Barton Springs University is September 25th

Barton Springs University is a year-round series of educational events and classroom presentations, highlighted by a full day of outdoor learning and fun at Barton Springs Pool on September 25th. The Barton Springs University day is designed primarily for high school students but includes college students and the general public. It features lectures, hands on activities, an interactive community fair and training by leading academics, professionals, and policy makers on central Texas water science, public policy, history and sustainable living. It is free and open to the public.  Go to https://bartonspringsuniversity.org/ for more information

Barton Springs University is produced by Save Our Springs Alliance in partnership with: Save Barton Creek Association, City of Austin Parks & Recreation, Watershed Protection, Water Utility and Austin Resource Recovery, University of Texas’, Environmental Science Institute, Texas State University, Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas Parks & Wildlife and others.

What is Prop J (the CodeNEXT citizen ballot initiative) and why does it matter? by Fred Lewis

The “CodeNEXT” citizen petition initiative will be on the ballot this November as Proposition J. If Austin voters approve Proposition J, then before CodeNEXT (or other comprehensive revisions of the land development code) can become law, there will be a waiting period and voter approval requirement. The initiative states “there shall be both a waiting period and voter approval by election before CodeNEXT (or any subsequent comprehensive revisions of the City’s land development laws) is legally effective.” A “yes” vote on Proposition J means voters will have to approve CodeNEXT or the next CodeNEXT; a “no” vote means council may enact a comprehensive land code revision without voter approval, as is currently the law.

Proposition J’s waiting period and voter approval requirements apply only to “comprehensive revisions of the land development laws.” Comprehensive revisions are a legal term of art: it means only a once in a generation complete overhaul of the City’s land development laws such as in 1985 and proposed with CodeNEXT. (Mixon, Texas Municipal Zoning Law, 7.002). Proposition J does not require a waiting period or voter approval for any specific development, any incremental changes in law, or the enactment of new programs (such as flooding mitigation or affordable housing) short of a complete revision of the land development laws.

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Will we get to vote on CodeNEXT? YES!

	Bill Bunch, SOS  Executive Director, Bobby Levinski, SOS Attorney, Nelson Linder, Austin NAACP President and Fred Lewis, Austin Attorney

Breaking News - Austin Planning Commission in Hot Water

Yesterday, the Texas Attorney General filed a lawsuit seeking to remove Austin Planning Commissioners for violating the Austin City Charter provision that prohibits more than  1/3rd of the Commissioners from being connected directly or indirectly to land development. The  petition is linked here pdf Texas v Austin Planning Commission Petition (990 KB) .  The legal action was filed pursuant to a complaint, also filed by Fred Lewis, Bill Bunch, Nelson Linder and others.

On news of this action being filed, Fred Lewis said, "I want to thank the local authorities, and especially the Office of the Texas Attorney General, for filing this suit to enforce Austin's Charter to prevent development-related domination of the Planning Commission. Austin's charter language and and the facts are clear: there are too many development related engineers, lawyers and architects on the Planning Commission, and this law enforcement action is warranted. Lewis added, "The illegal composition of the Planning Commission undermines the validity of its work over the last 3 years, whether on individual rezoning of specific properties or on CodeNEXT." Council should have fixed the illegal composition 3 years ago, when this was first brought to their attention. But Mayor Adler and the council majority ignored the illegal composition of the Planning Commission even while forging ahead with the first comprehensive rewrite of the City's development regulations in 30 years.

Zilker Parking Lot Nixed for Now

Thank you to everyone who contacted City officials to protest the rush to pave over seven acres of Zilker Park to convert lake front park land into a parking lot for ACL.  Last Wednesday night, Austin's Environmental Commission voted unanimously to recommend against  the project in favor of a park access and master plan for Zilker Park that would lead to less parking in the park.  Thank you Commissioners!! Then, late Friday afternoon Acting Parks Director Kimberly McNeeley sent a memo to City Council stating that staff was "putting the proposal on hold indefinitely." 

Once again, some people claimed it was "a done deal," a waste of time to oppose this sneak attack on Austin's most favorite and irreplaceable park.  But with vigilance from citizens like you, strong volunteers serving on the Environmental Commission, and hard work from SOS and Zilker and Barton Hills Neighborhood Association leaders, we saved this bit of park paradise from another parking lot.   At least for now.

"Barton Springs Eternal" Remastered All-Star Recording

Exhumed from the archives!  We're happy to present this 1992 epic legendary all-star recording of Austin's music community coming together to sing the praises of The Soul of Austin, Barton Springs.

Featuring the talents of Bill Oliver, Bob Livingston, Jerry Jeff Walker, Marcia Ball,  Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock, Ponty Bone, Paul Pearcy, Steven Fromholz, Joe Ely, John Inmon, David Halley, Sarah Elizabeth Campbell, Doug Powell, Bobby Bridger, Tomas Ramirez, Riley Osbourn, and Mitch WatkinsChorus: all of the above plus:Aunt Pearl (Joe Sears), Didi Snavely (Jaston Williams) of Greater Tuna, Susan Lindfore, Christine Albert, Connie Hancock, Tommy Pierce, Monty Montgomery, Jim Ellinger (Wheatsville), Jeri Arsenault, Cecelia Nasti & Bryan Beck (KGSR radio), Jenny Clark (ACTV), Helen Ballew (Hill Country Foundation), Jennie Hamilton (SOS Coalition) - "Barton Springs Eternal" is now available for download from our new Bandcamp page:

Grab the song in any file format you like for as little as a dollar - all proceeds from the sales of this track go to Save Our Springs Alliance and Save Barton Creek Association to support our round-the-clock work to preserve our clean water and the Austin way of life.