Recommendation 20241112-005: Recommendations from the RMMAPIAC Transition Working Group to Council related to Mueller transition items. — original pdf

Recommendation

RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL Robert Mueller Municipal Airport Plan Implementation Advisory Commission Recommendation Number (20241112-005); Recommendation to the Austin City Council regarding the Transition of Mueller from the MDA/Catellus to Mueller's POA WHEREAS, the City of Austin’s Robert Mueller Municipal Airport Plan Implementation Advisory Commission (PIAC) was established to advise the City Council on the implementation of Mueller’s Master Plan and other redevelopment issues regarding the Master Development Agreement (MDA) between the City and Master Developer, Catellus Austin, LLC; and WHEREAS, on January 9, 2024, in anticipation of its impending abolishment with the December 2, 2024 termination date of the MDA, the PIAC created its second Mueller Transition Working Group (MTWG) to study the changes in governing and management of Mueller as Catellus prepares to cease its participation after it is no longer a partner, and to recommend potential actions or policies to the City Council aimed at sustaining Mueller’s success as a model, high-density, new-urbanist neighborhood with affordable housing in central East Austin; and WHEREAS, on November 21, 2013, the City Code Section 2-1-169, (D) was unanimously amended by the Austin City Council to specify the PIAC is to be abolished on the date that the MDA between the City and Catellus expires or is terminated, which will occur on or before December 31, 2027; and WHEREAS, Mueller is a certified Safe, Mixed-Income, Accessible, Reasonably-priced, Transit-Oriented (S.M.A.R.T) housing development, yet has no City-owned buildings specifically planned for community use; and WHEREAS, the MDA required and Catellus has provided 25 percent of Mueller's overall housing as affordable to households with incomes at or below 60 percent of Austin’s Median Family Income (MFI) for rental housing, and 80 percent of MFI for purchased housing; and WHEREAS, Mueller’s stormwater management system, 140 acres of parks, open space, trails, swimming pools and the remediated Control Tower and Browning Hangar, serve, benefit and are heavily used by the larger East Austin community, prompting the City Council to approve annual payments, as budget allows, to the Mueller Property Owners Association (POA) towards maintaining the dedicated Parkland; and WHEREAS, the Mueller Tax Increment Financing (TIF) debt is projected to be retired in 2032, and based on the most recent available data, annual Mueller TIF revenue exceeds its annual service costs. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Robert Mueller Municipal Airport Plan Implementation Advisory Commission recommends that the City Council; 1. Begin the process of amending Mueller's covenants to establish, in perpetuity, public access to Mueller's parks, trails, landmark sites, including but not limited to the Browning Hangar (even if commercially owned), and the Memorial Day-to-Labor Day pool swim-season for the Ella Wooten and John Gaines pools. 2. Review findings of a comprehensive audit of Mueller's POA Operations & Maintenance (O&M) expenses and responsibilities, and assure a resilient and sustainable funding method for the POA. 3. Not retire Mueller's TIF until all of Mueller's financial burdens have been met, as required in the MDA, to avoid tapping into the City's general fund for Mueller-specific maintenance, and a portion of the TIF reserves should be designated by the City Council to support maintenance of Mueller parks and infrastructure into the foreseeable future. 4. Assign the audit of Mueller affordable rental units to the City's Housing Department. 5. Deed the Branch Park Pavilion to the Mueller POA as a source of rental revenue for the POA. 6. Deed the Mueller Central building to the Mueller POA as a location from which they can manage their operations. 7. Within Mueller, find a (multiple) location(s) to narrate the story of Mueller from its pre-airport time to its current state as a model public-private partnership neighborhood, and pay tribute to the Austin residents for whom its parks, streets or other features are named. Date of Approval: 11/12/2024 Record of the vote: 8-0; Commissioners Luecke, Ronsonette and Rudow were absent. Attest: Jill Fagan, Executive Liaison Robert Mueller Municipal Airport Plan Implementation Advisory Commission