Austin City Council could vote on license plate readers, resolution to oppose 'book banning'

With a whopping 141 items on Austin City Council's Sept. 1 agenda, this week's meeting is likely to again extend well into the evening.

AUSTIN (KXAN) — With a whopping 141 items on Austin City Council's Sept. 1 agenda, this week's meeting is likely to again extend well into the evening.

Here are some of the items we're watching.

License plate readers

Austin City Council will once again discuss reinstating the Austin Police Department’s license plate reader program during this week's meeting. The controversial program was discontinued when the council cut the police budget in 2020.

Council members have kicked the proposal down the line several times, but councilmember Mackenzie Kelly, who originally introduced the proposal, is bringing it back once again. It now has several co-sponsors, according to the agenda, councilmembers Leslie Pool, Ann Kitchen, Kathie Tovo and Paige Ellis.

While Kelly and the police department have pointed to the program saving lives, EFF Austin, an Austin-based digital civil liberties advocacy organization, said it has major concerns with the resolution as proposed when it comes to people’s rights and privacy.

“We believe it blatantly violates the Fourth Amendment’s prohibitions against unreasonable search and seizure,” Kevin Welch, president of the EFF Austin board, said. He has been heavily involved in talking to city council members about the legality of the program.

Meanwhile, Kelly has said she is confident the council could ensure the data collected was used appropriately.

“For me, this is a matter of life safety for people in the community. If we can save one child who is abducted or if we could help one victim of a heinous crime get justice, then that’s worth it to me,” she said.

Notice of proposed eviction could make its way to city code

Austin City Council had it on the agenda to codify an ordinance that was born out of the pandemic which requires landlords to give people a heads up prior to issuing a formal notice to vacate. According to some city council members, this item is likely to be postponed to a meeting later this month.

If later passed, a landlord would have to provide 21 days notice (14 days if the tenant does not contact the landlord) before providing a notice to vacate. If they do not, the notice to vacate is not valid. The ordinance also establishes a tenant's right to participate in a tenant organization and prohibits landlords from retaliation for doing so.

Despite the change, which councilmember Vanessa Fuentes said will strengthen tenants' rights, some groups say it's not enough and are calling on city council to prioritize housing solutions.

"The rental assistance and really the other outreach efforts that occurred during the pandemic — and that was when rental assistance was really readily available — those were the meaningful solutions that helped our renters," said Emily Blair, executive vice president for the Austin Apartment Association.

Resolution to oppose 'book banning'

Councilmembers are expected to approve a resolution "supporting the American Library Association's 'Freedom to Read' statement and opposing book banning."

The resolution is sponsored by five members: councilmembers Leslie Pool, Vanessa Fuentes, Kathie Tovo, Natasha Harper-Madison and Mayor Pro Tem Alison Alter.

Community outreach kickoff for affordable housing programs

Mayor Steve Adler and Fuentes put forward a resolution that, if passed, would kickstart the community engagement process to look at affordable housing programs and initiatives.

According to Fuentes, the resolutions would "begin community outreach to organizations and members to explore potential enhancements."

Possible renaming of east Austin park

Pan American Neighborhood Park in east Austin has been home to concerts, family gatherings, church events, picnics and daily neighborhood hangouts since the 1950s. The city council could vote to change the name of the park to the Tony Castillo Pan American Neighborhood Park.

Some neighbors have been vocally opposed to the renaming. Gavino Fernandez, who has lived across from Pan Am park since 1965 and is the Barrio Unido Neighborhood Association president, said he worries name changes would remove the “legendary history” of the park.

“Through this gentrification, there are very few of us left in east Austin. We’re losing our land. They’re closing our schools. We’re losing our businesses,” Fernandez said. “Now, they’re coming and trying to erase our history by changing the names of the parks that are historic to our community.”

This item has been on previous agendas and drawn a number of public speakers.