CODE COMPLIANCE FORCES MARKET TO REMOVE EMBLEMATIC WORLD FLAGS

by Clay Dafoe
August 26, 2013

The Hyde Park Market has removed over 20 flags of various nations after being threatened by City of Austin Code Compliance with a hefty fine in the amount of $2,000.00 per day if the flags were not removed.

Community Impact reports that Code Compliance began investigating after a complaint was filed on June 17, even though the international flags had been present at the Hyde Park Market on Duval Street and 45th Street for nearly five years. The City of Austin has deemed the flags classified as "signs" and claims the flags need permits in order to be displayed above the store front. The market has become well known in the neighborhood since 2008 when it transformed from a typical gas station into a lively convenient store selling various gourmet foods, beer, tools and home items.

Hyde Park Market owner Tony Hooman believes the city has overstepped its bounds and is circulating a petition to reinstall the flags at his storefront. Hooman is speaking with an attorney about what he can do to fight the city's threats.

http://impactnews.com/austin-metro/central-austin/hyde-park-market-forced-to/

AUSTIN AQUARIUM OWNERS UNDER FIRE FOR POSSIBLE ANIMAL CRUELTY

by Clay Dafoe
August 26, 2013

The Austin Aquarium, currently being built in far North Austin, has come under scrutiny after owners Vince Covino and Ammon Covino were cited by PETA and other sources as being potentially responsible for animal cruelty.

Another aquarium run by the Covinos, the Portland Aquarium in Oregon, is currently being investigated by the Oregon Humane Society after reports have been circulating of animal abuse including overcrowding, overheating and the deaths of nearly 200 animals. In addition, Ammon Covino was convicted of unlawful sale and purchase of animals in early 2013 after he bought four eagle rays and two lemon sharks and shipped them to his Boise Aquarium in Idaho.

According to the Austin Chronicle, the City of Austin has stated that the owners were cited in July for housing animals without a permit and when they subsequently applied for a permit to do so, were denied. KUT reports that the University of Texas' Texas Advanced Computing Center planned a partnership with the Austin Aquarium but that it is now being reconsidered after the recent revelations.

http://austin.ynn.com/content/news/295001/ut-puts-austin-aquarium-partnership-on-hold

http://www.austinchronicle.com/blogs/news/2013-08-26/austin-aquarium-gets-the-fisheye/

http://www.kutnews.org/post/ut-halts-partnership-controversial-austin-aquarium

GROUPS LOBBY FOR 4,750,000.00 IN MORE PARKS FUNDING

by Clay Dafoe
August 26, 2013

Tuesday morning, a coalition of 30 parks related groups called Great Austin Parks will be demonstrating at the Austin City Hall Plaza demanding an increase in funding for park maintenance by an amount of $4,750,000.00. The cries for increased funding come amid a weekend accident at the Town Lake Hike and Bike Trail in which a dead tree fell, landing on a jogger and breaking his leg.

In November 2012, the City of Austin passed a Parks and Recreation bond in the amount of $77,000,000.00. That bond money is purported to be used on citywide park projects, facility improvements and cemetery renovations.

While some are calling for increase Parks and Recreation Department spending Tuesday morning, ironically a proposal will be heard by the department committee that night to sell the historic Hancock Golf Course park land to a mediation firm for corporate development of the park into an $8,000,000.00 condominium project.

http://www.kvue.com/news/local/City-Park-Advocates-call-for-additional-maintenance-funding--221232161.html

HISTORIC HANCOCK GOLF COURSE FACES POTENTIAL CORPORATE REDEVELOPMENT

by Clay Dafoe
August 25, 2013

On Tuesday evening, the Austin Parks and Recreation Department will receive a presentation on a proposal to redevelop the Hancock Golf Course into an $8,000,000.00 condominium project. The plan involves construction of a 55 unit residential complex that will include a mixed use commercial element. Jim Huddleston of the Crawford, Huddleston and Co. mediation group will be giving the presentation.

Neighbors in the Hancock Neighborhood Association have expressed outrage over the plan and are preparing a resolution for the City Council to adopt that will preserve the historic golf course, a central feature of the neighborhood. The Hancock Golf Course was designed and has been in continual operation since 1899. It is currently one of the oldest golf courses in the state of Texas.

In an email to the Austin Neighborhood Council Hancock resident Barbara Epstein complained, "Area residents only learned of this proposal a couple of days ago. How could your board (or the city) consider something that so directly affects our neighborhood without any notice to us or an opportunity to be heard at our meeting? I don't think area residents want remaining neighborhood vparkland turned into high-density housing. We're the people who live here and pay taxes so our position as stakeholders should be just as important as this outside developer's or a city planner's."

The hearing on the proposal for corporate redevelopment will be held Tuesday, August 27th at 6pm at Austin City Hall.

http://www.kvue.com/news/local/Proposal-underway-to-sell-and-redevelop-Hancock-Golf-Course-221017031.html

AUSTIN COUNCIL APPROVES $50,000 TO IBIZ DISTRICTS

by Clay Dafoe
August 25, 2013

The Austin City Council last week approved a resolution that authorizes the spending of $50,000 for managing the Austin Independent Business Alliance's IBIZ districts. The IBIZ districts are a group of eight districts composed of over 400 local business located in areas like Burnet Road, West Lynn Street, North Loop Boulevard and South First Street. The districts were created in 2004 without city funding but since 2008 have received funding through the City of Austin's Small Business Development Program.

After the 2012-2013 contract was cancelled earlier this year, the City of Austin has vied for greater control of the districts. The new agreement includes new conditions including the requirement that the City of Austin Small Business Development Program approve marketing materials prior to distribtution, that they be given a guided tour and introductions to businesses involved and be given email contact information for all business owners, and that a Raney Street district be created.

What began as an indepedent business venture created to support local business has now become an organization controlled by central planning. The measly $50,000 over nine months granted to IBIZ districts pales in contrast to the over $10,000,000.00 in giveaways doled out to major corporations in the past year. Simply by following the money, it becomes apparent which businesses are the true priority of the City of Austin municipal corporation.

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2013/08/23/city-council-to-refund-ibiz-districts.html

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2013/08/20/city-council-may-renew-local-business.html

http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2013-08-23/then-theres-this-even-more-reason-to-buy-local/

AUSTIN SCHOOLS STRUGGLE TO GRADUATE LOW INCOME STUDENTS

by Clay Dafoe
August 25, 2013

A recent study published by the Austin American Statesman shows that the Austin Independent School District has the worst rate of graduation for low income students out of all big city school districts in Texas. Out of the district's 2,400 low income students, about 79% graduate from high school. Those figures remain a problem for AISD who has a target of reaching a 90% overall graduation rate.

In May of this year, voters passed two AISD bonds while rejecting two others. The approved bonds will purportedly dedicate $140 million to technology, energy and classroom equipment initiative and another $349 million to facility repairs and renovations. 
Both bonds passed with barely over 50% of the counted votes. The Texas Education Agency has rated the Austin district "Academically Acceptable," the second lowest of four in the ratings.









http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/local-education/austins-graduation-rates-lag-for-low-income-childr/nZbtP/?icmp=statesman_internallink_textlink_apr2013_statesmanstubtomystatesman_launch

http://www.kvue.com/news/Austin-schools-lag-behind-peers-in-graduating-low-income-students-221012631.html

COMPLAINT SAYS AUSTIN POLICE CHIEF ACEVEDO INTIMIDATED SHOOTING OFFICER'S ATTORNEY

by Clay Dafoe
August 24, 2013



 Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo has written an apology letter to Nadia Stewart, the attorney for detective Charles Kleinert who shot and killed Larry Eugene Jackson, Jr. during a police chase in early August, according to KXAN News. Police Chief Acevedo told Stewart that her husband would be contacted by Austin Police Department's Internal Affairs Division in regard to an apparent leak of information surrounding the case of the shooting death of unarmed Larry Eugene Jackson, Jr, a 32 year old Austinite.

Reports show that Chief Acevedo was ordered to write a formal apology to Nadia Stewart after being confronted with the information by City Attorney Karen Kennard. However, none of the members of the Austin City Council have yet to use their powers of investigation vested in them through the Austin City Charter to review the APD shooting of Larry Eugene Jackson or the conduct of Police Chief Art Acevedo. Earlier this month, the Texas Civil Rights project requested the federal government investigate the Austin Police Department's use of lethal force that has resulted in the deaths of nearly a half dozen citizens in recent years.

http://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/acevedo-ordered-to-apologize-over-leak-remark

http://www.kvue.com/news/Acevedo-ordered-to-apologize-after-comments-related-to-officer-involved-shooting-220437251.html

http://www.kxan.com/news/acevedo-says-he-didnt-leak-shooting-account-details