ATX PULSE 7/11/24: Exclusive: Mackenzie Kelly Shatters D6 Record, Reporting $163k Raised, $155k CoH // 4S Private Residences to Begin Construction // APD: N. Austin Shooter at Large // Council to Propose Charter Amendments

ATX Pulse

Everything YOU NEED TO KNOW about Austin.

Thursday, July 11, 2024

By Matt Mackowiak

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Today’s Weather: H: 98° / L: 75°. Latest forecast from Fox 7 Austin’s Scott Fisher here.

FIRST IN ATX PULSE

~ Release: “Mackenzie Kelly Shatters District 6 Fundraising Record, Reporting $155k+ Cash on Hand Through June 30” — “City Council Member Mackenzie Kelly has set a new fundraising record in the District 6 race, raising an unprecedented $163,712.30 for her re-election campaign according to the June 30th campaign finance report.

This amount represents the largest amount ever raised at this campaign finance report by a political candidate in this district since the city charter changed to single-member representation in 2014.

In the 2020 race, Kelly, then a challenger, had only $16,000 cash on hand while incumbent Jimmy Flannigan boasted $60,000 at the same point. This year’s fundraising figures for the June 30th report showcases the overwhelming support she has garnered from across Austin. With $155,041.20 cash on hand, Kelly's campaign is well-positioned for victory in November.

“I am deeply humbled and grateful for the incredible support from the people of Austin," said Kelly. "This record-breaking fundraising total for June 30th report is a testament to our community's trust and confidence in our vision for a safer, more prosperous Austin.”

Kelly, the only Republican on the 11-member City Council, is running for her second term with a platform centered on public safety, economic development, accountability, and transparency. Her ability to raise substantial funds highlights her widespread appeal and the strong backing she enjoys from her constituents.

"Our campaign has received contributions from all corners of Austin, reflecting a broad coalition of support," Kelly continued. "This financial momentum will enable us to run a sophisticated and professional campaign, continue our outreach efforts, and ensure that every resident's voice is heard in this critical election."

Kelly emphasized the importance of accountability and transparency in government, stating, "I believe in holding our city leaders accountable and ensuring transparency in all our decisions. Losing my seat on the council would be detrimental to good, balanced governance. We need a diversity of voices to represent the full spectrum of Austin's community."

In a remarkable demonstration of bipartisan support, Kelly’s campaign has garnered backing from both Democrats and Republicans, an unprecedented achievement in a non-partisan race that has historically been politically polarizing. This cross-party support underscores the exceptional job she has done in representing the interests of all Austinites.

With the November election approaching, Kelly remains committed to enhancing public safety, advocating for fiscal responsibility, and ensuring that Austin remains a vibrant and safe city for all its residents.

For more information about Mackenzie Kelly and her campaign, please visit www.Mackenzie4Austin.com.

About Mackenzie Kelly: Mackenzie Kelly is a City Council Member in Austin, Texas, currently running for re-election. She has been a staunch advocate for public safety, accountability, and transparency, working tirelessly to represent the interests of her constituents. Kelly is dedicated to fostering a diverse and thriving community in Austin.

TOP NEWS

~ “Four Seasons Private Residences Lake Austin to begin construction this fall,” Community Impact’s Grace Dickens — “The Lake Austin area is gaining a new luxury residential community from hospitality company Four Seasons Hotel and Resorts.

Known as Four Seasons Private Residences Lake Austin, the project is set on 145 acres of natural landscape and waterfront southwest of the RM 2222 and Loop 360 intersection, according to a news release.

The development is surrounded by 2,000 acres of protected land that serve as part of the Balcones Canyonland Preserve. Interiors for the modern-style community will be designed by Lissoni & Partners, a New York- and Italy-based architecture and interior design firm, according to the news release.

In June, investment and development firm Turnbridge Equities became a co-developer of the project alongside Austin Capital Partners, according to a news release.

Turnbridge has previously worked on local projects such as the Music Lane project on South Congress Avenue, which created an entertainment destination for the area, the news release states.

“We look forward to working with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and our globally renowned design team in helping realize this amazing vision,” said Andrew Joblon, founder and managing principal of Turnbridge Equities, in the news release.

What else?

Once complete, the news release states the property will have four shared resort clubs, including:

• The Upper Clubhouse: offers a Michelin-star, chef-led private restaurant, a 96-seat theater, a 300-foot infinity-edge pool, game rooms and private cabanas

• Indoor Sports Club: provides a 76,000-square-foot space with private training rooms, golf simulators, indoor sport courts, a children’s gym and play area

• The Spa and Wellness Club: has hot and cold plunge pools, a sauna, private treatment rooms, a beauty salon, and steam facilities in both locker rooms

• The Orangerie: features an indoor garden with an 82-foot indoor pool

Additional amenities include a 576-foot private marina, an Owners Boating Club for standalone residences and a cable railroad from the hilltop to the lake.

What's next

Construction is expected to begin this fall with an anticipated completion date of late 2027.

The community is actively selling residences, which start at $4.6 million.” Community Impact

THE BLOTTER

~ “APD: No arrests after man shot, killed in North Austin,” KVUE’s John Diaz — “A man is dead following a shooting in North Austin on Wednesday.

Austin police say they received a call around 3:30 p.m. about a shooting near Clearfield Drive and Beech Drive.

When they arrived, they found a man with signs of trauma. Police tried saving the man's life but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

A helicopter was spotted in the area as police searched for a suspect, but officials say no one is in custody at this time. They also said the shooting appears to be an isolated incident and that there is no threat to the community.

Police reported that a possible "armed and dangerous" suspect was reported around Larkspur Road following the shooting, but did not give additional details.

An investigation into the shooting is ongoing.” KVUE

CITY HALL

~ “City Council prepares to send Charter Amendments to Voters,” Austin Chronicle’s Austin Sanders — “Austin voters can expect to encounter a lengthy ballot for the upcoming November election, the bottom of which will contain a number of important amendments to the City Charter that should not be overlooked.

The most prominent amendments deal with the city’s petition initiative process – that’s when groups or individuals collect enough signatures from Austin voters to put proposed ordinance changes on the ballot of a citywide election. The petition initiative is a vital piece of Austin’s political history; in 1992, the Save Our Springs Coalition campaigned in support of an eponymous ordinance that defined Austin politics for a generation – both because of the environmental protections the ordinance made law and because of the community leaders and political coalitions the movement spawned.

But in more recent years, the initiative process has been much more controversial because, critics argue, petitions are deployed in ways that result in less democratic policymaking. (Namely, because it takes few signatures to present a ballot proposition, and off-season elections see incredibly low turnout.) Several of the charter amendments Austin voters are likely to encounter on their Nov. 5 ballot are intended to change that by making the petition process more transparent and the elections they trigger subject to approval from a broader, more diverse Austin electorate.

“We saw the flaws in our current system through those elections, and that’s what we’re trying to fix,” said Council Member Ryan Alter, who authored the resolution that initiated the charter review process. “We want these campaigns to be more representative of Austin’s diverse electorate, and these changes help accomplish that.”

The charter is basically the city’s constitution – i.e., the foundational lawmaking document that outlines various rules and procedures around city government. Ordinances adopted by City Council overlay the charter to create other policies and laws.

Like the U.S. Constitution, Austin’s charter can be amended. The Texas Constitution requires that voters approve changes to the charters of home-rule cities (such as Austin). But first, you have to get the proposed changes on the ballot. That happens either through a Council vote or through a petition process. So, Council will vote next week at their July 18 meeting to place somewhere around six amendments to the City Charter on the ballot for the Nov. 5 election.

These charter amendments have been long in the making. Council Member Ryan Alter brought forth a resolution to establish a new Charter Review Commission (CRC) in March. They’ve been working on amendments to improve the city’s petition initiative and other city government functions.

After 13 public meetings, two open houses, and a survey that stretched from September to March, the 2024 CRC formally recommended nine amendments to the City Charter that would change the petition initiative and elected official recall processes. Another change would make it Council’s job to hire the city attorney (the highest ranking official in the Law Department, who is currently hired under the sole discretion of the city manager). City staffers, through their own process that ran concurrently with the CRC, are also proposing a suite of charter amendments that are less substantive, like changes that clean up text or bring the charter in line with recently adopted state law.

Currently, groups petitioning for an initiative ordinance only need to gather signatures from 5% of the city’s qualified voters or 20,000 voters, whichever is smaller. Given our booming population, the latter is smaller, so 20,000 signatures is the real threshold petitioners have to clear. The CRC recommendation would clean that up by changing the requirement to 3.5% of qualified voters (which translates to about 20,000 signatures with our current population). Because the CRC proposal is solely percentage-based, the signature threshold would grow along with Austin’s population. The CRC is also recommending an increase to the signature threshold for recalling Council members (from 10% to 15%); charter amendment petitions, which are controlled by the Texas Constitution, will remain at the 5% or 20,000 qualified voter threshold.

Another key CRC recommendation would require petition elections be held only on even-yeared November elections – that is, in midterm or presidential election years when voter turnout is significantly higher. In off-cycle May and November elections throughout the past decade, turnout averaged about 15%, but in even-yeared November elections, it averaged 57%.

Finally, the CRC recommended creating Notice of Intent requirements for petition initiative campaigns. These rules would require petitions to include identifying information for five qualified voters supporting the campaign, a one-sentence description of the initiative, contact information for petitioners, and proposed ordinance language for the initiative – all accompanied by a notarized sworn statement from one of the petitioners. The hope is that these recommendations will stave off the kind of deceptive tactics deployed by the Austin Police Association in support of their failed police oversight ordinance in 2023.

The problem with charter amendments is their permanence: state law limits how often a city can change its charter, while voter-approved ordinances can be overridden by a supermajority vote on Council.

With that in mind, the Law Department recommends four CRC proposals be accomplished by ordinance instead of charter amendments. The Notice of Intent change is one of them, but Alter wants to see Council vote on it as a charter amendment, because he views these reforms as critical to transparency and thinks they should be codified in the charter. The three other proposed charter amendments the Law Department flagged will probably go to the back burner (they would change ballot proposition labels, conflicting petition initiatives, and more.)” Austin Chronicle

~ “Austin-led HEAL initiative closes four encampments,” KXAN’s Abigail Saxe — “Four encampments are closed in Austin and 63 people relocated into shelters following efforts from Austin’s Housing-Focused Encampment Assistance Link (HEAL) initiative, according to a news release by the city.

HEAL is an initiative that was approved by the city in February 2021 to try and “address homelessness and to return public spaces to their intended uses,” the release said. The encampments that were closed were located at the Barton Creek Greenbelt, Williamson Creek East, Indian Grass Prairie and North Walnut Creek, the release added.

The City welcomed the people who are experiencing homelessness to the Northbridge and Southbridge shelters, offering them access to shelter and housing resources, according to the release. HEAL uses an assessment tool that measures over 40 factors to decide which encampments to intervene.

“Transitioning from encampments into shelter signifies a significant step towards stability, support and access to resources and care,” Homeless Strategy Officer David Gray said in the release.

Since HEAL started in 2021, the initiative has helped 835 individuals move from “high-risk” encampments to Austin’s Northbridge and Southbridge shelters, the release said.” KXAN

OTHER NEWS

~ “West Austin gets a new evacuation route in case of wildfires and other emergencies,” CBS Austin’s Bettie Cross — “Escaping from a wildfire just got easier for one of Austin’s largest neighborhoods.

In the 2011 Steiner Ranch fire, 23 homes were destroyed. Evacuations in the West Austin suburb took up to seven hours. It is why a second evacuation route celebrated its grand opening on Wednesday. Having a Plan B to escape the neighborhood is considered a game-changer for thousands of people.

“I am very proud of this,” said Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea. “This evacuation route took seven years.”

The Precinct 2 commissioner saw the wildfire that created chaos in the Steiner Ranch area and has pushed for an additional evacuation route ever since.

“We do know in places like this where we have a large population and only one way in and out, we need another access,” said Shea.

The new way out for residents is the new way in for first responders.

“This is a big deal,” said Lake Travis Fire Chief Robert Abbott.

Chief Abbott says many lessons were learned in the 2011 wildfire evacuation.

“Planning, engagement, messaging, additional tools. A lot of things came out of that day. This is one of the many results from that,” said Chief Abbott.” CBS Austin

~ “Cars damaged by concrete falling from Downtown Austin construction site,” via KVUE — “On Wednesday afternoon, police said concrete fell onto the road from a nearby construction site at the Waterline apartments in Downtown Austin, damaging nearby vehicles.

This incident happened on Cesar Chavez Street near Red River Street.

No injuries were reported, but some of the cars were being driven when they were hit.

There's no word yet when the road will be back open, but police say they're working with the property manager to try and figure out what happened.

No other information is available at this time.” KVUE

~ “Take a look at these 2 Austin properties among most expensive homes on the market in Texas,” Austin American-Statesman’s Shonda Novak — “Two Austin properties landed on the list of the most expensive Texas homes on the market in June.

The Houston Association of Realtors released its latest monthly listings June 27 for the priciest homes in the Lone Star State. The listings are of publicly marketed properties, not those on the private market, which typically are much more expensive.

For June, the most expensive listings spanned from Houston to Dallas and included Austin, Highland Park and the Woodlands. The homes ranged in price from $12.5 million to $50 million.

The priciest of the two Austin properties is a listing on 2810 Scenic Drive, with a $25.5 million asking price. Built in 2008, the house in the Tarrytown neighborhood has 8,791 square feet of living space.

The other listing is at 1905 Hallam Drive. The house is in a private West Austin enclave called Scenic View and has two gated entrances. With an asking price of $12.5 million, the house was completed this year and has almost 8,000 square feet of space, six bedrooms and seven full bathrooms.

Amy Deane with Moreland Properties is the real estate agent on the $25.5 million listing.

Located on a private cove overlooking Laguna Gloria and designed by renowned architect Ryan Street, the nearly 9,000-square-foot home has five bedrooms and 5½ bathrooms. Originally completed in 2009, the home has undergone a complete makeover. Among its features: a main bath with his-and-hers closets, a game room, a sunken home theater, a library and office, a meditation room, a pool bath, sauna and cold plunge, a four-car garage, a guest suite and an elevator.

"We have seen substantial interest in 2810 Scenic Drive and have received multiple offers to date, so we feel optimistic the right buyer will emerge when timing is right," Deane said. "High net worth sellers aren’t selling in this market because they don’t have to. They are locked into very low interest rates and know that they have a hot commodity. 

"Buildable land on Lake Austin in a desirable neighborhood like Tarrytown close to downtown is limited and construction costs are 30% to 40% higher than they were five years ago, so my seller is comfortable waiting until we find the right buyer. To create a similar property like 2810 Scenic Drive, you’d be looking at a timeline of over three years. Similar land prices are $10 million-plus, construction costs range between $1,000 to $1,500 per square foot, and that doesn’t include architecture, engineering, landscaping, audio visual or carrying costs. 

Deane said luxury sellers can afford to wait for the right buyer who recognizes time is money.

"While luxury buyers are less sensitive to rates," she said, "I see luxury sellers in our market standing firm on sales price knowing that when rates come down, buyer demand will increase. In addition to interest rates causing a slowdown, an election year tends to put buyers in a holding pattern."

Taylor Wilson, president of Austin-based Taylor Wilson Construction, built the Hallam house. Wilson also is the developer of Wilson Tower, a high-rise he plans to start construction on next year in downtown Austin.

Located next to the Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve off Capital of Texas Highway (Loop 360) and Bee Cave Road, the Hallam house "is truly a move-in ready masterpiece" in the West Lake Hills area and desirable Eanes school district.

"The beauty of this location is quick access to Loop 360 from the Far Gallant gate to the west, and the other gate is down Scenic View Drive. ... So you can get to downtown/central Austin on one side, and on the other 360/Bee Cave Road. Best of both worlds," Wilson said.

Here's what else Wilson had to say about the Hallam house, and the local housing market.

"Taylor Wilson Construction has built and sold six luxury homes within the sold-out Scenic View community. Hallam Drive is our grand finale; the last remaining home in the community.

"With only 20 estate sites, Scenic View offers a close-knit neighborhood atmosphere featuring private sidewalks and greenbelts. We have sold six previous homes in this neighborhood and are proud to finish the community with 1905 Hallam."

Wilson said the floorplan features windows that open to several stone terraces, including a sunken area overlooking the pool, and hillside views. The residence also has a separate cabana with full bath and kitchenette plus a pool bath.

Eric Moreland, Austin luxury real estate broker and owner of Eric Moreland Group with Moreland Properties, is marketing the Hallam Drive listing.

Moreland said new custom homes, especially in the desirable central West Lake Hills area, are selling about two to three times more frequently than homes built a decade or so ago.

"The Scenic View neighborhood is new, privately gated and centrally located in the Eanes school district with very little inventory available making it ultra desirable in our marketplace," Moreland said.” AAS ($)

Along with the Austin properties, here are the other eight homes that rounded out the most expensive listings statewide in June:

• 107 Timberwilde Lane (Houston) — $49,985,000

• 10777 Strait Lane (Dallas) — $40,000,000

• 3630 Willowick (Houston) — $24,750,000

• 3996 Inverness Drive (Houston) — $15,495,000

• 3709 Euclid Ave. (Highland Park) — $15,299,000

• 4000 Gillon Ave. (Highland Park) — $13,500,000

• 5414 Edlen Dr. (Dallas) — $13,200,000

• 88 Grand Regency (the Woodlands) — $13,000,000

BUSINESS NEWS

~ “What’s on new Central Health CEO’s agenda? Innovation and whole person care,” Austin American-Statesman’s Nicole Villalpando — “"Trust is the first step to health."

"Whole person care is one size fits one."

Health care in Travis County is like a tree: "one trunk, many branches."

Dr. Patrick Lee, the new head of Central Health — the hospital district of Austin and Travis County created by voters in 2004 — repeats these phrases often and with enthusiasm. He is spreading the gospel of hope and health care around the county to the people who live at or below 200% of the poverty level served by Central Health as well as to the medical community in which it operates.

"What I've learned about Austin and Travis County is that it is a really special place," Lee said. "It is a small, big town that is deeply relational. ... People deeply care."

Lee arrived in Austin six months ago to lead a hospital district that recently turned 20 and is unique in that it is the only hospital district in Texas without its own hospital. He replaced Mike Geeslin, who served a planned six years as the head of Central Health and announced his decision to leave at the end of 2023 that April.

This year is a pivotal year in Central Health's history. It launched a seven-year health equity plan, which includes pivoting from being mainly a payer of health care through its Medical Assistance Program and MAP Basic programs (similar to insurance), to becoming a provider of health care by opening up its own clinics as well as starting respite services for people leaving the hospital.

A career based on health equity

Lee, 46, describes himself as a "physician executive" with a "lifelong commitment to health equity."

Lee spent the past two years as the system chairman of medicine for One Brooklyn Health in New York, which works in three hospitals and 27 ambulatory centers.

Before Brooklyn, he was in the Boston area as an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, the chair of medicine at Salem Hospital, the chief performance improvement officer at Lynn Community Health Center and the medical director at the Cambridge Primary Care Center.

He leans on the work he did early in his career in Liberia, where he picked up this "one trunk, many branches" idea of creating a unified health system.

"One trunk many branches is more than a metaphor for me," Lee said in May. "It is a daily practice. What we are doing is building trust in every direction so we can create partnerships in every direction so we can really advance our mission."“ AAS ($)

SPORTS

~ TEXAS VOLLEYBALL: “Texas volleyball tabbed as favorites in inaugural SEC season,” KXAN’s Billy Gates — “It doesn’t matter what conference the Texas volleyball team is in, they get respect anywhere they go.

Southeastern Conference coaches picked the back-to-back defending national champions to win the league title in their first year and Texas placed four players on the preseason all-conference team. That’s the most of any team in the SEC.

The Longhorns received 14 of 15 first-place votes for 196 points in the poll. The other first-place vote went to Florida who finished second in the poll with 174 points, followed by Kentucky (173), Georgia (148) and Tennessee (144).

Madisen Skinner, Emma Halter, Ella Swindle, and Reagan Rutherford were all named to the preseason all-conference team. Skinner was named the VolleyballMag.com national player of the year and the Big 12 Conference female athlete of the year last season. She made the team as an outside hitter.

Halter was one of two liberos selected to the team, Swindle was part of five setters honored and Rutherford — a transfer from Kentucky — was named to the team as an opposite.” KXAN

2024 SEC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
(First-place votes in parentheses)
School                        Points
1. Texas (14)               196
2. Florida (1)                174
3. Kentucky                  173
4. Georgia                    148
5. Tennessee                144
6. Missouri                   127
7. Texas A&M              117
8. Arkansas                  109
9. LSU                           82
10. Auburn                   77
11. Oklahoma               73
12. Ole Miss                 49
      South Carolina      49
14. Mississippi State    42
15. Alabama                 15

2024 Volleyball Preseason All-SEC Team
Hannah Hogue, Arkansas, S
Madison Scheer, Auburn, OH
Sophie Fischer, Georgia, MB
Kennedy Martin, Florida, OH/RS
Alexis Stucky, Florida, S
Eleanor Beavin, Kentucky, L
Brooklyn DeLeye, Kentucky, OH
Emma Grome, Kentucky, S
Jurnee Robinson, LSU, OH
Sasha Ratliff, Ole Miss, MB
Jordan Iliff, Missouri, RS
Caroline Kerr, Tennessee, S
Emma Halter, Texas, L
Reagan Rutherford, Texas, OPP
Madisen Skinner, Texas, OH
Ella Swindle, Texas, S
Ifenna Cos Okpalla, Texas A&M, MB
Logan Lednicky, Texas A&M, OP

CULTURE

~ “Remembering Texas satirist Kinky Friedman” by Michael Hall. Texas Monthly

WHAT TO DO TONIGHT

~ LIVE MUSIC: Cage the Elephant with Young the Giant (Moody Center). Doors 6:30pm. $29 and up. Tickets

~ FOOD: “Where to Eat and Drink on South Congress in Austin” Austin Eater

COOL JOB ALERT

~DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS: OneStar (Austin, TX) // Pay: $85,000-$105,000/year // Info / Apply: here.