Billboard Blues

A hot tip for all you real estate speculators hoping there's still room to make a killing in the Austin real estate market: Go East. According to Councilmember Gus Garcia, the East Cesar Chavez neighborhood is the next Hyde Park. The occasion of his remark was the presentation of the E. Cesar Chavez Neighborhood Plan to council at last Wednesday's work session. Both the planners and the council celebrated the neighborhood participation and consensus building that produced the report: Neighborhood Planning Leadership Team member Lori Cervenka-Renteria pointed out that the participation in the plan had "higher turnout than we have in city council elections, so I hope you take this plan very seriously." The project would cover the areas bounded east and west by I-35 and Chicon Street, and north and south by Town Lake and E. Seventh Street. The mixed-use zoning plan calls for new housing, retail, shops, offices, parks, and light rail. Council will vote on the plan April 15.

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Conserving Austin Energy

Several die-hard and extremely patient environmentalists turned out for a public hearing (which, scheduled for 7:30, didn't start until just before 9pm) to praise Austin Energy's proposed policy outlining its conservation goals. The policy is the result of several months' effort to codify the city's energy conservation standards to ensure the department's continued commitment to conservation following its integration into Austin Energy from the Environmental and Conservation Services Department (not, as last week's "Council Watch" mistakenly implied, to find a quick way to conserve enough energy to avoid delaying the closure of the Holly Power Plant).

The two goals outlined in the policy are:

1. Energy Conservation. Cost-effective conservation programs shall be the first priority in meeting new energy capacity requirements for Austin Energy; and the utility will increase its conservation effort through investigating options including load management programs, building code revisions, appliance and lighting discounts, education programs, and tree planting.

2. Renewable Energy Sources. Expanding renewable energy sources in Austin Energy's portfolio is a priority. Austin Energy's goal is to achieve 5% renewable energy in its portfolio mix by December 31, 2004.

The policy was praised by all those in attendance, with suggestions for improvement made by a few. Council regular and environmental advocate Paul Robbins got his two suggestions -- to include the "elimination of all-electric heating" as a goal, and "consideration of the city purchasing part or all of its electricity from the city's green power program" -- added to the motion to pass the policy.

(What Robbins didn't get was an answer to his question on the fate of lawyer Scott McCullough, who resigned his position as consumer advocate with the city after failing to be informed before the fact of the Austin Energy absorption of the energy conservation department. Conservation Director Roger Duncan and Jesus Garza offered McCullough his job back, and he agreed -- on several conditions, including enhanced conservation efforts within Austin Energy. McCullough's request was submitted in mid-October; he has yet to receive a response. McCullough is still serving the city on ongoing electric rate issues.)

Additionally, activist Gavino Fernandez suggested changes as well, including increasing from 5% to 20% the amount of green power used by the city, and establishing a target date of 2001, instead of 2005, for achieving this goal (Austin city government is the biggest electricity consumer in the city). Other suggestions included one from Ross Smith, who, citing research from the intriguingly named "Dark Skies" Web site, recommended such energy-saving tactics as making sure those lights we do have are used to their optimal efficiency, without waste and light pollution of the sky.

This Week in Council: The council will not meet today, February 18. Councilmembers return to the dais February 25 for a scheduled vote on the billboard ordinance (see above), as well as on the proposed Forum development, although this particular agenda item is likely to be postponed.