The Austin City Council faces a long agenda today, convening for its first full meeting in over a month.
The issue of regulating short term rentals (STRs) has reached a fever pitch over the break, ever since the council’s initial June vote to add new regulations.
While some council members have signaled their intent to finalize that initial suite of regulations – which would require property owners to obtain a license, and limit the number of STRs by zip code – opponents have called for a ban on “commercial” STRs, or properties that exist solely to be rented out. And the city didn’t help the issue by publishing a memo that inadvertently stated the council had acted in legal error on their first vote.
Also on the agenda is a resolution that would expand the Austin City Limits Music Festival to two weekends and a proposal for a two-day concert called “Formula Fest” – tied to November’s inaugural Formula One race – put on by race-promoters Circuit of the Americas.
Council members are also considering allowing additional permits for an Austin Cab, one of the city’s three licensed cab companies.
And a possible late addition to this November’s city election – which will include a vote on single-member districts and a likely bond election – is also up for consideration: a proposal “to provide a civil service system for most city employees who are not covered by a state civil service statute.” In other words, granting the same job protections to rank-and-file city employees that Austin’s public safety workers enjoy. You can read the Austin Chronicle’s thoughts and the Austin American-Statesman’s report on the issue.
Today’s meeting can be viewed online, and begins at 10 a.m.
