Update - Austin Energy
There has been quite a bit of activity related to Austin Energy. Mayor Watson has said he thinks Austin should get out of the Fayette Power Plant, which is a coal-powered plant. The EUC working group and City Council meeting as the Austin Energy Utility Oversight Committee both suggested Austin Energy plans should shorten the goal of using no fossil fuels. Climate change issues will continue to be monitored and addressed. Read the Austin Monitor's article: Electric Utility Commission offers climate-friendly recommendations for Austin Energy update.
Update - the Austin Charter Amendment Commission
The City Council has appointed a Commission to review the City Charter. Cinde Weatherby has been monitoring the work of the Commission for LWVAA. The voting section first got our attention. We are also monitoring the Austin petition process revisions & transparency rules.
Read Cinde's Observer's report on the Austin Charter Amendment Commission and the Austin Monitors article: Charter Review Commission continues to wrestle with petition process.
Observer Corps
Is the point of the Observer Corps to promote our positions or help carry out those of the governmental entity? The answer is both— it depends. We don’t have much control over their agenda, so the reality is we react to whatever they are doing, but there may be times when we can promote our interests. Sadly, sometimes we’re on the defensive and say “don’t” rather than promote something positive. The real point is for us to know what the group is doing and when, so we can comment during a meeting, get our members to reach out to elected officials, write an op-ed, etc.— in other words, have time to take appropriate action. We need to know their timing and then have enough time to act.
Travis County has at least one high school in each of these ISD’s:
Austin, Del Valle, Eanes, Elgin, Lago Vista, Lake Travis, Leander, Manor, and Pflugerville. If you live in one of these areas and would like to participate in the Observer Corps, contact Karen Nicholson. With strong LWV education positions and strong interest in education by Austin Area LWV members, the Education and Advocacy Committee is discussing the feasibility of involvement in the smaller ISD’s beyond the already strong involvement of First Vote.
Read highlights of local government meetings written by observer corp volunteers: Travis County Commissioner’s Court, Austin City Council, AISD Board