 for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Preservation Plan Committee, please contact Cara Bertron at 512-974-1446. COMMITTEE MEETING LOCATION City of Austin Permitting and Development Center 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Dr., Austin 78752 Directions: From the parking garage, enter the double doors, following the center blue line in the above map. In the lobby, walk past the information desk on the right and elevators on the left, then turn left. Conference room 1215 is on the left (circled in red on the map). 2025 COMMITTEE MEETING SCHEDULE Friday, October 17, 11 a.m. Tuesday, November 11, 4 p.m. Tuesday, December 9, 4 p.m.
REGULAR CALLED MEETING ELECTRIC BOARD Wednesday October 15, 2025 @ 10:00 AM- In Person/Web Ex PERMITTING DEVELOPMENT CENTER/ 1st FLOOR, CONF RM 1401-1402 6310 WILHELMINA DELCO DR AUSTIN, TEXAS Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely by telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation. To register, contact rick.arzola@austintexas.gov. CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Gabe Flores- Vice Chair (Fuentes); Delwin Goss (Velasquez); David Johnson- Chair (Madison), Victoria Shope (R.Alter), Joseph Hernandez (Laine), Deschaine, David (Siegel); VACANT(Duchen); Michael Grant (Qadri); Joel Cochren(Page); Rogelio Wallace (Vela) Kenny King(Watson) AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMUNICATION: GENERAL The first 10 speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES- 1. Approve the minutes of the Electrical Board Regular Called Meeting from August 20, 2025 DISCUSSION 2. Discussion with Austin Energy on any Austin Energy Criteria manual update or changes. 3. Discussion with Austin Energy on adding inspection process to the Electrical permit for customer inspection request. 4. Discussion on Commercial Plan Review update; Submittals, on time ratio and staffing. 5. Discussion on Building and Trade Contractor Service update; permit application process, turnaround times and staffing. 6. Discussion on Commercial and Residential Inspection update on staff vacancies and timely inspections. 7. Report from the workgroup on the National Electrical Code ordinance update DISCUSSION on ACTION 8. Approve the 2026 Electrical Board Schedule. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Rick Arzola at Development Services Department, Building Inspections, at (512) 974-2417, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711.
Regular Meeting of the Water and Wastewater Commission October 15, 2025 — 4:00 pm Austin Water Headquarters Waller Creek Center 625 East 10th Street, Austin, Texas Some members may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live For more information go to: http://www.austintexas.gov/wwc Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely by telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation. To register, call or email the board liaison Vicky Addie at 512-972-0332 or Vicky.Addie@austintexas.gov. To register to speak in person, people must sign up at least ten minutes before the meeting is called to order. Commissioners: William Moriarty (Mayor) Jesse Penn (District 1) Alex Navarro (District 2) Amanda Marzullo (District 3) CALL TO ORDER Mike Reyes (District 4) Evan Wolstencroft (District 5) Shwetha Pandurangi (District 6) Alex Ortiz (District 7) Christopher Maxwell-Gaines, Chair (District 8) Marcela Tuñón, Vice Chair (District 9) Shannon Trilli (District 10) PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approval of minutes from the September 17, 2025 regular meeting of the Water and Wastewater Commission. DISCUSSION AND ACTION 2. Recommend approval to authorize a contract for engineering services for the Pilot Knob Supply Water Transmission Main Project for Austin Capital Delivery Services with Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $20,000,000. Funding: $20,000,000 is available in the Capital Budget of Austin Water. 3. Recommend approval to authorize a rotation list set of twelve contracts for engineering services for the 2025 Small Scale Water and Wastewater Pipeline Engineering Services Rotation List with Quiddity Engineering, LLC, Weston Solutions, Inc., Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., Tetra Tech, Inc., DAVCAR, Inc., dba DAVCAR Engineering Services, Riley Mountain Engineering, LLC, Martinez, Wright & Mendez, Inc., dba MWM DesignGroup, AtkinsRealis, USA, Inc., LJA Engineering, Inc., BGE, Inc., dba Brown & Gay Engineers, Inc., Doucet & Associates, Inc., and Halff Associates, Inc., for total contract amount not to exceed $26,000,000, divided among the firms. Funding: $26,000,000 is available in the Capital Budget of the Austin Water. The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters …
WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION REGULAR CALLED MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, September 17, 2025 The Water and Wastewater Commission convened in a regular called meeting on July 16, 2025 at Waller Creek Center, 625 E 10th Street, Austin, Texas. Commission Members in Attendance: Amanda Marzullo, William Moriarty (remote), Shwetha Pandurangi (remote), Jesse Penn (remote), Mike Reyes, Shannon Trilli, Vice Chair Marcela Tuñón, and Evan Wolstencroft (remote) Commission Members Absent: Chair Chris Maxwell-Gaines, Alex Navarro, and Alex Ortiz Vice Chair Tuñón filled in as Chair and called the Water and Wastewater Commission to order at 4:03 p.m. PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL No speakers were registered. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approval of minutes from the August 20, 2025 regular meeting of the Water and Wastewater Commission. The minutes were approved on Commissioner Pandurangi’s motion and Commissioner Trilli’s second on an 8-0 vote with three absences. DISCUSSION AND ACTION 2. Recommend approval of an ordinance regarding water rates proposed by Aqua Texas, Inc., an investor-owned utility, for its Travis County customers located in the City’s corporate limits in Council Districts 5, 8, and 10. Funding: This item has no fiscal impact. Recommended on Commissioner Marzullo’s motion and Commissioner Trilli’s second on an 8-0 vote with three absences. 3. Recommend approval to authorize two contracts for lab supplies and lab chemicals for Austin Water with Midland Scientific Inc. and VWR International LLC d/b/a VWR International, each for an initial term of three years with up to two one-year extension options in amounts not to exceed $5,000,000, divided between the contractors. Funding: $1,000,000 is available in the Operating Budget of Austin Water, funding for the remaining contract term is contingent upon available funding in future budgets. Recommended on Commissioner Pandurangi’s motion and Commissioner Marzullo’s second on an 8-0 vote with three absences. 4. Recommend approval to authorize a contract for Wastewater Line Renewal and Spot Rehab Service Contract Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (2026 to 2028) for Austin Water with Santa Clara Construction, LTD., in the amount of $3,200,000 for a term up to three years for a total not to exceed $9,600,000. Funding: $3,200,000 is available in the Capital Budget of Austin Water. Funding for the extension options is contingent upon available funding in future budgets. Recommended on Commissioner Pandurangi’s motion and Commissioner Marzullo’s second on an 8-0 vote with three absences. Page 1 of 2 5. Recommend approval of a resolution authorizing Austin Water to continue the …
Item 2 Water & Wastewater Commission: October 15, 2025 Council: October 23, 2025 Posting Language ..Title Recommend approval to authorize a contract for engineering services for the Pilot Knob Supply Water Transmission Main Project for Austin Capital Delivery Services with Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $20,000,000. Funding: $20,000,000 is available in the Capital Budget of Austin Water. ..Body Lead Department Austin Financial Services. Managing Department Austin Capital Delivery Services. Amount and Source of Funding Funding of $20,000,000 is available in the Capital Budget of Austin Water. Purchasing Language: Austin Financial Services issued a Request for Qualifications solicitation RFQS 6100 CLMP384 for these services. The solicitation was issued on April 16, 2025, and closed on May 28, 2025. Of the five responses received, the recommended consultant submitted the best evaluated response. A complete solicitation package, including a log of responses received, is available for viewing on the City’s website. This information can currently be found at https://financeonline.austintexas.gov/afo/account_services/solicitation/solicitation_details.cfm?sid=142367. MBE / WBE: This contract will be awarded in compliance with City Code Chapter 2-9A (Minority-Owned and Women- Owned Business Enterprise Procurement Program) by meeting the goals with 16.00% MBE and 3.00% WBE participation. Council Committee, Boards and Commission Action: October 15, 2025 – To be reviewed by the Water and Wastewater Commission. Additional Backup Information: This project is a 2021 Winter Storm Uri After Action Report recommendation. The proposed Pilot Knob Supply Water Transmission Main project will provide greater ability to serve Southeast Austin and supply water to the Pilot Knob Reservoir and Pump Station. With increasing projected growth in both the Central and South Pressure Zones, the ability to provide additional transmission capacity to the Pilot Knob Reservoir is needed to provide reliable service to Austin’s southeast service area. The Pilot Knob Supply Water Transmission Main project will install approximately 76,000 linear feet of water transmission main from a water transmission main north of the Colorado River near Longhorn Dam to the Pilot Knob Reservoir. A routing study will be performed to determine the project alignment. Construction of the transmission main may require lane closures or traffic detours, impacting public transportation. Any necessary water service outages will be communicated to allow customers sufficient notice and time to prepare. These outages are expected to be minimal in number and duration. Delay or deferral of this contract will impact Austin Water’s ability to provide water distribution to new development …
Item 3 Water & Wastewater Commission: October 15, 2025 Council: October 23, 2025 Posting Language ..Title Recommend approval to authorize a rotation list set of twelve contracts for engineering services for the 2025 Small Scale Water and Wastewater Pipeline Engineering Services Rotation List with Quiddity Engineering, LLC, Weston Solutions, Inc., Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., Tetra Tech, Inc., DAVCAR, Inc., dba DAVCAR Engineering Services, Riley Mountain Engineering, LLC, Martinez, Wright & Mendez, Inc., dba MWM DesignGroup, AtkinsRealis, USA, Inc., LJA Engineering, Inc., BGE, Inc., dba Brown & Gay Engineers, Inc., Doucet & Associates, Inc., and Halff Associates, Inc., for total contract amount not to exceed $26,000,000, divided among the firms. Funding: $26,000,000 is available in the Capital Budget of the Austin Water. ..Body Lead Department Austin Financial Services. Managing Department Capital Delivery Services. Amount and Source of Funding Funding of $26,000,000 is available in the Capital Budget of the Austin Water. Procurement Language: Austin Financial Services issued a Request for Qualifications solicitation RFQS 6100 CLMP382 for these services. The solicitation was issued on May 14, 2025, and closed on June 26, 2025. Of the 35 offers received, the recommended contractors submitted the best evaluated responsive offers. A complete solicitation package, including a log of offers received, is available for viewing on the City’s website. This information can currently be found at https://financeonline.austintexas.gov/afo/account_services/solicitation/solicitation_details.cfm?sid=142248. MBE / WBE: These contracts will be awarded in compliance with City Code Chapter 2-9B (Minority-Owned and Women- Owned Business Enterprise Procurement Program) by meeting the goals with 9.18% MBE and 3.02% WBE participation. Council Committee, Boards and Commission Action: October 15, 2025 – To be reviewed by the Water and Wastewater Commission. Additional Backup Information: As a standard business practice, the City routinely engages the services of professional engineering firms to perform analysis, design, and support services associated with construction or improvement of City capital assets. Rotation List contracting allows the City to always have a group of qualified consultants available to perform a specific type of recurring work in a timely manner to meet the project and operational needs of the City. Prior to issuing, this solicitation was reviewed by the City’s Rotation List Advisory Committee, which is made up of staff from the Austin Financial Services, the Austin Small and Minority Business Resources, Austin Transportation and Public Works , and other user departments. The total authorization amount, the number of firms to be recommended for selection, …
Item 4 Water & Wastewater Commission: October 15, 2025 Council: October 23, 2025 Posting Language ..Title Recommend approval to authorize a contract for finance consulting services for Austin Water with NewGen Strategies and Solutions, LLC., for an initial term of one-year with up to four one-year extension options in an amount not to exceed $340,000. Funding: $180,000 is available in the Operating Budget of Austin Water. Funding for the remaining contract term is contingent upon available funding in future budgets. ..Body Lead Department Austin Financial Services. Client Department(s) Austin Water. Fiscal Note Funding in the amount of $180,000 is available in the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Operating Budget of Austin Water. Funding for the remaining contract term is contingent upon available funding in future budgets. Procurement Language: Professional Services. MBE/WBE: This contract is exempt from the City Code Chapter 2-9B (Minority-Owned and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Procurement Program); therefore, no subcontracting goals were established. Council Committee, Boards and Commission Action: October 15, 2025 - To be reviewed by the Water and Wastewater Commission. Additional Backup Information: The contract will provide financial consulting services for Austin Water (AW) with an emphasis on updating wholesale utility rates within the cost-of-service models. This contract also includes enhancing revenue forecasting models, conducting additional cost recovery analyses, and preparing for a Public Utility Commission (PUC) wholesale rate filing. The goal of this collaborative effort is to ensure that wholesale rates accurately reflect actual usage and service requirements. The cost-of-service models are crucial for revising these rates to ensure they represent the true costs of the services provided. Currently, several wholesale customers are paying rates established by the PUC in 2016 that do not align with their specific usage patterns or service needs. AW is seeking ongoing support from NewGen Solutions & Strategies, LLC., to implement these specialized models, which will help create a more equitable rate structure that better meets the needs of these customers while improving the overall efficiency of the pricing framework as we prepare for the PUC rate filing. The Contractor has proven expertise in electric, water, wastewater, natural gas, and solid waste utility projects, specializing in financial feasibility, depreciation, valuations, and cost-of-service analyses. The firm employs one of fewer than 20 professionals nationwide with an Accredited Senior Appraiser designation in Public Utilities from the American Society of Appraisers. Item 4 Water & Wastewater Commission: October 15, 2025 Council: October 23, 2025 The contract …
Water and Wastewater Commission 2026 Regular Meeting Schedule - Proposed Third Wednesday of the month (unless otherwise specified) at 4:00pm or 6pm? All meetings to be held at Austin Water Headquarters, Waller Creek Center, 625 East 10th Street, Austin, Texas January 14, 2026 (council 1/22) February 18, 2026 (council 2/26) March 11, 2026 (SXSW 3/12-3/18; Spring Break 3/16-3/20) (council 3/12 and 3/26) April 15, 2026 (council 4/23) May 20, 2026 (council 5/28) June 17, 2026 (no council mtgs sched) July 15, 2026 – Regular meeting (council 7/23) July 29, 2026 – Budget meeting (due to Budget Adoption in Aug) August 19, 2026 (first day of school for AISD is August 16th) (council 8/27) September 16, 2026 (council 9/24) October 14, 2026 (council 10/22) Tuesday, November 10 (Veterans Day is Wed, 11/11) (council 11/19) No December Commission meeting (council 12/3) Revised 10.01.2025
REGULAR CALLED MEETING OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION Wednesday October 15, 2025, 5:30 p.m. Austin City Hall, Council Chambers, Room 1001 301 W 2nd Street Austin, Texas 78701 Some members of the Downtown Commission may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely or in person, please contact Christi Vitela at Christi.Vitela@austintexas.gov or (512) 974-2792. CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Ed Ishmael, Chair Kimberly Levinson, Vice Chair Pat Buchta David Carroll Liz Coufal Nathan McDaniel Charles Peveto Nancy Pollak Sania Shifferd Philip Wiley Kevin Chen Nkiru Gelles Gina Houston Jennifer Franklin CALL TO ORDER AGENDA PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first ten speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Downtown Commission regular called meeting on September 17, 2025. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Update on the Downtown Density Bonus Program/Affordable Housing and SB 840. Presentation by Alan Pani, Planner Principal, Austin Planning. 3. Update on a proposed amendment to City Code Title 25 (Land Development) to establish a base height limit within the Central Business District (CBD) zoning district and update the Downtown Density Bonus (DDB) and Rainey Street Subdistrict to incorporate the CBD base height limit into the DDB program. Presentation by Alan Pani, Planner Principal, Austin Planning. 4. Presentation regarding Staff’s response to Council Resolution 20241121-073 related to Bird-Friendly design by Leslie Lilly, Environmental Conservation Program Manager, Austin Watershed Protection. 5. Update on the Downtown Austin Alliance’s (DAA) construction mitigation strategy. Presentation by Matt Geske, Vice President - Public Affairs, DAA, and Vanessa Olson, Vice President -Communication and Marketing, DAA. 6. Update on the Downtown Austin Alliance’s (DAA) active urbanism team regarding programs to support Artists and Creatives: DASA, Musicians activating spaces. Presentation by Raasin McIntosh, Vice President - Active Urbanism, DAA, and Emily Risinger, Director of Planning, DAA. 7. Update from the Arts Commission representative on the Cultural Funding/Grants process and information regarding the work of Austin Arts, Culture, Music, …
Downtown Commission Meeting Minutes Wednesday, September 17, 2025 Downtown Commission Regular Called Meeting Minutes Wednesday, September 17, 2025 The Downtown Commission convened in a regular called meeting on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at Austin City Hall Chambers, Room 1001, 301 W 2nd Street in Austin, Texas. Chair Ishmael called the Downtown Commission Meeting to order at 5:33 p.m. COMMISSIONERS IN ATTENDANCE: Ed Ishmael, Chair Kimberly Levinson, Vice Chair Pat Buchta Liz Coufal Nathan McDaniel Charles Peveto Sania Shifferd Philip Wiley COMMISSIONERS IN ATTENDANCE REMOTELY: Nkiru Gelles Nancy Pollak Nelly Paulina Ramírez PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Downtown Commission regular called meeting on August 20, 2025. The minutes from the meeting of August 20, 2025, were approved on Vice Chair Levinson’s motion, Commissioner Buchta’s second, on a 9-0 vote. Commissioner Carroll was absent. 1 Downtown Commission Meeting Minutes Wednesday, September 17, 2025 DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Update on the Downtown Austin Strategic Initiative (DASI). Presentation by Jon Fortune, Deputy City Manager, Austin City Manager’s Office. The presentation was made by Jon Fortune, Deputy City Manager, Austin City Manager’s Office and Roberto Treviño, Deputy City Manager Advisor, Austin City Manager’s Office. 3. Update from the Public Safety Commission representative regarding the Austin Police’s response to questions about their process with regards to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Public Safety Commission’s future discussions regarding this topic. Commissioner Ramírez provided an update. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 4. Approve a Recommendation to Council regarding Downtown Commission Boundary Expansion. The motion to approve a Recommendation to Council regarding Downtown Commission Boundary Expansion was approved on Vice Chair Levinson’s motion, Commissioner Shifferd’s second, on a 9-0 vote. Commissioner Carroll was absent. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Briefing on the update to the Great Streets Master Plan Briefing on the 6th Street Engineering Report Valet Permitting Process ADJOURNMENT A motion to adjourn the meeting at 6:30 p.m. was approved on Commissioner Peveto’s motion, Vice Chair Levinson’s second a 9-0 vote. Commissioner Carroll was absent. 2
Downtown Commission 2026 Regular Meeting Schedule 3rd Wednesday of each month at 5:30 pm 1. January 21, 2026 2. February 18, 2026 3. March 11, 2026* 4. April 15, 2026 5. May 20, 2026 6. June 17, 2026 7. July 15, 2026 8. August 19, 2026 9. September 16, 2026 10. October 21, 2026 11. November 18, 2026 12. December 16, 2026 *revised
SB 840 & DDB Austin Planning | Downtown Commission | 10/15/2025 Content • SB 840 Overview Impacts of SB 840 • • Next Steps SB 840 Overview SB 840 Summary Allows by-right mixed-use or multifamily in all zoning districts that allow non-residential uses (excluding zones with heavy industrial). Sets minimum standards for height, density, and maximum setbacks for multifamily and multifamily and mixed-use developments in commercial zones. Exempts residential conversions of existing commercial or office buildings from impact fees and other city requirements. Effective Date: September 1, 2025 4 SB 840 Applicability: Residential by Right Allows residential by-right on any property where mixed-use, office, commercial, retail, or warehouse uses are currently allowed in the zoning district. Does not apply to: Zones that allow a heavy industrial use Properties within 1,000 ft of a heavy industrial use or development site or within 3,000 ft. of an airport or military base An area designated by a city as “a clear zone or accident potential zone” 5 SB 840 Applicability: Residential by Right (cont’d) Residential is allowed by right in the following zoning districts in Austin: All office base zones: Neighborhood Office (NO), Limited Office (LO), General Office (GO) All commercial base zones: Community Recreation (CR), Neighborhood Commercial (LR), Community Commercial (GR), Lake Commercial (L), Central Business District (CBD), Downtown Mixed-Use (DMU), Warehouse/Limited Office (W/LO), Commercial Services (CS), Commercial Highway (CH) Special purpose base zones: Agriculture (AG), Planned Unit Development (PUDs)* Industrial base zones: Research & Development (R&D)* Regulating plans: Lamar/Justin, Plaza Saltillo, MLK, East Riverside Corridor, North Burnet/Gateway Regulating Plans *Applicable to properties with PUD and R&D zoning that allow commercial uses & prohibit heavy industrial uses 6 SB 840 Applicability: New Minimum Entitlements Bill sets new minimum entitlements for “mixed-use residential” and “multifamily residential” development, for sites where SB 840 applies. Mixed-Use Residential = any site in which the residential uses are at least 65% of the development’s total square footage. Multifamily Residential = any site for 3 or more dwelling units within one or more buildings. 7 New Minimum Entitlements Under SB 840 Density: Cities must allow the greater of 36 units per acre or the highest residential density currently allowed in the city. This is 54 units per acre in Austin. Cannot restrict …
C20-2025-010 Central Business District Amendments Austin Planning | Downtown Commission | 10/15/25 Content • Background • Proposed Changes • Next Steps Background Texas Senate Bill 840 Texas SB 840 went into effect on September 1. Allows for multifamily or mixed-use in any commercial zone Under SB 840, multifamily and mixed-use residential developments in commercial zones will, by right, be able to: Reach a height that is the greater of 45 feet or the height that applies to commercial uses for the site. Reach a density of up to 54 units per acre. Include setbacks that are the lesser of 25 feet or the setbacks imposed on commercial uses. Develop unlimited floor-to-area ratio (FAR). 4 Central Business District Central Business District (CBD) is the designation for an office, commercial, residential, or civic use located in the downtown area CBD currently regulates development based on floor-area ratio (FAR) Currently, the allowed FAR is 8:1 There is no maximum building height under CBD As of September 1, the City can no longer regulate FAR in developments utilizing Senate Bill 840 CBD 5 Downtown Density Bonus Produces highest density/heights in our city and produces the most affordable housing fees- in-lieu for the City CBD and Downtown Mixed Use (DMU) zoning today: CBD zoning does not have a height limit but has FAR limit of 8:1. DMU zoning has height limit of 120’ and FAR limit of 5:1. DDB allows for developments to go above their base entitlements Additional entitlements are mapped, but in general, DDB can increase CBD and DMU sites: Up to 25:1 FAR Up to unlimited height 6 Proposed Changes CBD Median Height Equivalent Staff analyzed the median and average height for sites participating in the Downtown Density Bonus to find the height equivalent for 8:1 FAR Site Area (acres) Floors with 8:1 FAR* Height with 8:1 FAR* (feet) Density Bonus Sites CBD Median CBD Average 0.55 0.72 *8:1 FAR equivalent for developed sites. 16 18 207 233 8 9 10 Proposed Changes to CBD Create a new maximum by-right height limit of 350 feet for the Central Business District. 350 feet follows the trend toward taller buildings in Downtown to help support development and growth in the city center. The height limit will address the effects of …
1 City Staff Watershed Protection Building Services Liz Johnston, Leslie Lilly, Elizabeth Funk Matt Hollon, Sean Watson Austin Energy Green Building Garret Jaynes, Heidi Kasper Development Services Department Farhana Biswas Kit Johnson, Nate Jackson Animal Services Emery Sadkin Planning Jordan Feldman 2 Resolution 20241121-073 ▪ Came out of a recommendation from a working group and Resolution 20210902-050 on Lights Out Austin ▪ Directs staff to: ▪ Update on Light’s Out Austin ▪ Explore integration of bird-friendly building techniques for new low-rise, mid-rise and high-rise buildings ▪ Conduct a feasibility analysis on the potential impacts of these standards ▪ Seek input from stakeholders, including developers, environmental organizations, and the public. 3 Migration and Habitat ▪ Austin was designated a Bird City in 2023 ▪ Austin within North America’s Central Flyway ▪ Over 400 species of birds ▪ Edwards Plateau and the Blackland Prairies habitat ▪ Premier destination for birdwatchers throughout most of the year. ▪ Birding generates more than $5 billion in annual ecotourism revenue in Texas ($279 billion nationwide) 4 The Problem ▪ Birds do not perceive glass as a barrier. ▪ In daytime, birds encounter reflective or translucent glass. ▪ At night, birds encounter artificial sources of light. ▪ Birds fly to these confusing features without seeing the glass barriers. ▪ The collision is deadly. An estimated 1 billion birds die every year. 5 Solutions Glass Strategies Bird-friendly design includes: ▪ Reducing the use of glass ▪ Reducing glass exposure (using solar shading, external insect/solar screens, louvers, etc.) ▪ Incorporating bird-friendly signals (markers) in or on the glass ▪ UV coating, glazing, and etched or fritted glass patterns that follow the "2x2 rule” 7 Design Strategies ▪ Incorporate physical barriers and architectural design that improve glass visibility ▪ Options include: ▪ Exterior screens ▪ Shutters ▪ Awnings ▪ Facades ▪ Structural shading systems Tracy Aviary, Salt Lake City, Utah 8 Lighting Exterior ▪ Eliminate uplighting, use fully shielded fixtures that direct light downward, and avoid event searchlights ▪ Use lighting management systems that can automatically reduce non-essential lighting during peak migration ▪ Also beneficial to bats and lightning bugs year-round ▪ Use warmer lightbulbs (as white/blue light can disorient birds) Interior ▪ Program automatic controls with timers and occupancy sensors ▪ Use window treatments to reduce light spillage ▪ Schedule janitorial services during daylight hours 9 Benchmarking What have other cities done? New York City (2021) Arlington County, VA …
