Jam-packed council agenda before break

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Austin’s City Council will be taking a month-long break after a marathon of a meeting on Thursday.

The 22-page agenda included items dealing with the way APD officers write tickets to safety concerns for construction workers.

Council Member Bill Spelman led the move by Council to make Austin one of the first cities in the country to implement mandatory breaks and water for construction workers.

“It’s going to be 105 degrees outside very soon. You have people who are working out there in the 105 degree heat without rest breaks and without drinking water right now,” said Spelman.

The resolution directs the City Manger to develop an ordinance requiring rest breaks and water for construction workers.

“This is a really critical simple step moving toward more construction worker safety in Austin,” said Greg Casar with the Workers Defense Project.

Earlier this year, The Workers Defense Project   teamed up with the University of Texas and found that one-third  of construction workers they surveyed did not get regular breaks.

One issue the city will need to deal with involves enforcement. Council Member Spelman said, if the final resolution gets passed in July, the city has many options for enforcement, be it either law enforcement or building code compliance officers.

The workers safety resolution passed on a 7-0 vote.

  Council picks two companies to handle recycling

One item that did not win unanimous approval from council deals with where the city sends everything you throw in your blue recycling cart.

After a nine-month bidding process, City Council decided to negotiate with two local companies to build a Materials Recovery Facility.

Neither of the winning companies were recommended by city staff during the bidding process. One of the winning companies, Texas Disposal System was disqualified during the bidding process for violating the city’s lobbying rules.

In the end, 5 council members voted to start negotiations with Balconies Resources and Texas Disposal Systems.

Originally the city was going to build the facility itself but after spending $1 million on research and design, the city scrapped the plans.

For now everything you throw in your blue cart will continue to be shipped to San Antonio and process by another company.

The Council also took what many think is the first step toward a ban on plastic shopping bags.

The Council voted to find out exactly how much it cost taxpayers for the city to process each plastic shopping bag that enters the city’s waste stream.

“It clogs up recycling facilities, it clogs up our sewer systems. It cost us money to pick up litter and some cities have found it cost 10-17 cents per bag,” said Robin Schneider with the Austin Zero Waste Alliance.

E-Tickets added to APD's arsenal

The Austin Police Department gets a new tool to help fight speed.

Through a grant approved by council, some Austin Police officers will soon have the ability to print you a ticket.

The hand-held machine will allow officers to save time by eliminating the need to fill in tickets by hand.

Almost all of the information needed to write a ticket will be filled in by a computer allowing the officer to spend less time giving you a ticket and more time busting others for breaking traffic laws.

Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo says the system will also help make the streets safer for both his officers and the public.

“E-Tickets will give us the opportunity to reduce the exposure time for our officers on the side of the road when they are writing tickets which means it improves safety for the motorist who is stopped by the police officer and improves safety for the officers,” Acevedo said.

APD says the new machines will be given to all of their motorcycle officers. No word on when they will be phased in.

City to pursue potential RV park for the homeless near ABIA

After an uproar from neighbors in 2008, the City of Austin thinks it’s found a new place for an RV park for the homeless.

On Thursday, the City Council directed the City Manager to start talks with the Central Texas Federal Congressional delegation. The delegation will seek permission from the Federal Aviation Administration to use the land located near and owned by airport for the park.

Local non-profit Mobile Loaves and Fishes would rent and operate the RV park.

"This will be a tool in the toolbox of continued care. It will be an important piece but it is not the solution," says Mobile Loaves and Fishes Founder, Allan Graham.

City staff will report back to council in two months.

The next City Council meeting won’t be until July 29, 2010.