We want to let the neighbors know that there will be a lock-in event for 30 third to fifth grade students at Summitt Elementary School in the portable buildings on the evening of December 17. The students will be at the school from 6p.m. until 11:00 a.m. the the next morning.
Back by popular demand, the Neighborhood Association is hosting its Holiday Lighting Contest. The best lit house in Milwood will receive a $25 gift card from the Home Depot!
Over the next two weeks we will scour the neighborhood looking for the best house-lighting Milwood has to offer. If you know of a house worthy of a nomination, please send us the address at mnaboard@milwoodna.com . All submissions are due by December 19th. Judging will take place after that, and the winner will be announced on the website. We look forward to seeing everyone’s bright and creative decorations. Happy Holidays, neighbors!
For those of you who have wondered what the booms have been on the last few Saturday nights, wonder no more. Domain is doing fireworks every Saturday night at 8pm through New Years. If you are going to watch, I suggest going out the west door at Macy’s instead of watching from the Christmas Tree. The fireworks go off from behind the new Westin hotel.
About 20 neighborhood people came for a very civic conversation about the homeless park the city has discussed, and the site and Braker and Burnet that has been the focus point of a lot of emotion.
A couple of quick notes:
1. I’ve had further conversation with staff and council aides on this topic, and I at this point am satisfied that the people who need to know this had the sense of going too fast and without discussion get that, and while there is some quibble about whether this was ever going as fast as it appeared to be, I think they are going to try to rebuild the process. So, I suggest that people can take a deep breath here and let’s watch how the process works.
2. We discussed in the meeting the best way that Milwood can be involved at this moment is through the North Burnet Gateway Contact Team. There is another meeting on this topic on Thursday, and I have posted the information below for people interested.
Organizer: North Burnet Gateway Contact Team
Date: Thursday, December 2
Time: 4:30 PM
Meeting Location: Capitol Beverage Company,10300 Metropolitan Drive, Austin, TX 78758
Directions:
1) North of 183 on Burnet Road to 3rd light (Rutland)
2) Take right on Rutland, go down about a 1/3 of a mile, cross railroad tracks
3) First street on your left after you cross the tracks on Metropolitan
4) At the end of Metropolitan on the left
I’ve exchanged some emails with city staff this morning, and they pointed out, rightly, that the forum they are proposing assembling was intended to include Milwood, and i didn’t point that out. While it doesn’t change the point I was making, they are right, so I’m adding that to this base of information.
I get the sense people are realizing that the process got way ahead of the consensus here, and that they may actually be seeking to hit a soft reset button. If so, that is positive. If I’ve learned anything from my professional and civic work, it is that when people feel powerless, they will seek patterns where there aren’t any,and frustration will run high. It is natural to feel that way, because it is the natural result of the situation.
Let’s stay positive out there.
Last week we let you know that the city is seeking to site a park to service the homeless, with one potential location being a site on Braker-Burnet. As a runup to our opportunity to get together on the 29th to discuss the homeless park, we wanted to be sure to point you again to the great information hosted by our friends at North Austin Coalition of Neighborhoods.
When we sent out an email to the neighborhood earlier this month, I got back a substantial number of responses and requests for information.
We politely asked city staff to attend the 29th meeting; they politely declined. Their response was that they want instead to “assemble a “working group” of stakeholders in the vicinity of the proposed Mobile Loaves & Fishes RV Park site,” and that “City staff are re-evaluating how to proceed.”
Additionally, they mentioned that they thought that “Milwood is significantly removed from the site under debate.”
While I know the city staff in question and respect them as professionals, this is a bad approach.
I find it disappointing that city staff does not understand that as long as they retain the power to make a recommendation to Council, and Council could act with one decision to lease the property for a dollar, people are going to be agitated at the uncertainty, and want to talk. There is no barrier to staff recommendation and Council action other than staff restraint. If they are truly reevaluating, they should let people know they will not make a recommendation until a date certain and let the tension subside. If the working group is going to discuss items without the shadow of a schedule to decide set outside of that group, they should say so.
I also find it extremely disappointing that city staff thinks because we are three miles away, we are “significantly removed.” People in this neighborhood take kids to daycare down by this area, shop by this area, and use this area for the rail line they hope people will adopt. City staff not participating when citizens are meeting in earnest interest to discuss a current matter fully in their hands does not raise the trust or the dialogue.
So what are we going to do on the 29th at 7? We will go over the information we have collected, allow for a discussion, and help you be informed when and if you choose to communicate with Council on this item. I’ll try some other avenues through the Council offices to see if there can be some form of city representation. I’ve talked with Council Members on this topic, and they have gotten a lot of feedback, so they hear you when you write.
These are difficult issues; the important ones usually are. No one is a bad guy in this story, so let’s treat each other with respect out there.
City Council
Lee Leffingwell, lee.leffingwell@ci.austin.tx.us 974-2250
Mike Martinez, mike.martinez@ci.austin.tx.us 974-2264
Laura Morrison, laura.morrison@ci.austin.tx.us 974-2260
Sheryl Cole, sheryl.cole@ci.austin.tx.us 974-2255
Bill Spelman, william.spelman@ci.austin.tx.us 974-2258
Chris Riley, chris.riley@ci.austin.tx.us 974-2256
Randi Shade, randi.shade@ci.austin.tx.us 974-2266
You can also email all council members at once from this city webpage
Given the interest of neighbors to discuss the potential that city staff may propose to site a homeless park at Braker/Burnet, we have gotten access to the Milwood Library meeting room at 7 pm on the 29th of November. We have sent an initial request to city staff to come and participate. This is not a normal general meeting, the only topic will be educating on this situation.
Please note that given the meeting on the 29th, the board will not have its normal monthly meeting on Tuesday.
