20240703-004: Community Investment Budget Recommendation — original pdf

Recommendation

ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION 20240703-004 Second by: Mariana Krueger Date: July 3rd, 2024 Subject: Community Investment Budget proposal Motion by: David Sullivan RATIONALE: WHEREAS, marginalized communities in Austin are disproportionately threatened by food apartheid and insecurity, heat islands and limited access to green space, climate change and its resultant natural disasters, pollution, and poor health, and housing instability and homelessness; WHEREAS, the City of Austin, to varying degrees, has acknowledged these inequities and pledged to curtail them, including through the implementation of the Austin Climate Equity Plan and the first-ever Austin/ Travis County Comprehensive Food Plan; WHEREAS, in order to achieve a more equitable city and see the fruition of these plans and other equity-oriented policies, the City must appropriately fund them with input from the community- at-large; WHEREAS, Equity Action has organized a broad coalition of support for an FY2025 Community Investment Budget after public input, thorough research, and endorsements from dozens of organizations and individuals, including the Sierra Club (Austin Regional Group), Black Lives Veggies, Save Our Springs Alliance, Fruitful Commons, Rewild ATX, and others; WHEREAS, the City Manager and his office will soon draft a proposed FY2025 budget for City Council’s approval; WHEREAS, the Environmental Commission may advise City Council on matters of environmental importance, including as they relate to funding initiatives related to the environment and intersecting issues; THEREFORE, the Environmental Commission recommends that the City Manager’s office incorporate the entirety of the Community Investment Budget proposal into the forecasted, baseline FY2025 budget. Vote: 8-0 For: Haris Qureshi, Hanna Cofer, Perry Bedford, Melinda Schiera, David Sullivan, Richard Brimer, Mariana Krueger, Peter Einhorn Against: None Abstain: None Absent: Jennifer Bristol, Colin Nickels Attest: 1 of 2  Perry Bedford, Commission Chair 2 of 2